Huitzilihuitzin

**Huitzilihuitzin** (Nahuatl; English: Hummingbird Feather) who is better yet known by his friends as **Zili**. He originally came from the campaign of Seventh Sun of Atzlan and would make an appearance in the universe of The Tavern Revisited as a recruitable NPC.

## History

### Childhood and Monte Pilas

A holy seer had a prophecy that twins blessed with the "gift of sight" would be born to the Coquitao's favored wife, Queen Asiri. Much to everyone's surprise, the day she gave birth only one baby came out and nothing came after. Even so, the young baby was still met with much love and was given the name of *Huitzil* by their father. Later in life, they would adopt the more masculine name of Huitzilihuitzin, the name where Zili comes from. Much of his early childhood was normal and happy. He wasn't the most spectacular in his classes but he got by. The prophecy has been mostly forgotten at this point, seeing as he wasn't showing anything extraordinary. Tlatzil, the high priest and close friend to the family, would serve as his mentor guide, as he was supposed to be trained for religious duties; a life considered for him because his older siblings were already designated for a life of politics.

Things would eventually take a turn at the age of eleven, when he started getting frequent migraines. This would take a toll on him as the pains would continue to escalate. However, it was during this time that his visions started coming out. At the age of 13, when Zili's features have started to come about, Tlatzil took advantage of his vulnerable state. His mentor would frame the whole ordeal in such a way that it was Zili who seduced him with his careless actions, and obliviousness to his blooming appearance. Tlatzil would put all the blame on him. But, the manipulation didn't end there. The high priest continued to make sure that he had control over him by tearing apart "his naughty little viper's" self-esteem.

    Zili's parents tried to continue searching for different ways to cure him of his chronic pains. Most of the attempts failed or provided little help. It only grew worse. Zili started acting in more erratic patterns. He indulged himself in drinking and medications to dull everything out.

Tlatzil's abuse would go on for years until Zili fled from Monte Pilas at the age of 17.

### Exploring Atzlan

Zili kept his hair short as a sign of his shame and only had his familiar, Qinti, to provide him company. He found ways to hide himself from his family and did not respond to any attempt on contact through magical means. He avoided staying in places for too long and making connections with people, worried that someone might eventually recognize him. These times were usually filled with him getting drunk, taking more painkillers than he should and making some quick gold when he can. He usually did the latter through scamming and fraud. He would conduct free fake divinations and "reverse" the bad fortune for a fee.

He was linked with various men but none lasted more than a night as he always disappeared on them by morning.

4 years in, at the age of 21, Zili would meet the party of SSOA that consisted of Ixlahara, T'lichoxan, Necahual, Qawari and Kan. He looked for them after seeing Frutero during a moment of spontaneous astral projection. In the camp he would see a familiar jawline that cradled roasted cacao beans that he saw in many of his turbulent visions in the past years. It was Osmara. Though, during that time he decided not to think much about it and settled for just engaging in casual chatter. It would not take long before the kalashtar man in the privacy of the night admitted to Zili that he too saw visions of him. This just made matters even more complicated.

Unfortunately, the mission to save Frutero did not end well and the party disbanded. This failure would haunt Zili. His relationship with Osmara would also take a turn. He was receiving mixed messages from him and the final straw would be when Osmara told him, *"My heart feels deeply for you, but it would be a lie to say that I do not feel anything for her [Ixlahara]."*

Unable to take the stress, Zili would leave him and the group. He would only say his goodbyes to Kan before disappearing from them.

### Years of Isolation

Zili once again found himself alone in Atzlan. And, as most places in Toril, being alone is one of the worst ways to be. Zili's mental state would continue to deteriorate. There were even times when he could no longer completely tell where he was. He survived for all these years with a mixture of both his gift and his luck, but such things could only take one so far. His recklessness and antics would eventually catch up to him. Zili while intoxicated would be killed by an unknown assailant and his body was dumped in the forest to be forgotten by time.

Or so it should have been, but had the story ended there our heroes would not have met him.

