Shangrila

The central valley of Shangri-La presents a landscape that defies the
underground setting, an expansive garden where crystalline trees rise toward a
ceiling too distant to see clearly. These arboreal formations catch and
refract whatever light sources explorers bring, creating kaleidoscopic
patterns across the landscape. The “fruits” hanging from these trees are
in fact gemstones, primarily amethysts and citrines, and touching them often
triggers cascades of harmonic tones that can be disorienting or, in some
cases, induce trance-like states.

Stone flowers bloom from the garden floor, their petals carved with such
delicacy that they appear to move slightly, as if stirred by a breeze that
doesn’t exist. These flora exhibit properties that challenge understanding:
some change color in response to human emotions, while others produce audible
sighs when approached too closely. Particularly dangerous are the carnivorous
varieties which resemble lotus blossoms, but can snap shut with enough force
to shatter bone.

The monastery structures dominate the periphery of the valley, their jade
walls seamlessly transitioning into natural rock formations in a way that
makes it impossible to determine where architecture ends and geology begins.
Many of these buildings feature impossible geometry, interior spaces larger
than their exteriors would suggest, staircases that appear to ascend but
somehow lead downward, and meditation chambers where sound behaves according
to unfamiliar acoustic principles.

Movement between structures requires crossing the remains of elaborate bridges
that span chasms of indeterminate depth. Many have partially collapsed,
leaving gaps that must be carefully navigated. The intact sections exhibit
unsettling properties, steps that elongate as one walks, handrails that feel
warm like living flesh, and decorative carvings that seem to follow explorers
with their eyes.

The guardian statues positioned throughout Shangri-La represent beings from
Buddhist, Hindu, and other unidentifiable mythologies. These massive figures,
some standing thirty feet tall, are carved from single pieces of jade with
such detail that individual eyelashes can be discerned. Their eyes, inlaid
with some luminescent material, appear to track movement throughout the ruins.
More disturbingly, explorers who damage the ruins or attempt to remove
artifacts often report the statues have changed position when next
encountered, though no one has ever witnessed them moving.

The eastern quarter of Shangri-La contains what appears to have been a
library, though its contents have largely deteriorated into dust. The few
surviving texts contain information that alternates between profound wisdom
and apparent nonsense, often mid-sentence. More troubling are the scrolls
that contain accurate descriptions of events that occurred centuries after
Shangri-La’s disappearance, suggesting either prophetic abilities among its
inhabitants or a relationship with time more complex than simple linear
progression.

Animal cries echo through the ruins at irregular intervals, their sources
never glimpsed directly. Audio analysis of recordings reveals these sounds
combine vocalizations from known species with elements that match no
terrestrial creature. Some delvers report that after prolonged exposure, they
have begun to discern patterns in these calls suggestive of language rather
than animal communication, though linguistic experts are skeptical of these
claims.