Chapter 14: Knowledge Is Power And Power Is Everything
______________
POV: Astaros
______________
After the ordeal at the guild I had simply left how I came walking out the front door and then jumping on the nearest building for ease of travel. I returned to the inn, opened the door and greeted Dryis who pouted and turned her head up at me.
'Hoh you think you're angry at me? It was you who embarrassed yourself.' {Astaros}
"Cute" {Astaros}
Dryis instantly blushed and turned to say something but I had already disappeared. I chuckled as I ran up the stairs, a nuisance, yes I may be that indeed. Entering my room I allowed Val out and placed the book I took on the nearby dresser. I then opened my palm, a ball of light forming which I then sent to the ceiling. I retracted my armor and picked up the provided wash basin before wiping myself down. Though I had suffered loads of damage in battle since my arrival here, each and every one of my wounds had recovered perfectly with time and the right conditions.
After I finished wiping myself down I put on my old clothes and sat down. I should really head back to the pin and needle to pick up my order.
'Maybe I could get something for Christine as well while I am there' {Astaros}
I picked up the book and blew on its cover.
"Telos's Geographical Aide huh." {Astaros}
I opened the cover and turned to the contents. It seemed to contain some information for adventurers so they could avoid causing trouble in other countries. I flipped to start with Thacion since I had already assimilated nicely into Alvarian society and to be honest it was something I probably didn't need to worry about.
I began to read.
Thacion is a large empire containing tens of different tribes of beast-men. Each tribe has a representative that they send to serve under the Beast Emperor. The representatives each have the power to challenge the Emperor for his seat so a hereditary line from the previous Emperor is extremely rare. They are known as the warrior race as they excel at producing effective soldiers and are known for their military might. The current Beast Emperor is Lord Thorn of the Bear tribe.
'So not a lion huh well I guess the king of the jungle is king no more' {Astaros}
Flip.
Adelaide is a small country sandwiched between the two powerhouses Daithrus and Thacion. It is also known as the country of witches. Witches are the creation of human beings, born with grey mana. They specialize in a form of magic known as spellcasting and are also capable of the curses that the demons are known for. They were persecuted by both races till the great witch Solace achieved immortality and conquered an area of Daitharian territory creating Adelaide. She managed to gather her brethren and create a place where witches can thrive. These days they are known for their potions and charms (items that can activate a single use spell, it is the witch version of imbuement) which are now widely available in Alvaria as they return to humanity. Solace never shared how she became immortal and the witches cemented themselves as unconquerable. This is because when killed they leave behind some degree of curse. This made fighting them near impossible due to the guarantee of mutually assured destruction. The only reason they don't try to take on Zlatania or Thacion is they lack offensive spells and the chanting required for spell activation. Though they can do it, one on one combat is extremely hard for witches. Caution when visiting is required.
'So there's someone other than me with immortality huh, perhaps one day I should visit and investigate this myself. I also now know what that librarian is. She must be a witch.' {Astaros}
Flip.
Zlatania the country of Vampires. Though originally the bat tribe of the beast-men, they attempted to separate several times before the witches' abrupt war with the demons granted them the chance they needed. Now currently lorded over by Victoria Crimson they continue to exist in isolation due to their propagation method being considered taboo by every race on Telos. They are not to be interacted under any circumstances. If infected, flush the wound with light element or divinity. Under no circumstances is someone who has been infected longer than 28 hours to be brought back to Alvarian territory. The abilities of the vampire race vary from specimen to specimen, fight with caution. Also once a vampire has bitten someone they gain an unshakeable oneway bond with that person. Execute them as quickly as possible before curing yourself as they will continue to attempt to suck your blood due to the bond. Vampires are weak to sunlight so leaving Zaltania is the only way to guarantee your safety once targeted. This however holds no sway over purebloods.
Flip.
The Republic of Vritu is a medium territory in the middle of Tyron, our main continent. They call themselves a democracy with each leader serving fifty years before a new leader is elected or the predecessor is re-elected. Their main city known as the grand city of commerce and is based around the great tree Ardun. They are the largest circulator of goods on the continent and are known for their large conglomerates. This along with their wealth had allowed them to survive untouched for most of existence without any kind of disturbance to their lives in the past three thousand years. They have recently been on bad terms with the Thacion Empire. Their leader is the esteemed king Altos Vernaheim who has been re-elected 4 times and plans on handing over his campaign to one of his twelve daughters.
Flip.
The Daitharian Theocracy. The demons of the Theocracy worship the embodiment of pride lord Rivella. The lord of Daithrus she has long controlled the theocracy while possessing the highest un-assisted mana-count of any living being. The demons are known for their high power mages and devastating curses which they use to their advantage. Though not as low in number as the Witches or the Vampires they certainly value quality over quantity. They have a good relationship with the dragons and they offer the best magic technology any race besides the angels can offer.
Flip.
Cazhim the city of dwarves. A production hot spot, the dwarves living in Cazhim emptied out a mountain and used the hollow husk as their main capital and a massive forge city. They are known for their effective imbuement abilities and are quite capable when it came to the production of weapons. They have an exclusive deal with The Republic that allows them to only through their markets. What the elves offered them is unknown. They are ruled by King Vardos Argon.
Flip.
The mountain wall houses the dragons. Adventurers are not recommended to attempt to interact with dragons. They are known for using humans for entertainment purposes. That is all we know.
Flip.
Angel island. No man has ever stepped foot there. No one has seen one since the last great war three thousand years ago.
Clap. I closed the book and looked at Val who was now sleeping on the rug soundlessly.
'That was a lot to process' {Astaros}
I placed down the book on the dresser and disconnected the ball of light covering the room in darkness once again. I had learned quite a lot and once I returned to the library I would begin investigating mana and its types.
I also need to get Fillia to help with getting requests since I am now avoiding the guild master. Maybe I should also learn some stuff about the flora and fauna too.
'Man, I am going to be busy for a while.' {Astaros}
'Wait, now that I think about it, where the heck are the Merkin?' {Astaros}
However I couldn't dwell on this thought as sleep was slowly catching up to me.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone