The ladies journey to the Temple of the Undecided, a grand sanctuary dedicated to exploration and housing many paintings and relics from numerous cultures. Rose, having never been inside a temple, felt immediately overwhelmed by the high marble pillars and ancient, restored architecture. She eventually finds a noticeboard with today's schedule. Vita, however, showcased her unpredictable nature instantly by tripping on one of the marble steps.
The ladies meet Anvari, the headcleric with striking aqua-marine eyes that match the necklace she wears. She certainly has an eye-catching appearance for a mere priestess. Anvari tells the ladies about the temple, which is dedicated to housing ancient artifacts, telling stories, and playing games to support collaboration and cooperation.
The Hall of the Many houses countless fascinating works of art dedicated to the Idols and Concepts, and its many tables are alive with dice and card games. In the Hall of Storytellers, an ancient tradition dating back to Marayan times endures, as people gather to share tales with the younger generations. The Hall of Artifacts, meanwhile, displays a vast collection of relics from across all of Ignisar.
Rose asks about the Hall of History and why it's closed. Anvari informs the ladies that it's currently closed for "renovations," although Naomi picks up from Anvari that perhaps there's a more enigmatic reason. Vita asks Anvari about the massive chained tablets in the main hall's top level, however Anvari informs the ladies that these ancient artifacts are too brittle and only on the first of every month is there a guided tour to see the tablets up close. Anvari reveals that the Luminary language inscribed on these tablets has been translated by Einar Giedensera himself, yet the contents of these tablets are not open to the public. Vita's insistence catches Anvari a bit off-guard, but eventually Anvari's attention is drawn elsewhere.
The ladies pause for a moment to consider why the Temple is called the "Temple of the Undecided," wondering if it's named because of the many halls they could explore first, and that each of the ladies wanted to explore a different hall.
Eventually, the ladies settle on the Hall of the Many and begin their search for connections. Rose, drawn by her quest for knowledge, discovers a striking painting of The Frost Falcon, an evil idol from the Soarlands. The accompanying sign describes this idol as merciless and cruel, associated with the concept referred to as The Talons. The painting unsettles her, and she eventually decides to move on.
Along her search, she comes across yet another painting. It is titled "The Rise of The New Dawn", the story says that 250 years ago, Solaris returned to Ignisar which allowed the once Subjurforged monstrosities to be reborn into Lion Therans.
Rose wonders if the painting might be magical, when she uses her arcane sight, she doesn't sense any magic from it, but the painting does change... Solaris' face changes... and the sun is suddenly blacked out... What could this mean? Or did she just imagine that?
As Rose moves on, she feels drawn to the painting "Till Death Unites Us," depicting Harmonia and Mortemus. Though her magical senses detect nothing, Rose senses faint, human-like whispers emanating from the canvas, but it's probably just in her imagination...
Meanwhile, Vita, momentarily avoiding the overwhelming number of artworks, pauses before a massive depiction of the giant turtle Aspidochelone, the wandering island.
"Upon my back, life finds a sanctuary. Within my heart, the oldest secrets sleep. I am the journey and the destination, the prison of the forgotten and the key to what was lost. Seek me in the deepest waters, and find the truth you have forgotten.
The associated poem describing the creature profoundly resonates with her inner turmoil. This poetic painting mirrors her own Luminary identity.
Meanwhile, Naomi and Thalga decide to join one of the tables, approaching where a young woman named Laelia de Fermat and her mentor, Kardazan Fabulous-Everdrum, are playing. While Laelia seems kind and approachable, Kardazan seems very stiff with an odd way of speaking. They take a seat, and Laelia, being the more welcoming of the pair, offers to teach them the rules of the simple game they call Fox Gamble. The game uses little pyramid dice and involves rolling three of them.
As they begin playing rounds, Laelia mentions that she and Kardazan come from the Sevenfold Commonwealth and that they're here on a short trip to get away from the mundane. When Naomi and Thalga mention their last names, Kardazan recognizes both, taking an interest in them. However, Laelia manages to keep Kardazan somewhat in line from asking too direct and somewhat inappropriate questions, such as asking for Thalga's age.
