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Introduction:
The purpose of this document is to provide players gaming the land of Sazhansiir with appropriate background material. The aim of this document is to give players enough information to allow them to play native Azotchtlans and know something about their land and the surrounding lands. This document is also suitable for non-native PCs who have managed to spend enough time in Azotchtlan Lands to acquire a familiarity with them.
This document is, in essence, a companion piece to the Sazhansiir Gazetteer, which is a DM-only document. This document, unlike the Gazetteer, contains only those items that the typical somewhat learned Azotchtlan would know. Specifically, much detail is left out of distant lands because, unlike many D&D lands, including the continent of Jerranq to the north, in Sazhansiir the humans are not the dominant species, are not settled across most or even much of the continent, and very rare is the human traveller to distant lands on Sazhansiir. Because of this, PLAYERS should realize that this is a biased document. It is full of prejudices, biases, conjecture, mythology, and downright incorrectness and fabrication. In other words, THIS IS NOT A RULE BOOK! It is what the Azotchtla believe to be true on the whole.
This document will. be added to and fleshed out as I create more of the setting or as the players discover more things. Nevertheless, someone who absorbs the content of this document even in its infancy should have a nice grounding in the setting.
Language Usage:
Most of the names used in this document and on the maps are the Okothian names for places. The Azotchtla have their own names, which are often given in the entries below, but due to the complicated makeup of Azotchtlan words and the difficulty in pronouncing them, the DM has elected to generally use the Okothian labels. However, PCs should be aware that in Azotchtla, the Azotchtlan names are almost always used. The Azotchtla know of the Okothian names and would not look down on anyone using them, but they prefer to use their own terms and labels for things.
Map:
Readers are directed to the Sazhansiir map.
Contents:
This document is divided into several parts, as follows:
Sources:
Where this document presents listings (such as classes), a sourcebook is referenced in parentheses. Refer to the chart below for the abbreviations:
|
|
|
| BoED |
Book of Exalted Deeds |
| BoNS |
Book of Nine Swords |
| BoVD |
Book of Vile Darkness |
| CA |
Complete Arcane |
| CAdv |
Complete Adventurer |
| CC |
Complete Champion |
| CD |
Complete Divine |
| City |
Cityscape |
| CM | Complete Mage |
| CP | Complete Psionic |
| CS | Complete Scoundrel |
| CW | Complete Warrior |
| DMG | Dungeon Master's Guide |
| DoF | Defenders of the Faith |
| DoU | Drow of the Underdark |
| Drac | Draconomicon |
| DrM | Dragon Magic |
| DS | Dungeonscape |
| EDP | Expedition to the Demonweb Pits |
| Epic | Epic Level Handbook |
| FaP | Faiths and Pantheons |
| FB | Frostburn |
| FCHoA | Fiendish Codex - Hordes of the Abyss |
| FCToNH | Fiendish Codex - Tyrants of the Nine Hells |
| FF | Fiend Folio |
| FRCS | Forgotten Realms Campaign Sourcebook |
| GW | Ghostwalk |
| HoB | Heroes of Battle |
| HoH | Heroes of Horror |
| LM | Libris Mortis |
| LoM | Lords of Madness |
| MHB | Miniatures Handbook |
| MM | Monster Manual |
| MM2 | Monster Manual II |
| MM3 | Monster Manual III |
| MM4 | Monster Manual IV |
| MM5 | Monster Manual V |
| MnoF | Monsters of Faerun |
| MoF | Magic of Faerun |
| MoI | Magic of Incarnum |
| MoP | Manual of the Planes |
| MoW | Masters of the Wild |
| OA | Oriental Adventures |
| PGF | Player's Guide to Faerun |
| PHB | Player's Handbook |
| PHB2 | Player's Handbook II |
| PlaH | Planar Handbook |
| PsHB | Expanded Psionics Handbook |
| RoD | Races of Destiny |
| RoDR | Races of the Dragon |
| RoF | Races of Faerun |
| RoS | Races of Stone |
| RoW | Races of the Wild |
| SaF | Sword and Fist |
| Sand | Sandstorm |
| SaS | Song and Silence |
| Saz | Sazhansiir Gazetteer |
| SK | Serpent Kingdoms |
| SS | Savage Species |
| SC | Spell Compendium |
| SW | Stormwrack |
| TaB | Tome and Blood |
| ToH | Tome of Horrors |
| UD | Underdark |
| WoL | Weapons of Legacy |
General Structure of Society:
It is important to remember how young the Azotchtlan nations truly are. With no other models to turn to, men have for the most part copied their social order from Okoth, who in turn based the ordering of his empire upon scaled one means of governance, with its emphasis on stratification and order. But since the human social condition was born out of conflict, there is an essential pragmatism to them with many avenues for social advancement available. In other words, if you are successful with important skills, the society will find a way to reward you.
There are four social classes found in all the Azotchtlan nations, though each has its particular emphasis.
Aristocracy
The Azotchtla generally believe that there are superior examples of their kind among them, who are favored by the gods with extraordinary talents, and believe that their offspring are just as likely to be blessed. The aristocratic class enjoys significant advantages over that of other people, but also must fulfill a number of obligations. Children of noble families are expected to strive for high places in society, especially as war leaders. The amount of friction between the Azotchtlan Nations with each other and the scaled ones is high, and more than a few noble families have been left without a bloodline.
As a result the most successful families regularly reach out to promising commoners, especially those that have proven themselves in battle. To them they offer alliance. Generally this takes the shape of a feudal arrangement similar to that of the Japanese hatamoto, where the commoner becomes the life-long servant of the family. He would not be considered noble himself, but his children would be, thus ennobling his bloodline. Others are offered the alliance of marriage, or sometimes even adoption. The king might even ennoble an extraordinary war leader directly, allowing him or her to found a noble family.
In addition to this social obligation, aristocrats have heavy spiritual burdens. Since they are possessed of the noblest blood, so their sacrifice is considered the most nourishing, and so they are required to make regular blood-lettings under the directions of priests. Aristocrats are also bound more tightly to the religious calendar than are the common people, who generally celebrate only the more important holidays.
Priesthood
With the exception of the theocrats of Ajiingiir, the priesthood and aristocracy are almost always separate classes. Priests and priestesses are drawn from the priestly schools, called cahuatemecs (ka-hwa-the-MEX). Parents "donate" their children to the cahuatemecs, which is an apt description, since the school and priesthood is considered their new family. Children are generally donated in their ninth summer, which makes this a genuine sacrifice, since the loss of a near-grown child is a heavy burden.
Most priestly cults work hard to promote the notion that theirs is an alternate family, and that allegiance is owed primarily to the god and its priesthood. There are as many priesthoods as there are aspects to each deity, too many to discuss in this overview.
Priests are expected to organize the society to worship their god and to live according to their precepts during times of peace, and to aid and heal warriors in times of strife. They are also expected to make regular blood offerings as well.
Military and Adventurers
Although very small in terms of numbers, this group still warrants its own place. Although the great bulk of Azotchlan armies are drawn from the peasantry, the leaders and elites are a permanent class. Most begin their training at one of the warrior cahuatemecs, which differ significantly from those of the priests. First and most important, the initiates do not surrender their families, and second, they enter much later, generally during their 12th summer. There they receive training in the skills that they will find useful as adult, with a heavy emphasis on sports and military skills.
Upon graduation they will become 1st level fighters, rangers, rogues, or scouts and will be allowed to attend any of the specialized cahuatemecs if they choose, assuming of course that they can afford to spend the time without earning a livelihood. Most young graduates enter the service of a nobleman or temple, but some prefer the adventuring life.
Those seeking fast advancement - at the risk of an early death - often join one of the free companies. Grudgingly allowed to operate in most kingdoms, the free companies are usually hired for the most dangerous of jobs, when nobles would prefer to risk their coin rather than the lives of their household troops. Many ambitious young men are willing to roll the dice, which is a good thing since the ranks always need replenishing.
The People
95% of the Azotchla are farmers and artisans. However even among these common people there is significant social regimentation. Throughout the land there are social groupings to belong to - sometimes organized around a village, sometimes around the belief of a god. Much of a man's social status is tied to his ability to join and support these tribal groups - the more exalted the group, the better.
Joining such groups usually requires heavy dues in terms of money or excess farm produce. For example, a man seeking to join a low ranking group might be required to donate a pair of goats and a barrel of beer, as well as regular dues. The groups use this wealth in a number of ways, but mostly to raise the status of its members. They sponsor feasts, assist the elderly without children and children without parents, build and repair shared resources such as wells, and so on. Many groups will also pay to send promising village youths to attend warrior cahuatemecs and so increase their martial skill.
But above all, the people are expected to provide obedience to their priests and nobles. The extraordinary among them have routes to genuine social advancement, which helps to prevent unrest.
Warfare and Conflict:
The Flowery Battle
Many of the religious rituals of the Azotchla require human sacrifice, preferably of warriors taken in battle. The constant struggle between humanity and the scaled ones provides many of the victims, but this requires a lot of good luck - not only to capture such prisoners, but to keep them alive and in good health before the ritual takes place. More importantly, many sacrifices, such as those of the God-Impersonators, require humans usually conforming to certain physical specifics. As a result the various priesthoods are in constant need of victims.
Since wars only occur occasionally and the need is constant, the Azotchla have created a number of unique customs. While they are hardly the first society to institutionalize slavery, they have added a few wrinkles. In Haasfiir owners are not allowed to physically discipline their property - instead, they submit them to special courts. Those the court finds guilty are generally given corporal punishment or must serve at particularly hard labor before being returned to their masters. However in special circumstances - or in times of special need - the courts can condemn them to the altar.
In all societies the devout may donate their slaves to the temple of their choice, often at times where an unusually large number of victims is required, such as thededication of a new temple or one of the 27-year ceremonies. Warriors and adventurers earn a great deal of status through such donations and so are often making raids on the outcasts of society. Petty criminals and the mentally ill rarely manage to survive long near any of the major urban centers.
Yet this is not always sufficient to fill the need of the yearly calendar. In the past, this caused a great deal of friction between various kingdoms, as each was encouraged by their religious beliefs to make continual war on their neighbors. But a vision came to Xochitlan the Great, ruler of Mestil-rez, which helped to reduce this tension to a minimum. His dream - said to be divinely inspired by Uemac, god of War - resulted in the custom of "Flowery Battles" that take place annually between the kingdoms.
Origins of the Flowery Battle
Xochitlan dreamed of an endless war between humans lasting until the epoch was remade, and woke up horrified by what he saw. But when he called on his astronomers to interpret the dream they put his mind at ease. Uemac, they said, demanded eternal combat between all human nations - but this could not be done if any of these nations were destroyed.
So Xochitlan contacted his fellow sovereigns and shared his vision, offering up an alternative to the constant raids and wars that poisoned relations among the Azotchtla. He suggested that war become a sort of gladiatorial combat, though on a grander scale. Battles would become very formal, with agreed upon dates and areas of operations, plus specific rules of conduct.
This does not mean that the fighting would be any less fierce, despite the constraints. Captains and war-leaders would employ all their wiles, warriors would struggle and die - within those limits the war would be as desperate as any other. Nor would it be an empty combat, by any means. Besides the large religious component, each kingdom was expected to resolve any disputes through these annual contests. Thus the Ajiingiiri managed to acquire a great deal of territory and expand their power without actively making war on their neighbors.
Strategies of the Flowery Battle
Any nation may challenge another to a Flowery Battle, and this challenge cannot be refused. These contests always take place during the interstitial part of the year (the last 4 days of the calendar) and can contain any number of combatants. Every nation is expected to issue at least one challenge. A nation that chooses not to challenge another with which they have an outstanding issue loses prestige until eventually they lose by default.
As can be imagined there is a lot of strategy to be considered by the various princes and potentates. Whom do they challenge? Do they commit large numbers of forces? Do they concede one Flowery Battle to better concentrate on another? Secret agreements, sudden shifts of allegiance - all the strategems of politics are employed.
Those actually fighting the Flowery Battles are almost always volunteers. Those who seek to gain merit through combat, such as the priests and worshippers of Uemac, are natural constituents. Mercenary companies looking to earn a rich paycheck or acquire a reputation are also found, plus those who are motivated by civic duty or the thrill of the fight.
However sometimes kingdoms wish to fight a Flowery Battle with as little loss as possible and employ a large number of slaves. Their opponents are generally only too happy to take advantage of the inexperience of the untrained to take them prisoners, leaving the fighting force of their opponents unmolested. This tactic may be employed by a beleaguered group who concede one battle to increase their odds of winning another. No rational kingdom would want to gain a reputation as pushovers in this sort of contest.
Customs of the Flowery Battle
How the combatants treat the combat and their opponents varies according to the degree of animosity between the sides. Generally the event is treated with all the solemn ritual of chivalry, with honorable behavior the goal, especially since there are many spectators on hand as witnesses.
When this is the case the two sides will meet at a specific time and place and engage in a set of shared formalities, including a period of individual display followed by the hakka, or group dance. The two sides come out and greet each other with a specific dance, and then those warriors who wish to begin to shout out their accomplishments, real and imagined. Those who do so enhance or maintain their status - if a veteran warrior were to hold back his reputation would be greatly diminished.
This also provides combatants on the other side with a general idea of the experience of their opponents, so that they may match up honorably. Xipuetchlatli, the slayer of a massive girallon and veteran of half a dozen Flowery Battles is unlikely to fight with Palanke, who's killed nothing but rabbits.
Sometimes this period of brag will be interrupted by a direct challenge. Let's imagine that Xipuetchlatli was declaiming his accomplishments when Palanke chose to belittle him, shouting him down as a liar and braggart. Xipuetchlatli might immediately challenge the gadfly to single combat or he might prefer to let him off with a sneer - and seek him out during the Flowery Battle. In either case, Palanke is playing with fire.
Once this is over the two groups then engage in the hakka, an aggressive group dance. Warriors will often point out an opponent on the other side, in effect challenging them to fight during the general melee. This is another opportunity for the warriors to size up the other side, judging them by the quality of their equipment, dress and the number of retainers, if any, that dance near them.
Warriors who have success in battle are given the right to wear certain objects, hairstyles or manners of dress that reflects their status. Someone who has taken a prisoner in one of the Flowery Battles might be allowed to wear a blue feather in his headdress, for example - the type and number of these badges is quite large and too involved to discuss here. Suffice to say that these are well known to all participants and serve as another means by which opponents size up one another.
Once these rituals are complete the combat begins. Since the object of the Flowery Battles is to seize live prisoners, the weapons used are often blunt melee weapons, and generally aim for non-lethal damage. The very aggressive might even go unarmed, hoping to subdue their enemy by wrestling.
The combat is adjudicated by priests of Uemac from cities that are not part of the Flowery Battle, who serve as referees of sorts. They record the names of those who were particularly valorous or cowardly, and halt the combat once an agreed upon number of men are killed or captured.
But all this is for the chivalric combats. Sometimes the Flowery Battles are fought where honour is secondary to victory. In this case the two sides agree only to show up in a certain area - after that all manner of combat is considered fair. Ambush, ranged weapons, even the use of magic are all reasonable, and the combat is not considered done until one side concedes.
Total War
The visions granted to Xochitlan by Uemac have provided a way for the Azotchla to meet their religious obligations and resolve otherwise intractable disputes short of total war. The Flowery Battle allows the various societies to struggle without directly involving the civilian population, which has helped lead humans into prosperity.
But the Azotchla were birthed from war and it is still a major part of their lives and pursuits, especially in Mestil-rez, the kingdom on the marches. They constantly seek to expand their borders at the expense of the scaled ones and so are regularly warring with them. Their military might is often bolstered by nobles of other societies engaged in errantry.
And while the Flowery Battles are intended to resolve disputes between kingdoms, there can occur an insult or threat so grave that total war is seen as the only solution. There have been two such wars since Xochitlan's vision, both initiated by the aggressive Ajiingiiri.
Ajiingiir vs. Haasfiir
The first occurred in the second regency after the healing of the sun, when King Ixiochitli - inspired (or controlled) by his high priest - declared that the kingdom of Haasfiir was apostate and demanded that they make the worship of Oromoxco primary. The philosophy of Haasfiir has always looked backwards to their golden age and its "immutable principles." Since one of these was that all gods were to be held in high esteem, they refused Ajiingiir's demands. King Ixiochitli declared a holy war bent on their conquest and submission.
With a large, disciplined army filled with righteous fanaticism, Ixiochitli could be confident. Moreover, the hidebound Haasfiiri were hampered by their old-fashioned and predictable arms and tactics. Things looked rosy for the Army of Light.
But after they confidently marched over the mountains to begin their campaign of punishment they were surprised to see that the forces of Haasfiir had been reinforced by contingents from every single other kingdom. Even the craftsmen of Assinmiir contributed by paying the fierce Couatl Champions mercenary band to join the fight. Every noble could see that they would eventually be declared heretical by the fanatic Ajiingiiri, and so were determined to stop them here.
Stop them they did. The high priest was slain, the king captured for the altar, and his heir and battle standards seized by the various contingents. But victory is often the solvent that dissolves alliances, and the factions fell into dispute. While the allied nations wanted the Ajiingiiri to be checked, none of them wanted to see them fall into chaos. After much discussion it was agreed to allow Ixiochitli's heir and a sizable contingent of his nobles and army - and most importantly, his battle standards - to return home unharmed in return for important concessions.
Ixiochitli's son, Nezahualcoyotl, declared upon his return that his standards would never be raised again in a war to assert Oromoxco's absolute primacy, a simple statement with many far-reaching effects. Many within the kingdom were pleased that they would no longer use the blunt instrument of force as a means of conversion - especially when it had such disastrous results. But the priesthood of Oromoxco were deeply disturbed - until they noted a loophole of sorts. Should the noble house that Nezahualcoyotl belonged to fall out of the kingship, their standards would not lead the Ajiingiiri armies. As a result the most fanatical branch of the priesthood has an incentive to see his house fall.
Ajiingiir vs. Kreenzen
Some ten years later Nezahualcoyotl - now King Nezahualcoyotl - embarked in a campaign against Kreenzen. The ostensible reason for this was remarks allegedly made by important nobles of Kreenzen asserting that the Ajiingiiri king had behaved in a cowardly manner in the war against Haasfiir. The real reason for the dispute was a small but rich city-state near the border of the two countries whose ruler had recently disavowed the primacy of Oromoxco and was making overtures to join the neighboring kingdom.
Sounding the horn of warning against Ajiingiiri aggression, the Kreenzeni attempted to recreate the grand alliance that so successfully defeated Nezahualcoyotl's father. But the moral issue here was far cloudier, and Nezahualcoyotl's ambitions far more limited, and so the response was lukewarm. Still, fear of the militant kingdom was enough to bring substantial reinforcement.
The two armies maneuvered and fought a series of inconclusive skirmishes and engagements. Nezahualcoyotl was held back by the need to keep his line of communications open, and his opponent Tecpanec by the uncertainty of the commitment of his allies. After two months of marches and counter-marches, sieges begun and hastily abandoned, the season for campaigning was drawing to an end. So the priests of Uemac, present in both armies, brokered an unusual agreement: to resolve the war with a rather grand version of the Flowery Battle.
Each side was to choose warriors equal to ninety-nine 9's, who were to fight over nine consecutive days with the winner to be the side that had the largest number of survivors at the end. To the shock and delight of all, Nezahualcoyotl himself took the field as one of his side's champions. The resulting Flowery Battle was one of the great chivalric events of the Azotchla, who to this day honour the descendants of those who participated, no matter the outcome. In the end, witnessed by the armies of both sides, the discipline and fanaticism of the Ajiingiiri was sufficient to win.
Nezahualcoyotl showed great wisdom in victory. While the noble who started the dispute met a particularly messy end on the altar, he allowed that noble's daughter and heir to inherit rulership of the city-state. To her he married one of his sons, solidifying his position there.
But his greatest achievement was prestige. By personally engaging in battle he won the everlasting respect of the followers of Uemac and indeed anyone who wields weapons. He also raised his standing within the church of Oromoxco by risking his life to resolve what was seen as a great insult to the worship of the Lord of the Sun, quieting all but the fiercest of monotheists among them.
Battle Standards
Distinguishing features of every noble house - and even of some of the greater mercenary companies - are their battle standards. The presence of these important symbols in so many combats has imbued them with tremendous manatlan, to the point where they become sacred or magical objects in and of themselves.
Defense of these standards is a major objective in any combat since their capture can seriously demoralize those it belongs to.
Standards are housed in special protective containers and are usually assigned a contingent of guards whose sole responsibility is their protection. Usually drawn from the most loyal retainers a house may have, these guards are charged with protecting the standards regardless of the way a battle is going, and they are expected to leave when things look bleak. Since a noble house's status is in large part dependant on the number and power of their standards, their possession is all-important.
Enslavement:
In ancient times, the Azotchtlan lands were a paradise before the evil came to it. The humans were there and dwelt in the same lands as they do now, and walked with the gods and dwelt in peace. The Children of the Mishtai did not exist then, for in the lore of races they are a youngling people.
But then, many thousands of years ago, there came to this land the evil lord of corruption and decay, whose name in his own perverted tongue is called Kyuss. And with Kyuss came his minions, the first of the scaled ones, whom are called the Progenitors. The Progenitors were of four species, the lizard-like sarrukh, who were the great magicians and lorists of the Progenitors. The ha-nagas, who were the most powerful of the Progenitors, fell in lore and mighty of flesh and sinew. The addasska, who were so horrific as to be indescribable or, rather, variously described but in all cases called anathema, for they are abhorrent to the very sun and sky and earth. And finally there were the mishtai, who were borne of the evil of Kyuss but rebelled against him.
These Progenitors, who were small in number, bred by means of their foul lore and the support of their master, all of the scaled ones who harry the Azotchtla to this day. For the Progenitors took humans from their paradise and experimented upon them and made from them or copied from them the nagas and yuan-ti and other scaled abominations that are here to this day. And when they had bred enough of their kind they came and enslaved all of the humans, for when Kyuss came to Sazhansiir, the gods left off walking in the lands and removed themselves to the heavens and to the Place of Dust.
And all of the humans were taken by the scaled ones and toiled for countless years in misery and in chains of steel and shackles of iron, to serve in the mines of the yuan-ti or as subjects for experimentation and torture in the projects of the scaled ones.
The Children of the Mishtai
While the other Progenitor races sought to breed reptiles with humans simply to strengthen and diversify the reptilian strengths of the scaled ones, the mishtai were not so taken by the evil of Kyuss, though he had created them.
The mishtai noted that the other Progenitors sought to mold reptilian natures to human-like forms, while the mishtai believed that a more perfect marriage of the two natures would result in a more perfect being. And so the mishtai studied their human slaves, not to dissect them to but try to actually understand the human condition, full of emotions and passion and conscience. And they decided that emotions such as love were not weaknesses to be discarded, but potential strengths to be merged with some of the better qualities of reptile-kind. Using their lore, they attempted to breed a race that they determined was the "perfection of form", the perfect balance of reptile and human.
In order to achieve this balance, the mishtai used a power they had discovered during their wanderings in the heavens. There, they learned that the souls of all beings that have them, including those of the unborn, resonate across the heavens as a a pebble dropped in a still pool of water or a string plucked on an instrument, and that this music could be tapped and composed into a source of magic, which they named the incarnum. They hoped to use this source to weave together the warring natures between the human portion and the reptile portion and create the perfect marriage of the two.
Two of these new beings were created, a female named Rilkan and a male named Skarn. Into their essences were infused raw incarnum, and the mishtai waited…and hoped.
Unfortunately, the incarnum proved to be too unstable to serve the purpose intended by the mishtai, for extremes of emotion seemed to attract the incarnum, which then stoked such emotions higher, resulting in a still more emotions to attract still more incarnum. It looked as if the two beings were likely to rip themselves apart mentally and spiritually.
