Enigma of the Sun

"Before we eat this Puma, think about how far its susentence has traveled to get to us. This puma ate a thundeer, who consumed the golden blades of the plains, which got their energy from the sun. All paths lead back to the sun. No matter where you turn, life cannot exist without it. And that is why his honor is so great. To be named after the sun is to be recognized as the source of all. A great leader, a harsh but fair judge, and a brave warrior. This is what the conceptualized disciple of the sun should be. Yet as foretold by his name, the enigmatic nature of his very being resents all of these preconceptions. Enigma is just... different. And that is why they believed in him. Why I believed in him." - Chitlan, first mate of the Daydream

    Enigma of the Sun is one of the most prolific, infamous, and simultaneously polarizing figures in the chronicled history of Zealor. His exploits in Antiquity along with his imprint on classical literature have granted him a legacy unlike any other.    

Personal History

 

1. Different

  Born Txaln Brask in the city of Xchaltionac during Antiquity, Enigma was always "different" as Chitlan remarked above. For starters, his skin tone was unlike the other Sun Dragons. While others had colors such as red, orange, a nice gold or yellow, and even the occasional hot pink, Txaln's skin tone changed with the color of his emotions. Caused by a rare genetic mutation, Enigma found himself questioning from birth why he was such an outlier. While others prepared to become warriors, farmers, fisherman, or another respectable profession, Txaln had an intense sense of wanderlust. He would spend days roaming the streets of Xchaltionac, wondering what lay beyond.   Due to his absent father and workaholic mother, Txaln had the ability to often indulge in this longing for adventure. One day in his early teens Txaln would cross the primary bridge leading out of Xchaltionac and into the mainland of the Lilac Caldera. Txaln would go onto roam far into the golden plains of the caldera, driven by an intense passion for adventure. It was during this passionate state in which he ran into some trouble. Txaln had been stalked by a particularly large shadow crocodile. Dubbed "Clegher" by the locals, this crocodile was an infamous beast known throughout the caldera for its incredible size and cruel personality. Enigma's personal account of the following events have never been confirmed, and are highly disputed by historians. Enigma stated that he was protected from Clegher by the Phantom Orangutan of the rainforest, a Rainbow Condor of the gorgelands, and a Snow Puma of the ice sheets. Enigma states that this account changed his perspective on life and opened his eyes to the imminent danger and unbridled beauty of nature. This account is disputed due to many reasons. First, there is no actual account of the Phantom Orangutan's existence besides a Sun Dragon legend, which discredits Enigma's statement. Additionally, the thought of three animals all from different areas of the Caldera coming to save him is somewhat preposterous. Whatever the case may be, we do know one thing for sure. Enigma survived.   This near-death experience inspired Enigma to seek counseling from the now elderly Xlchatn of the jungle, a member of the Order of Chaos. Txaln wanted to hone his Zealomancy skills and could think of no one better to support him than Xlchatn. After a year of persuasion, the genius elder accepted Txaln as his disciple. They trained hard for over a decade before Xlchatn decided he was ready for his end goal, to meet every sentient species in the world. In a sense, the spirit of the Zeal lived on within him through this goal. During his time with his mentor, Txaln was given the nickname "Enigma" after the human word for being "Different". Txaln adopted this moniker with pride and readied to venture into the world beyond the Caldera. However, he was now 25 with no money, crew, supplies, or even a way to depart. He was stuck. But enigmatic as he was, his charisma still shined through to the world. That was all he would need.  

2. Charisma

  It was during this time that Enigma assembled his crew... at least part of it. The young captain had a full agenda on who he wanted for each member of his crew, but he would be unable to execute this plan without a few key members. First up, the first mate. Out of all the positions on his crew this was the one he was the most unsure of. Just as he did in his youth he would wander Xchaltionac searching for a calling from a higher power. In his deliberation he wandered into a bar and sat down next to a man tranquilized in a drunken stupor. After a few drinks, Enigma abruptly asked the man to be his first mate with no explanation, to which he replied with a resounding yes. This man was Chitlan, a drunk from the capital with outstanding debts and nothing to lose. Despite this unimpressive past, he would go on to be one of the greatest warriors in Sun Dragon history.   Next up Enigma would need a doctor. If anyone were to get injured during the journey down the equinox falls, he would need someone to heal them quickly. After a while he would meet Zana, a mermaid who now lived in Xchaltionac and was skilled at medicine, particularly the use of the Caldera Lilac.   After gathering the essential members of his crew, Enigma would buy the supplies needed and also a small canoe. Enigma and his ragtag group of outcasts would then journey down the steep Equinox falls. However, as they were leaving the exit to the Caldera, Clegher came in front of the tiny vessel. Undeterred by the monster, Enigma used a powerful blast of rage to send the crocodile cascading to its death down the falls. In an act of symbolic irony, Enigma had now assembled a crew of three to defeat Clegher, just as he stated the three animals had done for him a decade prior. The three gazed down into the world below, ready to embark on the adventure of a lifetime.   Modern-day reconstruction of Clegher's body

