Core Anchors
Core Anchors were created by researchers at the Skywatcher Institute, known was Skywatchers, as a way to make sure places and people were no longer harmed by the effects of the Realm Conjunctions. The successful implementation of the Core Anchors ushered in a new age in Avarha, known as the Anchored Age.
Utility
Core Anchors are most often used to keep buildings and other structures connected to the core of Avarha. A Core Anchor, in the form of a large rod, is placed at the center of a structure, most often during its construction, so that it is anchored to the bedrock beneath the foundation and extends through the structure's roof. Sometimes these rods are tall enough that the top is used as a weathervane or a flagpole. These rods can be as thick as several feet around for large buildings, or as narrow as a few inches around for sheds and chicken coops. Smaller Core Anchor rods are then placed at each exterior corner of the structure.
Especially large Core Anchors are placed throughout cities, often becoming park centerpieces, with smaller rods surrounding the entire city or town. As urban centers grow, additional Anchors are added and borders expanded. Rapid growth of some cities can be seen in the uneven and seemingly haphazard arrangement of Core Anchors, while more slowly growing locations have meticulously planned Core Anchor grids.
Wearable Core Anchors exist in the form of amulets that can be worn by those who may be away from the shelter of a structure during Realm Conjunctions. These are also used by farmers to anchor livestock that can't be kept in barns and by those with pets to keep them safe.
During Realm Conjunctions the Core Anchors emit a soft, soothing hum and a faint blue light.
Manufacturing
Several Core Anchor manufacturing facilities exist throughout Avarha, all under the ownership and operation of the Skywatcher Institute. These facilities are often located close to mountains or other mining locations where the correct minerals can be extracted, combined with magical elements, and formed into the various types of Core Anchors for their various uses.
Social Impact
The invention of the Core Anchors so drastically changed societal norms during Realm Conjunctions that the time since their creation has been dubbed the Anchored Age. Many across Avarha no longer fear that Realm Conjunctions will lead to themselves, their families, or members of their community being transported to another realm against their will.
The Core Anchors' usage is now so common in Avarha that some don't believe Realm Conjunctions to be a danger at all. Despite the regular appearance of new beings, plants, and monsters from other realms after a Conjunction, some now believe it impossible to be pulled away from Avarha if they don't wish to be. This has led to increased risk-taking, especially among teenagers and young adults across Avarha who often dare each other to spend nights during a Conjunction outside, away from Core Anchors. This trend has come to be known by some as the Unanchored Movement. While the chances of being pulled away, even during a major Conjunction, are small, it is still a possibility that many public service campaigns now work to educate citizens on.
Core Anchors are widely available across Avarha. Some local governments require their use in construction and some supply them to the public themselves. In some areas, communities rely on traveling Skywatchers to supply Core Anchors on a charitable basis. While available in some private shops, selling Core Anchors for profit is frowned upon because they are so vital to the safety of the wider society.
Core Anchors are created with a mix of magic and materials mined from beneath the surface of Avarha. The exact formula for each element of the Anchors is incredibly precise and kept by the Skywatcher Institute. It is not considered a secret, as only the Skywatcher Institute has the resources to create large numbers of Anchors, but it is against the law almost everywhere in Avarha to attempt to pass off fake or privately-made Anchors as real ones. There is no real market for such unofficial Anchors as the real ones are cheap or free and abundantly available.
The invention of the Core Anchors was sparked by the knowledge that many people went underground during Realm Conjunctions in order to prevent themselves from being pulled away from Avarha and into another realm. Over many years of testing and theorizing, researchers at the Skywatcher Institute, with the help of many Realmwalkers, were able to determine that it was the material beneath the surface of Avarha itself that kept beings and objects from being moved to another realm.
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