- "Ninjas are allergic to sunshine."
- ―Numb Chuck
Forbidden Valley | |
Major Characters in Location | Numb Chuck |
Main Location of | Ninjas |
Enemies | Dark Ronin, Maelstrom Horsemen, Maelstrom Dragons |
Forbidden Valley is the sixth world in LEGO Universe, based off of the Ninja theme.
After successfully exploring Gnarled Forest, players are sent to Forbidden Valley by Captain Jack Knife in order to find three lost Pirate Spies, who each have a piece of a map that leads to Captain Jack Knife's treasure. Players access Forbidden Valley by using a launchpad overlooking Nimbus Plaza.
Upon landing on the world, players find it is composed of many high, stone spires, with sheer cliffs and paths of floating rocks, powerful updrafts, and occasional bridges to get from summit to summit. Ravencloud Gate is across the Perilous Path, but is protected by the Ravencloud Guardian and two Ninja Guards. Ninja Tashi gives players hints on how to get around the gate, either by smashing a nearby shrine and Quick Building its pieces into a bouncer, or jumping on some floating rocks to reach a small wooden wall that can be smashed to pass through the rock beside the gate.
On the other side of Ravencloud Gate, players meet Kenjin the Wise, who congratulates them on getting past the gate and tells them to visit Master Fong Shader in the Great Tree. After riding updrafts of wind to get to another spire, players arrive at Mantis Rock, which is home to the namesake Mantis pet, swarms of Dark Ronin, and Georgie Timbershivers, the first of the lost Pirate spies. Georgie asks players to get a Ninja disguise for him, so he can sneak out of Forbidden Valley.
Upon using a bouncer on the edge of the cliff, players are flung to the top of another small spire consisting of a large archway, and two more bouncers, one leading back to Mantis Rock, the other leading to the Race Place. There, players can race through Dragonmaw Chasm Raceway, and accept challenges from racing trainer Zip Lash.
After rounding a corner on a path of floating stones at Mantis Rock, players find themselves at the Great Tree, a giant tree with the Hidden Dojo built into its branches, where Master Fong Shader is found. Hearing the player was sent by his former master, he sends them to train with the three Ninjas of the Great Tree; Smashmaster Foom, Gathermaster Klex, and Brickmaster Clang. Each Ninja gives the player a mission related to the ability they specialize in. Smashmaster Foom sends players to Cavalry Hill to smash Maelstrom Horsemen spawning from the infected crypts. Gathermaster Klex challenges players to locate and smash four Bell Shrines, to retrieve hammer pieces inside, which he forges into a Maelstrom Hammer that can smash special LEGO objects. Finally, Brickmaster Clang also sends players to Cavalry Hill, to build Maelstrom Turrets to keep the Maelstrom Horsemen from emerging from their tombs.
With the three Ninjas giving their approval of the player to Master Fong Shader, he sends them to speak with Paradox Agent Numb Chuck. Numb Chuck gives the player a Maelstrom-infused Ninja Hood, and gives them their final test: To defeat a Maelstrom Dragon.
Players then arrive at the Forbidden Passage on the way to the Dragon's Den and meet Robbie Jibhanger, the second Pirate Spy. Like Georgie, he requests the player finds a Ninja disguise for him. Also at the Forbidden Passage is Bill Shido, a Ninja Messenger who lost his Ninja Hood and, as a result, is unable to pass through the Maelstrom portal at the Fallen Gate and deliver a scroll to Vapor Overcast at the Paradox Refinery. Players then take the scroll from him so they can deliver it.
Passing through the portal, players use a set of bouncers to safely get to a lower collection of spires, where the Paradox Refinery is built. Midway through the bouncer platforms is Gary Grogowitz, the third and final Pirate Spy. Like the other two, he asks the player to get a Ninja disguise for him.
Vapor Overcast greets players to the refinery, accepts the scroll, and then asks them to find Maelstrom-Infected Bricks to use to power Brick Fury, a Paradox Super Soldier who defends the facility from the nearby Dark Ronin and Maelstrom Horsemen. Also at the Paradox Refinery is a vendor, Kammy Kazei, who sells Pirate-sized Ninja Clothes, and Echs Ray, a Paradox Scientist. Echs Ray sends players to fix three broken pipes and restore the facility's power supply, a task made trickier by the threat of Maelstrom Horsemen.
Past the Paradox Refinery is a large stone wall, which, despite being heavily reinforced, appears to be caving outward. On the other side of the wall is the Maelstrom Valley, the deepest and most infected area of the planet chunk, where the Maelstrom Dragons lurk. Players interact with a dragon statue outside the wall to enter the Forbidden Valley Dragon Battle.
After defeating a Maelstrom Dragon, players return to Numb Chuck, and are given a Dragon Tooth as a reward. Numb Chuck then asks players to retrieve his Maelstrom Staff from Gnarled Forest, as it was stolen by Captain Jack Knife. Gathermaster Klex and Brickmaster Clang also enlists the help of the player in freeing Hashi, Mashi, Zashi, and Steve from their prisons at Brig Rock, also in Gnarled Forest.
Back in Gnarled Forest, players use their Ninja Hood to sneak past the Ninja Detectors at the Pirate Camp, and break open the treasure chest containing the Maelstrom Staff with the Maelstrom Hammer given to them by Gathermaster Klex. The Maelstrom Hammer is also used to smash the jail cells where the four captive Ninjas are held, freeing the Ninjas, with dummies built by Brickmaster Clang put in their place.
