2024-03-15: In Search of Psynards (Part 1)
- Log: 2024-03-15 In Search of Psynards (Part 1)
- Cast: Ethius Hesiod, Rena Lanford, Dias Flac, Claude C. Kenny, Grace Harvey, Chisato Madison
- Where: Cavern of Crimson Crystals
- Date: March 15, 2024 (506 PC)
- Summary: Team Rena-and-Claude go through the Cavern of Crimson Crystals in search of a Psynard. A certain reporter joins them along the way. (Part 2 contains an alternate ending to the dig.)
========================<* Cavern of Crimson Crystals *>======================== The Cave of Crimson Crystals is located north of Lavender Town, a hike through hilly country that makes it truly remote. Unlike many places on Energy Nede, it is not well-maintained or regulated, and only the bravest Pokemon Trainers try their luck here. The cavern is a twisting maze, with walls made of the famous red crystal -- which is sometimes sharp enough to cut -- and a number of powerful Psychic-type Pokemon calling it home. Among these is the elusive Psynard, a powerful and rare Pokemon that few have caught. BGM: Star Ocean: The Second Story - Endlessly - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEeJYAEMzBQ
DG: A party led by Ethius Hesiod is now entering Cave of Crimson Crystals. DG: Party formation is now over. An Entry Challenge will now be drawn and displayed to the party.
=========================<* Cave of Crimson Crystals *>=========================
==================<* CHALLENGE - Rumbling Earth *>==================
| Type: Entry | Dungeon Ability: Agility | Challenge Rating: 1 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information >---------------------------- When you enter the Cave of Crimson Crystals, something extremely unexpected -- for Energy Nede, at least -- happens: the ground shakes, a minor earthquake. This is a problem in that several shards of sharp, red crystal drop from the ceiling and come crashing down towards you. These could cut, if they hit, and you'll need to jump aside. But, this raises a question. Energy Nede doesn't /have/ earthquakes. It doesn't even have plate tectonics. What the heck is happening...? ============================= Dungeon Conditions: ============================= | Hesitate:_Agility_Down!_Wits_Up!, Injure:_Exhaustion_Up_On_Failure!, and | | Slow:_Agility_Down! | = Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
With the matter of acquiring a pre-tamed clone Psynard... not going as planned, there's only one other alternative. That's to visit the Cave of Crimson Crystals in search of a wild Psynard, which is easier said than done - it's an endangered species, and furthermore...
There's been a lot of trouble in that area lately and that has already seen at least one active Psynard nest's Psynymphs rescued and ultimately rehomed. Nonetheless, after former Top Champion Noel Chandler helped give some relevant and useful information about the locale and general Psynard behavior...
The small group moves on ahead. The cavern is exactly as named - it's full of glowing red crystals, and it's a cavern. It's one of the very few places that aren't typically maintained meticulously by the people of Energy Nede, and thus, powerful Psychic-type Pokemon have moved in and made it their own. It's a risk to even come here, unless one is sure of their capability as Trainers (or are well-trained combatants, which all of them are). Exponentially more dangerous when something is driving the native Pokemon here berserk in states of heightened aggression.
Ethius has already gotten his Arcmene friend - a Bug/Dark type - out with him as a safeguard due to the type relationships. The unsettling, quiet spider-like creature stares up, down, and all around while mumbling to themselves.
"...I would presume this to mean there are no immediate dangers," Ethius remarks.
He presumes incorrectly, as the ground shakes. It's an earthquake - something that Energy Nede doesn't naturally have, as there's no plate tectonics in a world that's a floating fragment of a destroyed planet. Crystals become dislodged and strike into the ground, shattering into sharp shards that could draw a completely different hue of crimson from the gathered if they aren't careful.
Ethius gets another Pokeball out. "Ghark! Surf with Arcmene ahead."
Out comes that silly ape-like Pokemon, who seems less 'performing Surf' and more 'incidentally carried by a spontaneously generated wave of water' to do just that, as Arcmene looks back at Ethius with those staring eyes at a moment of self-sacrifice?!
"Move," he calls to the others as he covers his face with a forearm to avoid having shards of crimson crystal, well, go places they shouldn't.
DG: Ethius Hesiod has used his Tool Unauthorized Surf toward his party's challenge, Rumbling Earth. Rally!
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lanford has posed.
Rena is on board with the plan to find a wild Psynard, certainly, but today she isn't using her Pokemon. If asked about it, then she'd just comment about how she wants to give them a break for this leg of the journey.
It's perhaps an unusual thing, they are after all, headed into a cave full of Pokemon. She also made her first attempt at - Fast Food today!
It wasn't particularly fast, since she made it like a home cook would rather than a restaurant, and she definitely didn't use as much grease or salt that most Nedian chains would-! But people are fed, and combat ready!
What it was? Stay tuned for the combat sections to know what buffs you have!
Rena waves at the Arcmene as Ethius brings it out, mostly paying attention to the cave, but she still nevertheless says, "Hello, it's very nice to meet you." And smiles- but almost immediately the ground starts shaking.
While she loses her balance, "Wh-Whoa!?" She squares her stance, and pops open a vial, dabbing some oil to the back of her neck, and tossing it towards- "Dias!"
So he can apply some, as she takes off like a shot, running at at least double speed, zipping in and out of various crimson crystals. It's because of that, that she's able to look out for others on the way.
A fast healer is at least three times as effective, didn't you know?
"Keep moving! I'll keep an eye on everyone!"
DG: Rena Lanford has used her Tool Ointment of Veda toward her party's challenge, Rumbling Earth. Quicken! Party Agility boosted!
<Pose Tracker> Dias Flac has posed.
The Cave of Crimson Crystals is a beautiful place--but more important to Dias than its beauty is its danger. He and the other members of what he thinks of as Rena and Claude's group agreed that this was their best option to get a Psynard after the disaster at the research facility and came here to face those dangers, but it seems like it's even more intense than they'd anticipated.
But they've all been training lately--and Dias has done some extra training against Pokemon, after a trip out to the area around Armlock City to see (read: fight) the Honedge there. As long as they're cautious, they'll be able to see this through.
Dias is thus even more hyper-aware of their surroundings as they traverse in as some of his companions send out their own Pokemon. Ethius makes an assessment, and as if to immediately contradict him, the ground beneath their feet shakes, and crystals begin to drop from overhead. Dias broadens his footing to give himself greater stability, looking sharply up at the incoming rocks.
'Dias!' Rena shouts, throwing an item at him; he catches it without looking, dashes the remaining contents on his own neck, and grabs the hilt of his sword as he sprints after her.
There is a ridiculous blur of motion and a '*chnkchnkchnkchnkchnkchnk!!*'. No need to speak; Ethius and Rena have already said what's important.
<Pose Tracker> Claude C. Kenny has posed.
Claude is ready for this expedition, one way or another. And he's here with a sword and with his Pokeballs; he's gotten his eyes used to the red light of the cavern, and he's walking with the group. But no immediate dangers? That, if Claude were more superstitious, might sound like a cause.
An earthquake!!
"Whoa!"
Claude rocks on his feet, but doesn't fall. He has the boots he got back in Marze--the ones that can take any terrain without sinking of stumbling, and he uses them.
He rushes on ahead, and just like Rena, will stop to pick up and help anyone who needs it.
"Grace??"
DG: Claude C. Kenny has used his Tool Mud Boots toward his party's challenge, Rumbling Earth. Stalwart! Party shielded from some Exhaustion this round!
<Pose Tracker> Grace Harvey has posed.
It is, perhaps, a surprise that Grace does not complain about being made to go out to a secret cave, out in the edges of Energy Nede. It is perhaps even more surprising that she even seems... a little chipper about it?
She even digs into Rena's attempt at fast food! It's... a little flavourless, for Grace's liking. She's had the wherewithal to not really say anything to Rena about it in public except the minorest notes
She's still a little concerned Dias might just slash her into pieces for badmouthing Rena's cooking.
In spite of all this, she's also probably being a bit of a nuisance.
%tAs always, B3A trundles along after her, the small robot seeming almost made for this sort of terrain, mostly because she is.
