Maribel Quest - A Z-Machine Adventure

[Hello Purvis]

Well, that explains things. Not that Maribel understands. Which is slightly strange to deal with.

>"Hmm, that's interesting. Well, as long as you're working again, Reimu should be satisfied."

>"Yeah, I'll get to it in a few minutes," she says, standing up and stretching. "Not like this lot is going to get any deader."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "This whole river was an ocean? That seems...unlikely. Anything else weird happen? And how is Reimu 'back'?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "This whole river was an ocean? That seems...unlikely. Anything else weird happen? And how is Reimu 'back'?"

>"No, not the river," says Komachi. She gestures south again. "That. It was gone for months. Got replaced by an ocean. Or maybe a sea? I dunno, it was salt water and had fish. The Enma flipped her shit. But really, I think she was grateful for the vacation in her heart. We went fishing a few times. Now it's back."

>_

[Serela]

>"I bet that has to do with the incident that happened with those sort-of-dreams... I'd explain it to you better, but I don't much about it myself either."

lakdhfa I wish we were Utsuho so we could explain

[Hello Purvis]

>"I bet that has to do with the incident that happened with those sort-of-dreams... I'd explain it to you better, but I don't much about it myself either."

>"Well, it's no big deal," says Komachi. "I got to see what sharks these days look like, and it's all fixed. The Enma will be happy about that."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, I guess if that's all straightened away, I can head off now. I can let Reimu know what happened."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, I guess if that's all straightened away, I can head off now. I can let Reimu know what happened."

>"Oh, don't want to hang out and talk for a bit," says Komachi. "I don't get many visitors up here except for the dead and the occasional peddler."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, I suppose I could. I'm Maribel, by the way. It's nice to meet you."
>"And is this.... is this really the river of the dead?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, I suppose I could. I'm Maribel, by the way. It's nice to meet you."
>"And is this.... is this really the river of the dead?"

>"Komachi," she replies. "Pleased to meet you."
>"Sure is! Higan's on the other side. That's where the Enmas and the afterlife portions of the Celestial Bureaucracy live and work."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"And do the dead from everywhere pass by this way? Or just Gensokyo's?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"And do the dead from everywhere pass by this way? Or just Gensokyo's?"

>"Not everywhere, but a lot of places," says Komachi. "It really jammed things up when Gensokyo popped off for a vacation. Mind you, we were getting it fixed. Even had a mind to call it the Dead Sea. But looks like things are back in order."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Getting it fixed? You mean Gensokyo itself? Or just the whole 'ferrying the dead' system?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Getting it fixed? You mean Gensokyo itself? Or just the whole 'ferrying the dead' system?"

>"Jiggering the system so instead of the dead moving through Gensokyo, they'd move through that ocean," says Komachi. "You know, I kinda miss it, now."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"You sure you don't just miss the vacation?"

>"And I suppose if you didn't even realize Gensokyo was back until now, then you haven't heard anything else of note around here lately, either. Not that it would need to be new to be new to me, of course..."

[Hello Purvis]

>"You sure you don't just miss the vacation?"

>"And I suppose if you didn't even realize Gensokyo was back until now, then you haven't heard anything else of note around here lately, either. Not that it would need to be new to be new to me, of course..."

>"Well, yeah. But the ocean was pretty, too. Thought about hauling my boat over onto it, but it was a little rough for that."
>"Not really," She says. "I don't get much news out here. But new to you, you say? You one of those hermit sorts?"

[DracoOmega]

>"No, not exactly. I'm just... a new arrival in Gensokyo. I woke up here this morning. I'm from the outside world."

[Hello Purvis]

>"No, not exactly. I'm just... a new arrival in Gensokyo. I woke up here this morning. I'm from the outside world."

>"Oh, I couldn't tell," she says. "Well, might have seen her on the way up here, but in case you didn't, watch out for that doll on the nameless mound. She's full of poison. I dunno if she's calmed down, but she used to have some real issues. The whole hill is full of Lilies of the Valley, so you wanna be careful there."

