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t h e n e w daw n

C AMP AI GN DE SIG N E R ARTI STS SPEC I AL TH A N K S

AND W R ITE R Zabi Hassan Stephany Jaiquel Baron
J. C. Alvarez Nikola Matkovic Laura Calvo Llorente
PR O D U CE R S Lucas Parolin Aritz Álava
Jon Egia Milan Nikolic Raymond Blair
Helio de Grado Rado Javor Boyd Stephenson
GAM E D E SIG N E R AN D Sebastian Luca Chiffre Indigo
AR T D IR E CTOR Marco Brunelleschi Wojciech Filimonowicz
Carlos G.Q.
Alejandro Olmedo Zac Calderone
GR APH I C DE SIG N E R Andrea Maurizio Medici
MAP ARTI ST
Aleksandra Bilic
Lorenn Tyr Cass Rea
LE AD AR T I S T AN D COV E R Paul Smith
AR TIST
Douglas Jessup
Antonio J. Manzanedo
Adrian Bettridge-Wiese

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IndeX
T h e new daw n 6 ii. The burning of the templE 32

The Adventures 6 PROLOGUE 34

Playing the adventures 7
SCENE 7: THE WHITE CITY 34
What You Need 7
Encounter 6: Temple Guards 35

C am paig n: SCENE 8: THE PEOPLE OF THE SHORE 38

t h e eigh t ome nS 8 SCENE 9: SLAVES OF THE AZTECA 39

Encounter 7:
the characterS 10 A Riot at the Slave Quarters 40

XOCOXÓCHITL 10 SCENE 10:

THE LEFT-HANDED HUMMINGBIRD 41
CUAUHTLI 12 Encounter 8: The Macehual King 42

HIAPSI 14 SCENE 11:

FLIGHT OF THE 400 HUMMINGBIRDS 43
YOSÁ 16 Encounter 9: Beast Garden Guards 44

i. The column of firE 22 SCENE 12: THE SECOND DREAM GATE 44

PROLOGUE 24 SCENE 13:

WAKING FROM THE SECOND DREAM 45
SCENE 1: FOG AND FLIGHT 24
iii. Lightning on
Encounter 1: The Guards 25 the lightning housE 46
Encounter 2: The Drowned Dead 25
SCENE 14: OUT OF THE BLUE 48
Scene 2: The World Beyond the Fog 26
Encounter 3: The Dragon Rider 27 SCENE 15: THE SECOND SUN 49
Encounter 11: Sticks and Stones 49
SCENE 3: A VISIT WITH THE ANCESTORS 28
Encounter 12: The Drowned Valley 50
Encounter 4:
Conversation with Red Serpent 28
SCENE 16: THE APE-MEN 50
SCENE 4: THE LANDING 29
SCENE 17: THE OTHER TRIBE 52
Encounter 5: The Drakkar Ships 29
Encounter 13: Ape Marauders 52
SCENE 5: THE FIRST DREAM GATE 30 Encounter 14: Monkey Dancing 52

SCENE 6: SCENE 18: THE FOREST OF TALL TREES 53

WAKING FROM THE FIRST DREAM 31
Encounter 15: Ambush 53

SCENE 19: THE GREAT STORM 54

Encounter 16: Facing the Storm 55

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Encounter 17: We All Die Together 55
SCENE 20: THE THIRD DREAM GATE 56
SCENE 21:
WAKING FROM THE THIRD DREAM 56
iv. The three starS 58
SCENE 22: NECAHUA 60
Encounter 17: Wrath of the Witch 61
SCENE 23: DREAM EXPLORERS 61
SCENE 24: NECAHUA’S DUNGEON 62
Encounter 18: The Daring Escape 63
SCENE 25: LAIR OF THE WITCH 63
Encounter 19: The Rain of Fire 64
SCENE 26: THE WORLD OF DRAGONS 64
Encounter 20: Dragon Fight 65
SCENE 27: FLIGHT, FIGHT, FLIGHT 66
Encounter 21: The Storm Dragon 66
SCENE 28:
WAKING FROM THE FOURTH DREAM 67
v. The flooD 68
SCENE 29: LAKE PATROLS 70
Encounter 22: Guards of the Pochteca 70
Encounter 23: The Witch’s Watchers 70
SCENE 30: MAHUITZIN 71
Scene 30 Conversation:
The Merchant Lord 71
Encounter 24: Guards and Guards 72
SCENE 31: BACK TO NECAHUA 73
SCENE 32: THE FLOODED WORLD 74
Encounter 25: Fins and Tentacles 74
Encounter 26: The Fish-Folk 74
SCENE 33: THE WORLD UNDERWATER 75
Encounter 27: The Underwater Tribe 76
Encounter 28: The Hunt 77
SCENE 34: THE LIKE CURES THE LIKE 78
SCENE 35:
WAKING UP FROM THE FIFTH DREAM 79
t h e n e w daw n
vi. Alas for my childreN 80
SCENE 36: THE HAUNTING 82
Encounter 29: The Child-Stealer 82
SCENE 37: GHOSTBUSTERS 82
Scene 37 Conversation: The Task 82
Encounter 30: Crying Nights 83
SCENE 38: BACK TO THE TEMPLE 84
SCENE 39: SPYING ON THE WITCH 85
SCENE 40:
THE CHILDREN OF HUITZILOPOCHTLI 85
Encounter 31: The Acolhua War Party 86
Encounter 32: The Fleeing Tribe 86
Encounter 33:
Stalking Across the Stalks 87
Encounter 34: Walking the Wetlands 87
Encounter 35:
Rendezvous at the Reeds 88
Encounter 36: The Mere of Acatitlan 88
SCENE 41:
THE EAGLE AND THE SERPENT 89
Encounter 37: The Founding 90
SCENE 42:
WAKING FROM THE SIXTH DREAM 91
vii. the smoky mirroR 92
SCENE 43: AN OMEN IS A WARNING 94
SCENE 44: THE RAID ON THE TEMPLE 95
SCENE 45: THE PIECES OF THE PUZZLE 95
Encounter 38: Actor Assassins 96
SCENE 46: THE MIRROR IN THE MIRROR 97
SCENE 47: A LITTLE BIRD TOLD ME 98
Scene 47 Conversation: What He Said 99
SCENE 48: PICKING UP THE PIECES 100
Scene 48 Conversation:
Treading on Truths 100
SCENE 49: THE ASSEMBLED PICTURE 102
Encounter 39:
Of Course, there was a Guardian 104
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 SCENE 50: THE BEGINNING OF TIME 105
viii: giants and monsterS 105
Encounter 40: The First Mortals 106
Encounter 41: A Light at the End 106
SCENE 51: NECAHUA’S GIFTS 107
SCENE 52: THE 400 ROADS 108
EN DING THE ADVENTURE 108
Appendix: necahua’s templE 110
C am paig n: conq ui s -
t ador’s golD 118
GETTING STARTED 120
Adventure Text 120
ADVENTURE BACKGROUND 120
Pedro De Alvarado 120
The Race 121
Enter our Heroes 122
INTRODUCTION 123
the characterS 126
FRIAR MATEO NAVARRO 126
DOÑA CARLOTA DE DUERO Y ROJAS 128
DOÑA MARÍA ISABEL MENDOZA 130
ESTEBAN DE FERES 132
Villa rica de la vera cruZ 142
MAP OF VILLA RICA DE LA VERA CRUZ 144
Encounter 1: Starting Point 147
SCENE 1: THE 50,000 DUCADO QUESTION 148
Encounter 2: The Cold Trail 148
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SCENE 2: DUTY ROSTER 149
Encounter 3: Guard Duty 149
Encounter 4: Troublesome Troopers 150
Encounter 5: Abusive Action 150
Encounter 6: Stolen Supplies 152
SCENE 3: BROTHERS IN ARMS 154
Encounter 7: the ensign’s errands 154
Encounter 8: Troop Talk 155
Encounter 9: Free Time 156
Encounter 10: A Clash of Crews 156
SCENE 4: THE GARRISON STORES 157
Encounter 11: The Ordnance Stand 157
Encounter 12: The Quartermaster 158
SCENE 5: THE MEDICAL PAVILION 158
SCENE 6: THE NATIVES 159
SCENE 7: LOOKING FOR THE LEADERS 162
Encounter 13:
The Secret of Pedro De Alvarado 162
SCENE 8: CAPTAIN DE SANDOVAL 164
Scene 8 Conversation 164
Encounter 14: Arrested 165
Encounter 15: Urgent News 165
SCENE 9: LEAVING VERA CRUZ 169
Encounter 16: Where Do We Go Now? 170
Encounter 17: Neighbourly Visit 170
cempoallan 172
MAP OF CEMPOALLAN 174
Chapter II Conversation:
Cempoalteca Communications 176
Encounter 18: A Job Offer 177
Encounter 19:
The City of Many Waters 178
SCENE 10: THE SKULL HOUSES 178
Encounter 20:
The Captain of the Guard 179
Encounter 21: The Guard’s Gossip 180
SCENE 11: THE MEXICA QUARTER 181
Encounter 22: Tiny Tenochtitlan 181

Encounter 23: The Mexica Temple 182
Encounter 24: The Place of Accounts 183
Encounter 25: The Tlacuilo House 185
SCENE 12: THE CENTRE OF CEMPOALLAN 187
Encounter 26: The Great Temple 187
Encounter 27: Actopan After the Attack 220
The Temple of Quetzalcoatl 188
Encounter 28: The Tlachtli Court 190
Encounter 29:
The Palace of Cempoallan 191
Encounter 30: The Lesser Temples 193
Encounter 31: Guards! Guards! 194
Encounter 32: The Three Rings Shrine 195
Encounter 33: A Call to Arms 196
SCENE 13: THE MARKET DISTRICT 197
Encounter 34: The Weapon Masters 198
Encounter 35: Painting the Picture 199
Encounter 36: Encounter 61: Wandering the Wild s 231
The Writing’s on the Wall 199
Encounter 37: Chawaná 200
SCENE 14: THE BINI’ZÁ 202
Encounter 38: Zoning the Zapoteca 202
Encounter 38 Conversation 202
Encounter 39: Ni’xye the Trader 203
Encounter 40: The Zapoteca Zealots 205
Encounter 41: SCENE 20: THE END 238
The Flower Lady of the Bini’zá 205
Encounter 42: NpcS 241
The Black Skull Catacombs 206
Encounter 43:
The Secret of the Zapoteca 207
SCENE 15: LEAVING CEMPOALLAN 208
Encounter 44: Don’t Let Them Escape 208
Encounter 45: Captives of Cempoallan 209
Encounter 46: Chawaná’s Choices 210
Encounter 47: Next Stop 211
TotonacapaN 212
SCENE 16: TOTONACA TOWNS 214
Encounter 48: Un Takam agent 247
The Town of Cuetlaxtlan 214
Encounter 48 Conversation 215
t h e n e w daw n
Encounter 49:
The Cuyuxquihui Garrison 216
Sidebar: Attack on Actopan 217
Encounter 50: Actopan 218
Encounter 51: The Attack on Actopan 219
Encounter 52:
Encounter 53: Soldiers and Scouts 222
SCENE 17: SECRET SETTLEMENTS 223
Encounter 54: The Slave Camp 223
Encounter 55: The Razed Villages 224
Encounter 56: Trip To The Thunder 225
Encounter 57: The Thunder Hideout 226
SCENE 18: THE WILDS 228
Encounter 59: Pursuing Pedro 228
Sidebar: Secret of Un Takám 229
Encounter 60: The Black Skull Ambush 230
SCENE 19:
THE BATTLE OF TIZAPANCINGO 233
Encounter 62: Dissidents 233
Encounter 63:
The Path to Tizapancingo 234
Encounter 64: The Battle 236
Encounter 65: The Race 237
Drakkar warrior 241
Drakkar berseker 242
Michintecatl 242
Tentacle beast 243
Doña Cristina 243
Perez Negro 244
Frier Cosmes 244
Sister Kana 245
Chawana 245
Xtakat Luwa 246
Totonaca warrior 246
Un Takam leader 247
Giant bee swarm 248
Assassin 248
5
T H E B O O K Y O U hold in your hands contains the first two adventure
campaigns for the game Dragons Conquer America. These two adventures,
Conquistador’s Gold and The Eight Omens, are intended to introduce you
to the rich, impressive cultures and nations of preconquest America, which
remain mostly unexplored in modern fantasy – a ‘New World’ indeed, as
European invaders called it at the time.
B UT TH I S I S not a New World, nor is it ‘America’.
This is the Anahuac, site of the Mexica Triple
Alliance – what we know today as the Aztec Empire – and
many other great nations, from the peaceful Tutunacu
federation to the fierce Chichimec tribes; from the
brutal Bin’izá city-states to the fabled Tzintzuntzani
Empire. These cultures, and many others, made up a
geopolitical landscape that was at least as diverse as
today’s America, Asia or Europe.
Dawn of a New World attempts to put you smack in the
middle of this cultural environment – and right in the
thick of the action – through the eyes of the two main
forces involved in the War of Conquest: The Mexica, or
Aztecs, and the ragtag Spanish expedition that would
come to conquer them in real history. But this time,
in Dragons Conquer America, the actual ending of the
story is in your hands. If we have dragons and spells,
we can very well have a world where the Spanish did
not win the war, and the Aztecs or Maya had time to
develop their culture and technology to become a su-
perpower. We may have a world where both nations co-
exist, either in their shared ocean or in the lands of
either people. We may have a world where the Mexica
develop technology and eventually retaliate against
Europe. Or, as it occured in real life, Castille takes over
the New World and changes the balance of power in
Europe forever. In the real world, history stood on the
edge of a knife at the dawn of the 16th century, and
the smallest force could have influenced events in any
other direction.
In Dragons Conquer America, the force that tips the
scales is you – your campaign, your players, your ver-
sion of the tale.
The Adventures
Each of the two adventures included in this book fea-
tures the viewpoint of one of the two rival cultures –
the Mexica and Spaniards – and is intended for charac-
ters of that culture.
6
TH E EI GH T OMENS
The first adventure, dubbed The Eight Omens, takes
place in the legendary Mexica Empire, which ruled
the Anahuac at the time of Spanish arrival. The play-
er characters are all subjects of the Mexica, ready to
receive the highest boon in Anahuac society: to die in
sacrifice to the dragons. However, strange events and
portents force the characters to face a hard choice – to
accept the honour of sacrifice, or else join a shady po-
litical scheme between different factions of the Mexica
nobility… to save the nation.
Not all the player characters are ethnic Mexica, and
not all, regardless of their nationality, are loyal to the
Aztec Alliance. But their new, mysterious allies are un-
reliable at best, and a blatant force of evil at worst.
Should the player characters choose the devil they
know and accept honourable death, even those that
are there against their will? Or should they risk their
honour and soul by joining forces with a magical entity
that may or may not hold the key to save the Mexica na-
tion? Are the strange omens in the sky, in the land and
water, truly a sign of the imminent fall of the Anahuac?
Before making their decision, though, the heroes will
have to undertake an enchanting, potentially deadly
trip through the Dream World, which may yield the
clues they need to save the Mexica nation… or doom it.
PLAYER CHARACTERS
The Eight Omens is intended for four characters from
any culture within the Anahuac region. The adventure
includes four such characters with play-ready stats,
backgrounds and motivations. You may also create
your own characters, adjusting the difficulty and en-
counters of the adventure for larger or smaller groups.
Characters from the Mayaab or the Four Regions, or
even from European cultures, are discouraged but not
forbidden, provided you or your players are convinced
they had reasons to be in the Anahuac awaiting sacri-
fice at the time of the adventure, years before the first
encounter between Spaniards and Mexica.

C O NQ UI S T ADOR’S G OLD
As opposed to the previous adventure, Conquistador’s
Gold is told from the point of view of the invaders. The
story begins as the Spanish expedition hast just settled
on the coast of the Anahuac, a heartbeat before Cortés
launches his military campaign into Mexica lands.
In Conquistador’s Gold, the player characters are a
motley squad of mercenaries from the Spanish expedi-
tion, charged with finding a cache of Spanish gold, lost
during the first expeditions to the New World. Both
Cortés and the governor of Cuba have their own rea-
sons and goals to seek that treasure, and there are at
least two other groups of rival conquistadors racing to
lay their hands on it. Not to mention the treasure may
be anywhere in native lands, which are under control
of the mighty Tutunacu Federation – one of the strong-
est vassals of the Mexica Empire.
Upon accepting the mission, the PCs’ motivations
may vary – perhaps they choose to be loyal to Cortés,
one of his rivals, or they wish to find the treasure for
themselves. Whatever their goal, it will force them to
fend off Spanish spies and Native forces from a half
dozen different organisations, while having a close en-
counter with the cultures they are about to invade.
PLAYER CHARACTERS
Conquistador’s Gold assumes there will be four play-
er characters, from the Spanish expedition force. The
adventure includes four Spain-born adventurers, each
with their own goals and moral standards, easy to hook
into a treasure search for the good of the expedition.
You may create your own member of the Spanish ex-
pedition; Spanish soldiers held the highest rank, but it
is known that Cortés employed thousands of Yokot’an
natives from the southern marshes, and local work-
force from Tutunacu lands, besides his own mercenary
Spanish infantry. You as a Game Master have the final
world on what cultures, orders and motivations are al-
lowed in your version of the adventure.
Remember to adjust the difficulty and encounters of
the adventure for larger or smaller groups. Character
creation rules, the full description of the Spanish expe-
dition, and guidelines to adjust the adventure, are all
included in the Core Book.
Playing the adventures
You may play these adventures separately or run
them back-to-back as two chapters of the same story;
while the characters and the setting change, the events
in The Eight Omens might influence Conquistador’s
t h e n e w daw n
Gold by helping or hindering Spanish forces. You, as
the Game Master, can choose just how much the ad-
ventures influence each other, and may even wish to
rewrite some elements of Conquistador’s Gold depend-
ing on what happened to the Mexica Empire during The
Eight Omens.
Regardless how you decide to play it, keep in mind
that the historical timeframe the adventures are set in
assumes The Eight Omens takes place a couple of years
before Conquistador’s Gold. You may alter this as well,
of course; as we said before, this is your history and
your timeline.
You may even choose to play both adventures with
the same characters, although it may be difficult to ex-
plain how characters from one culture are present, let
alone motivated to take part, in a mission for their ri-
vals, before their nations even met each other.
As an alternative, you could assume the characters
in Conquistador’s Gold are ‘spiritual successors’ to the
heroes in The Eight Omens. The ending of The Eight
Omens has the PCs travelling to the Dream World one
last time; you may tell the players that their conscious-
ness, or soul, has travelled to the bodies of a group of
Spanish adventurers, which may not share their memo-
ries or personality but have received a bit of the Native
group’s insight. In this case, you may allow the Spanish
adventurers to benefit from character points accrued
by the Mexica party, and let their ‘vague dreams and
recollections’ of the previous adventure influence their
decision in Conquistador’s Gold.
What You Need
To play these adventures, you only need the Dragons
Conquer America core book, currently available in
stores and directly through our website.
The core book contains all the rules explaining how
to run encounters, play out combat and other con-
flicts, and how to create and advance characters. It
also includes a detailed description of the Anahuac set-
ting and the Spanish force, specifically their Dragons
Conquer America versions, which are just like the real
ones but with dragons and magic spells dropped in for
good measure.
To play, you will need a deck of cards. You can use the
official playing card deck, customised with art and text
relevant to the game or a set of common poker cards
(using only cards numbered from 1 to 6). Alternatively,
you may also substitute playing cards for six-sided dice.
So, turn the page and begin reading already. Welcome
to the Dawn of a New World!
7
 Campaign: the
eight omenS

8
9
10
 the eight omens

XocoxóchitL
X O C O X Ó C H I T L I S A noble priestess from Tenochtitlan, trained from
childhood after a birth rife with good omens. She is skilled in teotl magic, and
knows how to pray for rain, lightning and blessings. Due to her great devo-
tion and deeds, Xocoxóchitl was recently chosen for sacrifice in the name of
Chalchiuhtlicue, Saint of the Jade Skirt; she has lived as a mortal incarnation
of the Saint for several months now, enjoying the due privileges and celebrity
of her role, and is eagerly expecting her sacrifice at the end of this Summer.
However, Xocoxóchitl has been getting disturbing dreams and visions of late,
as if the spirits were trying to convince her to flee, to reject her destiny…

t H E Y OLL I F A MI L Y is a long-standing caste of

priests and sages that has worked in the service
of the Tenochtitlan King for many generations. Their
As she was the wisest and most popular priest of the
temple, Xocoxóchitl was given the honour, and she’s
spent the last few months living as an ixipitla (incar-
nation) of Chalchiuhtlicue herself, receiving the re-
blessed descendant Xocoxóchitl was born the same
spect and devotion due her sacred duty, and the local
day that Tlacaelel himself rebuilt the Great Temple
neighbours loving her even more now that she’s a liv-
of Tenochtitlan. Her birth was announced as a great
ing saint. However, a cloud has fallen on Xocoxóchitl’s
blessing and good omen, and she was immediately as-
blessed fate.
signed to the priest school. She grew up working at the
Tlahuizcalli, the Temple of the Dawn in Tenochtitlan’s A few weeks after she was first chosen for sacrifice,
Eastern quarter. she began having strange visions. A presence – perhaps
Chalchiuhtlicue herself, or some evil spirit of the un-
As a priestess of the Tlahuizcalli, Xocoxóchitl is
derworld – manifested in her dreams, occasionally at
charged with conducting rites of spring, life and re-
first, now almost every night. The vision claims the
newal, and even had the chance to oversee a New Fire
sacrifice is wrong, and that she has a mission; a very
ceremony ten years ago. Xocoxóchitl has successfully
important one, so much that the fate of the Mexica
prayed for rains, crops and prosperity for many fam-
people may depend on it. According to her vision, she
ilies of Eastern Tenochtitlan, and is a kind of local
must not die before understanding the omen and what
celebrity.
it means.
When the Column of Fire first appeared over the ho-
If Xocoxóchitl speaks about these dreams, it will be
rizon months ago, Xocoxóchitl was among those priests
seen as a weakness in her resolve, a backing out on her
that believed it to be a natural phenomenon, rather
duty, which would be a monstrous taint on her spotless
than a divine signal; however, as the sign persisted
honour. But if the dreams are right – if they are indeed
and didn’t disappear, even weeks later, she accepted
a message from Chalchiuhtlicue, brought about by her
that the spirits may be trying to say something. She
becoming the Saint’s incarnation – she cannot allow
joined the city-wide sacrifice frenzy, helping in nearly
herself to be sacrificed.
a dozen off-schedule sacrificial rites to seek answers
about the mysterious column of fire. When that didn’t Must she listen to these crazy dream signs? Are they
help either, she conferred with the other priestesses, a test of her faith? Must she ignore them and walk
agreeing that one of their number should be chosen to blindly into her assigned duty? Can she afford to?
represent Chalchiuhtlicue, her temple’s patron saint,
and give herself as one of the sacrifices, hoping to gain
the saint’s counsel on what to do.

11
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 the eight omens

CuauhtlI
C U A U H T L I I S T H E Mexica everyman; a macehualli commoner, a loyal
citizen and a veteran of three wars, with five captives to his name. He has
bravely fought for his people and Tenochtitlan since he can remember, and
he’s always been a faithful and honest follower of the Saints and the Mexica
law. Cuauhtli’s family fell in disgrace when King Moctecuhzoma decreed
that commoners were not allowed to work in the palace and sacred build-
ings; as a result, he fell into debt and then into slavery. After the Column of
Fire appeared in the East and the priests began asking the spirits for answers,
Cuauhtli’s creditor sold him to the Temple of Tlahuizcalli, to be sacrificed
among other slaves and captives at season’s end. Cuauhtli did not think he
would end up like this, having been a war hero and a good citizen; but in a way
it’s a fitting end to a life of contentment and loyalty – to be given in sacrifice
to a greater cause.

C UAUH TLI W A S BO RN a macehualli commoner in

Tenochtitlan, and he has never been more than a
thousand paces away from the city. He was raised in
of shifts as a nightwatch in the palace fields, to repay
that debt.
At that time, King Moctecuhzoma, spurred by his ad-
the Telpochcalli school as a soldier, and he served with visors, decreed that no commoners could work at the
honour and loyalty. He intended to become a land work- palace, and Cuauhtli became unable to pay his debt to
er and end his days at a chinampa parcel with a wife Yauhpilli. The merchant offered Cuauhtli to become his
and kids, but he was called to war barely a year after slave, and the former war hero had no choice but to
leaving school; he fought against a group of Tlaxcallan accept.
raiders that were trying to sneak into the city through
Then the Column of Fire appeared in the East, and
the lake. Cuauhtli brought a living captive from that
many priests took to offering additional sacrifices to
raid, but he didn’t want to advance in military ranks;
ask the spirits for an answer about the terrible omen.
he asked to be returned to his calpolli to live a peace-
Yauhpilli gave many of his slaves, Cuauhtli among
ful life.
them, to be sacrificed at the local Tlahuizcalli temple.
Then there was another battle, and then one more.
Cuauhtli is aware that being chosen for sacrifice is
It seemed that Cuauhtli could never spend a full year
an honor and he is content to do as he’s told; however,
looking for a wife or a house; there was something to
he always expected – and strived for – a different fate.
fight for. And the better he performed in the battle-
Perhaps now, as he awaits his death in the Tlahuizcalli
field, the more they called for him. He brought four
cells, he’s sorry about rejecting the full-time soldier
more captives, and got a recommendation to live as a
life. Or perhaps he prefers to go like this – quietly,
full-time soldier, allowed to wear the jaguar or eagle
quickly and without killing anybody else.
armour. He declined again.
Life was harsh, but Cuauhtli intended to save enough
to raise a family; as he started looking for a suitable
wife, he borrowed many goods from the merchant
Yauhpilli and accepted several jobs, including a couple

13
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 the eight omens

HiapsI
H I A P S I I S N O T Nahua; she is a Yoeme woman from the northern deserts
known as ‘the Great Chichimeca’ to the Mexica. A stoic yoawa warrior with the
ability to summon the abilities of her spirit animal, she is as rough and hard-
ened as they come, having defeated – and purportedly eaten – many a war-
rior throughout her life back in the harsh deserts of her tribe’s homeland. By
summoning Maaso, the deer – her animal spirit – Hiapsi can perform near-
superhuman athletic feats and fight with all the strength a possessed spirit.
Capturing her took seven armed Mexica soldiers, two of which she killed in
the process. Hiapsi’s captors did not kill her because they needed captives to
sacrifice, and now she is tied up in a temple of Tenochtitlan, waiting to be fed
to one of the Mexica’s monstrous dragon-snakes… But she doesn’t plan to go
down easy.

H I APS I WAS BO RN in the roughest part of the

world – the desert of Xunuta, hundreds of kilo-
metres north of Tenochtitlan – and had to learn to sur-
vive in it from the first day of her life. As a baby, she
had to endure her nomadic family’s month-long trav-
els; as a toddler she had to learn to catch insects and
lizards for food, and the first time she had to kill to
save herself was at 7, when a coyote attacked her as she
strayed from the tribe.
Hiapsi discovered her connection with Maaso, the
deer spirit, in her early teens, when she had to run to
escape the Oodam raiders that killed her family. She
leaped across a 15-metre wide ravine, leaving her pur-
suers behind, and she knew she had received supernat-
ural help.
Rescued by Uza Chichimec hunter-gatherers, she be-
came the guardian of her adopted tribe, learning to
summon and focus her Maaso spirit to become a yoawa
totem warrior, using her mystic abilities to help and
protect her new family.
Hiapsi adapted well to Chichimec warrior culture,
and grew into a strong, fierce hunter of men. She killed
dozens of enemies with her bare hands, including the
Oodam that had raided her home years earlier.
As she became a full-grown woman, Hiapsi knew her
destiny didn’t lie with the Uza Chichimec. She made
her decision and left her adopted tribe to become a
hermit wanderer and look for her true purpose in life.
For years she walked the wastelands, having long be-
fore learned to survive on her own, getting sustenance
from lizards, water from cactuses and wisdom from
sacred mushrooms. She encountered scattered tribes
here and there, which told her about the great cities of
the south; curious to see them, she eventually reached
Nahua territory, and found occasional work as a medi-
cine woman among the local tribes.
One fateful day, she chanced upon a small village vis-
ited by Mexica raiders. The Mexica were looking for cap-
tives to sacrifice, and some volunteers from the village
were going with them as tribute. Hiapsi was appalled
at the scene and tried to save the captives; instead she
was caught by the Mexica, and led to Tenochtitlan in
fetters – not without first killing a couple of the sol-
diers that subdued her.
Now, Hiapsi is a prisoner in Great Tenochtitlan, the
legendary Mexica city she had heard so much about,
ready to be sacrificed. They tell her she will be fed to
a dragon – she’s also been told this is a great honour.
Well, that remains to be seen.

15
16
 the eight omens

YosÁ
Y O S Á I S A proud member of the bloodthirsty Bini’zá tribe, neighbours and
rivals of the Mexica. He is a warrior and priest of thunder, with power over
the elements and terrible combat skills. When the Mexica stole his people’s sa-
cred effigy, Yosá embarked on a secret mission, alone, to rescue the idol from
Tenochtitlan. He was seized as he snuck into the city, and prepared for execu-
tion by sacrifice. Now, the Bini’zá priest is plotting to escape the Mexica pris-
on. He doesn’t mind dying – much less with the honour of being sacrificed to
the Mexica dragons – but he needs to rescue his idol first…

T H E B I N I ’ZÁ A RE the Mexica’s southern neigh-

bours and one of the mightiest nations outside
the Triple Alliance. Although both nations coexist in a
body knew that the Mexica ‘jailed’ stolen idols there so
they could not take revenge for the defeat of their wor-
shippers. ‘There’s no need to jail Bzelao’, Yosá thought;
‘He knows I’m here to take revenge in his name’. Thus,
tense semblance of peace, they occasionally raid each
he managed to enter Great Tenochtitlan undetected,
other for territory or captives.
under cover of the darkness he summoned with the
Yosá, born in the Bini’zá city of Gue’la Guiruu, was help of his faith.
a veteran of such raids, having killed dozens of men
Not even terrible Yosá was a match for the entire
from both the Mexica army and rival Bini’zá cities.
Tenochtitlan guard, however, and he was caught and
Even among the fearsome Bini’zá, Yosá is known for his
subdued after sneaking into the city’s temple district.
temper, his fanaticism and his cruelty in battle. He is
also a quick blade and a relentless warrior; many of his Rather than making him a slave or killing him out-
peers remember seeing him, bleeding from a cascade right, the Mexica chose to treat Yosá according to his
of different wounds, still walking towards his terrified elite rank, and prepare him for sacrifice. He under-
enemies, even as they pelted him with darts and sling stood the honour of course, and agreed he deserved it
bullets. – but he intends to escape and postpone his death if he
can anyway.
However, Yosá true calling was not war, but faith. He
sought and – perhaps through intimidation – obtained At least until he can rescue his Saint from the Mexica.
membership among the Gue’dxe priests of Gue’la
Guiruu. He enthusiastically devoted himself to priest-
ly duties, particularly when they involved flaying and
sacrificing enemies.
In short, Yosá is a fearsome man.
That is why, when the Mexica raided Gue’la Guiruu
and stole the city’s sacred effigy – and image of Bdao
Bzelao, the One who is Death and Yosá’s patron saint –
most of the locals considered the Mexica were perhaps
making a mistake.
Predictably, Yosá simply got up and left, without
warning or asking anyone, to Tenochtitlan, intent on
recovering his Saint or die trying.
He knew the Mexica put the idol in the Coacalco, their
precinct for the deities of conquered peoples; every-

17
 Noble 22 F Xocoxóchitl Virgin of Mexica
the Sun

2 3
The gods send her visions
0
Beautiful (good)
Wants to be sacrif iced (bad)
0 Doubts herself (bad)
x
Loyal Mexica subject (bad)

3 1
5
900

5 Teotl’s voice
x
3

5x x
0 Teotl’s power

2
x
2

4x

3x

3x The Chosen one

Common spells: Nonotza blessing and penance. Ritual: bloodletting.

Class ability: Holy sacrif ice. Noble: rank 1, montly allowance 60, owned favour 3.
18
Class gear: Sacrif icial decorations. Languages: Nahuatl.
 Slave 31 M Cuauhtli Classless Mexica
Soldier
the eight omens
2 4
Wants to start a family
0
Patient (good)
Loyal Mexica subject (bad)
0 Troubled about his place
in society (bad)

x 0

6 2
1
60

7x x
1 x

5x x Powerful, Charge

3
x
0

4x Veteran (conflict)

3
Common spells: Nonotza blessing and penance. Ritual: Sacrif ice.
Languages: Nahuatl.
19
 Peasant 26 F Hiapsi Shaman Yoeme

2 5
Looking for her true
0
purpose in life
x
headstrong (neutral)
0 Dislikes mexica culture (bad)

4 1
5
300

4 x
1

3x

1
x
0

5x Tonalli magic

4x

5
x
2 x
x
1

3
Common spells: Nonotza blessing and penance. Ritual: endurance. Tonal spirit: Deer.
Class gear: Godly icon.
20
Languages: Nahuatl, Cahita.
 Peasant 41 M Yosá Teotl priest Bini’zá
the eight omens
2 3
Must rescue his sacred eff igy
0
Brave (good)
Cruel (neutral)
0 Prideful (bad)
Understimates the

0 mexica (bad)

x 5

5 1
5
300

5 x
0

3x

1 x
2

4
x
5
x
5x x Tlatlacatecolotl magic, necrophagic magic

2x

3x The sacred ritual of sacrif ice

Common spells: Nonotza blessing and penance. Ritual: sacrif ice.

Class gear: Godly icon.
Languages: Nahuatl. 21
 i. The column
of firE
22
23

ProloguE
They treat you like nobility.
You sleep on pillows and soft clothes, eat food that
most people don’t even know exists, and have slaves
waiting on your every need. The people cheer when they
see you from a distance. Rather than a prison cell, it
feels you’re living in a royal palace.
Strange days indeed.
They’re also your last. Today is the day of your
sacrifice.
Any moment now, the guards are coming for you;
they’ ll lead you upstairs to the main temple, where you
and many other captives will be ritually fed to Xiuhcoatl,
the Patron Dragon of Tenochtitlan.
Perhaps, after months of uncertainty, your death
will finally be the last offering the spirits need to take
away the evil column of fire that’s been appearing in the
East for the past months. Or at least give mortals a clue
about its meaning, or something.
Then again, perhaps not.
T
H E P C S ’ D E AT H will be the latest of a season-long
string of ritual sacrifices, with which the Mexica
expect to drive away the bad omens that may come
with the Column of Fire that appeared on the East ear-
lier in the year.
Since the first days of the current year – 12 House of
the Mexica Calendar – each of the PCs has been living in
a different place across the Eastern quarter of the city
of Tenochtitlan, kept and fed by their captors-masters,
and given the honoured treatment of a sacred celebrity
– as most sacrifice victims are.
PCs from Mexica or noble birth have received better
treatment and lodged at individual, luxurious rooms,
cared for by high-ranking masters near or in govern-
ment buildings. Foreigners, slaves and war captives are
kept together in special courtyards under the watch of
Mexica guards.
Thus it has been for several weeks, but a few days
ago all PCs were moved to the same lodgings at the
Tlahuizcalli, the Temple of the House of Dawn in the
city’s Easternmost neighbourhood. The Mexica chose
this temple for the sacrifice because it’s consecrated to
the East direction, which is where the ominous column
of fire appears.
24
As the adventure begins, the PCs are all gathered
in the Tlahuizcalli courtyard, a few hours away from
death.
The courtyard is a wide, beautiful garden with paint-
ed walls and well-tended vegetation. Several guards
are posted on every exit, and some of the PCs – those
most likely to attempt to flee – are bound with cords
that tie their neck to their feet. They are otherwise
free to roam and talk to each other, although they are
expected to spend the next few hours in introspection
and meditation.
Some NPC slaves are also in the courtyard awaiting
sacrifice, also bound neck to feet.
There are a few Tlahuizcalli priestesses offering pu-
rification rituals for the prisoners; they form prayer
groups with many of the NPC sacrifices, which have all
gladly accepted their fate.
As all the PCs are gathered in the Tlahuizcalli court-
yard, give them a few moments to introduce themselves
to each other and understand their situation: they are
a motley group of chosen sacrifices – some native to
Tenochtitlan, some foreign captives. They are all a few
hours away from death.
As the most important PCs are meant to be individually killed and
their hearts cut out, the lower-caste PCs and all the NPC slaves will
be thrown off the stairs of the temple.
All Mesoamerican cultures accept and relish death from childhood,
so sacrifice is not an inherently bad thing; some of the PCs may be
looking forward to it, while others may know it is acceptable and
still want to escape anyway.
Scene 1: fog
and flighT
Once the PCs have made their introductions and be-
come familiar with their surroundings, let them state
actions of intentions.
Then, when they least expect it, one of the priestess-
es ignites a censer that begins to spew a torrent of mul-
ticoloured smoke. At first everyone thinks it’s part of
the rite, but then the entire courtyard is covered with
mist.
Then, each of the PCs is approached by an unseen in-
dividual, which unbinds the PC and gives him an itztli
knife.

As the smoke fills the courtyard, you be-
gin to hear voices calling out to each other
and the sound of a warning conch horn.
Then, amid the mist, you feel a tug at your
ritual fetters… someone is removing them.
The next instant, a hand puts an itztli knife
in your hand and the voice of a woman talks
to you.
‘Come this way!’
You follow the voice, and are aware that
you have entered a tunnel; surely one of the
many passages leading out of the temple
courtyard. What’s happening?
The smoke clears just a bit, barely enough
to make out the silhouettes of a group of
armed guards charging you.
Proceed to Encounter 1.
Encounter 1: The Guards
Before they fully realise what’s happen-
ing, the PCs are attacked by the guards.
Create a -2 encounter using a combination
of Rank soldiers and Rank spearmen.
■ The guards attack regardless of wheth-
er the PCs wanted to escape or not; they
don’t stop to ask questions. They try not
to kill Noble PCs, leaving them only trau-
matised; but in the case of lower-class PCs
they strike to kill, as peasants and slaves
are more expendable even in a sacrificial
rite.
■ A PC may attempt a Stealth check
against the guard’s Perception to take ad-
vantage of the thick fog covering the area.
If the action succeeds, the PC gains an ad-
vantage to confront any attack during the
next round.
A F T E R T H E E N COU N TE R
As the battle rages on, the PCs hear
the screams of men and women back
at the courtyard – something serious is
happening.
If the PCs win the fight, the female voice
they all heard spurs them on to follow it
into the tunnel. The PCs have very little
time to hesitate. You may have the voice
say it outright if needed, calling the PCs
with phrases such as ‘quickly! They are
coming!’ or ‘hurry before it’s too late!’
the eight omens
The PCs can pick up the weapons and ar-
mour of the defeated enemies: One mac-
uahuitl or stone spear per PC, and half as
many soldier’s armour.
As soon as the PCs follow the woman’s
voice through the dark passage, they ad-
vance in the darkness for a few minutes and
the sounds of confusion begin to die down
behind them. The smoke hasn’t cleared, so
the PCs must continue half-blindly down
the passage.
The PCs arrive to a flight of descending
stairs; the two PCs that run ahead of the
party – or the two fastest ones, as deter-
THEY mined by their Athletic skills – must per-
KEEP form an easy Athletic or Perception check
COMING (difficulty: 3(1)) to avoid falling down the
stairs and taking 1 point of unpreventable
If the PCs hesi- damage.
tate or try to go
back, a second Once the PCs have reached the bottom of
group of guards the stairs, they hear running water; They
catches up with are in a kind of underground passage below
them, this time the temple, perhaps below Tenochtitlan.
accompanied
by a Priestess.
Create a +1 en- Encounter 2: The
counter using a Drowned Dead
Native sky priest
and a combina-
You step into a lower passage, wider and
tion of Rank sol-
darker than the passage above. There’s no
diers and Rank
spearmen. Keep sound save for the low splash of a body of
water nearby; the noise of whatever is hap-
creating similar
pening behind you has long disappeared.
encounters (you
can get creative)
until they follow The fog is somewhat clearer, but still
the woman or thick; wherever the coloured smoke comes
from, it seems to be following you.
die.
You realise with a chill that the smoke
is the only light source – it is through its
colours that you can dimly glimpse your
surroundings.
This passage doesn’t continue straight
ahead but left-right instead. On the oppo-
site wall you see a great carving of a skull,
tall as four men and big enough for you to
fit its mouth.
The skull seems to represent
Mictlantecuhtli, the Lord of Death, and its
mouth is indeed another passage, tall and
wide enough for a human to enter it. The fog
seems to travel inside the opening, as if the
Dead Lord was enjoying a smoke.
25
 Before the PCs decide their next
action, they perceive a stench of
humidity and rot. Then, they see
more guards approach from both
sides of the tunnel.
These guards are not living men,
however. They are walking corpses,
their blue skins tattooed with the
symbols of Tlaloc, the Dragon of
Rain and guardian of Tetzcoco City.
They are richly clad and wield shiny
weapons, indicating they were elite
warriors in life. They are also two
or three heads taller than a normal
human being. Do they come from
the First Sun, the age of giants and
ogres? Were they enhanced by teotl
magic?
Whatever the case, they advance
to intercept the PCs. Create a fair
encounter using Drowned Dead.
They attack mindlessly and with-
out strategy, but they are strong
and very skilled with their ancient
weapons.
■ At any moment, a PC may try
to flee into the skull-mouth pas-
sage by using their turn to per-
form a running action into it. If all
surviving PCs succeed in escaping
thus, proceed to Scene 2: The World
Beyond the Fog.
A F T E R T H E E N COU N TE R
If the PCs defeat the drowned
dead, they may take their re-
source, weapons and jewellery:
Each drowned dead’s adornments
and regalia are worth 20 Gold in the
open market, and each of them car-
ries a dread knife .
Once the PCs have defeated the
drowned dead, they may enter the
skull mouth passage or take the
passage left or right, from which
the drowned dead came.
If the PCs follow the smoke into
the skull’s mouth, the fog surrounds
them and they feel lightheaded for
a moment. They walk for a while in
colour-swirled darkness and then
realise they have reached the out-
26
doors. Then the fog clears, and the
PCs may have a glance at their sur-
roundings. Proceed to Scene 2: The
World Beyond the Fog.
If they follow either of the pas-
sages, they lead to an underground
pond; it’s a sacred pool below the
Temple, leading nowhere, but the
PCs may infer it leads into the city
aqueduct or even to the Great Lake
surrounding the city, and try to es-
cape by diving into it. If they do,
the multicoloured fog floats after
them into the water, and for a mo-
ment they become disoriented
among the water and the colours.
Ask any PC that swims into the
pond to perform an Athletic Action
against a TSE that plays two cards
or suffer 1 point of damage from
drowning. After all PCs have made
the Athletics Check – succeed or
fail – they may swim out and take
a breath. The fog has cleared, and
they may look around. Proceed to
Scene 2: The World Beyond the Fog.
Scene 2: The World
Beyond the Fog
As the fog clears, the PCs real-
ise they have come out into the
wilderness.
They are on the shore of a large
body of water; at first they as-
sume is the Great Lake around
Tenochtitlan; however, there’s
something that doesn’t add up.
The landscape is different, the
hills over the horizon are different,
the plant life is completely differ-
ent, packed with tall trees that ob-
scure long-range vision. The only
familiar element are the reed clus-
ters along the shore.
And it’s cold.
It’s so cold that the weakest PCs
immediately begin trembling.
And then the PCs realise the most
important difference: The Column
of Fire, the great sign, the reason
the PCs were to be sacrificed – is
nowhere to be seen. Instead, there
is only the sunset; deep red, bright,
ominous, but nothing more than a
sunset, which gives a red glow to
the reeds and the sea.
What is this? Where are they?
Unknown to the PCs, the coloured mist has
shifted them to the spirit world, where they
are experiencing a dream vision. This spirit
dream is real to anyone inside it, and the
PCs may travel, eat, sleep fight and even die
while dreaming.
This specific vision represents the shores
of North America, on what will someday
be Canada. The PCs are about to experi-
ence a dream version of the first time that
Europeans invaded the coast of their world,
but it falls entirely to them to understand
the vision and what it means.
Let the PCs wonder about their
circumstances, where they are and
how they got here. They may state
actions and decisions, or agree on
what to do.
There are many ways for the PCs
to obtain clues about their situa-
tion. If they wish to investigate, ask
them to perform one or both of the
following checks:
An easy Survival Check (dif-
ficulty: 3(1)) to determine their
surroundings.
■ A success with a negative con-
sequence confirms this area is fre-
quented by hunters and gatherers,
but causes the PC making the check
to become lost for a while and gain
Fatigue.
■ A normal success confirms this
area is frequented by hunters and
gatherers, and also that the tracks
are reminiscent of Chichimeca
footwear. It also confirms the PCs
aren’t on the Anahuac Valley; some-
how, they were transported to an-
other land. This is the seacoast, and
the plant life is far more abundant
– and the temperature far lower –
than in the area near Tenochtitlan.
 the eight omens

■ A success with a positive consequence confirms this Ask each PC to perform a Stealth action, confronted
is the Eastern sea, the one that lies hundreds of kilome- by the Drakkar warriors’ Competent Skill. If every PC
tres to the East of the Anahuac - and that the PCs have succeeds, they can either ambush the Drakkar warriors
also been moved many miles north. or avoid them all together.
A normal Rites Check (difficulty 6 (1)) to understand If they fail or iniciate an ambush, create a fair
the magic that brought them here. Encounter using Drakkar Warriors.
■ A success with a negative consequence missinforms AFTER TH E ENC OUNTER
the PCs they have died and were transported to the af-
terlife. It’s not quite what they expected, really. If the PCs survive the battle, they may take the
Drakkar warriors’ weapons, 25 gold, plus a map.
■ A normal success determines the PCs are in some
sort of dreamscape – an alternate world. The chart is crudely drawn, but it evidently repre-
sents the coast the PCs are currently standing on. It’s
■ A success with a positive consequence confirms the hard to understand, but it seems to reveal these trav-
strange coloured mist brought them here somehow, and ellers have sailed here from another world, a land be-
that it was probably cast by a powerful wizard. They yond the Eastern sea.
also understand they are in a dream-like world, and re-
turning to the mortal world depends on their actions The map is mostly drawn in a kind of black charcoal,
here, and their understanding of the dream message. but a few elements – the water on the sea, the reeds on
the coast, a dragon coming out of the water and a snake
Regardless of the check attempted and its success or waiting among the bushes on the land – are drawn in
failure, after looking around the PCs see the smoke of what seems to be red ink… or perhaps blood.
a nearby campfire to the north of their position – they
are not alone. If the encounter took place at the Drakkar warrior
camp, they may help themselves to the Drakkars’ pro-
If the PCs remain at their position for an hour or visions and camping supplies (enough for four people
more, or as soon as they wander out of their current to live on the wilderness for a week).
location, proceed to Encounter 3.
The PCs have no way to know it, but these strange invaders are a
Encounter 3: The Dragon Rider part of Leif Eriksson’s Viking expedition to their continent, 500 years
ago; the first time that Europeans tried to settle in America.
As the PCs go about their business, they suddenly
sense a shadow passing over them.
As they look up, they notice a winged creature fly-
ing overhead – it is a dragon. The light of the dying sun
gives its shape a strange red glow.
However, the creature doesn’t seem to be a mixcoatl:
it has four legs, like a lizard, and bat wings. As the PCs
stare transfixed at the flying beast, they barely regis-
ter that it begins to fly lower. Then they notice: it has
a rider.
A pale-skinned woman, with long golden tresses and
a metal mask of some kind over her face. She growls at
them and leads her dragon away screaming something
in a crude language.
If the PCs try to follow the dragon rider, she leads
them to a campfire about five hundred paces north. If
they had detected the campfire earlier, they confirm
it’s one and the same.
There is a band of Drakkar warriors at the camp-
fire; their dragon has left, presumably to explore; who
knows for how long.

27

Scene 3:
a visit
with the
ancestorS
After the encounter with the Drakkar, give the PCs
a moment to heal themselves, declare actions or deci-
sions, and reflect on what just happened.
Then, a group of men come out of the bushes. There’s
five of them. They aren’t strange, bearded or gold-
haired; in fact, they look very much like the PCs, ex-
cept they are slightly taller.
They dress like Chichimec warriors, wearing what
seems to be brown leather or canvas, with red-paint-
ed faces, and adorned with feathers and other animal
parts. They carry crude spears, hunting bows and stone
axes; one of them, whose feather headdress is larger
and more eye-catching than the others, carries a staff
with the carving of a snake head on its tip.
These men don’t attack; they say a strange greeting
and gesture the PCs to follow them.
If the PCs refuse to go with these warriors, the man
with the snake staff issues an unintelligible warning
and walks away.
■ If the PCs return to the shore, proceed to Scene 4.
■ If the PCs decide to explore and venture into this
strange land on their own, turn to Scene 5.
■ If the PC follow these men, the warriors lead them
for about an hour through uneven terrain filled with
bushes and tall trees. This is nothing like the PCs’
home; the land comes up and down and the cold wind
bites the flesh worse than a sandstorm.
Finally, the party arrives to another camp, just after
night has fallen. Three more Chichimec-looking war-
riors greet them wordlessly and let them sit around
the fire. The man with the snake staff motions the PCs
to take a seat on the ground, and takes centre in the
circle.
The starry sky is also different to what the PCs know.
Ask the PCs to Perform a normal Survival or Knowledge
28
Check (difficulty: 6(1)). If the check is successful, the
PCs confirm these are different stars too, and they are
in a land far away to the North of the Anahuac.
After the PCs settle in the camp, proceed to Encounter
4: Conversation with Red Serpent.
Encounter 4: Conversation with
Red Serpent
The man shakes its snake staff and throws some pow-
ders on the fire, after which the flames increase their
glow and change colour. Then he begins to talk in the
Nahua tongue.
‘Greetings’, he says. ‘This is a dream. You are dream-
ing. We are not real. The spirits asked me to tell you this:
you are dreaming’.
Let the PCs react to these words or ask anything.
Conduct the conversation as you see fit, using all or
some of the following as part of the man’s answers:
‘My name is Red Serpent. I lead this band’.
‘We are the Bothuk. We are from this land’.
‘This is far north. This is far away from you. You are
far away. You are to the South’.
‘The Spirits grant me Medicine to talk your tongue,
to speak your words. They grant me Medicine so I can
tell you this. So I can tell you that you are dreaming us’.
‘You are dreaming of things that happened many,
many seasons before your ancestors’ time’.
‘You are dreaming of an invasion that took place. It is
a message. A dream message’.
‘We existed. We were the Bothuk. We were real. We
were men. Now we are ancestors, but not your ancestors’.
‘We fought the hairy faces of the East. We chased
them back into the water. We did not befriend them, we
did not welcome them. We fought. We did not give them
kind words; we gave them screams and darts and stones’.
‘Do not show mercy; do not show kind words. Slay
them and drive them back. That is the lesson’.
‘Tomorrow night, you return to the shore with us.
They will land there. We will fight them, we will drive
them back to the shore. Tomorrow you join us. Tomorrow
the dream ends. Then you learn the lesson’.
‘When you learn the lesson, you wake up. The dream
ends, the lesson remains’.
Let the PCs ask other things if they wish; there’s little
more they can learn from Red Serpent and his men, as
they know nothing else about the Viking invaders. The

Bothuk are simply re-enacting history, repeating what
they did 500 years ago: they will harass the Vikings and
drive them away from their coast. Let the PCs specu-
late whether this is nothing but a dream, or it all really
happened and they travelled back in time, to when the
historic Bothuk truly met strangers to which they told
it was all a dream before striking the bearded Drakkar
warriors.
EN D O F T H E CON V E R SATION
After their talk with Red Serpent, the Bothuk treat
the PCs as companions for the rest of the night, sharing
their rations with them and letting them hunt or for-
age for more food with them.
The next dawn, the PCs are surprised to find that
several more hunting bands have joined Red Serpent’s
group; dozens upon dozens of Bothuk Chichimeca
sneaking around the bushes, nocking arrows, skulking
around, watching from the trees and behind the rocks.
A small army, stealthy, on the prowl.
The Bothuk army spends all day roaming the shore;
Red Serpent keeps the PCs close to him, but says very
little – after last night, he seems to have spent his magic
and lost all his ability to speak the PCs’ tongue. During
their scouting, however, he points to several sites
along the shore, indicating places where the Drakkar
men landed days or weeks earlier. The signs are quite
clear: Rotting wooden stakes on the sand, the charred
remains of old bonfires. The invaders have landed and
camped on these shores many times now.
As sunset arrives again, when the PCs have almost
forgot about the invader threat, and have instead be-
come used to this beautiful land with its cold weather
and its lush vegetation, Red Serpent suddenly stiffens
and points to the sky. Proceed to Scene 4.
Scene 4: the
landinG
If the PCs reached this scene by exploring the coast
on their own, let them spend the day scouting as they
see fit. When the next sunset approaches, proceed to
Encounter 5.
If the PCs reached this scene by joining Red Serpent’s
war band on Scene 3, proceed to Encounter 5 right
away, as Bothuk sentries point at the first signs of the
invading force.
the eight omens
Encounter 5: The Drakkar Ships
Read the following aloud as the PCs stand looking at
the Eastern sea:
There’s a dragon. A bat-winged, four-legged dragon,
whose silhouette shines red from the light of the setting
sun.
And then another. Two dragons.
And on the water, three ships. Three long, narrow
boats with coatl heads on their prow; a dozen oars on
each side, and strange canvas blankets pushing them
ahead. And aboard every ship, a dozen, maybe two doz-
en, Drakkar warriors, fully armed and battle-ready.
If the PCs are with Red Serpent’s Bothuk warband,
they see how the hundred-man force becomes near-in-
visible, as every hunter and every warrior crouches be-
hind a bush, a rock or a tree. The PCs have never seen
so many people disappear so quickly; it almost seems
like teotl magic.
If the PCs are alone, let them decide how to wait for
the ships; if they hide among the bushes, they succeed
automatically. Perhaps the Drakkar saw them, but they
expected to see some natives anyway, and they believe
themselves ready for any hostility.
If the PCs stand on the beach to wait for the ships, a
few of the Drakkar warriors look at them warily, but
nothing else.
Regardless of what the PCs do, the three ships drop
anchor and the Norse invaders leap to the shore, their
dragons landing among them. On every dragon’s back
there’s an armoured woman, as fierce-looking as the
men on the ships.
Regardless of what the PCs decide or do, as soon as
the invaders descend from their boats, a hundred na-
tive warriors leap out of the bushes, giving bloodcur-
dling war cries and falling on the invaders with spears,
stones, arrows, darts and anything they can throw at
them. The Drakkar are no cowards and they respond to
the aggression by unsheathing their own swords and
charging the natives; it all happens so fast that the PCs
become caught in the middle.
If the PCs don’t wish to take part in the battle, ask
them for a Stealth action, confronted by the Drakkar
Warriors’ Mediocre Skill. If all PCs succeed, they may
disengage and leave the natives and invaders to kill
each other; proceed to Scene 5.
If a single PC fails the check, they all must fight;
Create a -2 encounter using a combination of Drakkar
Warriors and Drakkar bersekers.
29
 If the PCs survive this encounter, give them a cou- The Tonalpohualli is the sacred calendar of the Mexica
ple of minutes to get their bearings and heal them- and many other Mesoamerican peoples. According to
selves, or even try to disengage the battle if they so Nahua religion, each of its signs is assigned to a col-
wish (which requires all PCs to succeed on a Stealth ac- our, a season and a cardinal direction, and their mystic
tion as before). auras influence the children born on their correspond-
ing date.
Once the PCs are ready – or forced – to continue
fighting, Create a second -2 encounter. This is the order of the thirteen carved symbols and
the colours they are painted in:
If the PCs survive both enemy groups, they need fight
no more: the Bothuk have successfully routed the re-
maining invaders, who have fled back to their ships NUMBER SYMBOL COLOUR
and abandoned the shore.
The natives loot the bodies of fallen enemies, but let 1 Dragon Red
the PCs have their share: the Drakkar they killed. They
can also obtain 20 gold each. 2 Wind Black
After the battle, Red Serpent walks up to the PCs;
there’s no telling where his red body paint ends and 3 House White
the blood of his enemies begins.
4 Lizard Blue
Red Serpent doesn’t speak the PCs’ tongue anymore,
but he points at a hill among the trees inland; he mo- 5 Snake Red
tions the PCs to go there, and then leaves them. The
Bothuk warband disappears as quickly as it appears, 6 Skull Black
and the PCs are alone once more.
Proceed to Scene 5. 7 Deer White

8 Rabbit Blue

Scene 5: 9 Water Red

the first 10

11
Dog

Monkey
Black

White

dream gatE 12 Grass Blue

13 Reed Red

Let the PCs explore the unknown lands on their own,

resting and healing themselves if they need to.
After they have scouted the lands for a while, the PCs
encounter a strange structure among the trees: it is
a clearing, surrounded by wooden pillars arranged in
a circle. Each of the pillars is carved with a different
symbol.
There are thirteen pillars in the circle. Ask the PCs to
perform an easy Rites or Knowledge Check (difficulty:
3(1)). If the check succeeds, the PCs recognise that the
symbol carved on each of the thirteen wooden totems
is one of the first thirteen signs of the Tonalpohualli,
the calendar of Nahua peoples.
What are the symbols of the Mexica calendar doing in
this strange faraway land?
Below the corresponding carving, each pillar has the
phrase ‘blood on the four places wakes up’ written in
Mexica glyphs.
To return from the spirit world, the PCs must show they have un-
derstood the clues from the dream they have just experienced. This
requires smearing their blood on four of the symbols, but they must
be the four correct symbols.
In this case, the right symbols are Snake (represented by Red
Serpent’s staff), Water (represented by the Sea), Dragon (which the
Drakkar were riding when they arrived) and Reed (which surrounded
the shore). A character that has understood the message will recog-
nise them easily.

30

The totems are asking the PCs to bleed themselves and smear the
blood on the right carvings. This should be an easy, straightforward
message to any Mesoamerican, to which self-inflicted wounds are a
part of daily life. Most Mesoamericans bleed themselves with pricks
and needles as a standard religious practice, and then smear the
blood on idols or collect it in special vessels. Feel free to share this
information with the PCs if they don’t deduce it on their own.
A character that smears their blood on a carving
suffers 1 point of damage. There are no penalties for
choosing the wrong carving, but only the four correct
carvings will open the gate back to the land of the liv-
ing, so choosing wrong can be potentially deadly.
If the PCs are stumped, let them try an easy Rituals
or Perception Check (difficulty 3(1)); for every positive
consequence if any, give the PCs one of the following
clues, or nudge them toward discovering it on their
own:
■ Black is the colour of North, White is the colour of
West, Blue is the colour of South and Red is the colour
of East.
■ Perhaps all the right choices have a single thing in
common.
■ The Map of the Drakkar showed some symbols
drawn in blood.
■ The sunset made certain objects and things shine
with a red outline.
The message of this dream was ‘Danger comes from
the East’; if the PCs smear their blood on the Reed,
Water, Snake and Dragon symbols, a disembodied wom-
an’s voice says the message in their heads, and sudden-
ly a thick multicoloured fog covers the scene…
Scene 6:
waking
from the
first dreaM
As the fog dissipates, the PCs find themselves still
surrounded by the thirteen wooden pillars – except
they are not on a hill in the ancient North anymore,
but atop a pyramid temple in Great Tenochtitlan. The
the eight omens
thirteen pillars surround the top floor of the temple,
and from here the PCs can see the whole city.
All the PCs’ wounds have disappeared; those that fell
unconscious during the dream trip are lying on the
floor and waking up. Those that died during the dream,
however, remain dead.
Stranger still is the fact that the PCs have kept all the
equipment, weapons and treasure they encountered
during the dream trip – and they have something else:
One of the PCs (chosen by you or determined random-
ly) finds himself clutching a broken piece of obsidian.
It doesn’t seem to be any kind of useful item, but it
emits a supernatural, enthralling glow.
It is then that the PCs realise they are not alone. A
woman advances to meet them.
She wears a witch’s robes, and several elite Mexica
warriors flank her. Her hand is extended in a gesture
of peace.
‘Welcome back, sacred warriors’.
‘I freed you from sacrifice, and chose you for a far
greater purpose’.
‘I can both save you from your intended death and
return you to your people as honoured heroes’.
‘Forgive the suddenness, forgive the strangeness. All
shall be understood, all shall be known’.
The PCs may attack the witch, interrupt her or let her
talk. Let them declare their actions, words or decisions;
before the witch can respond, however, there’s a flash
in the city, and even the witch looks on in awe.
As the PCs turn to see what’s happened, they realise
the Great Temple of Tenochtitlan – the House of Lord
Huitzilopochtli, the Saint Patron of the City – has just
burst into flames…
31
 ii. The burning
of the templE
32
the eight omens

33
ProloguE
Great Tenochtitlan is in turmoil.
The unthinkable is happening; the Great Temple, the
House of Huitzilopochtli, the House of Command, has
burst in a column of black fire. It is exactly like the col-
umn of fire of the East – the exact same shape, you idly
realise, numbed by the sight – brought home to the very
centre of this city.
Even here, on a rooftop in the other side of the city,
you can see the fire ascend from the House of Command,
out there at the Great Plaza.
You even think you hear screams and commands
from all around the city. There at the Plaza, out of your
sight, men and women must be running back and forth
with water pails and baskets. The temple is solid stone,
can’t be burned. How? Why is this happening?
Before you get your bearings, a second explosion
shakes the Great Temple, and an even larger conflagra-
tion flares up from its charred structure, lighting up the
night skies. The fire must be getting worse, not better.
The nahual woman, the witch that claims to have
freed you from imprisonment and sent you to the dream
adventure you just came back from, stares at the fire
and smoke with wide eyes, in a mix of awe and… is that
joy?
Then the witch whispers.
It is so low that you are amazed to hear it so clearly,
so much louder than the faraway screams of the Mexica
and the soldiers that surely must be yelling out there,
near the burning Temple. But their screams are drowned
by the whisper of a witch.
“It is the Second Omen”, she says. “The Second
Omen!”
L
ET TH E PC S state their actions and intentions;
whatever they do, after the first round of actions
the open rooftop begins to fill with the multicoloured
fog they encountered earlier. Soon, everything is lost
from sight under a blanket of swirling colours…
34
Scene 7: the
white citY
As the fog disperses, you realise you are still on a
rooftop.
The witch is nowhere to be seen. Did she escape…?
No. Something has changed. Again.
It’s the city.
This is not Great Tenochtitlan. Great Tenochtitlan is
the largest, mightiest city in the known world; a true
wonder of military power and architecture, with temples
and pyramids so tall that dragons live inside them, sur-
rounded by an unbelievable sea of water houses, as thick
as reeds on the edge of a gigantic Lake.
The city surrounding your rooftop is five, ten times
larger than that. Ten times greater.
The PCs have been transported again; this time to a
dream of Aztlan, the city where the ancestors of the
Mexica came from. They should not identify the city
right away; however, if a PC explicitly declares (and
succeeds on) a normal Knowledge Check (+3), feel free
to confirm it.
Aztlan was the city that ruled over the common ancestors of all
modern Nahua tribes, before their diaspora 500 years earlier. Coin-
cidentally – or perhaps not so coincidentally –, it was at around the
same time that the Drakkar warriors landed on the continent, miles
away from here.
The dream has taken the PCs to that era again, to the heyday of the
legendary Aztlan, the White City.
Regardless of whether they identify ancient Aztlan or
not, the PCs see they are on an unimaginably immense
city, with tall temples and white buildings, surrounded
by a huge lake, much like the one around Tenochtitlan.
There is an otherworldly feel to the place, as if the
white buildings gave it an immaterial quality. Not so
much a real city as its quiet, dignified ghost.
The rooftop the PCs are in is almost a mirror of the
one they were on back at Tenochtitlan before the
dream began. There are thirteen columns here as well,
but they have no carvings, images or clues of any kind
– just dull, featureless, white stone.
By looking around a bit, any PC can determine they
are on a kind of temple, but there are no representa-

tions of any saint or spirit, and there’s no saint-house,
no altar, on the rooftop, whose only feature is the cir-
cle of plain stone columns. There are four stairways
that lead down to street level.
The only other building that draws the PCs’ attention
is the city’s tallest pyramid – it stands at the centre of
Aztlan, far from the PCs’ position, but even from here
they can see the top is not a temple or saint-house, but
a tall, white cypress tree. The PCs never saw anything
like that – a tree planted atop a pyramid. It must be a
symbol of the city.
Give the PCs a moment to discuss their situation and decide what to
do. If they become stumped, subtly nudge them to explore the city,
reminding them that their past dream ended after they explored the
area and understood its clues.
If the PCs remain on the rooftop too long, they notice
a patrol walking up the pyramid Give the PCs a chance
to run down the stairs; if they stay on the rooftop, pro-
ceed to Encounter 5.
If the PCs climb down the stairs, they reach the streets
without incident. The city is quiet as… well, as a dream.
It’s not only the eerie appearance of the white build-
ings in the night – the city sounds like a ghost, too.
There are no cries or calls, no shuffle of feet on the
streets; just a vague rumour at the edge of hearing, like
low whispers and sighs. For a moment, you do believe
you are dreaming of the otherworld.
The architecture is stunning, like no other you
have seen, perhaps even more beautiful than that of
Cholollan, or Tollan itself. Indeed it looks like some ideal
city, some mythical paradise…
Then you start to notice; there are people in the
streets. Here and there, a richly-robed man or woman
slides across the white pavement, alone or talking with
someone else. Their voices are low, murmuring; their
clothes are as white as the buildings, and even their
skins are somewhat ashen – not pale, like the dragon
riders you saw on the earlier dream, but flesh-coloured
as you… only greyish, dull; like they are sick or something.
None of them notice you as they walk past, but you
catch snippets of their talk. They don’t speak Nahua, but
a very close dialect. None you have heard before, that’s
for sure.
These people don’t ignore just you; they don’t give
a second glance to their surroundings. They care not
about the beautiful buildings and decorations that sur-
round them. That’s how you know they are not gods or
spirits, for it is the way of mortals to become bored with
achievement and jaded with wonder.
the eight omens
If the PCs haven’t realised they are in ancient Aztlan
yet, you may ask them to perform an easy Knowledge
Check (difficulty: 3(1)) to deduce it at this point.
After they have walked the streets for a while, the
PCs run across a city patrol; contrarily to the civilians,
these guards do take notice of the PCs; run Encounter 6.
Encounter 6: Temple Guards
The soldiers that approach you seem to belong to
the Nahua tribes, but they have painted their face and
body with white dust. Also white are their weapons and
uniforms, save for some golden adornments and patches
of red ink here and there.
They talk in a foreign tongue, but close enough to
Nahua for you to deduce their meaning.
They want to know where you came from.
It’s strange to find free-roaming foreigners in the
streets of Aztlan. The city proper is restricted to the up-
per classes and pure-blooded Azteca people; the many
other ethnicities under Aztlan’s protection must live in
the periphery, from the city to the shore of the great
lake surrounding it. The guards assume the PCs belong to
one of these ‘ lesser’ tribes, who rarely set foot on Aztlan
unless it is as slaves.
The guards are indeed demanding to know the PCs’
ethnicity, and why they are not in their assigned neigh-
bourhoods. Run Encounter 6 Conversation.
ENC OUNTER 6 C ONVERSATI ON
If the PCs want to use diplomacy or deceit, ask them
to perform a Charisma action, confronted by a Temple
guard’ Mediocre Skill.
Alternatively, you can let the players do the talking;
in that case they must convince you, the GM, as their
characters try to convince the guards.
■ The guards assume the PCs are escaped slaves or
unwanted visitors; unless the PCs convince them oth-
erwise, the guards escort them out.
■ The guards identify the PCs’ language as just an-
other of the ‘barbaric’ tongues of the lesser tribes, so
the PCs’ accent and difficulty with the Old Aztec tongue
doesn’t get them in trouble.
■ Use a few of the dialogue lines from the Information
about Aztlan sidebar as the guards talk to the PCs.
■ If the PCs invent a convincing lie, the guards let
them off with a warning and grudgingly allow them to
remain free in the city.
35
 ■ The guards won’t believe the truth – that the PCs ■ People walking down the streets everywhere, with
are dreaming and they come from the future – regard- the same unassuming, careless attitude described ear-
less of how convincing the PCs are. They may take it as lier. This is a city where nothing happens, where no-
a joke or as an insult, depending on the PCs’ tone and body seems to be troubled.
attitude.
■ The city itself and its surrounding area seem like
■ If the PCs blunder the encounter too bad, the guards a replica of Tenochtitlan and the Great Lake around
take them prisoner, unless the PCs resist. it; or perhaps it’s the other way around, and it was
Tenochtitlan that was built to resemble this city.
If the PCs attack, the guards are flabbergasted – no
macehualtin had raised a hand against the elite in their If the PCs are being escorted out by the guards, pro-
living memory – but strike back, to the death. Create ceed to Scene 8.
a -2 Encounter using Temple Guards. The guards are
If the PCs are prisoners, proceed to Scene 9.
so surprised that they don’t know how to retaliate at
first; when they get their bearings, they fight as elite If the PCs don’t have a guard escort, let them choose
soldiers, with elite weapons. their general direction (or pick it randomly); if they
head out of the city, proceed to Scene 8. If they walk
A FT E R T H E E N COU N TE R deeper into the city, proceed to Scene 9.
If the PCs attack the guards and survive, they have Before ending the scene, you may have the PCs come
become outlaws in Aztlan. Any further encounter with across a second patrol guard if you wish, particularly if
Aztec guards will result on combat or imprisonment. they were too careless during the previous encounter.
The PCs may also dress in the guards’ uniforms if they Simply create a -2 encounter using a combination of
wish; this allows them to pass undetected in further Rank soldiers and Rank warriors, but have the guards
encounters inside Aztlan, but they are discovered as act in consequence to the PCs’ previous actions – for
soon as anybody approaches them to talk. example if they are disguised, or resisted arrest.
Regardless of the encounter’s outcome, the PCs find
themselves roaming the streets of Aztlan, perhaps free,
perhaps taken as prisoners; perhaps hiding from the
law, perhaps escorted by Aztec guards.
As the PCs walk through the city, describe the follow-
ing features of the Great City:
■ White buildings and pavement, with better mason-
ry than Mexica or even Tolteca work.
■ Various inscriptions that indicate the city’s glyph
as ‘Aztlan’ (in case the PCs hadn’t deduced it yet).
■ A wall with a large Bas-relief, representing an Aztec
king wrestling a mixcoatl dragon.
■ Several tall temples, blue-orange lights flickering
through their windows.
■ An apparent lack of dragon worship or idols; if this
city has the protection of a dragon, they don’t make a
show of it.
■ The white tree appears in several motifs and glyphs
of the city along the Aztlan name, confirming it’s a
symbol of the city as well.
■ A line of slaves working on a temple. Aztec guards
and nobles whip and order them around. The slaves
seem to belong to some Nahua or Chichimeca tribe.
■ Incredibly beautiful gardens every two or three
avenues.

36

SIDEBAR: INFORMATION ABOUT AZTLAN
At any time the PCs successfully strike conversa-
tion with a local NPC, use one or more of the follow-
ing lines as a part of the NPC’s dialogue or answers,
to let the PCs know important data about Aztlan.
“The Azteca own the City. The Azteca are the true
citizens of Aztlan.”
“There are macehualtin foreigners, chichimeca
from other tribes, that have come to squat around
the lake of Aztlan, to live near Aztlan, to fish and
hunt and be near the Great City.”
“The lake squatters are not Azteca, they are not
citizens; they are the lesser, they are the low tribes.
They live in Aztlan, but they pay tribute to the
Azteca. They pay with work and food and slaves for
the Azteca, and the Azteca protect them.”
“The low tribes need the protection of Aztlan,
they come to Aztlan to be safe; for the land on the
other side of the lake is dangerous. There are wild
chichimeca on the other side of the like, and beasts,
and the Azteca protect the low tribes from all this,
and in turn the low tribes submit to the Azteca.”
“The low tribes have no other land, no other city,
to live. They live in Aztlan for they have no other
place to live, for it is all dangerous.”
“The white tree of Aztlan, the tree of the Great
Pyramid, is the Cepancuahuitl, the Tree of Union.”
“The Tree of Union is like the Tree of Tamoanchan.
When the Ancestors brought people to the world,
when the Ancestors brought mortals to the world, it
was in Tamoanchan.”
“The White Tree, the Tree of Union, reminds eve-
rybody that all people, all tribes, all of them belong
together. The Tree of Union says that we all belong
under the power of Aztlan.”
“Aztlan has two leaders – Cuextecatl, the King
of the City, and Mexi, the leader of the low tribes.
Nobody knows what tribe Mexi belongs to – some
say he is Chichimeca, some that he is Tolteca. Some
say that he comes from the Olmecs of the East,
the eight omens
some that the Mixtecs of the South. But Mexi is
the strongest warrior, stronger and taller than any
other macehualtin of Aztlan.”
“Mexi is not kind, he is not nice. He is a rough
man, a violent man. He does not like diplomacy, he
does not like politics. Mexi does not like the Aztlan
nobility. Mexi is a troublemaker in the city without
trouble; a noise in the harmony. But he is the hero
of the low tribes, he is a hero of the people. The low
tribes love Mexi, they respect him.”
“Mexi lives in the Slave Quarters of the city, where
the low tribes send their young to be slaves to the
Azteca, to work for the Azteca. Mexi lives there, for
he rules the slaves, he rules the low tribes. Mexi
lives with the slaves and he sees that they are well
and happy, and he cares for them.”
Any PC with at least Knowledge 1 should identify
the name of Mexi. He was the legendary founder of
the Mexica tribe; the one that led his people out of
Aztlan. Furthermore, Mexi was the mortal name of
Huitzilopochtli, patron saint of the Mexica, before
he died and became the Spirit of War – precisely
during the trip out of Aztlan.
A PC might remember that it was precisely the
temple of Huitzilopochtli which suddenly burned as
what the mysterious witch called ‘The Second Omen’
before sending them to the dream world again.
This may give the PCs a clue of what they are here
for, and why the dream brought them here.
If the PCs hear about Mexi, ask them to perform an
easy Knowlede Check (difficulty: 3(1)). If the check
succeeds, remind them that, according to Mexica
history, Mexi led the exodus of Aztlan guided and
helped by four warrior-priests.
To solve the riddle of the Second Dream, the four
PCs must find Mexi and help him guide his people
out of Aztlan, re-enacting the origin of the Mexica
tribe. This is the conclusion the PCs should ideally
arrive at; if not now, later during this chapter, as
more clues appear in their way.
37

Scene 8: the
people of
the shorE
As the PCs come out of Aztlan, they see the great lake
surrounding the city, and the countless villages along
the shore.
As you reach the city outskirts, you come across the
familiar sight of hundreds of huts, farming parcels and
floating chinampa gardens, like a flowered garland, on
the shore of a great lake. Dozens of boats are moored
on the water near the huts, as the last farmers and fish-
ermen return home with the evening catch. The lake is
so wide that the far shore remains beyond sight in most
places, just like the Great Lake of Tenochtitlan.
As you come closer to the first huts, the stark differ-
ence between the peoples of Aztlan hits you like a sac-
rificial knife. Where the inner-city dwellers are ashen,
tall and lanky, the macehualtin in the lake are squat,
grimy with lakeshore mud and bloody from the thorny
bushes. Where the Aztlan nobles look absent and dif-
fident, these people’s faces show pain, worry and the
urgency of death. This endless expanse of villages and
farms, confined to whatever edge they can cling to, is a
sad, painful, living, beating, bloody world; the opposite
of the clean, serene city at your back. And it shows in
the people.
38
Some macehualtin look at you from their parcels and
windows as you approach their villages, but they don’t
seem surprised at your appearance in any sense.
If the PCs were escorted out of the city, the guards
leave them here and go back.
Returning to the city now would require the PCs to
perform a Stealth action, confronted by the temple
guard’s Competent Skill. If a single PC fails the action,
run Encounter 6 again, except the guards are much less
patient this time, and the PCs are much more likely to
end up as prisoners.
If the PCs approach the locals, they can easily ob-
tain food and shelter in exchange for work; like in
Tenochtitlan, the calpolli farms of Aztlan are always
willing to take extra mouths in exchange for extra
hands. The macehualtin speak the same strange Aztec
language as the city folk, but it’s possible to communi-
cate with them in the Nahua tongue.
If the PCs have already visited the Slave Quarters in
Scene 9, the villagers gather among the huts and reeds
to listen to the PCs’ message. Proceed to Scene 10.
If the PCs don’t approach the locals, have some NPCs
come to them, asking where the PCs are from and what
they’re doing here.
Let the PCs conduct the conversation as they wish,
using lines and information from the Information
about Aztlan sidebar.
The villagers are friendly at first, and invite the PCs
to stay with them under an agreement of work for food
and shelter.
After the PCs have spent some time among the shore
people, some NPCs casually suggest that the PCs should
go to the city and seek Mexi, the Macehual King.
Mexi oversees the city’s Slave Quarter. His rank
forces him to live in the inner city, far away from the
shore tribes. The tribes would like to know Mexi’s will
or receive his guidance; if the PCs managed to return
to Aztlan and obtain Mexi’s message to his people, the
lesser tribes would be very grateful.
This is no official mission and the PCs may refuse,
staying among the shore tribes for as long as they want
– and never waking from the dream for as long as they
do.
If the PCs choose to help the macehualtin with their
request, or as soon as they head back to the city any-
way, let them walk into Aztlan again, describing a short
trip across the city if you wish, and then turn to Scene
9.

Scene 9:
slaves of
the aztecA
Whether on their own or taken by the city guards, the
PCs finally head to Aztlan’s Slave Quarters.
After an hour or so wandering across the city, you ar-
rive to a large courtyard with low stone walls. There are
several entrances, each guarded by one or two armed
soldiers; there are additional guards around two large
buildings inside the courtyard.
Between you and the buildings, wandering about the
open courtyard, are several men and women, bound and
fettered as slaves. They walk around freely, although
the guards prevent them from leaving the courtyard and
keep a close eye on their behaviour.
If the PCs came here on their own, they may enter the
Slave Quarters in two ways:
■ If the PCs wish to slip inside unseen, ask them to
perform a Stealth action, confronted by a Rank sol-
dier’s Competent Skill.
■ If the PCs wish to convince the guards to let them
in, ask them to perform a Charisma action, confronted
by a Rank soldier’s Mediocre Skill.
If either check fails, the PCs are arrested.
If the PCs were arrested, the guards lead them direct-
ly to a cell in one of the buildings at the far end of the
courtyard. The other slaves ignore the PCs; they have
acquired the indifference of their masters during their
imprisonment.
After being shown their cell and bound with slave
fetters – the same neck-to-feet bindings they had at the
beginning of the adventure – the PCs are ordered to go
to sleep and wait for breakfast early in the morning,
after which they’re allowed to wander the courtyard
freely.
The Slave Quarters are nothing but the courtyard
and the two buildings, both of which have several liv-
ing cells and a guard barracks. The slaves live, eat and
sleep in the cells, and may take strolls through the
courtyard as they wait for a noble to buy them, for a
the eight omens
city project or war that requires their manpower, or
for a sacrifice that requires their blood.
If the PCs attack the guards at any time, they cause a
scene. Play Encounter 7.
If the PCs try to escape their cell during the night,
ask them to perform a Stealth action, confronted by the
Rank soldier’s Competent Skill. The PCs’ fetters impose
1 disadvantage on the action.
If all the PCs succeed, they slip past their guards and
may explore the Slave Quarters freely.
If the PCs are found trying to escape, the guards at-
tack. Proceed to Encounter 7.
As soon as the PCs are free and on their own, they
may explore the Slave Quarters at their leisure.
If the PCs already visited the shore people at Scene 8,
they are probably looking for Mexi, the Macehual King;
however, he’s not around, and the guards have no au-
thorisation to lead strangers to him. The PCs must keep
exploring on their own for now.
If the PCs decide to talk with the other prisoners, ask
them to perform an easy Charisma Check (difficulty:
3(1)). If the check succeeds, the prisoners tell the PCs
one or more of the facts listed in the Information about
Aztlan sidebar.
Suddenly, as the PCs are watching or talking to the
slaves, some of the slaves begin yelling at a group of
guards. There are insults, scuffles, and then the guards
take out their weapons. Other slaves join the fray
against the guards, which raise the alarm. More sol-
diers start coming in from the courtyard entrance and
out of the barracks. Before the PCs know it, they are
surrounded by a full-scale riot, and some guards attack
them without giving or asking for a reason. Proceed to
Encounter 7.
39
Encounter 7: A Riot at the Slave
Quarters
As the fight begins, allow the PCs to run away if they
wish, by asking them to perform a Stealth or Athletic
action, confronted by the guards’ competent skill.
■ If all PCs succeed on the check, they may skip the
encounter.
■ Otherwise, create a fair Encounter using a combi-
nation of Rank soldiers, Rank spearmen, and Ahtlatl
throwers.
A FT E R T H E E N COU N TE R
If the PCs win the fight, they may take the guards’
weapons and shields, which are light, beautiful and
of better quality than any standard weapon they may
have encountered outside Aztlan.
Once the PCs have dealt with the guards or avoided
the encounter, they may disengage from the riot and
assess the situation from a safe distance, without call-
ing attention to themselves.
After the guards gave the alarm, more slaves joined
the fight, and in a matter of seconds the situation has
escalated to a full-blown riot in the Slave quarters.
Soldiers run out of the barracks, slapping and kicking
slaves in the same motion. Already you can hear more
guards coming from the city.
Let the PCs state their actions and intentions, and
then read aloud the following:
Suddenly, everybody’s silent for a moment. Slaves
and soldiers have stopped dead on their tracks.
Then a flapping… or a humming?
And then the impossible – for an instant the court-
yard is obscured as if by a cloud, but it’s not a natural
phenomenon. It’s a swarm. It’s a flock of hummingbirds.
Everybody lays down their arms as they watch the
miraculous bird swarm, either transfixed in awe or cov-
ering their faces and heads from the buzzing wings.
After a couple of minutes, the riot dies down, as the
countless birds flit to and fro between the guards and
rioters. Then a single hummingbird stops and hovers
near you, so close to your face you can almost count its
feathers.
And then it turns its head. At you. And it speaks.
‘Run’.
One of the hummingbirds is indeed looking straight
at the PCs and ordering them to run away. And in their
40
own tongue, too; not the variant Nahua tongue of the
Azteca.
If the PCs hesitate or try to answer to his words, the
hummingbird replies, albeit in a hurried and demand-
ing tone. Use the following as parts of the humming-
bird’s dialogue, depending on what the PCs say and
how:
‘Mexi has seen you. You’re not of Aztlan’.
‘You must go to the lake, to the villages and farms on
the lake, outside of the city, outside of Aztlan’.
‘Mexi has a message for the people that live there,
for the lesser tribes’.
‘‘Mexi will cover your tracks; Mexi will shroud your
passage’.
‘You shall do this; if you don’t, Mexi shall have your
skin flayed and your flesh fed to dogs’.
‘The message is this: Tollan shall have a new king.
That’s what you will say to the macehualtin, to Mexi’s
people’.
‘They will understand. And you will understand’.
‘Go now, run now’.
‘Run!’
The hummingbird wants the PCs to flee while the
Aztec guards are still distracted. If the PCs dawdle too
long, the soldiers find and attack them: run Encounter
7 again, except the PCs must immediately flee the city
after the fight.
As soon as the PCs head out of Aztlan and to the city
outskirts, let them know they leave the city unim-
peded by guards, alarms or passersby; it appears Mexi
made good on his promise of ‘covering their passage’.
Proceed to Scene 8.

Scene 10: the
left-handed hummingbirD
This scene begins as soon as the PCs have returned
to the lake villages with Mexi’s message. The people of
the lake gather around them, waiting to hear the words
of their leader.
When the PCs share the message ‘Tollan shall have a
new king’, a great murmur breaks out among the vil-
lagers; they seem to know what the message means.
To understand the message, let the PCs ask around the
villagers, or ask them to perform a normal Knowledge
Check (difficulty: 6(1)). If the check succeeds, or the
PCs simply ask about the meaning of the message, let
them know the following:
■ Tollan is an ancient city, at least as splendorous
and advanced as Aztlan, to the Southeast of here.
■ During the age of Aztlan, in the era of the PCs’ cur-
rent dream, the king of Tollan was Ce Acatl Topilzin.
■ A few years before the uprising of Mexi, Topilzin
was revealed to be a dragon in disguise and left the seat
of government. Tollan has remained leaderless ever
since, even in the PCs’ future.
■ Mexi’s message means that he intends to become
the new King of Tollan, which requires him to leave
Aztlan forever. This in turn means that the lesser tribes
around Aztlan must follow him to new lands and a new
kingdom.
The above facts are all part of well-known Mexica history.
King Topilzin was secretly the human form of Quetzalcoatl, the Lord
of Dragons; when he was discovered, after making Tollan the most
advanced city in the world, he left the mortal plane, leaving the
paradise he had built in chaos.
At the time of the Mexica exodus from Aztlan, Tollan was a leader-
less, decadent city, holding science and secrets from an advanced
civilisation, but with nobody to make use of them. You may allow
any PC with at least 1 point in Knowledge to know this without need
of a skill check.
Mexi’s message creates opposite reactions among the
macehualtin. Some argue that it’s madness to leave
the lake and Aztlan’s protection for the harsh waste-
lands to the South; some others are elated at the news
and want to take up arms against the city right away.
Some argue, quite reasonably, that the Azteca will fall
the eight omens
without them, as all empires fall without the support
of the common people, and won’t let them leave so
easily. Some others are afraid of fighting the Aztlan
authorities.
Let the PCs watch, or even participate in, the debate;
their status as Mexi’s messengers gives them a right to
be heard and listened to.
The villagers eventually reach an agreement; as their
women and children pack their things and prepare to
leave their homes, the men will march to Aztlan, to
distract the city guard and give the slaves a chance to
escape and join them. Then they will all flee the city
together. The PCs’ part is to join the march and accom-
pany the village men to the Slave Quarters.
If the PCs helped inspire or encourage the people dur-
ing the debate, they gain an advantage on all Charisma
checks and actions when dealing with any NPC from
the low tribes of Aztlan for the remainder of Chapter II.
The PCs may ask for equipment, food, tools, weapons
or armour; the macehualtin gladly give what they can,
although they don’t have much, and most of their items
are of mediocre quality.
As soon as the PCs are ready to leave, read the fol-
lowing aloud:
For the next few hours, the Great Lake of Aztlan be-
comes an anthill of buzzing activity, as people say their
goodbyes, load their belongings on barges and back-
packs and messengers run back and forward carrying
orders and news from one end of the lakeshore to the
other.
As the village men prepare to march into the city,
they send you ahead to assess the situation in the Slave
Quarters. Whatever you learn, you should return and
report to the men that will march right behind you.
Now it’s the PCs’ time to enter the city and finally ful-
fil their destiny – and the Second Dream.
41
Encounter 8: The Macehual King
As the PCs return to the streets of Aztlan, read the
following aloud.
Again you run through the streets of the Great
City. As you wander the streets, you gaze upon the
Great Pyramid at the centre of the city, and on the
Cepancuahuitl, the great white tree at its cenit, tower-
ing above all other buildings and temples.
Then your attention shifts to a wall to your left, for
you distinctly heard a sound come out of it.
The wall depicts the bas-relief of a woman with a
skirt made of snakes; suddenly the stone image shifts
and trembles as a stone door slides just under the wom-
an’s skirt, and a man runs out, like a warrior born out of
a mountain. He stops dead on his tracks as he steps out
into the street, his eyes fixed on you.
He may well be the most formidable man you have
ever encountered. At least a head taller than the tallest
among you, His skin is painted red and black; his fine
white clothes and gold ornaments indicate he is of noble
stock. There’s a hummingbird tattoo over his heart, and
hummingbird feathers on his headpiece. His long black
hair and most of his body are caked with blood; not a
sacrificial bleeding, but the kind of stains of a warrior
that has killed many enemies.
As if confirming your suspicions, you notice the man’s
left hand grips a macahuitl mace that any other warrior
would barely lift from the ground with both hands; the
weapon’s obsidian edges drip fresh blood even now.
‘You are not Aztecs’, he blurts out after a heartbeat
in this city’s strange Nahua dialect; however, he’s clearly
not Azteca either.
Before you have a chance to reply, you notice the
sound of approaching footsteps, as two guard squads
turn the corners ahead and behind you, giving out cries
of alarm.
The PCs can’t be sure whether these men come for
them or for the warrior that has just come out of the
wall, but the guards charge without further warning.
The PC must join the fight. The lone warrior attacks
the guards coming from the left, leaving the PCs to deal
with those on the right.
Create a -1 encounter using Rank soldiers, Rank
spearmen and archers. These men are less surprised
and more battle-ready than the other guards the PCs
have encountered in Aztlan, but are otherwise the
same.
42
AFTER TH E ENC OUNTER
If the PCs survive the fight, they may take the guards’
weapons and shields, which are light, beautiful and
of better quality than any standard weapon they may
have encountered outside Aztlan.
As the fight ends, read the following aloud:
As the last of the guards fall, you realise the lone
hummingbird warrior just killed the other six men on his
own. He turns to you with a fierce expression, like he’s
thinking whether to move on to slaughter you now. Then
he gives out a satisfied snarl and nods in your direction.
‘You are the strangers,’ he says in a tone of sudden
realisation. ‘You are the ones dreaming us’.
This, of course, is Mexi, the lord of the low tribes of
Aztlan. Let the PCs conduct the conversation with him,
asking and replying as they wish; use the following as
excerpts from Mexi’s dialog as needed.
‘You are foreigners’.
‘You are the ones that took my message to the
macehualtin’.
‘I am Mexi, the Left-handed Hummingbird; King of the
Macehualtin’.
‘Yes, I sent you the hummingbird to give my message.
I am a powerful nahual; birds and beasts listen to me’.
‘I needed to rely on the bird; Cuextécatl and his spies
are watching me all the time. Well, they don’t watch
anymore, heh heh’.
‘Yes, I killed the nobles, I killed my guards’.
‘I slaughtered them, I bathed in their blood. As they
watched over me I killed them, as they prayed and guard-
ed, as they kneeled and begged I slaughtered them’.
‘Cuextécatl I did not kill, I spared him; I left him his
life’.
‘But everyone else I massacred, I ate their hearts. I’ve
had enough of peace, enough of civilisation, enough of
all this Toltecatl stuff ’.
‘Long have we lived under the yoke of the Azteca.
Long have we lived among these bloodless, heartless
weaklings’.
‘We are blood and dirt, they are milk and water. They
are living death; we want to live and die’.
‘We didn’t dare leave before, but now…’
‘Let us say your arrival spurred me to action’.
‘Why? Because that’s what you dreamed us for, why
else?’