She's moving with the group, but every so often stops to pull out her tablet and do... something with it to the crystals. "...Hey, you think these are worth anything? Maybe we should take some with us, I bet Bea could take some without any troubles."
Hopefullly the crystal cavern isn't a heritage site or anything.
Grace also... does not *have* any pokemon! It's fine! She has high tech guns, it won't be a problem.
And then the ground starts shaking and Grace glances around hurriedly. "Don't cave in, don't cave in, don't cave in!" She yelps, and hears Claude call for her, following the voice. "I'm coming!" She shouts- but she's maybe not as fast as the others- especially with waiting for Bea to jump onto her back and clamp on like a backpack. The only advantage she has right now is, well, a childhood spent playing in mines. She knows where to look for safety, at least.
DG: Grace Harvey has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Rumbling Earth.
<Pose Tracker> Chisato Madison has posed.
She sat in the shadows, lit only by her computer terminal, harsh lines of text scrolling up her screen. A report from the field popped up in the corner. The Visitors are on the move. Crystal Cavern. One day.
She sighed, slumping back against her seat, then rolled her neck until she felt a soft pop. "Guess it's back on the trail, then," she said to nobody, then stood up and grabbed her coat.
WHICH LEADS TO:
Chisato Madison, Friendly Neighborhood Snoop, is not supposed to be here!! But while she's creeping a little ways ahead of the party with her camera out, the ground shakes and Chisato yelps, nearly stumbling off the edge before she slams herself back against a crystal outcropping. "Yowsers," she mutters to herself. "I didn't see any Geodudes on the trainer brief..."
DG: Chisato Madison has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Rumbling Earth. DG: Dias Flac has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Rumbling Earth.
=========================<* Cave of Crimson Crystals *>========================= ========================<* CHALLENGE - Rumbling Earth *>======================== | Type: Entry | Dungeon Ability: Agility | Challenge Rating: 1 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information >---------------------------- When you enter the Cave of Crimson Crystals, something extremely unexpected -- for Energy Nede, at least -- happens: the ground shakes, a minor earthquake. This is a problem in that several shards of sharp, red crystal drop from the ceiling and come crashing down towards you. These could cut, if they hit, and you'll need to jump aside. But, this raises a question. Energy Nede doesn't /have/ earthquakes. It doesn't even have plate tectonics. What the heck is happening...? ============================= Dungeon Conditions: ============================= | Hesitate:_Agility_Down!_Wits_Up!, Injure:_Exhaustion_Up_On_Failure!, | | Quicken:_Agility_Up!, and Slow:_Agility_Down! | = Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
=========================<* Cave of Crimson Crystals *>========================= ================< Results - Cave of Crimson Crystals - Round 1 >================ =========================< CHALLENGE - Rumbling Earth >========================= Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ethius Hesiod 0 --(0)--> 0 Best Unauthorized Surf Maj Agility Effects: Rally -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dias Flac 0 --(13)--> 13 Bad Rush Bsc Agility Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rena Lanford 0 --(0)--> 0 Best Ointment of Veda Min Agility Effects: Quicken -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chisato Madison 0 --(0)--> 0 Best Rush Bsc Agility Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Claude C. Kenny 0 --(0)--> 0 Best Mud Boots Min Agility Effects: Stalwart -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Grace Harvey 0 --(13)--> 13 Bad Rush Bsc Agility Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Leader: Ethius Hesiod 0 --(20)--> 20 Pass Conditions: Hesitate(2), Injure(2), and Slow(2) Effects: Quicken(1) = Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
DG: The party led by Ethius Hesiod has passed this challenge! The party gained 20 exploration! If anyone needs to use party management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw.
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Things get more than a little out of hand! The crystals shake and fall, with numerous near-misses for each and every one of them. In fact, as deep into taking the fight directly to collapsing crystals as Dias is, he might notice how it seems as though the way the crystals are falling might, in fact, be targeted and deliberate. Energy Nede does not have natural tectonic activity.
Grace herself, in her own near-misses, might catch a glimpse of someone or something moving in the darkness beyond, but never close enough to confirm (likely because a falling crystal conveniently wedges itself in the way of line of sight).
The others largely navigate the issue without stand-out incident. (Rena will see Arcmene and Ghark first. Armene raises one of its mandible-arms in a belated return wave, but also a form of 'we're here, we're OK,' and they relax a little when Ethius resurfaces none the more worse for the wear.)
"Good work. Ghark, return," he holds out the ball to call the ape-like Pokemon back.
"...I will refrain from further commentary of that nature," Ethius concedes, turning his head in a way he conveniently misses Chisato's location as his Arcmene draws back closer to him. The maze-like tunnels stretch ahead, and from there...
They can only keep moving forward.
DG: Claude C. Kenny has drawn a new Challenge.
=========================<* Cave of Crimson Crystals *>========================= ========================<* CHALLENGE - Ledge Leaping *>========================= | Type: Exploration | Dungeon Ability: Agility | Challenge Rating: 2 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information >---------------------------- You come to a spot that ends in a ledge. You can see that the path continues below, but there are three short ledges to jump down to get there. This will take some caution, because there are sharp red crystals all around. A mistaken jump could send you into those crystals, which would rather hurt. Be careful! ============================= Dungeon Conditions: ============================= | Exhaust:_Exhaustion_Up_On_Failure!, Hesitate:_Agility_Down!_Wits_Up!, | | Injure:_Exhaustion_Up_On_Failure!, Quicken:_Agility_Up!, and | | Slow:_Agility_Down! | = Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
<Pose Tracker> Claude C. Kenny has posed.
It doesn't cave in, at least!
But Claude does not immediately spot Chisato. Not yet, anyway. Instead, he comes to a stop once things are calm. At Ethius's comment...
"Heh," he says. "If I didn't know better, I'd think that was a joke."
Claude starts forward, and then--stops short. "Whoa!"
The path they're on ends on a ledge, and Claude peers down it. The path continues below, but before it...
"Well," Claude says, "I guess there's nothing for it but to..."
He pauses. "Actually."
"Barry!" Claude calls, and pulls a Pokeball. "Make us some handholds, will you?"
"Beeee!"
Barry peppers the wall with drill attacks, making it easier to jump by giving some guiderails to hang onto if things go wrong.
Claude seems satisfied with this, and starts hopping down.
"Catch anybody who falls, OK?"
"Drill...."
DG: Claude C. Kenny has used his Tool Barry toward his party's challenge, Ledge Leaping. Rally!
<Pose Tracker> Dias Flac has posed.
For what it's worth, Dias wasn't really into the 'fast food' either. But then, Rena didn't make it for him. Dias might or might not slash Grace to pieces if she called it bad, but he'd *certainly* glare at her for her ingratitude. So it's just as well that Grace keeps her critique to herself.
Dias has his own side-eye for Rena right now anyway, but that's in regards to her decision to give her Pokemon a 'break' even though they're heading into a Pokemon-heavy area. He doesn't call her out either, though. Dias and Grace, having something in common??
...Well, that's one way of putting it.
As for the cave itself--Dias is smart, but his education is limited. He doesn't know about tectonic activity. However, he knows about magic and about local creatures that can control rocks and earth, and there's definitely a targeted quality to the fall of those crystals. Inevitably, he's forced to focus on retreating.
Once they're out of the area of falling rocks and no one has died, Dias sheathes his blade. He eyes Ethius and his Pokemon, then looks back the way they all came. His eyes narrow at a particular crystal outcropping... but that, at least, isn't the worst of their concerns.
"I don't think we're welcome here," he remarks. He turns and strides deeper inwards with the others. "Not that that'll stop us."
Before long, they're at the end of a ledge, with several more ledges on the way down to the path forward. Dias considers this. Was the path previously one continuous strip?
"Hmmm."
Well, it doesn't matter either way. This is their lives now. With one last lingering look over his shoulder, he waits for Barry to do his thing, then follows Claude in climbing down.
DG: Dias Flac has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Ledge Leaping.
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lanford has posed.
