Aztec Mythology

When Columbus set sail on his famous journey, parts of America were already civilized — and had been since nearly 700 years before the Golden Age of Greece. Though Columbus never saw them, three civilizations occupied the lands he claimed in Spain’s name. The Aztec empire was just reaching the zenith of its power, dominating an area that included much of what is central Mexico today. Farther south, the ancient civilization of the Mayans was waning and had broken up into independent states that still controlled the Yucatan peninsula. And even farther south, in South America, the mighty empire of the Incas was the best-administered nation on Earth, controlling an area extending from southern Columbia to central Chile.

From a modern perspective, the most amazing thing about these societies was their isolation. Shielded from Europe by the vast Atlantic Ocean and from the Orient by the even more mighty Pacific, they had evolved from the simplest beginnings into complex societies in near-total seclusion. Their people did not suspect that the rest of the world existed, and no hint of their splendor had reached Europe or Asia.

Regional History

Like those of all American Indians, the primitive ancestors the Aztecs migrated to the New World in prehistoric days, crossing the Bering Strait over the frozen sea or during periods of low ocean levels. Gradually, these waves of hunters and gatherers drifted south settling on both continents of the Americas. Then, about 3,400 BC, some of the Indians in the Middle Americas made a crucial discovery: they learned how farm corn and other crops. With the abundance of food provided by a sound agricultural system, the Olmec people developed the first civilization of the Americas, which lasted from approximately 1,200 to 300 BC.

The Olmecs left a legacy of three vital inventions that shaped American cultures for the next two thousand years. First, their religion was marked by the cult of the supernatural jaguar-man, vestiges of which seem to have been part of most cultures more than a thousand years later. A more important contribution was the system of elite religious leadership which lay at the heart of all ancient American nations. Late in their culture’s development, the Olmec priests invented a primitive form of glyph writing that was the basis for all later written languages in Middle America.

About 300 BC, the Olmec religious center at La Venta is sacked by invaders and their culture faded away. Civilization did not perish from Middle America, however. The Olmecs were followed by a succession of later cultures, including the Mayan (in 300 AD), which was perhaps the high point of Middle American artistic culture.

The Mayan priests supervised the construction of religious complexes dominated by steep pyramids, where they worshipped a wide range of deities associated with nature and their agrarian pursuits. Properly speaking, the cultural centers were not cities. These religious complexes were inhabited by the priestly elite, who were supported by farmers from the neighboring countryside.

When their civilization began to decline, sometime before 1,000 AD, it was invaded by the Toltecs, a warlike people from whose heritage the fierce Aztecs would soon rise. With the invasion, the bloodthirsty gods of the Toltecs replaced many of their gentler Mayan counterparts, accounting for many of the similarities between the late-Mayan and Aztec pantheons. The revitalized Mayan civilization flourished until 1,200 AD, when the Toltecs abandoned their capitol in the Yucatan. Again, the Mayans were invaded, this time from the south, and within 200 years their once-proud civilization was coming apart at the seams.

The Valley of Mexico

While Mayan culture was rising to its great heights in the Yucatan area, another civilization was taking shape farther north, in the Valley of Mexico. Located where modern day Mexico City now stands, the valley was filled with lakes and surrounded by protective mountains, an ideal location for the early development of agriculture. By 300 AD, its inhabitants had developed the first true city in the New World, Teotihuacan. Located thirty miles northeast of Mexico City, Teotihuacan was planned by master architects with a taste for austere lines and magnificent proportions. A three mile avenue ran through the middle of the city, connecting a complex of three pyramids that remains one of the most spectacular sights in Mexico.

But, as in any land, where there is wealth, there were those determined to take it. In 700 AD, Chichimec nomads from northern Mexico invaded the valley, overthrowing Teotihuacan and claiming peaceful city after city for their own. For the next two hundred years, the valley sank into constant warfare as the invaders fought each other for control of the conquered lands, and as wave after wave of Chichimec nomads arrived to join in the spoils.

Then, in about 970 AD, one of the tribes, the same Toltecs who later invaded the Maya civilization, finally conquered the Valley of Mexico. After consolidating their hold on the valley and founding the Toltec capitol at Tula, their armies marauded over most of Mexico, and they managed to hold off the new waves of Chichimec invaders until about 1160 AD, when their capitol also fell to their barbarian kinsmen.

This time, however, the Valley of Mexico did not sink into anarchy. It was filled with fortified city-states populated by ferocious warriors, and many of these city states held out against the fresh bands of Chichimec invaders.

Early Aztec History

One of these new tribes was the Aztecs, a group of impoverished nomads who, according to their early legends, had emerged from a cave in Aztlan, an unidentified location in northwestern Mexico. In their wanderings, they carried with them their one cherished possession, the wooden image of their terrible god, Huitzilopochtli.

When the worshipers of Huitzilopochtli entered the Valley of Mexico, all the good land was taken and they were too weak to conquer any of the established city-states. Largely because of their brutal religious practices, they were branded as savage outlaws and chased from place to place by the descendants of their own Chichimec heritage. At last, however, they persuaded Coxcox, the ruler of Culhuacan, to let them have a patch of sterile, snake-infested land near his city.

Here, they built a temple to their god and lived by killing and eating the snakes which infested their new home. But they quickly alienated their benefactor by brutally murdering his daughter. Coxcox mustered his forces and set out to destroy the Aztecs.

They were quickly driven into the marshes of Lake Texcoco, where they escaped by hiding among the reeds. Their god, Huitzilopochtli, told them they would be safe on an island where an eagle perched on a cactus holding a snake in its beak. The Aztecs duly found the island, hardly more than a few rocks protruding out of the waters. As their god instructed, they made this their new home.

Huitzilopochtli’s advice was sound. The island was in the center of three powerful mainland cities, but was not strongly claimed by any. In addition, surrounded as it was on all sides by water, it could be easily defended. The Aztecs had no difficulty holding their island, and built their city, Tenochtitlan, upon it.

They soon learned to increase the area of their island by filling the marshes with dirt and rocks, and by building chinampas, islets made by anchoring wicker enclosures to the bottom of the lake and filling them with silt, reeds, and refuse. These chinampas made remarkably fertile croplands, so the Aztecs had even found a stable supply of food on their island.

As the Aztecs filled in the swamp surrounding their city, Tenochtitlan grew rapidly, reaching a population of 300,000 at the beginning of the sixteenth century. As an aside, this was five times the size of London at the time. It was surrounded by an ever widening belt of chinampas planted with flourishing crops of fruits and vegetables. In the middle of the chinampas, connected to the mainland by three long causeways, rose the city. It was cut into blocks by a gridwork of canals bordered by narrow pedestrian lanes and crossed by plank footbridges. These streets were completely dedicated to foot traffic, for the Aztecs made little use of the wheel and had no carts or wagons. This was probably due to the lack of beasts of burden. Before the Spanish came, there were no horses, oxen, cows or other large domesticated animals in the New World.

