How a crossing became a city
The metropolis did not appear all at once. A dangerous crossing became a route worth protecting; work and trade turned temporary communities into permanent neighborhoods. These are the broad public chapters of that history.
A public history of the city’s growth. Explore the setting here; discover the novel’s events through Chapter One.
Before the first stone bridge
Travelers and traders negotiated the dangerous canyon, or took long detours around it. The river connected settlements along its course.
The crossing that changed everything
Trading families and landholders financed a permanent stone bridge. The route drew merchants, guards and workers to both rims.
Streets spread outward—and down
As commerce grew, people built homes and workshops close to their work. Lower City neighborhoods took shape across generations.
One connected, divided metropolis
Today, people depend on one another across the heights, but do not enjoy the same rights or opportunities.
Walk these streets with Elias.
Read Chapter One →Read about the founding crossing → · See the illustrated city →