Amec Trade Protectorate

An expansionistic, military, and mercantile league of worlds covering more than twenty systems within Zeda, Bolivar, and Remnants subsectors.

Description (Specifications)

The Amec Trade Protectorate is classed as a cultural region within the Imperium and must acknowledge Imperial sovereignty and military policy.

It was born from the Mexicatl Cultural Revolution. The term "Amec" is a play on the Terran origins of the local populations -- "African, Mexican, and South American".

Social Strata

There are two broad categories of Amec citizen:

(a) The Sun-born, which consists of the Amec nobility, their families, courtesans, and Cuaupilli (those who have successfully undertaken the adolescent Test of Worth).

(b) The Amtlan, which includes the Maceualli ("tribute" or protected ones) who toil on behalf of their lord, and the Pochteca or independent merchants.

Culture

Universalism is the state religion. The old Mexicatl gods have the status of cultural symbols but are not worshipped. Many outside the Protectorate continue to erroneously believe that Amecs carry out Human sacrifice.

The lifeforms known as Heartstones also have cultural significance.

Language

Nahuatl is the official language of the Protectorate.

Nahuatl has two forms, the common tongue and a formalised variant (Huehuetlatolli, "ancient word") used to address nobility. It should be noted that it is a legal requirement to address any noble (not non-hereditary Cuaupilli, however) in the formal version of Nahuatl, and to address all Amec nobility using the suffix Tsin, which means "Lord" or "Lady". The only exception to this rule is when addressing the Tlatoani or Cihuacoatl, the two highest positions.

Within the Amec Protectorate, Karanga is also spoken in places, and Sall is widely considered a second language. Both Xlapec and Chicometli ports on Eddum (the Protectorate capital) have Galanglic and Galaach speakers, but these languages are rarely spoken outside the ports. Visitors should note that using a translator program to speak Nahuatl to a member of the Sun-Born is considered extremely rude and should be avoided if at all possible.

While most Amec worlds elected to change the names of their planets into Nahuatl, the Imperium maintained the original designations on all Imperial Surveys and Navclips. Visitors should also note that on-planet the use of Nahuatl planetary designations was strongly recommended in order to avoid possible conflict.

Economic

The Amec currency is the Quetzal.

Each planet and trading house within the Protectorate must pay the Tlatoani a tribute (originally it was a proper tithe of 10%, but over the years it increased to 12%) of overall production. The local bureaucracy retains 6% while the other 6% is sold under the AzTec label to help maintain the court and pay for the Navy. Since the tribute is generally paid in merchandise, the first Tlatoani established the Qualimala or merchant-scouts, to ensure the continued expansion of trade with the rest of the Imperium.

Corporations of note include the following:

• Feathered Serpent Pharmaceuticals, LIC: The largest pharmaceutical company in Dagudashaag Sector other than the Megacorporations.
• House of Aymara
• House of Khondafuen
• House of Xihautl: Runs Xihautl Biotechnology
• House of Xiumac
• House of Yeipanitl

History & Background (Dossier)

The South American and African descendants that colonized worlds in the Bolivar Subsector rebelled against the Imperial culture, rediscovering their ancestral roots.

• Through fashion, art, and music, they sought to create a separate cultural identity for themselves.
• This period of cultural awareness was known historically as the Mexicatl Cultural Revolution (605 - 615), and was used by Ixtillpopoca Sanches to bind people together.

Notable subgroups of Amec citizens:

