Interlude - The Golden Man
Tohn Goldman was a man on edge.
For coming home alive after encountering the deadly Ghostheart, he had the approval of his father.
For coming home without half the gold paid to the Syndicate by Norneau, he had been made the scapegoat of the five families that handled the slave trade for world tree Amrita... and that was before he'd delivered Ghostheart's message. Afterward... Well, he felt lucky his dealings were groundside instead of amongst the mighty branches of the world tree.
His artisans had built many of the bridges that spanned between branches, but he wouldn't trust a single foot of those bridges should he set foot in the crown city now...
Anyone of wealth would have safeguards against falling. Be they artifice wings purchased from Heaven's embassy, or floatstones crafted from lesser mana stones... And for everyone else, there were the mana nets that would deploy so long as they were charged, and they were always charged.