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A Jasper Industries Production, in association with Cerulean VX

Brought to you by National Syndicated Broadcasting, the World Ecology Foundation, the United Forest Initiative, and Viewers Like You

Executive Producers: Leah Hannan, Hae-Soong Park, and Montel Davies

Narrated by: Amadi K. Nwadike

Lush jungle foliage glides smoothly under the camera, the canopy of trees forming a thick carpet of green under the blue sky. Mountains rise in the distance and birds fly by, calling to each other. A massive river cuts through the jungle below, a wide swath of glittering emerald in the sunlight.

Amadi:

This is Nithala, the home of the secretive Leteuya tribe.

The camera pans to capture shots of enormous trees, tropical flowers, bioluminescent fungus, and frogs sitting on rocks.

Amadi:

Under their care, this jungle has not only survived in the modern era, but thrived. The Leteuya have helped it grow into a haven for a time long forgotten.

Giant waterfalls tumble down rocky cliffs and into vibrant pools surrounded by trees below. Wild elephants, deer, and giraffes drink from the water alongside each other.

Amadi:

Nithala's ecosystem is one of the most biologically diverse and mysterious in the known world. We know more about the moon than we do our own oceans, and we know more about our seas than Nithala's flora and fauna.

A tall, muscular jaguar wearing a loincloth, ceremonial necklaces and bracelets, green paint on his back, legs, and tail, and a quiver of arrows with a knife strapped to his hip, stalks through the jungle, away from the camera. A long bow is slung over his shoulder, and he takes each step with visible care and grace.

Amadi:

Traditionally, the Leteuya tribe would be considered "uncontacted", and while they choose to live and preserve a culture from ages past, they have long-standing relationships with the advanced nations on their borders. It is through their intermediaries that our team could access the tribe and reach an agreement to film this documentary series.

A young jaguar, wrapped in only a white waist-cloth, looks at the camera, narrows his eyes, and then looks to his mother. The shot then transitions to a panda wearing hiking pants, boots, a loose technical shirt, and a bulky vest full of equipment--he carries a camera of his own and waves at the camera filming him. The shot transitions again to show three circles of jaguars dancing around a fire, then a jaguar shooting an arrow, two others swimming in the river, and the stars rising in the sky.

Amadi:

Using the latest technology and a dedicated team of researchers and cinematographers, we're bringing you a close-up view of this hidden world in a multi-part series. Come with us as we explore Nithala and what it means to be a part of the Leteuya tribe.

Hidden World: The Leteuya

Rituals

Birds call in the distance and the sun rises over the trees, painting the mountains in the distance a dusky pink and purple.

Amadi:

We begin with a young man: M'taro.

A jaguar in his teens enters a large encampment, dragging two slaughtered boars on a sledge he pulls behind him. Cheering and clapping erupts from the other members of the tribe as M'taro, the triumphant hunter painted with black symbols on his face, neck, waist, knees, elbows, wrists, and ankles, beats his chest, and yells to the canopy of trees above.

Amadi:

He has just turned 18 and has returned from his first solo hunt. Armed with only his claws, a knife, and the knowledge and skills he learned from his father, M'taro had to journey alone for two days in the jungle. His path is the same one his father took, as did his grandfather and countless generations before him.

M'taro's father and mother join him in celebrating, clapping him on his shoulders, cupping his face in their hands, and hugging him. His younger siblings jump and dance around them.

Amadi:

Every family of the tribe has a jungle path that they walk--some overlap with each other in the thick undergrowth, but individual families of the tribe continue to carve their paths in nature and walk them for births, for deaths, for sicknesses, for ceremonial hunts, and, in M'taro's case, the rite of passage into manhood. If he could find and capture prey while walking his ancestral path, he is meant to become a full member of his tribe.

The tribe's chieftain, K'mambe, and shaman, N'golo, approach M'taro and his family. K'mambe holds his ceremonial staff and N'golo carries a brush and wooden bowl of green paste. They smile as they watch the celebration before them.

Amadi:

Failure means a short period of exile before coming back to the tribe and waiting another two years before participating in a much smaller ceremony to confer manhood. Because M'taro succeeded, he can complete his rites and gain equal status with the other adults of his tribe at the age of 18 instead of 20. He can marry anyone of his choosing and consult with the chieftain on tribal matters.

K'mambe waves his staff and calls out in a booming voice, silencing the tribe. As he speaks, he motions to the boars on M'taro's sledge, the jaguar's parents, and finally to M'taro.

Amadi:

After the chieftain proclaims M'Taro ready to undergo the rite, the shaman adorns him with a paste made from a blend of herbs and plants that the Leteuya hold most sacred.

N'golo steps forward and uses his brush to paint stripes, dots, and other symbols with the green paste on M'taro's body. He traces outlines around the black patterns already painted on the younger jaguar's fur.

Amadi:

Each plant in the paste holds special meaning for the tribe--some of them are used to heal injuries, others to banish evil spirits, and some to bring good fortune to a family's dwelling. The particular blend that the shaman uses on M'taro combines the plants in a way that forms a numbing agent. Some of the men in the tribe describe it as feeling joy through their skin in a soft, tingling sensation.

N'golo finishes painting the patterns on M'taro's upper body and legs, then motions for his parents to untie his loincloth. M'taro's father and mother work the knots in their fingers before pulling the cloth away, revealing M'taro's semi-erect penis; a tight black band has been tied around the base, keeping the organ mildly inflated with blood without losing circulation. N'golo then uses his brush to coat M'taro's genitals in the green paste, too.

Amadi:

The numbing effects of the paste will be important, as the rite of manhood culminates in a subincision, a ritualistic cutting of the genitalia. While the Leteuya don't have modern anaesthetics or painkillers, they have created a version of their own that prevents new men from suffering too much as they complete the ritual.

N'golo completes his painting and raises his brush high in the air as he makes a proclamation. The rest of the tribe cheers and stamps their feet. Drums begin to beat in the background, and a cluster of the tribe's women begin singing and chanting--the music grows louder as more of the tribe joins in.

