Journal of Gustav Abalone

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After my first game of Expeditions: Conquistador reached a place where my personal version of events necessitated a narrative end for my character, I've decided to start a new game. This will obviously be spoiler heavy as many of the journal entries will include main story mission events from the game. I'm not sure if this is the best place to do these journal entries, but I don't feel like figuring out a better place unless the moderators ask me to. Feel free to comment, I'm not trying to keep this thread pure or anything. But unless you write a message from Spain for Gustav (in character), he will not write back. 

 

And now, straight from 1518, Gustav Abalone:

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We are on a mission from God. He has asked us, in his infinite compassion and glory, to bring His word and His salvation to the savage island of Hispanola. It is through his word, that our deeds may save a thousand souls.

After receiving correspondence from Sister Blanca Alegria about her successes in establishing a church on the Northern Coast, we have decided to gather a party from the hermandad and join her on her mission. I can think of no better opportunity to use the fortune which the Abalone name has accrued than to partake in these deeds and this purpose. This group of pilgrims have already proved themselves capable in bringing security and righteousness to our town here in Spain, and now that we lack challenge for our skills, the opportunity that Sister Alegria has provided us is undeniable. Through battle at home, we have become brothers and sisters in war. And now, by traveling across the ocean into an unknown land, to spread the Faith, we will be brothers and sisters in Christ. 

Sergeant Guillermo Pascual will lead us in instances of battle. He has more than proven his worth in the hermandad, and with his tactical knowledge, God's word will be protected and seeded within the most inhospitable of lands. Sergeant Pascual has assigned Bernardo Trevino as a second. Pascual's opinion of the man is more than enough for me to trust his capabilities. Pascual has also recruited his best archer, Adriana Cervera; his best scout, Raina Portaneres; and of course, Sierra Barreiro, a soldier who we have all seen show her heroics on the battle field. 

I have discussed our mission with the hermandad and recruited some individuals myself. I cannot imagine going on such an adventure without my sister, (though not a sister in blood) Rita Martinez. It was largely through our conversations that this pilgrimage was initiated and executed. Daniela Hernandez has become an impressive scout after her husband was murdered 8 years ago. Perhaps the tragedy was God's impetus for her to come to us 7 years ago in preparation for this purpose. Teresa Sanchez will be our accompanying doctor. Though she is not incredibly pious, her deeds within the hermandad and work with the poor has shown that God can work through her hands. I would have liked to bring an additional doctor, but the profession is amok with humanist heathens who typically ignore the sanctity of the body. 

We will also be joined by Raul Carillo, a hunter who recently came into our town. He is new to us, but his eagerness to go on this pilgrimage shows that he understands the importance of proselytizing Hispanola.

The excitement in the party is palatable. We have been voyaging for five weeks in tight quarters. Such tight space has allowed us to raise our solidarity as messengers of God. This morning we spotted the port of Santo Domingo on the southern coast. What wonders God must have in store for us. We dock soon. 

 

-Gustav Abalone

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Day 1:
Upon arrival at the port of Santo Domingo, Sister Blanca Alegria joined our party immediately. But our elation was quickly curtailed by the seizure of our boat and supplies in the name of Santo Domingo's Governor. I requested audience with him to clear up the misunderstanding, but he was not sympathetic to our cause. Governor Manzanedo not only seized all of our possessions, but also declared authority over our entire party, claiming that Santo Domingo required all this for its preservation against oncoming attacks by the natives.  In this moment, I felt much like our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ must have felt in audience of Pontius Pilot. Our purity in motive would not move the State away from its worldly worries of bodily harm or loss of wealth. 

I managed to negotiate repossession of our supplies and leadership of the pilgrims. The cost of this just reallocation was agreeing to a performance of a martial exercise. The governor also coerced an agreement from us to investigate a group of pagans who are causing disturbances on the road between Santo Domingo and San Tiago.

As I wondered why this wicked place was not stricken from the Earth like Sodom and Gomorrah, I was answered by the hospitality of the citizens of Santo Domingo. A young lady named Isabela Yruenes was so struck by our sense of purpose, that she asked to join our party of missionaries. She claims native knowledge of Hispanola and it's inhabitants. Her abilities will no doubt be needed in communicating the Good Word to the uneducated savages of this land. I can not ignore God's blessings when they are sent upon me from the Heavens and so we accepted her into our fold. Before leaving town, we had communion in the Catedral Santa Maria La Menor to receive the blessing of Jesus Christ by the hands of his servant, Hermano Cora who delivered the body and blood of our Lord and Savior to our mouths. It was during Brother Cora's sermon that I truly saw that the obstacles we had been accosted with upon arrival on this island were just the the beginning of the tests that will expose our faith, deeds, and capabilities. The Lord shows himself in times of struggle and our struggle was just beginning. 

