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arcem-admin — Citadel of Crowns
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Published: 2018-04-24 19:06:14 +0000 UTC; Views: 2616; Favourites: 68; Downloads: 7
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Description
Origin
The Adventures of Eirene is a very old and well-known series of folk tales, commonly told to children across Alva. Although the stories and details vary from region to region, they all tell of a brave, quick-witted warrior princess and her daring adventures across the land and sea.
One of the most famous tales is Eirene and Citadel of Crowns. In it, she travels upon a rainbow to the centre of the world, where she discovers a magnificant castle holding every treasure in existence. Ultimately it is a fable advising against material greed, as Eirene leaves either empty-handed or with a crown of flowers instead of gold, symbolising an intangible treasure such as friendship or peace.
The image above shows the illustration that usually appears in books about the Citadel of Crowns. No one is quite sure who first depicted it, but it became so iconic for Eirene's stories that it has remained mostly unchanged throughout the centuries.
Discovery
The Citadel of Crowns was long thought to be fictional. Recently, however, a land has risen from the seas of Alva and there is no mistaking the gleaming spires at its centre: the Citadel is real, and every country in reach of it races for the miraculous treasures said to be hidden within it.
For those characters who have made it to the Citadel, here is a list of potential rooms to explore below. Comment on this deviation with which room they are exploring (one per main character) and create an event entry for it - a few rooms will indeed have treasures hidden within them, so if you depict your character exploring the right room, they will receive that treasure at the event's conclusion!
Multiple characters can choose the same room, but this means that they will encounter each other in-verse in that room and only one of them can get the treasure (if there is one). OOC this will be determined by a dice roll, but IC they must work it out amongst themselves (e.g. cooperating, fighting, etc.)
Related content
Comments: 100
qwops in 500 years late fdgbgdf
Finally finding some quiet to himself after sneaking past enemy explorers, Atticus sat to study the rare flora preserved in the citadel and snuck some samples of seeds to attempt to cultivate later. When it came time to leave, he realized his findings would be insufficient to his superiors, and scrambled to find something more substantial. His eye caught on a small tapestry that had gone unnoticed in the bottom of an oddly wel-preserved chest. His heart ached when he recognized the regal form of Tharoneos, surrounded by flowers and fruits. It wasn't until after he left the citadel with the tapestry that he noticed the itching black mark on the back of his right hand.
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Rifling through the remains of the Citadel felt like a world of its own, and it was for who knew how many millenia. Alek led his unit through the countless halls and rooms, lingering in each in varying levels of awe. He may of disregarded the fairytale long ago as nothing more than a fanciful bedtime story but now he wondered whether the ground beneath his feet was truly there. Keeping one hand tight around his sword, cautious of who else might be crawling around the halls, the Lieutenant mostly watched his unit rummage around. At one point a drawer was tugged open and a small medallion tossed at him with a cheeky comment he tried to ignore. His attention was drawn away by a ruckus behind him and he absently pocketed the medallion. For the rest of the day an incessant itch bothered him, on the side of his neck mostly hidden under his uniform collar. It took the appearance of the mark on one of the soldiers in the unit to have his spotted as well.
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Andros loots one of the sarcophagi on his way out of the tomb, licking his wounds. He takes with him an ornate black blade from the dead woman, the craftmanship of another era proving too much to resist for him. He doesn't notice the mark located right between his shoulder blades until it's pointed out.
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After finding no other trinkets to take with them Noel helped (loot) procure pieces of one of the chapel's stained glass windows. Later, he finds an itchy mark on the bend of his left wrist.
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Guen looted pieces of a stained window from the church that had been surprisingly intact until her arrival.
The mark appears on her right wrist.
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Having found much more than she first expected in the Citadel, and dismissing the stories of Ai-Rin she faintly remembers from her childhood as mere cautionary tales meant to make children behave, Tor'ang brings with her a small, egg-shaped crystal that shimmers with all the colors of the rainbow and is smooth and soothing to touch, and a cute little amber figurine of a sleeping cat that she thinks her daughter Miljana might like. However, as she cradles the crystal egg in her hand, relaxing slightly as it eases her pain, she becomes aware of a faint, but insistent itch on her left arm, just by her elbow. Thinking her wounds have simply worsened, she is quite surprised to find a perfect mark on her marred skin.
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Other than some crystals that he wanted to examine for potential sagecraft purposes from the previous areas, Nikko carries a rather large helmet from the armoury, Percy smugly alight on his shoulder. It was a spur of the moment thing but Percy wanted that helmet, so it'd have to do.
