Cityspeaking is the act through which an individual in tune with the city can "hear" its will and wishes. The way that this manifests varies wildly from speaker to speaker but it is generally accepted that at least some speakers are not simply crazy.

The City's will, however, is ever up to interpretation and many speakers can hear only the faintest whispers and focus on using their gift to guide their own lives or that of those around them, possibly for a fee. More powerful speakers work for the Houses, as celebrities, or for other powerful entities, ever seeking profound knowledge to take advantage of. At the highest level are the citygods themselves, thought to be utterly in tune with the City's will.