In the dense jungles of the south lies the once-hidden city of Mictlan. Today, travelers will be astonished by the ethereal beauty of the plumage and dwellings of its denizens. The iridescent wonder of just walking through another street; watching the colors and surroundings change all around can be compared to being in the middle of an ever-changing kaleidoscope, or maybe being inside a giant soap bubble floating into the skies.
Yet years back, tales tell of the shadow city of Mictlan, with its grey stone arches, the sound of clanking machinery, immense iron-studded walls, and chimneys towering to the heavens. These travelers, or is it their children now, now being seen pacing across the streets, breathing all the beauty in, formerly steered away from this place, the once-called valley of desolation.
So how did this bleak city of Mictlan become the shining jewel of the valley? It's all thanks to the current ruler of Mictlan, the Madonna of the Morgue.
You see, Mictlan was previously a backwater unlike the golden city of the east, the silver city of the west, and the greatest, the eternal city of spring. The former lord of Mictlan, seeing the deplorable state of his city, made it his goal to ensure the betterment of the city and its citizens.
He first deported the so-called despicable and languorous: the artists, the writers, and the poets; ensuring all purpose is for the state. Next, he institutionalized a cutthroat and competitive ideology; forming a community where equality is enforced not by the government but by the citizens themselves—like crabs in a trap pot, always pulling each other down.
Slowly, this utopia evolved into a society where all needs are provided, and where all personal income and assets (from the social investment stipends and external trade) are either funneled back to the state, hoarded in vast vaults, or liquidated by the moves of other citizens, under the pretense of ensuring
To continue his vision of a utilitarian utopia where all people can be equal, the lord of Mictlan decreed laws to standardize all aspects of life. Trees were felled and repurposed, buildings were painted in the same and bland colors, and people were no different from the one beside them; all for the betterment of their society.
But Mictlan had many enemies, seeing their growing power. The lord persevered against their knavish schemes: the continual plotting of the storm god, and the deceitful conspiracies of the serpentine star; stubbornly clinging to the golden path that he must pave. Against all those odds, Mictlan eventually became the greatest city, its grey towers soaring to the skies; giving no desire to its inhabitants and offering neither solace nor refuge to the ones outside Mictlan's walls.
The great walls of brick and stone that were laid also conceal a note—an unknown contract—for as the city rose and the citizens' lives grew better, individual selves drowned in the sound of the machinery's symphony. An insidious trade for a better future, where prosperity is valued more than personality.
The constant struggle of the times of the sun and rain continued on for two centuries, with the Lord of Mictlan continuing to govern his smoggy city of concrete and stone. He saw the lives of his citizens continue on; contented, given everything that they needed, but bleak, like the simple facades of their houses.
No one knows what he thought as he watched the product of his labors, looking out at his balcony. Maybe it was satisfaction and peace, knowing everyone can live in relative security, or doubt, and insecurity, thinking the price for all these was too high a cost.
Then the earth rumbled, and from its bosom rose pythons of humongous size, entwining with each other like vines creeping up the tower. They constricted themselves, collapsed the building with their sheer strength, and pulled it back to the ground, as the Earth in their omnipotent fickleness just wanted their son back.
Onlookers stood there, their already-pale faces contorted in confusion and panic. In what remained of the tower, laid a girl unconscious, tattooed with the snakes and feathers—the Earth's ultimate gift to Mictlan.
When she regained her consciousness, she quickly sprang to action: ensuring that the chaos brought forth by the disappearance of the previous lord, consolidating the factions vying for control, and continuing on the path laid out for the city's progress.
As she formerly was a citizen of the thirteen heavens, the grey city was not for her liking, its buildings, streets, and people were devoid of life and passion, with rationalism governing their every move. She had missed its everlasting jovial mood and festive atmosphere, its colorful clothes and gilded masks, and its renowned art and ornate buildings.
She although knew that the ideals passed on by her brother were deeply ingrained in Mictlan's society and were a necessary counterbalance to the unregulated anarchic society of the golden east, and changing could mean destabilization of the status quo. Only by mutual cooperation and gradual change can she ensure the balance of wants and needs of her citizens—the scales governed by her brothers.
First, she revoked the restrictions imposed upon clothing, which were previously decided by profession; reversing the first of the acts imposed for an equal society. She waited for a while for the engine of individual expression to continue, delaying further changes as not to further aggravate the opposition.
The tune that her brother had taught; one of the constant jingling and clinking, monotonous and dull, sung restrained by the rhythm of their chains clunking, is now being drowned out by her choir’s melody of newfound freedom and individuality.
Some even decided by themselves to use their vast hordes of wealth to refurbish their houses, create great golems of bone, stone, and metal to rebuild their foundations, and commission thaumaturges to weave magicks of light and shadow, slowly creating the prismatic edifices seen today.
Although these changes were slow and meticulous, imperceptible to humans with their brief lives; reactionary sentiments of some of Mictlan’s undead starting to fester, scared of losing the egalitarian society that they were a part of. You see, as some citizens opened up shops and services, funded by the reserves they have had, their personal income skyrocketed, causing imbalance and inequality, the very thing that most of Mictlan had long abhorred.
Unrest between the Madonna’s faction and the reactionaries rose; with boycotts, riots, and protests increasing by the day. The Madonna knew that these small sparks will eventually cause everything that she and her brother had worked hard to collapse into anarchy.
She decreed the creation of an assembly, where the new regulations and charters will be discussed upon, ensuring that all differing opinions on how Mictlan should be governed would be heard.
I would not bother you with all the tiny and jargonistic details and proceedings of what happened. These negotiations were sometimes heated and intense, yet the assembly went on for a year as peaceful as it can be. After it was done, they decided on three major changes about how Mictlan would work.
First, the previously named despicable and languorous, the ones who still believe in their personal dreams, were recalled; per the constant appeals of the newly created upper-class. Apparently, they still had enough money to decorate their newly renovated houses.
But in order to placate the reactionaries, they instituted a new system of levies, establishing positive cash flow. The changes also ensured that the burden is divided by the percentage of the Mictlan’s total gold that an individual has—not an equal division, but a fair one.
Lastly, they established a haven for all citizens by ensuring well-funded amenities and services using the levies collected. This is to make sure that all simple needs an undead could have (although it's only quite a few) will be taken care of, regardless of income.
Of course, it was not enough to placate everybody, but it was enough to appease most citizens. Therefore, securing a safe and fair society for everyone, where wants and needs are equal and where the economy serves the people, under the rule of the benevolent Madonna.
Well, I still have some misgivings about the governance of the Mictlan, like the lack of citizen representation and the little power being held by the assembly. But, while walking around the streets and markets of the opaline city, I cannot help wonder what would happen if this way of thinking, looking beyond the short-term, was also applied to the serene republics of men, where all people have the capacity to promote change.
It might be a pipe dream, seeing that our lives—temporary and quick—affect how we see things, and therefore our agendas and beliefs. But we can’t really know if we try, right?
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