Keine Quest: The Broken and the Lost

[DracoOmega]

>"Thank you for your time, Miss Remilia."

>"Let it not be said that I am without kindness. I wish you well with your inquiries." She turns back to her book.

>follow Sakuya

>You follow Sakuya as she leads you back towards the main gallery, and then down a separate corridor on the main level. A few confusing twists and turns later you find yourself in the library.
>It is a massive room, easily two stories in height. The walls are lined with bookcases, and the floor is divided into isles by bookcases. There is a mezzanine level that runs around much of the room, containing yet more bookcases. Although many of the tomes concern magical subjects, and thus topics outside your normal area of expertise, you can't help but marvel at it. As a scholar, you can't help but appreciate this much concentrated knowledge in one room.
>Moving past some of the isles, you see an area with several desks and worktables covered in various pieces of magical and non-magical devices. Patchouli seems to be standing over a metallic cube of some sort, while intensely reading a tome laid out on the table besides it. She makes gestures above the cube with one hand, and tiny sparks fly from it.

[E-Nazrin]

>Wait until Patchouli notices/addresses us - this may be something delicate. Especially if Sakuya's still here to provide introductions.

[Doll.S CUBE]

> Observe what she is doing

[DracoOmega]

> Observe what she is doing

>Wait until Patchouli notices/addresses us - this may be something delicate. Especially if Sakuya's still here to provide introductions.

>Since Patchouli seems occupied, you decide to wait before addressing her, and observe what she is doing. Several more magic circles appear in the air around the cube and you can see what appears to be a tightly constricted tornado made of lightning extend from the top of the cube. Patchouli seems to be concentrating furiously. Suddenly the lightning arcs in a thick bolt towards the ceiling, and appears to collide with a ward of some sort above the table with an angry crashing sound. A couple nearby faeries shriek and take off like a shot. You think you heard Rumia squeak, too. When it hits the ward, the lightning splinters into tentrils that trace the surface of the ward in all directions. A dome in the air above Patchouli shimmers pale green as the lightning dances upon it. And suddenly everything is dark.

[Hello Purvis]

>Don't panic. Because that may not be good.
>"Rumia, was that you making it dark?"

[DracoOmega]

>Don't panic. Because that may not be good.
>"Rumia, was that you making it dark?"

>"...yes." comes a timid voice.
>"Then kindly refrain from doing such," comes another voice, sounding rather irritated. That much be Patchouli. You imagine Sakuya is probably glaring at someone right now. You're kind of glad there's not enough light to see it.

[Doll.S CUBE]

> "Rumia, there's nothing to be afraid of, okay, I'll protect you if there was, so you can drop the darkness now"

[DracoOmega]

> "Rumia, there's nothing to be afraid of, okay, I'll protect you if there was, so you can drop the darkness now"

>"Hmmm.... you'll keep the magic lightning lady away from me? Well, okay..." The sphere of darkness contracts, and you can see again. Patchouli sighs. "You hear that?" Rumia says. "Quiz lady can be really scary and painful, too, so you better watch out!" Patchouli eyes you appraisingly.
>"If you cannot restrain your.... companion's enthusiasm, I will be forced to ask you both to leave," says Sakuya.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Rumia, don't do that anymore, please."
>To Patchouli, "I apologize for the interruption."

[DracoOmega]

>"Rumia, don't do that anymore, please."

>"Sorry..." Rumia sort of hangs her head a little.

>To Patchouli, "I apologize for the interruption."

>Patchouli sighs again. "As if this were not tedious enough already." She turns back to her book.
>"Lady Patchouli," Sakuya interjects. "This is Keine Kamishirasawa. The mistress asks that you answer some questions for her."
>"Does she now?" Patchouli doesn't even bother looking back up at you.

[Hello Purvis]

>Give Rumia a reassuring head pat.
>Tell Patchy the story of the winged sleep-inducing youkai, waking up in the forest, different world/history, and all that.

[DracoOmega]

>Give Rumia a reassuring head pat.

>You give Rumia a pat on the head, and she giggles a little.

>Tell Patchy the story of the winged sleep-inducing youkai, waking up in the forest, different world/history, and all that.

>You begin to launch into exposition, and Sakuya quietly withdraws. At first, you're not even certain Patchouli is listening. She's still reading that book, and not paying any attention to you in an obvious way. Once you reach the point in the story where you wake up again, you see her grimace. "Fine, fine! If you won't go away, then I suppose I can spare you a minute or two. Can you describe this youkai again?

[Kasu]

> Describe the youkai.

[DracoOmega]

> Describe the youkai.

>You relate what few details you were able to pick out about the youkai: the white wings and the sense of profound sleepiness you experienced while near it.

>Patchouli nods thoughtfully. "Although there are perhaps an infinite variety of possible youkai, being manifestations of both the tangible and intangible, among the major classes of youkai there are only a few known to possess wings of the style you describe. They sound too large to belong to a faerie. Crow tengu wings are almost invariably black. The same can be said of vampires and demons, although these are encountered less often, and there are certainly variations that have not been recorded. It is a pity you did not get a better look at her."

>"This aura of somnolence intrigues me, though. Sleep-based magic is an unusual and complex thing. Few have dabbled in it, and fewer still could be capable of what you describe. Its power was minimal, given that you were able to will yourself to remain awake. But the range was unusually great for such a thing. And you say that this youkai did not interact with you directly?"

