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LOCATIONS
Chapter One: Cinderella
On the second floor are the bedrooms assigned to each individual guest, as indicated by the nameplates on each of the doors. Well-illuminated by stylish lamps and furnished extravagantly with a large canopy bed containing fluffy pillows and plush bed covers, you probably couldnāt ask for more when it comes to comfort. In addition, the rooms each feature a large wardrobe for any additional outfits the guests pick up, alongside a vanity and a full-length antique mirror, which are all adorned with elaborate fairy-themed designs. Every room also includes private bathrooms of similar quality to the bedroom, and they all include a very baroque oil painting of fairies playing on a meadow hanging right above the sink.
Rooming assignments can be found here.
In addition, the second floor lounge now has a series of grandiose portraits featuring all 31 guests, with some personal information inscribed on the gold-plated plaques underneath each painting. Enjoy that invasion of privacy!
Between the mansions are some shops left open for the guests. With one exception, none of them are staffed even if you may see the occasional fairy flit in and out their doors, but that just means that (almost) everything is free for the takingā¦ probably.
Curiously enough, modifying the time on the clocks changes the environment around you. Daytime can turn into nighttime, with the sun sinking below the horizon to be replaced with stars and a crescent moon. Flowers proudly displaying their petals will close their blooms, as mansion lights flicker on and a large pumpkin will even appear inside the fountain. These time changes affect only this area ā when you leave it, you notice the flow of time in every other place is going like normal!
Every time the clock reaches midnight the bells of the clock tower toll, producing a cheerful tune from the top of the tower. If you strain your eyes enough, you may even see a door opening up on one of the clock faces, right underneath the 12.
Those who decide to venture inside will find themselves greeted by the pleasant smell of freshly baked bread, a cozy atmosphere and plenty of goods to choose from though notably there is more than a fair share of German desserts. Confectioneries such as pastries, cupcakes and cookies can all be found set out on covered trays in one half of the room, while the other half is stocked with bagels, bread and savory items. Larger cakes and other sweets that require more careful storage can be found by the glass display by the front counter, although a lack of staff generally means youāll need to fetch them yourself anyways. Regardless of whatever you pick though, itāll be apparent that the quality is top notch.
And if youāre lucky enough to find a fairy hovering inside the store, it might be possible to convince them to magic up something custom-madeā¦ or just get something thatās the complete opposite of what you asked for.
However, if picking out pre-made furniture isnāt enough for you, anyone is welcome to open the door behind the store counter and step into the workshop. While there arenāt any modern power tools here, you can still find plenty of traditional hand tools such as measures, chisels, hand saws and hand drills hung up on boards and holders above the small workbenches that line the walls. A larger, sturdier work table with a number of built-in vises is also placed at the centre of the room for those who are interested in large-scale projects. Lastly, one corner of the room features a neatly sorted collection of lumber in a range of shapes and sizes, to be shaped however you see fit.
And if the facilities are just a little too old-fashioned for you to work with, thereās always waiting until night time -- the kitchens seem to come alive then, with fires lighting themselves up and spits turning on their own, although itās still up to a guest to do the actual cooking themselves, even if some aspects have been made more convenient. Thereās just one crucial thing missing from this kitchen: salt, because we canāt have nice things here either, apparently.
The libraryās extensive collection is separated between three floors, although it appears that the archives on the third floor are locked to the public. Even so, the two floors alone provide more than enough reading material for anyone to get through, with the first floor dedicated entirely to non-fiction while fiction is housed on the second floor. While all sorts of genres and subjects are available, the libraryās collection of fairy tales appears to be particularly celebrated, if you go by the large wayfinding sign at the entrance. Those looking for anything related to history are bound to be disappointed though, since the first floor is devoid of anything relating to the topic.
As of Week 2, the third floor archives have been unlocked, showing an area full of empty books. As of week 5, there is now a small collection of ants milling around the third floor archives, courtesy of Phil and Marcus.
Chapter Two: Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves
A stark change in scenery awaits for those who tread the path leading up north and progress beyond the forest. Surrounded by mountain ranges that dominate the horizon, this arid basin of sand seems to stretch on for miles into the distance. During the day, the sun shines down brightly enough to make heatstroke a real concern, while temperatures drop down so far during the nights that you can see your own breath. Thankfully, there is a small town nearby; with rows of flat-roofed houses constructed of clay brickwork, the insides of the homes manage to stay perfectly cool during the daytime and warm during nighttime, despite the lack of openable windows. Various other buildings and landmarks are also visible around the area, although there isnāt a soul to be seen that isnāt your fellows or just a random fairy.
