Notes for the DM	Introduction	The Legends	The Mechicas	The Problem
Werejaguar	Fantasy and History	Starting the Adventure	Map "A" Encounter Areas	Encounters for Map "B"  (The City of Tenocatlan)
Dragon magazine	-	Adventures	-	1st Ed. AD&D

An AD&D™ adventure for
characters of 4th-7th level
Designed by Gali Sanchez

NOTES FOR THE DM
“Mechica” is an AD&D™ adventure for
5-8 characters, each of 4th-7th level, de-
signed to introduce the player characters 
to a new culture. 

This module is based on pre-Colum-
bian Meso-America. Some changes from
historical reality have been made to make
the transition from reality to fantasy easy
to accomplish. It is recommended that
the DM research one or more of several
historical works in order to more accu-
rately recreate the atmosphere estab-
lished in this adventure.

Much of the information presented in
the following introduction can be re-
vealed to players before the adventure
begins, or not, as the DM sees fit.
“Mechica” will be more challenging to
player characters if they are required to
find out most of the facts about the
environment on their own.

As the DM reads through this module
before running it, he will notice that
many encounter areas are not populated
with specific people and things, but are
described in general terms. This allows
the adventure to be as flexible as possi-
ble — but it also means that the DM must
flesh out the environment before it is
ready for the arrival of the adventurers.

Much of the information presented in
the following introduction can be re-
vealed to players before the adventure
begins, or not, as the DM sees fit.
“Mechica” will be more challenging to
player characters if they are required to
find out most of the facts about the
environment on their own.

INTRODUCTION
The Mechica people had been but the
subject of legend and song until recently.
Even only as legends, they caused fear
among the bravest of adventurers; their
language, customs, deities, and methods
of warfare were all different from those
of other cultures. The legends recounted
by a few adventurers who witnessed the
great Mechica capital of Tenocatlan and
lived to tell about it described vast wealth
within the city, and strange pyramids
with steps that reached to the sky, rising
up from the center of an area where
nobody seemed to dwell. Nearly every
wall within the city was decorated with
strange images: Gold and silver reptiles
sprouting from flower-shaped feathers,
gems of unbelievable worth forming the
eyes of box-shaped faces, and images of
snarling jaguars that inspired fear in the
hearts of those who heard the tales of
Tenocatlan. The tales also told of jaguar
warriors that, it is said, were neither
animal nor human.

Now the Mechica people have emerged
out of the legends and taken a role in the
lives of the Sapotecs, a community of 
natives who live in the Sapotec 
tains near where the Mechica stronghold
is said to exist. The Mechica do indeed
exist, according to the Sapotecs who
have fled from the southlands in terror.
The sight of brown-skinned natives hur-
rying northward past onlookers, with
belongings piled on their backs, is be-
coming more common with each pass-
ing day. If the Sapotecs are stopped on
the roadway and questioned, they will
only pause long enough to point to the
south and mutter “Mechica” before hur-
rying onward. Even those who try to use
a  Comprehend Languages  spell to obtain
more information will find the explana-
tions sketchy and too fantastic to believe.

THE LEGENDS
Several decades ago, a group of ad-
venturers wandered into the Sapotec
Mountains. When they reached one of
the highest ridges, they discovered a roll-
ing green valley to the south below them.
What seemed to be vast fields of crops,
occasionally broken by small stone or
wooden buildings, covered most of the
valley. Toward the center of the valley,
some small patches of crops appeared to
be floating on a large lake. In the center
of the lake was an island, connected to
the rest of the valley by three wide
causeways. Visible on the island itself
were several strangely shaped buildings.

The adventurers began to descend the
mountain in order to make contact with
the residents of the valley. But halfway
down the trail they were attacked by a
small group of men and what seemed to
be their pet jaguars. The adventurers
were all taken prisoner, except for a thief
named Hy Dinshadow, who somehow
escaped detection by the men and beasts
and returned with his tales to tell the
people of the northland.

Over the intervening years, several
other groups of adventurers have sought
to make contact with these strange peo-
ple, but only the fate of one of these
other groups is known, again because of
one who escaped. In this instance, a
young ranger was taken prisoner and led
to the pyramids on the island. He noticed
that the causeways were well defended,
yet he was surprised to find that nobody
dwelled in the area they led to. The
island seemed to be some sort of a cen-
ter that contained temples devoted to
strange-looking deities, an amphitheater
where he saw a strange and violent game 
taking place, beautiful gardens, and an
extensive collection of animals and hu-
manoids in some sort of zoo.

It was in one part of this “zoo” that the
young ranger was housed, along with
humans who had been taken prisoner
from earlier expeditions. And each other
race had its own display area: elves,
dwarves, orcs, goblins, halflings — every
humanoid race — was  represented  for
the viewing pleasure of the “Mechica,”
as these people called themselves. From
time to time, he saw one or more of his
cellmates taken away, never to return.

One day, just after a large group of
new prisoners had been brought to the
humans’ cell, the inmates discovered
that they could enable one of their num-
ber to escape by forming a pyramid that
reached to the top of the wall. Because
the ranger was young and skilled in the
ways of survival in the wilderness, he
was the one chosen to go over the wall.
He dashed to the lake, luckily found a
canoe nearby and successfully fended
off the attack of a jaguar as he cast off.
The young man eventually returned to
his homeland in the north and related his
tale, asking for volunteers to form a
rescue mission. But none of his coun-
trymen would go south, either out of fear
or disbelief.

Today, the people of the north avoid
the Sapotec Mountains and the lands to
the south, for nobody knows whether the
tales of long ago are true, or merely
superstition created to explain the many
persons who have disappeared in the
mountains. The only humans known to
the people of the north who live near the
mountains area are the Sapotecs, who
avoid all contact with people other than
their own.

(There is only a 5% chance that a
Sapotec native will speak the common
tongue, and any such character will not
be friendly, but will answer honestly
when he/she can and then attempt to
move away from the questioner as quick-
ly as possible. The Sapotec natives are
peaceful and will avoid conflict when-
ever possible.)

THE MECHICAS
Each member of the Mechica people
will be either a cleric, fighter, thief, or
warrior (a version of ranger; see below).
Although there are no Mechica magic-
users or illusionists, some clerics and
members of other classes have been 
presented with magic items (gifts from
their deities) that would not normally be
found unless magic-users were present.

Warriors are essentially rangers, com-
plete with tracking ability, druid spell
ability (at appropriate level), 2d8 hit
points at first level, etc. Exceptions to the
rules regarding rangers are these: War-
riors must be neutral, lawful neutral, or
chaotic neutral; they receive no bonus
against giant class creatures; and any
number of warriors may work together.

:Mechicas gain a +1 bonus to dexterity
(like elves) and are +1 to hit when using
any bow other than a crossbow. The
types of armor they can use, and the
equivalent armor class designations in
the AD&D rules, are
    No armor, no shield: AC 10
    No armor, shield: AC 9
    Quilted cotton, no shield: AC 8
    Quilted cotton, shield: AC 7
    Cotton &animal skin, no shield: AC7
    Cotton & animal skin, shield: AC 6
    Cotton or skin & shell or gold/silver inlay: AC 6
    Cotton or skin & shell or gold/silver inlay, plus shield: AC 5

Mechicas will not wear any metal ar-
mor except for gold or silver inlaid on
cotton, skin, or turtle shells.

Mechica do not speak the common
tongue. They speak a language called
Nahuatla (na-  hwa  -tlah) which is under-
standable by the Sapotec natives who
live nearby. They will not recognize any
alignment language. Their system of
worship is based on that described in the
DEITIES & DEMIGODS™ Cyclopedia,
Central American Mythos. (Since this
adventure deals with the fantasy world
“Mechica” instead of the historical Mex-
ica, all references to human sacrifice in
the DDG book should be ignored for
purposes of this adventure. Instead, vic-
tims are brought to the Mechicas’ cere-
monial altar, the Risa  stone, and poly-
morphed into an appropriate animal — usually a jaguar — to appease the deity.)

