Yukari Quest II - A Z-Machine Adventure

[Kilgamayan]

> Head through!

[Hello Purvis]

> Head through!

>You step through the gap, and find yourself having to squint against the sudden rush of light and wind.
>Stretching below  you is a distant vista of trees that reaches for miles. A stiff and chilly gust tugs at your hair, leaving you quite happy that you found your dress before coming here. Around all you is rock, while the unmoving sky of swirled colors stretches overhead with no sign of clouds or blemishes. Nearby, you immediately note a very sharp drop, and that the tops of the nearby trees are some distance beyond it. Taking a moment to gather your wits, and making you are in no danger of slipping off any such drops, you note that you are standing near top of what seems to be a tall, column-like mountain. You stand upon a gently slope which stretches for some feet before very quickly giving away to a nearly-vertical cliff face. Behind and above you, the mountain reaches some yards further into the air, its slopes composed of sharply angled slabs of granite. Small, gnarled trees dot the mountain here and there, stubbornly clinging to the rock all around you. Away from the sea of trees, you can see more peaks like the one you are standing upon, tall columns composed of slabs of granite and dotted with small trees. You find yourself reminded of the Yellow Mountain range, looking at them. They aren't quite so charming, as you can quickly pick out the trees are as twisted and unnatural as any you've seen in the forests below.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Are we possibly looking at the forest we just left?
> Can we tell if we're still small?
> Are there any obvious paths?

[Hello Purvis]

> Are we possibly looking at the forest we just left?
> Can we tell if we're still small?
> Are there any obvious paths?

>You feel this is possible. If nothing else, the sky here is about the same.
>You think you've returned to normal size. It feels that way, at least.
>There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of places to go this high up a mountain. Looking around, you could probably wander around the peak, where you don't think you will find much more room. You could try to climb higher, or climb downward. While you have not really investigated the lower regions of this mountain, glancing at the surrounding peaks doesn't leave confident that it would be an easy or possible climb down.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

Sorry, I've been very busy since the afternoon of the 3rd.

> Can we sense anything unusual up here, such as another gap or a strange energy?

[Hello Purvis]

> Can we sense anything unusual up here, such as another gap or a strange energy?

>All you can really sense is the gap that brought you here.
>After a moment of searching around, you aren't so sure anymore. Maybe there is more here? It is rather like trying to determine whether you heard a distant noise, or if it's just your imagination.

>_

[Yaersulf]

>Begin wandering around the peak, looking around to see if there's anything here.

[Kilgamayan]

> Focus on the sounds and energies of the surrounding environment while doing so.

[Hello Purvis]

>Begin wandering around the peak, looking around to see if there's anything here.

>You circle around the peak. finding there is little more space on the other side than there is where you appeared. Looking outward, you can see more and more mountains, many bearing trees, for as far as you can see. Mist gathers between many of them in wispy clouds, while below you note that the land is still forested, though less heavily so.

> Focus on the sounds and energies of the surrounding environment while doing so.

>The main thing you can hear is the wind. There are no birds nor any other kind of animal noise that should be echoing through such a vista in any other world. You suspect, if you waited long enough, you could hear some loose branch or rock falling from somewhere, but that may be awhile. As more intangible things go, your senses are greatly limited as always by the chaotic state of the borders here.  As you walk around the peak, though, you become convinced that there is something here, though you aren't sure where. It doesn't seem to be here on this rocky shelf, in any event.

>_

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Is that a 'here' in the general sense of the overall area, including down somewhere in the forest? Or something a little more defined than that?

[Hello Purvis]

> Is that a 'here' in the general sense of the overall area, including down somewhere in the forest? Or something a little more defined than that?

>You don't think it would be so far away as the forest below, at least. But beyond that, it is hard to tell.

>_

[Yaersulf]

>Is it possible to go any further upward?

[Hello Purvis]

>Is it possible to go any further upward?

>Examining the peak, you think you may be able to climb up the granite slabs, if the trees are able to serve as handholds.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Let's test the stability of the nearest tree, then.

[Hello Purvis]

> Let's test the stability of the nearest tree, then.

