As I have often said before, most of my best ideas come at the most inopportune times... so here we go.
When writing fiction, rather than over explaining a character and/or setting, it's best to simply describe the scene through the lens of another object. In the case below, the city being described is like a precious stone, but with impurities and imperfections in the rock. This is a common thing to encounter when buying jewelry or, specifically, an engagement ring. The clearer the stone, the more it's valued. It doesn't really matter how big it is. You could buy a big ass diamond for $800 dollars, but the inside of it will look like hot garbage. So, readers aware of the concept can import that knowledge and context into the narrative. You can also find ways to play with the overarching theme and introduce wordplay, like Vorlin's ambitious "palming" of Hypox. Thieves and jewels go together like peanut butter and jelly, so naturally all this imagery synergizes. Read the below and you'll see what I mean:
The port city Hypox shimmered like a gem in the noonday sun, it’s rust colored buildings at odds with the turbulent azure waters, crashing against it’s docks. Every day, thousands of bandits transited through the city gates like motes of corruption, reducing it’s refraction, pedaling ill-gotten gains and baubles stained with dried blood.
The king’s seat of power, the Opal Dome, was nested in the center of Hypox, like a guard on watch in a prison. It alone seemed to repel the objectionable and profane, despite itself being a white-washed tomb. Long ago, a great king forgotten to time erected it. The dizzying effort expended to accentuate every minute detail of it, softened by centuries of dust storms and permanently caked with the ash of conflict.
When Vorlin crested the dune and beheld Hypox, he smiled. It would very soon fill the palm of his hand.
