Profile
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Matlal
- For an alternative universe roleplay set in The Americas
Basics
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Name
Matlal Macuilli Tecpatl
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Meaning
Darkgreen Five-Flint
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Titles
Pipiltin, Calpanpilli
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Age
23
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Gender
Male
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Species
Human
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Ethnicity
Mexica/Aztec
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Residence
Tenochtitlan
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Occupation
Cavalry warrior
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Sexuality
Straightish
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Religion
Aztec
art by Cliodna
About
Matlal is the offspring of an aztec king and his concubine, in a setting wherein horses in pre-contact America are a thing and europeans have yet to show up.
His circumstances of birth have ensured the man a comfortable amount of power and access to great education, both of which he's put to use in order to stand out among the kings' other sons.
Due to various reasons he's been chosen to accompany a group of pochtecas on a trip further north than any aztec has gone before.
Basics
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MBTI
ENTJ-t
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Alignment
Lawful neutral
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Birthsigns
Vulture, Grass, Flint
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Tonalli-deity
Itzpapalotl
Personality
The personality is WIP and shall be developed further during roleplay. Thus far I know that Matlal is an inquisitive, competitive and proud man. Said pride and competitiveness strives him to seek appreciation for his work and to try and stand out from among his fathers' others children. In terms of disposition the man very much gives back that which is given to him - he has a short temper for those who don't show him proper respect and yet always replies to good-will and politeness with more of the same. As his father has always been strict but kind to Matlal the old king has earned his bastard sons' undying loyalty. He returned from his failed battle and time in captivity as a gods-fearing man of few words, the sudden piousness and lack of chattiness being an expression of guilt.
Beliefs
Matlal deals with the oftentimes contradictory cultural mixing bowl of myths and folklore within the Empire by reckoning much of history (and religion) to be "only metaphorically true" - warped renditions hinting at the underlaying reality. The details of creation myths, names of gods and types of offerings matter little to him, but what is clear upon comparison is that the current world is only one of many and that the previous worlds were wiped due to a lack of balance ("bickering gods" being a synonym). He doesn't consider the offering of humans a particularily pleasant part of their culture, but neither is the man repulsed by it, seeing the sacrifices as a necessary duty of his people to ensure that the gods remain sated. In fact, were Matlal to comprehend the size and diversity of the world he'd likely consider his people the martyrs, keeping the sun moving for people of all religions through their own "proper" ways of worship.
art by Cliodna
Likes
- Xocolatl w. honey
- Fusce mattis dignissim
- Etiam tellus
- Vehicula bibendum dolor
- Dapibus auctor et rhoncus
- Aenean id orci a enim
Dislikes
- His hair grabbed
- His hair touched
- Etiam tellus
- Vehicula bibendum dolor
- Dapibus auctor et rhoncus
- Aenean id orci a enim
Strengths
- Tall
- Stronk
- Educated
- Not scared of a warriors death
- Dapibus auctor et rhoncus
- Aenean id orci a enim
Weaknesses
- Scared of darkness
- Too proud to kiss ass
- Scared of natural death
- Overthinks
- Dapibus auctor et rhoncus
- Aenean id orci a enim
Hobbies
- Horseriding
- Mock-fighting
- Strength-training
- Reading of poetry
- Reading of philosophy
- Patolli
Skills
- Horseback riding
- Reading-writing
- Lordly speech
- Combat w. maquahuitl
- Spearfighting
- Wilderness survival
art by Cliodna
TvTropes
Mayincatec, Proud Warrior Race Guy, Family Honor, Sole Survivor, Survivor Guilt
Basics
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Hair
Dark chocolate color
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Eyes
Black
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Skin
Warm light brown
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Height
~180 centimeters
Appearance
Athletic and taller than average. Matlal's got high cheekbones which make the general shape of his face appear longer. His nose is very straight, somewhat downwards-curved at the tip possibly bringing to mind the beak of an eagle. His dark hair has a slightly wavy texture to it, reaching past the man's shoulders. It is often gathered together into a complex top-knot. Matlals shins, pubis and inner arms are dotted with small auto-sacrifice scars from drawing blood with bits of sharp flint or maguey thorns. The man furthermore has scars on his legs from broken bones and the subsequent surgical intervention, as well as jagged marks from a maquahuitl-hit on his upper arm.
Matlal usually wears sandals on his feet, except within the royal palace. The man dons a lot of greenish-blue, adorning his hair with quetzal feathers ever since he was granted permission to to do so.
