Xiuhcoatl

Xiuhcoatl, also known as the Flamelord, was the Pyro Dragon of the ancient Seven Sovereigns, and ruled over Natlan in the distant past. He was the creator of the Huitzilopochtli and the Tzitzimimeh.^[3]

Profile

Xiuhcoatl was the Pyro Dragon Sovereign who once ruled Natlan.^[4] He wielded the powers of light, heat, and wisdom.^[5][6] According to legend, he transformed one of his eyes into a "conduit of supreme authority by which all flames might be governed."^[7]

Appearance

As seen through Gosoythoth's transformation, Xiuhcoatl was a colossal serpent shaped dragon with eight, giant flaming wings, and two arms with sharp claws. His face had reptilian features, especially seen in his jaw. He had a pair of sharp horns, two pairs of scales around his head, along with a long pair of antennae. Parts of his body were black, likely due to Abyssal corruption. He has also been historically depicted as a red dragon with golden accents on his wings.

Story

Xiuhcoatl was born from the primal flame on the Sacred Mountain. On the day he was born, he used the primal flame to give life to his younger brother Kukulkan, who he gifted an offshoot of the same flame. He went on to use the primal flame to create the rest of the Pyro dragons in Natlan. He shaped the city of Tollan in the volcano.^[3]

Xiuhcoatl went on to create the Thirteen Sovereign Lords — artificial intelligences who were considered to have superior intelligence than the Pyro dragons. Each was given an individual territory of Natlantea to rule.^[8]

Xiuhcoatl would also make frequent visits to the Frostmoon, taking a particular interest in dragon researcher's Maagees-Geti's work and eventually the scientist Lusalim's own project, offering several suggestions to recorder Nur-ur-Gestung who subsequently forwarded them to Lusalim.^[9]

After Dragon King Nibelung left Teyvat to explore the sea of stars and when "shadows poured over the sky" and "each dragonlord did as they pleased. Xiuhcoatl alongside Ix Raq'lapuj Chue'q Buluk would again visit the Three Moons in hopes of picking up his trail, but only received silence from each of them. It is unclear if they purposely didn't speak or couldn't.^[10] It is unclear whether this incident was related to the Heavenly Principles' invasion or not.

When the Heavenly Principles came to Teyvat and took over the world from the Seven Sovereigns, the Heavenly Principles stole a portion of Xiuhcoatl's Pyro Authority and froze him in lava, causing him to fall into a false death as the Heavenly Principles established their rule.^[11][3] Some time later, Xiuhcoatl was awakened upon Dragon King Nibelung's return to Teyvat, who would wage a "great war of vengeance" against the Heavenly Principles.^[3] Xiuhcoatl stops Kukulkan and the Thirteen Sovereign Lords from attempting to explore the stars and replicate the great miracle of moon-forging.^[10] They would eventually topple the civilizations established by the Angel's, regaining control over Natlan, and causing humanity to regress into savagery.^[12] However, Xiuhcoatl's moments of clarity would become more and more short-lived as Abyssal energy slowly corrupted him, and he eventually became a corpse-like shadow of his former self.^[4][13]

Thousands of years later, Xbalanque, who had not yet become Pyro Archon at the time, fought him at the Great Volcano of Tollan.^[5] Xbalanque pierced the weak spots of the dragon's eyes, one of which was split in two and left behind two white disc-shaped fragments.^[7] Both Xbalanque and Xiuhcoatl fell from a great height during the battle and died. While Xiuhcoatl remained dead, Xbalanque was wreathed in fire and revived.^[14][4]

According to his younger brother, Xiuhcoatl was only defeated because he created the Huitzilopochtli array by modifying one of his eyes to serve as its control hub. The Huitzilopochtli was a device that could convert all of Natlan into solely primal flame, or Phlogiston. It appears that he had intended to use it to protect Teyvat from the Abyss, but activating it would have destroyed the entire nation. However, no Dragonborn could openly defy his orders, so Kukulkan sought another way to prevent its activation.^[3]

Legacy

Some people believe that Xiuhcoatl still resides in the volcano, deep in hibernation, while others believe it is only a husk whose insides were incinerated by Xbalanque's flames.^[5]

Certain Saurians in Natlan are born with a mark called the Flamelord's Blessing, a mark related to Xiuhcoatl that grants them the power of ancient dragons. However, it is far greater than what modern Saurians can bear; the Wayob and the Night Kingdom also reject this power and thus refuse to accept these Saurians. As they grow, the power will become more uncontrollable and tear at their bodies, eventually killing them or driving them insane. According to legend, the mark can be removed by bringing two tokens — the Golden Entreaties — to the volcano and performing a baptism on the affected Saurian, washing their name as remembered by Xiuhcoatl. However, not a single tribal warrior has succeeded, and the tribes gradually abandoned this custom and simply take care of the affected Saurians until they die.^[15][16] In actuality, Kukulkan had created the legend in order to trick a human into bringing the two Golden Entreaties and a Saurian with the Flamelord's Blessing to the Huitzilopochtli array within the Sacred Mountain. There, as the culmination of Kukulkan's plan, the "Chosen of Dragons" would activate the array and convert all of Natlan to Phlogiston, thus preventing the Abyss from ever encroaching onto Teyvat again.^[3]

According to Mposo, the Flamelord's Blessing usually appears once every dozen or several dozen years, and some Saurians enter the volcano themselves without a human companion. These Saurians are never heard from again, and because those who attempted it never succeeded, the tribes either take care of them until they die, "conceal" them (implied to be killing them) or grow so violent that saurian-hunters kill them. He also states that the mark appears more frequently when the threat of the Abyss looms nearby.^{[citation needed]}

Other than Little One, Holawaqa Ngoubou is a Qucusaurus known to bear the Flamelord's Blessing. His companion Menilek, who was a member of Tenoch's alliance 500 years ago,^[17] made the pilgrimage to the volcano to save him from the growing insanity. However, the journey ended in failure and only Ngoubou remains to this day with the title of "Tyrant."^[18]

During the battle against the Abyss, Gosoythoth extracted the memories of Xiuhcoatl from the Ley Lines and incarnated as him, transforming into the Lord of Eroded Primal Fire.^[19][20]

Due to the de-evolution of the Pyro Vishaps into Saurians, they have "lost the primal flame's purity" and as such the next Pyro Sovereign will not be born amongst them, similar to the Hydro Sovereign.^[21]

Gallery

Mural depiction of Xiuhcoatl being defeated by Xbalanque

The remains of Xiuhcoatl along with his gigantic sword and Huitzilopochtli in the background

Gosoythoth's imperfect mimicry of Xiuhcoatl's form as the Lord of Eroded Primal Fire

Trivia

• It is possible to see Xiuhcoatl's remains at the heart of the sacred mountain, in the area where the Huitzilopochtli device is located.

Aliases and Titles

• Xiuhcoatl is known by these aliases or titles:
  • Pyro Dragon Sovereign^[3]
  • Flamelord^[15]
  • Lord of Eroded Primal Fire^[20]
  • The Slain Dragon Molded^[20]
  • Lord of Light and Heat^[22]
  • Fallen Dragon^[16]
  • Master of Light and Flame^[10]
  • Master of Flame and Wisdom^[23]

• Xiuhcoatl is known by these terms of address:
  • Your Majesty^[23]

Etymology

• In Aztec religion, Xiuhcoatl was a mythological serpent. Xiuhcoatl is a Classical Nahuatl word that translates to "turquoise serpent," and also has the symbolic and descriptive translation of "fire serpent."

Other Languages

Change History

References