D&D General 5 Cool Facts About the Inca and How to Use Them in D&D

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

The Inca: Didn't use metal, but were metal as hell.

I appreciate the wordplay and sentiment, but have to correct you here. They actually did use bronze for tools and religious purposes. Metal was mostly used to designate status for nobles and governors. Commoners weren’t even allowed to own jewelry. For example, almost all the silver and gold in the empire was owned by current or dead Emperors, as they were believed to be descended from the deities that created those metals, the Moon Goddess Mama Killa and Sun God Inti.

When Emperor Atawallpa was captured by the conquistadors, to pay his ransom he ordered his servants to strip the precious metals from the palace of Pachacuti’s mummy, as his panaka had opposed him during the civil war. The Spanish executed Atawallpa even though he paid his ransom.

 

[TravDoc42]

The Spanish executed Atawallpa even though he paid his ransom.

I always find stuff like this so tragic. There are many cases of Indigenous Peoples expecting the very minimum of fair, equal treatment upon first contact, only to be brutally let down and slaughtered.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

I think it would be cool to have a culture that didn't have writing, but used quipu (a.k.a khipu), a system of knots used for record keeping.

Agreed. I think it would be cool to play a wizard that used a Khipu as their “spellbook.” Or have magic Khipu that functioned like the magic manuals in D&D.

I don't use goodberry and create food and water is much more rare in my campaigns ( if I include it at all). Therefore, I would find it much more interesting to have a culture utilize terrace farming.

Terraces are actually really interesting, as they keep the soil damp enough to water crops without drowning them. But they also kept the plants warmer, which could extend the growing seasons.

There’s this circular terrace structure in Peru that some archaeologists believe was used to breed new types of cold and altitude resistant versions of crops.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

I always find stuff like this so tragic. There are many cases of Indigenous Peoples expecting the very minimum of fair, equal treatment upon first contact, only to be brutally let down and slaughtered.

Yeah. I’ve spent a good amount of time cursing Francisco Pizarro and his cousin Hernan Cortez. So much was lost through colonization and disease.

When the Spanish informed Atawallpa that they were going to kill him, they gave him a choice. If he remained pagan, they would burn him to death. If he converted to Christianity, they would strangle him. He chose to convert, because he believed he would come back to life as an immortal mummy if his body was intact.

There’s a legend that says Atawallpa told the Spanish before his execution that he would return after death for revenge. According to legend, the Spanish cut his body into several pieces and scattered his remains throughout the empire. One day he will return and restore his kingdom.

Inkarri - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I appreciate the wordplay and sentiment, but have to correct you here.

I'm sorry, but your correction has to begin with the phrase, "um, actually." No points awarded and someone else can steal.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

I'm sorry, but your correction has to begin with the phrase, "um, actually." No points awarded and someone else can steal.

Touché

 

[Greg K]

Terraces are actually really interesting, as they keep the soil damp enough to water crops without drowning them. But they also kept the plants warmer, which could extend the growing seasons.

There’s this circular terrace structure in Peru that some archaeologists believe was used to breed new types of cold and altitude resistant versions of crops.

About ten years ago, I took one or two courses that had sections on the Inca (in South America), and several Meso-American cultures including the Olmec, Mayans, and Aztec. I am, now, tempted to pull out the text books and class handouts and notes.
Edit: I remember Khan Academy having good online articles in their art history and world history sections on these cultures. If I recall correctly, History.org also had some good articles

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

This strange variety of potatoes is known as “cj'achun wakachi,” meaning “makes the daughter-in-law cry” in Quechua. If a man wanted to marry a woman, his mother would force her to skin one of these potatoes in one try without wasting any of it. If she failed, they weren’t allowed to marry.

I can only imagine how difficult this would be.