The Mayans on the ingame faction selection screen
The Mayans are a playable faction in Medieval II Total War: Kingdoms Americas campaign. Similarly with the Aztecs, Tlaxcalans and Tarascans, they have vast numbers of brave and zealous units, but they lack in armour and weapon technology. They worship the Sun God as their religion.
The Mayan people of the New World are not dominated by one ruling aristocracy. Instead they are formed from many small city-states, each with their own royalty and a large temple for worshipping their gods. The Mayan people have a long history when compared to their Aztec neighbours, spanning over a millennia, during which the Mayan's riches, power and territory waxed and waned.
At their peak, 600 years ago, they could claim some of the most densely populated and largest settlements of the world, complete with awe-inspiring architecture and advances in science, mathematics and language. Why much of this dissappeared is a mystery even to themselves, and the Mayans have never looked like regaining those heights of prosperity, until now...
The Mayans are once again on the rise, with many strong city-states including Itza Maya, Kowoj Maya, K'iche Maya. They are resettling previously abandoned areas and creating new settlements. With many proud temples being raised to the great Kukulcan, the quetzal-feathered serpent god, the Mayans believe that destiny is once again at hand. The reinvigorated Mayans are in a position to strike out across the new world, spreading their influence amongst all the peoples, from small nearby villages, all the way to Tenochtitlan itself!