Aztec Pantheon

### Known Aliases

The Atzlánti, Nāhuatl Gods, Mēxihcah Gods, Mexican Gods, Aztec Gods, Mesoamerican Gods of Blood and Savagery

### Identity

Public Identity
(Believed to be Mythical by Most Persons)

## Membership

### Current Members

Centeōtl, Chalchiuhtlicue, Chantico, Chicomecōātl, Huēhuecoyōtl, Huītzilōpōchtli, Ītzpāpālōtl, Mictēcacihuātl, Mictlāntēcutli, Quetzalcoatl, Tezcatlipoca, Tlāloc, Tlazōlteōtl, Xipe Totec, Xōchipilli, Xōchiquetzal, Xolotl...

## Summary

Other pantheons question the "savage" methods of the Teōtl. The Teōtl question their dedication. Blood is the elixir that feeds the Aztec Gods, and it's the Gods who preserve the cosmos. Who are outsiders to question their methods when they stand between humanity and eternal darkness? To comprehend the Teōtl, one must understand the nature of sacrifice: *Sacrifice unto them, and they will sacrifice unto you. Are you strong enough? Are you brave enough? Are you prepared to pay the price?*

For the Teōtl, continuity is more important than community or individuality. A specific human is unimportant. Likewise, a specific village, family, clan, or nation is equally unimportant. The most important issue is that the Sun continues on its daily course, that the Moon follows the Sun in its appointed routes, and that the stars continue to shine on their proper schedule. Yet astronomical normality and regularity require bloody sacrifices, and even if other Gods deplore the Teōtl's methods, they cannot deny that at least the calendar proceeds in its usual and expected way.

The Teōtl have weaknesses, naturally, and their greatest stumbling block is their desperate need for blood. Blood fuels and expedites all Aztec magic and divine powers, and while Quetzalcoatl might need only a drop of blood for his workings, Huītzilōpōchtli seems to need it by the buckets. Other Gods wonder how much of this kind of sacrifice is personal preference and how much is genuine necessity. Nonetheless, the Teōtl need blood, recently spilled animal or human blood, to do their part in preserving reality. And what better blood to spill to ensure the continuation of the Sun’s course than the blood of a glorious child of the Gods?

### History

Born of the Primordials Ometecuhtli (Tōnacātēcuhtli) and Omecihuatl (Tōnacācihuātl), the four sons of heaven, the "Tezcatlipocas", begot many other Gods and were tasked with populating the cosmos. Taking up their task with vigor, the Four Tezcatlipocas' attempts were thwarted when the fearsome crocodilian monster Cipactli consumed all they wrought. The Black Tezcatlipoca (and the only Tezcatlipoca to call himself Tezcatlipoca) plunged his foot into the void to distract Cipactli, who quickly devoured it, only to be set upon by the other Tezcatlipocas in all their fury. The brothers then tore Cipactli asunder to create the cosmos: Its head became the Overworld, its tail the Underworld, and its body the Mortal World.

With Cipactli vanquished, the five worlds were created... and then destroyed, along with all their peoples. Each had a Sun whose light was extinguished. First it was Tezcatlipoca, the Jaguar Sun, who took up the responsibility of lighting the world by jumping into the sacrificial fire, but his dark nature or his missing leg weakened him, and he burned but dimly. Quetzalcoatl knocked him from the sky and took his place. Furious, Tezcatlipoca had his jaguars consume the race of giants that populated the First World.

During the reign of Quetzalcoatl, the Wind Sun, the new people became lax and descended into decadence. Tezcatlipoca then changed the worst of them into monkeys, and Quetzalcoatl swept humanity from the land in a fearsome hurricane. Defeated, he vacated his place as sun and abandoned the few surviving monkeys to eternal darkness.

Tlāloc, the Rain Sun, was next to take up the burden. He shone brightly over a loving humanity until Tezcatlipoca stole his beloved wife Xōchiquetzal. In his grief, Tlāloc failed to send rain, plunging the world into drought. Humanity begged him for succor, but their pleas exceeded his mercy, and Tlāloc sent a fiery rain to burn them to ash.

From the ashes, the world was rebuilt, and Tlāloc was quickly replaced by his second wife Chalchihuitlicue, the Water Sun. Jealous of her kind treatment of humanity and the veneration she received, Tezcatlipoca called Chalchihuitlicue’s sincerity into question, forcing her to cry so vigorously, she drowned the world in a flood of tears.

