Visiting the Neighbors - Kanako in the Netherworld

[Oldmansour]

>Wait for them to finish, being sure to pay attention to anything we can hear.

>So far as you can determine, they seem to be discussing the nutritional gains of different types of fish. After a about fourty seconds, Yukari closes up her gap. "Eavesdropping doesn't really become you, Kanako." she says over her shoulder.

[GuyYouMetOnline]

>"I was simply waiting for you to finish. I wouldn't want to inturrupt, after all."
>"Before I leave for this other world, what can you tell me about the people there?"

[Oldmansour]

>"I was simply waiting for you to finish. I wouldn't want to inturrupt, after all."
>"Before I leave for this other world, what can you tell me about the people there?"

>Yukari turns and bows her head politely. "Why, thank you."
>"Yes, the details." she says, business like, and folds her umbrella up, leaving it hanging in midair paradoxically. "In a sense, this Netherworld isn't all that dissimilar from Gensokyo, in terms of its people. A number of intelligent and semi-intelligent species live there, though the dominant species call themselves 'demons'. They're less malicious than the Outside world's definition of the term. Well, most of them are, anyway. But it's these people that would be your best source of faith, should you be able to win them over."
>She chuckles quietly. "I realize that the idea of gathering faith from 'demons' may sound a bit strange, but that's really a mere technicality."

[GuyYouMetOnline]

>"What they call themselves means little to me."
>"Do these people have powers of their own, or do they lack such things like the humans of the outside world?"

[Oldmansour]

>"What they call themselves means little to me."
>"Do these people have powers of their own, or do they lack such things like the humans of the outside world?"

>"They have a great deal of power." Yukari assures you. "In fact, there are some on this world whose power may even rival my own. Make no mistake, Wind God, this won't be an easy world for you to exploit. But I wouldn't have suggested it if I didn't believe you could do it."

[GuyYouMetOnline]

>"Just because people of a world have power doesn't mean there's no room for one such as I. I've done just fine here, have I not?"
>"What do you know of their power? Any information you have will be useful."

[Oldmansour]

>"Just because people of a world have power doesn't mean there's no room for one such as I. I've done just fine here, have I not?"
>"What do you know of their power? Any information you have will be useful."

>Yukari smiles. "You have indeed. I merely thought you should know that you could, and will, be challenged."
>"Well, that's a broad topic." the gap youkai replies. She gestures with her left hand to a gap that opens in the air. The image of a shirtless, muscular brown haired man with dark eyes. "Some residents of this Netherworld specialize in physical power. Hand to hand combat, jumping, running, that sort of thing. But they can generate amazing feats with their weapon skill, easily the equal of many residents of our world. The greatest of swordsman can cleave an island in half. The most skilled lancer can impale a person from practically another continent." She grins slightly. "Though those poles of yours should prove the equal to that."
>The image in her gap shifts to a young girl with long red hair, clad in a formal style of clothes, a big ribbon in her head. "The netherworld also has vast numbers of spellcasters. Some of them can't manage much beyond flinging a few embers, but there are some that can conjure forth flames hot enough to make even hell ravens break a sweat." Her veiled reference to Utsuho makes your eyebrow twitch slightly.

>The image in Yukari's gap changes to display both the warrior and the mage, and a number appears over both of their heads. 47 over the male, 88 over the female.
>"No matter what they specialize in, each resident of the Netherworld's power can be measured by their 'level', which is the number you see here." She grabs her umbrella and points towards the indicated numbers. "Your shrine maiden was fond of video games when you lived in the outside, if I'm not mistaken. Well, the principal there is essentially the same here."
>The girl mage and the male warrior turn face each other. The mage raises her hand over her head, and the warrior is engulfed in an explosion of flame. After the flame fades, the warrior vanishes is a ball of blue and white light. "The higher your level, the more powerful you are." Yukari announces as she closes her gap, this particular demonstration complete.

[GuyYouMetOnline]

>"So magic, then, but not the variety of specific abilities you can find here."
>Which means they won't have already have anyone who can do something such as manipulate the weather. Good.
>Inform Sanae of what we've just been told about this other world.

[Oldmansour]

>"So magic, then, but not the variety of specific abilities you can find here."
>Which means they won't have already have anyone who can do something such as manipulate the weather. Good.
>Inform Sanae of what we've just been told about this other world.

>"For the most part. There are a few individuals that have powers and abilities beyond the norm, but not quite like it is here."
>You take a moment to inform your miko of what you've learned. Her voice carries back to you, "I wonder what MY level would be. Or YOURS, Kanako-sama."

