12044/Resonants: Vanaheim

Resonants: Vanaheim
Date of Scene:	21 July 2022
Location:	Suriname, South America
Synopsis:	The Vanaheim artifact is secured but not until after a few challenges must be overcome!
Cast of Characters:	Sif, Jimmy Hudson, Caitlin Fairchild
Tinyplot:	Resonants

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Sif has posed:
Oppressive heat and a heaviness to the air from the extreme humidity of the rainforest gave one the feeling they might be in a sauna. Yet this was no moment of leisure. The trek through the jungle had been challenging, for there was no path to the goal. Blades had to be wielded to allow for them movement in any direction.

After some research in Vanaheim, they had found a likely object that bore a link to that realm and Midgard. Only this one was on Midgard itself still! Thus the group found themselves in the Republic of Suriname in South America. The country was known for having the highest level of forest cover in the world, taking conservation of those rain forests very seriously. The government had agreed to allow the Asgardian delegation exploration but had protested when they suggested using flying horses for ease of travel to their destination. Thus, they were able to travel by jeep for part of the trip but had been on foot for about five miles by this point.

Yet, it had all been worth it as their destination lay ahead. Though, it didn't look like much. A huge mass of vegetation around the entrance to a cave. It was big enough to allow two people to walk shoulder-to-shoulder.

Jimmy Hudson has posed:
    The fellow that Sif had introduced as James Hudson had been polite. Business-like in his manner at first meet but companionable on the journey. For him he answers to James, or Jimmy, or Jim. To the other explorers Sif was Sif, simply that. Caitlin though was Ms. Fairchild as he maintained a politeness with his curious accented drawl.
    "I'm a halfway decent tracker, ma'am." When asked about his specialty and true it was him likely taking point as they made their way. Machete in hand and some good trail clearing, he did a good job with that. And always seemed to have a nose for the right direction.
    Sometimes he'd pause and rest his hands on his hips, the tan utility pants, jacket, and black combat boots made him look like a hunter from the turn of the century before last. Though the black baseball cap, shades, and rough beard brought him more into the present century. Not event to mention the rifle over one shoulder.
    "Think it's about ten minutes this way. Up that trail." And through the great mess of green that lies before them. Straight toward that side of the cliff and that maw of a cave entry. Once in he grabs a utility light and hooks it on his chest pocket, letting it illuminate their path.
    "We shoulda brought whips for this gig." For some reason that causes his lip to twist up.

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
Caitlin is miserable.

She can weather arctic cold, open flames, even most small-caliber bullets. But the humidity and the heat absolutely makes the fair-haired redhead wilt. She's wearing a wide-brimmed sunhat in olive drab, has a cooling kerchief around her neck, and her attire is a workout top and shorts along with some sandals. A little travel fan is in her hand, blowing extra air onto her face anytime the Jeep's forward momentum stalls.

Flush-faced and miserable, she exhales a grumbling sigh when the vehicle comes to a stop outside the cave, and follows dutifully along until Jimmy stops. His comment earns a snort and a faint smile, the first one on her face for four hours.

"Whips, maybe. I'd settle for a nice pool. I don't even care what's in the water at this point." Caitlin's hair is bound back into a ponytail, and she takes a few seconds to pin it up into a loose bun. The humidity's not doing her curly red hair any favors, either. She shoulders a backpack and exchanges her hat for a headband light, looking around the cave's entrance. "We've all done a little spelunking." She looks back at Jimmy and Sif. "Right? Or is this where we sing the 'Don't Wander Off' song?"

Sif has posed:
At least they understand each other.

On the other hand, Sif has no idea about either of the references made. She looks curiously at Jimmy first. "Why would whips be of use?"

She is dressed in clothing she had been told was appropriate. Cargo pants in tan, an olive drab t-shirt. The jacket had been abandoned long ago. But as they arrived, she had put her sword in place at her side, strapping on the belt that held the scabbard in place. Then the hike to the cave and now she glanced back at that entrance. She pulled out the headlamp and put it in place, allowing her to be hands free.

Her glance at Caitlin was equally confused. "Is it a drinking song? Perhaps we should save it until after we retrieve the item?"

Then she started into the cave.

There was nothing that stood out about the interior. Dank, dark. Bugs and creatures that loved such places scurried to get out of the way of the people traipsing through their midst, hiding from the light. A few bats were disturbed and took flight, moving to an area further from the trio of explorers then trying to resume their daytime napping.

It was about 100 yards in when they came across the carvings. A few on the walls, along with some murals which had faded with the passage of time. Pictures of ancient indigenous people with a temple they were in front of. They looked Mayan but that civilation was not known to have existed this far south. Only, there was something else there. Runes. They seemed Nordic perhaps. Further down, there was an image of the people looking up at what seemed to be a Long ship like those used by the Vikings of old.

Jimmy Hudson has posed:
    "Some," Jimmy answers sidelong toward Caitlin, one eye scrunching up. "Though nothin'..." The Canadian mutant with the hint of a Texas drawl turns back and looks at the cave with some trepidation, "Nothin' quite like this." Which is when he starts to head on in, taking in a deep breath as his nose crinkles.
    Though when Sif asks him about whips he replies, "You use 'em ta trade for idols." Which is said with a small smile given to her that likely by now she can read is his making a stab at a bad joke face. Though the next few moments he's stepping through the cave along with and taking a deep breath.
    "Old, fetid. No animals beyond the usual though as far as I can tell." There's the crunch of old rocks under his foot, dirt and grime. Some hint of water from somewhere perhaps. Then he tilts his head sidelong and looks toward Sif. "If there's a dragon here though you guys got this."
    Since apparently he had heard about their last adventure.
    Once they got underway delving further and deeper. Inside now that they no longer can see the entrance, heading on further. For a moment he pauses to look at the depictions, then he espies the runes before he asks of Sif, "This... this your guys' stuff?"