The humbler houses were made from adobe and the better ones from stone and stucco, but all were cleanly whitewashed and most had small courtyards. Everywhere, the city was immaculately clean and filled with blooming flowers, which the Aztecs loved almost to excess. Near the center the city rose the great palaces of the Emperor, nobles, a high priests. In the exact center, enclosed by the “Wall Snakes", rose the temple-pyramids and other ceremonial buildings.

Protected by their invulnerable island fortress, the Aztecs were free to pursue their favorite occupation: war. They began to ally themselves with older city-states, who where willing to offer large rewards for the help of the fierce Aztec warriors. Eventually, they learned to play these city-states against each other, and gained their first significant hold the mainland when they betrayed one ally and helped other defeat it. After this victory, they quickly learned to exploit conquered cities with unparalleled vigor, and by 147 AD they were the undisputed masters of the Valley of Mexico, and therefore of Mexico itself.

Aztec Culture

The Aztecs were aided in their conquests by a peculiarly bloody religion which encouraged warfare, especially for purposes of taking captives. The emphasis on taking prisoners had nothing to do with mercy, however. After capture, prisoners were killed to appease the more bloodthirsty of Aztec deities.

As brutal as this aspect of Aztec society seems to the modern reader, it was not unusual in the Valley of Mexico. Most of the inhabitants of the region were descended from the same Chichimec nomads as the Aztecs. They shared many of the same convictions, and also believed in the beneficial properties of eternal warfare. Like the Aztecs, their soldiers had no fear of death, and thought that perishing in war guaranteed a glorious afterlife. There are even stories of prisoners preferring death to being set free.

The Aztec preoccupation with war was so great that when they were not engaged in a real one, they would arrange a mock battle called a “War of Flowers” with one of their neighbors. Equal numbers of warriors would meet in a special place and fight until a certain number of warriors had been captured.

Aztec weapons were crude by European standards. swords, which are treated as short sword for game purposes, were made of wood and edged with obsidian. They also employed spears launched by spear throwers which are treated as javelins. Their spear throwers increased the javelin’s age by +2 and added 25% to the range of such weapons. They also occasionally used such basic weapons as clubs rocks. Their armor was of quilted cotton (AC 8), and they wore helmets shaped like the heads of fantastic beasts.

As absorbed with war and death as the Aztecs were, these grisly preoccupations did not entirely dominate their lives. Every twenty days, they held joyous festivals with feasting, music, and dancing. The same nobles that supervised grisly religious rites wore robes of gloriously colored feathers and carried ornate bouquets of flowers in accordance with fastidious etiquette. Merchants and craftsmen exchanged their wares in a huge marketplace that held 60,000 people.

Like most of the ancient peoples in Middle America, the Aztecs used a rubber ball to play a game that resembled a cross between volleyball and basketball. On courts of paved stone, the players used their torsos, rear ends, and elbows (never their forearms, hands, or feet) to try knocking the ball through stone hoops suspended on the sides of the courts. The games were symbols of the play of cosmic forces, and the outcome may have been used to divine the future. But, undoubtedly, they were also enjoyed as sport.

In theory, Tenochtitlan was a democracy. In practice, it was an absolute monarchy whose semi-divine emperor was chosen by a council of noblemen from a single royal family. The emperor oversaw the appointments of the high-ranking dignitaries and bureaucrats who helped him rule the city and its conquests. The bulk of Tenochtitlan’s population consisted of artisans, merchants, peasants, and slaves captured in battle or sold into bondage to pay their debts.

One of the most remarkable achievements of Middle American culture was a complicated calendar, which they could correct in such a way that it was more accurate than the one commonly used today. Basically, it consisted of eighteen-day months and twenty-month years. At the end of the year were added five days that were “outside” the calendar, to form a year 365 days in length. During this last five day period, people were careful not to perform any unpleasant activities, for they believed it was possible that whatever they did during these “outside” days they would do forever.

The Aztecs also observed a secondary, divinatory calendar consisting of 20 “signs” of thirteen days each. Each sign was ruled by a different deity.

Because celestial cycles were a key part of the Aztec religion, they were excellent astronomers. The combination of their solar and divinatory calendars allowed them to make very exact descriptions of earthly time in relationship to heavenly bodies.

Aztec Religion

The Aztec pantheon is one of the largest and most complicated known. They had a god who was responsible for all the major forces in nature, and for many social aspects of their culture as well. The size of the Aztec pantheon may be due, in part, to their fondness for war. Whenever they conquered another tribe, they felt it was important to incorporate that tribe’s god into their own pantheon. As a consequence, their pantheon grew at an impressive rate.

At the root of the Aztec religion is their peculiar view of time and space, one of the forces behind the creation of their elaborate calendar. Like most Middle Americans, to them time and space are the same thing. On the highest level they merge together into the absolute being of the all powerful deity who exists outside material creation. To the consternation of all living things, time-space has unraveled. It is the duty of the gods to keep it from unraveling further, and the duty of men to help the gods in their task.

To understand the Aztec association of time-space, it may be helpful to picture a wheel with four broad spokes. One spoke points in each direction: north, south, east, and west. There is also the hub of the wheel, which counts as a separate place. When the wheel is spinning, the entire thing appears solid and at rest. When it is truly at rest, however, it looks like it is made up of separate parts.

In the Aztec view, the hub and each spoke represent different cosmic age-places, called “suns”. Each sun was associated with a different direction, color, and group of deities. Although the suns exist simultaneously side by side, they also rotate in a sequential pattern that gives the evolution of the universe a cyclical nature. As the wheel revolves, different suns gain predominance over the physical world.

Within each sun, only certain forms of earthly life can survive. So the changing of a sun is always catastrophic, bringing about great transformations. The Aztecs live in the Fifth Sun, located in hub of the wheel. In some ways, it is the culmination of all the other suns, and the only one in which mankind has been able to survive. In order to keep the Fifth Sun from passing, the Aztecs must feed and strengthen their gods — and the penalty for failure is the end of creation! The Aztecs also believe in a “world above” and a “world below” separate from the horizontal structure of the suns. These worlds are divided into many levels. For our purposes, the most important aspect of these worlds is that the world below is the home of the dead, and the world above is the home of the gods, night and day, shooting stars and fiery snakes, birds, heavenly bodies such as Venus, the Sun, the Moon, and the Milky Way, and the clouds. The progenitor of the gods, Ometeotl, lives in the uppermost plane of the world above, which embodies all of existence.

