The Streets of Arnas Oran

Dear Queen and Cousin Aellin Arlathol,
As requested, I am enclosing my latest observations on the streets of our great city. I hope that these won't cause you more stress, you have so much to deal with as it is, but as always I feel compelled to offer my most honest views. You have said this is the quality of mine you most admire, hopefully that remains true considering what I have included.
I will visit soon and then we can catch up on more pleasant news.
Always Yours

Llendiir Arlathol

Arnas Oran remains arguably the greatest city on Jannath, as it has been for several millennia. In general it's streets are clean and in serviceable shape, buildings are are in decent repair, and the people are healthy and strong.

The shadows that have begun to grow in the alleys and hidden places of the city in the last decade have continued to grow, however. It is unclear where these intrigues and corruptions originate, but it is certain that they are as much internal as external. As it has been throughout history, the powerful always seek more power, stamping out the will and hope of the weak.

The state was right, I think, in requiring construction and civil projects to be undertaken by guild-approved businesses and pass inspection from city officials. These laws have been in place, however, for more than a century, and have helped to build solid buildings and keep the city in good repair. In the last decade, however, it has become more noticeable that alleys are being neglected, as are sewer connections, with backups in some areas causing persistent smell and disease, and buildings which were once solid, but now in need of repair. Some of these are so bad that accidental deaths and injuries are occurring where portions of walls or roofs are collapsing. More disturbing are the newer buildings which are not surviving long, some only lasting a few years before they are in need of repairs. I have made a few investigations of my own, inspecting construction sites and supply yards, and can see that there is a practice of using poor materials to cut costs in construction. There is also a newer practice of reusing damaged materials in new construction. While this would seem economical, the materials being reused include broken boards, rusted plating, bent or rusted nails and rotted insulating bundles. These things were present in the poorer areas for long years, but have more recently crept toward the major thoroughfares. Much of these things seem to come from within the guilds and businesses themselves. Clearly, city inspection has grown lax to let this pass the regulators.

More disheartening than these trends is the fact that the populace has sensed this general erosion. There is almost a gray palor in the faces of the labor workers. Probably more telling than the escalating number of thefts and brawls, though, is the lack of the amount of children in the streets and around the city. Parents are not letting children out on their own anymore.

Day-time traffic moves as normal, the main roads are safe, and as long as merchant hours persist there are few stragglers and plenty of crowds. After sunset, however, there is a lingering sense of panic among the people on the street. Even when there are no thieves to strike, people are as likely to attack a fellow traveler out of fear as they are to defend against a real mugger. The markets still stay open reasonably late, but that has started to change as well. None of this bodes well for the merchants of the city, who may begin to move out toward the outer areas of the city if the inner wards grow too dangerous.

With all that said, it is not too late to turn the trends around. a traveler still sees window-boxes with flowers and herbs. Trees still stand in places and remain healthy. All the roads are either paved or cobbled and are useable by horses and carts without trouble. With the wealth of the city, it isn't surprising that the number of automotives have exploded in the last few centuries, but especially in the last few decades. It was good that limits and regulations were put on these objects near their inception, or we would have monumental traffic problems as the moving palaces of the self-important would have competed for space on roads clogged with merchants and workers. Still, it might be prudent to limit the airspace usage otherwise the street-level could become so polluted that the air would cause too many illnesses to the working-class. They have a right to be healthy and happy as well, despite the insistences of the rich.