Amadi:

The most important part of the ritual is about to begin. Only M'taro, his father, and the chieftain will be allowed in the shaman's tent to complete the ceremony.

N'golo leads the way through the crowd, with K'mambe following him, then M'taro, and the young jaguar's father bringing up the rear. They walk in a circle around the perimeter of the crowd, with the tribe singing and clapping in time with the drums--after they finish a circuit, N'golo leads the procession into his tent, but the camera stays outside and keeps the view on the tanned hide walls.

Amadi:

While we aren't allowed in the tent to witness the ceremony, we can still observe from out here thanks to our advanced Cy-Optic cameras--using a safe, low level of radiation and photonic stabilizers, our cameras can penetrate cloth, flesh, bone, metal, and solid rock, to a degree.

The camera view goes slightly out of focus, then refocuses to a clear picture. Where there was once the outside of N'golo's tent, there's now a clear film that shows the barest hints of shadow overlay. Inside the tent, dozens of candles light the space and incense burns. K'mambe settles on a low stool in a corner while M'taro reclines on a mat on the ground in the center of the tent--his father kneels to his left, and N'golo stands over them while he holds a thin knife and recites a prayer.

Amadi:

Before he begins, the shaman invokes the spirits of the jungle to help keep M'taro strong, healthy, and safe as he undertakes his new responsibilities as a man of his tribe.

N'golo finishes his prayer and crouches to M'taro's groin, where he firmly grasps the younger jaguar's penis in one hand and presses the knife against it with his other, the tip of the blade resting against the bottom of M'taro's urethral opening.

Amadi:

A subincision is a ritualistic cutting of the penis, starting from the urethra and going along the underside of the shaft to form a slit that reaches toward the base, and it is the mark of manhood in the Leteuya--every adult male, including the chieftain, has one.

N'golo hums loudly and M'taro takes a deep breath as his father squeezes his shoulder. Then the shaman presses down with his knife and slices through the flesh, exposing the most intimate part of M'taro's genitalia to the open air. N'golo continues humming and cutting until he reaches a stopping point, then he removes the knife, revealing that the jaguar's urethra now stretches open halfway down his semi-erect shaft. M'taro smiles ecstatically up at his father, who releases his grip on his son's shoulder and pats it approvingly.

Amadi:

The Leteuya believe that a longer subincision means that a man is destined for great things in his life, and only the shaman can decide who is worthy of a longer cut. It's possible that he predicts M'taro could become chieftain one day, or maybe a heroic figure who might be immortalized in stories and songs.

N'golo takes a large, thick leaf from a nearby table, bites it, and squeezes the leaf to produce a pale green jelly-like substance that he dollops onto M'taro's new subincision.

Amadi:

The shaman then uses the gel naturally produced by the biloba plant--a plant that only grows in Nithala--as an antiseptic to keep M'taro's subincision clean while it heals, and a coagulant that helps promote blood clotting. He uses the rest of the leaf to bandage the cut and releases the band that was tied around M'taro to let blood flow normally again.

N'golo performs these actions before he helps M'taro to his feet. The shaman then picks up the bowl of green paste again. He dips a finger into the paste and solemnly presses it to M'taro's forehead, just above his nose, to leave an oblong, green spot. N'golo then holds the bowl out for M'taro's father, who reverently dips a finger in and presses it to his son's forehead above his left eye, leaving another green spot. The chieftain takes his turn--he smiles as he presses his spot above M'taro's right eye.

Amadi:

The shaman, his father, and the chieftain all mark him in a way to remind him to use his mind, remember the past, and look ahead to the future, and then...

The camera shifts slightly out of focus, then refocuses, so the hide of the tent obscures the three of them from view before the shaman raises the flap and allows M'taro to walk out and face his people.

Amadi:

A new man joins the tribe.

M'taro raises his arms and yells to the trees above once more. As the tribe celebrates, the view transitions to the jungle, with rain starting to fall, then the sun coming out, then more rain. Frogs croak in the water, flowers open and close in a time-lapse, trees grow taller and taller, the river bulges more and more, and the sun begins to creep out from behind the clouds once more. A blaze of sunshine glares down on the greenery, with shafts of light streaming between the branches.

Amadi:

The monsoon season has come and gone, and with it the passage of time. M'taro has embraced his duties as a man in his tribe--he helps gather and store food, forages for medicinal plants for the shaman, and works with his parents to tend to the forest.

A panning shot shows clusters of jaguars working the jungle floor to move debris and encourage plant growth.

Amadi:

An additional responsibility that M'taro takes on is to help the Lanadi.

M'taro, now wearing a more ornate loincloth and different patterns of green paint on his fur, enters a smaller encampment. He carries a bundle of wood in his arms and a pouch is slung across his back. As he enters the encampment, its inhabitants--capybaras--greet him and direct him to a clearing. Other jaguars come bearing sacks of fruit and jugs of water.

Amadi:

The Lanadi is an auxiliary tribe to the Leteuya, acting as a separate caste that works with the Leteuya; they benefit from their protection and aid, and the Lanadi provide their own services in return.

One of the capybaras works with M'taro to lay out the wood for a bonfire.

Amadi:

At the end of each monsoon season, the Leteuya must prepare for another year of life in the jungle where resources are precious; they need their limited agriculture as a viable source of food and medicine; they need a stable water supply from the river and the wild game to be plentiful; and overall they need their ecosystem to stay healthy and fertile. While the Leteuya can engineer their own solutions to an extent, they also supplement their efforts with offerings to the jungle spirits by engaging in ritual sacrifice.

M'taro is joined by three other capybaras and two more jaguars; the bonfire that they begin constructing is enormous and begins taking on a spiral pattern.

Amadi:

The Lanadi, however, are the ones who are sacrificed. They are born and live solely for this purpose based on an arrangement that goes back generations. The Lanadi tribe is about a third the size of the Leteuya, and their existence is one of peace, tranquility, and preparation for sacrifice--three Lanadi are sacrificed each year after the monsoons end, and the Lanadi elders say that every sacrifice goes willingly and happily forward. In exchange for their sacrifices and additional contributions to the Leteuya, the tribe receives significant assistance from the Leteuya in the form of food, shelter, guidance, medicine, and friendship. The Lanadi practice population control so they don't overwhelm the Leteuya for resources, and both tribes ultimately live in a harmonious balance.

