Tuskin Monoliths

Purpose / Function

It is uncertain what purpose the rock shards served, if there ever was one at all. They are reoccurring geological features that overlook mountain range's many summits. It is probable that they formed accidentally when half the Bad Step was sheared away during the machy.

Design

Triangular Pyramids

When one thinks of a tuskin monolith, they think of the two sharp-angled pillars composing it. Narrowest at their top and smoothly varying away from each other as they ascend.

Denizens

One-Headed Priests

Travelling priests who preach to people in distant lands on either side of the Bad Step. They are more known for conducting public sermons to small crowds, particular at the foot of a monolith. These priests are far less adorned than their higher ranked brothers; sporting no additional skulls on their hip or shoulders, save the one containing their eyes.
Individual priests would often camp out near the old pillars if it is far away from an established settlement to treat with passersby and pilgrims.

Hazards & Traps

Falling Fragments

One ever present danger are shard pieces of the structure falling off at random and impaling people below.
As a result, no one is allowed to build private structures in the immediate vicinity.

Falling

One fear that has never occurred near a populated area is that there could be a serious fracture that causes the top of half of a monolith to crash onto the land below it.

Special Properties

Temperature Management

The vast majority of the step's monoliths are made up of mostly hot-rock, especially at the base. With their phenomenal property of transferring heat from some great source under the mountain, they act as an efficient heat shield to the the Cold Swamp's fridged temperatures.
Dispersing the cold and making habitation possible.

Alterations

Carrier Catchers

Some monoliths have be retrofitted with strong lashes, anchors and hoisters to park, load and unload the carriers as operated by Oztomecintli.
There is always an uproar in Hajjinis, and with practitioners of the quinametzin faith, whenever they hear of plans to deface the monoliths in this way.

Replacing heritage for inheritance

— complaints of a two-headed priest

Architecture

Hot Rocks

As far as we can tell, there is no intention to the monoliths' construction. However, the fact that the basic shape and outline reoccurs several times at or near the precipice of Bad Step's many summits leaves many to believe that they were somehow intentional.

History

Rock Rains

Much like all times before and since, the Gods have made and remade men as often as they have made and remade the sun. With the dying of the Red Sun; Ehecatl, the Crippled One, was raised to the Violet Sun to take Tlaloc's place.
And in his honor, the new men were shaped from corn and they flourished. But as before; when a sun dies, calamity strikes the earth be it fire, wind or quakes. For the end of the Red Sun Era; there was a tremendous crack across the sky which then mirrored the land.

— Roaring of the Earth

Tourism

Quinametzin Pilgrims

Observers of quinametzin view it as their mission to visit the monolith closest to them.

Cavern Cities

Doing so is usually hard, so most attend to the ones in the cavern cities like with Hajjinis, Chu-Caan or Yulyult to avoid undue stress and as an opportunity to conduct other business.

Natural Environment

On the other hand, certain pilgrims say that it is a spiritual journey and that the difficulty in getting there is essential. So they prioritize the smaller ones out of the beaten path.

Alternative Names

• Carrier Catchers
• Hot-Rock Pillars
• Tuskin Shards
• Piranha Teeth

Type

Geographic Feature

Parent Location

Chu-Caan

Environmental Effects

Wind Quakes are a phenomenon when the bitingly cold winds of the swamp are forced against the monoliths of the Step.
They transfer the vibrations from the air to the earth and cause small earthquakes.

Related Professions

• Ppolom

Compartment of Vehicle

Carrier Balloon

Owning Organization

Long Step