The Last City Archives

February 5, 2007

Jeff R.: The Gardens of the Last City

The city's gardens were always important, as much as the fishermen's docks, but when the last outfort fell and the farms beyond sight-distance of the Brothers became unsafe, their tenants fleeing, becoming even more mouths to feed, the gardens became all-important.

Where there is importance, there is money, money to build the water towers, aqueducts and screw-pumps, money to pay the tenders of the vast fields on the rooftops and walls of the city. And where there is money, there is graft: Alderman Johaness and cronies learned to extract wealth from the garden budget with a brazen deftness hithertofore unseen.

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February 12, 2007

Jeff R.:The Goddess' Tear

On the Avenue of the Gods, just past the Street of Lanterns but before the Crooked Way, there stands a statue. The subject is some forgotten goddess, her cult centuries extinguished and extinct. In the eye of that statue is a blue glass tear. It is said that that tear is hollow, and within it is a poison. This poison, exposed to the air, would spread into a deadly cloud that would kill everyone in the city. It is also said that this is why in all the years and years of siege, the city has never rioted, never burned.

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April 13, 2009

Jeff R.: The Prince

"Everything ends," shouted the priest through his bushy grey beard. Irem pulled Lancel away from the man's sight, and dragged him down the Street of Lanterns.

"Who was," said Lancel, dazed and trailing off.

"Oh, just another mad priest," replied the near-giant. "A Finalist. Think's there's a reason all the other cities fell to the Shadow. Thinks the Ark's immoral, and that humanity doesn't deserve any more second chances."

"Were I King such men would be called the traitors they are, and hanged."

Irem laughed. "Well good for him your father's still hale, then."

"Everything ends," whispered Lancel. "Even kings."