Rediscovery EP: The Feathered Headdress of Powhatan

[The Ancient Warrior]

Author's Note: This is one of the episodes of my independent project, Legends: The Rediscovery.  More information on the project can be found by following this link.

Episode 10: The Feathered Headdress of Powhatan

The camera pans through a thick jungle to stop in front of an ancient temple. The giant stone head at the base of the temple breaks the silence:
"LEGENDS OF THE HIDDEN TEMPLE! With your guide, Kirk Fogg!"

Kirk comes down swinging on a rope. "Thank you, Olmec! Welcome to Legends of the Hidden Temple. The rooms are filled with lost treasures that are protected by mysterious Mayan Temple Guards. Only Olmec knows the legend behind each of the treasures in his temple. Olmec, which legend are we going to hear about today?"

Olmec replies:
"The legend of the Feathered Headdress of Powhatan."

"Ooh, the Feather Headdress of Powhatan!" Kirk says in response. "Well the legend is set, and one of these six teams will have the chance to retrieve the Feather Headdress. Will it be:
"Chris and Caitlin of the Red Jaguars—" the camera pans to each team in order—
"Adam and Theresa of the Blue Barracudas,
"Jeremy and Theresa of the Green Monkeys,
"Josh and Carly of the Orange Iguanas,
"Richie and Laura of the Purple Parrots,
"Or Tico and Samara of the Silver Snakes?"

"They'll have to pass some tough physical and mental tests," Kirk says, "but in the end, only one team will earn the right to enter Olmec's Temple. First, they must cross the moat, and here's how they'll have to do it today:
"In front of each team a giant web has fallen above the Moat. One player from each team is already holding onto a long vine, and when I say 'go,' they'll swing out to the web and climb over it, then swim the rest of the Moat. Then their partner will go out to grab the vine, then go across the same way, but be careful— if your knees touch the water before you climb over the web, you'll have to go back and start over.
"When both players are across, run over and hit your team's gong." He slams down on the Red Jaguars' gong to demonstrate. "The first four teams to hit their gongs will go on to the next round, so teams— are you ready?"
The players all cheer and shout in response.
"Olmec, are you ready?" asks Kirk.
"You know it," Olmec replies.
"Okay then," Kirk replies. "On your mark, get set, GO!"

The teams take off at a regular pace, but soon the boy on the Blue Barracudas misses the swing onto the net and falls into the drink. The other teams progress fairly quickly, but then the girl on the Purple Parrots slips off the net and into the Moat. The girls on the Orange Iguanas and Silver Snakes teams get across first, and their partners dive into the Moat to grab their respective vines. The Red Jaguars and Green Monkeys get their first players across just as the girl on the Purple Parrots team slips off the rope again.
The Blue Barracudas get their first player across just as the girl on the Purple Parrots finally scales the net without slipping and gets to the safe section of the Moat. She scrambles out of the Moat just as the Green Monkeys ring their gong. The boy from the Silver Snakes gongs in next, and shakes the water out of his dreadlocks as the boys from the remaining teams jump onto their webs. The Orange Iguanas make it across third, and just as the boy from the Purple Parrots loses his grip on the web the Red Jaguars hit their gong.
"That's it!" Kirk announces. "We've got our four teams right here! They are: the Red Jaguars—" the camera pans to each team in sequence— "and the Green Monkeys— and the Orange Iguanas— and the Silver Snakes! Blue Barracudas and Purple Parrots gave it a great effort too. We've got a nice gift for them for playing and here's what it is." Adam, Richie, Theresa and Laura will each be receiving a prize package provided by British Knights.

[The Ancient Warrior]

The four teams are now at the top of the Steps of Knowledge accompanied by Kirk. "As the quest continues, it's now time for Olmec to tell us about the Feather Headdress of Powhatan.  Pay attention teams, because your knowledge of the legend can bring you one step closer to Olmec's Temple."

Olmec begins to tell the story:
"One of the most famous Native Americans from the 1600s was Pocahontas, daughter of the Algonquin werowance Powhatan.  In 1607, a number of Englishmen led by Captain John Smith landed in Powhatan's territory in eastern Virginia, but Smith was captured and brought to the werowance.
" 'This man thinks he can steal your land from you!' said one of the Algonquin soldiers. 'What should we do with him?'
" 'We can't let him live to lead a takeover,' replied Powhatan. 'Crush him any way you can think of!'
"And so, the soldiers lay Smith across a stone and prepared to slice him, but at the last second Pocahontas stepped in and threw herself over Smith to protect him.
" 'No, daddy, wait!' shouted Pocahontas. 'If you wanna kill him, you're gonna have to go through me!'
"In 1609, Smith returned to England, and Pocahontas never saw him again.  She changed her name to Rebecca, married Englishman John Rolfe, and in 1616, the couple left for England.  Pocahontas learned the good manners of the English— but she would not need to know them for long, as she passed on somewhat mysteriously in 1617.
" 'And now that my dear daughter is gone,' said Powhatan, 'I have no more reason to live.'
"And he did indeed pass away not too much later, making his brother the next werowance of the tribe.  As for Powhatan's Indian headdress, it disappeared for centuries until it resurfaced in the Temple.  Your quest it to retrieve the Feathered Headdress of Powhatan and bring it back here."

