Mystic Ruins

=History=

4000 years prior to the the main events of the Sonic series, the Knuckles Tribe Echidnas ruled a city on the site of what would become Mystic Ruins. The Clan chieftain, Pachacamac, attempted to remove the Chaos Emeralds from the ancient chao shrine on the outskirts of the city. This angered their guardian, Chaos, who destroyed almost the entirity of the Knuckles Clan civilization in vengeance. The chaos energy backlash from Chaos' attack lifted the Emerald Shrine (along with a vast chunk of land) out of the ground: producing Angel Island. The few surviving Knuckles Clan Echidnas, stranded on this floating landmass, went into terminal decline - Knuckles himself being the last descendant of this once-great civilization.

Some remnants of the echidna city remained on the surface, where they were gradually overrun by the encroaching jungle flora. It is this swampy, ruin-studded rainforest which forms the modern-day Mystic Ruins.

=Appearances=

In Sonic Adventure
Mystic Ruins (ミスティックルーイン) is a location and "Adventure Field" in Sonic Adventure and its remake Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut. In the time of the aforementioned games, a group of archaeologists are exploring those ruins of the Knuckles Tribe's city which remained on the planet's surface. Unfortunately, they were not prepared for the crash landing of Angel Island. Some of the archaeologists have gotten themselves lost in the maze of the thick jungle that surrounds the Maya-like temple.

Tails's workshop/house can also be found in Mystic Ruins. A train station has also been built, to serve the archaeological sites. During the events of Sonic Adventure, Angel Island crashed back to the surface of the planet, on the shoreline next to Mystic Ruins; but it floated away again after the Master Emerald was restored.

Main areas
The main area is large grassy plateau with some buildings and trees. One side leads to a steep cliff into the ocean, and on the other side is a mountain with various caves. A hill is located in the eastern part of it.
 * Train station - A tall wooden building with stairs that leads to a stone bridge where the train waits for passengers to take to Station Square. Inside the building is a ladder that leads to a raft that takes people to the Egg Carrier.
 * Tails' Workshop - A small two-story house located on a hill. It has with a long biplane runway with two rows of palm trees leading out into the ocean. The workshop is apparently connected to a cave beneath the house, where Tails works on his Tornado 2.
 * Lake - A small lake with a waterfall leading to it and a river leading into the ocean. A Silver Chao Egg can be discovered by pushing against a panel.
 * Caves - The west caves lead to Angel Island. The east caves lead to an upgrade for Knuckles and the Mystic Ruins Chao Garden.
 * Chao Garden - A large grassy area on the side of a mountain. There is a lake and several large rocks lying about. The lake is connected to a larger one which is above the waterfall, it is there where Chaos 4 was fought.
 * Windy Valley - A windy Action Stage where tornadoes easily form. The second part of the stage consists of floating paths high above the clouds.

Jungle areas
The jungle area is a maze-like area with many paths through a large jungle. Several archaeologists are lost there.
 * Big's Hut - A small wooden structure where Big the Cat lives.
 * Echidna Temple - A large maya-like temple that used to be the holy site of the Echidnas. It is the portal to Lost World.
 * Lost World - An Action Stage set inside the temple. It is extremely large, and one part somehow features an outside section that looks nothing like the jungle. The temple also contains various booby traps such as a giant rolling stone ball and gravity panels that move on the wall. The centre of the temple contains a mural of Perfect Chaos.
 * Sand Hill - A long desert slope with various ruins which burst from the ground. (Could be Sandopolis as it's in the direction of Angel Island.)
 * Final Egg - Eggman's large tower base, where he keeps his Egg Carrier and Egg Viper. It is entered via a long tube in the jungle, this is the base that the first of the E-100 series was created. The base is heavily defended and has three sectors, the first is simple pathways with spinning iron, spike balls and grinding mechanisms. The second drastically changes from the first, it is basically a large shaft that leads downwards, three tunnels lead to different levels and at the bottom there are more spinning masses. The last is similar to the first, except for three large rooms containing exploding crabs as well as pitfalls.

Angel Island areas
After Angel Island crashes in Mystic Ruins, most characters can access the island via a windy cave. The main area is a long corridor that leads to a large area where the Master Emerald can be found.
 * Master Emerald Altar - The ancient altar where the broken Master Emerald is, the altar is now broken and worn down due to extreme age. The Altar now stands on a small piece of ground which is separated from the rest of the island, only by flying or using a wooden bridge which was apparently built by Knuckles can the altar be reached
 * Ice Cave - A frozen cave with a lake that leads to Ice Cap.
 * Ice Cap - A cold, snowy mountain with many caves which contains a frozen lake and a large number of satellites. The second part of the stage consists of a long hill for snowboarding. The slope is used for skiing. May have been inspired by Ice Cap Zone of Sonic the Hedgehog 3.
 * Red Mountain - Another mountain of Angel Island, except this one is volcanic, it is surrounded by smaller mountains - most of them are connected by metal bridges. There is also a large network of underground tunnels and caves which are flooded with lava. The second section may have been inspired by Sonic & Knuckles' Lava Reef Zone.

Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood


In Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood, the Mystic Ruins again features as a game area, although the characters visit a more swamp-like section than those seen in Sonic Adventure. Mystic Ruins is home to many wild animals, such as Queen Wasps, Giant Millipedes and Colossal Worms. Toxic (and extremely malodorous) gases are emitted into the air by Procurator Shade's interdimensional Nocturnus forces, in a bid to clear the area of G.U.N. soldiers. The gas is only passable by Big the Cat, who is recruited into the party in this area.

Along with the crumbling Knuckles Clan ruins as seen in Sonic Adventure, the Mystic Ruins now hosts one of Doctor Robotnik's abandoned bases. Said base has been taken over by the Nocturnus forces, who are using it as a prison to hold Knuckles captive.

Later, Shadow the Hedgehog can be seen here when you begin your search for Dr. Eggman, and also unintentionally helps you on your quest in Chapter 3.

=Notes=