Introduction

Observer: Like the Verdant King and Queen, you stare in a mix of shock, horror, and utter bafflement at the statue you have brought them.
Observer: In a well-lit room, it is unmistakably… not a statue.
Observer: Certainly not made of rock.
Observer: Very much not a depiction of Deja either.
Observer: Rather, it is a pair of raccoons, stacked together in such a way as to have uncannily resembled the statue you were so used to seeing.
Observer: Queen Iola is making a strange noise, and you have no idea whether she is laughing or crying. Truthfully, you are unsure what to do yourself.
King Nero: “…I think… No… Let’s… Let’s just… not…”
Observer: He sighs deeply, and takes a moment to compose himself, once again giving the ‘statue’ a look of profound disgust.
King Nero: “…putting aside that… thing, for the moment, I think our best lead is what Nepra, Symphony, and you discovered in the Archives.”
Observer: He looks at the blueprints, frowning.
King Nero: “I think we should take some of the guard with us to investigate this.”
Queen Iola: “I hope Symphony and Violet were mistaken about those glass shards…”
King Nero: “I’d be shocked if they were, but… It would be preferable.”
Observer: A sound interrupts the conversation - it sounds like a very happy gextro and is clearly coming from one of Queen Iola’s bracelets.
Queen Iola: “Oh dear, excuse me so I can take this call…”
Observer: You watch as the Queen hurries off to an adjoining room, and see King Nero’s gaze trail after her with concern. He sighs, then refocuses on you.
King Nero: “Let’s take you to our barracks, get you into something protective in case we run into trouble.”
Observer: You wonder if that will be necessary… and hope that it will not be.

Pay Respects

Observer: As you follow King Nero into the Memorial Room, you find yourself at a loss to figure out where the secret path to the room below it is, even having seen the blueprints.
Observer: King Nero, however, seems to already have someone on opening up the path.
Observer: You watch as a mage lifts her hands in the air and find yourself impressed as the altar that Deja’s statue normally rested on lifts into the air.
Observer: Slowly, she walks it back, the light of her magic glowing around it, before it drops to the ground with a thud, and she doubles over, clearly having overexerted herself.
King Nero: “Thank you for that - and one of you take her to the barracks to recover.”
Observer: A guard helps her to her feet and out of the room, while the rest of you form around the opening to look down…
Observer: An unlit tunnel stretches down into the depths of the Castle, and you cannot quite see where it ends.
Observer: It has such a small incline that it seems to turn in on itself, and extremely high ceilings.
King Nero: “I checked with our architect while you were getting outfitted, they told me that this access was how they originally brought the statue of Deja up here in the first place.”
King Nero: “…let’s go, then.”

[link to page]

Observer: It feels as though you have been in this tunnel for years. Decades. Centuries, even.
Observer: You wish there was a supply train.
Observer: Or at least that you all had packed snacks.
Observer: As you lose all hope of seeing light again, you find yourself at an opening, finally.
King Nero: “We can rest for a few minutes here. The architect told me there is another tunnel after this one.”
King Nero: “It travels quite a ways, but they used it to reach the beaches under the cliffs that are quite a ways from the castle.”
King Nero: “Apparently, it was easier to bring some of the heaviest items in by boat and then have them brought up under either mage-power or with small craft from Galactica or the Artifice managing them.”
King Nero: “…no one ever tells you as a young Royal to be careful how you build your castle or about who is involved with it…”
Observer: Something about the way he says it gives you pause…
Observer: Has he already come to a conclusion on the culprit?
Observer: You certainly haven’t.
Observer: As you get ready to move to the next tunnel, however, something catches your eye…

[link to page]

Observer: You crouch by the first thing you noticed, still uncertain if you are seeing it properly.
Observer: A guard, who has hurried after you, shines a light over it - and then shouts for King Nero.
Observer: You wince as the sound echoes in these empty tunnels - but now you see it…
Observer: A set of dark footprints, disturbingly solid and… oozelike…
Observer: As your gaze follows them, you spot a hole in the walls - which seems to have been why the guard shouted.
Observer: As King Nero approaches, you see his face - briefly, there is a shining rage in it.
Observer: He’s definitely already determined who he thinks is responsible, you think - this is just diligence.
Observer: Evidently, your path will no longer take you to the sea - you do not know where this hidden pathway will take you now, but… you will find out.

