Kisume Quest IV - A Z-Machine Adventure

[Hello Purvis]

> ...Oh damnit, we got drugged.
> How visible are we to VIVIT and the guy?
> Remain as quiet as possible. The longer they think we're still out, the better.
> Wiggle our fingers a little bit. Can we feel the hands of the person behind us?

>...You probably were. Damn it, you had heard stories about unscrupulous youkai poisoning tea, but you didn't think it would extend to maids!
>If either of them looked over, they could see you right now. But they seem to be more interested in their conversation than watching you right now.
>You stay quiet and still, and neither of them seem to have noticed you're awake yet, at least as far as their physical reactions go. You suppose it's possible they're saying "Look at the bucket girl, she thinks she's fooling us," but neither of them seem to indicate it with their body language.
>You wiggle your fingers, and you feel the brush up against something that feels like arms behind you. Possibly wrists.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Can we tell if our legs are bound?
> We are presumably tied at the wrists, correct?
> Are we hurt by our own demon fire?

[Hello Purvis]

> Can we tell if our legs are bound?
> We are presumably tied at the wrists, correct?
> Are we hurt by our own demon fire?

>You didn't initially think to check, given you don't use them typically, but it does seem your legs are bound.
>You are bound at the wrists.
>You are not hurt by your own demon fire.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Does the demon fire make noise?
> Are we actually pressed up against the person behind us?

[Hello Purvis]

> Does the demon fire make noise?
> Are we actually pressed up against the person behind us?

>It is reasonably quiet until it burns something that isn't quiet, or gets too large.
>Your upper back is pressed against hers.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> In our experience, would rope qualify as not quiet when burning?

[Hello Purvis]

> In our experience, would rope qualify as not quiet when burning?

>It might crackle a little, depending on the nature of the rope.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Can we move and bend our legs well enough to bring the part where they are bound up next to our wrists?

[Hello Purvis]

> Can we move and bend our legs well enough to bring the part where they are bound up next to our wrists?

>You think your can, but it would be uncomfortable to hold that position for long.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> When we could feel the person behind us, was it by just brushing them with the tips of our fingers, or could we possibly get a firm grip on them?

[Hello Purvis]

> When we could feel the person behind us, was it by just brushing them with the tips of our fingers, or could we possibly get a firm grip on them?

>You think you can get a firm grip on them.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Reach for them and feel around to try to find another set of ropes.
> While feeling, keep a watch on the two others in the room. Close our eyes if it seems like either of them is going to look over at us.

[Hello Purvis]

> Reach for them and feel around to try to find another set of ropes.
> While feeling, keep a watch on the two others in the room. Close our eyes if it seems like either of them is going to look over at us.

>You feel around with your hands, and soon bush against some smooth rope with your hands, binding her hands in place.  You don't feel her react to your touch.
>You keep a watch on the two as they talk. Every so often, the man in green glances toward the machinery at the front of the room. Generally, VIVIT seems to be doing most of the talking, leading you to suspect the man is asking her questions.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Try to untie her.

[Hello Purvis]

> Try to untie her.

>You have to feel the knot a bit to understand how it works, then spend some time working on it. It takes a bit before you can start it, your position is hardly optimal for this, but you can feel it loosen under your fingers.
>While you do this, it seems that VIVIT and the Man in Green finish their conversation, as they both start toward the seats in the front of the room. Then you note the man starting to turn toward your direction.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Close our eyes and stop moving our fingers, but keep our ears perked.

[Hello Purvis]

> Close our eyes and stop moving our fingers, but keep our ears perked.

>You close your eyes and keep your fingers still. After a moment, you hear her walk again, then one of the chairs ahead of you creaks slightly.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Could we tell if we're still wearing our scarf?
> When we could see them earlier, were the chairs behind them, or between them and us?
> If someone were to sit normally in one of the chairs, would they be looking at us, have their back to us, or have us in their peripheral vision?

[Hello Purvis]

> Could we tell if we're still wearing our scarf?
> When we could see them earlier, were the chairs behind them, or between them and us?
> If someone were to sit normally in one of the chairs, would they be looking at us, have their back to us, or have us in their peripheral vision?

>You are still wearing it.
>The chairs were not intially between you and there, but if they've sat down, then they would be now.
>The chairs should have their backs to you.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Keep our eyes closed, but continue untying the person behind us.

[Hello Purvis]

> Keep our eyes closed, but continue untying the person behind us.

>You continue to loosen the ropes. Every so often, you hear one of them speak to the other in that strange language, and you think you hear them manipulating that machinery, and several odd noises that sound like mechanical hums and whirs.
>After a little more work, you manage to free the other's person's arms.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Let go of them and position our hands in such a fashion that we would burn our ropes should we summon demon fire, but don't summon it yet.
> Slowly open our eyes again.

[Hello Purvis]

> Let go of them and position our hands in such a fashion that we would burn our ropes should we summon demon fire, but don't summon it yet.
> Slowly open our eyes again.

>You position your hands to burn the rope. it is not comfortable.
>You open your eyes, and see both the man and VIVIT are sitting at the seats in the front, busy messing with the contraptions there.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> They are not looking at us, correct?
> Now or never. Light our ropes on fire.

[Hello Purvis]

> They are not looking at us, correct?
> Now or never. Light our ropes on fire.

>They are not watching you.
>You conjure some demon fire into your hands,and move it turn toward the rope. You can't really feel that it's burning, but you think it's loosening a bit.
>As you work on the ropes, another sound happens, a sort of low thrum.  You feel a strange sensation of motion, as though the whole room were going forward,

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> ...Maybe this was the chariot that jiangshi mentioned.
> Let the fire burn.
> Are we lying on sheets? Hopefully only the rope goes up.

[Hello Purvis]

> ...Maybe this was the chariot that jiangshi mentioned.
> Let the fire burn.
> Are we lying on sheets? Hopefully only the rope goes up.

>...Maybe? You wouldn't call it a chariot, but you don't know what you should call it.
>You think you are laying on some bedsheets, but they don't seem to be very good ones.
>You let the rope burn some more, and can start to smell to it burn.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Pull our wrists apart a bit.

[Hello Purvis]

> Pull our wrists apart a bit.

>You pull your wrists apart a little, and can feel the rope straining, but the fact it has to strain at all is encouraging...

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Keep pulling it apart until it breaks.