Campaign Chunk Volume 11.06 – Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu (sometimes referred to as Machu Pikchu) is is a 15th-century Inca citadel situated on a mountain ridge approximately 2,400 metres above sea level. It is located in the Cusco Region, Urubamba Province, Machupicchu District in Peru above the Sacred Valley, which is 80 kilometres northwest of Cuzco.
Often mistakenly referred to as the “Lost City of the Incas”, Machu Pichu is believed to have been built for the Inca emperor Pachacuti and was built sometime around the year 1450. Almost a century later it was to be abandoned during the time of the Spanish Conquest. From then it remained virtually unknown to the rest of the world until American historian Hiram Bingham brought it to international attention in 1911.
Machu Picchu is roughly divided into 2 sectors: an urban and an agricultural sector, with an upper town and lower town. Places such as the temples can be found in the upper part and the warehouses and such can be found in the lower. There are around 200 or so buildings arranged on parallel terraces around an east-west central square. The first zone contains what many believe to be the primary archaeological treasures, namely the Inti Watana (a ritual stone associated with the astronomic clock or calendar), the Temple of the Sun and the Room of the Three Windows.
Since is re-discover in 1911, Machu Picchu has become a popular tourist location, with around 400,000 being on record as visiting in 2000, making it one of Peru’s most visited tourist attraction and major revenue generator. In fact, it has become so popular that UNESCO is considering putting Machu Picchu on its List of World Heritage in Danger.
Hooks & Rumors
- Some of the artifacts that Bingham removed to Yale were being prepared to be shipped back to Peru. Now they have “gone missing”. Some are accusing Yale of deliberately wanting to keep the artifacts, with others looking into who broke into the storage room that night and what was stolen with an open mind.
- The child of a celebrity, who was helping to run a charity drive to help preserve Machu Picchu, has gone missing. Some believe she was kidnapped by locals as a protest, with others saying that the celebrity had made some powerful enemies in her conservation efforts and this was a warning to keep away.
- Archaeologists have discovered a tunnel under one of the buildings. It appears to lead deep underground and then splits into four directions, 1 going north, south, east, and west, along with the tunnel back to Macchu Picchu. Each of the tunnels has been deliberately blocked and as of yet no-one knows why there were made or where they lead
- A sudden and heavy storm has blocked the roads and paths leading to Machu Pichu and the local government is requesting help evacuating the area from anyone who can help.
Volume 10 of the compiled and updated Campaign Chunks is available at DrivethruRPG.com
http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/184856/Campaign-Chunk–Volume-10–Mysteries