[GuyYouMetOnline]

>[I thought you might react that way.]
>"What will be my means of travel between here and the other world?"

[Oldmansour]

>[I thought you might react that way.]
>"What will be my means of travel between here and the other world?"

>You hear Sanae chuckle. [Oh yeah, who's the boss of this Netherworld place? If she's like Reimu, you might have to give her a bit of a fight.]
>Yukari smiles and opens a tall gap to her left. "This, goddess of the mountain, is your door to the Netherworld. But as for getting home," she pauses and produces a small black door-shaped object inscribed with a silver snake in the shape of an infinity symbol. "I call this a Mrs. Gency Exit. Touching the snake will activate it, and transport you back to Gensokyo, no matter where in the Netherworld you are. It will also let me know that you're back, and I can provide transport back to the Netherworld. But the battery in it needs some time to recharge. It can't be activated more than once every twenty-four hours." She smiles apologetically. "And it won't activate in the middle of a fight."

[GuyYouMetOnline]

>"You worked that in deliberately, didn't you?"
>Take it.
>"What sort of society should I expect to find?"

[Oldmansour]

>"You worked that in deliberately, didn't you?"
>Take it.
>"What sort of society should I expect to find?"

>"I was working off of a base model." Yukari counters. "Ordinarily the thing would just vanish after being used once."
>"The Netherworld society is controlled by one being: the Overlord. The shape the Netherworld takes depends almost entirely on the Overlord. A strong Overlord will yield an orderly society, a weak one breeds only chaos."
>"Which brings up a point." She points her umbrella towards another gap, this one showing a shirtless boy with blue hair and a long scarf. "The current Overlord's rule is rather weak. He's fallen on some hard times of late, and as a result, there are a number of powerful individuals vying for the title. It sounds a bit dramatic, but the Netherworld is in a bit of a civil war at the moment."

[GuyYouMetOnline]

>"I appreciate the warning."
>"I believe I am ready to depart."

[Oldmansour]

>"I appreciate the warning."
>"I believe I am ready to depart."

>"You should know what you're getting into." Yukari says simply.
>"Oh, one more thing." she adds as she closes every gap save the large one she called your 'doorway to the Netherworld'. "While you're there, confrontation with at least one of these other powers is all but inevitable. You're strong, there's no question at all of that, but you might want to consider gathering some minions from the locals."

[GuyYouMetOnline]

>"I intend to."
>Steel ourselves, and pass through.

[Oldmansour]

>"I intend to."
>Steel ourselves, and pass through.

>Armed with Yukari's information, and your own determination, you step forward into Yukari's gap (a slightly unnerving act in and of itself) and brace yourself for the worst. Your stomach lurches and for a moment, you almost feel as though you were falling.
>The first sensation that hits you once you reorient yourself is the bitingly cold wind that assaults you. Bracing yourself against it, you take in your surroundings.
>You find yourself in the midst of a vast frozen expanse, a field of snow and ice splaying out before you as far as your eye can see. Distant frozen hills lie in the distance to the north, east and west. Bridges of ice span vast gulfs in the frozen land, tumbling down into depths unseen. It is shockingly cold.
>Your ears detect the sound of animalistic snarling coming from the area behind you, and the sound of singing coming from the north, the source of which seems to be a group of figures marching slowly towards an angular snow-covered hill to the northeast.
>You have the sensation that your powers are changing.

[GuyYouMetOnline]

>How so?

[Oldmansour]

>How so?

>You believe you have a level now. As well as a spell list and equipment slots.

[GuyYouMetOnline]

>View them.

[Oldmansour]

>View them.

>You are level 962.

>Spell List:
>Wind
>Mega Wind
>Giga Wind
>Boulder Crush
>Skull Splitter
>Boomerang Axe

>Kuzui Clear Water - Heals up to four units.
>Heaven's Dragon - Heals all units in an 'S' shaped pattern, damages undead and diabolic types.
>Expanded Onbashira - Deals physical damage to an enemy up to three squares away.
>Yamato Torus - Columns of slashing wind deals damage in two lines.
>Meteroic Onbashira - Deals heavy physical damage to all enemies in an X-shaped area
>Virtue of Wind God - Ultimate Spell. Deals massive Wind damage to all enemies around you and in a targeted square area.

>Currently Equipped:
>White Onbashira (Functions as Axe)
>Yasaka's Mirror (+acc +int)

[GuyYouMetOnline]

>Those seem mostly suited for combat.
>Our power can do much more than attack and support. We are connected to the wind and the rain themselves. How is that translating to this world?

