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Well, I hope he didn't kick any buckets on his way to the ground. Nicely written chapter.

P.S. - In case you're wondering why I haven't commented on the Langobard story in a long time, It's because I missed two days of it and you kept updating so quickly that, now, I am many pages behind.

Thanks! Basileo just knocked himself out from that fall. He'll live, as we learned earlier. :p

Okay, that makes sense since I've done crazy number of updates at one point each day. I just thought you got bored from it since it's dragging on so long. :p

From beggars to explorers. That certainly is a step up in the world. Here's to them finding many wondrous things on their travels. ;)

Yup, it's amazing what could happen in one's lifetime. We won't be getting to the goodies just yet. Still have some background story to cover. :)

Chapter 10

Basileo slowly opened his eyes and studied his new surroundings. He was in a warm bed with a roof over his head. The room was fairly small but it was a huge improvement over the shelters he stayed in since he was orphaned. The bed was the only furniture in the room while the room was dry and warm. A small window indicated that it was still raining outside. To be inside dry and warm was an all too unfamiliar experience. This all reminded him of the better days when his parents were still alive. The thoughts of his parents brought tears to his eyes despite him forcing himself to not shed tears since his relatives stole everything from him. Just then, someone entered the room in time to see him in tears.

The stranger, an elderly man, knelt down Basileo offering a smile. He comforted Basileo and asked him about his family. Basileo didn't know why but he trusted this man. If there was anything he learned on the streets, it was that he couldn't trust anyone as they only had their own interests. Yet, this elderly man was different because he had an aura of something his mother would once call an angel. Unable to control himself, Basileo started telling his story starting from the death of his parents. While he shared his story, Basileo couldn't control his emotions either and burst into tears. He didn't stop telling his story and, by the time he finished, he noticed that his clothes were wet from his tears.

The elderly man listened quietly and didn't interrupt once. He also had a sympathetic look the entire time and was weeping by the time Basileo finished his story. Then, the man made an offer that surprised Basileo. He was willing to let Basileo work for room and board under him. The man explained that he was a merchant who operated in the city but had to go abroad at times to purchase rare exotic goods. However, his age was making the trips abroad more and more difficult. The man claimed he needed a successor and hadn't been successful thus far. Yet, he saw potential in Basileo and wanted to at least offer him a chance to work under him. He promised Basileo promotions if he worked hard enough.

This offer was far better than any other alternatives Basileo had. Before he agreed, Basileo asked why he was in the room since he didn't remember what happened after he blacked out. Apparently, young Basileo collided with a thief who carried a large sum of ducats on him. The thief was being pursued and happened to collide into Basileo. The collision knocked him off balance resulting in his capture. The man retrieved his ducats and, seeing the poor state of Basileo, had him carried to his home where Basileo found himself. Previously, he wanted to thank the boy with some ducats. After hearing the story, he saw it better if he offered Basileo work so the young boy could escape poverty with his own two hands.
 
Who could've guessed that running into someone would change Basileo's life so much. Was it luck, or something more?
I think it was the storyline. Either that or Jebus. Theres a 50/50 chance.
 
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Who could've guessed that running into someone would change Basileo's life so much. Was it luck, or something more?
I think it was the storyline. Either that or Jebus. Theres a 50/50 chance.

Maybe God has finally blessed young Basileo so he may one day explore the unknown and play a role in the grand design.

Chapter 11

The elderly man introduced himself as Gavino. He was born of a wealth merchant family and took over the family business for several decades. With his wealth and fame, he naturally attracted the attention of thieves who would gladly help themselves to some of his wealth. One of those thieves wasn't so fortunate when his attempt was thwarted by Basileo. While the thief was eventually hanged, Basileo was, as many would agree, given a second chance at life. With no prior experience, Gavino had Basileo assigned to be an assistant of one of the captains who headed the escort missions of his trade fleet. The captain who became Basileo's mentor was a man called Antonio.

