Óros Zóni (ˈoros ˈzo.ni)

Óros Zóni is the highest point on the island of Kalliste. It is sacred to Asterop, the star-eyed goddess of the Cyclopes, and to a lesser extent to her three sons, Heliopeios, Selenepeios, and Skotadipeios. The name translates roughly to 'The Mountain of the Girdle' and refers to a Cyclopes myth about the girdle of stars that surround the world, and how Asterop placed them there. The Cyclopes claim that the peak of Óros Zóni is the center point of the entire universe, and that only truth can be spoken there.

There are no settlements on or near the mountain - neither the Cyclopes who live on Kalliste nor the Leonaragians who have begun to invade it choose to live in communities. The only structure on the mountain is the temple of Asterop, built into the stone of the mountain near the peak, and tended by three priests, one for each of Asterop's sons. To the Cyclopes, it is important that the Temple be there, and remain unviolated by any outsiders, and they do not climb the mountain to visit it unless the priests summon aid by lighting a particular beacon. This most often indicates that one of the three priests has died, and then the Cyclopes will choose another to serve the role by lot. The priests are supplied with food by the other Cyclopes in the area, who will deliver these goods to the priests at the base of the mountain.

Notable Spirits

The most significant spirit of the mountain is Asterop the Star-Eyed. She is said to be the mother of all the Cyclopes, and to have descended from the sky ages ago to give birth to her three sons. Asterop is described as an enormous one-eyed woman three times as tall as any Cyclopes, whose single eye blazes with an intense silvery light.

Asterop's three eldest children are Heliopeios, Selenepeios, and Skotadipeios, each of whom make their home near Kalliste. Heliopeios is found on Trinacria, and is the eldest of the brothers - his name means Sun-Eyed, and he is known for his affinity to fire and forging. The second eldest is Selenepeios, the Moon-Eyed, and he lived upon Maleth. The third brother is Skotadipeios, the Shadow-Eyed, and he forsake the land to live in the depths of the Rasrathnian Sea, far away from the lights of his mother and brothers.

Geography

Óros Zóni is a very steep mountain that is challenging to climb. The priests of the temple have a path carved from the stone ages ago for bringing goods up the mountain, and this is the least challenging way to ascend, assuming you are a thirty-foot tall Cyclopes. For smaller creatures, the mountain is practically impossible to climb. Much of the climb is bare rock which is constantly scoured by high winds, and there is snow and ice year-round in the higher altitudes.

Type

Mountain / Hill

Location under

Kalliste

Geographic Details

Location: Southeastern Region
Latitude: 36.28 degrees North
Longitude: 27.27 degrees East
Elevation: 8,353 ft