After days
of sea travel, the sun rises to greet you, and shed light on the strip of land
in the distance. Bordering the expanse of endless blue is a welcome friend,
dry earth, just a few hours away. Your weariness seems to lift, and you look
on hopefully to reaching the new land on the horizon.
Near midday your boat docks in the port town of Crimson Bay, in the country
of Krathos, nestled on the east shores of the larger continent of Orthos. As
the journey has been tiring, pushing your sea legs to the point of exhaustion,
you wander off the boat in a bit of a daze. The other passengers wander off
beside and behind you, all but background noise as you peer out at the splendor
of the city before your eyes.
Crimson Bay seems to rise up in all its glory about you, the first glance not
doing it justice, nor the point of vantage from the docks. Already visible from
where you stand are the massive shadows of the city's many tall towers and great
temples. You slowly come out of your daze, passing from the awe of the city
and onto more practical thoughts. It would be best to secure a room in one of
the city's many inns before the sky starts to darken.
You peer about your immediate surroundings; the area of the docks host to many
run-down shanties inns and taverns. Even at midday the taverns especially seem
to hold some life, the buzz of drunken conversation and song leaking out through
the worn windows and doors along the dock. Your eyes catch on the worn sign
of the inn closest to you, half falling off of its post and possessive of worn
lettering spelling out "the Rusted Anchor". You shiver and turn about,
casting off into the many meandering streets of the city to seek out recommendations
for better lodging.
In not but a few minutes of asking the city-dwellers around you do you hear
about the Dragons Inn, a reputable establishment in the heart of the city's
large marketplace. The directions to the inn are not difficult to follow, and
thus you set off in search of what will, or what has already become the gathering
place of legends, however unbeknownst to you at moment.
Passing through the city's crowded streets and alleyways, brushing up to the
mill of people around you, their conversation a mere din of noise in the background,
you pause in front of the temple of Kazbin.
It is not far from the docks. However, as it tries to reach to the sky, was
not difficult to spot from the ship as it approached the harbor. Fitting for
the God of Justice, Kazbin's temple lies directly next to a massive courthouse,
hosting marble pillars and great wooden doors. Both buildings in summation hold
both a sense of foreboding and one of radiating safety, all dependant on the
way the beholder's soul turns. Taking a few moments to take in the splendor
and the ominous presence of the two buildings, you turn and move onwards.
Another impressive landmark reaches you before you reach the inn. You pause
in front of the mage tower, leaning your head back to peer at the top until
the front of it is stretched to its limit and the back is scrunched to the point
of mild discomfort. You can just make out the large sculpture atop, one of a
large hand grasping a glowing orb, most likely made to glow by the same arts
its building held host to. It too stirs emotions within you, your body responding
to its tall and also ominous presence, and the great power that seems to swell
forth from within. It takes you a few moments to pull your eyes from it, and
pass on into the marketplace of Crimson Bay.
A great bustle of sights, smells, and sounds bombard your senses. Bright flashes
of foreign fabrics, silks, carpets dyed wool from the north, catch your gaze
before being hidden by the ever-moving crowd of people around you. The musky
smell of animals, traces of sweet perfumes and bold scents of exotic spices
fill your nostrils with each new breath. All the while the sighs and the sounds
are changing, as conversations and the songs of street performers shift into
one another to leave your ears buzzing and your heart racing with the excitement
of the exotic. A flash of gold catches your eye, and a smile forming on your
face, you spot your destination above the sea of people before you.
A sizeable, daresay rich building rises above the many people on the streets.
Its sign sways without even a creak, well maintained, the gold dragon and lettering
painted on with care and precision. You pause a moment, the very building itself
speaking to your heart and your sense of adventure. Feeling almost pulled to
the doors that sway with comings and goings, you weave your way through the
crowd to step foot into the inn.
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