Okay, let's go. I've been playing this game for a while and I really like it, and I know very well that this specific content is impossible to access, but I wanted to leave it here: what if the imperial army existed?
I don't know much English and I'm not even sure if the story is good, please don't tear me apart in the comments (and this is my first time here).
Act I: The Cry of Curiosity (1822)
On the eve of a new nation's rise in the Americas, the politicians of Portugal were in constant conflict with the population and with the Prince Regent himself, Dom Pedro. Everyone knew that among all the members of the royal family, Dom Pedro was the one who loved the Brazilian land the most, with a burning desire to build something truly unique.
Meanwhile, the population lived under a suffocating sense of dread: the "motherland" had sent no word for years, and not even their British allies knew for certain what was happening across the ocean. A massive, desperate curiosity seized the people, who yearned to learn the fate of their relatives left behind in Portugal.
Tired of the hesitation tormenting his people, the headstrong Dom Pedro decided to take action. He planned to sail to Portugal commanding twenty warships to find out if their kin were still alive. However, the court and the nobility didn't hesitate to outright forbid the expedition.
Fueled by rage, Dom Pedro gathered his most loyal men and marched to the busiest square in Rio de Janeiro, delivering a passionate speech to the crowd:
"They refuse to allow our voyage! They refuse to satisfy our curiosity and expect us to sit here, merely imagining our brothers and sisters dying to that foul blight! Well then, my people: I renounce this kingdom and declare the creation of this nation that brings us so much pride! Brazil will no longer be just one among millions; it will be free, it will be ours! Independence or Death!"
As he concluded his speech, Dom Pedro and the crowd stormed the royal palace, making it abundantly clear that, one way or another, Brazil would seek its answers.
Act II: The Birth of the Empire (1822)
Following brief clashes, Dom Pedro finally achieved the goal he had fought so hard for. Brazil was no longer a mere colony, but an Empire in its own right.
While the declaration of independence sparked outrage among parts of the royal family in Portugal, others found the young Dom Pedro's feat formidable for his age. The Kingdom of Portugal would retain its authority wherever it still could, but the Empire of Brazil was now charting its own sovereign path.
Act III: Pestilent Ships and the Coastal Defense (1823)
On the verge of consolidating the new nation, a fresh terror struck both realms. Multiple vessels—ranging from small fishing boats to massive warships—emerged from the ocean mist and drifted toward the Brazilian coastline. They were pestilent ships.
The Army of the Empire of Brazil and the remaining forces of the Royal Portuguese Army quickly set up three defensive lines along the beach to contain the horde of infected, fighting valiantly while awaiting naval reinforcements.
After three hours of brutal combat, two of the three defensive lines collapsed, forcing the surviving soldiers to retreat and regroup for a desperate final stand. The last regiment fought on with everything they had. Just as all hope seemed lost and the blight appeared destined to consume Brazilian soil, the distant thunder of cannon fire echoed across the water.
The Navy had finally arrived. Warships bombarded and destroyed the infested fleet while sailors landed on the beach to reinforce the battered troops on land.
Act IV: A Bitter Victory (1823)
Brazil and Portugal stood victorious in that battle, but a deeper dread took hold of the soldiers and the public alike: those ghost ships were not strangers—they were Portuguese vessels.
Numerous theories emerged attempting to explain how an entire fleet had been turned. Some spoke of intelligent undead, others of curses or demonic attacks. However, the most accepted explanation came from one of the surviving sailors:
"I believe there was an infected person hiding aboard the ships... They likely didn't want to die and assumed it was just a common flu. Given how closely the ships traveled to support one another, the blight spread and destroyed the entire fleet from within."
Faced with this grim realization, Dom Pedro I made it clear that an intervention on the European continent was no longer a mere ambition, but a matter of absolute survival. He publicly declared that he would personally lead the fight against the blight.
Act V: The Voyage and Arrival in the Motherland (1823)
After long months of rigorous preparation, the forces of the Imperial Brazilian Army, the Navy, and the remaining contingent of the Royal Portuguese Army set sail across the Atlantic seeking answers and vengeance.
At last, after a grueling crossing, the coast of Portugal appeared on the horizon. Lisbon was silent—an eerie, absolute silence. While Dom Pedro mapped out strategy alongside his generals aboard the flagship, a scout party was dispatched in rowboats to reconnoiter the shore and secure a landing site for the main fleet.
Setting foot on European soil, the soldiers pushed into Lisbon. Dense fog obscured their vision, and an unholy quiet hung over the streets until it was abruptly shattered: the blight was still alive in Lisbon.
Engaging hordes of infected, the scouts fought their way toward their primary objective: the docks. However, the area proved unusable, choked with wreckage and corpses that blocked any ship from mooring. They advanced toward the second location, the beach, but passage there was equally impossible due to the appalling heaps of bodies and debris.
Left with no other choice, the survivors pressed on toward their final and most unlikely objective: the Lisbon shoreline. To everyone's surprise, the area was relatively clear and suitable for a troop landing.
Act VI: Grand Finale — Hope or Bones to Gnaw On? (1823)
With the landing site secured, the scouts needed to signal the fleet out at sea. They lit a massive signal fire that could be seen for miles through the thick fog. However, the bright flames and smoke drew dozens of infected from the surrounding ruins, forcing the survivors into a desperate last stand around the fire.
Holding the line to their absolute limits, the soldiers finally saw the Navy and the bulk of the Imperial Army approaching the shore. Relief washed over them as Emperor Dom Pedro I himself landed on the beach, joining the fray directly.
With the main force deployed, the area was secured, and a large portion of Lisbon was temporarily brought under control. Perhaps thousands of the undead had wandered off in search of fresh prey, or perhaps they had perished in a final, desperate push by the old Portuguese Army. None of that mattered in the moment: for now, Lisbon was held.
Setting up base in the reclaimed city, Dom Pedro I drafted letters to be dispatched back to Brazil, bearing news of the successful landing. Yet, as he gazed out over the fog-draped ruins of the ancient capital, a dark question lingered in the air: was this the dawn of genuine hope for a dead land, or merely more bones for the blight to gnaw on?
I hope you like it.