M'taro, the capybaras, and the other jaguars finish building the bonfire in a timelapse. As they work, the sun traverses the sky and other preparations are made in the background: torches are planted in the ground, drums are rolled into place, and flowers are scattered all over the encampment. At the end of the timelapse, M'taro removes the pouch from his back and hands it to N'golo, who reaches in and takes a fistful of powdered incense from it. He chants as he walks around the bonfire and tosses handful after handful of incense over the wood.

Amadi:

The shaman blesses the bonfire with an incense that, when burned, induces euphoria and an altered state of mind, similar to cannabis--while the Leteuya are naturally resistant to the effects of the incense, the Lanadi use it to meditate. The bonfire will be used to mark the beginning of the ritual sacrifices, which will last for three days.

Night falls and a slow, steady drum beat begins. The torches around the encampment are lit, and out of the darkness emerge lines of capybaras and jaguars. They walk alongside each other and mix and mingle before they form three concentric circles around the bonfire, alternating capybara and jaguar in seating positions. K'mambe and N'golo stand within the middle circle, and each of them holds a lit torch. They chant in time with the drums, and everyone in the circles nods and arches their backs, raises their hands, and settles again.

Amadi:

Tonight, the Lanadi sit alongside the Leteuya--the only participants in this ceremony are the adult Leteuya and any Lanadi who is of age to be sacrificed, between 20 and 40.

K'mambe and N'golo raise their voices and their torches to the sky.

Amadi:

The chieftain and the shaman ask for protection from the spirits they are preparing to sacrifice to, and pray for the spirits to have long lives and enduring health. After their prayers, the ceremony is ready to begin.

K'mambe and N'golo stand on opposite sides of the bonfire and lower their torches to it. The camera angle shifts to a bird's eye view of the bonfire, and as the lights grow from the jaguars' torches, two interlocking spirals of green flame begin to rise into the night.

Amadi:

In addition to its psychoactive effects, the incense that the shaman scattered over the bonfire earlier turns the flames green to reflect the greenery of the jungle and make the spirits feel more at ease with the Leteuya and Lanadi.

For a moment, all is silent in the jungle; the drums stop, there is no more singing, and the only sound left is the chirping of crickets, the croaking of frogs, the rustle of wind in the branches, and the crackling of the fire. Then a humming begins, and the Lanadi in all three circles raise their heads to the sky as the Leteuya bow their heads towards their chests.

Amadi:

The incense has begun to take effect, and the Lanadi begin a group meditation ceremony. This meditation can last for hours, when the Lanadi make a conscious effort to connect themselves to the world around them, to mentally explore the jungle and all its mysteries, creatures, and plant life. It is the responsibility of the Leteuya to sit with them and guide them back from their journey. During this time, the chieftain and shaman will select candidates for sacrifice.

As the Lanadi meditate and the Leteuya sit, K'mambe and N'golo prowl around each of the three circles, marking their chosen candidates with stripes of white paint on their faces. From each of the three circles, they mark six.

Amadi:

After the initial group of 18 candidates is chosen, the chieftain and shaman have to narrow their choice down to three sacrifices, one from each ring around the bonfire. They do this through a silent voting process, where they take it in turns to paint a candidate with another white stripe. At the end of the vote, the Lanadi with the most stripes on their face is the chosen sacrifice.

K'mambe and N'golo stalk past their candidates in the first circle closest to the bonfire, marking their votes with white paint in shorter and shorter time intervals, until they stand together before a male capybara who can't be older than 25.

Amadi:

They have found the first sacrifice for this season.

N'golo paints a circle of white around the capybara's shoulders. Then he and K'mambe proceed to the second ring of Leteuya and Lanadi, where they repeat the process until they select another male capybara who sits next to M'taro, his eyes closed and his painted face raised to the sky as he hums with his brothers and sisters.

Amadi:

The second sacrifice is chosen.

M'taro watches on as N'golo paints a square around the selected capybara's shoulders. Then the shaman and the chieftain continue to the outermost ring; the capybara they choose here has a triangle painted around his shoulders.

Amadi:

And that marks the third sacrifice. With the tributes selected, the ceremony can start coming to a close with the preparation of the first sacrifice. To mark this, the shaman throws another kind of incense into the fire to counteract the psychoactive effects of the first incense.

N'golo walks around the fire, tossing fistfuls of powder into the flames, which turn from green to blue and bathe the Leteuya and Lanadi sitting on the ground in cool light. The Leteuya slowly put their hands on the shoulders of their Lanadi neighbors and gently shake them out of their meditations as the drum beats begin again, and N'golo calls out into the night.

Amadi:

The shaman speaks about the honor and responsibility of being chosen as a sacrifice--every Lanadi grows up hoping that they will be selected, and the shaman tells them that becoming one with the spirits and one with the jungle is the greatest service they can provide.

When N'golo finishes speaking, the three marked Lanadi get up and walk to stand next to him in front of the blue bonfire. They hug each other and N'golo before they each remove their loincloths and throw them into the flames. Now with all three completely naked, the capybaras marked with the square and triangle are led away, leaving the first sacrifice with the circle painted around his shoulders behind.

Amadi:

Two of the chosen tributes will be kept in seclusion until it is time for their sacrifices--this is the last time they will see their tribe before they are offered to the spirits. In the meantime, it's now time to prepare the first Lanadi for sacrifice.

N'golo takes up a torch in one hand and takes the hand of the capybara in his other--together, they lead a procession away from the bonfire, down a path lined with more torches planted in the ground, and to another clearing in the jungle. The procession gathers in a cluster to see that, next to an enormous tree, a pit has been dug into the ground, and lit torches show that something inside the pit writhes with a subtle, slimy movement. Coils of rope also sit next to the pit.

Amadi:

The first sacrifice is intended to appease the spirits that rule the wild animals in the jungle; they are responsible for providing fresh meat and warding off attacks. To prepare for this sacrifice, the Lanadi is lowered into a pit full of slugs.