Ometeotl is a personification of the principle of duality which pervades much of Aztec thought. He is male and female, negative and positive, light and shadow, and could also be thought of as two separate gods, Ometecutli and Omeciuatl. Most of the gods of the Aztec pantheon, in fact, had a counterpart of the opposite sex who performed a function similar to their own.

On a more human level, duality is important in the special relationship existing between every human and his animal counterpart. At the moment of birth, every human develops a spiritual bond with a particular animal and their destinies are linked from that point forward. It is possible, the Aztecs believe, to bring a man harm by finding his counterpart and doing it harm. These beliefs may well be a vestige of the Olmecs’ worship of the jaguar-man.

Unlike the gods of other mythol, the gods of the Aztecs do not inhabit the planes. Instead, many of them live in space. It is even possible for humans to visit their homes (for instance, by using the space-travel rules in the SPELLJAMMER” game). Should a mortal dare such an act uninvited, there is only a 5% chance that the deity will be at home. If he is home, there is only a l% chance per level of the character that the god will not disapprove of the visit (priests of that deity’s mythos receive a 10% bonus to this chance).

New Spells

Locate Spirit Animal

(Greater Divination)

Fourth Level Priest

Sphere: Divination

Range: Special

Components: V, S, M

Duration: 1 day

Casting Time: 1 turn

Area of Effect: 1 person

Saving Throw: Negate

A priest using a locate spirit animal spell learns the location of the spiritual counterpart of his subject. For a full day afterwards, he knows the current location of the animal.

This spell is often used to capture a person’s spiritual counterpart, for both good and ill effects. When the caster wishes to inflict harm on his subject, he can often do so by injuring, or even killing, the counterpart. The victim of such an attack suffers symptoms identical to those of the animal (save that he does not necessarily die if the animal dies), and loses the same number of hit points as his counterpart. If the animal dies and the human does not, he permanently loses that number of hit points. Such a person can never be subjected to an attack upon his spiritual counterpart again.

This spell is often used for beneficial purposes when a person is suffering from a mysterious ailment. Often, the cause of such ailments is an injury or sickness affecting the spiritual counterpart. If the animal can be found and cured, the person will recover from his mysterious ailment.

Unfortunately, just because a priest knows the location of a spiritual counterpart, that does not mean he can reach the animal. The animal may be anywhere within an area of 1d100 x 10 miles of the subject. Often, the priest must undertake a long journey in order to track down the animal.

If the subject is aware of the casting of this spell and unwilling to have his spiritual counterpart located, he is entitled to a saving throw. A successful throw indicates that the priest did not find the counterpart, and an unsuccessful throw indicates that he did.

Once the animal is located, it usually regards any attempt to capture or injure it as hostile, even if performed for the benefit of its counterpart. It is entitled to fight as a normal member of its species in all ways. It is important to remember, however, that all magic and damage affecting the animal also affects the subject of the spell. In the case of spells, the human counterpart is allowed to make a separate saving throw (just as if the spell had been thrown directly against him), but with a -2 modifier.

New Magic Items

Murky Mirror

The murky mirror is small disc of polished silver that can be used in three different ways. When a normal man or woman holds it, he or she makes a Charisma check. If they fail the check, the murky mirror functions as a normal mirror. If they pass the check, the image in the mirror reflects the individual as others see them. A beautiful woman who considers herself ugly, for example, would see a ravishing image of herself. A bullying fighter would see in his face the image of a feared and hated ogre.

When a military leader of any rank looks into the mirror he sees his most threatening enemy. The image always shows the size and nature of the enemy’s forces. Leaders making a successful Intelligence check can often interpret the enemy’s location from landscape appearing in the image. No sound accompanies the image, and it cannot be controlled to focus in upon a desired area.

When a priest looks into the mirror, it issues a silverish smoke that engulfs his head and hides what he sees from view of anyone nearby. If the priest does not withdraw head, he sees a vision of the future. How far in the future depends upon his level, as does the scope of the vision:

Level Distance into future Scope of vision

1-3 1 day per level Self

4-6 1 week per level Self

7-9 1 month per level Party

10 1 year Party

11 2 years Party

12 3 years Party

13-15 1 year per level Country

16-20 5 years per level Country

21+ 10 years per level World

The vision always shows the future at the precise time listed for a priest of that level and cannot be changed. The scene it shows is what will happen if events continue a their current course and the priest does nothing to change them. At the lowest levels, the priest sees only his own future. At the middle levels, he sees the future of himself and 10 of his closest friends (the adventuring party, in the case PCs). When the priest reaches 13th level or above, he sees the future of the political unit to which he owes allegiance, such as a kingdom or city-state. At the highest levels, his vision tends to all of mankind.

After being used, the murky mirror leaps out of the holder’s hands and flies into the sky, where it becomes a bright shining star. Characters attempting to hold onto the mirror have a 5% chance per level (maximum 95%) of doing so, the mirror will attempt to fly into the sky after each use.

Ometeotl (greater god)

Ometeotl is “the god-above-all, of the near-and-close, he who is at the center”. He is the progenitor of the gods, who created first himself, then the other gods, and then everything else. In a certain sense, he is the embodiment of the universe, and all things are a part of him. No statue or depiction of Ometeotl has ever been made, for he is as invisible as the wind. The only image of Ometeotl that a man can see are his footprints. At will, Ometeotl can create anything he wishes without tiring.

Role-playing Notes:

Ometeotl is the most aloof of all deities and never answers appeals for aid. The only time he will involve himself in human affairs is if those affairs threaten the order of the universe itself. In such cases, he will send his avatar to destroy or correct the problem.

Ometeotl seldom sends omens or warnings to worshipers. If they do something that angers him, he simply withdraws his favor. If they do something that threatens his power or the order of the universe, he sends his avatar to destroy them.

Statistics:

AL n; WAL any; AoC creation; SY footprint.

Ometeotl’s Avatar

(fighter 18, wizard 18)

Ometeotl’s avatar cannot be seen. He carries a razor sharp sword of pure obsidian. If unsheathed, this sword can be seen. Ometeotl’s avatar casts spells as an 18th level wizard and always has access to all spells of all schools.

Str 20 Dex 18 Con 18

Int 20 Wis 20 Cha 10

MV 20 SZ 7’ MR 40%

AC -4 HD 18 HP 144

#AT 2 THAC0 1 Dmg ld8/ld8 (sword) +8

Special Att/Def:

Ometeotl’s avatar is always invisible, even when attacking. No means of detection, either magical or mundane, will reveal his location. Even while involved in combat, Ometeotl may create one 10th level warrior (AC 2, HD 10, THAC0 8, HP 120, #AT 3/2, Dmg ld8 (sword) +6) to fight at his side.

Duties of the Priesthood

Priests of Ometeotl are free to behave as they please. However, 10% of any treasure they accumulate, and every third magic item, must be donated to Ometeotl’s temple or the god will withdraw his support. Before eating, they are expected to offer half of their meal to their god.

