The Journey North and the Founding of the Exile Cities
After the fall of Yaxun B’alam, the surviving Olmoy were thrown into chaos. Their once-great empire fractured, and they fled from Chan Kanul, the ancient city of Seregon, abandoning its crumbling ziggurats and temples to decay. A contingent of Olmoy, led by the legendary Dawnblades Heroes—the very champions who had struck down the serpentmen god Yig—gathered their supporters in the city of Vitac Tzim and resolved to start anew, far from the remnants of their shattered civilization. Scorned by half of their people for their alliance with lesser beings and disdain for the dark magic of Yaxun B’alam, these heroes and their followers set off on a treacherous journey, trekking over 300 miles north through the rugged Mnomquah Pass into a volcanic valley. The year was 505 BCE.
Here, in the remote and enigmatic Valley of Exiles, they found a mysterious lake, which they named Lake Kuk’ul’kaan—the “Feathered Serpent.” This lake would become the heart of their new civilization, a place for the Olmoy to rebuild and honor their past, even as they left behind the shadow of their former empire.
The Cities of the Exiles
Chak Lu’um("Red Earth")
On the northern shore of Lake Kuk’ul’kaan, Chak Lu’um flourished, named for its deep red soil that the Olmoy believed held the spirits of their ancestors. Its people were skilled artisans, renowned for their vibrant pottery and the rich pigments they extracted from the earth. Fisherfolk here gathered bioluminescent fish from the lake’s depths, trading their unique catch among the cities for use in ceremonies and rituals. While Chak Lu’um’s people kept to traditional crafts, they held close ties to the spirit world, consulting shamans for guidance from the ancestors in the soil itself.Abarrane
Located along the southern banks, Abarrane, named after the leader of the Dawnblades, became a hub for crafting and trade, its jungles teeming with exotic herbs and animals. Weavers from Abarrane produced fine textiles, using dyes created from jungle plants and minerals. Hunters journeyed into the dense forests, returning with rare pelts and feathers for ceremonial attire. Abarrane's people developed a rich herbal tradition, and its shamans brewed powerful potions that could heal or harm with equal potency. Their exports of vibrant dyes and herbs made Abarrane a center of Olmoy life and color.Muun Tok ("Dark Obsidian")
Muun Tok rose on the eastern shore of Lake Kuk’ul’kaan, near volcanic formations that provided ample obsidian. This precious black stone was sacred to the Olmoy, and the people of Muun Tok became master stonecutters and weapon-makers, crafting the sharpest blades and ceremonial mirrors from volcanic glass. Though it held a somber reputation as a place of dark rituals, Muun Tok was also a center for Olmoy necromancers and mystics. Its residents believed that obsidian could connect them to the afterlife, and the city’s ziggurats, lined with this dark stone, hosted ceremonies to commune with their departed ancestors.K’uhul Tuun ("Sacred Stone")
K’uhul Tuun, the city on an island in Lake Kuk’ul’kaan, became a site of intense religious devotion, dedicated to the Great Old Ones. Here, the exiled Olmoy attempted to construct a new ziggurat, although lacking the resources of their homeland, it remained partially finished. The city was a place of pilgrimage, its unfinished ziggurat bearing carvings of serpent and bat-like beings, a haunting tribute to the Old Ones. K’uhul Tuun was abandoned after the eruption of year 99, but its ruins still whisper of long-forgotten chants, a solemn reminder of the Olmoy’s lost ambition.
Life in the Valley and Resources
The Valley of Exiles, though isolated, was rich with natural resources. Each city developed a unique trade, and the lake itself became a source of life and ritual:
- Bioluminescent Fish and Algae: Gathered by the people of Chak Lu’um, these were used in sacred ceremonies and traded across the valley.
- Medicinal Herbs and Jungle Dyes: Nohol Ajaw provided herbs for healing and bright dyes for ceremonial use, making it a crucial center for Olmoy culture.
- Obsidian and Precious Stones: The eastern city of Muun Tok became the primary source for obsidian, fueling the Olmoy’s weaponry and spiritual artifacts.
- Exotic Animal Pelts and Feathers: The hunters of Nohol Ajaw provided rare materials for clothing, headdresses, and Olmoy rituals.
- Red Pigment and Pottery: The clay-rich soil of Chak Lu’um supported an artisan community known for its vibrant red ceramics and pigments.
A river, the Kukul Ja’ (“Feathered Serpent Water”), flowed from Lake Kuk’ul’kaan northward to the Ravaged Sea, carrying with it the Olmoy’s aspirations of prosperity beyond the valley.
The Calamity of 99 and the Land of Ash and Smoke
The valley’s fragile peace shattered in year 99, 406 years after the Valley of Exiles was founded. A nearby volcanic eruption released a toxic cloud that swept over the lake and cities, choking most of the valley’s inhabitants. The eastern region became known as the Land of Ash and Smoke, a desolate landscape poisoned by volcanic vapors. Though the valley itself avoided further natural destruction, many of the Olmoy died instantly, their communities reduced to haunted ruins. The volcanic ash blanketed their homes, while eerie silence fell over the cities of Lake Kuk’ul’kaan, their abandoned ziggurats standing as dark, lonely relics of an empire in exile.
Legacy of Yaxun B’alam and the Dream of the Dawnblades
The Dawnblade Heroes carried the Olmoy’s last hopes with them, even as they led their people into exile. Through their victories over the serpentmen of Ilmurea and the slaying of the serpent god Yig, they achieved legendary status, celebrated by the cities they founded around Lake Kuk’ul’kaan. Yet, the specter of Yaxun B’alam lingered, a haunting memory of the power and madness that had driven their people from Chan Kanul. The visions he left behind continued to stir their memories, a legacy as much cursed as it was revered.
Today, those who dare to enter the valley speak of mysterious lights shimmering over Lake Kuk’ul’kaan on moonless nights. It is said that the waters reflect the souls of the dead and that the unfinished ziggurat of K’uhul Tuun holds the remnants of old powers, waiting to be reawakened. The lost dreams of Yaxun B’alam still echo in the darkness, a reminder of the Olmoy’s rise and fall, a civilization bound by ambition, power, and the ancient mysteries of the jungle.