>>6195737Valencio clears his throat, readying himself for an exposition.
"Here's what I got from him: apparently the cave has multiple purposes, one of which was to charge the duplicate relics with mana. I don't know how, exactly - but when I asked him of the Ossuary orphanage cult, he said that's where the duplicate relics were ground up."
That doesn't quite make sense - but then again, cults have their own system of logic. Valencio continues.
"Heretical, I know, right? Apparently they then added a reagent to the relic powder and cast them into these high-mana briquettes. And it can store enough mana as it is blasphemous, apparently!"
"So, what do they do with them?"
"He really doesn't know, but my guess? Some kind of fuel for whatever it is they do. A ritual? An engine? Who knows!"
"But those relics - they have to be charged first, which means there's an origin, right?"
McDowd comes up with a good question.
"Apparently, they come from somewhere on the West, smuggled in via the railway."
That's quite the detailed answer. Maybe too detailed...
"So, what exactly did you do with him to make him spill all these beans? Just make him have a lotta headaches, like in the cave? He's quite the ornery hare."
Valencio laughs, a simple, straight ha.
"Oh, no, nothing like that. Apparently he was subjected to something like tremorsense a long time ago, back when he was young. Before he came to Gongalla. It made him quite pliable... suffice to say, I just had to find the right vibrations with him."
Brainwashing! Or rather, exploiting a former brainwash? Something like that. Interesting.
"Well, what do we do now? Should we report back to Jed Stuart?"
"Before we do that, we still need to root out the cultists in town. Flush them out so we can catch them."
McDowd reminded you. Ah yeah, any leftover cultists won't just sit still and give up their goals, would they? They'll be gone into hiding.
"But how'd we do that?"
McDowd scoffs. Is that a hint of derision?
"Well, don't let me stop you - you're the con artist, why don't you scheme something up?"
Hmm, yeah. You'd need a plan that's not too blatant, and can check a lot of people at the same time. Fortunately, the townsfolk are quite distracted by Hammy & Lynn's autowagon outside. Unfortunately, Hammy is not in the clinic where he's supposed to.
What plan do you concoct?
>CHOOSE ONE>□ Weave through the crowds around the autowagon with Craig, overseen by McDowd - basically play as a fellow gawker and have Craig's spirits check them out>□ Same thing, but instead of Craig, get Millie to mind-read>□ With the troupe unable to perform, the burlesque's auditions and play would still go on, right? Prime chance to check the crowd with either Craig or Millie>□ Maybe call in on the Ravens, have them stage a roundup of the town - including you - and then you could check the townsfolk with Craig or Millie that way>□ Other (fill in) 