blood sun
Gold and silver — since ancient times, humanity has pursued them. Greed, bloodshed, and other instincts rise from the hearts of men — until they reach their peak at the Age of Discovery.
In 1492, Columbus reached the New World. Over the next thirty years, Spaniards, Portuguese, French, and Englishmen poured into that land. They brought back gold, spices, timber and everything that could be packed into a ship's hold.
But in the shadows, a pair of eyes had always been watching.
When the frenzy of the New World traveled back to Europe, those eyes were no longer content with merely watching. They were ready to crawl out and orchestrate the greatest manipulation in history.
- Magellan survived his battle in the Philippines and was carried back to Spain by his loyal crew. He had completed the first circumnavigation. He was hailed as a hero.
But in Spain, there was one man who did not agree.
His name was Reyes de la Plata — known as the "Silver King," or simply "the Boss." He claimed to have been a crew member on Columbus's ship thirty years earlier. No one could confirm it, but everyone was willing to believe — after all, who would refuse a generous patron who provided ships and equipment?
When Magellan's battered ship sailed into port, the Silver King pointed at it and said:
"I don't like him. He's not under my control. He's directly funded by the Crown. His discoveries will break my monopoly."
He ordered a complaint to be sent to the Inquisition.
Magellan was arrested. In his cell, the Silver King offered him a deal: surrender all his manuscripts in exchange for his life. Magellan agreed but in open court, he recanted and denounced the collusion between the merchant and the Inquisition.
The Silver King said only one sentence to the judge:
"Your Honor, this heretic will not repent."
Magellan was executed. His manuscripts were seized and delivered to the Silver King's chambers.
Months later, in a church in Santiago, an archbishop dreamed that an angel stood before him and said:
"The one called the Silver King has another name in older texts — Mammon."
But by then, it was already too late.
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I originally posted this on Reddit, but my account got flagged and suspended shortly after — likely due to VPN use or being a new user. I’m reposting it here because Lemmy seems to have a more thoughtful community for this kind of worldbuilding. Hope you enjoy.
This is the opening chapter of my alternate history project Blood Sun. It explores a timeline where Magellan survives his voyage, only to be executed by a merchant lord who controls the Spanish colonial network. The setting blends dark gothic aesthetics with the Age of Discovery. I'll be posting more faction lore and worldbuilding in future posts.