Rediscovery EP: The Jeweled Calix of Nebuchadnezzar

[The Ancient Warrior]

Author's Note: This is one of the episodes in my independent project.  If you have any complaints, first thing to do is to go see the episode directory here:
Legends: The Rediscovery

Episode 83px]

The camera maneuvers through a thick rainforest to stop in front of an ancient temple.  A giant stone head next to the gate of the temple begins to speak:
"LEGENDS OF THE HIDDEN TEMPLE! With your guide, Kirk Fogg! And here he is NOW!"

On this final word, Kirk appears from behind the Temple Guard door in the Dungeon and runs straight out into the foreground of the stage to greet the crowd. "Thank you! Thank you very much! Nice to see you! Nice to see 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.  Which legend are we gonna hear about today?"

Olmec replies:
"The Jeweled Calix of Nebuchadnezzar."

"Oh, the Jeweled Calix of Nebba-nezzar!" Kirk says in response. "Well, it's the Tournament of Champions, and one of these four returning teams will have a chance to retrieve the Treasure Chest, so let's get to know them.  On the Red Jaguars?"

The camera cuts to a bust shot of the Red Jaguars? an average-sized Asian boy with short hair and a slightly shorter girl with long, straight blond hair and hazel eyes? atop the Steps of Knowledge, then segues to a short video montage of various shots through the episode the two players were from, while the theme music plays and the players talk over it.
?My name?s Kenneth Campbell, and I?m thirteen years old,? says the boy; the clip played is of him crossing the Moat by scrambling across floating blocks of ice.  As the clip is played, his full name appears in a red version of the credits font at the bottom of the screen.
?I?m Kristen Thomas, and I?m twelve,? says the girl, stepping onto the Moat and running over to hit her team?s gong as her name appears at the bottom of the screen.
?Our episode was ?The Blue Royal Gown of Catherine of Braganza,? ? Kenneth explains, slowing down a tad to say the episode title as the artifact is revealed in the Abandoned Cave.
?I?m a swimmer and I like to sing,? Kristen says over a clip of her crawling out to grab crowns while dodging the swinging sandbags in her individual Temple Game. ?I used to run track for a little while.?
?I used to swim too, but I like to bike ride and paint,? Kenneth answers over a shot of him paddling a boat off the dock and across the arena floor in his individual Temple Game.
?We were first in everything,? Kristen explains while a clip plays of the Red Jaguars exiting the human maze in the third Temple Game before the Purple Parrots.
?Yeah,? Kenneth agrees during a clip of the Temple Run starting, with him running up into the Room of Temple Gongs and immediately meeting the first guard; the clip segues to him meeting the second Temple Guard in the Crystal Cave with 1:49 remaining. ?We were first across the Moat, down the Steps and we won the Temple Games??
?With two Pendants, that?s the most you can get,? Kristen says as the clip played is of her handing over her Pendant to the last Temple Guard in the Switch Inferno with 1:05 left, then segues to her grabbing the Blue Royal Gown with fifty seconds to go. ?We won and I?m glad we got to come back.  That?s awesome.? The camera switches to Kristen making it out of the Temple with the Blue Royal Gown with five seconds on the clock, and after a little bit of the post-run celebration, the camera segues back from the montage to the bust shot of the Red Jaguars at the top of the Steps.
?All right, let?s hear it for the Red Jaguars!? Kirk shouts, and the audience briefly cheers and applauds for Kenneth and Kristen. ?And now the Green Monkeys??

