Previously on Royal Street...

After finding the key to Celestine's studio at the statue of St. Expedite, Sylvia breaks into the studio and logs in to Celestine's computer. There, she finds a desktop background filled with suspicious social media posts from some of Celestine's closest contemporaries - now our suspects. Syliva also discovers a locked VuMail Drive folder that she believes contains more information on each of these people and their relationships with Celestine. The password hint, "latest subject", inspires Sylvia to collect some of Celestine's art to send to you.

Hints

Emporium

• Have you looked at the untitled text file in Celestine's VuMail Drive?
• The top portion of the untitled text file uses a very simple type of cipher. You won't need any other documents or tools to decode it.
• Once you uncover this message, it should ask you to use other documents in the box. Look for something with dates!
• Have you used the numbers (I, II, III) in the untitled text file? They will help you get started.

• Did you figure out the riddles in the hidden NOLA blog? One of them will be very helpful.

Hidden NOLA Blog Riddles

• For the first riddle, can you find a circular shape and a butterfly shape on the parade map from Episode 1?
• For the second riddle, is there a street name on the parade map that is related to turning pages?
• Check the parade map from Episode 1 for any color-related street names!
• Is there a street name on the parade map that has the same name as a kind of liquor?

• Is there a street in NOLA that has another name for heaven? Does it have any large square shapes on it?

Logging On

• Check Sylvia's letter for the specific task Sylvia assigns you: identify the password to Celestine's VuMail Drive folder. Navigate in your web browser to royalstreetcase.com and log in to Michelle Gray's website with the password BEIGNETS.

VuMail Drive

• Looking at the three drawings, is there any writing that will tell you which one is Celestine's latest subject?
• In the artist statement, Celestine talks about how her art changed forever and how she looked at her life in a different way. Could this be a clue?
• Is there an object in the box that might help you look at Celestine's latest subject in a different way?
• Once you've looked at Celestine's latest subject with this object, think about the storybook from Episode 1. Is there a story that relates to what you've uncovered?
• Read the artist statement. Does Celestine reference any of the stories from the storybook?

Reveals

Emporium

• If you unscramble the top section of the untitled text file, it will tell you how to uncover Celestine's secret message in the rest of the text.
• The unscrambled text reads: "My protector's emporium can be found below. Use the dates of creation."
• The dates of creation are the dates in the three art pieces: 1/9, 1/12, and 2/6.
• The first word is found in the first paragraph, ninth word (1/9): "Bourbon". The second word is found in the first paragraph, twelfth word (1/12): "and". The third word is founding the second paragraph, sixth word (2/6): "King". The emporium is at Bourbon and King.
• Bourbon and King is the location of one of the secret businesses mentioned in the hidden NOLA blog.
• The "emporium" Celestine visited is a conjure shop. Send Sylvia an email with the phrase "conjure shop" in the body of the message to complete this episode.

Hidden NOLA Blog Riddles

• The location of the hidden place mentioned in the first riddle is between Lee Circle (the circle) and Lafayette Square (the butterfly).
• The location of the second riddle is at the intersection of Lafayette Street (named after the Marquis de Lafayette) and Magazine Street (turning pages).
• The location of the third riddle is at the intersection of Burgundy Street (red) and Azure Lane (blue).
• The location of the fourth riddle is at the intersection of Bourbon Street and King Street (where the crown takes a drink).
• The location of the fifth riddle is at Washington Square (the four corners) on Elysian Fields Avenue (heaven).

Photo

• In her final email, Sylvia sends you a photo of the conjure shop. If you zoom in on this photo, you might find a phone number you'll want to call.
• The phone number is 504-264-1697.

VuMail Drive

• There are dates on the back of the three pieces of art. The latest one, 2/6, is on the piece that portrays young Celestine making gumbo.
• In the artist statement, Celestine says that she started looking at her life with a different lens, a clue that refers to an item in the box.
• When the gumbo pot on the piece dated 2/6 is viewed with the red film in the suncatcher, something hidden is revealed in the art.
• This hidden image is a man transforming into a wolf.
• The storybook describes a kind of Louisiana werewolf, known as a rougarou. This is also the title of the story that Celestine references in her artist statement. After you've used this password to unlock the VuMail Drive folder, open the Contact shortcut and send Sylvia an email with the word "rougarou" in the body of the message to continue in the episode.

Hidden Text

Celestine's Art

• The image of Celestine making gumbo contains the hidden image of a man transforming into a wolf.

Transcripts

Artist Statement

Celestine Broussard

Bywater, New Orleans, LA

W̵h̵i̵l̵e̵ ̵m̵y̵ ̵s̵o̵u̵r̵c̵e̵s̵ ̵o̵f̵ ̵i̵n̵s̵p̵i̵r̵a̵t̵i̵o̵n̵ ̵v̵a̵r̵y̵ ̵w̵i̵d̵e̵l̵y̵,̵ ̵t̵h̵e̵ ̵m̵a̵j̵o̵r̵i̵t̵y̵ ̵o̵f̵ ̵t̵h̵e̵m̵ ̵h̵a̵i̵l̵ ̵f̵r̵o̵m̵ ̵m̵y̵ ̵h̵o̵m̵e̵ ̵c̵i̵t̵y̵ ̵o̵f̵ ̵N̵e̵w̵ ̵O̵r̵l̵e̵a̵n̵s̵.̵ ̵F̵r̵o̵m̵ ̵t̵h̵e̵ ̵v̵i̵b̵r̵a̵n̵t̵ ̵c̵o̵l̵o̵r̵s̵ ̵o̵f̵ ̵I̵d̵a̵ ̵K̵o̵h̵l̵m̵e̵y̵e̵r̵ ̵t̵o̵ ̵t̵h̵e̵ ̵f̵o̵l̵k̵ ̵a̵r̵t̵ ̵o̵f̵ ̵S̵i̵s̵t̵e̵r̵ ̵G̵e̵r̵t̵r̵u̵d̵e̵ ̵M̵o̵r̵g̵a̵n̵,̵ ̵I̵ ̵h̵a̵v̵e̵ ̵f̵o̵u̵n̵d̵ ̵i̵n̵s̵p̵i̵r̵a̵t̵i̵o̵n̵ ̵t̵h̵r̵o̵u̵g̵h̵o̵u̵t̵ I once heard that an artist never feels at peace. If that's true, then I have always been an artist.

