What lies in wait may haunt you forever...
Somewhere deep in the Brazilian Amazon there is a place of myths and legends. A new age is trying to creep in on the small village the Panara people inhabit. The Panará, "Indio's Gigantes" ("Giant Indians") are the last descendants of the southern Cayapós, a large ethnic group which inhabited a vast area in Central Brazil in the 18th century.
The Panará are hunter-gatherers their food is obtained from wild plants and animals. The Panará lived in relative isolation until 1973 when a government project, brought road BR-163 running through their territory. It brought them in contact with the outside world. As a result the tribe was decimated by modern world diseases such as flu and diarrhea which they had no immunity against, and by the environmental degradation of their land.
In January of 1975, the 79 surviving members of the tribe were left with the 4,950 square kilometres from their ancient traditional territory along the the Iriri River, a tributary of the Xingu River in Brazil, located on the border of Mato Grosso and Pará states.
The Panará are hunter-gatherers their food is obtained from wild plants and animals. The Panará lived in relative isolation until 1973 when a government project, brought road BR-163 running through their territory. It brought them in contact with the outside world. As a result the tribe was decimated by modern world diseases such as flu and diarrhea which they had no immunity against, and by the environmental degradation of their land.
In January of 1975, the 79 surviving members of the tribe were left with the 4,950 square kilometres from their ancient traditional territory along the the Iriri River, a tributary of the Xingu River in Brazil, located on the border of Mato Grosso and Pará states.
This is when the old stories still visible on the stone walls of the caves on the Panara’s land were coming true. The fever had awaken a beast inside a few of the members of the tribe and made it show itself. The ones that the fever didn’t kill were left able to shift at will. Their long slender bodies, lean muscle and razor sharp teeth was a sight to see. The Amazon had a new animal in the wild thanks to this fever the white man had introduced.
Now, years later, they were back to their own devices and discovering a few of the legends that were passed down from the ancient ones were true. The Panara people manage to stay out of sight of anyone brave enough to pass through their lands but as of late a new threat has had them on edge. A few of their warriors had disappeared. They were in no way at the bottom of the food chain in the area so what could it be? What can harm a shifter? A jaguar at that, most weighing on an average of 200 pounds when phased.
Now, years later, they were back to their own devices and discovering a few of the legends that were passed down from the ancient ones were true. The Panara people manage to stay out of sight of anyone brave enough to pass through their lands but as of late a new threat has had them on edge. A few of their warriors had disappeared. They were in no way at the bottom of the food chain in the area so what could it be? What can harm a shifter? A jaguar at that, most weighing on an average of 200 pounds when phased.
Chief Aedus being the over protective one could only fear that they were lost to hunters. There would be times that they would strayed too far from the protection of their lands. This being said he put a lock down of sorts on the warriors going passed the river to the east and the Véu de Noiva waterfall in Chapada dos Guimarães.
This did not please his daughter Camilla. She, a shifter since birth is one that likes to go far from the privacy of the dense forest that she has always called home. Though this is unbeknownst to her father. As the heir to the tribe it would only add to the risk of someone trying to get to him by way of her. The only one that knows of her true identity is her best friend and the Chief’s lead tracker, Selton Campos.
This did not please his daughter Camilla. She, a shifter since birth is one that likes to go far from the privacy of the dense forest that she has always called home. Though this is unbeknownst to her father. As the heir to the tribe it would only add to the risk of someone trying to get to him by way of her. The only one that knows of her true identity is her best friend and the Chief’s lead tracker, Selton Campos.
One day while on a trip to gather water they both discover the remains of a body, half shifted. It was one of their warriors. This attack was closer to where their village was. This is when they found out what had been killing their people. It was a vampire. He was catching them mid shift, that was the only way he was able to overpower them but once he had their necks broken, he didn’t stop there. He was feeding off of their blood. Camilla ran to let her father and her people know what was happening, leaving Selton to fight off the vampire. Camilla never made it back to her father. Selton made it back to the village, wounded and dragging the vampires headless body back with him. They had never seen one this close before, stories, drawing but this meant those legends were true too.