After communion, Brother Cora took me aside to ask if I would deliver a shipment of bibles to San Tiago. Truly this was the cloth of the Lord being woven before our eyes! I agreed to take the shipment, knowing that God was showing us the way. After hiring some servants to push our carts, we left town by the North Gate and began our journey into the New World. We camped not far from Santo Domingo on our first night. Though we had discussed it on the ship, I explained the leadership and assignments to the pilgrims. Each of us must do our jobs in order to protect and spread God's word in such a hostile place. All the soldiers were placed on guard, while our hunters and scholars searched for game, and our scouts went on a patrol to find anything of interest. Tomorrow we continue our journey to San Tiago. May God protect us in this dark jungle.  

 

-Gustav Abalone

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Day 3: We arrived in the fishing village of San Tiago before dusk. The small size of the village allowed us to find the recipient of the bibles very quickly. He gave us 1500 in valuables as payment. I explained that we were happy to do God's work, but he insisted that we take payment. Just as we accept the difficulties of God's tasks, we must also accept his rewards. It's possible that we will need these valuables to carry out his plans across this island. Before we set up camp for the evening, we discovered a fisherman creating nets of great strength. Sister Blanca reminded us all that many of Jesus's disciples were fishermen. When I introduced our party of missionaries to the fisherman, there was some confusion in our communication. Someone made a reference to Jesus being a fisher of men, and he told us that we could literally net men with these nets. Pascual was impressed with the possibilities in battle, and so we ordered two nets to be picked up before we leave to explore for the pagan tribe. It is as if our Lord has a sense of humor, giving us nets from a fishermen to catch men. Fishers of men indeed!

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Day 4:

I decided to take the road South, back to Santo Domingo, after all, this is where the pagans are causing trouble, so it seemed likely to find them there. The Governor has marked on my map an area to the East of this road, where he suspected that the pagans had an encampment or village. As we traveled, I looked for entrances through the jungle into the East, but found none. When we settled in for the night, I spoke with Adriana Cervera who was practicing with her bow. She is possibly the most skilled archer I have ever seen. I told her that I was grateful that she was with us on this dangerous adventure. 

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Day 5: Thieves stole some of our supplies overnight even though we had many people guarding the camp. We suspect that the thieves are likely to be the pagans for whom we are searching. I feel that we have just witnessed the nature of the pagans which we must change. As Moses explained the will of God in Exodus Chapter 20, verse 15, "Thou Shall Not Steal." Even though SIster Blanca Alegria has established a church o the island, many of these savages have not yet heard the word of God, so we can not judge them for not abiding by it. This is why we are here, not to stop this individual theft, but to show the natives of this isle that there is a righteous way and that there is no path but that of Jesus Christ. Without him in your heart, you are bound to a life of sin. And in the life of sin, they stole some of our rope. 

We still could not find an opening in the jungle to the East and ended up all the way back to the outskirts of Santo Domingo. Tomorrow we will explore the road that goes along the southern coast to try and find a way into this dense landscape. 

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Day 6: 

Our scouts have discovered more medicinal herbs on this journey than Sister Blanca and Teresa Sanchez can turn into medicine! Not only that, but once in a while we find supplies lying about, just off the path and in rare cases even treasure. It is just as second Corinthians, chapter 9, verse 8 reads, "And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work". 

We quickly found a path going directly into the jungle into the northern direction after taking the road East on the Southern coast. After much progress, we have found a place to camp. It was just before dusk that we spotted a great pyramid in the distance before us. I feel that we are entering Egypt. Moses lead the exodus from Egypt, and I feel that I am leading the migration back into it. Sister Blanca and Teresa are going to continue to make medicine through the night. I've sent both Raina and Daniela to scout the area and find out what they can. There will be no hunting tonight, only guard duty. We are so close that we can see their pyramid. We don't know what to expect entirely. they may just try to steal more rope, but I can not take chances with the lives of those I am leading. 

