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  THE MAZTICA CAMPAIGN GUIDE 
  5TH EDITION 
   
  TWC1 
  
   
   
   
  CREDITS: 
   
  Lead Designer:  Jon Hild 
   
  Cover Art:  Dragos Jieanu 
   
  Maztica Map:  Dustin Harbuck 
   
  Watermark:  Zeezee Canning 
   
  “Maztica Alive!” Logo:  Cliff Wolter  
   
  Interior Artists: Doug Simon, Sanjin Halimic, 
  Carly Matlack, Mariya Nikiforova, Frank 
  Granados, Kelly Del Rosso, Jean-Baptiste 
  Hinnebo, Turbofanatic, Nellie Yates, Felipe 
  Cartin, Daeshagoddess,Oscar Dominguez, 
  Jacob Blackmon, Rachael Mayo 
   
  Additional Contributors:  CM from EnWorld 
  (True World Shaman)*  
   
  Special Thanks: 
   
  To the Piazza, Candlekeep and Dragonsfoot 
  Communities:  Thank you for the endless 
  encouragement and suggestions that kept me 
  going through all my moments of writer’s block. 
   
  To Douglas Niles: Did you think your baby 
  would still live on after all these years? 
   
  *For updates on the True World Shaman, check 
  out: 
   
  http://www.enworld.org/forum/5earchetypes/sho
  wentry.php?e=24&catid=1 
   
  _______________________________________ 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  THANK YOU! 
   
  I would also like to extend a special thanks to all 
  the amazing artists that contributed their work to 
  this netbook.  Please pay them a visit and extend 
  your own admiration! 
   
   
  Dragos Jieanu 
  http://max4ever.deviantart.com/gallery/ 
   
  Dustin Harbuck 
  http://mrharbuck.deviantart.com/gallery/ 
   
  Zeezee Canning 
  http://zeezeeazc123.deviantart.com/gallery/ 
   
  Cliff Wolter 
  http://yardarkwood.deviantart.com/gallery/ 
   
  Doug Simon 
  http://dougdougmann.deviantart.com/gallery/ 
   
  Sanjin Halimic 
  http://indiron.deviantart.com/gallery/ 
   
  Carly Matlack 
  http://ligernekoka.deviantart.com/gallery/ 
   
  Mariya Nikiforova 
  http://mariyanikiforova.deviantart.com/gallery/ 
   
  Frank Granados 
  http://granados602.deviantart.com/gallery/ 
   
  Kelly Del Rosso 
  http://kellydelrosso.deviantart.com/gallery/ 
   
  Jean-Baptiste Hinnebo http://siegahertz.deviantart.com/gallery/ 
   
  Turbofanatic 
  http://turbofanatic.deviantart.com/gallery/ 
   
  Nellie Yates 
  http://x-x-magpie-x-x.deviantart.com/gallery/ 
   
  Felipe Cartin 
  http://zerocartin.deviantart.com/ 
   
  Daeshagoddess 
  http://daeshagoddess.deviantart.com/gallery/ 
   
  Oscar Dominguez 
  http://odomi2.deviantart.com/gallery/ 
   
  Jacob Blackmon 
  http://prodigyduck.deviantart.com/gallery/ 
   
  Rachael Mayo 
  http://rachaelm5.deviantart.com/gallery/ 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  THE MAZTICA CAMPAIGN GUIDE 
  5TH EDITION 
   
   
  DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, the dragon 
  ampersand, Player’s Handbook, Monster Manual, Dungeon Master’s Guide, D&D 
  Adventurers League, all other Wizards of the Coast product names, and their 
  respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other 
  countries. All characters and their distinctive likenesses are property of Wizards of 
  the Coast. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of 
  America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork 
  contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards 
  of the Coast. 
   
  ©2016 Wizards of the Coast LLC, PO Box 707, Renton, WA 98057-0707, USA. 
  Manufactured by Hasbro SA, Rue Emile-Boéchat 31, 2800 Delémont, CH. 
  Represented by Hasbro Europe, 4 The Square, Stockley Park, Uxbridge, Middlesex, 
  UB11 1ET, UK. 
   
   
   
  
   
   
   
  TABLE OF CONTENTS 
  INTRODUCTION ........................................................... 1 
  MAZTICA ALIVE! ........................................................ 1 
        WHAT IS IN THIS BOOK? .............................................. 1 
  MAZTICA ................................................................... 2 
  THE HISTORY OF MAZTICA ........................................... 2 
             THE IMMORTAL ERA ................................................ 2 
             THE GOLDEN AGE OF PAYIT ...................................... 5 
             THE DAWN OF NEXAL .............................................. 6 
             THE RETURN .......................................................... 9 
             OTHER HAPPENINGS ............................................. 14 
       SIDEBAR:  THE MAZTICAN CAMPAIGN ........................... 17 
  REGIONS ................................................................. 18 
             HUACLI ............................................................... 18 
        SIDEBAR:  NEW AMN ............................................ 18 
             KOLAN ................................................................ 19 
             KULTAKA ............................................................. 20 
             NEXAL ................................................................ 21 
             PAYIT ................................................................. 21 
             PEZELAC .............................................................. 22 
             FAR PAYIT ........................................................... 23 
             TUKAN ................................................................ 24 
             THE DOG PEOPLE ................................................. 24 
             THE GREEN FOLK .................................................. 25 
             THE DESERT DWARVES .......................................... 25 
             THE LITTLE FOLK ................................................... 25 
             THE TABAXI ......................................................... 26 
             THE QUETZALDAUN............................................... 27 
  PLACES OF INTEREST ............................................. 27 
  RELIGION .......................................................... 33 
  GODS ................................................................. 33 
  THE TENEMOS (PLANES) ........................................ 34 
  SIDEBAR:  THE CULT OF HUNAB-KUUM .................... 37 
  CHARACTERS ...................................................... 38 
  RACES ................................................................ 38 
             HUMAN .............................................................. 38 
             DWARF ............................................................... 39 
             HALFLING ............................................................ 39 
             TABAXI ............................................................... 40 
             QUETZALDAUN ..................................................... 42 
  CLASSES ............................................................. 44 
             THE ARTISAN OF MAZTICA (NEW CLASS) .................. 45 
             PLUMAWEAVER/HISHNASHAPER (ARTISAN) ............... 49 
             TRUE WORLD SHAMAN (CLERIC) ............................. 49 
             EAGLE KNIGHT/JAGUAR KNIGHT (RANGER) ............... 52 
             POCHTECA (ROGUE) .............................................. 53 
             NAHUĀLLI (SORCERER) .......................................... 54 
             THE OBSIDIAN BUTTERFLY (WARLOCK) ..................... 55 
             PLUMACASTER/HISHNACASTER (WIZARD) ................. 56 
  EQUIPMENT....................................................... 57 
  ARMOR .............................................................. 57 
  WEAPONS .......................................................... 58 
  OTHER GEAR ....................................................... 60 
  CURRENCY .......................................................... 62 
  MAGIC ............................................................. 62 
  PLUMA AND HISHNA SPELLS................................... 63 
  MAGIC ITEMS ...................................................... 71 
  MONSTERS........................................................ 73 
  JAGUAR .............................................................. 74 
  TAPIR ................................................................. 74 
  GIANT FIRE ANT................................................... 75 
  PLUMAZOTL ........................................................ 76 
  ADVENTURES ..................................................... 77 
  HOOKS AND RUMORS ........................................... 77 
  THE DARK MOUND (LEVELS 1-2) ............................ 82 
  MAP OF MAZTICA ............................................... 86 
  
   
  1 
   
  INTRODUCTION 
   
  This netbook is designed to attract new players 
  to the Mesoamerican based setting known as 
  Maztica.  Maztica is a region of the greater 
  world of Toril from the Forgotten Realms.  It 
  was originally introduced in 1990 with the 
  novels Ironhelm (1990), Viperhand (1990) and 
  Feathered Dragon (1991); each written by Doug 
  Niles.  It was subsequently followed up by a 
  number of 2nd Edition gaming products, starting 
  with the Maztica Boxed Set in 1991 (also by 
  Doug Niles) and followed by two adventures 
  (FMA1 Fires of Zatal by Jeff Grubb and Tim 
  Beach, FMA2 Endless Armies by Jeff Grubb) 
  and one accessory/adventure (FMQ1 City of 
  Gold by John Nephew and Jonathan Tweet).   
   
  In later editions of Dungeons and Dragons, with 
  a few minor exceptions, Maztica was summarily 
  ignored or outright removed from the Forgotten 
  Realms setting.  With the advent of 5e and the 
  Dungeon Master’s Guild, Maztica is back once 
  again in the Realms! 
   
  MAZTICA ALIVE! 
   
  In the 1990 Maztica Boxed Set, the name 
  “Maztica Alive” was given to the game book 
  designed solely for the dungeon master.  In 
  2010, when a name was needed to represent the 
  legion of remaining fans and the community that 
  they were slowly forming, there was in truth no 
  name that could have been more appropriate.  
  Fittingly, this community began exactly two 
  decades after the introduction of Maztica.  
  “Maztica Alive!” therefore, has come to 
  represent a growing community of game 
  enthusiasts who are determined to see Maztica 
  survive in each new game incarnation.  
  Currently, the group is most active in the Yahoo 
  Group of the same name.  To join the group, 
  simply follow the link provided: 
   
  https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Maztica
  Alive/info 
   
   
   
  Also, discussions are actively growing in the 
  community known as The Piazza: 
   
  http://thepiazza.org.uk/bb/index.php 
   
  Though the intention of this netbook is to draw 
  in new fans, the group itself is always looking 
  for new authors, artists and contributors.  Please 
  feel free to join us at either site and participate in 
  the conversation.  Perhaps your material will 
  shape the events in countless future campaigns 
  for future fans! 
   
  Keep an eye out for future products from 
  “Maztica Alive!” under the following tags: 
   
  TWC – “True World Core.”  A Maztica Alive  
  Core setting book  
   
  TWA – “True World Adventure.”  A Maztica  
  Alive! Adventure book 
   
  TWN – “True World Novel” A Maztica Alive!  
  Novel 
   
  TWM – “True World Mini” A Maztica Alive  
  mini-sourcebook  
   
  WHAT IS IN THIS BOOK? 
   
  This book is meant to allow quick access to 
  adventuring in the setting of Maztica.   
   
  Along with the original published material, five 
  “Maztica Alive!” netbooks have been created to 
  expand the setting far beyond what these pages 
  hold in the 3.5e.  These netbooks are available in 
  the Maztica Alive Yahoo Group.  They are all 
  completely free and easily downloadable.   
   
  Despite this wealth of information, the Maztica 
  setting is easy to jump into.  Along with the core 
  D&D books, adventuring in this Mesoamerican 
  wonderland can begin today! 
   
   
  
   
  2 
   
  MAZTICA 
   
  This portion of the netbook is designed to 
  provide an overview of the history, lands and 
  culture of the Maztica portion of the True 
  World.  Though much of the information found 
  herein is new, the vast majority of this material 
  can be found in far greater detail in the History 
  of Maztica booklet located in the original 2nd 
  edition Maztica Boxed Set and the Maztica 
  Trilogy of novels.  Developed and written by 
  Douglas Niles, this product could not exist 
  without those wonderful works. 
   
  THE HISTORY OF MAZTICA 
   
  The history of the True World can be divided 
  into different ages.  Three of these ages, known 
  as the Immortal Era, the Golden Age of Payit, 
  and the Dawn of Nexal represent the vast 
  majority of Maztica’s history.  Recent major 
  changes have occurred with such frequency, 
  however, that it is difficult for Maztican elders 
  to give this period a single fitting title. 
   
  Although it might not accurately represent the 
  plethora of changes, the time after the Night of 
  Wailing will from this point forward be referred 
  to as The Return.  Qotal, the primary influence 
  for good and the source of the fabled pluma 
  magic, did in fact return at this time from a self-
  imposed exile.  Even the land itself has recently 
  returned from exile on a different world, so the 
  name has stuck for those who require such 
  classifications.  Note that in this section, there 
  are major spoilers for the Maztica Trilogy and it 
  should not be perused if there is still an intention 
  to read the novels. 
   
                                       THE IMMORTAL ERA 
   
  Long before mankind’s dominance in the True 
  World, avatars of the gods came to Toril in a 
  flying pyramid of unimaginable size known as 
  the Great Skyhome.  Having embarked from 
  another world far from Toril, some of these 
  deities took new names upon themselves in an 
  attempt to start fresh on this beautiful blue-green 
  sphere.  When they came to Toril, many of the 
  deities scattered and fled to other lands, while a 
  core group remained.   
   
  The journey itself was not easy on the gods, and 
  one even perished for unknown reasons upon the 
  ships’ landing.  This goddess, known as 
  Coatlicue, is said to be resting uneasily in her 
  underground tomb. 
   
  It is also said that the gods were not the only 
  ones who came to Toril in the Great Skyhome.  
  The demoness Itzapaplotl, who was also known 
  as the Obsidian Butterfly, stowed away on the 
  gargantuan ship.  She fled from the Great 
  Skyhome itself soon after its arrival and has 
  plagued the True World ever since. 
   
  The eleven deities who remained were a close 
  family of powers and they would come to 
  dominate the lands which would one day be 
  known as Maztica.  The patron and matron of 
  this pantheon were known respectively as 
  Kukul, the ancient Father of the Gods, and 
  Maztica, the Mother of Life. 
   
  Kukul and Maztica were accompanied by the 
  greatest of their children, Qotal.  This noble 
  deity was alternatively called the Feathered 
  Dragon, the Plumed Father or the Plumed One 
  for his manifestations as a great golden dragon 
  with colorful plumage.  Close behind Qotal 
  followed his cruel brother Zaltec, whose name 
  was often accompanied by the titles Bringer of 
  War and the Eater of Hearts.  Zaltec had a much 
  more human-like appearance than Qotal, but his 
  anger and hatred were always readily apparent in 
  his ever-snarling mouth of jaguar–like teeth. 
   
  The three remaining males shared much of 
  Zaltec’s anger and vile appetites.  Azul was the 
  Giver of Rain and Taker of Breath and although 
  his desire for cruelty was great, his domain was 
  essential to the survival of the True World and 
  its inhabitants.   
   
  Tezca was the Ruler of the Sun and Fire, though 
  his father was also often attributed dominion 
  over the sun.  Much as his brother brought life 
  with his rains, Tezca, despite his cruel nature, 
  brought life-giving warmth to the world.  
   
  
   
  3 
   
  Plutoq was not quite as bloodthirsty as three of 
  his brothers, nor was he as kind and 
  compassionate as the eldest, but certainly the 
  Master of Earth and Stone was just as influential 
  and powerful. 
   
  As a general rule, the four sisters were not as 
  demanding as their more ambitious brothers but 
  their influence was no less important to the True 
  World.  Kiltzi was the sister known as the Giver 
  of Health, Growth, Nourishment and Love.  She 
  was a compassionate goddess who cared mostly 
  for love, happiness and contentment in her 
  worshipers.   
   
  Eha was the Wind Sprite; a goddess whose 
  powers were said to bring the breath to a 
  newborn child. 
   
  Finally there was Watil and Nula; the Guardian 
  of Plants and Animals respectively.  These 
  sisters were responsible for the well-being of the 
  more natural aspects of the True World. 
   
  In the earliest of their days on Toril, the gods 
  sought to find new playthings.  They attempted 
  to create man to both honor and fear them, 
  though they were less than satisfied with their 
  earliest attempts. 
   
  The first man was made of mud, but their 
  amorphous forms were washed away and soon 
  forgotten.  Next, men of wood were created, and 
  although they were not susceptible to the waters 
  of great Azul, Tezca’s fire proved their 
  downfall.  The third attempt was to create a man 
  of gold.  While remarkably beautiful and 
  immune to both the rains and fires, this man had 
  no tonalli (soul) of his own, and the gods were 
  truly disappointed.  Some say that there are 
  ancient survivors still from each of these failed 
  attempts, living somewhere in the most forsaken 
  and hidden regions of the True World.  
  Forgotten and unloved by their creators, these 
  outcasts hold no love for the ones who brought 
  them life. 
   
  Kukul, as the Father of the Gods, knew far more 
  than his sons and daughters of the act of 
  creation.  In his wisdom, Kukul severed the 
  fingers of his hand.  As they landed, each finger 
  found a life and breath of their own.  These 
  beings; mankind in its infancy, grew to love, 
  honor and fear the gods and the powers rejoiced.  
   
  The gods enjoyed their new playthings greatly, 
  and each bestowed wonderful gifts upon their 
  toys.  Tezca and Azul gave fire and water to help 
  mankind survive the ravages of their uncaring 
  environment.  Plutoq and his sisters Nula, Watil 
  and Eha worked to bring sustenance to mankind, 
  though the life they offered was seldom simple.  
  Desire was also given in many different forms.  
  Desire to love from Kiltzi, to learn from Qotal 
  and even the desire to war was given by Zaltec.  
  All of these gifts caused mankind to expand and 
  exalt in the worship of their creators. 
   
  Of all of the gods, Maztica herself was raised 
  above all others in her role as the great Mother 
  of Life.  The eldest of her children grew jealous 
  of his mother’s position.  Qotal decided to bring 
  himself to the forefront of human love, so he 
  gave them mayz.  This grain was greater than all 
  other gifts because it allowed mankind to settle 
  and focus more of their time on worship and for 
  honoring the gods.  Their numbers continued to 
  expand and mankind became civilized. 
   
  Much like the eldest before him, Zaltec also 
  grew jealous.  The Eater of Hearts harnessed the 
  magic of claws, fangs, talons and venom and 
  gave it to his priests in the form of magic known 
  as hishna.  This newfound power led to great 
  strife among the humans and warring soon 
  increased tenfold, all in the name of Zaltec.  For 
  a brief time, the darkest of the brothers was 
  ascendant and in their endless war, mankind 
  despaired. 
   
  Maztica and her son Qotal were infuriated with 
  their cruel brother.  This was not how the gods 
  intended to be worshiped!  Though Qotal could 
  do nothing to counter his dark brother’s will, 
  Maztica, in her role as the Mother of Life, 
  created the magic of life and feathers known as 
  pluma.  She bestowed this magic upon her son, 
  who then passed it along to his own priests and 
  worshipers.  Balance was once again found 
  among the gods’ playthings. 
   
  
   
  4 
   
  The weapon of choice among the gods; passed 
  along to man long ago, was the obsidian edged 
  mācuahuitl (sometimes called abbreviated as a 
  “maca”).  Zaltec’s mācuahuitl was mighty 
  indeed, and in his anger over his family’s 
  perceived betrayal, he beheaded his mother with 
  a single blow from this gargantuan weapon. 
   
  Kukul, who had up until this point remained 
  distant from the brewing conflicts within his 
  family, despaired at the death of his wife and the 
  strife among his sons.  It is not known if he 
  simply fled the world in disgust or took his own 
  life, but what is certain is that neither man nor 
  god has felt his presence since.   
   
  Itzapaplotl may have been the only one to 
  understand that some remnant of Kukul 
  remained in Toril’s great sun.  She and her star 
  demon servitors could not plague the world with 
  their atrocities when the sun, who to them was 
  known as the Eye of Kukul, could gaze upon the 
  world.  Only when the Eye was eclipsed could 
  she visit her depredations on the lands of 
  mankind. 
   
  After Maztica’s murder and Kukul’s 
  disappearance, war erupted among Kukul’s 
  children.  The female goddesses flocked to their 
  brother Qotal and the males stood alongside 
  their brother Zaltec. 
   
  The war was to commence at the site of a great 
  pyramid created by mortal worshipers under the 
  direction of their deities.  Hidden somewhere in 
  the blistering sands of the House of Tezca, this 
  pyramid was known to be the greatest of any 
  with the exception of the Great Skyhome itself.  
  The people were blessed with food and water 
  and toiled for decades.  They built the grand 
  pyramid and a city surrounding it which they 
  named Tewahca, the City of the Gods.  Upon the 
  steps of the great pyramid, the gods called for 
  sacrifice.  Zaltec called to his warriors and ten-
  thousand gave up their lives and cut out their 
  hearts upon Tewahca’s grand steps.  Qotal too, 
  required sacrifice, but the Plumed One need only 
  release thirteen beautiful butterflies from a 
  gilded cage upon its steps.  Even in war, Qotal 
  would not demand the hearts of his faithful.  
  Upon their release, the presence of the freed 
  butterflies wiped the blood clean from the steps 
  and flowers bloomed throughout the world 
  wherever they passed.  It is not known what 
  became of the butterflies, though it is thought 
  that they still carry the essence of the divine in 
  their beautiful forms. 
   
  The gods fought long and hard that day and the 
  effects of the battle were felt all across the True 
  World.  The land shook as mountains crumbled 
  and weather that was formerly unknown in the 
  True World appeared and just as quickly 
  dissipated.  Eventually, it would be Qotal and 
  his sisters who would emerge victorious.  Zaltec, 
  weakened and humiliated, shrunk into the 
  shadows.   
   
  Watil, in her lordship over the flora of the True 
  World knew her charges could not flourish 
  without Plutoq’s blessing so she pleaded for 
  mercy on his behalf.  Eha, the Wind Sprite 
  sought to spare her elemental brother Azul 
  whom had depended so long on her wind to 
  deliver his life-bringing rains.   Likewise, the 
  goddess Nula pleaded for Tezca even though his 
  fire often frightened the animals under her own 
  dominion.  Similar to Kiltzi, whose boundless 
  love extended even to her dark brother Zaltec, 
  and she knew that to remove Zaltec from the 
  world would upset the balance that they had all 
  fought so hard to create.  
   
  Not since the days when mankind had first been 
  given the gift of mayz had they found such 
  peace than in the years following the Godswar.  
  There was still conflict, but man exalted their 
  gods and held the ideals of Qotal as the greatest 
  of all.  Qotal observed how they loved and 
  laughed and once again, he grew jealous.  
   
  Jealousy is a powerful emotion, and in Toril, 
  where the gods of Maztica are certainly not the 
  only powers that be, such strong emotion is 
  liable to attract others.  Shar, the Lady Loss and 
  Mistress of the Night turned her eye towards this 
  distant land and sought to sow discord as she 
  often does simply for discord’s sake.  Posing as 
  a beautiful mortal known as Diamond Eyes, 
  Shar fooled Qotal into temporarily giving up 
  part of his divinity.  Qotal, ironically with the 
  help of his brother Zaltec, reacquired his divine 
  
   
  5 
   
  power.  After spending time in the hands of the 
  dark goddess though, the divine power had 
  changed.  When it returned to Qotal, it also 
  made subtle changes in the Feathered Dragon.  
  Qotal’s jealousy grew tenfold and when he 
  noticed that his sister Kiltzi resembled the 
  “human” woman he once loved and he soon 
  after he took her against her will. 
   
  Qotal slumbered long after his terrible deed and 
  during this time Kiltzi fled to her disgraced 
  brother Zaltec.  Whether true or not, it is 
  whispered that Kiltzi was pregnant with Qotal’s 
  child at this time, but what became of this child, 
  or even if Qotal himself is aware, is utterly 
  unknown.   
   
  The people of Maztica suffered terribly during 
  Qotal’s absence.  After hearing of their eldest 
  brother’s betrayal, Nula, Watil and Eha fled to 
  Zaltec and with the absence of so many gods, 
  the world could no longer flourish.  As the crops 
  died and famine threatened the land, the people 
  once again turned to Zaltec.  At first they tried to 
  appease him with material gifts but Zaltec payed 
  them no mind.  Then they tried to bring to him 
  precious foodstuffs, but the loss of such 
  nourishment only worsened their famished lives.  
  The Bringer of War and his equally cruel 
  brothers would accept one type of sacrifice, and 
  that was the hearts of the faithful!  Soon 
  afterwards, thousands upon thousands did 
  exactly what their god commanded.  
  Temporarily sated, they once again began 
  performing their sacred duties and though their 
  lives had become all at once more brutal, the 
  people would once again begin to expand and to 
  flourish.      
   
  Long overdue, Qotal eventually did wake from 
  his slumber.  He awoke to a world that he could 
  barely recognize.  The people had gone mad 
  with bloodlust and his brother Zaltec had grown 
  in power far beyond his own.  In his weakened 
  state he attempted to punish mankind, even by 
  taking away their very speech!  His attempt, 
  likely due to his own guilt in the matter, was 
  half-hearted and only his remaining priests 
  obeyed his call to silence. 
   
  Qotal decided to leave the land for a time and he 
  departed from the shores of Maztica into the 
  Trackless Sea.  In response to the faithfulness of 
  his priests, Qotal bestowed on them the 
  Prophecy of the Cloak of One Plume in which 
  he stated: 
   
  The couatl will come to let them 
  know the way, 
   
  My feathered snake of wisdom and 
  might; 
   
  My chosen daughter shall greet me 
  on the shore, 
   
  Know her; she wears the Cloak of 
  One Plume; 
   
  And the Ice of Summer, frozen 
  under heat and fire, 
   
  Will prepare the path to my door. 
   
  When he departed, Qotal’s faithful carved two 
  magnificent heads, one male and one female, 
  into the nearby cliff face to mark the point of his 
  departure. 
   
  At around the same time Qotal left the True 
  World, the first people to actually call 
  themselves Mazticans arose in the north.  They 
  were a fierce and warlike people who only 
  worshiped the deity Zaltec and their worship of 
  the dark god was nothing short of fanatical.  
  Zaltec began to plot for the Mazticans, his new 
  chosen people. 
   
                        THE GOLDEN AGE OF PAYIT 
   
   With the departure of Qotal there was at least a 
  temporary end to the strife that had besieged 
  both the unpredictable immortal world and the 
  human world over which they lorded.  Mankind 
  once again began to expand.  Nearly every great 
  city of men in Maztica was founded during this 
  time (with the notable exception of Nexal).   
   
  The nation of Payit, and to a lesser extent Far 
  Payit, led this growth with advances in learning 
  that have not been matched to this day.  Many 
  roads and networks for travel were built during 
  
   
  6 
   
  this time, bringing trade to new heights that had 
  never been met in the past.   
   
  Pochteca, who were great traveling merchants, 
  spread knowledge and normally unobtainable 
  goods into every corner of the True World.  In 
  some cases, they spread far beyond the normal 
  boundaries of the better known lands and into 
  the foreign lands of Anchorome in the north and 
  Lopango in the south. 
   
  While knowledge of the heavens, medicine and 
  travel flourished in Payit, other lands greatly 
  expanded their own knowledge.  Unlike Payit 
  however, the lands of Kultaka and Huacli 
  developed their military tactics and weapons in 
  ways that had yet been seen.  It was during this 
  time that the Kultakans developed the very 
  specialized atlatl.  This “sling” could be used to 
  hurl spears to incredible distances.  They also 
  perfected the use of the weapon of their gods, 
  the maca. 
   
  Though their god no longer answered their 
  prayers, the people of Payit continued to revere, 
  at the very least, the tenets that Qotal once held 
  so dear.  In other lands, temples to Azul, Tezca 
  and Zaltec continued to war and sacrifice upon 
  their bloodstained altars. 
   
  In Payit, plumaweavers created great works of 
  beauty and power made of feathers while the 
  others heightened their strength in the power of 
  hishna and their hishnashapers.  
   
  Perhaps the most beautiful princess ever known 
  to Payit came to maturity during this time of 
  plenty.  Aliah by name, she had been destined to 
  marry her half-brother Xetl in the capital city of 
  Ulatos.  Prince Tacal of Far Payit’s own capital 
  Tulom-Itzi grew jealous and desired Aliah for 
  himself.  The noble decided he would abduct her 
  on the evening of her wedding but was caught in 
  the act and his entire retinue was slain to the 
  man.  Thinking them co-conspirators, even 
  Tacal’s family and other nobles of Far Payit 
  were pushed to their deaths in response to the 
  affront, despite the fact that they were simply 
  guests of Aliah’s wedding ceremony. 
   
  Seeing the slaughter of his family and people, 
  Tacal flew into a fit of madness and beheaded 
  the woman he had once sought to possess with 
  his obsidian edged maca before being slain 
  himself.  It is often whispered that the spirits of 
  the prince and princess are forever bound to the 
  city of Ulatos and will not move on until 
  reparations are made for both, or until both Payit 
  and Far Payit are laid low. 
   
  Though it may not have been the direct cause, 
  this terrible tragedy marked the beginning of a 
  time of decline for Payit and Far Payit.  They 
  would no longer advance humanity’s cause with 
  the rapidity they had shown in the years prior 
  and most migrated from the great cities back 
  into less civilized villages. 
   
  While Payit declined, the warlike folk of the 
  west continued to battle and became 
  increasingly bloodthirsty at the behest of their 
  darker gods. 
   
  Around this time, though recorded history 
  doesn’t have an exact date, one of the war chiefs 
  of the distant Mazticans was given a vision.  
  This warrior, who was named Tecco, wandered 
  the desert for a year before finding a huge pillar 
  of stone from which his god Zaltec manifested.  
  Zaltec bid Tecco to return to the Mazticans and 
  lead them south to a new destiny.  When he 
  returned to his people with the pillar of stone, 
  they followed him on his journey.  Soon after, 
  the Mazticans arrived in the Valley of Nexal 
  knowing only that Zaltec had chosen them.  
   
                                    THE DAWN OF NEXAL 
   
  To the valley of Nexal this wave of immigrants 
  flooded in from the north.  Acting 
  uncharacteristically peaceful, the Mazticans took 
  land that no others wanted and proceeded to 
  build homes and a temple to Zaltec.  This 
  pyramid would be added to over the years and 
  one day it would become a wonder to the world. 
   
  A city known as Tezat was at the time 
  considered the most powerful in the region.  
  With two other great cities in close proximity 
  (known as Azatl and Zokil) to form a balance of 
  
   
  7 
   
  power, however, Tezat never truly dominated 
  the others.  It was with this city that the 
  Mazticans formed an alliance. 
   
  Under the influence of the bloodthirsty 
  Mazticans, warring and sacrifice grew to new 
  heights.  Tezat’s newfound allies helped upset 
  the balance in the valley and the city grew to 
  prominence.  Unexpectedly, the Mazticans 
  betrayed their allies in a battle against the 
  combined forces of Azatl and Zokil and the 
  Mazticans took the city for themselves. 
   
  Now it was the Mazticans’ time to dominate the 
  region, and as the chosen people of Zaltec, they 
  did so with ruthless efficiency.  During their 
  dominance, the Mazticans and their subjugated 
  cities began to refer to themselves as Nexala 
  after the name of their valley.  The war chiefs of 
  Maztica also changed their title to the Revered 
  Counselors of Nexal, and an empire was born. 
   
  The first Revered Counselor of Nexal was 
  named Ipana and his reign began two-hundred 
  forty years before the arrival of the Golden 
  Legion.  During Ipana’s reign, Azatl and Zokil 
  were fully subjugated and each city’s temple to 
  Zaltec was raised above all other gods. 
   
  Oddly, only Tezat managed to maintain any 
  sense of independence from the empire during 
  Ipana’s reign and this continued all through the 
  second Revered Counselor Tenoch’s 
  reign as well.  Throughout his entire 
  tenure, this grandson of Ipana 
  attempted to finalize Tezat’s 
  absorption but was never successful.  
  It wasn’t until Ipana II’s reign, 
  through the use of poison and 
  treachery, that Tezat became a full 
  part of the empire. 
   
  It was Ipana III, the fourth Revered 
  Counselor of Nexal, who began to 
  lead the expansion of the empire.  At 
  first, Ipana III held “Feathered Wars” 
  among his own subjects where the 
  only goal was to capture opposing 
  warriors for later sacrifice to the 
  hunger of the gods.  Ipana III led his 
  own army in one particularly large 
  Feathered War and many of his 
  warriors were captured.  Because of 
  this humiliating defeat, he decided to 
  end the Feathered Wars and find his 
  sacrifices elsewhere.  Ipana III 
  decided to take war beyond his 
  borders. 
   
  Ipana III immediately defeated two 
  city-states to the east known as 
  Cordotl and Palul.  He then attempted 
  to attack the fearsome Kultakans but 
  was defeated and decided to turn his 
  wars westward.  To the west, he took 
  a city state of the nation of Huacli 
  known as Ixtal and captured over 
  
   
  8 
   
  5,000 warriors for sacrifice.  Another Huacli 
  city-state known as Pulco actually joined the 
  invaders and helped Ipana III defeat three more 
  in a ten year campaign.  A city-state known as 
  Otomi managed to hold off the Nexalans until 
  they eventually had to give up. 
   
  Tolco, a great warrior and the grand-nephew of 
  Ipana III was to succeed Ipana III after his death 
  of extreme old age.  While he was personally a 
  superb warrior, Tolco failed to subjugate both 
  the people of Kultaka and of Pezelac.  Tolco was 
  slain in his last campaign against the Kultakans 
  just as he thought there might finally be a chance 
  at victory.   
   
  Tenoch II, a great-grandson of Ipana III was 
  crowned the sixth Revered Counselor after 
  Tolco’s death.   Tenoch II did not lead any truly 
  grand wars during his twenty-one years as 
  Revered Counselor, but the empire strengthened 
  its grasp on the nations it had already conquered 
  and many roads and way stations were built to 
  ease trade and travel. 
   
  Pezelac did attempt to revolt at one point during 
  Tenoch II’s reign but the Nexalans reacted with 
  such a brutal and swift retaliation that all 
  thoughts of rebellion quickly faded.  Tenoch II’s 
  son Chimal led the war effort and brought back 
  thousands of slaves and sacrifices.  In 
  celebration, Zaltec’s temple was once again 
  lifted to an even greater height. 
   
  Chimal took the title of Revered Counselor after 
  his father’s death and led only short battles 
  against the Kultakans to capture more sacrifices 
  for the hungry gods.  He was also known to 
  expand trade even further than any of the 
  Revered Counselors before him.  Chimal even 
  opened trade with the distant nations of Payit, 
  Far Payit and Otomi. 
   
  The successful leadership and life of Chimal was 
  replaced with that of his weakling son Totep.  
  Totep partook of concubines and the fermented 
  drink known as octal rather than spend time 
  governing the empire as the Revered Counselors 
  before him. The reign of this eighth Revered 
  Counselor only lasted a paltry six years before 
  he was poisoned by his own war commanders. 
   
  Zomoc was next to rise to the title of Revered 
  Counselor.  His reign saw military victories 
  previously unmatched.  Across dry lands and far 
  to the southwest, Zomoc led a twenty year 
  military campaign against the people of Kolan.  
  The Kolan campaign was led by Zomoc’s own 
  chief general Coyo.  The Kolan fought long and 
  hard, but Coyo eventually brought back a vast 
  line of prisoners back from across the dry lands. 
   
  Coyo was hailed as a great war-leader and his 
  popularity surpassed that of even the Revered 
  Counselor.  Zomoc feared for his position so he 
  fooled Coyo into offering his own heart in 
  sacrifice to Zaltec.  Zomoc eventually went 
  insane after Coyo’s death and spent his 
  remaining years in debilitating paranoia.  Some 
  say it was Coyo’s tonalli returned from the very 
  maw of Zaltec to make Zomoc pay for his 
  treachery. 
   
  After Zomoc’s tortured death exactly one 
  hundred years before the Golden Legion’s 
  arrival, Izco ascended as the tenth Revered 
  Counselor of Nexal.  Izco and his son Izco II’s 
  reign were relatively peaceful times in Nexal, 
  though tribute was still taken in the form of 
  sacrifice, slaves and wealth.  The arts also 
  flourished during this time and Zaltec’s pyramid 
  was raised yet again.  When a paltry thousand 
  hearts were given to Zaltec in celebration of the 
  passing of leadership to Izco II, however, Zaltec 
  grew angry and caused Mount Zatal to erupt.  
  The Feathered Wars were reinstated and this 
  time ten-thousand hearts were offered to appease 
  the Eater of Hearts. 
   
  Pakli was selected to replace Izco II upon his 
  death.  Pakli immediately enacted war once 
  again throughout the True World.  Unwisely, he 
  spread his forces way too thin by simultaneously 
  attacking both the Kultakans and the Otomi 
  (while trying to maintain control in Pezelac) and 
  his fourteen years nearly drained Nexal’s vast 
  wealth.   
   
