Rediscovery EP: The Golden Amulet of Nefertiti

[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 17: The Golden Amulet of Nefertiti

The camera maneuvers through a thick, lush 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!"

On this final word, Kirk descends into view 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. Which legend are we gonna hear about today?"

Olmec replies:
"The legend of the Golden Amulet of Nefertiti."

"Ooh, the Golden Amulet of Nefertiti!" Kirk says in response. "Well one of these six teams will have the chance to retrieve the Amulet. Will it be:
"Zane and Elizabeth of the Red Jaguars—" the camera pans to each team in order—
"Tony and Sabrina of the Blue Barracudas,
"Nick and Karoline of the Green Monkeys,
"Jake and Lara of the Orange Iguanas,
"Jeff and Dana of the Purple Parrots,
"Or Kevin and Erica 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 long net has fallen across the Moat. When I say 'go,' one player on each team will climb onto one side of the net, and then their partner's gonna climb on the other side and they'll make their way across together. Careful though, if either one of you falls, you'll both have to start over again.
"When both players get off the net on the other end of the Moat, you'll run over and hit the 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.
"Ready to roll," Olmec says as an answer.
"Then let's get started," Kirk replies. "On your mark, get set, GO!"

The teams all take off at the same pace and make barely any mistakes— until the boy on the Blue Barracudas falls in the Moat not too far from the other side. As the Blue Barracudas swim back the Red Jaguars get off their net and hit their gong. Green Monkeys are the second team across, the Orange Iguanas third and the Silver Snakes fourth.
"That's it! We've got our four teams right here!" Kirk announces just before the Purple Parrots can hit their gong. "Red Jaguars over in a blast! They're going on to the Steps of Knowledge, and so are the Green Monkeys—" the camera pans to each qualifying team in order— "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." Tony, Sabrina, Jeff and Dana will each be receiving a copy of King Kong on DVD.

[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 Golden Amulet of Nefertiti.  But pay attention guys, because your knowledge about the legend can bring you one step closer to Olmec's Temple."

Olmec begins to tell the story:
"One of the most beautiful women in the world was the Egyptian queen Nefertiti.  She was the stepmother of King Tut and the wife of the pharaoh Akhenaten.  Akhenaten spread a belief in only one Egyptian deity named Aten, and planned to move burial sites across the Nile River to please him.
"legend has it that one day, the kings of the lands just north of the Mediterranean Sea sent messages to Egypt begging Akhenaten for gold.
" 'What am I going to do?' asked Akhenaten. 'I still need to hire a contractor to rebuild those tombs!'
" 'And Daddy, I need to buy a new bed!' said his six-year-old son Tut. 'Can we get some hieroglyphic-print bedsheets too?'
"Just then, Nefertiti stood up.
" 'If these kingdoms need gold, I'll bring them some,' she said, showing them the golden amulet around her neck. 'See you in a few months.'
"Nefertiti went around the Mediterranean Sea with a cart full of gold as well as her amulet, but she never returned to Egypt.  Some say she died on the way to the far-away kingdoms, and all the gold disappeared, including her amulet.  Your quest is to retrieve the Golden Amulet of Nefertiti and bring it back here."

"Thanks a lot Olmec," Kirk says when Olmec finishes telling the story. "So tell us, where is this Golden Amulet?"
Olmec replies:
"The Golden Amulet of Nefertiti can be found in the Chamber of Four Columns."

"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.  If you think you know the answer, I want you to 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're gonna 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.  All right Olmec, we're now ready for your first question."

Olmec begins:
"Was Nefertiti a queen of—?"
Zane stomps down first: "Egypt."
"Correct," replies Olmec.
"Red Jaguars step down!" says Kirk. "Red Jaguars are on the board.  Next question, Olmec."

Olmec asks:
"Was Nefertiti married to: Amun, Akhenaten, or—?"
Zane rings in again: "Akhenaten…?"
"That is correct," Olmec replies, and the Red Jaguars can move down again.
"Just like that, the Red Jaguars are only one step away from the Temple Games," says Kirk. "We're lookin' for two teams.  Next question."

Olmec asks:
"Which of these seas does Egypt touch: The Baltic Sea, The Mediterranean Sea, or The Coral Sea?"
Erica buzzes in: "Mediterranean…?"
"Correct," replies Olmec, and the Silver Snakes go down one step.

Olmec then asks:
"Akhenaten spread a belief in only one Egyptian deity—"
Elizabeth rings in: "Um, one Egyptian deity…?"
"That is not one of our three choices," says Olmec. "Was that deity named: Ra, Osiris, or Aten?"
Jake stomps down and guesses: "Aten."
"Correct," Olmec answers, and the Orange Iguanas move down one step.
"Green Monkeys can still catch up," Kirk comments. "Next question Olmec."

