Edit: I see I messed up my title =/

Edit 2: I think I found out how to save replays for campaign battles. If that happens then I'll be able to make battle videos that are more enjoyable.

Gonna proof read tomorrow morning. First time playing this expansion, and I'm going to try to enjoy it as much as I can. This is the only time I'll feel like a conquisator, on an unknown territory. You'll get to see my thought process and why I chose to do something, and see the good and bad consequences of them). I'm converting and uploading some videos for later.

Viceroy Diego was relieved that he was able to seize such a strategically powerful stronghold. At Havana, no matter what happens, he would be safe, and there would be a chance to regroup the men and fleets. If the savages and monsters that inhabited the new world managed to rout all of his subordinates, they would not be able to swim over here.

Away from the conflicts of Europe, the Ottoman Empire that threatened Europe, the betrayals, and the inner conflicts between the royal families. Viceroy Diego was perhaps, in the safest place, not only in the New World, but the World itself at the moment.

However the Old World, even when Diego was safe from its dangers, was very intimidating. There was absolutely no knowledge or information. No maps. Who the enemy was, who wasn’t, where to go towards, where to avoid.

That was why Diego gave strict orders to Hernán NOT to conquer the natives of the land. Diego had no idea how vast the native empires were, how powerful they were, the people who bordered them, if there were riches or only jungle.

“Sir! The reports from the local guides have arrived from Vera Cruz!”

“Hm, excellent, hand them over soldier”.

There were two native factions identified so far: the vast and rich Aztec and Empire, and the small nation of the Tlaxcallans. The Tlacallans were one of the few independent nations left in the area, and managed to resist conquest by the Aztec Empire.

“Send a diplomat to their leader...”

“Yes sir!”

Although the Aztects would make a better ally, it would defeat the entire purpose of the trip, of conquista. There would be no room to expand if the Aztecs simply swallowed the Tlaxcallans and remained allies with the Spanish. If Spain was to become the dominant empire of this land, it would have to topple the current one.

Besides. “An alliance with the powerful is never to be trusted – Phaedrus”

3 Weeks later

“Sir, I’ve received word from Alfonso Hortiz!”

“Has he talked to these, Tlaxcalans?”

“Yes sir. I’m assuming you want to know the reply?”

“Go on soldier, enough with the formalities, just get out with it”

“The explorer says, that the offer you proposed was rejected. But that he negotiated to recieve a tribute of 3100 florians for 2 seasons. Which means we would end with 6200 florians, instead of the initial 5000”

Diego wanted to smile, but there were more pressing issues he cared about.

“And the alliance? And the map information? What was their reply”?

The soldier looked down, and smiled softly, almost like he was proud.

“They accepted sir”

Diego smiled. It wasn’t a very large gain, or stage of his plan. However, although he wasn’t very superstitious, or even religious, it felt reassuring when he didn’t have set backs in the very beginning of his quest.

To Diego, the situation was still murky. He still did not establish enough colonies nor trading companies to maintain his cash influx. There were plenty of independent city states to take, and a prolonged war against an united nation will direct all of his forces to just defend against his foes.

He first would test out the Tlaxcalans’s strength by seeing how much damage they could inflict on the Aztecs, and if they can last on their own.

Meanwhile he would send out his guides to see the empire’s military strength, and how vast their borders were.

Hernán hated this place. Mosquitoes, bugs, humid air, tall grass, and the jungle, they all made him miserable simply existing at the moment.

Hernán took a canteen from one of his native servants and poured water over the hot armor he wore. For a brief second, there actually was a sizzling sound.

The men looked at their leader enviously as he liberally used their water, but no one even had the thought of anger or mutiny.

No, the man standing up was truly a fearsome man. It was as if he thought no one actually existed beside him. He truly had no regrets or sympathy for his soldiers, for the enemy’s soldiers, the women and children of the looted cities, the king of Spain across the Atlantic Ocean. It was as if he thought he was a god.

“What the hell are we doing here?! Why are we simply rotting away, letting the god damn bugs devour us? If we are going to just sit around, the Viceroy could have the decency to let us sit around in the city.”

“I’m sorry sir, but the Viceroy wanted you and your men to be ready to go at any moment. I was sent here to tell you that the Viceroy wants you to go east, not west, and conquer the local city states.”

“Excellent then” said the conquistador as he rose. He didn’t care who he was fighting, as long as he could get out of this god forsaken heat and into a city.

