Nue Quest 10 - The Lost Levels: A Z-Machine Adventure

[Hello Purvis]

>"It wasn't like that a thousand years ago, but I don't exactly know when it changed. When you're sealed away for a thousand years, you miss a few things."

>She nods.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "But whatever, that's all done now. No one from here is getting there again thanks to the gap youkai, so there's no need for concern."
> "Anyway, I think I need to head home soon. But before I go, I need to ask; what do you and your goddesses think of Tenshi?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "But whatever, that's all done now. No one from here is getting there again thanks to the gap youkai, so there's no need for concern."
> "Anyway, I think I need to head home soon. But before I go, I need to ask; what do you and your goddesses think of Tenshi?"

>"Well, I've never really talked with them about her," says Sanae, "But she's always struck me as kind of a rich brat. Though I guess she has some redeeming qualities if she hasn't been fired from that tavern yet. Why do you ask?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "I'm gauging interest in putting one over on her. I have an idea, but it would involve you folks."
> Grin.
> "It's a little relatively harmless fun that'll also hopefully discourage her from writing checks her ass can't cash."

[Hello Purvis]

> "I'm gauging interest in putting one over on her. I have an idea, but it would involve you folks."
> Grin.
> "It's a little relatively harmless fun that'll also hopefully discourage her from writing checks her ass can't cash."

>"Oh?" says Sanae. "What're you planning?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "She was in the human village when the thing inside that sword got loose, along with a bunch of others. I understand she ran away like a scalded dog. After I got it back in the sword, I found she had returned to the human village, talking about how it was good I dealt with the problem before she had to get involved. It was a conversation laced with braggadocio and her seeming to forget who the better of the two of us is. I tried baiting her into challenging the thing itself, including offering her a shot at the beast if she wanted it since I knew who had the sword and could conceivably let the thing loose again, but she did her best to avoid the prospect, eventually excusing herself by declaring that we in Gensokyo can't always depend on Bhava-Agra for help."
> "However, I know she has to come back this way when she wants to go home, and I'm guessing it's plausible that your goddesses would at least have some sort of ability to contact Bhava-Agra's head honcho as needed. So I'm thinking that maybe someone from here stops her on her way home with a borderline sob story about how she's needed to take this thing down for good, and that her higher-ups have green lighted it because if this thing isn't stopped from running roughshod on Gensokyo, Bhava-Agra will be its likely next target."

[Hello Purvis]

> "She was in the human village when the thing inside that sword got loose, along with a bunch of others. I understand she ran away like a scalded dog. After I got it back in the sword, I found she had returned to the human village, talking about how it was good I dealt with the problem before she had to get involved. It was a conversation laced with braggadocio and her seeming to forget who the better of the two of us is. I tried baiting her into challenging the thing itself, including offering her a shot at the beast if she wanted it since I knew who had the sword and could conceivably let the thing loose again, but she did her best to avoid the prospect, eventually excusing herself by declaring that we in Gensokyo can't always depend on Bhava-Agra for help."
> "However, I know she has to come back this way when she wants to go home, and I'm guessing it's plausible that your goddesses would at least have some sort of ability to contact Bhava-Agra's head honcho as needed. So I'm thinking that maybe someone from here stops her on her way home with a borderline sob story about how she's needed to take this thing down for good, and that her higher-ups have green lighted it because if this thing isn't stopped from running roughshod on Gensokyo, Bhava-Agra will be its likely next target."

>"Oh that's mean," says Sanae. "I bet Suwako-sama would do it."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "I'd be happy to lay it out again for her, if you think she'd be interested."

[Hello Purvis]

> "I'd be happy to lay it out again for her, if you think she'd be interested."

>"She might," says Sanae.  She gestures northward."She just went back to her pond a little while ago."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "All right. You wanna come with, in case more details get hashed out? The subtleties are important, and you may end up playing a role."

[Hello Purvis]

> "All right. You wanna come with, in case more details get hashed out? The subtleties are important, and you may end up playing a role."

>"Well, I suppose I can, in case Suwako-sama needs my help."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "All right."
> Inventory sans descriptions (unless it's easier to post the descriptions, in which case go for it)
> Heard northward, presumably toward said pond

[Hello Purvis]

> "All right."
> Inventory sans descriptions (unless it's easier to post the descriptions, in which case go for it)
> Heard northward, presumably toward said pond

>Your inventory contains:
>Black dress
>Black Stockings
>Black Bracelet
>Red shoes
>Loose Cobblestone
> Seeds of Nonidentification (Partially primed)
>Hand Mirror
>Trident
>Partially Eaten Day-Old Riceball
>Mahogany Scrap
>Black Skirt
>Jeweler's Scope
>Lockpicks Masquerading as a Pocket Clay Sculpting Set
>Tewi's Dress
>Disguised Apron
>Blue Umbrella.
>Spirits of Hartshorn
>513☼
>You make your toward the northern path, following it as it wends along the side of the shrine and to the banks of the pond. The grass here is wild and unkempt, with numerous weeds growing among it. The pond's waters are clear, while lily pads cover much of the surface and bear lovely pink blossoms. Numerous frogs are croaking and chirping their songs,;you can see some perched on the lily pads and others in the grass. It blends well with the soft sound of the rain hitting the water's surface. A wooden signpost stands on the banks, reading, "Toss donations into the pond."
>"Suwako-sama, could we have a moment?" Sanae calls out.
>"What do you want, dear?" comes Suwako's voice from somewhere, you can't quite put a direction to it.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> That's the second time today. We really need to get some goddess to teach us how to do that.
> "Actually, she's here for me. I'd like to find out if you'd be interested in putting one over on Tenshi when she comes back up the mountain to go home."

