Hatate Quest Nelja

[Oldmansour]

>"They got unsealed about a month, month and a half ago. The whole Night of Rage thing, remember that?"

>"No, I, I don't. I don't remember any incident with that title."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Hmm, musta gone missing before that. It was a real problem, but that's a different story."
>"Anyways, the guy who's living it up in Scarlet Devil Mansion? I am pretty sure that's our thief. Assuming it wasn't Marisa, mind."

[Oldmansour]

>"Hmm, musta gone missing before that. It was a real problem, but that's a different story."
>"Anyways, the guy who's living it up in Scarlet Devil Mansion? I am pretty sure that's our thief. Assuming it wasn't Marisa, mind."

>"Maybe she didn't." says Aya. "Remember, I'd forgotten about the Night of Rage, too, until you snapped me out of this world's illusion. It didn't happen in this timeline, but it did in ours."
>"The... guy? Oh, you refer to Greed?" Ran asks you, visibly collecting herself.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Good point, Aya."
>"Yeah, Greed. They kept him prisoner in the Cobalt Keep, sort of. Restrained, might be the better word? I dunno. Either way, he got loose, and I'm pretty sure he stole the book."

[Oldmansour]

>"Good point, Aya."
>"Yeah, Greed. They kept him prisoner in the Cobalt Keep, sort of. Restrained, might be the better word? I dunno. Either way, he got loose, and I'm pretty sure he stole the book."

>Ran considers that for a moment. "Are you saying that something from the Keep got loose, and is out in the world?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Yeah, but you gotta remember, the keep here is wrong and fake. I'm talking about the real one back home, which is pretty much just a kinda rowdier Scarlet Devil Mansion with some nice people."

[Oldmansour]

>"Yeah, but you gotta remember, the keep here is wrong and fake. I'm talking about the real one back home, which is pretty much just a kinda rowdier Scarlet Devil Mansion with some nice people."

>"Precious little about the Keep is positive in nature, including its residents. It was trouble when it arrived in Gensokyo, and it still is."

[Hello Purvis]

>"See, that's because you're thinking of the fake one. The real one is just fine. I mean, you didn't even bat an eye when I mentioned I had someone here with me from it a minute ago, it wasn't until you started thinking about it and this place's lies started getting to you in that regard that you got worried."

[Branneg Xy]

>Wait for the comeback.After:"The name'd be Celes the Stewardess by the new Vampire Chief; loc is Gensokyo's pacifiic Cobalt Keep and is the most focused,experienced and reliable on these matters to the extent she is able to mostly investigate on her own ".
>Recall the direction and point to her;"Might even catch her with the Tengu-Sight of Momiji".
>Mind memo:"I must keep in mind to relay this one to Momij!"
>Continue not losing a beat: "Not to say we are goin' sidetrack but ,according to her and what have we gathered,this supposedly-wish-granting artifact IS a "Unique crafty mystic trap"  by the original founder of all the evilness from the Real Cobalt Keep before being banished with a sacrificice; hope to be helping  your memory gears,Ran".
>"On track an' on guard: the spat and settlement with Ran the 2nd, Aya,the others,inklings and cover-ups,....Our priority is back in the Real Gensokyo...with some useful discovieries and breakthrough ,as longnot holding us back ... aaaand some Reporting!"

[Oldmansour]

>"See, that's because you're thinking of the fake one. The real one is just fine. I mean, you didn't even bat an eye when I mentioned I had someone here with me from it a minute ago, it wasn't until you started thinking about it and this place's lies started getting to you in that regard that you got worried."

>"A.. momentary lapse in memory."
>"Since when does your memory lapse?" Aya counters.
>"I am not infallible." Ran retorts, though she doesn't sound entirely convinced of herself.

>Wait for the comeback.After:"The name'd be Celes; loc is Gensokyo's pacified Cobalt Keep and is the most focused,experienced and reliable on these matters to the extent she is able to partly investigate on her own and is unable to be imitated".
>Recall,point to the direction of the Stewardess;"Might even catch her glimpse or passage with Tengu-Sight".
>Mind memo."I must keep in mind to relay this one to Momij!"
>Continue not losing a beat"Not to say we are goin' sidetrack but ,according to her and our researches,this wish-granting-for-entrapment mystic artifact of a book IS a crafty creation by the former founder of all the evilness spinning from the Real Cobalt Keep; hop' it rings bells".
>"On track an' on guard: the spat and settlement with Ran the 2nd,back-with-us usual Aya,the others,inklings,....All nine to settle back out of here while sort of ..."Reporting"

>"Celes..." Ran says the name like it means something to her. "Celes... I remember a... a woman who rode a dragon..."

