Domande frequenti

Istanbul, Borneo and Nepal.

A recurring motif in the Uncharted series is the idea that magic and science are merely different ways in which an individual might attempt to explain the world. One could presume, as with the virus in Drake's Fortune, that the Tree of Life was in some sense magical. We know of countless plants with remarkable pharmaceutical properties, though, and there are many more yet to be discovered. The Tree of Life found in Shambhala, perhaps, was one such example.

Unlike Nate, who initially believed he was searching for a giant emerald (the Cintamani Stone), Lazarevic (and Schafer) knew of legends that related the incredible regenerative power of the tree's sap. The antagonist sought the Tree of Life not for monetary reward, nor even glory, but the promise of immortality.

The Guardians of Shambhala were probably once the population who created an isolated utopia, initially imbibing the young Tree of Life's narcotic, life-enhancing sap in small doses. As the tree grew larger, they became dependent on consuming greater quantities, and could no longer leave; they were stronger, effectively immortal, but utterly addicted to its vascular outpourings.

Based on the safe presumption that discontinuing use of the sap would be deadly, this symbiotic relationship enabled the tree to grow unchecked while protected from potential threats. The Guardians were essentially bound in servitude, compelled to defend the origin of the drug that sustained them. Isolated from outside civilisation, the primitive Guardians dressed in terrifying costumes to deter those who might have discovered Shambhala (leading, it is implied, to the myth of the Yeti), and killed those who persisted.

Few players realised that every piece of plant life seen in Shambhala is in fact connected to the Tree of Life. It grew rampant with great age, its roots entwined with every part of the city. When Nate creates a chain-reaction of explosions in the confrontation with Lazarevic at the climax of Among Thieves, the tree is killed; no longer anchored to the main trunk and roots, the surrounding landscape collapses.