The conversation eventually shifts topic, with Kardazan explaining he'd like to visit Thalga's homeland of Sâdbarad, wondering if unique natural gemstones can be found there. He'd like to see, study, or perhaps even craft jewelry with them. Unfortunately, Laelia mentions that they probably wouldn't have the time for that during their trip. Eventually, Naomi and Thalga say goodbye to the odd pair.
Meanwhile, Vita finds another painting that interests her. It's named The Puzzle, and she could swear it's moving. It depicts someone whose mind is slowly falling apart like puzzle pieces. Next to the painting, there's a description that she doesn't entirely understand.
"The Puzzle is the pursuit of insight into that which others overlook, revealing truths through the lens of time. It embodies the belief that the answers we seek are often buried in forgotten moments, where the past, present, and future are interwoven. To unravel The Puzzle is to see beyond the surface of time, connecting the dots between temporal echoes—the fragments of the past that echo into the future."
It reminds her of what happened earlier with the vision she got about Prince Ramiel. She saw another future that didn't happen, and of course the yell she heard at midnight from Oyindamola, but one of those visions hasn't happened in quite a while...
However, as Vita stares at the painting, Rose spots her from across the other hallway, making her way towards her. Naomi and Thalga spot them as well, slowly making their way toward both of them.
When Rose asks Vita about the painting, Vita suddenly gets a headache. She suddenly hears a strange, somewhat feminine voice yelling, "ROSE, DUCK!" and a streak of red light. Instinctively, Vita tackles Rose to the ground to get her to duck, causing Thalga and Naomi to rush toward them quickly.
Vita tries to explain to the others that she had a vision—one where she heard a voice yell "Rose, duck!" followed by a strange streak of red light. But the three other ladies aren't quite sure what to make of Vita's sudden outburst.
Suddenly there's an announcement through the dwarven-style announcement tubes throughout the building. The last story for storytime will be told in a few minutes, prompting the ladies to head to the Hall of Storytellers. They follow after a group of young lionfolk escorted by their teacher. The Hall of Storytellers is a dimly lit space covered with vines and plants, with bookshelves filled with books.
Vita is surprised to see that her step-uncle, Tayleon, is actually reading the story! Vita, Naomi, and Thalga take a seat, while Rose finds a second copy of "Till Death Unites Us." She keeps it with her for now. The ladies see Tayleon put on a blue cape and begin with the story. Tayleon recognizes Vita in the crowd! He addresses her with a nod, but then continues.
Tayleon tells the story of "When The Radiant Cat Looks Away, the Mice Come Out to Play," which follows three brave mice: Sirena, who filled the world with water, and Gaia, who made all plants grow. But because of their gifts, the world slowly filled with places that Solaris' light couldn't reach, giving The Void their chance to terrorize the land. The brave Aurora traveled at night to collect small droplets of sunlight and shoot them into the night sky with her bow, filling it with countless little lights. These stars became guiding beacons for those who had to travel in darkness. When Solaris witnessed this, he was moved with awe. He took a rock from the emptiness of space and carved it for thirty days, placing it in orbit around Ignisar to act as a mirror at night, reflecting some of his light as he rested. And so, the little mice would always be safe.
Read the full story here: CFS03 Mice Come Out To Play
After the story, Tayleon takes his leave, but Vita rushes up to him. Tayleon seems a bit tense, looking over his shoulder during his talk with Vita. When Vita asks what he's doing here, since they haven't seen each other in years, Tayleon explains that he was selected to do Lion's Errand, which is a cultural civil duty task requested by the royal family.
Eventually, the other ladies notice that someone's keeping their eye on Tayleon—a black-furred lionfolk wearing fancy red clothes, adorned with numerous magically glowing accessories. Naomi notices that his garments bore patterns similar to Dorian Melanithorne's collection. Vita and Tayleon agree to meet up later that evening to catch up, and Tayleon leaves to continue helping around the temple.
As the ladies leave the Hall of Storytellers, Rose tries to take the book past the room's threshold and it is quickly forcibly yanked from her hand, hurting her in the process. It seems that a magical incantation is preventing it from leaving the room. Another priestess rushes up to Rose to check on her, informing her that the books have been enchanted, explaining that you can read the books here, but you cannot take them with you. Rose apologizes for the confusion.