The montage for the Green Monkeys? a white boy with brown hair, freckles and hazel eyes and a black girl with straightened hair in a ponytail? uses the rule-explanation score as background music.
?I?m Mathew Castleberry, and I?m thirteen years old,? the boy says; the clip shown is of him crawling out of a tunnel of suspended inner tubes which serves as a bridge across the Moat; while the clip plays, his name appears at the bottom of the screen in a teal version of the credits font.
?Tamika Taylor, and I?m fourteen,? says the girl; her name appears onscreen as she emerges from the tunnel of inner tubes and runs over to light up the team gong.
?The episode we were in was ?The Torch of Fujiwara? no Nobuyori,? ? Mathew explains as the Torch is revealed to be in the Switch Inferno.
?I?m a music lover,? Tamika explains, shown answering the last question needed to get to the bottom of the Steps of Knowledge. ?I got a lot of CDs from my older sisters and I dance ballet.?
?I?m a coin collector,? Mathew says during a clip of him making his way through the bamboo forest in his individual Temple Game, ?but I?m on my school?s swim team.?
?We did pretty good,? comments Tamika as a clip plays of her jumping up and attaching flame symbols to the ceiling in her individual Temple Game.
?Well, it was kinda close,? Mathew admits during the team Temple Game, which involves Tamika shooting a ball which he has to catch and stick on each target. ?We were first up until the games, and we only won because the other team couldn?t aim.? He laughs.
?We made it though,? Tamika reminds during a clip of her running up into the Temple and immediately hitting the first Temple Guard in the Room of Temple Gongs. ?But I didn?t last that long,? she laughs as the clip segues to the second Temple Guard taking her out of the Laser Light Room with 2:30 remaining.
?I was kinda worried I was gonna be caught,? Mathew says as the clip played is him grabbing the Torch with 51 seconds on the clock. ?But we made it out.  I think we would?ve won if I went first, I think we made a good team.? The clip segues to Mathew running down the stairs and through the Temple Gate with the Torch with ten seconds to go.  The camera then fades back to the present, changing from the middle of the post-Temple Run celebration to the bust shot of the Green Monkeys.
?Let?s hear it for the Green Monkeys!? shouts Kirk, and the audience cheers momentarily for Mathew and Tamika. ?And now for the Orange Iguanas??

The Orange Iguanas are made up of a blue-eyed boy with short brown bangs crafted into triangular spikes, and a slightly-overweight blue-eyed girl with wavy dirty-blond hair.  Again the main theme of the show is used for background music in the Orange Iguanas? montage.
?I?m Amber Paxton, and I?m twelve years old,? the girl says over a clip of her crossing the Moat on the vine bridge; her full name appears onscreen in a orange version of the credits font as she gets to the other side and runs over to bang her team?s gong.
?I?m Danny Flynn, and I?m thirteen,? says the boy; his name appears onscreen as he answers the last question needed for the team to reach the bottom of the Steps of Knowledge.
?The episode was ?Henry the Navigator?s Missing Maps,? ? Amber explains as a reveal of the artifact in the Room of the Secret Password is made.
?I used to run track, and now I?m really big on basketball,? Danny says as a clip plays of him sailing out from the dock to the island in his individual Temple Game.
?I read a lot,? Amber says over a clip of her trying to dodge the swinging sandbags in her solo Temple Game, ?but I really wanna be a singer.  I?ve started learning guitar, too.?
?We almost lost to the Purple Parrots,? Danny comments over a clip of the players trading objects in their team Temple Game, ?but we were a good team together.?
?But we made it through and we won,? Amber reminds over a shot of her running into the Temple first, which segues to her meeting her first? and only? Temple Guard in the Switch Inferno with 1:43 left.
?Yeah, but I didn?t even get to go in,? laughs Danny as Amber grabs the Missing Maps with 1:09 on the clock; the clip switches to Amber making it out of the Temple with 21 seconds remaining. ?I?m going first this time, okay?? After a few seconds of the team celebrating with Kirk, the camera segues back to the Orange Iguanas on the top of the Steps of Knowledge.
?All right! Let?s hear it for the Orange Iguanas!? Kirk shouts, and the audience cheers for Amber and Danny, who clap along with them. ?And now let?s get to know the Silver Snakes??