  Having suffered from frequent defeat, the 
  Nexala elected another war leader named Chalco 
  as the thirteenth Revered Counselor.  This great 
  war leader seemed to be the first who was truly 
  
   
  9 
   
  up to the task of defeating the Kultakans.  In the 
  first days of battle, thousands were captured and 
  Chalco seemed poised to take the Kultakan 
  capital. The defenders, however, had a hero of 
  their own.  A warrior named Takamal rallied his 
  people and though they suffered thousands of 
  losses, the Kultakans still managed to hold their 
  lands.  The Otomis did not fare as well against 
  the Nexalans, but they fled into the mountains 
  rather than be subjugated. 
   
  Chalco also sent numerous expeditions into 
  distant lands to find evidence of the cultural 
  roots of the Nexalans.  The Pyramid of the Gods 
  known as Tehwaca was sought out, as was the 
  cave where Tecco first found the pillar of stone 
  in which Zaltec manifested. Even the legendary 
  Great Skyhome was sought by some of the more 
  adventurous Nexalans.  These explorers were 
  said to have worked alongside some of the 
  dreaded sea devils known as sahuagin in an 
  attempt to find the ship of the gods.  Very few of 
  the explorers returned and those that did had 
  little to report.  One group of a thousand strong 
  literally disappeared altogether while searching 
  for Tecco’s cave. 
   
  Chalco had his successes and failures.  However, 
  there is no disputing the fact that when he died 
  and the title of Revered Counselor was passed 
  onto his grandson Axalt, the empire was truly at 
  its peak.  Axalt fought relentlessly against the 
  Kultakans but Takamal was always able to 
  outmaneuver the fourteenth Revered Counselor.  
  During Axalt’s reign a great aqueduct was built 
  from Cicada Spring on Mount Popol all the way 
  to the center of the city.  The Aqueduct of Axalt 
  may very well have been the greatest 
  accomplishment of his reign.  
   
  The fifteenth and final Revered Counselor of 
  Nexal was Axalt’s son Naltecona.  Naltecona 
  was a wise and brave military leader, but a new 
  threat was soon to find its way to the True 
  World and Naltecona’s reign was only to last a 
  paltry twelve years. 
   
                                                      THE RETURN 
   
  Ten years before the coming of the Golden 
  Legion, annual omens set into motion the 
  inevitable demise of the Nexalan Empire.    
  
   
  10 
   
  Naltecona built a grand palace for himself and 
  the empire seemed to be at relative peace, but 
  then the omens began.  First, a great light 
  appeared in the skies above Nexal for twenty 
  days.  At the very moment Naltecona witnessed 
  the lights, the temple of Zaltec suddenly burst 
  into flames and a great statue of Zaltec melted to 
  a lump of rock.  Tecco’s stone pillar remained 
  safe deep in the pyramid itself, but this event 
  gave “proof” to the priests that the gods were 
  unsatisfied.  The omen led Naltecona to order 
  thousands more sacrifices.  Many captive 
  Kultakans died upon Zaltec’s altars that year. 
   
  The second omen came the following year.  The 
  sky turned blood red color unlike any seen 
  before.  It also came on the exact same day at 
  the exact same time as the previous year’s omen.  
  On the third year, again at the same time and 
  day, Mount Zatal began to belch steam and ash.  
  This omen lasted for a full twelve days.  The 
  fourth omen was reported by a hunter who 
  claimed to see a deer with a plumed ring around 
  its neck.  The hunter claimed that the dear spoke 
  to him after disintegrating all arrows that he 
  fired at it but Naltecona put the raving man to 
  death.  On the fifth year, Naltecona himself 
  dreamed of a great canoe arriving from the east 
  and it was at this moment that he began to 
  suspect the omens actually portended the Return 
  of Qotal. 
   
  The annual omens continued.  On the sixth year, 
  a great sandstorm rose from the House of Tezca 
  and took the form of a great pyramid. Bowing to 
  Zaltec’s priests who sought ever more sacrifices 
  to appease the gods, Naltecona sent his nephew 
  Poshtli to attack the Kultakans and the young 
  Eagle Knight saw great success. On the seventh 
  year, the top of Mount Zatal turned a deep 
  crimson as if covered in blood.  Naltecona’s 
  child was born dead on the day of the eighth 
  omen and the child’s skin color was a pale white 
  never seen before in the True World.  The ninth 
  omen saw three of the four lakes near Mount 
  Zatal erupt with steam.  Only Lake Qotal 
  remained calm. 
   
  The final omen was the grandest of all.  A 
  wyvern-like creature landed atop the pyramid of 
  Zaltec, and on its chest was a black mirror.  In 
  this mirror, Naltecona saw the coming of 
  Cordell’s Golden Legion exactly one year before 
  their actual landfall.  The creature flew off, 
  never to be seen again. 
   
  Cordell was a great military commander who 
  was aided by his lover, an elf mage (later 
  discovered to be a drow) named Darien.  Cordell 
  had defeated a great pirate army for the 
  Faerunian nation of Amn and then set off on an 
  expedition to the true world with five-hundred 
  men he now named his “Golden Legion.”  When 
  they landed in Ulatos on the shores of Payit, 
  Caxal, the Revered Counselor of Payit, did not 
  quite know how to react.  The Golden Legion’s 
  highest ranking cleric of Helm at the time was 
  named Bishou Domincus and his daughter was 
  captured and sacrificed soon after their landing.  
  This event precipitated a war that the Payit lost 
  to Cordell’s five-hundred men.  After his 
  victory, Cordell established the fort of 
  Helmsport nearby.   
   
  After tasting the riches of the Payit and hearing 
  rumors of the fabulously rich Nexal to the west, 
  Cordell set his sight on continuing the conquest.  
  With the help of Darien, who killed Takamal 
  with her magic, the Golden Legion defeated the 
  mighty Kultakans and subjugated their warriors 
  in addition to the five-thousand or so Payit. 
   
  Though Naltecona originally considered a 
  peaceful welcome for the invaders, his advisors 
  convinced him that war was the only route 
  available.  Through treachery, the Nexala 
  attempted to end the war early, but the duplicity 
  was discovered and any hopes of defeating the 
  Golden Legion were dashed. 
   
  The Golden Legion entered Nexal and took all 
  the treasure they could find, but Naltecona was 
  allowed to live.  A period of shaky peace was 
  found but an attempt on Cordell’s life and the 
  urgings of a high priest of Zaltec named Hoxitl 
  soon increased tensions. 
   
  Hoxitl led a growing cult of fanatics known as 
  the Cult of the Viperhand and their resentment 
  of the foreign invaders grew with each passing 
  day.  The cultists eventually did attack, and 
  Naltecona was one of the first casualties.  The 
  
   
  11 
   
  savagery of the cultists was on a level that the 
  Golden Legion and their allies had not yet seen 
  and many were slain or sacrificed on the altars 
  of Zaltec.  Helm’s cleric Bishou Domincus, like 
  his daughter before him, was also sacrificed and 
  upon his death the Night of Wailing had begun.  
  In the following chaos, Bishou Domincus’ 
  bloody corpse was seen disappearing into a mist 
  that came at once from nowhere and 
  everywhere.   
   
  Mount Zatal erupted and the strange magics that 
  were unleashed transformed the cult of the 
  Viperhand into beasts formerly unknown in the 
  True World.  For the first time, orcs, ogres, 
  trolls, and even the dreaded jagre walked upon 
  Maztica.  Cordell’s one-time lover Darien had 
  her true nature revealed.  Darien, with the 
  assistance of the Ancient Ones (similarly 
  disguised or hidden drow), was the cause of 
  much of the strife that had fallen upon the 
  Mazticans and the Golden Legion.  On the Night 
  of Wailing, the drow became driders, and they 
  too plagued the remaining humans.  Those who 
  managed to escape fled into the sands of the 
  House of Tezca. 
   
  When all hope had appeared to be lost, a far 
  gentler god made his presence known.  Qotal 
  had finally and truly returned!  His power froze 
  a lake to allow far more humans to escape than 
  otherwise might have.  The Cloak of One Plume 
  appeared in the hands of a woman from Palul 
  known as Erixitl.  This woman had seen the 
  couatl, as the prophecy stated, and together all of 
  the conditions had been met for Qotal’s return.  
  Aided by Qotal’s intervention, the Mazticans 
  and foreigners fled deep into the House of 
  Tezca. 
   
  During the march of these one-hundred thousand 
  refugees from Nexal and the Golden Legion, a 
  number of events occurred that would forever 
  shape the future of the True World. 
   
  The desert was home to a race of desert dwarves 
  that had arrived in the House of Tezca centuries 
  prior.  These dwarves had been at war with the 
  drow who would one day plague the north.  In 
  an event known as the Rockfire, they were 
  separated from their enemies and headed further 
  through the Maztican Underdark from which 
  they eventually emerged into the desolate sands 
  of the deserts of Maztica. The dwarves had not 
  had an easy existence in the desert, but they did 
  know a relative peace.  With the arrival of the 
  beasts of the Viperhand, there was now a distinct 
  possibility that the peace would be shattered.   
   
  The dwarves knew the location of the fabled city 
  of Tewahca and one of their chieftains, a warrior 
  named Luskag, discovered that the obsidian 
  mined near the city had the strength of steel.  
  This fact would be important in the days to 
  come, but in the True World’s farther future, the 
  founding of this plumastone would prove world 
  changing.  Now, with a material that could 
  match the swords of the invading Amnians, the 
  Mazticans would no longer be at such a blatant 
  disadvantage.  Other outcroppings of 
  plumastone were soon to be found in the rest of 
  the True World once the signs of its presence 
  became fully understood.  Luskag called to the 
  other chieftains of the desert dwarves and 
  brought them to the Sunstone.  This magical lake 
  of silver was found in the caldera of a volcano 
  and could bring visions to those who stared into 
  its waters during the suns rising.  All of the 
  chieftains shared a similar vision, and they were 
  convinced that they could not sit out of the 
  coming battles. 
   
  Poshtli, thought to have perished on the Night of 
  Wailing, also revealed himself to Erixitl and her 
  Amnian husband Halloran.  In the form of a 
  great eagle nearly the size of a man, Poshtli 
  became perhaps the most well-known and 
  powerful Eagle Knight ever known.  Gultec, an 
  honorable Jaguar Knight, also assisted the 
  refugees in their march across the desert lands. 
   
  Poshtli, Erixitl, Halloran, a young scout named 
  Jahtli, and a dwarf legionnaire named 
  Daggrande separated from the rest of the 
  refugees and managed to locate the fabled City 
  of the Gods.  Here, they discovered Erixitl’s 
  father Lotil, a blind plumaweaver of legendary 
  skill along with Coton, one of the most devout 
  of Qotal’s silent priests.  Trolls, beasts of the 
  Viperhand which had never before seen in the 
  True World, pursued the heroes to Tewahca.  A 
  preliminary battle between Zaltec and Qotal 
  
   
  12 
   
  began in the great pyramid of Tewahca.  Qotal 
  was weak and not yet fully formed in this world, 
  so Zaltec temporarily prevailed against the 
  Plumed Father.  In the midst of the battle, the 
  Cloak of One Plume was also thought destroyed, 
  but this later proved to be incorrect. 
   
  The four companions eventually escaped 
  Tewahca through 
  hidden tunnels and 
  were assisted by the 
  ancient spirit 
  wardens of the once 
  great city.  They 
  were pursued by the 
  trolls and all was 
  thought lost when the 
  trolls caught up to 
  them.  With little 
  hope of escape, 
  Halloran and 
  Daggrande made a 
  last stand to protect 
  his now many month 
  pregnant wife and the 
  rest of his 
  companions.  The 
  companions thought 
  themselves doomed, 
  but  the desert 
  dwarves, known to 
  Mazticans as the 
  Hairy Men of the 
  Desert and led by the 
  chief Luskag, arrived 
  just in time to turn 
  the trolls away. 
   
  In the meantime, the main army of the beasts of 
  the Viperhand caught up to the refugees from 
  Nexal.  A powerful defense against the horde 
  was led by Cordell, a veteran of the Eagle 
  Knights named Chical, and Tokol, the son of the 
  legendary Kultakan leader Takamal.  After 
  defeating charges from orcs, and gravely (but 
  not fatally) wounding the jagre Hoxitl, the fierce 
  defenders managed to turn back the horde of 
  monsters. 
   
  Gultec had also broken from the refugees and 
  traveled back to Tulom-Itzi at the call of his 
  master Zochimaloc.  When he arrived in Far 
  Payit, he saw vast swaths of destruction in the 
  jungle.  The drow, who had been changed to 
  driders by their cruel goddess Lolth and the 
  magic of the Night of Wailing, led an army of 
  giant ants within the jungle, though Gultec did 
  not yet know this.  When he reached his master, 
  Zochimaloc bid him to prepare the defense of 
  Tulom-Itzi but the 
  wise Jaguar Knight 
  knew that the 
  peaceful defenders 
  could not withstand 
  the drider and ant 
  army.  Gultec 
  advised fleeing into 
  the jungle and 
  Zochimaloc 
  conceded.  Under 
  Gultec’s command, 
  the Itza managed to 
  slow the giant ants 
  enough for their 
  very young and 
  very old to escape, 
  though the loss in 
  life was great.  
  Finally, the Jaguar 
  Knight decided to 
  make a stand at a 
  border ridgeline 
  between Payit and 
  Far Payit known as 
  the Verdant Crest.  
   
  Erixitl, Halloran, 
  the desert dwarves 
  and the remainder of their companions began to 
  head east to the sea and once again north 
  towards the jungles and hopefully to Ulatos and 
  Helmsport.  Separated from the rest, Erixitl and 
  Halloran were captured by savage halflings of 
  the jungles who attempted to feed them to their 
  Cat God (a Jaguar Lord).  Halloran used what 
  little magic he had to defeat the creature which 
  convinced the halflings that he was the big folk 
  of prophecy said to one day lead them out of the 
  jungle.  The growing army of humans, dwarves 
  and halflings continued northward. 
   
  
   
  13 
   
  Eagle Knights in Cordell’s army reported to him 
  that more men from Amn began to arrive in 
  ships back in Ulatos and Helmsport.  Having 
  now been away from their families for more 
  than a year, many in the Golden Legion 
  celebrated the news but Cordell remained only 
  hopefully optimistic.  At the time he did not 
  know that the army was led by Don Vaez and 
  Bishou Domincus’ apprentice Pryat Devane who 
  were determined to show that Cordell had in fact 
  gone rogue and was no longer loyal to the crown 
  of Amn.  When these men landed in Payit, they 
  immediately imprisoned the few remaining 
  warriors of the Golden Legion that had remained 
  in Helmsport.  Don Vaez, while not generally 
  liked by his men, stood at the head of twenty 
  five ships and far more men than Cordell had 
  brought himself.  The betrayal was eventually 
  reported to Cordell again by his Eagle Knights, 
  but despite this, Cordell decided to continue 
  back to Payit.  The monsters of the Viperhand 
  were once again on the march.  This time, the 
  beasts were headed east towards Payit and were 
  led by none other than the mountainous stony 
  form of Zaltec himself! 
   
  Gultec’s defense against the ants and driders was 
  a truly valiant stand, and over a thousand ants 
  had been slain.  When all seemed lost, 
  Zochimaloc sacrificed himself to channel the 
  growing power of Qotal and collapse a mountain 
  upon the marching insects.  It is unknown if he 
  has truly died, or in fact ascended to become 
  something “different.”  Halloran, Erixitl and 
  their diverse contingent of warriors caught up to 
  Gultec’s refugees at the same time and together, 
  they finished off what was left of the ant army.   
   
  Defeated but not dead, Darien and her driders 
  decided to turn to hishna magic.  The target of 
  her rage had become the chosen one of Qotal, 
  Erixitl.  
   
  All armies and players in this great epic 
  converged upon Helmsport and the Twin 
  Visages where Qotal was prophesized to return 
  to the world of man.   
   
  Cordell was at first captured and imprisoned by 
  Don Vaez when he reached Helmsport, but he 
  eventually escaped with the help of former 
  associates in Don Vaez’s employ.  Eventually, 
  the men of Don Vaez’s expedition proved to be 
  more loyal to Cordell and more trusting in him 
  to lead against the oncoming monsters.  Halloran 
  and his retinue also arrived though he was 
  carrying a sick Erixitl who had fallen to a 
  mysterious ailment in the last days of her 
  pregnancy (actually a hishna curse laid by the 
  drider Darien).  As the monsters approached, 
  Halloran sought to bring Erixitl to the Twin 
  Visages thinking it the only place where her 
  mysterious curse could be broken. 
   
  Led by the monolith that was Zaltec, the 
  monsters arrived in Helmsport only days after.  
  Cordell, while greatly outnumbered, held strong 
  against the horde while he sent Vaez’s ships to 
  return to waiting Kultakan warriors that Cordell 
  had left behind. 
   
  At the Twin Visages, Darien and her remaining 
  driders assaulted a recently reawakened Erixitl, 
  Halloran and their allies.  All of the driders 
  except Darien were slain by powerful pluma 
  magic of Lotil, the blind father of Erixitl (though 
  he too perished).  Qotal also had finally returned 
  to the True World as the Plumed Dragon and 
  Zaltec arrived to commence their titanic battle! 
   
  Cordell’s Kultakan reinforcements returned via 
  Vaez’s ships and Hoxitl’s horde was finally 
  turned back to Nexal.  Cordell was hailed as a 
  hero by Amnian and Maztican alike, though the 
  losses that had been suffered were great.  The 
  blood of monsters, desert dwarves, Amnians, 
  Kultakans, Payits, and even the halflings all 
  comingled in the fields of Helmsport. 
   
  While Qotal and Zaltec’s battle raged 
  relentlessly, the True World was being torn 
  asunder in this second godswar.  The titanic 
  battle was causing earthquakes, landslides and 
  other cataclysmic events.  Coton, the silent and 
  devoted high priest of Qotal finally had had 
  enough of the gods’ treatment of their mortal 
  worshipers and he broke his vow of silence to 
  admonish his own deity!  Both Qotal and Zaltec 
  stopped their battle momentarily to kill the man 
  for his hubris, but before they could kill the 
  blasphemer, Coton sacrificed himself and the 
  still rampaging Darien.  The comingling of 
  
   
  14 
   
  hishna and pluma slammed the door shut to the 
  world that the gods had used to enter, and both 
  Qotal and Zaltec were forced to return to their 
  otherworldly domains. 
   
  Maztica itself had a few decades of relative 
  silence after the huge shakeup that had occurred 
  following Cordell’s arrival.  A connection had 
  been established with the continent of Faerun 
  that would actually only exist for a few decades 
  of time before the Spellplague tore Maztica from 
  the world.  During this time, Faerunians from 
  realms other than Amn began to visit the True 
  World.  Most notably, Waterdeep founded their 
  own colonies and even the inhabitants of Lantan 
  were said to have come.  New cities and towns 
  sprung up within this time - locales such as 
  Qoral, New Waterdeep, Trythosford and Fort 
  Flame (further to the north and run primarily by 
  the Flaming Fist mercenaries of Baldur’s Gate).   
   
  The cruel treatment of the native Mazticans by 
  Helm’s faithful was damaging to his faith back 
  in Faerun and in many ways, it led to a decline 
  in the god’s power. 
   
  When the Spellplague came, the Mazticans were 
  caught completely unaware.  The skies changed 
  from the azure of Toril to the metallic skies of 
  Abeir.  Earthquakes, similar to the ones which 
  occurred during Zaltec and Qotal’s battle 
  decades prior, once again tore the land apart. 
  Village elders thought the gods were angry with 
  them and many returned to the old ways of 
  sacrifice.  In these lands, many of the foreigners 
  were expelled or offered for sacrifice 
  themselves.  Sacrifice as a whole, however, 
  never quite returned to pre-Cordell levels, except 
  in Nexal, where the jagre Hoxitl still ruled with 
  an iron fist. 
   
  New beasts began to appear across Maztica.  
  Great lizards with terrible fangs and claws 
  savaged the humans and halflings of the jungles.  
  Ancient evils, once forgotten, began to appear in 
  Maztica.  Itzapaplotl, the dreaded Obsidian 
  Butterfly, decimated villages and tortured entire 
  populations that had been captured by her 
  dreaded tzitzimitl.  She no longer seemed 
  bounded by the rules of the gods that long ago 
  curbed the worst of her depredations.  The worst 
  truth of all, however, was the fact that the gods 
  no longer answered the prayers of their faithful.  
  On this new world, under a new sky, the gods no 
  longer existed and the Mazticans despaired. 
   
  Born of the great god Kukul so many thousands 
  of years prior, however, mankind and the other 
  races of the True World did not give up on 
  survival so easily.  The plumaweavers and 
  hishnashapers of Payit and Far Payit developed 
  greater and more powerful magics to survive in 
  their newer, harsher world.  Jaguar and Eagle 
  knights, bolstered by the discovery of greater 
  and greater amounts of plumastone, began to 
  develop weaponry and combat techniques 
  unmatched even by the Kultakans and Nexalans 
  of old.  The Faerunians had been cut off from 
  their homeland and without continuing 
  immigration, they began to naturalize in this 
  once foreign land.  A century passed and the 
  True World not only survived, but thrived. 
   
  Just as equilibrium took hold, the skies have 
  changed yet again.  The few powerless priests 
  who held onto the old ways have heard 
  something in their dreams and meditations.  If 
  these whispers are correct, then the gods have 
  once again returned to the True World. 
    
                                       OTHER HAPPENINGS 
   
  The epic of Maztica is in not an exhaustive story 
  nor does it cover every event of importance in 
  the continent’s long history.  In roughly 
  chronological order other events of importance 
  are detailed below, yet even with these, the full 
  story can never be told. 
   
  The Origin of the Little People 
   
  When mankind first took shape, they were given 
  forms that pleased the more martial gods Qotal 
  and Zaltec the most. Strong and imposing, 
  humankind was practically bred for war.   
   
  Kiltzi and her sisters, however, sought smaller 
  things to play with and thus they took the molds 
  that gave mankind their shape and forged life of 
  their own.  They created these beings in the 
  shape of man, but far smaller - half sized in fact.  
  
   
  15 
   
  They led their new playthings deep into the 
  verdant jungles where neither their brothers, nor 
  mankind would find them.  In these jungles, the 
  halflings of Maztica would remain hidden. 
   
  The Devastation of H’Calos 
   
  More than a millennium past, a great amber 
  shard of the sky fell to the Ixtzul Vale.  People 
  from all over the True World bore witness to this 
  event and even heard the violent screeching 
  sound it made as it passed.  A minor chief of the 
  people of Ixtzul Vale named Osctl Sleeping 
  Turtle was the first to find the object and he saw 
  that it was in fact a great egg.  This egg cracked 
  before him and he saw a great serpent or worm 
  inside.  A wiser chief might have fled 
  immediately, but Osctl approached the hatching 
  creature in the hopes that somehow, it might 
  increase his standing among the six other 
  chieftains.  For his curiosity, Osctl became the 
  first meal of the great star worm known as 
  H’Calos. 
   
  Luckily for the True World, H’Calos’ 
  awakening was a short lived one.  After 
  engorging himself on the inhabitants of nearby 
  villages, the star worm settled into a great sleep 
  underground in the valley of Ixtzul.  The people 
  knew of the creature but considered it a guardian 
  of their land and built a city atop the creature’s 
  resting place.  For two centuries, the creature 
  slumbered and did not wake to feed. 
   
  Some say the Revered Counselor of the city of 
  Ixtzul convinced the creature to settle as their 
  guardian, others claimed that the creature was 
  defeated in battle before its long rest.  The truth 
  became known many years later when it came to 
  light that the last Revered Counselor of Ixtzul 
  named Greyst Seven Cloud used a powerful staff 
  to keep the creature in a perpetual state of 
  slumber. 
   
  H’Calos wasn’t the only threat to the valley 
  however.  Overpopulation destroyed the once 
  fertile valley and it could no longer support its 
  people.  Greyst Seven Cloud determined that the 
  valley was in fact doomed, yet it was his sacred 
  duty to prevent the valley’s guardian from 
  awakening to threaten the whole of the True 
  World in its great hunger.   
   
  Using the power of hishna and pluma, Greyst 
  forged great lines of magic that would keep the 
  creature in its state of slumber perpetually.  With 
  the people gone, he knew there would need to be 
  guardians, however.  When he looked upon the 
  ants at his feet he realized that they would make 
  the ideal guardians and thus he created the bacar 
  to forever guard the star worm. 
   
  Mirandos of Helm, while burning Maztican 
  scrolls in Maju, came across a particular scroll 
  penned by a Maztican scholar eight decades 
  prior.  The scroll described the guardians and the 
  cursed city of Ixtzul in fine detail and Mirandos 
  believed she had found a road to great treasure 
  and more importantly, power. 
   
  Mirandos managed to enter the city and she 
  enslaved the bacar guardians to her will using 
  the staff looted from Greyst’s tomb.  When the 
  planet H’Catha (the rumored home of the star 
  worm) rose into the sky one evening, Mirandos 
  performed a ritual which freed the creature from 
  its long slumber.  Greatly miscalculating the 
  power of the staff she attempted to use it to 
  control the great beast, but its magic only 
  shattered and the creature was loosed upon the 
  True World. 
   
  Mirandos, like Osctl in ages past, was eaten as a 
  reward for her hubris, and the star worm 
  proceeded to destroy what remained of Ixtzul for 
  a full month’s time.  He then destroyed Maju, 
  Coxl, and everything in between before finally 
  being defeated by the Golden Legion.   
   
  Perhaps Cordell’s most powerful wizard at the 
  time was a Calimport mercenary named Artur 
  Vagnos.  Artur used powerful magic and the 
  spirit of a velociraptor from Chult to create a 
  great beast known as the Vagnosaurus in an 
  attempt to combat H’Calos.  The magic was too 
  powerful for him and he lost control of the beast.  
  It devoured him and fled into the jungles.  The 
  vagnosaurus wreaked its own havoc as it headed 
  towards Maztica’s western coast.  The creature 
  then disappeared into the sea, never to be seen 
  again. 
  
   
  16 
   
   
  Alanza DaNosta, the acting captain of the 
  Golden Legion in its battle with H’Calos, 
  founded a colony along the east coast of the Bay 
  of Coxi at the battle’s conclusion. 
   
  The Rockfire Disaster 
   
  Long ago the Desert Dwarves, also known as the 
  Hairy Men of the Desert, were one and the same 
  as their Faerunian kin.  In tunnels far to the west 
  of their homes, they battled mightily with the 
  drow.  The magic unleashed caused the tunnels 
  to collapse and massive amounts of magma 
  flooded the deep caverns forcing the drow and 
  dwarves to flee further west to Maztica’s 
  underdark.  Here, both groups were forever cut 
  off from their kin.  Curious gnomes had also 
  been caught in the disaster, though neither dwarf 
  nor drow realized their presence.  The races split 
  in different directions and eventually became 
  part of the True World themselves.  The dwarves 
  arrived in the deserts of Maztica and became the 
  desert dwarves as they are known today. 
   
  The Scorpionfolk 
   
  With some notable exceptions, the human 
  inhabitants of Maztica rarely thought of or have 
  interacted with their Underdark.  Connections to 
  the underground world are neither common, nor 
  close to major population centers and when 
  entrances have been located, they are generally 
  avoided in the fear that they lead directly to the 
  lands of the dead. 
   
  Maztica’s underdark, however, is in fact widely 
  populated with a variety of subraces of 
  scorpionfolk.  Of these, the tlincalli are certainly 
  the most well-known and numerous. 
   
  Though generally of a sadistic and evil bent, for 
  the most part, the scorpionfolk have left native 
  Mazticans alone.  The invasion of the Golden 
  
   
  17 
   
  Legion, however, triggered a violent 
  territorialism in the tlincalli.  Whether through a 
  powerful ritual or travel through previously 
  unknown underdark trails, the tlincalli invaded 
  Amn itself and inhabited the ancient dwarven 
  ruin known as Xothaerin.  This new kingdom, 
  known as Oaxaptupa, was short lived, but was a 
  powerful thorn in the side of Amn for many 
  years. 
   
  In Maztica too, renegade tlincalli attempted to 
  open a portal to unleash the minions of their 
  obyrith lord Obox-ob upon the world, but were 
  stopped by a powerful band of adventurers (both 
  foreign and native).      
   
  The Great Skyhome 
   
  The Great Skyhome is the name given to the 
  massive pyramid-ship which carried the gods of 
  the True World to Toril from a distant world, 
  and it is also a common name given to the 
  Maztican concept of “wildspace.”   
   
  There are numerous interactions between the 
  True World and visitors from this vast void, and 
  they have been occurring throughout history.  
  The interactions include the following, but are 
  not in any way limited to only these: 
   
  -Anadjiin from the planet Anadia have hunted 
  the surface of Maztica in the past, but in most 
  cases keep their predations limited to the 
  degenerate race of illithids known as the yagrel, 
  who live deep in the jungles.  Occasionally an 
  anadjiin goes rogue and causes much death 
  before being taken down. 
   
  -Deep in the Axapoztlan Mountains an entire 
  hidden city is rumored to exist.  The inhabitants 
  closely guard the entirety of Maztica from 
  threats not of this world.  They are said to 
  accomplish this using a massive flying pyramid 
  (though not the original from the journey of the 
  gods).   
   
  -Itzapaplotl rules her kingdom of tzitzimitl 
  located on a massive chunk of obsidian that 
  exists in the Great Skyhome beyond the True 
  World.  The demoness is an unabashed sadist 
  and torturer and had nearly an entire century 
  where she could raid the surface at will.  All 
  Mazticans fear the arrival of her terrible star 
  demons. 
   
  THE MAZTICAN CAMPAIGN 
     
  Adventuring has become just as common 
  in Maztica as it is in mainland Faerun.  
  Before Cordell, there were few if any 
  “adventurers” in the True World, but 
  much has changed since the fateful arrival 
  of the Golden Legion.  Mazticans form 
  parties of their own now, and they are 
  finding ancient secrets of the past which 
  they had at one time chosen to ignore.   
   
  The True World is just as riddled with 
  hidden treasures and vile creatures as 
  Faerun and threats such as the beasts of 
  the Viperhand could lead to a lifetime of 
  adventure possibilities.  Itzapaplotl, the 
  scorpionfolk and a huge variety of 
  dinosaurs remain great threats as well.  
  The world has become far more 
  dangerous than it was even when frequent 
  sacrifice was the norm. 
   
  Forming a party might be handled a bit 
  differently in Maztica than it is in Faerun, 
  however.  The Faerunian habit of creating 
  “fest halls” and “taverns” never quite 
  caught on in the True World, so in order 
  to run a Maztican campaign, the 
  formation of a party needs to be a bit 
  more creative. 
   
  On many occasions, adventurers are 
  lifelong friends, formed at childhood.  
  The legends and stories told by Cordell’s 
  men sparked the imaginations of hundreds 
  of Maztican children, and they in turn 
  have passed their enthusiasm onto their 
  own descendants.   
   
   
  
   
  18 
   
   
   -A race of anthropomorphic penguin-like 
  traders from another world known as the dohwar 
  have settled in the True World and they have 
  come far from their humble merchant 
  beginnings.  They are known to keep to 
  themselves but rumors of an artifact from a long 
  forgotten time has been said to darken their 
  hearts. 
     
  REGIONS 
    
  There is a huge variety of cultures across the 
  True World.  If one considers all of the 
  humanoid races, the number actually becomes 
  staggering.  Most folk never even come into 
  contact with members of other nations with the 
  exception of the more cosmopolitan cities like 
  Ulatos, Tulom-Itzi or Tukan. 
   
  Nations tend to be less clearly defined in 
  Maztica as they are in Faerun.  Borders are not 
  as carefully delineated, nor does every village 
  identify with the country in which it is located.  
  For defense purposes and the inevitable taxes 
  that such service incurs, there is at least a 
  modicum of national identification.  Nexal, 
  Kultaka, Huacli, Kolan, Pezelac, and Payit are 
  the major regions to consider.  The inhabitants 
  of Far Payit, the Desert Dwarves, the Green 
  Folk, the Tabaxi, the Dog People, and the Little 
  Folk are all examples of populations that are 
  simply too scattered to be considered an actual 
  nation, but whose numbers are significant.  The 
  scorpionfolk have a nation of their own known 
  as T’lincal which might in fact be one of the 
  most populous.  Fortunately, they rarely come in 
  contact with the rest of the True World.  
  Independent city states like Tukan, Tulom-Itzi, 
  New Waterdeep, and Trythosford are also major 
  players in the True World, but do not have the 
  territory of the greater nations.  The areas 
  described below are some of the more well- 
  known regions of Maztica. 
   
                                                                HUACLI 
   
  The Huacli nation is a nation of mountain 
  valleys on the west coast of Maztica.  With one 
  notable exception, this collection of city-states 
  was once firmly under the thumb of the Empire 
  of Nexal.  After the Night of Wailing, Nexal’s 
  firm grip was broken nearly overnight.  
   
  Prior to the Night of Wailing, however, Otomi 
  was the only city-state that maintained its 
  independence.  Most of the Huacli people were 
  fierce warriors, but the Otomi in particular stood 
  out.  In the mountains closest to Otomi, there 
  were massive deposits of copper, which they 
  (and to a lesser extent, the other city-states) 
  learned to smelt and forge weapons and armor.  
  The metal was soft, but still superior to the 
  obsidian blades and spears of the Nexala. 
   
  After gaining full independence, the chieftains 
  formed an alliance and a council with the Otomi 
  at their head. 
   
  NEW AMN 
     
  New Amn, it is said, was founded on the 
  day Cordell defeated the whole of the 
  Payit army with his five hundred strong 
  Golden Legion.  Others argue that the 
  nation as a separate entity was not 
  officially founded until long after the 
  second godswar between Zaltec and 
  Qotal. 
   
  Today, the name has held, but it means 
  very little to the inhabitants. The 
  descendants of the Amnian settlers tend to 
  use the name far more often than natives 
  whose families have always existed in the 
  True World.  Both groups, however, have 
  come to accept that the region is wholly 
  under the control of the Revered 
  Counselor of Payit.  The fact that the 
  current Revered Counselor Xuitotl is of 
  mixed blood has allowed the nation to 
  avoid complete reabsorption.   
   
   
  
   
  19 
   
   
  Ethnically, the Huacli are a mixed bunch, but 
  there is a strong streak of an independent tribe 
  that is not known elsewhere in the True World.  
  From these folk comes the language of the 
  Huacli which is a mix of words and phrases 
  from Nexalan and Téenek, a language unknown 
  elsewhere.  Other than in rare ancient scrolls, 
  Téenek is no longer spoken in its pure form, and 
  the new hybrid is known simply as Huacli.  
  Speakers of Nexalan can understand about 10% 
  of Huacli, and the same is true in reverse.  A 
  large percentage of the Huacli ethnicity is also 
  of the Dog People, particularly in the northern 
  city-states. 
   
  For most of their existence, the Huacli city-
  states have been independently governed by 
  male chieftains.  The chieftains pass their title on 
  to their heirs upon death.  If no heir is apparent, 
  a new chieftain is often selected through 
  widespread popularity.  In Otomi, the chieftain 
  has evolved into a nationwide ruler and he has 
  adopted the name used in the more easterly 
  nations.  Huasteco is currently the Revered 
  Counselor of Huacli, and he is in fact the first to 
  use the title. 
   
  Before the discovery of plumastone (and to a 
  lesser extent the magically created hishnahide), 
  the Otomi kept a jealous guard over their stores 
  of copper.  Though their forged weapons have 
  not become obsolete, they do not have the same 
  value they once held in a time when most 
  weapons would shatter on contact with anything 
  other than flesh. 
   
  Copper is now freely traded throughout the True 
  World and this has actually become somewhat 
  of a boon to the Huacli.  There are also well 
  known artisans in Huacli who produce art that 
  commands a high price elsewhere.  For this 
  reason alone, Huacli is a favored stopping point 
  of various pochteca, despite the relative 
  distance. 
   
  The Huacli worshiped all of the deities with 
  equal fervor, but much of this faith was lost 
  during Maztica’s exile on Abeir.  Plutoq’s 
  worship has become ascendant among chieftains 
  and males since the Return, however and Nula 
  and Eha have become popular among many of 
  the women.  
   
  In the first decades of the arrival of the 
  newcomers, the Huacli often mistook the 
  newcomers as beasts of the Viperhand.  
  Amnians and other Faerunians were slain on 
  sight.  There are few pureblooded Faerunians 
  remaining in the True World, but the Huacli 
  have become a bit more cosmopolitan in recent 
  years.  Much of this has to do with the urgings 
  of the pochteca, from which the chieftains often 
  accept advice.   
   