[Hello Purvis]

>"She rides all kinds of things, yeah. It's what she does."

[Oldmansour]

>"She rides all kinds of things, yeah. It's what she does."

>Ran massages the bridge of her nose, the universal sign of a threatening headache. "But that doesn't make sense. That woman can't be from the Cobalt Keep, that place is, is dark, it's been a blight upon Gensokyo since it came here. Nothing but problems, then and now."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Like I said, she's from the real one. Not the fakey one here."

[Oldmansour]

>"Like I said, she's from the real one. Not the fakey one here."

>"I may be experiencing some mental lapses, but that location is not one of them, I assure you. If this Celes woman of yours claims to be from there, ask her about the trouble it's caused."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well they couldn't have caused any trouble recently, since they've been asleep for about a century or so? Only woke up last month. But yeah, the old ruler caused problems. He's gone now."

[Oldmansour]

>"Well they couldn't have caused any trouble recently, since they've been asleep for about a century or so? Only woke up last month. But yeah, the old ruler caused problems. He's gone now."

>"Last month is not recently?" she asks curoiusly.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Eh, they get the Night of Rage as a freebie. It wasn't even really their fault. Besides, I thought you said you didn't remember that happening?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Eh, they get the Night of Rage as a freebie. It wasn't even really their fault. Besides, I thought you said you didn't remember that happening?"

>"I do not."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Anyways, they're good folks. Nothing like whatever's happening with the fake one here."

[Oldmansour]

>"Anyways, they're good folks. Nothing like whatever's happening with the fake one here."

>"You haven't been near that one, have you?" Ran asks, concerned.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Not yet, no. Why, in particular? Obviously its bad news."

[Oldmansour]

>"Not yet, no. Why, in particular? Obviously its bad news."

>"For your safety. You would never be able to go back to your world if you went there. And least, not whole, as you are now."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Tell us what you know."

[Oldmansour]

>"Tell us what you know."

>Ran takes a moment to collect her thoughts. "Not a great deal is known for certain- Oh, wait. Since you know of two versions of the Keep, which one were you asking about?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"The one here."

[Oldmansour]

>"The one here."

>Ran nods. "Truth to tell, no one really knows all that much about the Keep for certain. Even Yukari-sama won't talk about it, not even with me. It first appeared in Gensokyo around two centuries ago, at a time when there were a large number of powerful vampires fighting for territories here. The Keep's appearance ironically did some good in stopping that, actually, as three of the most violent vampires sent their minions there to investigate the place, believing a new player had arrived in their battles, and then went themselves when those people did not return. The vampires did not return, either. In fact, to the best of my knowledge, only two people have ever returned from that place. One was an Oni who went there seeking a challenge. He returned with his arms missing, his eyes missing, his horn broken off, and hopelessly insane. Not long after that, the then-current Hakurei Shrine Maiden went to the Keep. She actually made it back largely intact, but whatever she experienced there turned her hair from black to white. She refused to speak of what she saw with anyone. She ordered the place be considered off-limits to everyone, human and non-human alike, that the Keep should be left alone for the rest of time. The humans became afraid of anything that could scare the Hakurei that badly, and any Youkai who remained curious about the place respected the Hakurei's ban on it, for their own safety as that band was enforced by both teh Hakurei and Yukari-sama."

[Hello Purvis]

>"And the other one?"

[Oldmansour]

>"And the other one?"

>"The other version of the Keep? That seems to be your area of expertise, not mine."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Just sounded like I stirred a memory, earlier. So. You said you had some storied to tell about your double and you two not getting along when you first came?"

[Branneg Xy]

>"l am having a hunch  that we can make the scoop of us being free birds in the Real Gensokyo , maybe-maybe  with a few valuable experiences from here depending on some details about the "Hopelessly mad oni" and most of all the" former Hakurei Maiden" ;better yet details putting together  Yukari of that time and Dopple-Ran..."
>"A reporter guess
...Yukari  kept dodging a delicate knowledge issue until the asking went on  and Dopple,alias the Book,kept being miffed by an uncomfortable knowledge  until the memory poof, Ran "
>" If it helps I could  step out for a bit  , still being near the place,  to let you clearly collect  memos while I  eye things up "
>(-> To Purvis:I think a brief pause is a boon with Ran focusing and Hatate gainig new data after she  comes back <-) Exit if Ran agrees stays if you help her inquiry,
>If outside look for signs of Celes and Momiji even by "Reading their winds".