- "This city must have been founded by the Guardians of the Staff as a final resting place for their treasure. The current inhabitants must have descended from them, as well as the local Nepalese."
- ―Indiana Jones[src]
Suya Desh[1] was a mythical[1] ancient Nepalese city high in the Himalayas,[2] close to the town of Lukla.[3] It was founded by the Keepers of the Staff who built a Temple in the city to protect the Staff of Moses.[2] Legend holds that the Staff's power protected the city from the harsh climate.[1]
Location[]
- "The Shepherd pointed us to Nepal. According to the Chronicle, the Staff of Moses was laid to rest in an underground Temple in the mythical city of Suya Desh. Supposedly, the Staff's power kept the city warm year-round, even at the top of the Himalayas."
- ―Indiana Jones[src]
Typical Suya Desh landscape
The city is located at one of the highest peaks of the Himalayas,[2] near the town of Lukla.[3] The only way to find it was by using one of the two Shepherds that would point to wear it is.[2] The surrounding area was so cold that anyone who stayed out in it to long would freeze to death.[4] Despite this, the city itself was warm all year long thanks to the Staff's power.[1] The mountain paths were not very stable and would often collapse underneath who ever walked on them.[4] Rockfalls were also a problem for anyone trying to reach the city[1] but the city itself was built to last as it survived a German assault although it was badly damaged in some areas like some wooden parts[4] and some stone parts.[3] The only thing that it wasn't protected from was the weather, specifically the wind, which was frequent and often at gale force. Signal fires were used to notify the guards of an attack but this didn't always work due to the strong winds.[1] It also snowed often in the city.[2]
Inhabitants[]
- "Peaceful villagers who happen to be in the path of the Germans. However peaceful they are, they will not let the Germans trample over them."
- ―Indiana Jones[src]
Indy next to a statue of a Guardian of the Staff in Istanbul
The people who originally founded the city were the Keepers of the Staff, also known as the Guardians of the Staff. They built the temple and the city that surrounded it. They mixed with the local Buddhists and Hindus to create the modern Suya Deshans.[2] They retained most of there Nepalese culture, including dress style, architecture and weaponry like Knives,[1] catapults[1] and spears.[4]
They worshiped Hindu and Buddhist gods like The Buddha, Shiva, Bhairava, Indra and Jambhala given how many artifacts there are of them in the city and surrounding area[4] however the also revered Moses and made sure his Staff was safe[2] and kept Apocrypha Scriptural Texts about the Staff in the Temple.[1] The Buddha in particular seemed rather important to them due to the presence of a large stone Buddha statue outside the city[1] and a large gold one inside the city.[3] There was also and unknow deity they worshipped who was represented as a large God Head near the centre of the city.[3] They may appear peaceful but the Suya Deshans are willing and able to defend there city as they have guardians who patrol the mountains.[1] They have prison for holding interlopers and will imprison anyone who tries to break into the temple such as Maggie O'Malley.[4] They also had a few customs of there own like blowing on a prayer wheel to make it spin and bring good fortune.[3] They fashioned many traps[3] and puzzles[2] to keep the Staff safe, many of said puzzles were made around the Exodus story and Moses' life[4] but not all of them.[1][3]
The city may have ,at one point, been part of the Licchavis of Nepal due to the presence of Ancient Lichavi Incriptions in the area.[1] They may have also been part of the Malla dynasty at least during the year 1675 due to the presence of the Ceremonial Collar near the city.[4] Gurkhas may have, at one point, been inhabitants of the city or at the very least visited the city due to the prominent appearance of Khukri Knives in the city.[1]
Charles Jacob Kingston became a resident of the city after he discovered the Staff and promised to keep it safe.[2]
Some Suya Deshans
Outside of people, local wildlife outside the city was very dangerous as tigers inhabited the mountains and would make a meal out of anyone who walked into their territory.[4] Most the animals in the city were just livestock like Yaks[1] and Llamas, the latter of which were revered by the villagers as they built golden statues of them around the city and even named a room after them.[3]
Artifacts[]
- "These people have watched over the Staff for centuries. It's in the temple above the city, but they will not let anyone near it... as you're journalist friend found out."
