poteeto-chan

[poteeto-chan]

The whole village of Khakat’ua, situated in the depths of unknown waters, was created a long time ago by a powerful elven sorcerer, Earendil of the Deep. The story of his brave sacrifice against the last Elder of Cerillia has been passed down for many generations in Idella’s tribe, and is remembered every year on the first Sunday of Abadius. 

The first Sunday of Abadius, which the tribe refers to as the first day of Bayanihan (spirit of communal unity), is a time of celebration for the new year, and an occasion to commemorate the creation of their village. Big feasts and long nights of drinking would commence, and the story of Earendil would be told over and over again. But Bayanihan isn’t only for the festivities, oh no, as it is also the time when the whole village would mystically appear in the waters of Golarion. For a week, Khakat’ua would be left vulnerable to the world, letting its citizens have the freedom to go outside of the secluded village. It’s around this period that the most curious of explorers would get frenzied about tracking down Khakat’ua, but only the lucky ever get to visit. The village would reappear in the most remote and random of places, making it so hard to get to. 

Once the week is over however, Khakat’ua would vanish once more.

You see, Khakat’ua is unlike any other village. It’s a village rich in history, mystery, and overflowing with magic.

Long ago, during the era of Earendil, an Elder of the name Bubuobuo was born to the old city of Cerillia. They say that an Elder, whose powers rival that of a demi-god, was only born in times when great peril was about to come. And indeed down the line the city faced a troublesome foe, a malevolent Aboleth from the Plane of Water. He sought for more creatures to enslave and more land to expand his kingdom with. He summoned dozens of ruthless Sahuagin, and other terrifying alien creatures the city had never seen before. 

Overwhelmed by the might of the Aboleth’s army, and tempted by the royalties offered to him, Bubuobuo surrendered the city of Cerillia to evil. Hundreds of aquatic elves were brutally murdered, imprisoned and enslaved by Bubuobuo under the Aboleth’s orders. It was a dark time for the people of Cerillia, as their only ‘savior’ Bubuobuo stomped out their freedom and betrayed them.

Long arduous years of suffering and slavery, the population of Cerillia dwindled down from thousands to only a few hundred. 

It wasn’t until 10 years later that Earendil, a powerful sorcerer, rose from the depths of slavery and saved the city of Cerillia. Earendil was nearly at the end of his lifetime when it happened, with his overly hunched back and wrinkled self. But, in spite of that, he led a band of sorcerers to Bubuobuo’s base. With one formidable surge of their magical power, they sent the Elder and the Aboleth’s minions to the Plane of Water, and created the haven Khakat’ua for the hundreds of  sea creatures they had freed. In fear of the Aboleth wanting revenge, Earendil also safeguarded Khakat’ua with an enchanted chalice; in this chalice he poured in the last embers of his magic, and a spell that would conceal the whereabouts of Khakat’ua to outsiders. This ensured that the remaining people of Cerillia, now the residents of Khakat’ua, would never suffer at the hands of the wicked again.

***

Idella has heard the story of Earendil more than enough in her life, and for the past week she had listened to it a thousand times more. The village of Khakat’ua is approaching the end of Bayanihan, and tonight is the night when the entire village would stay up until the early hours of dawn. They called this event Takipsilim (twilight), and it’s the last gathering the tribe pulls together as the conclusion to Bayanihan. During Takipsilim, the whole village, as a group, would mass around the temple of the enchanted chalice, which they named the Tagapagligtas (saviour). And as twilight begins, their magic would bloom to its full potential, and the whole community would chant a ritual that would rejuvenate Tagapagligtas’s power with their own. With the Tagapagligtas in full power for the spell stored inside, it would cover Khakat’ua in a shroud of confinement, making it ‘disappear’ from Golarion.

Tagapagligtas, aside from concealing Khakat’ua, has also become a source of magic for the village sorcerers, the Marahuyo (enchanted). However, with the excessive use of its wondrous waters, Tagapagligtas loses its enchantments annually. And thus, the start of Bayanihan came to be. 

Idella loved participating in Takipsilim, but has never been able to contribute any power to the recharging of Tagapagligtas. However, after years of studious learning, practicing with

strict Marahuyo mentors, and burnt out days from magic exhaustion, Idella can finally donate some of her own energy into the chalice, as tiny as it may be. She unfortunately cannot call herself a sorcerer, and therefore can never get the title of a Marahuyo, but she has made an effort into making herself a wizard! While wizards are ranked below sorcerers in Khakat’ua, they are the most common type of magic user in the village. Marahuyo only came from certain families, whose bloodlines trace back to Earendil and the group of sorcerers that vanquished Bubuobuo.

The time had finally arrived for the creatures of Khakat’ua to congregate at the temple of Tagapagligtas, and Idella had rushed to be able to sit down on the first row of seats there. This gave her a full view of the chalice, and the Marahuyo that were up on stage. Once every seat in the temple was filled up, the oldest of the Marahuyo quietened the village folk and commenced with, what others thought to be boring, a speech to start off Takipsilim. Idella enthusiastically listened and agreed to every statement the senile Marahuyo said, bothering the elves that were sitting beside her. All in her focus were Tagapagligtas and the Marahuyo. To her, this ceremony  was of the utmost importance, as it is to many creatures. 

The Marahuyo began with the chanting, and Idella followed along, reciting each word with passion from within her. In about a few minutes, all of Khakat’ua basked in a warm white light. It’s at this point that the villager’s chanting grew stronger, their voices resonating in the temple they were in. The sound became increasingly unbearable at each passing moment, and Idella felt like her eardrums were gonna burst.

And then there they were. 

It started off with a few screams, it seemed like the whole situation was just one cruel joke.

But soon enough, the whole temple was in a riot.

They arrived in the Plane of Water, right in an alien kingdom which can only be recognised as an Aboleth’s. Someone must’ve changed the spell held within Tagapagligtas. 

Panic erupted, and everyone rushed to close the doors of the temple, leaving some unfortunate beings outside. With quick thinking, Idella screamed at the Marahuyo, who were in a state of chaos themselves, to open up a portal back to the Material Plane. 

But without the tribe’s help with magic, only one survivor came out the other side.

And it was her, Idella.

#backstory #pathfinder #dnd #dungeons and dragons