The following is a play session of a free Print & Play game called 1572: The Lost Expedition that is available at Board Game Geek. The premise of the game is that you play the role of an expedition of Spanish conquistadors who have been attacked by a tribe of natives while exploring the New World. The goal is to find your way back to your ship before it leaves for Spain. On each turn, the player rolls several dice and assigns them to various actions or categories which will either help or hinder them from reaching their goal. An optional part of the game is to write a journal after each day or turn, building a story from the rolls of the dice. Below is a journal of one of those games.
Tools Used:
fantasynamegenerators.com to name my Conquistadors.
bestrandoms.com to come up with my “sentence of the day.” (You’ll know it when you see it.)
Final game map can be found at the end of the post.
From the Journal of Fransisco de Valencihuela:
For several weeks we have been exploring this New World on an archeological expedition. All was going well until our group suffered an unexpected attack from the local natives. They killed most of the crew, ransacked our provisions, and took most of our valuables. When it was all over, the Commander was dead and only six of us had survived. Besides myself, there was Ferrer, Guillen, Esqivel, Nicolas, and Pascual (which is unfortunate, as Pascual is a talker and often gets on my nerves). We have gathered up what food and weapons we could find and, despite the setback, morale among our little group is high in regards to making our way back to the coast safely where we can signal our ship. One setback, however, is that all our maps and notes have either been lost or destroyed, so we will be traveling through mostly unknown territory. I have taken it upon myself to lead this ragtag group to safety. May God protect us!
Day 1: Luckily, our journey started in the mountains so we can see a little of the surrounding terrain. To our southeast is a forest and beyond that some more mountains. We head off in that direction, making sure to avoid the village our attackers came from. Before we completely leave the mountain range we pass by another village. At first we feared they might be the group that attacked us, however, they turned out to be peaceful and let us pass. As we entered the forest Pascual said, “Tomas isn’t very dedicated,” speaking of another crewman he had befriended. I reminded him that Tomas was killed, which would explain why he was not still with us.
Day 2: Travel through the forest started strong, but we were soon bogged down by thick underbrush. Ferrer decided to wander off to look for food. Unfortunately, he came upon a rattlesnake and was bitten. The poison worked fast and he could not be saved. As we settled in for the night Pascual offered me some advice. “You shouldn't coddle her so much. She needs to learn to be independent.” Pascual always questioned the relationship between my wife and myself. But what does he know? He’s never been married.
Day 3: This damned jungle is infested with all kinds of insects and it appears some of them might be carrying disease, as several of my men have acquired a fever. Some good news, however. We came upon a friendly village next to the river. They replenished our food supplies and helped us hunt for wild game. While we did discover a clear trail running along the riverbank, we felt it would be best if we rest one more night in the village before moving on. “We can’t let Tomas find Mary,” Pascual whispered to me as we ate around the village fire. Who this Mary is was a mystery to me, however, it was a moot point. “Have you forgotten?” I responded. “Tomas is dead.”
Day 4: We got off to an early start, hoping to make good progress along the wide trail. However, after a couple of hours, we came across another village close to the river bank. Some male villagers came out to meet us with, however, Nicolas was spooked by the spears they held. He lifted his musket to ward them off as we continued to the east. A few hours later we came upon a small group of native children playing in the water. They had no fear of us and instead led us to their village to rest for the night, as it was getting late. Along the trail we were able to pick some fruit, replenishing our supplies. Pascual, always the conversationalist spoke as best he could with some of the women of the village. Later, he told me what he had learned. “After lunch, they usually have a nap.”
Day 5: Fever is getting worse among the men. The natives directed us to yet another nearby village where a powerful medicine man lived, hoping he could dispel our sickness. Frankly, my hopes are slim. However, on a positive note, Nicolas felt well enough to hunt and he brought back several small animals, picking our spirits up a small bit. Pascual, feeling a bit chatty, said, “I wanted to talk about it,” “It” being our plans for getting back to safety. I indulged him for a while, but in the end we had no better plan than “just head east.”
Day 6: As suspected, the village healer was not able to do much for my men. They did, however, give us some food and weapons to assist us on our journey, making everyone happy. While our plan is to follow the river through the mountains to the southeast, I had Nicolas explore along another tributary that went to the northeast. He came back with reports of more forest in that direction. “She woke to find herself in the hospital.” Oh, Pascual, the fever must be getting to you. The nearest hospital is across the Atlantic back in mother Spain.
