Gleanhold, The City Of The Phoenix

We arrived at the gates of this monumental settlement, standing tall and defiant amongst the farms and fields that surround its imposing stone walls. Stepping through the towering archway that gives passage to its interior gave way to an assault of sound, color, and smell I shall not soon forget. The clamor and commotion of its market street which stretches from its gate to its center was near deafening and I found myself struggling to keep my bearings. The assault of scents from countless strange creatures, mounds of foods, spices and herbs and some smells I still cannot identify all of which blurred my vision and clouded my mind, threatening to take consciousness from me. This was only matched by the explosion of vibrant colors adorning every person, shop, cart and stall like a sea of the most vibrant wildflowers silhouetted by a cold grey foundation of stone. I managed to regain my bearings in a small trinket shop of sorts before slowing venturing out again, incrementally adjusting myself to the torrent of stimulus. At any given moment there were more people in eyesight than I have ever met in all my years in the forest. Races I had only heard of in stories and many more which I had not. The buildings are giant and as varied between one another as its people are. Stepping between the many districts is like traveling a new city all together, each place equipped for a task, full of those whom are skilled its workings. To try and describe all the different worlds within these towering walls would take more space that I have in this book so I will refrain from trying. As amazing as this incredible city sounds and is, all is not perfect, so I will leave you with this. After spending some time in the city I met many good hearted people whom I am proud to call kith and met many more who I will speak of for years to come, but every light must cast a shadow. The city has its shortcomings and as horrible many of them may seem to me, I accept that I cannot hope to understand the complexity that is required in maintaining a city this vast. Hundreds people go days on end without food, water or shelter and many more are riddled with disease and abused by the cold hearted criminals of the cities shadows. Individuals who possess more money and goods than my entire tribe could hope to muster in a years time command most of the cities action and are met with discourse from its less fortunate. I feel it is not yet my place to give voice on who should and should not wield power in a culture so vastly different to what I know but my heart tells me these common folk should be heard and heeded, for no life gains value from coin, only the good it can bring to the world. I have hope however that this vast network of winding stone walls and tightly packed shops can learn and change for the better, there is a fire that burns at its center and should it go ignored for much longer, I feel it may rage into an inferno, wiping clean its societies foundation and giving room for a new, brighter world to sprout and grow, to control the blaze, is the challenge.