Living Shangri-La is elegantly situated on prestigious University Ave, Toronto's ceremonial grand boulevard. Surrounded by Adelaide and Simcoe streets, the property is just steps away from the city's finest entertainment, cultural, shopping, business, education, and dining venues. Since James Hilton imagined Shangri-La in his bestselling 1933 novel Lost Horizon, a host of Himalayan areas have laid claim to this earthly Eden. But only one place—Zhongdian in China’s. Two explorers set off to southwest China in search of the elusive Shangri-La. Taking a cue from links between the book Lost Horizon, and Joseph Rock's travel. Shangri-La concept art, Far Cry 4, Wikimedia Commons Throughout history, mankind has often been enthralled by stories of mythical places, cities, and paradises shrouded in secrets and lost to the.
Throughout the world, there have been tales of magical, mystical cities, places ofenchantment and wonder and adventure that have been lost to time. In the world of FengShui, no such place is more famous than the lost city of Shangri-La. Legends and folklorepaint Shangri-La as a city of ancient mysteries and forgotten wisdom. No one knows exactlyhow Shangri-La came to be, or what secrets lie within its walls, but one thing everyoneagrees on is that Shangri-La is exceptionally difficult, if not impossible to find.Although most stories place it somewhere within the region of Tibet or Nepal, no one knowsexactly where it is. There are rumors and stories of explorers who managed to find thecity, but these cannot be confirmed. Only those who failed to find the city have come backto tell the tale.
Shangri-La does, in fact, exist, and it is indeed a city of magic and wonders. However,the reason it is so hard to find is because it never stays in one place for very long.Shangri-La is peculiar and unique in that it phases in and out of time in what is only asemi-predictable cycle at best. An inhabitant of Shangri-La could go to bed in the year820 and wake up in the year 1820 the next day, or virtually any other year for thatmatter. Unlike the portals of the Netherworld, Shangri-La is not limited in its movementsto the open junctures, but rather can appear at almost any time in history. Nor does itphase in any set pattern either, but instead moves from year to year, backwards andforwards in time without any discernible meaning. What's more, the city tends tophase fairly frequently and erratically, sometimes staying in one place for a few months,in others for only a day. Finally, Shangri-La shifts not only from time to time, but inand out of the Netherworld as well.
Despite the seemingly random nature of the city, there are a few rules that govern itsexistence. For one thing, the limits of its movements are set between whatever theearliest and latest open junctures currently are. What's more, Shangri-La seems tofavor time periods where magic is strong. Thus, it appears in the Netherworld and in theyears prior to the Renaissance much more often than it does anywhere else. When Shangri-Ladoes shift, it always does so at night, never during the daytime. Also, no matter whatyear Shangri-La appears in, its location is always the same, a very remote areasomewhere in the Himalayas. When it appears in the Netherworld, it appears in a similarlyremote area, which is why it is largely undiscovered and unheard of even there. Finally,as in the Netherworld, time in Shangri-La always moves forward in a linear fashion. Mondayalways follows Sunday no matter what the year is, and its inhabitants always agenormally as time passes. Of course, because Shangri-la moves about so much, the flow oftime may seem radically different to those outside the city. There are tales withinShangri-La of natives outside the city walls, by chance or by choice, when it phases out.When they next see the city again, dozens of years have passed for them, while only weeksor days have gone by for those living in the city. In contrast, there are similar tales ofsuch people returning to the city after only a short absence, only to find that theirfriends and family have all aged many years since they last left.
Shangri-La itself is indeed the place of wonders that the legends make it out to be.For one thing, within the city walls are three major feng shui sites (each one providingdouble the attunement bonus of a normal site) and close to ten times as many minor fengshui sites. As a result, the inhabitants live in a sort of pocket reality that isinsulated from the modifiers of their current juncture. Shangri-La always has a +3 sorcerymodifier, and the presence of so many feng shui sites means that the average citizen has aShaping skill of 6-12. Shangri-La itself is made up of a combination of shaped andnormally created buildings and items, and what is truly astonishing is that all of theshaped items maintain their integrity outside of the Netherworld, so long as they are keptwithin the city walls. Finally, Shangri-La is blessed with wells that never run dry, andplants that bear fruit every day. In fact, most of the food comes from small orchards,vineyards, and gardens scattered throughout the city. Needless to say, were this not thecase, the people of Shangri-La could not survive.
