The Cursed Composition of Yxteul

None know who painted that...thing— a lunatic, it must be. For what sane creature could create something so horrid?

— A Rektouzk trader

The cursed composition of Yxteul comes from unknown origins, it simply appeared one day along the great stone wall of an undeveloped area of Tochkli. Any attempts to remove or obscure the cursed pigments have been futile— and merely caused the horrid thing to become yet more so.

A Monstrous Mural

The painting was first noticed by a construction manager off to oversee development of an undeveloped area along the west edges of the city's third excavated terrace ten years ago. It was here, proudly displayed along the smooth excavated rockface, that the cursed pigments were presented.

I cannot stand it— I feel as if it is not I who is observing— but that horrid, cursed mural that is observing me.

— An unlucky onlooker

The mural depicts a strange array of three twisting ringed forms, and what appears to be a crack along the rock wall— which when touched is found to be a smooth surface. Each of the forms are painted with a darkened gold-orange, and appear simultaneously as thin, smooth cloud-like shadows and hard rigid shapes.

The three ringed shadows are interlinked, and each is angled in a different orientation. The leftmost ring is angled slightly away, towards the right. The central ring is angled downwards and towards the left, and the rightmost is angled upwards and to the right.

Each widens and shrinks along their lengths, some wider spaces almost seem to contain faces but if they do— they are none known to man.

In the background is a dark, foreboding abyss of dark purple with irregular orange-green blotches and streaks. If one squints, and knows what to look for— they can distinguish a terrible dark form merely hinted at by the shapes of the blotches.


It is said that after a time, the image begins to move, it is no surprise that those who study the image are wont to leave the country soon after.

In the left-hand corner, a name is scrawled in bright yellow— Yxteul. None have heard of anyone by such a name, but all who lay their eyes upon it will forever remember it.

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Fruitless removal

At first, the mural was merely painted over. The next day, however, it was found to have increased in both size and vividness— and those tasked with covering it had bled to death in their homes, after having clawed their own eyes from their seats within their skulls. Despite the gruesome deaths, their corpses are said to have been wearing wide grins.

Attempts to carve the mural off the wall have led to similar ends. Buildings were constructed, hiding the terrible composition within the inches-wide gap between their walls— but these disappeared within a week, as if they had never been there to begin with— and the mural doubled in size, detail, and horror once more. Those involved in the construction project, too, disappeared into thin air— never to be seen again.

Today, a five-yard-wide square exists around the mural— the top of which can be spotted almost from the opposite side of the city. None have made attempts at covering it in the past five years.

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Yih-sh-t-ool

Current Location

Tochkli

Dimensions

Originally 3x3 yards, now 12x8

Stolen pigment

The area around the cursed composition is eerily devoid of color— and those who spend long in its presence will find themselves, too, lacking pigment. Most get out with negligible loss, but an unlucky few— drunks, homeless, or deranged— have found themselves completely desaturated.

I juss wok'n up n...I cand feel noffin! Whys me all grey? Hey? Wheras my colors gone?!

— An unfortunate drunk

Victims have claimed to lack physical feeling after this— and as undesirables, they are often taken by alchemists from Louh to be experimented on.

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Ever expanding

Citizens of the city claim that the mural is still expanding— as is the desaturated area around it. It is believed that all who walk near it feed it— and as such, travel to the mural is greatly discouraged.

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