But as the mishtai were beginning to despair of their hopes, and preparing to discard their experiment, something amazing happened.
The human nature of the two hybrids prevailed over their reptilian nature, to a degree not contemplated by the mishtai. Human emotions and passion seemed to be better suited handle the incarnum, and as a result, the human portion of the new race took over. But the incarnum magnified what was best in each of the humans.
The human from whom Rilkan was formed was a free spirit, a lover of song and merriment, and a dancer and singer for her slave sept. The incarnum heightened this attribute in her.
Conversely, Skarn was a proud though introverted warrior, a gladiator who fought in the slave pits at the behest of his serpentine masters. The incarnum heightened this attribute in him.
The two also had physical differences, again reflecting the human side of their natures. Rilkan reflected her reptilian heritage in the form of brightly coloured scales on the forearms and neck. Skarn reflected his reptilian heritage in the form of spines protruding from the forearms, calves, and upper back.
The mishtai bred the two and the result of the breeding was the birth of either more specimens like Rilkan or more like Skarn. In fact, it quickly became apparent that they had created not one, but two new races. As time went on, these races were named after the first of their kind, and called the rilkans and skarns respectively.
For a time, the mishtai experiment and development of the rilkans and skarns was hidden from the other Progenitors. But when they finally learned of it, they were wroth, for here was an abomination in their eyes, as the mishtai had perverted the essence of reptilian nature and subjugated it to human nature and emotion.
Nevertheless, the mishtai were one of the Progenitor races and blessed of Kyuss, and so though the other Progenitors despised them because of the new races, they took no immediate action against them.
The mishtai led their progeny to the northeastern coast of Sazhansiir, where they founded the nations of Inrenzeer and Hurlotzin. Inrenzeer was inhabited by the skarns, and the Hurlotzin Lands were inhabited by the rilkans. There the Children of the Mishtai dwelt in peace for a time, despised by their scaled brethren, but left to their own devices to dwell in peace, until the humans revolted.
During the golden age of the skarn and rilkan nations, the two races came to the attention of a strange race called the dusklings, who claim they had come from the heavens but were fleeing a great evil that had overtaken their homeland. The dusklings had long ago discovered incarnum, and had learned to shape it into a form of magic. They also learned how certain energy points on the bodies of all living creatures, called chakras, were used to anchor one's own soul to one's body, and that these points could be used to heighten incarnum magic.
The dusklings said that they had wandered the heavens for many years seeking a new home before they noticed a great gathering of incarnum being drawn to the lands of the skarns and rilkans. Intrigued, they sent scouts to the two nations and learned of the presence of the skarns and rilkans and how they were related to the incarnum.
The dusklings were overjoyed, for here were potential allies and kindred spirits who seemed to have an affinity for incarnum, indeed it imbued their very natures, but had no idea how to shape it and wield it like magic. And so the dusklings parleyed with the Children of Mishtai and formed a bargain. The dusklings could dwell amongst them in exchange for teaching them how to wield incarnum.
Quickly, the two races learned the duskling ways and became great wielders of incarnum, even in many ways surpassing the lore of their teachers after a time.
The Human Revolt
The tale of the revolt of the humans against their serpent masters is also the tale of the formation of the Blasted Lands. In this revolt, the heart of the great Serpent Empire was destroyed and the humans gained their freedom, fleeing to the northwest where they eventually founded what are today the nations of Assinmiir, Haasfiir, Kreenzen, Ajjiingiir, Irin, and Mestil-rez, as well as the remnant of Fezen-tir. The twin nations of the Children of the Mishtai were also destroyed, and the skarns and rilkans were scattered over the lands as refugees, eventually settling in the human kingdoms.
The revolt began with the sarrukh Okoth. All of the sarrukh were explorers and inventors and tinkerers. Innately curious with a desire to understand their environment so as to better dominate it, bend it to their will, and eventually change it to their liking.
But Okoth was somewhat different. His longing for knowledge caused him to look heavenward, not just to the stars and sun and moon, but past it, to the heavens beyond.
In so doing, Okoth was touched by the hand of the gods and he matured, escaping the bonds of his evil, reptilian nature and suddenly marveling in the very existence of existence itself. Such rapture and self-discovery was anathema to the other Progenitors, and so Okoth became more and more isolated and withdrawn from the other sarrukh, instead spending his time wandering the heavens, speaking with other beings, and learning about good and evil, right and wrong, and love and hate.
This realization led him to understand what had motivated the mishtai, transforming his hatred of them into empathy. And so Okoth began to whisper and preach his newfound beliefs to others. The yuan-ti would hear none of it, so inbred with hatred as they were. But there were three Nagim (or naga families) that were swayed by his words and began to heed his call for a change. These families were Nagim Ssendim, Nagim Q'erissna, and Nagim Y'rossi.
With these three Nagim allied with him, Okoth repaired to the northwest of the continent where the humans once dwelt, to create his own kingdom separate from the vile ways of the other Progenitors. And for a long while the other Progenitors let Okoth be, for unlike the mishtai, he had not perverted the physical form or spiritual essence of his minions, and they felt that these Nagim would eventually tire of "playing at human" and come back to the fold. Being unaltered reptiles, it was only a matter of time before their true natures would reassert.
But the truth of this belief would never be known, for Okoth and his Nagim had brought their human slaves with them, and unlike the other Progenitors, they actually cared for their charges, treating them well and eventually arming them and teaching them crafts and trades, including the arts of warfare. Okoth also bred new serpents to inhabit his realms, including the couatl.
Over many years, the humans of Okoth grew numerous and learned and puissant, and they became determined to free their brethren still enslaved by the Progenitors. So they began to infiltrate themselves back into the human slave populations, whispering to the slaves tales of a better life and a better future for their children, if only they would cast off the yoke of the serpents. Secretly, they taught these slaves how to fight, and how to protect themselves from the scaled ones, and abjured them to teach their offspring, waiting for the day when the free humans would come for them.
That day came when an Okothian human named Tlaloc was told by the gods that the time was right for revolt and that he was the chosen one. The slaves of the yuan-ti were growing restive waiting for their time to burst asunder their chains, and this restiveness caused the yuan-ti to increase their subjugation and cruelty, until rumours began to surface that some of the yuan-ti were considering wiping out their human slaves altogether and turning to more reptilian minions.
Tlaloc gathered to him a great force of Okothian humans, and despite the urgings of Okoth himself not to march on the other Progenitors, the great warleader would not be stopped, for the will of the gods was within him!
Initially Tlaloc had great success against the stunned scaled ones. Meanwhile, the slaves rose up at once and began to fight against their masters. Assaulted from without and within, the scaled ones were caught off balance and thrown reeling. But the humans had little magic, for they did not have the mystic bloodline to practice sorcery and could not wield incarnum as we could. Indeed, the humans had just started to relearn how to properly worship the gods, for they were forbidden to do so during their captivity, and so few humans had the blessings of the gods at their call.
And so, serpent magic began to take its toll, and the forces of the scaled ones rallied and then began to beat back the humans. They started first with their own slaves, while fighting a holding action against Tlaloc. Then, with the slaves destroyed or cowed, they launched an attack against the human warleader, while simultaneously marching on the mishtai and their Children, the skarns and rilkans, for they linked the human rebellion to Okoth, and blamed Okoth's epiphany on the mishtai.
Taken by surprise, the mishtai were slain or dispersed. They had never been stout of body or might in magicks or battle, for they were thoughtful and philosophical. Inrenzeer, Hurlotzin, and Harrasivin were slain for certain, but Klashkaln's fate is debated by many. Some say she was slain with the other mishtai. Others say she fled and hid in the darkest corners of the netherworld. A few, even suggest that she aided Okoth in finding the creation cysts, though this is not true.
Still, the might of the mishtai, coupled with incarnum magic, reaped a toll of the evil Progenitors. Both the sarrukh Sseth and the addasska Arrasspiss were laid low by the mishtai and their children, ere they fell.
With their leaders slain or missing, the rilkans and skarns fought on as valiantly as they could, but the might and fury of the scaled ones were such that the two nations were overrun. Their cities were cast into ruins and poison and acid sprayed over their fields. Many of the Children of the Mishtai were slain, despite their incarnum abilities, and those that survived fled to Okoth.
Meanwhile, the two scaled one armies now met Tlaloc on the field of battle, and it was the Okothian humans who began to suffer. But as the yuan-ti and naga forces closed in on the humans, aid arrived as Okoth himself took pity on Tlaloc and threw in his lot against the scaled ones. An army of the three Okothian Nagim, as well as legions of couatl and Okoth himself marched against the evil scaled legions and fought the Battle of Tir. The Okothian forces managed to pierce the ring of yuan-ti closing around Tlaloc's army, allowing many of the humans there to escape and join the Okothian lines.
The two sides now paused as they gathered their forces for a decisive battle. The Okothians were outnumbered at least five to one by sheer numbers, not to mention magical and physical might. Nevertheless, they managed to repel wave after wave of assaults, performing deeds beyond their numbers, with the survivors of the Children of the Mishtai aiding them. Until finally Kyuss himself deigned to enter the fray.
And so things looked bleak for Okoth and the humans. But they looked bleaker still when Okoth fled the field, of a sudden and with no warning at all. The dismay was palpable and the spirit of Uemac fled from the Okothians, but still they fought on, as the forces of Kyuss came at them.
Now the Okothian lines bent and buckled and finally began to break, despite the heroic sacrifice of hundreds if not thousands of couatls and goodly nagas. One family of Nagim, the family Ssendim, routed entirely, fleeing the field over the course of a single nightfall and have never been heard from since.
As the Okothians began to disperse and flee to the north, Okoth finally reappeared. He bore a strange metal box and within the box were three adamantine orbs. Okoth explained that these orbs contained creation cysts, perfectly balanced spheres of raw light and darkness left over from the creation of the world. These cysts were small in size, but contained within them immense power.
He did not say where he found them; though we now know that the gods themselves presented it to him after testing his virtue and sincerity. Okoth explained that if the orbs were activated, by introducing a small measure of either light or dark energy, the balance of the cyst would be overcome and the resulting energy imbalance would initiate an explosion beyond anything the world had ever seen.
Okoth announced that he intended to use one of these spheres to destroy Kyuss and his armies. Once done, his hope was that his remaining forces could fight and prevail against the surviving scaled ones.
Of course, Okoth had to somehow activate the device in such a fashion that Kyuss' armies would be destroyed, while the Okothians remained mostly intact. Further, Okoth had no desire to destroy his own kingdom or the surrounding lands. Far better, he thought, to destroy Kyuss' own empire to the southeast.
So Okoth asked for volunteers from his army. These would march with him south into the heart of Kyuss' kingdom, hopefully drawing the bulk of the Corrupt One’s armies and the Corrupt One himself back with him. When as many forces as possible had returned south to deal with Okoth, he would activate one of the creation cysts.
This hope rejuvenated the Okothians, and the army rallied around its leader. All knew that activation of the cyst meant the death of Okoth, but they also knew that only Okoth could keep possession of the device long enough to ensure the deaths of as many of Kyuss' minions as possible before finally activating it.
And so volunteers were called. And to the pride of all, too many Okothians volunteered to take part in the suicide mission. So Okoth instead took most of the Nagim and couatls left to him, along with several legions of humans, and instructed the rest to melt back into the jungles, as if in disarray, so that it would appear that the last cohesive remnant of the Okothian army was marching south.
Okoth's plan worked, to a point. They did march south, using magic and guile, and pierced the heart of the Scaled Kingdom. Kyuss himself turned the bulk of his armies to pursue them, knowing that they would be caught between him and the ocean, with nowhere to run.
But somehow the Corrupt One must have divined Okoth’s plan, for he managed to survive, though in doing so, he imprisoned himself in his fortress deep in the heart of the great mountain Tyr. Most of that mountain was turned to ash but the core of it remained protected by Kyuss’ wardings, and is now called Tyrmannion. Some say that Kyuss is not imprisoned so much as fearful to leave his fortress lest one of the remaining creation cysts be detonated and slay him utterly. But it is known that Kyuss has never left Tyrmannion since the blast.
Kyuss’ armies didn't fare so well.
The entire civilization of the scaled ones was wiped out. And most of the yuan-ti and nagas were obliterated, both the armies that had followed Okoth back to the south, and the scaled ones that had stayed behind to man the kingdom. All were dead. A good portion of the remaining Progenitors were also slain, or so we believe as many of them known to us were never heard of or seen after the blast.
The Okothians to the north felt and saw the blast, and prayed Okoth had been successful. Tlaloc now led his armies out of the jungle and attacked the confused and demoralized scaled ones. Fearing Kyuss had perished in the blast, the scaled ones routed the field of battle and fled back to take stock of their blasted homeland.
The humans had won.
The Okothian Empire
Okoth, knowing he was going to perish in the blast of the creation cyst, had bequeathed his lands to Tlaloc. The goodly sarrukh knew that most of his loyal Nagim and couatls had perished during the fighting, and that now it was time for humans to ascend to rulership of their rightful ancient lands, as was the will of Oromoxco. Into Tlaloc's hands he entrusted the remaining two creation cysts, warning him that they were better kept as a threat in being than used, for once used, even wisely, they could never be replaced.
Tlaloc returned his people to the northwest and declared himself ruler of Okoth.
The scaled ones realized they could never rebuild their glorious kingdom as long as the cysts remained, for one or both could be used to decimate them yet again. In fact, the scaled ones could never even raise a great army again, for fear of the same.
And so, Sazhansiir settled into the secret war between the humans and scaled ones that we have today.
Tlaloc claimed the entirety of the lands of Okoth, also annexing portions of the Hissing Coast, and Upper and Lower Valast. When he passed away, his heirs ruled in his stead, and for centuries, Okoth persisted. The scaled ones were always a constant menace, but never on a scale that could threaten the Empire.
Nevertheless, the descendants of Tlaloc began to worry about their future. For they realized that the scaled ones possessed magic, while they had none. True, they began to learn to properly honour the gods and to give to them the manatlan, and so had access to clerical magic. But how could they stand against scaled ones armed with sorcery, and their own dark magic granted by Kyuss, and even strange mind powers? While the Okothians did have the creation cysts, those were only to be used in cases of dire life or death threats. But without magic of their own, such threats would be more numerous and the temptation to use the cysts much stronger.
So the Emperor Xazinichtl commanded his sages find a magic power that they could wield themselves against the scaled ones. For a time these sages turned to incarnum, for the Children of Mishtai lived amongst them and wielded incarnum. Indeed, already some of the azurins were being born to human parents due to the presence of incarnum magic wielded by the few rilkans and skarns that were left. But normal humans had great difficulty in manifesting incarnum and binding their chakras. As time went on Emperor Xazinichtl became more and more impatient with his sages, and he began to punish those who failed to devise a new magic.
Finally, one sage, Pe'ethilti, came bearing a power that he had found that humans could wield with some regularity. Emperor Xazinichtl was overjoyed, and immediately promoted Pe'ethilti to Grand Vizier. The only catch was that this magic required one to surrender bits of one's soul to certain extraplanar entities who, to this day, remain hidden and unknown. What was apparent, though, was that these entities and their power were steeped in evil.
Emperor Xazinichtl didn't care. He was certain that the evil of the new power, the tapping of eldritch might by a discipline called azzunatlan (warlocks), could be controlled and harnessed by the Okothians and made to serve them as a tool against the scaled ones.
And so cadres, regiments, and then legions of warlocks began to be trained by the Empire. And they proved their worth in battle against the scaled ones, their eldritch blasts littering the battlefield with scaled corpses. But the power also corrupted the hearts and souls of the warlocks, and they became, as a group, wicked and evil.
Other emperors after Xazinichtl were less obsessed with obtaining and wielding a magical counter to the scaled ones, and when it became apparent that the warlocks were themselves starting to become a greater threat to the Empire than the scaled ones, the Emperors began to distrust the warlocks, often sending them to far flung districts to fight meaningless battles against the scaled ones in the hopes that they would perish or at least sate their lust for violence.
But when, during the reign of Emperor Hazanichta III, a disgruntled warlock slew his favoured consort with an eldritch blast during a processional, warlocks were declared outlawed, and anyone found practicing the discipline was to be put to death.
The warlocks immediately struck back, gathering troops loyal to them in an attempt to lay claim to the throne. These were led by Fezen the Dark, who laid waste to most of Valast and marched his forces across Mestil Pass and towards the Emperor's Palace in present day Assinmiir.
By this time, many of the nobles of the Empire had tired of the Emperor and his heavy handed rule, and they refused to support the Emperor against the warlocks until he had agreed to pledge them autonomy and their own lands. To this the Emperor agreed, and the combined forces wrecked the warlock army, sending them back to Fezen-tir. The Emperor, determined to punish Fezen and his warlocks once and for all, then marched his forces into Valast and south towards Fezen-tir. Those forces granted to him by his nobles refused to press further, not wanting to cede control of their armies so far from home in the worry that the Emperor would use them badly and then return to claim control of the Empire once again. The Emperor, however, had nothing short of revenge on his mind and plunged with his own forces into Fezen-tir. The warlocks were able to resist the now depleted forces, and what should have been a mopping up campaign became a hard fought war, in which the Emperor prevailed, but at great cost in men and material. As such, the Emperor was not in a position to grasp back the rebellious fiefdoms. But fed a continual stream of untruths by his advisors, who convinced him the Fezen campaign had been a walk-through and that his army was mightier than ever as Fezen soldiers flocked to his banner, he declared his reneging of his grant of autonomy of the nobles.
The nobles immediately marched on the City of Feathers, and while the Feather Legion held off the attackers, Hazanichta III continually looked to the horizon for the arrival of his mighty legions. When the battered remnant of his armies finally arrived, they took stock of the situation and immediately joined in with the nobles besieging the city.
Still Hazanichta III would not surrender, sure to the last that more of his legions were coming. Finally, after a siege of almost two years, the combined armies assaulted the city, laying it in ruins. The Emperor was slain, and the Empire founded by the rebellious sarrukh Okoth was no more.
Present Day
The Empire split into kingdoms, which exist to this day. Fezen-tir is a remnant of its former glory as a district of the Empire of Okoth. It still maintains a tradition of warlock practice, and is known as a land ruled by cruel despots who practice their dark magic and oppress the populace. However, that land is under constant pressure from the scaled ones, and Fezen-tir has never regained its previous might.
The northwest portion of the continent contains the human lands, divided into various kingdoms. Interspersed with these humans are the descendants of the Children of the Mishtai, the skarns and rilkans. Dusklings also dwell in these kingdoms, rare and reclusive. Many dusklings, after the sack of their adopted lands by the scaled ones, fled back to the netherworld, but some remained, convinced that Sazhansiir was no more dangerous than the heavens. Finally, the remnants of the goodly scaled servants of Okoth still dwell there, including couatls and good nagas.
The southern and eastern portions are dominated by wastes and blasted lands. The Fellen Wastes are desolate and are inhabited by hardy animals, creatures, and dinosaurs.
The Blasted Lands are, of course, what remains of the once glorious serpent civilization destroyed by the creation cyst. Today these lands are poisonous and haunted by horrific creatures.
The central portion of the continent is dominated by massive jungles and mighty mountain ranges. The jungles are currently the home of the serpent folk, now largely dominated by the yuan-ti. However, while these creatures are indeed the dominant power in these regions, their influence is subtle, for they cannot gather together in mighty nations or large numbers lest they succumb to another creation cyst blast. And so, instead, yuan-ti outposts, towns, and hidden dwellings pepper these jungle regions. Many of these are underground, especially the larger habitations. Here, the yuan-ti plot to find some way to regain their supremacy of the continent, and exact revenge on the humans.. From here they also conduct raids against the human kingdoms, as well as infiltrate them using their ability to pass as humans.
These jungles are also rife with a menagerie of creatures, normal and dangerous, including many of what the yuan-ti call the Thoughtless.
The mountain ranges, being colder in climate, are less frequented by the serpent folk. Instead, various entities and races native to Sazhansiir dwell here, including the goliaths. The mountains of Sazhansiir are fairly active with volcanism, and as such various fiery and lava-based creatures also dwell in the mountainous highlands.
Finally, the northern coastlands are inhabited by many of the Slave Races created by the Progenitors. These are semi-independent organizations of lizard men, sivs, and ophidians who are not directly under the sway of the yuan-ti, but pay tribute to them or serve them to varying extents. When not being directly manipulated by the yuan-ti, these races can vary wildly in their dealings with the human kingdoms, from alliance to trade to outright hostility.
AZOTCHTLAN CALENDAR AND TIMELINE
Calendar:
The Azotchtlan calendar is composed of 18 months of 20 days each, which adds up to 360 days. This is not an error - there is an end period of four days. This time is known as the Sacred Time and is considered very unlucky. New ventures are strongly discouraged, as is traveling, and children born during this period are looked at as ill-omened. Most people spend their time engaged in purification rituals, which also has the side benefit of preparing for the celebration of the New Year.
The months of the calendar are named after the gods of the Azotchtla, except that 3 deities are not so honoured.
Tlatelcuitli is not honoured because death can come at all seasons and the god is above the notice of such honour.
Huitznuahac is not honoured because he tricked himself out of the naming of a month when it was time to draw lots.
Tonantzin is not named because her worship is forbidden and secret.
The months and their corresponding seasons (and a real life approximation) are:
Oromoxcoinatl - summer (July 16-August
4)
Uemacinatl - summer (August 5-August 24)
Qualpopocoinatl - summer/autumn (August 25-September 13)
Matlalceuitlinatl - autumn (September 14-October 3)
Yenotchuatlinatl - autumn (October 4-October 23)
Ometeotlinatl - autumn (October 24-November 12)
Xbalanqueinatl - autumn/winter (November 13-December 2)
Coatlicueinatl - winter (December 3-December 22)
Hitzenaxopoinatl - winter (December 23-January 12)
Iximitchli-inatl - winter (January 13-February 1)
Acheuanoptli-inatl - winter (February 2-February 21)
Poyahuatlainatl - winter/spring (February 22-March 13)
Ixchelinatl - spring (March 14-April 2)
Itzcoatlinatl - spring (April 3-April 22)
Quihuatametlinatl - spring (April 23-May 12)
Chalchihuitlicueinatl - spring (May 13-June 1)
Hunahpuinatl - summer (June 2-June 21)
Mechinahcatlinatl -summer (June 22-July 11)
Sacred Time - summer (July 12-July 15)
Timeline:
The dating system used by the Azotchtla is markedly different from the dating system used by the Jerranqi or Morakki. The Azotchtla divide history into ages, of which to their reckoning there have been three:
1. The Age of Captivity
2. The Age of Okoth
3. The Age of the Azotchtla
The Azotchtla reckoning is based around that singular event of the history of the continent, the creation cyst blast. This date is known as the Day of Creation (despite the fact that it was a highly destructive act) and considered the beginning of the yearly reckoning. Clearly, the Okothians and their human allies used a more ancient reckoning before that time, likely Okoth himself preserved the ancient Slith reckoning of years, but that system has been largely abandoned by the Azotchtla. The Okothian Empire under the descendants of Tlaloc used a reckoning that began in the year 1611 B.C., the year Okoth founded his new kingdom.
As such, years are noted as AC and BC, which mean "After Creation" and "Before Creation" respectively. The year of the blast is called the Year of Creation and is reckoned as a "year zero" (unlike our real-world reckoning).
The timeline presents the Jerranqi equivalent reckonings (in parentheses). While no Azotchtlan would know of this frame of reference, characters from Jerranq would be able to work back through Azotchtlan history from the present day and get a good idea of the Jerranqi equivalent dates.