Four Leteuya, including M'taro, step forward with the chosen capybara in tow, and they walk to the side of the pit. The capybara stands still as the four jaguars loosely tie the rope around his ankles, midsection, and wrists. He then lies down on the ground while the jaguars move into position, with M'taro taking his feet. In a coordinated effort, the Leteuya lift the Lanadi with the rope and maneuver him to hang over the pit, then they lower him. From above, the camera shows the capybara descending further and further until he rests on the bed of large, slimy, green slugs with yellow stripes along their backs--their mucus immediately begins coating his fur, and he unties the rope around his limbs and torso so the jaguars can pull it back up. As they do so, the capybara spreads his arms and legs, allowing the slugs to slither and squirm under, over, and around every square inch of himself, and he begins slowly sinking into the mass of molluscs.

Amadi:

The slugs used for this ceremony are a species the Leteuya call gomis'kya, which means "great friend" in their language. Also known as "wave slugs" for the distinctive wave-like patterns on their bodies, Limax gigantes is native to Nithala and a relatively docile species--they are continually active throughout the day and night, resting for only two reasons: When they need to conserve energy or when they find a warm, confined space to settle into. And we can see that it is for the second reason that the Leteuya call them a "great friend."

The camera shifts slightly out of focus as the Cy-Optic lens activates, then back into focus to show two slugs slithering against each other as they press against the capybara's anus, stretching it open and squirming into his rectum; the capybara shifts amid the rest of the slugs, and his erection begins emerging from his sheath.

Amadi:

Wave slugs like to feel pressure against their bodies, and they naturally gravitate towards body heat. They typically live in colonies like this to create these conditions for themselves, but when they encounter other species, they seek out ways to effectively "cuddle" with them--it's a common practice among the Leteuya and Lanadi to keep some as pets for comfort. The mucus they secrete is a natural muscle relaxant that works on most other species, and the slugs will seek out the most confined spaces possible when snuggling with another creature, whether that's in the crook of an arm, under a back or stomach, or very often inside the rectum of its host.

The first two slugs finish sliding into the capybara and are followed by another, then another--more slugs surge forward, trying to squeeze into the warmth inside the Lanadi in the pit, and they squirm further into his guts and press tightly against each other. Other slugs crowd around the capybara's mouth, and he opens his jaw to admit them.

Amadi:

In some cases, the slugs will also enter the mouth of their host, force themselves down their throat, and lodge themselves in their stomach.

The first slug that enters the capybara's mouth does this, flattening his tongue as it passes into his esophagus and moves down his throat with peristaltic motion before it settles in his stomach. More slugs follow, forming sizable lumps in the capybara's throat and piling into his belly, and the capybara groans from the sensation.

Amadi:

In addition to its muscle relaxant properties, wave slug mucus creates a natural barrier against stomach acids, making it impossible to digest them. Most predators have learned to avoid wave slugs because of this, but there are some who learn this the hard way and end up swallowing a slug whole; instead of a meal, the slug passes through them completely unharmed.

The slugs in the capybara's rectum, intestines, stomach, and throat begin wriggling and wiggling against each other, as if nestling further into the folds of flesh surrounding them, and streaks of translucent white fluids begin to fade into sight.

Amadi:

When wave slugs are in conditions like this, they'll often enter their spawning cycles, where they release eggs and sperm to be fertilized. Unlike most species of slugs that individually couple with each other to manually exchange packets of sperm and lay eggs in single clutches, wave slugs behave more like fish by releasing clouds of genetic material all over each other. This is a more effective reproduction method for them because they are already practically on top of each other in their colonies. Once fertilized, the eggs are durable enough to survive the constant motion of the colony, and a single colony of slugs can turn into a whole swarm in a matter of months.

The camera lingers on the capybara hosting the infestation of reproducing slugs; he squirms in pleasure against the rest of the slimy mass that supports and embraces him, and his stomach has begun to bulge with all the slugs inside him.

Amadi:

The reason for this preparation is that the sacrifice will contain all of the eggs and slugs, making it a much more substantial offering for the jungle spirits--similar to a snack with extra filling.

The camera shifts out of focus before refocusing again, and the slugs inside the capybara are hidden from sight. The view then pans up to M'taro and the three other Leteuya who each have taken positions by the corners of the pit. N'golo passes before the four jaguars, adorning each one with a circle of white paint in the center of his chest.

Amadi:

While the slugs invade their host throughout the night, M'taro and his three companions will stand guard until morning, preventing any wild animals or unwelcome spirits from disturbing the preparations for the sacrifice. The shaman blesses them for their task and prays for their protection.

N'golo begins leading the rest of the Leteuya and Lanadi away from the clearing, leaving M'taro and his fellow tribesmen alone in the dim light cast by the torches. The camera view shifts to the full moon rising with clouds passing in front of it in a timelapse. The stars twinkle and move as the world turns, and subtle hints of pink and orange begin to creep into the sky. The sun breaks past the horizon and flushes the jungle with pastel light. The four Leteuya stand at attention at their posts in the clearing; drops of dew cling to their fur and whiskers, but the jaguars haven't moved since last night.

Amadi:

Morning breaks, and it brings the day of the first ritual sacrifice.

K'mambe and N'golo lead a procession through the jungle to arrive at the clearing; it's the same group as last night, comprising the Leteuya adults and Lanadi who are of age to be sacrificed.

Amadi:

While the shaman worked on the preparations last night, it is the chieftain's role to conduct the ceremonies for sacrifice during the day. First, the Lanadi is pulled out of the pit.

M'taro and his three companions drop the ends of their ropes into the pit where the capybara still lays practically submerged in slugs. He groans as he moves and his belly bulges and shifts with the slugs that are still in his rectum, intestines, and stomach. Languidly, the capybara ties the ropes around his ankles and torso, then wraps the ropes by his hands around his wrists as best as he can. He holds on tight as the four jaguars strain to pull him out of the pit of slugs, and he soon lifts free, with a few slugs still sticking to his wet and matted fur, and it's clear to see just how erect he is from the stimulation and how distended his belly has become. M'taro and his tribesmen move the capybara to solid ground and untie his ropes, letting him lie still on the jungle floor.

