A colossal cityscape stands in the nearly-desertified savannah. Flat-topped buildings of sandstone fill the space tightly, with walkways decorated by strange trees you have never seen before (Baobabs). These residential areas also act as economic and industrial areas, with individual craftsmen and craftswomen preparing their goods within their own homes, in separate workplaces, or just outside. The majority of the area is such, but there are almost as many outliers:

 - In the four cardinal directions of the town, and in the very center, stand the largest buildings you have ever seen, to the point you doubt your own eyes. Ziggurats, they are called, and they seem to pierce the sky, casting shadows over the entire land when the sun moves past them, as though they act as a sundial for real and true gods that walk the earth. Around these five megastructures, there are massive gardens, decorated with pristine fountains and numerous excellently-carves statues.

 - A large cross-shaped section rests at the south end of the city, where eightfold-wide walkways are line on either side by bleached stalls, and a number of pack animals and rare products. Old crones can be seen beading fabulous works of art, while grungy middle aged men can be seen yelling at their oxen. Children run around, and occasionally get caught pickpocketing merchants, before getting slapped around rather cruelly.

 - In a vast crescent to the north (from northwest to northeast), a vast space of land has been prepared for agricultural purposes. It is hard to grow much in this arid land, yet these people seem to have found a way. Rubber trees, acacia trees (for gum arabic), flax and barley

 - Dotted around the city proper, numerous estates exist, built mainly of limestone and rosewood (rather than sandstone and baobab), and decorated in emerald, sapphire, gold, textiles (linen or wool) and ivory. Some of them have sparkling pools, clear as crystal, while others have entire gates built of well-polished copper.

 - The western edge of the is protected by a continuous palisades, most of which is currently under construction. Sweating men with bronzed skin, from ages 10 to 60, can be seen carrying rods of lumber, large rocks, or even the bones of beasts. The work is tireless and neverending, with the men taking just one water break every four hours, during which they can be seen nearly-drowning themselves until their bellies swell painfully.
Among this palaside, are a number of spiked, sandstone watchtowers, where a number of men laze about in thick leathers, fanning themselves or playing cards, or both. There are even a couple giant braziers made of copper, smoldering with the extinguished embers of a coal flame.

 - There are also several pockmarks in the city where residential/economic areas make way for open-spaces filled with gardens, parks, lounges and... larger buildings which seem to be some sort of academic facility. How intriguing.

Yet, the most breathtaking feature of the whole city of Aderun.... the Supreme Temple

It stands in the perfect center of the city, and casts a massive shadow. It is taller than the other four temples by a large amount, and it is many times wider and more massive. The temple is incredibly strange, with massive hallways piercing into it from the four cardinal directions, which are entirely lined in golden scripture. The peak of the temple is beveled, distinct from the rest, and is covered in sparkling flowers and streams, that fall down the sides of the whole building in carefully-maintained funnels.

On the east and west of the temple, two tremendous sculptures face outwards, each of them eighty feet high. The first sculpture is of a hand with two palms, split at the wrist, holding a glorious scimitar and a majestic segmented wheel depicting carvings of priceless treasures, while the other is a similar dual-hand holding an ornate goblet, tipped over to the point of overflowing and a scroll of law, burning and surrounded by mystical figures.

Something within the Supreme Temple gives off a heavy and dignified aura, that reaches to the edges of the great city.

You have now arrived at Aderun, "The Heart of The World".

---

"Ah, I feel so much better returning home. The weariness is leaving me already!" Balshad basks in the glaring sunlight and the scorching air of these arid lands. Even some other merchants you can now recognize as Sedorian look at him strangely. Perhaps Balshad is a true patriot, or just that relieved to have finished his journey without incident.

As you all depart your carriages, a mind-boggling sight can be seen not far away.

The people in the city are strange to Li Hua as well, as most men, and many women, are topless. The garments they do wear are wrappings of linen or wool, with the wealthy signifying themselves through strips of dyed cloth or jeweled ornamentations. Piercings are very common, strangely especially amongst the priesthood, who have symbols emblazoned on their clothing, and some of them are even completely covered head-to-foot, which must be truly awful in this sweltering heat. Young children from poor families are the strangest of all, many of them run around wearing nothing, but nobody seems to mind.

The people in this town work strangely; they are either always doing something, or taking long midday breaks. In fact, it seems at several times throughout the day, people will collectively gather and relax in public lounges, resting, communing over food or game, smoking strange substances, or collectively bathing.

All in all, the atmosphere is ripe with layered emotions, from ascetic calmness to sorrowful/raging madness, both burning desperation and blazing hope and gratitude are present. The city is vast, ancient, and changing.

Countless scents drift through the air, but underneath them all is the pleasant, soothing smell of lavender, which seems to be burned constantly by massive sticks of incense, which mark the perimeter of all five temple grounds

Truly, a mythical place.

Within the center of the Supreme Temple, something not fully visible glints.... just gazing at it gives off a feeling of weight and dignity, possibly the centerpiece of an entire emperor... yet, it is not easily seen from outside the temple...

