Chionos (ˈço.nos)

"Wait, how many of these plants were once people??"

— a startled visitor to Chionos

The highest point on the island of Chalkós, Chionos is a part of the Chálkina range that runs along the west coast of the island. This range is the location of most of the copper mines on the island. The mountain itself has a notable profile with five distinct peaks known as Ta Dáktyla, or The Fingers. The highest of these is the central peak, and reaches to over 7,000 feet, making it the third highest mountain in the Kaphtor Islands, after Óros Ídhi on the island of Nisi, and Belus on the island of Íssa.¹

Notable Spirits

Chionos has not manifested as individual entity, but instead is home to the Chionae, a group of nymphs born from the Chálkina range and named for the tallest mountain. They are spirits of the high forests, who are notoriously protective of their privacy and demand respect from all who they encounter. Those who live on Chalkós now the appropriate forms of address and curtesy for encountering a young woman in the forest, and adhere to these rules without fail. This is because the Chionae are well-known for transforming anyone who offends them into plants, particularly trees. Several of the plant species found in the region have origins in this practice. For example, the Duzu flower is said to have been created when a young Telmun soldier in the army of Hundaru of Telmun failed to defer to one of the Chionae while drinking from a stream. Today, the Duzu flower is found along streams throughout the area, always dipping its leaves into the water.