(Skyseas of Gensokyo) Nazrin Quest (Part 5)

[Oldmansour]

>Can't leave town until we see Marisa anyway, or at least if she's coming back soon.
>"Yeah, I'll be in town for a while yet, tomorrow'll be fine."
>"Just one more thing, outta curiousity. You haven't seen Marisa around town today, have you?"

[DracoOmega]

>Can't leave town until we see Marisa anyway, or at least if she's coming back soon.
>"Yeah, I'll be in town for a while yet, tomorrow'll be fine."
>"Just one more thing, outta curiousity. You haven't seen Marisa around town today, have you?"

>Yuugi nods. "Just let me get some measurements." She turns and walks over to one of the tool benches.
>"Marisa?" she asks, grabbing a measuring tool from among the neatly-arrayed equipment. "Marisa... Oh, wait, you mean that loose canon of a witch with your gang? Rides a broom like a bloody rocket?"

[Oldmansour]

>"That's the one."
>Extend the sword out from us to let her measure it.
>"Bit of a distinctive figure, isn't she. I've been trying to track her down since I got back to town."

[Hanzo K.]

>"Been looking for her to have her help out with the whole spider business."
>"See, I figure that the only way that Youkai who's leading the spiders will sit down, shut up, and listen, is to really let her have it."
>"And the way I'm seeing it, Marisa's one of the best for the job because of all those explosions she's good at causing."
>Nod.
>"See, she wouldn't listen to words, so the only other option is to beat it into her. Something I'd wager you know all about doing eh?"

[Hello Purvis]

>Do we know of any spelunker types around town?

[Oldmansour]

>"Been looking for her to have her help out with the whole spider business."
>"See, I figure that the only way that Youkai who's leading the spiders will sit down, shut up, and listen, is to really let her have it."
>"And the way I'm seeing it, Marisa's one of the best for the job because of all those explosions she's good at causing."
>Nod.
>"See, she wouldn't listen to words, so the only other option is to beat it into her. Something I'd wager you know all about doing eh?"

>Let's not put it quite this way. We still don't know that the youkai was in charge, only that she was living down there. Instead, let's say,
>"I've got some unfinished business with those spiders and that youkai back in Easthaven, but I need a bigger gun to handle it. Especially since I'm... Well, like this. And Marisa's gotta be the biggest gun this side of the Wild Lands, or damn near it. If I can find her, she handle both those issues maybe in one blast, and I can focus on getting myself fixed up."
>Smirk. "And then I can gloat to that youkai when I see her next."

[DracoOmega]

>"That's the one."
>Extend the sword out from us to let her measure it.
>"Bit of a distinctive figure, isn't she. I've been trying to track her down since I got back to town."

>You extend the sword, and Yuugi starts to measure the length, thickness, and curvature.
>"Bloody maniac," she says, then chuckles lightly. "Can't say I've seen her lately, though."

>Do we know of any spelunker types around town?

>There's certainly plenty of miners, and you know that some of the mines run quite deep, but you're not immediately familiar with anyone who goes caving for pleasure.

>"I've got some unfinished business with those spiders and that youkai back in Easthaven, but I need a bigger gun to handle it. Especially since I'm... Well, like this. And Marisa's gotta be the biggest gun this side of the Wild Lands, or damn near it. If I can find her, she handle both those issues maybe in one blast, and I can focus on getting myself fixed up."
>Smirk. "And then I can gloat to that youkai when I see her next."

>"Huh. Out in Easthaven?" She frowns a little. "How many of them are there?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Youkai? Only one. Spiders? That's a little less certain. I wasn't down in their cave long enough to do a head count. Or thorax count, or whatever the hell you count on a spider, but I can promise you this. I killed a dozen, but there's plenty more where they came from. Folks out there had a plan to at least keep em contained, but Marisa' our guarantee they don't threaten the place again. And she can get the youkai outta there without blowing her to kingdom come in the process."
>"That is, of course, if I can track her down soon. If I can't find her by sometime tomorrow, I'll have to start looking for alternatives."

[DracoOmega]

>"Youkai? Only one. Spiders? That's a little less certain. I wasn't down in their cave long enough to do a head count. Or thorax count, or whatever the hell you count on a spider, but I can promise you this. I killed a dozen, but there's plenty more where they came from. Folks out there had a plan to at least keep em contained, but Marisa' our guarantee they don't threaten the place again. And she can get the youkai outta there without blowing her to kingdom come in the process."
>"That is, of course, if I can track her down soon. If I can't find her by sometime tomorrow, I'll have to start looking for alternatives."

>"Huh." Yuugi slowly nods. "Well, if I hear sight of her, I'll pass it along."

[Oldmansour]

>"'ppreciate it."
>There's a thought...
>"And speaking of alternatives... you and your Miners. You ever take on... extraciriccular jobs?"

[DracoOmega]

>"'ppreciate it."
>There's a thought...
>"And speaking of alternatives... you and your Miners. You ever take on... extraciriccular jobs?"

>She nods.
>"Like what?" she asks, fixing you with a neutral yet somehow dubious-looking stare.

[Oldmansour]

>"I figure, if I can't find Marisa, a few strong oni'd be good place to turn. Can't be many on this contintent who know being underground as well as your and your guildmates."