Requirements:

AB standard; AL any; WP any; AR b; SP all; PW 1) turn undead as if 2 levels higher; 10th) turn invisible; TU turn.

Huitzilopochtli (intermediate god)

The patron god of the Aztecs, Huitzilopochtli is the god of war, lightning, and fruit and crops. His translated name “Left-handed Hummingbird:’ is deceiving, for he is a fierce, bloodthirsty god. He was born of a mortal woman, fully grown wearing blue jade armor, and carrying a blue javelin. He resembles a blue-skinned man with hummingbird feathers decorating his head and left leg, though when acting in his guise as a lightning god he sometimes resembles a serpent. He sends a 10d10 lightning bolt to any location on the Prime material Plane.

Role-playing Notes:

Huitzilopochtli is quite active in affairs of men. Assuming they perform the proper rites, worshipers can count on him for sound advice. Those who have offended him will find their weapons mysteriously dulled or rotted, usually at an inopportune moment. Other omens include violent lightning storms, an unexplained stench of death, and mysterious battle sounds in the night.

Statistics:

AL ne; WAL any; AoC war & light; SY

Huitzilopochtli’s Avatar

(fighter 18)

Huitzilopochtli’s avatar takes the form of a warrior who has won great victories in the distant past. The avatar is ways armed with a blue javelin. When the avatar leaves, his physical shell, the body of a great warrior, remains behind. Although no longer divine, the hero remains a force to be reckoned with. He lives for the remainder of a normal man’s life, but is +3 on all saving throws.

Str 19 Dex 18 Con 18

Int 18 Wis 17 Cha 16

MV 18 SZ 6’ MR 25%

AC -6 HD 18 HP 144

#AT 2 THAC0 1 Dmg ld8/ld8 (sword) +7

Special Att/Def:

Huitzilopochtli’s avatar is unaffected lightning and can be hit only by +1 or better magic weapons. Attacks made against his back rebound on the attacker, doing their normal damage. He can hurl his javelin which comes a stroke of lightning and inflicts 5d10 points damage if it hits. The javelin returns to his hand instantly after hitting or missing its target.

Duties of the Priesthood

Huitzilopochtli’s clerics must embody the spirit of war. They must always be willing to fight without regard to own lives. Their primary duty is presiding over the deaths of prisoners taken in Huitzilopochtli’s name.

Requirements:

AB standard; AL any non-good; weapons that draw blood; AR b; SP combat, necromancy, sun, weather; PW 10th) receive a blue javelin that does 1 point of lightning damage per level of the priest; TU nil

Quetzalcoatl (intermediate god)

Quetzalcoatl is known all over Middle America as the feathered-serpent, god of the wind. He is also a god of wisdom, a teacher of peaceful arts, and the protector of the Second Sun. Long before Tenochtitlan’s founding, Quetzalcoatl was chased from the Valley of Mexico by a rival god. Before leaving, he promised to come back in 500 years and avenge himself. The Aztecs are awaiting the noble god’s return with trepidation, for he would not approve of many of their current practices. He makes his home on Venus, where he appears as a flying serpent covered with green feathers.

Role-playing Notes:

Quetzalcoatl is preparing to return to the world and is recruiting worshipers. Any priest of good alignment may receive a visit from an avatar. The avatar attempts to recruit the priest, saying that the evil Fifth Sun must be brought to an end. Quetzalcoatl’s omens and portents include wind storms, the presence of birds (especially talking ones), and whispering voices.

Statistics:

AL cg; WAL any good; AoC air, wisdom; SY feathered snake with wings.

Quetzalcoatl’s Avatar

(priest 18)

In avatar form, Quetzalcoatl usually appears as a talking, feathered snake. The avatar has access to priest spells in any sphere.

Str 18/00 Dex 18 Con 18

Int 20 Wis 20 Cha 6

MV 20 (f) SZ 8’ MR 30%

AC 0 HD 18 HP 144

#AT 1 THAC0 1 Dmg 1d10 +6

Special Att/Def:

Quetzalcoatl’s avatar has the normal spell immunities associated with high Wisdom and Intelligence. Anyone hit by the avatar must save versus paralyzation or be entwined by the avatar’s body. They will suffer 1d10 points of crushing damage per round until the hold is broken.

Duties of the Priesthood

Priests of Quetzalcoatl are charged with preparation for his return, and may be assigned a variety of tasks, including the infiltration of key government posts, recruiting worshipers in the wilderness, or even preparing secret caches of weapons and armor. When their god returns, they will be called upon to rise up and destroy the masters of Tenochtitlan.

Requirements:

AB standard; AL any good; WP any; AR b; SP any; PW 1st) communicate secretly by sending messages on the wind. Range is unlimited, but message requires one minute per mile to reach target; 5) turn undead; TU special.

Mictlantecuhtli (intermediate god)

Mictlantecuhtli, with his wife Mictanchihuatl, rules over the Aztec afterlife from Tlalxicco, the ninth and lowest level of the Aztec underworld. People unlucky enough not to die during an activity presided over by another god — in combat, as prisoners, during childbirth, etc. — must undertake the journey across the nine rivers of the Aztec underworld. Here, under the watchful eye of Mictlantecuhtli and his wife, they endure neither pain nor pleasure, just a dreary eternal existence.

In their true forms, Mictlantecuhtli and Mictanchihuatl resemble emaciated human beings with skull-like heads, bulging eyes, and claw-fingered hands. They have control over the dead, and it is only with their blessing that a raise dead spell may function.

Role-playing Notes:

As deities of the underworld, Mictlantecuhtli and Mictanchihuatl are unconcerned with human events. They do, however, demand the payment of a small amount of blood from any of their followers who cast a raise dead spell (treat this as an additional component of the casting process). Their omens often include the hoot of an owl, a dream in which the sleeper dies, and having a vulture land on one’s shoulder, all of which presage death.

Statistics:

AL n; WAL any; AoC death; SY skull and crossbones.

Mictlantecuhtli’s Avatar

(priest 16, fighter 14)

Mictlantecuhtli’s avatar resembles an emaciated human being with a skull-like head and bulging eyes. He has access to the combat, divination, elemental, or necromantic spheres. Mictanchihuatl’s avatar is a female version of her husband’s.

Str 18/93 Dex 18 Con 20

Int 18 Wis 18 Cha 6

MV 18 SZ 6’ MR 20%

AC -2 HD 16 HP 128

#AT 2 THAC0 5 Dmg ld8/ld8 (claws) +5

Special Att/Def:

Anyone looking upon the avatar’s face for the first time must save versus petrification or remain motionless for 1d10 rounds.

