(Skyseas of Gensokyo) Nazrin Quest (Part 6)

[Oldmansour]

>Based on what we know of his tastes, do we have anything he might be willing to accept from us in a trade for that blade?

[DracoOmega]

>Based on what we know of his tastes, do we have anything he might be willing to accept from us in a trade for that blade?

>Honestly, despite all the things you've seen in his possession, you're still not really sure what his taste is. It isn't based purely on monetary value, that's for sure. It would help if an object were interesting in some way, though what he finds 'interesting' is often hard to define. Even largely mundane things have been known to catch his interest from time to time based on some nearly inconsequential facet of their peculiarity.

[Oldmansour]

>Inventory.
>"Well, getting back to the issue at hand. You wouldn't happen to have a copy yourself, would you?"

[DracoOmega]

>Inventory.

>Kumokirimaru (wrapped in cloth)
>Prism Pendant (around neck)
>Seeker's Badge (pinned to chest)
>373 Val Razuan guilders
>Compass
>Traveling pack
>Traveling rations
>Canteen (empty)
>Lockpicks
>1 kunai
>Picture of Sokrates
>Fuwafuwa Heart Droplet
>Mysterious rusty part
>Antique Val Razuan 1 guilder coin
>Dowsing rods
>Tie-dyed umbrella
>Spool of baling twine
>Bottle of Kumokirimaru-imbued medicine
>Sachet of blessed soil
>List of physicians' contact addresses
>Pencil
>100 feet of rope
>2 glowsticks
>2 torches
>Small heatstone
>Basic grappling hook

>"Well, getting back to the issue at hand. You wouldn't happen to have a copy yourself, would you?"

>"I'm afraid not," he replies. "I cannot say for certain where I would expect to find one outside the library of the Grand Academy, though I imagine other copies still exist."

[Oldmansour]

>"Speaking of the Grand Academy...."
>"I've visited most of the names you gave me the other day, but I'm starting to wonder if I may have to leave town to find a cure for myself. Would you know anyone beyond Braston that might be able to help me?"

[DracoOmega]

>"Speaking of the Grand Academy...."
>"I've visited most of the names you gave me the other day, but I'm starting to wonder if I may have to leave town to find a cure for myself. Would you know anyone beyond Braston that might be able to help me?"

>"I take it that none of them had any answers to offer you, then?" He frowns slightly. "I inquired with a few contacts of my own this morning, to similar effect. Perhaps not unexpected, but disappointing nonetheless. As for your question, I do not know anyone specifically that I could say in good faith has the cure you seek, but if I were to pick a single place to search, I can think of nowhere better than the Grand Academy. Obscure indeed are the topics that cannot be found in its library. And if it cannot be found even there... well, I suspect at least that the Academy's scholars would be better able to direct your next target than I."

[Oldmansour]

>Hate to have to travel that far and spend that much money on a 'maybe.'
>"Nothing closer to home?"
>Does our tracking/treasure sense work on wine?

[DracoOmega]

>Hate to have to travel that far and spend that much money on a 'maybe.'
>"Nothing closer to home?"
>Does our tracking/treasure sense work on wine?

>Money's not much use to you if you're dead, but time is an issue. Would be nice to have something more certain to go by before you set out...
>"Nothing is impossible, of course," Rinnosuke says, "But Braston is the major hub of the region. If it cannot be found here, then it is even less likely it can be found anywhere else in the Outer Freelands. Perhaps there is some hedge wizard cloistered in Wynsdale or Northswald who by chance knows of this blight and how to counter it, but you might as well be served by asking door-to-door in this very neighbourhood."
>You wouldn't really be able to douse for it. It's possible it might touch your treasure sense lightly if it were unusually valuable, but you wouldn't be entirely confident of it, and it wouldn't be of much help in finding it, at any rate.

[Oldmansour]

>Do we know about how long it takes an average transport ship to reach Val Razua?
>How far is it from here to Northwald?
>How many temples/locations of faith are in Braston?

[DracoOmega]

>Do we know about how long it takes an average transport ship to reach Val Razua?
>How far is it from here to Northwald?
>How many temples/locations of faith are in Braston?

>You think the crossing on an average passenger ship takes somewhere on the order of a week.
>You've never been up that way, but you think it's around two day's trip or so.
>There are a scattered few, though Braston itself is not a highly religious city and you don't think any of them are particularly notable in the scheme of things.

[Oldmansour]

>We're gonna need a faster boat.
>"Heh. Well, knew this weren't gonna be easy."
>"I gotta ask, boss, while I'm here. That resonance blade. Would you be amiable to trading that, if the right offer came across your desk?"

[DracoOmega]

>We're gonna need a faster boat.
>"Heh. Well, knew this weren't gonna be easy."
>"I gotta ask, boss, while I'm here. That resonance blade. Would you be amiable to trading that, if the right offer came across your desk?"

>That would certainly be nice...
>"You wouldn't have come to me at all if you'd expected it to be easy, I imagine," he says. "But persistence has won many unlikely discoveries by our number. Perhaps this will simply be one more."
>His eyebrows raise subtly in what might be either surprise or amusement. "If it were the right offer, I imagine I would be amenable to it by definition, no?"

[Oldmansour]

>Chuckle. "Suppose you would."
>"Well, about that only thing I have on me that might fit your collection now is that old coin I showed you earlier, and I doubt that tickles your fancy, eh."
>"Well, the only thing other than Kumokirimaru here, but he and I are kinda inseperable at the moment."

[DracoOmega]

>Chuckle. "Suppose you would."
>"Well, about that only thing I have on me that might fit your collection now is that old coin I showed you earlier, and I doubt that tickles your fancy, eh."
>"Well, the only thing other than Kumokirimaru here, but he and I are kinda inseperable at the moment."

