Kisume Quest VI - A Z-Machine Adventure

[O4rfish]

>"Your majesty, I have to wonder: are you the one who conquered this world? "

[Hello Purvis]

>"Your majesty, I have to wonder: are you the one who conquered this world? "

>"I am the one who overthrew the parliament that governed much of this continent when I saw that it could not save itself," says the Emperor. "When former provinces resisted, I was the one who brought them back under control. I am the one who extend our reach overseas, and took control of states that had grown equally corrupt and weak. Others have understood the destiny of this world and have become vassals, whether through the desires of the government or the governed. A few still hold out, but they understand that they remain independent at my pleasure, and sue for peace and reconciliation."

>_

[O4rfish]

>"Then you haven't ventured beyond the veil in your time machine?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Then you haven't ventured beyond the veil in your time machine?"

>"No.  Verde and his assistant have the honor of being the first people in the Empire to travel as such," says the Emperor. "I have familiarized myself with his reports, as well as those of Professor Okazaki and other such sources."

>_

[O4rfish]

>"I find it odd that, after this much expansion, you haven't encountered a deterring resistance."

[Hello Purvis]

>"I find it odd that, after this much expansion, you haven't encountered a deterring resistance."

>"Then you do not understand how many yearn for order," says the Emperor, and you think you detect the hint of a smile on his lips. "Those who resist me do not do so out of concern for their world. They resist because of the traditions I've cast aside, the previously inviolate precepts that proved unable to govern or lead our world. They cry out for their lost parliament, forgetting how they cursed it for its worthlessness a few breaths ago. The worry about their lost leaders, blinding themselves to the fact they did not lead in the past. But to those who do not blind themselves in such ways, they understand that the Empire represents their best interests. There has been resistance, and some of it bitterly fought, but they fought the inevitable. Ours was powerful nation, in spite of the old order quietly ripping it to shreds in their bickering and pettiness. Once I had sewn those shreds back together, we could not be stopped. Weakness was endemic to the world."

>_

[O4rfish]

>"Let me tell you about Gensokyo, the place where I come from. It is a world within a world, a peaceful garden sealed off from the outside world. We who live there have traditions of weakness too, of using nonlethal attacks and tea parties afterwards. It is a paradise, and I fear that if you invade, it will turn ugly. But I do not fear for our sovereignty. We were sealed off ... because we were dangerous, me being among the least so. Gensokyo is a sleeping dragon, and once awoken it will not be peaceful. The gods who govern us, who live among us, have changed their ways before, and it will not take much for them to change again. I believe that if you see my world for yourself, you will understand. "

>"I like Gensokyo the way it is, not the way it will be should this incident continue."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Let me tell you about Gensokyo, the place where I come from. It is a world within a world, a peaceful garden sealed off from the outside world. We who live there have traditions of weakness too, of using nonlethal attacks and tea parties afterwards. It is a paradise, and I fear that if you invade, it will turn ugly. But I do not fear for our sovereignty. We were sealed off ... because we were dangerous, me being among the least so. Gensokyo is a sleeping dragon, and once awoken it will not be peaceful. The gods who govern us, who live among us, have changed their ways before, and it will not take much for them to change again. I believe that if you see my world for yourself, you will understand. "

>"I like Gensokyo the way it is, not the way it will be should this incident continue."

>"So I have read," says the Emperor. "Kisume, look out the window, and tell me what you see."

>_

[O4rfish]

>Did he say "look AT the window?"

[Hello Purvis]

>Did he say "look AT the window?"

>Out. Please excuse us as we abuse the editor. ...Ow.

>_

[O4rfish]

Well, at least we know he's not going to pull a Longshanks on us.
>Get up and look out the window. If we get a chance, stealthily press the SEND button on our earpiece.

[Kilgamayan]

I would be extremely surprised if he got aggressive on us without us provoking him into it, and even then he would have his goons take us out rather than do anything himself.

I've had this feeling since right after the conversation started, really. For all that I inherently trust Yumemi (meta reasons aside, she's successfully namedropped enough Gensokyo natives to be trustworthy), her opinion on the situation was always going to be incredibly biased, due both to her place in the situation and her egotistical personality. An argument can be made in favor of the things Canus is saying and has done; perhaps his empire as a whole is better off despite the individual having fewer personal freedoms than before. Certainly, he'd be able to argue the position better than we, since most of it would be philosophical life differences and he has us beat in the rest due to him actually having experience with Kosa. I would not put it past him to genuinely care for his empire, as much as I would be shocked if there was absolutely no megalomania at play.

You seem to be wandering down a similar path to the one I was setting up last night; our goal first and foremost should be to stop the war. Yumemi did say that convincing him it isn't worth the effort was a solution; as much as that leaves her and her assistants high and dry, it may actually be the better/easier route than "freeing" the land by killing the guy.

[Hanzo K.]

Well, I don't particularly like him much myself, but that's the chaotic neutral talkin'. Our best bet's to get him to at least give up on invading Gensokyo.
Since we dropped at least 8 of his goons in short order(Plus a bucketsmack to ol' Sombraluz earlier), and we're ostensibly one of the weakest folks around short of a fairy, we might be able to use that as leverage. Be polite, but warning about it. As much as Buckets here doesn't like being all judge-y like Eiki, we may have to use a little of that to steer him away.

