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[Poké] Voltage: A No, No, No Sort Of Thing

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Posts

  • Shock GShock G Registered User regular
    edited January 2012
    Tanaka & Gigen
    [Manful Martial Monk 1] - [Willful Wisdom Seeker 1] & [Spirited Spectral Scrapper 4] - [Puerile Pest 1]
    Volt: 0 Exp: 1


    Cold, dead air crawls into Tanaka's lungs. Human remains crowd shelves carved into the stone walls to either side, sorted by shape. Before him is a stone slab. Perched upon it is Gigen, looking more excitable than usual. Before his companion, Tanaka places a brass chalice half full of clear water, and before that he places a small knife with a pearl handle. The monk pulls a few yellowed papers out if his right sleeve.

    Ritual of Minor Healing

    One (1) aged chalice
    One (1) blade of personal significance
    Four (4) ounces of rainwater
    Ten (10) milliliters of blood, drawn from the caster

    Combine ingredients while chanting 'Bones úplet, krevní návrat, duše vrátí silný'. Feed resulting potion to spirit while performing dace #43 in your companion guide. Only perform ritual in cool, dark place.


    Tanaka scratches his head. "Like do I have to put the knife in the cup or what?" Gigen shrugs.

    The monk picks up the knife and draws it across his left palm, letting his blood fall into the chalice, chanting all the while. He stirs the bloody water with the knife and leaves it in there, like a little umbrella.

    "Well, drink up."

    Gigen does.

    Shock G on
  • MarshmallowMarshmallow Registered User regular
    edited January 2012
    Good post, Shock.

    If anyone is at a loss as to what to do, you can always pursue your character goal, explore, or just go find stuff to fight.

    Kinda interested in seeing how combat goes with fewer participants.

    Marshmallow on
  • Rawkking GoodguyRawkking Goodguy Registered User regular
    edited January 2012
    Elise & Zeal
    [Ambitious Aristocrat 3] - [Disciplined Dame 1] & [Exacting Executioner 0]
    Volt: 1; Exp: 0


    Nodding once in approval of the treatment of her wound, Elise heads to the heart of Malachite, the Noble's Quarters.

    Walking briskly in her polished pine green plate armor, her demeanor speaking of the important business she has to attend to presently and no, I shall have to see you for tea at a later date, thanks for the offer.

    She comes into sight of the guest villa that, judging by the armored guard casually leaning against the wall outside the door, is where the woman and her child are being kept. It's unfortunately of little surprise to her that they chose the least well-maintained of the guest rooms for a pair of this bearing, but these accommodations should still be more than acceptable for the two. She intends to stop by later, after they have had a chance to rest, to talk about the mysterious intruders. But first...

    Elise steps up to the door, getting a better look at the 15 to 16-year-old soldier. A rigidly well-maintained blonde hair and a serious gaze met her's.

    "Ah, Anthony...Lorne, is it? Glad to see the Guard decided to station a properly diligent soldier on such an important task for Malachite." Elise knew this man. In many ways a promising new career soldier, one to devotedly do exactly as ordered...but sometimes a bit too rigid in following orders. She tended to see him around acting on a variety of tasks, appearing enough to suggest he didn't relish time off nearly as much as others did. Probably part of why he was assigned here, though Elise wonders how he might be reacting to being stationed on chores again when the first hint of real action had appeared in a long time.

    "How have our guests been treated? Have they been given medical treatment and a meal already?"

    Rawkking Goodguy on
  • MarshmallowMarshmallow Registered User regular
    edited January 2012
    Elise & Zeal

    Anthony salutes crisply, his eyes apparently focused somewhere a few feet behind and to the left of Elise's face. "Woman's all patched up nice and neat, Dame. Had 'er kid in a separate room for a bit because of, ah... they're in the same room now," he says primly and evasively.

    "Kitchen brought up fresh clothes and some soup a few minutes ago. Had a taste of it, just in case, jolly nourishing stuff. Reckon the two are still working on it so I 'aven't got the bowls back yet."