Shangri-La itself is a small, walled city with less than 10,000 inhabitants. The cityitself is loosely ruled by the high priests of the temple, although the day to day affairsof the city are handled by a council comprised of the most influential citizens in thecity. Despite this, every adult in the city, other than slaves, beggars, and criminals,has a say in how the city is run, and council meetings are often boisterous affairs. Byand large, the priesthood concerns itself with the spiritual welfare of the people, aswell as tracking the constant movements of the city itself. Through a very complex methodinvolving astrology and divination, the priests claim to be able to determine the yearwherever the city is located, and how long it will remain there (though these predictionsare not always 100% accurate). The priests also act as doctors and healers for the city,combining herbalism, prayer, and magic to tend to the sick and injured. They also handlefunerary rites for the dead (who are always cremated). The remainder of the city is madeup of the usual mix of artisans, civil servants, laborers, and the like. Responsibilitybegins early, with children expected to contribute to the welfare of their family by theage of 6. The social structure is very stratified, with sons almost always following inthe footsteps of their fathers, and daughters always joining the families of theirhusbands in arranged marriages (also handled by the priesthood). The only way to break outof this cycle is to join the priesthood or to become a warrior-monk.
The warrior-monks are a special branch of the clergy committed to the maintenance oforder within the city and to its defense as well. When a boy reaches the age of 6 hisparents may apply to have him join the priesthood. He will be carefully questioned andtested by the priests, and if he is deemed suitable he will be inducted into either thepriesthood or the brotherhood of warrior-monks, depending on his aptitude. Needless tosay, few are selected for either order. The warrior-monks are different from the priestsin that that their training is as much martial as it is spiritual. The first six yearsafter a boy is inducted is spent learning basic physical and spiritual techniques, alongwith a lot of menial work. This period is concluded with a test, and if the novice isworthy then he will spend the next six years in intense training, learning to tap into andutilize his chi as part of becoming a warrior. Finally, on his eighteenth birthday theinitiate will be tested again, and if he is successful he will be inducted into the orderas a full warrior-monk and given his first tattoo. These tattoos are magical in nature,providing the monk with supernatural powers and abilities. The tattoos are earned as thewarrior-monk advances spiritually, and are given based on the nature of the recipienthimself as determined by the priesthood.
Naturally, all of the factions would love to get hold of Shangri-La for themselves(except for the Dragons, who don't work that way, and the Jammers, who would like toblow it up). Needless to say, a city that can phase in and out of the Netherworld andthroughout time would be a tremendous asset to anyone who controlled it. So far, none ofthe groups have been able to locate it, much less control it, and what little they knowcomes from stories of those who claim to have visited or lived there. Shangri-La has goneundiscovered for so long partially because of its remote location and partiallybecause it never stays in one time for very long, but also because the priesthood haveemployed and maintain a number of spells designed to hide the city from detection.Although Shangri-La welcomes visitors, they also know that the survival of their citydepends upon it remaining largely a mystery.
Character Types
Warrior-Monk
Attributes
Bod 5,Chi 0 (Mag 6),Mnd 5,Ref 5.
Add 6 points to your primary attributes.No more than 5 points can be spent on any single attribute.
Skills
Martial Arts +9 (=14)
Sorcery +8 (=13)
Info/Philosophy and Theology (of Shangri-la) +3 (8)
Add 4 skill bonuses.
Schticks
5 Tattoo schticks.
Weapons
None
Wealth Level
Poor.
The warrior-monks of Shangri-La are responsible for the security anddefense of the city of Shangri-La.Although they are part of the priesthood, much of their training is inthe martial arts, and they utilize magical tattoos which give themspecial powers as well.The warrior-monks are ascetics, who are expected to live lives ofcelibacy and poverty.They keep their heads shaved, and wear only the simplest of clothing.Although they can use weapons, most eschew them in favor of unarmedcombat.