He only realizes too late that there's an armband, almost, of a peculiar tattoo on his upper left arm when he removes his shirt to check the impromptu itching.
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Caleb pockets any crystal or jewel he deems potentially useful to study and analyze later on. The prospect of understanding their magical properties is exciting to him, but his curiosity comes at a price. Upon his departure, a mark etches itself on his skin near the bottom of his neck.
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( Adding to my other post--! Sides/NPC)
Xanxas, after being shown the shells amd the workshop itself by a friend of Mae's, decided that he simply had to see the room for himself. It was every bit as shiny and nostalgic as the Enchanter had made it seem... He couldn't help but pocket a few of the shily shells and rocks for himself, despite the fairytale's warnings, while Mae was distracted with taking "pictures". He thought it would be fine, but later found out it was in fact not fine by the itchy mark on his hip.
Urûvion couldn't help but rush to the Citadel with his family and friends asbthey went--He said he was going to act as a chaperone, but he was one of the first to split off from the group to find the room filled with the most treasure. Stumbling upon the treasury, he summoned a familiar and had that swallow a chest that he could bring out inconspicuously--Once a Pirate, always a Pirate after all. He'd have a sage friend try and figure out the locks later back home in Iadlain... And hopefully they'd be able to figure out the new mark on his forehead too. For now, he'd hide it behind his hair so as not to worry anyone...
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Fixes/edits this to say that among the seashells he grabbed, there were some small gems and crystals mixed in as well--Having taken a handful of scatterd items from a workshop bench, it was very easy to miss wjat the old owner had been working on, and he did not realize he'd grabbed such things until after the mark appeared.
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Xander, caught deep in his thoughts, needed something to fiddle with in his fingers. He picked up one of the few things he could mess with- an old piece of chain. When he left, he must've slipped it into his pocket unaware. In any case, stepping foot into the daylight once more, he finds himself itching at a spot on his upper left arm.
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Aleksi snags a crown of rather noodly flowers in homage to Eirene, and is rewarded for his cheek with a mark on his left forearm. (Halla the doggo takes with her a hefty bone, and itches at her rump like she's got the worst case of fleas, poor thing)
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While exploring the Bedchambers a few more times, by chance Lazaruz came across what seemed to be a jewelry box hidden among broken drawers and scattered clothing. An inspection later he found there to be only one item inside, though the implications behind it were many. It was a rather simple golden chained necklace with a small symbol as its pendant. Though age and and some natural spotting affected the symbol slightly, Lazaruz could still tell it was not only the aurean halo, but strangely enough the atros one as well, combined together as one. Seeing this confused him at first, though it also brought back memories at Soloros and what they found there, which meant to Lazaruz that there was potential research support this necklace could give. At the same time, there was a strange calling to him to simply take the necklace for whatever reason.
Without much questions asked, Lazaruz does so, and it was later on his way back home he began to feel an irritation roughly close to his left wrist as a new tattoo decided to mark itself along his already decorated arm.
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In a corner of the room, behind a pillar covered with algae and dying corals, Yue found a little wooden box. It was moldy and wet, yet surprisingly well preserved despite its long stay underwater. Guessing that it must have been enchanted with a spell to preserve it, the young woman opened it, curious about its content. Inside it were a few music sheets, the white of it browned by time and its texture stiffened, yet overall intact and the ink still legible. A name was scribbled at the corner of each page.
Yue delicately ran her fingers through one, wondering what kind of music the composer was working on for them to feel the need to protect them so. Perhaps it was for a beloved, maybe their greatest inspiration. She felt a tinge of sadness thinking that they never got the chance to finish their piece. Closing the little chest back, Yue left the room with it, perhaps she could have it played again.
During their journey back to Song-Lu, Yue started feeling an itchy discomfort in her back. Upon checking it, she discovered a mark just below her neck, between her shoulder blades.
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Ashild tucked a few of the old brittle books into her bag and the jewel encrusted bowl that had caught her attention. Once Greagoir was finished she began to leave, pausing only to pat at an itch that appeared on her ribs, below her right breast.
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Heaven of course stuffed as much of the gems and gem shards she could fit in her pockets from the Throne Room~~. Her itching Mark appeared just behind her right ear.
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Kairi had been adamant on not taking anything. After all, Eirene taught her well.
However, she had quite forgotten about the few rusted keys she had picked up scattered around the aviary. She had put them in a stray pocket somewhere, waiting to stumble upon locks to put them in.
As she left, an itch crept over her left clavicle.
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((ooc comment here but OF COURSE THE TATTOO HAD TO BE THERE ))
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Lucrezia, having clambered about the library a bit, found several books, all damaged by water and age. However, she hoped that with enough time and effort the contents could be salvaged and eventually provide some insight into the Citadel and its history. If not, they'd be cool looking souvenirs in the estate library.