Duties of the Priesthood

The primary responsibility of clerics of Mictlantecuhtli and Mictanchihuatl is preparing the dead for their journey into the afterlife and presiding over their death rites. Once a year, they must spill some of their own blood in order to feed their deities.

Requirements:

AB standard; AL any neutral; WP any; AR b; SP combat, divination, elemental, necromantic; PW 1) turn undead; 5) command undead; TU special.

Tezcatlipoca (intermediate god)

Tezcatlipoca’s name, which means “Smoking Mirror” seems particularly appropriate. He was worshipped by the Toltecs, the Aztec’s predecessors, as a sun/warrior god who fought a daily battle against the night. He was also credited with ripening crops, but was also feared because of his ability to bring on droughts. Tezcatlipoca was the guardian of the First Sun until being knocked from the sky by Quetzalcoatl as he ushered in the Second Sun. Tezcatlipoca’s fall resulted in his transformation first into a jaguar, then into the constellation Ursa Major. After his fall, Tezcatlipoca’s role changed. Though the Aztecs still regarded him as a patron of warriors, he was now the god of night and the benefactor of witches, thieves, and other evildoers. A great spreader of disorder and strife, Tezcatlipoca never forgave Quetzalcoatl for his fall, and eventually evened the score by using treachery to topple Quetzalcoatl’s guardianship of the Fourth Sun.

In his home in Ursa Major, Tezcatlipoca is invisible and ubiquitous, or he appears as a one-footed man with a round mirror of black obsidian in place of the missing foot. By gazing into this mirror, he can see what any mortal on the Prime Material Plane is doing. If it is somehow separated from Tezcatlipoca, the mirror becomes a mirror of life trapping.

Role-playing Notes:

Tezcatlipoca is the second most powerful god in the Aztec pantheon, a position he guards jealously. He often assigns his priests tasks designed to erode the support of rival gods. On rare occasions, he has even been known to appear personally (though not on the Prime Material Plane) to further some particularly important scheme. He is especially vigilant in regards to the Quetzalcoatl’s worshipers, and places special emphasis on exposing schemes to help their deity prepare for his return.

Omens and portents from Tezcatlipoca tend to be direct and forceful. More than once, he has frightened a worshiper by causing his image to appear in a mirror and issue instructions. Other omens include sudden darkness, being trailed by a jaguar, and evil faces appearing in obsidian utensils.

Because of his jealously, Tezcatlipoca tolerates no shortcomings in his priests, and he is particularly vigilant about watching their activities in his obsidian mirror. Minor transgressions are punished by a denial of spells and, usually, a visit from some of Tenochtitlan’s more unsavory thieves. In the case of major offenses, Tezcatlipoca usually sends an avatar to end the offender’s life.

Statistics:

AL ce; WAL any; AoC night and treachery; SY black mirror.

Tezcatlipoca’s Avatar

(warrior 15, thief 25)

Most often, Tezcatlipoca’s avatar takes the form of a giant black jaguar, but he occasionally appears as a thief of indeterminate age when the jaguar form would be inappropriate. The attack forms listed above are for his jaguar form. In human form, he receives only two attacks per round. However, in human form, he uses an obsidian fang dagger +4. The fang dagger functions as a dagger of venom, save that the victim must make a saving throw any time he is hit. The effects of the toxin are detailed under Special Attacks.

Str 18/00 Dex 19 Con 17

Int 16 Wis 14 Cha 10

MV 20 SZ 8’ MR 20%

AC -2 HD 15 HP 120

#AT 3 THAC0 5 Dmg 1d10/1d10/2d20 +6

Special Att/Def:

Victims hit by the avatar’s claws save versus poison or lose 1 constitution point permanently. Further, he can only be hit by +2 or better magic weapons. On a natural attack roll of 20, he grapples for 2d10 point damage. This is in addition to the normal melee damage inflicted and continues each round until his hold is broken. He is treated as wholly invisible when hiding in shadows and always moves silently when he wishes to do so.

Duties of the Priesthood

The first duty of priests of Tezcatlipoca is to promote their temple. Every cleric is required to produce at least one convert every six days.

Their second duty is to prevent Quetzalcoatl from gaining too much power. To this end, clerics below fourth level are assigned to follow Quetzalcoatl’s known priests and report their activities.

High level priests must spend a great deal of their time forming ceremonies in order to strengthen and appease their god.

Requirements:

AB standard; AL any evil; WP any, sons encouraged; AR b; SP all, combat, divination, elemental, necromantic, summoning; PW 3) see in the dark, move silently with 85% success, 9) hide in shadows 90% success, 12) climb walls with 95% success; TU command.

Tlaloc (intermediate god)

Tlaloc, “he who makes things grow", is the god of rain and moisture, who presided over the Third Sun. He is a cruel deity who delights in the torture of helpless innocents. Given his evil nature, it seems strange that Tlaloc has created Tlalocan, a gay paradise reserved for the victims of death associated with water (such as drowning or being broken on the rocks by a great wave). Tlaloc makes his home on the tops of the highest mountains, and resembles a man with a snakelike head, save that he has tusk-like teeth and white rings around his eyes. He is married to Chalchihuitlicue.

Role-playing Notes:

Tlaloc has four pitchers of water which he may pour over areas of the Prime Material Plane as indications of his mood. He uses the first pitcher, which contains good water, only when his priests have performed their rites with the proper zeal. The other three he uses to express his displeasure: the second pitcher contains water filled with spider eggs and webs that bring blight, the third with water that turns to frost, and the fourth with water that causes fruit to rot. Other omens of Tlaloc’s displeasure include too little or too much rain, drought, and floods.

Statistics:

AL le; WAL le; AoC rain and moisture; SY serpent chasing its tail.

Tlaloc’s Avatar

(fighter 14, druid 12)

Tlaloc’s Avatar appears as man with a snakelike head and armed with a magic, razor-sharp sword of pure obsidian. He has access to the all, animal, elemental, healing, plant, and weather spheres.

Str 18/51 Dex 18 Con 18

Int 18 Wis 17 Cha 17

MV 18 (f) SZ 6’ MR 20%

AC -2 HD 14 HP 112

#AT 2 THAC0 7 Dmg 2d8/2d8 (sword) +4

Special Att/Def:

Tlaloc’s avatar can summon a hailstorm covering an area of 140 square yards and doing 14d4 points of damage to all within it. He can also bite for 2d12 points of damage in melee.

Duties of the Priesthood

The duties of Tlaloc’s clerics include kidnapping, torture, and other tasks of his vile worship.

Requirements:

AB standard; AL any evil; WP any; AR b; SP all, animal, elemental, healing, plant, weather; PW 1) summon hailstorm covering 1 square yard per level, doing 1d4 points of damage per level, and lasting for a period of 1d4 rounds; TU nil.

