“The measure of wealth and well-being in a society was often the number of artisanal types said society could support. While nowadays we all understood all too well the value that bards, painters, and actors brought to our lives, In the past, when times were less kind to people, it was not often that a society was plentiful enough to support people who brought no concrete, practical results through their art.” - Excerpt from a lecture by Garth Wainwrought, Professor of Socioeconomy in the Levain Institute of Higher Learning, circa 630 FP.

The Aserfa Emirate was a poor nation, no two ways about it.

Most of the nation’s land was unsuitable for cultivation of the typical staple crops. Instead, the locals had to get creative and use what pieces of land where things do grow to farm whatever they could here and there. Certain kinds of hardy greens were amongst the most commonly farmed crops in the country, whereas wheat and rice were rare and considered luxuries.

Instead, most of the locals subsisted on unusual staple foods rarely seen elsewhere. The odd herb-like plant the village they visited subsisted on was apparently the common staple food on the western parts of the Emirate, whereas in the colder east, they had a different one. In the east the locals instead lived off some sort of odd concoction made from certain kinds of tree saps.

In the capital city, which was located roughly in the middle of the Emirate, both kinds were commonly seen. The eastern staple food took the form of a transparent, thick, sticky, slime-like paste, which had no real flavor and were typically eaten with soups or stews simply by mixing them in to thicken everything up to a porridge-like consistency.

They made for some unusual eating, if by no means bad in any way.

Curiously though, for such a poor country, there seemed to be a great deal of appreciation for the arts in the Emirate. Buskers were commonly seen in the streets, often performing right in the open, where passersby showed their appreciation by tossing some coins into the bowls they set on the ground before them. Some people even sold portraits that they painted on the spot to others, for only a small sum of coins.

Even though the locals did not have that much, they still shared some of their bounty with the artists, which was a rarely seen thing. Apparently, according to the waiter at the place they ate, the Emir’s family were long known to be patrons of art themselves, and as such the locals shared a similar appreciation as they followed the example.

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It was not an uncommon situation, where local culture was shaped by the whims of the leaders.

Naturally, in such a place Kino’s “disguise” as a wandering bard was particularly effective at helping them blend in, especially after she sang a tune for free to show her appreciation for the local hospitality. Her song caused many in the eatery – as well as passersby who happened to be near the place while she sang – to stop what they were doing in order to give her their applause.

Given the preponderance of bards – both traveling and local – Aideen had also caught wind of tales of her own exploits. Over the years language drift had simplified the bard’s nickname for her from the “Maiden in Silver” to the “Silver Maiden”, which was what they commonly used at the time. Even so, she still had to resist the desire to cringe when she heard of some of the more exaggerated retellings of what she had done.

It was one reason why she had worn a disguise for this trip. She had turned her pale skin into one of a tanned complexion – which was the common skin tone in the north – using the same alchemical concoction she once used on her trip to Alcidea, and dyed her very recognizable silver hair a more common dark brown.

She still wore her usual clothes, but cheap clothing made from undyed cotton was one of the most common wears for poorer travelers, so those would attract no notice to her whatsoever. Of course, most agents of the Lichdom would recognize her by name, but they were unlikely to cause her problems just because they recognized her anyway.

In Aserfa, their local contact hailed from an artisan family that was relatively famous ever since their ancestor was recognized and made a court musician by an Emir many generations back. Since then, the family always produced another court musician or three every generation. Naturally, such a position allowed them to gain access to many news that would normally not have left the palace’s walls.

There was actually little to report from them, though. The Emirate was a peaceful place, one where conflicts and altercations rarely occurred. As such, the place naturally also held little interest for the Lichdom, though they still kept agents stationed there regardless. In some ways, it was the Emirate’s relative poorness that allowed it to keep its peace for so long.

The nation’s land was poor and barren in many areas, the few areas usable for agriculture unsuited for many of the common food or cash crops planted by their neighbors. Because of that, none of the nation’s neighbors had much of a desire to invade and take over the Emirate, despite its relative weakness. There was simply too little benefit to gain in doing so, and it was unlikely that the benefits would even outweigh the costs of such an occupation.

It was in this manner, in which they were simply too poor to be worth invading, that the Emirate and its people eked out a living in the midst of a land often torn apart by conflicts big and small and enjoyed their peaceful days. For what it was worth, Aideen hoped that they would be able to remain that way, but she knew all too well that such things could change all too easily.

While the Emirate had their peace to enjoy, though, they definitely learned to make the most out of what little they had, and to be content with their meager yet peaceful existence. It was a blessing that many couldn’t enjoy despite having “richer” lives.