Cursed treasure hand of fate4/28/2023 ![]() The author teamed up with two adventurers who each claimed to have independently discovered an Inca gold mining site such as Valverde described: "There is a lake, made by hand, into which the ancients threw the gold they had prepared for the ransom of the Inca when they heard of his death." Mark Honigsbaum, however, did survive to tell the tale, which he did in his book Valverde's Gold (2004). Many who have since attempted to retrace his steps into the treacherous Llanganates have also paid with their lives. Sources suggest that en route to New York, where he planned to raise funds for an expedition to recover his prize, he disappeared overboard. Taking only what he could carry, Blake left and never returned. In one letter he wrote: "There are thousands of gold and silver pieces of Inca and pre-Inca handicraft, the most beautiful goldsmith works you are not able to imagine." He detailed life-size human figurines, birds and other animals, flowers, and cornstalks, as well as "the most incredible jewelry" and "golden vases full of emeralds." But, Blake claimed, "I could not remove it alone, nor could thousands of men." ![]() If his writings are to be believed, Blake was the last person to find the gold. Treasure seeker Barth Blake followed up Spruce's discovery in 1886. Spruce, when he finally returned to Britain, reported that he had uncovered Valverde's guide and a related map, made by a man named Atanasio Guzman. The gold trail went cold until the 1850s, when English botanist Richard Spruce traveled to Ecuador in search of the cinchona tree, the seeds of which were used to produce the antimalarial drug quinine. When he died, he left written directions to its location, the so-called Derrotero de Valverde. The shadowy guide of those who have tried is Valverde, a Spaniard who some 50 years after Atahualpa's death is said to have become rich after being led to the gold by his Incan bride's family. And there the legend has remained, daring others to prove it. Instead, the story goes, the gold was buried in a secret mountain cave. He had the Inca king put to death before the last and largest part of the ransom had been delivered. ![]() Pizarro agreed to release Atahualpa in return for a roomful of gold, but the Spaniard later reneged on the deal. Atahualpa was an Inca king who, after warring with his half-brother, Huáscar, for control of the empire, was captured at his palace in Cajamarca in modern-day Peru by Spanish commander Francisco Pizarro. The legend begins in the 16th century, when the great Inca Empire in western South America was giving way to European invaders. ![]() Somewhere deep inside the unforgiving Llanganates mountain range between the Andes and the Amazon is said to exist a fabulous Inca hoard hidden from Spanish conquistadors. You feel your soul enlightened by your good judgement.Steeped in death, conquest, desire, and mystery, the legend of the lost Inca gold is guarded by remote, mist-veiled mountains in central Ecuador. OR "A wise choice," says the old monk, as the illusion is broken and the treasure fades away. The old monk nods his head, approvingly, as you turn and leave the temple. Draw 4 Gold Gain Cards The old monk shakes his head in bemusement, muttering, "Why do these foolish adventurers never heed my warning?" Draw 2 Equipment Cards Acquire this card's token Draw 3-6 Curse Cards You gather up the pile of gold and scoop it into your backpack. OR As your fingers touch the first gold piece, you feel a chill touch on your soul and your heart sinks.
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