Maya
They awoke early in the morning and set off to the east. The Reefers were friends with
the neighboring tribes, so they introduced them to the Incas. This made things much simpler.
They continued to use this system, having tribes introduce them to new ones as they worked
their way north and they also shared the "peace pipe" with every new acquaintance. The
merryone was a big hit everywhere they went.
The Incas were very excited about how well their venture was going. All of the tribes
were very weary of them at first, but when they smoked the merryone and got to know the
Incas, they quickly became friends and business partners. However these people, much like the
Reefers, did not have much to trade so they too were employed to build the new trail across
the river.
As the Incas reached the center of the continent they were introduced to a new product
for trade. They were called magic mushrooms. They were told that they were another gift
from the Gods just like the merryone. The mushrooms were said to possess spiritual power and were used in celebration. The Incas agreed that these new friendships and business
partnerships were worthy of celebration so they ate them as they were instructed to. The
effects of these mushrooms were a completely new experience to them and it was indeed a
powerful fungus. It made the men think very hard about their lives and gave them a new
perspective. They agreed to this trade and embarked on their journey up the northern hills.
They climbed and climbed. The climate was cool and moist, but the terrain was
exhausting. They had no guide for this part of the trip and it took a full day to reach the top.
There was a small tribe that lived here. They were a quiet and friendly people. They were not
frightened by the Incas. They simply walked over and greeted them. The Incas told them about
their journey so far and asked about what lie ahead. They were told it would not be far now
until they would reach the first great city.
When they began to discuss business, they found out that the people of the northern
hills also had something for trade. They were leaves of the coca plant. The hill tribe said that
they were used for energy and since the Incas were very exhausted, they quickly agreed to this
trade. As, they chewed them though, they realized that this too was a powerful substance. It
gave them so much energy, they ran down the hills.
They soon arrived at the first great city. However, it was nothing like they had imagined.
It was a ghost town. None of the buildings had been maintained and there were only a
couple of people walking around. This was not a tribe at all. It was merely a few families living in
a deserted city center. They did not approach the Incas they merely watched as they passed
by. The Incas then began conversing with them.
After they shared some merryone, they were quickly told the story of Maya. This place
was once a metropolis. Much business took place here and many people called this city home.
However, over the years turmoil erupted. The Mayan people had a cash crop called tobacco. It
was a very profitable plant. They sold it all over the region and everyone was wealthy. Maya
however was very close to the coast and one day a terrible storm came through the region and
the seas rose. The saltwater from the ocean flooded the land, killing all of their crops. The
Mayans had devoted all of their time to caring for these plants and grew nothing else. They
had made a calendar to help them predict when it would rain, but it could not predict that a
storm like this would happen. They had no more tobacco for trade and soon had no food. The
people began to riot and everyone left Maya. They ventured off into the jungle and began
living on their own off the land.
Not everyone left though. A few families who had other skills were able to trade with
neighboring villages. They soon were able to plant new tobacco crops, but they were scarce.
The saltwater had ruined the soil. The Mayan people offered some tobacco to the Incas. Like the merryone this plant was also smoked. The Mayans all tried some. It had a bitter taste in
comparison to the sweet merryone. It was relaxing however so the Incas still agreed to the
trade.
Then they began to discuss what lie north. The Mayans told them the northernmost city
was large like this one, but it was still much inhabited. They also told the Incas that the people
of this city were called the Aztecs and that they were known to be ruthless warriors. They were
also very weary of outsiders. The Mayans knew the Aztecs however and told the Incas that
they would introduce them.