The Shangri-La and Mars Connection

[Tac]

Hey guys, Tac here and I've been reworking this thread since I released it a couple years ago. Originally, I presented evidence for why Shangri-La was on Mars, but since then I've realized that they're merely connected and while Shangri-La may have once been on Mars, it likely isn't while we play. Because of this, I want everyone to realize that the OP has changed and so when reading the comments, realize that at the time of creation, there was less evidence than when you're currently reading this

 

 

Shangri-La has always been a map that is shrouded in mystery and we have all been intrigued by it at one point or another. As some of us may have seen, Treyarch developers and staff tweeted about the Shangri-La mountains:

 

Spoiler

*note: the second image is referring to how Shangri-La monkeys shoot into space, which also may be connected*

 

In multiple instances, they talk about a mountain and say the word range, so it's natural for one to immediately think of a mountain range. If you walk around Shangri-La and try to find a mountain or mountain range, there's one in particular that sticks out. From the starting room, if you go through the maze and meander over to the bridge and look to the right, you'll see a lot of foliage... and a mountain range. This mountain range, as you can see from the image below, does not look like it fits. To me, that mountain has more of a desert feel. There's no foliage on it and you can see obvious age with the rock, since it has layers and layers of different kinds of rock. If you look at the Shangri-La loading screen below, you see a very green and luscious area, which makes sense because Shangri-La is said to be a very tropical location, even a paradise. However, it's oddly in a deep valley or canyon that looks not so green and lush.

 

 

 

I don't think that Treyarch would put a mountain in there that looks so out of place without a reason, so I think Treyarch is referring to something much more...

 

Mars

First and foremost, I'll present you with more tweets from Treyarch that can be interpreted as a connection to Shangri-La:

Spoiler

*note: some say he's waiting for someone to say "We've already been there"*

*note: remember how Shangri-La is supposed to be a paradise?*

 

I mentioned how the loading screen makes it look like we're in some sort of canyon. Well, one of the largest canyons in the entire solar system is the Valles Marineris rift on Mars, which is over 2,500 miles long. On top of this, the loading screen canyon and Shangri-La mountain both have reddish tints to them and Mars is well known for its reddish tint. What I believe to be the nail in the coffin is that when one looks through the Shangri-La texture files on PC, they come across a file named gp_ztem_mars_vista_card, with the following image associated to it:

 

Looks like the Shangri-La mountain to me!

 

Taking another approach, we know that Shangri-La has heavy influence by the ancient intelligent civilization known as the Vril-ya. We know that they settled on the Moon, due to the MPD, and legend has it that before settling on Earth, they spent time on Mars, so that ties them to the planet. With that, I conclude my evidence for the Shangri-La and Mars connection. I realize this may seem difficult for many people to grasp or even believe, I know it did for me, so please free to comment and we can do our best in uncovering everything we can!

[Edward Richtofen]

Perhaps adding a little fuel to the fire...

"Mars has two moons, Phobos and Deimos, which are thought to be captured asteroids." - Wiki

Note: When you enter eclipse mode, there is one moon eclipsing the sun (and looks bigger than our moon). And what appears to be a very close-by Asteroid. Could these be Mars' two moons?

It gets better...

"were discovered in 1877 by Asaph Hall and are named after the characters Phobos (panic/fear) and Deimos (terror/dread) who, in Greek mythology, accompanied their father Ares, god of war, into battle." - Wiki

So the moons of Mars are named fear and terror. Geez that fits with zombies wouldn't you say?

[XxJason LivesxX]

I think the second "Moon" is just a 115 containing asteroid. That's what gets shrunk down for Rich's Vril device. I always thought the pure 115 nature of it was what powered the Vril generator.

Also if that 115 asteroid did indeed land in the past then it would be needed to mine the 115 out of the ground. Most of our minerals and other elements were brought to earth on asteroids and embedded in the earth during their impact. So that would be the case with 115 as well.

So if this theory is correct then the gang teleported to Mars, shrunk down one of it's moons that was in a decaying orbit, and then jumped into the temple rocket ship and flew to our moon? FML 3ARC so many questions so little answers

[Tac]

I think the second "Moon" is just a 115 containing asteroid. That's what gets shrunk down for Rich's Vril device. I always thought the pure 115 nature of it was what powered the Vril generator.

Also if that 115 asteroid did indeed land in the past then it would be needed to mine the 115 out of the ground. Most of our minerals and other elements were brought to earth on asteroids and embedded in the earth during their impact. So that would be the case with 115 as well.

So if this theory is correct then the gang teleported to Mars, shrunk down one of it's moons that was in a decaying orbit, and then jumped into the temple rocket ship and flew to our moon? FML 3ARC so many questions so little answers

The embedding in the Earth's crust makes sense in regards to the meteor, I suppose that is a way we could have been mining it. It struck that location a long time ago and was a rather large amount, so the digging for it began.

