Alice Quest - The Seven-Colored Puppeteer's Week v1.3

[Neovereign]

>"I might be able to provide a small, able security force for you."
>How many dolls can we reliably conjure at once, roughly?
>Can we set them to take orders from others?

> "How able?"
> It depends on how long you plan to keep them active. You'll have to fill the dolls with energy. You could have hundreds of dolls for short bursts of combined attacks and coordination, but something like a squadron of 20 for an entire day would be more exhausting.
> Yes, you can have your dolls take orders from others.
>_

[Hello Purvis]

>"Good enough to fend off all but the worst faeries, and able to sound an alarm if something worse comes."
>Are they smart enough to be given a series of orders that would make them effective doorkeepers, in the sense of identifying people who can and cannot enter? Failing that, can they be set to get help when guests come?
>How many dolls do we feel we can sustain for half a day?
>Just how much money is 10,000 yen, in terms of what it can buy around Gensokyo on average.

[Neovereign]

>"Good enough to fend off all but the worst faeries, and able to sound an alarm if something worse comes."
>Are they smart enough to be given a series of orders that would make them effective doorkeepers, in the sense of identifying people who can and cannot enter? Failing that, can they be set to get help when guests come?
>How many dolls do we feel we can sustain for half a day?
>Just how much money is 10,000 yen, in terms of what it can buy around Gensokyo on average.

> "An alarm won't do much if there's no one to answer to it."
> No.
> Yes.
> A lot. Well, while it will sustain you for a while, it's not truly a lot.
>_

[Hello Purvis]

>What is the Gensokyo equivalent of 100 US dollars?
>"Oh, do Sakuya and Patchouli not help with defense anymore? Anyways, I can offer you...let's say 15 dolls. They're capable of opening fire on intruders, or fetching someone to be checked for entry credentials. Position them all at the gates, or at key points along the wall as you like, I can calibrate them to listen to your instructions. Once in place, you can forget them as long as they don't need to fetch someone to deal with a guest. How does that sound? And I can do this for the bargain price of <Gensokyo equivalent of 300 dollars> for a half day."

[Neovereign]

>How many dolls do we feel we can sustain for half a day?

> You believe you could sustain 50 at most. However, your magic isn't full, so that is definitely not your current capability.

>What is the Gensokyo equivalent of 100 US dollars?
>"Oh, do Sakuya and Patchouli not help with defense anymore? Anyways, I can offer you...let's say 15 dolls. They're capable of opening fire on intruders, or fetching someone to be checked for entry credentials. Position them all at the gates, or at key points along the wall as you like, I can calibrate them to listen to your instructions. Once in place, you can forget them as long as they don't need to fetch someone to deal with a guest. How does that sound? And I can do this for the bargain price of <Gensokyo equivalent of 300 dollars> for a half day."

> That could get you 20 butterfly dream pills! As the Tower of Babel hasn't made it to Gensokyo, you're forced to speak and deal in economics with $Dollars$ and the related language...
> So you'd just have $100. But at least 10 pills would be worth it...
> "So you're offering something slightly better than regular fairies, but in a significantly lower count..."
>_

[Hello Purvis]

>"I'd wager on them against just about any faerie or minor youkai. What I am offering you are mercenaries who are perfectly loyal and reasonably able, In addition to the forces you already possess. For a bargain price; I could easily charge $thousands of dollars$ for this service. But I am offering you a steep discount out of respect."

[Neovereign]

>"I'd wager on them against just about any faerie or minor youkai. What I am offering you are mercenaries who are perfectly loyal and reasonably able, In addition to the forces you already possess. For a bargain price; I could easily charge $thousands of dollars$ for this service. But I am offering you a steep discount out of respect."

> "I decline."
> "Milady, if I may?" Sakuya speaks up.
> "Hmph. Go on." The girl says.
> "How are their combined efforts as a group in cooperation, if you could describe them?"
>_

[Hello Purvis]

>"Reasonably good. They won't fire on each other, they focus on targets, and are smart enough to throw up a little flak each, so when working as a unit they compliment each other well. I'd say they can easy handle twice their number of faeries from that alone."

[Neovereign]

>"Reasonably good. They won't fire on each other, they focus on targets, and are smart enough to throw up a little flak each, so when working as a unit they compliment each other well. I'd say they can easy handle twice their number of faeries from that alone."

> "Make it free and I'll consider it."
>_

[Hello Purvis]

>"I'm afraid that's not possible. If I give it to you for free, I would be obligated to give it to Eientei for free, or the Kobito, or anyone else who asks. Not to mention, it does draw out of my own pool of power to do this, and impairs me for the rest of the day. Given I'm handing you a small labor force for the cost of about one laborer, my price is an excellent deal. But...I'll give you half a day for $250$, alright?"

