Keine Quest (Part 4): Broken History

[DracoOmega]

>"Unfortunately, no. I need to see her for myself, so that I can assure her family she isn't being harmed. And, you need to see her, too. There is no reason why we should delay either thing."

>"I have already given you my word that she is not being harmed. It is your right to refuse to believe this, of course, but I do not speak falsely. You are hardly in a position to be asking for favors after all this."

[Hello Purvis]

>"And you are hardly in a place to ask others to trust your word about this issue. I need to see her. And so do you. There is no reason why we cannot. Let's both go, you can make certain I don't try anything foolhardy."

[DracoOmega]

>"And you are hardly in a place to ask others to trust your word about this issue. I need to see her. And so do you. There is no reason why we cannot. Let's both go, you can make certain I don't try anything foolhardy."

>"If I refuse, you will remain convinced I'm too ashamed to let you see her. If I accept, you will undoubtedly be dissatisfied with what you see, no matter her condition; you've made that much clear. And nothing you say or do will convince me to change my mind. So I fail to see what can be accomplished by this."

[Hello Purvis]

>"If I am going to be dissatisfied, then you are lying about her conditions. And honestly, you don't even know what her conditions are, you know next to nothing about her. This is why I say you need to see her. We should go, right now. There is nothing to be gained from delaying except prolonging her suffering."

[DracoOmega]

>"If I am going to be dissatisfied, then you are lying about her conditions. And honestly, you don't even know what her conditions are, you know next to nothing about her. This is why I say you need to see her. We should go, right now. There is nothing to be gained from delaying except prolonging her suffering."

>"I... will consider what you say. But I see no way she could convince me she's trustworthy. And if there is even a chance she could turn around to harm others, I will never release her. It seems a futile exercise."

[Hello Purvis]

>"So why aren't you confined? You've harmed others. Or does the Suwa War not count? You claimed to bear her no malice. Then you should have an interest in minimizing her suffering and encouraging her to reform. In particular, let us go see her and see what can be done right now to minimize her suffering."

[DracoOmega]

>"So why aren't you confined? You've harmed others. Or does the Suwa War not count? You claimed to bear her no malice. Then you should have an interest in minimizing her suffering and encouraging her to reform. In particular, let us go see her and see what can be done right now to minimize her suffering."

>"I have never harmed another out of anger, or a genuine desire to inflict suffering and destruction. Force is sometimes necessary as a means to accomplish other ends, but force for its own sake is never justifiable. Do you truly think one such as her is capable of reforming? A desire to willfully harm is a poison rooted deeply in one's soul. It's not the sort of thing one can move on from as though nothing ever happened."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Yet you still did it. And were wildly more successful than she's even been. Did Utsuho actually hurt anyone other than Sanae and yourself? And more importantly, why aren't we talking about this on the way there?"

[DracoOmega]

>"Yet you still did it. And were wildly more successful than she's even been. Did Utsuho actually hurt anyone other than Sanae and yourself? And more importantly, why aren't we talking about this on the way there?"

>Kanako regards you for a moment, and exhales audibly. "You are an incredibly stubborn, unyielding, insolent, and brazen person. And very brave. I trust you realize this?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Perhaps so. But none of that changes that I am right. Particularly on the last part, which is the most important one as it focuses on what we should be doing now rather than assigning blame."

[DracoOmega]

>"Perhaps so. But none of that changes that I am right. Particularly on the last part, which is the most important one as it focuses on what we should be doing now rather than assigning blame."

>"I believe you have already assigned more than your fair share of blame today," Kanako says. "I feel no obligation to prove myself to someone who regards me the way you seem to. Still, I am not a monster. It is unfortunate that you see me as such, after all that I have given these people." She pauses. "I will let you speak with her. Perhaps, then you will finally see why I felt this was necessary."

[Hello Purvis]

>Nod.
>"Shall we, then?"

[DracoOmega]

>Nod.
>"Shall we, then?"

>Kanako rises to her feet. "We shall," she says, leading out of the room.

[MysTeariousYukari]

> Follow Kanako!
> Be glad she didn't decided to send any divine judgement our way... yet...

[DracoOmega]

> Follow Kanako!
> Be glad she didn't decided to send any divine judgement our way... yet...

>You follow Kanako out of the shrine, and see Mokou waiting for you just outside the entrance of the building. She eyes Kanako curiously as you exit, and then looks at you. "What's up?" she asks, a touch of wariness in her voice.
>You take a deep breath and try to let some of the tension out of yourself. Although Kanako never took a single hostile action against you, being the same room with a god who is obviously displeased with you is... a little overwhelming. Hopefully she takes her pledge not to use violence without necessity as seriously as she claims.

