EPISODE FOUR: THE JEWEL OF SUMATRA

[max_vale]

Late afternoon; October 3rd, 1937; the island of Sipora, Sumatra


The three pilots of Thunderbolt Squadron, searching through the thick foliage on the hill in the jungle where they map showed the Tomb of Tapatamani to be were startled to suddenly reach an area that had long ago been cleared on this slope; but which now was slightly overgrown with vines and banyan trees and upon which sat a large stone structure....

It seemed to be carved from the living ground and rock of the island of Sipora itself; clearly in ruins yet still showing signs of the long-gone culture which had created it. There are intricate carvings in the stone; including four heads that each face a separate cardinal direction, chiseled into a spire of rock. A dark entryway leading into the structure and the side of the hill is visible and the only apparent entrance to the tomb...

[kipper]

Murdoch moves forward and studies the carvings in fascination, running his fingers over the shapes and the spire with four heads.

[Monsieur Rose]

"I think this is place. Check map to make sure, while I make torch." Nikolai looks around for something to light the way.

[Urson]

Jean-Claude

The Frenchman verifies the location on the map. He strips off his undershirt and tosses it to Nikolai as part of the torch-making.

I am no student of history, but zis looks like nothing I have heard of before. We should proceed with extreme caution, Murdoch.

[max_vale]

Late afternoon; October 3rd, 1937; the island of Sipora, Sumatra


Nikolai finds a decent sized branch that seems dry enough to serve as a torch and he figures out a way to wrap a bunch of large, dry plant fronds around the branch and tie them in place with some bits of vine to serve as flammable material while Jean-Claude and Murdoch study the map and pretty quickly determine that yes, they are indeed in the right place.

Oulette produces a cigarette lighter and in a moment Klokov has a lit torch, giving off a strange, not-entirely pleasant smell, but serving as a light source as the trio enter the Temple/Tomb. They find themselves in a cob-web infested, dark hallway that seems to be covered in pictographs and wall carvings that seem to tell the tale of a warrior's rise to King's status. The hallway eventually opens into a large, circular room with a vaulted ceiling easily 30 feet high with even more wall carvings, cobwebs and a few statues of Polynesian warriors in fierce poses wielding spears and spiked clubs.

The room also has a large, 5 food round, low structure that would seem to be a well until one looks down. Perhaps 15 feet down with several dusty stone-steps jutting out leading to it; there is a carved hallway that leads into the darkness, out of sight....

[kipper]

"Well, it looks like that's the way!", Murdoch's loud exclamation echoes around the vaulted room and breaks the oppressive silence. He heads over the lip of the well.

[Monsieur Rose]

Nikolai turns to Jean-Claude: "How does he plan to get up? Wait. He is pilot, da? He will fly up!" Nikolai chuckles to himself, while looking for something to help the descent.

[Urson]

Jean-Claude chuckles. As impetuous as our friend is, I wonder if we should make him a harness, so that he is less likely to get away.

[max_vale]

Late afternoon; October 3rd, 1937; the island of Sipora, Sumatra


Murdoch nimbly figures out how to use the 'built in' stepping stones to descend to the next level down and an amused Jean-Claude and Nikolai follow a bit more carefully....

The three pilots find themselves in a dusty, circular room on a stone circle section of the floor that lies in the center of the larger circle. A ten foot wide and about that tall corridor runs further into the side of the mountain and into darkness out of the makeshift torch's light to their slight right. The smaller circle they are standing on is maybe 15 feet wide and a distance of twice that lies between the smaller 'inner circle' and the tunnel. A diamond-pattern can be seen on the floor and all along the walls are various carved images of spear-wielding warriors in the South Seas style with mouths opened wide in a roar...

[kipper]

((OOC: I'm having a bit of trouble imagining the layout of this area. I understand that we're in the centre of a circular room. The area we're standing in is smooth stone with a 15' diameter, surrounded by a diamond-pattern circle of an additional 30' radius. (So total diameter of the room is roughly 75'). There is one tunnel exit (roughly 10' x 10'). My question is: How did we get into the centre of this circle? Are there steps here in the centre of the circle heading upwards? Is there another tunnel entrance we came out of? Did we already cross the diamond-hashed area once to get here?))