When Rena notices Grace and Dias lagging behind and struggling, she has to make a choice. And she certainly knows Dias' abilities, which is why suddenly Grace, while catching that glimpse, might notice a sudden leaping punch.
As her knuckle weapon smashes into a crystal, knocking it away from her, being too big to simply shatter.
Without missing a beat, she simply sweeps Grace up into her arms, and - keeps running. She must be pretty strong to do that.
Either way, when they come to the end of the gauntlet of falling crystals, she puts her down, "Are you alright? Sorry to do that without asking but-"
She smiles at her, perhaps sheepishly understanding how embarrassing that might be for her, "-I thought you wouldn't mind."
Rena, likewise, never notices Chisato... and Rena looks at Claude and Ethius in wonder, "It really did sound like a joke." She says with a sense of amazement, after all, it's not Ethius' vibe.
And then Claude goes for Barry, and Rena smiles in a bittersweet kind of way as the party's first Pokemon shows off his stuff.
"Go Barry!" Rena cheers him, even as she takes out another ointment, and begins dabbing a little bit on everyone.
"Just a little bit should be enough..."
She places some on Grace, then Ethius, then moves on to Claude, and Dias, as she discreetly asks, quietly, "Are you hurt?"
No matter how he answers, she at least wanted to be sure to check on him after that.
Then finally, she holds up the rest of the ointment- for Barry. "There Barry, now your drills will move twice as fast." She smiles.
Then briefly wonders if he'll eat the ointment? He did really like the Purple Stuff.
Either way, empowered by the ointment, Rena tends to take a short run at top speed, before jumping higher to make it a more controlled arc, towards each platform.
"Probably not!" She tells Dias, "But they're welcome to file their complaint in person."
DG: Rena Lanford has used her Tool Ointment of Veda toward her party's challenge, Ledge Leaping. Quicken! Party Agility boosted!
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Ethius' Arcmene peers over the ledge, with a mumbly "ene," emotionally indecipherable beyond whatever they're seeing warranting that level of vocal commitment, before they turn and look to see Claude and their plan. (the plan is Barry)
"It can be humor in... retrospect," Ethius responds of Claude's thought about how that might've been a joke if he didn't know better, hand to his forehead. Arcmene has no problems just crawling down the wall, leaving Ethius to take the Barry-made guiderails for the way down after Rena's done prepping with the ointment (with a nod of thanks).
"I would hope the reticence to accept our arrival is merely the local Pokemon," Ethius remarks along the climb down
DG: Ethius Hesiod has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Ledge Leaping.
<Pose Tracker> Grace Harvey has posed.
Knowing where to go doesn't mean much if you're not fast enough to get there. She can see the large chunk of crystal coming for her- but there's little she can do, her footing too unstable in the quake-
Which is when Rena simply smashes apart the incoming doom and... hefts Grace into a carry. Grace yelps in surprise, but- oh wow she did not know Rena was THIS strong. It's, uh. It's a lot.
Grace may be blushing a fair bit right now. Part of that might just be the thrill of not dying, though. "Thanks..." She gets out, once they're on stable ground again. "You really saved my life..."
Imagine if you will, little portraits of Grace and Rena appearing, with the words 'Friendship level has changed.'
She's still blushing when Rena puts her down, and when Rena dabs the Ointment of Veda on her.
"That seems like a them problem," she comments, after Dias mentions their unwelcomeness. "...Though, I uh. I thought I might have seen someone. Or something. Before the whole... earthquake thing." She pauses. "...Couldn't make out what, though."
She looks up at the climb. "...I really wish we had the proper equipment," she says, a little ruefully. "Like. Y'know, jetpacks."
Still, she starts climbing- if a little slowly and very reliant on Barry's handholds. She's still a little shaken, for some reason. Being cautious seems like the watchword.
DG: Grace Harvey has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Ledge Leaping.
<Pose Tracker> Chisato Madison has posed.
Chisato ducks low as Rena knocks a crystal into the outcropping she's hiding behind, holding her breath with her eyes wide. They're unafraid even as they descend into a mysterious cavern! Nedeans haven't even experienced Earthquakes that weren't caused by pokemon in thousands of years! So fearless! She pulls out her notebook and scribbles quickly, rapid shorthand, before her eyes snake up to their backs. Now how to catch back up and witness the next heroic deed.... hmm, they're jumping...well... ...
She reaches down into her jacket, and produces an ancient, weathered scroll, looking at it with serious eyes. Her master's final gift. A tool of great importance...a hidden truth of this world. She unrolls it, to embrace its wisdom.
Inside is magnificent art in the ancient Hisuian style of a creature now known mostly in the sanctuary wilds, a noble stance with a wide-winged stance and eyes of more mischief than wisdom. Yes. Of course. To become impossible, one must become like the bombirdier.
*
Anyway that's why once the party has gathered again, Chisato slowly enters the top of shot by using HM Fly and rapidly flapping her arms to gain altitude and cling to a crystal outcropping rather than hit the ground. Master spy.
DG: Chisato Madison has used her Tool Bombirdier Scroll toward her party's challenge, Ledge Leaping. Fanfare!
=========================<* Cave of Crimson Crystals *>========================= ========================<* CHALLENGE - Ledge Leaping *>========================= | Type: Exploration | Dungeon Ability: Agility | Challenge Rating: 2 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information >---------------------------- You come to a spot that ends in a ledge. You can see that the path continues below, but there are three short ledges to jump down to get there. This will take some caution, because there are sharp red crystals all around. A mistaken jump could send you into those crystals, which would rather hurt. Be careful! ============================= Dungeon Conditions: ============================= | Exhaust:_Exhaustion_Up_On_Failure!, Hesitate:_Agility_Down!_Wits_Up!, | | Injure:_Exhaustion_Up_On_Failure!, Quicken:_Agility_Up!, and | | Slow:_Agility_Down! | = Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
=========================<* Cave of Crimson Crystals *>========================= ================< Results - Cave of Crimson Crystals - Round 2 >================ =========================< CHALLENGE - Ledge Leaping >========================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ethius Hesiod 0 --(5)--> 5 Best Rush Bsc Agility Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dias Flac 13 --(26)--> 39 Bad Rush Bsc Agility Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rena Lanford 0 --(5)--> 5 Best Ointment of Veda Min Agility Effects: Quicken -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chisato Madison 0 --(5)--> 5 Best Bombirdier Scroll Maj Agility Effects: Fanfare -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Claude C. Kenny 0 --(5)--> 5 Best Barry Maj Agility Effects: Rally -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Grace Harvey 13 --(26)--> 39 Bad Rush Bsc Agility Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Leader: Ethius Hesiod 20 --(20)--> 40 Pass Conditions: Exhaust(1), Hesitate(1), Injure(1), and Slow(2) Effects: Quicken(1) = Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
DG: The party led by Ethius Hesiod has passed this challenge! The party gained 20 exploration! If anyone needs to use party management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw. DG: Rena Lanford has drawn a new Challenge.
=========================<* Cave of Crimson Crystals *>========================= ========================<* CHALLENGE - Making a Door *>========================= | Type: Exploration | Dungeon Ability: Brute | Challenge Rating: 2 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information >---------------------------- As you walk down this path, you round a bend and find a spot where it used to be a Y-shaped intersection. You can spot where one path curves back where you came from... and you think you remember where it would have attached. That leaves the other path, where there is a wall of rubble blocking it. It looks to be a recent cave-in: red crystals and pulverized rock make a debris field from ceiling to floor. You'll need to bust through to get there. ============================= Dungeon Conditions: ============================= | Quicken:_Agility_Up!, Slow:_Agility_Down!, Tire:_Exhaustion_Up!, and | | Weaken:_Brute_Down! | = Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
<Pose Tracker> Claude C. Kenny has posed.
The food was good! Claude always likes Rena's food.
...He also approves of Rena picking up Grace, because it helps! And because he likes seeing Rena's strength, too. But he sure notices Grace's reaction.
It's fine. He's not the insecure guy he used to be.
"True," he says to Dias. "But you're right. It won't."
Then he grins at Ethius, and Rena too. It's not Ethiius's vibe, but...