Amadi:

Once back on terra firma, the Lanadi must wait for the chieftain to determine if he is ready to offer.

K'mambe kneels down by the capybara and plucks the remaining slugs off of him before tossing them back into the pit. The chieftain then rubs the capybara's stomach, pressing against the bulge and massaging it, before his fingers drift down to his anus, still slick with mucus. K'mambe prods the puckered hole experimentally, then sinks his fist into it with no effort. The Lanadi groans and his erection twitches, but K'mambe pays it no mind.

The camera shifts into Cy-Optic mode and shows K'mambe's hand sliding against and between a whole brood of slugs crammed into the capybara's rectum; they're spotted with clutches of eggs and streaks of remaining fluids that mix with their mucus. He reaches in further until he's halfway to his elbow, then twists his arm around and clenches his fingers around one of the slugs, also snagging a small clutch of eggs stuck to the mollusc. The chieftain pulls back, dragging the slug and eggs out; the Cy-Optic lens powers off while the capybara's anus stretches for a moment and mucus connects it with the slug in K'mambe's hand before it closes again.

K'mambe brings the slug up to his nose and sniffs, then opens his mouth. The slug, with the clutch of eggs still stuck to its side, crawls forward and slips into K'mambe's mouth before pushing towards his esophagus; it makes a visible bulge in his throat before it disappears into his stomach.

Amadi:

If the chieftain decides that the sacrificial Lanadi isn't ready, he'll have to go back into the pit for another day. But...

K'mambe pats his stomach and nods down at the capybara, who smiles.

Amadi:

It appears he approves of this offering.

K'mambe stands and motions to M'taro and one of his companions--they help the Lanadi to his feet and slowly follow the chieftain further through the clearing and down to another path that leads through the jungle.

Amadi:

This sacrifice must take place in the river--the Leteuya value water as the source of all life, as it sustains the jungle and quenches their thirst. When they die, the Leteuya are set adrift in the river to rejoin the water from which they came.

K'mambe and the rest of the tribe arrive at the riverbank. When they come to a stop, the jaguar raises his arms and shouts to the water, then slowly waves his staff back and forth over the river.

Amadi:

The chieftain proclaims to the spirits that rule over the wildlife of the jungle that their sacrifice is ready and willing, that they have worked hard to stay in balance with nature, and asks for another year of prosperity. And then...

K'mambe takes the capybara's hand and in his and they walk down the bank to the water. When they are knee-deep in the river, K'mambe uses his staff to strike the water four times and sings, his voice trilling.

Amadi:

He asks that the emissary of the spirits come to take their sacrifice.

When K'mambe finishes singing, he kisses the capybara on the forehead and lets go of his hand. The Lanadi wades further into the river until the water is up to his chest; he then stops and turns on the spot to look back at the capybaras and jaguars watching him.

Without warning, something quickly pulls the Lanadi below the surface, and he's gone.

Amadi:

At first, it happens in an instant. But the emissary of the spirits intends to give the Leteuya and Lanadi a show.

The water ripples with the wake of an enormous creature, and from the river emerges the enormous and vaguely crocodilian head of a river leviathan, with the Lanadi clutched in its jaws.

Amadi:

The creature we see here defies classification; our research team is stumped by its morphology, which seems to combine attributes from across the animal kingdom, and theorize that it is a living fossil of some kind. But study has been impossible, as the creature remains highly elusive. What we do know is that the Leteuya revere it and see it as one of the spirits' emissaries.

The leviathan looms before the jaguars and capybaras and waits for a moment as it holds the sacrificial Lanadi in its teeth. The camera shifts into Cy-Optic mode and shows the capybara still whole in the beast's mouth; the leviathan's tongue rubs over the distended stomach and erect penis before it wraps around the capybara's midriff and pulls him fully into his mouth.

The Lanadi is pressed against the roof of the leviathan's mouth, then slathered in drool; the leviathan knocks its head back, working the capybara to the back of its throat, and at last it swallows the sacrifice head-first--the camera tracks the Lanadi as it slides down the leviathan's throat, barely making a bulge in the esophagus and squeezing through rings of thick muscle. The camera zooms in to see the capybara making a face of pure pleasure and he thrusts his hips and erection against the folds of flesh in the leviathan's throat as he descends--it doesn't take long for semen to ooze out in a thick stream, and the capybara rides out his orgasm just before he lands in the leviathan's stomach.

The best rumbles in its throat, vibrating the water beneath it, before backing away from the river bank and submerging again, and it disappears from view.

Amadi:

The first sacrifice is complete and the emissary is satisfied. As the Leteuya and remaining Lanadi return to their encampments, they begin preparing the second sacrifice.

A time lapse montage shows the passage of another day; the sun rises high in the sky before setting, and darkens the jungle again before sunlight blazes through the trees once more. The camera pans down to show K'mambe leading another procession of Leteuya and Lanadi; they walk a path in the jungle that overflows with dense foliage. Behind K'mambe, M'taro escorts the capybara with a square painted around his shoulders; the Lanadi is naked except for his body paint and a thick coating of a jelly-like substance.

Amadi:

The second sacrifice is intended to preserve the Leteuya's agriculture, so they make an offering to the spirits who rule all plants. For this ritual, the sacrificial Lanadi is covered in a paste made by the shaman to act as a fertilizer.

The procession continues walking.

Amadi:

To travel to the site of the ceremony, the tribe uses the chieftain's path; like the ancestral family paths, this is a route in the jungle that only the chieftain walks except for ceremonies such as this. When the current chieftain is about to die, he walks this path with his successor to the end. The path is passed from chieftain to chieftain, and walking it is a sacred experience. To preserve the natural integrity of the path, nobody is allowed to stray from it or cut back any vegetation.

The tribe walks by a creek that borders the path, then they turn away from the water and further into the jungle.

Amadi:

Eventually, the chieftain's path ends at their destination.

K'mambe leads the procession to another clearing where, under the thick canopy, there sits an enormous, bulbous plant the size of three tents. The gigantic, pale purple petals sway lightly in the breeze, and vines extend out from the sepal and lay on the ground; the camera shifts into Cy-Optic mode to show an enormous root system below the plant.

Amadi:

This plant lies at the end of the chieftain's path and at what the Leteuya believe to be the center of the jungle. The roots extend for miles and intertwine with the root systems of trees, fungi, flowers, and all other varieties of plants in the area. The chieftain has made it clear that up-close study of this plant is not permitted, only that it is called go'tal'ncha, which means "great wise one of the world," and it's where chieftains go to rest and sacrifices are made to the spirits. Based on that information, then this would be the largest carnivorous plant discovered so far. And the second sacrifice is to be fed to it today.

K'mambe waits for M'taro to bring the Lanadi to stand alongside him, and then lets the rest of the tribe form a cluster around the plant. When everyone is in place, the chieftain shouts to the plant and beats his chest before he holds his staff over the head of the sacrificial Lanadi.

Amadi:

In his proclamation today, the chieftain tells the spirits that before he gives himself over to go'tal'ncha when he is about to die, he has a sacrifice for the plant in the hope that it will sustain the jungle another year.

After K'mambe finishes speaking, he steps toward the plant and uses his staff to poke one of the vines. The petals shiver and rustle before they seem to wilt and come undone, laying flat on the ground to reveal a pool of nectar in the center. K'mambe then gestures for the sacrificial Lanadi to join him--the capybara walks up and the chieftain kisses him on the forehead before gesturing for him to continue walking into the center of the plant.

The capybara treads carefully across the fallen petals, but the plant doesn't stir. He then steps into the pool of nectar in the middle and waits.

It only takes a moment for tendrils to start snaking up from the pool, around the capybara's legs, and for one to push into his anus and another into his sheath. The capybara grunts but stays in place, and as his erection emerges from his sheath, the vine stimulating his penis starts pushing into his urethra, filling him.

The camera's Cy-Optic mode activates, and it's clear to see that the vine is pushing down to his bladder, and the vine in his rectum pushes further up into his colon. Both vines contort slightly, squeezing the capybara's prostate between them, and they continue stimulating the Lanadi; his eyes naturally close and more vines emerge from the pool of nectar. One of them wraps around his legs, then his torso, and forces his arms up into the air as it binds them together and supports him. Another vine with a bulbous ending on it circles around his throat before the head slips into his open mouth and swells, making it impossible to remove as it reaches down his airway to pump oxygen into his lungs.

Amadi:

Based on this behavior, the plant must find ways to distract its next meal and then keep it alive long enough to absorb as many nutrients as possible from it before digestion.

The petals on the ground ripple, and then the rim of the nectar pool starts to rise; the plant membrane starts to envelope the capybara, encasing him in a green, fibrous, form-fitting shell. The capybara opens his eyes to see his tribe one last time before the membrane covers his face, then extends up his arms, and the Lanadi is completely covered, swallowed by the plant. The petals on the ground ripple again before they lift and encircle the capybara, hiding him from view for the rest of the Lanadi and Leteuya, but the camera still sees him squirming before he starts sinking into the ground below the plant. The vines force the capybara into a fetal position, and he soon starts to disappear into darkness.

Amadi:

Presumably the "great wise one of the world" will continue to consume the Lanadi and then spread his nutrients to the rest of the jungle through its massive root system. This is the fate that awaits the chieftain when he is about to die; while the rest of his tribe will be cast into the river to rejoin the streams of life, he will continue serving his people and his land and become a part of the world, while his successor makes the journey back along the path to the rejoin the tribe as their leader.

The camera view shifts from K'mambe watching the plant shiver as it digests the Lanadi sacrifice to a montage of the Leteuya and Lanadi returning along the path and entering their encampments.

Amadi:

When they return, preparations begin for a feast.

The camera pans around the Leteuya encampment: Fires burn to cook meat and vegetables, women grind herbs and lay out fish to be smoked, and children scatter flowers while drums and flutes play.

Amadi:

While the tribe takes today to prepare food, sing, and dance with each other, the ritual sacrifices are not yet complete--there is still one more, but only two people out of the whole tribe will be present for it: the Lanadi sacrifice and the shaman. When the shaman returns from the ceremony alone, the party will begin.

The jungle is bathed in golden and red light as the sun starts to set, and night falls. The encampment is quiet as the camera moves from tent to tent--with Cy-Optic mode active, families are shown sleeping, talking, playing, telling stories, cuddling, until everyone is soon asleep.

Amadi:

All is well and quiet for the Leteuya tonight, except in one tent.

The camera pans to M'taro's family tent, where his father enters and shakes M'taro awake. The younger jaguar listens to his father whisper something, then the two of them exit the tent.

Amadi:

This is an unexpected event--as a newly-initiated man of the tribe, M'taro isn't needed until the sacrifice ceremony concludes tomorrow. Perhaps his father wants to speak to him outside about something?

The camera follows M'taro and his father away from the encampment; they stalk silently down the jungle path until they reach the Lanadi encampment, and they make for a tent on the edge of the clearing.

Amadi:

This is the tent where the sacrifices are held in seclusion. There is only one remaining in there now--could he be expressing doubts about being sacrificed?

M'taro and his father enter the tent, and the camera shifts out and into focus as Cy-Optic mode re-engages; the hide walls of the tent disappear, revealing the third Lanadi sitting on a low stool behind N'golo and K'mambe, who turn to face M'taro and his father when they step into the space. K'mambe places a hand on M'taro's father's shoulder and speaks to him.

Amadi: In the tribute's tent, the shaman and the chieftain meet with M'taro and his father. The chieftain expresses his regret for waking the two of them so late at night and for what is about to happen.

N'golo starts speaking, first gesturing to himself, then the Lanadi sitting down, then back to himself.

Amadi:

The shaman describes how he received a vision when he was sleeping, that one of the spirits told him in the vision that the Lanadi must not be sacrificed in the morning. The true lord of the jungle is coming to claim the sacrifice, and it has to be a member of their own tribe--a young, strong member of the Leteuya who is destined for greatness...by becoming a part of the jungle lord.

