Yukari Quest!

[Omba]

>Do we feel anything emanating from that knife?
>If we don't feel anything especially threatening from the knife, take it and examine it.

[E-Nazrin]

Mahjong

Well played.

>Lovely. It possessed her in her sleep, didn't it.
>How did Yuyuko die way back when?

[Dormio Ergo Sum]

>Do we feel anything emanating from that knife?
>If we don't feel anything especially threatening from the knife, take it and examine it.

>You do not.
>You take the knife from under the bed and examine it.
>The knife is around twenty centimeters long, and the hilt has a few precious stones embedded inside it.
>This knife is the one that was used in the original ceremony to seal the Saigyou Ayakashi, the only possession of Yuyuko's that she had whilst still alive.

>Lovely. It possessed her in her sleep, didn't it.
>How did Yuyuko die way back when?

>Is this all the tree's fault?
>Yuyuko was sacrificed to seal the tree. She was killed by the knife that you are now holding in your hands.

>_

[E-Nazrin]

>Is there any indication of it seeing more recent use?
>Does the knife have any specific significance for the maintenance or creation of the seal, or has this been kept more for 'sentimental' purposes?
>Shank a spirit and spitroast it. Mmm, tasty.

[Omba]

... Sacrifice Youmu? Alternative might be jamming the knife into the tree.

>Do we know how exactly the ritual was performed?
>Do we know if that knife has any special properties and why it was chosen for that ritual?
>Do we know why Yuyuko was chosen for the ritual?

[Dormio Ergo Sum]

>Is there any indication of it seeing more recent use?
>Does the knife have any specific significance for the maintenance or creation of the seal, or has this been kept more for 'sentimental' purposes?
>Shank a spirit and spitroast it. Mmm, tasty.

>There is not.
>Yuyuko keeps the knife as a memento of her previous life.
>You thrust the knife into a nearby ghost and roast it on a fire. These spirits are really tasty.

>Do we know how exactly the ritual was performed?
>Do we know if that knife has any special properties and why it was chosen for that ritual?
>Do we know why Yuyuko was chosen for the ritual?

>After the ceremony, Yuyuko was killed, and several priests used her soul to finish the seal that they had been creating around the Saigyou Ayakashi.
>The knife, supposedly, carries a similar power to Yuyuko and can invoke death from afar.
>Yuyuko was deemed to be the most suitable for the tree due to her heritage and association with death.

>_

[Dr Rawr]

wrong thread :V

[Omba]

>Do we know if Yuyuko herself wanted to be used for the ritual, or if she was forced to do it?
>Do we have the necessary knowledge to carry out such a ritual and create a new seal ourselves?
>Does the soul used in the ritual have to be freshly extracted from a body? Or would we be able to use one or more of the many ghosts floating around?
>Do we have any knowledge of other methods to create such a seal?
>Take the knife with you.
>"I think that's all for now. Let's go back."
>Go back with Youmu to the empty room near the entrance of Hakugyokurou.
>"Please wait here. I'll be back soon, ok?" Say it with a confident smile.
>Go back to the tree. Make sure Youmu is not following us (do this several times on the way).
>Once we're there, greet the tree. "Hey, Yuyuko. I'm back."
>Approach the tree. Stop if we feel anything new from the tree or the knife.
>Otherwise, stop about 10 meters away from the tree, like we did before. Anything different from before?

[Dormio Ergo Sum]

>Do we know if Yuyuko herself wanted to be used for the ritual, or if she was forced to do it?
>Do we have the necessary knowledge to carry out such a ritual and create a new seal ourselves?
>Does the soul used in the ritual have to be freshly extracted from a body? Or would we be able to use one or more of the many ghosts floating around?
>Do we have any knowledge of other methods to create such a seal?
>Take the knife with you.
>"I think that's all for now. Let's go back."
>Go back with Youmu to the empty room near the entrance of Hakugyokurou.
>"Please wait here. I'll be back soon, ok?" Say it with a confident smile.
>Go back to the tree. Make sure Youmu is not following us (do this several times on the way).
>Once we're there, greet the tree. "Hey, Yuyuko. I'm back."
>Approach the tree. Stop if we feel anything new from the tree or the knife.
>Otherwise, stop about 10 meters away from the tree, like we did before. Anything different from before?

