Argenti's Palace

[beautifulknight]

The stage is set they say;
They don their masks and shields,
Shadows creep and cover their minds;
Now, what beautiful role shall they play?

𝓜𝓮𝓵𝓾𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓷𝓲𝓷 𝓒𝓪𝓼𝓽𝓵𝓮


♫

Comments

1/2 ANSWERS COMPILED.

[beautifulknight]

[ Every single one or most has granted answers, and to it, it seems to laugh softly, and mockingly in a way that rings out loudly so that no one in the group has any hope of missing it in the slightest.

After that, the gentle laughter dies down. The voice responds dyly and sharply: ]

Many of you have not only limited minds, but a finite view of Beauty.

Regarding the answer on the state of my person being beautiful...clearly that is empty flattery.

In addition, Idrila is flawless and can NEVER be tarnished. Unlike your state of being.

[ Apparently this "voice" thinks there is room to talk about that. ]

Yet, all of your answers shall suffice.

But, some of you do deserve praise. Indeed the heart remains untarnished even after it has been poisoned by ugliness and the darkest evil. Even villains who kill without remorse and for the sake of satisfying their bloodlust can love purely and beautifully.

Hope...yes, even in the dark there is hope. Even if all are doomed to lose it eternally.

As for human beings...yes, you are correct. Some that are tarnished can still remain beautiful, no matter how ugly they turned in the face place.

One of you also did have a unique answer. Oxidized Copper...impressive surprising thinking skills.

A rose indeed is always bound to be able to recover its beauty even after it has been tarnished. Or, is "dried out", as you say.

And, finally, the soul. The beautiful light of a soul still exists even if darkness shall cover it forevermore.

You may enter. Welcome...to Melustanin Castle.

[ The gate swings open, but so do its doors. Once entering, the doors swing shut. There is no way to go forward, and once everyone does, traversing the beautiful halls, all will reach... ]

2/2 Melustanin Castle: Hall of Splendor

[beautifulknight]

[ Stage Theme: ♫ ]


Everyone enters into a large and brilliant room containing golden walls alongside a beautifully crafted golden ceiling from which hangs quite a few glorious chandeliers. The floor shines clean to the point of being like a mirror; there are entrances with red curtains, tables upon which there are lit candles with empty glasses alongside vases of roses, and of course there's the stairs.

Four statues are in view as well, two depicting two individuals in robes, one resembling a knight, and lastly one with a weird appearance hanging at either side of the beginning staircase, behind the tables. On the right of the staircase have a pair of statues containing robed figure alongside the knight, while two to the left has the weird statue and another in robes.

There are also shadowy figures in the forms of two pairs dancing with each other, on various sides of the room itself. They do not crowd the room, and do not have any distinctive identifying features.

Wherever one must go, there is no sense in tarrying...so, what is to be done now?

[goei]

Wh- Empty flattery!?? What kinda guy d'you think I am!? I meant that!

[He's so offended at the incorrect judgement he doesn't think of what doubling down says about him.]

[beautifulknight]

[ Izou you're sweet.

At this time there is no answer, though he did certainly try. ]

Re: 2/2 Melustanin Castle: Hall of Splendor

[beathollow]

...

Oh, this seems bad, potentially.

( shes just going to stick with lanternfam as she looks around. )

[goei]

Huh? Seems pretty swanky in here ta me.

[vogelfrei]

[ McGillis is going to approach one of the shadowy pairs. Are they acknowledging him at all?

He's also taking a leaf out of Argenti's book and just walking off without talking to people, sorry. ]

[kandata]

[Let's check out potential avenues of moving forward. What can be seen up the stairs? Does it seem like the way is barred by some obstacle?]

[fullmoonmutt]

[ Wait, wait, first let Eli laugh and grin about that whole... ]

Ha, he liked my answer! See? I was right! It is beautiful!

[ Okay, moving along. Let's take a gander at what's behind all those curtains. More rooms? Doors? ]

[bloodweapon]

[Also joining team "walking off without talking to anyone else", Fray's going to wander over to the statues. What's up with these? Is this some kind of puzzle we have to solve, because if so we are so doomed. He's not actively reaching out to touch yet just getting an idea of what we're looking at over here.]

[gardenful]

[ She's gonna go check out those red curtains. Anything behind them, anything noteworthy? ]

[destage]

[What a beautiful place. Even if her own idea of beauty is finite, as was said (that kinda hurt actually--), Sayaka is rather impressed with it, though she does her best to not get distracted.

Argenti. They have to save Argenti.]

...Do you guys think maybe these statues have something?

[Maybe it's just the investigator in her, but maybe there's some kind of key. Sayaka will examine the statues (8) a bit, if not to find anything, then to see if they have anything interesting on them. Perhaps a surprise tool to help us later!