Day 7: I fear we are doomed. My men are too sick to move and morale is dropping. Luckily, we have plenty of food as the natives have been generous and the forest has been forthcoming with fruit and small game. Nicolas, being the only member of our troop well enough to explore, traveled south to find the edge of a jungle. Surprisingly, I did get some encouragement from Pascual. “We can’t just give up on her.” I know, my friend, we must stick to the plan if we hope to survive.
Day 8: With Pascual’s encouragement from the previous night, I rouse the men and, despite still being sick with fever, decide to press on. This seems to lift everyone’s morale as renewed hope of getting home fills their mind. Before heading out, Nicolas mentions that in his earlier travels he followed another split in the river to the north and discovered more forest. While forest did seem like better terrain than the mountains, the mountains were in the direction of the coast, so that is the path we took. As we walked, Pascual passed the time by discussing the political situation at home before we embarked on this journey. “The state court effected unconstitutional legislation without the federal government noticing.” Fascinating, but why Pascual felt this was important right now was beyond me.
Day 9: Once again we find ourselves in the mountains and from our vantage point we could see plains to the northeast. It wasn’t long before we came upon another village. Fearful at first about how the natives would receive us, our morale was soon raised when they invited us to join them for dinner, instead of “as dinner”. One item we were able to salvage from the initial attack were astrological charts that one of our archeologists carried with them. According to it, an eclipse was scheduled for late in the day. Thinking they might find this fascinating, I shared this news with the natives. Imagine their shock and reverence of myself when the sun was hidden for several minutes. This might garnish further assistance from the tribe in the days to come. Pascual, still reminiscing about this lost friend commented, “Tomas has a lot of potential.” That’s great, Pascual, but Tomas is not here.
Day 10: We decided to rest for the day. While the sickness wasn’t gone completely, it did seem to be subsiding, making the group seem a little more at ease. The natives continued to offer assistance, telling us a little about the lands around their village. For starters, the river forked just beyond the village and flowed to the southeast where the mountain range continued. Once I explained that we were more interested in the plains to the northeast, the chief offered to show us a trail in that direction which would make our travel easier. One thing I wanted to accomplish was taking an inventory of our supplies. I asked Pascual for help with this task, but his response was, “I’m very busy, so don’t count on me.”
Day 11: The rains came down hard today, prohibiting us from traveling on. However, news of our “ability” to predict natural events spread and natives from the surrounding villages came to hold a feast in our honor. I suspect they think we are gods. Either way, we ate our fill and morale was raised. As all this was going on, Pascual exclaimed, “Dan set off the alarm system.” I believe he suspects one of the villagers, whose name is actually Da’an, is responsible for spreading the news of us to the neighboring tribes.
Day 12: Rains continue. Fever has taken a turn for the worse. Water has gotten into our supplies and damaged a couple of muskets. However, more villagers have come to see us, bringing food. Every time our spirits sink, something lifts them up again. Thinking we might be able to use the native’s awe of us to our advantage, Pascual asks, “Have you determined whom you will invite to the party?” Unfortunately, I explained that I doubted any of them would want to join us, as I can begin to sense an eagerness amongst them for us to leave.
Day 13: Travelling conditions are still not great and morale is dropping. If we don’t start moving soon, I fear some of my group might start to desert us. I briefly consider the jungles to the south, but the plains to the northeast still seem like the best route. The celebrations are winding down, but the food is still plentiful. Seeing I was a bit depressed, Pascual attempted to lift my spirits. “You look very charming today.” Thanks, Pascual, but I know that is a lie.
Day 14: We were ready to set out but the village chief warned us that the river had overflowed from all the rain and the trail to the plains is too dangerous to travel, so we are stuck here yet another day. Morale is declining rapidly. Nicolas foolishly gave one of our muskets to some passing villagers who were interested in them. Pascual shared with me a conversation he had with Esqivel. “Yesterday, my friend told me he'd heard that beautiful women love to be called intelligent, and intelligent women love to be called beautiful. Then he added, ‘So you must love it that people call you both.’ In your opinion, how am I supposed to feel about that?” I responded, “Assuming he’s not suggesting you are a woman, but simply implying that both genders have the same needs and desires, then I would say you should feel honored that he finds you intelligent and handsome.” We really need to get moving. These men’s talk concerns me. I feel they are becoming delusional.
[Player’s Note: What does it take to roll 1s and 2s in this game!!!!!]
