At the front counter stood a man covered in scars. One of his ears was partially cut off and he had various markings on his hands. He wore a suit with his hair tied back. The man stared at Meyra before beckoning her in. Meyra turned around and realized she walked through the front door. 

"There are few that can recognize my barriers. What can I do for you?" He grinned and took a seat on top of the counter. 

"I would like to find some work as a healer," Meyra said while looking around the building. 

"Wonderful, we need additional support members. You may follow me." The man waved his hand and Meyra walked behind him.

"My name is Rendel, I am in charge here. I would like to assess your abilities before registering you." Meyra agreed and walked into a room with another person waiting in there. 

Their eyes were a light gray, with a mask covering their nose and mouth. They had metal on their forehead, with their hair covered by a black hood. Two large horns protruded from the hood. Their body was covered in a loose, black robe.

"This is our alchemist, Ren. They will heal me if you are unable to do so." Rendel grins before chugging a vial of an unknown liquid. 

He collapsed to the ground, his eyes closed and his limbs weak. Meyra ran over and sat down, placing each of her hands around his throat and stomach. She attempted to use healing magic but had to lower the level before she was able to. Meyra winced as she felt her magic being drained faster than when she was training. 

As she healed Rendel, black liquid began to seep out of his mouth. Ren crouched down next to him and began to collect it in a vial. After all the liquid was collected, Meyra went through and finished healing Rendel. She stayed seated, catching her breath. 

Shortly thereafter, Rendel coughed as he sat up, "Great job, you're hired," he coughed again, "Whoop there we go." Rendel coughed up a black slimy goo, and Ren gave him a cloth. 

"Feel free to socialize with the other people here, you shall start work in the upcoming days." Rendel gave his goodbyes and left. 

Ren stayed behind, placing the vial of black liquid into their satchel bag. The bag was on the interior of their robe. They wore dark clothes on the interior, masking their frame. Through the mask, Meyra saw Ren’s cheeks rise as their eyes crinkled. She smiled back and excused herself, leaving the room. 

Ren followed her out, quietly walking behind her. Meyra looked around, not seeing anyone in the hallway they were in. She stopped outside a door and looked back, Ren looking up at her. They stayed silent, staring at her. 

"It's a pleasure to meet you. Would you like to meet the others with me?" Ren asked and Meyra agreed. 

Meyra began to walk behind Ren. Their hands were also covered in a black material, with metal decorations similar to those on their forehead. The decorations were both made entirely of metal. Their legs were masked by their robe as they walked, making it appear as if they were floating. 

They walked down a hallway, taking various turns, until they walked into the lounge room Meyra saw earlier. There were a few people standing around, some at the bar drinking, while others sat at tables. At one of the tables, two people sat on the couch. There were two open seats in front of them, and Ren sat down at one of them. 

“Ayra specialized in stealth, and Kalin with magic. You will be working with us,” Ren said with a small smile. 

Ayra smiled and bowed her head. She was athletic and tall, sitting well above the others. Her ears twitched as she adjusted the leather gloves that covered her hands. Ayra had dark green eyes with a vertical pupil, which were partially covered by sunglasses. Her dark skin was freckled with various markings that matched with her horns and tail that laid beside her. Ayra's leather boots clicked against the floor as she adjusted her tail, shortening it so Ren could sit more comfortably beside her.

"It's a pleasure to meet you!" Kalin grinned and shook Meyra's hand. 

Kalin had various flowers and vines covering most of his body and branch-shaped horns. His earrings twinkled as his hair shifted, long and covered in jewels. Kalin's hair was partially kept back by twigs and flowers. He kept a staff by his side made of twigs and stone. His clothes were loose and reached the ground. He wore a cloak that covered his back. 

"It's a pleasure to meet everyone, and I look forward to working with you." Meyra smiled as Kalin beckoned a server to bring over various snacks and drinks.

Meyra listened to the three talk, telling her stories about themselves and about the town. They were like the others at the guild, working to live. Kalin had no family to lean on, while Ren did not disclose their background. Ayra left the Draconic and came down to Dovin, so she needs to support herself on the mainland. Although they appeared to be good people, Meyra had no idea what they were willing to do for money. 

