!Cao!
!Cao! is a 2012 Mexican horror story written by Luis Francisco, a pseudonym. The book was largely inspired by online horror stories called "Creepypasta", and this is seen in its style. The plot was centered around an entity known as the "Shade", a being which lurks below consciousness. The "Shade" is said to attack people when they begin to gain consciousness from waking up. It soon gained notoriety for its poor quality. Tortured by his dreams of being a beloved author destroyed, Luis Francisco killed himself in 2013. This information was released by his family on Francisco's website, which soon after shut down. In 2015, the book gained attention once more, when numerous murders were committed in Mexico City, all signed under Francisco's name. The victims were all killed in their beds, but some indicated a struggle, and all were book store owners who refused to sell Francisco's book or known critics of the book. These murders continued till Rodrigo Leoz was caught. He admitted to the murders, saying he did so out of love of the work and wanting to take revenge for the author. Rodrigo Leoz is now serving life in prison, but on the internet some claim Leoz wasn't the true killer and that those known to criticize the book on forums are told to soon after die.
The Last Knight
“The Last Knight” (Esp: el Último Caballero) is the nickname of a mysterious individual sighted in the Californio states of Nuevo México, Río Colorado, and sometimes even as far north as the border with the Columbia Republic [OTL Oregon Territory]. Records of eir appearance date back to 1849, and continue to this day.
The Caballero’s description has remained remarkably consistent across the years: a tall individual of unknown race wearing a full-body reflective suit that can easily be seen on a clear day, made of a smooth, metallic, and highly durable substance. They also wear a helmet which obscures all of the head, similar in color to the suit except for what is apparently a bluish visor over the eyes.
The origin of the Caballero is unusual: the first sighting, an 1849 journal entry of an American prospector, occurred in the Nuevo México desert near a small pond. The entry is as follows:
“Came to a little lake out in the drylands today, and decided to make camp. A few hours after I had set up my tent, when the sun was low in the sky, a series of shooting stars gleamed brightly, followed by a larger object that came down at a tremendous speed. I went to look at the place where it seemed to strike the ground, and found a large hole with scraps of metal within, along with what looked like a man in armor.
Whoever it was looked at me, then came over quickly, and to my surprise asked me, in perfect English, “Where can water be found in this area?” His voice was queer, as though it was a mix of a man and a woman’s voice, but, not knowing what else to do, I told him to follow me to my camp.
Upon arriving back at the lake, he waded in until his whole body was obscured, and did not come out. I watched the lake all through that night, but I never saw him leave.”
The next credible appearance of the Caballero was in 1850, when a group of Californio settlers was attacked by soldiers of Mexico, which still claimed the Gran California region. In total, the force numbered 50 riflemen and 2 5-pounder guns.
Within ten minutes of their initial assault on the 300 settlers, all of them were dead or so badly wounded they could no longer fight.
According to Julio Álvarez, the group’s overall leader, the Caballero appeared on a nearby hill, and was fired upon by the soldiers, first with small arms, then with the artillery, neither of which left any mark. The Caballero then appeared to produce a strange rifle from thin air, and proceeded to calmly cut down the attackers. After they were dealt with, e simply left, and was not seen again for nearly two decades.
After the Alamogordo Incident (as the defense of the settlers came to be known), the Caballero was consistently recorded as an opponent of what it likely perceived as destructive forces, fighting for anyone from isolated travelers to groups of Indios under attack from the settler governments, gaining a reputation and moniker similar to a knight of King Arthur. As the 20th century arrived, the Caballero would be the subject of novels, comics, films, and would even receive a monument in Alamogordo dedicated by the President of Gran California, and apparently was captured on camera during the ceremony.
The latest sighting of the Caballero was in 2017, by a pilot who saw the gleam of eir armor on a hill. A day later, human trafficker Esteban Sinclair, the “most wanted man in Gran California,” was found dead in one of his bases near the Columbian border, just a kilometer from the last sighting. He had a hole burned through the center of his forehead, which officially was from a conventional firearm, but is believed by most to be from the Caballero’s weapon.
What is the Caballero? Some believe that e is a messenger or warrior sent by God to Earth, to punish evildoers; others (the majority) believe that e is an alien whose craft experienced a structural failure near Earth and crashed.
If that is the case, e appears to have no intention of returning home, and is seemingly immortal.
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