‘Always four spirits, always four wizards; always four
directions and four colours. I knew you were here for
that’.
‘It’s our destiny; to leave Aztlan and found a new
tribe’.
‘We seek Tollan but never take it. For you it is an-
cient history; You know this already. We shall become
the warriors and the crafters, the Chichimeca and the
Tolteca’.
‘But that’s all in the future, in the past. This is your
dream now. We will leave the Azteca tonight’.
‘Yes, I know my people are already marching through
the streets. My children at the Slave Quarter are also
ready to escape’.
‘We only need one last distraction so the guard will
really be too busy to prevent our departure’.
‘Yes, of course you are that distraction’.
Mexi asks the PCs to go to the palace aviary, the
bird-house inside the animal gardens of the Azteca
King, and release his 400 hummingbirds. These are the
same birds that appeared to stop the riot at the Slave
Quarters during Scene 9; they are all magical creatures
under Mexi’s orders, and will know how to distract the
City Guard.
Mexi would order the birds to leave their cage them-
selves, as he did the other night, but right now time is
short and he has other things to do. So, he commands
the PCs to free his birds. ‘They will help you under-
stand the dream’, he adds as a final incentive.
When the PCs are ready to carry out the last mission,
proceed to Scene 11.
the eight omens
Scene 11:
flight of
the 400
humming-
birdS
Mexi gives the PCs quick directions to the city pal-
ace. As they move to the place, they come across sev-
eral guards running in all directions: they pay no mind
to the PCs, as if they were very concerned about some-
thing else.
Then, the PCs spy a large crowd moving across the
streets of Aztlan. Thousands and thousands of people,
walking peacefully but defiantly towards the centre of
the city; a silent demonstration. It’s the parade of the
macehualtin, the march of the low tribes.
After running across the city for a while longer,
the PCs spy a disturbance over at the Slave Quarters;
hundreds of guardsmen huddle against the courtyard
wall, doing their best to hold a human tide about to
burst through the stone enclosure and out in the open.
That’s how the PCs can reach the palace quarter with-
out incident.
The Mazatlamilpan, the animal gardens of the King,
are in a guarded enclosure a few paces away from the
palace grounds.
If the PCs try to slip into the enclosure, ask them to
perform an Athletic or Stealth action, confronted by
the Competent Skill of a jaguar warrior (see Encounter
9). If even one PC fails, the palace guards discover
them: Proceed to Encounter 9.
As soon as the PCs are free to explore the animal gar-
dens, read the following aloud:
The Mazatlamilpan of Aztlan is a large, beautiful
garden where paved paths and stonework coexist with
beautiful trees and shrubbery. Here and there, a special
enclosure displays a wondrous beast, mostly birds, but
also large snakes, strange-coloured monkeys and even a
great jaguar from the southern jungles.
43
 The animals seem oblivious to the chaos in the city,
cawing and yelling and pacing their cells as if nothing
was happening.
Eventually the PCs find the hummingbird cell – a
huge, gilded cage the size of a granary, where hun-
dreds of colourful little birds zoom and whizz among
branches and flowers.
If the PCs have not encountered the palace guards
yet, ask them to perform a normal Stealth Check (dif-
ficulty: 6(1)) to avoid detection as they free the birds.
If the check fails, the guards discover them and you
should proceed to Encounter 9.
As soon as the PCs are free to proceed, they need only
open the cage and the awesome cloud of hummingbirds
leaves the cage as a colourful cloud of chaos, as if it was
guided by a single mind – which it is.
Four hummingbirds, however, remain behind; each
of them hovers and flits around one of the PCs, indicat-
ing they want to stay with them.
These four hummingbirds don’t talk like the one
Mexi used as a messenger, but the PCs discover they
somehow know the birds’ names: the hummingbirds
have put the knowledge in their minds. The white one
is called Mixcoatzin; the red one is Apanecatl; the black
one is Texcocoatl and the blue one is called Chimalli.
The PCs don’t know this, but these four hummingbirds are Mexi’s
favourites, and he commanded them to guide and protect the PCs.
They are not normal birds, but powerful nature spirits summoned by
Mexi’s spellcraft. Mixcoatzin is a companion of the clouds, a male
air spirit; Apanecatl is a male water spirit and a friend of mortals;
Texcocoatl is a female fire spirit of death, and Chimalli a female
spirit of earth and fertility.
Each hummingbird assigns itself to one of the PCs,
chosen randomly. If the PCs are playing with the pre-
made party included with this adventure, Mixcoatzin
flies with Yosá, Apanecatl with Cuauhtli, Texcocoatl
with Hiapsi and Chimalli flies with Xocoxóchitl.
As the cloud of hummingbirds covers the streets and
the screams of terror and wonder begin, the PCs’ four
hummingbird companions say ‘Now for the end of your
dream’ in the PCs’ minds. Proceed to Scene 12.
44
Encounter 9: Beast Garden
Guards
If at any time the PCs are discovered as they explore
the beast garden, they gain the attention of the man-
beasts that watch over it: two hulking nahual warriors.
Create a fair encounter using a combination of jaguar
warriors and eagle warriors.
AFTER TH E ENC OUNTER
If the PCs defeat them, they may take their jewellery,
which would be worth a rough total of 30 to 40 Gold in
the open market.
If the PCs survive the fight, they may continue ex-
ploring the beast garden without further incident.
Scene 12:
the second
dream gatE
As the PCs come out of the garden, they notice some-
thing terrible has happened.
The Cepancuahuitl tree, the sacred Tree of Unity of
Aztlan, has been split in two, and is now spurting a
river of blood that runs like a waterfall down the four
stairways of the Great Pyramid.
Perhaps it’s intuition, or perhaps it’s a subtle mes-
sage from their hummingbird guides, but the PCs re-
alise Mexi did it. This was what he needed to do; this
was why he needed them to release his pets instead of
doing it himself.
And soon his reasons become obvious as well; a crowd
of desperate Azteca run to the temple, crying and la-
menting and trying to contain the blood flow from
their sacred tree.
By cutting down the oldest symbol of Aztlan, Mexi
has symbolised the breaking of his people with the
Aztec hegemony, and provided their escape with an in-
comparable distraction. He truly is Huitzilopochtli, the
ruthless warfare genius that earned the right for an en-
tire tribe to call themselves after him: the Mexica.
As the PCs look at the destruction of the tree and the
Azteca running to their Great Temple to stop it, the

hummingbirds ask into their minds, with the voice of
their own thoughts:
‘What does that remind you of?’
The right answer is, of course, the burning of the
temple of Tenochtitlan.
If the PCs fail to come up with the right answer, sub-
tly nudge them to remember what city was built and
modelled exactly after Aztlan.
‘Yes’, the hummingbirds say. ‘As one kingdom fell, an-
other kingdom will fall. As Huitzilopochtli cut down the
symbol of the Azteca to go, to leave, to found his own
city, so his own symbol burned in the city he built. Thus
history repeats and the fate of one kingdom mirrors the
fate of the other. That is the message of the dream’.
Then, the four hummingbirds take to the heavens,
and as they soar they take their true forms: four impos-
ing feathered dragons. A PC versed in Faith or History
may remember, at this very moment, that the legend-
ary parents of Quetzalcoatl were called Mixcoatl and
Chimalli…
The last thing the PCs see, before the multicoloured
smoke obscures their vision again, is a long procession
of freed tribes, following Mexi and the Four Dragons
into the wasteland, destined to become the mighti-
est nation in the world, named after their leader: the
Mexica.
the eight omens
Scene 13:
waking
from the
second
DreaM
When the fog dissipates, the PCs are still looking at
the four dragons… as bas-reliefs on the stone walls of
a temple.
The PCs are back in the real world, this time in the
very same temple, atop the very same pyramid, where
they were to be sacrificed so many days ago – the
Tlahuizcalli of Tenochtitlan’s Eastern Quarter.
Again, the PCs are healed of all their wounds, save
for any that died, which remain dead; again, they have
kept any equipment they looted from their spirit jaunt.
And again, they have obtained a broken piece of ob-
sidian from the trip.
This time, however, no witch comes out to greet
them. By the temple’s two entrances, a group of Mexica
guards breaks into the room, brandishing their weap-
ons at the ‘wizards’ that just appeared out of thin air.
Before the PCs decide what to do now, they see a flash
of light all around them – and then, without a sound,
without a storm or any other warning, a lightning bolt
rips the Tenochtitlan sky… and falls smack dab on the
Tzonmolco – the Temple of Xiuhtecuhtli, the fire saint.
The Third Omen has struck.
45
 iii. Lightning on
the lightning
housE
46
the eight omens

47
Scene 14: Out of the Blue
It’s happening again, almost the exact same way.
One of the great temples of Tenochtitlan has burst
into flames. This time it’s the Tzommolco, the House of
Xiuhtecuhtli. You saw the lightning bolt that fell on it.
How? The rain had just begun, it was just a light shower.
There was no warning.
It’s another omen, it has to be.
Was the column of fire from another temple burning,
far away into the distance? Will this keep happening?
What are the spirits trying to say?
Everyone in the Great Plaza is awestruck for a mo-
ment; then the Mexica of every condition and profession
get their bearings and run towards the burning house,
carrying water pails, baskets, gourds, whatever they
have in hand. You’ve never seen so many people become
organised so swiftly. Almost without skipping a step, the
guards that were converging on you change direction
and run towards the burning temple.
T
H E PC S AR E caught amidst a frenzy of activity, as
civilians, merchants, soldiers and priests scram-
ble to put out the fire at the Temple of Xiuhtecuhtli,
running up and down the stairs to bring water, earth
and tools.
Let the PCs choose what they want to do. They may
try to escape now that the guards are distracted; no-
body will chase them for a while. They may also climb
up the stairs and try to help put out the fire. Just like
the first time, the disaster is confined to the Temple;
there’s no way to quell it, but it doesn’t spread.
Eventually the fire dies down – on its own – and the
PCs draw attention again. Whether the PCs are escaping
or helping put the fire out, read the following aloud:
As the Mexica begin dispersing or forming small
groups to organise the rebuilding of the temple, the
guards begin gathering as well. Some throw glances in
your direction, but don’t seem to recognise you, until a
man points at you and your strange weapons:
‘There, there! There they are! They appeared in a
cloud of smoke, they appeared out of thin air! They ap-
peared, and then the lightning fell! It was them! There,
there!’
Other bystanders join the screams, and soon you are
surrounded by soldiers again; but you know the angry
mob behind them is far more dangerous.
48
Let the PCs state intentions and actions. Before the
fight begins, someone breaks through the mob and the
soldiers, and everybody stops in their tracks.
Just as everyone seems ready to strike, a small proces-
sion breaks through the crowd. It’s four soldiers – elite
soldiers, cuahchic, or ‘Shorn Warriors’. There’s just four
of them, but their sight calms the angry peasants and
causes the guards to stiffen and lower their weapons.
The Shorn Warriors flank a decorated palanquin,
carried by four slaves, that stops on the edge of the
mob. On the palanquin, there is a nobleman tended by
two richly-clad, beautiful women. As his vehicle stops,
the man descends slowly, carefully, while the four Shorn
Warriors dart glances to all sides, hands on their mace
handles. You recognise the nobleman’s insignia; he is a
herald from the Mexica King’s court.
‘These people are to be taken to the palace. No harm
must come to them, no one is to hurt them. Only the
Teotl Saints and the King shall decide their fate. Take
them!’
As the elite Shorn Warriors move to escort you – duly
flanked by the city guards – you notice one of the wom-
en in the palanquin. Yes, there can be no mistake: She is
the witch you encountered before, the one that rescued
you from sacrifice and sent you to the spirit world twice.
It’s her, dressed as a palace concubine. As you look at
her, she nods at you with a half-smile.
What is happening here?
■ If the PCs resist or try to point out the witch, they
suddenly find themselves groggy and dizzy, unable to
concentrate or talk, as the witch, even in her concu-
bine guise, discreetly summons the coloured fog again.
Ask each PC to perform a hard Discipline Check (dif-
ficulty: 9(1)); those that succeed may act during this
turn. Otherwise, they are too groggy to do anything.
Regardless of the PCs’ actions, the fog will take effect
by the next round: proceed to Scene 15.
■ If the PCs allow themselves to be escorted out, the
palace herald and his strange retinue guide them to the
Great Temple. The herald and the guards ignore the PCs
during the trip, answering no questions. The witch-
concubine doesn’t even look in the PCs’ direction.
Once the group reaches the Great Temple, the four
Shorn Warriors lead the PCs to a small building on one
side of the pyramid. Then, they take the PCs across

stairs and galleries, until they reach a small shrine,
separated from the rest of the Great Temple.
The guards leave you alone in a round stone precinct,
with spirits carved on the walls and a sacrificial stone on
the floor. You must be in some hidden chamber below
the Great Temple of Tenochtitlan. There’s nobody else
with you; there’s no sound either.
Then a voice speaks.
‘Three Omens. How many more? Soon there will be
answers’…
You recognise the voice. It’s the witch, or the concu-
bine, or whatever she is; the mysterious woman behind
your escape from sacrifice and your strange dream trips.
Where is she? Why doesn’t she explain herself? Does
she have anything to do with the omens?
As you wonder, the familiar coloured fog begins to
fill the chamber…
Proceed to Scene 15.
Scene 15: the
second suN
You know you have been transported to the spirit
world again – the third time in the last few days – even
before the fog dissipates.
The chitter of wilderness surrounds you; sounds from
four hundred sources – the rustle of wind on leaves,
a cacophony of birds cawing, the pit-pat of light rain-
drops. You are outdoors again.
When the coloured fog lifts, you confirm you are in
a jungle; but this doesn’t look like the wilds south of the
Anahuac. This landscape of trees and shrubbery looks…
monstrous. Everything is larger; malformed, even. There
are no flowers, the leaves in the bushes are like canopies;
even the sound of beasts has an unnerving quality, a
the eight omens
tone of impertinence. This jungle has never seen civilisa-
tion; this wind has never blown through cities or roads.
The beasts of this world have not learned to fear
humans.
The PCs are in the spirit world once again. Ask the
PCs to perform an easy Survival or Perception Check
(difficulty: 3(1)) to notice there’s a storm coming. It
will take a few hours for the storm to arrive, but the
signs indicate it will be a big one, as big as any the PCs
have ever witnessed.
Give the PCs a moment to explore and interact with
the strange environment they are in. When you are
ready to move on, proceed to Encounter 11.
Encounter 11: Sticks and Stones
As the PCs move across this strange jungle, they hear
thumps and cries from the bushes. Read the following
aloud when they approach the scene:
As you come closer to the source of the noise, you
witness an unusual scene.
A small band of big apes are throwing stones,
branches and mud clumps to a smaller, scared ape hid-
ing among the branches of a tall tree.
As the larger apes yell at their victim, you get the
strange notion that those are not animal noises, but ac-
tual words – slurs and insults in a kind of primal beast
speech.
A few seconds after your arrival, the big apes stop
yelling and gape at you, doubting for an instant whether
to stop, flee or turn against you…
Ask the PCs to perform a normal Charisma or
Discipline check (difficulty: 6(1)).
■ If the check succeeds, the apes are intimidated by
the PCs’ presence and disperse into the bushes, leaving
their victim alone.
■ If the check fails, the apes attack the PCs with the
same fury they showed against their previous target.
Create a -1 encounter using apemen.
AFTER TH E ENC OUNTER
If the PCs survive their encounter with the ape-men,
the smaller ape looks at them in fear and, after a while,
climbs down the tree if the PCs don’t threaten him.
If the PCs try to communicate, the small ape-man
doesn’t understand their signs or language, and may
even become frightened.
49
 If the PCs attack the small ape, they kill it easily (au- as it’s been gorging on dead meat for days now. And it’s
tomatic success). still hungry.
Eventually, unless the PCs stop him, the ape-man Create a -1 encounter using a cocodrile.
looks at them, says something that could well be ‘thank
If the PCs survive the fight, they may continue ex-
you’ in his animalistic language, and disappears into
ploring the primeval jungle. Let them declare actions
the bushes.
and intentions, and look around a bit more.
Let the PCs know these apes were like humans in
When the PCs have wandered the jungle for a few
their stance and features; in fact, thinking about it,
more hours, proceed to Scene 16.
they looked and behaved more as very primitive hu-
mans than advanced primates.
Ask the PCs to perform an easy Rites Check (diffi-
culty: 3(1)). If the check succeeds, the PCs may realise
they’re in a dream of the Second Sun, the time when
all mortals were primitive ape-men and the world was
all jungle and rainstorms. If the PCs detected the im-
minent storm, they also understand it will lay waste to
this world, with the PCs on it; unless they decipher the
clues of the spirit journey before it happens.

Encounter 12: The Drowned Val-

ley

After walking through the jungle for a while long-

er – you may simply say a few hours have passed, or
ask them to perform survival actions against a TSE that
plays two cards to spice things up – the PCs come across
a sloped ravine leading to what seems to be a river.
Closer inspection reveals it isn’t a river, however; it
Scene 16: the
was a valley, filled with lush plant life, tall trees and
land animals. Now, though, the plants are drowned, the
trees have fallen, uprooted or broken in half, and the
ape-meN
drowned animals’ corpses float on the stagnant water.
This was dry land; a storm flooded and devastated it. After the PCs have spent some more time making
And judging from the signs, it was as fierce a storm as their way across the jungle, read the following aloud:
any the PCs could think of. Both sides of the valley are As the sun approaches the West horizon, a light
buried in a landslide of mud; some of the trees were drizzle begins and the sounds of nocturnal beasts start
completely lifted into the air before crashing against sounding in the distance. Even the animal noises are
the flooded rocks. This was a cataclysmic event, and wilder, more savage. More threatening.
the damp weather and gloomy sky seem to indicate it
isn’t that rare in this world. The drizzle doesn’t look like it will get worse tonight,
but it’s still a warning of a much larger storm. This prim-
If the PCs approach the slopes of the drowned val- itive jungle feels less welcoming with every hour.
ley, ask them to perform an Athletic or Survival ac-
tion against a TSE that plays two cards to avoid sliding Then, you perceive lights – yes, lights – in the dis-
down and taking 1 point of unpreventable damage. tance. Not from a natural source, but like those from
man-made fires. Are there actual people in this forsaken
If the PCs fall into the bottom of the drowned valley, world?
or walk near it of their own free will, they realise some-
thing stirs amidst the stagnant water. Let the PCs decide what to do on their own time.

It is a huge crocodile, who wasn’t bothered when its When they approach the light source, they may con-
land became water; in fact, it benefitted from the flood, firm it indeed comes from torches – like those made by
men. Or rather, ape-men.

50

It looks like a village, except
there are no houses but strange
earth mounds, crudely made with
mud and clumped tree branches.
A few primitive faces look on from
the dark dwellings.
It is an ape-man village.
Before the PCs can react, a half-
dozen ape-men appear among the
bushes, their yellow eyes glinting
the firelight. Another half-dozen
apes start stirring among the mud
buildings, all looking menacingly at
the PCs.
The ape-men don’t attack; they
make a few intimidating displays
like growling and beating their
chests, and some grip crude weap-
ons made of sharpened bone, but
they don’t move against the PCs.
It’s like they are waiting for an
order.
Before the PCs attack, try to flee
or interrupt the waiting, read the
following aloud:
Then, you realise what they were
waiting for. Suddenly the threaten-
ing ape-men stand straight, looking
back at their village, and from there
two figures approach. They stand
perhaps a bit straighter, their gait
more certain, their eyes kinder; but
they are doubtlessly ape-men too.
They are a man and a woman,
with deep black fur covering their
bodies, wearing crude but dazzling
jewellery. They hold hands as they
walk towards you.
Then they talk. In your minds.
There are no spoken words, no
animal sounds, but you clearly think
of their message as they look at you:
‘You are dreaming. This is dream-
ing. You are intruders.’
As other NPCs from previous spir-
it dreams, the ‘royal ape couple’ are
aware that the PCs are dreaming
them, and realise they are trespass-
ers from the mortal world. These
ape leaders are capable of spirit-
speaking – wordless communica-
tion – and allow the PCs to reply in
the same fashion.
Let the PCs conduct the conversa-
tion, asking and saying what they
wish, using the following excerpts
as part of the ape-couple’s replies:
‘This is Second Sun. There was
first Sun of giant-people, but beasts
eat them.’
‘We are descendants; we are re-
mainder. We are normal-people, we
live now.’
‘Storms get stronger. Storms kill
many.’
‘You are not Second Sun. You
from after. You from later. You
dream us.’
‘You are intruder. Our last days.
We wish peace. Die in peace.’
‘Storms kill all. Bad-people kill
all. Soon we die. Soon we end.’
‘Bad-people harass. Bad-people
kill. Bad-people eat. Fight for land.
Fight for food. Steal our food. Steal
our tools. Steal our children. Eat our
people.’
If the PCs let the smaller ape go
during Encounter 11, you may add
the following excerpts to the ape
leaders’ dialogue:
‘You are intruder. Yet you save.
May be salvation. May be sent. May
be good.’
The PCs also see the small ape
among the villagers, and realise he
is a child of this people.
These ape-men look gentler,
more civilised, than the ones that
were harassing the child; some
even wear a semblance of clothing
made of leaves or leather straps.
Perhaps the other apes were a dif-
ferent tribe.
If the PCs didn’t save the ape-
child in Encounter 9, ask them to
perform a Charisma action, con-
the eight omens
fronted by the apeman leaders’
competent skill.
If the PCs attacked or scared
the ape-child, they suffer one dis-
advantage on this action; if they
saved him, they gain one advantage
If the PCs fail on the confronta-
tion, the apemen drive them out of
their village; proceed to Scene 17.
If the PCs succeed on the con-
frontation, they earn the trust and
goodwill of the apes. The ape-lead-
ers tell them the following:
‘We need escape. These lands
low. These lands flood. Storms de-
stroy here. We must go. Find higher
lands.’
‘We cannot leave. We cannot
explore. Bad-people kill explorers.
We try to. Bad-people hunt us. They
prevent escape.’
‘Help us escape. Help us explore.
Help us find. Find higher land. Safe
from storms.’
‘You are stronger. Stronger than
them. You are dreaming. Dreams are
tests. Maybe your test. May be this.
Help us escape. Find higher land.’
If the PCs agree to help, the ape-
men point them to the East – ‘away
from the rains’, they say – where
the terrain gets somewhat higher,
to start they search. It’s also be-
cause the great storm is coming
from the West.
The ape-men can’t offer any
equipment, but they can give the
PCs food – mostly raw meat, seeds
and vegetables. The ape-men also
warn the PCs that the rains won’t
stop; if anything, they will get
stronger. The great storm is still
a couple of days away, but it’s still
too short a time to lead the ape-
men to safety. The PCs must hurry.
As soon as the PCs are ready to
leave, proceed to Scene 17.
51

Scene 17: the
other tribE
As this scene begins, the PCs are wandering the jun-
gle again, either expelled by the ape-men, or having
promised to find higher ground for the apes to escape
the great storm. Read the following aloud as the PCs
explore:
The light rain, while it barely gets you wet, hasn’t
stopped for hours now, and the jungle only feels more
dangerous as time passes. Many times, you have to
look over your shoulder to make sure you’re not being
watched, only to confirm there is indeed some bizarre
bird or beast glaring at you before scampering away.
This world does not want you here, and you can’t help
but agree – the coming storm will make it even less
hospitable.
After a few hours of exploration, ask the PCs to per-
form an easy Survival check (difficulty: 3(1)) to analyse
the environment, or a normal Athletic check (difficul-
ty: 6(1)) to climb a tree and look around. If the check
succeeds, the PCs understand the terrain doesn’t show
any sign of elevation or opening soon, and it’s likely
there are no highlands anywhere near – at least not
near enough to reach before the storm begins.
Encounter 13: Ape Marauders
Let the PCs discuss what to do, and then tell one of
them there’s something watching them again. As they
react, they notice it’s not some small beast this time.
It’s an ape-man war party.
These ape-men are wilder and more primitive than
the ones the PCs found previously; in fact, they resem-
ble the ones the PCs fought in Encounter 11, devoid of
any clothes, tools or weapons. They have plenty of ag-
gression, though, and leap on the PCs immediately.
Create a +1 encounter using apemen.
If the PCs survive the encounter, they hear other
apes coming; they may wait for them or escape into
the jungle.
If the PCs escape, run encounter 14.
If the PCs stay or move to confront the ape-men war
party, Create a +3 encounter again, using apemen.
52
If the PCs survive this encounter, proceed to encoun-
ter 14.
Encounter 14: Monkey Dancing
Night falls while the PCs are still exploring. The light
rain hasn’t stopped and may start getting on the nerves
of the fussier PCs; describe how it’s been a constant
bother for almost a full day now.
Then, the PCs see a growing light amid the darkness
– someone has lit a bonfire.
As the PCs approach the light, they hear tom-toms
and guttural chanting. Read the following aloud when
the PCs come closer:
You come across a scene of primal savagery. A dozen
naked apemen dance around a tall bonfire, while others
slam their fists and palms on hollow tree stumps. All
the apemen seem possessed by a frenzy; they are such
fierce, brutal creatures that it seems they can’t really
enjoy what they are doing, becoming instead more and
more furious as they leap and scream.
Amid the dancers, a lanky apeman with a crude head-
dress of leaves and branches makes wild motions and
cries in a shrill, frightening voice. There’s a semblance
of ritual paintings, made with dried blood, across his
fur. The other apes seem to regard this figure with fear
and reverence, and give him a wide berth as they dance
around him.
These are clearly the “other apes”; the savage, more
primitive tribe that the PCs have encountered be-
fore, the ones the more peaceful apemen refer to as
‘bad-people’.
Ask the PCs to perform a Stealth action, confronted
by the apemen’s Mediocre Skill.
If all PCs win the confrontation, they may continue
watching the scene, slip away unnoticed or surprise
the apemen.
If even one PC loses the confrontation, or if the PCs
let themselves be seen, some of the apemen freeze still
or flee in surprise, but many others advance menacing-
ly as their witch-doctor points at the PCs with blood-
shot eyes.
If the PCs manage to leave quietly, proceed to Scene
18.
If the PCs try to parley with the apemen, ask them
to perform a Charisma action, confronted by the ape-
men’s Competent Skill.

If the PCs fail the confrontation or attack the ape-
men, create a fair encounter using apemen. If the PCs
survive the battle, the remaining apemen flee.
A F T E R T H E E N COU N TE R
If the PCs win the fight or the Charisma confronta-
tion, the ape-man wizard agrees to talk to them; he can
engage on spirit-talking just like his peers from the
peaceful tribe.
Let the PCs conduct the conversation asking or say-
ing whatever they want; use any or all the following ex-
cerpts as part of the ape-man wizard’s answers.
‘We stronger. They weaker.’
‘You stronger. You protect. We kill all.’
‘We stand ground. We survive storm. They die.’
‘Storm sweep weak. Strong survive storm.’
‘We chant. We pray. We dance. Storm strong. We
stronger.’
‘Weak climb trees. We no climb trees.’
Clearly these ape-men believe they will survive the
storm, and despise the other tribe because of their abil-
ity to climb trees, which they see as cowardly.
The ape-man witch-doctor is intimidated by the PCs,
which means his people are intimidated too; they won’t
attack unless provoked.
■ If the PCs attack the apemen, create a +1 encounter
using apemen. If the PCs survive the battle, the remain-
ing ape-men flee.
■ If the PCs already defeated the ape-men, the wiz-
ard tries to flee; if the PCs attack him, he dies without
a fight (no confrontation needed).
After the encounter, the PCs are free to continue ex-
ploring; run Scene 18.
the eight omens
Scene 18: the
forest of
tall treeS
Let the PCs explore for a little; then let them know
the rain is becoming stronger. The storm can’t be more
than a few hours away.
Ask the PCs to perform a Survival action, confronted
by a TSE that plays two cards.
If the PCs fail the confrontation, they are defenceless
under the rain; they gain 1 disadvantage on all checks
and cannot rest or draw cards for the rest of the day.
If the PCs succeed at the confrontation, they have
found shelter or a safe path, and may eat and rest.
After the confrontation, the PCs may try to make
camp in some cave or crevice. If the PCs promised to
help the ape-man village, they should return now to
warn them there is no higher ground to flee to.
As soon as the PCS head out in any direction, proceed
to Encounter 15.
Encounter 15: Ambush
As the PCs march under the heavy rain, ask them to
perform a normal Perception Check (difficulty: 6(1)).
If the check succeeds, the PCs notice the ape-men
hiding among the bushes, about to ambush them.
Create a +1 encounter using apeman.
If the PCs failed the Perception Check, they are
ambushed.
AFTER TH E ENC OUNTER
If the PCs survive the ambush, they notice the ape-
men were hiding under the shade of a copse of very
tall, wide trees, whose foliage blocks the rain entirely.
Ask the PCs to perform an easy Knowledge Check (dif-
ficulty: 3(1)). If the check succeeds, the PCs realise that,
had the apemen climbed those trees, they could have
killed the PCs with stones and branches from above
without the PCs ever noticing, yet they chose to launch
a ground assault for some reason. This is yet anoth-
53
er reminder that the ‘savage’ tribe of ape-men doesn’t
have the ability or inclination to climb trees.
Let the PCs know that the tall tree area continues
deep into the jungle behind the ambush spot; the trees
are numerous enough to hold several tribes of ape-
men… if they were tree climbers.
If the PCs promised to help the ape-man village, they
should now deduce these trees would serve as perfect
replacement for the ‘higher ground’ the apes needed.
If the PCs didn’t promise to help the ape-men, or
don’t reach the conclusion on their own, ask them to
perform an easy Knowledge Check (difficulty: 3(1))
to remember that, according to legend, the world of
the Second Sun was destroyed by a great storm, and
that the men of that time survived it by hiding on the
treetops.
This is their mission, and the only way to get out of
the dream: it falls to the PCs to find the ape-men and
guide them safely to the Forest of Tall Trees.
When the PCs leave the Forest of Tall Trees towards
the ape-man village, let them know a few hours pass
under the heavy rain.
Then, the PCs realise the rain is getting stronger, and
an unnatural wind begins blowing through the woods…
The Great Storm has begun.
Proceed to Scene 19.
54
Scene 19: the
great storM
This scene takes place only when the PCs have real-
ised they must warn the ape-man village about the for-
est of Tall Trees, and are trying to reach it before the
great storm arrives.
As the scene begins, it’s clearly too late. Read the fol-
lowing aloud:
Suddenly you notice a far-off howling, like a gale
wind across thousands of tree branches. Then, the noises
of the jungle increase: screams of rage, panicked chirp-
ing, anguished hollering – the beasts know. As you re-
alise what is happening, a cold air hits your face and
rain drops begin hitting you even under the waterproof
canopy of the Tall Trees: the rain is slanting, hitting al-
most horizontally. Like it wants to strike you.
Like it wants to strike everything down. The Great
Storm is beginning.
This is the PCs’ last chance to reach the ape-men and
take them to the Forest of Tall Trees in time; they must
hurry, or everybody will die.
During the race, the storm intensifies; leaves are vio-
lently stripped from trees and lash at the PCs’ bodies,
like windborne knives; small mud slides begin appear-
ing on the ground as a rush of water slowly overcomes
the land; smaller trees and branches crack and fall
around the PCs, some dangerously close to their path.
And all the while, the rain gets stronger and stronger,
hitting the PCs’ faces and obscuring their path.
Ask the PCs to perform a Survival action, confronted
by a TSE that plays three cards.
If the PCs lose the confrontation, they become lost
and arrive to the ape-man village drenched, tired and
half-blind from the rain, suffering 1 disadvantage on
any check or action for the rest of the scene.
If the check succeeds, the PCs beat the storm to the
village, but just barely.
Run Encounter 16.

Encounter 16: Facing
the Storm
When the PCs arrive to the ape-
man village, they find it half-flood-
ed already, with the mud huts slow-
ly melting in the slush and some
of the villagers hiding among low
tree branches. There are 21 living
ape-men when the PCs arrive; from
here, keep count of the ape-men
that survive the return trip to the
Forest of Tall Trees.
■ If the PCs failed the Athletic or
Survival check to arrive, the village
is almost submerged. Some of the
apes have drowned, and the rest
are scrambling to save themselves
and their kin, clumsily carrying
their young and elderly and wad-
ing through the waist-deep flood.
The number of living ape-men is
reduced to 16.
The PCs must succeed on a
Charisma action to rally and shep-
herd the ape-men away from the
area, on a Survival action to help
them find the best ways through
the flooded terrain, or on an
Athletic action to help them get out
of the flood.
Any of these actions are confront-
ed by a TSE that plays two cards if
the PCs got to the village in time, or
a TSE that plays three cards if the
storm got there before the PCs.
If the action fails, all the PCs suf-
fer 1 point of unpreventable dam-
age from stumbling, weariness
and half-drowning, and a small
tree trunk falls on the apes clos-
est to the PCs. To avoid the falling
tree and save the apes, perform an
Athletic action, confronted by a TSE
that plays two cards; the PCs suffer
1 point of unpreventable damage
for every point under the result of
the TSE.
Record which PC suffered less
damage during the encounter: one
of the ape-men dies for every point
of damage suffered by that PC.
AFTER TH E ENC OUNTER
Regardless of how well the PCs do
during the encounter, it ends with
them precariously leading the ape-
man tribe out of their lands and to-
ward the Forest of Tall Trees, under
a drenching downpour, with the
Great Storm at their heels.
The storm prevents the PCs from
resting or recovering from any
damage for the rest of the scene, but
they may attempt Medical actions
(albeit with one disadvantage).
To return to the Forest of Tall
Trees, ask the PCs to perform a
Survival action against a TSE that
plays three cards.
■ If the confronted action fails,
the PCs lead the apes through a
path filled with sinkholes, sharp
drifting stones, falling trees, and
perhaps one lightning bolt or two,
and the PC who performed the
check suffer 1 point of unprevent-
able damage for every point under
the TSE’s result.
■ Record which PC suffered less
damage during the confronted ac-
tion: one of the ape-men dies for
every point of damage suffered by
that PC.
After the action, the PCs and the
ape-man tribe are at last on their
way to the Forest of Tall Trees…
but there’s still an obstacle in their
path. Run Encounter 17.
the eight omens
Encounter 17: We All
Die Together
As the PCs trudge along under
the storm leading their haphaz-
ard band of rescued villagers, they
come across another group – a band
from the other tribe.
They are drenched and wound-
ed too; it seems they haven’t with-
stood the storm as well as they be-
lieved, and have lost many of their
number. And they are furious at
seeing their enemies survive.
To avoid combat between the ape-
man tribes, perform a Charisma
check, confronted by the ape-men
brutes’ Competent Skill.
■ If the PCs win the confronta-
tion, they convince the ape-men
brutes to join their band and help
save each other, which adds 8 liv-
ing ape-men to the group. Proceed
to Scene 20.
■ If the PCs lose the confronta-
tion, they must fight. Create a -2
encounter using apeman.
■ Ignore any disadvantages
incurred by the PC from
wounds or the weather, as
their adversaries are sim-
ilarly afflicted.
■ One of the living ape-men
on the PCs’ side dies for
every round the combat
takes.
■ If the PCs win, the re-
maining enemies have
died or fled; the peaceful
tribe has won the battle…
but at what cost?
AFTER TH E ENC O UN TE R
If the PCs survive the encounter
with the ape-men rivals, they have
settled the rivalry between both
tribes for good, and may now pro-
ceed to the Forest of Tall Trees. Run
Scene 20.
55
Scene 20:
the third
dream gatE
After several hours of endless marching under a rag-
ing downpour, hit by lacerating winds, wading against
a waist-deep current of mud, rock and dead animals,
avoiding falling rocks and trees, the PCs finally lead
the ape-man tribe – or what’s left of it – to the Forest
of Tall Trees.
■ If 3 or less living ape-men remain, they are not
enough to perpetuate the species and the PCs have
failed their mission; they remain trapped in this dream
forever, and the adventure ends here.
■ If at least 4 living ape-men remain, they can re-
produce and repopulate with other survivors after
the storm has passed. The ape-men begin climbing the
trees; they will be safe from the storm hitting other
parts of the jungle. Also, from here they will devolve
into arboreal monkeys, but that’s still far into the
future.
■ If the PCs haven’t yet deduced it, they realise now
they were in a dream of the Second Sun, the one inhab-
ited by ape-men and destroyed by storms before there
were humans.
To reach the dream gate, the PCs must climb the trees
too; let them deduce it on their own, or subtly nudge
towards it by making the storm more and more threat-
ening at ground level.
As the PCs climb the trees (no check required), the
sounds of the jungle seem to coalesce in five whispered
words; these words are the message of the Third Dream.
Mortals Will Face Extinction Again.
When the PCs finish the climb, they realise they
aren’t on a jungle any more. Run Scene 21.
56
Scene 21:
waking
from the
third dreaM
As they climb the last tree branches, the PCs notice
the strange, multicoloured mist again; they have been
brought back to the waking world.
Read the following aloud:
Then it’s not tree branches climb, but the rungs of a
ladder…
A ladder that leads to a temple.
Again, a stone temple at the top of a pyramid, deco-
rated with carvings of beasts, spirits and demons on the
walls.
There is an altar dedicated to Tlaloc, the Storm
Dragon, at the far wall of the chamber. Two burning
censers flank the effigy, and kneeling between them is
a woman.
The witch.
The mysterious woman that has saved your lives
twice, just to keep sending you on these bizarre dream
quests.
Let the PCs state their actions and decisions, and de-
scribe their situation.
Again, the PCs are healthy and recovered, as if the
trip didn’t take place; save for any dead PCs, which
remain dead. And again, they have brought back any
equipment gained during the trip. Lost items remain
lost.
Finally, the PCs notice they have a third broken ob-
sidian piece with them; one that matches the others
they have brought back from their dream quests. As
they realise this, read the following aloud:
Your thoughts are interrupted when the Witch talks.
She whispers under her breath, still kneeling, her
back to you.
‘The Storm is angry’, she says. ‘The dragons are angry.
 the eight omens

That’s the message of the dream’.

As the Witch says these last words, before the PCs
have any chance to act, they see something in the night
sky over Tenochtitlan, barely glimpsed from the tem-
ple windows.
Three fiery comets dart across heaven.
‘It’s the Fourth Omen’, the witch says, finally turning
to face you.

57
 iv. The three
starS
58
the eight omens

59
 ‘Let me be clear, let me talk frankly. If you refuse

Scene 22: me, I will kill you. I will have you dead without a ritual
sacrifice’.
If the PCs try to attack Necahua or refuse to listen to

necahuA her, proceed to Encounter 17.

If the PCs agree to talk to Necahua, it’s time for ex-
planations: Let the PCs conduct the conversation with

T
Necahua at their own pace, asking and replying as they
wish.
H E PC S H AV E just witnessed three comets dart-
ing across the sky right over Tenochtitlan. Use the following excerpts as part of Necahua’s dia-
logue while talking to the PCs:
It is the fourth time they stand on a Temple, look-
ing at a mysterious omen from the sky. And the woman
facing them, the one that has saved them from death
more than once, the one that sent them three times on
deadly dream trips to the spirit world, says there will
be more omens.
Use the above paragraphs as a guideline to get the
PCs up to speed on the story. Then, read the following
aloud.
As you ponder the meaning of the omen you just ‘Necahua the Nahual, that is who I am, that is my
witnessed, the woman stands and walks towards you. role. I am a master of the Spirit World, and have been
It’s the first time since you met her, days ago, that she since I was a child. I was born marked, as the most pow-
comes close enough for you to examine her features. erful wizards are, and I had already accomplished many
miracles, many great portents, even before my family
There is no doubt – she is one of the royal concu-
sold me to the King’.
bines, a companion to King Moctecuhzoma II. But you
know for a fact she’s a bit more than that. ‘I have been two spirits, two faces – the love compan-
ion, the woman, on the right side; the nahual, the witch,
‘Long have we known each other, long have we seen
on the left. I have been day and night, sun and moon, for
each other. Yet we have not met. I salute you. I am
thirteen years now. And I always kept my great powers
Necahua.’
hidden, always conducted my portents in secrecy’.
At last, after days of mystery and danger, it seems the
‘But now, the Column of Fire came in the East. That
time has come for explanations. Make sure your PCs
was the First Omen. I knew even then, there would be
understand this: the mysterious witch that has med-
more. And I was right. Lightning came down in a clear
dled with them so much during the past week is about
sky, fire came down to burn the House of Xiuhtecuhtli.
to finally talk to them.
And now the three stars you just witnessed. These are
‘I am Necahua, indeed one of the Tlatoani’s omens. And there are still more coming.’
concubines’.
‘The Spirits are not pleased, the Saints are not
‘I am also a Nahual witch, as you already know’. pleased. And they are warning us.’
‘Witchcraft is a forbidden practice for a palace wife. ‘There is danger, terrible danger, coming. Our Sun is
I put myself in mortal danger by helping you. You know coming to an end, I have foreseen it. And the defence,
my secrets now’. the shield, is not sacrifice or appeasing the Saints – it’s
not the Saints coming. It is something else. The answers
‘I am helping you. Even if you wish to be good chil-
are not in sacrifice but in the Spirit World.’
dren and let them sacrifice you, the alternative I offer is
a much better way to accomplish your duty to the King ‘Three times now have you travelled to the Spirit,
and the Spirits’. and three times you returned with answers, you brought
back clues. The Spirits want us to understand, they want
‘I didn’t save you for your lives. I need you to save
us to do this.’
the people. Everybody. Not only the Mexica, but all the
Anahuac, maybe the entire world’. ‘I didn’t explain before because there was no time,
there was hurry, there were eyes and ears, there were

60

soldiers. Now I can explain.’
‘I know now, I know the Omens are signals of a great
danger. It remains hidden, it remains obscured, but the
Spirit World holds the answers; I know it. The Spirit
World Will reveal what the Omens mean.’
‘I cannot go to the King, I cannot go to the priests,
with my revelation. I cannot ask the diviners for counsel.
If they discover I am a witch, they will refuse to listen. If
they keep believing I am just a concubine, they will listen
even less.’
‘I cannot ask for their help. But I can send people to
the Spirit World, I can ask them to gather clues for me.
Your three dreams, your first dreams, prove I am right.’
‘Four Omens have we witnessed in the sky; Four
Omens will we see on the land. That is the cosmic or-
der, that is the manner of things. Brave warriors must
explore the Spirit World, brave ones must dream, to un-
derstand the omens, to get the answers.’
‘Saving the Anahuac. Warning the world against the
coming threat. Isn’t that almost as noble, almost as
blessed, as sacrifice?’
Necahua plans to keep sending the PCs to the Spirit
World every time there is a new omen, including the
three comets they just witnessed. She believes this will
reveal the threat against the Anahuac and help the
people stop it in time.
If the PCs agree to help Necahua, proceed to Scene 23.
If the PCs refuse, or attack the witch, proceed to
Encounter 17.
Encounter 17: Wrath of the
Witch
If the PCs refuse Necahua or try to attack her, she
vanishes in a puff of smoke and summons her guards
and acolytes to capture the PCs.
Create a +2 encounter, using a combination of
Cuahchic and native blood priests. The NPCs don’t
strike to kill; if the PCs are defeated, they are left trau-
matised, not bleeding out.
A F T E R T H E E N COU N TE R
■ If the PCs win the battle, they may loot the bodies
of Necahua’s guards, plus a total of 76 Gold in jewellery.
Then they may explore Necahua’s lair; run Scene 25.
■ If the PCs lose, they wake up in a cell; proceed to
Scene 24.
the eight omens
Scene 23:
dream
explorerS
As this scene begins, the PCs have agreed to become
Necahua’s agents, travelling to the Spirit World to help
her gather clues about the Omens and the doom they
are announcing – and more importantly, how to stop it.
The agreement is that Necahua will send the PCs to
the spirit world again every time there is a new omen;
they will be fulfilling their sacrificial duty, but dying
will remain optional.
Their next assignment is, of course, a fourth dream
trip, to research the message behind the omen of the
Three Comets, which Necahua believes to be the last
‘sky omen’. If she is right, the following omens will
happen on land.
Necahua tells the PCs to rest and prepare for the trip
as they wish – For the first time! At last! – and guaran-
tees they are safe and well hidden in her temple.
■ The PCs may pray, attempt to regain Spirit, draw
cards, and any other preparations they come up with.
Necahua completely heals the PCs, and provides them
with weapons if they so ask; she can provide each PC
with equipment with a total value of up to 250.
■ This is also a good moment to clarify some of
the mysteries about the PC’s previous travels. Have
Necahua tell the PCs all the information they still
haven’t deduced, or confirm what they have, from the
Necahua’s Plan Sidebar.
■ If the PCs want to leave Necahua’s temple, she po-
litely declines, reasoning that they are still wanted
criminals in Tenochtitlan for escaping their sacrifice
days ago.
■ If the PCs try to slip unnoticed to look around or es-
cape the temple, ask them to perform a Stealth Action,
confronted by the Competent Skill of a Cuahchic. If the
PCs win the confrontation, they may freely explore
Necahua’s Temple; go to Scene 25.
As soon as the PCs are ready to go on their next mis-
sion, Necahua summons them to her central chamber,
and calls on the coloured mist again… Run Scene 26.
61
 SIDEBAR: NECAHUA’S PLAN
Reveal these facts if your PCs talk to Necahua in
Scene 23 or inspect her belongings in Scene 25.
■ Necahua has built and equipped this hidden
temple on her own, using her magic and resourc-
es as a noble concubine. Neither the King nor the
Priest Caste of the city know of this place.
■ Necahua’s guards are fanatically loyal shorn
warriors and apprentice priests and priestess, who
know her secret but would never betray her to the
other nobles.
■ Necahua has followed the PCs’ exploits across
the previous dream worlds, and has gathered notes
on the subject.
■ The first dream the PCs’ visited was an invasion
of hair-faced foreigners from beyond the Eastern
Sea, which took place far to the North, roughly at
the same time as the Mexica’s exile from Aztlan 500
years ago.
■ The First Dream corresponded to the First Omen
– the Column of Fire on the East. Necahua thinks
the dream, with its red symbolism, combined with
the First Omen, means that a threat will come from
the East.
■ The Second Dream was a trip to the exile of
Aztlan, as the PCs’ know, and they played the part
of the four sage-priests that accompanied the chief-
tain Mexi on that legendary pilgrimage.
Scene 24:
necahua’s
dungeoN
This scene only takes place if the PCs are defeated by
Necahua’s guards and taken prisoner.
Necahua’s dungeon is a collection of eight round pits
on the bottom of her secret temple. The guards take
the PCs and throw them into one of these pits.
62
■ Since the Second Dream came after the burning
of the Temple of Huitzilopochtli – the deified ver-
sion of Mexi himself – Necahua believes the dream
means that Tenochtitlan will fall just as Aztlan did.
■ The Third Dream was a trip to the age of the
Second Sun, a remote past beyond the memory of
the Saints, when the world was young and the spir-
its destroyed mortals with storms. According to leg-
end, mortals became monkeys and climbed to the
trees to survive the destruction of the world.
■ Necahua believes that the Third Dream, com-
bined with the Third Omen – the lightning bolt that
fell on the House of Xiuhtecuhtli – means that all
humanity is in danger – this doom will equal the
end of a world, the end of an age.
■ Necahua has no notes about the Fourth Omen –
the three stars – but intends to send the PCs to the
Spirit World soon for answers.
■ Necahua believes there will be a total of eight
omens – four coming from Above, four coming from
Below. This matches the Cosmic Order of the Four
Directions and the Upper and Lower Spirit Worlds.
If Necahua is right, after the Three Stars there will
be four more omens, all coming from the earth.
■ Finally, Necahua is sure that the broken obsid-
ian pieces are intended to reveal the full truth once
they are complete, and that they are the final key
to all the omens. She thinks there will be a total of
eight obsidian pieces, and has begun sketching dia-
grams of what shape they will take once they are
gathered.
If the PCs were unconscious, they wake up hurt but
alive. They have been stripped of all equipment, but
are in otherwise normal status.
Let the PCs decide what to do now. If they are injured,
they may try to use Medical actions on each other. They
may also rest and draw cards if they wish.
When the PCs have spent a while in Necahua’s pit,
they listen to her voice in the air.
‘You will have to help me. I can’t risk you getting out
and betraying me to the King, I can’t risk looking for
more willing subjects… you will help me. You are the only
hope of the mortal world’.
Let the PCs state their actions and intentions.
■ If the PCs want to escape the pit, ask them to per-
form an Athletic action, confronted by a TSE that plays

three cards. If they fail, they must wait until the multi-
coloured fog comes for them: proceed to Scene 26.
■ If the PCs decide to wait in the dungeon, they may
keep resting and recovering; the guards feed them
twice a day from above. When the PCs sleep in the dun-
geon for the second time, they see the familiar multi-
coloured fog in their dreams; run Scene 26.
■ If the PCs win the Confrontation to climb out of the
pit, run Encounter 18.
Encounter 18: The Daring Escape
As the PCs climb out of the pit, a group of soldiers
runs at them.
Create a fair encounter, using a combination of
Cuahchic and Ahtlatl throwers. The PCs have no weap-
ons during this fight, but they may take the weapons of
the enemies they defeat.
A F T E R T H E E N COU N TE R
■ If the PCs win, they may take the guards’ weapons;
they have magical maces and shields, plus 41 quachtli
in jewellery.
■ If the PCs are defeated, the guards don’t leave them
bleeding out, but traumatised instead. While uncon-
scious, the PCs see the multicoloured fog, and when
they wake up they’re someone else… run Scene 26.
If the PCs win the encounter, they may freely explore
Necahua’s temple and try to escape; proceed to Scene
25.
the eight omens
Scene 25: lair
of the witcH
This scene only takes place if the PCs manage to de-
feat or slip past Necahua’s guards, getting an unexpect-
ed chance to explore the Witch’s lair. Read the follow-
ing aloud as the scene begins:
Necahua’s temple resembles the inside of the great
temples of Tenochtitlan, except the imagery of the Saints
and Spirits carved on the walls is mixed with other, less
identifiable, more monstrous beings. Necahua clearly
worships both sides of the spirit world – the upper and
the lower realms.
Let the PCs explore at their own pace. Refer to the
Necahua’s Temple appendix to guide the PCs’ steps
through the area, describing the section corresponding
to the code of the chamber they move to.
■ If the PCs defeated Necahua’s guards during the
first encounter, they start the scene at area N1.
■ If the PCs are Necahua’s guests and slipped past
their guards, they start the scene at area N3.
■ If the PCs find and inspect area N6, they learn the
information contained in the Necahua’s Plan sidebar.
■ If the PCs escaped from the dungeon, they start the
scene at Area N10.
Every time the PCs reach an area marked X on the
map, ask them to perform a normal Stealth Check (dif-
ficulty: 6(1)). If even one of the PCs fails the check,
the guards have heard something. The PCs must per-
form a Stealth Action, confronted by the Shorn Guards’
Competent Skill.
■ If the PCs lose the confrontation, create a -1 en-
counter, using Cuahchic and native blood priests.
■ If the PCs are defeated, the guards don’t leave them
bleeding out, but traumatised instead. While uncon-
scious, the PCs see the multicoloured fog, and wake up
in the Spirit World again; run Scene 26.
■ If the PCs defeat the guards, let them keep explor-
ing the temple, referring to the Necahua’s Temple ap-
pendix to guide their steps.
■ If the PCs enter and leave area N7, or use the exits
on areas N2 or N11, they activate Necahua’s magical
wards, and the multicoloured mist surrounds them
again; run Scene 26.
63
Scene 26: the world
of dragonS
After the familiar burst of multicoloured mist, the
PCs know they’re being transferred to the dream world
again…
But something’s not right this time.
Read the following aloud as the mist dissipates:
As the multicoloured mist lifts, a series of explosions,
hisses, crashes, animal screams and the smell of burnt
wood assail your senses. The first you see is red. Fiery
red. Then the silhouettes of bushes, trees, vines, dark
against the red background… of fire.
It’s all burning.
The world is burning.
It’s like your last dream, except now it’s not water
falling from the sky… it’s flame. Flaming meteors, sizzling
comets of burning flame and ash that hit the ground
with loud crashes, bringing down trees and drowning the
land in flame.
Whatever this dream will teach you, you better learn
it quick… because you’ve been brought smack dab in the
middle of a rain of fire.
Let the PCs declare their actions and intentions, and
run Encounter 19.
Encounter 19: The Rain of Fire
This encounter consists basically in that there are
playing ball-sized meteors and blazes randomly falling
around the PCs.
For every round that the PCs remain under the rain
of fire, ask them to perform an Athletic or Survival ac-
tion against a TSE that plays two cards.
■ Every PC that loses the confrontation suffers 2
points of unpreventable damage from flaming debris.
64
■ Every PC that gets suffers a negative consequence
suffers 1 point of unpreventable damage from the heat
and flying sparks.
■ Every PC that gets a normal success is unharmed
for that round.
■ If at least one of the PCs gets a critical success, they
have all found temporary shelter under a large rock
formation; proceed to after the encounter after the
current round.
■ If one of the PCs suffers a negative consequence he
suffers Fire and Flames 2.
Besides the action to avoid the flames, every round
the PCs may perform a normal Perception or Survival
Check (difficulty: 6(1)) to see if they find shelter from
the flaming projectiles.
■ If at least one PC succeeds on the check, they find
cover under a large rock formation at the end of that
round; proceed to after the encounter when the cur-
rent round ends.
■ If a PC suffers a negative consequence e on the
check, he suffers a disadvantage against the flaming
rain TSE during the next round.
The encounter continues until the characters are all
dead or until they find shelter.
AFTER TH E ENC OUNTER
If the PCs survive the rain of fire, they found a large
rock formation that fits them comfortably; the inferno
outside won’t stop, but at least they may get their bear-
ings and decide what to do now.
The PCs may plan, tend to their wounds, etc. If they
try to rest under the rock, they must perform a nor-
mal Discipline check (difficulty: 6(1)). If the action suc-
ceeds, the PCs may rest and draw cards normally, even
with a rain of fire a few paces away.
If the PCs want to try and learn something about their
situation, ask them to perform a normal Knowledge
Check (6(1)).
■ A success with a negative consequence confirms
the PCs have been transported to the age of the Third
Sun, when the world was destroyed by a rain of fire,

but it misleads the PCs into ‘learn-
ing’ the dream trip failed and they
are now trapped in an inescapable
apocalyptic nightmare.
■ A normal success means the PCs
know they have been transported to
a dream of the Third Sun; this was
another distant age, the one imme-
diately following their last dream
trip – yet millennia apart – where
the world was destroyed by a rain
of fire summoned by Quetzalcoatl,
the Feathered Serpent… the Lord of
Dragons.
■ If a PC gets a success with
a positive consequence on the
check, he realises the ‘rain of fire’
is nothing but the breath weap-
ons of thousands of dragons under
Quetzalcoatl’s command. The PCs
should be able to escape if they
manage to stop one of the dragons
from ‘raining’ on them.
If a PC wants to peek out from
under the shelter, ask him to per-
form an Athletic or Perception ac-
tion, confronted by a TSE that plays
two cards.
■ If the character wins the con-
frontation, he manages to see, amid
the fire and smoke, actual dragons
– fighting among themselves. They
are not pelting the earth… they are
battling each other.
■ If the character loses, he fails
to see anything and suffers 1 point
of unpreventable damage from the
fire and heat.
Once the PCs have performed their
declared actions, run Encounter 20.
Encounter 20: Drag-
on Fight
Read the following aloud after the
PCs have roleplayed a little under
their shelter.
While you have reached tempo-
rary safety, there’s little you can see
from under the rock that protects
you, other than the constant fiery
explosions that fall around you,
scorching the undergrowth and
making the earth blow up time and
again. Just how long can this go on…?
Then, without warning, a deafening
thump sounds right beside you, and
a cloud of dust and ash obscures
your vision as a rush of black dirt
invades your makeshift hideout.
For a dreadful instant, you think
the shelter is crashing down… but
then the dust and dirt disperse and
you realise what happened. Not
that it’s any easier to swallow.
In front of you, barely a few pac-
es from the shelter, its immense form
heaving with thunderous wheezes
and slow breaths, a gigantic dragon
has fallen to the ground.
The dragon is badly wounded, re-
cently defeated in a sky battle.
Let the PC declare their actions
and intentions.
■ If one of the PCs approaches
the dragon, it violently coils up and
startles the approaching character,
but then collapses again, with an-
other loud crash.
■ If the PCs try to get away from
the dragon, it suddenly calls out,
with a booming, cavernous voice
that still shows signs of dying. The
dragon asks: ‘HELP ME…’ in the
Nahua tongue.
After the initial fright, the drag-
on explains the situation as best it
can, among dying gasps and loud,
booming grumblings:
‘I… I am… Mixiuhcatl… the Great
‘We are… fighting for the world.
Tecciztecatl ruled… the world…
Quetzalcoatl… wants… to destroy it.
To create… a better world.’
‘We… are… losing. Quetzalcoatl’s
dragons… are killing us. Soon… his
new world… will replace this one.’
‘Our lord Tecciztecatl… had…
priests… human priests… he taught
the eight omens
them… taught us… the secret to es-
cape… to fly like birds… and escape.’
‘I can… help you… escape. But
first… a favour. Please… I… Please…
kill me. I am… in pain. Cannot… be
saved. Please… kill me.’
If the PCs agree to kill Mixiuhcatl,
he explains that when he’s dead,
they should go inside his mouth.
Doing so will allow the PCs’ souls to
control the dragon’s body, and es-
cape the devastation in none other
than the shape of a great Mixcoatl
dragon, the most powerful creature
in the world.
■ If the PCs doubt the wisdom
of such a plan, let them perform a
Normal Rites check (difficulty: 6(1))
to confirm the magic would work
(of course, a failed check could mis-
lead the PCs into mistrusting the
dragon even more).
■ Killing Mixiuhcatl is relatively
easy, as the dragon is allowing him-
self to be slain; a single blow to the
head or neck should do the trick.
The action succeeds automatically,
but a non-magical weapon breaks
from the blow against the dragon’s
mighty bones. Proceed to after the
encounter.
■ If the PCs refuse to kill the
dragon, presently there’s anoth-
er boom and crash, and a second
dragon – also wounded, but in
much better shape – lands and at-
tacks Mixiuhcatl. This dragon is the
one that felled Mixiuhcatl, and it’s
come to finish the job.
■ Ask the PCs to perform an
Athletic, Stealth or Survival ac-
tion, confronted by a TSE that plays
three cards. Every PC that loses
the confrontation suffers 3 points
of unpreventable damage from the
fire, flailing claws and tail slaps of
the fighting dragons.
Regardless of what the PCs do,
this second dragon kills Mixiuhcatl
easily, and then flies away, just as
easily.
65
A FT E R T H E E N COU N TE R
Once Mixiuhcatl lies dead and the PCs are alone with
its carcass, the only way to continue is to follow the
dragon’s dying advice and go inside his mouth; other-
wise, they remain under the rock with nowhere else
to go until the whole world drowns in flame and they
burn to death.
When the PCs enter Mixiuhcatl’s dead body, run
Scene 27.
Scene 27:
flight,
fight, flighT
Read the following aloud when the PCs have gone in-
side the dead dragon’s mouth:
Instead of the blood and sinews you expected from
the insides of a dead dragon, you encounter a warm
darkness – a shroud that surrounds and protects you.
Then there’s a flash bang, and you feel like you’re open-
ing your eyes – only they are not your eyes.
It’s hard to describe. You are not the dragon, but you
can… steer it. Order it to stir, to move… to fly. You can
ride it from the inside, make it live again, with your soul
as its driving force.
Give the PCs a moment to understand what’s just hap-
pened. In game terms, they have collectively shape-
changed into a mighty mixcoatl dragon, and may con-
trol its actions and movements like a team.
Make sure the PCs understand they should hurry to
fly upwards, away from the rain of fire; the dragon’s
66
body is much better at resisting the falling meteors,
but eventually even a mixcoatl would die under a rain
of fire.
However, let the PCs agree among themselves how
exactly to control the dragon and its actions – they are
its soul, its ‘driver’, and must drive it as a team.
The act of controlling the dragon is automatic, but
resolving the dragon’s actions themselves may require
checks or actions as normal. While inside the drag-
on, the PCs may not talk or interact with the outside
world as their former selves, or use their physical tal-
ents, skills or abilities. In turn, they gain the abilities,
talents and skills of a mixcoatl dragon. The PCs’ new
health and armour stats are that of the dragon, and
when it dies, they die.
When the PCs order the dragon’s body to fly through
the rain of fire, run Encounter 21.
Encounter 21: The Storm Dragon
As the PCs fly up through the fire storm, they real-
ise the dragon battle covers a far wider area than they
dared imagine. It seems like the entire world is covered
with fighting dragons… and that’s probably the exact
situation.
As they decide what to do now, they come face to face
with another dragon – must be one of Quetzalcoatl’s
army, because it looks hostile.
The other dragon floats and coils among the fire blasts
and burning trees for an instant, and then launches at
the PCs to fight.
Create an encounter using a mixcoatl dragon. The PCs
play with the stats of a mixcoatl dragon too; they must
fight using only the skills and abilities of their current
form. They have only one turn each round, and may not
play more total cards than a single mixcoatl could, but
they may decide together what to do, and share played
cards when resolving actions.
AFTER TH E ENC OUNTER
If the PCs win the battle, they see three shooting stars
streaking across the sky. They must follow these stars.
When the PCs fly towards the three stars, they hear
Mixiuhcatl’s voice, saying:
‘ it’s all a fight between dragons… it’s always been a
fight between dragons… nothing more, nothing less…’
Go to Scene 28.
 the eight omens

Scene 28:
waking
from the
fourth
dreaM
Read the following aloud as the PCs fly away into the
sky:
Suddenly, the coloured mist appears around you –
but not about the body of the great dragon you are
driving, which still flies unimpeded towards the rising
sun. Instead, the seems to appear around your mind and
soul, as it lies inside the dragon.
And when it disperses, you have indeed flown far
away… because you are not in Necahua’s temple any
longer.
The PCs are in their physical bodies again, and again
they have kept their equipment and recovered from all
wounds and injuries (except death).
They have also brought a fourth obsidian piece from
the dream.
While the PCs ponder on the meaning of this last – and
so far, shortest – spirit trip, they may look around to
get a sense of their location. Read the following aloud:
You are on the shores of lake Tetzcoco, which touch-
es all the great cities of the Aztec Triple Alliance. The
waters, surrounded by reeds here, and by thriving chi-
nampas and towns all around, look mighty and deep
blue under the morning sky, bubbling and churning as if
they were boiling from below…
Wait.
Bubbling? Churning? Boiling?
What’s happening to the lake?
The whole of the lake is rolling, seething, erupting
with chaotic waves… and spilling over.
Lake Tetzcoco is flooding.

67
 v. The flooD

68
the eight omens

69

Scene 29:
lake patrolS
After returning from their last Spirit World trip,
the PCs were brought not to Necahua’s lair, but to the
shores of Lake Tetzcoco. Why would the spirits do that?
Then it becomes clear: Lake Tetzcoco is flooding. If
Necahua is right, this is the Fifth Omen; the first signal
from the Earth.
Read the following aloud as the scene begins:
You appeared on the shore of Lake Tetzcoco, the
gigantic lake where Tenochtitlan and the other Triple
Alliance cities were built. Without an apparent reason,
the lake is bubbling from inside and spilling on every
shore, burying the chinampas and drowning the villag-
es… omen or no, it’s a catastrophe.
Everywhere the water is crashing over towns, coastal
farms and chinampas; some peasants are forming groups
to help people out of their sinking houses and human
chains to bring sinking goods to dry land.
Let the PCs declare actions and intentions. They may
want to run to the shore and help the people; some
of them may want to take advantage of the fact they
are free and in the open – the first time in days – and
escape.
If the PCs run to help the people of the shore, ask
them to perform an Athletic or Survival action, con-
fronted by a TSE that plays one card. If the action suc-
ceeds, the PCs help save some of the macehualtin of
the lake or their belongings, which should give them
an extra 3 experience points as a reward at the end of
the Session. Let the PCs roleplay their volunteer work
and get a sense of helping others, as well as the magni-
tude of the disaster; almost every peasant on the lands
of the Triple Alliance will be affected by this for years.
Once the PCs have interacted with the situation for a
while, run Encounter 22.
If the PCs try to escape notice, ask them to perform a
Stealth or Survival action, confronted by civilians’ me-
diocre Skill.
■ If the PCs lose the confrontation, someone spots
their suspicious behaviour and warns the local guard;
run Encounter 22.
■ If the PCs win the confrontation, they are free and
out in the open; they may rest for a while, draw cards
70
and be on their own for a few hours. Let them enjoy
their freedom for a while, and then run Encounter 23.
Encounter 22: Guards of the
Pochteca
Some Mexica guards approach the PC with weapons
sheathed, demanding the PC surrender peacefully.
■ If the PCs accept, the guards guide them, also
peacefully – and without confiscating any of the PCs’
equipment – back towards the Tetzcoco road. Proceed
to Scene 30.
■ If the PCs resist, create a +1 encounter, using a com-
bination of Mexica characters.
■ If the PCs win the encounter, reinforcements ar-
rive: create an additional similar encounter.
■ If the PCs are defeated, the guards leave them trau-
matised instead of bleeding out, and take them prison-
er; the PCs groggily wake up as they are taken. Proceed
to Scene 30.
■ If the PCs survive the two consecutive battles, they
are free to leave in any direction they wish; let them
wander freely through the Mexica territory for a cou-
ple of hours, helping flood victims or getting away
from the Triple Alliance’s lands as they will. Then, run
Encounter 23.
Encounter 23: The Witch’s Watch-
ers
As the PCs wander through the countryside, a group
of vultures begin following them. After a while they
start circling them, flying ever closer, until they magi-
cally change shape into a squad of soldiers and priests
and surround the PCs. They are the agents of Necahua
and they come to bring the PCs back to her temple.
■ If the PCs agree to go with them, they are lead on
foot to Necahua’s presence. Proceed to Scene 31.
■ If the PCs resist, create a +1 encounter, using a com-
bination of Cuahchic warriors and teotl priests.
■ If the PCs are defeated, the guards leave them trau-
matised instead of bleeding out, and take them prison-
er; the PCs groggily wake up as they are taken. Proceed
to Scene 31.
■ If the PCs win and refuse to return, the adventure
ends here; the PCs have failed to interpret or stop the
danger to the Anahuac, which will have consequences
in the future, but the PCs are free to fight on either side
in future adventures when the time comes.

Scene 30:
mahuitziN
The guards lead the PCs around the flooded lake, fol-
lowing the Road to Tenochtitlan, for the better part of
an hour.
Everything around is a bustle of activity as the people
of the lake swim, run, make human chains, carry each
other and in the end barely escape the disaster with
their lives and belongings.
Finally, the group reaches the city outskirts, where
the macehualtin scramble to build stone barricades
against the flood, and run in all directions carrying
goods and tools.
Read the following aloud:
Avoiding the bustling crowds of the city outskirts, the
guards lead you to a house in a small ridge, built some-
what away from the city proper. The house is quiet and
unguarded; it looks nice but not luxurious, and a bit out
of place amid the boulders and weeds.
As you approach the house, you realise it can’t be
seen from the city. This may not be a coincidence.
As the guards lead you inside the house, you come
across a surprising view. The main room is filled with
people, also bustling with activity as the peasants out-
side, except these men and women give orders to serv-
ants, count cacao and other goods on tables and argue
each other about the flood and the means to secure the
population.
These people are merchants and calpolli leaders,
working for the city in their own arena.
At the centre of the commotion, there’s a luxurious
spot filled with cushions and tapestries, surrounded by
nervous aides, stoic guardsmen and obsequious syco-
phants. Amid the splendid cushions sits a man, dressed
as lavishly as his environment, with feathers in his head
and shoulders, and jade in his sandals.
Some of you recognise this man: he is Mahuitzin, one
of the highest-ranked pochteca, the merchant-spies in
the service of Tenochtitlan and King Moctecuhzoma.
He lifts his gaze from his pleading entourage and no-
tices your arrival.
‘Greetings, witch-servants’, he says. ‘You’ve proven
very difficult to locate’.
the eight omens
Mahuitzin has brought the PCs here to talk – and bar-
gain with them. Let the PCs make the questions or start
the conversation as they wish; Mahuitzin answers and
negotiates in good will.
■ If the PCs try to resist or escape, Mahuitzin orders
them surrounded; go to Encounter 24.
■ If the PCs are defeated, the guards don’t leave them
bleeding out but traumatised, and reanimate the PCs so
Mahuitzin may talk to them.
When the PCs agree – or are forced – to parley with
Mahuitzin, proceed to Scene 30 Conversation.
Scene 30 Conversation: The Mer-
chant Lord
Let them lead the conversation as they wish, using
the following excerpts as part of Mahuitzin’s dialogue.
“My name is Mahuitzin. I am a Pochteca agent in the
service of King Moctecuhzoma”.
“My network has gotten wind of your… contact with
the royal concubine, Necahua”.
“There is no use denying it. I personally remember
seeing you with her in the Temple Square, a few days
after you were supposed to be sacrificed”.
“We intend no harm to you. We are aware that she
took you against your will. In fact, we have been investi-
gating her for some time”.
“Necahua is up to something… perhaps dark magic, I
believe. What would your opinion be on this?”
“Tell me the truth. You escaped sacrifice; I can have
you executed as traitors, with no honour or ceremony. I,
of course, prefer you on my side”.
Let the PCs decide what to do.
■ If the PCs tell the truth about Necahua, Mahuitzin
believes them. Proceed to After the Conversation.
■ If the PCs try to lie or bend the truth about their
dealings with Necahua, ask them to perform a Charisma
action, confronted by Mahuitzin’s competent skill.
Give the PCs one advantage if their lies are convincing,
or one disadvantage if they just pull excuses out of no-
where or try to solve it all through the cards.
■ If the action fails, or if the PCs refuse to co-
operate with him, Mahuitzin orders them impris-
oned. Proceed to Encounter 24.
■ If the action succeeds, Mahuitzin believes
them; proceed to After the Conversation.
71
A FT E R T H E C O N V E RSATION
Once the PCs convince Mahuitzin, he weighs the pos-
sibility that Necahua might be honestly working for
the good of the Anahuac. Read the following aloud as
Mahuitzin’s answer:
“I believe you. Yet, you have been in contact with
Necahua somehow, and she is up to something, good or
bad. I offer you this: a divine pardon for your trespass
against the teotl, and a juicy reward for each of you –
but you work for me now”.
■ If the PCs refuse, Mahuitizn has them in clamps;
proceed to Encounter 24.
■ If the PCs agree, read Mahuitzin’s answer out loud:
“You will go back to Necahua now. You will serve
her, or assist her, or help her with whatever she is plan-
ning; it doesn’t matter. What matters is, you will watch
her actions, her plans. Closely, you will watch her every
move. And, as soon as her back is turned, you will report
back to me”.
“Congratulations – you are now agents of the Triple
Alliance”.
Mahuitzin’s plan is to send the PCs back to work as
double agents inside Necahua’s lair, to fully understand
the situation before he decides how to proceed. As soon
as the PCs can slip out of Necahua’s sight, they are to
sneak out of her temple and seek him or his agents at
this house – Mahuitzin’s lair outside the city – and let
him know all they have learned. In return, Mahuitzin
offers the following:
■ A pardon for the PCs’ escape from their sacrifice.
■ A divine sanction to be sacrificed again if that’s
what they wish, or to leave Tenochtitlan unharmed,
once the mission is fulfilled.
encountered city guards but escaped, and to put them-
selves at her service again; go to Scene 31.
Encounter 24: Guards and
Guards
Mahuitzin’s men surround the PCs, demanding they
surrender. If the PCs resist, create a +1 encounter using
Mexica characters.
■ If the PCs win the encounter, simply create another
+1 encounter, and then another; throwing wave after
wave of guards at the PC until they lose – Mahuitzin
works for the king, and has access to a technically end-
less supply of soldiers. However, give the PCs an extra
2 experience points for each battle they win.
■ When the PCs surrender or are defeated, the guards
leave them traumatised, not bleeding out, and carry
them away in fetters, to await execution.
AFTER TH E ENC OUNTER
When the PCs are defeated or captured, Mahuitzin
picks up two guard squads to take the PCs out of
Mahuitzin’s house and to the road towards Tenochtitlan.
There, the PCs shall be judged and executed once the
flood situation is tended to.
After a half-hour of walking down the city road, how-
ever, a group of vultures falls on the PCs’ guards, flap-
ping and dashing among the soldiers as if with a will of
their own. Then the vultures magically transform into
armed women and men, who quickly defeat and slaugh-
ter Mahuitzin’s guards.
These are agents of Necahua, who have come to res-
cue the PCs – and bring them back to the Witch.
Run Scene 31.

■ 100 gold for each of them.

■ If they perform adequately, a permanent position
as Mahuitzin’s agents in future endeavours.
■ A slow, gruesome death if they betray him or try
to flee.
Once the terms of the mission are agreed upon,
Mahuitzin allows the PCs to rest (draw cards) and pre-
pare themselves as they wish, offering equipment as
needed. As one of the King’s Pochteca, Mahuitzin has
access to nearly any item the PCs might request.
When the PCs are ready, Mahuitzin orders his men to
give them some bruises and cuts, to make it look like
they had to fight their way through, and sets the PCs
loose. Their orders are to seek Necahua, to tell her they

72

Scene 31:
back to
necahuA
This scene takes place when the PCs are allowed to
return, or forcibly taken, to Necahua’s presence. If the
PCs came on their own, Necahua’s agents meet them
just outside the city and discreetly lead them to their
mistress – but not to her temple.
Read the following aloud:
Surprisingly, Necahua’s agents lead you away from
the city, and instead into the flooded lakeshore. As you
border the city, you can see the streets are filled with
barricades, expertly improvised out of stone, lakeshore
clay and reeds. It looks like most of the houses in the
city were saved, and those that didn’t will certainly be
rebuilt before the next moon. Then, your escort leads
you to the flooded shores, with their thousands and
thousands of ruined calpolli, overturned chinampas and
drowned reed gardens. You cannot help but wonder how
many macehualtin peasants all around the lake, outside
the city’s direct jurisdiction or reach, died or lost every-
thing without hope of rebuilding.
As you think thus, the guards make you wade through
a shallow mire, surrounded by tall stems and grass, and
lead you to an inconspicuous, half-submerged cabin.
On the roof of the cabin stands Necahua herself,
staring into the horizon as if the rotting building was a
tall reef and the churning lake was a vision of the other
world. She turns to you, and then looks sideways, mak-
ing you look too:
A large, ugly, ramshackle boat has been tied to the
surfacing section of what surely was a pier before the
flood; a group of mighty cuahchicqueh – shorn ones –
stand to the bare chests in the muddy water, guarding
this creaky, dirty boat as if it was some kind of treasure.
When you turn your gaze back to the witch, her ex-
pression betrays a passionate mix of hope, relief and a
flicker of recklessness, of zeal, as she sees you again.
“Ah, they are brought safely back; they have been re-
turned. Blessed be Tezcatlipoca, all is not lost.”
“Do you see? I was right! The first omen from the
Earth… from below the Earth, even! The lake is flooding!
the eight omens
This means the balance of Heaven and Earth, of the uni-
verse itself, is threatened! We must hasten to the an-
swer, we must solve this riddle!”
“My champions, my warriors… I have started unravel-
ling the mystery of the omens, the order in which the
messages have reached us, the significance of the clues.
I have consulted the Tonalli and cross-checked the sym-
bols. It’s slowly becoming clearer. Be ready, for I know
where the Spirit World will send you next time…
“If I am right, you shall dream of the age before ours,
the age of the flood, when the Fourth Sun drowned
under a world of water! The Great Water that birthed
our era… that same water of which the majestic Lake
Tetzcoco before us, yes, even the Great Lake of Aztlan,
which you also had the fortune to witness, are but the
meager trickles, the last remaining puddles of that godly
sea that drowned the world, when it slowly seeped into
the earth across the millennia!”
But let us not waste more time talking of this! You
have to be ready! We have no time to lose!”
As always, Necahua doesn’t seem to be one for wait-
ing before doing stuff.
Let the PCs state their actions and intentions.
■ If they wish to talk, Necahua shares any details
they still don’t know of her research, as presented in
the Necahua’s Plan sidebar in Appendix: Necahua’s
Temple. As she talks, however, Necahua urges the PCs
to move on and get ready for their next trip.
■ If the PCs tell Necahua about their deal with
Mahuitzin, she is thankful for their honesty and orders
her men to carry the message back to her temple; she
always feared Mahuitzin might be onto her scent, and
this proves she must deal with him soon – but first, she
wants to focus on the spirit trips and on deciphering
the omens.
When the PCs are ready to leave, Necahua puts them
on the boat and tells them to row into the lake.
The boat contains enough supplies and provisions to
keep the boat functional and the PCs fed for a one-week
trip.
As the PCs begin to row away from Necahua, the well-
known multicoloured mist surrounds them…
Proceed to Scene 32.
73

Scene 32: the
flooded
worlD
As the PCs row their boat through the coloured mist,
they lose sight of the lake shores, of the ruined calpo-
lli, of the frantic people trying to rebuild, of the white
pyramids of Tenochtitlan… then, as the fog lifts, they
are still rowing a boat across the water, only there are
no shores, no land, anywhere in sight.
The entire world is water.
The PCs have travelled to the Spirit World again;
this time to the Fourth Sun, the age of the flood – the
era immediately preceding the current time, when the
people drowned and became fish.
The whole world has been drowned; there’s not a sin-
gle spot of solid ground, not one point of reference to
guide the boat by. The sky is all a uniform, cloudy grey
from one end of the heaven to the next; there is no sun,
no stars.
Ask the PCs to perform an Easy Discipline Check (dif-
ficulty: 3(1)); those that fail the check are so disori-
ented by the maddening uniformity of the landscape
that they suffer one disadvantage on every use of the
Perception or Discipline skills during the rest of the
scene.
Let the PCs state their actions or intentions; as they
decide on what to do now, a huge tentacle surprises
them and coils around their vessel!
Proceed to Encounter 25.
Encounter 25: Fins and Tentacles
Some huge, many-tentacled beast is attacking the
PCs. Create a +1 encounter using the tentacle beast.
During the battle, strange creatures, like humanoids
but with the scaly skins of fishes, board the PCs’ boat.
74
They don’t attack the PCs, but strike back when at-
tacked; for every fish-creature the PCs provoke into a
fight, add a michintecatl to the encounter.
AFTER TH E ENC OUNTER
If the PCs survive the fight, the tentacled beast re-
treats into the depths, while many more fish-men
climb the boat or grab it from underwater; the PCs are
boarded. The fish-men don’t immediately attack; they
just stare at the PCs with curiosity.
The PCs realise that the people of this era have al-
ready begun turning into fish. The flood itself must
have happened millennia ago, giving survivors time
to adapt to life underwater and become this aquatic-
humanoid hybrid; they will likely complete their full
transformation into the fish of the PCs’ era in a few
millennia more.
■ If the PCs attack these fish-men, create a fair en-
counter, using michinteca. If the PCs survive this sec-
ond encounter, the remaining fish-men flee. Proceed
to Scene 33.
■ If the PCs attempt to communicate with the fish-
men, they reply in an archaic form of the Nahua tongue;
hard to understand, but close enough to establish rea-
sonable communication. Proceed to Encounter 26.
Encounter 26: The Fish-Folk
Let the PCs lead the conversation with the michinte-
ca, using the following excerpts as part of the michinte-
ca’s dialogue and answers:
‘We mi-chin-te-cah’.
‘An-ces-tors fell off land-world, we des-cen-dants,
we off-spring’.
‘We live on wa-ter-world’.
‘This sky-world. This end-of-the-world. You on sky-
world. You from a-bove. You from sky-world. You, sur-
face-be-ings, hea-ven-be-ings, sur-face teo-tli’.
‘We sense you. Great-Thing sense you’.
‘We want to feed you to Great-Thing. But you strong.
Stron-ger than Great-Thing. You migh-ty sur-face teo-tli’.
‘You strong. You come live to wa-ter-world. You guide
us’.
In short, the michinteca believe the Surface is a heav-
enly realm where nothing lives, so they think the PCs
are some sort of divine emissaries, related to their leg-
endary ancestors that ‘fell from the surface’ and ‘into
the water’.

The michinteca are awed by the PCs’ strength and
wish them to move underwater to be their advisors,
or rulers, or whatever similar role the fish-men’s very
primitive mind can conceive of. If the PCs try to ex-
plain their circumstances or anything related to the
dream, the fish-men get very excited about it:
‘You dream us. You make us. You migh-ty’.
‘Come to wa-ter-world. Des-ti-ny. An-swers’.
‘The wa-ter-mark. You be-come like us’.
‘We bite you, you can come down to wa-ter-world,
you can swim and breathe and live. We bite you, we give
you the wa-ter-mark’.
What the michinteca are trying to say is, their bite
and claws carry an infectious disease that interferes
with the victim’s breathing system; in fact, if any PCs
lost health during the previous encounter, it’s likely
they are already infected. That’s actually how they
managed to become fish-men and survive underwater
for so long.
Ask the PCs to perform a hard Knowledge, Medicine
or Rites check (difficulty: 9(1)). If the check succeeds,
they learn all this whether the fish-men tell it to them
or not.
If the PCs agree to follow the fish-men, proceed to
Encounter 27.
If the PCs refuse, the fish-men flee underwater, eager
to tell their brethren about their encounter with the
divine surface spirits, and leave the PCs alone on their
boat; run Scene 33.
the eight omens
Scene 33:
the world
underwateR
The PCs are again aimless and drifting across the fea-
tureless sea of the flooded world. If the PCs so wish,
let them attempt Knowledge or Perception checks to
find their position; regardless, there is simply no way
to steer their ship over this unending water, this face-
less sky.
The PCs may rest, draw cards or try to regain Spirit
during this time. Soon, however, they begin to lose
track of exactly how long has passed. There seems to
be no time in this desolation.
If a PC suffered any damage during encounter 26, he
begins to have trouble breathing. This condition works
as a temporary but very disabling injury, imposing a
disadvantage on all the Skillsl the PC tries to use.
If a PC is affected by this condition, or if the michinte-
ca told the PCs about their ‘watermark’, their ability
to grant water-breathing through their bites, ask the
PCs to perform a Normal Knowledge or Medicine Check
(difficulty: 6(1)):
■ A failure with a negative consequence causes the
PC to suddenly become infected – if he wasn’t already
– with the condition, either by accidental contact with
the affected character or by having been too close to
the fish-men during the previous scene.
■ A success with a positive consequence infects the
character that made the check, but also confirms the
fish-men or their pet can spread a condition that ham-
pers the victim’s ability to breathe air, while in turn
giving him the power to breathe water with no problem.
■ A normal success confirms the above information
and it reveals the condition should disappear after a
few days, but prolonged or repeated wounds or contact
with the fish-men would, after a few years, turn the af-
fected character into a fish-man himself. This must be
how the michinteca survived the flood; this disease is
what allowed them to become aquatic creatures, and
what will eventually turn most of them into the fish of
the PCs’ era.
75
 ■ A success with a positive consequence suggests
that, as the fish-men’s infection altered the affected
PCs’ ability to breathe, so should the PC’s blood affect
the fish-men too, making them unable to breathe water
properly. And they would have no defence against such
a disease, or any idea of how to stop it.
The condition may be cured normally with the
Medicine skill or Titici magic.
If an affected PC dives under the water, all disabling
effects from the injury disappear, and he finds he can
breathe water as easily as he breathed air, and thus re-
main underwater indefinitely. The effects of the injury
return one round after the PC resurfaces.
If the PCs, affected or not, wish to dive underwater
and explore the other side of this strange world, they
discover it is the opposite of the bleak surface. This is a
thriving, varied environment with thousands of plant
and mollusc species of uncounted colours and forms,
moving all around like a spilled watercolour mix under
the surface. If the PCs are infected with the fish-men’s
strange condition, they may dive indefinitely with no
ill effect. The small molluscs and strange plants ignore
the PCs, but offer a dazzling spectacle, and most are
safe to eat if the PCs so wish.
If the PCs dive several times, or for several hours,
they eventually find a group of swimming michinteca,
who came to seek the PCs, inspired by the other group’s
tales of the ‘migh-ty sur-face be-ings’. These michinte-
ca also offer to infect the PCs and invite to their under-
water realm; if the PCs agree, proceed to Encounter 27.
If the PCs insist on remaining on the surface and row-
ing until something happens on the surface, they begin
losing their sense of time. The maddening, featureless
surface makes it impossible to count hours or distin-
guish between day or night, and after a while even the
PCs’ sleep and food cycles begin to become irregular.
After unmeasurable hours (or days) of this, a group of
michinteca surfaces and begs the PCs to come under-
water: their people are dying, and they believe only the
PCs’ ‘divine power’ can save them. Proceed to Scene 34.
76
Encounter 27: The Underwater
Tribe
The michinteca lead the PCs underwater, across
amazing underwater algae forests and scintillating
coral grottoes, through a world that is as dizzyingly
full of life as its surface is bare, until they reach a gi-
gantic underwater cave complex, dozens of fish-men
zipping in and out its myriad entrances.
The michinteca are exceedingly primitive, little more
than cavemen, and have nothing but the barest hunt-
er-gatherer organisation, with no leaders or hierarchy.
They welcome the PCs as great and mighty beings,
paying them abject submission (whether the PCs killed
some of their own or not; among other things, these
fish-men seem to be devoid of human emotions or
attachment).
Some of the michinteca advance to greet the PCs and
introduce them to the group:
‘These great sur-face teo-tli’.
‘They dream us. They cre-ate us’.
‘They spi-rits of the sky, dream our world in-to be-ing’.
‘We wor-ship. We o-bey. We hunt for them. We die
when they say. We go where they say’.
‘Wel-come migh-ty sur-face teo-tli’.
The michinteca understand the PCs dreamed them
into existence through their spirit trip, and that they
somehow have the answer the PCs are looking for, but
they don’t know what that answer is, or how to give it.
So, they invite the PCs to stay and guide them for as
long as they wish, hoping it will benefit both parties.
The michinteca celebrate the agreement with a feast
– consisting of crustaceans, molluscs, underwater kelp,
and the mangled body of a member of another tribe;
the PCs receive first choice of every morsel and are
generally treated as honour guests.
Now, their life as the lords of the fish-man tribe has
officially begun.
AFTER TH E ENC OUNTER
During their time with the fish-men, the ‘sickness’
allows the PCs to breathe underwater without trouble,
but they still need to perform Athletic checks and ac-
tions to succeed at complex underwater movements
such as ascending or diving.
The PCs may also rest, draw cards and try to regain
Spirit during this time – except for actions that require
lighting fires, of course.
 the eight omens

The huge tentacled thing the PCs battled, the ‘Great-
Thing’ of the fish-men, is a kind of teotl for the
michinteca, who worship it and give it food. The thing
lives in a different cave complex, near the michinteca,
and serves as a security filter against raids from rival
tribes or incursions from the rare dangerous animal.
The Great-Thing doesn’t attack or register the PCs, so
long as they remain underwater and in the fish-men’s
company.
The michinteca mark the place where the PCs’ boat
is still moored as a sacred spot, and send a few of their
own to guard the ‘holy place’.
As new members of the tribe, the michinteca invite
the PCs to gather small snails, shrimps, kelp and other
foodstuffs with them; it’s a straightforward task, as
there are very few large predators in this underwater
world created by the flood. There are no fish of any
kind either; they will only exist thousands of years
from now, when the michinteca evolve into the fish the
PCs know in their era.
Let the PCs mingle and interact with the michinteca
as they wish. The michinteca are barely smarter than a
monkey – certainly less smart than the ape-men from
the PCs’ first dream – and let the PCs do most
of the talking, teaching or interacting.
If the PCs attack any of the michinteca,
the others show fear but don’t retaliate,
treating the PCs as their absolute masters.
After one or two days of this situation, run
Encounter 28.
During the fight, the Water serpents have an advan-
tage on all confrontations, as the PCs are less accus-
tomed to move underwater.
AFTER TH E ENC OUNTER
If the PCs survive the fight, the michinteca come out
from under every rock and coral formation, bowing to
the PCs as their divine protectors.
The wounded michinteca hunter is bleeding out. If
the PCs nurse him back to life, the other fish-men are
silently thankful; but if the PCs let him die, they cheer
and celebrate, carrying their comrade’s body back to
the lair for eating. It seems a dead companion is a far
better catch than a couple stinking kelp bulbs.
As the hunting party returns to the caves, a group of
michinteca messengers intercept them. They have dire
news and plead the PCs for help – two hunters and one
child have fallen ill.
They are choking, as if they couldn’t
breathe any more…
Run Scene 34.

