O Tlatoani!
As our game is based on real-life people and their mythology, it will have a story campaign. We’ll cover the background and some characters present from the beginning. Obviously, today’s entry contains some spoilers for the start of the game.
How did they get there?
In the real world, Aztecs migrated to the Valley of Mexico somewhere from the north. It would be way too simple, though. Aztecs believed that their ancestors formed a pact with Huitzilopochtli, the god of sun and war, in the mythical land of Aztlan. The deal was simple - the Aztecs would provide sacrifices and he would lead them to their promised land. After a long trek filled with tragic events and attrition, a small Aztec squad found an island in the middle of a lake. They recognised it as their promised land, as there was a stone that looked like a cactus. The name of the island became Tenochtitlán - it literally translates to Cactus Stone.
Upon further inspection, they found ruins of a massive pyramid temple. Nobody knew who had built it or what it had looked like in its prime. Aztecs used the rubble to shape their city… And this is the time you enter the scene - as the Tlatoani, the ruler of the Aztecs, who will rule them after the one who found the island passed away. While some comparisons could be drawn between the player character and Acamapichtli (the first Tlatoani), you will not embody this historical ruler.
A few words about morality
Aztecs are often considered to be violent savages both in historical sources and contemporary culture. Human sacrifices and a culture not shying away from warfare don’t exactly align with most ideas people subscribe to nowadays. The truth isn’t black and white, though and these people had plenty of great accomplishments as well - public hygiene, education for commoners and such. It would be unfair to neglect either of these aspects, so we aim to deliver a balanced approach to who the Aztecs were and what they did - acknowledging “the good” and “the bad”
As you’ll be controlling the Aztecs, you will be the “good guys”. “Good” is going to be quite a subjective term in this case. You’ll be doing things that won’t necessarily be considered moral, but all will serve the purpose of surviving yet another day. You’ll be benefiting your people.
If only it was so simple…
The consequences of your actions will catch up to you sometimes. While at the beginning of your game, you’ll clearly represent the good side, you’ll learn that the history of your people has plenty of dark and bloodstained pages. We don’t want to spoil too much, but you will need to encounter things that will haunt the Aztecs. Some major characters will also be crucial in that regard. Speaking of characters…
How I met your ruling cast?
Here are some of the most important people you’ll encounter during your rule
Coatl, Gods Advisor
The elder of the community. A voice of compassion and reason. As he’s been closely knit to the divine sphere, he understands the nature of gods and how violent they can be. A devout follower of Quetzalcoatl. Dedicated to education and expanding the wealth of Aztecs. Has some dark secrets he keeps to himself.
Yaotl, War Advisor
A military leader, who may seem a simple man on the outside, but has a mischievous and cunning nature he rarely shows. His main goal is to expand the Aztec sphere of influence via conquest. He will always be in favour of sacrificing more or less everyone you encounter, not caring about the well-being of other tribes.
Citlalee, Merchant
A hedonistic man who only cares about amassing wealth. He’ll gladly sell you goods of various nature, including slaves to sacrifice. While he generally prefers to be on good terms with you, you know he wouldn’t even blink if he had an opportunity to profit off of you. For example, by selling you off to someone else.
You’ll of course encounter other people as well. Some of them will be of help, others will be your adversaries. One of them, Achitometl, is going to be one of the major antagonists. A highborn of the Colhuacan tribe, he used to rule the Aztecs. He treated them with respect and recognised their might. Thinking it would be a good idea to tighten the bonds with the Aztecs, he agreed to have his daughter marry the Sun god. What he didn’t know was that the ritual included skinning the bride. This, understandably, sent him into a spiral of sorrow and hatred and he’ll be one of the main antagonists in the game. Will he be the main one? You’ll see!
Here is also the picture of Zyanya, a refugee leader who was already present in the demo. More to see from her in the future!
Conclusion
Some of you might be a bit upset we’ve shared some spoilers regarding the game in this devlog. Firstly, there was a warning in the beginning! Secondly, we’re pretty comfortable with it. While the game isn’t going to be overly long, we only scratched the surface and plenty more is to come. The development has been going well and we’ll be sharing more info on the game in the near future. Thank you for reading. Cheers!
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We’re always up for a talk and we appreciate each and every one of you!