Stocked to the brim with any medical supplies you might need—if you were a healer in a fairy tale, that is. You might need to go the traditional route for healing wounds, but you won't be at a loss for bandages or cotton to wrap and back any injuries at least. And there's plenty of soap in the absence of more conventional disinfectants like iodine or alcohol.
The selection of herbs is also fairly varied, from chamomile, feverfew to ginseng and even more in between. Perhaps most interesting is the assortment of various oddities stored in jars, like leeches.
A multitude of fabrics, threads, and garment making equipment line this shop, with enough material and accessories to make practically any item of fashion you could want, if you know how to sew old school without a sewing machine. In the drawers are needles in all sizes, brightly colored sequins and even cotton stuffing for the particular avant garde fashion or perhaps simple dolls instead. In the center of the shop stands a single mannequin, ready to be a perfect model, as long as it's handled with care as its made of paper mache. A full length mirror is also provided to ensure proper fitting.
The majority of the houses in town look rather similar in appearance, and these two are no exception. Only differentiated from the surrounding homes by the small white āxā marked on the door, these buildings have a bit of a peculiar connection to each other, despite them being on the opposite ends of the street. For one thing, the houses are completely identical in terms of layout and furnishings, but the real oddities are only apparent when changing or damaging something within one of the houses, where it will quickly become obvious that whatever you do will be echoed in the other. Move a chair into a completely different room? The chair in the other house will move. Deface a mirror? Well, you just engaged in two times the vandalism. Break a dish? Yeah, enjoy having twice the amount of earthenware shards lying around to poke some unsuspecting toes. Any changes made to existing furnishings and fixtures in the houses will shift to reflect the other house. With that said, items brought inside the houses from the outside wonāt be affected by this resonance unless thereās a correspondingly similar object thatās put into the other home.
Segregated a short distance away from the houses is a large circular area thatās been lightly fenced off. Although the enclosure is mostly just flattened dirt and empty space, a few racks placed along the fences contain various wooden training weapons on display for anyone to peruse or take. The weapons range from elaborately carved polearms to claymores to even brass (wood?) knuckles. However, the one theme they have in common is that theyāre all melee weapons only; no guns for you, even if all you want to do is pistol whip someone into submission. With that said, it seems like you can always find a weapon that fits your style whenever you visit here, so at least thereās that!
At the west of the area thereās a large cliffside. Itās said when you walk along the road you can see an opening -- and it turns out to be true! When you approach youāll find the cavern shows signs of having been blocked at some point in the past,
Chapter Three: Hansel and Gretel
A bridge made of candy cane trusses and shortbread planks lead across a canyon, ending in the middle of a towering pine forest. If one follows the dirt path, it will gradually transition into something more sand-like, although that is probably far less eye-catching than whatās at the end of the road, which is a large clearing where almost everything is made of sweets. Even for the parts that look normal, anyone brave enough to taste the surroundings will find itās practically all edible ā leaves, mushrooms and walls are all fair game, although there may be some unexpected exceptions. Sugar, fondant, and baked goods abound, even as they are shaped or disguised cleverly as products of Mother Nature. Birdsong and the buzz of insects fill the area, although you will never see said animals at all, as if theyāre just ambient noise someone is playing for your benefit.
However, as entertaining as it may be to browse through the various sweets on display, the real fun starts at the door behind the store counter. Helpfully labelled with a sign that says āCANDY LABā, those who enter will find a corridor leading into a space that looks to be a cross between a professional kitchen and a chemistry lab. Lab coats, gloves and goggles are all stored near a pair of fume hoods, but a stove with a cabinet full of candymaking equipment above it sits close by. Apparent chemical storage lockers are instead filled with containers of ingredients for making candy, containing a great variety of different sugars, colouring and other staples. A nearby shelf also contains a vast collection of recipe books for those who are new to making confectionery.
On the other side of the room are some glass cases labelled with clear hazard warnings such as, āDANGER: ONLY TRANSPORT IN GLASSā or, āUSE GLOVES WHEN HANDLINGā. Within those glass cases are apparently specific samples of some particularly dangerous candies, and flipping through a nearby recipe book would only reiterate the dangers. Whether you decide to heed the warnings or not are up to you, but anyone is free to make use of the facilities and recipe books to make treats that will send you to heaven figuratively or literally.
For those who want to make the most of the parkās picnic grounds, there are plenty of biscuit benches to sit down on (though one seems to be half-eaten already...), as well as a few public grills scattered about the area. Unusually for the area, the grills themselves are not made of any confectionery, but they seem to impart a sweetness onto anything thatās cooked on them, so be prepared for meats that end up tasting like sweetmeats. In addition, a trunk of bathing suits that seem tailored fit to everyone sizes is on the lakeshore, for ease of swimming. Behind the picnic area is what appears to be a small pool of sludge with a sign that says: NO DUMPING! Fortunately the sludge is hot fudge, but littering is probably bad anyway. Lastly, for those who are simply looking to catch a breather in the shade, a round gazebo with candy foundations and a galette roof sits near the approximate midpoint of the river, overlooking a short section of rapids.
