Kisume Quest II - A Z-Machine Adventure

[Hello Purvis]

> ...Well, we theoretically have 50☼ coming in, right? And possibly 15☼ more if we don't find a sheathe for that knife.
> "...All right, I suppose I can, just this once."
> Pull out the 4☼.

>She grins, takes your money, and starts to reach under the counter for some things.
>"What were you looking for Mokou for, anyways?" says Tokiko.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "I need to get to Eientei. I'm told she can get me there."

[Hello Purvis]

> "I need to get to Eientei. I'm told she can get me there."

>"Oh, yes, it's very tricky to find your way there. I should know, I live on the edge of the bamboo forest, and it's really easy to get lost in there. But it there's not nearly as many faeries, which makes it much more peaceful. And all the bamboo is nice for building with. The shoots can be tasty too, but it took me too long to figure out, which is kinda embarrassing..."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "The bamboo shoots? Huh. Maybe I'll grab a few, if I can."

[Hello Purvis]

> "The bamboo shoots? Huh. Maybe I'll grab a few, if I can."

>"You might get lucky and find some early ones," says Tokiko. "I was going to go looking for them in a couple days, that's when you'll be sure to find enough of them to do anything you wand. But sometimes you get lucky, I'm sure the Bamboo forest is one of the first places that the spring faerie visits. Well, I'm not completely sure, but sure enough. Actually...maybe she goes through the human village first? I don't know now that I think about it..."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "You mean that fairy serves a purpose other than being super annoying?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "You mean that fairy serves a purpose other than being super annoying?"

>"She's kind of scary at first," says Tokiko, as she withdraws some bits of meat, splashes a little oil on the grill, then tosses meat on.  It sizzles pleasantly "But she does start off spring, which is pretty useful. Or maybe spring starts her off? I don't know, but things do seem to bloom a whole lot faster after she passes by. I've heard she'll even make your flower seeds sprout if you ask her to, which sounds pretty handy to me."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> What a yapper...
> "Would've been nice if she did that instead of shooting all over the place."

[Hello Purvis]

> What a yapper...
> "Would've been nice if she did that instead of shooting all over the place."

>She does like to gossip, doesn't she?
>"Well, I never said she was particularly smart," says Tokiko. "Though you'd be surprised what kind of cunning can have when they really put their mind to it. Like the time they managed to beat the Scarlet Devil! Well, I didn't know who she was at the time, but when I did figure it out, I was pretty impressed! Speaking of that, are you going to be visiting them while you're up here? I really want to get a peek at that library, myself. Do you think it'll be open, too?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Do we know of a Scarlet Devil?

[Hello Purvis]

> Do we know of a Scarlet Devil?

>Not really.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Raise an eyebrow.
> "I have no idea who you're talking about. You mean the red-white?"

[Hello Purvis]

> Raise an eyebrow.
> "I have no idea who you're talking about. You mean the red-white?"

>"No no no," says Tokiko, shaking her head as she flips some meat on the grill. "Nothing like that. The Scarlet Devil is the one who owns the mansion by the lake. I've never met her, I don't think most people have. But I'm told she's very elegant, and there's maids all over the place in there. One them eats here every once in awhile, and she's a very frightening person when she wants to be!"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Oh. Then I've never heard of her."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Oh. Then I've never heard of her."

>"I suppose that isn't very surprising," says Tokiko, "I don't know if they do anything underground. I know some people do, though. The shrine on the mountain used to be involved with it, I think? Oh, and that earth spider used to have a deal with the merchant, but I don't know if that's on anymore, after he went missing..."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Ah, Yamame mentioned something about that. It sounds like the store's still opening, and she still recommends going there. She's a trustworthy source, so yeah."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Ah, Yamame mentioned something about that. It sounds like the store's still opening, and she still recommends going there. She's a trustworthy source, so yeah."

>"Oh right, there's someone else running it now. I don't go there very often, but Mystia says it's still pretty good. Usually, though, when we need to buy things, we get it from the town anymore. I think Mystia has some kind of deal there. Oh, and she'll get fresh catches from the Kappa in the evening, too.  I haven't done that yet, the mountain is still just a bit much for me."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Really? I've heard nothing but good things about it so far. Even talked to a harvest goddess a little while ago."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Really? I've heard nothing but good things about it so far. Even talked to a harvest goddess a little while ago."

>"I might just be a little panicky," she says with a shrug, as she flips your meal on the grill. "I have a bad habit of doing that. It's kind of embarrassing to think back about how bad I used to be about it. But I think I'm a lot better now, though I guess you wouldn't know."
>You think you hear someone approaching from behind.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Keep an ear out for a curtain shift.
> "You ever consider coming underground?"

[Hello Purvis]

> Keep an ear out for a curtain shift.
> "You ever consider coming underground?"

>"Oh, no, never," Tokiko says, shaking her head. "A place like that is no place for a bird. I don't know how the hell ravens deal with it. and there's all the oni and stuff, and I heard there were other monsters and it's just too much."
>The curtain slips aside, and a small green-haired youkai walks in. You quickly note the antennae protruding from her short hair, and the cape she is wearing with a white blouse and puffy blue shorts.
>"Morning, chombatta,"she says to Tokiko. "Need a morning usual!"
>"Sure thing, Wriggle," says Tokiko, as she starts to season your meal.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "The times underground, they are a-changin'. There was a tengu down there today. I get not wanting to go near the City, but there's more underground than that."

[Hello Purvis]

> "The times underground, they are a-changin'. There was a tengu down there today. I get not wanting to go near the City, but there's more underground than that."

>"Huh, I didn't know," says Tokiko.
>The other youkai, Wriggle if you heard properly, looks over toward you and says, "Some tengu banger's making runs underground? What for?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Look back at the other youkai and shrug.
> "Beats me. She was there to meet Nue. 'Sall I know."

[Hello Purvis]

> Look back at the other youkai and shrug.
> "Beats me. She was there to meet Nue. 'Sall I know."

>"Wigly," says the other youkai with a shrug. "You from there?"
>Tokiko flips your meat over again, and reaches for some skewers.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Yeah. First time topside in ages."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Yeah. First time topside in ages."

>"Wavy," says Wriggle. "Hope it's not a drek run."
>Tokiko skewers the meat on the grill, then hands it to you. "Here you go!"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Take the meat.
> "Nah. Searching after some human that fancies himself an oni-dodger."
> Give the meat a taste.

[Hello Purvis]

> Take the meat.
> "Nah. Searching after some human that fancies himself an oni-dodger."
> Give the meat a taste.

>You take the skewer and taste it. The meat is a bit chewy, but it tastes excellent. The spices and a slight hint of saltiness blend very well with the meat's one flavor.
>"Oni-dodger?" says Tokiko.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Some farmer-looking guy came down to the city. Ran all over the place. Managed to avoid capture, despite a lot of oni trying. No idea what his deal is. I learned from the harvest goddess that none of her farmers have gone off running around in oni territory lately, which makes me want to know what's up all the more.