The Lost Valley

Somewhere in the heart of the Mogabi Desert lies a desolate crater, one of many strewn about the barren wasteland of the Mogabi. Ordinarily this place would not be considered unusual — but according to legend, once every 100 years at sunrise, ancient water pours from a river deep within the earth. Magically, a legendary lost paradise arises from the sand, complete with lush plants and prehistoric creatures. This enchanted landscape lasts until sunset, at which point the ancient water ceases to flow and the mythical paradise vanishes for another hundred years.

Such fairy tales are generally discredited by reputable explorers, but the legend of the Lost Valley has existed since time immemorial, recorded only in a single clay talisman thousands of years old. Inscribed upon the talisman in an arcane language is the location and legend of the Lost Valley. As the legend explains, the plants and dinosaurs of the lost paradise were somehow crystallized by the sun and mingled with the dust of the valley.

Trapped within the sands of the Mogabi, these life forms are re-animated by the ancient water, which flows from a natural spring blocked by two stone doors. Every 100 years at dawn, the sun lines up perfectly with the edge of the crater, producing a beam of sunlight which separates the stone doors and allows the water to flow freely. At sunset the doors close, the river dries up, and the jungle and its creatures disappear for another century.

No one knows for sure whether the Lost Valley is fact or fiction. One safari guide named O'Roarke claims to have witnessed the Lost Valley's wonders. However, without corroborating stories from his companions, or the actual clay talisman with the valley's location (which was conveniently destroyed), O'Roarke's account is regarded as senseless raving — and the Lost Valley remains no more than a myth.

(For more information, see Ancient and Lost Artifacts in the "TaleSpin World" section.)