Meyra chimed in periodically but listened as she learned more about them. Ren was the shortest one of the three both in height and speech, not delving into their background. Kalin was the loudest, laughing and showing party tricks to Meyra like having a flower bloom in her drink. Ayra was a mix of the two, being quiet but then becoming quite loud with certain topics. As their conversation progressed, it became more serious. 

"I am sure you saw the farmlands on your way here," Kalin said in a dejected tone, "We're not sure what is causing it and we've tried all the options we know of."

Ayra chimed in about the fishing town, Okiron, to the west of Dovin. The land is composed of beaches and has a long border along the ocean. They had become their primary supplier of food, changing the people's diets to primarily that of fish. 

"People are disappearing. We think it's because they're getting killed when they go into the forest,” Kalin said as he leaned forward onto the table. 

“The farmers are the only people with access, but people illegally go in now to get food,” Ayra added, making Meyra think back to the children she saw. 

Farmers in Rildin, east of Dovin, are allowed to hunt in the forest. They are able to take from the forest without damaging the ecosystem due to their low numbers. In their primary village of Atlea, there is a large market families visit to get additional food. The region is large but thin, allowing people to visit Atlea with ease from Dovin. 

“Is there anything else that people are doing?” Meyra asked.

“Some people are going to Rodin, but it's harder to access from here,” Ren mumbled. 

Rodin borders the ocean and the forest, taking up nearly the entire northern portion of the continent. The region is difficult to access due to the rocky terrain between there and Dovin, but there are a plethora of animals to hunt for. Large expeditions will leave from Dovin and do mass slaughters, as it's cheaper due to the equipment required. 

While they talked, Meyra looked outside the window. Close by, there was a large building. In the distance there were multiple other buildings of the same dark green. She looked at the high arches and slanted roofs, a drastically different design than the wooden and stone square buildings that were there. 

The building closest to them had a line out the door. She watched as someone opened the door and held it open for the people. They wore a dark green dress, with a hood covering their hair. The people ran inside to a large food hall. 

"Cruxn has been procuring food for the citizens. We're not sure where it's coming from or what it is, but it's something,” Ayra grumbled. 

Cruxn was one of the religions on the continent, along with Vallan and the smaller religions. They are based in the dark green buildings that Meyra saw. The religion works with the farmers in Rildin and hunters in Rodin and provide the meat to the citizens of Dovin. Cruxn primarily has Fae working for them, as they are known for their magic abilities, but have others as well. 

Their buildings have soaring ceilings with large windows. They will typically have a short second story for people to stay in, as Cruxn members must live on site if they are within Dovin. Along the beams, plants will be grown using the light from the windows. They will also have a large fountain in the center for ceremonies and the public to use.

Cruxn will house abandoned children and raise them, allowing them to work for Cruxn if their powers align. When the children are proficient enough, they will be sent out to Rildin to stay with the farmers. The religion has people in Dovin that go on excursions in Rodin, as necessary. The children raised by Cruxn are able to leave once they reach adulthood if they desire to. 

“I felt uncomfortable. It was as if we were all cogs in a wheel for something,” Kalin said as he awkwardly rubbed his trembling hands. 

“What made you come to Dovin?” Meyra asked. 

“I was looking for a home. These two rascals became my family, along with the rest of the guild,” Kalin said with a small smile. 

He awkwardly grabbed Aura’s shoulder and Ren’s clothed hand and gave them a hug. Ayra smiled, while Ren made no obvious facial expressions. Meyra smiled as she took a sip of her drink, unsure of what to say. Meyra noticed his slightly shaking frame after the hug, deciding not to pry further. She watched as a different person walked out of the Cruxn building. 

They also wore dark green clothing, with this one having gold embellishments. A large golden headpiece in a halo adorned their head. It glimmered in the sun, casting a rainbow of colors due to the gems. Surrounding their eyes was a gold dust, glittering in the light. They helped some of the people enter the building. 