I've had the hunger since my first breath. It was big, too big for Beau Marais. I had to feed it, so I ran away - like an old story I read about a man who came back from war a beast. Gnashing his teeth, he tore away from his house and was never seen again. Just like him, I couldn't tell you how or why I had to run, I just did it.

I'll never forget the look on my mother's face when I grabbed my suitcase and stormed off the front porch. I didn't understand why she didn't understand. "Watch yourself, baby," she said. "God don't like ugly, and you reap what you sow."

Back then, I thought it would be easy. I'd go far away and start over. But now I know you can never start over. The roots might hide in the soil, but they stretch for miles and miles. Once I found this truth, my art changed forever. I started layering my past into my work, looking at my life under a different lens. Then I finally

Celestine's Art

• 1/9, 1/12, and 2/6

Float Sketches

Page 1

• Option A: Guédé Royalty
  S̵h̵e̵'̵l̵l̵ ̵h̵a̵t̵e̵ ̵i̵t̵.̵ ̵W̵h̵y̵ ̵d̵o̵e̵s̵ ̵e̵v̵e̵r̵y̵t̵h̵i̵n̵g̵ ̵h̵a̵v̵e̵ ̵t̵o̵ ̵b̵e̵ ̵a̵n̵ ̵i̵s̵s̵u̵e̵ ̵w̵i̵t̵h̵ ̵h̵e̵r̵?̵ ̵C̵o̵n̵t̵r̵o̵l̵.̵ ̵I̵ ̵h̵a̵v̵e̵ ̵n̵o̵ ̵t̵i̵m̵e̵ ̵f̵o̵r̵ ̵m̵y̵ ̵a̵r̵t̵ ̵b̵e̵c̵a̵u̵s̵e̵ ̵s̵h̵e̵ ̵m̵a̵k̵e̵s̵ ̵e̵v̵e̵r̵y̵t̵h̵i̵n̵g̵ ̵f̵o̵r̵ ̵M̵K̵M̵L̵ ̵t̵a̵k̵e̵ ̵t̵w̵i̵c̵e̵ ̵a̵s̵ ̵l̵o̵n̵g̵.̵ ̵N̵e̵e̵d̵ ̵t̵o̵ ̵m̵a̵k̵e̵ ̵s̵p̵a̵c̵e̵ ̵f̵o̵r̵ ̵m̵y̵ ̵o̵w̵n̵ ̵w̵o̵r̵k̵ ̵o̵r̵ ̵I̵'̵l̵l̵ ̵n̵e̵v̵e̵r̵ ̵f̵i̵n̵i̵s̵h̵ ̵m̵y̵ ̵l̵a̵t̵e̵s̵t̵ ̵s̵u̵b̵j̵e̵c̵t̵.̵

Page 2

• Option B: Femme Fatale
  We Run the World
  Cleopatra, the last pharaoh of Egypt
  Sekhmet, Egyptian goddess of war
  Nzinga, Queen of Ndongo & Matamba that held off Portuguese slave traders
  Year XIV

Letter from Sylvia

• Don't forget to send me the password once you figure it out!

Sylvia's Video Update

Sylvia: Good "morning" or whenever you're watching this. It's my day off, and I thought I'd check in. Plus, my boss down at the shop says I need to practice doing video reels if I wanna get more clients, so... yeah. Sorry. I'm not used to staring at myself like this. Uh, so anyway, I'm at Celestine's studio, looking through all her things. And there's soooo much here... Yeah, I'm going to take a break. Let me give you a quick tour... And that's basically the tour. Um, I'm just stressing right now because I can't find her lease to this place, and I'm worried that her landlord is going to come in at any moment and just start tossing out all of her work. Would I be terrible for changing the locks? Is that legal?

Sylvia (cont'd): Back to the investigation, though: I haven't found much in the clue department so far, just... things hitting me in the feels. Like, she did some of these... two summers ago, I think? The Bywater was literally steaming, our AC was broken, and the three of us went down to Bayou St. John just to cool off, which folks said was a bad idea. But Cel just ignored them... jumped in, fearless. Always... fearless. Back home, Ines found all these links to all these articles about - and I'm not making this up - "flesh-eating bacteria" in the water. Ines and I started bugging out, convinced we were going to die these horrible deaths. But Cel got that far-off look in her eyes, jumped up, and started painting. Obviously, we were all spared from the flesh-eating bacteria. Welp, I think that's it. I've got to get back to... all this. Keep an eye out for a new package soon. Hope you're good.

Zee's Voicemail Audio Recording

Zee: Hey, this is Zee. If you're calling to get some footwork done, or you want to schedule time for a consultation, please leave your name and a brief message, and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. And if it's an emergency, you always know where to find me, cher.