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Arcana: QuestsFeathered Serpent, Smoking MirrorA Realm and Quest for Everwayby Jesse McGatha and Evan Sass Feathered Serpent, Smoking Mirror originally appeared in Shadis magazine issue 42, in December 1997. As the Shadis editors put it, "Two gods go to war and your Everway characters get stuck in the middle. Who says human sacrifice can't be fun?" Gamemasters only beyond this point, please--we don't want to spoil anything! Welcome to Four Wind
The narrow path where the heroes appear leads to a cliff overlooking a vast valley. In the center of the valley looms a four-tiered pyramid. A wide muddy river meanders through the dense foliage of the valley and around the pyramid. Breathing deeply of the sultry air, the heroes descend the switch-backed trail into the valley, unaware of the challenges that await below... Story OverviewFour Wind is a realm in which the Xocoatl (SHO-KWAHT-l) gods Quetzalcoatl (KET-sahl-KWAHT-l) and Tezcatlipoca (tes-KAHT-lee-POH-kah) rule in a continuous and subtle struggle for power. Between them they have created and destroyed the cosmos four times, each age ending in a staggering cataclysm. The ages are called Suns. Four Wind exists on a sphere of the Fifth Sun.
Whichever Vessel the People sacrifice determines which god rules that decade. Legend says that should the People not perform the ritual, the cosmos shall be forever destroyed. The heroes arrive in the realm of Four Wind at the moment the gods foretold. They are drawn into a quagmire of politics, religion, and mystical tests. The People of Four Wind insist that the heroes endure the Three Tests and reveal the Vessel who is more worthy of the honor of sacrifice. The testing lasts for three days and nights. The heroes must struggle throughout the tests, and at the end they have a difficult decision: they must choose which Vessel to sacrifice. Four Wind's most influential families each desire one of the Vessels selected, and will try to threaten, bribe, or convince the heroes to choose accordingly. To compound the tension, Four Wind is in political flux, and the heroes' actions may plunge the realm into a bloody civil war. Dramatis PersonæFeathered Serpent, Smoking Mirror centers around three main characters.
Other figures the heroes encounter include Nightstrike, the stubborn and traditional chieftain of Four Wind; Penitent, Twilight's mother, who bears a terrible secret; and the Eldest of each of the primary families. The Realm of Four WindFour Wind is named for the winds that blow from the cardinal compass points to meet atop the Pyramid of the Gods. The Lifeflow Valley
Pyramid of the GodsIn the center of the valley, on a hill overlooking the Lifeflow, is the massive Pyramid of the Gods. This enormous structure has four tiers and is a marvel of stonework and ornamentation. Each tier is ten meters tall, while the pyramid's base is seventy meters square. Exotic gardens grow on the lower tiers of the pyramid, tended carefully by students of the Shamanic Rites. A massive stair climbs from the east to the upper tier, which is ten meters square and supports an elaborate circular stone calendar. Hung around the perimeter of the upper tier are strands of feathered bone chimes, constantly in motion at the nexus of the realm's four winds. On the western side of the lowest tier, an enormous stone door opens onto a stairwell which descends to a circular, dark, mist-covered pool. The pool beneath the pyramid is a potent oracle of the god Tezcatlipoca; the upper tier of the pyramid is sacred to the god Quetzalcoatl. Southwest of the Pyramid sprawls a large ceremonial meeting grounds known as the Gathering. The Gathering hosts many intricately decorated stone buildings and beautiful gardens. The various members of the tribe meet at the Gathering to discuss important issues and to celebrate significant festivals. PeopleThe typical Four Wind citizen has a dark complexion, dark hair, chiseled facial features, and an aggressively proud disposition. Men typically wear colorful calf-length waist wraps, calf-height leather boots, and often colorful cloths in the hair. Many have tattoos obtained during rites of passage. Women wear ankle-height boots or sandals, colorful ankle-length skirts, and bright blouses and hairbands. Jewelry in Four Wind includes necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and anklets made of silver and turquoise. Religion, Tribe, and Family are the primary building blocks of Four Wind's civilization. A family includes all blood relations and all who marry into the family. Wife and husband belong to each other's family, except in questions of honor. There are four principal families in Four Wind, named Stormbank, Sungift, River, and Mountain. RuleSmall, single-family villages dot the Lifeflow Valley. The oldest man in each family, known as the Eldest, represents his family to the tribe's Chieftain. The Chieftain is the most honorable man in the tribe, elected for life. The Chieftain, currently Nightstrike, makes decisions which affect the entire valley. Religion
