The Shoals at the Second City of Oltapur
From arctic plains to strange Northern lands, my travels continued. Finally, I was back in civilized places where great cities and towns abound. Here, I decided to visit something of a historical nature. I had read about the First Great City of Oltapur, of course, dating back thousands of years ago. Once a great city of enlightenment and knowledge, where wisdom was transcribed in thoughtful plays and music and wandering philosophers walked the streets and were paramount to the collective artistic treasures that the city produced and housed, it fell to a disaster from the sea. A great tidal wave came surging and crashing without warning from a distant volcanic blast, almost wiping out the entire population as the beautiful monuments and architectural wonders sank into the ocean sea. For a long time, the survivors mourned their incredible loss in the unfathomable deep. It was gone. All gone and lain to waste, save in the minds of the population that could retain the fragments of knowledge that they passed down from generation to generation and transcribed into voluminous tomes so as not to lose a single utterance that they had remembered.
For a long time, these descendants of Oltapur lived on the edge of the coast, where the great gate of the city was sunk at the foot of these shoals. And then, slowly, a thousand years in the passing, they decided to rebuild their beautiful city. Their numbers had grown strong once more, and the knowledge was somewhat regained. First, they commissioned two great markers for the gate - ever lasting trees of gold and silver that would stand as the posts on the old foundations to welcome the people once more in their new era. These great trees were fashioned by the grand master sculptor Hizzelbilba himself, by his own hands, and were the crowning achievement of his lifetime. The strength that he forged them with would stand up to any future disaster. They symbolized a rebirth - a renewal and ties to the land that once stood so proudly at these shoals, before the waters of the deep claimed their ancient wisdom in such an abrupt manner.
And then, in respect of the sea, they built a new city underwater. Protected by a great dome of the strongest crystal, it would rise up at selected times, and open it's gates to visitors far and wide. They would surround their new city with the underwater ruins of the old - preserving their ancient customs and building around them in the spirit of a new beginning, but respectful of the old as well. This underwater city would also be impervious to any tidal waves, as it could sink far in the deep, where the line of rocks suddenly drops into an abyss of uncountable depth. And there, they would once more pursue their great enlightenment and aim for that perfect society of knowledge.
Of course, no roads are allowed to be built over the shoals, as much of these are the very ruins of the first city. Thus, we arrived in floaters that travel to and fro, gliding quickly and silently in the air in this majestic splendor of sight. And here, dear friends, I show you my latest picture of this travel which was truly a marvelous affair and wonder. As you can see, the city dome is opened and the beacon of light shines proudly above, the two great monumental trees set before it to welcome us to such a beautiful treasure of enduring nobility, spirit, and sagacity.