A god would take interest in Zili and bring him back. He framed the situation to appear as if nothing had happened and that he was simply not in the right state of mind. Zili would remain unaware of his own death. It was during this stupor that he would trade himself for some Iced Xocolatl and Tamales much to the god's surprise. The deity would offer him other things such as power, riches and glory but he wanted none of those.

This was the best xocolatl and tamales Zili ever had.

After that event, Zili's luck would turn around for the better. He began to grow his hair out. In his mind, the deal felt unreal, even surreal. He was uncertain if it even actually happened, it was a drug-induced episode or some unreliable metaphor his fragmented mind came up with. He would bury this memory at the back of his mind. A couple of years later, his hair now back to what it was, he started feeling like he was being followed and watched. Zili felt a sense of heaviness around him that scared him. Unable to shake this off, he fled to the continent of *Baerun;* thinking that he would be able to escape it in a land governed by a different set of gods.

### Life in Faerun

Zili snuck on board a ship and became a stowaway. He would first land in the port of Waterdeep and would continue to travel near the cities. He made sure to learn the language as he stayed in Faerun. His stay would be fairly pleasant and he would take advantage of what Faerunians would consider as his *exotic appearance* alongside his magic to get by. Their underestimating of him proved to be quite a boon as he was able to get away with many things. Unfortunately, there came a time when trackers who hunted down lone divination wizards had him under their radar. Unable to fend them all off by himself as they utilized both physical and magical means, Zili was taken and hauled with the rest of them, his hands bound by metal coverings and his face trapped in a metal casing that only allowed him to breathe. He would be sold to Ozrias and trapped in a tank that was especially made to optimize the abilities these wizards could offer. It was actually during the bidding for him that the party first caught sight of him, and would proceed to rescue him. This would be the start of his life of adventure with them.

## Personality

Zili has a very outgoing and energetic personality. If there's something going on, rest assured that he will be right there in the middle of it. He managed to easily become friends with both the very stoic Arakano and the sweetheart that is Cirro, which shows how he is able to get along with people from various backgrounds. He is upfront with what he thinks and is not afraid to speak his mind. It's because of this that he may come across as haughty but it does not come from a place of malice but from one of concern. This was evident by his encounter with Qawari wherein he said that that the bard sounded like a "toxic manipulative ex" upon hearing about how he talked to Kan in such an inappropriate manner.

In spite of his rather brash personality, Zili can be selfless and wishes to do good by his fellow man. This earned him the respect of Necahual when he made an attempt to help him in saving Frutero; though in The Tavern Revisited this mission ultimately failed. For friends, he is willing to risk his own safety and do whatever it takes to help them out. Unfortunately, his tendency to be reckless can cause them to get into a lot of trouble as well. Zili also prefers to see the good and positive in people. He sees a lot of bad actions as just a result of horrible experiences rather than one that was done out of maliciousness. However, there is also a downside to this as he could become quite lenient when it comes to people, much to Osmara's dismay. This has also been a topic of light banters between him and Osmara where he would insist that the older wizard is a good person whereas the other would relent but ultimately disagree just to end it. However, there was a part of Zili that did not trust men.

Zili has a natural gift for deceit and trickery. This could be observed in how he was able to go into hiding for so long from his parents when he ran away as well as his ability keep so many identities in check at a given time. He could come up with a whole unique life story on the spot and even fill it with unique events that he is able to consistently retell every time to different people. This allowed him to fool many, hide his tracks and keeps his true identity a secret. There were many times in his life where he found himself forced to commit fraud so he can get quick money while doing the least harm as possible. He found himself unable to find a normal means of making a living as he was unable to stay in places for too long. This has gotten him into a lot of trouble but he has managed to escape them many times with his head intact. This natural inclination of his can also be observed with how he utilizes his spells both off and on battle. Zili uses a combination of illusion, buffing and utility. He takes advantage of his environment and whatever resources he could get to optimize as much as he can. When off the field, he take advantage of deceptive means like transforming his appearance or using a person's own desires against them. Another time when this came into play was when Zili proposed that the group turn Necahual into the god of war, Tenoch, to give him both a divine right to rule along with weakening the possible resistance.

