The Aztec Gateway

Tezcatlipoca is Aztec the god of the night sky and the night wind. His name means "Smoking Mirror," the Nahuatl term for the black obsidian mirrors the Mesoamericans used for divination. Tezcatlipoca also had several titles, for He was considered a fearsome god whom the people were careful to call upon by name.
As the Lord of the Near and Nigh, Tezcatlipoca governs the fate of mortals, seeing into their minds and hearts with His obsidian mirror. He gives both reward and punishment as He sees fit; having the power to both bestow riches and take them away. As the night wind, Tezcatlipoca would rush through the streets in the night, giving terror or luck to any He came across in accordance with His whims and their worth. He carries five arrows which He uses to punish the wicked.	The Smoking Mirror of Tezcatlipoca
Tezcatlipoca is one of the four brother gods who rule over the directions. He rules over the North, the realm of darkness, contrasted to the Western Quetzalcoatl's realm of light. Opposed in methods and philosophies, Tezcatlipoca and Quetzalcoatl are considered rivals of each other. In the North, one may see Tezcatlipoca's singular footprint in Ursa Major. His other foot was lost in battle with the Earth Monster, to be replaced by the obsidian mirror of His name.
Tezcatlipoca depicted on the burial urn of Emperor Tizoc	Tezcatlipoca is the patron of sorcerers, warriors, and young men. He is perpetually young, and considered the most handsome of the gods. Tezcatlipoca was the patron of the Telpochcalli, the schools where young men were trained to be warriors. The night warrior in contrast to Huitzilopochtli's day, Tezcatlipoca also uses sorcery and cunning to exact His will, in addition to warrior might. He is also a princely god, a patron of the nobility. However, He was also the patron of slaves, who were considered His "beloved children."
Those who treated their slaves poorly were punished by Him. This in mind, He served as an example to the nobles of proper treatment to one's underlings; while the nobles may have owned slaves, they were perpetually reminded that they themselves were Tezcatlipoca's slaves by one of His titles: Titlacahuan (He Who's Slaves We Are). Tezcatlipoca's birth date according to the sacred calendar, One Death, was a day on which the slaves were to be honored and treated as nobles themselves. Tezcatlipoca has two nahualli (sorcerous animal) forms; Tepeyollotl, the jaguar god of the underworld, and Chalchiuhtotolin, the Jeweled Fowl. As Tepeyollotl, He stalks the underworld, causing earthquakes with His roars. As Chalchiuhtotolin, He appears as a beautiful bird, something like a turkey but far more stunning, covered in jeweled feathers. However, as beautiful as Chalchiuhtotolin is, He is also terrifying to behold.
Tezcatlipoca often tested mortals' bravery. He would sometimes appear in the night as Chalchiuhtotolin, uttering an eerie cry, or as a huge, decapitated man with a gash in the chest that opened and closed, making a sound something like a chopping ax. The idea was that a human who heard such sounds in the night might be brave and investigate, or might be terrified and flee. Those who were brave would find Chalchiuhtotolin or the headless specter, and their courage would be further tested. If the person fled, Tezcatlipoca would not favor them, for He is a fearsome god not for cowards. If the person was brave, however, they could grab Chalchiuhtotolin by the tail and capture Him, or reach into the specter's gaping chest to grasp it's heart. If they succeeded in facing their fears, Tezcatlipoca would give them a blessing.	Sacrificial Jaguar Vessel
Tezcatlipoca also governs the memories of the ancestors. He dwells in the House of the Night with His four wives: Xochiquetzal, Xilonen, Atlatonan, and Huixtocihuatl, who represent the pleasures of life (erotic love, food, drink, and salt, respectively). The Jaguar Warrior order was dedicated to Him, as was the city of Texcoco. Though considered a dangerous and capricious god, Tezcatlipoca was well honored by the Aztecs, who knew that darkness was vital to the function of the universe. The Titles of Tezcatlipoca: Yoalli Ehecatl (Night Wind) Tloque Nahuaque (Lord of the Near and Night) Titlacahuan (He Who's Slaves We Are) Moquequeloa (The Mocker) Necoc Yaotl (Enemy on Both Sides) Telpochtli (The Youth)