Worldview

The outer walls of each floor of Aincrad consist of the same magical material as the Maze, with a barrier extending at a radius of 25 miles around it. This barrier cuts Aincrad off completely from the rest of the world, isolating it and ensuring constantly sunny weather. The magic wall is made from elven steel, a unique mixture of ash, special soil, and tree sap; it is so expertly constructed that it shines and looks exactly like iron to the untrained eye. Because of this, Aincrad is sometimes known as the Floating Castle of Steel.

The climate of Aincrad varies heavily from one level to another. Calm plains, misty swamps, freezing mountains, among other climes, all share the same land. This mysterious phenomenon, impossible in any natural circumstance, was caused by the dimensional holes created by the teleportation device that moved space itself to create the floating surface; each layer synchronized with its original form, appearing just as it did below—including the time of day and weather.

The operation and management of ships—the only safe means of trade between cities—is considered vital, and has long been under the control of the Leone Trading Company. As a result, overworld adventurers are not permitted to use them at all.

The silent, decayed ruins of this prehistoric site offer much to ponder. How did the once prosperous Alliance of the Nine Kingdoms, a nation of human beings lacking in magical power and unversed in spellcasting, come to wield such territorial power? The answer is actually quite simple: they devoted themselves entirely to iron and sword, developing and systematizing a multitude of Sword Skills able to counter magic. Here lie the faded remnants of a warrior nation as forged in steel as its innumerable glistening blades.

Long ago, civilization on the surface should have prospered under the protection of the two Sacred Trees and the power of greater magic. There were two elven kingdoms, the human Alliance of the Nine Kingdoms, the dwarven underground kingdom of Aul'da, and myriad other, independent nations. But after the Great Separation, it seems that all of these civilizations have declined, mere shadows of their former glory. The overworlders keep it to themselves, but perhaps their civilization has surpassed our own, and we are the ones who have been left behind... —From an inscription left by a researcher.

In Marome, door emblems indicate the roles of those within. A blue emblem marks involvement in city governance.

Though the 1st Floor appears mild, its winters are harsh. In villages like Horunka, firewood for hearths is essential—a remnant of the climate from when the land still lay on the surface.

I have learned the secret of the Heaven's Rift, and have unveiled the magic behind teleportation. By which I mean that I have finally learned the truth behind the Great Separation! The priests of the high elven faith will surely try to stop me, but I will do everything in my power to report this terrible truth to the leaders of the cities no matter— (The rest is cut off and illegible). —From an inscription left by a researcher.

Aincrad lost almost all of its magic after being separated from the surface and losing the protection of the two Sacred Trees. In addition, for reasons unknown, arrows no longer flew straight when released from a bow; thus was humanity's ability to wage war weakened, forcing them towards survival and cooperation.

This land, now withered, was once vibrant and green, until a "betrayal of the earth" incurred the wrath of the Great Spirit of Fire. The earth shook, rose, and erupted with flame, setting all alight and turning even the deepest roots to blackened ash.

There is no doubt about it: the Heaven's Rift is the true source of the twin goddesses' magic. It's just as I thought: they weren't deities; they were merely elves. The land of Aincrad is a man-made disaster...!

In the end, their attempt was thwarted by the other elven kingdoms, and their race was banished to the snowy regions of the north, where they came to be known as "fallen elves." In time, as is often the case with isolated groups, the lore surrounding the fallen elves grew distorted and murky; the dark elves consider them an offshoot of the forest elves, while the forest elves think them dark elves. Regardless, their true identity is not certain. —From an inscription left by a researcher.

Even in the unforgiving environment of Aincrad, where monsters run rampant and game is scarce, humans have been able to cultivate wheat, barley, and other crops to sustain themselves. However, the land needed for this has been overrun by monsters over the years, and the locals have no choice but to turn to overworlder adventurers to take back the land that was once theirs.

"The archetypal high elven faith is a form of dualistic polytheism that focuses on two twins: the Black Goddess Lura and the White Goddess Om. These are probably variants of the two priestesses of myth." —From an inscription left by a researcher.