Using Tattooed Warrior-Monks as Player Characters
While most warrior-monks will only be encountered within the walls of Shangri-La, theymay theoretically be found anywhere. On a monk's 24th birthday, he isgiven the option of leaving the city to explore the outside world, so that he may bringback news of what is happening elsewhere. This allows players totake on the role of a wandering warrior-monk. Furthermore, although the warrior-monks arenot supposed to interfere in the conflicts of outsiders they meet on their travels, theyare taught to uphold the tenets of righteousness and to oppose evil when they encounterit. Thus, although a warrior-monk's loyalty is always to Shangri-La, he may find himselfworking with others toward a greater good. One thing no warrior-monk will ever do isreveal the location of Shangri-la to outsiders. They may, however, provide clues totrusted friends. Triple 7 casino. The monks hold that those who are truly worthy of finding the city willfind it when they look.
Leaving Shangri-La is not an easy decision, for the nature ofthe city is such that when the monk returns, he may find many decades have past. That is,if he finds it again at all. Monks who wish to return to the city invariably travel to theNetherworld, and from there make the long trek to the place where the city will appearwhen it returns. When they reach that spot, they simply wait for the city to return.The monks believe that when it is their time to return, they will know when to make thejourney. However, this is not always the case, and sometimes returning monks are forced toabandon their vigil and return to try again at a later date.
Tattoo Magic
Tattoo magic involves the use of magical tattoos which provide their bearer with accessto different supernatural powers. Each tattoo the character has is represented by a“tattoo schtick.” Multiple schticks can be spent on some powers, which representmore complex and detailed tattoos.
Shangri La Lost Horizon
Characters with magical tattoos activate their powers much in the way a Martial Artistactivates Fu powers, except that they expend Magic points instead of Fu points. Like Fupoints, magic points used to activate tattoo powers refresh at the beginning of eachsequence. The character does not have to perform any special ritual to activate histattoos; he must simply will them to activate and they do. Most tattoo powers activateinstantly, and the duration of their effect is given with each individual description.Multiple schticks in one tattoo usually increase the cost by a like amount. When the costof tattoo says “1 cumulative,” that means that for every schtick the characterhas spent on this tattoo, 1 magic point must be spent when activating that tattoo. Thus, acharacter with three schticks in Dragonfire would have to spend 3 magic points every timethey used the power of the tattoo.
Activating a tattoo requires a Sorcery task check, though success is usually automaticbarring any unusual circumstances or a botched roll. Using the schticks in combat usuallyrequires a Martial Arts task check, as most of the schticks enhance thecharacter'scombat capabilities, and are not attacks in and of themselves. However, characters who usetattoo magic in combat suffer (or benefit from) juncture modifers just as a sorcerer orsupernatural creature would.
Learning new schticks 5 + X experience points per schtick, where X equals the number oftattoo schticks the character will have after they acquire the new one. Players may notbuy any one schtick more than five times, where multiple purchases of the schtick areallowed.
Tattoos
Dragon Tattoo
Cost: 1 cumulative.
This tattoo allows the character to breathe fire. Treat this as the fire effect of theSorcery Blast Schtick. Damage, however, is always based on the character's regularMagic rating +2, not his current rating. Attacks with this schtick are made using theSorcery skill. Each schtick spent on this power above the first adds an additional +2 tothe damage dealt.
Stone Tattoo
Cost: 1 cumulative
This tattoo temporarily hardens the character's skin, making her more resistant todamage. Each schtick spent on this power provides one point of Toughness which lasts forthe duration of the sequence.
Wind Tattoo
Cost: 1
Each schtick spent on this power allows the character to add their Move score again whenleaping horizontally or vertically. Thus, a character with one schtick in this power couldleap up to twice their Move rating, with two schticks they could leap up to three timestheir rating, and so on.
Hare Tattoo
Cost: 1 cumulative
Each schtick spent on this power allows the character to add their Move score again whenrunning. Thus a character with one schtick in this power could run at a rate equal totwice their Move rating, and so on. Once activated, this power remains active for theremainder of the sequence.
Cobra Tattoo
Cost: 1 cumulative
This tattoo temporarily increases the character's reaction time. This tattoo must beactivated when the character is rolling for initiative. For each schtick spent on thispower the character gains a +1 bonus to initiative for that sequence.
Hummingbird Tattoo
Cost: 1 cumulative
This tattoo temporarily increases the speed of a character's action. When thecharacter activates this tattoo, the shot cost of her current action is reduced by one foreach schtick spent on this power. For example, a character who uses this action whilemaking a martial arts attack would reduce the duration of that action from three to twoshots. No action can be reduced down to less than one shot (i.e., you can't performtwo actions on the same shot with this power). This tattoo must be activated as the actionbeing reduced is initiated.