The highest official position in the
Mechica culture is the Emperor, who is a
high-level cleric. The Emperor is fol-
lowed in the hierarchy by a court of high
priests (high-level clerics), then by high-
level generals and other military leader
types.

Mechica warfare is very different from
the European style of combat. The object
is to reduce a foe’s hit points so that the
opponent surrenders or falls “dead” but 
can then be tied up and kept alive by a
healing spell. Religion is the center of
Mechica life, and the deities must always
be appeased. This means that a steady
supply of characters for the Risa  stone
must be insured. A dead enemy does
nothing for the deities; surrendered en-
emies can be polymorphed into different
animals to appease the various self-
centered deities of the Mechica culture.

The weapons of the Mechica people
are derived from available materials and
their methods of warfare. Obsidian is
used as the material for the blade in
almost every type of edged weapon. The
ebony rocks are chipped into razor-
sharp, jagged pieces, then mounted on a
wood handle with the butt end carved in
the shape of a canoe paddle. The length
of the handle varies from 6-7’ for a spear
to less than a foot for the macahuitl
(mah-cah-wee-tul), a large-bladed weap-
on resembling a machete, which is the
most popular of all Mechica weapons.
The macahuitl is commonly 3-4’ long
from the tip of the blade to the end of the
handle, although they vary since each
weapon is handmade by its wielder.
Stone hammers are also common, al-
though they certainly do not compare to
their European counterparts in terms of
damage. Daggers are made of obsidian;
the blades are sometimes fitted into
wood or bone handles, but most often
the dagger is entirely formed of the vol-
canic stone.

The most popular missile weapons
among the Mechica are the sling, the
short bow, and the javelin. These do not
vary from the weapons described in the
AD&D rules, except that flint, obsidian,
and bone are used for the bullets, arrow-
heads, and spear heads instead of metal.
The most dangerous Mechica missile
weapon is the tlacochtli (tlah- coach-
tlee), a small javelin with three bone
barbs. It was hurled by an atlatl (spear
thrower), in the same way a harpoon is
cast, with a maximum range equal to the
length of the rope attached to the end of
the shaft of the tlacochtli. When the point
of the javelin strikes an opponent, the
wielder grasps the rope, pulls it taut, and
threatens the victim. If the victim sur-
renders, he is tied up and taken prisoner.
If the victim does not surrender, the
attacker will pull back on the rope, pul-
ling the barbs back through the wound
and doing even greater damage than the
original hit.

Mechica weapons

-	Dmg. (s-m/l)	Lng.	Spc.  req.	Spd.  fat.
Hammer1	1-4/1-3	c. 1 1/2'	2'	4
Macahuitl (as sword)2	2-8/2-165	c.3 1/2'	4'	6
Macahuitl (as club)3	1-4/1-25	c. 3 1/2'	4'	5
Spear4	1-6/2-86	as per AD&D	as per AD&D	as per AD&D
Tlacochtli4	1-8/1-87	as per spear	as per spear	as per spear

¹ — Adjustments vs. different armor 
classes are the same as for the hammer 
as described in AD&D rules. 

² — Adjustments vs. AC same as for 
AD&D long sword. <correct this>

³ — Adjustments vs. AC same as for 
AD&D club. <correct this> 

⁴ — Adjustments vs. AC same as for 
AD&D spear. <correct this>

⁵  — The macahuitl can be wielded as a
sword, striking with the obsidian edge,
or as a club, striking with the flat wooden
side. When the weapon is used as a
sword, the obsidian will grow dull as the
number of successful hits increases;
therefore, damage should be computed
as 2-8 vs. size S or M opponents for each
of the first two hits, 1-8 for the next two,
1-6 for the next two, and 1-4 thereafter
until combat is resolved. Against size L
opponents, the damage figures should
be 2-16 for the first round, 1-12 for the
second, 1-10 for the third, 1-8 for the
fourth, 1-6 fifth, 1-4 sixth, and 1-2 for the
remainder of the melee.

⁶ — The Mechica spear was construct-
ed like the macahuitl. To account for the
gradual dulling of the obsidian, damage
should be computed as 1-6 for the first
two hits vs. size S or M opponents, and
1-4 for the remainder of the combat.
Against size L opponents, damage is 2-8
for two hits, 1-6 for the next two hits, and
1-4 for the rest of the combat.

⁷ — The tlacochtli requires 1 round to
load on the atlatl, fire, and hit an oppo-
nent. If the hit is successful, damage of
1-8 is computed. The next round must be
spent retrieving the tlacochtli if it missed
its target; or, if it hit, the weapon can be
pulled back through the target for dou-
ble damage (2-16). If initiative is won by
the tlacochtli victim, the wounded char-
acter can only cut the line if he/she has a
sharp weapon already drawn; a comrade
with a sharp weapon already drawn can
cut the rope, provided that character has
the initiative and is close enough to the
victim to do so. Otherwise the wounded
character can only surrender, or else
sustain the 2d8 damage rolled for pulling
the weapon back out. The tlacochtli is
used in an attempt to force the victim to
surrender, and a Mechica will always
give a victim the opportunity to do so,
unless his own life is threatened.

THE PROBLEM



In the past, the Mechicas paid homage
to many different deities, favoring no
one of them over any other. But now the
tribe’s high priest, Emperor Cuactehmoc
(pictured at right) <above>, has ordered that Tez-
catlipoca (DDG p. 35) be appeased first
and foremost, at the expense of Quetzal-
coatl (DDG p.32). He has directed that
war and chaos be spread through the
surrounding countryside so that as many
prisoners as possible can be cast upon
the Risa stone. The leader has decided to
overrun the area with (polymorphed)
jaguars in honor of the most treacherous
of deities. This, of course, is most pleas-
ing to Tezcatlipoca, the “Smoking Mir-
ror,” who cannot intervene directly on
his own behalf because doing so would
dangerously upset the delicate balance
of power maintained by the deities. For
similar reasons, no other deities feel safe
in trying to intervene and keep Cuac-
tehmoc from realizing his plans, because
all of them fear upsetting the balance
that exists between their various spheres
of influence, and none of them want to
risk doing something that might destroy
that balance and thereby destroy the
universe they all control.

The various Mechica clans, religious
orders, and military orders are all united
behind their emperor in an effort to cap-
ture as many prisoners as possible.
Bands of Mechica warriors are spread-
ing northward over the ridge of the
Sapotec Mountains in search of victims.

When captured, prisoners are brought
back to the Order of Jaguar Priests at
Tenocatlan. These are the fiercest cler-
ics of all the Mechica, for they inflict
lycanthropy upon themselves, becom-
ing werejaguars, as a part of their train-
ing and as a sign of their devotion. Even
other Mechicas (those who are not Jag-
uar Priests) fear these clerics.

The Jaguar Priests, while in various
stages of lycanthropy, cast prisoners on
the Risa stone, a statue of a reclining
man holding his hands on his chest. By
forcing the victim down onto the stone
on his or her back and uttering the
proper words, the priests cause the vic-
tim to be polymorphed into a jaguar.
This state will remain until a  dispel magic
spell is cast by a magic-user of 16th level
or higher. The polymorphed character(s)
will otherwise follow the specifications
of the polymorph others spell as de-
scribed in the Players Handbook. The
new “jaguar” is then set free — but the
creature will quickly find itself subject to
attack from any humanoids who come
into contact with it, including Mechicas,
who value jaguar skin for armor and
decorative purposes.

In order to stop this spreading of evil,
someone or some group of characters
will eventually have to oust Cuacteh-
moc. To accomplish this, an individual
or a party of adventurers will have to
somehow get into Tenocatlan, since the 
Emperor never leaves the holy city unless
a deity requires it.

The problem should not be related to
the party directly by the DM; rather, the
adventurers should be required to obtain
information (from NPCs) that will make
it clear to them what their goal should be,
and then set about accomplishing that
goal.

