Keine Quest (Part 4): Broken History

[Hello Purvis]

>"I don't know all the details offhand, but someone who can talk to ghosts is pretty rare. Yuyuko was behind the whole long winter incident. Well, her and Youmu. Yuyuko was trying to awaken a youkai cherry tree, so she stole all the essence of spring that she could. In my time, she was stopped. Here...well...I suppose the consequences of her actions caught up to her. And then she is reborn, apparently. Then there is a girl in the village who stays with the winter's victims, and can talk to ghosts..."

[DracoOmega]

>"I don't know all the details offhand, but someone who can talk to ghosts is pretty rare. Yuyuko was behind the whole long winter incident. Well, her and Youmu. Yuyuko was trying to awaken a youkai cherry tree, so she stole all the essence of spring that she could. In my time, she was stopped. Here...well...I suppose the consequences of her actions caught up to her. And then she is reborn, apparently. Then there is a girl in the village who stays with the winter's victims, and can talk to ghosts..."

>"The Saigyou Ayakashi," Ran says. "I know of it. It never blooms. Theirs was an... interesting solution."
>"You saying that girl's the reason we had that damn year of winter?" Mokou asks, sounding none too pleased about it.

[Hello Purvis]

>Nod.
>"It seems their plan went terribly awry. My understand was they didn't intend to actually keep spring from happening, just delay it until they could make the tree bloom."

[DracoOmega]

>Nod.
>"It seems their plan went terribly awry. My understand was they didn't intend to actually keep spring from happening, just delay it until they could make the tree bloom."

>"Damn right it went 'awry'," Mokou says darkly. "You know what it's like to starve to death? And then keep on starving afterwards? Be glad you'll never have to find out."
>"I, uh, wonder what went wrong?" Ran says, giving Mokou a wary glance.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, I'll be sure to keep you fed, Mokou."
>Give her a grin.
>"As for what went awry, it's probably like Youmu said. The ghost princess died, somehow. I assume she was instrumental in undoing the damage."

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, I'll be sure to keep you fed, Mokou."
>Give her a grin.
>"As for what went awry, it's probably like Youmu said. The ghost princess died, somehow. I assume she was instrumental in undoing the damage."

>You can see traces of a grin struggling against Mokou's scowl.
>"You don't seem to be holding it against them much," she says, "if they really were the ones who ended up killing all those people."
>"This land seems to have suffered a great number of unfortunate accidents compared to your own memory of events, Keine," Ran notes. "I hope we can set things right again."

[Hello Purvis]

>"I want to think they aren't like Eirin was, Mokou. I want to believe try regret what happened. Youmu called it a mistake, which is a lot better than the things Eirin was saying. Though...in retrospect at least she was being honest about it. There's a kind of perverse nobility in that. Even if it's kind of nobility that makes me want to smack her right in the bridge of her nose. But like I was saying, I think Youmu and Yuyuko, if that is Yuyuko. at least realized they messed up and are doing what they can, which isn't much given the nature of what happened. That's the difference between evil and foolish, isn't it? A fool can realize she had been a fool in hindsight."

[DracoOmega]

>"I want to think they aren't like Eirin was, Mokou. I want to believe try regret what happened. Youmu called it a mistake, which is a lot better than the things Eirin was saying. Though...in retrospect at least she was being honest about it. There's a kind of perverse nobility in that. Even if it's kind of nobility that makes me want to smack her right in the bridge of her nose. But like I was saying, I think Youmu and Yuyuko, if that is Yuyuko. at least realized they messed up and are doing what they can, which isn't much given the nature of what happened. That's the difference between evil and foolish, isn't it? A fool can realize she had been a fool in hindsight."

>Mokou shakes her head. "Doesn't bring 'em back, though."
>"No," Ran says. "But perhaps we can."
>"Yeah." Mokou nods. "Maybe we can.... Screw that; we're damn right going to, got it?" She gives you a roguish grin.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Nor would treating them like garbage, which is my point. But yes, we are very much going to fix that problem if I have a thing to say about it."

[DracoOmega]

>"Nor would treating them like garbage, which is my point. But yes, we are very much going to fix that problem if I have a thing to say about it."

>Mokou and Ran nod at you.
>"I suppose we shall return to that issue once this matter is resolved, then?" Ran says.
>You believe you can see a boat starting to come into view in the distance.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, I suppose it is time. And yes, we'll revisit it in a bit."
>Hope that Youmu hurries it up.
>Wait for the boat to arrive.