    Elise smells smoke.

    Marshmallow on
  • Rawkking GoodguyRawkking Goodguy Registered User regular
    Elise & Zeal
    [Ambitious Aristocrat 3] - [Disciplined Dame 1] & [Exacting Executioner 0]
    Volt: 1; Exp: 0


    "I smell smoke."

    She steps sideways to her left, awaiting a response.


  • MarshmallowMarshmallow Registered User regular
    Elise & Zeal

    Anthony coughs. "Kid set his bed on fire, Ma'am. We think he found a few matches for the candles."

  • Rawkking GoodguyRawkking Goodguy Registered User regular
    Elise & Zeal
    [Ambitious Aristocrat 3] - [Disciplined Dame 1] & [Exacting Executioner 0]
    Volt: 1; Exp: 0


    "I...see. Miss his mother, or just playing with matches? You know, considering these circumstances... I'd like to check up on them myself before my trip the the temple."

  • MarshmallowMarshmallow Registered User regular
    edited January 2012
    Elise and Zeal

    "As you say," Anthony says, pulling the door open and stepping aside for Elise.

    While her supposition on the quality of the room is correct, it's not one of the classier places to be found in the Noble's Quarters, it is at least bright and clean, though the smell of smoke is slightly more prevalent.

    The woman from earlier is seated upright on a bed with white sheets, one of her arms bandaged and in a sling, and more bandages are evident beneath the light dressing gown she's wearing. As she spots Elise enter, she pushes back into the bed slightly, her facial expression guarded at the sight of the unexpected but familiar visitor.

    The child, thankfully devoid of any sort of flame at the moment, is seated on a well-worn stuffed chair in the corner of the room, the youth's cross-legged posture easily accommodated by the large chair. He at first appears to be meditating, but it seems he's just napping upright, leaning into the back of the chair.

    Following Elise's gaze towards the kid, the woman clears her throat, staring down at her hands. "I'm sorry, it was an accident. He didn't mean to cause any trouble."

    Marshmallow on
  • Rawkking GoodguyRawkking Goodguy Registered User regular
    edited January 2012
    Elise & Zeal
    [Ambitious Aristocrat 3] - [Disciplined Dame 1] & [Exacting Executioner 0]
    Volt: 1; Exp: 0


    "Never mind that; He's okay? No burns?"


    Rawkking Goodguy on
  • MarshmallowMarshmallow Registered User regular
    edited January 2012
    Elise and Zeal

    Elise's questions seems to catch the woman by surprise. "He's fine. Just tired."

    Marshmallow on
  • Rawkking GoodguyRawkking Goodguy Registered User regular
    Elise & Zeal
    [Ambitious Aristocrat 3] - [Disciplined Dame 1] & [Exacting Executioner 0]
    Volt: 1; Exp: 0


    "I see."

    She pauses and shifts her posture, contemplating how to phrase her next words while looking around the room at the pair's accommodations. More smoke, so there's a second room in this building...she believed so. Or they took the burnt clothes with her?

    "The Guard seems to have everything in hand..." she says in a quieter tone, mostly to herself before speaking up. "Is there anything else you require? Otherwise, I shall give you ample time to rest while I attend to other matters."

  • StiltsStilts Registered User regular
    Gawain & Amber
    [Cavalier 3/4] - [Tactical 1/1] & [Warmount 1/3] - [Courageous 0/2]
    Volt: 0 Exp: 1


    The Temple: a place of healing and meditation. Gawain likes to come here whenever he gets frustrated, a mood that's typically caused by him achieving anything less than first place. The temple is a perfect place to vent simply because it's the only place where it's guaranteed that no one will bother him. Amber is also a fan of the temple, but more for its grass than its serenity. She'd nibble the entire field down to its roots if Gawain didn't restrain her. Of course, that's not really a concern on this particular visit.

    After removing his shoes at the entrance, Gawain walks barefoot toward one of the monks.