WEREJAGUAR



FREQUENCY:  Very rare
NO. APPEARING:  1-12
ARMOR CLASS:  3
MOVE:  15”
HIT DICE:  5+3
% IN LAIR: 20%
TREASURE TYPE:  R in lair
NO. OF ATTACKS:  3
DAMAGE/ATTACK:  1-3/1-3/1-8
SPECIAL ATTACKS:  Rake for 1-4/1-4
SPECIAL DEFENSES:  Silver weapon or
+1 or better weapon to hit
MAGIC RESISTANCE:  Standard
INTELLIGENCE:  Average
ALIGNMENT:  Chaotic evil
SIZE: M
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
Attack/Defense Modes:  Nil

Werejaguars are all members of the
Order of Jaguar Priests and worship
Tezcatlipoca. Except where indicated
otherwise, they conform in all respects
to the characteristics of lycanthropes as
described in the Monster Manual. It is
viewed by these priests as a sign of total
devotion to take the physical form of 
their deity, and they willingly submit
themselves to the ordeals of lycanthropy.
The disease has a 28-day cycle: For one
week the human cleric undergoes a slow
change, growing claws, cat-like facial
features, and the like. During this time,
the werejaguar is still able to act as a
cleric and maintain a “normal” day-to-
day life. After one week, the cleric looks
exactly like a large jaguar and will go out
and prowl for victims. The werejaguar
will attack any living creature, unless or
until the jaguar’s defeat seems unavoid-
able. Once engaged in combat, a were-
jaguar will never surrender; escape will
always be the preferred alternative to
defeat whenever escape is possible.
Otherwise, the cat will fight to the death.
Werejaguars will never attack others of
their own kind, but will attack other
Mechicas just as they would any sort of
humanoid.

After one week in jaguar form, the
creature begins the week-long process
of changing back to human form. After
the change back is complete, the lycan-
thrope goes about his or her normal
“human” routines. Werejaguars can cast
cleric spells any time except during the
week when they are in jaguar form.
These creatures are never held account-
able for their killings by the Mechica
people while in jaguar form.

<also see Dragon #40, Werejaguar>

FANTASY AND HISTORY
This adventure is loosely based on the
Aztec or Mexica civilizations of the 13th-
16th centuries. If players have some
knowledge of these civilizations, the DM
should let them use it. In game terms,
this knowledge can be described as part
of the earlier mentioned tales and leg-
ends about the Mechicas. Enough alter-
ations have been made in this adventure
from the actual history of the Aztecs that
much of a player’s pre-learned informa-
tion will serve no purpose. This can and
should be attributed to the alterations of
time and a few overly imaginative story
tellers. (For instance, the Aztecs were
known for a form of human sacrifice in
which the hearts of their victims were cut
out of their chests. If and when charac-
ters are taken prisoner and brought to
the  Risa  stone, the DM should make it
appear as though they are about to be
killed instead of polymorphed, right up
to the time when the shape change
occurs.)

STARTING THE ADVENTURE
In order to enable the DM to fit this
adventure into an already existing cam-
paign, there is no specified starting point
for the journey southward. The starting
point can be placed on a map of the DM’s
world, at a location in close proximity to
a tropical mountain area. The party can
be made aware of the current refugee
problem from the south as something
that comes to their attention in the natu-
ral course of things.

The journey from the starting point to
the foothills of the Sapotec Mountains
should take about two weeks by foot, or
half as long if all party members have
mounts. A party can only take mounts as
far as the foothills, which are heavily
forested with lush tropical jungle. The
journey from the foothills into the Sa-
potec Mountains will require one week
of further travel on foot.

Random encounters should be rolled
for normally from the Temperate And
Subtropical Conditions Table, Inhabited
And/Or Patrolled Areas, from p. 186 of
the DMG. This table will apply for the trip
from the starting point to the foothills.
The column for “Predominant Terrain”
should be chosen to fit the conditions on
an already existing campaign map. Al-
ternatively, if no map is being used to get
the party from the starting point to the
foothills, the “Plain” column should be
used. In addition to the provisions of this
encounter table, there is also a 1 in 10
chance per turn of encountering 1-4
Sapotec refugees heading north. As
stated before, they will hardly ever speak
the common tongue and will resist ques-
tioning. If pressured, they will identify
themselves as Sapotec tribesmen  (Com-
prehend Languages required), and if
asked why they are fleeing they will
speak of the “jaguar plague.” But they
will only give this information if they
have no other choice. Sapotecs are
peaceful, they mind their own affairs,
and they expect the same in return. If
there is any way of avoiding contact with
strangers, including running away, the
tribesmen will do so.

Upon arriving at the foothills, the party
will have noticed the weather to be
warmer and much more humid than
before. The vegetation will also show the
change in climate. The farther south the
party proceeds, the warmer the tempera-
ture will become. In the foothills, random
encounters will still be occur on a 1 in 10
chance per turn. But the type of encoun-
ter will now be determined using the
table below:

Creature type	Dice roll
Ant, giant	01-02
Ape	03-05
Bear, black	06-09
Beetle rhinoceros	10-12
Centipede, giant	13-16
Coatl (see note)	17-19
Herd animal	20-25
Jaguar	26-47
Lycanthrope, werejaguar	48-52
Men, tribesmen (Mechica)	53-56
Men, tribesmen (Sapotec)	57-60
Scorpion, giant	61-64
Snake, constricting	65-70 <MM>
Snake, poisonous	71-74 <MM>
Snake, spitting	75-76 <MM>
Spider, giant	77-80
Spider, huge	81-86
Toad, giant	87-94
Toad, giant poisonous	95-00

Note: Any couatl encountered will ac-
tually be a minion of Quetzalcoatl, the
deity known as the “Feathered Serpent.”
If members of the party somehow rec-
ognize the creature for what it is, and call
to it, the flying snake will approach. It will
speak the common tongue fluently, al-
though it will not volunteer information.
If adventurers request specific facts
about the Mechicas, the feathered rep-
tile will answer up to three questions, in a
yes-or-no manner only.

In its capacity as a minion of Quetzal-
coatl, the creature will fear that its giving
out of too much information might be
construed by other deities as an attempt
at direct intervention by Quetzalcoatl. It
will therefore try to help as best it can,
but will not divulge more than three yes-
or-no answers.

MAP “A” ENCOUNTER AREAS
After  forging through the narrowest of
footpaths (which require movement in
single file at all times) for one week, the
party will discover that the lush tropical
forest comes to an abrupt end at the foot
of a steep mountain ridge. The moun-
tains are granite; the terrain is occasion-
ally speckled with some scrub-type
plants or trees. These plants are new, the
beginning of the “revival” of the plant life
that was destroyed in the last volcanic
eruption. This fact should be easily de-
duced by any party member who ques-
tions why the vegetation in the area
comes to such an abrupt halt. This know-
ledge may spark some concern among
party members, since several volcanoes
(not active, but the characters won’t
know that) can be seen along both sides
of the now-wider trail. The party may
travel three abreast on this part of the
trail. If characters move off the trail,
travel is reduced to 1/4 of normal move-
ment rate due to the sharp climbs and
drops in the terrain that were created by
volcanic lava flows and earthquakes.

1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	Mechica

1. Empty Sapotec Calpulli: After the
party clears the first ridge, they will
notice a pathway jutting off to the east. If
this path is examined, the party will dis-
cover that it has been traveled on re-
cently. If a ranger is in the group, he or
she will recognize and be able to track
the footprints of a single barefoot human.
The path can be followed back roughly
one-quarter mile into a steep ravine. At
the end of the ravine is a calpulli (wooden
dwelling) in a state of disrepair. It is
about 40’ wide and angles back to a
depth of 100’. The front entrance is
uncovered. If they enter, the party will
find the dwelling to be a single room that
has long been abandoned. Eight ham-
mocks hang between the wall and a se-
ries of posts that run from floor to ceil-
ing. Also in the room are 16 floor mats,
some crude stone implements and eat-
ing utensils made of gourds, a pile of
rotten squash in a corner, and a crude
figure of a feathered snake, with the
feathers made of gold. (The figure is
worth 30 g.p., for the gold only. It is the
only item of any value in the room, which
appears to have been ransacked.) If
characters search under the floor mats,
they will find a total of 27 s.p. The bowls,
clustered in the center of the room, con-
tain food, although their contents now
appear to be a fungus growth. In short, it
appears as though the people who oc-
cupied this dwelling were interrupted or
made to flee in the middle of their daily
routine. If players ask, the markings on
the bowls will remind them of similar
markings on items carried by the Sapotec
refugees in the north.