[DracoOmega]

>"I figure, if I can't find Marisa, a few strong oni'd be good place to turn. Can't be many on this contintent who know being underground as well as your and your guildmates."

>"Eh, might get a few volunteers," she says.

[Oldmansour]

>Not the resounding confirmation we might have hoped for, but a foot in the door is a foot in the door.
>Wait till she's done measuring.

[DracoOmega]

>Not the resounding confirmation we might have hoped for, but a foot in the door is a foot in the door.
>Wait till she's done measuring.

>It's not a no, at the very least.
>She finishes up the measurements, and nods to you. "That'll do it," she says.

[Oldmansour]

That spelunking question reminded me of something, Purvis.

>Do we know of any places in town to get decent prices on good quality 'underground' gear? Grappling hooks, rope, light sources, that sort of thing. See if we can avoid having to Macgyver improvise torches next time.
>If we do not, ask Yuugi about it.

[DracoOmega]

>Do we know of any places in town to get decent prices on good quality 'underground' gear? Grappling hooks, rope, light sources, that sort of thing. See if we can avoid having to Macgyver improvise torches next time.
>If we do not, ask Yuugi about it.

>You know several places that deal in general supplies such as these, including at least two that the Seeker's Guild has brokered provisioning contracts with in past, largely for gear used in apprentice training, but also for supplies used in the general upkeep and running of the place. One in particular offers a modest ongoing discount to Seekers. It's possible the more esoteric or very highest quality mining gear might require specialist sources that Yuugi would be more familiar with, but you can certainly obtain those items on your own steam.

[Oldmansour]

>"Well, still got at least one more stop to make tonight, so I'd best be on my way. Was a pleasure, Yuugi. Be seein' ya... bout what time tomorrow should I stop by for that sheathe?"

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, still got at least one more stop to make tonight, so I'd best be on my way. Was a pleasure, Yuugi. Be seein' ya... bout what time tomorrow should I stop by for that sheathe?"

>Her brow creases. "Uh... let's say afternoonish. Oh, and about this curse business. You find someone who needs leaning on, you let me know, eh? Hate to see someone with guts go down to something like this, y'know?"

[Oldmansour]

>Extend our free hand to the oni for a handshake.
>"I appreciate that, Yuugi. You'll be my first call."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Don't spread word about this just yet, though. I want to try to keep it under control, and arrive at an understanding with that youkai, whether I have to beat it into her head with a rock or not. You'll probably know when it's a good time to let the word out."
>Pause for a moment.
>"Your mining and caving friends, they wouldn't happen to keep maps, would they?"

[DracoOmega]

>Extend our free hand to the oni for a handshake.
>"I appreciate that, Yuugi. You'll be my first call."

>You extend your hand to Yuugi and she all but envelopes it in one of her own, squeezing vice-like.
>She flashes you a fierce grin. "You show that curse who's boss now, ya hear?"

>"Don't spread word about this just yet, though. I want to try to keep it under control, and arrive at an understanding with that youkai, whether I have to beat it into her head with a rock or not. You'll probably know when it's a good time to let the word out."
>Pause for a moment.
>"Your mining and caving friends, they wouldn't happen to keep maps, would they?"

>"Got it," she says.
>She screws up her face a little. "'course we got maps," she says. "What kinda operation you think we're running?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, every organization has it's secrets. Do you have anything within a day's walk of Easthaven?"

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, every organization has it's secrets. Do you have anything within a day's walk of Easthaven?"

>"Most of the island's within a day's walk of Easthaven," she says. "You lookin' for something specific?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"The forest to the <proper compass direction for the spider house> of Easthaven. We'll go from there."

[DracoOmega]

>"The forest to the <proper compass direction for the spider house> of Easthaven. We'll go from there."

>The forest itself spreads across the full north of Easthaven and continues for an uncertain distance both north and west. The spider caverns were among the hills to the northeast, however.
>"Nah, no mines up that way," she says, shaking her head. "Easthaven's got dibs on most of the land for a mile or two out. Don't wanna be tearing up the ground too close to the breadbasket, yeah? Not like anyone's found anything out there worth the trouble of digging it, anyhow," she mutters, then pauses a moment. "Actually... sounds like it'd be gettin' pretty close to the edge out there, either way. Mining near one of those is a right bugger. Botch the survey just a bit and you can break a dig clear through."

[Oldmansour]

>In all the times we were around there, did we pick up any sense of precious metals or minerals other than the sword?

[DracoOmega]

>In all the times we were around there, did we pick up any sense of precious metals or minerals other than the sword?

>You did get a vague sense what you believe may have been a silver vein on your way out of the caves, but didn't take the time to investigate closer; you were already feeling deeply exhausted from your struggle and brewing illness. It would be difficult for you to estimate its value or accessibility from what you can recall of it, though in general the rock there was not appreciably rich in valuable minerals.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Hm. What would be the closest activity to that area?"

[Oldmansour]

>Make a mental note of that silver vein anyway, might be worth investigating a little more once we get rid of this blight and the spider affair is settled once and for all. And if it is, might be worth selling the info to Yuugi.