The day is as overcast as it ever has been, the ground wet and dotted with small collections of slushy snow along the sides of the street.. Flakes fall from the snowy sky above as they always do. It is just before midday, where that bright splotch in the sky is just about to sit directly overhead. It is market day in Ark-Tempest, that time of the week where slightly more people clog up the muddy, slushy streets of the Ark. Tall walls surround the largest Ark in the Everwinter, dotted with tall towers that overlook the rolling white hills beyond. Homes of cheap wood and stone fill the Ark, sections of slums ringing the inner parts of the walls before sturdier homes begin the fill the innermost parts. Streets pinwheel into the center of the Ark, leading inwards from each gate. In the dead center of the Ark stands the Ember Engine, the massive machine that pumps heated steam to every building in the Ark.<br/><br/>Near the Engine sits the largest building in the Ark, spanning thousands of square feet and several stories tall. The Arcaneum is the golden apple of Tempest, the building made entirely of high-quality stone, with multiple pipes of warmth leading into the building, and staffed by those who could afford to have higher education. Near the Arcaneum sits the house of the governor, the Quartermaster where the citizens receive their food rations, the constabulary to keep the peace, and the local headquarters for the Municipal Guard - the soldiers kept by the Dukedom across the Everwinter.<br/><br/>Just inside the entrance of the Arcaneum is a reception area, an open space filled with soft chairs, low-sitting tables covered with printed papers and easily replaceable books, all in front of a long, black-wooden desk with a stone surface. Behind it sits a red-skinned bullywug, with large silver eyes, skin dotted with black spots, and small scars. It is wearing a white button-up long-sleeved shirt, sleeves rolled up to just below its elbows, a black vest with a silver watch chain from its vest pocket, and a pair of black trousers held up by a simple belt. On either side of it are stacks of papers that its hands were idly flipping through, its large eyes bulging as it worked through the paperwork before it. Its large lips seem to be moving as it mutters to itself as it works.<br/><br/>Dotting the chairs and tables is a collection of men and women in different clothing styles, draped with furred coats and thick jackets, gloves, and what look like thicker shoes near the doors with special tags on the laces. A broom, gleaming with runic magic, stands idly near the main entrance, hopping about briefly as It sweeps up the muddy prints from the many visitors of the Arcaneum. There is a soft murmur of activity in the background, the wall behind the reception desk providing a muffling effect of the many, many people inside the building, workers, and visitors all with the many needs they have to fulfill.