A'maxa: Skinners among Formwalkers
In legends lay dormant the seeds of truth.
Do you hear it, hpata? That isn't the sound of branches on the window, or sand in the eaves: it is the sound of knives, for the A'maxa waits for you to be alone, to wear you!
Summary
The A'maxa, or Skinners, are an especially evil variant of Formwalkers. While most Formwalkers and Long Face Folk are neutral at best in their relationships towards "Fast Water Folk", A'maxa are described as particularly nasty and malicious. They are said to steal the skins of the young, so that they may collect faces to wear.
The faces that an A'maxa steal eventually wear out in time, so the entity must find a new victim. A'maxa prefer to wait on the edges and observe a group, targeting those who have become separated from the group, in order to steal their skins without being disrupted or discovered.
After a successful skinning, the A'maxa then wears the skin and rejoins the group. This is done sometimes to find other victims to target, but most often is done in order to learn their ways, so that the A'maxa can continue to hide within society until such time as it needs to steal another victim. The A'maxa may feign injury to the head as an excuse for failed memory or an awkward gait expressed as it accustoms itself to the new form, and this claim is often substantiated by the visible blood, left on the skin and shed by the original owner during the process.
A'maxa are natural mimics; they will mimic dialect and language patter relatively quickly. They will never perfectly mimic the original, but often build enough experience to pass, at least for a time until they can part with the group and make their way to somewhere else.
A'maxa are said to prefer children, as the young skin is pliant, and will allow them to "grow up" for many years before having to steal another.
Historical Basis
Stories of A'maxa are used to instill fear into both children and careless adults, carrying a moral lesson: those who become separated from the others, whether by carelessness or through misbehavior or even exile, are left vulnerable to enemy, injury, or environment. Bodies that are sometimes found mangled (such as by fauna wildlife or particularly nasty accidents) are occasionally identified as (or mistaken for) victims of A'maxa whose skinning was interrupted. Folken who suffer traumatic head injury are sometimes suspected of being an A'maxa, and are often ostracized or closely observed by the social group until the larger safety of the group can be determined.
Though it has primarily evolved into a children's tale, the stories of A'maxa echo these primal tales as well as real concerns. As there is a solid belief in Long Face Folk - the deities of Corvus and Coyotl are two well-known and accepted examples of benevolent (if troublesome) Formwalkers - the idea of an A'maxa is to many a terrifying reality. Even the more progressive among Ni'kashiga culture still know the wards and will seek spiritual intervention should they believe they are being stalked by A'maxa.
Spread
The story of the A'maxa has grown out of the southern Inbound Lands, traveling northwards through Ochi Ohkanska. However, it is well-known throughout the Greater Inbound Lands, and though it is less common in the North as a folktale, the presence of Long Face Folk in the area have spread the legend as a cautionary tale.
Variations & Mutation
When used in a "fear telling", the storyteller often mimics scraping noises, said to be the A'maxa sharpening their knives. In some tales, featuring a particularly desperate A'maxa who has begun to "lose skin," the tool that the A'maxa sharpens is their claws or teeth, since they are no longer able to use normal hands.
Cultural Reception
Stories of the A'maxa are viewed as cultural truth within the Ni'kashiga, especially in the Southern Inbound Lands: they are accepted as true in some form, whether physical, historically practical, or spiritual. In the North, the stories are generally accepted as truth and warnings; the presence of other Long Face beliefs in the area, along with the generally more superstitious customs, gives credence to the tales. In the Southern Walkingfolk, the tales are more commonly viewed as folklore in the cities, but have their believers among those who live outside of the main centers.
OUTBOUND SIGNIFICANCE
Artifacts referencing A'maxa include:- Day 84 of the 100 Days of Oce, 2019
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