>You believe that Yuyuko had come to accept her fate as inevitable, and made no effort to stop the procedure.
>You believe that you could.
>You could use one of the ghosts, should you be able to find a ghost that has enough strength to suppress the Saigyou Ayakashi.
>You do not.
>You continue to hold onto the knife as you leave the room and go back to Youmu.
>"Back...? We're going back there...? I don't think I could handle it..."
>You head back to the entrance of Hakugyokurou, where you tell Youmu to wait for your retrun.
>"Ah... Okay..."
>You leave Youmu, looking back to make sure she doesn't follow you. She seems to be annoyed with herself.
>You continue on to the tree again, greeting it as you get near.
>The tree stands still as you approach, but the aura is stronger than last time. You can feel something similar emanating from the knife.

>_

[Omba]

Seems we might have to use Youmu for this afterall. Not sure whether Yukari would prefer sacrificing herself over sacrificing Youmu.
Though I tend to think she'd rather sacrifice someone other than herself. Especially since the border problem is still not solved.
Thoughts?

>What happens to the ghost in the process? Can we assume that whomever we use for the ritual
>would still be around afterwards, like Yuyuko was?
>Can we tell whether a ghost is suitably strong for the ritual? Do we think Youmu would suffice?
>Would we be strong enough to suffice? And would we be able to perform the ritual on ourselves?
>Could using many weaker ghosts in place of a strong one also work?
>How long does the ritual take to perform and would we be able to perform it without any bystanders noticing
>before we get to the sacrificing part?

[Dormio Ergo Sum]

>What happens to the ghost in the process? Can we assume that whomever we use for the ritual
>would still be around afterwards, like Yuyuko was?
>Can we tell whether a ghost is suitably strong for the ritual? Do we think Youmu would suffice?
>Would we be strong enough to suffice? And would we be able to perform the ritual on ourselves?
>Could using many weaker ghosts in place of a strong one also work?
>How long does the ritual take to perform and would we be able to perform it without any bystanders noticing
>before we get to the sacrificing part?

>You assume that, were you to use a ghost, they would disappear.
>Yuyuko's former self was bound to the tree, the Yuyuko you were friendly with had no recollections of her living self. She did not even realize that she was the one that had been sealed within the tree.
>Youmu would probably be strong enough for the ritual.
>You are strong enough, but you doubt you could complete the ritual whilst dead.
>No.
>If you skipped the formalities, it would take around twenty minutes at most. Were you to perform the full ritual, you could be there for a few hours.
>There shouldn't be any bystanders around to notice you, as the ghosts avoid this area.

>_

[Omba]

>Do we know if Youmu knows the specifics of the ritual and it's effects on the one sacrificed?
>If we were to use her for it, do we think she would be able to tell before we actually sacrificed her?
>Do we know anyone else that is or might be in Hakugyokurou that we could use for the ritual?
>Do we think Alice might be suitable for it? Or anyone else we know in Gensokyo, for that matter.
>Do we know of any ways out of Hakugyokurou to anywhere else (not necessarily the outside world of Gensokyo),
>apart from the portal near Mayohiga?
>"I'll see you later, Yuyuko."
>Go back to Hakugyokurou. Don't go inside yet. Do we still feel anything from the knife?

[Tamashii Kanjou]

... Until I am ABSOLUTELY convinced that there is nothing else we can do, I am not going to sit here and watch anyone be sacrificed for this; especially Youmu, given the state she's currently in.

>Don't turn away just yet; the aura maybe strong, but let's at least test something first.

>"Yuyuko... if you can hear me, please make it known to me. Any sort of movement would do."

[Depending on results here, I may have something... but this is a sort of gambit in and of itself.]

