This so called paradise was despicable. A random kingdom popping out of nowhere claiming to be a paradise on Revaliir. Paradise never existed anywhere. Even in the most pleasant of places there was fighting, predators, or even simple things like debree. Yet this place claimed to be perfection and the reports she received only confirmed those viewpoints. She had decided it was high time to figure out what was going on herself. There had to be a natural order on this land, it just was hidden behind the pleasantries. Paradise did not exist. Even a god's domain had their issues. Nowhere was perfect. As her ship arrived to the docks, she promptly left it and headed towards the city and the jungle surrounding it. 

Caroline's first order of business was to inspect the animals. There were rumors about how the predators would lay down with the prey. This was impossible and yet, when she arrived she saw how the predators didn't seem remotely interested in the prey. A lion laid next to a gazelle while the snake curled around a jungle branch, unbothered by the sent of mice. Even a rabbit wasn't weary of the giant leopard next to it. Caroline's lips curled into a tight frown as she began taking notes. The animals appeared lazy and unmotivated. But she had to be one hundred percent certain that they weren't eating anything. She approached one of the lions and snatched its face. The lion made a surprise noise but didn't fight her. Caroline yanked open his jaws and stuck her head in its mouth, investigating the teeth. The lion, confused and too lazy to do anything about it, just accepted as she began poking and prodding around in his mouth. 

The teeth were yellow but there was no indication of them being used recently. The breath was revolting but she could pick up the scent of a lotus flower. She removed herself from the lion's mouth and cleaned herself off before walking towards the lotus flowers. Putting on gloves, she carefully picked up one of the blooms with tweezers and placed the flower in one of her jars. After putting the jar in her satchel, she decided to investigate the prey. She watched them for a while and noticed that they neglected their regular diets for the lotus flowers. They might be one of the causes but she doubted it was the soul reason. 

She needed more information. Heading back to the path, she began to walk towards the city, determined to find more answers. This paradise was just how it was described and that was horrifying. A monster or a ghost were simple things. A hidden murderer could be found and an evil demon could be taken down. This land held something that would destroy mortal kind. She knew it. And she was determined to put a stop to it, whatever lurked beneath the farce that called itself paradise. 

Knock.. knock.. knock..

The door creaked open, spilling light into the darkened study.

" Hermennia, have you heard? "

" Yes, Frederich, I have. "

" Quite the enigma, isn't it? A mysterious island appears out of the blue, claiming to be paradise.. "

" Do records of this "paradise" appear anywhere in the Void Gallery records? "

" Not one word. Do you plan on going there yourself? "

" Most likely. This one is peculiar, it will need thorough investigation. "

" Reports claim that seafarers who happened across the island refused to leave, quite worrying indeed, will you be alright? "

" I'll be fine, Frederich, since it's quite the popular tourist spot at the moment, I'll make sure to be careful to remain unseen. "

The two men dressed in similar clothing parted ways, and soon enough, Hermennia arrived on the island, having boarded a ship as a stowaway the night before. The reports were not exaggerated, the island was stunning, clear blue skies, a lush green forest, and city off in the distance, its walls a pearly white color, adorned with banners that flowed elegantly in the wind, and different types of fauna that lived together in harmony. The "survival of the fittest" mentality did not exist in this island, and it piqued Hermennia's curiosity more and more as he thought about it. He picked the most secluded area of the forest to do his research, but he found that a girl was already conducting her own research around the area. As he was leaving, his attention was caught by the girl, who was attempting to force a lion's maw open. He reached into his pocket to get a notebook, to record the animal's behavior, should anything.. unfortunate.. happen to the silver haired girl. Yet the lion showed no hostility nor resistance.

He decided to stay hidden, but something caught his eye, growing out of a nearby tree, the fabled vines with morning glories a peculiar shade of blue, he carefully walked towards them to get a closer look. In doing so, he unknowingly made himself visible to the girl who was walking away, towards the city.