Encounter 28: The Hunt

After some time as the michinteca’s spiritual

guides, the PCs are invited to forage with the
fish-men. Today, the PCs are out in a vast kelp
field, helping the michinteca forage a kind of
weird purple bulbs – that happen to taste delicious
– when suddenly one of the fish-men cries out in
pain.
Instead of helping their tribesman, the other
michinteca scatter to the four currents; the hapless
fish-man has been trapped by a water serpent – a vi-
cious undersea predator the size of a chinampa. When
the creature spies the PCs, it decides to try new flesh
and leaves the broken body of the michinteca behind,
dashing at the PCs with jaws open in anticipation.
Create an encounter using one or two Water serpents.

77

Scene 34: the
like cures
the likE
When the PCs reach the fish-men tribe caves, they
see the michinteca have three very ill members.
Two hunters and one child – it’s still hard to the PCs
to determine whether they are male or female – are
floating limply, coughing and choking, their hands oc-
casionally clutching at their throats. Their kin refer
to them as ‘half-dead’, and appear very worried; if the
tribe loses as many people in such a short time, it will
become much weaker and more vulnerable to preda-
tors, rival groups and other illnesses.
However, these symptoms are unlike anything the
michinteca had ever seen before. They are at a loss,
and turn to the PCs begging them to help.
As the PCs declare their actions, suddenly, one of
the michinteca that led them here bends over, begins
choking, and goes limp as well, floating helplessly and
clutching his throat like the others.
Ask the PCs to perform a Normal Medicine or
Knowledge Check (difficulty: 6(1)). If the check suc-
ceeds, the PCs confirm the symptoms are the same
as the ‘watermark’ that the michinteca carry in their
bites. This means several things:
■ After receiving the ‘watermark’, the PCs somehow
infected the michinteca back.
■ The affected michinteca may be saved by being
taken to the surface.
■ This sickness is not caused by spirits – but by blood
and close contact.
If the check obtains a positive consequence, the PCs
get the idea that if blood was the cause, blood may be
the cure.
If the PCs have the michinteca taken to the sur-
face, the remedy succeeds – the affected victims begin
breathing normally again.
However, the fish-men tell them this is no solution:
they cannot live on the sea surface, where there is no
land to grow food. They may eventually learn to carry
large amounts of food, move their homes closer to the
78
‘upper world’, and try to grow food there; but many
would die in the process, killed by starvation and ex-
posure if not by the sickness. The tribes may adapt and
survive in time, but they may not. Furthermore, after
years of adaptation, this may stop their evolution into
fish and turn them back into humans – humans without
a land to return to.
In short, they need a cure.
Ask the PCs to perform a Normal Medicine, Rites or
Perception Check (difficulty: 6(1)).
If the check succeeds, the PCs realise the michinteca
that spent more time with them – those they fought
with or against, those that sought their company or
went to forage with them more frequently – were not
affected; the only ones infected were those the PCs
had less contact with. This means the PCs’ presence is
as much the deterrent as the source of the fish-men’s
sickness.
The answer is for the PCs to perform a blood sacrifice
to cure the michinteca; an infusion of the PCs’ blood,
in a much stronger dose than the light contact that
caused the illness, will reverse the effect and cure it.
The PCs know this if both checks succeeded, or if they
got a critical success on either of them. If they don’t
learn this information or deduce it on their own, ask
them to Perform an easy Perception Check (difficul-
ty: 3(1)) for a small clue, such as ‘blood is the answer’,
‘similar treats similar’ or ‘what sacred fluid powers all
magic and all healing?’
For this is the dream’s message: A sickness comes
from the blood.
One the PCs understand it, at least one of them must
self-inflict t least 1 point of damage and perform a
Medicine or Rites action against a Level 1 TSE. The ac-
tion gains 1 advantage if the PC self-inflicts an injury.
If the action fails, another PC must try it; if all PCs fail,
they have failed to solve this dream, and are doomed to
remain in the Spirit World forever – or until someone
else rescues them during another adventure.
If the action succeeds, the PCs have succeeded in
turning their blood into a healing mixture that, when
given to the michinteca, will make them immune to the
effects of the illness.
Once the michinteca are saved, they escort the PCs
back to their boat, thankful with the ‘heavenly spirits’
that taught them and saved their lives.
As the PCs swim upwards, the multicoloured mist
surrounds them…

Scene 35: waking up
from the fifth dreaM
For the first time, the PCs have
come out of the dream on the same
exact spot from which they left the
mortal world.
Night has fallen on the world. The
PCs are back in Lake Tetzcoco, near
the shore of Tenochtitlan – except
the Lake is not flooded any more,
and most of the houses have been
rebuilt, the barricades taken down,
and the glorious white temples of
Tenochtitlan shine bright under
the moon. How long did they dream
this time?
As the PCs come out of the water,
they realise the aftermath is the
same as it has been in all other
dreams – all wounds and injuries
have disappeared, save for death,
and one of them is clutching an ob-
sidian piece.
As the PCs wander searching
for either Necahua or Mahuitzin,
a group of Shorn Guards come to
meet them and take them to the
witch.
The Shorn Guards tell the PCs this
time they were missing for 13 days.
Then, they lead the PCs across
back alleys and courtyards, all the
way to the stairway of the small
pyramid that leads to Necahua’s
Temple.
When the PCs finish the ascent,
the moon is already high in the
sky, and Necahua stands among the
thirteen columns at the top of her
pyramid, waiting for the PCs.
When the PCs give Necahua the
obsidian piece, she shows them
the other four, arranged in a half-
completed figure on the ground be-
tween the columns. Necahua adds
the fifth piece, which fits snugly
with the others, showing there is
only one piece missing. The shape
of the complete object is evident
now – it will be a mirror. A round
obsidian mirror.
‘The mirror of Tezcatlipoca. The
sign of the moon, of the masked sun.
Now it all makes sense. It is him that
sends us this message. It is through
him that we shall face the threat.
The next dream shall have the an-
swer. The next dream…’
‘But now, now we have to deal
with our earthly enemies, we have
to turn our attention to the mortal
threats. Before the final answer, we
must have a final reckoning’.
‘I know the Aztec King. I have
known him closer than most people
in the world can claim. And I know,
I have always known, he is not fit to
face this threat’.
‘The King to face the threat, the
tribe to face the threat, must unite
the entire world against it; must ral-
ly all peoples to unite under a sin-
gle banner. Moctecuhzoma is many
things, many good things, but he is
not that King’.
‘I have to consult the stars, I have
to read the Tonalli. I must cross-
reference the symbols. There is a
king, a king that Moctecuhzoma has
greatly vexed in the past; one that
is proud of word and pure of heart.
He would lead the peoples of the
Anahuac against the coming threat.
If denied this, he will side with the
coming threat and become the great
traitor of the world. We must avoid
that. He must be the one… but I must
consult the Tonal, first’.
the eight omens
‘You. You have a task, while I do
this. You have something to do’.
‘The merchant, the spy, the man
that sought you. Mahuitzin. He is a
great servant to Moctecuhzoma, a
great leader of the King’s forces, and
a great enemy of my plans’.
‘Seek Mahuitzin. Find what he is
looking for. Follow his steps. Warn
me of his plans’.
‘I will watch the stars, you will
watch Mahuitzin. And then…’
Necahua’s words trail off as her
gaze rests on the near-finished ob-
sidian mirror on the floor of her
temple. She turns away from the
PCs and orders them to return to
Mahuitzin as double agents – the
exact assignment Mahuitzin in-
tended the PCs for – except Necahua
expects them to report to her, not
to him.
Whoever the PCs intend to really
side with, it is time for them to seek
Mahuitzin.
Read the following aloud as the
PCs leave Tenochtitlan towards
Mahuitzin’s quarters:
As you sneak out under the
moon, heading out of the city and
into the outskirts where Mahuitzin
keeps his secret base, your bones –
no, your very souls – get a frightful
chill as a bloodcurdling shriek pierc-
es the darkness.
‘Alas for my children… Flee
Tenochtitlan!’, says the voice of a
woman; an otherworldly, ghastly
cry...
‘Alas for my children! ALAS FOR
MY CHILDREN!’
79
80
 the eight omens

vi. Alas for

my childreN
81
Scene 36: the Scene 37:
hauntinG ghost-
busterS
Encounter 29: The Child-Stealer
W H I L E LE AV I N G T H E city of Tenochtitlan in
search of spymaster Mahuitzin, the PCs hear
the eerie call of a ghostly entity – a woman, crying for
her children to leave the city…
‘Alas for my children! Where Will I find them, now?
Where will I hide them, now?’
‘They are lost, lost! Alas for my children!’
Ask the PCs to perform a Normal Rites, Knowledge
or Perception Check (difficulty: 6(1)). Success on this
check confirms the cry comes from a Cihuateotl, a spir-
it-woman; the ghost of a mother that died in childbirth.
Such spirits tend to haunt the Mexica countryside and
city suburbs, stealing unattended children to take to
the Spirit World, but they rarely appear so close to
areas as densely populated as Tenochtitlan.
■ If the PCs decide to investigate the sound, they en-
counter the Cihuateotl all right, already carrying off
a small boy, a macehualtin peasant kid from the sub-
urban calpolli; create an encounter using a Cihuateotl.
A F T E R T H E E N COU N TE R
If the PCs defeat the Cihuateotl, the kidnapped kid
wakes up as if from a trance, and helps the PCs find
the way back to his house. The teary-eyed parents have
nothing to give, but gladly share a corn-and-tortillas
dinner as thanks.
Once the PCs have dealt with the Cihuateotl, or if
they ignore its call, proceed to Scene 37.
82
About an hour later, the PCs reach the outskirts of
the city, and the vicinity of Mahuitzin’s headquarters.
As the PCs search for the path that leads to Mahuitzin’s
hidden house, a group of Mexica soldiers come out from
the shadows, and lead the PCs to it.
Read the following aloud:
Mahuitzin’s secret headquarters is fancy, yet discreet,
built against the boulders in such a way as to be hidden
from the city’s view. There are torchlights inside, indi-
cating the Master of the House is awake.
When the PCs enter the house, they find Mahuitzin
indeed awake and working, surrounded as always with
his sycophants, aides and captains. He beams when he
meets the PCs, and invites them to sit with him among
the cushions – a rare honour, even for a pochteca’s
close associates. Run Scene 37 Conversation.
Scene 37 Conversation: The Task
Let the PCs conduct the conversation with Mahuitzin
as they wish, asking or reporting what they want.
■ If the PCs reveal Necahua’s plans and the spir-
it travels, Mahuitzin looks genuinely surprised and
concerned:
‘By the wind, then she is no charlatan. I almost
hoped… but if her prophecies have proven true, they
cannot be discarded so easily. Should we let her con-
tinue her research?... Yet, she has dabbled in forbidden
magic; it is my duty to oppose her. Tell me, my friends.
She has used you, but she saved your lives. What is your
opinion of her?’
■ If the PCs talk about Necahua’s idea to replace
Moctecuhzoma, he grows somber:
‘Well, however right… however charming… the witch
may be, I cannot allow her to conspire against the King;
prophecy or not, she must be stopped.’
■ If the PCs tell Mahuitzin about Necahua’s orders to
spy on him for her, he gives out a hearty laugh:

‘Necahua tries to spy on me?!
It’s as if I challenged her to a magic
duel, or to see who fucks the king
best! At least I do know my limita-
tions, mind you!’
■ If the PCs lie to Mahuitzin about
their deal with Necahua, ask them
to perform a Hard Charisma Check
(difficulty: 9(1)).
■ If the check succeeds,
Mahuitzin believes they are
still working for him and wel-
comes them back into his
service.
■ If the check is a failure,
Mahuitzin detects the ruse and
understands Necahua is trying
to play him at his own game,
but pretends the PCs deceived
him anyway. Ask the PCs to per-
form a Hard Perception Check
(difficulty: 9(1)) to detect that
Mahuitzin wasn’t fooled.
■ If the check is successful
with a negative consequence, it
counts as a failure, but the PCs
automatically detect Mahuitzin
wasn’t fooled.
AFTER THE
C O NV E R S AT ION
Once the first exchange with
Mahuitzin ends, he waves dismiss-
ively at the air and stares into the
PCs’ eyes.
‘All this Necahua business must
wait, however. Right now, we are
overwhelmed with… a more pressing
matter. You have experience with
the spirit world, right?
Mahuitzin wants to give the PCs
a new assignment. Let the PCs ask
questions and make comments,
using the following excerpts as
part of Mahuitzin’s dialogue and
answers:
‘In the days since we last met,
Tenochtitlan has gone from one
tragedy to another.We are barely
getting up from the lake going crazy;
now, like the flood washed them up,
we are up to our elbows in ghosts’.
‘Cihuateteo, dead women. They
are not uncommon; they appear
every few seasons, steal a kid or
two… but this time there are a lot,
hundreds of them’.
‘They also have this annoying
new habit of talking. Normally it’s
just frightening cries and moans, but
now they actually form words, and
it’s treason to repeat them but eve-
ryone’s heard – leave Tenochtitlan,
they say. Alas for my children that
stay in Tenochtitlan. Enough to
make some people rethink their resi-
dence, I bet’.
‘So, the King put some guards on
the case, but I reckon the people are
scared enough, what with the com-
ets and fires and floods; a mobilisa-
tion of soldiers on the streets will
do little to calm things down. So,
I told the King, why send an army
when we have access to a capable,
stealthy, combat-proven team of su-
pernatural specialists?’
‘Not just you, really, but it’s best
not to flaunt the full number of task
forces at one’s disposal. You are the
best-prepared, however. So, I need
you out there’.
‘That’s your task. Every cihuate-
otl dispatched is money in your
purse. That’s your assignment for
now. We’ ll return to your witch and
her omens when this is dealt with’.
‘If there’s nothing else… welcome
to the ghost squad’.
The PCs are to begin their hunt
as soon as they are ready; this very
night, if possible. Mahuitzin prom-
ises them 50 gold to share among
themselves for every defeated
cihuateotl. The PCs may rest and
draw cards first, and ask Mahuitzin
for any equipment they think they
need. Once the PCs are ready to
start ghost-hunting, run Encounter
30.
the eight omens
Encounter 30: Crying
Nights
The PCs are sent to patrol the
countryside around Tenochtitlan
and the city’s outer calpolli neigh-
bourhoods to find cihuateotl spir-
its. The good news is that a cihuate-
otl is relatively easy to track from
its trademark bloodcurdling cries;
the catch is that hearing those
frightening cries is the worst part
of finding one.
Ask the PCs to perform a Normal
Perception or Survival (difficulty:
6(1)) check.
■ If the check succeeds, the PCs
find their way to a cihuateotl after
approximately an hour of roaming
the countryside. But if the check
suffered one negative consequence,
the character must perform a
Discipline action, confronted by a
cihuateotl’s Competent Skill; if a
character loses the confrontation,
he is spent until the cihuateotl at-
tacks him.
■ If all PCs fail the check, they
don’t find a cihuateotl during the
current hour of search; repeat the
check after another hour. If the
next check succeeds, the cihuateotl
they didn’t find will be added to the
encounter.
If the PCs found a cihuateotl, cre-
ate an encounter using one cihuate-
otl, o two cihuateotl if all PCs failed
the previous check to find one.
Each cihuateotl has a stolen kid
which it intends to eat later, at its
lair in the spirit world, seeking to
fill the insatiable void it feels for
its lost children. It falls on the PCs
to rescue the child and defeat the
thing. The children are enthralled,
as in a trance, and don’t take part
in the fight.
During the fight, the cihuate-
otl keeps screaming its litany with
phrases such as ‘alas for my chil-
83
dren’, ‘please leave Tenochtitlan’, ‘my poor children,
where will I take them…’
Ask the PCs to perform a normal Knowledge or Rites
Scene 38:
back to the
Check (difficulty: 6(1)) to understand that a cihuate-
otl, predatory as it is, gets its power from anguished
empathy - from crying over the very lives it threatens.
The fact there can be so many cihuateotl spirits hunt-
ing at the same time, and their new ability to articu-
late words – these precise words, urging the people to
leave Tenochtitlan – means they have become far more
templE
powerful, worried, and even sentient, than before. This
means the spirits worry that the lives they feed on are This scene begins when, either on their own or at
in more danger than ever. Mahuitzin’s behest, the PCs return to Necahua’s temple
If the check is successful and obtains a positive con- to continue their missions for her.
sequence, the PCs understand that the cihuateotl inva- As the PCs enter the city, a group of Necahua’s agents
sion is, in fact, the Sixth Omen. approaches to lead them to the temple. The PCs are
taken up the temple stairs; Necahua waits at the top of
A FT E R T H E E N COU N TE R the pyramid, ecstatic.
If the PCs defeat the cihuateotl, the stolen children
‘My warriors, my friends, we are on the verge of solv-
wake from their stupor and ask the PCs to lead them
ing the riddle. I’ve consulted the symbols, and have no
back home. Taking a child home to their parents –
doubts that the ghost plague you have been dealing
which show their gratitude by giving the PC something
with is nothing but the Sixth Omen! Are you ready for
to eat, or a few cocoa beans – requires an additional
your next mission?’
hour.
If the PCs wish to prepare first, Necahua allows them
The PCs may also allow the children to return on
a couple of hours to rest, draw cards, regain spirit or
their own; most are able to find their way back home,
anything else they need. As stated in Chapter IV, the
but they might get caught by a cihuateotl again.
PCs’ quarters are on Area N3 of the main temple (see
Once the stolen kids are dealt with, the PCs may re- Appendix: Necahua’s Temple).
sume their search; run this encounter again, until four
If the PCs wish to slip past Necahua’s guards and spy
hours have passed, at which point dawn breaks and all
on her during this rest, ask them to perform a Stealth
cihuateotl spirits return to the Spirit World.
Action, confronted by the Mediocre Skill of Necahua’s
If the PCs wish to go back to Necahua to report on Shorn Guards. If the PCs win the confrontation, they
Mahuitzin’s activities, proceed to Scene 38. may freely explore Necahua’s Temple; go to Scene 39.
When the PCs have spent four hours of game When the PCs are ready to begin their sixth dream
time hunting cihuateotl spirits, they may return to trip, Necahua asks them to meet at Area N1 of her tem-
Mahuitzin’s lair to rest, draw cards and get treat- ple, where she performs the rite to send them to the
ment for their wounds and injuries. If the PCs return Spirit World. Proceed to Scene 40.
to Mahuitzin’s lair, he pays the PCs 50 quachtli for
each defeated Cihuateotl. Then, he lets them rest all
day and sends them to hunt again during the follow-
ing night. Run this encounter again, letting the PCs re-
turn to Mahuitzin during the day and to hunting dur-
ing the night, until the PCs decide to seek Necahua or
have fought and defeated a total of 5 cihuateotl spirits.
When the PCs try to contact Necahua, or when
they return from having fought the fifth cihuateotl,
Mahuitzin sends them to continue their spy work on
Necahua; proceed to Scene 38.

84

Scene 39:
spying on
the witcH
This scene only takes place if the PCs manage to slip
past Necahua’s guards to spy around the Witch’s lair,
either on Mahuitzin’s behalf or by their own initiative.
If the PCs haven’t yet explored Necahua’s temple,
read the following aloud as the scene begins:
Necahua’s temple resembles the inside of the great temples of Teno-
chtitlan, except the imagery of the Saints and Spirits carved on the
walls is mixed with other, less identifiable, more monstrous beings.
Necahua clearly worships both sides of the spirit world – the upper
and the lower realms.
Let the PCs explore the dungeon freely, referring to
the Necahua’s Temple appendix to guide their steps,
and describing the section corresponding to the code
of the chamber they move to. The PCs begin at area N3.
Every time the PCs reach an area marked X on the
map, ask them to perform a normal Stealth Check (dif-
ficulty: 6(1)).
■ If even one of the PCs fails the check, the guards
have heard something. The PCs must perform a Stealth
action, confronted by the Cuahchic warriors Competent
Skill.
■ If the PCs lose the confrontation, create a -1 en-
counter, using Cuahchic warriors and teotl priests.
■ If the PCs are defeated, the guards don’t leave them
bleeding out, but traumatised instead. While uncon-
scious, the PCs see the multicoloured fog, and wake up
in the Spirit World again; run Scene 40.
■ If the PCs defeat the guards, let them keep explor-
ing the temple, referring to the Necahua’s Temple ap-
pendix to guide their steps.
■ If the PCs enter and leave area N7, or use the exits
on areas N2 or N11, they activate Necahua’s magical
wards, and the multicoloured mist surrounds them
again; run Scene 40.
the eight omens
Scene 40: the
children
of huitz-
ilopochtlI
Read the following aloud when the scene begins:
As the multicoloured mist surrounds you again, the
first thing you notice is the silence. Not absolute silence,
but the low noises of the lakeshore – the buzzing of
flies, the chirp of crickets, the splash of a water lizard.
It sounds like a quiet evening in the marshlands outside
the city; and when the fog lifts, the darkening sky and
the reedy landscape confirm your perception. You are
somewhere around the vast swamps of the Anahuac.
The PCs have indeed been transported to the shores
of Lake Texcoco, back when it was all an endless set-
ting of untamed swamp, just before the founding of
Tenochtitlan. Their dream has taken them to the year
2-House of Acamapichtli the Elder’s reign over the
Acolhua – the birth year of the Mexica Empire.
Ask the PCs to perform a normal Knowledge,
Perception or Survival Check (difficulty: 6(1)) to iden-
tify the region as the lake area of Tenochtitlan.
If the check is success with a positive consequence,
the PCs realise the city hasn’t been built yet.
Let the PCs state their actions and intentions. When
they have interacted with their environment for a
while, they hear running and shouting from behind
them; then, they see a group of armed men running
across the tall grass.
These men have the dress, adornments and weap-
ons of the early Chichimec Nahua; many of them are
wounded, with blood curtains gushing from their backs
and foreheads. When they see the PC, they go stiff and
raise their weapons.
Ask the PCs to perform a Charisma action, confronted
by the mediocre Skill of the Mexica rank soldiers.
If the PCs win the confrontation, the Nahua realise
they are not their enemies, and approach them with
cautious uneasiness. They speak classic Nahua, indicat-
ing this is a relatively recent past.
85
 ■ The Nahua quickly tell the PCs
that ‘the Acolhua are behind them’,
and invite them to join their fight.
Whether the PCs agree to help the
Nahua or not, the Acolhua catch up
with them while they talk, and at-
tack both parties, assuming they
are allies anyway. Run Encounter
31.
■ If the PCs lose the confronta-
tion or attack the new arrivals,
the Nahua assume they are ene-
mies; create a fair encounter using
Mexica rank soldiers. If the PCs
survive the encounter, they come
across the Acolhua that were pur-
suing the Nahua, and they attack
the PCs too. Proceed to Encounter
31.
Encounter 31: The
Acolhua War Party
After the PCs deal with the Nahua
fugitives, they can see who they
were fleeing from: a fully-armed
and threatening Acolhua troop,
relentlessly marching across the
reeds. As opposed to the wounded
and wavering Nahua, the Acolhua
are well-equipped, their helmets
and shields glinting in the fad-
ing sunlight as they march toward
their quarry with no care or hurry.
Ask the PCs to perform a normal
Knowledge Check (difficulty: 6(1))
to determine they are in a dream of
the Acolhua-Mexica war, 200 years
before their time.
The Acolhua army, one of the mightiest in
the region, spent years hounding and rout-
ing the Mexica, an upstart tribe at the time,
from every settlement across the Anahuac.
This forced the Mexica to settle in the
reedy shores of Lake Texcoco, which in turn
led to the founding of Tenochtitlan; the PCs
may realise now they are about to witness
history.
But first they must survive the
night; the Acolhua are not in the
mood to parley or discern, and at-
tack any non-Acolhua on their path.
86
If the PCs defeated the Nahua fu-
gitives, they must face the Acolhua
regiment alone; if the PCs are with
the Nahua, they fight the Acolhua
together. Create a -1 encounter (or
a +2 encounter if the PCs are alone,
to account for the lack of support),
using a combination of New World
characters.
AFTE R TH E ENC OUNTER
If the PCs survive the encounter,
they may take the Acolhua’s weap-
ons (normal shields, helmets and
maces).
If there are any Nahua or Acolhua
survivors, the PCs may interro-
gate them to understand the sit-
uation. The NPCs confirm this
is year 2-House of the reign of
Acamapichtli the Elder – that is,
the era of the Mexica-Acolhua con-
flict – and that the Acolhua are run-
ning the Mexica off everywhere, at
every turn. Any PC with at least 1
point in Knowledge automatically
knows the founding of Tenochtitlan
should take place any moment now.
When the PCs are ready to contin-
ue exploring, proceed to Encounter
32.
Encounter 32: The
Fleeing Tribe
About a half hour after their en-
counter with the Acolhua brigade,
the PCs come across a line of ref-
ugees – women, children, elderly;
all from the Mexica tribe, trudg-
ing along the swampy ground. A
few warriors protect the group,
but they are mostly defenceless
civilians.
If the PCs are with the Nahua sur-
vivors from the previous encoun-
ter, they greet these women and
children with genuinely affection-
ate displays: it’s clear they were
kin.
If the PCs are wearing Acolhua
gear, the Mexica refugees panic
and huddle against each other as
the warriors nervously stand up
to the PCs. They don’t attack, but
the PCs need to perform a Charisma
Action, confronted by a rank sol-
dier’s Mediocre Skill, to stop them
from running away.
If the PCs approach in peace or
come with the Nahua survivors, the
group welcomes them and intro-
duces the PCs to their leader, the
young warrior Ocelopan.
Ocelopan is one of the Mexica
headmen that follow the priest
Cuauhcoatl – which any Mexica PC
should automatically recognise as
the historical figure that found the
first site of Tenochtitlan – and is all
too willing to talk to the newcom-
ers. Let the PCs ask the questions or
make the comment they wish, using
the following excerpts as part of
Ocelopan’s dialogue answers:
‘I am the one called Ocelopan,
the leader of this clan’.
‘We are many leaders, many
clans, from many settlements of this
region, all harassed by the Acolhua’.
‘We all follow Cuauhcoatl; the
priest of Huitzilopochtli. He is
our Teomama, our Teotl-bearer.
He speaks with the voice of Mexi
Huitzilopochtli, and we listen’.
‘We used to live in Cuauhmixtitlan;
we worked as mercenaries, we sold
our arms to other tribes, we won
wars for them. But we sacrificed the
daughter of the Acolhua King, so the
Acolhuas don’t want us in the region
anymore’.
‘The Acolhuas strike us in
Cuauhmixtitlan, in Azcapotzalco
they strike us. They routed us from
Chapultepec, where we served them
as mercenaries, where we sold them
our arms’.
‘But that is what Huitzilopochtli
wants; he wants us to be at war. He
wants us to rule over these lords,
not to be their allies’.

‘We, the Mexica, are the children
of Mexi Huitzilopochtli; he promised
these lands to us long ago, in the be-
ginning, when we left Aztlan’.
‘These will be our lands;
Cuauhcoatl, our Guide, our
Teomama, says these will be our
lands. Cuauhcoatl leads us around
the region, across the lakes; he leads
us away from the Acolhua attacks’.
‘While Cuauhcoatl leads
us, he waits for a signal from
Huitzilopochtli, he waits for
Huitzilopochtli to say ‘ here, this is
the place’, so that we know this shall
be our land, there we shall settle’.
‘Meanwhile we follow
Cuauhcoatl, and we fend off the
Acolhua. But one day we shall stop
fleeing, and Huitzilopochtli will tell
Cuauhcoatl of the right place’.
Then, the subject turns to what
the PCs are doing there. Unlike
other NPCs from the dream world,
Ocelopan doesn’t seem aware that
the PCs are dreaming, or that he is
part of their spirit-trip. However,
he understands the PCs slaughtered
his enemies, so he sees the PCs as
allies – or at least a potential aid
against the Acolhua.
‘You are no friends of the
Acolhua; you may march with us’.
‘We need to reach the Mere of
Acatitlan to get these people safe;
Cuauhcoatl will meet us in the
Mere, he asked all tribes to meet
him there’.
‘However, we also need to find
Tenoch, another one of our lead-
ers who is nearby; we need to find
Tenoch and his group, we must warn
them about the Acolhua move-
ments. But we also must protect our
own group’.
‘If you want to be of use, you can
either help escort our women and
children to the Mere of Acatitlan, or
help find Tenoch’s group and warn
them of the Acolhua’.
It’s time for the PCs to take part
in history. If necessary, make sure
they understand that helping the
Mexica is their way off this dream,
and the path to solving the spir-
it-world’s puzzle. They can help
search for Tenoch’s lost group, and
meet the man that will become the
first king of the settled Mexica, or
lead the refugees to safety and meet
Cuauhcoatl, the priest that found
Huitzilopochtli’s omen and led the
Mexica to the site of Tenochtitlan.
Either way, Ocelopan treats them
as allies, and allows them a few mo-
ments – nothing more – to rest,
prepare or gear up as needed. Then,
it’s up to the PCs to decide how they
will help.
■ If the PCs choose to help the
search for Tenoch, run Encounter
33.
■ If the PCs choose to help es-
cort the refugees to the Mere of
Acatitlan, run Encounter 34.
Encounter 33: Stalk-
ing Across the Stalks
The PCs join Ocelopan’s party
to seek Tenoch, another Mexica
leader, and his clan, to warn them
about the Acolhua movements in
the region. The group consists of
Ocelopan, the PCs and three other
Nahua scouts; the rest of Ocelopan’s
warriors have remained behind to
lead the civilians to safety. The PCs
spend several hours with the other
scouts, combing the area looking
for traces of Tenoch’s group.
Ask the PCs to perform an Athletic
or Survival action, confronted by a
TSE that plays two cards to keep
pace with the Nahua scouts; any PC
that fails suffers exhaustion.
After the first day, ask the PCs
to perform a normal Perception
or Survival Check (difficulty: 6(1)),
representing the search efforts of
both PCs and NPCs.
the eight omens
■ If the check succeeds, the group
finds the tracks of a group of Nahua
that could well be Tenoch and his
people; proceed immediately to
Encounter 35.
■ If the check is a success with a
negative consequence, the group
finds the tracks but also finds a
party of Acolhua scouts.
■ If the check fails, the group
doesn’t find the tracks, and the
Acolhua scouts attack during the
night.
Create a fair encounter, using a
combination of New World charac-
ters. The Mexica scouts accompa-
nying the PCs don’t need to be ac-
counted for during the battle; they
are assumed to be fighting other
Acolhua soldiers (that’s why the
encounter is only +1).
A PC that failed both the Action
and the Check at the beginning of
this encounter is spent during the
first round of this fight.
If the PCs survive the encoun-
ter, the other Mexica also defeat-
ed their Acolhua after great effort,
and they may continue exploring.
Ocelopan does not allow them to
rest, however, as they cannot af-
ford delays to find Tenoch.
Proceed to Encounter 35.
Encounter 34: Walk-
ing the Wetlands
While Ocelopan marches off to
find Tenoch and his people, the PCs
agree to help lead Ocelopan’s people
to safety. According to the scouts
leading the tribe, the Mere is still a
couple of days from the group’s po-
sition; but after the few first hours
they should clear Acolhua territory
and enter the Tepanec-dominated
Acatitlan region, where they will
have safe passage.
Ask the PCs to perform a Normal
Perception or Survival Check (dif-
87
ficulty: 6(1)), representing the per-
ceptions of both the PCs and their
NPC allies.
■ If the check succeeds, the group
senses there are Acolhua scouts
watching from afar; if allowed
to leave, they may return with a
stronger force. If the PCs wish to
engage the scouts, create a -1 en-
counter, using a Scouts and Ahtlatl
throwers. If the PCs win the fight,
they may return to the main group
and continue watching over them.
■ If the check is a success with a
positive consequence, the PCs am-
bush the scouts.
■ If the check is a success but
with a negative consequence, the
PCs may engage the scouts but one
of them already managed to disen-
gage and warn the larger force.
A F T E R T H E E N COU N TE R
Once the Acolhua scouts are dealt
with (or not), the Mexica scouts
decide to lead their people on for
the whole night, so that they won’t
risk camping in Acolhua lands. This
requires the PCs to help the chil-
dren and elderly, and to stay awake
themselves.
Ask the PCs to perform an Athletic
action, confronted by a TSE that
plays two cards. A PC that loses the
confrontation suffers exhaustion.
A PC who obtains a positive conse-
quence can spend it to help another
PC succeed.
As the PCs accompany the tribe’s
forced march across the Acolhua
marshes, proceed to Encounter 36.
Encounter 35: Ren-
dezvous at the Reeds
As dawn begins to lighten the sky,
the PCs and their scout companions
spy a group of armed warriors in
the distance.
■ If the group didn’t find the
tracks during Encounter 33, the
88
armed warriors are Tenoch’s peo-
ple… but they are under attack by a
massive Acolhua force.
■ Create a +1 encounter, using
a combination of New World
characters. Neither Tenoch’s
people nor the Mexica scouts
accompanying the PCs need to
be accounted for during the
battle, as they are assumed to
be fighting with other Acolhua,
which vastly outnumber the
Mexica in this battle.
■ If the group found the tracks
during Encounter 33, the camp be-
longs to the Acolhua; they mobilise
immediately when they see the PCs
and order pursuit. However, just
when the Acolhua catch up with the
PCs, Tenoch’s people appear out of
nowhere and ambush the Acolhua,
who were distracted by the PCs’
timely arrival.
■ Create a -1 encounter, using
a combination of New World
characters. Neither Tenoch’s
people nor the Mexica scouts
accompanying the PCs need to
be accounted for during the
battle, as they are assumed to
be fighting with other Acolhua.
AFTE R TH E ENC OUNTER
If the PCs survive the battle, they
may take the Acolhua’s gear and
greet Tenoch, the Mexica warlord
that will become the lead of his na-
tion for the next couple of decades.
Most of the Mexica survived the
fight too, and they spend little time
crying for their few losses; right
now, the priority is to move on.
After the battle, Tenoch and
Ocelopan hold a quick council, de-
ciding the tribe must proceed to
the Mere of Acatitlan to meet the
others; Ocelopan’s scouts and the
PCs are tasked with muddling the
group’s tracks and taking out any
Acolhua scout that may be on their
trail.
Ask the PCs to perform a Survival
Action, confronted by a TSE that
plays 2 cards, to keep the Acolhua
off the trail of Tenoch’s people.
Whether the PCs win or lose the
confrontation will affect the out-
come of a future encounter.
Proceed to Scene 41.
Encounter 36: The
Mere of Acatitlan
The PCs have managed to escort
the fleeing Mexica tribe for almost
a whole night; it’s been hard, but
they are all hardy people.
Then, one of the Mexica scouts
from the group returns with re-
ports of a large Acolhua force in the
vicinity.
■ If the PCs intercepted the
Acolhua scouts during Encounter
37, the Acolhua haven’t discovered
them yet, but they are very likely
to. However, the Acolhua border
is very near; if someone distract-
ed the Acolhua just enough, the
Mexica tribe could cross over to
Tepanec territory and be safe.
The PCs are of course expected to
volunteer for the task. If they do,
they must intercept the Acolhua
warriors and lead them away from
the Mexica, as the bulk of the tribe
safely crosses the border into the
Mere of Acatitlan.
The PCs find the Acolhua party
easily; they were really very near.
Ask the PCs to perform a Stealth,
Survival or Perception Action
against the Acolhua rank soldiers’
Mediocre Skill.
■ If the PCs win the confron-
tation, they successfully dis-
tract the Acolhua and must
fight only a few advance sol-
diers before running off into
the wetlands. Create a -1 en-
counter, using rank soldiers,
rank spearmen, ahtlatl throw-

ers, and warriors; If the PCs win the fight, their
task is fulfilled, and they may double back to the
Mere of Acatitlan to join the rest of the Mexica,
having successfully delayed the Acolhua force –
proceed to Scene 41.
■ If the PCs lose the confrontation, they have all
but sacrificed themselves to save the Mexica – the
Acolhua pursue and surround them, forcing them
into a nearly unwinnable fight. Create two fair en-
counters, one after the other, using rank soldiers,
rank spearmen, ahtlatl throwers, warriors, and
temple guards. If the PCs survive both battles, the
remaining Acolhua retreat, frightened by the PCs’
skill and ferocity. The PCs have not only saved the
Mexica; they have miraculously defeated impossi-
ble odds and survived to tell the tale. They may
now rejoin the Mexica in the Mere of Acatitlan.
■ If the PCs don’t volunteer to distract the Acolhua,
or if they failed to stop the Acolhua scouts from warn-
ing a larger force during Encounter 34, the Acolhua
quickly catch up with them and ambush the Mexica
group. The PCs’ only chance now is to help the Mexica
defeat an overwhelming force.
Create a +2 encounter, using rank soldiers, rank
spearmen, ahtlatl throwers, warriors, and temple
guards. If the PCs survive the fight, the Mexica have de-
feated the Acolhua force, but only at the cost of heavy
losses, the marshlands drowned with the blood of war-
riors, women and children. Even so, the survivors owe
it to the fallen to survive, so the tribe must go on to the
Mere of Acatitlan.
A F T E R T H E E N COU N TE R
If the PCs survive the encounter with the Acolhua
force, the tribe can finally cross into the Tepanec
marshes, and a few hours later they finally arrive, un-
disturbed, to the Mere of Acatitlan.
There are a few Mexica settled there, camping among
the reeds. They are but a handful, tired and hungry as
Ocelopan’s tribe. Some of them get hopeful looks when
they see their kin approach and get up to ask about
Ocelopan, but are disappointed to learn that neither
him nor Tenoch’s people are accounted for yet.
Also, the priest that summoned the Mexica here, the
Teotl-bearer Cuauhcoatl, hasn’t let himself be seen; ap-
parently, he’s performing some rite at a large islet in-
side the marsh. The scattered Mexica are still waiting
for him to come out and explain what this is about.
Meanwhile, let the PCs – finally – rest, heal them-
selves and regain Spirit as they wish. Then, proceed to
Scene 41.
the eight omens
Scene 41: the
eagle and
the serpenT
As the scene begins, the people of Tenoch arrive to
the Mere of Acatitlan, where the other few Mexica sur-
vivors have haphazardly gathered and remain waiting
for any word from the priest Cuauhcoatl. Ocelopan’s
tribe arrived almost two days earlier, and were eagerly
waiting for their kin to catch up with them.
If the PCs were with Ocelopan’s tribe, they see
Tenoch’s group arrive; his people are diminished, tired
and weakened, as they had to fight many Acolhua to
get here.
If the PCs went with Ocelopan himself to find Tenoch,
they have at last reached the Mexica gathering at the
Mere of Acatitlan, and may now rest, draw cards, heal
themselves and regain spirit.
The gathered Mexica celebrate the arrival of their
kin, gathering around, distributing food, playing
music, singing and telling jokes.
Their joy is short-lived, however; suddenly, the
sounds of marching soldiers reach them. The Acolhua
have found them.
Read the following aloud:
The first screams take you by surprise, as some of the
refugees from the outer camp run towards you, only to
fall dead a few paces away, their blood mingling with
the muddy water. Then it’s all a panic as the Acolhua
soldiers march into the Mexica camp, smashing skulls,
throwing children to the water, skewering the men and
women where they stand.
‘Why?’ cry some of the women, ‘why can’t they leave
us alone? They have killed our men, they have slain our
warriors, they won’t let us stay anywhere! Where will
we go?’
The PCs are soon caught up in the attack and must
fight; if not for the Mexica, for their own survival.
■ If the PCs played Encounter 35 and kept the Acolhua
off the trail of the Mexica, these attackers are just
a loose band of raiders; create a -1 encounter, using
scouts and archers.
89
 ■ If the PCs failed to stop the
Acolhua scouts, or didn’t play
Encounter 35, this is a full-fledged
strike force; create a +2 encounter,
using jaguar warriors, eagle warri-
ors and temple guards.
If the PCs survive this battle,
their next step also depends on
their previous actions:
■ If the PCs played Encounter 36
and volunteered to intercept the
Acolhua force, there are no more
Acolhua soldiers to battle for now;
proceed to Encounter 37.
■ If the PCs didn’t volunteer to in-
tercept the Acolhua force, or didn’t
play Encounter 36, they still must
fight a second wave of Acolhua raid-
ers; create a +1 encounter, using
rank soldiers, rank spearmen, aht-
latl throwers, warriors, and temple
guards. If the PCs survive, proceed
to Encounter 37.
Encounter 37: The
Founding
The Mexica have survived the
Acolhua raid, but there must be
more of them nearby. Some of the
Mexica leaders, Ocelopan included,
suspect the Tepaneca must have al-
lowed the Acolhua into Acatitlan,
to let two potential rivals take care
of each other without taking the
blame themselves. Right now, how-
ever, the most pressing concern is
to get the people to safety.
Ask the PCs to perform an Easy
Knowledge check (difficulty: 3(1));
non-Mexica characters suffer one
disadvantage on the check. If the
PCs succeed, they remember this
episode of Mexica history, and
know that the Mexica escaped
the Acolhua by hiding under the
waters.
If the PCs suggest hiding under
the waters, Tenoch and Ocelopan
agree that it’s a brilliant idea, and
immediately set out to lead their
90
peoples into the swamp, having the
tallest Mexica carry the children,
the elderly and the ones that can-
not wade the marshlands. Thus,
they avoid being tracked by the
Acolhua.
If the PCs fail the check, or if
they don’t suggest the idea, Tenoch
comes up with it on his own, but
not before some more Acolhua ap-
pear and attack the tribe; create a
fair encounter, using rank soldiers,
rank spearmen, ahtlatl throwers,
warriors, and temple guards.
When the plan to ‘hide in the wa-
ters’ is in motion, all the surviving
Mexica, women, children and elder-
ly included, wade into the swamp,
hoping to throw the Acolhua off
their scent once and for all.
The PCs are assigned to guide the
procession; ask them to perform a
normal Stealth or Survival Check
(difficulty: 6(1)).
■ If the check succeeds, the PCs
have safely lead the Mexica past
the Acolhua raiders, and the tribes
are now truly safe; proceed to After
the Encounter.
■ If the check fails, the Acolhua
sense the Mexica in the water and
wade after them; the PCs must help
kill them to the last man, or else
they’ll call reinforcements and all
will be lost. Create a fair encounter,
using eagle warriors, scouts, arch-
ers and ahtlatl throwers. If the PCs
survive the fight, proceed to After
the Encounter.
AFTE R TH E ENC OUNTER
Once the last Acolhua scouts have
been dealt with, the Mexica are at
last clear of their pursuers; they
spend the rest of the night hiding
waist-deep in the waters, but safe.
The next morning, a small con-
tingent of Mexica priests comes out
of the reeds and approaches the
shore to help the Mexica tribes out
of the water. Leading the priests is
a tall, regal man with ritual paint, a
hummingbird headdress and black
paint over his arms and face. This
is Cuauhcoatl, the Teomama of the
Mexica, the Voice of Huitzilopochtli
and spiritual guide of the refugees.
Read the following aloud when
the PCs meet Cuauhcoatl:
The imposing figure that greets
everybody as they climb out of
the water can be no other than
Cuauhcoatl, the God-bearer of
Huitzilopochtli, the Mexica’s Grand
Priest. As Tenoch, Ocelopan and the
other clan leaders bow to him, he
bows back and intones, loud enough
for all the survivors to hear:
‘I have talked with Huitzilopochtli
and he has spoken; he has shown me
the sign we were waiting for. But first
we have to mark this place, for here
we were bathed, we were baptised;
here the Waters held us and birthed
us again. This place shall henceforth
be known as Temazcaltitlan, and we
shall have burning flags here to re-
member our deliverance from dan-
ger and mud’.
The Mexica cheer and cry upon
hearing this; Cuauhcoatl answers
by chanting a heartfelt rite and
bleeding himself over the pond. He
has thirteen flags planted on the
shore, and orders the Mexica to set
them on fire.
Then, the old priest grows sol-
emn, his eyes glint, and he looks
over all his gathered flock.
‘Come now, my children’, he
says. ‘See what our Teotl has shown
us, what he showed to me, to
Ococoaltzin and to Xohimimitl, see
what we saw. Come!’
With these words, the priests
guide the Mexica – and the PCs –
to a shallow pass, and lead the way
across an islet in the middle of the
marshland. Atop the islet there’s a
rock, and on it grows a Tenochtli
cactus; standing on the tenochtli,
there’s an eagle devouring a ser-
 the eight omens

pent, the two beasts’ blood mingling with the cactus’ ‘Yet, by giving people a common purpose, we cre-
pricks and pears. ate nations; by giving them symbols, we create worlds.
Whether we flee or fight, what matters is not the place,
‘This is what Huitzilopochtli was waiting to show us. but the people. How funny, how fitting that, for the
We thought we were expelled, we were homeless, we people to survive, they must be given the illusion that
were cast out; we thought we were the ones nobody the place matters’.
wanted. But today our Teotl shows us it was not so; to-
day we know we were being led here, to this place’. ‘This, thus, is my lesson to you: abandon the sacred
place, burn the flag… but always protect the people’.
‘Here we will build, and here we will lay the founda-
tion, and those that run us off today, will end up our As the PCs ponder the priest’s last words, the multi-
slaves; those that demand tribute to let us stay in their coloured mist covers the scene, announcing the end of
lands will beg to pay tribute to us, so we let them live’. the spirit journey. The last the PCs receive is a glimpse
of the eagle on the tenochtli, eating the serpent, sur-
‘The Acolhua despise and chase us now, but they rounded by mist, as if a timeless symbol of…
know our children and lineages are mingled with
theirs; they will agree to give us a King of their blood,
and Azcapotzalco will have to acknowledge us, and
Colhuacan will have to acknowledge, and we shall be an
altepetl of our own, and grow in power, and make alli-
Scene 42:
ances and conquer’.
‘Thus the Empire of Mexico Cuauhmixtitlan, the
domain of the Mexica begins… with a temple to
waking
Huitzilopochtli here, in the place of the Great Omen’.
The Mexica break out in tears after the speech, and
from the
they scramble to touch the cactus, to worship the sym-
bolic eagle - which miraculously does not fly away, or
acknowledge the reverent Mexica, while it continues
its dinner - and to thank the old priest Cuauhcoatl. In
sixth dreaM
the commotion, the priest marches up to the PCs and
smiles at them. Then the fog lifts, and the PCs find themselves in the
‘Ah, the spirit travellers. The ones that dreamed us. mortal world again.
Was the lesson clear? Was the dream satisfactory?’ As always, they feel rested and healed, and may keep
‘You see, Huitzilopochtli did not tell me to seek this any equipment found during the dream; more impor-
place. He told me to make it. I lured the eagle with mag- tantly, they have the sixth obsidian piece. Necahua’s
ic, I lured it with that dead snake; I made the omen, so smoky mirror can be assembled now.
I could inspire the people. Nobody wants us anywhere Then, read the following aloud:
else, so I had to make a desirable place out of this for-
As you realise you now have the final mirror piece,
saken marsh; but it will suffice, and it will inspire, and
you notice you are in the streets of Tenochtitlan, near
from hardship we shall wrest strength.
the Temple of Huitzilopochtli. The dream brought you to
‘I picked the tenochtli, because everyone knows the place where the Mexica found Cuauhcoatl’s omen,
Tenoch will be our leader, and he will want to remember now paved over and built around.
this day, to glorify this site. And we will name the city
Every time you have returned from the spirit world, it
Tenochtitlan when he dies; in his honour, of course, but
has been just in time to witness the next omen. However,
they all shall forever picture the tenochtli, the eagle, the
nothing special happens this time; you’re simply stand-
omen. The eagle, the serpent, cuauh, coatl… well, I can
ing in the streets – some people wander about, but no-
claim Huitzilopochtli gave the order, not me.
body even looks at you. There’s no omen to greet your
‘But in truth there are no sacred places, you know? return.
Not even to the teotl. There are no preordained homes.
Save for the obsidian piece.
Always the Mexica have been wanderers, and wanderers
we shall remain; as we won our home while escaping an It seems to hum, to warn…
enemy, so shall we lose it while escaping another. As we
reached our home by water, we shall leave it by fire’.

91
 vii. the smoky
mirroR
92
the eight omens

93
 lair. The PCs may rest and prepare as they wish while

Scene 43: an the soldiers organize the strike force; then, Mahuitzin
gives the order. Whether the PCs are on Necahua or
Mahuitzin’s side, they must now go to the temple as

omen is a soon as possible.

When the PCs move to Necahua’s lair, proceed to
Scene 44.

warninG ■ If the PCs successfully deceived Mahuitzin in Scene

37, the mist becomes a flock of vultures, which then
transform into a group of Necahua’s agents. The agents
approach the PCs to bring them back to the witch:
As the PCs wake from the last dream, they notice the Necahua has learned that Mahuitzin intends to attack
obsidian piece in their possession is fuming. There’s the temple, and she needs the PCs by her side for the
actual mist – the multicoloured mist of Necahua’s spell defence.
– coming out of the obsidian piece. If the PCs examine
it closely, they notice the piece is also humming, vi- The guards lead the PCs back to Necahua’s lair, where
brating ever so slightly, as if it wanted something to they are assigned a post at the temple entrance (area
happen. N1 in Appendix: Necahua’s Temple). The PCs may rest,
draw cards, replenish consumables and tend to their
What happens after this depends directly on what wounds; then, Necahua gives them her last instructions:
the PCs said to Mahuitzin, and who they appeared to
side with, during Scene 37 in Chapter VI. ■ Once the battle begins, the PCs must discreetly
fight their way to her chambers in Area N6 of the
■ If the PCs went in search of Necahua, or Mahuitzin map.
detected the PCs tried to deceive him in Scene 37, the
mist carries an urgent message from Necahua, right in- ■ To this end, Necahua tells the PCs how to open
side the PCs’ heads: the door in the Throne Room (Area N5) with the
black dust on the four torches.
‘Warriors! There is no time to lose! The merchant’s
forces, the sneaking spy’s forces, are at my house now! ■ Necahua also gives the PCs the code to open the
They are at my house with stone and fire! Please come! access to Area N7 (1, 3, 7, 11; or 11, 7, 3, 1 if the PCs
The black mirror is all but assembled! If Mahuitzin stops had already cracked the previous code).
us now, everything is lost! The world is lost…!’ ■ Once in Necahua’s secret chambers, the PCs
When the PCs move to Necahua’s lair, proceed to must gather all the obsidian pieces and escape the
Scene 44. temple; what matters above all is for the mirror to
be assembled.
■ If the PCs warned Mahuitzin about Necahua’s plan
in Scene 37, the mist disperses and a group of sol- Once the PCs have understood their duties and are
diers encounter the PCs in the streets, taking them to ready to protect the temple, run Scene 44.
Mahuitzin’s lair.
Once in the spymaster’s presence, he tells the PCs of
his plans to attack on Necahua.
‘My friends, the Nobles have decided, the ancients
have decided. I relayed Necahua’s case to those that
would… understand the situation, and they have given
their command’.
‘The witch Necahua may have the best interests of
the Anahuac at heart, but she cannot go on unsuper-
vised. I’m moving to her lair to bring her in. If she wants
to save the city, she’ ll have to work with the city. I ex-
pect you to back this up’.
Without another word, Mahuitzin dismisses the PCs
and mobilises his forces for an attack on Necahua’s

94

Scene 44:
the raid on
the templE
The Mexica government has decided to deal with
Necahua and ordered a raid on her temple. She has cho-
sen to resist, and it’s time for the PCs to choose a side.
The scene begins when both the PCs and Mahuitzin’s
soldiers have arrived to Necahua’s temple for the
attack.
■ If the PCs arrive with Mahuitzin’s attacking force,
or after the attack has begun, they must climb the tem-
ple’s outer stairs. The scene begins when the PCs finish
the climb and reach the top of Necahua’s pyramid.
■ If the PCs were assigned as temple defence, they are
already at the top of the pyramid, waiting for the rush
of invaders.
If the PCs haven’t explored Necahua’s lair before,
read the following aloud as the scene begins:
Necahua’s temple resembles the inside of the great
temples of Tenochtitlan, except the imagery of the Saints
and Spirits carved on the walls is mixed with other, less
identifiable, more monstrous beings. Necahua clearly
worships both sides of the spirit world – the upper and
the lower realms.
Refer to the Necahua’s Temple appendix to guide the
PCs’ steps through the area, describing the section cor-
responding to the code of the chamber they move to; as
the scene begins, the PCs are in area N1.
Wherever the PCs move, they see Mexica warriors
fighting each other or dying against the bloodied tem-
ple walls; neither side gives or asks for any mercy.
Every time the PCs reach an area marked X on the
map, they must fight a small force of enemies.
■ If the PCs are on Mahuitzin’s side, create a -1 en-
counter, using Cuahchic and Teotl Priests.
■ If the PCs are on Necahua’s side, create a -1 encoun-
ter, using rank soldiers, rank spearmen and warriors.
If the PCs defeat the enemy force, let them keep ex-
ploring the temple, referring to the Necahua’s Temple
appendix to guide their steps.
the eight omens
If the PCs enter and leave area N7, or use the exits on
areas N2 or N9, they activate Necahua’s magical wards,
and the multicoloured mist surrounds them again; run
Scene 45.
Scene 45: the
pieces of
the PuzzlE
Read the following aloud:
The mist takes you again when you were leaving
Necahua’s dungeon; she must have cursed all her exits
with paths to the spirit world. But before you can give it
much thought, the mist dissipates, and you are surprised
to find yourself in an environment you recognise – a
court of tlachtli ball.
Two men hold a one-on-one match, before thousands
of Nahua onlookers. The crowd, the decorations and the
military presence indicate this is a very important game,
and the players are very high-ranking people. One of the
players is a strikingly beautiful man, thin and delicate as
a woman but spirited and aggressive in his playing style.
The other one is… by the teotl, it’s King Moctecuhzoma
II, the Mexica tlatoani. And he doesn’t look that much
younger; this must have taken place no more than 10, 20
years ago. Then, his opponent must be equally noble;
perhaps the lord of a vassal state… You’ve been trans-
ported to a tlachtli match between kings.
Describe the tlachtli game briefly; both players hit
the balls with their hips, knees and elbows, masterfully
preventing it from falling to the ground while trying to
put it through a stone hoop in the middle of the court.
The PCs have little to do other than watch, but soon
King Moctecuhzoma’s lithe opponent gets the upper
hand and wins the game. Moctecuhzoma goes livid, but
he manages to force a gracious congratulation to the
winner.
Ask the PCs to perform a Normal Knowledge Check
(difficulty: 6(1)); non-Mexica characters suffer one
disadvantage.
■ If the check succeeds, one of the PCs recalls a
story about a ball game between Moctecuhzoma and
King Nezahualpilli of Tetzcoco; a game caused by a bet
among the two statesmen. Nezahualpilli’s victory was
95
regarded as an ill omen and a slight on Moctecuhzoma’s
authority.
■ If the check is a critical success, the PC also remem-
bers the origin of the bet: Nezahualpilli foresaw a for-
eign invasion against the Anahuac, and Moctecuhzoma
had derided the prediction, so they’d decided on a
tlachtli game to settle it.
Meanwhile, the game has ended and the king’s re-
spective courts, retinues and well-wishers have formed
lines and crowds to talk to their leaders, or at least
see them more closely. The kings are talking as friends,
laughing at some private joke; then, Nezahualpilli’s
voice rises over the crowd and he makes a grand ges-
ture, pointing to someone in his entourage.
A teenaged girl comes forward, and Nezahualpilli
puts her hand into Moctecuhzoma’s hands, indicating
he will let the girl go to Moctecuhzoma’s palace to live
with him; presumably as a consolation prize to safe-
guard the losing king’s honour. Both courts explode in
hails and blessings, and the crowd cheers with joy.
Then the PCs recognise the girl. Even at this distance,
even at this age, there can be no mistake.
It’s Necahua.
Ask the PCs to perform a Normal Perception
Check (difficulty: 6(1)) to notice that a member of
Nezahualpilli’s retinue is not happy; a teenage boy,
dressed as a prince, who looks at the kings with anger.
■ If the check is a success with a positive conse-
quence, the PCs notice the kid seems worried about
Necahua, and she also quickly glances sideways at him.
Then, the crowd disperses and the peasants begin the
after-game celebration, with music, traditional food-
stuffs and street performers, as both kings and their
attendants leave for the palace. Let the PCs realise they
are actually in Tenochtitlan, but the seasonal decora-
tions suggest this festival happened about ten years
before their time.
Let the PCs mingle with the local folk and talk about
the ongoing event and the visit of the Tetzcocan nobles.
■ As soon as the PCs talk or listen to anyone, ask
them to perform a Charisma or Perception action, con-
fronted by a TSE that plays one card. If the PCs win the
confrontation, they overhear that many people argue
whether Nezahualpilli’s gift was symbolic appeasement
or a disguised, symbolic insult, since Moctecuhzoma’s
sister is one of Nezahualpilli’s ‘lesser’ wives.
■ If the PCs ask about the ball game, they con-
firm what’s known from history (no check needed):
Nezahualpilli got reports about mysterious invad-
96
ers in the Eastern Sea, and discussed them with his
sages. His wizards consulted the stars, and concluded
that the foreigners were a danger to all the Anahuac,
adding that Tezcatlipoca would soon send omens to
confirm it. When Nezahualpilli had tried to convince
Moctecuhzoma of his fears, the Mexica King down-
played his fellow’s suspicions; the ball game was a di-
rect consequence of that argument, and is the direct
cause of this party.
■ If the PCs inquire about Necahua, ask them to per-
form a Charisma or Perception action, confronted by a
TSE that plays one card. If the PCs win the confronta-
tion, they learn that everyone knows she was one of
Nezahualpilli’s illegitimate offspring, unable to inherit
his noble standing. He favoured her, however, which
everyone knows as well; it’s even rumoured he taught
her things forbidden to women.
Once the PCs have learned at least two of the above
facts, let them roleplay their time at the local fair, in-
vestigating more if they wish or simply having a good
time.
Then, run Encounter 38.
Encounter 38: Actor Assassins
While the PCs wander about the festival, they come
across a suspicious sight.
There’s a group of masked men, huddling in the shad-
ow of an out-of-the-way building; they are dressed like
street actors, but they talk in hushed tones as they
sheathe darts and knives. Then, paying no mind to the
party around them, they slip out of the city square,
towards the northern gate – the one that leads to the
Tetzcoco ferry.
If the PCs ignore this mysterious group, proceed to
Scene 46.
If the PCs follow these suspicious characters, ask
them to perform a Stealth Action, confronted by a
Xolotl assassin’s competent skill.
■ If the PCs lose the confrontation, some of the dis-
guised characters escape, while the rest confront the
PCs. Create a -1 encounter, using Xolotl assassins. If the
PCs survive the fight, proceed to After the Encounter.
■ If the PCs win the confrontation, they follow the
group for the better part of an hour, until they reach
 the eight omens

the northern pier of Tenochtitlan and head towards a

moored boat. At the other end of the pier, the PCs no-
tice a large, ornate vessel, protected by many armed
guards – clearly the boat of Nezahualpilli, in which
Scene 46: the
the Tetzcoca King will eventually depart for his city,
perhaps tomorrow. Apparently ignoring the Tetzcoca
boat, the disguised NPCs approach their own dark boat
mirror in
and prepare to leave.
■ If the PCs allow them to leave, nothing else
happens during that night; proceed to Scene 46.
the mirroR
■ If the PC move to intercept them, create a +1
encounter, using a combination of Xolotl assassins As the PCs wander the Tenochtitlan festival, a street
and a indigenous leader. If the PCs survive, pro- wizard, a peddler of magical trinkets, approaches them
ceed to After the Encounter. obsequiously. His hair is tied up in a weird black-and-
white headdress, there’s a black-and-blue line painted
A F T E R T H E E N COU N TE R across his eyes, and his eyes are overly open and bulg-
ing as he talks to the PCs:
If the PCs defeat the assassins, they may keep their
equipment, which includes knives, poisoned darts, ‘The mirror shine on you, good people, the mirror
small atlatl slings, a few poison flasks, their ritual ani- shine! Here it is, your dream, here it is! I am the seller
mal masks and a total of 45 quachtli in jewellery. of your dream, the mirror, the black mirror, the enemy
of both sides, isn’t it?... Here it is! Gaze upon it and pay
Also, the PCs may interrogate one of the assassins if
nothing, because payment reflected amounts to noth-
they left any alive:
ing, and the mirror shows nothing… or does it? Here, here
■ The assassins pretend they are a harmless troupe it is! Your answer and your dream… free or charge… or
of street performers, leaving the festival for a well-de- not… hee hee… mirror shine, mirror shine! Get it? Black
served rest after a day of hard work entertaining the smoke… shine! Heee heee…!’
Mexica children.
■ Ask the PCs to perform a Charisma action, con-
fronted by a Xolotl assassin’s competent Skill.
■ If the PCs win the confrontation, the prisoner
confesses they were paid to ambush Nezahualpilli’s
royal boat on its way back to Tetzcoco, set it on fire
and make it look like an accident, but they don’t
know who the customer was (they honestly don’t
know). Ask the PCs to perform a Normal Knowledge
Check (difficulty: 6(1)) (non-Mexica suffer 1 disad- After saying this, the peddler disappears down a side
vantage) to remember that Nezahualpilli died just alley, having previously given the PCs a round obsidian
a couple of years before the First Omen took place, mirror… one exactly like the one Necahua intended to
and the details of his death were curiously never assemble from the pieces the PCs gathered.
made public. However, this means whoever tried If the PCs examine the mirror, read the following
to kill him during his visit to Tenochtitlan must aloud:
have failed, because this festival took place almost
As you look in the obsidian surface, the familiar mul-
a full decade before the PCs’ time. Does that mean
ticoloured mist swirls in it; not around you, but within
that someone tried to kill Nezahualpilli for years?
the mirror itself. After showing a few ephemeral, fleet-
But who… and why?
ingly familiar shapes, the mist seems to coalesce and dis-
■ If the PCs get a success with a positive conse- perse… and the mirror reveals an image; an image that is
quence, the prisoner spills that their leader should not your reflection.
know the full details of the contract, but he es-
In the mirror you see Necahua; not the adult Necahua
caped as soon as the fight began.
you encountered in the real world, but the young
Once the PCs have dealt with the Xolotl assassins, Necahua, the teenaged girl you just saw used by the
they may return to the festival; proceed to Scene 46. Tetzcoca king as a placating gift. You see this girl in the

97
court of Nezahualpilli, surrounded by the culture, arts
and education of Tetzcoco in its prime. Nezahualpilli
hugs her, loves her… he is her father. And he teaches her;
he teaches her to read the stars, to paint symbols on
paper. And his sages, the great sages of Tetzcoco, teach
her to perform sacrifices, to bleed herself, to beg to the
gods, to consume the mushrooms, to breathe the mist,

Scene 47: a
to read the stars, to paint her body black. Nezahualpilli
raises his daughter to be wise, to be powerful, to be a
mighty priestess…

little bird
Then the mist covers the image again, and when it
disperses, you see Nezahualpilli dead in his bed, sur-
rounded by well-wishers and grieving relatives. Among

told mE
them there’s the teenage boy you saw after the ball
game, the one that didn’t agree with Necahua leaving.
He doesn’t cry; he only squints and tightens his fists. You
are witnessing the death of the Tetzcoca King, which
happened two years ago in your time, but in this dream
is still the future… As the PCs return from their last spirit trip, they find
themselves surrounded by the soldiers of the merchant
Then, the sovereign’s corpse spontaneously bursts in
Mahuitzin, who was ordering a raid on the temple of
flames, as if burned from the inside; some of the wit-
Necahua, the Witch, the last time the PCs saw him.
nesses cringe or step back, but the priests remain stern
Since then, the PCs have learned it was Mahuitzin who
and composed, and cast incantations at the fire, mouth-
killed Nezahualpilli, the King of Tetzcoco, three years
ing something about a curse. The teenage prince turns
ago; and it was probably this job which earned him his
his back on the burning carcass of his father and leaves
high rank in Moctecuhzoma’s secret service. But why?
the room.
And how? So many questions. And yet, right now it’s
Hidden on the palace roof, spying on the prince from his time to ask.
the shadows, there is a Xolotl assassin, just like the ones
‘Where have you been?’
the PCs saw earlier tonight. When the prince disappears
from view, the assassin lifts his mask. Let the PCs reply – or not – as they wish. Mahuitzin is
not in the mood for much talking, anyway.
He is Mahuitzin.
If the PCs were on Mahuitzin’s side during the tem-
Not yet a rich, fat pochteca, but still a lean, efficient
ple raid, he simply orders them escorted to the palace;
killer. Yet there’s no doubt that it’s him. As you feel the
if they were on Necahua’s team, he has the PCs bound,
chill of recognition, he puts the mask back on, and leaps
fettered and dragged to the palace as prisoners.
away into the shadows…
During the trip to the palace, Mahuitzin says nothing
Then the mist covers the mirror again, and you hear
but the following:
the murmur of the wind, taking the shape of three words:
‘While you were… wherever it is that the witch sends
Nezahualpilli was right.
you, the Seventh Omen appeared. Some black mirror,
Then the multicoloured mist really surrounds the with magical images… of all the stupid things…’
PCs, and they are jaunted back to the mortal world.
Regardless of what the PCs say or ask, Mahuitzin re-
They are still in Tenochtitlan, at the exact same spot plies only that all their questions shall be answered in
they were during the spirit dream, in the northeast city the palace.
square; only this time there is no festival, no party, no
If the PCs are led as prisoners, Mahuitzin’s guards
people, no noise… the night is heavy with silence and
strip them of all weapons and gear and throw them into
thick with expectation.
jail. If they are still working for Mahuitzin, he sum-
And Mahuitzin’s men surround the PCs. mons the PCs to his audience chamber inside the palace
– a small, discreet office, curiously smaller and plainer
‘Where… were… you?’
than the spymaster’s lavish field quarters. Either way,
proceed to Scene 47 Conversation.

98

Scene 47 Conversation: What He
Said
Whether in a cell or in his office, Mahuitzin meets
the PCs within an hour after their arrival to the palace.
Mahuitzin has very specific things to say to the PCs;
they may answer as they wish and even interject their
own questions. In any event, use the following excerpts
as part of Mahuitzin’s dialogue.
‘While you disappeared, we finished the Temple raid
and rounded up everyone inside. I foresee a featherful of
executions by the next moon’.
‘Necahua allowed herself to be captured, which
makes no sense; why did she make us fight our way to
her if she was going to turn herself in anyway…? But then
I thought, of course, she’s planning something. And it
involves the guys she just sent to the Spirit World.’
‘So, I gave the order to watch out for your return.
And meanwhile, the funniest thing happened’.
‘Some fishermen found this black stork – which, cu-
riously enough, is Necahua’s nahual spirit – carrying a
black mirror. They took the mirror and the bird to King
Moctecuhzoma… and the mirror had a warning all right.
It showed some metal-clad, hairy-faced men… not unlike
our foreigners from the Eastern Sea… just like everyone’s
been warning everyone about, isn’t it?’
‘Well, the king doesn’t want any noise about these
foreigners; he feels it could threaten his rule. Paranoid
little people, politicians are. So, he ordered his sages to
state that they couldn’t decipher the omen, and that
the mirror disappeared before we could understand its
meaning. That’s seriously the official story we’re feeding
SIDEBAR: NEZAHUALPILLI’S CHILDREN
Thirteen years ago, Moctecuhzoma of Tenochtitlan
and Nezahualpilli of Tetzcoco did have a tlachtli bet,
to settle Nezahualpilli’s claims about the hair-faced
invaders from the East: he wanted Moctecuhzoma
to take immediate action against them, while
Moctecuhzoma favoured a moderate approach.
Nezahualpilli won, which was taken as an ill omen
for the Mexica.
To placate the defeated and offended
Moctecuhzoma, Nezahualpilli gave his daughter
Necahua to him as a concubine.
Everybody in the Anahuac knows that Nezahualpilli
died under mysterious circumstances two years ago.
the eight omens
the people. * sigh *’
‘But the mirror did not disappear, mind you; my men
have it well guarded as we speak. And I have pretty
strong evidence to believe it’s another of Necahua’s do-
ings. So that leaves us with your part in all this’.
■ If the PCs mention their last spirit trip, Mahuitzin
confirms any information they may have failed to ob-
tain during the dream, as detailed in the Nezahualpilli’s
Children Sidebar.
■ If the PCs confront Mahuitzin about assassinating
Nezahualpilli, he holds their gaze, unblinking:
‘There are things larger, and more important, than
any one man, be he a public servant, a murderer, or even
a king. Peace is one such thing. Peace is far more impor-
tant than the life of any one citizen of the Anahuac.
Moctecuhzoma may not be the most competent or wor-
thy ruler; yes, he may even be a coward... but he under-
stands that. Nezahualpilli understood that. Ixtlilxóchitl,
proud and noble as he is, does not. So… do you under-
stand that?’
After saying this, Mahuitzin sends the PCs directly to
Necahua’s shrine, without speaking with her, even if
she is alive; he can’t risk the PCs revealing what they
know to Necahua. Proceed to Scene 49.
AFTER TH E C ONVERSATI ON
When the questioning ends, Mahuitzin’s final orders
depend on Necahua’s current situation. That, in turn,
depends on the PCs’ professed stance on Necahua, and
whether they convinced Mahuitzin of it, during their
previous conversations, particularly Scene 37.
Nezahualpilli’s son Ixtlilxóchitl was a favour-
ite to succeed him, but Moctecuhzoma pressed the
Tetzcoco officials into choosing Cacamac, one of
Nezahualpilli’s illegitimate children, and the son
of Moctecuhzoma’s sister. To date, Cacamac rules
Tetzcoco as a puppet of Tenochtitlan.
Ixtlilxóchitl didn’t agree to his half-brother’s ap-
pointment, claiming – perhaps rightly – that the
election was rigged by the Mexica, and Tetzcoco has
been divided between the two brothers for the last
two years.
99
 ■ If the PCs didn’t specifically convince Mahuitzin of
Necahua’s guilt or innocence, he has kept her impris-
oned to see what he can get out of her:
‘Necahua is still in her cell. I need you to talk to her…
see if there really is some sense to her predictions.’
■ When the PCs are ready to talk to Necahua, go to
Scene 48.
■ If the PCs convinced Mahuitzin that Necahua is
working for the common good, he has hidden her inside
the palace, and allowed her to continue her research:
‘See, my orders were to execute Necahua… but I have
been covering up the threat of the Eastern foreigners for
far too long not to suspect that there may be some truth
to the warnings. So, I kind of… saved her… and gave her a
fully-equipped shrine here in the palace’.
‘Well yeah, she’s officially dead, but… well, she ba-
sically works for us, now. A witch-spy for the Triple
Alliance’.
‘Anyway, I need you to debrief her on your last spirit
trip, and work with her to give me some intelligence on
what to do next’.
When the PCs are ready to talk to Necahua, go to
Scene 48.
■ If the PCs revealed Necahua’s traitorous plan to
Mahuitzin, or actively convinced him that she is dan-
gerous, he had her executed while the PCs were in the
spirit world.
‘Necahua’s dead. We put her to death during your
trip. In fact, I think the bird-thing that brought us the
mirror… Did I tell you that was her nahual shape? …
Anyway, doesn’t matter. I’m pretty sure she’s dead now’.
‘The point is, now we need you to make sense of her
ramblings. She left a lot of loose ends, a lot of unfin-
ished research. You were working closely with her, so if
anyone’s got a chance of getting anything useful out of
it… Well, you get my point. I’m giving you access to it all
– her notes, her rituals, even that black mirror she, or
the bird-thing, showed the King’.
‘You examine the stuff, you learn what you can, you
share it with me. No double-crossing, no half-truths this
time. You do that, you go free, and you get a well-paid
job in the bargain’.
When the PCs are ready to comply, go to Scene 49.
100
Scene 48:
picking up
the PieceS
The PCs are led to Necahua’s presence, either in her
jail cell or her new, secret quarters in the Tenochtitlan
Palace. In any case, she looks far less majestic and
much more down-to-earth than in all their previous
meetings. It’s even a bit sad to see her without all the
paraphernalia, the followers, the smoke clouds, the
decoration.
Necahua cries in delight upon seeing the PCs and ea-
gerly stands up to meet them, even if they sided against
her during the previous chapter.
‘My friends… my warriors! You have returned from
yet another trip… the sixth omen was not the last!’
‘The mirror, the mirror itself was the Seventh Omen…
I was not wrong, and I’m not wrong now: An Eighth
Omen will yet come, one from the very Earth!’
‘But you’re here because Mahuitzin allowed it. So, he
wants you to get something from me. What is it?’
Scene 48 Conversation: Treading
on Truths
Let the PCs conduct the conversation with Necahua
as they wish. Possible subjects, and Necahua’s answers,
depend on the PCs comments and questions.
Most of all, Necahua wants the PCs to tell her about
their last trip; she confirms what they saw is what real-
ly happened, as detailed in the Nezahualpilli’s Children
Sidebar.
■ If the PCs ask Necahua about her own findings, she
tells her interpretation of the latest omens, as detailed
in the Necahua’s Final Thoughts sidebar.
■ If the PCs talk about the strange bird that took
the complete obsidian mirror to Moctecuhzoma, she
confesses:
‘I gathered the mirror pieces after I sent you on that
last trip. I could not wait’.
‘Then, just before the spymaster’s men destroyed my
temple, I sent my nahual bird with the mirror; to take

it to safety, yes… But also to let Moctecuhzoma see the
threat, the real threat... and the mirror showed him.
It’s the foreign invaders, of course. You knew, I knew,
we always knew that. The mirror will show you too, if
Mahuitzin lets you see it’.
‘But the mirror is not the complete answer, of course.
It fulfilled its purpose as the Seventh Omen, and it
warned of the coming of these people; but the other
omens make it clear – these people will destroy the
Anahuac’.
■ If the PCs question Necahua about what they saw
about her in the dream version of the mirror, she also
confirms the story:
‘A man foretold the omens before I did. He knew
what Tezcatlipoca would say before it was said. He was
Nezahualpilli, the son of Great Nezahualcoyotl and the
greatest statesman the Anahuac has ever seen…’
‘Nezahualpilli was my teacher and father; the rival
Kings of Tetzcoco are my half-brothers. My father… he
gave me to Moctecuhzoma as a gesture for a lost bet’.
■ If the PCs reveal that Mahuitzin killed Necahua’s
father, her expression immediately changes. For a mo-
ment, the PCs see again the Necahua they know – an
aloof, theatrical and arrogant Nahual sorceress, full of
passion… and vengeance. Her air of madness returns.
‘So it is, is it?... So it is’.
‘You… you have told me this. You learned this. The
mirror… The mirror wanted you to know this, but you
freely chose to tell me’.
‘You have set the vulture of wrath upon Tenochtitlan,
my friends. Ah, I’m half-tempted to let those bearded
invaders take this cursed land, its cursed men and their
cursed intrigues, let them all be washed away in an
ocean of black blood… But no. Better a careful revenge.
A surgical revenge. And you will help me with this’.
■ If the PCs mention the eighth omen, Necahua shows,
as always, that she’s not one to wait around.
‘When the Eighth Omen appears, we’ ll think about it.
Who knows if we’ ll still be alive when it comes?’
‘No, we must think about what we already know. Let
us move; let us get things done’.
A F T E R T H E CON V E R SATION
Regardless of the rest of their conversation, Necahua
makes sure to tell the PCs the following:
‘The real danger, as the fifth dream suggested, as the
flood warned, is an illness. The invaders will bring metal
weapons, will enforce new gods and death penalties, but
they will also bring a deadly plague’.
the eight omens
‘And I believe you are the key to defeat this plague’.
‘When my father gave me to Moctecuhzoma, his in-
tention was not really to placate the Mexica King. He
let everyone believe so, of course… but he talked to me
first’.
‘In truth, my father intended me to act as
Moctecuhzoma’s influence, to lead him to a greater un-
derstanding; my father believed that, if the King could
not be swayed from the throne room, he might be per-
suaded from a lover’s bed. He wanted to use me to turn
Moctecuhzoma’s mind toward the invaders, to make him
see the need to… take action about them’.
‘But then my father died, and Moctecuhzoma spit on
my family and my people’s sovereignty by bullying the
council into appointing Cacamac, the son of his sister,
over my brother Ixtlilxóchtil’.
‘Then I knew Moctecuhzoma could not be made to
see reason, either from the bed or from the throne.
Instead, I trained and researched in secret… and then the
omens came’.
‘Ixtlilxóchitl, not Cacamac, should be my father’s
successor. I wanted to conspire to crown him… But that
wasn’t enough, either. I was tired of leaving things to
kings. I was tired of leaving things to politicians. Of leav-
ing things to men’.
‘Mahuitzin will want you to rummage through my
things, to examine the mirror. I believe the spirit world
gave you a way to prevent, or even cure, the coming
plague. There is a ritual among my stuff… it’s still un-
tested, researched only from omens and symbols… but it
should work. Use the ritual. Make the cure’.
If the PCs did not reveal that Mahuitzin killed
Nezahualpilli, Necahua is beginning to have doubts:
‘At first, I wanted you to smuggle the cure and the
mirror to my brother in Tetzcoco; but now I understand…
other things’.
‘Moctecuhzoma’s inability to see clearly was my fail-
ure. Turning the king was my duty, not as a wife, but as
a daughter. I failed my father. I should have been there
to convince the King, to appeal to his heart… but I aban-
doned him, I made my own plans’.
‘I was angry, I was vengeful… And I did not want to be
the great woman behind the great man. It was the best
I could ever hope to get from Moctecuhzoma, and I was
raised to be more than that’.
‘I had always intended to use my wisdom to favour
Ixtlilxóchitl. But now, after the omens… I don’t know’.
‘I… I leave the decision in your hands. Make the cure…
take the mirror… and save us’.
101
 If the PCs did reveal Mahuitzin’s involvement in the
assassination of Nezahualpilli, Necahua’s last instruc-
tions are for the PCs to contact Ixtlilxóchitl:
‘Once you make the cure, retrieve the mirror, and my
nahual will take it to Ixtlilxóchitl; he shall win the war
and return Tetzcoco to sanity; he shall shake the yoke of
the Mexica and unite the Anahuac against the invaders’.
‘Meanwhile, I will deal with Mahuitzin. Mahuitzin
first, and then Cacamac. But first… make the cure’.
When the conversation with Necahua ends, the PCs
are taken to her cache of tools, notes and treasures.
Proceed to Scene 49.
Scene 49: the
assembled
picturE
This scene begins when the PCs are led to Necahua’s
cache of notes, research and magical trinkets, with the
approval of spymaster Mahuitzin, whether Necahua is
still alive or not, to make use of her investigations.
After ransacking Necahua’s Temple, Mahuitzin’s men
gathered her stuff in a single chamber, organising it as
best as the palace sages could. The PCs may take and
study anything they need, but they cannot remove an-
ything from this room. To make sure of it, Mahuitzin
has assigned a detachment of Shorn Guards – these are
in the King’s service, not Necahua’s – to watch the PCs’
every movement while in the chamber.
When the PC examine the room, they find Necahua’s
personal notes and research on the omens and their
meaning, plus the complete obsidian mirror that car-
ries the Seventh Omen.
■ If the PCs examine the mirror, read the following
aloud:
There it is, the real mirror… well, if it can be consid-
ered real, being made from six pieces of spirit stuff and
all. Feels solid enough, anyway. And cold… eerily cold,
in fact.
As you look at the polished surface, the multicol-
oured mist swirls and coalesces inside it just like its
dream version; then, when the mist disappears, you see
something you’ d never seen.
102
There are men. Countless men, a sea of men, march-
ing across the jungles. Are these the Eastern jungles, the
Southern realms?... You’ve never been there.
The strangest thing is, these men are clad in silvery
metal, and ride on the backs on deer; their faces, sick-
ly pink like illness victims, like nails and tongues, are
full of hair, as the dragon warriors in your first dream…
Are these the invaders? Are these metal-clad spooks the
coming ruin of the Anahuac…?
As you wonder, you see these men begin to fight;
they have long metal knives that don’t bend when they
hit, and twisted wands that spit thunder and smoke…
their gigantic, monstrous deer emit chilling cries, like the
cihuateotl spirits… and there’s blood… yet the smoke, the
mud, the fog… you can’t see who they are fighting. Why
can’t you see who they’re fighting? Why are they fight-
ing? Is this what will happen to Tenochtitlan, what will
come to the Anahuac? Is this the war that will lay waste
to the world?
Then the vision ends, the coloured mist covers the
surface, and the mirror goes dormant again. This is
what King Moctecuhzoma saw, what he chose to down-
play via an official statement that it was some ‘undeci-
pherable omen’.
■ If the PCs examine Necahua’s notes, they learn all
the information given in the Necahua’s Final Thoughts
sidebar.
After reading Necahua’s notes, the PCs may perform
the ritual as described in the instructions and make
themselves carriers of the cure. If they wish to do so,
have them repeat to you the steps they follow; if they
correctly carry out the instructions described, the rit-
ual succeeds automatically. If they want to solve this
through the cards, ask them to perform a Rites action,
confronted by a TSE that plays two cards.
If the ritual succeeds, the PCs only need one last cata-
lyst to trigger the cure – the eighth spirit dream.

SIDEBAR: NECAHUA’S FINAL THOUGHTS
The PCs may learn the following directly from
Necahua as she tells it to them, or by reading her
personal notes:
FOURTH DREAM:
‘Dragons? Then it’s true, and the foreigners mount
dragons as easily as they mount deer?... Should be
try to dominate our dragons…? But that’s not pos-
sible… Nobody can truly control the cosmic beasts,
how do the foreigners…?’
FIFTH DREAM:
‘If the fifth dream means what I think it does,
then the greatest threat to our people is the plague:
a deadly plague that the invaders will bring with
them to the Anahuac. Like my warriors experienced
among the michinteca, this illness is not deadly to
the foreigners, only to those not of their kind. This
means their blood carries the sickness but can’t be
hurt by it, as my father taught me’.
‘My father said that, once an illness is gone, the
spirits remain in the body and actually protect it
against new spirits invading the body. If that’s the
case, then the warriors’ spirit dreams, where they
met foreign peoples of every era and every stock,
were for one purpose and one only: For their blood
to gather evil spirits and make them immune to the
sickness – to the specific sickness of the foreigners
from the East’.
‘Then the cure must be made from the blood of my
warriors!... But first we need to concoct the cata-
lyst, we have to drink the potion that will make it
work…’
SIXTH DREAM:
‘A warning to leave, a reminder of how they ar-
rived… now, the Mexica must leave Tenochtitlan…
But must them leave by escaping… or by being de-
posed…? Is it their choice to make? Is it mine?’
‘The mirror, the mirror itself is the Seventh Omen.
It was so obvious. I should have known’.
‘The threat are the foreigners. The mirror said
as much, with no parable or hidden meaning. And
Moctecuhzoma won’t help. Or will he?’
‘I have sent my bird form to the King with the mir-
ror. Let him see and deny that. If we shall all die, let
him at least know…’
the eight omens
‘Still he managed to deny the evidence! To dis-
card the signals! Has there been a more undeserv-
ing, infuriating…?’
‘The last omen will come from earth too,; but I
may well die first, executed for trying to save the
Anahuac. Dead at the hands of the clueless, the stub-
born, the fools, as my father was. Is that my desti-
ny? To abandon all hope, abandon my brother…?’
‘Better focus on the cure. My warriors have the
solution, and evidently the eighth dream trip will
give their blood the last ‘evil spirit’ needed to make
the medicine. No time to wait, though. We need to
start with the cure, for we don’t know how long the
Eighth Omen will take…’
THE CURE FROM THE INVADERS’ PLAGUE
‘If my divinations are right and the spirit journeys
have prepared my warriors’ blood to carry the cure
from the plague, then we need to make a potion to
trigger its healing ability. What we need is:
Sap from the Tollan Tree – rare, but I took the
precaution of gathering a few samples decades ago.
Milk of the Tenochtli – easy to acquire; have al-
ready gathered some flasks.
Blessed water – must be blessed just before en-
chantment; any Nonotza charm should work
Mix the sap, milk and water over a brazier lit with
three balls of copal, and pronounce the Tizitl prayer
from the Lost Book of Topiltzin.
When it’s boiling, each warrior must take three
sacred Tenochtli needles and bleed himself from
tongue and both thumbs over the mix.
Then they must drink the medicine.
If my divinations are right and the ritual is per-
formed correctly, any warrior that has made the
Eight Spirit Trips and drunk the medicine will now
have the cure in his blood.
That warrior need only bleed himself over any
meal, or any gourd of water, and whoever partakes
of that meal, of that water, shall have the cure in
their body, and their blood shall be a cure for oth-
ers, and so shall the cure spread; like an inverse
sickness, like a plague of health, of life. Oh, I so pray
that this works…’
103
 When the PCs have activated the mirror, and read
Necahua’s notes, proceed to Encounter 39.
Encounter 39: Of Course, there
was a Guardian
Suddenly, as the PCs examine Necahua’s things, they
trigger one of her many magical wards, and black mist
begins to come out of the mirror. Soon, the black fog
fills the entire chamber, and in the middle of it, some-
thing takes shape.
It is a black jaguar, with a white skull painted on
its face and a fleshless bone protruding where its left
hindpaw should be. He’s Necahua’s guardian and pro-
tector, her friend. And any Mexica character can im-
mediately recognise that he’s Tezcatlipoca, supreme
protector – and trickster – spirit of the Nahua peoples.
Before the PCs decide what to do, he talks:
‘The wind does not listen anymore; the deer does not
acknowledge you anymore. You smell like human, you
smell like city… and that smell never comes off!’
‘This noise in your head, in the air… Can you even
manage two straight thoughts? I don’t need to talk to
you… You’re not worth talking to. Your totem does not
talk to you. You’re a husk, stuffed with noise. Killing you
will be a blessing’.
Xocoxóchitl:
‘You were chosen… and you ran off at the first chance
you were offered… you were afraid to die, afraid to be a
saint, afraid of purity! You act all dutiful, but deep down
you are so relieved that you didn’t have to die to help
the people!’
‘You are no worthy avatar of a Teotl… you fled sac-
rifice… you became impure! Your body is beautiful, but I
see your soul… ugly… corrupted… deformed!’