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
"Sif, we really need to get back to doing movie nights," Caitlin tells the warrior woman, and gives her arm a reassuring pat along with a flashing smile.

Caitlin is one of those people who is *extremely* prepared. Periodically she scratches a chalk mark on a convenient wall or statue to remind them which way is the safe route back out. When they get to the runes, Caitlin whistles a high-low-high note and her miniature drone clambers out of a pouch on her back. "Give me a room scan of these images," she bids the drone. "Broad shots and a room map, and then start scanning the walls with a sub-spectral overlay."

She brushes away a few vines and some dust, squinting at the runes. "It's definitely Futhark," Caitlin tells Jimmy. "Not sure what era it's from though. I'm still not as fluent in Asgardian rune-language as I'd like to be," she admits.

Sif has posed:
"It does seem to be. Though, the rest is not." Meaning the obviously not Vanaheim or Asgardian type images. She moved over with Caitlin to look at the runes. "It is...different. Which may be why it is challenging, Caitlin. Not quite Vanaheim. Not quite Asgard. It is as though they were modified. Becoming something else. Perhaps the influence of those found here?"

She was able to read some of the words but not all of them. "It mentions the ship from the sky." She pointed to the longship depiction. "And the salvation brought with it." She shook her head. "That is all I can interpret."

Then there was a hint of a breeze. A cooling wind moving into the cave. Only, it came from below. Not the entrance above them. That caused Sif's brow to furrow and she started to walk further into the depths.

Another 30 yards or so then the tunnel would take a sharp turn to the right. The floor was no longer dirt but what seemed to be cobbled together stones. And within three steps, braziers along the edges of the cave flared to life. The braziers were shaped like flowers, the flames in the center of them. Again the lines had a mix of Nordic and Mayan designs. There were also a series of holes in the walls, various heights and no obvious matter to them. Each hole was about an inch in diameter.

Jimmy Hudson has posed:
    "Futhark," James echoes, curious, but not willing to press at the moment as he's perhaps not at ease with the situation. He's walking along slowly, keeping his head on a swivel as he considers their surroundings. Then the drone gains his attention as it whirs ahead and back mapping out the area.
    Turning his head so he can listen to the back and forth he seems to catch some of the references, nodding a little as he looks on the depiction of the ship. "That's weird..."
    He pauses and lifts his chin, "Somethin' further on like. Sickly sweet. I wanna say... magnolias?" Which he knows sounds kinda out there even as he keeps on moving with the others and their new robot drone friend. Shaking his head he looks a little around the corner leaning to the side before actually taking the curve then. "Lit braziers is always bad news."
    Especially in a place like this.
    Then the holes in the walls and he says, "Yeah... that's bad news." Though likely he is not the first to notice.

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
"It has to be semantic drift from the locals," Caitlin agrees with Sif. "I've read stuff in the Royal Library that is like, thousands and thousands of years old. So unless this is much, much older than Asgard's written history, I .... " She blinks as that idea occurs to her. "Huh. That's... an interesting idea." She reaches for her pack and pulls out a little sampling container. A tiny instrument extracts small samples of stone from deep inside the runes and from the exterior surface, and she labels them in tiny handwriting before packing it up again. "I'll do a compositional analysis once I'm home. See if we can carbon date some organic matter or estimate erosion rates."

She kips up a pace or two to catch up with Jimmy and Sif as they head deeper into the caverns. And just as Jimmy makes his remark about 'magnolias', Caitlin sneezes. Explosively. It's nearly as loud as a gunshot, and she follows it up with another one. "Augh! I'm allergic to those!" she declares through a stuffy nose. "Hagh on, I gotta git my Zyrtehc." Immediately she starts looking through yet another small pouch for some eyedrops and a nasal spray injector.

Sif has posed:
As the sneeze rips through the room, the sound almost makes Sif jump. She wasn't expecting that at all and she finds herself with her hand on her sword. Looking at Caitlin with wide eyes, she shakes her head and removes her hand. "Zyrtehc." She pronounces it the same way. "What is this?"

But she also looks back to the cave ahead of them. She starts to take a step forward but pauses to look back over at James. "Bad news? You sense something?" And with his senses, he might pick up two things. There is a faint oil smell coming from somewhere. There is also a sound of what might be stone rubbing against stone from further up the tunnel, after the next turn so out of sight.

Jimmy Hudson has posed:
    James Hudson likes to think he's a reasonably cool guy. He cuts a handsome silhouette, has those rugged good looks, something of an outdoors guy. Today he's even got the field explorer look and the gear. But when Caitlin sneezes it suddenly is all worth so very little when he can't help but jump as he says sharply, "Atchka!"
    Not a word, just a sound as he was caught entirely off guard trying to simultaneously say 'Agh' and 'Gah!' at the same time and failing with both. Though he exhales in the next moment and says, "Jeezus."
    Then, "Dang."
    "Scared the heck outta me." Since the setting of the moment definitely has him on edge. Though he shakes his head and can't help but laugh as he shoots a look over at Sif that's apologetic before he asks Caitlin, "You alright there?"
    Though when Sif asks him he motions, "Braziers gotta be tended or fueled someway or by someone. And... the holes I'm thinkin' a trap ahead." Another breath and he frowns. "Oil stored somewhere and..." His eyes narrow as if trying to see down the way. "Stones, or a grindstone. Heavy."
    He glances at the drone, then Caitlin. Likely hoping that they send the robot on down to check rather than him.