Quetzalcoatl then descended to Mictlān to retrieve humanity’s bones from prior ages. He sprinkled them with his blood, creating the humans of today. The humblest of the Gods, Nanahuatzin, sacrificed himself to become the Fifth Sun, but required the hearts and blood of all the Teōtl to set him into motion. As the Teōtl’s blood burned and steamed skyward, the Earthquake Sun was born. This is the final sun, for there will not be a sixth. Should the Teōtl fail, earthquakes will rend the world as celestial horrors consume humanity, but the Gods know their duty. There is nothing they won’t sacrifice for humanity, and they expect nothing less in return.

## Principal Members

The Teōtl are a fearsome pantheon that maintains a great sense of duty and sacrifice. They are passionate, yet sober, inclined toward fatalism while knowing they can change their destiny. They hold a rigid hierarchy with clear demarcations between the powers of one God and another, but encourage innovation among their Scions. While ultimately dedicated to maintaining the Fifth Sun and reclaiming their civilization, they are more than capable of destructive infighting. The Teōtl are a study in contrasts, but all are united behind the ideal of shared sacrifice.

The principal members of the Teōtl Pantheon include: Chalchiuhtlicue (She of the Jade Skirt), Chantico (She Who Dwells in the House), Chicomecōātl and Centeōtl (Gods of Corn and Maize), Huēhuecoyōtl (The Old Coyote), Huītzilōpōchtli (God of War and the Sun), Ītzpāpālōtl (The Obsidian Butterfly), Mictēcacihuātl and Mictlāntēcutli (Rulers of the Underworld), Quetzalcoatl (The Feathered Serpent), Tezcatlipoca (The Smoking Mirror), Tlāloc (God of Rain), Tlazōlteōtl (Goddess of Filth and Purification), Xipe Totec (The Flayed Lord), Xōchipilli (The Flower Prince), Xōchiquetzal (Maiden of Flowers and Feathers), and Xolotl (God of Outcasts).

## Cosmology

For the Teōtl, the cosmos is composed of a vast disk with the mighty Tenochtitlan (now Mexico City) at its heart. Ascending skyward from the Mortal World are the thirteen heavenly realms of the Overworld, with an additional nine layers of the Underworld stretching downward to Mictlān, the abode of the dead.

### Apoca (Overworld Godrealm)

*For detailed information: Apoca*

The thirteen heavens of the Overworld are filled with wonder and horror alike. They comprise the realm of the sun, moon, stars, and the private abodes of the Aztec Gods. The heavens are largely inaccessible by any but the Teōtl and their chosen servants, but can be reached by the Axes Mundi situated throughout Mexico (and beyond).

* **Ōmeyōcān**: Ōmeyōcān's rarified air is seldom tasted by any but the mightiest of the Teōtl. It is the seat of Tōnacātēcuhtli and Tōnacācihuātl, two Primordials who share the title of Ōmeteōtl. This is where they create souls from a palace that coruscates with the raw power of creation.
* **Tamoanchan**: Tamoanchan is a paradisiacal realm where sunlit forests laden with the sweetest fruits compete with a riotous profusion of flowers that perfume the air. It is here that the Teōtl met Quetzalcoatl upon his return from the Underworld to create the first humans of the present age. But while humanity was created here, it may never return, for Tamoanchan is reserved for the Gods.
* **Tlālōcān**: Tlālōcān is the personal realm of Tlāloc and Chalchiuhtlicue. It is a verdant paradise blessed with eternal rain and lush vegetation laden with fruits and cacao beans. Tlālōcān is also the final destination of those who die under Tlāloc's care, including victims of water-based diseases, drowning, and lightning strikes.

### Mictlān (Underworld)

*For detailed information: Mictlān*

One need not look far to find Mictlān, for the gates of death are always open. For those seeking less permanent passage, a variety of Axes Mundi are available, including enigmatic caves deep in the earth, ruined temples, modern cemeteries, and even the ofrendas of Día de Muertos. Those traveling to Mictlān must face each of the Underworld's trials in turn; with each level they descend, they find a new test. Those who are wise enlist the aid of Xolotl or one of his canine psychopomps and come well-equipped for their journey with gifts for the gods of the dead. Barring an extraordinary circumstance, only those who surmount these trials are permitted entrance to Mictlān.

Mictlān is a cold, bleak place inhabited by souls that have not died in battle or ascended to Apoca. These souls huddle in darkness except for a single day's respite each year where they are allowed to visit their families above. The lords of the dead inhabit a windowless palace in the center of this dimmed realm, filled with innumerable grave goods in addition to human bones from prior ages. The masters of this realm expect nothing less than proper gifts and obeisance, lest Mictlāntēcutli rend them asunder with his massive claws.