Uniting and creating a community; it was one big concept and ideology to tell if one was weak before the enormous elder nature that had inhabited the whole world of the living since the dawn of the creation day. The arbitrary and random occurrences that nature showed off, oftentimes if not always ended with unforeseen disasters, for it was the inherent nature of Mother Earth, thus creating an awareness of powerless minds as one of the weakest creatures that roaming around and sometimes exploiting the Mother Earth… therefore a unification was a necessity.
Unification was a necessity. They began, therefore, to exploit the land, scouting for a suitable place to make their little wishes come true. Creating, and settling, becoming a part of a larger community in which emotions and feelings might be shared together, to complement each other as fragile creatures. And those fragile creatures proudly called themselves: humans.
Instincts for one's survival cautiously and slowly faded away when most of the land had been tamed upon learning the pattern of nature as the humans grew in terms of curiosity—thirst for knowledge as well a desire for reproduction eventually became a thing. When no threat appeared prominent at last, and the hostile environment had become a gentle one, an urge to pass the legacy to the descendants simply took over, both as biological and social creatures, thus issuing the side effect, it was the humans who were growing too fast in the last couple of centuries – too fast even for the standard of evolution,
No longer the humans had to tune themselves with the surface of nature. Nature turned upside down, as they were struggling in an attempt to alter the very fabric of nature.
Land of dirt and full of green grass had been changed into many pavements consisting of detailed carving stones, deliberately created for the purpose of human's path connecting each habitation that replaced most of the thick woods which were no more. And no more hills and mounds' role as a protective barrier, for humans also have their own way of protecting their own kin, either from nature itself or their own, by utilizing the surrounding sources… frame woods, stones, and mud… humans created their own defensive wall, towering high into the skies,
Similar to that city, that was built upon an elongated terrain, lower than the surroundings, for it was surrounded by a vast plain of green and the distant hills as its outer natural wall… in there, many rivers were running from one end to the others, created quite a number of waterfalls scenery hence evoked a nuance of the frequent fresh odor of water stream all around the environs,
And this city was situated in such environs, on the far eastern edge of the continent, many called it Valley of the Morning Star, for it was the very first face of the world being greeted by a warm golden ray of a sole daytime star saluting to that one face of the world full of human-made structures and one large civilization in an enormous city.
A City of Ospheus. The Jewel of Pagaean.
Estimated its size was tens of thousands of square miles of an urban community behind the defensive towering walls… The City of Ospheus, a metropolis, was carrying hundreds of thousands—if not nearly a million—of living breathing humans since the dawn of an era, thus becoming the largest and most populated city in Rhukas Region,
Its economic, one could say it as the most successful system, for it relied on the traveling caravan that came and went as though a respiratory system of the city. A strategic and very safe highway once the caravan parties set their feet in the valley, was the main reason why they truly favored trading their goods in the city… not to mention less taxed, and less strict rules hence became the birthplace of the trade hub center,
Hence many people were being called by the renown of Ospheus City, hence many of whom committed ruralization yet only to find the struggling of owning at least a plot of private land within the city wall. However, they were unwilling to just let it go, instead many of those bought the land outside the city wall with less price yet less safety… given that almost every night, the fog descended from the slopes, shrouding the entire valley as the temperature slowly dropped. The land however, was apparently more fertile than they once expected thus deeming of buying the land outside the city wall was truly worth it.
Quite sometime later, ten or more small inns were built scatteredly outside the city wall too, amongst the vast valley being surrounded by privately owned farmlands where the loyal customers came from… as well from the travelers and visitors alike, for those small inns were less cost for their pockets. Many of them could rest easy inside of the warm and bright inns, protected from the cold foggy night after the stressful work in the bright of daytime.
Farmers or wanderers… not quite a problem, for one was capable of building new relations from different places regardless of status.
While their other brothers and sisters, who lived within the city above the well-structured paved ground and path, may not really live the hardworking everyday life… they too overcame their own difficulty of living within an urban section. As a consequence of becoming the most populated trade hub in the continent, the average income of its residents was quite high, and so was the living expense. It required a bit more coins to have a simple shelter above one's head. So trading, instead of farming, was one kind of a job which oftentimes was being undertook to meet such a living standard. Though the honest wages were quite promising, the competitive activity in quite a large urban community seemingly wouldn't meet its end very soon.
Not to mention crowds were fussy and noisy. People were talking so much that chatter could almost be the whole purpose of this market district – and in many ways it was. The kind of district was the one open public area in the city, in which many people could meet and exchange goods… as well as less-known information and rumors. When a caravan performed a mystery play, it was to the marketplace that they would drag the cart containing their stage, displaying the best of their goods.