[Oldmansour]

>Those seem mostly suited for combat.
>Our power can do much more than attack and support. We are connected to the wind and the rain themselves. How is that translating to this world?

>Your influences over the wind and the rains appear unchanged. Though the voice of the wind here seems different, somehow. It's like listening to a voice you know that's using another language. It IS a new world, after all, so this might change once you get used to it.
>It seems that, while some of your spellcards and techniques may not function quite the same, and you have some different skills, the core of who and what you are remains intact.

[GuyYouMetOnline]

>Let's practice a little, make sure our influence over it still functions the same way.
>So our abilities in battle have altered to support the system of combat used here. The mention of 'squares' and 'lines' implied some sort of grid-based battlefield.
>Try to contact Sanae. [Can you hear me?]
>If she can hear us: [To satisfy your curiosity, Sanae, my level is 962.]

[Oldmansour]

>Let's practice a little, make sure our influence over it still functions the same way.
>So our abilities in battle have altered to support the system of combat used here. The mention of 'squares' and 'lines' implied some sort of grid-based battlefield.
>Try to contact Sanae. [Can you hear me?]
>If she can hear us: [To satisfy your curiosity, Sanae, my level is 962.]

>Deciding to practice a bit before setting off elsewhere, you raise your hand and try to wrap the wind around, a simple skill. And it comes, but it takes a bit more persuasion than it did back on Earth or in Gensokyo. The wind here feels different, heavier somehow. It doesn't feel quite right, doesn't smell right. It reminds you that you are a stranger, in a strange land. You've no doubt your powers will adjust. It will just take some time.
>Likewise, when you send your voice our to Sanae, it takes an extra try before she responds with [Kanako-sama? You sound kinda funny.] Her voice, too, sounds odd to your ear. Clear, yes, but distorted slightly, coming through at a faster speed than she usually talks. Nevertheless, she sounds quite impressed by your level. [Wow! You're almost at the level cap already! ... IS there a level cap?]

[GuyYouMetOnline]

>[I do not know if there is an upper limit, nor do I know what it is if there is one. Without that knowledge, I cannot say how high mine might be. I do not intend to makeuninformed assumptions about how my level measures to the levels of others.]
>Try it with the rain, too. Just a minor thing, nothing anyone is likely to notice.

[Oldmansour]

>[I do not know if there is an upper limit, nor do I know what it is if there is one. Without that knowledge, I cannot say how high mine might be. I do not intend to makeuninformed assumptions about how my level measures to the levels of others.]
>Try it with the rain, too. Just a minor thing, nothing anyone is likely to notice.

>[Well, if that Netherworld works like a lot of games, 999 will be the tops. Of course, there's some that go up to nine THOUSAND....] Sanae muses. [Have you seen anyone else around to compare it to? What's it like over there?]
>You turn your eyes to the skies over your head. There are a handful of wispy red clouds in the sky, colored red by the low-hanging red moon that looms over the distant hills. Strange skies, strange moon, strange wind. You take a breath of the cold air. This could be interesting...
>Focusing on the small scale, you pick one of the smaller clouds hanging to your northwest and command it to release its rains. And so it does, just as you willed. But the water freezes as it falls, yielding baseball-sized chunks of hail that scatter and crash against the icy field below.

[GuyYouMetOnline]

>Well, that's not unexpected, given that we're in a frozen-over area.
>Describe what we're seeing to Sanae.
>Look behind us, see if we can find the source of that snarling noise.

[Oldmansour]

>Well, that's not unexpected, given that we're in a frozen-over area.
>Describe what we're seeing to Sanae.
>Look behind us, see if we can find the source of that snarling noise.

>Indeed. Though you wouldn't have thought the hail would have been QUITE that big. Possibly heavier water here than back home. You'll have to adjust for that.
>Sanae shivers at your description of the frigid landscape. [Maybe I should get Yukari to send you a coat?] she offers.
>Turning your attention away from the moon, your eyes and ears are drawn towards an icy cave carved in the side of a small hill, and the beasts arrayed in front of it. Two animals circle each other warily, snarling at each other, while two more look on. Each of them is vaguely wolf-ish in form, with long tails and manes flowing in the wind. But they also have large horns extending from their foreheads. The largest of them, one of the observers of the two circling each other, has a golden colored hide, its mane and tail a light, almost sky blue. The other three have dark blue hides, and pinkish hair.
>Despite your unfamiliarity with this world and its air, you can sense that these beasts have a connection to the winds, as you do.

[GuyYouMetOnline]

>Are we bothered by things such as the cold?
>Let's watch.