- ―Charles Kingston to Indiana Jones right before the German Assault [src]
The Himalayan mountains that surround Suya Desh with the Odin in the distance
Outside of the Staff of Moses and the Temple of the Staff, many Buddha statues[1] and Golden Llama Statues were present as well as a God Head dedicated to an unknown deity with three jewelled eyes.[3] Other artifacts found in and around the city and Temple include: the Ceremonial Collar, the Ivory Buddha, the Copper Indra, the Jambhala Statue, the Mask of Bhairava,[4] three Ancient Lichavi Incriptions, eight Khukri Knives and nine Apocrypha Scriptural Texts.[1] All were collected by Indiana Jones,[2] some were sold to Marcus Brody.[1]
While many of the Suya Deshan artifacts look like they are made out of gold, most are actually copper and many are hundreds, if not thousands of years old.[4]
History[]
- "When we entered, it was just like the legends said -- A little bit of paradise surrounded by nothing but alpine desolation. Even the air seemed thicker here. But the biggest surprise wasn't the city -- It was who we found waiting there... for me."
- ―Indiana Jones[src]
Indy in Suya Desh with Yaks in the background
It's unknown as to when the city was founded are why it was founded in Nepal (likely for the isolation) but it was some time after the life of Moses.[2] Indy believed that the city and the Temple took years to build as much of the city was carved out of the mountain itself.[4] The inhabitants were a mix of the Keepers of the Staff and the local Nepalese, mixing the cultures of Buddhism Hinduism and Judaism as statues of both Moses[3][4] and The Buddha[3][1] were present in the city. The city and the Staff of Moses remained hidden for centuries, the Staff even granting the city its powers when needed.[2]
It was possible that Suya Desh was part of the Licchavis of Nepal between approximately 450 AD to 750 AD due to the presence of Ancient Lichavi Incriptions near the city.[1] It was also possible that Suya Desh was part of the Malla dynasty between 1201 to 1779 due to the Ceremonial Collar being located close to the city.[4]
Gurkhas are known to have inhabited or visited Suya Desh at some point due to the presence of their Khukri Knives in the city.[1]
In 1933, Professor Charles Kingston was injured in Nepal while looking for the Staff of Kings.[2]
It contains information cut from the final release of an Indiana Jones medium, or otherwise unpublished. Everything said in this section and not elsewhere did not happen in the "proper" Indiana Jones continuity.
The Suya Deshans discovered him and healed him with the Staff. However, when he regained consciousness during the process he realized that he was being healed by supernatural means and stopped it partway, a decision which left him confined to a wheelchair.[5]
The Odin flying over Suya Desh
In 1939, after following many clues left by the Guardians of the Staff and Kingston, Indiana Jones and Maggie O'Malley discovered the ancient city[2] after taking a plane flight to Lukla[3] and climbing the mountains to the city using the guidance of the Chronicle[1] and a Shepherd.[2] Magnus Völler, former student to Kingston along with Jones, was looking for the Staff to use it in the up and coming war to aid Nazi Germany[2] and "lead his people into the promised land".[1] He obtained the other Shepherd[4] and invaded Suya Desh with his Zeppelin the Odin, dropping of German soldiers[2] and German Snow Patrols to find the Staff.[4] Indy and Kingston were able to rally the Suya Deshans during the Battle of Suya Desh to defend the city while Maggie, amidst the chaos, went after the Staff herself.[2]
Kingston told Indy to get the Staff as far away as possible so he went found a way into the Temple of the Staff and solved its many puzzles, granting him access to the coveted Staff.[2] Maggie caught up with him and took the Staff, revealing a true allegiances to British Intelligence,[2] trying to get the Staff away from the Nazis however as she tried to made her escape with the Staff,[1] or at least seal it in the temple forever,[4] she was captured by Magnus and his men and she along with Kingston and taken prisoner on board the Odin.[2] Indy was left in the Temple to die[4] with Magnus' men trying to finish him off.[1] They were no match for Indy who was able to make his way out of the Temple and on board the Odin and it began it's flight above India to the Bay of Bengal.[2]
Behind the scenes[]
Suya Deshans Concept Art