He can be self-destructive. Much of the vices Zili engages in, whether it be sex or substance abuse, do not come from a place of enjoyment. While it does give him temporary reprieve, he unknowingly does this to punish himself. He still takes the blame for what happened to him as a child and for the person he "allowed" himself to become. This constant act then turns into an endless cycle he finds himself unable to get out of. This became worse during his years of isolating himself away from his friends, that it led to a downward spiral where he found himself absolutely alone. This is heavily fueled by his poor self-image, seeing himself as nothing more than a face with little to no substantial contribution to society, an idea that was instilled into him by his mentor, Tlatzil, as a young boy. It is because of this that Zili puts so much value in his appearance and youth, fearing that he could be easily be discarded and considered useless once he ages. In a positive environment, he is able to quell much of his destructive impulses. His addictive personality would eventually fall into more positive forms such as the consumption of cheesebuns, cheesecake and coffee with the help of both Arakano and Cirro.

If given a choice, Zili would prefer to live a normal and quiet life, to serve his time at the temple of Coatlicue and be married off so he could finally have children. He is fairly traditional and conservative despite how he acts, much to everyone's surprise. He puts a lot of value in loyalty and faithfulness. His worship of Coatlicue served as an important part of his upbringing and life. Even with his horrible experience at the temple, his faith in his goddess remained strong. Zili continued his daily prayers and offerings even after he left Monte Pilas. If he is staying for longer than usual at a place, it's not rare to see him sweeping, which is considered as an act of worship to the Earth Mother.

## Appearance

Zili has deep brown skin, and a lean body that is characteristic of people that hailed from Monte Pilas. He has brown eyes which are framed on his face by long dark lashes, which he considers as one of his stronger assets. Zili has sharpened teeth which is considered as a fashion statement in Atzlan.

### Seventh Sun of Atzlan

Originally, in Seventh Sun of Atzlan, he wears his black hair very short. He has a long cape on him that has patterns that include hummingbirds, condors and books done in the style of the Tahuantin Empire. His loincloth at the back has a "serpent tail" design that goes down and is attached by gold rings. The piercing on his nose is also different, opting for a ring on the right side of his nostril. He still wears his round jade earrings, gold bracers, jade bangles and rings.

### The Tavern Revisited

Zili at this point has grown his black hair long and opted to change his clothing to something lighter in appearance and more similar to what he used to wear back when he was still in Monte Pilas. The cape is one that is now easily slipped on and tied into a knot on the left side of his arm. His loin cloth has fabrics that are knotted at the front that hang towards the side and are attached to the back. It still has the "serpent tail" design at the back that hangs down with gold rings. He has a wedge jade piercing on his nose now. The jade earring, gold bracers, jade bangles and rings, La Patrona, are still worn here.

## Relationships

### Arakano

Arakano is considered one of his bestfriends and Zili has always seen him as a stable figure in his life. Zili always appreciated how upfront he was in his words and how he called him out whenever he was starting to go back to his self-destructive patterns. Despite how some others may think, he actually believes that Arakano is one of the most patient people he has ever met, as he was able to somehow endure both his and Cirro's antics on a daily basis. He would also tag along with them during boy watching. Arakano would serve as one of Zili's close confidants and he would spend them with him whenever he could. He is one of the first people he ever asked helped from when he found out that he was carrying. If there was anyone who would bail him out, it was Arakano and the weaver trusted him with his life. Zili loves hugging Arakano and teasing him.

He finds it very sweet that Arakano treats him to all this food. It was actually the monk who helped him fall in love with cheese buns and lattes. This was because whenever they would go out, he would always be treated to places like cafes, stalls and restaurants. He introduced different kinds of food and with this also came Zili's appetite.

Arakano actually appeared in Zili's earlier visions as stalks of white maize growing out of a hollowed out head. The name Yaotl would be felt on his skin whenever he saw these visions a a child.

### Cirro/Aya

Cirro would also be considered on Zili's bestfriends. Together with Arakano, they make the trio of people associated with the earth mother; Arakano's deceased husband being a worshiper of Chauntea, Aya being a worshiper herself and Zili being a fervent follower of Coatlicue. He actually prefers calling her Aya and was the reason why she took that name when she moved to Atzlan. She has always been a positive and lively figure in his life ever since she came about. The two would always be found doing all sorts of playful activities together, with some even attracting unwanted attention much to Arakano's dismay, as seen in the Soveikul Enclave when some elves started looking at their direction. A conversation with them together is always upbeat. They bond over divination rituals and conversations about handsome men. Zili legitimately believes that the rituals introduced to him are legitimate Faerunian rituals.

Cirro would also appear in his earlier visions as white cumulus that seemed to dance to and fro. The name of Aya, he felt as sensation on the tip of his nose. He would hold on to these visions to comfort himself during times when he felt thing were becoming unbearable.

### Osmara

The first time he ever encountered Osmara was through visions when he was young. He appeared to him as a man whose face was like smoke from an oven and he emitted the smell of roasting cacao beans. There would be many more visions that included him along with other lives that the two would have together. Zili just like with the other visions would use these for comfort during his times of misery serving as an acolyte in Monte Pilas, and when he was on the run. Things would take a sharp turn when they finally meet. Initially, Zili was not planning on entertaining himself with the thought of him, and would just simply enjoy his time talking to him. Then afterwards go on with his life, or so he thought. Osmara's eventual admittance to being able to see their other lives together was overwhelming for him. This was compounded by his asking him for a kiss, in case Zili had to leave again. He would deny him every time because it did not feel right to linger in what he considered as mere visions. With the involvement of another person, and Osmara's confusing words, Zili chose to leave.

He never truly understood his complicated feelings for him. He always saw Osmara as a weird man, though admittedly he was physically attracted to him. There was a certain connection to him which was hard to describe. This frightened him. He was used to being detached to men. Even so, Zili would still go out of his way to help Osmara if he ever found out he was in danger.

Even with these complications, the two mostly get along really well and complement each other. They enjoy doing what is considered by many as mediocre activities together. When alone, Zili loves to act out interactive stories from things involving the earth, on the anatomy of vipers to stories related to the gods in front of Osmara. He tries his best to keep him happy. Though this at times manifests in him omitting information that he knows would make Osmara angry, much to the older man's disappointment. But, just like any relationship, arguments happen. This is usually a result of Zili's impulsivity and recklessness, or Osmara's odd manner of communicating and ways of doing things.

As Osmara's husband, he tries to be a supportive figure and even takes care of the house when he's out. He is committed to their relationship and has been doing his best to control his own impulses. When making decisions he makes sure to keep Osmara in mind.

### Z/The Unborn

The first time Zili ever found out about his twin brother was after he got out of the Spirit Realm through Qawari and Kan. He would realize that when he steps in such a place, it's his unborn twin brother who takes control of *their body*. Zili had often felt like some of the things happened to him had some interference from some force. He had come to realize that maybe his brother had also been manipulating the situation to save him from certain dangers.

## Notable Possessions

#### La Patrona

* A set of segmented jade rings, which cover all of his fingers. They are modelled after the fangs of the Jararacussu. La Patrona serves as his spell focus.

## Trivia

* Zili's chronic pains come from the fact that his body is struggling to contain the energy of two weavers at once.
* He is capable of seeing all possibilities at a given moment but there is no reassurance of which one it will be.
* Zili finds his divination powers unreliable.
* His familiar Qinti has three forms: an anaconda, a white-bellied caique and an axolotl.
* The name he gave his familiar, Qinti, is actually a pet name that his mother gave him.
* Patrona is just one of the names the Jararacussu is called.
* Zili has looked in each and every possibility of his life, and found out that his suffering was inevitable.