Nenoka, Holy City of the Root
A subterranean holy city in the deepest reaches of The Root Realm, where the mycelium network's core is concentrated.
The City Where the Mycelium Core Sleeps
An underground city existing in the deepest reaches of The Root Realm, where the core of the mycelium network is concentrated. It is invisible from the surface; only the Root Realm Federation's elder council is said to know its exact location.
The entire city is enveloped in a vast mycelium web, and its interior is filled with blue-and-white light created by luminescent mycelium. There is no artificial lighting whatsoever — the sight of a city shining solely by the bioluminescence of life is said to be a fantastical scene utterly unlike a surface night sky.
Complete Secrecy from the Outside
It is also said to be the birthplace of the Shimobe. The Root Realm Federation completely refuses to open this place to outsiders, treating it as the most sacred land. The architecture uses a unique construction method that combines stone and mycelium, with a property of self-repairing its structure continuously over hundreds of years.
According to one account, the oldest records of the Memory of the Earth are preserved here. The greatest reason the Root Realm Federation has long been reluctant to share information with the Great Fall Research Institute is believed to be the fear of having Nenoka's existence discovered.
Staged Entry Restrictions
Entry to Nenoka is restricted in stages. Ordinary citizens of the Root Realm Federation know of its existence but not its location. City elders know the location but cannot enter the inner depths. Only Mycelium Symbiont Tribe elders are said to be permitted entry to the deepest space — the "Core Chamber."
The Core Chamber as Forbidden Ground
What lies within the Core Chamber is taboo to speak of even within the Root Realm Federation. Yet Root Realm poetry and song repeatedly contains phrases like "the place where the earth's heart beats" and "the place where the Memory of the Earth remembers itself." The Great Fall Research Institute is convinced that complete geological records from before The Great Fall are preserved in the Core Chamber, holding the key to preventing a second Great Fall — but the Root Realm Federation neither confirms nor denies even that conjecture.
Near Nenoka, mycelium density reaches tens of times that of other areas; performing a grounding there floods one with over a hundred times the normal information volume, making it dangerous even for ordinary Root Realm citizens to approach. Only "Deep Walkers" trained specifically for the purpose can guide the path to Nenoka.
There is one recorded instance of an outsider reaching Nenoka. A legend tells of a person believed to be one of the founders of the Mist Trading Company who reached Nenoka 150 years ago. What they saw and what they brought back — that is said to be "the oldest secret" passed down within the inner ring of the Mist Trading Company.
관련 요소
- Rakuen, Sky Trade City— A commercial hub flourishing as the trade center of The Canopy Isles. Official trade with the Root Realm Federation also passes through here.
- The Canopy Isles— A cluster of floating cities kept aloft by Aether Crystals. Composed of 12 major islands and countless smaller ones. The largest island, Chuten Island, houses the parliament hall and the great library.
- The Floating Ruins (Fwarei Archives)— A collection of ruins — fragments of ancient Canopy cities destroyed by The Great Fall — drifting in the upper layers of The Mist Sea.
- The Mist Sea— A boundary layer of thick mist drifting perpetually at the midpoint between The Canopy Isles and The Root Realm.
- The Root Realm— A subterranean civilization spreading across sunless lands. Information and life force are shared through the vast mycelium network "Memory of the Earth."