"Thanks Olmec," Kirk says after Olmec finishes telling the story. "So tell us, where is the Headdress?"
Olmec replies:
"The Feathered Headdress of Powhatan can be found in the Shrine of the Silver Monkey."

"Teams," Kirk begins, walking down the steps, "you are now standing on the Steps of Knowledge, and in a minute, Olmec will ask you a question about the legend.  If you think you know the answer, stomp down on the ancient marking in front of you.  If you're first, your step will light up, and you'll have three seconds to answer.  If you're right, you can move down to the next level, but if you're wrong or run out of time, I'll give the other teams a chance to answer.  The first two teams to make it to the bottom level will be one step closer to Olmec's Temple.  Olmec, we're now ready for your first question."

Olmec begins:
"What Indian tribe was Powhatan the leader of: the Eskimo, the Algonquin, or the Wampanoag?"
Chris rings in: "Algonquin."
"Correct," replies Olmec, and the Red Jaguars get to move down one level.
"Next question, Olmec," Kirk says.

Olmec asks:
"Powhatan ruled an area that is now the eastern part of what state: Massachusetts, Virginia, or—?"
Josh rings in: "Massachusetts…?"
"Incorrect," replies Olmec. "The other two choices are: Vir—"
Caitlin rings in: "Virginia."
"That is correct," Olmec replies, and so the Red Jaguars step down again.
"One more correct response, Red Jaguars, and you'll be going to the Temple Games," explains Kirk. "Next question, Mr. Olmec."

Olmec now asks:
"Powhatan was the father of what famous India—?"
Josh stomps down quickly: "Pocahontas."
"Correct," replies Olmec, and the Orange Iguanas get to move down one step.

He now asks:
"Pocahontas saved the life of what explorer: Sir Walter Raleigh—?"
After missing the marking a couple times, Chris buzzes in.  He then stomps down one more time out of frustration, then yells out: "John Smith!"
"That is correct!" shouts Olmec, and the Red Jaguars go down to the final step.
"Red Jaguars are going through to the next round, but we're still looking for one more team," Kirk narrates. "But who's it gonna be: the Green Monkeys, the Silver Snakes, or the Orange Iguanas? Next question, Olmec."

Olmec asks:
"John Smith sailed to the New World for what country: France—?"
Jaclyn buzzes in early: "England…?"
"Correct," replies Olmec, and the Green Monkeys get to move down one step.

Olmec continues:
"What town did Captain John Smith and his crew found in the New World: Salem, Jamestown, or—?"
Jeremy rings in: "Salem."
"That is incorrect," replies Olmec, and then Samara rings in before Olmec can repeat the choices.
"Jamestown…?" she guesses.
"Correct," answers Olmec, and so the Silver Snakes move down one level.
"All tied up on the second step," Kirk narrates. "Olmec, continue."

Olmec asks:
"What did Pocahontas change her name to: Rebecca, Ruth, or Rachel?"
Tico stomps down just as Olmec says the last choice. "Rebecca."
"That is correct," replies Olmec, and the Silver Snakes move down again.
"One more right answer, Silver Snakes, and you're going to the Temple Games," Kirk explains. "But the other teams can still catch up.  Next question."

Olmec now asks:
"What is the term for the chief of an Indian tribe: Wampum, Werowance, or Wigwam?"
No one stomps down for a second, then Carly stomps down: "Wampum…?"
"Incorrect," Olmec replies.  No one else buzzes in and after a few seconds a bell sounds.  "Time's up.  The answer was: Werowance."
"All right," says Kirk. "Next question, Olmec."

Olmec continues:
"Pocahontas was married to what colonist: John Rolfe, Roger Williams, or William Bradford?"
Josh stomps down: "John Rolfe."
"That is correct," answers Olmec, and so the Orange Iguanas meet up with the Silver Snakes on the second-to-last step.

