Nue Quest 3rd Impact: A Z-Machine Adventure

[Rin Kagamine]

> What do we know about Mystia's power of manipulating sight?

[Kilgamayan]

> "No, likely just irritated that she has to wait until the good part. But I suppose it's not necessary."

[Hello Purvis]

> What do we know about Mystia's power of manipulating sight?

>You know she's a night sparrow, so you imagine she could probably cause night blindness with her song.

> "No, likely just irritated that she has to wait until the good part. But I suppose it's not necessary."

>"Quite," says Patchouli, as she puts the scope in place and takes a gem from her pockets to examine it. "You wouldn't happen to have a pearl from this incident that you're not especially attached to, do you?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Inventory
> "I think I have a couple on me. Lemme check. Can I assume you wouldn't be asking for a pearl specifically if any ol' gem would suffice?"

[Hello Purvis]

> Inventory
> "I think I have a couple on me. Lemme check. Can I assume you wouldn't be asking for a pearl specifically if any ol' gem would suffice?"

>Your inventory contains:
>Black dress
>A short number that draws attention low, and has a lovely bit of frills around the neck. It's made to accommodate your wings, and is is quite stretchy, very useful when you need to change shapes on the fly.
>Black Stockings
>They keep your legs warm and clean. They can stretch to accommodate some shape changes.
>Black Bracelet
>A simple accessory that plays off the asymmetry of your natural form.
>Red shoes
>A cute pair of shoes that stand out against your stockings.
>Rose Quartz x2
>A common gem with a pinkish hue. Worth about 15-25☼.
>Black Pearl x2
>A rare and precious kind of pearl, easily worth 100-130☼.
>Red Spinel x2
>A lovely but low value gem that the uninitiated may mistake for a ruby. Worth 50-80☼.
>Green Glass Bead x15
>Cheaply made, but kind of pretty. Worth 1☼. at most, and you'd quickly expect a bulk discount.
>Loose Cobblestone
>This seems to have been taken from the streets of the Ancient City
> Seeds of Nonidentification x2
>These snake-shaped seeds allow you to cloak people and objects in powerful illusions.
>Brown Jasper
>An ornamental gem worth 30-40☼
>Freshwater Pearl
>A common, low value pearl worth 7-8☼
>Aventurine
>A greenish stone that worth 20-25☼.
>Banded Agate
>A layered stone you would value at 7-11☼ 
>Carnelian
>A common brownish red decorative stone that you price at 7-11☼
>Rabbit Dress
>A yellow sun dress in the style favored by the rabbits of Eientei, made for a slender person a few inches shy of five feet tall.
>Hand Mirror
>A small sturdy mirror for on the go use.
>Trident
>Your trusty weapon and fishing tool.
>Broken Sword Blade
>Wrapped in cloth, and bearing odd glyphs on its blade.
>Riceball x5
>Filled with grilled vegetables and wrapped in cloth.
>Mahogany Scrap
>A bit of wood about two inches long and a quarter inch thick.
>Bottles of Fruit Wine x6
>An assortment of Plum, Peach, and cherry-based wines
>Black Skirt
>A knee-length skirt to made your dress, for when you need to be larger than modesty would allow in your normal attire.
>Jeweler's Scope
>An eyepiece used to see the fine details of gems; indispensable for cutting gems.
>Bottle of Cherry Wine
>A bottle of wine made by an oni distillery
>Lockpicks Masquerading as a Pocket Clay Sculpting Set
>You suppose they could sculpt clay, too...
>"Precisely," says Patchouli.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Here we go."
> Hand the Freshwater Pearl over.
> Thank whatever deity is watching over us that we didn't have to sac one of the black pearls for this.
> Where is our Broken Sword Handle?

[Hello Purvis]

> "Here we go."
> Hand the Freshwater Pearl over.
> Thank whatever deity is watching over us that we didn't have to sac one of the black pearls for this.
> Where is our Broken Sword Handle?

>You give Patchouli your cheap pearl. She takes it without looking up from the gem she is examining and sets it aside. Alice and Marisa lean in, as if they could see what Patchouli is trying to find with their naked eyes. You suspect Renko would too, if not for her companion's position.
>You are happy that you had one cheap pearl onhand to deal with whatever Patchouli wants. The black ones are precious...
>You never got it back from Patchouli.  Database error.
>"I'm not quite seeing it," says Patchouli. "I expect it is too fine."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"With my normal eyesight, it just looked like a tiny imperfection in the stone at first. It was just kinda... not shaped quite right for one, you know? And then there was a similar blemish in all the other ones, so I thought I really should try to get a closer look at it. I'm sure it wouldn't stand out unless you'd spent a long time doing fine appraisal work."
>"I could have a look at that one, if you want. See if I can find where it is and point it out to you."

[Hello Purvis]

>"With my normal eyesight, it just looked like a tiny imperfection in the stone at first. It was just kinda... not shaped quite right for one, you know? And then there was a similar blemish in all the other ones, so I thought I really should try to get a closer look at it. I'm sure it wouldn't stand out unless you'd spent a long time doing fine appraisal work."
>"I could have a look at that one, if you want. See if I can find where it is and point it out to you."

>"It's not important to see it," says Patchouli, as a doll sets a small cup of wine beside her. She offers your Jeweler's Scope back, and takes the wine in hand. Holding her other hand over it, she closes her eyes and begins to chant.
>"So, who puts writing in gems?" says Renko, looking toward Marisa.
>"Well, no one I've heard of," says Marisa, scratching at the back of her head. "How about you, Alice?"
>Alice looks over from watching Patchouli, shakes her head, and looks back.
>Maribel mumbles something else into Renko's torso, prompting her companion to pat her on the shoulder.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Retrieve our scope.
> "Suppose it's a side effect of the force that caused this, rather than an active decision to leave a message?"