>You approach a small gnarled tree with broad maple-like leave and give it a tug. It seems to be reasonably well-rooted.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Begin our ascent. Make sure to test every tree we try before trusting it with our weight.

[Hello Purvis]

> Begin our ascent. Make sure to test every tree we try before trusting it with our weight.

>You start to make your way up the slope. By and large, you can trust your feet to the slabs of granite themselves, and only have to use a tree at two points on the ascent. However, you are happy to have taken the time to test the trees, as you give a firm-looking one a shake and find that it is barely able to hold its own weight, forcing you to circle around the spiral until you can find another suitable spot to ascend. As you climb up, the sensation you are chasing is definitely growing stronger.
>Reaching the top of the mountain, now a good twenty or so feet higher, you find your view of the landscape is a bit better, allowing you to see over some of the mountains that were previously obstacles. Just above your head, you can sense the source of that feeling. It emanates from a tiny border that remains surprisingly stable among the chaos around it. As far as it interacts with normal space, it forms an oval, about a foot long and perhaps four inches think. Its proper shape when all the dimensions are considered is much more complicated, but such is always the case.

>_

[Yaersulf]

>In what ways could we interact with this border?

[Hello Purvis]

>In what ways could we interact with this border?

>You could breech it easily, and probably destroy it. You might be able to expand or contract it, though it may not react well to that being done to it. With a bit of work, you could probably make it more impenetrable, or weaken it to the point it's about to collapse under its own weight. With some effort, you might be able to change its shape. You think you could move it around without too much trouble, and it you wished to you could probably tuck it under your arm and walk away with it, figuratively speaking, as long as you were gentle with it.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> This seems similar to that bubble border in the forest. Could we safely pass through this one without destroying it like we did that one?

[Yaersulf]

>Could we store this border in a gap?

[Hello Purvis]

> This seems similar to that bubble border in the forest. Could we safely pass through this one without destroying it like we did that one?

>It does seem similar, yes. You would have to be careful while passing through it. It is not large enough to accommodate most of you and you would likely destroy it in the process. However, it shouldn't be a problem to do something like placing your hand into it if you prise open its borders carefully.

>Could we store this border in a gap?

>You think so.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Let's carefully open it enough to stick our hand in, then.

[Hello Purvis]

> Let's carefully open it enough to stick our hand in, then.

>You do so, reaching up to place your hand inside of it. As you open it, soft music from a stringed instrument reaches your ears. You cannot name the tune, but you think the instrument may be a western lyre? You aren't certain. However, the borders around the gap seem to grow slightly less chaotic.
>Placing your hand inside, you feel nothing but empty air.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Is it the same instrument and/or song as the music in the first gap we found?
> Pull our hand out, then carefully stick our head in.

[Hello Purvis]

> Is it the same instrument and/or song as the music in the first gap we found?
> Pull our hand out, then carefully stick our head in.

>It is neither.
>You would have to stand on your tip-toes to place you head near it. Are you sure that you want to do this? As well, you don't think your whole head would fit.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> That's okay, just getting our eyes into it should be fine.
> Can we drag it down lower than where it is right now?

[Hello Purvis]

> That's okay, just getting our eyes into it should be fine.
> Can we drag it down lower than where it is right now?

>It should be be easy enough to peer into, then.
>You expect that you can; given that it seems to be semi-solid, you may be able to physically grab it and move it. Should it resist that, good use of your tools should suffice.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Let's bring it down to head level, then, using whatever methods are necessary.
> Once that's done, peer inside it, taking the necessary precautions so as to not destroy it.

[Hello Purvis]

> Let's bring it down to head level, then, using whatever methods are necessary.
> Once that's done, peer inside it, taking the necessary precautions so as to not destroy it.

>You decide to try to just grab it, and find the border is indeed somewhat solid, though you feel your finds sinking into it as you grip it. With a bit of force, you are able to tug it down to eye level and peer inside. Inside, you see nothing but empty air, and hear the music leaking through the opening. It seems that the borders of it are indeed transparent. Inside, the fabric of space is still chaotic, but to a much lesser degree than it is outside.

>_