  Huacli has not always been occupied by its 
  current ethnicities and in ages past there was a 
  people known as the Zateca, whose ruined cities 
  still dot the landscape.  Not much is known of 
  this ancient culture, but occasionally jade 
  artifacts and ancient scrolls will appear in 
  Otomi, discovered by the few who survive the 
  horrors of their crumbling ruins. 
   
                                                                 KOLAN 
   
  Kolan is another nation on the west coast of 
  Maztica and is separated from the hot sands of 
  the House of Tezca by the Chimatepec 
  Mountains.  Within these mountains and 
  approaching the shores themselves lay fertile 
  valleys.  The four major cities of Kolan are quite 
  independent and can be self-sufficient on their 
  own.  The climate and terrain of this southern 
  nation is ideal for growing crops and the people 
  generally have want for nothing. 
   
  Baya, Guatl, Kolatl, and Cabez are the four 
  major cities which are cut deep into cliffs on the 
  shore lines, with dwellings accessible only 
  through rope ladders, pulleys and elevators.  
  Kolatl for example, exists entirely in a grand 
  cliff overlooking the golden waters of the Bay of 
  Kolan. 
   
  Kolan has flourished in the last century, with 
  new settlements growing and expanding 
  eastward into the House of Tezca.  Much of this 
  growth is due to increasing trade with the desert 
  city of Tukan, of which Kolan has developed a 
  fine, but distant trade alliance.  
  
   
  20 
   
  Ethnically, the Kolans are of both Green Folk 
  and Maztican stock.  Their language is also 
  unique (known as Kolan), and it has more 
  similarities to the languages of the Green Folk 
  than it does actual Maztican.  Those who deal in 
  trade with Tukan are typically bilingual. 
   
  Though they might be more frequent in Huacli, 
  Kolan is the origin of the pochteca, and the 
  closest thing the nation has to a leader is a Grand 
  Pochteca.  This old traveling merchant is known 
  by no other name and is said to be welcome in 
  almost every other nation.  Forever enemies of 
  Nexal and its terrible beasts, the Grand Pochteca 
  is not welcome among the beasts of the 
  Viperhand, but it is said that he has met with the 
  cruel and generally violent scorpionfolk of the 
  Maztican underdark! 
   
  Though it was once a terribly poor nation after 
  years of Nexalan abuse, Kolan has come far 
  under the guidance of the Grand Pochteca.  
  Many lesser pochteca serve him as spies and he 
  knows more than most of major happenings 
  throughout the True World. 
   
  Sacrifice remained a common practice in Kolan 
  for far longer than it had in other nations, mostly 
  due to its isolation from the foreign influence of 
  Faerun.  However, when Maztica became part of 
  Abeir and the gods disappeared, the need for 
  sacrifice disappeared as well.  The Grand 
  Pochteca does not approve of the practice, but 
  since the return of the gods and their clerics, it 
  has made a very slow return in some parts. 
       
                                                            KULTAKA 
   
  Kultaka is as it has always been; a nation of 
  warriors.  Despite their proximity, Nexal’s grand 
  empire had never fully conquered the Kultakans 
  and without the Kultakan army, Cordell could 
  never have defeated Nexal.     
   
  The land itself is a fertile coastal plain separated 
  from the water by a vast salt marsh inhabited by 
  lizardfolk, sahuagin, and worse.   
   
  The greatest threat to the nation is still in Nexal 
  and without the Kultakans; the beasts of the 
  Viperhand would surely plague the rest of 
  Maztica in far greater numbers.  Kultaka is 
  eternally at war with these creatures, but they 
  continue to control the upper hand and orc blood 
  flows freely upon its plains. 
   
  Though it is not generally known among the 
  populace, Kultaka is actually under a far greater 
  threat than the Viperhand.  T’lincal, a great 
  nation of scorpionfolk, lay in the vast limestone 
  caverns beneath Kultaka.  The scorpionfolk have 
  yet to see their aboveground neighbors as a 
  threat, but should it come to that, Kultakans 
  would be at war with an equally fierce nation. 
   
  Kultaka is unusual in its form of leadership for 
  the region in that they are almost always under 
  the command of a war chief, rather than a 
  Revered Counselor.  Icnoyotl is the current war 
  chief and is a direct descendent of Takamal and 
  Tokol, said to be the greatest warriors ever seen 
  in the True World. 
   
  Kultakans speak Kultakan, which is a harsher, 
  deeper sounding language related to Maztican.  
  Typical Kultakans are able to speak both 
  languages despite the fact that the Kultakans 
  have limited contact with other nations. 
   
  Kultaka used to have a significant portion of 
  their population worship Zaltec.  After the Night 
  of Wailing, centuries of conflict with the 
  Viperhand, and the gods’ subsequent 
  disappearance and reappearance, his worship is 
  has dropped dramatically.  The other cruel gods 
  such as Tezca and Azul are still popular 
  however and though sacrifice is officially 
  banned (a law left over from the days of Amnian 
  dominance), it still occurs in remote temples. 
   
  A century ago, large veins of gold were found in 
  Kultaka’s mountains.  They have yet to run out 
  and a community of dwarves has sprung up 
  within the mines.  These dwarves consider 
  themselves natives of the True World but are in 
  fact nearly an equal mix of the ancestors of 
  dwarves from Faerun and desert dwarves who 
  came from the Sands of Itzcala.  The dwarves 
  consider Kultaka their home and defend it 
  alongside their human brethren in continuous 
  war. 
  
   
  21 
   
  Hishna magic is ascendant in Kultaka, and some 
  of the best hishnashapers and hishnacasters in 
  the True World are known to reside here.  The 
  hishnahide spell was developed in Kultaka 
  before spreading to the world at large and the 
  gold from the mines is often used to power 
  castings of this spell.  Kultakan warriors are 
  outfitted better than any others in Maztica. 
   
                                                                  NEXAL 
   
  Once the greatest empire in the whole of the 
  True World; Nexal is now the dreaded domain 
  of monsters.   
   
  Small streams of lava pour forth from Mount 
  Zatal today, but the dark slopes of the volcano 
  stands as a reminder of the devastation that 
  occurred over a century ago, and whose 
  repercussions are still felt today.   
   
  Orcs are now the dominant species of Nexal; 
  cruel and violent, they have cut the hearts from 
  hundreds of thousands of captured Mazticans in 
  the previous century.  Though no longer human, 
  the orcs hold to the old ways of Maztica more 
  consistently than any other remaining nation in 
  their love of this cruel practice.   
   
  Troll and ogre overseers keep the unruly orcs in 
  line, though they themselves frequently have 
  difficulty controlling their base urges.   
   
  The trolls and ogres are commanded directly by 
  powerful shapeshifters known as jagres.  The 
  jagres too are led by their semi-divine immortal 
  leader Hoxitl, who is Chosen by Zaltec. 
   
  Man is not welcome in Nexal.  For a time, evil 
  men and scoundrels could at least eke out a 
  pitiful existence among the cruel beasts, but 
  when the skies changed and Zaltec’s voice grew 
  silent, every last man and woman was brought to 
  Mount Zatal for sacrifice.  Now, none remain – 
  Nexal now solely the land of the Viperhand.  
   
  Were it not for the common cause of war and 
  raiding, Nexal would implode in on itself, but as 
  it stands, Hoxitl’s semi-divine power is enough 
  to keep the worst destructive impulses in check. 
   
  Were they not so fecund, the population of 
  Nexal might not have lasted as they have.  The 
  beasts are incessantly raiding nearby nations and 
  war with Kultaka is perpetual.  As it was when 
  Nexal was a human land, the Nexalans have yet 
  to best that nation of warriors. 
   
  Nexalan was once the common tongue of the 
  True World since the empire had spread so far.  
  Since the empire’s downfall, Nexalan itself has 
  now come to be known as Maztican.  Ironically, 
  the current inhabitants of Nexal are rarely 
  literate in this language of their own origin.  
   
  Zaltec has and will always be ascendant in 
  Nexal.  The worship of no other gods is accepted 
  or tolerated.  Even during his silence, the beasts 
  continued his rites.  Hoxitl managed to convince 
  an entire population that their god was angry 
  with them, and this was the cause of his silence.  
  The jagre’s immortality and power was a sure 
  sign that he was the voice of Zaltec.  Now that 
  Zaltec has returned, “proof” has been given. 
   
                                                                    PAYIT 
   
  Payit is a great nation whose invasion by Amn 
  nearly cost it its identity, but has bounced back 
  all the stronger for its trials.  There is intense 
  national pride these days and the original 
  invaders have mostly integrated or died off.  
   
  Today, Payit once again excels in leading the 
  True World out of dark days with its research 
  into pluma magic and the fine talismans of 
  pluma created by its artisans. 
   
  When Maztica was sent to Abeir, Itzapaplotl 
  visited her worst depredations on the Payit and 
  the Faerunians who had once defiled it 
  themselves.  Without the plumaweavers, jaguar 
  and eagle knights of Ulatos, many more would 
  have suffered. 
   
  Helmsport and Cordell’s old estate still exists 
  near Ulatos, but the only other obvious 
  reminders that the Amnians settled here is the 
  skin coloration of the locals.  Some Faerunian 
  traditions remain, particularly in the celebration 
  
   
  22 
   
  of some holidays and certain foods found 
  nowhere else in Maztica.  Horses disappeared 
  after a virus wiped out the majority of their 
  population and it was discovered that the 
  creatures known as hakuna favored horse flesh 
  above all others.  Attacks on the trade roads by 
  these creatures became all too frequent and the 
  use of horses as a pack animal or traveling 
  companion became more trouble than it was 
  worth. 
   
  Outside of Helmsport and Ulatos, Payit itself is a 
  mix of patches of jungle, woodlands, grass 
  plains, and vast swaths of agricultural land.  
  Trade routes can be found everywhere leading 
  into Kultaka and Pezelac. 
   
  Payit still has smatterings of the Faerunian 
  common speech but it has been dying as a 
  language with Payit and Maztican becoming the 
  more dominant languages.  It is not unusual for 
  natives of Helmsport or Ulatos to in fact be 
  fluent in all three.   
   
  While estates of the Amnian invaders once 
  dotted the countryside, Itzapaplotl’s raids and 
  time itself has seen many of these fall into ruin 
  or disrepair.  The locals do not seem to care very 
  much about that current state of affairs. 
   
  Payit is ruled by Coaxoch, a relatively young 
  Revered Counselor who some claim is the 
  greatest plumaweaver alive.  Others claim that 
  this is impossible given her young age and the 
  fact that many of her talismans were 
  actually simply taken from the treasury. 
   
  The worship of the foreign god Helm 
  was once growing in Payit but it has 
  since morphed into a cult known as the 
  Cult of Hunab-Kuum.  Qotal and his 
  sister Kiltzi officially have the most 
  worshipers and the most beautiful 
  temples, but the Cult is growing in 
  popularity.  The leadership of the cult is 
  now firmly entrenched in Cordell’s old 
  estate. 
   
                                                 PEZELAC 
   
  Pezelac has always had difficulty 
  finding its own identity in a region 
  surrounded by powerful and aggressive 
  nations.  There are few truly native folk 
  of Pezelac, though there were a few 
  indigenous folk.  Mostly, Pezelac is a 
  conglomerate of all the surrounding 
  nations such as the Payit, Kultakans and 
  Nexalans that fled from their ruined 
  homeland. 
   
  With the growth in trade of the recent 
  century, Pezelac has grown in wealth 
  despite the barren nature of the land 
  itself.  Its capital city, also named 
  Pezelac, has grown to rival Ulatos and 
  Tukan in its cosmopolitan nature.  There 
  
   
  23 
   
  are few goods sold in Maztica that cannot be 
  found in the city’s marketplace.  As in Huacli 
  and Kolan, the pochteca thrive here and even the 
  Little Folk and Desert Dwarves can be found in 
  its markets. 
   
  The common Maztican tongue (formally 
  Nexalan) is the primary language spoken in 
  Pezelac, but particularly in the capital city, all 
  languages can be heard being spoken. 
   
  Pezelac is not known for its fierce warriors but 
  its close proximity to Nexal has forced it to find 
  potent means of protection.  Pezelac’s newest 
  Revered Counselor, the first woman to ever hold 
  the title in fact, is an incredibly clever old 
  sorceress named Tonatzin.  She has reached out 
  to the neighboring nations of Kultaka and Payit 
  to petition for protection against the beasts of the 
  Viperhand.  In exchange for lucrative trading 
  rights, both nations have responded with 
  significant contingents of warriors, including a 
  thousand-strong atlatl-wielding unit from 
  Kultaka and eagle knights from Payit. 
   
  The nahuālli also first started appearing here in 
  the scrublands soon after the True World was 
  brought to Abeir.  The beasts of the Viperhand 
  have difficulty overcoming the versatile magics 
  of these spellcasters. 
   
  With the exception of Zaltec, the entire 
  Maztican pantheon is worshiped in Pezelac.  
  There are also numerous less known deities that 
  are typically worshiped in small communities in 
  the countryside.  Once a fervent nation, the 
  silence of the gods and the influx of wealth has 
  tempered their devotion.  
     
                                                          FAR PAYIT 
   
  Far Payit once had great cities with pyramids 
  that rivaled the pyramid of Zaltec in Nexal 
  during that nation’s heyday.  These pyramids 
  had a slightly different architectural style than 
  the rest of Maztica and tended to be tall and 
  narrow. 
   
  Most of these cities now lie in ruin.  The jungle 
  has crept back into the structures and the eerie 
  howls of beasts permeate the old marketplaces.  
  The people have long since moved back into 
  small villages within the jungles 
   
  It was and is still a jungle nation, only 
  occasionally opening into clearings set aside for 
  the cultivation of mayz and other crops.  There 
  are mountains as well, typically jutting straight 
  from the jungle floor and high above the canopy.  
  These mountains are said to hold many ancient 
  secrets and very few who enter their hidden 
  tunnels come back out alive.  
   
  There is close to no military remaining in Far 
  Payit, but the villages typically have some well-
  known defenders or heroes.  Far Payit was hit 
  the hardest when the True World was brought to 
  Abeir because great fanged, spiked and taloned 
  lizards began to show up in the jungles nearly 
  over night.  Villages without powerful defenders 
  were destroyed while others had to remain in 
  constant vigil.  The situation got continually 
  worse until the skies changed yet again.  Today, 
  the lizard threat has abated slightly. 
   
  Tulom-Itzi and Maxal remain the only cities of 
  note in Far Payit, yet there are hundreds of small 
  villages scattered throughout the jungle.  Tulom-
  Itzi is the cultural center of the local people who 
  are known as the Itzas, and great magics of 
  pluma and hishna have been developed within 
  its walls.  Maxal was utterly destroyed by the 
  great star worm H’Calos, though it was 
  subsequently rebuilt by the determined Itza.  
  H’Calos’ hitherto unknown offspring known as 
  H’Calans have plagued any who dare enter Far 
  Payit’s underdark. 
   
   The Itzas, despite their trials, are known to be 
  some of the kindest and gentlest folk in the True 
  World.  Sacrifice or slavery is not permitted here 
  and Zaltec’s worship is practically unknown.  
  Qotal is ascendant and remained so even during 
  his long bouts of silence.  The Itzas speak Payit, 
  though most villages have at least one elder that 
  can speak Maztican as well. 
   
  The Itzas do not have revered counselors or even 
  tribal chieftains.  Rather, they tend to follow the 
  advice of the wisest or occasionally the most 
  powerful among their populations.      
  
   
  24 
   
   
  Far Payit is known for its incredible variety of 
  beautiful plumage which plumaweavers from all 
  over Maztica send pochteca to come and trade 
  for.  They will often bring plumastone to assist 
  Far Payits local heroes in defending their 
  villages.  The terrible lizards which populate the 
  jungles also have fangs and claws that are highly 
  prized by hishnashapers. Far Payit’s artisans in 
  fact, are well known for their workmanship and 
  many unique talismans have been created here. 
  Other than this, the Itzas are not generally 
  known for their trade goods.  The people have 
  all they need and are mostly entirely self-
  sufficient. 
  . 
                                                                 TUKAN 
   
  Tukan has remained a bastion of hope for the 
  True World in the past century.  It was founded 
  out of desperation as Qotal led the refugees of 
  the Night of Wailing across the desert to a newly 
  formed lake in the desert grand enough to 
  support the 100,000 or so men and women. 
   
  Tukan, unlike Nexal, was built on a peninsula 
  but has a similar layout to Nexal.  The 
  inhabitants are mixed but are mostly native 
  Mazticans.  Tukan is also unique in that it has 
  the largest population of desert dwarves known 
  in the True World, and even a significant 
  population of the Little Folk! 
   
  Trade occurs mostly with Ulatos, but the 
  distance and proximity to Nexal and its beasts 
  have led Tukan and its pochteca to seek trade 
  elsewhere.  There have been a number of 
  overtures made to Kolan in general and Otomi 
  specifically. 
   
  Tukan’s architecture is a blend of traditional 
  Maztican pyramids and Faerunian estates.  The 
  estates have fallen out of favor in recent years 
  and few new ones are erected, but the ones 
  which have already been built remain in good 
  repair. 
   
  All of the gentler gods are worshiped in Tukan 
  but Tezca and Azul also have a significant 
  following.  Human sacrifice is banned and those 
  who ignore the ban are mercilessly hunted 
  down, even by members of their own faiths.   
   
  The current Revered Counselor is an aged cleric 
  of Qotal named Tuahemoc.  Tuahemoc is said to 
  have been descended directly from the famous 
  eagle knight Poshtli.  Tuahemoc was the first to 
  claim that Poshtli had ascended to serve at the 
  right hand of the Plumed Father, and he has a 
  number of shrines to his ancestor in addition to 
  Qotal’s. 
   
                                             THE DOG PEOPLE 
   
  The Dog People are a savage folk who live in 
  the Sands of Itzcala. They are semi-nomadic and 
  generally live in small villages of 50-500 
  individuals in these northern wilds.  
   
  The Dog People are intolerant of most others 
  with the exception of the Otomi, whom they 
  share some ancestry.  For generations, the Dog 
  People were captured and sacrificed by 
  Mazticans and this has left them defensive and 
  resentful.  Trespassers in their lands are now 
  generally caught and tortured.  Often, an 
  individual will be bound and buried up to their 
  necks in sand and dirt near the mounds of a 
  nasty breed of fire ant that inhabits this part of 
  the True World.  
   
  Occasionally, the Dog People will be suitably 
  impressed by a person or group at which point 
  they are accepted into the tribe.  The Dog People 
  are extremely loyal to their own kind and this 
  extends to those who are so fortunate. 
   
  The Dog People have curious superstitions about 
  the desert dwarves which they share common 
  lands, and though they are not allies, they tend to 
  leave the dwarves alone.  Conflicts and 
  misunderstandings do occur, however. 
   
  The only people that the Dog People trade with 
  are the Otomi, and even this is rare.  There is 
  very little that they want or have to offer, but the 
  occasional curious item is found in the desert 
  from civilizations far more ancient. 
   
  
   
  25 
   
  The gods of the Dog People are generally not 
  gods at all, but rather local animal and ancestral 
  spirits.  They do not understand the concept of 
  gods as actual divine beings.   
   
  The Dog People speak their own language, and 
  occasionally Huacli. 
   
                                            THE GREEN FOLK 
   
  South of the House of Tezca, before entering the 
  strange and mountainous land of Lopango lays 
  the jungles of the Green Folk.  Though their 
  lands are not vast and their populations are not 
  great, their isolation has kept them safe from 
  aggression. 
   
  The Green Folk lands are littered with ancient 
  temples and ruins that are complete mysteries.  
  Not even the greatest of the Green Folk elders 
  knows from where they came or who built them. 
   
  The Green Folk are not as cruel as the Dog 
  People can be, but they too tend to kill 
  trespassers.  They have very little magic, 
  however, and are easily impressed by flashy 
  displays.  Magic with impressive displays can 
  send entire villages running, or it could cause 
  them to drop in awe of the caster.  Even most 
  pluma and hishna magic is unknown to them. 
   
  In the jungles, all that is needed is provided, and 
  the Green Folk do not participate in trade.  They 
  speak their own language and ethnically do not 
  appear similar to any other Maztican humans.  
  They tend to be exceptionally short when 
  compared to the average Maztican. 
   
  The Green Folk worship what is thought to be 
  the Maztican pantheon, but the names are wildly 
  different.  Calor, for example, is the name given 
  to a deity in the myths of the Green Folk that 
  appears quite similar to Azul.   
   
                                            THE LITTLE FOLK 
   
  The Little Folk of Maztica are also known as 
  jungle halflings or the Little People.  They are a 
  savage race of halflings with little similarities in 
  culture to their Faerunians counterparts.  The 
  different tribes have many opposing origin 
  stories but the general belief is that they were in 
  fact created by Kiltzi. 
   
  The Little Folk were once located only in the 
  jungles of Far Payit, but have since spread to 
  others, and they occasionally come into conflict 
  with the Green Folk.   
   
  One particularly large tribe of jungle halflings 
  was led by Halloran into the war against the 
  beasts of the Viperhand over a hundred years 
  ago.  Halloran, the halflings claimed, had been 
  destined to lead them “out of the jungle,” and 
  the prophecy has since come true.  Many 
  halflings now live in Ulatos, Tukan and even as 
  far as Trythosford.   
   
  The majority of jungle halflings still lives deep 
  in Far Payit along mountain bases and they 
  rarely come into contact with humans.  Most still 
  hold to their old ways and when humans are 
  captured (usually unlucky Itzas), they will 
  sacrifice their victim to some form of local 
  “god.”  Most commonly, the local god is in fact 
  a jaguar lord or other monstrosity which they 
  keep in a pit in the village center. 
   
  The Little Folk are also known for their 
  powerful poison known as kurari.  This is a 
  highly effective paralyzing poison ideal for 
  hunting and taking down “big folk.” 
   
  Jungle halflings who intermingle with humans 
  speak their own language and the language of 
  whatever local culture they have adopted.  The 
  tribes who follow the old ways generally only 
  speak their own language. 
   
  Chiefs rule their tribes with an iron fist and 
  tolerate little dissension.  In fact, conflict usually 
  leads to the offending party being thrown into 
  the pit of their god.  
   
                                 THE DESERT DWARVES 
   
  The Desert Dwarves are not a nation per se, but 
  they have a significant population and have 
  become the dominant people of the sizeable 
  
   
  26 
   
  lands of both the House of Tezca and the Sands 
  of Itzcala. 
   
  The desert dwarves were once exploratory 
  miners from tunnels under the Moonshae Isles 
  who were ambushed by drow in the year 987 
  DR. The drow used powerful magics which 
  unleashed magma from below and ocean water 
  from above.  This effectively cut both groups off 
  from each other and the pathways back to 
  Faerun’s underdark.  This event came to be 
  known alternatively as the Rockfire Disaster or 
  the Rockfire Cataclysm, and it stranded the 
  dwarves in Maztica. 
   
  The dwarves first emerged in the Sands of 
  Itzcala but have adapted well to their desert 
  environment and have spread to all the deserts of 
  Maztica.  Their greatest population is in fact in 
  the House of Tezca. 
   
  The desert dwarves tend to dwell in caves or 
  crags in small communities of no more than a 
  few hundred.  In the House of Tezca their 
  leaders are known as chieftains, and in the Sands 
  of Itzcala they are often referred to as 
  cragwardens. 
   
  The Desert Dwarves of the Sands of Itzcala tend 
  to remain hidden and aloof when it comes to 
  other Maztican nations.  They often come into 
  conflict with the Dog People of the wastes, but 
  this dislike rarely leads to open warfare, and the 
  two races generally avoid each other.  When the 
  dwarves encounter other humans, they react 
  accordingly to the given situation.  An entire 
  community of the desert dwarves has moved 
  into the gold-laden mines in Kultaka and joined 
  their Faerunian cousins to form a newer, larger, 
  and far richer community.  In the desert, the 
  dwarves will secretly observe travelers for many 
  days before contact and will know a good bit 
  about the players’ tendencies.  This branch of 
  dwarves has also come into conflict with the 
  scorpionfolk from lands beneath the sands.   
   
  The desert dwarves from the House of Tezca 
  were once known to other Mazticans as “The 
  Hairy Men of the Desert,” but that old moniker 
  is rarely used these days.  Led by the great 
  warrior Luskag, this branch fought valiantly 
  against the beasts of the Viperhand at the 
  conclusion of battle for Helmsport. 
   
  Though there are many chieftains, Luskag still 
  lives, and he is widely considered the “Chieftain 
  among Chieftains.”  Should the dwarves ever 
  make race-affecting decisions, they would surely 
  follow this charismatic leader’s direction. 
   
  Luskag’s clan also is credited with the discovery 
  of plumastone near the city of Tewahca and this 
  has made him popular and welcome everywhere 
  but Nexal.  Luskag’s clan still mines the material 
  and though it has since been found elsewhere (as 
  well as being magically created), the plumastone 
  of Tewahca is by far the most popular. 
   
  The desert dwarves are not particularly religious 
  but have managed to merge the pantheons of 
  Maztica and the dwarves.  Dumathoin is 
  popular, but Plutoq also seems to appeal to these 
  stone loving people. 
   
                                                       THE TABAXI 
   
  The jaguar men of Maztica populate the jungles 
  and at one time had only fleeting encounters 
  with mankind.  When the encounters did occur, 
  they often erupted in violence, particularly when 
  the tabaxi were answering to a jaguar lord. 
   
  The Green Folk have always known to avoid the 
  tabaxi, but the newer, more adventurous humans 
  in Maztica are rarely so wise.  The jaguar-folk 
  have responded to the frequent trespasses by 
  trespassing themselves, and it is not uncommon 
  to see tabaxi in the streets of the more 
  cosmopolitan cities these days. 
   
  The tabaxi occupy just about every known 
  jungle in Maztica but are typically located far 
  from other settlements.  They build tree homes 
  which they find easy to climb into, but 
  aggressors have severe difficulty locating.   
   
  There are three main groups of tabaxi.  The 
  tribes which interact with humans the most are 
  powerful hunters, but typically leave sentient 
  species alone.  They will trade for weapons in 
  
   
  27 
   
  the nations of men, usually bringing rare pelts 
  from the jungles.   
   
  Jaguar lords rule over a large percentage of 
  tribes and these jaguar men are both aggressive 
  and cruel.  They are more than willing to eat 
  manflesh, saving the choice parts for their lord. 
   
  Lastly, there are the ocēlōtl.  This enigmatic race 
  is an offshoot of the tabaxi, but has more in 
  common with the smallish cats known as 
  ocelots, than they do the proud jaguars.  They 
  are even more reclusive than the jaguar folk and 
  only rarely leave their hidden jungle domains.  
  There are rumors that the ocēlōtl command a 
  strange magic unseen elsewhere in Maztica. 
   
  Tabaxi worship the Maztican pantheon but do 
  not use the same names as mankind. 
   
                                        THE QUETZALDAUN 
   
  Many believe it was to Maztica where the 
  progenitor race of bird men known as the aeree 
  once fled.  The aeree either became or created 
  the aarakocra which populate Toril and can 
  sometimes be found in Maztica, though it is said 
  there are many more in the unknown regions of 
  the north. 
   
  The aarakocra have suffered the predations of 
  dragons throughout the world, driving them to 
  extinction in some areas.  Such was the case for 
  large tribes in the True World.  Green dragons 
  followed the aarakocra from Faerun and 
  destroyed their nests with a sadistic glee. 
   
  Some aarakocra began to abandon their gods and 
  seek a new lord, one who would save them from 
  the extinction promised by the green dragons 
  and ironically, a draconic god answered their 
  plea. 
   
  Qotal took pity on the bird-folk but he is not an 
  easy god who breeds complacency in those he 
  chooses.  Qotal offered the aarakocra a choice; 
  he would equip them with the tools needed to 
  defeat the dragons if they would only worship 
  him forevermore.  The aarakocra agreed and 
  were changed into the quetzaldaun, powerful 
  new eagle-folk whose keen senses and powerful 
  forms were able to destroy the dragons that 
  plagued them. 
   
  It is because of the quetzaldaun that dragons are 
  almost nonexistent in the True World (the rain 
  dragons known as tlalocoatl tend to leave them 
  alone). 
   
  Quetzaldaun have other enemies, however, and 
  many have been forced to leave their homes and 
  enter the lands of mankind.  The populations of 
  hakuna have exploded since Maztica arrived on 
  Abeir, and the quetzaldaun have lost many nests. 
   
  To this day, the pact with Qotal has stood, but 
  other deities are making inroads.  Whether or not 
  this trend continues as the quetzaldaun come 
  into contact with other cultures or not remains to 
  be seen (as does any repercussions from Qotal 
  himself). 
   
  PLACES OF INTEREST 
   
  Maztica has secrets and mysteries that remain 
  unexplained and in many cases unexplored.  The 
  following places of interest make excellent 
  locations for adventure and exploration.   
   
  Azatl (Nexal):  Azatl shares a similar history to 
  Tezat in the days since the Night of Wailing.  
  Knowing that they are as likely to be killed and 
  eaten in Tezat by the trolls; the more numerous 
  orcs have taken this city as their own.  Perhaps 
  because of the influence of Hoxitl and other 
  jagre (who maintain a strong presence in this 
  city), the orcs are surprisingly organized and can 
  mobilize in case of a concerted attack. 
   
  The Bay of Shoals (Pezelac):  This shallow bay 
  in Pezelac has a great variety of wildlife and rare 
  plants.  It is known for its mangaroo trees which 
  form mazes in the bay formed of small islands.  
  It is rumored that there is lost magic somewhere 
  in one of these mazes, but only from the writings 
  of one of Cordell’s legionnaires who went mad 
  shortly after his return to Helmsport.   
   
  
   
  28 
   
  Canoes are the only boats small enough to 
  navigate the shoal, but the enormous crocodiles 
  that live within the bay keep traffic low. 
   
  The Caves of Far Payit (Far Payit):  The 
  underdark permeates the True World much as it 
  does mainland Faerun.  Unlike Faerun, the 
  entrances are rare and typically only the 
  scorpionfolk know of the entrances (though they 
  rarely use them).  In Far Payit however, there is 
  a system of caves with far more obvious 
  connections.  The cave system is remarkably 
  intricate and contains equal portions of 
  underwater caverns. 
   
  In general, these caverns are thought to be 
  uninhabited by intelligent races and remain ripe 
  for exploration or even occupation.  There are 
  denizens however, which are frequently 
  monstrous and a little known group of penguin-
  like humanoids are rumored to inhabit the 
  caverns that are closer to the shore 
   
  The Fountain of the Gods (Far Payit):  When 
  the Little Folk first came out of the jungles they 
  spoke of the legends of the Fountain of the 
  Gods; an artifact created by the deities at the 
  dawn of mankind’s emergence as the dominant 
  species of the True World.  The Little Folk 
  claim that it was made to test the will of man 
  and to reward bravery where it was deserved.   
   
  It is also a place of death, and friendly Little 
  Folk know better to go anywhere near it.  The 
  terrible lizards that have populated the jungles in 
  the past century are particularly active here.  
  Also, the most savage and cruel of the Little 
  Folk guard the jungles within dozens of miles of 
  the Fountain’s hidden location.  They are said to 
  sacrifice all who approach – even other Little 
  Folk – to their enormous crocodilian god.  The 
  ruin in which the Fountain lies is also inhabited 
  by five Jaguar Lords who are said to have been 
  given immortality and a spark of the divine 
  themselves.   
   
  
   
  29 
   
  In a hundred years of searching, not a single 
  survivor has ever returned from an expedition to 
  the Fountain of the Gods.  
   
  Itzcatli (Bay of Cordell, Payit): Not much is 
  known of this underwater kingdom of sahuagin 
  who are mostly by their moniker “sea devils.”  
  The sahuagin frequently raid the shores near 
  their kingdom in the Bay of Cordell, though 
  these raids occur anywhere along the coast.  The 
  kingdom itself has never been located.   
   
  Itzcatli was responsible for nearly destroying 
  Trythosford about 50 years ago, before a troupe 
  of paladins wiped out the invading forces.  
  Though the sea devils were turned back, the 
  paladins were also killed nearly to a man and the 
  order has never recovered.  The fabulous 
  weapons and armor carried by the paladins were 
  lost at sea.  The sea devils also indirectly 
  prevented reinforcements from reaching New 
  Waterdeep when it was razed by Kultakan 
  raiders over a century ago. 
   
  Kultaka City (Kultaka):  The Kultakans are 
  indisputably the greatest warriors (as a whole) in 
  Maztica and their capital city is representative of 
  this fact.  The community sits on a steep rocky 
  outcropping which is extremely difficult to 
  climb.  The city to this day has only fallen once 
  to invasion despite hundreds of attempts through 
  the centuries of its existence.   
   
  Lake Pezel (Pezelac):  This shallow lake was 
  discovered to have a significant population of 
  plesiosaurs that prey on boatman who stray too 
  close to its center reaches.  The lake is excellent 
  for fishing, however and most fishermen have 
  found that they are left alone if they stay close to 
  its shores.  
   
  Maxal (Far Payit):  Maxal is known to be one 
  of the few Maztican cities with a “naval” 
  presence.  It is the second largest city in Far 
  Payit, but it is better known for having the 
  highest population of the Itza people in the True 
  World. 
   
  The “ships” of Maxal are actually large canoes, 
  but this mode of transportation is ideal for trade 
  up and down a coast where the jungles can be 
  quite hostile.  Maxal has gone so far as to 
  occasionally trade with the far off Green Folk, 
  but terrible sea lizards including vicious families 
  of plesiosaurs have made this journey a difficult 
  one.  
   
  The city itself is located on a large cliff 
  overlooking the sea, and is said to have one of 
  the most pleasing views in all of the True World. 
   
  Mount Zatal (Nexal):  The magic of the Night 
  of Wailing spewed forth from Mount Zatal with 
  the confluence of godly magics and the power of 
  sacrifice.  The transformative power was spent 
  but hot lava still poured from the mountain for 
  decades following that awful evening.  Mount 
  Zatal had gone relatively cold when the True 
  World became part of Abeir and to this day the 
  mountain is avoided by all but the beasts of the 
  Viperhand.  It is said that a massive complex lies 
  underneath the mountain populated by fire 
  newts, orcs, and far worse.  As the gods 
  reawaken, rumor has it that Zaltec himself stirs 
  beneath the mountain. 
   
  Nexal City (Nexal):  Nexal is a ruin and has 
  been so for well over a hundred years, but it is 
  occupied.  The orcs, trolls and jagre still sit 
  within dilapidated buildings worshiping their 
  cruel god Zaltec who has only recently begun to 
  answer their prayers once again.   
   
  The homes and pyramids are unrecognizable 
  from the days of the height of the Nexalan 
  Empire, and the fighting in its streets is nearly 
  continuous.  It is testament to the fecundity of 
  the beasts of the Viperhand that they still survive 
  in such great numbers. 
   
  Nexal is ruled from the old Temple of Zaltec by 
  the jagre-turned-demigod known as Hoxitl.  This 
  immortal being is said to share in the divinity of 
  his dark god, and that without him, the beasts 
  would lose what little organization they have. 
   
  Great treasure is rumored to still lie in the depths 
  of Nexal and it is unknown whether Hoxitl has 
  recovered what was buried on the Night of 
  Wailing so many decades ago. 
   
  
   
  30 
   
  Olbi (Sands of Itzcala):  The strange ruins of 
  Olbi are hidden in the desert known as the Sands 
  of Itzcala.  The Dog People are said to know of 
  its location, but they avoid it for fear of an 
  unknown darkness that lingers within.   
   
  The ruins are older than Tewahca and are a 
  series of caves carved by unknown hands with 
  very little resemblance to architecture found 
  elsewhere in the True World.  There are images 
  of Maztican gods throughout the system 
  however and rumors abound of powerful magic 
  and plentiful gold. 
   
  The Salt Marsh (Kultaka):  The salt marsh of 
  Kultaka is teeming with horrors including 
  numerous sahuagin from the Itzcala undersea 
  kingdom.  It is used as a training ground for new 
  jaguar and eagle knights who often return with 
  trophies from these fell creatures. 
   
  The Sunstone (House of Tezca):  The desert 
  dwarves know of a strange lake of silver located 
  in the crater of a lone volcano.  The lake is over 
  600 feet in diameter from shore to shore and 
  looks like a massive circular mirror. 
   
