The Grand Passage, Chapter 1

[Rhothaerill]

Portuguese Ambassadors Discover Worldwide Plot To Manufacture Guns

by Rhothaerill (RhothSPIN Press)

In a startling twist, the ambassadors of the Grand Crown of Portugal to almost every nation of the civilized world have reported to the Grand Potentate that these nations are all singlemindedly pursuing the technology of gunpowder.

The Royal Potentate's response to this state of affairs, "Well freakin' heck I only need one of you to figure this out and trade it to me. It's a sad day to be a European nation. Maybe we'll have better luck if we find any natives in the new land we're trying to find."

The Royal Potentate went on to urge the other nations of Europe to exhort their scientists into an original thought or two, "Perhaps there are other things to discover. I don't believe the cap on technology has occurred yet. My scientists have noticed the potential of a printing press to distribute the Bible across our lands and to the new world. As well there is also the potential of a new building called a bank which would store our precious gold for later use, and maybe even help us make a profit. My scientists are hard at work on attempting to determine how the magnetic fields of our fair earth work to better our navigational efforts. We unfortunately cannot spare the time nor personnel to pursue other endeavors, but perhaps other nations would be willing to pursue these potential discoveries in lieu of their all consuming pursuit of gunpowder."

"I urge the other leaders to confer with each other and my ambassadors to you so duplication of research will not become a problem. I also wish to make it known that when the time comes the Grand Crown of Portugal would be happy to trade our knowledge of the magnetic fields to the European nation that does not have a unique technology to research."

In other news, The Grand Crown of Portugal wonders what the monarch of the nation of England is drinking as they have no guns yet and everyone knows it.

[Rhothaerill]

From the diary of Grand Exploration Master Tarillo Duquan VII

July 1, 1490ad – It has been a long, hard road I’ve traveled to this point, but today has made it all worthwhile. A great voyage is to be undertaken, and I will be a part of it. Never have my wildest dreams ever surpassed this moment.

His Supreme Majesty, Grand Potentate Rhoth announced the voyage this morning, mentioning how important it was to the Royal Crown of Portugal that we discover what is out there, beyond the great blue expanse of ocean that I have only ever before been able to gaze at and wonder. Would I ever get the chance to sail the high seas? Now my answer is upon me and I will take it.

July 9, 1490ad – Ah, how the fates of life do lay their glorious eyes upon me. I had thought to be just a member of the Royal Exploration Team assigned to be the first to go beyond the great ocean. That alone was enough for me. Today, the Grand Potentate himself saw fit to bestow upon me the title of Grand Exploration Master. Now I am no longer just a member, I am responsible for the entire voyage. It is to me that everyone will look for decisions. I am he who would plot the course of our expedition and be the first to lay eyes upon our discoveries. It is truly an honor and a gift. And I will not fail.

August 15, 1490ad – We sail in a week! Final preparations are being furiously completed, choices are being made, and more importantly today I have inspected our sailing vessel. What a majestic ship she is, the first in her line. At the urging of our fair Grand Potentate she has been named the Portuguese Royal Navy Ship (P.R.N.S.) Vasco de Gama. She will carry us, my handpicked crew and I, to our fortune. I have requested the services of some of our finest military commanders, Joaquim Rodrigues Braga and D. Joao II as my aids in this endeavor.

Perhaps we will not discover anything and be forever lost to the stormy water, but I do not believe that. No, fate would not be so cruel to me. We will sail the ocean, and for the greater good of fair Portugal we will bring our discoveries, large and small, back to the people of our great nation for all to bask in our glory.

August 22, 1490ad – It has finally happened. Everything I worked for my entire life has led to this moment. At dawn we sailed out of the glorious city of Lisbon. Perhaps I will never see the city, my birthplace, again. But I am home now. My life was meant to be lived traveling the high seas, to seek out the unknown and make it known.

As our ship left port the docks were completely packed with well-wishers to cheer us on. They know how important our task truly will be, and the risks we take to accomplish them. The entire nation is behind us, for we will bring them glory!

September 30, 1490ad – We have made landfall in Madeira. The local governor Diogo Cao greeted us warmly for he had been informed beforehand of our great exploratory journey. We indulged his hospitality for but one night. Our destiny awaits us on the high seas of the Grand Passage.



1490ad to Paddy the Scot

[Rhothaerill]

For those of you who don't know yet, I have recently started a story effort in the Civ3 stories forum. I've only finished chapter 1, but over the weekend while working on getting this PBEM going I thought it would be a perfect backdrop to create some more storyline. Hope you guys like it.

Here is the link if you want to read what I've done so far. The Traveller

[Beta]

Rhoth -

Great story line so far.

(btw- I was about to question your historical accuracy regarding naming a vessel Vasco de Gama - but he was born in 1469, and was famous by 1490 - so you lucky. )

Again - great stuff.

And regarding the guns... well ... .

[Paddy]

From the land of France, the Sacred Save is sent to the Land of the English

And to the new lands we start to prepare...

[Beta]

I, Sir Beta of Fulham, Lord of Putney, Advisor to the Queen, and Master and Commander, do hereby announce that the aforementioned save has been sent to Lord vanWittlich of ZuiderZee, and furthermore, that with hearts of oak, the English have set sail for the New World.

Befriend the English monarchy to our great and mutual benefit; cross it at your peril.

[Paddy]

Ahh mighty Lord ... it will be good to see your ships under sail again

May the winds blow strong and your crews strike the sails well

[Wittlich]

1491AD Turn sent to SirOsis.

[SirOsis]

I took the turn but can't remember if I sent it. DOH!

Did you get it Rhoth?

