(Skyseas of Gensokyo) Nazrin Quest (Part 5)

[DracoOmega]

>"Might even discover another entrance or two while you're working on the others. And even if you bring down every entrance you find, I think we both know Marisa's more than capable of making her own way in. And collapsing it behind her, as well."
>"Plus, any spider caught outside the cave will either lead you to another entrance or another cave on their way back, or be picked off along the way." Give the poltergeist another grin. "You're not bad at this, yknow."

>You run through a few possible perks to Lunasa's plan, then compliment her competency. She responds with a vaguely chafed expression to your last remark, like she isn't quite sure how to take it, but says nothing.

>"Just one thing crosses my mind, though. How'd you plan on bringing the entrances down? The one I saw, at least, didn't seem particularly unstable, and you might get rushed if the process took a while."

>"Some of them are relatively small," she says, "and if we can break through part of their ceiling, we might be able to bring down enough debris to clog them. I've been told the shovel youkai can be quite good at this. We can escort her and keep guard while she works. If Ichirin's agreeable, we can even have Unzan on hand for an emergency escape, in case we need one."

[Oldmansour]

>Do we know much, or anything all, about Chihiro's powers and/or tunnel destruction skills?

[DracoOmega]

>Do we know much, or anything all, about Chihiro's powers and/or tunnel destruction skills?

>You don't know all the specifics, but you know she's quite a bit better at digging through things than that old shovel would suggest. In fact, you've heard she was quite a menace back in the day...

[Oldmansour]

>"Having Unzan around will certainly help. I have to stop in to see Ichirin again before I hit the road, I'll mention that to her."
>Time for part two...
>"But before you start looking around for volunteers for this job, there's something else you need to know, too."
>"The spiders have a friend living with them. A female youkai."

[Hello Purvis]

>"You can see why I didn't just want to say that in front of everyone without running it past you."

[DracoOmega]

>"Having Unzan around will certainly help. I have to stop in to see Ichirin again before I hit the road, I'll mention that to her."
>Time for part two...
>"But before you start looking around for volunteers for this job, there's something else you need to know, too."
>"The spiders have a friend living with them. A female youkai."

>Lunasa nods. "I discussed the generalities with her earlier, but that would still be appreciated."
>You steel yourself mentally. This mightn't go over so well...
>The councilman lets slip another note of frustration, somewhere between a sigh and a growl. Lunasa's gaze narrows.

>"You can see why I didn't just want to say that in front of everyone without running it past you."

>"Maybe," Lunasa says, giving you a hard look. "But perhaps you should say it just the same."

[Oldmansour]

>"People are scared enough as it is, I didn't want to make things worse. That's why I wanted to tell the two of you, so you could decide if you thought the general public should know."
>"The youkai isn't in charge of the spiders, at least not as far as I could tell. She claimed to be their friend, at least as much as someone can be friends with animals. If I had to guess, she probably gets on with them about as well as I get on with mice; I can talk to them, but they don't always listen. Spiders might actually listen even less, they're more aggressive and predatorial than mice."

[Hello Purvis]

>"But they might not, it's hard to tell. The thing is...she's strange. And very wild in a lot of ways. But not so much in others."

[DracoOmega]

>"People are scared enough as it is, I didn't want to make things worse. That's why I wanted to tell the two of you, so you could decide if you thought the general public should know."
>"The youkai isn't in charge of the spiders, at least not as far as I could tell. She claimed to be their friend, at least as much as someone can be friends with animals. If I had to guess, she probably gets on with them about as well as I get on with mice; I can talk to them, but they don't always listen. Spiders might actually listen even less, they're more aggressive and predatorial than mice."

>"But they might not, it's hard to tell. The thing is...she's strange. And very wild in a lot of ways. But not so much in others."

>"Well, this is just wonderful," the councilman gripes, looking up at the ceiling and shaking his head.
>Lunasa continues to hold her eyes on you. "She was responsible for what happened to you, wasn't she?"

[Hello Purvis]

>Nod.
>"And I was responsible for a lot of what happened to her. She's missing some feet, at least for awhile..."

[DracoOmega]

>Nod.
>"And I was responsible for a lot of what happened to her. She's missing some feet, at least for awhile..."

>Lunasa's expression remains fixed. "Still... How did she do what she did?"

[Oldmansour]

>Do you know about the blight, then, Lunasa? Well, let's assume you don't. For now.
>Fill the two of them in on everything we know the youkai can do, outside of the toxic cloud.
>"But I still gave as good as got, or more. At the start of our last encounter, she had 8 limbs. Now she's down to about seven and a half. And when last I saw her, she had a slash running the length of her body that I doubt will heal any time soon, a hole in her shoulder, and a knife in her belly. Sounds bad, I know, but she was trying to do worse to me."
>"I couldn't guess about her healing powers, but I'm willing to bet she won't be threatening anyone any time soon. That said, however, if she HAS recovered enough to come near the surface, she's worse than any spider I've encountered. If she catches you while you're working on the cave entrances, she might be able to give you a very bad day. You'll have to keep an eye out for her as much as for anything with eight legs."