There is an unspoken hostility between Purity and Nightstrike. Purity strives to change cultural elements she feels are wrong. Nightstrike believes to change tradition is sacrilege. Purity has, through each family's Eldest, put political pressure upon Nightstrike to make changes. The changes have left Four Wind teetering on the edge of civil war. Nightstrike struggles to contain this, but any serious breach of honor between two families may ignite a war. Nightstrike feels this is proof against Purity's methods. EconomyThe People are excellent craftspeople and inventors, skilled in stonework, weaving, mining, and gardening. Families tend to specialize, working together to create an intricate barter economy. A few merchants cross the dangerous jungle between villages, with their wares on burros. StrifeThe citizens of Four Wind are very aggressive and competitive. Strife frequently arises between individuals and entire families, sometimes leading to bitter feuds. Honor dictates that goods or services are acceptable reparation for offense. To the People, friendships and family are life-long bonds. The People do not believe in any tribe outside their valley, and regard strangers with suspicion. The heroes are treated as honored guests, for they are godsent. The Four Winds BlowThe FeastLet the adventure begin... The heroes arrive on the day when Tezcatlipoca selects his Vessel at the Feast of the New Moon. At the Feast of the Full Moon, Quetzalcoatl selected Plume as his Vessel.Jaguar AttackThe first person the heroes are likely to meet is Twilight, traveling between villages to trade. When the heroes discover Twilight, he is under attack by a pair of jaguars. He calls to the heroes for assistance. If they do not aid him, either additional jaguars attack the heroes from behind or they get to see Twilight's charm power in action. Once safe, Twilight greets the heroes. He removes the jaguars' paws and fangs, to protect him from their spirits, he explains. Twilight mentions that jaguars rarely attack people, and never in groups. He insists that the heroes accompany him to the Feast of the New Moon that night. If the heroes helped him in his battle, he states that he must satisfy his debt of honor for the heroes' kindness. Twilight escorts them to the Gathering, which is bustling with preparations for the Feast of the New Moon. Fortunate OneWhile awaiting nightfall, the heroes encounter Plume. She offers to tell their fortunes. If they agree, Plume tells them amazing details of their past, and makes predictions about their future. She might ask if they have heard of a Fortunate One called Traildust, her adopted mother. When she arrived in Four Wind, Plume consulted her Fortune Deck. She discovered that the secret of her origins is intertwined with the realm of Four Wind. While she has no particular affinity for Four Wind, she refuses to flee her possible death as Quetzalcoatl's Vessel because she feels she is on the brink of discovering her past. Feast of the New Moon
Purity declares that the heroes are the Testers sent by the gods. The three nights of Testing begin immediately and neither the heroes nor the Vessels may eat or sleep until the Tests are complete. The VigilSpeaking MountainWhile people are still discussing Tezcatlipoca's choice, a volcano to the east begins rumbling ominously. Twilight tells the heroes this foretells the destruction of the cosmos, unless the People offer appropriate sacrifice. You should remind the heroes of the rumbling volcano frequently throughout the tests, along with their hunger, thirst, and tiredness. Visions of the DeitiesPurity approaches the heroes and escorts them to the top of the Pyramid of the Gods. She sits them around the large calendar and gives them each a thick, waxy leaf to chew. They enter a trance, unable to speak. The bones chiming around them form images in their minds, and they soon see a ghostly image of the rainbow-scaled and plumed Quetzalcoatl, the Feathered Serpent. He observes them each and after a time speaks to them in a sibilant whisper. He tells them of the struggle between him and Tezcatlipoca and how he strives to nurture the knowledge, civilization, and passion of the People, while Tezcatlipoca has tried to counter him at every turn. He tells them of the original Four Wind, an entire world of knowledge and beauty and how Tezcatlipoca jealously destroyed that Four Wind. He wishes them wisdom and departs in the form of a quetzal bird.