  The origin of the Sunstone is completely 
  unknown but its powers are well documented.  If 
  one sits upon its shores and meditates on the 
  lake as the sun crests the volcano’s caldera, a 
  vision of things to come might be given to the 
  seeker.  If the intelligence behind the Sunstone 
  feels that the seeker’s motives are not pure, 
  however, it might strike them dead on the spot 
  or send them far away from its shore.  Touching 
  the lake itself is assuming too much and one of 
  these effects always occurs should an offender 
  attempt to do so. 
   
  Tewahca, The City of the Gods (House of 
  Tezca):  The city of Tewahca was built in the 
  Immortal Era as a staging ground for a planned 
  battle of the gods.  A city sprung up to assist in 
  this express purpose in the middle of the desert 
  and following the battle, the people dispersed 
  just as quickly. 
   
  What remained was a wonder of the desert 
  which had not been found by man for many 
  centuries.  The desert dwarves however knew of 
  the city and its enormous Pyramid of the Gods. 
  It was fully rediscovered by mankind preceding 
  a second battle between Qotal and Zaltec. 
   
  The city itself contains many hidden treasures 
  from the Immortal Era and is guarded by undead 
  known as the spirit wardens.  While not 
  necessarily evil, the spirit wardens do not take 
  kindly to intruders unless they are given an 
  offering of magic.  There are various other 
  undead creatures such as shadows in the crypts 
  of the city as well and should the wardens be 
  placated, they have even been known to protect 
  travelers from this evil.   
   
  Not far from the city, massive outcroppings of a 
  natural, red-hued plumastone can be found.  The 
  desert dwarves, led by their chieftain Luskag 
  mine the precious material.  The dwarves leave 
  the dead alone and generally stay clear of the 
  city. 
   
  Tezat (Nexal):  Tezat, along with Zotil and 
  Azatl, was one of the four cities at the center of 
  the Nexalan Empire before it all came down on 
  the Night of Wailing.  Briefly, the beasts of the 
  Viperhand allowed humans to enter Nexal and 
  while still unsafe, many managed to eke out a 
  violent existence in Tezat.  When Zaltec stopped 
  answering prayers, however, Hoxitl declared 
  that humans were naught but food for Zaltec, 
  and every human remaining in Tezat was 
  brought to Zatal to be sacrificed. 
   
  Now Tezat is the domain of trolls.  There is 
  barely a remaining intact building in the whole 
  of the city, and the place smells of offal.  There 
  is little reason to attempt to enter Tezat, but it is 
  told that there are treasures here that remain 
  from the days of the Empire. 
   
  T’lincal (Underdark, Sands of Itzcala):  The 
  city of T’lincal may be the greatest population 
  center in Maztica, but its scorpionfolk 
  inhabitants are so isolated that contact is rarely 
  made.  This perhaps, is the single reason why the 
  scorpionfolk have not decimated the lands of 
  men.  The tlincalli took Cordell’s invasion 
  personally, however and have made themselves 
  more visible in the past century.  T’lincal itself 
  is a den of horrors hostile to all humans who 
  
   
  31 
   
  dare set foot in its caverns.  Treasure 
  notwithstanding, there is little reason for men or 
  women to approach the city. 
   
  Tulom-Itzi (Far Payit): The cultural center of 
  the Itza people and the capital city of Far Payit, 
  Tulom-Itzi is a truly wondrous city.  No other 
  city in the whole of the True World has such 
  prominent displays of gardens, topiaries and 
  beautifully carved architecture.    
   
  The city itself is surrounded on all sides by 
  jungle and there are no roads which lead directly 
  to it.  People still brave the jungles to visit the 
  city, however, whether for its abundance of rare 
  feathers for pluma magic, the kindhearted nature 
  of its native people, or just the sheer beauty of 
  the city itself.  Once long ago, a road did travel 
  directly to Ulatos, but that road is long since 
  disappeared. 
   
  The jungles around Tulom-Itzi are kept 
  relatively safe for travel by patrols that are often 
  led by a plumaweaver or plumacaster and 
  numerous jaguar knights.  The terrible lizards of 
  the southern jungles are only somewhat active in 
  the area.  
   
  Giant fire ants led by the powerful drider Darien 
  once destroyed the city, but it has recovered 
  remarkably.  Remnants of these ants still live in 
  the surrounding forests and the Itzas cannot 
  seem to eradicate them once and for all.   
   
  The Twin Visages (Payit):  Outside of Tehwaca, 
  the Twin Visages are considered perhaps the 
  greatest holy site for Qotal’s faithful.  It was 
  here that Qotal battled Zaltec after returning to 
  the True World before he was betrayed by his 
  high priest Lotil.  Some say that Qotal has since 
  forgiven the tonalli of Lotil, having not realized 
  that the battle was causing so much havoc 
  elsewhere on the continent. 
   
  The Twin Visages take the form of two 30 foot 
  high faces, one male and one female on a 300 
  foot bluff overlooking a beautiful lagoon full of 
  coral.   
   
  The Twin Visages also stands as a symbol to the 
  Mazticans.  It was here that Cordell first landed 
  before his plundering of the True World.  The 
  Mazticans were conquered by so few because 
  they did not stand together that day, and the 
  Twin Visages remind natives what they cannot 
  allow to occur once again.  
   
  The Ulatan Marsh (Far Payit):  Across the bay 
  from Maxal is a swamp of disease and decay 
  which is sometimes known as the Great Salt 
  Marsh.  This dangerous place is known for its 
  diseases, massive crocodiles and another nation 
  of sahuagin that may or may not be related to the 
  Itzcatli.  The marsh frequently floods and the 
  sahuagin use these times to hunt deep within the 
  center of the marsh.  For the most part, these 
  sahuagin stay clear of human kingdoms, but in 
  the marsh, all living beings are considered meat 
  for consumption. 
   
  Ulatos (Payit, New Amn):  Ulatos and its 
  satellite town of Helmsport were the capital and 
  center of the Amnian invasion of the True 
  World.  Once, the city was bustling with folk of 
  many nationalities and sights that had never 
  before been seen in Maztica.  When Maztica 
  became part of Abeir, its inhabitants were 
  abruptly cut off from the mainland.  While 
  terrible in many ways for the True World, the 
  shift did bring about some positive change.  
  Without a connection to their home, it was the 
  Amnians who began to naturalize.  There are 
  remnants of those long ago days, but traces of 
  Amnian (and to a lesser extent some 
  Waterdhavian and Calishite) culture have slowly 
  disappeared.  Ulatos is now firmly back in the 
  hands of the Payit.  Through interbreeding with 
  the invaders, the Payit of Ulatos have coloration 
  unknown elsewhere in the True World. 
   
  Cordell’s old nearby estate has been kept up 
  over the last century and now houses the young 
  Revered Counselor of Payit, Coaxoch. 
   
  Zotil (Nexal):  On the Night of Wailing, the city 
  of Zotil was submerged in lava that was spewed 
  by the eruption of Mount Zatal.  For many years 
  the ruin sat quiet, but the dead no longer sleep 
  soundly.  Zotil is avoided even by the beasts of 
  the Viperhand. 
  
   
  32 
   
   
  
   
  33 
   
   
   
  DEITIES OF MAZTICA 
   
  Deity 
  Alignment 
  Suggested Domains 
  Symbol 
  Azul 
  LE 
  Tempest, Death 
  Rain surrounding a fish  
  Eha 
  CN 
  Tempest 
  Clouds 
  Kiltzi 
  CG 
  Life 
  A flower in bloom 
  Nula 
  CN 
  Nature 
  Hummingbird 
  Plutoq 
  LN 
  Knowledge, Nature 
  Mountain peaks 
  Qotal 
  LG 
  Life, Light 
  A plumed dragon or serpent 
  Tezca 
  CE 
  Light, War 
  A flaming lizard 
  Watil 
  NG 
  Nature 
  Leaf 
  Zaltec 
  CE 
  Death, War 
  A human skull 
   
  OTHER DEITIES OF MAZTICA 
   
  Deity 
  Alignment 
  Suggested Domains 
  Symbol 
  Poshtli 
  LG 
  Light 
  An eagle with outstretched wings 
  Hoxitl 
  CE 
  Death, War 
  Snarling displacer beast 
  Hunab-Kuum 
  N 
  Knowledge 
  A perfect circle of light and darkness 
   
  DEAD DEITIES OF MAZTICA 
   
  Deity 
  Alignment 
  Suggested Domains 
  Symbol 
  Kukul 
  N 
  Knowledge, Life 
  Stars surrounding a sun 
  Maztica 
  N 
  Life, Nature 
  Mountain 
  Coatlicue 
  CE 
  Trickery, Death 
  Skirt made of snakes 
   
   
  RELIGION 
   
  Maztica, its gods, and the afterlife to which it is 
  connected are different from the folk of 
  mainland Faerun.  There have been many 
  connections made in the past, particularly among 
  the gods, but for the most part the Mazticans 
  follow rules very unlike the rest of the world.  It 
  is unknown whether Ao has allowed this to 
  occur in passing, or if he simply has remained 
  aloof, but the Mazticans do not seem to 
  understand nor care for the happenings of the 
  world at large.  The Maztican cosmology too is 
  different and has remained so since Kukul first 
  created mankind. 
   
  GODS 
   
  The main nine gods of the Maztican pantheon 
  are described below with their given alignment, 
  suggested domains and a description of their 
  symbols.  
   
  In addition, a number of lesser and dead gods 
  are provided, though their worshipers are either 
  few, or no longer exist. 
   
  This list is by no means comprehensive and 
  there are countless local gods and racial gods 
  that remain off this list.   
   
   
   
  
   
  34 
   
  THE PLANES 
   
  Maztica’s cosmology is wholly different from 
  the Great Wheel cosmology of greater Toril, but 
  it is connected in various locations.  A series of 
  demiplanes reachable through ethereal travel 
  rather than astral, it is the final resting place for 
  Mazticans and it often serves as the home of 
  their gods. 
   
  The souls of Mazticans and those who worship 
  the Maztican deities are known as tonalli and 
  upon the moment of death, they arrive in a grand 
  temple.  This temple lies atop a pyramid that 
  stretches beyond the range of vision.  The skies 
  are a sterile, pure white light that bathes the 
  pyramid in a surreal glow.  This makes it 
  difficult to look beyond the edges of the 
  pyramid, and even the immediate vicinity is 
  given a hazy, dreamlike quality.  This Pyramid 
  is known as the Great Pyramid, but is actually a 
  part of a neutrally aligned plane known as 
  Maztlan.  
   
  From the haze, spirit-beings known as zizimime 
  come forth to guide the tonalli to a realm which 
  better represents the soul’s disposition in life.  
  The gods themselves have multiple domains and 
  worshipers of many alignments may come face 
  to face with their god as they spend eternity 
  despite the plane their tonalli resides.   
   
  Tonalli who had a neutral outlook in life are 
  directed by the zizimime to stay where they are 
  as Maztlan slowly changes around them to their 
  permanent domain of rest.  Other souls that have 
  at least some tendency towards neutrality are led 
  onto the next platform which directionally 
  corresponds to their alignment.  These “platform 
  planes” have the following names: 
   
  Direction 
  Alignment 
  Name 
  N 
  LN 
  Itzli 
  E 
  NE 
  Mictlan 
  S 
  CN 
  Mayel 
  W 
  NG 
  Xilen 
   
  Some spirits are then instructed to stay at which 
  point their surroundings change, while others 
  continue on further still.  The spirits who are 
  instructed to continue moving go onto one of the 
  following at the “base” of the Great Pyramid: 
   
  Direction 
  Alignment 
  Name 
  N-NW 
  LN(G) 
  Tlalocan 
  N-NE 
  LN(E) 
  Tlatocalli 
  E-NE 
  NE(L) 
  Exbal Ken 
  E-SE 
  NE(C) 
  Zompantli 
  S-SE 
  CN(E) 
  Xipetlan 
  S-SW 
  CN(G) 
  Tochitl 
  W-SW 
  NG(C) 
  Xitonco 
  W-NW 
  NG(L) 
  Catlampa 
   
  Purely lawful good, lawful evil, chaotic evil or 
  chaotic good tonalli are led directly to the 
  corners of the great pyramid and arrive in one of 
  the following planes based on their alignment: 
   
  Direction 
  Alignment 
  Name 
  NW 
  LG 
  Tlaxcautli 
  NE 
  LE 
  Xibalba 
  SE 
  CE 
  Teotli Itic 
  SW 
  CG 
  Teotecan 
   
  Tonalli have no choice as to where they end up 
  regardless of whom they claim to worship.  
  There are many who paid lip service to Qotal in 
  life but whose disposition led their souls to the 
  pits of Xibalba to their unpleasant surprise. 
    
  Maztlan:  When the Great Pyramid fades and 
  the zizimime leaves a neutral spirit to its fate, 
  the tonalli sees a massive island surrounded on 
  all sides by an endless sea.  Seven caves dot the 
  landscape which are said to be the homes of all 
  spirits before birth.  A specter of the mother 
  goddess Maztica is said to inhabit the island as 
  well.   
   
  Itzli:  Itzli is a plane of endless outcroppings of 
  obsidian and plumastone.  Spirits live here in 
  echoes of their mortal existence.  Regimented an 
  organized wars between the tonalli are relatively 
  common and those who break rank are said to be 
  devoured by some foul being of chaos as 
  punishment.  Upon each new morning (a yellow-
  red sun rises and sets over the glassy fields), the 
  souls are reborn, no matter their fate on the 
  previous day.  
   
  
   
  35 
   
  Mictlan: Also known as the true “Land of the 
  Dead,” Mictlan was long thought the final 
  destination for all souls.  It is a hell of nine 
  levels that must be traversed over many years of 
  travel.  The levels range from fields with winds 
  of flesh scraping knives to rivers of blood 
  packed with swimming jaguar-spirits. The first 
  level, however, is rather plain and only inhabited 
  by spider and owl-like beings. 
   
  It is unknown what becomes of tonalli who 
  complete the journey, but a demon-being is 
  known to occasionally assist stranded spirits.  
  This spirit is known by the name Xolotl.  There 
  is also said to be a king and queen of Mictlan 
  known as King Mictlantecuhtli ("Lord of the 
  Underworld") and his wife, Mictecacihuatl 
  ("Lady of the Underworld").  
   
  Mayel:  Mayel is a plane of swirling winds and 
  tempestuous storms.  A spirit can spend an 
  eternity here being thrown around in permanent 
  cyclones that only rarely fluctuate in strength.  
  Eha maintains a zone of calm here where those 
  faithful to her in life can spend eternity without 
  fear of the powerful winds.   
   
  Mayel himself is the name of a once human 
  consort of Eha who holds significant sway 
  among the spirits.  
   
  Xilen:  This heavenly paradise consists of 
  endless fields of mayz on an island of 
  abundance.  Children who have yet to form their 
  own morality before death end up here and are 
  tended by angelic zizimime known as 
  Ihuilcacpatlani.  Xilen has plant life seen 
  nowhere else in the multiverse, some of it highly 
  magical.  There are fruits that bear milk for the 
  children and others that calm minds infected 
  with madness.  It is because of the former that 
  Xilen has also been given the name, “The 
  
   
  36 
   
  Heaven of Milk Trees.” 
   
  Tlalocan:  This heaven was oddly created by the 
  cruel god Azul to please his wife before her 
  name was lost to the ages and he became bitter 
  and cruel.  The realm rains constantly, but it is a 
  warm and gentle rain that often continues even 
  when bright sunshine fills the sky.  Tonalli here 
  rest well, but are eternally drenched by the rains. 
   
  Tlatocalli:  Tlatocalli could be confused for an 
  obsidian-free extension of Itzli for the endless 
  wars that rage across its surface.  The battles 
  here, however, tend to be crueler but no less 
  organized.  Spirits who slay their enemies here 
  enjoy making them suffer beforehand.  Frequent 
  and powerful earthquakes are common and can 
  change the outcome of a battle in moments. 
   
  Exbal Ken:  This terrible plane is a realm of 
  gore and sacrifice.  Exbal Ken was in fact, the 
  name of the first antihero to sacrifice another 
  human being to placate the gods.  Spirits here 
  continue on without their hearts and frequently 
  without their heads, but they feel the pain of 
  their sacrifice eternally.  When new spirits arrive 
  on this hellish plane, they rarely last a day 
  without being brought to the altar.   
   
  Zompantli:  This is a realm inhabited by as 
  many evil undead as there are tonalli.  Walls, 
  homes, and even the flora and fauna all seems to 
  be composed of disembodied skulls.  Most are 
  silent but many scream eternally or speak 
  forever in maddening riddles. 
   
  Xipetlan:  Also known as the Flayed Land, this 
  realm is a desert which lies in eternal darkness.  
  Sandstorms powerful enough to rip the skin 
  from flesh tear through the desert and give this 
  realm its common moniker.   
   
  Tezca is said to dwell here often when he is not 
  attending his duties.  The lack of sun and fire 
  discomforts him, but he is said to reside here 
  anyway in recompense for some long past 
  transgression. 
   
  Tochitl:  This is the primary home of the 
  goddess Nula and she enjoys her time here more 
  than in any of the other planes.  It is full of 
  animals and the tonalli that come here eventually 
  become animals themselves, though they have 
  the capabilities of awakened beasts.  There are 
  many powerful predators here, including giant 
  sized versions of common creatures.  When she 
  is here, Nula is tended by the largest of these 
  specimens. 
   
  Xitonco:  Xitonco is a pure pastoral wilderness 
  full of game and gentle weather.  With the 
  exception of the occasional roc, there is little to 
  fear on this plane.  The spirits too are generous 
  and welcoming.  They are often blissfully 
  unaware of their own existence as spirits and 
  cannot be convinced otherwise, despite evidence 
  to the contrary. 
   
  Catlampa:  The most honored dead of the 
  Maztican continent, even beyond the greatest of 
  warriors, are women who die in childbirth.  
  Even the darker and cruel gods respect the 
  sacrifice they have given.  By the decree of the 
  entire pantheon, women who pass in such a way 
  may forgo their eternal fate and be brought to 
  Catlampa. 
   
  Catlampa is a desert, but it is not barren, nor is it 
  overly uncomfortable.  In fact, massive lakes 
  split the desert with oases of pastoral heaven.  
  The mothers and any other tonalli whose 
  disposition earned them a place in this heaven 
  are allowed to occupy the vast swaths of land 
  alone.  They are also given the powerful wings 
  of an eagle so that they might fly the vast 
  distances to greet their neighbors.   
   
  Tlaxcautli:  This favored home of Qotal stands 
  as a massive pyramid of its own.  Spirits who 
  come here are often visited by angelic beings in 
  the form of giant eagles.  They enjoy frolicking 
  with children on the steps of the pyramid despite 
  lawful and often regimented nature. 
   
  There is eternal peace here among the masses 
  and the spirits only ever show eternal love for 
  each other.   
   
  Xibalba:  A massive ball game similar to the one 
  popular among Mazticans is played here 
  eternally by both spirits and the occasional deity.  
  The penalty for failure is sacrifice and eternal 
  
   
  37 
   
  oblivion.  Victors are consigned to one of ten 
  demon lords who then hideously transform the 
  victors.  These unique creatures come in pairs 
  and are known as Xiquiripat (Flying Scab) and 
  Cuchumaquic (Gathered Blood), who sicken a 
  tonalli’s blood; Ahalpuh (Pus Demon) and 
  Ahalgana (Jaundice Demon), who cause a 
  tonalli’s body to swell up; Chamiabac (Bone 
  Staff) and Chamiaholom (Skull Staff), who 
  transform their spirits into skeletons; Ahalmez 
  (Sweepings Demon) and Ahaltocob (Stabbing 
  Demon), who repeatedly stab their spirits until 
  they are naught but a bloody mess.  Finally there 
  is Xic (Wing) and Patan (Packstrap), who 
  caused spirits to cough up blood for the 
  remainder of eternity.  Xibalba is a terrible place 
  of no hope. 
   
  Teotli Itic:  Similar to Mictlan, Teotli Itic 
  consists of nine layers of hellish landscapes.  
   
  THE CULT OF HUNAB-KUUM 
   
  The Night of Wailing, the Return of Qotal, the changing hue of the sky above and most importantly 
  the end of the gods’ response to prayer have led to one conclusion for a mixed group of Maztican 
  natives and foreign-born invaders.  The powers were all one giant lie from the start!  The gods were 
  never real.  There is in fact, only One True God for all the True World, and He is Hunab-Kuum.  
   
  Hunab-Kuum is the result of a mix of beliefs partially imported from Faerun and partially native to 
  Maztica.  Specifically, when Waterdhavians first followed the Amnians to reap the benefits (and 
  plunder) the True World, they imported many of their beliefs to the native populations.  One of 
  these beliefs was in the overlord of all the powers of Toril known as Ao.  The Cult of Ao had a 
  significant number of representatives on the first ships from Waterdeep.  Their worship of the 
  Overgod mixed with that of the Amnians, who in turn had many who believed Helm was the only 
  true power.  After all, during the Time of Troubles, it was only Helm who maintained his standing 
  as a god and was not forced to walk the world as a weakened avatar.   
   
  Bishou Devane, the successor to Bishou Domincus and veteran of the second Ulatos War was 
  believed to have been the original cult leader and proselytizer of this heresy before his death of old 
  age.  Like his predecessor, Devane thought that only Helm was worthy of worship in the True 
  World.  Unlike the more current cultists, Devane actually believed in the other gods but over time, 
  particularly since his death, the cult’s beliefs have changed. 
   
  Little is known of the native Maztican contribution to their dogma, but it is said that a spirit or 
  demipower known as Hunab-Ku was one of the lesser beings of power already among the 
  inhabitants of Payit and Far Payit.  When the skies changed from the deep azure of Toril to the 
  steely skies of Abeir and the gods stopped answering the prayers of their faithful, these varied 
  beliefs merged and the Cult of Hunab-Kuum was born. 
   
  Members of the cult know that the false gods have manifested in the True World before, but these 
  were all just aspects of the One True God.  Even when Zaltec and Qotal battled, it was just a visual 
  representation of the differing aspects of Hunab-Kuum’s will.  The One True God represents all 
  belief and is not believed to be a lord among the gods.  Rather, they believe that He is all that truly 
  exists.   
   
   
  
   
  38 
   
  Pits of fire, acid and burning blood are 
  unavoidable in a spirits eternal journey on this 
  plane.  Many are grabbed by demonic zizimime 
  and buried up to their necks while swarms of 
  ants bite at their faces for years on end. 
   
  Teotecan:  Teotecan is a vast mountain where 
  Kiltzi, the goddess of love frequently resides.  It 
  is a pleasant realm of gentle mountain forests, 
  few predators, and little cruelty.   
   
  There are rumors of something terrible living in 
  the forests however; a devourer of souls that 
  does not venture far from the place where Qotal 
  once violated his sister’s trust.  Kiltzi herself 
  does not speak of the darkness, but the spirits 
  believe it is a disease that can affect the whole of 
  the plane if left unchecked. 
   
  CHARACTERS 
   
  RACES 
   
  Humans might currently be the dominant race in 
  Maztica, but there are many others to choose 
  from who interact with humans on a daily basis.  
  The invasion of Amn made some significant 
  changes in mankind’s culture and the True 
  World has become far more cosmopolitan.  This 
  is particularly apparent in integrated cities like 
  Tukan, Ulatos and Trythosford. 
   
  Many of the more common races have subraces 
  unique to Maztica.  The jungle halflings known 
  as the little folk, the fierce desert dwarves, and 
  even the various human cultures are described in 
  this section.  In addition, the tabaxi and the 
  quetzaldaun – races of jaguar-like humanoids 
  and eagle folk respectively, are described in full 
  and offered as new races to play. 
   
  HUMANS 
   
  Mankind is known for its ability to adapt and 
  survive.  In a world with beholders, dragons, and 
  even the dreaded Tarrasque, the fact that humans 
  can be found nearly everywhere gives testament 
  to their extraordinary ability.  Maztica is no 
  different. 
   
  There are many origin myths in the different 
  cultures but the most common one involves the 
  wisdom of the great sun god Kukul.  The gods 
  failed in a number of attempts to create beings to 
  honor them.  Men of clay, wood and gold were 
  created but each in turn disappointed their 
  creators.  Kukul, the Father of the Gods, 
  understood their folly and realized that if they 
  were to create beings that would truly worship 
  them, it would require a sacrifice.  So Kukul 
  took his great mācuahuitl and severed his own 
  fingers.  When the fingers struck the earth, they 
  began to wriggle and crawl; eventually standing 
  and honoring the gods from which they were 
  created.   
   
  While many share this origin story, every man or 
  woman is not the same in Maztica.  There are 
  many different ethnicities; each with their own 
  appearance, passions and culture.   
   
  MAZTICANS 
  Due to their predominance in the lands of Nexal 
  prior to the Night of Wailing, the Faerunian 
  newcomers to the True World once believed 
  there to be only two ethnicities of men in 
  Maztica, the Maztican and the Payit.  The 
  typical Maztican man or woman has a rich 
  brown skin tone and jet black, fine hair.  
  Originally, these folk came from the northern 
  wilds of the True World, but were led to the 
  valley of Nexal by their dark god Zaltec. Since 
  then, their language (Maztican, once known as 
  Nexalan), culture and outlook has spread all 
  over the continent.  Maztican is the common 
  tongue of the True World. 
   
  Maztican Names: (Male) Acalan, Coatl,   
      Naltecona, Nochehuatl, Tolco (Female)  
      Ahuiliztli, Erendira, Meztli, Teiuc  
   
  KULTAKANS 
  The Kultakans share much in physical 
  appearance with the Mazticans, but are generally 
  taller and more muscular.  They are bred from 
  birth to be warriors and for generations the 
  weakest were left to die in the wilds (not even 
  being fit for sacrifice). 
   
  
   
  39 
   
  Kultakan Names: (Male) Acamapichtli,   
      Takamal, Quautli, (Female) Citlali,  
      Citlalmina, Hutamana, Pochilli, Quixitl 
   
  PAYITS 
  The Payits have similar skin tone and hair 
  coloration to the Mazticans, but are generally 
  softer in body.  There is a high frequency of 
  light skin tones and eyes appearing due to 
  generations of interbreeding with Amnians and 
  Waterdhavians.    
   
  Payit Names: (Male) Atl, Cuauhtémoc,  
      Tetuahemoc, Xiupilli (Female) Centehua,  
      Erixitl, Hucilli, Quinapotl 
   
  ITZAS 
  The Itzas are the fun loving, gentle folk who live 
  primarily in the jungles of Far Payit.  Short and 
  lean, they are generally self-sufficient and 
  unassuming.  It is still rare to find an Itza outside 
  of their small villages in the jungle. 
   
  Itza Names: (Male) Chimapopoca, Huitzilin,  
      Itzli, Itzcoatl, Tochtli,   (Female) Chalchiuitl,  
      Itzla, Teyacapan, Xilonen 
   
  THE DOG PEOPLE 
  The dog people are the savage folk of the 
  northern wilds, badlands and desert.  Long 
  haired and lean, their skin can be described as 
  having more of a coppery tone than brown.  The 
  dog people were persecuted for centuries by 
  Mazticans, and they rarely offer any kindness in 
  return. 
     
  Dog People Names: (Male) Adohi, Moab,  
      Nahuel, Sani (Female) Anevay, Angeni,  
      Nayeli, Zyanya 
   
  THE GREEN FOLK 
  The green folk live in the far southern jungles of 
  Maztica, though some of their physical traits can 
  be found in the nation of Kolan.  They are a tall 
  jungle folk, often adorned in earthy tones and 
  paints.  Their skin tone is brown, but not nearly 
  as dark as their northern neighbors.  The Green 
  Folk are easily recognizable on the rare 
  occasions that they enter cities such as Tukan. 
   
  Green Folk Names: (Male) Chicomecoatl,  
      Matlal, Tlaloc, Tototl,   (Female) Centehua,  
      Cozamalotl, Tlacotl,  
   
  DWARVES 
   
  Since Cordell’s invasion of the True World, 
  dwarves have become relatively commonplace.  
  There are both shield and gold dwarf 
  communities (particularly near gold mines), but 
  no type of dwarf is more populous than 
  Maztica’s own subrace of desert dwarves. 
   
  THE DESERT DWARF (MAZTICAN) 
  Desert dwarves are descended from clans of 
  shield dwarves that were exploring for new 
  veins of gold ore but were ambushed by drow 
  and trapped underneath the True World.  When 
  they emerged, they did so in the great deserts of 
  Maztica and despite their hardships, they 
  managed to thrive in their new home.   
     The desert dwarves are very similar in 
  appearance to the shield dwarves of northern 
  Faerun, but their skin has the appearance of 
  being perpetually sunburned.  This condition has 
  no detrimental effects, however and is simply an 
  adaptation to their sunbaked environment.  
  Desert dwarves have all the standard dwarven 
  traits plus the following. 
     Heat Resistance.  Desert dwarves live in a 
  cruel environment and have developed some 
  resistances to heat.  The desert dwarf gains 
  advantage on saving throws against fire, and has 
  resistance to fire damage 
     Great Stamina.  Living in the desert is 
  difficult and desert dwarves have adapted 
  suitably.  A desert dwarf effectively starts off 
  with an exhaustion level of -2 so that the first 
  two levels of exhaustion can be ignored.  
  Finishing long rests and other actions that 
  remove exhaustion return a desert dwarf to this 
  level. 
   
  HALFLINGS 
   
  Halflings originated in Maztica completely 
  independent of their origins elsewhere.  There 
  are some Faerunian halflings in Maztica but 
  these are exceedingly rare.  Far more populous 
  are the Little Folk; jungle-dwelling halflings 
  
   
  40 
   
  who envenom their arrows with a powerful 
  paralytic poison known as kurari.   
   
  LITTLE FOLK (MAZTICAN HALFLING) 
  It is said that the goddess Kiltzi created the Little 
  Folk in imitation of Kukul’s crafting of the 
  human race.  Though one particular tribe has left 
  the jungles and can work well alongside the “big 
  folk,” most jungle halflings are violent and 
  savage. 
      Ability Score Increase.  Your Constitution 
  score increases by 1.    
      Disease and Poison Resistance.  The little 
  folk are constantly exposed to the many diseases 
  carried by tiny biting flies in the jungle and the 
  poisons of various frogs and snakes.  They gain 
  advantage when making a saving throw against 
  poison or disease (natural diseases only). 
   
  TABAXI 
   
  His maca had long since been lost, but with his 
  powerful claws, Tezca felt no fear.  In fact, using 
  the weapons of man made him feel less feral, 
  less tabaxi!  His quarry passed beneath him, a 
  great taloned lizard of the deep jungles.  Its pack 
  had preyed on his clan too long so he and seven 
  other warriors set out to hunt the hunters.  All 
  but he had been slain, and the lizard pack had 
  been reduced to this last, the largest of them all.  
  In perfect silence he stalked his prey from the 
  trees.  Silence was not enough, however, as the 
  wind turned and the predator suddenly began to 
  sniff vigorously.  With a snarl it turned in 
  Tezca’s direction. 
   
  In the deepest jungles of Maztica, a race of 
  jaguar folk has kept mostly to themselves and 
  their territory.  Devotees to the life of a predator, 
  these tree-dwelling folk have perfected the art of 
  hunting, but do not often extend their predations 
  into human lands. In their wisdom, the shamans 
  of the tabaxi have advised their charges to keep 
  far from the other intelligent races of the True 
  World. 
   
  For ages, the tabaxi followed their advice, but 
  when mankind made himself known to them and 
  appeared in tabaxi lands more often, the 
  tradition started to change. 
   
  PROUD JAGUAR CLANS 
  ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 
  Tabaxi thrive in harsh conditions where nearly 
  everything that moves must eat or be eaten.  
  Typically led by either wise elder shamans or at 
  their most debased by cruel jaguar lords, the 
  tabaxi are almost always loyal to their clan.  
  Laws are almost unnecessary, but should a 
  tabaxi sin against his own, the punishment is 
  almost always fatal. 
    Tabaxi once kept mostly to themselves, but 
  mankind has made more frequent contact of late 
  and the younger tabaxi generations have started 
  to develop a bit of a wanderlust.  Often 
  ostracized by their elders, these tabaxi quickly 
  take to whatever new clan they accompany, 
  regardless of the race of its members.  Most 
  often, these tabaxi become adventurers. 
   
  ALPHA PREDATORS 
  ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 
  Tabaxi are the consummate hunters.  Their 
  greatest warriors are able to take down prey 
  many times their size, sometimes using only 
  what the gods have given them.  These proud 
  creatures are willing to work in groups or alone, 
  but they rarely, if ever shy away from a 
  challenge. 
    It is a great mark of shame for tabaxi to run 
  from a threat and doing so has a tendency to 
  make them quite ornery.  Brave does not mean 
  stupid, however, and tabaxi will sometimes take 
  days to plan a hunt correctly. 
    Their natural camouflage, senses, cunning and 
  weaponry makes them generally the most 
  successful predators in their territory. 
   
  TABAXI NAMES 
  ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 
  Tabaxi have their own language that 
  incorporates numerous growls which are 
  difficult for others to pronounce.  Clan names 
  always use specialized syllables that require 
  practice to speak and are impossible to record.  
  The younger, adventurous tabaxi typically adapt 
  names similar to their newer companions. 
    Male Names:  Igrrtaca, Mirrintic, Otrri, Patrrli, 
  Tezcacoatl, Tlacelel, Tupac, Yorrotl, Zarrtic 
    Female Names:  Cuarritl, Citlarri, Eztlii, Izerr, 
  Nene, Patrri, Tlarri, Yarretzi, Zuma, Zyanya  
   
  
   
  41 
   
  TABAXI TRAITS 
  ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 
  Your tabaxi character has the following traits 
  which are in common with all tabaxi. 
   
  Ability Score Increase.  Your Dexterity score 
  increases by 2. 
  Age.  Tabaxi have similar lifespans to humans.  
  They reach adulthood in their teens and live less 
  than a century.  Rare elders sometimes extend 
  this lifespan to 120 years. 
  Alignment.  Tabaxi tend towards chaos though 
  they can be quite loyal to their clans and its 
  fairly well defined hierarchy.  Their concerns are 
  rarely similar to the petty obsessions of man, but 
  clans ruled by a jaguar lord 
  often sink into the depths of 
  evil.  The ocēlōtl subrace is 
  generally seen as the kinder 
  of the subraces. 
  Size.  The subraces tend to 
  vary in size, but the overall 
  height of a tabaxi is generally 
  between 5 and 6 feet tall. 
  Speed.  Your base walking 
  speed is 30 feet.  You may 
  also climb at the same rate. 
  Darkvision.  Your eyes are 
  well accustomed to hunting 
  in the dead of night.  You can 
  see in dim light within 60 feet 
  of you as if it were bright 
  light, and in darkness as if it 
  were dim light.  You cannot 
  discern color in darkness. 
  Keen Senses.  You gain 
  advantage on all Wisdom 
  (Perception) checks that rely 
  on hearing or smell. 
  Jungle Camouflage.  When 
  hiding in natural 
  surroundings, you are 
  proficient on your Dexterity 
  (Stealth) check. 
  Claw Attack.  When making 
  an unarmed strike, your sharp 
  claws do 1d4 + your Strength 
  modifier in Slashing damage. 
  Languages.  You can speak, 
  read and write in tabaxi but 
  you may only speak the 
  common Maztican tongue.  
  Tabaxi is spoken in guttural growls with long 
  “R” sounds and the written language uses a 
  unique alphabet of claw marks that could easily 
  be scratched onto trees. 
  Subrace.  The two main types of tabaxi are the 
  Jaguar Folk and the Ocelot Folk (Ocēlōtl).  
  Choose one of these subraces. 
   
  JAGUAR FOLK 
  As one of the jaguar folk, you have more 
  powerful claws and tend to be stronger than 
  other tabaxi. 
  Ability Score Increase.  Your Strength score 
  increases by 1. 
  
   
  42 
   
  Powerful Claws.  Your claw damage increases 
  to 2d4+ your Strength modifier. 
   
  OCELOT FOLK (OCĒLŌTL) 
  The Ocēlōtl are known for their sharp wit and 
  maneuverability both on land and in the tree 
  tops. 
  Ability Score Increase.  Your Intelligence score 
  increases by 1. 
  Fleet Footed.  Both your ground and climbing 
  speed increase to 40 feet. 
   