2. Alcoman: While descending from
the first ridge of mountains, each char-
acter will have a 1 in 6 chance (2 in 6 for
elves, half-elves, and rangers) of notic-
ing a man watching the party from behind
a low bush. He will be some 50’ from the
trail. If he is called to in the common
tongue, he will look confused more than
frightened. He will answer with the words
“No kill.” If he is fired upon first, he will
fight back.

His name is Alcoman Ocelotl (4th level
fighter, AC8, HP26, ALLN, Str 14, Int 11,
Wis 9, Dex 13, Con 10, Cha 10, quilted
cotton armor, short bow, macahuitl, 12
arrows) and he is a direct descendant of
one of the prisoners in the “zoo.” His
grandfather escaped from the Mechicas
and settled in the mountains, where he
ended up married to a Sapotec woman.
He passed on two things to his grand-
child before he died: a rudimentary un-
derstanding of the common tongue, and
an intense hatred of the Mechicas. If he
is befriended, Alcoman will relate what
he knows of the Mechicas and will volun-
teer to help the party as a scout and
information source. Alcoman’s biggest
problem with the party will be his severely
limited command of the common tongue.
He will only talk in simple, “Tarzan-style”
common. (But he is totally fluent in the
Mechica language and well versed in the
Mechica religion, as are all Sapotec
people.) He will relate the history of the
calpulli described in Encounter 1 (above)
if he is asked about it. His explanation is
that the calpulli — where he used to live
— was raided and ransacked by Mechica
warriors dressed as jaguars, and the res-
idents were carried off. However, Alco-
man does not know the fate of the other
calpulli members (he will explain that he
was out hunting when the raid took
place).

Alcoman will also tell of the profusion
of jaguars that has caused havoc in the
area. He does not know the cause of the
sudden population increase, but he
seems to believe that Tezcatlipoca is
behind it somehow. As far as he knows,
all of the rest of the Sapotec families
have fled the area, or else they have suf-
fered the same fate as the members of
Alcoman’s calpulli. The young fighter
has stayed because of his intense hatred
of the Mechica, his youthful pride, and
his desire to help other refugees who
might remain in the area.

He knows that the great Mechica city
of Tenocatlan exists and is located some-
where along the trail leading south, but
Alcoman has never been any farther
south than this; the Mechicas and the
jaguars are too numerous for him to risk
traveling that far by himself.

Because their behavior and appear-
ance remind him of his grandfather,
Alcoman is infatuated with the members
of the adventuring party. If the party
chooses to bring Alcoman along, he will
show the group loyalty beyond all the
members’ expectations. He will defend
any and all members of the party against
all odds, even to the death if necessary.
He will become a most useful adven-
turer, despite his youth and relatively
low level. When the party arrives at the
forks in the road further along the path,
Alcoman will not know which path leads
toward Tenocatlan, since he has never
ventured this far.

Should the party choose to leave
Alcoman behind, he will follow at a dis-
tance, waiting for an opportunity to rush
to the party’s aid. He will, in fact, persist
unless bound and left behind. He feels
that if he shows himself to be capable,
the party will eventually accept him.

If Alcoman is slain before being given
an opportunity to interact with the ad-
venturers, the party will find on his per-
son 7 g.p., a likeness of Quetzalcoatl
worth 10 g.p., and a bracelet (also worth
10 g.p.) that was given to him by his
grandfather. An inspection will show the
bracelet to be obviously different from
either the Mechica or Sapotec styles of
decoration. The party members should
then be left to ponder the origin of the
bracelet, since they now have no means
of finding out the truth.

3. The Tlaloques: Should the adven-
turers choose the “wrong” road (the one
heading west), they will find that this
pathway comes to an abrupt end after
about a day’s travel. At the end of this
trail is a large ditch. Close inspection by
a dwarf or gnome will show that the ditch
was recently dug (within the last week or
less) and that it appears to be the work of
gnomes. In fact, the excavation is the
work of the tlaloques (tlah-  low  -kays), a
race of gnomes created by the deity
Tlaloc. The purpose of the ditch is to
provide a place for fallen rain to gather,
in hopes that the accumulation of water
will eventually form a lake. (The ditch is
presently dry, and is still under construc-
tion.) Tlaloques are like gnomes in every
respect, except that they are all of neu-
tral alignment and speak only Nahuatla,
the language of the Mechicas and Sapo-
tecs. When adventurers arrive in the
area, they will encounter six tlaloques:

Xocholotl (ftr/thief, 5/5, AC 7, HP
32,ALN,Str11,Int9,Wis11,Dex11,
Con 17, Cha 9, macahuitl, dagger,
shield)

Aguacatl (ftr, 7th lvl, AC 6, HP 49,
AL N, Str 11, Int 8, Wis 14, Dex 9, Con
15, Cha 15, macahuitl, shield)

Coyotl (ftr/thief, 3/3, AC 8, HP 13,
AL N, Str 12, Int 10, Wis 18, Dex 14,
Con 11, Cha 13, tlacochtli)

Guaxolotl (thief, 8th lvl, AC 8, HP
42, ALN, Str12, Int16, Wis11, Dex 14,
Con 17, Cha 17, dagger)

Chapultl (ftr, 8th lvl, AC 6, HP 43, AL
N, Str 16, Int 16, Wis 17, Dex 13, Con
15, Cha 10, macahuitl, and shield)

Tula (illusionist, 6th lvl, AC 7, HP
17, AL N, Str9, Int 16, Wis 12, Dex 17,
Con 11, Cha 14, dagger; spells to be
determined by DM, but one of them
must be invisibility 70’ radius). 

The tlaloques will always have a guard
watching from within the ditch, and
therefore will have an 8 in 10 chance of 
spotting the advancing party before the
adventurers spot the tlaloques. If the
advancing characters are spotted, the
tlaloques will gather around Tula, who
will cast his  invisibility 10’ radius  spell on
any of the work crew and wait to play
havoc on the party members. As do other
gnomes, tlaloques love a good laugh at
someone else’s expense. The DM should
choose illusionist spells for Tula that will
leave the tlaloques rolling on the ground
with glee. Should any member of the
party take offense at being the object of
ridicule, this will only serve to draw more
attention to that member from the tla-
loques. If the party members accept their
fate in good spirits, the tlaloques will
“thank” the adventurers by becoming
visible and offering them a ring of water
walking. The gift is in fact well intended
and fittingly represents these minions of
the deity of rain. On the other hand, if the
characters don’t like their treatment and
resort to arms, the tlaloques will fight to 
the end. They carry no gold, for they
have no need of precious metals. They
do have a  spade of colossal excavation,
however, and in the event of defeat this
would fall into the adventurers’ hands.
Tlaloc would curse the party in the event
of the tlaloques’ death, bringing driving
rain down upon them for 5-10 consecu-
tive days.

