“Ulric leaped upon the ruins of a crumbling wall and sat gazing over the winding Nanpela River and the sprawling city stretching from its banks. Within Trumric’s stone walls and adamant gates, multistory tenement buildings of brick and wood mingled with the stone and marble homes of its wealthy citizens. Numerous buildings were painted or stained in faded Myrillian greens, Cathus reds, or Nyssan yellows, contrasting with the gleaming whites and golds of the city’s fora, theaters, and temples. To Ulric, the city looked like a colorful stone mosaic whose pattern was beautiful and seductive but ultimately still a mystery.”