(Skyseas of Gensokyo) Nazrin Quest (Part 11)

[DracoOmega]

>Relay the pertinent information she gave to us to professor Morrigan here, and apend with "That's all she knew about. I had been hoping to find someone here in town that knew more about it, or where to find it. But since I was here on campus, I wanted to check this department first, to see if it could be located that way."

>You explain the situation to Professor Morrigan to the extent that you are able. While she doesn't express her exasperation very openly, you can see a dry weariness sink into her eyes as you describe just how vague your directions are.
>"Someone in town who knew more about it might make this a lot less impossible," she says with a sigh. "You're asking for the location of something small and quite possibly concealed within, let's say... 600 square miles of forest, on the other side of the country, without a single divination aid of any kind whatsoever. You might as well try finding a specific needle in a haystack made of needles. On the moon. With a rusty telescope." The professor's face appears frozen in the middle of a half-voiced grumble.

[Oldmansour]

>"I don't suppose you'd happen to know anyone in town knowledgeable in local legends like this one?"
>How many moons does this world have?

[DracoOmega]

>"I don't suppose you'd happen to know anyone in town knowledgeable in local legends like this one?"
>How many moons does this world have?

>"Legends? Is that what this is?" It looks like she can't decide whether she should smile or frown at this. "That's really not my department. Well, most kinds of legends, anyway. It's possible someone from History might know, I suppose, or you could always try the library; if it's worth writing down, it's probably in there somewhere."
>Just the one.

[Oldmansour]

>"Well, by 'legend' I mean 'story'. A garden almost no one can find, where just about every kind of flower you can think of blooms, in and out of season. And guarded by an ancient youkai, no less. That is quite the story."
>Snap fingers. "There's a thought. Are there any particular kinds of flowers that are easier to scry on over long distances?"

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, by 'legend' I mean 'story'. A garden almost no one can find, where just about every kind of flower you can think of blooms, in and out of season. And guarded by an ancient youkai, no less. That is quite the story."
>Snap fingers. "There's a thought. Are there any particular kinds of flowers that are easier to scry on over long distances?"

>"Sounds enough like a legend to me," she says.
>The professor scrunches up her brow. "That depends on what you mean by 'easier'. For what you're asking about, I'll say 'no' - unless the flower was a youkai or something. Flowers aren't exactly a popular scrying target, you realize?"

[Oldmansour]

>Did bosqueverde mention if the youkai in question WAS a flower youkai, or merely a gardner?

[DracoOmega]

>Did bosqueverde mention if the youkai in question WAS a flower youkai, or merely a gardner?

>She made no mention of what kind of youkai the owner of the garden was, merely that she was ancient and powerful.

[Oldmansour]

>Are we aware of any flowers being youkai?
>Thoughtfully, "What if SHE were...? The ancient youkai, I mean, if she were a flower youkai?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Or, something that lives with flowers, like a hummingbird or a bee youkai?"

[DracoOmega]

>Are we aware of any flowers being youkai?
>Thoughtfully, "What if SHE were...? The ancient youkai, I mean, if she were a flower youkai?"

>It happens from time to time that a plant takes on a youkai nature without fully ascending to sapience. Sometimes this is an intermediate stage of an eventual full ascension, while other times they can remain for their whole lives as creatures of superstition and instinct. These have a tendency to be dangerous, but are fortunately also fairly rare.
>"What if she was?" the professor asks. "It's not as though flower youkai are somehow easier to detect than any other kind, though I'll give you half points - knowing the nature of what you're seeking does make it easier to find. Sometimes considerably so."

>"Or, something that lives with flowers, like a hummingbird or a bee youkai?"

>"Though I suppose that you don't," she adds with a sigh. "In any case, it doesn't change the fact that the distance you're asking for is simply far too great. If this garden was hidden a couple miles away, then maybe I could help you, but from this far away...?" She shakes her head. "I'm sorry, but it's just not feasible."

[Oldmansour]

>Sigh a little. "That's been the story of my life for the past week."
>Not out of ideas yet.
>"Is it possible to come up with a tool or device to cover that kind of distance? I use my divining rods to cover longer distances than I can naturally, but what about how you work your magic?"

[DracoOmega]

>Sigh a little. "That's been the story of my life for the past week."
>Not out of ideas yet.
>"Is it possible to come up with a tool or device to cover that kind of distance? I use my divining rods to cover longer distances than I can naturally, but what about how you work your magic?"

>"And mine seems to be repeating this to people," she echoes with a grumble. "No offense intended."
>You decide to try another idea.
>The professor raises an eyebrow. "You're a dowser? Then you'd think you'd know-" She grimaces slightly. "Nevermind. In theory... yes. Though it would help much more if a focus was closer to the target rather than the caster when this much distance is involved. But in practice, it doesn't much matter. Even putting aside the lack of synergy between my own style of magic and that sort of device, we don't have anything trained on that part of the world and I doubt you'll find anyone else who does. Maybe one of the defense forces, but I doubt you'll have much luck getting them to let you use it and I don't see who el-" The professor trails off and closes her eyes. A weary crease forms in her brow. "Oh, damnation," she breathes.

