Hatate Quest Kaksi

[Oldmansour]

>"I figured it just sounded dramatic. Anyways, let me take a guess, Honoka had a role in going from slave to hunter, right?"

>"Not exactly." Ranka replies with a tight smile. "You see, 'Tide got her, too."

[Hello Purvis]

>Nod.
>"Go on."

[Oldmansour]

>Nod.
>"Go on."

>"She was the kind of vampire that liked to have a lot of servants around her, there were a lot of those back then, I remember. Tide was different from a lot of them because of her power, how she used it." With a frown, she looks back again. "You could probably explain this better than me."
>"If you wish." Celes answers. "How much do you know about vampires' abilities, Miss Hatate? The 'classic' ones, as they are sometimes referred to as."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Pretty good, I think? But they never really seem to agree on what's standard. And also there's a whole bunch of different types, too."

[Oldmansour]

>"Pretty good, I think? But they never really seem to agree on what's standard. And also there's a whole bunch of different types, too."

>"Indeed, it does tend to vary from region to region. Different cultures have different sets of beliefs about the entities called 'vampires', and since this is Gensokyo, each one of them seems to be valid here in some way, or at least could be."
>"Kinda hard to wrap your head around, ain't it." Sabine chimes.
>"Regardless, the power Ranka refers to in this case is the vampire's ability to dominate other beings, most commonly through eye contact. The mesmeric stare, as it is referred to occasionally. Nearly all vampires possess at least some aspect of this ability, but some specialize in it. Such was the case with the Red Tide. It was her speciality, and she used it to gather a rather large band of followers around her. A small army, really."
>"Honoka and me were two of her 'fiends of the elements'." Ranka says. "There were four of us, one for each element."
>"She sought to use her army to control the whole of Gensokyo. Ranka here and the other three were to be the spearhead of that army."
>"That's how you two met the first time, wasn't it?" Ranka asks the Keep's steward.
>Celes nods. "Needless to say, I far preferred the circumstances of our second meeting over the first."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Huh. Was this just some time ago, or was this one of the things that just never managed to blow up and spread the word?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Huh. Was this just some time ago, or was this one of the things that just never managed to blow up and spread the word?"

>"It was before we were sealed." Celes says. "Well over a century ago. And frankly, such things we not entirely uncommon in the Gensokyo of those days. It was a much less benevolent environment than it is now."
>"That and no one really likes talking about how 'Tide ended." Ranka says. "So it doesn't come up that often."

[Darkness1]

>"Did the Hakurei of the time or Yukari herself have any involvement in these events? And who were the two other elementals, anyone you know personally?"
>"Would it be okay to ask about the happenings of the first encounter between you?"

[Hello Purvis]

>When did the Hakurei Barrier go up?

[Oldmansour]

>When did the Hakurei Barrier go up?

>Around the end of the 19th century.

>"Did the Hakurei of the time or Yukari herself have any involvement in these events? And who were the two other elementals, anyone you know personally?"

>"Oh, yeah." Ranka replies, the two Cobalts nodding in unison. "Not enough to control everything, no one could do that, not even the Hakureis. Not back then. But they were there, and when they acted, no one ignored them."
>Ranka seems a touch confused. "Other two? There were lots of other elementals with us with Red Tide."
>Celes clears her throat. "I believe she was referring to the other two 'fiends' you mentioned, Ranka."
>"Oh. Well why didn't you say so?" Ranka says with a surprisingly cute frown. "But no, not really. Never met the other two before 'Tide. I think the earth girl was from Makai, she stank like it, at least. Didn't hang much with her, earth and wind don't mix that well. I worked better with Honoka and Ritsuka. Probably went back there after we all got free. And Ritsu, no, never saw her before either. Seemed an okay girl, though, could've been fun, without the whole mind control thing."

>"Would it be okay to ask about the happenings of the first encounter between you?"

