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'Ixupi' are life-essence-sapping spirits, and main antagonists in Shivers.

Origins[]

The Ixupi are the children of the Mayan Snake God. The gods had the guardians of Xibalba set them loose on the people of Zapana when their leader, King Motcambo, after becoming king declared there would be no human sacrifices for a year. The Ixupi, who fed off the life essence of people, started to strike, and kill the people of Zapana

First capture[]

After King Motcambo found out what his decree had done, he offered himself to the gods. The Mayan Moon Goddess, Ixchel, was so touched by the action, that she offered the relief the people needed. She gave to King Motcambo the vessels and talismans needed to capture the Ixupi. She also told him what needed to be done, including the chant that would make the Ixupi go to the vessels, and instructing that each vessel needed one of the elements in it. Six and a half months after the attacks started, all the Ixupi were captured. The people rejoiced, but the Mayan Snake God was furious to see his children captured. However, he gave his children a boon. If they were ever able to get out of the vessels, they could use the element that captured them, and hide in anything made of that element.

Rediscovery[]

In an effort to prevent the Ixupi from getting out again, King Motcambo had the vessels buried in a tomb, as well as the history of the Ixupi attack and their capture as a warning. Many years passed until they were rediscovered. By the time it had happened, the world had forgotten of the Ixupi, and the locals only remembered that the land was cursed. One local had dared venture in to the area, and had stumbled onto the tomb of the Ixupi. This local had accidentally released one of the Ixupi, and was quickly killed by it. The body had remained undiscovered, until others found the vessels, and sent them and the stone to private collectors who paid top dollar.

Eventually, the vessels earned a cursed reputation, as every owner was eventually found dead and mummified. The number of vessels also dwindled down, until the collection made its way to Siegfeld Schwartz. He was also the first person to translate the stone tablet, and he learned the truth of the vessels now in his possession. Until 1954, Siegfeld owned the vessels, until his body was found dead and mummified. After that, the tablet and the remaining thirteen vessel remained in his estate [1].

At the Windlenot Museum[]

On May 24th, 1977[2], the vessels the Ixupi were imprisoned in had been obtained by Professor Windlenot to be put in a display in his museum. He was aware of the curse linked to the vessels, where prior owners were found dead and mummified, but still tempted fate. After that, the construction of his museum came almost to a halt as the Mexican workers who were helping with the construction refused to work.

When the museum neared completion, the pots were placed on display in the Tombs and Curses room, in an exhibit called Tomb of the Ixupi. It was there the thirteen pots remained, until one night, between Wednesday September 17, 1980[3] and Tuesday, September 30, 1980[4], when two teenagers, Beth Ann Nelson and Merrick Campbell, found their way into the museum. They were the ones who had opened the pots and unleashed the Ixupi. However, due to how they were captured, the Ixupi could not leave the general area that their vessels were kept, until they killed a person, and that person's soul replaced the Ixupi. The two teens, while trying to find a safe place to hide, were attacked multiple times by the Ixupi. Eventually, both were killed, Beth by the Fire Ixupi, and Merrick by the Jade Ixupi.

On September 30, 1980, Professor Hubert Windlenot had returned to the museum, discovering things out of place. This led to his discovering that Ixupi had been released. Eventually, when he tried to capture the Ixupi, he found himself thwarted by the puzzles he placed in the museum. Afterwards, he attempted to flee, only to fall victim to the Stone Ixupi.

Years later, while the Ixupi patiently waited, a lone person, dared to spend the night at the museum, made their way into the museum, first being attacked by the Water Ixupi, and learned from the spirits of those defeated what had happened. Eventually, the ten Ixupi that were left at the museum ended up captured.

Behavior[]

The Ixupi are cunning, and intelligent. They have adapted to being bound to certain elements. They will also generate sounds to lure in victims. They also used the need for people to find the two halves of their vessels, and have hidden some of those halves in areas that others can guard. Two examples of this is shown in the museum. They have also shown intelligence due to attempts to hide the halves of the vessels they were trapped in. They had made sure the parts are separated, and in different locations. Also, if approached with the wrong vessel, the Ixupi will take it after the attack and hide it elsewhere.

Types[]

There are thirteen types of Ixupi that had been in the museum, each one linked to an element. Those types are as follows: Ash, Cloth, Crystal, Electricity, Fire, Jade, Metal, Sand, Stone, Tar, Water, Wax, and Wood. Given the number of pages in the book of South American Pictographs, and that most pages have two pictographs, it could be speculated that there was at least thirty-seven Ixupi let loose so long ago.

References[]

  1. Windlenot‘s Scrapbook in the game
  2. Windlenot‘s Scrapbook in the game
  3. Windlenot‘s Diary
  4. Newpaper article found in Windlenot‘s office
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