[Hello Purvis]

> Retrieve our scope.
> "Suppose it's a side effect of the force that caused this, rather than an active decision to leave a message?"

>You retrieve your scope.
>"That sounds reasonable," says Alice. "I was about to suggest it myself."
>Patchouli apparently finishes what she is doing, as she picks up the Freshwater Pearl and drops it into the wine. There is a loud, brief hiss, and you swear that you see a little steam rise from the cup, before Patchouli waves her hand over it again and says a few words.
>"Huh, so people really did that," says Marisa. "You're not going to drink it, are you? Remilia would never let you hear the end of it if she found out you ran off and had liquor."
>"I have no idea whether this is even safe to drink," says Patchouli, giving Marisa a look. "Do you really think that I'm silly enough to simply drink an unknown and alcoholic concoction? You're going to do it."
>"Wait," says Marisa, frowning as Patchouli offers her the cup. "What?"
>"Certainly someone with your excellent health and herculean alcohol tolerance would have little to fear from any kind of poison. Now drink up, I have a hunch."
>Marisa frowns, then takes the cup in hand and drinks down it contents in a single gulp. Then she gags and coughs. "That tasted like dirt! Ugh!"
>"I'll get you some water," says Alice, as she gestures to one of the dolls.
>Marisa frowns for a moment, then begins to speak: "Not yet had Nessus reached the other side, When we had put ourselves within a wood, That was not marked by any path whatever. Not foliage green, but of a dusky colour, Not branches smooth, but gnarled and intertangled, Not apple-trees were there, but thorns with poison. Such tangled thickets have not, nor so dense, Those savage wild beasts, that in hatred hold 'Twixt Cecina and Corneto the tilled places."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Do we recognize any of those pronouns?

[Hello Purvis]

> Do we recognize any of those pronouns?

>As a native speaker, you recognize all of the pronouns! But the names and such are wholly unfamiliar."
>Marisa seems quite bemused in the wake of her speech.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Proper nouns, pronouns, whatever.
> "...What?"

[Hello Purvis]

> Proper nouns, pronouns, whatever.
> "...What?"

>"Yeah, what?" says Renko.
>"You seem to have come down with poesy," says Alice.
>"I dunno," says Marisa, as a doll sets a glass of water beside her. She takes it and downs it in one gulp. "They just sort of appeared in my head. I figured you'd want to hear them."
>Patchouli nods, seeming pleased with herself, despite her impassive expression. "As I thought."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Look at Patchy
>"I guess what she said means something to you, then?"

[Kilgamayan]

> "I at least gather that was what was written on the pearl. But what the hell was it?"

[Hello Purvis]

>Look at Patchy
>"I guess what she said means something to you, then?"

>"Not what she said," says Patchouli, "Though a few terms are vaguely familiar. But rather than she had anything to say at all."

> "I at least gather that was what was written on the pearl. But what the hell was it?"

>"It sounded like a part of a poem," says Alice.
>"It doesn't matter what it was," says Patchouli. "What matters is that it's there. I've heard of this thing. It's a difficult thing to explain concisely, but you'd heard of the phrase pearls of wisdom, yes? It seems someone has made them, and quite a few other gems besides."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Frown.
> "So this was all a giant practical joke based on a bad pun, or what?"

[Sophilia]

> "And why'd they have to use the money for it, and not, you know, actual stones?"

[Hello Purvis]

> Frown.
> "So this was all a giant practical joke based on a bad pun, or what?"

> "And why'd they have to use the money for it, and not, you know, actual stones?"

>"I don't think it would be a joke," says Patchouli. "Nor do I think the money was used to make it. Rather, I get the idea these gems were produced by transmuting a large font of knowledge. For instance, I suspect that pearl may have once been part of a poetry book."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "With a line you don't seem to recognize, at that. Who would have access to such a thing?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "With a line you don't seem to recognize, at that. Who would have access to such a thing?"

>"Likely anyone," says Patchouli. "It's not as though I've read every book there is to read, even within the mansion's library. Rather the question is who would have access to enough books to create enough of these gems to replace, as far as we know, all the currency in Gensokyo."
>Everyone at the table looks at Patchouli.
>"Oh for..." Patchouli puts her fingers to her forehead. "No it wasn't me. I rather like my books as books, not as gems spread all over the place."
>"I didn't say anything..." says Marisa, frowning.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Presumably you haven't noticed a decent number of books missing from your place, then? I got nicked, maybe you did as well."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Presumably you haven't noticed a decent number of books missing from your place, then? I got nicked, maybe you did as well."

>"I would be aware of it," says Patchouli. "Unless someone has pulled a very good trick, the library should be intact."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Huh. Don't think the entirety of Underground would have one-one millionth of the books necessary to pull this off. Can't think of many topsiders that could. I guess I have to ask...would Eientei have these resources?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "Huh. Don't think the entirety of Underground would have one-one millionth of the books necessary to pull this off. Can't think of many topsiders that could. I guess I have to ask...would Eientei have these resources?"

>"They do have a decent library," says Alice. "Nothing compared to that at Scarlet Devil Mansion, but still quite good. I've only seen it a couple times, but they do have some unique materials there."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Anyone else up here that might have something comparable? The humans, the kappa, the tengu?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "Anyone else up here that might have something comparable? The humans, the kappa, the tengu?"

>"Not unless they've been keeping it very secret," says Patchouli.
>"The Kappa have some among themselves," says Renko, "But nothing much, from what Mary told me about the efforts to get a library together for the University."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Frown. If we've been sitting, stand up.
> "I think I've been keeping my associate waiting for her chance to wring Tewi's neck long enough, then."