[Kasu]

> "Unless it did something after I fell asleep, then no.  I don't believe it interacted directly with me in any way."

[DracoOmega]

> "Unless it did something after I fell asleep, then no.  I don't believe it interacted directly with me in any way."

>"Ah, you see, that is the most unusual thing about this. While it is difficult enough to ensorcel someone to sleep in a direct and focused way, doing so in an unfocused area-based effect would be even more difficult. Perhaps this is some new youkai? A manifestation of sleep? Such a thing is not impossible, though I've never read of such a creature."

>"Still, carry on with your story."

[Kasu]

> Continue where we left off.

[DracoOmega]

> Continue where we left off.

>You attempt to describe what you experienced immediately before you lost consciousness, although it is hard find words adequate to the task. Patchouli says nothing, but her brow furrows ever deeper as you continue. Then you reach the point where you discover the changes in the village and she stops you.

>"Are you saying that you truly believe this village was inhabited until your encounter with this youkai this evening?

[Hello Purvis]

>"Most strongly so, yes. I could go into great detail about what it was like, if you'd like."

[DracoOmega]

>"Most strongly so, yes. I could go into great detail about what it was like, if you'd like."

>"Please do."

[Hello Purvis]

>Describe village life! Talk about the people we know, our goddamn hippy neighbors, the marketplace, the school, public houses...

[DracoOmega]

>Describe village life! Talk about the people we know, our goddamn hippy neighbors, the marketplace, the school, public houses...

>You start to give a detailed account of the minutiae of village life, and some events you remember from the last week or two. The aspiring flutist who lived down the road from you, the chronicle your were working on, the disappointing history exam, the watermelon incident.
>After a little while, Patchouli raises a hand for you to stop. "That's good enough. Either you are capable of assembling an inordinately detailed falsehood, or you truly believe what you say. Of course, that does not preclude the possibility that you are simply delusional... Nevertheless."

>"I had considered the possibility that you were still suffering from disorientation as an after-effect of your experience with this youkai. Melding true memories of your own past in the village into the present. Forgetting what had transpired between that time and now. It is not without precedent for such things to happen as the result of mind-affecting magic. However, your tale includes events that I know for certain never occurred. No magician sealed in Makai ever attempted to build a temple at the village. Hmmm... perhaps this youkai implanted false memories into you, in addition to disorienting your recollection of the true past? I cannot vouch for the veracity of the other individual details you provide. My contact with the village was always limited, even when it was inhabited."

[Hello Purvis]

>"...What purpose would that serve?"

[DracoOmega]

>"...What purpose would that serve?"

>"I do not know. It may not have even been a conscious action, if the characteristics of this somnolence are as you describe. Some youkai cannot help but express their nature. If this youkai were some embodiment of sleep... or that which is associated with sleep. Perhaps dreams? Perhaps the happy village that you remember is the product of these dreams? I cannot fault one for wishing that their history had proceeded otherwise. We may stand at a distance from human affairs, but I am not indifferent to the tragedy that befell them."

>"I hope you understand that it is difficult to accept any theory which involves the only reality I have ever known being the result of some alteration of history. And convenient that you should be the only one to be aware of this. Still I can answer some questions that you might have. I am curious of this youkai's identity myself, now."

[Hello Purvis]

>Nod.
>"I would be skeptical of it myself, were not for my own connection to history. Your idea does have some merit, but it is difficult to accept that false memories would be this good. Especially when I find little to no trace of myself living in this world, be it reality or otherwise."

[DracoOmega]

>Nod.
>"I would be skeptical of it myself, were not for my own connection to history. Your idea does have some merit, but it is difficult to accept that false memories would be this good. Especially when I find little to no trace of myself living in this world, be it reality or otherwise."

>"I agree that this interpretation is still problematic, and I mean no disrespect. We can put that issue aside for the moment, if you like."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Alright. I do apologize for dropping all of this on you, but I think you understand why it is so important for me. I need to figure out what I'm going to do next..."

[Doll.S CUBE]

> Do we sense wrongness in the history here, because if so tell her about our powers

[DracoOmega]

> Do we sense wrongness in the history here, because if so tell her about our powers

>Your ability to sense history is very muted while in human form. You can feel a vague sense of misalignment, and you're pretty convinced this isn't some sort of elaborate illusion, but it's difficult to pin down more than that at the moment. Figuring out where the timelines diverged will probably have to be done using mundane senses and sources of information.
>You inform Patchouli that you have an innate connection to history, and are fairly certain that history is in fact what is wrong.
>"Hmmm... some texts have hinted at the potential existence of such abilities, but they are understandably difficult to confirm. Still, I will try to give you the benefit of the doubt."

>"Alright. I do apologize for dropping all of this on you, but I think you understand why it is so important for me. I need to figure out what I'm going to do next..."

>"Well, if you are insistent on pursuing the theory that this world is the result of an alteration in the past of the world you remember, I could perhaps answer some questions about how events have unfolded, so that you could compare them to your own recollections. Even in the case of memory alteration, we might find some pattern in the discrepencies that may explain the youkai's purpose. Or it may be possible to attempt to track down the youkai itself in some fashion."

[Kasu]

> Ask Patchouli how the Scarlet Mist and Long Winter incidents played out and compare them to the original events.
> Ask about the giant fissure at the Hakurei Shrine and the MIsty Lake's water level while we're at it.