From the travelling collection of
The Mystical Caravan
The Reliquary · Cabinet Catalogue
Danger level
Item R–9434–040The Idol of Mitla
A squat gray idol from the resting grounds of Mitla whose hollow eyes enforce an ancient rule of exchange.
- Classification
- Funerary debt idol
- Origin
- Mitla, Oaxaca
- Estimated date
- Ancient; exact date unknown
- Collection status
- On display
- Materials
- Gray stone
- Condition
- Intact; surface worn smooth
The Curator’s record
The Curator acquired the idol under undisclosed circumstances. It may be viewed but never touched or removed from its resting place.
Provenance
Percival Haines stole the idol from Mitla after ignoring a guide's warning. His valuables turned to stone one by one, and attempts to sell, bury, or discard the idol failed. He became a kneeling stone figure while trying to return it.
Observed activity
Objects valued by a thief progressively become stone. The idol returns after disposal and may ultimately petrify the person indebted to it.
The Tale of this object
The Idol of Mitla
Season 2 · Episode 02In tonight’s story, we journey to the scorched deserts of Oaxaca, where fortune hunters dig for gold, glory, and occasionally, their own epitaphs. Meet Percival Haines, a man whose greed outweighs his good sense. When he pockets a relic from the resting grounds of Mitla, the “place of the dead”, he learns that even ancient gods still honor the rules of fair exchange. And in Mitla, every debt must be paid.
Enter the Tale