As she walked towards the city, she spotted a stranger out of the corner of her eye inspecting a morning glory vine. She had heard of the vines and decided to redirect towards the stranger and the vines. Stepping closer to the vines, the silver haired woman didn't bother hiding her presence. If he had an issue with her, he could leave. Caroline reached out with a pair of tweezers and plucked a sample of the morning glory flower along with a part of the vine. After putting it in a jar, she began inspecting the plant's appearance. It seemed healthy and was surviving despite the resident's attempts to get rid the island of the species. 

"Ipomoea purpurea. That's the scientific name for the flower." She said, "But this one seems to hold some sort of aura. Otherwise it seems particularly mundane." 

As she scribbled some notes into her journal, she finally had a good look at the stranger. It was fairly easy to tell that he was studying the island, same as her. Else he would have been partying or another equally nonsensical activity. Perhaps he would share his findings with her, if she did the same in turn. Knowledge to her was meant to be shared. Something that would only help the knowledge holder. 

"Take one of the blooms into your hands." Caroline suggested, "Then tell me how you feel. If it starts to burn let me know. I have healing abilities. However, I doubt there will be any side affects. The residents of the island have been tearing the plants down, or at least thats what my reports said. If they had side affects to the touch, the residents would be more hesitant." 

Caroline was letting him hold the flowers since she was busy taking notes and wasn't the type of person to use herself as a test subject. The flower's aura ought to affect him if he drew close, so she kept her sharp eyes on him and waited for a response. 

It wasn't out of the ordinary for Shiloh to abruptly leave the Machinarium after briefly informing her staff that she would be investigating something. When rumors of the strange disturbances occurring in Abed reached him in Kurayo, he suspected she would look into it if she hadn't done so already. She took the Clepsydra with a group of automatons to the last place in Parvpora that still worshiped the gods of the Conclave, and was gone. It was only when the airship returned without its owner that they knew something had terribly wrong. Diomedes and Galatea had been ordered to remain aboard with the other automatons until she gave them new orders, but those orders never came. The last they had seen of her was when she had taken a skiff out into the open waters and sailed towards the coordinates where the most phenomena had been reported. The airship had been circling the area for hours, until Erasmus was forced to dock the vessel at Abed's port. If someone as careful as Shiloh had gone missing, then the situation was dire indeed.

That was a fortnight ago. While those within the Machinarium had sworn themselves to secrecy, all of Antikythera knew of the goddess's disappearance. Something had happened to her that was preventing her from coming back or making contact with everyone. Even for someone as furtive as herself, this was unusual. Arriving at Abed, he found that ships were being chartered to ferry people to a newly emerged island kingdom called Kavala. As a political power with as much wealth as it possessed, it was strange that it had not been seen or discovered until now, especially since that stretch of the Luna Sea wasn't uncharted waters. Once he made landfall, Sylvain set foot into the jungle surrounding the gilded city clad in full armor. There was no way that a deity would simply vanish without a trace. Hadn't the gods of the world purged the last remnants of eldritch influence? Even if it was another interloper from the Void, their power would be weak in comparison to the World Eaters.

The vampire lord took a moment to stare back at the ship which was leaving the harbor after unloading its passengers. Despite having spent centuries killing and gorging himself on the blood of his victims, there was an unspeakable trepidation in his steps when he thought of venturing forward. Perhaps it was that dulled animal instinct from his vampiric blood telling him that if he chose to proceed, he would place himself in mortal peril. Subconsciously he reached with his right hand to touch the left side of his neck. It wasn't too late to turn back; he had a family who was waiting for him and a place that would welcome him with open arms. He didn't need to risk his life to tread into the unknown. But there was another voice in his mind, one that was quiet yet resonated clearly amidst the noise. Even if he felt fear, he knew this was something he must do.

