THE BETRAYAL OF QUETZALCOATL
For two hundred years have the Azteca served the Spirit Warrior Empire. Many have been the battles against the KreeSara. On planet after planet the Spirit Warriors have driven back their foes until little remains of the empire of the KreeSara. Under the leadership of Quetzalcoatl, our empire has won many great victories, until we now stand on the brink of total victory against our foe. The Feathered Serpent has only recently marshalled his forces, at the behest of the others of the Huitznahua, to lead them against the home world of the KreeSara. Along with forces from the other city-states, they were transported into no-space by the priests of Yacatecutli to strike the final blow.
Not long after their departure, however, treachery struck among the Huitznahua. Tezcatlipoca, the Jaguar Lord, began to raid the city-states of the other Huitznahua, particularly Quetzaltepec. He has declared himself to be pro-tem leader of the Huitznahua during Quetzalcoatl's absence, though the Feathered Serpent had already assigned Huitzilopochtli to that role. This angered both the Hummingbird Warriors and the Storm Warriors, who lauched retaliatory strikes against the Jaguar Lord.
The time for the annual Ritual of Fire came, and the city-states sent emmisaries to one of the moons of Huahuantli to pay homage to Ixlanticutli. All save Chantico, who refused because Lord Blood Falcon - the Reverend Speaker of Cuauhtlicalli - would be officiating. The Reverend Speaker of Chantico, Lord Fierce Mountain Lion, issued dire threats against the other city-states, saying that the Jaguar Warriors would remember each and every one of those who defied them, but the others attended anyway. At the height of the ceremony, Jaguar mecha decended upon the priests and officiants and slaughtered everyone without mercy. As many of the finest Spirit Warriors are also priests to their respective deities, the massacre dealt a severe blow to the most elite warriors of the city-states. A full War of Flowers has now broken out, with the might of the Jaguar Lord pitted against that of the Hummingbird Warrior and that of the Rain God, with others of the City States taking advantage of the confusion to settle old differences and improve their own positions.
Graphic is from the Precolombian Graphic Arts Institute