[MysTeariousYukari]

> Whispering to Mokou "Checking out first hand what happened to Utsuho. Also, I'm certain that Kanako isn't to pleased with me."

[Hello Purvis]

> Whispering to Mokou "Checking out first hand what happened to Utsuho. Also, I'm certain that Kanako isn't to pleased with me."

>Whispering would be suspicious, just tell her the first part in a conversational tone. The latter, she can infer certainly.

[DracoOmega]

> Whispering to Mokou "Checking out first hand what happened to Utsuho. Also, I'm certain that Kanako isn't to pleased with me."

>Whispering would be suspicious, just tell her the first part in a conversational tone. The latter, she can infer certainly.

>You decide to be direct with Mokou. She nods slowly in response, and takes a more appraising look at Kanako. Kanako casts a vaguely disapproving glance in your direction, and continues onward across the shrine grounds.
>As she walks, you can see many of the people in the shrine turn and bow in her direction. Kanako, for her part, returns every bow with a smile and nod of her head. In this atmosphere, she seems more like a gentle patron than a cold sovereign. Once you reach the exit of the shrine grounds, Kanako takes to the air and heads down the mountain towards the kappa village. She lands in front of a large metallic structure, apparently built into the cliff face.
>"I trust you will exercise at least some discretion?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Mokou already knew. She was there with me. Your secret is exactly as safe as it was a few minutes ago."

[DracoOmega]

>"Mokou already knew. She was there with me. Your secret is exactly as safe as it was a few minutes ago."

>Kanako shakes her head. "I wasn't referring to her. Remember that I am granting you something exceptional by allowing this. Please be respectful of the others here."

>She opens the door and steps inside. You enter into a large open area, filled with tables, workbenches and mechanical equipment. You can see various kappa working with all kinds of tools and devices for which you have no name. There are several doors along the side wall, leading to similar smaller areas separated from this room by large glass windows. Most of the kappa pay you little attention as you walk through, so focused are they on... whatever it is they're doing. Some appear to be assembling objects, others disassembling them, and yet more conducting inscrutable operations on them.
>Kanako leads you past them all to another door on the opposite wall. Stepping through it, you arrive in a small room. An imposing looking metal door stands in front of you, and a smaller one to your right. There is a somewhat bored looking kappa sitting at a desk built into the wall at your left. Next to her you note a bank of glass panels which seem to contain... moving images, depicting different locations. Several of them look distinctly like the room you just passed through, while others show places you don't recognize: what appears to be a mine, a room where molten metal flows through a gridwork of metal chutes, and place with small metallic bridges spanning a brightly lit corridor, and other rooms filled with devices whose purpose is inscrutable to you.

>The kappa looks up idly as you enter, and then becomes significantly more attentive when she notices Kanako's presence.
>"I just need to speak with someone," Kanako says, her voice reassuring. "No need for concern."
>"Oh, um, of course," the kappa sputters out, and presses a button on her desk. There is a small buzzing sound and a large metallic click. "Please go on in."
>Kanako nods respectfully, and opens the large door in front of you. It is substantially thick.

[Hello Purvis]

>Step through. "Thank you."

[DracoOmega]

>Step through. "Thank you."

>You say thanks and step through the door. It closes behind you with a heavy thud.
>You are in a long passage, apparently carved out of the mountain. The floor has been evened, and the ceiling is reinforced by metal beams, but the stone along the sides is still rough in some places. There are small, but very bright lights placed along the corridor at intervals, creating alternating pools of shadow and harsh light. You can also see some piping, running along one of the walls.
>After some time, you reach the end of the tunnel. There is a large metal platform built against the tunnel wall. A small panel with several buttons sits on top of a small column near the rear of it.
>"Stand here," Kanako says, stepping onto the platform.

[Hello Purvis]

>Do so.

[DracoOmega]

>Do so.