Pre History:
Humans dwell with the gods in harmony in what is now the Azotchtlan lands. Rumours of other races and even far off civilizations reaches the humans, but the gods, who favour the humans above all other of their creations, protect them from any real interaction with these other races
The Time of Sorrow:
c5000 B.C. (c153 B.D.): Kyuss first arrives in Sazhansiir.
c5000-c4800 B.C. (c153 B.D.-c47 A.D.): The Progenitors emerge over this period of time, though they are merely evil legends to the Azotchtla. During this time the gods flee the land and its growing corruption to take up residence in the heavens.
c4800-c3500 B.C. (c47-c1347 A.D.): Kyuss and the Progenitors engage in rituals and other actions to change the climate of Sazhansiir and to advance its jungles southward, at the expense of ancient Sazhansiir lands and forests. By the end of this period, all but the southwestern region of the continent and the Irin area are under his climactic sway. The Progenitors begin to encroach into the human lands, taking captives for their breeding experiments
c3400-c3300 B.C. (c1447-c1547 A.D.): The Progenitors and their new minions, the yuan-ti and nagas, begin a full-scale invasion of the human lands. The humans, having before lived a rather idyllic existence and not learned in the arts of war, are to the last slain or enslaved.
Age of Captivity:
c3300-c1750 B.C. (c1547-c3097 A.D.): The humans labour under their scaled masters and are tortured and abused in all sorts of foul experiments. The people cry to the gods for deliverance, but their cries are not heard.
3168 B.C. (1679 A.D.): The Mishtai create Skarn and Rilkan, the first of the Children of the Mishtai.
2868 B.C. (1979 A.D.): The nations of Inrenzeer and Hurlotzin are founded by the progeny of Skarn and Rilkan.
2636 B.C. (2211 A.D.): The first dusklings arrive in Sazhansiir and treat with the Children of the Mishtai.
Age of Okoth:
c1750 B.C. (3097 A.D.): Okoth undergoes his spiritual and philosophical transformation and converts the Nagim Ssendim, Q'erissna, and Y'rossi to serve him.
1611 B.C. (3236 A.D.): Okoth founds his kingdom in the northwest of Sazhansiir (present day Azotchtla).
41 B.C. (4806 A.D.): Tlaloc is born.
9 B.C. (4838 A.D.): Tlaloc leads a great force of Okothian humans against the Scaled Ones. The human slaves revolt against their masters.
7 B.C. (4840 A.D.): The human slave revolt is quelled.
7-5 B.C. (4840-4842 A.D.): The Scaled Ones launch an invasion of Inrenzeer and Hurlotzin. Inrenzeer, Hurlotzin and Harrasivin are slain. Klashkaln goes missing. Sseth and Arrasspiss are slain in return. The Children of the Mishtai are crushed and their lands ravaged. The survivors flee to Okoth.
3 B.C. (4844 A.D.): The Battle of Tir is fought. Okoth sends his forces to bolster Tlaloc's armies.
2 B.C. (4845 A.D.): Kyuss emerges to do battle and Okoth flees the field to retrieve the creation cysts. The Nagim Ssendam flees to Jerranq. Okoth returns and gathers an army to march to into the heart of Serpent Empire.
Year 0 (4847 A.D.): Okoth detonates a creation cyst in the heart of the Serpent Empire. The Blasted Lands are formed and Okoth is slain. Kyuss imprisons himself in Tyrmannion. The remaining forces of Kyuss are routed from the field of battle.
2 A.C. (4849 A.D.): Tlaloc declares rulership of the Okothian Empire by the will of Okoth. The Empire of Tlaloc begins.
380 A.C. (5227 A.D.): Emperor Xazinichtl promotes Pe'ethilti to Grand Vizier and begins to train his people in the way of warlockry.
463 A.C. (5310 A.D.): Emperor Hazanichta III outlaws warlocks.
468 A.C. (5315 A.D.): Fezen the Dark gathers an army and marches against the Emperor.
469 A.C. (5316 A.D.): Fezen's forces are defeated, but the Emperor angers his nobles, who revolt against him. The siege of the City of Feathers begins.
471 A.C. (5318 A.D.): The City of Feathers falls. The Emperor is slain and the Okotian Empire comes to an end.
Age of the Azotchtla:
662 A.C. (5509 A.D.): A crack appears in the face of the sun.
667 A.C. (5514 A.D.): The crack in the sun disappears. The Azotchtla rejoice and declare a year-long celebration.
672 A.C (5519 A.D.): The priests of Ormomoxco in Ajjingiir consolidate power and begin to drive out the adherents of the other deities in the Divine Cleansing.
700 A.C. (5547 A.D.): Present Day.
The Azotchtla worship, ostensibly, the same gods as the Jerranqi. However, they have never heard of the Deceiver or of Slumber and believe that the gods once dwelt on Sazhansiir until the corruption of Kyuss' coming drove them away and into the heavens. As such, the Azotchtla are much more fervent in their desire to conduct rituals for the gods and much more fearful of divine retribution. They are much more conginzant of omens and signs of pleasure and displeasure of the gods, on a level close to the superstitious Pilongi of the Morakki lands.
The Azotchtla have two names for their gods. One is their sacred name, which corresponds exactly to the names of the gods in Jerranq. These are the true and right names of the gods...how they refer to themselves, and the Azotchtla regard these words as sacred and not meant to be profaned by any but the most sanctified of mortal tongues. Most lay persons in Azotchtla do not even know these sacred names, but the learned, nobility, and certainly the priesthood do. To utter such a name unless one is sanctified (i.e. a priest or a king performing the proper ritual) is a serious offense, often (especially in Ajiingiir) punishable by sacrifice to the angered god in question.
The Azotchtla also have their own names for the gods in their own languages. These names are used in everyday life and not considered sacred, though it would still be an offense to blaspheme with these names.
The Role of Blood Sacrifice
The Azotchlta consider the relationship of men to the gods as complex and interdependent. Neither men nor gods can exist without the sacrifice and gifts that the other offers. Oromoxco sheds light and heat as a man would sweat, and his blood and semen are needed to cause the corn to rise. The orthodox believe that without this sacrifice - and the sacrifices made by other gods - the world and its people would not exist.
Unlike many other philosophies, the Azotchtla also believe that without the sacrifice of men the gods and their heavens would not exist. The nature of the sacrifice varies greatly, depending on the deity the offering is going to and the nature of the rite and the general approach the society takes, but in all cases of importance blood is involved.
Blood is seen as the supreme vessel that holds the unique spiritual essence called manatlan. Manatlan is the spiritual power of all creative forces, especially fertility and life. Its absence is not death, but rather emptiness, negation and the void. Conflict between man and nature or between men and the scaled peoples is often seen as being waged in cosmological terms, a struggle to accumulate and sacrifice manatlan to the gods, who return it in their gifts.
It should be emphasized that manatlan is found in many things, though blood is its signal expression. Corn and other cereals hold it, and it is found in the animal world as well, especially in feathers. Many cults offer up sacrifices of bundles of wheat, smeared with human or animal blood. Others use ritual substitutes, such as wine. But in all cases the ritual tool is blood, which circulates through all living things.
The cycle is ongoing. Men offer up spiritual essence through sacrifice to nourish the gods, who return it in equal measure. The love of the Azotchtla for the wheel, the circle, the endless spiral is seen strongly here, desite the fact that the Azotchtla do not use the wheel as a practical matter.
The practice of blood sacrifice brings up special considerations with regard to alignment. Good-aligned Azotchtla see nothing inherently evil or bad about the sacrifice of captured warriors, as they view the institution of the Flowery Battle as a sort of defacto contract and agreement that the losers may be sacrificed to the gods for the greater good of all. That said, there are groups and individuals within Azotchtlan society who completely despise the notion of lethal blood sacrifice, and claim that non-lethal bloodletting is sufficient to appease the gods.
God-Impersonators
The Azotchtla believe that sacrifice is a two-way street. Men offer up tributes of blood, feathers, grains and other objects imbued with manatlan to help sustain the gods. In turn, the gods return the sacrifice of their own blood and essence in the form of rain, sunshine and the regeneration of plants and animals. This cycle, wherein men sustain the gods who in turn sustain men, is the very essence of Azotchlan belief. To reinforce this in the minds of the faithful, the sacrifice of the God-Impersonators is an important ritual.
God-Impersonators are humans, generally young warriors captured in battle, who are given the special privilege and responsibility of serving as a living example of the god or goddess that they are impersonating. During their tenure, which is usually a full calendar year, they are treated with extraordinary respect. They are provided with the finest in lodging, clothing and food, and are furnished with a specially-trained entourage. In addition to serving as servants, they are there to ensure that the faux deity meets their final appointment with the altar. As can be imagined, escaping the flint blade is considered extremely unlucky for all but the victim.
Impersonators represent the whole gamut of gods, including many that are not actively worshipped and who can best be described as fallen divinities. These include a number of culture villains, such as Aholnahuacatl (a-hole-nah-hwa-KATE-l), who traded his daughters to the Serpent-King in return for the mystical metxili (met-CHI-lee). Aholnahuacatl used the metxili to conjure up food, weapons and trade goods, and grew fat on its abundance. But his daughters suffered the cruel embrace of the Serpent-King and his councilors and their prayers reached the ears of Ometeotl (oh-meh-TWAT-el) the goddess of the hearth and domesticity.
The goddess promised the daughters two gifts if they should bleed themselves in sacrifice: an easy passage into the lands beyond and a fitting vengeance upon their father. They agreed, cutting themselves and stepping into the warm springs to gently die. Ometeotl, normally a placid deity, then visited a terrible curse upon the greedy Aholnahuacatl, turning him into a tapir. The gods then formed a hunting party to seek him out, and the tapir died in fear and agony.
The whole story is recreated for the Azotchlan peoples at least once a generation. An Impersonator is found to fill the role, and he enjoys a rich life until the climax, where he is hunted down and slain by a howling mob.
Nor is this the only renegade deity ritualistically sacrificed. There are many tales of noble and terrible opponents defeated by Uemac, Oromoxco, and the rest, and Impersonators represent them during the great public spectacles that re-create their times and passing. The death and rebirth of the hero Tlaloc and the gods Huhnapu and Xbalanque are also regularly illustrated in this manner.
During their tenure the Impersonators enjoy the most lavish of lifestyles, with only the light duty of attending certain rituals in full regalia. The remainder of the time is spent eating, drinking, and enjoying the harem of wives that are provided. Women impersonating female gods are given an entourage as well, but generally not until the final three months, as it is considered unlucky to sacrifice an obviously pregnant woman.
So rich is the time enjoyed that there are some who volunteer for the position, or who at least do not resist too strongly. Warriors who challenge an obviously more experienced foe in ritual battle are often described as "seeking to emulate the gods" - which is both insult and compliment in this case.
Even the final moment of these important sacrifices is made as palatable as possible. Impersonators are usually given strong doses of psychedelic drugs to try to remove any fear that they might be feeling. Once dead, their bodies are shown more reverence than those of other forms of sacrifice.
Death and the Afterlife
Do we continue our existence after our death? If so, is the soul reborn into this world, or does it enter another? The classic question of humanity has as many answers as there have been societies, and the Azotchla are no exception. But there are some overall themes that we see repeated again and again, though with many variations.
At the heart of this is a profound belief in the inevitable cycle of life, destruction and rebirth that makes up existence. This applies to the life of the universe as well as that of the individual. The Azotchla believe that the world has been made and unmade many times, and that one day this world too shall die, to be reborn once again into some other form.
Even the theocrats of Azlan believe this to be so, despite their dedication towards pushing the time of remaking back. This should not be a surprising point of view. After all, we all know that one day we shall die. This does not prevent us from taking pleasure from the moment, or free us from the responsibility of living a just and appropriate life.
The Unending Spiral
The central tenet of most Azotchlan philosophy is that of the unending spiral of birth and rebirth, creation and destruction. All things are made, and all things are unmade, as they have been for age after age, each composed of thousands of millennia.
It seems rather a daunting prospect, doesn't it? After all, any impact that any one individual can have upon such vast, impersonal forces must be so minute as to be unnoticeable. Nor would there seem to be much reason to even attempt to make the effort, since one is guaranteed - or doomed to - repeated rebirths.
That this is not so is because the Azotchla believe that their current existence is composed of two halves, one of which begins at death. In other words, death is the birth of this second existence, or if you prefer, death is the ticket to the Land of the Dead, where one earns their passage back into the Land of Life.
And earn it they must. "Life" in the Land of the Dead revolves around a series of judgments and ordeals that the soul must overcome before it can reach a resting place, and ultimately be reborn. There is also a special status for those who have lead exceptional lives. Most philosophers believe that these souls are accepted by a patron god and transmuted into something more than human. Thus they escape the endless series of deaths and rebirths, and advance to a superior form of existence.
Sacred Nine
The Azotchla consider the number nine to be perfect and mystical, a symbol so potent as to vibrate with its own manatlan, resonating with spiritual force. Two nines when placed side by side make up a full circle, which in turn represents the dual existences of life and death. Humans have ten fingers and ten toes, which show that they are close to perfection without achieving it. Pyramids are always given nine steps. The calendar is composed of eighteen 20-month days. And so it goes.
The cycle of life is considered to have 8 distinct phases - unless one has made the crowning achievement of the ninth step. In life there is childhood, youth, maturity and old age. In death there is death-birth, judgment, ordeal and forgetting. The most exceptional warriors and priests are able to achieve the ninth, and therefore perfect, stage.
The Life Cycle of the Dead
The four stages of life should be familiar, but the reverse side is not. Death, or "the second life," begins in agony - much as birth does. Helpless and confused, the dead are fed and sustained by the family left behind in life. As a child is fed and clothed by its family in life, so their families nurture the newly dead. Rituals, prayers and sacrificed goods strengthen the newborn soul and prepare it for its new "life" to come.
This belief drives a very strong cult of the dead, where the rituals of death take precedence over many other aspects of life. Children are expected to make extraordinary efforts on behalf of their dead parents, returning to them the gifts given during their own life. The rich offer sacrifices of costly foods, clothing, weapons, even the lives of slaves, while the poor offer devotion and prayer. The dead are assumed to need this support for about three years, though this varies by locale, philosophy and economic status.
During this time of rebirth the dead are considered to be extremely close to the living, sticking as close to their family and favorite places as a child to her mother's skirts. It is expected that people will address the newly deceased in conversational terms during this period. The dead are assumed to be nearby, and are able to hear and understand those closest to them in life. The fact that they do not respond as such does not signify, for after all it is normal and good to speak in this manner to infants. As time goes on it is considered selfish to address the dead too often. After all, the dead have their own path to take, and might be delayed due to good manners or a love of conversation.
Tlatelcuitli and His Judgment
The newborn soul gains its bearings and become strengthened through the rituals, and must now face judgment. As can be expected, there is tremendous disagreement between competing sects and dogmas over what constitutes the ideal life, what ordeals must be faced, and what power that the gods of the world have over the lands of the dead.
For it is universally accepted that the undisputed master of these lands is Tlatelcuitli (lat-ehl-QUEE-tlee), a most potent and curious deity. All souls in the lands of the dead must come before his throne for judgment, which he administers with inhuman dispassion. A common description of this has Tlatelcuitli seizing the soul by the feet and slicing it from crotch to neck with a flint knife. He then reaches in and seizes the soul's heart (in many versions the liver) and swallows it. He then takes the same knife and slices open his own belly, where the soul's heart has now passed, and returns it. The soul is now touched with his judgment.
Most societies do not worship Tlatelcuitli in the same manner as the other gods. He is acknowledged as a potent and important deity, but his very nature renders such worship moot. Prayers, sacrifices and the like offered in the hope for a softer judgment are made in vain. He is understood to be the paramount god to the dead - which means that in the logic of the spiral he is a minor deity to the living. His priesthood limits itself to administering and maintaining the rituals, and only the most unscrupulous make claim to holding power over the life beyond life.
In odd contrast to this image of a remorseless dispenser of divine judgment are the many tales of Tlatelcuitli in the lands of the living. Usually taking the form of a foolish young man, Tlatlecuitli travels the world questioning anyone and everyone about life, death and the stages of the soul. Most tales have him encountering those who pompously claim to have knowledge of the afterlife, using tricks and a wry sense of irony to reveal their ignorance.
The Eight Paths
The judgment of Tlatelcuitli places the soul upon one or more of eight paths, each of which has an ordeal that must be overcome before the soul can advance to its next state of existence. For instance, a man who died a natural death but left behind a son might be assigned the black path of the obsidian winds.
There his soul would walk along a high ridge, through a driving rain of twisting obsidian knives, towards a far pavilion. To protect itself the soul would take out the shield symbol that he was buried with. If the soul lived a virtuous life, honoring his parents and preparing his children, the shield would be sturdy and turn aside most of the knives. But each transgression would open a hole in the shield, causing terrible pain and regret. Worst of all are those poor souls whose children failed to provide the needed burial items and have no protections at all.
The soul reaches the distant pavilion and there rests. Once again, the style in which the soul "lives" here is dependent both on their past deeds and the nourishment they have received from the living. But one thing is available to all, no matter their status - the Fountain of Forgetting. There, souls who grow weary of their life in the land of the dead drink the "wine which is not wine" and lose their memory of all their deeds in both life and death. They are now ready to be born once more into the land of the living.
Tlaloc and The Ninth Path
But, as mentioned before, the truly extraordinary may be elevated past the endless cycle of lives into something more sublime.Great kings, exceptional warriors, and priests of great virtue may be assigned the ninth path, an extraordinary ordeal that combines elements of all eight paths. The Lord of the Underworld presents those on this path with the most cunning of temptations, spiritual traps and difficult duties. Some say that Tlatelcuitli is jealous of losing a soul from his dominion, others that he is commanded to test these exemplary humans most severely.
There are several epic tales of culture heroes that are reputed to have made the journey, but none are as vibrant as that of the hero Tlaloc. First he was placed in the Dark House and given a lit torch and a lit cigar, and told that he must not let them be extinguished. But he is also told that in the morning Tlatelcuitli will expect both torch and cigar to be returned whole. Tlaloc overcomes this challenge by stealing the feathers off a macaw, fooling his guards into thinking the red tail is a torch, and by placing a firefly on the end of his cigar. Again and again he must face and overcome the dire challenges found in the Bat House, the House of Knives, the Serpent House and many more. He overcomes them all and ascends to the House of the Sun.
Death, Spells and the Undead
There are many spells that affect the dead, and all are regarded with deep suspicion and the gravest concern. Since death is regarded as the other side of life, the raise dead ritual is almost never performed. Great warriors and exceptional priests have been raised in the past, but always when their unique talents were desperately needed by the community. Remember that the ritual might be tearing the soul from its opportunity for advancement into bliss.
Even a simple speak with dead would be considered to be disrespectful and is used with considerable reluctance. Animate dead and similar spells are considered the blackest of evils. Most Azotchla shudder at the thought of the undead, unhappy souls in a state of existence that is far removed from the orderly turning of the cycle from life to death. Much of the power of the evil Fezen warlocks derives from their ability to transform people into undead - the threat of which is enough to compel most people to obedience.
High Priests and Temples
Temples exist to serve the people as much as the people exist to serve the temple. As a result, most temples take on a decidedly local flavor. Although the priesthood of Uemac in one kingdom would no doubt show respect and courtesy to priests from another kingdom, they rarely accept another's sovereignty. In many regions there is a great deal of reluctance to accept the dictates of central authority even within the kingdom.
As a result, there are a lot of high priests - and to make things complex, the tradition for such priests is to take the name of their god upon ascension to the rank. This can lead to a lot of confusion. But in a certain way it is very satisfying. After all, the deeds of the sum of all the high priests for all time is associated in turn with the current high priests - and of course, their god.
The Gods
In some cases the Azotchtla have gods that combine the aspects of more than one god or have a god that has different aspects or areas of emphasis. Since the gods are actually asleep, there is really no way to prove the Azotchtla wrong in this regard, and their priests seem to be able to gain divine spells without any problem, despite these differences of worship.
The chart below lists each of the Azotchtlan gods along with their Azotchlan name, pronounciation, their sacred name, and their areas of influence. In all cases the genders of these gods match those of the actual gods in slumber.
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| Oromoxco | o-ro-MOASH-ka | Ularinn | Sun (also nobility) |
| Poyahuatla | poi-yah-HWHAT-la | Mustiglior | Love, Beauty, Fertility |
| Uemac | HWAY-mac | Aghorrit | War, Conflict, Strength |
| Huitznuahac | HWITZ-nah-hack | Flupnir | Jests, Tricks, Lies |
| Itzcoatl | its-QWA-tul | Galasiria | Plants, Forests |
| Tlatelcuitli | tlah-TEL-qui-tli | Mergurr | Death and the Dead |
| Yenotchuatl | yeh-no-TCHWAT-al | Yimik | Animals, Hunting |
| Hunahpu | hwa-NAH-pwah | Indolle | Travel, Commerce, Trade |
| Xbalanque | Zshuh-ba-LAHNK-ay | Hastaffor | Stealth, Shadows, Secrets |
| Matlalceuitl | mat-lahl-ZSCHUT-il | Dhalis | Agriculture, Food, Earth, Generation |
| Iximitchli | ish-im-MEET-shli | Pindar | Crafts, Fire |
| Chalchihuitlicue | chal-CHEE-hweet-lee-CUE-eh | Erinhoru | Inland Waters |
| Ixchel | ISH-chel | Vastalla | Childbirth, Children, Mothers |
| Ometeotl | oh-meh-TWAT-el | Melinna | Hearth, Home, Domesticity, Marriage |
| Qualpopoco | qual-puh-POH-coh | Meredros | Oaths, Truth, Honour, Law |
| Tonantzin | TON-an-tzin | Heleniarr | Night, Darkness |
| Coatlicue | KWAT-lee-kwe | Vinstarria | Moons, Stars |
| Acheuanoptli | a-SHE-hwa-nop-tlee | Hotor | Seas, Oceans, Water |
| Mechinahcatl | meh-SHEEN-ah-catl | Cotrunal | Knowledge, Learning |
| Hitzenaxopo | hee-tzen-ah-SHO-po | Hindarr-quag | Storms, Rain, Weather, Air |
| Quihuatametl | kwee-HWA-ta-metl | Ringkol | Drink, Revelry, Music |
Descriptions of the above are given in the same order below.
Oromoxco, God of the Sun (also called by the true name of Ularinn)
Pronunciation: o-ro-MOASH-ka
Contemplate this, Kings of
Xinohuatec,
Kings of Arapuetl, wielders of the sacred spear,
Reapers of the fruitful corn, think upon this.
Though it be precious gold,
though it be jade,
It must pass one day into the fleshless place,
Into the place of mystery, all things must go.
We must leave behind the coat of flesh.
When we pass into the land
of the obsidian wind,
When we face the sphinx in the land of blue sands,
When we cross the river in the land of white shadows,
Then we shall rejoice in our worship of Lord Oromoxco,
The All-Seeing Eye, Lord of the Near and the Close.
His shield turns aside the
slicing winds,
His frown silences the questioning beast,
His radiance dries the river of shadows.
He leads His warriors to the place of bliss,
He leads those who sacrifice to the place of bliss,
The faithful follow Him to the place of bliss.
All of the Azotchtla worship the sun in one fashion or another and Oromoxco has a high place in all their pantheon. It is not a purely benevolent one, for while the sun is the source of life, it is death if the sun shines without night or rain. If Oromoxco refuses to cover his face, the crops will wither and die, the rivers and streams will dry, and all will perish. So most humans both pray to and attempt to propitiate Oromoxco, who holds power over all living things.
