Keine Quest (Part 3): Broken History

[Hello Purvis]

>"You may if you like. Though, I don't know if you would still have much good will among the villagers, or if the tengu would let you approach the shrine."

[DracoOmega]

>"You may if you like. Though, I don't know if you would still have much good will among the villagers, or if the tengu would let you approach the shrine."

>Ran frowns. "What reason would the tengu have to disapprove? But if you feel it would be best if I didn't, I'll respect your judgment."

[Hello Purvis]

>"I wouldn't mind, regardless. And...sometimes the tengu can be a little funny about who they let through their lands."

[DracoOmega]

>"I wouldn't mind, regardless. And...sometimes the tengu can be a little funny about who they let through their lands."

>"This much is true. Well, no matter; if they turn me away, I'll respect their wishes. Otherwise, I wouldn't mind meeting this shrine maiden."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Very well, then, I would be pleased to have you along."
>Head for the gate. Wish Meiling good afternoon if she's about, and head for Youkai mountain.

[DracoOmega]

>"Very well, then, I would be pleased to have you along."
>Head for the gate. Wish Meiling good afternoon if she's about, and head for Youkai mountain.

>"Thank you," she says, following along with you. "Even if they ask me to leave, I'll have still enjoyed being able to make the trip."
>You head for the gate, wishing Meiling a good afternoon as you pass by. She seems somewhat more agreeable today, and nods at you as you pass without further display of irritation or exasperation.
>The three of you take off towards Youkai mountain, passing near the fissure, which looks rather less threatening in the daylight, and continuing onward over the forest. You reach the foot of the mountain without incident. The human village is to the west, the kappa village to the east, and the shine itself to the north, beyond the tengu settlement.

[Hello Purvis]

>Observe the kappa village from the distance. We really never did pay it much mind beforehand.

[DracoOmega]

>Observe the kappa village from the distance. We really never did pay it much mind beforehand.

>You observe at the kappa village. There are many traditional style dwellings, circular and made of stone, but also a substantial number of newer structures. Some of these also appear to be homes, built in a more modern style, but many of them seem to be industrial buildings. There are several especially large metal structures, a few of which have large pipes on their roofs from which steam issues. You note several objects resembling the lights you saw in the human village. There are also several other objects you cannot identify, such as a tall thin tower, made of metal gridwork, with some sort of bowl shaped object at its top. Among the village streets, you see the kappa going about their daily lives.
>In the northeast, you see a large opening in the side of the mountain, the entrance of which is reinforced with metal. You see several kappa entering and leaving this, one of whom appears to be driving a metal vehicle of some sort.

[Hello Purvis]

>Head toward the temple.

[DracoOmega]

>Head toward the temple.

>You continue towards the shrine, flying over tengu territory. While you think you attract a few curious stares, none of them make any effort to waylay you. Shortly thereafter, you reach the entrance of the shrine.

>The Moriya Shrine was always larger and better-maintained than the Hakurei Shrine, but seems to be even moreso in this world. Large torii line a wide and finely crafted stone path leading to the main shrine building. The building itself is of traditional construction, but masterfully wrought. It is fronted by a facade of columns, each bearing an elaborate winding snake relief. The grounds off the main path are lined with statuesque trees, majestic yet serene.

>There are a number of people on the shrine grounds, mostly kappa and tengu, leaving offerings and saying prayers. You see Sanae speaking with a tengu, near the main building.

[Hello Purvis]

>Approach Sanae, but wait from a respectful distance for her to finish up with her petitioner.

[DracoOmega]

>Approach Sanae, but wait from a respectful distance for her to finish up with her petitioner.

>You walk towards Sanae, keeping your distance unless she finishes talking to the tengu. After a few moments, they nod to each other, and the tengu leaves.
>Sanae smiles as she sees you. "It's good to see you again, Keine. Are you feeling any better, now?" She looks at Ran and Mokou. "I don't believe I've met your companions before. I'm Sanae, priestess of the Moriya Shrine," she says, bowing her head.
>Ran bows her own head in response. "I'm Ran. Pleased to meet you."
>Mokou replies with a simple "Mokou," and no further comment.
>"In any event," Sanae says, turning back to you, "How've things been with you since we last spoke?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Curious would best sum it up, I think. Hmm. Let's cut to the chase, shall we?"
>Show her the newspaper. "Here, have a look at this."

[DracoOmega]

>"Curious would best sum it up, I think. Hmm. Let's cut to the chase, shall we?"
>Show her the newspaper. "Here, have a look at this."

>Sanae takes the newspaper with a curious expression and looks at it. It takes only a second for her face to shift from idle curiousity to complete disbelief.
>"Where did you get this?!"

[Hello Purvis]

>"I was in Kyoto last night, Sanae. Or, something very much like it at least. We've been working on tracing all that stuff I told you about yesterday, with time changing and the like. You know about the bits of land that have just disappeared, right? It's connected to that in some way, though we're not sure how just yet. With Ran's help, I was able to follow one of them, and it took me to Kyoto. It took me some time to recognize what it was, to say the least."

[DracoOmega]

>"I was in Kyoto last night, Sanae. Or, something very much like it at least. We've been working on tracing all that stuff I told you about yesterday, with time changing and the like. You know about the bits of land that have just disappeared, right? It's connected to that in some way, though we're not sure how just yet. With Ran's help, I was able to follow one of them, and it took me to Kyoto. It took me some time to recognize what it was, to say the least."

>"So... those fissures... lead to the outside world?" She stares at the paper intently. "But this says it's from 2021...."