‘Four warriors. Four champions. I myself was once di- Yosá:

vided in four pieces. Or was it six? Eight? I’m always two, ‘You filth! You shame! You consort with blasphem-
but also two, but also three, but also four’. ers… You lied! You didn’t come to skin them alive but to
‘Are you me? Are you so arrogant as to pretend to do help them! You didn’t come to bleed, but to hug and kiss,
my job?’ to sow little flowers!

‘To do my works on Earth, you must prove you can ‘You didn’t come to rescue your saint, but to leave
face the smoky mirror’ it to rot in the Mexica dungeon! You are a coward and
a turncoat! What will you do next? Break your weapon
Then, the black jaguar breaks in four pieces, like and use the pieces to make a stool for Moctecuhzoma?’
glass, as if he was only a reflection in a mirror; and
each of the four pieces takes the shape of one of the If the PCs survive the encounter, the black mist be-
PCs. comes multicoloured, and the PCs are transported…
taken to the spirit world again.
Create a fair encounter, using the PCs’ Mirror
Doubles. They are exact copies of the PCs, but play
cards like regular NPCs.
During the fight, the Mirror Doubles taunt the PCs
with their greatest fear and guilt, showing they ‘know
their dark side’; you should use what you know about
the PCs to develop good taunts. If you’re using the four
pre-made characters included in this adventure, these
are a few suggestions:
Cuauhtli:
‘Who do you serve? While your people drowned in
the flood, you were acting as errand boy for the no-
bles… While your neighbour’s children were stolen by
the ghosts, you were licking the sandals of the king’s
servants!’
‘You’re a dog at the heels of the nobles… of those
that didn’t even think you worthy of sacrifice! And now
look at you! Once a lackey, always a lackey!’
Hiapsi:

104

viii: giants and
monsterS
Scene 50: the
beginning
of timE
A
FTE R FI G H T I N G T H E avatars of Tezcatlipoca that
protected Necahua’s possessions, the PCs are sur-
prisingly jaunted to the spirit world an eighth time…
but they didn’t witness or hear of any omen. They
should be wondering; what triggered this trip?
Read the following aloud as the scene begins:
As the multicoloured mist dissipates, you sense some-
thing is changed… something is… off, this time. This is not
the same as the previous trips. You feel it with your gut,
your intuition. Then, your more earthly senses are as-
sailed from multiple sources: fierce growls, fresh blood
and animal cries of pain and terror.
You look around: Again you are in some kind of jun-
gle, of primal environment with monstrous vegetation
and hard, rocky soil. There is no light in the sky, no sun
or moon; you need to imagine most of the details about
the environment – but the shrieks and howls are clear
enough. Out there, something is killing something else.
Then you see two red points of light among the shad-
ows, and before you can register it, a dark, monstrous
thing leaps at you with a bloodcurdling roar…
the eight omens
Create a fair encounter using Obsidian jaguars. During
this encounter, any PC that doesn’t have the ability or
means to see in the dark suffers one disadvantage on
any check or action requiring sight.
If the PCs survive the battle, they have a few mo-
ments to explore their environment.
■ Ask the PCs to perform a Hard Perception or
Survival Check (difficulty: 9(1)) to get a sense of their
surroundings. They are in a volcanic region, with a
hard stone ground and sharp shifts from high to low
terrain; a misstep could result in falling to one’s hor-
rible death in the darkness. Vegetation is dark, huge
and misshapen, as in other primal environments the
PCs have visited during their dream trips.
■ Ask the PCs to perform a Normal Knowledge or
Rites Check (difficulty: 6(1)) to recognise this world as
the time of the First Sun. This is the origin of the world,
the beginning of all things, when Tezcatlipoca creat-
ed the first creatures – misshapen giants and ogres, to
populate the world, and set himself as the First Sun.
But Tezcatlipoca himself was incomplete, having lost a
foot to the First Dragon, Cipactli. Thus, his world was
flawed and incomplete as well, and he didn’t give prop-
er light. So, He came down from Heaven, leaving the
world in darkness, and sent monsters to eat the giants
so that he could start creation anew.
What was the purpose of Necahua, or Tezcatlipoca or
whoever brought them here? There’s no way to know
for sure. Are they to remain here forever? Are they to
die here, at this doomed failure of a world?
■ Finally, ask the PCs to perform a Hard Knowledge,
Perception or Rites Check (difficulty: 9(1)) to under-
stand what’s wrong and how they were transported to
the spirit world this time.
105
 If the check is successful, the PCs realise these are
their physical, whole selves; they are not dreaming.
Usually, a trip to the spirit world requires the trav-
eller’s mortal body to transform into spirit-stuff be-
fore leaving the solid plane; this time, they are here in
her true, physical, mortal bodies. They were physical-
ly transported to the dream world. In practical terms,
this means that any wounds or injuries suffered this
time will carry over when they return. If they return;
as this is not a dream, there’s no guarantee they’ll find
their own path back to the real world. And since, they
are fully here, in both their physical and soul selves,
dying won’t take them back either – they must find an-
other way.
Regardless of the result of the previous checks, the
PCs realise they have the obsidian mirror; somehow it
travelled with them to the Spirit World.
■ Ask the PCs to perform an Easy Perception Check
(difficulty: 3(1)) to notice that here, in this lightless
world, the mirror does emit some light – a pale, gloam-
ing beam, but enough to make a huge difference against
total darkness.
But before the PCs decide what to do with it, they are
surrounded – others were drawn to the light.
Run Encounter 40.
Encounter 40: The First Mortals
A group of misshapen humanoids, ranging from two
to five metres tall, approach the PCs, slowly, from
every direction. They are huge, malformed ogre-like
things; some have two heads, other two bodies, others
are limp or lame. Some walk hunched and drool instead
of speaking, others seem blind or sick. Some are naked
and unarmed; others have crude clothing made of ani-
mal skin, or cumbersome clubs made from tree trunks.
These must be the flawed creations, the first mortals
that Tezcatlipoca created when he first experimented
with giving life to a world.
The giant-things look aggressively at the PCs and
their light source; they seem undecided whether to re-
coil from the mirror or take it from them.
If the PCs try to parley with or intimidate the ogres,
ask them to perform a Charisma action, confronted by
the Ogre’s mediocre skill.
■ If the PCs win the confrontation, the ogres are
cowed; they can’t communicate intelligibly, and even
if they could they would be too frightened to try.
106
■ If the PCs get a critical success, the ogres flee,
scared of the PCs’ piercing light and commanding pres-
ence. Proceed to after the encounter.
■ If the PCs fail the confrontation, or if they attack
the ogres, they must fight. Create a +1 encounter, using
Ogres.
AFTER TH E ENC OUNTER
Once the PCs have dealt with the group of ogres,
they notice others are coming; the light is still draw-
ing them in. However, something interrupts their ar-
rival – a pack of jaguar things jumps at them and begins
slaughtering them mercilessly.
If the PCs wish to take part in the battle, create a
+1 encounter using a combination of Ogres and one
Obsidian Jaguar.
If the PCs survive the fight or wish to slip away while
the beasts feast on the ogres, they clear the area with
no trouble: run Encounter 41.
Encounter 41: A Light at the End
The PCs can get away from the carnage between ogre-
things and jaguar-things by walking up an elevation in
the treacherous terrain, their mirror serving as a port-
able moon to illuminate this darkness.
In fact, what the PCs must do to escape this hellish
dark world is point the mirror to the sky, giving the
dark heavens a semblance of their lost sun; after all,
the smoky mirror is the symbol of Tezcatlipoca, and he
used to be the Sun of this world, however imperfect.
If the PCs don’t deduce it on their own, ask them
to Perform a Normal Knowledge or Perception Check
(difficulty: 6(1)); if the check is successful, give them
some clue, such as sarcastically commenting that ‘what
this world needs is a sun’, asking something like ‘what
would Tezcatlipoca do?’, or reminding them that ‘the
sun cycle happened when the teotl saints cast down the
sun of their predecessor and replaced it with their own
sun’.
If the PCs don’t get the idea of pointing the mirror
to the sky, the ogres will keep on following the PCs, at-
tracted by the light, or randomly stumbling onto them
in the dark; repeat Encounter 40 until the PCs die or
think of pointing the mirror at the sky.
AFTER TH E ENC OUNTER
If the PCs point the Mirror of Tezcatlipoca to the dark
sky of the First Sun, the pale light splits the night open,
creating a crack; a rift from the point the PCs aimed the
mirror at, all the way to the ground. This crack is no

less than an opening; a door back to the mortal world,
and the PCs have but to walk to it to return. Now they
have encountered the ogre-things, they have collect-
ed all the antibodies they need to develop immunity to
the coming plague, and don’t need to stay in the Spirit
World any longer.
When the PCs walk up to the rift, they realise some
– not many – of the ogre-things are fleeing towards it
as well, frightened by the jaguars. If the PCs wish to in-
tercept these ogre-things, create a -1 encounter using
Ogres.
If the PCs survive the encounter, they may exit the
spirit world for the last time; proceed to Scene 51.
Scene 51:
necahua’s
giftS
Read the following aloud when the Scene begins:
As you cross the rift into the mortal world, you are
in Necahua’s chamber again; there’s no trace of the
few ogres that crossed before you – perhaps they were
whisked to a different point of the physical realm.
When the last of you steps back into the physical
world, the rift disappears, and then you realise; the mir-
ror has disappeared as well, for whatever mysterious
purpose Tezcatlipoca may need it for in the future.
Then you lift your gaze… Mahuitzin’s Shorn Guards
are still here.
The guards look at the PCs with surprise, but they
don’t ask any questions: they are used to the unusu-
al, and simply let the PCs continue their research as
desired, although one of them leaves to tell Mahuitzin
what just happened.
It is now time for the PCs to decide what to do.
■ If the PCs haven’t yet created the medicine potion,
they may do so now: it only requires them to follow
the instructions given in the Necahua’s Final Thoughts
sidebar. Let them tell you what they do; if it matches
the instructions in the sidebar, they succeed automati-
cally. If they wish to let the cards resolve it, ask them
to perform a Rites or Medical action, confronted by a
TSE that plays two cards.
the eight omens
■ If the ritual succeeds, the PCs are now carriers of the
cure for the plague. From now on, any PC that bleeds
himself over a meal or drink transmits his immunity to
any other character that partakes of that meal of drink.
A simple flask of water, mixed with blood from that PC,
is now a dose of medicine against the plague. This can
be used to produce large amounts of medicine, easy to
spread.
■ If the PCs wish to return to Mahuitzin – or to
Necahua, if she still lives – proceed to Scene 52: it’s
time to end the adventure.
■ The PCs may also examine Necahua’s shrine fur-
ther before the end. Mahuitzin’s guards don’t allow the
PCs to take anything from the chamber, but a character
may hide or palm one of the items by succeeding on a
Stealth action, confronted by a Cuahchic’s Competent
Skill. If the PC gets a critical success, he may smuggle
two items. See the Necahua’s Stash sidebar for a full
list of items.
■ Besides her notes, Necahua owned a vast collection
of codices and notes, which may grant one advantage
to any Knowledge or Rites action performed in this
chamber.
■ Besides the cure for the plague, there are countless
alchemical reagents and ingredients in the chamber;
these allow the creation of any potion or other con-
sumable magical item. Any character that uses these
components may create a single consumable that imi-
tates the effects of a single New World Spell, simply
by knowing that spell (having it available as part of a
magical school talent) and working in this chamber for
an amount of days equal to the spell’s spirit point cost.
■ The chamber is filled with ritual paraphernalia
such as candles, dry seeds, conch shells, blessed cac-
tus needles, jewellery, feathers and other animal parts,
which can be used as consumable additions when per-
forming a ritual, spell or Transcend attempt within the
chamber. These trappings give one advantage to the
action, spell or ability performed.
■ There are also several idols and religious symbols
of the Four Cardinal Dragons and the various avatars
of Tezcatlipoca, from the skull-headed wizard to the
black jaguar, from the smoky mirror to the beautiful
prince.
■ Finally, Necahua owns a vast cache of magical
items; see the Necahua’s Stash Sidebar.
107

Scene 52: the
400 roadS
The ending of the adventure depends entirely on the
PCs’ decisions up to this point.
Ask them to perform a Normal Knowledge or Rites
Check (difficulty: 6(1)). If the check is successful, they
have learned the meaning of all Eight Omens and their
associated Spirit Dreams:
■ First Omen: The enemies will come from the East
(column of fire); Be aware!
■ Second Omen: They will burn our temples, the cit-
ies will fall (temple burning); stop them before they
come!
■ Third Omen: Saints and Spirits will strike the earth
(lightning bolt); it will be a war of dragons!
■ Fourth Omen: We must strike back at them (three
comets towards the East); three comets, three peoples,
the triple Alliance!
■ Fifth Omen: They will bring a plague (the flood);
your blood is the cure!
■ Sixth Omen: Tenochtitlan will fail to stop them (the
Cihuateotl); the triple alliance needs to unite under
one leader!
■ Seventh Omen: They are the Spaniards (the black
mirror); Don’t be their Friends!
■ Eight Omen: A war of race, of caste, will come, we
will be lesser beings (the monstrous humans); Every
tribe of the world must join against the foreigners!
It is now time to choose what to do:
■ If the PCs return to Mahuitzin with the cure, he
will hire the PCs as permanent agents, and charge them
with going to the four corners of the Anahuac and be-
yond, each with a retinue of similarly immunised
agents, spreading the cure as far and wide as possible
- to anyone that swears fealty to the Mexica, of course.
■ If the PCs return to Necahua (and she is alive), she
escapes the palace in her bird-form to take a sample of
the medicine to Ixtlilxóchitl in Tetzcoco, so that he or-
ders its distribution throughout his domain.
■ If the PCs keep the medicine for themselves and es-
cape Tenochtitlan, they must decide whether to spread
it on their own or not.
108
■ If Mahuitzin survived, he tries to convince
Moctecuhzoma of standing up to the Spaniards, but the
King is stubborn in his policy of trying to placate them;
thus, Mahuitzin betrays the king and sends the PCs (or
his own assassins) on a mission to poison Cacamac, just
like he poisoned Nezahualpilli three years ago, so that
Ixtlilxóchitl becomes ruler of Tetzcoco. If Mahuitzin
sent the PCs on a mission to spread the medicine, they
may ‘do the dirty deed’ when they make their stop in
Tetzcoco.
■ If the PCs are not available to perform the assas-
sination, Mahuitzin’s assassins fail, he is executed and
Tetzcoco and Tenochtitlan remain at odds when the
Spaniards arrive.
■ If the PCs are available, they succeed, and Tetzcoco
becomes unified against the Spanish – and against
Tenochtitlan. This forces Moctecuhzoma to finally op-
pose the Spaniards, lest he risk civil war against the
Triple Alliance.
■ If the PCs told Necahua that Mahuitzin killed her
father, she has Mahuitzin assassinated and returns
to Moctecuhzoma, finally seducing him into deposing
Cacamac, allowing Ixtlilxóchitl to rule Tetzcoco, and
forming a common front against the Spaniards.
■ If the PCs wish to turn their back on the Mexica
and the Tetzcoca and return to their respective peoples
to rally them against Tenochtitlan, their tribes follow
them against both the Spaniards and the Mexica, which
forces them to join Ixtlilxóchitl’s separatist league;
this allows Ixtlilxóchitl to defeat Cacamac and unify
Tetzcoco, but it splits the Triple Alliance in two, with
the Tenochtitlan half being an ally of the Spaniards and
the Tetzcoco half being their enemy.
Ending the
adventurE
Depending on the PCs’ choices and their consequenc-
es, the ‘Native Side’ of the Conquest War gets the fol-
lowing Goals:
■ +1 Goal If Mahuitzin is alive at the end of the adven-
ture, as he will use his spy network to promote unity
between the Mesoamerican peoples.
■ +1 Goal if Necahua is alive at the end of the ad-
venture, as she will use her magic and knowledge to
 the eight omens

NE C AH U A ’S STASH POCHTECA GOLDEN BRACELET

The lab that Necahua left is filled with magical
treasure, including the following:
MAGICAL SILVER MIRROR
It allows any character that sees his reflection in
it to perform an Easy Rites check (difficulty: 3(1))
to learn whether there’s any active, undiscovered
magical effect currently on his person. The mirror
reveals the number of active effects on the char-
acter and the magic school they belong to, but not
their exact nature.
ACTION: Discard one card to ‘find’ an amount of
gold in your purse equal to the discarded card’s
value. This ability may only be used once, but it’s re-
plenished whenever the wearer rests (draws cards).
CONDOR SKULL BRACELET
REACTION: After consuming one raw bird, gain one
Spirit. If the bird was a condor, you can Transcend.
Limited to once per Scene.

CLAY IDOL OF TEZCATLIPOCA XIHUITL FEATHERED STAFF

INSTANT: Gain two magical resistance against New While wielding this staff, when you cast a Xihuitl
World magic until the end of the round. Limited to
spell, its Spirit cost is reduced by one.
one use.

BLOOD OF THE CHOOSEN VIRGIN FOUR SPIRIT WORLDS MATS

Apply to the skin, to gain one advantage towards
unarmed Melee actions. The effects last for 24
hours; there is enough paint to cover two persons,
or to give one person two successive coats.
TEZCOCO’S JADE BRACELET
A jade bracelet that grants its wearer one advan-
tage on any checks and actions made to resist or
confront the effects of supernatural illnesses.
A set of four ornate coloured mats that, when ar-
ranged on the floor in a certain way in a 2x2 meter
pattern, give any character standing on them:
REACTION: After taking damage, lose one Spirit to
reduce the damage taken by two.
When the PCs are ready to leave to report to
Necahua or Mahuitzin, proceed to Scene 52.

prepare either the Mexica or the Tetzcoca against the Tetzcoco remains divided, and when the Spanish ar-
Spanish invasion. rive they find Anahuac just as they found it in the real
world.
■ +2 Goals if Tetzcoco and Tenochtitlan form a com-
mon front against the Spanish invasion. Don’t forget to send us your group’s results, as we
will tally the goals of all players worldwide, and the
■ +1 Goal if Tetzcoco is unified under Ixtlilxóchitl,
outcome will define the official setting of Dragons
with or against Tenochtitlan.
Conquer America!
■ +1 Goal if the PCs spread the medicine on their own.
■ +1 Goals if the PCs spread the medicine with
Mahuitzin’s or Ixtlilxóchitl’s help.
■ +3 Goals if the PCs take the medicine to both
Necahua and Mahuitzin (unless one of them is dead).
■ -2 Goals if Tetzcoco remains divided at the end of
the adventure, as one of the two forces will take the
Spanish side.
■ -3 Goals If the PCs didn’t succeed in the adven-
ture, either because they died, became lost in the spirit
world or abandoned the mission halfway. In this case,
Tenochtitlan remains decided to appease the invaders,

109
Appendix:
necahua’s templE
U S E TH I S D O C U ME N T as a reference when the
PCs are exploring the lair of Necahua the witch.
There are several moments throughout the adventure
This section is intended for use with the Necahua’s
Temple Map, where the chambers and relevant loca-
tions are coded for easy reference. The text herein de-
scribes the content and events of each location.
in which the PCs could be free to explore Necahua’s
lair, particularly in Chapters IV, VI and VII.

110

X-MARKED SPOTS
Every time the PCs reach an area marked X on the
map, create a -1 encounter, using Mexica characters
(if the PCs are protecting the lair) or a combina-
tion of Temple guards, temple protectors and Teotl
priests (if the PCs are sneaking around or attacking
the lair).
If you’re playing Chapter IV or Chapter VI, the PCs
may avoid the encounter by performing a Stealth
Action, confronted by the Guards’ Competent Skill.
If the PCs win the confrontation, they may contin-
ue their exploration, referring to the Necahua’s
Temple appendix to guide their steps.
the eight omens
If the PCs are defeated during Chapter IV or VI,
the guards don’t leave them bleeding out, but trau-
matised instead. While unconscious, the PCs see the
multicoloured fog, and wake up in the Spirit World
again.
■ If you’re playing Chapter IV, run Scene 26.
■ If you’re playing Chapter VI, run Scene 40.
If the PCs win the fight, they may continue their
exploration, referring to the Necahua’s Temple ap-
pendix to guide their steps.
111
Area n1.
main templE
This is a square chamber at the top of a small pyramid.
There are four open doorways, two on the north wall
and two on the south, from which the PCs have an open
view of the city. Judging from the sight, Necahua’s tem-
ple is not far from the royal palace, but far enough to
remain unnoticed as one of the city’s smaller temples.
■ If the PCs are playing Chapter IV, daylight illumi-
nates the chamber.
■ If they are playing Chapter VI or Chapter VII, it’s
night time and the chamber is lit with eight fire sconc-
es in the corners.
At the centre of the chamber there’s an altar dedi-
cated to the four cardinal dragons; a 3-metre tall, four-
faced stone idol with one dragon head looking out each
of the four cardinal directions. There are several de-
pressions and receptacles around the idol, meant for
blood and burning offerings.
There’s a stone portcullis on the floor near the idol;
it covers a descending staircase that leads to Area N3.
The four open doorways lead to a boardwalk around
the pyramid top; the north side of the boardwalk leads
straight into Area N2.
If you’re playing Chapter VII, or if the PCs caused
an unusual amount of noise or mayhem getting to this
chamber, there may be guards patrolling the walkway.
If you’re playing Chapter IV or VI, ask the PCs to per-
form an Easy Stealth Check (difficulty: 3(1)), with 1 dis-
advantage if they made noise or a disturbance recently.
If you’re playing Chapter VII, or if at least one PC
fails the Stealth check, it means there are guards com-
ing around the boardwalk. The PCs have exactly 2
rounds (1 round if the check was a critical failure) to
vacate the chamber; if they remain on Area N1 after
that, create a fair encounter, using a combination of
Temple guards, temple protectors and Teotl priests (if
the PCs are wandering the temple against Necahua’s
wishes) or a combination of rank soldiers, rank spear-
men and jaguar warriors (if the PCs are defending the
temple on Necahua’s behalf).
112
Area n2.
open courT
This is a square, open stone court with no walls or
ceiling, and a view to the whole city. There are thirteen
carved wooden columns, each marked with one of the
13 tonal symbols of the Mexica ritual calendar. The PCs
have been here before; these columns were here when
they returned from their first dream trip, all those
days – feels like years – ago.
Judging from the sight, Necahua’s temple is not far
from the royal palace ward, but far enough to remain
unnoticed as one of the city’s smaller temples.
■ If you’re playing Chapter IV, the area is under open
daylight.
■ If you’re playing Chapter VI or Chapter VII, it’s
nighttime and there are four standing torches lighting
the courtyard.
The thirteen columns are a powerful ritual focus; any
character trying to use a magical talent, regain Spirit
or transcend does so with one advantage while in this
room.
There’s a small building to the South, accessible via
two open doorways. If the PCs enter this building, de-
scribe Area N1.
The courtyard’s North side leads to a descending
staircase that leads out of the temple, away from the
pyramid and into the open street.
If the PCs take this exit, they’re leaving the witch’s
lair, which activates Necahua’s magical wards, and the
multicoloured mist surrounds and transports the PCs
to the spirit world.
■ If you’re playing Chapter IV, run Scene 26.
■ If you’re playing Chapter VI, run Scene 40.
■ If you’re playing Chapter VII, run Scene 45.

Area n3.
common
quarterS
This is the largest and most frequently used sec-
tion of Necahua’s lair. It consists of a central chamber
where Necahua’s priests and soldiers can eat, relax and
engage in ritual activities or training, plus several ad-
joining chambers (marked N3A, N3B and so on) with
open doorways. Necahua’s priests and acolytes live in
most of these chambers, but a few are vacant. If the
PCs became agents of Necahua during Chapter IV, their
lodgings are in chambers N3C and N3D.
If you’re playing Chapter IV or Chapter VI, the cham-
ber is full of bustling acolytes and distracted guards;
the PCs may leave unnoticed by any of the chamber
exits.
■ If the PCs wish to talk to the acolytes, ask them
to perform a Charisma action, confronted by a Teotl
priest’s mediocre skill.
■ If the PCs win the confrontation, they learn a
few facts (you decide which and how many) from the
Necahua’s Plan sidebar on Chapter IV.
■ If the PCs win the confrontation with a critical suc-
cess, they overhear one of the acolytes talking about
how ‘Sister Xitli hid Talaoc’s gift in her quarters to
avoid punishment’, while vaguely pointing at the
Eastern chambers. This gives the PCs one advantage to
find the treasure on Area N3F if they explore it.
If you’re playing Chapter VII, this is where the main
battle between Mahuitzin’s men and Necahua’s forces
is taking place, and the PCs are swept into the fight.
■ If the PCs attack Mahuitzin’s men, create a fair en-
counter, using a combination of Cuahchic warrios and
archers.
■ If the PCs attack Necahua’s guards, create a -1 en-
counter, using a combination of Temple guards, temple
protectors and Teotl priests.
■ If the PCs survive the encounter, they may leave or
explore the chamber while the fight continues around
them.
the eight omens
Area N3F has a hidden stash by one of Necahua’s fol-
lowers. If the PCs explore this chamber and they haven’t
found the hidden stash in a previous exploration, ask
them to perform a Hard Perception Check (difficulty:
9(1)). If the check is successful, the PCs find a loving-
ly wrapped bundle, containing a beautiful dried flower
and a magical shield.
There are five exits from Area N3:
■ On the main hall’s southern wall, there’s a flight of
stairs that lead up to Area N1.
■ The ascending staircase on the East hallway leads
up to Area N4.
■ The descending staircase on the West hallway leads
down to Area N8.
■ The exit from the South hallway leads to the stairs
that descend into Area N9.
■ The descending staircase on the north hallway
leads to the outside and the temple’s outer North wall.
Leaving this way activates Necahua’s magical wards,
and the multicoloured mist surrounds and transports
the PCs to the spirit world.
■ If you’re playing Chapter IV, run Scene 26.
■ If you’re playing Chapter VI, run Scene 40.
■ If you’re playing Chapter VII, run Scene 45.
Area n4.
sacred
hallwaY
This chamber is the entrance to Necahua’s personal
quarters, and as such is heavily guarded. As soon as the
PCs approach the entrance, they encounter a squad of
shorn guards at the ready.
■ If you’re playing Chapter VII and the PCs sided with
Necahua, the guards allow the PCs through; Mahuitzin’s
forces haven’t reached this area yet.
■ If the PCs are exploring the dungeon without
Necahua’s permission, the guards don’t waste an in-
stant attacking: Create a +1 encounter using Temple
guards, temple protectors and Teotl priests.
113
 Once the PCs come past the shorn guards, they gain
access to a wide stone passage, its walls marked on
each side with a succession of ten square engravings.
Each of these engravings represents one of the 20 nu-
meric symbols of the Mexica count.
■ Ask the PCs to perform a Hard Perception or
Knowledge Check (difficulty: 9(1)).
■ If the PCs actively declare they are inspecting the
symbols, they gain 2 advantages on the check.
■ If the check succeeds, the PCs notice the symbols
representing numbers 1, 3, 7 and 11 are slightly mis-
aligned, as if by an architectural mistake – a rare oc-
currence in Mexica construction. There’s no special
way to interact with the carvings, but this may give the
PCs a clue to solve the riddle in Area N6.
At the end of the Hallway, there’s a grand staircase
that opens into Area N5.
■ If the PCs sprinkle a pinch of dust over the torch,
the fire will turn the colour of the dust used – sprin-
kling the red dust turns the torch red, the blue dust
turns it blue and so on.
■ If the PCs turn all four torches black – as indicated
by the square of black stars on the throne – the black
light gives an ultraviolet, neon-like glow to the cham-
ber, revealing a door that wasn’t visible before on the
north wall.
The secret door opens into a hallway that leads to
Area N6.
■ If the PCs don’t decipher the clue of the four black
stars on their own, you may let them perform a nor-
mal Perception, Knowledge or Rites Check (difficulty:
6(1)) to give them some clue, like suggesting they look
around the chamber with utmost attention, indicating
that stars represent fires according to Mexica symbol-
ism, or suggesting that there is less black than other
colours in all the dust racks.

Area n5.
Area n6.
throne
necahua’s
rooM
chamberS
This grand chamber is the most impressive of the
complex, with gilded tapestries, lavish ornaments and
This small, square stone chamber contains very well-
great painted carvings of the Four Cardinal Dragons.
furnished, ornate living quarters. There are good qual-
The chamber is always lit by four candle sconces, with
ity draperies, a niche with a nice, clean washing basin,
flames of wondrously varying colours – one black, one
and a beautiful bed with expensive sheets.
blue, one red and one white. This combination of light
colours gives the chamber a dizzying, otherworldly There are two straw chests on a corner. One contains
ambience. a very well-stocked wardrobe of fancy dresses, gold-
en jewellery and feathered ornamentations; the other
Necahua’s throne, a tall carved chair, rests on a stone
a collection of luxury pigments and body paints. The
dais against the far wall. The throne has a carving of
contents of both chests could be worth a total of 500-
four black stars forming a square – a symbol of black
600 quachtli in the open market.
sorcery.
■ Necahua has put a poison curse on both chests. If a
Such trappings are in stark, brazen defiance to
character other than Necahua touches any of the items
Mexica law; no wonder Necahua wants to keep these
in either chest, ask him to perform a hard Athletic
holdings secret.
Check (difficuly: 9(1)).
The chamber is empty and there seem to be no exits.
■ If the PCs already faced this trap in a previous
■ If (and only if) the PCs declare they examine the chapter, it has been replaced and they must perform
room, let them know each of the four coloured torches the check again.
has a container rack just below the fire sconce; on this
rack, there are powders of four colours – red, white,
blue and black, on separate containers.

114

■ If the check fails, the character is afflicted with a
deadly, supernatural illness that may only be cured by
the applicable spells of the Titici School.
■ The illness won’t manifest until 13 hours after con-
tagion, so an afflicted victim should not immediately
notice they have been infected.
There seems to be no exit from this chamber, but
there are 20 small square carvings, each a bit smaller
than a human palm, on the East wall.
Each of the carvings represents one of the 20 sym-
bols of the Mexica numeral system. The carvings may
be pressed into the wall, as if they were buttons.
■ If a PC presses the four correct carvings –the ones
representing numbers 1, 3, 7 and 11 – a section of the
wall slides to one side, giving access to Area N7.
■ If the PCs want to examine the buttons before
pressing them, ask them to perform a Hard Perception,
Knowledge or Rites check (difficulty: 9(1)). If the check
succeeds, let them know some buttons open a lock and
some others spring a trap, but nothing else.
■ The clue to find the right buttons is on the carvings
of the hallway at N4.
■ If the PCs already used the correct combination
in a previous chapter, Necahua has replenished the
trap and changed the code so that the buttons must be
pressed in inverse order (11, 7, 3, 1); pressing them in
any other order will spring the trap as if the PCs had
pressed the wrong buttons.
■ If a PC presses any button other than the correct
four, the wall remains closed and a trap activates, fill-
ing Area N6 with poison gas. Any character inside the
chamber must perform an Athletic action, confronted
by a TSE playing two cards, or suffer 1 point of damage
for every point of difference between his result and the
TSE’s result.
Area n7.
the secret
templE
This is Necahua’s safest and best-hidden retreat, her
magical study and personal temple. Very few of her fol-
the eight omens
lowers even know this room exists, and none that do
live very long.
The chamber is a small square room, with relatively
bare and plain walls, to encourage a quiet environment
for mediation. There’s a calendar circle engraved on
the floor, with four small depressions on each of the
four cardinal corners. These hollows are intended to
receive sacrifice – either burnt offerings or blood – and
the calendar carvings are, in fact, small canals to lead
the blood or burning oil from the centre of the carving
to the four basins.
There are stone pedestals and shelves on the walls,
containing Necahua’s personal notes and records.
Examining these codices reveals all the facts listed in
the Necahua’s Plan sidebar in Chapter IV.
■ There’s a small jade box on one of the shelves, con-
taining any of the obsidian pieces the PCs may have
discarded, lost or given to Necahua. The PCs may pick
them up with no risk or penalty.
If any character other than Necahua stands at the
centre of the ritual carving on the floor, it activates
her magical guardian – a monstrous, nameless creature
from the Spirit World.
■ If any PC steps at the centre of the calendar cir-
cle engraving, the room fills with black mist and the
demon crosses into the mortal realm, immediately at-
tacking anyone in the chamber. Create an encounter
using the Chivo.
■ If the PCs already defeated the Chivo in a previous
chapter, it doesn’t appear this time - Necahua has had
no time to summon a proper replacement.
Once the PCs have defeated Necahua’s guardian, they
may freely use the floor carving for meditation or ritu-
als. The room is a powerful sacrificial chamber, confer-
ring the following benefits:
■ Anyone trying to transcend by sacrifice on this
chamber receives one advantage on the attempt.
■ Any spell that requires a sacrifice to activate gains
one positive consequence to its overall effectiveness if
cast here.
■ Any Mesoamerican character that rests (draws
cards) by meditating on this circle automatically gains
1 Spirit in addition to any other Spirit points obtained
normally.
As soon as the PCs leave this chamber, they activate
Necahua’s magical wards, and the multicoloured mist
surrounds them.
■ If you’re playing Chapter IV, run Scene 26.
115
 ■ If you’re playing Chapter VI, run Scene 40. ■ If the PCs attack Necahua’s guards, create a +0 en-
counter, using a combination of Temple guards, temple
■ If you’re playing Chapter VII, run Scene 45.
protectors and Teotl priests.
If the PCs go past the guards in the central cham-

Area n8. ber, they may inspect the guard’s rooms, marked N8A
to N8F. Some are empty, while some are X-Marked, in-
dicating guards may come if the PCs rummage through

guard them.
There’s a hidden cache in Area N8D. If the PCs ex-

quarterS
plore this chamber and they haven’t found the treasure
during a previous exploration, ask them to perform a
Hard Perception Check (difficulty: 9(1)). If the check is
successful, the PCs find a carefully wrapped and scent-
ed bundle, containing a beautiful dried feather, a set of
This area is very much like Area N8, only a bit small-
er, and confined to barracks and long-term living
quarters.
If you’re playing Chapter IV or Chapter VI, the cen-
tral chamber is full with off-duty soldiers; they are re-
laxing or practising, and take little notice of the PCs.
■ If the PCs try to enter further into the chamber,
some of the guards may block their path; treat as an
X-Marked Section (see page 111) regarding Stealth and
possible combat, except the encounter is +1 instead of
-1 (there are many guards here).
■ If the PCs wish to act nonchalant and talk to the
guards, ask them to perform a Stealth or Charisma ac-
tion, confronted by a Mexica guard’s mediocre skill.
mystical reagents and a magic amulet.
■ If the PCs win the confrontation, they learn a
few facts (you decide which and how many) from the The only exit from this chamber is the large stairway
Necahua’s Plan sidebar on Chapter IV. leading back to the temple’s hallways and to Area N3.

■ If the PCs win the confrontation with a critical suc-

cess, one of the guards tell them that ‘Talaoc reported
sick, but in truth he’s hiding from his superior offic-
er, because everyone knows of his forbidden fling with
Sister Xitli of the priest quarters. They think I didn’t
notice, but I saw him hide some jewels in his bedroom’.
When he says this, the soldier points at a room on the
South side; this gives the PCs 1 advantage to find the
treasure on Area N8D if they explore it.
If you’re playing Chapter VII, Necahua’s guards are
fighting off the agents of Mahuitzin. The PCs may turn
around and explore other areas without calling atten-
tion to themselves, but if they enter the chamber they
must fight.
■ If the PCs attack Mahuitzin’s men, create a -1 en-
counter, using a combination of Cuahchic warriors,
eagle warrios and ahtlatl throwers.
Area n9.
dungeoN
A large, dismal area below Necahua’s temple, the
dungeon is a stifling maze of narrow stone corridors,
ill-lit with small, flickering sconces. The place invites
claustrophobia and a feeling of being chased.
The areas marked N9A to N9H are the cells where
Necahua keeps her prisoners – five-metre deep stone
pits, where prisoners are left to languish and die unless
Necahua pardons them. Most pits are empty, but a few
have dried bones or unidentifiable refuse.
If you’re playing Chapter IV and the PCs escaped the
dungeon, they have just come out of the pits at N9B.

116

As soon as the PCs try to move anywhere else in the
dungeon, a hulking brute charges them – he’s Necahua’s
jailor, a gigantic thug that has received so many magi-
cal enhancements from his mistress over the years that
he is more ogre than man now.
Create an encounter with Necahua’s jailor (use the
stats of an Ogre), unless the PCs have already defeated
him in a previous chapter.
If the PCs survive the encounter, or if they defeated
the jailor previously, they may inspect the dungeon, or
leave it to explore the rest of Necahua’s lair.
There’s nothing of interest in the pits, except for
three prisoners.
If the PCs have already met any of the three prison-
ers in a previous chapter, that prisoner is not present
this time; they have escaped or been executed by now.
N9A
If the PCs haven’t met him in a previous chapter,
there’s a young warrior inside one of the pits. His name
is Talaoc, and he was thrown here for ‘seducing’ one of
Necahua’s priestesses called Xitli. Talaoc refused to re-
nounce Xitli, and thus was imprisoned as penance for
his impure love. He expects to get out in a couple of
days and resume his secret affair with Xitli anyway.
If the PCs give him Xitli’s gifts (the mystical reagents
and the amulet from N8D), or let him know that Xitli
is imprisoned here too, he resolves to free his beloved
and escape Necahua’s service.
N9C
If the PCs haven’t met him in a previous chapter,
there’s a captive man in one of these pits. His name
is Xantolli, and he’s a spy and assassin in the employ
of the master spy Mahuitzin. Xantolli was caught spy-
ing, and is awaiting execution for threatening to ex-
pose Necahua to the King. If the PCs help him escape,
Xantolli offers to join them during their exploration.
If the are in the dungeon without Necahua’s sanc-
tion, Xantolli offers to join the party as an assistant
NPC; he’s a skilled warrior and spy, but won’t fight
Mahuitzin’s men.
If you’re playing Chapter VII and the PCs took
Necahua’s side, Xantolli attacks them instead; create
an encounter using Xantolli the Spy.
the eight omens
N9H
If the PCs haven’t met her in a previous chapter,
there’s a languishing, disconsolate woman in this jail.
Her name is Xitli, and she used to be a proud member
of Necahua’s trained priestess, but she fell in love with
Talaoc, one of the guards. Xitli’s mistresses ordered
her to confess that Talaoc had seduced and abused her,
but she didn’t betray her love, and was thus cast out of
the order and thrown in a pit. Her mistresses were to
take her case to Necahua to decide whether she lives or
dies, but Xitli fears for the life of Talaoc whether she’s
found guilty or innocent.
If the PCs give Talaoc’s gift (the magic shield found at
N3F) to Xitli, or let her know that Talaoc is a prisoner
here too, she decides to escape; otherwise, she refuses
to leave her jail for fear of what will happen to Talaoc.
If the PCs help free both Xitli and Talaoc and return
their respective gifts to them, the lovers let the PCs
keep the items, with their extra thanks: Xitli uses her
magic to weave the reagents into both the amulet and
the shield, giving both items a permanent bonus of 1
advantage when the user attempts to Transcend or re-
gain Spirit in any way.
If the PCs let Xitli and Talaoc escape the temple, they
may find them in later adventures as enemies or allies.
The only exits out of the dungeon are the staircase
that leads back up and to Area N3, and an old sewer
chute that leads outside of the temple through the
drain.
If the PCs decide to leave the area from the sewer
exit, they activate Necahua’s warding spells and the
multicoloured mist seizes them again.
■ If you’re playing Chapter IV, the mist takes the PCs
to Scene 26.
117
 Campaign:
conquistador’s
golD

118
119

‘The settler-conquistadors knew the fury
of the aroused Indian lords; voyagers,
explorers, and the friars did not’.
Inga Clendinnen, Ambivalent Conquests
T H E C O N Q UI S T A DO R’ S G O L D is a campaign for the
Dragons Conquer America RPG. In it, you take the
part of a member of Hernán Cortés’ expedition, caught
in a race to find a lost cargo of Spanish Gold in the New
World, all the while avoiding the raging tribal war in
the territory, which your own boss, Cortés, is doing his
best to fuel and intensify.
The adventure takes place in several locations across
the Mexica-Totonaca region of Mesoamerica. What the
player characters (PCs) accomplish during their inves-
tigation in these locations will not only decide their
success, but also affect the fate of the entire expedition
– and ultimately decide the war of conquest.
Getting
starteD
The Conquistador’s Gold is intended for 4 to 5 start-
ing player characters, belonging to the Spanish or
Portuguese culture. The adventure includes four pre-
made characters with built-in motivations to take part
in the mission; If you wish to use other characters, just
make sure they have a reason to accompany Hernán
Cortés’ expedition into mainland America in 1519.
Before play, the Game Master should read the
Adventure Background section at least once. Then, she
should read the first section of the Introduction sec-
tion aloud to her players, to begin the adventure.
Adventure Text
Most of the text in this adventure is descriptive
text, which directly details what happens on every en-
counter. Descriptive text is written in normal type, no
shading.
Green italit is read-aloud text is meant to be told to
your players as it is written, as it contains information
as their characters experience it.
120
Green small informative text contains data that doesn’t directly
pertain to the player characters’ actions or knowledge, but the
GM should keep in mind as she narrates and organises the current
encounter.
Adventure
backgrounD
In 1513, Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar was appointed
governor of Cuba, and granted a few dragons and a
royal encomienda to manage the affairs and the many
Spanish settlements of the island.
Although the conquest of the West Indies was carried
out in the name of the Spanish Crown, many governors
and captains of the dragon fleet did as they wished
with the first conquered territories, abusing the local
population and keeping as much gold as they could to
themselves. Velázquez was no exception; a few years
into his governorship, he’d amassed a small fortune in
bribes, stashed funds and little amounts skimmed off
the crown’s money.
When the crown sent inspectors to ensure the royal
money was being put to good use, Velázquez became
desperate to hide his ill-gained funds. He decided to
bury most of his stolen wealth in the unexplored
Western continent, away from royal inspectors, native
malcontents and jealous peers. Thus, Velázquez fund-
ed an expedition, ostensibly to search for treasure or
Indian communities that could be used for labour, and
sent one of his agents, the shrewd nobleman Francisco
De Montejo, aboard one of the ships, with 50,000 duca-
dos in gold. Montejo’s mission was to oversee the burial
of the gold in a remote continental location, without
the knowledge of the crew, and then return.
However, the expedition clashed with the powerful
native tribes; only a few survivors, including Montejo
and the captain, Francisco Hernández de Córdoba,
made it back, barely alive, to report on their failed
mission. The chest with Velázquez’ fortune was indeed
left behind at the mainland, but abandoned; lost to the
natives.
Pedro De Alvarado
Distressed, Velázquez sent a second expedition, led
by his cousin Juan De Grijalva, with the same mislead-
ing orders – to find gold, natives to enslave, and new
territories. Aboard the mission he sent Montejo again,

urging him to recover the gold behind Grijalva’s back.
Velázquez also sent another of his relatives, the violent
murderer Pedro De Alvarado, with instructions to help
Montejo with his ‘special mission’, no questions asked.
During Grijalva’s expedition, Montejo confided in
Alvarado, revealing the existence of the lost gold. He
proposed he and Alvarado made common cause against
Velázquez, looking for the gold but reporting the mis-
sion as a failure whether they succeeded or not. If they
found the gold, they’d divide it among themselves and
tell Velázquez the natives had stolen it forever.
Enticed by the fabulous treasure, De Alvarado gladly
fell in with Montejo, and even mounted an expedition
on his own, following a native river inland with his own
ship, in search for the lost gold. Alvarado’s independ-
ent venture found nothing, and Montejo sent him back
to Velázquez under the pretense of insubordination; in
fact, he intended Alvarado to sweeten the governor’s
ear and convince Velázquez of financing yet another
expedition.
They succeeded; when Montejo returned with the
rest of the expedition, a short while later, Montejo and
De Alvarado convinced Velázquez to dismiss Captain
Grijalva without honours, and to order a third incur-
sion into the new territories, this time under the com-
mand of the well-known hidalgo, Hernando Cortés.
When Cortés was gathering his crew – hand-picked
soldiers, adventurers and veterans from Indian cam-
paigns and dangerous expeditions – Montejo and De
Alvarado were quick to insinuate themselves among
the crew. Cortés even asked for De Alvarado’s help re-
cruiting more men, as he was an experienced soldier of
many battles.
De Alvarado wasted no time in gathering a team of
murderers and cutthroats, mostly personal friends or
survivors from Hernández De Córdoba’s first expedi-
tion. Alvarado told these men their mission was to as-
sist Cortés in whatever endeavour… and look for the
rest of the gold when the Captain wasn’t looking.
Unknown to Cortés, Velázquez and even De Alvarado,
Montejo already had a plan: a scheme to put all three
of them at each other’s throats, and keep the lost gold,
plus the glory of the upcoming expedition, to himself.
The Race
As soon as the expedition was set up, Montejo filtered
rumours of the lost gold among the crew. Then, he told
the governor that the secret was out, and the other
captains would try to secure Velázquez’ gold for them-
selves. Hearing this, Velázquez changed his mind and
conquista dor’s gold
tried to stop the mission. This almost aborted Cortés’
expedition, and soon some soldiers spread the rumour
that there was a stash of Spanish gold hidden in the
New World. When Cortés got wind of it, Montejo and
De Alvarado told him about the treasure, thus earning
his trust. By now, Montejo had the favour of Velázquez,
Cortés and De Alvarado, and all three believed him to
be secretly on their side.
Under Montejo’s advice, Cortés and De Alvarado re-
solved to depart even without the blessing of Velázquez,
and seek the treasure together, if they could. Meanwhile,
Montejo secretly told Velázquez about Cortés’ rebel-
lious plan, and promised the Governor that he’d work
against Cortés from within the expedition. Spurred by
Montejo, Velázquez tried to stop Cortés’ ships at the
very pier, but the expedition, also spurred by Montejo,
left before the Governor could stop it.
Once Cortés’ ships set sail, Montejo made his next
move. He had one of the other ships sabotaged, which
forced the remaining vessels to stop and help with
repairs; meanwhile, he had Alvarado’s ship press on
ahead, arriving to New World territories two days be-
fore Cortés did. De Alvarado interrogated the locals,
but they knew nothing about the lost gold – except that
they babbled about some ‘rich kingdom on the West’.
When the expedition caught up with him, De Alvarado
blamed his pilot for speeding ahead; Cortés pretend-
ed to believe his story and punished the pilot. By this
point, Cortés had realised something was up, though he
believed De Alvarado was the only traitor. He kept his
suspicions to himself, and began to pay more attention
to taking the new lands.
Thus the weeks went on, and Cortés kept conquering
local tribes and advancing through the New World, and
his focus seemed to shift from the search to the con-
quest. Meanwhile, Montejo and Alvarado kept by his
side, with an eye open for any clues for the gold; they
reasoned the chest must have been taken in a direction
they hadn’t explored yet.
And so the expedition continues to this day.
Now, the more Cortés learns about the ‘golden king-
dom’ in the West, which locals called Culua, or Mexica,
the less he seems to care about the treasure search.
Conversely, De Alvarado keeps his own agents busy,
clandestinely inquiring about the lost gold, often kid-
napping and torturing natives to get information, to no
avail. Velázquez, outraced, scrambles to gather coin,
men and ships for another expedition to chase after
Cortés.
Montejo just watches from the sidelines, letting his
scheme unfold itself.
121
 Enter our Heroes

It is now the second half of the Year of our Lord

1519, and Cortés has encamped in the native region of
Quiahuiztlan, hoping to establish a power base from
which to investigate the fabled Mexica inland empire.
He’s renamed the settlement to Villa Rica de la Vera
Cruz, and established an armed garrison to operate
from there. The garrison has received some reinforce-
ments from other conquered sites and small outposts
that Cortés left behind, and is now ready to begin ex-
ploring the mainland.
The PCs are among these reinforcements, who had
been left behind at the start of the expedition. Now,
they are called to the presence of Guiomar De Sandoval,
the youngest of Cortés’ captains. The Captain has a
mission for them; a mission that, unknown to any of
the people involved, will change the course of history
and decide the War of Conquest…

PLAYER CHARACTERS
After you’ve become familiar with the
adventure background, give each player
one of the four pre-made characters in-
cluded with the adventure, or let them
create their own characters, who
must have a reason to join Cortés’
expedition.
Once every player has a character,
proceed to the Introduction section to
begin the game.

122

IntroductioN
They treat you like beggars.
When Captain Cortés arrived to the village, calling
for able women and men to join an expedition to the
New World, you volunteered eagerly, hoping to make
your luck in an adventure for the glory of the Empire.
This had been exactly what you hoped for when you first
came to the uncharted lands so long ago.
But this – huddling in a clammy cellar, among the fish
barrels and coal sacks, after being left behind for the
Lord knows how many weeks in that godforsaken islet
with the reinforcement garrison – is a far cry from the
glorious quest you imagined. It borders on insult, you
think, as you wipe the dripping water from your face and
wonder if everyone ended up sitting right below a cellar
leak or it was an honour reserved for you only.
While you are thinking thus, the ship gives a little
lurch and Octaviejo, the third shipmate, climbs down the
cellar ladder, beaming with his toothless smile.
‘We have arrived! There’s the Captain! We’ve seen the
Captain’s flag!’
Quickly you all scramble up to the deck; the rain has
mostly abated, the sun is high on the sky… and there it
is. A wide streak of land to the West – real land, with
jungle and beaches and rocks, with hills and forests, with
cliffs and reefs and inlets.
And just ahead of you, in a palisade on the headland,
you see Spanish soldiers, and the flag waving to the mid-
day coast breeze. You’ve seen it before; it’s the standard
Cortés ordered made on the eve of the trip. You can
barely read the inscription from here, but you remember
what it says:
Brothers and sisters, let us followeth ye sign of ye
Holy Cross with true faith, for it shalt leadeth us to
victory.
This is the New World. You have arrived.
The PCs are part of a garrison that was left behind
near Santa María de la Victoria, a conquered native site,
before Cortés and Alvarado pressed on to the mainland.
The PCs and their dragon had been assigned to a nearby
islet for the better part of three months, until Cortés
could safely send for them – or ask for reinforcements.
A few days ago, the request finally came, and the PCs,
along with their dragon and a few other soldiers and
supplies, were brought to the main coast to replenish
conquista dor’s gold
the needs of Cortés’ new settlement – the outpost that
he’s named Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz.
Read the following as the PCs climb off the boat and
reach the coast.
Vera Cruz is a small outpost, but it’s as well defended
as Cortés could manage. The palisades are sturdy and
well-built, and the soldiers are ready and organised. In
fact, three out of four expedition members are soldiers,
although at present most of them are walking around
camp, chatting away, cleaning their guns and shaking
sand from their boots.
Let the PCs wander the camp or ask around, so they
may roleplay a bit before things get moving. Most of
the camp is made of tents and blankets set up over an
old native village, save for some wood and stone quar-
ters that have been built for, or taken by, the expedi-
tion’s senior officers. Soldiers come up and down the
area, as well as some near-naked natives that appear to
be submissive, or at least tolerant, towards the intrud-
ers. There’s also an ordnance stand where the PCs may
request ammunition or food rations.
While the PCs get acquainted with their new sur-
roundings, a guard approaches them, with orders from
Captain Guiomar de Sandoval, one of the expedition of-
ficials, to bring the newcomers to her presence. The
guard leads the PCs to Sandoval’s office – a flapping
tent at the edge of camp.
Read the following aloud when the PCs go to the
meeting:
Guiomar de Sandoval is the youngest and most stoic
of Cortés’ captains; that may be why she does not have
wood or stone quarters yet. Nonetheless, the inside of
her tent is as clean and well supplied as the quarter-
master’s store. When you enter, she’s hunched over a
long box, trying to fit three arquebuses inside; then she
straightens up and turns to face you.
‘God and the Crown, recruits. Welcome to Spain!’
Sandoval laughs as she says the last phrase, and in-
vites the PCs to sit as they wish on the benches and
boxes arranged around her tent.
Let the PCs lead the conversation with De Sandoval,
using some or all the following excerpts as parts of her
orders and replies:
‘You are the reinforcements from Santa María, right?
123
I say, you have the look as I did right by summoning you,
by my faith’.
‘We are beset by special worries and have special
needs, of which I shall talk presently; so, sit and listen,
and you will see it is much to your interest and a good
fit for your skills’.
‘After we left you at Santa María, the Captain en-
countered emissaries from the fabled kingdom the na-
tives call Culua, or the Mexica empire. They exist, I have
seen them with my very own sinner’s eyes’.
‘It is understandable, thus, that now the Captain
needs to focus all his thought on finding a way into their
lands, and so cannot look to… other issues’.
‘More to the point; there’s a chest, a load of gold, lost
on these lands. Spanish gold, which Governor Velázquez
intended to stash here during the first expedition, the
one led by Hernández de Córdoba’.
‘As you might remember, the first expedition fell to
the indians. Well, apparently this forced the crew to
drop the chest God knows where’.
‘Many of the soldiers here were at that expedition
and don’t even know there was a secret chest aboard
one of their ships, much less what happened to it after
the natives dispersed them’.
‘But the chest remained here all right, or Velázquez
would not have sent this mission, by my faith. It’s lost
somewhere in these lands. Someone took it’.
‘So, while our Captain and his lieutenants seek the
fabled treasures of the native empires, we have the task
to find 50,000 ducados in Spanish gold’.
‘Of course, a stash of hidden gold would fire up the
greed of most of the men, who perhaps feel they are get-
ting the short stick of the plunder so far. But there’s even
a few captains that have given at least some thought to
that loot’.
‘In any case, whoever finds the gold’s trail will not
care who it belonged to; they will keep it to themselves’.
‘That is, unless the gold was returned to Velázquez’.
‘As you know, Governor Velázquez seemed to take of-
fence at the way the Captain organised the expedition,
and has been hounding our steps from the first day’.
‘The Captain told us that Velázquez changed his
mind out of jealousy… but I think the Governor wanted
to stop the Captain because he thinks we intend to find
and keep his lost gold’.
‘And of course, there are many brigands and ne’er-
do-wells that would like to get their paws on the stash…
but I think it would be better, in fact, to give it back’.
124
‘The Captain has no use for Spanish gold, not with
a kingdom’s worth of plunder waiting ahead of us.
However, sending the stash back to Velázquez could pla-
cate him, and maybe stop his senseless opposition of our
Holy Quest. Instead of having an enemy hounding us, we
would have a thankful benefactor covering our backs’.
‘That’s where you come in’.
‘You are not with the main troop, but you are loyal
to the Captain – or so I want to believe’.
‘As I said, many soldiers here, among them Captain
Pedro De Alvarado himself, are of a mind to go off after
that treasure and then flee back to Cuba, instead of du-
tifully following their Captain as they swore to do’.
‘I need a team to find Velázquez’ gold, if it still exists,
before anyone else gets their hands on it. A team that
will not keep the gold to themselves, or call attention to
their search, and instead will, with much discretion and
skill, ensure it makes its way back to its rightful owner,
with the compliments of our Captain. Do you by good
fortune know of a team that may be suited for such a
task?’
‘Such a team would have to roam the vicinity – to
travel back and forth between here and the natives’
towns – and collect any clues they can find. They should
also watch out for what our troops, what the other cap-
tains, intend’.
‘It won’t be an easy task – Cortés has begun to pit the
local tribes against one another, and the land is falling
to war and conflict; or about to fall’.
‘Regardless, I trust you can do it. Should you find the
loot I’ve referred to, or learn of any trickery or plot from
any of the soldiers under the Captain’s command, or De
Alvarado, or any of the other Captains, even if he were
of a higher rank than me, you should endeavour to re-
port it back to me as soon as possible’.
‘If you agree with what I have just said and stated,
please say it is so. And if not, let us go on as if these
words were unsaid, for I shall deny that I ever talked
about the subject, and neither the Captain nor me will
regard you any the worse for it’.
Let the PCs react as they wish to these news. You may
tell the PCs they’ve heard rumours about this treasure;
some of the premade characters were already hoping
to find it.
If the PCs doubt De Sandoval’s sincerity, ask them to
perform an Easy Charisma or Perception check (diffi-
culty: 3(1)).
■ If the check is successful, the PCs confirm Sandoval
is sincere; she honestly thinks the Captain needs no
 conquista dor’s gold

other gold than what he’s set to get from the com- Sandoval gives the PCs a medallion with the image of
ing campaign. De Sandoval truly hopes to return the Saint Jerome; she looks a bit uncomfortable about han-
gold to Velázquez, expecting to take the Governor off dling the item.
Cortés’ back.
‘Doña Marina, the Captain’s native witch-consort,
■ If the check is a success with a positive conse- made a few of these amulets when she was converted
quence, the PCs also detect Sandoval has not consulted to the Faith. They allow our troops to understand the
with Cortés in this matter, and decided to send the gold tongues of the local peoples’.
away for the Captain’s own good, whether he agrees or
Make sure the PCs record that they now have a Charm
not.
of Saint Jerome, which will allow them to communicate
If the PCs confront Sandoval about her plan, or ask to in other tongues as well as Doña Marina, Cortés’ fa-
talk to Cortés directly, she politely avoids the subject, mous native witch lover. Some Christians, Captain De
saying the Captain is too busy to deal with the issue, or Sandoval included, are somewhat uneasy about using
with the PCs (which is also completely true). a blessed amulet that involves native pagan magic, but
the image of Saint Jerome and the fact that Marina was
De Sandoval assumes the PCs accept the mission un-
already baptised when she made the amulets may calm
less they explicitly state otherwise, and regardless of
their concerns. In any event, a Christian character suf-
whether they honestly wish to help or intend to steal
fers no corruption from wearing this amulet.
the money for themselves.
Captain Sandoval also gives the PCs a map of the sur-
Unless the PCs plainly reject the task, De Sandoval
rounding region. The map’s badly drawn and incom-
tells them what she knows so far:
plete, but it allows the PCs to travel between Vera Cruz
‘I do believe that most of the soldiers must have been and the nearest two native settlements: Quiahuiztlan
ignorant about Velázquez’ Gold during the first expedi- and Cempoallan.
tion; I swear I do. However, maybe I’m wrong. Maybe one
After giving the PCs these things, Captain De Sandoval
of them has kept the secret. Maybe someone here knows
nods, wishes the PCs good luck, and then dismisses
more than they’re telling about the gold and where it
them as if nothing had happened, with no further in-
disappeared to. So, I’ d start by making discreet inquiries
structions save to report back to her if they find out
around the garrison’.
anything about the stolen gold.
‘Then, there’s this other thing… well, it could be noth-
Once the PCs leave Sandoval’s presence, regardless of
ing. But it could be our best lead, too’.
their decision or sincerity, proceed to Chapter I.
‘There’s a native town nearby, a town by the name of
Cempoallan’.
‘The Captain was there a few days ago; he talked with
the town principals. There was some unexplained busi-
ness, where the Captain interrogated some native tax
collectors and then set them free’.
‘Nobody knows why the Captain risked the wrath of
the natives to capture these men, nor why did he ar-
range for their escape later. He says it was some plot to
put the local tribes against each other’.
‘But… Well, If anyone in these lands knew some-
thing about Velázquez’ lost gold, it would be local tax
collectors’.
‘So, you can go to Cempoallan, ask around there’.
‘Even if you can’t find these native taxmen,
Cempoallan is a very big town, some say bigger than
our own cities back home. If there’s been news of foreign
gold lost around these parts, chances are someone at
that town has heard of it’.
‘You’ ll need this’.

125
126
 conquista dor’s gold

Friar mateo navarrO

O N E O F T H E most experienced men in the expedition, Friar Navarro is
a veteran soldier from the deepest Spanish country, with service credentials
from the wars of Flanders and Italy. Later in life he became ordained as a mis-
sionary, although he’s retained the rough manner and discipline of a trained
soldier. Contrary to the inquisitor stereotype, Friar Navarro is very interested
in the Indians, has learned much of their ways and maintains they are not sav-
ages, having often defended them from his own Church.

F R I AR M ATE O N A V A RRO had already lived his full

life, and a full life it was, before even sailing to the
New World. He would have never believed a life as long
out to live. But the contact with these people changed
him as much as he changed them. he’d begun seeing,
questioning, wondering.
as his could begin again with such force, with such new When Columbus discovered the West Indies, Friar
purpose. Mateo finally understood what had happened inside
him. His old life, his pious life, didn’t continue. It had
Mateo Navarro couldn’t remember a single day that
began anew. He had become a missionary, a traveller.
he did not serve the Holy Church. As a child he was an
The Inquisition had turned him from a young unambi-
altar boy, as a youth he was a sacristan and he preached
tious parish priest to an old man with a wanderlust,
to the neighbourhood with his fellow students. and
with a yearning to see the World and its people.
even then he was pious and chaste; he didn’t join the
goliardos in their revelry, he sought not the love of So he signed up to join the Holy Office’s operations in
women. He didn’t seek the consolation of other men, Hispaniola, wondering at the people, cultures and cus-
as many of his peers ended up doing; he was utterly de- toms he would encounter in a wholly New World.
voted to God, his only love the Church.
To date, Friar Mateo has lived ten years among the
When he was fully ordained as friar, he saw it simply Carib Indians, bringing them salvation as the Church
as a continuation of the straight, unerring path he had dictates, yes; but also bringing them what sciences
chosen since he had begun walking, and he gave him- and arts he’s learned from his own church and those
self to it without a second thought. He kept a modest of the other peoples he’s encountered in his travels.
parish, and was well-loved by his congregation. He had He shares the Word of God, but also solace from the
lived a good, pious life, and had nothing more to ask of abuses of laymen. And most importantly, he’s learning
God. He expected to spend the remainder of his years from them. They have given him a new life, one that
tending to his flock, and die content. had barely begun when he left for the New World; the
life of a traveller.
Then the Inquisition was created, and Friar Mateo
was recommended for it as a reward for his long years
of pious service. He served as a scout and preacher for
the Holy Office, a ‘good cop’ charged with dissuading
heathens before the judges came down on them. As the
Castilian domain grew, this put Mateo in contact with
people and cultures he’d never met, or in some cases
even imagined. He enjoyed scouting, meeting other
people, and he was good at his job. He converted many
heathens; he saved many from the Tribunal. For years,
he tried to tell himself this was just further advance-
ment in the straight line, continuing the life he’d set

127
128
 conquista dor’s gold

Doña carlota de
duero y rojaS
A B R A V E H I D A L G A and natural leader, Doña Carlota left the safe haci-
endas of her family, a part of lesser Spanish nobility, for a chance to make her
luck in the New World. Despite her civilian background, she intends to pull her
own weight in the Cortés expedition, which she insisted in joining as a venture
partner, not a hired hand. She’s good at listening, reading people and detect-
ing bullshit, and she’s of course heard the rumours about the lost gold, which
stirs her lust for mystery and adventure.

T H E R O JAS O F Duero were an old-blood dynasty of

landed gentry from Western Castile. With an old
tradition of landlords and knights, the family was well-
respected and regarded even at the high circles of local
nobility, who knew you could always count on a Rojas
to be loyal, dutiful and proper. For generations, every
male child of the Rojas served in some capacity at the
Castilian navy or court, and every female was married
into another rich, respectable family, thus expanding
and cementing the Rojas’ long-standing network of al-
lies and business associates.
Such were the expectations that fell on Carlota, the
youngest scion of the Rojas dynasty, when she was born
to Don Carlos, the latest male upright gentleman out of
the line, and his dutiful wife Constanza. As the oldest
of three children, Carlota was her father’s favourite,
and she got away with some things other young ladies
didn’t, such as riding a warhorse, shooting an arque-
bus, voicing her opinion at the dinner table and even
rejecting a couple of arranged marriage proposals. She
grew up headstrong and focused, and fully expected to
inherit her father’s business and status in the family,
to the chagrin of all of her aunts and more than one
male acquaintance. The most worried were Domingo
and Cristóbal, Carlota’s younger brothers, who weren’t
ready to have a woman lead the family in their stead.
Carlota’s dreams were cut short when her father died
suddenly, apparently without a will, and a sympathet-
ic judge agreed to share his estate among Diego and
Cristóbal, leaving only a dowry, albeit a sizable one, for
the eldest daughter. Carlota long suspected her broth-
ers of having the will hidden or destroyed, but it was
never proven; the rest of the family, including Carlota’s
dutiful mother, strongly supported the verdict, expect-
ing it would force the firebrand to finally settle down.
Cheated of her inheritance, faced with a choice be-
tween finding an upright male to marry or fighting her
way through sixteen generations of her family, Carlota
chose to tell her family to stick it up; she bribed a law-
yer to release the dowry to her, in cash, and took the
next ship to the New World. If Castile denied her the
role of a landlord, perhaps the New World would allow
her the role of an adventuring settler. She embarked
with only one suitcase, a few loyal servants, and the
certainty that this course, set on a trackless sea with an
uncertain destination, was the right one - the destiny
that had always awaited her.
Carlota’s family was quick to let her disappear, and
agreed to remember her in hushed tones as a tragic,
cautionary tale of mental illness, as tends to happen
in the best circles. Life went on, Carlota’s brothers
achieved positions of renown at court, and the Rojas
of Duero continue to be respectable, dependable and
upright.
As for Carlota, she’s still writing her story, so she
doesn’t know the ending yet.
She expects it will surprise her.

129
130
 conquista dor’s gold

Doña maría isabel

mendozA
A M E M B E R O F the Sabinite Order of warrior nuns and dragon rider in
training, Doña María Isabel is both an accomplished soldier and a relentless
seeker of justice, dedicated to weeding out sin from people’s hearts, often
bloodily cutting out said hearts in the process. Doña María Isabel is brave, vir-
tuous and inspiring; when she can’t persuade by example, she uses Señora de
Dolores, her blessed sword. Deep down, she is a bit smitten with the Captain,
and convinced that God is unambiguously on Cortés’ side.

P E R H APS H E R PA RE N T S , like all the people that

leave their babies at the church’s gates, thought
Christ would give her a better upbringing than they
could. Perhaps they intended, or at least hoped, for her
to become a dragon rider one day, and that’s why they
chose the Sisters of Saint Sabra.
Whatever their intentions, Isabel has always be-
lieved, always known, that it was the Will of God that
her caretakers, whoever they were, left her that morn-
ing, in that basket with a white blanket, at the door of
the Sabinite Temple. She knows it’s a sin to give impor-
tance to oneself, but - who else but God could have set
her in this path?
Like other orphans of her kind, Isabel gave the nuns
a hard time; she was rebellious, she liked to talk back,
she engaged the boys in fisticuffs. She had forced Pere,
who was twice her size, to eat dirt and swallow it after
he’d said those things about Isabel’s food. More than
a decade later, riding the winds on the back of a scaly
beast out of ancient legend, she would still remember
Pere eating dirt and swallowing and smile despite her-
self. Even after muttering a dozen Ave Marias to atone
for the memory, she still smiled.
But one things the nuns could never fault was
Isabel’s faith. She was as pious as the most zealous of
the Mothers, and as dedicated to the sacraments as the
oldest of the scholars. She knows, however, that when
they sent her to the warrior nuns for training, it wasn’t
her faith or zeal which marked her as a candidate. No,
it was the fisticuffs. The cheek. She was meant to fight;
she hadn’t yet reached her tenth year when she met
Sister Doncela and took her first spear lesson.
Like many other dragon riders, Isabel was trained
together with her mount. Gracia, a five-ton leatherer,
was barely out of the clutch when they assigned her to
Isabel, and they remained inseparable from that mo-
ment on.
It was Gracia that saved Isabel from that crazy wing-
less worm on the reconnaissance mission. The high
command didn’t expect Isabel to encounter trouble on
a routine patrol, much less to find a full-grown wild
dragon, with its own cave and hoard, in the middle of
the Castilian hills. It’s true Isabel’s spear was the coup
de grace, but it was Gracia who, honouring her name,
fought and defeated the other dragon, to protect her
rider.
Isabel donated the entirety of the dragon’s hoard to
the Order, of course, but they allowed her to keep one
item - the blessed Toledo sword with the crown of the
virgin on the hilt. Isabel has wielded Señora de Dolores
ever since, as further proof that God watches - and
blesses - her holy path.
And now?
Now there’s a man. A man surely blessed by God,
for he, armed with nothing but a couple of guns and
a ragtag platoon, has made headway into the heathen
lands, converting the Indians to the Faith of God. Isabel
knows this is her calling. She knows God wants her to
follow this man, to give her sword and her dragon to
his cause. Pride is a sin, yes, but it is her fate, her duty,
to join the evangelisation of the New World.

131
132
 conquista dor’s gold

Esteban de fereS
A H A R D - A S - N A I L S , H A L F - M O O R I S H mercenary, Esteban cares
not about his superiors’ ulterior motives; his code is to obey and be a good sol-
dier. Esteban is the best melee fighter of the team, but his greatest asset is a
focused, Mohammedan willpower, which makes him near fearless in a fight.
Although his family converted to Christianism two generations ago, he still
blurts out the occasional Arabic imprecation when battle lust or excitement
get the better of him.

E S TE B AN D E F E RE S is a quiet man. Some of the

other footmen joke that there is no mouth be-
neath that mushy beard, so rare it is to see it open. But
saw those people, those strangers that their grandpar-
ents said were their people, taken into the shadows,
dragged into the light. They quietly stood aside as a few
suspected, looked at them sideways, wondered if they
Esteban remains quiet because he is thinking.
were real Christians.
He thinks of the fall of Al-Andalus, of how things
Esteban doesn’t wonder if he is a real Christian, or a
changed in the last few centuries. He thinks of the
real Muslim. He wonders, yes, whether a real Christian
World before he was born, a World of flapping silks
or a real Muslim can in fact exist; he wonders about the
and scented oils, of humming recitations and kneeling
reasons that push people to fight and die in the name of
to the sand. A long-lost world, that only exists in his
their identity. But he doesn’t doubt himself. He knows
mind and the tales of his grandparents, as told by their
he is fully, wholeheartedly ready to fight and die, like
grandparents’ grandparents. A World that he can only
Mohammed was; to sacrifice himself, like Jesus did.
know in the old books his great-great-uncle Ebrahim
That is enough for him. That is enough for a soldier.
smuggled out of Algarve, and in his dreams. He dreams
of great, shining armies, with great aljanyar swords Esteban thinks, quietly, he wonders, what it all
and iron helmets reflecting the sun as they march on means, what is the real reason behind it. But he is
ancient cities. He dreams so often that it has started to not impatient for the answers. He knows what he is,
come to him also when awake. That is why Esteban is what he is willing to be. He has the zeal and discipline
quiet. of an Almoravid warrior, and the faith and fervor of
a Christian crusader. Whether that makes him one or
He is quiet like his family was when they left Granada
the other - that is inconsequential. He has his sword
to convert to Christianity, when they changed their
and his faith. He has his dreams. And he quietly carries
name to De Feres and joined the growing Castilian
them into battle.
power. They were quiet then. And quiet they remained
when others called them traitors, when marriages broke
and promises fell apart as they left their friends and
extended families behind. Quiet they remained, when
Granada finally surrendered to the Castilian kings, and
the sons of the sons of those friends and families were
seized and forced to adopt the world that Esteban’s
family had quietly embraced generations before. They
remained quiet as they saw their World give way to
theirs, as they tried to believe there was no ‘ours’ or
‘yours’, but a single nation, one empire, born out of
two roots. They quietly failed, and quietly they went
on. Their silence spared them the raids, the arrests,
the public humiliations. They quietly stood by as they

133
 Noble 26 F Doña Carlota de Hidalga Spanish
Duero y Rojas

2 6
Left her inheritance be-
1
hind for a life of adven-
ture in the New World
0 Brave (good)
x
Ashamed of being poor (bad)

0 Arrogant (bad)
Classist (bad)

4 1
1
10

5x x
0

3x

3
x
4 x
x
2

3 x
5x

2x Expedition leader

Common spells: Pater Noster and Ave Maria. Ritual: praying.

Noble: rank 1, peasant economy, owned favour 2.
134
 2x Duelist pistol 2 Range - - J - -t hFe e Ci g h
Brt o
- m e- n s

Primitive. Secondary weapon, piercing, concussive, reach 10, fast draw

Very slow reload (two actions to reload). Pistol (20m range.
It can be shot in Melee range with one advantage)

Duelist dagger 2 1 - B C Br - - - - - -

Forged. Secondary weapon, fast draw

Between the cracks (REACTION: Suffer one disadvantage to ignore hard armour)
Protection 1/1

Strong gambeson - - - - - C C Br - - - -

Normal. Soft armour 1

Undergarment

135
 Peasant 36 M Esteban de Feres Conquistador Spanish

2 3
He has moorish ancestry
0
Brave (good)
Duty to serve Spain (bad)
3

x 0

6 2
0
50

6x x Hardened veteran

3x

5x

1
x
3x

5x
Common spells: Pater Noster and Ave Maria . Ritual: Protecting the faithful.

136
Conquistador sword 3+ 3 - - B - Ct hCe eBr
i g h- t o
- m e- n s

Forged.
Thrusting (REACTION: After declaring an attack with this
weapon, lose one damage to gain piercing)

Steel shield - - - - C - C - Br -

Forged.
Protection 4/4. Shielding 4

Conquistador armour - - - - - - R - C Br - -

Forged. Hard armour 2.

Encumbrance 2. Heavy (Suffer one disadvantage towards Athletics and Stealth)

Coat of mail - - - - - - C C Br - - -

Forged. Hard armour 1.

Encumbrance 1. Undergarment

137
 Peasant 51 M Friar Mateo Navarro Inquisitor Spanish

2 3
Former soldier turned
1
missionary
Defender of the
0 natives (neutral)
Severe (neutral)

0 Duty to serve Spain (bad)

x 6

5 1
4
30

3x x
0

4x x Old testament scriptures, godly influence

5 x
x
3x

2x x Universalist

5x x
Common spells: Pater Noster and Ave Maria. Ritual: praying.

138
 Poleaxe 4 4 - - F C Brt h -e e -i g h- t o
- m e- n s

Forged. Concussive. Polearm

Spike (REACTION: Lose concussive to gain piercing).
Spear stance (UNIQUE REACTION: -1 damage and lose Concussive to gain one Reach)

Strong gambeson - - - - - C C Br - - - -

Normal. Soft armour 1

Undergarment

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Godly icon (REACTION: After you suffer Corruption, reduce it by one. Limited to once per Scene)

Camouflage cape (One advantage towards Stealth when not moving and you are in a non-urban environment)

139
 Noble 21 F Doña María Isabel Mendoza Dragon Spanish
rider

2 3
Aspires to become a seeker
0
of justice and an errant knight
x
Must follow the knight’s
3 code (neutral)
Reckless (bad)

0 Infatuated with Cortés (bad)

Imperialistic (bad)

3 1
1
40

3x

5
x
3

1 x

3
x
1

5x

4x Dragon master

Common spells: Pater Noster and Ave Maria. Ritual: Protecting the faithful.
Noble: rank 1,
140
 Conquistador sword 3+ 3 - - B - C t hCe eBri g h
-t o
- m -e n s

Forged.
Thrusting (REACTION: After declaring an attack with this
weapon, lose one damage to gain piercing)

Steel shield - - - - C - C - Br -

Forged.
Protection 4/4. Shielding 4

Rider spear 2 5 - - - F C C Br - - -

Normal.
Thrusting (REACTION: Suffer one deterioration to gain piercing)
Riding weapon (When you use the talent mounted charge, +2 damage)

Conquistador armour - - - - - - R - C Br - -

Forged. Hard armour 2.

Encumbrance 2. Heavy (Suffer one disadvantage towards Athletics and Stealth)

Coat of mail - - - - - - C C Br - - -

Forged. Hard armour 1.

Encumbrance 1. Undergarment

Dragon light armour

141
142
 conquista dor’s gold

Villa rica de
la vera cruZ
143
144
conquista dor’s gold

145
T H E P C S H A V E arrived to the first location in the adventure: the set-
tlement of Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz. Cortés has turned this native town, for-
merly known as Quiahuiztlan by the locals, into his first fortification in the
New World, and established his meagre force as a growing power in the Mexica
territory. Vera Cruz, or ‘the Villa’, as some of the Spanish call it, is little more
than a large outpost or garrison on the edge of a Totonaca town. It is occupied
by no more than 2000 people, between Cortés’ 600 Spanish adventurers, some
Totonaca locals hired as servants, and a handful of Yokot’an Maya that the
Spaniards brought as mercenaries, aides or prisoners from their first victories.

SIDEBAR: VILLA RICA DE LA VERA CRUZ Iñiguez, the Town’s quartermaster, handles
building materials, general supplies and work
These data are available to any PC that asks or
orders.
looks around while in the outpost.
There’s also a medical pavilion where the expedi-
This settlement used to be some native village,
tion’s many wounded and sick receive round-the-
but the Expedition took over it, and the locals have
clock attention.
been forced to accept Spanish presence in their
lands – for now. Finally, there are a few specially-arranged pleas-
ure tents, where soldiers may hold intimate en-
Cortés has re-christened the area to Villa Rica de
counters among themselves or with those natives
la Vera Cruz, which means Rich Village of the True
hired or captured for this purpose.
Cross, and claimed it for the Spanish Crown.
If the PCs wish to learn specific information
The natives are called Totonaque, and they are
about the settlement, ask them to perform an Easy
subject to the Mexica, or Culua, who demand trib-
Charisma Check (difficulty: 3(1)). If the check is suc-
ute from them in gold, food and living captives.
cessful, the PCs learn the following specific data:
Cortés has promised to help liberate the Totonaque,
but must prove his ability to stand up to the mighty The Villa’s official cabildo, or town council, is led
Mexica empire before the Totonaque agree to an by Alonso Hernández Portocarrero and Francisco De
alliance. Montejo, Spanish officials appointed by Cortés. The
town’s top military officials are Pedro De Alvarado
The settlement’s highest-ranking officials have all
and Guiomar de Sandoval – the latter being the of-
received permanent quarters, with assigned guards
ficer that talked to the PCs.
and wood or brick walls. Lower-ranking officials
and soldiers live in tents. The town council’s first official act was to sign
a plea for Cortés to be their official military lead-
Every soldier, regardless of rank, is expected to
er and chief justice; many see this move as an at-
fulfil a guard rotation. Guard turns change every
tempt from Cortés to get clear of the accusations of
eight hours, at dawn, noon and evening every day.
Governor Velázquez, who charged Cortés with trea-
If the PCs wish to report for duty, they should pre- son for starting the expedition without his blessing.
sent themselves to Sergeant García at the command Being elected as military governor by a body of col-
tent. onists would put Cortés under the direct authority
of the Crown, not Velázquez, thus making it impos-
While the soldiers are idle, they spend their time
sible for the Captain to be accountable for treason.
drinking or playing dice outside their tents.
There’s a small ordnance stand that provides
ammo and food rations to the soldiers.

146

W H I L E THE PC S are in this area, let them in-
teract with the other soldiers and their native
companions as they wish. There are many possible en-
counters in Villa Rica, depending on what the PCs want
to do while they are here (see Encounter 1).
If the PCs wish to look around the area, read the fol-
lowing aloud:
Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz is a small settlement bor-
dering the native town of Quiahuiztlan. It consists of
about two dozen precarious wood and brick houses, plus
some fifty military tents and a high palisade. Above it all
there stands one of the pennants that Cortés brought,
showing the colours of Castile and the legend ‘Brothers
and sisters, let us followeth ye sign of ye Holy Cross with
true faith, for it shalt leadeth us to victory’.
The outpost overlooks one side of a high cliff, pro-
viding its residents with an excellent military position
should push come to shove. Quiahuiztlan, the large na-
tive village at the foot of the cliff, seems to be peaceful,
or at least tolerant of the Spanish, but one can never be
too cautious when in foreign lands.
Most of the people you see in camp are Spanish sol-
diers, elated about the adventure ahead but also re-
lieved for having a well-guarded respite between cam-
paigns. A few native villagers, which the soldiers refer to
as Totonaque, snoop around the conquistador’s camp,
looking to barter, gossip, or simply watch the strange
invaders up close.
After exploring the town for a bit, let the PCs know a
few of the facts listed in the Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz
sidebar.
SIDEBAR: UNWANTED ATTENTION
If the PCs ask openly or too much about sub-
jects related to the lost gold, they draw attention
to themselves, as some of the other interested par-
ties learn there’s somebody new asking about the
treasure.
Every time the PCs ask too many questions or ask
the wrong people, the text will let you know that
the PCs draw attention to themselves.
conquista dor’s gold
Encounter 1: Starting Point
You should run this encounter every time the PCs
wish to go somewhere inside the Vera Cruz settlement.
■ If the PCs are returning from Cempoallan (Chapter
II) or the surrounding country (Chapter III), the
Garrison guards attempt to stop their entrance, but
Captain Guiomar De Sandoval sends a squad to pick the
PCs up personally; proceed to Encounter 15.
■ If the PCs wish to search for specific information
on the lost gold or the Native tax collectors that Cortés
questioned, run Scene 1.
■ If the PCs wish to report for duty at the command
tent, run Scene 2.
■ If the PCs want to interact with the Spanish sol-
diers, proceed to Scene 3.
■ If the PCs wish to buy or request supplies, go to
Scene 4.
■ If the PCs want to find medical supplies or treat-
ment, run Scene 5.
■ If the PCs want to investigate the locals, go to Scene
6.
■ If the PCs want to look for Pedro De Alvarado or
Cortés himself, run Scene 7.
■ If the PCs wish to report to Captain Guiomar De
Sandoval, go to Scene 8.
■ If the PCs wish to leave the settlement, go to Scene
9.
If the PCs draw attention to themselves 3 times
(or more), the news reach Francisco de Montejo, the
mastermind behind the conspiracy against Cortés,
and he puts out a contract on the PCs. Montejo can-
not have them killed without raising suspicion, so
he’ll try to make it look like an accident, a mistake
or an ‘indian attack’.
Several scenes and encounters in this chapter
have added fights and complications if there’s a
contract on the PCs; the text will indicate what hap-
pens and the possible consequences.
147

Scene 1:
the 50,000
ducado
questioN
This scene takes place if the PCs openly ask about the
lost gold around the Vera Cruz garrison. Ask the PCs to
Perform a Charisma or Perception action, confronted
by the stats of spanish soldiers.
■ If the PCs lose the confrontation, they learn noth-
ing, but they draw attention (see the Unwanted
Attention sidebar).
■ If the PCs get a success with a negative conse-
quence, they learn that several survivors of Hernández
de Córdoba’s failed expedition, where the gold first
disappeared, are currently here at the Villa. However,
the PCs’ inquiries draw attention (see the Unwanted
Attention sidebar).
■ If the PCs get a normal success, they learn the above
information plus ONE of two facts, depending on what
they asked about specifically:
■ If the PCs asked about Velázquez’ gold, the sol-
diers mention a veteran, by name of Ahumada,
who served with Hernández de Córdoba during
the first expedition and was among the wounded
survivors of Cortés’ last battle; he should be some-
where around the garrison.
■ If the PCs asked about the native tax collectors
that Cortés set free, the soldiers say that they be-
longed to the Culua, or Mexica tribe, and usually
collected tribute and treasure from the local tribes.
Apparently, Cortés had them imprisoned and then
set free, to ingratiate himself with both the Mexica
and the local peoples, the Totonaque. This all hap-
pened in the nearby town of Cempoallan, which the
PCs may reach in less than an hour on dragonback.
■ If the PCs get a success with a positive consequence,
they get both the above answers, regardless of what
they asked; this suggests that the native tax collectors
may have come across the lost gold, maybe even seen
it. Perhaps Cortés set them free in exchange for this
very information.
148
If the PCs search for Ahumada, run Encounter 2.
If the PCs wish to leave for Cempoallan, go to Scene 9.
If the PCs wish to continue exploring Vera Cruz, re-
turn to Encounter 1 to guide their steps from here.
Encounter 2: The Cold Trail
When the PCs begin asking for the man known
as Ahumada, ask them to perform a Charisma or
Perception action, confronted by a settler.
■ If the PCs lose the confrontation, they learn noth-
ing, but they draw attention (see the Unwanted
Attention sidebar).
■ If the PCs obtain a success with a negative conse-
quence, they learn that Ahumada died a while ago, but
draw attention to themselves during the investigation
(see the Unwanted Attention sidebar).
■ If the PCs win the confrontation, some soldiers con-
firm that Ahumada did survive the last battle, but died
from a native illness a couple of days after the founding
of the garrison. If the PCs ask about Ahumada’s body,
they learn it was burnt to prevent contagion.
■ If the PCs obtain a success with a positive conse-
quence, they find Doña Olalla, a dragon rider, who was
Ahumada’s lover. She tells them the above informa-
tion, but she adds that it’s very suspicious – no other
soldier died of the same illness, either in the garrison
or in the previous weeks of travel.
If the PCs ask Doña Olalla about Ahumada’s symp-
toms, she tells them that he died after hours of horri-
ble muscle spasms and seizures. Ask the PCs to perform
a Hard Knowledge or Medicine Check (difficulty: 9(1))
to identify the symptoms as caused by a rare seizure
illness of the tropics… or by a poisonous nut popular
among Eastern assassins.
If the PCs wish to ask the Villa’s quartermaster about
the presence of poisonous nuts in the garrison’s stores,
run Scene 4.
If the PCs want to ask the garrison physicians about
Ahumada’s death, proceed to Scene 5.
Otherwise, return to Encounter 1 to guide the PCs’
next step.

