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Hutten and Welser made a beeline for Quisquis, who had retreated back to his side of the Inca’s Gate. They demanded an explanation as to why they had been lied to. Quisquis was now in a bind, yet again. He could tell them the truth, which would anger them. Or he could spin yet more lies, and hope to keep them on his side long enough to win the war. However, he had little time to spin a new web, and Hutten and Welser were not in the mood to trust Quisquis at this juncture, so he opted for the truth.

Quisquis admitted he had been duplicitous in his dealings thus far. He explained that he had been nervous about how they would react to seeing fellow Europeans. He claimed that the Spaniards had violated the laws of “my gods and yours” by supporting Quisipe-Tupac over Ninancoro. Ninancoro (or at least not Quisipe-Tupac) had been favored by Atahualpa, and was eldest, therefore he should be recognized by both Europeans and Tawantinsuyu. Welser and Hutten were not particularly convinced by this line of argument and began demanding concessions from Quisquis.

Firstly, they demanded that they meet with Ninancoro, the person they were nominally fighting for. Without Quisquis present. They wanted to see if they could get a better deal from a young and possibly impressionable ruler.

Second, they requested some sort of talks with Castro and Quisipe-Tupac, they wanted to hear the other side of the argument and try to reach some sort of deal, perhaps some sort of joint rule or division of the lands. Despite putting on airs of a neutral party, looking for the best solution for all, this was not at all what Welser and Hutten were doing. They wanted an opening to hear what the opposing side was willing to offer for their services.

Welser and Hutten also demanded special status if they were to keep fighting. They wanted the right to go where they pleased within the Tawantinsuyu and to trade with who they pleased. Welser demanded a guarantee that any trade from Klein-Venedig be given equal status with Spanish trade, same price, same goods. Hutten wanted Welser employed men to be exempted from local law, as well as the right to punish anyone who attacked anyone from his domains.

Finally, they demanded even more gold. They demanded the fortune of Quito in exchange for their continued cooperation with Quisquis and Ninancoro, in addition to large bribes to both Welser and Hutten personally. In order to ensure a more stable revenue stream they also demanded that a ship’s worth of gold and silver be handed over every year to the Welser family.

These terms were as ludicrous as they were expensive. Most historians agree that Welser and Hutten made the ultimatum intentionally unworkable to provide cover for their intended defection. It is telling of how desperate he was that Quisquis even tried to meet the requirements.

He allowed Welser and Hutten to meet with Ninancoro, though it was noted that Ninancoro had clearly been coached for the meeting and simply reiterated the points that Quisquis was already making about his claim to power. Hutten would later write that Ninancoro was “a slight, unmeritable man. Giving him the throne was among the greatest cruelties ever done to a man”. Needless to say, Welser and Hutten were not impressed by the claimant Sapa Inka.


Quisquis, and by extension Ninancoro, were adamantly opposed to any sort of talks with Quisipe-Tupac, who was seen as a vile usurper. In a half-hearted attempt at compromise Quisquis offered to talk with Castro, who’s initial incursions in Tawantinsuyu lands had had nothing to do with the succession crisis, indeed Castro had begun his trek before Atahualpa had died. This proposal was actually acceptable to Hutten and Welser, they cared not for who ruled the Tawantinsuyu only that they had a slice of it and that they avoided a potentially damaging squabble with the Spanish. However, they also viewed Quisquis’s move as another sign of his untrustworthiness and believed that it showed that he was not negotiating in good faith.

Quisquis was perfectly willing to offer them special status, in fact he offered them a choice. They could have the current Spanish holdings at San Miguel along with the rights that entailed like the Spanish Road. Or they could be offered a similar deal, but with a settlement/stockade near Quito and a trade route stretching South. When they seemed uneasy he offered them both. However even that was not enough to sway them, the Spanish had started with such a deal, and now were fighting for their lives. And maybe a better deal could be reached on the other side…

The last demand Quisquis fiddled with a bit. He lowered the amount to be turned over to Klein-Venedig from the entire riches of Quito to a more modest sum. But he also raised the amount proposed for bribes to Hutten and Welser personally, seeking to appeal to their personal greed. Hutten was lightly calmed by this, but Welser, for whom the money was all going to the same place, was less amused and ensured that this part of the proposed deal was unacceptable.


Overall Quisquis’s desperate final deal was completely unacceptable to Hutten and Welser, and they began to make a straightforward plan. Their men would seize Quisquis, Ninancoro and Ukumari while they slept and deliver them to the Spanish as an apology for the previous confusion. With no leader the Northern Army would soon disband. They told Quisquis that they were “optimistic” about the deal, but still need some time to consider.

On the night of the 28th they made their move. Ukumari was seized quickly and relatively quietly, his guards were tricked, then killed, and the general “guarded” by some Welser men.

Ninancoro and Quisquis would prove more difficult to kidnap. Ninancoro’s guards fought well, drawing their swords before they could be incapacitated. The clamor awoke most of the nearby army and soon a massive fight was happening, Welser (who was leading this portion of the plan) was surrounded quickly, but he and his men continued to push towards Ninancoro, who panicked and provided little in the way of inspiration and guidance for those attempting to defend him. With Hutten simultaneously attacking Quisquis there was little help likely to arrive.