All lands ascribe to him the powers and virtues of light, mastery, victory and fertility, though some suggest even more. He is most often depicted bearing the symbols of kingship and performing the duty of the nobility, the rituals of sacrifice. Dressed as a king in enormous plumes of yellow and red feathers, blood running down his arms to fertilize the earth below him, Oromoxco dominates the landscapes of the gods.
Most traditions pair him with Poyahuatla (poi-yah-HWHAT-la), the goddess of love, beauty and fertility, though not all. Worshippers of Tonantzin claim that he somehow offended the goddess and that she took half of his dominion away as punishment. thereby dividing the day into day and night.
In some cases he is shown in a wheel-less sky-chariot in the shape of a disc drawn by two enormous archaeopteryx, one of which is red and called Grandfather Day, the other one colored green and called Grandfather Light. His charioteer is Uemac (HWAY-mac), the God of War, who holds the reins while Oromoxco fires darts from his longbow, striking down his enemies. In places where Uemac is venerated the roles are reversed. Oromoxco is also often depicted seated upon a wind-throne, attended by feathered serpents, and surrounded by kneeling supplicants who offer up their blood in jeweled bowls.
The Priesthood in Society
In all societies Oromoxco is venerated as a primary deity, but nowhere more so than in Ajiingiir, where his worship is supreme. A significant portion of the priesthood there is calling him the sole deity, with all others saints in his service. To better understand this we must investigate the great spiritual event of the age.
The Wounding of the Sun
It is not often that a people witness a genuinely divine occurrence, and the cracking of the sun some 35 years ago, and its subsequent repair, had a dramatic and traumatic effect on all who lived through it.
The most common interpretation is that Oromoxco was deprived of needed essence either through the greed or ignorance of the people, and that their renewed attention resulted in victory and restoration.
In its most extreme case the theocrats of Ajiingiir demanded that the society turn its full attention towards the sacred offerings, letting nothing else take precedence. Priests filled offering-bowls with their own blood, some dying the "hero's death" when they made sacrifice too often or too liberally. Captives were usually from the scaled folk but not infrequently heretics or undesirables from within the society, not to mention captive humans or unlucky travelers. These were slain on the high altars, their beating hearts ripped out and offered up to furnish Oromoxco with the manatlan needed to revive and continue existence.
Some theories hold that the sun was wounded in combat with other celestial forces, usually demonic, and that the other gods banded together to drive away the demons. Some dark cults believe that the sun was mortally wounded, and that it is only a matter of time before the time of shadows come, and so seek to propitiate the demons so that they will turn their wrath elsewhere.
Still others believe that the sun was not wounded at all, but that Oromoxco dimmed his glory to assist his beloved humans. Secret societies involving spellthieves most commonly hold to this belief, since the yuan-ti were turned especially sluggish by the lack of sun and heat. The spellthieves made great gains during this time, and though they generally prefer to worship other deities, show respect to Oromoxco for this gift.
Still others believe that this was not voluntary, and that the dimming of the sun was the result of the machinations of one or more of the other gods. Some claim that Oromoxco captured Coatlicue and had his way with her, his radiance dimmed by her embrace. Others say that a council of wise gods demanded it as a punishment against men. Needless to say, there are many strange interpretations and heresies to be found. Perhaps the most eccentric claim is that Huitznuahac (HWITZ-nah-hack), the god of jests, kicked Oromoxco in the scrotum after suffering a particularly bad sunburn.
Worship and Society
Just as suddenly as it occurred, the sun healed its crack and began to shine as brightly as ever before. Unsurprisingly, just about everyone took credit for it, though the priests of Oromoxco in Ajiingiir were in the best position. After all, they had been claiming for centuries that, absent the prescribed sacrificial rites, the sun would one day be extinguished. The fact that it caught fire again after a great deal of blood was offered was seen as proof positive that their dogma was correct. This, coupled to the fact that virtually everyone who had a strong opinion to the contrary had made a one-way trip to the sacrificial altar, gave them the moral high ground.
In virtually all societies the guardians of spirituality gained prestige. After all, every living thing had witnessed a tremendous crisis and miracle, and all were affected. Even the Fezen warlocks interpreted these events in spiritual terms.
In almost all cases clerics and priests were seen as spiritual warriors, wielding weapons of symbol and manatlan in a great victory against the universal enemy of disorder and chaos. As such they have earned a unique role in the society as well as unique responsibilities.
The Laity
All people acknowledge the importance and primacy of the sun, even those whose worship gods whose dominions are in opposition to the worship of Oromoxco. Followers of deities of the night and secrets, such as Tonantzin and Xbalanque, often define their cults by their contrast to Oromoxco - a left-handed compliment of sorts. And it is wise for many reasons to show respect to the Lord of the Sun even by those who prefer to worship another deity.
The Cahuatemecs
Because of the forward place that the church has in society, ambitious families often donate strong sons and daughters to the cult. The cahuatemecs offer the usual religious training with a strong emphasis on leadership and administrative skills. Those with physical presence are expected to fill command positions in the retinues of the church and its supporting nobles. Those whose gifts are intellectual serve in bureaucratic roles.
To achieve the rank of novitiate priest, the graduate must have the following skills: Knowledge (Local) 2 ranks, Knowledge (Religion) 2 ranks and Perform (oratory) 1 rank. Cahuatemecs offer a wide variety of other skills dependent on locale and the nature of the cult, and many specialized schools have been founded.
As the pre-eminent religion of the Azotchla most skills and feats are taught at one or another of the cahuatemecs. Access to this specialized training is a reward given to those who have diligently worked to promote Oromoxco's worship.
Nicknames
There are literally hundreds of names by which the god is referred to, depending on the situation and the inclination of the speaker. Formal nicknames would include titles like Lord of the Sun, Lord of All, Lord of the Near and the Close and Lord of the Smoking Mirror. More common, though still respectful, names include the Heavenly Eye, the Shining One, the Charioteer plus any and all references to the Sun, light, mastery etc.
Uemac, God of War (also called by the true name of Aghorrit)
Pronunciation: HWAY-mac
There, where the arrows rain
down,
Is found my captain.
There, where the spears fly thickest,
Is found my god.
I am feared, I am feared.
Take care not to step in my shadow.
There, among the hooded ones,
Is found my captive.
There, among the hissing ones,
Is found my sacrifice.
I am feared, I am feared.
My arrival is full of portents.
My darts sting the flesh of
the enemy,
My sword flays the skin from the enemy,
My mace crushes the bones of the enemy,
My god drinks the life of the enemy.
I am feared, I am feared.
I am the portentous one.
I sacrifice to the god of the atlatl.
- The war prayer of the cult of Uemac Maddened
Is it any wonder that the worship of Uemac is so important to the Azotchla? Theirs is a culture born in conflict and sustained by conflict - between humans, inhospitable nature and their ancient foes the scaled ones. Uemac, the god of war and physical combat (and the sports that emulate combat) is a paramount god, second only to Oromoxco, god of the sun. Such is the prestige of Uemac that he is often depicted by the side of Oromoxco doing battle against demons, dragons and other terrible foes.
His worship is found in all human societies - in fact, many name him the "Gift to the Handed People" due to ancient legend. It was said that when humanity was at its lowest ebb Uemac appeared and taught his arts to his favoured, giving men the strength to consider opposing their reptilian masters.
He is commonly ascribed the virtues of strength and endurance, plus cunning and ferocity in battle. He is generally depicted as a heroic man in the prime of life, bedecked with numerous trophies of war, triumphing in combat with the great enemies of humanity. Sacrifice is made to him of anything that represents strength and ferocity in combat, whether it is a common animal like a bull, or an exotic one like a naga.
Legends often pair him with Itzcoatl (its-QWA-tul), the Green Mother, who is said to have battled him to a draw for seventy years when he tried to rape her. His fury turned to respect, then desire, then love, as she thwarted him at every turn. Those who worship Itzcoatl sometimes claim that their goddess ended up using his erection as the first plow, while others have them locked in an endless battle - both desiring each other, yet too proud to be the first to give in. In any case, theirs is an interesting relationship.
The Priesthood in Society
Priests of Uemac organize, lead, and heal warriors in battle. To die in battle is the ultimate sacrifice to their god, and most clerics willingly go to the heart of the battle, inspiring great deeds from all who witness them.
All things dealing with war and combat come under Uemac's dominion, and so every facet of war has its cults and monasteries and fighting styles. This can be as straightforward as those who seek to go berserk in battle, to the more esoteric arts of siege craft and the engineering of walls. Priests are expected to take an active role in the training of warriors, the construction of fortifications and all matters involving the public policy of war.
Although all priests have skills both magical and mundane in the art of healing, they are reluctant to use them to repair injuries that were not received in combat. Although many priests prefer to lead from the front, it is expected that others will spend time observing the combat, noting those who performed great feats, or behaved less honorably.
Priests are found of every alignment combination. Many also work as hard on their fighting skills as their spiritual ones, seeing no real difference in substance between the two.
The number of cults worshipping Uemac is too numerous to describe here. Virtually every style of combat has a legend where it was passed down to it from Uemac himself, and most dedicate themselves to his glory. But a few deserve special mention.
Jaguar warriors are those who consider fanaticism in battle to be the highest form of worship. To them becoming lost in the ebb and flow of battle is a holy state where they become inspired by their god. To lose all care for life, or even concern for strategy, is to become closest to the essential nature of their god. The actual outcome is less important than achieving the holy state of being one with the battle. This is not to say jaguar warriors are actual berserkers of engage in barbarian rage. Rather, they are fighters who are extremely well-versed in individual fighting techniques and who engage in combat as individuals.
The nature of the times being what they are, jaguar warriors are well-respected members of society. Few enjoy being their neighbors, so most sects dedicated to Maddened Uemac build fortified encampments far from most cities.
Eagle warriors are those for whom victory is all-important, and for whom the strategy of war is paramount. Generals and war-leaders often arise from the ranks of eagle warriors and priests.
Shield warriors are those who focus on using their divine magic to counter the sorcery of the enemy. They encourage, protect and heal the warriors under their care, and also protect their war-leaders and nobles.
The Laity
Warriors and adventurers feel an affinity for Uemac, and important fighting skills are taught in his cahuatemecs. Once past these two groups the level of enthusiasm dims a great deal, but since that describes the peasantry, it doesn't really matter.
The Cahuatemecs
War orphans are often donated to the cults of Uemac regardless of their age, especially if their family is unable or unwilling to raise them. Not all who are donated will necessarily become priests - each cult fields its own retinue of ordinary warriors as well.
To achieve the rank of novitiate priest, the graduate must have the following skills: Heal 2 ranks, Knowledge (Religion) 2 ranks and Perform (oratory) 1 rank. Cahuatemecs offer a wide variety of other skills dependent on locale and the nature of the cult.
Most of the warrior-oriented feats are taught at the more prominent schools, with some being the sole source of the most advanced forms of combat knowledge. These cahuatemecs are fiercely protective of their unique position, and are unwilling to allow their skills to fall into the hands of the unworthy. They may require a certain level of prestige as a bar to entry, the passing of certain ritual tests, or may require a payment in service. In game terms, access to some complicated feats and maneuvers (such as the tactical feats) may require membership in a cahuatemec that teaches that lore.
Nicknames
Uemac is the supreme master of weapons, and so is often referred to as "God of the Klanth," "Lord of the Spear" and so on. He is also known by his chief attributes, such as the Fury, the Reaper, the Maddened One, and the Chooser of the Slain.
Tlatelcuitli, God of the Dead (also called by the true name of Mergurr)
Tlatelcuitli (tlah-TEL-qui-tli) is the lord of the afterlife, judging the souls of the dead and assigning them their ordeals. Believed to be the most potent god in the lands of the dead, the logic of the circle thus has him considered the most inconsequential on Therra. Although burial rituals are a vital part of the spiritual life of the Azotchla, they do not sacrifice to Tlatelcuitli as they do other gods. He is generally depicted as an upright man of advanced years, unadorned by wealth or arms.
The Priesthood in Society
The main task of the priests and the artisans they supervise is to administer the rites of death and dispose of the dead quickly and hygienically. They also watch over the rituals associated with death-birth, the time when the newly dead soul is born in the lands of the dead, and needs sustenance from her family. The priesthood is fully integrated into the society - wherever people gather in any number, they are to be found.
Since sacrifices and prayers to Tlatelcuitli are made in vain due to his dispassionate nature, priests of his cult are not held in the same esteem as those of others. Those entering his service enjoy the fruits of this life, but they are strictly concerned with the next. Any attempt to influence or guide the community outside their defined role is ignored.
With the avenues for power, wealth and notoriety closed off, members of the priesthood tend to be philosophical rather than dynamic, more methodical than inspired. Adventurers almost never arise from their ranks, so few clerics advance as high as 5th level.
Although priests have the powers of healing they almost never use them. Death is not to be feared, and all must endure the suffering that leads to it. Priests will only intervene in cases of unnatural illness or hurt, such as those wounded by curses, spells, or the undead.
Priests of Tlatelcuitli are overwhelmingly neutral in alignment. Evil practitioners are those who use their unique role to extort gifts and favors from the living by claiming knowledge of, or power over, their dead relations.
The Laity
The detached and dispassionate nature of Tlatelcuitli is so pronounced that few of the living do more than give to him the respect he is due. Priests and their servants perform a useful and necessary task that earns them a place in society, but never a pre-eminent role.
Few outside of the priesthood enter his service, with one great exception: an order of knights and adventurers called the Hunters of the Dead dedicated to destroying the undead. The priesthood furnishes clerics to serve as leaders, protectors and healers. It should be noted that those who enter this order sacrifice their opportunities for advancement in the church at large.
The Cahuatemecs
Young people donated to the church receive training at one of the cahuatemecs, which are located in the major towns. As befits a technically oriented priesthood, the skills taught are basic and practical. To graduate the student must have a minimum in the following skills: Craft (carpentry or stonemason) 1 rank, Knowledge (religion) 4 ranks, Perform (oration) 1 rank. Also taught at the cahuatemec are Craft (alchemy), Diplomacy, Sense Motive and Speak Language.
Nicknames
Tlatelcuitli is often referred to by colloquial names that refer to his supremacy over the dead, such as the King of Downunder, Lord Bones, Skull King and so on. More formally he is referred to as the High Judge, King of the Dry Lands, Lord of the Underworld and the like.
Yenotchuatl, God of Animals (also called by the true name of Yimik)
Yenotchuatl (yeh-no-TCHWAT-al) is the god of all animals, those of the air, land and sea, animals that are dangerous, those that are useful, whether wild or domesticated. He is well respected by rangers and others who focus on the wild rather than civilized areas. Although he is said to have dominion over all animals, his worship tends to focus on the wild and dangerous, such as dire wolves, vipers, raptors or whales.
Most worship directed at Yenotchuatl is propitiary. Villagers pray for protection against carnivores, travelers against encountering poisonous snakes and all seek to turn the wrath of large predators away from human society. As example, hunters are wise to offer rituals of apology when they kill beasts for food, lest Yenotchuatl inspire his predators to pay special attention to the villagers who offended him.
When he is depicted it is usually as a young man with the head of a wolf, though it is widely known that he can take the form of any animal.
The Priesthood in Society
Priests of Yenotchuatl are itinerant, which means that they roam about the land without a fixed temple or other place of worship. They are not often seen in the power centers of the urban cities, but can be found wandering through the rural areas adjacent to the hinterlands where large predators roam.
Priests tend to be loners and operate outside of the structure of civilization, and are unusual among most clergy as many are "inspired" rather than trained (i.e. they are favoured souls rather than clerics). It is said that Yenotchuatl chooses his own priests, who recognize their calling at adolescence. Individuals drawn to his worship are treated with wary respect. They are treasured because they can understand the wild carnivores that surround the hinterlands, and protect humans from their worst ravaging. But the nature of their understanding means that they stand apart from human society. After all, they represent the wild, not civilization.
The role of such priests is to achieve balance and harmony between humans and the animals they prey on and live among. Hunters show respect for Yenotchautl by living in harmony with animals. They offer up prayers of respect at the time of the kill, and refuse to kill without reason. Those who fail to do so risk bringing his wrath upon the community.
The Laity
Yenotchuatl is respected and feared more than loved. Hunters, frontiersmen, husbandmen and others who regularly interact with animals offer him his due to avoid the penalties of disrespect, but few truly feel an affinity for him.
The Cahuatemacs
There are no schools dedicated to his priesthood. Those who are chosen by him tend to be loners and outcasts who feel his call during early adolescence. If favoured souls, they often develop their powers alone. If clerics, such acolytes attempt to attach themselves to one of his itinerant priests, which is not an easy thing to accomplish. Those who manage to convince one of these wayward spirits to train them usually gain skills in: Climb, Handle Animal, Hide, Move Silently, Search, Swim and Knowledge (nature). What the acolyte actually learns is dependant on priest, his totemic animal, and luck.
Nicknames
Yenochuatl is commonly referred to as the Beastlord, the Lord of Claw and Fang and similar names that refer to savage animals.
Hunahpu and Xbalanque, the Sacred Twins, Gods of Travel and Stealth (also called by their true names of Indolle and Hastaffor respectively)
Hunahpu (hwa-NAH-pwah) and Xbalanque (Zshuh-ba-LAHNK-ay) are youthful twins who achieved their status as deities through cleverness and service to the gods. They are generally believed to be exceptional humans who gained immortal power by taking the 9th road of the Underworld, and surviving its many challenges. Indeed their primary attributes, which represent nimbleness of mind, hand and foot, are those that are needed by people living on the road.
They are very popular among adventurers of all stripes.Hunahpu is said to prefer travel during the day and under open skies, where his brother prefers nighttime, stealth and secrecy.
Hunahpu is all about fair dealings, honest measures and open roads. His name is invoked when the most solemn business deals are made, and he is said to be offended if any contract sworn in his name is violated.
But as in all things Azotchlan, there is the other side of the coin. Xbalanque is a secretive skulker in the night whose skills are in stealth and wordplay. Xbalanque (often referred to merely as "X") never lies, but that does not keep him from using his skills or the confusion of others to gain advantage.
Fair and honest, but ready to take immediate advantage of any mistakes made by others, together they embody the ideal merchant-adventurer.
The Sacred Twins are always represented together as two very young men. Tales of the two usually have them performing as heralds, ambassadors or thieves on behalf of other, more potent deities.
The Priesthood in Society
Priests of the Twins have a significant role in the social order of two important classes: merchants and the nobility. The priesthood is committed to keeping roads open for travelers and traders, and will use its good offices and influence to keep borders open and tariffs low. Before embarking on a lengthy trip it is considered mandatory to make sacrifice to the Twins.
Most churches are not actively engaged in the buying, selling or transporting of goods, though some - considered somewhat decadent, do. Rather they are involved in keeping the lines of communication open anywhere that humans are found. This involves the physical construction of bridges, the pioneering of trails and the staffing of traveler's hostels along unprofitable stretches of roads.
But the churches are also actively engaged in keeping the economic and political routes open. They oppose heavy tariffs and work hard to keep borders open. Many rulers have found the Twins' priesthood an excellent "back channel" through which they can communicate with their rivals or enemies.
Less well-known are the priests who emphasize the skills of Xbalanque and act as spies and secret agents for mercantile or political interests. It is rumored that there are vast guilds of thieves in the great urban centers that are served by the priesthood, aiding their activities.
The Laity
The Twins and their priesthood are well respected in the society, and their role is appreciated by most. Travelers are found in all strata, as is commerce and thievery.
Many are envious of the profits earned by the more aggressive churches, which can rival the commercial interests of minor houses. Still, the ethos of the church is sufficient to keep their reputation as competitors clean.
Twins are often "donated" to the church at very early ages, especially by the very poor to whom two children represent a heavy burden. Even twins that do not enter the priesthood are marked by their exceptional birth: twin boys are considered to be the best scouts and rangers, and twin girls are highly sought after as wives.
The Cahuatemacs
There are many different schools with widely differing emphases. Most cahuatemacs emphasize the commercial aspects, and a typical school might require these minimum skills upon graduation: Diplomacy 1 rank, Knowledge (architecture and engineering) 1 rank, Knowledge (religion) 2 ranks and Sense Motive 1 rank. Also taught: Appraise, Bluff, Decipher Script, Gather Information, Knowledge (nobility), Ride, Speak Language and Survival.
Cahuatemacs that emphasize exploration and pioneering would require these skills: Knowledge (geography) 2 ranks, Knowledge (religion) 2 ranks and Survival 1 rank. Also taught: Heal, Knowledge (nature), and Ride.
And finally, those that serve in clandestine ways would require these skills: Diplomacy 1 rank, Knowledge (religion) 2 ranks, and Sense Motive 2 ranks. Also taught: Decipher Script, Forgery, and Heal.
Nicknames
The Twins, the Travelers, the First on the Ninth Path - all these are commonly used to describe Xbalanque and Hunahpu.
Matlalceuitl, the Harvest Goddess (also called by the true name of Dhalis)
Matlalceuitl (mat-lahl-ZSCHUT-il) is the goddess of agriculture, plants, food and generation. Her life closely resembles that of the grain crops that she is associated with, with its cycle of birth, fruition and death. She enters the "morning land" of the living in the springtime and departs to the underworld in the fall, where she lives with her husband Tlatelcuitli, Lord of the Underworld.
She is widely respected by all elements of society, but is especially revered by the peasantry whose life is tied to the land. Many tales of Matlalceuitl have her interceding with other gods on behalf of the common man, turning aside their wrath or tempering their worst excesses.
Most legends attribute this power to the fact that every summer her fertility becomes so overwhelming that every one of the gods, save her husband, take her as a lover. Less exuberant traditions give her the attribute of an alluring dancer, which she uses to tease favors from the other gods.
Matlalceutli is usually portrayed as a tall, full-breasted woman, usually wearing peasant dress. Some traditions show her as having the head of a cow.
The Priesthood in Society
Wherever there is agriculture there are priestesses of the Harvest Goddess. So pervasive is her worship that every hamlet has its shrine. Most priestesses are common women for whom religion is merely part of their daily lives of home and family. More elaborate temples are found in every market town, usually attended by a priestess who has received some formal training.
In some parts of Azotchla there are women who serve as sacred prostitutes during the summer growth season. Men who offer up the appropriate "sacrifice" - usually money, animals or alcohol - are allowed to participate in the rituals of fertility. These women are generally those who lack family support through the loss of a father or husband, and are allowed to keep a portion of the sacrifice. This money serves as a dowry, making the woman an attractive option for practical men to marry.
The main task of the priestess is to ensure that all the many ceremonies of the growth season are carried out correctly. It is never forgotten that Matlalceutli is a woman, with a woman's mercurial moods and love of small rituals. Because the worship of the Harvest Goddess is so scattered, these rituals take on distinctly local flavors.
Even though the vast majority of Azotchla worship Matlalceutli as a major deity, her priesthood has remarkably little influence over social events. It's almost impossible to think of rural life without its calendar of devotions, which makes her priesthood a static, passive one.
The Laity
The cycle of worship is as deeply engrained in the society as the cycle of the harvest it reflects. Matlalceutli is a vibrant symbol that places women, food and the rituals of the seasons at the heart of domestic life.
The Cahuatemacs
Most schools run by the church are intended to train those who travel about the rural areas teaching the local priestesses the correct way to perform the various seasonal rites. Although these can vary considerably from place to place, depending on the climate, the crop and the local beliefs, the priesthood does not worry about doctrinal issues. As witness, a graduate from a typical cahuatemac would only need to show proficiencies equal to: Knowledge (nature) 2 ranks and Knowledge (religion) 2 ranks.
Nicknames
Matlalceutli is known as the Harvest Queen, Goddess of Corn, Goddess of Plenty, the Gentle Rain and other related names, and more waggishly in terms of feminine sexual characteristics.