Scene 2:
duty rosteR
While the PCs explore Vera Cruz, they can always
report to the Garrison’s command tent to be assigned
duty. Sergeant García, the assignment officer, keeps
an updated list of pending tasks and orders, so there’s
never a shortage of things to do.
If the PCs report to Sergeant García, he gladly offers
them the available duty roster:
■ Instruction: If the PCs let Sergeant García know
they are newcomers to the Villa, he sends them to re-
port for military instruction with Commander Elena
Fiado, a recruit trainer. Leave the current scene and
run Scene 3.
■ Guard Duty: If the PCs already reported for instruc-
tion, or if they introduce themselves as experienced
soldiers, they may report for guard duty. Turn shifts
take place every eight hours, at dawn, midday and
nightfall. If the PCs sign for the next guard shift, pro-
ceed to Encounter 3.
■ Priority Tasks: Sergeant García may assign the PCs
to one of the current, special ‘priority’ tasks. García as-
signs each priority task once the PCs have dealt with
the previous one:
1. If the PCs volunteer for a first priority task, pro-
ceed to Encounter 4: Troublesome Troopers.
2. If the PCs solved the first priority task and vol-
unteer for a second one, proceed to Encounter 5:
Abusive Action.
3. If the PCs already dealt with two priority tasks and
volunteer for a third one, proceed to Encounter
6: Stolen Supplies.
4. If the PCs have dealt with three priority tasks,
or don’t wish to involve themselves with them,
García charges them with instruction, guard duty
or an alternative assignment.
conquista dor’s gold
■ Alternative assignment: There’s always room for
extra hands to help build the garrison’s outer walls. If
the PCs wish to help with wall-building, ask them to
perform an Athletic (or Profession, if the profession
would help in this situation) action, confronted by a
TSE that plays one card.
■ If the PCs win the confrontation, they were very
useful: they spend a full day helping construction
and are paid 10 gold for their workday.
■ If the PCs lose the confrontation, they are more
a hindrance than a help for construction, and are
dismissed with no pay after a couple of hours.
■ Alternative assignment: There’s a permanent need
for soldiers that keep curious natives, peddlers and
beggars from swarming over the garrison. There are
several checkpoints at the roads and entrances leading
to the Villa; the PCs are always welcome to help man
these checkpoints. If the PCs sign to watch a check-
point, ask them to perform a Charisma or Discipline ac-
tion, confronted by a TSE that plays two cards.
If the PCs win the confrontation, they spend a full
day at a checkpoint, and manage to keep several native
hawkers and gossips at bay. There’s no other compen-
sation for doing this.
If the PCs lose the confrontation, a couple of local
hawkers and layabouts manage to slip or talk their way
past the PCs’ watch, which gets them dismissed from
the post and fined 5 golds for allowing disruptions in
camp.
If the PCs obtain a success with a positive conse-
quence, they manage to strike a few conversations with
the natives, without letting them inside the garrison.
This gives the PCs a rare insight into the Totonaca na-
tives; consult the Native Informants sidebar and allow
the PCs to ask the questions given there, or simply give
them a few of the facts listed.
Encounter 3: Guard Duty
Every time the PCs report for guard duty, let them rest
(draw cards, etc.) and tend to their gear and injuries.
The Villa is an orderly, well organised place, and
the Totonaque town around it keeps it safe from wild
beasts; guard duty is, ironically, one of the least dan-
gerous tasks the PCs may perform while in Vera Cruz.
Ask the PCs to perform a Normal Perception or
Survival Check (difficulty: 6(1)). If the check succeeds,
the PCs spot someone trying to slip past the Villa’s en-
trance. Unless there is a Contract on the PCs (see the
Unwanted Attention sidebar), that someone is a soldier
149
trying to sneak out of the Villa to have a secret roman-
tic encounter in the wilds or smuggle supplies with the
Natives.
■ If the PCs try to stop the soldier, ask them to per-
form an Athletic, Survival or Charisma action, con-
fronted by a Spanish Soldier’s Competent Skill. If the
PCs win the confrontation, they may either bring the
soldier back to camp, which grants each of them 1 ex-
perience point, or accept a bribe of 5 gold (total) to let
the soldier go. Either way, nothing else happens during
that night.
If there is a Contract on the PCs (see the Unwanted
Attention sidebar), the person the PCs spot is a
Totonaca woman wandering the entrance suspiciously.
If the PCs approach her, she tries to hide and go around
them. If the PCs follow the Totonaca, she leads them to
an ambush: Create a +1 encounter, using level 1 and 2
New World characters.
■ If the PCs survive the encounter, they may inter-
rogate any surviving Totonaca, who confess that a
masked Spaniard paid them to kill the PCs and make
it look like a ‘random Native attack’. The Totonaca
don’t know who hired them, but they show the PCs the
Spanish coins they received for the deed.
Once the PCs’ guard turn is over, they may return to
the start of Scene 2 to perform another task for Sergeant
García, or return to Encounter 1 to go elsewhere.
Encounter 4: Troublesome
Troopers
The first time the PCs report for a priority task at
the Command Tent, Sergeant García sends them to deal
with a gang of rowdy drunken soldiers that are carous-
ing somewhere at the edge of the garrison and refuse
to report for duty.
The PCs are to convince these agitators to report
back, or beat them into submission if necessary. Lethal
force is discouraged, but the PCs may need to defend
themselves.
If the PCs take the assignment, they have no trou-
ble finding the unruly soldiers; they’ve camped in an
out-of-the-way spot behind some rocks at the edge of
the Villa, but aren’t really trying to hide. The troopers
are boisterous, aggressive and flat-out refuse to come
quietly.
■ If the PCs wish to parley with the drunken soldiers,
ask them to perform a Charisma or Discipline action,
confronted by a Spanish Soldier’s mediocre skill. The
PCs suffer one disadvantage because of the soldiers’
150
ugly disposition and drunken state; or two if the one
doing the talking is a woman, as they show content for
her. If the PCs win the confrontation, they intimidate
the soldiers into returning to their posts; proceed to
After the Encounter.
■ If the PCs lose the confrontation, or wish to beat
the soldiers into obedience, create a fair encounter
using level 1 and 2 Spanish characters.
■ If there is no contract on the PCs (see the
Unwanted Attention sidebar), the soldiers don’t
use weapons, only fists; if the PCs lose the battle,
they are traumatised, not bleeding out.
■ If there is a contract on the PCs, someone poi-
soned the carousers’ drinks with a special herb
that made them more aggressive, and they draw
their weapons, fighting the PCs to the death.
If the PCs win the battle – and don’t kill the rioters –
the soldiers meekly limp back to their assigned posts;
proceed to After the Encounter.
AFTER TH E ENC OUNTER
If the PCs successfully convinced or defeated the riot-
ers, Sergeant García pays each of them 10 gold for deal-
ing with the situation.
If the PCs killed the rioters, Sergeant García fines
each PC with 5 gold for excessive force, though he un-
derstands it was self-defence and charges the PCs with
no crime.
If the PCs lost the fight, they are sent to the medical
pavilion; proceed to Scene 5.
If the soldiers were poisoned, ask the PCs to perform
a Hard Perception or Medicine Check (difficulty: 9(1)),
giving them 1 advantage if they actively examine the
soldiers’ drinks. If the check succeeds, the PCs discov-
er someone laced the soldiers’ mead with a stimulant
drug.
Encounter 5: Abusive Action
The second time the PCs report for a priority task at
the Command Tent, Sergeant García asks them to look
into an ugly situation: some soldiers found a badly
beat-up native woman at the edge of camp. The girl al-
ready said the attacker was a soldier from the garrison,
but the culprit hasn’t been identified.
The girl is currently under the protection of the
troop’s dragon riders, who keep her as a guest in their
camp. The PCs are to meet with the girl and do their
best to find which soldier mistreated her, so that jus-
tice may be meted out.

The PCs must mention they are here to investigate
the beating, or else have a dragon rider in their group;
otherwise, the dragon rider sentries bar the PCs from
access to their camp.
If the PCs gain access to the dragon rider quarters,
they are led to the presence of the abused girl, a for-
merly beautiful, young Totonaque with a bruised, swol-
len face. The girl tells the PCs what she’s already told
other officers:
■ She came to Vera Cruz to sell fruit; she had an of-
ficial permit to trade inside the Villa (she didn’t, but it
isn’t relevant to the case).
■ When she was leaving the camp after selling her
stock, one of the garrison soldiers beat her because she
refused to have sex with him (this is true).
■ She doesn’t know the man’s name, but is certain to
identify him if he was in her presence.
■ Her description of the man is, unfortunately, quite
generic – ‘hair-faced, pale-skinned, uniformed, dirty’
– but she is certain he was a regular trooper, not an
officer.
■ The girl defended herself; the aggressor would have
a few bruises and scratch scars on his face.
If the PCs interrogate the dragon riders, they have
come to a few conclusions:
■ The investigation is common knowledge and the
aggressor hasn’t been found yet, so he must be in hid-
ing; however, soldiers trying to leave camp are being
searched and interrogated, and nothing has turned up
so far.
■ The best lead in the case is the place where the sol-
diers found the girl – the camp section reserved for
Captain De Alvarado’s men.
■ The soldiers that found the girl are under De
Alvarado’s orders, but she already confirmed none of
them was the culprit.
The above clues should be enough for a PC to deduce that the at-
tacker was one of the soldiers under Pedro De Alvarado’s command,
and he is currently hidden, protected by his colleagues, inside his
troop’s camp section. If the PCs don’t deduce it on their own, ask
them to Perform a Normal Perception Check (difficulty: 6(1)) to earn
clue that nudges them towards that conclusion, such as ‘culprits
rarely go far from a crime scene’ or ‘if he hasn’t been found it’s be-
cause not everyone is looking’.
■ If the PCs ask the garrison guards about the case,
the guards confirm they have orders to stop and search
anyone other than an officer trying to leave camp. Ask
the PCs to perform a Charisma Action, confronted by
a Spanish Soldier’s mediocre skill; if the PCs win the
conquista dor’s gold
confrontation, a guard mentions that one Lieutenant
Bocanegra warned them he intended to send some sol-
diers to join Captain De Alvarado in his exploration of
the nearby area, and they were not to be stopped or de-
layed in any way, by order of the Captain himself.
■ If the PCs ask around the camp section reserved
for Captain De Alvarado’s men, the soldiers bar their
way, telling them the Captain is currently away from
Vera Cruz and nobody can investigate his men in his
absence. Ask the PCs to perform an easy Perception or
Charisma check (difficulty: 3(1)) to deduce the guards
are withholding information.
■ If the PC insist or confront the guards, ask them
to perform a Charisma action, confronted by a Spanish
soldier’s mediocre skill to make the guards confess that
their orders – not to allow anyone to investigate the
case in the Captain’s absence – came from their supe-
rior, Lieutenant Bocanegra.
■ If the PCs ask to see Lieutenant Bocanegra, ask
them to perform a Charisma action, confronted by a
Spanish soldier’s mediocre skill; if the PCs win the con-
frontation, the guards summon Bocanegra. Proceed to
Encounter 5 Conversation.
■ If the PCs lose the confrontation, or if they are
left with nothing to say to the guards, they must
retreat for now. Return to the start of Scene 2, but
the case remains unsolved, and the PCs may not
perform another priority task for Sergeant García
until they’ve found a way to solve the case.
■ If the PCs try to slip into De Alvarado’s camp sec-
tion unseen, ask them to perform a Stealth action, con-
fronted by a Spanish Sentry’s competent skill. If the
PCs win the confrontation, they may reach Lieutenant
Bocanegra’s tent unimpeded. Proceed to Encounter 5
Conversation.
■ If at least one PC fails the check, or if the PCs
try to force their way into the camp section, cre-
ate a fair encounter using level 2 and 3 Spanish
Soldiers. If the PCs win the encounter, the commo-
tion has attracted Lieutenant Bocanegra; proceed
to Encounter 5 Conversation. If the PCs lose, the
soldiers leave them traumatised instead of bleed-
ing out; the PCs are led to the medical pavilion
(Scene 5).
ENC OUNTER 5 C ONVERSATI ON: THE
BOC ANEGRAS
The encounter ends when the PCs succeed in being
taken to the presence of Lieutenant Bocanegra, one
of Captain Pedro de Alvarado’s officials. Lieutenant
Bocanegra is a Spanish officer with no bruises or
151
scratches in his face, which marks him as innocent
from the beating; however, he reacts hostilely to the
PCs’ investigation. Ask the PCs to perform a Normal
Charisma or Perception Check (difficulty: 6(1)) to de-
duce Bocanegra is hiding something.
■ If the PCs confront Bocanegra about the case, ask
them to perform a Charisma action, confronted by a
Spanish officer’s mediocre skill. Apply 1 advantage or
1 disadvantage depending on whether the PCs use par-
ticularly good (or bad) arguments.
■ If the PCs win the confrontation, Bocanegra doesn’t
confess to anything, but offers each of them 20 gold
to stop their investigation, or better, to tell the drag-
on riders there are no clues leading to De Alvarado’s
camp. If the PCs accept the bribe, proceed to After the
Conversation.
■ If the PCs lose the confrontation, Bocanegra has
them ejected from his troop’s camp section.
■ If the PCs get a success with a positive conse-
quence, or if they resist Bocanegra’s bribes or ejection
attempts, a young soldier interrupts the conversation.
The young man introduces himself as Andreu
‘Breaker’ Bocanegra, the lieutenant’s son. He confesses
to attacking the girl, but warns the PCs to leave him
and his father alone, lest they know why he’s known
as ‘Breaker’.
For his part, Lieutenant Bocanegra insists on the 23
gold bribe and appeals to the PCs’ empathy:
‘I know you’ ll agree that a man should be judged by
his commitment to God and his nation; by his honour,
rather than by a single mistake. Would you hurt the ca-
reer of a promising, good-natured lad, for some foreign-
er woman that we won’t see again? Why are protecting
the enemy against our own people, our own loyal boys?’
If the PCs accept the bribe, proceed to After the
Conversation.
■ If the PCs insist on taking the Bocanegras to jus-
tice, ask them to perform a Charisma action, confront-
ed by a Spanish Officer’s competent skill. If the PCs
win the confrontation, Andreu turns himself in and al-
lows the PCs to take him, confident that the law will fa-
vour him over ‘that Native bitch’. Proceed to After the
Conversation.
■ If the PCs lose the confrontation, or if they attack
the Bocanegras, create a +1 encounter using a combi-
nation of level 3 and 4 Spanish Soldiers. If the PCs sur-
vive the battle, they can take them to the dragon riders
or to Sergeant García to stand trial for their actions.
Proceed to After the Conversation.
152
AFTER TH E C ONVERSATI ON
There are many ways this case may end.
■ If the PCs decide to leave the Bocanegras alone or
accept the lieutenant’s bribe, they can tell the dragon
riders that the soldiers of De Alvarado’s section are in-
nocent; the dragon riders don’t believe them, but the
investigation is later dropped when the Native girl gets
tired and asks to be escorted back to her people. There
is no reward, but Sergeant García considers the case
solved and allows the PCs to move to the next prior-
ity task.
■ If the PCs caught Andreu Bocanegra, the Native girl
identifies him easily and he’s put under arrest, expect-
ing ‘Captain De Alvarado to return and make justice’.
Sergeant García pays 10 gold to each PC for solving the
case, plus the dragon riders add a boarding pistol for
one of the PCs as a bonus reward.
■ If the PCs arrested or killed Lieutenant Bocanegra,
Andreu’s father, they draw attention to themselves
(see the Unwanted Attention sidebar).
■ If the PCs killed either of the Bocanegras, Sergeant
García withholds their payment as a penalty for exces-
sive violence, but the dragon riders intercede in the
PCs’ favour, alleging they acted in self-defence and that
Lieutenant Bocanegra tried to deceive the Vera Cruz
government; hence, the PCs suffer no legal sanctions.
The dragon riders also gift one of the players with a
boarding pistol, for standing up to the abusers.
When the PCs have dealt, or failed to deal, with the
case, return to the start of Scene 2.
Encounter 6: Stolen Supplies
The third time the PCs report for a priority task at
the Command Tent, Sergeant García sends them to look
into a perplexing case that nobody has had time to deal
with yet: someone’s been stealing food and materials
from several cabins and tents in the Villa.
Sergeant García gives the PCs a list of written rob-
bery reports: they include the date and time that the
thefts were discovered, and the affected individual or
group. Stolen goods include weapons, tools, oil and
various types of food. The PCs are to check the robbed
sites and try to ascertain the guilty parties.
Every robbery victim has the same story: the thief
took advantage of guard turn shifts to enter the store-
house from the cabin window or under the tent flaps,
and take a few boxes or bags – nothing more than could
be carried by a single man – to commit the crime. Some
places were robbed more than once.

If the PCs interrogate camp sentries, they confirm
they haven’t heard or seen anything unusual, not even
once. Whoever is doing this is a ghost, a shadow, or
is hiding somewhere that doesn’t require him to pass
through any checkpoint.
Ask the PCs to perform a Normal Perception Check
(difficulty: 6(1)) to discover that most places in the list
are in the Eastern site of the camp.
If the PCs look for tracks in the most recent theft
sites, ask them to perform a Hard Perception or Survival
Check (difficulty: 9(1)). If the PCs succeed, they find a
trail of stealthy steps leading East.
If the PCs find any clue pointing to the East of the
Villa, ask them to perform a Normal Perception or
Knowledge Check (difficulty: 6(1)) to notice there’s an
unguarded opening on the camp’s Eastern wall.
There are no guards here because the place is a tall
precipice that leads down to the cliffs and the sea. A
bad, or even mediocre, climber, risks falling to his
death if he tries to take that route.
If the PCs search around the edge of the cliff, ask them
to perform a Normal Perception or Survival Check (dif-
ficulty: 6(1)) to notice a few gunpowder splotches – un-
spent gunpowder, like the one that would fall from a
box or bag – and some scratch marks, indicating some-
one carrying a bag of gunpowder tried to climb down
that path.
■ If there is a Contract on the PCs (see the Unwanted
Attention sidebar), a group of Totonaca warriors jump
out of the bushes and attack the PCs. Create a +1 en-
counter, using level 1 and 2 New World characters. The
Totonaca don’t strike to kill, but they do try to push
the PCs over to their death.
■ If the PCs are defeated, they are only trauma-
tised (not bleeding out); but the Totonaca throw
them off the cliff, killing them anyway.
■ If the PCs win the battle, they may interro-
gate any surviving Totonaca, who confesses that
a masked Spaniard paid them to kill the PCs and
make it look like a falling accident. The Totonaca
don’t know who hired them, but they show the PCs
the Spanish coins they received for the deed.
Ask the PCs to perform a Hard Perception or Order
Check (difficulty: 9(1)), with 1 advantage if the PC has
a sailor background, to deduce that the type and quan-
tity of stolen material, plus the tracks leading to the
coast, suggests the stolen supplies are meant for a
ship. Such a ship should be hidden, or the dock sentries
would have heard something.
conquista dor’s gold
■ If the PCs ask about a place big enough to hide a
ship near town, Sergeant García tells them that a team
of explorers, from the unit under Captain Diego De
Ordás, found some large caves on the hill’s East side,
but they have not been used.
■ If the PCs wish to interrogate Diego De Ordás’ men,
they deny any involvement and accuse the PCs of slan-
der. Sergeant García is forced to intervene to prevent
bloodshed; when he appears, ask the PCs to perform
a Charisma Action, confronted by a TSE that plays 3
cards. If the action succeeds, Sergeant García orders a
raid on the men’s quarters, and his soldiers find some
of the stolen supplies in the tents of two of Ordás’ sol-
diers. Proceed to After the Encounter.
If the PCs wish to explore the base of the cliff, they
need to climb down, or else ask permission to deploy
their dragon in the Villa’s territory.
■ If the PCs don’t have a dragon, or don’t think of
using it, they must climb down: ask them to perform an
Athletic Action, confronted by a TSE that plays 2 cards
(or one card if the PCs are using a rope). If a PC fails the
action, he must succeed on a second Athletic Action,
confronted by a TSE that plays 2 cards; if the second ac-
tion fails, the PC falls to his death; if he success the PC
survives but takes 2 unpreventable damage.
■ If the PCs request permission to use their dragon
or win the Athletic confrontation, they reach the bot-
tom of the cliff, and a path that leads to a cave com-
plex under it. There are a group of sentries on the path,
who attack the PCs on sight; create a fair encounter,
using a combination of level 1 and 2 Spanish Soldiers. If
the PCs survive, they find a gigantic cove, connected to
the sea, where a large ship has been hidden. The stolen
supplies are all on the ship’s cellar. Proceed to After
the Encounter.
AFTER TH E ENC OUNTER
If the PCs find the clues revealing the hidden ship
under the cliff or the involvement of Ordás’ men, the
thieves confess: they intended to desert the Expedition
and return to Cuba. The robbers and their fellow con-
spirators are arrested, pending judgement and trial by
Captain Cortés, and Sergeant García gives 20 gold to
each PC for a job well done. Proceed to Encounter 1 to
let the PCs choose their next step.
This, however, calls the attention of Francisco De
Montejo, the true architect behind the conspiracy
against Cortés (see Encounters 43 and 60 xx), and the
PCs draw attention to themselves (see the Unwanted
Attention sidebar).
153

Scene 3:
brothers
in armS
If the PCs wish to mingle with the other soldiers like
normal Expedition recruits, they may report for in-
struction with Commander Elena Fiado, head of squad
training, or look for off-duty soldiers at the bonfires
and common areas. The discipline around camp is sur-
prisingly strict for a ragtag band of civilians and merce-
naries. Soldiers are expected to behave like a cohesive
troop, and their rules and instruction aim to increase
their teamwork and organisation, even though they
aren’t technically a sanctioned army. Cortés intends to
remind everyone in the Expedition that they are a con-
quering force, not hidalgos on a pleasure trip.
If the PCs report for instruction, ask them to Perform
an Athletic or Discipline action, confronted by a TSE
that plays 2 cards.
■ If the PCs win the confrontation, they spend a whole
day exercising with the soldiers and gain 3 experience
points; they also bond with the soldiers, who point the
PCs to the gambling tents and pleasure houses in case
they are looking for some recreation.
■ Every PC that loses the confrontation suffers ex-
haustion. If the PCs get a success with a negative con-
sequence, it counts as winning the confrontation, but
the PCs also suffer exhaustion.
After instruction, Commander Fiado asks the PCs to
report to Ensign Jiménez for some errands. If the PCs
performed well during instruction, the task is optional,
and the Commander asks because she was impressed
by the PCs’ skill; if the PCs underperformed, the task is
mandatory, and the Commander gives it to the PCs as
punishment.
■ If the PCs report to Ensign Jiménez for errands, run
Encounter 7.
■ If the PCs want to hang out with off-duty soldiers,
run Encounter 8.
■ If the PCs wish to visit gambling tents or pleasure
houses, run Encounter 9.
■ If the PCs want to do something else, return to
Encounter 1 to help them review their options.
154
Encounter 7: the ensign’s er-
rands
Ensign Jiménez, the amenities officer, is a gruff,
grumpy man with little time for nonsense. If the PCs an-
nounce that Commander Fiado sent them, he curtly re-
fuses their help, but then gives them two tasks anyway,
announcing he expects them done ‘before yesterday’.
First, he requests the PCs suffocate a rebellion among
the recruits, who are demanding a meal increase. Their
leader is one Corporal López; Jiménez expects the PCs,
as fellow recruits, to convince López to stand down and
abandon his absurd demands.
Second, Jiménez is tragically short of ammo. He des-
perately needs new stocks, but the officials have denied
his many requests. So, he asks for any surplus ammu-
nition that the PCs come across during their missions;
he’ll pay its full price for their trouble.
■ If the PCs talk to López, he tries to turn them to his
side, showing them that the meal rations that Jiménez
assigned are absurdly small.
■ To solve the situation, the PCs must either talk
López and his cohorts into being content and remem-
bering soldiers must make sacrifices, or convince
Jiménez that he can afford to increase meal rations
a little, or else convince both of reaching a compro-
mise, halfway between the current standard and López’
demands.
■ If the PCs try to convince López or Jiménez, ask
them to perform a Charisma Action, confronted by a
TSE that plays 3 cards; if they wish to convince both,
they must perform 2 such actions.
■ If the PCs convince López, Jiménez thanks them by
reloading all their ammunition.
■ If the PCs convince Jiménez, López thanks them by
gifting them with a set of ‘lucky’ (that is, weighted)
dice to cheat at gambling.
■ If the PCs convince both, they get no reward (nei-
ther side is entirely thankful) but earn an extra 2
experience.
The PCs may always return to bring Jiménez any sur-
plus ammunition they’ve found; he’ll buy it from them
for the full price.
When the PCs are finished, they may join the other
soldiers for a drink in Encounter 8, or for a bit of enter-
tainment in Encounter 9.
If the PCs don’t wish to relax with the soldiers, return
to Encounter 1 to help them choose their next step.

Encounter 8: Troop Talk
The Vera Cruz Garrison teems with off-duty soldiers
coming and going on minor errands, chatting at their
tents or having a drink near a bonfire.
■ If the PCs want to sit, chat and drink with the sol-
diers, they learn every fact they hadn’t yet learned
from the Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz Sidebar. Plus, they
may perform a Charisma action, confronted by a TSE
that plays 2 cards, to hear one or all of the following
rumours:
‘Pardiez! Everybody knows Governor Velázquez
changed his mind on the eve of our departure, and
wished to stop the expedition! What I ask myself is why,
hm? Did the Captain offend him? Or is there some truth
to that stolen gold shit?’
‘Some of the officers – the usual crew, Ordás,
Velázquez de León and that padre, Juan Díaz, you
know the sort – appear to echo the Governor’s senti-
ment, and have been pushing for Cortés to turn back.
Understandable, I guess’.
‘But I would rather keep an eye on the other offic-
ers – you know, the supposedly loyal, like that beast De
Alvarado, which as you know is the Governor’s cousin –,
the ones that appear to support the captain, but only
because they have some personal, some secret agenda.
No, I don’t know what that is, and God save me from
making assumptions, but mark my words – that Alvarado
is up to something, and he ain’t the only one’.
‘Well, there’s supposed to be some Spanish gold lost
around these parts, abandoned by some sailors or some-
thing… but come on, right? Did we come to the other side
of the world to rescue Spanish gold? Of course not’.
■ If the PCs have been to Cempoallan (Chapter II),
they may want to ask about a possible traitor among
Cortés’ captains, or a Spanish official that could be in-
terested in delaying the peace talks with the Totonaca.
If the PCs inquire about this, ask them to perform a
Charisma action, confronted by a TSE that plays 2 cards.
■ If the PCs win the confrontation, they learn that
there’s a very open faction that opposes the trip
and wishes to return to Cuba. Nobody talks about
it, but everyone in camp knows. The opposition
leaders are all Governor Velázquez’ friends; Diego
de Ordás, Father Juan Díaz and their ilk. However,
this faction wants the Expedition to stop and go
back, not to be delayed. It’d be against their in-
terests to stall negotiations with the Cempoalteca.
■ If the PCs get a success with a positive, while
the soldiers accuse Diego De Ordás and his malcon-
conquista dor’s gold
tents, some of them make offhand remarks about
Francisco De Montejo, who has acted as a kind of
unofficial mediator between Cortés and the dis-
senters. It’s ‘remarkable how Montejo and Pedro
De Alvarado remain loyal to the Expedition, de-
spite their friendship with Governor Velázquez’.
■ If the PCs have been to the Cempoallan Market
District (Scene 13 in Chapter II), and wish to ask about
Tax’kát, the lost Totonaca child, ask them to perform
a Charisma action, confronted by a TSE that plays 2
cards.
■ If the PCs win the confrontation, they learn that
a kid matching Tax’kát’s description was brought
to camp after Cortés’ first meeting with the ‘fat
chieftain’, and was sent as part of the Cempoalteca
‘volunteer caravan’. The soldiers remember the
kid was sent to work with the Quartermaster, or
maybe at the medical pavillion.
■ If the PCs get a success with a positive conse-
quence, they meet a soldier that knew Tax´kát, and
knows the kid is dead. He contracted a strange dis-
ease and his body was burned to prevent conta-
gion. They should ask at the medical pavillion for
details.
■ If the PCs ask about the stolen gold, ask them to
perform a Charisma action, confronted by a TSE that
plays 3 cards. If the PCs win the confrontation, they
confirm that a few soldiers were on that first expedi-
tion, but knew nothing about any hidden gold during
the trip. They are honest; some of them bitterly regret
not having noticed or stolen the gold, but they weren’t
aware of its existence. However, some of the soldiers
mention Cempoallan, a city to the South. Cempoallan
is supposed to be the hub of the local natives’ civilisa-
tion; if there were news of lost Spanish gold to be had,
Cempoallan would have them.
■ If the PCs ask about the campaign against the
Mexica and Cortés’ Expedition itself, they are intro-
duced to Robledillo, a very talkative corporal that has
some insights on Cortés’ campaign. If the PCs buy him
a drink or lend him money for one, Robledillo has the
following to say:
‘Ah, I reckon the Captain’s already decided we will
march on this Mexica Empire. Why else did he go to all
the trouble of building this outpost?’
‘And they fear our approach, you mark my words…
These Culua, or Mexica, for by both names do their sub-
jects refer to them, and not with kind words, it seems,
these Mexica, I say, pleaded with the Captain not to ad-
vance into their lands!’
155
 ‘Even better, they showered
the officers with gifts… which they
haven’t deigned to share with us, of
course. But there was much treas-
ure and many gifts, such as not even
the nobles of Spain themselves have
seen, I wager. All this they gave, just
so that we wouldn’t come closer to
their lands’.
‘That smells like some serious
loot waiting ahead, don’t it? Don’t
get me wrong, maybe we can trade
for it. But who knows what dispo-
sition these Indians will be in, eh?
Mebbe we’ ll need to drop the ol’
fear of God onto them’.
‘Bless me, we are not here to pil-
lage or anything, but it’s our duty
to wipe heresy and idolatry from
these lands, with the good guide of
Christ, and if the natives should fail
to renounce their ways… well, that’s
what I say anyways’.
‘All due respect, many here think
going inland is folly… they, and God
keep me from saying such things, say
the Captain is wrong; that our small
force can’t possibly defeat some fa-
bled empire, damn their treasures
and their fear’.
‘But see, the Captain has a plan.
See, these lands belong to these
Mexica, right? Right. But the people
that live here are not Mexica, and
that’s hard for us to see, because
to us they seem to be the same col-
our and wear the same clothes, but
they are different nations, as dif-
ferent from each other as we are
from, I don’t know, the French or the
English’.
‘Aye, the locals call themselves
Totonaque, I believe, and get this –
they are the vassals of the Mexica.
And none too happy about it, I’ ll
bet’.
‘So, if the Captain’s half as smart
as I know him to be, he’s decided to
use these oppressed people. Mebbe
as allies, to convince the Mexica
to yield to us, mebbe as weapons
156
should the Mexica, eh, lose their
fear’.
‘Again, some of the soldiers,
most of them the Governor’s crew,
of course, are against this plan, and
they want nothing to do with the
Mexica, and they want to return to
Cuba and end the Expedition with
the establishment of this village.
Small wonder, as they have large
haciendas back at Fernandina and
Española. But us? What awaits us, I
ask you?’
AFTE R TH E ENC OUNTER
If the PCs asked about the gold,
or were told rumors about it, they
draw attention to themselves (see
the Unwanted Attention side-
bar), plus De Alvarado’s agents ap-
proach them to learn more about
their plans; proceed to Encounter
10. Otherwise, return to Encounter
1 for the PCs to choose their next
step.
Encounter 9: Free
Time
There are many options for enter-
tainment in Vera Cruz if one knows
where to look. The PCs may have
heard of the gambling tents and the
pleasure houses around camp.
If the PCs wish to visit one of the
pleasure houses, ask them to per-
form a Charisma action, confront-
ed by a TSE that plays three cards.
If the action succeeds, the PCs get
hold of an unoccupied tent and
find a willing partner among the
soldiers (of the gender the PC’s
choice). The PCs may also partner
among themselves if they wish.
If the PCs wish to gamble with the
soldiers, they are invited to a dice
game.
■ Only one of the PCs may play.
■ A PC that wants to play must
declare how much they are betting
(no more than 5 gold per game).
■ Then, ask the PC to perform a
normal Perception check (diffi-
culty: 6(1)), with one advantage if
the PCs have the lucky dice from
Corporal López.
■ If the PC is successful, he
has won that night’s game: he
wins back whatever he bet be-
fore the game, plus an amount
of gold equal to the difference
between his result and the
TSE’s.
■ If the PC gets a success with
a positive consequence, they
earn double the money and
draw attention to themselves
(see the Unwanted Attention
sidebar).
■ If the PC loses the con-
frontation, he simply loses the
money he bet at the start.
■ The PCs may only perform
one gambling action in a single
night, as there’s only so much
money and free time available
to the other soldiers.
AFTER TH E ENC OUN TE R
If the PCs won a game or found
an available pleasure tent, De
Alvarado’s agents have taken no-
tice of them: proceed to Encounter
10. Otherwise, return to Encounter
1 for the PCs to choose where to go
now.
Encounter 10: A
Clash of Crews
This encounter takes place if the
PCs called attention to themselves
in Encounter 8 or 9. Read the fol-
lowing as the PCs prepare to return
to their business:
As you stand up and wipe your
hands, you see three individuals ap-
proach you.
At the centre, an armoured wom-
an. She seems petite when compared
to their companions, but her fierce,
steely gaze and close-cropped hair

mark her as a war veteran. She wears dragon rider livery
and sports a red scar from neck to brow. Her lithe move-
ments seem better suited to an acrobat, or a sailor, than
to a dragonry officer.
Right behind her walks a giant of a man, with dark
skin and a big, bushy black beard. He wears his greasy
hair in a long braid, and his eyebrows are so thick as to
cover his eyes, save for the occasional evil glint. He car-
ries an arming sword and a huge musket.
On her other side there’s a tall, lanky man, with a
frighteningly pale complexion and inexpressive eyes. His
hair blond almost to the point of whiteness, his face thin
and clean-shaven, he seems to be the polar opposite of
his burly companion. He isn’t armoured, but wears a
huge inquisitor’s cross on a chain hanging from his pencil
neck. He looks you over as a snake would regard a bird.
These people are De Alvarado’s agents in charge of
the treasure search, and the PCs’ main rivals in the ad-
venture. They heard of the PCs’ arrival to Vera Cruz,
and want to get a good look at them now, before they
have to kill them all.
The female, who seems to be the leader of the trio,
steps ahead and greets the PCs:
‘God and Castile, good people. I am Doña Cristina
Díaz, dragon rider in the service of Captain Pedro De
Alvarado, and these are Señor Pérez Negro, my body-
guard, and Friar Cosmes of the Holy Inquisition’.
‘I am very pleased to make your acquaintance. We
understand that you have arrived to the Villa in a… spe-
cial capacity, shall we say?’
‘Far be it from me to pry into another’s business,
which is a most ugly sin, don’t you agree? Be as it may,
we just wanted to bid you the warmest of welcomes to
Vera Cruz. The Good Lord knows poor Captain Cortés,
may our Mother Mary watch his health, needs as many
hands as possible these days’.
‘Well, we don’t want to waste any more of your time.
We’re sure you have plenty of tasks to occupy you; oth-
erwise, what would you be doing here? Ha ha. Good
evening!’
If the PCs confront the three soldiers, or try to bait
them into more talking, Doña Cristina claims a busy
schedule and the trio excuse themselves. It’s clear,
however, that they intended to warn the PCs.
Let the PCs know they are tired and in need of sleep.
After they’ve had a good night’s rest, go to Encounter 1
to choose their next step.
conquista dor’s gold
Scene 4: the
garrison
storeS
This scene takes place when the PCs wish to buy sup-
plies at the Villa’s storehouses. There’s an ordnance
stand that distributes rations and ammunition; also,
the quartermaster’s office stocks tools and general
supplies.
■ If the PCs wish to visit the ordnance stand, go to
Encounter 11.
■ If the PCs go to the Quartermaster’s store, go to
Encounter 12.
Encounter 11: The Ordnance
Stand
This large, well-guarded tent holds standard supplies
that it then provides to the garrison soldiers. Here, the
PCs may request ammunition and a daily meal.
■ If the PCs have not done so this day, they may re-
quest their ammunition reloaded and a single day of
military rations each.
■ The PCs may request weapons or armour (of normal
quality) by getting a special order; Captain de Sandoval
will gladly provide it if the PCs ask her personally, and
Sergeant García may also grant the permission if they
are currently running priority tasks for him. If the PCs
obtain a special order, they may request a single weap-
on and armour suit each (100 gold in total).
■ The PCs may also have their gear repaired here by
putting in a request. The repair job is usually ready by
the next day, unless the item was too heavily damaged
or broken, in which case it may be better to secure a
special order to have it replaced.
■ Finally, there’s a nun working at the stand, name
of Mother Antonia; her task is to bless the soldiers and
their gear. She can perform Priesthood Scriptures mir-
acles on any character, weapon or armour set, but she
expects a donation to the garrison’s chapel in return.
In theory, donation is optional, but in practice a single
blessing is worth roughly 8 times the spirit points re-
quired to use it in gold.
157
 ■ Mother Antonia is also authorised to permanently
enchant a weapon or armour set, making it magical. For
Mother Antonia to enchant an item, the PCs must bring
her a weapon or armour set, pay 50 gold, and then pray
with her for a full day, after which they must try to
transcend. If they succeed, the item becomes magical.
■ If the PCs ask Mother Antonia about item blessing
or enchantment, she mentions a favour they could do
to her: if the PCs obtain a ‘heretic’ – that is, Totonaca
or Mexica – magical item in the course of their travels,
they may bring it to Mother Antonia for research (and
likely for destruction, after she’s researched it). Once
the magic item is exorcised, Mother Antonia could use
the spirit obtained from it to permanently enchant one
of their items for free, and she would pay them half the
price of the item in gold for their trouble.
Once the PCs finish their business with the store, re-
turn to Encounter 1 to choose their next step.
Encounter 12: The Quartermaster
The Garrison’s Quartermaster is a man called Iñiguez,
a stocky veteran turned clerk, as fierce a haggler as he
used to be a warrior.
At Iñiguez’ store, the PCs may buy items. The
Quartermaster doesn’t stock weapons, armour or food
– that is strictly ordnance – but any other item is a pos-
sibility. You may restrict very expensive or inadequate
items, of course.
As Iñiguez also has a workshop to craft the work or-
ders, he is always on the lookout for crafting parts; if
the PCs can get their hands on resources, Iñiguez will
offer to buy them.
■ If the PCs are investigating the death of Ahumada
(see Encounter 2), they may ask Iñiguez about poi-
sonous nuts: he is familiar with them, but he’s never
stocked anything like it. Furthermore, if anyone had
such things in Vera Cruz, they would almost certain-
ly be confiscated, and thus Iñiguez would know it. He
promises to keep an eye out for the PCs, but he doesn’t
think there are poison nuts in the garrison.
■ If the PCs are searching for Tax’kát, the lost
Totonaca child from the Cempoallan Market District
(Scene 13 in Chapter II), Iñiguez tells them the kid
worked with him for a while; ‘smart golfillo, quick as a
whip, eager to learn and be useful’. However, after he
sent Tax’kát to do a few errands at the medical pavil-
lion, Alvarado’s soldiers assigned the kid there perma-
nently ‘because of his good eye and quick feet’.
Once the PCs finish their business with the
Quartermaster, return to Encounter 1.
158
Scene 5: the
medical
PavilioN
Any military expedition has wounded men, and the
Vera Cruz infirmary is always busy with the sick and
the injured.
If the PCs become traumatised or bleeding out during
their stay in Vera Cruz, they wake up here, after one or
two days unconscious, with all their wounds and inju-
ries healed.
While in the Villa, the PCs may come here at any time
for medical treatment or healing miracles; healing
has no cost for Vera Cruz soldiers, but the PCs need to
spend a full day here to receive proper treatment.
■ If the PCs receive medical treatment here and there
is a Contract on them (see the Unwanted Attention
sidebar), someone poisons their medication: ask the
PCs to perform an Athletic action, confronted by a TSE
that plays two cards.
■ If the check fails, the PCs become poisoned and will
die within 24 hours unless the poison is properly diag-
nosed and tended to.
■ You may ask other PCs to perform a Hard Knowledge,
Medical or Perception Check (difficulty: 9(1)) to discov-
er a PC has been poisoned. The check gains 1 advantage
if the PCs investigated the deaths of Ahumada (from
Encounter 2) or little Tax´kat (from Scene 13). The
local physicians are no help, as the symptoms resem-
ble a normal sickness, and don’t administer the prop-
er treatment unless they somehow discover the PC has
been poisoned.
■ If the check succeeds, the poisoned PC will be
cured by the local physicians.
The PCs may also make idle chat with the physicians
or their patients (those that can talk anyway), who tell
them that Cortés’ army defeated two native forces on
its way here, in two battles at places called Cotoche and
Centla, but at least thirty men fell in battle, and many
more lay wounded, having their permanent injuries
tended to even now.
■ If the PCs help to heal the wounded men, they bond
with the soldiers; take note of this for later use.

■ If the PCs are investigating the death of Ahumada
(see Encounter 2), they may ask the physicians about
the symptoms for the seizure sickness and the poison
nut: Father Moreno, head physician of the pavillion,
thinks it’s too paranoid to assume someone’s poison-
ing soldiers, but confirms that the symptoms are al-
most identical.
■ If the PCs ask about Tax’kát, the lost child from the
Cempoallan Market District (Scene 13 in Chapter II),
they meet a physician, Captain Susana De Trujillo, who
tells them Tax’kát died a while ago, some time before
the PCs first arrived to camp:
‘Sure, the kid was a great worker, and he seemed
mostly happy to be here, although he sometimes said
he missed his mom. Anyway, I did not ask for him to be
assigned here. The order came from Alvarado’s soldiers’.
‘And a pity too, because the kid died from some na-
tive sickness just a couple of days after he started work-
ing here’.
‘It was similar to the seizure sickness; spasms, rigid-
ity, sudden lack of breathing. The same thing that killed
sergeant Ahumada, surely; most likely the kid caught it
from him’.
■ If the PCs have asked about both Tax’kát and
Ahumada, the physicians still think it’s too paranoid to
assume a conspiracy, but let the PCs know that in fact
Tax’kát asked the same thing once, before he came to
work at the pavillion. He’d wanted to know whether
Ahumada’s symptoms could be caused by poison.
■ If the PCs ask who assigned Tax’kát to the medi-
cal pavillion or who else in camp did he have contact
with, ask them to perform a Charisma action, confront-
ed by a TSE that plays two cards. If the PCs win the con-
frontation, the physicians confirm it was Alvarado’s
men, under orders by some unknown officer from their
camp; they can’t get more specific than that.
■ If the PCs get a success with a positive conse-
quence, one physician thinks he remembers that
it was under the orders of ‘that inquisitor, Friar
Cosmes’.
Once the PCs have finished their business in the
Medical Pavilion, turn to Encounter 1 to help them
choose their next path.
conquista dor’s gold
Scene 6: the
nativeS
Although the Villa is considered a Spanish outpost
and is run by conquistadors, the bulk of its popula-
tion are Natives. Most of them are Yokot’an merce-
naries brought from Cortés’ first campaigns, but there
are also prisoners and local hirelings from Totonaque
lands.
If the PCs wish to investigate the Natives, they must
go to the special sections set aside for them in the
Villa; the Yokot’an have built their own huts beside the
Garrison, and have their own guards and timetables.
The Totonaca live among the Spaniards, but also keep
to their own, separate groups.
Whenever the PCs approach a Native group to
ask them about their people, ask them to Perform
a Charisma Action, confronted by a TSE that plays 2
cards. The PCs gain 1 advantage on this action if they
investigated, or are investigating, the abused Native
woman (see Encounter 5).
If the PCs lose the confrontation, it means they are
thrown out of the Native camp, or the Natives they ap-
proach become intimidated and walk away.
If the PCs win the confrontation, they find someone
with the time and willingness to listen; consult the
Native informants sidebar to consult the answers the
PCs get to their questions. Language is not an issue, as
the PCs carry the Charm of Saint Jerome.
After the PCs are finished with the Natives, let them
decide their next step.
If the PCs wish to leave for Quiahuiztlan or
Cempoallan, go to Scene 9.
If the PCs want to investigate the soldier known as
Ahumada, go to Encounter 2.
Otherwise, return to Encounter 1 to help the PCs de-
cide their next step.
159
 SIDEBAR: NATIVE INFORMANTS
Consult this list of facts every time the PCs per-
form a successful Charisma action to get informa-
tion from the Totonaca or Yokat’an natives.
If the PCs got a success with a positive conse-
quence, they obtain the bold-typed answers to their
respective questions.
If the PCs ask about the Native tribes themselves,
these are the possible answers:
■ The Natives are not a single ethnicity, but belong
to several tribes. Most are Yokot’an warriors from
the provinces of Catoche and Centla, where Cortés
had his first military victories; a few are Totonaca
locals from the nearby town of Quiahuiztlan.
■ The Yokot’an are an advanced culture that lives
in large fortified cities to the East; they are split
from the Maya Empire that governs the faraway
lands beyond the jungle. Despite their architectural
and scientific advances, the Yokot’an live close to
the earth, and like to run naked, fight bloody and
eat dirty, which may look barbaric to the Spanish -
but the Spanish look more barbaric to them, dress-
ing in metal and riding on the backs of deers.
■ The Totonaca are less advanced, more super-
stitious and much less warlike than the Yokot’an,
but they are great craftsmen and builders. Almost
all of their villages are sprawling towns with more
than 1000 inhabitants. They have their own lan-
guage, but have spoken Nahuatl, the tongue of their
Mexica masters, for centuries now.
■ The Totonaca are native to this region; their
closest settlement is Quiahuiztlan, which surrounds
the Villa itself. They also have three large cities, of
which Cempoallan, the largest, is only a journey’s
march south from here.
■ The Yokot’an, in whose honour the Spanish gave
the name ‘Yucatán’ to their lands, live far to the
Southeast, but Cortés left many military outposts in
their lands already.
If the PCs ask about the Mexica, the Natives have
this to say:
■ The Mexica, or Culua as the Yokot’an call them,
are the mightiest tribe in the world. They have con-
quered all the lands between the Maya Empire to
the South and the Chichimeca wastelands to the
North, and between the Western and Eastern seas.
160
■ The Mexica refer to their domain as the
Anahuac, that is, ‘land of the Nahua’, which is how
they call their ethnicity.
■ The peoples under Mexica domain, like the
Totonaca, have to pay tribute to the Mexica, and
must often accept Nahua governors and puppet rul-
ers. They have even been forced to adopt Nahuatl,
the tongue of the Mexica, as their common speech.
■ The Mexica are powerful, ambitious and ostenta-
tious; they believe themselves divinely appointed to
rule the land, and treat others as their natural vas-
sals. But they are also very cultured and advanced,
and a few tribes even submitted to them willingly.
■ Mexica cities are architectural wonders and
prosperous urban centres, where gold and jewellery
flow like water, where everything is at peace and no-
body goes hungry. Or that’s what they say, anyway.
■ Mexica lands are established around a great
lake; an inner sea to the West of here. to reach it,
one needs to walk one or two weeks in a straight line
from Cempoallan. But the path goes through Mexica
conquered territory; it can’t be done without their
consent.
■ The main reason why the Natives have allowed
Cortés to pass through their lands, or even joined his
forces, is the hope to see someone stand up to the
Mexica after so many centuries.
If the PCs question the Natives about the lost gold,
they draw attention to themselves, plus the natives
know very little:
■ They don’t know anything about Spanish expe-
ditions or lost gold, but that there was a soldier,
one Ahumada, that talked about such things. The
Natives would suggest the PCs seek this Ahumada.
■ When Cortés was last at Cempoallan, he inter-
viewed some Mexica Tax Collectors; they might have
known something about the lost gold. The PCs should
go to Cempoallan; even if the Mexica know nothing,
it is the largest city hereabouts, and any news about
lost treasures would have likely passed through
there.
■ Three people – a soldier woman, a priest and a
large hair-faced man – were asking about the same
subject a while ago.
If the PCs are investigating the death of Ahumada
(see Encounter 2), they may ask the Natives about
poison nuts:
 conquista dor’s gold

■ The Natives immediately confirm those nuts ■ All the natives are in awe of Spanish firearms
exist, and that they have a similar effect to the sei- and the ‘giant deer’ they ride. Some are simply curi-
zure sickness. However, they believe the PCs are ous about their ‘magic’, while others are scared out
‘stupid’ for asking about such harmful foods, and of their wits.
spend most of the conversation trying to convince
If the PCs ask about the relationship between
the PCs that death nuts ‘are not for eating’.
the Natives and the Spaniards, the Natives say the
■ If anyone wanted to procure such nuts, they following:
would have to get them from a wizard, or from the
■ The Totonaca, like the Mexica, call the Spanish
Cempoallan market; everything’s for sale there. teotl, which means ‘spirit-people’ or ‘demons’.
If the PCs have been to the Cempoallan Market The Yokot’an, more pragmatic, call them dzul;
District (Scene 13 in Chapter II) and wish to ask ‘foreigners’.
about Tax’kát, the lost Totonaca child, the natives ■ All Natives in the Villa are here to follow Cortés
tell them what they know: and serve him in exchange for his promises of land
■ Many Totonaca children came to work here and plunder. They don’t judge whether the Spanish
when Lord Xicomecoatl of Cempoallan assigned are right or wrong, holy or unholy, nor do they see
‘volunteers’ to help the Spanish at the Garrison. themselves as subject to the invaders; they are part-
ners at best, and hired hands at worst, in a military
■ Tax’kát is a common Totonaca nickname, mean-
campaign.
ing ‘little bee’.
■ Actually, the Natives are split about the invad-
■ A kid with that name was working at the medical
ers; some believe they are dangerous, while some are
pavillion, but he died of some rare illness, ‘probably grateful to them. Some think they are lice-ridden
caught from the hair-faces’. dregs from a backward country, and some believe
If the PCs ask about the Natives’ forces and weap- they are he portent of a new era, for good or ill. Some
ons, they learn the following: of the Natives follow Cortés out of fear, and would
like nothing better than to be released and return
■ The natives have dragons and divine magic too,
to their villages, while others believe they are part
but their magic is much more destructive and hard of some blessed army destined to conquer the world.
to perform than the European’s casual blessings,
and their dragons are much larger and as likely to
turn against them as they are to help them. That’s
partly why they must be given sacrifice.
■ Only the largest Native cities have dragon pro-
tectors; they call them ‘storm snakes’ or ‘cloud
snakes’ in their respective tongues. The lord of all
dragons is the Feathered Snake, which the Mexica
call Quetzalcoatl; it is He that cloud snakes answer
to, not mortals.
■ Both the Totonaca and the Yokot’an share a sim-
ilar faith, just like several European nations follow
Christianity. In their faith system, ancestor spirit-
wizards control the natural forces, and they must be
appeased with sacrifice.
■ For the natives, ‘sacrifice’ doesn’t exactly mean
killing; more accurately, it means giving life in re-
turn for life. Killing a child on an altar, burning
crops at a shrine, and fasting oneself in prayer are
all, at the core, the same practice – paying with one’s
life and blood for the life the spirit world gives to the
mortal world.

161

Scene 7:
looking for
the leaderS
This scene takes place if the PCs seek Captain Pedro de
Alvarado, or want to talk personally to Cortés himself.
If the PCs have been to Cempoallan and have a
Message for Cortés, Captain Guiomar de Sandoval asks
for their presence immediately. Proceed to Encounter
15.
■ Ask the PCs to perform a Perception or Charisma
action, confronted by a TSE that plays two cards.
■ If the PCs fail the confrontation, they draw at-
tention to themselves (see the Unwanted Attention
sidebar).
■ If the PCs obtain a success with a negative conse-
quence, it counts as a win, but they also draw attention
to themselves.
■ If the PCs win the confrontation, they learn that
both captains have left.
■ If the PCs have not yet been to Cempoallan,
Cortés is either in Quiahuiztlan or Cempoallan,
conferring with the Totonaca lords, while Pedro
De Alvarado left on a scouting mission.
■ If the PCs have already been to Cempoallan,
Cortés and De Alvarado left together on some un-
disclosed business, and nobody seems to know
what it was about.
■ If the PCs get a success with a positive consequence,
they learn that De Alvarado’s absence means that he
left his cabin all but unguarded.
If the PCs want to follow either of the captains into
their missions, go to Scene 9.
If the PCs want to take advantage of Pedro De
Alvarado’s absence to investigate his quarters, run
Encounter 13.
Otherwise, proceed to Encounter 1 to help the PCs
choose their next step.
162
Encounter 13: The Secret of Pe-
dro De Alvarado
If the PCs have already encountered Pedro De
Alvarado in the wilderness, he’s just returned to Camp;
they may not investigate his quarters for now. The PCs
must wait one week, the time required for De Alvarado
to leave on his next mission, before playing this en-
counter; meanwhile, return to Encounter 1 to guide
their next step.
If the PCs arrive during Pedro De Alvarado’s ab-
sence and want to investigate his unguarded quarters,
ask them to perform a Stealth action, confronted by a
Spanish Guard’s Competent Skill.
■ Every PC that wins the confrontation manages
to slip past De Alvarado’s Guards and enter his cabin
unseen.
■ A PC that fails suffers no other consequence than
being unable to find a moment when the guards turn to
the other side; he is not caught, but he cannot enter the
cabin with the PCs that succeed.
■ But, if even one PC gets a failure with a negative
consequence, all the PCs are caught and arrested; pro-
ceed to Encounter 14.
If any PC manages to enter De Alvarado’s cabin, read
the following aloud:
The inside of De Alvarado’s office is like the man
himself – grandstanding, overbearing and heartless.
The furniture seems both too ostentatious for a military
settlement and too impersonal to actually provide any
sense of home.
There are a few weapons in display, likely trophies
from past campaigns, but precious little decoration
otherwise. The desk is bare, but the drawer is unlocked.
There are three chests, one open and showing some
clothing in disarray, two more apparently locked.
Let the PCs state their actions and intentions to
search the captain’s quarters.
The desk drawer has a few letters, mostly military
commands from Cortés - to join this or that squad in
advance, to share the spoils of some attack in this way
or that, to scout a road ahead of the main troop, and so
on. There are also some missives from what appears to
be one of De Alvarado’s underlings; they are all signed
simply with the letter ‘C’.
■ The mysterious underling’s letters talk about a
‘task’, of undisclosed nature, and how it’s being carried
out with no results so far, which De Alvarado seems to
be impatient about. This ‘task’ seems to be some sort
 conquista dor’s gold

of investigation, and the sender hasn’t yet found what ‘supporting Cortés’ is the best course for now, but as-
the captain sent them to find, at least judging from the sures De Alvarado that ‘the plan is underway’.
letter dates. The fact the ‘task’ is not specified and the
■ if the PCs have proof of the Black Skull Scheme,
sender avoids using their own name is very suspicious,
they can match Francisco De Montejo’s letter to
but there’s no way to confirm the reason.
the handwriting in the Zapoteca notes: this marks
The open chest contains only De Alvarado’s clothing Montejo as the mastermind behind the scheme.
and some wearable jewellery of little worth. The two The PCs now have proof of Montejo’s plot.
closed chests are locked; if the PCs wish to open them,
Finally, there are two letters from Cortés in the
ask them to perform a Crafting action, confronted by a
chest. In one, he accepts De Alvarado’s request to help
TSE that plays 2 cards. If the PCs win the confrontation,
him recruit people for the Expedition. It’s obvious De
they have opened one of the chests; they must succeed
Alvarado insinuated himself into Cortés’ trip without
again to open the other one.
his cousin’s approval. In the other, much shorter let-
■ The first chest the PCs manage to open contains ter, Cortés suggests that Governor Velázquez ‘knows
smaller boxes, envelopes and older letters. They per- that we know’ and scolds De Alvarado for trying to
tain mostly to De Alvarado’s previous exploits as a ‘take matters into your own hands’, expressing confi-
young soldier in Spain and the island of Cuba; they in- dence that ‘we will work together in the future’.
clude the letter that Diego Velázquez sent De Alvarado
Other than these letters, the most interesting thing
to come work with him years ago, when the island was
to be found in this chest is a half-filled notebook. It
still under the rule of the Columbus brothers.
contains maps, sketches and small notes of the many
Of greater interest are a few of Velázquez letters ‘Indian’ tribes that De Alvarado has encountered and,
from the later years: first off, they confirm Velázquez in most cases, decimated… and has several mentions of
and De Alvarado are not-so-distant cousins. ‘the stash’. The notebook doesn’t go into specifics, but
it clearly shows ‘the stash’ is something De Alvarado
Then, one of the letters in particular, dated only last
was looking for, and he mentions ‘the river search’ was
year, does mention the expedition where the gold was
fruitless save for a few looted native villages, and that
stolen. Velázquez asked De Alvarado to join Grijalva’s
the gold must have gone inland, to the West, or one of
second expedition, with instructions to assist one
the ‘two later expeditions’ would already have found it.
Francisco De Montejo in finding ‘anything the first ex-
Alongside these scribbles, there’s a copy of a gold coin,
pedition might have left behind’. The letter doesn’t
such as would appear by coal-rubbing the coin’s relief
mention the stolen gold; if the PCs don’t deduce it on
under the paper. The coin used for the marking was of
their own, ask them to perform a Normal Perception
Spanish mint, dating from almost a decade earlier, long
Check (difficulty: 6(1)) to deduce that Velázquez sent
before the first expedition to the mainland.
this Montejo find the gold, but wanted to keep Alvarado
in the dark about it if possible. ■ The second locked chest the PCs manage to open
contains 500 gold in jewellery and expensive clothing
There’s another letter where Velázquez mentions the
looted from the native tribes. If the PCs wish to loot
third expedition – this one – and expresses hope that
this chest, they can each carry a maximum of 25 gold in
Cortés will succeed in his endeavour; he says it in such
treasure for each point they have in the Athletic Skill.
a way that suggests De Alvarado was not intended to
join this expedition. To leave De Alvarado’s cabin, the PCs must per-
form another Stealth Action, confronted by a Spanish
The last letter by Velázquez is much more enlighten-
Guard’s mediocre skill – as they don’t expect to guard
ing. It asks De Alvarado to return to Cuba immediate-
against someone sneaking out of their captain’s quar-
ly, reminding him that Cortés is a traitor and a rebel,
ters. If the PCs are carrying loot, they suffer one disad-
and that sooner or later he shall be hanged by order
vantage on the action.
of Their Majesties. He adds a threat: ‘and should you
think of using accusations or exposure as part of your ■ If the PCs win the confrontation, they leave as qui-
defence, please do not doubt that treason and sedition etly as they arrived.
are far more serious transgressions than withholding a
■ If the PCs get a success with a negative conse-
few coins’.
quence, they leave quietly but make enough noise to
There’s also a suspicious letter from Francisco De arouse the guards’ suspicion and draw attention to
Montejo, who now signs as the mayor of Vera Cruz. themselves later (see the Unwanted Attention sidebar).
Montejo asks De Alvarado to be patient, and suggests

163
 ■ If even one PC loses the confrontation, all PCs are
surrounded by guards. If there is a Contract on the PCs,
the guards have orders to kill them and make it appear
like they were traitors: create a +2 encounter against a
combination of Spanish characters. If the PCs survive,
they must flee the Villa before anyone notices they
have killed De Alvarado’s men; run Scene 9 right away.
If the guards don’t attack, the PCs are instead arrest-
ed and taken to Captain Sandoval for trial. Proceed to
Encounter 14.
If the PCs successfully took anything from De
Alvarado’s quarters, be it a letter, a weapon or even a
single gold coin, someone will notice later, which will
draw attention to the PCs (see the Unwanted Attention
sidebar).
If the PCs manage to slip out of De Alvarado’s quar-
ters unseen, you may turn to Encounter 1 to help them
choose their next step, to Scene 8 if they want to report
their findings to Captain De Sandoval, or to Scene 9 if
they wish to leave in search of Cortés or De Alvarado in
the surrounding areas.
Scene 8:
captain de
sandovaL
Run this scene every time the PCs report to Captain
Guiomar De Sandoval, the woman that first contacted
them, be it because they have news to share or because
they were arrested during their investigation.
Sandoval’s tent is accessible to the PCs during their
entire time in Vera Cruz; they may call on her at any
moment about several subjects. She’s still living in the
most austere conditions, all her furniture consisting of
boxes and benches, but she gladly invites the PCs to sit
on them as if they were chairs in an audience hall.
■ If the PCs want to talk to Captain De Sandoval about
their investigations in the Vera Cruz Garrison (Chapter
I), proceed to Scene 8 Conversation.
■ If the PCs bring news from Cempoallan (Chapter II),
proceed to Encounter 15.
164
■ If the PCs learned the Secret of the Empty Chest at
The Thunder (See Scene 17), they may report their mis-
sion success. Proceed to Scene 20: The End.
Scene 8 Conversation
Enact this conversation every time the PCs have some-
thing to report from their Vera Cruz investigations.
■ If the PCs report about Ahumada and his death (see
Encounter 2), Captain De Sandoval believes he must
have indeed been murdered, and she even fingers a
suspect. On Pedro De Alvarado’s camp there’s a woman,
a dragon rider that’s served in three different wars
and is trained in various poisons. The assassin’s name
is Doña Cristina Díaz, and Sandoval recommends the
PCs stay clear of her - at least for now, as they have no
proof of her involvement, and they could become her
targets instead.
■ If the PCs report having found letters in Pedro
De Alvarado’s possession, Captain De Sandoval looks
very concerned, as this is an act of espionage which
could land the PCs - and her - on the gallows. Thus,
she readies a written grant for the PCs to investigate
Totonaca lands in the name of Cortés, and orders them
to leave the Villa as soon as possible; proceed to Scene
9 straight away.
■ If the PCs report having met Doña Cristina and her
men, Captain Sandoval looks alarmed, and believes
this means the PCs have already been marked as Doña
Cristina’s targets. She advises the PCs to leave Vera
Cruz at their earliest convenience, and gives them a
written grant to investigate Totonaca lands in Captain
Cortés’ name.
■ If the PCs report the betrayal of Diego de Ordás’
men (see Encounter 6), Captain De Sandoval heard of
it already, and plans to tell Cortés about the matter, so
he can be prepared against further sedition attempts.
She gives each PC 10 gold for their help to find the
conspirators.
■ If the PCs report an attempt on their lives (if there
is a Contract on them, as per the Unwanted Attention
sidebar), Captain De Sandoval is alarmed. This means
Pedro De Alvarado, or some other party interested in
the lost gold, is targeting competitors. Sandoval hast-
ily writes a written grant for the PCs to investigate the
surrounding area, and then orders the PCs to leave
Vera Cruz as soon and as quietly as they can. In fact, if
the PCs are more or less geared up now, she encourages
them to leave straight away (Scene 9) and tell nobody –
not even her – where they’re going.

Encounter 14: Arrested
If the PCs are brought to Sandoval because they were
arrested, she allows the guards to take them to an iso-
lated cabin ‘for interrogation’. If the PCs retrieved any
items from De Alvarado’s cabin, Sandoval claims them
for safekeeping. After a while, Sandoval goes to the
PCs’ cabin and asks the guards to leave her alone with
them, at which point she asks for the full story. Let the
PCs brief the captain on what happened in their own
words; run Scene 8 Conversation.
After the PCs’ debriefing, Sandoval tells them she
will arrange for their escape, and orders a few of her
most trusted men to ‘escort the PCs to Santa María de
la Victoria, as prisoners’. Sandoval’s men will take the
PCs out of Vera Cruz; however, they will have orders to
release the PCs as soon as they are out of sight of the
garrison.
Before leaving, Captain De Sandoval suggests the PCs
not to return to Vera Cruz until a couple of weeks have
passed, while she counters the accusations against
them with proof of De Alvarado’s conspiracy. However,
if the PCs find something about the lost gold before
that time, they are to return to the garrison as soon as
they can.
This said, Sandoval bids the PCs godspeed and leaves
their cell. A few hours later, a team of soldiers comes
to take the PCs out of Vera Cruz. Proceed to Scene 9.
Encounter 15: Urgent News
If the PCs have returned to camp with news from
Cempoallan (Chapter II) or another location (Chapter
III), Captain De Sandoval receives them immediately on
her tent.
If the PCs already confronted Montejo at Sandoval’s
tent, proceed directly to After the Encounter.
Otherwise, read the following when the PCs enter
Captain Sandoval’s tent:
The first thing you notice is that Captain Sandoval
is not alone. In fact, her tent is filled with soldiers, and
they all look at you intently. Sandoval stands before
them, seemingly trying to calm them down, and looking
at you with dignity.
Amid the soldiers sits a man, who’s obviously in com-
mand of the whole troop. He seems used to luxury, but
doesn’t seem to be bothered about having to sit on
Sandoval’s precarious furniture of boxes and stools.
Then you recognise the man - he’s Francisco de Montejo,
one of Cortés’ right-hand men and the mayor of Vera
Cruz. He smiles at you.
conquista dor’s gold
‘So these are your spies, Sandoval. They have made
a great job’.
Then his expression turns grim, but his gaze remains
friendly.
‘My friends… by looking for that lost treasure, you
might have saved our lives’.
If the PCs ask what Montejo is doing there, or what he
knows, Sandoval acknowledges his presence.
‘Mayor De Montejo has been appointed by Captain
Cortés to receive the reports of your mission in
Cempoallan. He… was apprised of your exploits, and I
told them of my plan to return the lost gold’.
‘And might I say’, Montejo interrupts, ‘the Captain
wholeheartedly agrees. Returning the gold to Governor
Velázquez is a brilliant idea’.
‘Yes, well…’, Sandoval continues, visibly bothered;
‘Captain Cortés asked Mayor De Montejo to oversee
your activities from this point onward. He expects your
news from Cempoallan; whatever you would have told
me, it’s now for his ears as well’.
If the PCs have a Calpixque Hostage, he fingers
Montejo as the man that gave them the treasure box
years ago:
‘That man… That is Atlantatl! That’s the man who
gave us the tribute!’
If the PCs agree to give their report to Montejo, pro-
ceed to Encounter 15 Conversation.
If the PCs challenge Montejo or attack him, he sets
his guards on them.
‘I knew you had something to do with this secret
scheme against our expedition. I’ d be happy to keep you
alive for confession, but it doesn’t seem like you’ d ac-
cept that. Guards!’
Create a +2 encounter, using a combination of Spanish
characters.
■ If the PCs have proof of Montejo’s plot, they may
show it during the encounter; upon seeing it, Captain
De Sandoval orders the fight to stop and demands to
see that proof; then, she orders Montejo in chains. Take
note that now Montejo is arrested, and proceed to After
the Encounter.
If the PCs survive the fight, Captain De Sandoval or-
ders them to flee Vera Cruz immediately; their new or-
ders are to find the lost gold and send or take it back
to Cuba on their own, or else die trying - for they can-
not come back to Vera Cruz now. Proceed to After the
Encounter.
165
ENC O U NT E R 15 CON V E RSATION
Let the PCs choose what to tell Montejo and Sandoval.
Use the following excerpts as Montejo’s answers de-
pending on what the PCs say:
■ If the PCs have a Message for Cortés, Montejo
and Sandoval look at each other, then Montejo nods
gravely:
‘This matter merits serious consideration. I believe
we should endeavour to convince the Totonaca of our
good will, so that they can request our military aid. ‘This
will secure peace with the Totonaca, but also give us an
excuse to get Tizapancingo out of the way, and then
advance into Mexica lands’.
‘We need to deliver proof that the Mexica escaped on
their own. The Captain has given me this - it’s a Mexica
magical charm. ‘They tell me the Indians use it to appear
and disappear with their dark magics; who knows, re-
ally? The Captain’s witch, Malintzin, says she found it in
the escaped Mexica’s cell. For all I know she made it her-
self; in any case, we only need Xicomecoatl to believe it’.
‘I shall send this to Xicomecoatl right away, as proof
that we did not aid the Mexica evasion’.
If the PCs refuse to follow this course, Montejo tells
them it’s not their decision.
‘As Mayor of Vera Cruz, I am entitled to decide the
course that best protects its citizens; and the Captain
has given me full powers to deal with this situation’.
Unless the PCs directly confront Montejo, he dis-
patches some envoys with the package right away; the
plan will proceed as he commanded. Take note that the
PCs have Planted Evidence of the Mexica Escape.
If the PCs have also Delivered Reparations for the
Razed Villages and Delivered proof of the Zapoteca
Setup, They now have Proof of the Spanish’ innocence.
■ If you haven’t marked the Attack on Actopan,
Montejo orders the PCs to travel to Cuetlaxtlan and
Cuyuxquihui to agitate the local tribes against the
Mexica:
‘Before we can march into Tizapancingo, we need to
clear the path - and there’s a very big obstacle there. This
town, called Actopan, stands in our way to Tizapancingo.
We cannot risk attacking it; we want the Mexica to keep
their guard down until we hit Tizapancingo’.
‘This is where you come in. I need you to fly in your
dragon to a few local towns - towns known for their re-
sistance to the Mexica’.
‘Talk to the people of these towns, use their an-
ger against the Mexica; chances are, they’ ll march on
166
Actopan on their own, without requiring our involve-
ment at all’.
■ If you already marked the Attack on Actopan,
Montejo congratulates the PCs.
‘Great job setting the Indians against each other! The
Captain himself couldn’t have done it better’.
‘Now we can march against the Mexica at
Tizapancingo, as soon as Xicomecoatl sends us an of-
ficial request for aid. Go tell him that - that’s the only
thing we’re waiting for’.
■ If the PCs bring proof of the Black Skull Scheme
or the Location of the Black Skull Ambush, Captain
De Sandoval leaps at the news and demands to see the
notes. Without waiting for Montejo, she immediate-
ly orders two dragons sent to warn the scouts of the
Zapoteca ambush.
■ If the PCs want to join the raid, Montejo lets
them leave with his blessing.
‘Go, go save our people. I’m proud of you; Spain is
proud of you. Just be sure to return safely. And bring me
any news you have to report!’
The PCs may now proceed to Encounter 60 in
Chapter III.
■ If the PCs show proof of Montejo’s plot with
the Location of the Black Skull Ambush, Captain De
Sandoval orders him arrested right after giving her
previous orders. Proceed to After the Encounter,
taking note that Montejo is arrested.
■ If the PCs mention the Razed Villages, Montejo
shakes his head.
‘This business with the lost gold… it’s brought out the
worst of many of us. It’s a shame the innocent indians
have to pay for our ambitions’.
If the PCs accuse Doña Cristina and his companions of
the massacre, Montejo doesn’t even blink.
‘Oh, of course it was them. Who else would Alvarado
order to search for the gold among the local villages?’
‘I’ ll speak bluntly. Doña Cristina’s group are your ri-
vals in this race. If they succeed, you fail, and the other
way around. Whoever finds the gold first, you or them,
Captain Sandoval or Captain De Alvarado, decides what
happens to it’.
‘I’m not taking sides in the race, but I certainly disap-
prove of what Alvarado’s catspaws have done, and their
methods in general’.
‘They did not act against Spanish law, so we cannot
charge them with anything - but I will personally talk to

Captain De Alvarado. I’ ll make sure he sees the error of
his ways and stops his mistreatment of the natives’.
Montejo also orders an envoy sent to Xicomecoatl,
with gifts in gold, and a letter acknowledging that the
two villages were indeed destroyed by Spanish soldiers;
however, the letter will give the names of Doña Cristina
and her helpers, fingering them as sole culprits. The
letter also promises that these three individuals will be
punished to the full extent of ‘God’s Law’.
With this, the PCs have now Delivered Reparations
for the Razed Villages.
If the PCs have also Planted evidence of the Mexica
Escape and Delivered proof of the Zapoteca Setup, They
now have Proof of the Spanish’ innocence.
■ If the PCs know the Secret of the Empty Chest, they
may report the end of their mission. Proceed to Scene
20.
If the PCs finish the conversation with Montejo in
good terms, he leaves with his guards, saying he trusts
the PCs ‘will keep doing what’s right’. Proceed to After
the Encounter.
A F T E R T H E E N COU N TE R
Once Captain de Sandoval is left alone with the PCs,
she has her own orders for the PCs, depending on what
they reported.
■ If the PCs know the Secret of the Empty Chest, they
may report the end of their mission. Proceed to Scene
20.
■ If the PCs brought proof of the Black Skull Scheme
or Directions to the Black Skull Ambush, Captain De
Sandoval wasted no time sending troops to support the
soldiers; if the PCs wish to join the mission, they should
leave for Encounter 60 right away.
■ If the PCs brought proof of Montejo’s Plot, Sandoval
secures it nervously.
‘It’s no small thing, to accuse the Mayor of Vera Cruz
of scheming against Captain Cortés. I will personally de-
liver this to Captain Cortés, right away’.
If Montejo has not been arrested, Sandoval will pre-
sent the proof to Cortés and let him decide what to do
with it.
If Montejo is arrested, Captain De Sandoval accom-
panies the PCs to interrogate him; proceed to the
Montejo’s Motives Sidebar.
■ If the PCs explored the razed villages and accused
Doña Cristina directly, Captain De Sandoval promises to
take the matter to Cortés, who will surely do the same
that Montejo intended - send envoys to Xicomecoatl,
conquista dor’s gold
bearing gifts and appeasements, and accusing Doña
Cristina of an independent, unsanctioned crime, for
which she shall be promptly punished. The PCs have
now delivered reparations for the razed villages, if
they hadn’t before.
If the PCs have also Planted evidence of the Mexica
Escape and Delivered proof of the Zapoteca Setup, They
now have Proof of the Spanish’ innocence.
■ If you haven’t marked the Attack on Actopan event,
Captain Sandoval agrees with Montejo that the PCs
should stir things up at Cuetlaxtlan and Cuyuxquihui;
she marks both these places in the PCs’ map if they
didn’t have directions there yet.
■ If you already marked the Attack on Actopan,
Sandoval gives the PCs a letter, written and signed
by Cortés himself, promising military aid to the
Cempoalteca in case they need it. The PCs are to de-
liver this letter to Xicomecoatl’s palace. Take note that
the PCs now have an Official Edict indicating they have
business with Xicomecoatl in the name of Cortés.
■ If the PCs have a Message for Cortés, but suggest
that Cortés should not help the Totonaca, but should
instead agree to the Mexica’s wishes and leave the
region, or at least promise to leave it, Sandoval sees
worth in this idea, and promises to put the matter to
the Captain’s consideration right away.
Ask the PCs to perform a Charisma action, confronted
by a TSE that plays 4 cards. The PCs gain one advantage
if they found proof of Montejo’s Plot, and suffer one
disadvantage if they became Outlaws in Cempoallan or
were arrested in Vera Cruz.
■ If the PCs win the confrontation, Cortés agrees
to Sandoval’s suggestion and the expedition pre-
pares to leave these lands… for now. Vera Cruz will
remain as the Spanish embassy to the Mexica and
Totonaca, as Cortés’ main army retires to consol-
idate power the villages that Cortés has already
conquered in Yok’atán.
In return, the Mexica fulfil their part of the bar-
gain, and send the promised treasure, plus the
long-sought maps to the ancient city. The PCs now
have Directions to The Thunder if they didn’t al-
ready, and Sandoval sends the PCs to look for it
immediately.
Proceed to Chapter III, taking note that the
PCs have Directions to The Thunder and took the
Mexica Side in the negotiations.
■ If the PCs have NOT played Encounter 13 yet,
Captain De Sandoval has a special mission for them.
167
 SIDEBAR: MONTEJO’S MOTIVES
If the PCs bring proof of Montejo’s Plot and ensure
Montejo is arrested, they may interrogate him, either
as the guards take him, or later in his confinement
tent, about his motives or his true goal.
Montejo trusts that his goals were worthy, and
claims that he had Castile’s best interests at heart.
‘Of course I did not do this for the gold. Who needs
a chest of Spanish gold with a whole world of conquest
ahead of us? Cortés understood that; as soon as he
learned of the Mexica, he switched his attention from
the treasure we lost to the much larger treasure we
were set to find’.
‘I did not lose Velázquez’ gold as I claimed. I gave
it to the natives during the first expedition, two years
ago. I did not know who they were at the moment; I
only cared that it was in native hands’.
‘Why, to inspire the search, of course. To incite the
greed of idiots like Velázquez and Alvarado, and have
them move their butts off Cuba… there was a conti-
nent, a whole continent of riches and new territories
to claim for the crown, and those petty penny-pinchers
were content with their encomiendas at the small is-
lands of the Colón brothers!’
‘Cortés understood. When I told him my plan, he
was the only one that saw beyond his nose, the only
one that saw the opportunity in discovering and
claiming this territory. Alvarado understands nothing
beyond his reflection in mirrors; but he was easy to
manipulate with the promise of daring campaigns and
heroic exploits. By giving them something to look for, I
led them to finally explore and discover this wondrous
world, which Europe shall conquer eventually anyway.
There’s no way to stop that. What we can decide is who
is in charge of the conquest. 1‘All I needed to do was
make sure that gold remained lost, remained in native
hands… and it would be the pebble that started the
avalanche! Turns out the indians were obliging enough
to actually steal the gold from the other indians! I only
learned this during the second expedition last year,
when I first found Cempoallan while Alvarado’s atten-
tion was… elsewhere’.
‘And oh great fortune, the Mexica of Cempoallan
were making maps of the bandits’ territory… Now we
know where the gold was taken. What happened to
it? Who knows. We don’t need the gold. We only need
‘a’ gold, ‘a’ nameless, hidden treasure, and the tide of
history will lead the full force of Europe’s ships and
armies to this New World. That’s why I stole the Indian
scribe’s maps during the second expedition last year
168
- Psh, I burned them, don’t you even think about it -;
to keep them out of reach! To dangle the lost treasure
as a carrot in front of Alvarado, and others like him.
Alvarado is a wonder; wherever you point him at, peo-
ple die. His peers back home are no different’.
‘Well, have you seen the wrath, the bloodthirst,
that Alvarado has brought down on these heathens?
The good man already wants to set fire to Cempoallan
and massacre its citizens! I didn’t even need to suggest
it! Now imagine... the whole of Europe is coming now!
A thousand ships, a thousand Alvarados! All wanting
their piece of the cake! All guests at my table! For I
shall be the gracious host... I shall be the Adelantado
of the New World!’
‘Oh, I’m not worried about my future. You see, I
did not betray Cortés, only Velázquez - and Velázquez
does not know it. Anyway, his authority was doomed
the moment we set sail without his blessing. I also be-
trayed the indians, yes, but they shall not be the ones
to judge me. ‘I think - no, I know - that Cortés will see
my deeds as the work of a hero and a patriot, and he
won’t only pardon me; he will reward me. Well, might I
remind you Cortés was in on this little plot too… It’s in
his best interest to keep me near and loyal. Alvarado,
not so much. You, even less so’.
‘I think that, when the dust settles, Alvarado and
his dragon bitch will be reprimanded for harsh meas-
ures, you will be imprisoned or discharged for trying to
make deals with the indians behind the Captain’s back,
and I shall be acknowledged as the man that made the
Conquest of the New World possible’.
If the PCs think of asking whether Montejo ever
opened Velázquez’ treasure box, he looks bemused
for an instant.
‘Why, of course not… Velázquez kept the key, as a
safeguard so he could later know whether his chest had
been opened… wait, why? Why do you ask this?’
Then Montejo goes pale and opens his eyes wide.
‘What do you mean, bastards? What do you MEAN?’
After talking to Montejo, the PCs have enough ev-
idence to send Proof of the Spanish’ Innocence to
Xicomecoatl in Cempoallan. The PCs cannot threat-
en or attack Montejo; he is Cortés prisoner, and only
Cortés can decide his fate now. What the PCs must de-
cide is whether to continue with Montejo’s plan and
let the imminent military conquest of the New World
play out, or focus on the treasure search and let God
sort things out. Who knows, they may try to do some-
thing about it, to change history somehow… but how?

‘All the evidence you have gathered, and the investi-
gations I have conducted on my own, suggest that Pedro
De Alvarado, the Captain’s ally and rival in the treas-
ure search, might be acting against the benefit of the
expedition’.
‘I have no authority to order an investigation on
Alvarado, but I could ask his cabin’s guards to look the
other way, so that Alvarado’s quarters were relatively
unguarded… let’s say, tonight’.
If the PCs agree to this mission, Sandoval makes sure
they understand it would be treason if they’re caught,
and she cannot admit to any involvement in this. If the
PCs are still willing to do it, Sandoval sends some of her
men with orders to distract De Alvarado’s guards. For
the rest of the night, the PCs have one advantage on
any Stealth action performed in or near De Alvarado’s
camp or cabin.
It is now time for the PCs to decide where to go:
■ If the Attack on Actopan hasn’t yet happened, the
PCs may wish to visit Cuetlaxtlan or Cuyuxquihui; pro-
ceed to Scene 16.
■ If the PCs have an official edict enabling them to
speak to Xicomecoatl, they may proceed to Cempoallan’s
ceremonial centre in Scene 12.
■ If the PCs wish to spy on Alvarado’s quarters as
per Captain De Sandoval’s suggestion, proceed to
Encounter 13.
■ If Montejo is arrested and the PCs suggest or ask to
interrogate him, you can consult the Montejo’s Motives
Sidebar.
■ If the PCs have gathered Proof of the Spanish’
Innocence, they may go to Xicomecoatl’s palace in
Encounter 29 with the good news.
■ If the PCs have Directions to the Thunder, they may
want to try their luck there; proceed to Scene 18 in
Chapter III.
■ If the PCs wish to go somewhere else, return to
Encounter 1 to guide their next step.
conquista dor’s gold
Scene 9:
leaving
vera cruZ
If the PCs want to leave the Vera Cruz garrison, their
ability to leave depends on what they have done before.
■ If the PCs are being escorted out by Captain De
Sandoval’s men, the soldiers lead the PCs out of the Villa
and then, when nobody’s looking, let the PCs go. They
tell the PCs not to return for a while, on the Captain’s
orders, and wish them luck. Proceed to Encounter 16.
■ If the PCs try to simply leave through the main
exit, they must convince the guard they are on official
business.
■ If the PCs have a written grant to investigate the
area from Captain De Sandoval, they succeed automati-
cally; proceed to Encounter 16.
Otherwise, getting out requires the PCs to perform
a Charisma Action, confronted by a TSE that plays 3
cards. The PCs gain 1 advantage if they bonded with
the soldiers during Scenes 3 or 5. The PCs may spend
15 gold to sweeten the deal, gaining 1 advantage on the
action. All these advantages are cumulative.
■ If the PCs win the confrontation, the guard sudden-
ly remembers that Captain De Sandoval has given in-
structions to let the PCs through. Proceed to Encounter
16.
■ If the PCs lose the confrontation, the guard heard
nothing about any official business, and the PCs must
wait eight hours, until the next guard shift, to try
again. If the PCs have played Encounter 13, the guards
surround them and order them arrested for spying on
Captain De Alvarado; proceed to Encounter 14.
■ If the PCs obtained a success with a positive conse-
quence, the guards tell them that Doña Cristina, Pedro
De Alvarado’s dragon rider, wanted to know at what
time the PCs left the garrison, and advise the PCs to be
on the lookout for De Alvarado’s people.
If the PCs try to slip through the guard unseen, ask
them to perform a Stealth action, confronted by a
Spanish guard’s competent skill (or by a guard’s me-
diocre skill if they do it during the night).
169
 HANDLING DRAGONS
The average European dragon mount can carry up
to five human-sized passengers. All European do-
mesticated dragons are Christian, and only accept
Christian women as riders.
Although they are fully loyal and under their rid-
ers’ control, Cortés doesn’t allow dragons near his
conquered settlements, for safety reasons. Instead,
the expedition keeps its dragons near the ships, on
a special section of the nearest pier.
The PCs can summon their dragon once they leave
a location, and use it to travel to another location,
although the dragon itself cannot enter many areas.
Where a dragon is allowed, the text will indicate
how it may enter the area. Otherwise, it’s assumed
the dragon waits for the PCs in a safe spot outside
the area, and remains available to travel once they
leave for another location.
■ If even one PC loses the confrontation, the guards
remain alert and the PCs cannot leave this way. They
may try again in eight hours, when the guard has
shifted.
■ If all PCs win the confrontation, run Encounter 16.
Encounter 16: Where Do We Go
Now?
Once the PCs are out of sight of the camp, they may
summon their dragon to travel to another location.
Once the PCs have a dragon, ask them to decide where
are they headed.
■ If the PCs want to explore the nearby Totonaca
town of Quiahuiztlan, run Encounter 17.
■ If the PCs are pursuing Pedro De Alvarado and want
to catch up with him in the wild, proceed to Encounter
59 in Chapter III.
■ The PCs may head to the nearby native town of
Cempoallan, which ends Chapter I. Proceed to Chapter
II.
■ If the PCs have directions to somewhere else, they
may explore other areas of the Totonaca country; pro-
ceed to Chapter III.
170
DOÑA LUZIA
If the PCs don’t have a dragon, a dragon rider
finds them on the road the first time they leave
Vera Cruz, and introduces herself as Doña Luzia de
Lanza, Knight of the Spanish Army and scout. Doña
Luzia’s job in Cortés’ Expedition is to carry troops
across enemy territory. She has orders to take the
PCs wherever they wish, no questions asked, but
being noble she doesn’t answer to them but direct-
ly to Captain De Sandoval. Add Doña Luzia and her
dragon mount, Justiniano, to the PCs’ companions.
They won’t enter specific areas with the PCs, but
will take them to any city or settlement they want,
and wait outside until the PCs need transport again.
Encounter 17: Neighbourly Visit
If the PCs wish to explore Quiahuiztlan, the Totonaca
town that surrounds the Vera Cruz settlement, they
need only walk for a few minutes to arrive. Read the
following when the PCs approach the town:
The Native Town of Quiahuiztlan is a large settle-
ment, with what must be thousands of thatch-roofed,
square stone buildings, speckled with trees, groves, gar-
dens and colourful tilled lands. Stone walls surround the
town, and two large pyramids – temples to the locals’
divine spirits – adorn its central plaza. There are four
cemeteries with large stone gravesites, one for every
town quarter.
As you approach the town, two Totonaca guards
come to you, wanting to know your business.
If the PCs have - and show - a written grant giving
them leave to investigate Totonaca lands in the name
of Spain, the locals acquiesce immediately; proceed to
Encounter 17 Conversation.
If the PCs don’t have a written grant, ask them to
perform a Charisma action, confronted by a Totonaca
Guard’s competent skill.
■ If the PCs win the confrontation, they are welcome
into the settlement, except their dragon is not allowed
inside; the PCs gain one advantage on any use of their
Charisma skill while they are inside Quiahuiztlan.
 conquista dor’s gold

■ If the PCs lose the confrontation, the Totonaca

don’t like the idea of allowing strangers into their
town. They allow entrance if the PCs insist, and only
because the Totonaca want to keep a civil contact with
the Spanish force for now. However, the PCs suffer one
disadvantage on any use of their Charisma skill while
they are inside Quiahuiztlan.
Once the PCs have entered Quiahuiztlan, proceed to
Encounter 17 Conversation.

EN C O U NT E R 17 CON V E RSATION :
T O T O NAC T ALKIN ’
The PCs may ask around Quiahuiztlan to learn the
following information, no cards required: If the
PCs ask about Captain Cortés, the Totonaca
let them know that he already left for
Cempoallan. The locals don’t know why
he went there or what he’s looking
for, but they expect he will help them
against Mexica rule.
■ If the PCs ask about the Totonaca
people or the Mexica situation, ask
them to perform a Charisma action,
confronted by a Totonaca guard’s
Competent Skill, applying the ad-
vantages or disadvantages acquired
in the previous action. If the PCs win
the confrontation, they may ask any
of the questions listed in the Native
Informants sidebar.

A F T E R T H E CON V E R SATION
The PCs are strongly encouraged to leave
Quiahuiztlan once their inquiries are finished;
to help their quick departure, the Totonaca
remind them that Cempoallan is a good
place to ask about these things.

171
 cempoallan
172
conquista dor’s gold

173
174
conquista dor’s gold

175
T H I S C H A P T E R B E G I N S when the PCs arrive to Cempoallan, the larg-
est city in the Totonaca region. The sprawling metropolis, one of the most
important urban centres of the New World, lies a few kilometres south of the
Vera Cruz outpost. It takes one full day to arrive without a dragon, but only a
short flight with one. The PCs may rest (draw cards and restore health) during
their trip to Cempoallan.

