The Blood Cult/Myths/Undead

This story takes place in the early ages, when the first of the Xelatl were born and the older Xenotl were forced into exile. It is the story about Itzpapalotl, the undead, and the place commonly known as the "Abyss", a domain of the land of the dead: the Shadowlands.

They had managed to kill their unsuspecting mother quickly, but by the time they could move on to finish off her other children, these were already prepared and charging them, and so the four Xenotls (Xunaotl, Motl, Hiacaotl, and Jacotl) who had been the ambushers had now become the ambushed. As the battle raged on, Motl took blow after blow to protect his siblings, and was growing weak, forcing the Xenotls to flee the Xelatl in order to save their brother. They travelled to the edges of the world, where the light had never dared venture, to live in exile as the rivals ruled the known world.

These lands were dark, inhospitable, and lifeless as no natural light ever shined here, the air was forever chilling, and no form of vegetation or animal life whatsoever, not even moss, survived here. However, here they were certain to be left alone to their own devices, and so they started to build their homes in this desolate place. Azyhuitl, they called it, or the Abyss in common speak. This was their domain they made themselves in the outskirts of the living world called the Shadowlands.

Not long after they had finally finished establishing themselves and that Motl had healed, the Xenotls were surprised to learn that their ever-fertile sister Xunaotl had become pregnant, and shortly after she gave birth to a goddess who was as unliving as the place she was born in. With open arms, the three others accepted this new goddess which they came to call Itzpapalotl.

Itzpapalotl was a bit of a paradox: her body was cold and dead, her demeanour was no more lively, however whenever she expressed herself the others could tell she had a very fertile mind. As they learnt of their siblings creating creatures to serve them in the living world, she decided to do the same. Taking some of the cold dirt from the Abyss and mixing it with her blood and bones of the first humans which Hiacaotl stole from the living world in secret, she crafted the first undead, whom she taught to serve, to build and create. The new creature was completely loyal to her, and she taught him how to raise more of his kind. From dirt and bone, her lieutenant could raise the dead to serve them, and they were as loyal to him as he was to her. The name of the first was Tlacamatl, though the name became of unimportance with the ages and the rank became known as the "Summoner".

To build their civilization, she taught them the mastery of fire, which they used to light their domain and craft their weapons. Jacotl trained them into capable warriors, Hiacoatl taught them to be noble and civilized, and Motl taught them humility and a sense of duty. These creatures were every bit as cold and unliving as the first, though with the efforts of the Xenotl, they became greater than what could have normally grown out of such lifeless dirt.

Later, when there was but one Xelatl left alive, the original four Xenotls parted with Itzpapalotl and her creations, who remained in the Abyss, so that they may rule the living world. So that she would not grow bored and lonely, they promised her their dead, so that she may forever see new faces and see her realm grow throughout the ages. And so, ever since, every follower of the Xenotl, after their death, raise sooner or later as the undead: those who die a heroic death get a chance to become an undead general, while the others become minor undead until they pass on to the next level.

---As written by Louis-Joseph Chénier, Teocoatl of the Blood Cult