1600s Donde todo comienza (Chronicles of a New wurld, 1630)

[Pecario]

By the grace of God, on Monday the 25th February of the year 1630,

El Nuevo Mondo, a brand-new land, teeming with resources and tribes as wary as they are mysterious. Our journey, since the separation from Admiral Deiargon's fleet, Alponzo claims that there was some dispute between Montega and Deiargon that caused the fleet's separation, but I highly doubt it, was punctuated by obstacles that God, in His great kindness, allowed us to overcome. Here we are, reduced by half but safe and sound, emerging in a wurld that is then unfamiliar to us, far from the homeland that had cast us out. The untamed sounds of nature reached our ears first before we finally saw the shores of warm sand.

We settled into canoes; I was with Alonzo and Admiral Montega and rowed to the shores. I thought I saw a mixture of sadness and relief in Montega's eyes. He was the one who kept us hopeful during the many storms we endured. We disembarked into the warm sea, Montega seized the flag of the Iberic Empire, and planted it in the ground with an almost divine strength. We stood for a moment facing the flag, silent and solemn.

The wind slowly lifted our colors, and none of the men broke the silence that perhaps signalled that we might never see our homeland again and that a new era was beginning with the end of another. Montega shattered the heavy silence by shouting to the ocean and the men:

“Amigos, behind me, the Empire! Ahead of us, our own! I'd rather be poor here than rich over there! Fear not, bold as we are, we will build something a thousand times more beautiful than what we left behind. Those who trust, follow me!”

The men chanted his name, and we were filled with a sense of great strength and joy. Few were those who didn't smile, and I was not among them.

— Christiano Davegga, chronicler aboard the Santa Lucia

[Pecario]

By the grace of God, on Friday the 5th of April in the year 1630,

Men, weary of staying in Puerto Montega, ventured into the depths of the New Wurld, a land stretching as far as the eye could see, offering an unknown lushness, both enchanting and perilous. It appeared to be Eden, a paradise hidden from our eyes by divine light.

The first whispers of this enigmatic land reached us. Here, there are towering trees resembling giants' feet; the forest appeared majestic and impenetrable. The songs of brightly colored birds and the cries of unknown creatures filled the air with a strange and enchanting symphony. We advanced cautiously, seeking answers to the mysteries of this virgin land, our hearts a mix of fascination and apprehension. Despite the claims of some of our companions, no natives were spotted at that time.

Sadly, a handful of men succumbed to fierce, unknown beasts that occasionally manifested, reminding us of the fragility of our existence in this hostile paradise. Here, there are snakes as long as several men, capable of swallowing a whole horse.

After seven days of marching, we stumbled by chance upon natives fishing near a freshwater river. Far from the image of barbaric and wild people we witnessed with Admiral Deiargon moons ago, these natives were adorned richly for savages. Upon spotting us, there was initially a long moment of mutual observation, each scrutinizing the other's intentions. I would lie if I said fear didn't knot my stomach. Many tales of cannibal tribes had chilled our innocent hearts.

After the observation phase, both parties dared to approach each other. The natives were particularly intrigued by our espada ropera and muskets, which our comrades held onto carefully. Diego de Montega attempted to explain our expedition to them and inquired about their lord, if such a lord existed. Their language appeared highly varied and greatly piqued my interest; I noted a difference in accent among them.

They left us, having offered numerous exotic fruits, one of their cleverly crafted fishing rods for a savage, and some of the strangest seeds. We bequeathed them two doubloons of the Iberic Empire and a pair of our boots.

Montega ordered the construction of a barracks at this location and stationed a dozen men to stay until our return for a more profound expedition. We bid them farewell and returned to Puerto Montega.

— Christiano Davegga, chronicler in Puerto Montega.

[Pecario]

By the grace of God, on Tuesday the 25th of February in the year 1631,

We had encountered a handful of savages until then, and we soon underestimated the civilization that lived in this Eden. They erected great buildings atop mountains so high that we could not see their summits. They skillfully cultivated a most peculiar edible fare, which they consumed as their main dish. It is a truly unique wheat that could sustain many men. It would also be desirable to sow this New wurld wheat throughout all the provinces of Europa, to provide sustenance and nourishment for the abundantly poor. With a bit of this wheat, we could easily feed and sustain them as well as the savages, who are of the same nature as us. Thus they would not suffer from scarcity nor be compelled to beg through the cities, towns, and villages, as they do every day. Besides, this wheat greatly nourishes and satisfies, requiring no sauce, meat, fish, butter, salt, or spice. We quickly learned that they call this fare “Maize,” and we were soon introduced to the manner of its cultivation.

Their gods are of such repulsive ugliness that they nearly terrified our men. They are represented in grotesque manners, and we refused to perform any pagan rites, much to the discontent of the populations we encountered. Father Antonio de la Cruz attempted in vain to teach them the tenets of the Tacolic faith, to no avail. Then came a most strange occurrence; we were traversing a road skillfully paved for savages when we encountered a pagan procession: numerous women dressed in white and men adorned in absurd attire, crowned with blood-red feathers, came singing before our company. They quickly knelt before our sight and kissed our feet while offering a thousand gifts. It was evident that they mistook us for their pagan gods, or at least their messengers. This phenomenon of adulation recurred several times during our journey.

One fine morning, we received the visit of what appeared to be a representative of the emperor of the natives themselves. He introduced himself as Azelca, a representative of the lord of the lands we trod upon, richly attired in colorful patterns. He stayed with us for a few days, contenting himself with observing us and occasionally conversing with the officers. However, Montega remained cautious and addressed him only on rare occasions. Azelca departed one fine day, having apparently completed his mission, and none knew what it truly entailed. I had the opportunity to speak with him before his departure, and I learned that their people are called the Tuachecs, and their lord is, in reality, an emperor. When I informed him that we were en route to meet his lord, he cast me a look filled with suspicion and doubt before ceasing to speak to me thereafter. After his departure, we quickly noticed among certain savages, especially the pagan priests, the beginnings of distrust and even hostility. It seemed that our so-called divinity had been unmasked by the natives' elites, and the aforementioned Azelca was not a stranger to this revelation.

— Christiano Davegga, chronicler in Puerto Montega.

Edited Monday at 08:07 PM by Orioni
that date was a Tuesday, not a Monday (see edit history)