Murasa Quest - A Z-Machine Adventure

[Hello Purvis]

>Swim toward the surface.

>You swim upward. Higher and higher, but you cannot see anything that looks like the surface of the water.
>Suddenly everything is dry and bright. You see the blue sky above you, slightly cloudy. The air has the coolness of mid autumn, and you can hear the sounds of human town around you distantly. Looking around, you see to be on the roof of the Myouren Temple. There's Shou, adjusting that statue, and further away is Kyouko, who seems to be shouldering her broom.

>_

[Neovereign]

> Is that feeling still present?

[Hello Purvis]

> Is that feeling still present?

>Yes.

>_

[Neovereign]

> Are we still barefoot?

[Thata no Guykoro]

>Explore the roof. Is there an entrance from the roof directly back into the temple?

[Hello Purvis]

> Are we still barefoot?

>No, but you do have your house slippers on. You would really like to get your shoes back before you leave...

>Explore the roof. Is there an entrance from the roof directly back into the temple?

>The roof is just that, a roof. It used to be the deck of the Palanquin Ship, until a roof was built over the whole thing.  There isn't a way down directly; no one saw the need for trap doors when most people can just float down to the ground again.

>_

[Yaersulf]

>Fly down to the entrance and head once more to where Byakuren is, hurrying this time.

[Hello Purvis]

>Fly down to the entrance and head once more to where Byakuren is, hurrying this time.

>You fly back inside. getting a curious look from Shou, and hurry around to the meditation rooms. Normally you shouldn't rush about the shrine like this, but you don't feel particularly guilty right now!
>You make there, a row of a dozen or little rooms, about the size of a decent closet. All but one have their doors hanging opening.

>_

[Yaersulf]

>Knock lightly on the closed door.
>"I'm sorry to interrupt Byakuren, but I need to talk to you."

[Hello Purvis]

>Knock lightly on the closed door.
>"I'm sorry to interrupt Byakuren, but I need to talk to you."

>"Come on in," she says.

>_

[Thata no Guykoro]

>Enter the room.
>"Has anything... strange happened in the temple recently?"

[Hello Purvis]

>Enter the room.
>"Has anything... strange happened in the temple recently?"

>You walk into the meditation room. It is, as mentioned, about the size of a large closet. And byakuren, being Byakuren, occupies most of it, just barely having space to take a proper position. She frowns slightly as you speak. "No, not that I know of," she says. "Why do you ask, Minamitsu?"

>_

[Serela]

>"I've had this terrible feeling today. Then, when I was walking through the temple... suddenly, it was gone, and I was underwater, with seaweed around my legs! I swam up... and just as suddenly, the water was gone, but now I was on the roof of the temple."

[Hello Purvis]

>"I've had this terrible feeling today. Then, when I was walking through the temple... suddenly, it was gone, and I was underwater, with seaweed around my legs! I swam up... and just as suddenly, the water was gone, but now I was on the roof of the temple."

>Byakuren's concerned frown deepens. "Oh my... Are you alright?"

>_

[Yaersulf]

>"I'm not hurt if that's what you mean. But something's not right... and it's got me worried."

[Thata no Guykoro]

>"Has anyone else mentioned anything happening to them, or is it just me?"
>To doublecheck: we entered the temple through the same path both times (when we were submerged and when we reached Byakuren), correct?

[Hello Purvis]

>"I'm not hurt if that's what you mean. But something's not right... and it's got me worried."

>"Good, I was worried for a moment," she says, her frown relaxing just a little before she lets you continue.

>"Has anyone else mentioned anything happening to them, or is it just me?"
>To doublecheck: we entered the temple through the same path both times (when we were submerged and when we reached Byakuren), correct?

>"No one else has mentioned anything like this to me," Byakuren says.
>You took the same path both times. In retrospect that might have been unwise, but you were in a hurry, and nothing bad happened in the end...
>"Hmm, Minamitsu, let me take a closer look at you," she says, as she leans forward, and reaches toward you.

>_

[Thata no Guykoro]

>"Yes, Hijiri."
>Maybe an outside perspective can see something we can't see ourselves.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Yes, Hijiri."
>Maybe an outside perspective can see something we can't see ourselves.

>She leans forward and runs her big fingers through your hair.
>"Hmm. Your hair seems to have just a bit more curl to it," she says. "As if you had gotten out of the bath, but somehow dried it instantly."

>_

[Serela]

>"...it's like I was really there, somehow. It's not as though I could have just floated through the ceiling to reach the roof normally, either."

[Hello Purvis]

>"...it's like I was really there, somehow. It's not as though I could have just floated through the ceiling to reach the roof normally, either."

>"How very strange," says Byakuren, as she draws back out of your personal space. "I don't think this is anything within my realm of expertise. Perhaps you fell through a hole in the barrier? Ah but no, I am sure miss Yakumo and others would be here if that were the case..."

>_

[Thata no Guykoro]

>"Could we walk together, and see if it happens again?"
>If Byakuren agrees, walk throughout the temple with her. Do we suddenly end up underwater?

[Hello Purvis]

>"Could we walk together, and see if it happens again?"
>If Byakuren agrees, walk throughout the temple with her. Do we suddenly end up underwater?

>She nods. "Of course, Minamitsu."
>Byakuren extras herself from the meditation room, and the two of you walk around the temple together. Nothing unusual seems to happen, particularly when you've reached the spot where it happened before. You still feel on edge like before, but nothing is happening.
>"I'm not finding anything unusual," she says, looking around idly. "Are you?"

>_

[Neovereign]

> "Not just yet, no... Just that weird feeling sticking with nothing to lead towards what it may be. Maybe I'll  try to get an eyewitness to see what happens from the outside next time..."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Not just yet, no... Just that weird feeling sticking with nothing to lead towards what it may be. Maybe I'll  try to get an eyewitness to see what happens from the outside next time..."

>"Was there anyone who might have seen it?" says Byakuren. "I don't think anyone was around here..."

>_

[Thata no Guykoro]

>"Shou was outside the temple, but I'm not sure she could have actually seen it..."
>Since we're in the exact spot, look closely at the floor, the ceiling, the walls, the everything. Does anything stand out as abnormal to us?

[Hello Purvis]

>"Shou was outside the temple, but I'm not sure she could have actually seen it..."
>Since we're in the exact spot, look closely at the floor, the ceiling, the walls, the everything. Does anything stand out as abnormal to us?

>"No, I doubt Shou would have seen anything," says Byakuren.
>Nothing seems odd or out of place at all.

>_

[Thata no Guykoro]

>"...I don't think I'll be able to find out anything right now. I could use some fresh air - would you like to go outside with me?"
>Whatever she says, exit the temple and clear our head. Maybe that'll help give us some new ideas, or at least alternate ways to deal with our bad feeling.

[Hello Purvis]

>"...I don't think I'll be able to find out anything right now. I could use some fresh air - would you like to go outside with me?"
>Whatever she says, exit the temple and clear our head. Maybe that'll help give us some new ideas, or at least alternate ways to deal with our bad feeling.

>"Of course I'll come with you," Byakuren says.
>Heading outside, you see that Kyouko is gone; she probably went inside while you were speaking to Bykauren, and Shou is considering the statue again. She seems pleased. The air certainly doesn't hurt, but you still have that feeling.
>"Any better?" Byakuren says.

>_

[Thata no Guykoro]

>"Not really... the feeling's still there, and I don't know why."
>Go over and greet Shou to see why she's considering the statue so much.