Passage to the De Balboa legacy

So many years have passed, yet for Alfonso de Balboa memories that beheld him for countless moments will never fade. He pledged to seek justice for his parent’s brutal murder all those years ago! Revenge, vengeance, and retribution fueled his soul for a very long time. This voracious appetite led him down many paths, bittersweet and tinged with both sadness and joy.

Alfonso honoured his vow to continue the de Balboa legacy. His childhood was usurped, and he had no choice but to grow up very fast. He felt blessed to have received his grandfather’s guidance, love and counsel in the years following his parent’s death. He knew with certitude that he would not be the Ape he was today without his support. He often wondered how his grandfather possessed the patience to contend with his rebellious behaviour. Those early days were dark and desolate. With time as the light began to shine, his true journey began. His heart was grateful and at peace knowing that his grandfather could rest in peace.

The age of exploration for the de Balboa family traced back during the reign of King Giambuono. Inherently the itch to explore is deeply rooted for the Explorer classes. The early explorers set out to fulfil Giambuono’s vision for a better and peaceful society. It was through their curiosity, problem solving skills, and expert knowledge that they helped to unite and bond all classes and cultures.

Alfonso’s family lineage is rich with successful conquistadorial conquests and victories. The de Balboa family, as well as the de la Cruz, Castillo, Cortes, and Garcia families all pledged to honour their role in building a new society. Following on from their ancestors, they sought to discover new lands, find trade routes, seek treasure, and gain territory for their families.

The de Balboa’s ventured land explorations on horseback. They always had a love for horses and their practice of precision horsemanship led them to develop a superior type of horse harness. They enlisted only the best Craftsmen in the kingdom to construct a superior harness with the best bridle leather. The horsemanship skills they acquired, with much practice, aided them in their exploration pursuits.

On his early mission to seek justice for his parents’ murder, Alfonso encountered a variety of divergent characters. Part of his plan was to enlist and rally as many Apes as he could to form a strong force and legion. He sought Apes of strong and loyal character to accompany him on exploration quests. Although his mission was clear, his thirst for revenge blinded his judgement on so many occasions, causing him to derail from the exploration missions. He woefully had to experience the wrath of these unwise decisions.

It was on one such mission where his disposition would be tested. Alfonso and his exploration team were on a mission and discovered a new district. One somber night, whilst sipping ale at the new district’s local pub, a stranger approached him. Word had spread that he would offer a substantial reward for any credible information that may lead him to the bandits responsible for his parents’ murder. He still had the clues from his Father’s journal, but that was insufficient to close in on the culprits. He was in no mood to contend with more fake information. In the beginning he would eagerly follow all leads, without taking the time to critically process it. This all but led him down many rabbit holes. After a while, his eagerness turned into indifference and suspicion.

For some unexplained reason though, on that somber night, he was receptive to this stranger. The stranger claimed to have critical information, no different to the ones before him. He, however, invited the stranger to sit, drink some ale and speak. Of course, the information was not freely delivered! He had to offer compensation for slivers of information. $Society as payment upfront was always the request. He paid and then was given an envelope by the stranger. He was told that it contained a letter that would provide him with the answers he sought. Alfonso then asked what the stranger’s name was and how he could contact him. The stranger abruptly stood up and announced that his name was of no relevance and that he would contact Alfonso in the future. With that he left!

Not surprised at the strangers’ need for anonymity, Alfonso wasted no time in opening the envelope. The contents of the letter startled him! The information was identical information to that which appeared on the last page of his Father’s journal! "We passed a group of Apes today; they had no family crest and wore dark cloaks. I know we still have a few of The Numbers roaming around, but never have I seen that many together in one place. We've never had issues with the Apes that left but this group felt sinister, like they were planning something. Might be worth mentioning to the King, put together some military officers to investigate."

How did the stranger come by this information? Alfonso had not shared this with anyone, exactly for the reason of extortion. His purpose was to seek authentic information that may tie into the clues from the journal. This meant that this stranger somehow had access to the journal, which could not be possible. He had stored the journal in a secret location and only shared this information with a close friend whom he trusted inexplicitly. Or could this mean that the strangers’ intel was legitimate?

He left the pub that night with a slight feeling of optimism, hoping this was the break he had sought. The following day, back with his crew, he relayed the previous night’s events. The loyal crew fully supported his revenge mission! In addition to being paid handsomely for their exploration services, they actively sought intel related to the unsolved case. The crew was not only trained in the art of expeditions, but they received combat training from decorated Military Officers. Alfonso ensured that he and his crew were prepared and fully equipped!

