People of the Land

 People of the Land (大地人 daichi-jin) (also called "Landers") is the term used to describe the Non-Player Characters or NPCs (ノンプレイヤーキャラクター) in Elder Tale. They can be found in cities and safe zones and span a range of professions including aristocrats, shopkeepers, and farmers.

Overview
People of the Land can be utilized for a number of things including the purchase of food, items, clothing, and can be spoken to for quests. What forms these types of quests take are up to assumption, but escort and monster hunting quests appear to be present.

Following the apocalypse, the number of People of the Land increased by five or ten-fold, but they still remained weak compared to players, and if they chose, players could use their superior strength to take their belongings or their lives. Furthermore, instead of just being seen as NPCs, the People of the Land now have memories, feelings and even their own histories, making them far more human than before.

There are powerful People of the Land like the Royal Guard and the Ancients. Normal People of the Land can also get stronger and level themselves up. However, their rate of improvement is about 1/4 that of Adventurers and the highest level they can achieve is around 60 or so. Even the strongest of People of the Land knights are still no match against a single Level 90 Adventurer such as Berseker Krusty or Black Sword Isaac. Only by donning the Mobile Armor of the Royal Guard, is a Person of the Land able to defeat most Adventurers with ease. However, due to the armor's restrictions of fighting only within a city's borders and its dependence on the city's magic circle, this is a limited advantage at best.

One interesting thing to note is the fact that People of the Land can gain the abilities of the Adventurers through a magical contract. So far, only Rundelhouse Code has been given these abilities through a contract made by Shiroe. He keeps this fact an absolute secret as it would cause untold chaos if it were revealed. In spite of that fact, some people are still aware that he used some sort of "grand magic."

With the discovery of foods with flavor and the new inventions and products created by the Adventurers, the overall culture of the People of the Land has greatly changed due to these influences. Foods with actual taste have become overwhelmingly popular among the former NPCs with many domains now seeking out new methods of ingredient procurement, cooking techniques, and transport of goods. Devices previously unheard of are now sought after. New products and industrial methods are welcomed. They now see Adventurers as not only mercenaries for hire and protectors, but as new opportunities for wealth and tecnology advancement.