---

You notice, in that moment, that every person in the caravan other than you has prostrated themselves completely before the gates in front of you, but they are not bowing to the guards, rather, they are bowing to the Supreme Temple. Your studies in Sedoric have gone well, so you can make out most of what they mumble to themselves.

Following their lead, you kowtow along with them - this practice of paying respects familiar to you, and ingrained deeply in your own culture.

Afterwards, seven guards emerge and witness this scene. They briefly scan your body, noting you are a foreigner, but they don't react negatively.

The guards speak to each other before they nod an bow back to the Caravan Members. Then, one of the guards has his face go pale as he looks at something behind you all... and he immediately retreats into the city. The others stay stock still, and time flows by.

Eventually, a huge man with nearly-perfect features emerges, covered head to toe in intricate, heavy bronze armor, carrying two curved blades that are as long as some people.

As he arrives, he nods to Balshad, and simply says, "Welcome back, Balshad the Merchant." and then he turns and lowers his head to the back of the group. "The city greets you, Adversaries of the Forbidden."

With that, a number of presences explode within the group. Li Hua had likely already sussed out that the reason for their ""extra special"" reception, and maybe she had even been keeping an eye on them. It is the Legonites, of course.

However, despite her constant attention, Li Hua had never been able to fully track how many Legonites there were. However, certainly, she never saw more than seven. They had always stood at a fair distance from the merchants and Li Hua.

In this moment, though, dozens of presences reveal themselves. They are among the main group, not separate, but assimilated so completely that they had stayed totally hidden for the entire month-long journey from Mazan.

The merchants shiver at this realization, while Balshad just hangs his head and lets out a deep sigh. Clearly, he had been the only one in the know about the true extent of the Legonites presence.

The group begins to split up, with the merchants other than Balshad leaving first, almost fleeing into the city with their goods, and their measly gains (there were few stops along the way, so most their goods just sat there).

The Legonites move away from the group, signifying them distancing themselves from their mission, and seem to be ready to head towards the temple of their dark god.

Some more words are exchanged, and Balshad looks at you, "I must return to the temple of the Legonites, where I can finally wrap up this... stressful... business. You are free to join me, or we can say our goodbyes here. Regardless, I have enjoyed our time together, and I wish you the most golden of opportunities in your future, Young Misstress." Balshad goes in to shake your hand, if you accept it.
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:13, Mon 29 Jan.

"Well my goodness, friend Balshad. I had no idea" Li Hua exclaimed as the city and its giant ziggurats came into view. She was perhaps a little slower than the others in prostrating herself, but not much. In her culture Kowtowing was a right and proper means of showing respect and even if she'd not 'felt the aura' since everyone else was she would have too.

And then a great sense of happiness came over her as the Legionites left, tinged with just a hint of sadness. She'd come to quite like Balshad and his lessons and she would miss him. Taking his hand, which was a little alien to her but she took the meaning, she thanked him for all his help. Without him she would be feeling utterly helpless in this strange city. No language. No briefings about cultural norms and taboos and things to do. Now... she had enough to survive. A pidgin language in which she could at least express the basics, and knew enough if she was careful not to put her foot in it. And just as important she understood much better how caravan's operated. Something that was going to be of great value in her future she knew

Somewhat to her surprise she was torn. She was so mentally prepared to 'seize the opportunity and flee' that it was hard not to think about just leaving the city 'now'. Going to the gate of the city that the Fen Guxi left on and finding a caravan to join. But... this place was ... awesome. And she felt something in that temple. Something that she hadn't felt before

Not one to vacilate she asked for directions to the gate that lead onwards and headed there. She could explore the options of joining, find a place to stay and then in the position of more information make choices. And she would have to change her threat model. For all the worries about the Legionites, and worries about whatever dark deal her father had made for their help, they had kept her safe. Now she felt on her own. Freedom was both empowering and scary and she wasn't used to it.

Saying farewell to Balshad, Li Hua takes her personal belongings (including her two horses, which are carrying much of the stuff) and heads off through the gate, straight towards the Supreme Temple which has drawn her interest.

She is given an understandable warning to not draw her sword in the city, but nobody stops her from bringing it in. It seems it is rather common in the West for people to carry weapons wherever they go.

--

Indeed, freedom was both a blessing and a curse. Despite her dislike for and discomfort with the Legonites, they did undoubtedly prevent trouble.
In fact, already Li Hua can feel eyes on her. This was true ever since she left Kri Tan, but the gazes in this land are subtly different...

As soon as she enters the walls, the gazes are more untrusting, confused, shocked, and even a little hostile!

Walking forward, the city is densely populated, and she spots hundreds if not thousands of people - yet not a single one of them is Krissh. Two of them are Caerish, but they seem just about ready to leave.

It is not as easy to tell a Ghanbaran from a Sedorian, as they are both Jakadim in ethnicity, but Li Hua has studied hard with Balshad, and has seen significant samples of both peoples, she can spot the subtle differences - mostly in clothing or mannerisms, rather than physical features.
This leads her to an interesting conclusion - there are also no Ghanbarans in the city. This is very strange! Li Hua had seen Ghanbarans as far out as Tav Andor, and yet in this place, so much closer to Ghanbar, none of them are present?