Olmec now asks:
"Did the kingdoms just north of the Mediterranean want: Gold, Silver, or Bronze?"
Zane gongs in: "Gold…?"
"That is correct!" Olmec shouts, and the Red Jaguars move down to the bottom step.
"Red Jaguars are the first team going on to the Temple Games," says Kirk, "but who's gonna join them: the Green Monkeys, the Orange Iguanas or the Silver Snakes? Olmec, next question."

Olmec now asks:
"Which of these is Egyptian writing: Runes, Hieroglyphics, or Stick figures?"
Karoline buzzes in: "Hieroglyphics!"
"Correct," replies Olmec, and the Green Monkeys can move down one step.
"It's all tied up on the second step," Kirk narrates. "Olmec, next question."

Olmec now asks:
"What did Akhenaten plan to do to the Egyptian burial sites—?"
Karoline buzzes in again, but freezes and just shakes her head until a bell sounds.
"Time's up!" says Olmec. "Did he: Move them to the other side of the Nile—?"
Jake rings in: "Yeah… he moved them to the other side of the Nile."
"That is correct," replies Olmec, and the Orange Iguanas move down to the second-to-last step.
"Orange Iguanas only one step away from the Temple Games," Kirk explains. "The other teams can still catch up.  Next question."

Olmec then asks:
"Was Nefertiti the stepmother of: Ramses, King Tut, or—?"
Lara gongs in: "King Tut…?"
"That is correct!" Olmec yells, and the Orange Iguanas can join the Red Jaguars on the bottom level.
"We've got our two teams!' Kirk announces. "Going to the Temple Games are the Red Jaguars and the Orange Iguanas! Green Monkeys and Silver Snakes gave it a great effort too.  They're not leaving empty-handed, we've got some great gifts for them and here's what it is." Nick, Kevin, Karoline and Erica will each be receiving a $50 U.S. Savings Bond provided by AND 1.

[The Ancient Warrior]

"Now," says Kirk, "the glory goes to the fastest and the strongest, so let's get to know our two tough teams. On the Orange Iguanas, we have Lara, she runs cross-country and loves to e-mail her friends, and her partner Jake plays football and his favorite subject is history. Let's hear it for the Orange Iguanas!" The audience applauds for a moment.
"And on the Red Jaguars," Kirk continues, "we have Elizabeth, she likes reading and swimming, and Zane is into anything outdoors but really likes camping and basketball. Let's hear it for the Red Jaguars!" The audience applauds again.

"Why don't you go get ready for the Temple Games," Kirk says, "while I tell you guys what's gonna happen here. Now, in the Temple Games, these teams will be competing to win Pendants of Life. 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 will tell us about Temple Game #1."

Olmec begins:
"Nefertiti's husband Akhenaten planned to move several tombs to the other side of the Nile. Here you will help him with his task one brick at a time. You are now strapped in a rotating lever and, when Kirk gives the signal, you will run around to grab a sand block off of the pedestal. Next, return to place it in your bin.
"The player with the most sand blocks in his bin after 60 seconds wins."
The camera fades to Kirk. "The Egyptians did it just like this," he says. "Let's put 60 seconds on the clock. On your mark, get set, GO!"
Zane and Jake have a lot trouble in this game. "The key is getting the right momentum," Kirk remarks as the boys go around for the third time and still fail to grab the sand blocks. "You can't go too high or you won't get it." It takes about thirty seconds for either player to get a sand block in the bin. Kirk runs over and grabs the baskets when the ceiling lights flash to end the game.
"Okay," Kirk says. "Red Jaguars got one, two, three sand blocks, Orange Iguanas grabbed one, two, three… four sand blocks! Orange Iguanas get a half Pendant of Life!" The audience applauds for a moment. "Red Jaguars can catch up in the next game, it's worth a half Pendant. Olmec, tell us about it."