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, I suppose it is time. And yes, we'll revisit it in a bit."
>Hope that Youmu hurries it up.
>Wait for the boat to arrive.

>Ran nods.
>To be fair to Youmu, it's a pretty long trek, even for someone speedy.
>The boat continues to drift towards the shore at what feels like a gratingly slow pace. Komachi's presence becomes obvious after a short while, gently steering the craft away from the current. Eventually, the boat reaches the dock, and Komachi secures it. She casts a curious eye in your direction.
>"Well, ain't this place getting crowded," she says as she saunters towards you, spending a few moments examining you and your companions. "Ok, spill it. What'cha all doing here? Ain't exactly a popular spot for the living."

[Hello Purvis]

>"It's a somewhat complicated matter. I need to speak with the Yama. There is a matter of justice that only one such as she can address."

[DracoOmega]

>"It's a somewhat complicated matter. I need to speak with the Yama. There is a matter of justice that only one such as she can address."

>Komachi frowns. "She doesn't usually deal with the living. 'cept to warn them off something from time to time. What's this about?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"We have a goddess who is trying to enforce her own justice upon people, and is deprivation torturing someone in the name of it, refusing to acknowledge she's even hurting the victim. Worse still, she entrapped the victim in the first place."

[DracoOmega]

>"We have a goddess who is trying to enforce her own justice upon people, and is deprivation torturing someone in the name of it, refusing to acknowledge she's even hurting the victim. Worse still, she entrapped the victim in the first place."

>Komachi's frown deepens. "That's... I dunno. Shiki doesn't really do gods. Sorta outside the system, ya know?" She pauses, and idly rubs the back of her head. "Doubt she'd like that someone was trying to pass that off as justice, though. What'd this person do?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"It's a very long story. Have you heard anything about Utsuho?"

[DracoOmega]

>"It's a very long story. Have you heard anything about Utsuho?"

>"Doesn't ring a bell," Komachi says. "Don't exactly get to talk to many living people around here. And miss serious-face over there never goes... anywhere....?" She stares towards where Youmu was sitting and frowns. "Uh...."

[Hello Purvis]

>"She's following a lead. As for Utsuho..."
>Make it a long story, for Youmu's sake. Talk a bit about how things are underground, so that Utsuho's background is decently understood. About how youkai were sealed there, and have since been forgotten about. Then lead into how she looked over Blazing Hell, and how Kanako approached her. Try to keep the assessment of this as neutral as possible, but make it clear that it was more or less entrapment with Kanako dictating out the whole thing, getting Utsuho to agree, and then not really doing enough follow-up or not caring to. Throw in evidence of Orin immediately figuring it out to establish Utsuho losing it was obvious and should have been noticed. Then take about what followed briefly, and how Kanako defeated her, caputured her, and imprisoned her under the mountain. At this point, go into rather lurid (but accurate) descriptions of her conditions, and how Kanako essentially refused to make more than token efforts to treat Utsuho like a sentient being rather than a cog in a machine, and hides knowledge of it as effectively as she can, including to her own priestess.
>"So you see the problem, I hope. It's that Utsuho is fully innocent or undeserving of some kind of punishment, it's that Kanako doing so excessively and without any real authority to do it, and intends to do so until Utsuho either dies of a sick heart or takes her own life in desperation."

[DracoOmega]

>"She's following a lead. As for Utsuho..."
>Make it a long story, for Youmu's sake. Talk a bit about how things are underground, so that Utsuho's background is decently understood. About how youkai were sealed there, and have since been forgotten about. Then lead into how she looked over Blazing Hell, and how Kanako approached her. Try to keep the assessment of this as neutral as possible, but make it clear that it was more or less entrapment with Kanako dictating out the whole thing, getting Utsuho to agree, and then not really doing enough follow-up or not caring to. Throw in evidence of Orin immediately figuring it out to establish Utsuho losing it was obvious and should have been noticed. Then take about what followed briefly, and how Kanako defeated her, caputured her, and imprisoned her under the mountain. At this point, go into rather lurid (but accurate) descriptions of her conditions, and how Kanako essentially refused to make more than token efforts to treat Utsuho like a sentient being rather than a cog in a machine, and hides knowledge of it as effectively as she can, including to her own priestess.
>"So you see the problem, I hope. It's that Utsuho is fully innocent or undeserving of some kind of punishment, it's that Kanako doing so excessively and without any real authority to do it, and intends to do so until Utsuho either dies of a sick heart or takes her own life in desperation."