While the ladies have enjoyed the story and the visit to the Hall of The Many, they still haven't gotten much information regarding the mysterious dice and "The Mirror" that Gilgamesh sent them to find. But the ladies do wonder if perhaps there might be a connection to the story that Tayleon was reading.
As the ladies return to the main hall, Vita feels a pulse and pull coming from the closed-off Hall of Historics. As Vita walks up to the hallway, she notices that the door is slightly open... The crowd in the Main Hall wouldn't notice someone slipping through, right?
The ladies discuss whether they should look inside. Naomi and Thalga aren't in favor of the idea, and Rose is against it, realizing that they'd get in trouble if they are caught. Rose decides not to come with them, but does promise to create a distraction. With the coast clear, Vita, Naomi, and Thalga slip through the door to the Hall of Historics.
Inside the dimmed hallway, they find a massive pedestal with a stone statue. Vita feels a strange pulse from it, noting its eyes glow. It is a statue of a lion, but the lion is armored with strange metal and on its back are strange devices. Its pose implies it's ready to strike. Something about it feels eerily familiar to Vita.
Vita instinctively tries to reach out for it, but Thalga pulls her back, warning that there could be traps or wards which could get them into trouble.
Thalga, drawing upon her historical knowledge, instantly identifies the mechanical lion creature as a Subjurforged, one of the creatures infamously responsible for the destruction of the Luminary Kingdom of Maraya centuries ago. As Thalga pulls Vita from the statue, the ladies decide to inspect the nearby paintings.
One of the first paintings spotted confirms Thalga's earlier Subjurforged comment, as it is a more stylistic depiction of the statue in front of them, mentioning that the lion Subjurforged were responsible for the destruction of Maraya. It is accompanied by a smaller painting of a floating island in the sky, surrounded by the stars, titled "The Seed of Yggdrasil."
Another painting depicts a younger woman wearing a green dress, holding a strange staff, which is titled "The Ascellean," accompanied by another painting which eerie eye feels as if it's following Vita and the other ladies, titled "The Swarmer."
On the other side there's a large painting of Solaris while holding the Moon, titled "Carving the Mirror." This makes the ladies think—could the moon be this supposed mirror? Vita realizes that perhaps a full moon might have something to do with it, and then Vita puts one and one together. She's barred from Einar's mansion every 30th of the month, which is always the day there's a full moon! Could there be a connection there?
There are still two more paintings, and as Vita sees them, she sees herself on one of them. The painting is titled "Vitharr, Lady of Silence." The painting depicts a young woman with blond hair, eerily similar to Vita and ViĂ°a. While the other painting doesn't have a description....
Yet one thing is off about the "Vitharr" painting, Thalga discovers that the painting has been altered... The ear and the hair around the ear have been modified! Could this mean that the painting originally depicted her with Luminary ears? What could this mean? As Thalga and Naomi think things over, Vita once more feels the pull of the statue and as she makes her way towards it again, Vita hears a voice in her mind...
Mistress...
Meanwhile, Rose keeps watch outside, pretending to be reading a book, but conveniently trying to block off line-of-sight towards the door to the Hall of Historics. Rose spots that Tayleon is talking to Headcleric Anvari, and then Tayleon spots her and approaches her.
Tayleon introduces himself to Rose, and now that he's not being watched by someone, feels much more comfortable! He asks where Vita is, explaining that he's done for today. Rose makes up an excuse that the other girls are in the restroom. Tayleon buys the excuse. Tayleon and Rose quickly hit it off on a positive note.
Tayleon notices that Rose injured her hand, and Rose explains that a book was magically forced from her hand earlier. Tayleon asks permission for her hand, and using a quick tune in his head, heals the scratch on her hand. Rose, impressed by the quick technique, asks where he learned it, with Tayleon explaining that he's picked up a few tricks during his travels in Concordia, and this particular healing spell he learned in Felisara.
Rose, realizing that Tayleon might notice the door being opened, distracts him by asking him to join her in the Hall of Storytellers, and the two decide to make their way there. But along the way... They hear a cracking sound coming from the Hall of Historics...
As Vita hears a voice, she informs the other ladies that the statue speaks! Naomi and Thalga wonder if this is not a statue, but an actual petrified Subjurforged. Vita wonders if it might have answers about who she is.
Vita, utilizing the basic Luminary vocabulary taught to her by Kaedlin, bravely addresses the statue. It answers telepathically back to her.