4. Ocelotlacan, Calpulli of the Jaguar
Knights:  This is where the Jaguar Knights
train. It also serves as the staging area
for the invasion of the surrounding coun-
tryside. As the party comes over the
ridge above this site, they will see Lake
Taxcoco for the first time. The view is
stunning from the point where the trail
divides. In clear weather the characters
can see more than 40 miles away from
their vantage point atop the high moun-
tain pass. Below them (weather permit-
ting) they can see islands with rows of
corn, beans, squash, and fruit trees
growing as if magically inspired.. Dugout
canoes hold fishermen with large nets.
Near the Swamps of Tepotzatlan (En-
counter area 9; see below) canoes carry
hunters with short bows in search of
ducks and geese. Ocelotlacan is also in
sight, below and to the southeast. The
characters can avoid the barracks if they
choose, but there is a 2 in 6 chance of the
party being spotted by sentries in each
round the adventurers stand looking at
the vista.

If the party is spotted, an alarm will be
sounded, sending a band of some 60
Jaguar Knights (dispersed in groups of
4-7 warriors each) after the party. All
Jaguar Knights have statistics and abili-
ties appropriate to the warrior subclass
described earlier.

The knights will scour the countryside
until they have found the members and
captured or killed them. The object will
always be to capture if at all possible so
that the characters can be sent to the
Risa stone. All warriors will wear jaguar
skin and cotton as a uniform. Some will
carry shields, but those who carry a tla-
cochtli cannot use that weapon and a
shield at the same time. In each small
group of Jaguar Knights, a captain (12th
level or higher) will command 3-6 war-
riors of lower level. Warriors will use
their tracking ability to try to locate and
apprehend the trespassers.

5. Teotihuacal, “The City of the Gods”:
If the characters reach this “city” they
will see three structures. The northern-
most structure is a pyramid with a temple
at the top. This is the Pyramid of the
Moon, and the temple is dedicated to
Huitzilopochtli (DDG p. 34), the deity of
war. To the south and east of this struc-
ture is a pyramid three times the size of
the first. This is the Pyramid of the Sun,
and its temple is dedicated to Tezcatli-
poca. The third building is a conglomer-
ation of columns, all made in the likeness 
of a feathered serpent. In the middle of
the column-filled area rises a temple. If
Alcoman is with the party, he will quickly
recognize this temple as one erected to
his deity, Quetzalcoatl. Alcoman will in-
sist that the party enter that temple
instead of either of the other two. He has
no way of knowing which deities the
other temples are dedicated to, unless
he is forced to enter them. From ground
level (outside the temples), the “city”
appears deserted.

5A. The Temple of the Moon: The base
of this pyramid measures some 490’
square with a 60’-wide stairway rising
along one side leading to the top. Upon
reaching the landing on top of the second
of three tiers of stairs, the party will
notice two 30’ x 30’ temple-like struc-
tures. The sounds of some sort of ritual
can be heard coming from the structure
on the west side. Alcoman will not be
able to identify anything at this point.
Inside are four clerics, all wearing head-
dresses made of hummingbird feathers.
Alcoman will recognize the clerics as
devotees of Huitzilopochtli, the god of
war. They are:

Huitzolotl (cleric, 6th level, AC 7,
HP 22, AL CN, Str 12, Int 7, Wis 12,
Dex 12, Con 10, Cha 9, hammer,
shield) 

Tecolotl (cleric, 10th level, AC 7, HP
60, AL CE, Str 7, Int 11, Wis 18, Dex 5,
Con 16, Cha 12, +2 hammer, shield)

Pozolotl (cleric, 10th level, AC7, HP
40, AL NE, Str 9, Int 6, Wis 12, Dex 8,
Con 11, Cha 9, hammer, +1 shield)

Zacatl (cleric, 8th level, AC 3, HP
59, AL NE, Str 18, Int 17, Wis 18, Dex
18, Con 17, Cha 8, +1 to hit, +2 to dmg,
-4 defensive adj. to AC, +4 to saving
throw, +3 react/att,  ring of spell turn-
ing,  hammer, shield)

The four clerics will remain deeply
involved in their ritual unless the party
members speak or call to each other
when approaching the temple. If combat
ensues, there will be a 75% chance of
investigation by the Eagle Knights in the
adjacent (eastern) temple (see following
text).

In the eastern temple are four Eagle
Knight warriors silently praying for honor
in battle. This is a common religious rite
in Mechica society, even of devotees to
other deities. Huitzilopochtli does not
care who participates in a combat, as
long as the battle is honorable. The
“honor” is bestowed in the form of a
prayer  spell cast on fighters who come to
this shrine. The spell, bestowed by 
Huitzilopochtli himself, will commence with
the start of the recipient’s next combat,
and will last for a total of 13 rounds (DDG
p. 34). The war god will not otherwise
intervene in behalf of the Eagle Knights,
and the spell can be neutralized by an
opponent casting the same spell (in
opposition to the first one) or a chant. If
this neutralization is attempted, the dif-
ference between the durations of the two 
spells should be computed. The effects
of opposing spells will cancel each other
out until the shorter spell ends. Then the
longer-lasting spell will be effective only
for the remainder of the duration of the
longer spell. For example: The god of
war casts spells as a 13th level cleric.
Therefore his prayer will last 13 rounds.
A  prayer  cast by a 7th-level cleric adven-
turer will last for 7 rounds. The Eagle
Knights’ spell (from the god) will take
effect immediately at the start of a con-
flict. During the first round, the cleric
adventurer casts his or her prayer. By the
end of that round, the knights will have
used one round and have 12 left. For the
next 7 rounds all participants in combat
will fight as though no spells had been
cast. After those 7 rounds, the Eagle
Knights will have the benefit of their
prayer,  but for only 5 more rounds.
There will be a 2 in 6 chance of the prayer
having been bestowed on the warriors if
the party enters the eastern temple first.
If the party enters the clerics’ area first,
there will be a 4 in 6 chance of the prayer
having been bestowed on the Knights
when they are later encountered. The
Knights are:

Ixtalapa (warrior, 8th level, AC 6,
HP59,ALN,Str13,lnt13, Wis14, Dex
12, Con 15, Cha 12, cotton & eagle-
feather suit, shield, macahuitl, short
bow, 12 arrows, dagger)

Cuicuilco (warrior, 4th level, AC 6,
HP 34, AL LN, Str 17, Int 13, Wis 14,
Dex 12, Con 17, Cha 8, cotton &
eagle-feather suit, shield, macahuitl,
short bow, 9 +1 arrows, dagger)

Tlalpan (warrior, 10th level, AC 7,
HP 43, AL LN, Str 13, Int 16, Wis 14,
Dex 11, Con 14, Cha 8, cotton &
eagle-feather suit, tlacochtli, maca-
huitl, dagger)

Coyoacan (warrior, 7th level, AC 6,
HP36,ALN,Str13,lnt13,Wis18,Dex
6, Con 14, Cha 12, cotton & eagle-
feather suit, shield, macahuitl, short
bow, 11 arrows, spear)

On the top of the Pyramid of the Moon
is an ornately decorated temple, 60’ x
40’. After passing between the 30’-tall
Eagle Knight statues/pillars that frame
the entrance, the characters will find
pastel paintings on the wall depicting
great battles. The west wall shows Jag-
uar Knights and Eagle Knights accom-
panied by jaguars, soldiers in loincloths,
chieftains and clerics wearing elaborate
headdresses, and a large hummingbird
flying over the top. The north wall shows
a battle in progress against a Sapotec
army of substantially less splendor than
the group depicted in the west painting.
The eastern wall depicts a victorious
Mechica army returning with scores of
prisoners. The painting gives no clue as
to what happens to the prisoners, should
the question arise. In the center of the
temple is a simple stone altar. Standing
on the altar is a statue of an Eagle Knight
holding a bowl with a liquid inside it.

(The liquid is a potion of super-heroism;
the bowl contains only one dose, and the
liquid can be consumed on the spot or
transferred to another container and
taken away.)

5B. The Pyramid of the Sun: This is
both the largest and the most spectacu-
lar of the three temple areas. Built in five
graduated levels, the pyramid measures
715’ square at the base and is about 220
feet tall with a temple-type structure at
the top. The top can be reached by
climbing the five sets of steps, all very
uneven and requiring the full attention of
the climber. The fourth set of stairs is so
steep that the climber must use both
hands and feet.

