Aztec Empire
- "I observe the strange customs and rituals of the Aztec people. They are happy to provide me with religious drawings and to share their legends, despite the complexity of translation."
- ―Giovanni Borgia.[src]
The Aztecs were an ancient civilization living in Mexico until the 16th century.
History
In 1520, the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés led a group of explorers to Mexico, among them an undercover Assassin, Giovanni Borgia. Upon their arrival in Mexico, they used translators in order to communicate with the local Aztecs.
The Aztecs decided to bring the expedition to their largest city, Tenochtitlan, where they conferred with their leader, Moctezuma II. Moctezuma decided to welcome the Spanish explorers, and allowed them to live in his own chambers, believing them to be gods.
Night of Sorrows
- Main article: Night of Sorrows
The following day, the Aztecs celebrated the arrival of their "gods" through several ceremonies, all of which involved large amounts of gold and jewelry. While the Spanish explorers started to become greedy of the gold, Giovanni searched for one of the Pieces of Eden, which he knew was somewhere in the city.
The explorers, including Giovanni, were eventually led to a temple, where they witnessed the Aztecs sacrificing one of their own as a tribute to their gods. During the ritual, Giovanni noticed a priest holding a crystal skull, and he immediately recognized it as the Piece of Eden he had been looking for. He stabbed the priest and took the skull without anyone noticing.
The Spaniards were disgusted by the ritual, and started killing the unarmed Aztecs, though they were eventually driven back into Moctezuma's palace. They then forced him to speak to his people, and Moctezuma urged them to go home. However, the Aztecs refused to listen, and stoned their leader to death.
Shortly after that, the Spaniards attempted to escape the city, though they were attacked by the Aztecs on their way to their ship. The Aztecs killed many of the Spanish explorers, though several of them managed to escape back to Europe.