Tales of a Ganado Villager
Jan 10th, 2004.
My name is Gabriel Valeras, I live in a village in a remote corner of Spain. My community has
always been a lively one. Everyone was always happy. We were a simple folk, farmers mostly.
But then all that was beginning to change when the Saddler arrived with the our Lord Ramon
Salazar. They began preaching about oppression and the state of mankind. Though I dismissed
it as nonsense, the villagers began taking note of those preachings. They offered a solution that
could benefit all of mankind. A world free of wars, equality for all people and ridding the world
of corrupt leaders that have thwarted such a dream. Then they started talking about something
Las Plagas. Now I might not be well versed in our history, but from what I remember Las
Plagas was a parasitic life form that was sealed away by our first Castillian Lord about 476
years ago. It wasn't long until the newly appointed Lord Saddler and Lord Salazar began
selecting villagers to take part of the excavation of Las Plagas. For some reason, I felt all
against it. They would have them work continuously from early morning to late night, all for the
sake of enlightenment. Some looked so exhausted that they would collapse of the path back to
the village. My father was one of these miners. It was very painful to see him in such a state.
But he wanted to believe that people like him could make a difference in helping others. Then
one day something started happening. The villagers began acting very strange, almost to the
point of aggression. Something has happened and I demanded answers. I went to the church
and confronted Lord Saddler. We spoke and he assured me that what the villagers were
experiencing the power of the parasite. It would make my people stronger and more resilient to
disease or pain. It was liberating them from the chains of the world. He presented my father to
me. My father embraced me and told me that embracing Las Plagas made him felt alive. He
wanted to let people know what this new freedom was like. Lord Saddlers monks would stay
in the village and administer the plague eggs into the villagers bodies. Almost all the villagers
have become infected with this parasite. It wasn't long before Lord Saddler would approach
me with the offer to inject the parasite egg in my body. I saw my father with him. I knew what could
happen if I refused. So I accepted Lord Saddlers offer and embraced the parasite. I felt a great
change in my body. It felt like tree roots were growing in my back. My mind felt blurred yet
sharpened. My strength also increased too. However, something about my plaga felt different.
When Lord Saddler would have us partake in the Illuminados ceremony I did not feel the
influence of his Control Plaga. My thoughts and my actions were still my own, unlike the other
villagers who were in a state of control. Realizing this there was a choice to make. To leave the
village and my father behind or stay and be a pawn of this great manipulator, or I could take
my father with me and leave the others behind. This will not be an easy decision to make. I will
start making plans to leave as soon as possible.