Arkoi Island

Greece

Quote

And when he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, Come. And I saw, and behold, a pale horse: and he that sat upon him, his name was Death; and Hades followed with him. And there was given unto them authority over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with famine, and with death, and by the wild beasts of the earth. -- Book of Revelations 6:7-8

Description

Arkoi (Greek: Αρκοί) is a small Greek island which is part of the Dodecanese archipelago. It is situated in the eastern Aegean Sea, close to the Turkish Aegean Coast. The island belongs to the municipality of Patmos, and had a population of 54 inhabitants at the 2001 census. Due to the small population there is no real capital, as such, though most inhabitants live close to the main harbour with the rest living scattered around the island on higher ground. The majority of the population find employment either in fishing, goat herding or helping to run one of the island's four tavernas.

Geography

The island is characterized by dry, rocky land with little in the way of vegetation apart from olive trees and some hardy shrubs. Fauna on the island mainly consists of livestock such as goats or donkeys, though herons can be spotted occasionally. The marine life in the bays around the island has not suffered as much as on other Greek islands with various species of grouper and nudibranch present.

Landmarks

On the hill overlooking the main harbour are situated the ruins of an acropolis. Although little remains of the structure, the stones used to build it make a good viewpoint at which to see the sun set over the Aegean. At one end of the island, towards the island of Lipsi is the best beach on the island, Tiganakia. This beach is small and somewhat rocky but provides crystal clear waters to swim in and the view across the bay to the nearby islets is idyllic. This beach can become swamped in high summer (July and August) as day trippers from nearby Lipsi visit the beach frequently. At the other end of the island, in the direction of Samos, is what is referred to as the 'Italian jail'. Villagers say it was used during World War II as a prison by the Italian army that occupied the island. Also at this end of the island is a cave, which contains a number of stalactite and stalagmite formations. The cave is however difficult to find as the land around it is covered by olive trees and bushes.

Maps

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http://old.wikimapia.org/#lat=37.3799421&lon=26.738255&z=14&l=0&m=b

Nearby Islands

The closest inhabited island is that of Marathi, 2.4km (1.5 miles) to the south-west of Port Augusta - Arkoi's only settlement; though the closest populations of any significant size are found on the islands of Leipsoi and Patmos.

Transportation on and off of Arkoi Island

There is ferry service that runs between Samos, Patmos, and Leipsoi, that calls at the island, as well as occasional small ferries to other nearby islands such as Marathi.

The Tzimisce's Tale

The year was 2028, and I was a brash young Tzimisce trying to make a name for himself. Ironically, at the time, I was calling myself Simon Legree, a joke no Englishman would understand as it is a reference to the antebellum states of the southern United States.

Vampires of Arkoi Island

• -- Lazarus -- Recently awakened Cappadocian Methuselah
• -- Don Mateo Putanesca -- Don Mateo was one of the progeny of Claudius Giovanni and is currently the familial head of the Putanesca branch of the Giovanni Clan.
• -- Pietro Putanesca -- The mortal younger brother of Don Matteo, and his first progeny; Pietro is one of the few Putanesca who dabble in necromancy.
• -- Simon Legree -- An intrepid young Cainite bound by destiny to play a pivotal role in the fate of the last great Cappadocian, for good or ill.

Errata

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Websites

http://www.arki-island.com/

http://www.greece.org/poseidon/work/islands/dodekanisa/arkoi.html

http://greece.charterpartner.com/arki.htm