Keine Quest (Part 2): Broken History

[DracoOmega]

>"I'm hoping to be thorough. We never went the other way from that hole we made. So far, most of the paths seem to twist back into that big chamber. I'm hoping this doesn't."

>"You really just have no idea where we're going, do you?" Mokou sighs. "Maybe I should just have stayed at home after all."

>Eventually, you spot the crawlspace you think you came in from. While there are plenty like it along the walls, the way the rock is pushed aside is fairly distinctive. You continue further along the path. After some time it starts to descend, getting increasingly steep and starts curving towards the right. You think you can spot a drop-off ahead.

[Hello Purvis]

>"You haven't been lost in a cave for centuries, I'll bet. Anyways, I'm just trying to find a way around that damn chamber. I want to think I have a rough idea where we are, though."
>Take to the air, continue toward that drop-off. Don't fly off it, though. But do look over the edge if it doesn't seem that dangerous.

[DracoOmega]

>"You haven't been lost in a cave for centuries, I'll bet. Anyways, I'm just trying to find a way around that damn chamber. I want to think I have a rough idea where we are, though."

>You hear Mokou grumble a little, in lieu of an acknowledgment.

>Take to the air, continue toward that drop-off. Don't fly off it, though. But do look over the edge if it doesn't seem that dangerous.

>You fly over to the drop-off and look down. It doesn't seem especially dangerous; at least no more dangerous than any pit would be if you can fly. It appears that the lava flow once spilled down into here. You can't see the bottom of it.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Toss a fireball down there, please, Mokou?"

[Doll.S CUBE]

> If we see anymore of those crystals, try and take one, they might prove useful

[DracoOmega]

>"Toss a fireball down there, please, Mokou?"

>Mokou nods, and tosses another flaming orb into the pit. You watch as the band of illumination passes downward along the walls of the pit. You see nothing but rock until the orb reaches the limits of its range and dissipates; it does not reach the bottom.

> If we see anymore of those crystals, try and take one, they might prove useful

>There is still the occasional one near here, and further up the tunnel, there were a couple nearly as large as two fingers held together. Since they are mostly still embedded in the rock, the question is how to go about attempting to remove them.

[Doll.S CUBE]

> Can we blast the crystals loose with danmaku?

[Hello Purvis]

>"I doubt that's going to take us anywhere...Oh well."
>Retrace steps until we get back to the first intersection with ways we've not taken.
>"I am pretty sure we need to move upward, if we're going to find the Ancient City. I think we're in what's left of Blazing Hell right now, thus all the spirits."

[DracoOmega]

> Can we blast the crystals loose with danmaku

>You can certainly try. There's a chance they might be fragile enough to break off this way.

>"I doubt that's going to take us anywhere...Oh well."

>"Unless you think being under a mile of rock is cozy or something," Mokou remarks.
>Rumia leans over the pit. "Hellooooooo...." she calls out, hearing it echo down the shaft

>Retrace steps until we get back to the first intersection with ways we've not taken.

>There are multiple smaller crawl spaces along the sides of this tunnel, and then the intersection with the watery tunnel. The only other path you have not taken there descends, however.

>"I am pretty sure we need to move upward, if we're going to find the Ancient City. I think we're in what's left of Blazing Hell right now, thus all the spirits."

>"What left of it?" Mokou asks.

[Doll.S CUBE]

> Next time we see a crystal of decent size, try and blast it loose, but becareful

[Hello Purvis]

>"It's still blazing quite merrily, in my world."

[DracoOmega]

> Next time we see a crystal of decent size, try and blast it loose, but becareful

>You find an appropriately sized crystal, and try to blast it at the point where it connects with the rock. The impact stirs up a tiny cloud of particulate matter, but doesn't seem to accomplish much else. You fire a few more at it, and you think you see a crack develop. Eventually, with a loud shattering sound, and a scattering of tiny fragments, a section of the crystal about the size of your finger breaks off. A couple of the edges are ragged, and have residue of pulverized crystal along them.

>"It's still blazing quite merrily, in my world."

>"And you're sure this is the same place?" Mokou asks.

[Doll.S CUBE]

> Collect crystal

[DracoOmega]

> Collect crystal

>You pick up the crystal fragment and pocket it. Hmmm.... was it a little less luminous than it was earlier? It's hard to tell.

[Hello Purvis]

>Actually, keep the crystal out. Extra light and such.
>Back to the last intersection that has paths we've not taken. Disregard crawlspaces for now.

[DracoOmega]

>Actually, keep the crystal out. Extra light and such.

>You pull the crystal back out, although the soft blue light it sheds is rather lost in the far bright illumination coming from Mokou

>Back to the last intersection that has paths we've not taken. Disregard crawlspaces for now.

>You take the long journey back along this tunnel until you reach the point where it crosses with the smaller tunnel with the water running down it. You took the ascending path to your right, previously. The water also continues to descend along the path to your left, and the tunnel you're in continues forward for some distance.

[Hello Purvis]

>Continue down the tunnel.
>Idly turn the crystal over in our hand.

[Doll.S CUBE]

> Put the crystal back in, not much use for it with Mokou here

[DracoOmega]

>Idly turn the crystal over in our hand.

>You idly turn the crystal around, causing the light patterns cast upon the wall to shift and change.

> Put the crystal back in, not much use for it with Mokou here

>You decide to put the crystal back in your pocket for the time-being.

>Continue down the tunnel.

>You continue forward along the tunnel ahead of you. After a while, it starts to slope up fairly steeply, and curve around to the right. You eventually find yourself in another small chamber, with a rounded ceiling. The lava trail that you're follow continues generally forward, while another smaller passageway extends to your left.

[Hello Purvis]

>Check the compass, use it to figure out our orientation in relation to the large chamber with the angry spirits.

[DracoOmega]

>Check the compass, use it to figure out our orientation in relation to the large chamber with the angry spirits.

>According to the seeking stone, Eientei is somewhere about 15 degrees to the right of the main tunnel you're on. The large chamber might be somewhere in the general direction that the left tunnel leads. It depends on how far that chamber extends for.

[Hello Purvis]

>Forward! Keeping following this tunnel.

[DracoOmega]

>Forward! Keeping following this tunnel.

>You continue climbing upwards across the former lava flow. After some time, the path forks, and similar but smaller tunnels continue upwards, slightly to the left and slightly to the right of this junction.

[Hello Purvis]

>Take the right one.

[DracoOmega]

>Take the right one.

>You take the right passage. After a little while, it curves strongly to the right and then twists around. It soon gets very steep indeed, and you find yourself having to fly a little for fear of slipping and tumbling down again. Eventually the passageway narrows, and you soon you find the way ahead virtually blocked off by the solidified lava flow.

[Doll.S CUBE]

> Sigh

> Are there any openings?

[Hello Purvis]

>Approach the solidified lava, see if it's possible to get a glimpse beyond it.

[DracoOmega]

> Sigh

>You sigh. This really isn't your day, is it?

> Are there any openings?

>Approach the solidified lava, see if it's possible to get a glimpse beyond it.

>There are no openings even remotely large enough to fit through. You do see a tiny gap or two, and you peer through them, but all you see beyond is more rock and solidified lava.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, not much to see here."
>Back up, and take the left path at the last intersection.

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, not much to see here."
>Back up, and take the left path at the last intersection.

>"Not much to see in most of this damn place, actually," Mokou adds.

>You return to the last intersection and take the alternate path. This one does not rise as steeply, but continues forward for a while before angling to the left. Eventually you see a more open space ahead, dotted with some tiny flickering lights in the distance.