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
Caitlin's busy with eyedrops and snorting and honking into her kerchief. When Jimmy drops his mildly blasphemous explicative, she looks at him rather sharply. It's hard to take her -completely- seriously with the hanky and teardrops in her eyes. There's a muffled "Language, please," from behind her hankie and she blows her nose twice. "A'd I'm fine, t'anks," she says, and tries to sniffle. "Pollinators. I'm allergic to anything bees like. Just gibbe a minuht." She continues to follow Jimmy and Sif in a cautious rearguard and suppress her nose-blowing to only strictly necessary moments. When Sif pauses, Caitlin shows her the little nasal injector that says 'Zyrtec' in bold letters across the front.

"Could be a pressure switch system," she suggests, wiggling a finger in a circle at the floor. "Some fulminatin' material like phosphur oah--" *HONK* "-something else. Mercury triggers or a lead azide? Either way, I definitely am with Jimmy on this one. Maybe you should hang back a bit," she tells him apologetically. "Hot oil won't hurt me or Sif much but a bad burn this deep in the jungle could kill you."

Sif has posed:
Sif takes a moment to look at the injector, still not sure what it is but at least she has a visual of what a Zyrtec is now. As Cailtin asks for a minute, she is considering the hall ahead of them. It doesn't seem that bad. Other than those self-lighting braziers and the little holes stood out.

At mention of pressure switch system, she tracked where Caitlin was pointing and considered the floor. "I will go."

And without hesitation, she began to walk forward. For the first ten feet, all is well. Then a stone she stepped on sank about a half inch with an ominous CLICK sound. Two seconds passed then a new sound.

*TWIP*

Arrows began to fire out of the holes in the walls, whistling through the air in a rain of death through the hallway. They are fired across the hallway, designed to catch a person in the hall in the crossfire. Those at the start who had not touched the stone path would be safe.

Jimmy Hudson has posed:
    "Sorreh," Jimmy answers as he shakes his head a little, though he does smile with a touch of embarrassment. Yet he does listen attentively, since one thing that he's come away with on their trip is that Caitlin seems to know what she's talking about. Especially when she's moved to talking a lot.
    Looking on ahead he takes a position behind Sif and Caitlin. He can endure a good bit and can usually come back from a mess of roughness. But a giant rolling boulder or a cauldron of boiling oil might be too much.
    "I'll follow up and sound out when I sense anything new." Though of course that's the moment when Sif just says, 'I will go,' and his eyes widen.
    "Mebbe the drone should..."
    Thwip-thwip-thwip
    When the arrows start firing he reaches out, "Sif!"
    An attempt to try and catch her and draw her back, but then again it's not hugely likely James Hudson can stop a Sif when she's set her mind to something.

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
Allergies or not, there's nothing wrong with Caitlin's reflexes. The first arrow that launches out shatters against her bare shoulder. "Ow!" she yelps, more out of surprise than pain. With one hand she grabs Jimmy by the back of his shirt, hauls him around like an adult juggling a toddler out of traffic, and pins him to the wall with a forearm across his collarbone. She braces her free hand against the wall near his head so her back (and backpack) are taking the hits.

"You okay?" she asks him, and holds position until the volley of arrows ceases. She cautiously eases up, making sure to keep one hand on Jimmy in case she has to toss him somewhere safer abruptly. Caitlin looks back over her shoulder, then up and down the path, and points at the depressed stone. "Pressure switch," she calls over to Sif. "I think it's marked. Do you see any others with the same symbol on it? We should either avoid it, or trigger them pre-emptively to be safe."

Sif has posed:
When the arrows began to fly, instinctively Sif turned to retreat, as it was a shorter distance to where she had been to where she was going. One step but she saw James' hand and suddenly her concern was for him. Thankfully Caitlin had things well in hand as she protected him from the barrage.

Sif then dropped, flattening herself on the floor. It wasn't perfect but it kept most of the arrows from hitting. One brushed past her sleeve on the way down, cutting the material. As the arrows struck the opposite walls, they clanged loudly and fell to the floor or their shafts broke entirely. The tips were some sort of strong metal but the mechanism that fired them was no stronger than an actual human being might.

When it was over, she eyed the floor and carefully rose to her feet.

"Are you both well?" She hadn't thought to look for them previously but scanned the floor now. Having not thought to look for markings, she was surprised to find Caitlin was correct. "There are markings." She carefully moved back to where they were. Once she was with them, she pointed to the offensive marking on the stones in the floor. "Those." She'd walked right past three in her initial foray into the hall before she hit that one.

With those instructions, they would be able to move forward and come to the next turn in the tunnels. Again, the braziers lined the path. Again they flared to life when they were within sight-line of the explorers.

Only this hallway led to an opening. It appeared there was a cave ahead. Within that cave there was light coming from somewhere. Not flickering, more like sunlight. Also visible would be what looked like a mini Mayan temple of sorts in the center of that cave. It stood perhaps twelve feet. Atop it was something but it was difficult to make out at this distance. The scent of flowers was getting stronger and, once they entered the cave, they would find the walls covered in vines with large white flowers. Not exactly magnolias, as they grew on trees, but definitely in the same scientific family by appearance and scent.