EDIT: And plus, we can just talk the prof and her friends into hidin' out in Gensokyo. They'll be safe there, among other things.

[Kilgamayan]

Well yeah, I don't think any of us actually like the guy. :V He's just a more complicated obstacle than I had hoped for.

[Hanzo K.]

Yeah, I can see where he's coming from to a point though, having harbored similar thoughts meself. (But who hasn't?)
Though that certainly doesn't mean he's a guy I'd want to knock back a few drinks with. (If anything, he's a guy I'd wanna KO on principle.)

[Kilgamayan]

I think it may be worthwhile to check just how devoted to his people he actually is. I've a few ideas in this regard.

Also, since I forgot to mention this earlier, I'm very nervous about the idea of turning on the communicator here. We've established that it makes an audible hissing noise when turned on; there's a very high chance he may hear it.

[Hanzo K.]

Agreed, on both the communicator, and seeing just how devoted he really is.
I'll leave the ball in your court then, here's hoping things don't go too pear-shaped.

[Kilgamayan]

Hmm hmm hmm. Further musings into the does-he-actually-care line of thought have made me realize Kisume is in a unique position to argue with this guy.

I wonder if he has kids.

[Hanzo K.]

...That's a pretty legit question, we'll have to find out.

[Hello Purvis]

>Get up and look out the window. If we get a chance, stealthily press the SEND button on our earpiece.

>You approach the window. With the soldiers watching you, you do not see any opportunity to turn on the communicator right now.
>Looking outside, you can see a number of lights in the city below you, stretching as far as the eye can see. You have an eerie sense of looking down upon a field of stars, and you find yourself reflexively searching for constellations. Looking up, you can only see a couple of faint natural stars, you imagine the light is drowning them out.
>"How many people do you think live here, Kisume?" says the Emperor.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "A lot. I can't even tell where the buildings end."

[Hello Purvis]

> "A lot. I can't even tell where the buildings end."

>"This is but one of the hundreds of cities in the empire. There are more people within them than stars in the sky. They supply my armies with soldiers, munitions, vehicles, and everything I could need. Are you certain that your sleeping dragons are enough to truly defeat a focused, unified, and concentrated effort by this empire? Especially, if my agent's report is correct, some of those dragons are all too happy to turn on each other? Do you think it is within your power to stop us from sweeping to through your forests, along your mountains, and to the shores of the river that guards your capital?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Everything you could need, huh..."
> Shake our head in disappointment.
> "And here I was hoping you'd be different."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Everything you could need, huh..."
> Give a small, short chuckle.
> "All suits really are the same."

>"I see you're avoiding the question posed to you," says the Emperor.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Turn our head around to look at him.
> "You're right, I didn't answer. The truth is that I don't know if we'd win. I can tell you, though...if I thought we were doomed, I would have spent my time getting to this room killing your guards instead of just knocking them out."

[Hello Purvis]

> Turn our head around to look at him.
> "You're right, I didn't answer. The truth is that I don't know if we'd win. I can tell you, though...if I thought we were doomed, I would have spent my time getting to this room killing your guards instead of just knocking them out."

>He gives a brief chuckle. "A boastful answer, but a fair one. "

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Shrug.
> "If I'm going down, I'm gonna do it swinging. And I can promise you that you'll see that sentiment a whole lot more in Gensokyo. Maybe you're right, and maybe your your army will take out the gods and the immortals and the invincibles. But it'll cost as many Kosan lives as Gensokyo can muster."

[Hello Purvis]

> Shrug.
> "If I'm going down, I'm gonna do it swinging. And I can promise you that you'll see that sentiment a whole lot more in Gensokyo. Maybe you're right, and maybe your your army will take out the gods and the immortals and the invincibles. But it'll cost as many Kosan lives as Gensokyo can muster."

>"These are words I have heard before," says the Emperor, "And I have found that sentient grows cold when one has spent their tenth night in a ditch or an old shed, terrified to sleep lest they be found by the enemy.Worried who might be next, and what thing that they held important is going to be the next casualty of war, their dedication to the issue may change. But perhaps you are right, perhaps you truly will fight to the last, perhaps you will cost us more lives and resources than we have dreamed. Perhaps the last of you will burn the last tree just to spit in our faces. But it changes nothing, it would still be the greatest victory the world has ever known; we will still have marched beyond the veils of reality as we knew it, and we will have taken them. Such a feat would be a rallying point to the Empire for all time, a victory that will inspire people for generations and establish firmly the greatness of the new order over the old. It will be a glory upon us, as a people and a society, forever. Do you understand what I mean, demon?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Nod.
> "I do. You're throwing away your own people's lives to make your name a little brighter and your life a little more luxurious."

[Hello Purvis]

> Nod.
> "I do. You're throwing away your own people's lives to make your name a little brighter and your life a little more luxurious."

>"Then you do not understand at all," says the Emperor. "My name has little to do with it. I wish to exalt the Empire's name, and use it to bring the world forward."

>_