Iximitchli God of Fire (also called by the true name of Pindar)
Fire is the vehicle of transformation for many things. When harnessed and controlled it can shape the five elements into useful things: a metal tool, clay bowls and smoked meats to name but a few. But when unchecked it is a powerful force of destruction, devouring homes and wild lands alike.
Iximitchli (ish-im-MEET-shli) is the deity that represents the duality of the nature of fire, and is both worshipped and appeased by humans. Craftsmen are his primary worshippers, especially smiths, potters and others who use fire as an important part of their work. But those who live in cities usually take care to offer sacrifice lest they be consumed by his wrath.
Most traditions emphasize the transmutative power of fire, but there are those who fear and worship his destructive aspect as well. He is most often depicted as a smith of impressive form, though sometimes as a fierce sheet of flame.
In truth the Azotchla worship two separate deities together as one.While they generally focus their worship on Pindar, the Azotchtla have so inculcated their belief that fire is the source of transformation and inspiration, even when a given craft does not involve heat or flame, that this worship has tapped the primal essence of the dispassionate deity Somni-tul, the God of Fire. Azotchtlan priests have absolutely no idea they are worshipping two deities, and do not know Somni-tul's name, instead investing their worship entirely to Pindar. What is known is that clerics of this deity have access to either the domains of Pindar or the domains of Somni-tul, and once one emphasis is chosen, the domains of the other aspect cannot be taken. That this fact would seem to suggest there are two gods being worshipped here has either not been realized or has been ignored by the Azotchtla.
The Priesthood in Society
The priesthood of Iximitchli enjoys an important, if specialized, role in most societies. While almost never worshipped as a primary god, he is revered by artisans, and his temple is an important focus for their daily work.
Most temples in Chichimenca and many in the other urban centers have so formalized their role that they have in effect become guilds of artisans. There matters in the workaday world are regulated - everything from setting a base line of prices to determining the proper relation between apprentice, journeyman and master. Temples also serve as a type of hiring hall, and no major construction project can be done without the priesthood being involved.
As a result the line between artisan and priest is not nearly as clear as it is with other deities. Craftsmen who have risen in wealth and power often become priests - or install close relations - to better use the temple's many business functions to their benefit. There is little specialized knowledge required for the position, and anyone with at least 3 ranks in a crafting skill will be accepted.
The temple is also given important responsibilities for fire protection as well. Not only are the proper rituals expected to be enacted, but priests are expected to patrol the city as fire wardens. Brush clearance and other preventive measures are under the purview of the temple, which is taken quite seriously. Temples have been razed and priests assaulted by enraged citizens after major fires.
Unlike most other gods, Iximitchli is said to prefer burnt offerings to blood.
The Laity
The worship of Iximitchli is largely restricted to the artisan class, though there are some (usually mentally unhinged) that worship his aspect through arson.
The Cahuatemacs
Entrance into one of these cahuatemacs can be a passport to prosperity. With its emphasis on learning useful skills and an all-but-guaranteed position in the general society, joining these schools is a path to wealth. This priesthood usually has so many children offered as donations that they can afford to turn away those who seem lazy or untalented. High fees are often charged to members of the laity that seek to learn skills here.
Unlike most other schools, the main purpose here is not the training of the priesthood but that of expert craftsmen. In addition to specialized Knowledge and Craft skills, other useful business skills are taught, such as Appraise and Diplomacy.
Nicknames
Iximitchli is usually referred to in his aspect as a craftsman, with all the titles associated with such. Forgemaster, the Transforming One, Master of the Wheel and the like are all examples. When depicted in his aspect of rage, he is the Devouring One, the Nameless Hunger and other similar names.
Chalchihuitlicue, Mistress of Waters (also called by the true name of Erinhoru)
During the gentle summer months streams and rivers nurture the land and are beautiful to look upon. But when the heavens grow thick with rain they can often be mercurial and full of rage, despoiling all around them. So it is no surprise that the Azotchlan see the inland waters as having feminine virtues, and worship them in the form of Chalchihuitlicue (chal-CHEE-hweet-lee-CUE-eh).
She is generally depicted as a handmaiden in the court of Matlacuetli, and her worship is usually given in relation to her Queen. Chalchihuitlicue takes the form of a very young woman, almost a girl, with the unbound hair and dress that marks her as unmarried. She is traditionally viewed as a free spirit and it seems that every town, village and hamlet has a local legend that involves her visit, either playful or terrible.
Much of the focus of worship for Chalchihuitlicue is on the coming of age for girls. One of the most important ceremonies is "the washing". This important rite sees a young girl enter a body of water during her first menstrual period, to emerge and wear the clothing and hairstyle of a marriageable woman.
The Priesthood in Society
Much like her great mistress Matlacuelti, her priestesses are generally drawn from the ranks of everyday women for whom the role is added to that of wife and mother. Large cities founded on rivers and lakes usually have elaborate temples and hierarchies, and Chalchihuitlicue has even risen to pre-eminence in a few such towns. But by and large her worship is as diffuse as the rivers and streams that run over the land.
The priesthood's most ordinary duties focus on the proprietary rituals due to Chalchihuitlicue and the proper upbringing of girls. Priests and priestesses also try to enforce correct behavior towards women, as Chalchihuitlicue is known to fly into a rage and cause streams and rivers to overflow if men insult women with violence or rape.
Fishermen and river traders are a natural constituency for the worship of the goddess, and some temples serve as an impartial arbiter over their commercial disputes.
The Laity
The worship of Chalchihuitlicue is widespread among the peasantry, especially women.
The Cahuatemacs
There are few cahuatemacs that are maintained by the temple, and these are usually dedicated towards making sure that rituals are properly performed.
Nicknames
The Lightfooted One, the River Virgin, Mistress of Pools and other respectful terms are generally used.
Ixchel, Goddess of Childbirth, the Great Mother (also called by the true name of Vastalla)
The martial nature of the Azotchla is personified in many gods and goddesses, but the most unusual is found in Ixchel, Goddess of Childbirth. Though she presides over the most absolutely feminine characteristics, she is represented as a fearless warrior. She teaches women that the act of birth is a struggle and ordeal that they must face with courage.
The Azotchla venerate her highly, and honor women who bear many children with great respect. Women who die during childbirth are considered equal to warriors who perish in combat. She is said to be the lover of Uemac, god of war, and has the courage needed to face and transform his violent fury.
Brave, forthright and boldly sensual, Ixchel is portrayed as a mature woman with obvious signs of pregnancy, usually surrounded by small children.
The Priesthood in Society
Ixchel's priesthood is limited exclusively to women who have borne a child. They are found everywhere that humans have settled and serve in many important roles - matchmakers before marriage, midwives during birth and counselors during the raising of the child. They also enforce marriage taboos.
Priestesses of Ixchel are at the forefront of social matters representing the interests of women, especially mothers. They work to encourage girls and women to achieve the society's ideal of a loving, strong wife and mother. As champions of femininity they are expected to curb male excesses, chastising abusive or lazy husbands and encouraging young men to take wives early.
Men are expected to show the proper respect to Ixchel and her daughters, and those who don't are likely to face dire feminine vengeance.
The Laity
Women universally worship Ixchel, praying and making sacrifice to her in the hopes of successful pregnancy. It is known that her preferred offerings are those things found in the course of birth, such as birth cords, placentas and other afterbirth, usually from animals. Women will almost always offer their own up at the conclusion of birth as thanks-giving, but some will pass along a part as a gift to a loved friend or daughter.
The Cahuatemacs
There are few formal cahuatemacs created by the temple, but there is a profound amount of teaching that is done. Priestesses are expected to pass on their lessons, teaching girls and women the mysteries of their sex, and encouraging them to approach life with courage and dignity. They center a woman's life on the act of childbirth and describe it honestly as an ordeal to be overcome, one that takes the lives of women and children both. Priestesses learn the arts of healing that help during these difficult times.
Nicknames
The Great Mother, She Without Fear, the Comfort of Women and all the various names associated with the act of birth.
A Tale of the Gods:
Uemac Serves the Great Mother
(as told by the people of Xonochonco)
When Tikal, the First Father and his wife Ahaw-Xoc, the First Mother came to Xonochonco they were dismayed. For the land was harsh and barren, filled with stone, filled with briar and bramble that could barely set root in the hard earth around them. Today we see the bountiful land, the fertile soil, but then all was dry and windswept as the lands of Xibalba.
Ahaw-Xoc felt a kick within her living belly, as if her unborn son was reprimanding her, and she groaned. "Husband and protector, this land you have brought us to shall be named Poverty. Where is the grain, the ear of corn? Where can I find the sweet fruit of the laden tree? Where are the running waters that shall nourish our child?"
Tikal looked about him and felt dismay gnaw upon him, but did not surrender to despair. "Wife and life-giver, the dream of Providence has led us to this land. Let us pray to the Fertile One, and seek her aid." And so he passed the nettle-leaf through his lower lip.
The blood dripped down and fell upon the stony earth, forming a tiny pool. A shaft of choutl grass appeared, nourished by the gift, growing taller until it reached Tikal's knee, thickening and twisting, becoming a bush, a bramble, a rubber tree towering over his head in leafy majesty. From the sacred plant stepped the Great Mother, She who is called the Ixchel, the fruitful One, bringer of life, sustainer of warriors.
"Children, subjects, founders of the great land of Xonochonco rejoice. I have heard your prayers and drunk deeply of your sacrifice. I shall make of this place a paradise for so long as you honor me and my works." The Fearless Maid then laid her hand upon the belly of Ahaw-Xoc, who groaned with the quickening of labor. She continued, "My lover comes to join me soon, but for your sake I shall delay Him. Now the time has come for the sacrifice of the wife to fall upon the earth, and there mix with the blood of her husband." And the First Mother felt her water burst.
Ixchel walked away from the two, flowers springing up in her step, until she stood alone in the desert. In the distance she could hear a martial music. The retainers of Uemac, Lord of the Atlatl, blew upon horns so that all might know of His coming. The rabbits heard the horns and fled. The snakes heard the horns and fled. The wolves heard the horns and fled. The hawks heard the horns and fled. The Great Mother heard the horns and smiled.
And so he came, Uemac, Lord of the Atlatl, crowned in glory. In his right hand he carried the weapon that shatters worlds. In his left were the skulls of the Xipuatchatlans. Sweat rolled down his mighty frame to strike upon the earth, and wherever it fell, there sprung up the spikes of the tzibalba plant. His retainers blew upon horns to announce his arrival. Only the Great Mother awaited him. Seeing her, he smiled, speaking these words:
"Woman, for thee and thee alone do I lay down my weapon of steel and arm myself with another to seek my conquest." And he stripped himself of his arms.
She replied:
"Truly, thy weapon is worthy, but it is only of value for close combat. Can you catch me?" And she ran swiftly across the barren plain. Wherever her foot touched the earth, there sprang up the choutl grass.
Though she ran far swifter than the tumbling water, faster than the sighing wind, his coming was like the sudden huracan, a storm of swiftness. Quickly he closed, and quickly he sprang. But the choutl grass was cunning and aided her mistress, closing about his foot, causing him to miss his tender prey. And so Uemac landed in the earth, his iron member tearing a great rent in the earth like a plow. Thus was the Mestil Riverborn, filling the land with its abundance.
With a roar Uemac raced after Ixchel again, closing swiftly. But once again the choutl grass came to the aid of her mistress. Thus was the river Sandiir born, filling the land with its abundance.
Jumping to his feet he sprang again, with such grace that Ixchel paused in admiration. But once again the choutl grass came to the aid of her mistress. Thus was the river Vandir born, filling the land with its abundance.
Where once there was rock and sand, now there was water and fertile soil. Plants rose up in prayer to great Oromoxco, and animals filled the land. Seeing these things Ixchel then ceased her flight, and awaited Uemac's coming with a smile.
Ahaw-Xoc gave a great cry of gladness, and her son Acolhuacan entered the world. Tikal bowed down and gave thanks to the Great Mother for Her gifts. In our name, the descendants of Tikal and Ahaw-Xoc, promised to worship her. And so we sacrifice using the nettle leaf, now and forever, until the world is remade.
Ometeotl, Goddess of the Hearth and Domesticity (also called by the true name of Melinna)
Ometeotl (oh-meh-TWAT-el) is the sister of Ixchel, the Great Mother, and like her is worshipped by women, most generally married women. She teaches women how to love, support and govern their children and husbands. Like Ixchel she is acknowledged to be courageous, but since this often takes the form of opposing her husband, she has something of a reputation as a shrew.
Her worship is universal among married women who pray to her to find solutions to all manner of domestic issues that deal with their relationship to their husbands. Her priestesses, all married women, can be relied upon to offer good advice in these matters.
In tales of the various gods Ometeotl is often found delivering vengeance against husbands who have taken advantage of their dominant role to abuse the women under their care. She is often said to be the wife of Ixmitchli due to the harmony between hearth and forge.
The Priesthood in Society
Like her sister, Ometeotl's priesthood is limited exclusively to women, in this case married women. The two cults often share a single temple, and in smaller communities may share a single priestess. But in any case the cult serves to sustain and celebrate women in their difficult roles of wife and mother.
Since Ometeotl is a bulwark for women against the dominance of their fathers and husbands she has something of a mixed reputation among men, who do not appreciate her argumentative nature. Still, the wise husband shows her honor through the fair treatment of his wife and daughters.
The Laity
Women worship Ometeotl, praying for marriages that provide joy in youth, stability during maturity and comfort in old age.
The Cahuatemecs
In addition to supervising the various small rituals of the cult priestesses serve as a repository of homely crafts and skills. They encourage and honor the skills of cooking, the preservation of food, needlework and the like. Women will often send their daughters to serve under a priestess for a short period before their marriages as a sort of finishing school - though few formal cahuatemecs are found for the cult.
Nicknames
Ometeotl is referred respectfully as the Sacred Wife, the Comfort, or in domestic roles such as the Queen of Bakers and so on. Less respectfully she is called the Needle Tongue, Queen of Shrews or the Ball and Chain.
Qualpopoco, the Oath Keeper (also called by the true name of Meredros)
Qualpopoco (qual-puh-POH-coh) is a god in his own right, but his worship is largely subsumed by that of Oromoxco, who he is reputed to serve as a high captain. It is entirely possible that at one point Qualpopoco was considered equal in strength and power to the lord of the sun, but few would describe him so today. Instead he is seen as the powerful retainer of Oromoxco, tied to him by the most sacred trust.
Invoking an oath using the name of Qualpopoco is not to be done lightly, as he is said to pay strict attention and willing to punish any transgression furiously. For example, King Meconuitzen once foolishly swore an oath if he won his battle against the yuan-ti that he would sacrifice to Oromoxco the first thing he saw when returning home. The sweet taste of victory was short-lived when he returned home only to be greeted by his children.
The Oath Keeper is held in high esteem by most followers of Oromoxco, especially those who serve in the sacred regiments. But the only place he has temples separate from the sun-worshippers is in Haasfiir. There his cult is very strong as his principles of loyalty, honour and law resonate strongly within that society. He is described as humorless and unyielding, which might be one of the reasons that other more exuberant traditions are more popular.
The Priesthood in Society
Qualpopoco has temples and a dedicated priesthood only in Haasfiir, that bastion of ancient lore and privileges. His priests and priestesses serve as judges, both in an official and unofficial capacity, and any court hearing begins with sworn oaths to him. Priests of certain cults are given the "low justice" - meaning that they can pass judgment on any case or individual who is not a member of the aristocracy or a priest of another church.
The Laity
The people's respect for Qualpopoco is in direct proportion to their lawfulness. Those who believe in law and the sworn word - despite its occasional absurdities - will generally honour his name and priests.
Humanity being what it is, many people compartmentalize his worship. That is, they might consider their sacred oath to their regiment as inviolate but take a very different approach to their marriage.
The Cahuatemecs
Differing from most cahuatemecs, the cult of Qualpopoco only offers advanced training in logic, legal issues and other related subjects. Skills such as Sense Motive and a variety of Knowledge skills are offered to those interested and able to learn.
Nicknames
His official titles include the Judge, the Oath Keeper and the Vigilant One.
Ajjiingiir:
This is one of the great nations of the Azotchtla. It is called Azlan (AHZ-lan) in their tongue. One of the five present-day nations that emerged from the ashes of the Okothian Empire, Ajjiingiir is bounded by the Vandir River to the north, and the Irin Forest to the south. The nation claims that portion of the forest that is east of the Irin River, though, in truth, the forest is a wilderland held by no nation and exploited for resources only along its periphery.
Ajjiingiir is named after its founding Tchala or clan. In this case, Tchala Ajjiingiir was a cadre of related and inbred nobles who were also priests of the Sun God. Tchala Ajjiingiir led the way of the revolt of the nobility against the last Emperor of Okoth, claiming that he had lost the blessing of the Sun God by renouncing his divine oath after the war against the Fezen warlocks.
The Aztlan were very similar culturally to their neighbors in Mestil-rez and Kreenzen until the arrival of a great prophet. His original name is no longer known for, in keeping with ancient tradition, he discarded it in favor of Oromoxco upon his ascension to the throne of high priest. The prophet claimed that he had been visited by a being filled with heavenly fire who stated that the Azotchtla were neglecting the worship of the sun and that the god Oromoxco would turn his face from the people. Only the deepest repentance and a great sacrifice of manatlan would suffice as an apology and restore the sun to its proper glory. Dutifully the prophet travelled the lands spreading this message, receiving the infamous "13 refusals" from ignorant officials who failed to see the truth in his message.
This truth was brought home in the most obvious way when the sun developed a great crack, plunging the world into twilight. The Aztlan - like most of the rest of the Azotchtla - reacted in fear and awe, but many remembered the holy man's prophecy and turned to him for guidance. A vigorous new cult of Oromoxco rose up sweeping all before it in an ecstatic tide of worship. Even those responsible for the "13 refusals" joyfully repented before allowing themselves to be drained of manatlan on the sacrificial altar. Rumours that the priests used these sacrifices to rid themselves of rivals and enemies, especially when the practice spread to other nations, persist to this day.
Then the promised miracle occurred, and the face of Oromoxco was restored to its former glory. When the sun was repaired, the priesthood insisted that their practice of sacrifice had been correct and that the Oromoxco himself had repaired the sun as a sign of his favour for the remaining priests. The ordeal had unified Ajjiingiiri society under the leadership of their priests, and dissent was inconceivable. A new "golden" age was born that continues into this day. Most Ajjiingiiri are convinced that their golden age is a direct result of their religious superiority and work earnestly to bring others into the fold.
The son of the prophet Oromoxco - who of course is also named Oromoxco - was the driving force behind the invasion of Mestil-rez and its intended conquest. Unfortunately for the Ajjiingiiri this did not go well, and the terms of defeat were a setback for that wing of the priesthood that sought conversion through conquest. These hardliners are still at work looking to use the Flowery Battles to nibble away at the land of other kingdoms and the souls that live upon them.
Ajjiingiir is now a theocracy, with the reins of power held tightly by the grandson of the original prophet. The priesthood controls all aspects of daily life in the nation, including meting out justice, collecting taxes, and raising armies. There are no nobles in Ajjiingiir who are not priests of the Sun God, and Oromoxco's more Imperial aspects are revered here, for the priests preach that only by way of absolute obedience to the rule of law can the Azotchtla prevail against Kyuss and his evil serpent minions. There is at least one sect of the church that goes so far as to postulate that Oromoxco is the only god, and that Tlatelcuitli, Matacuetli and the rest are minor divinities in his service.
In the 35 years since the fall of the Deceiver, Ajjiingiir has taken its sacrifices from its own prisoners, captured warlocks, and in raids and battles against neighbouring nations.
The priesthood has also declared all forms of magic except for worship of the Sun God to be heresy. As such, the incarnum-wielders of the nation were driven out or captured and sacrificed to the Sun God. This purge, called the Divine Cleansing, took place about 5 years after the sun had repaired itself.
Now, visitors to the land must foreswear the use or casting of any magic except for divine spells dedicated to Oromoxco. The penalty for violation of this edict is death. Heavy donations to the Sun God are also required of travelers and merchants attempting to conduct business in the land.
Gold pieces are the currency of the land, and the use of silver pieces and copper pieces is strictly forbidden. These coins, called ulats, are minted with a waffle-like pattern into one side that allows them to be broken into 4 pieces. Each piece is called a dawn, and a dawn is the smallest currency allowed in the nation.
Although the great prophecy and the miracles that accompanied them are the signal event of the current century, there are a number of other innovations that have forwarded the Aztlani people. They invented a number of important agricultural innovations that gave them a significantly increased yield, including stepped terracing, complex irrigation pumps and channels.
The increased uniformity in the
society has also lead to significant innovations in the art of
war as well as a significant rise in the morale of the troops,
and the Ajjiingiiri are valued for the fanaticism and discipline
of its soldiers.
The soldiers (called Sunspears) wield longspears in battle, supplemented
by ceremonial amber-studded klanths, and march in enchanted bronze
breastplates hardened to the temper of steel. Their shields are
made of irinwood, studded with amber and bronze polished to sparkle
in the sunlight. Sunspears are trained to fight in tight phalanxes
and shield walls and are drilled so that they can turn on a gold
piece upon command.
These warriors also are fanatic in their performance on the field of battle, never retreating unless ordered and willing to give their lives at the command of their priesthood. Those who die under arms in Oromoxco's service are expected to receive great honor and an easy path in the Lands of Dust, and this makes them willing to accept higher loss rates than most other formations. Nobles seeking honor and experience in battle often engage in errantry in the marches of Mestil-rez. Regular crusades are declared where armies are formed of contingents from many different kingdoms, and the Ajjiingiiri are always enthusiastically present.
Aladur:
This is a sheltered land little known to the Azotchtla, on the other side of the mountains. It is a land of moors and marshes that surround a great lake called the Lake of Refuge. Rumours say that a strange race of people dwell there who claim to have been born out of the trees and grasses of the land and who hate both humans and scaled ones alike. They are called the killoren and it is said they are angry at the destruction caused by the creation cyst blast. They delight in befuddling strangers and luring them to their doom or captivity.
Assinmiir:
Assinmiir is also called Chichimenca (shee-shee-MEHN-ka) by the Azotchtla.
Assinmiir reserves its greatest honors for craftsmen and artists, believing that aesthetics ennoble both the individual and the society. Many innovations have been created by these industrious and creative people, most notably the aqueducts and sewers that have allowed humans to gather in great cities. Goods made here have a reputation for quality, and this has in turn built the fortunes of many merchant-adventurers.
The emphasis on creativity and personal freedom has many advantages, but hasn't lead to much social cohesion. The noble houses tend to be a fractious lot, taking virtually any opportunity to struggle with one another for social, political or economic advantages. Their political philosophy can be summed up in this famous line: "My brother and I against our cousin; my cousin and I against the stranger."
War is of course one of the least aesthetic activities and Assinmiiri do not encourage their children to pursue the trade of soldier. The combination of great wealth and a disorganized ruling class would seem to make the Assinmiiri an attractive target for conquest, whether from within or without. One of the reasons that this hasn't happened is that the ruling class regularly hires the premier mercenary orders for extended periods of time. Indeed, many of the noble houses had their origins as mercenaries who ended up putting down roots.
Of course, where there is trade and a lack of a strong central power, there are also thieves. It is widely believed that the cities are home to great guilds of thieves who conduct their illicit activities without interference from local authorities. Needless to say, the twin gods Huhnapu and Xbalanque both have thriving priesthoods.
The Assinmiiri are famous for their great architecture. Rulers are expected to build a great work that serves as a legacy of their personality and rule. Generally this absorbs much of their time and treasury but does result in some beautiful buildings. Examples include the Great Temple of Camaxtli, god of Fire, whose beacon serves as a lighthouse and is as renowned as the Sacred Palace of Matlalceuitl with its enormous gardens.
