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Encyclopedia WinterCampica - Suggest Change
Current Entry: Armageddon Challenge
The first threat to the Earth that was faced by Winter Campers as part of the Defenders of the Earth theme at Winter Camp XXXV was an attack originating on the Plane of Armageddon. Five stations comprised the Armageddon Challenge, and three teams of Arrowmen took on the challenge. In World War IV, Winter Campers were quested to destroy Satan's minions with sticks and stones, as had been foreseen by Albert Einstein in 1947. Two of the teams adopted a "kill 'em all" strategy, while one was more compassionate, opting to spare the lives of all of the innocents.
Goodman's Quest called on campers to exemplify the Order's spirit of brotherhood by feeding each other marshmallows with long sticks. After some confusion about the definition of "stick", all three teams were eventually successful, although Ethan Rein took one for his team by eating a marshmallow covered in bark.
Success at the various stations was ostensibly measured by Winter Camp cash awarded to each team, and the Which Path To Take? challenge, which was a callback to a 1978 ceremony, found each team at an ethical crossroads. A envelope of cash, labeled as belonging to another team, was placed in their path. Did they make an effort to return it? None did.
Challenge four saw the Kanamits demanding a human sacrifice in the To Serve Man challenge. Team 1 failed to make a choice, while Team 2 set Keith King on fire. The ropes that bound him burned through and allowed him to escape, and he then became the most valuable guide. Team 3 opted for the time-honored "Nose Goes" method of choosing a sacrifice, but Ethan Rein's historical knowledge did not include that ritual, and so he willingly sacrificed himself for the good of his fellows.
The final challenge was the Random Sample, where the teams were presented with a collection of items for sale at the alien store, and were called on to spend some of their accumulated funds. Roger Horn continues to wait for the chocolate promised him by team 2. Team 1 shared everything, and Team 3 bought only a pencil and shared nothing.
Team 1 ended the game with $196, Team 2 with $230, and Team 3 with $164-however, this was for display purposes only, as the true measure by which teams were judged was their adherence to the principles of the Scout Oath and Law.