Olmec now asks:
"In what year did Captain John Smith and the other colonists land in the New World: 1603, 1607, or 1620?"
Samara rings in and confidently shouts: "1607!"
"That is correct!" Olmec yells in response, and the Silver Snakes join the Red Jaguars on the bottom level.
"That's it! We've got our two teams right here, and they are: the Silver Snakes, and the Red Jaguars! Too bad for the Green Monkeys and the Orange Iguanas.  They won't be going away empty-handed, we've got a nice gift for you." Jeremy, Jaclyn, Carly and Josh will each be receiving a copy of King Kong on DVD.

[The Ancient Warrior]

"Now," says Kirk, "the glory goes to the fastest and the strongest, but before we keep going, let's get to know our team players. On the Red Jaguars, we have Chris. How old are you?"
"Twelve," Chris replies.
"It says here you're a manga fanatic," Kirk reads. "Whatever that means…."
"It's Japanese comic art," Chris explains. "I'm learning to draw it, I collect stories like Yu-Gi-Oh GX and Naruto." Kirk stares blankly as the audience applauds, then goes on to interview Chris's partner.
"And your partner-in-crime here is Caitlin," Kirk says. "And you guys actually know each other, right?"
"Yeah, we're neighbors and go to the same school in Miami," explains Caitlin. "In fact, we're even in the same class."
"And you love horses, I hear," reads Kirk. "Tell me about that."
"I've always wanted to buy a big ranch out in Texas and raise a whole herd of horses," replies Caitlin. "When I think of horses, I think of free-spirited."
"Let's hear it for the Red Jaguars!" shouts Kirk, waiting for the audience to stop applauding before going to interview the other team.
"If they want to get to Olmec's Temple, though," continues Kirk, "they'll have to beat the Silver Snakes, Tico and Samara. So, how old are you, Tico?"
"Fourteen," Tico replies.
"It says here you're into anything having to do with the ocean," reads Kirk.
"Yeah," says Tico, sweeping his dreadlocks away from his eyes. "I'm the star of my swim team in Tampa, I got about 20 fish and a sea star for pets, and my parents bought an aquarium when we moved here from Haiti."
"And how old are you, Samara?"
"Twelve," replies Samara.
"And you're really into ice skating," reads Kirk. "Tell me about that."
"Well, I'm from Chicago, and we get a lot of cold weather, so…" Samara giggles. "I skate at the rink every winter, and I also follow a bunch of the pro figure skaters."
"Really? Who's your favorite?" asks Kirk.
"Michelle Kwan, she's really awesome," replies Samara.
"Can the Silver Snakes win the gold here? We're about to find out. Let's hear it for the Silver Snakes!" The audience applauds again.

"Now, why don't you go get ready for the Temple Games," Kirk says, "while I tell you guys at home what's gonna happen here. Now, in the Temple Games, these teams are competing to win Pendants of Life." He takes a full Pendant out of his pocket and holds it up for all to see. "The winning team will need the Pendants to protect themselves from the dreaded Temple Guards when they go to Olmec's Temple. There are three Temple Games… and Olmec, tell us about Game #1."

Olmec begins:
"Captain John Smith had to sail across 3000 miles of water to reach the New World. Fortunately for you, your voyage will be much shorter. When Kirk gives the signal, row from the dock to the island, then get out to mount your flag. Then, turn the boat around and pull yourself back to the dock. If at any point you touch the floor, you must begin that leg of the trip again.
"The first player to mount the flag and return to the dock wins."
The camera fades to Kirk. "Time to set sail!" He shouts. "There's no time limit, so let's just get going. On your mark, get set, GO!"
Chris and Samara head out from the dock and go right out to the island at the same pace. They mount the flag at almost the same time, then head right back to the dock. The game is very close, but Samara gets back to Kirk only a second before Chris.
"That's it!" Kirk shouts. "It was close, but Samara got back on the dock first. Silver Snakes win a half Pendant of Life!" The audience applauds for a moment. "Red Jaguars can catch up in the next game, it's also worth a half Pendant. Olmec, tell us about it."