His rank and career in the military allow Matlal to decorate himself with jewelry, including lip- and earplugs. The metal bits of his adornments are by far more copper than gold and Matlal prefers polished obsidian to other decorative materials for he feels that it ties him closer to his tonalli-god Itzpapalotl.
art by Cliodna
Unknown: Travelmate
Time known each other: Not longReserved for the other players' character - a female native american from somewhere northwards. If the chars hit it off then she's got potential to become a love interest
Itotia: Betrothed
Time known each other: 1 yearA noblegirl from Texcoco, arranged by families for marriage. Matlal likes her, though doesn't know the girl enough to be attracted to her beyond her looks.
Totoca: Best friend
Time known each other: 7 yearsThe two met one-another in school and have remained close ever since.
Cuauhtlatoa Xocoyotzin: Father
Time known each other: LifetimeThe Great Speaker (aka. King) of Tenochtitlan to whom Matlal looks up to. He'd been in love with Matlals' mother, despite her being a concubine. That fondness for the woman stil shows itself in the form of him lowkey watching out for Matlal, much to the chagrin of Cuauhtlatoa Xocoyotzins' primary wife.
Relatives: Other
Time known each other: LifetimePutting all the lesser-known relatives under one bulletpoint. Mother Moyolehuani (likely deceased). Two sisters Nenetl and Iconel + a cubic ton of half-siblings
art by Cliodna
Backstory
A good place to begin with Matlal would be by establishing his parentage. His father is the Great Speaker (Huey Tlatoani) of Tenochtitlan, considered widely to be the most powerful man of mesoamerica and Matlals' mother, though herself of a noble lineage, had found her place as The Great Speakers' beloved concubine. Matlals position in society could be described best as "technically a prince", for despite his royal blood and noble privileges he possesses no threat to the throne.
The boy was born during the end of a drought and named Maquilli Tecpatl (Five-Flint), shortly afterwards receiving the additional moniker of "Matlal" (Dark-green) in reference to the trecena on which he was born as well as the change that the recent rainfall had ushered upon the landscape.
Matlal grew up in the company of siblings and servants, learning manners, reading, writing and horseback-riding until taking up fulltime studies at the calmecac - a school for the nobles and future priests. At age 20 he joined the military, first as a squire for cavalry nobles (analogous to the "carrier" of our-timeline aztec military, whereupon an inexperienced youth is taken under the wing of a more experienced one in return of carrying their gear) but quickly gaining rank. Despite other interests in art and poetry Matlal decided to pursue a military career full-time, as he felt that it'd give him more of a chance to stand out from among his siblings.
After a few years of successful military career Matlal was allowed to lead the cavalry unit of a small army sent to subjugate a bordering region. This battle became Matlals' first loss, as the enemy revealed themselves to be better prepared than the aztec intelligence would've anticipated. Once taken captive a part of his unit was sacrificed and the rest killed unceremoniously due to Matlal upsetting the ruler of said region. He himself was eventually returned to the tenochcas, injured but alive, so as to deliver the regions' message of defiance to his father.
The experience gave him a reminder of his own mortality and steered the man towards alternative ways to further his career, out of a desire not to go through a similar experience again.
Present Day
Insert roleplay related information here once I get past the preliminary backstory sessions. Thus far I know that he'll be heading north and meeting The-Other-Players-Character for shenanigans.
art by Cliodna
Setting
The setting in question is an AU formed by 3 people who are not well-versed in native american history. The purpose of making it an "AU" is for personal amusement and in order to provide more creative freedom with the roleplay than what could be attained if one was to strictly follow historical veracity. That said I do take it as an opportunity to learn more on the aztecs, so as to play Matlal more faithfully and through that perhaps teach my friends a thing or two about the mesoamerican cultures of our own timeline.
The changes in said AU involve, among other things: The survival of certain pleistocene megafauna that had otherwise gone extinct in The Americas, such as horses and mammoths; the domestication of the American horse in the pre-columbian era and the lack of contact with the europeans (discounting Leif Eriksons' Vinland expedition, the existence of which Matlal would not be aware of).
Materials for perusing
This is where I'll be putting some links or notes for things I should keep in mind.
Aztec calendar w. the OCs creation day inserted
Body Language in the Pre-Conquest and Colonial Nahuatl world
Pre-Conquest Mesoamerica (map)
Territorial Organization of the Aztec Empire 1519 (map)
Tenōchcah = resident of Tenochtitlan
profile html by hukiolukio
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