Iku Quest Sechs - A Z-Machine Adventure

[Hello Purvis]

> What oni ranks the highest within the oni hierarchy?
> How do they compare to Lord Tenma, given oni rank higher than tengu in the grand scheme of things?

>The Four Devas are, as you understand, equals. Realisitcally, you're pretty sure Suika has much less pull among the oni than anyone else.
>The position of the oni in the heirarchy is a hard thing to say; some would say they aren't part of it at all, others say they perform a function, some say they are implicitly part of it despite ignoring it from time to time.

>"I have no trouble imagining it. From her perspective, there's probably no end to the important and newsworthy things she's missed. I imagine she'll be trying to make up for lost time as quickly as she's able to."
>"...which may or may not be a good thing, depending."

>"Yeah that sounds about right," says Tenshi.
>Mystia nods.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"It's hard to tell with her, sometimes. Although I suppose she's nothing if not consistent."
>Continue onward to the stand

[Hello Purvis]

>"It's hard to tell with her, sometimes. Although I suppose she's nothing if not consistent."
>Continue onward to the stand

>The others nod, and that seems to be enough as Mystia leads you to a certain spot in the underbrush and pushes through.
>Past that, it is but a short walk back to Mystia's Stand. "Thanks for the help," she says, "I'll take it from here."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Happy to be of assistance."
>Hand her back the baskets we're carrying
>"Have a pleasant day, Mystia."
>Head for Kourindou

[Hello Purvis]

>"Happy to be of assistance."
>Hand her back the baskets we're carrying
>"Have a pleasant day, Mystia."
>Head for Kourindou

>You hand off the baskets and say your farewells to Mystia. "Don't be a stranger!" she says as you depart.
>You make your way back through the thickly grown trail to main main road, then turn south toward Kourindou. As you draw close to the old house that is home to the store, you notice something curious about the island that is floating near it; a red flag flies at the top of its modest mountain.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Is this not the same island that Remilia claimed yesterday?
>Could it have moved that far in one day?
>If not, how far are we now from the SDM?

[Hello Purvis]

>Is this not the same island that Remilia claimed yesterday?
>Could it have moved that far in one day?
>If not, how far are we now from the SDM?

>It is not, you are quite sure of it. This is the island where Tenshi's sister is; and on whose shadow you met Nitori.
>Scarlet Devil Mansion is some distance to the south.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Sigh
>"It seems Remilia is not content to claim ownership of 'merely' those islands above her own domain."

[Hello Purvis]

>Sigh
>"It seems Remilia is not content to claim ownership of 'merely' those islands above her own domain."

>You heave a well-earned sigh.
>"Huh?" says Tenshi. She glances up toward the island. "...Oh."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Was the first flag red as well, or was it white?
> "I believe the older of your two sisters is on that island. We may have to liberate it at some point. Of course, restoring its shadow may solve that problem for us, but all the same..."
> If Remilia put up a huge fuss about ownership of the island, would The Dragon be inclined to get involved?
> Is it a sin to encourage surface dwellers to lie?
> If so, is it still a sin even if we believe the cause to be just and in favor of Bhava-Agra's well-being?

[Hello Purvis]

> Was the first flag red as well, or was it white?
> "I believe the older of your two sisters is on that island. We may have to liberate it at some point. Of course, restoring its shadow may solve that problem for us, but all the same..."
> If Remilia put up a huge fuss about ownership of the island, would The Dragon be inclined to get involved?
> Is it a sin to encourage surface dwellers to lie?
> If so, is it still a sin even if we believe the cause to be just and in favor of Bhava-Agra's well-being?

>It was red.
>"She'll be alright," says Tenshi. "It's probably better with Remilia in charge anyways."
>You imagine so, but you also though The Dragon wouldn't allow for one of the Four Devas to take over Guest Isle, and it has yet to lift a finger in that regard.
>Leading others into bad practices is very much forbidden.
>Yes, you are expected to find a way rather than taking the low road.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Frown.
> "Remilia has forced celestials to be maids. Are you sure your sister will..."
> Shake head.
> "No, I suppose you would know. You knew the first time that your family was okay."

[Hello Purvis]

> Frown.
> "Remilia has forced celestials to be maids. Are you sure your sister will..."
> Shake head.
> "No, I suppose you would know. You knew the first time that your family was okay."

>"She can handle a little dusting," says Tenshi. "It's the others you oughta worry about. They're the ones that'll stick their noises in the air or something and get Remilia mad at them."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Mmm. Let's think about such unpleasantries later. Something else makes me curious. Did you notice that Renko seemed a little uncomfortable when we were talking about that plunger?"
> What functions do our drain systems perform?

[Hello Purvis]

> "Mmm. Let's think about such unpleasantries later. Something else makes me curious. Did you notice that Renko seemed a little uncomfortable when we were talking about that plunger?"
> What functions do our drain systems perform?