>"It is an interesting find," he replies. "But no; I think the resonance blade is far more than its equal."
>He nods. "Of course."

[Oldmansour]

>"Speaking of blades, you ever deal much with Yuugi? In terms of her metalwork, I mean."
>"I met her the other day, but I'm wondering now if she's as good at weaponsmithing as I think she might be."

[DracoOmega]

>"Speaking of blades, you ever deal much with Yuugi? In terms of her metalwork, I mean."
>"I met her the other day, but I'm wondering now if she's as good at weaponsmithing as I think she might be."

>"I have had occasion to deal with her every now and again," Rinnosuke says. "She is indeed quite skilled in the art, though she tends to work only on things which strike her fancy. Her position affords her a great deal of latitude in that respect."

[Oldmansour]

>There's a decent reccomendation.
>"She's actually making the sheathe for my sword here."
>"Which reminds me. May as well check in with her, see if it's done."

[DracoOmega]

>There's a decent reccomendation.
>"She's actually making the sheathe for my sword here."
>"Which reminds me. May as well check in with her, see if it's done."

>"Is she now?" Rinnosuke says, raising an eyebrow. "You must have made a good impression. In any case, I won't keep you if you have other matters to attend to."

[Oldmansour]

>"She liked the way I handled Yuzu, the oni I got into a scrap with few days ago. Seemed to think getting smacked around by a Seeker was called for, and she liked my gumption."
>Grin. "Matter of fact, she offered to be the first in line if I needed some heads smacked to beat this disease."

[DracoOmega]

>"She liked the way I handled Yuzu, the oni I got into a scrap with few days ago. Seemed to think getting smacked around by a Seeker was called for, and she liked my gumption."
>Grin. "Matter of fact, she offered to be the first in line if I needed some heads smacked to beat this disease."

>"Consider it a high honor," Rinnosuke says, a thin smile on his face.

[Oldmansour]

>"Oh, I do, believe you me."
>Bid him farewell, then make for... actually, make for the Brass Lantern first, see if that flunky of professor Kamishirasawa's still there.

[DracoOmega]

>"Oh, I do, believe you me."
>Bid him farewell, then make for... actually, make for the Brass Lantern first, see if that flunky of professor Kamishirasawa's still there.

>You bid farewell to Rinnosuke, who gives you small nod in return. "Good luck in your endeavors."
>As you turn to exit the room, you feel your elbow bump into something. You glance in that direction, and your eyes widen in alarm as you see the jacinth tiger tumbling from the table where it was displayed. Before you can react, it strikes the floor with a sharp crack and splits in two. You feel a sinking feeling in your gut...

[Oldmansour]

Remind me, next time, not to see Rinosuke about any more books.

>Look down at the remains of the tiger.
>"Fuck."

[DracoOmega]

>Look down at the remains of the tiger.
>"Fuck."

>You look down at the remains of the jacinth tiger. The break is actually quite clean, but what should be in one piece is still distinctly in two.
>Rinnosuke adjusts his glasses and peers at the remains of his statuette in silence, taking little obvious note of your remark.

[Oldmansour]

>Swallow.
>"I, uh... I'm, I'm real sorry, I.... I didn't..."

[DracoOmega]

>Swallow.
>"I, uh... I'm, I'm real sorry, I.... I didn't..."

>Rinnosuke frowns, perhaps looking more disappointed than disapproving, or is that just you hoping?
>"That was quite a rare piece," he says. "Antique Rhashavalan. It was quite difficult to find even this one."

[Oldmansour]

>Bite our tongue to keep from blowing our top. This is par for the course, isn't it. Just one MORE thing going wrong, on top of everything else. Now not only are we dying, not only did most of Rinosuke's leads turn out to be busts, now this!

[DracoOmega]

>Bite our tongue to keep from blowing our top. This is par for the course, isn't it. Just one MORE thing going wrong, on top of everything else. Now not only are we dying, not only did most of Rinosuke's leads turn out to be busts, now this!

>You do your best to keep your emotions simmering safely inside you, though you come to wonder how good a job you're managing at it when Rinnosuke frowns further and asks "Are you alright, Nazrin?"

[Oldmansour]

>Emit a couple of choked chuckles, then grin a rather crooked little grin. "Am I alright?" Point at the statue. "I'm a long way from alright. Feels like YEARS since I've been alright. This is.... icing on the cake, isn't it. Just me spreading my misery to friends and coworkers. Misery loves company, right. 'Send Marisa off to clean up your mess, Nazrin', 'Shatter your bosses' priceless ancient statue, Nazrin'."
>Blink back the hot tears in our eyes. "'Do as much damage as you can before you die, Nazrin...'"

[DracoOmega]

>Emit a couple of choked chuckles, then grin a rather crooked little grin. "Am I alright?" Point at the statue. "I'm a long way from alright. Feels like YEARS since I've been alright. This is.... icing on the cake, isn't it. Just me spreading my misery to friends and coworkers. Misery loves company, right. 'Send Marisa off to clean up your mess, Nazrin', 'Shatter your bosses' priceless ancient statue, Nazrin'."
>Blink back the hot tears in our eyes. "'Do as much damage as you can before you die, Nazrin...'"

>Rinnosuke's face falls ashen as you let loose just a little of the turbulent emotions churning within you. This should have been a great week. You'd been building towards this week for years. This was supposed to be it! The real deal. And now it really may be it - all that there is left. Dammit, dammit, dammi-
>"I'm terrible sorry," Rinnosuke interjects, a genuinely remorseful expression on his face. "Please do not let yourself be troubled over this. You caused no harm, nor was it your fault in the first place."