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Post by The Narrator on Dec 25, 2014 16:26:44 GMT -5
If Michael had any complaints about entering the city from somewhere besides the main road, he didn't make them known. They parted from the path and reached the outskirts of Godsrow an hour before supper, the sun still high in the sky as the season usually permitted.
Godsrow was built in a circular shape, growing out from the original settlement as the years had gone by. At the center now was a large cathedral, dedicated to worshiping Nelios, the father god of Midderus and the god of wisdom. As the city grew, so did the population and the number of gods worshiped. Smaller churches and shrines were made throughout the city, until it became the holy capital it once was before the plague.
Now it was left in ruins. The cathedral in the center still stood tall, its architecture remaining sound even after all these years. They were in the outskirts, where homes and inns were scattered all throughout, most of which were picked clean or burned down after the plague. Some doors that still stood were marked with red symbols, a crescent moon shape with a jagged line cutting through the center, but their meaning was lost to the both of them, as Michael said nothing about them as they passed several.
As they approached the city proper, they were met with no walls or gates, which might've meant nothing for Mara but brought a simple smile to Michael's face. "They were so trusting. Anyone and everyone was allowed to come, from all walks of life. This must've been such a lovely place before the plague," he said aloud, brushing gloved fingertips across the stone of a still standing building.
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Post by Rena Ferran on Dec 25, 2014 16:40:01 GMT -5
The lack of a wall did indeed mean little to Mara, and she simply gave a curious look to Michael. "So you're the one who knows all about this place. Where do you suggest we go in here? Big city like this, gonna need a direction."
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Post by The Narrator on Dec 25, 2014 16:51:12 GMT -5
"On the contrary, I know very little. I mean, I know its name, and the names of some of the gods worshiped here, but I've never actually been to Godsrow. If I had to guess?" he said, shrugging as his pace stopped. "Maybe closer to the center? If there were any merchants that set up shop, it'd be close to the cathedral. Bet you an iron penny we find something there, mm?" he teased, not that Mara would really understand what that meant.
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Post by Rena Ferran on Dec 25, 2014 17:54:11 GMT -5
"In we go then. Here's to somethin' good. Do uh... do any o' your stories mention dwarves in the city? Craftsmen or anythin'?" She seemed to be showing more interest in the stories than normal.
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Post by The Narrator on Dec 25, 2014 18:00:02 GMT -5
"Craftsmen? No, not really. This was a place of worship, the only god I can think of that the dwarves might've worshipped here would've been uh... Wulla, I think it was? Goddess of the mountains, they called her." He took charge in leading the way, walking them through the ruins as well as a man making it up as he went along could.
"I have no clue where her temple would've been, though," he admitted.
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Post by Rena Ferran on Dec 25, 2014 18:03:57 GMT -5
"Course. So these're what? Human buildin's? Aye? I mean people used t'be all race-y before the plague." She ran her fingers along the wall of the building as they walked, feeling the cracked stone.
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Post by The Narrator on Dec 25, 2014 18:10:24 GMT -5
"Human, yeah. Oh, you've never seen human architecture, have you?" Quick on the draw, this one. "These are all human buildings, the city originally being founded by them and mostly being populated by them. I guess if we see anything remotely dwarf-like, then we're close to Wulla's temple."
All around them were buildings designed by the menfolk, no longer homes but now shops with broken windows and ajar doors. From what they could tell, all of this had been raided as well. The sun remained high enough in the sky that they wouldn't have to worry about finding a place to camp yet.
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Post by Rena Ferran on Dec 25, 2014 18:12:53 GMT -5
"I ain't seen much buildin's from before. It all falls apart the same that I see though." She looks at some of the broken windows. "Though plague ain't be doin' that. More likely bandits or the like. Need to keep ready. No sign o' ghosts yet though, aye?"
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Post by The Narrator on Dec 25, 2014 18:20:30 GMT -5
"Ghosts don't like daylight," he muttered, a hand resting on the hilt of his rapier as they continued deeper into the ruined city. "Bandits not so much either, but they're more likely to show up around the corner." He glanced to his left as they walked right by a new corner, as if checking for bandits to be safe.
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Post by Rena Ferran on Dec 25, 2014 18:25:21 GMT -5
"I be thinkin' bandits are more likely at all. I've seen bandits, I know they're real." She thumbed the grip of her bow as she looked toward Michael. "Anythin' you're hopin' to find in here?"
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Post by The Narrator on Dec 25, 2014 18:34:30 GMT -5
"With luck, the cathedral's library is still intact. Though I fear many might have pillaged its wealth of knowledge already," he muttered grimly. Because that's exactly what people might do in the end of the world, raid religious texts.
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Post by Rena Ferran on Dec 25, 2014 18:48:59 GMT -5
"Aye. Books. Somethin' tells me they'll be fine. It's not the first place I'd be goin' if I were here on my own, that's for sure." She paused as they came to another corner, leaning against the wall to look over for any sign of movement before continuing.
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Post by The Narrator on Dec 25, 2014 18:58:53 GMT -5
As they moved deeper into the city, the shadow cast by the cathedral grew more and more obvious. Even from a distance it looked impressive, but with being this close it made everyone who stood before it feel insignificant under its impressive height.
A few more minutes of encounterless travel put them before its massive doors, and Michael seemed stunned still. Mara would need his help getting the doors open, as even if she stood in the tips of her toes to take the handles, she couldn't pull the doors open even if she tried.
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Post by Rena Ferran on Dec 25, 2014 19:12:07 GMT -5
Mara tried and failed to reach the door handles, grumbling about the design of the door. "Yeah. Real welcomin' this temple is. Can't even get in the bloody door. No wonder there ain't no dwarves that came here."
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Post by The Narrator on Dec 25, 2014 19:14:45 GMT -5
Michael blinked, snapped out of his stupor, and approached the door. "I don't think they're normally closed," he suggested, taking the handle with ease and giving it a tug. No budge. "... perhaps it could've been locked?"
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