...If nothing's found, she's probably going to wait for people to start going up the stairs and following. She's not going to be impulsive this time dammit!!]

[chimken]

[ Falin quietly steps up to the statue with the weird appearance, tilting her head as she looked at it. It was beautiful, but why was it different from the others?

She doesn't reach out to touch it, yet, holding her staff close. Perhaps...

Falin moves her head a little closer and blows a breeze onto it, just testing to see if it'll react. ]

[imperiosity]

Damn, that worked?

[He feels validated in putting zero effort in his answer now but somehow it still feels a little empty... maybe because Argenti didn't even react to it at all. Oh well.

Anyway, what's up the stairs?]

[ledbythewind]

[Ah. This is the sort of scenery that Richard is quite familiar with, and anyone looking at him might note that he seems oddly at ease amongst this level of splendor.

Since others are already looking at the statues and the curtains, Richard is just going to make his way over to the tables in order to examine what's on them. What was in those empty glasses-- alcohol, he's presuming? It would only make sense in the midst of what is clearly a party or a ball of some sort.]

CATHERDING

[goei]

[And with all the monsters being slain, Izou claps his hands and starts shouting. Finally his volume is being put to good use!]

Alright, circle up you bastards! I think the way forward's unlocked now, but we aughta share what we learned first!

[And once everyone's gathered;]

Me 'n Kirumi went up the one stairs and we found a sword, a mirror, and a spear! But when we touched'em, they just turned into fuckin' glitter and a voice whispered some shit at us. Two of 'em turned into paintings of knights fer a hot second too. One was Argenti but the other was this one armed guy. Apparently he helped Argenti outta a scrape once? But now he's dead, so Argenti's all gung ho ta honor his memory or some shit. Even though it mentioned the goddess was lost?

On top've that, it seems like he's some sorta savior, chosen one type thing of Idrila? Like THEY blessed him or some shit, and he's drawn a lotta people into his whole Beauty thing? But some people still think they're freaks anyway.

Oh and then the mirror went on about some nonsense how beauty can't exist without ugliness and some people think Idrila made bad shit just so her heroes can be more heroic?

I dunno if any of this is helpful but it's nutty that's fer sure. What'd the rest of you get up to besides STARTIN' FIGHTS without ME while I had ta listen to a buncha rambling??

[chimken]

[ Falin bows to the door, her staff across her chest. ]

Thank you very much!

EXPLORATION PART 1: HALL PHASE...END cw: Trypophobia, Body Horror

[beautifulknight]

[ Once everyone has interacted with all of the objects, as well as spoken with one another, the doors will suddenly slam open, and the room they are in will start to darken.

Yes. Everyone is coming closer to putting together pieces of the puzzle. Most assuredly, most certainly...everything seems potentially even cut and dry.

The Shadows said Argenti is waiting everyone.

...

...Are there really going to be more pieces to this puzzle? It seems s̷̡͓̙̞̱̘̙͇̅́̈́̄̍͒̐̔́̌̿͛̇̓̑̀͜imple enough, doesn't it? Confront him next and be done with it.

Yet, before their very eyes, everyone witnesses distinct images settle into their eyes, like watching from someplace far away...

In a field of flowers there is a Knight in bright armor meeting Argenti; his face can't be seen, as if blocked by a strange darkness. They seem to talk hours on end, words indistinct and inaudible before this Knight places a hand over on one of Argenti's shoulders. There is a sense of warmth that washes over everyone, particularly as a setting sun hangs in the background.

It becomes clear these two must be close friends. Though even this memory seems more fantastical somehow. As if witnessing a fantasy tinged with edges of affection.

A wind blows, scattering petals from the flower field, even if the white gladiolus ultimately remain in grand numbers. It's enough to obscure the vision of all for a singular number.

As they die down, the memory's surroundings have evidently shifted to the red-haired male entering a place where surroundings are muddled by the night. Dark and darker still, until Argenti sees the back of that knight, who turns to face him.

Except the appearance of his dear friend is now horrid beyond words.

cw: trypophobia, body horror

Inexplicable as it is, there is a spear protruding from his chest, a strange, black substance that drips from it, his armor now scales, with eyes glowing, and a strange skin that covers half of his body with a pitch blackness that can't be made out its color or true appearance. Something else breaks out of the skin of his back, as if to further enhance the transformation - undoubtedly an extra limb, that contains a pincer, also etched in deep black. His eyes glow red, slit like a snake's, and his hands are now mere claws. He leaps out at Argenti, mouth wide with fangs like a dragon's, ready to mindlessly attack.

And, without hesitation, Argenti lashes out at what his dear friend used to be in a quick few movements that cover the bright Knight of Beauty in blood. The creatures he slays also stain his spear red.

But, he finishes up soon enough, as there do not appear to be a lot of them.

