Iku Quest P?t: A Z-Machine Adventure

[Kilgamayan]

> Check in on our shadowy friend again, to see if she's stirring yet or not
> Head on over to the Yakumo house

[DracoOmega]

>There's no one else we can see along the skyline, is there?
>Still no signs of stirring from the poltergeist?
>Assuming not, keep moving forward

[Hello Purvis]

>There's no one else we can see along the skyline, is there?
>Still no signs of stirring from the poltergeist?
>Assuming not, keep moving forward

> Check in on our shadowy friend again, to see if she's stirring yet or not
> Head on over to the Yakumo house

>As of yet, the poltergeist has not stirred. You did make a point of zapping her after she was down.
>The skyline seems clear at the moment.
>You approach the Yakumo Household. Rather as expected, you see Yukari is still relaxing in the grass, having shifted over to the western side of the house.  "Nagae," she says as you approach. "I had exactly one thing I expected out of the day. Do you remember what it was?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Forgive me for intruding so rudely, but assuming it is not one of sunshine, peace and quiet, or that package delivery, I will need my memory refreshed. The last fifteen minutes or so have not been the greatest time of my life by any stretch, and I'm rather shot at the moment."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Forgive me for intruding so rudely, but assuming it is not one of sunshine, peace and quiet, or that package delivery, I will need my memory refreshed. The last fifteen minutes or so have not been the greatest time of my life by any stretch, and I'm rather shot at the moment."

>"For being rather shot, you remembered it quickly," says Yukari. "Now, why have you seen it fit to deny me the sun in a rare moment when I am actually in the mood for it? I assume that poltergeist you're carrying has something to do with it?"

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Yes. She's the one who's been stealing others' shadows. Kogasa was attacked less than an hour ago, as well, as has been similarly damaged. She nearly managed to steal my own, I believe; an extremely unpleasant experience, to say the very least."
>"She seems able to manifest the shadows that she's stolen. She assumed Kogasa's shadow a little while earlier. I would not be surprised if this shadow belongs to Bhava-Agra. I am sorry for darkening your day with it, but I have no way to alter that, myself."
>"She is extremely dangerous, capable of inflicting pain and exerting control over things through physical contact with anothers' shadow. I don't know what other capabilities she possesses."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Yes. She's the one who's been stealing others' shadows. Kogasa was attacked less than an hour ago, as well, as has been similarly damaged. She nearly managed to steal my own, I believe; an extremely unpleasant experience, to say the very least."
>"She seems able to manifest the shadows that she's stolen. She assumed Kogasa's shadow a little while earlier. I would not be surprised if this shadow belongs to Bhava-Agra. I am sorry for darkening your day with it, but I have no way to alter that, myself."
>"She is extremely dangerous, capable of inflicting pain and exerting control over things through physical contact with anothers' shadow. I don't know what other capabilities she possesses."

>"Ah, I see," says Yukari.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"I know little about why she tried to do this, other than that she attacked people because she believed they knew too much. I do not know what it was that they knew. Certainly, I don't know nearly enough, from my own standpoint."
>"More unfortunately, incapacitating her clearly does not undo any of the damage she has caused, and I am uncertain how to go about this. You, of all the people I spoke with today, seemed the most familiar with this sort of thing."

[Hello Purvis]

>"I know little about why she tried to do this, other than that she attacked people because she believed they knew too much. I do not know what it was that they knew. Certainly, I don't know nearly enough, from my own standpoint."
>"More unfortunately, incapacitating her clearly does not undo any of the damage she has caused, and I am uncertain how to go about this. You, of all the people I spoke with today, seemed the most familiar with this sort of thing."

>"Hm. Well, it's really not too difficult to deduce why. As for undoing the damage, I think that I really don't more know about that than you do."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"It's not difficult to deduce? Then perhaps you could tell me what you think? I realize that she was likely trying to silence those who she felt knew that she had stolen shadows. But this does not explain why she would have stolen the shadows of trees and rocks in the first place, to say nothing of Bhava-Agra."

[Blitzer]

>"And are you trying to say I don't care about the damage she's done?"

[DracoOmega]

>"And are you trying to say I don't care about the damage she's done?"

>Belay that

I'm pretty sure she's saying that she doesn't KNOW any more than us. Not that she doesn't CARE any more than us.

[Kilgamayan]

> It's okay, parser, it's not your fault. We still love you.

[Hello Purvis]

>"It's not difficult to deduce? Then perhaps you could tell me what you think? I realize that she was likely trying to silence those who she felt knew that she had stolen shadows. But this does not explain why she would have stolen the shadows of trees and rocks in the first place, to say nothing of Bhava-Agra."

>"I think the Dragon would be upset at me if I did all the heavy lifting for its representative," says Yukari. "As for the rest, perhaps you could ask her? I suppose I could try to separate them from her myself, but that would be a crude process, I'm sure. I doubt any of us would prefer to have a crude solution at this juncture."

> It's okay, parser, it's not your fault. We still love you.

>;_;

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "I could try to ask her when she wakes up, but she seemed rather insistent on eliminating me the first time we met, and I'm not sure how closely she adheres to spellcard rules if she's going around stealing shadows. Still, it's possible defeat and this humiliating incapacitation will make her more open to my words."
> "You're close with Yuyuko. Do you think she would be able to do anything with this girl?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "I could try to ask her when she wakes up, but she seemed rather insistent on eliminating me the first time we met, and I'm not sure how closely she adheres to spellcard rules if she's going around stealing shadows. Still, it's possible defeat and this humiliating incapacitation will make her more open to my words."
> "You're close with Yuyuko. Do you think she would be able to do anything with this girl?"

