Tezcatlipoca
Tezcatlipoca, "Smoking Mirror," is a powerful Aztec deity of night sky, obsidian, fate, and kingship. Often opposing Quetzalcoatl, he brings change through conflict, testing rulers and tempting pride.
Story beats
- 1) Born of primordial duality, he wields an obsidian mirror that reveals truth and illusion.
- 2) He overthrows earlier suns, transforming the world, and creates the jaguar-sun era.
- 3) In tales, he tricks Quetzalcoatl into drunken exile, reshaping Toltec culture.
- 4) He tests rulers; those unworthy fall to rebellion or disgrace, while bold warriors seek his favor in battle.
Context & symbolism
Tezcatlipoca embodies volatility and necessary disruption—mirrors forcing self-examination. His association with obsidian ties to divination mirrors and sacrificial knives, tools that cut through pretense.
He governs both cruelty and mercy, rewarding courage and punishing arrogance, making him a complex patron of power.
Motifs
- Obsidian smoking mirror
- Jaguar form and night winds
- Trickery leading to exile or change
- War captives and rulers under trial
Use it in play
- Mirror divination: confront truths or suffer illusions from Tezcatlipoca.
- Balance rival cults—appease the Smoking Mirror to avert rebellion.
- Steal or shatter an obsidian mirror that drives a tyrant’s paranoia.
- Face jaguar warriors empowered by his favor; outwit their night tactics.