Introduction

Observer: As Autumn rolls in, you find yourself drawn back to the Verdant Palace in Haven, curious what this new season might bring to you…
Observer: As you enter the palace, you’re greeted with the sight of King Nero in a discussion with a nobleman - overhearing something about taxes, you decide to just head to where you usually go in the palace rather than be bored.
Observer: Before you can make it that far, however, a frantic Queen Iola bursts into the room, her eyes wide.
Queen Iola: “Deja- My mother- her statue-“
Observer: King Nero immediately rushes to his wife’s side, gripping her hands.
King Nero: “What’s happened?”
Observer: Queen Iola takes a moment to compose herself as she seems to note the presence of others.
Queen Iola: “Mother’s statue has vanished. I was taking a stew to her, and when I arrived, it was not there, just the plinth.”
Observer: You see King Nero frown for a long moment before he presses one of the buttons on his jacket.
Observer: In short order, several guards spill into the room, along with a few others. King Nero gives orders quicker than you can follow, as the grand entrance of the palace suddenly hums with activity.
Observer: You kind of expect to be shooed off as he moves to lead some guards to the memorial room, but when one moves to, Queen Iola stops them.
Queen Iola: “They might be helpful. My… dreams have said so before.”
Observer: The guard looks skeptical, but you are allowed to follow along…

Pay Respects

Observer: As you enter the Memorial Room, it is quite clear that Queen Iola had been in it prior. A bowl of foul smelling stew has been spilled on the ground in the entry of the room.
Observer: A Stewy is trying to scoop its fallen… relative…? back into the bowl, making tiny distressed squelching noises.
Observer: King Nero reaches down to give it a comforting pat, gazing at the empty plinth along with the rest of you.
King Nero: “Investigate every offering, the walls, the floor, everything.”
Observer: Well, you figure the guards are more likely to spot anything useful than you are… but you figure you can try to help…

Nero's Wheel of Fortune

Observer: The room with the wheel is empty now.
Observer: After investigating Deja’s memorial, you came here - but King Nero is still busy, and you are unsure where Queen Iola is now.
Observer: You guess you could still give it a spin, it does look like Queen Iola’s assistant Lalasa has arrived to help out with it…
Lalasa: “Sorry I’m late, sudden changes, let me make sure everything is in order here…”
Observer: You notice she has a tray of what looks like normal stews, which she neatly slides into the warming rack the stews are kept in… She winks at you.
Lalasa: “Not a word - I couldn’t get enough to totally replace all the… uh, special ones.”
Lalasa: “Still, it might be best during all this to… be gentle to our stomachs, I think.”

deja's disappearance (Daily)

Observer: The Memorial Room is abuzz with activity now, where it had normally been a peaceful place.
Observer: Guards are investigating the offerings, Nero is examining the plinth, you are…
Observer: Well, you’re observing, as always.
Observer: Gotta collect anything that could be a clue to what happened.
Observer: Like that crystal over there.
Observer: Or that… little thing over there…?
Observer: …that might be a bit more of a clue than the crystal, honestly, but you’re not going to acknowledge that too loudly.
Observer: You go to look closer, if it seems worth it you can hold onto it to show to Nero.

Verdant Castle

Observer: After the excitement, you peek your head into the room where you usually have met Queen Iola.
Observer: She’s there, facing the window, quietly crying and surrounded by Stewy. They’re all trying to comfort her, making their own tiny noises.
Observer: You don’t think you can be of much comfort to her like this, as you tiptoe into the room, but maybe if you look around you could spot something?
Observer: Whoever took the statue must have gone through somewhere with it, right…?

Crystal Casino

Observer: After a round of crystal roulette, you’re in the process of going to get a cocktail from the bar when you overhear two familiar voices.
Queen Diana: “-whole statue gone, apparently.”
Queen Ashe: “No signs at all?”
Queen Diana: “None. I’m wondering if we should send some of our guards to help protect them.”
Queen Ashe: “Really?”
Observer: You have to agree with the queen’s surprise at the suggestion. It's just a statue, after all.
Queen Diana: “It’s not just a statue. Someone just flaunted that they can go into the Verdant Palace, take off with something extremely close to the Royals, and they weren’t even seen.”
Queen Diana: “How do you think Nero’s parents will respond to that news?”
Queen Ashe: “…they did attack my predecessor with even less of an incident.”
Queen Diana: “And I guarantee you that Iola won’t be taking this seriously enough…”
Observer: Their voices fade out as they grow more distant from you, but it leaves you with much to ponder as you get your cocktail and head back to the tables…

Abella's Boutique

Observer: When you enter Abella’s shop, you find that she seems to be busy with a client, draping a beautiful black fabric around them.

