Ixchekallkeochyá
An ixchekallkeochyá [Etymology: Neptultchi ixche 'likeness of a god' + kallke 'bear, carry' + ochyá 'magical vessel'] IPA /Iɬʧɛkaɬkɛɔʧˈja/ describes one of several artifacts, a kind of sacred box or ark, that very rarely survives from the ancient Neptultchi Civilization. A sacred box about three to four meters high and two meters wide, elaborately ornamented, born on table carried by eight Fishfolk slaves, the ark holds the sacred image of a god. The size was a matter of the importance of the god, varying from 1 meter high by 30 cm deep and wide to as much as four meters high and 1.5 meters deep and wide. The Neptultchi made great god arks to Naptúlt, Nehuqatl, Metseltonchankra, Tsokuchá, and Ptitlli, among others. Inside the box was an image of the god. Doors on the ark could be opened to display the statue for worshipers. The god ark functioned in this way as a moveable shrine to the god and the god arks were not rested permanently until the Neptultchi established the royal city of Tlaqiqe near Lake Kasgo.
The Fishfolk (ixukchi) were used to carry the ixchekallkeochyá and the image within due to its massive weight. Eight Fishfolk were required for the greatest god arks.
Stone relief shows that ixchekallkeochyá were constructed apparently of wood and richly ornamented with dyed reliefs. It is thought the base material was wood and precious enrichments of warlock silver, gold, and stones such as onyx, obsidian, hematite, jade, lapis lazuli, and carnelians were set into the surface. There are no known surviving great ixchekallkeochyá from antiquity. Moigthe legend recounts that the last known such box was destroyed in the late first millennium before Salmakhamer. If any such box were discovered and its origin fully substantiated, its worth would be a great sum of money indeed to a wealthy arcane collector or an archguild school museum with deep pockets.
Some scholars believe that the Fishfolk would have kept any ixchekallkeochyá made to their own god, Hersp, but there is no evidence to substantiate this. Other scholars detract from this, noting that Hersp was a derogatory version of the Fishfolk god-ancestor and that the associated ixchekallkeochyá would have been considered offensive, thus the fishman would have destroyed it once they were no longer enslaved to their Neptultchi masters.
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