[link to page]

Deja's Disappearance (Daily)

Observer: While you wait for everything to be ready to go for exploring the area beneath the altar that Deja’s statue used to rest on, you find yourself examining King Nero’s ‘corkboard’ once more.
Observer: The trail that you followed to the Trash ‘Kingdom’ have all been marked out with black marks already.
Observer: Though you still wonder how the individuals there managed to create such an unnervingly perfect replica of the Verdant Castle…
Observer: And who the individuals there even are…
Observer: Why are they so obsessed with Nevermore Bookstore?
Observer: Admittedly, it is a lighter question than that of who stole Deja’s statue…
Observer: Seeing the blueprints was a bit frightening, honestly, you think, looking at them again.
Observer: Do all castles have so many hidden rooms and passages that their inhabitants are unaware of?
Observer: And how, you wonder, were Queen Iola and King Nero so unaware? Weren’t they the ones who commissioned the palace in the aftermath of the war with humans?
Observer: Wouldn’t they have been involved in its construction?
Observer: If they weren’t, who was?
Observer: Unsettled, you are glad when you hear King Nero calling for everyone to gather.
Observer: Hopefully this will all be settled soon…

Aerius Archives

Observer: You drop by the Archives once more, mostly out of curiosity.
Observer: As you walk in, you see Nepra and Symphony in an intense conversation with several employees.
Observer: As you draw closer, you can just make out their voices…
Symphony: “So instead of telling us, you decided to just… ignore it?”
Observer: The employee being addressed seems to look around as if for support, but no one is looking particularly supportive.
Observer: Even when you were here and found the blueprints to Verdant Palace and Symphony explained what the bottle fragments were from, neither Nepra nor she looked this level of serious.
Observer: …you think Nepra might actually be upset.
Observer: The employee finally manages to say they were afraid of being fired for it and thought it wouldn’t matter that much.
Nepra: “That is unacceptable reasoning, and not the conduct we expect at the Archives.”
Nepra: “We’ll discuss this further later, when I’ve had time to consider appropriate consequences.”
Nepra: “For now, I need to notify some individuals of this, given that the missing log is for the blueprints to Verdant Castle.”
Observer: Recalling your last visit, you wince at hearing that. Now there’s no way to know who all might have looked at those, which means unless exploring that room beneath the Memorial Room reveals the culprit, you might be out of clues…
Observer: Symphony and Nepra exit the room, leaving the employees behind.
Observer: Hearing them begin to argue, you decide to leave as well…

Rodeo Ruff Pets

Observer: There are some new things afoot at Rodeo Ruff as you approach the shop.
Observer: There’s a hint of metal on the windows and over the door now.
Observer: Craning your neck to look, you realize these are… storm shutters? You think that is what they are called, at least.
Observer: For a moment, you’re confused, before realizing the shutters are probably meant for defense against other threats.
Observer: Glancing around, you see similar things on the barn for the draphibians and gextro - if Boone seeks to protect his shop, it clearly extends to all his charges.
Observer: As you step in, you’re greeted by a very large draphibian who is peacefully curled up near the counter.
Observer: They blink their glowing white eyes at you before dismissing you - but it’s quite clear that they are on guard.
Observer: You can hear Boone’s voice from a back room - an office, maybe, or a supply room, you don’t know.
Boone: “Well now, I like the sound of everything we’ve talked about so far, but now I’m afraid I have to ask some more questions.”
Observer: You can’t quite make out the response, but you can hear Boone still.
Boone: “No, I believe you on everything. But I know you’ve noticed the security precautions I’m taking here, and I doubt you’re ignorant of how Queen Deja’s statue vanished after the eclipse.”
Boone: “I’m expecting trouble, and I want to be sure that if you’re here, you can protect yourself and the animals. I know you lockettes can sometimes do fancy things with your summons, so I want to start with talking about that.”
Observer: You’d love to get closer to hear more - and to see who he is talking to!
Observer: But the instant you even consider moving past the counter to listen more, you see that draphibian looking at you again.
Observer: Its face is quite clearly disapproving, so you back off and go to browse the pets, hoping you’ll get a glimpse of the mystery lockette whenever they leave…

