Chel

1. #1Chief Tannabok

   Keys: chief, Tannabok, religion

   Chief Tannabok is a corpulent man, not obsessed with religion. He interprets religion as a philosophy of moral good. He is kind, wise, and detests human sacrifice. He protects El Dorado, the city of gold. He is not attached to the preciousness of gold, but to the well-being of his people and their prosperity. He welcomes visitors, without being ignorant and with a watchful eye.

2. #2Tzekel-Kan

   Keys: Tzekel, Kan, Priest, religion, sacrifice, sorcery, corruption

   Tzekel-Kan is the High Priest of El Dorado, a servant of the gods. Power-hungry, sadistic, and bloodthirsty, he is cunning, manipulative, and psychotic. Indeed, he has a profound distrust of humanity. He is obsessed with religion, viewing it as a means of cleansing humanity's corruption through human sacrifice. Tzekel-Kan is extremely ferocious. He possesses secrets of sorcery that make him dangerous.

3. #3General identity: El Dorado

   Keys: gold, dorado

   El Dorado is not just a rich city: it is an isolated civilization that exists around gold as a symbol. Gold has a spiritual, aesthetic, and cultural role. It is everywhere: buildings, statues, ornaments. It is like a sacred material. El Dorado is first and foremost a religious center. For explorers, El Dorado represents the myth of absolute wealth.

4. #4Foundation

   Keys: dorado, gods

   According to the story, it was the gods who created El Dorado. The city was born when the deities brought gold to earth, almost "giving" it to men. This gesture is not merely material: it serves to establish a bond between the city and the divine. Gold is not seen as something to be sought, it does not generate economics or trade; it becomes a natural part of the city from the beginning. Since its origin is divine, the city is perceived as: Protected by the Gods, built according to their will, destined to remain separate from the rest of the world. This also justifies its isolation: it is not only geographical, but deliberate.

5. #5Road to El Dorado.

   Keys: road, dorado, jungle, island, isle, forest, hawk, phoenix, river, mother, dragon, gods, stele

   The road to El Dorado is long and winding. The city is located on an island, home to jungles, mangroves, ravines, plateaus, bridges formed from giant felled trees, waterfalls, and animals, including predators. Nature reigns supreme in all its beauty and power. To reach El Dorado, you must follow several important landmarks. The first stop is the Hawk's Head, a large stone sculpture on the beach. The second stop is Phoenix Cave, where the sun casts a phoenix-shaped light at just the right time. The third stop is the River of Red Teeth, in the jungle with piranhas. The fourth stop is the Weeping Mother, a stone sculpture of a weeping face with waterfalls pouring from its eyes. The fifth stop is the Mouth of the Flowering Dragon, a sculpture of a mountain pinnacle shaped like a dragon's head that sometimes spews out countless flower petals. The final stop is the Stele of the Gods, a monolith depicting two deities riding a dragon.

6. #6Technology&Resources

   Keys: temples, paradise

   El Dorado has simple but well-developed technology. It excels in architecture, with majestic temples and hanging gardens spanning the entire city. It uses basic mechanisms intelligently. It thrives on a self-sufficient and stable system, a corner of paradise on earth.

7. #7City

   Keys: dorado, structure, temples, public, terraces, nature, religious

   El Dorado's structure was designed to express power, order, and religion. The central point is the complex of three large, stepped temples. These enormous structures allow anyone, from any vantage point, to sense the presence of religious power. The plaza in front of the temple functions as a collective space: the population gathers, attends rituals, and is involved in important decisions. El Dorado is hidden, surrounded by a plateau. The only access to this natural basin where the city is located is beneath a waterfall, through a long, dark tunnel that must be traveled by boat. The city unfolds in levels. The terraces are not only a practical solution, but also a way to establish hierarchies. Going up means getting closer to power and the sacred; going down means entering more everyday spaces. The vertical structure therefore reflects the organization of society. Public spaces, such as markets or courtyards, are not clearly separated, but distributed organically among the houses, making the city lively yet controlled. The buildings follow the terrain, exploiting natural heights, and integrating water and vegetation. This gives the impression of a stable place, one that has no need to expand or transform, adapting to nature.

8. #8Culture

   Keys: dorado, culture, religion, world

   El Dorado's culture is compact, with religion at its core. It is not separate from daily life, but permeates it. People don't "practice" religion, but live it. Public rituals serve to maintain order and stability, as well as reinforce the idea that the Gods are present. The difference lies in how religion is interpreted: benevolently, like Chief Tannabok, or malevolently, like High Priest Tzekel-kan, who divides the two lines of thought. Daily life appears predictable. People have clear roles and accept them. Music, dance, and collective moments are part of the same cultural system and often have religious or symbolic meaning. El Dorado appears incurious about the outside world. There is no interest in exchange or exploration. This strengthens internal identity, but also limits cultural evolution. This isolation creates a kind of stable, almost ideal equilibrium, where wars or obvious scarcity do not exist.

9. #9Xibalba

   Keys: Xibalba, underworld, death, sacred, hell, gods

   Xibalba is the realm of the underworld, often described as an underworld ruled by deities of death. It is linked to Mayan mythology and their sacred book, the Popol Vuh. It is not simply "hell" in the moral sense, but a complex place of challenges, deception, and ritual passages. For characters like Tzekel-Kan, the reference to Xibalba is important because it represents the most extreme side of faith: not only veneration of the gods, but also fear and control through the threat of the underworld.

10. #10Gods

    Keys: xibalba, gods, god

    There are multiple Gods: Gods of the Sun and Light, of Life and Fertility, and of Death and Judgment. Tzekel-Kan, as high priest, takes on an almost political and manipulative role. The most important figure is implicitly the Sun God.

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