Alocotla
| Alocotla | |
|---|---|
 Alocotla on the shores of Tchlapac Lake, as depicted in The Scarlet Brotherhood (1999). | |
| General information | |
| Region: | Hepmonaland |
| Government | |
| Ruler: | The Venerable Fang |
| Government: | Theocracy |
| Alignments: | NE (CE) |
| Established: | -1100 CY |
| Demographics | |
| Capital: | Alocotla (population 10,000) |
| Population: | 20,000 (?) |
| Races: | Yuan-ti, beastmen, bugbears, mongrelfolk |
| Languages: | Tlaman, Beastman |
| Groups | |
| Religions: | Tlaloc* |
| Enemies: | Scarlet Brotherhood |
| Miscellaneous | |
| Resources: | Food, gems (sapphires, jade, turquoise), rare woods |
Alocotla is a yuan-ti city-state in Hepmonaland.
History
Circa -1100 CY, the high priests of the Olman city-states Alocotla and Xapatlapo participated in a dark ritual in the name of their rain-god Tlaloc. A thousand human infants were sacrificed and consumed in Tlaloc's honor, and all who partook of that dread feast were transformed into the serpentine creatures known as yuan-ti. The yuan-ti of Alocotla spread into the surrounding area, diluting their tainted bloodlines with the local humans, until the entire region was populated by their kind. The changes have bred true.
When Touv from further south invaded the Olman territories a century later, the majority of Olman fled to the Amedio Jungle. The yuan-ti, however, remained and fought back, retaining control over much of their original territories. Since then, the creatures of Alocotla have spent their time raiding nearby city-states and spying on their cousins in Xapatlapo.
A group of yuan-ti from Alocotla colonized the forbidden city of Xuxulieto.
Geography
Alocotla lies on the northern shore of Tchlapac Lake.
People
The yuan-ti of Alocotla have Olman racial features. The serpentine portions of their bodies are dark green with red or black patterns.
Population
The city of Alocotla has a population of 10,000, with another 10,000 or so sapient beings in the surrounding countryside. There are approximately 300 beastmen, 600 bugbears, and 500 mongrelfolk in the area.
Religion
The yuan-ti of Alocotla are worshippers of Tlaloc, the Olman rain god. The deities worshipped by the other local races are unknown.
Languages
The language spoken by the yuan-ti of Hepmonaland is called Tlaman; it is related to the Olman language, but with loan-words from nonhuman, serpentine languages, with the pronunciations of some words altered because the fanged, forked-tongue mouths of the yuan-ti have difficulty saying them. There are also a few terms derived from the Touv language.
The other races found in Alocotla have their own languages; it is unknown how many of them have learned to speak Tlaman.
Government
 
|
| Symbols of Xapatlapo and Alocotla, from The Scarlet Brotherhood, art by Sam Wood (1998). |
Alocotla is ruled by the direct descendants of the priests of Tlaloc who initiated the ritual that transformed them long ago; they are now yuan-ti. These priests have divided into numerous noble families and houses, who vie for control of the city.
Heraldry
The heraldry at right depicts the city of Alocotla's symbol as it appears in The Scarlet Brotherhood.[1]
In a case of "text trumps table",[note 1] the symbols for Xapatlapo and Alocotla in The Scarlet Brotherhood [1] may have been inadvertently mislabeled. The symbol of a serpent around a white eye would seem to represent the ruler of Xaptlapo who is known as "The White Eye". The symbol of a serpent surrounding a water symbol seems appropriate for Alocotla which is on the water (Tchlapac Lake).
Economy
Resources
Resources produced in Alocotla include food, sapphires, jade, turquoise, and various rare woods.
Creative origins
Alocotla was created by Sean K. Reynolds.
References
Notes
- ↑ This common phrase "text trumps table" is a colloquialism used to summarize a principle when there is a layout error in D&D sourcebooks. Based on common previous practice up to that point, in the 2000s the publisher made clear that if there was discrepancy between information presented in text and that of a table, the text was presumed to be correct.[2][3] It is applied to any table, chart, art, or other graphic.
Citations
- ↑ a b The Scarlet Brotherhood (1999), p.47.
- ↑ D&D Main FAQ (PDF) (Jun 2008) , p.30, "Normally, if there is a difference between what a table says and what the ability indicates in its written explanation, we suggest you use the written rules.".
- ↑ Wyatt, James. Urban Arcana. Wizards.com. WotC, 10 August 2010. Archived from the original on 07 June 2013. Retrieved on 26 August 2024. "In general, when you see a conflict of this sort, you should trust the text rather than the table."
Bibliography
- Reynolds, Sean K. The Scarlet Brotherhood. Renton, WA: TSR, 1999.
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
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alocotla {Alacotla} | Kingdom | The Scarlet Brotherhood | 44, 46-49, 53-56, Map | |
| Alocotlan | People Group | People, | The Scarlet Brotherhood | 54 |