Yoali Ehecatl

(yoh-AH-lee eh-HEH-katl)

Yoali Ehecatl

Yoali Ehecatl is the Azteca god of the Night Wind. He is a relatively minor deity among the Huitznahua, not ranked among those leading members who rule over a city-state of their own. Instead, Lord Night Wind is the patron deity of all those who serve as spies and scouts for the Spirit Warrior Empire.

After the Covenants of War were agreed upon, Yoali Ehecatli was the individual among the Huitznahua who was initially chosen to supply power to the Hearts of Jade throughout the Spirit Warrior Empire. Not desiring to spend the next few hundred years under a pyramid, he entered into secret agreements with the other gods - in exchange for an agreement by the others selecting Xipe Totec to supply the power to the Hearts of Jade, Yoali Ehecatl agreed to give up most of his followers to the other Huitznahua, and to supply the information that he and his subjects gathered to all. Thus he would stand outside the bickerings of the others of the Huitznahua, working for the interests of the Spirit Warrior Empire as a whole. In addition, he gave up any claim to most of the technology of the Huitznahua - his warriors would be limited to light mecha and powersuits only, and even light mecha would be granted them only at the pleasure of the others of the Huitznahua. Thus, rather than having mecha designs of his own, Yoali Ehecatl relies on the other city-states to provide light mecha for those whom they tithe if and when the need arises. Finally, it was agreed that while those who are tithed to serve Yoali Ehecatl must swear an oath of allegiance to him, obedience to this oath is strictly voluntary. Thus when a warrior takes his oath to Yoali Ehecatl, he may silently repudiate it, maintaining his allegiance with his original patron. He may even wear the symbols of Yoali Ehecatl while secretly maintaining his allegiance to his original patron deity without disgrace, as he becomes in effect a priest both of his original patron deity and Yoali Ehecatl as well. In this way the others of the Huitznahua hoped to plant those loyal to themselves within Yoali Ehecatl's network of spies and scouts. Even within a single war party of Yoali Ehecatl there will likely be those who have sincerely sworn allegiance to him, and those who secretly maintain their ties to their original deity, and none in the war party can know for certain the ultimate allegiance of their fellow warriors. The only exceptions to this are those warriors tithed from the Chichimeca. The Dog People are a fierce and barbaric lot, and disdain any dependence on the Huitznahua whatsoever. A Teotleco will swear allegiance to Yoali Ehecatl for form's sake, but his primary allegiance will always be to his people first, the Empire second, and the gods third, if at all.

Yoali Ehecatl is granted a small number of servants each year from among those who join the ranks of the Spirit Warriors. The methods by which each of the city-states chooses those who will serve Yoali Ehecatl vary from city-state to city-state.

Player Characters are all chosen by their respective city-states to serve Yoali Ehecatl. Referred to as the Night Wardens, they will act as they eyes and ears of the Empire, sometimes operating in powersuits, very occasionally in light mecha supplied by their respective city-states, and frequently with only their own skills, abilities, and trusty war clubs. All tharacters start out as yaoquizque (yah-oh-KISS-kay), or novice warriors. Despite this, due to the unique and dangerous nature of their job they have all been awarded a single green feather for their war shields (this is one of the perks of service to Yoali Ehecatl - rapid advancement). One of the first tasks that the new war party will undertake will be to determine who among them will lead.