The City, Stonemarket

Day 1 (Dawn Of The Dark Age)

Fast-forward in the history of the City, that ambiguous metropolis of criminal fame. The close of the Metal Age has done great things for the local economy, as is evidenced by the cleaner, more decorated surroundings. It's unclear who in the City would finance such beautification, but its effect is much appreciated.

My previous visits to the City were, for lack of a better term, chaperoned. The City remained largely cordoned off, and I was given few choices about where to direct my explorations. Now, this is not to say that I wasn't given freedom. The First City Bank & Trust remains a masterpiece of small-scale world-building. But anything beyond the bank's courtyard was inaccessible. No longer.

The close of Metal Age has seen the City open itself to tourism. The streets are open to explore, the shops free to visit (and rob). This has come at something of a price, as the "criminal tourism" that made the City famous has suffered somewhat in the face of heavier law enforcement. Nevertheless, where there was once only the appearance of a city, there is now the impression of a city. It's not a true city by any means, but it is "fuller" than its predecessor.

Cities are especially difficult for world-builders. A human life contains so much information that forcing any number of lives into close quarters results in countless layers of detail and meaning. Having to build a collection of lives from scratch is difficult, even if it only means creating a coherent pile of artifacts to reflect that life, such as a set of diaries, a pile of photographs, or a collection ofknickknacks. So virtual cities tend to be simplistic metaphors for real cities. Stonemarket is one such example. True, Stonemarket is home to a variety of shops and public houses (most closed after dark, the only time a criminal tourist has any chance of moving around undetected), but no real-world City has such a small commercial district.

Of course, judging the size of the City is difficult because it is nearly impossible to scale the roof-line and look out across the skyline. This panorama was taken from a 2nd-story balcony, and gives a sense of the encroaching, looming architecture. Landmarks are everywhere in the City (as in most virtual cities), theclock tower being the most prominent in this view. This claustrophobia can work to a world-builder's advantage: when scale is difficult to judge, creating a feeling of enormity is less difficult. The downside is that the City is, as a result, a disorienting place. Stonemarket is particularly twisty, akin to the streets of Old London.

As I continue my meanderings through the City, I'm struck by the dark tone. My hosts see fit to remind me that there is an ill wind blowing. Local prophecies are not encouraging. More as things develop.