“Men, WE GO OFF TO CONQUEST!” the fearsome general boomed. And the men responded with a huge war cry as they were drilled to do so many times.

As Hernán was expanding westward, Diego looked eastwards. So far, if a war with the Aztecs were to be fought, it would put the Spanish in an awkward position to decimate them. They would have to wind around their allies, and cross the mountains, and expose themselves to unknown tribes.

Diego sent his personal guard out to assist Hernán and to repel any surprise invasions by the Aztecs. There were no threats on the island, and being allied with a neighbor’s enemies wasn’t exactly a politically friendly move.

Still, it wouldn’t hurt to establish some sort of relations with the Aztecs, even if Diego may attack them later.

The trade agreement was arranged successfuly, and Diego was glad that he could please the king. Even if he was essentially a king of his own, far aways from the armies of Spain, without the king’s support there Diego would be stranded, the men will conspire against him, and the campaign would collapse on itself.

While the reinforcements were nearing Hernán.

The conquistadors Diego received from the king were sent to lead new recruits down southward, where there seemed to be only independent villages and city states, easy to take with little risk.

Diego leaned back in his chair. He would conquer the entirety of the New World from his headquarters in Cuba.

Hernán wasn't sure if the inhabitants were finally cominb out due to starvation, or because of the unbearable stench. Whatever putrid human corpses and wastes were in the city, were being eaten away by the sun's inescapable rays.

The gates began to open and the horde of natives began to pour out, screaming their war cries as they ran.

"Remember men, keep your head. Brute strength and numbers are no match, for Spain's fine soldiers."

The enemy were coming.

Hernán was dissapointed as he walked through the empty and ruined streets. There were barely any gold to loot and distribute.

Sighing, he looked to his officers.

"Get the men some rest, and then prepare to move out. There's nothing here."

Cool, keep it going.

Probably I'll update next Thursday or something. I'm busy during the weekends alone =/

Unfortunately I can't save battle replays for campaigns. I'm going to consider putting graphics to the lowest quality so that I can move really quickly with FRAPs on, and get good angles without any lag.

Cortez left the sacked city behind, leaving a small garrison behind to keep it in order. He did not understand why Diego was ordering him to march westward. There seemed to be nothing, but pitiful villages and gold less cities.

He did know what lay beyond westward. It wasn’t that he was afraid, or fearful of the unknown. But it just seemed that there definitely were spoils to be found in the cities of the so called Aztecs, while it seemed like he was only wandering aimlessly toward the West.

There seemed to be only hardships without any spoils.

The men marching behind him were also disgruntled. Trudging through thick forests, without a piece of gold on them, they were now questioning why they left Spain, when they were still living in poverty.

Swatting the bugs away and cutting through the branches, Cortez marched onwards. He could only obey Diego and King, and trust their leadership.

“Sir, word from the king”

“I am busy, not now”

“Sir, that is disrespectful to the king to ignore him”

“Leave it to Cortez- He’ll do it as long as it falls under the orders I gave to him. But, I cannot be bothered listening to a man who’s sitting at the other side of the world right now”

The messenger was stunned by the treasonous reply, but uneasily nodded and left the room.

Diego didn’t even look up once during the short exchange, staring at the maps and reports that the guides gave him.

His explorers made contact with the Mayan people and were able to collect valuable map information from them.

With this his understanding of the situation was nearly complete.

A war was being conducted by the Tlacallans against the Aztec empire. He did not have to worry about the victors, as it was a large zero sum game. The lands and resources there are already occupied, and will only be exchanged from one tribe to the other. No one will become stronger; the worst case scenario will be that power will be solidified into one single tribe.

The Mayans, however, were isolated, and had room to expand and become more powerful. It was apparent that there was no other tribe around the South, and no one to threaten the rulers there. It was crucial for Diego to have a small border to defend, and attacking the Mayans would still allow him to minimize the number of potential enemies.

“That is why I will conquer you...”

Diego whispered to himself as he slid the pawn piece on the map to the right.

Cortez was slowly conquering the independent city states, moving towards the Mayans. While a small force was landed on the most eastern and southern portion of the New World.

The Tlacallans were keeping the Aztecs busy and diverting their attention away from Diego and his forces.

While Diego only grew more powerful and influential.

If all went to plan, Diego should have the entire southern part of the New World to himself by or before the end of the war between the Aztecs and the minor tribes, and he shall continue to gain a higher title.

If the plan failed, however, Diego will lose the small stronghold he had on the New World, be forced to retreat, and be forced to stop his conquest.