The Stone Menagerie

Occupying approximately a hundred square metres, the stone menagerie is a very interesting structure. It is located in southeastern Garyiala, in a large region near the Estal Mountains. It is specifically located in that whole region, and not at an exact location, for travellers and scholars stumbling upon the stone menagerie never seem to find it in the exact same spot.

Stone Animals

The stone menagerie is a collection of thirty-one round boulders and rocks carved in such a way that they vaguely resemble animals. Most resemble animals of the land such as a horse, wolf, Rynodon, bull, monkey and bear, while some resemble birds and even a few animals of the sea.
To date, twenty-five of the boulders have been identified as known animals. Six boulders resemble animals not known by any scholar. Two theories try to explain this. First, the animals they resemble live far away from Garyiala. The first scholar stumbling upon the menagerie were unable to identify several of the animals, since they did not naturally occur in the region where the menagerie exists. At least eleven of them live much further north or west in Garyiala. It is possible that the six unidentified animals live even further away.
The second theory assumes that the animals the six boulders represent no longer exist. Two of the boulders resemble ancient drawings of the Fardan goat and the Large Grazer, two animals long extinct.

The Stone Carver

Who exactly made the stone menagerie and however it is able to mystically appear in different places is a topic of heavy speculation. Scholars argue the menagerie must have been created by a mage, since they are the only people capable of transporting such a large structure. However, the stone animals are not imbued with magic and the mechanism of the menagerie appearing and disappearing is an unexplainable wonder.
Local folklore believes that in ancient times the area was the land of giants. The story goes that a very artistically talented giant carved the stone animals and created the stone menagerie. It is believed giants are naturally gifted in the mystical arts, which would explain the menagerie’s ability to transport to various places.