He speaks to them in a haunting growl of his struggle with Quetzalcoatl, and how Quetzalcoatl has always desired to overthrow the other gods. He tells how Quetzalcoatl created three Suns for his own glorification, edifices of ego which Tezcatlipoca was obligated to destroy. He speaks of his wish to lead the People in communion with each other, their world, and the gods. He asks them to choose his Vessel so that he might guide Four Wind in the will of the gods. He fades away in the form of an immense jaguar. Purity then gives them bark to place under their tongues and leads them outside. As their minds clear, the shaman reminds them that both gods participate in and encourage sacrifice of their own People. She tells them that while she wishes to follow the gods' intent, she does not agree with their methods nor their outlook. Purity takes the heroes back to the site of the Feast, where Plume and Twilight await. The Shaman leaves them there, saying she will return. Test of the MindLater that night, Purity leads the heroes and the Vessels to a round building in the Gathering. They descend a short stair to enter the dark room; Purity draws a curtain over the doorway. As the group's eyes adjust, Purity uncovers a smoldering brazier in the center of the room and sprinkles powder over the coals. She tells them to wait and departs. Soon the heroes and the Vessels are unable to move, and they enter a shared vision. The group is together on a stone disc about 30 meters across. Surrounding the disc is nothing--a complete void. Eventually one of them will notice a tiny light off to one side and down. If anyone concentrates on the light, the disc moves slightly. The entire group working together can move the disc all the way to the light. If the heroes cannot arrive at the solution, Plume or Twilight will suggest it. The real challenge in this test, besides cooperation, is concentration. In the void, the mind wanders, and stray thoughts manifest themselves on the disc. Foes from a past battle might appear on the disc and threaten the group. Other distractions include lost loves or comrades, manifestations of desires or fears, or just wild daydreams. The projections should teach the heroes something about Plume's and Twilight's faults. Anyone falling off of the disc floats away into nothingness. They awaken, unharmed, in the round chamber. Once the group moves the disc to the light, they see it is a doorway leading to the Gathering, outside the round stone building. The group stands bleary-eyed in dawn's light, once again in the real world. A Mother's Confession
Penitent was with a stranger when she bore her twins. Penitent gave the girl to the stranger, a wandering mage. The mage agreed to take the child far away; Penitent thought her child was gone forever. When Plume arrived on the day of the full moon, Penitent knew her, but said nothing. Penitent accepted her punishment when her lost child was selected as a Vessel that day. Now the gods mock Penitent, choosing both of her children as Vessels. One of them must die. Test of the SoulOn the second night, Purity leads the tired, hungry heroes and Vessels through the dark jungle mists to an eerie, barren circle. Boulders surround the 30 meter ring. The shaman says that no one may leave the circle until the sun rises in an hour. Purity leaves with the words, "The Test of the Soul has begun." Plume clutches her fortune deck in a white-knuckled hand, and Twilight brandishes an obsidian knife. The stars cast pale light across the circle. Suddenly, dark clouds boil through the sky, hiding the stars. The stones around the clearing transform into jungle beasts with glowing red eyes. Jaguars, crocodiles, pythons, and panthers surround the heroes and the Vessels, intent on the kill. The creatures slowly circle closer as a volcano rumbles in the distance. The stone beasts are all very difficult to kill, and any power or magic spell functions only once against them. Unless they do something quickly, the heroes and the Vessels are vanquished one by one. If the heroes leave the circle, an unseen force keeps them from returning. Leaving the circle is the only way to fail this test. As dawn breaks the darkness, the beasts are gone, once again boulders around the clearing. Any Vessel or hero slain in the battle is reborn, tired but healthy in the morning light. The nightmare is over, but the memories of death remain. During the ordeal, the heroes should learn something about the Vessels' virtues. Twilight might push a hero from the circle to save her life, only to be slain himself. Plume might summon her own beasts from her fortune deck, or assume the strength and fortitude of the lion. Families of Four Wind
For a more action-filled quest, these families may consider assassinating the Vessel they do not wish sacrificed. They might ambush one of the Vessels, attacking them with a poisoned spear or trying to push them off a cliff. The heroes are suddenly in the position of protecting Plume and Twilight. Test of the BodyBy the third night the heroes and the Vessels are exhausted and light-headed. After the moon sliver sets, light suddenly flashes around the group and they find themselves on a rough, narrow ledge inside a volcano's caldera, lit with a red glow. Molten rock churns many meters below and the ledge they stand on shakes slightly with a rumble. They must climb the caldera's sheer cliff face. It is dangerous, difficult, and death is a very real threat-keep the situation dramatic. If a hero or Vessel falls, their foot might catch in a crack at the last second, or they might plunge screaming to a fiery death. Those who survive to the top discover a panorama of erupting volcanoes. A large, rune covered, stone disc stands solidly on the side of the shaking mountain. This disc instantly transports those who step on it back to the Gathering, where their fallen comrades await them, alive but mystically tattooed with a jaguar on their left arm and a quetzal bird on their right. Once the group has returned, Purity sends the Vessels off with some students to prepare for the Decision Feast. The shaman reminds the heroes of their impending decision. She asks their feelings about the sacrifice and confesses her dream of ending that tradition. She claims that only a choice is necessary, not bloodshed. She obliquely inquires whether the heroes might protect her should the need arise, mentioning the possible physical danger she will face. After a time she departs, indicating she must have time to think. The volcano rumbles ominously in the distance.
