History: Possibly the most forgotten culture in the history of the Americas, the Taino were a society based on trade and economics. The Taino territory included The Bahamas, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Cuba, and Hispaniola. They dominated the Caribbean with their naval skills and trade canoes. The Taino traded with the great Mesoamerican powers at the time including Aztecs, Maya, and Incans. The first Native Americans encountered by Christopher Columbus were the Taino and they suffered the worst genocide in the history of Spanish colonization. The Taino numbered in the hundred thousands, but when Columbus arrived in two decades they were all but extinct thanks to the Spaniards diseases and superior weapons. The Taino have also given us every day words that we use like hurricane, hammock, barbecue, tobacco, and canoe.

Introduction to Taino mythology: The Taino respected nature and valued the importance of giving thanks to it. The Taino gods were called Zemi and were honored during ceremonies where legends would be told and offerings made. Unlike their neighbors in Mesoamerica the Taino did not do human sacrifice, and would rather eat communal bread, than rip out a human heart.

The Taino gain favor by playing Batu, which was a Taino ball game that might have originated soccer. When you build a Batu ball court there are automatically Batu players inside the court. Ten Batu courts is the maximum amount you can build.

Military Units- the Taino had little use for fighting, but they did have to defend themselves from the Caribs, which were fierce war-like cannibals from the south of Taino territory in the Lesser Antilles as apposed the Taino’s greater Antilles.

Bohio- circular building that trains infantry and archers

Baira- Taino archer that has arrows tipped in poison and does a slow health draining special attack. Good against infantry.

Manaya- Taino infantry that uses a machete made out of polished sharp obsidian. Good against cavalry.

Jibaro warrior- Taino monk that fights with a knife and martial arts. Has a special stunning attack against infantry. Good against archers.

Nitayno- the sub-chiefs of Taino society that fight with a blowgun. Good against heroes.

Lucayans- Spearmen with stingray spine tipped spears that do a slow gradual life draining special attack. Only good against infantry.

Hook Thrower- Archer that throws carved fish bone hooks at enemy that will temporarily slow them down. Only good against archers.

Caney- Rectangular building where the chieftain lived. This is the Taino fortress that trains siege units and heroes.

Cacique- The Tanio chief that was considered divine and related to the gods, they wore golden necklaces and feathered headdresses. Only five caciques can be created at a time for each of the regions the Taino ruled.

Bohique- this was the Taino medicine man and shaman that came from a long line of bohiques and were the cacique’s religious advisor. Each major god gets a different bohique.

If Yucahu:

Iguana bohique- warrior-priest dressed in iguana skins that use a macahuitl, an Aztec obsidian bladed sword. The Iguana bohique heals friendly units and buildings.

If Atabey:

Parrot bohique- feather clad warrior-priest that throws barbed spears and does hand-to-hand damage like throwing axemen. The Parrot bohique empowers buildings.

If Yaya:

Shark bohique- warrior-priest clad in sharkskin that uses a trident made of shark bone and tipped with shark teeth. The shark bohique raises morale in battle.

Macorixe- torch-throwing warrior that is good against buildings and other siege units

Liguayos- macana, which is a carved wooden club, carrying warrior that is good against buildings and cavalry

Dock- trains ships. The Taino war kanoa, which is where we get the word canoe from, could carry forty to sixty people and as Columbus observed, could paddle as fast as a Spanish galleon.

Baira kanoa- Arrow canoe that has several Baira in it that fire flaming arrows at other ships

Baira kanoa- mêlée canoe that has several hatchet carrying warriors that chop at other ships

Piragua- massive Taino war canoe that has many warriors throw flaming clubs at enemy ships

Mythology

Main Gods

Yucahu- god of the sky and supreme god of the Taino that oversees the harvests
God Power: Abundance- Resources are doubled
God Tech: Conuco- food is gathered faster and more can be carried
Bonuses
-Farms are free
-Can create 10 caciques
-Myth units have more HP

Atabey- mother goddess of beauty, rituals, music, and ceremonies
God Power: Tides- creates a high tide that destroys enemy docks
God tech: Mother of Waters- naval myth units are stronger vs. buildings
Bonuses
-Villagers have more hit points
-Town centers exert a healing radius
-Can train a unique unit, the maraca player, which heal ally units and decrease enemy armor

Yaya- creator god that killed his own son so that he wouldn’t be usurped of his throne and the Taino would be endangered; he is also the god of fish.
God power- Fish bones- all of your enemies villagers stop gathering for forty seconds
God Techs: Yayael- Infantry have more pierce armor
Vital beginning- Caciques have more HP
Bonuses
-Fishing canoes gather faster
-Kanoas are faster and have better armor
-Buildings are stronger and cheaper

Classical Age

Marohu- god of good weather and spring (Yucahu, Atabey)
GP: Trickery- makes a group of enemy villagers give you the resources they gather for thirty seconds, they cannot be attacked or moved by your enemy during this time
MU: Toa-Toa: frogmen that used to be children, but forsaken by their mothers, were transformed by their sadness into Toa-Toa

