This page maps out what you actually do in Astrae Oratio day to day — story, battles, social time with the cast — and how characters get stronger. It is based on the October 2026 CBT, so names and numbers may still change.
Story and Scenario Packs
The story is told visual-novel style, with dialogue choices, character art, cut-ins and full Japanese voice acting (Tokyo Game Show coverage says the voice work extends to monologues, not just dialogue). Story chapters are grouped into Scenario Packs.
The CBT contained three main scenarios and two shorter mini stories:
| Scenario | Focus |
|---|---|
| Prologue — Tokyo, Civil Servants, and Magicians (title as translated in press coverage) | The Shunin’s transfer to the Special District Office |
| Minato Arc Chapter 1 — The Sparkling Days of the Minato Magicians | Magical Activities of the Minato Girls |
| Shinjuku Arc Chapter 1 — The Night of Urban Legend Hunters and the Vanished Magician | Akina Urban Legend Research Institute |
Clearing each arc chapter in the CBT rewarded 1,000 Meteorites and 60 Starlight Films. One player write-up estimated the prologue alone at about an hour of reading across eight episodes, so the story is substantial.
Voice acting for Episodes 5–7 of Minato Arc Chapter 1 was still in production during the CBT. NC says the full main story will be voiced at launch.
Battle quests and difficulty
Battle quests in the CBT took place in Minato and Shinjuku, each with four difficulty levels: Normal, Hard, Very Hard and Challenge. See the combat guide for how battles work.
Score Trial
Score Trial pits you against bosses under varying conditions, scoring your performance. Seasonal Score Trials are the main source of Starlight Films, the currency for the Vignette Gacha — so expect this to be the mode competitive players care about most.
Simulation Room
The Simulation Room is a dungeon for farming growth materials. Entry uses Simulation Room Tickets; the CBT login rewards gave eight per day.
Raid
Press coverage of the CBT announcement mentioned newly revealed raid content. No official details about its rules or rewards have been published yet.
Free Time
Free Time is the social side of the game. On a map of Tokyo you can visit the 23 special wards and the surrounding suburbs to meet magicians and see slices of their daily life, raising your bond level with them.
- Each visit spends Free Time Points.
- Each visit also advances the clock — from day to night or from night to day — so who you can meet depends on timing.
The CBT also included costumes that change a character’s appearance, plus character voice lines to unlock.
Training
Training is the game’s built-in tutorial. Basic Training covers the fundamentals of combat; Advanced Training explains how to use specific characters in more detail. In the CBT the mode was presented as Riria and Anna’s after-school magic training. If you’re learning a new character, start here.
Great Shrine and Doll
Doll is the one character you’re guaranteed to get without the gacha. You restore Doll by leveling up the Great Shrine (also called the Grand Temple); repairs use Oracle Device Daisy Wheels. Once restoration finishes, Doll joins your roster.
Growth materials and items
Item names from the official CBT notices. “Use” is official where the notices say so; otherwise it’s our best reading of the name.
| Item | Use | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Magician EXP | Levels up magicians | Name (CBT) |
| Hecate’s Ember | Growth material; exact use not confirmed | Name only (CBT) |
| Magic Silver Coin | Appears to be the general soft currency | Name only (CBT) |
| SP Restorative | Restores SP, which appears to act as battle stamina | Name (CBT) |
| Simulation Room Ticket | Entry to the Simulation Room | Official (CBT) |
| Oracle Device Daisy Wheel | Repairs Doll at the Great Shrine | Official (CBT) |
| Free Time Points | Spent on Free Time visits | Official (CBT guidebook) |
| Starlight Film | Vignette Gacha currency | Official (CBT guidebook) |
| Gacha Coin | Oratio Gacha currency | Official (CBT notice) |
How characters get stronger
From the CBT and player reports, character growth has at least three layers:
- Levels — raised with Magician EXP.
- Skills — players reported incremental skill upgrades.
- Vignettes — party-wide equipment cards from the Vignette Gacha.
Bond levels from Free Time are a fourth track, though whether they give combat bonuses hasn’t been confirmed. We’ll publish full upgrade-cost tables once the launch build is out.
Does CBT progress carry over?
No. The CBT wiped all data — characters, currency and story progress — when it ended on October 6, 2026, and nothing transfers to launch.
Sources
- Official notice — [CBT] Astrae Oratio Guidebook (Free Time, Training, Great Shrine, Vignettes)
- Official event — [CBT] Limited-Time Reward Event (materials)
- Official event — [CBT] Scenario Pack Completion Event (chapter titles)
- Official notice — [CBT] Known Issues Notice (voice acting in the main story)
- Inven Global — Astrae Oratio Begins Global CBT
- Inven Global — NC to Hold Global CBT for Astrae Oratio on October 2 (raid content)
- note.com — CBT day-3 impressions (Japanese player write-up)