Nue Quest 7 - Serpent Isle: A Z-Machine Adventure

[Kilgamayan]

> "You got it."
> Step back outside, umbrella at the ready, and head on over to the Charms shop. Make sure Ichiro gets around that large puddle, though; help him if he needs it.

[Hello Purvis]

> "You got it."
> Step back outside, umbrella at the ready, and head on over to the Charms shop. Make sure Ichiro gets around that large puddle, though; help him if he needs it.

>You head outside, and look to see if Ichrio needs any help to deal with the puddle. While he is an older man, he seems spry enough and easily steps over it.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Head to the Charms shop!

[Hello Purvis]

> Head to the Charms shop!

>You make your way across the road to the dingy charms shop.
>As you walk inside, you quickly notice that the shopkeeper is not here. "Kirisame, stop lurking back there!" Ichiro calls, but you think it is not necessary, as you already hear heavy footsteps approaching. Mr Kirisame appears from the side, behind the counter, through a door that is obscured by a shelf.
>He sizes you both up, his eyes and mouth set in the usual mask of irritation, then says, "What?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Investigations have turned up some new information into how Morichika pulled this off. I think it's time to a fuller story, because you may actually be able to help fix everything. It's not a guarantee, but it's an intriguing new possibility."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Investigations have turned up some new information into how Morichika pulled this off. I think it's time to a fuller story, because you may actually be able to help fix everything. It's not a guarantee, but it's an intriguing new possibility."

>"Hrmph," says Mr Kirisame, crossing his arms. "What do you want me to do?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "I think you should go to the Temple with us. Long story short, by his own standards, due to that recent trade, he's endebtted to you.  You may be able to use that against him."

[Hello Purvis]

> "I think you should go to the Temple with us. Long story short, by his own standards, due to that recent trade, he's endebtted to you.  You may be able to use that against him."

>There is a long moment of silence, punctuated by a long long from him. Then he says, "Let me get my hat and coat."
>As he walks off, Ichiro whispers, "Don't you be put off by him, remember when your mother told you not to make a face or it'll stick like that? He didn't listen."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Smile and wink back at Ichiro.
> Bring our voice down equally low.
> "It's fine. Takes a lot to get to me."

[Hello Purvis]

> Smile and wink back at Ichiro.
> Bring our voice down equally low.
> "It's fine. Takes a lot to get to me."

>"That's good. He's been like that since he was younger than any shrine maiden we have nowadays," says Ichiro. "Mind you, he's a good person and all, it's just that he's also a grump."
>"What're you whispering about, Nadano?" says Mr. Kirisame, as he steps back into the front room, wearing a straw cloak over his robes, and a peaked straw hat.
>"Just regaling Miss Nue with some tales of the trade," says Ichiro. "I was afraid the mundanity of it might make your charms fall apart if they overheard. Shall we be off now?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Yes, let's. I suspect the two of you will want as much of a scope of the situation as I can provide."
> Assuming no Kirisame objections, leave the store.

[Hello Purvis]

> "Yes, let's. I suspect the two of you will want as much of a scope of the situation as I can provide."
> Assuming no Kirisame objections, leave the store.

>"Hrmph," says Mr Kirisame, as he walks around the counter.
>The three of you make your way to the rainy streets. "Where to, then?" says Ichiro.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Myouren Temple. He's in a guest room there right now. Not sure if he's still unconscious or not, but either way has its advantages."
> Start heading back toward the Temple.

[Hello Purvis]

> "Myouren Temple. He's in a guest room there right now. Not sure if he's still unconscious or not, but either way has its advantages."
> Start heading back toward the Temple.

>You start toward the temple, the two men following behind you.
>"Unconscious, is he?" says Mr Kirisame. "What do you expect us to do about that?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "If he's still out, then I'll be sorry for wasting your time. But it's not a guarantee, not by a long shot. He'd been out for a while before Byakuren got him here."

[Hello Purvis]

> "If he's still out, then I'll be sorry for wasting your time. But it's not a guarantee, not by a long shot. He'd been out for a while before Byakuren got him here."

>"Hmrph," says Mr Kirisame.
>"It'll be nice to have a walk, in that's the case," says Ichiro, as you reach the main road, and can see the Myouren Temple to the north. "Perhaps a detour to the pub later, and see if they can be convinced to put something on a tab."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "I think I could go for one later, if time allows. But that can come later."
> "So this all begins with Morichika's obsession with exchange and disgust for a currency-based system. I'm pretty sure I don't need to elaborate on that, since you two likely know about it far better than I do."

[Hello Purvis]

> "I think I could go for one later, if time allows. But that can come later."
> "So this all begins with Morichika's obsession with exchange and disgust for a currency-based system. I'm pretty sure I don't need to elaborate on that, since you two likely know about it far better than I do."