>"Yeah, a little," says Tenshi.
>About the same as any drain system; they let water or other liquids out.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "I wonder why that was. I'm not sure what's so uncomfortable about an object blocking a drain. I guess it must depend on the object doing the blocking."
> Continue on to Kourindou.

[Kilgamayan]

Should be around for another hour or so, but I don't know how much of that will be spent getting prepared for tonight's activities.

Draco and I decided last night that, as long as we were going back to Rinnosuke's to ask him about Pocky and Brocky, we could give up a spell card for that gem Tenshi wanted. Dragon's Gleaming Eyes will hopefully pay for it, as it wasn't particularly effective and I want to hang on to Acanthodii and Thunder Court. There's a little more to what I want to do at Kourindou beyond get the gem and ask about the 'geist but I'm hoping I'll still be around for it (or that we'll still be at Kourindou by the time I next get access).

Now, as for things I'm reasonably sure won't come up before I leave:

- I was hoping we could get someone (Maribel?) to plant a lie in Marisa's head that Remilia and Eirin were overheard congratulating each other on backstabbing us and successfully procuring some Bhavagran islands while Marisa was busy chasing us, but that idea's out. As a backup plan to possibly getting help getting those celestials free from Remilia's control, well, as players we know Renko and Maribel's fault that the SDM was so out of fairies to begin with, and it's largely Renko's fault Bhava-Agra fell, so if we as Iku can get her to realize that while being clueless (or otherwise not directly trying to guilt her into or accuse her of anything), they might help out.
- If we do snare Yuugi and she's willing to help out in any way possible, we might be able to use her to keep Aya safe. All other acts of bureaucracy-but-not-really aside, I highly doubt any tengu patrol is going to keep up pursuit of Aya if they run into Yuugi and she tells them to sod off.
- If we get Yuugi, like I said, I'd like to split the parties as IkuTen/GFC and the Love Triangle. (If we somehow snag Yamame as well, she can join the undergrounders.) If we get no additional help, then I'm thinking a split of IkuTen and the other four, as Tenshi's likely a good deal stronger than any of the undergrounders that aren't Utsuho, plus we'll have the book.

[Hello Purvis]

> "I wonder why that was. I'm not sure what's so uncomfortable about an object blocking a drain. I guess it must depend on the object doing the blocking."
> Continue on to Kourindou.

>Tenshi shrugs.
>You enter the store. Rinnosuke is at his desk, contemplating an unfired clay figurine of what seems to be a bat. He nods toward you.
>The store contains
>Trumpet
>Broken Sword Handle
>Iron Key
>Introductory Nuclear Physics by Kenneth S. Krane.
>Copper Bracelet
>Nightlife (Extended)
>Lacquered Chopsticks
>3 Caramels
>Turtle Statue
>Vial of Sand Grains
>Red Gem
>Bag of Mushrooms
>Large Ball of Yarn
>Stethoscope
>Rusted Wakazashi
>Set of Marbles
>Figurine of a Master Lichen
>Pocket Clay Sculpting Set
>String Performance: "Guarneri del Ges?"
>Paper Fan
>Stuffed Platypus
>Statue of a Robed Black Man
>Can of Alphabet Soup
>Pale Green Plant
>Bath Towel
>Bottle of Soil
>Empty Box
>Gray Box
>Blunted Javelin
>Celestial Shawl
>Set of Wolf Ears
>Bag of Glittering Powder
>Glass Bottle

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> That shawl was here yesterday, right? Or is it our lost shawl?
> Identify (but do not elaborate on) any items that have appeared since we were in here last.
> Take out Dragon's Gleaming Eyes.
> "Would this be enough to cover the cost of the Red Gem?"

[Marokuu]

>Check: String Performance: "Guarneri del Ges?", Set of Wolf Ears, Empty Box and Gray Box

[Suwako Moriya]

Activities commence. Expect very few visits from me.

Merry Christmas to all and to all get the hell on with it!

[Hello Purvis]

> That shawl was here yesterday, right? Or is it our lost shawl?
> Identify (but do not elaborate on) any items that have appeared since we were in here last.
> Take out Dragon's Gleaming Eyes.
> "Would this be enough to cover the cost of the Red Gem?"

>It was here yesterday, it is not yours.
>You don't remember that trumpet or fan. Maybe other things appeared as well, you don't have the stock perfectly memorized.
>Rinnosuke glances up at it. "That and a bit more," he says.

>Check: String Performance: "Guarneri del Ges?", Set of Wolf Ears, Empty Box and Gray Box

>String Performance: "Guarneri del Ges?"
>It is a spellcard that seems to be made for use with a violin.
>Set of Wolf Ears
>A hairband with two cloth wolf ears on them.
>Empty Box
>This is an empty wood box, about the right size to store jewelry, spellcards, and other small objects.
>Gray Box
>A wooden box painted gray, it is closed. A small note beside it mentions if you open it, you bought it.

