A Divine Visitation in the Lands of Tamo'te


"On the eve of the Season of Sun, after the heavy rains had ended and the jungle had been reborn anew with life once more, our lands were struck by a terrible storm. It was a tempest unlike any had witnessed in generations; over a single night, the rivers surged to swallow the land, the animals fled, and the sky screamed terror and hail down upon us. The storm, so divine its fury, had passed by dawn, but the scars remained.

Our people were fearful. This terrible destruction was a warning that we had displeased Tapi'ahni, who created the world and breathed life into all things, and shaped our bodies and minds from the earth. Her wrath had been shown before, but never so strongly. Our chief, a descendent of the Goddess himself, led a host of our people southward, beyond the lush heartlands of the jungle. They followed the South Star, where Tapi'ahni's palace shines in the night sky, so that they might commune with her and learn what had angered her so.

After only three days, however, the chief and his host were halted in their journey by a vision. Where days before there had been only wilderness, a vast city now rose from the earth in their path; boulevards and gardens, temples and spires carved of marble so pure and beautiful that they seemed to glow in the sun like Tapi'ahni's star itself.

Although the people were disquieted, the chief set foot in the city, and upon doing so was greeted by its inhabitants. They stood at least a head taller than our tallest men, with strange faces and eyes, and skin the colour of slate. In their unknown tongue, these Stone People showed the chief that they meant our people no harm. The host was welcomed into their glorious city and shown magical wonders I can hardly transcribe; among these, statues that moved like humans, which carried out the works of the Stone People at their command, just as we, the Tamo'te, sought to carry out the will of Tapi'ahni.

It became clear that our fears had been true, and that Tapi'ahni had set the tempest upon us in retribution for straying from her will. But the Goddess is merciful and loving above all else, and though the fury of nature had rained down, in the aftermath we were shown glory. The Stone People, the chosen children of Tapi'ahni, were sent to earth to guide us. For who else could give life to dead stone but the divine?"