Acamazoc - Macahuitl

History

Acamazoc was a great warrior of the Mexica (the Aztecs) who lived in Tenochtitlan, their glorious capital which stood on the site of present-day Mexico City. He was an Eagle Knight, one of the foremost warriors of his people, and his skill with the macahuitl, the obsidian-edged sword-club, was unsurpassed even among his fellow knights.
Sometime in the late fifteenth century, before the Aztec Empire fell to European invaders, Acamazoc was leading a party of warriors in pursuit of a small band of demons known as the Tzitzimime — gruesome creatures who came from “beyond the stars” and preyed upon the poor farmers who toiled in the shadows of the city. The trail led them to a deep cave in the middle of a starless night. There the Tzitzimime ambushed the Eagle Knights, slaying all of them except for Acamazoc. Seeing several of their number fall before the warrior’s great blade, they retreated farther into the cave; Acamazoc, blinded by bloodlust and thoughts of revenge, pursued.
But this particular underground passage didn’t just lead deeper into the earth — it contained a portal to Mictlan, the underworld, and soon Acamazoc was hopelessly lost. He traveled on foot through the mysterious lands, encountering and fighting many strange beasts and creatures, and exhaustion began at last to weigh on his body. He slumped heavily to the ground and prayed to Mixcoatl, patron of hunters and warriors, to see that the Evening Star would guide him to safety.
“A guide you seek, brave warrior? Why, when you have found your destination?”
Acamazoc looked up, startled, and saw a skeletal old man standing before him with a disturbing smile. At once Acamazoc knew he was in the presence of Mictlantehcutli, Lord of the Underworld, and that he spoke the truth. “Am I dead, then? Is this all that remains for me?”
“No, child. You do not belong here. Your path will at last lead you back to the world above. The Mexica still need your protection — indeed, they face far worse threats now than ever you defended them from before. I shall give you gifts to serve you and guide you.” And with that Mictlantehcutli presented Acamazoc with a beautiful new macahuitl to replace the battle-battered one he was carrying, and a new shield depicting the sun and draped with feathers. Lastly he gestured with his bony hands and whistled. An eagle flew down from the shadows above and landed on Acamazoc’s shoulder, gripping it with strong talons.
“Timin will guide you back to the lands above. There you will find much to be done — wrongs to be righted and innocents to protect. But beware — your journey has been much longer than you thought, and the world has seen the passing of many cycles. Go... and remember, when your journey is finally over, you shall see me again.” The god and his kingdom faded into darkness, and when Acamazoc’s eyes cleared he was back in the cave he’d first chased the demons into.
Mictlantehcutli was certainly right about the world changing. When he first saw the modern metropolis Tenochtitlan had become, he was almost overwhelmed with fear at the noise, the dirty air, the sheer size and chaos of it. But his warrior’s soul would not shirk from a challenge, and Timin (a nagual, a nature spirit who served the gods) promised to teach him the skills he would need to survive, starting with the new language the Mexica now spoke. Over the next several years, Acamazoc became well known to the people of Mexico City as Macahuitl; he protected them not just from criminals, but creatures like werewolves, vampires, and the Cihuateteo, skeletal spirits of women who died in childbirth who try to steal living children and spread madness.
When the Tzitzimime returned from the stars to prey on the city again in 1994, Macahuitl allied with Los Defensores to fight them off, and was invited to join the team. In 2000 he discovered too late that many of his teammates had become corrupt, seduced by the easy money available from criminals in exchange for ignoring their transgressions. Disgusted and betrayed, he turned his back on his former allies and returned to his solo career as defender of Mexico City, vowing never again to allow others to take advantage of his naiveté.

Recent History

Macahuitl was present during the 2010 battle to recapture Mount Popocatepetl from the Tlamanih government. He was strongly adverse when the Mexican government enlisted the aid of Eclipsar and was just outside Tlamanih City during the Displacement.
Now, he fervently fights crime and supernatural creatures near Neo Tlamanih and New Mexico City, in the hopes of finding redemption for fighting alongside Eclipar.

Personality/Motivation

Early in his career Macahuitl was a classic “fish out of water” — it took him years to adjust to life in the twentieth century. His great pride, which makes it hard for him to admit when he doesn’t understand something or makes a mistake, didn’t help matters. Only the guidance of Timin, plus the help of his teammates in Los Defensores, allowed him to acclimate as well as he has. He still sees many of the traits he admired in his own people in their descendants, and he has accepted that many ideas he once took for granted (like the appropriateness of killing his enemies) have changed in this new world. But he maintains a black-and-white world view — there’s good and evil, and the first must be protected while the latter is destroyed. He prefers battling demons and monsters to facing moral complexities.
Macahuitl felt greatly betrayed by the actions of the Defensores, which he never quite grasped — while many of their actions didn’t “feel” right to him, there was still a great deal about the modern day he didn’t understand. Learning that what they did was in fact criminal has left him highly unlikely to trust anyone else’s judgment before his own.

Powers/Tactics

Macahuitl is a powerful warrior whose body and weapons have been infused with the magic of Mictlan, land of the dead. He can sense supernatural evil, and his physical form has been enhanced to “low superhuman” levels. His greatest weapon is the bladed club he takes his name from, a flat wooden club with sharpened pieces of obsidian protruding from either side. Not only does it do tremendous damage in his mighty hands, it’s been charmed to disrupt magical effects with its very touch. He can use his shield both to block and deflect incoming attacks, and as a weapon to bash with or throw. His spirit-eagle Timin remains ever at his side, providing both tactical advice and spiritual guidance.
Macahuitl is first and foremost a warrior who defends the weak and helpless and acts as an example of courage and commitment. He never retreats, never surrenders, and generally believes the only way out is through — he can be hardheadedly stubborn and is extremely difficult to dissuade once he’s begun a mission.

Appearance

Macahuitl is an Aztec, with brown skin and long, black hair; he stands 6’3” tall and weighs over 200 pounds. He wears dark brown padded cloth armor highlighted with golden bands, and a helmet shaped like an eagle’s head (his unprotected face peers out through the open beak). He brandishes a nasty-looking oversized macahuitl (an Aztec “sword” consisting of a wooden club with razor-sharp pieces of obsidian inserted on the sides) and a circular shield about two feet in diameter, with an Aztec “sun” symbol on the pelt stretched across the wooden frame. His boots are stylized to look like eagle talons, and his muscular arms and lower legs are bare.