Aztlan Codex

[Haruspex]

Aztlan Codex

Linkmap
Link
Link
Link
Link
Link
Link
Link
Link
Link
Link

.

Aztlan

Aztlan refers to the greater society of Dwarves, and their fractured empire throughout the Ur'Duun. Only four Dwarven Great Holds remain:

Tletlitetl

Tletlitetl rests upon the edge of the beating heart of the Ur'Duun, atop its very center. It is here where Quetzalcoatl rests in the main artery of the Aardenhall, so far beneath the earth that it sits halfway between Antarok and Ælphyne. The last true example of dwarven might.
Population: 11,500,000
Demographics: 60% Dwarves, 30% Gnomes, 8% Kobold, 1% Coatl, 1% Other
Planar Time: 4x

Castillo de Cectlitetl

Cectlitetl is a hold beneath the mountain of Hrimthur's Spine located on the northeastern border of Ælheim. One of the few remaining holds to possess an overland gate, Castillo de Cectlitetl is known for its star-speckled black rocks, its willow-like bright fungi, dangling cave worms, and glowing pools of Trogloplankton conveying a moody sea-blue bioluminescent atmosphere throughout.

Cectlitetl holds the greatest concentration of gnomes in the empire. Here, the old ways are less severe yet still seen as necessary. The Altepetl do not rule in Cectlitetl, rather it is a technocratic republic and religion is merely one of its many beaurucratic institutions.

Cectlitetl is a bastion of Galsterei, invention, and fervent politics.
Population: 12,500,000
Demographics: 40% Dwarves, 40% Gnomes, 15% Kobold, 5% Other
Planar Time: 2x

Cemelletetl

A great hold beneath the Frostveil Mountains within the southwestern territory of Ælheim, Cemelletetl is a land of hard, Ardor-infused rock. In spite of its remote seclusion, Cemelletetl is besieged from below by the Vokhai hordes and is constantly in a struggle for its survival.
Population: 22,200,000
Demographics: 60% Dwarves, 30% Gnomes, 8% Kobold, 1% Coatl, 1% Other
Planar Time: 2x

Avernetetl

Deep beneath the frigid Taivastavoittaa mountain range of Slahane awaits the far northern hold of Avernetetl, worshipers of death who refute the natural cycle yet value the living. These are a dualist people of Avernus-worship in addition to the standard Aztlan faith principles; they believe in service to Quetzalcoatl beyond death, and every last corpse has a use.
Population: 100,000 Living + 50,000 Draugr, and 2,000,000 Tethered Minions
Demographics: 90% Dwarves, 3% Gnomes, 3% Kobold, 2% Coatl, 1% Other; Undead are mostly Dwarves and Vokhai minions.
Planar Time: 3x

.

Tlahtohcatlalli

What has been taken by the Vokhai is referred to as the Tlahtohcatlalli, or the Royal Lands, desired by the Vemani who incite their brethren into reclaiming what has been fallen; they must then hold the settlement and survive the onslaught of Vokhai Warbands once they have done so.

Aztlan is locked in a struggle against the Vokhai, a pendulum between necessary sacrifice and reclamation.

.

 

[Haruspex]

.

History

Dwarves are the youngest of Mænnish races, and yet what they have done in their short time as an empire has eclipsed anything seen on Antarok.

Deep Ælves

Cor'Norai- the Sea Ælves- once exiled their dissidents to the deepest sea caves, stripping them of their gills and fins. Over time these people became flat-faced and serpent-like, the Xoco'Norai- Deep Ælves.

In those days, the Ur'Duun was a very different place. The life-giving fungal forests of the Sloadhac were rare beneath Antarok, the caverns were always dark, and there was no molten magma nor wood to burn for heat. Even combustible minerals like coal would not ignite in that place below, where lakes filled with toxic gases claimed the lives of spelunkers who strayed too deep. They sacrificed their kin with the Pact of Vemana to survive the harsh and inhospitable cold of the Ur'Duun, and in doing so earned deference by the serpent-spirits that lived there in a dark world without light.

The Xoco'Norai suffered greatly, a miserable people who invented Artifice merely to answer a lack of resources. What little territory they could hold was challenged by the other vicious denizens of the Ur'Duun: the Redcap Dryad, the Goblinken, and the Trow. They were driven to the brink as they sought to eke out an existence in this cold and heavy world below.

.

Eruption of Aardenhall

The Xoco'Norai gave the lives of their entire people so that they might be born anew by a spirit of sacrifice known as Quetzalcoatl, the Arche of Nagual. He channeled their souls down into the center of the world where a failed Plane lay dormant, and punctured a hole into the Aetherium. This ignited an inversion of Aarda, the sun, deep below the world.

