Due to climate, the general population tends to be shorter than the average colonizer with dark skin, hair and eyes. Exceptions exist and may be treated as gods-blessed or cursed. Local cultures are often polytheistic and laden with superstitions that are rooted in religious beliefs. The region moving outward from Verre Zon has a high magical saturation, making magics and religious superstitions a part of daily life.
There is a higher population of shifter species in the region due to overall utility. Local warfare relies heavily upon fear, making creatures that can shift into dangerous animals sought after. Much of the armour is spelled to create the illusion of animals as well. Many of the gods correlate with animals or natural elements, causing the locals to maintain a degree of fear and respect when dealing with the natural world. The gods are called upon constantly but are known to be fickle in their response.
Because of the higher magical saturation of the general region, most species are more magically imbued. Many of the world's fae originate here and there is a higher likelihood of a child being born with inherent magical gifts.
Cultural Ramifications
The failure to colonize the region resulted in a standoff between the conflicting interests. Natives to the area were incapable of wiping out their colonizing foes due to lower magical saturation along the edges of their lands. With warfare that relies heavily on enchantments and godly intervention, this lesser saturation weakened their offensive abilities and gave Verre Zon a competitive edge along the borders.
Verre Zon was unable to push deeper inside of the territory they wished to claim without enlisting the aid of native cultures. These treaties are forged through a mutual trust which must be earned over years, and each new treaty gained also guarantees a spot on the city Conclave once the tribe surrenders its lands to Verre Zon. Because of this process Verre Zon's colonizing majority is wary of allowing native tribes to join the city in its bid for expansion. A new treaty is ratified on average once every four years, causing expansion to continue at a slow pace. As Verre Zon creeps into the neighboring lands it opens itself up to attacks from more capable enemy armies.
This process translates into an unavoidable inequality within the Conclave. Colonies birthed from more familiar homelands are given clearer paths to land grants and Conclave representation, while native cultures wait longer for the same privileges.
One of the larger kingdoms within the region is formed by the Ameyatl people. This kingdom is the primary source of resistence to efforts of expansion as well as the reason other native cultures are willing to align with Verre Zon. The Ameyatl are brutal to their surrounding enemies, using prisoners gained from warfare as sacrificial subjects in honor of their own gods. Many of the surrounding cultures have realized the benefits of aligning with a newer imposing force in order to fight back against their native oppressors and are slowly taking advantage of these connections.
The Ameyatl
"If these people are the source of all life, there is no mercy in this world." Brijonne Cervalle upon witnessing an Ameyatl sacrificial ritual
"Ameyatl" is a derivitive of an Ameyatl word meaning "source." The Ameyatl believe themselves the source of all developed society within the world. This lends a certain arrogance to some of their dealings with surrounding peoples and in particular with non-native colonizers, who they consider inferior by virtue of distilled ancestry. The original Ameyatl people are hard to determine due to a massive influx of different cultures and even species over years of expansion, however there is a class divide among non-humans and humans which places the more powerful non-human creatures higher in the ranks of society. This suggests a possible non-human origin to the civilization, or could be a simple reflection of a warrior society which values the strong above the weak.
They are brutal to their surrounding enemies, using prisoners gained from warfare as sacrificial subjects in honor of their own gods. They are a fiercely expansionist society which forces population growth through conquering of neighboring cultures. This vigorous warfare supplies a steady stream of slave labour, lower working class and cultural integration.
Religion is woven through the daily life of the Ameyatl, dictating personal habits ranging from which god to offer certain supplications to what crops to grow in specific areas. Superstitions guide much of the culture's activities and the people believe in unjust and exacting gods who deliver swift punishment to those who displease them.
Cities are built around a primary temple which will rise as the highest structure. The pyramids adhere to the following construction: the four sides are lined with steps leading to a large flat platform which circles the pyramid head. On each side a large altar stretches across the majority of the platform to allow for multiple ceremonies at once. In the center of the platform is the final stone structure, a solid platform rising above the pyramid and topped with gilded chairs upon which gods may sit to observe the ceremonies and related festivities.
