Tracunhaém Disaster: Wargame in Brazilian Colonial Era

Português : Tragédia de Tracunhaém é um wargame a nivel tático para dois jogadores que reproduz o ataque ao engenho perto de Tracunhaém. O jogo é para jogadores de wargame iniciantes com regras fáceis de asimilar e que permite o entendimento e a entrada neste estilo de jogo. Composto por um livreto de regras, mapa, tabelas e peças de jogo, inaugura nossa série Bellum Brasilis.

English : Tracunhaen´s Slaughter is a tactic wargame (platoon level), for 2 players. The game recreates the slaughter what 2000 potiguares indians attacks the "Tracunhaem´s Engenho" (Tracunhaem´s Sugarmill) and kill all Portuguese colonists and slaves. The main objective for Portuguese player is resist for 8 turns against the indians. The objective for indian player is kill all colonists and slaves. The game is for novice wargamers, easy rules and short time of play.

During the period of colonization of Brazil, in the year 1534, there was an incident known as Tragédia de Tracunhaém, in which Indians killed all the residents of a mill called Tracunhaém in Pernambuco. The justification for this attack was due to the kidnapping, followed by the disappearance of the chief Iniguassu’s daughter, after marrying a Mamluk adventurer. It was a requirement that both of them, after the wedding, remains in the Indian village, but this did not happen. Iniguassu’s first step was to send two of his sons to Olinda, in Pernambuco, to claim justice. Fortunately, they met on a visit to Pernambuco, the governor of Brazil, Antônio Salema, who ordered the beautiful Indian to return to her father’s house immediately. On the way back, they had to spend the night at Engenho Tracunhaém, by Diogo Dias. When dawn dawned, India disappeared, possibly hidden by Diogo Dias. His brothers complained a lot but did nothing and returned home without his sister.

Taking advantage of this, the French stationed in Paraíba instigated the Potiguares to revenge, and soon a contingent two thousand Indians of diverse Potiguares tribes marched against the mill. The Indians surrounded the fortified mill and used an unusual tactic: only a few Indians let themselves be seen to make it believe that it was the action of a small group. When the plantation’s defenders went out to counterattack, they were attacked by a crowd of Indians. The mill was burned, and it appears that only two family members survived because they were not at the mill. After this episode, other Itamaracá mills were also attacked, resulting in 614 deaths. This episode generalized the fear in the Portuguese settlers of the region.