Jimmy Hudson has posed:
    It's a rush of movement. A step forward, then Jimmy reaching out. Sif getting shot at and those arrows slicing across the distance. Only for Caitlin to reach out and make that grab and suddenly he's against the wall with the allergic redhead holding him there and shielding him with that forearm in place.
    At first his only answer is a grunt from the impact, though he hears the 'thok-thok-thok-tink' of those arrows impacting, but he gives a nod and then murmurs, "Yeah. yeah thanks." He half-smiles a little and then looks up into her eyes before he says with that same smile...
    "You uhh, you got a lil somethin'." He lightly brings a hand up to rub the tip of his nose in the universal sign of 'nasal decoration.'
    But then Sif was asking how they were, "M'good. Caitlin's got good reflexes." And once he's given a little more breathing room he steps back and starts to shine his light on the markings and the stones, trying to point out the ones that have a similar symbol as the one that triggered the arrows. It would hopefully help as they progressed.
    Though when the braziers flared to life he said, "Still don't like that." But when they got to that cavern in the depths of the tunnel and he sees the central temple with all the vines and the flowers he says, "Like that even less."

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
"I'm fine, they're just regular arrows," Caitlin promises Sif.

The big redhead releases Jimmy as soon as it's prudent, dusting him off apologetically and trying to set his collar aright before stepping away. His little gesture prompts her to take out kerchief again to tidy her nose up. "Thanks," she mumbles, looking a little embarassed by the task. She falls into step with the others again, though keeping a motherly sort of proximity to Jimmy just in case some other ancient threat decides to unleash itself at them.

The view of the central temple brings Caitlin up short with a low whistle of amazement at the view. "Wow, this is.... kinda pretty," she admits. More magnolias; Caitlin takes two more sniffs of nasal spray and returns it to her backpack's pocket. And, just to be safe, she pulls a short sword off the frame of her pack and hangs the scabbard between her shoulder blades just in case it's needed.

"Sif, you got any idea what this all is yet?" she inquires, pack held loosely in her left hand. "An arrow-trap is pretty low-tech for Asgardians. I'd have expected some magical defenses here."

Sif has posed:
As they turned the corner into that new hallway, the braziers lighting, the flames in the hallway behind them went out. Definitely something at play here that they were not seeing. Oddly, this hallway seemed to offer no dangers. No holes in the walls. No markings on the floor. There were more carvings and paintings on the walls. The indigenous people in those images seemed to be in garb that hinted at influences of Vanaheim along with what was more traditional to Mayans. There were no runes to explain the details though.

Then as they came into that wide open cave, they would see it was indeed beautiful. There were a few points above where the cave must open to the outside as sunlight filtered through 'chimneys' to the outside. Natural, just openings in the stone, but it gave a soft light to the cavern. That light must be what was feeding the flowering vines on the walls. Hundreds of flowers, the walls fully covered. Yet, they didn't grow out onto the floor. Instead working their way upwards, hall and ceiling. There were more braziers, lining the exterior of the cave and they too flared to life as they had entered.

Sif examined the room, then started to move forward. The path was cobbled stone again, leading to the steps of the mini-temple. Nothing happened again until she was at the base. Here they could see the statue.

The statue stood about six and a half feet tall. A huge barrel-chested man. His hair was long and worn in a braid. Beard flowing halfway down his chest. The clothing he wore was obviously that of Vanaheim, far more advanced than what could be from the time of the Mayans. He was holding a giant axe, held easily propped on his shoulder. There was a hint of a smirk on the stone face. A few runes marked the handle of the axe, ones that Caitlin would be able to read. These were not the modified version of the runes that had been seen before.

    Njord the Younger - Savior

Jimmy Hudson has posed:
    "No problem, barely a thing." Jimmy says in that way a fellow has of trying to disarm a thing of its embarrassment, even as they wander on into that chamber. Though he stops a bit in, letting Sif take point and trying not to have to make himself a liability by needing saving again. He takes his hat off for a moment to wipe his brow and get a good look at the place before he pulls the baseball cap back into place.
    Then, "Yeah, it is kinda pretty." And then adds, "Prolly poisonous." Then his brow knits as he asks, "Venomous?" As if trying to recall which would be which in this particular case.
    He takes some time to survey the temple and all of the vines and flowers, though he doesn't fall behind. "Am I a bad person that my first instinct is we should prolly burn all the vegetation afore we try delving? I am aren't I?"
    A quick half-jog to catch back up with Sif and Caitlin as he considers the runes and then the figure of Njord before he shoots a glance at Sif to see if she recognizes the man.

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
"If you bite it and you die, it's poisonous," Caitlin tells Jimmy patiently. "If it bites you and you die, it's venomous. And no, you're not crazy," she says, with a wry chuckle. "I have been attacked by animated plants -three- times," she says, holding up three fingers demonstratively.

No threat; Caitlin heads over to the statue and sets her pack down so she can look it over more carefully. "Njord .... inn ... Frelsa. The saver?" she says, and swings her gaze over to Sif. "Or is it more like-- the rescuer...." She frets her lower lip and shakes her head, straightening. "But look, this is much better engraving," she says, pointing at the runic marks. "Sharper angles, with a flat relief channel at the base of the runes. It looks like it was done with a, uh, uh, milling machine or something. Not a hammer and chisel. And the erosion is significantly less progressive. How old /is/ this place?" she wonders, looking upwards.