• Ba'Menelik
• Ba'Xipe Totec

Timeline

• Circa 600: The groundwork for the Mexicatl Cultural Revolution is being laid.
• 133-605: Taking advantage of the Civil War, Ixtlilpopoca Sanchez declares independence from the Imperium.
  • Duke Ghani Bolivar sends personal representation to Sanchez begging him to reconsider his actions. Sanchez replies by capturing the messenger ship and refitting it as part of his ever-growing navy.
• 608: Sanchez controls Kinhe, Anshaar, and Mimku in addition to Eddum.
  • Duke Bolivar and his small fleet of privateers, backed up by two war cruisers, back Sanchez into a mutual no-win situation.
• 615: The Treaty of Chicometli. Ixtlilpopoca Sanchez succeeds in getting the Ducal office to recognize the cultural independence of Kinhe, Eddum, and Shumuu. In return the Amec Protectorate remains officially allied with the Imperium.
• 636: On Kinhe, a new government passes a law declaring all religions other than Universalism illegal. The local people rebel, but are swiftly and ruthlessly dealt with by the Amec military.
  • Religious freedom, one of the basic tenets of the fledgling state, is now forgotten.
• 788: An attempted assassination is made on Tlatoani Chumanoatl. Following the incident, Imperial visitors are severely restricted as to where they might go on Protectorate planets.
• 790: An Imperial Enclave is established in orbit round the Gas Giant Tezcatlipoca to fulfil a double mission; to remind the Amec Protectorate that, under the Treaty of Chicometli, space is the province of the Imperium, and to provide a safe harbour through Protectorate space for Imperium shipping.
• 800: The Psionic Suppressions further isolate the psionic-friendly Protectorate in the eyes of the Imperium.
• 855: The Ba'Menelik people are targeted by the Universalist church for a forced conversion.
• 895: On Eddum, the disastrous Time of Cleansing. A medium-sized meteor strikes Exaar (Eddum's only moon). The impact causes a slight fluctuation in orbit which in turn causes Eddum to suffer a minor tilt in its planetary axis. Volcanic upheaval all but destroys the planetary civilization.
  • The Tlatoani is persuaded to move to Syrna while the Protectorate mobilises all of its forces into a massive recovery operation.
  • Given the situation, the Tlatoani also agrees that the Ba'Menelik should have religious freedom, provided that they remain in isolation to prevent their beliefs "contaminating" the faith of the rest of the people.
• 898: The Tlatoani elects to return the Turquoise Throne to Eddum, as cities are rebuilt along Uusharian lines. He decrees that the people will return to a more idyllic lifestyle, deplacing major Starports to Exaar.
• 1014-1018: Several attacks on ships while in Protectorate space are made by the Ba'Xipe Totec corsairs.
• 1019: Tlacahuepan Motecuhzoma is selected as the next Tlatoani over his older brother (Baron Ixtilcatl of Eddum) because of his brilliant tactics in destroying the Ba'Xipe Totec.

Worlds & Sectors (Astrography)

Over the centuries, the Protectorate has continued to grow through trade and military endeavors.

• Since the Imperial rules of war prevent outright military conquest, the Protectorate became expert in using internal dissent to destabilize an existing government.
• At this point, the Amec-backed rebels would invite the Protectorate to come in as a peace-keeping force.
• Once their forces were legally on-planet the rules of war no longer applied and outright military conquest began in earnest.
• Other worlds have joined for perceived economic benefit.
• While most Amec worlds have elected to change the names of their planets, the Imperium has maintained the original designations on all Imperial Surveys.

Dagudashaag ‐ Twenty‐Three Systems

Bolivar (Dagu M) ‐ 6

1. Anshaar (Dagu 0633)
2. Eddum (Dagu 0531)
3. Kinhe (Dagu 0331)
4. Mimku (Dagu 0831)
5. Shashankhu (Dagu 0832)
6. Shumuu (Dagu 0631)

Remnants (Dagu J) ‐ 2

1. Iushush (Dagu 0928)
2. Lemimamur (Dagu 0930)

Zeda (Dagu I) ‐ 15

1. Asimidiske (Dagu 0828)
2. Coroico (Dagu 0126)
3. Dudin (Dagu 0230)
4. Ekhor (Dagu 0227)
5. Hu (Dagu 0229)
6. Iur (Dagu 0628)
7. Kaattji (Dagu 0228)
8. Maq'appav (Dagu 0222)
9. Nidavellir (Dagu 0528)
10. Shammud (Dagu 0223)
11. Shogun (Dagu 0729)
12. Syrna (Dagu 0329)
13. T'azhqava (Dagu 0530)
14. Tsuchi (Dagu 0322)
15. Ushkhir (Dagu 0129)

References and contributors

This list of sources was used by the Traveller Wiki Editorial Team and individual contributors to compose this article. Copyrighted material is used under license from Mongoose Publishing or by permission of the author. The page history lists all of the contributions.

• Jae Campbell. "Library Data: Bolivar." Signal-GK 11 (1995): 68-69. via HIWG
• Jae Campbell. Encyclopaedia Dagudashaag (Signal-GK, 2017), 20-21.