The lion tells her, "It hurts..." but to many of the questions Vita asks, it doesn't answer. It begs her to "Set me free." The creature doesn't seem to know how long it has been here, but when Vita asks about her father, the creature answers "Solar." It repeats the words: "Happy, Kind, and Life," and when Vita asks what happened to him, it answers with "Taken," but Vita can't discern if that meant the lion was taken or if she was taken.
Naomi and Thalga see Vita ask it questions in Luminary, but don't hear an answer back. Vita is making closer steps toward it. Naomi tries to block Vita from stepping closer to it.
"Are you being threatened, Mistress?" the statue asks, but Vita tells the statue that Naomi and Thalga are her friends. But then it asks, "Am I not your friend, Mistress?"
Naomi, unsure what to do, tries to reach in her mind to Legend Gilgamesh, but gets no response, as if he's not there. This causes Naomi's mind to be distracted. Vita asks the lion some more questions about herself and if there are more like her, but it doesn't seem to know. But when Vita asks "Where do I come from?" the lion answers, "A dream."
Vita asks him, "Will I be able to help you?" but the lion doesn't answer. Vita, ignoring the warnings of her friends, reaches out and touches the statue. The stonework of the statue slowly starts to shatter, with the ancient stonework slowly cracking open, peeling away to reveal the living creature, as the lion awakens.
Meanwhile...
Rose and Tayleon, who were making their way to the Hall of Storytellers, hear the stone cracking coming from the Hall of Historics. When Tayleon asks Rose if she also heard the sound coming from the Historics, Rose admits that her friends went inside to take a look.
"Look, don't judge me. I am just being a good friend."
Tayleon immediately wanders toward the door, saying that they are not supposed to be in there. Rose warns him to "Be careful," but Tayleon doesn't understand what for.
The statue answers, "Mistress... Are these your friends?"
And as Tayleon barges into the hallway with Rose, hearing the cracking, the lion spots them. "A THREAT DETECTED!" and immediately launches a beam of red light in their direction.
Tayleon launches himself toward Rose, his voice cutting through the chaos: "ROSE, DUCK!" The blast catches them mid-leap. A scorching wave of force slams them both against the marble wall with a sickening crack. Tayleon twists at the last moment, his body shielding Rose from the worst of it. They crumple to the floor in a tangle of limbs. The ancient carpet erupts into flames, fire spreading fast across the woven threads.
Rose's head throbs. Her vision blurs and refocuses. Through the smoke and heat, she sees Tayleon sprawled motionless beside her, blood trickling from his temple. The flames creep closer. Rose has seconds to save him...
Can the ladies defeat this thing...?
Key Information Summary
At the Temple of the Undecided
Temple exploration: The ladies entered the grand sanctuary, with Rose overwhelmed by the marble architecture and Vita immediately tripping on the steps.
Meeting Anvari: The headcleric with striking aqua-marine eyes explained the temple's purpose—housing artifacts, storytelling, and promoting collaboration through games.
Temple halls:
Hall of the Many: Art dedicated to Idols and Concepts, filled with dice and card games
Hall of Storytellers: Ancient Marayan tradition of sharing tales
Hall of Artifacts: Relics from across Ignisar
Hall of History: Closed for "renovations" (Naomi sensed something more enigmatic)
Ancient tablets: Massive chained tablets in the main hall bore Luminary language translated by Einar himself, but contents remain sealed from public view. Only accessible on guided tours the first of each month.
Temple's name: The group wondered if "Temple of the Undecided" referred to the choice of which hall to explore first.
The Hall of the Many
Rose's discoveries:
"The Frost Falcon": An evil idol from the Soarlands, associated with The Talons—unsettling and merciless
"The Rise of The New Dawn": Depicted Solaris' return 250 years ago, transforming Subjurforged into Lion Therans. Through arcane sight, the painting changes—Solaris' face altered and the sun went black...
"Till Death Unites Us": Harmonia and Mortemus painting emitted faint human-like whispers, though no magic was detected.