Sif has posed:
The plants do nothing aggressive. They simply are. There are even a few bees and butterflies fluttering around, pollenating them. None are snatched up and eaten by some carnivorous flora.

"I am not sure. Njord the Younger is a hero of Vanaheim. He was lost for a time and returned home with many tales of adventure." Sif glanced up at the statue but continued her circuit around the temple. "He must have been here and influenced the lifes of the people." Thus the mix. "The item we seek may be inside this structure," she muses as she pauses, head tilted as she considers how to get the small structure to open.

Which is when that stone on stone noise happens again. The one that James had heard before, though this time it is in the same room.

Things all happen at once. The hallway they entered through is suddenly SLAMMED closed as a large, rectangular boulder dropped to block their escape. Even as areas of the cave open. Stones slid up, each the same height as the statue atop the temple. And out of those holes come statues. All are more Mayan in design, though with Vanaheim type clothing. All are made of stone. And all of them are armed. Some with swords, some with large hammers, some with spears. Four guardians brought to life and released. They stand about six feet.

Then next to Caitlin is another sound of stone on stone as the statue's head turns her direction, as though noticing her. Even as it lifts the axe from it's shoulder.

Jimmy Hudson has posed:
    Silently Jimmy mouthes the words, 'Three Times' with some clear incredulity seen in his eyes but also twinned with acceptance. Since Caitlin doesn't really strike him as a fibber. He turns to the side and steps around the other two as they consider the statue and the temple, though he... is keeping an eye on the perimeter just in case.
    Unslinging the rifle he takes another deep breath and frowns, then says. "M'not gettin' anythin' else. Too many flowers too close. Just smell all the magnolias." As he says that he slides a hand along the weapon and checks the safety, the chamber, then returns his attention to their surroundings.
    Which is a good thing since as soon as the first boulder scrapes across stone Jimmy's voice is heard to say sharply, "Heads up!" Which has him bringing the rifle up and to his shoulder as he starts to take bead at the rising stones that menace them so suddenly. But when they open and out step stone statues he grimaces and starts to take aim...
    Only a voice inside his head says, 'Don't be like that, Jimmy. Don't be like those gangsters who shoot at Superman.' And quickly he discards the weapon to the side as he leans forward back curved in a crouch as he suddenly //grrrrowls// as energy shimmers to life around his fists before six silvered blades slice through his knuckles to snap into place with a short sharp /schackt!/.
    And in the next instant he charges.

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
Caitlin instantly goes back to back with Sif and Jimmy, forming a three point triangle. A hand rests on her sword at the sight of those statues animating. The redhead groans and releases her grip. "The *one time* I don't bring my hammer," she seethes. A sword's not much use against stone, no matter how well made it is.

Then off Jimmy goes in a blur, and Caitlin yelps abortively after him-- right up until she sees those claws come out.

She gives Sif a sharp look. "I feel like -that- is something I should have known about," she tells her friend, pointing at Jimmy's wake. In the next moment the big statue next to them starts to unlimber its blade, and Caitlin yelps in surprise. It lasts for all of a quarter second before she sets her feet up, pulls a fist behind her ear, and delivers a left cross to the statue's upper thigh with enough force to punch a hole in a battleship's hull.

Sif has posed:
Sif drew her blade automatically. Being the type of metal it is, she knows that she'll be able to combat stone with it. Additionally, she knows that both she and Caitlin are not so squishy thus they should be able to withstand attacks. Unless those weapons are magical in nature or uru metal perhaps.

They are not. The weapons are steel, which is a bit above the level the Mayans may have made so another outside influence. Not to mention the Magic that had to be animating these things in the first place! For they are not machine in nature. This is pure enchantment bringing them to life to guard this sacred place.

James is Sif's concern. He is a mutant which means he is human. He also is squishy, though she is aware he heals faster than a normal human being. Which is all she really knew about his powers.

As Jimmy's powers flare, Sif blinks. Twice. Then she looks at Caitlin's observation. "I must agree. And I more than you!" Then the fight was joined and she focused on parrying a slice sent her way.

Jimmy's charge is met by the stone men. The one with a spear takes a swipe but finds James is too fast, moving easily out of the way. The next swings a hammer his direction. Those blades of his will make short work of the statues once he is able to bring them into contact!

The punch from Caitlin is more than enough to shatter that leg. Njord staggers, somehow balancing on one leg and swinging that axe forcefully in the direction of the redhead! Perhaps the most disturbing thing is though it is moving, the expression on the face never changes. It continues to smirk at her, as though it has everything well in hand.

Jimmy Hudson has posed:
    It starts as a triangle of defense, and as soon as it is tested Jimmy breaks to the attack abruptly, digging his feet in and then leaping forward in a charge toward the two that come up behind them since that was his responsibility earlier. There's the clatter of his steps as he kicks up dirt and rubble, then the ring of the spear tip impacting hard with the ground followed by the clatter o the hammer impacting the cobbles of the path, evaded as the mutant school instructor twists his shoulders to the side slipping past first one, then the other...
    Which gives him the opening to /leap/ past the hammer wielder as one of those claws slice straight through its chest leaving a long ragged furrow that compromises the structure of it, causing it to teeter...
    As he spins back and slices its ankle, splitting calf from foot and sending it toppling where he tears into it on the ground...
    All while the other turns to bring its spear up.