But Barry goes twice as fast!!!!! it's veery powerful. Beedrill gains some affection points for Rena! Even more, after the Kakukarrier.
"...It might just be local Pokemon. But it might be..."
Well, they all travel. Jetpacks would be nice, but they don't have those. Most of the group is able to make their way down, but Dias has to expend more energy to stay on target--and Grace almost falls, before Barry nudges her back onto the handrails.
But at this point...
"Is that..."
"Is that a flying reporter?"
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lanford has posed.
Rena smiles back at her, seemingly equating the blush with embarrassment, "I'm just glad I got there in time. Let me know if you need help, any time. I'll take care of it."
Once they're over on the other side, Rena gives Barry a High Five! Where she uses her knuckles, to lightly tap his drill, "Good work, Barry!"
'Is that a flying reporter?'
"Huh?" Rena looks up, and gets taken aback, "She really is flying!? I guess she must be covering a story here?"
Rena watches the spectacle for a few moments, then looks at her arms. "Can Nedians just fly?" She murmurs to herself as she considers it, "No that's ridiculous. If that were the case, everyone would be flying."
...
...
...
She still gives her arms an experimental little flap when she thinks noone is looking.
As they walk down the path, there's a sudden Y-Shaped intersection. "Hm-! I think we..." She leans around the corner, "Yeah this one circles back around-"
Down the other path, is filled with red crystalline rubble, "A cave in huh?" She sounds skeptical. "I think whoever doesn't want us here is trying to keep us from going this way - so let's show them we won't be deterred!"
Rena takes up a stance, and gathers Symbological power that swells in runic circles at her feet, before- "Tractor Beam!"
Gravity shifts in localized areas around the rubble pile, as she starts picking up several Crystals, piece by piece.
It's not the most efficient way of doing it though, so it's going to be up to everyone else to make certain they're not here all day.
DG: Rena Lanford has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Making a Door.
<Pose Tracker> Dias Flac has posed.
Humor in retrospect. "That *is* funny," Dias remarks, deadpan. He suspects the same as Ethius, though, that this is a Pokemon's doing. Grace does mention a figure, but Dias noticed her--that is, them--too... and for the moment, he assumes one is the other.
'That seems like a them problem,' Grace also remarks.
"Heh." Is that... Dias smirking? Did he think *Grace* was funny?? Will wonders never cease!
"Agreed," he tells Rena--then, more discreetly, "I'm fine." He's not about to complain about any pain deflecting those rocks earlier left in his arm.
Maybe a miscalculation, since that same pain means climbing down is harder and takes longer than it needs to. When they all reach the ground, he rolls his arm in his socket with a slight frown. That same slight frown is there for Grace and her blushing at Rena's rescue, though that was earlier. But they're all adults here.
Claude wonders about the flying reporter. "You just noticed?" A beat. "...The flying is new," he admits, peering up at Chisato. When Rena chimes in, Dias peers at her. "She's been following us for a while."
But onwards they go, Rena flapping her arms just as Dias isn't looking (lucky her). They reach an intersection, with one path strewn with rubble. Rena declares that if whatever's trying to interfere with them doesn't want to go this way, then this way is exactly where they should go.
"Sound logic," he deadpans. As Rena casts her spell, Dias tucks into his travel pack and pulls out a chicken skewer wrapped in parchment paper. He unwraps it and eats; it both helps ease his pain and bolsters him for the task ahead. Once he's done, he tucks away his garbage to be properly disposed of later, then gets in there to start helping move rocks.
DG: Dias Flac has used his Tool Chicken Shish Kebab toward his party's challenge, Making a Door. Cleanse! All negative effects will be cleared at the end of the round!
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Ethius blinks once and looks up at the mention of a flying reporter. He looks to the others, wordlessly, then up again, and ultimately seems to land safely on the side of--
"No comment." Nedian reporters can fly in the air if they want to, and that is as much mental bandwidth as he's going to give it. Arcmene looks up and stares, and keeps staring, before skittering along with the others.
Is she who Grace might have seen? He's not sure, but... soon enough, it looks like there was another cave-in of some manner because there's a whole lot of rubble there. Ethius' Arcmene crawls atop one such pile of crystals, tapping the ends of their mandible-limbs together in a quiet clicking inquisitively.
"I agree, this pathway must be of some importance if the recent activity were of intentional design," he concurs with Rena. He goes to one of the Pokeballs at his belt... then puts it back, because it's the wrong one, and he gets another.
"Gerel," he speaks, stepping back and giving space for the shambling land barnacle to appear in a burst of light. The red crystal lighting really brings out their rubbery... uh. Gerel-ness. (Don't let the lack of articulate description fool you though, Ethius' Gerel really is of prodigal beauty among Pokemon.)
"Please assist Miss Rena in moving the rubble ahead with Strength."
"Gerel~" Gerel croons before leaning forward, bracing their mouth, and pushing away at one of the bigger chunks that Arcmene is sitting on top of as they keep staring in the vague direction of where they think Chisato might be now.
DG: Ethius Hesiod has used his Tool Illegal Strength toward his party's challenge, Making a Door. Resilient! Party shielded from some exhaustion next round!
<Pose Tracker> Grace Harvey has posed.
Once again, Grace needs to be bailed out as her grip slips- and a weird bug friend stops her falling completely. She lets out a little gasp then murmurs a thanks back to Barry. "...Geez, I'm really, really slipping huh. I swear I was better at this..."
Which is when they get to the woman flapping while flying her arms. Grace's three eyes just stare at Chisato. "...oh good, I'm not the only seeing her then." She says. "So either she's real or we're all hallucinating."
She also notices Dias both a) glaring and b) smirking. This is a definite surprise.
Yeah, they're definitely all hallucinating.
Fortunately, there's a problem ahead she CAN solve! Well. She can help solve. "Okay, this is Bea's specialty. You ready, girl?"
With a trill, the robot jumps off Grace's back and lines up at the mass of crystals, the refractor on her front starting to glow-
And then, a massive mining laser fires into the crystal mass, with the aim of breaking it up into smaller, manageable chunks, cutting and blasting the whole mess.
DG: Grace Harvey has used her Tool B3A Harvey toward her party's challenge, Making a Door.
<Pose Tracker> Chisato Madison has posed.
aw peanuts they used their flexible human necks to look above their heads!!
Chisato scuttles even more behind the crystal outcrop but it's not like anyone could miss the flash of her yellow scarf disappearing behind it. Silence reigns. Perhaps it was simply a box. A flying, red haired box in adventuring gear plus a blazer. Yeah. Chisato hastily untucks her phone from her pocket and beep boop beep beep ring ring ring---click.
"C'mon gimme a hand here!" she hisses into it, not quietly enough.
Explosions as they turn their attention to the crystal and rock blocking their path.
"Idunno man don't you lure in girls with a song or something??"
several of them have not even stopped looking at her to shoot.
"yes yes it's a mating display don't you give me the silent treatment mister!"
Several seconds pass.
Then a BLAST OF WATER comes out of FREAKIN' SOMEWHERE?? and blasts into the rubble, hopefully allowing passage.
DG: Chisato Madison has contributed a risky Brute Action toward her party's challenge, Making a Door.
<Pose Tracker> Claude C. Kenny has posed.
"I figured we had company, but I wasn't expecting that," Dias admits to Claude. Barry accepts the high-five. "Beee!" He buzzes about proudly, without returning to his Pokeball just yet; apparently Claude thinks it's fine to let him out for now.
"I wonder what story she's covering..." He has a feeling he has a guess, though.
"...Heheh." He sees Rena flap.
But as they approach the problem, Claude considers it for a moment, and then says, "I'm with Bea on this one." He pulls his phase gun. Once people have stepped back for Bea and the mining laser, he takes aim.
"...But I have to say," he admits, "That's a really cool slime."
Then he fires a giant laser.
...The water that sprays there is a trick, though. "...Do you think we should say something?"
DG: Claude C. Kenny has used his Tool Phase Gun toward his party's challenge, Making a Door.
