Iku Quest Otto - A Z-Machine Adventure

[Hello Purvis]

> "Because there are people that have lost their shadows as well as things like this tree, so I want to resolve the issue as soon as possible. And because I was under the impression that the taker's reasons were not necessary, given Lady Moriya never asked me about them."

>"So you expect me to solve this problem," says Patchouli, "But instead of not being able to tell me much about, you simply refuse to. I suppose that is original, at least."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"My apologies. I am not meaning to be difficult, although the vow I have sworn prevents me from saying as much as either of us might like on the topic. Let us simply say then, for the sake of argument, that the person who took it did so because they thought that holding it would somehow help sustain their existence."

[Hello Purvis]

>"My apologies. I am not meaning to be difficult, although the vow I have sworn prevents me from saying as much as either of us might like on the topic. Let us simply say then, for the sake of argument, that the person who took it did so because they thought that holding it would somehow help sustain their existence."

>"Hmmm," Patchouli says. "I suppose it might. But it is like eating rice with one chopstick. That is, it can be made to work, but anyone with an ounce of sense would use two. Or in this case, use a different method altogether."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Do you think such a method would work better when applied to Bhava-Agra itself? I admit my knowledge of the subject is limited, but I would have to imagine something as immense as that would have more 'existence' in it, for want of a better term."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Do you think such a method would work better when applied to Bhava-Agra itself? I admit my knowledge of the subject is limited, but I would have to imagine something as immense as that would have more 'existence' in it, for want of a better term."

>"We'll use existence as a term for now," says Patchouli. "And yes, anyone could move a whole rice ball with one chopstick. Of course, then the problem becomes one of not choking when you eat it."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Yes, that may be a pertinent issue, actually. Do you have any idea what the consequences of taking so much existence into yourself might be?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Yes, that may be a pertinent issue, actually. Do you have any idea what the consequences of taking so much existence into yourself might be?"

>"About the same as trying to eat a rice ball in one bite would be for most people," says Patchouli. "Inefficiency aside, if stealing Bhava-Agra's power were so easy, I would have done it myself ages ago."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"I don't know that it is its power that has been taken, as such. Simply that some part of its existence is attached to another."
>"As for the rice analogy, do you mean one ought to choke on it? If that is to happen, at the very least that has not happened yet."

[Suwako Moriya]

> Brocken Spectre is bloated from overeating!
> Brocken Spectre feels herself moving slower.

Well this is going to fun to report. Either she tries to stay hidden and eventually disappears because of it, she tries to stay hidden while also taking shadows and gets even more people to come after her, she tries to stay hidden while hanging on to Bhava-Agra and chokes to death on it, or she exposes herself to the world.

I am glad to learn this information, but boy is she not going to like it.

[Hello Purvis]

>"I don't know that it is its power that has been taken, as such. Simply that some part of its existence is attached to another."
>"As for the rice analogy, do you mean one ought to choke on it? If that is to happen, at the very least that has not happened yet."

>"It will get to be too much for your little thief soon enough, I am sure. Only a conceptual being like a deity could handle such a thing, and then only in the vaguest sense of handle."

> Brocken Spectre is bloated from overeating!
> Brocken Spectre feels herself moving slower.

>Teehee.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Would it matter in what manner the shadow was taken or kept? Surely not all methods of siphoning this sort of essence are created equal?"
>"And what do you think is likely to happen, should more time pass? Would she simply lose her grip on the shadow, or might it actually kill her?"
>"...and if it did, what would become of the shadows she taken?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Would it matter in what manner the shadow was taken or kept? Surely not all methods of siphoning this sort of essence are created equal?"
>"And what do you think is likely to happen, should more time pass? Would she simply lose her grip on the shadow, or might it actually kill her?"
>"...and if it did, what would become of the shadows she taken?"

>"The first thing, I cannot answer," says Patchouli. "As for the others; I am certain one or the other would happen. More likely the latter, if she's connected herself to it strongly enough to use it for herself.. If she were to perish with them, there's a change they may be drug along with her to wherever she goes. If you're lucky, the Yama might have the resources to deal with that situation. Or they might just scatter to the winds and attach to something else."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"That sounds rather grim..."
>"Out of curiosity, if the issue is with Bhava-Agra's essence being too large for any single person to contain, why wouldn't it have caused a more immediate problem when it was taken?"
>"I assume something on the scale of this tree, or even several trees, would be well without the realm of the possible, without harm, though?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"That sounds rather grim..."
>"Out of curiosity, if the issue is with Bhava-Agra's essence being too large for any single person to contain, why wouldn't it have caused a more immediate problem when it was taken?"
>"I assume something on the scale of this tree, or even several trees, would be well without the realm of the possible, without harm, though?"