Those were the whole purpose of the southern district of Ospheus City, situated near the enormous gates so that the very first thing that would ever greet them was simply the chatter of crowds, ringing inside their ears, and their eyes would be spoiled by a majestic white tower, standing gallantly in the far horizon of the southern district,
That white tower, being regarded as a gods-made landmark, designed and built by themselves from materials unknown to humans… magically imbued from an alien source simply was foreign to humans – towering so high into the skies, exceeding the city wall itself that one could possibly strain their necks to see its top.
This white golden tower represented the southern district of the city, for there were more than one of such a kind,
Four distinctive districts. Four distinctive white towers but with the same design and materials.
One of the four districts; the northern district was where many inhabitants could rest, lying down on their backs on their beds inside their own houses in the most visibly cramped and crowded human civilization district. Both cramped and crowded flaws meant nothing however, if the structure of the terrain was beautifully and neatly arranged, either the paved sidewalk and the main street itself, constructing close affection within the neighborhood. Coupled with a lovely appearance of an outer layout where many gas lamps were lined up and illuminated the main street which led to the palace where the ruler of this city and region, as well as his family lived in for generations.
District of Knowledge was the other name for the western district. Famous for its University of Ospheus, taken from the city's name itself where the university majestically stood for over four centuries, without any flaw being visible through out and in. Associated with knowledge and serenity, the yellowish azure color adorned this garden of knowledge and virtue… graduating many fruitful knowledge seekers who were an expert in many aspects; mainly alchemy, architecture, art, medical practice, and most notably mages who had been learned and mastered the way of arcane. This yellowish azure landmark became the second largest men structure in the city, just behind the King's Palace. Despite being the narrowest district, this western area became the most extensive, less crowded and noisy except for the students roaming around the surrounding beautiful green parks, wrinkled themselves inside the city library while studying many things and experimenting with peculiar things.
The continuance of merrymaking from the southern district, went on to the eastern part; in there, many large and most of them were fancy urban taverns and inns lying on the brick-structured street. Situated quite close to the market district, many visitors and travelers whose pockets full of coins may spend the rest of the night within this district. Many local hunters might be found in there too, for resting as well as distributing the hunted meat in exchange for a few coins. One could enjoy many types of quality liquor, and warm dishes then place one's head on soft and gentle pillows, and the body relished the warmth inside the cozy blanket while the outside was foggy. And in this district only… probably the quantity of the city guards were being deployed in there was pretty high, to keep the serenity and peace in order, for it was the most basic human nature to go wild when freedom and pleasurement were being given a bit more than usual,
And those were all… the four districts… each district was separated by a single small river, flowing peacefully across the city, hence the meandering river becoming somewhat a clear border between southern and western district… eastern and northern district… hence many more prefer to group them in a pair… in terms of business and pleasure, and in term of knowledge and society… all were thanks to that meandering river,
And separated by space other than a simple river, each one of the four districts. Having their own traits and features that distinguished them from one another. Despite of that however, they presented in the same city. The dissimilarity was nothing more than the variance of basic human necessities… a place they could call it a home, a place to satisfy their curiosity, a place to interact and forge a new relationship with others, and a place to let things go… to lighten the burden on their shoulders.
However, each district had seemingly a resemblance nonetheless, that was being the other white golden towers, representing the terminology of wind direction standing in each district.
North Tower,
East Tower,
South Tower,
West Tower,
Standing tall above the level of crowded land, appeared the same size, same outer layout, same material, same magical energy, and perhaps the same creator. The calculation was so astonishing, accomplished such a commensurable variable perfectly surrounding yet another single tower in the center with its very divergent interpretations.
As though being guarded by the other four, this main tower had a very distinguished dimension from the four white towers surrounding it. Almost thrice in breadth and height, different material as it seemed, so was the magic imbued in it. That majestic tower appeared darker, as though absorbing all visible wavelengths of light that couldn't be reflected by the four white towers.
Not a single soul knew a single thing regarding the purpose of those towers unfortunately. If they were really made by the gods themselves, both curse and blessing assuredly—without a doubt—would be contained inside, and that seemingly wouldn't emerge soon enough as long as the four white towers were still intact on their places… and no one would ever dare and bother testing it.
Therefore there was a specific religious group that resided inside that stygian tower… preserving, observing, and performing their religious life inside of it, as they were already did for very long time even before the Valley of Morning Star could be regarded as a city. Their ideology already lived long before the Great War five hundred years ago, passing down their legacy from generation to generation until today.
Sventas Council… many people regarded them as.
Consisted of seven councillors in white robes,
They were one kind of a group who rarely got visited, and only a handful could speak and meet them in the eyes by entering this stygian tower.
And one of those handful individuals, was this white silver-armored figure, dragging his silver-plated feet alongside his heavy and thick silver chest-plate armor while his large back carrying the notorious crystal black greatsword. The well-known Holy Knight was seen walking entering the stygian tower through the immense antechamber which led into the main hall in which the Sventas Council was waiting for him… more precisely his compte rendu regarding the unexpected twist in reality he just stumbled across recently,