The Ameyatl are led by a Tahtli who serves both as the high priest of their religion and the head of state dictating the gods' commands to their people. The Tahtli is followed in ranking by Piyas, who serve as priests and politicians throughout the Ameyatl peoples. These representatives divide their studies between religious dogma and political necessity, relaying any messages from the gods to the people while striving to preserve the society they serve.
The introduction to different political structures through conquered peoples as well as newly arrived colonizers has inspired some of the Ameyatl to try and construct a political latticework of their own, though the struggle is slow due to deistic interference. Some within the Conclave are in the process of attempting to exploit this bid for cultural power among the Ameyatl, offering backend political and financial support to those who wish to rise up against the status quo.
Ameyatl At War:
First and perhaps the most important feature about Ameyatl warriors; there are lots of them. In every major armed conflict between Verre Zon and the Ameyatl, and the vast majority of Flower Wars or minor raids, the Ameyatl troops have easily outnumbered the forces of the city, and seem to take the casualties in stride.
This is assisted by their education system. The Ameyatl city-states provide education to all children, which includes basic military training, providing a huge pool of potential warriors to recruit from.
A common assumption is that the Ameyatl fight like any other native tribe. It is partially true, as they mostly fight with bronze or obsidian weaponry and cotton armour. Major differences are the level of organisation, and more access to magic for battle.
Pikes formations have been tried out since meeting the colonists, a few Ameyatl lengthening their spears, but it has proven unpopular because the relative lack of metal armour means fewer are willing to sacrifice the protection of a shield. Only the Ameyatl elite have access to bronze or whalebone strips they can attach to portions of their cotton padding.
Magic includes those warriors 'closer to the gods', usually referring to powerful non-humans. One warrior-cult (the Jaguar Sons) are known to bestow the gift of the Nahual on their members, which for this cult is the ability to transform into a jaguar. Small Ameyatl parties may be covered by cloaking spells that disguise them as groups of animals, which has made the people of Verre Zon more suspicious of animal gatherings.
For larger forces, an infamous Ameyatl 'war machine' is the tzompantli – a rack of skulls of sacrificial victims – transported on a wheeled platform. At the command of one of the Piyas (priests), the skulls can unleash their spirits to cause havoc amongst the enemy, usually causing hallucinations or bouts of possession which shatter discipline and morale. It is known that Ameyatl warriors escape the effects of the tzompantli by means of magical bracelets which mark them as friend. These bracelets are highly prized by the soldiers of Verre Zon.
Steel equipment is extremely rare amongst the Ameyatl, limited only to that scavenged off battlefields or is traded. Trade is limited, as the Conclave strictly forbids the sale of steel weapons and armour to the Ameyatl or non-subject tribes. Not that it stops everyone.
Verre Zon does have frequent bloody clashes with Ameyatl armies, but this is not the same thing as outright war.
Flower Wars:
The situation between Verre Zon and the Ameyatl is not outright war, nor is it peaceful trade. Instead, it is a partly ritual combination with cultural significance for both the Ameyatl and Verre Zon. Which is more than what many attempted colonies have managed to achieve.
For the Ameyatl, the purpose of the Flower War is to capture prisoners for sacrifice. Some of the Ameyatl gods demand specifically prisoners of war for sacrifice, so when the Ameyatl city-states are running low on captives they will launch a bloody campaign with the goal of taking prisoners. For Verre Zon these Flower Wars are the main source of expanding their borders, as most of the tribes or settlements that joined the colony did so for Verre Zon's protection against the Ameyatl raids.
For the individual warrior, this is an opportunity for wealth and social mobility. This is true for both Ameyatl and colonist soldiers. While the Ameyatl warrior may gain glory and status for taking sacrifices in the campaign, careers are made for colonist soldiers due to a daring rescue or stalwart defence in a Flower War. For an artillery strike to destroy a tzompantli is an instant promotion for the engineer and a medal for most of the crew.
The Conclave has agents, often merchants, who report the prisoner-of-war counts in Ameyatl city-states they visit. The information is more or less common knowledge, and strangers asking about it are not considered suspicious.
Flower Wars are smaller than serious attempts at conquest, usually involving the resources of only one city-state. However, they have no military objectives other than taking captives for sacrifice, so Verre Zon must spread its forces thin to defend its territory, meaning the defending force is usually smaller as well.