Owl Tattoo
Cost: 1
This tattoo allows the character to see normally even in complete darkness. This effectlasts for the duration of the sequence.
Carp Tattoo
In Search Of Shangri La
Cost: 1
Shangri La Myth
This tattoo allows the character to breath normally underwater. This effect lasts for theduration of the sequence.
Lion Tatoo
Cost: 2
This tattoo allows the character to make a tremendous roar once per sequence thatdisorients all those in a radius in meters equal to the character's Sorcery skilllevel. When you use this power make a Sorcery task check with your victim's CON asthe difficulty. Success means that your victim suffers −2 impairment for a number of shotsequal to the outcome. You must test individually for each character, including allies whoare in the area of effect.
Gorilla Tattoo
Cost: 3
This tattoo gives the character a surge of strength, adding +4 to the damage of any oneMartial Arts attack you make. This tattoo must be activated before the character makes hisMartial Arts attack roll.
Elephant Tattoo
Cost: 1 cumulative
The character's strength is increased by +1 for each schtick they have purchased inthis tattoo for the duration of the sequence.
Tempest Tatoo
Cost: 3
This tattoo allows the character to exhale a great torrent of wind once per sequence,knocking aside those in front of him up to a distance in meters equal to his Sorcery skillrating. When you use this power make a Sorcery Skill Task Check with youropponent'sSTR as the difficulty. Success means the character is knocked backwards a number of metersequal to the Outcome, and then must spend half that many shots (rounded down) getting backup again.
Bane against …
Cost: 2
This character inflicts +4 damage when making Martial Arts attacks against any one type ofcreature specified by the tattoo for the duration of the sequence. You may not spend morethan two schticks on this power during character creation. Possible subjects include:demons, transformed animals, and the undead.
Ward against …
Cost: 2
This tattoo affords the character temporary immunity against one source of damage for theduration of the sequence in which it is activated. Use the Damage Immunities listed in theCreature Power section of the rules. The exceptions listed apply here as well. You may notspend more than two schticks on this power during character creation.
Ward against Sorcery
Cost: 2
When activated, this tattoo increases the character's resistance to magic for theduration of the sequence. All spells directed at him or which include him in their area ofeffect have their difficulty increased by +2.
Would Closing Tattoo
Cost: 1 cumulative.
This tattoo allows the character to rapidly close up wounds and heal injuriesinstantaneously. For each schtick spent on this power, the character may instantly removeup to 3 points of damage on himself. However, healing in this manner requires a tremendousamount of energy. Thus, magic points spent on this schtick recover at the rate of 1 pointper hour, instead of all at the end of the sequence.
Fast Healing Tattoo
Cost: 1 per sequence cumulative.
This tattoo magically speeds up the body's healing abilities, causing the characterto automatically recover 2 points of damage per schtick spent on this power at the end ofeach sequence. The points must be spent at the beginning of each sequence in order tomaintain this power.
Mountain Tattoo
Cost: 1 cumulative.
This tattoo suffuses the character with magical fortitude, allowing him to keep fightinglong after he should have died. Each schtick spent on this power gives the character a +3bonus when making death checks. Magic points are spent automatically when the characterhas to make the check, and if the character has already spent his points for that sequencethen the tattoo will not activate.
Chameleon Tattoo
Cost: 1 per schtick
This tattoo changes the color of the character's skin, allowing him to blend in withhis surroundings to the point where he virtually invisible. Each schtick spent on thispower adds +2 to the character's Intrusion skill for the duration of the sequencewhen he is hiding or attempting to move without being seen. The character may expendpoints automatically at the start of each sequence to maintain the tattoo's effects.Of course, the effectiveness of this tattoo has a lot to do with the character'ssurroundings — it won't help much in a bare, well lit room. No more than threeschticks can be spent on this tattoo.
Sigil of Fate Reversed
Cost: 5
This powerful tattoo dramatically alters the flow of chi around the character, changingbad luck into good fortune. The player may use the power of this tattoo to reverse any oneaction roll — that is, make the negative die positive andthe positive die negative —after the roll has been made. The character does not activate this tattoo; it takes effectwhen it is needed (as dictated by the player).