Day 15: Fever worsened, but fever be damned we have an opportunity to leave these cursed mountains and I am taking it. We followed the river to plains. Let’s hope we can keep up this pace. Pascual must approve of my decision, as I could hear him mumble to himself, “He carried out his mission very well.”
Day 16: In the distance, we can see that the river widens to a large lake. However, before moving on I remember our archaeologist’s (who perished in the ambush) comments about some large stone in this area. As a group, we decided to see what all the fuss was about. What we found was amazing. It was a large slab of obsidian the size of two huts, just sitting in the field. We couldn’t even guess how it came to be here, as there are no volcanoes in the area. Was it transported here by a people that possessed exceptional engineering knowledge? Was there once a volcano in this area a long time ago? We inquired of some natives in a nearby village, but all they told us was that it was placed by the gods long before humans arrived in these lands. Whatever the answer is, the men were excited by this find and you could tell they couldn’t wait to get home and share this tale. For the first time in days, there were no clouds in the sky and the sun shone brightly. Pascual lifted a prayer of thanksgiving to God. “If it were not for the sun, we could not live!”
Day 17: We could easily see another mountain peak to the northeast. The last place I wanted to go was the mountains, so I instructed the men to start building some kind of rafts to cross the lake. It would be tough as there were few trees on the plains and the natives didn’t have much material to spare. Nicolas hunted and brought back some small animals which we cooked on the fire. Pascual really wanted to continue, imploring me by suggesting, “Let's bypass the protection circuit.” I held fast to my belief, however, that the lake was the best course of action and that we should take the time to build some boats.
Day 18: We are still building rafts. While Nicolas was not successful on today’s hunt, he did stumble across another village whose inhabitants seemed willing to give us some more building material. Seeing I was beginning to get impatient with our lack of progress, I heard Pascual say to his fellow conquistadors, “He is already regretting it.”
[Player’s note: I flat out have defective dice. They will not roll 1s or 2s. I can’t break my fever and my party moves like a bunch of snails.]
Day 19: All this work has taken its toll on the men as their fevers have risen. Luckily, we have made a couple of boats and launched them out into the lake. I asked Pascual if he still thinks we should have gone through the mountains. “Without your consent, nothing can be done about it.” I take that to mean he will follow my direction without question in the future.
Day 20: While it is taking us a while to cross this lake, God has been merciful on us. For starters, this is the first day in a long time none of the men suffered from any effects of the fever. I pray that the sickness is gone. Secondly, a large fish unexpectedly jumped out of the water and landed in one of our improvised crafts. We will eat well tonight. Every now and then I noticed Pascual searching the shoreline. I asked what he was looking for. “Tomas,” he said. “He knows me by sight. I’m sure of that.” I’m sure he did, Pascual, but you are searching in vain.
Day 21: It is taking longer than expected to traverse this lake, especially since we took several hours to retrieve a lost oar that Guillen had dropped. It appears that the lake extends further to the northeast than we first thought, so we will probably head in that direction to speed up our travel time. We were able to rig up a small net that we dragged behind us. I didn’t think it would work, but surprisingly we were able to catch one small fish. “Tomas told me he used to be rich.” A lot of good those riches are doing him now, I think to myself as Pascual reminisces out loud.
Day 22: Today I have seen it all! The blessings of God will never cease to amaze me. As planned, we continued to row to the northeast and around noon we spotted something on the water. As we got closer we could tell it was another raft with a figure resting atop it! We came alongside, and lo and behold, it was Tomas! He was not killed after all. (In all honesty, I never did see his body after the ambush.) He told us he ran to get away for the onslaught, thought everyone was killed and tried to make his way to the coast on his own. The way was rough and, like us, he set out across the lake. Unfortunately, he had trouble rowing his craft and has been adrift for a couple of days. Pascual is overjoyed at being reunited with his old friend. Still, he couldn’t help but complain to his re-found friend. “Jack doesn’t drive fast.” He may be saying Jack, but I know that is code for me and the slow pace of our travels. We caught one more fish today.