Observer: You can’t hear their conversation, and can’t make out much about the client due to a half curtain blocking the work room, but the fabric looks gorgeous.
Observer: You’ll have to remember it if you ever want to get a custom outfit from her - it seems like it would look wonderful for almost any article of clothing.
Observer: Since she’s occupied, though, you figure it best to leave the store for now. Getting an outfit made takes forever. You wonder if she’s lost any business today due to it…
Observer: Ready to wear clothing isn’t that big an industry on Aerius, due to complications with fins and tails, but Abella does sell some that can then be altered by a tailor or modiste as needed.
Observer: Maybe Abella needs to get a clerk for the shop instead of trying to do it all? You figure you can bring it up to her next time, if it hasn’t already occurred to her.

Aerius Archives

Observer: The Archives is bustling far more than your prior visits even still, though you’ve heard rumors that the passport office is [settled in/still in the process of moving over], which could explain it.
Observer: When you enter it, you see Nepra and Symphony sipping tea and standing over the counter, where they have some sort of map or diagram.
Symphony: “Yeah, this is the timeline for the maintenance work, they finally got it to me.”
Nepra: “Wow, twenty years? When the Archives had maintenance done last, it only took about a year.”
Symphony: “They told me it was going to be ten originally, but the person who delivered this said that right after we moved out, one of the main support pillars collapsed.”
Nepra: “…why was it allowed to go so long unmaintained?”
Symphony: “I’m not sure. We did put it off a few times, I suppose, due to high volumes, but I don’t think it was that many times.”
Observer: As Symphony finishes speaking, she notices you and brightens.
Symphony: “Oh hello, are you here seeking a registration scroll or passport? Despite what I was saying to Nepra just now, the passport office is operational here now.”
Observer: Well, you’re certainly curious about the passports, so you ask about those.
Symphony: “They’re primarily for Lockettes and Dexettes from Maquette who want to visit and spend time on Aerius - there’s other offices dedicated to working with other groups.”
Nepra: “Lockettes can receive citizenship on Aerius, but they all have to start out with a passport.”
Symphony: “It’s a nice system, it worked very nicely for me and I’m happy to be able to help others in the same way.”
Observer: You decide you might as well at least look at the guide for the passport, and take a seat while you do, allowing the two to return to their conversation.

Enchanted Elixirs

Observer: As you pass Enchanted Elixirs, you notice that the sign on the window seeking apprentices has vanished.
Observer: Curious as ever, you venture into the shop.
Observer: Behind the counter stands a lockette with white hair and a purple haired dextroluma. The lockette seems to be showing the dextroluma how to mix a potion.
Violet: “You need to mix the moonshadow dust in very slowly, so that it won’t clump.”
Observer: The dextroluma nods nervously, and bites her lip as she tries to mix.
Violet: “Try moving your mixing hand from the shoulder, not the wrist, the more fluid your motions are, the easier it’ll mix.”
Mirrani: “That feels… weird…”
Violet: “It gets more natural the more you do it.”
Mirrani: “The bags you were talking about sound nicer to make than these…”
Violet: “Yes, they are. But this is Aerius, most of our customers aren’t going to be lockettes or dexettes. Maybe once we begin to stock them…”
Observer: The dextroluma sighs and keeps mixing as the lockette looks at you.
Violet: “Oh, hello, welcome to Enchanted Elixirs. My name is Violet, and this is Mirrani. We were hired a bit ago as the shop owner’s assistant potion master and apprentice. Is there anything we can help you find?”
Observer: You inquire about the shop owner, and watch as Violet can’t quite hide her eye roll.
Violet: “She has been absent for the past week.”
Mirrani: “She said she was getting ready to start another business venture when she hired us, so, I hope she’s busy with that?”
Observer: Odd… You thank the pair and decide to look around a moment before you leave the shop. What new business venture could that mysterious woman be working on? (How is it even the two people she hired didn’t even use her name?)

Rodeo Ruff Pets

Observer: Boone’s store is as warm and inviting as ever when you step inside - minus the grumbling currently coming from the man himself as he talks on the phone, which now seems to have a case that resembles a several centuries out of date style of phone.
Boone: “…yes, I suppose I understand.”
Observer: You watch as he hangs up - successfully, this time - sets the phone down, and sighs.
Boone: “Sorry, if you were looking for anything new. I don’t understand all this website this website that stuff, missed some sort of message from my supplier so I didn’t make a deadline.”
Observer: You sympathize, but also ask about his daughter, since you thought she had been helping him. He smiles slightly.
Boone: “Oh, she was - but she has a job to do too, you know. Music stuff, though I don’t know how she gets all those sounds to happen when all she has at home is a guitar. Mystifying.”
Boone: “Most likely… I have to try to get an assistant of some sort.”
Observer: He seems to grimace at the idea.
Boone: “…at least if they’re tech focused, it’ll give me more time with the animals.”
Observer: He knocks his fist against the solid wood of his counter, seeming to want to avoid jinxing himself with those words.
Boone: “Speakin’ of the animals, though, it’s mealtime for them, but I reckon you’ll enjoy the entertainment of that.”
Observer: Considering the noises that start once he begins portioning out mushrooms to feed them, you think you definitely will be entertained by their mealtime.