  QUETZALDAUN 
   
  The hakuna were 
  particularly ornery 
  this time of year and 
  Huitzi knew she 
  would need to be 
  vigilant in defense 
  of her nest.  Twice 
  before had the 
  dragon-horse come 
  to steal and eat her 
  precious eggs and 
  twice she hurled the 
  creature’s broken 
  bodies to the rocks 
  below.   
   
  Huitzi had found 
  her home a few 
  moons past 
  following the death 
  of her husband.  
  Now the last of his 
  offspring was set to 
  hatch and the 
  growing boys in her 
  nest had yet to find 
  their first flight. 
   
  Huitzi scanned the 
  horizon and saw the 
  glint of the sun off 
  of many golden 
  scales.  Three 
  hakuna approached 
  and she was certain 
  that she couldn’t 
  handle the odds.  Huitzi turned to prepare her 
  children but then the two eldest emerged from 
  the cave.  Oh, how Aaracotl and Xiatem 
  resembled their father!  With a look of grim 
  determination in their eyes and a spear 
  embedded with razor sharp obsidian, her 
  children spoke nearly in unison.  “Mother, we 
  stand ready to fight beside you.  Do not fear for 
  us.” 
   
  In the highest mountains and cliffs of the True 
  World dwells a race of bird like humanoids that 
  have been practically unknown for generations.  
  Similar in many ways to aarakocra, yet also 
  
   
  43 
   
  different in not so subtle ways, these bird folk 
  are more akin to eagles than to parrots.  They are 
  the quetzaldaun.  The eagle folk claim that they 
  indeed were once of the progenitor race of 
  creatures from which the aarakocra were 
  created, but the god Qotal blessed them long ago 
  with their current powerful forms. 
   
  The quetzaldaun avoided humanity for untold 
  generations but recent events have left many 
  without a home.  Harboring an intense hatred for 
  all dragonkind, these humanoids have found that 
  mankind can be excellent allies in the quest to 
  preserve what is left of their once proud culture. 
   
  CLIFF DWELLERS 
  ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 
  The quetzaldaun have managed to remain 
  hidden from mankind for so long because they 
  lair in the most remote reaches of the highest 
  mountains.  Deep tunnels are often dug into the 
  sides of the steepest cliffs where only those with 
  the ability to fly can reach.  Climbing in such 
  regions is far too treacherous. 
    Unlike aarakocra who tend to dwell in large 
  communities (or “rookeries”), the quetzaldaun 
  are fairly independent and live in smaller, tight 
  families.  Elders claim this is a survival 
  adaptation from ancient days when dragons 
  wiped out entire communities of their 
  predecessors, the aeree. 
   
  DEVOUT AND GRATEFUL 
  ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 
  The quetzaldaun were saved from extinction and 
  changed into their current forms ages ago by the 
  Plumed God Qotal.  This part of their history is 
  well known and passed down through the 
  generations.  Quetzaldaun pray thanks to the god 
  in daily observances and it is a rare eagle folk 
  that does not worship the Feathered Dragon. 
    It is ironic to many that the quetzaldaun are so 
  fanatical in their devotion to this draconic god 
  considering that in all other cases, dragon and 
  their kin are the sworn enemies of the 
  quetzaldaun. 
   
  QUETZALDAUN NAMES 
  ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 
  The quetzaldaun have names similar to other 
  humanoids in the True World, but each has a 
  root or single syllable that means “eagle” in one 
  of the local languages.  Family names are 
  generally similar to both male and female first 
  names with the syllables quet- or qot- appended 
  to the front.  For example, Quetaquitl is the 
  name of a well-known (and rather large) family. 
    Male Names:  Arascotl, Aquitl, Arvidotl, 
  Cuauhtemoc, Ethonitl, Mokotl, Orelipochtli, 
  Xiatem 
    Female Names:  Akilina, Arnaudl, Aquilitil, 
  Delinipactli, Huitzi, Ikitipitl, Tristinetepoc  
   
  QUETZALDAUN TRAITS 
  ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 
  Your quetzaldaun character has the following 
  traits in common with all other quetzaldaun. 
   
  Ability Score Increase.  Your Dexterity score 
  increases by 2.  Your Wisdom also increases by 
  1. 
  Age.  Quetzaldaun are not known to live terribly 
  long lives.  They are considered to have reached 
  maturity at a very young age.  Anywhere from 
  6-8 years old a quetzaldaun attempts its “first 
  flight” and is forever after considered an adult.  
  In rare instances a young quetzaldaun fails to be 
  ready and can end up dead or severely injured.   
    Quetzaldaun can live to 60 years but rarely go 
  beyond that limit. 
  Alignment.  Quetzaldaun follow the edicts of 
  their god Qotal strictly and even eagle folk who 
  are raised outside of a quetzaldaun family feel 
  the deity’s pull.  Therefore, most tend towards 
  an inherent goodness and maintain a generally 
  lawful outlook.  There are certainly exceptions 
  to this tendency. 
  Size.  Quetzaldaun are tall but light.  A typical 
  adult stands anywhere from 6 to 7 feet tall, yet 
  might only weigh 120 lb.  The weight is mostly 
  attributed to their hollow bone structure as the 
  eagle folk in no way appear frail. 
  Speed.  Your base walking speed is 30 feet.  
  You may also fly at 40 feet. 
  Eagle Eyes.  Quetzaldaun vision is outstanding.  
  They can see three times the distance of humans 
  in near perfect detail.  They also gain advantage 
  on Wisdom (Perception) rolls based on sight. 
  Fear Immunity.  Quetzaldaun are immune to all 
  forms of fear, both magical and mundane. 
  Dragon Foes.  Quetzaldaun gain advantage on 
  all Wisdom (Survival) checks when attempting 
  to track a dragon or any dragon kin, as well as 
  
   
  44 
   
  Intelligence checks to recall information about 
  them. 
  Languages.  You can speak, read and write in 
  both Draconic and Maztican. 
   
  CLASSES 
   
  Maztica and the True World were once fully 
  ignorant of the powers that resided in the larger 
  planet of which they were a part.  When Cordell 
  and his Golden Legion landed on the shores of 
  Payit over a century past, they were wholly 
  unprepared for the raw power of the Faerunian 
  wizards and in particular the drow wizard 
  Darien. 
   
  The destruction she wrought, and the visible 
  might of the many that followed had been a 
  terrible bane for the True World at the time, but 
  the lessons she inadvertently taught the people 
  were in hindsight a major boon. 
   
  As always, the great artisans known as 
  plumaweavers and hishnashapers have kept 
  Maztica’s unique culture thriving.  They practice 
  a form of magic that has grown greatly in power 
  due to necessity and the desire to avoid a repeat 
  of Darien’s devastation.  If Darien were alive to 
  this day, she would not be pleased with her 
  legacy. 
   
  The growth of magic did not stop with the 
  artisans, however.  When the skies changed and 
  Maztica became part of the unknown world of 
  Abeir, the gods stopped answering the calls of 
  their faithful.  The void in power needed to be 
  filled to stop the new threats that plagued the 
  world.  Using techniques mimicked from 
  Faerunian wizards, plumaweavers and 
  hishnashapers began to record their magical 
  workings into great feather quilts or to etch them 
  into the bones of various predatory animals.  
  Research and experimentation became a part of 
  the life of these new native wizards and soon 
  they became known as the plumacasters and 
  hishnacasters of the True World.  
   
  As always, the brave eagle and jaguar knights 
  continued to protect their charges, though they 
  no longer retained the once close connection to 
  Qotal and Zaltec that they once had.  The gods 
  had disappeared and instead of guarding the 
  temples of their demanding deities, they began 
  to find other reasons for the existence of their 
  respective lodges.  The first true Maztican 
  “adventurers” came from this brand of warrior, 
  and like the artisans; they too learned new 
  techniques and grew in power. 
   
  Finally a whole new type of Maztican caster 
  arose once the True World touched upon the 
  world of Abeir.  These spontaneous casters were 
  able to touch upon a world of spirits and find 
  animal-like mirrors of themselves whom they 
  could bring back to the world of mortals.  The 
  animal spirits were known as the nahuālli, and 
  so too were the casters who brought them from 
  the spirit world.  In addition to their spirit 
  companions, nahualli were the only casters 
  known who could call upon the powers of both 
  pluma and hishna, though they would not master 
  either. 
   
  Out of the Maztican culture also grew a rogue 
  that had long been known in the True World, but 
  had never been able to fend for themselves quite 
  like they were now able.  These traveling traders 
  were known as pochteca, and they became a 
  force in their own right.  Perhaps they could not 
  stand toe to toe with an eagle or jaguar knight, 
  but their clever minds would more often than not 
  compensate for their lack in physicality. 
   
  Now that the gods have returned and the sky is 
  once again the clear blue of Toril, so too have 
  the priests of these gods.  In Nexal, where the 
  beasts of the Viperhand endured, the strongest 
  and most intelligent of the creatures maintained 
  the old traditions of sacrifice and slavery.  The 
  clerics of the brighter deities took an oath of 
  silence in honor of their missing patrons and 
  patronesses, which they continue to honor 
  despite the Return. 
   
  A common saying throughout the True World 
  has always been that, “the people shall endure.”  
  Necessity in the ever-changing world has driven 
  Mazticans to adapt and they are more capable 
  than ever.  The Golden Legion would have 
  barely made it past the shores of the Twin 
  Visages had they arrived in the modern Maztica.  
  
   
  45 
   
   
  THE ARTISAN OF MAZTICA 
   
  The wise old man holds his most recent weaving 
  aloft in front of the rampaging orcs.  He turns 
  the blanket of finely spun feathers in his hand 
  and colors pour forth.  The foul beasts of the 
  Viperhand are no match for his powerful magic 
  and every one of them stand transfixed by the 
  display. 
   
  The tzitzimitl smiled in wicked glee when 
  naught but a single female stood between it and 
  the group of human children.  They would make 
  fine tribute to his mother Itzapaplotl.  The 
  female raised a staff adorned with various 
  fetishes and multiple jaguars appeared as if 
  summoned from thin air.  Too late this star 
  demon realized its folly. 
   
  Sometimes feared, sometimes loved, the 
  Maztican artisan is almost always appreciated 
  for the protection they afford.  Wise and 
  powerful, the artisans give hope to the common 
  man in a dangerous world. 
   
  TALENTED CRAFTERS  
  ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 
  As their name implies, artisans are crafters.  The 
  typical artisan spends the vast majority of their 
  downtime developing great talismans of pluma 
  or hishna magic.   
     When battle eventually comes and the enemy 
  does not fall to a barrage of arrows, these items 
  can turn the tide of battle. 
   
  GUARDIANS 
  ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 
  Though many live as hermits outside of the 
  major centers of population, the artisans almost 
  always chose a community which they feel is 
  under their protection.  The size of the 
  community is not generally proportional to the 
  power of the artisan and woe to the attacker who 
  believes a small jungle village to be easy 
  plunder. 
    
  CREATING AN ARTISAN 
  ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 
  Though many artisans feel perfectly content to 
  remain in their home villages or cities, there are 
  many reasons for one to become an adventurer. 
   
  You need to decide for your character exactly 
  what this reason is.  Is she motivated by 
  increasing his power?  Does she believe that 
  they are serving their community better by 
  exploring the world?  Perhaps there is a specific 
  threat which they want to end? 
   
  Many artisan adventurers quest to find 
  inspiration in their craft and some even do so to 
  collect rare feathers (plumaweavers) or the fangs 
  and talons of terrible beasts (hishnashapers). 
   
  QUICK BUILD 
  You can make an artisan quickly by following 
  these suggestions.  First, Wisdom should be 
  your highest ability score, followed by 
  Dexterity.  Choose the hermit background 
  whether you are a plumaweaver or a 
  hishnashaper.  As a plumaweaver, choose the 
  cantrips light, ray of frost and tickle as well as 
  the first level spell bird charm.  As a 
  hishnashaper, choose jaguar claw, shocking 
  grasp, true strike and the 1st level spell cat 
  charm.    
   
  CLASS FEATURES 
   
  As an artisan of Maztica, you have the following 
  class features. 
   
  Hit Points 
   
  Hit Dice: 1d8 per artisan level 
  Hit Points at 1st Level:  8 + your Constitution 
  modifier 
  Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your 
  Constitution modifier per artisan level after 1st.   
   
  Proficiencies 
   
  Armor: Light Armor 
  Weapons: Simple weapons, tlahhuītōlli 
  (plumaweaver) or ahtlatl (hishnashaper) 
  Tools: Artisan’s bag 
  Saving Throws: Dexterity, Wisdom 
  Skills: Choose four from Animal Handling, 
  Arcana, History, Medicine, Nature, Insight, 
  Perception, Sleight of Hand, Survival 
   
  
   
  46 
   
  THE ARTISAN OF MAZTICA 
                                                                                                                                            —Spell Slots per Spell Level— 
  Level 
  Proficiency 
  Bonus 
  Features 
  Cantrips 
  Known 
  Spells 
  Known 
  1st 
  2nd 
  3rd 
  4th 
  5th 
  1st 
  +2 
  Spellcasting, Artisan 
  Archetype 
  3 
  2 
  1 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  2nd 
  +2 
  Craft Minor Talisman 
  3 
  3 
  2 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  3rd 
  +2 
  Ranged Weapon Bonus +1 
  3 
  3 
  2 
  1 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  4th 
  +2 
  Ability Score Improvement 
  3 
  4 
  3 
  1 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  5th 
  +3 
  — 
  3 
  4 
  3 
  2 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  6th 
  +3 
  Distant Ranged Weapon Spell 
  3 
  4 
  3 
  2 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  7th 
  +3 
  Artisan Archetype feature 
  3 
  5 
  4 
  2 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  8th 
  +3 
  Ability Score Improvement 
  4 
  6 
  4 
  3 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  9th 
  +4 
  Craft Talisman 
  4 
  6 
  4 
  3 
  1 
  — 
  — 
  10th 
  +4 
  — 
  4 
  7 
  4 
  3 
  2 
  — 
  — 
  11th 
  +4 
  Artisan Archetype feature 
  4 
  8 
  4 
  3 
  3 
  — 
  — 
  12th 
  +4 
  Ability Score Improvement 
  4 
  8 
  4 
  3 
  3 
  1 
  — 
  13th 
  +5 
  Ranged Weapon Bonus +2 
  4 
  9 
  4 
  4 
  3 
  1 
  — 
  14th 
  +5 
  — 
  4 
  10 
  4 
  4 
  3 
  1 
  — 
  15th 
  +5 
  Artisan Archetype feature 
  4 
  10 
  4 
  4 
  4 
  1 
  — 
  16th 
  +5 
  Ability Score Improvement 
  4 
  11 
  4 
  4 
  4 
  2 
  — 
  17th 
  +6 
  Craft Major Talisman 
  4 
  11 
  4 
  4 
  4 
  2 
  — 
  18th 
  +6 
  — 
  4 
  11 
  4 
  4 
  4 
  2 
  1 
  19th 
  +6 
  Ability Score Improvement 
  4 
  12 
  4 
  4 
  4 
  3 
  1 
  20th 
  +6 
  Craft Legendary Talisman 
  4 
  13 
  4 
  4 
  4 
  3 
  2 
   
  Equipment 
   
  You start with the following equipment in 
  addition to the equipment granted by your 
  background: 
   
  • 
  (a) an ahtlatl with 20 yāōmītl or  (b) a 
  tlahhuītōlli with 20 arrows 
  • 
  (a) a component pouch or (b) an arcane 
  focus 
  • 
  An artisan’s bag 
   
  SPELLCASTING 
  ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 
  The talented and dexterous fingers that allow 
  you to create such amazing talismans also allow 
  you to manipulate the powerful forces of pluma 
  or hishna.  
   
  CANTRIPS 
  At 1st level, you know three cantrips of your 
  choice from the artisan spell list.  You learn 
  additional artisan cantrips at higher levels as 
  shown in the Cantrips Known column of the 
  Artisan table.   
     If you are a plumaweaver, you may not choose 
  a cantrip with a hishna tag, and if you are a 
  hishnashaper, you may not choose a cantrip with 
  a pluma tag. 
   
  SPELL SLOTS 
  The Artisan table shows how many spells you 
  have to cast for spells of 1st level and higher.     
     To cast one of these artisan spells, you must 
  expend a spell slot of the spell’s level or higher.  
  You regain all expended spell slots when you 
  finish a long rest. 
   
  SPELLS KNOWN OF 1ST LEVEL AND HIGHER 
  You know two 1st-level spells of your choice 
  from the artisan spell list.  The Spells Known 
  column in the Artisan’s table shows you when 
  you learn more artisan spells of your choice.  
  Each of these spells must be of a level for which 
  you have spell slots. 
     When you gain a level in this class, you can 
  choose to replace one of the artisan spells you 
  know with another on the artisan spell list.  This 
  spell must also be of a level for which you have 
  spell slots. 
     If you are a plumaweaver, you may never 
  choose any spells with the hishna tag, and if you 
  
   
  47 
   
  are a hishnashaper, you may never choose any 
  spells with a pluma tag.   
   
  SPELLCASTING ABILITY 
  Wisdom is the spellcasting ability for your 
  artisan spells because the power in your magic 
  relies on you to weave magic into the world 
  using your devotion to your craft.  You use your 
  Wisdom whenever a spell refers to your 
  spellcasting ability.  In addition, you use your 
  Wisdom modifier for setting the saving throw 
  DC for an artisan spell you cast and when 
  making an attack roll with one. 
   
  Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + 
  your Wisdom modifier 
   
  Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus 
  + your Wisdom modifier 
   
  ARTISAN SPELLS 
  ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 
   
  CANTRIPS (0 LEVEL) 
  Dancing Lights 
  Jaguar Claw 
  Light 
  Message 
  Ray of Frost 
  Shocking Grasp 
  Tickle 
  True Strike 
   
  1ST LEVEL  
  Animal Friendship 
  Animal Senses 
  Arrowflight 
  Bird Charm 
  Cat Charm 
  Color Spray 
  Cool 
  Create or Destroy Water 
  Elevate 
  Expeditious Retreat 
  False Life 
  Feather Darts 
  Feather Fall 
  Hishnahide 
  Identify 
  Longstrider 
  Obsidian Shards 
  Plumastone 
  Snake Charm 
  Speak with Animals 
  Spearflight 
  Stoneflight 
  Warmth 
   
  2ND LEVEL 
  Animal Messenger 
  Barkskin 
  Beast Sense 
  Breathsense 
  Continual Flame 
  Eagle Flyby 
  Exhausting Wave 
  Gentle Repose 
  Gust of Wind 
  Hold Person 
  Jaguar Pounce 
  Kiltzi’s Love 
  Locate Animals or Plants 
  Magic Weapon 
  Mirror Image 
  Scalesnare 
  Slashing Plumage 
   
  3RD LEVEL 
  Bafflement 
  Bestow Curse 
  Breath of Qotal 
  Eyes of the Jaguar Lord 
  Feign Death 
  Gaseous Form 
  Haste 
  Hypnotic Pattern 
  Magnificent Headdress 
  Nondetection 
  Protection from Hishna 
  Protection from Pluma 
  Remove Curse 
  Sending 
  Slow 
  Water Breathing 
  Water Walk 
  Zaltec’s Fury 
   
  4TH LEVEL 
  Blight 
  Confusion 
  Control Water 
  Fabricate 
  
   
  48 
   
  Giant Eagle 
  Greater Invisibility 
  Hallucinatory Terrain 
  Locate Creature 
  Stoneskin 
   
  5TH LEVEL 
  Awaken 
  Creation 
  Dream 
  Geas 
  Hold Monster 
  Insect Plague 
  Legend Lore 
  Omen 
  Passwall 
  Path of the Pochteca 
  Seeming 
   
  ARTISAN ARCHETYPE 
  Choose an artisan archetype, which describes the 
  source of your power and the type of crafting 
  you will undertake.  Choose either plumaweaver 
  or hishnashaper.  Both are detailed at the end of 
  this class description. 
    Your choice grants you features when you 
  choose it at 1st level and again at 7th, 11th and 
  15th level.   
   
  CRAFT TALISMAN 
  Crafting talismans of pluma and hishna are the 
  main abilities of artisans and their great works 
  are known throughout the True World.   
    There are four levels of ability for crafting 
  talismans.  At 2nd level an artisan may craft a 
  minor talisman, at 9th level they may craft 
  normal talisman, at 17th level, major talismans 
  can be crafted and finally at 20th level, the 
  artisan may make a legendary talisman. 
    Minor talismans are one shot items, which have 
  a single use and then become inert.  Such 
  magical items may emulate a spell of levels 1-2 
  and take one hour per level of the spell to craft.  
  As long as the crafter has an artisan’s bag, the 
  cost in making the item is negligible.  A crafter 
  may have no more than five minor talismans 
  crafted at any given time.  If he attempts to make 
  additional minor talismans beyond the five, the 
  effort is wasted.   
     When the artisan reaches 9th level and is able 
  to craft normal talismans, he can now create 
  permanent items.  The items may also emulate 
  spells of up to 5th level, but now they take a full 
  week per spell level to craft.  Normal talismans 
  cost half the amount to craft as a normal magic 
  item.  There is no limit to how many normal 
  talismans the artisan can craft. 
     At 17th level, the artisan can now create 
  permanent items that emulate spells of all levels.  
  The items take a full month per level of the item 
  to craft and cost one-half the normal amount to 
  do so.  There is no limit to how many talismans 
  of this sort may be created. 
     At 20th level, the artisan may spend a full year 
  crafting an item of such magnificence, that it 
  will be spoken of in legends for years to come.  
  The Cloak of One Plume, for example, was an 
  act of legendary plumaweaving said to have 
  been created by Qotal himself.  Using this ability 
  is the crowning achievement of an artisan’s 
  lifetime and can only be done once.  A price 
  cannot be put on the actual construction as the 
  artisan must gather the rarest of feathers from 
  the most magical of creatures (for a 
  plumaweaver), or the fangs, claws and venom of 
  the most terrible beasts (for a hishnashaper).  
     Artisans may continually craft even while 
  adventuring.  In brief moments of peace between 
  encounters, the hands of an artisan continually 
  work to create their marvelous items.  Artisans 
  do not need to continually focus on the task in 
  order to craft. 
     Crafting talismans is actually therapeutic to an 
  artisan and when one is in the process of 
  creation, the artisan gains advantage on any save 
  against psychic damage.   
   
  RANGED WEAPON BONUS 
  As part of their training, both plumaweavers and 
  hishnashapers become excellent marksmen with 
  specific ranged weapons.  Plumaweavers train in 
  the use of the Maztican war bow known as the 
  tlahhuītōlli.  At 3rd level plumaweavers receive 
  a +1 bonus to hit when attacking with one of 
  these weapons.  At 13th level, this bonus 
  increases to +2.  Similarly, the hishnashaper 
  receives the same bonus when using an ahtlatl. 
   
  DISTANT RANGED WEAPON SPELL 
  
   
  49 
   
  At 6th level an artisan gains a spell which 
  increases the range of their preferred weapon.  
  Plumaweavers add arrowflight to their spell list 
  in addition to whatever spells they already 
  know.  It is not considered a part of their total.  
  Also, they may cast the spell once in between 
  short or long rests without using a spell slot.  
  Hishnashapers receive all the same benefits with 
  the spell spearflight.   
   
  ARTISAN ARCHETYPES  
  ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 
   
  Upon creation of an artisan, the source of the 
  artisan’s power must be decided.  The two 
  brands of magic are wholly different and 
  determine the majority of abilities.  The ranged 
  weapon bonus, the distant ranged weapon bonus 
  spell, the types of talismans they can create, and 
  the spells on their spell list are all affected by 
  this initial choice. 
     In addition, the artisan has the following 
  abilities based on which archetype is chosen. 
   
  THE PLUMAWEAVER  
  ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 
   
  BIRD CHARMER 
  At 7th level a plumaweaver gains becomes 
  attuned to the natural world of avians and can 
  communicate with all such creatures.  Bird calls 
  become entirely understandable to the 
  plumaweaver and the avians can understand the 
  plumaweaver as well.  In addition, any attempt 
  to charm a bird or bird-like creature (determined 
  by DM) has advantage. 
   
  DEVOTED GUARDIAN 
  At 11th level a plumaweaver is immune to all 
  fear affects when acting in defense of his home, 
  community or friends. 
   
  INCUBATOR 
  At 15th level, a plumaweaver is under the effect 
  of the spell incubator.  This may only be used 
  once per year, and the incubation chamber must 
  be created as described in the spell’s description 
  at full cost. 
   
  THE HISHNASHAPER  
  ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 
   
  VIRULENCE 
  At 7th level, the hishnashaper can add poison to 
  the damage caused by the cantrip jaguar claws.  
  This is an additional 2d4 poison damage, but a 
  successful Constitution save (against the 
  hishnashaper’s spell DC) will only amount to 
  half damage. 
   
  FEARSOME APPEARANCE 
  At 11th level, a hishnashaper’s features change 
  subtly to become more predatory.  All normal 
  beasts must make a Wisdom save (DC 8 + the 
  hishnashaper’s Wisdom bonus), or they will 
  suffer disadvantage when attacking the 
  hishnashaper.   
   
  NATURAL POISON IMMUNITY 
  At 15th level a hishnashaper is immune to all 
  poisons which are derived from the natural 
  venoms of creatures.  They gain advantage on 
  saving throws against all other poisons as well. 
   
  CLERIC DOMAIN  
  ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 
   
  The clerics of the True World choose a wide 
  variety of domains with the most common being 
  War (Zaltec) and Life (Qotal).  The True World 
  Shaman however is a new domain which is used 
  primarily by some of the more savage clerics, 
  particularly of the tabaxi and the Dog People. 
   
  TRUE WORLD SHAMAN 
  ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 
   
  Rather than worship a specific god, you revere 
  the spirits of your ancestors or the spiritual 
  energy of the world itself. The spirits are your 
  close, trusted friends and you can see them 
  wherever you go, even if others cannot. 
  Shamans are usually prominent members of a 
  tribe, but sometimes they take to the road and 
  become loaners, or are adopted into another 
  group.  
   
  Your connection to the spirit world allows you 
  to summon a spirit companion to the physical 
  world that aids you in your endeavors. As the 
  need arises, you can call on other spirits for 
  
   
  50 
   
  SPIRIT COMPANION 
  Small or medium fey, neutral  
   
  Armor Class 13  
  Hit Points 12 +3 hp per level beyond 3rd  
  Speed 30 ft. 
   
  __________________________________________________________________________________________ 
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  12 (+1) 
  12 (+1) 
  12 (+1) 
  3 (-4) 
  14 (+2) 
  10 (+0) 
   
  __________________________________________________________________________________________ 
   
  Saving Thows Adds your proficiency bonus to Dex and Wis saves 
  Damage Immunities Poison 
  Condition Immunities Poisoned 
  Senses passive Perception 12 
  Languages same as yours 
  Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)  
   
  __________________________________________________________________________________________ 
   
  Incorporeal Movement. The spirit companion can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult 
  terrain.  It takes 5 (1d10) force damage if it ends its turn inside an object. 
      
  Animal Specific Trait. Spirit companions have the following traits based on their form: 
   
  * Bear: +1 AC, +1 HP per level, proficient in Athletics 
  * Boar/Wolverine: Resists all damage, proficient in Constitution saves 
  * Cougar/Lion/Panther/Tiger: Speed 40 ft., darkvision 30 ft., proficient in Acrobatics, Athletics, 
  Stealth, reduce falling distance by 20 ft. 
  * Coyote/Wolf: +2 AC, proficient in Perception, Survival, can track by scent as a 1st-level ranger. 
  * Eagle/Hawk: +2 AC, Speed 5 ft., fly speed 60 ft., proficient in Perception. 
  * Monkey: +2 AC, climb speed 30 ft., proficient in Sleight of Hand. 
  * Owl: Speed of 5 ft., fly speed 50 ft., darkvision 120 ft., proficient in Perception. 
  * Snake: +5 initiative, darkvision 30 ft., proficient in Perception. 
  * Vulture: Speed 5 ft., fly speed 40 ft., proficient in Perception, Survival, can track by scent like a 1st-
  level ranger. 
  assistance, since each has its own personality 
  and abilities. 
   
  TRUE WORLD SHAMAN DOMAIN SPELLS 
   
  Spell Level Spells 
  1st 
  Cure Wounds, Speak with 
  Animals 
  3rd 
  Animal Messenger (takes the form 
  of an animal spirit), Locate 
  Animals or Plants, See Invisibility 
  5th 
  Revivify, Speak with Plants 
  (speaks to spirits which inhabit 
  plants), Spirit Guardians 
  7th 
  Death Ward, Locate Creature 
  9th 
  Commune with Nature, Mass 
  Cure Wounds 
   
  BONUS SPELLS 
  When you choose this domain at 1st level, you 
  gain the druidcraft cantrip if you don’t already 
  know it. In addition, you receive a bonus spell at 
  level 3 and 5 as noted on the domain spells table. 
   
  SPIRIT COMPANION 
  You have an animal spirit companion chosen 
  from this list: Bear, Boar, Cougar, Coyote, 
  Eagle, Lion, Monkey, Owl, Panther, Snake, 
  Tiger, Vulture, Wolf, or Wolverine (Work with 
  your DM to create other spirit types, if desired). 
  It has the statistics listed in the sidebar in 
  addition to the following:  
   
  Your spirit companion cannot be healed. When  
  
   
  51 
   
  it drops to 0 hit points it disappears, leaving 
  behind no physical form. During a short rest you 
  can perform a brief ritual that restores all the 
  spirit’s hit points or causes it to manifest again at 
  full hit points. During a long rest, you can 
  dismiss your current companion and choose a 
  different one. 
   
  Your companion acts independently of you, but 
  it always obeys your commands. In combat, it 
  rolls its own initiative and takes its own actions 
  on its own turn. It can use the following actions: 
  Dash, Disengage, Dodge, Hide, and Search. 
  While you are within 100 feet of your 
  companion, you can communicate with it 
  telepathically. Additionally, as an action, you 
  can see through your companion’s eyes and hear 
  what it hears until the start of your next turn, 
  gaining the benefits of any special senses it has. 
  During this time you are deaf and blind with 
  regard to your own senses.  
   
  Finally, when you cast a spell with a range of 
  touch, your companion can deliver the spell as if 
  it had cast the spell. Your companion must be 
  within 100 feet of you, and it must use its 
  reaction to deliver the spell when you cast it. If 
  the spell requires an attack roll, you use your 
  attack modifier for the roll. 
   
  SPIRIT BOON 
  Choose one of the following spirit boons. You 
  can select a different spirit boon any time you 
  are allowed to choose a different spirit 
  companion. If your companion takes the dodge 
  action, you lose access to the spirit boon until it 
  is no longer dodging. 
   
  * Guardian Spirit. Your spirit companion can 
  use its reaction to take half the damage of an 
  attack or spell that damages a creature adjacent 
  to it. 
  * Harrier Spirit. Your spirit companion can use 
  its reaction to cause an adjacent opponent to 
  have disadvantage on an attack roll. 
  * Protecting Spirit. When you damage a 
  creature with an attack or spell, your spirit 
  companion can use its reaction to grant 
  temporary hit points equal to your Constitution 
  bonus to a creature adjacent to it. 
  * Stalker Spirit. Your spirit companion can use 
  the Help action. 
  * Watcher Spirit. Your spirit companion 
  functions as if it had the see invisibility spell 
  active at all times. 
   
  CHANNEL DIVINITY: CALM UNDEAD 
  You lose the Turn Undead ability and gain Calm 
  Undead. As an action, you present your symbol 
  and invite the undead spirits to return to the 
  spirit world where their ancestors await them. It 
  is identical to Turn Undead except that undead 
  creatures that fail the saving throw are stunned 
  for 1 minute or until they take damage. While 
  stunned, the creature ponders its past life and its 
  current actions. Shaman of 5th level or higher 
  gain the Destroy Undead feature as normal 
  (however the spirits of undead destroyed by a 
  Shaman depart peacefully for the afterlife). 
   
  CHANNEL DIVINITY: CALL SPIRIT 
  COMPANION 
  As your action, you dismiss your current spirit 
  companion (if present) and summon a different 
  spirit companion anywhere within 30 feet. It can 
  be the same type and grant the same boon, or 
  you can change one or both. 
   
  HEALING SPIRIT 
  Beginning at 6th level, your healing spells are 
  echoed by your spirit companion. Whenever you 
  cast a spell of 1st level or higher that restores hit 
  points, your spirit companion or another creature 
  of your choice adjacent to it regains hit points 
  equal to 2 + the spell’s level.  
   
  VICIOUS SPIRIT 
  Beginning at 8th level, your spirit companion 
  can use its action to make a melee attack. Its 
  attack modifier is equal to your Wisdom bonus 
  plus your proficiency bonus. On a hit, it deals 
  damage equal to your Wisdom bonus. If you are 
  good or neutral, the damage is radiant. If you are 
  evil, the damage is necrotic. 
   
  SPIRIT REALM AMBASSADOR 
  Beginning at 17th level, you and your spirit 
  companion resist necrotic damage. You always 
  function as if you had the sanctuary spell active, 
  however it only affects undead. If your actions 
  
   
  52 
   
  end the sanctuary effect, it is reinstated at the 
  end of a short rest. Finally, once per day you can 
  use the etherealness spell as a ritual, affecting 
  only yourself and your spirit companion. 
   
  RANGER ARCHETYPE  
  ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 
   
  When Maztica was invaded long ago by the 
  forces of Amn, it was the brave eagle and jaguar 
  knights that had nearly turned the tides of battle 
  in favor of the natives. 
     These ranger archetypes are the most well- 
  known and exclusive True World warriors, and 
  all know to fear the Maztican wearing their 
  famous armor. 
   
  THE EAGLE KNIGHT  
  ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 
   
  Once associated exclusively with the temples of 
  Qotal, upon his disappearance (for a second 
  time), the eagles branched out and became far 
  more secular.  They still hold to their ancient 
  traditions, and joining an eagle lodge is one of 
  the highest honors given to a Maztican warrior.   
    Poshtli, a hero of the past centuries, is widely 
  known as the greatest eagle knight of all time 
  and when he flew off into the sky never to be 
  seen again over a century ago, many believe he 
  ascended to the mantle of divinity. 
   
  EAGLE ARMOR 
  At 3rd level an eagle knight is given his eagle 
  armor from the artisans of his lodge.  This armor 
  will be the focus of many of his future powers 
  and is always the eagle knights most valued 
  possession.   
    Should the armor be lost, the eagle knight can 
  petition his lodge for a new set.  However, this is 
  a huge embarrassment regardless of the 
  surrounding circumstances and the lodge will 
  always require the eagle knight to complete a 
  major task before replacing the eagle armor. 
   
  ARMOR DANCING 
  Once the eagle knight receives his armor, he 
  may choose to perform a ritualistic dance once 
  between short and long rests.  This ability is a 
  reaction to taking damage and halves the 
  damage of the attack against you. 
   
  GIANT EAGLE SHAPE 
  At 7th level you may use an action to assume the 
  shape of a giant eagle once between every short 
  and long rest.  The eagle knight may only 
  transform while wearing his eagle armor.   This 
  ability lasts a number of hours equal to one half 
  of your eagle knight level rounded down. 
     Your statistics are replaced with the statistics 
  of the giant eagle, but you retain your 
  personality, alignment, Intelligence, Wisdom 
  and Charisma. 
     You also assume the hit points and Hit Dice of 
  the giant eagle, but if you fall to 0 hit points, you 
  revert to your human form (possibly resulting in 
  falling damage).  Any excess damage carries 
  over to your normal form. 
     Any other benefits of your class are kept 
  except you also assume the senses of the giant 
  eagle.  You cannot cast spells in this form, and 
  your equipment merges with your giant eagle 
  form. 
   
  FLYBY ATTACK 
  When an eagle knight assumes the form of a 
  giant eagle, he provokes no attack of opportunity 
  when flying out of an enemy’s reach. 
   
  PLUMA SPELLS 
  At 11th level, the close connection his lodge 
  shares with artisans allows the eagle knight to 
  pick up a few tricks.  An eagle knight may learn 
  three spells with the pluma tag of up to 3rd level.  
  He may cast up to five levels of spells between 
  each short and long rest from this list.  The save 
  DC against the eagle knight’s spells is Charisma 
  based.   
   