In a great cataclysm, every Plane erupted all at once with neverbefore-known flows of vulcanism. Channels of liquid rock filled the Ur'Duun and stayed in great, everburning lakes. Volcanos and islands rose from the depths, spiting the Cor'Norai with a great upheaval that slew half the population.

Every last Xoco'Norai had gone, and their souls were reborn into the rock. Cracking forth were the first Dwarves, and they inherited a deep land warmed with bounty where only they could survive the toxic gases.

.

The Mushroom Kingdom

Gnomes were once Pixies plucked of their wings and made to live underground as a punishment for playing some long forgotten prank upon the Pixie Queen of Jokes, Titania. They had been enslaved by the Redcap Dryad who lived in the Ur'Duun for generations.

When Aardenhall erupted, a great furor wrought havoc upon the Redcap Mushroom Forests, and though many Gnomes died in baths of magma, many more escaped into the darkness and earned their freedom; now, all the quartz of the Ur'Duun glowed with the sacrifice of the Xoco'Norai, and few places were ever dark for long.

Ruins of the Xoco'Norai were where Gnomes chose to settle. They reclaimed the old workshops, studied the Xoco'Norai language and adapted it to their own, and ultimately rediscovered Artifice. Hacking into the old mainframes, they grew powerful and waged war upon their former masters while the Dwarves were still a scattering of lost tribes ignorant to their heritage.

Ingenius gnomish Maltricians stole Sloadh from the Redcaps, and the Gnomes were able to claim all but the last few miles of territory held by ancient Redcap Queens. The conquering gnomes became lords of their own Mushroom Forests, freeing many of their brethren in the process.

.

The Garland Wars

Dwarves learned to dig, and they dug deep. Naming themselves the Aztlan, their shamans reclaimed ruins of the Xoco'Norai, but no Dwarf could understood the Artifice of their forefathers with none to teach it. Quetzalcoatl demanded of them further sacrifice to keep the Aardenhall lit, and so they gave of themselves, and their numbers never grew.

In time the priesthood bade that they find blood elsewhere to keep the hearths warm, and so they sent their elite Ouroborotzi warriors to wage war upon the Vokhai and the Gnomes, abducting many of their kind before retaliation on two fronts drove them back.

The Dwarves were conquered by the Gnomes, who suddenly came to understand what would be lost if Quetzalcoatl did not receive his sacrifices. Forming an alliance by necessity, they began the Garland War against the Vokhai, an endless war which to this day has ebbed and flowed throughout the eras.

.

The Dimming

Together Aztlan and the Mushroom Kingdom took nearly all of the Ur'Duun, forcing the Vokhai to the surface. Dwarven Holds with Gnomish technology stood tall across the Ur'Duun, and for a brief moment their population alone could sustain the Aardenhall through the sacrifice of lawbreakers and the willing.

They built railroads, famed even upon Antarok by the Arcane scholars who studied their make. It was a hive of sorts, teeming with prosperous Deepfolk who knew art, and Arcana, and excess.

Then the Vokhai came, and this time they had Dragons, and the living dead.

The Goblinken Lich Grekkr raised the Elder Dracolych Alesith, and together they swept through the Ur'Duun with a ceaseless advance, razing the great empire of Aztlan, plundering its artifacts, and raising its people as wandering dead who still stalk the old holds as rotting husks.

Several Warbands took advantage of the chaos, and claimed some of the old holds as their own. Dwarves and Gnomes were pushed back to just a few remaining holds. Now, the Aardenhall is growing dim again, and the Dwarves of today are in a state of desperation. They must find more sacrifices, or they as a race will be consumed by Quetzalcoatl.

Sustaining heavy losses, the Gnomes retracted to their Mushroom Kingdom and began a policy of preparing for the loss of the Aardenhall.

After reclaiming much of the Ur'Duun, Grekkr was labeled Entehrer by the Ehrenseher, sole Prophet of the Vokhai who warned what would happen if they fought without honor. Warbands among the Tiefkronai- Vokhai of the Ur'Duun- turned on Grekkr and began to war against him. The Lich's forces remain stationed in the old Aztlan capital of Teotlan, where Grekkr and his Dragon plot to slay the Ehrenseher and mantle his role.

Now is the war between three sides in which the Dwarves of Aztlan face a pyrrhic campaign where they stand to lose not just an empire, but every last member of their race. They must fuel the Aardenhall granting them life, at any cost.

.

 

[Haruspex]

.

Castes

.

Altepetl

A polyvalent term for the castes and titles of Aztlan, its laws and faith, and the aesthetic creative bias of dwarves. All customs of the dwarves are invoked and governed by this one word, Altepetl - Altepetl Law, Altepetl Aesthete, Altepetl Faith, and Altepetl Castes.