[Hello Purvis]

>"That's the part we don't fully understand. Ran seems to believe they truly lead to the future. I believe that where they lead is a sort of other place extrapolated from the present as it is. Regardless, it seems that the thing or being causing this may be hiding there. I am skeptical, having had a look around, but...I have to admit it's very possible that I simply didn't have time to trip over any evidence. Certainly the newspaper doesn't seem to reflect anything I found odd. But, you also know it better than I do. I was hoping you could offer us some advice, at the least."

[DracoOmega]

>"That's the part we don't fully understand. Ran seems to believe they truly lead to the future. I believe that where they lead is a sort of other place extrapolated from the present as it is. Regardless, it seems that the thing or being causing this may be hiding there. I am skeptical, having had a look around, but...I have to admit it's very possible that I simply didn't have time to trip over any evidence. Certainly the newspaper doesn't seem to reflect anything I found odd. But, you also know it better than I do. I was hoping you could offer us some advice, at the least."

>Sanae pauses and considers your words, scanning through the newspaper. "Well, if it's a fake, it's a pretty convincing one. I mean, names and dates aside, this looks just like any newspaper I might have used to read myself." She puts the paper down and sighs. "Of course it's impossible, or should be impossible or... oh, who knows, anymore."
>"I'm not sure what advice you expect me to give you," she says, shaking her head. "This is far beyond my own experience. Nothing in the outside world that I've ever seen is capable of anything like this. And if you couldn't find any signs of them, either..." She shrugs.
>"Wait... if... if the places that disappeared from Gensokyo really showed up in Kyoto... does that mean the Hakurei Shrine Maiden could still be there, too?"

[Hello Purvis]

>Blink.
>"...Wouldn't that be something? How would we find her, though? If she's been around for seven years, then...either she's been tossed into an asylum, is a fugitive, or has blended in almost seamlessly. With the many thousands of people, I don't know where we'd find her."

[DracoOmega]

>Blink.
>"...Wouldn't that be something? How would we find her, though? If she's been around for seven years, then...either she's been tossed into an asylum, is a fugitive, or has blended in almost seamlessly. With the many thousands of people, I don't know where we'd find her."

>Sanae smiles. "Actually, there was quite a bit more than a million people in Kyoto, last I checked. And couldn't you just try the phone book? Oh, wait..." she frowns. "I suppose you don't know what that is, do you?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"The what book?"

[DracoOmega]

>"The what book?"

>Sanae suppresses a chuckle. "Sorry. Now, how to best explain it.... Well, let's just say it's a big public directory of people's addresses and phone numbers. A phone number is, well... Ok, there are these devices called telephones, and people use them to talk to each other across almost any distance. Each phone has a specific number, and when you type this number into another phone, you connect with it, and can talk to whoever is on the other end. So, if you can find a number listed for her in the phone book, you could speak with her, no matter what part of the city she was in."

[Hello Purvis]

>"That sounds too ludicrously useful to be true. What do they look like? And are these books expensive?"

[DracoOmega]

>"That sounds too ludicrously useful to be true. What do they look like? And are these books expensive?"

>"Um, well... they come in different sizes and shapes. Some are about the size of a medium-sized book. Others are small enough to fit in your pocket and can be used anywhere. You'll find there are phones pretty much everywhere in the outside world. Basically every home will have them, many people will carry one around with them, and there's phones in public places you can use. They look like, um... well, the portable ones are usually about this big, with a little screen and buttons for the numbers. You hold them up to your ear while you're speaking on them."
>"And no, the books themselves are usually free. Or you could just look the number up on the internet, and..." Sanae stops and sighs. "You know, I didn't think this was complicated until I had to try explaining it to someone who doesn't know about any of this."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Oh! That's what that thing that person had was!"
>Ponder a moment.
>"Do you know anything about Kyoto itself?"

[DracoOmega]

>"Oh! That's what that thing that person had was!"
>Ponder a moment.
>"Do you know anything about Kyoto itself?"

>"I'm afraid I've never actually been there, myself, although I don't imagine it's much different than most cities like it. ....which probably means there's a very long list of things you don't know. Is there anything specific you want to know?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"I managed to walk around and not get into any trouble, so that is something... Um, are there any laws we should know about? Or things that would make people send for the guard?"

[DracoOmega]

>"I managed to walk around and not get into any trouble, so that is something... Um, are there any laws we should know about? Or things that would make people send for the guard?"

>Sanae pauses and considers. "I don't think you're likely to run into laws any different than you'd expect. Don't attack people, don't steal things, and so on. But... flying or doing anything fancy will almost certainly bring unwanted attention. There aren't really any laws against flying, but... people will probably assume you're some kind of freak. I'm not sure what would end up happening."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Oh! Are there things from here I shouldn't mention? Youaki and things should be obvious, but...there's got to be other things. I didn't see a single well, now that I think about it..."

[DracoOmega]

>"Oh! Are there things from here I shouldn't mention? Youaki and things should be obvious, but...there's got to be other things. I didn't see a single well, now that I think about it..."

>Sanae has another chuckle. "Please forgive me. It's just... well, you won't find any wells of the type you're used to, except maybe in sites preserved for historical value. The entire city has a network of water pipes under it. Fresh water is available in the kitchen of any home, just by turning a tap. The kappa village here already has a network similar to that, now. We're working on extending it to the human village, as well. It'll take some time, but Yasaka-sama fully intends to furnish all her followers with as many of the conveniences of the outside world as we can. And judging by some of the prototypes we have so far, I think we'll be able to manage quite a bit."