Murasa Quest Continues - A Z-Machine Adventure

[It's Purvis!]

>"I'm making progress on it, and there's definitely something going on. I can't think of anyone better than Byakuren to help me work this out though."

>Shou nods. "If there's anything we can do, just let us know. Are you still hanging around that taoist?"

>_

[Yaersulf]

>"Yeah, but that's more because she's a ghost than because she's a taoist."

[It's Purvis!]

>"Yeah, but that's more because she's a ghost than because she's a taoist."

>"If I catch you hiding the Book of Changes in your room..." Shou says.

>_

[Yaersulf]

>"I haven't spent this long as a follower of Byakuren to so easily jump ship. This really isn't something you need to worry about."

[It's Purvis!]

>"I haven't spent this long as a follower of Byakuren to so easily jump ship. This really isn't something you need to worry about."

>"That was a joke, Murasa..." Shou says. "I'm pretty sure we have one of those floating around here somewhere, even."

>_

[Yaersulf]

>"Damn you, inability of text to convey intonation!
>"Well, I'm going to go find Byakuren. Good luck with your sweeping."
>Begin searching the temple for Byakuren.
>While doing so ask Stargazer "While we're here, would you like to meet Byakuren? She's both the nicest and most wise person I know."

[It's Purvis!]

>"Damn you, inability of text to convey intonation!
>"Well, I'm going to go find Byakuren. Good luck with your sweeping."
>Begin searching the temple for Byakuren.
>While doing so ask Stargazer "While we're here, would you like to meet Byakuren? She's both the nicest and most wise person I know."

>The cactus radiates uncertainty.
>You find Byakuren in the storeroom, moving some large boxes around. "Hello, Murasa," she says, as you enter.

>_

[Yaersulf]

>"Hello. I've managed to find some things out if you've got the time for an update."

[It's Purvis!]

>"Hello. I've managed to find some things out if you've got the time for an update."

>"Of course," the big woman says, smiling down at you. "What have you learned?"

>_

[Yaersulf]

>"Let's see, where do I start."
>"Well, this weird watery dimension seems to be an exact copy of Gensokyo, as it currently is, if it had been suddenly completely flooded, and then been left that way for some time. Except, minus all the people. I've found only one person there who wasn't some kind of fish, though I guess she kind of was when I first met her. Actually, give me one second."
>Turn away and whisper to the cactus "She's harmless I swear, it's safe to come out."

[It's Purvis!]

>"Let's see, where do I start."
>"Well, this weird watery dimension seems to be an exact copy of Gensokyo, as it currently is, if it had been suddenly completely flooded, and then been left that way for some time. Except, minus all the people. I've found only one person there who wasn't some kind of fish, though I guess she kind of was when I first met her. Actually, give me one second."
>Turn away and whisper to the cactus "She's harmless I swear, it's safe to come out."

>Stargazer leaves you with some painful silence for a few seconds, before she steps out of the cactus. Byakuren regards her curiously, then bows and waits for you to continue.

>_

[Yaersulf]

>"This is Stargazer, I met her over there, and with some help from Yukari I was able to bring her back here. Which is where she's originally from. Now we're kind of working together to try and sort this all out."

[It's Purvis!]

>"This is Stargazer, I met her over there, and with some help from Yukari I was able to bring her back here. Which is where she's originally from. Now we're kind of working together to try and sort this all out."

>You sense some minor disagreement from Stargazer, but it quickly vanishes.
>"You've been making many friends today, I see," says Byakuren. "I hope she is well, after that experience?"

>_

[Yaersulf]

>Was the minor disagreement about when we said that Gensokyo is where she's from?
>See if Stargazer will answer for herself.

[It's Purvis!]

>Was the minor disagreement about when we said that Gensokyo is where she's from?
>See if Stargazer will answer for herself.

>You think so.
>She radiates a sense of agreement. Byakuren nods. "That's good. I can't imagine being trapped in such a place would be at all pleasant."

>_

[Yaersulf]

>"Just being there for a short amount of time is unpleasant enough. Partially due to this ever-present ominous presence that seems to be everywhere over there. I think it might be the key to all this."

[It's Purvis!]

>"Just being there for a short amount of time is unpleasant enough. Partially due to this ever-present ominous presence that seems to be everywhere over there. I think it might be the key to all this."

>Byakuren frowns. "I would imagine so. Is it...hostile?"

>_

[Yaersulf]

>"I'm not sure, it just seems to be aware of me. Not even like it's focused on me or anything, just that it knows that I'm there. But I did get some clues that might help work out what it is. When I met with Suwako she noticed that something was off before I even said anything, that I was snagged on something that seemed somehow familiar to her. She also said that whatever it is seems young, and not quite there."
>"The reason I was there though was to get a reagent for Patchouli so she could create a device to try and work out what's up with this water dimension. And we managed to do that successfully, but apparently the data she got was all nothing. Not as if it failed, but as if the device had just detected a whole bunch of nothing. 'It's all zeroes' or something like that was how she put it. Except for one single thing that she found after she looked at it for a while. Though she said she'd need a bit of time to work out exactly what that is."
>"My current thinking is that whatever this 'single thing' is that's there is that presence that I can feel. If I can work out what it is, or how to contact it, or even just interact with it in any way, I might be able to solve this."

[It's Purvis!]

