ShadOVerse - Pahtli (Ahuizotl's Mother)

Hey everyone! Got a new character for you!! <3
Meet Pahtli, Ahuizotl's (adoptive) mother in the ShadOVerse. She's raised Ahuizotl from the time he was just a cub and is the best healer and diviner in the tribe. Her name means "medicine"... and appropriately enough, it can also mean "poison".

Ahuizotl: Don't mess with my mother... Seriously, don't. She will end you... 

Indeed.  For your own sake, do NOT underestimate this mare. She is extremely protective of her fellow tribesponies, and especially her son. While Pahtli is typically reserved and stern, her temper is friggin' LEGENDARY once it ignites, and like most individuals in her culture, she has no qualms about using violence on her enemies.

Daring Do: This lady pulled a knife on me once... 

Ahuizotl learned from the best. But at the end of the day, it all stems from just how much she cares, and how much she'd give to keep those she loves safe and well. On a quick side note, you may have noticed that she is a unicorn. Almost all of the ponies in Ahuizotl's tribe are Earth Ponies, but it is not impossible for the occasional unicorn or pegasus to be born. Unicorns that are born typically go into the same craft Pahtli did, their magic good for both divination and tending to the wounds of patients.

And lastly, I'd also like to address something real quick. I'm not pointing fingers or whatever, because everyone's got different headcanons. I just dislike this one and what to make it clear that it is NOT present in my fanon work. What the headcanon involves is Ahuizotl basically being a sexist. It's a little more complicated than that, but that is the gist. And I have three big problems with this insinuation...

1. You're basically saying you think Ahuizotl's an idiot. Because only an idiot would get their flank handed to them by a female (Daring Do) so many times and still underestimate them.

2. I dislike it's assumptions about Aztec culture. It comes off as, "Oh, a non-modern, native civilization... must be offensive and backwards!" Yes, Aztecs had very defined gender roles, and according to what I've read, towards the end of their civilization, the Aztec state/government started promoting more patriarchal notions. But this is not the entire picture. Aztec culture, as a whole, was pretty friggin' egalitarian and based around duality and balance. Women were not warriors not because they were weak, but because that wasn't their job. Women who died in childbirth were highly honored and went to the same kind of paradise as men that died in battle. Equal and opposite. Women could own property and make money independently of any male family members.

3. Lastly, on a completely personal level, it just does NOT mesh with any characterization of the ShadOVerse. Ahuizotl is not the late patriarchal Aztec state, he is Ahuizotl. He's the guy that leads a tribe of ponies independently. His arch nemesis is an intelligent and strong mare, he was raised by the intelligent and strong mare you see in this image, and his eventual daughter is an intelligent and strong... ah... mare (Izel is only half-pony, XD)? He does not under estimate or look down on females in general. Like I said, he'd have to be an utter FOOL to do so.

Really, this rant is not really essential to this image. But as I was working on creating this incredible bad@$$ that is Pahtli... this lady that Ahuizotl has a very strong bond with, the entire notion just rubbed me up the wrong way and I had to get my opinion out there. No worries though, my future artist comments will likely be a lot less huffy.

On a side note, did you know I sometimes spend an hour or so writing out just the right thing to say in my artist comments? XD

Anyway, I hope you guys love Pahtli as much as I do. <3
You will ABSOLUTELY see more of her in the future and I can't wait to share more info about her.

--

MLP (c) Hasbro/DHX
Pahtli (c) ShadOBabe