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Walla-Walla-Bing-Bang Rockies
A string of mountainous islands near the Royal Palace of
Walla-Walla-Bing-Bang form what are known as the Walla-Walla-Bing-Bang
Rockies. Covering several dozen square miles of ocean, the
Rockies are entirely barren and desolate. When the Ruby Wings
of Queen Maureen were stolen centuries ago from the Walla-Walla-Bing-Bang
palace, the thieves hid the treasure in secret caves deep
within the heart of the Rockies, where the Ruby Wings remained
until the recent ascension of Princess Grace to the throne.
Hazardous to navigate, the various passes and canyons of
the Rockies are prone to sudden rockslides. The catacombs
within the Rockies — impossible to find without the aid
of a specific map — were originally designed as an ancient
treasure house and thus are riddled with dangerous pitfalls
and boobytraps.
Whether the act of independent thieves or a coup hatched
by insurgents to destabilize the throne, the theft of the
Ruby Wings sent shock waves rippling throughout the kingdom
of Walla-Walla-Bing-Bang. The fabulous Ruby Wings of Queen
Maureen were not just dazzling accoutrements, but proof of
the right to rule passed down through generations of royal
inheritors. Without the Wings, the royal line was still preserved
by heredity, but the absence of the heirloom meant that anyone
related to the royal house of Walla-Walla-Bing-Bang could
challenge the ruler appointee for the throne.
(See "Ancient and Lost Artifacts" in the TaleSpin
World section for more info.)
Despite the murkiness of accounts describing how the Ruby
Wings of Queen Maureen were stolen, the royal house always
suspected that the culprits ensconced the item in secret caves
somewhere in the Walla-Walla-Bing-Bang Rockies, the ruins
of a great treasure house forgotten since ancient days. When
an old map with the Ruby Wings' location surfaced in the hands
of Prince Rudolph — self-proclaimed distant cousin of
Princess Grace — the royal heiress dispatched an old
colleague to get the map and reclaim the true token of rulership.
THE CATACOMBS
Following the course laid out on the map would bring treasure
seekers over a rockslide-blocked canyon and into a shallow
lagoon with jagged, twisting rocks that cast shadows in nightmarish
relief under the pale light of the moon. Such portents are
a foretaste of the real dangers inside the catacombs, located
inland from the lagoon's beach.
Assuming one can lower the titanic front door without getting
flattened, he or she must then negotiate a series of insidious
obstacles left by those who came before: tripwires and nets,
bottomless chasms, rolling boulders, and a barrage of deadly
spears. Most of the traps rely on the haste and impatience
of their victims for success, and are rather easily avoided
if one proceeds carefully through the caves.
Below: A series of hangups, pitfalls, sticky situations,
and tough choices await raiders of the lost treasure.
THE VAULT
After getting past the obstacles in one piece, explorers
must tackle the final challenge of lifting open the door to
the vault — a giant block of granite — by use of
a pull chain. Even with the help of counterweights, it takes
two people making a heroic effort to heave open the door.
The treasure vault is the highest point in the ruins. At
its far end, the chamber opens to a sheer drop of several
hundred feet to the water. Heavy, grooved columns on raised
platforms uphold the roof of the vault, preventing accidental
collapse.
Above: The fabulous Ruby Wings of Queen Maureen.
Left: Airplane Jane and Baloo, discoverers of the long-lost
Ruby Wings. Etched above the doorway is the Walla-Walla-Bing-Bang
royal emblem.
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