When she departed from her journey, an uncomfortable itching suddenly intensified, and a quick look in the mirror revealed a mark on her lower back.
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Upon entering the citadel, Camaiel had pocketed the first form of protection he could find — a pair of Victorian scissors embedded with red jasper — just in case, without fully paying attention to the disconcertingly malicious aura pulsing from the object. But as he departed from the citadel, Cam had forgotten to restore the scissors to the table they were resting on and earned himself a mark just beneath his jawline.
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Though Ponzi only took the memories of the music room with them, that was because there wasn't any loot! Instruments were truly SO delicate. Before they entered, however, they nabbed something very special to them- in a bureau laid a sparkling glass eye the perfect shade of gold. It was currently molded to someone else from long ago's eye socket, but surely it could be altered...regardless, it spiked Ponzi's hopes too much for them to simply leave it behind.
The next morning, they're awoken by an itching on their thigh and aren't sure what to make of the mark that's appeared. Scars and tattoos were never free. They didn't remember any of the stories and songs they'd sang about Eirene mentioning something like this, but it was too late to go back now.
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Old habits die hard, and Eoghan couldn't help but pocket some rocks in his roaming of the citadel; sparkling or porous buried in sediment, chips of coral broken in the surge, tiny shells that he wasn't altogether certain were stone, fossil, or just as they were. He still had a goodly collection after all, even if across borders. But after wresting the chimes from his mount with plentiful scolding, Eoghan played with the bells himself in wonder. Rusted and decrepit, littered about – could they not try and restore them?
Perhaps such a task was best left to those in the know, but a few souvenirs stayed in his hand as they reported back to the rest of their unit. As his childish antics and his (supposedly) mature conscience clashed, he recalled the orphanage days of pulled ears and reprimands, acutely felt after some particular mischief or slack of duty... the itching there did not help at all!
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Moriel was enthralled by the bauty of the light pouring into the study from the tall windows, but she never forgot why she wanted to check oit the study to begin with. There were many soggy books and papers, but the paper was still perfectly intact. Though the ink had bled from their pages long ago, she still nabbed a couple of books to take back to Koben with her in the hopes that they'd fine se way to uncover what was once written in them long ago. What she didn't expect to also take home with her, however, was the mark that was behind all the itching she felt on her
Right Palm..... curiously matches the same mark tjat Diarmit, her book stealing accomplice, had gotten on his Left Palm
Ryanna hadn't really expected to find any treasure im the Belltower, but it was well worth checking. Eventually Tom's enthusiasm rubbed off on her, and she couldn't help but snag a few things to bring home with her--a fancy crystal here, an old gear from there. Not long after leaving the citadel, though, she would discover the itchy feeling on her stomach was due to a curious mark that had materialize there...
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anskjf sorry nal i didn't mean to respond to you ;;
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Still shaking from fending off Andros, Esther pushes the grave cover off the pristine white tomb with a fire in her eyes, finding a fist-sized golden chime bearing the full alvan halo next to an assortment of jewelry on the remains of a corpse. She inspects them intently and notices an unusual aura eminating from the chime, while the jewelry seems to be ordinary metals. Smiling wide, she picks up the object that she feels is calling out for her and carefully and proudly adds the chime to her necklace. Its in that moment that she feels an unusual pressure on her chest above her heart.
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Veura unsurprisingly takes silver equipment from the stables; while yambens don't need bridles, they don't exactly need any other accessories and Fluffy loves wearing them anyway, so hopefully she'll love this too! It probably won't take long for one of her friends to point out the mark along her collarbone.
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While searching through the servants' rooms, Zagan finds a small clay toy remotely shaped like a horse. The thought of a child.. or children being there when the citadel went to the bottom of the ocean made an unpleasant cold feeling sit in his chest. Even though it seemed obvious, he'd prefer not to see the evidence of it... Still.. Out of a sentiment, Zagan put the toy into his pocket and continued his search with an oodd itchy feeling appearing right at his solar plexus.
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With the fairy tale in mind, he really did not intend to bring anything home with him --- but Gustave somehow still ended up agreeing to carry a handful of silvery horseshoes Veura had found in the stables. Perhaps he, too, was a little too tempted by the idea of bringing something home afterall. The itching feeling at his left shoulder upon departure wouldn't be something he'd immediately connect with this until later when actually checking the source.
