Deanna Crisbacher

What If? Metropolis

OGR Part 1

Richard Deacon
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Travelogue (part 1)
The city of Denoria is often considered to be nothing more than a myth, just a story very similar to Atlantis. However, this city is
very much real and it thrives in secrecy. Denoria is like a little bubble that is immune to what occurs outside of its borders, the
Denorians attempt to keep to themselves to prevent the outside world from ruining their way of life. This does not mean that they
believe they are superior; in fact they are concerned that people will point out the @laws in the construction of their city and label
it as a failure. While they recognize the faults in their designs, they cannot help but obsess over it and attempt to make it perfect.

The buildings are shaped to be organic and lyrical, with @luid twists that make strangers wonder if the structure will fail and
collapse. It is dif@icult to determine how these were constructed, but it is obvious that the Denorians method of fabrication is
sacred to them. The buildings appear so lightweight that some worry that the city could be lifted away by the wind. Their
technique of construction requires a high level of skill to ensure that the correct forms are pleasing to them, which has taken
many years to perfect. This obsession with manipulating materials to create their unique metropolis does not come without
drawbacks.

The city has an anxiety @illed aura, people wonder will this hold its shape or what if I failed to create this properly. Denorians
have a bad habit of overworking their constructions, creating beautiful work only to nearly turn it into ruins. They fear the
judgement of others and struggle to see the completion of their designs, sometimes causing it to be worked until it is ruined and
collapses.

On windy days the buildings seem to whistle and sing. It is unclear if these whispered songs are cheerful because of the citys
beauty or mournful due to its hollowness and isolation. The city and its people are very introverted, creating boundaries between
them and others. The streets usually appear to be deserted, the people often hide in fear they will be rejected and judged due to
how they live.

This, however, does not mean that they are not proud of their unique city. All of the materials used to create their structures are
extracted, collected, and re@ined themselves with great care and attention. It is unclear what material they use as they seem to
utilize a combination to create the desired shapes. They seem to use mostly wood and incorperate other material such as metal,
ceramics, and glass for construction. It is likely that they gather wood from the surrounding forest. Denorians can be seen leaving
the city with axes and other curious tools, they always leave with the same number of saplings as logs they return with. Their city
is a representation of the mind, it is beautiful yet fragile, joyful and melancholy, and striving for unrealistic perfection. The exact
designs and blueprints for construction and records describing the preparation of materials are kept in secret documents in the
citys library.

Travelogue (part 2)
The center of Denoria is home to the monumental library, the most valued structure in the city. The library holds boundless
amounts of knowledge and fantastical stories. Everything from silly children books to the secretive texts that contain the
information of the citys creation and culture can be found there. The city values knowledge above all else, despite the fact that
they fear informing the outside world of their ways. Inside the library, the endless halls of bookshelves stretch high to the ceiling
keeping certain books out of reach unless a ladder can be found. The library is like a maze, many get lost scanning all of the titles
available to them. In this library, you can become part of any world you want even if it doesnt exist in real life. This is valuable to
the citys inhabitants as they attempt to stay informed about what is going on around them without having to actively participate
and invite people in. This curiousness makes it unclear if the people would one day like to reconnect to the outside or remain to
themselves. Perhaps they wouldnt be ready to cope the grime of the outside world, or maybe the rest of the world isnt yet open-
minded enough to accept them.

The city needs space, the Denorians did not want their creation to be in the way of anything else. It is surrounded by emptiness
and nature, no other human civilization can be found for miles. The city often appears to be vacant; there is a higher chance of
seeing an animal wandering the streets, while catching a glimpse of another person is like seeing a ghost. However, there are
special occasions when the citizens will forget their shyness and reconnect with each other, possibly even allowing outsiders to
participate.

The city celebrates the different seasons with grand festivals, although the exact time and events that take place is kept secretive
from outsiders. To be invited to one of these festivals is a great honor, Denorians @ind it very uncomfortable and risky to allow an
outsider to have insight on the citys culture. The people will decorate their homes with an array of lights and other ornaments,
they will often alter the colour of the buildings to match the occasion. The Autumn Festival is often the most favored celebration,
at dusk men and women dress in elaborate out@its and gather around the center of the city where music is played and people
dance under the stars. The smell of cinnamon and maple radiates from the various foods served at the festival and mixes with the
scent of autumn leaves and birch trees.

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