[Dormio Ergo Sum]

>Do we know if Youmu knows the specifics of the ritual and it's effects on the one sacrificed?
>If we were to use her for it, do we think she would be able to tell before we actually sacrificed her?
>Do we know anyone else that is or might be in Hakugyokurou that we could use for the ritual?
>Do we think Alice might be suitable for it? Or anyone else we know in Gensokyo, for that matter.
>Do we know of any ways out of Hakugyokurou to anywhere else (not necessarily the outside world of Gensokyo),
>apart from the portal near Mayohiga?
>"I'll see you later, Yuyuko."
>Go back to Hakugyokurou. Don't go inside yet. Do we still feel anything from the knife?

>Youmu should not know of the specifics.
>If you were to skip the formalities of the ritual, you could simply bring her close to the tree before sacrificing her.
>Unless there is a particularly powerful ghost roaming around, you don't think that there is anyone else that you could use.
>Any of the more powerful beings in Gensokyo should be suitable for the ceremony.
>The portal near Mayohiga is the only way in or out of Hakugyokurou.

>Don't turn away just yet; the aura maybe strong, but let's at least test something first.

>"Yuyuko... if you can hear me, please make it known to me. Any sort of movement would do."

>You decide not to leave yet.
>You address the tree once more, and one of the branches turns to point at you.
>You also feel the evil aura from the tree growing.

>_

[Omba]

I'm gettting the feeling there's a time limit to this; i.e. if we don't deal with the tree fast enough, we'll get consumed by it.
I think jamming the knife into the tree would either kill it or give it even more power; though considering the aura
has grown stronger since we brought the knife near it, I'm guessing it's the latter.
I'd rather not sacrifice Youmu, either, though more because if we do manage to get Yuyuko out of the tree somehow,
she'll have our head if she finds out we killed Youmu. Apart from that, Youmu would be the ideal candidate.
We could probably easily coax her into coming with us if we told her we found a way to save Yuyuko; and play
on her feelings of guilt for leaving Yuyuko behind when she got absorbed by the tree. No need to tell her it involves her dying.
Choosing someone Yukari has less of a personal connection (even if it's just because of Yuyuko) to would be much better, though.
The problem is how we could get them here. I wish we had rescued Alice and taken her with us.

>How big is the area we're in here? I.e., how far away can we get from the tree without gapping?

We might be able to open a gap if we get away far enough. If we do this, we should definitely take Youmu with us.
Who knows what the tree does while we're away.

?: If that doesn't work, I guess it's "search a ghost" time.

[Dormio Ergo Sum]

>How big is the area we're in here? I.e., how far away can we get from the tree without gapping?

>Hakugyokurou is massive, you can travel for hundreds of miles without reaching the end.

>_

[Tamashii Kanjou]

...

>Take steps back; we don't want to take any damage from this.
>Move quickly, but not like we're running away; don't take your eyes of it either.
>That knife is not helping us at all.

>Try to smile.
>"My, you really have changed, Yuyuko. I'm not here to harm you, so please ease up a little."
>"I'd never harm a friend, after all."

>If that aura continues growing stronger, keep up that back-peddling.

[Omba]

Perfect.
Ok... Tamashii, do your thing. If it ends up failing, we'll most likely still be able to at least safe Youmu.
Though if we do try walking far away from the tree, I think we should first see what happens if we get the knife away from it
and come back without it; i.e. if the evil aura is still growing without the knife near it. And we should make absolutely sure never to leave Youmu
alone with the knife.

[Tamashii Kanjou]

Yeah, the knife should have been left alone; a mistake, really, to even consider taking it with us.
Though I wonder if the aura knows we have more then one weapon; something else to consider there.

[Dormio Ergo Sum]

>Take steps back; we don't want to take any damage from this.
>Move quickly, but not like we're running away; don't take your eyes of it either.
>That knife is not helping us at all.

>Try to smile.
>"My, you really have changed, Yuyuko. I'm not here to harm you, so please ease up a little."
>"I'd never harm a friend, after all."

>If that aura continues growing stronger, keep up that back-peddling.

