Nue Quest Vth Vanguard: A Z-Machine Adventure

[GuyYouMetOnline]

>Hmm...
>"You know, another idea occurs to me. If it was something akin to faith that caused this, would it be possible for a countering act of faith to undo it? Because I happen to be on very good terms with someone who represents not one but two gods. And I think they want this incident solved, too."

[Hello Purvis]

>Hmm...
>"You know, another idea occurs to me. If it was something akin to faith that caused this, would it be possible for a countering act of faith to undo it? Because I happen to be on very good terms with someone who represents not one but two gods. And I think they want this incident solved, too."

>Patchouli looks to Byakuren. "I think this is more your specialty than mine."
>"Um, I have no idea," says Byakuren. "Most of this is new ground for me, as well. Most such individuals I've encountered were...significantly less broad in scope..."
>"I would imagine if they could do something," says Patchouli, "They would have already done it. While the Moriya deities are pleasant sorts, they aren't often as useful as one could hope."

>_

[E-Nazrin]

I WAS AT WORK AND HAVE NO IMMEDIATE IDEAS >:C

>"And I take it Yukari just wouldn't care?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"And I take it Yukari just wouldn't care?"

>"Yukari most certainly would have acted," says Patchouli. "It wouldn't surprise me if she isn't even in Gensokyo right now. Or at least not mentally."

>_

[E-Nazrin]

>Well, that's one muscle route out of the picture... probably.
>"How'd you, uh, patch me up, anyway? I'm guessing that chill I felt had to do with some faith-magic-madness-whatever of his trying to punish thievery, but I'm not sure what fixed it."

[Hello Purvis]

>Well, that's one muscle route out of the picture... probably.
>"How'd you, uh, patch me up, anyway? I'm guessing that chill I felt had to do with some faith-magic-madness-whatever of his trying to punish thievery, but I'm not sure what fixed it."

>"Oh, it's not fixed at all," says Patchouli. "We've just blocked it for the time being. It is most definitely a curse, or something akin to it. At least close enough we can block it with a counter curse. Of course, it's a very general kind of countercurse, it's not as though we had much time to research it. So, you will not want to overload it. Try to avoid Master Sparks and the like."

>_

[E-Nazrin]

>"I'd have more reason to be concerned about that if I had my cards, but I'll keep it in mind."
>Damnit.
>"Uh, thanks. How bad was it, relative to other curses?"
>Eye Byakuren for a moment. She had trouble getting us out of there... did she get hit with it, too? Or was that just the stairs?
>Ponder whether that statue would have covered the cost of a new door.

[Hello Purvis]

>"I'd have more reason to be concerned about that if I had my cards, but I'll keep it in mind."
>Damnit.
>"Uh, thanks. How bad was it, relative to other curses?"
>Eye Byakuren for a moment. She had trouble getting us out of there... did she get hit with it, too? Or was that just the stairs?
>Ponder whether that statue would have covered the cost of a new door.

>"It's difficult to measure," says Patchouli, "But it isn't that powerful, from what effects I've witnessed. If needs be, dispelling can probably be done afterwards. It is persistent, though."
>As near as you can tell, Byakuren doesn't seem to be harmed in any way.
>You imagine it would, and maybe a little more to the right buyer.

>_

[E-Nazrin]

>Then we're even. Except for the curse, maybe. Wonder what he would think of that argument...

[Hello Purvis]

>Then we're even. Except for the curse, maybe. Wonder what he would think of that argument...

>Given some of the other things he's said, you doubt he's accept it.

>_

[Oldmansour]

>"And... you're okay, Byakuren? He just let ya go, scot free?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"And... you're okay, Byakuren? He just let ya go, scot free?"

>"He did nothing to stop me," says Byakuren.

>_

[E-Nazrin]

>Deep breath. Sigh.
>"So. We have a crazed merchant stealing away all the money in Gensokyo with some faith-magic-spell-thing relying on my essence from my spellcards, trying to make himself into a god. Figuratively, literally, maybe both. He's managing this solely because he's completely devotedly insane to the idea of getting 'sparks' from exchanges without currency, and the only way to stop that from overtaking Gensokyo as a whole is to make him contradict himself, or to overwhelm him with some other sort of faith."
>"Seeing how our local shrine maidens and gods seem to have dropped the ball on the faith part, can either of you think of anyone that might be able to pick up the slack?"
>Do we know anyone particularly faithful, in that sense?