The temple at the top of the pyramid
is 30’ square. On the side opposite the
entrance, a row of braziers blocks access
to a thin cotton veil covering the wall. If
any member of the party is wearing
metal armor, there is a 2 in 6 chance of
someone spotting the glint of reflected
light from the surface on the other side of
the veil. This is the Temple of Tezcatli-
poca, and the surface behind the veil is
his “smoking mirror,” through which he
watches the goings-on of men (DDG p.
35). The braziers (non-magical) are
burning, and the room is filled with the
smell of burning charcoal. The braziers
can be moved, should the party decide to
do so in order to get closer to the mirror.
From the “temple side,” the mirror is a
mirror of life trapping.  If a character lifts
or moves the veil to see what is on the
other side of it, he or she will automati-
cally see his or her reflection. Any other
character directly in front of the 10’-wide
mirror when the veil is lifted will have an
80% chance of seeing his or her reflec-
tion in the mirror. Any characters stand-
ing off to one side or the other will have a
1 in 3 chance of seeing their reflection,
regardless of their exact position with
respect to the mirror; otherwise, they will
not be immediately aware of what is
behind the veil. The mirror is of divine
origin and cannot be broken.

The only way a party member who
sees his or her reflection can be saved
from the effects of the life trapping is by
putting living things into it. The mirror
has a capacity of six trapped beings, and
will be “filled” with jaguars when the
party enters the temple; thus, one jaguar
will be released for each new being that
enters the mirror. The sixth being put
into the mirror will cause the first party
member trapped in the mirror to be cast
out. If Alcoman is present and doesn’t
get trapped in the mirror, he will fear
(and say out loud) that any party mem-
bers trapped in the mirror will have met
their end at the hands of the Sun God
(provided that someone in the party has
discovered the mirror behind the veil).
The mirror cannot be detached and
moved.

5C. The Temple of Quetzalcoatl: This
temple is surrounded by pillars in the 
shapes of feathered serpents. In the
middle of the pillars is the smallest of the
three pyramids in the “city.” It measures
208’ square at the base and is 70’ tall,
including the temple at the top. Six box-
shaped layers form this pyramid. Each
layer is decorated with snake-heads
peeking out from the center of a daisy-
shaped arrangement of feathers. A set of
20’-wide stepson one side of the pyramid
lead up to a 20’ square temple devoted to
Quetzalcoatl. A brightly colored couatl,
a minion of the deity, awaits the party
inside. This is the only opportunity for
the party to get some idea of what is
going on inside Tenocatlan without ac-
tually venturing into the city. The couatl
will answer up to six questions in a yes-
or-no manner, and will briefly explain
the reason for an answer. (See the note
accompanying the random encounter
table earlier.) If requested to help the
party out of trouble concerning the
“smoking mirror,” it will cast a sticks to
snakes spell in order to help free any
party members trapped in the mirror —
but the characters will have to carry the
snakes up the Pyramid of the Sun and set
them free in front of the mirror. (If this is
done, there is a 66% chance for each
snake to see itself in the mirror, or 100%
if the snake is held facing the mirror. If
the latter is attempted, there is a 10%
chance of the character doing the hold-
ing also seeing himself in the mirror.)
The couatl will not consider flying the
party into Tenocatlan because there is
no safe place to land, and in any event
the party members could only be trans-
ported one at a time.

6. La Llorona: One of the great fears of
every Mechica, old and young alike, is
called “The Crying Lady.” She awaits
unsuspecting travelers at this point.
Many years ago at this point on the Atla-
tonco River, a young Mechica mother
would come to do her laundry on the
riverbank. One day as she was beating
her clothing against the rocks, her young
son fell into the river. The current was
too swift for her to save the helpless
child. The woman went into a deep
depression and eventually died. Ever
since her death, travelers have reported
hearing the howls of a wailing woman at
the banks of the Atlatonco River. So
fearsome are these cries that some peo-
ple hearing them are said to have died on
the spot from fright.

La Llorona (your-own-ah) is in reality
a groaning spirit. Should the party pass
through this spot at night, she will wail
(jeopardizing party members as they
cross the point where they must ford the
river to stay on the road), but will not
otherwise attack. If the party passes the
intersection of the road and river during
the day, she will do everything in her
power to keep the adventurers from leav-
ing the area. Party members will be safe
from wandering monsters, Mechicas, 
and any other living thing while they
remain near the banks of the Atlatonco
at this point. Even animals know not to
venture near here.

La Llorona is AC 0, HD 7, HP 33, AL
CE, Dmg 1-8, SA wail, SD +1 or better
weapon to hit, Size M, MR 50%.

7. Causeway Entrances:  Tenocatlan
will be visible to adventurers while they
descend to one of the causeway entranc-
es. The sight is breathtaking, for the
“city” is radically different from anything
the adventurers are used to. The island
city does not have a sizable population;
most of the Mechicas live along the
banks of Lake Taxcoco in stone or adobe
calpullis. In the center of the lake, three
golden “ribbons” seem to meet at the
island on which Tenocatlan is located.
The city looks like a grouping of oddly
shaped, gold-colored wedding cakes.
From the top of the nearby mountain
ridges, the party will see Mechicas cross-
ing the three causeways, looking from
the mountaintop like a well-drilled army
of ants. If the party watches the cause-
ways for an entire turn, they will notice
1-6 jaguars suddenly running out of
Tenocatlan, through one of the cause-
ways, avoiding all humans. Fishing and
hunting boats dot the lake. To the south
of the city-island are the floating gardens
of Xochomilco, beautiful flower and vine
arrangements that seem to float in the
water. Still further to the south, the float-
ing gardens are used to grow vast quan-
tities of corn, beans, squash, and chiles.
It becomes obvious to the party that
were the city under siege, it would have
to be taken militarily. The city would
never fall to the threats of hunger or
thirst.

It is impossible to approach the cause-
ways in the daytime without being dis-
covered by guards or the local populace.
At night, however, if the party is watch-
ing the city from a high vantage point,
they will discover that the streets and
causeways (only visible on a clear night)
seem to be deserted. This is for a very
good reason, for at night the Order of the
Jaguar Priests rules the streets. Should
the party attempt to enter the city via a
causeway at night, there is a 2 in 8
chance of encountering 1-4 roaming
werejaguars. This chance will increase
to 2 in 6 once the city is entered.

(The Dungeon Master should gener-
ate a dozen or so werejaguars from the
stats given earlier. This preparedness
will help the adventure move along more
smoothly. Of the dozen, roll 1d6 to de-
termine how many are in were-form; the
remainder should be in cleric form with
appropriate spells. The DM should also
be sure to describe the differences in
appearance of the various clerics. Some
will have jaguar ears, whiskers and tails,
while another may simply have a cat-like
snout, and others will appear to be
“normal.“)



8. The Canoes:  If the party chooses the
path that leads to Xipe Island and takes
the route to the island by night, they will
have found the Achilles heel of the
Tenocatlan defenses. A long, unguarded
causeway leads from Xipe Island to Xico
Island, which is used to grow corn. There
is only a 1 in 12 chance of the adventur-
ers having a random encounter on Xipe
Island, and any encounter (if there is
one) will be only a single jaguar or were-
jaguar (50% chance of each).

The causeway connecting the two
islands contains a trap: The only bridge
on the causeway, about 20’ long and
located halfway across the span, is set
each night so that it will collapse under a
load of 170 pounds (the weight of a nor-
mal human) when that load is in the mid-
dle of the structure. Any character stand-
ing on the middle 10’ of the bridge when
it collapses must save vs. dexterity at -2
or fall into the lake. Characters in the
remaining 5’ area on either side must
save vs. dexterity at +3 or meet the same
fate.

The trap is a simple mechanism, the
heart of which is a removable beam that
supports the center of the bridge. When 
the trap is set, the beam is moved to the
center island, so it cannot be spotted by
the party before they cross the bridge.
All characters walking onto the bridge
will have their normal chance to spot the
mechanical trap.