[Rhothaerill]

From the diary of Grand Exploration Master Tarillo Duquan VII

January 1, 1491ad – And so a new year begins, and with it the fresh hopes of discovery on our minds. Every night our resident lutist strikes up a tune to which the sailors and even the military dance too. Laughter and jest are still common, despite the fact that we all know we may never return home.

The winds still press us toward our goal. We have been fortunate to have their aid. It is as if our vessel was the darling of all the ocean, for we have not yet failed to have the wind at our back and fresh tang of the salt air to breathe.

April 27, 1491ad – Months ago we sailed from the port of Madeira with our spirits bright and our eyes aglow with the fire of discovery. Alas that fire has passed and apathy has set in. The ocean does not change. All that we see, day after day is the endless gray of the ocean as the P.R.N.S. Vasco de Gama slides smoothly through the water. Even a storm would liven up our decaying spirits.

May 15, 1491ad – Ah but we must be careful what we wish for. Sometimes we may receive it, and it is nothing of what we want. The past week our fair ship has been mightily tested. Perhaps the worst storm I have ever seen arose virtually unnoticed about us. We had no preparation and no warning. And we were almost lost. If not for the heroics of our brave captain I would not still be here to pen this diary. I foolishly stayed on deck at the captain’s side while the storm whipped around us. One particularly foul gust of wind blasted across the deck and I was almost blown overboard into the stormy maw below. If not for the captains quick action in grabbing me I would not have survived.

May 23, 1491ad – We are under way again. After the brutality of the storm, the Vasco de Gama barely limped through the water. Many of our sails were torn and our leaks abounded throughout the ship. But the masts were still sound, and our food and fresh water supply remained intact. Everyone, sailors and soldiers both, worked together to repair the ship to full seaworthiness. Little more than a week later and our ship was under way again. The storm was almost a blessing as for this past week, and hopefully for many to come, the apathy that pervaded us all had disappeared.

August 29, 1491ad – I have never witnessed a keelhaul before this day. May I never witness one again.

The occasional disagreement between men has happened many times on this voyage, as upon any other long voyage, but today it has taken a turn for the worse. One of the soldiers under the command of Joaquim Rodrigues Braga, apparently despondent over the constraints of almost a year at sea, grew belligerent when our ship’s cabin boy inadvertently ran into him while pursuing an errand. The soldier beat him near to death before finally being pulled away by his fellow soldiers. The captain’s word on a ship is law, and our captain’s judgment was swift and merciless. Even Joaquim Rodrigues Braga did not stand for his recalcitrant soldier. The soldier was immediately keelhauled, but he was not given any advice on how to survive it beforehand and apparently tried to breathe while underwater. The man deserved punishment, but I can only wonder if he was truly meant to die here. Perhaps if the long journey had not affected him so poorly then he would still be alive. My only hope is that I will never feel what he did.


1491ad to Paddy the Scot

[Paddy]

the journeys have begun...

they say we will fall off the end of the world, that the great turtle will laugh as we fall past its head...

yet my crews know little fear, ahh the joy of the ignorant!

to England we send the save

[Beta]

Unfortunately, Sir Beta of Fulham is er- indisposed at the moment. The public word is that he is engaged on officail business - although rumour has it that he is engaged in more rewarding and pleasurable activities.

He wil return the day after next to move said save along.

England sends her regrets and this unavoidable delay in the movement of history.

(Rhoth - great story line. Thanks! )

[Wittlich]

1492AD Turn sent to SirOsis.

[Rhothaerill]

From the diary of Grand Exploration Master Tarillo Duquan VII

January 1, 1492ad – We have been at sea for more than a year now. Our spirits flag and more and more of the men quietly speak of turning back. They only speak when they believe I cannot hear, but I hear them. We have had no more incidents following the captain’s justice regarding the soldier. But I fear that the men may stage a mutiny if we do not sight land soon.

April 5, 1492ad – The ocean is endless. It continues on forever, never forgiving and never ending. The men continue to grumble about turning back. It’s louder now; they no longer make an effort to hide it. Many days now I find myself agreeing with them. Yea, even I, once so full of zest for discovery and the possibilities of this journey, have had my spirits flag. I find myself wondering if this journey has been worth it. Will what we find have been worth this trip? Will we even discover anything? And if we do, what of the return trip? I do not even care to contemplate the length of time it would take to return home to Portugal. But I also don’t care to contemplate the length of time it may take us to discover what it is we hope to find out here.

November 17, 1492ad – It has been a long time since I wrote in my journal; a long time since I even cared to write. I find myself lacking the energy I once had. Unfortunately the one thing I have been fearing most for all these months has come to pass. A group of soldiers and crew staged a mutiny this morning. I can’t even begin to fathom their actions. I agree that this journey has not been what we had all hoped for, but to attack and slay your fellow man? Brothers in arms who had been friends before, brutally struck each other down, all because of the hopelessness they felt on this trip.

The ship ran red with blood this morning. I will freely admit to never seeing a true battle before, but after this morning I do not wish to see one ever again. The mutiny was broken, but only after hard fighting that left almost half our accompaniment dead. The mutineers fought hard and mercilessly and would not surrender. I imagine it was incredibly difficult for the loyal members of the crew to be forced to kill them to stop them. The loyal members probably sympathized with their feelings. I know I did.

November 20, 1492ad – We have gotten under way again, but there is a muted quality to the ship now. No one talks. Everyone keeps on their guard in case the events of three days ago happen again. I have shut myself up in my cabin for I am not a fighting man and could not hope to stand against even the least of these men in a fight.

I sincerely hope we find our goal soon. I do not think any of us could handle another year at sea.


1492ad to Paddy the Scot

[Beta]

My Dear Tarillo - I cannot take it any longer. I strongly suggest you turn your ships around. Save yourself. Save your crew.

And leave the new world untouched.