Olmec continues:
"An Indian headdress is made from several feathers. Here, however, you will only need to retrieve four. When Kirk gives the signal, run out to grab the first feather and return without being hit by the swinging obstacles. Then go back to retrieve the next.
"The first player to retrieve all four feathers— or the one that's furthest along in 60 seconds— wins."
The camera fades to Kirk. "Let's put 60 seconds on the clock and start the obstacles," he says. The spotters begin to push the sandbags hanging from the ceiling. "Ready, set, GO!"
Caitlin and Tico crawl out from one cube to the next to grab their first feathers, then return and place them in their bins at almost exactly the same time. They go back to get their second ones, carefully avoiding the obstacles. However, Caitlin is hit and has to restart, allowing Tico to grab his second feather and come back with it.
Caitlin almost gets to her second feather as Tico goes for his third. However, Tico is hit by an obstacle right away and has to begin again just as Caitlin comes back with her second feather. Both then go for their third. Tico grabs his third feather first, but is hit on the return trip. Lights flash from above to signal that time is up before Caitlin can drop the third feather in her bin.
"Okay, let's see how they did!" shouts Kirk. "Red Jaguars got one, two feathers, and the Silver Snakes got one, two feathers! It's a tie— they each get the half Pendant of Life!" The audience applauds. "So it's Red Jaguars have a half Pendant, Silver Snakes have one Pendant, and this is the third and final game worth a whole Pendant. Olmec, tell us about Temple Game #3."

Olmec narrates:
"Indian tribes would often wage wars with each other. Here, you must take out 1,000 warriors from the enemy tribe. When Kirk gives the signal, load your slingshot to knock over the target on your pedestal, then your partner will take aim. If the target is knocked down, your team gains 100 points, then the target is set back up again.
"The first team to score 1,000 points— or the team with the highest score after 90 seconds— wins."
"This one is for the Temple!" Kirk says. "Let's put 90 seconds on the clock. Ready, aim, FIRE!"
The girls load their slingshots and fling their cannonballs at the targets, but both miss. Only Tico scores on the second shot. Both score on the third try, but nobody hits the targets on the fourth. Gameplay continues more or less the same way until the ceiling lights flash to indicate that time is up.
"Okay, let's check out the scores!" shouts Kirk. "Red Jaguars got 400 points, but the Silver Snakes got 500 points! The Silver Snakes get the full Pendant, that gives them 2, the Red Jaguars had a half. The Red Jaguars are goin' to the Temple!" The audience applauds. "Red Jaguars gave it a great effort too. They're not going away empty-handed, here's what we've got for them." Chris and Caitlin will each be receiving a $100 U.S. Savings Bond provided by Nike.

[The Ancient Warrior]

"Olmec!" calls Kirk. "Tico and Samara have proven themselves worthy and earned the right to enter your Temple. But before they go, can you give them any hints to help them retrieve the Feather Headdress of Powhatan?"
Olmec begins to give the rundown:
"You could start by running up the stairs to the Vault. Turn the wheel to open a door which may take you into the Great Chasm. Here you could choose to swing across the gap and climb up into the King's Storeroom. Smash the clay pots to find the key that will lead you into the Chamber of the Sacred Markers. Match the symbols on the right to those on the left and pass into the Room of the Ancient Warriors. Place yourself in the correct armor to open the door to the Shrine of the Silver Monkey, where you can grab the Feathered Headdress. Assemble the statue there and you may be headed toward the Room of the Secret Password. Find the tablet with the correct inscription, and shout it out to open the door to the Pharaoh's Secret Passage.
"Slide down the tunnel to the Quicksand Bog, where you could smash through to the Dungeon of the Lone Column. Reach into the column to find the key, or knock it over and you'll enter the Junction of the Secret Shafts. Race across the room and you'll gain entry to the Tomb of the Headless Kings. Attach the skull on the altar to its proper king to release the doors. Then, pass through the Great Chasm, climb through the Ledges, race down the stairs and back through the Temple Gate. The choices are yours and yours alone." Olmec pauses for a second here. "You won 2 Pendants in the Temple Games. Who's going first?"
"I am," says Tico.
"Very well, Tico," replies Olmec as Kirk hands out the Pendants of Life. "Good luck to both of you."

"All right then," Kirk says, beginning to explain the rules. "When I say 'go,' you'll race through the gates into the Temple and make your way toward Powhatan's Headdress. Be careful though— the Temple contains many locked doors and dead ends. But there are three old shafts somewhere in the Temple. If you can find one and it's open, you can jump in and slide down to the Junction of the Secret Shafts. Also beware, because there are Temple Guards assigned to protect three specific rooms. If you enter one of those rooms, the Temple Guard will jump out and grab you. You can trade your Pendant for an extra life and go on, but if you're caught without a Pendant, you'll be taken out of the Temple— and it'll be Samara's turn to enter and try her luck. If you can reach the Headdress, all the doors of the Temple will instantly unlock, and the Temple Guards will vanish. Return through the gates with the Feather Headdress of Powhatan in three minutes, and you'll both be handsomely rewarded— and here's how!"
• No matter what happens, Tico and Samara are each guaranteed a Bollinger-brand trampoline.
• If they get to the Headdress with time still on the clock, they'll also win $1,000 Toys 'R' Us gift cards.
• If they can bring Powhatan's Headdress out of the Temple before three minutes is up, they'll each win four tickets for a seven-day Caribbean cruise!