T H E FI R S T TI ME the PCs reach Cempoallan, read

the following aloud:
The Totonaca city of Cempoallan is easily the most
impressive sight you have encountered so far in the New
World. It’s at least as large as Sevilla, the economic
centre of your country, and looks equally populated.
The city’s white stone buildings shine like silver under
the sun, and its streets are a sea of colour, not unlike
a flower garden, thanks to its countless market stalls,
richly-garbed passersby, and actual gardens and or-
chards in every square. The streets are lined with riv-
ers, aqueducts, flowered fountains and waterfalls over
stone staircases. All this gives Cempoallan the look of
some olympian landscape out of a mythology book.
This, then, is the Totonaca capital. Finding a specific
cargo here would be, at best, a challenge; if the cargo
was hidden and lost God knows where or when, your
chances don’t look good at all.
If the PCs have a dragon, they must land it on the
fields outside the city; it will wait for them there.
Once the PCs enter the city, they are overwhelmed by
a thousand sights, smells and sounds; either it’s market
day, or this is a full-time market city, with a permanent
surplus of every commodity, from pets to weapons,
from flowers to jewellery, from street acts to spells.
The PCs already know the following about Cempoallan:
■ Its inhabitants are Totonaca people, and refer to
themselves as Cempoalteca.
■ The city is subject to the Mexica, the oft-cited
‘Golden Kingdom in the West’.
■ Cortés was here a couple of weeks ago to pacify the
people, who accepted to let the Spanish force stay in
their lands in return for their eventual help against
Mexica domination.
■ Cortés and the city’s leaders agreed to a truce and
exchanged gifts; furthermore, the Cempoalteca gave
the Spaniards several Totonaca to serve as carriers and
messengers at Vera Cruz.
■ The ruler of the city is known as ‘the fat chieftain’
by the Vera Cruz soldiers.
Anything else the PCs wish to learn about the city,
they must investigate on their own.
If the PCs wish to ask around the locals, proceed to
Chapter II Conversation.
Once the PCs have a lead to follow or know where
they want to go, proceed to Encounter 19.
Chapter II Conversation: Cem-
poalteca Communications
If the PCs approach the people for information, ask
them to perform a Charisma action, confronted by a
civilian, suffering one disadvantage as they don’t trust
hair-faced people.
■ If the PCs lose the confrontation, the locals avoid
their questions and refuse to speak to them; if they suc-
ceed, they may ask one question from one of the locals.
■ If the PCs get a success with a positive consequence,
they may ask as many questions as they wish, and they
also gain access to the answers in bold type to each
question.
■ If the PCs ask about the city itself, they learn
the name ‘Cempoallan’ means ‘place of many wa-
ters’ in the Mexica tongue. The Mexica gave it the
name when they saw its many fountains and water-
ways. The city is divided in walled boroughs, most-
ly taken up by farmers and their lands. The cen-
tral area is the Ceremonial District, which houses
the city’s palace and temples. There are also neigh-
bourhoods set aside for the Mexica and Zapoteca
communities in the city.
■ If the PCs ask about the city leaders, they learn
the Tecuhtli, or Lord, of Cempoallan, is called
Xicomecoatl. This must be the one the Villa sol-
diers refer to as ‘the Fat Chieftain’. Currently,
Xicomecoatl is in a meeting with Cortés himself at
his palace in the Ceremonial District.

176

■ If the PCs ask about the gold, they learn that
the person to ask about military loot is Mux’tin,
the captain of the city guard. He may be found at
the ‘Skull Houses’, the city’s barracks. In fact, of
late there have been a couple of Spanish visitors
to the city besides Cortés and the PCs; but captain
Mux’tin should know more.
■ If the PCs ask about Mexica tax collectors, the
locals point them to the city Mexica Quarters, the
enclosure where the conquerors of Cempoallan
have their embassy and isolated, privileged com-
munity. All tribute and goods in the region pass
through the House of Accounts, the Mexica tax of-
fices in Cempoallan.
■ If the PCs ask for Cortés, they learn he is cur-
rently visiting the city leaders at the Ceremonial
District. The PCs may perhaps be allowed into the
meeting, as they are part of Cortés’ Expedition.
■ If the PCs ask about available services or
things to do in the city, the locals refer them to
the Market District, claiming it is the largest in
the world. There are many Otomitl blacksmiths in
the market, selling the best weapons in the world;
there are also Tameme porters that will take visi-
tors anywhere in the city for a small fee.
■ If the PCs ask about the Mexica, they learn they
have sent permanent ambassadors to make sure
that Cempoalla pays tribute to their Empire, and
many of them live in the city as privileged citi-
zens. There is even a palace for Moctecuhzoma and
his envoys in the city, and they have built a small
‘Mexica neighbourhood’ around it, which contains
the ‘House of Accounts’, where all the taxes and
tributes of the region are collected.
A F T E R T H E CON V E R SATION
Once the PCs have talked to a few passersby or cho-
sen their next destination, a group of Cempoalteca ap-
proaches them to talk; proceed to Encounter 18.
Encounter 18: A Job Offer
After the PCs have asked around Cempoallan for a
while, three men approach them in the street.
The strangers that walk towards you must be some
sort of dignitaries. They wear luxury robes and jewellery,
and one of them has a priest’s scars and tattoos. These
men have a delicate, almost effeminate air around them,
but they also have a commanding presence. In fact, most
bystanders scamper away from their path. They motion
for you to talk to them.
conquista dor’s gold
■ If the PCs approach these men, their priest asks
them if they are a part of the Teotl-folk expedition, the
foreigners that seek an alliance with their people.
■ If the PCs refuse to talk, the three men walk away,
very offended, but the PCs are free to leave and contin-
ue their search; proceed to After the Encounter.
■ If the PCs confirm they are part of Cortés’ expe-
dition, the three men tell them they have a problem
that could be best be solved by someone with no official
ties to either the Mexica or the Cempoalteca – some-
one that has proven to have skill, cunning and special
magic. The men add that there would be a rich reward
for that someone.
■ If the PCs wish to know more, they are to ‘seek
Tlatkan’Un’ at the Three Rings Shrine, in the Ceremonial
Centre. There is no hurry; the matter can wait until the
PCs have time.
■ If the PCs ask for more details, the three men insist
that all will be explained in the Three Rings Shrine and
repeat that the PCs should ‘ask for Tlatkan’Un’.
■ Whether the PCs agree or not, the three men leave,
making clear the PCs should make their way to the
Ceremonial Centre whenever they are interested in a
profitable venture.
AFTER TH E ENC OUNTER
Once the PCs have finished taking to the three mys-
terious men, they may continue exploring Cempoallan;
proceed to Encounter 19.
If the PCs want to go to the Three Rings Shrine right
away, proceed to Scene 12.
SIDEBAR: TAMEME PORTERS
If the PCs wish to hire tameme porters to carry
them around the city, they must pay one gold
each for the service; the porters will take barter
items as needed.
Hiring a tameme makes no difference to the
PCs’ mission; travel times and distances are the
same, and they should play scenes and encoun-
ters normally and in the same order. However, it
may prevent a wounded or injured party mem-
ber from becoming fatigued.
If the PCs need to be stealthy or have become
Outlaws or Fugitives, they may not hire tameme
porters.
177
Encounter 19: The City of Many
Waters
Play this encounter whenever the PCs are exploring
Cempoallan; their chosen path should indicate which
scene to play from here.
If the PCs have become Outlaws in Cempoallan, refer
to the Outlaws Sidebar.
If the PCs are at a loss about where to go next, they
may ask some of the locals for leads; run Chapter II
Conversation.
■ If the PCs seek Guard Captain Mux’tin at the Skull
Houses, go to Scene 10.
■ If the PCs go to the City’s Mexica quarters, go to
Scene 11.
■ If the PCs go to the Ceremonial District, the govern-
ment centre of Cempoallan, go to Scene 12.
■ If the PCs go to the Market District, go to Scene 13.
■ If the PCs have Directions to the Zapoteca
Neighbourhood, they may visit the Zapoteca commu-
nity in Cempoallan; proceed to Scene 14.
■ If the PCs wish to leave Cempoallan, go to Scene 15.
SIDEBAR: OUTLAWS
If the PCs have attacked guards or broken the
law while in Cempoallan, they are Outlaws, and
are attacked by Totonaca guards every time they
return to Encounter 19.
Whenever the PCs return to Encounter 19,
a group of guards attack them as they stroll
through Cempoallan; create a +1 encounter using
level 1 and 2 New World characters.
■ If the PCs win the encounter, they remain
outlaws, but may continue exploring Cempoallan.
■ If the PCs lose, they are traumatised as op-
posed to bleeding out, and taken outside the city
as prisoners. Proceed to Encounter 45.
While the PCs remain Outlaws, they may not
go to Scenes 10, 11 or 12, as there are too many
guards actively looking for them in those areas.
The PCs may visit Scenes 13, 14 and 15 freely,
but they are still attacked again every time they
return to Encounter 19.
178
Scene 10: the
skull houseS
If the PCs seek Guard Captain Mux’tin, they must go
the Skull Houses, a military office at the Eastern edge
of town. Read the following aloud when the PCs visit
the Skull Houses for the first time:
When you finally reach the Skull Houses, you see it is
a three-building plaza, full of military decorations and
marching guards. You also see the reason for the place’s
nickname: the walls are completely covered with carv-
ings of tiny clay skulls.
At least five hundred young soldiers are receiving in-
struction at the central courtyard; their movements are
smooth and well-timed, but a bit too eager, as befits
inexperienced recruits. Their trainer is an officer with
strange face paint, who yells orders in a disquieting tone
while he brandishes a feathered staff at the cadets.
A squad of soldiers – not recruits – advance towards
you as you enter the courtyard; even before they speak,
it’s obvious they want to know your business here.
If the PCs have liberated the Totonaca slaves in Scene
17, proceed immediately to Encounter 21.
If the PCs have become Outlaws in Cempoallan, they
may not enter the area as there are too many guards
that would recognise them; return to Encounter 19.
If the PCs ask to see Captain Mux’tin, they need to
show a written grant giving them permission to inves-
tigate the Totonaca territories; if they don’t have or
don’t show it, ask them to perform a Normal Charisma
Check (difficulty: 6(1)) to gain access to the central
offices.
If the check fails, or the PCs don’t give Mux’tin’s
name, they are not allowed inside the Skull Houses at
this moment; proceed to Encounter 19 to guide the PCs’
next step.
If the check succeeds, or if the PCs show a written
grant, they may see the Guard Captain. Proceed to
Encounter 20.

Encounter 20: The
Captain of the Guard
The PCs are taken to the largest
of the three ‘Skull Houses’. Nine
brightly-coloured flags flap in the
frontispiece, and three large guards
stand at attention. The soldiers es-
cort the PCs past these guards and
into the building.
You are led into a relatively
sparse office, where a well-dressed
soldier talks with two young offic-
ers. All these men seem of noble
birth, and they all seem to value
their physical appearance at least
as much as their military gear.
The older man stands up and re-
gards you with an inquisitive stare,
not as if he’s wondering who you
are, but as if he’s calculating your
combat skills. He continues to stare
in silence as your guards say some-
thing to him in their tongue; it’s
clearly about you, as his gaze darts
from the guards to you.
Then, he regards you and speaks.
‘Now we understand each other. I
am Guard Captain Mux’tin. What
business could the mighty sorcerers
from the East have with me?’
Guard Captain Mux’tin is what
Europeans would call a true gen-
tleman. He dresses his finest and
keeps a noble composure, while
remaining assertive, martial and
commanding. He chooses his words
carefully, but he doesn’t flinch
from a confrontation. He flaunts
his handsome features and noble
manners, but he doesn’t hide his
battle scars. Despite being from
such a different culture, he’s the
model of the Spanish caballero; if
he was a Castilian, he would be a
‘vuesa merced’.
Proceed to Encounter 20
Conversation.
E N CO UNTER 20
CON VERSATI ON:
M E ETI NG MUX’TI N
Mux’tin has deduced the PCs are
with Cortés’ group, but he won’t
try to hide his curiosity. He can’t
imagine what they want from him,
but he plays no games; he just looks
the PCs in the eye and expects them
to state their business straight. He
won’t insult them, but he’ll brook
no bullshit.
Let the PCs do the questioning
and roleplay the encounter.
■ If the PCs start talking about
the lost gold or other Spanish ex-
plorers before them, Mux’tin looks
at them as if he knows something.
‘Gentlemen, I think what you
mean to ask is whether my men
have seen visitors from your peo-
ple… people that are not your cap-
tain Cortés, right? People like you,
maybe… not quite sanctioned by
your own leaders’.
‘Yes, I think that’s what you are
looking for. Perhaps a specific name,
a specific face, hm? I might have a
look at the matter, see what our re-
cords have to say. Our people don’t
care about your inner politics, after
all…. Well, except when they might
harm us, of course. If you are on the
side of the Cempoalteca and will-
ing to stand with us, you’ ll have no
trouble proving it. You see, I happen
to need assistance. Off-the-record
assistance, just like you’.
‘A group of Mexica collectors
passed through our city a few days
ago and took some slaves to their
camp. Among these slaves was…
someone dear to me. We cannot
claim our slaves back; they are part
of the peace agreement the Mexica
impose on us. But a group of foreign
invaders, the same ones that have
already defied Moctecuhzoma’s law,
attacking a Mexica camp?... well,
nobody would wonder about that’.
conquista dor’s gold
‘The Mexica camp is small, noth-
ing that a squad of mighty foreign
wizards can’t deal with easily. I think
you’ ll find liberating those slaves is
a quick job – just the time needed
for me to unearth those records
you’re looking for’.
If the PCs agree, he marks the
Mexica Slave Camp on their map. If
they refuse, the captain sends them
away politely, commenting they
should reconsider before the slaves
are sacrificed, or otherwise taken
beyond their reach.
■ If the PCs are investigating the
issue of the ransacked Totonaca
villages, for Xicomecoatl or anoth-
er Cempoalteca dignitary, and ask
Mux’tin about it, he smiles wryly.
‘Yes, that business. Very un-
comfortable for us all, isn’t it? You
promise to help our people, but you
attack our surrounding towns just
to show you can… And our leader
needs your help, so he doesn’t know
whether to react against this or let
it pass. Everyone’s showing their
true colours here’.
If the PCs suggest that the attacks
were perpetrated by someone else,
Mux’tin’s expression changes.
‘Well, of course that would be a
better explanation than your peo-
ple taking such an… awkward politi-
cal misstep, wouldn’t it? Sadly, my
men found irrefutable proof that it
was your people behind the attack
– bits of your explosive powder;
some of your metal bullets; tracks of
your ironshod giant deer. ‘Of course,
some of your people might be act-
ing without, or even against, your
Captain’s orders, might they not?
And I bet that would make you want
to look into the matter’.
‘Very well then, I will show you
the way to the attacked villages, so
you can see for yourselves. There is
always more than one explanation
to everything… but me, I’m betting
on the awkwardness’.
179
 Mux’tin gives the PCs Directions to the Razed Villages.
The PCs may now travel to these places anytime by pro-
ceeding to Encounter 55 in Chapter III.
Regardless of the PCs’ questions and answers, the
meeting has ended; Mux´tin’s soldiers lead them out of
the Skull Houses. Proceed to Encounter 19 to lead the
PCs’ next step.
Encounter 21: The Guard’s Gossip
This encounter takes place if the PCs return to the
Skull Houses after liberating the slaves from the Mexica
Slave Camp at Scene 17. The PCs are immediately led to
Mux’tin’s presence, and he greets them as old friends.
‘I see I was right to trust you. Pa’xanan told me what
you did… the Cempoalteca are in your debt, and I shall
be sure to inform our Lords at the earliest opportunity’.
‘During your adventure, my men had time to inspect
the visitors’ records, and they found reports that some
individuals matching the description of your people vis-
ited this city before Captain Cortés, a short while after
we had the first news of your coming’.
‘Contrary to your Captain Cortés, these strangers
did not seek, and in fact tried to avoid, a meeting with
our Lord Xicomecoatl. Instead, they went straight to the
Mexica Quarters here in the city, for some undisclosed
business; then they left Cempoallan for good. Or so we
thought’.
‘Well, that’s the strange thing, isn’t it? We heard
nothing of them for a year, and then your Cortés ar-
rived. And lo, the sneaky strangers returned’.
‘Yes, they came again after your Cortés settled in
Quiahuiztlán, over a year after their first visit. It was
only days ago. This time, they visited only one place -
the city’s Zapoteca neighbourhood. Why? I can’t begin
to guess. The Mexica and Zapoteca quarters are both off
limits for the guards, and out of our jurisdiction’.
‘However, one of my lieutenants’ - and here Mux´tin
throws a knowing glance at one of the young handsome
youths in his company, who returns a quirky smile - ‘...
well, he heard some rumours. It seems these hair-faced
strangers, when they were here the first time last year,
asked about some Mexica calpixque, or tax collectors.
Specifically, the calpixque that come from Tenochtitlan
and pick all treasure from the Mexica House of Accounts.
Whatever their business here, these strangers did ask
about those Mexica tax collectors’.
‘And well, that’s all. We have nothing more for you
about these strangers. ‘But we do have something about
the calpixque, if you’re interested’.
180
‘It turns out that, some days ago, your captain Cortés
was involved with the capture and escape of three Mexica
calpixque in this city. The calpixque charged with picking
up the tribute from the Mexica House of Accounts. Only
a fool would assume this was all a coincidence’.
‘Well, our records show that these collectors left the
city by the West gate. They passed furtively through the
Mexica quarters, and then just left Cempoallan. The
gate guards didn’t dare stop them’.
‘So, the West Gate leads straight to Actopan, an an-
cient settlement of my people that has been turned into
a Mexica city. I don’t know if this concerns you or how,
but the three Mexica officials went there. My guess is
they remain there, or else at the Tizapancingo garrison
further West, under the protection of their people’.
‘If by any chance you, who for some reason come to
our city like your stealthy compatriots did, happen to
also be seeking the three calpixque - well, that’s where
they are’.
‘The thing is, Actopan is under Mexica control. And
the garrison there is far stronger than the one you fought
before; you’ d need to mobilise a large force against the
Mexica to free Actopan and look for your tax collectors’.
‘My advice? Visit the surrounding cities, such as
Cuetlaxtlan and Cuyuxquihui, first. Incense them against
the Mexica. Inspire them to revolt. They keep attacking
Mexica outposts in the region, anyway’.
‘Our people, particularly the Cuetlaxteca, are wait-
ing for any excuse to revolt against the Mexica, and they
would gladly help you cause trouble at Actopan’.
‘Your involvement in the battle doesn’t even need to
reach your captain; it would go on record as a Totonaca
uprising, and to your people it would look as just an-
other local skirmish’.
‘Do what you wish with the information I have giv-
en you; I now have confidence that you will help the
Totonaca, not harm us. Or it’s in my best interest to be-
lieve that’.
‘In any event, if I were you I’ d start by asking the
Mexica officials in the city, or perhaps the Zapoteca - or
Bini’zá, as they call themselves - about other hair-faces
visiting their quarters’.
‘As I said, we have no authority over the Zapoteca or
Mexica communities. And I don’t doubt for an instant
that your stealthy strangers chose to do their business
at those two specific places for that exact reason. But if
you convince them to let you pass, they may have more
information about these strangers and just what they
were doing there’.

‘My men know nothing more. But if you ever need
anything else, feel free to ask; we’ ll do what we can to
help you’.
After this conversation, the PCs have the location of
the towns of Actopan, Cuetlaxtlan and Cuyuxquihui, all
within a few hours’ flight of Cempoallan, and all un-
der Mexica control. They also have directions to the
Zapoteca neighbourhood inside the city.
The PCs will get no other useful information from
Captain Mux’tin, but they may stay at the Skull Houses
as guests for as long as they need.
When the PCs are ready to leave, let them choose
their next step:
■ If the PCs want to start their search by visiting the
Mexica Quarter in Cempoallan, go to Scene 11.
■ If they want to visit the Zapoteca community, pro-
ceed to Scene 14.
■ If they wish to go to Actopan or some other nearby
town, go to Scene 15.
■ If the PCs want to go somewhere else within the
city, return to Encounter 19 to guide their next step.
Scene 11:
the mexica
quarteR
This scene takes place when the PCs visit the clois-
tered Mexica neighbourhood of Cempoallan. Here, the
Mexica conduct their business as the city’s ruling elite,
from gathering tribute and prisoners to hosting their
countrymen on their diplomatic trips. The Quarter
even includes a palace for Moctecuhzoma himself, for
the rare occasions when he deigns to visit the city.
Some Mexica guards stop the PCs as they approach
the neighbourhood, claiming no foreigners – particu-
larly not hair-face wizards – are allowed into the area.
If the PCs have become Outlaws in Cempoallan or
Fugitives of the Mexica, the guards chase them away;
they must return to Encounter 19.
If the PCs have Chawaná’s Gift Box for the Mexica
scribe, the guards let them in automatically; go to
Encounter 22.
conquista dor’s gold
If the PCs have no tribute for their entrance, ask them
to perform a Charisma action, confronted by a Mexica
Guard’s Competent Skill.
■ The PCs gain 1 advantage if they have a written
grant to investigate Totonaca lands in the name of
Cortés, or if they mention the Mexica tax collectors
that were imprisoned and escaped a couple weeks back.
■ The PCs also gain 1 advantage if they specifically say
what the Ancient Society suggested during Encounter
32: That the Spanish are planning to move to a treas-
ure-filled place away from Mexica lands, but only the
Mexica scribe’s maps have the location.
■ If the PCs win the confrontation, the Mexica are in-
timidated by the ‘Eastern Strangers’ and grudgingly let
them pass. You may now proceed to Encounter 22.
■ If the PCs get a success with a positive consequence,
the guards apologize, saying that the Mexica enclosure
used to be open ground, but the Moctecuhzoma admin-
istration has barred it from the general public as part
of its campaign to segregate the Mexica elite from their
subjects.
■ If the PCs lose the confrontation, they have no
choice but to turn back. If they want to force or sneak
their way in, make sure to suggest that trying to take
on Cempoallan’s entire Mexica garrison amounts to su-
icide. If they insist, feel free to throw endless encoun-
ters with Mexica Guards at them until they die – they
earned it.
■ If the PCs manage to escape after fighting Mexica
guards, they have become Fugitives of the Mexica; this
will affect their exploration of Cempoallan from this
point onward.
If the PCs leave the Mexica area, go to Encounter 19
to guide their next step.
Encounter 22: Tiny Tenochtitlan
If the PCs manage to infiltrate the Mexica enclosure,
read the following aloud:
Magnificent as Cempoallan is, it did not prepare you
for the splendour of its Mexica quarter. Separated from
the rest of the city by a white wall painted with col-
ourful glyphs of spirits and ancestors, the conquerors’
neighbourhood has been organised with such dedica-
tion and attention to detail that it doesn’t seem built by
mortal hands. The walls and streets are spotless, with
a delicate balance of pristine white and dazzling deco-
rations; purity and beauty entwined. Every immaculate
staircase matches a lavish garden; every stream and
fountain is a symmetrical counterpart to a promenade
181
or balcony. The area’s very colour arrangement seems
to obey a larger design, and even the citizens’ garb and
movements appear to match the area’s layout in some
cosmic order.
At the centre of the neighbourhood there’s a quiet,
imposing pyramid, as large as Cempoallan’s tallest tem-
ples and palaces. This must be Moctecuhzoma’s palace;
the stately quarters for the Mexica King’s visits, and his
people’s power centre in this city.
The Mexica – for surely that’s the culture the passers-
by belong to – are quiet and serene, as befits a nation
that has conquered its way to the top, past the need for
struggle and survival, and can now focus on higher pur-
suits. By subjugating their neighbours, the Mexica have
ensured peace; by ensuring peace, they have earned the
luxury of idleness, comfort and contemplation. This is a
people at the peak of their culture and power; a civilisa-
tion at its cenit. And, as you walk among them, it’s clear
they feel superior to you; they don’t make any effort to
hide it, with gestures that range from quiet disdain to
open disgust.
Even after the PCs gained entrance to the Mexica
neighbourhood, there’s a limit to the areas they have
access to. Most Mexica buildings are off-limits to for-
eigners, which ironically includes their Cempoalteca
hosts; however, they are willing to meet with the
Spanish to discuss certain diplomatic issues. These are
the PCs’ choices inside the Mexica Quarters:
Regardless of how they got in, the PCs are allowed to
stroll around the quarter and visit the Mexica Temple.
If the PCs brought Chawaná’s Gift Box, they may visit
The Place of Accounts, where the Mexica tally the trib-
ute from the Totonaca, or the Tlacuilo House, where
the Mexica Head Scribe keeps the city’s maps and writ-
ten records.
If the PCs have a written grant, asked about the es-
caped Mexica tax collectors, or otherwise convinced
the guards that they come in representation of Cortés,
two Mexica bureaucrats approach them. The envoys
say the PCs may visit any open building in the Mexica
quarter (the Temple, the Tlacuilo House or the Place
of Accounts), but their ‘hosts would be grateful’ if the
distinguished visitors met with them at the Place or
Accounts first, for ‘a business of mutual interest’.
■ If the PCs wish to visit the Mexica temple; proceed
to Encounter 23.
■ If the PCs go to the Place of Accounts, go to
Encounter 24.
■ If the PCs head to the Tlacuilo House, run Encounter
25.
182
Encounter 23: The Mexica Temple
This squat pyramid facing Moctecuhzoma’s palace
is the Mexica religious centre in Cempoallan. Here,
the Mexica elite conduct their rites apart from their
Totonaca subjects, which are only invited to partici-
pate as sacrificial victims.
There is currently no mass or sacrifice in progress at
the temple, but the priests are glad to receive the PCs
and speak to them.
ENC OUNTER 23 C ONVERSATI ON: THE
MEXI C A P RI ESTS
If the PCs show willingness to talk, the priests voice
their concerns right away:
‘We Mexica are justly worried about the presence of
such a powerful force as yours in these lands; we wonder
if your intent truly is peaceful. But you could help ap-
pease this uneasiness by showing your goodwill to the
Mexica people’.
‘There is a danger in Cempoallan, a temple to one
of our Saints, which the Totonaca have overtaken and
perverted to their own seditious ends. If you would look
into this matter, the Mexica of this city would know you
as a friend; we would make sure to tell the messengers
that Great Moctecuhzoma has nothing to fear from such
noble personages’.
‘If you would earn the gratitude of the Mexica, go to
the Great Temple, in this city’s Ceremonial Centre. Our
brothers, the priests there, shall apprise you of the situ-
ation and you shall see that our need is great, and our
cause is just’.
After the priests have said this, they let the PCs
ask their own questions, although their knowledge is
limited.
The priests know nothing useful about the lost gold.
For any information on the PCs’ inquiries, they suggest
a visit to the Tlacuilo house – the office of the Mexica
Head Scribe.
If the PCs mention the defaced shrines, the Zapoteca,
the attacks on surrounding Mexica outposts or the Un
Takám, the priests politely suggest the PCs take the
matter to the officials at the Place of Accounts.
AFTER THE CONVERSATION
When the PCs are done with the priests, they may
go to the Mexica Place of Accounts (Encounter 24), to
the Tlacuilo House (Encounter 25) or out of the Mexica
quarters and back into Cempoallan, to choose their
next step (Encounter 19).

If the PCs wish to honour the priests’ request,
they should go to the Great Temple at Cempoallan’s
Ceremonial Centre (Scene 12).
Encounter 24: The Place of Ac-
counts
Arguably the most important building of Cempoallan,
the Mexica Place of Accounts is the address where all
Totonaca cities send their taxes, the vault that stores
all tribute until a caravan takes it to Tenochtitlan,
and the office that tallies the goods and handles their
transport. It is the best guarded place in the Totonaca
nation, even more than the government palace of
Cempoallan, and the true power centre of the city.
The building known as the Place of Accounts is rel-
atively small and discreet, but it looks very solid and
well-protected. Many elite-looking guard squads patrol
its entrances, and a whole troop stands at attention on
the main gate, looking directly at you.
If the PCs were previously invited to visit the Place of
Accounts, the guards grudgingly let them through; oth-
erwise, the PCs must perform a Charisma action, con-
fronted by a Mexica Guard’s competent skill.
■ If the PCs win the confrontation, or if they were in-
vited to the building earlier, a Mexica diplomat comes
to greet them, bearing a smoking censer and a ceremo-
nial manner. Proceed to Encounter 24 Conversation.
■ If the PCs lose the confrontation, they may not enter
the Place of Accounts. If they insist or try to sneak in-
side, throw them an endless number of encounters
against Mexica Guards until they die or escape; in the
latter case, they have become Fugitives of the Mexica.
■ If the PCs cannot enter the Place of Accounts, they
must turn to the Mexica Temple (Encounter 23) or the
Tlacuilo House (Encounter 25). If the PCs have become
Fugitives of the Mexica, or if they have nothing else
to do in the Mexica Quarter, return to Encounter 19 to
guide their next step.
EN C O U NT E R 24 CON V E RSATION :
I NT E R VI E W W ITH THE E N E M Y
A Mexica attendant ushers the PCs through a short,
ornate gallery, to a small office where three Mexica of-
ficials, each dressed and painted in a different colour,
greet them and invite them to sit.
If the PCs agree to parley with the officials, they in-
troduce themselves as the Calpixque, the tribute offi-
cials of Cempoallan, and state their business straight
away.
conquista dor’s gold
‘Greetings, o mighty lords from beyond the sea. We
Mexica are very honoured to have you as guests, and our
lands were eagerly awaiting your arrival’.
‘We feel the need to talk to you, to share words with
you’.
‘It has come to our attention that the Totonaca, our
subjects, our friends in this region, have struck a truce
with you and intend to help you settle in their coast’.
‘We are sure the mighty Teotl foreigners have no need
to advance further West, where they would only find oc-
cupied land. Such grand lords as you must be mighty
dignitaries, enabled to tell their Speaker, their Leader,
their Coltés, these words: there is nothing for the great
and worthy Teotl people in these lands. Please convey
our message’.
‘A few days ago, a delegation of tax collectors, of
fellow calpixque from Tenochtitlan, came here to pick
up the tribute we had gathered from the Totonaca.
Xicomecoatl, the Lord of Cempoallan, ordered them
imprisoned’.
‘We thought Cempoallan was revolting against us,
we prepared for battle. But then Coltés, your lord, came
to us, he heard us; he helped our calpixque escape. We
thought he was helping us against a Totonaca revolt’.
‘We know this to be true; our calpixque told us it was
indeed Coltés’ men hat freed them’.
‘But we have heard rumours from the government
palace, from our people near Xicomecoatl. We have
heard that it was Coltés himself who suggested the defi-
ance, it was him that ordered our envoys captured, who
told the Totonaca to defy us in the first place’.
‘If this is true, then the mighty Teotl foreigners are
two-faced, smiling both to us and to the Totonaca, while
they plot the downfall of both. It would mean your peo-
ple seek to harm the Mexica, to harm the Totonaca, not
help them. You will understand this is a matter of great
concern to us’.
‘But perhaps it was not Coltés, perhaps it was an-
other Teotl dignitary, who riled the Totonaca against us’.
‘We know this: Some of your mighty people – we
don’t know if it was you or some of your principals, your
captains – came to Cempoallan not long after our tax
collectors were freed’.
‘These persons came and visited the Zapoteca com-
munity in Cempoallan. This is a great city, a mighty
city, and there are many peoples, many tribes, within
its walls. The Zapoteca are among the most dangerous,
the most warlike. In other times, in other Suns, they had
a great Empire over the southern lands. They envy the
183
Mexica for our might, for our dominion. One of your
envoys, of your dignitaries, came to the Zapoteca. He
riled them up against us. ‘We believe this envoy was not
Coltés; we think he was another Captain, with his own
plans, with his own goals. We believe this because he
also roused the Zapoteca against Coltés, against the
Teotl from the East. Against your people’.
‘Perhaps it was this other captain as well, this other
mighty speaker, who riled the Totonaca against us, who
incited the revolt, who suggested the capture of our
calpixque’.
‘In short, perhaps Coltés should look inside his house
and see who is trying to divide his people, to make him
into an enemy of the peoples of the Anahuac’.
‘If Coltés wants peace, then he is not in league with
these agitators, these double-speaking teotl peoples’.
‘If these agents are truly acting against his orders,
then Coltés will doubtlessly order a withdrawal from
our lands. If he is not intent on invading Mexica lands,
he has nothing to lose by proving this, by retreating from
the Totonaca region, by leaving us and the Cempoalteca
alone’.
‘If you go back to your Coltés, if you tell him to re-
treat from our lands, from the Totonaca lands, then the
mighty teotl will be proving their goodwill and peaceful
intentions. We are confident wise Coltés will see reason
and comply with our humble request’.
If the PCs mention the Un Takám, the Mexica officials
give forced smiles.
‘Yes, we know of these terrorists, these enemies of
the peace. We have fought the Un Takám for years; we
have scattered many of their terrorist cells across the
Totonacapan, but we still search for their main hideout’.
‘Why do the mighty Teotl bother themselves with
the Un Takám? Why… why do you even know of their
existence?’
‘Ah, but you are telling us about them. You are trust-
ing us with this contact. You do this in good will, or
that’s how you want to make it look’.
‘Very well. If you have information about the Un
Takám, if you know where they are hiding, the Mexica
would be generous and grateful to the mighty Teotl
foreigners’.
If the PCs ask the Mexica about the lost Spanish gold,
they all flinch and look at each other knowingly. Then,
one of them smiles as if he just remembered something.
‘Oh yes, the lost treasure of your people. We have
heard of this’.
184
‘Why, we are the Place of Accounts of Cempoallan
– every unmarked gem, every found feather, every con-
fiscated cacao bean in these lands passes through our
vaults sooner or later’.
‘These secret agents, these spies from your people…
they went to the Tlacuilo house, to our Head Scribe of-
fices, once, many months ago. They avoided seeking us,
talking to us. They entered the Mexica Quarter saying
they came in Coltés’ name, but they avoided us. They
went straight to the Tlacuilo. They were looking for
something your people had lost’.
‘Perhaps this person ordered the capture of our calp-
ixque, so they could learn something about that treasure.
Could it not be so? ‘Perhaps this person is threatening
peace in our lands, putting your Captain and expedition
at risk, to find this lost treasure of yours’.
‘We did not mention this earlier because we had to
confirm you were not in league with these spies. But you
asked us openly about your lost treasure, so now we
know. We know you’re not with the ones that tried to
avoid us, that harassed our tlacuilo’.
‘Go to the tlacuilo house, ask him; he’ ll tell you what
happened’.
‘But we do sympathise. We will help you’.
‘This is our offer. Go to your leaders. Give them our
message. Tell them it is a good thing to leave our lands.
Meanwhile, we shall search our records for this treasure
of yours. Had your furtive spies come to us, we would
have told them the same thing. Tell your leaders to re-
treat from Quiahuiztlan, from our domain. In return we
shall search our records, we shall find any report of your
treasure. We shall find it for you, we shall send it to your
camp with additional treasures from our glorious city,
from our great treasury. This is a good deal for the Teotl
people, for the Mexica people. Tell your leaders that’.
If the PCs question, accuse or otherwise challenge the
Mexica dignitaries, their smiles freeze in place:
‘The Teotl principals are mighty indeed, to speak
thus’.
‘We are not so might. We do not rule Cempoallan,
but we rule its people. We have no power over Lord
Xicomecoatl, but we can demand the lives of any citizen,
of any visitor, inside the city. Regardless of the mighty
Teotl people’s deal with the Totonaca, as long as you are
in Cempoallan, we can demand your life. We can have
you arrested, or imprisoned, or sacrificed to our Saints’.
‘We do not wish that. We do not wish to anger Coltés.
We wish the Mexica and the Teotl people to have peace.
Do the honourable lords wish to have peace?’

‘If you want the Mexica to allow you here, to let you
wander Cempoallan freely, we beg you to prove your
peaceful intent’.
‘Investigate these agitators, these traitors among
your people. Ask our tlacuilo, ask around the Zapoteca
neighbourhood if you wish. You have our leave to do
these things’.
‘But do it quick. In thirteen days, the Mexica’s permis-
sion for you to visit and settle in Totonaca lands shall
expire’.
‘We have nothing more to say to the honourable, no-
ble lords of the Teotl’.
A F T E R T H E E N COU N TE R
If the PCs agree to relay the Mexica officials’ terms
back to Cortés, they now have a Message for Cortés
and may leave Place of Accounts; Proceed to After the
Encounter.
The Mexica also want the PCs to investigate the
Zapoteca; they give the PCs Directions to the Zapoteca
neighbourhood, in case they want to inquire there.
Regarding Cortés’ guilt on freeing the Mexica tax col-
lectors, the officials are telling the truth; you can ask
the PCs to perform a Normal Perception check (diffi-
culty: 6(1)) to confirm it. This may be a misunderstand-
ing, but the Mexica honestly believe Cortés ordered the
liberation of the three calpixque.
If the PCs are working for Lord Xicomecoatl to inves-
tigate the case, they now have good reason to believe
that Cortés did lie to the Totonaca lord. If they want
proof of the Spanish innocence in the matter, they may
need to fabricate such proof – or return to Vera Cruz to
confront Cortés directly about this.
If the PCs angered the Mexica and got an ultimatum,
they now have thirteen days to end their business in
Totonaca lands, before the Mexica – all the Mexica –
see them as enemies and order the Spaniards expelled
from these lands. Today the PCs are on day 1 of the
Mexica ultimatum; count every day of game time that
passes from this moment. When the PCs have reached
day 13, they become Fugitives of the Mexica, which will
affect their further actions and encounters.
From here, the PCs may visit the Mexica Temple
(Encounter 23) or the Tlacuilo House (Encounter 25) if
they haven’t already.
Otherwise, they may return to Encounter 19 to choose
their next step.
conquista dor’s gold
Encounter 25: The Tlacuilo
House
This is the smallest and least guarded building inside
the Mexica Quarters, and it’s unlikely the PCs would
notice it if they don’t have directions for it.
If the PCs received advice or instructions to visit the
Tlacuilo House, they may enter freely; there are guards,
but they don’t bar access to the building.
Read the following aloud the first time the PCs enter
the area.
The Tlacuilo House turns out to be a beautiful, open
courtyard surrounded by roofed walkways. On the
courtyard there is a fountain and several stone tables,
getting sunlight through a white canvas that protects
the area from the weather.
A dozen of Mexica women and men pace back and
forth around these tables, carrying paper rolls, pigments
and smoking censers, while another dozen pry over rolls
and charts spread on the surface, analysing or adding
lines and colours to their contents.
A young attendant girl, no older than fifteen, walks
up to the PCs and asks them their business. She seems
a bit intimidated by the foreigners, but she also seems
to know who they are.
If the PCs ask to see the Head Scribe or the scribes’
maps, ask them to perform a Charisma action, con-
fronted by a TSE that plays 3 cards. The PCs gain 1 ad-
vantage if they have a written grant to investigate the
Totonaca, if they brought Chawaná’s Gift Box, or if they
say they are looking for a map to a treasure-filled place
away from Mexica lands.
If the PCs win the confrontation, the girl leads them
to Totolli, the Head Scribe of Cempoallan; proceed to
Encounter 25 Conversation.
If the PCs lose the confrontation, there is no one in
the building that can answer their questions at the mo-
ment, and they should return later. Proceed to After
the Encounter.
ENC OUNTER 25 C ONVERSATI ON : THE
H EAD SC RI BE
Totolli, the Head Scribe of Cempoallan, is a smiling,
older man with a white tunic, ear piercings and a paint-
ed face. He keeps his long gray hair tied in an ornate
ponytail. Totolli likes to talk about his work, and wel-
comes the PCs warmly.
■ If the PCs ask about Totolli himself, he explains
that a Tlacuilo is a Mexica scribe; a mix of chronicler,
185
artist, calligrapher, clerk and cartographer, all rolled
up into one. It is their duty to write the letters and cat-
alogue the maps – an invaluable task in Mexica society.
■ If the PCs ask about the Lost Gold, Totolli gives
them the first straight answer they have obtained so
far: Spanish explorers came to Cempoallan long ago,
months before Cortés, asking for this very treasure.
They spoke to Totolli, just like the PCs are speaking to
him now.
■ If the PCs ask about the maps the Spaniards were
looking for, or the maps to the Totonaca lost city,
Totolli tells the full story:
‘There is a city… a lost, ancient city of the Totonaca.
They called it Ta’ híli, The Thunder. It was lost centuries
ago, before the Mexica overtook these lands’.
‘The Totonaca still look for The Thunder, but nobody
knows its location. It is a legend to many of them, their
sacred place of origin, much like Aztlan is to us’.
‘We confiscated most Totonaca maps when we con-
quered this city. I had seen most of those maps, and a
few seemed to give clues about The Thunder’s location.
I made copies of said maps’.
‘Many months ago, long before we ever heard of you
or your Coltés, these men, men like you, hair-faced men,
came through my house. They were asking about maps
of the area’.
‘They were violent, they were impatient, they took
many maps from me – among them, the maps to The
Thunder’.
‘I do not know if these men wished to find The
Thunder or something else. All I know is they were of
your people, hair-faced foreigners; they were rude, they
were violent; they stole my maps’.
‘I had a second copy, a backup of those maps; not as
good, sadly, but enough to find The Thunder with it’.
‘The copy I had… well. I sent it away. I was scared
that your people would come after this copy too! I
don’t like violence. I had my apprentices take the map to
Tizapancingo, a city to the Northwest’.
‘I know The Thunder is somewhere far North of here…
but without the maps, without the source materials
stolen, I cannot give you the location. I am sorry. Your
only hope is my second copy of the map, which must be
reaching Tizapancingo as we speak’.
‘However… however. Wait. Tizapancingo is a well-
armed garrison, one of our stronger holds. You won’t
be allowed entrance there. And your group alone is not
enough to force their way inside’.
186
‘Even if Coltés marches with you, your force would
first have to pass through the city of Actopan, which is
also under our control. To seek your map, you’ d need
Mexica permission to cross our lands, and you don’t
have that’.
‘I suggest returning to your Lord Coltés. Ask him for
a letter, a written oath that you shall leave our lands.
Give that letter to our leaders, our calpixque, here in
Cempoallan. With that, you can convince the Mexica to
bring the map to you. They can have it fetched from
Tizapancingo in scant days’.
‘You wouldn’t have to cross dangerous Mexica ter-
ritory, you would get what you want, you would avoid
the bother of going all the way there yourself, and you
would have peace with the Mexica’.
‘Just tell your Coltés to promise, to sign a written
oath, not to advance into our lands, in exchange for the
map, and my lords will surely order it delivered to you’.
‘May the Saints guide your steps’.
To help the PCs’ search, Totolli shows them a set of
maps showing the surrounding region. These maps
show the Mexica have important military blockades in
several places around Cempoallan, which would cer-
tainly hinder Spanish advance through these lands.
These maps give the PCs Directions to Actopan,
Cuetlaxtlan, Cuyuxquihui and Tizapancingo; they also
confirm that a ground force must go through Actopan
before travelling to Tizapancingo, or before going
deeper into Mexica lands.
If the PCs threaten or attack Totolli, his guards rush
in. Create a +2 encounter using Mexica characters; even
if the PCs survive, they must flee the Mexica Quarters,
and they have become Fugitives of the Mexica.
AFTER TH E ENC OUNTER
If the PCs threatened Totolli, they are Fugitives of the
Mexica and must flee back to Encounter 19 right away.
If the PCs left the Tlacuilo House in peace, the PCs may
visit the Temple (Encounter 23) or the Place of Accounts
(Encounter 24) in the Mexica Quarter. Otherwise, they
may head out to the streets of Cempoallan and decide
their next course of action (Encounter 19).

Scene 12: the
centre of
cempoallaN
Play this scene whenever the PCs visit the govern-
ment and ceremonial centre of Cempoallan. The Centre
is a huge, beautiful plaza in the middle of the city,
which contains the local government palace and pyra-
mid temples.
Read the following aloud when the PCs visit the
Ceremonial Centre for the first time:
A vast plaza the likes of which you hadn’t seen be-
fore, the Centre of Cempoallan is bustling with people,
a many-hued ocean of priests, bureaucrats, temple wor-
shippers, messengers, couriers and passers-by, flowing
around the great buildings of the city. The tall pyra-
mids – you count four at first glance – are crowned with
what seem to be temples, where these people worship
their magic idols. The court is dotted with smaller struc-
tures, such as fountains, elevated platforms, walkways
and column arrangements.
Standing behind it all, presiding over the plaza as an
imposing guardian, is the great Cempoallan Palace, site
of Totonaca rule and power centre of this nation. ‘That’s
where the fat chieftain works’, you think for a moment,
before the place’s majesty overwhelms you again.
There are many places to visit and things to do here.
If the PCs have Directions to the Defaced Shrines,
they may look for them among the smaller temples in
the district; proceed to Encounter 30.
If the PCs ask the locals or look around for a while,
they learn the following:
■ There are are at least two pyramid temples, each
apparently dedicated to a different teotl saint. If the
PCs wish to visit the Great Temple, go to Encounter 26;
if they want to see the Temple of Quetzalcoatl, go to
Encounter 27.
■ There’s a tlachtli ball game court, where the PCs can
watch, and even bet on, a match; proceed to Encounter
28.
■ There’s the government palace, where the PCs
would not be allowed entry; but they might already
conquista dor’s gold
have learned that Cortés himself was seen there a short
while ago. If the PCs wish to go there, run Encounter
29.
■ The PCs can attend the masses held at one of the
smaller temples of the plaza; proceed to Encounter 30.
■ The PCs may also consult with the Tonalli Seers at
the Three Rings Shrine, where people are getting in
line to have their fortunes told; run Encounter 32.
If the PCs wish to leave the Ceremonial Centre, return
to Encounter 19 to guide their next step.
Encounter 26: The Great Temple
If the PCs are returning here with Sister Kaná’s
Feather Headdress, proceed directly to After the
Encounter.
If it is the first time that the PCs come to the Great
Temple pyramid, they notice a heavy crowd occupying
the full length of the pyramid staircase.
A sacrifice is taking place.
Read the following aloud as the PCs approach the
scene:
There are hundreds of Totonaca witnesses on the
stairs of the Great Temple, all looking upwards. At the
summit of the pyramid, two priests – a man and a wom-
an – are cutting the heart out of a warrior. It is a clean,
quick act, and nobody seems bothered by it; even the
sacrificed warrior looked proud of his fate, right until
the moment that the flint knife crushed his chest.
The priest and priestess each take a bite of the bloody
heart, and then throw it into a pyre behind them. Then
they turn their palms to the heavens and chant some-
thing you can’t make out; the entire crowd joins in the
chant.
It seems to be a joyous occasion for everyone.
Then, a number of acolytes and attendants, including
several children, help the priests to clean the altar, re-
move the corpse and bless the space with sacred censers
and water.
Ask the PCs to perform a Normal Perception or
Knowledge Check (difficulty: 6(1)) to notice that one of
the officials is not Totonaca, but a Mexica priest, and
he seems to be overseeing the ritual; this must mean
the Mexica have imposed their sacrificial tradition
over the Totonaca people.
If the check is a success with a positive consequence,
the PCs also notice that the idols in the temple resem-
ble the Mexica warrior spirit that the Spaniards call
187
Huichilobos, and they are not part of the main struc-
ture; the Mexica must have brought their war saint
here, to have the Totonaca worship him as part of their
compliance to the conquerors’ laws.
If the PCs wish to go all the way up to the temple,
they must wait a while until the ceremony finishes and
the crowd disperses; then, the priests will be ready to
speak to them. Proceed to Encounter 26 Conversation.
ENC O U NT E R 26 CON V E RSATION
The priests recognise the PCs as the new arrivals that
intend to ally with the Totonaca against the Mexica.
Predictably, the Totonaca priest and priestess greet
them warmly and smiling, while the Mexica overseer
stares at them all with mistrust.
Before the PCs ask anything, the Totonaca priests ask
them what they want; they seem to speak in the name
of the Mexica overseer.
■ If the PCs ask about the temple, the priestess tells
them it is a shrine to the Fire and Solar spirits of the
Mexica, which has been the official Totonaca religion
for decades now. They gladly accepted the sacrifice
custom from their conquerors, for it brings them clos-
er to the celestial spirits.
■ If the PCs ask about the Zapoteca conspiracy or the
lost gold, the priests know nothing about the subject,
and ask the PCs to go to the Skull Houses and ask the
guards there.
■ If the PCs wish to talk more or about other sub-
jects, the overseer frowns and tells them to leave, un-
less they are willing to pay their respects to the Mexica
faith.
■ If the PCs say they were sent here from the Mexica
quarters or Xicomecoatl’s palace, the overseer cracks
a smile and nods, finally agreeing to speak to the PCs.
■ The overseer is willing to tolerate the PCs, and
may even be grateful to them, if they help him with a
problem:
‘This House of worship is beset by enemies on all
sides, the unruly Cempoalteca themselves being the
most vexing’.
‘The Temple of Quetzalcoatl – that pyramid you can
see over there – is dedicated to one of our most an-
cient spirits, the Great Dragon that rules over the land.
But the Cempoalteca priests have perverted his worship,
and we fear they may bring the dragon’s wrath down
upon us’.
‘These false Quetzalcoatl priests hold the stupid be-
lief that the Great Dragon does not require sacrifice,
188
and refuse to perform the adequate rites. Therefore, If
you wish to prove that you are friends of the Mexica,
you should use your vaunted power – the one you have
indiscriminately wielded to turn the Totonaca against
us – and convince the priests of Quetzalcoatl to see the
right path’.
‘Talk to them, bribe them, intimidate them, bewitch
them – whatever it is you Teotl people use. Their highest
priestess, the one called Sister Kaná, is the main propo-
nent of the blasphemous doctrine. If she were persuad-
ed, or… removed… Quetzalcoatl would, perhaps, forgive
this wretched city, and not devour us in his just wrath’.
If the PCs agree to help the Mexica overseer, they are
to visit the Temple of Quetzalcoatl at night to assassi-
nate Sister Kaná, or else to speak to her and convince
her to allow sacrifices in her temple again.
AFTER TH E ENC OUNTER
If the PCs return here with Sister Kaná’s dragon head-
dress in their possession, the Mexica overseer rewards
them with sacred jewellery and idols worth a total of
100 gold in gold.
Until then, there is nothing else for the PCs to do at
the Great Temple; return to the start of Scene 12 if the
PCs wish to keep touring the Ceremonial Centre, or
to Encounter 19 if they wish to go somewhere else in
Cempoallan.
Encounter 27: The Temple of
Quetzalcoatl
If the PCs approach the Quetzalcoatl Temple, they
may climb the outer staircase of the pyramid that leads
to it. If the PCs come as sightseers to the temple exte-
rior, they see many visitors and supplicants go up and
down the staircase, looking to receive, or having re-
ceived, the temple’s blessings.
If the PCs approach by night, to fulfil the mission
from the Great Temple overseer, ask them to perform a
Stealth or Perception action, confronted by a TSE that
plays 3 cards.
■ If the PCs win the confrontation, they find a way
into the temple’s inner chambers, and reach the room
of Sister Kaná, where she is alone in prayer. Proceed di-
rectly to Encounter 27 Conversation.
■ If the PCs lose the confrontation, they must climb
the stairs to approach the temple exterior.
Once the PCs reach the summit, two Totonaca priest-
esses greet them and ask them if they wish to pay hom-
age to the Great Dragon.

■ If the PCs perform any kind of religious rite here,
they earn two corruption for practicing non-Catholic
rituals, but they receive a Nonotza blessing from the
priests.
■ If the PCs ask about the temple itself, the priest-
esses tell them that it used to be dedicated to the Sky
and the Wind, as the Totonaca worshipped natural
forces without ascribing them names or faces; when
the Mexica brought their dragons and saints, the
Cempoalteca simply adopted the new names and iden-
tities for Sky and Wind, and now this is a temple to the
Dragon Quetzalcoatl, who rules over heaven.
■ If the PCs ask about Sister Kaná, human sacrifices
or the Mexica priests at the Great Temple, ask them to
perform a Charisma action, confronted by a Totonaca
priestess’ competent skill. If the PCs win the con-
frontation, the priestesses lead them to Sister Kaná’s
chambers inside the temple; proceed to Encounter 27
Conversation.
■ If the PCs ask about anything else, or lose the pre-
vious confrontation, the priestesses cannot help them,
but encourage the PCs to visit the other shrines in the
Ceremonial Centre. Return to the beginning of Scene 12
to guide the PCs’ next step.
EN C O U NT E R 27 CON V E RSATION :
S I S T E R KAN Á
If the PCs are here because they already accepted and
fulfilled sister Kaná’s mission, proceed directly to After
the Encounter.
If this is their first time here, read the following
aloud when the PCs are alone with Sister Kaná:
The Head Priestess of Quetzalcóatl is a gaunt, young
woman dressed in an ornate robe and a feathered drag-
on headdress. Her skin is marked with ritual paintings,
and her ears and fingers are full of jewellery and pierc-
ings that hide the scars of sacrificial bloodletting. She
looks surprised and perhaps a little angry to see you, but
she makes no emotional display; she simply stares at you
and speaks calmly.
‘The hair-faces are bold to have come here, after
what you have done to our temples. What is it you seek
with the Temple of the Great Dragon?’
From here, the PCs’ words and actions will dictate
what happens.
■ If the PCs ask what the Spanish have done to the
Cempoalteca temples, or offer to help Sister Kaná, she
explains that many shrines all over Cempoallan have
appeared vandalised, their idols burned or hacked
away, and christian crosses crudely painted over the
conquista dor’s gold
walls. Sister Kaná intends to bring a formal complaint
to Lord Xicomecoatl, demanding that the foreigners
are expelled from Totonaca lands.
■ If the PCs suggest that maybe the Spanish did not
do this, Sister Kaná asks: then who did? Who would
stand to gain by framing the Spaniards for defacing
Cempoalteca temples? Then, she challenges the PCs to
find the real culprit; if they do, she will reconsider her
stance towards the Spanish.
■ If the PCs ask about the defiled temples, Sister
Kaná tells them of three locations: one here, in the
Ceremonial Centre, near the Temple of the Pillars; and
two in different spots in the Market District. If the
PCs are honest about Spanish innocence in this, they
should investigate these sites to find the real perpetra-
tor. If the PCs agree to this, they get directions to the
defaced shrines.
■ If the PCs ask about human sacrifices and the
Mexica Temple overseer, Sister Kaná sighs; she knows
the Mexica intend to force her to implement human
sacrifice, but she refuses to do so. She is convinced that
Quetzalcoatl, despite being a dragon, is also a high-
ranking spirit, and thus he requires no human tribute.
The Mexica priests claim that her practices are blas-
phemy, while she is convinced that they are the blas-
phemous ones, and that Quetzalcoatl would side with
her.
■ If the PCs offer to help Sister Kaná, she refuses,
insisting that her beliefs are her responsibility – and
of those priests that freely decide to follow her. If
the Mexica decide to act against her, she trusts that
Quetzalcoatl will intercede in her favour, or, at the
very least, avenge her eventually.
■ If the PCs try to convince Sister Kaná of implement-
ing human sacrifice, or if they confess that the Mexica
overseer sent them to dispose of her, ask them to per-
form a Charisma action, confronted by Sister Kaná’s
competent skill. If the PCs win the confrontation, Sister
Kaná realises her faith is endangering the lives of her
worshippers and underling priests; she decides to leave
Cempoallan and leave to her successor to comply - or
not - with the Mexica’s requirements. She will leave the
city that very night; she intends to make a pilgrimage
in search of Quetzalcoatl, something that, deep inside,
she had always wanted to do.
■ If the PCs ask about the lost gold, Sister Kaná knows
nothing about the subject, but suggests the PCs visit
the Three Rings shrine, home of the best seers of the
Totonaca nation.
■ If the PCs attack, create an encounter using Sister
Kaná.
189
 ■ If the PCs survive the battle, ask them to per-
form a Stealth Action, confronted by a TSE that
plays 3 cards, to leave the temple unnoticed. If
they lose the confrontation, some priests see them
leave, and soon the news spread that they killed
Sister Kaná; the PCs are now Outlaws in Cempoallan
(see the Outlaws sidebar).
A FT E R T H E E N COU N TE R
If the PCs killed Sister Kaná or convinced her to leave
Cempoallan, they may take her dragon headdress as
proof of their fulfilled mission.
If the PCs return after having found the culprit of the
temple defilings, Sister Kaná gives them her thanks and
promises to denounce Lady Yajzil to Lord Xicomecoatl.
The PCs have now delivered proof of the Zapoteca
Setup.
If the PCs have also Planted Evidence of the Mexica
Escape and Delivered Reparations for the Razed Villages,
They now have Proof of the Spanish’ innocence.
Sister Kaná also rewards the PCs with a Nonotza
blessing that lasts for as long as they remain in the
Ceremonial Centre, and gives them one bracelet of
Quetzalcoatl’s blessing.
BRACELET OF QUETZALCOATL’S
BLESSING
REACTION: While wearing this, after being the
target of a healing spell, regain one additional
health point.
Once their business in the Temple is concluded, the
PCs may return to the beginning of Scene 12 to contin-
ue exploring the Ceremonial Centre, or to Encounter 19
to choose their next course of action.
Encounter 28: The Tlachtli
Court
If the PCs wish to experience a Tlachtli game, there is
an open court with daily ceremonial games being held
between the city warriors, slaves and nobility.
Any time the PCs visit the Tlachtli Court, there is a
game scheduled for midday; if the PCs come after mid-
day, they must wait until the next day to watch a game.
The first time the PCs watch a Tlachtli game, read the
following aloud:
190
You join a thick crowd that surrounds a long stone
court, a few metres below ground level. In this lowered
field there are four Totonaca, divided in two teams, and
dressed with loincloths and leather protections over
their waists, knees and elbows.
Both teams seem to be trying to keep a round ball in
the air, at the same time forcing the other team to drop
it. The ball is like nothing you have ever seen; it bounds
and leaps as if it had a life of its own, as if it was en-
chanted to bounce off the players and the ground.
In the middle of the court there is a stone ring, over-
hanging one of the walls; besides attempting to keep the
ball off the ground, both teams try to put it through
that ring. The players’ strength and agility, and the fe-
rocity with which they jump and twist to hit the ball,
makes it look like a fight more than a game.
The whole thing is a thrilling, exotic spectacle, not
unlike watching a dance contest between cats or crick-
ets – if the cats or crickets hated each other.
The PCs are among the first Europeans to witness the
Mesoamerican ball game, in this case the Cempoalteca
version. The PCs can talk to the audience, bet on the
game result or even try and play themselves.
■ If the PCs ask about the game, they learn that most
people call it Tlachtli, and it seems to be a popular pas-
time of the Totonaca, Mexica and other peoples of the
New World. The onlookers also let them know that the
springing nature of the ball comes from the substance
it is made of; a special sap from a sacred tree, that
makes objects malleable like dough and at the same
time hard as wood. This sap would be a terrific trade
item to bring back to Spain.
■ If the PCs wish to bet on the result of a game, let
them state how many pesos they wish to stake (no more
than 10, by the local rules). Then, ask them to perform
a normal Perception check (difficulty: 6(1)), to choose
the best team. If the PCs win the confrontation, they
win native jewellery and art objects worth as much
gold as the amount they bet. If the PCs lose the con-
frontation, they simply lose their stake.
Once the game has ended, the PCs may not bet in an-
other scheduled game until the next day. There is a
daily match, starting around noon.
■ If the PCs want to participate in a game, ask them to
perform a Charisma action, confronted by a civilian. If
the PCs win the confrontation, they convince the game
organisers to let them try their luck; however, there
are two warnings. One, while PCs will receive a share of
the wagers if they win, they will have to pay the win-
ners if they lose. Two, the heavy ball is likely to cause
injuries to inexperienced players.

The rules are simple: Prevent the ball from falling
to the ground, and cause your opponents to drop it.
You can only touch the ball with your hips, knees and
elbows. The game lasts for two hours; the team that
dropped the ball less times in that period is the winner.
There’s an exception – if a player manages to put the
ball through the stone ring in the middle of the court,
that player’s team wins the match automatically and
the game ends.
If the PCs decide to play, they must choose two
party members to be their team, and challenge a local
Cempoalteca team. Onlookers gather around, wa-
gers are made, and the game begins. Use the stats of 2
Cuahchic for the opponent’s team.
A F T E R T H E E N COU N TE R
Once the game has ended, the PCs may leave the
Tlachtli court and continue their exploration of
Cempoallan.
If the PCs played a Tlachtli game, the locals bet heav-
ily against them; any PC that bets in favour of them-
selves earn jewellery, quachtli blankets and cacao
beans worth 50 gold if they win, but they lose only 10
gold if they lost.
When the PCs are ready to move on, return to the
beginning of Scene 12 to continue their tour of the
Ceremonial Centre.
Encounter 29: The Palace of Cem-
poallan
Read the following aloud the first time the PCs ap-
proach the palace of Cempoallan:
The Grand Palace of Cempoallan is an imposing
structure on the Western edge of the Ceremonial Centre.
While not as tall or ancient as the temple pyramids
across the plaza, it’s much more ornate, filled with stat-
ues, paintings and coloured carvings of the Totonaca
saints and spirits.
A great stairway, flanked by painted, jaguar-faced
columns, leads to the main entrance, where a squad of
elite-looking Totonaca warriors stand at the ready.
People keep coming in and out of the palace, all well-
dressed and serious-looking. The guards, however, ad-
vance to stop you.
If the PCs have obtained Proof of the Spanish’ inno-
cence, the guards let them pass immediately; proceed
directly to After the Encounter. Otherwise, if the PCs
try to enter the palace, the guards bar their passage; ci-
vilians are not allowed inside without an official edict.
conquista dor’s gold
■ If the PCs are Outlaws to the Cempoalteca au-
thorities, the guards attack immediately; proceed to
Encounter 31 right away.
■ If the PCs say they come with Cortés, the guards
inform them he left the palace mere hours ago. He in-
tended to return to Quiahuiztlan, in case the PCs want
to catch up with him.
■ If the PCs try to talk the guards into letting them
pass, ask them to perform a Charisma action, confront-
ed by a Temple guard Competent skill.
■ If the PCs win the confrontation, the guards still
don’t let them pass, but tell them they need a Letter
of appointment or Official Edict that states they have
business with Lord Xicomecoatl. The Guards tell the
PCs they may get such a document from influential
characters in the city; they should look around and try
to make allies among the elite.
■ If the PCs bring a Letter of appointment or Official
Edict, or if they get a success with a positive conse-
quence in the confrontation, the guards let them pass
and see the Lord Xicomecoatl; proceed to Encounter 29
Conversation.
■ If the PCs try to sneak or force their way into the
palace, create a +2 encounter, using a combination of
Temple guards and Temple protectors.
■ If the PCs survive the fight, more guards arrive and
the PCs must flee; return to Encounter 19, taking into
account the PCs are now Outlaws to the Cempoallan
authorities.
If the PCs leave the palace peacefully, return to the
beginning of Scene 12 to continue their exploration of
the Ceremonial Centre.
ENC OUNTER 29 C ONVERSATI ON : L O RD
XI C OMEC OATL
Read the following aloud when the PCs are allowed
inside the Grand Palace of Cempoallan:
The inside of the grand palace is festooned with fine
fabrics, paintings and art objects. Fragrant copal incense
braziers light the corridors, and wide open windows al-
low the light from the outside to heighten the colours in
walls and floor.
An elegant usher leads you, past a large statue of
some monstrous jaguar-headed thing, to an inner court-
yard, ending in a large staircase that in turn leads to a
larger audience chamber. There, sprawled in a massive
stone chair, surrounded by a retinue of gorgeous young
men that sit on the steps laughing, sharing mead jugs
and fruit bowls, is Xicomecoatl, the impressive Lord of
Cempoallan.
191
 He looks up in half-surprise when you approach, but
greets you with genuine joy.
‘By the saints! The great lord of the foreigners just
left my halls early today, and now more of his people
see fit to grace my presence with theirs! The spirits smile
on me this evening!’
Let the PCs state their business and intentions to
Lord Xicomecoatl.
■ If the PCs mention the lost gold, Xicomecoatl
laughs; he remembers reports of hair-faced strangers,
one or two years ago, coming to Cempoallan to look
for something they’d lost in the area. The Lord thought
it was a bizarre rumour, and forgot all about it until
he first learned of Cortés’ arrival earlier this year. The
Lord has no more information or interest on the sub-
ject; if the PCs wish to search for their people’s lost
treasure in Totonaca lands, he couldn’t care less.
■ If the PCs brought an Official Edict offering to help
the Cempoalteca against the Tizapancingo Garrison,
ask them to perform a Charisma action, confronted
by a TSE that plays four cards. If the PCs win the con-
frontation, they have convinced Xicomecoatl of ask-
ing the Spaniards for aid now; you may now proceed
to Encounter 33 and the final act of the adventure.
Otherwise, the Lord says there are things, unfortunate
situations, delaying an alliance between their peoples.
■ If the PCs suggest that Xicomecoatl officially peti-
tions Cortés for military aid against the Mexica, with-
out showing an Official Edict or Proof of the Spanish’
Innocence, he agrees – on one condition. The Spanish
must prove themselves worthy of an alliance with the
Totonaca. This sounds strange to the PCs, as usually
the people that beg for help are not the ones that de-
mand a show of goodwill. If the PCs mention this to
Xicomecoatl, he says there have been troublesome re-
ports, threatening to delay the alliance between their
people.
■ If the PCs ask what’s delaying the alliance with the
Spaniards, Lord Xicomecoatl grows somber. Certain
things have been happening lately – things that could
mean the Spanish are not the great allies the Totonaca
want to believe. He was just discussing these things
with Cortés before the PCs arrived.
■ First, a couple of Cempoalteca villages were
razed, their people stolen and their temples
burned. The natural suspects would be the Mexica,
but the tracks suggested mounted soldiers, black
powder and metal bullets: this would indicate the
Spanish are not the friends of the Totonaca.
■ Second, everybody – the PCs included – knows a
group of Mexica tax collectors came to Cempoallan
192
last week, and the Spanish ordered them incarcer-
ated, to show the Totonaca they should not fear
Moctecuhzoma. The official version is that the tax
collectors escaped, which worries Xicomecoatl
greatly as it is. However, there’s a rumour that
it was in fact the Spanish themselves that set the
Mexica envoys free, working behind the backs of
both the Mexica and the Totonaca.
■ Third, someone’s been painting Christian cross-
es on Cempoalteca idols all across the city. This is
a grievous insult to the Totonaca, even consider-
ing Cortés’ previous rudeness to the Cempoalteca’s
faith; and again, the Spanish are the people’s fa-
vourite suspects.
Cortés already told Xicomecoatl these three rumours
are all lies and slander, and insisted that the Spanish
are friends of the Totonaca. The Lord claims to believe
Cortés, but his noblemen and some sectors of the pop-
ulation, particularly the Mexica and their supporters,
are pressuring Xicomecoatl to cancel the alliance with
the invaders.
Therefore, Xicomecoatl will tell the PCs the same
thing he said to Cortés: if the Spanish want an alliance,
they must bring proof that these three things, these
three rumours, are false. The PCs now have a Message
for Cortés, and Xicomecoatl expects them to deliver it
as soon as possible.
AFTER THE CONVERSATION
If the conversation ends without the PCs convinc-
ing Xicomecoatl, they must now leave the palace and
find proof that the accusations against the Spanish are
false. Xicomecoatl’s advisors approach the PCs while
they’re leaving, and suggest a few pointers to begin
their investigation:
■ If the PCs wish to investigate the ransacked villag-
es, they should consult with Guard Captain Mux’tin of
the ‘Skull Houses’, the city’s military garrison.
■ If the PCs wish to look into the defaced temples
situation, the advisors give them Directions to the
Defaced Shrines, one near the street temples here
in the Ceremonial Centre, and a couple more in the
Market District.
■ If the PCs wish to learn who let the Mexica tax
collectors escape, they should ask around the Mexica
Quarter – or in their own camp in Vera Cruz.
Then, the PCs are led outside the palace; return to
the start of Scene 12 to continue the PCs’ tour of the
Ceremonial Centre, or to Encounter 19 if the PCs wish
to look somewhere else in the city.

A F T E R T H E E N COU N TE R
If the PCs bring Proof of the Spanish’ innocence, Lord
Xicomecoatl receives them with great honour and cel-
ebration, and seems genuinely relieved that he may
trust the Spaniards now. His need for support against
the Mexica outweighs his natural suspicions, after all.
Xicomecoatl orders couriers to leave immediately for
Vera Cruz, with orders to request Spanish aid to take
Tizapancingo; proceed to Encounter 33.
Encounter 30: The Lesser Temples
Besides the great pyramid temples, there are sev-
eral smaller, ground-level shrines, dedicated to vari-
ous spirits and purposes. If the PCs wander around the
street-level temples, they encounter a mob between
two of these buildings. Read the following aloud as the
PCs approach the crowd:
Two groups of cempoalteca seem to be facing off be-
tween two religious buildings in the plaza. These build-
ings are large enough to seem important, but relatively
unassuming; they have carved stone columns and a bas-
relief pattern of human faces on their walls. A priest has
come out from each building; both wear grandiose attire
and body paint, and heckle each other angrily. Behind
each priest, a furious Cempoalteca mob cheer for their
priest and yell their enmity at the other group.
In the middle of the debate, one of the priests looks
at you and points at your faces and clothing, screaming
something in the Totonaca language. His opponent calls
at you.
‘Tell me, friends’, he shouts, ‘ is it not true that the
great Teotl foreigners wish only our well-being? Is it not
true that you are our allies and friends?’
Let the PCs try to articulate an answer, then continue
reading aloud:
The priest continues his rant as if you hadn’t said
anything.
‘I have prayed every night, for your great Teotl army
to vanquish the Mexica and deliver us from their yoke...
Every night, I tell you!’
‘You are a fool’, interrupts the other priest from
across the lane, ‘these savages are the threat! The Mexica
have given us nothing but stability, progress and riches!
Would you trade peace with our long-standing neigh-
bours for a blind trust in these rapacious strangers?’
The other priest’s partisans accompany his words
with screams of support; ‘ hear hear!’ and ‘go back to
your shrine, agitators!’
conquista dor’s gold
‘It is you and your followers who have their wits
dimmed’, replies the priest that called you, ‘ from spend-
ing so many decades licking the your masters’ sandals,
so that you have forgotten the taste of clean air! Down
with the Mexica!’
‘Down with the Mexica!’ echo the priest’s followers,
and for a moment it seems violence will erupt between
both groups.
What happens next depends on what the PCs do – or
might have done recently.
■ If the PCs are Fugitives of the Mexica, before they
can do or say anything, the other priest screams and
points at the PCs, screaming ‘down with the traitors!
Guards! Guards!’, which summons a Mexica patrol; pro-
ceed to Encounter 31.
■ If the PCs try to stop the argument, ask them to per-
form a Charisma action, confronted by a teotl priest’s
competent Skill. If the PCs win the confrontation, the
Mexica partidaries of the other shrine disperse grudg-
ingly, after threatening both the PCs and the other
priest with death ‘when the Mexica guard hears about
this’. When both crowds have dispersed, the Spanish-
supporting priest invites the PCs to his shrine to talk;
proceed to Encounter 30 Conversation.
■ If the PCs do nothing, or fail to stop the argument, a
Mexica patrol appears, causing both groups to disperse
and both priests to discreetly return to their shrines.
Then, the Mexica soldiers approach the PCs and warn
them to keep out of the city’s ‘inner politics’.
■ If the PCs challenge or provoke the guards,
they attack; proceed to Encounter 31. If they re-
main calm, the guards continue their patrol, giv-
ing them threatening looks but otherwise leaving
them alone. Then, the priest that defended the PCs
peeks out and invites them to his shrine; proceed
to Encounter 30 Conversation.
■ If the PCs choose to ignore the whole situation, they
may go on their way; continue to After the Encounter.
ENC OUNTER 30 C ONVERSATI ON : THE
FRI ENDLY P RI EST
If the PCs accept the priest’s invitation to talk with
him at his shrine, he introduces himself as Mahtayani,
preacher of the farming spirits. He wishes to apologise
for drawing the PCs into his quarrel with ‘those Mexica
sycophants of the cloud shrine’.
Mahtayani also wishes to help the Spanish force;
he is honest in his conviction that they will help the
Totonaca people, and has important information for
the PCs.
193
 While the PCs have this conversa-
tion, use the following excerpts as
parts of Mahtayani’s comments and
answers:
‘Thank you for speaking with
me. I have things to say, things that
may be of importance to both our
peoples’.
‘First, I am sorry for what hap-
pened… outside. Some of our people
have become… comfortable, in the
Mexica’s shadow. They have grown
so used to slavery that they are
afraid of freedom’.
‘If you have the time, visit the
pyramid of Quetzalcoatl. The
Mexica priests have been harassing
its mistress; she may benefit from a
visit’.
‘The Mexica priests at the Great
Temple conduct sacrifices almost
every week… they say it is a great
honour, but do they sacrifice their
own? No, the honour is reserved for
us, for the Cempoalteca people…
quite a curious privilege, yes, quite
unusual’.
‘However, that is not why I want-
ed to talk to you. Listen…’
‘You may know that some of our
temples have been defiled… marred
with images of your faith. It is an
offence to our people; your symbol,
your… cross, defacing our idols, our
stones’.
‘The most recent defilings took
place in a stone near here, in this
same plaza, and in a couple altars at
the Market district. Go there, see for
yourselves if you don’t believe me’.
‘I… do not think it was your peo-
ple that did this. I know your cap-
tains and priests don’t truly respect
our rites, but this insult is too crude,
the provocation too obvious. No, I
believe someone intends to pit the
Totonaca and Teotl people against
each other’.
‘The foreigners, your people,
would be ill-advised to anger a
194
whole nation, a nation that sur-
rounds you. The Totonaca would be
wasting their only chance to finally
get some allies against a decades-
long oppression. No, I don’t think
either of our people would benefit
from crossing each other’.
‘So… who do you think stands to
gain from this?’
(Mahtayani is obviously thinking
of the Mexica).
‘There is another community in
Cempoallan. There are many tribes,
many peoples here, but there is one…
just like everyone, they used to be
mightier before the Mexica came…
We know them as the Zapoteca, and
they have many towns to the South.
Their calpolli here, their neighbour-
hood in Cempoallan, is small for the
city, but larger than their largest vil-
lages. They are an important pres-
ence in our lands’.
‘The Zapoteca are also divided.
One half favours the Mexica, the
other half hates them. They have
conspired, for and against, for dec-
ades on end. If the Mexica are se-
cretly plotting against our peoples,
it is likely the Zapoteca know’.
‘That is what I have to say to you.
Make use of my advice as you wish.
Know that many of us, many of the
Totonaca, of the Cempoalteca, are
on your side; we are hoping you will
stand with us when we throw off the
Mexica yoke. Will you be the same,
or worse, as the Mexica, later?... per-
haps. I choose change, and let the
winds scatter the seeds where they
may’.
‘May the spirits blow a good
wind in your direction’.
After talking to Mahtayani, the
PCs have Directions to the Defaced
Shrines, here in the Ceremonial
Centre and in the Market District.
They also gain Directions to the
Zapoteca Neighbourhood, if they
didn’t have them already.
The priest dispatches the PCs
with a blessing and lets them con-
tinue their travels; proceed to After
the Encounter.
AFTER TH E ENC OUN TE R
The ‘street temples’ area has
many smaller shrines and altars,
dedicated to individual spirits, or
even to dead people.
If the PCs have Directions to the
Defaced Shrines, they can now find
and examine one such shrine – a
standing stone slab, a bit shorter
than a human adult, carved with
bas-reliefs that seem to represent
a priest, or maybe a teotl saint,
wielding magic powers. Someone
has crudely painted a Christian
cross over the idol.
■ When the PCs approach to ex-
amine the vandalised stela, an old
watchman insults them, while he
complains that ‘their Mexica al-
lies’ haven’t allowed him to scrub
off the paint. If the PCs don’t de-
duce this on their own, ask them to
Perform a Normal Perception Check
(difficulty: 6(1)) to notice that this
means the Mexica guard wants the
idol to remain blemished – which
is, at least, suspicious.
■ Ask the PCs to perform a Hard
Knowledge or Perception Check
(difficulty: 9(1)) to notice the paint
used is made from native dyes,
not European paint. It is like-
ly these dyes were bought here in
Cempoallan, as it is the most cos-
mopolitan and well-stocked city for
miles around. Perhaps the dye mer-
chants of the Market District would
know more about this.
When the PCs have finished their
business in the small temples area,
return to the beginning of Scene 12
to guide their next step.
Encounter 31:

Guards! Guards!
This encounter takes place if Mexica guards attack
the PCs during their visit to the Ceremonial Centre.
Before the encounter begins, the PCs may attempt to
flee; ask them to perform an Athletic or Stealth action,
confronted by a Mexica Guard’s competent skill. The
PCs gain 1 advantage from the area being so crowded.
If the PCs win the confrontation, they may escape and
continue their visit peacefully; return to the beginning
of Scene 12 to guide their next step.
If the PCs lose the confrontation, or they don’t want
to evade the fight, create a +1 encounter using a combi-
nation of Mexica characters.
A F T E R T H E E N COU N TE R
If the PCs survive the fight, they must flee the
Ceremonial Centre, as everyone has seen them fight
Mexica soldiers now; they have become fugitives of the
Mexica if they weren’t already.
If you already played Encounter 30, the pro-Span-
ish priest whispers to the PCs from a corner and calls
them to hide in his shrine. If the PCs accept, proceed to
Encounter 30 Conversation.
If you haven’t played Encounter 30, the PCs have no
choice but to flee the district; return to Encounter 19 to
decide the PCs’ next course of action.
Encounter 32: The Three Rings
Shrine
Read the following aloud the first time that the PCs
visit the Three Rings Shrine:
You come to a structure of three concentric stone
rings, marked with stepping stones and small coloured
carvings. Inside the rings, four priests measure shadows
and clouds, taking notes on paper; at the edge of the
rings, another four priests attend four lines of people
that wait their turn to receive either guidance or a bless-
ing. Every kind of Cempoalteca stands at these lines;
men, women, children, elderly, the rich and the poor;
whatever they give at this shrine, it’s popular – and
makes no class distinction.
The priests that attend the site are fantastically
dressed, and make a great show of their blessings and
measurements; a few of the people even cheer and clap
at their ocassional ‘ hum’ and ‘ah’ while they examine
the signs on the sky.
If the PCs have Directions to The Thunder, proceed to
After the Encounter directly.
conquista dor’s gold
Otherwise, let the PCs approach the Three Rings if
they wish. This is a place of divination; the people get
in line to get predictions and advice for the current
day or week, based on the person’s birthdate and tonal
spirit. If the PCs so wish, they may get in line for a
prediction.
■ If the PCs get in line for a prediction, they suffer
two corruption for taking part in a heretic ritual, but
they receive a tonalli guidance spell. The spell is free of
charge, but everybody else in the line has given a vol-
untary donation in exchange for it.
■ If the PCs ask for Tlatkan’Un, two of the priests nod
and take the PCs to a smaller building near the Three
Rings. Go to Encounter 32 Conversation.
ENC OUNTER 32 C ONVERSATI ON : THE
ANC I ENT SOC I ETY
The PCs are taken to a private chamber next to the
Three Rings, where a group of priests, including the
three envoys that approached them in Encounter 18,
has gathered to greet them.
The priests introduce themselves: they are the
Ancient Society, a secret group dedicated to the rescue
of Totonaca ancestral culture. ‘Tlatkan’un’, a Totonaca
slang word for ‘high priest’, was only the password for
the PCs to find them.
Use the following excerpts as part of the priests’ dia-
logue and answers to possible PC questions:
‘We apologise for the cover-up; as you shall see, we
take our goals very seriously’.
‘You see, the Totonaca is an ancient nation, as old
and powerful as the mightiest tribes. Ancient ruins, tem-
ples and cities built by our ancestors, still cover these
lands from the edge of the Great Water to the deep val-
leys in the West. Sadly, our glorious past is largely for-
gotten, our ancient ruins abandoned, our sacred relics
lost. Our decadent king cares only for his parties and
loverboys, and our masters, the Mexica, have blocked all
attempts to preserve or unearth our ancient past’.
‘Someone has to preserve the flame of Totonaca
history; someone has to light the darkness of the lost
millennia. That is what we do; that is what the Ancient
Society strives for’.
‘We aim to rescue Totonaca history, the priceless ves-
tiges of our magnificent culture, from the ignorance of
our leaders, and from suppression by the Mexica tyrants.
That is why we must operate from the shadows; our en-
emies are many and powerful.’
‘But we are not alone; the Ancient Society has great
sway behind the high circles of Cempoallan, and many
195
nobles close to the Lord give us their support. In fact,
our influence is such that… ah, but you are foreigner. You
don’t care about our politics’.
‘We need your help in a very important matter that
lies, well, just outside our range of influence’.
‘Our greatest city, the legendary site of The Thunder,
was the cradle of our power and civilisation centuries
ago. However, it was abandoned in time out of mind,
and its location was lost forever. One of the Ancient
Society’s oldest and most dear ambitions is to find The
Thunder, and claim it back for the glory of the Totonaca’.
‘When the Mexica came to Cempoallan, decades ago,
they confiscated all maps, all records, all books. We as-
sumed The Thunder was truly lost then’.
‘But lo! a few months back, our spies revealed some-
thing – the Mexica Head Scribe, their tlacuilo, in this
city, was researching into The Thunder. He sought data,
bought maps, gathered stories. The Mexica are looking
for The Thunder, we are sure’.
‘We have no authority over the Mexica, despite our
espionage network. But the mighty Teotl foreigners, who
have come to our lands with such force that the Mexica
are already concerned, should have no problem entering
the Mexica Quarters in Cempoallan and… interrogating
their Head Scribe about The Thunder. Or better, procur-
ing any details about its location’.
‘The Ancient Society is, as we told you, very wealthy.
We can offer a mighty reward in exchange for reliable
leads to The Thunder’s location. Even better, we can
arrange a meeting… a meeting between you and Lord
Xicomecoatl, the ruler of Cempoallan. How does that
sound?’
‘If you agree to do this for us, you must go to the city’s
Mexica quarters, their exclusive calpolli in Cempoallan.
The guards might bar your way, but we trust your skill
and resources to surmount any obstacle’.
‘To help you gain the Mexica’s trust, we suggest you
tell the Mexica that your people are looking for an an-
cient treasure up north, and that you intend to leave
these lands; they want nothing more than see you go
from their territory. Then, add that you need a map to
make the trip, a map that is in the Tlacuilo’s possession.
I bet my tattoos that the guards, or their superiors, will
see the bargain of getting rid of your forces in exchange
for some old scrolls’.
‘Ah, we do not know if you truly intend to leave or
not – that would be for you to decide. But even if it is
a lie – small lies for great goals is always a good trade’.
‘However you choose to do it, the Ancient Society,
one of the oldest and most influential groups in
196
Cempoalteca society, will be in your debt if you succeed’.
‘May the spirits guide you, and… we’ ll begin talking to
our palace contacts about you’.
If the PCs agree to the Ancient Society’s request, they
must go to the Mexica quarters in Cempoallan (Scene
11) and attempt to get an appointment with their
Tlacuilo, or Head Scribe. Otherwise, the priests beg the
PCs to reconsider before letting them leave.
Proceed to After the Encounter.
AFTER TH E ENC OUNTER
If the PCs return to the Ancient Society with
Directions to The Thunder, the priests are overjoyed,
raining praise upon the Spanish and their great power,
and reward the PCs with 800 gold in jewellery and
fine clothes. In addition, they give the PCs a Letter of
Appointment to meet with the Lord of Cempoallan in
person, the ‘fat king’ Xicomecoatl.
When the PCs have finished their business in the
Three Rings shrine, return to the beginning of Scene
12 to continue the PCs’ exploration of the Ceremonial
Centre, or to Encounter 19 if they wish to leave the
area.
Encounter 33: A Call to Arms
This encounter takes place when the PCs convince
Lord Xicomecoatl of Cempoallan to ask the Spanish force
for help against the Mexica garrison in Tizapancingo.
Read the following aloud at the start of the encounter:
Lord Xicomecoatl calls for his generals and advisors
without dismissing you; they pour into the chamber
mere minutes later, all looking severe and purposeful.
Xicomecoatl gives them a speech and they argue for a
while; you can’t fully make out what they are saying, but
it’s clear they are rushing into an official decision to ask
the Spanish for military help against the Mexica. They
nod and agree so quickly and automatically that you
wonder if the meeting was needed at all.
Then, Xicomecoatl proudly gives the final order, and
everybody rushes out as swiftly as they came; some of
his officials come to you, smiling and grateful.
The officials have instructions; the PCs are to accom-
pany a delegation of Totonaca dignitaries to Vera Cruz,
where they shall petition Cortés for military help.
The convoy will depart the following morning; the
PCs may request provisions for the trip, and make any
preparations they deem necessary in that period.

