A peculiarly shaped jade longsword that has been passed down amongst the Masters of the Night-Wind as a “priestly flute.”
Long, long ago, in what now is seen as an age of myth, when great dragons still roamed the deep valley, there lived a girl who — despite having had her ankles mutilated at birth — inherited the title of Holy Sovereign, just as tradition dictated.
Jillian
”Holy Sovereign” is quite a title.
Back then, when the deep valley had not yet been given the name of “Mictlan,” there was but a lowly village that owed its very existence to the protection of the dragons. By ancient beacons was the dragons’ prideful honor incinerated, driving them to flee fearfully into withering dreams. So did they come to make a pact with the mortals who sought their protection, instruction them to ordain a Holy Sovereign of exceptional talent…
Jillian
Mictlan is the name of the Aztec underworld.
Not sure what these “ancient beacons” are or why they made the dragons flee “into withering dreams.” But now we know why the dragons mentioned in Maawe and Monetoo are in a dream.
”A labyrinth of mirrors and a fortress of mist, these shall we build to shield your tiny mortal tribes from the scourge of war."
"In return, we ask only one thing — that you choose a Sovereign who will guide us into our dreams.”
As with all worldly aspirations, dreams are windows onto an inferno of desire, fired by the kindling known as "life." This so-called fated Sovereign was but an offering to dreams, destined to be dispersed like smoking embers by the cold night wind.
Jillian
Were the dragons trying to trick the humans into sending human sacrifices to the Night Kingdom, or did they also not know that’s what was happening?
And so it was that the Holy Sovereign’s only companions were a flute and her silent attendant. Perhaps out of loyalty, or perhaps sympathy, he never left his young master’s side, doomed as she was to an early demise.
Yet this hero, venerated by future generations, did not yet know that the young seer had long since discerned how the dream would end. Until the hero passed through mist and mirrors, guided by her flutesong — only then did the girl who had lost her ankles embrace him.
And so, in a gentle song woven from whispers and the dainty night wind, she murmured into his ear all that she had heard…
”…"
"When the day comes that we meet once more, pierce my heart, I beseech you. Let my name be engulfed by the flaming beacons and the burning winds."
"The old pact shall be broken, and in its place you will establish a new one, bringing them true peace."
"Until the day we meet once more, my most loyal servant Dinga, dragon slayer and fated Sovereign Maghan."
"Hero of mine, and mine alone, this is my final command. May the name of Mictlan endure for millennia.”
Jillian
Okay so who is this ancient hero, “venerated by future generations”?
”Maghan” is apparently a title given to kings of the Ghana Empire. Finding that out also led me to the origin of the name “Dinga” — he was said to be the origin of this empire, it seems. You can read more about it on that Wikipedia page, but it involves him killing a serpent deity and maybe also making a deal with said serpent deity to sacrifice people for rainfall. You can see why they picked the name.
The name Mictlan — is that her name?