Play@YSDC

OOC: yes you can



Even marred by the occasional root, vine, or smudge of dirt, the first mosaic panel depicts a mounted, armored man receiving a glowing circle. The next displays a majestic ship on the water, with the same glowing circle inside its hull. The ship is then moored offshore, with the mounted, armored man, his glowing circle, and a small number of followers all on a smaller boat sailing down a patterned, winding river.
The final mosaic shows the armored man reclined in a dark, square building with yellow and white light beaming down on him. Above all this hangs a circular mosaic depicting two armored men on horseback who are surrounded with lettering and superimposed on a stylized cross.

There is a corridor at the end of this room.

"What do you historians make of this?" Butch says. "I certainly don't remember anything like this from my studies of European discovery of south america."

"I don't know anything about this place in particular besides what I can see on these mosaics," says Harry. "These soldiers were most likely conquistadors."

OOC,I'll spend the 8 Luck to get a hard success.

OOC:   Can Crowley make a further History roll to know anything more about these armoured soldiers? Are there any sigils or pendants or the like suggesting they might be one of the orders of knighthood such as the Templars?

Crowley pulls a magnifying glass out and inspects the mosaics closely.

The armored man is a knight, and these mosaics tell his story. Evidently, he was charged with some kind of important treasure, which he took with him on an ocean voyage and up a long river. Finally, the knight is shown in his crypt with the light of God blessing him. The circle is the “Seal of the Soldiers of Christ,” also widely regarded as the Seal of the Knights Templar. So this are not conquistadors, but something earlier (XIII, XIV century?). There is also another information: in the crypt there is a map of the treasure.

"No, they're not conquistadors after all," says Harry, his voice full of excitement. "They're Knights Templar! Do you realize what this means? This proves they were in the Americas almost two hundred years before Columbus reportedly discovered land in the Western Hemisphere! This is the find of the century! The Knights Templar were officially dissolved in 1307 by King Philip IV, and their leader Jacques de Molay was burned at the stake. Some Templars managed to escape and survive. They participated in the Battle of Bannockburn in Scotland in 1314, but after that they disappeared. Maybe this is where they went! Or maybe they found this place even earlier than that. They must have taken their treasure up the Amazon. According to this, there's a map to the treasure in the crypt. It's a good thing we stopped here. The Nazis don't know exactly where to find the treasure, but we will once we find that map."

"Splendid!" Butch exclaims as he pores over the mosaics. "So the crypt lines up with the map we made based on the journal?

Alex raises an eyebrow, 'the Knights Templar you say? Always a popular subject with those of an esoteric bent.' he says sceptically. 'I expect that will be the Holy Grail they're carrying' he adds with a wry laugh.

Crowley looks impressed, pausing to light up his pipe. "The Templars undoubtedly had an influence on European history, at least until they were disbanded and destroyed. Gentlemen, this could be an astonishing find. Is it possible the Templars could have financed an expedition across the Atlantic?"

"So where is the crypt this map is in?"

OOC:   No more History etc rolls to be made based on this seal's name or anything?

OOC: No, no more rolls are needed. You have only to enter to the crypt now.

"There's only one way it could be, and that's down the tunnel leading further in," says Harry. "We'll need to be wary of traps. I doubt the Templars left their treasure map unprotected."

OOC:   If the team don't have electric flashlights, Crowley ducks back to the boat to grab a couple.

Crowley pauses to relight his pipe then shines a flashlight down the tunnel. "One hopes most traps wouldn't survive 600 years in the Amazonian jungle. Filthy climate." Somewhat warily, he takes a few steps further down.

Fr Malone lights a cigarillo and starts coughing violently. He wipes his mouth and takes a nip of whiskey, 'purely medicinal'. He takes out a flashlight and follows Crowley in.

Moving through the only opening, you press deeper into the subterranean crypt. The next room, the burial chamber, is larger, but only by a few feet. The ceiling is still low and roots protrude here and there, which have caused earthen rents in the walls and crashed several slate tiles to the floor. The center of the room is dominated by a large, slate sarcophagus with its lid slid off to one side.

OOC: Everyone can make a archaeology roll or a latin roll. For each 10 minutes you spend, you can make a new roll. Tell me if you had a regular or hard success.

Fr Malone shines the torch beam along the sarcophagus to try and make out if it has any markings.

Father Malone Latin: 40%,[dice]0[/dice] plus bonus die for Linguist talent [dice]1[/dice]

Crowley:

Latin 31%,[dice]0[/dice]

OOC:   Crowley spends 2 Luck pts to make that a Hard Success.

OOC,Archeology 1 [dice]0[/dice]

Butch follows the others into the next room. Peering around, he looks for traps. He knows he's not going to be much help at deciphering the hieroglyphics or other writings on the walls.

Harry isn't sure what to make of the place.

OOC,Archaeology roll (66% skill) about the crypt: [dice]0[/dice] I think I'll try again after ten minutes have passed.

OOC: Crowley had a hard success, so nobody else need to make any roll.

The sarcophagus is eerily empty. The interior is covered in thick dust and cobwebs and the lid has been pushed off and tumbled to the side. It is dust covered but unbroken. The topside of the lid has bee etched in Latin and translates: Sir Jeremiah Brock, c. 1311
The underside of the lid is crudely etched by what may have been a simple knife.
The thin lines compose a map that represents the nearest section of the river as a large snake with a head that spits venom like a waterfall. A dotted line indicates that the path leads around the snake’s head, past the base of a sheer plateau, and to a walled, castle-like city. With the information of the map, you can actually get much faster to the city.