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
Caitlin heaves a grunt of terrific effort and crosses her bracers over one another. The swinging horizontal arc of the blade is caught between them and violently repelled, the Aegis ringing a subtle, pure note that sounds like victory.

"Go get Jimmy! I can deal with this big lummox," she shouts over to Sif. The redhead dances backwards with a good boxer's footwork, trying to keep the statue's attention on her long enough for Sif to move to Jimmy without risking an axe in the back. But it gives Njord's statue enough time to re-orient itself, and frustratingly, the magics that sustain it seem to make the missing extremity little more than a minor inconvenience. Another huge axe blow descends, and Caitlin dodges it with a sidestep. The blade hits the stone, *clangs* off with a spray of cracked rocks and sparks, and skitters across the floor. She steps in with a brutal strike right on the statue's support arm, smashing her golden bracers through the stone and destroying the space between elbow and wrist. To her chagrin, Caitlin catches a backhand from that partially severed limb that lifts her off her feet and throws her a solid twelve feet backwards to land in a pile of magnolias.

"HACHOO!"

Sif has posed:
Sif steps in to deal with her own foes. Her blade quickly blocks a strike sent her way then a strong swing of her weapon slices the stone man in half at the waist. It falls in two pieces and goes still. So, though they are magic, at least they can be stopped! It is good information to know. Otherwise this might turn into a zombie movie, with pieces crawling around still trying to fight. She grabs the second and flings it as hard as she can toward the closest wall. It shatters into dozens of pieces and while rock and dust rains to the floor where it impacted.

Jimmy expertly takes down the stone man. It was already off balance but that attack destroying its leg sends it slamming heavily into the ground with a loud thud. It loses hold on the hammer, the weapon falling about a foot away. It is compromised but may be able to get back up if not eliminated quickly. The spearman swings the weapon in again but the man proves to be far more nimble than one might expect for a man his size. Even as the spear comes in, Jimmy would be able to sidestep and slice through the weapon, leaving the stoneman holding a broken stick.

That left Njord but he was having a time of it against Caitlin. She had easily blocked his swings. And now, with that second attack and a missing leg, Njord was off balance. He started to waver a bit even as Caitlin slammed through his arm, cutting it off. He flailed at her, an automatic response which landed the lucky hit which put her in the flowers.

Those dangerous flowers. So white and pristine, that sickly sweet smell coming from him. The vines that climbed up toward the sunlight showing through the natural chimneys. The flowers that--did nothing but make her sneeze more! Such horrible plants!

Then down went Njord in a heap but he was still functional at the moment. That left him and two Jimmy was fighting as still moving though they were the worse for wear at this point. The people were winning against the stone guardians!

Jimmy Hudson has posed:
    That hammer goes skittering across the ground and through a mess of flowers, sending horrible pollen into the air yet again even as Jimmy moves away from the statues, slipping to the side of the one trying to impale him with the spear. The hammer though has his attention and he's able to close the distance and kick it away from the fallen statue's hand...
    Only to realize kicking a stone hammer /really/ hurts. "Agh, mother..." Though stops without saying anything more, mindful of Caitlin's presence. He does, however, bend down quickly to grab the hammer as the claws slide back into their housing with a resonant /shing!/ Then he /hefts/ it onto his shoulder as he shakes his head.
    "Sorry fella." As he brings that hammer up and then /down/ on the fallen statue. _CRACK!_

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
"HACHOO!"

Caitlin doesn't let her allergies slow her down. She rushes forward with incredible acceleration, pushing off the stones with so much force that the boulders standing there for centuries are moved several inches. It takes all of three steps to line her feet up and Caitlin delivers a kick to the statue's chin that would knock a football into low orbit. As it is, the head disintegates and the stones turn into shrapnel spraying up at the ceiling. Caitlin twists the axe loose from the still-struggling statue's grip, sets herself up, and delivers a two-handed blow to the torso that has so much force the blade *snaps* with a resonating sound, and the statue disintegrates into inanimate constituent pieces.

"I got him! He's haa-- haa--!"

"HACHOO!"

Sif has posed:
The statue at Jimmy's feet explodes in all directions, destroyed by that strong downward blow. Which is when Jimmy would feel the /smack/ on his back at his right shoulder blade. Seems the one with the stick, all that is left of its spear, had opted to try to hit the man. Jimmy was able to bring that hammer around in an underhanded swing and slam into the statue's chin, separating head from shoulders. The body falls there, the head slamming into a wall in the distant side of the chamber.

Caitlin's power was too much for the statue. The devastating blow sundered the statue into naught but pebbles and dust! Leaving her standing over the pile of rubble, victorious! And sniffly!

Before they can even revel in their victory, that scraping of stone is heard again. This time from two area. First the chimneys are closed off, cutting off the sunlight and leaving them in the light of the braziers and their own sources of light--if they survived their personal combat.

The second was from the temple itself. The front of it begins to shift, the steps folding outward one by one then bending in on themselves and retracting. Leaving an opening to view the interior.

Within is a figurehead. It is about four feet long. The valkyrie is still as lovely as the day she was removed from the front of the flying skiff which had brought Njord to this world. The colors of white and silver, her blonde hair flowing down from beneath a winged helmet. This was the piece they had sought, that was was important to Vanaheim and Midgard, tying to two together in the carved wooden figure.