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Rohayu had scraped a number of small samples from the parlour to be brought back to the Peacekeepers for further examination, but she didn't dare to look at it ever since, the chandelier crystal weighting down in her pouch heavier than it's supposed to be. In her shaken state, Rohayu wouldn't have noticed the mark that has taken form on her sternum.
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The sun room yielded little results, but nestled in a corner was half a dozen bird statuettes, all in various stages of flight. They seemed to have once sat atop the now-covered tables, each bearing eyes of a stone Nice didn't recognise. Pushing aside feelings of unease from the tales' warnings, she pocketed one to take back for further study by alchemists. However, upon arriving home she found that the itch that had nagged her since leaving the Citadel was thanks to a strange mark on her back.
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Tian pocketed two sea shells from the workshop, hoping to bring them back to Song Lu to put them in Zephy's altar, knowing she would have liked to see the citadel too were she still living. It doesn't take long however for him notice the itch on his right wrist and the mark that comes along with it.
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Turon grabbed a pretty crystal shard from the chapel thinking to turn it into a piece of jewelry, and upon leaving the Citadel begins to notice a strange itching on the back of his neck...
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Special Artifacts
Find below the results of the artifact discovery!
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Rooms 41-50: Greenhouse
As you sift through the colourful corals, anemones and waterlogged greenery, your hands meet something more solid than expected. From underneath leaves you uncover a jade crown of leaves and vine. It is heavy and embedded in the soil; digging it out and lifting it is a struggle, but when you succeed a sudden lightness floods your senses. When the dizziness subsides you find the crown is no longer jade but a ring of knotted vines and roots in your hands. In the soil where you dug it out from is a pulsing golden glow - and making the glow is a heart-sized amber seed. A memory stirs in you, a part of the Tale of Eirene that you know:
One room was full of verdure. All the plants and creatures of the world were here, in a garden of all things. She marveled at the lush abundance and played with the peaceful creatures. Within its deepest reaches she found a honeyed heart of amber, from which all roots of the garden sprung. Eirene looked upon the Seed of the World Garden and the bounties of nature that it could summon for her, and she said: “No.”
Ilham (Kurodaia-Chan ) has found the Seed of the World Garden in the greenhouse.
Notes: Your character can take this treasure item from the Citadel without any consequences. They can choose what to do with it, but since these items are very powerful, their capabilities will be regulated by the mod team! Currently in-verse, people will have some idea of what they can supposedly do (described in the tale above) but not how to truly use them, so their abilities are basically locked. They can be unlocked if they are used in ways that fit with the main plotline, so feel free to coordinate with us if you’d like that, or keep it as a personal trinket if you’d rather not :>
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Rooms 31-40: Watchtower
You gaze around the dark interior littered with arrowheads and barred with dusty light, until you notice something strange above you. Painted in the centre of the ceiling spire is a blood red crown. As you move to stand under it in hopes of a better view, you are hit by nausea and all sensation suddenly leaves you - but not for long. An instant later your ringing senses return, and with them a sight you did not see before. Propped on a wall is a magnificent halberd. It looks unusually sharp and bright among all the detritus, and it is bathed in an eerie red glow. A memory stirs in you, a part of the Tale of Eirene that you know:
One room was full of statues. Each was the image of a hero and their greatest weapon - weapons of all kinds, from swords and spears to things too old for even tales, and all bearing a halo of red. In the centre of the room, at the focus of every stone gaze, stood an exquisite blade glowing hero’s red. Eirene looked upon the Blade of the Conqueror and the peerless strength that it could grant her, and she said: “No.”
Tilia (mai--flower ) has found the Blade of the Conqueror in the watchtower.
Notes: Your character can take this treasure item from the Citadel without any consequences. They can choose what to do with it, but since these items are very powerful, their capabilities will be regulated by the mod team! Currently in-verse, people will have some idea of what they can supposedly do (described in the tale above) but not how to truly use them, so their abilities are basically locked. They can be unlocked if they are used in ways that fit with the main plotline, so feel free to coordinate with us if you’d like that, or keep it as a personal trinket if you’d rather not :>
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**to make it easier on you all and just in case, claims this bad boi!! thank you for your hard work ; v ;
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Rooms 21-30: Scullery
Under the glowing kelp all over the scullery, something glowed with a different light. People came and went through it the room, but none found it. If anyone had, this part of the Tale of Eirene may have come to mind:
One room was full of jewels. Pearls and gemstones, crystal and lightning glass lay in glittering cascades throughout the room. Gleaming in a column of light above the tallest pile was a great pearl, the largest and most beautiful she had ever seen. Precious stones fell from it like tears, infinite and eternal. Eirene looked upon the Pearl of All Riches and all the wealth that it could lavish her with, and she said: “No.”