Antonio was a strict but fair man who expected only the best of all his men. After a few days, even he was impressed by how quickly Basileo was learning the ways on the ship. It was as though Basileo was born to be on the seas as he only needed to be taught once before he grasped a skill aboard ships. Antonio pushed Basileo hard because he wanted the young boy to reach his full potential so that, one day, Basileo could take over for him. For Basileo, the experience on ships was an entirely different matter. He absolutely loved his job and, with room and board covered along with some extra income, Basileo was living a far better life than he ever had since he was orphaned.

Despite his many progressions, Basileo wasn't an exceptionally ambitious man. He was a beggar once so he was quite content with his new life working under Antonio. Whenever given a chance, he would visit Gavino who was the one providing him a second chance at life. He was always grateful of the old man for everything he did for the young boy and was saddened to see Gavino's eventual passing away. Tragedy struck soon when a terrible accident took the life of his mentor, Antonio, as well. Basileo, a young man by then, was named the new captain to escort the trade fleets because he was the most suitable for the job. Despite a rough start, Basileo soon proved his worth earning the respect of both his men and merchants.

After being promoted to be a captain for nearly a decade, Basileo met up with the young boy called Michele. Their pasts were quite similar and their fate was intertwined as Basileo soon learned. Wanting to do what Gavino did when he was young, Basileo walked up to the young boy and asked for his name. Then, he offered the boy a chance to be his student to which the Michele agreed without hesitation. While he stood before Michele, Basileo saw a strong fire burning in the boy's eyes. The boy would play a key role in guiding Basileo's future as Basileo learned a decade later. Giving Michele a chance would also give birth to a new nation in faraway lands.
 
With every chapter the anticipation builds more and more. I can't wait to see what this nation looks like. :)

I'm just worried that the nation might not meet your expectations. :p

Chapter 12

Michele argued that they should head southwards as opposed to remaining by the coastline and head eastward. Basileo, willing to listen to Michele's opinion, gave orders seeing the Lobo taking a course south into the open ocean. The Lobo crossed the equator and eventually encountered the South Atlantic westerlies that brought the ship and her crew to the African coast once again. The ship had sailed more than ten thousand kilometers of ocean which was the longest journey out in open ocean made in history at the time. These parts of the coast were unlike anything shown on their records which only meant they were unexplored by Europeans until their arrival. This marked the first of their many discoveries in their expedition to a faraway land.

The landscape they saw offered little interest so Basileo decided to not land and keep going along the coast. They soon rounded what would be later known as the Cape of Good Hope as the Lobo began her journey up the eastern coast of Africa. Basileo made sure that the mapmakers aboard his ship made detailed records of the land so that, once they returned, they had something to present before the Portuguese crown. He knew very well that information was worth a lot more and could easily repay the debts his crew owed. Basileo also soon faced the need to land as the provisions aboard his ship were running low. The new discoveries ensured that the morale aboard his ship remained high but it could deteriorate quickly if they were out of food and water.

The Lobo soon dropped anchor in the port of Mozambique. This was a Muslim city-state on the outskirts of Africa's east coast. Luckily, Basileo had dealt with Muslims in the past so there wasn't as much of a language barrier when he bartered with the Muslims for provisions he needed to continue his expedition. While the general Muslim population in Mozambique weren't too friendly towards Christians, the Muslim traders weren't willing to turn down the chance of making a profit off Christians with ducats. Basileo, following his many escort missions, learned many valuable bartering skills seeing him get the provisions he needed without getting completely ripped off by the Muslim traders.

As soon as his ship was ready, Basileo ordered his crew to set sail once again but there was a slight complication this time. Just like the general population, the Mozambique sultan also despised Christians and ordered his small fleet to arrest Basileo and his crew. Basileo and his crew were unarmed so there was no way they could resist an arrest. Thus, they were forced to flee and hope they could get away. The Mozambique fleet was persistent and chased the Lobo for several hours before turning back. Basileo thought he had avoided the worst but, several minutes later, he realized why the Mozambique fleet turned back. A cyclone was developing and the Lobo was reading right into it.
 
Will your country have custom events?
 
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I say Tanzania or Kenya, or maybe one of the archipelago's north of Madagascar
 
I'd say they should manage to coup one of the city states of the Swahili coast and start from there, but the AAR is still young and we eagerly await the big reveal.
 