Chalchihuitlicue (intermediate god)

Also known as the “Goddess of the Jade Petticoat:’ Chalchihuitlicue is the deity of running water and was the protrectress of the Fourth Sun. She delights in blessing chaste loves, sheltering children, and protecting mankind in general. It was through her influence that her evil husband, Tlaloc, created his paradise for those who die by water. In her true form, she is beautiful woman wearing a skirt of green jade. She has the power to turn 3-300 humans into any animal form. When the Fourth Sun ended in a devastating flood, she saved mankind by turning her worshipers into fish.

Role-playing Notes:

Chalchihuitlicue is a rarity in the Aztec pantheon: a deity who makes a habit of helping mankind. There is a 1% chance that she will send her avatar to aid any worshiper who sacrifices his or her most valuable piece of jade jewelry by throwing it into a bottomless pool. The chance increases to 25% if the sacrificer is a priest making the request on behalf of the needy.

Omens from Chalchihuitlicue often involve the sound of running water, such as an unexplained musical trickling to denote pleasure, or the roar of a waterfall to denote anger.

Statistics:

AL cg; WAL any good; AoC flowing water, love, children; SY petticoat.

Chalchihuitlicue’s Avatar

(wizard 14, hard 14)

Chalchihuitlicue’s avatar usually appears as a beautiful woman wearing a green jade skirt. She has access to the alteration, enchantment/charm, and illusion/phantasm schools of magic.

Str 14 Dex 18 Con 15

Int 19 Wis 18 Cha 20

MV 16 (sw) SZ 5’ MR 20%

AC 2 HD 14 HP 112

#AT 1 THAC0 7 Dmg 1d4 +5 (dagger)

Special Att/Def:

Any being looking on Chalchihuitlicue’s avatar for the first time, or hit by her jade dagger, must save versus paralyzation or be unable to attack.

Duties of the Priesthood

One of the most important duties of Chalchihuitlicue’s clergy is sheltering orphans, and any temple dedicated to her is bound to be filled with parentless waifs. Foul water is also an abomination to her, so her priests spend a fair amount of their time unblocking streams, draining marshes, and so on.

Requirements:

AB standard; AL any good; WP any blunt; AR b; SP all, charm, creation, divination, healing, guardian, protection, weather; PW 1) create and/or purify water (l gallon per level), 10th) Conjure water elemental; TU

Tlazolteotl (intermediate god)

Tlazolteotl is the goddess of guilty loves, pleasure, and vice. She is an eater of filth and a sinister seductress who tempts virtuous men to their ruin. In her true form, she appears as a scantily-clad woman of great beauty, though she is a gifted illusionist who can appear in many guises.

Role-playing Notes:

Although Tlazolteotl herself is base and debauched, she demands that humankind follow a strict moral code — and delights in punishing humans who do not. To this end, she sends her avatar to Tenochtitlan to test the resolve of good men. Often, the avatar uses her invisible dagger to slay the victim after he has succumbed to her charms. But in the case of powerful men, she prefers to expose the indiscretion in such a manner as to ruin his life and reputation.

Omens from Tlazolteotl include offal raining from the sky, unexplained yearnings, and physical pleasure inappropriate to the circumstance.

Statistics:

AL ce; WAL any; AoC bodily pleasure and vice; SY red serpent’s head.

Tlazolteotl’s Avatar

(illusionist 16)

Tlazolteotl’s avatar is a beautiful woman who, while dressed appropriately to the occasion, reveals as much of her charms as possible. Tlazolteotl’s avatar casts spells only from the illusionist school of magic.

Str 12 Dex 18 Con 16

Int 18 Wis 10 Cha 19

MV 18 SZ 5’ MR 20%

AC 0 HD 16 HP 128

#AT 1 THAC0 5 Dmg 1d4 (dagger)

Special Att/Def:

No evil being can bring himself to strike her. Anyone wounded by her invisible dagger must save versus death or die instantly. If attacked, Tlazolteotl’s avatar uses an innate ability to create an image of herself as a foul monster with dripping fangs, long talons on her fingers, and black greasy skin covered with warts.

Duties of the priesthood

Tlazolteotl’s priestesses are assigned the duty of exposing those possessed of a base and immoral character by tempting others into committing shameful acts. At least once every three months, they must lure a man into a guilty love. They are expected to subsist on garbage, filth, and offal. Failure to do so leads to revocation of the favor of their goddess.

Requirements:

AB standard, must be female; AL any evil; WP poisoned dagger; AR b; SP charm, combat, divination, healing, necromantic; PW 1) immunity to all forms of disease; 5) cause disease (as reverse of 3rd level priest spell cure disease), 10) Charisma raised to 18; TU nil.

Xochipilli (intermediate god)

Xochipilli, the “Prince of Flowers:’ is god of beauty, happiness, music, and gambling. Along with his twin sister, Xochiquetzal, he is responsible for much of men find joyful in life. He is a benevolent but fickle god who seldom blesses a man with his gifts for long. In his true form, he has the body of young man, but his face is that of a decaying corpse.

Role-playing Notes:

Xochipilli has a mercurial disposition. Sometimes he takes great pleasure in helping his worshipers, other times he inflicts great hardships on them for little reason. Anyone sacrificing an important magic item to him by throwing it into the street and walking away stands 1% chance of attracting his attention. If the person is about to take an immensely big gamble, this chance increases 25%. If he responds to the sacrifice, Xochipilli will aid the worshiper by allowing him to make a second die roll at some critical moment. Omens from Xochipilli include unexplained music, a run of good or bad luck, and the sudden urge sing.

Statistics:

AL cg; WAL any; AoC beauty, good and bad luck; SY flower.

Xochipilli’s Avatar

(bard 18)

Xochipilli’s avatar is a well-proportioned young man the head of a corpse. He carries a large axe with an obsidian blade that never grows dull or chips. Xochipilli may select bard spells from any school of magic.

Str 20 Dex 18 Con 18

Int 16 Wis 16 Cha 19

MV 18 SZ 6’ MR 25%

AC 0 HD 18 HP 144

#AT 1 THAC0 3 Dmg 1d10 (axe) +8

Special Att/Def:

Xochipilli’s avatar gets a second chance to make any attack roll which fails to hit the target. Further he gets two chances to make any saving throw that is required of him. Anyone attempting to strike him must make two successful attack rolls before they can hit him and must make two successful saves in order to save against one of his spells.

Duties of the Priesthood

Xochipilli’s clerics must be extremely handsome or beautiful, always cheerful, and willing to take chances. They are expected to wager all they own on some trivial event at 1 once a year.

Requirements:

AB standard, but at least 16 charisma; any; WP any; AR b; SP all, charm, combat, creation, divination, healing; PW 1) +1 to all saving throws; 5) +2 to saving throws; 10) second attempt at any failed save throw; TU nil.