Myth Techs: Guahayona- Upgrades Toa-Toa into Tona that have a poisonous bite attack and are faster

Boinayel- villagers gather wood faster
Dorsal crest- bohiques have more attack

Caguama- turtle goddess of beginnings (Yucahu, Yaya)
MU: Jukiya- spirit of good that fights with a staff made of light
Myth Techs: Mother of humans- all human units have more HP and defense
Four Twins- Jukiya raise ally armor when they fight
Arc of the Antilles- villagers train faster
Shell shield- Infantry have more armor

Opiyelguobiran- dog god of spirits, souls, and wandering (Atabey, Yaya)
GP: Wings- selects a group of warriors and turns them into owls that fly away from the danger they’re in and revert back to human form in forty seconds. Useful for escaping battles.
MU: Guayza- spirit of living beings and the essence of a persons soul
Myth Techs: Incarnation- makes four bat scouts spawn at your town center and respawn when they die
Sabanajobabo- Caciques have an instant kill special attack vs. myth units
Jobos- buildings are stronger
Lagoon- archers are faster

Heroic Age

Bayamanaco- god of fire that fire was stolen from to give to the Taino (Atabey, Yucahu)
GP: Hallucination- transforms animals into fearsome monsters and demons that scare away enemy soldiers
MUs: Maboya- ghost of misfortune and hardship
Tonina- dolphin like creature that dives down and then breaches beneath a ship, destroying it instantly
Mucaro- the Night Eagle, a giant Owl that screeches a sonic blast for its special attack

Myth Techs: Cohoba- siege weapons are faster and have more hit points
Guanguayo- Lucayans train faster
Moin- myth units have more armor

Guabancex- goddess of fierce winds, ocean storms, and hurricanes (Atabey, Yaya)
GP: Downpour- creates mud, which slows your enemies, but your units are unaffected
MUs: Gutaba- Lighting messenger spirit that blinds an enemy for its special attack

Coatrisquie- spirit of torrential and destructive water that regenerates when not fighting

Myth Techs: Herald of Thunder- Gutabas are much faster and have more attack
Gatherer of Waters- Coatrisquies have a special attack where they can consume an enemy unit, making their attack go temporarily up
Amutex- ships have more attack and attack faster
Hura- naval units train faster

Mautiatihuel- god of the dawn and sun (Yaya, Yucahu)
GP: Charm- instantly doubles the number of a group of units
MU: Luki’yo- spirit of mountains and forests
Myth Techs: Cacique of the Dawn- Caciques now have a bonus against archers
Cosmic Cavern- buildings repair by themselves
Celestial Vault- all myth techs are 15% less
White Earth Mountain- upgrades your Luki’yo into Yuke’yo, which have more attack and are good vs. buildings

Mythic Age

Maketaori Guauaba- god of the underworld and Lord of the Dead (Atabey)
GP: Cannibals- a horde of Carib raiders attack enemy units, but if the enemy dies, they turn on you
MUs: Opia- spirit of the dead that eternally roam the world trying to do what they didn’t in live
Tiburon- huge shark creature that swallows a ship for its special attack
Myth Techs: Coaybay- Opias are upgraded into Wandering Opia that become faster in numbers like the Fenris Wolf Brood
Soraya- Tiburon are upgraded into Cajaya, which are stronger and train faster
Guayabaz- when villagers are killed, they come back as Opias

Juracan- god of evil and enemy of Yucahu (Yucahu, Yaya)
GP: Guazabara- all human warriors are able to kill an enemy soldier in one hit, but once that happens, they revert back to their normal attack
MU: Boiha- serpent of darkness and symbol of rain

Myth Techs: Sibuqueira- Boiha are upgraded into Shadow Boiha that breathe out a blast of chocking shadow that instantly smothers an enemy
Jujo- Nitayno get a bonus vs. myth units and buildings
Naje- Piraguas have more attack and armor

Baibrama- god of fertility and growing (Yucahu, Yaya, Atabey)
GP: Courage- creates fifteen Ri’, which are spirits of bravery and valor that will patrol your borders to keep enemies out
MU: Hupia- ancestor spirit
Caguma- huge sea turtle that breathes a blast of molten lava that does gradual damage to a ship or naval MU

Myth Techs: Yuca- a slow steady trickle of food is produced
Digo salve- Hupia can heal
Naiboa- Hook throwers deal more damage to archers and have better resistance to cavalry

Miscellaneous

Villager: Naboria- the common people in Taino society

Caravan: Hawk Caravan- a flying caravan unit that goes faster than the other caravans and isn’t restricted by things in its way, but carries less gold

Wonders: Cemis- Cemis were totem statues built by the Taino to depict animalistic spirits

If Yucahu: Caiman Cemi- crocodile like statue with a longer jaw

If Atabey: Turtle Cemis- Cemi that represents peace and motherhood

If Yaya: Snake Cemi- Cemi that represents dedication and perseverance

Titan: Macoel- giant lizard guardian of the cave Taino originated from

[This message has been edited by Yamato Take (edited 12-31-2005 @ 10:30 AM).]