Chitza-Atlan
| Chitza-Atlan | |
|---|---|
 The sacred offspring of Chitza-Atlan, from the fourth edition reboot. | |
| Names and titles | |
| Title(s): | Guardian of the Gateway to the Underworld |
| General information | |
| Portfolio: | Centaurs, Guarding the Underworld, the Dead |
| Home: | ParallelMaterial Plane |
| Alignment: | Lawful evil |
| Gender: | Male |
| Superior: | Ometeotl |
| Rules items | |
| Domains: | Evil, Law, Pestilence, Protection, Repose |
| Divine rank: | Demigod |
Chitza-Atlan is the demigod who guards the gates of the underworld in Olman myth. His symbol is a mummified centaur.
Description
Chitza-Atlan himself has not been described, although his "sacred offspring," which is encountered in The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan, is a centaur (though a mummy in that encounter).
Relationships
Nothing official has been said of Chitza-Atlan's relationships with other deities. As the guardian of the underworld, presumedly he has some kind of arrangement with Mictlantecuhtli.
Realm
According to Legends & Lore (1990), the Aztecs, whose gods are often also Olman gods, believe in a "world above" and a "world below." The world below is the home of the dead.
In Deities & Demigods (1980), all Central American deities dwell on a parallel Material Plane. In The Scarlet Brotherhood (1999), the Olman deities were originally worshipped on another prime material plane[1], while the FAQ for that book (originally available on the TSR website)[2] suggests they still dwell there.
Worshippers
Chitza-Atlan, a god of Olman origins, is worshipped by both Olman humans and by centaurs.
Clergy
Olman priests, if they are like the Central American priests described in Deities & Demigods (1980), are the elite of their people, and even the lowliest priest has absolute authority over any peasants. must choose a direction to pray to at the beginning of their careers. Clerics of the east wear red, clerics of the south wear yellow, clerics of the west wear black, and clerics of the north wear white.
Temples
Olman temples are usually step pyramids with entrances at the bottom corresponding to the four points of a compass. In The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan, the chamber dedicated to Chitza-Atlan is filled with treasures and guarded by a mummified centaur tasked both to prevent any but the dead from entering the other chambers of the temple and to prevent any of the creatures from within the temple from getting out.
Rituals and holy days
Rituals to the Olman deities are typically performed every 20 days, corresponding to the various "signs" of the divinatory calendar. Each sign was ruled by a different deity. Sacrifices may take many forms, depending on the god. The public is required to attend every ritual, held at the temple of the appropriate god.
Creative origins
Chitza-Atlan was originally mentioned in The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan, although he was not explicitly referred to as a deity there. He next appeared in the Living Greyhawk Official Listing of Deities for Use in the Campaign. Unlike the rest of the gods in the Olman pantheon, Chitza-Atlan does not seem to be based on a historical Central American deity.
References
Notes
Citations
- ↑ Scarlet Brotherhood, p42
- ↑ Scarlet Brotherhood FAQ, archived from the original. Retrieved, 30 Sep 2021
Bibliography
- Conforti, Steven, ed. Living Greyhawk Official Listing of Deities for Use in the Campaign, version 2.0. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2005. Available online:[1]
- Johnson, Harold, and Jeff R. Leason. The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1980.
- Reynolds, Sean K. The Scarlet Brotherhood. Renton, WA: TSR, 1999.
- Ward, James, and Robert Kuntz. Deities & Demigods. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1980.
Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index
The Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index (EGI) is based on previous work of Jason Zavoda through '08, continued by numerous other fans. The EGI article has a list of sources, product names, abbreviations, and a link to the full, downloadable index.
| Topic | Type | Description | Product | Page/Card/Image
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chitza-Atlan | Deity | Worshipped by: Human (Olman), | C1 The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan | 22 |
| Chitza-Atlan | Deity | Worshipped by: Human (Olman), | Dragon magazine #315 | 51 |
| Chitza-Atlan | Deity | Worshipped by: Human (Olman), | Living Greyhawk Gazetteer | 100 |
| Chitza-Atlan | Deity | Worshipped by: Human (Olman), | Lost Tomaochan: The Hidden Shrine of Lubaatum | 36 |