Teotlticlan

Most foreigners tend to believe that the people of Cipactli are primitive, even barbaric. The villages they might see by the coast don't do much to dissuade them of that notion. Still, if these people could see the scale and ingenuity in the construction of the holy city of Teotlticlan, they might have a far different opinion.

Demographics

The majority of the population of Teotlticlan is human, and this margin is even wider than it is in other parts of Cipactli. The next highest population are the serpentine yuan-ti, but the population of the feline tabaxi is almost as large. Unlike other places in Covenant, Teotlticlan recieves very few visitors of any kind.

Government

Teotlticlan is the holy city of the emperor, and as such is ruled directly by the emperor. This ruler governs with absolute authority, and power is usually passed in a hereditary fashion from father to son. Failing that, the priesthood of Huitzilopochtli determines internally who the throne is passed to.
The day-to-day operation of the city is largely the responsibility of the church of Huitzilopochtli. The priests create laws and plan events, and they have a relatively small cadre of warriors that enforce these laws. Few challenge these warriors, more because they represent Huitzilopochtli than because of their martial might.

Defences

The holy city was very much not designed for defense. Indeed, no one among the Cipactlins would dare attack them because of the sacrilege of such an act. Very few foreigners would have a reason to attack, and those that did would have to travel through miles of swamp and jungle protected by the Cipactlin people to do so.
Even if they did find their way here, the terrain makes attacking the city even more difficult. Teotlticlan is connected to the surrounding land via bridges made of reeds and woven branches. These can be easily destroyed to stop invasion if need be. Also, the city is home to the most powerful mages and priests on the island.

Industry & Trade

On a basic level, Teotlticlan is the trade center of Cipactlin society. While they don't trade with outsiders, Cipactlin communities do barter with one another. Due to is central location and religious significance, Teotlticlan is a natural location to barter between them.
In addition, the people of Teotlticlan can grow a surprising number of crops to support the city's population. They do this using specially constructed rafts covered in topsoil that crops are planted in. With these, they can grow any crops they can further inland, such as beans, corn, or berries.

Infrastructure

Teotlticlan is a very uniquely designed city. It is constructed primarily in a swamp, making many of its thoroughfares canals rather than traditional roadways. There are very few places with a similar layout, the Polisian city-state of Pasedonis being one of these few such places.
The inner city is mostly built around the Sun Temple, a massive step pyramid that serves as a temple to Huitzilopochtli. Sacrifices in the Festival of Earth and Sun are done on top of this pyramid. The imperial palace and the homes of the priests are also in this part of town.
The outer city is the location where most of the city's people and services are found. While the Cipactlins are not generally traders, there are markets where goods are brought in from nearby villages and are bartered between each other. This is also where most of the city's people reside.

History

It is said that when Huitzilopochtli first brought his people back to Cipactli, they had no home. According to legend, it is said that they swore they would settle wherever the sun god would give them a sign, an eagle eating a snake while resting on a cactus. Unfortunately for the early Cipactlins, they saw this sign in the middle of a swamp.
Sure enough, the Cipactlins were as good as their word. It wasn't easy, but they managed to create a city unlike any other, built around a temple to Huitzilopochtli, himself. As the place was deeply sacred, the city quickly grew into the thriving center of life on the island.
The city saw the rise and fall of one emperor after another. The greatest event of note in all of Cipactli was a conspiracy of the followers of Tezcatlipoca, many of them werejaguars, to take over the island. Most of the efforts of the hero Citlali to track them down were well away from the city.
Still, she eventually managed to track the heart of the conspiracy to Teotlticlan. The priest directly under the high priest of Huitzilopochtli was, in fact, the hierophant of Tezcatlipoca. He and Citlali battled at the summit of the sun temple in the dark of night. Citlali was victorious, effectively ending the conspiracy in its tracks and saving the city.

Architecture

There are two sides of the city with very distinctive styles of architecture. The outer city is far more like other parts of Cipactli, with most buildings being made of piled stones with thatched roofs, usually of a concial shape. The doors are often little more than simple cloth curtains.
The inner city has far larger and grander structures. The most important of these are temples, but there are also palaces here. These are made of large stones cut in such a way that they can fit together so perfectly that they can keep out even wind and rain. These are large, multi-leveled structures, often with vast courtyards.

Type

City

Population

Approx. 25,000

Inhabitant Demonym

Teotlticlin

Owning Organization

Cipactli