"It seems I am still in your debt, Shiloh." Sylvain mused to himself quietly. "Life debts cannot be resolved as easily as you may think." With the crew of the Clepsydra waiting in Abed should he fail to return, for the first time in centuries, he placed his hopes in the immaterial. From this point on he could only hope to make it out of Kavala in one piece. It was a solitary walk along the visible paths leading through the tropical forest. He had yet to see another soul from outside of Kavala, until he came upon a stranger who was spying on something.It appeared the person was looking at something on the trunk of a tree. At a first glance, Sylvain failed to notice anything out of the ordinary. Perhaps this individual was a botanist, like his wife. The flowers on the creeping vine were morning glories, which seemed out of place in the exotic plant life. Drawing closer, the lord raised a hand as a show of good faith before calling out to them. "Are you from the mainland? What is it that you are looking at?" He had no weapons drawn, as he was wary of provoking a fight in unfamiliar territory.

"This can't be good." He thought to himself, realizing that he had been spotted. The girl requested that he touch one of the flowers to see if there would be any effect.His gloved hand reached out to pluck a flower from the thick, overgrown vine. He eyed the beautiful blue blossom, wondering what about this flower would provoke the locals to the point of insanity? He expected the answer to be hallucinations, or perhaps something more magical, like illusions, but no such reactions occurred. He turned to the silver haired girl and placed the flower in her hand. As he heard a voice calling out, he “blinked out of sight”. Reappearing atop a large branch of a nearby tree, watching in interest as a raven haired man approached where Hermennia stood.He reached into his coat pocket to pull out a piece of elegant cardstock paper and a quill, to write a note, the contents of which read:Hello my friends, I assume we are all here for the same reason. 
If you are looking to work together with me, please meet me at the city over the horizon.
Unfortunately, I cannot meet both of you face to face.Signed, HHermennia pocketed the quill and held the note in his left hand, focusing on the blue morning glory in the girl's hand, with a snap of the finger, the flower disappeared, and was replaced with the note he had written. Hermennia slipped the flower into his coat pocket and started to head towards the city.

When the stranger handed the flower over to her, she could feel somber aura around it. Perhaps that was why the villagers hated this? They were in their happy paradise and these vines were a reminder that the world wasn't happy. Why would the island create this? If it was meant to be a sweet trap then why would the island create flowers the reminded them of sorrow? Her best guess was that either this was a mistake or something else was fighting against the island. Before she could ponder any further, she realized that stranger from before had vanished. Then a raven haired man approached her, asking where she was from and what she was looking at. Then the flower she had been holding was replaced with a note. She took a moment to read the note and realized that this H person was shy. But she doubted that he had anything specific to do with the island. Another person trying to discover the truth. But she wouldn't refuse help. 

"Yes. Specifically Onnen." She explained. "I heard about people going missing to this land. They refuse to go home so I'm investigating this Kavala kingdom. These are morning glories. I received reports about how the locals keep tearing it down. There is a somber aura surrounding this plant while the rest of the island is perfect. Which makes me wonder if this is a mistake or if its something fighting back from the inside." 

She put the note in her pocket and began to take notes. After scribbling down some information, she turned towards Sylvain. The stranger seemed physically strong and appeared to be questioning the island, at least a little. Caroline knew having a strong minded individual was essential for this investigation. If they cracked, even a little, then they could end up trapped like the hundreds of other people. 

"I suppose you are here for research or to find a friend." Caroline guessed, "Either way, you'll need to know what's going on here. If we work together we will have a better chance of survival than on our own. Lets head to the city, an ally will be waiting for us there. Oh and as a reminder don't eat, drink, or consume anything on this island until we know what it is. And stay away from the lotus blooms." 

There was much to figure out. Too many questions and not enough time. Her eyes were filled with cold hard determination as she began to walk towards the city, looking to see if Sylvain was going to walk with her. He could stay and figure things out on his own, but together and with that mysterious H person, they could stand a stronger chance then alone. This land was dangerous. Too dangerous to be reckless in.

Before he could receive a reply, the stranger he had addressed vanished from sight. A silver-haired woman Sylvain hadn't seen at first was now left behind, and he could smell the traces of the other person still lingering in the air. They may have tried to create an illusion as if they had left, but his senses told him otherwise. From the attitude of the woman, the lord suspected the two had been speaking with each other moments before his intrusion. He chose not to remind the furtive one that he was well-aware of their presence, and turned his attention to what was present. The woman did not give her name, but she did answer his question. She was here to investigate what was going on here in hopes of uncovering something regarding the whereabouts of the growing numbers of disappearances–his exact reasons for coming here as well.