[Hello Purvis]

> That's the second time today. We really need to get some goddess to teach us how to do that.
> "Actually, she's here for me. I'd like to find out if you'd be interested in putting one over on Tenshi when she comes back up the mountain to go home."

>They really do seem to like doing that when no one is looking.
>"Maaaaaaybe,"  Suwako says.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Turn to Sanae.
> "Uh, are there any guidelines to the donation thing? Things I shouldn't throw in, and such?"

[Hello Purvis]

> Turn to Sanae.
> "Uh, are there any guidelines to the donation thing? Things I shouldn't throw in, and such?"

>"Money is the traditional thing," says Sanae, "but I think anything you intend to offer sincerely will be considered."
>"Just don't toss any garbage in here," comes Suwako's voice. "Or things that would muck up the pond badly."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Got it."
> Pull out and toss in 10☼.

[Hello Purvis]

> "Got it."
> Pull out and toss in 10☼.

>You toss in 10☼. "Thank you," comes Suwako's voice. "So, what did you have in mind?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "All right. Tenshi was in the human village when the primal got loose, along with a bunch of others. Apparently she fled the scene immediately. Mokou was almost convinced she wet herself in the process. After I got it back in the sword, I found Tenshi had returned to the human village, talking about how it was good I dealt with the problem before she had to get involved. Basically a whole bunch of grandstanding and such, and forgetting which of us is better at this sort of thing. I tried baiting her into challenging the thing itself, including offering her a shot at the beast if she wanted it since I knew you had the sword, but she did her best to avoid the prospect, eventually excusing herself by declaring that we in Gensokyo can't always depend on Bhava-Agra for help."
> "However, I know she has to come back this way when she wants to go home, and I'm guessing it's plausible that you would at least have some sort of ability to contact Bhava-Agra as needed in case of emergency. So I'm thinking that maybe someone from here stops her on her way home with a story about how she's needed to take this thing down for good, because if this thing isn't stopped from running roughshod on Gensokyo, Bhava-Agra will be its likely next target. And if she tries the line about how Bhava-Agra can't be solving Gensokyo's problems, maybe she should remember that this place can contact Bhava-Agra and ask herself why people that have the power to contact Bhava-Agra as such would be asking her to do this."

[Hello Purvis]

> "All right. Tenshi was in the human village when the primal got loose, along with a bunch of others. Apparently she fled the scene immediately. Mokou was almost convinced she wet herself in the process. After I got it back in the sword, I found Tenshi had returned to the human village, talking about how it was good I dealt with the problem before she had to get involved. Basically a whole bunch of grandstanding and such, and forgetting which of us is better at this sort of thing. I tried baiting her into challenging the thing itself, including offering her a shot at the beast if she wanted it since I knew you had the sword, but she did her best to avoid the prospect, eventually excusing herself by declaring that we in Gensokyo can't always depend on Bhava-Agra for help."
> "However, I know she has to come back this way when she wants to go home, and I'm guessing it's plausible that you would at least have some sort of ability to contact Bhava-Agra as needed in case of emergency. So I'm thinking that maybe someone from here stops her on her way home with a story about how she's needed to take this thing down for good, because if this thing isn't stopped from running roughshod on Gensokyo, Bhava-Agra will be its likely next target. And if she tries the line about how Bhava-Agra can't be solving Gensokyo's problems, maybe she should remember that this place can contact Bhava-Agra and ask herself why people that have the power to contact Bhava-Agra as such would be asking her to do this."

>As you explain, Suwako pulls herself up to the pond's banks, then steps out entirely. You're not sure where she was; the water is clear enough that you should have seen her under it.
>"That'd be interesting," says Suwako, "But we'd need to get a celestial in on it. And...I'm not too sure about fibbing to one of them."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "I wondered about inside help myself. You don't think it'd be doable just by heavily implying you've had a quick conversation with the Dragon?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "I wondered about inside help myself. You don't think it'd be doable just by heavily implying you've had a quick conversation with the Dragon?"

>"With Tenshi herself? It might work."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "That could yield some interesting results if she comes back up with her students. They're less likely to bite, but I don't think she likes it too much when they disagree with her, and they may just keep their thoughts to themselves our of sheer curiosity for how she'd handle the situation."

[Hello Purvis]

> "That could yield some interesting results if she comes back up with her students. They're less likely to bite, but I don't think she likes it too much when they disagree with her, and they may just keep their thoughts to themselves our of sheer curiosity for how she'd handle the situation."

>"Or she might just ignore their warnings," says Sanae. "From what I've seen, she does that often enough."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Yeah, there's that too. On the whole, there's a decent change Tenshi is the only one that will need to be fooled, which skips the issue of directly lying to another celestial altogether."

[GuyYouMetOnline]

>"And if we do need to have a celestial talk to her, well, I may very well be able to take care of that."

[Kilgamayan]

Did you have something/someone in particular in mind? I had no personal plans to lie to any celestials, so if that opportunity arises you'd need to take care of it.

[Hello Purvis]

> "Yeah, there's that too. On the whole, there's a decent change Tenshi is the only one that will need to be fooled, which skips the issue of directly lying to another celestial altogether."

>"Maybe," says Suwako. "We could separate them, too."

>"And if we do need to have a celestial talk to her, well, I may very well be able to take care of that."

>"I imagine," Suwako says, "But do you have the right clothing?"

>_

[GuyYouMetOnline]

>"Um... I don't think so, actually, and I doubt I'll be able to change that in time. I guess we'll have to hope she buys it without one."