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• Civilization: Aztec - Unique Unit: Jaguar - replaces Swordsman
• Leader: Montezuma
• Difficulty: Prince
• Map size: Large
• Map Script: Great Plains (radically modified)
• Climate: Temperate
• Starting Era: Ancient
• Speed: Normal
• Options: All huts removed, Aggressive AI, No Barbarian Generation
• Rivals: 4 AIs
• Victory conditions: All enabled
• Submissions due by April 1, 2011
  PLEASE NOTE THE DATE.

C-IV Gotm LXIV:
Mexican Mulligan

Prologue.

It had been many generations since the gods first spoke to Axolóhua’s people and sent them in search of the fertile and productive land of their destiny. They had traversed blistering desserts and suffered life in sweltering, feverish jungles. Now, at last, they had seen signs that they were close to the sacred site that had been prophesied.

Axolóhua stepped out of the forest and walked to the edge of a lake, his eyes scanning the sky. Then his gaze fell on the center of the lake, where he saw a rocky crag of an island. On the island was a prickly pear cactus. Perched on the cactus was a golden eagle. Grasped in the eagle’s talons was a writhing serpent. This was the foretold scene that would mark the site.

Axolóhua ran into the lake, threw his arms upwards, and shouted to the heavens, “Oh, great Tlālōquê, I have seen your sign! At last our search is over. I do not know how, Tlālōquê, but by my blood and by the blood of my ancestors, I swear to you: Here, upon this lake, my people will settle. We will build our homes on rafts or drain the waters by hand, if we must!”

The golden eagle shrieked, and Axolóhua lowered his gaze. The bird was now silent. The serpent no longer squirmed, but swung its head up calmly to meet Axolóhua’s eyes, and in a raspy hissing voice it said, “Don’t be so literal. You need not settle right in the middle of the lake! Anywhere along the shore will do.”

Axolóhua stood in shock, then cupped his hands and dribbled water onto his overheating scalp.

Now the eagle cocked its head and cried: “Listen closely! Far across the big water, beyond any shore you have ever glimpsed, is a land of tribes that are great in power and in knowledge. I have seen the future. These tribes intend to invade this sacred land. I have seen your people’s glory turned to ruin and seen their blood spilled in the name of a false and foreign god. You are warned, now you must prepare.”

Axolóhua bowed to the eagle and the serpent, and said, “I will carry your warning. I will see that our warriors sharpen their blades and prepare for glorious battle. Let these infidel invaders come. We will slit their throats and eat their hearts and . . .”

The skies suddenly darkened, and lightening flashed. “Heed me!” interrupted the cactus. “I break divine law with every word I utter. Do you think gods deign speak with ephemeral men just to invoke their belligerent bluster?! The forces that will come are nothing like Cópil's sling throwers or the Colhuas warriors you have faced. These men will glisten with armor stronger than stone, they shackle themselves to massive four-legged beasts that obey their every command, and they wield rods of fire and thunder that can strike down a man from a distance too great to hear his cry. They will think of you as inferior beings and will not hesitate to slaughter you mercilessly. You, too, must be merciless . . . and cunning. From this moment, every step your people take must be in anticipation. See as I see!”

Then a vision came to Axolóhua : Moving across the water, no land within sight, was a great canoe. It was as long as a tree’s trunk and many times as thick. The canoe seemed to be tethered to the clouds themselves. Its bulk was cutting powerfully through the waves, and Axolóhua understood where it was heading.

The vision lifted. Axolóhua saw the cactus, but the eagle and serpent were gone. Trembling, he turned back toward the shore and ran to spread the news, both good and bad, to the Aztec people.

Setup.

In this game of the month, you play as the Aztecs and are charged with preserving the glory of Central America and preventing one of history’s greatest cultural destructions. You begin with a technological disadvantage, but, fortunately, your conflict is not directly with the nations of Europe, only with their colonists. They bring with them superior knowledge (Monarchy, Compass, and Theology being the most advanced), but not the technology to build the galleons in which they sail to the new world or the weapons the original colonizers wield.

The AI is set to aggressive, and, although the game is set to “No Barbarians”, the surrounding jungles and forests are home to vicious tribesmen and melanistic jaguars from the very beginning.

Notes: The pelagic panther you will find when you load the game is dysfunctional, except as a means of revealing Axolóhua’s vision (only a few turns’ sail from your shores). You will need to delete him to avoid paying maintenance. Also, please overlook the historical anomaly of a 4,000BC start, and imagine that the cows are really bison, the sheep are llamas, alpacas, or vicunas, and the bananas represent generic jungle fruit.

Montezuma is Aggressive and Spiritual; starting with Mysticism and Hunting. The Aggressive trait grants Free Promotion to Combat1 for Melee and Gunpowder units and allows double production speed of Barracks and Drydock. The Spiritual trait provides No Anarchy during civic changes and double production speed of Temples.

Your Unique unit is the Jaguar, replacing Swordsmen. The Jaguar has a strength of 5, instead of 6, and its special abilities include +10% City Attack and +25% Jungle defense. It requires Iron Working to build, but does not need the Iron resource to build it.