>You stand next to Kanako and she presses one of the buttons on the panel. The platform lurches and starts to slowly descend, the walls of the cavern scrolling past you. This continues for quite some time, until the tunnel at which you started looks at least a couple hundred feet above you. You see another tunnel in front of you come into view from below, and the platform comes to a jarring stop.
>"The most sensitive and dangerous of what we do is down here," Kanako says, as she leads you down this new tunnel, "although not all of it regards Utsuho. Hazard materials and equipment that would be dangerous outside a controlled environment."
>The tunnel itself is similar the previous one, although the floor has been reinforced with a metal walkway, and you pass several metal doors set into the wall along your way. It also appears to branch. Kanako takes a right, and then a left. Is it just you, or is it getting hotter in here? You pass a couple kappa as well as an armed tengu on the way. They regard Kanako curiously, although they save their more dubious gazes for you directly. Still, no one says anything.
>Eventually, you reach a large double-door at the end of the corridor, flanked by two tengu. The door itself reads 'Central Reactor', accompanied with several warning insignia. The tengu stand at attention as Kanako approaches.
>"I wish to inspect the reactor," she says. The tengu on the left looks hesitantly to their companion. "I take full responsibility for my companion," Kanako continues. "You need not be concerned over it."
>The other tengu looks ready to protest, but the first bows and inserts a card into a small panel next to her. "Of course, Yasaka-sama," she says as the doors slide open. Kanako steps inside without further comment.

[MysTeariousYukari]

> Follow Kanako.
> Examine the room we follow her into.

[DracoOmega]

> Follow Kanako.
> Examine the room we follow her into.

>You follow Kanako into a large circular chamber with a very high ceiling. The heat is very obvious here. A metal walkway with a tubular guardrail runs around the perimeter of the room, and you see various consoles and panels to which a few kappa seem busily occupied . The chamber itself is dominated by a massive cylinder of jet black metal in its center, reaching from floor to ceiling. The walkway extends out to it on a single side, and you can a heavy containment door. From near the top of the cylinder extend a a labyrinth of pipes, many of them glowing with heat. Some of them project into the ceiling, while others worm their way in groups towards multiple walls of the room. Some extend through the walls, while a couple connect with some of the consoles and machinery the kappa are attending to. There is a lot of ambient noise, much of it difficult to place.

>Kanako pauses for a moment, before announcing to the room. "I wish to enter the reactor core." Virtually as one, the kappa turn to her, wearing a mixture of expressions ranged from plain surprise to indignation. You notice a few less-than-pleasant glances in your direction as well.
>"You're kidding, right?" one of them says, a serious faced kappa with dark blue hair. "We're not scheduled for another shut down for two weeks. And what's she doing here?" She jerks a thumb at you.
>"Her presence is my concern," Kanako says, "and mine alone. I will be brief, I promise, but please do as I ask."
>The kappa frowns at her for a few moment and then gives an exasperated sigh. "You heard the boss, people!" she calls out. "Let's get those doors open." The rest of the kappa become a great deal more active, moving between switches and calling commands and verifications back and forth to each other. You can hear the release of steam vents, and several noises start to quiet. After a length of time standing around uncomfortably and feeling distinctly out of place, you hear a loud grating noise, and see the large doors on the cylinder start to slide open.
>"Safe to go inside," the kappa says. "Well, as safe as it ever is in there. Just be quick about it."
>Kanako nods and moves towards the doors.

[Hello Purvis]

>Enter. Steel self.
>Try not to ponder the chance of being disappeared forever.

[DracoOmega]

>Enter. Steel self.
>Try not to ponder the chance of being disappeared forever.

>You follow after Kanako, trying to prepare yourself for what's inside.
>You try not to think about the fact that if anything were to happen to you down here, Mokou might never be able to find you. ...not so successfully, it seems.

>You enter a very small square room, with another door on the other side. Kanako presses a few controls by the side of the door, and this too opens. A wave of heat hits you immediately. You really could use a fan, or something...Through this door is what seems like a very small replica of the room outside, with more piping and mechanical devices, and fewer controls, although it does seem that it was intended to be operated by people, perhaps for maintenance. A narrow walkway loops around the cylinder in the middle, and Kanako proceeds along it to a door on the opposite side of the entryway, facing into the center. With a few more button presses, the final door opens and you step inside. It feels stiflingly hot in here.

>You are in a small room, featureless except for a glass and metal cylinder in its center. Countless charms cover the metal surface of the cylinder, and more are found on the walls of the room, with a large shimenawa tied around the cylinder. Inside it, you can see someone slumped on the floor, both arms and legs shackled to long metal chains fixed to the walls. She does not react to your entry.

[Hello Purvis]

>Frown deeply. Move forward, if it feels safe, and examine the person in the tube.

[DracoOmega]

>Frown deeply. Move forward, if it feels safe, and examine the person in the tube.

>You frown. Moving forward feels no less safe than being here at all, at the moment, so you do so. And tube may be too small a thing to call it. It's at least the size of a small bedroom.
>The person on the floor has long black hair, and raven wings. You feel fairly certain this is Utsuho. Her clothing looks a little disheveled, but you can't tell much more about her, since she's curled up on the floor beneath her wings.