Notes
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A woven scroll that depicts the legend of the hero Traore, a favorite among the children of the Nanatzcayan.
This is one part of the story of the Volcano Lord’s struggle against the people of the tribes.
If we were to start from the beginning, the storyteller might have to spend seventeen days and seventeen nights by the bonfire to finish, and by the end, the children might have fallen into dreamland on account of the lengthy tale — no one would hear the best part of the ending. As such, let us skip some of the… Let’s just call them “the parts less important to the listeners.”
Instead, let us speak of the Volcano Lord and the Shadow Pin that hangs above the Sulfurous Veins: Our story unfolds in a time when great beasts withdrew from this land, and when the empty Great Volcano of Tollan was occupied by the dark Volcano Lord. The Great Volcano was once the dwelling of great dragons, and on this matter little further need be said. But when they fled amidst the flames, their dwelling was seized by the devious Volcano Lord.
Jillian
As we know from Records of Hanan Pacha, this isn’t the original Volcano Lord — he should be asleep. This is one of his scions who took his name, I guess.
No one now knows what said Lord looked like, but the tribal elders who saw it all say it was a black-and-purple giant with a salamander’s form. In ancient times, some conflated salamanders with dragons, but nowadays everyone knows that a salamander is just that.
Jillian
Is this meant to imply that he wasn’t a dragon at all?
Anyway, the Volcano Lord dominated the lands of Natlan, committing countless vile acts. It bathed in the springs of the middle sea, causing the People of the Springs to be filled with smog, and it blew a wind filled with sparks to the Scions of the Canopy. At its worst, it even swallowed the entire Collective of Plenty! That would have been trouble indeed, had the Tatankasaurs and the tribe’s warriors not breached its stomach while it slept and escaped.
All in all, this being did every wicked thing you could imagine, causing untold suffering to the tribes. And on this particular day, it lay within the volcano, gazing at its dark form… and a new, wicked thought came to it. “Bah, it’s just so dark down here under the volcano, even darker than a moonless night! I can’t even see my own body."
"I’ve heard that the valleys of the Children of Echoes to the east are home to countless gems. If I could swallow all those shiny stones, then my stomach shall shine brightly like the starry night sky even in the darkest of places.” So saying, it turned about, having decided to do just that.
Jillian
Cursed to live in total darkness, wants to collect a bunch of shiny stones that will make him shine like stars — reminds me of Ukuku from The Tale of Qoyllor and Ukuku.
But the Volcano Lord was far too large, and it missed his notice that a little Flying Squirrel had heard his words. The little Flying Squirrel hurried to tell the story to a flying Phlogiston Aphid. The Aphid flew on high and told all it knew to a grazing Long-Necked Rhino, who then told a Tepetlisaurus with whom it was best friends. This Tepetlisaurus, in turn, was none other than the Saurian companion of the Children of Echoes elder, Traore. And thus did Elder Traore hear of the Volcano Lord’s plot to seize the gems from his companion.
This was terrible timing for the Children. Their strongest warrior, their Chief Sundjatta, and his companions had followed the hero Tenoch to the island in the far west to halt the giant dark beast, and could not do battle against the Volcano Lord. And so Traore and the warriors guarding the tribe sought aid from their tribe’s Wayob, for all within the tribe knew that the Wayob symbolized all wisdom and the greatest of souls.
Jillian
So this is happening while Tenoch is gathering up his little group of people from the tribes to help him fight. If “the giant dark beast” isn’t a dragon, then it’s probably a monster from the abyss.
Under the Wayob’s guidance, Traore came up with a way to resist the Volcano Lord, so he and the soldiers made ready, sure to inflict a crushing defeat on him. The Volcano Lord caused the volcano to belch thick smoke, hiding himself within the smog. It was with such fanfare that he drew near to the valley of the Children of Echoes.
When he reached the Sulfurous Veins, he saw a tiny tribesperson standing there, as if long having awaited his arrival. This was Traore.
Traore said, “O Lord, O Volcano Lord, long have we heard of your departure. Long have we believed that your majestic form should by right be adorned with our finest gemstones. For this, we have specially built a stone chamber, and placed all our gems within.”
Now, the Volcano Lord thought, how did these puny people know that he had come to take their gems? Nonetheless, he was a mighty overlord! What need had he to concern himself with such matters? Thus did he gladly follow Traore to the stone chamber, only to pause in confusion once he laid eyes upon the chamber. For the gate to the chamber was only human-sized, far too small for a giant black salamander!
”Is this the chamber?” The Volcano Lord expelled hot air in displeasure. “How am I to enter it?"
"Alas, Lord, but our hasty preparation is to blame. For we are but puny humans, unable to construct great palaces to contain your magnificent form. But you may still reach your hand into it — the treasures are there for the taking,” Traore said.
”But I cannot see what is within, you sly little human. Looking to play tricks on your overlord, are you? Hah! Think you that I do not see how must have hidden a mechanism within that shall do hurt to my arm?"
"Please do not worry, Lord,” Traore said. “See! I shall enter the stone chamber first, and then you can stretch your hand in after me. Should there be a trap to hurt you, will it not slay me first? Our tribe fears death and loves life almost as much as we love our gems — we’d never make such a sacrifice.”
True, that, the Volcano Lord thought. These puny little tribespeople always prized their lives, did they not? Why else would they have prepared a tribute of gems even before he had even arrived? And thus did Traore enter the stone chamber, golden whistle in hand, and the Volcano Lord extended his arm after him.
And lo, there were indeed piles of gems inside. Traore poured jewels and ores into the Volcano Lord’s hand, and the fist the Lord balled around the stones grew larger and larger… until it was larger even than the chamber gate! And it was at that moment—! Traore blew his golden whistle.
The tribal warriors, lying in ambush by the stone chamber, prayed that their Wayob would unveil its power there and then. And the Wayob, borrowing four sewing pins — three short and one long — from the tribespeople, blew them toward the Volcano Lord. The four pins absorbed the power of both the tribespeople’s flesh and blood and the Wayob, and so they grew as they flew, turning into four titanic phlogiston nails.
Only then did the overlord realize that he had fallen into a trap, and cursed in his heart the cunning tribespeople. But his hand, so filled with gems, could no longer be opened. There was no retracting it from the stone chamber. One pin! Two pins! Three pins! The three smaller stone pillars pinned its jet-black arm to the Sulfurous Veins. But before the last and largest stone pillar could fall, the Volcano Lord, gritting its teeth, severed its own arm and fled.
Jillian
Are the Sulfurous Veins literally the veins of his severed arm?
That black arm was left pinned to the ground like a shadow, which is why the long crystalline pillars of the Sulfurous Veins are known as Shadow Pins. As for the longest, largest Shadow Pin, it did not completely fall to the earth, for the Volcano Lord had already fled before then.
Jillian
Surely this is hinting at something re: the Celestial Nails. I don’t think the exact number necessarily means anything, because we know of (I think) four nails that did fall. But the way Celestia floats above Teyvat is a bit threatening.
However, so long as that Shadow Pin remains suspended over the Sulfurous Veins, never again shall the Volcano Lord dare draw near the Children of Echoes. And this is the story of said Lord and the Shadow Pins.
As for Traore, who boldly used himself as bait, how did he escape the chamber, blocked as it now was by the Volcano Lord’s arm? Why, he must have mastered some marvelous skill, of course. After all, there are many more legends concerning him that take place after this one…