Arthur "Shady" Fitzgerald:
The gravel wall seems to only differ in construction from the road by being vertical, apparently held together by some kind of impressive glue. As you get closer, you notice the faint lines telling you the gravel was placed into bricks for the wall, much more logical then the glue thing. The rough edges of the gravel make it difficult to tell from any distance, but it seems to be a normal brick wall, save for its material. You also make a mental note to check the gas mileage of your van in the future.
You exit the Van, the shouting waking up Hound and causing him to peek out the window with interest. You speak to the Guard, who appears to write something for a moment before responding.
"Sorry, Friend! I am an immigrant myself, and have yet had time off from my duties to go drinking." the man replies, still shouting with his hands cupped. From this short distance it is quite annoying.
"You see, this country allows anyone to become a citizen, so long as they preform their 'duty' before entering! I have kept you long enough, you must be starving. Go ahead in!"
The heavy wooden gate swiftly splits in two and parts backwards, allowing you to see the road ahead of you. There is a good distance between the walls and the actual town, though not absurdly so. From what you can see, it all seems to be situated by the river. Near it, the buildings seem to be much larger, several stories high at least. Away from it, they seem to get gradually smaller and less impressive, ending with huts on the edges of the town.
***
Morlin Master Magician Extraordinaire
(Judging by your words, I will assume you are heading down the road that looks like it leads to civilization. Correct me if this is wrong)
"You bloo-" the ring starts, as you pull it off for cleaning. You look through your supplies for a proper rag, finding nothing close to that definition save your cloths. In the end, you just end up wiping him off on your shirt. Your dirty traveler's shirt. Some how, you doubt that is enough to placate him.
As you continue down the side road, the 'garden' on either side gets larger and more grand. At first, it was just the small group of trees and bushes along the road side, then two sculpture like planets next to each other, but it kept expanding in scale and quality until it seems like the entire forest was a single garden. The details are more detailed, you could swear that the outline of a human in a bush was a man wearing camouflage, while more exotic and obviously non-native plants carved into more exotic patterns appear more frequently the longer you go along the road.
Finally, in the epicenter of the bizarre plant invasion, there is a massive hedge. A giant wall of green, with many plants growing on it in a way that does not seem to be as decorative. You can not tell if it was simply a normal wall covered in plants, a wall constructed out of plants, or simply a plant that is literally a hedge. In front of it was a normal-looking log cabin that likely acts as the guard house for any nearby town.
***
Lucius
You quickly jot down the accurate required information, while asking the guard questions in presumably short sentences.
"Well, this country has a large population and very little unemployment. You could find a job doing just about anything if you looked hard enough. If you don't want to stay more then the initial week, you might have trouble making any money, but I think a caravan of traders is about to leave. You might be able to take up a guard position with them.
As for point of interest, we are a technologically advanced city. Many travelers enjoy a visit to the Game Room, my son always loves going there anyway. We are prosperous as well, you could find any supply you want in our markets. Our cinemas are also popular, they use the same technology as the game room!"
The staticy voice continued. The tone seemed much more exited and friendly then the initial scripted response.
"Welcome to our city, sir. Please remember to abide by all laws and not to make trouble while inside this country. Staying more then your allotted time is a crime punishable by law."
The voice returned to its unenthusiastic words that seem to have been said hundreds of times as the steel gate goes slowly upward, granting you entrance into the town beyond the walls.
***
"Whatever"
You kick up a personal blizzard of snow behind you as you speed toward the palisade, desperate to not freeze to death. In no time, you are standing next to the thick log wall, looking for any sort of entrance. The entire thing looks uniform, from what you can tell, with no noticeable entrance at this moment.
"State your business!" A commanding voice finally calls out to you, from somewhere behind the wall. You hear a safety being loudly flicked off from the location of the voice.