[DracoOmega]

>"Yeah, I think I might have seen her. And, yeah, maybe I should just give the place a wide berth for the time-being... Any other tips you might have for a newcomer? Any other interesting places in the general vicinity?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Yeah, I think I might have seen her. And, yeah, maybe I should just give the place a wide berth for the time-being... Any other tips you might have for a newcomer? Any other interesting places in the general vicinity?"

>"Well, I can't imagine people haven't already warned you about Yuka and the Garden of the Sun. Oh, to the south of that somewhere is a hidden Lunar Rabbit Base that no one uses anymore. And that woods yonder?" She points toward the forest where the road ends. "Sometimes the departed leave their old things in there. Well, actually it's really rare, but so many come through, you know, that it piles up. Figuratively speaking."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Yeah, it seems that everyone decides to warn me about Yuka. I'm thinking I'll be best off if I never meet her, actually."
>"And is it ok to just pick up the dead's things? Isn't that somehow disrespectful?"
>"Lunar rabbits?"

[Hello Purvis]

>Yeah, it seems that everyone decides to warn me about Yuka. I'm thinking I'll be best off if I never meet her, actually."
>"And is it ok to just pick up the dead's things? Isn't that somehow disrespectful?"
>"Lunar rabbits?"

>"She's just terribly powerful, and also a little tricky to deal with." says Komachi, shrugging.
>"They tossed them aside. Just don't get greedy, and you'll be alright."
>"Yep. They were doing some invasion back in the winter, I think."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Is the lunar part literal? As, in an invasion of rabbits from the actual moon?"
>"While I'm at it, I don't suppose you have any idea where I could find a geode?"
>"And I suppose I ought to let you get back to work. Not much point in coming here to get you to speed up, only to keep you from getting started."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Is the lunar part literal? As, in an invasion of rabbits from the actual moon?"
>"While I'm at it, I don't suppose you have any idea where I could find a geode?"
>"And I suppose I ought to let you get back to work. Not much point in coming here to get you to speed up, only to keep you from getting started."

>"Yep, that's the one," she says.
>"One of those rock things? Maybe at Kourindou, or underground."
>"I suppose so," she says. She makes a gesture with her hand, and suddenly there is a scythe with a wavy blade on it. "Alright, you lot! Service will resume in five minutes! When the time comes I want an orderly queue to the right! Cutting in line will net you bad karma, and the Enma will know!
>You cannot see who or what she is barking order to.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, it was nice meeting you, Komachi. Have a nice day!"
>Wave farewell and walk back towards the forest. May as well see if there's anything interesting in there.

[Dizzy H. "Muffin" Muffin]

> Be grateful that you cannot see who or what she is talking to.

[Hello Purvis]

> Be grateful that you cannot see who or what she is talking to.

>You think you can go without it for right now.

>"Well, it was nice meeting you, Komachi. Have a nice day!"
>Wave farewell and walk back towards the forest. May as well see if there's anything interesting in there.

>"You too!" She says, as you depart.
>You head toward the forest, passing through a field filled with flowers. Having a closer look at it, you're starting to wonder about this field. You're pretty sure some of these flowers shouldn't be blooming this late. Still, it is quiet, and no faeries are around to attack you at random.
>After a little walk, you reach the edge of the woods. Unlike the Forest of Magic, and the one near Reimu's shrine, this woods isn't very thick at all. The lack of a path shouldn't present any problem. It rather reminds you of a park left to grow out a little bit. However, there is a great deal of moss around, covering everything and hanging from the tree branches in thick curtains. It is also very quiet, rather like the Underground. Obvious exits are North, South, East, and West.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Go east

[Hello Purvis]

>Go east

>You pick your way eastward.
>The forest is a little darker here; more curtains of moss hang from the trees, and the ground is a little more damp. There is a large, flat rock here, covered with moss.  Leaning against it is an old wooden cane, hooked on one end. Obvious exits are South and West.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Pick up the cane and examine it. Does it seem in any way unusual?

[Hello Purvis]

>Pick up the cane and examine it. Does it seem in any way unusual?

>You pick up the cane.
>There doesn't seem to be anything unusual about it, it seem like an accessory you would expect a mannerly highbrow or dapper swain to carry. It is rather solidly designed.

>_