Olmec continues:
"If Egypt didn't give gold to the lands north of the Mediterranean, the kingdoms would try to take over Egypt. Here you must stop the soldiers of one of these kingdoms. When Kirk gives the signal, load a cannonball in your slingshot and shoot it at one of the soldiers on the wall. Then grab another cannonball and try again.
"The first player to knock down all four soldiers— or the one who's knocked over the most soldiers after 60 seconds— wins."
"Red Jaguars can catch up," Kirk comments. "Let's put 60 seconds on the clock. I'll get outta the way here, don't wanna get hit. On your mark, get set, GO!"
Elizabeth and Lara load the slingshots immediately and take aim, but the cannonballs keep falling out of the slingshots. They finally get their first ones down as time begins to run out. When the ceiling lights flash a few seconds later, Kirk runs over to declare the winner.
"Orange Iguanas knocked one down," he narrates, "but Red Jaguars got down two! Red Jaguars win the half Pendant of Life!" The audience applauds again. "So it's all tied up, each team has a half Pendant, but the third and final game's worth a full Pendant. Olmec, tell us about Temple Game #3."

Olmec narrates:
"Nefertiti agreed to help transport the gold to the lands north of the Mediterranean Sea. Here you will transport some gold, but fortunately for you, your journey will be much shorter. When Kirk gives the signal, grab a gold artifact and run out to meet your partner at the middle of the path. Then pass the gold treasure to your partner, who will slide back and place it in your team's treasure box. Then go back and try it again.
"The team with the most pieces of gold in their treasure box after 60 seconds wins."
"This'll decide who goes to the Temple," Kirk reminds the audience. Let's set the clock for 60 seconds. On your mark, get set, GO!"
The players grab onto the raised sides of the tracks and walk against the force of the bungee cords attaching them to the walls behind them. The cord are only just long enough so that the players can meet in the middle, so this game proves to be harder than it appeared at first glance. However, the teams did score a few times before the ceiling lights flash to end the game.
"Okay," Kirk says as he walks into the space between the tracks and peers into the treasure boxes. As soon as the spotters unfasten the kids, they run over to join him. "Orange Iguanas it looks like got one, two, three pieces of gold, Red Jaguars got one, two, three, four… five pieces of gold! Red Jaguars get the full Pendant, that gives them a Pendant and a half, the Orange Iguanas got a half. The Red Jaguars are goin' to the Temple!" Zane and Elizabeth high-five each other and then Elizabeth jumps up and down, excited. "Orange Iguanas gave it a great effort too. We've got a nice gift for them for playing and here's what it is." Jake and Lara will each be receiving a $100 U.S. Savings Bond provided by Nestle.

[The Ancient Warrior]

"Olmec!" calls Kirk. "Zane and Elizabeth have proven themselves worthy and now have earned the right to enter your Temple. But before they go, can you give them any information to help them retrieve the Golden Amulet of Nefertiti?"
Olmec begins to give the rundown:
"You could start by climbing through the Ledges and climbing down into the Great Chasm. Crawl through the chasm, then race into the Throne Room. Sit on the Throne of the Pretender, and you could choose to go up into the Burial Pit or into the Junction of the Secret Shafts. If you escape, you may have a chance to enter the Chamber of Four Columns, where you can grab the Golden Amulet of Nefertiti. Knock over all the columns to go upstairs or plow through the wall and into the Quicksand Bog.
"Climb up the Pharaoh's Secret Passage into the Room of the Secret Password. Find the tablet with the right password, and then shout it out to open the door to the Shrine of the Silver Monkey. Assemble the statue and you may be headed toward the Room of the Ancient Warriors. Place yourself in the correct armor, but be careful— one of the suits of armor could be possessed by the spirit of a Temple Guard! If they grab you, you'll have to give up a Pendant of Life! Next, you can race up to the King's Storeroom, smash the clay pots to find the key, then swing on the rope back across the Great Chasm. Then, pass through the Vault, 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 1½ Pendants in the Temple Games. Who's going first?"
"I am!" Elizabeth shouts confidently.
"Very well, Elizabeth," 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 to the Amulet. Be careful, in the Temple there are many locked doors and dead ends. But there's three ventilation shafts somewhere in the Temple. If you can find one and it's open, you can jump in and slide down into the Junction of the Secret Shafts. In the Temple there are also Temple Guards assigned to protect three specific rooms. If you enter one of those rooms, a 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 Zane's turn to enter and try his luck. Now, you have a Pendant and a half, but hidden inside the Temple is the other half of your Pendant. If you can find it and you're carrying the other half, you'll get an extra life. If you can reach the Scepter, all the doors of the Temple will instantly unlock, and the Temple Guards will disappear. And you'll have three minutes, and for your efforts you'll both be handsomely rewarded— and here's how!"
• For just making it into the Temple, Zane and Elizabeth will each receive a Bollinger-brand trampoline.
• If they can reach the Amulet in 3 minutes, they're both going to get a XBOX 360 game package complete with two new games.
• If they can bring the Golden Amulet of Nefertiti out of the Temple before three minutes is up, they'll each win four tickets for a seven-day Caribbean cruise!

