Kisume Quest VIII - A Z-Machine Adventure

[Hello Purvis]

>This is a lot of political thinking we've had to do, and it would be nice to outsource some of it. Who do we know that would be good for solving the Kosan political issue?

>That is an excellent question. It would depend on what you mean by solve. You imagine a deva could certainly come up with some kind of solution, got instance, but you don't think it'd be very friendly or longlasting.

>_

[O4rfish]

Oh ho, a deva.
>"Kasen, are you good with politics?"

[Kilgamayan]

<_< Call me stupid, but how do we know Kasen is a Deva? Did she admit that to Kisume somewhere?

[O4rfish]

The parser's response would probably lead Kisume to ask everyone with intelligence and similar goals ("deva" was "for instance"). Coincidentally, the players believe Kasen to be or have been a deva.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Kasen, are you good with politics?"

>"I'm a hermit," says Kasen, "We are rather uninvolved with governmental things and focus on the personal and spiritual. But, I am certainly willing to offer what advice that I can."

>_

[O4rfish]

>"Your magesty, I really don't know how to answer that question. I wasn't the best at bureaucrasizing even when I lived there, and I don't know of any past situations remotely similar to this."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Your magesty, I really don't know how to answer that question. I wasn't the best at bureaucrasizing even when I lived there, and I don't know of any past situations remotely similar to this."

>He gives a nod. "Then have you anything to add for my consideration in this affair?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Rub chin thoughtfully.
> "Mmm...I know that my parents can communicate long distance somehow. If you're intent on your agent going, I might suggest having the shinigami contact the Yama that way, and have her deliver any paperwork you're looking for. Living humans are not exactly a common sight in Higan, for a number of reasons. I'll leave it up to you and him to decide on that, though."

[Hello Purvis]

> Rub chin thoughtfully.
> "Mmm...I know that my parents can communicate long distance somehow. If you're intent on your agent going, I might suggest having the shinigami contact the Yama that way, and have her deliver any paperwork you're looking for. Living humans are not exactly a common sight in Higan, for a number of reasons. I'll leave it up to you and him to decide on that, though."

>"That would be preferable," says the Emperor, steepling his fingers. "What is the likelihood that they will be forthright about the information we desire?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "I think there's enough going in your favor that you should be able to get it. Higan will definitely want to know about Sariel causing problems of this magnitude. I might also be able to send something along to prove to them that your agent is connected to me."

[Hello Purvis]

> "I think there's enough going in your favor that you should be able to get it. Higan will definitely want to know about Sariel causing problems of this magnitude. I might also be able to send something along to prove to them that your agent is connected to me."

>"Would they be likely to consider a letter from you a forgery?" says the Emperor.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Do we have a signature?
> Have we ever forged anything?

[Hello Purvis]

> Do we have a signature?
> Have we ever forged anything?

>You do, though you don't have any of those handy name stamps anymore. Actually, it has been a long time since you've written anything, now that you think about it.
>You've never really had the opportunity to forge anything worth forging back at Higan. You preferred to work a bit more outside the rules than bending them to your advantage; or rather you'd come in late rather than bother setting up excuses when you felt like it.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "That shouldn't be a problem."

[Hello Purvis]

> "That shouldn't be a problem."

>He nods. "In the meantime, how do you recommend securing Sariel? Regardless of the degree she has misled me, I am less than pleased with her taking issues of security into her own hands and appearing in public as she has."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "I think securing her hands behind her back will work for the time being. If she really wants to shoot danmaku you'd have to kill her to stop her, but she's been disarmed, and with her hands behind her back on top of that she most likely couldn't do any meaningful damage before her corpse hit the ground."

[Hello Purvis]

> "I think securing her hands behind her back will work for the time being. If she really wants to shoot danmaku you'd have to kill her to stop her, but she's been disarmed, and with her hands behind her back on top of that she most likely couldn't do any meaningful damage before her corpse hit the ground."

>"Very well," says the Emperor.  "Pass your translator to your friend. I wish to ask her some things."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Nod.
> Take the translator off and look at Kasen with the translator held out.
> "He wants to talk to you."

