Ithersta

Ithersta
Other names:	Second Reality
Born:	Unknown
Species:	Roots, Insects, Valokas
Reality:	Second
Occupation:	N/A
Relationships:	N/A

Ithersta, also known as the Second Reality, is a land teeming with life largely inhabited by insects and roots. Time in this realm is controlled by a large clock which can be manipulated in order to shift between the four seasons at will. Thus in the absence of traditional units of time, many establishments in Ithersta operate during select seasons rather than an hourly schedule, as in the human world.

The golden tree has a symbol with four branches and three roots, superimposed on the five points of a pentagram (c.f. the Star of Ithersta) is one strongly associated with the Second Reality and by extension the journey towards truth. It can be seen outside King Ziar's castle, on the front page of the newspapers, and on the cover of the Great Wizard's book.

The ruler and King of Ithersta is Ziar.

Lifestyle[]

As well as a sanctum of many forms of life, Ithersta is a realm dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge, as it is believed that an individual's journey towards wisdom grants them power and freedom. In this vein, Itherstanise typically visits the other realities when they reach old age in order to gain experiences they might have missed in the Second Reality.

“
"Power: The understanding of wisdom. Truth: Lays in the path toward the power of understanding. Wisdom: Comes silently.
”

—Inscribed on a plaque outside King Ziar's castle

Itherstanise spends their lives pondering the meaning of this phrase, which they supposedly comprehend as they are born before losing this enlightenment during the first seven seconds of life.

For recreation, Itherstanise likes to socialize, spend time in the castle library, and play games, including a game with black and white stones nearly identical to tic-tac-toe.

Every citizen of Ithersta has an identifying ticket which allows them access to places such as The Bar.

In every season but Winter residents make and sell goods in a traditional market via booths by the shore. Fresh produce and various forms of manufacturing seem to be the most popular industries, though Fran also encounters a news stand and a booth giving out fabric, as well as a cart run by a beetle vendor loaded with balls of dung he refers to as plobbas.

The only known type or unit of currency in Ithersta is the golden coin.

Language[]

Itherstanise speaks a language called Ithernish, though King Ziar emphasizes the importance of sights, smells and sounds Ithersta as an important means of acquiring information in addition to the verbal language. A seed from the king can grant visitors an understanding of spoken Ithernish, though not the ability to read it.

The Ithernish number system is used for a handful of puzzles in Chapter 3, like the Itward lock.

The language has 28 symbols for letters and 53 symbols for numbers from 0 to 49 and three unexplained numbers. It's possible to really learn them, using the book received in the game and a little logic.

Technology[]

The machinery found in Ithersta does not make use of any known energy source such as electricity, but is instead mechanical, based on gears, and powered manually, e.g. traditional timepieces and simple contraptions like the expanding pier and the Itward lock. Metal goods are forged by hand by blacksmiths, such as Prooter. When not written via symbols numbers are expressed using an abacus.

Itherstanise also makes use of certain kinds of magic; the land's characteristic flying boats, for example, only work for the native peoples of Ithersta, as a boat-maker explains to Fran.

Seasons[]

Spring[]

The Bar, library and The Great Wizard's Cave are closed.

Summer[]

Grasshopper waits under the lemon tree.
The Great Wizard's Cave and library are closed.
Bar opens.

Autumn[]

"Sun goes around the second moon of Ithersta."

Library opens.
The bar is still open.
Grasshopper harvests lemons.

Winter[]

The library is still open.
The bar does not exist.
The Great Wizard's cave is opened.

Points of Interest[]

Great Mountain Kotrem
The Great Wizard's Cave
The market of Ithersta - the location of the newspaper stand, blacksmith, clockmaker, thread and fabric seller, fruit stand, boat maker and the stand of the seller of plobba
Season's clock - controls the land's seasons
Palace
Library
Bar
Pink waterfalls