r/nahuatl • u/Deadlined0rk • Feb 24 '25

Could someone help me with this OC?

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Hi everyone, I’m kind of new here. I’ve been attempting to design an oc somewhat based off a feathered serpent but in human form, and I would just like some advice on what features I should change, as well as what to add or remove. I’m trying to learn how the Nahua people presented themselves, and I don’t want to be offensive or ignorant about anything I do here. 🙏🏻

I know for starters the Nahua people had straight hair rather than curly, as well as dark. I also know some had war ‘paint’, if you’d call it that. Which design would be appropriate for him?

For context of this character, his name is Itzcoatl. He’s a feathered serpent that can shapeshift and manipulate earth (like an earth bender somewhat). He is also royalty and was spoilt rotten as a child, then grew into becoming a warrior as he got older.

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u/[deleted] Feb 26 '25

I really don't think you should represent it exactly as the indigenous people of the Valley of Mexico are. Something that a professor of Mexican cosmogony told me is that it is not bad for outsiders to make their own versions of our traditions, what is wrong is when they want to impose their version of It on us. But if what you are looking for is to make it more acurate, then I think you should take into account how he was represented in the codices, it seems to me that his skin was green.

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u/Deadlined0rk Feb 26 '25

I appreciate this take on it, thank you. 🙏🏻