  WILD SHAPE 
  At 15th level an eagle knight can infuse his 
  ability to change shape with extraordinary power 
  once between long rests. The ability to transform 
  into a giant eagle becomes an ability to 
  transform into any beast of CR 1 or lower and 
  the duration of the shapechange can last 
  indefinitely. Also, the eagle knight may change 
  beast forms each turn if he so desires as an 
  action. Finally, if the eagle knight is currently in 
  the form of a giant eagle, he may cast the pluma 
  
   
  53 
   
  spells he has known from the class ability of the 
  same name. 
   
  THE JAGUAR KNIGHT  
  ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 
   
  Jaguar knights were once the primary defenders 
  of temples to the evil god Zaltec, but their 
  dedication has always been circumspect at best.  
  In fact, despite the enmity of their respective 
  deities, jaguar knights have always had a healthy 
  respect for their eagle knight counterparts.   
     When the gods disappeared and the skies 
  changed, the jaguar knights split almost 
  completely from their roots with the Eater of 
  Hearts and only a few (particularly the beasts in 
  Nexal) continue the old ways. 
     Like Poshtli of the eagles, Gultec is the hero-
  legend of the jaguar knights and many aspire to 
  the levels of greatness and heroism shown by the 
  greatest of all jaguars. 
   
  JAGUAR ARMOR 
  At 3rd level a jaguar knight is given his jaguar 
  armor from the artisans of his lodge.  This armor 
  will be the focus of many of his future powers 
  and is always the jaguar knights most valued 
  possession.   
    Should the armor be lost, the jaguar knight can 
  petition his lodge for a new set.  However, this is 
  a huge embarrassment regardless of the 
  surrounding circumstances and the lodge will 
  always require the jaguar knight to complete a 
  major task before replacing the jaguar armor. 
   
  ARMOR DANCING 
  Once the jaguar knight receives his armor, he 
  may choose to perform a ritualistic dance once 
  between short and long rests.  This ability is a 
  reaction to taking damage and halves the 
  damage of the attack against you. 
   
  JAGUAR SHAPE 
  At 7th level you may use an action to assume the 
  shape of a jaguar once between every short and 
  long rest.  The jaguar knight may only transform 
  while wearing his jaguar armor.   This ability 
  lasts a number of hours equal to one half of your 
  jaguar knight level rounded down. 
     Your statistics are replaced with the statistics 
  of the jaguar, but you retain your personality, 
  alignment, Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma. 
     You also assume the hit points and Hit Dice of 
  the jaguar, but if you fall to 0 hit points, you 
  revert to your human form.  Any excess damage 
  carries over to your normal form. 
     Any other benefits of your class are kept 
  except you also assume the senses of a jaguar.  
  You cannot cast spells in this form, and your 
  equipment merges with your jaguar form. 
   
  CAT EYES 
  When a jaguar knight assumes the form of a 
  jaguar, he can use darkvision up to 60 feet. 
   
  HISHNA SPELLS 
  At 11th level, the close connection his lodge 
  shares with artisans allows the jaguar knight to 
  pick up a few tricks.  A jaguar knight may learn 
  three spells with the hishna tag of up to 3rd 
  level.  He may cast up to five levels of spells 
  between each short and long rest from this list.  
  The save DC against the jaguar knight’s spells is 
  Charisma based.   
   
  WILD SHAPE 
  At 15th level a jaguar knight can infuse his 
  ability to change shape with extraordinary power 
  once between long rests. The ability to transform 
  into a jaguar becomes an ability to transform 
  into any beast of CR 1 or lower and the duration 
  of the shapechange can last indefinitely. Also, 
  the jaguar knight may change beast forms each 
  turn if he so desires as an action. Finally, if the 
  jaguar knight is currently in the form of a jaguar, 
  he may cast the hishna spells he has known from 
  the class ability of the same name. 
   
  ROGUISH ARCHETYPE  
  ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 
   
  Even the kindliest of the nations and regions in 
  Maztica have strict, if not brutal punishments for 
  crime. It is not unusual to find a thief sentenced 
  to death by hanging or stoning on the spot when 
  convicted. The native Mazticans rarely use 
  prisons so punishment must be swift and 
  efficient. 
  
   
  54 
   
     Because of this deterrent, thievery has always 
  been kept to a minimum, with notable 
  exceptions among the newcomers.  However, 
  the skills of a rogue have certainly found 
  importance elsewhere in the True World. 
   
  THE POCHTECA  
  ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 
   
  The pochteca are traveling merchants of the 
  True World.  They trade their goods from one 
  side of the continent to the other and a venerable 
  pochteca has seen more of the True World than 
  any other dozen folk combined. 
     Pochteca are also consummate spies and are 
  greatly valued by Revered Counselors and other 
  rulers. Typically, a pochteca has a standing just 
  below most nobles in Maztican society and 
  harassing one is often punished with swift death. 
     Natural explorers, the pochteca are ideal for an 
  adventuring party. 
   
  DIRECTION SENSE 
  At 3rd level, pochteca always inherently know 
  which directions are north, south, east or west.  
  They also gain advantage when making a 
  Wisdom (Survival) check in order to not become 
  lost and to forage while doing so. 
   
  TOOL USE 
  A pochteca gains proficiency in the use of a 
  disguise kit and herbalism kit when they reach 
  3rd level. 
   
  EXPERT TRAVELER 
  At 9th level a pochteca gains blindsight. She 
  does not require light in order to be perfectly 
  aware of her surroundings.  The pochteca also 
  learns two new languages due to all the time 
  spent in foreign lands. 
   
  BUILT FOR SPEED 
  You can dash as a bonus action for your turn 
  when you reach 13th level.  Also, difficult 
  terrain no longer affects your movement. 
   
  UNCANNY AWARENESS 
  At 17th level, you can no longer be surprised 
  and you have advantage when rolling for 
  initiative. 
   
  SORCEROUS ORIGIN  
  ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 
   
  Sorcerers have not always been known in 
  Maztica and few have had the bloodlines to 
  allow for the manifestation of that kind of 
  power.  As in many instances, however, the True 
  World has changed greatly in the previous few 
  centuries. 
   
  NAHUĀLLI  
  ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 
   
  When Maztica was torn from Toril over a 
  century ago, the pervasive magics of pluma and 
  hishna divided and combined in unpredictable 
  ways.  Most of the raw, unleashed magic was 
  lost into the ether, but some found its way 
  deeper into the world of spirits and from there 
  into the souls of unborn children.  These 
  children found that they could tap into the 
  powers of both magics.  Their tonalli also 
  twinned, forming an animal-like spirit-half 
  which are also known as nahuālli (but is usually 
  referred to as a “spirit twin”).  Generations of 
  these sorcerous men and women have now come 
  and gone and no one can predict when or where 
  these blessed folk might appear. 
   
  PLUMA AND HISHNA PRACTITIONERS 
  Nahuālli are identified early by their uncanny 
  ability to manipulate the forces of both pluma 
  and hishna. A nahuālli may choose spells or 
  cantrips from either the pluma or hishna tag to 
  add to their spells known at each level. 
   
  SPIRIT TWIN 
  At 1st level, a nahuālli sorcerer travels in his 
  dreams to the world of spirits and meets his 
  spirit twin.  The sorcerer coaxes this being to 
  accompany him back to the land of mortals to 
  serve and protect.  This early connection is very 
  similar to the connection a caster may have with 
  a familiar from the find familiar spell.  The spirit 
  twin can appear in the form of a bat, tapir, 
  constrictor snake, mastiff, jaguar, poisonous 
  snake or wolf.  The spirit twin may only choose 
  one of these forms but otherwise acts the same 
  as a familiar. Thus, it always obeys your 
  commands; it can communicate telepathically 
  
   
  55 
   
  with you within 100 feet, and can temporarily be 
  dismissed into a pocket dimension (actually the 
  world of spirits).  Your spirit twin may also 
  deliver touch spells of as if you had cast them.  
  The spirit twin is either a celestial, fey or a fiend 
  and cannot be slain. If the spirit twin would 
  otherwise have been killed by an attack it is 
  banished to the spirit world where you may once 
  again summon it in your dreams during a long 
  rest.  The nahualli may travel whatever distance 
  from you that you wish (on the same plane), 
  however, it does not generally like to do so. 
   
  SPIRIT TWIN SHAPECHANGER  
  Starting at 6th level, your spirit twin can 
  shapechange as a bonus action on any round into 
  any of the shapes listed under Spirit Twin above. 
  It may also change into the form of a brown 
  bear, dire wolf, giant eagle, giant spider or reef 
  shark. 
   
  ADVANCED SPIRIT TWIN 
  Starting at 14th level, choose one of your known 
  spells. You may transfer the ability to cast this 
  spell to your spirit twin. If it does cast the spell, 
  the spirit twin uses one of your spell slots just as 
  if you had cast the spell yourself and as long as 
  the spirit twin has this ability you are incapable 
  of casting the transferred spell yourself.  The 
  spirit twin does not need to use verbal or somatic 
  components to cast a spell, but material 
  components must be in the possession of the 
  sorcerer.  If the spell description indicates the 
  components are consumed, they disappear from 
  you possession as if you had cast the spell 
  yourself.  Your spirit twin may not summon a 
  familiar of its own.  After a long rest you may 
  swap the transferred spell for another which you 
  know.  At this point, the spirit twin is also better 
  at keeping itself alive and can become invisible 
  as an action on its turn. If it then takes an attack 
  action, the invisibility is dropped.  It must use an 
  additional action to become invisible once again. 
   
  SHARED SPIRIT 
  Beginning at 18th level, your spirit twin 
  becomes so in tune with your own spirit that the 
  two of you almost become one.  Add the hit 
  points of your spirit twin (based off of whatever 
  form it is currently using) to your own and then 
  divide the resulting hit points among the two of 
  you.  If the spirit twin changes shape, adjust the 
  hit points accordingly.  An extra hit point from 
  an odd total goes to the sorcerer. The spirit twin 
  however, is now resistant to all forms of magical 
  damage and therefore any spell damage other 
  than piercing, slashing or bludgeoning made 
  against it by a spell suffer disadvantage on the 
  damage that is caused.  As a reaction when you 
  take damage, you can dismiss the spirit twin to 
  transfer all of its remaining hit points to 
  yourself.  If this reaction is used, however, the 
  spirit twin may not be summoned again until 
  after a long rest. 
   
  OTHERWORLDLY PATRON 
  ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 
   
  Warlocks have long existed in Maztica but with 
  the rise of their patron, have recently played a 
  far more prominent role. 
   
  THE OBSIDIAN BUTTERFLY  
  ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 
   
  The demoness, goddess, or completely unique 
  entity known as Itzapaplotl has long granted 
  power to those who make a pact with her. This 
  being, who is alternatively known as the 
  Obsidian Butterfly, has unknown motivations 
  and the depths of her evil is uncertain. 
  Warlocks who make a pact with the Obsidian 
  Butterfly are given great power, but her dark 
  plans are sure to one day involve her chosen. 
   
  EXPANDED SPELL LIST 
  The Obsidian Butterfly lets you choose from an 
  expanded spell list when you learn a warlock 
  spell.  The following spells are added to the 
  warlock spell list for you. 
   
  OBSIDIAN BUTTERFLY EXPANDED SPELLS 
   
  Spell Level Spells 
  1st 
  Bane, Burning Hands 
  2nd 
  Alter Self, Shatter 
  3rd 
  Animate Dead, Nondetection 
  4th 
  Blight, Phantasmal Killer 
  5th 
  Cloudkill, Commune 
   
   
  
   
  56 
   
  MARK OF THE OBSIDIAN BUTTERFLY 
  Starting at 1st level, Itzapaplotl makes her 
  presence known by emblazoning her symbol 
  permanently on your forehead. This symbol 
  forever brands you as an outcast but also causes 
  all within sight of the brand to fear you. All 
  creatures in sight of the brand must make a 
  Wisdom save against your warlock spell DC or 
  become frightened by you. They may attempt to 
  save again at the start of each of their turns and 
  once they have successfully saved they do not 
  need to again for a full day. You are not able to 
  suppress this ability, but the mark can be 
  covered with a simple hood or hat. 
   
  STAR FIRE 
  Starting at 6th level you may enact a wreath of 
  bright white and blue flames around yourself as 
  a reaction to damage. These flames shed bright 
  light in a 10-foot radius and lasts for 10 minutes 
  or until you use an action to dismiss them. 
  The flames erupt with a bright flash from the 
  damage and cause 2d8 fire damage to your 
  attacker. 
  This ability can only be used once between short 
  and long rests. 
   
  CONJURE TZITZIMITL 
  You call forth a star demon of Itzapaplotl to 
  serve you from thin air. The tzitzimitl serves 
  your wishes as long as your concentration isn't 
  broken at until an hour has expired at which 
  point the creature disappears in a puff of smoke. 
  The tzitzimitl is not generally friendly to you but 
  it must follow your commands explicitly. 
  Careless commands can allow the tzitzimitl to 
  betray you if not worded properly. This ability 
  can only be used once between long rests. 
   
  VISION OF TAMOACHA 
  The torture chambers of the void realm of 
  Tamoacha are horrors than few minds can 
  accept. As an action you may project a vision of 
  this hellish realm to any creature that can see 
  your mark. This creature takes 8d10 psychic 
  damage and must make a Wisdom save against 
  your warlock spell DC or become paralyzed. 
  The creature remains paralyzed until it is 
  successful on the Wisdom save which it may 
  attempt once during each of its turns. 
  ARCANE TRADITIONS  
  ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 
   
  At one point the artisan was the true caster of 
  Maztica.  There is no denying their power or 
  contribution to culture in the True World, but 
  magic for magic’s sake was never their sole 
  purpose.   
     When the Golden Legion came, the practice of 
  recording spells in tomes of papyrus was 
  introduced.  Research into the inner nuances of 
  pluma and hishna magic grew as well, and with 
  it so did the level of power involved.  Soon, 
  plumaweavers and hishnashapers had to begin 
  devoting all their time to the study of magic and 
  actual crafting fell by the wayside.  Within a few 
  short decades, the plumacasters and 
  hishnacasters were born. 
   
  THE PLUMACASTER  
  ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 
   
  Pluma magic is the magic of feathers created by 
  the goddess Maztica herself and bestowed upon 
  mankind by her son Qotal.  You are trained as a 
  wizard in the ways of the foreigners who arrived 
  long ago, but you have managed to stay true to 
  the native magics of your homeland. 
     The magic you command is of a level not seen 
  in previous generations and many of your fellow 
  Mazticans look upon you in awe. As a pioneer in 
  your craft, you also forever seek to develop new 
  spells and find magic in the most hidden corners 
  of the True World. 
   
  PLUMA MAGIC SAVANT 
  Beginning when you select this type of magic at 
  2nd level, the gold and time you must spend to 
  copy a spell with the pluma tag is halved. 
   
  VARIANT FAMILIAR 
  At 2nd level, you add the find familiar spell to 
  your spellbook if it is not there already.  When 
  you cast find familiar, you may choose to 
  summon a plumazotl bird or a corollax in lieu of 
  the other choices given in the spell description. 
   
  LIGHT AS A FEATHER 
  At 6th level, you can cast feather fall as a 
  reaction to falling 60 feet or more without using 
  a spell slot. You may also add the spell to your 
  
   
  57 
   
  spellbook if you do not already have it.  This use 
  of the spell, however, has a range of self only. 
   
  AVIAN CONJURATION 
  At 10th level, you can double the number of bird 
  or bird like creatures you conjure when you cast 
  a conjuration. This cannot be used on spells with 
  an instantaneous duration, such as find familiar. 
   
  BIRD WINGS 
  At 14th level, you gain the ability to sprout the 
  colorful wings of a parrot from your back.  You 
  gain a flying speed equal to your current speed 
  and you can create these wings as a bonus action 
  on your turn.  You may keep these wings 
  indefinitely until you dismiss them as a bonus 
  action on your turn. 
     You may not wear armor while your wings are 
  manifested and clothes worn on the back are 
  typically ruined if worn while the wings sprout.  
  This ability may only be used once between long 
  rests. 
   
  THE HISHNACASTER  
  ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 
   
  The magic of talons, claws and venom was a gift 
  given to mankind by the god Zaltec, the Eater of 
  Hearts.  Like the practitioners of pluma, you 
  have learned much from the invading 
  Faerunians, but have incorporated the power of 
  the True World. 
     Your magic is often violent and unforgiving, 
  but such is the necessity when living in a cruel 
  land.  You constantly seek to find and create 
  new spells to build your repertoire. The level of 
  power you command was once nonexistent 
  among your people. 
   
  HISHNA MAGIC SAVANT 
  When you select this type of magic at 2nd level, 
  the gold and time you must spend to copy a spell 
  with the hishna tag is halved. 
   
  MIGHTY LEAPER 
  At 6th level, on your turn as a bonus action, you 
  may cast the spell jump on yourself without 
  using a spell slot.  For the duration, your 
  appearance becomes noticeably cat-like and 
  your skin becomes spotted like that of a jaguar.  
  You also add the spell jump to your spellbook 
  for free.   
   
  FELINE CONJURATION 
  At 10th level, you can double the number of cats 
  or cat like creatures you conjure when you cast a 
  conjuration. This cannot be used on spells with 
  an instantaneous duration, such as find familiar. 
   
  HISHNA STRIKER 
  When you reach 14th level and cast a spell 
  which requires a successful attack roll, you may 
  add your Intelligence modifier to the amount of 
  damage caused.  You also gain advantage on the 
  attack roll.  You may use this ability once 
  between short and long rests. 
   
  EQUIPMENT 
   
  ARMOR 
   
  Maztican armor holds a great importance to the 
  people and their culture.  Cordell’s metallic 
  “skins” were obviously more protective than the 
  hide and cotton Mazticans typically wore.  
  Warriors would frequently find out that obsidian 
  weapons would shatter on contact.  The 
  Mazticans refused to adapt to the metallurgy of 
  the newcomers, however, and rarely do they 
  wear even stolen metal armor.   
  A recent development in hishna magic has given 
  the Mazticans an alternative.  Hishnahide (see 
  the hishnahide spell) has greatly improved 
  protection without significantly altering the 
  appearance or traditions of Maztican warriors. 
   
  The great eagle and jaguar knights, the most 
  elite of Maztican warriors of course use their 
  own armor, but these magical garments are 
  described under the eagle and jaguar knight 
  martial archetypes. 
   
  What is given below are a few types of armor 
  that do not use hide and are still in common use 
  in the True World. 
   
  Chīmalli: These are the shields of the Maztican 
  warrior almost exclusively.  They are made with 
  different materials, but most often with the cane 
  
   
  58 
   
  ARMOR 
  Name 
  Cost 
  Armor Class (AC) 
  Strength 
  Stealth 
  Weight 
  Light Armor 
   
     Ichcahuīpīlli 
  20 gp 
  12 + Dex modifier 
  — 
  — 
  10 lb. 
  Medium Armor 
   
     Ēhuatl 
  50 gp 
  13 + Dex modifier (max 2) 
  — 
  — 
  20 lb. 
     Eagle/Jaguar Armor 
  — 
  14 + Dex modifier (max 2) 
  — 
  — 
  12 lb. 
  Shield 
   
     Chīmalli 
  15 gp 
  +2 
  — 
  — 
  5 lb. 
   
  of mayz.  Often, these shields are decorated with 
  bright feathers.  Some of the most beautiful are 
  not used for war but rather only decoration.  
  These chīmalli are known as māhuizzoh, offer 
  no bonus to AC, and are worth anywhere from 
  100-500 gp. 
   
  Ichcahuīpīlli: This armor is made of quilted 
  cotton which is then soaked in salt water brine 
  and left to dry.  The salt crystallizes and 
  strengthens the cotton so that it becomes quite 
  resistant to damage. 
   
  Ēhuatl: This tunic is worn by noble warriors 
  and bears the motif of the warrior’s station.  
  Under the tunic, cotton armor known as 
  tlahuiztli is typically worn.  On its own the 
  tlahuiztli weighs 10 lb. and offers the protection 
  of typical padded armor.   
   
  Eagle/Jaguar Armor:  This is the exclusive 
  armor of the Eagle and Jaguar Knight lodges.  
  To be caught with this armor without earning the 
  right (by becoming a respected member of the 
  lodges) is punishable by death immediately.  
  This is considered to be a crime as terrible as 
  murder in Maztica.  The armor itself is 
  flawlessly crafted.  It is crafted from hide, but 
  generally includes a coif from which the only 
  the face of the wearer is exposed.  The face is in 
  fact positioned so that it appears to come from 
  the eagle or jaguars mouth.  The means of 
  crafting this armor is known only to artisans 
  who work closely with the respective lodges and 
  the secrets have never otherwise been made 
  available. 
   
  WEAPONS 
  Much has changed in Maztica since the Night of 
  Wailing, and the weaponry of the True World 
  has improved tremendously.  If the Golden 
  Legion were to invade Maztica today, the war 
  would end up far differently than it had just over 
  a century ago.   
   
  The Faerunians brought knowledge of 
  metallurgy previously unknown in the True 
  World, yet even still, this new knowledge has 
  been all but abandoned in favor of the working 
  of plumastone.   This wondrous variant of 
  obsidian is the material of choice for Mazticans 
  across the continent, and almost every weapon 
  incorporates its use. 
   
  Mazticans use many of the weapons found on 
  other parts of Toril (nets in particular), but it is 
  far more common to find the weapons described 
  below.  In many cases, even the descendants of 
  the invaders have adjusted to the native 
  weaponry. 
   
  Cuahuitl: This simple baton was often made of 
  some form of hardwood and given the shape of 
  an agave plant's leaves. 
   
  Tepoztōpīlli: After the maca, this spear-like 
  weapon is the most commonly used among 
  Maztican warriors.  Its head had a very broad 
  edge and all along the edge of the head were 
  imbedded plumastone shards. 
   
  Cuauholōlli: In appearance this weapon is very 
  similar to a mace and was quite simple to make, 
  yet it could also be quite effective.  The handle 
  was made out of wood and capped with a stone, 
  wood, or copper sphere. 
  
   
  59 
   
  WEAPONS 
  Name 
  Cost 
  Damage 
  Weight 
  Properties 
  Simple Melee Weapons 
     Cuahuitl 
  1 gp 
  1d6 bludgeoning 
  2 lb. 
  Light 
     Tepoztōpīlli 
  2 gp 
  1d8 piercing 
  4 lb. 
  Thrown (range 20/60), two-handed 
     Cuauholōlli 
  3 gp 
  1d6 bludgeoning 
  4 lb. 
  — 
     Huitzauhqui 
  4 sp 
  1d8 bludgeoning 
  8 lb. 
  Two-handed 
     Tecpatl 
  20 gp 
  1d6 piercing 
  2 lb. 
  Finesse, light, thrown (range 20/60) 
  Simple Ranged Weapons 
     Tēmātlatl 
  1 sp 
  1d4 slashing 
  — 
  Ammunition (range 30/120) 
  Martial Melee Weapons 
     Mācuahuitl (Maca) 
  10 gp 
  1d8 slashing 
  5 lb. 
  Versatile (1d10) 
     Itztōpīlli 
  4 gp 
  1d8 slashing 
  3 lb. 
  Special 
     Mācuāhuitzōctli 
  4 gp 
  1d8 slashing 
  5 lb. 
  Special 
  Martial Ranged Weapons 
     Ahtlatl (with Tlacochtli) 
  10 gp 
  1d10 piercing 
  2 lb. 
  Ammunition (range 60/120),  loading 
     Ahtlatl (with Yāōmītl) 
  10 gp 
  1d8 piercing 
  2 lb. 
  Ammunition (range 80/150),  loading 
     Tlacalhuazcuahuitl 
  1 gp 
  1 piercing 
  1 lb. 
  Ammunition (range 25/100), loading 
     Tlahhuītōlli 
  35 gp 
  1d8 piercing 
  2 lb. 
  Ammunition (range 150/600), loading, 
  heavy, two-handed 
   
   
  Huitzauhqui: This weapon is used as a basic 
  club, but its design is studded with plumastone 
  cutting elements on its sides. 
   
  Tecpatl: This long double sided plumastone 
  blade has an elaborate stone or wooden handle, 
  seven to nine inches overall in length.  The 
  weapon is used most commonly in sacrifice and 
  is a favorite of the beasts of Nexal for their foul 
  ceremonies.    
   
  Tēmātlatl: A sling made from maguey fiber. The 
  Mazticans use hand molded clay balls filled with 
  jagged chunks of obsidian as ammunition. When 
  the clay balls shatter, the obsidian does actual 
  slashing damage rather than a normal sling's 
  bludgeoning damage. 
   
  Mācuahuitl (Maca):  This is the most common 
  weapon used in the True World and its use is 
  unbounded by cultures and even races.  Among 
  the gods, Zaltec is known for his great black 
  mācuahuitl which he used to behead his mother 
  Maztica.  It is also claimed that he taught 
  mankind the secrets of its creation and design.  
  The maca is essentially a flat, wide wooden 
  sword with sharp plumastone blades embedded 
  into its sides.  When wielded using two hands, it 
  is said that a blow from this weapon could 
  decapitate a fire lizard. 
   
  Itztōpīlli: This weapon was similar in design to a 
  standard axe, but one side had a blunt protrusion 
  rather than a second blade.  Generally, the sharp 
  edge is used in battle, but if the wielder chooses, 
  the blunt edge could be used for 1d6 
  bludgeoning damage instead of the normal 1d8 
  slashing. 
   
  Mācuāhuitzōctli: Generally, this weapon was 
  used as a club and was slightly over one and a 
  half feet long.  Four knobs and a pointed tip 
  protrude from its end and the tip could be used 
  to deal 1d6 piercing damage rather than the 
  normal 1d8 slashing if the wielder so chooses. 
   
  Ahtlatl: This weapon is known among 
  Faerunians as the “Maztican Dart-Thrower,” but 
  in the Maztican tongue it literally means 
  “Extended Arm.”  Typically, this weapon is used 
  to hurl darts called "tlacochtli" with greater force 
  and from greater range than they could be 
  thrown by hand. It can also be used to hurl 
  arrows known as yāōmītl.  The people of Tulom-
  Itzi developed this weapon shortly after Darien’s 
  
   
  60 
   
  army of marching ants decimated their city, but 
  its use has spread to all corners of the True 
  World, particularly in Kultaka. 
   
  Tlacochtli: These are the darts that are typically 
  launched from an ahtlatl.  In actuality, these 
  darts are more similar in size to a spear (at 
  nearly 6 feet long).  The darts are typically 
  tipped with plumastone heads. 
   
  Yāōmītl: These are the versatile war arrows that 
  can be thrown from an atlatl or launched by a 
  tlahhuītōlli.  They are barbed with plumastone 
  and typically fletched with turkey or duck 
  feathers. 
   
  Tlacalhuazcuahuitl: This blowgun is made of a 
  hollow reed and it almost always uses a 
  poisoned dart as ammunition.  The darts 
  themselves are made of sharpened wood 
  fletched with cotton.  This is a favored weapon 
  of the halfling tribes of Maztica. 
   
  Tlahhuītōlli: This weapon is the most 
  commonly used Maztican war bow.  It is made 
  from extremely flexible wood and is 
  approximately five feet long stringed with 
  animal sinew. 
   
  OTHER GEAR 
   
  These items which can be found in Maztica 
  consist of various foods, adventuring gear, trade 
  items and tools.  This list does not include items 
  that Mazticans may use that appear in the PHB.  
  In addition to these, items such as cloaks, gems, 
  feathers, animal skins, beans, cotton, shells, 
  building materials, and stones are also traded 
  and sold. 
   
  OTHER GEAR 
   
  Item 
  Cost 
  Weight 
   
  Artisan’s Bag 
   
  25 gp 
  2 lb. 
   
  Axayacatl  
   
  1 cp 
  — 
   
  Blood Salt (dose) 
   
  150 gp 
  — 
   
  Chicle 
   
  1 sp 
  — 
   
  Chocolate 
   
  10 gp 
  — 
   
  Kurari (dose) 
   
  200 gp 
  — 
   
  Fire Peppers (dose) 
   
  150 gp 
  — 
   
  Mīcomitl  
  1 gp 
  1 lb. 
   
  Nezca (dose) 
   
  10 gp 
  — 
   
  Octli (cup) 
   
  4 cp 
  — 
   
  Tarqa Root (dose) 
   
  200 gp 
  — 
   
  Uictli  
  5 sp 
  5 lb. 
   
  Xocoatl 
   
  25 gp 
  — 
   
  Artisan’s Bag: This relatively small hide bag 
  contains all the materials necessary for a 
  Maztican artisan to continually work his craft 
  with the exception of the components which 
  have a gp cost.  It also holds many material 
  components for spells much like a wizard’s 
  component pouch.  For plumaweavers, the bag 
  typically holds a variety of mundane feathers, 
  while a hishnashaper’s contains various small 
  teeth and talons.     
   
  Axayacatl: This is the primary food of the beasts 
  of the Viperhand and perhaps is the sole reason 
  the creatures have remained populous even in 
  their barren land.  The axayacatl is a water bug 
  that is harvested in the thousands. They are often 
  dried in the sun and ground into dough.  After 
  being cooked in lime water they are wrapped in 
  cone shaped mayz husks and eaten.   
   
  Blood Salt:  Near mineral deposits in the House 
  of Tezca, a red salt can be found which causes 
  severe nausea if imbibed.  For up to an hour 
  after ingesting the salt, the imbiber is poisoned 
  (Constitution check DC 10 to avoid).  It only 
  requires small amounts of the salt to have this 
  effect and when dissolved in water it can easily 
  go unnoticed. 
   
  Chicle:  This product is the hardened sap of the 
  evergreen tree known as sapodilla.  It is chewed 
  rather than eaten outright.   
   
  Chocolate:  Made from sugar and the cocoa 
  bean, chocolate is considered a true delicacy in 
  the True World and beyond.  The relatively high 
  value of the cocoa bean is in fact due to this 
  demand.  
   
  Kurari:  Typically held in coconut containers, 
  kurari poison is a powerful paralyzing poison 
  created from plant sap that is primarily used by 
  
   
  61 
   
  the jungle halflings.  Kurari is a viscous 
  yellow/green liquid and anyone hit by a slashing 
  or piercing weapon to which it is applied must 
  make a Constitution save (DC 13) unless they 
  are immune to poison.  If they fail the save they 
  are paralyzed for 1 minute.  Every round the 
  paralyzed creature can save again to shake off 
  the effects.  One coconut full holds anywhere 
  from 20-50 doses (and is priced accordingly).  A 
  single dose can coat one weapon for a single 
  attack, but up to three arrows each, which it is 
  typically used for.  Unlike basic poisons, the 
  viscous material does not dry up quickly and can 
  remain potent up to an hour. 
   
  Fire Peppers: Far more powerful than normal 
  spices, with a successful attack, fire peppers 
  could be used to blind one creature for 1 minute.  
  Also, if a creature ingests at least one entire fire 
  pepper, it must make a Constitution save (DC 10 
  + number of fire peppers consumed beyond the 
  first) or become incapacitated.  This spice is 
  popular as a foodstuff among the Far Payits who 
  appear to be resistant to its negative effects 
  (advantage on the Constitution saving throw).  
   
  Mīcomitl: This is the name of the typical 
  Maztican quiver and is usually made of animal 
  hide.  It could hold about twenty arrows.  
   
  Nezca:  The mushroom known as nezca grows 
  in the shadows of jungle trees in the foothills 
  and mountains.   The Dog People sometimes 
  foray into these areas outside of their desert 
  homes to find the fungus in order to induce 
  visions and “commune” with their ancestral 
  spirits.  The effects that it has are not in fact 
  magical, but chemical.  When eaten the imbiber 
  must make a Constitution save (DC 10) or 
  become incapacitated for 1d4 hours.  The 
  “visions” continue for days but do not otherwise 
  have any game effects. 
   
  Octli:  This milk-colored, viscous liquid 
  produces light foam. It is made by fermenting 
  the sap of certain types of maguey plants and is 
  an alcoholic beverage.   
  
   
  62 
   
   
  Tarqa Root:  The tarqa plant has deep woody 
  roots from which a poisonous white powder can 
  be extracted.  If inhaled, this powder causes 
  debilitating seizures if a Constitution save (DC 
  12) is failed.  The root does 2d4 poison damage 
  and causes the creature to act as if stunned for 
  one round. 
   
  Uictli:  Wooden digging sticks used by farmers 
  and other commoners.  Uictli bear some 
  resemblance to a spear of sorts and a character 
  proficient in the use of spears could gain their 
  proficiency bonus when using the uictli as an 
  improvised weapon (yet still only doing 1d4 
  damage).    
   
  Xocoatl:  This is a spicy and hot chocolate drink 
  popular with the rich and nobility.  It is made 
  from a mix of cocoa beans, flour from mayz, 
  water and fire peppers.  
   
  CURRENCY 
   
  The standard in currency has been in flux for a 
  long time in the True World.  Originally, most of 
  the exchange in Maztica was done using a barter 
  system that included goods and services as much 
  as precious metals, stones and artwork.  Due 
  mostly in part to the system of the pochteca, a 
  standard was needed to represent the high value 
  of foreign goods from all parts of the continent.  
  The “cocoa bean” (cb) eventually came to 
  represent the basic unit of currency and is 
  roughly the equivalent of a Faerunian copper 
  piece.  In areas where the crop was more 
  common, the cocoa bean could be worth far less, 
  worthless in fact – except in large quantities.  
  Yet in other regions a cocoa bean could be 
  exchanged for up to an entire silver piece.  
  Around the time of Cordell, Faerunians found 
  the bean to be delicious (and profitable for 
  exchange merchants) so they fetched a much 
  higher average in Ulatos, Trythosford and New 
  Waterdeep. 
   
  In the larger cities, other forms of currency were 
  used including ears of mayz, coral buds, copper 
  blades, quills filled with gold dust (gq), and 
  sizeable chunks of uncut turquoise or jade.   
   
  Since the time of the Golden Legion, most of the 
  True World has adopted the foreigners’ system 
  of minting coins.  The first gold coins were 
  printed with Cordell’s face on one side and an 
  eagle on the other which was rumored to 
  represent Cordell’s eagle knight ally Poshtli.  
  Apparently, Cordell’s narcissism didn’t go over 
  well with the lords and ladies of Amn, so this 
  coin was only in print for a few years.  
  Collectors are now willing to pay up to ten times 
  the actual gold value for such rare coins.  Coins 
  have since been printed with popular Revered 
  Counselors and the eagle backside has been 
  kept.  A jaguar representing the great jaguar 
  knight Gultec has also been used regularly. 
   
  When found, treasure in the True World could 
  contain any version or mix of the currencies 
  given, but typically the older the horde, the less 
  likely each will be found.  Older hordes typically 
  find most of their value in pure precious metals, 
  stones and artwork.  
   
  AVERAGE EXCHANGE RATES  
   
  Currency 
  cp 
  sp 
  ep 
  gp 
  pp 
   
  Cocoa 
  Bean 
   
  1 
  1/10 
  1/50 1/100 1/1000 
   
  Ear of 
  Mayz 
   
  1 
  1/10 
  1/50 1/100 1/1000 
   
  Copper 
  Blade 
   
  10 
  1 
  1/5 
  1/10 
  1/100 
   
  Coral 
   Bud 
   
  50 
  5 
  1 
  ½ 
  1/20 
   
  Quill of 
  Gold Dust 
   
  500 
  50 
  10 
  5 
  1/2 
   
  Uncut 
  Jade 
   
  1000 
  100 
  20 
  10 
  1 
   
  Uncut  
  Turquoise 
   
  5000 
  500 
  100 
  50 
  5 
   
  MAGIC 
   
  There are a number of spells unique to the True 
  World.  This list is not exhaustive as many new 
  spells have been developed in the century or so 
  since the arrival of the Amnians.  In addition, 
  some spells have been found that are far more 
  ancient in nature. 
  
   
  63 
   
  PLUMA AND HISHNA SPELLS 
   
  Pluma and hishna were gifts to mankind from 
  the gods Qotal and Zaltec respectively.  The 
  magic of pluma represents the magic of feathers 
  and has more recently taken on aspects of life 
  itself.  It is an inherently good magic though it 
  can still be used for evil purposes.   
   
  Hishna is pluma’s dark equivalent.  It is the 
  magic of fangs, claws and venom. As the mirror 
  of plumamagic, hishna is considered inherently 
  evil, but it can be used for good purposes.  
   