>"Certainly." Celes answers. You take notes as she reports, "I was out on a scouting patrol with Sabine and Pride when we attacked by a force led by Honoka. I have a lengthy history with vampires and their powers, so I was able to recognize that Honoka was in thrall at the time. I engaged her while Sabine and Pride handled her forces, lesser youkai and fledgling elementals. I was fortunate to have been riding my dragon at the time, for he is all but immune to fire. I was able to blunt Honoka's assaults on me that way, but she was far stronger than I, so I was unable to land any serious blows on her. As was my dragon, and Honoka was immune to his breath. We fought to a standstill, until Pride and Sabine defeated the rest of her forces. Facing all of us, Honoka choose to flee back to the Red Tide, and report on her encounter."
>"Probably a good thing she did, too." Sabine adds. "We could've beat her, but odds are she'd have aced at least one of us doing it."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Hadn't heard anything about Pride up til now."

[Oldmansour]

>"Hadn't heard anything about Pride up til now."

>"He doesn't get out very often compared to the likes of Sloth and Lust." Celes says. "Bluntly speaking, he's much harder to get along with than nearly anyone else who lives at the Keep. But we were short-handed at the time."
>"I'm about the only one he really jives with." Sabine adds. "Not because he likes me. Long way from it. But I've got more pride than anyone else at the Keep, so Pride focuses on out-doing me instead of just being a jackass."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Sounds like some people I know. So, I'm guessing aside from Honoka and Ranka, the rest of this vampire's army wasn't much?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Sounds like some people I know. So, I'm guessing aside from Honoka and Ranka, the rest of this vampire's army wasn't much?"

>"I actually don't know." Celes answers. "That encounter was the only one we had with the Red Tide, or her forces. But I don't believe she had either the army or the power to stand out among the other powerful and antagonistic youkai of that era. Certainly not enough to be remembered easily to this day."
>"Controlling the four of us pretty much tied up all of her hypnotic power." Ranka adds. "Once you got down below us, her army was basically the elemental and youkai that we commanded, and the ones she could bully. I remember Honoka saying once, 'She had impressive numbers, but no reliable, independent generals." The wind spirit makes a remarkable imitation of her friend's tone.

[Hello Purvis]

>"So just a quick flash, really.  Hmm, that must have been not too long after the barrier went up, huh? Anyways, well...sorry to hear you went through that."

[Oldmansour]

>"So just a quick flash, really.  Hmm, that must have been not too long after the barrier went up, huh? Anyways, well...sorry to hear you went through that."

>Ranka shrugs casually. "I'm only glad I wasn't there when she died. That I think would've followed me for a loooong time."

[Hello Purvis]

>"What happened after all that?"

[Oldmansour]

>"What happened after all that?"

>"You mean after 'Tide was gone?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Yeah."

[Oldmansour]

>"Yeah."

>"We all went back to whatever we were doing before." Ranka answers quite seriously. "Except Honoka, she spent the next few years fighting vampires. I dropped in every now and then, give her a hand, brighten up her day, a little both."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Were they a real problem back then?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Were they a real problem back then?"

>"Oh yeah. Well no. Maybe." Not a lot of help, that one. Ranka seems to realize this, then tries to clarify. "I guess it depends on who you ask. There were a lot more of them, I can tell you that for sure. Nowadays, about the only one you hear anyone talk about is Remilia."
>"The vampires of Gensokyo back then were indeed more numerous." Celes says. "And each one was quite powerful. Individual vampires like the Countess were very rare. Each one of them wanted more terrain to rule, more people to rule, more people to feed on. They knew they were among the most powerful of youkai, and they reveled in that power. But, the truth of the matter is, they were a greater threat to each other than they were to others. Vampires are remarkably territorial, and practically all of them saw Gensokyo as their personal domain. They spent far more time attacking each other than they did humans, or other youkai. And those that didn't, such as the Countess, were attacked anyway."

[Hello Purvis]

>"So what set your countess and the Scarlet Devil apart?"

[Oldmansour]

>"So what set your countess and the Scarlet Devil apart?"

>"How do you mean?" Celes asks.

[Hello Purvis]

>"How come they didn't end up as huge jerks?"