>"I'm not sure, it just seems to be aware of me. Not even like it's focused on me or anything, just that it knows that I'm there. But I did get some clues that might help work out what it is. When I met with Suwako she noticed that something was off before I even said anything, that I was snagged on something that seemed somehow familiar to her. She also said that whatever it is seems young, and not quite there."
>"The reason I was there though was to get a reagent for Patchouli so she could create a device to try and work out what's up with this water dimension. And we managed to do that successfully, but apparently the data she got was all nothing. Not as if it failed, but as if the device had just detected a whole bunch of nothing. 'It's all zeroes' or something like that was how she put it. Except for one single thing that she found after she looked at it for a while. Though she said she'd need a bit of time to work out exactly what that is."
>"My current thinking is that whatever this 'single thing' is that's there is that presence that I can feel. If I can work out what it is, or how to contact it, or even just interact with it in any way, I might be able to solve this."

>"It sounds like this place is an illusion," Byakuren says. "But you disappear, don't you? It it definitely got into your hair a little. How strange..."

>_

[Yaersulf]

>"Patchouli said that if it's an illusion she would have picked up traces of it, but it's definitely something like that. Could the reason that the presence seems to be everywhere there that I'm inside whatever it is... Is some kind of extra-dimensional ghost eating monster trying to eat me and Stargazer?"
>Go pale...er.

[It's Purvis!]

>"Patchouli said that if it's an illusion she would have picked up traces of it, but it's definitely something like that. Could the reason that the presence seems to be everywhere there that I'm inside whatever it is... Is some kind of extra-dimensional ghost eating monster trying to eat me and Stargazer?"
>Go pale...er.

>"It's it's trying to eat you, it isn't doing a very good job," says Byakuren.

>_

[Yaersulf]

>"That's true, and I did get the impression that Stargazer had been there for quite a while."
>Look over at Stargazer, then back to Byakuren.
>"Have you ever heard of a creature that could do something like this? You must have encountered quite a few different ones in your time."

[It's Purvis!]

>"That's true, and I did get the impression that Stargazer had been there for quite a while."
>Look over at Stargazer, then back to Byakuren.
>"Have you ever heard of a creature that could do something like this? You must have encountered quite a few different ones in your time."

>Stargazer her head. Then she stops for a moment, visibly considering, then shakes her head again.

>_

[Branneg Xy]

>"It sounds like this place is an illusion," Byakuren says. "But you disappear, don't you? It it definitely got into your hair a little. How strange..."

>_

> "Well,  an important fact is that, as discovered by Yukari, this is all taking place inside the Great Hakurei Barrier with the Entity Itself inside it... "

>"... Moreover,  according to Suwako, who kindly provided the Blessed Leaf for Patchouli's Monitoring Jewel, this Entity feels also somehow familiar to her but in a way like an half-forgotten dream, It is younger than expected, not Quite Present There but Trying To Be, and this caused myself to have Sorts of Extra Feet There through which I am periodically displaced there..."

 >".. . Stargazer as well presumably went through a similar process but was stranded Down There and Forced to Adapt".

> " Ah,on a secondary but still important note there is also this New Issue about a Peculiar Bottle I obtained by trade at Kourindou... it turned into a New Issue because, after Patchouli kindly analyzed it, it has been revealed that it is a Sealed Trap for an Evil Spirit Inside it,  although it is still a Mystery regarding how it works".

[It's Purvis!]

> "Well,  an important fact is that, as discovered by Yukari, this is all taking place inside the Great Hakurei Barrier with the Entity Itself inside it... "

>"... Moreover,  according to Suwako, who kindly provided the Blessed Leaf for Patchouli's Monitoring Jewel, this Entity feels also somehow familiar to her but in a way like an half-forgotten dream, It is younger than expected, not Quite Present There but Trying To Be, and this caused myself to have Sorts of Extra Feet There through which I am periodically displaced there..."

 >".. . Stargazer as well presumably went through a similar process but was stranded Down There and Forced to Adapt".

> " Ah,on a secondary but still important note there is also this New Issue about a Peculiar Bottle I obtained by trade at Kourindou... it turned into a New Issue because, after Patchouli kindly analyzed it, it has been revealed that it is a Sealed Trap for an Evil Spirit Inside it,  although it is still a Mystery regarding how it works".

>Byakuren nods as you explain things. When you segue into taking about the bottle, she raises an eyebrow. "I might hand it over to the master of the Palace of the Earth Spirits."

>_

[Yaersulf]

>"Ah true, they do deal with that kind of thing there don't they."
>Add quest to deliver the haunted bottle to old hell.
>"What about you Byakuren, do you have any idea what kind of creature could do all this?"

[It's Purvis!]

>"Ah true, they do deal with that kind of thing there don't they."
>Add quest to deliver the haunted bottle to old hell.
>"What about you Byakuren, do you have any idea what kind of creature could do all this?"

>She shakes her head. "No. Even setting aside what you've learned, I wouldn't be able to venture a guess."

>_

[Yaersulf]

>Frown.
>"If you don't know, then I doubt anybody does."

[It's Purvis!]

>Frown.
>"If you don't know, then I doubt anybody does."

>"I wouldn't be so sure," says Byakuren. "My knowledge is hardly all-reaching. There's many in Gensokyo that know more than I do."

>_

[Yaersulf]

>"People that know more than you, what a place. I was going to go see if I could get more out of Yukari seeing as she knew at least enough to help get Stargazer out of there."