Chapter Four: MomotarÅ
Traversing through a scenic forest path to the southeast leads to a scenic lake filled with crystal clear waters and an abundance of floating peaches. While plenty of perfectly ordinary-sized fruit are carried to the shores with the lapping waves, a gargantuan specimen in the middle of the lake towers over the rest to cast the surroundings in shadow. A few smaller (but still ridiculously oversized) peaches bob lightly in the water, each with their own set of floating docks and carved doors to allow guests access to the inside of the buildings. A long dock stretches along the northern part of the shore closest to the entrance of the area, populated with a variety of small wooden boats that have been moored to the wooden posts. Although none of them are motorized, those who lack the strength or experience to operate the boats manually will still be able to direct the boats magically with their voice. Be careful not to fall over the edge, though!
Located in one of the buildings on the lake, this rather unique museum features a variety of different artworks all focused on one, sole subject: peaches. Watercolors, murals, ink drawings and sculptures--there is no medium that isnāt covered here at least once, although style-wise the majority of the pieces resemble traditional Japanese artworks. Elegant gold-plated plaques label the works in the various well-lit galleries of the three-storey building, which seem to be organized on the basis of what peach cultivars are featured in each piece. Whatās certain though is that all the artworks seem a little bit enchanting regardless of how droll the subjects are, and if some of them seem to shift a little while youāre staring at themā¦ well, surely thatās just your imagination. As of the end of week 4, some of the paintings may sport giant kawaii eyes which is surely an improvement.
For those who donāt care so much about the artworks, the exhibition area in the center of the ground floor may prove to be more interesting. Featuring a rather prominent glass floor, those who gaze through it will see a rather spectacular underwater view of the thalassic depths of the lake and the small silhouettes that seem to dart about. Contained in the exhibition area are also a few small natural history exhibits relating to peaches, which includes information on how their seeds can poison you if ingested. Fun!
Finally, a hallway leading outside of the museum area will get you to where a small studio is, where a wealth of art supplies and equipment are available. Sculpting tools, canvas, painting and calligraphy brushes, wood blocks for ukiyo-e and various other materials can be found neatly organized in the various shelves and drawers lining the space, with one end of the room full of racks for storing partially finished works and an oven for pottery on the opposite wall.
What's better than sweets? Sweets with animals! Built inside one of the floating peaches, this quaint shop houses monkeys, dogs, and pheasants all adorned with cute little bow ties. The animals are free to roam, so careful attention is required of anyone who chooses to dine in on the matcha and wagashi served in-house (self-serve as neither fairies nor animals make good waiters). While the front of the cafe features floor seating with assorted pillows, in the back of the cafe is a large veranda with western style seating where the pheasants usually roam.
In stark contrast with the other facilities on the lake, a small island with steep sides rises out of the water by the southern shore. Despite the sheer walls, those who make their way to the docks will find zig-zagging stairs carved deep into the stone cliffs, allowing anyone to climb to the top of the island relatively easily. What awaits is a vibrant festival ground, filled with various food stalls and attractions which seem to be centered on oni. Shooting gallery games feature animated paper dolls with oni masks on them running around as targets, while ring toss requires getting them on some oni-shaped pegs. Other classics such as goldfish scooping are also available even if the fish seem more like animated bits of paper than anything else. One edge of the island even features a rather large archery range with plenty of oni-shaped targets to put some holes into.
Besides the games, just about any kind of festival food will be available at the various stalls scattered around the place, although thereās a heavy emphasis on Japanese classics such as yakisoba, takoyaki and kakigoori. Other stalls display elaborate and colorful oni masks while others sell ones of a boy, a monkey, a dog or a pheasant. Some mirrors are also helpfully set-up next to these stands for those who want to try on a couple before committing to taking one. Note that wearing them might make someone act a littleā¦ strangely in-character, so be careful about that.
Those who choose not to worship may still enjoy the scenery by sitting on the bench installed near the waterfall, which feeds into a small pond before branching off into the woods. Thanks to the mastermole's efforts, the shrine door is now open...into a white void. Fun.