"Sounds great, so let's see if they can take it all home!" Kirk says, excited. "By the way, Samara, what's your strategy?"
"Time's something we don't got," explains Samara. "We're gonna try to go through the rooms that take the least time to unlock."
"Well let's see if that works out," Kirk says. "Let's lower the gate, Olmec!"
As the Temple Gate drops, Tico and Samara put in their mouthpieces.
"You've got three minutes to get to the Headdress, so let's set the clock for three minutes. Ready, GO!"

Tico runs up the stairs and enters the Vault. He gives the safe wheel a nice powerful spin, and then the door into the Great Chasm slams open. He runs right into the Great Chasm, grabs the rope to swing across in hopes of going into the Chamber of the Sacred Markers, but he misses the other ledge and tumbles down into the gap. When he recovers, he decides to just go into the Tomb of the Headless Kings from here and stay low. (2:22) He grabs the skull and places it on the stage-right king. No luck, but the other one opens both doors and he goes into the Junction of the Secret Shafts. When he gets to the other side, Tico tries both doors before he can enter the Dungeon of the Lone Column. (1:53) Tico reaches into the column for the key and tries it on all three of the golden doors in the back of the room. Nothing opens up, so now he goes back to kick the pillar down. No dice. Tico looks lost and tries to backtrack into the Junction of the Secret Shafts until Kirk shouts: "Just run right through the wall!" Tico goes back and dives right through the rock wall into the Quicksand Bog, where he finally meets the first TEMPLE GUARD!
Tico has a full Pendant of Life, and he hands it over to keep going. (1:12) He climbs up the ladder to try the direct access door into the Shrine of the Silver Monkey, but it doesn't work. However, he can still run up the Pharaoh's Secret Passage, and he does just that. In the Room of the Secret Password he finds the first tablet very quickly and removes his mouthpiece to shout: "LONG LIVE OLMEC!" Nothing opens, but what if he says: "OPEN SESAME!" It's the right password— so he puts his mouthpiece back in and runs into the Shrine of the Silver Monkey. He takes a second to see the FEATHERED HEADDRESS, but he does grab it with time left on the clock.
32 seconds are left when Tico grabs the Headdress. He then waits a second for all the doors to unlock, then he heads into the Room of the Ancient Warriors and runs up the staircase into the King's Storeroom. (0:17!) He then climbs down the ladder into the Chamber of the Sacred Markers, and crawls through the small door back into the Great Chasm. (0:07!!) He reaches out for the rope, swings back across the gap and makes it to the other side— but we're out of time! Samara didn't even get to go in the Temple, but she still gets a trampoline and a Toys 'R' Us gift card, as does Tico. Join us next time for another great legend of the Hidden Temple!

[The Ancient Warrior]

Episode Summary
Episode 10: The Feathered Headdress of Powhatan

Name of Artifact: The Feathered Headdress of Powhatan
Season: 1
Layout: 2
Result: Failed escape
Team: Silver Snakes
Pendants Won: 2
Location of Artifact: The Shrine of the Silver Monkey



The Silver Snakes seemed to have good karma with this layout— every time they made it to the Temple in Layout II, they managed to at least reach the artifact.  Solo victories by a team that had won two Pendants in the Temple Games are extremely few and far between, but this run was very close to victory.  Tico was a rather slow player, but he made it through six rooms before meeting a Temple Guard in the Quicksand Bog with roughly 1:15 remaining.  This wasn't his original plan, however; he tried swinging across the Great Chasm but couldn't land ON TOP OF the other ledge.  His feet touched the side of it, and then a second later he let go of the rope and fell into the Chasm.

However, the second try was the charm.  Tico did manage to make it back across the Great Chasm with the Headdress, but by then, it was too little too late.  Time ran out a second later.  I could tell Tico was a smart player— except in the Dungeon of the Lone Column, which seemed to confuse almost all of the players that ran through it.  If he had just been a little faster, this would've been a close win.

Trivia and Records:
This is the first solo run in The Rediscovery's history, and one of only two in Season 1.  It remains one of only three solo runs that did not result in a victory— each season had precisely one, including "The Melted Lamp of Paul Revere" in Season 2 and "The Secret Water Scroll of Nefermesi" in Season 3— and the only solo loss achieved by a team other than the Purple Parrots.