Iku Quest Tsamet'i - A Z-Machine Adventure

[GuyYouMetOnline]

That's doable. We're also planning one at the SDM. We might not want to mention the Nue one before Nue actually arrives, though, just to minimize risk of blowing Nue's cover.

That works. Although I thought the SDM one was more of a private thing, something for Volati-whatever as an apology, wasn't it?

[Kilgamayan]

> "Yes, I suppose so. I suspect I should try to keep my ramblings relevant to the story at hand, however."
> "Anyway...after finding the Eldest Daughter, we struck a deal with Lady Minoriko Aki that will hopefully help somewhat restore our home's ruined food supply. That fall caused a great deal of damage in many regards - injuries to people, art and furniture destroyed, crops ruined. Thankfully, as I have said before, many of Gensokyo's residents have been more than generous in helping me; I am confident we were persevere."
> "After completing that deal, I realized I needed information regarding the missing and incomplete shadows...so I enlisted the help of someone quite willing to work for me in gathering said information."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Yes, I suppose so. I suspect I should try to keep my ramblings relevant to the story at hand, however."
> "Anyway...after finding the Eldest Daughter, we struck a deal with Lady Minoriko Aki that will hopefully help somewhat restore our home's ruined food supply. That fall caused a great deal of damage in many regards - injuries to people, art and furniture destroyed, crops ruined. Thankfully, as I have said before, many of Gensokyo's residents have been more than generous in helping me; I am confident we were persevere."
> "After completing that deal, I realized I needed information regarding the missing and incomplete shadows...so I enlisted the help of someone quite willing to work for me in gathering said information."

>Aya nods, writing away. "And after we parted ways? It seems you had more luck than I did."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Nod.
> "Yes. I have to admit, we were more or less wandering aimlessly, when we discovered some tracks in the forest. These tracks led us to the body of Miss Kogasa Tatara, who had her shadow removed. She was still technically alive, but more or less dead to the world. The Eldest Daughter took Kogasa away to safety while I continued my search, and it bore fruit; I eventually ran into the culprit, whom I just barely defeated after a very painful and honestly terrifying battle."

[Hello Purvis]

> Nod.
> "Yes. I have to admit, we were more or less wandering aimlessly, when we discovered some tracks in the forest. These tracks led us to the body of Miss Kogasa Tatara, who had her shadow removed. She was still technically alive, but more or less dead to the world. The Eldest Daughter took Kogasa away to safety while I continued my search, and it bore fruit; I eventually ran into the culprit, whom I just barely defeated after a very painful and honestly terrifying battle."

>"By all means, elaborate," says Aya.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Look away and put on a slightly pensive face.
> "...Well...When you are up against an unfamiliar foe, and you have already seen the effects of what they can do to other people, and those effects are things like seeing Miss Kogasa's zombie-like state...it is an unpleasant prospect to face. Especially given the culprit figured out how to more or less neutralize my lightning abilities for a while, and came within seconds of removing my shadow as well. I only managed victory by activating my lightning shield spellcard and falling on top of them, which stunned them for long enough to allow me to trap them and shock them into unconsciousness."

[Hello Purvis]

> Look away and put on a slightly pensive face.
> "...Well...When you are up against an unfamiliar foe, and you have already seen the effects of what they can do to other people, and those effects are things like seeing Miss Kogasa's zombie-like state...it is an unpleasant prospect to face. Especially given the culprit figured out how to more or less neutralize my lightning abilities for a while, and came within seconds of removing my shadow as well. I only managed victory by activating my lightning shield spellcard and falling on top of them, which stunned them for long enough to allow me to trap them and shock them into unconsciousness."

>"Mmm. I suppose you're not going to tell me more than that," says Aya. "So...what followed?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "I used my shawl to effectively hogtie the culprit, as dangerous as they were and as worried as I was about their re-awakening. As it turns out, this really only served to make them angrier, as we kept talking upon their re-awakening until they had gathered the power to send me to the missing shadow of my land. To almost have one's shadow taken after seeing the effects such an action has on a person, and then to be whisked away from Gensokyo by a person that appears entirely defenseless...they were truly a worrisome foe. And they still are, should someone decide it a good idea to cross them."

[Hello Purvis]

> "I used my shawl to effectively hogtie the culprit, as dangerous as they were and as worried as I was about their re-awakening. As it turns out, this really only served to make them angrier, as we kept talking upon their re-awakening until they had gathered the power to send me to the missing shadow of my land. To almost have one's shadow taken after seeing the effects such an action has on a person, and then to be whisked away from Gensokyo by a person that appears entirely defenseless...they were truly a worrisome foe. And they still are, should someone decide it a good idea to cross them."

>"Not very reassuring," says Aya, as she continues to write.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Well, to be honest, it is not much different than if one went out one day and decided it was a good idea to cross a handful of others here in Gensokyo or in places accessible from Gensokyo. This culprit is perfectly civil when left alone, just as any other person is perfectly civil when treated with respect. They have basically zero desire to actively hunt anyone down, because to do so would involve self-exposure."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Well, to be honest, it is not much different than if one went out one day and decided it was a good idea to cross a handful of others here in Gensokyo or in places accessible from Gensokyo. This culprit is perfectly civil when left alone, just as any other person is perfectly civil when treated with respect. They have basically zero desire to actively hunt anyone down, because to do so would involve self-exposure."