=========================<* Cave of Crimson Crystals *>========================= ========================<* CHALLENGE - Making a Door *>========================= | Type: Exploration | Dungeon Ability: Brute | Challenge Rating: 2 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information >---------------------------- As you walk down this path, you round a bend and find a spot where it used to be a Y-shaped intersection. You can spot where one path curves back where you came from... and you think you remember where it would have attached. That leaves the other path, where there is a wall of rubble blocking it. It looks to be a recent cave-in: red crystals and pulverized rock make a debris field from ceiling to floor. You'll need to bust through to get there. ============================= Dungeon Conditions: ============================= | Cleanse:_All_Effects_Removed!, Resilient:_Exhaustion_Down!, | | Slow:_Agility_Down!, Tire:_Exhaustion_Up!, and Weaken:_Brute_Down! | = Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
=========================<* Cave of Crimson Crystals *>=========================
================< Results - Cave of Crimson Crystals - Round 3 >================
=========================< CHALLENGE - Making a Door >==========================
Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ethius Hesiod 5 --(12)--> 17 Best
Illegal Strength Min Brute Effects: Resilient
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dias Flac 39 --(20)--> 59 Bad
Chicken Shish Kebab Min Brute Effects: Cleanse and
Inefficient
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rena Lanford 5 --(12)--> 17 Good
Force Bsc Brute Effects: BASIC
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chisato Madison 5 --(28)--> 33 Worst
Force Bsc Brute Effects: Risky
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Claude C. Kenny 5 --(12)--> 17 Good
Phase Gun Maj Brute Effects: Efficient
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grace Harvey 39 --(20)--> 59 Bad
B3A Harvey OLD Brute Effects: None
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Leader: Ethius Hesiod 40 --(15)--> 55 Fail
Conditions: Slow(1), Tire(2), and Weaken(2)
Effects: Cleanse and Resilient(1)
= Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
DG: The party led by Ethius Hesiod has failed this challenge! The party gained 15 exploration! If anyone needs to use party management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw.
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lanford has posed.
"I know you said something before about it, but you really think she's following us?"
Rena asks Dias, about Chisato seeming a little weirded out by the idea that their group is interesting enough to... follow around?
As for the Rubble it's all going so well at first. Rena is moving aside Rubble, piece by piece. Claude pulls out the SWORD OF LIGHT(No) and just straight up disintegrates some.
Rena even smiles at him, sheepishly, about him catching her flapping, but her smile grows at the Phase Gun.
Almost like it was their own inside joke.
Ethius has Gerel join in, starting to move aside the rubble.
Then Dias gets in there and starts to move rocks. He pushes. The Rubble pile shifts.
Something seemingly innocuous happens.
A tiny piece of crystal shifts off.
Clink-clink-clink...
... and then suddenly it's clinking all the way down a pit, echoing the whole time.
It's fine. Everything is fine.
And then the chamber starts shaking again, dropping more crystals While they're ALL right there enclosed in rubble.
As the crystals fall, BEA acts, as lasers criss cross through the air, the same moment the water spray barrels through.
The entire corridor just detonates, with crystalline shards, blowing them all away as they make it through the mess.
Then there's a lot of magic happening after that.
"Cure All!"
"Cure All!"
"Cure Ow!"
"Cure All!"
"Okay! I'm starting to take this personally!" Rena says, obviously annoyed at whomever doesn't want them here.
DG: Dias Flac has drawn a new Challenge.
=========================<* Cave of Crimson Crystals *>========================= ====================<* CHALLENGE - Round and Round Again *>===================== | Type: Exploration | Dungeon Ability: Wits | Challenge Rating: 2 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information >---------------------------- The Cave of Crimson Crystals is fairly maze-like. There are pathways that curve around and go up and down, with stone bridges sometimes leading over them. The way the crystals shine and reflect tend to make the eyes tired. As you move through, you come around a bend, and come to... the same hallway you were in five minutes ago. Where did you make a wrong turn? And how do you make sure you don't again? ============================= Dungeon Conditions: ============================= | Resilient:_Exhaustion_Down!, Stupify:_Wits_Down!, Tire:_Exhaustion_Up!, and | | Weaken:_Brute_Down! | = Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
<Pose Tracker> Dias Flac has posed.
"The flying *was* unexpected," Dias concedes back to Claude. To Rena, he says, "I do." A beat before he adds, "I don't think she's the one interfering with us, though." Should they say something? "Up to you two."
As delicious as the chicken shish kebab was, there's only so much eating your favorite food can do to help with a task as monumental as this. Even with Ethius's alarmingly gorgeous Gerel, Claude's phase gun, Grace's robot buddy, and a MIGHTY BLAST OF WATER, things go...
*Quite* wrong.
Dias at least sits still and lets Rena heal him this time. Exploding corridors and flying crystal shards are not something you can just shrug off and heal with a skewer on the sly.
The way past and beyond isn't much easier. Despite the cave-in and the explosions, the pathways around and through the cave system are quite circuitous, with stone bridges over the lower paths, pathways splitting and reconverging, and crystals reflecting the light uncomfortably...
After the second time they all pass by the same pattern of rubble again, Dias frowns. "This is getting us nowhere," he says, pulling out a fountain pen and a short stack of paper, enough to make a very brief book, and beginning to take notes on what they've seen already. "We took a right earlier, so let's take a left this time and circle around on that stone bridge. We'll get a better view that way--" He turns an eye up towards where everyone last saw Chisato. "--and a chance to have some words with our stalker."
DG: Dias Flac has used his Tool Fountain Pen toward his party's challenge, Round and Round Again. Fanfare!
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Things go south. Gerel and Arcmene lie around sparlwed out, tongue lolling on the ground with drooling for the former, the latter going spiral-eyed. Rena's assistance rendering in the moment is very much appreciated, as Ethius visibly grows startled when he sees the both of them reeling from the detonation. (He's not paying attention to where he got a few cuts himself, but Rena has that taken care of too.)
Luckily, Gerel can be coaxed back into the ball to rest up, and Arcmene's fine enough to keep going on point. (They need to for safety, as they are explicitly immune to Psychic-type assault and that's been stressed as the primary danger.)
"...I should have asked Professor Chandler for a map if he had such a thing," Ethius puts a hand to his forehead. "Though... if seismic activity has increased in these parts, one would imagine most of the marked paths would not be... well. Available."
What's done is done. He's keeping an eye out for Chisato, moreso than helping look for landmarks or other indicators given how almost everything in this cavern just is a big mess of shiny, reflective surfaces and the color red.
Arcmene taps a mandible-arm on the ground idly. Tap, tap, tap. They haven't been directly approached by any Pokemon here, so far. Tap, tap, tap.
DG: Ethius Hesiod has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Round and Round Again.
<Pose Tracker> Grace Harvey has posed.
The end result is...
Lots of pain, mostly. Grace leans against Bea as Rena's wondrous healing magic does it's work. Yay for that.
"...okay, new plan. We don't shoot them. Or hit them. Next time I think we just, I don't know... find a big stick and leverage our way through?" She sighs. "Better yet, let's just not have a next time, sound good?"
Eventually, they have to keep moving though. And keep moving. And...r
"...Wait, seriously?? I thought we'd actually made progress... Ughghghghghghhhh..." Grace reaches into her jacket and pulls out- a computer tablet. Look we all know what it is now, we've been on Nede a while. "Well, if you wanna go analog that's fine with me, but I'm gonna use every edge I've got."
She taps a few times on the screen, hurrying through to... well, it LOOKS like a mapping program.
Flipping through past some old maps- complicated things with lots of markings and things like 'alarmed' or 'laser grid' or 'security office'. But while Dias takes notes, Grace starts drawing out the path they're taking, with assistance mode on to track steps and distance.
DG: Grace Harvey has used her Tool Precious-Mother Daughter Memories toward her party's challenge, Round and Round Again. Rally! Fanfare!
<Pose Tracker> Chisato Madison has posed.
Chisato gets yote into the sky by a massive explosion, as is the tradition of her people.