Strawberry Gardens

Observer: It’s a relief to see that Strawberry Gardens is open again, as you approach the store.
Observer: You don’t see Blossom immediately as you head inside, though.
Observer: However, you do hear an odd pounding noise…
Observer: …further investigation shows, though, that it is just Petal banging on the door to what seems to be an office, having a full-scale tantrum about being locked out.
Observer: You can faintly make out the sound of Blossom talking, so you decide to distract the jelluxi with some mushroom treats.
Observer: Mercifully, that brief distraction causes her to forget she was mad, and so you are able to leave a much calmer jelluxi behind while you go to peruse the shop.

Trash Kingdom

Observer: You have no idea why you’ve come back here.
Observer: Anyone sensible would not.
Observer: The papier-mâché castle has somehow grown further, and there are new trash bags and dumpsters.
Observer: There is, oddly, now a large trash can with several items in it and a sign on the front.
Sign: “PAY CRYSTALS FOR NOT TRASH WE WANT TRASH WE DON’T WANT THE NOT TRASH”
Observer: Confused, you look around. How would the crystals help them get more trash…?
Observer: …well, you might as well look through it, you figure.
Observer: You’ve already taken actual trash out of here, what is the worst that can happen?

Nevermore Bookstore

Observer: You can tell something is off as you approach the bookstore.
Observer: Maybe it is the fact both Keir and Vincent are outside it, and that they are crouched down.
Observer: Maybe it is the way Vincent’s shoulders are slumped.
Observer: Or the thousand-yard stare Keir has going…
Observer: As you draw close, they look your way.
Keir: “They. Ate. It.”
Keir: “They ate. The warding spell.”
Observer: You blink in surprise - you didn’t think that was possible.
Observer: Nevertheless, as you look to the ground, you can see tiny remnants of what would have been the warding spell. A powder spell like that would be poured around the edge of a property as a single unbroken line.
Observer: Then it would be charged with magic, to stick in place and keep undesired influences away.
Observer: Unless, apparently, the undesired influence decided to get down on all four and eat it with their mouth.
Vincent: “…I want to suggest warding stones.”
Vincent: “Surely they… Surely their teeth can’t… eat those… right..?”
Keir: “…I would not count on that…”
Vincent: “Maybe if we… No…”
Observer: After a moment, the two head into their shop, and you somewhat awkwardly trail them in to shop while they try to come up with another solution.

Secret Store

Observer: Through the hole in the wall, you found another tunnel.
Observer: It is less polished than the one that you had all originally followed - there is no stonework in here.
Observer: It is supported by wooden beams every so often, to ensure it doesn’t collapse, and the goopy footprints continue down the entire length of it.
Observer: When it finally levels out, you find yourself in a cavern. It has been set up… almost like a shop.
Observer: There are the same pet cookies that have been popular lately, many pets you recognize…
Observer: …and a bird you recognize as hailing from the Blighted Isles.
Observer: The scavengers croak at you, flapping their wings with their black eyes fixed on the guards, as you gaze around.
Observer: King Nero steps past you all, shooing the scavengers away from their perches. He stares at something on the table, and grimaces.
King Nero: “It’s as I thought…”
Observer: He beckons you over to look, and there, you see, a locket.
Observer: Once shining metal, now tarnished, shattered glass…
Observer: And there - a portrait of a younger Nero, but his eyes have been scribbled over, to turn them black.
Observer: You scoop it into the bag you have the fragments of the potion bottle in, suspecting it best to do that in case it has any blood or goop like the.
King Nero: “We need to get back and have this blocked off…”
King Nero: “Urgently. I will need to call in every guard…”
King Nero: “My… Our culprits will surely be taking advantage again soon, if they have not already. I must act to block them, to stop them.”
King Nero: “We will not be driven from our home again.”
Observer: Quickly, you all set off back up the tunnel.
Observer: You wonder if the area - the… shop, will be the same if you return by a different path.
Observer: You wonder if Boone is right - if something worse is coming…