6.6 KiB
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Tlaxcal (Common) / Tlāxkālme (Native)
Also Known As: Jaguar-Blooded, Ghost-Sons of the Jungle, The Bloodmarked
Classification: Humanoid (Chimeric)
Origin: Created (Servitor Chimera of the Tul-Dar)
Lifespan: ~80–120 years
Language(s): Tlaxcalli (oral glyphic), regional dialects
Typical Alignment: Culturally lawful, ritually brutal
Homeland(s): Tlaxcaltec City-States, northern jungles of Al’Mahoun
Population Level: Rare
Overview
The Tlaxcal, known to most as the Jaguar-Blooded, are a formidable and ancient people who rose from bondage under the Tul-Dar and carved a bloody legacy of independence. Feline-featured, graceful, and physically formidable, they live in resplendent city-states deep within the jungle expanse north of Pharos. Their civilization, shaped by ancestral memory and blood ritual, blends architectural grandeur with fierce martial tradition. Though outsiders may be entranced by their beauty and mystery, beneath the surface lies a culture unafraid of sacrifice - one where blood is not merely symbolic, but sacred currency.
Physiology
The Tlaxcal bear the mark of their engineered origins - tall, lithe, and predatory, with bodies fine-tuned for survival and reverence in the sweltering jungles of Al’Mahoun. Their form blends humanoid grace with bestial intensity. Their skin ranges in deep earthen tones - ochre, charcoal, gold - often adorned with rosettes or stripes reminiscent of jungle cats. Short fur grows along the spine and forearms in some bloodlines, and their sharp, retractable claws and slightly elongated canines reinforce their animal heritage.
Eyes are feline, adapted for both day and low-light vision, with vertical pupils and irises that glow faintly in darkness. Their hearing and smell are keen, giving them an uncanny awareness of their surroundings. Musculature is dense and reactive, suited for leaping, sprinting, and climbing - their agility making them formidable in both urban and wilderness combat.
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Tlaxcal reproduction is seasonal. They do not conceive year-round; instead, females enter distinct periods of heat during specific environmental or lunar cycles, often aligned with sacred festivals or omens. During these times, pheromonal signals heighten social tensions, attract mates, and trigger behavioral shifts - ranging from courtship dances to ritual duels. Conception outside these seasons is exceedingly rare, a biological constraint tied to their ancestral design. As a result, fertility and childbirth carry deep cultural and spiritual weight, often seen as signs of divine favor.
Gestation lasts approximately seven months, and multiple births are common. Infants are born with open eyes and fine claws, their senses already attuned to scent and warmth. Aging is steady but resilient - childhood is brief, adolescence intense, and adulthood long. The oldest Tlaxcal may reach 120 years, with elders revered as walking memories of past bloodlines.
Their physiology also carries vulnerabilities. Their heightened olfactory system makes them unusually sensitive to pheromones and volatile jungle smells. Certain floral scents or stress-induced chemicals can induce trance-like states, aggression, or panic, making them susceptible in environments saturated with unfamiliar or weaponized aromas - a weakness both ritualistically and tactically acknowledged in their society.
Mentality & Culture
The Tlaxcal are as cerebral as they are brutal. Though their civilization values discipline, order, and beauty, it is underpinned by a deep spiritual necessity for blood, sacrifice, and ancestral reverence. They believe that every drop of blood carries memory, power, and purpose - and through offering it, they feed the spirits of their forebears and appease ancient forces that still linger in the world.
Their city-states - such as Xochivan, Itzcallan, and Teocoya - are independent, often competitive, and frequently engage in ritualized warfare called the Flower Wars. These conflicts are not fought for land, but for captives: the most prized offering to the gods and ancestors. Rituals conducted atop the great stepped pyramids, remnants of the Tul-Dar's structures, often culminate in public sacrifice, symbolic bloodletting, or communal trance-dances fueled by heat, incense, and rhythm.
Social roles are defined by lineage, omens, and physical prowess. Gender identity is fluid, but roles are formal - priestesses, warriors, dreamwalkers, and blood-keepers all serve within clearly marked hierarchies. Family is sacred, and names are inherited across generations with additions that denote deeds, titles, or sacrifices made.
Coming-of-age ceremonies involve hunts, spiritual visions, and the offering of one's own blood. Death is not an end but a return - souls pass beyond the Veil to become Tlamanih, ancestors who whisper from beyond and demand ritual remembrance.
Through chants, dance, tattooing, and sacrifice, the Tlaxcal seek to awaken ancestral echoes and commune with forgotten powers. It is said that particularly pure sacrifices can bring on visions of ancestors or awaken dormant memories of past lives. Every pyramid has a blood altar, and every festival has at least a symbolic offering.
Role in the World
The Tlaxcal inhabit the Tlaxcaltec City-States, a series of independent but culturally connected polities in the steamy jungles of northern Al’Mahoun. These cities are built atop or within the ruins of their former masters, the Tul-Dar, their temples and plazas towering above the canopy in stone and obsidian. Their architecture and engineering rival even the proudest cities of the Temerian Empire.
While largely isolationist, Tlaxcal are known beyond their homelands. Some appear as elite mercenaries, gladiators, or emissaries. A small number live in exile or were taken into slavery - particularly during past wars with Pharos or the southern kingdoms. Though this is a source of shame for the Tlaxcaltec, it also fuels their cultural memory and disdain for foreign empires.
Among outsiders, the Tlaxcal inspire both fear and fascination. They are whispered of in border camps, idolized by artists, and demonized in imperial courts. Some see them as noble savages, others as bloodthirsty beasts - but none forget the quiet precision of their warriors or the weight of their stares.
Their greatest historical legacy is their uprising against the Tul-Dar - an act of rebellion that shattered an ancient yoke and gave rise to one of the most unique cultures in Vaelora. For the Tlaxcal, this is not a tale of freedom - it is a sacred debt to be paid with blood, every generation.