Written by Lyra Veyne, Research Analyst, Asterra Adventurers’ Guild
If you have recently arrived in Asterra, there are a few things worth knowing before you look for work, enter the tournament, or step onto a moving platform.
Sung-Il asked whether this guide included a way to earn money without doing anything dangerous.
It includes directions to the Guild. What he does after arriving is his responsibility.
Elysara and its gifts
Elysara is the world we live in. It has kingdoms, cities, forests, oceans, ancient ruins, and islands that float above the ground. Our current age is called the Age of Chaos. People still go to work, raise families, buy food, and complain about the weather. The name does not mean that every street is a battlefield.
Each person has one natural unique ability, usually awakened during childhood. People also call these abilities gifts. They differ greatly. One person may have unusual strength. Another may repair pottery, resist heat, or notice when food has spoiled.
An ability can improve with practice. Its owner may learn to use it more accurately, keep it working longer, or discover a function they did not know it had. That is why the Guild tests abilities instead of judging them by their names.
A useful gift does not have to win a fight. A baker who can safely handle hot metal may use his ability every working day. A fighter may depend on that baker for breakfast.
What Mana means
Mana is the energy used in magic. It exists in living things and in parts of the world around us. Certain materials can hold it, and magical equipment uses it to perform particular tasks.
Having a gift does not mean someone understands every kind of magic. A person who can mend a pot cannot necessarily mend a broken bone. Knowing what an ability actually does matters more than guessing from its name.
Brina can digest things that would make most people seriously ill. This is because of Iron Gut. It is not a general recommendation about what to eat.
How Asterra is arranged
Asterra is one city with three tiers. The ’Apron’ is on the ground. The middle tier floats above it. The upper tier floats higher still. A pale magical dome arches over the city.
The Apron lies inside the outer city wall. It contains homes, workshops, warehouses, laundries, public kitchens, and small farms. Brina’s farm stands near the outer wall, where the gardens receive plenty of sunlight.
Closer to the center, the floating platforms cast shadows over parts of the lower streets. Many warehouses and workshops stand beneath them. Goods arrive here before being taken to the shops above.
The middle tier stands on enormous floating pieces of stone. Each is wide enough to hold streets and buildings. Bridges connect the different platforms. This tier contains busy markets, shops, inns, homes, and the Guild headquarters.
The upper tier occupies another group of floating platforms. It contains the royal offices, the Crown courts, white towers, and expensive homes. The visitor permission Sung-Il received at the gate covered the lower two tiers. It did not give him permission to enter every royal building above them.
People travel between the Apron and the middle tier on moving platforms. These carry passengers, carts, and supplies up and down. Anyone can use the public platforms between those two tiers. There is no separate entry check or fare for that trip.
At a landing, wait for the platform to stop and the worker to lower its rail. Let the arriving passengers off before boarding. Keep clear of cargo being unloaded.
Also, look up when walking beneath balconies. Washing, dropped belongings, and water occasionally reach the streets below. The person who dropped something may apologize. That does not prevent it from landing on your head.
A note about Rectum Analysis
Sung-Il’s ability has shown that it can read certain conditions around the lower digestive tract and nearby muscles. His Guild test recorded a reading at ten meters, after he focused from behind the subject for two seconds. Solid obstructions and unfamiliar bodies can limit what he learns.
A reading still needs interpretation. Seeing increased muscle tension does not tell him exactly what someone will do next. His mistaken prediction during the Moonfang incident is one example.
Pell also recorded a distant alert about a powerful individual. That alert did not provide a detailed analysis. Its trigger remains uncertain.
We are still studying the ability. The details of Sung-Il’s private discoveries are not included in this public guide.
For now, find the right Guild office, read the notices, and watch where you walk.
If Sung-Il offers directions, ask Brina to check them.
— Lyra Veyne