Otomitl
by hughpierre
Purpose / Function
The primary purpose of the Otomitl is to be a sanctuary for the elite Otomies to retreat between battles, to train in warfare tactics and perform sacred rituals.
Design
Raised Platform
In its first half decade, Otomitl was nothing more than a landscaping project to change the natural swamp land into a rising mound from which sentries have easy line of sight over the surrounding agricultural chinampas. The new ground was reinforced with wood pilings driven into the sun-hardening muck and upon which the first permanent homes for the fledgling Sang were built.Three Level Building
As more chinampas were built and land reclaimed from the lake, the wood and brick homes were demolished and recycled into the exterior of the old platform. The top was then releveled and a single rectangular complex was constructed to become the first 'great' temple of the still vassalized Sang. During this time, the Temple to Yeiteotl served as a court palace, a site of noble gatherings and contained the ruler's apartments. This would continue to be so until the earthquake of Ōlīn brought its roof down and collapsed two floors.Raised Range
Responsibility of overseeing its remains and rebuilding fell to the Otōntin military order.Not much was really done to remake the Yeiteotl Temple. It took 50 years to clear the rubble which several Otomi used to either strengthen the mound itself or put up smaller buildings atop it.The otomies specialize in ranged combat and as a result demand their campus to have sufficient practice space for bows, javelins, darts and atlatls.
Entries
Encased Stairs
Before the quake collapsed its roof, the first grand staircase had begun below the Cuepopan water level to double as a docking place. It was completely covered like it were a tunnel to make it hard to find and even harder to assault. With better city water management and campan expansion, this feature became redundant. As such, the moat that used to surround the mound was drained and a secondary staircase was laid over the first into a straight and open model like a smaller grand case to that of Cuachic.Sensory & Appearance
Lighting
Openings in the walls and roofs allow streams of sunlight during the day and moonlight during the night.There was no artistic purpose for this: it is simply the result of decades of neglect.
Facade
Great care was once afforded the entire site at otomitl. From its artificial elevation, to the main temple, to the smaller offshoot buildings around it; the complex received a fresh coat of plaster and paint every year to make it so colourful, as to rival the glass shines in Ocumtit. Such vanities were unsustainable for their early economy, however, so less and less attention was given over until only crudely patterned murals would be seen painted across crumbling walls.Denizens
Students/ Noble Recruits
It has become custom to allow those still in school, free time to wander and interact with those who reside inside.Otōntin
Otomies are warriors ranked as Cuauhocelotl who had committed to being long range support to the infantry.Otomi
The head of the Otomi Order, a general of the Sang army and defacto member of the emperor's Council of Four.Alterations
Raised Roof
When the building, that would one day be called Otomitl, was in the second stage of its upgrade, 16 sandstone pillars made of 20 sections each stacked on top each other without using the Queen's Method. The design of the temple roof is not well-remembered, cept that it laid in pieces on the temple floor for many years.The sand pillars, however, remain standing to this day; holding up nothing. Being exposed as they are, erosion has dusted their surface exterior which makes it show its age and brittleness.
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