Before passing through the city gate, you decide to take a step back, away from prying eyes, and rummage through your sidereal bag.

Since you cannot access it inside of Midgard's towns due to their antimagic fields, you resort to using your old saddlebags instead. This should allow you to bring some of your non-magical items along with you.

You move Antidote, Antique Pocket Watch, Blank Scroll, 12 Bronze Bits, Brush, Compass, Elixir of Night Vision, 3 Filly Guide Cookies, Filtering Bottle, First Aid Kid, 12 Gemstones, Glow Stick, Health Potion, Map of Midgard, Pot of Black Ink, 2 Quill Pens, Rope, and Toothbrush to Trailblazer's Magic Saddlebags.

Moonflower: "Ooh, good thinkin'! My bag was gettin' a bit full, too."

Apple Basket: "Y'all came prepared. All I brought's a pouch full of bits we can't even use here."

Smoke: "Hey, if it helps, I can carry any gemstones you got. In my stomach."

Your party shares a chuckle at that, and with your items sorted out, you fasten the saddlebags onto your belt.

You equip Trailblazer's Magic Saddlebags.

You enter Elysia with renewed confidence, and begin exploring the streets of Midgard's capital. Snow comes flittering down from above as tall stone buildings shelter you from the frigid alpine winds.

You find the layout of the districts curiously familiar, where dozens of bridges and ramps connect the ground levels to raised platforms built into the cliffsides.

Only after walking around for a while are you able to finally place it: between its mountainside location, the verticality of its architecture, the immensity of its castle, and even the haughtiness of its unicorn inhabitants, Elysia bears a striking resemblance to Canterlot.

Yet, in contrast with the royal metropolis of ivory and gold, this city appears dull, bleak, and lifeless. After minutes of searching, you find no taverns nor restaurants, no museums nor theatres, and the few shops outside of the quiet marketplace offer but essential services.

Any houses that aren't residences are instead industries or laboratories, none of which seem open to the public. And aside from the castle, everything looks the same, not one other building with a distinguishing design or colour.

What's more, most ponies you pass by in the streets seem either too busy or lost in thought to so much as make eye contact with you. Only those wearing a cleric's uniform take the time to greet you with a nod and a smile.

By the time you've made your way back to where you started, you have not come across any obvious paths leading underneath the city, save for a steaming storm drain here and there.

Smoke: "Alright, I'm gonna be the one to say it: this place is weird."

• The road north leads to the north gate.
• The road east leads to the Water district, and the Earth district, which includes the chemist, the farrier, and the tailor.
• The road south leads to the castle, the hostel, the south gate, and the Fire district, which includes the blacksmith.
• The road west leads to the Air district.