Chapter Five: The Little Match Girl
As one follows the path to the west, a frigid breeze begins to blow as deciduous oaks, aspens and maples give way to their more coniferous counterparts laden with plenty of snow and ice. A light snowfall starts right as the small settlement comes into sight, surrounded by a landscape full of hills and dunes of snow. Those who approach the town will find wooden cabins with hearths lining the frost-covered cobblestone streets, as pines decorated with colorful Christmas lights brighten up the space, although the area still gives off something of a melancholic feel. Itās worth noting there are small balls of fire everywhere, like will-o-wisps. Whenever you get near one you find you can see into the fire, seeing visions of a happier time in your life.These visions last only one minute, and once theyāre finished the fire vanishes.
Whenever you enter a cabin youāre assaulted by a toasty atmosphere, as if the cold and snow out there didnāt exist. No matter what you do the temperature never drops, and no matter what you do outside you canāt seem to find a heat source that lasts long enough to make stays outside be comfortable. Frostbite is a reasonable concern!
A large lake has frozen solid enough to allow people to skate and a nearby shop even carries skates available to be bought or rented out. Of course, no currency needs to be exchanged here but itās the thought that counts! Either way, characters can enjoy skating here for the most part, although take note of the area noted by the warning sign by the entrance; it seems like a section by the northern part of the pond is a fair bit deeper than the rest and the ice there tends to be thinner.
A humble church that beckons you inside with the kaleidoscope of lights reflecting off of the stained glass. The linens and visage inside are a deep purple, Christmas has not yet come but is on the horizon and the nativity is set up in preparation. For those who prefer peace and quiet, the confessional is a popular destination—a candle outside the door flickers when itās occupied.
If youāve been inside a hedge maze, that will give you an inkling of what to expect even if the overall atmosphere differs wildly here. Built and sculpted from crystal-clear ice free of any inclusions, this elaborate maze features three interconnected zones that each run with a different theme: the first is like a castle with parapets, the second is like a forest with plenty of delicate vines and gnarled roots carved into the maze and the third isā¦ well, itās kind of a weird eldritch-looking location actually, with dozens of eye motifs engraved into the walls and things like clawed hands seeming to pop right out of the ice.
The thick walls are rather sturdy and difficult to melt, so itās not as easy as it looks to break through or damage the maze, so make sure youāre ready to navigate it properly once youāre inside! The clarity of the ice doesnāt seem to help at all, either--although the walls are fairly clear and easy to see through, sometimes what is viewed may be a bit deceptive, like seeing silhouettes, indistinct figures or even monsters on the other side of the walls. At times, you might even run into a particularly reflective part of the wall that seems to reflect a twisted image of you, like a funhouse mirror.
While the palace zone is pretty easy to navigate, it feels a lot easier to get lost or waylaid in the forest and weird zones, almost like the layout of the maze seems to shift or warp on you every so often. Be careful you donāt get in over your head here.
Chapter Six: ???
Itās curious how the pathway turns from cobblestone to yellow bricks, leading towards a walled in area that houses a quaint town that looks distinctly European. Large walls made of gold and covered with ivy flank the gate, the vast tower in the middle visible from wherever you are. While this looks to have been a bustling town at one point, many of the buildings are "frozen" in grey scale and inaccessible, with only certain locations in full color and open to explore.
This dark cozy space houses a full bar with non-saccharine liquor(!) of the European variety, including top-shelf wines, brandy, and scotch as well as more regional liquor such as limoncello, sambuca and amaretto. Off to the side in a separate space of its own is a smoking lounge with a wide selection of cigarettes and cigars. If those sins aren't to your liking, the rest of the parlor hosts several different ways to gamble: poker tables, a roulette wheel, and a baccarat table. Given the lack of currency in Aira Niluc you'll have to be creative with what you're betting with, but you could always grab some chocolate coins if nothing else.
Considerably higher than any of the other buildings in the area is a white tower that seems to climb towards the sun. The ascent is long but scenic, with the floors, walls and ceilings changing from a crystallized emerald hue, to a leafy forest, and finally a yellow cornfield. At the very top the stairs open into an observatory with a telescope and an observation deck with several tower viewers. With the right settings, it's possible to see all of the lands you've encountered so far from this distance and height.
A short distance away from the yellow brick paths and more urban spaces lays a fenced off section of pasture with a number of cows and horses milling about. Various horse riding trails that wind through both the pasture and more forested areas are also available for those who enjoy that sort of thing, and short obstacle courses can even be set up to really test your riding skills. Meanwhile, those who need a place to relax after any riding can go to the nearby guest house to wind down with a couple of drinks in the lounge, which also features a billiards table.
Ostensibly closed to visitors, this marbled mansion is surrounded on all sides by tall iron fencing and an impassable locked gate. Though the mansion is non-descript, a green banner with a particular symbol drapes from the main centre window.
Location changes should be reported here.