More to the point, she is not in evidence by the time the crew has set off again. Did she get ahead? Did she get behind them? Is she back up above spraying herself down with potions and plucking rocks out of her shoes? It's not immediately clear. Although, since Ethius and Dias are looking out for her as they reprise the cavern, one thing stands out on the way through:
A nice white plastic card lying on the ground. CHISATO MADISON, it says: NEDE TIMES. It has a picture, and Claude and Ethius can probably detect it has the faint EM field of an NFC chip for doors. Oh she's gonna need that later!
NOT LATER BUT INSTEAD NOW:
Chisato finishes diagramming the cave in her notebook. Her pen explodes in her hands and she sighs, tossing the detritus off into the infinite cavern abyss, and then resumes walking. Where is she? who knows. it is a mystery. even the script doesn't know.
DG: Chisato Madison has used her Tool Fountain Pen toward her party's challenge, Round and Round Again. Cleanse! All negative effects will be cleared at the end of the round! Sacrifice! The party will take slightly more Exhaustion this round!
<Pose Tracker> Claude C. Kenny has posed.
"...I don't either." Think Chisato's interfering, that is. When things go wrong, Claude is one of those getting healed as a result. "All right, maybe get more careful in the easily-caving-in cavern..."
But they get turned around, all right. Claude frowns at the same time Dias does, though not as hard. Nobody frowns as hard as Dias.
"I've got an idea," he says, and pulls out--a soldering iron!? Yeah he's gonna just go for it. Some basic metal and rock signage. It will help them make sure they're on track!
But then...
Claude starts to say something. "MISS REPORTER!" he calls, looking around for her--he doesn't see the card yet while he's working.
"If you want to just come down and say hello, you're welcome to. It's already rough going for even our whole group, I can't figure it's nice for you alone."
DG: Claude C. Kenny has used his Tool Soldering Iron toward his party's challenge, Round and Round Again. Cleanse! All negative effects will be cleared at the end of the round! Sacrifice! The party will take slightly more Exhaustion this round!
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lanford has posed.
"Huh. I wonder why..."
Rena pauses, as she does trust Dias, it just doesn't make much sense to her. The most she's had to deal with a journalist was back at the Armory Contest, when she got interviewed by someone for hanging around Dias and Claude.
When she found out it was for a dating column where they wanted to list her as an eligible bachelorette rather than quotes about the tournament she put an end to that one.
"No, I wouldn't think she is either. After all she helped us against one of the Ten Wise Men."
And for most Nedians - that's putting themselves out, pretty far, in a life or death situation.
When Claude says 'He has an idea?' Rena looks curiously, and smiles, "Oh hey, clever." But then more importantly, he calls out to her and-
-Rena decides to trust his instincts, and back them up. "Claude's right, I can't imagine it's very fun trying to keep up with us on your own." She smiles, "You were a big help against the Ten Wise Men, so I know I'd appreciate a hand right now."
The path through the cave starts to get rather tiresome, and Rena feels the crystals reflecting off her eyes, causing a glare.
-=-=-
For a moment, let's go back to the Pokemart, way back, when the Kakukarrier was originally bought.
"Hey Claude! Look! Look! Don't you think these would look amazing on Barry?"
Dias perhaps, never found out she made yet another extraneous purchase that day.
-=-=-
Perhaps... until now? As Rena produces an object from her bag. A pair of glasses. They're not ordinary sunglasses though.
They're oversized novelty shades with sharp pointed triangular lenses. With the words 'Squirtle Squad' on the frames.
This is all fine and good, but the problem is, when she produces: THE RIRICA. There's a sudden bright flash as she utilizes it again and again and again and-
"Okay everyone take one and put them on. I'm sure they'll help with the eye strain."
Yes, she passes them out.
For Grace she actually made one more, broke off a piece, and apparently glued it on to cover her third eye too???
It's only after they all have them on (Or as many as she convince to wear them) and they've walked a little further that Rena whispers to herself, with a smile-
"Squirtle Squad~"
DG: Rena Lanford has used her Tool RIRICA toward her party's challenge, Round and Round Again. Enlighten! Party Wits boosted!
=========================<* Cave of Crimson Crystals *>========================= ====================<* CHALLENGE - Round and Round Again *>===================== | Type: Exploration | Dungeon Ability: Wits | Challenge Rating: 2 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information >---------------------------- The Cave of Crimson Crystals is fairly maze-like. There are pathways that curve around and go up and down, with stone bridges sometimes leading over them. The way the crystals shine and reflect tend to make the eyes tired. As you move through, you come around a bend, and come to... the same hallway you were in five minutes ago. Where did you make a wrong turn? And how do you make sure you don't again? ============================= Dungeon Conditions: ============================= | Cleanse:_All_Effects_Removed!, Enlighten:_Wits_Up!, Stupify:_Wits_Down!, | | Tire:_Exhaustion_Up!, and Weaken:_Brute_Down! | = Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
=========================<* Cave of Crimson Crystals *>=========================
================< Results - Cave of Crimson Crystals - Round 4 >================
=====================< CHALLENGE - Round and Round Again >======================
Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ethius Hesiod 17 --(0)--> 17 Good
Investigate Bsc Wits Effects: BASIC
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dias Flac 59 --(0)--> 59 Best
Fountain Pen Maj Wits Effects: Fanfare
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rena Lanford 17 --(0)--> 17 Good
RIRICA Min Wits Effects: Enlighten
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chisato Madison 33 --(0)--> 33 Good
Fountain Pen Min Wits Effects: Sacrifice and
Cleanse
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Claude C. Kenny 17 --(0)--> 17 Best
Soldering Iron Min Wits Effects: Cleanse and
Sacrifice
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grace Harvey 59 --(0)--> 59 Good
Precious-Mother Daughter Memories Min Wits Effects: Fanfare and
Rally
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Leader: Ethius Hesiod 55 --(20)--> 75 Pass
Conditions: Stupify(2), Tire(2), and Weaken(1)
Effects: Cleanse and Enlighten(1)
= Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
DG: The party led by Ethius Hesiod has passed this challenge! The party gained 20 exploration! If anyone needs to use party management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw.
<Pose Tracker> Dias Flac has posed.
"No point missing what we don't have. We'll figure it out going forward," Dias tells Ethius. He glances at Arcmene as they tap the ground in case they figure anything out... but ultimately, Dias is no trainer and can't understand Pokemon. The tapping *does* create echoes, though, which gives him some idea of the size of the pathways ahead, making for better notes.
Grace uses technology to draw out a proper map, something Dias can't do due to lacking any artistic ability. Between the two of them, though, they get a very solid idea of the area. This does nothing for the crystal glare--but that's handled by Rena and her RIRICA camera and the many Squirtle Squad sunglasses she copies. Dias accepts one with a squint.
"...Where did you get these?"
Regardless, with a deeply put-upon sigh, Dias does put them on. They do help with the eye strain. He does look ridiculous. But at least they all look ridiculous ~*together*~.
Meanwhile, Claude and Rena both call out to Chisato as they all move onwards. There doesn't seem to be any sign of her after that explosion, but having spotted her earlier, Dias is able to note where she *would* have been. And when they reach that spot...
There is an ID card. It glints mysteriously! Dias leans down to pick it up with narrowed eyes. Then he shows it to the others.
"Looks like our stalker dropped this earlier," he comments. "Here." He'll pass it off to Claude and Rena, for the two of them to read aloud as they like.
After that, though, it's onwards all the way.
DG: Grace Harvey has drawn a new Challenge.
=========================<* Cave of Crimson Crystals *>=========================
================<* CHALLENGE - Paradox Pokemon - Scream Tail *>=================
| Type: Final | Dungeon Ability: Combat | Challenge Rating: 3 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information >----------------------------
You come to the room deepest inside of the Cave of Crimson Crystals. It is a
large, roughly circular room -- and there is a nest of straw, with some
fabric, in the corner. A metal sensor is built into the wall. This is where
wild Psynards make their home...
...but they're not visible right now.
They have, in all likelihood, hidden. But why would they hide from a
Jigglypuff? A small, round pink Pokemon sits alone in the center of the
Psynard next. It turns, slowly; red-tinted shadows play across its face...
