Rivers and Water

Water Zones, exploring a river upstream, where a drawn Water Marker goes, the River Chart, adding sources for forks, DP for rivers and sources, and blocked borders.

Water zones

A region is a Water Zone if any of its borders has a Water Marker (or a river printed on the map). Every Port of Entry is a Water Zone thanks to its printed river, and each has a neighbour that is one too, because of the Fork printed on their shared border (treat it as a Fork marker). Water Markers sit on a border, with any arrow pointing downstream.

Marker	What it is
River	The river goes on upstream FAQ FAQ FAQ
Fork	Two branches upstream: explore each FAQ FAQ
Generic Source	A dead end, drawn beside the river or branch FAQ
Pictured Sources and rivers	Waterfall, Marsh (river or source), Lake Source, Largest Lake Source, Mountain Source — they score (see below)

Exploring upstream

When you enter an unexplored region that has a River or Fork on one of its borders, find out where it comes from:

1. Draw a Water Marker from the cup. (A Source already on the border is a dead end: draw nothing.)
2. If it is a Source of any kind you may return it and draw again; the second draw must be placed. With Canoes you may return two Sources in a row; the third draw must be placed.
3. A Generic Source goes beside the river or branch it ends, looking connected.
4. Anything else goes on a valid border of your region (next section).
5. For a Fork, do all this twice, once per branch.

Valid borders

A border is valid when the region across it is neither explored nor already a Water Zone. Water can’t come from a region that is already a Water Zone: a river never splits going downstream.

Where a Water Marker goes

1. Unless it is a Generic Source, draw two Color Code Markers; they name two borders of your region.
2. Place the Water Marker on whichever of the two is valid (your choice if both are).
3. If neither is valid, or the symbols aren’t on your region, choose any valid border.
4. Return the Color Code Markers after each placement; for a Fork, repeat for the second branch.
5. No valid border at all: draw until you get a Generic Source (two for a Fork) and return the rest. A Fork with only one valid border: draw a marker for it as usual and put a Generic Source on the other branch.

Another way to become a water zone

An unexplored region with no Water Marker may still hold the origin of a neighbour’s river. If an adjacent unexplored region is a Water Zone because of a River or Fork:

1. Count that region’s valid borders, plus its border with yours.
2. Cross-reference the count with the “River” or “Fork” row of the River Chart on your Expedition Sheet. A Fork that another player has already connected to counts as a River.
3. Roll a d6 + d10. At or below the number, the two are connected; “C” means connected without rolling. Two candidates? Try one, and if that fails, the other.
4. If connected, draw a Water Marker. A Generic Source: return it and draw again; a second Generic Source means the connection was false. Anything else confirms it: place it on the shared border, arrow pointing downstream into the neighbour.
5. Unless that marker is a pictured Source, the river goes on upstream through your region: draw and place as in Exploring upstream.

More sources for each fork

The cup starts with 10 sources of all kinds. Every time a Fork is placed on the map, move one Generic Source from the New Sources box into the cup: each extra branch needs an end.

Rivers and sources score

Placing any of these six markers earns 2 DP (Largest Lake Source: 3 DP) and costs 2 Time:

Rulings that apply to every row below: Are the pictured Sources placed on a border?.

Picture	Water source scoring
	Waterfall (river): 2 DP; matching Resource adds +1 DP: Painting.
	Marsh (river): 2 DP; matching Resource adds +1 DP: Painting.
	Marsh (source): 2 DP; matching Resource adds +1 DP: Painting.
	Lake Source: 2 DP; matching Resource adds +1 DP: Surveying FAQ.
	Largest Lake Source: 3 DP; matching Resource adds +1 DP: Surveying.
	Mountain Source: 2 DP; matching Resource adds +1 DP: Altimeter.

Placing a Generic Source scores nothing by itself, but Altimeter still adds 1 DP. All six draw the attention of the “Exploring” Patron.

Blocked borders

A Lake Source or a Marsh on a border fills the whole border: it is blocked. Only an expedition with Canoes can cross it. And whenever you cross a border with no Water Marker (and no printed Fork), return your Canoes.

Fishing

With Fishing, add 5 Food at the end of your Map Phase Player Turn if your region is a Water Zone — once per Game Turn.