The Silver Snakes are made up of a hazel-eyed boy with red-brown hair and freckles, and a short brown-eyed girl with shoulder-length dark hair.  The one Temple Game theme used only in the first season of the original show is used for background music in the Silver Snakes? montage.
?I?m Emma Mitchell, and I?m twelve years old,? the girl states as a clip is played of her crossing the Moat by walking on a lower rope and hanging onto a higher one.  As the clip is played, her full name appears in a light gray version of the credits font at the bottom of the screen.
?I?m Josh Wilson, and I?m thirteen,? says the boy over a clip of him stepping off the ropes onto the Moat and running over to hit the Silver Snakes? gong as his name appears.
?I swim, I like to sing and I love animals,? Emma explains during a clip of her clinging to the spinning horse machine in her individual Temple Game. ?I wanna be a vet when I grow up.?
?I play a lot of basketball,? says Josh as he answers the last question needed for the Silver Snakes to progress past the Steps of Knowledge. ?Really like the Lakers and I wanna be in the NBA too someday.?
?Our episode is ?The Coonskin Cap of Daniel Boone,? ? adds Emma as the artifact reveal in the Shrine of the Silver Monkey is shown.
?I saw a little bit of the show before I was on it before,? Josh says as he outruns the Green Monkey on the wheel in his individual Temple Game.
?I watched an episode or two, I knew the games,? laughs Emma; the clip played is of the teams shooting at the targets in the third Temple Game.
?It was close, we tied and won the tiebreaker,? Josh admits as the Silver Snakes winning the tiebreaker is shown.
?And then we won the game,? Emma adds over a clip of her running into the Temple, which segues to her meeting her first and only Temple Guard in the Junction of the Secret Shafts with 2:01 on the clock.
?Well, it was all Emma in the Temple,? says Josh as the camera shows Emma grabbing the Coonskin Cap in the Shrine with 1:11 to go. ?I didn?t even get to go in!?
?All right, I?ll let you go first this time when we make it,? laughs Emma over the clip of her emerging from the Temple with a healthy 49 seconds left.  After a few seconds of the post-Temple Run celebration, the camera segues back from the recap montage to the bust shot of the Silver Snakes atop the Steps.
?All right, there?s our four teams! Let?s hear it for the Silver Snakes!? Kirk announces, and the audience briefly cheers and applauds for Josh and Emma.

"All right, now that we know our teams," says Kirk, "it's time for Olmec to tell us about the Jeweled Calix of Neba-chrezzar.  Pay attention, because your knowledge of the Legend can bring you a step closer to the Temple and the final round of the Tournament."
Olmec begins to tell the legend:
"One of the greatest kings of ancient times was Nebuchadnezzar II.  He was a Babylonian king who loved conquering other kingdoms, and conquered much of Syria and the city of Jerusalem, and according to legend, he built golden idols of himself to remind the people of his rule there.  He married a Persian princess, Amytis, but his best-known accomplishment is the building of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon for her so she wouldn't miss her home.  Legend has it Nebuchadnezzar had Amytis cover her eyes and took her to show her her surprise gift.
" 'All right, dear, you can open your eyes,' he said, and Amytis uncovered her eyes and saw the gardens before her.
" 'I love it!' Amytis replied. 'Thank you so much, Nebby, hun!'
"The Hanging Gardens were a sight to see: legend has it the plants and flowers were all built on hundred-foot-high terraces divided in tiers, and Amytis could even look out over the city from the highest terrace.  The garden was shaped like a theater, and Nebuchadnezzar and Amytis liked to sit on their thrones opposite the Hanging Gardens and look out at them while enjoying some wine in their jeweled calices.  When the couple died,  Nebuchadnezzar's calix made its way to the Temple.  Your quest is to retrive the Jeweled Calix of Nebuchadnezzar and bring it back here."

"Thank you Olmec," Kirk says after Olmec finishes telling the legend. "So tell us, where is the Jeweled Calix?"
Olmec replies:
"The Jeweled Calix of Nebuchadnezzar can be found in the Dungeon." The camera fades to a small golden chalice standing on the ledge next to the Pharaoh?s Secret Passage, then segues back to Kirk.

"Teams," Kirk begins, walking down the steps, "as you know, in a minute, Olmec will ask you a question.  When you think you know the answer, stomp down on that ancient marking in front of you.  If you're right, you can move down to the next level, but if you're wrong or out of time, I'll give the other teams a chance.  The first two teams to make it down to the bottom level will be in the top eight, one step closer to the final round in the Tournament and a second shot in Olmec's Temple.  Olmec, we?re all ready for your first question."