It seems like you are contradicting yourself in that post, saying you think the second moon is just a 115 meteor that we shrink and then saying we shrunk one of Mars' moons. Personally, I don't believe that we shrunk down one of Mars' moons, I think it is a simple 115 meteor that landed in the map. However, I can't tell exactly if that is what you believe or not.

As for the jumping into the temple rocket ship, I have to agree. We know the temple has time-travel capabilities, so I see no reason that it couldn't have teleportation abilities as well. I mean, how else would Richtofen have gotten there if there is no mainframe or general teleporter to connect to? The temple is that teleporter, in my eyes.

[Poptart]

Well if this is true, I'd need an explanation as to how the 2 guys in the easter egg got there on foot.

[CLAYMORE]

This just blew my freaking mind. i wish i could give you more then one set of brains this was A truly amazing post. Even if you weren't the first to figure it out. Good job bro

[Shooter]

Excellent thread here Tac! I'll be sure to brains you for it after I spread them out a bit.

Well if this is true, I'd need an explanation as to how the 2 guys in the easter egg got there on foot.

This is the main problem you're going to face Tac. How could Brock and Gary get there if it was on Mars. We know from the Shangri La radio that they traveled through the forest for many days before arriving at the temple. I'm just having trouble seeig how Brock and Gary got there.

Im at work now, but I'm getting on Skype tonight Tac. Probably around 6 or 7 central time. Hopefully we can discuss this more then.

[Tac]

Well if this is true, I'd need an explanation as to how the 2 guys in the easter egg got there on foot.

Brock and Gary got to Shangri-La before it was moved to Mars, that's how they are able to be there. It's really the only way, because they are normal people and obviously can't walk to Mars haha. So the timeline would be that Brock and Gary were wandering around aimlessly while searching for Agartha, and then they got stuck in the tunnels. At some point in their being stuck, they are moved to Mars and then we soon follow to that location.

[Matuzz]

Interesting theory indeed.

But how they breath in the Mars?

[Tac]

Interesting theory indeed.

But how they breath in the Mars?

I'm sure this will sound unoriginal, cliche, or just made up, but the only thing I can think of is the Vril-ya and that they were able to make an oxygen dome or something along those lines. Whether it be that, or they did it to the entirety of Mars since they have inhabited it for a very long, it can really be up to preference. But yeah, my version and my idea of it is that they were able to put oxygen into or around the playing area because they are the Vril-ya and can do almost anything :lol:

[Humble Soldier]

Well scientists have found places on the planet mars where there could have been water thus shangri-la theory. Has anybody no clipped this map on the pc?

[joshs1982]

I don't see how a tornado could move an intire place from on planet to another this kind of makes no sice but i guess possible in this game.

[Undead]

I figured this is pretty darn relevant. It may not be news to some, but it certainly turns on a bunch of lightbulbs in my head that this is entirely very possible in correlation to zombies, which, if that is indeed the case then we've been off the earth for a bit longer than we thought, folks.

Hell of a find. ;)

[PFCSNAFU]

Yeah, the tornado part just sounds silly but considering the loading screen and how there are multiple orbs, maybe only one made it to mars? also in the loading screen the marsish canyon is also there so are you saying it was moved again?

[Zaptn.]

Love this theory! What if shangri la is after moon? Theres probably some evidence saying that its not and despite richtofens body switch and stuff but it could've been blown of by the rocket explosion? Maxis might have wanted it gone because of the masses of 115 on it which is shown by the mines there. Also this map must've been set waaaaaay in the future for the advances of technology to be able to put animals and plants on mars and have the use of electricity.

[FatedTitan]

Do I agree that Shangri-la could POSSIBLY be on Mars? Sure. But do I? No. A few issues.

1. Brock and Gary. Yes I saw you say they were there before it got moved, but when you go back in time is when you see the two moons, not before. And you interact with Brock and Gary when you go back in time, not before.

2. Richtofen teleports to Shangri-la then works his way back after being there a while. He does not teleport back. In fact, when he walks in he seems to be tired and Shusta seems shocked at how he looks. How could he just walk back from Mars?

3. No oxygen=no breathing=no plant life. Period.

4. A tornado could not lift an entire area and bring them to Mars. Listen to that for a second. A tornado....bring an entire civilization....to Mars. I don't know what tornadoes you've seen lately, but normally they destroy things, not just casually pick them up, bring them to another planet, and set them down lightly. And how would you explain the waterfall with this? Did it get picked up too?

