Most people just walk past them without more than a glance, but the process of selecting and crafting the statues to grace our streets has a long history and the responsibility has passed through many hands - my own included!

Of course some statues are just there to keep our runic defenses whole, mere filler, created as an echo of whatever is to hand - a demon, a wight, etcetera. Often these represent a lack of time to source rarer models and a recognition that our other statues' uniqueness makes them stand out further. Some sculptors (my past self included I admit) merely gather a set of sketches and set them out in order, repeating as they go, but I have since found that familiarity breeds disregard. If every street corner had the Dread Lord of Contagion preserved as a marble effigy, how much would you appreciate it? Not much! So I say we fill in the gaps with common things, disregarded in person and in this text: I shall dwell on them no further.

More interesting are the statues of Gods and Demon Lords, of Ascendants before and after rebirth, of rare and mighty foes and allies, of fallen friends and vanquished enemies.

But before I speak any further I feel it is important to clarify a simple matter: When you think of statues you must not merely think of those marble effigies raised to anchor our runic defenses. Indeed, some of the finest statues in our fair city are entirely unsuitable for supporting such magic. The monuments to the Demon Lords carry within them something deeper than their mere appearance. The fifty-foot tall statue of the Lord Morgfyre within Atropos Plaze is not marred by such graceless marks. And of course many of the shrines scattered about the city are works of art themselves, and should likewise be looked upon and perhaps a small offering made to each of the Pantheon by the humble visitor.

Artists often select the subjects of statues with an eye to respect and to rarity, whether it be a respected but easily-found friend or a rare and impressive encounter. I myself possess a small library of irreplaceable sketches to turn to when I find myself tasked with repairing our runic defences. The Purple Hamster of Chaos is seen but once a generation but have a look here - you may be surprised to discover that she smokes a cigar! I don't believe there's a statue of her on our streets today, but perhaps I shall change that. She should be remembered - twice has a hero of Magnagora ascended beyond the Veil of Chaos!

Some entities are even rarer. We can only pray that Grimbach, the Golden Poet, and Dumaliel, Dancer Upon Glittering Clouds - more commonly known as the Lovers - never again grace the Basin. Yet I have their sketches, right here, and have on occasion created a statue of them or sold figurines in their likeness.

Ah, the history on our streets! Sometimes painstakingly preserved, often unfortunately left to linger as the years rush by and suddenly marble has turned to memory. Once, a statue of Dame Maeve, Apostle of Ingenious Tortures graced the streets by our eastern gate, sculpted according to a sketch preserved by Narsrim D'Cente. It is gone now, and cannot be replaced ere he returns. Once it provoked question and reminiscence, and a chapter of Magnagora's triumphant history was introduced to the newest of our citizens and impressed upon our visitors. Now that story is preserved only in the dusty chapters of weighty tomes that few peruse.

Similarly, a statue of Tremula and by Tremula yet remains outside the stables (I give no comment on its positioning). This is irreplaceable, as Tremula has long since walked back into the Portal of Fate one last time, but in time the fine marble shall fade and fall to age and neglect. Look upon it while you can! I can only assume that it has been left up out of respect for its uniqueness, for it lacks a handful of runes. Perhaps it shall not be conquered by time after all, but by the inexorable price of Magnagoran security as a minister declares its removal and replacement for the good of the Engine.

So I shall end this discourse thusly: if you wish to visit Magnagora, do not merely rush from place to place, but take your time to observe and appreciate the history on every corner.