Olmec begins:
?Did Nebuchadnezzar build the: Great Sphinx, Hanging Gard???
Mathew hits the marking first: ?Hanging Gardens.?
?Correct,? answers Olmec.
?Nice job, Green Monkeys, step down,? says Kirk, and the Green Monkeys move down to the second level. ?Next question.?
Olmec asks:
?Was Nebuchadnezzar the king of: Mesopotamia, Egypt or Babylon??
Mathew cuts Olmec off again: ?Babylon.?
?That is correct.?
?Green Monkeys are already just one step away from the Temple Games!? Kirk announces as the Green Monkeys move down to the third level. ?Olmec, next question.?
Olmec now asks:
?Did Nebuchadnezzar build the Hanging Gardens for: His wife, His mother or???
Amber rings in: ?His wife???
?Correct.?
?Step down, Orange Iguanas!? Kirk encourages, and the Orange Iguanas move down to the second level. ?Next question, Olmec.?
Olmec asks:
?Was Nebuchadnezzar?s wife named: Amaranth, Amaryllis or Amytis??
After a second, Mathew buzzes in: ?Amaryllis???
?Incorrect.?
Amber gongs in: ?Amytis???
?That is correct,? says Olmec in response.
?Orange Iguanas now one step away from the Temple Games!? remarks Kirk as the Orange Iguanas join the Green Monkeys on the penultimate level. ?Red Jaguars and Silver Snakes can still get in this.  Next question.?
Olmec then asks:
?Was Amytis from: Assyria, Persia or India??
Kristen stomps down and guesses: ?Uh? Persia???
?Correct,? replies Olmec.
?Red Jaguars on the board!? Kirk announces as the Red Jaguars move onto the second step. ?Silver Snakes, there?s still plenty of time.  Olmec, next question.?
Olmec asks:
?Is a calix a: Saucer, Cup or Pitcher??
Mathew hits the marking first: ?A cup.?
?That is correct!? shouts Olmec, and the Green Monkeys jump down onto the bottommost step.
?We got our first team going on to the Temple Games; it?s the Green Monkeys!? Kirk declares as Mathew and Tamika start celebrating. ?We still need one more team; who?s it gonna be? Let?s keep going! Olmec, next question.?
Olmec continues:
?According to the legend, were the Hanging Gardens: Behind the palace, Opposite the thrones or Beyond the courtyard??
After a second, Danny steps in: ?Opposite from the thrones???
?THAT IS CORRECT!? bellows Olmec, and the Orange Iguanas jump down to join the Green Monkeys on the bottom step.
?We got our two teams right here!? Kirk announces, running up the middle of the bottommost step.  Once he?s behind the two teams, he turns to face the camera and the qualifying players continue to celebrate with each other. ?The Green Monkeys and the Orange Iguanas! They made it to the top eight, and they?re gonna face off in the Temple Games! Red Jaguars, Silver Snakes, come on down here.? The other teams walk down to the second-to-last step. ?These guys gave it a great effort, and we still got another great gift for them both, and here?s what it is.? In addition to the prizes from their last appearances, Kenneth, Kristen, Josh and Emma will each be receiving Transformers: Cybertron Optimus Prime and Megatron action figures.
The camera cuts back to Kirk and the two winning teams at the bottom of the Steps of Knowledge. ?These two teams are gonna be playing for a spot in the final round and the right to enter Olmec?s Temple again,? he says, ?right after this!? The camera zooms in on the Jeweled Calix in the Dungeon before fading to commercial.

[The Ancient Warrior]

Kirk is standing between the Green Monkeys and Orange Iguanas in front of the Great Chasm. ?Welcome back to Legends!? he says. ?It?s the Tournament of Champions, and now the glory goes to the fastest and the strongest, so let?s hear it again for Mathew and Tamika of the Green Monkeys!? Mathew and Tamika clap along with the cheering audience. ?And Danny and Amber of the Orange Iguanas!? Danny and Amber high-five as the audience applauds for them. ?They both made it in the top eight and they?re gonna go head-to-head for a spot in the final round right now.  You guys ready to play??
?YEAH!? the four players shout.
?All right, go get ready for the Temple Games!? Kirk says, and the players walk offscreen in different directions. ?In the Temple Games, teams are competing for?? he opens his pocket and pulls out a small gold medallion to show to the camera? ?Pendants of Life.  The winning team is gonna need those Pendants to protect themselves from the dreaded Temple Guards as they make their way through Olmec's Temple.  There are three Temple Games, and Olmec, tell us about Temple Game #1.?