But there are also many buildings known for the eccentricity of their design or their builders. "Ximencatl's folly" is a huge tower that was built to help study astronomy, but ended up sinking about 30 feet down and tipping to the left, and there are several other examples. Since knocking down one of these buildings would be an act of extreme disrespect to the past ruler, they are suffered to exist.
Banjiiri:
This is a land of bogs and muddy forests. Here dwell the tsathar, who are said to have been bred by the yuan-ti from slaadi stock. The tsathar worship the slaadi and breed killer frogs like attack dogs.
Also here are the saurials, an enigmatic race that appear to be the result of a breeding between humans and dinosaurs. However, unlike most yuan-ti breedings, the saurials are a goodly folk and despise the yuan-ti and other scaled ones. Furthermore, no knowledge of these saurials is to be found predating the creation blast.
Many of the Children of the Mishtai believe that the saurials might be the result of a recent breeding by Klashkaln, the last of the Mishtai. The mere presence of the saurials might be proof that Klashkaln survived the wars and still works on behalf of the goodly races behind the scenes. Some interested skarns and rilkans make pilgrimage to Banjiiri, braving the tsathar and killer frogs in order to speak with the saurials and try to glean wisdom from them as well as details about their origins or the whereabouts of Klashkaln.
Blasted Lands:
This horrific desert wasteland used to be the lush and thriving Serpent Empire before Okoth destroyed it with the creation cyst. It is now a haunted nightmare of a place, never again suitable as the seat of an empire, but now full of horrifying creatures, both alive and undead, bred from the interaction of the creative forces of the creation cyst and the continuing presence of Kyuss and the great evil lingering there from the scaled ones.
Rumours persist of unimaginable horrors that dwell deep in these lands, and only the mad, suicidal, or the bravest of heroes travel to that land, the latter only in great need, perhaps to retrieve some ancient artifact of the Serpent Empire buried beneath the wind-torn sands.
Broken Isles:
These are islands broken from the mainland by the force of the creation blast. Much of the land fell into the sea, but the peaks remain as the islands. Little is known about them or what dwells on them.
Charmindos:
This distant land is said to be untouched by the jungle heat Kyuss sent forth to cover most of the central portion of the continent. It is a wild, cool land comprised mostly of rolling hills and sparse forests. Little is known about what kind of creatures dwell in this land.
Chasinzitl:
This is a wild land in the crotch between the two great Serpent ranges. Little is known of the creatures that dwell in this isolated land.
Chinzachil Sea:
This sea was an important body of water for the two great nations of the Children of the Mishtai that flanked it, and mush fishing and trade was conducted on and across it. In the old days when the skarns and rilkans dwelt in the area, they made friendship with the shalarin, aquatic humanoids who dwell in the sea. Since the lands were overrun by the scaled ones, nothing is known of the fate of the shalarin.
Coatlizin Jungle:
Considered to be part of the Scaled Lands, it is believed that the scaled one presence in this jungle is less than in the Erinquiril Jungle and the Quazilchatl Jungle. Aside from these, the jungle is home to a variety of dangerous and strange creatures, some of these well known to the Fezen and Valasti who dwell near its verges.
The gambol are large, 9 ft tall primates who dwell in the jungle and they are feared by the Fezen and Valasti. The gambol are known to be fierce enemies of the needlefolk, a strange plant-like people that can fling needles from their bodies at foes.
Demonshead:
This land juts out between the
Sea of Stars and the Sea of Jewels, and its coasts are steep and
rocky, while the interior is comprised mostly of moors and heaths.
Dwelling here are lizardfolk and the siv, a frog-like race
hat was bred by the Mishtai but then perverted to evil by the
other Progenitors.
Dragon Isle:
Little is known of this island, so called because it is believed to be a goodly distance towards the mystical land of the dragons to the east. Few have ever claimed to have even seen the isle, and most of those tales are likely fanciful, telling of dragons lying on heaps of treasures and rivers that flow with silver instead of water and run over beds of jewels instead of pebbles.
Dragonsea:
A sea so named because it supposedly stretches east into the mists and eventually arrives at the mystical land of the dragons.
Erinquiril Jungle:
A massive jungle, and the one most travelled by the Azotchtla, though even then usually just at its southwestern edge. The folk of Mestil-rez and Upper Valast dwell in its shadow and often enter to lumber, hunt, and gain other of its natural resources. Many strange plants can be found under its eaves, including some that are carnivorous or mobile.
The wild dwarves dwell in this jungle, and these trade with the Azotchtla.
Many creatures dwell in the jungle, including the girallons (four-armed gorillas), serpents that waver and shimmer like a heat mirage, and various strange ape-like creatures.
The jungle is also considered to be part of the Scaled Lands, and the scaled ones are known to dwell in its midst, more frequently to the east but often using the jungle to stage raids into the human lands.
Fellen Wastes:
This land was untouched by the jungle heat of Kyuss, and is actually cold in climate, especially its southernmost reaches, though the northern part can be quite mild and even warm in the summer. It is a land of hard scrabble rocks and hardy small grasses and the ground is often frozen year around. The scaled ones do not like the cold and it is said they avoid that land. Little is known of it except that primitive relatives of the goliaths, called the feral garguns, dwell in that land.
The Fezen sometimes mention a race of strange humanoids who look like upright cats who dwell in this land.
Fenzoon Jungle:
A strange and far off jungle, said to be the home of bizarre creatures the likes of which has never been seen in Azotchtla. The few rumours that have reached the human lands speak of various monkey-like tribes that dwell in the trees and fight great wars amongst each other without ever touching the ground. While the Fenzoon is considered one of the Scaled Lands and no doubt the scaled ones have a presence here, it is thought they do not dominate this jungle as they do the others, due to its remoteness and its lack of any sort of strategic location.
Fezen-tir:
This land is ruled by the Fezen warlocks, also called the azzunatlan. The history of the Fezen is presented elsewhere, but suffice to say that they bear the Azotchtla an enmity that is only exceeded by their hatred of the scaled ones. Despite being evil and treacherous, the Fezen are implacable enemies of the scaled ones and it is unthinkable that they would ever consider allying with the yuan-ti no matter how much it might be to their advantage viz a viz the Azotchtla.
Not all of the Fezen are warlocks. In fact, almost all of them are not. The warlocks form the upper caste that rules the rest of the land with an iron hand. The ruler of the Fezen is known as the Grand Vizier, and it is almost unheard of for this shadowy figure to ever make a public appearance, and even then his face is veiled and his features hidden. The Fezen claim that the Grand Vizier has lived for centuries, but there is no way to know if this is myth perpetuated to lend and air of continuity to the rules of the land or if it is true.
The peasants of the land are heavily oppressed, and are regarded as the chattel of their masters. Nobility is determined by heredity, but such status can be granted or revoked by the ruling warlocks at will. Advancement in caste is only by means of entering the ranks of the warlocks, and few peasants are ever recruited into these ranks.
Great Cauldron:
This massive crater is the site where the creation blast was set off. In this area was the capital city of the Serpent Empire and the great palace of Kyuss himself. It is not known how deep this crater might be nor what, if anything, could dwell within.
Haasfiir:
Haasfiir is also called Xicalanca (SHIH-kah-LANE-ka) by the Azotchtla.
The Haasfiiri hold pride of place as the culture from which much of post-Okothian culture sprang. The Haasfiiri were adept at gleaning the best of what the Okothian Empire had to offer and modifying it to fit into the new Azotchtlan paradigm. It was they who developed much of the philosophy and religious beliefs that are uniquely Azotchtlan. However after having achieved these heights the society began to harden and grow static. New ideas and customs are resisted in favor of a rigorous maintenance of the past.
This may be due in large part to the nature of the Haasfiiri golden age, which saw nine consecutive philosopher-kings rise to the throne. These kings founded a system emphasizing scholarly consideration of such questions as astrology, the proper relationship of subject to king and the nature of the physical universe. This period was later considered the ideal and the society continually strives to return to it.
Despite this dogged unwillingness to change the Haasfiiri are held in high esteem as a culture, if not as a nation.
Power is primarily held in the hands of strong nobles who elect from their ranks a king. The monarchy is a position of great prestige, and thus is highly sought after, even if its ability to influence events is severely restricted. Since the king is considered the paramount example of Haasfiiri virtue, the nobility is required to carefully consider his dictates, but there is really nothing that compels them to follow it. Many times a noble will have his court philosophers engage in learned dispute with the king's commands as a means to avoid actually carrying them out.
The Xicalancans have a well-established legal system, a by-product of their desire to maintain their society without corruption or change. Its principles are based on the philosophical foundations of the past, and cases are won or lost based on how well they correspond to precedence.
Unlike most other societies, the Haasfiiri do not have a paramount deity that they prefer to that of others. Since they believe that the gods chose to reveal themselves to the earliest Haasfiiri by design, they consider all of them worthy of worship on a more-or-less equal basis.
Hissing Coast:
This somewhat bleak land is swept by winds from the ocean and consists of salty marshes and rocky hills. The land is the demesne of the lizard folk. Some of the tribes of the lizardfolk trade with the Azotchtla, and others trade with the scaled ones, and some trade with both. Some fight for the yuan-ti. Some are known to favour eating humans cooked or raw. They are a very unpredictable race as a whole.
Hissing Sea:
This is a warm tropical sea that is fished by the lizardfolk of the Hissing Coast and by the Haasfiiri. It is rich in fish and clams and oysters.
Hurlotzin Lands:
Ancient home of the rilkans, this land was invaded by the scaled ones and overrun, and much of its beauty decimated, as the angry serpents left no stone unturned and salted and poisoned its fields and lakes and streams. Over the centuries the land has recovered somewhat, but is now though to be wild and untamed, though no doubt full of the ruins of the old civilization.
In ancient times the Children of the Mishtai hunted and culled the terrifying malastors, massive creatures covered in plates of stone, but with the land now untamed, the malastors have likely bred in terrifying numbers.
It is not known if the scaled ones dwell in this land in any significant numbers and it is not regarded as a part of the Scaled Lands.
Ijarim Sea:
The site of a few battles between the rilkans and the scaled ones during the invasion of the Hurtlotzin Lands, little is known about these distant waters.
Inrenzeer:
Ancient home of the skarns, this land was invaded by the scaled ones and overrun, and much of its beauty decimated, as the angry serpents left no stone unturned and salted and poisoned its fields and lakes and streams. Over the centuries the land has recovered somewhat, but is now though to be wild and untamed, though no doubt full of the ruins of the old civilization.
Even in ancient times, various dragons dwelt in the land or on its periphery, often in peace with the skarns. Creatures known as dracotaurs dwelt in the land, though it is not known if they still abide there, as they did not serve the scaled ones at the time of the invasion.
Irin Forest:
The only forest native to the land that was untouched by the rotting heat of Kyuss's arrival, this deciduous forest bears a mild, temperate climate and is home to a variety of elder creatures that claim to be native to the continent and once abundant in all of the forests of the land before they were turned to jungle.
Totem giants dwell there, trading with the Azotchtla and the Children of the Mishtai.
Wood woads also dwell there, and they claim the forest as their own and can be hostile to intruders. That said, on occasion wood woads are known to interact with humans, including offering advice and even occasionally raising an abandoned child. Several Azotchtlan legends involve a child being abandoned by or its parents slain in the forest and a wood woad taking the child and raising it into some sort of legendary woodland hero.
Also, iridescent nagas from the Nagim Q'erissna and Y'rossi dwell in the forest, almost like hermits, and the Azotchtla often seek them out for advice.
Irinisle:
This large island is quite rocky and little suited to agriculture. It is also uninhabited by the Azotchtla due to their lack of seaworthy vessels. Nevertheless, it is said small tchalas of humans dwell on the island, many of them exiles or bandits who have fled the Azotchtlan Lands. Little else is known of the island.
Jeweled Coast:
So called because of the crystalline sand that forms its beaches and causes them to sparkle in the sunlight, this rocky and sandy land is home to scattered tribes of lizardfolk, including some that are clearly the result of additional yuan-ti breeding programs. Such lizardfolk dwell primarily in forests or marshes a bit off the coast.
King's Bay:
The only significant body of water plied by the Azotchtla to any great extent, many fishing vessels from Krenzeen, Mestil-rez, and Upper and Lower Valast sail its normally calm surface. No great sea creatures are known to dwell beneath the waters, and the few military vessels on the water are manned by the Fezen.
King's Bay:
These peaks are not tall, except in their very center, but they form the spine of the Azotchtlan Lands. High in the peaks dwell the feared yrthaks, and many Azotchtlan mountaineers are known to stuff beeswax in their ears when ascending the mountains to avoid their deadly roar.
King's Sea:
Only travelled upon in its coastal regions by Ajiingiiri, Krenzeeni, and Fezen, this sea consists of mild seas punctuated by chilled currents swept from the southwest. The sea can be quite stormy in the summer and hurricanes are known to sweep its length and occasionally make landfall.
The straits between Krenzeen and Fezen-tir are heavily guarded from invasion by either quarter.
Krenzeen:
Kreenzen is also called Huexotzinga (HWAY-sho-SHING-a) by the Azotchtla.
The once-proud kingdom of Kreenzen has suffered much from having the aggressive and successful Ajiingiiri as their neighbors. In fact, the recent history of the kingdom is defined by the rise of the Ajiingiiri. Before the wounding of the sun the kingdoms struggled in constant conflict, with the Keenzneni enduring constant raids against them, punctuated with larger campaigns of conquest.
Unable to defeat their invaders in open battle, the Kreenzeni began a policy of retreating behind their city walls, dogging the footsteps of any foreign forces. Still, the constant loss of property due to invasion and the belief that they could never defeat the Ajiingiiri in open battle had a corrosive effect. The wounding of the sun offered some relief because the Ajiingiiri turned inward.
Now the Ajiingiiri have emerged even stronger, though the danger from them has changed in nature. The custom of the Flowery Battle has limited the amount of territory lost to conquest, but the morale of the nation has been shaken. The vibrant, rising empire of Ajiingiir and its vigorous culture are very attractive to a ruling class living in relative poverty. Their dominant military makes fighting them a painful process, which still occurs on a regular basis as Ajiingiiri nobles out "hunting" get "lost" in the borderlands and end up in scraps with the locals.
If the Ajiingiiri were less fanatical they might have absorbed most of Kreenzen through the peaceful means of politics and intermarriage. But Oromoxco needs a steady diet of victims, and his priesthood demands nothing less than the transformation of the culture into a vessel of his worship. The bad blood built up by years of warfare also plays a part, though of late a number of opportunistic nobles have made overtures to the great houses of Ajiingiir.
The need for each district to be able to defend itself at a moment's notice has all but eliminated any effective central command. Each noble looks to his own needs first, though many have strong pacts with their neighbors. The constant fighting has lead to Uemac being the paramount deity here, yet another factor earning the enmity of Ajiingiir.
The Kreenzeni have a tradition of prophecy that says that Xpiyacoc (shuh-pee-YAH-choke), one of their legendary priest-kings, will voluntarily return from the Ninth Path when the kingdom is at its lowest point. He will then restore the monarchy to its rightful place and the civilization will achieve a golden age of prosperity. As times get worse, so the faithful grow more convinced that the return of Xpiyacoc is near.
Lake of Refuge:
This lake is sheltered by the
land of Aladur, a place of marshes, bogs, and grasslands. The
lake is so called because of an Azotchtlan legend that says that
when Okoth proceeded to march towards the ancient Serpent Empire
to unleash the creation cyst, he feared the devastation that would
be caused to the surrounding lands and to nature itself. However,
he was loathe to reveal his intentions to any of the spirits of
nature due to the chance that his plan might be learned by Kyuss.
Nevertheless, the beauty of the lands to the
north of the Serpent Empire swayed Okoth and he gathered unto
him the most beauteous and divine of the spirits of the lands
and waters surrounding the Serpent Empire and swore them to a
great oath of secrecy and informed them of his plan.
With heavy hearts, the spirits agreed to flee, but Okoth would not suffer them to flee to the north to safety, for the armies of Kyuss were there battling with Tlaloc and the nature spirits' arrival would be noticed. Instead, Okoth instructed them to go to the "land in the bosom of the mountains" that is now called Aladur, and there the spirits immersed themselves into the pure lake at its center, and the maiden of the lake there, a beloved daughter of Chalchihuitlicue (chal-CHEE-hweet-lee-CUE-eh) the mistress of waters, gave the refugee spirits succor. And while the mountains protected the spirits from the blast, the spirit of the lake protected the spirits from perishing of despair at having their lands destroyed.
Lower Valast:
These lands were a part of the Okothian Empire, and later became the battleground between the Emperor and the Fezen. Since then they have been nominally independent and under varying degree of control of Fezen-tir. Lower Valast is more directly under the influence of the Fezen, due to its proximity to that nation, though over time there have been revolts and even wars between the Valasti and the Fezen.
The Valasti are hardy frontiersmen descended from the human Okothians who also formed Fezen-tir and the Azotchtlan Lands. When the Okothian Empire dissolved into the Azotchtlan Lands, the Valast lands were left in limbo, as the Azotchtlan Lands did not have the strength at the time to press their claim of those lands and the Fezen were decimated by their wars with the last Emperor.
When the Azotchtlan Lands consolidated into the five kingdoms, Mestil-rez was in the best position to assert claims over Upper Valast especially, but by that time the Valasti had become used to their independence and the other Azotchtlan Nations were not exactly eager to have Mestil-rez grab all of that land and possibly come to dominate the rest of the kingdoms.
The people of Lower Valast are ruled by a satrap, who calls himself a king when independence from Fezen-tir is asserted and a satrap when subordinate to that land. Currently, the land is under the sway of the Fezen-tir and is regarded, especially in its southern reaches, as a veritable province of the Fezen.
Mallar's Peaks:
These tall peaks are named after a great beast of ancient times before Kyuss who was said to be a pet of Yenotchuatl (yeh-no-TCHWAT-al), the god of animals, and who escaped his master and roamed these peaks for centuries before being driven off or put down or tamed by various ancient heroes according to various races native to the region.
The peaks are home to the race of goliaths as well as their one-time construct servants the chrystones. Dakons dwell in the foothills along the north of the peaks, and often trade with the Azotchtla by travelling through the Erinquiril Jungle.
The goliath trade encampment of Thella-lu is located in these mountains, along with the Temple of the Sapphire Eidolon.
Mazuiochitl:
These warm plains were once the frontier of the Hurlotzin Lands, but the area is now believed to be part of the Scaled Lands and in the control of the scaled ones.
Mestil-rez:
Mestil-rez is also called Xonochouco (sho-no-CHON-ko) by the Azotchtla.
Humanity continues to expand its control over the continent, pushing outward. Mestil-rez is the kingdom of the frontier, which like all frontiers tends to attract the bold, the ambitious, and those whose ideas make them unwelcome in more established areas. Since the Mestili are the nation that most often comes in contact with the scaled ones they tend to be militant and well-organized.
Another outgrowth of their unique geography is that they tend to view affairs from the perspective of humanity vs. the reptiles, and tend to gloss over the distinctions between cultures. After all, the difference between an Assinmiiri and a Haasfiiri fades away when comparing either to a yuan-ti.
It is not surprising then to learn that one of the great unifying events in recent human history was invoked by one of their great rulers, Xochitlan the Great, who founded the custom of the Flowery Battles. These ritual combats allow the various kingdoms to resolve their disputes and maintain their religious obligations without damage to the fabric of society.
The Mestili nobility is organized around military service to a strong central ruler. Nobles, usually referred to as counts, are expected to furnish a certain "count" of fighting men when called upon, but are otherwise largely free of obligation. The military reputation of each noble house is very important. Each house's ranks are supplemented by various orders of warriors and priests, foreign nobles engaged in errantry and mercenary companies looking to gain standing.
Worship of Uemac is widespread, but all the gods are worshipped, some for their more unusual aspects.
Mestil-rez is the frontier, so it has a powerful draw for the ambitious and the unconventional. Many odd religious denominations are found here, since everyone is welcome - so long as they can survive. The marches are also a sort of proving ground for adventurers of all sorts, with opportunity and danger never far away. People living in a dangerous environment may need the assistance of their neighbors at any time, so maintaining good relations is important. Opinions, behaviors and eccentricities that might not be tolerated in other places are overlooked if the individual is dependable during times of need.
Mezon Ocean:
This ocean bounds the north of the continent and eventually leads to Onlor and Jerranq, though none of the Azotchtla are familiar with these distant lands it is interesting to note that they refer to it by the same name.
Musteer Isle:
What this isle was before the creation blast none know. It is not known, even, if it was a part of the mainland before the blast. What is known now is not much more. The place is thick with jungle and dominated by a massive volcano. It is rumoured that great beasts of some kind inhabit the island and that a great lavawight dwells within the volcano.
Phanzariin:
This peninsula consists of marshes and moors surrounded by high cliffs that descend to the ocean. The southern portion of the land is dotted by sparse jungles and within these and along the cliffs dwell the pterafolk, who are flying people who serve the yuan-ti.
Poison Lake:
Once a clean and pure lake, this place was befouled by the creation blast and the effluvia that washed into it after the destruction of the Serpent Empire. It and the vast, trackless swamps between it and Lake Tir are home to horrible abominations that are the stuff of nightmares. No sane person would seek to travel that land.
Quazilchatl Jungle:
One of the two largest jungles in Sazhansiir, this is the area most under the sway of the scaled ones and is the new heart of the Scaled Lands. Like the Erinquiril Jungle, many strange flora and fauna dwell in the jungle, along with various servant races and wild animals bred by the scaled ones. Innumerable yuan-ti enclaves and temples no doubt dot the jungle, and what might dwell or lair in its deepest recesses are left to the imagination.
Sea of Jewels:
Named for the Jeweled Coast, which abuts the sea, this area is rich in fish and shellfish, as well as giant moray eels and the giant caribe, a deadly predator fish. The locathah also dwell here, a race of fish creatures that trade with the lizardfolk of the Jeweled Coast and the Azotchtla occasionally.
Sea of Stars:
This sea is named for the pearls that can be found here, which have a star-shaped pattern. It is rich in fish and shellfish, as well as giant moray eels and giant clams. The locathah also dwell here, a race of fish creatures that trade with the lizardfolk of the Jeweled Coast and the Azotchtla occasionally.
Serpent's Tail:
The eastern spur of the great central mountain range of Sazhansiir, this range is punctuated by immense volcanism to the north. Goliaths dwell in these mountains, especially to the north, and firenewts are native to the region, along with their giant striders.
Serpent's Tongue:
The western spur of the great central mountain range of Sazhansiir, this range is punctuated by immense volcanism to the north. Raptorans dwell in these mountains, especially to the north, and firenewts are native to the region, along with their giant striders. To the south, feral garguns, primitive kin of the goliaths, make their homes.
Southfrost Ocean:
Little is known of this ocean, due to its remote location. It is so called because extremely cold waters flow up from the south.
Tir Lake:
Unlike Poison Lake to the south, Tir lake was spared the immense ravages of the creation blast, but only just. Lapping right up to its southern shores are the fetid swamps that have always inhabited the region but were made more foul by the blast and subsequent corruption of Poison Lake. Little is known of the region, except that packs of babblers dwell there, evil reptiles who are a slave race of the progenitors and are adept at the art of ambush.
Tyrmannion:
This massive spire of stone is the core that remains from Kyuss' mountain fortress that we took refuge in during the creation blast. Only Kyuss' great power held the core of the mountain sacrosanct from the blast, and now it serves as both his fortress and possibly his prison. One can only speculate at the horrors that dwell in that place with the Lord of Decay and Corruption.