5. Shangri-la was on earth, not on moon.

6. You say that the mining of 115 is important to your theory because 115 is of alien nature. Fair enough, but couldn't you argue that they were mining 115 after the meteor hit? The meteor broke apart and left some 115 in the ground.

7. The meteor isn't one of Mars' moons. A meteor isn't a moon. The moon may resemble a meteor, but it is not a meteor.

Now, after my arguing against, I'll throw in something that may help ya. I believe the loading screen is very helpful. I don't know if Telixion thought of it himself, but I did send him a message about the loading screen last night while searching. The mountain-like cliff is important, but there's something else. Look at the bottom of the tornado. It seems as though the earth is kind of dented in. Could this be a wormhole? That could bring an entire civilization. Doesn't explain breathing and such, but there's a way they could have gotten all of it there.

But even with that, I still don't agree it's on Mars. Too many problems.

Also, Shangri-la isn't after Moon. They got the meteor from Shangri-la that they use in Moon.

[THEOSTRICHGUY]

So in the background of the moon loading screen, are those the Shangri-la pyramids traveling through space to go to Mars?

[MexicanIlluminati]

Do I agree that Shangri-la could POSSIBLY be on Mars? Sure. But do I? No. A few issues.

1. Brock and Gary. Yes I saw you say they were there before it got moved, but when you go back in time is when you see the two moons, not before. And you interact with Brock and Gary when you go back in time, not before.

2. Richtofen teleports to Shangri-la then works his way back after being there a while. He does not teleport back. In fact, when he walks in he seems to be tired and Shusta seems shocked at how he looks. How could he just walk back from Mars?

3. No oxygen=no breathing=no plant life. Period.

4. A tornado could not lift an entire area and bring them to Mars. Listen to that for a second. A tornado....bring an entire civilization....to Mars. I don't know what tornadoes you've seen lately, but normally they destroy things, not just casually pick them up, bring them to another planet, and set them down lightly. And how would you explain the waterfall with this? Did it get picked up too?

5. Shangri-la was on earth, not on moon.

6. You say that the mining of 115 is important to your theory because 115 is of alien nature. Fair enough, but couldn't you argue that they were mining 115 after the meteor hit? The meteor broke apart and left some 115 in the ground.

7. The meteor isn't one of Mars' moons. A meteor isn't a moon. The moon may resemble a meteor, but it is not a meteor.

Now, after my arguing against, I'll throw in something that may help ya. I believe the loading screen is very helpful. I don't know if Telixion thought of it himself, but I did send him a message about the loading screen last night while searching. The mountain-like cliff is important, but there's something else. Look at the bottom of the tornado. It seems as though the earth is kind of dented in. Could this be a wormhole? That could bring an entire civilization. Doesn't explain breathing and such, but there's a way they could have gotten all of it there.

But even with that, I still don't agree it's on Mars. Too many problems.

Also, Shangri-la isn't after Moon. They got the meteor from Shangri-la that they use in Moon.

This.

Tac while I believe you are a brilliant theorists and have made ingenious contributions to Zombies, I'm not buying this theory yet. There aren't enoough connections to make me think this is plausible, and there are FAR too many faults in the theory like the ones above.

I do firmly believe that Treyarch is hinting to something with all their "range" talk, but I think its something else.

[MexicanIlluminati]

Here's my thoughts:

According to wikipedia, Shangri-La is located in the Kunlun Mountains. Another phrase that could be used to illustrate the "Kunlun Mountains" is the "Kunlun Mountain RANGE". If this is truly what Treyarch is hinting at, why would they want to lead us to this mountain range?

There is a mythology that deep in the Kunlun Range lies a mountain called, appropriately, "Kunlun Mountain" This mountain is the site of many eastern myths and legends, but here is one that caught my eye.

"The base of the Kunlun Mountain was said to penetrate as far into the earth, as its above-ground part penetrated towards the sky"

Sound familiar? Could this mythical mountain be the "Gateway to Agartha" that Gary and Brock were looking for?? Just a thought.

[MegaAfroMan]

     If Shangri-la took place on mars, we have to question how it got there. You say the Vril-ya moved it to avoid the nukes. Why didn't they foresee and avoid Richtofen's enslavement and mass murder of them? (or at least I am pretty sure that is the current consensus) This has to take place before Moon in time relative to Richtofen. As far as I can tell, that is the only timeline that really matters, so the Vril-ya could not have been alive (in Shangri-la at least) during the Moon event, as in that timeline in order for the even to occur he would have had to get the focusing stone, and the canon explanation for that is something that occurred while the group was fending off a zombie outbreak.