Vemani
The Vemani are royals, or those Pacted with Ukhu, Godhead of the Ur'Duun. Vemani are or soon shall be Tlatoani, priests, and the political or spiritual leaders of the Aztlan people.

Chontalli
The Chontalli are Gnomes, Kobold, and foreigners. Chontalli are allowed to become Ouroborotzi, Nahualli, or Calmecac; they may not hold dwarf-exclusive titles excepting Vemani should they Pact with the Godhead Ukhu.

Calmecac
Tradesmen, Theorem scholars and Practice mages, scientists, inventors, and architects, the Calmecac are learned individuals who support the pillars of industry and social welfare in dwarven societies. As pre-teens, they begin their trades as apprentices in addition to their standard general education.

Nahualli
Sorcerers, and witches. They who taint their souls with Personal Arcana; the Galsterei, the Glamoured, and the Pacted of other gods. Nahualli are expected to participate in the Garland War, or to aid the Calmecac in the creation of dwarven relics. Non-Terrari Nahualli are looked upon with suspicion by dwarven society at best, heathens deserving of disdain and sacrifice at worst. Enemy Nahualli are valued by the Vemana as sacrifices.

Nahualli answer to the foremost Ouroborotzi Terrari of a Dwarven Hold, the Tlaltecuhtni, Lord of the Earth.

Tetlacualli
The diggers, owners, and operators of ore and Alkahest mines, underground guides, and hunters of troglofauna. Tetlacualli are well versed in Deepcraft and come to understand the geology and zoology of the Ur'Duun.

Ouroborotzi
The military of a dwarven hold is known as the Ouroborotzi, its warriors the Yaotl. They are taught a kind of serpentine Dominion known as Constriction for the purpose of warring with the Vokhai, and capturing their enemies for sacrifice.

Ahuatl
Dragons of the Ahuatl Flight are loyal to or at least tolerant of the Aztlan dwarves, understanding that the Ur'Duun will grow cold, dark, and heavy should they allow the Aardenhall to dim.
To be addressed as: "Ahuatlatzi"
Dragonbound of the Ahuatl are referred to as Ahuatzyaotl.

Tlacotli
Aztlan keep slaves called Tlacotli on the principle of debt. They rise within the ranks of another caste, and then work off what they owe to their master; dwarves favor being compensated fairly in exchange for freedom, and those who work hard will one day be treated as equal.

Aztlan Slaves wear a cueitl, which is a skirt wrapped around the hips which is overlain with itself and held together by a belt. They will wear more as their station deems necessary.

.

Titles

.

Huehueaztlani - The Emperor Who Speaks
Emperor of Aztlan, a title which is held by Huehueaztlani Vecnali. From their throne in the Great Hold of Tletlitetl, they are always a dwarf Ascended in the Pact of Vemana, charged with speaking directly to Quetzalcoatl in the management of Aardenhall.
To be addressed as: Aztlanitzi

Huehuetlatoani - The Eldest Who Speaks
Foremost Vemana Priest of the Tlatoani, the king, and the ruler of a traditional dwarven hold.
To be addressed as: Tlatoanitzi

Tlatoani - They Who Speak
To be addressed as: "Tlatoanili"

Tlaltecuhtni - The Lord of Earth
Foremost Nahualli whom each of them answer to, and a member of the Ouroborotzi.
To be addressed as: "Tierrotzi (M) / Tierratzi (F)"

Tepoztlini - They Who Machine
Foremost inventor to whom the Calmecac and Ticitl answer to.
To be addressed as: "Tepoztlinitzi"

Ticitl - A Scholar, Doctor, Alchemist, or Researcher
Ticitl are Calmecac who take upon themselves the study of things. Many Ticitl are Gnomes and Kobold - their machinations derive what dwarves should craft.
To be addressed as: "Ticitli"

Yaotl - Warrior
To be addressed as "Don (M) / Dona (F)"

.

 

[Haruspex]

.

Religion

.

Serpent Worship

Aztlan do not have a word for their faith. To them, it simply is, though when pressed a Dwarf attempting to translate it shall refer to this as 'Serpent Worship' - many point to their practices as barbaric, but to them, every aspect of their faith is necessary for the world to exist, and to be honored.

Each of the Dwarven Holds are built around central temples, overseen by the watchful eyes of countless statues and golems built to the likeness of their ancestors. Hewn into the walls and catacombs of these sacred places are murals depicting Aztlan gods, the Nagual, and important figures or events through their history.

