Breakfast was marred by
a blazing row between myself and Govinda. It started when I annotated
that we would detour to take a look at the structure he had noticed
last night. Govinda was strongly opposed to this coarse of action. At
first he tried to argue that we did not have provisions for the
delay. When this did not dissuade me from viewing the structure he
declared it blasphemy and a place built of lies.
I am not sure if the
suns are getting to him or his upbringing is rearing its head with
this knee jerk reaction to anything which may raise questions about
those beliefs he had be holding as truth all his life.
In any case I laid his
options out for him. He could return home disgraced or he could clam
himself and remember his place. He seems to have chosen the latter
and with that little drama out of the way we struck out towards the
structure.
As the twins rose
higher in the sky the scale of what I can only call a city dawned on
us. We are all seem to be having some trouble processing it; except
for Sem-buk who is as unphased as ever. I was afraid that Govinda was
going to go catatonic on me but he seems to have gone all the way
trough panic into so disassociated clam. He is like a man in a dream
which he knows is not real but he is going along with it to see where
it goes. Akanksha is bubbling with excitement and is coming with some
truly entertaining out of this world theories. I mean this somewhat
literally as she say this must be a citadel of the gods or perhaps
beings beyond from beyond the sky. From anyone else at any other time
in any other place I would scoff at these wild flights of fancy. But
here and now with her I can not bring my self to. Govinda seems to be
taken with the citadel of the gods idea.
We stop for our siesta
on a ridge over looking the city. Whilst much decade from its former
glory it shows signs that it once was much grander than even the
capital.
As we walk towards what
was once the main gate we noticed that Surya's path lead strait to
it. The ruts in it seemed to fan out and fade away once it was pass
the gate. The streets of the city were two level things. The centre
was lower than the edges and appeared to have a slight raise towards
the centre.
Very few of the
buildings seemed to have survived much beyond their second story but
there was clear evidence that they had once been taller. As we
explored we sought answers to three questions: Who had built it, when
and why had it been abandoned?
There was definite
signs that some of the destruction had been down to fire. As we
headed into the centre of the city the damage became more extreme
with the buildings being all pocked marked and creators broke up the
road.
At the very centre
there appeared to be a park. It was surrounded on all sides by what
must have once been vast buildings. The main temple and governmental
buildings most likely. The were all merely shells now showing sings
of some great conflaguation. I saw evidence of the actions of flame
and air souled through out the park. At the centre stood the remains
of four statues on a raised dias. There were carings in the Dias. One
looked like an arcaic from of Sevai the others were in three distinq
scripts which I do not reconise. I have inclueded a sceach of them. I
believe the Sevai inscription reads "To Brotherhood and peace".
It appeares they didn't get their wish.
After resting in shadow
of the statue we discussed our options in regards to this discovery.
It was quickly agreed that we did not have the resorces to do any
sort of justice to this place. so we decided to split up. Govinda
would stay near the park and explore the building on the perimeter. I
think he plans on finding the main temple and being honest he has the
best chance of all of us. Akanksha is taking the east of the city as
Savi covention holds that where the mercent quarter should be. That
left me with the west, hopefully I'll be able to see how the citizens
lived. We agreed to meet at the northern gate at sunsdown. Sem-buk
will take the nauls and our provisions and wait for us there.
walking through the
residential streets I noticed there always seemed to be four types of
houses. There was of corse the differences due to caste and class,
but there seemed to be four philosophies underpinning the designs.
The first of which are
very much like ours.
The second were round,
often circular, with a hearth at the centre of a single room. The
grander of this type show some eviendece of partitions.
The final two are
somewhat simerlar to each other. They are both pretty much entirely
underground. The major difference between the two was that one seemed
to have been deliberately flooded. The remaining water in even the
humblest was remarkably fresh.
Four seems to becoming
a significant number in this expidition. when I reached the north
gate I found that Sem-buk had stabled the Nuals at what I believe is
best discribed as an inn. Its location and layout diffinatly fitted
that lable. Our provisions had been stored in the main building but I
seemed to be the only one arround. I took the oppertunity to clmb up
the city wall and survey our onwards journey. To the north-west
vegitation became evermore sparse probably leading to a Surya blasted
wasteland. On the north-eastern horizon I believe the may be some
large body of water. It is northward we are heading and there is a
continuation of Surya's path leading to the foot hills of the
mountains that the darkones call home. I found Sem-buk stood behind
me when I turned back to the city. He confirmed that those foothills
mark the border of his people's lands.
As the twin sunk below
the horizon my students made the appearences at the north gate. First
came Govida brimming with excitement over the discovery of what he
believed to be the main temple. He has made copious notes and
sketches which we will look over after supper.
Akansha returned a
little dispondent and seemed a little put out by Govinda's success.
She reported that what she was forced to assume was the merchent
quarter seems to hav suffered the most damage. I can only assume that
this was due to the large market places be open ground whilst the
merchent's houses would have the most portable wealth making very
attactive to looters. We ate in what was the old comunial room of the
inn. Sem-buk had gathered wood for a fire which we sat round as we
discussed Govinda's findings.
I will compile the
oridgional notes into my formal report but I'll summerise the main
points that arose in our discussions.
1 the temple that
Govinda discribes deffinatly would put the grand temple in the
capital to shame.
2 it seemed to have
spaces dedicated to lesser or forgotten gods,
3 even during the
fighting that brought an end to this city it seems that the temple
was respected.
The temple had been
cleared out of anything portable so the only evidence we have is
inscriptions in the four writting styles that appear through out the
city.
After much debate we
decided that as we did not have the time or resorces to do this place
justice we will press on tomorrow morning.
