Xanadu
2010-08-01 · davien
In 1797, Samuel Coleridge fell asleep after taking 'an anodyne' for
'a slight disposition' he had developed, and in the throes of opium
induced hallucinations, grasped momentarily a vision of a vast palace
of otherworldly scale and beauty - the pleasure-domes of Xanadu, built
under the orders of the Mongol and Chinese conquerer, Kubla Khan.
"In Xanadu did Kubla Khan
A stately pleasure dome decree:
Where Alph, the sacred river, ran
Through caverns measureless to man
Down to a sunless sea."
When he awoke, he feverishly tried to record the entirety of his vision,
but he was interrupted by a visitor, who detained him for an hour on
some business. By the time the business was concluded, Coleridge had lost
the intensity and power of his vision. Xanadu thus remains forever lost
to the world, no more than just another strand in the infinity of worlds.
Xanadu exists. Its gardens, its incense-bearing trees, its domes that
glitter in the sun and caves of blue ice. It is the home of Kubla Khan,
immortal and terrifying, with "his flashing eyes! His floating hair!"
One has but to enter fabled Xanadu, find one's way past the beasts of
the gardens and the guards of the palace, and perhaps gain a chance to
challenge the immortal Khan himself!
The entrance to this area is near the Chaos bookstore, and is safe for
surface exploration for all levels of players, but players of levels 25-35
might find it most fruitful.
Now go forth! Xanadu awaits!