Sword Quest - A Z-Machine Adventure

[Kilgamayan]

> Shake head.
> "I am merely new to the area. If you have heard anything about the recent appearance of a handful of Taoist hermits, I am one of them."

[Hello Purvis]

> Shake head.
> "I am merely new to the area. If you have heard anything about the recent appearance of a handful of Taoist hermits, I am one of them."

>"Ooooh," says the speaker. "Um, well, Youkai Mountain is just down the road. And if you go the other way there's the Forest of Magic and it has lots of places like the store and Marisa's House and stuff."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> What do we know about these places?
> Does this child have any distinguishing features that we can see?

[Hello Purvis]

> What do we know about these places?
> Does this child have any distinguishing features that we can see?

>You know a little about the mountain; Remilia told you a few things about it just recently. You were just in the Forest.
>You can see she has dark brown eyes; or at least one dark brown eye, and brown hair. She seems to be wearing a red something.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Nod.
> "Thank you for your help, young lady."

[Hello Purvis]

> Nod.
> "Thank you for your help, young lady."

>"You're welcome!" she says, before closing the door.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Aerially head back to the forest in the direction the child indicated, looking specifically for paths into/through the forest.

[Hello Purvis]

> Aerially head back to the forest in the direction the child indicated, looking specifically for paths into/through the forest.

>You make your way back toward the forest. The main path you can see is the road that leads toward the lake; beyond that, no trails stick out to you. However, it is likely the trees would obscure such; it is a bit early for the leaves to start to fall.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Get to the edge of the forest (if we aren't already), then land and look around for paths from the ground.

[Hello Purvis]

> Get to the edge of the forest (if we aren't already), then land and look around for paths from the ground.

>There's a lot of forest, even along the edge. Where will you be looking for paths in particular?

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Were either of the houses we saw on the edge of the forest?
> Are there any notable landmarks in our field of vision?

Jeez, of all the times for my imagination and my spatial geometry to take a vacation.

[Hello Purvis]

> Were either of the houses we saw on the edge of the forest?
> Are there any notable landmarks in our field of vision?

>Aside form Scarlet Devil Mansion, you've seen four houses. One is the one on the edge that you checked, and got no answer. Another was a little ways in, just off the road. A third was in the middle of the forest, not too far from the road. The third was near the shore of the lake, not far from Scarlet Devil Mansion, at edge of the forest.
>You can see that house at the edge and the road leading into the forest, but little else stands out here.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Retrace our travel path back to that second house.

[Hello Purvis]

> Retrace our travel path back to that second house.

>This is not particularly difficult to do. Making your way back, you find it right where you recall. The place is an old-looking house, two stories tall, in a state of adequate but shabby repair.  The roof tiles are mismatched, many of the timbers are old and in need of replacement, and one of the windows has been boarded over hastily. The yard is patchy, with a number of sparse areas where you imagine that rocks or other large objects once rested. A sign over the door reads "Kourindou", while another sign beside the door, sitting on an old stool, reads "Open."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> This must be the shop the child mentioned.
> Enter!

[Hello Purvis]

> This must be the shop the child mentioned.
> Enter!

>You walk inside. The interior, you're pleased to find, it a bit less ramshackle than the exterior. The floors are in good condition and reasonably clean. Shelves line the walls, filled with various knick-knacks, as are a couple of tables inside. One of the windows, you note, is occupied by a strange metal box. Along the back of the room is a long counter with a door behind it. Sitting there is a mouse youkai with gray hair and matching clothes.
>The Store contains:
>Black-Feathered Arrow
>Iron Key
>Empty Bag
>Square Glass Bottle
>Goose Feather
>Book: Qabus Nama
>Thin Leather Cord
>Lead Pipe
>Katana Sheath
>Bundle of Incense
>Pitted Rock
>Wooden Sword
>Glass Shield
>Scroll Tube
>Bottle of Red Sauce
>Potted Rose
>Tiny Pillow
>Set of 3 Stuffed Mice
>Book: Le Morte d'Arthur
>Small Black Wheel
>Whetstone
>Small Jade Dragon
>"Oh boy," says the mouse youkai. "Look, I don't want any trouble, okay?"

>_

[Suwako Moriya]

> Oh, that's just wonderful. Time to POLITICIANFACE our ass off.
> Raise an eyebrow in mild confusion.
> "Hmm?"
> Is our sword here?

[Hello Purvis]

> Oh, that's just wonderful. Time to POLITICIANFACE our ass off.
> Raise an eyebrow in mild confusion.
> "Hmm?"
> Is our sword here?

>"Look, let's just set the politics and courtesies aide, I've never had patience for that kind of thing," says the mouse youkai. "What do you want? If this is a shakedown, let's get on with it."
>You note a couple of mice peering at you around one of the shelves.
>You do not see your sword here.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Frown.
> "Not at all. I am simply looking for Futo and Tojiko. I believe they are somewhere south of the Human Village, but I do not know where for sure."

[Hello Purvis]

> Frown.
> "Not at all. I am simply looking for Futo and Tojiko. I believe they are somewhere south of the Human Village, but I do not know where for sure."

>"Yeah, I saw them peeping in," she says. "What were they up to?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "A fine question indeed. I wish to know the answer myself. Did they simply continue on their way, or was there any conflict?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "A fine question indeed. I wish to know the answer myself. Did they simply continue on their way, or was there any conflict?"

>"Naw, they didn't try anything," says the mouse youkai. They ran off the moment I caught 'em."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Nod.
> "And do you remember the direction in which they traveled?"

[Hello Purvis]

> Nod.
> "And do you remember the direction in which they traveled?"

>"Didn't really chase 'em," says the mouse youkai. "Figured it'd be a bad idea to leave the store if they're lurking around. Pretty sure they went deeper in, though. Had a few of the little ones keeping an eye out for them in case they tried to come back."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Do we have any sources for more bags of konpeito?

[Hello Purvis]

> Do we have any sources for more bags of konpeito?

>You can make more at home. Or rather, Tojiko can.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Did we know these people ran a curio shop?

[Hello Purvis]

> Did we know these people ran a curio shop?

>Not particularly.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Traveling further into the forest would make sense, yes. Hmm."
> Inspect the Bottle of Red Sauce, the Iron Key, the Bundle of Incense, the Small Black Wheel, and the Small Jade Dragon.
> "I did not know you ran a curio shop. This seems a bit out of the way when compared to the location of your Temple. Though I suppose either or both of those things may be intentional, given your reaction to my presense."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Traveling further into the forest would make sense, yes. Hmm."
> Inspect the Bottle of Red Sauce, the Iron Key, the Bundle of Incense, the Small Black Wheel, and the Small Jade Dragon.
> "I did not know you ran a curio shop. This seems a bit out of the way when compared to the location of your Temple. Though I suppose either or both of those things may be intentional, given your reaction to my presense."

>Iron Key
>A simple ring-handled key made of iron.
>Bottle of Red Sauce
>Labeled: Simply Labled: "Too Hot for you!"
>Bundle of Incense
>This is a bundle of incense; it it unlabeled.
>Small Black Wheel
>This appears to be a wooden wheel, which you assume goes to a toy.
>Small Jade Dragon
>This little carving made of cheap jade seems to have a rather exasperated expression.
>"Just taking care of the place while the original owner is being rehabilitated," says the mouse youkai. "Too many people use the place to just leave it to rot. Lemme know if you have any questions about the goods, I'll tell you what I can."

>_