El antagonista de Aztlán Ocelotl - De Alarcón el conquistador y una fuerza oculta en las sombras [SPA/ENG]

The Antagonist of Aztlán Ocelotl: Alarcón the Conquistador and a Hidden Force in the Shadows

Alright, it's time to talk about the antagonist! I've already laid out the game's story and given a peek at our protagonist. Now, it's the villain's turn, and we're diving into what makes him tick, all thanks to the awesome folks at Ready Player Hive. This stuff really gets me pumped, so over the 15 days since I first pitched the protagonist idea, I jotted down every thought that hit me. Today, I finally got to pull it all together.

Since the game is set during the colonization of America, around the 1400s AD, that gave me a solid starting point for researching historical names to inspire my ideas. Naturally, it made sense for the antagonist to be Spanish. That's how I landed on Don Ramiro de Alarcón, the sinister conquistador. The last name felt right, actually, thanks to my mom's family genealogy; it just clicked for a Spanish character.

Don Ramiro de Alarcón, the Sinister Spanish Conquistador

Don Ramiro is a middle-aged guy, super calculating, not impulsive at all. He's more of a strategist and a total fanatic about his faith, qualities that have earned him the reputation to be entrusted with colonizing the New World. I picture him in typical Spanish armor, all ornate and detailed, but with one key feature: a reliquary right in the middle of his chest, into which he's placed an obsidian stone. I'll get to why that's so important later.

Don Ramiro sails into Aztlan's lands—our protagonist's home—with a whole fleet of ships, convinced he's been sent by divine will. This point is super crucial for the story's progression. Like any colonizer, he sees the natives as savages who need to be "saved" and "civilized" at any cost. This belief drives him to commit the absolute worst crimes, as he's convinced these natives are infidels and roadblocks to his sacred mission: the glory and power of a new kingdom.

Don Ramiro de Alarcón will be the enemy Aztlán Ocelotl believes he has to take down to avenge his family and stop the siege on his people. Their fight will be epic, going beyond just the battlefield. Ramiro will pull the vilest stunts to break his enemies' spirits: intimidation, destroying their temples, executing those who worship "pagan" gods—all fueled by his religious fanaticism. What Aztlán doesn't know is that Ramiro has been subtly corrupted by a hidden influence, the source of the visions and dreams whispering promises of glory and power in a new kingdom.

Tezcatizi: The True Antagonist Lurking in the Shadows

I thought it would be awesome to have a plot twist! For a good chunk of the game, the protagonist (the player controlling Aztlán Ocelotl) will believe Ramiro, the Spaniard, is the ultimate enemy. But then, it'll be revealed that someone else is pulling the strings from the shadows. This new antagonist's name, Tezcatizi, comes from a blend of Mexica deity names: Tezcatlipoca, the dark and conflicting side of Quetzalcoatl (the feathered serpent), and Itzli, another Toltec god represented by the obsidian sacrificial stone.

It was fascinating learning about these dark deities, and combining their names for the game's real antagonist felt just right. Tezcatizi is a powerful sorcerer, completely consumed by the essence of Tezcatlipoca, the dark god. He's clad in dark priestly robes adorned with black jade and obsidian, featuring owl motifs as a contrast to Aztlán's jaguar. He's not burly, but he's tall, giving him an imposing figure, with an aura of ancient, mysterious power.

Tezcatizi is the one who subtly corrupted Ramiro and led him through dreams to Aztlan's lands. Through these visions, he filled Ramiro's mind with the idea that he alone could establish a new kingdom there, and he maintains his influence thanks to that obsidian stone Ramiro placed in his reliquary. Tezcatizi's true motive is the "purification" of his own people, forcing them to worship the dark god Tezcatlipoca by subjugating them with this new force from foreign lands.

This character's appearance needs to be subtle. First, Aztlán has to defeat Ramiro and break Tezcatizi's hold over him, which can be done by destroying the reliquary around Ramiro's neck. But reaching it won't be easy; Aztlán will have to face the Spanish armies and the corrupted night hunters Tezcatizi sends to block his path. To ultimately defeat Tezcatizi, Aztlán must halt the spread of darkness and discord among his people, as that's what fuels Tezcatizi's power. Once weakened, Aztlán can finally confront him face-to-face.

A man of Aztec Indian appearance, whose body is marked by this influence, slender not muscular but of good stature, with skin cracked in patterns reminiscent of obsidian, He wears dark priestly attire and ornamented with black obsidian jade, with owl details, symbolizing his connection to darkness and penetrating vision. His figure is imposing, but not because of his musculature, he must have an aura of ancient power and mystery surrounding him. One of his legs could be wrapped in a ritualistic obsidian prosthesis.

A middle-aged Spanish conquistador in ornate plate armor disembarks from a longboat onto a pristine beach of the New World. His cold, piercing eyes scan the horizon beneath a dramatic sky filled with dark clouds. Accompanying him, Spanish soldiers clad in armor and carrying arquebuses emerge from the boat, wading through the sand. European sailing ships are anchored in the distance. Dense, unfamiliar jungle vegetation lines the shore. A subtle, sinister glow emanates from obsidian within his reliquary, almost imperceptible yet ominous. The atmosphere is tense and expectant.

A digital painting captures a dramatic scene where a sorcerer-like figure casts a spell upon a knight in plate armor amidst a blurred, atmospheric landscape. The knight, a middle-aged man with short, dark brown hair showing gray at the temples and a neatly trimmed, salt-and-pepper goatee and mustache, wears polished plate armor detailed with rivets and secured by brown leather straps. He holds a sword in each gloved hand, their blades extending downwards. His expression is serious, with a prominent nose, defined cheekbones, and a furrowed brow. Facing him is a male figure with a light-to-medium skin tone and short, dark hair, adorned in elaborate, dark fantasy attire featuring bird/owl motifs on his tall, feathered headdress, high collar, armbands, gauntlets, wide belt with an owl design, and partial leg armor. Stylized markings resembling dry earth are visible on his bare upper torso. He holds a dark spear with a multi-pronged head in his left hand and a dark staff topped with a stylized owl head and crescent moon shapes in his right, gesturing with the staff towards the armored knight as if casting a spell. The background is a softly blurred landscape with rolling hills or mountains under a cloudy sky with muted grays, browns, and a pale light near the horizon, suggesting dawn or dusk.

A digital painting in portrait style depicts a stern-faced, middle-aged Spanish conquistador with a cold, calculating gaze and piercing eyes. He has short, dark brown hair with visible graying at the temples and a neatly trimmed goatee and mustache, showing some gray hairs as well. His facial features include a prominent nose, defined cheekbones, and a furrowed brow. His skin tone appears light. He is wearing ornate plate armor with a somber and austere design. A large iron locket containing a shard of black obsidian hangs prominently from his neck, resting on his chest. He is holding a sword; only the hilt is visible, bearing strange swirling patterns that seem to shift and move, hinting at mystical power. He is wearing a high, ruffled white collar. The armor is meticulously detailed with rivets and appears to be made of overlapping metal plates, reflecting light and showing signs of wear and texture. A brown leather belt with straps crosses his torso, securing the armor. The background is a blurred landscape with rolling hills or mountains under a cloudy sky with muted tones of gray and brown, with a hint of pale light near the horizon line.