Nue Quest Vth Vanguard: A Z-Machine Adventure

[Kilgamayan]

Because they're in Makai.

[Hello Purvis]

> "In terms of predictability, I did note he was open yesterday, after he did whatever with the money. He was even open all the way to late last night;  I ended up dropping off a shipment of alcohol for him, in exchange for the sword handle and the lockpicks."

>Patchouli nods. "Curious."

>_

[Rin Kagamine]

Oh, I thought we were avoiding them because they were "friends" with Rinnosuke.  Thanks

[Kilgamayan]

Believe me, I'd love to have Marisa on-hand right now. I think it'd be a lot easier to trick him with her than with us.

> "Yeah. Pretty sure he won't be up for opening again until he's finished doing whatever, as was already pointed out, but in retrospect I don't know why he was open yesterday. Maybe he thought he needed more sparks?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "Yeah. Pretty sure he won't be up for opening again until he's finished doing whatever, as was already pointed out, but in retrospect I don't know why he was open yesterday. Maybe he thought he needed more sparks?"

>"I suppose, unless he said something to the effect, we wouldn't be able to know for sure," says Byakuren.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "All right. We're pretty sure he can detect an object's creator and history. So we can't just disguise her apron as any old thing. But what if we disguised it as something else she wears, like a dress?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "All right. We're pretty sure he can detect an object's creator and history. So we can't just disguise her apron as any old thing. But what if we disguised it as something else she wears?"

>"Do you think he could see through you seeds?" says Byakuren.
>"I don't know if that would entice him," says Patchouli. "Then again, it might. Who knows how he views these kinds of things?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Are the seeds anything more than an optical illusion?

[Hello Purvis]

> Are the seeds anything more than an optical illusion?

>They can be illusions to any of the senses. However, the more they deviate from the original, the more fragile the illusion.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "He shouldn't be able to see through the seed, no. Unless he's somehow able to detect it in whatever way he detects other traits of an object."

[UncertainJakutten]

The one problem I have with using a seed is that using the seed adds a LOT of value to the object, doesn't it? You've expending something else to change the object, so that expenditure increases the worth.

[Kilgamayan]

Maybe. You could ask.

[UncertainJakutten]

>Would using the seed add more value to any object, likely? The seed would have to be traded with the object to keep up the illusion, correct?

[Hello Purvis]

> "He shouldn't be able to see through the seed, no. Unless he's somehow able to detect it in whatever way he detects other traits of an object."

>Byakuren nods.

>Would using the seed add more value to any object, likely? The seed would have to be traded with the object to keep up the illusion, correct?

>If you let them keep the seed, it would.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Could we trigger it to shatter somehow?

[Hello Purvis]

> Could we trigger it to shatter somehow?

>You can't shatter it, but you could reclaim it.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> How does that work?

[Hello Purvis]

> How does that work?

>The seeds connect with you once you use them.  If discovered, they tend to make their way back to you. And if you need to, you can call them back. All you really need to do is focus on an errant seed and will it to return. Of course, since the seed has been used, it's markedly less useful than it was.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "There is, though, the issue of the seed possibly adding value to the trade, enough to ruin the balance. I can call it back at any time, but I don't know when I would need to. Too early and he wouldn't let the trade pass, too late and it's an unbalanced exchange."

[Hello Purvis]

> "There is, though, the issue of the seed possibly adding value to the trade, enough to ruin the balance. I can call it back at any time, but I don't know when I would need to. Too early and he wouldn't let the trade pass, too late and it's an unbalanced exchange."

>"That's a point," says Patchouli. "Timing would be difficult."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "If at all possible."
> Does seed recollection make any noise?
> Does seed recollection dispel the illusion the instant it's called back?

[Hello Purvis]

> "If at all possible."
> Does seed recollection make any noise?
> Does seed recollection dispel the illusion the instant it's called back?

>It slithers, so it makes a little noise.
>The illusion fails once it is recalled.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Frown.
> "Yeah. This could work, but there's no way in hell that I'm going back down there with only it. We need a backup of some kind."

