A month passed at sea.
The merchant vessel gradually slowed as land came into view. The coastline stretched ahead, and in the near distance, the outline of Amberfall emerged through the haze.
Tall walls rose along the shore, pale stone catching the sunlight. Beyond them, countless buildings crowded together, layered and dense, their flat roofs and domes forming an uneven skyline.
Minarets and towers reached the skies above the city, some capped with gold and copper that glinted faintly from afar.
When the sun shone on the domes of these buildings, it seemed as if they were gloriously lit ablaze. That was how this great mercantile city came to be known as Amberfall.
The harbor was vast and busy. Ships of every size moved in steady lines, sails furled or half-raised as they waited to dock.
Smoke drifted upward from within the city, mingling with the salty air blowing from the sea. Even from a distance, the ship's crew could hear the distant bells and the clamor of people.