Xico Island is occupied at night by a
lone Mechica guard: Micantle, a 3rd level
fighter (AC 10, HP21, AL LN, Str 14, Int 7,
Wis 10, Dex 8, Con 9, Cha 9, loincloth,
spear, dagger). Micantle will investigate
the noise he hears if the bridge col-
lapses, arriving within 2d8 rounds from
the time of the collapse. He may remem-
ber (2 in 3 chance) to bring his horn, and
if so he will use it. There is a 60% chance
that 1-4 werejaguars will hear the horn
and will arrive at the scene in 4d4 rounds. 

If the adventurers get past the bridge
and Micantle, they can proceed down
the causeway to Xipe Island. The island
seems to be nothing but cornfields, un-
less the party proceeds through the fields
to the beach at the south side of the
island. Here the adventurers will find
some 70 canoes used by the Mechicas
for farming, fishing, and hunting. Each
canoe is 7-12 feet long and designed to
carry one man, although each is large 
enough to hold two people without any
problem. The DM should allow for nor-
mal navigation through the water, but
the party’s speed will be hindered be-
cause of their unfamiliarity with the lake.

If the party discovers the causeways in
this area during the daytime, they will
find them being heavily travelled. The
beam will have been replaced in the
bridge by Micantle, allowing safe pas-
sage to Xipe Island, and only 1d4 canoes
will be beached. There is a 3 in 6 chance
per turn of the adventurers being discov-
ered if they attempt to use the causeway
during the daytime.

9. The Swamps of Tepozatlan: This
area is a dense swamp; movement rate
will be reduced accordingly. Random
encounters in this area are determined
from page 189 of the DMG, Marsh En-
counters, disregarding any result of
“hippopotamus.” Any tribesmen encoun-
tered will be Mechicas on a hunting
expedition; if this result is obtained, roll
d6: 1-2 = 2d4 Eagle Knight warriors of
5th-8th level; 3-4 = 2d4 Jaguar Knight
warriors of 5th-8th level; 5-6 = 3d4 thieves
of 4th-7th level.

ENCOUNTERS FOR MAP “B”
(THE CITY OF TENOCATLAN)

1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10
11	12	13	14	15
16	17	18	18a	18b
18c	-	-	-	Mechica

The party should be able to reach
Tenocatlan by any one of a number of
means. Magic, flying, boating, and using
a disguise, to name a few, are all possible
means of gaining entry to the city. The
DM should rule on particulars with re-
gard to what disguise will work, whether
the party is spotted while flying in by
night, etc. Common sense and good
gamesmanship must prevail throughout
this adventure, and especially at this
point, by which time the DM should have
a basic understanding of the Mechica
peoples.

The city of Tenocatlan is the center of
Mechica activity. Unless the adventurers
have taken proper precautions, they will
stick out like sore thumbs in this envi-
ronment. Everything from their armor, to
their skin color, to their language, is dif-
ferent from what the Mechicas are used
to seeing. A misjudgment on the part of
the player characters concerning this
topic should be dealt with severely. Al-
sthough the center of the city is not overly
populated with guards, if the party is
recognized as strange, or combat en-
sues, an alarm horn will be sounded by
any guard in a position to do so, the
causeways will be opened to prevent
escape, and the guards in the city will be
reinforced by the arrival of boatloads of
Jaguar Knights and Eagle Knights from
the shores of the lake.

The island of Tenocatlan has several
decorative gardens containing fruit trees,
delicate tropical flowers, and flowering
trees, all planted in locations to enhance
the feeling of visitors that they are enter-
ing a holy place. The areas outside the
parallel east-west canals are made up
entirely of gardens, as are the shorelines
between the canals.

From the center of the island rise the
twin temples to the gods of rain and war
(map locations 1A and 1B), and the tem-
ple to the sun god (map location 10). The
sounds of continuous drum-beating and
chanting mix with eerie flute music, all of
which serves to remind the characters
that they are in a very different sort of
place.

ENCOUNTER AREAS
1. Twin Temples: Two sets of broad
steps lead up a tall pyramid to a pair of
identical temples at the top. Inside the
north temple (A) is a 50’ square room. In
the middle of the room is a deer totem on
top of a small altar. On either side of the
totem are two wands. One is a normal
wand of lightning with 38 charges. The
second is a wand of weather control with
42 charges. The latter wand will cause
torrential rain (or snow, depending on
the temperature) to fall in an area of from
4-16 square miles (roll separately for
each use of the wand). Seated Indian-
style in front of the totem is a cleric in
deep meditation (4th level, AC 10, HP 19,
Wis 12, unarmed; spells determined by
DM if necessary). He will be surprised if
encountered by the party. Characters
may be able to deduce that this is the
temple dedicated to the god of rain,
whom Alcoman will know as Tlaloc.

In the south temple (B), the party will
find the High Priest of the Hummingbird.
He is a 18th level cleric AC 5, HP 68, AL
N, Wis 18, with a +2 ring of protection,
wearing an eagle-feather suit and cotton
and bearing a club and hammer. Behind
him is a giant gold likeness of a hum-
mingbird worth 8,000 g,p. Paintings sim-
ilar to the battlescenes in the Pyramid of
the Moon are on the walls, which may
lead characters to realize they are in the
Temple of Huitzilopochtli. Again, Alco-
man will recognize the decorations for
what they are. Otherwise the party could
figure that this is some god of war or
battle. This cleric, like the one in the
north temple, is under orders from the
Emperor to stay in the temple at all times,
to insure victory in battle and a steady
supply of victims for Tezcatlipoca.

2. Platform for the Stone of Tizoc: Sit-
ting out for all to see is the Stone of
Tizoc. It is a six-foot-high block of gran-
ite on top of which is mounted a six-inch-
diameter stone, also of granite, which is
in reality a  stone of controlling  earth
elementals,  known as “Earth Monsters”
in Mechica legend. According to the
tales, this monster is so fearsome, it once
tore off the leg of Xochipilli, the god of
chance (DDG p. 36). The result of this
incident was the calling of the Council of
the Gods at Teotihuacal, where the dei-
ties collaborated to manufacture this
stone in order to protect themselves and
their people.

3. Tzompantli: This is a display of
skulls, all of great Mechica warriors who
fought heroically in battle. This serves as
a strange “hall of fame” for those who
have performed well in the service of
Huitzilopochtli.

4. Ball Court: This is a playing court
where a game very similar to basketball,
but much more violent, is played. There
is a 1 in 6 chance of a game being in
progress if the court is investigated dur-
ing the day.

5. Eagle House of the Sun Temple:
This is the area which under normal
(non-war) conditions would be the sleep-
ing area of the High Priest of the Hum-
mingbird. Of course, he will not be here
because he has been ordered to remain
in prayer at the temple (1 B). There will be
three werejaguars guarding inside. The
only noticeable things of worth are a
meager 12 g.p. and 23 s.p., but back by a
sleeping mat is an old Mechica scroll. If
comprehend languages is cast on it, it
will show to be similar in effect to a man-
ual of bodily health.

6. Platform of the Eagle House:  This
holds the awe-inspiring Mechica calen-
dar. Probably too difficult for the party to
figure out, it is known among the Mechica
as the “Prophecy Stone.” It has much
religious significance as well as all the
information necessary to be used as a
calendar.

7. Snake Temple: This was the temple
to Quetzalcoatl at one time, but no Me-
chica would dare show himself or herself
on these steps now, because of the
recent turn of events. The interior of the
temple is run-down and deserted.

9. Pyre of Huhueteotl: On top of a
stone altar, similar in shape to the one
holding the Prophecy Stone, is a con-
stantly burning flame 30’ in diameter, a
tribute to the god of fire. If the party
peers carefully inside the flame, there
will be seen a ring of fire resistance  in the
center of the fireplace. Characters have
the same chance to spot the ring as for
secret doors. Anyone trying to move
through the fire will take 1d6 of damage
for each 5’ traveled, unless some means
of protection from fire is employed.