...revealing a long, red-tinted lock of hair...
...and large fangs...
...and golden eyes.
https://archives.bulbagarden.net/media/upload/f/f5/0985Scream_Tail.png
It is not a Jigglypuff. It opens its mouth and /SCREAMS/, powerful psychic
force /slamming/ you backward, and then launches at you. And before it can
be struck down -- or strike you down -- it vanishes in a burst of golden
light.
What was that...?
OOC: Note that you cannot capture the Scream Tail.
============================= Dungeon Conditions: =============================
| Enlighten:_Wits_Up!, Fright:_Combat_Down!_Agility_Up!, |
| Suffer:_Exhaustion_Up!, and Wound:_Combat_Down! |
= Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
<Pose Tracker> Grace Harvey has posed.
Grace is in fact doing fine, until she is interrupted with... CUSTOM SUNGLASSES? "wh-" Grace manages before she has her special photographed sunglasses thrust into her hands. "th-thanks...?" She responds-
And then she's told to put them on. Her eyes shift briefly to Claude, then to Ethius, then to Dias, then to the person hiding behind the crystals and-
She acquiesces, as there is no way out. She puts them on, and hopes she doesn't look too uncool... After all, the middle eye positioning with Squirtle Squad sunglasses is...
A little off balance.
Fortunately, they make it through the maze. "Well, this'll be great if we ever need to come back here," she says, saving the map and putting the tablet away. "So, can't be far now, right?"
The five (plus one secret sixth ranger) make their way into what looks to be a nest. "...So, this is the place, right? I don't see any of the Psynards, though?" Her eyes scan the room until she sets eyes on-
A little pink friend?
Grace guilelessly walks towards the pokemon. "Hey little guy, you seen the psynards anywhere?"
And then it turns. Red of hair, long of tooth and golden of eyes, with nothing in it's round pink face but the desire to kill.
"Oh. Crud."
That's all Grace gets out before a scream like the loudest metal singer ever to exist sends her- and everyone else- flying across the room. Grace tumbles across the ground before getting up to her knees and-
Sees the face of her death, bearing down on them.
Hurriedly, she reaches into her pocket pulling out a number of small round objects with a band of red light around them.
Those trained in such things might recognize them as a common brand of compact grenade.
"Aaaaaaaah get away get away get away!" She yells, hurling a... distressing amount of these spheres, packed with explosive goodness, straight at the Jigglypuff From Hell.
The boom that follows is almost as loud as the scream- but will that be enough to stop a terror such as this?
DG: Grace Harvey has used her Tool A Frankly Inadvisable Amount of Explosives toward her party's challenge, Paradox Pokemon - Scream Tail. Fanfare! Liability! Failure will result in extra Exhaustion!
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
"...I see," Ethius remarks of the shown ID card by Dias. He can intuit that it'll be something she won't be happy she dropped. "I believe she'll come to us," she says to Claude as the card is handed to both him and Rena. The way forward found (while wearing really cool shades), he gestures for Arcmene to follow...
And they hesitate, for a bit, before going along. "Arcm," they mumble, stopping and starting after the group.
"...It could be it's not quite their season," Ethius tries to reason. He doesn't see any telltale signs of... tragedy, until such time Grace addresses someone.
Arcmene has to look at them once, leaning over and looming forward in posture as unblinking eyes peer at the back of--
When the strange round Pokemon(?) turns around, it so happens that Arcmene still knows String Shot, based on what's right behind them. (...That is String Shot, right?)
Then there's the scream, throwing both Ethius and Arcmene across the nesting grounds in injurious, extended tumbles. Ethius ends upright leaning to his left side, where he's able to reach out and catch a rolling Arcmene whom goes motionless in his grasp while explosions rock the area.
In the moment, Ethius can't remember when he's had to calm a frightened dependent animal (beyond that time with Biggs and Wedge's Skiddo), but he's holding them close while the boom goes off.
He feels lucky that the SQUIRTLE SQUAD shades didn't explode in his face.
"This is a novel situation where I'm also at a loss," he explains to the spider-like Pokemon in his present care, "and it would appear numerous other Pokemon might have fled because of them."
Ethius fumbles for his quarterstaff to use for balance to get himself up to a kneel. "If we falter, the nests might be lost. So..."
He stares ahead, gesturing forward through what is doubtless an absolute mess of a situation where any other scream like that might bring the whole cave down on their heads.
"Arcmene. First Impression."
Arcmene parts away from Ethius, and starts to skitter along the periphery of the chambers, until at such point it can find an angle to try and get in the mysterious, dangerous Pokemon's peripheral vision...
!
And then flail all their limbs, screaming 'MENEMENEMENEMENE' in turn in a head-on collision.
DG: Ethius Hesiod has used his Tool Unapproved Flash toward his party's challenge, Paradox Pokemon - Scream Tail. Fanfare!
<Pose Tracker> Dias Flac has posed.
"Or else you could return it," Dias says dryly to Ethius, Claude, and Rena of Chisato's ID. He isn't serious... but it might seem like he is. It's Dias, after all.
They all reach the innermost cavern. There's a large straw nest, a metal sensor on the wall-- He frowns as they all approach the Jigglypuff-looking creature from behind. Something about it... this bloodlust in the air...
"Wait. Something's wrong," Dias warns Grace--but it's too late. It looses a SCREAM of psychic force, and all of them are blown backwards, including him. He snarls in pain from the attack... but he *did* have an idea this might happen, so he's not caught totally off-guard. As he staggers to his feet and the copied Squirtle Squad shades crack off his face, Dias adjusts a ring on his left hand. It's a special ring--called the Ring of Lightspeed, so called because it allows the wearer to move so fast they get a whole extra attack in.
The next second, as Ethius is explaining the situation to his Arcmene, Dias moves. It's so fast it seems at first like he teleported directly into the Scream Tail's way.
SHINGslashslashslashslashslashslashSLASH. Grace screams at his back, and Dias leaps *up* in time to avoid her shower of compact grenades--and Arcmene's First Impression. He'll land on the Scream Tail's other side, sheathing his sword for the next attack.
But perhaps there won't be a need.
DG: Dias Flac has used his Tool Ring of Lightspeed toward his party's challenge, Paradox Pokemon - Scream Tail. Embolden! Party Combat boosted!
<Pose Tracker> Chisato Madison has posed.
'MISS REPORTER!!'
Chisato peeks her head around a hard corner. "I am a strong and independent woman but I'm gonna level with you any cave with this few Zubats makes a girl worry."
She angles herself the rest of the way into view, head ticked back in a confident little posture even though her legs are scraped up in a way that suggest she has taken a few tumbles. "Heck of a place they got here, huh?" she gabs, idly. "Something's off, though. I haven't seen anything that should be able to Earthquake, let alone spook every Pokemon in the joint."
She does pull a notebook out of her fitted little jacket, sketching shorthand notes into it. "And I'm pretty sure the crystals aren't supposed to, like, explode. Gonna have to check the books on that one later," she mutters. "We should be on the right path now, Psynard nesta oughta be just..."
Her head cranes up. "Ahead? Momma Psynard? Hellooo...?"
She takes a few steps forward, and then freezes where she stands as a cute little pink orb with a lovely flowing hair-tail sweeps griously in their direction.
Chisato has gone white as a sheet. "what the hell is that," she says to nobody and also everybody. Grace goes over, Ethius sends one of his partners over, and Chisato hisses "No don't get close to it can't you see its dead-eyed stare with no thoughts but blood and sending innocent young maidens to the pokecenter!?"
And then the overwhelming psychic scream rattles the cavern, and Chisato's sneakers dig into the dirt as she throws up her arms to try and resist. "Jeeze...!" she growls and digs into her jacket, puling out a phone, not even dialing anything, just pulls it up to her face and yells "SHOOT IT SHOOT IT SHOOT IT" before several hyperprecise bolts of water fires out of the cavern they just came from.
DG: Chisato Madison has used her Tool Cell Phone toward her party's challenge, Paradox Pokemon - Scream Tail.
<Pose Tracker> Claude C. Kenny has posed.