[Hello Purvis]

> Nod.
> Take the translator off and look at Kasen with the translator held out.
> "He wants to talk to you."

>"Very well," says Kasen, as she accepts it. "How does it work?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Wear it like I did and speak, and it should do the rest."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Wear it like I did and speak, and it should do the rest."

>Kasen nods and slips it on over her head.
>The Emperor speaks, and you really have no idea what he's saying.  His tone of voice is still even, you aren't certain if there's inflections of annoyance or if that's just how parts of his language sound. "My name is Kasen," says the hermit.  "I am a practitioner of the art of the Tao, and tend to live secluded from much of the world. Kisume told me about what your retainer was doing, and it intrigued me enough to investigate it with her; our own shrine maiden who typically handles these affairs was missing."
>A frown crosses Kasen's lips as the Emperor speaks again.. "Ah, you do not understand the Tao? It is a philosophy derived from the natural reality of the universe, wherein one seeks their own place within it, and through finding this place betters herself. The discipline required is quite strict, many are unable to keep up with the physical and moral rigors that is required of it. To be quite honest, from what I have gathered in my brief observations here-"
>The Emperor speaks firmly, and at length., a few sentences worth of words that prompt Kasen to frown. "I don't quite agree with that at all, but I suppose it would do to make some more observations first. Regardless, yes, those were my words on the nature of Higan to your retainer. I wasn't certain why Kisume was asking at the time, to be honest. I had barely shared spoke with her since your maidservant poisoned me."
>The Emperor nods and speaks briefly. You think you catch Higan in it, heavily accented. "There isn't much more that I can tell," says Kasen. "Sometimes there is a fair along the banks of the Sanzu River, but I typically do not attend it."
>Kasen purses her lips at the Emperor's next response. "Well, if I were to try and petition Higan? I would not hold back anything to impress them on the importance of it. Wouldn't you agree, Kisume?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Nod.
> "Sariel was enough of an issue for them. The more she's made out to be an issue for Kosa, the likelier they'll be to help. If nothing else, they'll want to wipe the egg off their face from letting this happen under their theoretical watch."

[Hello Purvis]

> Nod.
> "Sariel was enough of an issue for them. The more she's made out to be an issue for Kosa, the likelier they'll be to help. If nothing else, they'll want to wipe the egg off their face from letting this happen under their theoretical watch."

>The Emperor glances toward Sombraluz, who translates for him.  Then he says a few words, and Kasen starts to take off the translator and says, "He has a question for you."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Okay."
> Take the translator once Kasen has removed it and put it back on, then look to Canus.
> "What can I do for you?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "Okay."
> Take the translator once Kasen has removed it and put it back on, then look to Canus.
> "What can I do for you?"

>"I wish to know if you think it is plausible they will try to sweep this incident under the table and pretend it never happened?" says the Emperor.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> ...Would a bureaucracy theoretically dedicated to justice actually do that? Presumably they wouldn't talk about it all the time, but would they deny it completely?

[Hello Purvis]

> ...Would a bureaucracy theoretically dedicated to justice actually do that? Presumably they wouldn't talk about it all the time, but would they deny it completely?

>You don't...think that they would.  You certainly couldn't see your mother turning a blind eye toward it. Stuff may end up slipping between the cracks due to the amount of stuff that they deal with and the way they deal with it, but you don't think something of any real magnitude would be overlooked.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Shake head.
> "Unlikely. It probably won't be an every-day topic of conversation, but it's a sufficiently embarrassing and humbling moment for a bureaucracy dedicated to justice that they'll want to keep it in mind for a long time to best make sure it doesn't happen again."

[Hello Purvis]

> Shake head.
> "Unlikely. It probably won't be an every-day topic of conversation, but it's a sufficiently embarrassing and humbling moment for a bureaucracy dedicated to justice that they'll want to keep it in mind for a long time to best make sure it doesn't happen again."

>"Then you would agree it is unlikely they would merely turn our delegation away?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "I would agree with 'unlikely', yeah. It depends on how the delegation presents itself, of course, but I'm sure someone in your position understands that very well."