Cozcatl

Time's machinations are set in stone, perturbed only when one of tremendous will disrupts the natural order. When one makes this first move, everyone must follow. Only then can men become as gods.

  The cosmology of Cozcatl tells of the rigidity of time, and the importance of its cyclical nature. Events are fated to happen, and happen again and again due to time's unceasing flow. Only the divine might alter fate, with the mundane left purely at the mercy of the petty gods above. Famine, plague, war, the rise and fall of society, these are slated to occur again and again, serving as impetus for those subject to godly will to make offerings and pleas to the heavens. But if these events repeat ad nauseam and earthly beings never give up faith, why should the gods change the course of things?   Those of little faith in the divine order have sought to take control where they can. While fate may be unyielding, it is humanoid nature to try and take matters into their own hands regardless. This might mean constructing extensive histories to inform those in generations to come, perhaps committing wanton slaughter to remove the cogs of the godly machine. For some, this has led to a journey to wrest control from the heavens not through mundane actions, but by becoming divine and thus levelling the playing field. If the mundane can alter fate just enough under the right circumstance, the entire divine order could be literally flipped on its head. But who is to say time will not repeat itself in such a situation anyways, that those newly ordained as gods won't simply exert their power over the weak in turn.   Cozcatl is loosely based on pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, sharing similar cosmologies and cultures to the Aztec and Maya peoples. The cyclical nature of the world means technology has advanced beyond what the indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica were capable of at the point of contact, but this 'progress' cannot last forever, and a 'regression' to ancient techniques is inevitable. There are times when magic flourishes, and times when the arcane seems to depart from daily life. The factions players encounter will rarely be black or white in morality, but various shades of grey.