"Well, let's see if we can get them on that Big Red Boat!" Kirk says, excited. "Mouthpieces in. Let's put three minutes on the clock. And let's lower the gate, Olmec, if you would…"
Olmec lets out a low moan as the gate is dropped.
"On your mark, get set, GO!"

Elizabeth runs up the stairs into the Vault and very slowly turns the safe wheel. The safe begins to open, along with the door leading into the Great Chasm. She enters the Great Chasm, swings across the gap and, passing the other half Pendant without seeing it, climbs up into the King's Storeroom with 2:28 remaining. She then tips all three pots off their pedestals and searches for the key among the fragments of pottery on the floor. The second pedestal happens to be the charm, and although she clearly sees the slab blocking the path to the Room of the Ancient Warriors lower, she climbs down into the Burial Pit with 1:55 left.
Elizabeth becomes lost here. She tries hitting the keypads next to the side doors, mistaking them for actuators, until Kirk shouts:
"Just climb down! Down through the treasure chest!"
And so Elizabeth opens the sarcophagus and climbs down into the Throne Room with a minute and a half left. She quickly sits down on the Throne of the Pretender and lets it turn her around, but she ends up facing a door leading back into the Great Chasm. She almost crawls through it, but Kirk and Zane yelling at her to sit on the Throne again is enough to get her to do just that and have the Throne return to its original position. She then climbs back up into the Burial Pit, then up again into the King's Storeroom and finally decides to go into the Room of the Ancient Warriors with a minute left. Elizabeth goes straight to the camera-left suit of armor, which opens the door to the Shrine of the Silver Monkey and houses a TEMPLE SPIRIT! Elizabeth hands in her Pendant of Life, escapes the Spirit's grasp and runs into the Shrine of the Silver Monkey, where she meets the second TEMPLE GUARD!
Elizabeth is removed from the Temple and it's Zane's turn to enter and try to reach the Amulet. He has only 45 seconds left, and he races through the Vault and swings across the Great Chasm. Passing up the half Pendant just left of the door into the King's Storeroom as he keeps going, he gets to the Shrine of the Silver Monkey with 24 seconds left. He grabs all three pieces of the statue in one sweep and so completes the monkey with seven seconds left, then takes the open door directly down into the Chamber of Four Columns. He grabs the GOLDEN AMULET off the nearest column and heads for the door into the Junction of the Secret Shafts— but we're out of time!
"Yes! He got it!" Kirk shouts to the audience as Zane walks back into the foreground from the Chamber of Four Columns. "Elizabeth's excited, they got the trampoline and the XBOX game packages. We gotta get outta here. Join us next time for another great legend of the Hidden Temple! Buh-bye!" Kirk high-fives Zane and Elizabeth as the credits roll.

[The Ancient Warrior]

Episode Summary
Episode 17: The Golden Amulet of Nefertiti

Name of Artifact: The Golden Amulet of Nefertiti
Season: 1
Layout: 3
Result: Failed escape
Team: Red Jaguars
Pendants Won: 1 ½
Location of Artifact: The Chamber of Four Columns



This one reminded me of "King Tut's Cobra Staff," an episode from the first season of the original show, in several ways. Most obviously, the artifacts were both from Egyptian legends. The girls went first in each episode and took similar paths, both going down through the whole central shaft before being forced to climb back up, and both being taken out in the Shrine of the Silver Monkey. Both teams won one-and-a-half Pendants, but in each case the second runner failed to pick up the visible half-Pendant. And finally, the artifacts were both located in the room below the Shrine and grabbed in the last few seconds.

Elizabeth herself was also very similar to Yesenia from "King Tut's Cobra Staff" in that neither one seemed to have any kind of strategy in mind when they were in the Temple. They took pretty similar paths except for when heading left from the central shaft— Yesenia went left from the central room rather than left from the highest room. The biggest difference, however, was that Yesenia was a fast runner, but Elizabeth... not so much. While Yesenia was captured halfway into her run, Elizabeth was removed with only 46 seconds left.

At least the production crew felt generous that day; otherwise the Amulet would not have been grabbed in time. Zane was pretty quick through the Temple, getting to the Shrine of the Silver Monkey in only twenty seconds and putting the monkey together in a short seventeen. Thankfully, the door leading directly down into the Chamber of Four Columns opened, and he jumped down the ladder to get in there faster. Zane got his hands on the Amulet with two seconds left, but couldn't leave the room before time ran out. Nevertheless, it was an exciting run.

Trivia and Records:
This is the only episode in which an artifact is hidden in the Chamber of Four Columns.