Konda: The King of Snakes

The Konda Mystery

I insisted on doing this entry myself. Reports on Konda sightings are of special interest to me. My uncle, a veteran of the Qatar army, was an expert on wildlife from the remote corners of Mbali. He is a storyteller of the wild. He knows more about the terrain and creatures of the forests than anyone else I know. It is his specialty. He first told me stories of the Konda when I was five. I learned that Kondas looked like giant cobras and were predators that grew to extreme heights. They had the potential to grow as tall as the Rukonjo trees in the southeast. Kondas are only found in the southern jungles, and they reign as king of those jungles. No other beast could survive an encounter with a Konda. Even an elephant would provide a hearty meal for the largest Kondas. Konda skin can only be pierced by exceptionally sharp spears. Spearheads made from quornum are said to do the trick, but quornum is a rare and expensive metal since there are only two known places where it is mined. Kondas are a rather new species. It is the only species that seems to have risen during the Masanii Era. That in itself is a strange phenomenon. But it is also interesting that the only beasts that could have tamed the Konda were all eliminated before the era. My uncle has a theory regarding this, but I'll get that that later.

There are a lot of rumors and griot theories concerning the great Konda in Southern Mbali. Some dismiss the reptiles as simply overgrown snakes. They assume that there must be something in the food or vegetation in Southern Mbali that cause these creatures to grow to such long lengths. But there is so much more to consider about the beasts. It is reported that there are never two kondas within a mile of each other. They don't share territory. The only beasts that Konda don't eat are other reptiles. In fact, snakes find safety in a Konda's territory, or so it is believed. People who live near Konda territory, say that is much more than just safety. They say that Konda's attract reptiles of all types to them, and that there is some scent, unsensable by humans, that drive other snakes to Kondas. Another amazing phenomenon. Konda's can also burrow underground for miles. It is believed that deep underground is where Kondas lay their eggs.

As I said before, it is very strange that there are no stories of Konda's from before the Masanii Era. At the end of the Dragon Age, dragons were cleansed from Mbali by the Masanii. Most people praise this event, but I feel it was a great tragedy. Dragons were creatures that followed the will of their riders. Riders followed the will of the kings and queens they served. The mass destruction by dragons were, in essence, the mass destructions by humans against themselves. Dragons were unfairly blamed for burning down cities and villages, when, in fact, it wasn't their choice. But I digress, I'll save that for another time. When dragons were eliminated, the Southern Masanii issued a reward for dragon eggs around all of Mbali. Those seeking the reward would have to bring the found eggs to Krull, which was a larger kingdom than it is now. There, they could turn the eggs in for a large sac of precious jewels. Great hunting parties were formed in search for the remaining eggs in the land. The eggs were supposedly destroyed, but the Masanii allowed a variety of ways for these eggs to be eliminated. A particular rhythm called Mbusa, when played by powerful Masanii, could cause the eggs to explode. This was particularly effective since dragon eggs were very hard to puncture and impossible to burn. Other southern Masanii, used quorum spears to penetrate the egg and break it open. These were interested in the delicacy of the egg's yoke. They also used a magical rhythm that supposedly cooked the eggs from the inside. I believe that rhythm has been lost overtime.

Another practice, that only a few are aware of...that is because there are many that don't believe it...was to use another rhythm that prevented hatching and then burying the eggs deep in the ground. This practice is denied by the Masanii, because it would mean that there were Masanii who disobeyed the overarching order to completely destroy the eggs. But what they tend to leave out in this narrative, is that there were Masanii who had reason not to obey the order. The Ghadra, which I look forward to writing an entry about soon, were mal-using musicians who did not advocate for eliminating the dragons. In fact, they tried to protect the dragons for many of them were dragon riders. For this, they themselves were hunted and supposedly eliminated. But of course, this elimination is false, because members of the Ghadra were given a choice to denounce the use of mal magic and become official Masanii. Most would not denounce the use of the magic their order was known for, and they were hunted for it. But there were some that accepted the Masanii choice. Perhaps, those former Ghadra, could not bring themselves to destroy the innocent creatures. And here I insert the possibility of my Uncle's theory: that perhaps the Konda are the direct descendants of dragons, and they were born from the eggs that were buried at the cusp of the Masanii Era.

-Barika