Hehe, having a good chuckle here at all the guesses. :D

I'm surprised they even know what ducats are down in East Africa. I suppose money is money, even in the 15th Century.
 
It's funny to know where they end up. And I'm really enjoying reading the AAR and looking at you guys guessing. I shouldn't really know where they will arrive, but by coincidence I came into possession of this knowledge.
 
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Will your country have custom events?

There won't be custom events in the actual game but that won't stop me from creating them out of the blue. :p

Are they going to end up in Madagascar?

I say Tanzania or Kenya, or maybe one of the archipelago's north of Madagascar

You two are on the right track. I can only say that you haven't gotten the correct location yet.

I'd say they should manage to coup one of the city states of the Swahili coast and start from there, but the AAR is still young and we eagerly await the big reveal.

Welcome! Starting a coup in a city state would be a fun story but that won't be taking place here.

subbed- reading along with interest!!

Thanks! :) I'm trying to get a single update each day.

Hehe, having a good chuckle here at all the guesses. :D

I'm surprised they even know what ducats are down in East Africa. I suppose money is money, even in the 15th Century.

Well, they are somewhat on the right track. I guess I'm doing a good job concealing the truth from them. :p Ducats is a representation of wealth in the world. A bit like gold. :)

Could they end up in South Africa? It does seem plausible.

The truth will be revealed soonish. I don't know how many chapters we must cover before we get there.

It's funny to know where they end up. And I'm really enjoying reading the AAR and looking at you guys guessing. I shouldn't really know where they will arrive, but by coincidence I came into possession of this knowledge.

Yes, you got some spoilers but that's about it. You'll be in the dark very soon once we get into the middle stages. :p

Chapter 13

Basileo wasn't familiar with the region but his instincts told him that they were headed into a storm that might spell their doom. He also recognized the situation he and his crew were in right that very moment. Before them was a storm that had enough ferocity to end their lives. Behind them were armed sailors of a Muslim sultan who wanted their heads on a platter. Either way, they were staring death in the face with no real way out. Basileo didn't try to sugarcoat the situation as he presented the facts before his crew. Of course, these, including the Portuguese sailors assigned to their ship by the Portuguese crown, were trained sailors so they were well aware of the situation that had befallen them.

Basileo didn't need much to convince his crew that they must go with the cyclone. There was without a doubt that the Mozambique sultan's sailors would show no mercy if they got their hands on anyone aboard the ship. After all, the Mozambique fleet only turned back upon seeing the cyclone that was forming in the vicinity. In other words, these Muslim sailors were determined to capture Basileo and his crew only if their own lives weren't threatened. While the Muslim fleet had withdrawn and were out of sight, Basileo was convinced that the ships were lying in wait to see if the Lobo would head in their direction hoping for a better outcome with the sailors than the cyclone itself. He had no intention of giving up his life so easily.

Basileo admitted that the Lobo was a seaworthy ship the moment he had his sights on it. The magnificent ship was what he saw as the ideal ship for an exploration expedition. He could see the Portuguese crown pouring massive resources as it anticipated great return in the end. Their journey thus far was a good indication of how seaworthy the Lobo was but she was finally tested by the cyclone. Smooth sailing had Basileo and his crew covering a vast territory which allowed them to discover new lands for their sponsor. However, these didn't prepare them for the great challenge they were about to face. The Lobo would be tested for her hull strength as she would soon be taking a savage beating from the giant waves.

There hadn't been any dangerous storms during their escorting missions so Basileo and those from Naples had very little experience on such matters. Even the Portuguese sailors admitted that they were ill-prepared for the task at hand. What everyone aboard the ship agreed upon was that they couldn't give up so easily without actually trying. They sailed this far from home and saw more discoveries than they could have imagined. If anyone told them of such tales before they left Lisbon, they would scoff at the idea. What everyone understood was that, if they died there and then, their stories would remain untold. They merely became a crew assumed dead in another expedition sent out by Portugal herself.
 
I certainly hope it's not Ethiopia. That would be ironic but boring because it's not truly stranded.
 
Oh my god they land in Australia. Or at least oceania. My wildest guess is the miss it completely and on the pacific coast of south or central America.