Day 23: How fast fortune can turn! After such great events yesterday, today was complete disaster. First, we lost one of our muskets overboard. Next, the fever apparently had not completely left us, as many men began getting sick, once again. Worse than both of those, however, was the fact that we lost two men today. The first was poor Guillen. While checking the nets he fell into the lake. The sickness, as well as the fact that he was not a strong swimmer, was too much for him and he drowned before we could rescue him. Our second loss is a bit more involved. Late in the afternoon, a long canoe approached us from a stone structure we spotted on the far side of the lake. It was full of finely dressed natives. From what we could tell, they were representatives of the tribal chief who rules over much of this area. They made it clear that they wanted us to leave the area as fast as we could and they would offer us little or no help. They did give us some food and tell us that the land to the southeast was covered with plains. Low on morale and looking for any opportunity to survive, Esqivel pleaded with the natives to let him return with them to their settlement. He said he would be willing to work and teach them anything he knew that might advance their technology. Reluctantly, they agreed and he went off with them. Depression is sweeping over our small group and I fear Pascual is taking it the worst, as I now hear him speak of death. “When I was a kid, I thought that if I died the world would just disappear. What a childish delusion! I just couldn't accept that the world could continue to exist without me.”
Day 24: Land, at last! We reached the other side of the lake where another branch of the river continued to the east through the plains. Before moving on we landed on the shore to rest. Nicolas quickly went about hunting for some food and shot a couple of rabbits. Morale is much better than yesterday. Now, if only I could get a reprieve from Pascual’s constant chatter I might be able to think of a way out of this mess. However, when I suggested that he keep quiet for a while he made it clear that he had other ideas. “I haven’t finished speaking yet.”
Day 25: Rather quiet day. We can see the plains continue, as does the river, to the southeast. We gather some edible plants, which Pascual ate heartily. When he finished, he announced, “I’m so full.”
Day 26: Today we came to a branch in the river. While the new branch appeared to lead to yet more plains, the southeast route seemed much easier so we continued in that direction. Our fever still lingers and might actually be getting worse, however, we are still finding food and making much better time, so morale is up. Since I haven’t had much time to chat with Tomas, Pascual made sure that I was up to date with his personal life. “Tomas' third marriage is unhappy and he is considering yet another divorce.”
Day 27: We are still making good time. Passed by a village today, but they weren’t as friendly the other villages. In fact, they were loyal to the tribe we met up with on the lake and they stressed the importance of us moving on. That night, Tomas was visibly angry about the way we were being treated by the natives and stomped off to be by himself for a while. Pascual stated the obvious. “Tomas couldn’t hide his anger.”
Day 28: The way looks clear in several directions, but we continue to follow the river to the northeast out of tribal chief’s lands. We are able to use our net to snag a couple of fish from the river. The only thing that is depressing is the lingering fever. We have felt so bad for so long. In an odd moment today Pascual confronted me saying, “Don’t act so innocent.” Does he think I know something I am not sharing with the group?
Day 29: Today the river split and we took the branch to the southeast, which led to more plains. Some good news, none of the men are showing any signs of sickness. We saw and nearly caught a wild boar today. Unfortunately, it escaped, to the disappointment of all. It was another day of eating plants. “From a strictly scientific point of view,” Pascual explained, “history cannot be called a science.” You know what, Pascual, I really couldn’t care less right now.
Day 30: Morale could not be higher. We have certainly made up for our earlier slow progress these last couple of days. Our food supplies are low, but we are finding just enough to keep us fed. As we traveled down the river through the ever-widening plains we passed another incredible wonder, a tall stone obelisk that protruded out of the water to a height of about 30 feet. But all is not cheery within our small group. “This is an evil company that takes advantage of people,” Pascual laments. I suspect he is expressing his opinion about the benefactor that financed our expedition across the Atlantic to this New World. I, on the other hand, am hoping for sufficient compensation for our troubles should we return home to Spain.
Day 31: Not much to report today. Nicolas hunted for a bit, bringing in some more food and Tomas scouted up ahead. It seems there is a jungle to the southwest. That would not be my first choice, but I’m not sure yet what lies in other directions. Pascual and the others are still skeptical about receiving adequate compensation from our benefactor. In fact, at one point Pascual exclaimed, “What a cheapskate!”
Day 32: The river turned to the northeast and continued to travel through grassy plains. We also received an unexpected surprise today, as a migration of deer passed by our camp. Nicolas was able to kill one while hunting and replenish our food stores. Pascual spun tales of when he was a child. “My teacher asked me to rewrite my essay.” If all goes well, we should reach the coast in less than a week. I sure hope so because our ship is scheduled to return home soon and a couple of the men are, once again, growing sick.
Day 33: We have a choice to make. If we head straight for the coast, we must travel across more mountains. Or we can follow the river around the mountain’s base, but the distance is further. I decided to take some time to contemplate my choices, even though it means delaying our progress. Meanwhile, Nicolas is still hunting deer and we are rich in food. I expected criticism from Pascual for our lack of progress, but instead he spent the night marveling at the wonders of God’s creation. “The sun, moon, and stars are all part of the universe.”