Long ago, when this land was still part of the world below, the people worshipped a multitude of gods. But as the High Elf faith spread, the old believers quietly vanished, and the shrines and monuments that once bore those divine names crumbled into ruin. One folk legend even tells that the foul beasts wandering Aincrad today are what became of those forgotten gods—abandoned by their faithful and left to decay into something unrecognizable.

Most human civilization found in Aincrad takes the form of city-states, with elected mayors, along with assemblies and guards established in their laws. The guards are a fairly recent addition, focused on maintaining order within cities rather than acting as a military force. However, scouting outside the city limits remains an important job; monsters need to be kept from attacking built-up areas, so guard posts can be found scattered throughout the outer limits of the cities. However, the mortality rate for guards sent to these posts is high, and they tend to be deserted, existing only as mere symbols.

"I miss it dearly—that majestic land of Yuniel. The scenery of a thousand years past, the beautiful snow and frost of the north, the isles large and small that surrounded the land. I miss the great black tree with its commanding needles, and the majestic white tree with its long, feathery leaves. All was in perfect balance, harmonious under the watchful boughs of those two trees..." With these words, the elven poet passed on.

December 7th — Scouting Party Meat Review! • Boar: Absolutely incredible! • Grizzly: Absolutely incredible! • Nepenthes: Absolutely incredible! • Mountain Spirit: Absolutely incredible! • Bao: Absolutely incredible! • Spider: Absolutely not — Message from an adventurer

One of the scouting party spotted what looked like writing carved into a stone statue. Despite our attempts to discern what it said, nothing came of it. No new dungeons, no useful leads. All that time wasted... It's no surprise everyone's feeling a little down. Under different circumstances, piecing together clues like this might actually be fun. Just...not here. Not like this. — Message from an adventurer

There might be some connection between this place and that elven statue we found earlier. There's so much more attention detail in this game than I ever would've expected. What's frustrating is not knowing whether any of it actually matters when it comes to beating it and getting out. I want to keep everyone in the party from losing heart, so we're eating well tonight. — Message from an adventurer

Something's up ahead. I can feel it. But our supplies are running low, and the enemies here are way stronger than we expected for it only being the first floor. Could we make it through if we had more people with us? We've pushed as far as we possibly can. I think it's time to call it quits. — Message from an adventurer

I was trying to think of something I could do to help keep the party's spirits up, but somehow they ended up worrying about me instead. Knowing that everyone feels the same way, that we all want to be there for each other, actually gave us all a much-needed boost. We ended up talking about life back in the real world, and it turned into one of the best nights we've had. Come to think of it, I don't think I've opened up this much to anyone since logging into this game. Our lives may be on the line, but still being able to just enjoy the little things like that means everything. I need to make sure I don't forget that. — Message from an adventurer

I thought I had adjusted after the first floor, but mapping out this wasteland has been something else entirely. The heat, the thirst—I know it's all just electrical signals from the NerveGear, but SAO has a way of making you forget you're in a game. The exhaustion is starting to show on everyone. I've been trying to keep a strong face as team leader, but I'm not sure how much longer I can hide it. We've made it this far because of each other, but when I think about how many floors are still ahead of us... it's hard not to lose hope. I can't let anyone die. I owe it to everyone waiting on our map data to keep going. — Message from an adventurer

The view from here makes all the hardship feel worth it—at least for the moment. We're still out in the wilds, so I can't let my guard down yet. The second floor is flush with wide open spaces, but the complex terrain has made mapping it all out a real challenge. I can't wait to get back to an inn and sleep in a proper bed. I'd love to hear Lara sing again, too. I'm always too conscious of everyone around me to really enjoy her music when I'm stuck in a tent. According to the beta testers, Dessel—the main settlement on the third floor—has an open plaza that would be the perfect venue for a live performance. I really hope Lara gets to perform there someday. — Message from an adventurer