Is Shangri La Real
Sigil of Destiny Altered
Cost: 4
This powerful tattoo warps the probability lines around the character, slightly changingthe outcome of one small action, and thus the character's destiny itself. The playermay use the power of this tattoo to re-roll any one action he has just made. The resultsof the second roll must be kept — this tattoo cannot be used a second time on the sameaction. Like the previous tattoo, the character does not activate this tattoo; it takeseffect when it is needed (as dictated by the player).
Mark of Good Fortune
Cost: 2
This powerful tattoo acts as a focal point for positive chi, drawing good luck toward thecharacter. The player may use the power of this tattoo to gain an extra Fortune point foreach schtick spent on this power. These points may only be used to addto action rolls —they do not actually raise the character's Fortune score — and they must be spentimmediately. The character may gain a Fortune point as many times during a sequence as hehas schticks in this tattoo, but he must pay for each one seperately. Furthermore, thistattoo places a tremendous strain on the chi of the warrior. Each time this tattoo isused, the character will regain one less magic point at the start of the next sequence(this is a one time penalty for each use, not a cumulative or continuous loss). Pointslost this way are restored at the rate of one per hour. Like the previous tattoo, thecharacter does not activate this tattoo; it takes effect when it is needed (as dictated bythe player).
Mark of the Berserker
Cost: 5
When the bearer of this tattoo summons its power he becomes gripped by a ferociousbattle rage which makes him into a virtually unstoppable killing machine. While under theeffects of this tattoo, the character's STR and SPD scores are raised by 2, hebecomes immune to the effects of the Influence schtick (except Illusions), Death Checksare made as if the character's CON were doubled, and he suffers no penalties forimpairment. The effects of this tattoo last for the duration of the battle, and can onlybe activated during combat. Although the character can distinguish friend from foe, hewill have a hard time restraining himself in combat from attacking allies ornon-combatants if they get in his way (a WIL roll would be required, with the difficultyset by the GM). Once the battle ends the tattoo's effects wear off, at which pointthe character's SPD and CON drop by 2 (below the character's normal scores) fora number of hours equal to the number of sequences the character spent in the berserkstate. Any impairment suffered takes effect, and if the character suffered 35 wound pointsor more in the battle they must immediately make a death check treating their CON werehalved (rounding up). No other tattoos may be used while this Tattoo is in effect exceptfor Sigil of Fate Reversed, Sigil of Destiny Altered, Mark of Good Fortune, MountainTattoo, and any Banes and Wards.
A Refuge From Consensus Reality
Legend Of Shangri La
There is an ancient Tibetan legend that says that somewhere, high in the far away mountains, there is a lost valley, cut off from the world. There the wisdom of the ages is conserved during turbulent times of planetary change that mark the end of one age and the beginning of the next. This paradise they call Shamballa is a heart-centered Sanctuary of peace and harmony whose residents live in accord with the original teachings of dwelling in balance with the Earth, one another and the Creator.
The Dalai Lama says this about Shamballa: “Nowadays, no one knows where Shambala is. Although it is said to exist, people cannot see it, or communicate with it in an ordinary way. Some people say it is located in another world, others that it is an ideal land, a place of the imagination. Some say it was a real place, which cannot now be found. Some believe there are portals into that world which may be accessed from this world. Whatever the truth of that, the search for Shamballa traditionally begins as an outer journey that becomes a journey of inner exploration and discovery.”
We have been brain-washed into believing that this land of bliss can be found in material possessions, power, fame, relationships, sex, drugs or financial security. We believe that “I will only be happy when….”
These are all tantalizing trails that can seduce the pilgrim from the Path To True Bliss. But as one ultimately learns, they are dead ends that, in the last analysis, lead to disappointment & disillusionment.Why? Because Shangri-la does not exist “out there.” It exists within the heart and soul of each of us. But few, if any, ever find it because we are seeking ‘out there’ for something that can only be found within our self.
While we know that the journey to Shangri-la is ultimately an inner one, we also know that sometimes you need to slip away from daily routines and the distractions of the outer world to find a quite place in nature that allows you to explore the vast inner world within. That is why Mountain Light exists.
Whether you are seeking a quiet place for personal retreat; for reading, writing, art, prayer, meditation or simply time alone in nature, we are here for you. Our broad spiritual perspective celebrates diversity and welcomes all who seek a place of refuge, regardless of religion, race, national origin, politics, sexual orientation or whatever.