After the jobs were assigned, Raul Carillo (who I assigned to guard the camp) asked if we could talk. I of course obliged him. He then explains that back in San Tiago he met a female scout who told him of pagan riches deep within the island. Raul Carillo then told me the precise reason he had joined this mission was to find these treasures. At first I felt tricked and betrayed. Here we had allowed Raul to join us, even though we barely knew him in Spain, and gotten to know him during five weeks of ship travel where we had all spoken of the great deeds which we will do in the name of Jesus Christ. And then here was Raul, asking me to forget his duty as a christian, so that he could go with some woman to find pagan treasure! But then the peace of the Lord overtook me and I saw the situation in a different light. Raul was obviously battling with this temptation. If he had simply wanted to go, then he would have left us in San Tiago. But what had happened was that he knew, in his heart, that God provides the only riches worth discovering. Temptation had seeped into him over the course of the past few days and he had finally broken and planned to leave, but instead of leaving, he had come to me to ask for permission. Raul was confused, and here he was before me asking for a reminder of his purpose. I told him that he could not go. He looked disappointed, but that was just the temptation towards sin leaving his body, out of his face. He will wake up a happier man tomorrow. A man who walks the path that God puts before him. A man who is not imprisoned with lust and greed. When Raul first asked me if he could leave, I was incredibly disappointed in him and even considered him a treacherous urchin, but now I am proud of him for avoiding sinful temptation through conference with his fellow pilgrims. Raul was meant to be here with us, I can see that now.

Tomorrow we will approach the pyramid. I expect that the pagans will be there. God leads the way.

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Day 7:

We reached the pyramid when the sun was at it's peak. There they were, savages in their nakedness, dancing about a fire. I approached them with my weapon sheathed, armed only with the armor of our Lord God. I announced that I had come to them to show them the way to everlasting life. They looked at me with confusion until Isabela stepped forward to translate my words into their primitive tongue. A female chieftain presented herself and asked what business we had with her tribe. Like Moses coming off of the mountain, I condemned their wicked ways and told them that they must come to the Lord. The chieftain became a demon of anger! She spat gibberish at me aggressively once she understood my demands. The rest of the tribe watched like restless sheep, paralyzed in fear. Their leader had brought them into this confusion of sin.

I gave the signal to Rita to shoot the chieftain. When the smoke cleared, it was as if the remaining members of the tribe saw death for the first time. I shouted to them "This is where your ungodly ways will lead you, it is through the name of Jesus Christ alone that you can achieve everlasting life, and fear death no more." I told them to disperse from their cursed temple and to share with the others, the power of our Christian God. They took the chieftains body and left into the jungle. I think things went well. We headed back to Santo Domingo. It was growing late before we got back to the road so we have set up camp. Tomorrow, I expect to get my ship back from the governor.

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Day 9:

As we made our way back to Santo Domingo, On the first day of travel, nothing anomalous occured. But this morning, Bernardo was suddenly swallowed by the ground beneath him as we walked along the road. Adriana Cervera, seeing her companion disappear, acted quickly without fear, but was soon suffering from the same fearful circumstance. The rest of the party quickly gathered some rope from the cart and we rescued them from the deadly mire. Bernardo took some soil into his mouth and is not in the best of health after the incident. We traveled on. 

When we got back to Santo Domingo I went to the Governor to repossess our ship. He gave us 1000 valuables in payment for dealing with the pagans, but began speaking of another favor when I demanded our ship be returned to us. When I repeated my demands, he exploded in anger, threatening to imprison me if I did not do his deeds. If Rita had accompanied me into the mansion, then I may have signaled her to shoot. It is probably best that she did not come with me, but instead traded some of our medicinal surplus for additional rations in the market. I must bide my time with the Governor, his requests may lead me to God's will, unbeknownst to the Governor's petty needs.He told me of two rebel groups, one in the North and one in the West. He says that the one in the West is led by a man named Esteban Gallegos. Supposedly he is a notorious brawler back in Spain. I've never heard of him. 

Because Sister Blanca Alegria's church is in the North, I told the Governor that we would investigate and secure that situation first. He told me to contact Capitan Leandra Vizcaino in San Tiago. 

Before the day was out, we had made some way on the road going North to San Tiago. Bernardo is so bad off from this morning's accident that he will not be able to watch guard over the camp, Teresa Sanchez is taking care of him tonight. She does not think it will be long until he is back to normal.