- Huēhuehtetz was the Tlahtoāni (god-king) of Tetzcotl, the Fabled City, an Altepetl (city-state of Eastern Landmass Civilisation), appointed by the Fabulist. A passionate painter, he used to be a painting as well, created by his Ancient One and elevated to sentience and demigod power. His priests were all painters, as well as scribes, blending the two practices together.
- A traveller, who explored the entire world, documenting everything interesting, and making things more interesting with his trickery.
Narrative Threads
- Invented quipu, recording devices fashioned from strings, which could contain categorised information based on three dimensions of colour, order, and number. For this, he was sometimes called (title with "knots"), and some depictions of him include a long trail of colourful, knotted strings, dragging behind him like a cape and fading out at their ends.
- Ironically, knots became a bit of a weakness for him. He has a compulsion to read and interpret any strings that are tied in a way reminiscent of quipu, even if they ultimately hold no encoded information. This is sometimes used by those who want to ward their minds against him, and guard their memories.
Prank Gone Wrong
- During one of his many travels, Huēhuehtetz encountered Coatls, and found them surprisingly more challenging to trick and influence. He discovered that they developed a natural resistance to the Taint.
- More intrigued than worried, he decided to use them as a contingency plan against other warring Ancient Ones and their demigods. It would make for a good story as well – it would be boring if Ancient Ones had no real opponents besides themselves. Underdogs rising above their station is a good narrative trope, so he fostered the development of Feathered Serpent Organisation.
- What he failed to foresee is that this cult would turn the Coatls' resistance into outright Draconic immunity. His contingency plan and story were turned into a tool that would eventually seal the Fabulist, and the rest of the Ancient Ones.
Master Shapeshifter
Huehuehtetz is known for his unparalleled shapeshifting abilities. However, when presenting himself to the public, he usually assumed a Humanoid form with the head of a coyote.
- In the following eras, he took new "main" forms, to match the common ancestries of those times.
- During the epoch of the Elves, he assumed the form of Doriel Grisard, which he still employs today, while acting as an artist at the Pearlescent Court of Lady Sjel, in Cynosure.
Trivia
- A portmanteau of Huēhueh(coyōtl) and Tetz(coco).
- Based on Huēhuehcoyōtl, "the very old coyote", the auspicious Pre-Columbian god of music and song, dance, mischief and deception. He shared similarities with Trickster Coyote of North American tribes, including storytelling and choral singing.
- To a lesser extent, also based on Huehueteotl, "the very old god".
- Etymologically related to Tetzcoco, one of the largest and most prestigious cities in central Mexico, second only to the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan. It was known as a center of learning within the empire, and had a famed library including books from older Mesoamerican civilizations.
- Use Nezahualcoyotl somehow.
- "Coyote with a fasting collar", from nezahualli, a collar made out of bands of paper twisted together. It was worn by those fasting to show others that they shouldn't be offered food.
- A scholar, philosopher (tlamatini), warrior, architect, poet and ruler (tlatoani) of the city-state of Texcoco in pre-Columbian era Mexico. Best remembered for his poetry and infrastructure. He had an experience of an "Unknown, Unknowable Lord of Everywhere" to whom he built an entirely empty temple in which no blood sacrifices of any kind were allowed — not even those of animals. However, he allowed human sacrifices to continue in other temples.
More things to use:
- ilnamicoca – one's remembrance, or something done in memory of someone;
- ilnamiqui – to remember or recall, to think of something; for memory to return or sharpen;
- neyollotilo – something that is committed to memory; something that is worthy of being remembered, that ought to be guarded in memory;