At the behest of his gravely injured father, a naive Aztec trapper travels to the exotic island city of Tenochtitlan but finds himself caught between the vanity of two emperors, his own inexperience and an encroaching civil war. 

SYNOPSIS:

Tenochca Pilot EP. 1 Tribute

Tenochca is a character driven period piece in the same vein of Apocalypto and Rome. Centered around the exotic island-city of Tenochtitlan situated in the middle of Lake Texcoco, Tenochca focuses on a naive Aztec trapper (Tochtli), a sophisticated slave turned priestess (Tonalnan), a brutish warrior (Chimalli) and an inexperienced scavenger (Ome) taken from her home. Thrust into a city ruled by two misaligned emperors, a polytheistic culture, daily sacrifice, sex, vanity and civil unrest.

A shaman (Tonalnan), a warrior (Chimalli) and his bodyguards await a cosmic phenomenon in a forest clearing. Further north, on the border of Lake Zumpango, a trapper (Tochtli) checks his animal lures before witnessing a great comet which turns night into day. Back at his bird filled dwelling awaits his younger brother Xihuitl and his father Xipil who are preparing a feast. Tochtli illuminates his father of the miraculous sight, and they sacrifice an animal as tribute to the gods.

Some days pass. As the trio inspects their lures, Tochtli finds a rare bird in one of his, a miraculous red quetzal but his father is bit by a serpent just out of sight. The village shaman (Coatl) inspects the snake bite and assures Xipil that he needs rest. In another village, a slender and beautiful fruit picker (Ome) stumbles upon a crater. Inside the crater rests a fragment of the comet which fell the nights prior. She brings it to the village elder, unaware that Tonalnan and Chimalli are watching from the jungle. Subsequently, her village is subjugated.

Unable to walk, Xipil tasks his son Tochtli with delivering the red quetzal to the Tenochca aviary. Tochtli reluctantly accepts the task and shoves off to the island-city, crossing paths with Tonalnan, Chimalli and Ome along the route. Tochtli makes it to the city and is awe struck by its grandeur.

Ome and a number of her subjugated village is sold off to a variety of buyers at the market. Ome herself is bought by a high lord (Ueman) who seeks a bride to sire him a firstborn. Tochtli befriends a stone worker (Ahuatzi) at the market who agrees to guide him to the aviary. Tonalnan returns to her deviant emperor (Xipilli) and presents to him the comet fragment, which he entrusts to his bodyguard (Ocotlan) to have melted down into an eagle figurine.

Tochtli is heralded to the aviary where he brushes past a similarly aged worker (Eztli) and meets Guatemoc, an opportunist and head of operations.

Chimalli and his warriors bring the remaining slaves to the pyramid where they are inspected by the incompetent emperor Axayacatl and his head shaman Acalan. Axayacatl unsuccessfully tries to recruit Chimalli before he has the slaves sacrificed by Acalan to an energetic crowd of onlookers. Tonalnan and her teacher (Tupoc) watch from the adjacent observatory in disgust. They have a discussion about the calendar, the comet and Tonalnan’s reluctance to secure a husband.

Ahuatzi works on figurines with his son Ahua and shows distaste for his Rubenesque wife Chantico. At the same time Eztli eyeballs Chimalli’s beautiful wife Metztli but is almost uncovered by Chimalli himself. Chimalli is cruel to his wife but firm with his son Cuallee who wants to be a warrior.

Ome is given a tour of Ueman’s estate and illuminated to her fate as Ueman’s wife. Ueman forces her to his bedchambers and almost commits but can’t bring himself amidst Ome’s crying.

As Ocotlan and his bodyguards transport the comet/eagle figurine back to Xipilli’s citadel they are attacked by a camouflaged group of warriors. Ocotaln puts up a good fight and manages to kill one of the attackers, but he is compromised. Acalan reveals himself to Ocotlan before stabbing him in the heart. All but one of Ocotlan’s men are killed and the effigy is stolen.

The following morning Chimalli and his warriors stumble upon the bodies of Ocotlan and his men. Xipilli catches wind and questions the surviving bodyguard to no effect. Tonalnan agrees to ask around the market for clues.

Guatemoc is conned out of his prized quetzal by Ueman but ironically offered double by Xipilli on the backend. Guatemoc commissions Tochtli to steal the bird back.

Tochtli teams up with Ahuatzi and they sneak into the Ueman estate. Tochtli is caught by Ome and betrayed by Ahuatzi who takes the bird and leaves him to his own devices. Acalan presents the eagle effigy as tribute to emperor Axayacatl, further cementing who was behind Ocotlan’s death.