Chapter 4: Decisions
The Spanish are brought before the Inka
Following their defeat at the Chancay River the captured Spanish were led up the road by the Tawantinsuyu towards the waiting Atahualpa. At the head was the newly freed Rumiñavi, now bearing a long scar down his face from Pedro Pizarro's sword. They brought with them horses, guns and steel swords, things that all the Tawantinsuyu generals knew would be extremely beneficial to the Empire.
The highest ranking Spaniard left alive, Hernando Pizarro, was brought before the Inka bound and gagged. Before interrogating Pizarro Atahualpa told him of one of the punishments for theft in the Empire. To be left, with your hands and feet cut off, just outside of a city and be left to beg for food. The Inka then remarked that the Spanish had stolen one of his favorite generals from him as well as the gold Rumiñavi carried. Atahualpa then reportedly remarked that "there are worse things a man can loose then his hands and feet" and proceeded to grill Pizarro on the Spanish intentions. Soon other Spaniards were brought in, like Hernando de Soto and interrogated. A few refused to talk but the vast majority told the Tawantinsuyu most, if not all of what they knew. What they told shifted the course of history. Previously the Inka had been under the impression that the Spanish were roaming thieves who were looking for as much gold as possible, but now he learned that the truth was that the Spanish were out to conquer his empire. Immediately he realized that the threat was much large then he had imagined. He immediately began to make plans for a strengthening of his armies with Spanish technology and he ordered watches posted on every possible inch of the coast. Realizing that division inside his empire only could hurt him Atahualpa began quietly preparing to try and make peace with the Cusco Nobles that opposed his rule. He abandoned his vague plans of establishing a northern capital for fear of angering Cusco even further. He intended to bring the nobles, even some who had opposed him, into the secrets of the knowledge taken from the Spanish, which he intended to keep in the hands of the very few.
That technology was being acquired at rapidly different rates. The Spanish horses were well trained and, aside from 3 that had been permanently injured in battle, could be ridden rather easily once one learned to ride. Soldiers and generals both clambered to receive the honor of a mount and eventually some of the highest ranking figures in the empire received horses. They were not as well trained as Spanish calvary and some were quite clumsy. But the horse was awe inspiring to the average peasant and it gave them an advantage of a Spanish foot solider. Armor and helmets were similarly divided up, as were existing swords.
Just as a good sword and a horse were signs of power in Europe they became signs of a man's standing with the Inka to the Tawantinsuyu. Rumiñavi received some of the best items for his bravery and those most loyal to Atahualpa received rewards.
The Crossbow would make its appearance to the rank and file of Tawantinsuyu army before guns
But the Inka kept his discoveries regarding the secrets of gunpowder and steel to members of his closest family, whose members were considered at the very least Demigods. He discovered that Gunpowder was a mixture of various substances ground together. The men he interrogated were not by any means experts on the subject and technical subjects never translate well but he and his closet advisors managed to get the general ingredients down. Messengers were sent south with orders to collect needed ingredients. The eastern jungle, previously a backwater, became important for charcoal production.
Wood from the Jungle also became necessary for the construction of crossbows. Though viewed as clumsy and heavy by some Spaniards they were still groundbreaking to the Tawantinsuyu, who had only had limited contact with Longbow wielding tribes in the forest. While trouble with the creation of gunpowder would hold back firearm development Crossbows would arrive relatively quickly to the Tawantinsuyu Army.
The final major advantage the Spanish had was steel. Though the Tawantinsuyu came into the possession of ample amounts of steel in the form of swords and armor Atahualpa sought to create the metal himself. Though the Spanish expedition possessed blacksmiths who knew at least the basics of forging steel, though nowhere near the quality of Toledo, they lacked any knowledge of where Iron, the crucial component, was available. They could only provide instructions for the smelting of Iron and Steel, not the collection of the necessary ores. And so Atahualpa sent out messengers to the leaders of the Suyu[1] and other important figures, offering rewards if any found ore.
Of course it was not only weapons that the Spanish passed on. From De Soto and Pizarro Atahualpa learned of other European nations who might one day be of help to the Tawantinsuyu. But they were too far away to be of use for now, though they remained a useful option if the empire could hold out. The Tawantinsuyu also learned of the location of Spanish Panama, though they lacked the sailing capabilities to reach it.
Atahualpa sought to both firmly impose his authority on the nobles and appeal to them.
On a lighter note the Atahualpa also learned the game of Chess from his captives, and was quite enamored with the game, his patronage spreading it quickly across the empire. Changes would permeate through the game as it became more "native"[2]. Pawns, called slingers, gained the ability to move two spaces diagonally and jump to capture. The Queen, an unimportant position to the Tawantinsuyu, was renamed the General. Bishops became Priests as well, while the other pieces got Tawantinsuyu names. But of course this took a long time to seep in. For now the focus was on the suppliers of this bounty of information: the would be invaders.
The question now fell on what to do with the Spanish. Keeping them together was dangerous and they had to be kept from returning to their countrymen. They couldn't be killed as they still possessed valuable knowledge. So they were split up. The leaders such as Hernando Pizarro and De Soto were brought into Cusco prosper. The horsemen were sent to Urcos, just outside the city. An armory was planned in Quito, the power base of Atahualpa. Iron works would not be established until Iron was found.
With his plans in place Atahualpa began to organize his supporters. He sent Chalcuchima, his most trusted commander, east into the jungles (long the line at which the empire had stopped, to expand the power of the Tawantinsuyu there and to collect resources. He personally made plans to return to Cusco to meet Quisquis. He brought with him several steel swords and helmets to reward loyalty amongst the city nobles. And he sent Rumiñavi north. For one thing loomed over all else he had heard.
More Spanish were coming. And soon.
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1: Provinces
2: I'm sorry but I'm a bit of a Chess geek. Expect random updates on the situation at random times. If we get to that point expect updates on polar exploration as well.
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