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

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. ]

[cirquedesang]

[No wandering off?? Alone?? This may be Argenti's palace, but that's still a bad idea??

Don't mind him following along just in case.]

[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?]

[beautifulknight]

[ Kirumi will not see much, but since she has eyes she can vaguely spot three objects sitting atop the first level of stairs.

There are no apparent obstacles from what she can tell. ]

[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? ]

[fullmoonmutt]

[ ...(3). ]

[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.]

[beautifulknight]

[ They are innocent statues.

On the right of the staircase have the pair of statues containing robed figure alongside the knight, while two to the left has the weird statue and another in robes. Which ones is he choosing to examine today? ]

[gardenful]

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

[bloodandstars]

[ As we're sliding into my nebulous family vortex hours, for the moment Maika will be shadowing Aerith while she looks around. If anything in those curtains jumps out, her claws are ready!! ]

[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!!]

[beautifulknight]

[ Because of Sayaka's low enough look when it comes to examining the statues, she will find that there is nothing off about them.

But she can join Aaron in heading up the stairs! ]

[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. ]

[beautifulknight]

[ ...It doesn't react (1), perhaps that is a good thing?

But up close she can notice something (14), and that is something inscribed on the statue with the following words:

𝓑𝔂 𝓐𝓷𝓷𝓮 𝓓𝓾𝓻𝓪𝔂, 𝓖𝓸𝓭 𝓸𝓯 𝓑𝓮𝓪𝓾𝓽𝔂. ]

[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?]

[destage]

[Hi Aaron, Sayaka is going to be joining you now!]

I'm shocked it worked too. I thought we were gonna be there forever trying to find a right answer, honestly...

[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.]

[beautifulknight]

[ Inside the empty glasses are...rose petals!

Wait a minute. Weren't they empty before? Well, it doesn't matter now. There is no scent of alcohol, though.

It's still kind of extra when there are vases full of roses, right? Though, the candles blow out on the table when he looks over as well. Strange.

There doesn't appear to be much over here, however. ]

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??

[bloodweapon]

[trying not to roll his eyes at the latter part, but,]

I examined the statues - the first one of a knight suddenly lost an arm as I was looking at it, which seems to refer to the man you learned about. The second turned into a pair of enemies that I was able to defeat with Richard's and Izou's help.

[So yeah he found nothing useful and rolled poorly for most of it! Great job so far, Fray.]