Post by Omega on Mar 21, 2013 11:27:20 GMT -5
Lake Ngao is as large as Lake Ushindi, if not even bigger. "Ngao" is a word in the inland dialect, not in Gorean, and it means "shield." It was named by Shaba because its shape resembles the normal shields wielded by those of the jungles. These shields are long and oval shaped. Shaba was the first civilized person to circumnavigate this lake. The Ngao is fed by a major river, located at its eastern extremity, called the Ua River. The Ua River was discovered and named by Shaba as well. "Ua" is a word in the inland dialect, not in Gorean, and it means "flower." The Ua is at least as large as the Vosk River. It has many falls and cataracts that make it very difficult to cross. Shaba named these the "falls and cataracts of Bila Huruma." The source of the river is Lake Shaba.
Lake Shaba was unknown by civilized men until the events of Explorers of Gor. It is a huge lake, bigger than either Ngao or Ushindi. It is located thousands of Gorean feet above sea level so it is evident that when ascending the Ua, you are climbing higher and higher. It was discovered by Shaba who at first named it Lake Bila Huruma, after the black Ubar, Shaba's friend. But, when Shaba dies at the end of Explorers of Gor, Bila chooses to rename it Lake Shaba in memory of his friend. The lake contains a number of large stone figures. They are the torsos and heads of black men, with shields on their arms and spears in their hands. The stone is weathered and covered with the signs of age. Lichen and mosses are growing in patches on the figures. The figures stand about thirty to forty feet out of the water. At the eastern edge of the lake is a landing that is about four hundred yards wide and a hundred yards deep. The landing leads to a flight of steps and into a vast, ruined city. Most of the walls and columns are crumbling and covered in vines. There are more statues as well. There is one chamber that once might have been for the enslavement and training of women. The walls are covered in mosaics of slave captures, slavery scenes, slave dancing, sex, and more. No one knows much about the civilization that once lived here and it must have vanished many years ago.