If the PCs have any unfinished business in Cempoallan,
they have the remainder of this day and night to con-
duct it; proceed to Encounter 19 to lead the PCs any-
where they want to go.
A F T E R T H E E N COU N TE R
The PCs are now heading back to Vera Cruz, having
helped the alliance between the Spanish and Totonaca
peoples. Proceed to Scene 19 in Chapter III to begin the
last act of the adventure.
Scene 13:
the market
districT
Play this scene whenever the PCs enter Cempoallan’s
huge marketplace, a vast maze of stalls and stores, larg-
er than some European towns. Everything is for sale
here, from ornamental animal parts to foodstuffs, from
weapons to slaves. The PCs may buy anything, as long
as it’s available in Mesoamerican cultures (no horses or
wheeled vehicles, for example).
Also, a few of the items the PCs may procure merit
their own encounter:
■ If the PCs search for poison nuts like the ones that
may have killed Ahumada back at the Garrison, see the
poison nuts sidebar.
■ If the PCs wish to buy weapons, they are referred to
the Otomitl dealers of the market’s Southern Quadrant;
proceed to Encounter 34.
■ If the PCs seek the dye merchants, run Encounter
35.
■ If the PCs have directions to the defaced shrines, two
of them can be found at this district; go to Encounter
36.
■ After the PCs make their first purchase or re-
turn from any of the above encounters, a woman ap-
proaches them as they tour the market; go to Scene 13
Conversation.
If the PCs wish to leave the Market District, return to
Encounter 19 to guide their next step.
conquista dor’s gold
SIDEBAR: POISON NUTS
If the PCs are investigating the possible poi-
soning of Ahumada and others at the Vera Cruz
Garrison, they find several merchants that sell
the poison nuts here. The nuts are 30 gold a
piece; the merchants will take Spanish coins or
barter items if needed.
If the PCs ask about foreigners buying such nuts
from the local merchants, ask them to Perform a
Charisma or Perception action, confronted by a
pochteca’s competent Skill. If the PCs succeed,
they find a merchant that remembers a Spanish
woman, armoured and black-haired, who bought
a few nuts here, but it wasn’t recently. The mer-
chant distinctly remembers this happened last
year. The woman was with some soldiers, some
hair-faced men, but the merchant doesn’t re-
member their faces or anything more specif-
ic about them; after all, all hair-faces look the
same. He only remembers the woman because it
was unusual for a foreign woman to buy poison
nuts and know what she was looking for.
If the PCs wish to test the nuts, ask them to
Perform a Medicine action, confronted by a TSE
that plays two cards.
If the action succeeds, the PCs confirm these
nuts may be used to kill a person with symptoms
similar to the seizure sickness.
If the PCs get a failure with a negative conse-
quence, they are accidentally poisoned while ex-
amining the nuts.
If any living being consumes one of these nuts,
or any food laced with powder made from these
nuts, they must succeed at an Athletics action,
confronted by a TSE that plays three cards, or
die within 24 hours from seizures and a lack of
breathing. The effect may be cured by any heal-
ing magic that can neutralize poisons.
197
S CE N E 1 3 C O N V E RSATION : A M OTH ER’S
PLE A
If the PCs have already talked to Cha’nakú, proceed
directly to After the Conversation. Read the following
aloud after the PCs have made the first few rounds or a
purchase in the Market District:
Out of the corner of your eye, you notice move-
ment among the crowded marketplace lanes; it’s a
Cempoalteca woman, pushing her way through the
shoppers… and, seemingly, towards your position. She
looks a disquieting mix of angry and desperate; you’re
half-tempted to draw your weapons, but she is ragged,
frail and clearly no threat to anyone.
‘You’, she gasps as she approaches, ‘you…’
After a wheezing stop, she looks you in the eye, her
cheeks eroded with tear lines, and pleads, no, demands:
‘You have to let my child go’.
The woman’s name is Cha’nakú; during Cortés’ last
visit, one of his men conscripted her only son, an eight-
year old kid named Tax’kat, as a servant and helper.
According to the woman, the boy was too young to ob-
ject, so they probably thought he was going of his own
free will; but Cha’nakú knows he must be scared and
alone in the Spanish garrison.
‘You have kidnapped my baby, you have him in your
Quiahuiztlán fortress, you have to return him to me’.
Cha’nakú expects the PCs to look for little Tax’kat
back at Vera Cruz and bring him back to Cempoallan. If
the PCs agree to this, Cha’nakú will keep an eye out for
them whenever they return to the marketplace, to see
if they have brought her son back. If the PCs refuse, she
backs down into the crowd, spewing a string of terrify-
ing, Cempoalteca-language curses at them.
AFTER THE CONVERSATION
Every time the PCs return to the Market District,
Cha’nakú seeks them out and asks for news of her son.
■ If the PCs know what happened to Tax’kat and tell
her the truth, Cha’nakú lowers her head ominously and
the PCs almost can hear her heart breaking. Slowly, she
vows to weave a curse that will find the Spaniards and
strike them all with an agonising death, but she also
promises that curse will spare the PCs. Then she re-
treats, never to be seen again by the PCs.
■ If the PCs haven’t found Tax’kat or opt for a white
lie, Cha’nakú begs them to keep trying until her child is
back in her arms; she will ask again when they return.
After the PCs finish talking to Cha’nakú, return to the
beginning of Scene 13, to lead their next step.
198
Encounter 34: The Weapon Mas-
ters
The Otomitl community in Cempoallan is famed for
their warfare skills and weaponcraft. If the PCs look
for weapons, everybody recommends they look at the
Otomi smiths’ street.
If the PCs follow the suggestion, read the following
aloud:
After navigating the massive market crowds for a
while, you finally reach a long avenue, lined with weap-
on stands and stores. Otomi salesmen look just like
Totonaca to you, but they all wear strange headdresses
with overhanging stone pieces, likely as marks of their
trade.
As you look around the stalls, a merchant calls out to
you in the Nahua tongue, offering an impressive-looking
macahuitl mace.
If the PCs wish to talk to the salesman, he offers them
what – admittedly – they can find in any store of this
neighbourhood: exceptional quality, Mesoamerican-
style armour and weapons. However, this is not what
he really wants.
After the PCs have seen some of his wares, the mer-
chant leans in and points at the PCs’ firearms. The
Otomi is interested in studying guns and their work-
ings; he has a good grasp of basic mechanics, and thinks
he could reproduce the process employed to make
them. If the PCs agree, he would gladly buy a gun from
them – any gun, rifle or pistol – at double the price.
If the PCs refuse, he makes it clear that the offer
stands; any time the PCs return to the market, they
may seek him out, and he will gladly buy a firearm from
them at the offered exchange rate.
AFTER TH E ENC OUNTER
Other than their meeting with the curious arms
merchant, the PCs may buy any weapon or armour
of Mesoamerican design, including magical versions,
while in the Otomi smiths street. Otomi weapons are
just like normal weapons of the same type, but they are
considered Forged, which increases their price by 30%.
When the PCs’ business with the Otomi weaponsmiths
is finished, return to the beginning of Scene 13 to guide
their next step.

Encounter 35: Painting the Pic-
ture
If the PCs look for the dye merchants, they find that
a whole section of the Market district is fully dedicat-
ed to the trade of pigments, inks and derived articles,
from writing paper to clothes.
If the PCs ask about the defaced shrines, the ink mer-
chants all claim innocence, and more than a few show
actual indignation about the desecration of their holy
sites.
■ If the PCs have red dye samples from the defaced
shrines, any merchant in the area can confirm the pig-
ments were bought at Cempoallan. However, nobody
has seen any Spaniards at the dye market before the
PCs.
■ If the PCs have black dye samples from the defaced
shrines, one of the merchants identifies it as Zapoteca
ritual paint. It’s used mostly for sacrifices and war
prayers, but it can also serve as camouflage for noctur-
nal activities.
■ If the PCs succeed on a Normal Perception or
Charisma check (difficulty: 6(1)), or have black dye
samples, a couple of merchants remember that some
traders from the Zapoteca neighbourhood were around
a few days ago, buying large quantities of paint – but
it could have been for any purpose. The dye merchants
can give Directions to the Zapoteca Neighbourhood if
the PCs ask for them.
A F T E R T H E E N COU N TE R
Once the PCs are done in the dye market, they can
continue exploring the District.
■ If the PCs haven’t met Chawaná, go to Encounter 37.
■ If the PCs already met Chawaná, return to the begin-
ning of Scene 13 to keep exploring the Market District,
or to Encounter 19 to go elsewhere in Cempoallan.
Encounter 36: The Writing’s on
the Wall
If the PCs are investigating the vandalisation of
Cempoalteca monuments and have directions to the de-
faced shrines, they can find two of them in the Market
District.
■ The first shrine is in a crossroads at the North
side of the Market District. It’s a painted pillar, a lit-
tle shorter than a man, showing the Wind, Sun and Sky
spirits piled upon each other. Its delicate paint job has
been defaced with a crude. Blood-red Christian cross.
conquista dor’s gold
■ If the PCs rub or scrape the cross for samples to
take to the dye market, they gain red dye samples.
■ If the PCs succeed on a Normal Perception
Check (difficulty: 6(1)), they can confirm this
doesn’t look like European paint, plus the style of
the graffiti seems… off, like it was done by some-
one that isn’t really used to draw Christian crosses.
■ The second shrine used to rest against a building at
the East side of the Market District. It is, or was, a squat
wooden idol of a smiling man with a clay bowl. Little
else can be gleaned from the effigy, which was over-
turned and burnt; it’s now little more than a charred
ruin.
■ If the PCs search the surroundings, too many
people have walked by and too many days have
passed for any useful tracks to be found; however,
if the PCs succeed on a Hard Perception Check (dif-
ficulty: 9(1)) they notice traces of… something. It
may well be dried black dye. If the PCs take sam-
ples, they gain black dye samples.
■ If the PCs examine the burnt effigy, ask them
to succeed on a Hard Perception Check (difficulty:
9(1)) to discover the charred wood doesn’t smell
like it was burned by the means familiar to the PCs.
There’s a whiff of something stronger, more aro-
matic, like the native censers and essences, but no
trace of gunpowder. Whoever made this fire used
local, not European, arson techniques.
AFTER TH E ENC OUNTER
If the PCs examine both shrines, ask them to perform
a Normal Perception Check (difficulty: 6(1)) to notice
that there seem to be a lot of shrines and sacred ef-
figies around the Market District; however, only the
defaced shrines are derelict. Every other shrine was
pristine, well-maintained, and there were even people
cleaning some of them while you passed by. For some
reason, the vandalised shrines have not been touched
or repaired in the days since the incident. That is, at
the very least, curious.
■ If the PCs are Fugitives to the Mexica, a patrol in-
tercepts them at this point, and attacks them – no
demands, no warning, no call to surrender. Which is
also strange coming from the lawful, civilised Mexica.
Create a +1 encounter using Mexica characters.
■ If the PCs survive the encounter, they may free-
ly continue their search; Cempoalteca people sim-
ply move out of the way, and the city guard does
not intervene. It seems the Mexica and Totonaca
law enforcement groups are not in cooperating
terms.
199
 ■ If the PCs haven’t met Chawaná, go to Encounter
37.
■ If the PCs already encountered Chawaná, they may
continue their investigation.
■ If the PCs have dye samples, they may go to
Encounter 35 to have them assessed at the dye
market.
■ If the PCs want to leave the area, proceed to the
beginning of Scene 13 to continue exploring the
Market District, or to Encounter 19 if they wish to
go somewhere else in the city.
Encounter 37: Chawaná
While the PCs conduct their business at the Market
District, they notice someone following them. It’s a
nondescript Totonaca man, with a heavy cloak and a
discreet headdress, deceptively gazing downwards as if
he was lost in thought.
Regardless of whether the PCs confront or try to
evade the man, he faces them and introduces himself.
Use the Chawaná Sidebar to enact the encounter with
the man.
A FT E R T H E E N COU N TE R
After he’s said his piece, regardless of whether the
PCs agree to follow his advice, Chawaná simply leaves,
even if they attack him. If the PCs insist on getting
more information out of him, he repeats:
‘Follow my advice or not. If you do, we may all get
some of the answers we haven’t found yet’.
After Chawaná leaves, the PCs may return to the be-
ginning of Scene 13 and continue exploring the Market
District.
200
SIDEBAR: CHAWANÁ
Chawaná, a Totonaca radical and secret agent,
is a key player in the adventure and the search
for the lost Spanish Gold. The success or failure
of the PCs’ quest may hinge on how they deal
with this man, and how much the PCs allow him
to help or deceive them.
When the PCs first meet Chawaná, let them
lead the conversation, using the following ex-
cerpts as part of Chawaná’s dialogue.
‘Many greetings, strangers. This is a most for-
tuitous encounter. Call me Chawaná, if you wish.
I am Cempoalteca and I am your friend. ‘You have
been looking into matters that affect us, that af-
fect the Totonaca. I want to help the Totonaca’.
‘I have this information. Someone has been try-
ing to delay peace between our peoples. Someone
in your camp. I don’t know who; all hair-faces look
the same. But many of your people have come to
our city in the past months. Yeah, many’.
‘I don’t know why one of yours would want
our peoples to make war. But I know he seems
to do. ‘I assume this individual acts without the
knowledge of your Captain Cortés, yes’.
‘I have watched you for a while, and I know
now whoever these parties are, you are not in
league with them. This traitor to Cortés is a trai-
tor to you, I think’.
‘I do not mean to offend. If you desire to kill
me because what I suggest, then kill me, but then
you lose what I have to say. I propose coopera-
tion. We both want peace between hair-face and
Totonaca. We can work together to guarantee
that peace’.
If the PCs attack Chawaná or reject his pro-
posal, he goes away; return to the encounter
the PCs were playing and proceed to After the
Encounter.
If the PCs agree to hear Chawaná out, he leads
them to an out-of-the-way spot, where he tells
them his story. Chawaná’s dialogue includes the
following:
‘I belong to a… group concerned with the wel-
fare of the Totonaca. We believe this welfare re-
quires the expulsion of the Mexica from our lands.
The Mexica, sadly, are the mightiest nation in the
world, and not easily expelled’.

‘We… my group, that is… have watched you since
your arrival to our coast, when your ships came last
year’.
‘Yes, last year, I’m sure. Some of your captains dis-
embarked, some of them came here’.
‘If these captains never told your people that
they’ d discovered Cempoallan, it must be because
they had something to hide, right?’
‘When they were here, these captains heard of
the Mexica. They talked to the Zapoteca, to a radi-
cal group among the Zapoteca. ‘They conspired to
steal from the Mexica, to trick the Mexica. And then
your men left. We thought we had seen the last of
them. But now your people are back, and this time
you are not furtive, you are not few. This time you
have smoke and mounts and soldiers’.
‘These men that came here last year… that didn’t
tell your people they had been here… we recognised
one of them among your principals. We don’t know
his name, but he’s like all of you – deathly pale, hair-
faced, metal-clad. And he was with your Captain
Cortés’.
‘When that man and his agents were here last
year, they played us. They promised to rid us from
the Mexica. They talked to my group. ‘But then they
left. And now they have returned, and while your
Cwwaptain Cortés marches and struts with his thun-
der weapons and mounts and metal garments and
talks of peace, these men have returned furtively;
they have returned few. They have talked not to us
this time, but to the Zapoteca radicals. And now they
are looking to put both the Mexica and the Spanish
against us’.
‘We thought you were allies. Our Lord thinks
you are allies. But these furtive men, these men that
promised friendship last year and sow discord today,
these men we saw with your Captain… these are not
our allies. And my group believes…I want to believe…
they are not your allies, either. Not allies of your
Cortés’.
‘Do you wish peace or discord between the
Totonaca and your people? ‘If you wish peace, if
your Cortés wishes peace, then these men are your
enemies too’.
conquista dor’s gold
If the PCs do NOT have Proof of the Black Skull
Scheme, Chawaná gives them Directions to the
Zapoteca Neighbourhood if they didn’t have them
already.
‘We have spies among the Zapoteca. We know
this hair-faced spy, this two-faced principal of yours,
talked to the Zapoteca’.
‘He’s been using Zapoteca agents to stir things
up against you, and against my people. He and the
Zapoteca want my Lord to expel you from our lands,
or at least delay your advance’.
‘I don’t know why a man wants to delay the ad-
vance of his own group. But one can guess at many
possible motives; all secret, all sneaky’.
‘If you go to the Zapoteca neighbourhood, seek
Ni’xye the trader. She is a friend to our cause, and
will give you any help you need’.
If the PCs have NOT been to the Tlacuilo House in
the Mexica Quarter, Chawaná gives them a leather
case containing an expensive-looking quetzal quill
and some jewellery. The PC now have Chawaná’s
Gift Box.
‘When your people came here last year, they
sought maps; charts the Mexica had. You may want
to seek the Mexica map-maker, the tlacuilo; ask him
about this. If you do, this tribute box might get you
past the guards at the Mexica Quarter’.
‘Seek the tlacuilo scribe. Goodbye!’
If the PCs question Chawaná about his motiva-
tions, ask them to Perform a Charisma action, con-
fronted by Chawaná’s competent skill. If the PCs
win the confrontation, Chawaná confesses he is part
of a secret anti-Mexica group known as Un Takám,
the ‘Brothers of Wind’. He honestly believes what
he says: that one of Cortés’ close aides has been in-
censing the various local tribes against the Spanish
behind the Captain’s back. It falls to the PCs wheth-
er to believe him or not, and to act in consequence.
Return now to the encounter the PCs were playing.
201

Scene 14:
the bini’zÁ
Read the following aloud the first time the PCs enter
the Zapoteca Quarter of Cempoallan:
It’s like a mad dream. Moving from the whiteness
and majesty of the Cempoalteca gardens and fountains,
you seem to have stepped into a new city; one splashed
with a million colours and figures, like a vision of the
Otherworld.
Everyone and everything is painted, bejeweled,
adorned, decked with the most llamative colours and
garments you could have imagined, and many you
couldn’t. What’s that… thing on that woman’s head? Are
those the child’s ears? Are they earrings? Butterfly wings
clipped to his head by some enchantment? Is that col-
ourful umbrella made of… leather? Wait… by God… is it
human skin? Why is it painted so? Why does it all look
so devilish and yet so eye-catching?
Back home, only the upper classes dress this colour-
fully, but even the attire of the lowest citizen here would
strike a scion of French nobility blind on the spot. You
become physically dizzy with the images, the feathers,
the tattoos, the panoply of pictures, icons, and, and
things.
And the walls.
The walls in this neighbourhood.
Every inch of every surface is carved and painted
with a god, a spirit, a demon, a monster, a host of them;
a crowned thing from the heavens, a feathered thing out
of a nightmare, a swirling pattern that seems to engulf
you as you pass by.
How do people live here without going crazy? Do
they?
The PCs have entered the Zapotecalpolli of
Cempoallan, although that’s only how the Mexica and
Cempoalteca call it. For the locals it is Hish Bini’zá, the
‘People’s Town’, and it’s the most outlandish area of
Cempoallan, for visitors and citizens alike. Bini’zá arts,
customs and purposes remain mysterious and misun-
derstood to most other peoples of the Anahuac; the
Spanish haven’t even contacted these strange people
so far. Or have they?
At this point, the PCs have two possible avenues of
investigation.
202
■ If the PCs inquire among the locals, go to Encounter
38.
■ If the PCs were sent by Chawaná, they may ask for
Ni’xye the trader; a few locals point the way to her
shop. Proceed to Encounter 39.
If the PCs have nothing else to do here, they must re-
turn to Encounter 19 and go somewhere else in the city.
Encounter 38: Zoning the Za-
poteca
If the PCs try to ask around the Bini’zá folk, ask them
to perform a Charisma or Perception action against a
citizen, suffering one disadvantage as they do not trust
the PCs.
■ If the PCs lose the confrontation, the Zapoteca ig-
nore them, or play along for hours just to have fun at
the PCs’ expense, but it doesn’t lead anywhere. go back
to Encounter 19 to go somewhere else in the city.
■ If the PCs win the confrontation, they may get in-
formation and gossip from the Bini’zá; proceed to
Encounter 38 Conversation.
■ If the PCs draw weapons or threaten the Bini’zá in
any way, create a +2 encounter using Bini’zá Warriors.
If the PCs survive the encounter, they must flee the
neighbourhood or become eventually overwhelmed by
more warriors and killed; regardless, they can’t visit
the area anymore and Scene 14 becomes unplayable for
the rest of the campaign.
Encounter 38 Conversation
What the PCs learn from the Bini’zá depends entirely
on the questions they ask.
■ If the PCs ask about previous Spanish visitors to
the Zapoteca neighbourhood, some locals confirm the
hair-faces have indeed been around, ‘all slithering and
furtive-like’. They must have met with ‘the anti-Mexica
people, the Black Skulls’.
■ If the PCs have clues about the defaced shrines,
they may ask who bought the dyes. The locals claim not
to know anything about it; a lot of Bini’zá people buy
dyes at the market, ‘as you can see if you look around’.
■ If the PCs ask about groups or individuals that may
be working against the Spanish, the locals admit that
there’s not a single Bini’zá citizen that believes the
hair-faces are good news. However, the most actively
xenophobic group in their neighbourhood are a radical
sect known as the Black Skulls.

■ If the PCs ask about the Black Skulls, the locals
openly mock them and leave them alone, claiming
‘whoever asks about the Black Skulls finds them soon
enough’.
■ If the PCs ask about the Bini’zá opinion on other
people, the locals answer with smarmy variations of
‘oh, we like everybody, we are a very friendly people’;
but then add a mean jab at the specific people the PCs
asked about, such as:
‘The Mexica think themselves mighty, but they can’t
pull it off. They don’t know how to be mighty. Their
heads are not fit for their headdresses. In fact their
crowns keep slipping off their heads, so much that they
hire servants to follow them and put the crowns back in
place constantly. Half the taxes they get are spent on
paying these people’.
‘Since you came here, the Cempoalteca are stuck be-
tween a rock and a hard place. Not that they don’t like
it, mind you. Their lord is so fond of the stuck position
he often performs his ceremonial acts in groups of three.
In the end, they will side with whoever has it bigger. The
military, I mean. And yours is so big, we can tell’.
‘The hair-faces… what’s not to like about you? You’re
so clean, your smell carries over the wind like the bou-
quet of battle and glory… Your beards so full you should
put flowers on them… and your big-ass exploding weap-
ons, and your big-ass mounts, no wonder everyone drops
to their knees in fright just by watching your approach…
A people to be gaped at and admired, if there was one.
Anyone can see why the mighty, brave Mexica call you
teotl’.
■ If the PCs ask about other tribes in these lands, the
Bini’zá mention a few:
‘There’s the Chichimeca, the naked northern savages;
we have very little contact with them, but you should
ask the Mexica. They are kin, after all’.
‘There’s our neighbours the Hnanhu; they call them
otomí in Cempoallan. they’re good to make our tools
and to kill each other. The Mexica buy them at bulk dis-
count at their cities and villages’.
‘There’s the Chontal, who you already know because
they followed you all the way from their jungle. Surely
of their own free will’.
‘And then there’s the Pur’ hepecha Empire far to the
West. Again, ask the Mexica about their character; the
Pur’ hepecha have fucked their Western border so hard
that they’re practically married now’.
If the PCs ask about the Bini’zá themselves, they
claim to be nothing special.
conquista dor’s gold
‘We’re just another tribe in this beautiful land. The
Mexica pay too little respect to the untamed wilderness;
the Totonaca pay too little respect to death and suffer-
ing. Other than that we’re just the same as them’.
‘We have our humble city of Zaachila, with our hum-
ble lord Guzio’pí. His father used to make some trouble
for the Mexica, but rest assured, those days are behind
us now’.
The Bini’zá avoid talking extensively about their
past, but they make sure to hint at their mighty and
warlike history. If anything, the Bini’zá seem to be bit-
ter about not having the supremacy of their ances-
tors, yet content to mock the current powers and their
clumsy politics.
AFTER TH E ENC OUNTER
If the PCs asked or were told about the Black Skulls,
they have an unexpected encounter before leaving the
Zapotecalpolli; proceed to Encounter 40.
Otherwise, they can’t get anything else out of the
Bini’zá; return to Encounter 19 to guide the PCs some-
where else in the city.
Encounter 39: Ni’xye the Trader
If the PCs ask about Ni’xye the Trader, they encoun-
ter her store – one of several unremarkable pottery
stalls in a little street market – easily enough.
If the PCs have Proof of the Black Skull Scheme, pro-
ceed directly to After the Encounter.
The woman called Ni’xye is a nondescript Bini’zá
woman of thirty-something years, with smiling eyes and
the hair picked up into a complex braid around her head.
She nods knowingly when you approach, but then she
proceeds to arrange her wares absently, as if she hadn’t
seen you.
If the PCs ask or mention anything related to the
lost gold, Chawaná or the vandalised shrines, she nods
again without looking up and replies in heavily-accent-
ed, but unmistakable, Castilian Spanish. Let the PCs
lead the conversation, using the following excerpts as
part of Ni’xye’s answers:
‘This is all related to one of your people, an
Expa’nhol from your camp, who has been visiting our
neighbourhood’.
‘Our friend Chawaná, he watched you. We watched
them, too. Your compatriots, the sneaky men. Ever since
they first came here last year, we watched them’.
‘This man, the leader of these men, he introduced
himself as the Atlan’Tato. That’s the name he’s used
203
among us ever since. He says it’s an Expa’nhol title, that
he’s a principal, a person of respect. The true name he
has among your people, we don’t know’.
‘The Atlan’Tato was in Cempoallan long, long before
your expedition came. He visited the Mexica then, not
us. We did not know what he wanted then; we thought
he was witch-people, with his strange looks and attire’.
‘He looked the same as you, as all your people do:
the same’.
‘The Atlan’Tato sought the Bini’zá leadership. He
wants to stir everyone against everyone’.
‘Your Cortés and Lord Xicomecoatl talked peace;
they wish to use each other against the Mexica, but they
talked peace’.
‘This man, the Atlan’Tato, wants to delay that peace.
We don’t know why, but that’s what he wants’.
‘The Zapoteca of Cempoallan are led by the
Lady Yajzil. She is a lawful subject and an ally of the
Cempoalteca lords, but mistrusts you and your forces.
She has tried repeatedly to convince Lord Xicomecoatl
of expelling you from our lands’.
‘The Atlan’tato suggested the Bini’zá deface the
Cempoalteca shrines and incriminate you. He showed
the Bini’zá your cross, your symbols; he showed them
how to paint them’.
‘Yajzil thought it was a good idea; she ordered the
purchase of the dyes, her men carried out the act, and
she bribed the Mexica officials to let it happen’.
‘We know Lady Yajzil ordered this done, but we have
no proof. Furthermore, that is not our primary concern’.
‘What matters is the Atlan’tato contacted other peo-
ple among the Bini’zá. He contacted them since the first
time he came, last year’.
‘These people are our most radical group, the Black
Skull. They are fanatics, who wish to restore the ancient
Bini’zá supremacy. They hate everyone; the Cempoalteca,
the Lady Yajzil, the Mexica, you’.
‘The Atlan’tato contacted the Black Skulls behind
Yajzil’s back. This is suspicious, for Yajzil and the Skulls
don’t like each other; they are rivals. They must not
know that your man is working both sides; even if they
do, their goals must ultimately be at odds, because
Yajzil works for the Cempoallan government and the
Black Skulls work against’.
‘This can only mean one thing: your man must be
double-crossing both of them, making them work for
what they believe to be their respective goals, but get-
ting something else out of it. Something else entirely’.
204
‘Our advice is this. If you sneak into the Black Skull
lair and find proof that they’re scheming with the
Atlan’tato, you can take this proof to Lady Yajzil, or
bring it to us to take it to her’.
‘First, this would cause Yajzil to realise she can’t trust
the Atlan’tato. Both Yajzil and the Black Skull would stop
their cooperation with him. The defacements would end,
the incriminations would end’.
‘Second, we would learn what the Atlan’tato is plan-
ning with the Black Skull, and maybe his true goal. Or
even his true identity’.
‘This is our advice. You don’t have to take it. This is
how we can help you, if you so decide’.
After this, Ni’xye returns to her activities as if noth-
ing happened, acting as if she’d been haggling with the
PC all this time.
If the PCs ask Ni’xye about her (or Chawaná’s) moti-
vations to help them, she is straight and clear:
‘The Un Takám, the group Chawaná belongs to, works
for Cempoalteca freedom, works agains the Mexica. We
Bini’zá should work against the Mexica, too. I help the
Un Takám; I believe it is convenient to do so’.
‘The Un Takám wants peace, too. We are all the en-
emies of the Mexica. If peace with our people frees you
to advance West, it benefits our interests. Not to men-
tion that, well, we’ d have peace’.
Regardless of what the PCs choose to do with her in-
formation, Ni’xye has nothing else to say about the
matter. She ignores them – unless they want to actu-
ally buy pottery from her, which she sells to them at
normal price – and goes on with her day.
AFTER TH E ENC OUNTER
If the PCs bring Proof of the Black Skull Scheme,
Ni’xye offers to have it sent to the Lady Yajzil; other-
wise, she suggests the PCs bring it to her themselves.
Yajzil doesn’t think the PCs are in danger – as long as
they behave.
■ If the PCs let Ni´xye deliver the proof, the news
will reach Xicomecoatl, which clears the Spanish of the
temple defilings; the PCs have delivered proof of the
Zapoteca Setup. If the PCs have also Planted Evidence
of the Mexica Escape and Delivered Reparations for the
Razed Villages , they now have Proof of the Spanish’
innocence.
If the PCs don’t have the proof yet, Niu´xye gives
them directions to the Black Skull Lair: an old cata-
comb at the Southeast edge of the Bini’zá neighbour-
hood. She also indicates the house of Lady Yajzil, so

they can go there if they get proof of the Spanish spy’s
dealings with the Black Skull.
Once the PCs are done talking to Ni’xye, they may
choose their next step freely.
If the PCs go to the Black Skull lair, play encounter
Encounter 40.
If the PCs want to go to the house of Lady Yajzil, pro-
ceed to Encounter 41.
Otherwise, the PCs have nothing else to do in the
Zapoteca neighbourhood; return to Encounter 19 to
guide their next step in Cempoallan.
Encounter 40: The Zapoteca Zeal-
ots
As the PCs wander the streets, a group of masked as-
sassins surrounds them. Their bodies are painted red
and black; their wooden masks evoke smiling, mock-
ing faces.
The strangers demand something in the Bini’zá
tongue; they want the PCs to surrender and accompany
them.
If the PCs resist or attack the assassins, the assassins
strike then and there, intending to carry the PCs out-
side their neighbourhood anyway, once they’re dead.
Create a +1 encounter using assassins.
If the PCs go with the assassins willingly, they take
the PCs outside the Zapoteca neighbourhood, to the
outskirts of Cempoallan itself. There, in a desolate hill
overlooking the city, they attack the PCs by surprise.
Create a +1 encounter using assassins.
If the PCs survive the encounter, they may search the
bodies of their attackers.
■ They were all Bini’zá men and women, their bod-
ies painted black so as to camouflage themselves in the
shadows.
■ All the assassins wore small obsidian amulets in the
shape of black skulls; the PCs may take these if they
wish.
■ The assassins carried broken weapon pieces, small
stone beads and various Totonaca-style tokens such as
torn garments and worthless baubles. Ask the PCs to
perform a Normal Perception Check (difficulty: 6(1)) to
deduce these tokens all belonged to Cempoalteca sol-
diers. The assassins intended to kill the PCs outside the
Zapotecalpolli and leave these clues in the scene, to
frame the Cempoalteca for their deaths.
conquista dor’s gold
AFTER TH E ENC OUNTER
If the PCs were taken outside the Zapoteca neigh-
bourhood, they may now return there in a short walk.
■ If the PCs have directions to the Black Skull Lair
from Ni’xye the trader, they can now get there on their
own. Proceed to Encounter 42.
■ If the PCs aren’t looking for the Black Skull Lair or
don’t know how to get there, ask them to perform a
Normal Perception or Survival check (difficulty: 6(1)).
The PCs gain 1 advantage to the check if they actively
look for the lair, or if they think to retrace the assas-
sins’ steps.
■ If the check succeeds, the PCs encounter a mysteri-
ous catacomb at the East End of the Zapotecalpolli; pro-
ceed to Encounter 42.
If the PCs fail the check, or don’t want to return to
the Zapoteca neighbourhood or the Black Skull lair,
proceed to Encounter 19 to lead their steps elsewhere.
Encounter 41: The Flower Lady of
the Bini’zá
If the PCs seek the House of Lady Yajzil, the leader of
the Bini’zá community in Cempoallan, everyone in the
neighbourhood can help them find the way.
The house of the Zapoteca Lady is a square stone
building, with painted walls and columns that repre-
sent kind goddesses and nature motifs. It may be a lit-
tle whiter, plainer and more sober than the rest of the
colourful Bini’zá neighbourhood, but you can’t be sure.
After a while among these maddening streets, one’s no-
tions of taste get scrambled.
The Lady’s guards ask the PCs for their business. Let
the PCs roleplay the encounter as they wish, but the
guards eventually let them pass. Yajzil has given or-
ders to allow any hair-faced foreigner into her house,
as she wants to meet the enemy ‘up close and personal’.
Besides, she can summon enough bloodthirsty Zapoteca
guards to kill the PCs without a chance.
Read the following the first time the guards escort
the PCs into Lady Yajzil’s presence:
You come to a square chamber with open walls and
sparse columns, all light and ambience coming from
eight censers hanging from the ceiling. There are nine
burly-looking guards, three against each wall, watching
you from the shadows.
At the centre of the chamber there’s a raised plat-
form, accessible by a few stone steps, where three wom-
en kneel, smiling. They are dressed in the manner of the
205
locals, with long flowered tunics and complex braids
around their heads. The one in the middle, however, is
much fatter, has a much larger braid and wears a lot
more jewelry. There seems to be more of her, in eve-
ry sense, than any other person in the chamber, a fact
she knows – and relishes. You assume the guards mean
her when they hail ‘Lady Yajzil, the Flower Lady of the
Bini’zá’.
The Lady smiles at the PCs and inquires about her
business. Let the PCs conduct the conversation as they
wish.
If the PCs let Yajzil do the talking, or if they ask about
the Bini’zá in general or the Lady herself, she scoffs:
‘The Bini’zá are at peace with the Mexica, at peace
with the Cempoalteca. We desire to maintain that
peace. I’m not required to explain myself or my people
to you. You, on the other hand, have yet to convince me
that you don’t upset the balance of power in our land.
It is you who must justify your presence, or leave now’.
If the PCs question her about the Spanish spy or the
defaced shrines, she accepts the blame without blink-
ing. She, however, refuses to mention her Spanish ally
or acknowledge his existence.
‘I ordered the Cempoalteca shrines defaced with your
symbols. It was my idea and mine alone. I expect it will
help Xicomecoatl see you as the disrespectful, preda-
tory invaders you really are. Why, I reckon it has helped
already’.
‘As I said, I don’t have to apologise or justify myself.
These are our lands and our laws; you are invading, you
are intruders. You are not welcome here. Xicomecoatl
will soon see reason, and enforce your expulsion himself.
You’ d be wise to get out, to turn back to your ships and
your lands, before that happens’.
If the PCs bring Proof of the Black Skull Scheme,
Yajzil freezes for a second and then demands to see
the notes up close. As she examines the notes and the
Spanish handwriting, her face goes ashen.
‘So, your people are deceitful to the core. Deceit
upon deceit; no single hair-face is to be trusted’.
She takes a few seconds to compose herself, and
continues:
‘Leave my presence. We shall not meet again. The
Black Skull shall be dealt with. Too long have they
schemed under our nose; too long have we allowed them
to go unchallenged’.
At this, Yajzil stops and screams ‘Bring me the Black
Skull leaders at once!’, after which two of her guards
scamper out immediately; then, she turns back at you.
206
‘And you, you hair-face trespassers… you may leave
with your lives this time. But go quickly. And tell… yes,
tell your Atlan’tato that he has incurred the wrath
of Guzijo and the Bini’zá, that he shall be cursed and
hounded by shadows, and death awaits him if he ever
comes back here. Warn him so, tell him that Yajzil said
so, that he shall be flayed alive and caked in salt if he
ever returns to the Hish Bini’zá’.
Whether the PCs brought proof or not, Yajzil has her
guards show them the door.
■ If the PCs resist the guards, or if they challenge or
threaten Yajzil, she orders them killed on the spot. The
PCs must flee or be killed; there are too many Zapoteca
guards to fight. Even if the PCs survive, the Hish Bini’zá
is now forbidden to them, and they cannot play any en-
counter in Scene 14 for the rest of the adventure.
AFTER TH E ENC OUNTER
If the PCs have Proof of the Black Skull Scheme, they
have nothing else to do in the Zapoteca neighbour-
hood, and may now return to Encounter 19 to decide
their next step.
If the PCs showed Yajzil the Proof of the Black Skull
Scheme, she will confess to Xicomecoatl and bring the
Black Skull to justice herself, providing Xicomecoatl
with Proof of the Zapoteca Setup. If the PCs have also
Planted Evidence of the Mexica Escape and Delivered
Reparations for the Razed Villages, they now have
Proof of the Spanish’ innocence.
If the PCs have no proof, but left the House of Yajzil
in relatively diplomatic terms, they may now continue
exploring the Hish Bini’zá; proceed to Encounter 40.
If Yajzil ordered the PCs attacked or expelled, they
must return to Encounter 19 and may not come back to
the Zapoteca neighbourhood or play any Scene 14 en-
counter for the rest of the adventure.
Encounter 42: The Black Skull
Catacombs
Read the following the first time the PCs approach
the Black Skull Catacombs:
As you approach the East End of the Zapoteca neigh-
bourhood, you come upon a lonely, quiet plaza, with a
square courtyard and four tall idols with painted demon
faces. Two flights of stairs lead down a lower level that
seems to continue under the plaza.
If the PCs come down the stairs, they reach an under-
ground gallery:
You are in a dim tunnel, barely lit by the blue light of

hanging censers. The play of light casts flickering shad-
ows on the faces carved on the walls, making it look like
they change expression as you advance.
There are stone slabs at regular intervals on the
walls, with strange glyphs that would seem to be names.
This must be some tomb, or mausoleum of the Zapoteca.
At the end of the tunnel there’s a square tall slab,
carved with the life-size bas-relief of a Zapoteca warrior
with a monstrous, fanged face. His right hand is risen,
palm out towards the viewer, as if halting your advance,
and his left hand is shown carrying the bloody, severed
head of a man, surely a defeated enemy.
Ask the PCs to perform an Easy Perception or Crafting
Check (difficulty: 3(1)) to notice the carving wears a
skull medallion exactly like the one worn by the assas-
sins that surrounded them earlier. The skull is carved
in bas-relief, and the indent is the right size to match
one of the real medallions.
■ If the PCs fail the check, or if they don’t have a me-
dallion, they are attacked as they try to figure out the
door mechanism: create a -1 encounter using assassins.
If the PCs survive the encounter, they may now use the
assassins’ medallions to open the door.
■ If the PCs fail to open the door, they have nothing
else to do in the Zapoteca neighbourhood, and must re-
turn to Encounter 19 to follow other leads.
If the PCs figure how to open the door, they come into
another gallery, this one without sarcophagi slabs, but
full with coloured monstrous carvings like the streets
above.
As the PCs advance through the tunnel, more Black
Skull assassins come at them; create a -1 encounter
using Assassins. If the PCs survive the encounter, they
finally come to a wide open chamber, with better and
warmer lighting than the previous tunnels; they have
reached the Black Skull Lair. Proceed to Encounter 43.
Encounter 43: The Secret of the
Zapoteca
Read the following aloud as the PCs enter the main
chamber of the Black Skull Lair:
You come to a well-lit square chamber. The light here
is very different from the corridors, as the eerie blue
glow of the censers has given way to the vivid blaze of
large torches on the walls. The shadows dance by the
yellow flame, giving disturbing life to the carved mon-
ster motifs on the stone.
Several warrior masks adorn the walls, some repre-
senting smiling faces, like the ones on the assassins that
conquista dor’s gold
have attacked you, while a few others look like monsters
or animals.
There are several chambers around the main hall; the
PCs may explore them at their leisure. If the PCs think
of being stealthy, ask them to perform a Normal Stealth
Check (difficulty: 6(1)). If all PCs succeed on the check,
they may search the area undetected.
If even one of the PCs fails the check, or the PCs don’t
try to be quiet, more guards find and attack them.
Create a +1 encounter using assassins and one Teotl
Priest.
If the PCs survive the encounter, the lair is now de-
serted; they may now explore it without problems.
AFTER TH E ENC OUNTER
There are several interesting objects to be found in
the Black Skull Lair. The PCs find the following without
having to make any checks or play cards:
■ Several maps of the surrounding region, mostly
drawn by the Bini’zá. Some of them have annotations
by a Spanish hand, indicating the places of Spanish
troops and locations such as the Vera Cruz and Santa
María outposts.
■ Many weapons, mostly jade knives and wooden
maces, as well as Black Skull uniforms.
■ Several stashes of Cempoalteca-style clothing,
clearly taken from dead Cempoalteca soldiers. These
would seem to be intended as a disguise.
■ Many niches containing pieces of broken
Cempoalteca weapons and Totonaca-style tokens.
■ A stack of notes, with a mix of Bini’zá glyphs and
Spanish scribbles, indicating the movements of Spanish
troops around Vera Cruz.
■ Some other notes and scribbles indicate where to
leave dead bodies so they appear close to Cempoalteca
guard posts, and how to kill them in such a manner that
it resembles a Cempoalteca ritual sacrifice.
The above should be enough for the PCs to deduce
what’s happening, but if they don’t, let them perform a
Hard Perception Check (difficulty: 9(1)) to arrive at the
conclusion: The Black Skull are planning an ambush
on Spanish soldiers, and they intend to make it look
like the Cempoalteca killed and sacrificed them. What’s
more, a Spanish agent is helping with this plan.
The PCs don’t recognise the handwriting, but whoev-
er’s helping with this scheme is undoubtedly a Castilian
– a man from the Expedition.
If the PCs take any of these items, they now have
Proof of the Black Skull Scheme; if they take the scrib-
207
bled maps and notes, they also have the Location of the
Black Skull Ambush.
■ If the PCs have a letter by Francisco de Montejo
from exploring Encounter 14 in Chapter I, they con-
firm these scribbles have Montejo’s handwriting; he’s
the furtive visitor that has been coming to Cempoallan
since the last year, and he’s the man behind the whole
scheme. The PCs now have Proof of Montejo’s Plot.
As the PCs search these clues, ask them to Perform a
Hard Perception check (difficulty: 9(1)) to notice a se-
cret compartment in one wall. If the check succeeds, the
PCs also find a hidden cache containing the following:
■ 100 gold in jade jewellery, mixed with 40 gold in
actual Spanish coin of Cuban mint, doubtlessly coming
DIDXA’WATU
ACTION: Spend 2 Spirit and touch this object to
the forehead of a recently dead individual, you
may force it to speak and answer truthfully to a
single question asked in a languague they knew
in life, after which the soul departs permanently
and may not be questioned again.
from the Vera Cruz garrison.
■ A small jade sceptre with a skull-shaped tip. This is
a Didxa’watu, a Bini’zá magical item, and a character
trained in Rites can use it to interrogate dead people.
■ If the PCs use the Didxa´watu on the dead Bini’zá
guards, the dead guards can confirm any of the follow-
ing facts (2 Spirit points per question):
■ A Spanish spy calling himself the Atlan’tato
came and dealt with their leaders.
■ This man is not in league with Cortés; the whole
plot to lead the Spanish and Cempoalteca to war
was his idea.
■ Most of the Black Skull agents have current-
ly left their lair, to ambush the Spanish soldiers
around their outpost.
■ The Black Skull don’t know the true identity
of the Atlan’tato, nor the name he uses among the
Spanish.
Once the PCs are done exploring the lair, they must
choose their next step.
208
■ If the PCs spoke to Ni´xye the Trader in Encounter
39, they may now go to Encounter 41 and show the
clues they found to Lady Yajzil, the Zapoteca leader.
■ If the PCS don’t know the way or don´t wish to go to
Lady Yajzil, they may now return to Encounter 19 and
go elsewhere in Cempoallan.
■ If the PCs wish to leave the city right away, proceed
to Scene 15.
Scene 15:
leaving
cempoallaN
This scene takes place when the PCs head out of the
city of Cempoallan. Their manner of leaving depends
on what they have done in the city.
■ If the PCs are Outlaws in Cempoallan, or have
Directions to the Thunder, the city guards rush after
them to stop their escape from the city; go to Encounter
44.
■ If the PCs have not yet encountered Chawaná, the
Un Takám agent, he accosts them before they leave;
proceed to Encounter 46.
■ If the PCs have a Message for Cortés, Chawaná in-
tercepts them even if they met him already. Proceed to
Encounter 46.
■ If the PCs are free to leave, proceed to Encounter
47.
Encounter 44: Don’t Let Them
Escape
If the PCs are Outlaws in Cempoallan, read the follow-
ing as they leave the city:
As you approach the main exit from the city, a
large detachment of soldiers block your path. They are
Totonaca guards from Cempoallan, and they don’t look
willing to let you leave just yet.
Among the troop leaders, you see a small dragon,
with the shape of a snake but with black feathers over
its scales. It flies in a zipping, whipping fashion among
the guards, ready to strike at their command.

The Totonaca guards demand the
PCs surrender peacefully. If the PCs
comply, the guards take them pris-
oner; go to Encounter 45.
If the PCs resist or try to argue
with the Cempoalteca, Create a +2
encounter using a combination of
Temple guards and Temple protec-
tors and a Xtakát Luwa.
■ The guards don’t strike to kill
but to traumatise; the Xtakát Luwa
has a 50% chance of striking to kill
(if it whips the target with its fangs
instead of its tail tip).
■ If the PCs have a Message for
Cortés, another group of Totonaca
guards appears mid-fight and stops
the battle. This second guard group
orders the first squad to stand
down and let the PCs pass; When
the fighting dies down, both guard
groups retreat and the PCs are left
alone with a single Totonaca sol-
dier – Chawaná, the agent of Un
Takám. Turn to Encounter 46.
A F T E R T H E E N COU N TE R
If the PCs are defeated, they are
traumatised, not bleeding out, un-
less the Xtakát Luwa reduced a
character to 0 health with its fangs.
The guards capture any surviving
PCs and take them to prison; pro-
ceed to Encounter 45.
If the PCs defeat the guards, they
may finally leave the city. Proceed
to Encounter 47.
Encounter 45: Cap-
tives of Cempoallan
If the PCs have been arrested
by Cempoalteca soldiers, they are
led to a stone building outside the
city limits – one of the Cempoallan
Dungeons.
The PCs spend the night in a
square stone room. The guards
don’t chain them, but they take
away their weapons and magic
items.
■ If a PC wants to keep an item
from the guards, ask him to
Perform a Stealth Action, confront-
ed by a Temple guard’s competent
skill. The PC has 1 disadvantage be-
cause of the difficult situation, plus
1 disadvantage if the item he wants
to hide is larger than his hand.
Once the PCs are in their cell, the
guards inform them of their crimes,
which the PCs should know well
enough if they are Outlaws, and let
them know they shall remain here
pending judgment from the Lords
of the City.
■ If the PC have Directions to The
Thunder, the guards add a disturb-
ing comment: besides what they ac-
tually did, the PCs are accused of
murdering the priests of the Three
Rings Shrine. The PCs don’t re-
member doing this; if they played
Encounter 32, they may remember
these priests as the secretive mem-
bers of the Ancient Society. Who
murdered these priests, and why
frame the PCs for it?
Once the guards have listed the
PCs’ crimes, they feed the PCs and
tend to their wounds; the PCs may
draw cards, recover Health, etc.
■ If the PCs rest and spend the
night quietly, proceed to After the
Encounter.
■ If the PCs try to escape, they
must perform an Crafting action
confronted by a TSE that plays two
cards to open their cell door; then,
create an encounter using one
Xtakát Luwa, which was guarding
the door.
If the PCs survive, they may re-
cover their weapons and gear,
take the guards’ weapons – normal
maces and shields, plus 20 gold in
totonaca beads – and have become
Outlaws (see the Outlaws sidebar)
if they weren’t already. The PCs
may now leave the Cempoalteca
dungeon; proceed to After the
Encounter.
conquista dor’s gold
AFTER TH E ENC O UN TE R
If the PCs escaped the cell, they
may leave the city (Encounter 47)
or risk going back to finish their
business (Encounter 19).
If the PCs passively await their
judgment, their fate depends on
what they have done so far.
■ If the PCs have Directions to The
Thunder or a Message to Cortés, a
Totonaca official arrives the next
day; he has orders to take the PCs
from the dungeon. The guards don’t
argue and turn the PCs over to this
official. As the mysterious person-
age leads the PCs away from the
dungeon, he reveals himself – he’s
not a soldier, but a disguised spy:
Chawaná, the agent of Un Takám.
Go to Encounter 46.
■ Otherwise, the PCs remain in
jail for a few days, during which
the guards keep feeding and treat-
ing them well; after a while, the
PCs learn something strange hap-
pened and the Cortés expedition
was forced to turn back and leave
the region.
If the PCs’ crimes were relatively
small, such as trying to force their
way into a forbidden area or escap-
ing from the guards, they are set
free to look for their companions;
go to The End.
If the PCs’ crimes were more se-
rious, like murdering an important
individual or killing at least a full
group of Cempoalteca soldiers, they
are sentenced to die in the sacrifi-
cial altars.
Is this the end of our heroes’
adventures? Will they try a dar-
ing escape? Will they die on a
Cempoalteca altar? Will they ever
rejoin their compatriots? Whatever
happened to Cortés’ expedition?
The answer lies in future adven-
tures. Proceed to The End.
209
Encounter 46: Chawaná’s Choices
If the PCs have played Encounter 37, they already know
Chawaná; go straight to Encounter 46 Conversation.
If the PCs haven’t met Chawaná, but have Directions
to the Thunder, he hasn’t befriended them and now has
a reason to kill them; he attacks immediately. Create a
+2 encounter using Chawaná and Temple guards. If the
PCs survive the fight, proceed to After the Encounter.
If the PCs have neither met Chawaná nor have
Directions to the Thunder, consult the Chawaná side-
bar. After Chawaná has introduced himself, proceed to
Encounter 46 Conversation.
ENC O U NT E R 46 CON V E RSATION
Once Chawaná is alone with the PCs and has their at-
tention, he asks just what have they been doing in the
city, with a mix of admiration and incredulity.
Let the PCs lead the conversation with Chawaná; he
simply nods and interjects small hums of approval or
disappointment depending on whether the PCs narrate
a success or a blunder.
What Chawaná says afterward depends on what the
have done in the city.
■ If the PCs don’t have Directions to the Thunder but
they have a Message for Cortés, Chawaná begs them not
to take the Mexica side.
‘I know what transpired with the Mexica tax collec-
tors. It was indeed your Captain Cortés that ordered
their freedom. However, the man that suggested their
capture was the other one… the official I do not know
the name of. The spy that’s been coming to this city be-
hind Cortés’ back’.
‘I know this because the Un Takám has spied on your
people, on your forces, every time, every minute your
Captain has been in Cempoallan. This man, the double-
speaking official, convinced Cortés of imprisoning the
calpixque as a way to make peace with our people’.
‘But when this man saw the tax collectors, he changed
his mind; he ssuggested Cortés not interrogate them; he
suggested they were free’.
‘Cortés agreed to both ideas, because he saw it made
him look good to both the Mexica and Cempoalteca’.
‘It did; it was a good stratagem. Your people deceived
the Mexica, yes, but you also deceived our lord. You
risked the peace with us. I think this man, this advisor of
Cortés, would only take this risk for some other reason. I
think he intended to get rid of the Calpixque, to prevent
their interrogation’.
210
‘I did not tell you this before because I wanted to
make sure which side you were on’.
‘You cannot be on both the Mexica and Totonaca
sides. Cortés tried to save face with both tribes; now
you know this is untenable’.
‘If you choose the Totonaca side, you need to act
upon it’.
‘When you return to Cortés with the news from
Cempoallan, tell him the Totonaca want help against
the Mexica. Tell him we request his military aid’.
‘If you do this, Cortés will have a reason, an excuse,
to act against the Mexica. He will have a true ally in-
stead of an uneasy truce’.
‘Tell Cortés to write a letter offering our lord your
arms, your assistance against the Mexica’.
‘If you do this, I will… produce… evidence that the
Mexica tax collectors escaped on their own, to assuage
the doubts of our lord’.
‘Bring a letter, an offer of military aid, from Cortés,
and I will see, the Un Takám will see, that the tax col-
lector case is closed, that the Cempoalteca forget this
business’.
If the PCs agree to Chawaná’s proposal, he promis-
es to exonerate Cortés from the Mexica escape right
away. The PCs have now planted evidence of the Mexica
Escape; if the PCs have also Delivered Reparations for
the Razed Villages and Delivered proof of the Zapoteca
Setup, They now have Proof of the Spanish’ innocence.
If the PCs reject the proposal, Chawaná begs them
to reconsider and lets them go. Proceed to After the
Encounter.
■ If the PCs don’t have either Directions to the
Thunder or a Message for Cortés, Chawaná suggests the
PCs visit the surrounding towns.
‘It seems that, to get what you want, you will need
to go through the Mexica blockade. I have a suggestion
that may help you a little, and help us a lot. A sugges-
tion that will clear the terrain for you to search for your
people’s lost treasure, and will spark the fire of our free-
dom from the Mexica’.
‘The Mexica calpixque, the ones everyone is look-
ing for, are currently hiding in either Actopan or
Tizapancingo, to the West of here’.
‘You need to be free to search there, but the Mexica
presence is strong at both places’.
‘If you visit the nearby towns, the settlements of
Cuetlaxtlan and Cuyuxquihui, you’ ll see they are occu-
pied by honest people, by brave people’.
 conquista dor’s gold

‘The Cuetlaxteca, the Cuyuxquiteca, are tired of the
Mexica. They are constantly in arms against the Mexica,
constantly in strife. Theirs is a war zone’.
‘A foreign ally, a strong foreign ally, can easily rouse
these people against the Mexica, you can rally them
against Actopan’.
‘You don’t even need to involve Cortés, involve your
captains, in this. It would be enough that you appeared,
riding your dragon, and presented yourself as an ally
against the Actopan garrison’.
‘By all means, ask Cortés for his leave if you need to.
I am sure he will grant it. Subverting our people against
the Mexica is an easy task, and one that can’t be blamed
on your people. Your Captain’s diplomatic efforts would
not be hindered by this; you will help him with this’.
‘Cortés will be very proud, very satisfied of this deed’.
‘Do this, and you shall have two strong allies against
the Mexica, against the town of Actopan. Do this and
you shall start a revolution. Do this… and you shall con-
quer a city. And then the Mexica cannot stop you from
searching for your people’s treasure; not anymore’.
Regardless of whether the PCs agree to his proposal
or not, Chawaná asks them to think about it and lets
them leave; proceed to After the Encounter.
■ If the PCs have Directions to the Thunder, or they
question Chawaná about the deaths of the Ancient
Society priests, he grows somber.
‘Well… I guess this is it’.
‘I am sorry. You are brave and worthy warriors. But
the Un Takám goes first’.
That said, Chawaná whistles and a band of assassins
surround the PCs. Create a +2 encounter using Chawaná
and assassins. If the PCs survive the fight, proceed to
After the Encounter.
■ If the PCs have done, or let someone else do, all
three of these things:
■ Delivered reparations for the razed villages
■ Planted evidence of the Mexica Escape
■ Delivered proof of the Zapoteca Setup
They now have Proof of the Spanish’ innocence, and
may now go to the Palace of Xicomecoatl (Encounter
29) with the good news if they so wish.
Otherwise, the PCs may now, finally, leave Cempoallan.
Proceed to Encounter 47.
Encounter 47: Next Stop
If the PCs manage to leave Cempoallan at last, they
may now return to their dragon, which remains quietly
perched outside the city.
Let the PCs decide their next destination.
■ If the PCs wish to return to the Vera Cruz Garrison,
run Encounter 1 (Chapter I).
■ If the PCs know about the Mexica Slave Camp, they
may go to Encounter 54 in Chapter III.
■ If the PCs have Directions to the Razed Villages,
they may go to Encounter 55 in Chapter III.
■ If the PCs have Directions to Actopan, Cuetlaxtlan
or Cuyuxquihui and wish to visit these towns, proceed
to Scene 16 in Chapter III.
■ If the PCs have the Location of the Black Skull
Ambush, they may want to warn the Vera Cruz garrison
at once (return to Encounter 1 in Chapter I) or hurry
out to stop the Ambush themselves (Encounter 60 in
Chapter III).

A F T E R T H E E N COU N TE R
If the PCs departed amicably with Chawaná, he gives
them a feather token for one of the PCs to wear on their
clothes; any ally of the Un Takám in the Totonaca re-
gion will recognise the mark and assist them. The PCs
now have an Un Takám Token.
■ If the PCs killed Chawaná, they find the maps to
The Thunder in his body; this confirms he killed the
Ancient Society priests, perhaps for the maps.
But why did the Un Takám want the maps to The
Thunder?
He and his agents also carried a total 30 gold in
Cempoalteca beads and jewellery.

211
 TotonacapaN
212
213
T H E T O T O N A C A C O U N T R Y surrounding Cempoallan and Vera Cruz is
the first land that Europeans have explored at length and settled in the main
continent of the New World. Its terrain, however, is still mostly unknown to
Spanish forces; the PCs are among the first scouts of this wondrous new terri-
tory. This chapter covers every area surrounding Cempoallan, and every possi-
ble mission the PCs may undertake around the Totonaca Country. The PCs will
only visit separate scenes according to their specific goals and missions.

■ If the PCs intend to explore the nearby Totonaca
towns surrounding Cempoallan, such as Actopan,
Cuetlaxtlan or Cuyuxquihui, play Scene 16.
■ If the PCs have directions to specific camps or out-
posts in the open country, such as the Mexica Slave
Camp, the Razed Villages or the lost site of The Thunder
itself, proceed to Scene 17.
■ If the PCs just want to scout the wilderness, or are
looking for a specific group of people in the unmapped
region, such as Pedro De Alvarado’s raiding party or
the Black Skull Ambush, proceed to Scene 18.
■ If the Totonaca and Cortés have made an alli-
ance and agreed to march to the Mexica outpost at
Tizapancingo, proceed to Scene 19.
must land their dragon, stretch their legs and add at
least 4 hours to their travel time.
If the PCs make a stop, you may want to have them
come across a hostile party to make the trip more
eventful. If you want the PCs to have an encounter dur-
ing their rest, run Encounter 53.
Once the PCs have finished the trip, they must land
their dragon just outside their destination, as such
a large creature cannot enter a Mexica or Totonaca
village.
■ If the PCs go to Cuetlaxtlan, run Encounter 48.
■ If the PCs go to Cuyuxquihui, play Encounter 49.
■ If the PCs go to Actopan, run Encounter 50.

■ If the PCs want to fly to Cempoallan for more infor-

mation or to report mission results, go to Chapter II, or
straight to Encounter 19 if they have already been to
Cempoallan.
■ If the PCs want to return to the Spanish garrison at
Vera Cruz, go back to Encounter 1.
Encounter 48: The Town of Cuet-
laxtlan
After a little over four hours flying in an almost
straight line southward, the PCs arrive to a small city
amid verdant hills.
Read the following aloud the first time the PCs ap-

Scene 16: proach Cuetlaxtlan:

The weather has turned noticeably warmer as you

Totonaca
come to a dense woodland, a few kilometres South of
Vera Cruz. You can’t help but wonder at the manner of
creatures or spirits that might be lurking around such a

townS
This scene takes place when the PCs wish to fly to the
Totonaca towns near Cempoallan, including Actopan,
Cuyuxquihui and Cuetlaxtlan.
The dragon flight to any of these towns, be it from
Cempoallan or Vera Cruz, takes just a few hours. If the
PCs wish to rest, draw cards and regain Spirit, they
wild forest.
Then you glimpse a wide valley at the Southeast end
of the jungle; there you can see white stone pyramids
and other buildings, and a small patch of tilled lands to
the East.
This must be the Mexica garrison of Cuetlaxtlan.
After the PCs land their dragon, a squad of Mexica
guards advance to stop them. The guards claim that this
is territory under the rule of the Excan Tlahtoloyan,
and the PCs are not allowed in here.

214

■ If the PCs comply, they may
leave peacefully; return to the be-
ginning of Chapter III to guide their
next step.
■ If the PCs challenge the guards,
create a +2 encounter using level
2 to 4 Mexica character. If the PCs
survive the encounter, they may
proceed to the town; proceed to
Encounter 48 Conversation.
■ If the PCs pretend to re-
treat, they may try to double back
stealthily and reach the town un-
detected; ask them to Perform a
Stealth action, confronted by a
Mexica Soldier’s mediocre skill; the
PCs suffer 2 disadvantages due to
the amount of Mexica guards in the
area, or one if they mentioned they
made their approach carefully.
If at least one PC loses the con-
frontation, the Mexica give chase;
the PCs may either retreat to Scene
16 or engage the encounter previ-
ously mentioned.
If all the PCs win the confronta-
tion, or they manage to defeat the
soldiers, they may go around the
Mexica garrison and reach the town;
go to Encounter 48 Conversation.
Encounter 48 Con-
versation
If the PCs reach the civilian res-
idential area beyond the Mexica
guard posts, a group of Totonaca
wave at them and motion for them
to hide in one of the houses.
There, the neighbours intro-
duce themselves as the Cuetlaxteca
resistance against the Mexica.
Puxku’hpatni, one of their leaders,
wishes to talk to the foreigners that
engaged the Mexica.
Let the PCs lead the conversa-
tion freely, using the following ex-
cerpts as Puxku’hpatni’s replies
and comments:
‘Greetings, foreigners. We are
the people of the town the Mexica
called Cuetlaxtlan’.
‘We had heard of your people,
riding dwarf mixcoatl mounts, and
shooting smoke and thunder from
your sceptres’.
‘And we saw what you just did
with the Mexica soldiers. Nice’.
‘They have a garrison around us,
but the Mexica are not our friends.
We have been resisting their rule for
years’.
‘Last season they hanged three
calpolli heads for insurrection, so
we sacrificed four of their officers.
To their own war saints, too’.
If the PCs ask about Cuetlaxtlan,
Puxku’hpatni speaks bitterly.
‘We come from several towns,
several tribes around the area. The
Mexica put their garrison here to
rule over all of us’.
‘The Mexica consider this land
theirs, and claim tribute and slaves.
They have instituted flower war on
us’.
‘Flower wars are mandatory
fights between enemy forces; the
winner takes slaves from the loser.
We have no choice but to take part,
as the alternative is to let them
slaughter us’.
‘It’s also a chance, however slim,
of killing or even capturing some
Mexica rich kid with a military rank.
It doesn’t happen often, but when it
does it’s worth the wait. The Mexica
pay good ransom for their rich kids’.
If the PCs offer their help, or
just let the Cuetlaxteca talk,
Puxku’hpatni and his peers reveal
their plan.
‘Your arrival has the garrison on
edge, scared. They will surely come
here to intimidate us into staying
put’.
‘We are taking advantage of
that. We’re using the confusion you
conquista dor’s gold
caused to strike at their garrison
while they’re down here’.
‘Tonight we will fight the Mexica.
We could use you in the battle’.
‘If you want to join us, fine. If
you don’t, please don’t side with the
Mexica. We wouldn’t want to sacri-
fice or imprison you; You smell bad’.
If the PCs decide to leave the
Cuetlaxteca to their revolution,
they will free their people and
march on Actopan within the
week. Take note that the Attack on
Actopan will happen, unless you
have done so already. Consult the
Attack on Actopan Sidebar to take
note of the time remaining until
the event. The PCs may now return
to the beginning of Chapter III and
go somewhere else.
If the PCs stay and help the attack
against the Mexica, the Cuetlaxteca
mutineers sneak into the garri-
son that very night. Meanwhile,
the PCs may ask for healing and
minor items such as food and blan-
kets; they may also regain spirit
and draw cards as they wait for the
attack.
It all happens as the neighbours
predicted: upset about the arrival
of the PCs, most of the Mexica sol-
diers leave the garrison to patrol
the town and to watch that the peo-
ple don’t organise or side with the
foreigners. Meanwhile, the free-
dom fighters go around the Mexica
fortress to attack it.
If the PCs take part in the opera-
tion, they must fight two straight
encounters:
■ First, create a fair encounter
using level 1 and 2 Mexica charac-
ters, as the insurrection force must
kill some Mexica patrols on their
way to the garrison, to stop them
from giving the alarm. If no Mexica
managed to escape the PCs may rest
and draw cards before moving on to
the next encounter.
215
 ■ Immediately afterwards, create a +1 encounter
using level 2 and 3 Mexica characters, as the group in-
filtrates the Mexica garrison.
NOTE: These battles actually involve a lot more enemies, but the
PCs only have to deal with the ones listed in their encounter, as the
Cuextlaxteca freedom force takes on the rest. They also involve tak-
ing fortified positions, sneaking upon enemies, etc. All of this is left
for the GM to play out.
If the PCs survive all three battles, they have taken
part in the liberation of Cuetlaxtlan. Proceed to After
the Encounter.
A FT E R T H E E N COU N TE R
The following day, as the Cuetlaxteca round up the
surviving Mexica guards and ransack the fortress for
weapons and supplies, the PCs have a moment to speak
to the rebellion leaders.
Turns out Puxku’hpatni and his comrades intend
to call out to the other nearby tribes and move into
Actopan now that they have dealt with the Mexica gar-
rison; if the PCs wish to join, they are welcome too, as
long as they don’t side with the Mexica.
■ After sending messengers and stocking a reason-
able militia, a decent Cuetlaxteca force can reach
Actopan on foot within three days.
■ The Cuetlaxteca suggest meeting with the PCs at
Axpump’ulu Hill, a small rise near Actopan, in four
days. They can march to Actopan together from there.
If the PCs agree to these terms, they now have
Directions to Axpump’ulu Hill if they didn’t have them
already.
If the PCs don’t set a rendezvous with the Cuetlaxteca,
or choose to leave them be, they will attack Actopan
anyway.
Take note that the Attack on Actopan will happen,
unless you have done so already. Consult the Attack
on Actopan Sidebar to take note of the time remaining
until the event.
Now, you may proceed to the beginning of Chapter III
to decide the PCs’ next step.
Encounter 49: The Cuyuxquihui
Garrison
After a long, eight-hour flight northward, the PCs spy
a small fortified settlement amid wooded hills.
Read the following aloud the first time the PCs ap-
proach Cuetlaxtlan:
216
Among the verdant hills of the northern region, you
finally spot a pyramid and a few other stone buildings
among the trees. The pyramid complex oversees a small
town; it all looks peaceful enough.
As soon as the PCs approach the area, however, they
come under attack.
Ask the PC handling the dragon to perform a riding
action, confronted by a TSE that plays 3 cards. If the PC
loses the confrontation, all PCs must perform an ath-
letic action, confronted by a TSE that plays 2 cards, or
suffer one unpreventable damage from a strong wind
and hailstorm that appears out of nowhere and strikes
their mount.
The PCs may avoid the sudden windstorm by leav-
ing the area; if they do, return to Chapter III to choose
their next destination.
If the PCs still want to land their dragon amid the su-
pernatural weather, the PC handling the dragon must
perform a riding action, confronted by a TSE that plays
4 cards. If the PCs loses the confrontation, all PCs suffer
fatigue from the chilling wind, flying debris and hail-
stones that meet them upon contact with the ground.
As soon as the PCs land, the storm abates, as if it had
possessed a will of its own; the PCs notice, however, a
swirl of black clouds spiraling back towards the near
pyramid. The black clouds spin and implode around
the pyramid top with a low rumble, until the sky is
clear and the weather is clam again, as if nothing had
happened.
Ask the PCs to perform a Normal Perception Check
(difficulty: 6(1)). If the check succeeds, the PCs notice
some figures trying to sneak away from their position;
they are Mexica scouts that spied on the PCs and are
now running back to report that the PCs have arrived.
If the PCs try to stop them, perform an Athletic ac-
tion confronted by an Scout’s Competent skill.
■ If at least half the PCs win the confrontation, or one
of them gets a positive consequence, the PCs overtake
the scouts: create a fair encounter using Scouts. If all of
them are successful, or two get a positive consequence,
they manage to Ambush the Scouts. If the PCs survive
the encounter, they may interrogate the Mexica to con-
firm that the magic attack came from the pyramid – the
Cuyuxquihui garrison was trying to scare the PCs away.
Whether the PCs catch, kill or leave the scouts, they
must now choose whether to continue towards a hos-
tile Mexica garrison. If the PCs turn back, return to the
beginning of Chapter III to guide their next step.

If the PCs press on towards the Cuyuxquihui garrison,
they may draw cards and try to regain Spirit before the
battle.
Once they’re ready for battle, the PCs approach the
outer wall of the settlement, made of painted stone
like other Mexica structures. There’s an open gate that
allows passage into the garrison; some watchmen are
posted at the entrance, and they look nervously at the
PCs as they make a stand to stop their advance.
Create a fair encounter using Mexica soldiers. If
the PCs survive, they may now enter the Cuyuxquihui
outpost.
While the PCs advance towards the pyramid, soldiers
from all around the outpost scramble to make a stand
there, while some of them rush to intercept the PCs.
Create a +0 encounter using Mexica soldiers. If the PCs
survive, all remaining soldiers at the garrison gather at
the pyramid to repel the attack.
As the PCs approach the pyramid, they see a robed
figure climbing down the stairs towards them – it is a
Mexica Priest, the one that cast the storm at them. The
priest begins intoning another spell, while his guards
rush the PCs. Create a +2 encounter using a Teotl priest,
Temple guards and Temple protectors.
If the PCs survive this battle, the remaining Mexica
soldiers scatter at the death of their priest; the PCs
have single-handedly taken the Cuyuxquihui Mexica
garrison.
A F T E R T H E E N COU N TE R
The garrison’s warehouses are more than enough to
fill the PCs backpacks and their dragon with weapons,
ammunition, food, supplies, tools or any kind of item
from the equipment list, as long as it can be found in
the Mexica culture.
The garrison vault holds enough treasure in Quachtli
blankets, gold dust and other barter items for the PCs
to take 90 gold worth of loot each. They simply have no
space to carry the remainder.
Finally, with the garrison under their control, the
PCs may now visit the Totonaca town surrounding it.
If they don’t, the Cuyuxquiteca people themselves ap-
proach the garrison to see what happened. Some of
them appear breathless, armed and ready for battle.
When the Cuyuxquiteca see that hair-faced stran-
gers have already defeated their oppressors, they all
fall silent, and nod their cautious approval to the PCs.
‘So these are the hair-faces, the Teotl foreigners’, they
murmur with a mix of gratitude and mistrust.
conquista dor’s gold
■ The Cuyuxquiteca ask the PCs if they plan to stay
and defend the outpost with them. This would require
the PCs to remain in Cuyuxquihui several days, to make
sure to be here by the time the Mexica return to retake
the fort.
■ If the PCs mention Actopan, the Cuyuxquiteca de-
cide to contact their Cuetlaxteca allies and organise
an attack on Actopan within the week. Their force can
reach Actopan within five or six days.
■ Take note that the Attack on Actopan will hap-
pen, unless you have done so already. Consult the
Attack on Actopan Sidebar to take note of the time
remaining until the event.
■ The Cuyuxquiteca tell the PCs that they will
meet with their allies at the mount known as
Axpump’ulu Hill, overlooking Actopan. If the
PCs want to join them there, the freedom fight-
ers set the date five days from now; the PCs now
have Directions to Axpump’ulu Hill, if they didn’t
already.
■ After they have talked with the PCs. the
Cuyuxquiteca appoint some guards to lead the garrison
defence against the imminent Mexica return.
■ The Cuyuxquiteca share any treasure the PCs
haven’t taken among their own people; if the PCs ob-
ject, the Cuyuxquiteca remind them this loot was origi-
nally taken from them.
Once the PCs’ business in Cuyuxquihui is finished,
they may leave the settlement. Return to the beginning
of Chapter III to guide their next action.
Sidebar: Attack on Actopan
If the PCs engage the Mexica garrisons at
Cuetlaxtlan or Cuyuxquihui, the inhabitants may
then move on to attack the Mexica-controlled
town of Actopan. If that happens, you should
mark the Attack on Actopan on your campaign
notes.
When you mark the Attack on Actopan, the
event is five days away. Count the in-game days
that passes after you mark the event; the PCs
may do whatever they wish in that time, but the
attack will happen regardless of their further
actions.
If the PCs play Encounter 50, what happens
will depend on whether the Attack on Actopan
has taken place or not.
217
Encounter 50: Actopan
The City of Actopan is a day’s walk, or two hours’
dragonflight, West of Cempoallan. The city rests right
on the West road; in fact, the road itself was built to
communicate Actopan with Cempoallan, and later im-
proved by the Mexica, who have connected it to their
lands further West.
Read the following aloud the first time the PCs see
Actopan:
Even from a safe distance, Actopan is an impressive
city. Smaller than Cempoallan, it’s still too large for you
to take in at once. The main Western road, which crosses
a wide river at the city juncture, goes across town like
the ancient Roman highways; the city is a splatter of
coloured points, like an immense flower garden, planted
on its path.
There are several town quarters on both sides of the
river, each with different plazas and pyramid temples,
and a vast expanse of villages and farmland around it.
The river has been turned into channels and artificial
lakes surrounding the settlements; a monumental wa-
ter-channeling system, the likes of which you had only
heard about in legend.
What truly concerns you, however, is the mesa over-
looking the town, and the great Mexica garrison built
there. It’s the largest Mexica military settlement you’ve
ever seen; it would have to be, given the size of the city.
You don’t know if its sentries have seen your dragon
from here, but it’ d be wise to land before they do – No
European explorer has ever come this far into the New
World.
For a brief instant, as you look for a discreet landing
spot, you realise: the Mexica garrison overlooks Actopan
the exact same way that Vera Cruz overlooks the Native
town of Quiahuiztlan.
If the PCs have Directions to Axpump’ulu Hill, they
may want to land their dragon there to meet their
Totonaca allies before they attack the city; proceed to
Encounter 51.
If you have marked the Attack on Actopan and it al-
ready happened, the Totonaca have taken the Mexica
garrison and the PCs may now finally explore the city;
proceed to Encounter 52.
If you haven’t marked the Attack on Actopan or it
hasn’t happened yet, the PCs may wish to visit the city
on their own. In this case, they should land their drag-
on in a nearby safe spot and walk to the entrance.
When the PCs approach the city gates, the guards –
Mexica soldiers – look startled and alert; they gather
218
to halt the PCs’ advance, and warn them not to enter
Actopan.
If the PCs have an Un Takám Token, one of the guards
is a secret Un Takám agent, and indicates so by touch-
ing a similar feather among his neck trimmings; he
takes the PCs out of sight of the other guards to talk.
Proceed to Encounter 50 Conversation.
If the PCs approach the guards to talk, ask them to
perform a Charisma action against a Mexica guard’s
competent skill.
■ If the PCs lose the confrontation, the guards refuse
to listen or allow passage to the PCs; they claim these
are Mexica lands, and that the teotl people are declar-
ing war on the Mexica if they force their way in (which
is true).
■ If the PCs fail with a negative consequence or at-
tack the guards, create a +2 encounter using a combina-
tion of Mexica characters.
■ If the PCs survive, they may escape Actopan;
proceed to After the Encounter. If they insist on
entering the city, more guards rush to stop them;
keep throwing +2 encounters at them until they
escape (proceed to After the Encounter) or die of
stubbornness.
■ If the PCs win the confrontation, they still can’t get
past the guards, but they may talk to them. Proceed to
Encounter 50 conversation.
■ If the PCs get a success with a positive consequence,
go to Encounter 50 conversation, but the PCs also get
the answers in bold type.
ENC OUNTER 50 C ONVERSATI ON
This conversation only takes place if the PCs win a
Charisma Action against an Actopan guard, or if they
have an Un Takám Token.
First, the guard warns the PCs that they won’t be al-
lowed into Actopan under any circumstance; the Mexica
have warned all their garrisons against the teotl invad-
ers; trying to force through would constitute an open
declaration of war against the Mexica invaders.
The rest of the guard’s replies depend on what the
PCs ask. Use the Answers in Bold Type only if the PCs
got a positive consequence or had an Un Takám Token.
■ If the PCs ask about the maps, the guard has no
idea of any maps, but he can’t let them look here. The
maps must have been taken to the records office at
Tizapancingo, but to get there the PCs would have to
go through Actopan (or the Tizapancingo garrison) an-
yway, thus declaring war to the Mexica.

■ If the PCs ask about the calpixque tax collectors,
the guard confirms they passed through Actopan, but
won’t let the PCs search inside the city. In fact the
three calpixque are in the city. But the Mexica garrison
would have to fall before the PCs can come get them.
■ If the PCs insist on entering the city, or try to ne-
gotiate access through Actopan without asking for the
Tlacuilo’s maps or the three tax collectors, the guard
tells them that the Mexica absolutely won’t allow it.
Actopan and Tizapancingo are vital chokepoints to
access Mexica lands; as long as the Mexica Garrison
stands, Actopan is off-limits to any foreigners.
■ If the PCs ask about these native towns, the guard
mentions Cuetlaxtlan and Cuyuxquihui, and gives the
PCs directions to these places if they didn’t have them
yet. Cuetlaxtlan is larger and more rebellious, and so
its garrison is relatively strong. Cuyuxquihui has a
much smaller garrison but also a smaller population.
■ If the PCs threaten with attacking Actopan, the
guard tells them that would immediately put the whole
Mexica nation, with its many tributaries, against the
Spanish. The only way that Actopan can fall and the
PCs remain allowed to enter it, would be if the Native
tribes rallied against it – and the smaller Mexica gar-
risons at every town will prevent that from happening.
After talking to the guard, the PCs should leave
Actopan the way they came from; proceed to After the
Encounter.
If the PCs attack the guards, create a +2 encounter
using a combination of Mexica characters.
■ If there was a friend of Un Takám among the guards,
he retreats from the battle, but does not help the PCs.
■ If the PCs survive, they may escape Actopan; pro-
ceed to After the Encounter.
■ If the PCs insist on entering Actopan, they have to
keep fighting more and more guards until they die or
escape; proceed to After the Encounter.
A F T E R T H E E N COU N TE R
After the conversation, it should be clear the PCs can-
not enter Actopan for now; they must create a diver-
sión – one that’s so large that it will clear the Mexica
garrison from the city. A good first step would be to
visit the nearby Totonaca towns, which have fought
Mexica domination for decades.
■ If the PCs wish to visit the town of Cuetlaxtlan, go
to Encounter 48.
■ If the PCs want to try their luck at Cuyuxquihui, go
to Encounter 49.
conquista dor’s gold
■ If the PCs want to go somewhere else, return to the
beginning of Chapter III to choose their next step.
Encounter 51: The Attack on Ac-
topan
This encounter takes place if the PCs wish to take
part on the Attack on Actopan and have Directions to
Axmpump’Ulu Hill.
When the PCs reach the place known as Axpump’Ulu
Hill, they notice it’s a bare mound overlooking the
Actopan territory, but at enough distance that any peo-
ple on it will be unnoticed by the Mexica garrison.
If the Attack on Actopan has not yet taken place, the
PCs find a few Totonaca soldiers wandering the hill;
they scout warily, pretending they have no business
here.
■ If 3 or more days of in-game time have passed since
you marked the Attack on Actopan, the PCs encoun-
ter some runners from the town they have visited, and
they may camp with them to wait for the remaining
force.
■ If only 1 or 2 days of in-game time have passed
since you marked the Attack on Actopan, the PCs must
wait until the 4th day for their allies to show up. The
PCs may leave the hill and return later; proceed to the
beginning of Chapter III to choose their destination.
If the PCs meet their allies or stay until they arrive,
they may rest, draw cards and try to regain spirit.
The next day, all of the reinforcements from the
nearby towns have arrived, and now a sizable guer-
rilla, easily surpassing 5,000 soldiers, has gathered on
Axpump’Ulu Hill. Even some Totonaca resistance fight-
ers from Actopan itself have slipped out of the city to
join the rebel force, or to share access points and guard
positions.
If the PCs want to help the attack strategy, they may
approach the man known as Puxku’hpatni, and the
Freedom Fighters from Cuetlaxtlan – the unofficial
leaders of this force. They intend to divide the troops
in three lines; one to draw the Mexica’s attention from
their garrison, another to climb their hill and strike at
them from behind, and a third one to fall on any rein-
forcements that arrive after engagement starts.
If the PCs suggest a better strategy, the freedom
fighters hear it out; you may give them bonuses for
coming up with an idea.
Now, the battle begins.
219
 This encounter involves thousands of warriors on
both sides; the PCs only take part in a few of these
battles, against a very small percentage of the enemy
force.
The PCs must survive three straight encounters, as
follows:
First, the insurgent troops border the town towards
the Mexica garrison, routing any patrols they en-
counter. Create a -2 encounter using a combination of
Mexica characters.
Then, the attacking force makes a run to the mesa
where the Mexica garrison is built; they have to fight
a force of Mexica soldiers defending the rise. The re-
bels took the Mexica by surprise, but the enemy has the
higher ground. Create a fair encounter using a combi-
nation of Mexica characters.
If the PCs survive, they may join the final attack, tak-
ing over the Mexica fort. Create a +1 encounter using a
combination of Mexica characters.
If the PCs survive all three battles straight, they
have won the Attack on Actopan. Proceed to After the
Encounter.
A F T E R T H E E N COU N TE R
The PCs may now rest, draw cards or try to regain
spirit; they have earned it.
They may also share the loot from the Mexica garri-
son; 30 gold in minor barter items for each PC.
■ If the PCs thought to capture enemies alive, they
may ransom them to the Mexica for 10 gold in barter
items for each prisoner. Priests and Guard Captains are
25 gold a head. The Totonaca handle the return of the
prisoners and the PCs’ payment, a few days later.
If the PCs stay in the garrison to search for the tax
collectors or the Mexica maps, proceed to Encounter
52.
Otherwise, return to the beginning of Chapter III to
decide the PCs’ next step.
220
Encounter 52: Actopan After the
Attack
If the PCs arrive or remain in Actopan 5 or more days
after you marked the Attack on Actopan, they find the
city under Totonaca control.
Read the following as the PCs wander the razed city:
The Totonaca rebels have struck back at the Mexica
with a vengeance for their decades of oppression. The
once beautiful town is now a ravaged ruin, with the
Totonaca militia still dividing the spoils.
Dozens of pyres burn with the bodies of Mexica sol-
diers and citizens; Mexica houses have been burnt with
their whole families inside. Many Mexica, and even
Totonaca, civilians are led into enclosures, presumably
to serve as the winners’ slaves. You assume these prison-
ers are those that opposed the Totonaca uprising, and
are now paying for the choice of throwing their lot in
with the defeated Mexica.
As you approach the rise where the Mexica garrison
used to stand, a group of Totonaca milita come down to
meet you.
The new town owners come to see what the PCs
want. If the PCs have an Un Takám Token or Directions
to Axpump’ulu Hill, the Totonaca recognise them
as allies and let them pass; proceed to Encounter 52
conversation.
If the PCs are here unannounced and uninvited, ask
them to Perform a Charisma action, confronted by a
Totonaca warrior’s mediocre skill. The PCs suffer one
disadvantage if they became Outlaws during their stay
in Cempoallan; they gain one advantage if they have a
written grant to explore Totonaca lands in the name of
Cortés.
■ If the PCs win the confrontation, the Totonaca let
them pass, recognising them as enemies of the Mexica
and sanctioned by the truce between Cortés and
Xicomecoatl. Turn to Encounter 52 conversation.
■ If the PCs lose the confrontation, the Totonaca turn
them away, claiming no foreigner may visit Actopan
until the new government is named. If the PCs comply,
return to the beginning of Chapter III to choose their
next step.
■ If the PCs try to sneak or force their way in, create
a +1 encounter, using Totonaca Warriors. If the PCs sur-
vive, they may now escape to their dragon and to the
beginning of Chapter III.
■ If the PCs insist on going through the Totonaca, just
throw them endless encounters with Totonaca warri-

ors until they die or escape; the
Totonaca paid blood and sweat for
this territory, and they’re not in
the mood to let a foreigner in mere
days after they got rid of another.
EN C O U NT E R 52
C O NV E R S AT ION
Once inside the conquered Mexica
fort, the Totonaca lead the PCs to
where they keep their Mexica pris-
oners. It seems that three of these
prisoners, three Mexica calpixque,
tax collectors, asked to speak to the
‘teotl foreigners’ as soon as they
heard the PCs were in town.
The calpixque are three Mexica
dignitaries, with impressive pierc-
ings in their ears and lips, colourful
tunics on their bodies and golden
jewellery on their limbs. Even with
the dust of the Totonaca prison and
the humiliation of capture, they
look as high dignitaries – as people
of worth.
Let the PCs conduct the conver-
sation with the calpixque as they
wish; use the following excerpts as
part of the calpixque’s answers and
comments.
‘We knew you would come here,
we knew you would find us’.
‘Your Captain, your Coltés, told
us that what we know is very impor-
tant to your people’.
‘So we will tell you, we will tell
you what we know because Coltés
let us escape, he liberated us from
the Totonaca prison, and he told
us what we know was important to
you’.
‘Coltés did not tell us to tell you.
But we will tell you because it is im-
portant, because we wish to help
the mighty Teotl people, so they
may continue their travels away
from our lands’.
‘We know that the mighty Teotl
have come seeking for treasure, that
they have helped the Totonaca rab-
ble only to find treasure. We know
this is all that you desire, that you
don’t wish to harm or destroy the
Mexica, that you don’t want to be
the enemy of the Excan Tlahtoloyan’.
‘So we will talk about the treas-
ure, and the terrible destruction
that the mighty Teotl bring on their
wake will be guided elsewhere, you
will take your conflicts elsewhere,
you will leave our land to us, the
Totonaca land to our Totonaca
allies’.
‘In exchange for this, we will talk
about the treasure’.
‘We are calpixque of the
Excan Tlahtoloyan, envoys
from Tenochtitlan and Great
Moctecuhzoma. We travel the land
collecting the tribute from the many
allies of the Mexica, from North to
South, from East to West’.
‘We met your Coltés when
we came for the tribute from
Cempoallan, when the Totonaca had
us imprisoned, when Xicomecoatl
ordered us imprisoned instead of
giving the tribute’.
‘Coltés send a message and had
us liberated, and then he met us, he
spoke to us. He asked what we knew,
and we told him’.
‘What we told Coltés when he
met us was this: you are not the first
hair-faced captain, the first teotl ex-
plorer, that we have met’.
‘We met the first of your people,
the first of your mighty teotl en-
voys, last year when they came to
the Totonacapan from the Eastern
Sea’.
‘We know they were your peo-
ple because the one we spoke to,
the one we saw, was also march-
ing with Coltés when we saw him in
Cempoallan. The one we spoke to
was a Captain of Coltés’.
‘The name of this man was
Atlantatl. That’s the name he gave
us, that’s how he told us he was
called’.
conquista dor’s gold
‘We met Atlantatl last year,
when his people first landed here in
Totonacapan’.
‘We told him we were envoys
from great Moctecuhzoma of the
Mexica, gathering tribute from sur-
rounding lands, from the many al-
lies of the Excan Tlahtoloyan’.
‘Then he, the Atlantatl, gave
us a box, a coffer, which he said
contained tribute for the Mexica.
Tribute for our King. That he, as for-
eigner, intended to pay respects to
the authority of the Aztec Empire.
He gave us that box, saying it was
filled with gold, gold given as trib-
ute to the Aztec Empire, and then he
left’.
‘We never opened the box.
Totonaca rebels, Totonaca ban-
dits, stole the box from us the next
day; the very next day after we met
Atlantatl’.
‘We don’t know where they took
the box, but they attacked us at the
North border, at the far north, near
the Tecolutla river’.
‘We have mapped those lands,
we have made charts of those
lands, of the North border, of the
Tecolutla country of Totonacapan.
Our Tlacuilo had maps of those
lands’.
‘If the tlacuilo sent those
maps away for safekeeping, they
must be at the Records Office
in Tizapancingo; that’s where
documents await to be taken to
Cempoallan or to Tenochtitlan. If
you seek these maps, they must be
at Tizapancingo’.
‘Your Coltés didn’t seem to care
about the maps or where the gold
was; what interested him was that
this other man, this Atlantatl, gave
the box to us one year ago’.
‘Coltés also asked if we opened
the box, if we saw the gold; we said
no, we did not see it for it was stolen
from us, because Totonaca bandits
took it from us the next day near
221
Tecolutla. Then he did not care anymore about the box
or the maps’.
‘That is what we know, what Coltés thought was
important, days ago when he liberated us from the
Totonaca prison’.
‘The mighty Teotl, the mighty and grateful Teotl,
will now do as their Coltés, and liberate us from the
Totonaca prison in return for what we have said’.
That’s all the Calpixque have to say, but it should be
enough to leave the PCs wondering just what Cortés
knows about their search and the lost gold… and who is
this Atlantatl. The PCs now have a message for Cortés,
if they didn’t already.
It now falls on the PCs to decide what to do with the
Calpixque and the information they gave.
If the PCs ask for the Calpixque to be liberated, the
Totonaca demand the PCs pay their ransom; 200 gold in
jewellery and gold. They are high dignitaries and de-
mand a high price. If the PCs agree, the Totonaca rebels
let the calpixque go back to Tenochtitlan.
■ If the PCs want to take the Calpixque back to Vera
Cruz to ask them to identify the man they know as
Atlantatl, they can only take one of the Calpixque with
them – there’s no more room in the dragon – and they
must pay for the Calpixque’s ransom. If the PCs do this,
take note that they now have a Calpixque Hostage,
which they can bring along anywhere from this point.
■ Also, there’s now a Contract on the PCs if there
wasn’t one before, because as soon as Montejo’s spies
see that the PCs have one of the calpixque with them,
he’ll order them killed by any means necessary, to stop
them from returning to camp.
■ If the PCs ask about Tizapancingo, the Totonaca say
that it’s too well-guarded, that bringing it down would
require a larger force, which the Totonaca cannot mus-
ter on their own. Now, if the Spanish forces joined the
attack, well…
Once the PCs have finished dealing with the
Calpixque and the Totonaca rebels, proceed to After
the Encounter.
A FT E R T H E E N COU N TE R
The PCs have nothing else to do in Actopan. If they
wish to trade for supplies, they may try their luck at
the rebel camps among the razed city, but the Actopan
market itself was destroyed in the attack.
If the PCs ask around about the maps, everyone tells
them that any important Mexica documents must have
222
been taken to Tizapancingo, the strongest Mexica fort
in the area.
When the PCs are ready to leave, let them return to
their dragon, which keeps peacefully waiting for them
at the spot where it landed. From here, the PCs must
decide where to go:
■ If the PCs wish to seek Cortés and confront him about
what the three Calpixque said, return to Encounter 1.
■ If the PCs wish to return to Cempoallan, go to
Encounter 19.
■ If the PCs want to keep exploring Totonacapan, re-
turn to the beginning of Chapter III to pick their next
destination.
Encounter 53: Soldiers and
Scouts
This encounter takes place only if the PCs wish to rest
during their exploration of Totonacapan in Scene 16.
If you wish the PCs to have an encounter during their
rest, pick one of the following encounters, or draw a
card to choose it randomly:
1. The PCs encounter a small group of Mexica sol-
diers carrying Totonaca slaves. If the PCs ap-
proach the Mexica, they warily say they are
leading these slaves to camp. If the PCs succeed
on a Charisma Action, confronted by a Mexica
Soldier’s Competent Skill, the soldier indicates
the location of their camp, and now the PCs have
Directions to the Mexica Slave Camp if they didn’t
already.
■ If the PCs attack the Mexica, create a fair en-
counter, using a combination of Mexica charac-
ters. If the PCs survive the encounter, they may
take the Mexica weapons (normal maces and
shields) as well as 10 gold each in gold dust and
other trade items.
2. The PCs are waylaid by Totonaca bandits. Create a
+1 encounter using Totonaca Warriors.
■ The PCs may stop the fight by succeeding on
a Charisma Action, confronted by a Totonaca
Warrior’s Competent Skill. The PCs gain 1 advan-
tage or suffer 1 disadvantage to the action de-
pending on which team outnumbers the other.
If the PCs survive the encounter, they may take
the bandits’ loot: 10 gold each in barter items.
3. The PCs encounter Spanish scouts from Vera
Cruz; a small troop,but well-armed and skilled.