>"I imagine it would feel rather grim, too," says Patchouli.
>"Because the analogy of choking doesn't go that far," says Patchouli, "And because shadows are an inefficient way to do much of anything. It takes time for enough power to get through to really be a problem."
>"Likely," she says, "Save for the trees."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"So, could one think of it sort of like opening a conduit between oneself and the true owner of a shadow, then? Bhava-Agra was tapped into, and existence from it will simply keep flowing into her until she cannot contain it anymore?"
>"And even a single other being would likely eventually be too much?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"So, could one think of it sort of like opening a conduit between oneself and the true owner of a shadow, then? Bhava-Agra was tapped into, and existence from it will simply keep flowing into her until she cannot contain it anymore?"
>"And even a single other being would likely eventually be too much?"

>"No, I just said it should be harmless except for the trees," says Patchouli, frowning. "That doesn't mean it's very wise. You're more or less proposing a very inefficient and vastly less romantic kind of vampirism. Now I must know why this person thinks this is even remotely a good idea."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"In this case, I suspect it is simply because that is all she knows how to do. Her knowledge of the world is... limited. What she has done is more out of instinct than anything else, I believe."

[Hello Purvis]

>"In this case, I suspect it is simply because that is all she knows how to do. Her knowledge of the world is... limited. What she has done is more out of instinct than anything else, I believe."

>"Oh lovely," says Patchouli. "Another Utsuho. Exactly what we needed."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Would that she were more like her, I think this situation might have been resolved already..."
>"Out of curiosity, do you know of any way it might be possible to sever the connection, and set the shadows back to their proper places? Ideally without harming either party."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Would that she were more like her, I think this situation might have been resolved already..."
>"Out of curiosity, do you know of any way it might be possible to sever the connection, and set the shadows back to their proper places? Ideally without harming either party."

>"She did react nicely to a punch in the face, didn't she?" says Patchouli.
>"Immediately, no. With time, I could certainly find a way."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Although if it is as you say, we might not have an extended amount of time, I gather."
>"Unfortunately, I'm not so certain she'll take my word for the danger she may have put herself in. I don't suppose you have some book here that might succinctly say as much, itself? And which I could borrow briefly? It would be nice to have some evidence outside my own words, given my obviously vested interest in having her release Bhava-Agra, regardless of a threat to her health."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Although if it is as you say, we might not have an extended amount of time, I gather."
>"Unfortunately, I'm not so certain she'll take my word for the danger she may have put herself in. I don't suppose you have some book here that might succinctly say as much, itself? And which I could borrow briefly? It would be nice to have some evidence outside my own words, given my obviously vested interest in having her release Bhava-Agra, regardless of a threat to her health."

>"Koakuma, provide her with something," says Patchouli.
>The devil nods, and does a few things with whatever she is working on, then stands and vanishes into the bookshelves.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Thank you."
>"I don't suppose you could even hazard a guess as to how long it would take before her hold on Bhava-Agra's shadow causes serious harm to her? Do you believe any lasting damage would be done even before it reaches the critical point?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Thank you."
>"I don't suppose you could even hazard a guess as to how long it would take before her hold on Bhava-Agra's shadow causes serious harm to her? Do you believe any lasting damage would be done even before it reaches the critical point?"

>"Since she is apparently a stupid, secretive idiot and refuses to let you give me information I would need, I cannot," says Patchouli.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"My apologies. I truly wish I could say more."
>"I gather that the answer to those questions would depend on what sort of being she is, and by what means she drew the shadows into herself in the first place?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"My apologies. I truly wish I could say more."
>"I gather that the answer to those questions would depend on what sort of being she is, and by what means she drew the shadows into herself in the first place?"

>"I'm sure you do," says Patchouli.
>"Those would certainly help. There's significantly more to it than that, but I could at least make a loose estimate."

[DracoOmega]

>"Perhaps you could run down a few factors that would play for or against her? In terms of roughly how quickly this could be expected to harm different kinds of beings? Just a brief overview, but I think it might be helpful to be able to convey to her just how urgent this matter is. As I said, I suspect I will have my work cut out for me."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Perhaps you could run down a few factors that would play for or against her? In terms of roughly how quickly this could be expected to harm different kinds of beings? Just a brief overview, but I think it might be helpful to be able to convey to her just how urgent this matter is. As I said, I suspect I will have my work cut out for me."

>"Do you have any idea just how many different of beings there are out there?" asks Patchouli. "Do you really me to just start rattling them off? Would you like them alphabetized?"

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"I- I didn't mean for you to be that comprehensive. I just didn't know if there any broad generalizations that could be made. I don't know enough about the subject to say. I'm sorry."

[Hello Purvis]

>"I- I didn't mean for you to be that comprehensive. I just didn't know if there any broad generalizations that could be made. I don't know enough about the subject to say. I'm sorry."

>Patchouli sighs. "If you want my opinion, the idiot doesn't have long. She isn't educated enough to know it was a bad idea, which suggests she's not very far along as a magician at all. That means she also likely has little idea how to handle this kind of crisis."

>_