The Warlocks of Chiloé/Prelude
Have you heard of the secret society that once ruled the Archipelago of Chiloé off the coast of Chile? According to legend, a European explorer, José de Moraleda, challenged a local witch named Chillpila to a duel of magic in the late 1700s. Defeated, José left behind a book of European spells. The union of magical knowledge gave rise to the the secret society known as La Recta Provincia which ruled over the island for a hundred years. A series of witch trials by the Chilean Government in the 1880s is believed to have ended their reign, but so little is known for fact, and Moraleda's book, which is said to have been guarded in a cave, has never been found.
I became obsessed with the details of the legend, but my search for information online didn’t sate me. I booked a flight to Chile, chartered a ferry to the village of Chacao on the northern coast of the archipelago and began my investigation. I visited many villages in Chiloé and spoke with many locals. I was close to giving up when I finally met a woman named Ipi, who was a retired professor. She believed that La Recta Provincia still existed, and that they practiced evil magic in the village where she was born. She and her mother had fled when she was a little girl.
Ipi took me via canoe far into the island forests where, if it still existed, I might discover the island. We made camp near a lagoon, far from civilization. Ipi would wait for three days while I conducted my search, and if I had not returned, would leave me behind. I was warned that a magic shroud protected the village, and that they would know I was there before I did.
On the dawn of the second day of my search, I had discovered only that my careful navigation had not availed me and that I was lost. Persuaded by fear, I determined to return to Ipi, but I could not find my way. On my third day, my heart sank with every minute that passed. I thanked my lucky stars when happened across the lagoon, well within my allotted time, but fell to my knees when I discovered Ipi’s camp, the boat still on shore and the woman no where to be found.
It is now, reader, that you will begin to question the credibility of my story. I have no proof, but know I assert that everything recorded here is true and accurate, and believe what you will. I waited by the fire until nightfall, and on the edge of sleep, I was ambushed. My captors walked me through the forest with a sack over my head. I could barely see, but a bright torch illuminated the man who held it, and when we came upon it, the walls of a natural corridor. We were in a cave! A door barred further entry, and we were met with a rush of air as it was opened. I reckon 45 minutes had passed since my capture, and after a 10 minute descent into this cave, we suddenly were outside again, and it was morning!