VFK Catacomb Quest 2012

October 14, 2012
 October 15, 2012	
==Description==
One of the most ghoulish images that can send a chill up your spine, are bones and skulls! So what can be more frighteningly disturbing than a dark damp tunnel beneath the ground, containing bones and skulls? Catacombs, man-made underground passageways, are found in many places around the world. They provide a final resting place for the deceased, but many didn't start out as subterranean crypts, many were converted over to their morbid function after having served a multitude of other purposes. So, on today's quest, let's head into the dark and scary sphere of the world's catacombs!<BR><BR>
 
Your reward for completing this quest will be 1,000 credits, and a Halloween Skeleton Lounge!<BR><BR><BR>
===Prizes===
===Questions===
1. One of the most famous of the world's catacombs, found in Paris, France began life as stone quarries. The Catacombs of Paris are now an underground tunnel system called the "quarries of Paris." What had been excavated from the ancient abandoned stone quarries beneath the city of Paris?
*Plaster of Paris
*Blue Diamonds
*Coal
*Marble<BR><BR>
2. The Police Lieutenant General, Alexandre Lenoir, is credited with the idea of using the ancient mine tunnels to solve the dilemma of where to put the thousands of bones from the crowded Parisian cemeteries. The catacombs have earned a ghostly reputation from modern visitors to the "Haunted" catacombs. Guests tell of being "touched by unseen hands," or having "the sensation of being followed." Some report cold spots in certain areas and other mystical experiences. Go to Inside the Marshall's Office in Western Age, and say: "Is something following me?"<BR><BR>
3. Having excavated areas under the city of Paris has been the cause of many tribulations over time. Streets have collapsed into the tunnels below. Visitors to the catacombs have suffered cave-ins and even queasiness from the thin air. Others have gotten hopelessly lost or have fallen into 30-foot-deep wells. Gaston Leroux, a writer, created a fictional character which hid in "that infernal underground maze." What was the name of his famous character?
*Jacques Cousteau
*Dr. Doom
*Phantom of the Opera
*Green Ghost<BR><BR>
4. The catacombs of Paris have been used by a number of different groups through the centuries. In the 1300's, bandits hid under the Chateau de Vauvert. In 1348, sorcerers were known to use the tunnels during the plague. More recently, Resistance fighters used the quarries as hideouts during World War II. Go to the Central Square in Medieval Age, and say: "It is the most scary tour ever!"<BR><BR>
5. The Catacombs of Rome also have an interesting history. An ancient civilization, called the Etruscans, was located at what is now the North West of Italy and included the site of Rome. This ancient civilization built an impressively large network of subterranean burial rooms beneath their city. Their rooms included some unusual additions. What did the Etruscans build in some of these ancient chambers?
*Mummified horses
*Life-size sculptures
*Ancient drawings of space ships
*Dinosaur fossils<BR><BR>
6. Visiting the catacombs is the ultimate in haunted tours! Visitors report experiencing intense anxiety, panic and claustrophobia. They also report poltergeist activity. People report visions of specters floating in the tunnels. Interestingly, the majority of reports are of ghostly voices whispering in the dank chambers and empty burial niches. Go to the English Countryside through Stonehenge in Medieval Age, and say: "Did you just say something?"<BR><BR>
7. One location in Scotland, called the Edinburgh Vaults or South Bridge Vaults are another famous haunted place. These chambers which were completed in 1788, were fashioned in the nineteen arches of the South Bridge in Edinburgh, Scotland. For 30 years, the vaults were a thriving commercial district, used to house craftsmen, cobblers and other tradesmen. The bridge itself is a nineteen arch viaduct. Only one arch is still visible today. What is the name of this lone remaining arch?
*Sweetwater Arch
*Norland Arch
*Trollgate Arch
*Cowgate Arch<BR><BR>
8. Although the vaults had once been closed, they were rediscovered and excavated in the 1990's. Since then, they have become a popular ghost hunter destination. The vaults boast their own contingent of ghostly residents. One specter referred to as "Mr. Boots", got his name by clomping noisily on the stone floor behind tour groups and pushing people from behind. Jack, another resident, is a vaporous youth who runs around in the dark rooms giggling. These two ghosts represent only a partial role of the resident ghosts in the vaults. Go to the Undersea Window in Australia, and say: "Don't push me!"<BR><BR>
9. Another maze of catacombs is found under the historic city of Znojmo, in the Czech Republic. Built mostly in the 1300's to 1500's, these Znojmo Catacombs are a vast maze of underground passageways, basements and subcellars. The passages were expanded by connecting individual basements beneath the houses in the city into an extensive labyrinth. Why were they originally connected?
*They were converted into quarries
*For burial chambers
*For defense against enemies
*For long term grain storage<BR><BR>
10. The labyrinth was created to defend the townspeople against invading enemy forces. The townspeople laid traps like slippery slides, trapdoors and narrow passageways to foil invaders who found an entrance. The passageways also provided an escape route under the walls and out of the town, enabling them to hunt for food in times of siege. For long term survival, the townspeople had wells and a drainage system in the catacombs. Go to the Corridor in Space Age, and say: "Beware the traps in the catacombs!"<BR><BR>
11. Press continue to finish the quest!<BR><BR>
===Answers===
1. Plaster of Paris
2. Go to Inside the Marshall's Office in Western Age, and say: "Is something following me?"
3. Phantom of the Opera
4. Go to the Central Square in Medieval Age, and say: "It is the most scary tour ever!"
5. Life-size sculptures
6. Go to the English Countryside through Stonehenge in Medieval Age, and say: "Did you just say something?"
7. Cowgate Arch
8. Go to the Undersea Window in Australia, and say: "Don't push me!"
9. For defense against enemies
10. Go to the Corridor in Space Age, and say: "Beware the traps in the catacombs!"
11. Press continue to finish the quest!
Category:Quests