[Riparian Mining Company] Antonin's Quest

[BlueberryKitty]

Entering the Riparian Mining Compound, Antonin found an entirely different city hidden behind the curtain wall. A road wound it's way up the side of the mountain, cutting back upon itself in hairpins as it rose higher and higher. Along this road, on the flat portion before it began it's ascent, stood rows of rough wooden buildings. The road itself was hardly worth of the name- it was merely a worn dirt track with gravel poured over the top of it to keep it from turning into a muddy pit when it rained.

Beside this rough road, the buildings looked almost all alike. The details offered sparse variety, but they all had wooden plank, covered porches. Tall windows stood as portals into the stores, showing a staggering aray of merchandise for sale. Rough clothing for workers hung in one window, though the shop carried absolutely nothing finer than cotton cloth. A leather good's store, a cobbler, a general store, a stablery and a waggoner. Two blacksmith's shops were sheds without walls, the glowing orange of the forge lighting the darker space beneath. A Tavern and Inn stood three stories over the rest of the street.

The city of Riparia's Mining Company looked like a rough place. Grizzled and dirty men were seen at every turn, the glint of weaponry obvious beneath the light of Telath's sun. Yet if one took the time to look deeper, tiny clues pointed to how safe the streets of the Mining City truly were. Men moved with purpose. The dirt and grime were likely the result of their job, working deep beneath the ground or sweating in the heat of the sun. Few women-folk were around at all.

As per the instructions of the guard at the gate, Antonin found the Offices of Employment very near to the entrance. It stood out from everything else by the simple fact it held the only stonework visible. A large arch of stone stood sentry over the double doors into the Offices. A hallway ran the length of the building, with doors on either side, and a staircase visible toward the back end. The office on the immediate right was Employment, and this was where Antonin had been directed.