Old Man of Niseq

The Old Man of Niseq, sometimes called the Old Man of Seqal, is a distinctive natural rock formation in the Kalkot Gorge, at the confluence of the Red and Greenplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigGreen

The Green Kingdom of flora and fauna includes humans, mammals, birds, whales, greenfish, and most green plants and crops cultivated by humankind. branches of the River Wiyel, near the town of Niseq, 60 km south of the city of Seqal.

Weathering of the rock face has created what appears to be the sleeping face of an old man, with a downturned mouth, beard and closed eyes. The effect is enhanced by scrubby viridplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigVirid

Referring to the Virid Kingdom of flora and fauna, toxic to human life. vegetation clinging to the rock, giving the impression of bushy eyebrows and a beard. The effect is best seen at sunrise and sunset, when the angle of the sun creates a distinctive pattern of shadows.

The “Old Man” is part of the Kalkot Gorge, where the two branches of river cut a steep valley into the surrounding red rocks. The cliffs are too steep for habitation, and the waters, while often seemingly placid, conceal dangerous currents and hidden rocks which are a hazard to shipping. The eastern bank shows some evidence of primitive rock tombs similar to those found in early Seqal.

The Old Man is an example of pareidolia, the ability of the human brain to perceive facial patterns in otherwise inanimate objects.

There are numerous legends about the origin of the Old Man, most claiming that it is the sleeping face of an ancient god. By custom, river vessels passing the Old Man stay silent until the Old Man is out of sight, for fear of waking him.

A common tale is that in ancient times, anyone on a passing ship who made a loud noise, by accident or intent, was held underwater by their feet to appease the Old Man.

During his first great journey up the River Wiyel, followers of the Great Prophet offered to desecrate and destroy the Old Man as a heretical pagan symbol, in a time when ancient Imperial temples, statues and icons were being erased. The Prophet prevented this and ordered that the Old Man was to be preserved, since he had been created not by the hand of man, but by the will of the Goddess. As such, the Old Man of Niseq was only the second of the Protected Treasures, the first being the Eidolons of the Goddess at Seqal.

During the first Kingdom of Seqal, for a long time the Old Man marked the southern extent of the kingdom and was said to guard the city from attack by the south.