Nobody has found the Pearl of All Riches in the scullery. It is taken later by the Empire as holders of the Citadel of Crowns.
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Rooms 11-20: Dovecote
A trail of shattered clay and bird bones leads into back lofts hung with ladders and tiled with boxes. Among the canisters and letter remnants scattered everywhere, something glints with a strange brightness. It is a small golden chest with a crown of swords upon its lid. Your fingers jolt with an unearthly sting as you touch the crown. For an instant you feel a circular weight upon your head, and then it is gone. By itself, the box clicks open to reveal a handful of heavy rings bedded in black velvet, each inset with a differently coloured stone. A memory stirs in you, a part of the Tale of Eirene that you know:
One room was full of soldiers. Row upon row of fearsome armours and glinting weapons stood before her, helms bowed in slumbering submission. Upon the breastplate of each laid a coloured stone, and upon an altar stood a chest of matching rings. She spoke to the rings and they told her: they held the hearts and faiths of the soldiers. Eirene looked upon the Rings of All Armies and all the might she could grasp with them, and she said: “No.”
Danzan (Mrakobulka ) has found the Rings of All Armies in the dovecote.
Notes: Your character can take this treasure item from the Citadel without any consequences. They can choose what to do with it, but since these items are very powerful, their capabilities will be regulated by the mod team! Currently in-verse, people will have some idea of what they can supposedly do (described in the tale above) but not how to truly use them, so their abilities are basically locked. They can be unlocked if they are used in ways that fit with the main plotline, so feel free to coordinate with us if you’d like that, or keep it as a personal trinket if you’d rather not :>
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Rooms 1-10: Gallery
Among the rows of mysterious faces and scenes in golden frames, one stands out for no apparent reason. It is round, small and holds a mirror... but when you look into it you find your reflection is wearing a phantom crown of glass and silver. As your hand moves up to the air above your head, you feel a strange tug. For an instant the world twists and you can't tell if you are dreaming or awake. Then your fingers touch glass and your mind snaps back. You pull the weight from your head that wasn't there before - it is the crown, real and solid in your hands. Another wave of unreality takes you, and suddenly it is gone again. Your hands are empty. The mirror is fogged. A memory stirs in you, a part of the Tale of Eirene that you know:
One room was full of windows. Each looked out to a different place - a forest, a field, an ocean, a hearth. In the middle was a mirror of crystal and rainbows that looked out upon all. Any place that she could imagine, it would show her. Any sight that she could wish for, it would grant her. Eirene looked upon the Eye of All Sights and all the wonders of the world that it could gift her, and she said: "No."
Airez (Usakan ) has found the Eye of All Sights in the gallery.
Notes: Your character can take this treasure item from the Citadel without any consequences. They can choose what to do with it, but since these items are very powerful, their capabilities will be regulated by the mod team! Currently in-verse, people will have some idea of what they can supposedly do (described in the tale above) but not how to truly use them, so their abilities are basically locked. They can be unlocked if they are used in ways that fit with the main plotline, so feel free to coordinate with us if you’d like that, or keep it as a personal trinket if you’d rather not :>
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Nikko decides to take a small rest in the armoury while his griffet, Percival, amuses himself with old, salty helmets.
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A turret covered with claw-like gouges is what Lonán decides to explore, Moderately Concerned by the gouge marks and praying to Atros that whatever made those marks is long gone 8>;;;;;;;;
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Paisley: Pocking his head though the entrance Paisley's eye widen at the ballroom's shimmering floor. He lets out a laugh and spins across its shining surface. Paisley tworals until he has lost all since of balance, resolting in the kid falling directly on his butt. Room realing and still giggling Paisley finally knotices the room has another occupant
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♥!! (〃▽〃) (Paisley you're too cute)!
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Paisley and Viburnum found that true treasure...FRIENDSHIP! it was friendship all along! : P
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Tian wanders into a workshop and feels himself become nostalgic at the sight of shells around him
Nika finds himself drawn to the greenhouse, bursting in curiosity at the specimens he finds. It doesn't take him long, however, to see that others are already there.
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Enda: a place-of-arms strewn with the skeleton of a whale
Iollan: a sewing room strewn with ornate chairs
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Tor'ang enters the hall with the beautiful chandeliers floating far above, finding that someone is already there. Someone interesting. An opportunity that simply must be seized.
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After making a few discoveries, Leo heads down the well, into the heart of this fairytale land. (Somewhere, a song of a man, a well and revenge echoes...)
As Saku pointed out, Lyan will be following Nice into the sun room but will take no real part in the event due to being an NPC.
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