[Hello Purvis]

>Deep breath. Sigh.
>"So. We have a crazed merchant stealing away all the money in Gensokyo with some faith-magic-spell-thing relying on my essence from my spellcards, trying to make himself into a god. Figuratively, literally, maybe both. He's managing this solely because he's completely devotedly insane to the idea of getting 'sparks' from exchanges without currency, and the only way to stop that from overtaking Gensokyo as a whole is to make him contradict himself, or to overwhelm him with some other sort of faith."
>"Seeing how our local shrine maidens and gods seem to have dropped the ball on the faith part, can either of you think of anyone that might be able to pick up the slack?"
>Do we know anyone particularly faithful, in that sense?

>"Well, we have no proof of any actual desires to really rule the world," says Byakuren. "If we're going to be fair."
>"If he's mad enough to conjure this up," says Patchouli. "I wouldn't put it past him to not have much interest in that sort of thing. Heavens know if I had the capacity to do something of this magnitude for the benefit of my work, I'd do it without any kind of worry for rulership. Mistress may have that for herself."
>"But dealing with the question at hand," says Byakuren, "It doesn't really answer you, but I would put forth an observation. Did he ever try to do anything to us?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "I suppose he didn't. To be honest, since he made no effort to stop me from telling everyone about what was going on, I figured it was because he thought he didn't have to."

[Hello Purvis]

> "I suppose he didn't. To be honest, since he made no effort to stop me from telling everyone about what was going on, I figured it was because he thought he didn't have to."

>Byakuren nods.
>"He does tend to claim that he's no good in a fight," says Patchouli. "Perhaps it wasn't a mere cover?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "He did say there would be 'a lot of trouble' if I went out and told everyone. Maybe he was trying to bluff, and there would have been a lot of trouble for him if I had actually done it."

[Hello Purvis]

> "He did say there would be 'a lot of trouble' if I went out and told everyone. Maybe he was trying to bluff, and there would have been a lot of trouble for him if I had actually done it."

>"Did he say what kind?" asks Byakuren.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Not really. Just that there would be 'a lot of trouble'."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Not really. Just that there would be 'a lot of trouble'."

>"That could mean all kinds of things," says Byakuren.
>"There was certainly a lot of trouble when you smashed that trinket," says Patchouli. She nods. "Yes, I think I may be warming up to this idea. it is not as though the amount of power he would have to work these miracles is infinite."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "What, you mean smashing his stuff?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "What, you mean smashing his stuff?"

>"Not really," says Patchouli. "But if we could find a way to attack the money directly, that would solve things. I suppose if we could find a way to dispel the summoning he used to gather it, that would be nice. But, again, that would take either time we may not have or beating him at his own game."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Do you know how he made it so I couldn't even approach him or touch the money?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "Do you know how he made it so I couldn't even approach him or touch the money?"

>Patchouli shakes her head. "No. Explain what he did?"
>Byakuren frowns. "I imagine it would be tied into the whole exchanges and inequalities theme that he seems to obsess over."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "I tried to float over to him, and I noticed that I hadn't moved from a specific point, despite being pretty sure I had gone far enough. Later I tried reaching out to grab some coins, and it became harder and harder to move my hand toward them the closer I got, until eventually I just couldn't reach any further. I also tried to poke at the money with my trident here, but it didn't get any closer than I did."

[Hello Purvis]

> "I tried to float over to him, and I noticed that I hadn't moved from a specific point, despite being pretty sure I had gone far enough. Later I tried reaching out to grab some coins, and it became harder and harder to move my hand toward them the closer I got, until eventually I just couldn't reach any further. I also tried to poke at the money with my trident here, but it didn't get any closer than I did."

>"Sounds like an Arrow Paradox," says Patchouli.

>_

[Thaws]

>"Would you please elaborate?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Would you please elaborate?"

>"It's a classic false puzzle," says Patchouli. "Think of an arrow flying over a hundred yards. First it covers fifty yards, then it covers the next twenty-five yards, then the next twelve and a half yards. Eventually, you start to split tiny fractions of fractions of an inch, and for all intents and purposes, you don't move at all."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Is there a way to dispel it? Or is it too likely founded in his beliefs?"

[E-Nazrin]

>"Actually, I'm not sure how that would tie into it at all..."