>You take a few steps back, continuing to watch the tree as you do so.
>The tree seems to have something against the knife in your hands.
>You put on a smile as you talk to the tree again.
>The aura stays at around the same strength. The tree moves a bit so that most of its branches are facing in your direction.

>_

[Omba]

Huh. That's much better than I had expected.
We might be able to remind Yuyuko that she sacrificed herself to seal this tree. That's part of the reason she kept the knife
in the first place.

[Tamashii Kanjou]

>How far away from the Ayakashi are we?
>What's behind us, if anything; how much space is behind us?

[Dormio Ergo Sum]

>How far away from the Ayakashi are we?
>What's behind us, if anything; how much space is behind us?

>Roughly fifteen meters.
>There are some decaying flowers and a few small rocks. Further off, you can see the outline of Hakugyokurou.

>_

[Tamashii Kanjou]

... I've just remembered something. BAG! We have a bloody bag!

>Place the knife in the bag.
>Take the bag off.
>Throw the bag as far AWAY from the Ayakashi as possible.

>"I apologize for bringing that with me... I had a feeling you'd remember it."

[Possibility of Youmu knowing it's in there, let alone coming outside, is low. If the attention is still there, or the aura is still increasing, then the bag goes inside. After that, I'm going to start running out of options quick.]

[Dormio Ergo Sum]

>Place the knife in the bag.
>Take the bag off.
>Throw the bag as far AWAY from the Ayakashi as possible.

>"I apologize for bringing that with me... I had a feeling you'd remember it."

>You place the knife in the bag before taking it off and throwing it away from the tree.
>As the knife flies away from the tree, you can feel the aura letting up a bit.
>The tree's branches slowly go back to their original positions.

>_

[Tamashii Kanjou]

>Sigh; some relief at last.

>"Now then, where should we start, hmm? How about waving your branches if you at least understand what I'm saying?"

[Dormio Ergo Sum]

>Sigh; some relief at last.

>"Now then, where should we start, hmm? How about waving your branches if you at least understand what I'm saying?"

>You breathe out. Finally, a break.
>A few of the tree's branches move.

>_

[Tamashii Kanjou]

>"Good. Then perhaps we should use this method to get some questions answered then. Moving your branches to answer 'yes' and 'no' would suffice..."

>"Unless you can find a way to talk to me; even in my head if you really wish~"
>Keep that smile; this is the friend we care about a lot!

>"Did you... or should I say, are you a part of the Ayakashi now, Yuyuko?"

[Dormio Ergo Sum]

>"Good. Then perhaps we should use this method to get some questions answered then. Moving your branches to answer 'yes' and 'no' would suffice..."

>"Unless you can find a way to talk to me; even in my head if you really wish~"
>Keep that smile; this is the friend we care about a lot!

>"Did you... or should I say, are you a part of the Ayakashi now, Yuyuko?"

>You continue to smile as you address the tree in a friendly tone. Yuyuko is a close friend of yours, after all.
>You see the tree stay still for a while, as if it were thinking about your question, before it you hear the sound of wood twisting and turning, grating on itself.
>The evil aura comes back, rushing past you with much more intensity than before.
>Still, you brace yourself and you stand there to see a large hole in the tree's trunk begin to appear.
>Once the hole becomes large enough to fit a person through, the aura subsides and the tree stops moving once more.
>From the hole, Yuyuko's form floats out, supported by vines.
>Her entire body is wrapped in these vines, and you think that you can see some of them entering Yuyuko.
>Once Yuyuko is about a meter from the tree, she stops and opens her eyes.
>"Does this answer your question, Yukari?"

>_

[Omba]

Important: Don't talk about the tree manipulating her or anything to that effect for now, given what we read on that scroll in her room.
Don't mention getting her out of it for now, either. Both of these could easily lead her to stop listening to us for good.
I'm thinking about going near her and giving her a long hug. We might get sucked into the tree if we do that, though; and we
should definitely ask before coming closer.

>"Yuyuko!" (in a relieved and happy voice)
>She's really still 'alive'!
>"Yes, it does. I'm so glad you're still there. How have you been? I was so worried about you."