(Skyseas of Gensokyo) Nazrin Quest (Part 12)

[Hello Purvis]

>"Sounds like they give you guys some grief."

[DracoOmega]

>"Sounds like they give you guys some grief."

>"Not really," Gwen say in a dismissive tone.
>Jess grin incorrigibly. "Mac here only goes for practical things, see? She's a right stick in the mud. Bloody fine hunter, though."
>Without a word, Gwen pushes her now-empty tankard in the barkeep's direction. Jess laughs. "Sure, sure."

[Hello Purvis]

>"That werewolf ever give you guys grief?"

[DracoOmega]

>"That werewolf ever give you guys grief?"

>Jess looks surprised. "Kagerou?" She glances at Gwen, who shrugs vaguely, though Jess seems satisfied enough by this answer.
>"Nah, she's the sweetest thing," she says, turning back to you. "Wouldn't hurt a soul! I give these folks more grief than she does."
>"And that's the truth," Gwen adds. Jess throws her an expressive scowl. For just a moment, you think you almost see the taciturn blond smirk. Almost.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Heh. Maybe I ought to pay her a visit."
>Is there any western territory on the map that we haven't had one or the other give us information on? If so, point to it and ask "Anything out here, or just wilderness?"
>Did we see much in the way of farms on the way in?

[DracoOmega]

>"Heh. Maybe I ought to pay her a visit."

>"Don't know why she lives out in the middle 'a nowhere," Jess muses. "Must get awfully lonely."
>"Quiet's nice," Gwen says simply.

>Is there any western territory on the map that we haven't had one or the other give us information on? If so, point to it and ask "Anything out here, or just wilderness?"

>The map does extend somewhat beyond the river that Gwen mentioned the werewolf lived, and you know the region carries on even further than that, from the better map you examined at the library. You inquire.
>"Trees and hills and more trees," Jess replies cheerfully. "A few other youkai, I think. 'least you hear tell of one every now and again - don't know if they're still around."
>"There's an old mine," Gwen says. "'round here." She pokes a finger west of the river, near a ridge of hills. "Few other buildings from way back, scattered around. The lot of 'em in a rottin' heap."
>"Yeah, there's supposed to be an old outpost of some kind," Jess adds. "Out around, um... somewhere." She chuckles. "Sorry."
>"Up north. Near the pheasant grounds."
>Jess shrugs. "Well, you'd know."

>Did we see much in the way of farms on the way in?

>You noticed a few small vegetable patches, but nothing on a large scale; the terrain seems rather rocky for serious agriculture.

[Hello Purvis]

I can't think of too much more to ask, admittedly I'm assuming they aren't holding out on any particular forest boojums we ought to know about.

[Oldmansour]

Between the two of them, I think that if there was anything expressly threatening out here they knew about, we'd know about it by now.
What I'm wondering now is, should we pop down to visit that fort first to see if any of them know about Yuuka (whom I think we should namedrop at least once just to see if that gets a reaction) or see if we can track down Kagerou?

[Hello Purvis]

I would say the Faerie village is a must. And we hit anything along the way.

[Oldmansour]

Good point. But if that's on the other side of the lake, we need to drum up a fast way to get there. Walking might take too much time than we have right now.

[Hello Purvis]

It'd take a few hours to hit up Kagerou. The fort is just a half hour away, though. So I'd do the latter first, then the former if the fort suggests there may be a reason, or if they're utterly unhelpful.

[Oldmansour]

I agree. Fort first. And since it's so close, we shouldn't need to spring for a room here.
Well, unless they send us back here, but hey, at least it's close.

[Oldmansour]

>Does our map depict a trail or a road between here and the fort?
>If not, are we aware of the existance of said?

[DracoOmega]

>Does our map depict a trail or a road between here and the fort?
>If not, are we aware of the existance of said?

>There is a road, yes, which passes over that large stone bridge and joins up with the main highway. It is both clearly marked on your map and visible while you were outside.

[Oldmansour]

>Do we know anything about the outpost or mine they mentioned?

[DracoOmega]

>Do we know anything about the outpost or mine they mentioned?

>Riza, one of the Seekers you spoke with at the guildhall in Val Razua, spoke briefly of the mine and some other old ruins of considerable antiquity in the region. If you recall right, she was hired for a mineral survey of the area and found essentially nothing of value there - the mine had been long played out. As far as she told it, the only things that hadn't been picked clean centuries ago would have barely any value, even to archaeologists; if these sites been known for that long, you're not liable to disbelieve her, either.

[Oldmansour]

>Did we notice how much a tankard of ale costs around here?

[DracoOmega]

>Did we notice how much a tankard of ale costs around here?

>You hadn't noticed it posted clearly anywhere, but it wouldn't be hard to ask with the barkeep standing by your table.

[Oldmansour]

>"Well, I should thank you both for your time. Don't want to hold you up too much longer."
>"Just one more thing, though. Does the name 'Yuuka' mean anything to you?"
>Add her last name if we know it.

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, I should thank you both for your time. Don't want to hold you up too much longer."

>"Eh, slow night anyway," Jess says, the activity around her just busy enough that you don't know to take that literally or not.
>"It's fine," Gwen says.

>"Just one more thing, though. Does the name 'Yuuka' mean anything to you?"
>Add her last name if we know it.

>"Off hand?" Jess asks. "Not a thing."
>Gwen shakes her head.

>You did not hear a last name from Dai, and no one else has mentioned her by name.

[Oldmansour]

Well, that's all I wanted to ask meself. At least, that's all I can think of.

[Hello Purvis]

I'm of the opinion we should rest up for the day, then hit the fort in the morning. Then if we need to go chasing warwelfs, we'll be coming in the day rather than the middle of the night.

[Oldmansour]

The fort's only a half hour's or so walk away. I think that's close enough for a jaunt.

[Hello Purvis]

I wouldn't count on it being open, but there's no harm in trying. Shall we pick up Gwen's drink as an information gratuity?

[Oldmansour]

I was thinking that myself.
Oh, and we can ask if the fort's open while we're at it.

>Nod. "Had to ask."

Wait, why would a fort be closed?

>Assuming Gwen's mug is empty, point our tail towards the tankard. "Next one's on me."

[Hello Purvis]

Because it's dark, and it's a fort. You don't leave the front doors open when most of your people are asleep.

[DracoOmega]

>Nod. "Had to ask."
>Assuming Gwen's mug is empty, point our tail towards the tankard. "Next one's on me."

>Distracted as she is, Jess has yet to fetch Gwen's refill. You offer to pay for it.

>Jess laughs. "If you're tryin' to ply her up, let me warn you - you'll run out of money, first."
>Gwen almost snickers, a sort of self-satisfied grunt with just the faintest hint of a grin to match. You're left almost wondering if you imagined it.
>With that, the barkeep grabs Gwen's drink and turns back to the taps.
>"Thanks," Gwen says to no one in particular.

[Oldmansour]

>"'least I could do."
>What was the cost of that?

[DracoOmega]

>"'least I could do."
>What was the cost of that?

>Gwen nods.
>You don't actually know - you never bothered to check.

>A few moments of silence later - at least at your own table, if not the inn at large - Jess returns with the tankard, now filled to the brim with a frothy dark ale. She slaps it down on the table, somehow managing not to spill any in the process.
>"Good cheer to you!" she says before darting off to butt her nose playfully into someone else's business. "And remember to pay up before you leave!"

[Oldmansour]

>Ah, this is one of those places that charge upon exit, not upon order.
>Mutter, "But of course."
>Quietly, after Jess moves off, ask Little Mac, "She always that chipper?"