>_

[Marokuu]

>Did we ask about the Gray Box last time? If so what did it do?
>If not "What does this gray box do?"

[Suwako Moriya]

> A card AND some? Oy gevalt...
> Inventory, sans details

Draco, I think we may need to offer that key if we want the gem. You know Rinnosuke's lips are sealed.

[DracoOmega]

Actually, I think he meant that the card would cover the gem AND a little more. Not the other way around. But I could be wrong.

>"Do you mean that the card would be sufficient to cover the gem, and purchase a little extra?"
>Examine fan

[Hello Purvis]

>Did we ask about the Gray Box last time? If so what did it do?
>If not "What does this gray box do?"

>You did not. Was it here last time?
>"It is a mystery," says Rinnosuke, as he gently turns the figurine a few inches. "Perhaps it is something wonderful, perhaps it is simply a waste of everyone's time. I can assure you it is not empty."
>"Could we shake it or something?" asks Tenshi.
>"Most assuredly not," says Rinnosuke.

> A card AND some? Oy gevalt...
> Inventory

>You suspect he meant it the other way around; that is it could cover the glass and other items.
>Wide-brimmed hat (worn as hat)
>Exceedingly Stylish!
>Heavy Flamenco Dress (worn as dress)
>Allows both modesty and freedom of movement
>Large Black Purse
>Exactly what it sounds like. It holds all your stuff
>Spine Sign: "Acanthodii of the Thunder Clouds"
>This spellcard engulfs you in a shield of electricity. It can be broken with enough force, and only lasts for a short time before it must be renewed
>Light Orb: "Dragon's Gleaming Eyes"
>This recreates an image of one of The Dragon's physical manifestations in lightning and sends it out.
>Cloud Realm: "The Thunder Court in the Sea of Abstruse Clouds"
>Fills the air with webs of lightning, but leaves you motionless.
>Dragonfish: "Dragon Palace's Messenger Swimming Shot"
>Sends electricity spiraling out from you, but leaves you defenseless.
>1☼
>This is 1☼
>Gnawed Mushroom Stalk
>The remains of a tsuchinoko's dinner.
>Jail Key
>The key to the tengu jail.
>Aya's Primary Camera
>She'll be very angry if you break this.
>2 Pictures of Shadowless Tree
>Taken in the Forest of Magic.
> Picture of Sky and Shadowed Land
>A picture of the Brocken Spectre's shadow and the clear horizon
>Picture of Unconscious Poltergeist
>A Picture of the Brocken Spectre after you defeated her.
>Yukari's Screwdriver
>Under no circumstances can others suspect this exists!
>Picture of the Shadow Dais.
>Taken within The Dragon's Chamber in the false Bhava-Agra.
>Picture of Makai Landscape with Goats
>Taken to show Yumeko how a Camera Works
>Picture of Mother Devil in Rain.
>She looks a tad confused by the picture-taking process.
>Better Picture of Mother Devil in Rain
>She seems much less confused and more natural in this picture.
>Peach
>Taken from Guest Island.
>Okuu's Note.
>It reads: "Parsee got back, left with Nitori."
>Pink Shawl
>A shawl that represents your status as a part of Bhava-Arga and allows you to defend yourself with devastating techniques.
>Book Entitled: The Way of the World
>A book depicting various parts of the universe through the idea of the Six Realms of Rebirth.
>Aya's Note
>It reads: "Did some looking around. Word has it there's a blue-coated ghost running around the forest. Lots of people coming and going looking for the Brocken Spectre. Some rock near Marisa's house missing a shadow; investigated it, found nothing else special. Wasn't able to ask around SDM. Kogasa seems to have gotten much more dangerous lately; maybe a connection? Couldn't ask. Will return tomorrow afternoon. Owe you bigtime -Aya."

>"Do you mean that the card would be sufficient to cover the gem, and purchase a little extra?"
>Examine fan

>"Just so," he answers.
>Paper Fan
>A common fan made of paper and bamboo.

>_

[Suwako Moriya]

> "Does this fan shatter shields?"


So what else did you want? Those boxes look pretty appealing, though the empty one only as a gift to Tenshi.

[DracoOmega]

I'm honestly tempted by the grey box, despite the very real chance of junk inside it. Not a lot of other things jump out to me at the moment.

>Did we ask Rinnosuke about the copper bracelet the other day? If so, what did he say about it?

[Hello Purvis]

> "Does this fan shatter shields?"

>"Perhaps if they were also made of paper," says Rinnosuke.

>Did we ask Rinnosuke about the copper bracelet the other day? If so, what did he say about it?

>You did; he said it was enchanted to allow the wearer to consume much more than their normal natural capacity.

>_

[Hanged Hourai]

>Did we ask Rinnosuke about the iron key? If not, ask about it.