The Decision FeastOn the evening following the final night of testing, the Decision Feast is held. It is much like the Feast of the New Moon, although the crowd is more tense and a large stone altar has been installed atop the Gathering's central dais. At the end of this feast, Purity and Nightstrike call on the heroes for their decision. The AftermathPotential OutcomesThis quest may resolve in several different ways. Below are a few of the most likely outcomes. Traditionally, the Shaman and Chieftain perform the sacrifice together, with ornate obsidian knives. Sun AscendantThe heroes choose Plume. She is not willing to be sacrificed and will use her magic to attempt escape. The People may have to subdue her and sacrifice her while she screams curses at the heroes. When she is sacrificed, the volcano calms, and a ghostly image of the Feathered Serpent arises from her chest. He grants the heroes each a boon, blesses and promises to care for his People, and disappears above the clouds. Moon AscendantThe heroes choose Twilight. He acknowledges this calmly and with great peace. He knows that he dies for the good of the entire world, and his restless spirit will be calmed and happy at last. When he is sacrificed, the ghostly humanoid image of Tezcatlipoca arises out of his chest, his head and feet wreathed in a dark mist. The volcano calms, he grants the heroes a boon, blesses and promises to care for his People, and sinks slowly into the earth. Refusing the ChoiceThe heroes do not choose, or they leave Four Wind. An argument ensues between Purity and Nightstrike. Purity insists that she must make the choice, while Nightstrike contends that this would incur the wrath of the gods. This quickly becomes a knife fight. The spirits of Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca flee their Vessels and begin their own battle. The volcano erupts from their battle and destroys the realm and all those in it. The heroes might narrowly escape, or they might find that this has all been a vision... Usurper in ActionThe Shaman, the realm's Usurper, intervenes. Events proceed as in Refusing the Choice. Purity might slay both Twilight and Plume simultaneously. The spirit-like image of The Shaman Usurper rises from her body to break apart the battle between Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca. During this time, Purity is vulnerable to Nightstrike and the families, who will to try to kill her. She trusts the heroes to protect her. The Shaman's image declares that the Fifth Sun is now under its care. It proclaims the end of human sacrifice, initiating an Age of Enlightenment. The Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca ghost-images dissipate into the four winds, while The Shaman calms the volcano, grants the heroes boons, and retreats within Purity. Purity remembers none of the incident. BoonsIn Feathered Serpent, Smoking Mirror, a hero might earn a feather from Quetzalcoatl, which provides the answer to one question. Tezcatlipoca might reward a hero with a small, hazy mirror which can alter the hero's appearance once per day. The Shaman could present a medicine pouch which speeds healing. A book, a necklace of jaguar claws, or a statuette of a totem animal are other possible boons--feel free to tailor boons to fit the heroes' backgrounds and needs. What's Next?Four Wind is rich with further adventures. The heroes might remain in Purity's service, protecting her and becoming ambassadors among the People. They might find ancient ruins lost in the jungle. They may decide to help one of the four families solve their problems. A violent tribe may approach from the north, and Nightstrike could ask the heroes to help him avert a war. Anything can happen. Feathered Serpent, Smoking Mirror is copyright © 1995-2001 Gaslight Press. |
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It is the day of the New Moon in the realm of Four Wind. The heroes stumble through a shimmering gate in the jungle, exhausted by their mystical journey from another world. The moist heat envelops them, while the raucous cry of the rain forest assaults their ears. Fist-sized insects whir by their heads and a tiny violet frog leaps from beneath their feet.
Balancing the political system is the exclusively female Shamanic Rites, a magico-religious order. Any woman may join the Shamanic Rites, but she must forswear any family connections except marriage. If she shows no aptitude for the mystical studies, she must leave the Rites without family or honor. The highest position in the Rites is Tribal Shaman, held by the woman with the strongest shamanic skills. The Tribal Shaman, currently Purity, is the mouthpiece of the gods and greatly influences the People's attitudes and beliefs.
Purity then carefully leads them to the Pool of Visions beneath the pyramid. She has the heroes sit facing the pool and produces a clay jar of a thick, pungent substance. She rubs this on their feet and foreheads, inducing another trance. As they gaze into the mist-shrouded pool from which Tezcatlipoca earned the appellation Smoking Mirror, it begins to glow and the humanoid image of the god appears in the pool, his head and feet wreathed in a dark cloud.
The following day, an old woman approaches the heroes. Through tears she begs forgiveness for attempting to fool the gods. She explains she is Twilight's mother, Penitent, and that Twilight is a twin. Twins are considered the gods' bounty, unless the twins are male and female. In this case, people believe that the babe's soul has been split, with the evil essence born into the body of the female. Penitent's husband would have slain his daughter, according to custom.
During the course of the Tests, the Eldest of each major family approaches the heroes. They each want a particular Vessel chosen for sacrifice. The Stormbank family desires Twilight sacrificed, so that the harvest-god Tezcatlipoca can aid Four Wind's weak crops. The Mountain family wishes Plume chosen so that Quetzalcoatl can aid them in controlling the Lifeflow's flooding. The River family desires Tezcatlipoca to gain power and cleanse a sickness in the river. The Sungift family seeks Quetzalcoatl's guidance to teach them new healing methods.