Olmec begins:
?The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, so it?s no wonder there was often an overgrowth of plants.  In this game, you must travel through an overgrown part of the gardens.  When Kirk gives the signal, put your rod behind your head and make your way through the garden.  Whenever you come to two branches, you must find a way to maneuver between or around them, and you must always have your rod behind your head and both of your hands on it.
?The first player to reach the other side? or the player that?s further along after 60 seconds wins.?
The camera segues to Kirk. ?I?ve never seen a garden like this,?  he says. ?Players, get into position.  Let?s put 60 seconds on the clock.? A countdown clock appears in the bottom-right corner of the screen. ?On your mark, get set, GO!?
Unlike in their last appearance, the Green Monkeys send Tamika to play this Temple Game; the Orange Iguanas choose Amber.  Tamika moves faster than Amber from the start, and Amber never catches up, since she?s not only a slower mover, but she has trouble maneuvering around all the poles without moving her rod.  Tamika has less difficulty getting through and makes it to the end of the ?garden? with 34 seconds on the clock.
?That?s it! That was fast, c?mon over here!? Kirk announces as he reappears onscreen; the countdown clock freezes at :31 and fades, and Tamika walks over to where Kirk is. ?Green Monkeys made it through the first? uh, the forest first? so they get the half Pendant of Life!? The audience applauds, and Tamika and Kirk high-five as Amber steps out through the side of the obstacle course and trots over. ?Orange Iguanas can catch up in the next game.  Olmec, tell us about it.?

Olmec continues:
?Nebuchadnezzar loved conquering various kingdoms around Babylon, and waged several wars during his life.  In this game, you?ll only need to take down four Syrian soldiers.  When Kirk gives the signal, lob a cannonball at one of the warriors on the wall.  Then, put another cannonball in the slingshot and shoot again.
?The first player to knock down all four soldiers? or the player that knocks over the most soldiers in 60 seconds? wins.?
?Time for a little war between our teams,? says Kirk. ?Let?s put 60 seconds on the clock.? The countdown clock appears onscreen, and Kirk dashes off to the side to avoid being hit by either player?s shots. ?On your mark, get set, GO!?
Mathew and Danny both have average aim with the slingshots; neither gets a ball to actually fly at the targets until the second attempt.  After about five or six shots, however, they start to score; Mathew knocks over his leftmost target with 42 seconds remaining, and Danny follows suit a few seconds later.  It takes a few more tries for them to hit any more targets, however; Mathew knocks down his second-leftmost with :26 on the clock, Danny still trailing by about five seconds.
?This is close! Who?s gonna beat ?em? Green Monkeys need one more to win!? Kirk announces as Mathew knocks over his third target with :17 to go, then tries to aim for the fourth.  However, with less to actually try to hit, he keeps missing, which lets Danny even the score again with eight seconds on the clock.  He doesn?t follow it up with the last target, however, so the game continues until time runs out, at which point a pattern of ceiling spotlights flashes to indicate the end of the second game.
?All right, that?s it!? remarks Kirk, running back onscreen and calling the boys over. ?Both teams got three soldiers, so both teams get a half a Pendant of Life!? The audience applauds briefly. ?So it?s Green Monkeys with one Pendant, Orange Iguanas with a half, but this next game is worth a full Pendant, and it?s the third and final game.  Olmec, tell us.?

Olmec narrates:
?According to legend, Nebuchadnezzar and Amytis enjoyed a glass of wine while looking down at the Hanging Gardens.  In this game, you and your partner have to work together to set a table for an entire royal banquet.  When Kirk gives the signal, grab a calix and walk out to meet your partner at the middle of the path.  Then pass the calix to your partner, and your partner will slide back and place it in on the table.  Then, you?ll go back to your starting position and do it again.
?The team with the most calices on the table after 60 seconds... wins!?
?Whoever wins this game goes to the Temple? and the final round,? Kirk explains. ?Put 60 seconds on the clock.? The clock then appears in the corner of the screen. ?On your mark, get set, GO!?
The players start to walk against the force of the bungee cords as soon as Kirk shouts ?Go,? but the Green Monkeys move notably faster than the Orange Iguanas.  Amber takes too long to get to the midpoint of the Orange track, and the first couple times she gets there, Danny has already lost his grip on the indents in the sides of the walls and started sliding back.  On the other hand, Mathew and Tamika have relatively little trouble getting to the middle and making the trades they need to make; the Orange Iguanas eventually start to score a little after halfway into the game, however.  When the countdown clock hits zero, the ceiling spotlights flash to indicate the end of the final game and Kirk promptly reappears onscreen.
?All right, time?s up!? Kirk says, walking through the corridor between the tracks and grabs the teams? bins as spotters start to unfasten the harnesses on the players.  The kids run over to join him as soon as they?re free to move. ?Let?s count it out? Orange Iguanas got one? two calixes.  Green Monkeys got one, two, three, four? five calixes! They get the full Pendant, giving them two, the Orange Iguanas had a half.  The Green Monkeys are going to the Temple!? Mathew and Tamika each high-five Kirk once while the audience applauds and cheers, and Kirk then goes to talk to Danny and Amber. ?Orange Iguanas gave it a gallant effort both.  Here?s what we?ve got for them.? Besides the prizes from their first appearance, Danny and Amber will each receive a copy of the Kingdom Hearts II PlayStation 2 game.
As the camera cuts away from the consolation prize, Kirk and the Green Monkeys are in front of the equipment for the third Temple Game. ?We?ll see if the Green Monkeys can make it through Olmec?s Temple one last time and retrieve Jeweled Cup of Neb-chrezzar? right after this!? The camera zooms in on Olmec from a worm?s-eye view, then fades to commercial.