[Oldmansour]

>Raise an eyebrow.

[Hello Purvis]

Too bad she'd probably not agree to divine for them in town.

Edit: Did we mention the true 7-year nature of these flowers? That might be helpful due to them being hella unusual.

[DracoOmega]

>Raise an eyebrow.

>You raise an eyebrow. This is about as successful in provoking a reaction as you'd expect from someone who currently has their eyes closed.

[Oldmansour]

>D'oh.
>"Something wrong?"

[DracoOmega]

>D'oh.
>"Something wrong?"

>The professor takes a deep breath. "I believe I may know of someone in possession of such a device, after all." She opens her eyes and fixes you with a firm glare. "Though before you assume otherwise, this is neither a recommendation nor an endorsement. I'm only even bothering to mention it because I'm supposed to be impartial."

[Oldmansour]

>"I'm all ears."
>Recall what Neu said about that overgrown crystal ball on the way into town.

[DracoOmega]

>Recall what Neu said about that overgrown crystal ball on the way into town.

>She said that the globe held in the hands of the statue of Selene functioned as both a light source and scrying device to monitor the sky routes into the city. You believe its exact effective range is classified.

>"I'm all ears."

>The professor regards you in silence for a moment before continuing, her lip curling slightly.
>"There is a... woman," she says. "A... former professor of this Academy. She was - and probably still is, I'm sure - an expert in the field of celestial magics, which includes several forms of long-range divination. Quite possibly the very best of them, in fact. And I believe she is also in possession of a very strong stellar focus." The professor's earlier exasperation seems to have taken on a harder edge. "I have no idea the range it's capable of and I'm almost certain that it's pointless for you to even try asking for her help. And you can forget about money, as well; she is very... focused on her own work."

[Oldmansour]

>"However difficult she may be, I'm to the point where I'm willing to try just about anything. I'd ask to use that scrying ball in the Vigil statue, if I thought I'd get anywhere that way."
>"How can I find this woman?"

[DracoOmega]

>"However difficult she may be, I'm to the point where I'm willing to try just about anything. I'd ask to use that scrying ball in the Vigil statue, if I thought I'd get anywhere that way."
>"How can I find this woman?"

>Professor Morrigan manages almost to smile for a moment. "Oh, that won't reach near to Isir's Cross, either, I can assure you."
>Her scowl isn't long in returning, though. "These days, she lives in a tower a couple miles off the south road out of the city, on a hill. It is deliberately difficult to miss."

[Oldmansour]

>About how long would it take us to get there from here?
>"I gather she wasn't the most popular professor here in her time?"

[DracoOmega]

>About how long would it take us to get there from here?
>"I gather she wasn't the most popular professor here in her time?"

>You believe you're currently towards the north end of the city, but aren't familiar enough with it to say exactly how long it would take you to cross all the way to the south and exit. Probably at least an hour or two, and then you'd need to cover a couple miles past that. It definitely sounds like a multi-hour trip.
>"There were some differences of opinion," she says in a taut voice. "Let's leave it at that, if you would."

[Oldmansour]

>"I understand. And thank you for telling me about her, as well. And if she asks, if you'd like, it wasn't you that told me about her."
>"But, let's back up a point or two, if I may. You said that scrying that far away is all but impossible, okay. But what about scrying here in town? Within the city limits, I mean. I get that this city is one of the biggest in the world, maybe THE biggest, but I still gotta ask."

[DracoOmega]

>"I understand. And thank you for telling me about her, as well. And if she asks, if you'd like, it wasn't you that told me about her."
>"But, let's back up a point or two, if I may. You said that scrying that far away is all but impossible, okay. But what about scrying here in town? Within the city limits, I mean. I get that this city is one of the biggest in the world, maybe THE biggest, but I still gotta ask."

>"Please," she says.
>"That depends on what you're looking for, of course. Though if it's still a garden you're seeking, I think you'd be far better off consulting a map than me."

[Oldmansour]

>"The way things have gone so far, I'd be willing to make a wager on that."
>"But it's that one Bittercress flower I need, specifically, or its seeds. From what I was told, getting it to grow in this area is difficult at best, so..."
>"Come to think of, would you be able to scry for magics or energies designed to stimulate or fortify plant growth? The kind of spell to make something grow where it doesn't normally?"

[DracoOmega]

>"The way things have gone so far, I'd be willing to make a wager on that."
>"But it's that one Bittercress flower I need, specifically, or its seeds. From what I was told, getting it to grow in this area is difficult at best, so..."
>"Come to think of, would you be able to scry for magics or energies designed to stimulate or fortify plant growth? The kind of spell to make something grow where it doesn't normally?"

>The professor's expression slips into a scowl, though she withholds comment as you explain an alternate possibility
>She sighs. "Possibly, yes. Given time and preparation, it could be done. But I'm afraid I'm nearly out of the former to give you; I have a meeting I need to be at in... about 10 minutes."

[Oldmansour]

Still want to track down Yumemi, Hanzo?

[Hanzo K.]

Right now, she seems to be the only option that we can use really. You got any other options we can take?

[Oldmansour]

What do you think she can do, anyway?