Keine Quest (Part 3): Broken History

[DracoOmega]

>It's been a busy night.
>"Might I have a copy of that map?"

>If you never have such a busy night again, it'll be too soon.
>"Do you intend to use it to go sample these points, then?" Patchouli asks.

[Hello Purvis]

>Nod. "And it would be easier than coming back here every time."

[DracoOmega]

>Nod. "And it would be easier than coming back here every time."

>"That is true." Patchouli stares at the map for a few moments. "Oh very well. It's not fully complete, but take it if you must. These markers next to the events denote magnitude and age, respectively." She points out elements on the map. "I've added several more since you last saw it, but they're all quite minor. I suspect any remaining unmapped ones will be similarly minor."
>"And assuming you do find what you're looking for, and walk through to... wherever it leads. What then?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"I personally have no intention of walking through until we've all had a fair amount of time to find what is there, unless it seems we need to rush for other reasons."

[DracoOmega]

>"I personally have no intention of walking through until we've all had a fair amount of time to find what is there, unless it seems we need to rush for other reasons."

>"Yes, I agree that would be prudent," Patchouli says. "For all that any of us knows, the space on the other side of that may be... less than conducive to our continued existence."

[Hello Purvis]

>"We shall get on that, then."
>Claim the map.
>Exit and rejoin with the others.
>Consider the next minor point along the way to the former Hakurei shrine location.

[DracoOmega]

>"We shall get on that, then."
>Claim the map.
>Exit and rejoin with the others.

>You collect the map and head out; Patchouli returns to her book as you do so, paying you no further mind.
>As you arrive back at the gate, you see Chen and Rumia playing tag, some distance away, while Mokou is resting up against a tree, staring off at the sky.

>Consider the next minor point along the way to the former Hakurei shrine location.

>There is a small one marked near the outskirts of the Forest of Magic, a very small deviation from the path between here and the shrine.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Alright, we have our next couple of goals in mind. But, with that said, if anyone here feels they have other things to do, or are just sick of running around, I won't be upset if you take your leave."

[DracoOmega]

>"Alright, we have our next couple of goals in mind. But, with that said, if anyone here feels they have other things to do, or are just sick of running around, I won't be upset if you take your leave."

>"Hey, I'm not bailing until we've got this settled," Mokou says. "I've got a promise to keep to myself."
>"I'm going wherever Ran goes," Chen says.
>"Rumia doesn't want to leave until she's suuuuure quiz lady's all happy again. " Ran raises an eyebrow at her.

[Hello Purvis]

>Smile. "That's good. I was feeling a little like I was just dragging some of you around."
>To the minor point!

[DracoOmega]

>Smile. "That's good. I was feeling a little like I was just dragging some of you around."
>To the minor point!

>"Eh, kinda," Mokou says. "But I stand by what I said."

>You head off towards the shrine, taking a detour at the appropriate point into the forest. Unfortunately, the map isn't amazingly precise, and you don't see any signs of any chasm from where you are. You fan out and have a look around the area. Eventually, you hear Chen call out. "Found it!"
>You walk over to where she indicated. It's... about the size of a large pothole. It would look entirely unremarkable if not for the incredibly faint purple sheen to parts of it.
>"I... don't think I'm going to be able to do much with this," Ran says.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Huh."
>Check the local history just in case there was something small but important there.

[DracoOmega]

>"Huh."
>Check the local history just in case there was something small but important there.

>The others seem to share your sentiments.
>You don't find signs of anything notable having been here.

[Hello Purvis]

>Can we tell how old it is?
>"Well, it seems to be able to work on a small scale, as well."
>That said, move on to the former shrine location.

[DracoOmega]

>Can we tell how old it is?
>"Well, it seems to be able to work on a small scale, as well."
>That said, move on to the former shrine location.

>You think it's about 4 years old
>"Yes," Ran says. "And it seems fairly arbitrary in its targets. Or more probably, that it simply wasn't targeting anything in the first place."
>The group of you travel a little further along, and arrive at the chasm where the Hakurei Shrine used to stand.
>Ran moves towards it. "Despite what you told me, it's still disturbing to see it gone like this. Of all the places to have been enveloped...."
>She takes out the portal key, and activates it in a similar fashion that she did at the last fissure. "It seems a little more stable here," she says, shaking her head. "But it's still very old."

[Kasu]

> Look around for a pillar similar to the chasm we found Ran in.

[Hello Purvis]

>"This is why I don't think think it's random, to be honest. It's just too much a coincidence. As well, Marisa is also missing. I've been meaning to try and check up on her, but I have no idea where she lives, nor does anyone else I've asked."

[DracoOmega]

> Look around for a pillar similar to the chasm we found Ran in.

>While it would be nice to think that part of the shrine was preserved here, you can clearly see the entire fissure from where you are and there is no sign of any barrier.

>"This is why I don't think think it's random, to be honest. It's just too much a coincidence. As well, Marisa is also missing. I've been meaning to try and check up on her, but I have no idea where she lives, nor does anyone else I've asked."

>"I can understand why you'd think that," Ran says, "but the curvature of space around the shrine and our home would likely make it easiest for this effect to manifest there, if it were indeed just applied through brute force. They are points of importance for the boundary, and it is easier to cross boundaries there for similar reasons. Many of the other points on that map seem entirely arbitrary."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Perhaps so, but I still hold my reservations given it successfully struck at the two, perhaps three people most likely to stop it."
>"Were you able to find anything?"

[DracoOmega]

>"Perhaps so, but I still hold my reservations given it successfully struck at the two, perhaps three people most likely to stop it."
>"Were you able to find anything?"

>"A little," Ran says, "but it would be much easier if we could find another more recent occurrence. The more this has faded, the less I can work with it."

[Hello Purvis]

>Check the map.

[DracoOmega]

>Check the map.

>You examine the map. There are several incidents marked as comparatively recent, although most of them are small. Interestingly, the most recent major incident outside of the one where you encountered the shadow creature is at Misty Lake.

[Hello Purvis]

>"How close to do you have to get. There's one more large one, but it's underwater."

[DracoOmega]

>"How close to do you have to get. There's one more large one, but it's underwater."

>"Underwater?" Ran frowns. "I need to be more or less within arm's reach of it, I'm afraid."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well then."
>Look for another one that's recent, and second largest.

[DracoOmega]

>"Well then."
>Look for another one that's recent, and second largest.

>There really seems to be a shortage of large ones that you haven't already covered. Ignoring the ones you've already been to, the most recent one not marked tiny is somewhere to the southwest of the bamboo forest; it seems to be fairly small itself, though.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Hm. I have this..."
>Point to the map
>"...or one other possible idea, which would be to go back to the area where I first awakened. And was attacked tonight..."

[DracoOmega]

>"Hm. I have this..."
>Point to the map
>"...or one other possible idea, which would be to go back to the area where I first awakened. And was attacked tonight..."

>Ran looks at the map.
>"Hmmm.... and what are you hoping to find there?" she asks.

[Hello Purvis]

>"The place I woke up? There are...similar things there, as far as I can sense. Things with origins outside of history."

[DracoOmega]

>"The place I woke up? There are...similar things there, as far as I can sense. Things with origins outside of history."

>"I... see." Ran pauses, and considers. "I suppose it couldn't hurt to have another look there. And this fissure may be sufficient. It's difficult to tell without seeing it in person. It's less about the absolute size, and more about the clarity of the linkage. I'll follow wherever you think is best to go."