Jimmy Hudson has posed:
    The hammer falls to the ground as Jimmy lets it drop, frowning as he looks around and considers the aftermath of that chaos. He starts forward, limping a little as he winces at the feeling of his foot knitting itself together after his wise effort of booting the hammer. Steel-toed boots helped a little at least.
    As he draws back to the others he says toward Caitlin, "More ta you than meets the eye." Since he had known about Sif, but not quite just how darn strong Miss Fairchild truly is. Then he smiles toward Sif and asks, "You alright?" Knowing full well she most likely is but still feeling compelled to ask.
    Though when the stones start shifting again, the grinding rocks shift and close the temple off from the light above... only to present the treasure of the figurehead... his eyes widen a little. Then he gives a nod, "This... you think this is the thing?"

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
*THONK*. Caitlin blows her nose and tucks her kerchief out of the way. "That's definitely it," she tells Jimmy. While he's goggling at the figurehead, she puts a palm to his shoulderblade to carefully frame the wound. "Gonna need to clean this and disinfect it," Caitlin tells him. "Hang on, I've got a medkit in my pack."

But right under her eyes, his wounds are closing, ejecting a few chips of stone to let them hit the floor with a clatter. Caitlin walks around Jimmy to look at his face with both brows raised in academic surprise. "...If you've got a healing factor that I didn't know about, you owe me a new backpack," she tells him, and points at the damage done to her very nice high-end backpack!

Sif has posed:
"I am well," Sif told Jimmy reassuringly, starting to move his direciton then pausing as she saw Caitlin tending to a wound. That part she did know about. The healing. Though she hadn't seen it up close like this previously. It was impressive. She gave a little apologetic smile to Caitlin then shrugged. "I knew this part. Not about the blades." Which had her giving Jimmy a look that meant there might be some questions in his future.

Then she turned her attention back to the ship's figurehead that was now displayed for them. Only, she was being cautious about it this time. After the last two traps, she wasn't just going to grab it.

"That has to be it. The texts we found mentioned a lady. I was unsure how to interpret that." She moved closer and crouched, eyeing the way the masthead was displayed. It looked to be hanging on a post of some sort. Nothing else.

Jimmy Hudson has posed:
    "I... do got a healing factor." He confesses even as he shoots a look over at Sif and smiles a little, almost like a fella who'd been caught out at a poker game with the fellas. "But, I mean... pain still hurts somethin' fierce."
    So he probably does owe her a backpack, but that smile on his face. That damn smile. It's like he can't do no wrong. Though alright it doesn't work all the time. Then he adds, "I appreciate it though, gettin' hit by all those shots woulda put me outta things for a good bit of time."
    So she did help, that's for certain.
    Of course that's the moment Jimmy catches Sif's eye and that look she gives him which is cause enough for that smile to return though this one might be a touch more apologetic considering. Though when she starts advancing on the valkyrie figure he lifts his chin and leans to the side to get a better angle. "Careful, might have some sort of mechanism if ya take it." Just a lucky guess.

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
Caitlin chucks Jimmy lightly on the shoulder (well away from his healing wound) and laughs once despite herself. "Don't try the charm on me, Jimmy," she tells him with a tone that fails to achieve lofty superiority. "I've been friends with the likes of Nightwing and Kid Flash *way* too long." An impudent look crosses her face, and she makes a two-fingered gesture in the air between them. "Your Jedi mind tricks don't work on me," she whispers in a theatrical sotto voce.

Joking done, she moves to Sif's side and kneels down to peeks into the container with her flashlight on. She's pretty thorough about it. "Well... I don't see any obvious trap mechanisms," she says, turning to look up and behind her shoulder at Sif. "But given that we went from physical hazards to animated statues... I'm guessing that if there *is* a trap, it'd be like... a pressure weight or a trembler switch attached to the stand."

A beat passes. "Or something magical, but I am fresh out of anti-magic items in my pack. Do we just like.... grab it and run?"

Sif has posed:
"Well, thus far we have been able to survive what was thrown at us. It seems their threats are limited to the technology available to them at the time. Perhaps with some from Vanaheim added to help with the statues or keeping mechanisms from failing with the passage of time."

Sif rose to her feet then considered the figurehead again. "My best suggestion is we try that. Unless we have some way to try to put weight on the mechanism, in case it is triggered in that manner?"

She looked around the chamber, at the braziers and flowering vines. Then back to the temple. "It depends if it is a physical or magical trap, if there is one. I suspect either way, we will trigger it. Perhaps your suggestion of taking it and departing is good. Though, departing is problematic as well with the stone blocking the exit." Though likely Caitlin or Sif could destroy or move that stone. But why did the chamber seal itself off through the chimneys as well upon the opening of the temple?

Jimmy Hudson has posed:
    A low chortle is heard coming from Jimmy as he shakes his head sidelong toward Caitlin, though when Sif meets his eyes he gestures with a thumb toward the redhead then gives her a look that silently says, 'I like your friends.' or maybe, 'Get a load of this gal?'
    Either/or.
    He doesn't quite kneel as lean down some, so he's behind the two powerhouses while he eyeballs the figure. A glance over his shoulder is given as he considers, then he murmurs. "Might be wise if we secure our way of evac before we go fiddlin' with it."
    A beat, then he adds. "Though, I'll back your all's play. I trust you guys."

