Coyote's Blunder

Celestial / Cosmic

Coyote blunders and accidentally creates war and bloodshed.

Let me tell you in those days things were different. Oh, the world was still in storm back then and the land sifted and shifted all the time, the way things still are in the Ash-lands. Back then there were people, the First People, mostly koradi and minotaurs and aaracokra and the humans and yes, even goblins.   There was also Coyote, who as you know is always causing trouble by accident because he thinks he is so clever. Well, in those days Coyote was shuffling around because he was bored because everything was always changing and strange and this made for poor stories, which is what Coyote loves the most.   Coyote was in the southwestern desert and back then there were no canyons. Not even this one. Settle down, I'll get to it! First, this story. Anyway, Coyote walked the scorched earth that it seems rain had forgotten and found himself a tribe of minotaur who were scratching at a huge cactus to eat the fruit. They were called K'é. The cactus fruit looked delicious to Coyote and he hatched a scheme to take it.   Coyote started to tell the K'é a story but soon found himself bungling the words because stories shifted back then much as the world did. The idea was to leave them so awed he could take the fruit during their mesmerized shock.   "Well, you see I woke up this morning on a cloud, walked down beneath the darkness toward the Great Serpant and he hissed at me, then jumping..."   The chieftain of the K'é, a strong one called Ayóó, she said, "Your story makes no sense, Coyote. We know you want this fruit."   Coyote, sensing that the scheme was going poorly, said, "No, no. I just want company." But the minotaur started to drive him out and beat him. But Coyote said, yelping, "I admit it," the liar he said, pointing to a steer, "Anyáni wants the fruit. He told me to distract the rest of you while he took it."   Ayóó was angry at Anyáni who started to open his mouth to call Coyote a liar. But Coyote, that trickster, said quickly, "You can have half the fruit, Anyáni, if you split it with Ayóó or all of it if you take it from her."   And Ayóó and Anyáni began fighting over the fruit until Ayóó pushed Anyáni into the cactus and impaled him and he died. The K'é realized what they had done and mourned his loss while Coyote took the fruit and fled as they were distracted.   This was the first war and the blood of Ayóó seeped into the ground and made the first bloodshed. All because of that damn Coyote!