[Hello Purvis]

>Before that, let's have a little frustration:
>"I don't know. I don't know how she did half the things she did. She could see without light. She could toss webbing, never seemed to run out..."
>Sigh.

[DracoOmega]

>Before that, let's have a little frustration:
>"I don't know. I don't know how she did half the things she did. She could see without light. She could toss webbing, never seemed to run out..."
>Sigh.

>You allow yourself a little griping about your encounter with the spider youkai, then sigh.

>Do you know about the blight, then, Lunasa? Well, let's assume you don't. For now.
>Fill the two of them in on everything we know the youkai can do, outside of the toxic cloud.
>"But I still gave as good as got, or more. At the start of our last encounter, she had 8 limbs. Now she's down to about seven and a half. And when last I saw her, she had a slash running the length of her body that I doubt will heal any time soon, a hole in her shoulder, and a knife in her belly. Sounds bad, I know, but she was trying to do worse to me."
>"I couldn't guess about her healing powers, but I'm willing to bet she won't be threatening anyone any time soon. That said, however, if she HAS recovered enough to come near the surface, she's worse than any spider I've encountered. If she catches you while you're working on the cave entrances, she might be able to give you a very bad day. You'll have to keep an eye out for her as much as for anything with eight legs."

>Then you fill them in on as many details about her abilities as you can think of, outside from the cloud of miasma: her eyesight, wall-climbing, capacity to manifest arachnid limbs, and all the various tricks of webbing that you saw her perform.
>The councilman grows increasingly dour as you expound on your encounter, sometimes pausing to sigh or grump. Lunasa keeps nearly the same severe look the entire while, listening with razor focus.
>"And your illness?" she asks, once you finish.

[Oldmansour]

>A small breath of air for a sigh.
>"She told you."

[DracoOmega]

>A small breath of air for a sigh.
>"She told you."

>Lunasa frowns slightly. "You were burning with fever when we found you. It was clear how serious it was, given how it was being treated."
>"I'd say just about everyone's heard that much by now," the councilman says, giving you something of an odd look. "Ichirin had someone rush to Braston for a doctor that very evening."

[Oldmansour]

>"She mentioned that. I just..."
>Take a moment, look away from them.
>"I didn't... want to- Yknow, just anounce it." Clench our fist slowly. "I'm dealing as best as I can."
>Look back at the two of them. "But yeah. She did that, too. Least I'm pretty sure she did. Big damn black cloud while I was trapped in a dead end."

[DracoOmega]

>"She mentioned that. I just..."
>Take a moment, look away from them.
>"I didn't... want to- Yknow, just anounce it." Clench our fist slowly. "I'm dealing as best as I can."
>Look back at the two of them. "But yeah. She did that, too. Least I'm pretty sure she did. Big damn black cloud while I was trapped in a dead end."

>You take a moment and turn away, trying to steady the emotions you feel rising in you again as you think about your condition. The meeting may have been a good distraction, but nothing's really changed, has it?
>The councilman gives you a rather confused look as you turn back. Lunasa's eyes narrow slightly. Then you mention the black haze you were forced to breathe.
>"Can you describe it a little more?" Lunasa asks, still a lingering something in her eyes. "Size, density, any warning signs?"

[Oldmansour]

>Describe as best we can the cloud that came after us, including as near an approximation as we can get on its size.
>"I'd managed to put a little distance between me and her before she unleashed it, so I'm not sure if she has to do any gestures, or spells, or anything like that. I smelled it coming before anything else."

[DracoOmega]

>Describe as best we can the cloud that came after us, including as near an approximation as we can get on its size.
>"I'd managed to put a little distance between me and her before she unleashed it, so I'm not sure if she has to do any gestures, or spells, or anything like that. I smelled it coming before anything else."

>You describe the cloud as best you can, from what you witnessed.
>"You would have an advantage in that over us," Lunasa says. "But it should hopefully be less effective out in the open. My sisters and I should be safe from any disease it carries, regardless, but I'll need to ask Chihiro if she's willing to accept the risk."
>"And what about everyone else?" the councilman says sternly. Lunasa frowns and furrows her brow.

[Oldmansour]

>Are the Prismrivers disease-proof, do we know?
>"The main problem I had with the cloud was that I was trapped at the time. Outside the cave, that shouldn't be an issue. And I don't think it moved that fast either, but even if it does, provided you've got eyes on the cave, you'll be able to see it coming. Plus, like Lunasa said, it might not be as effective in open air. I was underground, in an enclosed cave with no air flow, cloud had nowhere to go but pool around me and stagnate. That won't be the case outside the caves."
>Never have we wished so much we'd turned left.