[max_vale]

OOC: Sorry for not being more clear; the steps are more like built-in hand-holds and foot-rests and there is a 10 foot drop from the bottom of the shaft to the ground; which is in the center of the chamber; on the circular stone that does NOT have the diamond pattern. The tunnel entrance is across the diamond pattern, at the edge of the torchlight.

Does that help?

[kipper]

((OOC: Got it now, thanks!))

Murdoch walks up to the edge of the diamond-pattered area, and studies it for a moment. Do any of the diamonds have a different appearance to the others, or is it all uniform?

[Urson]

Jean-Claude

The Frenchman stays close to Murdoch. With his habit of rampaging forward, Jean-Claude wants to be able to grab him and drag him back.

[Monsieur Rose]

"Trap? I smell the trap. Anyone else smell that?"

"What does your map speak of this?"

[max_vale]

Late afternoon; October 3rd, 1937; the island of Sipora, Sumatra


Wary of a trap but seeing no signs of such on the map; Jean-Claude holds Murdoch back as Nikolai uses the makeshift torch to test the diamond pattern on the floor. Sure enough, as he sets it firmly on the ground and uses a bit of force; the floor sinks in a bit and a dart zips out of one of the open-mouth holes of the warrior carvings and a dusty dark quivers as it impacts and embeds itself in the wood of the torch....

Now, the mystery is how to get to the tunnel across the way without being hit by the darts as the diamond pattern pretty much covers the floor and the outlines that form the diamond are much too narrow to attempt to balance on. Perhaps if they move very quickly, they won't get hit?....

[kipper]

Murdoch looks at the mouth-holes of the carvings... if they are all high up:

"Get down!" Murdoch commands as he attempts to evade Jean-Claude's grip and test his theory by crawling across the diamond pattern towards the exit...

[max_vale]

Late afternoon; October 3rd, 1937; the island of Sipora, Sumatra


Murdoch notices that the holes in the wall seem to be fairly evenly spaced from about 2 feet off the ground to about 6 feet or so in height. Shrugging, the pilot with questionable sanity decides to race for the tunnel and does so after squirming out of Jean-Claude's grip....

As he races across the diamond patterned floor, he can feel several of the section 'give' and descend under his feet and the sounds of long-pent up air echo throughout the chamber as several darts zip out of the holes in the wall. Several sounds of twine snapping are heard as well as much of the ancient trap hasn't held up to the elements. Still; enough of the darts remain to zip in front, behind and INTO Murdoch to make the trap still a dangerous one...

Murdoch staggers into the tunnel at the edge of the light and notices no more darts flying his way. Several small darts are stuck in his flight jacket and pants a a pair managed to penetrate his clothes and give him some painful, slightly bleeding wounds*. The pilot plucks them all out and mops at the wounds with a shirt-sleeve as he impatiently waits for his comrades. Heaving a sigh and muttering some curse words in French; Jean-Claude runs the gauntlet next....

Far fewer darts lance out this time and other than a few minor scratches; the Canadian pilot joins Murdoch with no serious injuries to speak of**. His co-pilot looks a little pale due to loss of blood; but seems to be mostly okay....or as okay as he ever is. Nikolai Klokov goes last and the big burly Russian bounds across the floor, only drawing a very few remaining, functional darts from the trap; of which only one manages to hit his shoulder, where it drops from the bear-like man's round shoulder while leaving nothing more than a pin-prick***.

The trio of pilots, with Nikolai's torch providing the light, move on down the tunnel, carefully peering this way and that for any more traps. They find themselves in a 10 or so foot wide and about the same tall passageway that is gradually sloping down and moving straight into the hill. After about 50 or 60 feet, they see a beam of sunlight cutting across the hallway at a 45 degree angle; revealing the side wall and about half of the floor of a 10 foot section of the passageway. Looking up; they can see where the hole in the wall was made; with the distinctive stains revealing where rain water and other natural forces have made thier presence felt in this tomb over the centuries....

*Murdoch is wounded; i.e. he is at -1D for all actions until healed.....which requries some supplies you guys don't have right now and/or lots of resting time
**/***Jean-Claude and Nikolai were only grazed; they're fine

[kipper]

Murdoch ducks to the side, crossing where he won't block any of the sunlight.

[Monsieur Rose]

"More traps you are thinking? In books, these tombs have many of the traps."

Nikolai will follow Murdoch's lead, while examining the area lit by sunlight.

[Urson]

Oui, I would say so. The ancient peoples were surprisingly unwilling to share their treasures with grave robbers.