By Chris Franklin

June 24, 1999

The most widely accepted story of creation is that the universe was the work of two primordial deities, Ometecutli, Lord of Duality, and Omecihuatl, Lady of Duality. As creators of initial life they produced four sons, Tezcatlipoca, Xipe Totec, Quetzalcoatl, and Huitzilopochtli. Each of these gods was associated with a different direction, color, tree, bird, and other natural events. Quetzalcoatl and Huitzilopochtli would later create all human and animal life as well as natural vegetation.

The earth is thought of as being in a state of chaos or unstable matter called Cipactli, a monster-alligator, or shark that lives in the ocean. Legend has it that in the beginning Quetzalcoatl and Texcatlipoca assumed the shape of snakes and squeezed Cipactli into two parts. The top part they made into the sky and the lower part the earth. Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca then placed giant trees at the corners of the earth to hold up the sky. From the skin of Cipactli, flowers and grasses were created, from her eyes, springs, from her mouth, rivers, from her nose, valleys, and from her shoulders, the great mountains were formed.

The Mayan priests teach that the first humans, called the First Fathers, were made of corn. Many believe that these first humans were the descendants of the Toltec.

The Aztec priests teach a different account, which gives much higher favor to their patron god Huitzilopochtli. They say that his mother Coatlique was first impregnated by an obsidian knife and gave birth to Coyolxanuhqui, goddess of the moon, and to a group of male offspring, who became the stars. Then one day Coatlique found a ball of feathers, which she tucked into her bosom. Whe she looked for it later, it was gone, at which time she realized that she was again pregnant. Her children, the moon and stars did not believe her story. Ashamed of their mother, they resolved to kill her. A goddess could only give birth once, to the original litter of divinity and no more. During the time that they were plotting her demise, Coatlique gave birth to the fiery god of war, Huitzilopochtli. With the help of a fire serpent, he destroyed his brothers and sister, murdering them in a rage. He beheaded Coyolxanuhqui and threw her body into a deep gorge in a mountain, where it lies dismembered forever.

The natural cosmos of the Aztecs was born of catastrophe. The heavens literally crumbled to pieces. The earth mother fell and was fertilized, while her children were torn apart by fratricide and them scattered and disjointed throughout the universe.

The first age and was presided over by Tezcatlipoca. During this age the One World was populated by the giants and the Feline races. The Jarn and the Izta were created during this time. The ancient tales say that they defeated the giants. The sun during this age was thought to be of only a half light and feeble.

The second age and presided over by the benevolent Quetzalcoatl. The Hisii and Ye Saur were created during this age. The Hisii are the children of Quetzalcoatl while the Ye Saur are the twisted creation of Tezcatlipoca. These two ancient foes battled to dominate the One World. The world was destroyed by hurricanes. The sun itself was swept away by high winds.

The third age and presided over by Tlaloc. The gods are said to have created the first Toltecs during this time. Tribes of primitive humans who ate aquatic seeds inhabited the One World. This was a short age that ended in a fiery rain of volcanic cinders falling from the sky.

Presided over by the water goddess Chalchiuhtlicue. It is said that she saved mankind from the fiery death at the end of the third sun by feeding then wild seeds that transformed them into fish. This was the age of the Merfolk. Little is spoken of those living on land during this age. It is a time when the gods did not look upon the lands. The humans remaining on land were said to live as animals. The age ended with a great disaster that destroyed the Merfolk.

Presided over by Tonatiuh. The prophecies speak of the world ending when Tzitzimime, or celestial monsters come down from their homes between the stars and devour all men. The world will be destroyed by great earthquakes and nevermore resurrected. The end will swallow all things and the stars would tumble down from the night sky. This end is said to occur when the earth becomes tired.

The exact beginning of the fifth age is shrouded in mystery. It is generally considered to begin with the first rise of human cities along the eastern coasts.

2937 Ollin – The Payit King Ecatzin leads his Army up river in an attempt to subdue the towns of Maju and Hlitez. During this time period Maju is a Catan town which dominates the western end of Lake Atical. Hlitez is both Payit and Catan, but it is fiercely independent and unwilling to submit to the authority of the King. A wise and stubborn king named Mayeuatzin ruled Maju. He was a great warrior and loved by his men. Mayeuatzin came to the call of his ally the King of Hlitez. Together the prepared to meet the armies of the Payits and do honorable battle.

