The Xolotl Empire
The Xolotl Empire emerged over a millennium ago on the northwest shore of Vacuo, a region of rugged coastlines, volcanic cliffs, and dense jungles. Named for Xolotl, their god of fire, lightning, and the guide of souls to the afterlife, the empire's culture was a brutal reflection of its namesake's duality: a fiery, electrifying force of conquest paired with a grim obsession with death and the supernatural. The Xolotl people believed they were chosen by a divine power—later revealed to be Salem—to dominate Remnant and usher humanity into a new era under the Grimm's dominion.
The Xolotl Empire's society was highly stratified, ruled by a theocratic monarchy led by a Tlatoani (emperor), who claimed descent from Xolotl himself and served as Salem's earthly voice. Below the Tlatoani were priest-warriors, who conducted rituals and led armies, and a caste of nobles who oversaw agriculture, trade, and tribute collection. The empire's economy thrived on Vacuo's Dust deposits, coastal fishing, and conquest of neighboring tribes, whose captives fueled their gruesome rituals. Their capital, Tlacopan, was a sprawling city of obsidian pyramids and bone-strewn altars, built around a volcanic crater believed to be a gateway to the Grimm's realm.
The Xolotl's religion centered on worshipping Salem as a goddess of destruction and rebirth, whom they called "The Dark Mother". They believed the Grimm were her divine emissaries, sent to purge the weak and test the strong. To appease Salem and the Grimm, the Xolotl practiced human sacrifice and cannibalism, offering captives' hearts and flesh in elaborate ceremonies atop their pyramids. These rituals, infused with Aura, were thought to strengthen the Grimm and grant the Xolotl supernatural power, including limited control over lesser Grimm. The empire's warriors, known as Jaguar Knights and Eagle Priests, were feared for their ferocity, wielding obsidian-tipped macuahuitls and Dust-infused spears that crackled with lightning.
The Xolotl Empire's expansionist campaigns conquered much of northern Vacuo, subjugating local tribes and extracting tribute in the form of Dust, slaves, and food. Their reputation for brutality and supernatural prowess made them a terror across the continent, but it also sowed the seeds of their downfall, as neighboring tribes sought aid from foreign powers.
The Fall of the Xolotl Empire
Approximately 1200 years ago, the Xolotl Empire's attracted the attention of the ailing Quitalan and Hellenic Empires, two kingdoms seeking to expand their influence in Vacuo's resource-rich northwest. The arrival of Valean and Mistralian expeditions, composed of Aura unlocked warriors, soldiers, and settlers, marked the beginning of the empire's end. These foreign forces allied with oppressed Vacuan tribes, who had suffered under Xolotl raids and sacrifices. The resulting conflict, known as the Vacuan Conquest, was a brutal campaign spanning decades.
The Valean-Mistralian coalition leveraged superior technology, such as Dust forged steel and bows and arrows to counter the Xolotl's numbers and Grimm allies. The empire's priest-warriors summoned Grimm to bolster their armies, but the coalition's Aura unlocked combatants, trained to combat such creatures, turned the tide. Key battles, such as the Siege of Tlacopan, saw the coalition breach the capital's defenses, toppling its obsidian pyramids and desecrating its altars. The final Tlatoani, Xipilli the Flayed, was killed in a ritual duel by a Valean Knight, shattering the empire's leadership.
With the Xolotl Empire's collapse, its territories were divided among the victors. The Valean settlers established the sub-kingdom of Hispania, a coastal state blending Valean governance with Vacuan resilience, which later became independent of Vale with the final collapse of the Quitalan Empire. Mistralian colonies, such as Aztlan, emerged further inland, while liberated Vacuan tribes formed smaller states such as Lusitania, Anansi, and Chaac. Tlacopan was abandoned, its ruins left to decay under Vacuo's harsh sun, though its subterranean temples and Grimm cult artifacts remained intact, hidden beneath the jungle and volcanic ash. 200 years later, Malik the Sunderer would unite these various subkingdoms into Vacuo, founding his capital at an oasis on the border between the Xolotl jungles and the great desert of Osiris. He did evoke some aspects of the Xolotl Empire for patriotism in his revolution, but carefully to avoid being seen as a monster. He also converted to the Tablebreaker Religion, which became the dominant faith of the continent.
Legacy and Artifacts
The Xolotl Empire's fall did not erase its influence. Its ruins—crumbling pyramids, labyrinthine catacombs, and Dust-infused altars—dot northern Vacuo, particularly along the northwest shore. These sites are steeped in dark Aura, attracting Grimm and serving as pilgrimage points for Grimm cultists and Salem's agents. The empire's artifacts are highly sought after by those loyal to Salem.
Over the centuries, Salem's followers have scoured Xolotl ruins for these artifacts. The 1K Society in Atlas, unaware of Salem's true nature, has also collected Xolotl relics, believing them to be tools for their imperial ambitions. Meanwhile, Jacques Schnee, in his bid to join the 1K Society, has funded expeditions to smuggle Xolotl artifacts through the Schnee Dust Company, hoping to curry favor with the society's Inner Circle.
The sub-kingdom of Hispania, established on the ruins of Xolotl territory, has a complex relationship with this legacy. Its people, a mix of Valean colonists and Vacuan natives, view the Xolotl as a cautionary tale of hubris and cruelty. Hispania's government, a republic with elected governors, actively patrols Xolotl ruins to prevent cultists from reactivating their power. However, some Hispanians secretly revere the Xolotl's strength, forming underground cults that mimic their rituals. This among other reasons is why Vacuo's political landscape is so tenuous.
Cultural and Religious Impact
The Xolotl Empire's culture, while destroyed, left a lasting mark on northern Vacuo. Their Aztec-inspired aesthetic—obsidian architecture, feathered headdresses, and lightning-motif weaponry—persists in Hispania's art and fashion, though sanitized to distance it from the empire's horrors. The Xolotl's worship of Salem as the Dark Mother influenced later Grimm cults, which adopted similar rituals of sacrifice and cannibalism. The Tablebreaker religion remains strong in Vacuo, and Paladins, Warrior Nuns and Priests are often busy against nomadic tribes and raiders who adhere to the ancient cults of blood and sacrifice.
