The sun rose over the boarder city Quarz, in the kingdom of Rinz. The city was already abuzz, tanners checking their freshly stretched hides, blacksmiths, bakers and innkeepers lighting their forges and ovens in preparation of the daily work to be done, merchants and store owners checking and rechecking their wares, be them in their storefronts or on their mobile carts spread throughout the city, and of course the city guards returning to their barracks for shift change and a needed rest. While the other officials from the city lord and guilds posted requests, bounties, and notices on their respective boards and on the communal board in the city plaza.

  All readying for the city to truly come alive, when everyone else woke up and the city opened its gates for travellers to enter and exit and the regular patrols to head out checking on the farmers and their workers in their fields just outside the 30 meter high and 5 meter wide walls surrounding Quarz, before splitting off and patrolling the roads and surrounding fields for threats, monsters, bandits or anyone or anything that could be a threat or simply relieve them of this mundane aspect of their lives while serving the city lord.

  While the city bell rung, announcing the opening of the four gates in the cardinal directions of north, east, south, and west and the more active patrols of the day guards, served as the awakening call of the less desirables of the city, be they drunks passed out from the previous night, the destitute with no one to care for them; including the crippled, from either battle, the cruel turns of fate, or the orphans left to the street because of the overcrowded orphanage. All due to the rising tensions leading to skirmishes and incursions over the years with the neighbouring kingdom of Thot, known for their slavery and general disdain for any culture except their own. Which also lead to increased monster activity due to disturbed habitats and bloodshed.

  One such orphan was roused from his fitful sleep due to the ringing of the bell and the commotion of the others he was sharing the secluded back alley with, rousing from sleep like himself or packing up what merger possessions they had and heading out to hopefully exchange work for food in or out of the city, scavenge what they could or more hopefully sign onto a caravan to head into the central regions which was unlikely for most seeing as most caravans already had a workforce and most of them being either too young or disabled to be of any use. Leaving the only option to just carry on the way things were scraping by with no real assurance of food or shelter except for those more fit and of the appropriate age of fourteen who could always join the military and be shipped to one of the forts directly on the border.

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  Nevertheless all had to clear out of the alley if not for food then to simply avoid the day guard patrols who would break up such camps, sometimes violently, to clear up walkways and enforce and follow the code all Rinzenes knew and lived by "keep living, keep moving forward" no matter what. Which indecently is one of the reasons why the kingdom of Thot had a problem with and loved to war with the kingdom Rinz.

  The problem was that most Rinzenes took "keep moving forward" to mean always advance their views and the world around them so they could prosper and didn't adhere to any strict guidelines or religions. As long as it would help them move forward or understand something they had no qualms about taking the best prices of another culture or religion and incorporating it in to their own views and leaving what they didn't like behind. This infuriated the Thots which lived in a very strict hereditary hierarchy and believed in staying strictly to the old ways.

  The reason they loved to war with Rinz, besides wanting to force them to live by the old ways, was that no matter what they would keep true to the first part of their code which was to "keep living" Which made for perfect slaves because they would always strive to live and advance their own life. This as well created a mindset where it was easier to get over their grief, knowing that death is the only true end where you can no longer move forward as well as knowing their loved one surely did every they could to survive and it was inevitable they would die just like everything else would to including themselves someday.

  True to these beliefs every person in the alley slowly but surely gathered what little they had and started moving forward despite their circumstances to see what this new day would hold for them.