>"That would be a difficulty," says Yukari. "Alas, she is also the closest thing we have to an expert as far we seem to have found."
>"Yuyuko? I get the feeling they would not get along very well. Poltergeists aren't spirits of the dead in any case, so she has no particular dominion we can exploit."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Small smile
> "Then I guess it is time to round up a posse, to make sure she says what I want her to say."
> Drop the smile.
> "But let me say this, Yukari. The dangers this girl presents are not trivial. When I met her, she was angry and paranoid, and my offers for help fell on deaf ears. And the people from whom she absorbs shadows basically become living dead - only vague aware of the world, extremely basic motor skills, the whole nine yards. It is not a pleasant sight. And I have to admit...when she very nearly got my own shadow, the pain and the dizzyness and the fear...it was my most frightening experience in recent memory, and possibly my life. Renko and Maribel tend to wander, looking for the Brocken Specter with their friends, right? Imagine if they had run into this one."
> "In addition, her own power seems to grow as she steals more shadows. She already has the power of a couple of people, in addition to many inanimate objects. I don't mean to toot my own horn, but I feel I can hold my own with some of Gensokyo's heavy hitters. If she had managed to steal from me, or someone of my level, this entire land would be in danger. And, like I said, there's so much more about her that I don't know."
> "So, please, if you happen learn of anything that could help, let me know somehow. Please."

[Hello Purvis]

> Small smile
> "Then I guess it is time to round up a posse, to make sure she says what I want her to say."
> Drop the smile.
> "But let me say this, Yukari. The dangers this girl presents are not trivial. When I met her, she was angry and paranoid, and my offers for help fell on deaf ears. And the people from whom she absorbs shadows basically become living dead - only vague aware of the world, extremely basic motor skills, the whole nine yards. It is not a pleasant sight. And I have to admit...when she very nearly got my own shadow, the pain and the dizzyness and the fear...it was my most frightening experience in recent memory, and possibly my life. Renko and Maribel tend to wander, looking for the Brocken Specter with their friends, right? Imagine if they had run into this one."
> "In addition, her own power seems to grow as she steals more shadows. She already has the power of a couple of people, in addition to many inanimate objects. I don't mean to toot my own horn, but I feel I can hold my own with some of Gensokyo's heavy hitters. If she had managed to steal from me, or someone of my level, this entire land would be in danger. And, like I said, there's so much more about her that I don't know."
> "So, please, if you happen learn of anything that could help, let me know somehow. Please."

>"So you say," says Yukari. "Well, it won't help you with the real problems, but I suspect that I can offer you a small hint about what I do know about that girl. Tell me, do you know how poltergeists are made?"

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Do we?
>If not, "I'm not certain, no."

[Hello Purvis]

>Do we?
>If not, "I'm not certain, no."

>Do you?

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> What do we know about the origin of the Prismriver Sisters?

[Hello Purvis]

> What do we know about the origin of the Prismriver Sisters?

>Not a whole lot. You think there used to be a fourth one, some time ago.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "I must admit I'm not very familiar with them, no. The Prismriver Sisters are the only one I can think of off the top of my head, and all I know about them is that there might have been a fourth one once."

[Hello Purvis]

> "I must admit I'm not very familiar with them, no. The Prismriver Sisters are the only one I can think of off the top of my head, and all I know about them is that there might have been a fourth one once."

>Yukari nods. "Then I'll explain. Poltergeists exist because they have to. That is, because someone believes in them so strongly that the world simply cannot allow for that vacuum in reality to be unfilled. As for the Prismrivers, you are correct, there used to be a fourth one. She would be why we have the three we know today. A rather special girl, when you think about it. And with that, you should understand everything."

>_

[Hanged Hourai]

>"Would it be possible for a poltergeist to exist for a specific reason, say, if there was some kind of deed left undone previously?"

[DracoOmega]

>"I... she's the brocken spectre, isn't she? That some people were so determined to believe must be hiding in there, no matter what. All anyone knew of her was a shadow; that was what they envisioned her as. That's why she is as she is... isn't it?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Would it be possible for a poltergeist to exist for a specific reason, say, if there was some kind of deed left undone previously?"

>"It's possible," says Yukari, "if someone believed strongly enough that one that person could do it, and that said person must be alive. But I think you're on the wrong track."

>"I... she's the brocken spectre, isn't she? That some people were so determined to believe must be hiding in there, no matter what. All anyone knew of her was a shadow; that was what they envisioned her as. That's why she is as she is... isn't it?"

>Yukari looks over and smiles at you. "I told you it wasn't that hard. Please keep this a secret from Chen for now, if you would."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Nod
>"That is fine. Although... I think there are some others who should know."
>"But, she really exists now, regardless of what anyone believes, doesn't she? People knowing who and what she is won't change that, will it?"

[Hello Purvis]

>Nod
>"That is fine. Although... I think there are some others who should know."
>"But, she really exists now, regardless of what anyone believes, doesn't she? People knowing who and what she is won't change that, will it?"

>"Until they stop, in any event," says Yukari. "I wouldn't be surprised if some, if not many, were quite unhappy with this."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"I imagine so. But... the fourth Prismriver is long gone, and yet they remain. Can belief persist in the world outside of those who first created her?"