======Tenochtitlan: The Eagle's Prophecy, The City of Water======
Tenochtitlan was more than a city; it was a universe in miniature, a testament to human will built on a prophecy. Rising from the shimmering waters of [[Lake Texcoco]] in the Valley of Mexico, it was the capital of the Aztec Empire, a sprawling, intricate metropolis that became one of the largest and most sophisticated urban centers in the world before its cataclysmic fall. Founded around 1325 CE, this city of canals, causeways, and floating gardens was the political, economic, and spiritual heart of the Mexica people. Its life was a dramatic arc of ingenuity and power, from a humble settlement on a swampy islet to an imperial capital that commanded tribute from hundreds of city-states. Tenochtitlan was an engineering marvel, a place where humanity did not merely conquer nature but collaborated with it, creating fertile land from water and sustaining a population estimated between 200,000 and 300,000 at its zenith. It was a city of stark contrasts: of vibrant, bustling markets and solemn