>You give Komachi a lengthy explanation of Utsuho's history, and all of her interactions with Kanako leading up the present day. At first she nods idly, but you see her grow more seriously engaged as your description continues, frowning and shaking her head. "Man... that's pretty awful. Think Utsuho actually feels guilty about what she did?"
>"And well... as much as I hate to say it, I'm not sure what Shiki can do. She's got no authority to compel anyone to do anything on the mortal side of things. Threatening someone with an eternity in hell's enough to get a lot of them to wise up, but... Kanako ain't got that to worry about. Gods like her, well... as long as someone believes in her, she'll probably still be kicking around on this side of things."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Given what she's been through? I wouldn't be surprised if Utsuho didn't hold some pride over it just to spite the woman responsible for tormenting here. But, were she not in such a state, I think she would be guilty. What I am hoping that the Yama can do is twofold. First, and most importantly, I am hoping that the Yama can make Kanako yield up Utsuho, and a penalty more fitting with her crimes and one that can lead her to be rehabilitated be levied. As well, I am hoping being subject to the Yama's judgment, even if it is not binding, is enough to make Kanako reconsider what she is doing. I mean, if someone as objective as the Yama says it is so...well, it holds a great deal of weight, I think."

[DracoOmega]

>"Given what she's been through? I wouldn't be surprised if Utsuho didn't hold some pride over it just to spite the woman responsible for tormenting here. But, were she not in such a state, I think she would be guilty. What I am hoping that the Yama can do is twofold. First, and most importantly, I am hoping that the Yama can make Kanako yield up Utsuho, and a penalty more fitting with her crimes and one that can lead her to be rehabilitated be levied. As well, I am hoping being subject to the Yama's judgment, even if it is not binding, is enough to make Kanako reconsider what she is doing. I mean, if someone as objective as the Yama says it is so...well, it holds a great deal of weight, I think."

>"Well... I suppose it's possible. Though if Kanako sticks to her guns, there's probably not much Shiki can do about it." Komachi pauses and considers. "Look, tell you what. I'll run it past Shiki when I'm back that way, and see what she thinks. Speaking of which, I should probably get going."

[Hello Purvis]

>Have we seen anything climb into the boat.
>If not: "Did you collect any spirits? I've not seen any."

[DracoOmega]

>Have we seen anything climb into the boat.
>If not: "Did you collect any spirits? I've not seen any."

>"Well, I haven't gone anywhere yet, have I? 'sides, most spirits don't have enough presence to see unless you're in touch with that sort of thing. Not all of them are like the ones you see floating about. Why?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, ah, I was sort of hoping that Youmu would be back before you made your next trip, so if the person I saw wasn't Yuyuko, she would be able to have a look at them..."

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, ah, I was sort of hoping that Youmu would be back before you made your next trip, so if the person I saw wasn't Yuyuko, she would be able to have a look at them..."

>Komachi sighs. "I feel sorry for her. I really do. She's been camping out there for who knows how long, now. I don't think she even could recognize a soul after it's reincarnated. But she's pretty determined." She tilts her head to the side. "You trying to give me an excuse to sit around for a bit? ...'cause I think I might just take you up on it. I mean, would be rude to argue, y'know?"
>She walks over to a nearby tree and slumps down against it.

[Hello Purvis]

>"I have a question, since we're waiting. Do you get to know the people you ferry across? If so, have you see a Reimu Hakurei? She was a shrine maiden here, instrumental stopping the Scarlet Devil from blotting out the sun."

[DracoOmega]

>"I have a question, since we're waiting. Do you get to know the people you ferry across? If so, have you see a Reimu Hakurei? She was a shrine maiden here, instrumental stopping the Scarlet Devil from blotting out the sun."

>"I chat with them, yeah," she says. "Gotta have someone to talk to on the way. And I've heard about Reimu. Disappeared without a trace, right?" Komachi shakes her head. "Hasn't come past this way. I'm pretty sure I'd remember her, after all the people I've heard talk about her."

[Hello Purvis]

>Nod.
>"How about a Marisa Kirisame?"

[DracoOmega]

>Nod.
>"How about a Marisa Kirisame?"

>She shakes her head again. "Don't think so."