>Aya nods. "Go on, then."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Do we still have the picture of the shadow dais?

[Hello Purvis]

> Do we still have the picture of the shadow dais?

>You do.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "I spent some time wandering around the shadow of my home. It was very bizarre; everything was arranged as it should have been, but it was all simply lacking in much color. It was also set in some purple miasma void thing, which took the place of where blue sky would normally appear."
> Take out the picture of the shadow dais.
> Walk over to Aya and hand it to her.
> "This is the shadow version of the dais in the Dragon's Chamber. I am not sure how much use it will be, but since you are the one writing this story, if you think you need it it, it is yours."

[Hello Purvis]

> "I spent some time wandering around the shadow of my home. It was very bizarre; everything was arranged as it should have been, but it was all simply lacking in much color. It was also set in some purple miasma void thing, which took the place of where blue sky would normally appear."
> Take out the picture of the shadow dais.
> Walk over to Aya and hand it to her.
> "This is the shadow version of the dais in the Dragon's Chamber. I am not sure how much use it will be, but since you are the one writing this story, if you think you need it it, it is yours."

>"Oh yes, I will definitely accept this," says Aya. She frowns at the picture. "Mmm, this is going to look exactly like a printer error when the paper comes out. Oh well."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "I sympathize with this plight, but unfortunately, printing errors were not on my mind when I took that picture. Perhaps you can make a comment in your article that tells the readers it is not an error?"
> Take out Aya's camera and turn it on.
> "I must say, though, that this really is a marvelous device."
> Aim it at a nearby tree, as if we were going to take a picture with it. If we would smack Aya while doing this, take a couple of steps away from her first.
> "It saved me tremendous aggravation on more than one occasion, and helped me bring happiness across realms. I do regret using so many of the pictures that appeared instantly, though, even if only for your monetary plight."

[Hello Purvis]

> "I sympathize with this plight, but unfortunately, printing errors were not on my mind when I took that picture. Perhaps you can make a comment in your article that tells the readers it is not an error?"
> Take out Aya's camera and turn it on.
> "I must say, though, that this really is a marvelous device."
> Aim it at a nearby tree, as if we were going to take a picture with it. If we would smack Aya while doing this, take a couple of steps away from her first.
> "It saved me tremendous aggravation on more than one occasion, and helped me bring happiness across realms. I do regret using so many of the pictures that appeared instantly, though, even if only for your monetary plight."

>"That's the plan," Aya says. "And I hope you're not just turning on that on all the time. It does have a limit to its power, after that you have to let it rest."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "I figured something of the sort was likely to be the case. I have done my best to keep it off when I did not think I might need it."
> Look back at Aya if we were looking away.
> "Anyway, I wandered around the shadow of my home for a while, with no discernable way out. The experience taught me that my home is very hard to navigate without landmarks, among other things.
> Put the camera away while talking, but do not turn it off, and make sure our purse is open enough that we can pick it back up without making a lot of noise.
> "Then...I'm not entirely sure how I escaped. I fell through some sort of crack in reality, or what passed for reality in that void, and fell for a while, until I found myself in Makai, of all places. The shadow possessions I had picked up from my bedroom were gone, as was any sign I had ever been there, really."

[Hello Purvis]

> "I figured something of the sort was likely to be the case. I have done my best to keep it off when I did not think I might need it."
> Look back at Aya if we were looking away.
> "Anyway, I wandered around the shadow of my home for a while, with no discernable way out. The experience taught me that my home is very hard to navigate without landmarks, among other things.
> Put the camera away while talking, but do not turn it off, and make sure our purse is open enough that we can pick it back up without making a lot of noise.
> "Then...I'm not entirely sure how I escaped. I fell through some sort of crack in reality, or what passed for reality in that void, and fell for a while, until I found myself in Makai, of all places. The shadow possessions I had picked up from my bedroom were gone, as was any sign I had ever been there, really."

>"Interesting. How'd you find a tear in reality? What was it like?" Says Aya, as she keeps writing. "And then what happened?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "I have no idea, really. I was wandering around, and then there it was, and then I was falling, and then there Makai was. I have since come to understand that the culprit seemed to have designed the shadow of my home to effectively be a prison, in that it wrapped around upon itself, but apparently this wrap was not quite perfect, and one could escape from it by finding that imperfection."

[Hello Purvis]

> "I have no idea, really. I was wandering around, and then there it was, and then I was falling, and then there Makai was. I have since come to understand that the culprit seemed to have designed the shadow of my home to effectively be a prison, in that it wrapped around upon itself, but apparently this wrap was not quite perfect, and one could escape from it by finding that imperfection."

>Aya nods. "Alright, so you were in Makai, then?"