But where was Camilla? Who had the heir to the tribe, the last of the blood line?
Weeks passed without a sign of where Camilla had gone off to. The warriors searched every cave, every tree top and there was nothing. That was until there was an odd scent picked up on a trail. It was not a scent they had come across before in this area. It wasn’t human.. but it did not have the wretched stench of the night walker they had seen when Selton dragged it back to the village. This caused them great concern. Was there something else out in the brush that they would need to fear?
Before their eyes a small child like creature popped out from behind the brush. She was so angelic in her features but her eyes resembled that of the vampire Selton had brought to the village.
The group of warriors stepped back from her as she stepped back from them. They were something she had never seen before, they were not like her. When Adonte phased, his growl was loud enough that it echoed in the canopy of the trees. The small girl screamed and started to cry. Not only was she lost, now thanks to the new creatures she was scared. The girl took off running, the warriors looked a little confused but one, Adonte set out after the girl. What he did when he caught up to her was odd even for him, he was -not- one to show affection of any kind to anyone but he laid on the ground, completely submissive to the girl, showing her he meant her no harm.
He stayed there for what seemed like hours before she uncurled herself from the corner of the small cave they were in. His gentle purrs seemed to soothe her. Once the girl moved to his side, he nudged her and let her run her hand through his coat. This was the start of a beautiful kinship. He took the girl back to the others and they simply accepted her as one of their own. It was just something about the fact that Adonte had accepted her so they had.
But where was Camilla? Who had the heir to the tribe, the last of the blood line?
Weeks passed without a sign of where Camilla had gone off to. The warriors searched every cave, every tree top and there was nothing. That was until there was an odd scent picked up on a trail. It was not a scent they had come across before in this area. It wasn’t human.. but it did not have the wretched stench of the night walker they had seen when Selton dragged it back to the village. This caused them great concern. Was there something else out in the brush that they would need to fear?
Before their eyes a small child like creature popped out from behind the brush. She was so angelic in her features but her eyes resembled that of the vampire Selton had brought to the village.
The group of warriors stepped back from her as she stepped back from them. They were something she had never seen before, they were not like her. When Adonte phased, his growl was loud enough that it echoed in the canopy of the trees. The small girl screamed and started to cry. Not only was she lost, now thanks to the new creatures she was scared. The girl took off running, the warriors looked a little confused but one, Adonte set out after the girl. What he did when he caught up to her was odd even for him, he was -not- one to show affection of any kind to anyone but he laid on the ground, completely submissive to the girl, showing her he meant her no harm.
He stayed there for what seemed like hours before she uncurled herself from the corner of the small cave they were in. His gentle purrs seemed to soothe her. Once the girl moved to his side, he nudged her and let her run her hand through his coat. This was the start of a beautiful kinship. He took the girl back to the others and they simply accepted her as one of their own. It was just something about the fact that Adonte had accepted her so they had.
For the next few weeks Adonte stayed in his Jaguar form, never leaving the girls side. She had no name, since she was left alone from the time she was born, she was a nobody. This was not acceptable by the Chief or his wife so while she was with them they gave her a named her, Andresa. Which means strong, courageous. She seemed to be dealing with everything thus far well. After she talked the chief he slowly started to piece together what he thought was happening.
Now more than ever he needed to find his daughter. The chief and the warriors set out on a trek again in the depth of the Mato Grosso to look for any signs of his daughter. If what the girl told him about what her first memories were and that she was growing really quick, they had no time to waste.
Now more than ever he needed to find his daughter. The chief and the warriors set out on a trek again in the depth of the Mato Grosso to look for any signs of his daughter. If what the girl told him about what her first memories were and that she was growing really quick, they had no time to waste.