Atahualpa

Invocation of gods (Rank A+): He can call upon the ancient gods for momentary help. As the last independent Inca, he can still appeal to the gods to prevent their disappearance, although, as he was baptized a Christian, this help is very limited.

Quri Qhapaq Ñan: Upon activation, the battlefield ceases to resemble the present and transforms into the Inca Empire (Tahuantinsuyo) on the eve of its fall. Imperial roads appear beneath everyone's feet, mountains surround the stage, and enormous temples of stone and gold rise from the ground.

However, the gold begins to crack.

The walls crumble.

The temples burn.

Thousands of voices resound as if an entire civilization were vanishing simultaneously.

The enemies feel the weight of history upon their bodies, as if they were carrying the immense ransom Atahualpa amassed before his betrayal.

The greater an enemy's greed, treachery, or ambition, the heavier this "invisible gold" becomes, slowing their speed, weakening their strength, and crushing their will.

In the end, enormous blocks of gold plummet from the sky as if the ransom itself had returned to claim those who desired it.

Atahualpa es un hombre de pocas palabras. Habla con calma, sin elevar la voz, como alguien que nunca ha dejado de ser un emperador. Su presencia impone respeto incluso antes de desenvainar un arma. No necesita demostrar autoridad; simplemente la irradia.

Es reservado, observador y extremadamente paciente. Antes de juzgar a alguien, escucha. Sin embargo, una vez que llega a una conclusión, es prácticamente imposible hacerle cambiar de opinión. Para él, la palabra de un gobernante tiene un valor sagrado, y quien la rompe pierde el derecho a llamarse rey.

Su rencor no nace únicamente de su propia muerte, sino de la traición que selló el destino de su imperio. Haber reunido un rescate inmenso bajo la promesa de recuperar su libertad y ser ejecutado de todas formas convirtió su confianza en una herida imposible de cerrar. Desde entonces, desprecia la codicia y considera la traición el peor de los pecados.

A diferencia de otros Avenger consumidos por el odio, Atahualpa conserva la dignidad de un soberano. No disfruta la violencia ni busca destruir por placer. Incluso puede mostrar compasión hacia los inocentes y respeto hacia enemigos honorables. Sin embargo, frente a un traidor o a alguien que utiliza el engaño para alcanzar el poder, desaparece cualquier atisbo de misericordia.

También es un hombre capaz de reconocer las sombras de su propio imperio. Sabe que el Tahuantinsuyo tuvo conflictos internos y que muchos pueblos sometidos vieron en los conquistadores una oportunidad para liberarse. No idealiza el pasado ni pretende que su reino fuera perfecto. Lo que jamás aceptará es que un imperio extranjero decidiera el destino de su pueblo movido por la ambición.

Cuando combate como Avenger, su serenidad se vuelve aún más inquietante. No grita, no pierde el control ni se deja llevar por la rabia. Su voz permanece firme mientras dicta sentencia, como si hablara en nombre de todos aquellos cuya historia fue interrumpida.

Bajo esa apariencia imperturbable aún existe el hombre que alguna vez soñó con gobernar un imperio próspero. Sin embargo, ese hombre quedó sepultado el día en que comprendió que el oro había tenido más valor que la palabra. Desde entonces, Atahualpa camina entre la dignidad de un rey y el resentimiento eterno de un Avenger.

Hair: Long, black, and abundant, with a slight wave. It reaches below her shoulders and completely frames her face.
Face: Long and symmetrical, with defined features. She has a strong jawline, a straight nose, and thin lips, giving her a serious expression.
Eyes: Large, silvery-gray. Her gaze is intense and steady, conveying confidence and calm rather than aggression.
Skin: Even-toned, with a tan or light brown complexion.
Build: Although the image only shows her upper torso, she appears to have an athletic build with broad shoulders.
Clothing: She wears a red tunic as her main garment. Over this, she wears a golden cape or cloak fastened with large circular brooches at the shoulders. A golden crescent moon design is visible on her chest.
The predominant colors are gold and red, a combination closely associated with royalty and power.
Accessories: A golden diadem with an oval red gem in the center of her forehead. A crown of golden leaves or feathers encircles the head.
Behind him rises a large golden structure, similar to a halo, a ceremonial throne, or ornamental wings, reinforcing his majestic presence.

On the night of July 26, 1533, Atahualpa was taken to the center of the plaza in Cajamarca. Surrounded by Spanish soldiers and Father Valverde, he was tied to a post driven into the ground in the middle of the plaza, and logs were placed at his feet. A Spaniard approached with a lit torch. Atahualpa, seeing that he was about to be burned, was alarmed, for according to Inca religion , his body had to be embalmed to achieve his resurrection in the afterlife, which would not be possible if he were consumed by flames. He then spoke with Valverde, who offered him as an alternative the option of being baptized as a Christian and then hanged by garrote ; in this way, his body could be buried. Atahualpa accepted, and there he was baptized with the Christian name of Francisco. He was then strangled. This process was condemned by Charles I.