Suya Desh is sometimes, but not always, referred to as the Nepalese Village in the PS2/Wii versions,[4] while it is often referred to as the Temple in the Nintendo DS version.[3] Interestingly neither Suya Desh, nor Nepal, appear at all in Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings Scavenger Hunt.[6] The Suya Deshans are also referred just as "Villagers" in the PS2/Wii versions and are shown holding spears in the concept art.[4]
Similar cities like Suya Desh have appear throughout the Indiana Jones franchise, including Shangri-La, Chanri-Ha,[7] Ra-Lundi[8] and the Shambala Sanctuary.[9] All of them are temples or lost cities located high in Asian mountain ranges with some kind of mystical powers or artifacts associated with them. Chanri-Ha and Ra-Lundi are even located in the Himalayas like Suya Desh[7][8] and the latter is even in Nepal like Suya Desh.[9]
Continuity[]
While Suya Desh appears in all versions of the Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings, what happens in the city, as well as its layout and how Indy gets in the Temple changes from version to version.[2]
PS2 and Wii versions[]
The Odin ready to take off from Suya Desh
In these versions, Indy and Maggie reach Nepal after finding just the Shepherd in Istanbul. Maggie leaves Indy to find the Staff on her own but gets captured by the villagers for trying to break into the Temple. Indy has to scale the cliffs to reach the city, even being chased by a tiger at one point. He is reunited with Kingston after Indy is found by the villagers. They talk for a bit until Magnus shows up in the Odin and attacks the town. German Snow Patrols arrive and Indy uses his revolver to take them out as well as fist-fighting them on occasion. In the chaos, Maggie escapes her cell while Indy looks for a way into the Temple. Indy defeats a group of German Snow Patrols who were trying to create a door for the Temple with explosives. Indy makes quick work of them, finishes their job end enters the Temple of the Staff. While Indy obtains the Staff, it is quickly taken by Maggie and then Magnus takes it from her. Indy is trapped in the temple to die but escapes down a river by using a large model of Moses's basket that lands on the Odin as it is taking of for the Bay of Bengal.[4]
PSP version[]
In this version, Indy and Maggie reach the Suya Desh without Maggie being captured as she stays with Indy and this time with the help of the Chronicle from Istanbul along with the Shepherd. The Odin shows up so Kingston tells Indy to light two signal fires to notify the guardians of the city of the attack. After the citizens were rallied to the defence of the city, Indy and Maggie used a catapult to destroy a wall the was two hundred feet tall and twenty feet thick, guarding the Temple. After Indy looses the Staff to Magnus in the Temple, he battles German Soldiers until he reaches the City. Indy opens the gate to the city while fighting off the invaders. He uses his whip to get on the Odin.[1]
Nintendo DS version[]
In this version, Indy and Maggie reach the Suya Desh after recovering the Shepherd in Paris. They start in Lukla before reaching the city. Magnus attacks and Indy battles German Soldiers as he recovers the three eyes of the God Head. The blue eye was in the Gong room, hidden a a large buddha statue. The green eye was is the Llama room, protected by many fire and arrow traps. The red eye was in the prayer room, blowing on the prayer wheel would reveal it. After all eyes were placed in the God Head, it moved out the way to show the entrance the Temple of the Staff. Like the other versions, Indy looses the Staff to Magnus while Maggie and Kingston are taken prisoner to the Odin. Indy gets on the Zeppelin by using his whip to reach a mooring line, loosing his pistol in the process.[3]
Appearances[]
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23 1.24 1.25 Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings PlayStation Portable version
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 2.22 Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings Nintendo DS version
- ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14 4.15 4.16 4.17 4.18 4.19 4.20 Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings PS2 and Wii versions
- ↑ Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings novel
- ↑ Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings Scavenger Hunt
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Indiana Jones: Thunder in the Orient
- ↑ 8.0 8.1
The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones – "The Search for Abner"
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine
