The Rift

The Rift is a major city in the World of Shaston. It exists in its own pocket-dimension of sorts, somehow appearing at several places and points in time simultaneously.

Layout and Citizenry
Regardless of where or when it appears, the Rift appears from the outside as a fairly small city. The city is surrounded by a very tall wall, with the tops of larger buildings barely being visible from the outside. The visible architecture is generally consistent with the time and place the city appears at. There is only one visible gate in and out of the city.

Once the city is entered, it is clearly much larger on the inside than on the outside. Many different forms of architecture can be seen within the city, as well as many different kinds of people. The wall stretches around the entirety of the city, with many different gates appearing periodically around the wall. Each gate can be seen to lead to a different place and/or time. Although the time and weather within the city are usually consistent with that outside the gate one came in through, the other gates can be seen to have different weather or be at different times of day. Each gate has a guard posted by it in order to prevent unsavory characters or monsters from entering and to caution anyone from exiting out a different gate than the one they came in through; attempting to do so results in extreme pain and injury, as one has tried to enter a time and place different than their own, eventually resulting in death.

The citizens of the Rift generally recognize that the city has the odd characteristic of existing throughout space and time, however they seem to accept it and not be troubled by it. They believe that they are blessed to live in a place with such an impossible mix of peoples and cultures. In addition, they note that if one stays in the city long enough, it seems to become their "default world," as they become able to leave through any gate.

The Rift is home to a wide variety of buildings and styles of architecture, however there are a few structures that stick out. The Sun and Moon Tavern is a loud and exciting local hotspot for fun, food, and drink. The mayor of the city and his wife run the Tavern whenever they are not dealing with political business, which is most of the time. The Elfsong Tavern is a more subdued locale, home to a spirit who sings a song of mourning for her late husband. The fountain at the center of the city is said to be magical in nature, possibly granting the wishes of those who drop coins into it. Finally, the city is home to a number of fighting rings, both legal and otherwise.

History
In 1525, the Rift could be found in the Earth Province in Thyrigen. During this time, the Cultbusters traveled there in order to fulfill their private goal of visiting every city in Thyrigen during the Death Crisis.

In 1535, it was found at the Southern-most tip of the country of Usonia. The Royal Detective Agency traveled there multiple times in pursuit of ending the Time Crisis. Curiously, the Rift seemed to be unaffected by the Crisis, with time passing as normal for its residents. One notable visit saw the RDA traveling to the Rift in order to remove the presence of the Dark Raven from the Monk without a Name.

In 1612, a back entrance to the Sun and Moon Tavern could be found in the Iron City of Dis.

Trivia

 * The citizens of the Rift were originally unaware of the condition of the city and the oddity of its existence. In addition, if a part of the city was destroyed or otherwise changed, it was restored to a default state within 24 hours. This resulted in some shenanigans during the Thyrigen campaign, to say the least.
 * The Elfsong Tavern is ripped straight from the tavern of the same name in the Forgotten Realms, particularly the version seen in Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance.