Thirty years ago, a man was looking for a new way for human thought. A well known philosopher and mathematician, Ryan Connelly began making strange dreams, calling him to Nepal, to the high peaks of Himalaya. Unable to resist that urge, he left his home in Galway to follow his visions. He found a weird old sherpa there that was waiting for him, and following his lead he found the secret valley of Shangri-la.
This mystical place, hidden for centuries among the highest mountains of the world, hosts an amazing civilization. The founders of Shangri-la vowed that the city was to remain a hidden oasis of peace where the best achievements of humanity would be kept forever safe, so that they could be a beacon in times of dark. In Shangri-la every art ever known to man is cultivated in its purest form, be it philosophy, music, magic, science or even the martial arts. Every religion stands peacefully beside the others, as they look for truth and enlightment together. All the inhabitants were either born there or received a calling in dreams by the valley's mystics, who are always looking for men and women who wouldn't betray the secret of the lost city, and would understand the ways of the valley. The people of the city believe they must remain hidden and perfect their arts until humanity will be mature enough to welcome their teachings, otherwise they would use the wisdom safeguarded into their amazing libraries as an instrument of war rather than peace, though in times of need a single man is chosen to leave the valley and share his knowledge with the world. To protect their secret, as they learned to slip into the dreams, the valley's mystics also learned how to make people forget about it while they sleep.
Connellly thought that the city was a heaven on earth, and decided to remain there. He told his few friends that he found a new home in a small village in Nepal, and gave them a false address not to arouse suspicion and retired into the valley. He also found love there, and married Nyima, whose family traced back to one of the founders of the city.
Soon they had a son, that they named Gabriel, and they educated him in the ways of Shangri-la, encouraging him to develop at best both his body and his mind, and teaching him how to find peace inside himself, so that it could always guide his actions. The boy grew strong, excelling in the Shangrian martial art, the Rokado, and his parents were proud of his quiet manners, and compassionate ways.
When he turned 20, his teachers deemed him ready to leave the valley to see the wide world outside. He traveled to Ireland, where his father was from, and visited America, that has such a great influence over the rest of the world. It was in New York that he assisted to a robbery, and without even thinking he faced the armed bandits and stopped them, then used the Shangrian healing meditation to cure an injured bystander. He realized too late that he was drawing too much attention, and soon hordes of reporters came to hunt the hero with the healing touch. After then he continued to help people whenever he could, but decided to better conceal his involvement.