[Neovereign]

>"I'm afraid that's not possible. If I give it to you for free, I would be obligated to give it to Eientei for free, or the Kobito, or anyone else who asks. Not to mention, it does draw out of my own pool of power to do this, and impairs me for the rest of the day. Given I'm handing you a small labor force for the cost of about one laborer, my price is an excellent deal. But...I'll give you half a day for $250$, alright?"

> "You're asking to have my gatekeeper temporarily in exchange for a lesser force as a replacement. Not just this, but you want me to pay you? If anything, we should be the ones receiving money from this exchange."
> "Milady, if I may again?"
> The girl sighs. "Yes..."
> "As she claimed earlier, she and Meiling have plans." Sakuya starts. "Letting Meiling leave for an excursion away of work, especially given we're offered a group of 15 to stand in for her, would be for the better on her side. Would you, perhaps, reconsider?"
> "We're not offered them for free... We'd be buying their services."
> "Even so, for Meiling, milady?"
>_

[Hello Purvis]

>"Moreover, I'm not trading for Meiling. I'm simply offering to fill a void in your defenses for a reasonable price."
>After all, Meiling isn't hers to trade. But we'll not say that.

[Neovereign]

>"Moreover, I'm not trading for Meiling. I'm simply offering to fill a void in your defenses for a reasonable price."
>After all, Meiling isn't hers to trade. But we'll not say that.

> The mistress thinks...
> "Have your time Meiling." She says. "However, we're not buying your dolls."
>_

[Hello Purvis]

>Nod. "As you like. Thank you very much. When will she be free?"
>Good, we didn't want to exploit the poor dears for lucre, anyways.

[Neovereign]

>Nod. "As you like. Thank you very much. When will she be free?"
>Good, we didn't want to exploit the poor dears for lucre, anyways.

> "From now until the next morning." The girl turns. "Come Sakuya."
> "Yes milady." The head maid accompanies the mistress back towards the mansion.
>_

[Hello Purvis]

>Judging from the sun, what is the current time? We did spent awhile working with Meiling...
>Look back toward her and grin. "Well then. Wanna do anything before we head out? Or do you need a bit to get ready, maybe?"

[Neovereign]

>Judging from the sun, what is the current time? We did spent awhile working with Meiling...
>Look back toward her and grin. "Well then. Wanna do anything before we head out? Or do you need a bit to get ready, maybe?"

> It's high up, but still going down. There's still a lot of day left.
> "We've already spent enough time having you wait. Sorry about that."
>_

[Hello Purvis]

>"Oh pish. I didn't have anything important lined up. And, um, I kinda want to take care of a couple things myself before we go, so...um...you have time, haha."
>Sheepish grin.
>"Sorry, I didn't think Remilia would just let you go like that."

[Neovereign]

>"Oh pish. I didn't have anything important lined up. And, um, I kinda want to take care of a couple things myself before we go, so...um...you have time, haha."
>Sheepish grin.
>"Sorry, I didn't think Remilia would just let you go like that."

> "Neither did I. I'll take some time to make sure my belongings are secure then, if you don't mind." Meiling says.
>_

[Hello Purvis]

>Nod.
>"In case this runs long, um, lemme give you some homework. Maybe try to figure out if you can use your ki to size up clothing and such as well?"

[Neovereign]

>Nod.
>"In case this runs long, um, lemme give you some homework. Maybe try to figure out if you can use your ki to size up clothing and such as well?"

> "I'll try. I can't guarantee I'll be able to do it though..."
>_

[Hello Purvis]

>Nod. "I know. But it would be useful if you can find out. I'll try not to take too long!"
>Which is closer, the doll we left behind in the mushroom gardens, or Marisa's house. Take the goddesses in hand and head to the nearer of the two.

[Neovereign]

>Nod. "I know. But it would be useful if you can find out. I'll try not to take too long!"
>Which is closer, the doll we left behind in the mushroom gardens, or Marisa's house. Take the goddesses in hand and head to the nearer of the two.

> The doll.
> You grab the sleeping sisters carefully and head back...
> It's been some time since you left the doll... It's likely out of energy.
>_

[Hello Purvis]

>Can we re-energize it, or does it just vanish?
>If there's nothing for it, just head to Marisa's place.

[Neovereign]

>Can we re-energize it, or does it just vanish?
>If there's nothing for it, just head to Marisa's place.

> You could re-energize it if you locate it again, which, unless someone moved it, would be easy.
>_

[Hello Purvis]

>Let's go find it, we did make a mental note of where it was.

[Neovereign]

>Let's go find it, we did make a mental note of where it was.

> You search for the doll...
> Eventually locating it after not too long. It's on the ground, out...
>_

[Hello Purvis]

>Recharge her, then follow her.

[Neovereign]

>Recharge her, then follow her.

> You send energy into the doll.
> The doll floats back up, and you follow it to where the mushroom should be.
> The doll stops, however, you don't find any mushrooms around.
>_

[Hello Purvis]

>Look around, can we see any signs of mushrooms that may have been picked?