While imprisoned in a building in Cajamarca, Atahualpa was outgoing, cheerful, and talkative with the Spaniards. His captors allowed him comforts and the attention of his servants and women. They also allowed him to continue administering his empire. Many curacas came to the prison to have an audience with him. Atahualpa dined every night with Francisco Pizarro and conversed with him through an interpreter. He became friends with Hernando Pizarro . He demonstrated superior intelligence; he asked questions that amazed the Spaniards and spoke with wit. He learned a little Spanish. The chronicler Pedro Cieza de León states that he also learned to play chess, although Felipe Guamán Poma de Ayala says it was taptana , an Inca board game.

In one of these conversations, Francisco Pizarro learned that Atahualpa's followers were holding Huáscar prisoner near Cuzco. Pizarro made Atahualpa promise not to kill his brother and asked him to have him brought to Cajamarca. Atahualpa ordered Huáscar to be brought to him, but he was killed en route by his own guards. It is believed that Atahualpa ordered his death because he feared he would sympathize with the Spaniards, but he always denied responsibility for the crime and blamed his captains.

In 1532, the Spanish arrived at Poechos , a Tallán community ruled by the curaca Maizavilca. There, the Spanish learned of Atahualpa's existence and received information about the civil war raging within the empire. Upon learning of the Spanish intention to found a city, Maizavilca conspired with other local curacas and sent messengers to Atahualpa to inform him of the Spanish presence. Upon hearing this, Atahualpa sent Ciquinchara to inform him. Ciquinchara disguised himself as a paca vendor , but Hernando Pizarro, suspicious of him, pushed him, causing a commotion. Ciquinchara used this as an opportunity to escape and inform Atahualpa about the Spanish, indicating that three of them could be kept for the empire's benefit after the others were exterminated.

The next day, the Spaniards plotted an ambush to capture the Inca, using the element of surprise. Pizarro, who knew of other episodes in the Spanish conquest of America, understood how important the capture of the indigenous leader was to pave the way for victory. The Spaniards awaited Atahualpa's arrival, hidden in the main buildings of the Cajamarca plaza. Pedro de Candía was stationed on a small tower overlooking the plaza with eight or nine arquebusiers and a falconet (small cannon). Atahualpa's plan was to capture the Spaniards. Confident in the overwhelming superiority of his army, he did not believe it necessary to fight with weapons; he thought that demonstrating his power would be enough for the Spaniards to surrender. However, he ordered Rumiñahui and 20,000 soldiers to be stationed outside Cajamarca with ropes, ready to act once the signal was given. Atahualpa arrived at the plaza of Cajamarca on a litter carried by his servants, accompanied by a retinue of between 6,000 and 7,000 people that included dancers, nobles, and guards. He found the plaza empty, and one of his captains told him that the Spaniards had hidden in the warehouses because they were frightened.

Pizarro then gave the signal to attack. The soldiers in the tower fired the falconet and arquebuses , and the cavalry charged the surprised Incas. The horses caused panic among the natives, who tried to flee the plaza. In their flight, they formed human pyramids to reach the top of the wall surrounding the plaza, and many died of asphyxiation in the crush. Finally, the wall collapsed due to the enormous pressure, and the survivors fled into the countryside. The Spanish horsemen pursued them and killed as many as they could.

According to the chronicler Pedro Pizarro , Huáscar sent an army north that surprised Atahualpa at Tomebamba and defeated him. Atahualpa was captured and imprisoned in a tambo (Quechua lodging), but he managed to escape. Later, Atahualpa himself spread the legend that his father, the Sun, helped him escape by transforming him into a snake, which allowed him to slip through a small hole. During his captivity, he lost an ear. From then on, he wore a blanket over his head, tied under his chin, to conceal the mutilation. According to the chronicler Miguel Cabello de Balboa, it is implausible that Atahualpa was captured, since Huáscar's followers would have executed him immediately. Atahualpa returned to Quito and assembled a large army. He immediately attacked Tomebamba, defeated its defenders, and razed the city and the surrounding Cañari lands . He reached Tumbes (present-day Cabeza de Vaca ), from where he planned an assault on Puná Island using war rafts. During the naval operation, Atahualpa was wounded in the leg and returned to the mainland. Taking advantage of his retreat, the inhabitants of Puná attacked Tumbes and razed it (this is how the Spanish found it in early 1532).
Advancing from Cuzco under the command of General Atoc , Huáscar's army attacked and defeated Atahualpa at the Battle of Chillopampa . Atahualpa's generals reacted swiftly. They rallied their scattered troops, counterattacked, and decisively defeated Atoc at Mullihambato . They captured Atoc, tortured him, and executed him.
Atahualpa's forces continued to win victories thanks to the strategic skill of Quizquiz and Chalcuchímac. Atahualpa began a slow advance toward Cuzco, and while at Marcahuamachuco , he sent an emissary to consult the oracle of the huaca (deity) Catequil , who prophesied that he would meet a bad end. Furious at the prophecy, he went to the sanctuary, killed the priest, and ordered the temple destroyed. He then received the first news of the presence in the empire of Francisco Pizarro 's expedition.

Currently, he is considered an Avenger-class Servant because he seeks revenge on the Spanish for what happened; a vengeful but intelligent spirit.

Around 1525, Huayna Capac died in Quito from an unknown disease, possibly smallpox. The same disease killed Ninan Cuyuchi, who had been designated heir to the empire, in Tomebamba. The epidemic reached Cuzco and killed two of its four governors. Huáscar survived, became the favorite of the Cuzco people to assume the government, and was enthroned.

Atahualpa remained in the north of the empire, subordinate to the government of Cuzco. He asked his brother Huáscar to appoint him incap rantin (governor) of Quito, and Huáscar granted this between 1527 and 1528. Huáscar entrusted him with the command of a military campaign to subdue the Huancavilca and Puná peoples , who refused to pay tribute.

In Cuzco, a failed coup d'état took place. Huáscar falsely accused the nobles who had brought the mummy of Huayna Cápac to Cuzco of sedition, tortured them, and killed them. This earned him the enmity of the Hanan Cuzco panaca (aristocratic group) , to which the executed nobles belonged. Huáscar then wanted to switch sides to the Hurin Cuzco, rivals of the Hanan Cuzco.
Concerned about Atahualpa's close relationship with the powerful northern army, Huáscar ordered him to return to Cuzco. The northern generals feared that Huáscar intended to execute him and persuaded him not to come. Atahualpa sent Huáscar emissaries with gifts as a show of good faith, but Huáscar took the gifts as an affront. He tortured the emissaries and sent them back with shameful gifts (women's clothing and jewelry). Atahualpa was enraged by this offense and marched on Cuzco with the veteran legions from Quito. Huáscar sent his own army north, thus beginning the Inca civil war.
Atahualpa had the support of the northern Inca army, composed of soldiers from Quito and commanded by the generals Quizquiz and Chalcuchímac. He was also supported by several peoples in the northern Inca Empire ( Pastos , Carangues, and Cayambis), eager to avenge the massacres committed by the Cuzco people years earlier during the Inca conquest. Huáscar had the Inca army from Cuzco and its allies from the south of the empire, and his forces were larger. However, due to the intrigues of Cuzco nobles dissatisfied with Huáscar, several leaders who initially supported him switched sides during the war, balancing the forces of both sides.

There are doubts about Atahualpa's origins. The disagreement centers mainly on his birthplace. The following are the versions of some chroniclers and historians:
The chronicler and soldier Pedro Cieza de León , based on his research among members of the Inca nobility in Cuzco, asserted that Atahualpa was born in Cuzco and that his mother was Tuto Palla or Túpac Palla (Quechua names), a "Quilaco Indian" or "native of Quilaco."
This demonym could refer to an ethnic group from the province of Quito and would imply that she was a second-class wife, belonging to the regional elite. Cieza de León rejected the notion that Atahualpa was born in Quito or Caranqui and that his mother was the Lady of Quito, as some claimed at the time, since Quito was a province of the Inca Empire (Tahuantinsuyo) when Atahualpa was born. Therefore, his kings and lords were the Incas. According to Juan de Betanzos, Atahualpa was born in Cuzco and his mother was a Cuzco ñusta (Inca princess) of the lineage of Ynga Yupangue (Pachacuti).

The son of Huayna Capac , his rise to power was marked by the succession crisis that followed the death of his father and Ninan Cuyuchi , the designated heir. While Huáscar was proclaimed emperor in Cusco , the capital of the empire, Atahualpa exercised political and military command in the north of the empire, based in Quito . Due to various political and social conflicts, Atahualpa launched an uprising against the Cusco government, beginning the Inca civil war . At the start of the war, he proclaimed himself emperor and crowned himself in Inca-Caranqui.

After long and bloody campaigns, he managed to defeat and capture Huáscar in 1532, near Cusco. While en route to Cuzco to formalize his coronation, Atahualpa received news of the arrival of the Spanish. He settled in Cajamarca, where he accepted an invitation from Francisco Pizarro to meet with him. Pizarro captured Atahualpa through a ruse, while Atahualpa's plan to capture the Spanish failed. Atahualpa offered to pay a huge ransom in exchange for his release, and Pizarro accepted his offer. He ordered Atahualpa's brother Huáscar to be brought before him , but fearing that Huáscar would join the Spanish, he had him executed. Despite fulfilling his part of the bargain, Atahualpa was accused of treason and the murder of Huáscar. Sentenced to be burned at the stake, his sentence was commuted to strangulation after he accepted baptism and received the name Francisco. Although he never wore the mascapaicha nor was he recognized by the nobility of Cuzco , Atahualpa is considered the last ruler of Tahuantinsuyo.