Mictlatepec

Mictlatepec, also called the City of the Dead, was a ancient city in Maztica. It had an ill reputation, and strange creatures were said to lurk there.

Geography
Mictlatepec was situated on the top of an artificial plateau (made by leveling the top of a mountain) in the region of Huacli in central Maztica.

Inhabitants
Mictlatepec was inhabited by mictlaneca, or dead ones. There were four kinds of mictlaneca, created from the city's original inhabitants. Which kind of mictlanec a person became depended on their social standing in life. The four kinds of mictlaneca were: wights, ghasts, ghouls, and zombies.

History
Before the Huacli people inhabited the region named for them, another people called the Zateca dominated the area. They ruled several cities, among them Mictlatepec. Originally an administrative center, the city later became important in trade. However, this prosperity ended during the reign of Alban.

Alban was a king of Mictlatepec who, after ruling well for many years, decided to extend his reign for much longer. He instructed the royal hishnashaper to craft him an amulet to make it so. The hishnashaper did, making a talisman of perpetual life. Alban wore it, and when he died, he promptly returned to life- mostly. He became the first mictlanec, a wight.

Alban began to create other mictlaneca, commanding another talisman- a knife of perpetual service- be made. This talisman animated those it slayed as a lesser mictlaneca: ghasts, ghouls, and zombies. The city was transformed from a vibrant center of trade into a macabre, evil place, and fell into ruins. However, the mictlaneca "lived" on, reenacting their former lives each night, before hiding from the sun during the day.