Naomi and Thalga's game:
Met Laelia de Fermat (kind) and her mentor Kardazan Fabulous-Everdrum (stiff, odd speech) from the Sevenfold Commonwealth
Learned Fox Gamble, a dice game with pyramid dice
Kardazan recognized Naomi and Thalga's family names and expressed interest in Sâdbarad's gemstones for jewelry crafting
Laelia kept Kardazan from asking overly direct questions
Vita's resonance:
Found the massive Aspidochelone (wandering island turtle) painting with an accompanying poem about sanctuary, secrets, and forgotten truths—it deeply resonated with her Luminary identity.
The Puzzle painting: Depicted a mind falling apart like puzzle pieces. Description spoke of pursuing insight through time, connecting temporal echoes between past, present, and future. Reminded Vita of her vision of Prince Ramiel's alternate future and Oyindamola's midnight yell.
Vita's vision: While staring at The Puzzle painting, Vita suddenly heard a feminine voice yell "ROSE, DUCK!" and saw a streak of red light. She tackled Rose instinctively as reaction.
The Hall of Storytellers
Tayleon's appearance: Vita's step-uncle was the storyteller, wearing a blue cape. He recognized Vita in the crowd but someone was watching him—a black-furred lionfolk in fancy red clothes with glowing accessories (patterns similar to Dorian Melanithorne's collection).
The story: "When The Radiant Cat Looks Away, the Mice Come Out to Play"—three mice (Sirena, Gaia, Aurora) whose gifts caused shadows where The Void could terrorize. Aurora collected sunlight droplets and shot them into the sky as stars. Solaris carved the moon as a mirror to reflect his light at night.
Lion's Errand: Tayleon explained he was selected for this cultural civil duty task by the royal family. He seemed tense, looking over his shoulder. Agreed to meet Vita later that evening.
Enchanted books: Rose tried to take "Till Death Unites Us" from the Hall but was forcibly yanked back, injuring her hand. Books are magically bound to remain in the room.
Still seeking answers: The group hadn't found information about the mysterious dice or "The Mirror" Gilgamesh mentioned, though they wondered if Tayleon's story held clues.
The Hall of Historics (Unauthorized Entry)
Vita felt a pulse from the closed-off Hall of Historics and noticed the door slightly ajar. Rose stayed behind to create a distraction while Vita, Naomi, and Thalga slipped inside.
Inside, the ladies found a massive stone lion with strange metal armor and devices on its back, posed to strike. Eyes glowing, eerily familiar to Vita
Thalga identified it as a Subjurforged—creatures responsible for destroying the Luminary Kingdom of Maraya centuries ago.
Paintings discovered:
Subjurforged depiction confirming the statue's nature
"The Seed of Yggdrasil": A floating island in the sky
"The Ascellean": Young woman in green dress with strange staff
"The Swarmer": Painting with eye that followed them
"Carving the Mirror": Solaris holding the Moon—the moon might BE the mirror
"Vitharr, Lady of Silence": Depicted a blonde woman resembling Vita and ViĂ°a
Unnamed painting alongside Vitharr.
Thalga discovered the "Vitharr" painting had been modified—the ear and surrounding hair were changed, suggesting it originally showed Luminary ears.
Vita realized she's barred from Einar's mansion every 30th of the month—always during the full moon. Possible connection to "The Mirror."
The statue speaks:
Called Vita "Mistress" telepathically
Said "It hurts" and begged "Set me free"
When asked about her father, answered "Solar" and repeated "Happy, Kind, and Life"
Said something about being "Taken" (ambiguous meaning)
Told Vita she came from "A dream."
Naomi tried to contact Gilgamesh mentally but got no response—as if he wasn't there.
Vita touched the statue despite warnings. Stone began shattering and peeling away, revealing the living creature awakening inside.
Rose and Tayleon
Tayleon and Rose meet,The two quickly connected positively.
Tayleon healed Rose's injured hand using a tune-based spell learned in Felisara during his travels.
The vision fulfilled:
Tayleon and Rose heard cracking from the Hall of Historics
Tayleon rushed to investigate; Rose warned him to be careful
The awakened lion detected them as threats
Tayleon yelled "ROSE, DUCK!" and shielded her from a red light beam
Both slammed against the marble wall; Tayleon lay motionless with blood trickling from his temple. The ancient carpet erupted in flames
Cliffhanger: Rose has seconds to save Tayleon as fire spreads.
Can the ladies defeat the awakened Subjurforged?