#its seemingly impossible considering the SHEER DISTANCE between star systems

[sunlaire]

So ive seen people trash talking others who are excited about the prospect of aliens (being real) and i ask. Who among us would be immune . to the thought of meeting another life. Getting to see the universe from a different equally intellegent perspective? How many of our views would overlap?? How many concepts would be completely different than ours? I would be so hyped to ask them about their theories on the origin of the universe. And how long they live. What that home planet like? And anyways i think it would be very cool (in my humble superior opinion) if they were in fact real and we got to meet them . and get to know them

[theblackbookofarkera]

Bon Tai Shin

Defying both gravity and conventional wisdom, Bon Tai Shin clings to the sheer face of Dzhun Mountain like a jeweled spider's web caught in morning frost. The monastery's very existence seems to mock the limitations of human engineering, its graceful spires and terraced gardens emerging from near-vertical cliff faces at altitudes where the air grows thin and clouds weave between its buildings.

Dzhun Mountain itself towers above all others in the region, its peak perpetually shrouded in swirling mists that local Platara monks say contain fragments of ancient wisdom. The mountain's face presents a nearly vertical ascent of polished rock, making the monastery's construction all the more bewildering. Traditional climbing routes are almost nonexistent, yet somehow the builders managed to erect a sprawling complex that appears to have grown organically from the mountain's flesh.

The monastery's primary structures are anchored to the cliff face by massive steel and stone supports that disappear deep into the mountain's heart. These foundations, according to monastery records, were laid by master craftsmen who worked suspended by ropes for months at a time, many giving their lives to complete the impossible task. Yet engineering alone cannot explain how the entire complex maintains its precarious position - some scholars suggest that the builders employed forgotten architectural sorceries to achieve what conventional methods could not.

Bon Tai Shin is arranged in ascending tiers, each level connected by a network of covered bridges that span seemingly impossible distances. These bridges, constructed from local timber and reinforced with steel, sway gently in the mountain winds but have weathered centuries of storms without failure. During winter months, when the winds howl with particular ferocity, the entire monastery seems to dance in the air, yet never has a single major structure failed.

The monastery's design incorporates numerous meditation halls that project outward from the cliff face on crystalline platforms, allowing monks to contemplate the void while suspended thousands of feet above the valley floor. These chambers are said to induce unique states of consciousness, as if the combination of altitude, isolation, and precipitous positioning creates perfect conditions for experiencing Platara's teachings about cosmic indifference and human exceptionalism.

Perhaps most remarkable are the monastery's hanging gardens, where plants from across Arkera grow in terraced beds that seem to defy gravity. The monks maintain these gardens using an intricate system of waterways that cascade from level to level, the flow carefully regulated to prevent erosion while ensuring each plant receives precisely what it needs. These gardens not only provide food for the monastery's inhabitants but serve as living demonstrations of humanity's ability to create life and beauty in the most inhospitable conditions.

Access to Bon Tai Shin is limited to a single narrow stairway carved into the mountain's face, its steps worn smooth by centuries of use. The journey up these stairs is considered a meditation in itself, with many pilgrims taking several days to complete the ascent. Some sections of the stairway are so steep that chains have been embedded in the rock to assist climbers, while other portions tunnel directly through the mountain's heart.

The monastery's highest level, known as the Crown of Understanding, sits above the cloud line and offers an unobstructed view of the stars. Here, Platara scholars conduct their most profound contemplations, studying the cosmic void while surrounded by one of humanity's greatest achievements. The contrast between the infinite darkness above and the brilliant testament to human will below perfectly embodies Platara's central teaching - that humanity alone brings light to an indifferent universe.

To this day, architects and engineers debate how Bon Tai Shin was constructed. While the monastery's archives contain detailed records of its building, many of the techniques described seem to defy physical laws. Some suggest that the massive project's success relied not just on engineering and possible sorcery, but on the sheer force of human will - a physical manifestation of Platara's belief in humanity's exceptional nature.

The monastery continues to serve as both a center of Plataran learning and a testament to human potential. Its very existence challenges those who witness it to question the limitations they place on themselves, suggesting that perhaps the greatest obstacle to achieving the impossible is the belief that it cannot be done.