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
Caitlin thinks about it, then just shakes her head. "No. Listen, let's do this," she suggests. "I'll hold the post steady. I can do that. If I don't feel anything trying to give or lift or whatever, we're all good. Then we can just knock down that stone gate and walk out of here. If I *do* feel it give, I'll need to hold this steady anyway while you're busting loose-- just in case this cavern's unstable. Worst case scenario, I can deal with a cave in long enough for me to dig myself out or you two to dig down to me. There's not that much rock overhead; I've had a whole building come down on me before, so, I'll be fine."

She gets herself settled in, reaches into the alcove, and grips the stand firmly to lock it in place. "Okay Sif, grab it," she says. "Jimmy, be ready to run," she advises the young swashbuckler.

Sif has posed:
At the suggestion, Sif gives a nod. "James, I will pass it off to you once I take it. That will allow me to focus on our exit if Caitlin is forced to remain holding the post."

Then she didn't waste time. Once they were in position, she picked up the figurehead.

Nothing happened. There was no tug or change in the post. No sign of a pressure switch. It seemed there was no booby trap setup in removal of the item.

Yet, there was a shifting in the air. No longer was there any flow of a breeze through the cavern. Then that scrape of rock that they had learned was a portent of bad things to come. This time small openings appeared around the chamber, close to the ceiling. And out of those openings began to pour a greenish yellow mist. It fell like it had weight, moving more like it was a liquid although visually and texturally it was a gas.

"This bodes ill."

Jimmy Hudson has posed:
    The low grumble deep in James' chest is all one needs to hear to know what Hudson's opinion of Caitlin's plan might be. "Any plan that involves digging onea you guys outta the ground..." But then he quirks an eyebrow at Sif, perhaps still not quite realizing the extent of the power at the command of the two warrior women since he's seen a few danger room scenarios but beyond that...
    He takes a moment to reclaim his rifle and sling it over his back, making sure the safety is still in place beforehand. Then he gives a nod toward them both. Ready.
    Then the mist...
    He looks up and follows the slow descent of the green and yellow ichor frowning he bites his lower lip and then says. "Don't worry about me, I can handle poison. Smash us the he... heck outta here."

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
"Oh crabapples," Caitlin says, and it *almost* sounds like an explative.

But Jimmy's apparently immune to poison, so... he'll be fine. Caitlin looks from him to Sif, points at her, and gives a thumbs up-- Sif's immune to poison, /she'll/ be fine-- and Caitlin looks to Jimmy and points at herself. "Uh... yeah. Haven't met a poison yet that can lay me out," she says. She looks back at the stand, releases it, and gets to her feet. "So I guess we can just, um.... go?"

She dusts herself off and picks her pack up, and walks-- not runs-- up the steps to the entrance. She takes a second or two to analyze how the stones are aligned and estimate the best point for attack.

And then she sets her hips in a low stance, lines up two practice swings, and throws a rising uppercut with her bare knuckles that *CRACKS* the boulder. She resets, moves an inch to the left, and throws another one of those punches. A third punch breaks out a fairly large piece from the center, and Caitlin lines up #4.

The heavy block blows backwards into the previous area and she steps through, kicking the last of the boulders out of the way so there's a clear path for them.

She whistles up her drone as Sif and Jimmy pass, and gives it a little pipette. "Get me a sample of that gas. I think it's curare-based," she tells Jimmy and Sif. "Kinda smells like an alkaloid poison. Right?"

Sif has posed:
Sif looks up at those vents allowing the mist to enter but follows the pair as they move toward the exit. She held the figurehead in her left arm easily, looking at it then back to Caitlin as she lines up her attack.

The boulder never had a chance.

What is revealed is the hallway they had entered through, the braziers immediately firing to life again now that people were exiting. As they made for the entrance of the cave, following through the next tunnel. No arrows this time, just the flowery braziers. Then back to the long expanse that would lead back to the rainforest.

Jimmy Hudson has posed:
    To Caitlin's credit she's persuasive enough that Jimmy's first reaction is to sort of nod and shrug though he doesn't say anything since he's trying to hold his breath. He may be able to recover from poison at a fantastic rate but... it's still gross. Then he's turning toward the poison as it pools outward from where it flows like some translucent green and yellow slime effect from a 50s horror movie.
    But then he realizes what he's doing and knits his brow as he looks at her, then spreads his hands, shaking his head... those eyes saying, 'what the?!'
    Yet all it takes is a look of 'please' in her eyes which might be enough to get him to roll his own as he leans over and...
    Inhales a breath of whatever it is. Then holds his breath as his eyes narrow, tightening as he looks... sick. Which has him rushing back for the exit all over again.
    Hopefully Caitlin has something she can take the sample with. Because... damn.

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
"Did you just--" Nope, Jimmy's gone and done a runner. Caitlin's jaw slacks, and she looks to Sif. "I did *NOT* tell him to sniff the curare," she says, immediately lodging a protest. "And if he goes into respiratory paralysis, you're the one doing CPR."

She jogs after Jimmy with a concerned expression, catching up to him in the open air and moving around to look into his eyes and check his pulse. Her drone whistles over with the little pipette in its manipulator arms, with some yellow-green gas lingering in the little sample chamber. It deposits the pipette in a sealed container while Caitlin looks Jimmy over. "...Well, you look OK," she says, finally. And then she flicks his ear. "You said you could *handle* poison," she scolds him. "I don't have any AChE inhibitors with me, they're clear back at base camp. Next time you decide to go lick the walls, let me know ahead of time so I can pack out the right antidotes!"

She looks at Sif as the warrior emrges, and Caitlin expresses the last of her irritation by planting her hands on her hips and exhaling a loud huff.

"HACHOO!"