Risdo is one of my favorite cities in the game.
When I was trying to determine what the 5th dungeon would be, I started prototyping a vast mining facility. I had such a fun time with it that I built an American Ghost Town around it.
I live in California. A lot of people generalize the whole of California to be similar to Los Angeles, but California is really quite varied. It is simply massive, and if you drive far enough, you can see many towns that didn’t quite make it into the 1950’s and 1960’s. Places like Yermo, Baker, and Barstow seem to have had better days behind them. Risdo is a tribute to those lovely cities.
Risdo has only one resident in the tiny town. Scarlett, obviously modeled after Gone With the Wind, is a punky young woman who refuses to allow you to explore the facility. Risdo is unique in the sense that it is the only town in Evalon not to be owned by the Monarchy. Thus, what Scarlett says is the law.
Of course, you will be able to find the clue that will allow her to give you permission to explore the mines. Still, the environment, music, and atmosphere of emptiness gives the game a truly Western feel, which is sorely lacking in these types of games.