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Transcript
The Ndipaya reside in unique wooden structures in the wetlands. Their advanced architectural techniques are used throughout the world to repair and maintain many damaged ancient ruins.
This how the world at large knows of the Ndipaya.
But the Ndipaya possess a secret that they do no wish to share with the rest of the world: That the ancient ruins of the Ndipaya Kingdom reside beneath their land.
In ancient times, the surrounding lands were all under the control of the sovereign Ndipaya Kingdom and the city of ruins was the seat of that monarch.
Special attention should be given to the way the sovereign was chosen.
While the Ndipaya did have a monarchy, the king was not decided by birthright, but by the abilities and qualities he displayed during a certain required ceremony. This ceremony employed a special plant that grew in the Sun Garden residing in the deepest area of the royal city.
This plant was known as the Stairway to the Sun.
The Stairway to the Sun was an extremely poisonous plant, and its effects were fatal if consumed. Thought some individuals possessed a natural resistance to the poison.
The Ndipaya people believed that a man who could prevail against the poison was destined to become king.
(Vestiges of this ceremony are still carried out once a year by the Ndipaya for the continual peace of their ancestors' spirits.)
Even with a natural resistance, finding an individual that could survive ingestion of the powerful poison was a rarity. It is said by the Ndipaya people that one such man reigned as king for hundreds of years. Whether this legend has any validity to it cannot be ascertained at present.
What is known is that this once flourishing kingdom fell into decline and was eventually abandoned by the Ndipaya people.
It is not known what made the Ndipaya abandon their city for the wetlands. Any information regarding these matters comes from oral traditions and hearsay, which obviously calls into question the validity of the information.
What is known though, is that after leaving the city, the Ndipaya viewed it as sacred ground, and vowed to keep its existence hidden from outsiders.
All Ndipaya males between the ages of thirteen and twenty-five are required to spend two years in the city to guard and protect it.
It is through their continued vigilance that this great city's existence has been kept undiscovered by the outside world.
There was, however, one instance of outsiders discovering their secret city. In the 1960's, a corporation went into the sacred city to find the plant used in their ceremonies and take it by force.
The Ndipaya fiercely resisted this incursion into their land. In times of peace the Ndipaya are builders of great renown, but when the need for war arises, they can become stout warriors. This adaptability is the essence of the Ndipaya.
Their physical prowess in battle was their greatest weapon, and they used it to fight bravely. But they were overwhelmed by the enemy's technological advantages.
(During this time many of the Ndipaya youths consumed the plant in an effort to fight off the invaders.)
In the end, the Ndipaya were forced to cede the area of the Sun Garden and beyond to the corporation's control.
But the Ndipaya have not yet given up hope of one day reclaiming their sacred land and returning it to its former glory.