3. Wanderlust

  After significant trouble getting down the falls in their tiny canoe, the three fell into a river that led through the jungles of the Tonaltz region. After a few grueling days and nights through the jungle, Enigma would lead his crew toward the human settlement of Port Acacia where they would find a navigator. To journey to the open sea, the crew would need a navigator. Luckily for them, Port Acacia was home to the southwestern branch of the navigator guild, which was run by humans. However, Enigma knew that humans had a particular distaste towards Sun Dragons, and that in the end going to the guild would lead to no avail. It was then that he met Anne, a young human navigator shunned by the guild due to a previous scam with a customer. In a rush of decision, Enigma decided to ask her to be on the crew. After negotiations on payment for her navigational services, Anne agreed and would also help them get a vessel. When Enigma and his crew found their legendary ship "The Daydream" sitting in the port, they new right away it was the one. Despite this, it was also the most expensive ship in the whole of the port. After Chitlan took a shady loan from an organization within town, they had enough money to buy the ship, supplies, and Anne's services before leaving in a hurry to escape the loan sharks. While on the open sea, they would come to realize the ship was home to a small spirit they named whiskers after its cat-like appearance. With a group of four people, a spirit, and the ship of their dreams, Enigma finally saw strides being made towards the goal he manifested all those years ago.   The Daydream at Night off the coast of Tonaltz

4. Enlightened

  Enigma and his crew would travel around the waters of Antiquated Zealor, gathering members of his crew. While he gained many members, the most important were a hulking cook, a carpenter duo, a flying scout, a small weapons handler, and many others. In the end Enigma would amass a crew of 16 individuals (give or take whiskers) which would be composed of all but one of the sentient species. It was at this time that Enigma and his crew stumbled upon the recently abandoned continent of Amgine. Knowing this was the ancestral home of the Dragons, Enigma decided to stop to find the last crew member he needed. What Enigma didn't know however was that Thalian the God of Knowledge was watching them from his prison in Senturica. Thalian used his power to twist the minds of Enigma's crew, driving them to commit suicide and other atrocities. Knowing he was risking the lives of his crewmembers, Enigma decided to depart from the island at once and journey back to their compound to the north. On this journey, 10 of Enigma's crewmates killed each other or committed suicide due to Thalian's influence. Seeing the people he loved die changed him. Enigma had transformed from an eager young adventurer to a sorrowful captain cursed by the world. He had been enlightened to the true state of Zealor.  

5. The Sun's Disciple

  After 5 years, the rest of his surviving crew all died to medical complications or accidents (seemingly willed by their journey to Amgine). The only surviving crew members were Chitlan and Enigma. Struck by a sense of melancholy, the two friends journeyed back to Tonaltz on a passenger boat. They would travel back to the Caldera and live out the rest of their days on the very streets they grew up on. While they were wealthier and had had a lifetime full of adventure, Enigma felt he was back where he started. No crew, supplies, or ship to speak of. And no possible clue as to where the dragons could be. Enigma stated these sorrows in the classical poem "Being Enlightened" which is shown below:  

Beings Enlightened, Enigma of the sun:     The dawn rose from behind the Mountain spires, Journeying from beyond the abyss. We left as soon As its influence vanished.     No longer slaves to its dark Conscience, We came for riches, The glory of old, But we found neither that, God, nor gold.   We discovered a curse. A curse that haunted us to the end Of eternity. We suffer with it Until our end. We humbly accept this fate.   We arrived as beings enlightened, And left being frightened. Do not journey to "The lost continent".   Or you too will become lost.

Enigma would live out the rest of his days with Chitlan, dreaming of what could've been. Chitlan, now a respected member of the Sun Dragons, would propose to bestow Enigma with the honor of being the Sun's Disciple. This was a legendary title proposed to the greatest Sun Dragons of all time. Thanks to his valiant efforts to re-unify the races of Zealor, and his success in literature, Enigma was granted this honor.  

Impact

  The tale of Enigma is a melancholy one. It reminds us that idealism and ambition are not always fulfilled, and that sometimes even the most convicted of people can be swept to the shadows. Despite Enigma's failed ambitions, he did change the world of Zealor for the better. He spearheaded many political connections between races and was renowned as a good-willed philanthropist throughout the world. Despite his differences from others, he was still able to bring together people under a common goal. Driven by his charisma and wanderlust, Enigma made an impact on Zealor few others can claim they've matched. While many of the political connections he made during antiquity perished during the thousand year storm, "Beings Enlightened" became renowned in the modern-day as a piece of sorrowful, yet impactful classical literature. This piece saved the Sun Dagons from Zodosy and also proposed the myth of the "Lost Continent" which would in turn spawn a new age of exploration.   In conclusion, Enigma's impact on the history of Zealor cannot be denied. While we may have said goodbye to Txaln Brask of Xchaltionac, Enigma of the Sun will live on forever.