He emerges from the cave. Then, he sees a much older man, in armor. He turns, and already, Argenti is raising his spear—in that moment there is a flash of red in the older male's eyes. He too is already on the same road of transformation, letting out an unearthly, mad cry.

Just the same, without hesitation, Argenti's lance finds its mark, piercing through that brilliant armor, spearing him through the heart. Petals fall to their feet, and the images distort as the ground is soaked in red.

"Master...

My dear, beloved friend...please let your beautiful souls rest in peace. Idrila shall immortalize your contributions to Beauty dearly."

His words seem twisted and d̴̙̫̪̰̯͆istorted and it echoes throughout the area.

...Or perhaps those are not the right words for it at all. For those listening carefully through the distortion...

They may be able to perceive that these are words filled with guilt, despair...and fear. Though it is clear as he goes to bury their bodies, he does not falter.

Not ever, not now. He cannot stray now, otherwise...

The memories fade away, and the darkness in the room encroaches further. So...

Time to go onwards!

The next part of Exploration will go up in an hour. ]

[destage]

[...

Sayaka views this all and she feels her heart sink deep into the ground. Killing seems to be such a common theme in the memories of people here, but Argenti--he cared for this one. Distorted as his face may be, he still cared, and he still cut down the man in question without hesitation. And the mentor, and...

He's held so much pain inside of him this entire time. Is this what he was hiding behind his knightly demeanor and kind smiles? Is this the pain that he's held onto by himself the entire time?

Sayaka proceeds forward, but--one might be able to see her wipe her eyes a bit.]

Oh, Argenti-kun...

[fullmoonmutt]

...

[ That... that was... ]

He. He killed the other knights himself?

[ They had been corrupted by something, though, hadn't they? It isn't an uncommon story for Eli. A unit running afoul of the wrong kind of demon, someone getting infected with something, and then—

Eli will carry on forward after a pause to settle his nerves. That transformation they saw had been far more disfiguring than his own, normally, when back in his world, true enough, but that feeling wasn't one he'd ever quite been able to shake. ]

[bloodweapon]

[It isn't surprising that Argenti has suffered. That he has lost those he cared for; that he has had to put them down by his own hands. It isn't a surprise that they're shown this now, to better understand what Argenti has been through. Argenti does not falter because he cannot falter. Whether because of his oath, his goddess, or simply because that's who he is, Fray understands this intrinsically. It's what drives good people like Argenti. Heroes. People like him suffer so much because they open themselves up to caring so much.

Fray grips something tightly in his hand as he returns to himself. Argenti's feelings were his own for a moment and even now it takes him far too long to shake them off. Grief, despair, fear... how common have these feelings been for someone like him, someone born of such emotions?

He pockets the thing in his hand and takes a breath to steady himself. When next we meet, I'll ensure you're no longer anyone's pawn. There's nothing to be done but keep moving forward. His eyes burn red already.]

[gardenful]

[ She has seen corruption similar to that before, back home. She and her friends had to make the same choice as Argenti too, even if it hurt their hearts.

And so, Aerith clasps her hands in front of her, closing her eyes. It's not a prayer, not really, but a moment of silence to remember the guilt, despair, and fear that Argenti felt as he had to slay his fellow Knights.

She owes the ones he cared about this little moment, standing in a reflective sort of quiet as she lets these memories settle into her heart. ]

[beathollow]

( yes hello she's been here the whole time and she is.... ...

she inhales, steadying her breath. it's-

is that what argenti's dealt with? what he's continued to deal with? and he's still so bright and kind. ... and real. not like her.

... )

... Did that happen to all of them?

[imperiosity]

[He remembers going to a movie with Van once -- a horror flick, where a group of friends wandered into someplace haunted and it ended with one of them being possessed. After the screening had ended, he'd been asked what he'd do for someone who had been possessed, and well. This is it, isn't it? Even if you know what must be done, even if you know they can't be saved, even if you don't falter, it's a somber affair with no happy ending.

Even if Aaron can't personally relate to what he's witnessed, he can understand that much. So he won't comment on it, he just steps forward so he can press on.]

[bloodandstars]

[ She's never seen her own transformation from the outside — only the wreckage left behind. Husks of bodies, husks of cities. The blasted plain where Constantine used to be a bustling, thriving city.

Is she any less horrifying than that, glowing eyes and scaled darkness? Probably not. But the unreasoning madness in those eyes reminds her of Ravenna. Some of those people could still be brought back. She hasn't had the chance to see the city again, to ask the ones who killed their neighbors or their family or strangers if they were grateful, in the end, to have their sanity returned.

Not everyone can live with being a monster. ]

...Duty before everything. I don't know who's worse, between you and Corvin.

[ Argenti can't hear her, so there's no harm in saying it aloud. ]