"Onnen–then you are very far from home. If word of this strange kingdom has reached those far shores, then this is no ordinary phenomenon." He walked close enough to see the vine she was referring to, and to his surprise it was as she said. "Morning glories? Isn't that a common plant? Why on earth would they have such a directed vendetta against one type of flower?" Those questions were more rhetorical than a true inquiry, though their sentiments were the same. These morning glories were hated by the people of Kavala, that was clear. And in addition to this, they were to treat all food and drink here as if it were poison. The woman gave a warning about lotus blooms, and he chose to save his questions for another moment. It was clear this was no time to be standing around. "Let us go then. I am Lord Albaret, and I pray that ally of yours will stay true to their word." With his sword at the ready, he would follow the woman's lead towards the city's gates.

When the thick canopy of the jungle finally parted, they found themselves before high walls and a grand gateway large enough to allow several carriages and beasts of burden. What struck him the most was the coiled serpentine form of a dragon, its fierce eyes and open maw glowering down at them from the archway above. The pillars of the entry were also decorated with the same spiraling creatures, appearing to Sylvain more like legged serpents than dragons. The white stone facades had gold-inlay to accentuate the masonry. It was a level of opulence that far surpassed anything he had seen in the mortal world. Unlike a noble dressed in all their finery, it felt more like a member of royalty making a brazen show of wealth for all to see. There was a form of arrogance in how such immense material wealth was displayed, and it was distasteful. Another thing that stood out to him immediately was the distinct lack of guards at what should be the main point of entry into the kingdom. It was as if the inhabitants had no fear of others entering as they pleased.

"Pleasure to meet you. My name is Caroline Einsecc." She introduced herself as they walked, "I work in the medical field and in studies of magical advancement." 

The city sparkled in the light of the sun and she had to admit, it was impressive. The way the golden city stood against the fresh green rainforest background reminded her of golden mangos on the branches of a tree. Or maybe she was just hungry. Pushing away those unnecessary thoughts, she began to observe the murals of the town. As the entered the commons district, she spotted the massive mural. Taking a moment to observe it, she noted how the tiger seemed to be the loser of this battle. It had to be tied to some ancient lore of the city, as the dragon was everywhere. Yet the tiger was lacking in any representation with the exception of the giant mural. If they could find out more, perhaps this would hint towards the problem of the town. Then she realized that her friend probably needed his questions answered. 

"To summarize, there is something drawing people to this place, making them happy but unable to leave. The lotus flowers are one of the causes but I suspect there's more to it." She explained, "As for these murals, they might tell us the story of how the land came to be and point us in the direction of the source." 

Just as she was about to tell him how she found out all this information, the sounds of shouts filling the area caught her attention. She turned to see across the street, a loud man with his sword yelling at one of the locals. The man was tall and strong with shiny silver armor and was pointing his sword towards a shorter thinner woman in a flowy dress. The woman was holding a goblet of ambrosia and a plate of food with a lotus flower as decoration towards the man. 

"I said to leave me alone. Don't make me cut you down!" The knight shouted. 

"Just try a little. I promise you'll feel all better." The woman claimed with a wide smile. 

Caroline spotted the locals slowly surrounding the knight and knew from the locals' intense stares that something was wrong. She grabbed Sylvain's arm and pulled him with her around the corner where they couldn't be seen. Then she peeked back and watched the scene play out. The knight sliced at the local woman' but she didn't seem to care when the sword dug into her shoulder. Her smile remained. The locals swarmed the knight with their happy faces and took him down. Even his sword wasn't enough against all of them. They dug their fingers into his mouth and began stuffing it with ambrosia, lotus flowers, and little cakes with the flowers in them. He choked and gasped for air but they didn't stop until he swallowed every last bit of food and drink. The corners of his lips curled into a smile while tears ran down his face. The crowd dropped him and dispersed, searching for more tourists to infect. Caroline turned to Sylvain with a calm expression. 

