Ser Alphonsus Albera Da Vinci

October 8th, 1448 - June 3rd, 1507

Were it not for Ser Alphonsus we would likely be unaware of this history.

His obsession, and exorbitant spending on what was considered no more than a historical triviality has provided much of the information we have, in regard to prehistoric civilizations and the lands they governed and inhabited.

It is not known where he sourced the artifacts he collected, and most are again unaccounted, but his lifestyle in Verona promoted his meeting of countless travelers and merchants; and his constant and carefully described interests in such things placed him in a likely position to encounter them.

Though, as noted, many have sadly been lost, the private BSP3 collection currently preserves three of the artifacts. These will be displayed on the website once all revelation procedures are completed; given their age.

Via these artifacts, Alphonsus interpreted a world he'd never known; a time in the past when lands nonexistent were populated by people struggling to build and survive; and a dire warning everywhere he turned.

Cartographer he may have been, he was known only by his fantastical style and interests. Here, he was set free, and from only a few pieces interpreted what he believed to be an accurate representation of one of the greatest puzzles ever discovered.

A digital restoration of one of his maps related to prehistoric civilizations; one of twenty-one total plates. Some were obviously heavily interpreted by Ser Alphonsus. As such, it is assumed none of these maps are entirely accurate; and may be substantially of imagination, especially around regional borders.

Few fragments remain of his references; each of different scale and material. No two examples are thought to have come from the same place so, even in lucidity, numerous regional gaps exist. Ser Alphonsus is responsible for as much of this depiction as it's original cartographers; and he never even saw it.

This particular map is of frustration in research, as nearly all of it's reference had survived, in contrast to the others; each of which is in some way interpreted, expanded, and detailed in a most arbitrary and fantastical way. The frustration lies in the fact that this most documented region is almost entirely empty.

It is highly likely that Ser Alphonsus himself created the names shown, and only marginally understood the notes he translated; the majority of them being expansions on only a few characters with no direct translation to any known language. Nevertheless, combined, the maps give us a glimpse into the past.

Early Life

Ser Alphonsus Albera Da Vinci was born an illegitimate older brother of Leonardo Da Vinci.

Ser Piero da Vinci, his father, met Alessia on temporary assignment in Pisa, and they engaged in a brief affair during his stay; lasting roughly two weeks. Shortly after he left for Verona, Alessia was found to be pregnant.

She departed for Vinci six months afterword, as her letters to Ser Piero had been returned. She hoped to meet family members or friends there, who might know where he was, or be willing to keep a message for him.

The trip was met with success; she, meeting Da Vinci's mother, who was happy to take her in for a time and, once Alphonsus was born and more space was needed, directed her to a town about 50 miles away for settlement.

Leonardo's grandparents covertly paid half of the price to purchase a small homestead in support; to relieve his mother's finances as Alphonsus grew. She was never made aware such an arrangement had been reached.

Two friends of Leonardo's mother lived nearby, and enjoyed visiting, celebrating, and generally helping each other in daily life. It was a pleasant existence, and there was no anger or bitterness in regard to the circumstance.

Alphonsus grew up a happy, if bullied child. It was known he was Leonardo's brother, but the knowledge wasn't important enough to record beyond gossip and pleasantries. Everyone knew his father was of great promiscuity.

This knowledge never made it all the way to major cities or capitals, and his relation to Leonardo was of little consequence in his life, and provided him no benefits. Were it ever to be asserted, his life would have received great augment in society, but he was bookish and uninterested.

Neither he nor his father sought each other and, on the occasions of their meeting, exchanged only food and idle conversation. The two were as oil and water, though no animosity existed between them.

He attended a minor school in Vinci, and scored very poorly; being unfocused and undisciplined, but it was not for lack of effort. People knew he was bright, and simply couldn't focus.

As such, he was passed without incident, and became basically educated, as he was indeed learning the lessons. One factor that carried with him was his artfulness in map-making; and he received a minor letter of recommendation for patronage.

Importance

He spent his entire adult life attempting to unravel this mystery and, in the process, compiled many notes.

Unfortunately, it is now required to decipher his scattered thoughts in an attempt to decipher the even more ancient; the nearly undecipherable.

To add to our frustration, his fantastical interpretations of highly incomplete maps, and translations of an arguably untranslatable language have lead many astray over time.

At the least, he collected and studied so much of this history that it is the opinion of BSP3 this knowledge would have been lost forever without his efforts.

In every way, he was an awkward, underachieving man; especially from so illustrious a bloodline.

Perhaps, however, his lack of focus in other areas gave us our only chance at truly understanding where we came from, and perhaps even an opportunity to save ourselves from a threat still unknown.

Adult Life

Once he came of age, Alphonsus set forth to Verona; hoping his letter of recommendation would help him either gain patronage for his studies and practice, or gainful employment of some variety.

Upon arrival, he immediately secured lodging in an outlying village, and took an apprenticeship as a copyist at a nearby monastery. For three years he honed his craft; becoming quicker to understand and communicate, but never reached a level of comfort as the others.

During his tenure, repetitive illumination informed his cartographic art further, and he took every opportunity to copy maps; even staying at the desk many hours beyond others, resting fully only on Sunday.

In his own estimation, however, something was missing. As he copied the pages one by one, from every book that passed through the scribe hall, he felt an emptiness was bounded by the words; as a “silence in the jungle”, punctuated only by sound that isn't.

Six years after his entry, his curiosity boiled over, and he decided to visit the great library in Verona proper; hoping to find a position of access to their entire catalog.

He still had his letter of recommendation, and during his years of monastic life, he received notary certification, as well; echoing his half-brothers and ancestors unintentionally, and was incredibly versed in law, cartography, and scripture.

Penniless, yet qualified, he arranged a meeting with the chief librarian, and was accepted as a cartographic copyist, and spent a further three years in this profession and practice; until, after repetitive questioning, was allowed tenure as a cartographer proper.

It was at this point his curiosity became an obsession, and he rested little between his work and personal research. Likewise, at this time, his artful interpretation of chart commissions became known and briefly popular; he having sold five large format works to noblemen.

They found, however, that when they welcomed others, such as travelers and merchants; jokes would be made in regard to the accuracy of their maps. They were fanciful, and worthy art, but they were not accurate.

Fed up with losing face within the traveling community, and to avoid such conversational embarrassment, nobles began to avoid him entirely; rumors being spread quickly amongst the highborn,

Likewise did their associations of various natures begin to avoid his work; and he became known as a poor mapmaker, as a result, rather than a capable cartographer.