10. Temple of Tezcatlipoca:  This could
be the final destination of the party, in
the context of this adventure. The pyra-
mid that supports the temple rises some
120’ above the ground. At the base, a
wall allows only three points of entry to
the pyramid-temple. Each entrance is
guarded by four jaguars who sit atop the
wall and lazily watch people pass by.
These animals were once Jaguar Knights
who were polymorphed. They serve as
sentries just as they would if they were
still human warriors. If one of them
detects anything suspicious about any-
one entering through one of the three
gates, it will stand up slowly while keenly
eyeing its intended victim, and then sud-
denly spring down on the intruder, snarl-
ing in rage. The other cats, upon seeing
one of the guards rise, will instantly
join the fray themselves.

If the adventurers climb the steps to
the temple, they will see a 40’ wide and
20’ deep structure. The first object no-
ticed by the party will be the Risa stone,
in the center of the temple area. It is a
stone carved in the form of a man reclin-
ing on his back, arms bent in as though
supporting his rib cage. His head is tilted
up and turned to one side, and there is a
hideous grin on his face. The second
thing the party will notice are the 2-8
werejaguars that are always present,
protecting their most sacred temple. The
werejaguars will attack immediately and 
without reservation. At least two of them
will be in human or near-human form,
and those two (or more) will carry alarm
horns that they will blow the first chance
they get. When a horn is sounded, there
is a 75% chance that the sentry jaguars
on the wall below will hear the alarm.
There is a 60% chance of other werejag-
uars or warriors nearby also hearing the
alarm. (Roll only once for both “alarm”
results. If the roll results in only the jag-
uars hearing, they will be the only con-
cern for the DM. If the alarm was heard
by other warriors or werejaguars, the
defense plan for the city will go into
effect; see earlier notes.)

The next concern for the party will be
Cuactehmoc himself. There is a 65%
chance of his being in the temple when
the party arrives, but he will not person-
ally join in a battle unless and until it
looks like the werejaguars in attendance
are being defeated. Cuactehmoc is a
26th level cleric, AC 8, HP 80, AL CE, Str
12, Int 14, Wis 18, Dex 8, Con 14, Cha 17,
quilted cotton, hammer. Spells recom-
mended for Cuactehmoc are these: Bless
(x2),  Command  (x2),  Darkness  (x2),
Cause Fear  (x3),  Purify Food & Drink,
Sanctuary, Augury  (x3), Hold Person
(x2), Resist Fire, Slow Poison, Snake 
Charm, Speak With Animals  (x2), Spirit-
ual Hammer, Cause Blindness  (x2), Cure
Blindness, Cause Disease (x2), Cure
Disease, Dispel Magic  (x2),  Feign Death,
Bestow Curse, Cause Serious Wounds
(x2), Cure Serious Wounds, Undetecta-
ble Lie  (x2),  Poison  (x3),  Protection from
Good, 10’ radius, Tongues, Atonement,
Cause Critical Wounds  (x2),  Commune,
Dispel Good, Name Strike, False Seeing
(x2), True Seeing, Animate Object  (x2),
Blade Barrier  (x2), Conjure Animals,
Harm  (x3), Word of Recall, Earthquake,
Wither, Destruction  (x2).

If the adventurers destroy the Risa
stone, all of their adversaries except
Cuactehmoc will flee in terror. The other
devotees will see themselves as having
failed in their defense of this most sacred
artifact, and they will fear the wrath of
Tezcatlipoca. The sun god will not worry
about them or the party members, for he
will admire their courage. On the other
hand, the deity will quickly claim the life
of the high priest as payment for his fail-
ure in his responsibilities. The party will
have thereby solved the problem, with-
out being required to directly confront
the emperor, and will have guaranteed
their safe return home, since the other
Mechicas will stand in awe of the party.

In the event that the adventurers risk
open combat with Cuactehmoc, they
deserve whatever fate befalls them. The
first Mechica objective will be to defend
the Risa  stone at all costs. The second, if
possible, will be to capture and/or poly-
morph the party members into jaguars
on the  Risa  stone.

11. Temple of Colbuacan:  This small
pyramid temple is hidden to the east of
the twin temples to Tlaloc and Huitzilo-
pochtli. If the party members enter this
temple, they will find it in the process of
renovation. If they have been in any of
the temples of Huitzilopochtli, they may
recognize the same mural painting on
the south wall as the same sort that they
have seen before. The other walls are
covered over, awaiting repainting. 

12. Snake Wall:  This 12-foot-high wall,
shaped like a bas-relief snake, stretches
all the way around Tenocatlan, enclos-
ing the sacred city except where the
causeway entrances intersect it.

13. Black House of Coatlicue:  This
temple is a shrine to the “mother of the
gods.” Inside are a number of burning
candles as well as some yet unlit. If the 
candles are checked carefully, one of the
unlit ones will be found to be a  candle of
invocation.



14. Palace of the Tlaloquetin: Here are
kept all “short” prisoners awaiting the
Risa stone. “Tlaloquetin” refers to the
Tlaloques, and the “short” prisoners are
all dwarves, gnomes and halflings. There
will be 3d4 of each race in this prison. If
the prisoners are released before the
adventurers gain control of the city,
alarms will be sounded and the Mechi-
cas will allow no escape from the island,
as per previous instructions (see earlier
text). Any of these prisoners will be
happy to fight on behalf of the party if set
free, but none will have weapons or
armor.

15. House of Songs:  If the party comes
near this building they will be able to
identify it as the source of the drumming,
chanting and flute playing they have
been hearing. If adventurers look into
the building they will see musicians, and
the musicians will probably see the party.
This makes no difference, and the music
will continue unless the musicians are
attacked. The musicians are the only
citizens of Tenocatlan who don’t care 
whether strangers are lurking about or
not. If this house is entered at night when
it is empty, the party will find a set of
drums of deafening, but the only way to
find out what they are is to beat on them
in the middle of the night.

16. Palace of Axayacatl:  This building
is for “large” prisoners. This group in-
cludes humans, elves, half-elves, and
half-orcs. They also await their turn on
the Risa stone. As with the “short” pri-
soners (area 14), they will do what they
can to help the party, but they have no
weapons or armor. Their release will
cause the general alarm to be sounded in
the city.

17. The Royal Aviary: This is the em-
peror’s bird cage. It is filled with a num-
ber of brightly plumed birds. But there is
little in the way of adventure here.

18. The Palace of Cuactehmoc:  As
with the Temple of Tezcatlipoca (area
10), there will always be 3d4 jaguars
perched on top of the wall to guard his
highness.


18A. Keep of the Jaguar Priests: The
door from the courtyard is unlocked and
opens into the werejaguar hideout. These 
creatures/clerics are here to help protect
and serve the emperor as slaves. If the
emperor is at the Temple (area 10), there
will be only 1d4 lycanthropes present
here. If the party has not entered the
Temple yet, there is a 1 in 3 chance that
the emperor will be in his room. If he is
present here, there will be 3d4 lycan-
thropes present guarding the High Priest.

18B. Sleeping Quarters: For all of the
furnishings in the rest of the city, this
room will surprise the party, because it is
quite modest. A simple sleeping mat is
against the far wall. If he is present in his
quarters, Cuactehmoc will have heard
the commotion outside this chamber
and prepared himself for battle. If the
Risa stone has already been destroyed,
the party will enter to find the emperor
dead. If he is not present, the room will
seem quite empty. Should the party
check for secret doors and succeed in
their search, they will find the entrance
to area 18C. It is opened by lifting the
sleeping mat. Closing the door will return
the mat to its former place.

18C. The Emperor’s Treasure:  The
god Tezcatlipoca is also known as the
provider of wealth. The reward for foiling
Cuactehmoc’s treachery comes to the
tune of 180,000 g.p. and 287,000 s.p.