Demystifying Different Campaigns
In the past I have been asked what the difference is between the various "Maztica Alive!" campaigns and the simple answer is...geography.
As any fan worth their weight in gold pieces will know, Faerûn is the continent where the vast majority of Forgotten Realm adventures take place. There are other continents however, including Kara-Tur, Zakhara, Osse and what some people call Maztica. However, Maztica is actually just a large portion of a greater continent which I have come to calling the "True World" since this is the name given to it by many of its inhabitants. Maztica is actually the name of the deceased mother goddess whose body is believed to form the land itself.
The True World, in this author's view, consists of Anchôromé to the north of Maztica proper, Lopango to its south and possibly even Katashaka further south than that. Each of these regions is a canonical part of the Realms, having been mentioned in multiple sources, particularly in the Grand History of the Realms.
The following is a breakdown of the different campaigns. Note that each campaign together forms a cohesive whole, much as the Sword Coast, Dalelands and Cormyr are interconnected in Faerûn. There are also numerous connections between Faerûn and the True World.
This campaign has a guide at its core which describes the land north of Maztica. Mazticans have had little interactions with the various peoples of Anchôromé, be they human or humanoid.
Anchôromé has many of its themes and aesthetics modeled after Indigenous North American peoples, but it is nowhere near a direct copy. Anchôromé, in keeping with Ed Greenwood's original campaign, is not the actual name of the region and is in fact a misnomer developed by foreign agents who know no better. Lacking a cohesive name from its varied peoples however, this has become its stand in.
The primary populations of Anchôromé are the pueblo dwelling Azuposi, the xenophobic Pasocadar elves and the divided nations of the spirit folk known as the Minnenewah (though dozens of others exist as well).
Centered on the Maztica Campaign Guide, this campaign has been updated from its origins to put its native folk on a power level that matches and often surpasses those of Faerûn. Hishnashapers and plumaweavers are now joined by hishnacasters and plumacasters along with a new form of water based magic known as Teoatl.
As originally intended, its people have aesthetics and cultural similarities to the Aztecs and Mayans of the real world, though this has been expanded to include others such as the Olmecs.
The Maztican campaign has a clearly defined underdark, over a half dozen adventures and an entire book of monsters (as does Anchôromé and Lopango).
Lopango is the least canonical region of the True World with only the faintest of mentions in D&D's long history.. There is almost no description of the so called "Land of Fire" except for a singular map that appeared within the original Maztica Campaign Set. In this map, artwork suggested vaguely Incan aesthetics and that was enough to use as a basis for the entire campaign.
Lopango's description currently centers on its own campaign guide, which is followed by a monstrous compendium, a regional book, two adventures and numerous smaller supplements. A large number of Lopangan products are still in development in various stages of completion.
The Planes and Stars Campaign
Second to my passion for Maztica has always been one for both the Planescape and Spelljammer settings. When I first wrote MZS2 The Cosmology of Maztica, I determined that I could write supplements for either setting and still have them connected to the True World. Some of these connections are tenuous, but Anchôromé, Maztica or Lopango find at least a mention in each.
The Planes and Stars campaign currently has three detailed demiplanes among its books that could each be considered a campaign setting of their own. These are followed by supplements that detail everything from unique modrons to terrifying dragons. There is even an entire campaign book for the planet Anadia, first planet from the sun of Realmspace.
The True World Campaign by Phillip Wallace
I have had the distinct pleasure of working with numerous people on individual books but Phillip Wallace, who goes by the name "Sleyvas" has taken it upon himself to vastly expand the True World in his own way. He has taken particular interest in a region of Anchôromé known as the Adusgi forest, but this isn't his only contribution. Phillip Wallace currently has seven supplements that have been added to the Maztica Alive! catalogue and I hope he continues to create more!
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