Master Fong Shader suspects that the Maelstrom might not be as chaotic as it appears, and sends players to Wisp Lee in Avant Gardens to see what he has discovered. Wisp Lee has been unable to find anything meaningful in his analysis of the Maelstrom, and sends players back to Echs Ray to see what he has found. Echs Ray studies the data from Wisp Lee, and finds that Baron Typhonus is still alive, and controlling the Maelstrom. Master Fong Shader warns the Paradox leaders of Echs Ray's findings, and the player receives a vision from Baron Typhonus, now known as the Darkitect.
Locations[]
Perilous Path[]
The start of Forbidden Valley, and home to Ravencloud Gate. Ninja Tashi, Kenjin the Wise, two Ninja Guards, the Ravencloud Guardian, and Brick Vendor Ro Tundra, and launchpads to Nimbus Station and Raven Bluff are found here. Additionally, Hashi, Mashi, Zashi, and Steve appear here once rescued, as Rescued Ninjas.
Mantis Rock[]
This popular fighting location lies just before the Great Tree. It contains a battalion of Dark Ronin as well as the Mantis pet. Robbie Jibhanger hides on a ledge above the Dark Ronin, and Model Vendor Lotus Firehammer has a small shop here. Near the edge of the spire is a Bell Shrine, and a bouncer leading to the entrance of Dragonmaw Chasm Raceway, where Zip Lash and Racing Vendor Yam Waterwolf are found. On the path leading to the Great Tree, players can speak with Natso Fast to start a Foot Race.
Great Tree[]
A giant tree, with the Hidden Dojo built on one of its branches. Other branches are home to various Ninjas; Smashmaster Foom, Gathermaster Klex, Brickmaster Clang, and Numb Chuck, as well as Master Fong Shader and a launchpad to Nimbus Station. Item Vendor Yan Parablister also is found here, next to another Bell Shrine. The Panda pet also appears here once Brickmaster Clang's Foot Race challenge has been completed.
Cavalry Hill[]
A group of ancient crypts infected by the Maelstrom, and guarded by Dark Ronin and Maelstrom Horsemen. The Goat pet and the third Bell Shrine are also located here.
Forbidden Passage[]
This spire contains an infected crypt, swarms of Dark Ronin, and the Fallen Gate, a ruined gateway with a Maelstrom Portal that can only be passed through with the assistance of a Maelstrom-Infused Ninja Hood. The final Bell Shrine is also found here, and next to it, a white shrine that can be smashed and rebuilt into a bouncer, which bounces players to a ledge where the Green Dragon pet can be found and tamed. Bill Shido stands nearby, asking players to take his scroll to Vapor Overcast beyond the portal.
Paradox Refinery[]
A complex Maelstrom refinery operated by Paradox, with countless pipes leading to it that drain Maelstrom energy from the abyss below. It is protected by Brick Fury, a Paradox Super Soldier who is maintained by Vapor Overcast. Also at the Paradox Refinery are Paradox Scientist Echs Ray, Brick Vendor Shu Fitts, and Item Vendor Kammy Kazei. Pirate Spy Gary Grogowitz and Red Dragon pets can be found on the floating rocks leading down to the refinery, and Boris Toobsox below them.
Maelstrom Valley[]
The deepest point of Forbidden Valley, with very high concentrations of Maelstrom energy. It is inhabited by four Maelstrom Dragons, three of which players can fight in the Forbidden Valley Dragon Battle. The landscape consists of several large floating rocks, linked together by Paradox piping, with other smaller floating rocks and intense winds providing players with access to them.
Properties[]
- Raven Bluff
- Cliff's Edge (unreleased)
- Craggle Rock (unreleased)
Beta Information[]
In late 2007, the LEGO Universe team started designing Wonderland, a theme park style mash-up zone featuring small pockets/areas based on different themes. Gnarled Forest was one of these pockets, and had a Pirates vs Ninja theme. It was later split into two pockets, and eventually, each pocket grew in scope and size into a full world of its own. The Gnarled Forest Ninja zone was eventually given the name Forbidden Valley.
In this early version of the world, players aided the Bricksmith in defending the Dragon Forge from Grumpy Darklings, using a Dragon Hammer built from pieces brought to him. Numb Chuck also created a Maelstrom Helmet for players, using Imaginite. Ninja Training Mechs could also be rebuilt and fought.
A later version of Forbidden Valley contained more elements of the final world, such as the Paradox Refinery, Brick Fury, and the three Ninjas and Dojo Master, but also had features and areas later removed, such as a Zen Garden where players learned to focus.
There were three Forbidden Valley properties in the style of the Gnarled Forest Ninja zone, which were scrapped: Terraced Hillside (alternately named Terraced Fields), Basho's Path, and Contemplative Valley. Contemplative Valley was recovered from a beta client, but the other two properties remain unknown.
A video demo of Behaviors (in the gallery below) shows a player in a behaviors test map made in the style of early Forbidden Valley, though this was not content intended for release to players.
Trivia[]
- Forbidden Valley has the most Foot Races of any world, with three.
- The peaceful Blood Ravens found in Forbidden Valley were originally designed as enemies.[1][2]
References[]
Gallery[]
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