Location Description

For this assignment we had to describe, with as much detail, a location, fictional or real, in 15 minutes or so.

The Valley of the Ki-Char and the Tournament’s arena

When Shadow arrived at the grove of trees he discovered it was actually camouflage, intended to hide a large, dark stone wall the same hue as the tree’s covering shade. He was expecting to sneak inside when the hidden door he was searching for opened behind him. The double door gate itself was dark, the same hue as the camouflaged wall as to blend in. In the dark of the tree’s shade the gates are nearly impossible to see. The dual gates were made of thick sheets of metal and slid silently on well-oiled tracks since Shadow didn’t hear it. The gates were reinforced with additional metal plates to protect unwanted entrance by modern-day warfare means. Thin, sliding flaps allowed those inside to view those without the gates and still remain hidden. The gates opened only inward so that they could be barred with twin, heavy, metal beams which slid into place from above on the inside. One metal bar swung from the gate’s frame on the right to support the bottom while the gate’s upper support bar swung from the left.

Within its lighted, armored, and defended opening was a man of oriental origins, laced with Romanian blood who welcomed him in as a guest. His robes were ornate, with the background of a silk, rich, sable while intertwining threads of gold danced about the trim. The greeter’s smile was warm, as if they were expecting him. Now that he was able to see the darkened wall for what it was Shadow could see the sun and sky through additional slits high up in the wall. Through these slits vague traces of armored soldiers watched with what appeared to be some type of weapon, waiting silently and patiently for instructions from below.
                  Shadow’s shock was escalated when he stepped through the gateway; out of the hot, dry, dusty, barren, desert mountain air and into a sparkling, tantalizing, vividly-colored valley garden paradise. It was if as if a great hand and scooped a hole away from the barren, stony mountain ranges around them and filled it with life, like a little girl would to decorate her doll house.

As he walked in the valley’s scenes grew lighter as nature’s majestic beauty coming into focus. Forested hills blanketed the valley’s side, providing a lush scene of vegetation. From high above, a nearby waterfall cascaded its it’s descending plummet with a dream-like vision. Grassy fields dotted the valley’s floor with adorned trees and were decorated with the vibrant colors of wildflowers.

However, this is simply camouflage designed to hide the true nature of the valley’s purpose; lulling visitors into a false sense of security to prepare them for the plunge into everlasting doom.

Within the valley stood a hidden kingdom of Korean architecture, whose origins are known to none but those who settled the land and those few who knew the fables that history had desperately tried to devour. It is the land of the fabled clan Ki-Char, whose clan’s remains were remnants of a pilgrimage Korean army whose ultimate end had both plighted and prospered them to this end. Red-pillared pagoda houses with tiled roofs lined the landscape with an air of superior efficiency. Military barracks, arsenals, storage facilities, and training fields provided a humbling and disconcerting mood of military might. A larger building sat separately from the rest of the village, as though rejected or being saved for specially intended purposes. Sitting against one of the valley’s walls and overshadowing the smaller buildings loomed a royal palace, like a fat cat who gazed upon a choice selection of timid mice. In the lighted hues it laid quiet and still, as though it peered down with distaste upon its subjects and looked for a reason to reject their presence.

Shadow was then escorted by a cadre of soldiers down into the hidden, deep valley on a narrow pathway which wound around the steep, cresting waterfall to the valley’s floor. As they slowly descended down the gravel path he got the sinking impression that, despite their welcoming mood towards him, he was being treated like a prisoner. When they reached the path’s end he was marched to the arena, the special-looking separate building viewed from the valley’s lip above, and led inside. From the outside the arena was a large, rectangle, stone building four multiple double-doors set in each corner without any windows. Like the palace and most of the larger buildings it was paved with red tiles and supported with crimson pillars.

His thoughts of being captured didn’t diminish as he was led to the arena instead of to a prison. However, his curiosity did peak.

Inside the arena Shadow’s attention was drawn towards the red, modern-day mat on the floor. It was roughly the size of half a basketball court and lit by multiple candles resting on hanging chandeliers, their light is reflected by glass magnifiers that completely illuminated the inelarge room. The arena's mat was also red scarlet, as though stained scarlet from the life's blood spilled before it. It contained a simple black circle in the dead center, which wrapped around about twenty feet in diameter to allowing for plenty of movement and tumbling space. There were also two, large black Ki-Char clan symbols on either side of the circle.

Decorating the walls were red, decorated tapestries and various works of art depicting ancient battles that took place within the rocky-walled room. The weapons of fallen warriors in time’s past against the Ki-Char tradition and Master’s hand were displayed on the wall, trophies proudly displaying the victor’s kills. Against the northern and southern walls of the arena were two, wooden, seating frameworks, intended to host audiences.

                  The building was Korean in design with ornate architecture appearing to date back over 1,000 years. It contained hints of local, Romanian details in the fringe, details, and artwork but the buildings appeared to be strictly Korean, almost as if the Romanian subculture decided to move in once it knew it was safe to do so.

                  A golden, cushioned throne sat on a detailed, wooden dais sat at the head of the arena, to give it a view over the fighting area. Hanging above it was a large, round, gold ying-yang symbol, depicting a fighting dragon and ravenous tiger. It was connected to the rafters by thick, gold chains. The entire room seemed to either imitate or bow with reverence towards the symbol out of either respect or awe.

Four sets of double doors, one in each corner of the building and facing north and south, were flanked by two, metal-clad armored guards. Each was armed with deadly-looking, sheathed swords and remained completely silent despite the questions thrown at them by the others.