  Both brands of magic have helped the Mazticans 
  survive through many trials and upheavals and 
  both are greatly valued by the general populace.  
  While Maztica was banished to Abeir and the 
  priests were cut off from their gods, the strength 
  of both magics necessarily needed to grow.  
  New spells are being developed yearly by 
  powerful plumaweavers, hishnashapers, 
  plumacasters and hishnacasters.  
   
  Many spells are tagged with either pluma or 
  hishna based on the source of their power.  
  These tags have no additional game effect 
  beyond defining the power source and may be 
  referenced in other spell lists.   
   
  ANIMAL SENSES 
  1st-level transmutation [hishna] 
   
  Casting Time: 1 action 
  Range: Touch 
  Components: V, S 
  Duration: 1 hour 
   
  A willing target of this spell is granted the 
  senses of animals. For the duration of the spell, 
  the recipient has advantage on Wisdom 
  (Perception) checks that rely on hearing, sight, 
  or smell. 
   
  ARROWFLIGHT 
  1st-level transmutation [pluma] 
   
  Casting Time: 1 bonus action 
  Range: Touch 
  Components: V, S 
  Duration: Concentration, up to one hour 
   
  You touch a tlahhuītōlli. Until the spell ends, the 
  range of the arrows fired from the tlahhuītōlli 
  (both normal and long) is doubled. The 
  tlahhuītōlli cannot be shared from one person to 
  another, otherwise the magic immediately ends. 
   
  At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell 
  using a spell slot of 3rd or 4th level, the range 
  increases by a factor of 2.5. With a spell slot of 
  5th level or higher, the range of the arrows is 
  tripled. 
   
  BAFFLEMENT 
  3nd-level enchantment [pluma] 
   
  Casting Time: 1 action 
  Range: 30 feet 
  Components: V 
  Duration: 1 round  
   
  The casting of this spell requires you to talk to 
  the victim of the spell.  Your plumamagic-
  infused words confuse and disorient a target that 
  fails a Wisdom based saving throw.  An affected 
  target drops any weapons it is holding and 
  cannot take an action or reaction for the spell’s 
  duration. 
   
  At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell 
  using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, the 
  duration becomes 1 minute. 
   
  BIRD CHARM 
  1st-level conjuration [pluma] 
   
  Casting Time: 1 action 
  Range: 30 feet 
  Components: V, S, M (a small coral or jade 
  whistle worth 100 gp which is not consumed in 
  the casting) 
  Duration: Concentration, up to one hour 
   
  You summon and control the actions of 1-3 
  birds of one hit die or less. Typical birds 
  summoned are parrots, hummingbirds or even 
  eagles. The birds can understand simple 
  commands such as Attack, or Retrieve, but no 
  mental connection is formed to the caster so the 
  
   
  64 
   
  birds need to be able to hear commands in order 
  to follow them. The birds cannot be any type 
  other than beast. 
   
  At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell 
  using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, you may 
  summon birds with up to 3 hit die and they can 
  now have the type of monstrosity. At 6th level or 
  higher, the birds may have up to 5 hit die. 
   
  BREATH OF QOTAL 
  3rd-level evocation [pluma] 
   
  Casting Time: 1 action 
  Range: Self (80-foot line) 
  Components: V, S, M (gold dust worth at least 
  50 gp and is consumed in the casting) 
  Duration: Instantaneous 
   
  You open your mouth and a blinding bolt of 
  light shoots from your mouth in a direction of 
  your choosing forming a line 80 feet long and 5 
  feet wide. Each creature in the line must make a 
  Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 8d6 
  radiant damage on a failed save and is blinded 
  for a round. A successful save results in the 
  creature not being blinded and only half as much 
  damage. 
   
  At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell 
  using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the 
  damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level 
  above 3rd. 
   
  BREATHSENSE 
  2nd-level divination [pluma] 
   
  Casting Time: 1 action 
  Range: Self (100 foot radius sphere) 
  Components: V 
  Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute 
   
  When you cast this spell you are able to sense 
  the breath of all living creatures within range 
  and for the duration of the spell.  The zone in 
  which the caster has breathsense moves with the 
  caster. 
   
  With this knowledge, the caster knows the 
  number, type (beast, monstrosity, etc.) and 
  general distance to each creature.  It is easy for 
  the caster to tune out the breath of smaller 
  innocuous creatures such as mice, birds, etc. 
   
  CAT CHARM 
  1st-level conjuration [hishna] 
   
  Casting Time: 1 action 
  Range: 30 feet 
  Components: V, S, M (a turquoise adorned 
  collar worth 100 gp which is not consumed in 
  the casting) 
  Duration: Concentration, up to one hour 
   
  You summon and control the actions of 1-3 cats 
  of one hit die or less. The only available cats for 
  summoning are normal cats. The cats can 
  understand simple commands such as Attack, 
  or Retrieve, but no mental connection is formed 
  to the caster so the cats need to be able to hear 
  commands in order to follow them. The cats 
  cannot be any type other than beast. 
   
  At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell 
  using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, you may 
  summon cats with up to 3 hit die and they can 
  now have the type of monstrosity. At 6th level or 
  higher, the cats may have up to 5 hit die. 
   
  COOL 
  1st-level abjuration [pluma] 
   
  Casting Time: 1 action 
  Range: Touch 
  Components: V, S, M (duck down) 
  Duration: Concentration, up to one day 
   
  You touch one willing creature. The target has 
  advantage on all Constitution checks required 
  due to oppressive heat.  
   
  At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell 
  using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, you may 
  cast this spell on up to 5 willing participants. 
   
  EAGLE FLYBY 
  2nd-level transmutation [pluma] 
   
  Casting Time: 1 action 
  Range: 60 feet 
  
   
  65 
   
  Components: V, S, M (wing feather from a bird 
  of prey) 
  Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute 
   
  Choose a willing, flying creature that you can 
  see within range. For the duration of the spell, 
  the recipient does not provoke attacks of 
  opportunity when they fly out of an enemy's 
  reach. 
   
  ELEVATE 
  1st-level transmutation [pluma] 
   
  Casting Time: 1 action 
  Range: Touch 
  Components: V, S 
  Duration: Concentration 
   
  You touch a nonliving object weighing up to 
  200 lb. and make it as weightless as a feather. 
  Left unattended, such objects will remain in 
  place or will move at the speed of even the 
  gentlest wind. Though the spell does not in any 
  way soften an item, weapons under the influence 
  of this spell cause no damage due to the lack of 
  momentum. 
   
  EXHAUSTING WAVE 
  2nd-level evocation [hishna] 
   
  Casting Time: 1 action 
  Range: Self (30-foot cone) 
  Components: V, S, M (handful of sand) 
  Duration: Instantaneous 
   
  When you cast this spell, a shimmering wave of 
  heat emanating from your hands extends to the 
  full range of the spell. Any creatures in this area 
  must make a Constitution save or suffer the 
  effects of exhaustion. Roll 1d6-1 and add this to 
  the current level of the target's exhaustion to 
  maximum of level 5 (this spell alone cannot lead 
  to death by exhaustion, even with multiple 
  castings). 
   
  EYES OF THE JAGUAR LORD 
  3rd-level illusion [hishna] 
   
  Casting Time: 1 action 
  Range: Self (30-foot cone) 
  Components: V, S, M (a cat's eyeball or cat's 
  eye stone ) 
  Duration: Concentration, up to one minute 
   
  Your eyes change to resemble a jaguar's. Each 
  creature in a 30-foot cone must succeed on a 
  Wisdom saving throw or immediately fall into a 
  deep slumber for the remainder of the duration. 
  The victims fall unconscious until the spell ends, 
  the sleeper takes damage, or someone uses an 
  action to awaken them. In addition, the caster 
  has darkvision within the range of the spell. 
   
  Undead and other creatures that do not sleep are 
  immune to this spell. 
   
  FEATHER DARTS 
  1st-level evocation [pluma] 
   
  Casting Time: 1 action 
  Range: 120 feet 
  Components: V, S 
  Duration: Instantaneous 
   
  You create three darts of bright energy that 
  resemble feather fletched darts and fly from your 
  fingertips to unerringly strike creatures of your 
  choice. The shards all strike simultaneously and 
  can strike a single or multiple targets based on 
  the desires of the caster. Each dart causes 1d4+1 
  radiant damage. 
   
  At Higher Levels. When casting this spell using 
  a spell slot of level 2 or higher, the spell creates 
  one additional shard for each slot above 1st. 
   
  GIANT EAGLE 
  4th-level transmutation [pluma] 
   
  Casting Time: 1 action 
  Range: 90 feet 
  Components: V, S 
  Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes 
   
  One to three normal eagles are transformed by 
  you into giant eagles. The giant eagles obey all 
  verbal commands and act on your turn each 
  round.  
   
  The creature remains in this form until it is 
  
   
  66 
   
  dropped to 0 hit points (or slain outright), you 
  dismiss the spell, or the duration runs out.  
   
  The DM may allow other birds of prey to be 
  transformed to their giant versions using this 
  spell. 
   
  GREAT SCREECH 
  6th-level evocation [pluma] 
   
  Casting Time: 1 action 
  Range: Self (60-foot cone) 
  Components: V 
  Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute 
   
  You open your mouth and let forth the great 
  screech of a colossal bird of prey in the shape of 
  a cone. The ghostly image of a great eagle is 
  superimposed over your head while the spell is 
  in effect. 
   
  Each creature in the affected area must make a 
  Dexterity save. On a failed save, a creature takes 
  6d8 thunder damage and is deafened until your 
  next turn. On a successful save, the target takes 
  half damage and is not deafened.  
   
  You can redirect the cone of sound as your 
  action on any turn until the spell ends. 
   
  HEART RIPPER 
  7th-level necromancy [hishna] 
   
  Casting Time: 1 action 
  Range: Touch 
  Components: V, S 
  Duration: Instantaneous 
   
  Make a melee spell attack against a creature you 
  can reach. A hit on a creature that has a heart 
  and 100 hp or less causes the creatures heart to 
  instantly burst from its chest and into the hands 
  of the caster. The spell has no effect on creatures 
  without a living heart such as undead, no heart 
  such as most constructs, or creatures with more 
  than 100 hp. Affected creatures die instantly. 
   
  This spell can be cast as a ritual only upon a 
  victim who is incapacitated for the entire 
  duration of the ritual. Typically, this use of the 
  spell occurs during sacrifices to Zaltec deep in 
  the bowels of Nexal. 
   
  HEARTSENSE 
  2nd-level divination [hishna] 
   
  Casting Time: 1 action 
  Range: Self (100 foot radius sphere) 
  Components: V 
  Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute 
   
  When you cast this spell you are able to sense 
  the heartbeat of all living creatures within range 
  and for the duration of the spell.  The zone in 
  which the caster has heartsense moves with the 
  caster. 
   
  With this knowledge, the caster knows the 
  number, type (beast, monstrosity, etc.) and 
  general distance to each creature.  It is easy for 
  the caster to tune out the heartbeats of smaller 
  innocuous creatures such as mice, birds, etc. 
   
  HISHNAHIDE 
  1st-level transmutation (ritual) [hishna] 
   
  Casting Time: 1 hour 
  Range: Touch 
  Components: V, S, M (see below) 
  Duration: Instantaneous 
   
  Animal hides can be permanently transformed 
  into the highly durable material known as 
  hishnahide. This spell increases the strength and 
  protective abilities of hide armor, but also 
  stiffens the hide and greatly increases its weight. 
  Enough hide for one set of armor can be created 
  using this spell. The hide in all ways retains its 
  original appearance, but in all ways is now 
  considered heavy armor. 
   
  Casting this spell can change the effective AC 
  and weight of the hishnahide to match either 
  ring mail, chain mail, splint or even plate. The 
  wearer of the hishnahide is subject to stealth 
  disadvantage while wearing hishnahide and it 
  has the same strength requirements for the 
  equivalent armor.  
   
  The material components for this spell are 
  
   
  67 
   
  costly. In addition to the cost of the hide armor, 
  the spell requires special oils derived from the 
  venom of rare animals worth 50 gp (for ring 
  mail), 100 gp (for chain mail), 500 gp (for 
  splint) and 2,000 gp (for plate). 
   
  INCUBATION 
  6th level necromancy [pluma] 
   
  Casting Time: 1 hour 
  Range: Touch 
  Components: V, S, M (a gold foil and feather 
  embroidered chamber worth 2,000 gp for the 
  gold and 1,000 gp in rare plumage. The gold 
  becomes lead upon a successful resurrection and 
  must be replaced) 
  Duration: Instantaneous 
   
  If a creature (who must be large sized or 
  smaller) who has had this spell cast upon it dies, 
  they collapse into a pile of feathers. If the 
  feathers are disturbed a melon-sized egg can be 
  found.  
   
  If this egg is then brought to a specially prepared 
  "incubation" chamber (as described under 
  components), the egg will hatch after a full 24 
  hours and the dead creature will grow from 
  infant to full age within an additional hour.  
   
  The creature returns with full hit points, and is 
  cured of any non-magical diseases and poisons. 
  It also returns any missing body parts and closes 
  all wounds. Curses or magical diseases remain. 
   
  JAGUAR CLAW 
  Transmutation cantrip [hishna] 
   
  Casting Time: 1 action 
  Range: Touch 
  Components: V, S 
  Duration: Instantaneous 
   
  Using the power of hishna, your hand briefly 
  becomes the claws of a jaguar.  Make a melee 
  attack against the target and on a hit, the target 
  takes 1d8 slashing damage. 
   
  The spell’s damage increases to 2d8 at 5th level, 
  3d8 at 11th level and 4d8 at 17th level.   
   
  JAGUAR POUNCE 
  2nd-level transmutation [hishna] 
   
  Casting Time: 1 action 
  Range: 30 feet 
  Components: V, S, M (sinew from a great cat) 
  Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute 
   
  Choose a willing creature that you can see 
  within range. For the duration of the spell, if the 
  recipient moves at least 20 feet straight toward a 
  creature before an attack, the attacker's target 
  must make an opposing Strength check or be 
  knocked prone. The DC of this attack is equal to 
  10 + the attacker's Strength modifier and it is a 
  Strength based saving throw. If the target is 
  prone, the attacker may take a bonus action to 
  make an additional attack against it.  
   
  KILTZI’S LOVE 
  2nd-level enchantment [pluma] 
   
  Casting Time: 1 action 
  Range: 30 feet 
  Components: V, S, M (a small piece of 
  chocolate) 
  Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute 
   
  Kiltzi's love can be cast upon up to 5 creatures 
  within range who are already friendly to the 
  caster. 
   
  Good feelings toward the caster intensify to the 
  point where the targets would do almost 
  anything to keep him or her safe. Anyone under 
  the influence of this spell is immune to fear 
  effects if the caster is in danger and will protect 
  the caster even if doing so puts them in mortal 
  danger. 
   
  If the caster then attacks any of the targets the 
  spell is dispelled for all affected creatures. 
   
  MAGNIFICENT HEADDRESS 
  3rd-level illusion [pluma] 
   
  Casting Time: 1 action 
  Range: Self (30-foot cone) 
  
   
  68 
   
  Components: V, S, M (feather of any beast, fey 
  or monstrosity that has a magical power) 
  Duration: Concentration, up to one minute 
   
  The phantasmal image of a vibrantly plumed 
  headdress adorns your head and glows with a 
  multicolored light that can convince others of 
  your greatness and majesty. Each creature in a 
  30-foot cone must succeed on a Wisdom saving 
  throw or fall to their knees and remain prone for 
  the remainder of the duration. The prone 
  creature also may not choose to attack you, 
  though it may attack other targets (while still 
  suffering the normal disadvantages of being 
  prone). The magnificent headdress also provides 
  bright light within the range of its effect. 
   
  Hats, helmets or other head gear do not prevent 
  the use of this spell as the phantasmal headdress 
  weaves artfully into any worn gear. 
   
  MAYZ OF THE PLUMED FATHER 
  6th-level conjuration [pluma] 
   
  Casting Time: 1 day 
  Range: 30 feet 
  Components: V, S, M (10-15 topaz gemstones 
  worth 100 gp each or more which are consumed 
  in the casting) 
  Duration: Instantaneous 
   
  You plant topaz gems as if they were the seeds 
  of the crop known as mayz. For a full day you 
  nurture the crop during which time you can take 
  all actions. You cannot, however, move more 
  than 100 feet away from your crop or they will 
  not germinate and grow. 
   
  The crop will mature in a full day and produce 
  one full ear of golden mayz per gem planted. If 
  the mayz is not eaten within an hour, it will 
  wither and become useless. 
   
  Anyone who eats one entire ear (prepared in any 
  manner) will recover full hit points, be cured of 
  all diseases and curses, and receive the benefits 
  of a bless spell for a full 24 hours after eating the 
  mayz. 
   
  OBSIDIAN SHARDS 
  1st-level evocation [hishna] 
   
  Casting Time: 1 action 
  Range: 120 feet 
  Components: V, S 
  Duration: Instantaneous 
   
  You create three shards of dark energy that 
  resemble obsidian and fly from your fingertips 
  to unerringly strike creatures of your choice. The 
  shards all strike simultaneously and can strike a 
  single or multiple targets based on the desires of 
  the caster. Each dart causes 1d4+1 necrotic 
  damage. 
   
  At Higher Levels. When casting this spell using 
  a spell slot of level 2 or higher, the spell creates 
  one additional shard for each slot above 1st. 
   
  OBSIDIAN TOMB 
  7th-level evocation [hishna] 
   
  Casting Time: 1 action 
  Range: 100 feet 
  Components: V, S, M (a miniature carved 
  obsidian cage worth 1000 gp and is not 
  consumed in the casting) 
  Duration: 10 minutes 
   
  A cocoon-like shell encases the target of this 
  spell who you choose within its range.  
   
  An encased creature cannot move or speak and 
  immediately begins to suffocate. They can 
  however make a Strength check each round. One 
  successful check damages the shell enough so 
  that the victim can begin to breath, and a second 
  successful check allows the creature to escape, 
  effectively ending the spell. 
   
  The target must be medium sized or the obsidian 
  tomb will not fully entrap the creature. 
   
  At Higher Levels. If an 8th level spell slot is 
  used to cast this spell, large creatures can be 
  affected. Using a 9th level slot can affect 
  creatures of any size. 
   
   
  
   
  69 
   
  OMEN 
  5th-level divination [hishna] 
   
  Casting Time: 1 day 
  Range: Self 
  Components: V, S, M (the caster must cover his 
  skin in gold powder worth at least 50 gp, the 
  powder is consumed in the casting) 
  Duration: Instantaneous 
   
  You cast this spell which causes some non-
  harmful or game affecting event in the local 
  environment. This event might be as simple as a 
  bright shooting star or as fantastic as the change 
  in color of a snow capped mountain to that of 
  blood. The effect is never permanent, but can 
  last for hours at the discretion of the DM.  
   
  This environmental change can then be read by 
  the caster to determine a cryptic understanding 
  of major events in the following year. For 
  example, "dark death on wings of fire" might be 
  read indicating a dragon attack.  
   
  This spell may only be cast once until such time 
  as the actual event to which it refers occurs. 
  Using the above example, immediately after the 
  dragon attacks, the spell may be cast again. 
   
  PATH OF THE POCHTECA 
  5th-level conjuration [pluma] 
   
  Casting Time: 1 action 
  Range: Unlimited 
  Components: V, S, M (gold dust worth 10 gp 
  per mile which is consumed in the casting) 
  Duration: 1 year 
   
  In order to cast this spell the caster must embark 
  on a journey by foot. The distance of the journey 
  is up to the caster and is only limited by the 
  amount of gold dust used in the casting. This 
  gold dust is sprinkled all along the path traveled. 
   
  For a full year following the trip the caster may 
  then use the teleport spell to end up anywhere 
  along the path resulting in no chance of mishap 
  and always ending up on target. 
   
  PLUMASTONE 
  1st-level transmutation (ritual) [pluma] 
   
  Casting Time: 1 hour 
  Range: Touch 
  Components: V, S, M (100 gp in alchemical 
  ingredients which are consumed in the casting) 
  Duration: Instantaneous 
   
  This spell can transmute up to 1 cubic foot of 
  obsidian, flint or chert into a material known as 
  plumastone. Plumastone maintains the 
  appearance of the original stone type, but is as 
  hard and durable as normal steel. 
   
  PROTECTION FROM HISHNA 
  3rd-level abjuration [pluma] 
   
  Casting Time: 1 action 
  Range: Touch 
  Components: V, S 
  Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour 
   
  For the duration, the willing creature you touch 
  has advantage on all saving throws against 
  magical effects with a hishna source of power 
  (including magic from items such as a hishna 
  talisman). 
   
  PROTECTION FROM PLUMA 
  3rd-level abjuration [hishna] 
   
  Casting Time: 1 action 
  Range: Touch 
  Components: V, S 
  Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour 
   
  For the duration, the willing creature you touch 
  has advantage on all saving throws against 
  magical effects with a pluma source of power 
  (including magic from items such as a pluma 
  talisman). 
   
  SCALESNARE 
  2nd-level transmutation [hishna] 
   
  Casting Time: 1 action 
  Range: Touch 
  Components: V, S, M (full skin of a snake) 
  Duration: Instantaneous 
   
  
   
  70 
   
  This spell transforms the discarded skin of a 
  snake into a grasping tentacle of hishna magic.   
  The tentacle is thrown at a target of large size or 
  smaller and if the caster succeeds on an attack 
  roll the creature is restrained and remains 
  restrained until it succeeds on a Strength saving 
  throw against your spell’s save DC. He target 
  also drops whatever it might have been holding. 
   
  The scalesnare cannot be used other than in the 
  same round the spell was cast.  
   
  SLASHING PLUMAGE 
  2nd-level conjuration [pluma] 
   
  Casting Time: 1 action 
  Range: Self (30-foot radius) 
  Components: V, S, M (an eagle feather) 
  Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute 
   
  The air surrounding you is filled with spinning 
  feathers with hardened, sharp edges. A creature 
  takes 2d8 slashing damage when it enters the 
  spell's area for the first time on a turn or if it 
  starts it's turn there. 
   
  At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell 
  using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the 
  damage increases by 1d8 for each slot level 
  above 2nd. 
   
  SNAKE CHARM 
  1st-level conjuration [hishna] 
   
  Casting Time: 1 action 
  Range: 30 feet 
  Components: V, S, M (a miniature golden 
  snake statue worth 100 gp which is not 
  consumed in the casting) 
  Duration: Concentration, up to one hour 
   
  You summon and control the actions of 1-3 
  poisonous snakes. The snakes can understand 
  simple commands such as Attack, or Retrieve, 
  but no mental connection is formed to the caster 
  so the snakes need to be able to hear commands 
  in order to follow them. There are no other types 
  of snakes available for summoning besides 
  poisonous snakes. 
   
  At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell 
  using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, you may 
  summon different varieties of snakes with up to 
  3 hit die and they can now have the type 
  of monstrosity. At 6th level or higher, the snakes 
  may have up to 5 hit die. 
   
  SPEARFLIGHT 
  1st-level transmutation [hishna] 
   
  Casting Time: 1 bonus action 
  Range: Touch 
  Components: V, S 
  Duration: Concentration, up to one hour 
   
  You touch an ahtlatl.  Until the spell ends, the 
  range of any ammunition from the atlatl (both 
  normal and long) is doubled. The ahtlatl cannot 
  be shared from one person to another; otherwise 
  the magic immediately ends. 
   
  At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell 
  using a spell slot of 3rd or 4th level, the range 
  increases by a factor of 2.5. With a spell slot of 
  5th level or higher, the range of the atlatl is 
  tripled. 
   
  STONEFLIGHT 
  1st-level transmutation [pluma] 
   
  Casting Time: 1 bonus action 
  Range: Touch 
  Components: V, S 
  Duration: Concentration, up to one hour 
   
  You touch a tēmātlatl. Until the spell ends, the 
  range of the ammunition fired from the tēmātlatl 
  (both normal and long) is doubled. Tēmātlatl 
  cannot be shared from one person to another; 
  otherwise the magic immediately ends.  
   
  At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell 
  using a spell slot of 3rd or 4th level, the range 
  increases by a factor of 2.5. With a spell slot of 
  5th level or higher, the range of the ammunition 
  is tripled. 
   
  TICKLE 
  Conjuration cantrip [pluma] 
   
  
   
  71 
   
  Casting Time: 1 action 
  Range: 60 feet 
  Components: V, S 
  Duration: Instantaneous 
   
  A small animated feather appears near a target 
  of your choice and can be used to attempt to 
  break concentration by tickling the target.   
   
  The target must make a Constitution saving 
  throw with a DC of 10 in order to maintain 
  concentration while casting a spell.  Targets with 
  natural armor cannot be affected by this spell. 
   
  WARMTH 
  1st-level abjuration [pluma] 
   
  Casting Time: 1 action 
  Range: Touch 
  Components: V, S, M (goose down) 
  Duration: Concentration, up to one day 
   
  You touch one willing creature. The target has 
  advantage on all Constitution checks required 
  due to a cold environment.  
   
  At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell 
  using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, you may 
  cast this spell on up to 5 willing participants. 
   
  ZALTEC’S FURY 
  3rd-level evocation [hishna] 
   
  Casting Time: 1 action 
  Range: 150 feet 
  Components: V, S, M (the fang of a poisonous 
  serpent or lizard) 
  Duration: Instantaneous 
   
  A small fang of a serpent flies from your hand 
  continuously growing until it reaches a point 
  within the range of your spell. Once it reaches 
  its destination it explodes into needle-like shards 
  in a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on that point. 
  Each creature located within the sphere must 
  make a Dexterity saving throw. A target takes 
  8d6 poison damage on a failed saving throw, or 
  half damage on a successful one.  
   
  The shards do not necessarily fly in straight lines 
  and ricochet off of non-living material so 
  damage from the spell can spread around corners 
  easily. 
   
  At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell 
  using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the 
  damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level 
  above 3rd.  
   
  MAGIC ITEMS 
   
  The vast majority of magic items in Maztica 
  were carefully crafted by an artisan.  These 
  items, known as talismans of hishna or pluma, 
  act similarly to magic items described in the 
  DMG.  The tags “hishna” and “pluma” will be 
  added to such items in their descriptions below, 
  but they have no special rules of their own.  
  Rather, the tags are added to determine if certain 
  spells have effects on the said item (for example, 
  should there be a zone where hishna magic does 
  not function. 
    
  BANDS OF MIGHT 
  Wondrous item, uncommon (requires 
  attunement) [pluma] 
   
  Small woven bands of feathers that seem 
  innocuous enough, but are capable of greatly 
  enhancing a warriors strength.  There are three 
  versions of the band of might available.  One 
  raises the wearers Strength to 18, another to 19 
  and a third to 20.  The latter most powerful 
  version are extremely rare and Halloran was the 
  only person ever known to have owned one. 
    If your Strength score is already equivalent to 
  or greater than the strength given by the bands, 
  the bands have no effect on you. 
   
  CLOAK OF ONE PLUME 
  Wondrous item, legendary (requires attunement) 
  [pluma] 
   
  The cloak of one plume is a legendary item that 
  has disappeared and resurfaced many times 
  through Maztica’s history.  It is formed of one 
  giant feather and is said to be the creation of the 
  god Qotal himself.  Its powers and current 
  whereabouts remain unknown.  It was last lost 
  
   
  72 
   
  when Maztica became part of Abeir, though 
  with the return to Toril, rumors of its sighting 
  have spread once again. 
   Great Charisma.  When the cloak is worn and 
  the wearer is attuned to it, the wearer has a 
  Charisma score of 19.  If the wearer already has 
  a Charisma of 19 or higher, this ability has no 
  affect. 
    Magnificence.  Once between each short and 
  long rest, an attuned wearer may enact the same 
  effect as the spell magnificent headdress except 
  the effect emanates from the cloak instead of an 
  illusional headdress.   
    Flight.  The attuned wearer of the cloak of one 
  plume may fly at one-half his walking speed.  If 
  the wearer already has a flying speed greater 
  than the one granted by the cloak, this ability has 
  no effect. 
    Fire Resistance.  Despite its feather 
  composition, the cloak of one plume is immune 
  to fire and it grants fire resistance to a wearer.  
  This ability may be extended to another 
  individual of the same size of the wearer or 
  smaller.  The wearer (or any whom it chooses to 
  extend protection to) does not need to be attuned 
  for this protection.  
   
  FEATHERTOKEN 
  Wondrous item, very rare (requires attunement) 
  [pluma] 
   
  This is a powerful talisman that offers the holder 
  who is attuned and any allies within 10 feet 
  advantage on saving throws against spells.  It 
  also affords the wearer a +1 bonus to AC and the 
  wielder may use a featherfall effect as a bonus 
  action. 
   
  HEARTSEEKER 
  Weapon (tepoztōpīlli), legendary, requires 
  attunement [hishna] 
   
  One of the deadliest  and most famous weapons 
  in  Maztica, the heartseeker is a tepoztōpīlli 
  spear with a deadly ability.  If you are not 
  attuned to this weapon you may still use it, 
  though it simply gives a +1 attack and damage 
  roll bonus with an additional 1d6 in necrotic 
  damage.  
     Increased Potency.  While you are attuned to 
  this weapon, its bonus on attack and damage 
  rolls is +2.  It also deals an extra 2d6 in necrotic 
  damage. 
     Seek the Heart.  If a creature with a heart is 
  struck by heartseeker on a natural attack roll of 
  20, the target is automatically brought to 0 hit 
  points.  This does not work on creatures without 
  hearts of those with more than 100 hit points.  
  On the latter type, heartseeker causes an 
  additional 10d10 necrotic damage on top of the 
  damage normally caused. 
   
  KILTZI’S RINGS OF ETERNAL LOVE 
  Ring, rare (requires attunement) [pluma] 
   
  These featherwoven rings always come in pairs.  
  They are typically used as rings symbolizing 
  eternal devotion between two married humans.  
  When a wearer is attuned to the ring they receive 
  a bonus of +2 to their Charisma scores and gain 
  advantage on all saves that are Charisma based.  
  Finally, once between each short and long rest, 
  the wearer may cast Kiltzi’s Love as a 
  spellcaster of their class level. 
   
  MOCCASINS OF FREE MOVEMENT 
  Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement) 
  [pluma] 
   
  Wearers of moccasins of free movement have 
  advantage on all Dexterity (Stealth) checks 
  while wearing the moccasins if they are attuned.  
  Also, the wearer is effectively weightless when 
  crossing liquid surfaces such as water, tar or 
  even lava (though the wearer would be affected 
  by the heat of the lava). 
   
  PLUMALITTER 
  Wondrous item, uncommon [pluma] 
   
  This large blanket of interwoven feathers is 
  approximately 6 feet wide, 10 feet long, 1 foot 
  thick and can hold up to 750 lb. while its magic 
  is functioning.  A plumalitter hovers 
  approximately 5 feet above the ground when a 
  command word is spoken and can move up to 30 
  feet per round in any direction including 
  upwards. 
   
  
   
  73 
   
  SERPENT TLACOCHTLI 
  Weapon (tlacochtli), uncommon [hishna] 
   
  A favorite of the ahtlatl wielding contingents of 
  Kultakan warriors, these darts are enchanted 
  snakes carried in a burlap sack which typically 
  holds 2d6 of the snakes.  The snakes are deadly 
  poisonous but do not attack those in possession 
  of the bag.   
    When a snake is grabbed it immediately 
  stiffens and takes the appearance of a tlacochtli 
  dart.  The dart can then be launched from an 
  ahtlatl normally.  These darts do an additional 
  2d6 poison damage to victims who are struck by 
  the dart.  A Constitution save can be made with 
  a DC of 12 to half the poison damage. 
    The darts remain in dart form but can be 
  retrieved by the owner; at which time they revert 
  into snakes.  If the owner is killed before a dart 
  is retrieved it may be retrieved by anyone who 
  claims ownership of the bag. 
   
  SKIN OF POURING 
  Wondrous item, uncommon [pluma] 
   
  This waterskin is formed of tightly interwoven 
  feathers.  It is always full of sweet tasting water 
  and can pour water at the rate of 5 gallons each 
  minute. 
   
  SANDALS OF SPEED 
  Wondrous item, rare [hishna] 
   
  These sandals allow you to increase your 
  movement by 10 feet.  You also may travel an 
  additional 6 hours per day without danger of 
  suffering the effects of exhaustion.  These 
  sandals are a favorite of the pochteca travelling 
  merchants. 
   
  SPIDERWALKER 
  Wondrous item, rare [hishna] 
   
  What initially appears to be the dried husk of a 
  dead tarantula spider is in fact an item of hishna 
  magic.   
    When activated, the spiredwalker grows and 
  becomes a living giant spider (though its type is 
  now construct).  The spider obeys the commands 
  of the one who activated it and control cannot be 
  turned to another.  The spiderwalker can be 
  deactivated but then cannot be reactivated until 
  the following evening.  This is also true if the 
  spider is slain. 
    The spiderwalker may only be activated when 
  the sun is down and it ceases functioning at 
  sunrise. 
   
  TALON OF ZALTEC 
  Weapon (claw), rare [hishna] 
   
  This weapon is fashioned from a desiccated 
  jaguar claw at the end of a small wooden stick.  
  It causes 1d6+1 slashing damage, has a bonus of 
  +1 to hit, and contains a virulent poison which 
  does 3d6 poison damage (Constitution save DC 
  13 for half damage) and gives the poisoned 
  condition on a failed Constitution save. 
    The user may forego a claw attack to spray 
  powder in a ten foot cone that causes victims 
  who fail a DC 13 Constitution save to be blinded 
  for 2d6 hours.  There is enough powder for 3 
  uses of this ability each day. 
   
  *Special Note on Artisan Talismans:  Lesser 
  talismans are common items, normal talismans 
  are uncommon or occasionally rare, major 
  talismans are either rare or very rare and 
  legendary talismans are legendary. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  MONSTERS 
   
  There are creatures in Maztica that do not exist 
  anywhere else in the world as well as unique 
  variations of well-known monsters.  Maztica has 
  always been a dangerous place, but since the 
  Night of Wailing, it appears that there are far 
  more threats than before in the history of the 
  True World. 
  
   
  74 
   
   
  JAGUAR 
  Medium beast, unaligned 
   
  Armor Class 12  
  Hit Points 13 (3d8) 
  Speed 50 ft., climb 40 ft.  
   
  __________________________________________________________________________________________ 
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  14 (+2) 
  15 (+2) 
  10 (+0) 
  3 (-4) 
  14 (+2) 
  9 (-1) 
   
  __________________________________________________________________________________________ 
   
  Skills Perception +4, Stealth +6 
  Senses passive Perception 14  
  Languages — 
  Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)  
   
  __________________________________________________________________________________________ 
   
  Keen Smell. A jaguar has advantage on Wisdom 
  (Perception) checks that rely on smell.  
   
  Jungle Camouflage.  A jaguar has advantage on 
  Dexterity (Stealth) checks made in a jungle terrain.  
   
  Pounce. If the jaguar moves at least 20 feet straight 
  toward a creature and then hits it with a claw attack 
  on the same turn, that target must succeed on a DC 
  12 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.  If 
  the target is prone, the jaguar can make one bite 
  attack against it as a bonus action. 
      
  Actions  
  __________________________________________________________________________________________ 
   
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) piercing damage. 
  Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 4 (1d4+2) slashing damage. 
   
   
   
  TAPIR 
  Medium beast, unaligned 
   
  Armor Class 11 (natural armor)  
  Hit Points 11 (2d8+2)  
  Speed 40 ft.  
   
  __________________________________________________________________________________________ 
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  10 (+0) 
  11 (+0) 
  10 (+0) 
  2 (-4) 
  10 (+0) 
  5 (-3) 
   
  __________________________________________________________________________________________ 
   
  Skills Perception +2, Stealth +2 
  Senses passive Perception 12  
  Languages — 
  Challenge 1/8 (25 XP)  
   
  __________________________________________________________________________________________ 
   
  Jungle Camouflage.  A tapir has advantage on 
  Dexterity (Stealth) checks made in a jungle 
  terrain.  
   
  Actions  
  __________________________________________________________________________________________ 
   
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 3 (1d6) piercing damage. 
   
  
   
  75 
   
   
    
   
  GIANT FIRE ANT WORKER 
  Medium beast, unaligned 
   
  Armor Class 13 (natural armor)  
  Hit Points 4 (1d8)  
  Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.  
   