[DracoOmega]

>Are the Prismrivers disease-proof, do we know?
>"The main problem I had with the cloud was that I was trapped at the time. Outside the cave, that shouldn't be an issue. And I don't think it moved that fast either, but even if it does, provided you've got eyes on the cave, you'll be able to see it coming. Plus, like Lunasa said, it might not be as effective in open air. I was underground, in an enclosed cave with no air flow, cloud had nowhere to go but pool around me and stagnate. That won't be the case outside the caves."
>Never have we wished so much we'd turned left.

>You're fairly certain that poltergeists don't get sick. Then again, this disease is born of something supernatural; you don't know if that would change the rules a little or not.
>"Perhaps so..." Lunasa says.
>"We've got warn them, just the same," the councilman says. "So they know to stay the hell away from it." Lunasa frowns uncertainly.
>Oh bloody hell... When you think of in those terms, you almost want to scream at the sheer arbitrariness. How easy would it have been to go the other way? How little different would your footsteps have been? And yet... Never have you seen the stakes of a single simple choice writ in such stark relief: left, life; right, death.

[Hello Purvis]

>"That's the trick. I don't know what all she's capable of. "

[DracoOmega]

>"That's the trick. I don't know what all she's capable of. "

>"What does that matter?" he says. "Only makes her more dangerous, if anything. We can't keep this from them. Someone could end up dead out there if they don't know any better."

[Oldmansour]

>"That's your decision to make, counsilor. I knew I had to tell someone, but I wasn't sure dropping it in a room full of people was a keen idea. 's why I wanted to inform you and my fellow Seeker here first."

[DracoOmega]

>"That's your decision to make, counsilor. I knew I had to tell someone, but I wasn't sure dropping it in a room full of people was a keen idea. 's why I wanted to inform you and my fellow Seeker here first."

>The councilman rubs a hand across his forehead and sighs.
>"Do you think she'll act aggressive towards the village?" Lunasa asks. "I understand you expect she's still injured, but let's assume she recovers quickly. What then?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Then it's hard to tell. She's knows we're aware of her, and that we can take on spiders when we need to. She's also knows if she pushes too much, we'll strike back. I honestly don't know how hard she'll choose to push back; she didn't seem to believe me when I told her these things..."

[Oldmansour]

>Take a moment to gather our thoughts on that one.
>"I... don't think so."
>"She wasn't the most informative of sources, but I had the impression that she would have been just as happy never to have seen a human. According to her, the only reason the spiders even went after the cows is because their previous food source, whatever that was, was all gone. She doesn't like surface-dwellers, by any stretch, but I don't think she'll come out of that cave as things stand now. Especially if she's hurt as bad as I think she is."
>"But she does have a grudge against me. To her, I invaded her home and murdered her friends. I don't think she'll come after the village unless someone goes as far as I did. And if, somehow, she finds out I'm still alive, she may well come to the village looking for me to finish the job. That's another part of the reason I wanted to leave sooner rather than later. If she DOES come after me, I don't want her here when she does."

[DracoOmega]

>"Then it's hard to tell. She's knows we're aware of her, and that we can take on spiders when we need to. She's also knows if she pushes too much, we'll strike back. I honestly don't know how hard she'll choose to push back; she didn't seem to believe me when I told her these things..."

>"Unfortunate," Lunasa says.

>Take a moment to gather our thoughts on that one.
>"I... don't think so."
>"She wasn't the most informative of sources, but I had the impression that she would have been just as happy never to have seen a human. According to her, the only reason the spiders even went after the cows is because their previous food source, whatever that was, was all gone. She doesn't like surface-dwellers, by any stretch, but I don't think she'll come out of that cave as things stand now. Especially if she's hurt as bad as I think she is."
>"But she does have a grudge against me. To her, I invaded her home and murdered her friends. I don't think she'll come after the village unless someone goes as far as I did. And if, somehow, she finds out I'm still alive, she may well come to the village looking for me to finish the job. That's another part of the reason I wanted to leave sooner rather than later. If she DOES come after me, I don't want her here when she does."

>Then you pause and ponder the question more deeply.
>"A noble sentiment," Lunasa says. "If that's the case, I hope she's intelligent enough to tell the difference. Or that she doesn't simply wish to do to you what she feels you did to her. If she sees this as your home..."
>The councilman shakes his head. "This just keeps getting better..."
>"This does change things," Lunasa continues. "The spiders are more predictable, or at least they seem driven by instincts we can understand. This youkai on the other hand... whatever your feelings about what she'll do, she's a wild element."
>"Meaning?"
>"I think, at the least, we need to be even more vigilant than before," she replies. "There's only a few people in town who can face even an injured youkai of her rank, and we can't be everywhere at once. We may need to come up with a better sort of early warning system..." She frowns grimly, eyes drifting into thought.

[Hello Purvis]

>"What is your system like, now?"