Totonac dignitaries from the town of Cempoala approached Cortes and his army at the present-day site of Veracruz, just as the Spaniards began moving northwards to find a new place to settle. The town of Cempoala had a population of twenty thousand inhabitants (Marks, 68). The many large buildings and temples of Cempoala greatly impressed the Spanish invaders, as one conquistador remembered, "as we came among the houses we saw how large a town it was, larger than any we had yet seen, and were full of admiration…its streets were so full of men and women who had come out to see us that we gave thanks to God for the discovery of such a country" (Diaz, 107).

The ruler of Cempoala, whom the Spaniards called the "Fat Chief," welcomed the Spaniards and treated them to a banquet, which the hungry Spaniards devoured. After their meal, the "Fat Chief" and Cortes discussed many issues, among them the tribute that was demanded of them by the Mexica. Cortes saw this as an opportunity to exploit the resentment between the "Fat Chief" and Motecuzoma, and promised to end the taxation burden as soon as he could. The "Fat Chief" thanked Cortes and provided the Spanish army with over four hundred Nican Tlaca porters to accompany them on their journey to Quiahuitzlan. The Spaniards were headed to the coast near Quiahuitzlan where their ships were waiting for them, and where they planned on establishing a new colony called Villa Rica de la Veracruz.

After the establishment of Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz, the "Fat Chief" approached Cortes and told him that Mexica warriors had gathered in the neighboring town of Cingapacinga, and that they were destroying the Cempoalan's crops in retaliation for befriending the Spaniards. Cortes sent some of his soldiers to aide the Cempoalans in a campaign against Cingapacinga. When the soldiers arrived at Cingapacinga they found that the Mexica had left several days earlier. In spite of this, the Spaniards and the Cempoalans sacked the town, destroying its temples and looting its treasure. When they returned to Cempoala, the "Fat Chief" thanked Cortes by offering him 8 Nican Tlaca maidens of noble descent, one for each of his top lieutenants, and the "Fat Chief's" niece for Cortes. Cortes stated that the only way that they could accept the offer was if they were baptized and abandoned their native religion. Cortes went on to suggest that all of the Cempoalans should abandon their religion and become "good" Christians. The Cempoalans were appalled by Cortes' audacity, and refused his request. Hearing their response, Cortes ordered 50 of his soldiers to storm the Cempoalan's sacred temples and set them on fire. Cortes also ordered his men to destroy any sacred icons they came across. According to Bernal Diaz, when the priests "saw their idols shattered…they wept and covered their eyes; and they prayed to their gods for pardon" (Diaz, 123). Afterwards Cortes ordered that the main temple be rebuilt with a Catholic altar and a statue of the Virgin Mary. The temple priests were forced to cut their long hair and replace their black tunics with white robes. This was the first of many calculated steps taken by the Spaniards to force the Nican Tlaca of Anahuac to convert to Catholicism-a foreign religion whose origins lay in the Middle East, not Cemanahuac.

Afterwards, the Spaniards returned to Villa Rica to prepare for the march to Tenochtitlan. The Cempoalans provided the Spanish army with the provisions needed for the long march across Mexico, as well as soldiers and porters to aide them against the Mexica.