  __________________________________________________________________________________________ 
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  12 (+1) 
  15 (+2) 
  11 (+0) 
  2 (-4) 
  11 (+0) 
  4 (-3) 
   
  __________________________________________________________________________________________ 
   
  Skills Perception +2 
  Senses blindsense 30 ft., passive Perception 12  
  Languages — 
  Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)  
   
  __________________________________________________________________________________________ 
   
  Chemical Communication.  Giant fire ants can 
  pass information to other ants using chemical 
  secretions instantly.  If each ant is at least within ten 
  feet of another, unless each ant is surprised, none 
  can be surprised. 
      
  Actions  
  __________________________________________________________________________________________ 
   
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 4 (1d6+1) piercing damage plus 2 
  (1d4) acid damage. 
  GIANT FIRE ANT MALE 
  Medium beast, unaligned 
   
  Armor Class 14 (natural armor)  
  Hit Points 5 (1d8+1)  
  Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft., fly 30 ft.  
   
  __________________________________________________________________________________________ 
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  14 (+2) 
  15 (+2) 
  12 (+1) 
  2 (-4) 
  11 (+0) 
  4 (-3) 
   
  __________________________________________________________________________________________ 
   
  Skills Perception +2 
  Senses blindsense 30 ft., passive Perception 12  
  Languages — 
  Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)  
   
  __________________________________________________________________________________________ 
   
  Chemical Communication.  Giant fire ants can 
  pass information to other ants using chemical 
  secretions instantly.  If each ant is at least within ten 
  feet of another, unless each ant is surprised, none 
  can be surprised. 
      
  Actions  
  __________________________________________________________________________________________ 
   
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) piercing damage plus 2 
  (1d4) acid damage. 
   
  GIANT FIRE ANT QUEEN 
  Large beast, unaligned 
   
  Armor Class 15 (natural armor)  
  Hit Points 19 (3d10+3)  
  Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft., fly 30 ft.  
   
  __________________________________________________________________________________________ 
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  16 (+3) 
  10 (+0) 
  12 (+1) 
  5 (-3) 
  12 (+1) 
  7 (-2) 
   
  __________________________________________________________________________________________ 
   
  Saving Throws Wis +3 
  Skills Perception +4 
  Senses blindsense 30 ft., passive Perception 14 
  Languages — 
  Challenge 1 (100 XP)  
   
  __________________________________________________________________________________________ 
   
  Chemical Communication.  Giant fire ants can pass 
  information to other ants using chemical secretions 
  instantly.  If each ant is at least within ten feet of 
  another, unless each ant is surprised, none can be 
  surprised. 
      
  Actions  
  __________________________________________________________________________________________ 
   
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 7 (1d8+3) piercing damage plus 3 (1d6) 
  acid damage. 
  Acid Spray (Recharge 5-6). The queen sprays acid 
  in a 30 foot cone.  Each creature in that area must 
  make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw, taking 13 (3d8) 
  points of acid damage on a failed save or half as 
  much damage on a successful one. 
   
   
  Jacob Blackmon 
  
   
  76 
   
  PLUMAZOTL 
  The plumazotl are a race of beings created long 
  ago by mankind that have spread far and wide 
  across the face of Maztica.  They are a kind race 
  of creatures composed entirely of bright feathers 
  and come in two different varieties, one bird-like 
  and the other humanoid. 
     Intelligent Constructs. Plumazotl are 
  constructs that developed an independent will of 
  their own.  They are kind, wise and generally 
  nonviolent, but are known to protect their own 
  fiercely. 
     Procreation. Plumazotl have learned to breed 
  in a truly unique fashion.  They continually seek 
  out rare and precious feathers that they add to 
  their own forms.  Bird plumazotl eventually gain 
  enough mass to become a humanoid plumazotl.  
  A humanoid can then in turn weave a new bird 
  plumazotl from its own store of feathers.   
     Children of an Artisan.  In ages past, perhaps 
  the greatest plumaweaver to have ever lived 
  created the plumazotl with his wife in an act of 
  inspired artistry.  This plumaweaver, Itzamna 
  Manik, was slain by the gods for his hubris, but 
  his children live on.  Some rumors claim that his 
  wife may yet live on as well.  The plumazotl 
  eternally lament the loss of their master and 
  creator and oppose the servants of the gods who 
  destroyed him. 
     Pluma Magic. Plumazotls are capable of 
  casting a limited number of spells of pluma 
  magic.   
     Familiars. The bird plumazotl are often 
  chosen as familiars by good plumacasters.  They 
  are easily kept happy sharing the rare feathers a 
  plumacaster comes across. 
  
   
  77 
   
   
   
  ADVENTURES 
   
  Adventuring in Maztica is a unique challenge 
  and experience for both players and DMs.  It is a 
  fantastical approach to cultures that might not be 
  familiar to either.  The following sections can be 
  used to spark adventures (or used in their 
  entirety) for years to come. 
   
  HOOKS AND RUMORS 
   
  It cannot be forgotten that Maztica is in fact a 
  continent, and the possibilities for adventure are 
  virtually limitless.  The novels and to a lesser 
  extent the 2nd Edition boxed set define an 
  adventure of epic scope, but there are many  
   
   
   
  more than what can be covered in just those few 
  pages.  
   
  The following section is devoted to a few 
  additional rumors and adventure hooks that the 
  DM could easily expand upon.  Some are 
  specific to locations while others are easily 
  placed anywhere within the True World.   
   
  As noted, each individual plot hook has a section 
  dedicated to the players and one exclusively for 
  the DM. 
   
  The Men of Mud, Wood and Gold 
   
  When the gods first came to the True World they 
  sought to create man to worship and honor them. 
  BIRD PLUMAZOTL 
  Tiny construct, lawful good 
   
  Armor Class 13  
  Hit Points 7 (2d4+2)  
  Speed 10 ft., fly 60 ft.  
   
  __________________________________________________________________________________________ 
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  6 (-2) 
  16 (+3) 
  12 (+1) 
  10 (+0) 
  14 (+2) 
  12 (+1) 
   
  __________________________________________________________________________________________ 
   
  Damage Vulnerabilities fire 
  Damage Resistance bludgeoning, piercing, and 
  slashing from nonmagical weapons 
  Senses passive Perception 12  
  Languages Maztican, Payit 
  Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)  
   
  __________________________________________________________________________________________ 
   
  Innate Spellcasting. The plumazotl’s 
  spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 12, 
  +4 to hit with spell attacks).  It can innately cast 
  the following spells, requiring no material 
  components. 
  At will: cool, tickle, warmth 
  3/day: feather darts 
      
  Actions  
  __________________________________________________________________________________________ 
   
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) piercing. 
  Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) slashing. 
   
   
   
  HUMANOID PLUMAZOTL 
  Medium construct, lawful good 
   
  Armor Class 13  
  Hit Points 22 (6d8+4)  
  Speed 30 ft., fly 60 ft.  
   
  __________________________________________________________________________________________ 
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  6 (-2) 
  16 (+3) 
  12 (+1) 
  11 (+0) 
  16 (+3) 
  14 (+2) 
   
  __________________________________________________________________________________________ 
   
  Damage Vulnerabilities fire 
  Damage Resistance bludgeoning, piercing, and 
  slashing from nonmagical weapons 
  Senses passive Perception 13  
  Languages Maztican, Payit 
  Challenge 2 (450 XP)  
   
  __________________________________________________________________________________________ 
   
  Innate Spellcasting. The plumazotl’s 
  spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 13, 
  +4 to hit with spell attacks).  It can innately cast 
  the following spells, requiring no material 
  components. 
  At will: cool, tickle, warmth 
  3/day each: arrowflight, feather darts 
  1/day each: protection from hishna, slashing   
     plumage 
      
  Actions  
  __________________________________________________________________________________________ 
   
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 6 (1d6+3) piercing. 
  Tlahhuītōlli. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, 
  range 150/600 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) 
  piercing damage. 
   
  
   
  78 
   
  First, they created men from the mud of the 
  great riverbanks. At first, these men pleased the 
  gods, but when Azul's first rains came, the men 
  were washed away and the first playthings of the 
  gods were lost to them. Next, the gods attempted 
  to make man of wood. The rains came and the 
  wooden man could withstand even the greatest 
  deluge. The gods were pleased until the 
  lightning of Tezca set the wooden man on fire, 
  and once again the gods had failed. They then 
  forged a man of gold. While these beings were 
  immune to both the rains and fire, they had no 
  true tonalli to speak of and the gods were not 
  satisfied with their worship. The gold man was 
  soon discarded and the gods despaired. Finally, 
  the Father of the Gods, great Kukul- took his 
  macuahuitl and severed his own fingers. The 
  fingers fell to the world and wriggled until they 
  stood and mankind as we know it was born. The 
  gods were finally pleased. 
   
  There have been stories handed down from the 
  greatest plumaweavers that not all of these men 
  perished in those ancient days. The legends hold 
  that those that survived felt abandoned by their 
  creators and hold no love for their gods, or for 
  their favored creations... 
   
  In a remote part of the True World, these proto-
  men do still survive. The men of mud (lutum), 
  wood (evil treants) and gold (golems) still 
  survive in hidden valleys far from major human 
  population centers. Perhaps one of these hidden 
  enclaves is found and the creatures vent their 
  rage on the interlopers. After tasting a small bit 
  of revenge, perhaps they seek more and begin 
  terrorizing local villages and towns. Can the 
  adventurers stop them? Perhaps the gods 
  themselves could be convinced to accept their 
  long lost creations? Kiltzi as the goddess of love, 
  for one, might favor acceptance and forgiveness 
  - but do these "original men" even want to be 
  accepted? 
   
  The Thirteen Butterflies of Qotal 
   
  In ancient days the gods commanded their 
  worshipers to build them a pyramid of such 
  splendor that none like it had ever been known 
  before in the True World. The gods directed 
  them to build this pyramid deep in the desolation 
  of the House of Tezca, where the gods could 
  battle within its gargantuan temple. Qotal and 
  Zaltec provided for their devoted in the desert 
  and soon a city formed with numerous homes, 
  palaces and additional places of worship. This 
  City of the Gods was known as Tewahca and 
  before the battle was to commence, the gods 
  demanded sacrifice.  
   
  Zaltec called to his throngs of warriors and soon 
  ten-thousand strong offered their hearts upon the 
  pyramid's blood soaked steps. Qotal, ever the 
  gentler of the brothers, brought only a gilded 
  cage of thirteen butterflies for his own sacrifice. 
  As he released the butterflies, they flew from the 
  cage and all signs of Zaltec's gory deeds were 
  cleared. Zaltec roared his rage and battle 
  commenced between the siblings. To the delight 
  of his devout, Qotal emerged victorious that 
  day.  
   
  After the battle, the desert began to once again 
  dry up and soon after, the human inhabitants fled 
  to other lands. Tewahca was lost to the sands of 
  time and remained hidden for centuries (though 
  in more recent events it has been found!). 
  Qotal's butterflies too, had never been seen 
  again, though it is said that wherever they flew, 
  the most verdant and colorful regions of the 
  True World were born.  
   
  In Far Payit, blight has affected the lush jungles. 
  Slowly, vast swaths of the wooded realm have 
  turned pale and lifeless. Elders of Tulom-Itzi 
  have determined that this destruction has been 
  caused by the smallest of creatures. This insect, 
  known to the white skinned immigrants as a 
  "beetle" is not an enemy that can be defeated 
  with macuahuitl or magic. It seems as if the 
  forests and jungles are doomed and only the 
  gods themselves could save Far Payit now. 
   
  Watil, Maztica's goddess of plants and nature, 
  has provided one of her highest priestesses with 
  knowledge of a possible solution. This priestess 
  was given a vision during her sleep that she was 
  flying through the jungles at a great speed. After 
  what may have been moments or hours, as time 
  was incomprehensible in her vision- the 
  priestess came upon a sheer cliff in the jungle. A 
  narrow cleft in the rock, only large enough for 
  
   
  79 
   
  travelers to pass one at a time became visible 
  under thick vines and foliage. High above the 
  cleft, she noticed a symbol. Her eyes, or rather 
  her awareness, could not focus on the image to 
  begin with, but soon the symbol began to glow- 
  beckoning her deeper into the cleft. The now 
  golden image was unmistakably in the form of a 
  beautiful butterfly. Perhaps the very ones that 
  Qotal had so long ago unleashed upon the 
  world! As the priestess forced her consciousness 
  into the cleft, a new feeling fell upon her; this 
  one was of menace and darkness. Before she 
  could go much further, the feeling became 
  overwhelming and the last thing she could 
  remember was the feeling of teeth and the smell 
  of rank breath surrounding her... 
   
  The Princess Aliah and the Obsessed Prince of 
  Far Payit 
   
  The tragedy of Princess Aliah is perhaps the 
  greatest story of obsession known among 
  the mortals of the True World. With gods, even 
  kindhearted ones, who behave as they do-this 
  story of jealousy comes as no surprise, but it is 
  no less tragic for that knowledge. This event 
  might not have been the direct cause of the end 
  of the Golden Age of Payit, but it certainly 
  heralded the beginning of the end.  
   
  During the Golden Age of Payit, mankind had 
  moved into grand cities and advanced in the arts, 
  astronomy and trade like at no other time in 
  history. A young princess of Ulatos known as 
  Aliah was said to have been the most beautiful 
  woman in the land and many suitors sought her 
  hand. She was betrothed to her half -brother Xetl 
  when she came of age and men across many 
  nations despaired. The proud prince Tacal of Far 
  Payit, however, would not accept anyone but 
  himself as her rightful husband. Tacal believed 
  himself to be the only one suited to marry such a 
  bright jewel and with a small group of 
  conspirators, he formulated a plan to take her. 
  On the evening of her wedding to Xetl, Tacal 
  and his allies infiltrated the grand ceremony. 
  When the time was right, he signaled his men 
  and before she could make her vows she was 
  bound, gagged, and whisked away to the edge of 
  the temple. The Eagle and Jaguar Knights of 
  Ulatos were too persistent and canny to be 
  outmaneuvered and Tacal was soon caught. His 
  retinue was slain to the man. Tacal was a prince 
  of the city of Tulom-Itzi in Far Payit and his 
  whole family had been invited to the ceremony. 
  They too were slain in the chance that they 
  might be in league with the abductor.  
   
  When Tacal saw his plans foiled and his entire 
  family thrown from the edges of the temple, his 
  mind was shattered. With an obsidian dagger he 
  cut the throat of Aliah and murdered the object 
  of his obsession. 
   
  Though war never blossomed between Payit and 
  Far Payit, something certainly changed in the 
  True World after the tragedy. Trade diminished, 
  art and learning no longer flourished, and soon 
  the families began to move back into the jungle 
  and the much smaller villages.  Civilization, it 
  seemed, was to take a step backwards. 
   
  Recently, apparitions have been seen in modern 
  Ulatos and even in nearby Helmsport. It is said 
  that the spirits of both Aliah and her tormentor 
  have never quite rested fully. 
   
  In truth, Aliah has moved on to her just reward 
  in the afterlife, but the rumors are true about 
  Tacal. His jealousy and betrayal have caused 
  him to arise as a powerful mictlanec, and he 
  forever seeks his "betrothed." Tacal has 
  remained buried in his unmarked grave for 
  centuries but was released after recent 
  construction in the outskirts of Ulatos. He has 
  since located his former co-conspirators and 
  they serve him again as shadows. Now, Tacal 
  searches in the darkest hours for Aliah and he is 
  more than happy to enact revenge on the people 
  of Ulatos during his search. 
   
  The Door of Stars 
   
  The Otomi had resisted the expansion of the 
  Nexalans with success exceeded only by the 
  fierce Kultakans throughout the history of the 
  empire. Many times the Revered Counselors of 
  Nexal sought slaves and sacrifice from the city, 
  and many times they have been turned back in 
  defeat. Nexal however, has seen success on 
  occasion, particularly under the command of 
  Chalco, and the Otomi have been forced to flee 
  
   
  80 
   
  into the nearby mountains. This, however, is 
  where the true mystery of the Otomi lies. When 
  they have been forced to flee, the Otomi have 
  managed to disappear without a trace and avoid 
  nearly all pursuit. It was almost as if they 
  disappeared into the mountains themselves. 
  Nexalans who chased the Otomi into the 
  mountains would always find the trail to go cold, 
  and thus they have never managed to fully 
  subjugate the Otomi. 
   
  For centuries, the Otomi have managed to keep 
  their secret hidden. The Amnians however, 
  forever curious and full of explorers, have 
  sought to uncover this mystery. The full truth 
  has never been fully uncovered but recent 
  divinations have given only a phrase, "Cilaqui 
  Ciyahui." Roughly translated from Maztican to 
  the common tongue, this means, "The Door of 
  Stars." 
   
  The Otomi have been in the mountains for as 
  long as their written records can detail, but they 
  have found remnants of a civilization far older 
  than their own. Ancient ruins lie hidden in 
  valleys and on the faces of the sheerest cliffs. In 
  one of these ruins the artifact known as Cilaqui 
  Ciyahui was found. This fifteen foot diameter 
  stone disk is engraved with symbols completely 
  unknown and unidentifiable by Maztican or 
  Faerunian alike. There are literally hundreds of 
  the symbols located in fifteen movable rings on 
  the disk's surface.  
   
  When the symbols are moved into the correct 
  alignment the stone disk will glow brightly 
  before the interior fades to a shimmering blue 
  membrane for a full hour. This membrane is 
  a gate to some other place. In fact, there are 
  many "other places" to which the disk can 
  transport if the proper sequence of symbols is 
  aligned. 
   
  The Otomi themselves have found one particular 
  sequence that led them to a dead land under a 
  darkened green sky. It was found within a 
  different ruin long ago, and it is to this dead 
  world that the Otomi have always fled to avoid 
  pursuit. The end point of the gate was a disk 
  similar to the original, and the Otomi were wise 
  enough to realize that a distinct set of runes 
  etched above the outermost ring could be used to 
  return to Toril. 
   
  Experimentation with the disk has yielded only 
  disaster to the Otomi and has been long 
  forbidden. Very few combinations have an 
  effect, but on one occasion, terrible two limbed 
  beasts poured through the gate and slew dozens 
  of Otomi warriors using a sound that was greater 
  than thunder before they were laid low. A 
  second attempt drew the curious Otomi who 
  passed through into an endless darkness where 
  he floated off screaming into the void.  It would 
  take definitive proof of an actual destination- 
  perhaps a sequence found in another ruin- to 
  convince the Otomi to use the artifact for any 
  other purpose. 
   
  *Note - This hook is designed to allow players to 
  move their adventures to other Mesoamerican 
  game settings. The creators remain unknown 
  (perhaps it was the batrachi or a spelljamming 
  race), but if the players gain access to Cilaqui 
  Ciyahui and find a new sequence in some 
  remote ruin, they could be adventuring in 
  Mystara's Hollow World tomorrow if the DM so 
  chooses. 
   
  Camazotz 
   
  The name Camazotz has been spoken in stories 
  both ancient and new. A "boogeyman" as the 
  white men of Faerun would say, or a god that 
  only the mind-shattered would honor. As dark 
  Zaltec eats the hearts of his worshipers, this 
  divine being is said to drink the blood spilled 
  both in sacrifice and on the fields of war. 
  Though they share a moniker with another dark 
  being, the "obsidian butterflies" of the True 
  World (bats, to Faerunians) are said to heed his 
  every command and when a child is found pale 
  and bloodless on a morning after particularly 
  starless nights, they are said to have fed the god. 
   
  Children are not the only victims of the god's 
  deprived appetite and many careless men and 
  women have disappeared in the jungles only to 
  be found days later, completely drained. The 
  disappearances have occurred much more 
  frequently as of late. 
   
  
   
  81 
   
  While Camazotz might be the name of a true 
  deity, the being who takes that name in Maztica 
  is nothing of the sort, yet he is no less 
  horrifying. Camazotz was one of the first men of 
  Maztica, possibly one of the actual fingers of 
  Kukul that first wriggled to life in untold ages 
  past. He was the first to worship Zaltec as his 
  dark patron, though before long he developed 
  his own taste for blood and the hearts of 
  sacrifice. Camazotz began to believe himself 
  greater than his deity and more worthy of 
  sacrifice than the Eater of Hearts himself. His 
  powerful personality convinced more than a few 
  of his claims and these sycophants were forced 
  to build temples to the man-god. 
   
  It is said that Zaltec himself slew the pretender 
  upon the summit of one of his own blasphemous 
  temple-pyramids and with that the time of 
  Camazotz was thought to be over. 
   
  Itzapaplotl, the true Obsidian Butterfly and 
  demoness of the Maztican pantheon, at the time 
  was a lover to Zaltec. Their "relationship" as it 
  was, was fraught with jealousy and grabs for 
  power, and in Camazotz she saw a way to hurt 
  her dark bed mate. She raised Camazotz as the 
  undead- one who forever depended on blood and 
  would forever take what he could grab from the 
  mouth of Zaltec himself. Knowing that Zaltec 
  would seek his demise, Camazotz stuck to the 
  dark places of the world and hid. Over the 
  centuries he grew in power and fed from the lost 
  and the unwanted. This ancient Maztican 
  vampire now has followers hidden in all parts of 
  the True World and he still plots to one day take 
  the divinity that he rightfully deserves. 
   
  The Unwilling Calixtla 
   
  Not every city, town and village holds Qotal or 
  Zaltec above all gods. The desert town of 
  Calixatletl, for one, has always held Tezca as 
  their patron above his brothers.  This devotion is 
  due to the fact that the inhabitants beseech 
  Tezca's for their day to day survival. They have 
  managed to thrive in an environment where it 
  was thought only the Hairy Men of the Desert 
  could dwell.  
   
  No man could survive without water, but the 
  legends state that Azul shared some of his 
  bounty with Tezca - in the form of the sand 
  mother cactus, and Tezca has in turn shared this 
  knowledge with his faithful.  Also, the terrible 
  fire lizards of the desert have been tamed by the 
  hishnashapers of Calixihuatl and now the great 
  lizards can be mounted like the horses of the 
  white men. 
   
  Tezca's blessings do not come free, however and 
  there is a toll in blood that must be paid. 
  Sacrifice might not be as common as it was in 
  Nexal during that cursed city's heyday, but the 
  inhabitants certainly show their devotion by 
  paying a bitter price. 
   
  The most important day of the Calixihuatl's 
  calendar is without a doubt the day of the year 
  when the sun remains in the sky the longest. On 
  this day, known as Tezcalhuitl (literally, 
  "Tezca's Day), a new leader is elected by high 
  priests to rule the town for a full year. During 
  this year the man is regarded to be Tezca 
  himself, and is treated as such. His every whim 
  is obeyed and his feet are never again allowed to 
  touch the ground, lest he become insulted and 
  stop the sun from rising. Held aloft on beds of 
  dry grass and plumage (which is typically 
  gathered on great expeditions into more verdant 
  lands), this man, who is known as the Calixtla - 
  is to want for nothing. 
   
  On the following Tezcalhuitl, before the next 
  Calixtla is elected, the previous god-king is 
  sacrificed and his heart is eaten by Tezca's 
  priests so that they might partake in the body of 
  their deity. Knowing that he served his people 
  well and that he would soon join his god, the 
  Calixtla willingly allows this to occur. 
   
  While brutal, the Calixtla system has worked for 
  the town since time immemorial. The god is 
  satisfied, the people survive, and life goes on in 
  this fledgling city in the desert. 
   
  All was well in Calixatletl until the most recent 
  Tezcahuitl. A stranger came to the town only a 
  short time before seeking water and refuge. 
  Tezca's priests determined that the man was 
  cursed and his heart was given to Tezca. Since 
  then, the current Calixatletl - a former Jaguar 
  
   
  82 
   
  Knight named Xiuhyo, has refused to give 
  himself to Tezca. Tezcahuitl has already passed 
  and the signs of Tezca's disapproval have 
  already made themselves known. The fire lizards 
  have grown restless and many attack their own 
  handlers. Blight has also appeared on the sand 
  mother cacti causing water supplies to run low. 
  The priests of Tezca fear that they may awaken 
  one day soon to find that the sun itself has not 
  risen! They are helpless under these conditions, 
  as a Calixtla has never before refused his 
  destiny. As the physical manifestation of their 
  god, they cannot force the sacrifice - but neither 
  can they wait much longer. Perhaps this is time 
  to seek outside help, and perhaps the odd group 
  of strangers that have recently been spotted were 
  destined to solve the Calixtla's mysterious 
  behavior? 
   
  Rumors from the South 
   
  One of the survivors of Cordell’s original 
  invasion and attempted subjugation of Nexal 
  was a soldier named Jalimar Trollslayer.  He 
  was a greedy man who cared all too much for 
  the gold that the expedition sought after and he 
  was not well-liked by the natives for this reason.  
  However, Jalimar was a brave soldier in battle 
  and he was awarded a large tract of land by 
  Cordell, which became a plantation.   
   
  Jalimar, in his lust for gold, was never satisfied 
  in his role as a plantation owner and he 
  eventually sold the land to a petty noble from 
  Memnon known as Drakosa.   
   
  Jalimar set forth on an expedition of his own, 
  following rumors of vast amounts of wealth far 
  to the south.  Along with him, he brought ten 
  other Amnites and fifty native Payits.  Not a 
  single member of this large expedition was ever 
  seen again. 
   
  The story of Jalimar Trollslayer was a deterrent 
  to others who might have sought wealth of their 
  own in the south.  For decades, the only 
  knowledge of these far lands has remained its 
  name – Lopango.   
   
  Jalimar’s standard was recently found in the 
  possession of a pochteca and identified by a 
  scholar of the white folk of Tukan.  Emblazoned 
  on a golden disk, the sign of a trolls skull split 
  by a broadsword and emblazoned with a motif 
  of fire was unmistakable.   What was even more 
  surprising, was the fact that the coin had been 
  printed with a date, and that date was only two 
  years ago! 
   
  *Note – This hook is developed off of the 
  description of Plantation Drakosa from page 7 of 
  FMA1 Fires of Zatal.  In addition, it is designed 
  to give a reason for sending players to the 
  southern continent of Lopango.  What has truly 
  become of Jalimar and his expedition is left to 
  the DM to decide. 
   
  THE DARK MOUND 
   
  Dark Mound is a short series of encounters 
  designed for new characters in the setting of 
  Maztica.  By the end of the adventure, 
  depending on the PCs actions and the number of 
  encounters that occur, the players should have 
  gained a few levels.  It is designed to begin at 
  1st or possibly 2nd level. 
   
  BACKGROUND   
   
  Tulom-Itzi was destroyed by thousands of 
  marching giant ants spurred on by Lolth’s dark 
  magic and the bidding of the albino drider 
  Darien well over a hundred years ago.  
   
  The ants were eventually destroyed and Tulom-
  Itzi was rebuilt, but the ant threat never truly 
  disappeared.  Some ants, led on by pure instinct, 
  founded their own new colonies and new queens 
  were born in their dark tunnels. 
   
  The Itza inhabitants of Far Payit are not old 
  enough to have been alive when this horror 
  occurred.  However, they have been taught by 
  their parents and their parents’ parents to 
  eradicate colonies whenever they should pop up, 
  lest the terror of a century past come again.  
   
  SET UP 
   
  In Far Payit, the Itza people are always on the 
  lookout for new folk to help guard the numerous 
  
   
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  jungle villages.  Even Tulom-Itzi itself, the great 
  capital city of the jungle realm, has need of 
  heroes and the party looks like just the bunch. A 
  village elder attempts to hire the party to 
  eradicate a colony of fire ants.  This is not just 
  any colony, however, and the party is in for 
  quite a surprise if they believe themselves above 
  killing simple ants.  In fact, the colony in 
  question is of deadly giant fire ants!   
   
  The elder in question, a doddering old 
  plumaweaver names Atl, will offer the party a 
  princely sum of 30 gold quills should they slay 
  the colony queen and bring back evidence of her 
  demise.  With their queen destroyed, the 
  individual ants will likely disperse or sicken and 
  die on their own.  Either way, they will no 
  longer be an impending threat.  
    
  Entrance.  Read the following description to the 
  PCs as they approach the entrance to the anthill. 
   
   
   
   Once the PCs have entered the mound, they will 
  have to navigate a lair of dozens, if not hundreds 
  of chambers.  The interior is pitch black and 
  there is little sound except for the slight sounds 
  of movement from elsewhere in the mound.   
   
  Random Encounters. The players will have to 
  search the interior of the ant colony for 1d8 full 
  hours in order to finally reach Area A.  During 
  their exploration, they will have to roll every 15 
  minutes to see if they have a random encounter.  
  If the PCs declare that they are continually 
  heading downward whenever it is possible to do 
  so, reduce the time to 1d6 hours.   
   
  Some of these encounters occur within the 
  tunnels themselves in which case the PCs will 
  have to fight in single file from a prone position.  
  Roll 1d20 and check the following table to 
  determine if an encounter occurs. 
   
  RANDOM ENCOUNTERS 
   
  Roll 
  Encounter 
  Condition 
  1-10 
  None 
  None 
  11-12 
  1d4+2 Workers 
  None 
  13-14 
  1d4+2 Workers 
  Must fight prone 
  15-16 
  1d4 Males 
  None 
  17-18 
  1d4 Males 
  Must fight prone 
  19-20 
  1d4 Males + 1d4 
  Workers 
  None 
   
  Rewards.  In each ant encounter listed above 
  ants, there is a possibility that one of the ants is 
  dragging a corpse of some poor unfortunate 
  person (typically an Itza man or woman) to the 
  mushroom farm or directly to the larva chamber.  
  Roll 1d8 at the completion of each encounter.  
  Each of the following can only be rewarded 
  once.  If a result is repeated, treat it as if the 
  result was “none.” 
   
  REWARDS 
   
  Roll 
  Reward 
  1-4 
  None 
  5 
  A bag with five uncut pieces of jade 
  and 2 uncut pieces of turquoise (150 
  gp total) 
  6 
  A belt with a gold buckle (50 gp) and 
  two potions of healing 
  7 
  A featherwoven +1 ring of protection 
  8 
  A +1 tēmātlatl and 10 quills of gold 
  dust (50 gp) 
   
  Keyed Rooms.  Though there are hundreds of 
  tunnels and chambers in the ant colony, the true 
  heart lies deep in the lowest chambers. Areas A-
  F are the only keyed encounters but the DM may 
  want to develop other unique chambers. 
   
  This is by far the most massive 
  anthill you have ever seen.  Rising 
  twenty five feet or so into the air 
  you can only imagine the size of the 
  ants that live within.  You have 
  agreed to your quest however, and 
  no time is as good as now to begin.  
  As long as you stay close and cover 
  each other’s backs, you should be 
  able to get to the queen’s chamber 
  and slay her.  Or at least, you hope 
  you can. 
  
   
  84 
   
  A. Crossroads.  The party is entering the heart of 
  the dark mound and this is the area with the 
  highest traffic.  Roll once on the random 
  encounters table when the party first enters these 
  chambers, then again after each five minutes.   
   
  B.  Dead End.  Years ago a curious myconid and 
  some myconid adults broke through to this 
  portion of the ant colony.  They were 
  immediately beset upon by the ants and all were 
  slain but the king.  The ants instinctually 
  collapsed the majority of the tunnel but if the 
  DM chooses to allow it, the players could dig 
  here and find the entrance to the underdark.  The 
  digging would take two hours, requiring a roll 
  on the random encounters table every 15 
  minutes.  The uncovered tunnels then lead into 
  areas uncovered in the scope of this adventure.  
   
  There is something else of interest in the room.  
  Read the following to the PCs when they enter. 
   
   
   
  When things appear to be too good to be true, 
  they likely are.  The moment the first PC comes 
  within striking range, the chest will reveal itself 
  to be a mimic.  The mimic did not expect to see 
  humans in its current location but it had no use 
  in fooling the ants, so it has remained in its chest 
  shape indefinitely.  If the mimic falls to below 
  half its hits, it will attempt to plead for its life.  
  Unfortunately for the PCs (and possibly for the 
  mimic), it has nothing to offer. 
   
  C. Fungus Farm.  The fire ants are perfectly 
  willing to eat raw meat, but the vast majority of 
  their food comes from fungus that is carefully 
  cultivated by the ants.  This is a particularly 
  large fungus farm that is used primarily to feed 
  the queen and her larvae.  When the party enters 
  read the following. 
   
   
   
  The ants might not be intelligent but their 
  instincts are incredible when it comes to the 
  design and well-being of their home.  The ants 
  have trapped a myconid sovereign here that 
  came in through Area B before that exit to the 
  underdark was closed off.  The ants, perhaps due 
  to the effects of eating the strange fungus that 
  grows here, seem immune to all of his spore 
  attacks.  They have left the creature here alone 
  in the farm, but whenever the myconid attempts 
  to escape it is torn apart by male and worker 
  ants.  They always leave the myconid just 
  clinging to life.   
   
  The myconid’s presence here encourages the 
  growth of the fungi which the ant queen seems 
  to understand.  Its sad situation bears a stunning 
  resemblance to imprisonment.  
  As your light reaches the back of 
  the chamber, you notice something 
  that all adventurers like to see.  A 
  wooden chest sits in the center of 
  the chamber.  It is closed, but you 
  can only imagine what treasures lie 
  within! 
   
  You have just entered the largest 
  chamber you have yet to see within 
  the dark mound.  Your light source 
  shows that from end to end, the 
  chamber is probably over 200 feet 
  in diameter.  The ceiling also looms 
  about 50 feet above you.   
   
  As you look inside, you notice a 
  white fungus covers nearly the 
  entire chamber.  When you walk, 
  you find yourself ankle deep in the 
  material.  Protruding for the rot are 
  dozens of human, halfling, jaguar 
  and other less easily recognizable 
  corpses. 
   
  There are no ants here at the 
  moment but when you peer into 
  the back of the chamber you notice 
  some brown and red hued fungi as 
  well.  The fungi begin to move in 
  your direction!  
   
  
   
  85 
   
   
  Unfortunately, long years of solitude have 
  driven the myconid sovereign to insanity.  It is 
  now effectively a chaotic creature and will 
  attack anyone entering the farm on sight (with 
  the exception of the ants).  It will begin its attack 
  with hallucination spores. 
   
  The corpses are all in varying states of decay, 
  and a grand total of 350 gp in small items of 
  jewelry and loose coins can be found.  However, 
  it takes a full hour to search the room completely 
  and the random encounter table should be 
  consulted once again every 15 minutes (ignore 
  the prone condition).  
   
  D. Queen’s Chamber.  The giant fire ant 
  queen lairs in this chamber and she is 
  continually attended by 4 giant male fire ants.  
  The queen is in the process of laying eggs and is 
  not actually mobile at the moment.  She is, 
  however, capable of using her acid spray attack 
  and will do so whenever it is available and there 
  are PCs in range.  If the males are slain, she can 
  easily be picked off with ranged attacks. 
   
  E. Egg Chamber.  Five giant worker fire ants 
  continually attend the larva and eggs that occupy 
  this chamber.  There are currently close to 200 
  wriggling larva (noncombatant) and over 1,000 
  eggs!  If the queen has been slain the message 
  will already have been relayed to these workers 
  and they will go berserk.  Every round you can 
  roll a 1d4.  If a 4 is rolled, one of the ants begins 
  to attack another ant rather than the PCs. 
   
  F.  Mud Chamber.  The ant mound is truly a 
  wonder of architecture, particularly for creatures 
  that are supposedly unintelligent.  Whenever 
  heavy rain falls, excess water flows into this 
  chamber.  Without it, some of the nastier 
  weather might otherwise cause ants to drown.  It 
  has not rained severely in months so the bottom 
  is actually just a mud pit that PCs must make a 
  Dexterity (Acrobatics) check with a DC of 15 to 
  prevent themselves from getting stuck each 
  round they move in the chamber (treat a fail as if 
  the character is restrained, requiring a successful 
  Strength check with a DC of 15 to escape).  The 
  mud also acts as difficult terrain for movement 
  purposes.  What’s worse yet, is that a quintet of 
  mud mephits have made this pit their home.  
  The ants leave these planar nuisances be as they 
  don’t even appear as living beings to the ants.  
  The mephitis will wait until one or more PCs is 
  stuck in the mud to attack.   
   
  The mephits have collected small trinkets from 
  the victims of the ants over the year, most of 
  them worthless, but a DC 15 Wisdom 
  (Perception) check will uncover a skin of 
  pouring hidden in the muck. 
  B 
  A 
  C 
  D 
  E 
  F 
  25 feet 
  
   
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SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/3rd Party/Maztica 5e/TWC1 - Maztica Campaign Guide [5e].pdf