Sun Valley

2022 Location Lore Event Entry
Author: InklessDragon

A person who followed one of the paths upwards in the Dawn Cloud Mountains would come upon the sight of one of the air Shijis cities that they build up high in there. The city is seemingly made entirely out of gold, but this is just an illusion of the sun setting the white stone ablaze with light and at night it’s continued by the moon who in turn also reflects the sun’s rays. The buildings are light colored and airy, just like most of the Shiji; the buildings are focused on art, quality and functionality rather than protection as they have little to fear in their hidden cities.

It’s not hard to see why, if one would look beyond the cities edge, they would discover that they’re above the clouds and looking down on them. The clouds looking like one could walk upon them without issue; sometimes the more playful air Shiji do so to mess with another’s mind, especially youngsters who aren’t well versed in the way of things yet and to see their reaction.

The inner city is dotted with countless little parks, most of the time hidden and harboring plants and trees that wouldn’t otherwise grow up here and brought up from the more adventurous Shiji or the very few merchants that make their yearly trek upwards. The plants are cared for continiously to make sure that they survive and even thrive. Many of those are also decorated with lamps and string lights that make these places cozy and in some cases rather romantic.

A few of the more outlandish Shiji up here even have greenhouses that are open to the public and more rare plants are found therein; but even here the importance lies in the feeling of being in an open space and one has to be careful not to walk into the glass panels that keep the atmosphere inside ideal. They are the joy and pride of those few Shiji and can be found often spending their time in there and admiring their collection and even giving information to those who ask!

Outside of the parks and greenhouses, there is little greenery to be found as the mountains are rather inhospitable to anything that makes an attempt to settle its roots into the soil and rocks that make up most of the landscape. The many colorful animals that fly, flit and run around make up for it however. There are countless songbirds, lizards and insects that fill the otherwise plain looking city with color and considered living art among the cultivated fauna.

A secret that isn’t so much a secret is the many murals that decorate the few solid walls that are present; usually placed for the simple purpose of making art on them as the usual glass and pillars are considered less than ideal, although those are often decorated excessively as well. The paintings usually cover every square inch and often collaborations with many Shiji, sometimes even those who’re visiting from outside, which is considered high praise to them. Overall the place gives a feeling of being carefree and all trouble left behind on the distant lands below them.