Play@YSDC

Quinn, explorer



Quinn makes his way through the tumult of the bazaar. Voices haggle around him, smells of cooking foods mix with human body odor, sunlight darts among overhanging tent flaps. Quinn keeps an eye out for pick pockets as urchins scramble underfoot. The explorer stops by several shops - tools and expeditionary equipment, travel books, maps and cartography, guides and escorts - checking if any may have worked with this Prof. Stillbridge. His travels then bring him to a mechanic and auto rental business that does brisk trade with foreigners. Perhaps Stillbridge used his services? Then onto a bar frequented by his profession, those who take their afternoon siestas through alcohol.

Quinn, explorer
Streets of Merida, Yucatan



Quinn travels through the hot streets of Merida. He checks with all of his usual contacts and comes up with nothing about Stillbridge. Though he is asked many times if he is starting a expedition. Many want work.

Anna and Mitch
Merida

After writing a short telegram and sending it to both Prof. Johnson's Brown University and Prof. Ackland of Boston University. She leaves the Hotel that they are staying at as a return address. Then they travel down to busy La Dalator street. There the see several bookshops that specialize in archaeologic subjects. After several hours of searching the come to the shop belonging to a pump german named Detrick Messer.

"Donald Stillbridge. Oh yes I have heard of him. He working in the Yucatan about 20 years ago. Vait a minute. I think I has something written by him." Detrick rummages through a stack of periodicals. He pulls out a Archaeological Journal from 1885. There is a article about the contemporary Mayan people in it. "Do you vish to buy it?" the portly German says.

David and Percy
Merida

David and Percy arrive at the Library of Archaeology in Merida. It is quite extensive and John soon finds what he is looking for.

Donald Stillbridge studied at the University of Chicago. His passion was Mesoamerican culture particularly the Mayan. He was known as a renegade who derided intellectuals and went out on his own to see first hand what the Mayan people were about. While his methods were criticized at the time, his results rarely where. Though controversial, information Stillbridge made public about many heretofore unexplored sites turned out, often many years later, to be generally accurate. There is no mention of Stillbridge in any publications for almost 20 years.



Donald Stillbridge, 1887

"It seems there's no trace of Stillbridge since the turn of the century," says David. "That likely means he has passed on. A shame, really. I'd have loved to meet the fellow. We could have exchanged theories! Our best bet would be talk to the people who knew him, such as in Mani."

"Oh, yes please," Herr Messer. "We are interested in Mr. Stillbridge, his work among the people of Yucatan and his archaeological discoveries about the Maya. Do you know of anyone who knew him or could be of help to us?" She smiles charmingly at the portly German, and loops her arm through his. "Perhaps Mr. Cooper would take our photograph--we're on an expedition y'know!"

"But we could still ask here if anyone knew him maybe? We don't have much to loose".- says Percy not very convinced.

"It's certainly worth a try," says David. "There's a good chance he used this library when he was here. We can see if there's anyone old enough to have been here back then that remembers him."

Percy takes a look to see if there is someone old in the staff, before making questions

Tabs wrote:

"Oh, yes please," Herr Messer. "We are interested in Mr. Stillbridge, his work among the people of Yucatan and his archaeological discoveries about the Maya. Do you know of anyone who knew him or could be of help to us?" She smiles charmingly at the portly German, and loops her arm through his. "Perhaps Mr. Cooper would take our photograph--we're on an expedition y'know!"

"Let me zee." The man says as he rubs his chin. "I never met the man and the only things I know about him are from those publications. I might know a couple of gentlemen who might know about Stillbridge. There is......" The German gives you a list of men to question. You spend the rest of the day searching out these men but in questioning them you do not get any new information.

David and Percy inquire about Stillbridge with some of the older staff at the library. Only one remembers the man and only slightly. He says that he met Stillbridge over 20 years ago when he was doing research at the library. He doesn't remember what research that he was doing.

Anna returns to the Restarante Colonial, orders a large coffee and whatever cake they sell, and finds a table. Before her is the periodical Archaeological Journal from 1885, which has an article on the Maya by Stillbridge, but apart from this find, she's had a fruitless day.

OOC:   The Ruins of Xaminik is a cenote surrounded by mounds? and Muna, the last entry in Stillbridge's journal, is situated far from Xaminik? (Muna is south of Merida, Xamink is north-East.)

Quinn, explorer, after a fruitless afternoon, returns to the Restaurante Colonial to await the others. He sees Anna reading an old magazine.

"Any luck? What are you reading?" he asks.

"Let's go back to rejoin the others and fill them in on what we've learned," David suggests to Percy.

Anna slides the Archaeological Journal across to Quinn while taking a bite of cake. A little self-consciously she dabs at the butter cream at the corner of her mouth. "Would you like something to drink?" she asks, "And your day, anything interesting?"

Quinn, explorer



Quinn rises and takes off his hat as Anna joins him. He pages through the 1885 Archeological Journal.

"I spent the afternoon rambling about talking with contacts but turned up nothing. Yes, I think I will have a drink."

Looking at the article about Stillbridge's Mayan expedition, the explorer comments: "Well if the good professor was active back in 1885, he's either dead or a doddering old man today."

Percy resigns himself.
"Well, I suppose there probably didn't keep any record of what books he used to read. Let's go then."

"You been in the Yucatan long, Mr. V--, may I call you Quinn?" asks Anna, when he speaks of contacts.

"My guess is that Stillbridge left this earth a long time ago."

Keeper / Grognardsw/ ooc,Is there a "handout" of the Archaeological Journal?