[The Ancient Warrior]

Kirk stands in front of the Temple's stairs to the camera-right of Mathew and Tamika. "Welcome back to Legends: The Tournament of Champions," he says to the camera before turning to the Green Monkeys. "You two have proven themselves worthy and now have earned the right to enter the Temple.  Now, you get to go into the Temple again, but you don't need to win in the Temple to go on to the final round of the tournament.  You're already coming back for the final round just for getting here, so Olmec?" he turns to Olmec? "can you offer Mathew and Tamika any clues about your Temple to help them retrieve the Jeweled Calix of Nebuchad-ezzar?"
Olmec begins to give the rundown:
"You could start by climbing through the Crevasse and climbing down into the Great Chasm.  Crawl through the pit, then race into the Lost Treasury.  Put the correct artifact on the altar, and you could choose to go up into the Cathedral, or into the Labyrinth.  If you escape, you might have a chance to enter the Switch Inferno.  Hit the right actuator to go upstairs, or plow through the wall and into the Dungeon, where you can grab the Jeweled Calix of Nebuchadnezzar.
"Next, climb up the Pharaoh's Secret Passage into the Geographer?s Study.  Take the correct book off the bookshelf to open the door to the SHRIIIIIIIIIIIiine of the Silver Monkey!  Assemble the statue, and you may be headed for the Knights' Barracks.  Place the sword in the correct sheath, and you could advance into the Laser Light Room.  Find the right combination to unleash the power of the laser, and swing on the rope back across the Great Chasm.  Then, pass through the Arctic Antechamber, race down the stairs and back through the Temple Gate.  The choices are yours and yours alone!" Olmec pauses for a second. "You won 2 Pendants in the Temple Games.  Who's going first??
"I am," says Tamika.
"Very well, Tamika!" replies Olmec as Kirk hands out the Pendants of Life. "Hidden inside the Temple are three ventilation shafts which let out in the Junction of the Secret Shafts, as well as Temple Guards assigned to protect three specific rooms.  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 Mathew's turn to enter and try his luck.  If you reach the Calix, all the doors of the Temple will instantly unlock and the Temple Guards will vanish.  Return through the gates with the Jeweled Calix in three minutes, and you will both be handsomely rewarded? and here's how!"
?   For just making it into the Temple, they?re both going to get a Schwinn Mesa mountain bike.
?   If they can grab the Cup in three minutes, they?re also going to get an Ultra-Bounce trampoline provided by Bollinger.
?   And if they can get the Jeweled Cup out of the Temple before three minutes is up, they?ll both be going to Krystal Cancun! Krystal Cancun, the resort for beach lovers, with excursions to Mayan ruins.  It?s rich in history and rich in pleasure.  Krystal Cancun, for a prize package totaling $12,998!

"Let's see if we can get these Green Monkeys to Mexico!" Kirk says before turning to Mathew. "Now, Mathew, tell us: How're you gonna get to the Cup?"
"Well," he says, "we're gonna start by going up? that worked for us last time? and we're? um, gonna keep going left until we get to the end? and go down to get the Cup and go back out."
"All right! Well, let's see if that gets you guys to Mexico," Kirk says. "Tamika, get into position.  Put your mouthpieces in.  Let's put three minutes on the clock." The countdown clock appears onscreen. "Olmec, will you lower your gate?"
Olmec groans gutturally as he lowers the gate; the blue lights under him are turned off.
"On your mark Tamika, get set, GO!"

