Sword Quest III - A Z-Machine Adventure

[Kilgamayan]

> "I will relay this to my companion who made them. Thank you for your help, and please forgive my rudeness and ignorance."

[Hello Purvis]

> "I will relay this to my companion who made them. Thank you for your help, and please forgive my rudeness and ignorance."

>"No worries," says the oni, as she steps out of the alley.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Nothing for it. Follow the directions we were given to Nue's place.

[Hello Purvis]

> Nothing for it. Follow the directions we were given to Nue's place.

>You leave the ally, noting the oni you just spoke with making her way toward one of the market stalls. Following her directions, you soon make your way eastward, and into a new section of the city. The roads here are a bit more rough and a bit more littered. The  crowds do not lift much, but the nature of them becomes less hurried and louder; lingering groups and various brawls become more common obstacles. The buildings around you shift from shops to drinking establishments, while here and there you see oni on the streets hawking various home-made liquors.
>After a little bit, you see one pub among many, with a  large window in front and reasonably new-looking sign that proclaims it The Pressed Rose.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Do we know anything about Nue's thieving ways?

> Make our way to the entrance and listen to the interior

[Hello Purvis]

> Do we know anything about Nue's thieving ways?

> Make our way to the entrance and listen to the interior

>You know that she seems to only respect public order and such when she feels like it. You are well aware she terrorized your descendants.
>Do you intend to open the door or leave it closed while listening in.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> On second thought, simply enter the establishment, acting all business-like.

[Hello Purvis]

> On second thought, simply enter the establishment, acting all business-like.

>You walk into the the establishment.
>There is a moderate crowd here, perhaps half capacity. Booths run along the walls, while large tables dominate the floor. The oni here drink and talk among themselves, you note a couple of card games being played. Along the far wall is a long bar, where several oni are sitting. You note a sword of foreign design displayed prominently along the back wall over the bar. And behind it is a dark-haired youkai with strange wings of red and blue, wearing a black one-piece dress. She pauses from fetching a bottle as you enter, you can practically feel her eyes harden.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Is the tanuki present?
> How visible is our empty sheath behind the cloak?

> Put on one of our fake-ass politician smiles.
> "Good day, Miss Houjuu. Please..."
> Gesture at the bottle she's fetching.
> "...Do not let me interrupt your tasks."

[Hello Purvis]

> Is the tanuki present?
> How visible is our empty sheath behind the cloak?

> Put on one of our fake-ass politician smiles.
> "Good day, Miss Houjuu. Please..."
> Gesture at the bottle she's fetching.
> "...Do not let me interrupt your tasks."

>You see no Tanuki around.
>You think it is reasonably visible.
>"I think perhaps you're a little lost," says Nue, setting the bottle aside and leaning on the bar, giving you an oily grin. The establishment has fallen silent, you can feel all eyes upon you.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "This is the Pressed Rose, is it not? Or is there another one elsewhere in town?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "This is the Pressed Rose, is it not? Or is there another one elsewhere in town?"

>"You got the name right," says Nue. "Which means you're definitely lost."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Tap a finger to our chin and put on a thinky face.
> "Hmm, I certainly hope that is not the case. I would hate to think I was lied to when directed here..."

[Hello Purvis]

> Tap a finger to our chin and put on a thinky face.
> "Hmm, I certainly hope that is not the case. I would hate to think I was lied to when directed here..."

>"I guess those silly earmuffs must make it hard to hear," says Nue with a shrug.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "That is possible, though I correctly identified the name of your establishment, which seems to suggest otherwise."

[Hello Purvis]

> "That is possible, though I correctly identified the name of your establishment, which seems to suggest otherwise."

>"No, you're definitely in the wrong place," says Nue. Then she raise her voice and says, "If someone would be so nice as to show this lost person out, I'd owe them their next round free!"
>You hear several chair scoots as several oni stand, some massaging their knuckles, another giving you a toothy grin. "Ain't that some deal?" says another, as she sides from the booth.

>_

[Yaersulf]

>How well do we think we'd fare in a fight against several oni?

[Hello Purvis]

>How well do we think we'd fare in a fight against several oni?

>You do not like your odds.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Give a sad frown.
> "How unfortunate. I had hoped not to disappoint the young lady in the bucket, but it seems I have failed."

[Hello Purvis]

> Give a sad frown.
> "How unfortunate. I had hoped not to disappoint the young lady in the bucket, but it seems I have failed."

>"Don't think she'd be dumb enough to send you here," says Nue, as she takes a seat on the bartop."Nice try, though."
>A few oni begin to circle around you, one continuing to massage her knuckles, another giving you a predatory grin, while a third just watches you.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Are we still at least in the doorway, or is there room for others to maneuver behind us and block off our exit?

[Hello Purvis]

> Are we still at least in the doorway, or is there room for others to maneuver behind us and block off our exit?

>You are still in the doorway. Unless they can go through the walls or windows, you should be safe from getting blocked off. Then again, you wouldn't put it beyond an oni to force their way through either if they took the notion.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Keep a calm look, but continue to observe the advancers.
> "She did not. But her wand is missing, and I was told this place tends to be a landing site for such things."

[Hello Purvis]

> Keep a calm look, but continue to observe the advancers.
> "She did not. But her wand is missing, and I was told this place tends to be a landing site for such things."

>"Sorry," says Nue.
>The front line of oni are getting uncomfortably close, and othes are coming up behind them, a good dozen or so.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Very well, then."
> Back out of the doorway.

[Hello Purvis]

> "Very well, then."
> Back out of the doorway.

>You back out the door, which prompts the smiling oni to lunge toward you!

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> How are her hands positioned?
> Which side is she coming from?
> Has she gone airborne, or just dashed forward?
> Are our hands currently full?

[Yaersulf]

>How do we think we'd fare at running away from an oni?

[Kilgamayan]

Yeah, running is the current goal. Sorry this got this dicey, I didn't think it would escalate so quickly.

[Yaersulf]

At least we know that Nue's up to something.