[Oldmansour]

>"How come they didn't end up as huge jerks?"

>Sabine and Ranka both burst out laughing.
>Celes, however, merely smiles a little. "The Countess did not lose her humanity when she was turned, nor did she ever cultivate the instincts so often found in others. Her sire saw to that. After she gained her freedom from the one who sired her, she became like her old self, a generous, giving woman. Her experience as a vampire only made her appreciate humanity more, if anything. As for the Scarlet Devil, I'm afraid you'll have to ask her."

[Hello Purvis]

>"So, why were there so many back then? And why were they here? I thought vampires were mostly foreign to start with?"

[Darkness1]

>"So was the first vampire lord of this keep one of the first vampires who arrived here? Did you destroy him?"
>"Do you say that this Vampire is somehow the culprit of these ominous feelings, like what would be on the barrier at Marisa's house?"

> What do we know of the Tengu's or other major species of Youkai's involvement in the Vampire War?
> What do we know of Vampire Contracts?

[Oldmansour]

>"So, why were there so many back then? And why were they here? I thought vampires were mostly foreign to start with?"

>"I am not sure it was a matter of there being 'so many', so much as the ones that were here were more willing, and able, to display their powers and spread their influence. One vampire, after all, can have the power of a dozen lesser youkai, at least." Celes pauses. "I couldn't tell you exactly how many vampires were active in Gensokyo at that time, though. We tried not to get too involved in their affairs, beyond defending ourselves when we had to, of course. I know of fifteen, by name, but there could have been more."
>"As for why, I suspect that many, at least, were drawn here because at least one vampire was already here. As I mentioned, vampires are fiercely territorial, and the majority of them are imperialistic as well. I can only speculate, but I would guess that a vampire living in China, or perhaps southern Japan, learned of a vampire living close to him, and sought to either force the latter to leave or destroy him. And conflict often serves to breed more conflict; one vampire calls in friends or allies, the other does likewise, another vampire arrives to take advantage of the chaos, or simply to cause MORE chaos..."
>"The vampire world ain't pretty." Sabine adds. "It's a mark of pride for the Hakurei back then she handled the vampires as well as she did."

>"So was the first vampire lord of this keep one of the first vampires who arrived here? Did you destroy him?"
>"Do you say that this Vampire is somehow the culprit of these ominous feelings, like what would be on the barrier at Marisa's house?"

>Celes's hands grip the reins of her cauchemar just a little tighter. "It was our group that launched the final assault on him, yes. The one who defeated him was not, strictly speaking, one of us, but she was our friend. It was she who organized those of us who sought the end of the Regal, she who convinced us there was even a chance of doing so. We knew blood would spill, but he HAD to be ended."
>"That is what I was afraid of." Celes says with a nod. "As I mentioned, although he himself is gone, there are many traps, objects he created, that remain within the Keep, and although we have tried to safely handle and disarm all of them, we are not sure to this day we have completely succeeded. If Marisa had accidentally stolen one of those objects, she could have been in mortal peril. And while Setsuka does not think this is the case, I still believe I should investigate, just to make sure."
>"She's awful thorough." Sabine adds, giving Celes a gentle prod in the ribs.

> What do we know of the Tengu's or other major species of Youkai's involvement in the Vampire War?
> What do we know of Vampire Contracts?

>Not a great deal, if you're honest with yourself. You never really had all that much interest in the vampires of Gensokyo before. You do know that Yukari was one of the ones responsible for bringing an end to the vampire conflict, or so it has been reported. Beyond that, though, not much.
>You know that vampires have the ability to forge contracts with mortals, and you believe this can give mortals power they wouldn't have otherwise, such as magics or long lifespans. In this, they are much like demons, making pacts with humans for their souls, and while you don't believe vampires claim mortals souls, you do believe a contract with a vampire ensures the loyalty and servitude of that mortal towards the vampire.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Are there any other vampires around you guys know of? All I knew about was the Scarlet Devil. We...kinda don't get involved with those sorts, usually, unless they make the news."