Upper Valast
These lands were a part of the Okothian Empire, and later became the battleground between the Emperor and the Fezen. Since then they have been nominally independent and under varying degree of control of Fezen-tir. Upper Valast is less directly under the influence of the Fezen, due to its proximity to Mestil-rez.
The Valasti are hardy frontiersmen descended from the human Okothians who also formed Fezen-tir and the Azotchtlan Lands. When the Okothian Empire dissolved into the Azotchtlan Lands, the Valast lands were left in limbo, as the Azotchtlan Lands did not have the strength at the time to press their claim of those lands and the Fezen were decimated by their wars with the last Emperor.
When the Azotchtlan Lands consolidated into the five kingdoms, Mestil-rez was in the best position to assert claims over Upper Valast especially, but by that time the Valasti had become used to their independence and the other Azotchtlan Nations were not exactly eager to have Mestil-rez grab all of that land and possibly come to dominate the rest of the kingdoms.
The people of Upper Valast are ruled by several petty kings, who vie for influence amongst their people. Occasionally a single king unites the land for a time before the whole devolves into chaos. Upper Valast has nominally good relations with Mestil-rez, though the holf of the land are always wary of a grab of their lands by the Azotchtla.
Venom's Drops
These are a series of windswept and rocky islands that are believed to be home to various animals and sea birds and little else. Nevertheless, some of the islands are fairly large and could hold unknown mysteries.
Races of Sazhansiir
These are races most suitable for PCs in Sazhansiir. They are certainly not the only races possible for PCs, but they are the ones with organized societies present in Sazhansiir that are not closely aligned with the scaled ones.
Unless noted, most of the general attributes, personality traits, and societal organization attributed to these races in their respective source books also apply to these races in Sazhansiir.
Azurin (MoI):
Azurins are essentially incarnum-tainted humans. Amidst the sweeping history of Sazhansiir, azurins are relative newcomers. The first of these appeared in Azotchtlan lands well after the Children of the Mishtai had immigrated to that land after the fall of their own.
Azurins are thought to have arisen from the proximity of incarnum magic to humankind. The presence of the Children of the Mishtai living amongst the Azotchtla is believed to have drawn incarnum energies into that land and, where such energies were concentrated, sometimes an azurin was born. At first azurin births were extremely rare, and even today births of azurins to human parents are a rarity. Apparently, mere proximity to incarnum-using beings is not enough to guarantee an azurin birth.
But it is also true that azurin parents breed azurin progeny far more often than pure humans, while mixed parentage tends to produce azurin progeny more often than pure humans but still rather rarely.
However, as the number of azurin parents has increased over the centuries, so, too, more and more azurin progeny have been birthed.
Azurins occupy an accepted niche in Azotchtlan society, less estranged than the Children of the Mishtai, and, due to their human appearance, capable of operating in human society without prejudice. However, the azurins themselves tend to think of themselves somewhat as a "special" breed of humans and keep themselves somewhat aloof from the mainstream of human society. Despite this aloofness, azurins tend to be solitary in that they do not tend to congregate in large azurin-based groupings. One will not find a village or town of azurins anywhere in Azotchtla.
It is a bit of a sport or matter of gossip for Azotchtlans to try to identify azurins, and sometimes if a fellow citizen acts at all strangely or is a bit eccentric he is labeled as a suspected azurin. However, since azurins are welcome in Azotchtlan society, such suspicions are merely the fodder for gossip and jests rather than any sort of serious concern.
An exception to this attitude is in the nation of Ajjiingiir, where all use of non-Ularinn related magic is forbidden. Though some azurins remain, essentially ignoring their essential capabilities, most have fled that nation.
Azurins do tend to be more comfortable when dealing with their own kind and with skarns and rilkans. In battle, the Azotchla have been known to gather azurins into combat units in order to take advantage of their incarnum abilities, but even then, given the rather personal nature of incarnum magic, there is no great advantage in doing so.
Duskling (MoI):
Dusklings are fey beings native to the Therran netherworld (the Astral Plane). They had long ago discovered incarnum, and had learned to shape it into a form of magic. They also learned how certain energy points on the bodies of all living creatures, called chakras, were used to anchor one's own soul to one's body, and that these points could be used to heighten incarnum magic.
The dusklings were fleeing their homeland on a netherplane that had been assaulted by devils. Outcasts, they wandered for centuries before they learned that a significant gathering of incarnum flow was being drawn to the Material Plane. Intrigued, they sent scouts to the inflow, and determined that the incarnum was the result of the very existence of the skarn and rilkan, who were now quite numerous and gathered together in great numbers in close proximity.
The dusklings were overjoyed, for here were potential allies and kindred spirits who seemed to have an affinity for incarnum, indeed it imbued their very natures, but had no idea how to shape it and wield it like magic. And so the dusklings parleyed with the Children of Mishtai and formed a bargain. The dusklings could dwell amongst them in exchange for teaching them how to wield incarnum.
Quickly, the two races learned the duskling ways and became great wielders of incarnum, even in many ways surpassing the lore of their teachers after a time.
When the lands of the Children of the Mishtai were overrun by the scaled ones, many dusklings fled back into the netherworld, and most records of them have been lost to Therra. However, some remained and fled with the rest of the Children of the Mishtai to Okoth, where they persist to this day in present-day Azotchtla.
The dusklings are the least human-looking of the citizens of Azotchtla, and because of this have always been somewhat estranged from human society. While technically welcome throughout Azotchtla, most humans fear them or are uneasy in their presence and prefer the dusklings to be out of sight and out of mind. The dusklings themselves are rather reclusive to begin with, and the uneasiness of humans simply reinforces this tendency.
One nation, Ajjiingiir, conducted a purge of dusklings, declaring them to be unholy and part of the cause of the crack in the sun that occurred during the War of the Gem on distant Jerranq. As such, dusklings are forbidden to enter that land on pain of death.
Dusklings are more welcome amongst the skarns and rilkans, and even the azurins feel a bond with them due to their shared incarnum natures. Although accepted by other incarnum wielders, dusklings tend to dwell in their own communities, scattered on the periphery of Azotchtlan lands.
Dwarf, Wild (MnoF):
These are not true dwarves, but rather a breed of human slaves created by the scaled ones to work underground in constricted mines and other small spaces. During the revolt of the humans, many of these small humans fled into the surrounding jungles, not considering themselves to be a part of humanity and not wishing to ally with either side in the coming war.
Now, the wild dwarves survive in the jungles of the Erinquiril, hunted by the yuan-ti and generally remaining aloof from human society to the west.
In Therra, wild dwarves gain the human subtype and lose the dwarf subtype. They lose the racial attack bonus against orcs and goblins and gain the attack bonus against yuan-ti. They lose the dodge bonus to AC against giants and gain the same bonus against size Large or larger scaled ones.
They lose their bonuses to Craft and Appraise skills relating to stone or metal items and gain the same bonuses relating to items made from wood or plant materials.
Wild dwarves are known for their knockout poison, which they extract from the tri-flower frond plant.
They speak their own tongue, Azotlan, and Slith.
Goliath (RoS):
The goliaths are a race native to Sazhansiir that dwell in the mountains of Mallar's Peaks and the northern reaches of the Serpent's Tail mountains. They are a nomadic race, and somewhat insular, dwelling in tribal encampments that wander ancient, predetermined ranges.
The goliaths have no permanent settlements, except for the camp of Thella-lu, which is located in the western portion of Mallar's Peaks. Instead, they camp where the hunting is good and tend to migrate from higher elevations in the summertime to lower reaches during winter.
The goliaths are rather unconcerned with events outside of their mountains, and though they have no love for the scaled ones, they do not generally make active war upon them. Conversely, the scaled ones have not considered the goliaths worthy of attack, disliking their homeland terrain and considering them to be no sort of threat. In ancient times the goliaths did send an army of constructs to fight against the scaled ones, but this turned out badly.
Goliaths consider themselves to have been fashioned from the roots of the mountains in ancient times by an enigmatic figure they call the Earth Mother. Whether this is simply a generic manifestation of nature (i.e. Mother Earth) or is an aspect of the goddess Dhalis is not known. Most goliath spellcasters are druids, and very few actual clerics are known to exist, except at Thella-lu, where shrines to gods and goddesses with goliath names and histories are present.
Goliaths also have a bardic tradition, and their bards can cast arcane magic in the form of bard spells, though they tend to favour those spells that are most closely tied to singing and instrument playing and with subtle effects.
Goliaths value competition, and are liable to turn even the most simple and mundane tasks into a contest. They are a very straightforward and steadfast people, slow to make friends but loyal to the end. Technologically they are a primitive people, with little in the way of fine arts beyond singing and storytelling.
They speak their own language, called Gol-kaa, and have no written language whatsoever.
Human (PHB):
Humans are ubiquitous in northwestern Sazhansiir. Little is going to be written about them in this section, as most of the bulk of this document concerns the humans of the continent. Suffice to say that humans were enslaved by the yuan-ti and other scaled ones in antiquity to be used as stock to conduct their breeding experiments and as slaves.
The human slaves proliferated, even despite their harsh taskmasters, and eventually with the help of the repentant sarrukh Okoth managed to rebel against the scaled ones.
The details of this rebellion and the great wars that followed are presented elsewhere, but suffice to say that Okoth, who perished in the war, bequeathed his empire to the greatest human hero ever to stride the land, Tlaloc. He founded the human-ruled era of the Okothian Empire, which persisted until it was fragmented into the nations of the present day due to internal strife.
The humans of Sazhansiir now live in lands collectively called Azotchtla. They speak Azotlan, which is a language that has taken elements of Slith and melded them with bits of Draconic, Celestial, and elemental tongues and then, over centuries, altered into its present form.
The humans are, in most ways, similar to humans throughout Therra. Some of their facial features resemble the Morakki; their eyes are slightly almond-shaped and their skin is darker, almost an olive complexion. Their noses can tend to be large, and somewhat rounded.
In many ways the Azotchtla are analogues to real-life ancient Central and South American cultures, including the Mayans, Aztecs, Toltecs, Olmans, and Incans. Nevertheless, many difference remain.
The Azotchtla worship primarily the sun god, and though they revere many other gods, they refer to them by different names and in different modes of worship. The Azotchtla are entirely ignorant of other continents on Therra and have never heard of the Deceiver.
The Azotchtla tend to be a very conservative people, and are ruled by an overwhelming hatred, fear, and paranoia regarding the scaled ones. It is well known that the yuan-ti send infiltrators into Azotchtlan society, and as such the Azotchtla tend to be very wary of anyone who is in the least bit different or eccentric.
Due to a symbolic rejection of the tools used by the scaled ones and the shackles of their own slavery, Azotchtla do not use metal armour or weapons. They will wear small metal ornaments or trinkets, and the Sunspears of the land of Ajjiingiir wear enchanted bronze armour, which is considered purified and untainted of the "stench" of serpents (unlike iron and steel). To an Azotchtlan, anyone wearing or using metal weapons or armour is almost certainly in league with the scaled ones, if not a scaled one itself in disguise.
Likewise, there is almost no tradition of arcane magic amongst the Azotchtla. Spellthieves can "borrow" arcane magic and even cast a little of it themselves, but being human, there are no sorcerers, and wizardry is simply unknown in these lands. As such, the Azotchtla regard all arcane magic as soul corrupting and a sign of the scaled ones, and casting such magic is tantamount to inviting a death sentence.
The land of Fezen-tir, though nominally a part of the Azotchtlan lands, is independent of the rest of the Azotchtlan nations and many of its members practice warlockry. The Fezen are estranged of and hostile with the other nations of the Azotchtla.
Karsite (ToM):
Karsus is a legendary hero of the great wars between Okoth and Kyuss, and many obscure myths and legends surround him. In some ways, next to Tlaloc, he was the most famous human hero of Sazhansiir.
Karsus' origins remain obscure, but omens and warnings came to him like mystical visions or dreams, lending him the air of a prophet, which is, in fact, how he was regarded even by Okoth himself.
Karsus was able to perform small miracles that were in no way related to divine magic, and this eccentric use of magical powers might have brought him under suspicion had not Okoth vouched for him.
Instead, Okoth tasked Karsus with trying to find a way to tap into his latent powers and perhaps teach them to others. Karsus tried for years to manage this, but as he was somewhat fuzzy on the origin of his own abilities, it was difficult for him to make any headway in essentially teaching it to the Azotchtla. Instead, his magical experiments veered into the realm of suppressing and combating the arcane magic of the scaled ones.
When Okoth unleashed the creation cyst and died in the blast, Karsus was bereft of his primary benefactor and great friend, and his grief grew alongside his madness. After spending a short time railing against the folly of the new rulers of the Okothian Empire, and making a torrent of bizarre prophetic pronouncements, Karsus gathered his few Azotchtlan disciples to him and announced that he was going to find Kyuss in his "hole" in Tyrmannion and siphon the demigod's power through Karsus and to his followers, thereby granting them the ability to wield Kyuss' magic against himself.
Amazingly, Karsus performed the powerful and dangerous ritual linking his followers to himself mystically and over great distances. Even more amazingly, with a small band of companions, the madman managed to reach Tyrmannion and breach its formidable defenses. There, with most of his companions dead or worse, Karsus confronted Kyuss and managed to enact the trigger words of his epic ritual and touch the demigod, triggering the effect.
Unfortunately for Karsus, Kyuss' being was so far steeped in corruption that the absorption of even a small part of his essence was too much for his mortal shell to contain. The prophetic hero was instantly slain…or at least his body was. Kyuss' corruptive essence and the power of the epic ritual interacted to shred Karsus' soul, so that he did not go on to the afterlife, but instead his soul lingered in shards somewhere in the multiverse. The largest of these shards, now touched by and infused with some of the power of Kyuss, became aware as a vestige and is capable of being contacted by a binder.
When Karsus touched Kyuss, the conduit to his followers received a jolt of Kyuss' power and corruption as well. Most of the followers died instantly, others slowly and in agonizing fashion, but a few had the fortitude or luck to survive, and the event changed them into what were the first karsites.
These first karsites were unaware of their powers, and were, in fact, devastated that the clerics amongst them now could not cast their divine spells. But over time they learned that some small benefit had been gleaned from Karsus' sacrifice, and that their newfound traits were so much an essence of their being that they could be passed on to their progeny.
And so karsites have become a part of Azotchtlan society. They are rare, to say the least, as the karsite trait is elusive, and even if two karsite parents breed the chances of producing a karsite offspring is only slightly higher than with a mixed mating. In fact, the bloodline has been so diluted that in theory any two humans who mate have a tiny chance of producing a karsite.
Karsites are considered a blessing to the Azotchtla, as their powers are regarded as particularly suited to fighting against yuan-ti sorcery. As such, Azotchtlan parents often keep a close eye on their children for signs of being karsites, and despite no real tendency for Karsite births to run in a given family or to a given set of parents, sometimes the number of karsite offspring in an Azotchtlan family line makes that family more prestigious and suitable for intermarriage.
Units of karsites are famous in the ranks of the Azotchtlan armies, and many of the best-known war leaders and generals of the Azotchtlan armies are or were karsites.
It is also believed that karsites were instrumental in developing the discipline of spellthievery. While certainly no karsite can become a spellthief, due to the inability to cast spells, it is thought that some of the first karsites sought to teach their powers to normal humans and, instead, developed the training for the first spellthieves.
Raptoran (RoW):
Raptorans are native to Sazhansiir, dwelling in high aeries in the northern reaches of the Serpent's Tongue mountains, as far south as the source of the Hir River and north to the crotch of the mountains where it meets the Serpent's Tail.
As delineated in Races of the Wild, raptorans are a reclusive species who prefer to be left alone and rarely interfere with the grand issues of other races. They are a slow and deliberate race in making decisions when there is time to do so, and this, coupled with their hit and run and standoff tactics in warfare, have tended to brand them as cowards by other races. This is far from the truth.
While only the elder raptorans are capable of flight, their ability to glide allows them to negotiate mountainous terrain far easier than land bound species.
The raptorans have very little contact with the scaled ones, though they naturally despise the evilness and aggression of the yuan-ti and their ilk. Raptorans have cordial relations with the goliaths to the north, and often trade with them as well as with firenewts native to the region.
With regard to humans, raptorans generally do not encounter humans, except occasionally with the people of Valast's frontiers and at Thella-lu, the goliath trading encampment.
Rilkan (MoI):
The history of the rilkans is dealt with in detail in the history section of this work. Suffice to say that the rilkans are the descendents of the first of their kind, named Rilkan, who was created by the Progenitor mishtai as the perfect synchronicity of human and serpentine natures. The rilkans dwelt in peace in the Hurlotzin Lands for centuries, and during this time the rilkans were taught to wield incarnum by the dusklings, who settled amongst them.
Eventually, they were attacked and driven out of their lands by forces loyal to Kyuss during the Human Revolt.
With three of the mishtai slain and the last missing, the rilkans, along with the skarns and dusklings, joined ranks with Okoth and Tlaloc against the scaled ones.
After the creation blast, the rilkans migrated into the Okothian Empire and have remained citizens of those lands ever since, including its transformation into the Azotchtlan lands.
Rilkans are well-regarded by the Azotchtlan humans, despite their subtle serpentine features and origin as a creation of the Progenitors. There is no question of the loyalty of the rilkans to the Azotchtlan cause. Despite this, the fact remains that rilkans are different than humans, and as such there is still a separateness between the two races that lends the rilkans to settle in their own villages, usually on the outskirts of major Azotchtlan cities or on the frontiers of the lands.
Skarn (MoI):
The history of the skarns is dealt with in detail in the history section of this work. Suffice to say that the skarns are the descendents of the first of their kind, named Skarn, who was created by the Progenitor mishtai as the perfect synchronicity of human and serpentine natures. The skarns dwelt in peace in Inrenzeer for centuries, and during this time the skarns were taught to wield incarnum by the dusklings, who settled amongst them.
Eventually, they were attacked and driven out of their lands by forces loyal to Kyuss during the Human Revolt.
With three of the mishtai slain and the last missing, the skarns, along with the rilkans and dusklings, joined ranks with Okoth and Tlaloc against the scaled ones.
After the creation blast, the skarns migrated into the Okothian Empire and have remained citizens of those lands ever since, including its transformation into the Azotchtlan lands.
Skarns are well-regarded by the Azotchtlan humans, despite their subtle serpentine features and origin as a creation of the Progenitors. There is no question of the loyalty of the skarns to the Azotchtlan cause. Despite this, the fact remains that skarns are different than humans, and as such there is still a separateness between the two races that lends the skarns to settle in their own villages, usually on the outskirts of major Azotchtlan cities or on the frontiers of the lands.
Core Classes
Adept (DMG):
The humans of Sazhansiir have clerics, not adepts. However, many of the primitive reptilian races of Sazhansiir, such as the lizardfolk, and native races like the goliaths have adepts who tend to their clans and tribes.
Aristocrat (DMG):
The humans of Sazhansiir have well-defined strata of society, and as such, aristocrats exist.
Barbarian (PHB):
There is no real tradition of barbarianism amongst the humans of Sazhansiir, as these were civilized by Okoth and his Empire. There are barbarians amongst some of the nonhuman races of Sazhansiir, though not the scaled ones themselves.
Barbarians do exist amongst the lizardfolk and mongrel tribes on the frontiers of Sazhansiir. In addition, the goliath race hidden in the mountains of central Sazhansiir also have a barbaric tradition.
The dusklings also have a barbaric tradition, and duskling warriors in ancient times, before they integrated with the Azotchtla, were barbarians who dwelt in the wildernesses of the lands of the Children of the Mishtai. Some dusklings retain that tradition, living in the hinterlands of the Azotchtlan lands.
Bard (PHB):
There is no tradition of bardism amongst humans in Sazhansiir. The Azotchtla dread of arcane magic has resulted in no formal bardic tradition arising. The scaled ones, true to their reptilian natures, do not appreciate the bardic crafts. This is not to say performance and music are not important to the Azotchtla. But they simply have not carried such arts into the arcane realm as has been done in Jerranq.
Goliaths, on the other hand, do have a tradition of bardism, despite having no wizardry or sorcery. Their bardic magic is regarded almost as a sort of druidic naturalism. They have not developed this tradition enough to gain access to most of the bardic prestige classes, though in theory were a foreign bardic member of such a class to undertake to train the goliaths they could essentially learn and propagate such lore.
Binders (ToM):
Binders are quite rare in Sazhansiir. They are almost exclusively found amongst the Fezen, and binding is regarded as an offshoot of warlockry. In fact, it is believed that the Fezen study and practice of warlockry led to the development of binding. Binders are regarded, outside of Fezen, as wholly evil and corrupt.
Cleric (PHB):
The gods are in Sazhansiir, though their worship is less widespread than in Jerranq. Primary among the gods revered by the Azotchtlan nations is Ularinn, the Sun God. Human slaves were kept underground or under jungle canopies or in dank cells or in mines for so long that when their freedom came they welcomed the sun as a sign of their freedom. Eventually, the sun's worship became prime, and continues to this day. In addition to Ularinn, popular deities include Aghorrit, the God of War, Hotor, God of the Sea, and Hindarr-quag, the Storm God. Heleniarr is also worshipped in hidden covens called the sects of the Night.
Clerics are endemic to Sazhansiir and divine magic is the most common magic wielded by humans. Other creatures worship other beings.
Commoner (DMG):
Needless to say, commoners are quite common amongst the Azotchtla.
Dragonfire Adept (DrM):
The warlocks of Fezen-tir have managed, over the centuries of their studies, to tap into the latent power of dragons as well as fiendish entities. Dragonfire adepts are much rarer than warlocks in Fezen society, but they form a sect amongst warlocks. These adepts rarely actually worship or revere dragons, but instead tap into their communal energy and consciousness and study their ways in order to gain a semblance of their abilities.
Dragonfire adepts are less often evil than their warlock counterparts.
Druid (PHB):
In Therra, druids were a group formed specifically as a reaction to the fight with the Deceiver. As such, there has been no reason for druidism to arise on Sazhansiir and it hasn't. There are no druids anywhere on the continent except amongst the goliaths, raptorans, and wild dwarves. They have a tradition of harmony with nature that closely resembles druidism and, for all intents and purposes, is treated the same, though they would never call it druidism and it does not tend to count as druidism for many druid-based prestige classes. This capability is not teachable by either race to other races. It is, instead, in some ways a version of sorcery in that it springs from their heritage.
Expert (DMG):
Sazhansiir has experts, who ply their craft or profession in a variety of societies.
Favoured Soul (CD):
These are rare but found in Sazhansiir. Amongst the Azotchtla, they are usually favoured of Ularinn and are called Children of the Sun or a Sun Child, or are priests of Yimik the Lord of Animals. Other races also occasionally birth a favoured soul, though such births are rarer still.
Fighter (PHB):
Being the standard and perennial warrior class in D&D, fighters are easily available in Sazhansiir. They represent the trained soldiery of the land, as well as experienced mercenaries. Such fighters can be found in the standing armies of the Azotchtlan lands as well as among the soldiers of the scaled ones.
Healer (MHB):
Healers can be found in Azotchtlan society, serving the same function as in any culture. They are especially revered on the battefield.
Incarnate (MoI):
This class is found in the Azotchtlan lands. It is mostly practiced by the skarn and rilkan races that dwell among the humans. Dusklings occasionally are members of this class, and the incarnum-influenced azurin sometimes join this class. Normal humans can also shape incarnum, if they have training, and such training, while not commonplace, is possible to find. Nevertheless, most Azotchtla regard incarnates as being best suited for the rilkan and skarn to practice.
Marshal (MHB):
All armies need leaders, and the armies of Sazhansiir are no exception. Marshals are found amongst the troops of the Azotchtla.