Strawberry Gardens

Observer: The bell jingling overhead as you step into Strawberry Gardens is familiar enough.
Observer: The giant whazer floating in front of you, however, is very much Not familiar. They normally only grow to the size of a… whatever that Earth dog was. A great dane?
Observer: They don’t normally grow so big that they take up a whole aisle of a store - maybe it’s more, actually, you think some of the display tables and pallets might have been moved.
Blossom: “Camilla, get away from the door, you’re going to scare the customer-“
Observer: The whazer floats up obediently, though not without showering you with little droplets of water. As she floats up to the high ceilings of the store, you can finally see Blossom.
Blossom: “Oh, thank goodness it’s you - you’re used to Petal’s drama already, Camilla’s much better behaved.”
Observer: Since she brought Petal up, you look around, expecting to see the sulky Jelluxi, but are surprised she is nowhere in sight.
Blossom: “Oh, yeah, she’s at home today. She… caused a lot of problems when I was trying to get ready for work today, and I decided to bring Camilla so she wouldn’t be bullying her while I was out.”
Observer: It’s hard to imagine that a little jelluxi could bully a creature of Camilla’s size, but you accept it since you know Petal, and give Blossom your wishes that tomorrow is calmer.
Observer: Shopping beneath the large belly of the biggest whazer you’ve ever seen is still going to be a little… weird, however.

Decore Galore

Observer: Nothing seems amiss when you enter the shop initially.
Observer: Except… Serena doesn’t appear from anywhere.
Observer: It’s very quiet and oddly still in here…
Observer: Looking around, you spot a sign on the counter, which she seems to have forgotten to put out front.
Sign: “ON A TRIP TO MAQUETTE, WILL RETURN SOON. YOU CAN LEAVE PAYMENT ON THE COUNTER IF YOU BUY ANYTHING.”
Observer: …wow, you really wonder if everyone who comes in is actually going to honor that - let alone not take any crystals left out…
Observer: Still… you decide to at least try to behave yourself, for now, and put down some crystals for one of the things you wanted to buy. You wonder if she’ll be coming back with any cool new photographs to share.

Trash Kingdom

Observer: You’ve found yourself here often enough to have begun recognizing the area as you reach it.
Observer: The trash kingdom… You’re not really sure you want to understand what that is supposed to mean…
Observer: Nevertheless, your feet have brought you here.
Observer: You ignore the sign this time, however, as you are shocked into stopping for a moment by the sight of the growing papier-mâché castle that now surrounds many of the dumpsters and stacks of trash bags.
Observer: Who is doing all this? Why?
Observer: You spend long moments staring at it, especially an unfinished tower.
Observer: Rustling interrupts your thoughts and you whirl. You spot a figure stumbling through the shadows. They seem bizarrely tall, and are clearly struggling with their balance.
Observer: Ordinarily you might try to offer them assistance… but you just decide to leave while you can. Sometimes it’s better not to know, right?

Nevermore Bookstore

Observer: As you arrive at the bookstore, you witness Keir bringing out a new sign to hang in the windows, adding it to the bottom of the old sign via a chain.
First Sign: “NO SHOWER, NO SERVICE”
Second Sign: “NO RACCOONS”
Observer: You ask about the sign and Keir groans.
Keir: “The intruders from before came back.”
Observer: You want to ask more questions, but they look like they really don’t want to speak about it. You follow them back into the store, where Vincent seems to be sweeping up… trash?
Vincent: “I think we need to order stronger locks for the building.”
Keir: “I concur, I do not think we should solely rely on the sign to dissuade them.”
Observer: Keir goes to the counter, to the computer there, presumably to browse options, as Vincent continues to sweep. You suppose you had best avoid distracting them, and should instead look at the books while you wonder what is going on.

Deja's Disappearance (Shop)

Observer: As you stroll through the marketplace, you spot an unfamiliar stall.
Observer: Approaching it, you find that although it is unattended, there is a jar to pay into - and an interesting, if somewhat meager selection of goods.
Observer: What catches your eye most, however, is the cute little marshogs in a large pen behind the stall.
Observer: There’s some other things around - cookies, trickster pets playing together…
Observer: It definitely seems worth returning to visit again, even if it is odd that it’s unattended currently.