N'golo points at M'taro, who steps back in shock. M'taro's father looks at K'mambe, who nods, and the jaguar holds his head in his hands. K'mambe stands in front of M'taro and holds him by the shoulders, then hugs him. M'taro resists the hug at first, then relents and embraces the chieftain.

Amadi:

In an instant, M'taro understands and accepts what he must do, not only for the good of his tribe, but for the whole jungle: He must allow himself to be sacrificed in the morning.

K'mambe releases M'taro and kisses him on the forehead like the first two sacrifices, then exits the tent. M'taro's father hugs him tightly next, and then without a word, leaves him to join K'mambe as they leave the encampment. The Lanadi originally chosen for sacrifice also departs, leaving just M'taro and N'golo alone in the tent. M'taro lies down on one of the sleeping pads.

Amadi:

It will be a long and restless night for M'taro. The shaman will stay with him, both to stand guard and provide comfort if asked.

M'taro looks up at N'golo and motions for the shaman to come closer. N'golo gets on his hands and knees as he crawls toward M'taro; he straddles the younger jaguar's hips and leans closer to his face. M'taro lifts his head and kisses the shaman while N'golo lays a hand on his chest. The camera pans up to the sky and the view transitions to morning in the jungle, and M'taro and N'golo walk together through the thick undergrowth.

Amadi:

The shaman and M'taro have left the encampment early and begun walking the shaman's path. Like the chieftain's path, it is a route in the jungle that the shaman walks alone except for sacrificial ceremonies and when he passes his role on to his successor before he dies. Their destination awaits them at the end of the path.

A montage of N'golo and M'taro walking through the jungle plays; they walk up hills, through streams, around trees and boulders, and across ancient wood and rope bridges. The sun rises higher in the sky as time goes on, until they reach another clearing.

Amadi:

This is the place, and the ritual is about to begin.

N'golo leaves M'taro to stand at the end of the clearing while he walks forward, singing and humming. His voice echoes in the jungle quiet, then he stops and sinks to his knees. N'golo waits as M'taro watches on; the shaman pauses, then bends at his waist and puts his arms on the ground.

A thick, black snake slithers up N'golo's arm and winds itself across his shoulders to lay there docilely. Another smaller, yellow snake encircles N'golo's wrist like a bracelet. The shaman stands and returns to stand before M'taro; he speaks to the younger jaguar, who unties his loincloth and lets it fall to the ground so he's completely naked except for his necklaces and green body markings. M'taro then turns around, bends over, and raises his tail to reveal his anus.

Amadi:

The shaman has already used herbs and pastes to prepare M'taro's body for what comes next.

N'golo raises his left wrist to his mouth--the black snake's head rests there, and the shaman plants a kiss on its snout. He then lowers his wrist and places his hand on M'taro's taint, just below his puckered anus. The snake takes the cue and, using N'golo's arm like a bridge, slithers down the limb and presses against M'taro's hole. M'taro visibly winces, then gasps as the snake's head enters his rectum, followed by more of the thick body that widens as the snake pushes further inside.

The camera shifts to Cy-Optic mode to reveal the snake's body bending to conform to the shape of M'taro's guts, and it noses around corners and folds of flesh inside the young man's colon. N'golo helps feed all 12 feet of the snake into M'taro; its scales rub past the soft lining of his insides, which hug the snake and bulge around the thick serpentine body. The younger jaguar's hole doesn't close again until the tip of the snake's tail passes through his anus. The snake curls deeper into M'taro's intestines, and the jaguar shivers as N'golo rubs his back.

Amadi:

The first snake inside M'taro is meant to represent the strength of the tribe supporting and sustaining him as he continues on his journey to become a part of the lord of the jungle.

M'taro turns around to face N'golo, and his penis is fully erect and throbbing; his subincision has fully healed and exposes the upper three inches of his urethra to the world. With his right hand, N'golo caresses the flesh, trailing a claw inside the exposed flesh within M'taro's penis, before his fingers rest just below the subincision he had cut himself. The yellow snake wrapped around his wrist twists away from him to coil itself around the base of M'taro's penis before it pokes its head into his subincision.

Amadi:

The second snake is meant to represent the vitality of the tribe, given willingly to the spirits and the jungle to preserve the Leteuya way of life and the ecosystem.

M'taro clenches his teeth as the snake dips in further and its head enters and fills out the jaguar's penis with a visible bulge. M'taro holds onto N'golo's shoulders as the snake continues down his urethra, followed by the rest of its body, slithers against his prostate, and penetrates into his bladder. The snake coils itself inside the pouch that still has urine in it, and its tail soon completes the journey, so the entire snake, small as it is, sits heavily within his bladder.

Amadi:

Now that the first part of the ceremony is complete, the shaman can initiate the next stage.

N'golo leads M'taro to the center of the clearing, where he calls to the air and claps his hands.

Amadi:

The shaman proclaims that the offering is ready and willing, and begs the lord of the jungle for the tribe's survival and longevity if the sacrifice is worthy.

N'golo finishes speaking and, without looking at M'taro, turns and retreats to the edge of the clearing where they first entered from the shaman's path.

It's silent in the jungle except for the chirping of birds. And then a heavy rustling sounds in the distance. It grows closer and closer before the trees on the far side of the clearing begin to shake, then are parted by an enormous pair of paws.

A giant sloth bear--almost as tall as a tree himself and completely black except for glowing green runes adorning his shaggy fur-- emerges from the foliage. The bear pads through the clearing and comes to a stop in front of M'taro, who stands tall and fearless before the behemoth.

Amadi:

This is the true lord of the jungle; he has no name, only his title. Leteuya stories allude to a sloth bear of enormous size and mystical power, and their creation myths describe how he dug the river and pushed the mountains to form the rich, fertile valley of Nithala. He waits at the end of this path when the current shaman is about to pass on his knowledge and role to his successor--the old shaman will present himself to the lord of the jungle to be devoured.