"Lets avoid using the main roads and stick to the alleyways." Caroline suggested, "And hopefully that H friend from earlier will be able to find us. It seems we will need all the help we can get."

Brute force wouldn't help them now. They needed a subtler path. 

Another scholar with knowledge in magic. This would prove useful, as he needed someone to cover him should he fall victim to it. While Sylvain could easily overpower an opponent with his superior speed and strength, Lady Einsecc's advice on this island's dangers served as a grim reminder of something similar which had happened in the past. He had been bewitched by a demon, unable to do anything as his mind and body were controlled like a puppet. It was thanks to the woman who was now his wife that he had broken free, and the demon was killed. The visual presence of dragons and lotus flowers was almost omnipresent in the kingdom to the point that it made the lord uncomfortable. The religious and mythical imagery was borderline propaganda. Everything here was intent on portraying Kavala in the best possible light, without any sort of deviation. Being a former knight of a holy order when he had been human, Sylvain was no stranger to moral lessons being taught through artistic means. The great mural that graced the wall separating them from the next district of the city above was painted with painstaking detail. Everything from the stripes on the tiger's fur down to the individual scales of the dragon was clear as day. It was a grand piece of work, however the subject matter was surprisingly violent for a land that claimed to be paradise on earth. All the other murals, mosaics, and carved reliefs depicted more peaceful scenes.

"There is something odd about this mural in comparison to all the others. I believe this particular one was done as a warning or some sort of political statement. This land glorifies and worships these serpentine dragons, that I can gather." Possibly it was a representation of their kingdom or of their main object of worship. However that hypothesis wasn't entirely correct, as the city itself didn't have many shrines or places of worship. In fact, there was no sign of religious worship now that he recalled. If this kingdom was so tightly controlled, then could they believe anything they saw or heard? "I find that doubtful, however we should gather as much information as we can while we are able." The sounds of shouting drew his attention towards a man who was another of those who had come to the island. He had his weapon drawn while facing a lithe young woman clothed in loose, flowing fabric. What happened next was shocking. Several unarmed Kavalans overpowered and forced a knight to bend, and they broke him.   

He gave a nod to Caroline's suggestion. They had walked into a lion's den, with the lions coming disguised as sheep. Even wolves would be devoured in this situation. "We had better rendezvous with that person before we lose another valuable informant." Never had he been so thankful for being turned centuries ago; now his heightened predatory senses would be critical in alerting him to the sound and scent of the kingdom's citizens. As long as the scent of lotus was near, they could not rest.

Having watched the debacle from a distance, it was quite the worrying sight. Even a proud knight could be felled in this place, like a pack of undead devouring a victim. Sickening. Hermennia moved quickly, having spotted his two allies watching. He moved quickly to rendezvous with them and make sure they were safe. As he caught up to them, footsteps echoed in the alleyway and a sweet yet ominous voice called out.

“Hello? We are quite sorry you had to see that, would you like some snacks? Free of charge!”

Hermennia turned to his companions, and put his finger over his masked face. “It seems you were followed. Hide, let me handle this” He whispered. Turning away, he got a good look at the woman calling out. Her smile ear to ear, her eyes glassy and empty, and her shoulder split open, dripping blood all over the alleyway floor. She held a plate of bread, toasted in butter and seasoned with garlic, to any human, it was tempting. Hermennia knew whatever was in that bread would change any person into one of them.

The woman didn’t question Hermennia’s odd appearance, a man cloaked in black, donning a white mask stalking an alley would trigger a reaction for most people but she maintained her composure. Like an automaton, she repeated her previous statement. Hermennia accepted, and took a piece of the buttered bread without the intention of eating it. The woman turned, and began to walk away. As soon as she was out of sight, he took a sample of blood on the floor,
placing it into a small vial.

“I pray your journey was well?" He paused for a second. "Come now, we can’t stay here.” He gestured for them to follow him. They navigated through the alleys and eventually reached the higher district, where workers moved to and fro, preparing for a festival of sorts..