The sun had crested and was well on its way to its peak spreading a comfortable warmth over the populace of a particular city. In this city there was a certain building, quite a large structure and within its many rooms, the gentle and not so gentle, lewd, muffled sounds of flesh on flesh grinding, pounding, slapping and shuffling against each other were contained by the special way each room and the totality of it was constructed.

A plain and solid facade of plastered walls and wood made up the face of the structure as the interior of it was of a harmonious mix of wood, stone, brick and mortar. The whole thing gave of the feel of an inn, though more of the building was below ground than what could be seen above.

The top two levels clearly the one serving as the venue for the activities of carnal knowledge and had enough rooms to allow 50 couples to engage in such study. Under those two was a floor which had the function of reception and gatherings and the like and even had an are for refreshments and small meals with enough space to feed all the guests up top. Next is the first underground level which served as a clinic of sorts filled with a staff of people specialized in healing, medicine, apothecary and childbirth that had the responsibility of taking care of the couples up above. The second lower level is an extension of the first with a store of supplies for the whole building and an office known as the "matchmakers" to the common people as they deal in the bringing together of the couples. Officially though, this was an extension of the Ministry for Populous and Health that specialized in said topic. Finally last level has more stores of supplies and an area of research for the purposes of the "Matchmakers".

This occurrence, a breeding period of sorts, was not an uncommon thing. It was actually biannual and was set in the third weeks of spring and fall. As the vast majority of the peoples of the city belong to a certain race that has these particular cycles of fertility. Though they are able to reproduce during other seasons, it is only in spring and fall that they are most fertile, both the males and females. This peculiar reproductive disposition is one of the few characteristics which sets them apart from both humans and elves that they share greatest similarities to, aside from the natural greyish undertone to their skin and muted gloss to their hair.

In one particular room of this structure was a lone person, one who's partner had failed to appear. As "matchmakers" take the data from the quarterly census of the territory and the submission of entries by those who which to participate in the pairing process.

A pale metallic grey underlies the soft brown flesh which had a mop of muted auburn hair with strands of dark brown that roughly reaches the nape of the neck. A single glance of the person's face gives one the impression of youth ever so gently giving way to more mature features, a subtle mix of both soft and sharpening countenance. For now though, youthfulness dominates and given that such person is alone in one of these "special" rooms simply gives off a sense of improper desire to partake and violate the innocence of the image.

Sitting atop a chair between a dresser and the bed, in a dark tan shirt with sleeves rolled and in a loose pair of brownish-grey breeches and dark brown ankle length boots of supple leather the person was breathing softly. The chest rising and falling gently suggests the clear and developing characteristics femininity of the person in focus and then she begins to stir and blinks open to reveal a blue, closer to teal hue of gemstones, in her eyes. She proceeds to look around the room and let's out a half expected, defeated sigh. Her gaze then shifts towards the other side of the room and lands on the open window with the curtains parted showing the view of the city outside.

"Hmmm... No luck this year too." She said as she stood up to stretch and limber up, willing the drowsiness away.

"Well time to get back to work then." She said as a matter of fact manner to no one in particular and opened the bottom shelf of the dresser. Pulling out a large satchel, she turns her attention to another item and picks up a cloth-wrapped bundle leaning in the corner on the side of the dresser.

Untying a line of string and unwrapping the bundle, a pair of belts were slung crossing her pelvis. Each belt held a sword on either side of her hips. After adjusting them and finding all her other gear in another neat bundle by the foot of the bed, she simply slung it over her back like a sack and made her way to the office area at the below ground floors.

Pushing the door open swiftly, the apparent person of authority looked up from behind a desk and gave her a thoughtful smile. "No luck?" Came the older woman's question and followed up with the remark. "That's the third one this season. I'd never thought I would meet a youngen' such as you to have all three choices fail to commit after consecutive 3 years. I don't even know why a pretty little thing like you hasn't been snatched up by anyone yet."

She simply gave a sigh and a shrug in reply to the well-meaning remark. She wasn't from a well to do family but they never did go hungry. Her parents were even earned enough to send her school for the full six years of basic education and even gotten her two years more for specialized skills training. Though counting that the city subsidised the cost for training of all youth in basic education, which entails reading and writing of letters, arithmetic, skills in hunting, gathering, and production, history, and combat discipline. The two additional years she had were for added training in martial prowess and magus craft.

Yes in case of a state of war or crisis a militia will be formed from the people and conscription will be done which then leads to the training of the citizenry. But in her case, she was enrolled into a program which allows for even children to be prepared for the onset of such scenarios. If the youths then reach maturity and have undergone said training, they are will be prepared for integration into ranks of proper soldiers, mage units or other specialized staff or combatants.

"Well deary, don't let that get you down. You're still young and a bud like you will bloom to an amazing sight to behold and I doubt the boys would be able to resist you by then." The kindly doctor said with a smile with equal parts concern and encouragement.

"Thank you aunt Audrey. I never was really into it too much. Mom and dad were the ones who were really for it." She replied answering with her own appreciative and thankful smile.

Most of the clients, patients and even the younger staff called the older lady as aunt. Though this was not in the extended family's sense but more of the kindly and motherly way she interacted with others. Not many would expect such behavior from the actual head of the Ministry of Populous and Health meeting face to face with clients and patients, though in truth and in part of her own preference, the interaction was the most she could do to make use of her time as major decisions and meetings with other major and minor heads were the only other responsibilities she had. Part of her personal outlook was that it never hurt to treat those she met and were under her with the kindness and concern a caring aunt would.

As the young lady got up and made her way out the door she said "I might not be back in a few years for the festival aunt Audry. Gonna try my hand at a little more learning the craft while travelling. 'Might even bring someone home, hopefully." a playful and mischievous grin flashing as she closed the door.

"Hmmm.. That girl, Miss Heran of clan Fairhand. First time for everything I suppose. 3 years with 18 potential partners and no definite pairing. I never thought the stigma of being direct descendants from those that survived from the lost city could still be so bad even after 25 years. That's already a generation's worth of separation from the 'Calamity of Living Decay.'" The doctor softly voicing her thoughts and taking a rather decorated writing stick that she lightly dipped into an inkwell, as the etchings began to 'drink up' the fluid. She then scribbled unto a ledger of sorts as the ink uniformly and consistently flowed unto the paper from her precis strokes.

Audrey Hearthkeeper added the page of her notes unto a file specially marked within a separated group of files of about 1367 children of the survivors of those from the lost city. The files were classed and marked 2nd generation and even includes those who died before reaching the census age of 15.

"How could I face them again after this one?" Heran asked herself as she was walking home which was about a 10 minute walk out of the city's walls by the southeastern gate. The Ministry building itself was between the administrative and trade, commerce, production and entertainment quarters of the city, just within sight of the western gate, the second of the only entry points in the inner walled area. Though the city itself extended outwards from these two gates, with only half of it within the inner walls and the other half was then protected by the lower situated outer walls which started from the steep dropping off in the northwestern point up to the eastern point of the city.

The elevated nature of this Erun city was from the simple act of it being built atop a rise on the of a mountain range that cuts off at the edge of a cliff. The aforementioned cliff offering the whole city a view of the World Tree The name of the city itself tied to just one of the ways to describe the view, Gravitas, one of the five surviving Erun City States.