Xochiquetzal (intermediate god)

Xochiquetzal is the goddess of flowers, dance, and proper love. Along with her twin brother, Xochipilli, she is responsible for much of what men and women find joyful in life. However, as the goddess of love, she is somewhat less fickle than her twin — though that is not to say that she is entirely constant, either.

In her true form, Xochiquetzal is a woman of such beauty and gaiety that all men who see her fall in love with her. She has the power to make any man fall in love with any woman.

Role-playing Notes:

Though not intimately involved in human affairs, Xochiquetzal occasionally answers (10% chance) the joint plea of a man and woman in love, though their relationship cannot be hidden or illicit in any manner. She is especially concerned with countering the efforts of Tlazolteotl to lure good men into guilty loves.

Omens from Xochiquetzal include the unexpected appearance of a blooming flower, the sudden withering of a flower already in bloom, and the uncontrollable urge to dance.

Statistics:

AL ng; WAL any; AoC love, flowers, celebrations; SY rose.

Xochiquetzal’s Avatar

(bard 18)

Xochiquetzal’s avatar takes the form of a woman of tender countenance and incomparable beauty. She can cast her bard spells from any school of wizardry.

Str 12 Dex 17 Con 15

Int 18 Wis 18 Cha 20

MV 20 SZ 5’ MR 20%

AC 1 HD 18 HP 144

#AT 1 THAC0 3 Dmg 1-4 (dagger)

Special Att/Def:

Any man who looks upon Xochiquetzal’s avatar must make a saving throw versus spells or find himself forever determined to defend her from all harm. Her silver dagger causes only 1d4 points of damage, but anyone hit by it must save versus paralyzation or fall into a state of euphoria and stand stunned for 1d4 rounds.

Duties of the Priesthood

Only men and women in love may be priests of Xochiquetzal and both individuals must become priests. Their primary duty consists of keeping their love alive. Above all, they must never deceive their spouse or be unfaithful. The man-wife priest teams are expected to keep lavish flower gardens in their homes.

Requirements:

AB standard, but at least 16 charisma; AL any good; WP club, net, quarterstaff, sling, whip; AR b; SP all, charm, creation, divination, guardian, healing, protection; PW 3) cure serious wounds; 6) cure disease; 9) neutralize poison; 12) heal; 15) raise dead; TU nil.

Metzli (intermediate god)

Metzli, the Lady of the Night, is the goddess of the moon. She is the kindly patron of all animal growth. But she is also the goddess who brings the terrible things of the night — cold damp air, the poisons of the atmosphere, ghosts, and other fearful shapes and shadows. Metzli is the deity who brought light to the world by throwing a leper into a bonfire, then walking into the flames herself. As the pair vanished, the night gave way to the day.

In her home on the moon, she is a beautiful, ghostly woman of silver light. She has the power to instantly increase or decrease the size of any animal up to five times (with a corresponding change in HD, hit points, strength, and damage).

Role-playing Notes:

On the surface, Metzli seems an enigmatic contradiction. She is a beneficent goddess of night who created day, yet she also presides over the terrible creatures of the night. What humankind does not realize, and what Metzli has no interest in explaining, is that she is concerned with far more than the welfare of human beings, and: the creatures of darkness are of crucial importance to her.

Omens from Metzli take the form of visits from shadowy creatures in the late hours of night.

Statistics:

AL ng; WAL any; AoC night and animal growth; SY crescent moon.

Metzli’s Avatar

(fighter 15, illusionist 10)

Metzli’s avatar takes the form of an albino female warrior. She is armed with a magical sword of white metal that cuts through any armor as if it is five armor classes worse than normal. Metzli’s avatar has access to spells in the illusion/ phantasm school of magic.

Str 18/00 Dex 18 Con 16

Int 19 Wis 17 Cha 18

MV 18 SZ 6’ MR 20%

AC -1 HD 15 HP 120

#AT 2 THAC0 5 Dmg 2d8/2d8 (sword) +6

Special Att/Def:

Metzli’s avatar is able to assume wraithform at will, and control the size of animals as per the 5th level cleric spell, animal growth. She is immune to any damage caused by fire.

Duties of the Priesthood

Metzli’s priests spend most of their time raising fruits and grain, which they leave out in special vessels at night to feed their deity’s shadowy denizens. Not even the highest clerics know the significance of this task.

Requirements:

AB standard; AL ng; WP battle axe, club, sling, whip; AR b; SP animal, astral, combat, necromantic, protection; PW 1) infravision (60 feet); 10) ability to cast spells from the illusion/phantasm school of wizard magic as if they were clerical spells of equal level; TU turn.

Centeotl (intermediate god)

Centeotl is the goddess of agriculture, nature, and corn in particular (she shares this last duty with a male counterpart, Cinteotl). She is a beneficent deity who watches over food crops, but is also the mistress of pain and illness, and has a habit of using her physical charms to lure men to their death. Unlike Tlazoteotl, she seems to do this not out of maliciousness, but because such victims are necessary for the fertility of crops.

Role-playing Notes:

Centeotl watches over the harvest, dictating how bountiful it will be based upon the devotion of her worshipers. Although she needs the lives of young men to ensure her cycle of fertility, she tries to reward her victims by allowing them to experience indescribable but total bliss in her avatar’s arms before dying. She also judges who will suffer illness and pain, sometimes rather capriciously and sometimes with great fairness and justice.

Omens from Centeotl include insect plagues, crop blights, pollen, and seeing her avatar, which always foretells great personal calamity, even if the individual does not succumb to her charms.

Statistics:

AL cn; WAL any; AoC agriculture, illness, pain; SY cornstalk.

Centeotl’s Avatar

(druid 15)

Centeotl’s avatar is a beautiful, golden-haired woman armed with a magical staff of blue jade. She can draw upon the all, elemental, and plant spheres for her spells.

Str 14 Dex 16 Con 15

Int 16 Wis 19 Cha 18

MV 18 SZ 6’ MR 20%

AC 0 HD 15 HP 120

#AT 1 THAC0 5 Dmg 2d10 (staff)

Special Att/Def:

Centeotl’s avatar can use any spell in the plant sphere at will. When victims are hit by Centeotl’s staff, they must save versus poison or fall ill and suffer an additional 1d6 point loss from Constitution. This loss is permanent, but can be restored by a cure disease spell.

Duties of the Priesthood

Centeotl’s priests preside over the planting and harvesting of all food crops. A great deal of their time is occupied with reading the signs of nature to determine optimum planting times. In times of famine, they must also seek out volunteers (often themselves) to perish in Centeotl’s embrace. Upon reaching 10th level, Centeotl’s priests are able to employ a pain touch. This power can be used at will to cause anyone touched to save versus paralyzation or fall writhing to the ground for 1d4 rounds

Requirements:

AB standard; AL any; WP sickle, spear; AR b; SP all, elemental, plant, weather; PW 1) create food (as 3rd level Priest), 10) pain touch; TU nil.