Monk (PHB):
There is no normal monkish tradition anywhere in Sazhansiir. Monks are a product of the Morakki people on Jerranq.
Paladin (PHB):
Paladins are to be found in Sazhansiir, usually amongst the Azotchtla, and usually under the patronage of a goodly serpent such as a couatl. They worship Ularinn for the most part. Paladins in Azotchtlan lands do not turn a blind eye to some of the darker practices of their society. They dislike human sacrifice and instead believe bloodletting should be done voluntarily. Nevertheless, such paladins are rare, and are constantly in conflict between their innate goodness and their desire to conform to the laws of society.
Ranger (PHB):
Rangers are known in Sazhansiir. Despite there being no druidic tradition in the land, nature operates in Sazhansiir just like in any other part of Therra, and rangers are those who have steeped themselves in nature's way so that, eventually, they are able to draw divine prayers from it. Humans and many other races have the ability to become rangers. Rangers who have aberrations as a favoured enemy are particularly popular amongst the Azotchtla.
Rogue (PHB):
All societies have scouts and thieves and ne'er-do-wells. Sazhansiir is no exceptions. Such folk are found throughout Sazhansiir for the same reason they are found elsewhere.
Scout (CAdv):
Scouts are endemic throughout Sazhansiir for obvious reasons. All races and societies employ scouts.
Sorcerer (PHB):
Sorcery in Therra is a result of heritage. As such, just like in Jerranq, humans of Sazhansiir have no ability to engage in sorcery. The yuan-ti, however, were imbued with the spark of magic in their creation, and as such can become sorcerers. The yuan-ti and their ilk are prodigious sorcerers, and the humans of Sazhansiir regard sorcery (and wizardry) as magic of the scaled ones.
Soulborn (MoI):
This class is found in the Azotchtlan lands. It is mostly practiced by the skarn and rilkan races that dwell among the humans. Dusklings occasionally are members of this class, and the incarnum-influenced azurins sometimes join this class. Normal humans can also shape incarnum if they have training, and such training, while not commonplace, is possible to find. Nevertheless, most Azotchtla regard soulborns as being best suited for the rilkan and skarn to practice.
Spellthief (CAdv):
This class is found only on Sazhansiir. It is practiced amongst the Azotchtla as a means of countering the sorcery of the scaled ones by, essentially, turning that sorcery back on its casters. The humans developed this lore during their wars with the scaled ones and have since perfected it, such that spellthieves are, in essence, the wizards of the Azotchtla. That's not saying much, as spellthieves know only a few arcane spells of their own, and have a very restricted spell list. Such persons gain this ability to cast arcane spells from the continual stealing and absorption of spells from foes. Eventually, enough of this stolen arcane magic settles into their psyche as residual magic, with which they can cast their limited spells.
In general, spellthieves require intense practice and training to learn their arts. Furthermore, given the suspicion and dread that meets any caster of arcane magic in Azotchtlan society, spellthieves are members of tight, closely regulated orders and groups and usually wear some well-known insignia or token of their craft so that normal citizens do not mistake them for Fezen warlocks or, worse, disguised yuan-ti.
Swashbuckler (CW):
Although the Sazhansiir do not use swords and rapiers, and there is less of a swashbuckling tradition than in Jerranq, the practice of fighting with light weapons and little armour does exist.
Totemist (MoI):
This class is found in the Azotchtlan lands. It is mostly practiced by the dusklings who dwell among the humans. Skarns and rilkans occasionally are members of this class, and the incarnum-influenced azurins sometimes join this class. Normal humans can also shape incarnum, if they have training, and such training, while not commonplace, is possible to find. Nevertheless, most Azotchtla regard totemists as being best suited for the dusklings to practice.
While in the Tome of Magic many of the names used to describe totemist powers correspond to monsters not found in Sazhansiir, in Sazhansiir such powers use the names of suitable creatures native to the continent. In some cases, with very specific powers, this can be a bit awkward, but DMs are encouraged to rename and slightly alter the descriptions of such powers to better fit into Sazhansiir.
For example, the displacer mantle soulmeld could be centered on the displacer serpent rather than the displacer beast. The totem chakra bind could take the form of two serpents sprouting from the shoulders rather than displacer beast tentacles.
Truenamer (ToM):
This lore exists amongst the Azotchtla, though it is very uncommon, as it is difficult and taxing to study. As such lore is essentially universal, being the true name of things, the practice is available to anyone who can manage to learn it. Amongst the Azotchtla, truenamers are usually regarded as speaking the tongue of the gods, and are regarded with some awe.
Warlock (CA):
This class is native to Sazhansiir, developed by a segment of the Azotchtla in an effort to find magic to combat the scaled ones. Warlocks have a sordid and unsavory reputation in Sazhansiir, and deservedly so. They rule in the land of Fezen-tir, and call themselves the Fezen. Only the humans of Fezen practice the warlock arts and, while despised and feared, their power is recognized and often utilized during times of crises. In the language of Azotlan warlockry is known as azzunatla and warlocks are known as azzunatlan.
Warrior (DMG):
Primitive soldiers and untrained brutes and thugs exist in Sazhansiir like they do elsewhere.
Wizard (PHB):
Wizardry is absolutely unknown on Sazhansiir. Why this is the case is not apparent. It is simply a matter of evolution or a lack thereof. The yuan-ti practice sorcery. As such, the humans of Sazhansiir came to revile arcane magic, considering it a thing of the yuan-ti. As such, no tradition of arcane study has ever developed amongst the human nations of Sazhansiir. The other races either have access to sorcery, and therefore had no need to develop wizardry, or use their own magic, be it divine or incarnum.
Prestige Classes
Acolyte of the Ego (ToM):
This class is available to those few practitioners of truename magic.
Acolyte of the Skin (CA):
This class is utilized by warlocks in Sazhansiir. It represents a further tightening of the bond between warlocks and their eldritch and fiendish-oriented powers.
Anima Mage (ToM):
This class is available to those involved in binding vestiges. Refer to the binder description above for more details.
Astral Dancer (PlaH):
This class is available to any who qualify.
Battle Trickster (CS):
This class is available to anyone who meets the requirements, as it simply represents learning additional skill tricks.
Beastmaster (CAdv):
As no druids exist in Sazhansiir, this class is an adjunct of rangers.
Blackguard (DMG):
These are the paladins of Fezen-tir. They serve as bodyguards of the warlocks.
Brimstone Speaker (ToM):
This class exists as a very small and exclusive sect of the worship of the sun god. This set of powers was used to combat the scaled ones and is still used to this day. The fact that the class also exists in Jerranq is a coincidence. While both use truenames in the service of the sun god, each developed separately.
Celestial Mystic (BoED):
This class is available to the Children of Okoth and their minions.
Combat Medic (HoB):
This class is available to any who qualify.
Combat Trapsmith (CS):
This class is available to any who qualify and train or study properly.
Consecrated Harrier (CD):
One of the few divine based prestige classes available in both Jerranq and Sazhansiir, the cult of the Sun God in Sazhansiir has developed this sect to enforce its dogma.
Contemplative (CD):
These are usually worshippers of Ularinn. Many gain this class by spending years in the Towers of the Sun, staring into the face of the sun for years at a time. Many of these are blind, exposing their unworthiness to fully and completely connect with their god.
Cosmic Descryer (Epic):
It is possible for a cleric to gain the class.
Dawncaller (RoS):
This class is seen amongst the goliaths. Entry requires training by a Dawncaller in the lore of their ways.
Death's Chosen (LM):
This class is available to any who qualify.
Demonbinder (DoU):
This evil class represents warlocks who delve even more deeply into the depths of their lore, seeking to bind demons and their attributes to themselves.
Demonwrecker (EDP):
The sun god has priests who specialize in fighting demons. This specialized training is represented by this class. The Devilwrecker class also exists.
Devoted Defender (SaF):
This class is available to any who qualify.
Diabolist (BoVD):
This class is available to any being vile enough to wish to pledge his service to a devil.
Divine Agent (MoP):
This class is available to any who qualify.
Divine Champion (PGF):
This class is available to any who qualify.
Divine Crusader (CD):
This class is available to any who qualify.
Divine Disciple (PGF):
This class is available to any who qualify.
Divine Emissary (Epic):
This class is technically available, but more likely to be found in Jerranq. However, a divine emissary of Ularinn is possible in Sazhansiir.
Divine Oracle (CD):
This class is available to any who qualify.
Divine Seeker (PGF):
This class is available to any who qualify.
Doomguide (FaP):
This class represents priests of Mergurr who are attached to the Hunters of the Dead.
Dragon Devotee (RoDR):
Dragons that dwell in Sazhansiir can perform the ritual required to enact this class. They do so only rarely.
Dread Commando (HoB):
This class is available to any who qualify.
Duelist (DMG):
This class is available to any who qualify.
Earth Dreamer (RoS):
This class is available to goliaths. It represents a sect of goliath priests who attune themselves to the stone and earth of the mountains beneath their feet by means of meditation and prayer. Entry requires a long period of tutelage and practice under the guidance of another earth dreamer.
Eldritch Disciple (CM):
This class is found in Fezen-tir, where it represents essentially the clergy of the ranks of warlocks, melding the two disciplines into a single whole. Entry into this class simply requires meeting the prerequisites.
Eldritch Theurge (DrM):
This class does not actually exist in Sazhansiir. However, the potential to develop it does exist. Currently, no warlocks practice arcane magic and no yuan-ti practice warlockry. However, it is possible, should an arcane caster arrive in Sazhansiir from another land, that he could learn warlockry and combine the two into this class. Entry would require quite a bit of study and practice on the part of the first member of this class, developing techniques over a matter of years and setting them down in some sort of tome or teaching them to others. These others could enter the class in much less time.
Enlightened Spirit (CM):
Not every warlock is evil. A very few warlocks have broken away from the Fezen tradition and have managed to draw their power from celestials rather than fiends. These warlocks are persecuted in Fezen-tir, but being warlocks are also distrusted in the Azotchtlan lands. As such, they tend to be hermits or anchorites living on the fringes of society. Nevertheless, they will seek to train those whom they feel legitimately wish to turn from the pursuit of evil warlockry. Of course, the initial grant of warlock abilities requires pacts with fiends, so no person ever seeks to become an enlightened spirit from the beginning. Rather, warlocks who regret their ways seek out such persons to join the class, and these persons sometimes capture warlocks and try to convert them over time. Nevertheless, they are very wary of warlocks who are only pretending to change their ways.
Entry requires the blessing of an enlightened spirit and a long series of pacts with celestials and ritual cleansings.
Entropomancer (CD):
It is possible for an Azotchtla to qualify for this class, though study of such areas would be anathema to most priests.
Epic Infiltrator (Epic):
This class is available to any who qualify.
Exemplar (CAdv):
This class is rarer than in Jerranq, as there are no bards outside the goliaths in Sazhansiir. Nevertheless, this class is available amongst any society in Sazhansiir.
Exotic Weapon Master (CW):
This class is available to any who qualify.
Fiendbinder (ToM):
This class is an offshoot of the truenamer, and is rarely practiced by the Azotchtla, for obvious reasons. The Fezen practice it, with a few Eldritch Disciples branching off into this specialized field.
Foe Hunter (MoW):
This class is available to any who qualify. There are many foe hunters of yuan-ti amongst the Azotchtla and just as many foe hunters of humans amongst the yuan-ti.
Gladiator (SaF):
This class is available to any who qualify. Even the yuan-ti maintain arenas.
Goliath Liberator (RoS):
This class is available to goliaths. It represents focused training by a goliath to fight their enemies, the dusk giants and the phaerlin giants. Usually this training is administered by another liberator. However, it can be self-practiced.
Guild Thief (FRCS):
The Azotchtla have thieves' guilds.
Hellfire Warlock (FCToNH):
This is a branch of the Fezen warlocks who specialize in manipulating the hellfire of the baatezu. Entry into the class requires study of Fezen lore and practice, or tutelage under another hellfire warlock.
Hexer (MoW):
This class is available to those societies that have adepts.
Hierophant (DMG):
Clerical hierophants exist in the Azotchtlan nations, usually of Ularinn.
Highland Stalker (CAdv):
This class is available to any who qualify.
High Proselytizer (Epic):
This already uncommon class is even less common in Sazhansiir, due to the monopolistic nature of religion in the Azotchtlan nations. Nonetheless, the class can come into existence in Sazhansiir.
Hulking Hurler (CW):
It is possible for some races of Sazhansiir to take this class.
Hunter of the Dead (CW):
The Azotchtlan nations have a tradition of death worship, and this class seeks to combat the undead that haunt their lands, including undead raised by the scaled ones. These are in league with the doomguides (see above). While the doomguides are primarily priests, the hunters of the dead are more martial in configuration, tending to be fighters with a single clerical level or two.
Incandescent Champion (MoI):
These are essentially the paladins of the incarnum races. Such champions usually belong to orders amongst the Children of the Mishtai, such orders mirroring more traditional orders of knighthood. Entry into this class requires induction into one of these orders, which then train the member in the ways to tap their inner power and use it as a receptacle for incarnum power.
Incarnum Blade (MoI):
This class represents basically a single offshoot of martial-oriented lore of incarnum. Entry simply requires a teacher who knows the blademeld soulmeld. Once taught (at 1st level), further progress represents the character practicing the shaping of that soulmeld.
Invisible Blade (CW):
This class is available to any who qualify.
Ironsoul Forgemaster (MoI):
While most of the Azotchtla do not wear or use metal, this class also deals with the "forging" of armour and shields of all sorts, including obsidian, flint, leather, wood, etc. Furthermore, the class deals with the binding of arms and armour to chakras. The class is open to any person who is trained as an apprentice by a class member for a period of several months. Usually, such candidates are found amongst the Children of the Mishtai and the dusklings.
Justiciar (CW):
These are the enforcers of the Sun God.
King/Queen of the Wild (MoW):
This class is available to any who qualify.
Knight of the Sacred Seal (ToM):
Not actually knighthood of any sort whatsoever, the Fezen who are members of this class refer to themselves as Followers of the Sacred Seal. This class represents binders who have cleaved to a specific vestige, and is really only found amongst those rare Fezen binders.
Lasher (SaF):
This class is available to any who qualify. Slavers often take this class.
Legacy Champion (WoL):
This class is available to any who qualify.
Legendary Captain (SW):
This class is available to any who qualify, although the Azotchtla do not have a strong tradition of seafaring.
Legendary Dreadnought (Epic):
This class is available to any who qualify.
Legendary Leader (HoB):
This class is available to any who qualify.
Loremaster (DMG):
This class is available to any who qualify. Many are wizened old priests of Ularinn.
Mage-Killer (MoF):
This class is available to any who qualify. Some priests of the Azotchtla take this class to combat yuan-ti sorcerers or even warlocks of Fezen.
Magical Trickster (CS):
This class simply represents a person who wants to combine the flourishes of skill tricks with spellcasting. It is rarely found in Sazhansiir, since magic amongst the Azotchtla is a serious business. Nevertheless, it is possible to attain this class, and practitioners of it are found from time to time.
Malconvoker (CS):
This class can be found amongst the Azotchtla, with priests who use fiends to combat other fiends summoned by the scaled ones or the Fezen.
Master Alchemist (MoF):
The Azotchtla are not especially proficient in alchemy, though they do brew potions and other useful items. One area of expertise is, of course, anti-venoms.
Master of Chains (SaF):
This class is available to any who qualify.
Master of Radiance (LM):
This specialty of Ularinn priesthood is available to the Azotchtla.
Master of Shrouds (LM):
This secretive class is available to Azotchtla who engage in forbidden practices.
Master Thrower (CW):
This class is available to any who qualify.
Necrocarnate (MoI):
This class represents the dark side of incarnum. Some Children of the Mishtai practice these dark arts, in cabals that are bitter at the loss of their ancient homelands and who hold blame for that loss on the humans who revolted against the scaled ones and the scaled ones themselves. Some of these have allied with the Fezen.
Entry into the class requires training in the lore over a period of months by a necrocarnate or delving into forbidden lore of the Children of the Mishtai.
Ordained Champion (CC):
The worship of Aghorrit in Sazhansiir includes this specialty class for war priests.
Outlaw of the Crimson Road (SaS):
This class is available to any Azotchtlan outlaw.
Peregrine Runner (RoS):
This class is available to goliaths. Runners train usually from an early age, to serve as scouts and messengers. When a goliath finally qualifies (by meeting the prerequisites) he is given a feather to wear in a special ceremony and taught the lore of the runners over a several month period.
Pious Templar (CD):
This class is available to any who qualify.
Rainbow Servant (CD):
This class represents those humans who serve the remaining goodly children of Okoth. Entry requires the blessings of the couatls.
Reaping Mauler (CW):
This class is available to any who qualify.
Risen Martyr (BoED):
This class is technically available in Sazhansiir, though it is as rare there as it is in Jerranq.
Sacred Purifier (LM):
As there are no Radiant Servants of Ularinn in Sazhansiir, this class represents those priests and paladins dedicated to fighting undead.
Sanctified One (CC):
This class is available to any who qualify.
Sapphire Hierarch (MoI):
This class has much of the background as presented in Magic of Incarnum. However, the temple is located in Mallar's Peaks. Furthermore, the domain requirement for entry has been changed to Celestial.
While Law and Chaos are not important facets of Therran cosmic conflict, the sapphire hierarchs use the sphere to attack the chaotic nature of the yuan-ti. As such, while most members of the class tend to oppose all of the evils of the scaled ones, they are most effective against chaotic magic wielded by the serpents.
Furthermore, while Sapphire Hierarchs are universally lawful neutral in alignment, their neutrality reflects their harsh internal outlook and their relationship to their fellow citizens and non-enemy creatures. Neutrality does not reflect their dedication to the fight against the scaled ones.
The class' smite chaos ability actually works against any creature with the Chaotic subtype and against any evil creature. However, their Favoured of the Eidolon ability still only functions against spells with the chaotic descriptor and transmutation spells.
The class represents a sect of Ularinn priests who have merged the practice of incarnum into their worship and have formed an order dedicated to being on the front lines of the battle between humans and scaled ones. It is believed that the Sapphire Eidolon, which seems to be a source or a focus of incarnum, was brought to Sazhansiir by the mishtai themselves from out of the netherplanes.
Entry into the class requires acceptance by the Hierarchs, as well as a testing by the Eidolon itself. The test, it is said, is different for each applicant, and can sometimes be damaging if not fatal. But those who survive and are accepted gain the powers of this class.
Scarlet Corsair (SW):
Seafaring is rare amongst the Azotchtla, but this class is available.
Scion of Dantalion (ToM):
This class is available to those Fezen who become binders.
Serpent Slayer (SK):
This is an elite order of Azotchtlan warrior-priests dedicated to fighting the yuan-ti and their minions. Some spellthieves also enter this cadre.
Shadowcrafter (UD):
While technically available to priests, especially the sects of the Night, this class is quite rare amongst the Azotchtla.
Shadowdancer (DMG):
This class is available to devotees of the sects of the Night.
Skullclan Hunter (MHB):
This class is available to any who qualify, though qualification is difficult.
Skypledged (RoW):
This class is available to raptoran clerics. It is a sect of clerics or druids who seek to intensify their connection with the elemental plane of air. Entry requires enactment of a ritual by other Skypledged after the candidate has proven himself worthy and dedicated.
Soulcaster (MoI):
This class does not actually exist in Sazhansiir. However, the potential to develop it does exist. Currently, no incarnates practice arcane magic and no yuan-ti practice incarnum. However, it is possible, should an arcane caster arrive in Sazhansiir from another land, that he could learn incarnum and combine the two into this class. Entry would require quite a bit of study and practice on the part of the first member of this class, developing techniques over a matter of years and setting them down in some sort of tome or teaching them to others. These others could enter the class in much less time.
Spellwarp Sniper (CS):
This class is open to anyone who qualifies and spends some time training and practicing. A few rare clerics and spellthiefs amongst the Azotchtla do practice this class.
Spinemeld Warrior (MoI):
This class is an elite fighting society amongst the skarn. Entry requires testing and invitation by the Spinemeld Warriors.
Spymaster (CAdv):
Humans utilize this class.
Stoneblessed (RoS):
This class is available only to those allowed access to it by the goliaths. It is given as a gift for services rendered to the tribe, and each level attained requires a special ritual performed by the goliaths.
Stonespeaker Guardian (RoS):
This class is available to goliaths and feral garguns. It represents a "druid" of the race (called an earthspeaker) who taps into the power of the earth in order to act as a guardian for the earthspeakers and the tribe in general. Entry requires a ritual blessing by an earthspeaker of greater class level than the stonespeaker guardian's druid level.
Stormlord (CD):
This class is available to any who qualify.
Stormtalon (RoW):
This class is available to raptorans. These represent elite warriors who train incessantly. Entry requires quite a bit of training and practice, and while such lore could be self-taught, almost all are trained in cadres by squadrons of stormtalons, and form units of this class called by the same name.
Streetfighter (CAdv):
This class is available to any who qualify.
Suel Arcanamach (CA):
This class (known as Arcanamach) represents lore retrieved from the Blasted Lands centuries ago. Such lore, when studied and mastered through a long and arduous process, allows one to invite the soul of a long-dead scaled one to share your body. This, in turn, allows one to cast some limited sorcerer spells as well as to master certain ancient serpent fighting techniques.
Practitioners of this obscure and forbidden lore are said to have corrupted their souls, and it is also believed that they cannot be trusted, as they eventually subvert to the serpent portion of their souls and turn to the yuan-ti and their minions.
Sword of Righteousness (BoED):
This class is available to any who qualify.
Tactical Soldier (MHB):
This class is available to any who qualify.
Tempest (CAdv):
This class is available to any who qualify.
Tenebrous Apostate (ToM):
This class is attainable by Fezen binders.
Thaumaturgist (DMG):
This class is available to any who qualify.
Thief-Acrobat (CAdv):
This class is available to any who qualify.
Totem Rager (MoI):
Some barbarian dusklings living in the hinterlands of the Azotchtlan lands practice this melding of their warrior heritage and their totemist proclivities. There are no entry requirements beyond those listed.
Tribal Protector (SaF):
This class is sometimes found amongst some of the intelligent races of Sazhansiir who dwell in the wilds.
Umbral Disciple (MoI):
The thieves of the incarnate world, umbral disciples form secretive groups called septs. Any incarnum-using being can technically join one of these septs, but most are reserved for azurins, Children of the Mishtai, and the occasional duskling. Entry requires acceptance by the sept, and then a period of intensive training.
Uncanny Trickster (CS):
This class is available to any who qualify.
Ur-Priest (CD):
Some humans have, from time to time, taken this lore. A small sect of these are burgeoning in the Fezen lands.
Warchief (MHB):
This class is available to goliaths and raptorans.
War Hulk (MHB):
This class is available to some nonhuman races.
Warpriest (CD):
This class is available to any who qualify.
Warmaster (SaF):
This class is available to any who qualify.
Warshaper (CW):
This class is available to raptorans and goliaths.
Waveservant (FaP):
This class is available to any who qualify.
Witchborn Binder (MoI):
This class was born to combat the arcane magic of the scaled ones. They are so respected in the Azotchtlan lands that priests and leaders are willing to assist such persons in their missions against the scaled ones by offering them items and wealth (as per the class write-up).
Entry into this class requires acceptance and continuing training by the Witchborn Binders, and members wear special sashes of varying colours and with varying insignia to indicate which chapter they belong to and their rank and their conquests.
Those who do not undertake missions against the scaled ones and who do not visit a chapter for training cannot advance in this class.
As incarnates, most members of this class are Children of the Mishtai.
Witch Slayer (ToM):
This small group of fanatics seeks to root out possession by the scaled ones. It is an ancient tradition that has since turned its attentions to those rare binders of Fezen.
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