Sword Quest III - A Z-Machine Adventure

[Kilgamayan]

> "That should be fairly recognizable."
> Nod.
> "All right, let us see if we can narrow this down even just a little bit. Is this tunnel the only surface entrance to the underground."

[Hello Purvis]

> "That should be fairly recognizable."
> Nod.
> "All right, let us see if we can narrow this down even just a little bit. Is this tunnel the only surface entrance to the underground."

>"Well, past here anyways, far as we know," says Kisume. "There's a way on on Youkai Mountain, but it comes through here too. Oh, there's some little holes, but if you aren't a mouse they're no good to you."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "So if whoever did this came from the surface, they would still be down here. Unless you were unconscious for a long time, I suppose, but that does not seem likely."

[Hello Purvis]

> "So if whoever did this came from the surface, they would still be down here. Unless you were unconscious for a long time, I suppose, but that does not seem likely."

>"I was out for a couple hours, yeah," says Kisume.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Grimace.
> "That may complicate matters a bit. Have you seen anyone pass this way since you awakened?"

[Hello Purvis]

> Grimace.
> "That may complicate matters a bit. Have you seen anyone pass this way since you awakened?"

>"I haven't, but Yamame only found me a little bit ago," Kisume says. She then looks over to the blonde youkai and says, "Hey Yamame! You see anyone go through here lately?"
>"Well, uh," says Yamame, "I wasn't here the whole time, buddy, since it's morning and I got things to do. But, I did see a woman and a ghost go through a while back. Didn't bother with 'em."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> !
> "Were they heading further downward, or returning to the surface?"

[Hello Purvis]

> !
> "Were they heading further downward, or returning to the surface?"

>"Headin' down, buddy," says Yamame.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "That is good to know. Those would be my companions. I wonder if they are still down there."

[Hello Purvis]

> "That is good to know. Those would be my companions. I wonder if they are still down there."

>"Might be," says Kisume. "Might be in the Ancient City, might be wandering around lost somewhere."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Nod.
> "I will go investigate, then, while keeping my eyes peeled for your wand."
> Turn to Reisen.
> "Reisen, as I know you have your own business to conduct, I will not ask you to join me any further than is necessary for you."

[Hello Purvis]

> Nod.
> "I will go investigate, then, while keeping my eyes peeled for your wand."
> Turn to Reisen.
> "Reisen, as I know you have your own business to conduct, I will not ask you to join me any further than is necessary for you."

>"Good luck," says Kisume. "I'll be here for awhile."
>You tell Reisen that you won't ask her to join you. She nods."Alright. This is the end of the line for me, regardless. Yamame will be coming back with me shortly."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Ah, splendid. Best of luck to both of you. I hope for a peaceful resolution to your situation, and I will have to visit again some time to see for myself. And thank you again for your help with the boar. If you see the wolf huntress, please let her know I have retrieved her trap and will return it to her next time I see her."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Ah, splendid. Best of luck to both of you. I hope for a peaceful resolution to your situation, and I will have to visit again some time to see for myself. And thank you again for your help with the boar. If you see the wolf huntress, please let her know I have retrieved her trap and will return it to her next time I see her."

>"I'll be sure to do that," says Reisen. "And I wish you luck in finding your friends."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Thank you. Safe travels, both of you."
> Turn back to Kisume.
> "I shall return when I know more. Please excuse me."
> Head further down the tunnel.

[Hello Purvis]

> "Thank you. Safe travels, both of you."
> Turn back to Kisume.
> "I shall return when I know more. Please excuse me."
> Head further down the tunnel.

>"You too, pal!" says Yamame, waving, as Reisen gives you a nod.
>"Go to it," Kisume says. "Just go straight if you wanna hit the city
>You proceed further into the caverns, following the northward tunnel. The ground here isn't quite so smooth, you can see the odd small crack here or there running along the floors and walls, while the stalactites grow more numerous overhead.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Let's avoid any risk of ankle-twisting by taking flight and heading further down the tunnel that way.

[Hello Purvis]

> Let's avoid any risk of ankle-twisting by taking flight and heading further down the tunnel that way.

>You take to the air and continue on your way. Soon you come to an intersection, where another tunnel that merges into this one from the northeast.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Kisume told us to go straight ahead, so keep going northward.

[Hello Purvis]

> Kisume told us to go straight ahead, so keep going northward.

>You continue straight ahead, flying into and through a chamber with some deep-looking fissures among the stalagmites. Beyond that, you come to a chamber full of ridge-like shelves, nearly forming a sort of crude, giant staircase that descends deeper into the earth. As you fly along it, you begin to hear traces of festive music ahead. Then the tunnel quickly widens into an immense chamber, the walls and ceiling beyond your sight. Ahead you can see a wooden bridge stretching over a darkened river. Ahead, you can see the old stone walls of a brightly lit city, as flute music echoes around the cavern.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> The place isn't burning down, at least.
> Land and continue on foot to the bridge.

[Hello Purvis]

> The place isn't burning down, at least.
> Land and continue on foot to the bridge.

>You land and approach the bridge, pleased to see the Ancient City is more or less intact at the moment.
>Approaching the bridge, you find that you are the only one on it Looking into the water below, you do note a few small boats floating along it at various points, all of them with fishing lines trailing out from them. Ahead, you can see the gates to the city standing wide open.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Head into the city proper and have a look around.

[Hello Purvis]

> Head into the city proper and have a look around.

>You cross the bridge, noting a kind of understated simplicity in its design as you do. Clearly a lot of care has gone into it.
>Passing through the front gate, you find yourself looking down a long paved street, fairly empty in the immediate region save for a small woman with horns passed out on the side of the road. Further down, you can see larger and larger crowds, The buildings nearly are one story things, likely homes. A small street winds eastern, around the edge of the wall. The music is fairly loud now, and quite festive. Obvious exits are North, West, and South

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Head down the long street (North?).

[Hello Purvis]

> Head down the long street (North?).

>You continue further northward. The street becomes busier as more and more oni of all shapes and sizes mill about, going about their daily business. As well as small things like cleaning their houses, gossiping, and running errands, you can see quite a few of them drinking in public, and pass by a strolling troupe of flutists. AS well, you note a couple of them engaged in a fistfight, while several other watch and cheer them on. Above, you occasionally see a white wisp flit through the air. The buildings seem to be one-story  homes, many of them with similarly-tiled blue roofs. However, as you proceed, you see more shop fronts and stands; soon the air is filled with the smell of various frying things as you come to the outskirts of a marketplace. You soon arrive at a sizable intersection, as a street to the east comes to an end into this one. Looking eastward, you can see it is a broad and crowded thoroughfare as well. Obvious exits are North, East, and South

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Are there any shopkeepers on this corner that do not look terribly busy or drunk?

[Hello Purvis]

> Are there any shopkeepers on this corner that do not look terribly busy or drunk?

>There are a few food vendors who are free at the moment. However, they all seem to to either be doing some other work around their stands, or are enjoying a drink.

>_

[Suwako Moriya]

> Nothing else for it. Make our way over to a vendor currently having a drink, then.

[Hello Purvis]

> Nothing else for it. Make our way over to a vendor currently having a drink, then.

>You make your way over to the drinking vendor, a short and kind of chubby dark-haired woman with a single horn that is decorated with etchings of falling leaves. She lowers her jug and grins. "Heya, mate, you want mushrooms or shrimp?"

>_