Ixtlilton (lesser god)

Ixtlilton, or Little Black Face, is the god of healing and medicine. He is the deity who keeps humans healthy and free from disease, or who helps them recover from disease. An impish deity of dark complexion, Ixtlilton’s touch cures all diseases, no matter how serious.

Role-playing Notes:

Ixtlilton is dedicated to relieving human disease, but no one seems to know exactly why — perhaps because he has never slowed down long enough to explain motivation. All a person need do to receive Ixtlilton’s help is be sick and pray for it. Evil beings stand a 1% chance of being visited by him, neutral beings a 10% chance, good beings a 25% chance, his worshipers a 50% chance, and his priests a 75% chance. Persons lucky enough to receive a visit from Ixtlilton seldom realize it; they simply begin getting better. Ixtlilton is too busy to send omens or portents to his worshipers.

Statistics:

AL lg; WAL good; AoC health; SY branch.

Ixtlilton’s Avatar

(priest 14)

Ixtlilton’s avatar is an impish, dark-skinned man. He can draw upon spells in the all, creation, healing, necromantic, plant, and protection spheres.

Ixtlilton’s avatars are unique in that they spend most their time on the Prime Material Plane, and can sometimes be glimpsed scurrying from house to house at a dizzying pace. Unfortunately, there are many more sick people than they can reach, which is why so many humans die of disease.

Str 18/76 Dex 15 Con 18

Int 19 Wis 19 Cha 10

MV 25 SZ 3’ MR 30%

AC 2 HD 18 HP 112

#AT 1 THAC0 3 Dmg 1d6 (staff) +4

Special Att/Def:

Ixtlilton’s avatars are immune to any form of disease or poison. Anyone hit by an avatar’s staff must save versus spells or be stunned for 1d4 rounds.

Duties of the Priesthood

Like Ixtlilton, his priests are devoted to curing the sick and spend their time seeing to the needs of the ill. They live in a temple filled with containers of black holy water. Providing the sufferer drinks nothing but this black water, he recovers 1d4 hit points per day and his Constitution is magically prevented from falling below 1 under any circumstances. Only priests of Ixtlilton can survive on such a diet for long period of time, however.

Requirements:

AB standard; AL lg; WP club; AR b; all, healing, necromantic, protection; PW 1) immunity to disease; 3) create 1 vial of black holy water per day; 10) prevent another from dying by disease (must stay with subject for one solid week); TU turn.

Aztec Heroes

Nezahualcoytl

By many accounts, Nezahualcoytl was the greatest priest-king to rule in the Valley of Mexico. He was the ruler of Texcoco, an uneasy ally of the early Aztecs. He began his early life in exile from political vengeance, then returned to power and restored the fortunes of his people. He was a just, able administrator, a capable general, and an avid astronomer. Nezahualcoytl believed in an all-powerful deity from which the power of the other gods was manifested.

Fighter 14, Priest 12

Str 17 Dex 18 Con 18

Int 17 Wis 18 Cha 16

AC 4 MR nil MV 12

HP 96 AL ng THAC0 6

#AT 2 Dmg 1d6/1d6 (sword) +1

Spells:

1) command, remove fear, detect magic, detect poison, detect snares & pits, cure light wounds; 2) enthrall, hold person, augury, know alignment, find traps; 3) locate object, speak with dead, animate dead, cure blindness or deafness, cure disease; 4) cloak of bravery, detect lie, cure serious wounds, neutralize poison; 5) cure critical wounds, raise dead; 6) find the path, heal.

Nezahualpilli

Nezahualpilli was the son of Nezahualcoytl, and was also one of the greatest priest-kings of Middle America. He was an intelligent ruler who wisely saw the necessity of making an alliance with Tenochtitlan and, therefore, saved his city-state from a terrible defeat. He was a good king and general who ruled Texcoco for many years, but he did not share his father’s interest in just administration.

Priest 14, Fighter 10

Str 18/99 Dex 18 Con 17

Int 18 Wis 16 Cha 16

AC 4 MR nil MV 12

HP 64 AL ln THAC0 9

#AT 1 Dmg 1d6 (sword) +5

Spells:

1) magical stone, shillelagh, detect magic, detect poison, detect snares & pits, create water; 2) chant, spiritual hammer, augury, detect charm, find traps, fire trap, produce flame; 3) prayer, locate object, speak with dead, flame walk, animate dead, cure disease; 4) detect lie, divination, tongues, reflecting pool, produce fire; 5) flame strike, insect plague, raise dead; 6) find the path, fire seeds; 7) holy word.

Axayacatl

A contemporary of both Nezahualcoytl and Nezahualpilli, Axayacatl was a great Aztec priest-king who led his city to many military and diplomatic victories over neighboring tribes, often with the help of his allies from Texcoco. He extended and consolidated Tenochtitlan’s domination over much of Middle America. He also suffered one of their greatest defeats when he unsuccessfully tried to invade Tarascan territory.

Fighter 12, Priest 12

Str 14 Dex 16 Con 15

Int 17 Wis 17 Cha 16

AC 6 MR nil MV 12

HP 63 AL ne THAC0 14

#AT 3/2 Dmg ld8 (sword)

Spells:

1) magical stone, shillelagh, invisibility to undead, light, faerie fire; 2) chant, spiritual hammer, aid, obscurement; 3) prayer, animate dead, cure disease, feign death, call lightning; 4) control temperature 10’ radius, protection from lightning; 5) insect plague, raise dead; 6) weather summoning.

Under Axayacatl’s reign, the religion of the Aztecs reached its full development. The great Calendar Stone, over twelve feet in diameter and weighing more than twenty tons, was carved and brought to Tenochtitlan while he ruled.

Axayacatl was an avid worshiper of the Aztec patron deity, Huitzilopochtli. Note that because of the limited number of spheres this god allows his worshipers to access, Axayacatl does not have as many spells in many levels as might otherwise be the case.

Monsters

Aztec mythology is lacking in the awesome creatures found in so many other mythol, perhaps because there were few huge beasts in Middle America. However, there are several creatures in the AD&D© game which might be suitable for use in a campaign set in this region. We suggest the following: aarakocra, bat (giant), couatl, fire lizard, fire snake, giant (hill, stone, fire), hawk, jaguar, lycanthrope (any), mountain lion, owl (talking, giant), rat (any), snake (poisonous, giant), spider (any), wasp (giant).

In addition, the goddess Metzli has the power to create some fearsome monsters by enlarging normal animals to three or four times their normal size. With a little thought, the mysterious shapes and shadows of the night which she protects might make interesting monsters as well.