Sword Quest III - A Z-Machine Adventure

[Hello Purvis]

> "Excellent. May I ask you lead the way? Unless they are simply straight ahead, I suppose."
> Follow if she leads. If she doesn't lead, keep going forward.

>"Just keeping going forward," says Reisen.
>You do so, and as you pass under the web the cavern opens up to a chamber, some tens odf yards in diameter and filled with stalactites and stalagmites, with numerous webs slung between them. The upper reaches of the ceiling are obscured in shadows, The webs, you note, do not seem to bear words, but they are cunningly woven to cover the areas that they are strung up between with little space left to escape.
>You can hear a muted conversation to the left side of the chamber, but the rock outcroppings and webs obscure your view.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Let's make our way in that direction and see if we can pick up on the conversation.

[Hello Purvis]

> Let's make our way in that direction and see if we can pick up on the conversation.

>You make your way around a column of stalactites, doing your best to keep clear of the webs slung low to the ground.
>"-Swear the second I find that bum..." says one voice, slightly harsh.
>"Hey pal, you ain't gonna find nothin', so just settle down." says another, this one somewhat high-toned.
>Looking around the pillars, you see a blonde woman in a brown dress, kneeling down by a small youkai with green hair drawn into ponytails and resting in a bucket.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Do either of them look worse for wear?

[Hello Purvis]

> Do either of them look worse for wear?

>The blonde woman, or rather blonde youkai, looks quite fine. The other youkai, though, has clearly lost a danmaku battle.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Pardon me, ladies. Do you need some assistance?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "Pardon me, ladies. Do you need some assistance?"

>"Oy!" the bucket-bound youkai cries, while the blonde one snaps her head in your direction.
>"Hey buddy," she says. "We got everything under control, no problems."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Nod.
> "Very well, and please forgive my startling interruption. May I ask who has done this? I am currently following someone who  may have come in this direction."

[Hello Purvis]

> Nod.
> "Very well, and please forgive my startling interruption. May I ask who has done this? I am currently following someone who  may have come in this direction."

>"That's what I'd like to know," the green-haired youkai grumbles.
>"Found her like this this a little while ago, buddy," the blonde youkai says, "One of them cobalt faeries was tryin' to drag her off, too."
>"Never saw it coming, much as I hate to admit."
>"Oh, hey there Resien," says the blonde youkai, grinning at your companion.
>"Hello, Yamame," Reisen says. "I hope we aren't intruding?"
>"Nah, its fine, pal."

>_

[Suwako Moriya]

> Frown.
> "My sympathies. If I find who I am looking for and it turns out they are the ones that assaulted you from behind unprovoked, I will bring them back here."

[Hello Purvis]

> Frown.
> "My sympathies. If I find who I am looking for and it turns out they are the ones that assaulted you from behind unprovoked, I will bring them back here."

>"Whataddaya mean, "if they assaulted me?" says bucket youkai. "You running a group of thugs or somethin'?"

>_

[Suwako Moriya]

> "I mean that I do not believe they were responsible, if for no other reason than because I would like to think I have instilled better habits than that in them. But I will still investigate, just to be sure."

[Hello Purvis]

> "I mean that I do not believe they were responsible, if for no other reason than because I would like to think I have instilled better habits than that in them. But I will still investigate, just to be sure."

>"Right," says the bucket youkai. "Just make sure you get my wand back, too."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Nod.
> "If they have it, it shall be returned."

[Hello Purvis]

> Nod.
> "If they have it, it shall be returned."

>"Right, then," says the battered youkai.
>"Who're you, buddy?" Yamame says.

>_

[Suwako Moriya]

> "Ah! Yes."
> Give both youkai a simple bow.
> "I am Miko, a simple Taoist hermit. I come from a time long past, and my companions and I are relatively new arrivals to this land. It is fascinating just how much has changed since our slumber began."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Ah! Yes."
> Give both youkai a simple bow.
> "I am Miko, a simple Taoist hermit. I come from a time long past, and my companions and I are relatively new arrivals to this land. It is fascinating just how much has changed since our slumber began."

>"Hey Pal," saysthe lone youkai, "I'm Yamame. This is Kisume."
>"Oooh," says Kisume."You're the one what wanted the army."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> That was Seiga's doing, wasn't it? Or did we ask for that ourselves?

[Hello Purvis]

> That was Seiga's doing, wasn't it? Or did we ask for that ourselves?

>Wholly Seiga's, anticipating that you would be interested in reasserting your power.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Frown.
> "I must apologize for that if it caused any consternation. One of my advisors thought that I would want to return to my position as empress of this land when I awoke. While an understandable assumption, my inclination is no longer toward ruling. She has also been dismissed from my company until such a time she reflects upon her wicked ways and repents."

[Hello Purvis]

> Frown.
> "I must apologize for that if it caused any consternation. One of my advisors thought that I would want to return to my position as empress of this land when I awoke. While an understandable assumption, my inclination is no longer toward ruling. She has also been dismissed from my company until such a time she reflects upon her wicked ways and repents."

>"Well ain't that something?" says Kisume. "Good for you anyways, they would have backstabbed you the moment it was handy. Take that from me."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "It pains me to think Seiga may have fallen so far. But I suppose you may be correct."

[Hello Purvis]

> "It pains me to think Seiga may have fallen so far. But I suppose you may be correct."

>"Ain't no may about it," she says. "That was their plan."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "You speak as someone with much knowledge of what happened. If I may ask, what role did you play in all of this?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "You speak as someone with much knowledge of what happened. If I may ask, what role did you play in all of this?"

>"Heh," says Kisume, "I'm the one who took the whole thing down."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> How much of the whole army thing do we already know about, up to and including the resolution?

[Hello Purvis]

> How much of the whole army thing do we already know about, up to and including the resolution?

>You know that Seiga was meeting with some foreign envoy, who claimed that his nation would offer you military support in exchange for the usual favors afterward once your rule had been properly established. However, as your awakening drew close, there appears to have been some problems, and the envoy left, never to return. Seiga regarded him as capable, but a little hopeless. You aren't sure why he left, as Seiga never really found out, but that he was claiming he needed to report home.You are aware, given the nature of Gensokyo, that this person and any kingdom he represents would have to be from elsewhere, and having the power to move between them is notable. Since then, you've heard nothing of it. You've had your followers make some inquiries, and only received blank stares in reply; not only were Seiga's meetings a secret, so too is any knowledge of this kingdom.

>_

[Yaersulf]

>"I would be interested to hear your account of the events that took place in that case, I myself am not too clear on the details."

[Hello Purvis]

>"I would be interested to hear your account of the events that took place in that case, I myself am not too clear on the details."

>"Not feeling up to telling the whole story," Kisume says, as she leans back against the wall. "But the short version is those guys were bad news, would've turned on you and down everything the could've to take Gensokyo for themselves. Not to mention they had a real piece of work behind them, too: an old scoundrel from Higan who got herself in trouble and wanted to even the score."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> How much do we know of Higan?