Chachumtak I: The Snake learns of the Charioteer
My boy peter has been hexcrawling around the jungle isle of Chachumtak, looking for the lost idol. The following is a collection of re-tellings of his deeds and other excerpts of the wider world.
I have dubbed his PC The Charioteer, because that’s his profession and as far as I know he doesn’t have a name. He’s a fighter from the paradise shores of Ajira (medieval-japan-egypt) about 400 miles south-west of Chachumtak. He has with him his chariot-bird, a Moa and his faded golden chariot emblazoned with a lion-sun, symbol of the pharaoh of the paradise shores.
At this point in time (10 September 2022) the explored part of the island is this:
Chachumtak Map
The Snake learns of the charioteer
The charioteer has just completed a many-day long trek west across the southern ridge of Chachumtak. Along the way he encountered a grove of strange forked trees, the great falls of the southern ridge and an Ogre camp with a captured snake-with-a-human-face, which was avoided.
Low on food and wages for his hired tribesmen, The Charioteer stopped in hex 04.11 with plans to build a raft and head back. The natives were able to warn him that the sea-cave is home to something scary and powerful, so it has gone unexplored. After a few days, a raft is fashioned (this is a strong point for the residents of Dantimbi, whom The Charioteer has hired). A problem presents itself: the charioteer’s Moa and chariot will not fit on the raft.
Leaving as much food as he can, the Charioteer floats away across the shallow water, narrowly avoiding an encounter with a great sea-serpent on his way.
The Moa, however, does not remain alone for long. Scarcely an hour after the Charioteer has left, there’s a rustling in the bushes.
Ever curious, the bird cranes its massive neck to look. Emerging from the brush, crouched low, are 12 lizard men. The largest of them all, wearing a necklace of tiger’s bones and a feathered skull mask calls for them to spread out, surrounding the Moa on the beach. The lizard - who has come to be known as The Snake - has never seen this creature before, but knows that large birds generally yield good portions of flesh.
Moa’s usually flee, but the lizards are experienced hunters and have pinned it with its back at the ocean. It’s a fight. The moa gets one good swing with its neck, breaking the rib of a lizard man, before succombing to an onslaught of spears and clubs. The lizards part, allowing their leader first pickings at the meat. After a hurried and messy feast, The Snake leaves his men to pick over the rest and harvest bones while he investigates the chariot.
It is made mostly of copper, plated with a small amount of gold which is flaking off. The Snake does not recognize the symbol, but he does not know of many symbols on the island. More interesting to him, for his intellect is keen, is the fittings on the front of the chariot, made to fit the dimensions of the bird his men have just hunted.
The Snake does know the edible hunted species of the island very well, and he has never seen Moa before. In addition, the sands have been disturbed by foot fall not too long ago and the ocean has not yet washed clean the tracks of the chariot onto the beach.
The Snake deduces that The Chariot and Moa are not from the island, which means someone new has come to Chachumtak.
The Snake has only met one other outsider before.
The man had strode into the lizards camp with confidence, face hidden beneath a dark hood, but obviously human from the smell of him. The Snake, at that time merely another lizard king, had immediately taken this as a challenge and ordered his guards to attack. Four lizards rushed forward, spears at the ready.
However, the figure had removed his hood, revealing a human face speckled with snake scales! With a forked tongue he spoke a single word, which echoed out like he stood in a great cave. Compelled by thoughts which were not his own, the lizard king had knelt before him, unable to fight off the mental incursion.
Then at once, the swirling thoughts stopped. The figure spoke with a voice like a snake’s hiss.
“I do not come to make war, mightiest king of lizards. I bring… a gift.”
From beneath his robe, the figure pulled a necklace of jewel encrusted golden plates.
“You may ssstand, mighty king. Approach and claim your gift.”
The lizard king had stood, and approached, lured by the wealth in front of him. He took the golden plates and slipped them around his neck. Now he and the snake-figure stood apart, watched by the entire tribe of lizards, who waited for the king to scream an attack.
Instead, the king responded in his lizard tongue Sss’thss.
“What do you want?”
The cloaked man smiled. “There issss and idol… here on Chachumtak. My massster wantsss it. He will pay a hundred fold what I have given you today for itsss retrieval.”
The lizard king’s head spiraled, thinking of the riches, and the status it would afford his tribe amongst the lizard-prophets. He took a knee, this time voluntarily. This meant nothing to the lizards, but always seemed to make humans happy.
“It will be done.” he said with confidence.
The figure smiled wider.
“Good. I will return in one year and one day to claim the idol. There isss another thing. More will come to thisss island. They, too, will ssseek the lost idol. They musst not find it. You mussst stop them. To aid thiss, my master bringsss… another gift.”
Quick as a flash, the hooded man grabbed the lizard king by the neck. He spoke, this time in an alien tongue, and a great wind swept through the lizard grounds. The torches flickered, the lizards ran and hid. The great stars above seemed to swirl and dance.
That was when the man had given the lizard king his name of names, and unlocked the magic power within. It was after that that the lizard king had taken on a new moniker in accordance with his power: The Snake.
Staring at the golden chariot while his men feasted on a bird never before seen on the island, The Snake knew that the time had come. The first of the outsiders had arrived.
He barked an order to his men.
“Come, my lizards! Our hunt is not yet over.”
Continued…
Chachumtak II: A god comes to Dantimbi