Iku Quest Cztery: A Z-Machine Adventure

[Hello Purvis]

>Are we currently still northwest-ish, as best we can figure?
>Are any of the mentioned places northwest-ish?

>You think so, but you may be more central west by now.
>Not your knowledge. Renko and Maribel's home wouldn't be too far from there, but not quite there.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"I don't suppose you can think of anyplace they might end?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"I don't suppose you can think of anyplace they might end?"

>"I dunno," says Tenshi. "Got any idea what she's looking for?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Very little. There's not much in this area, presumably outside of fairy houses. And I'm having a hard time coming up with a connection between the things that have had their shadows stolen."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Very little. There's not much in this area, presumably outside of fairy houses. And I'm having a hard time coming up with a connection between the things that have had their shadows stolen."
[/quote

>"Well, maybe she's looking for something that isn't a faerie house?" says Tenshi. "And...well...I got no idea what those missing shadows have in common, either."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "The closest thing I can think of is Renko and Mary's house, but we were just by there. Do you remember anything unusual about it?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "The closest thing I can think of is Renko and Mary's house, but we were just by there. Do you remember anything unusual about it?"

>"Not really...Never been there, though, so there could have been something weird. And it's easy to find, anyways, just leave the forest. I don't think the trail would be all weaving around like a drunk if she was going there."
>Tenshi pauses. "Do you think she's drunk? Do poltergeists get drunk?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "...I guess it's possible. It could explain why she decided to shoot first and talk later."
> What do we know about poltergeist biology?

[Hello Purvis]

> "...I guess it's possible. It could explain why she decided to shoot first and talk later."
> What do we know about poltergeist biology?

>Not a whole lot. But you don't think many people who aren't oni get staggering drunk by noon, if Lunasa's report on the time was accurate.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Thinking back to the place where we first encountered the trail the went from south to west and we could hear fairies to the north, have we since followed that part of the trail south?

[DracoOmega]

>For that matter, are there any trails we have found that we have not followed to the point where they grow too faint to continue following?

[Hello Purvis]

> Thinking back to the place where we first encountered the trail the went from south to west and we could hear fairies to the north, have we since followed that part of the trail south?

>You have not.

>For that matter, are there any trails we have found that we have not followed to the point where they grow too faint to continue following?

>Just the one heading south.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"I wish I had some clue what she might be looking for, but really, nothing comes to mind."
>"As fruitless as these trails may be, I guess we might as well head back and check out the other end of the one we hadn't looked at, yet. Maybe a thought will strike one of us on the way?"
>Head back to said trail, and follow it south

[Hello Purvis]

>"I wish I had some clue what she might be looking for, but really, nothing comes to mind."
>"As fruitless as these trails may be, I guess we might as well head back and check out the other end of the one we hadn't looked at, yet. Maybe a thought will strike one of us on the way?"
>Head back to said trail, and follow it south

>"Yeah, I guess," says Tenshi. "I'm trying my best to think of something..."
>You follow the trail back; finding it somewhat easier thanks to knowing where to go and having your own tracks to follow. Soon enough, you reach where it bends toward the south that you noted before, and follow it into new territory.
>New is a bit of an overstatement; the forest itself doesn't change drastically. There are still leaves on the ground, still an appreciable but not impossible amount of forestry around. It is getting a bit more shadowy now; afternoon is getting later. This isn't a real problem for you, thankfully. Soon, you pass by a house in the woods; you suspect by process of elimination that it must be Marisa's house.
>"Hey, look," says Tenshi. She points a bit to the west. Looking over, you think you see another set of tracks, very similar to the one you are following, a few yards away.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Has the trail we're currently on ended?
>Go investigate these new tracks

[Hello Purvis]

>Has the trail we're currently on ended?
>Go investigate these new tracks

>Not that you can see.
>You move over to investigate the new tracks. They look pretty similar to the ones you've been following. These ones stretch from south to west, and might angle south again, you can't tell.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Follow these new tracks west

[Hello Purvis]

>Follow these new tracks west

>You follow the new tracks westward, and see that they do bend toward the southwest again.
>"Skipping ahead, eh?" says Tenshi.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Was the trail we were on a moment ago also heading southwest?
>"Well, since we don't know where she is, either trail is as good as the other. And west seemed better than otherwise. This is pretty much finger-crossing territory at the moment, anyway."
>Keep following this trail

[Hello Purvis]

>Was the trail we were on a moment ago also heading southwest?
>"Well, since we don't know where she is, either trail is as good as the other. And west seemed better than otherwise. This is pretty much finger-crossing territory at the moment, anyway."
>Keep following this trail

>More south by southwest.
>Tenshi nods. "Good enough."
>You continue to follow the trail, and come to a small almost clearing. The leaves seem to have been shuffled about quite a bit here; few of them are just laying naturally on the ground. There are also large patches that have suspiciously few leaves as well.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Suspiciously few? Does it just look like they were trampled aside, or like they were deliberately removed?
>Search around the clearing for anything else notable

[Hello Purvis]

>Suspiciously few? Does it just look like they were trampled aside, or like they were deliberately removed?
>Search around the clearing for anything else notable

>You suspect the latter, there just doesn't seem to be enough.
>You look around the clearing and see nothing else of real note inside it. But, a few yards past its eastern side, beside a fallen log, you notice a pile of leaves that seems to be too large to have occurred on its own.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Investigate this leaf pile

[Hello Purvis]

>Investigate this leaf pile

>There are many ways and styles of investigation. What will you do in particular to it?

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Go have a closer look at it
>About how large is it?

[Hello Purvis]

>Go have a closer look at it
>About how large is it?

>You have a closer look. From the way the leaves are piled, you doubt they could have fallen this way.
>It is about six or seven feet long, three feet wide, and two feet high. It is roughly oval in shape, and is built up against the log.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Are there any loose branches or sticks nearby?
>If so, get one, and gently poke inside the pile

[Hello Purvis]

>Are there any loose branches or sticks nearby?
>If so, get one, and gently poke inside the pile

>It is not hard to find a loose branch.
>You poke it into the pile of leaves. You hit something soft but firm inside, far too soon for it to be the ground.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Use the stick to clear aside enough leaves in front of that part so that we can see what we hit

[Hello Purvis]

>Use the stick to clear aside enough leaves in front of that part so that we can see what we hit

>This takes a bit of time, the thing is buried under a fair amount of leaves and a poking stick does not make a good shovel.
>You get a glimpse of what you hit; it seems to be a bit of white cloth. After a moment, you conclude it is a sleeve; there seems to be an arm still in it.

>_