?There goes Tamika, up into the Temple!? Kirk declares as Tamika runs up the stairs into the Arctic Antechamber, then goes around the room, pushing her way through the three breakaway ice walls.  When the door into the Great Chasm doesn?t open, she descends into the Crevasse with 2:47 to go. ?They got two Pendants, the Temple Guards can?t stop them? They gotta get to the Dungeon to get the Jeweled Cup!? Tamika starts to squeeze her way through the icy ledges, stopping at the upper crawl tube and hitting the actuator.  When it doesn?t work, she climbs further down towards the lower crawl tube (2:40).  That tunnel opens, and Tamika heads through into the Great Chasm with 2:31 remaining.  Deciding to save time by trying the lower door, she goes over to the actuator for the Lost Treasury door and heading onward after the door opens.  However, before Tamika can even get started on the objective, out from the corner of the room jumps the first TEMPLE GUARD!
?Oh, Temple Guard! Gotta give ?em the Pendant!? Kirk shouts out, and Tamika hands the guard her Pendant of Life with 2:22 to go; the guard heads toward the back of the room and exits through the doors, and Tamika follows him to the back of the room just to get to the treasure chest behind the ladder.  She pulls a mirror and a lantern out of the treasure chest, then goes to the altar in the front of the room and places both of them there.  The Labyrinth door only opens after Tamika places the lantern on the ladder, however, but she then heads on through into the Labyrinth with 2:12 left.  However, as soon as she enters the room, out from the back corner of the room jumps the second TEMPLE GUARD!
?Woah, there she goes! Go Mathew, take off!? announces Kirk, and Mathew launches into the Temple with 2:08 on the clock.  He starts by sliding down into the Crevasse, then goes across and into the Great Chasm with 1:57 on the clock. ?This is a strong Green Monkeys team, they were first on the Steps of Knowledge, they had two Pendants?? Mathew then goes across into the Lost Treasury and enters the Labyrinth  with 1:48 to go.  He takes the ramp down from the periphery to the slightly lower center of the room, and noticing a wall a few feet in front of him, he takes a left turn and starts to follow the path of the walls, staying close to the front of the room (1:42).  He soon reaches a wall and has to turn inward, going a bit further away from the visible front of the room.  He turns right to try and get to the ramp, disappearing into the maze with 1:37 remaining.
?Looks like that?s not gonna get him in there,? Kirk remarks, his hand on Tamika?s shoulder as she looks on.  A few seconds later, Mathew reappears and continues left, eventually reaching an accessible part of the periphery with 1:31 left.  He hoists himself up onto the ledge, then goes over to hit the actuator for the crawl tube closer to the front of the room.  The door opens, and Mathew ventures on into the Switch Inferno.  He runs straight over to the rock wall and tries to push it down, but it doesn?t budge (1:23).
?There?s, he?s only one? Wait, no, it doesn?t open!? Kirk explains as Mathew tries to push the rock wall down. ?He?s gotta hit the buttons and go up and around!? Mathew looks at Kirk for a second, then goes to hit the four actuators on the left wall.  The fourth one he hits opens the leftmost golden door, and Mathew boards the ladder leading up into the Shrine of the Silver Monkey, then sets foot in the room with 1:11 remaining.
?There, now he?s into the Shriiiiiine of the SIIIIIIL-ver Monkey!? exclaims Kirk, trying to mimic Olmec?s pronunciation as Tamika squeals in excitement.  Mathew goes to the back of the room and grabs the base and the middle of the statue in one sweep, then brings them to the front of the room and puts them into position with 1:05 and 1:01 remaining respectively.  He then goes to the back of the room again and grabs the head, then brings it to the front of the room and jams it in with 56 seconds on the clock, opening only the door to the Geographer?s Study.
?He?s just one room away from the Jeweled Cup!? Kirk shouts as Mathew heads into the Geographer?s Study.
?Go Mathew, you can do it!? Tamika cheers (0:54).
?He?s gotta take the right door off the shelf to open a door!? Mathew grabs the first of the three giant atlases marked ?ACTUATOR? off the shelf, but a pair of arms reach out from behind the shelf? it?s the final TEMPLE GUARD!
?Oh, just one room a? wait, he?s got a Pendant!? comments Kirk as Mathew gives the guard the team?s last Pendant of Life with 46 seconds to go.  He then turns to the door to the Pharaoh?s Secret Passage, which is already open, and slides down into the Dungeon with forty seconds left.  He reaches over to the ledge next to him as he steps off the slide onto the tarp floor and grabs the JEWELED CALIX!
?Yes! He?s got it!? Kirk declares as Mathew starts to head across the room. ?All the doors are open!? Mathew pauses for a half-second in front of the rock wall, then decides to climb up the ladder; he reenters the Shrine of the Silver Monkey with 31 seconds on the clock, then starts to run back across the top floor.  He enters the Knights? Barracks with 26 seconds left, then runs up the stairs into the Laser Light Room with 22 seconds to go, Tamika cheering him on in the background.
?This is gonna be close? Tamika?s goin? wild!? The camera briefly cuts to Kirk and Tamika, then back to Mathew emerging through the door connecting the Laser Light Room and the Great Chasm (0:16!). ?He?s gotta cross the Pit? the Pit of Despair! Fifteen seconds!? Mathew reaches out for the rope, then grabs it and swings across, landing at the other ledge with twelve seconds to go.  The audience starts to count down the last ten seconds as Mathew passes through the Arctic Antechamber; he leaves the room with eight seconds on the clock, runs down the stairs and makes it out through the gates with 4 seconds left!
?They did it all again! That was amazing!? shouts Kirk as Mathew meets up with him and Tamika.  The two players high-five, and Tamika does a bit of a victory dance as Mathew gives Kirk the Jeweled Calix, who holds it up in the air. ?They made it to the Temple before, they got the Torch, they won and they got to Canada? now they made it back, they got to the Temple again, they got the Cup and they won it twice! This is one great Green Monkeys team!? Kirk pauses for the audience to cheer. ?They keep what they got last time, and they get the mountain bikes, the trampolines? they?re goin? to Cancun, and they get to come back one more time for the finals!? Tamika squeals in excitement and high-fives Mathew again while jumping up and down. ?I love these Green Monkeys, but we gotta get outta here.  Join us again for more adventure and another great Legend of the Hidden Temple! See ya!? Kirk, Mathew and Tamika wave at the camera, and rooms like the Shrine of the Silver Monkey and the Geographer?s Study? along with a first-person breakdown of the rock wall? are shown while the credits roll.

