THE WORLD OF TAMOACHAN
MAP GOES HERE (eventually)
MAP GOES HERE (eventually)
Tamoachan is the former homeworld of the alien Ja-Nakath. They were defeated and destroyed by the Tolteca around 50 years prior to the selection of the Azteca. At present there are few Chichimeca on Tamoachan itself, and only one member of the Tolteca. Thus the population of the planet is, for all intents and purposes, entirely Azteca.
Tamoachan has three major continents: Centeotl, Mixtecan, and Xilonen.
Villages and towns cover both Centeotl and Mixtecan, but no people build on Xiloen. This continent is given over to one of the Huitznahua, Xipe Totec. Here, the greatest pyramid ever constructed rises from an immense plain of corn, which is neither tended nor harvested. Beneath the pyramid lives Xipe Totec, who has dedicated his existence to supplying the Spirit Warrior Empire with the energy to power their technological devices. It is the power of Xipe Totec which energizes the Hearts of Jade which power the factories, powersuits, mecha, and starships of the Spirit Warrior Empire. The power released by Xipe Totec is so strong that none may remain long on the continent and remain sane. Special ceremonies are held each year honoring Xipe Totec, but the priests must prepare for weeks in advance in order so shield themselves from such close proximity to the direct power of one of the gods.
Centeotl is the largest land mass on Tamoachan. It is also home to three of the city-states of the Azteca; Quetzaltepec, Tepeyolohtli, and Chantico. Lying astride the equatorial region of the planet, and lush with rainforests, Cenoteotl is beautiful and vital save for the man-made blight of Tepeyolohtli on the southern peninsula. The mountain ranges are mostly volcaninc and are still active.
Mixtecan, the Land of Clouds, rises from the waves and ascends to heights not reached elsewhere on the planet. Its plateaus, mountain ranges, and isolated peaks seem designed to intimidate anything as lowly as humans. Majestically they reach upwards toward the sky, blanketed year around by thick snow. The continent is a southern extension of the polar icecap. Rough and untamed, the glacier carved valleys are survivable if inhabitants are willing to take the challenge. It is here that the city-state of Cuahtlicalli rests in its mountainous roost.
The two moons, Metli and Cuautexcalan, create wild tides and powerful ocean currents. Air currents on Tamoachan are just as unstable and storm fronts are as swift here as they are turbulent. The Huitznahua seeded the planet with much of earth's flora and fauna so the Azteca would feel at home here while they trained, but some of the planet's own native ecosystem still survives, creating curiously earth-like, but still dangerously strange surroundings.
Despite the presence of starships, transport vehicles, and mecha, much of Azteca life has remained as it was before they were plucked from earth. The city-states still have no domesticated pack animals and shoulder the burden themselves when travelling short distances. Using mechanized assistance for distances shorter than 20 miles is looked upon as a sign of weakness and the merchant's position is still very important in trade from village to village.
Communication between various city-states is done via a series of "long voice" communications towers elevated high atop the various mountain ranges on the planet. These receive shorter range broadcasts and pulse them via laser either line-of-sight or to fixed orbit receivers for retransmission to their destination. While satellite coverage of the planet is complete, 'long voice" tower coverage is not, and in the hinterlands it is necessary to carry more powerful communications devices capable of direct contact with the orbiting satellites. Communication of any sort is impossible either to or from the continent of Xiloen.
The Hummingbird Warriors
The Jaguar Warriors
The Death Messengers
The Way Bringers
The Storm Warriors
The Feathered Serpents