Huitca Federation

Tlahatl is a city situated in the Phagosian Sea next to the island of Phagosia off the coast of the continents Ummarnu, Alteniquia, and Syltör, and is the city-state making up the Altepetl of Tlahatl. The city is mainly situated on the island of Tlahathua. Founded on a island by the Rathnir-native Huitca people, Tlahatl was formerly a territory of the Valdreach Imperial Republic, and held a seat in the nation's Circle of Speakers.

Founding Myth
Tlahatl was founded near the beginning of the Rathnir's life.

According to myth, the legendary founder of the city was originally a poor nomad wandering the plains of Rathnir. Taken in by the ancient peoples of Neos Knossos, the founder and his people, the Huitca, were given food and clothing and lived among them for many years. Meanwhile in the distance, the God of the West Meclahua raged across the land, as Empires battled for scraps of dust. Seeing the distress of the people in the East, the God of the West Tlahatepa and the God of the North Cualitzin contacted the founder in his dreams, asking them to find a land safe for the Huitca people. The founder searched for years, scouting locations here and there, looking for a sign of the Gods' wishes. Finally the founder spotted what they were looking for. On an island in the ocean, the founder looked up. They watched as the sunset's rays pierced the setting sky, forming a cross-like mirage on the island's gentle waters and soft sand. At the mirage's center was a sunflower facing west, an impossibility which can only be a sign of Tlahatepa. This was the place to found the great city.

The Huitca people adopted Tlahatepa, the God of the West, Peace, Fertility and the Sun as their city's patron God, and named their island and their new city in the God's honor. Later, they discovered an already-existing portal to the God of the South Xoalcoatl's Underworld realm, through that portal, they found easy access to the other peoples of Rathnir. The Huitca people have since been slowly building their city as time passes.

City History
On October 3, 2020, the city of Tlahatl was founded by Infinick, although the land wasn't claimed until the next day.

The city joined the Valdreach Imperial Republic as a territory on October 7, 2020, mainly for protection and glory.

The city hosted the World Summit Tlahatl on October 13, 2020 in the Conference and Diplomacy Building.

Early October 15, 2020, just past midnight in fact, Tlahatl was visited by 3 armed fighters from the cities of Neos Knossos and Carvay. They seeked vengeance for the apparent disrespect shown by Tlahatl's entry into the VIR. This dispute was settled by the The Treaty of the Phagosian Seas, signed in Carvay, where the VIR agreed to not claim any more lands in the region.

On October 16, 2020, the city was visited by its patron god Tlahatepa once again, he had not been seen since the founding of the city. He appeared above the Grand Temple before standing on top of Knossos Fountain, turning the fading yellow-dyed terracotta into solid gold. Tlahatepa has not been seen since.

In the evening of October 18, 2020, after werewolf-diseased menaces began popping up all over Rathnir, Tlatoani Infinick decided that the threat posed by these violent and sick people was insurmountable, and therefore decided to permanently banish all werewolf-disease infected persons from entering Tlahatl.

At the time of 5:12 PM EST on October 20, 2020, after days of negotiations, President Noodles of the VIR informed the Tlatoani that they had officially accepted Tlahatl's request for independence from the VIR. Celebrations broke out throughout Tlahatl, and the date was officially cemented as a national holiday. On the same day, the Altepetl of Tlahatl was declared, and the Tlatoani signed the Treaty of Carvay.

Construction
Tlahatl's construction began when the founder carved out their cave in a small hill. From there, the Huitca people began work on their great temple, tearing down that original hill and building it in its place. From there, the Huitca built the city center and the buildings of state. Right now, they are terraforming their island and constructing the canals and large roads that will soon define the identity of the city.

Religion and Culture
The people of Tlahatl are peace-loving folks similarly to many of the other cities in Tlahatepa's direction, but they are not afraid of battle. The Huitca have long followed the Cardinalist religion. Followers of this religion worship the four main deities, guardians of the cardinal directions and the realms of the universe. As part of their faith, followers are expected to perform acts of sacrifice in honor of the Gods. If one of the Gods gets angry at the disloyalty of the people, the god may abandon their duties as guardian, destroying the sacred balance of the directions and throwing the world into chaos. Such sacrifices include cows the god Cualitzin on Founding Day, sheep to the god Tlahatepa on Independence Day, pigs to the god Xoalcoatl before a long trip through his Underworld realm, and a volunteer human sacrifice to the god Meclahua on the eve of battle.

The people of Tlahatl excel at the practices of commerce and diplomacy, using their position as a bridge between the East and West to their advantage. Tlahatl's people are also architecture enthusiasts and terraforming masters, performing their work masterfully as they transform a wild forest into a sprawling city-scape. Tlahatl's buildings are mainly constructed from sandstone and terracotta, the preferred materials of the Huitca people, which are imported from mainland Ummarnu. The people of Tlahatl are friendly, and are always welcoming of new citizens who wish to immigrate to their growing city.

Tlahatl is as rich in tradition as it is in culture. As a symbol of their values of loyalty and honor, Tlahatlans always wear their shield with their cities' banner on their side. Such shields are also given to foreign dignitaries as a symbol of this loyalty and honor. Tlahatlans celebrate Founding Day on the 3rd of each month, to celebrate their land and the founding of their great city. On this day, Tlahatlans party, drink and dance the night away, before sacrificing a cow in honor of the god Cualitzin, the guardian of the the land and the overworld, before midnight. On the twentieth of each month, Tlahatlans celebrate their Independence Day, celebrating the day the Altepetl of Tlahatl was declared. They party in the streets and sacrifice a sheep to the city patron god Tlahatepa. Tlahatl also has an election day every other Saturday, electing a new Cihuacoatl into office.

Government
The city's head of state is a monarch known as a Tlatoani (in English King or Speaker). This monarch traditionally appointed an assistant to run day-to-day affairs, known as the Cihuacoatl (in English Prime Minister, Chancellor, or Assistant). Now, however, the Cihuacoatl is nominated by the Tlatoani and confirmed by the Grand Assembly in a popular vote. The Tlatoani and the Cihuacoatl share their duties in running the city, although the Tlatoani still outranks the Cihuacoatl. Due to Tlahatl having a constitution, the Tlatoani and the Cihuacoatl are required to report their activities to the city citizens for scrutiny, and weekly Grand Assembly meetings are held so that the heads of the city can hear the grievances of the people. The Grand Assembly is the name for the legislative body of Tlahatl, its name is derived from the fact that it is a grand assembly of all citizens of Tlahatl. Certain positions are also appointed into office by the Tlatoani and Cihuacoatl, with consent and approval from the Grand Assembly, to manage other aspects of the city, like economics, religion, and warfare.