[The Ancient Warrior]

Temple Run Summary
Episode 83px]

Name of Artifact: The Jeweled Calix of Nebuchadnezzar
Season: 2
Layout: 6 (10 overall; Tournament of Champions)
Result: Made it!
Time Remaining: 0:04
Team: Green Monkeys
Pendants Won: 2
Location of Artifact: The Dungeon



Semifinals episode 3 out of 4.  The four returning teams were Red Jaguars from "The Blue Royal Gown of Catherine of Braganza," the Green Monkeys from "The Torch of Fujiwara no Nobuyori," the Orange Iguanas from "Henry the Navigator's Missing Maps" and the Silver Snakes from "The Coonskin Cap of Daniel Boone."

The Steps were a surprisingly fast round, ending after only seven questions, and I felt a little disappointed that the Red Jaguars (the only team in The Rediscovery's tenure to dominate every round) didn't progress but the Orange Iguanas (who I felt were the weakest team in today's episode) did.  However, the Green Monkeys were still great competitors, and seemed to have improved quite a bit since their first appearance.

Tamika's performance in the Temple Run here was pretty consistent with that in her first appearence; she had a good concept of what to do and moved fairly swiftly through the rooms.  She ended up clearing four rooms rather than only two this time, however, and was eliminated in the Labyrinth with 2:10 on the clock.

Mathew remained as smart a player as before, but his speed seemed to have improved vastly.  He continued along the bottom floor, only to find out that the rock wall was unbreakable and have to curve around to get to the Calix.  He moved quicker than before through plenty of the rooms, including the Shrine of the Silver Monkey, where he only needed twelve seconds to put the monkey together.  He got a lucky break in the Geographer's Study, then slid down and grabbed the Calix with 39 seconds left.  After briefly debating whether to answer the long-standing mystery about the rock wall, he instead climbed up into the Shrine and went along the top floor to make it out with just four seconds left.

Trivia and Records:
This is the second time in The Rediscovery's history that the rock wall connecting the two leftmost rooms on the bottom floor does not break down (the first being "The Lost Colony and the Croatoan Carving" from Layout VIII), and the closest victory after the one-second wins.

[The Bandit King]

Very well done. It's good to see a team finally win in the Tournament.

FYI, I didn't vote for Kenneth & Kristen. Even though, like you said, they pulled a "Billy the Kid", they were too slow for my taste, and seemed like they lucked into a win. I did vote for every other team featured in the fic, though.

Oh, and not to be nitpicky, but isn't it spelled "calyx"?

EDIT: Never mind, the word I was thinking of defines the sepals of a flower...