Quisquis was actually still awake, wondering if Hutten and Welser would truly agree to his deal. When his guards informed him that several armed men wanted to see him he got his answer. His guards seized and stabbed the men who initially arrived, and Quisquis sounded the alarm, as Hutten advanced on his quarters. Two simultaneous battles raged in the darkness, with the bulk of the army either still asleep, or in great confusion over who they were fighting.

NInancoro was seized after his body guards were cut down by some swordsmen, and Welser immediately held him hostage, forcing the soldiers to back off. For all that Quisquis was the true power behind the throne, Ninancoro was still considered by most of his troops to be a living god, and could not be let down. When he, still in a frenzied panic, ordered his men to stand down, they did.

Even upon being informed that Ninancoro had been captured Quisquis fought on, having escaped into the open, waving his own sword, and his guards. Followed. But the rest of the army was paralyzed with Ninancoro’s capture. Quisquis was soon surrounded by the enemy.

He did not last long, his guards fell to fire quickly, and despite his bravado with his sword, he could not do much with it. But he kept fighting, and ended up dying rather than allowing himself to be captured alive. He left a mixed legacy, he had fought unto the end, but had made mistakes that left the empire near ruin. However, his uncompromising attitude and dramatic death would mean he received a place of honor in pro-Tawantinsuyu history.

The next morning Welser and Hutten paraded Ninancoro and Ukumari arounf before the army, who were shocked to see their superiors humbled in such a fashion. Nonetheless they obeyed orders to stay put and not to resist as Welser and Hutten demanded that all horses, swords and crossbows be turned over to them. Some native weapons were piled up and burned, while others were left in the hands of their owners, though always in the presence of an armed European. With their former allies now neutered Welser and Hutten now headed south with a band of guards, bearing a flag of truce.

Upon seeing the advancing Germans Castro was suspicious but agreed to a meeting. He was surprised to find Welser and Hutten apologetic for the incident on the 26th. They also explained that they were now in control of the enemy army, had killed Quisquis and were willing to end the war for two simple terms. First, they wanted total forgiveness for themselves, their men and Klein-Venedig with respect to the violence on the Feast of Saint Stephan. Secondly, they wanted a place at the table when it came to divvying up the Empire, which is what he presumed Castro was doing. Castro, still dumbstruck by his good fortune agreed, though he did warn that how much they would get was dependent on Quisipe-Tupac.

For his part Quisipe-Tupac found the sudden arrival of Welser and Hutten a mixed blessing. On one hand it ended the civil war in his favor, and without further bloodshed. On the other hand, it led to yet more land hungry Europeans wanting to divide his empire, and he was in no way in a position to fight them.

Almost immediately Castro presented his demands, the cession of a large part of the Tawantinsuyu under his control. Tumbez and the surrounding fortifications were to be surrendered to the Spanish. The Chimu lands were to be turned over as well because the Tawantinsuyu “could not be trusted” to respect them. The same principle was applied to the lands of the Cañari. This “conveniently” left Quito and the rest of the North cut off from the rest of the empire, which was then to be given to the Spanish. Castro then turned this area over to the Welser family has thanks to their assistance. Welser men and Spaniards would be allowed to roam the empire and trade freely, with any criminals simply being sent back to their country of origin. In recognition of their role in “saving the empire” the Spanish would be granted some land to build a fort in Cusco, and be granted a place in Quisipe-Tupac’s court. Any Tawantinsuyu citizen accused of harming a European would have to be turned over promptly to their accusers. Christian missionaries would have the same protections as the local religions.

The terms were onerous to Quisipe-Tupac, but after what had happened to Quisquis he saw himself as having little choice. Castro allowed no negotiations, and made clear that these terms were his price for allowing Quisipe-Tupac to retain his throne. According to legend he laid out the agreement before Quisipe-Tupac and then laid down his sword next to it, presenting the young ruler with a choice. Quisipe-Tupac agreed to the treaty, commonly called the Capitulation of the Epiphany, after the date on which it was agreed to.

Welser and Hutten turned North, now commanding a land rich with treasure and strife. Following them were much of the Quitian Army, once the pride of the Tawantinsuyu, now subjects of a far-off power.

Castro went South-East, to Tumbez, which he intended to reform into a proper capital for this new Spanish colony. Little thought was given to his new Chimu or Cañari subjects, only the glory he had won for Spain.

Quisipe-Tupac turned south, disappointed and seemingly out of options. He was accompanied by a group of Spaniards, eager to start their new settlement near Cusco. They were not guards per say, his own forces out numbered them by enough that he could probably defeat them if need be, but they were reporting his every move back to Castro, and they symbolized the new-found power Spain had over him.

Manco-Capac turned South as well, taking back all that had marched North with him. Quisipe-Tupac’s position was too weak for him to protest this action, though he did score a minor victory when Manco left his son Sayri-Tupac to live/be educated/spy/be held hostage in Cusco.

Disease still burned through the New World, heeding no man nor god. Chaos reigned in many areas, and new battle lines were already being drawn in the minds of some.

And so, an era ended.

And an explosive new one began.