Roses and Byzantium ~Introduction~

「 The choice is already in your hands…… 」

Roses and Byzantium ~Dear Schrodinger’s Pyxis~ (玫瑰与拜占庭・méiguī yǔ bàizhàntíng) is a free historical otome game produced by a group of creators on Weibo, and is slated for a release for PC/mobile in early 2017. Art is by Weibo user nickel拟科.

Rather than just romance, the game also heavily features themes like politics, mystery, and violence. Set in London, the story is told from the perspective of 2 different heroines (each with 4 to 6 routes) and involves some mystery/puzzle-solving elements. Players have the option of ‘becoming the murderer,’ and some choices will allow players to choose for the heroine to lie instead of tell the truth.

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~ STORY ~

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July 28, 1914. Two years after her death, the will of an author was revealed at a banquet — claiming that hidden among the guests at the banquet, was a murderer.

‘One of you here is the murderer. No one is allowed to leave until this mystery is solved.’

Each hiding their own secrets, the guests began to point fingers at one another.

What they constructed together, during the Golden Age of Europe, was a crumbling Tower of Babel; and at the base of its stones, the flames of World War I begin to burn.

In the midst of finding love and understanding the pain of bloodshed, you realise that everything you’ve ever known, is a lie. Even so, will you listen? Will you learn to understand? Will you accept it all?

The person hidden within the deep dark abyss of everyone’s hearts……who is it?
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(click to view cgs in full size!!)

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~ CHARACTERS ~

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– HEROINES –
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Cecilia Berkeley (塞西莉亚・伯克莱)
28.09.1895 / 18 / British

Every detective has once planned the perfect murder — and every murderer is secretly hoping that someone will see through their crime.

Granddaughter of Baron Campbell, her father is the chief governor of Ireland, Marquess Albert Berkeley. The person she respects the most is her brother, Victor Berkeley. She feels a strong sense of pride and responsibility for her family. She harbours deep sense of guilt due to a certain incident, and as a result she is very hard on herself and the way she acts.

Cecilia enjoys reading mystery and gothic horror novels. As her mother was researched alpine plants when she was still alive, she also has a strong interest in plants. Her dream is to become a naturalist and collect specimen for research in the Amazon rainforest. She also wishes to discover the legendary multi-coloured butterfly; once she does, she plans to name it in memory of her mother.

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Vennique Dimsdale (薇妮卡・丁斯代尔)
04.08.1892 / 21 / American

Tired of always looking for the truth? Why not try becoming the culprit this time.

Daughter of author Rebecca Dimsdale and a renowned scholar. Her family fell into a financial crisis after her father passed away. Once her mother passed away in the year 1912, Vennique was responsible for publishing her final work, ‘Roses and Byzantium’. It seems that she herself also desires to take after her mother’s career and become an author.

She is a very firm, loyal person, who believes that if you owe someone, the favour must be returned, and seeks absolute commitment and trust from those around her. As a young girl, she lived under extremely harsh conditions and experienced severe physical abuse; because of the fear she harbours for this life she used to live, when she feels threatened, she will instinctively do whatever it takes to protect herself and fight back.

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– MAIN CHARACTERS –
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Kars Biasley (卡尔斯・比亚斯莱)
11.01.1892 / 22 / Austro-Hungarian [ i was confused about how i should translate some of the other names too but this one is just..hes not even of an english-speaking descent im so sorry if i completely butchered his name wwww ]

I’ve never had anything. So what is it that you want me to give to you?

Born and raised in the outskirts of Vienna, his mother Clara was a devoted anarchist who was a well-known speaker on feminism. In the year 1904, she was jailed for instigating multiple protests. His father, Italo, was a very politically radical artist — despite being utterly penniless, he devoted his whole life to making art, but never ended up making a name for himself. Under his mother’s influence, he is very familiar with (illegal) drugs, with many of his actions bordering on being against the law.

He acts in his own interest without a care for others; similarly, when he loves a person, he is also very selfish. He treats all those he loves as if they are a part of himself, and can become very overprotective around them. He easily comes to dislike those who cause trouble for him. Despite this, he always puts on the facade that he is always at ease and having fun. He quite likes cats, but has severe allergies to cat fur. He is, somewhat unsurprisingly, a very good cook.

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Lockheed Berkeley (洛克希德・伯克莱)
30.11.1875 / 38 / British [ 38!!?!??! he looks 20 lmao ]

Today will be the final day of this old world.

The son of Countess Silvia Rosefield and the 5th Marquess of Berkeley. As his father already has a child from his first marriage, Lockheed is not in line to become the next Marquess. However, he has inherited cunning statesmanship from his mother, as well as the political power of his family. In the year 1903, he married Dorothy Trada, the daughter of a wealthy family in Chicago, despite not knowing her for long. With the financial support of the Trada family, he rose to the top of the business and political world. Dorothy passed away 2 years after their marriage.

He is a fickle-minded person, and will often mock his older brothers for their foolish patriotism. He also often insults his own parents’ marriage, claiming that ‘a marriage made out of love is the worst type of marriage of them all.’ He loves to spoil those that he likes.

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Victor Berkeley (维克托・伯克莱)
26.07.1892 / 22 / British [ ofc we have oniichan route w ]

Humanity is hopelessly deficient.

Son of the Constance Campbell, Baron Campbell’s oldest daughter, and the chief governor of Ireland, Marquess Albert Berkeley. Cecilia’s older brother. A stern man of few words who rarely smiles, he believes that humans are hopelessly being punished for their sins.

A member of the Conservative Party who believes that he has a duty towards his own country and people. He thinks that democracy will only lead to regression and that the general public is full of fools. [ same lmao ] He is a very rational and calm person, with a strong sense of willpower. After his mother passed away, he was sent by his father to study in the Navy for 3 years. He sometimes tell his younger sister stories of events that took place there when she cannot sleep at night.

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Zelon Jerte (泽洛・赫尔特)
20.02.1893 / 21 / British  [ another name i rly rly don’t understand lolol ]

You might not believe me when I say this, but I truly exist just for you.

Born into a family based in the military, once his father passed away in war, he was taken in by his uncle, French Jerte [ ??? THESE NAMES ]. His uncle, a renowned diamond trader, gained his standing in the market through sacrifice and perseverance. His aunt and foster mother McDonnel [ ??????? i give up ] is a very gentle, generous woman. Under these two influences, he has become a somewhat impatient but very gentle person. He always carries his silver dagger with him.

As their parents were friends, Zelon has been friends with Cecilia since they were young; as children, he would constantly propose to her, only to be rejected again and again. He is positive and cheerful to the point where he may be called an idealist, and loves to joke — whenever he senses tension, he just can’t help but say something to break the ice.

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Ernest Sigmund (欧内斯特・西格蒙德)
03.03.1885 / 29 / Austro-Hungarian

However, a true Golden Age most definitely took existed.

A young doctor who came to England after suffering political repression due to his family in his own country. Employed as an assistant psychiatrist, he is researching the effects of using a vocabulary association test on criminals. He received financial support from Constance Berkeley (née Campbell), and began to work in the research firm she built, looking into the therapeutic uses of alkaloids.

He appears to be indifferent to most things, and has a very calm, gentle personality that is fazed by nothing. While he shows no care for himself, he finds it hards to leave others alone, feeling that it is his responsibility to help.

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Bertram Villars (伯特伦・维拉尔)
07.06.1891 / 22 / French

When others speak of God, I can’t help but think of chains and shackles.

Son of renowned soprano singer, Amandina. Under his mother’s influence, he learned to play a vast variety of instruments. He has a very bright personality, and is both cheerful and honest. He is very much a ‘fairytale prince’-like character, and has known the Berkeley siblings since they were young.

Deep down, he would prefer not to socialise much with others. To make things less troublesome, he always tries to see the positive side of everyone’s actions. Though he always knows what is going on, to avoid confrontation, he often feigns ignorance. He loves to be in sunlight. When he doesn’t know how to face Veronica and her hot-tempered personality, he calls her ‘Milady.’ [ this is definitely the right way to calm a true lady down wwwww ]

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Moore Scarlett (穆尔・斯卡雷特)
22.01.1895 / 19 / German

I neither agree with — nor will I tolerate — your opinion that people only succeed if they are on their own.

A young man whose natural instincts are made up of maths and logic, he entered university at age 15 and became his father’s student. When the research he carried out with this father became credited with only his father’s name, he moved out of his house to live on his own in a fit of anger. [ LOL THIS GUY ] A genius, he believes that there is no need for him to respect the foolish, trivial thoughts of others.

He is a big eater, talks a lot, and is always curious about everything around him. Beyond the realm of mathematics, he has no care for what is right or wrong, and doesn’t feel the need to care. In the year 1910, his mother committed suicide by shooting herself; from then on, he has been searching for the reason why his mother decided to kill herself, and met Cecilia during his investigation.

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Kunoki Ritsu (久野木 律)
22.01.1895 / 19 / Japanese [ hes my fav!!!! so cute;v;; ]

Even so, I think that you’re a very gentle, kind person.

A shy Japanese young man who finds it difficult to communicate with others, he can often be found playing chess on his own. While he has a very gentle personality, he is drastically terrible at drawing. As he is not good with words, Ritsu always tries to a smile on his face in order not to cause inconvenience for others, but he occasionally reveals a somewhat tired expression. His family has a long history of doing foreign trade in Nagasaki — as the next head of his family, and having been provided support by the Japanese government, Ritsu has come to England to receive education in the West.