[Hello Purvis]

> Frown.
> "Yeah. This could work, but there's no way in hell that I'm going back down there with only it. We need a backup of some kind."

>Patchouli nods. "At least, I wouldn't go and try something without another plan."

>_

[E-Nazrin]

Wow, no posts overnight?

We do have a possible trump card, though...

>Do we remember anything about that dream from after passing out due to Rinnosuke's curse?
>"Well... dunno if it'd be at all reliable, but there is that sword I found."
>Take out the parts. Try the willing-it-together again, if only for kicks.
>"I had a dream about it last night, and part of it included a feeling of it being broken and sensing something southwest of a forest: There might be something related to it southwest of the Forest of Magic. It's a hell of a gamble, but if heading there could get it fixed, would it be useful?"
>"For that matter, did you find out anything about it while I was busy getting cursed, Patchouli?"

[Hello Purvis]

>Do we remember anything about that dream from after passing out due to Rinnosuke's curse?
>"Well... dunno if it'd be at all reliable, but there is that sword I found."
>Take out the parts. Try the willing-it-together again, if only for kicks.
>"I had a dream about it last night, and part of it included a feeling of it being broken and sensing something southwest of a forest: There might be something related to it southwest of the Forest of Magic. It's a hell of a gamble, but if heading there could get it fixed, would it be useful?"
>"For that matter, did you find out anything about it while I was busy getting cursed, Patchouli?"

>You kind of do. Thinking on it, it feels like a fever dream, you're not sure if you were entirely out during that time now that you think on it.
>"Ah yes, that thing," says Patchouli. eyeing the sword. "No, I've been busy."
>You place the sword parts together, and feel the same indescribable tingling as before.
>"It might be," says Patchouli. "I am sure your mentor will disagree with me, but one can never have too many mysterious powers at their disposal."
>Byakuren does a marvelous job of not taking the bait.
>"And," Patchouli continues, "unfortunately not. What you've told me is the biggest breakthrough yet, and unfortunately it is not a well-recorded phenomena at all. And while it is broadly understood, you can imagine how much variety there can be within individual cases."

>_

[E-Nazrin]

>"For emergencies, I guess." Fair compromise, at least.
>"I take it you aren't confident about how reliable dreams like that are as sources of information, either? There was a second part to that dream where I felt like someone high up in the Celestial Hierarchy, but I dunno how helpful that would be."
>"About how long would it take to get a quick translation of what's on the sword?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"For emergencies, I guess." Fair compromise, at least.
>"I take it you aren't confident about how reliable dreams like that are as sources of information, either? There was a second part to that dream where I felt like someone high up in the Celestial Hierarchy, but I dunno how helpful that would be."
>"About how long would it take to get a quick translation of what's on the sword?"

>You decide to compromise, then ask about dreams. "Dreams are funny things," says Patchouli. "They tend to be worthless, until some god or power starts messing with them. Then they turn out to be very important. Such a shame it's nearly impossible to tell which is which until after the fact. Tell me about that second part? It sounds completely unrelated."
>Patchouli shakes her head. "Hard to say."

>_

[E-Nazrin]

>"It was. Some short bit about walking through the oni city with the full sword and having the Devas kneel." Shake head. "Don't think I really felt like myself there."
>"... and I had some other sorta fever dream when Byakuren was hauling me out of there. Something about soldiers related to the pain, and... lots of yellow. Was it a war or something? Can't remember it as well..."

[Hello Purvis]

>"It was. Some short bit about walking through the oni city with the full sword and having the Devas kneel." Shake head. "Don't think I really felt like myself there."
>"... and I had some other sorta fever dream when Byakuren was hauling me out of there. Something about soldiers related to the pain, and... lots of yellow. Was it a war or something? Can't remember it as well..."

>"I'm not sure what that has to do with the Celestial Bureaucracy at all," says Patchouli. "At least not from what you've told me."
>"I think the latter might just be a dream," Byakuren says. "You were in a lot of pain, delirium isn't uncommon."

>_