Mead de Balboa was a very close and dear friend to Alfonso. They grew up together, always being a part of each other’s lives in one way or another. Mead joined Alfonso’s crew from the start, he supported his dear friend’s mission. He understood the pain and heartache that Alfonso experienced. He considered himself fortunate for his parents were not on the same exploration crew as Alfonso’s parents all those years ago. If they were, they too may have suffered the same fate!

Mead listened to Alfonso debrief the crew of the encounter with this stranger. Mead was the close friend who knew every detail. When the friends were finally alone and sharing a spicy cigar, Mead asked Alfonso if he could describe the stranger. Alfonso thought for a second, he explained that the pub was dim and smoky, and it was difficult to see the strangers’ face. He wore a dark cloak and beamed a bright shiny diamond grill. This was all they had to proceed with. With that they set in motion their network of spies to infiltrate the district.

Days, then weeks went by, and each clue or intel led to a dead end. Alfonso and his team were on the brink of terminating the investigation when Alfonso received another envelope. The same handwriting and this time the contents of the letter were more disturbing! It laid claims that Mead’s parents were involved in plotting the assassination of his parents! What utter nonsense! Alfonso dismissed this notion immediately. There was no way that this was true! Mead’s parents were like parents to him, and he was not going to be led down this path. It was clear, whoever was behind these letters wanted to derail his investigation. Whatever their motives, he was not going to entertain this theory. He put the letters away, decided to not share this with Mead, and got his crew ready to head on home back to Scholnag.

Time passed, and contrary to his initial reaction, as much as Alfonso tried to convive himself he could not shake the contents of those letters. He wrestled with his inner thoughts but slowly doubts started manifesting. He reluctantly opened his mind to the theory. He hated that he could not share his thoughts with Mead. His mind led him into a dark place. He re-examined his Fathers journal to detect anything he may have missed based on this fresh theory. The deeper he looked, the more it seemed that there could be merit in the theory. Information he skipped past before now seemed plausible and possibly evidence that Mead’s parents may have had a vendetta against his parents. Alfonso became more and more angry and enraged. His mind started playing tricks on him, he became suspicious of Mead. He started to believe that Mead was plotting against him. He had to be the first to react, he had to make his move and be smart about it, or so he thought!

Mead sensed something was amiss. He tried to address this with his friend, but Alfonso became more and more distant. Mead, not understanding the depth of his friend’s behaviour mistook it for just another episode of pain. He decided to give Alfonso his space, but Alfonso mistook this as an act of guilt, which fuelled his rage even more!

Alfonso plotted, planned, and schemed. He had to do this himself! Revenge would be sweet! It made sense, right? Take from Mead’s parents what was most precious to them, as they took what was most precious to him. He convinced himself and set to put the plan into motion. That night he would invite Mead under the guise of a reconciliation. He would re-enact the brutal attack his parents suffered, and Mead’s parents would suffer knowing their only son had to die for their act. Yes, he was ready, he could do this!

The night arrived and everything went as planned, up to the point of performing the deed. Reason, logic, and rational thoughts started occupying his mind. He became conflicted. He heard his grandfather’s voice, and he finally broke down and confessed all to Mead. Alfonso did not realize the emotional turmoil and burden he had been carrying had blinded him. He now realized that he had to let this go! After a long conversation the friends reconciled, and Alfonso knew his dear friend had no knowledge of his parent’s involvement. The answer to that question would however remain unsolved…

With time he started to heal. He focused his attention and efforts into the de Balboa’s pledge they made all those years ago to King Giambuono and led his crew into meaningful quests for the further betterment of the society. His popularity and sincerity shone bright throughout the kingdoms. The de Balboa family grew from strength to strength under Alfonso’s leadership and so he became the King of the de Balboa’s!

The kingdom was at peace and society was thriving. This gave Alfonso freedom and time to further focus on his love and interest for horses. This led him to meet an aspiring equestrian who introduced him to the Amphitheatre. The equestrian provided his training services to the horses of the battle arena fighters. Alfonso and the de Balboa family became very intrigued with the Amphitheatre and decided to contribute in some way towards the continued success thereof.

The de Balboa family had the privilege of meeting the Grand Architect, Beltran White. They were fascinated by this Apes visionary wisdom. What a fitting way to accomplish the dream of a united society. The de Balboa family united to collect and fill a chest with 50 000 $Society to be delivered to the Amphitheatre treasury. When they were asked what weapon blueprint they would sponsor, the answer was unequivocally that of the superior horse harness.

King Alfonso de Balboa could not be prouder of his family. They allowed him to find purpose and his heart was at peace. For they are the true champions and heroes!