Day 34: I decide to follow the river since the plains continue in that direction. We pass by a village without incident. Pascual is missing some of the finer dining delicacies of home, reminding me that, “Sugar will dissolve in a glass of water quickly.”
Day 35: A bit of a setback today. We came across a couple of villages and the natives were very suspicious of us. They stopped us and I fear they may not let us continue. We continue to be friendly with the hopes of winning them over. The only information I have been able to glean from the natives is that the river continues to flow through more plains downstream. Pascual attempted to cheer up Tomas by telling him “he looked young.”
Day 36: We found out why the natives are treating us with extra-care. It appears that we are in a tribal nation ruled by a local chieftain whose influence extends almost to the shore. This village, along with any we pass as we continue, are loyal to him. They are feeding us, however, we are still not free to go on our way. Time is running out for us. Pascual is showing signs of the extra days on the trail, shortness of food, and sickness, in that he is thin as a rail. Looking at me he comments, “I used to be fat like you.” I’m certainly not fat, but I must admit I have fared better than him.
Day 37: We had our hopes up for a while today as it looked like we were going to be allowed to leave. Unfortunately, at the last minute representatives from another village were invited to offer their opinion. It looks like we are stuck for at least another day. Pascual is beginning to fear for our lives and is especially concerned about Tomas. “Can you think of anyone who would want to kill Tomas?”
Day 38: It was risky, but we finally made our move! We were able to get to our hands on our muskets and threatened the villagers if they didn’t let us leave. So far it seems we may have made our escape, as no one appears to have chased after us as we headed down river. However, as we learned, the chieftain’s influence is great and we may yet run into more hostilities. Pascual offers a suggestion as to why they let us leave without pursuing. “The magnets on their heads were responsible for that.” Really, at this point, I have no idea what he is talking about.
Day 39: We continue our flight, unfortunately, we are unfamiliar with the surrounding territory and have to go slower than we would like. We fear we may have tribal opposition all the way to to the coast. “What time does the exam start?” Pascual asks. It appears to me, Pascual, that our trials have already begun.
Day 40: We traveled further downstream through the plains with no further encounters with the natives. We might be in the clear. The coast is nearly within sight. I pray that I may yet have the opportunity to see my home once again. As I begin to share my hopes with the men, speaking of the people I left behind and hope to see again, Pascual seems surprised at my mention of Barbola de Olivares. ”I had no idea you knew her.”
Day 41: In the hopes of speeding up our progress, we dropped any unnecessary items, including our last musket. Unfortunately, we got lost and had to backtrack a bit, costing us precious time. We were able to pick some fruit, so we have plenty of food. However, if we don’t reach the shore by tomorrow I fear we will be left behind. In some consolation to himself, Pascual is glad that his family at home will have something to remember him by should we not make it. “I had him take my picture,” he told me, referring to the portrait he had painted just before we left Spain.
Day 42: All is lost! In our haste, we were reckless with our directions. Couple that with the fact that it was another stormy day and the sun was hidden from us. In the end, we could not make it to shore in time. When we did finally make it to the ocean’s edge we could see our ships in the distance, little more than dots on the horizon, sailing back home without us. We are trapped in this hostile land, destined to never see our families and loved ones again. Pascual held up some hope for rescue. “She comes to pick me up.” I hope so, Pascual, but I fear we will be dead before another expedition comes this way.
[The preceding words were found written in a worn, leatherbound journal that was buried alongside a skeleton in a shallow grave. The grave was unearthed in the 1590s by another expedition that came to explore the area with the prospect of colonization. ]
Final Score: 24
Play Notes:
This game was started on March 28, 2019 and was completed on April 8, 2019. It was played during my lunch hour each day at work, hence the long time to completion. In the end I had two turns to map the final hex. Unfortunately, even with re-rolls, no 3’s came up. If I could have mapped the hex I believe I would have won, as I think I had just enough movement.
Early game killed me, as I got stuck rolling village after village after village. Also, I spent over two-thirds of the game with the fever, which made most of my 1’s useless. I’m glad I thought about adding the “random sentence” to each journal entry. It made the journal more interesting and actually created some subplots here and there. I hope you enjoyed.
P.S. I am not an expert in Spanish exploration or Central/South American history. This account is not intended to be historically accurate, in any way. Please forgive any errors I might have made.
Game Map:
No comments:
Post a Comment