Nue Quest Alter Code 6: A Z-Machine Adventure

[Kilgamayan]

> "Not explicitly, but based on a couple of other things he's said, I'm pretty sure he wants it as something to sell. And he probably also wants it to disarm me further, should I eventually actually reach him."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Not explicitly, but based on a couple of other things he's said, I'm pretty sure he wants it as something to sell. And he probably also wants it to disarm me further, should I eventually actually reach him."

>She nods. "Still, that is rather strange. I assume you didn't accept his offer?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Shake head.
> "Nah. But...I've been giving it serious consideration."

[Hello Purvis]

> Shake head.
> "Nah. But...I've been giving it serious consideration."

>Byakuren frowns. "You have? Why is that?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Well, let's say we freeze him out. Or he just sits there and turns into a humanoid popsicle. What do those accomplish on a faith level?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "Well, let's say we freeze him out. Or he just sits there and turns into a humanoid popsicle. What do those accomplish on a faith level?"

>Byakuren nods. "For some, they may take away that their couldn't just ignore such factors, but as we've rather established he is a zealot I suppose it means he would merely conclude he hadn't followed his ideals enough."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Yeah. I'm not convinced it would solve the real problem. The offer he made he made as a clash of ideals, testing his faith against mine. And I haven't thought of another way to get at him, since the only person we know that knows about the problem and has the knowledge and resources to fix it apparently deemed it not worth her time."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Yeah. I'm not convinced it would solve the real problem. The offer he made he made as a clash of ideals, testing his faith against mine. And I haven't thought of another way to get at him, since the only person we know that knows about the problem and has the knowledge and resources to fix it apparently deemed it not worth her time."

>Byakuren nods, then frowns. "Who said that?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "I figured that's the reason Patchouli didn't come with us. Is there more to it than that?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "I figured that's the reason Patchouli didn't come with us. Is there more to it than that?"

>"I imagined that she could not," says Byakuren. "She does have obligations she cannot just causally throw away."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Frown.
> "If something happens in her house that is so unpleasant that it necessitates a lockdown and a second gate guard, I'd have to wonder what obligations she'd have that supercede resolving that something."

[Hello Purvis]

> Frown.
> "If something happens in her house that is so unpleasant that it necessitates a lockdown and a second gate guard, I'd have to wonder what obligations she'd have that supercede resolving that something."

>"The Scarlet Devil probably prefers to keep her onhand for an emergency," says Byakuren. "But you may be right, as well. Patchouli does have...strange ideas about magical events."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Hmm. Maybe we should have asked the Scarlet Devil for permission to borrow her mage to get their house's money back."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Hmm. Maybe we should have asked the Scarlet Devil for permission to borrow her mage to get their house's money back."

>"Perhaps," says Byakuren, "But I am not sure she could do that we cannot, given this situation."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "You think what he's doing to ward people off is faith-based, rather than magic-based?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "You think what he's doing to ward people off is faith-based, rather than magic-based?"

>Byakuren nods. "I don't believe he's anything like a standard magician, at least."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Frown.
> "Then what do we do? We have no guarantee freezing him will change his mind on the overarching issue, and the only known way to get at him involves giving up something of great magnitude just to get a third of the way to him."

[Hello Purvis]

> Frown.
> "Then what do we do? We have no guarantee freezing him will change his mind on the overarching issue, and the only known way to get at him involves giving up something of great magnitude just to get a third of the way to him."

>"Well," says Byakuren. "Stopping him right now and changing his mind aren't necessarily the same thing. It's plausible to do one, then the other."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "You think we'll be able to get past that barrier, even if he decides to freeze himself into unconsciousness?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "You think we'll be able to get past that barrier, even if he decides to freeze himself into unconsciousness?"

>"I would hope so," says Byakuren. "I can't imagine it's completely invincible."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "I guess we wait this out, then. Hopefully he's not fanatical enough to kill himself over it."

[Hello Purvis]

> "I guess we wait this out, then. Hopefully he's not fanatical enough to kill himself over it."

>Byakuren nods. "Do you have any plans in the meantime?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "...Not really, no. I had intended to stay here however long I needed to, just to make sure the problem is squashed."

[Hello Purvis]

> "...Not really, no. I had intended to stay here however long I needed to, just to make sure the problem is squashed."

>"Alright," says Byakuren. "I suppose, in the meantime, we need to find a way to get through that field around him."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "I've figured out that it's basically a solid wall, rather than a sphere of influence. Beyond, that, though, I've no idea how it works. If it wouldn't cause serious structural damage, I'd wonder if we could get at him from directly above or directly below."

[Hello Purvis]

> "I've figured out that it's basically a solid wall, rather than a sphere of influence. Beyond, that, though, I've no idea how it works. If it wouldn't cause serious structural damage, I'd wonder if we could get at him from directly above or directly below."

>"Hmm," says Byakuren. "When you say it's just a wall, what do you mean?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "A 'wall' is the best comparison I can think of. Basically, think of it as that there's more or less a line that runs across the floor that you can't get by, no matter how low or high you are. It's like the collection all the points you can't go past form a surface that runs orthogonal to the floor.  If it were a sphere of influence, you'd be able to get a little closer to him horizontally by moving up or down away from him, because it would be him keeping people at a fixed distance away from him."

[Hello Purvis]

> "A 'wall' is the best comparison I can think of. Basically, think of it as that there's more or less a line that runs across the floor that you can't get by, no matter how low or high you are. It's like the collection all the points you can't go past form a surface that runs orthogonal to the floor.  If it were a sphere of influence, you'd be able to get a little closer to him horizontally by moving up or down away from him, because it would be him keeping people at a fixed distance away from him."

>Byakuren nods. "I think I understand what you're saying."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "I don't know if he though to include a roof or a ceiling to these barriers, though. And clearly the walls stop somewhere, because we can walk around above the place freely."

[Hello Purvis]

> "I don't know if he though to include a roof or a ceiling to these barriers, though. And clearly the walls stop somewhere, because we can walk around above the place freely."

>"I imagine he would include a roof," says Byakuren. "It wouldn't be that difficult to cut through the floor. Otherwise I would have suggested it some time ago."

>_