Ecatzin led his forces to Hlitez, but did not attack. Instead he sent a large force marching around the southern shore of the lake. They successfully made a surprise raid on Maju catching the remaining defenders unprepared. Maju was razed to the ground at Ecatzin's command. Once he learned of the raid Mayeuatzin lead his men in a vicious counterattack. Mayeuatzin and his men were all killed in the attack, but the Chachapoyan Army was so badly damaged that it was forced to limp back down river without continuing its assault on Hlitez.

2942 Ollin - King Ecatzin journeys to Azadmere on a trade mission to meet the Great Hightor. He is killed by a rockslide on his return journey. His son, Prince Xiagil, blames the Hisii. Prince Xiagil is crowned King later the same year.

2946 to 2947 Ollin – War of the Quest. Xiagil leads his armies across the Jaruena Mountains and attacks the lands of the Hisii. Xiagil is killed. King Yushok ascends to the Payit Throne.

2959 Ollin - New fire ceremony.

2960 to 2962 Ollin – San Marcos is besieged and eventually captured by the Aztecs. At the command of the priests, not a stone is left standing. The Spanish settlers are sacrificed to the gods.

2970 to 2975 Ollin – Third war between Payit and Tochpan. The Payit armies hand Tochpan a series of stinging defeats. Tochpan is forced to sue for peace and pay large tributes to the victorious Payits. The entire valley is now under Payit control.

2997 Ollin - The Payit King Yushok dies without a successor. A bitter struggle soon broke out between his two nephews who were recognized as having the strongest blood claim to the throne. The city nobles polarized around these two men and eventually an armed struggle broke out in the streets. Ten days of vicious street fighting culminates in a duel between the nephews. The two men manage to mortally wound each other in the fight. The city is then plunged even deeper into chaos as the factions break apart and begin warring amongst themselves.

Gultec, the leader of the Jaguar Knights, steps in at this point. He had been holding the Jaguar Knights outside the city during the fighting, but now they enter as a unit. His knights defeat the forces of several key nobles and bring the city under martial law. Gultec uses his position of authority to force his claim to the throne on the Speaking Council. They are given little choice other then to proclaim him king.

The disastrous fighting in Chachapoya causes the Payit Kingdom to crumble. Tochpan and Hlitez declare an end to their tribute payments and even the traditionally loyal City of Tulix to declares independence.

2998 Ollin - Gultec’s first military action as king was to lead the Chachapoyan armies to reclaim Tulix. Gultec proved himself a worthy general by out witting the opposing forces and marching his victorious troops into Tulix. Gultec personally beheads the ruler of Tulix and chooses a successor who was willing to be loyal to him.

2999 Ollin – See an opportunity to crush their old foe, the generals of Tochpan dispatched a sizeable army to attempt to capture the Payit Capital. They invade and overwhelm the Chachapoya border forts. As their army advances up river, Gultec rallies his people to defend the capital. As the battle starts, the river defenses of Chachapoya prove too formidable to the Tochpan Army. They are force to attempt a flanking maneuver and attack the city from the western forests. The move is highly successful and the Chachapoyans are thrown into a route.

The Chachapoyan Army is driven back to the slopes of the Serpentine Ridge where it prepares a final stand defending the King's Palace. The exact nature of Sharah's arrival is unknown, but it is here that she rallies the surviving Mages of Chachapoya. She works a powerful spell, which brings down flaming meteors upon the Tochpan Army. Half of the mages are killed in the effort, but the enemy is thrown into route. The Chachapoyan Army then pursues the fleeing Tochpan forces down river and recaptures the lost border outposts.

3001 to 3003 Ollin - Gultec gathers the armies of Chachapoya, Gaxil, and Tulix. The fight their way up river in a year long campaign to reach the gates of Hlitez. The Battle of Hlitez lasts for 60 days. Hlitez is an old Toltec fort and is completely surrounded by stone walls. It is also located at the top of a steep volcanic hill. The magic spells of Sharah and the Chachapoya priests eventually carry the day, but the costs are high. Chachapoya and her allies lose thousands of their warriors.

3004 Ollin - A sizeable force of Spanish landed on the coast of the Otomi Kingdom. The invasion was unexpected and the Otomi failed to mobilize before the Spanish had established their beachhead. Ten months of fierce fighting followed. By the end of the year all the major Otomi towns had fallen to the Spanish. Large number of refugees fled northward into the lands of Tochpan.

3005 Ollin – Current year.