[Kilgamayan]

> "Yes. I wandered around Makai a bit and quickly came across some goats."
> Take out the picture of the Makai goats and hand it to Aya.
> "This quickly led me to Miss Yumeko, who believed I had fallen from Bhava-Agra to Makai, given I was missing my shawl at the time. Another reason why tying the culprit up was a dumb idea. I was able to demonstrate this camera's abilities for her, though, and after that and some more talking, she more or less left me to my own devices, instead of carving me up with those swords of hers."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Yes. I wandered around Makai a bit and quickly came across some goats."
> Take out the picture of the Makai goats and hand it to Aya.
> "This quickly led me to Miss Yumeko, who believed I had fallen from Bhava-Agra to Makai, given I was missing my shawl at the time. Another reason why tying the culprit up was a dumb idea. I was able to demonstrate this camera's abilities for her, though, and after that and some more talking, she more or less left me to my own devices, instead of carving me up with those swords of hers."

>"Awww, so cute," says Aya, as she looks at the picture of the goats. "And I think I've heard of Yumeko. Anyways, proceed."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> What was Petite's mother's name? Madeline? Margaret? Something that began with an M...
> "I cannot guarantee the next part will necessarily be described in chronological order, but I do not think it matters too much. Anyway, I ventured onward, and eventually came across a river. As luck would have it, the woman working as a toll guard there was the mother of the assistant librarian to Miss Patchouli Knowledge. She was quite friendly, and allowed me passage across her bridge despite my not having any of the local currency when I volunteered to take a picture of her to give to her daughter, so they could be closer to each other, even across such a long distance."

[Hello Purvis]

> What was Petite's mother's name? Madeline? Margaret? Something that began with an M...
> "I cannot guarantee the next part will necessarily be described in chronological order, but I do not think it matters too much. Anyway, I ventured onward, and eventually came across a river. As luck would have it, the woman working as a toll guard there was the mother of the assistant librarian to Miss Patchouli Knowledge. She was quite friendly, and allowed me passage across her bridge despite my not having any of the local currency when I volunteered to take a picture of her to give to her daughter, so they could be closer to each other, even across such a long distance."

>You ponder for a moment, and are pretty sure it's Madeleine.
>"That's sweet," says Aya. "And I'm starting to see how you ran out my camera. It sounds like you had a rather easy time getting through Makai, then?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Give a wry smile.
> "Oh, if only that were true. While the toll guard was quite friendly, my encounter with Yumeko came very close to blows due to how suspicious I was, and given how she was pulling swords from nowhere and I had just come off a beating from the shadow culprit, I wonder if I would have made it out of such a fight in one piece."
> "And then there were other encounters. My inability to pay another toll to proceed through a forest resulted in an ambush from a mass of unknown assailants. A near-unmeasurable volume of danmaku was flying everywhere. It was all I could do to crest the canopy of that forest and make my escape into the sky, where I met a very territorial cloud-dwelling youkai named Sameko."

[Hello Purvis]

> Give a wry smile.
> "Oh, if only that were true. While the toll guard was quite friendly, my encounter with Yumeko came very close to blows due to how suspicious I was, and given how she was pulling swords from nowhere and I had just come off a beating from the shadow culprit, I wonder if I would have made it out of such a fight in one piece."
> "And then there were other encounters. My inability to pay another toll to proceed through a forest resulted in an ambush from a mass of unknown assailants. A near-unmeasurable volume of danmaku was flying everywhere. It was all I could do to crest the canopy of that forest and make my escape into the sky, where I met a very territorial cloud-dwelling youkai named Sameko."

>Aya nods, while writing.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Miss Sameko was very eager to forcibly eject the trespasser from her domain. She was very tough in general, and specifically quite resistant to my lightning."
> Frown.
> "A third reason why tying the culprit up with my shawl proved to be a stupid idea."
> "She was relentless in her pursuit of me, and I was still very exhausted and hurting from my encounters with both the shadow culprit and the aforementioned forest ambush, an attack for which Miss Sameko has no sympathy. I grew so desperate in my attempts to flee that I ended up headbutting her in the face, which broke her nose, then flying back down to the ground and smashing a large tree branch across her head. Admittedly not the most elegant of fighting styles, but given the circumstances, I will not be losing any sleep over it. And even after that, she remained conscious, merely dizzy and shaken enough that I was able to flee unhindered."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Miss Sameko was very eager to forcibly eject the trespasser from her domain. She was very tough in general, and specifically quite resistant to my lightning."
> Frown.
> "A third reason why tying the culprit up with my shawl proved to be a stupid idea."
> "She was relentless in her pursuit of me, and I was still very exhausted and hurting from my encounters with both the shadow culprit and the aforementioned forest ambush, an attack for which Miss Sameko has no sympathy. I grew so desperate in my attempts to flee that I ended up headbutting her in the face, which broke her nose, then flying back down to the ground and smashing a large tree branch across her head. Admittedly not the most elegant of fighting styles, but given the circumstances, I will not be losing any sleep over it. And even after that, she remained conscious, merely dizzy and shaken enough that I was able to flee unhindered."

>Aya cackles, as she writes this down. "Alright, go on."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Frown again.
> "At least someone finds these events entertaining."