The scouts offer to escort the PCs back to Vera
Cruz if they so wish.
■ If there is a Contract on the PCs, the scouts at-
tack the PCs: create a +1 encounter, using Spanish
Scouts and Spanish Soldiers. If the PCs survive the
fight and interrogate the defeated soldiers, they
confess that Doña Cristina, Pedro De Alvarado’s
dragon rider, paid them to kill the PCs and make
it look like an ‘Indian ambush’.
4. The PCs encounter Spanish scouts from Vera
Cruz; as the previous result, but these don’t at-
tack even if there is a Contract on the PCs.
5. The PCs meet a group of Zapoteca, or Bini’zá,
scouts. The Zapoteca attack the PCs on sight;
Create a +0 encounter using Assassins. If the
PCs survive the fight, they find maps among the
bodies of the scouts: maps indicating Spanish
movements through the area. The PCs now have
Directions to the Black Skull Ambush, if they
didn’t already.
6. The PCs meet a travelling Totonaca merchant on
his way to Cempoallan. The PCs may buy any item
in the equipment list from this merchant, as long
as it’s of Native origin.
■ If the PCs ask the merchant for news or ru-
mours, he mentions that Totonaca rebel forces
have been more active and aggressive, embold-
ened by Spanish presence, and how it threatens
and distracts the Mexica. If the Attack on Actopan
already happened, the merchant mentions that
‘they even razed the city of Actopan to the ground,
sacrificing every Mexica they found to their own
Saints’.
■ If the PCs attack the merchant, his guards come
to help: Create a +2 encounter, using Totonaca
Guards. If the PCs survive the fight, they may take
any item they wish as long as they may carry it,
plus 15 gold each in barter items.
A F T E R T H E E N COU N TE R
Once the PCs deal with the encounter, or if you de-
cide not to put the PCs through an encounter right
now, they may now rest, draw cards and try to regain
spirit. Then, they may continue their travels to the en-
counter they were heading to originally.
If the PCs had no fixed destination before the encoun-
ter, return to the beginning of Chapter III to choose
one.
conquista dor’s gold
Scene 17:
secret
settlementS
This scene takes place when the PCs are scouting for
places that aren’t in maps, unless someone specifically
marked them on the PCs’ map.
If the PCs are on their way to the Mexica Slave Camp,
proceed to Encounter 54.
If the PCs are seeking the Razed Villages, proceed to
Encounter 55.
If the PCs have Directions to the Thunder and want to
go there in person, go to Encounter 56.
Encounter 54: The Slave Camp
The Mexica Slave Camp is very close to Cempoallan;
the PCs arrive after barely an hour of dragonflight.
Read the following aloud as the PCs approach the
slave camp:
You come near an outpost, protected between two
hills and fed by a nearby stream. The Mexica have built
stone walls to cover the two possible access to the out-
post, and from here you can see the movement of guards
around the ramparts.
There’s a small stone enclosure and a patio between
the walls; you see several people walking around – those
must be the slaves.
Before you can examine the scene with further detail,
you see the guards begin pointing and running to their
posts… they have noticed you.
If the PCs land their dragon and try to approach the
Mexica face to face, proceed to Scene 54 Conversation.
If the PC try to attack the slave camp with their drag-
on, without landing, they have to fly between two hill
slopes, filled with Mexica archers and slingers that can
fire missiles at the PCs from coves and battlements at
several heights.
■ Create a fair encounter using a combination of
Mexica characters.
223
 ■ Since the PCs are fighting from dragonback mid-
flight and the Mexica are shooting from the hill slopes,
both sides are restricted to using ranged weapons and
attacks.
■ The dragon takes no part in the encounter, as it’s
assumed to be blasting the Mexica guards below while
the PCs deal with the archers.
■ If the PCs survive the encounter, they have routed
the Mexica and freed the slave camp; proceed to After
the Encounter.
S CE N E 5 4 C O N V E RSATION
If the PCs land their dragon and approach the en-
campment in person, a group of Mexica guards advance
to meet them; they are willing to parley.
■ If the PCs ask about the Mexica or the encampment,
the guards tell them it’s a rest and resupply station,
to keep slaves and other captives as the Mexica carry
them from one city to another. All of the slaves here
are freely given as tribute by nations under Mexica
protection; they were not taken by force, and most are
quite happy with their lot. All of this is true, which the
PCs may confirm with a Normal Perception Check (dif-
ficulty: 6(1)).
■ If the PCs request that the Mexica deliver the
prisoners, ask them to Perform a Charisma Action,
Confronted by a Mexica Guard’s Competent Skill. If the
PCs win the confrontation, the Mexica agree, as long
as the PCs pay for the slaves. This requires a total of
150 gold (the total value of the slaves). If the PCs lose
the confrontation or refuse to pay, the Mexica laugh in
their faces at the request.
■ If the PCs attack or demand the Mexica to surren-
der, create a +2 encounter using Mexica characters. If
the PCs survive both encounters, the remaining Mexica
guards flee, leaving the camp unprotected and the
slaves freed; proceed to After the Encounter.
If the PCs leave peacefully, they may return to their
dragon and leave (go to the beginning of Chapter III to
choose their next destination) or fly back to the camp
to attack it on dragonback (return to the beginning of
Encounter 54 for the mechanics of this attack).
A FT E R T H E E N COU N TE R
Once the PCs have dealt with the Mexica guards, they
may free the slaves, a dozen Totonaca young men and
women. At first, the Totonaca assume the PCs are their
new owners; let the PCs decide whether to clarify that
or not, but if they want to take possession of the slaves,
the PCs must lead them to Vera Cruz, as the Totonaca
would have nowhere else to go. If the PCs set the slaves
224
free, they happily return on foot to their families in
Cempoallan or the nearby towns.
■ Only one slave refuses to go with the PCs under any
circumstance – Pa’xanan, a young military officer from
Cempoallan. Pa’xanan is the apprentice of Captain
Mux’tin, leader of the Cempoallan Guard, and wishes to
return to his master. The PCs may offer him a ride back
to Cempoallan on their dragon; otherwise he’ll walk.
■ If the PCs killed or routed the Mexica guards, they
may help themselves to the loot in the camp; enough
supplies for the PCs to camp and feed themselves for
weeks, plus 40 gold in various barter items, including
quachtli blankets, jewels and gold.
After the PCs deal with the Mexica slave camp, re-
turn to the beginning of Chapter III to choose their
next destination.
Encounter 55: The Razed Villages
Play this encounter if the PCs are looking into the
two Totonaca villages that show signs of an attack by
Spanish soldiers.
The two villages marked on the PCs’ map are some-
what remote from Cempoallan, requiring an eight-hour
flight to arrive; however, they are quite close between
them, within a few minutes’ dragonflight of each other.
Read the following aloud when the PCs approach the
first village:
This seems to have been a small settlement of stucco
huts and farmland near a river outlet. It’s abandoned
now; if there were dead bodies, the locals moved them
long ago.
If the PCs explore the village, they need no check or
action to notice the bullet holes and gunpowder traces
that mark this unmistakably as a Spanish attack. This
village was destroyed, its people killed, by the hands of
Spanish soldiers.
Once the PCs come to this conclusion, ask them to
perform a Hard Perception or Survival Check (difficul-
ty: 9(1))
■ If the check succeeds, the PCs notice that there are
no marks of horseshoes at all. This, combined with the
number and frequency of shot marks, indicates this at-
tack was the work of a single dragon unit – three or
four soldiers on dragonback, and nobody else.
■ If the PCs get a positive consequence with their
success, the boot marks and dragonfire burn pattern
indicate that the massacre was committed by two peo-
ple – a large, heavy armored man with heavy boots, and

a shorter, more slender individual, both armed with
long-range muskets, while a third accomplice, doubt-
lessly a dragon rider, burnt the village from above. If
the PCs have met Doña Cristina and her two accomplic-
es, there should be no doubt about who did this.
If the PCs have learned enough and wish to return,
proceed to the beginning of Chapter III to pick their
next course of action.
If the PCs wish to visit the second village after ex-
ploring the first, they find the exact same marks – bul-
let holes and gunpowder, indicating the village was in-
deed massacred by Spaniards.
■ If the PCs failed the check at the first village, ask
them to perform it again, only this time they gain 1
advantage.
■ If the check succeeds, the PCs gain the information
of a positive consequence on the previous check – that
is, that the attack was committed by two people on foot
and a single accomplice on dragonback – plus, if the
PCs have visited both villages, they realise that both at-
tacks happened within minutes of each other.
■ If the PCs succeed with a positive consequence on
the second check, they deduce that the same group at-
tacked both villages; they razed one and then imme-
diately moved to attack the other, intending it to look
like the work of two separate Spanish forces. This was
not a large-scale attack, but was intended to look like
one.
If the PCs visit both villages, while they explore the
second they encounter a group of angry Totonaca, con-
vinced that the PCs are guilty of the attack.
Ask the PCs to perform a Charisma action, confronted
by a Totonaca warrior’s Competent Skill. The PCs suffer
2 disadvantages on this action if they haven’t deduced
who committed the raids.
If the PCs win the confrontation, they manage to con-
vince the Totonaca that this was not an attack sanc-
tioned by Spanish authorities, but a rogue incursion by
a handful of soldiers. The Totonaca let the PCs pass,
under the promise that the actual guilty parties will
face justice.
If the PCs lose the confrontation, the Totonaca at-
tack; create a +2 encounter, using a combination of
Totonaca Warriors.
A F T E R T H E E N COU N TE R
If the PCs survive the encounter with the Totonaca,
they have now learned all they can from exploring
the villages; you may now return to the beginning of
Chapter III to decide their next destination.
conquista dor’s gold
Encounter 56: Trip To The Thun-
der
If the PCs have obtained Directions to the Thunder,
they may try to travel there themselves, and learn
firsthand what happened to Velázquez’ gold.
The Thunder ruins are far away, about 200 kilometres
north of Cempoallan and Vera Cruz. Even on dragon-
back, the trip takes more than 8 hours; therefore, the
PCs must land their dragon and rest at least once dur-
ing the trip.
The long flight north takes the PCs over a country
full of forested hills and speckled with Totonaca cit-
ies. When the PCs land to rest – after no more than six
hours, as their dragon cannot handle such a long flight
– they may either try to land near a village or far from
civilisation.
■ If the PCs land near a village, the Totonaca are
friendly to them – particularly if the Attack on Actopan
already happened, which would mean that the whole
Totonaca country has gotten news of the Spanish
foreigners.
The PCs may ask the locals for food and shelter, and
may also barter for other items at standard exchange
rates.
If the PCs wish to talk to the locals, the Totonaca
tell them the north border, where the PCs are head-
ed, is dangerous country; outside of Tecolutla, a trad-
ing river town, the area is all wilderness, infested with
bandits and barbarian raiders. The Totonaca warn the
PCs to be careful, even with their ‘midget mixcoatl’, if
they insist on taking that route.
If the PCs ask about the Totonaca and their country,
the locals say Totonacapan has existed for hundreds
of years, and shall exist for hundreds more. They wish
only to be left alone, but the Mexica keep expanding
in all directions; it’s likely that they will all end up as
subjects of Tenochtitlan. Other than that, and the raids
from the Chichimeca and Wastek at the north border,
the Totonaca lead a peaceful, contented life.
If the PCs ask about The Thunder, the Totonaca tell
them those are old stories; nobody has found the ac-
tual city in centuries. To tell the truth, Totonaca peas-
ants don’t much care or pay attention to such tales.
However, if the PCs find the ruins, they should make
sure to tell the lords of Cempoallan, who will be very
happy to claim they have ‘recovered their people’s lost
legacy’.
After the PCs have rested a full night, proceed to
After the Encounter.
225
 ■ If the PCs make camp in the wilderness, a pack of
wolves attack them during the night, while the party is
sleeping (save any PC that volunteered to take a guard
shift).
If all the PCs were sleeping, the one with a highest
Perception rank wakes up at the sound of the beasts,
and must choose to fight the first round alone or spend
his action waking the others up. Create a +1 encoun-
ter using wolves, taking note of those PCs that remain
asleep when the fight begins.
If the PCs survive the fight, they may now rest for
the remainder of the night, without further incidents.
Proceed to After the Encounter.
A FT E R T H E E N COU N TE R
After the PCs rest, they may draw cards and try to
regain Spirit.
■ If Doña Cristina Díaz, the dragon rider in Alvarado’s
service, is still alive, she surprises the PCs as they pre-
pare to leave again: she intends to kill them for the
maps right here and now. Create an encounter using
Doña Cristina Díaz and either Pérez Negro and/ or
Friar Cosmes if they’re alive as well.
When the PCs are ready to continue their journey
and they have finally killed Doña Cristina, proceed to
Encounter 57.
Encounter 57: The Thunder Hide-
out
Finally, after long days of searching and long hours of
dragon flight, the PCs arrive at the spot marked in their
map as the site of the ancient ruins of The Thunder,
the legendary Totonaca city. According to what the PCs
have learned, the chest with Velázquez’ lost gold went
missing near this area.
Read the following as the PCs approach the Thunder
site:
You’ve been flying over dense, inaccessible jungle for
the better part of an hour now; no wonder this place
has been lost for centuries.
And then, you see it.
A pyramid. And then another. The now familiar stone
temples and idols of the local peoples, jutting out of the
treetops like huge fingers tangled in green yarn.
You have found The Thunder.
The only nearby clearing where the PCs could land
their dragon is an old stone walkway, overgrown with
vines and roots, in the far northern end of the city.
226
Once the PCs land there, they may enter The Thunder
on foot.
Read the following as the PCs walk into The Thunder:
Regardless of the wild sounds – mostly birds and
slithering things in the undergrowth –, there’s a weird
silence in the site, as if the ruins themselves commanded
the jungle to hush, and you to stop listening.
Nonetheless, the jungle has grown unrestrained over
the ruins of The Thunder, with whole stone buildings
buried under tree groves, the roots engulfing the stone
stairways and the branches forming a canopy that filters
the sun rays like a fisher’s net over arches and columns.
Here and there a taller structure, like a pyramid or a
stone idol, peers between the crowded tree landscape,
but even these are covered with green moss. After cen-
turies of abandonment, The Thunder and the wilderness,
the ruins and the jungle, have become one and the same
thing.
Wait a second, what was that?
Ask the PCs to perform a Perception Check, confront-
ed by an Un Takám agent’s competent skill. If the check
succeeds, the PCs realise someone’s watching them. If
the check is a success with a positive consequence, the
PCs identify at least a half-dozen people, hidden among
the bushes and behind the ruined columns.
■ If the PCs show peaceful intent, or they have an Un
Takám Token, a group of men and women wearing dirty
clothes and piecemeal weapons and armor, plus Un
Takám feather tokens, slowly come out of hiding. They
surround the PCs, aiming at them with bows and atlatl,
and demand to know their business in The Thunder.
Proceed to Encounter 57 Conversation.
■ If the PCs act suspiciously or hostile, if they killed
Chawaná in Chapter II, or if they took the Mexica Side
when reporting to Captain Sandoval in Encounter 15,
the Un Takám agents attack.
Create a fair encounter, using a combination of Un
Takám agents and an Un Takám leader. If the PCs sur-
vive, they may search the bodies and the surroundings;
proceed to After the Encounter.
ENC OUNTER 57 C ONVERSATI ON: S O I T
WASN’T DESERTED
The Un Takám are as surprised as the PCs about this
encounter; they ask the questions first. They want to
know ‘why the hair-face invaders are sending people
to the ruins’.
■ If the PCs mention the chest with Velázquez’ lost
gold, the Un Takám agents look at each other in confu-
sion, but their leader freezes on the spot. She shakes

her head, lamenting the ‘stupid mistake’ of stealing
that chest from the Mexica taxmen.
Then, she orders her people to lower their weapons,
and asks the PCs to sit down to hear the story of the
lost gold. If the PCs accept, the leader introduces her-
self as Maxkí, as the Un Takám band share their food
and camp with the PCs. Proceed to After the Encounter.
■ If the PCs claim to come in the name of the Ancient
Society of Cempoallan, the Un Takám agents shake
their heads in frustration; it would seem this is not the
first time they cross paths with the Ancient Society.
Ask the PCs to perform a Charisma action, confronted
by an Un Takám Leader’s mediocre skill.
If the PCs win the confrontation, the Un Takám agents
let them leave, on the condition that they must never
return or tell anybody what they found. Plus, they must
give all of their maps to the Un Takám people, to en-
sure nobody will use them again.
If the PCs get a success with a positive consequence,
the Un Takám give them 100 gold each in jewellery as a
bribe to remain silent, but still require them to leave.
If the PCs comply, they may return to the beginning
of Chapter III to choose their next destination.
If the PCs lose the confrontation, or refuse to leave,
the Un Takám leader sighs; she doesn’t like to spill in-
nocent blood. Then, she orders his people to attack.
Create a +1 encounter, using a combination of Un Takám
agents and an Un Takám leader. If the PCs survive, they
may now search the bodies and the surroundings; pro-
ceed to After the Encounter.
■ If the PCs mention Chawaná, the leader of the Un
Takám nods in recognition. She admits that Chawaná is
their group’s agent in Cempoallan, and that he’d previ-
ously sent messages about the PCs.
Sadly, if the PCs came to The Thunder after meeting
Chawaná, it means they have either betrayed him or
know too much to be left alive: they made a costly mis-
take coming here.
Ask the PCs to perform a Charisma action, confronted
by an Un Takám Leader’s competent skill. The PCs gain
1 advantage if they have an Un Takám Token.
If the PCs win the confrontation, the leader decides
to trust them and let them stay; Chawaná is usually
a good judge of character. She introduces herself as
Maxkí, and invites the PCs to stay in the Un Takám lair.
Proceed to After the Encounter.
If the PCs lose the confrontation, the Un Takám de-
cide they have to die now, lest they tell anybody the
location of this hideout. Create a +1 encounter, using a
conquista dor’s gold
combination of Un Takám agents and an Un Takám lead-
er. If the PCs survive, they may now search the bodies
and the surroundings; proceed to After the Encounter.
■ If the PCs claim to be allies of Un Takám against the
Mexica, ask them to perform a Charisma action, con-
fronted by an Un Takám Leader’s competent skill. The
PCs gain one advantage to the action if they’re telling
the truth, plus one advantage if they have an Un Takám
Token.
If the PCs lose the confrontation, the Un Takám com-
mand them to leave the ruins immediately. If the PCs
comply, they may return to the beginning of Chapter
III to choose their next destination. If the PCs refuse,
the Un Takám guerrilleros attack: Create a +1 encoun-
ter, using a combination of Un Takám agents and an Un
Takám leader. If the PCs survive, they may now search
the bodies and the surroundings; proceed to After the
Encounter.
If the PCs win the confrontation, the leader of the Un
Takám nods and decides to trust them. She introduces
herself as Maxkí, and asks if all the hair-face invaders
are allies of Un Takám, or only the PCs; regardless of
their answer, she lets them ask their questions now.
Proceed to After the Encounter.
■ If the PCs claim to have found the map or the city
by accident, or without knowing what was there, ask
them to perform a Charisma action, confronted by an
Un Takám Leader’s competent skill. The PCs gain one
advantage to the action if they’re telling the truth.
If the PCs win the confrontation, the Un Takám agents
let them leave, after they promise not to come back;
plus, they must leave all of their maps here in the city.
If the PCs succeed with a positive consequence, the
Un Takám let them keep their maps, but still require
them to leave.
If the PCs comply, they may return to the beginning
of Chapter III to choose their next destination.
If the PCs lose the confrontation, or refuse to leave,
the Un Takám leader orders them dead, grudgingly
choosing to sacrifice the PCs to keep the secret of her
people’s hideout. Create a +1 encounter, using a com-
bination of Un Takám agents and an Un Takám leader.
If the PCs survive, they may now search the bodies and
the surroundings; proceed to After the Encounter.
AFTER TH E ENC OUNTER
Once the PCs have dealt with the Un Takám leader
and her people, they may investigate the story behind
the Un Takám and The Thunder.
227
 If the PCs killed the Un Takám leader and her people,
the other Un Takám agents in the ruins flee, and the
PCs are now free to explore The Thunder. By investi-
gating the abandoned camps and the old journals and
notes by the Un Takám leaders, the PCs can now deduce
the full story, as described in the Secret of Un Takám
Sidebar.
If the PCs remain in The Thunder as guests of the Un
Takám, in friendly terms, the rebels let them camp and
stay with them. Plus, their leader tells the PCs the full
story described in the Secret of Un Takám Sidebar.
If the PCs took the Mexica Side when reporting to
Captain Sandoval in Encounter 15, they may sell this
location to the Mexica in exchange for 1,000 gold in
gold and jewels; the Mexica, however, will never make
use of this knowledge, for the Un Takám will leave this
hideout forever after the PCs’ arrival.
If the PCs know the Secret of the Empty Chest, they
may now report their mission success – such as it is.
Proceed to Encounter 1 if the PCs wish to return to
Vera Cruz right away.
Otherwise, when the PCs finish their business in The
Thunder, they may return to the beginning of Chapter
III to choose their next step.
Scene 18:
the wildS
Run this scene every time the PCs wish to explore the
wilds surrounding Cempoallan and Vera Cruz.
■ If the PCs are looking for Pedro de Alvarado’s expe-
dition, run Encounter 59.
■ If the PCs have directions to the Black Skull Ambush,
they may try to stop it on their own; run Encounter 60.
■ If the PCs are only wandering aimlessly in search
for adventure, proceed to Encounter 61.
Encounter 59: Pursuing Pedro
If the PCs want to try and catch up with Pedro de
Alvarado during his scouting mission, it takes them
about four hours to perform a sweep of the surround-
ing territories; then, ask them to perform a Riding or
Survival action, confronted by a TSE that plays 3 cards.
228
■ If the PCs win the confrontation, they arrive at
a devastated Mexica outpost. The walls have been
torn down, the idols burned and most of the soldiers
slaughtered. A troop of about twenty Spanish sol-
diers are rounding up the survivors and loading them
with chains; their captain is none other than Pedro de
Alvarado. Proceed to After the Encounter.
■ If the PCs lose the confrontation, they are am-
bushed by angry Mexica survivors, who are enraged
about De Alvarado’s attack and make a barrage of sur-
prise ranged attacks against the PCs’ dragon. Create a
+2 encounter, using a combination of Mexica charac-
ters. The Mexica automatically win the Initiative, but
the PCs may use their dragon during this battle.
■ If the PCs survive three rounds of this encoun-
ter, De Alvarado and his men appear at the end of the
third round and help them defeat - and slaughter - the
Mexica. Proceed to After the Encounter.
AFTER TH E ENC OUNTER
Read the following aloud when the PCs encounter De
Alvarado:
Stepping over the mutilated bodies of dead Mexica,
you encounter a tall and handsome Spanish captain
with a shining cuirass. When he removes his plumed hel-
met, his blonde hair and beard, and his cold blue eyes,
unmistakably confirm his identity as Captain Pedro De
Alvarado, second in command to Cortés. Even after the
bloody carnage, he has lost none of his poise or arro-
gance, and greets you with the slightest raise of his eye-
brow. He takes a second to nail a Mexica survivor’s hand
to the ground with his sword, and smiles at you smugly
as the warrior screams.
‘Do I know thee, recruits? Am I to understand the
Captain thought I needed reinforcements?’
De Alvarado and his men chuckle at the remark, but
his inquiring gaze is dead serious as he tries to place
your faces and understand who you are.
De Alvarado intends to keep scouting the area, so he
doesn’t have much time for talking. He expects the PCs
to state their business of stop wasting his time.
ENC OUNTER 59 C ONVERSATI ON: A
MEETI NG OF MI NDS
De Alvarado doesn’t really want to talk to the PCs,
but curtly replies to their questions for a short while,
mostly to keep appearances.
■ If the PCs mention the lost gold, De Alvarado pre-
tends not to care, with an off-hand remark about the
soldiers’ gossip, and leaves to continue his scouting.

Sidebar: Secret of Un Takám
If the PCs talk to the Un Takám leader, or search
the abandoned camps, journals and old records in
The Thunder, they learn the following:
■ The Un Takám are a group of rebels and bandits
that fight to free Totonacapan from Mexica domi-
nation. They have conducted raids and guerrilla
warfare against the Mexica for years, from a hidden
base the Mexica haven’t been able to find.
■ This is the Un Takám’s long-hidden base. The
ancient city of The Thunder, thought lost to the
Totonaca for centuries, is now the headquarters of
their resistance. From here, the Un Takám spread
all across the Totonacapan, striking at Mexica forc-
es and running back here to hide.
■ Two years ago, a group of Un Takám raiders
stole a weird chest from Mexica tax collectors. It
didn’t resemble anything they had ever seen.
■ The raiders brought the chest to Maxkí, one
of the Un Takám leaders in charge of the Thunder
forces. She’s the one that faced the PCs earlier.
■ The Un Takám discovered the chest was locked;
it had never been opened, and they didn’t have the
key. So, Maxkí ordered the lock forced. But the Un
Takám were disappointed to see the chest contained
nothing but pebbles and broken seashells. Why had
anyone put such worthless cargo on such a won-
drous, locked container?
■ Time went on; the Un Takám forgot about the
weird coffer, and began using it to stash clothes and
other stuff. They even stole from the same tax col-
lectors a couple more times, as seasons passed.
■ But then, more than a year later, Chawaná, the
Un Takám spy in Cempoallan, reported that some
strangers, some foreigners with faces full of hair,
were in the city, asking about that strange coffer
and where it had been lost.
■ Worse still, these strangers gathered maps from
the Mexica in Cempoallan – maps that could be put
together to decipher The Thunder’s location.
■ According to the dates, this happened last year,
around the date of Velázquez’ second expedition in
search for his lost gold.
■ For a while, the Un Takám lived in fear, sure
that their hideout would be discovered. However,
conquista dor’s gold
no invading force, either hair-faced or Mexica, ever
came, and they again forgot about it… until now.
■ When Maxkí and the other leaders heard re-
ports of a large contingent of hair-faces settling
in Quiahuiztlán and visiting Lord Xicomecoatl in
Cempoallan, they feared; so they sent Chawaná to
contact these hair-faces, to see whether they were
dangerous, and if necessary use them against the
Mexica.
■ To rest easier, Maxkí sent the strange chest,
which had been empty for months, to Chawaná, with
orders to hide it… or destroy it.
■ Chawaná hid the chest in plain sight, disassem-
bling it and giving its parts as tribute when Cortés
visited Cempoallan and Xicomecoatl asked for vol-
unteers and materials to help the Spanish build
Vera Cruz.
■ Thus the Spanish carried the lost coffer back
with them, in the form of disassembled wooden
planks and construction materials. The lost Spanish
chest – or what’s left of it – has been part of Vera
Cruz itself for weeks now, and only Chawaná and
Maxkí knew it… until today.
■ Regarding the contents or the chest, of the fact
that it was supposed to contain Spanish gold, the Un
Takám honestly never knew or suspected anything.
They did think it was weird for such a chest to con-
tain only sand and seashells, but never saw the gold
or suspected its existence.
■ What actually happened to the 50,000 ducados,
or if they ever were inside that box, remains any-
one’s guess.
Once the PCs learn this story, make a note that
they now know the Secret of the Empty Chest.
229
 ■ If the PCs mention Doña Cristina, De Alvarado
speaks of her highly, and proudly acknowledges she is
his best soldier, ‘even better than my brother Gómez -
but be a sport and don’t tell him I said that’.
■ If there is a Contract on the PCs (as described in
the Unwanted Attention sidebar) and they mention the
attempts on their lives, De Alvarado feigns ignorance,
and wonders why he should care that some scouts have
enemies among the troop. This, however, secretly con-
firms the PCs’ identity to him, and he now knows with-
out a doubt that they’re Sandoval’s agents after the
treasure.
Ask the PCs to perform a Hard Charisma or Perception
Check (difficulty: 9(1)) to discover De Alvarado is lying;
but even if they succeed, he doesn’t admit it.
■ If the PCs confront Alvarado about the deaths
of Ahumada or Tax’kát, he obviously denies all
involvement.
‘I know I have been called a pox on our enemies, but
such a feat would seem to be beyond even my abilities…
for now!
At which all his men laugh, and Pedro looks half-
mockingly, half-menacingly at the PCs.
■ If the PCs ask about Cortés or De Alvarado himself,
he scoffs:
‘I am a man of action, not words. If thou wants to
know about me, follow the exploits, not the rumours.
Farewell!’
AFTER THE CONVERSATION
After a brief talk, De Alvarado leaves to continue his
scouting mission.
If the PCs wish to join De Alvarado’s mission, he al-
lows them to fly with his people, and participate in the
sacking of another Mexica outpost.
■ Create a fair encounter, using a combination of
Mexica characters and Totonaca Warriors.
De Alvarado doesn’t seem to mind that some of the
defenders are Totonaca; he is equally bloodthirsty
against everyone.
■ If there is a Contract on the PCs, add 2 levels to
the encounter, as several Totonaca Warriors on De
Alvarado’s payroll join the fight against the PCs, to
make it look like they died at the hands of natives.
■ If the PCs survive the battle, they can also confirm
that De Alvarado’s men take some natives apart for tor-
ture and ‘interrogation’. If the PCs want to know what
230
the interrogation is about, De Alvarado’s men take the
prisoners away and dismiss the PCs.
After the incursion, De Alvarado heads back to camp
with his men, this time forbidding the PCs from follow-
ing him. The PCs may explore the wilderness on their
own (Encounter 61), move on to Cempoallan if they
have the directions (Chapter II), or return to Vera Cruz
(go to Encounter 1).
Encounter 60: The Black Skull
Ambush
This encounter takes place if the PCs have directions
to the Black Skull Ambush and wish to move to stop it.
The ambush site is a hill pass near Quiahuiztlan,
where a troop of Diego de Ordás’ men is scheduled to
spend a few days scouting, according to the notes from
the Zapoteca and the Spanish traitor.
The trip to the site is less than an hour on dragon-
back, either from Vera Cruz or Cempoallan.
Read the following aloud as the PCs approach the am-
bush site:
You come to what clearly is a Spanish encampment.
There are about a dozen soldiers coming and going
around the area, including some scouts surrounding
the perimeter. A few of the soldiers signal you to land
your dragon.
If the PCs want to talk to the soldiers, they must land
their dragon and approach them. The soldiers’ leader,
one Lieutenant Landa, welcomes the PCs thinking they
are a relief troop.
■ If the PCs pretend to be a relief troop and allow the
soldiers to leave, they may take their place at the am-
bush site.
■ If the PCs tell Landa about the ambush, this worries
and alerts the whole troop.
Let the PCs plan their strategy. The ambush won’t
take place until one of two things happen:
1. The PCs wait at the ambush site until nightfall, or
2. The PCs leave the area with the soldiers, in which
case the ambushers attack them on the move.
When either of these conditions is met, read the fol-
lowing aloud:
As night falls, puffs of smoke begin appearing all
around you. Then, black clouds start forming above you,
and before you know it the sky is dark and you’re under
a heavy storm. You already think this cannot be a natu-
ral phenomenon, and then you notice the black smoke is

taking the shape of men – of Zapoteca warriors, appear-
ing out of the smoke like storm spirits.
There are dozens of Black Skull assassins surround-
ing the PCs. The PCs’ dragon, and any soldier NPCs ac-
companying them, are suddenly occupied with their
own attackers, leaving the PCs to face several attackers
on their own.
Create a fair encounter, using Assassins and a Teotl
Priest.
■ If the PCs survive the encounter and both Landa’s
soldiers and Captain Sandoval’s two dragon squads re-
main with them, they have defeated the ambush; pro-
ceed to After the Encounter.
■ Otherwise, the PCs must fight through another +2
encounter just like the previous one.
■ If the PCs survive the second encounter and are as-
sisted by either Landa’s soldiers or Captain Sandoval’s
dragon squads, they have defeated the ambush; pro-
ceed to After the Encounter.
■ Otherwise, the PCs must fight through a third fair
encounter, as there was nobody to help them against
the ambushers. If the PCs survive, they have finally de-
feated the ambush.
A F T E R T H E E N COU N TE R
If the PCs survive the ambush, alone or with NPC aid,
they may take their share of the assassins’ belongings
(50 gold each in jewellery and barter items for each of
the three encounters the PCs fought through).
The PCs also encounter further instructions from
the Zapoteca’s mysterious Spanish ally, indicating
they should make it look like the Totonaca killed the
soldiers.
If Lieutenant Landa is still with the PCs, he recognises
the handwriting in the notes – it’s from Don Francisco
De Montejo, one of Cortés right-hand men and the cur-
rent Mayor of the Vera Cruz outpost. The PCs now have
proof of Montejo’s Plot.
Once the PCs have dealt with the ambush, return to
the beginning of Chapter III to decide their next course
of action.
conquista dor’s gold
Encounter 61: Wandering the
Wilds
This encounter takes place only if the PCs wish to ex-
plore the Totonaca wilderness in search for adventure.
If you wish the PCs to have an encounter during their
exploration, pick one of the following encounters, or
draw a card to choose it randomly:
1. The PCs encounter some ancient Totonaca ruins.
If the PCs wish to land or rest in the ruins, ask
them to Perform a Hard Perception or Knowledge
Check (difficulty: 9(1)).
■ If the check succeeds, the PCs find ancient hi-
eroglyphs indicating the location of an ancient
Totonaca citadel.
■ If they wish to decipher the location, ask them
to Perform a second Hard Perception or Knowledge
Check (difficulty: 9(1)).
■ If the first check was successful with a posi-
tive consequence, or if the second check succeeds,
the PCs decipher the map, and realise the posi-
tions of the stars indicate the location of a lost
Totonaca city called ‘The Thunder’. The PCs have
gained Directions to the Thunder, if they didn’t
have them already.
The PCs may spend the night at the ruins with no
further trouble. Proceed to After the Encounter
2. The PCs encounter a swarm of giant bees, which
attack their dragon in flight. Create a +1 encoun-
ter using giant bee swarm. If the PCs survive, pro-
ceed to After the Encounter.
3. The PCs encounter Totonaca scouts hunting
across the area. If the PCs approach the Totonaca,
they greet them cordially, but prefer to contin-
ue on alone, as the PCs and their dragon are too
noisy for them to hunt anything effectively.
The Totonaca are good hunters, and have lots
of food to sell to the PCs in exchange for barter
items.
■ If the PCs attack the Totonaca, create a +1 en-
counter using Totonaca warriors. If the PCs use
their dragon in the fight, the Totonaca flee in
panic. If the PCs survive, proceed to After the
Encounter.
4. The PCs come to a river where they may land, rest
and refill their waterskins. If they do, they see a
man drowning, or at least his hand coming out of
the water; if the PCs approach, they discover it
was an Ahuizotl.
231
 ■ Create an encounter using an Ahuizotl. If the you pursue, that is not a lie’.
PCs survive, proceed to After the Encounter. That said, the Mixcoatl leaves without another
5. The PCs encounter a storm that batters their word.
dragon with wind and rain. Ask the dragon rider If the action fails, or if the PCs attack the mix-
to perform a Riding action against a TSE that coatl, create an encounter using a mixcoatl
plays 3 cards to fly the dragon safely through the dragon.
storm.
The PCs’ dragon may act and fight in this battle;
■ If the action succeeds, the dragon rider must the dragon rider can decide whether to act in her
perform a second Riding action against a TSE that turn or give her turn to the dragon, playing cards
plays 3 cards to safely cross the storm. and making combat choices in the dragon’s name.
■ If the second action succeeds, or the first ac- If the PCs survive the meeting, proceed to After
tion was successful with a positive consequence, the Encounter.
the PCs are safely out of the storm; proceed to
After the Encounter. AFTER TH E ENC OUNTER
■ If the action fails, the dragon is caught in the Once the PCs deal with the encounter, or if you de-
winds; every PC loses one health and they become cide not to put the PCs through an encounter right
lost in the storm. now, they may now rest, draw cards and try to regain
spirit. Then, they may continue their travels to the en-
■ The PCs must succeed at a Normal Perception
counter they were heading to originally.
or Survival Check (difficulty: 6(1)) to find their
way back to the beginning of Chapter III and de- If the PCs had no fixed destination before the encoun-
cide their next destination; if the check fails, they ter, return to the beginning of Chapter III to choose
are lost and must run Encounter 61 again before one.
finding their way again.
■ If the action is a failure with a negative conse-
quence, it counts as a normal failure, plus a light-
ning bolt lands on the dragon; all PCs must per-
form an Athletic or Riding action against a TSE
that plays 3 cards, losing health equal to the dif-
ference between final action values.
Once the PCs have experienced the consequenc-
es or success or failure, the storm abates, and you
may proceed to After the Encounter.
6. The PCs encounter a mixcoatl, a flying serpent, a
bit larger than their dragon but smaller than the
average local dragon. The beast hovers in front of
them, deciding whether to eat them or not.
If the PCs attempt to parley with the mixcoatl,
ask them to Perform a Charisma action against
a TSE that plays 3 cards. If the action succeeds,
the mixcoatl listens to the PCs’ words and then
leaves, amused at the bravery of these mortals.
If the PCs ask the mixcoatl about their mission
or the Totonaca lands, he just laughs at them and
says this:
‘You hair-faces are made of deceit. You deceive
each other, deceive yourselves. What you look for
is a deception, the clues you’ve been given are de-
ceptions. And each deceiver is being deceived in
turn. There isn’t a thing in your quest, in the goal

232

Scene 19:
the bat-
tle of tiza-
pancingO
Play this scene once the PCs have convinced
Xicomecoatl, the Cempoalteca lord ,to officially re-
quest Spanish military aid against the Mexica. The PCs
escort Xicomecoatl back to Vera Cruz, where both forc-
es prepare for a historic diplomatic meeting.
The trip to Vera Cruz requires about a full morning’s
journey; the convoy reaches the Spanish garrison by
midday. The PCs may fly or scout ahead to warn Cortés
of the coming of the Totonaca visitors.
In any event, Lord Xicomecoatl and his retinue find
the Spanish garrison ready to receive them, and the
leaders of both groups enact an official request for
aid, granting Cortés permission to intervene militarily
against the Mexica in Totonaca territory.
Read the following aloud after the Ceremony:
After a quick exchange of words and gifts, Cortés and
Xicomecoatl embrace and swear a temporary alliance.
Both Cortés and Malinalli, his mysterious witch-lover,
are all smiles and poise, but you can tell they are eager
to begin pillage incursions into the Western lands, which
this deal finally allows. With this, Cortés takes the first
solid step to beat Governor Velázquez to the treasures
of this land; now, truly, the conquest of the New World
has begun.
After the ceremony, Cortés orders half his soldiers and
captains, an elite force of foot mercenaries and dragon
riders as the Western World has rarely seen together, to
march West to the occupied city of Tizapancingo. You
and your patron, Captain De Sandoval, are part of this
company, and Cortés himself leads the march.
How strange it is, to be among Catholic soldiers
again. The smell of war, of dirt and horse sweat, the
clangour of steel, gun salutes and snare drums, plung-
ing you back to earth, after so many days in a strange
otherworld of serene music, demon-painted walls and
perfumed men.
conquista dor’s gold
For a moment, looking at the greed, the lust for plun-
der that peeks behind the grim purpose of Cortés’ cap-
tains and soldiers, you wonder if you’re doing the right
thing. But the flags with the symbol of Christ and the
Spanish crown still flap to the wind; the Lord still looks
down on you with His blessing.
What can be wrong?
The PCs have been chosen to march with the first
Spanish incursion into Mexica controlled territory, a
battle that History shall record as the prologue to a
long and bloody invasion.
If Montejo was arrested, Captain De Sandoval allows
the PCs to interrogate him if they haven’t done so al-
ready; he confesses he always was on Velázquez’ pock-
et, and did it all to become Adelantado of the Indies in-
stead of Velázquez or Cortés.
Otherwise, the PCs must ready themselves as they
wish; they may rest, draw cards and try to regain Spirit.
Once they’re ready to march with the troop, proceed to
Encounter 62.
Encounter 62: Dissidents
As the troop – just over four hundred soldiers in all
– prepares to leave, the PCs come across a small com-
motion in a corner of the garrison. It’s the corner as-
signed to Diego de Ordás and his men, which the PCs
may know from their first missions at Vera Cruz.
If the PCs approach the commotion, they find that
some soldiers are arguing, struggling and pushing oth-
ers out of the way, heading not to the Villa’s main exit,
but to the beach. They are loaded with baggage and
supplies for a sea journey.
One of the other soldiers tells the PCs that Friar Juan
Díaz, one of the garrison priests, has convinced a few
men to desert and turn back to Cuba. Cortés is already
on the other side of the Villa, beginning the march to
Cempoallan; the deserters expect to be off before he or
another official notices it.
■ If the PCs try to stop the deserters and talk to them,
Friar Juan Díaz confronts them angrily:
‘You can’t stop us! God is on our side!’
‘I know you, Captain Sandoval’s pampered favourites’.
‘Cortés promised this would be a raid of exploration
and pillage, not a long-term campaign for his own ag-
grandizement. Nobody signed up for this; you can’t be-
grudge these good christians for wanting to return to
their haciendas in Cuba’.
233
 If the PCs wish to convince the mutineers to stay, ask
them to perform a Charisma action, confronted by a
Christian missionary’s competent skill. Apply one ad-
vantage or one disadvantage to the action, depending
on whether the PCs use good or bad arguments.
If the PCs win the confrontation, the mutineers
grudgingly agree to stay and take part in the attack on
Tizapancingo. Mark that Juan Díaz stayed with Cortés,
and proceed to Encounter 63.
If the PC lose the confrontation, or let the deserters
leave unmolested, they continue their hurried prepa-
rations to set sail. Mark that Juan Díaz left for Cuba and
proceed to Encounter 63.
■ If the PCs run back to warn Cortés about the desert-
ers, they find Captain De Sandoval, who immediately
sends soldiers to stop the deserters and bring them to
Cortés. Cortés fines the deserters, taking one horse or
its value in coin from each of them, and forces them,
including Juan Díaz, to march with him ahead of the
troop. Mark that Juan Díaz stayed with Cortés, and run
Encounter 63.
■ If the PCs leave the matter be and join the
Tizapancingo advance force without saying any-
thing, mark that Juan Díaz left for Cuba, and move to
Encounter 63.
Encounter 63: The Path to Tiza-
pancingo
Read the following aloud to narrate the trip to
Tizapancingo:
The next morning, Cortés’ armed force, consisting of
400 Spanish soldiers plus a thousand Chontal mercenar-
ies, reaches the outskirts of Cempoallan, where thou-
sands of Totonaca warriors join your force.
Xicomecoatl himself marches ahead his troops,
bravely sitting in a canopied palanquin, followed by
his whole court of beautiful officials, each carried into
battle by six tameme porters. The Fat Chieftain salutes
Cortés, and they stop the march to exchange formal ad-
dresses and oaths; you watch from afar as they embrace
like old comrades and then turn to give the order to
advance.
And suddenly you and the Totonaca are all part of
the same formation.
It’s remarkable how different, yet similar, the mili-
tary organisations of both worlds are. The Chontal and
Totonaca go to war almost naked, with no mounted
force or dragons of any kind; they are also much more
contained and disciplined than your rowdy mercenary
234
unit, and they have a higher proportion of war priests
than a Christian army.
Yet you are alike in essence; all of these soldiers have
that look, the one that you have learned to recognise in
your long years of experience. Foot soldiers don’t under-
stand life as civilised, civlian people do. They don’t de-
lude themselves that anything is precious or irreplace-
able. They are all ready to die, willing to lay down their
lives in the name of the rites of their culture or the am-
bition of their leaders.
In this, New World soldiers resemble you more than
they resemble their own lords and families. The expend-
able troops of any nation are all a single class, and their
noble masters another one, regardless of language, faith
or culture.
The journey to Tizapancingo takes a little over two
days, due to the slow movement of infantry troops; even
dragon units like yours have to walk most of the time,
with permissions for dragon flight given only scarcely,
and only for brief reconaissance jaunts.
Her dragon is there. And she is on it, waiting her turn
to scout like everyone else. And you know she’s watching
you, though she doesn’t look in your direction.
Doña Cristina Díaz, Alvarado’s chief dragon rider.
‘That’s her’, says Captain De Sandoval, having spot-
ted Doña Cristina at the same time as you. ‘She and her
two friends, Pérez Negro and that creepy friar, are the
only other squad with knowledge of the Tizapancingo
maps. They know about you, and they know that you
know’.
Just then, the sentries give out a warning; native
scouts have spotted the outskirts of Tizapancingo.
Captain Sandoval’s expression hardens.
‘And here we are’.
‘As soon as the battle begins, as soon as our first
troops break into Tizapancingo, sneak the city and find
the maps. They’ ll try the same. Your job is to do it first’.
After this conversation, the PCs notice a gradual in-
crease in farmsteads and tilled land; they are approach-
ing the lands under Tizapancingo’s protectorate.
Let the PCs make any preparations they wish in the
eve of the battle; this is their last breath before their
mission begins.
When they are ready to continue, the PCs notice
that… wait, is that a battle? Have the attacks already
started? No.

Some soldiers, both Spanish and Totonaca, are at-
tacking the farms, setting fire to the thatched houses
and routing the terrified civilians.
■ If the PCs allow this to happen, assuming it’s an in-
evitable part of warfare, the troop marches on, ignor-
ing these incidents, and soon all the fields southeast
of Tizapancingo are burning from the raids of the ad-
vancing force; a warning of what’s coming to the city.
Proceed to Encounter 64.
■ If the PCs express any desire to stop the pillaging,
Captain De Sandoval agrees and heads out with a small
troop, including the PCs, to at least go look into the
matter. She yells for the raiders to stop, demanding an
explanation, and even kicks a Spanish soldier that was
trying to run away with two stolen chickens.
As Captain De Sandoval leads the troop among the
pillagers, freezing the Totonaca hearts as much as the
Spanish ones, the leader of the raid faces you: it’s Pedro
De Alvarado. He’s flanked by Doña Cristina and her
men, just like you’re escorting Captain De Sandoval. She
speaks first, barely reining in her anger.
‘Say Alvarado, is this how we teach Christian values
to the local populace?’
‘Why, Captain, I believe it is’.
‘The Captain ordered no Totonaca harmed. Not even
with the aid of other Totonaca’.
‘Aren’t you the friend of the disposessed, now? I must
warn you that it’s not fashionable anymore for smelly
soldiers to be canonised. You chose the wrong career
path’.
‘That must be why you wear more perfume than me,
Alvarado. But I’m not here to trade quips. Order your
men to stop and return what they’ve stolen. Right now’.
‘Or what, Captain De Sandoval?’
At this, Doña Cristina pulls out her estoc, and her
companions shift into a combat stance. She looks at you
intently, not bothering to hide that she’s dreamed about
this moment for a while now.
Captain De Sandoval reaches for her sword, but
doesn’t dare to answer Alvarado’s challenge right away.
He’s of a higher rank than her, and she started this fight;
Cortés might not like such dissension. Involuntarily, al-
most agains her will, she glances sideways at you.
As always, what happens next depends on the PCs’
actions.
■ If the PCs try to stop the confrontation, be it by in-
timidating or by pacifying Alvarado’s forces, ask them
conquista dor’s gold
to perform a Charisma action, confronted by Pedro De
Alvarado’s competent Skill.
If the PCs win the confrontation, everyone lets go of
their weapons, and Alvarado orders his men to return
to the ranks. If the PCs get a critical success, Alvarado
also orders the pillagers, both Totonaca and Spanish, to
return what they’ve stolen from the peasants.
Then, the voice of a man screams approval. Go to
After the Encounter.
■ If the PCs draw weapons, standing with their
Captain, Doña Cristina and her two companions leap at
the PCs immediately. Create an encounter using Doña
Cristina, Pérez Negro and Friar Cosmes. Captain De
Sandoval and Captain De Alvarado take no part in the
fight – they’re sword-dueling each other.
As soon as one of the PCs or one of the NPCs falls
down, be it traumatised or bleeding out, a roaring
order comes to stop the battle; proceed to After the
Encounter.
■ If the PCs tell Captain De Sandoval to turn back
and leave Alvarado alone, she agrees and lets go of her
weapon.
‘My loyalty to this expedition is greater than my need
to show you manners, Alvarado. And greater than yours’.
‘Yeah, yeah, you tell yourself that tonight, while you
keep praying that the Captain will notice you’.
As Sandoval and the PCs return to their place in
the troop, Alvarado’s men and many Totonaca, con-
tinue raiding the farms. They keep at it all the way to
Tizapancingo. Proceed to Encounter 64.
AFTER TH E ENC OUNTER
A sudden command stops everyone in their tracks.
It’s the Captain, Hernando Cortés himself, with
Cristóval de Olid and other lieutenants. The PCs can-
not see Cortés clearly, as they stand facing the sun; but
they can hear as he quickly and curtly demands the pil-
laging to stop.
‘Yeah, yeah’, spits Alvarado, ‘and you’ ll have your bi-
ographer write how generous you were, and how you
made us return every chicken. You hypocrite’.
Despite his defiance, Alvarado turns back and angrily
orders his men to stop the raids and return what they
stole.
Cortés just smiles with self-satisfaction, and turns
back to ride with his other captains. Sandoval rides be-
hind him, but she nods at you in silent thanks for your
support.
235
 Somebody else turns to look at you as she walks
away. Doña Cristina won’t forget this.
When you form rank again, Cortés is already ha-
ranguing the troop. You cannot make out all the words,
but you notice something to the effect that if any sol-
dier, Spanish or Totonaca, is caught pillaging or stealing,
it shall mean they were using this ‘righteous attack’ as
an ‘excuse to rob and kill’. He also says something like
‘traitors to the Expedition and myself ’, and that traitors
shall be put to death.
You also notice he hadn’t said anything before
Sandoval intervened.
And so the encounter ends.
Let the PCs draw cards if they need it during the last
stretch of the journey; a few hours later, the troop fi-
nally reaches Tizapancingo.
Run Encounter 64.
Encounter 64: The Battle
Read the following when the trip continues:
As Tizapancingo, a large city with the Totonaca-style
pyramids and structures the PCs are now faimilar with,
comes into view, a group of envoys comes to meet your
army. Sandoval has you march to the front, so you’ ll be
on hand whatever happens.
Xicomecoatl, the Totonaca Lord, advances to meet
these envoys; Cortés and his witch, Malinalli, come right
behind. You listen to their words from a distance,
The diplomats come from Tizapancingo. They’re ask-
ing for mercy.
It turns out the Mexica garrison retreated from the
city when they saw the Totonaca forces approaching;
Tizapancingo is defenceless. The three envoys, crying
and pleading, ask why do Cortés and Xicomecoatl wish
to harm them, to harm their people.
The people of Tizapancingo are willing to offer trib-
ute for their lives, but they beg the invading army to
turn back, to leave their city be.
Cortés nods gravely and confers with Malinalli.
Xicomecoatl believes it’s ‘a ruse by the cowardly
Tizapancinca’, to save their Mexica masters; Alvarado
demands the army attacks even if the story is true,
claiming that ‘the Mexica will come to us then’. Behind
him, Doña Cristina and her men are already on dragon-
back, just waiting for a signal. Sandoval orders you to
do the same.
Then Cortés summons his captains, including
236
Alvarado and Sandoval, to gather and discuss the situ-
ation. Alvarado commands both your group and Doña
Cristina’s to join them, not willing to take his eyes off
you.
The PCs are witness to a serious debate between the
captains of the Spanish Expedition.
Cortés does not wish to be seen as the butcher of
harmless citizens, but he doesn’t want to turn back af-
ter having come so far into native territory. He believes
the army should take possession of the city and accept
whatever tribute they are offering.
Captain De Sandoval, however, thinks the army
should not squander its strength if they are no Mexica
to fight; she suggests leaving them alone. Cristóval De
Olid agrees, but he insists the army should accept the
tribute first.
Malinalli thinks entering the city is a deathtrap, and
the Mexica and their allies must be laying in ambush;
Xicomecoatl was not invited to this conference, but he
said the same thing earlier.
Alvarado thinks the army should just attack the city
and let God sort out the survivors; Doña Cristina, with-
out waiting to be asked for her opinion, backs Alvarado’s
proposal. This is rude of her, for sure, but it opens the
door for you to intervene if you wish.
Here, the PCs have a chance to give their opinion in a
discussion that may alter the course of history.
■ If the PCs say nothing, or support Cortés’ propos-
al, Sandoval changes her vote to enter the city as well,
and Cristóval De olid joins the initiative to outvote
Alvarado. The Spanish army will take Tizapancingo
peacefully, and accept tribute from its locals. Proceed
to After the Encounter.
■ If the PCs agree with Olid and Sandoval that the
army should leave Tizapancingo alone and retreat,
Cortés grudgingly sees wisdom in this plan, but agrees
to ask the locals for tribute. Proceed to After the
Encounter.
■ If the PCs back Alvarado and Malinalli in making a
preemptive strike against the city, Sandoval looks at
them in stunned surprise, and Doña Cristina smiles as
if she had beaten the PCs at something. Cortés yields,
or pretends to yield, to the majority, and orders an at-
tack on Tizapancingo.
As the trumpets blare the attack signal and the ter-
rified Totonaca envoys run back to the city to prepare
the defence, Sandoval, disappointed in the PCs and
‘hoping they knew what they were doing back there’,
orders them to break rank at the first opportunity and
search for the House of Records and the lost maps.

Alvarado looks intently at Doña Cristina – her orders
are the same. The race to find the maps is on.
Before the PCs can break rank to look for the House of
Records, they must take part in the first engagements,
as Cortés’ army thunders into Tizapancingo, crashing
and burning everything down.
Create a +1 encounter, using Totonaca Warriors. As
the PCs are riding their dragon, neither side can use
close-combat weapons or attacks. The dragon takes no
part in the encounter, as it’s busy setting fire to houses
and other ground troops.
If the PCs survive the encounter, ask them to Perform
a Stealth action, confronted by a TSE that plays 3 cards,
to slip past the main battle and enter the city. If at least
one PC succeeds on the action, they find a way out of
the battle and into the city; proceed to Encounter 65.
If the action fails, create another fair encounter as
detailed above, allowing the PCs another action, con-
fronted by another TSE that plays 3 cards, after the en-
counter. Repeat this until the PCs successfully break
from the main battle (proceed to Encounter 65) or die.
A F T E R T H E E N COU N TE R
Once it’s decided that Cortés’ army will spare the city
of Tizapancingo, the PCs’ role depends on exactly what
was decided during the meeting with Cortés’ captains.
■ If the army entered Tizapancingo, the locals cower
and spit before their conquerors, but they don’t attack.
Now, while Cortés and Olid meet with the city lead-
ers and make inventory of the city treasury, Sandoval
and Alvarado signal their respective teams to search
Tizapancingo for the maps.
The race is on. Proceed to Encounter 65.
■ If the army turned back without entering
Tizapancingo, Cortés and Olid demand the tribute of-
fered in return for peace. Here, the PCs may think of
asking the city envoys to include the Mexica maps with
the tribute; if they don’t, Captain De Sandoval suggests
it anyway, but award the PCs 5 extra experience points
if they come up with the idea first.
When the Totonaca envoys arrive with the Mexica
maps, Sandoval asks for the maps and gives them to
the PCs, asking them to leave right away to find the lost
gold. The PCs now have Directions to The Thunder, and
are ready for their last mission.
Proceed to Scene 17.
conquista dor’s gold
Encounter 65: The Race
The PC must fly through the city of Tizapancingo and
find the Hall of Records before Doña Cristina and her
men do.
Ask the PCs to perform a Riding action, confronted by
a TSE that plays 2 cards. The PCs gain 1 advantage if the
city is currently under attack.
If all PCs lose the confrontation, Doña Cristina’s group
reaches the Hall of Records first; proceed to After the
Encounter.
If at least one PC wins the confrontation, they have
found the Tizapancingo Hall of Records; they must now
reach it before Doña Cristina does.
Ask the PCs to perform an Athletics, Riding or
Survival action, confronted by a TSE that plays 3 cards.
The PCs gain one advantage if they obtained a posi-
tive consequence in the previous action, plus one ad-
vantage if they defeated any member of Doña Cristina’s
group during Encounter 63.
If all PCs lose the confrontation, they find Doña
Cristina’s group leaving the Hall with the maps; pro-
ceed to After the Encounter.
If at least one PC wins the confrontation, they have
reached the Hall of Records before Doña Cristina. They
cannot land their dragon in their street, so they have
to ask it to wait for them outside the city while they
enter the building.
If the Spanish entered the city peacefully, the
Totonaca guards protecting the hall allow the PCs to
pass; proceed to Encounter 65 Conversation.
If the city is currently under attack, create a -2 en-
counter, using Totonaca guards. If the PCs survive the
encounter, they may enter the Hall of Records now.
Proceed to Encounter 65 Conversation.
ENC OUNTER 65 C ONVERSATI ON
The Hall of Records of Tizapancingo, like all Mexica
architecture, is a beautiful stone building with colour-
fully decorated walls. The tlacuilomeh librarians are
intimidated by the PCs, but still demand they spare the
records and documents in the hall.
■ If the PCs attack the librarians, they offer no resist-
ance and are easily killed; the PCs may now search for
the maps.
■ If the PCs ask for the maps to The Thunder, the li-
brarians tell them they have no such thing, as they
don’t know the package from the Cempoallan tlacuilo
237
contained such maps; however, they let the PCs search
for the maps.
■ If the PCs ask for some maps the tlacuilo of
Cempoallan sent here, the librarians do know which
maps the PCs are talking about, and gladly give them
to the PCs. Proceed to After the Encounter.
■ If the PCs push the librarians aside, or promise not
to harm the records, they may search for the maps on
their own.
If the PCs search for the maps of The Thunder, ask
them to perform a Perception or Knowledge action,
confronted by a TSE that plays 3 cards. The PCs gain
one advantage if they saw the tlacuilo’s other maps
during Encounter 25, plus one advantage if they ob-
tained a positive consequence in the action to find the
library. They suffer one disadvantage if they attacked
the librarians, plus one disadvantage if they attacked
the entrance guards.
If the PCs win the confrontation, they find the maps;
they now have Directions to The Thunder.
Proceed to After the Encounter.
A FT E R T H E E N COU N TE R
What happens after the encounter depends on wheth-
er the PCs won or lost the race to the Thunder maps.
■ If the PCs found the Hall of Records before Doña
Cristina, she intercepts them as they are leaving the
building. Create an encounter using Doña Cristina Díaz,
Pérez Negro and Friar Cosmes. If any of the three was
defeated or killed during Encounter 63, they don’t ap-
pear in this battle.
If the PCs have directions to the Thunder, they may
disengage at any time by succeeding on an Athletics
or Stealth action, confronted by Doña Cristina’s
Competent Skill. If they succeed, they have escaped the
fight with the maps.
■ If the PCs found the Hall of Records, but Doña
Cristina got there first, it’s the PCs that intercept Doña
Cristina as she is leaving the building, after both teams
have dispatched their dragons to the city outskirts.
Create an encounter using Doña Cristina Díaz, Pérez
Negro and Friar Cosmes. If any of the three was defeat-
ed or killed during Encounter 63, they don’t appear in
this battle.
Since Doña Cristina’s team already has the maps, they
escape the fight if the PCs fail to damage them during
the first round. Ask the PCs to perform an Athletics
action, confronted by Doña Cristina (or her surviving
companion)’s Competent Skill. If the PCs win the con-
238
frontation, they may finish the battle; otherwise, their
enemies have escaped with the maps.
■ If the PCs failed to even find the Hall of Records,
they spot Doña Cristina’s dragon leaving the city, and
must now give chase.
Create an encounter using Doña Cristina Díaz, Pérez
Negro and Friar Cosmes. If any of the three was defeat-
ed or killed during Encounter 63, they don’t appear in
this battle. Both teams’ dragons take part in the bat-
tle, and attack each other on their own turns as their
human riders fight among themselves.
Since Doña Cristina’s team already has the maps,
they escape the fight if the PCs fail to damage them
during the first round. Ask the dragonrider PC to per-
form a Riding action, confronted by Doña Cristina (or
her surviving companion)’s Competent Skill. If the PC
wins the confrontation, they overtake their enemies
and may finish the battle; otherwise, their enemies
have escaped with the maps.
After the fight, if the PCs defeated Doña Cristina or
escaped with the map, they now have Directions to
The Thunder if they didn’t already. They may return
to Captain Sandoval, who immediately asks them to fly
in search of the place in the maps; proceed to Scene 17.
If Doña Cristina’s team escaped with the map,
the PCs must return to Captain De Sandoval empty-
handed; their mission has failed. Proceed to Scene 20.
Scene 20:
the enD
Several days later, you are drinking with Captain De
Sandoval, sharing the most recent news after the lost
gold fiasco.
Let the PCs lead the conversation as they wish; the
Captain’s comments and answers depend on what the
PCs did during the adventure.
■ If the PCs did NOT take the Mexica Side during their
reports in Scene 15, Cortés is currently in Cempoallan,
trying to impose Christian faith among the Totonaca.
‘There are precious little news; the Captain is still
at Cempoallan, bringing down their idols and trying to
force the locals into The Faith. You know, the usual’.
‘But the last time he was here, he had a letter writ-
ten to the Kings of Spain. Aye, and he sent Hernández
 conquista dor’s gold

Portocarrero with that letter, along with some of the the Captain’s case. But I don’t like it. He’s as likely to
gifts we got from the Mexica and Totonaca’. betray the Captain as he is to pretend loyalty for some
ulterior motive’.
‘Well, this should prove that the Captain is truly do-
ing the Crown a service with this campaign, whatever ‘Oh, I bet my swords that, as soon as they set foot in
Velázquez wants to claim’. Cuba, Montejo will go to Velázquez and convince him to
send more captains against Cortés. Or worse, he will ask
■ If the PCs took the Mexica Side during their reports
for Velázquez support and then ask the King himself to
in Scene 15, De Sandoval is now the last Spanish officer
appoint him ruler of the New World, with a whole fleet
remaining in Vera Cruz.
just for him… Mark my words, that man will be trouble
‘Affairs go as well as could be expected, thank the later on’.
Lord. Running this outpost is both a lot more work than
■ If Scene 19 took place, the Totonaca are ambivalent
I could have imagined, and much easier than I feared’.
about the Spanish.
‘Oh, the Mexica sent a few soldiers to help us keep
‘Nothing else, nothing else… The Totonaca have kept
the embassy safe. Have you seen them? Disciplined peo-
control of Tizapancingo. The Mexica tried to return, but
ple, they are. They look brave’.
the locals routed them with extreme prejudice. We will
‘The Captain sends his regards, by the way; his mes- have to watch that city closely’.
sengers had little else to say, as he and Alvarado are
‘We still have the support of Xicomecoatl’s army;
busy retaking the Santa María outpost. I did tell you the
we can now advance into Mexica lands whenever we
Yok’atán took it back, didn’t I? Bah, surely Cortés and
like. But I think the Totonaca are still stung about the
Alvarado have reconquered it as we speak. Those two
Captain burning their idols and demanding they worship
men could have taken the Mexica Empire on their own,
the Holy Virgin’.
I tell you’.
‘I’m mostly ashamed for you, who went to all that
‘No, I prefer to be at peace with the Mexica. I feel bad
trouble to prove that we weren’t the ones defacing their
about our Totonaca hosts – they had such hopes on us-
idols, only to have the Captain wreck them right to
ing us to gain their freedom – but such are the fortunes
Xicomecoatl’s face. That’s spreading the Word for you’.
of war, and the ways of God our Lord’.
‘Don’t get me wrong, I’m as good a Christian as any.
‘I guess if Father Díaz hadn’t returned to Cuba with
But I think this world would be much more peaceful if
the rest of Velázquez’ partidaries, we’ d be spreading the
we weren’t forced to observe such rituals, such zeal… ah,
Word of God among the locals; for now, it’s enough to
don’t mind me. I’m just a soldier, what do I know’.
have our own church. Conversion will come when the
Captain returns from Yok’atán’. ■ If the PCs killed Chawaná or the Un Takám agents at
Scene 18, there have been some attacks…
■ If the PCs brought proof of Montejo’s Plot, Captain
De Sandoval goes on to tell he was arrested and sent ‘Well, there’s somethign that worries me, to be hon-
away. est. The Totonaca are… less tolerant of us than they used
to. If we’re going to cross their lands, we should do it
‘But we also sent Montejo in chains aboard that boat.
soon. They grow more hostile with every week. Soon
That’s what eases my mind the most; mark my words,
they won’t ever allow us into their lands anymore, much
that man was the greatest danger to our Captain and
less march with us against the Mexica… or anywhere
our quest’.
else’.
‘Left to his own devices, he would have become
‘I don’t know… it’s like some anti-Christian faction
Adelantado, as he called himself among the locals, and
was gaining influence behind them, instigating the
surely stolen all the credit and rewards due our own ef-
Totonaca rulers against us’.
forts, by my Faith’.
■ If the PCs ended in good terms with the Un Takám
‘Now he’s out of favour with Spain, out of favour
and did NOT take the Mexica Side, the Spanish have
with Velázquez and out of our hair, thank the Lord. No,
new allies…
not the Lord – thanks to you. Cheers to that’.
‘A few Totonaca men and woman came to my tent,
■ If the PCs did not bring proof of Montejo’s Plot,
claiming to be ambassadors of some lord’s coalition.
Captain De Sandoval finishes by telling Montejo was
They have offered their intelligence services in our war
aboard that ship too.
against the Mexica’.
‘Montejo volunteered to go as well, to help defend
‘We haven’t yet marched against the Mexica, and

239
 conquista dor’s gold

already these agents have been incredibly useful, pro- soldier this Díaz… Well, he told me a story’.
viding us with maps and schedules of the Mexica troops’
‘Oh, he didn’t know anything about the fate of the
movements. We may yet conquer these lands’.
lost chest… he had believed it was lost to the indians,
■ If the PCs killed Doña Cristina Díaz, Alvarado has just like everyone else’.
become an enemy of the PCs.
‘But he knew about the chest before that’.
‘Captain De Alvarado has not forgiven you for the
‘This Díaz, he… you have to swear you won’t share
death of his best dragon rider, mind you’.
this with anyone, soldiers. On your lives’.
‘Oh, I don’t think he begrudges you her life. No, he’s
‘Díaz, he told me… He told me that another Captain,
mad that you beat her, that you made him lose the race
one that didn’t work for either Montejo or Velázquez,
for the lost gold. He will get back at you because you
paid him. Paid Díaz to switch the contents of the chest,
made him look like a fool. But he will get back at you,
before it ever left Cuba’.
soon as he can. Be… be careful, all right?’
‘Yes. If Díaz is to be believed, and I’m not saying he is
■ If the PCs failed to kill Doña Cristina Díaz, she is the
to be believed, but if he is, the chest came here, but the
one that has sworn vengeance against the PCs.
50,000 ducados never left Cuba’.
‘You should watch your back against Doña Cristina,
‘And Montejo never knew this; not even Velázquez,
by the way’.
who always kept the key of the chest to himself – why,
‘I can keep her away from you while in the garrison, he may still have it hanging from his neck for all we
but… keep a sharp eye when you’re out, that’s all I shall know. They never had any idea that the chest’s contents
say’. had been switched by the time Montejo took it onboard
during the first trip’.
‘Well, I guess she will never forgive your meddling
into that lost gold business’. ‘Of course Díaz, didn’t tell me who the other Captain
was, the man who paid him to switch the gold. But… well,
■ If the PCs failed to learn the Secret of the Empty
he must have been a hidalgo, someone that was in Cuba
Chest, De Sandoval considers it all a failure.
and knew about the expedition. Someone that suddenly,
‘There I go, reminding you of all that. My apologies’. overnight, had enough money to hire men and afford his
own expedition, regardless of whether Velázquez backed
‘No, it’s just that… I don’t hold it against you, all right?
it or not… A man that, when everyone else was looking
God knows it was a damn long shot, trying to find a sin-
for the gold, did not care that much about it. Because
gle gold chest in a whole New World. If it even existed’.
he’ d have spent it all already. A man that, aware of it all,
‘Never mind. Perhaps this will be a step forward for cheated everyone else’.
us. A small step, toward focusing less on gold chests and
‘…But why speculate? We may never know’.
more on… oh, you know… not being assholes to each
other’. ‘You can look for Díaz and ask him for the whole
story. His full name was something Bernardo… Bernal?
‘Yeah, for most of us, this entire new continent is
Bernal Díaz Del something. Perhaps he made it all up;
nothing but a stash of gold chests. I may be going against
he’s quite good at telling a tale. But who knows, maybe
custom, here… but… I don’t know, all right? I don’t know
he will tell you who his mysterious captain was’.
why. But I am glad that we failed to find it. I am’.
■ If the PCs learned the Secret of the Empty Chest,
‘Oh, by the way… on another subject entirely… the
she has her own secret to share. Captain, our Captain, asked me to give you his apologies’.

‘Ha ha, I just love how it all turned out’. ‘No, he did not say why. I thought you would know’.

‘Yeah, isn’t that hilarious? The chest never had any However, Sandoval’s expression suggests that she
gold at all! HA!’ knows.

‘Oh, and… uh… well, I have something to tell you’.

‘There was a soldier, name of Díaz, I think... A soldier
that worked for Velázquez, that later came aboard the
second expedition, and is now among Cortés’ personal
troops’.
‘This… this is for your ears only, all right? But this

240
 t h e n e w daw n

Drakkar warrior

NpcS LEVEL 2

skills
INIT IAT IV E 6

C OMPETENT 6 (2)
MED IOC R E 5 (2)

NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS attacks

( N P C S ) are characters controlled MELEE Rea c h 3, c o nc ussi v e 4

by the GM. They are the key to many
stories, and they can be friends, foes,
or simply neutral. They can be as sim-
ple or as complex as the GM wants: health 6 thr eshold 2

she is in charge of developing their SOFT A R MOUR 2

backstories, if they need them. While HA R D A R MOUR 1

with many NPCs most interactions abilities

will consist of talking or trading, oth-
ers might perform actions and engage
in confrontations.
SHIELD 3: ACTION (Melee): Uses this action
against a Shooting action that targets him, gains
one advantage. If he is successful, he cancels
up to 3 of that damage. REACTION: If he loses a
confrontation against an attack by up to 3 points,
he cancels up to 3 of that damage. Limited to 3

P
times per Scene (in total, between the action and
the reaction).
LE AS E , S E E D C A ’ S Core Book for the rules to use
NPCs and the stats of common NPCs. The New CHARGE: REACTION: After performing a running
Dawn campaigns introduce some new NPCs, some com- action, if an enemy is within Melee range, it can
mon (e.g. Drakkar warrior) and some named NPCs (e.g. automatically perform an attack against him, if
Doña Cristina). These have been specially introduced successful, it will deal one additional damage.
for this campaigns in particular, but feel free to use Having already performed an action does not
them however you want. cause Exhaustion for this additional action.
The New Dawn campaigns introduce the following
new common NPCs: Drakkar warrior, Drakkar bersek-
er, Michintecatl, Tentacle beast, Totonaca warrior, Un
Takam agent, Un Takam leader, and Giant Bee swarm.
And, the following named characters: Doña Cristina,
Perez Negro, Frier Cosmes, Sister Kana, Chawana, and
Xtakat Luwa.

SIZE: NOR MA L ‡ TYPE: HUMA NO ID

BEHA VIOUR : A GGR ESSIVE ‡ LA NGUA GES: O N E
NA TIVE LA NGUA GE
MOVEMENT: 1 0 METR ES
SPEC IA L SENSES: NONE
R ESOUR C E: 1 x LEA THER SHIELD

241
 Drakkar berseker Michintecatl
LE V E L 2 I N I T I A T IVE 6 LEVEL 2 INITIAT IV E 4

skills skills
COM PE TE N T 6 (2 ) C OMPETENT 4 (2)
ME D I OC R E 5 (2 ) MED IOC R E 4 (1)

attacks attacks

ME L E E R e a c h 4 , p i erc i n g 5 MELEE Rea c h 2, v eno mo us 2 2

health 6 thr eshold 3 health 4 thr eshold 2

SO FT AR M O UR 2 SOFT A R MOUR
HAR D AR M O UR HA R D A R MOUR 2

abilities abilities

BERSEKER: Cannot suffer extra damage as a
positive consequence of an attack against him.
CHARGE: REACTION: After performing a running
action, if an enemy is within Melee range, it can
automatically perform an attack against him, if
successful, it will deal one additional damage.
Having already performed an action does not
cause Exhaustion for this additional action.
WATER-ONLY CREATURE: It can move on water
at regular speed. If both the michintecatl and
its target are submerged or partially submerged
in water, the teomichin gains one advantage
towards physical actions. It cannot survive
outside water for longer than one minute and it
suffers one disadvantage during that time.
MICHINTECATL VENOM: REACTION: After being
affected by this venom, you cannot breath in
open air, but you can breath underwater. The
venom’s effect disappear after 48/Xh, where X is
the character’s Threshold, alternatively, it can be
cured with a magical Medical action.

S I ZE : N O RMA L ‡ T Y PE : H U MA N O I D
B E H AV I OUR : A G G RE S S I V E ‡ L A N G U A G E S : ONE
NATIVE LANGUAGE
M OV E M E N T : 1 0 M E T RE S
S PEC I A L S E N S E S : N O N E
R E S OUR C E : 1 x T W O - H A N D E D BA T T L E A X E
SIZE: NOR MA L ‡ TYPE: HUMA NOID
BEHA VIOUR : A GGR ESSIVE ‡ LA NGUA GES: N O N E
MOVEMENT: 1 0 METER S
SPEC IA L SENSES: UND ER W A TER BR EA THER (AN Y)
R ESOUR C E: x -

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Tentacle beast Doña Cristina

LE V E L 4 I N I T I A TIVE 9 LEVEL 4 INIT IAT IV E 5

skills skills
C OM PE TE N T 2 (2 ) C OMPETENT 9 (3)
M E D I OC R E 1 (1 ) MED IOC R E 6 (2)

attacks attacks

M E L E E R e a c h 3 , g rappl e 2 MELEE Rea c h 3, pi erc i ng 3+

MELEE Rea c h 6 3

health 6 thr eshold - health 8 thr eshold 2

S O FT AR M O UR SOFT A R MOUR 1
H AR D AR M O U R HA R D A R MOUR 3

abilities abilities

It cannot suffer exhaustion and it has got 8 DRAGON RIDER: It rides an adult mediterranean
tentacles. Each tentacle attacks and suffers dragon.
damage independently, but they move and suffer
CALM KILLER: Gains one advantage when
other effects as a unit (such as fear and venom).
attacking a Spent character or when attacking by
After a tentacle performs an action, reduce the
surprise.
beast’s Initiative by one until the end of the
Round. After a tentacle dies, reduce the beast’s STEALTHY: Gains one advantage towards Stealth
Initiative by one forever. and Perception.
WATER-ONLY CREATURE: It can move on water
at regular speed. If both the tentacle beast and
its target are submerged or partially submerged
in water, the tentacle beastgains one advantage
towards physical actions. It cannot survive
outside water for longer than one minute and it
suffers one disadvantage during that time.

SIZE: NOR MA L ‡ TYPE: HUMA NO ID

S I ZE: L A RG E ‡ T Y PE : BE A S T BEHA VIOUR : A GGR ESSIVE ‡ LA NGUA G ES: O N E
B E H AV I O UR : C A U T I O U S ‡ L A N G U A G E S : NONE EUR OPEA N LA NGUA GE
MO V E ME N T : 1 2 M E T E RS MOVEMENT: 1 0 METR ES
S PE C I AL S E N S E S : U N DE RW A T E R BRE A T H ER (A NY) SPEC IA L SENSES: NONE
RE S O U RC E : 8 x A N I MA L R ESOUR C E: 1 x C ONQUISTA D OR ’ S SWO RD

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 Perez Negro Frier Cosmes
LE V E L 4 I N I T I A T IVE 7 LEVEL 3 INITIAT IV E 3

skills skills
COM PE TE N T 6 (4 ) C OMPETENT 8 (2)
ME D I OC R E 5 (2 ) MED IOC R E 5 (2)

attacks attacks

ME L E E R e a c h 4 , p i erc i n g 2+ MELEE Rea c h 2, c o nc ussi v e 3

RA N G E D R e a c h 1 0 , s eco n d a ry w ea p o n , pi er c i n g, 2+

health 7 thr eshold 2 health 7 thr eshold 2

SO FT AR M O UR 1 SOFT A R MOUR 2
HAR D AR M O UR 2 HA R D A R MOUR

abilities abilities

DAGGER: REACTION: After dealing Melee damage, MAGIC RESISTANCE 1

deal another instance of 2 damage.
SPELLCASTER 8: It knows the Patmos and Seven
PISTOLS: This weapon’s range is only 20 metres, Seals Scriptures of magic and has 8 Spirit.
but it can be shoot in Melee range, gaining one
TORTURER: Gains one advantage to obtain
advantage (this allows you to counteract Melee
information through torture.
attacks with Shooting). He carries two and it
would take him two actions to reload one. CALM KILLER: Gains one advantage when
attacking a Spent character or when attacking by
DUELIST INSTINCT: INSTANT: During a Melee
surprise.
confrontation force your opponent to play his
next card or pass, even if he has a higher action
value. Limited to once per confrontation.
FIRST BLOOD: REACTION: After damaging a
character for the first time during a Scene, if that
character was not part of a Formation, he suffers
Fear.
CALM KILLER: Gains one advantage when
attacking a Spent character or when attacking by
surprise.

S I ZE : N O RMA L ‡ T Y PE : H U MA N O I D SIZE: NOR MA L ‡ TYPE: HUMA NOID

B E H AV I O UR : C U N N I N G ‡ L A N G U A G E S : ONE BEHA VIOUR : A GGR ESSIVE ‡ LA NGUA GES: O N E
E U RO PE A N L A N G U A G E EUR OPEA N LA NGUA GE
M OV E M E N T : 1 2 M E T RE S MOVEMENT: 1 0 METR ES
S PEC I A L S E N S E S : N O N E SPEC IA L SENSES: NONE
R E S OURC E : 1 x DU E L I S T S W O RD R ESOUR C E: 1 x MA GIC OR NA MENT

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Sister Kana Chawana

LEVEL 4 I N I T I A TIVE 3 LEVEL 3 INITIAT IV E 4

skills skills
C O M PE TE N T 8 (3 ) C OMPETENT 8 (3)
MEDIOCRE 5 (1 ) MED IOC R E 5 (1)

attacks attacks

M E LE E R e a c h 6 2 MELEE Rea c h 1, pi erc i ng, v eno mo us 5 2+

R A NGED Rea c h 10, sec o nda ry wea po n, pi e rcin g 2+

health 7 thr eshold 2 health 5 thr eshold 1

S OFT AR M O UR 1 SOFT A R MOUR 1
H AR D AR M OU R HA R D A R MOUR

abilities abilities

MAGIC RESISTANCE 2 DAGGER: REACTION: After dealing Melee damage,

SPELLCASTER 12: It knows the Nahualotl, Tonalli,
Titici, Tlachixqui, Xihuitl, and Necrophagic
schools of magic and has 12 Spirit.
WEATHER PRIEST: He is unaffected by his own
Spells.
deal another instance of 2 damage.
STEALTHY: Gains one advantage towards Stealth
and Perception.
CAMOUFLAGE: It gains one advantage towards
Stealth.
BLINDNESS VENOM: REACTION: After being
affected by this venom, suffer blindness. Its
antidote is the cuetlayochiti plant, which can be
obtained as a forestry resource in Anahuac.

S I ZE : N O RMA L ‡ T Y PE : H U MA N O I D SIZE: NOR MA L ‡ TYPE: HUMA NOID

B E H AV I OUR : C A U T I O U S ‡ L A N G U A G E S : THR EE BEHA VIOUR : C UNNING ‡ LA NGUA GES: TWO N AT IV E
NATIVE LANGUAGES LA NGUA GE
M O V E ME N T : 1 0 M E T RE S MOVEMENT: 1 2 METR ES
S PE C I A L S E N S E S : N O N E SPEC IA L SENSES: NONE
R E S O URC E : 1 x M A G I C O RN A M E N T R ESOUR C E: 1 x C A MOUFLA GE C AP E

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 Xtakat Luwa Totonaca warrior
LE V E L 3 I N I T I A T IVE 8 LEVEL 2 INITIAT IV E 3

skills skills
CO M PE TE N T 3 (3 ) C OMPETENT 6 (2)
ME D I O C R E 2 (1 ) MED IOC R E 5 (2)

attacks attacks

ME LE E R e a c h 2 4 MELEE Rea c h 6 2
ME LE E R e a c h 5 2

health 6 thr eshold 2 health 5 thr eshold 2

SOFT AR M O UR SOFT A R MOUR 2
HAR D AR M OUR 2 HA R D A R MOUR

abilities abilities

LONG JUMPS: It can jump up to 15 meters
forwards or up to 5 meters upwards.
CAMOUFLAGE: It gains one advantage towards
Stealth.
SHIELD 3: ACTION (Melee): Uses this action
against a Shooting action that targets him, gains
one advantage. If he is successful, he cancels
up to 3 of that damage. REACTION: If he loses a
confrontation against an attack by up to 3 points,
he cancels up to 3 of that damage. Limited to 3
times per Scene (in total, between the action and
the reaction).
RANK SOLDIER: Gains one advantage towards
Discipline while in a Formation.
SHIELDWALL: He does not become Spent after
using the defensive stance action. REACTION:
After an adjacent member of his Formation is
the target of an attack, he can benefit from the
protection of this shield. This effect stacks with
any Protection he may gain from his own shield.
It stacks.

SIZE: NOR MA L ‡ TYPE: HUMA NOID

S I ZE : S MA L L ‡ T Y P E : DRA G O N BEHA VIOUR : A GGR ESSIVE ‡ LA NGUA GES: O N E
B E H AV I O UR : AG G RE S S I V E ‡ L A N G U A G E S : NONE NA TIVE LA NGUA GE
M OV E ME N T : 1 5 M E T E RS MOVEMENT: 1 0 METR ES
S PE C I A L S E N S E S : N O N E SPEC IA L SENSES: NONE
R E S O U RC E : 2 x A N I MA L R ESOUR C E: 1 x STONE SPEA R

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Un Takam agent Un Takám leader

LEVEL 2 I N I T I ATIVE 4 LEVEL 3 INIT IAT IV E 6

skills skills
C O M PE TE N T 2 (3 ) C OMPETENT 6 (3)
MEDIOCRE 3 (1 ) MED IOC R E 3 (2)

attacks attacks

M E LE E R e a c h 2 , c o n cu s s i ve 3 MELEE Rea c h 2, c o nc ussi v e 3

R AN G E D R a n g e 1 0 , ra d i u s 3 , f i r e, f l ames 2 2+ R A NGED Ra nge 10, ra di us 3, fi re, fla mes 2 2+

health thr eshold health thr eshold

SO FT AR M O UR SOFT A R MOUR
HAR D AR M O U R HA R D A R MOUR

abilities
SMOKE BOMB: ACTION: Throws a smoke bomb to
the ground in front of himself, then he gains two
advantages towards a Stealth action to escape the
scene or hide close by. Requires to be done in a
busy area, allowing him to move out of the cloud
undetected. Limited to once per Scene.
abilities
SMOKE BOMBS: ACTION: Throws a smoke bomb
to the ground in front of himself, then he gains
two advantages towards a Stealth action to
escape the scene or hide close by. Requires to be
done in a busy area, allowing him to move out of
the cloud undetected. Limited to once per Round.

S I ZE : N O RMA L ‡ T Y PE : H U MA N O I D SIZE: NOR MA L ‡ TYPE: HUMA NOID

B E H AV I OUR : A G G RE S S I V E ‡ L A N G U A G E S: ONE BEHA VIOUR : A GGR ESSIVE ‡ LA NGUA G ES: T WO
NATIVE LANGUAGE NA TIVE LA NGUA GES
M O V E ME N T : 1 1 M E T RE S MOVEMENT: 1 2 METR ES
S PE C I A L S E N S E S : N O N E SPEC IA L SENSES: NONE
R E S O U RC E : 1 x Q U A U H O L O L L I R ESOUR C E: 1 x QUA UHOLOLL I

247
 Giant bee swarm Assassin
LE V E L 4 I N I T I A T I VE 5 LEVEL 3 INITIAT IV E 7

skills skills
COM PE TE N T 1 (3 ) C OMPETENT 8 (3)
ME D I OC R E 1 (0 ) MED IOC R E 5 (1)

attacks attacks

ME L E E R e a c h 8 X MELEE Rea c h 2, pi erc i ng 2+

R A NGED Rea c h 10, sec o nda ry wea po n, pi ercin g 2+

health 8 thr eshold - health 5 thr eshold 2

SO FT AR M O UR SOFT A R MOUR 1
HAR D AR M O UR HA R D A R MOUR

abilities abilities
Non-fire attacks can only deal it one damage. It DAGGER: REACTION: After dealing Melee damage,
does not gain Exhaustion and it can perform one deal another instance of 2 damage.
attack against each character within its Melee
STEALTHY: Gains one advantage towards Stealth
range.
and Perception.
After successfully attacking, it deals as much
CALM KILLER: Gains one advantage when
damage as the action value difference between
attacking a Spent character or when attacking by
itself and its opponent.
surprise.
FLYER: It can fly. While flying and even if it is
FIRST BLOOD: REACTION: After damaging a
already Spent, it can perform one free movement
character for the first time during a Scene, if he
action that won’t make it Spent. REACTION: After
was not part of a Formation, he suffers Fear.
declaring an attack while flying, it increases its
reach by 2.

SIZE: NOR MA L ‡ TYPE: HUMA NOID

S I ZE : L A RG E ‡ T Y PE : S W A RM BEHA VIOUR : C UNNING ‡ LA NGUA GES: TWO N AT IV E
B E H AV I O UR : AG G RE S S I V E ‡ L A N G U A G E S : NONE LA NGUA GE
M OV E ME N T : 1 2 M E T E RS MOVEMENT: 1 2 METR ES
S PEC I A L S E N S E S : N O N E SPEC IA L SENSES: NONE
R E S O U RC E : 1 x A N I MA L R ESOUR C E: 1 x ITZTLI K NIFE

248