"They could have more money to spend if they sold those crowns of theirs," Ayra mumbled under her breath while watching the person.

Ren cleared their throat and Ayra rolled her eyes while Kalin was merry on his drinks. The people in Cruxn that have the dust are those that have communicated with their higher beings. After that experience, they go to the leader of each location and receive different colored dust depending on what they are. 

“Or they're kicked out if they lie,” Ayra grumbled then groaned when Ren elbowed her in the ribs.

The primary leader has gold and their direct workers have silver. The last color is a dark purple, which is for the children until they reach adulthood and increase their position. A majority of the believers at Cruxn do not have eye dust. Those that do rarely leave the building for unknown reasons. 

“Are there any governing bodies above the religions?” Meyra asked. 

Quixm was the largest financial institution in the continent, with their headquarters in Dovin. They work with the government and aid in deals. Numerous politicians work on the first floor of the castle in the center of town as it is the central hub of the government. The second story up was reserved for the emperor, but they were rarely seen. 

“Are there any Quixm locations around here?” Meyra asked. 

“It's actually next door due to the amount of deliveries we get,” Kalin said and pointed to the large building towering over the town. 

Quixm’s buildings are tall to allow for aerial deliveries, which are the fastest option available. Although they tower over the town, the design blends in well, with only large spires above the town line. On ground level they are identified by their blood red doors, the color of their contract signing. 

“What building is to the left of us?” Meyra asked, looking towards the poorer area of town. 

“That's Vallan, they're here due to the large number of injured guild members coming through,” Ayra said. 

Vallan uses healing magic on everyone that comes by. The guild is its largest patron due to the few number of healers within the guild. Their higher members act as private doctors, going around to the politicians and people that can afford it. 

Meyra observed the long building, much shorter than the Quixm building. This particular one had two stories as there was a need for housing the members here. The building was white, blinding in the sunlight. They have one white spire going up, making them easy to see. 

“Did you hear that the emperor is coming back tomorrow from Cynth? There's nothing there!” 

Cynth is to the southwest of Dovin, past Okiron. It borders the mountains down the southern portion of the continent with rainforests that become deserts along the ocean. The region is rarely visited due to its geography and lack of tourism. 

“They were just in Faux! Getting across the mountain is hard. Did they fly?” Ren asked. 

Faux is to the southeast and the smallest region. It borders the mountain on its west, with the forest on its east. To the south was the ocean, but it was not used for large scale fishing. The land is full of marshland and it produces the most minerals of any region, along with some fish. 

Meyra was intrigued by the forest, as the three made it sound like a border. As they continued to talk, she looked at the map on the table. There was no land marked to the east of the forest, like it was the edge of the world.

"Has anyone been further east?" She asked. 

Kalin shook his head, "The forest is so large that we have been unable to make it to the other side. It looks the same everywhere so people get lost, no one goes past the settlements now,” he said. 

Towards the ocean, people rock climb to enter the forest due to the rocky terrain. They navigate the waterfalls covered in the local plant life, making it easy to slip. Fish-like creatures often jump out and surprise climbers, making them fall to their demise.

“No one is allowed to visit Death Falls, as it's believed creatures eat their remains. No one has ever been found, spooky huh?” Ayra chuckled. 

The Mer regularly frequent this area, as they live in the sea and enjoy visiting the coast. Their higher ups are able to assume a bipedal form and come on land. As this is extremely painful, they come up as needed. Only the merchants know when they come to ensure their safety due to the rarity of items they sell including shells, scales, and others. 

The Fae live deep within the forests, where the land is composed of multiple mountainous islands. The exterior islands are connected by mats made of plant roots, while the interior ones have no connectors. The exterior islands are where outsiders are able to trade with the Fae. The Fae live in this part of the forest due to the large number of clearings, making it easy to fly. 

Like Dovin, many creatures and types of people live within the forest. The most well-known are the Fae due to their large bioluminescent wings and plants that grow on them. Fae live in large groups with warriors for protection and craftsmen to refine the materials they forage. The Fae will visit towns all over Volvin to trade, but as a whole prefer to live within the forest.