Ix Kemonel Jasjatem Oox

Ix Kemonel Jasjatem Oox Ch'ule-L, also known as the Weaver of Secrets, was the Third of the Thirteen Sovereign Lords.^[2] She was the sovereign ruler of an unnamed territory within the Tezcatepetonco Range.^[3]

Story

After the invasion of Teyvat by the Heavenly Principles and the defeat of the Seven Sovereigns, with Xiuhcoatl imprisoned within lava he, alongside his fellow Sovereign Lords and Kukulkan, attempted to replicate the miracle of moon forging and reach the worlds beyond Teyvat.^[4] However, upon Nibelung's return, Xiuhcoatl awoke from his feigned death and stopped the Sovereign Lords and Kukulkan from continuing their attempt.^[4] She was well-versed in divination and studies on destiny, and correctly identified that human fates are pre-determined by the Heavenly Principles, calling humans "soulless creatures" bound to "star-signs."^[5]

However, she felt pity for her own dragon subjects, who had begun devolving into wild beasts after the War of Funerary Flame. Thus, unlike other Dragonlords who oppressed human tribes at that time, she sought to ally with humans who wanted protection from her, hoping to harness their souls to weave an "eternal, blissful dream-realm" for the dragons of her domain, such that souls of both humans and dragons find happiness and solace within this dream. However, her friend and fellow Dragonlord, the Priestess of Floral Candles and Skyborne Feathers, felt that this plan would bring even more suffering to humans.^[6] Nevertheless, the Weaver of Secrets made a pact with her human tribes, who would later become the forerunners of the Masters of the Night-Wind: she would build a labyrinth of mirrors and a fortress of mist for the humans, so long as they appointed a "Holy Sovereign" to place the dragons in a dream state. She then merged her consciousness into the Night Kingdom, bringing her plan into fruition.

Unfortunately, just as the Priestess had predicted, the humans brought their chosen Holy Sovereign great suffering: the candidate must have a "star-bright soul," approved by the Lord of the Night, and was then blinded and amputated.^[7] Consequently, the "Holy Sovereign" was doomed to an early demise, making them more akin to a sacrifice. A little girl, who would later become Maghan's Master, would become the last such Holy Sovereign before the end of the dragon's rule.^[8] Out of spite for the Weaver of Secrets' relative peace, Kukulkan met and tricked Maghan's Master into passing through deep mist leading to the Night Kingdom. He believed that, since the little girl has too little prowess to reach the Night Kingdom and complete her mission as Holy Sovereign, she would be fueled with hatred for her tribe, thus bringing discord amongst human tribes and destroy the Weaver of Secrets' dream labyrinth.^[7]

However, the Weaver of Secrets had already foreseen Kukulkan's treachery, and through her guidance, successfully led Maghan's Master into the Night Kingdom. There, she presented visions of Natlan millennia later, where humans and dragons could coexist in peace, and there would be no more suffering. She also instructed Maghan's Master not to believe in Kukulkan's words, nor rely on the Lord of the Night, but record their memories and history on tapestries, such that her dream labyrinth could persist.^[8] Having realized that her mission was not fruitless after all, Maghan's Master began to guide others to reach the Night Kingdom, including her trusted servant Maghan, and sent him to serve Xbalanque, thus foiling Kukulkan's plot.

Later, during the reign of Och-Kan, the pact between the Weaver of Secrets and humans was abandoned. Before Maghan's death, he instructed his successor, a young priest named Wagadu, to re-establish the pact. Not knowing how to do so, Wagadu interpreted it as returning Maghan's bow (which would become Rainbow Serpent's Rain Bow) to the Night Kingdom, but ultimately ended up meeting the Weaver of Secrets. She comforted Wagadu, praising Maghan's virtue, and asked for two things in return: first, treat the Saurians with respect; second, strike out her name in all tribal records, such that Kukulkan can never plot against her again. Upon Wagadu's return to the surface, it is said that the first Iktomisaurus emerged from the Night Kingdom, as living proof of the covenant between dragons and humans.^[9]

Character Mentions

Character Stories

Character	Stories
Ineffa	Moon Wheel

Trivia

Etymology

• Ix Kemonel Jasjatem Oox Ch'ule-L comes from the Mayan languages.
  • Ix (Mayan: ix) means "woman". It is the "female prefix" used to form female titles.
  • Kemonel (K'iche': kemonel) means "weaver."
  • Jasjatem (K'iche': jasjatem) means "secret" or "whisper."
  • Oox (Yucatec: óox) means "three."
  • Ch'ule-L (Tzeltal Maya: Chʼulel) means "essence" or "soul." It is the inner, individual soul which has thirteen parts and is centered in the heart.

Other Languages

Change History

References