‘But I’ve seen many different types of people. Some like to be with people similar to themselves. Some are attracted to those who possess what they themselves do not have……. In the same way opposites attract……I fell in love with her.’

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Rebecca Dimsdale (吕蓓卡・丁斯代尔)
24.12.1869 / 44 / American

Every story you’ve ever heard is a lie, to some extent.

Vennique’s mother, and a detective fiction writer. Her detective novels contain hints in which red words symbolise ‘truth’ while grey words symbolise ‘lies.’ She enjoys passing time with interesting conversations, and supports social progressivism. She is friends with quite a few female politicians, and is very supportive of the active way these friends fight for women’s rights. She is talkative and humorous, and is very observant; however, she also has a very strong sense of pride, and can be quite easily offended.

At the request of soprano singer Amandina, she writes the singer’s biographical novel, ‘Roses and Byzantium.’ In July of the year 1912, she commits suicide, leaving the novel unfinished — and leaving behind a peculiar puzzle in her will.

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Clémence Laurent (克莱曼斯・洛朗)
01.04.1887 / 27 / American [ 美人さんだあああああ ]

I simply want to give you some happiness, even if it lasts for nothing more than a second — but what should I do?

The daughter born from a short marriage between an actress and an American railway tycoon. At university, she established a publication which focused on exposing corrupted politicians — however, it immediately received criticism from many important figures, and was eventually stopped. After her father passed away [ man no one in this game has a full set of parents ], a conflict between her biological and foster mother began as they fought over the inheritance Clémence received. Unable to take the countless scandals and lawsuits, she decided to leave America and is now in London.

Her grandfather was a refugee who escaped Ireland during the Great Famine, and firmly believes in the country’s promises of freedom and equality. Clémence herself is a big fan of horse racing.

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Amandina Lopez (阿芒迪娜・洛佩兹)
30.05.1868 / 46 / French

Listen to me: you will, inevitably, be changed by the things you love. To the point where it brings you shame.
[ its true i am ashamed by how much im in love with usui masumi ]

A renowned French soprano singer, who is also called the ’Queen of May.’ Born into a noble family, she received attention for the way in which she captivates her audience, and her three-octave vocal range. However, at the peak of her singing career, when her spouse passed away, she began to suffer from depression, and stopped performing.

Amandina has a very innocent but passionate personality, especially when it comes to love. However, this is precisely what eventually leads her to pay the most painful price an artist must pay — to abandon the art itself. In the year 1910, she plans to make a comeback on stage and perform a famous work, ‘Roses and Byzantium.’ However, this plan of hers is never executed, as the opera house she is meant to perform in burns down in a fire accident, and she passes away from an illness soon after.

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Kunoki Yuzuha (久野木 柚叶)
22.01.1895 / 19 / Japanese

Though we may turn our backs to one another now, this secret of ours will surely bring us together one day.

A young girl from Japan who was inspired by the theme of ‘unrequited love.’ She is Ritsu’s older sister — their relationship, however, was somewhat severed when Yuzuha ran away from home. Due to certain circumstances, she is currently staying with Moore. As he  is a big eater, Yuzuha has now become a skilled chef.

Unused to being in a foreign country, she is very cautious and always appears to be afraid of something. She is also extremely shy, and often has no confidence in herself. Because of this, receiving even the smallest compliments makes her very happy. She is often willing to sacrifice herself for the sake of stopping conflicts from breaking out. She greatly enjoys doing housework.

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~ THOUGHTS ~

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introducing something different today!!!! since it’s a chinese game I figured a lot of people probably don’t know about this, but it looks really good so I wanted to publicise it///// I’ve been following this project for quite a while now so I’m really happy to see that a lot more official info has been released recently!!!;v;;; the artist’s art is so nice it makes me want to cry……ww

it’s so rare to see an otome game that’s so involved with like mystery/politics at once, (especially one that’s free w) so I’m really looking forward to trying this!!!^-^ though honestly I’m not too good with politics in the first place so I’m not sure how well I’ll fare when it’s all in chinese ahah…….( ´ ▽ ` ) lol speaking of chinese; translating all these character profiles made me realise I’ve really become a lot more used to reading japanese compared to chinese……..(seriously I learned at least like 50 new words translating this rip) I’d like to apologise to my chinese ancestors wwwwww

but yeah I’m really excited for this game to be released!!!! the creators worked really hard on this (they apparently read over 40 books for reference www) and though I have no idea how many people can read chinese I hope this post helps the project gain a few more fans!!!!\o/