Chantico

Long ago, volcanoes erupted with great frequency on Tamoachan.  Large land masses were coated with volcanic ash and lava.  Over the centuries, fierce winds plagued the world and wind erosion took its toll on the great lava fields of the continents.  Some were covered over and worn away, but others were carved by the elements.  Trenches and spires rose from the blackness and an alien landscape was created.  Eventually the winds died down, trees began sprouting, lava decomposed into fertile topsoil, and the pumice fields began growing.

When the Azteca settled Tamoachan, the followers ot Tezcatlipoca saw this green and black oddity as a paradise.  They built the city-state of Chantico to twist among the old lava spires in a state of splendor and elegance.  Its temples are scrubbed clean with pumice rock and sand each day and the factories and armories are hidden from view in the lava tunnels below.  Rainforest is cultivated within the city and large areas of greenery divide the city-state into sections.  Honor guards of mecha stand atop the highest temples each day, scanning the skies for interlopers and paying homage to the bright yellow sun Tonatiu (which they insist is but an alter ego of their lord, Tezcatlipoca).

There are four classes to this society:  nobility, warriors, the poor, and slaves.  Predictably, the poor are the largest class, followed closely by slaves, distantly followed by warriors, with just a handful of nobility in positions of power over the rest.

The nobles have houses built from great slabs of obsidian found in the quarries of the black, glass-like stone that attracted the Azteca here.  Enormous pieces are cut and sledged back to create black palaces darkly gleaming against the noonday suns.  The role of the priest here is typically filled by royalty.  The nobles justify their glorious housing by insisting they are closer to Tezcatlipoca and must be made to appear more glorious so he will deign to speak to them.  Large pyramidal temples are made from the tough, black lava surrounding the city.  Workers wear leather suits when working with these materials to avoid having their skin flayed from their bones.

Warriors are prized highly here (as elsewhere) and generally reside in areas tailored specifically for them.  Tezcatlipoca's city-state is the first to have a standing army available on a moment's notice.  This consists mostly of mecha and powersuits, but also has a half-xiquipilli of foot warriors (4,000 warriors) ready at a moment's notice.  The rest of the city-state's fighting force is volunteer or forced slave levies enlisted in time of need.

Both the poor and slaves live freely and without bondage.  The difference is that slaves must respond to the whims of their master or suffer intensely painful punishments, while the poor are able to do as they will.  On the other hand, the slave is always certain of food and lodging, for his master may be whipped in public for mistreating him.  Unfortunately, the poor don't always know where their next meal is coming from.  It is common for the hungry or destitute to voluntarily become slaves in order to avoid starvation.

Many slaves are banded into work parties to quarry the enormous obsidian fields outside the city.  This is dangerous, blistering hot work and many die in the process, but the obsidian is necessary for religious rituals, to embed in the wooden maquahuitl fighting clubs, and for building purposes.

Chantico is a city of complex political intrigue.  Advancement in rank is done both by character assassination and murder.  Trust is a word often used, but little honored, and the only people that can be counted on are one's immediate family.  It is extremely rare for family members to betray each other even in the direst of circumstances.  The concept of "blood brothers" is a strong one here and making someone a blood brother is an event of surmounting importance in an individual's life.  The society as a whole looks at the war for supremacy as a holy quest they undertake to set the affairs of the gods in their proper place.  They see themselves as absolutely righteous and correct in their efforts.  In their minds, Quetzalcoatl was a fool to trust someone outside his immediate family and deserves to die as a fool for his mistake.  They have NO guilt over their betrayal and see it as a necessary step to putting a "strong guiding hand" on the clan of the Huitznahua.

Jaguar symbolism is heavily prevalent on the mecha of these warriors due to Tezcatlipoca's namesake as the Jaguar Lord.  They also use greens and blacks as the dominant color of their mechs and powersuits in an emulation of the terrain that they live in, as well as the spotted golden brown of the ocelot pelt.  Tezcatlipoca has long been known as the most handsome and perfect of all the gods.  Because of this the Jaguar Lords take great pride in their appearance and cover their mecha with symbols depicting the courage, bravery, and physical appearance of the crewman within.

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