Count of Days: Completely Barmy!

Who said Wizard101 didn't have any good side quests? I recently did one in Azteca that's worth mentioning, as the lore contained within it leads us to what could be the epic conclusion to the Morganthe finale and tell us all about the upcoming new content for Pirate101. The Spirals, are, after all, one in the same.

Woah! What just happened?

You're reading an expanded article. This post has been enlarged to fill the entire width of the website, allowing for more content, more media, and a more in-depth look at the topic. You'll get a better look at stunning photos, eye-catching illustrations, and intriguing videos. To use sidebar features, return to the home page using the navigation bar.

Azteca Takes a Rank Among Worlds of Lore

When I think of worlds with lore that extends far beyond their own world, I think of places like Celestia and Aquila. Azteca seemed completely strange to me when it was first announced - a world of dinosaurs, perhaps concocted only to meet the specifications of the sky falling. Turns out it was and is much more than that.

This quest involved running around Azteca and doing some its less pleasant dungeons to collect a series of Tzolk'in Stones, which are then to be taken to an underground chamber in Three Points and placed in altars. Upon turning in this quest, Count of Days, you receive another - Gallery of Days. With this, you'll be able to return and view the complete story from the very voices of the Aztecans. This can be repeated any number of times, though some stones do not show up with the dialogue after the first time.

Before I can proceed to dissect it, the dialogue has to be fresh in your mind. The following is the story, including the Aztecan telling it. It is read left to right, one row at a time.

	Ku Tu Yix: In the beginning, there was the First World. At the center of the first world stood Bartleby, the World Tree.		Ku Tu Yix: Bartleby was tended by Grandmother Raven, the wisest of us. Throughout the First World lived the Aztecosaurs. And all was good.
	Ku Tu Yix: The Aztecosaurs watched in awe and terror as the Titans battled each other for supremacy.		Ku Tu Yix: The First World was destroyed by the unending battle of Storm, Fire, and Ice.
	Ku Bada: Great Bartleby, the World Tree, lifted his branches to sing the Song of Creation. The ancient Aztecosaurs watched and listened.		Ku Bada: The titans closed their eyes and fell into a deep slumber.
	Ku Bada: And Bartleby sang the Spiral into form out of the fragments of the First World.		Ku Bada: These ancient Aztecosaurs, known as the Lords of Knight, promised to steward the Song of Creation.
	Ku Bada: The Ravenwood grew up around Bartleby, as the center of magic. And culture spread throughout the young Spiral worlds.		Ku Bada: The Aztecosaurs built a great empire in Azteca, centered around the City of Three Winds.
	Ku Kele: The Lords of Night saw that one day Dread Xibalba will come to Azteca, and from that Place of Fear comes the Shadow.		Ku Kele: Xibalba brings a rain of pain and tears to Azteca. And the people suffer.
	Ku Kele: The Horn of Huracan will summon the Azure Shining One, a champion of Light, to battle the Shadow.		Ku Kele: The Lords of Night will witness the final confrontation between Light and Shadow. The Wheel turns. And this, too, will pass.

The insights that this quest offer us into the history of the Spiral are entirely solid, unlike the theorycrafting going on about what's to come. Though perhaps we can use this as the basis for our ideas. It's relevant to both upcoming updates to KingsIsle games.

Ghostly Poets: The Azure Shining One Revealed

While we learn a lot about the Spiral in general, one of the key moments is the discussion of the Azure Shining One. The Horn of Huracan? That ship has sailed! At the end of the Twin Giants Pyramid, he used it to open a portal to Xibalba, and then we were forced to defeat him... hearing nothing of his horn.

Here we are, halfway into the clutches of Morganthe, and still no sign of the Azure Shining One. Or is there? I'm surprised how little speculation on this there's been, but where there has, people have said that Khrysalis must have this somewhere in the plot. In the stones, the Azure Shining One appears to be a lizard of some sort. And elite Aztecan? No, the Azure Shining One is us. In the Pyramid of Mother Moon in the Pitch Black Lake, the ghost of Neza is charmed to attempt to defeat us, with the lines: "Ohuaya! Ohuaya! It is time to remove your heart, Azure Shining One, to see if it continues to hold its light beyond life."

The only part left is our final confrontation, which the Lords of Night themselves will be present to witness. Now I'm excited. An epic battle while being watched by some of the oldest beings in the Spiral.

What of Pirates?

Sorry, you don't get to be a Champion of Light battling the Shadow. But you do have something pretty awesome coming based on what we know about Aztecans. (Who knew? Your Tribal Crew companions might know more than they're letting on!) The very first image released in a long string of Pirate101 teasers was this:

We've pretty much established that this is side content based on the location and Bonnie's lack of promotion. But what leads us to Azteca? In terms of the larger update Pirate101 is planning, Blind Mew says "It's pretty big. And I'm pretty sure it will catch you guys by surprise." He continues, saying, "As to Azteca and how its plot relates to Wizard and all those ruins, much will be revealed. When the content attached to those barmy screen shots goes live, you'll learn a lot."

Before this little side quest, I'd had enough of Azteca and Aztecosaurs. A world, Skull Island, two packs, Grub Guardian maps... it was all a bit much. Now I'm ready to go back!

Skull Island: A Shattered Wizard World?

One of my favorite theories about Skull Island is that it's actually the shattered remains of Azteca! The ancient Aztecosaurs still live underground there and many of the Ancient Ruins have similar patterns and textures. Of course, this is impossible due to the fact that when Pirates visit MooShu, Wizards have yet to go there, and so their fun in Skull Island must come far before the end of Azteca. Of course, that doesn't mean they couldn't have been connected back before the clash of the Titans in the First World... but that's a topic for another day.

I do like to think that Skull Island has some connection - and whatever it is, it's in the next update. I don't imagine we'll ever visit the world of Azteca, but I think we'll be surprised. Dealing with beings like the Lords of Night and Aquilan immortals has always been a Wizard thing. Pirates might have a good opportunity for some extensive in-game lore that Wizard can't provide.

That's what I love about having both games - each one is its own, but playing both can teach you quite a lot. And I guess that only leaves one question - what do YOU think is coming to Wizard101 and Pirate101 in relation to the Aztecans, a people long forgotten in the minds of wizards eagerly awaiting Khrysalis Part 2 and Pirates looking forward to the number of new updates hinted at through teasers?

You can pick up the quest "Count of Days" from Tezcat Threestar in the Zocalo shortly after completing the Cenote portion of Azteca. Thanks for reading and see you in the Spiral!