A Violent Flaying of Skin: Why I Write About Xipe Totec

For years, as I’ve written the epic saga of The Coil, starting with the first volume, 13 Secret Cities, one figure has remained the most elusive and yet the most present: Xipe Totec. Our Lord the Flayed One. The Red Tezcatlipoca.

I’ve just launched a comprehensive deep dive into Xipe Totec’s role in my universe, and I wanted to share why this particular deity has become the "black sheep" and the catalyst for the cosmic Rift that haunts my characters.

The Horror of Flayed Skin as Costume

To the uninitiated, Xipe Totec is a figure of biological horror. But as a queer creator working at the intersection of fetish, identity, and indigenous reclamation, I see Xipe Totec as something more: he is a Jungian symbol that invites self-exploration to further depths.

The Architect of the Rift

In the upcoming Hall of Mirrors, we see the true impact of the "Brother War." While the Black Tezcatlipoca watches through his obsidian mirror, Xipe Totec is the one doing the heavy lifting of destruction. He is resentful. He is neglected. And his presence in the 21st century—a time of ecological collapse and societal decay—is not a coincidence.

He is the "Night Drinker" appearing in the ritualistic murders of Manhattan in 9 Lords of Night. He is the force that reminds us: There is no rebirth without the power of the flay.

A New Portal is Open

Discover the iconography of the double face, the rattle staff, and the cosmic civil war that defines the nine volumes of The Coil.

Step into the Rift: Explore Xipe Totec here.