Maztica

Maztica, referred to by its inhabitants as The True World, was a large continent west of Faerûn. Maztica was a land of jungles and mystery.

Geography
North of Maztica was the continent of Anchorome and south of it was Lopango.

East Maztica

 * Payit : A native nation covered in open savannas and dense jungles.
 * Far Payit : A large jungle land with few settlements.
 * Sea of Azul : A large body of water that separated Far Payit from the House of Tezca.
 * Gulf of Cordell: This oceanic gulf lay on Maztica's eastern coast, north of Payit.

Central Maztica

 * Pezelac : An agricultural nation west of Payit.
 * The Valley of Nexal: A fertile valley west of Pezelac and east of Huacli, it was home to several Maztican city-states, included Nexal.
 * Huacli: A native confederation of six city-states west of Nexal.
 * Kultaka: A native kingdom to the north east of Nexal.

South Maztica

 * House of Tezca: A large desert south of Nexal.
 * Kolan: A native nation on the western coast of Maztica, west of the House of Tezca.

North Maztica

 * The Sands of Itzcala: A great desert north of Nexal, home of the Dog People.
 * The Pasocada Basin: A river basin north and west of the Sands of Itzcala.

History
Maztica was originally the name of the Maztican goddess of earth and life. It was believed that she, along with her husband and her children (the other deities of the Maztican pantheon), created the land, the plants and animals, and humans. Early in the continent's history, the gods Qotal and Zaltec fought over it, until a crime against his sister caused Qotal to retreat from the land for ages.

Later on, the Payit people of Payit and Far Payit built a mighty civilization. They were a peaceful people, but they gained much knowledge and wisdom during their golden age. They also built great cities of stone and made wondrous works of art and pluma. However, the Golden Age of Payit eventually came to an end in treachery and murder.

Shortly after the golden age ended, a tribe of Dog People arrived in the western Valley of Nexal. The Valley of Nexal had its own people, and their own culture, but that small tribe eventually built a city-state of their own, Nexal. They went on to conquer and rule a mighty empire, the greatest in Maztica, for almost 300 years.

Maztica was 'discovered' by Amnian explorers led by Captain-general Cordell and his Golden Legion in 1361 DR. Amn was quick to lay its claim to the land for trade benefits, establishing the port city of Helmsport, named after the deity Helm, some of whose followers began to migrate into the new land. The native peoples were devastated by foreign diseases and the ruthlessness of the invaders, and this, coupled with the difficulties encountered on Maztica backfiring against them, caused the church of Helm to come under heavy criticism. Lantan also claimed some lands. Some tlincallis from Maztica teleported to Oaxaptupa under Amn in the Underdark of Faerûn.

During the Spellplague of 1385 DR, Maztica was subsumed by the wild magic and sent to the world of Abeir. People mistakenly believed it was replaced by a continent of that world that was sent to Toril during the catastrophe, Laerakond. Maztica was returned to Toril during the Second Sundering, around 1486 or 1487 DR. A few tabaxi emigrated to Faerûn after that, although the tabaxi never talked about what changes Maztica may have experienced in her century in another world, besides the fact that there were some strange changes.

Politics
Maztica was dominated by the nations of Nexal, Kultaka, Huacli, Kolan, Pezelac and Payit. However, there were many other groups and tribes within its mountains and jungles and deserts.

Inhabitants
Maztica was primarily inhabited by humans. These humans were split into four basic ethnic groups, the Payits, the Nexalans, the Green Folk, and the North Ones (more commonly called the Dog People).
 * The Payits tended to be short and muscular, and had a strong tradition of learning, art, and astronomy. They mainly occupied the eastern side of Maztica, in the nation of Payit and the jungles of Far Payit.
 * The Nexalans were the inhabitants of Central Maztica, holding the nations of Nexal, Huacli, Pezelac, and Kultaka. They were leaner and taller than Payits, with angular features. Their culture was warlike, and they lacked the artistic and scholarly inclinations of their eastern neighbors.
 * The Green Folk mostly lived far south of Central Maztica, in the jungles south of the House of Tezca. However, the Kolan people along the western coast was an offshoot of them. They protected their privacy fiercely, and were skilled archers with a tribal society.
 * The North Ones, more commonly called the Dog People was another tribal society, but one that dwelled in the desert north of Central Maztica, the Sand of Itzcala. They were extremely loyal, and hardy enough that they could basically ignore pain and privation. They were renowned for their stealth and savage fighting.

In addition, wild halflings were said to live in the deepest jungles of Far Payit, and desert dwarves inhabited the House of Tezca desert.

Notable creatures
Many unique monstrous races also lived in Maztica, including:
 * Chac
 * Jagre
 * Jaguar lord
 * Tlalocoatl
 * Tabaxi
 * Kamatlan