Episode Summary page
I'm going to be oddly blunt here - I'm going to give off these episode
summaries with the best of my memory... they may not be very accurate,
and to be honest, they may not even be close to what you remember :)
This is a slight spoiler page, and it's all done in fun. This is
my take on the episode summaries and information regarding the series.
I have all these episodes on tape somewhere. The ones I don't, you'll
know it because I'll tell you :> This will be in my own words, explained
as best to my ability. For a really good summary, perhaps you should
see the real episodes or go to a more accurate site. This is a fan
site. I'm not trying to be anything 37337 or all knowing. I
just love the series ^_^. Enjoy!
Episode One
The narrator explains that it's 1532 and the
story starts in Barcelona. It is raining, and a young boy exits the
Cathedral. Someone from inside asks where he's going, he informs
them he'll be right back. Enter Esteban. Random church-guy
comments on how lively the boy is, despite Father Rodriguez being deathly
ill (Plot point #1). Esteban has ventured into town
to listen to the sailors ramble on about their
delusions about finding a wonderful "City of gold" in the new world.
Pedro and Sanchou are heckled by the drunkards, as they should be heckled
throughout the series because NO ONE should take them seriously.
Esteban hides among the beer barrels like a good catholic kid. A
bunch of frantic locals burst into the bar saying
they're looking for the kid. At the offer
of money, everyone gets off their drunken asses to search the city for
them. Apparently he is needed to 'Make the sun come out' for the
yearly festival. Everyone leaves, save for one lone person - Mendoza.
Now, if this were a real situation, wouldn't at least the BARKEEPER stick
around? Those Spaniards are now truly painted as
greedy-mo-fo's if they don't even stick around
to man their own establishment. Anyways, I'm getting off topic.
Mendoza mumbles something about the reward, then calls the boy out.
Blahblahblah "How did you know I was here?", etc, etc. Mendoza stays
cool and explains his deep perceptive skills.
<Mendoza>: "Do I go with the mob?"
<GM>: "Roll a perceptive check"
<Mendoza>: "I rolled an 8"
<GM>: "Okay, you noticed the kid throughout
the entire ramblings of Pedro
and Sanchou. He's behind the barrels."
They have a lovely conversation about a few of the things the sailors were talking about.
<GM>: "Roll another perception check."
<Mendoza>: "10"
<GM>: "You notice the kid is wearing a necklace
you recognize from a baby you rescued in the past."
<Mendoza>: "Okay, I'll ask him about it."
<GM>: "Roll again."
<Mendoza>: "I rolled a 3."
<GM>: "Oooh, bad. You scare the kid
off because you're drunk and yelling at him instead of being subtle.
Way to go."
Mendoza: "Doh!"
The angry mob eventually caught up to the kid
and trap him at the top of a wall. This is when you learn of Esteban's
extreme fear of heights (Although he had no problem being atop those barrels
in the tavern, weird). Mendoza being the bastard he is, throws water
on the kid, knocking him over and into the crowd. He is then shuffled
off to help make the sun come out for the
festival. They dress him up in funny white
clothes that only the Pope could appreciate and a tall hat. The townspeople
carry Esteban in a carriage sort of thing through town in what only could
be described as a pseudo parade. <Plotpoint> Camera focuses in on some
important figures on the balcony, and Esteban notices the young Incan girl
behind them not bowing to him. Off to the side of the whole parade,
there are some seedy Spaniards speaking about the girl and the upcoming
journey. Plot now focused back on Esteban has he's hoisted to the
top of a ships mast, scaring the beejeezus out of him because his is, after
all, afraid of heights. The kid starts rambling like a lunatic at
the sky, making it rain harder and harder. Even a little
lightning.
<GM>: "Roll a fear check."
<Esteban>: "18"
<GM>: "You crack under the pressure.
The sun comes out."
After the sun appears, Esteban is rushed back to the Cathedral due to Father Rodriguez's request to see him. <Plotpoint> Father Rodriguez explains his whole past, about a sailor saving him, why he's named Esteban, etc, etc. The old guy croaks, Esteban weeps. Mendoza, being the shift guy he is, followed back to the Cathedral, overheard the ENTIRE story and finally makes the connection that Esteban is the baby he rescued. He approaches the kid and explains his position, and offers him to ride to the new world.
<Mendoza>: "Now that everything you were living
for was here, why don't you come with a complete stranger to a faraway
land in hope to find your long lost father and help me get rich?"
<Esteban>: "Really?! Can I!? Oh,
well, I'm still dealing with this whole grief thing. If I'm there
I guess I'll go."
<Mendoza>: "Yeah yeah.."
In the end, the choice is made and Esteban is snuck aboard the Esperanza for the journey. He finds Zia trapped in a box below decks and they watch the clouds form into freaky Incan godlike creatures in a bit of a 'foreshadowing' effort from the animation staff.
Episode 2
<Esteban>: "Mendoza is my buddy and brought
me along for the ride!"
<Zia>: "All Spaniards are evil. They
suck. Hey, you're Spanish, you must suck too! Wait a sec, you
have the same necklace as me. Maybe you don't suck. You're
my new best friend!"
Meanwhile, Mendoza discovered that the ship is
a piece of crap and could collapse at any moment. Esteban discovers
sea sickness, and then scumbag number two (Gaspard) finds the kids and
decides that throwing them overboard would be a great idea. Mendoza,
being the slick devil that he is, convinces the goon that the kids are
valuable. Mendoza takes a cheap shot at the ships condition and uses
Esteban as a bargaining item because of his 'powers'. Mendoza is
as cool as Mike Brady, and now has inherited two children. Esteban
goes through a sea sickness sequence that can only be described as an acid
trip. He awakes to find out from the seedy Captain and Commander
say that they'll off Mendoza after his usefulness is up and that
they only need Zia to find these "Cities of Gold".
Some more freaky animation follows with a flock of yellow butterflies and
sea creatures. It is hinted that they are now about to enter the
Straights of Magellan. Considering this is supposed to be a five month
journey, it only took about one episode to speed through several months.
If only real life was like
that.
Episode 3
You know, these early episodes always seemed
really boring to me. Probably because it's all at sea. I'll
summarize this episode really easily: Mendoza uses his mad skillz
to get through the straights. Children cause trouble by stealing
food and get locked up.
Episode 4
Bad storm, most likely because Esteban is locked
up. Blahblahblah, crappy ship torn apart. Gaspard tries to
take Zia and leave the boy, Mendoza kicks ass and takes names - rescues
kids. Now Mendoza, the kids, and the bungling sailors are stranded
on a leftover floating piece of the ship. For some ungodly reason
they get attacked by sharks. This is funny... because only two types
of sharks actually are dangerous, the rest don't really provoke attack
out of the 150++ shark species in the world. This must have been
a leftover feeling from the whole JAWS fear craze. Mendoza becomes
studly and fights off sharks while pulling the raft to a nearby shoreline.
More to come!