Iku Quest Sedem: A Z-Machine Adventure

[Hello Purvis]

>"I mention them because I think it might be valuable to speak with one of them. They doubtless have more insight into some of these matters than either of us. I cannot truly know what it is like to exist, as a poltergeist, and they have all lived many, many times longer than you. They could know something important."

>"Perhaps, but I would prefer to handle things myself," she says.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"All things being equal, I'm sure you would, but consulting with someone else who may already know something offers the chance of both a better solution and a more expedient one. That last point is non-trivial, given that whatever you're experiencing may grow worse as time goes on. I'm sure you'd rather find a solution as quickly as possible, would you not?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"All things being equal, I'm sure you would, but consulting with someone else who may already know something offers the chance of both a better solution and a more expedient one. That last point is non-trivial, given that whatever you're experiencing may grow worse as time goes on. I'm sure you'd rather find a solution as quickly as possible, would you not?"

>"I'd rather not expose myself any more than I already have," she says in a low and clearly unhappy tone.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"I realize this, and I certainly do not suggest it for its own sake. Simply that the potential benefit might be worth the negatives, given the importance of the matter in question."

[Hello Purvis]

>"I realize this, and I certainly do not suggest it for its own sake. Simply that the potential benefit might be worth the negatives, given the importance of the matter in question."

>"No, it isn't," she says. "I'll deal with it."

>_

[Solais]

Just throw it out here: maybe she could let us go speak with the Prismrivers if we assure her that we return? Like something that would force us to return. A sacrifice, like a piece of our shadow, or something like that.

[Kilgamayan]

> "Then what if I go and ask them in your stead?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "Then what if I go and ask them in your stead?"

>"That's even worse," she says. "Then you're exposing me!"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Of course we don't have to do that. I can ask them about their early life experiences without ever mentioning you. You don't even have to present yourself to them, you can hide and watch somewhere nearby, to make sure I don't ask any questions you do not want me asking."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Of course we don't have to do that. I can ask them about their early life experiences without ever mentioning you. You don't even have to present yourself to them, you can hide and watch somewhere nearby, to make sure I don't ask any questions you do not want me asking."

>"I have other things to do, as I said," she says. "I don't have time to watch over you, haven't you been listening?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Then you don't have to stick around with me. We can designate a later meeting point."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Then you don't have to stick around with me. We can designate a later meeting point."

>"And you'll come back?" she says. "I want your word."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "The life essence of my home is now keeping you alive. It is not an issue of what I want to do. I need to return to you, for both your sake and my home's. You have my word that I will do everything in my power to return to you after I have finished gathering the information we seek."

[Hello Purvis]

> "The life essence of my home is now keeping you alive. It is not an issue of what I want to do. I need to return to you, for both your sake and my home's. You have my word that I will do everything in my power to return to you after I have finished gathering the information we seek."

>"Fine," she says. "We'll meet...a little north of the house with all the junk around it. There is a large rock. I'll wait there."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Nod.
> "Understood. But there are two things I must tell you before we depart, then. They shouldn't take long, but I feel you should know before you decide to let me go."

[Hello Purvis]

> Nod.
> "Understood. But there are two things I must tell you before we depart, then. They shouldn't take long, but I feel you should know before you decide to let me go."

>"What?" she says. She tightens her grip a little, sending more of a chill through you.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Sigh with a small grimace.
> "The first is that I also wish to make a trip to the mountain goddesses again. Not to talk about you, but to gather information about shadows in general. The larger one seems to know of them; I am hoping she will have more of an idea of the details of how they work. I can also ask her where the Prismrivers live, as I have only a faint idea of where they are, and she is capable of detecting people through the wind. It is a very good bet she knows exactly where they are, which will make my journey to their residence all the faster. Both she and the Tengu Lord know I am searching for a solution to my home's mysterious problem; the tengu patrols will not slow me down."