The sloth bear seems to smile down at the jaguar, then folds a paw around M'taro's backside, bringing the Leteuya closer to him. The bear's runes glow brighter, and then he begins to shrink, so he still towers over M'taro, but is no longer of mythic proportions. The bear sniffs and huffs at M'taro.

Amadi:

The ritual begins with the lord of the jungle examining his offering to see if it is acceptable. If he does not approve of M'taro, it's possible that he may devour both the young jaguar and the shaman.

The bear laps slowly at M'taro's groin, armpits, and neck, then huffs and growls before he uses his paws to turn the jaguar around. He places them on M'taro's shoulders to force him down to the ground; as he does so, he reveals a long, thick erection that sways with his movements.

Amadi:

But it appears that the lord of the jungle is pleased with the offering.

The bear thrusts his hips to get the motion started, and then lines up the head of his penis with M'taro's hole.

Amadi:

This particular sacrifice is intended to appease the lord of the jungle and sate his appetite. While the first two sacrifices were motivated primarily by sustenance, the final sacrifice is motivated by what one does with that sustenance, how one uses the energy gained from the resources used.

The young jaguar gasps as the bear penetrates him; the wide shaft slides in and out of M'taro as the bear continues thrusting and works more and more of himself into the offering. Eventually the lord of the jungle hilts himself completely in M'taro, his erection pushing up against the tail of the black snake still inside the jaguar. The bear grunts and huffs as he locks his arms around M'taro, and he continues humping his offering. It doesn't take long for the bear to speed up and his runes glow bright again before white semen bursts forth and floods M'taro's insides, completely coating the snake as well.

Panting, the bear pauses for a moment before roughly pulling out his still-erect penis and trailing a small river of semen from M'taro's widened anus. While M'taro still breathes heavily and rests on his hands and knees, the bear leans down and licks his erection clean, slurping up the remnants of semen with his long tongue that wraps around the shaft before withdrawing to his mouth again.

The runes on the bear's fur shine bright once more--he grows until he returns to his originally gargantuan size, and he looms over M'taro, his erection extending far past the jaguar. The bear sits up on his rear and brushes at M'taro with one of his enormous paws to get his attention. M'taro turns to sit on his own rear and looks up at the bear, who then leans down and pushes him across the ground with his muzzle; as he does so, his tongue pokes out from between his lips and laps at M'taro's own erection, almost overwhelming the jaguar with the muscle. M'taro laughs and pats the muzzle as the bear keeps pushing him until coming to a stop, with M'taro resting at the head of the bear's penis. The bear leans back up and looks expectantly down at M'taro, then flexes his erection.

Understanding, M'taro stands and moves closer to the bear's cockhead--the length of the urethral opening is half as tall as M'taro. As he presses his hands against the lips and forces them open, he finds that even though the bear's urethra is large, it's still tight and warm enough to stimulate him. Without further prompting, M'taro braces himself on the shaft and pushes his erection into the bear's urethra, thrusting madly as if his life depends on it. The bear growls and huffs in approval, and after a few minutes, his runes start to glow brightly again. M'taro vigorously humps into the lord of the jungle's urethra, and his hips shudder as he orgasms; where the bear's semen had completely filled M'taro's insides, M'taro's few ropes of fluid barely make an impression on the bear's, but it's enough to please the lord of the jungle.

The bear uses his paw to gently push M'taro back from his erection until he lies down on the ground. Looking down at the jaguar, the bear seems to smile again, and blows a hot puff of air down onto M'taro, who breathes it in and sighs blissfully. The bear then uses his paw to angle M'taro's feet up so they sit against his urethral opening, and pushes his erection forward--M'taro's feet slip inside up to his ankles.

Amadi:

Now that the lord of the jungle has enjoyed his sacrifice, he will consume M'taro.

The jaguar keeps looking up at the lord of the jungle as the bear slides further forward, enveloping M'taro up to his knees in his urethra. The bear then sits back, dragging M'taro along the ground with his penis, and then it seems as if the bear's erection develops a mind of its own; with a peristaltic motion, the muscles in the head and shaft contract and relax to draw M'taro further inside, and fluids begin dribbling out of the bear's cockhead around M'taro's legs. Soon the jaguar's own erection slips within the bear's urethra and he's pulled in up to his hips. M'taro starts bucking against the warm flesh inside the bear's throbbing shaft as it sucks him in further, up to his chest, then his shoulders and arms, and all that's left is his head poking out of the bear's urethra. The lord of the jungle huffs down at M'taro again, and the jaguar happily closes his eyes.

Amadi:

The last thing M'taro will see in the daylight is the bear's face--his god's face--smiling down at him, encouraging him to become a part of something greater than himself.

M'taro's head is pulled inside, and the camera, able to see through the bear's flesh, shows the jaguar sliding down the urethra, squirming as he squeezes past the prostate, and following a separate tubule that leads away from the bear's bladder and down into his testicles. The jaguar presses feet-first past the rings of muscle that constrict the tubule and he settles into the bear's right testicle. His hips buck into the organ and he laps at the flesh within before he begins to slow down, his life force draining to join the lord of the jungle's; M'taro, destined for great things--for the greatest honor of all--curls up and disappears from view forever as he begins to melt into sperm, to truly become a part of the jungle.

Amadi:

There is no more M'taro as he was known in the tribe; he is still a part of the Leteuya and the jungles of Nithala, but on a much higher scale of existence. The lord of the jungle, pleased with the sacrifice, will continue to protect and ensure the longevity of the Leteuya and the jungle, using the energy from M'taro to do so.

The view shifts from the bear walking back into the thick trees to N'golo emerging from the jungle to re-enter the encampment--he carries M'taro's loincloth and hands it to his father, who raises it to the sky as the rest of the tribe celebrates.

Amadi:

The Leteuya do not mourn M'taro; his parents remember him as a brave, heroic son who performed a great deed for the tribe. He is not gone; he is a part of the trees, the river, the plants, the animals, the fires, the sun, the moon, the mountains, and the tribe--M'taro is the Leteuya. And with his blessing through this ritual, the tribe will continue to thrive.

The Leteuya dance and sing in time with the beating of the drums, and the camera pans up to the canopy above.