>"He did become rather increasingly irritated by money, didn't he?" says Ichiro.
>Mr. Kirisame gives a brief nod.
>"And was quite the workaholic, unfortunately. So please, continue."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Right. Well. I've consulted with the librarian at the Scarlet Devil Mansion about this issue. Apparently his case is a specific instance of a general possibility. It seems that a person can become so infatuated, so obsessed with an idea, that they can actually start changing reality around through their fanaticism. She went so far as to use the term 'insane'. In Morichika's case, his obsession with the supposed beauty of the exchange eventually led him to believe he was able to draw energy from exchanges in which he was a part. And this obsession grew and grew until he actually started being able to do that, despite it normally being not just impossible, but a completely ludicrous idea. Even now we can still laugh at it and disbelieve it, but there's no denying the evidence that lies in the jewels that replaced everyone's money."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Right. Well. I've consulted with the librarian at the Scarlet Devil Mansion about this issue. Apparently his case is a specific instance of a general possibility. It seems that a person can become so infatuated, so obsessed with an idea, that they can actually start changing reality around through their fanaticism. She went so far as to use the term 'insane'. In Morichika's case, his obsession with the supposed beauty of the exchange eventually led him to believe he was able to draw energy from exchanges in which he was a part. And this obsession grew and grew until he actually started being able to do that, despite it normally being not just impossible, but a completely ludicrous idea. Even now we can still laugh at it and disbelieve it, but there's no denying the evidence that lies in the jewels that replaced everyone's money."

>"Doesn't sound like proper magic at all," says Mr Kirisame.
>"I am not certain that I quite understand what is going on," Ichiro says, frowing.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "To put it as simply as I can, he wants it and believes it to be true so badly that it's actually becoming true. Apparently this is an actual thing. I have no idea how or why. But it's what we're facing."

[Hello Purvis]

> "To put it as simply as I can, he wants it and believes it to be true so badly that it's actually becoming true. Apparently this is an actual thing. I have no idea how or why. But it's what we're facing."

>"I'd credit that sort of thing more to faith," says Mr Kirisame, as pass by the clothing store. "Sounds a lot more like some priest's nonsense than proper magic."

>_

[GuyYouMetOnline]

>"It is very similar to faith, similar enough that the mountain god apparently mistook it for an act of faith."
>"Speaking with said god is a good idea, of course, but the tengu are a bunch of assholes and won't let me up, so I'm having to look elsewhere."

[Hello Purvis]

>"It is very similar to faith, similar enough that the mountain god apparently mistook it for an act of faith."
>"Speaking with said god is a good idea, of course, but the tengu are a bunch of assholes and won't let me up, so I'm having to look elsewhere."

>Mr Kirisame nods and gives a satisfied grunt.
>"I am surprised they could keep you out," says Ichiro.

>_

[GuyYouMetOnline]

>"Well, I haven't had a good way in; I imagine they're keeping track of their own. Although I did recently catch a break in that area. Problem is, there may be more to getting in than just being a tengu. They may want some form of identification, or a password, or something, and I don't want to go in until I'm sure I have what I need. I'm going to look into that, although there's another lead I want to check out first. But before any of that, I thought I should look into keeping Rinnosuke from causing any more problems."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, I haven't had a good way in; I imagine they're keeping track of their own. Although I did recently catch a break in that area. Problem is, there may be more to getting in than just being a tengu. They may want some form of identification, or a password, or something, and I don't want to go in until I'm sure I have what I need. I'm going to look into that, although there's another lead I want to check out first. But before any of that, I thought I should look into keeping Rinnosuke from causing any more problems."

>Ichiro nods. "I expect your understanding of the situation is better than mine."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Anyway, one of the things I've learned is that Morichika is somehow capable of coercing people that have done business with him in the past to do further favors from him. I'm not sure quite how it works, if it's magic or faith or just simple mind controllishness, but he'll start talking about past purchases you've made, and how you've gotten a lot of mileage out of them, and suddenly you'll feel like you didn't pay him enough for what you got given all the use you've gotten out of them. He has already successfully inflicted this on at least one individual, which is why we have come as close to a so far unseen disaster as we have come, and he also tried to inflict it on me. Thankfully for my sake I put him down before he could really get going, but it was not a pleasant feeling."

[GuyYouMetOnline]

>"Now, if it actually is debt-related, then you two might be able to pull the same trick on him. And if it's not, well, that would expose what he's saying as bullshit."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Anyway, one of the things I've learned is that Morichika is somehow capable of coercing people that have done business with him in the past to do further favors from him. I'm not sure quite how it works, if it's magic or faith or just simple mind controllishness, but he'll start talking about past purchases you've made, and how you've gotten a lot of mileage out of them, and suddenly you'll feel like you didn't pay him enough for what you got given all the use you've gotten out of them. He has already successfully inflicted this on at least one individual, which is why we have come as close to a so far unseen disaster as we have come, and he also tried to inflict it on me. Thankfully for my sake I put him down before he could really get going, but it was not a pleasant feeling."

>Mr Kirisame gives a nod as you reach the temple. "That sounds like the kind of thing he used to talk about. Morichika was always interested in all the little effects that came from a purchase. He could talk your ear off about how building a house had all sorts of consequences no one thought about or paid for."

>"Now, if it actually is debt-related, then you two might be able to pull the same trick on him. And if it's not, well, that would expose what he's saying as bullshit."

>"I'm certainly willing to give it a try," says Ichiro.
>"If what you're saying it right, and Morichika's managed to make this a thing of faith," Mr Kirisame says, "It's not going to be that easy, that I can tell you now."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Yeah, I imagine not."
> "Before we head in, I should also say where all of this was headed. Morichika wants to change this world. He wants to get rid of currency entirely, and introduce an economy based entirely around exchanges. One where people could exchange literally anything. Physical, mental, emotional, you name it. You could exchange age for looks, or happiness for intelligence. Aside from the exchange energy he gathers, he needed Gensokyo's current economy to complete the exchange for the new economy. He also needed the essence of a shapeshifter, to complete the actual change. As luck would have it, he got that this morning, in the form of a pile of spellcards."