Claude accepts the shades. Of course he does. By now, Barry has returned to his Pokeball, so he doesn't need shades. But maybe he should get them later.
Claude is not as surprised as the others might be. "They do help," he agrees. "And they don't look half bad..."
There is definitely no way out of the shades.
As Chisato peeks her head around, "Yeah, it's pretty weird. If you think it's weird then it's definitely weird, too."
Claude also doesn't see Psynards. Maybe not their season? But... The strange round Pokemon is there. From behind, it's kind of cute.
It is abrubtly not at all cute, as Claude finds himself hurled back with everyone else. "What the--"
He hits the rock wall hard, and goes down, having to take a moment to recover himself. Just a moment, though--in an instant he's up with his sword out. ...Just as--Grace is using grenades. A lot of grenades.
An honestly inadvisable number of grenades.
"What is THAT!?"
Apparently even Chisato doesn't know! She does hae a friend who can shoot things though.
"Come on! Don't panic!"
Claude does get up close to it. He swings forward, slashing with inner power and arm strength alike, not to destroy it--if that's possible--but to keep it away from the others.
"Scream at ME, why don't you!?"
DG: Claude C. Kenny has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Paradox Pokemon - Scream Tail.
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lanford has posed.
Rena fidgets as she adjusts the glasses to help Grace out, like she noticed it was off-center on her eye. "Is that better?"
Dias however asks where she got it and for a moment Rena looks like a kid who got her hand caught in Westa's cookie jar- "There was a... promotion!"
Fortunately the glasses make it difficult for Dias to see her eyes. Rena smiles at Chisato as she does say, "It is pretty eerie isn't it?" About the lack of Zubats, and how something is off, "I'm not sure myself, just got a weird feeling about this place..."
As she considers what Ethius has to say she adds, "Noel said there aren't many left. That this might even be the last. We can't let that happen."
A Pokemon going extinct like that? It'd be too sad.
Eventually they make it into the next room, and Rena looks at the strange little creature.
For a while it's like she's gazing into a flame, and she is a moth being drawn straight in towards it, even before Grace addresses it.
The sheer intensity of this-
"Grace!" It's far too late, her call, as she snaps out of that feeling.
The monster however screams, and Rena finds herself hurtling across the room, and it takes her a second to recover, even as Claude shouts out not to panic.
A strange whim overtakes her, as a plan formulates. That's like the opposite of panic right? To be scared, and yet to feel a plan.
What's heard besides the sounds of battle is the sound of a lyre, plucking itself in a song that feels ancient, Eternal.
Almost as ancient as this creature itself.
For a time, Rena focuses on just the song itself, like she's simply trying to draw it's attention, away from hurting Grace, to distract it long enough- but it's melody also inspires, as suddenly everyone finds it just that much easier to move, to rally.
"Star..."
The Symbological Power begins to gather at her feet, as she calls out the first syllable of a spell that just... came to her so quietly.
"...FLARE!"
What forms in this cave is a pinpoint personification of the concept of radiance itself, swelling as fire arcs and streams off of it, gathering into a spherical shape, within a grid like cage, as if it were a seal to contain it.
Then like a hooded lantern, part of the cage is suddenly opened, and power leaks out, the pinpoint star collapsing into a wave of Celestial Fire on top of the Pokemon.
"Star FLARE!"
... Oh and then she just does it again. Because apparently she can do that.
Neat.
DG: Rena Lanford has used her Tool Hand Lyre toward her party's challenge, Paradox Pokemon - Scream Tail. Rally!
=========================<* Cave of Crimson Crystals *>=========================
================<* CHALLENGE - Paradox Pokemon - Scream Tail *>=================
| Type: Final | Dungeon Ability: Combat | Challenge Rating: 3 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information >----------------------------
You come to the room deepest inside of the Cave of Crimson Crystals. It is a
large, roughly circular room -- and there is a nest of straw, with some
fabric, in the corner. A metal sensor is built into the wall. This is where
wild Psynards make their home...
...but they're not visible right now.
They have, in all likelihood, hidden. But why would they hide from a
Jigglypuff? A small, round pink Pokemon sits alone in the center of the
Psynard next. It turns, slowly; red-tinted shadows play across its face...
...revealing a long, red-tinted lock of hair...
...and large fangs...
...and golden eyes.
https://archives.bulbagarden.net/media/upload/f/f5/0985Scream_Tail.png
It is not a Jigglypuff. It opens its mouth and /SCREAMS/, powerful psychic
force /slamming/ you backward, and then launches at you. And before it can
be struck down -- or strike you down -- it vanishes in a burst of golden
light.
What was that...?
OOC: Note that you cannot capture the Scream Tail.
============================= Dungeon Conditions: =============================
| Embolden:_Combat_Up!, Fright:_Combat_Down!_Agility_Up!, |
| Suffer:_Exhaustion_Up!, and Wound:_Combat_Down! |
= Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
=========================<* Cave of Crimson Crystals *>========================= ================< Results - Cave of Crimson Crystals - Round 5 >================ =================< CHALLENGE - Paradox Pokemon - Scream Tail >================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ethius Hesiod 17 --(31)--> 48 Worst Unapproved Flash Maj Combat Effects: Fanfare -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dias Flac 59 --(13)--> 72 Good Ring of Lightspeed Min Combat Effects: Embolden -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rena Lanford 17 --(13)--> 30 Best Hand Lyre Maj Combat Effects: Rally -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chisato Madison 33 --(13)--> 46 Best Cell Phone Maj Combat Effects: Efficient -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Claude C. Kenny 17 --(13)--> 30 Good Fight Bsc Combat Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Grace Harvey 59 --(13)--> 72 Best A Frankly Inadvisable Amount of OLD Combat Effects: Liability and Explosives Fanfare -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Leader: Ethius Hesiod 75 --(35)--> 110 Pass Conditions: Fright(2), Suffer(1), and Wound(2) Effects: Embolden(1) = Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
DG: You have overcome the dungeon's trials! This run is a success! DG: The party led by Ethius Hesiod has successfully explored Cave of Crimson Crystals!
=========================<* Cave of Crimson Crystals *>=========================
=====================<* CHALLENGE - Question Mark Armor *>======================
| Type: Discovery | Dungeon Ability: Conclusion | Challenge Rating: 2 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information >----------------------------
The inside of the Psynard nest is currently empty. As it happens, this isn't
an entirely natural place. You didn't have time to properly appreciate that,
but there are several cameras and other sensors mounted in the walls to
monitor the nest. Clearly, Nedian authorities are carefully monitoring this
endangered species' survival.
The Psynards appear to be out at the moment.
Sometimes, staff from the Safari Zone venture up here on Director Chandler's
orders. Occasionally, they leave something behind. In this case, it is field
armor! What type of field armor? Um. You're not sure. This needs to be
Appraised!
OOC: Feel free to appraise and identify it, now or later (with help or
yourself, too!). You can make it an upgrade for your character if you want!
============================= Dungeon Conditions: =============================
| Embolden:_Combat_Up!, Fright:_Combat_Down!_Agility_Up!, |
| Suffer:_Exhaustion_Up!, Treasure:_Exploration_Up!, and Wound:_Combat_Down! |
= Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
<Pose Tracker> Grace Harvey has posed.
The Scream Tail is not a creature that messes about. The good news is that Arcmene is immune to the psychic damage!
It is not immune to hyper voice, however, and that bloasts it back again- and the flash only seems to anger the Death Metal Puffball.
Claude and Dias's meleee strikes make contact with the creature, that only seems to get madder the more it's struck- but it's enough to lock it into position as the three pronged ranged assault- the barrage of Star Flares, water blasts, and just bombs galore hammer into the Jigglypuff That Time Really Wished It Had Forgot-
But when the smoke clears, it's still standing- it's cheeks puffing out with unconcealed rage. It gets ready to charge-
When it disappears in a burst of light.
A few seconds pass.
"...So, it's gone, right?" She asks, eyes flicking to the rest of the group, before finally, FINALLY relaxing. "Okay! Okay. We did it!"
Surely, there can be nothing else between them and the Psynards now...