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Teotihuacan, also known as the City of the Gods, was the largest cultural, political, and religious center of the Maya civilization.[1] The inhabitants of the city had a connection with the Sirians, who had placed a time portal deep within, secured inside the Sun Pyramid. It serves as an important location in Serious Sam: The Second Encounter and is one of several places that Sam visited as part of his mission to acquire the Holy Grail.
Overview[]
A suburban area of Teotihuacan.
Teotihuacan was a large ancient city that is located in a sub-valley of the Valley of Mexico. The city was originally inhabited by the Mayans, though Mental's forces took over the city shortly before Sam arrived and, presumably, wiped them out.
Like many other great civilizations, the Sirians placed a time portal deep within Teotihuacan, inside the Sun Pyramid. Whenever someone entered the portal, it would send them forward in time to the Achaemenid capital of Persepolis. However, getting to the portal was no easy task, considering the size of the city and the many lethal traps hidden throughout.[1]
As deities had a great impact on the Maya civilization, Teotihuacan was built to commemorate the gods. This was evidented by the Serpent Yards, a complex dedicated to the goddess Ix Chel, Mayan Goddess of medicine, and the statues of jaguars, stone heads, and two-headed serpents dotted around the city. Another deity, Kukulkán, the Mayan God of wind, oversaw the Sirian portal and served as its guardian.[2] For someone to enter the portal, a crystal skull from the city of Palenque had to placed on a pedestal in the center of the arena. When done so, Kukulkán would be summoned and test the worth of his opponent. If Kukulkán was defeated, he would open the portal as a sign of respect to the victor.[2]
Design[]
Teotihuacan was designed with many temples, pyramids, and houses. On top of these buildings were statues of jaguars, stone heads, and two-headed serpents. The walls were decorated with Mayan symbols, faces and masks. The two largest pyramids in the city, the Pyramid of the Sun and Pyramid of the Moon, were dedicated to both the Sun and the Moon as the latter played an important role in the Mayan civilization.[3]
Teotihuacan was a very dangerous city. High walls, spikes, bottomless pits, rooms with strange gravity, wall-mounted traps that fire arrows, spinning walls and crushers made it very challenging for anyone who ventured into the city unprepared. Some areas of the city were built as mazes to make navigation more complex. These mazes had traps placed on the walls and around corners, firing arrows at intruders. There were also many guardhouses within the yards which were home to highly trained Mayan warriors who would defend the city from attackers.[1]
History[]
The city of Teotihuacan was constructed over 2000 years ago, although the closest approximate date is believed to be around 600 BCE. During the height of the Mayan Empire, the Sirians placed a time portal deep within the city as part of a backup plan in case something happened to the SSS Centerprice.[4]
Appearances[]
Serious Sam: The Second Encounter[]
Sam makes his way to Teotihuacan after obtaining the crystal skull from Palenque. There, his main objective is to get to the Sun Pyramid.[5] Fighting his way through the traps and mazes set up by the paranoid Mayans, Sam eventually makes it to the pyramid, where he duels Kukulkán. After his defeat, he opens the portal for Sam to continue on his mission.[6]
Notable locations[]
Montezuma's altar[]
Located in the main yard by the city's entrance, this altar held two masks. These masks represented the different faces of Montezuma, one of the mightiest and most powerful leaders of Teotihuacan. He used these masks when he acted as a judge; the 'Seriously Scary' mask meant that the convict didn't have much of a chance of getting away with the crime they had committed, while the 'Hilarious Happy' mask often caused bursts of uncontrollable laughter, tears of relief and a future life for the accused.[7] These masks also served as keys for opening the door to the yard opposite the altar.
Lava caverns[]
Underneath the city was a large open cavern with a fiery river of lava. The Mayans built houses in this cavern. Over time, they became submerged into the lava pools. There was a bridge in the middle of the cavern, though a portion of the bridge was destroyed by the lava. The only way to get across to the other side of the cavern was by crossing a moving rock platform.
Serpent Yards[]
This part of Teotihuacan was dedicated to Ix Chel. The Moon Pyramid was also located here. As the name of the yards implies, they featured two-headed serpent statues.[3]
Pyramid of the Moon[]
The Moon Pyramid was the second largest building in Teotihuacan. At the base of this pyramid, the Ix Chel mask could be found, which was needed to gain access to a locked area of the serpent yards.
Xibalba[]
A deep underground chamber located beneath Teotihuacan. Believed by many to be a myth, Xibalba was the name of the underworld in Mayan mythology, which meant 'Kingdom of Death'.[8] The location of Xibalba had never been found, and, according to the legend, Xibalba was a strange place surrounded with deadly traps. As it was underground, Xibalba served as a shortcut to the Sun Pyramid. Despite being a legend, Xibalba was real, and was a large, sprawling labyrinth that consisted of odd rooms and traps that wre unorthodox in nature and were powered by mechanisms that would orient the room around.
Pyramid of the Sun[]
Pyramid of the Sun.
The Sun Pyramid was the largest pyramid in Teotihuacan, and the location of the Mayan time portal, which is guarded by Kukulkán, the Mayan god of wind. Within the pyramid was a massive fighting arena with a pedestal in the middle for where the crystal skull would need to be placed.
Trivia[]
- One of the underground areas, in the level The City of the Gods, is featured as a secret "classic area" in Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem.
Gallery[]
List of appearances[]
- Serious Sam: The Second Encounter (First appearance)
- Serious Sam: Xbox (non-canonical appearance)
- Serious Sam HD: The Second Encounter
- Serious Sam VR: The Second Encounter (non-canonical appearance)
- Serious Sam Classics: Revolution (non-canonical appearance)
- Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem (Secret only)
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Serious Sam: The Second Encounter - NETRICSA - Strategy - The City of the Gods
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Kukulkán NETRISCA description
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Serious Sam: The Second Encounter - NETRICSA - Strategy - Teotihuacan - Serpent Yards
- ↑ Serious Sam: The Second Encounter - NETRICSA - Strategy - Sierra de Chiapas
- ↑ Serious Sam: The Second Encounter level: The City of the Gods
- ↑ Serious Sam: The Second Encounter level: The Pit
- ↑ Serious Sam: The Second Encounter - NETRICSA - Hints - The City of the Gods - Montezuma's Mask
- ↑ Serious Sam: The Second Encounter - NETRICSA - Strategy - The Pit
External links[]
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