[center][h3][color=lightgreen]Gadri Abzan[/color][/h3]Talking to [color=goldenrod]Terilu[/color] ([@Tortoise])[/center]

Gadri raised an arm as the sand swirled around them, a small glower rising to their face before being quickly crushed back down. [i]Just a kid,[/i] they reminded themselves, turning to face the young'un in question as they started talking. [color=lightgreen]"Terilu, wasn't it?"[/color] They were used to the canine Ainok - no Dinnin wasn't, but the batfolk - Eratie, they believed they were called, were a new one to them. 

[color=lightgreen]"More mountains. The range gets vaster the deeper in you go. Abzan's an old clan."[/color] They paused for a second, adjusting the strap on their bag. [color=lightgreen]"Was a dwarfhold, originally. Long, long time ago. Humans brought the faith with them, and it's grown from there. Its heart has always been in the mountains."[/color] If one was paying attention, they might notice that Gadri was dressed differently from how they usually attired themselves. It wasn't just the lack of their smith's apron and toolbelt (although their hammer sat where it always did,) no, Gadri had seemingly donned an entirely fresh set of clothes for this occasion. A loose fitted undershirt was almost entirely hidden by a light green kaftan and similarly coloured sash, accompanied by a beautifully decorated turban. Their shoes too were a far cry from the usual heavy boots - now they wore a set of lightweight leather shoes, unsuited for anything but perhaps a casual stroll.

It was easy to pass through the gates. Gadri offered a quick [color=lightgreen]"As-salamu alaykum."[/color] and a bow of their head to the guards, who returned the greetings, one making a gesture with a splayed palm to accompany it. Then it was through and into the city itself... And what a city it was.

Almost all of the buildings were made from adobe, sunbaked for so long that it was easy to imagine that they had forgotten the rain itself. Smoke leaked from chimneys across the city, rising into the air where it swept past towering minarets, domed roofs, and, right at the heart of the city itself, visible even from the gates was a guilded ziggurat, what could only be a palace placed atop its peak. Even now, at the height of the day and with many businesses shut while the sun was at its peak people bustled through the streets - some poorly dressed, some clad in silks, and others still in steel. The air was filled with a dozen different scents all clashing against one another - spices, coalsmoke and sweat all swirling together, and they joined with the sounds of business and pleasure alike. 

Gadri took a moment in the middle of it all to breathe in deeply, closing their eyes as a small smile swept across their face.