The City Centre

The bird who flies highest doesn't see what happens on the ground.

– A saying often heard around the Grey Trees

At the very heart of the City lies the City Centre, the most populous area of the entire City and also the most visually striking. Whilst deteriorated and overgrown like the rest of the City, this district is home to a number of mysterious ancient structures which jut out of the greenery, to which hordes of animals have been drawn over the years.

The White Jungle is a spacious site used for recreation by most animals and carefully studied by a select few. The great soaring Grey Trees of the South house an incredible amount of flying creatures, who flit easily between their exposed levels, feeding on the greenery which creeps slowly but surely up the exterior. Though perhaps most notable is The Gated Place: an expansive area entirely surrounded by imposing fencing and guarded by a fearsome creature whom some revere as a god.

These hulking structures are noticeable for miles around on account of both their incredible size, and the near-constant chorus of chirps, squawks, and song which emanates from the three titans.

The buildings themselves are home to a rigid social structure. To climb the towers is a daunting task for any, taking an extreme investment of time and effort even for flying animals. Because of this, few even attempt it, populating the very lowest levels of each. To be one who takes permanent residence farther up, where the plant-life is sparser and the wind is harsher, garners respect. Those who take permanent residence in the very highest levels are often extremely territorial, considering the few resources available, and make active attempts to scare off newcomers – as such, most of those on the highest level are descendants of the same few families of birds of prey, who have been there for generations. Whilst there is no formal authority wielded by those of the upper levels, to those of the lower levels, the status of these birds is unquestionable.

The true purpose of the expansive halls of The White Jungle are heavily debated amongst those who make it their mission to study humanity. Some suggest it was a collection of interconnected sleeping-caves. Others, that it was a space to which humans banished their enemies, condemning them to lose themselves within the labyrinthine series of walkways.

Either way, the space is now frequented by all manner of animals. Wildcats bring their cubs to bound through its vast stretches of space, young chimps assemble with friends to swing joyfully from its concrete branches, and songbirds use its strange circular lake to bathe communally.

The strange pods dotted around the structure, covered in indecipherable text and full of mysterious artefacts, also attract many visitors. Perhaps the artefact of most interest is a particular stretchy substance which is found in a large number of the pods, always in different sizes and colours, occasionally affixed to hard figures which stand behind glass. The reason for this oddly specific assembly of items has yet to be discovered.

Slotted neatly to the West of the Grey Trees lies The Gated Place, so named on account of the tall fences blocking it off from the rest of the area. Its only entrance is under a massive archway bearing a mysterious inscription, and past its fearsome metal guardian, who on occasion bursts into a distorted, nightmarish song.

For some animals, this is a warning. For others, it is the divine call of a higher power. As such, The Gated Place is populated principally by those who believe the guardian to be some kind of god. They live in a tight-knit community within the fences, which they believe to be necessary to protect them from the outer world, in which they have absolutely no interest. Many individuals from the outside have attempted to fell the horrifying deity, to free those it has seemingly entrapped, but to no avail. The guardian always sings again.

Narcissus (he/him): a hawk and a member of one of the most respected families in the Grey Trees. He is aware of the social status this gives him, and loves to rub it in others' faces.

Bartleby (he/him): a very determined snail. His wife and kids once told him he would never make it to the top of the Grey Trees. They were wrong.

Rust (zie/zir): a ferret and a very devout follower of the Guardian. Zie is the closest thing to a religious authority in the Gated Place, and zir interpretations of the Guardian's wishes are usually accepted.

Rex the coyote (he/they), Axel the meerkat (he/him), and Morty the gecko (they/them): a gang of unruly youths who hang around the White Jungle. They enjoy meeting up there to play the new game they have invented; seeing who can execute the coolest 'trick' while balancing on wooden logs.

Bandita (she/her): a raccoon sometimes spotted around the White Jungle. Loves trinkets and anything that is shiny. She doesn't seem to stay there long, though.