Li Hua feels that this is meaningful.

--

As she heads towards the Supreme Temple, Li Hua is happy that she has a weapon, just in case.

But, instead, as she nears the Supreme Temple, her heightened senses pick up that some of the gazes upon her have become explicitly hostile, and she immediately pauses in her tracks, going no further. In her mind, this has gone from a matter of general dislike for foreigners, to her having committed some sort of cultural taboo.

The pressure and dignified feeling from the temple has also gotten stronger the closer she has approached, and her ears have started to pick up a noise... or perhaps they are ringing - either way, it is not unpleasant or painful, and is even rather interesting - drawing her attention to the masked complex sounds - but it is slightly annoying, too, since it is unabating.

Through the massive halls leading into the temple, Li Hua can vaguely make out more of the thing she glimpsed earlier. At this angle, she can see a large sphere... it seems ornate, but the details are obscured... it is... moving? Spinning, perhaps.

Still, she will need to enter inside to get more than a slice of a view... and she does feel drawn. However, she decides not to approach any closer, and instead reverses her course.

In that moment, as she is still about a hundred meters from the massive temple, and heading away, a figure completely covered in white cloth appears. Their clothes have strange red and golden symbols built into them.

They speak, and the voice is slightly feminine, "Stop! Why you are nearing come the Temple, foreign woman? What meaning [...] you here?"

It seems that someone had been watching her from the crowd, perhaps one source of the ill intent she felt since entering the city.

Her grasp of the language isn't perfect, but it's enough to pick up the important things. This woman, likely a priestess to some God, is suspicious of Li Hua's intentions.

What will Li Hua say or do in response?
(Keep in mind, her spoken skills in Sedoric are imperfect, and so are limited to basic words and sentence structures
Also your horses are still following you, in case you are wondering)
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:15, Fri 02 Feb.

Li Hua didn't actually get anywhere near the temple. Once she started getting bad looks, and intimidating glares she realised that perhaps this was not the wisest of moves. There was a thing she was just learning called 'cultural sensitivity' and this skill she was painfully acquiring told her 'when people glare at you probably you are doing something wrong'.

It could be anything. Taking a weapon near the temple. Being a foreigner near the temple. Hard to tell. But there was one of her, and lots and lots of guards. Not really a good idea to continue.

The best thing really was to go find an inn... perhaps see if she could find Balshad. And try and talk to find out what was going on.

OOC: The city doesn't just have a classic 'guards' system. Rather, law and order are maintained by enforcers from certain temples. Also, rich people can avoid private mercenary companies as protection, who are more trained than regular city guard, or even some professional soldiers.

Having done her best to mind her surroundings, it seems it was not so easy to avoid suspicion. Li Hua was about a hundred meters from the temple before the gazes turned hostile, but she had only managed to backtrack for a few moments with her two horses, before being accosted.

Perhaps the crux was with the fact that she had entered the city moving directly towards the temple, rather than her proximity to it.

Missing the guidance of her ally Balshad, Li Hua was left to face the likely priestess, who stands about ten meters from her.

"I don't understand, please use simple words" That was really easy vocabulary and some of the first words she'd learned along with 'slow down'. "I am not close to the temple" she said accurately wondering why she was being stopped as she was most definitely moving in the opposite direction.

"It is a beautiful place. A beautiful idea. I would like to honour it. To give respect. But it is clear I am not allowed to. So I am leaving" It was pretty hard to say much more. Even that was pushing her vocabulary. But hey she was trying her best.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:48, Fri 02 Feb.

The figure's face is covered, so it is difficult to be certain, but Li Hua gets the sense she is being stared deeply at - as if attempting to peer into her true intentions.

A short and faint sigh can be heard, though it may be the wind.

The woman speaks up, her voice a little gentler. "Okay. I believe you... If your words are honest, you still want to [probably the word for visit]? Then, follow me and I will lead. Then, [some unfamiliar words] no problems" if Li Hua's ears are right, the priestess's voice is even a little expecting at the end. The offer is not entirely neutral and detached, which Li Hua may or may not appreciate.

She is clearly attempting to use simpler vocabulary, but Li Hua gets the sense the woman has a dignified manner of speech that would be hard to dumb-down. The same thing would be a problem in Krissh if one asked an imperial official to speak like a common farmer... Fortunately, the woman does not seem insulted, as most Krissh would be if asked to simplify their language.

Zhao Li Hua didn't take a risk here though, because she already managed to learn from Balshad that Westerners didn't place as much inherent value into the sanctity of their language, which had been interesting to learn. Perhaps it was a Tanist value to innately reject speaking without grace or elegance, and with deep or layered meaning.

Regardless, Li Hua is left with a choice to make.

Visit the Supreme Temple while accompanied by this priestess,
OR
Give up on seeing the inside of the Supreme Temple, and do something else (such as looking for Balshad right away)