     For live to appear the way we know it here on Earth, it would have to have roughly the same gravitational force pulling on it. Even though you may not think so, long term effects of altered gravity, is hazardous to most forms of Earth life. No way could the jungle of Shangri-la survive under such strange conditions. Secondly, the sun is constantly sending out streams of charged particles in a "solar wind". These particles and the radiation accompanying them, are extremely hazardous to any form of biological life. The particles and radiation can do damage on the cellular, and even genetic level. Something that life to be even relatively familiar to us as "life" would have to have. Even the Vril-ya. Anyways, the planet mars no longer has a churning liquid iron core to generate a protective magnetic field. Again, no amount of terraforming would restart that core. Mars is due to constant radiation and energized particle showers from our loving sun.

[tab][/tab]Also a small logical error in your thinking, because a canyon appears on the loading screen, and it looks quite large, you look for a canyon on Mars and say that this canyon is more proof because it is the biggest and it fits! However, based on just what we can see, we cannot judge the size of the canyon, it is just as likely to be Melas Chasma, as it is for Shangri-la to have been moved to the inside of the Grand Canyon. (just a wild example, not my belief)

P.S. One of the martian moons IS an asteroid that was captured by the gravity of Mars. That is indisputable. So the one that made a point saying that, that is ridiculous, is incorrect. The only real difference between a Moon, and an asteroid, is what it orbits. If you looked at most of the Jovian moons, and some of the much, much larger asteroids, you'd change your conclusion.

P.P.S. Also, something that I just thought of adding, after a quick search on martian geography, (did you know there is a google mars?! It's actually pretty cool) I discovered that there are several MASSIVE mountains near Melas Chasma, so although I am not entirely certain, they would probably be visible if you were near that area. And by massive, I mean massive. Most of them far exceed 21 Km high. The highest mountain on earth is only about 8 km.

[xCrazyGuy92x]

We are on the right track. Me @telixion @strwrsbob came up with basically the same thing last night. But i wouldn't wanna call it mars. Yes its a different planet but we cant pin point anything. So it should just be called a "ancient extra terrestrial planet". I'm a little mad i didn't stay up and write this before you but we are all here for the same purpose. Glad to see we came with the same conclusion that we are not on earth.

[MixMasterNut]

I'm going to guess it's based off the San Bernardino mountain range in Southern California. These mountains are likely visible from Treyarch's Studio in Santa Monica.

[ForeverKursed]

Can someone get a screenshot of the mountain range during the Easter egg? Like when it's night? Maybe there's something that could help us with all the theories.

[Tankeo Dempsaki]

Sooo... If it's Mars, how can we, along with all the plant life survive? Or is it because of the plant life that we can survive? Then why do we need space suits on Mars? And how in the world is a tornado going to be powerful enough to move an entire landmass off of the freaking planet?

This makes no sense to me! :shock:

[Edward Richtofen]

Shangri-la translates as Shang Mountain Pass in Tibetan and as stated above references to the Kunlun Mountains, one of the longest mountain ranges in Asia.

"The Kunlun mountains are believed to be the paradise of Taoism. The first to visit this paradise was, according to the legends, King Mu (976-922 BCE) of the Zhou Dynasty. He supposedly discovered there the Jade Palace of Huang-Di" - Wikipedia

I don't believe that we are talking about Mars here. Shangri-la is the earthly mountain pass which leads to the secret paradise of man. According to legend we can assume it leads to a grand Jade Palace. There's no reason to believe that Treyarch would change the legend so drastically to place Shangri-la on Mars.

Now lets consider what the possibilities could be.

1) The references on Twitter could be trolling. Certainly possible.

2) If we believe that everything said is truly referencing something hidden/secret. We can be convinced that it is tied to the Shangri-la map in some way (duh).

The line: "Zombies best kept secret!" seems to imply that there is something only known by a select few. A secret yet undiscovered by the zombie community in Shangri-la. But what could it be? And why would they choose now to hint at it?

It's not unforeseeable to think that the developers made non-achievement EE in Shangri-la. The zombie community blows through the EE's within hours of release. What's to say they didn't add in a more enduring secret?

I think if there is secret it is believable to think that you will need the focusing stone to complete it. Walking through the map trying to use the hint "Mountain" without the focusing stone will most likely be futile.

Now consider this. If there is some undiscovered reward what would it be? I believe it will be focusing stones for all players without having to redo the Easter egg. Is this so hard to believe? In Moon when completing the EE, Richtofen receives the stone first before Big Bang Theory completes.

Richtofen hmmmm, something sounds familiar...

"Mountain", if it is an undiscovered secret EE, it refers to a feature on the playable map, not the background. There's only one thing on the map even slightly resembling a mountain. The top of the temple where you PAP, where you get the focusing stone.

When you get the stone the alter says "Richtofen" (

(4:57)). So maybe to complete the EE, Richtofen needs to take the stone. Richtofen needs to get the stone first, exactly like Moon.

Or it could be something else entirely .