The City Of Sand And Glass

Soul Of The City Chp. 3 (in progress)

In the back, buried, is a small cave with rough rock walls and a single entrance. Surrounding this little cave is the Offices of the Architect. Of all buildings this one is the most reviered if not sacred structure in all the land belonging to the Nippar. Once a simple room carved from the mountain rock it grew as the idea of Ras Shamra grew. What was once a wall in a small cavern gave way to pickaxe, hammer and chisel until a grand structure stood in a great cavern. Now surrounded by other buildings carved similarly from the same walls of the same cavern, it was the one place under the Nipparian Mountain that activity never ceased. Apprentices and architects scurried about constantly on some errand or task needed to accomplish the greater work at hand. Ras Shamra, though the city plan was well known to be finished this did not preclude enhancement of the original. Everything from preformed coat hooks to the idividual locations of table, chair, bedframe and closet were the source of debate, draft and re-draft.

Though the Offices, as the whole cavern was labeled, were far from the location of the tunnels. Tunnels were even now, during the time of shuttered lamps when Nipparians rested, the tunnel builders and glass molders continued their progress through deep desert sand towards Ras Shamra. Here in this cavern the goal was pursued in a much different fashion. As needs be every society's infrastructure must have a system of goverment and this of course begets politics. Here under the mountain all political dicourse flowed from the Offices were social power is greatest. He who controled Ras Shamra's plan controled the future of all Nipparians and as so many before and so many to come this tree of power must bear the weight of its own rot. Within twisted limbs of strength there is always one who hides behind the blooming accomplishment of others. And it is here, in the little cave with rough walls that the strongest of all Nipparian hide their dirty little secrets.

Just left of the door resides a miners lamp. In design and construction there is nothing unusual about this miners lamp, but for it purpose. Four steel posts held the corner stone positions and are directly responsible of bearing the glass panes from which the light might have escaped if not for the shutters. Shutters that where crudely formed and poorly attached long after this particular lamp was first made. In their own way the shutters were a defacement of the lamp's true nature, but it is the lack of skill found in the craftsmanship that belies their true nature; and the true nature of the crafter. Here in the darkness of a cave light is the first and foremost source of pleasure, comfort, and a representation of all that is good. Even in a land without the gifted warmth from the sun the Nippar still crave that semblence an ever buring lamp gives. So those few who live under the mountain, and come into contact with this little lamp are immediately horrified by the meer sight. This lamp that sits there just to the left of a door in a small crude little cave.