Nue Quest 10 - The Lost Levels: A Z-Machine Adventure

[Kilgamayan]

> What's up with the weird hours lately? You feeling okay?

[Hello Purvis]

>"Um... I don't think so, actually, and I doubt I'll be able to change that in time. I guess we'll have to hope she buys it without one."

>"That's what I thought," says Suwako. "So, I might be interested."
>"I have a question," Sanae says. "What do we do if she calls the bluff? I think she's the kind of person who'd agree to some pretty dumb things if you put her pride on the line."

> What's up with the weird hours lately? You feeling okay?

>Usual cycle + was at a friend's friday and saturday. Partially due to icestorms.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "That depends. Would it be possible to resummon this thing without doing much collateral damage to the environment? Or maybe create an illusion that looks like it?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "That depends. Would it be possible to resummon this thing without doing much collateral damage to the environment? Or maybe create an illusion that looks like it?"

>"Oh, I wouldn't have any control over it like that," says Suwako. "As for illusions, that's more of your thing, isn't it?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Shake head.
> "I wouldn't be able to properly pull off something that grandiose with the tools at my disposal. I might be able to get this shrine to look like the ox, but the illusion would probably get wrecked by even just a gentle breeze."

[Hello Purvis]

> Shake head.
> "I wouldn't be able to properly pull off something that grandiose with the tools at my disposal. I might be able to get this shrine to look like the ox, but the illusion would probably get wrecked by even just a gentle breeze."

>"Then we'll need something else," says Suwako. "Any ideas?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "We need to conjure a giant red ox and neither of us are currently capable of it. I can't think of anyone that could pull something like that off, either for real or just as a trick, but I don't spend all that much time up here. You probably know the surface folks better than I do; do you know any that could quickly manufacture a giant red ox?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "We need to conjure a giant red ox and neither of us are currently capable of it. I can't think of anyone that could pull something like that off, either for real or just as a trick, but I don't spend all that much time up here. You probably know the surface folks better than I do; do you know any that could quickly manufacture a giant red ox?"

>"Not unless one of the magicians could do it," says Sanae.  Suwako shakes her head.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Frown.
> "And none of them actually saw the thing, so even if they could produce one, there's no guarantee it would pass the sight test."

[Hello Purvis]

> Frown.
> "And none of them actually saw the thing, so even if they could produce one, there's no guarantee it would pass the sight test."

>"So that's route's closed to us," says Suwako.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Maybe we could pass off something else large and intimidating as the ox having changed appearances? Something we actually can conjure?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "Maybe we could pass off something else large and intimidating as the ox having changed appearances? Something we actually can conjure?"

>"Like what?" says Sanae.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "I don't know. This is why I'm asking. My chimera is likely the extend of what I could effectively do, and even if she did fall for that, which I don't think she would, I can't pull it off to completion right now anyway. Not with the sprain I have going right now."

[Hello Purvis]

> "I don't know. This is why I'm asking. My chimera is likely the extend of what I could effectively do, and even if she did fall for that, which I don't think she would, I can't pull it off to completion right now anyway. Not with the sprain I have going right now."

>"Well, we could do some other kind of trick if she goes for it," says Sanae.
>"Push her off the edge of the mountain?" says Suwako.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Give a small smile.
> "I'm not thinking we need to be quite that drastic. But if we can't figure a way to generate a proper illusion to call her calling our bluff, then either we need to make sure she won't call our bluff, or we need to give her an opportunity to change her mind without her thinking she looks bad in front of her students. She ran away from the ox once before in the presence of her students, she may well do it again."

[Hello Purvis]

> Give a small smile.
> "I'm not thinking we need to be quite that drastic. But if we can't figure a way to generate a proper illusion to call her calling our bluff, then either we need to make sure she won't call our bluff, or we need to give her an opportunity to change her mind without her looking she looks bad in front of her students. She ran away from the ox once before in the presence of her students, she may well do it again."

>"Um, how would we get her to do that?" says Sanae.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Put on a thinking face with a hand on our chin for a few moments, then use that same hand to snap our fingers.
> "Got it. When you're pitching the case to her, make sure you don't have the sword with you. Leave it hidden somewhere inside the shrine. If she actually calls the bluff, tell her you're going back inside to get it. At that point, anyone that's in on this should go back inside, leaving Tenshi and her students outside by themselves without supervision. There's no way she won't take that opportunity to run away back home, and the other celestials won't actually try to stop her, as much as they will probably know that she's running away in fear."

[Hello Purvis]

> Put on a thinking face with a hand on our chin for a few moments, then use that same hand to snap our fingers.
> "Got it. When you're pitching the case to her, make sure you don't have the sword with you. Leave it hidden somewhere inside the shrine. If she actually calls the bluff, tell her you're going back inside to get it. At that point, anyone that's in on this should go back inside, leaving Tenshi and her students outside by themselves without supervision. There's no way she won't take that opportunity to run away back home, and the other celestials won't actually try to stop her, as much as they will probably know that she's running away in fear."

>"Okay," says Sanae. "And she'll definitely run away?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Positive. If she's somehow still here when you come back out with the sword, you can tell her the truth, admit that I planned and encouraged the whole thing, and send her down my way and I'll give her a bottle of whatever she wants free of charge."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Positive. If she's somehow still here when you come back out with the sword, you can tell her the truth, admit that I planned and encouraged the whole thing, and send her down my way and I'll give her a bottle of whatever she wants free of charge."

>"Heh, I'll be sure to give you all of the blame," says Suwako.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Grin and spread our arms.
> "If she's build up the cojones to call one of my bluffs, then kudos to her, and I'll deserve every last bit of it."

[Hello Purvis]

> Grin and spread our arms.
> "If she's build up the cojones to call one of my bluffs, then kudos to her, and I'll deserve every last bit of it."

>"Yeah, you say that now," says Suwako. "Anything else you need?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "No, I think I'm all set. I trust the acting here will go smoothly."

[Hello Purvis]

> "No, I think I'm all set. I trust the acting here will go smoothly."

>"Don't worry," says Suwako. "We'll get it right. Won't we, Sanae?"
>"Yes, of course," the shrine maiden says, nodding. "We'll get her good."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Great. Oh!"
> Face Suwako properly, if we aren't already looking at her.
> "I will also say that a few people have asked about the prospect of Rinnosuke pulling this off again, but you didn't seem at all concerned earlier, so I figured I shouldn't be concerned either."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Great. Oh!"
> Face Suwako properly, if we aren't already looking at her.
> "I will also say that a few people have asked about the prospect of Rinnosuke pulling this off again, but you didn't seem at all concerned earlier, so I figured I shouldn't be concerned either."

>You look toward Suwako and ask her about Rinnosuke.
>"Eh, I figure you kids can stop him again if you have to," she says, turning her hands upwards.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Frown.
> "It would be nice if we didn't have to. Are you saying he can still do all the things he could do before?"

[Hello Purvis]

> Frown.
> "It would be nice if we didn't have to. Are you saying he can still do all the things he could do before?"

>"How should I know?" says Suwako. "He never offered me any kind of devotion. I guess if you let him, he could.  Though I'm pretty sure he'd hard a hard time gathering up all that faith again."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "...All right, I suppose I'll have to live with that. All the same, here's hoping he forgets he threatened to take away everything of mine right before I broke his mind."

[Hello Purvis]

> "...All right, I suppose I'll have to live with that. All the same, here's hoping he forgets he threatened to take away everything of mine right before I broke his mind."

>"Yeah, that'd probably be for the best." says Suwako. "I've seen more than enough vengeance obsessions in my time, I'll tell you."

>_