The Blood Cult/Myths/Lake Salaman

The Fear of Lake Salaman

From time to time in the cold darkness of night, around the fire this tale is spoken. The Fear of Lake Salaman is given in warning to the youth by the old on these occasions. A Fear which if not obeyed will voraciously devour the beings around the lake. So it is told that many years ago, some tell it as centuries others as decades, but a time long past, when a fire-eating water-dwelling creature terrorized the people of a fishing village in Qrelg!

Nightly, as the fisherfolk prepared their fires to keep them warm throughout the night, the creature would launch an assault to eat what they had prepared. The nights when the folk made no fire the creature was not present, but the people were so cold living by the body of water. During the day, the villagers argued the serious affair. Some said to pack up and leave, others to confront the creature. They knew not what they faced. They asked each other that if they left would the creature follow them. Or, they wondered how they could go about attacking the terror. One brave young man who advocated confrontation decided he would risk his life to fight the beast, or at least learn more about it in the process. After cheers and encouragement, the hero found no willing followers. He went to the lake alone. There, he set up his tent and built a major fire to lure the sea creature. Sword in hand, eyes wide open, he waited for the sun to set.

It did.

Later in the evening than he had expected, the creature emerged from the sea. Walking on two legs, strolling over the sand, it approached the fire. Frozen by fright, the brave man could not speak or move. After a few minutes of watching the fire decrease as the creature ate, the man stood up and finally spoke.

He said,

“Creature! I demand you stop terrorizing our peaceful village! Leave us alone or we will have to destroy you!”

The human-like being stopped eating and looked at the man, almost as if it was amused by his bold act.

It replied with laughter,

“Destroy me? How do you expect to do that? I am a god! Demand? What could a pathetic being as you demand from me?”

Its mocking laughter humiliated the man who could not help but collapse in terror. He was no longer able to maintain his senses and he began to weep.

The god spoke again,

“I am called Nitlacuatletl, a living Xelatl. Your gesture of bravery is not without reward. Here is why. I have decided to take residence in this lake and wish to live comfortably. Night after night I venture out of the depths of this cold sea to find my sustenance. If your people provide me with nightly bonfires, enriched with blood, then I shall protect you.”

The man muttered a bit, then found his tongue and asked,

“What do you mean enriched with blood?”

The god answered,

“Blood is the currency of life, and it is also the propeller of life. Fire without blood is merely filler. Fire enriched with blood is nourishing. If you enrich my fire with the blood of an animal, or better yet a human, then I shall be strong and willing to protect your people.”

“From what?” the man could not help but ask.

Then the darkness seemed to grow darker, and the light of the burning fire no longer reflected off the sea or shone on the sand, and the god incarnate seemed to change form into a more menacing beast with claws, spikes, many sets of teeth and a metallic armoured chest.

“You must obey me or I will kill you. I will kill every one of you. I am neither a merciful god nor a compassionate one. I demand fire and your people will serve me. Now that we have spoken, your entire village is at risk of my wrath. Obey and I will no longer harass you in my playful way, yes I enjoy stalking and delivering fear. Disobey and I will collect each and every one of you into a fire pit, and you will be put in an inferno that nothing can escape. I shall devour you all in this holocaust!”

“Why us, why must you do this? Are you not contempt with your godly station?” The man pleaded.

“Simply because I desire to.” Was the god’s flat answer.

After the man wept some more and begged, the god struck him back and commanded him to take his words to the village and then to every village around the lake. From now on, each would be required to sacrifice blood in a fire on the shore for the god in Lake Salaman. After the man spread the frightening warning, an animal would be prepared to be sacrificed nightly. Blood offered for the extortionate appetite of Nitlacuatletl.

After generations passed, the fisherfolk forgot about Nitlacuatletl and thought the nightly sacrifice was a waste of food. A few nights after they ceased the ritual, a bloody massacre wiped out the community of people living around Lake Salaman. When traders or scouting parties ventured near the lake they found empty villages and large fire pits filled with charred bones across the whole coast. The very few survivors all wept and despaired, telling the curious that it was a terrible god who destroyed them all.

Nitlacuatletl was no longer as active as he was before the massacre. Some say because he decided to leave the lake for another home, others say that he had his fill for a century that evening and would return when he was hungry again.

Thus began the myth of the Fear of Lake Salaman.