[Hello Purvis]

> Sigh with a small grimace.
> "The first is that I also wish to make a trip to the mountain goddesses again. Not to talk about you, but to gather information about shadows in general. The larger one seems to know of them; I am hoping she will have more of an idea of the details of how they work. I can also ask her where the Prismrivers live, as I have only a faint idea of where they are, and she is capable of detecting people through the wind. It is a very good bet she knows exactly where they are, which will make my journey to their residence all the faster. Both she and the Tengu Lord know I am searching for a solution to my home's mysterious problem; the tengu patrols will not slow me down."

>"Fine," she says."You know what will happen to those you expose me to."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "I do. Are there any specific questions you would like me to ask her?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "I do. Are there any specific questions you would like me to ask her?"

>She shakes her head.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Okay. And while we're on the subject of non-exposure and that mountain, I should warn you to stay away from it unless absolutely necessary. The tengu are currently searching for an escaped convict, and one of their patrols found a strand from what I'm 99% sure is your coat in a cave this morning while searching. Their patrol efforts are greater than normal merely because of that escaped convict, and they are none too pleased with knowing that someone made it up the mountain undetected. I imagine it will be much harder to scale the mountain undetected a second time."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Okay. And while we're on the subject of non-exposure and that mountain, I should warn you to stay away from it unless absolutely necessary. The tengu are currently searching for an escaped convict, and one of their patrols found a strand from what I'm 99% sure is your coat in a cave this morning while searching. Their patrol efforts are greater than normal merely because of that escaped convict, and they are none too pleased with knowing that someone made it up the mountain undetected. I imagine it will be much harder to scale the mountain undetected a second time."

>"I have no intention of ever going back there without a very strong need," says the poltergeist, "I assure you of that."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Nod.
> "Good."
> "The second thing is in relation to the meeting place you have decided; specifically, the resident of the house you mentioned. You were referring to the house in the forest, correct?"

[Hello Purvis]

> Nod.
> "Good."
> "The second thing is in relation to the meeting place you have decided; specifically, the resident of the house you mentioned. You were referring to the house in the forest, correct?"

>"Yes, the one with all the junk around it," she says."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Right. That house belongs to one of Gensokyo's incident solvers. Due to a mixture of unfortunate circumstances, lies from others forced by her needless brutality, and her own pre-conceived biases and simple nature, she believes that I am responsible for Bhava-Agra's current state. Myself, and anyone I even remotely associate with. If she sees you by yourself, she will likely think nothing of you and either ignore you or wander off to do something else, but if she sees me with you, I cannot guarantee the safety of either of us."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Right. That house belongs to one of Gensokyo's incident solvers. Due to a mixture of unfortunate circumstances, lies from others forced by her needless brutality, and her own pre-conceived biases and simple nature, she believes that I am responsible for Bhava-Agra's current state. Myself, and anyone I even remotely associate with. If she sees you by yourself, she will likely think nothing of you and either ignore you or wander off to do something else, but if she sees me with you, I cannot guarantee the safety of either of us."

>"I thought a white-haired man lived there," says the poltergeist, frowning.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Oh. OH! That house. Okay, yes, that will be safer for both of us than the house I was thinking of. Apologies, there are multiple houses in the forest with junk outside them, and the rock whose shadow you possess is near her house. Okay then."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Oh. OH! That house. Okay, yes, that will be safer for both of us than the house I was thinking of. Apologies, there are multiple houses in the forest with junk outside them, and the rock whose shadow you possess is near her house. Okay then."

>"Don't make me regret this," she says, as she draws her her other hand back, and the chilling sensation vanishes entirely. It's almost shocking to be warm again.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> In which direction did we last see Tenshi?
> Nod.
> "I will do my very best not to fail you, Shuuei."

[Hello Purvis]

> In which direction did we last see Tenshi?
> Nod.
> "I will do my very best not to fail you, Shuuei."

>She went northward.
>The poltergeist looks at you oddly. "...What?"

>_