Sacrifice
The people of Aztlan believe in the nextlahualli, or the 'debt-payment' of one's life to Quetzalcoatl, the Arche of the Nagual; in order to sustain the earth-sun Xiuhtecuhtli and keep the mountain homes from going cold, and the mines sparkling with Alkahest, the Teopixqui must Pact with the Godhead Ukhu and then wield their Vemana to keep the inverted Plane of Aarda active through Quetzalcoatl's sway over the Metaphor of Geomena.
Sacrifice is always consensual except for hostile matters like the Garland War between Dwarves and the Vokhai, or crime and punishment.

Xiuhtecuhtli
Beneath the Ur'Duun awaits the Xiuhtecuhtli- the Aardenhall- a vast ocean of molten magma. At its heart is the inverted Plane of Aarda, and it is here that dwarven and gnomish spirits flow to be hammered anew by the Lord of Fire.

Nagual
Spirits of the Ur'Duun, Nagual are considered sacred by the Aztlan. Such earth-spirits take the form of great and small, tunneling serpents that burrow through rock, drink blood, consume the selfish, and bite with venom or acid. Dwarves and gnomes have nothing to fear from the Nagual, for their ancestors have given much

Quetzalcoatl
Arche of the Nahuatl, Quetzalcoatl is a servant of the Lord of Fire. Without the Arche to power the Aardenhall, it would rapidly fade and the Ur'Duun would grow cold. Quetzalcoatl visits the greatest souls of those who are sacrificed to Him, offering them the opportunity to become one of His Coatl.

Coatl
Children of Quetzalcoatl, the Coatl are Cambion of the Ur'Duun. Each of them were once people of worth who gave their lives willingly to the cause of a Teopixqui by submitting to their Vemana.

Najda
Dwarves refer to the Najda and their Vemana as a betrayal by the closest consort of Quetzalcoatl, Malinche, whom had lusted for Orks and lain with them in a great blood orgy. From this writhing mass of death, she birthed the first Najda, and they are to be considered anathema. Every last Najda is captured and ritually sacrificed to Quetzalcoatl or slain as an answer to her betrayal. Depictions of half-men, half-serpents are highly taboo as a result.

.

 

[Haruspex]

.

Time

.

Tonalpohualli

Tonalpohualli is a terralogical phenomenon and calendar used for keeping the passage of time in a place where Aarda cannot be seen. The calendar is represented by a dais comprised of 15 repeating day-symbols arranged into four 90-day "kalpas" across the year. Rather than adding more days to the calendar, each day is lengthened as one descends the Ur'Duun into a faster flow of planar time.

Each kalpa is given a name by the Huehuetlatoani, and proclaimed seasonally through a grand sacrificial ritual.

Planar Time
Time varies in the Ur'Duun; the deeper one digs towards Aelphyne, the faster time will flow; the closer one gets to Antarok, the slower it will flow. Advanced Tonalpohualli pocketwatches are fashioned by Ensorcellers with alternating needles for not just the time and kalpas, but for how slowly Arcane Reserves replenish within an Exaltation compared to the relative time of a standard pocketwatch; this allows Aztlatl Reclaimers to accurately gauge depth in either direction using a simple mathematical conversion between Planar Time and Relative Time.

.

 

[Haruspex]

.

Arcana

.

Arcana Views

For a registered member of any Aletepetl caste including a registered foreigner, most Arcana is legal and accepted provided both parties consent to its use. Galsterei are looked upon with the most favor, while Glamour other than Slaodh and Grist is scrutinized with suspicion.

Ritualli / Pacts
Faust and rituals making use of aid from Spirits other than Nagual are seen as sacrilege by the Altepetl law. Nekros and Fathom are grounds for exile to the Great Hold of Avernetetl where they are allowed, so long as the wishes of the living and the dead there are respected.

Vemana and Candelabra are held in high esteem by the deepfolk.

Gramarye
Gramarye usually only wielded by Vokhai will lead to accusations of spying and sacrilege. Most others are accepted.

Blight
Blights are unknown, and would be referred to as ancient dark magic should they ever be witnessed - such occurrences would be swiftly buried by the vemani. Any captured Blight would lead to an argument over exile, or execution for dissection.

Special Arcana

Sloadh - Some Dwarves and Gnomes among the Nahualli wield a Geomena-altered version of Draoidh stolen from the Redcap Dryadae; they form great fungal groves of towering mushrooms; to obtain the power of Sloadh is to be lethargic with veins of throbbing mycelium rather than blood.

Candelabra - Candeleers are those who have undergone a Mystic ritual for Vemana sacrifice to the Aardenhall, binding a soul to its heat at the expense of another; this variant of Radiance may instead be channeled through exposed rivers of molten magma and quartz formations, drawing from the Aardenhall itself.

Constriction - Dwarves of the Ouroborotzi are often taught the Dominion of Constriction which entails summoning snake-like Nagual spirits to bind foes while conferring snake-like traits to the blessed who wield it.

.