    "Excuse me, brother," he says, holding Amber's apricorn out with both hands. "My Pokemon was recently downed in battle and is in need of revival; and I would like to treat my injuries here as well."

    IKknkhU.gif
  • TerrendosTerrendos Decorative Monocle Registered User regular
    Tullius and Timaeus
    [Calm 1/1][Praetor 2/3] and [Loyal 2/3][Samurai 3/3]
    Volt: 0 Exp: 0


    Returning Timaeus to the ancient and weathered pages of the Codex of Laws without much thought, Timaeus wandered about the academy in a daze. A great many thoughts dashed around in his head, but one dominated his conscious.

    I'm not ready.

    The life of a Praetor was a dangerous one, there was no doubt. But he was no warrior. He was just a kid in robes that were too big for him. Not even that, anymore; his robe, torn in half by the Torterra, had somehow disappeared in the aftermath of the battle. If he'd been thinking clearly, he'd have found it oddly appropriate.

    Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed as someone caught sight of him. She looked familiar, and when she spotted him, her eyes lit up. Doubtless, she wanted to talk to him, probably about the day's events, or she needed his help in matters of law. Whichever was the case, he didn't feel like talking, so he turned a corner abruptly and ducked out of sight behind a column, waiting as she passed by, and then doubled back.

    He reasoned that, if she was looking for him, he couldn't afford to be just wandering the halls. Now he had to find someplace to lay low until she gave up, which could take hours. He wasn't far from his quarters, so he stealthily made his way to his room.

    The room was quite small, little more than a desk, a chair, and a bed. His spare clothes were kept neatly folded in a box at the foot of the bed, and everything else he owned was kept either in or on top of the desk. He collapsed onto the bed, dropping the Codex on the floor beside him, and looked briefly out the small window before he began to cry.

    A few minutes went by before he heard a knock at the door. Without waiting for an answer, the door opened, and Bossan walked inside, shutting it behind him. He pulled the chair out from the desk and sat down before addressing Tullius.

    "You alright, young man? You seemed a little out of it after the attack."

    Tullius's eyes were still wet with tears, so he turned his head away. "Sir... I don't think I'll be leaving with the rest of the group. I... think I'll be heading back home. Can you give my regrets to Sir Brian?"

    Bossan's voice sounded quite concerned. "I can do that for you, but... are you sure that's what you want to do?"

    Tullius tried to stifle any sobbing that might come out in his reply. "I don't think I have what it takes to survive out there."

    "What makes you say that?"

    "I just saw a man catch himself on fire, sir!" Tullius took a deep breath. "I pretty clearly can't handle that. Everyone else was so focused and collected all throughout that battle, and all I could think about was how was I going to survive. I'm not a warrior. If I leave this place, I'm going to end up dead."

    Bossan sighed. "If I thought that, you wouldn't have graduated today."

    "With all due respect, sir, it doesn't matter what you believe. It's what I believe that counts."

    "Before you make such a rash decision, maybe you should-" Bossan was cut off by Tullius.

    "No, sir. I've made up my mind."

    Bossan sighed again, and Tullius heard him stand up. "Very well, come see me tomorrow and we'll discuss getting you sent back home." Without another word, he left.

    Tullius turned his head back around to face the window once more, where he spotted the same woman as before. Oh, no. He noticed her eyes widen as she looked into the window to see him, and he pretended to not be looking that way. She hurried off out of sight, and he realized that she was probably going to walk around to his room. Time to move.

    He got out of his bed, and was about to leave by the door when it occurred to him that he might run into her that way. Which left the window. He tilted it open and squeezed himself through the narrow gap before falling several feet to the ground. He picked himself up and noticed that, in his rush, he'd left the Codex and therefore Timaeus behind. Too late now, he couldn't reach far enough in the window to grab it.

    Only a few seconds until she got there and saw him through the window. It was now or never. He shut the window quietly and dashed off, away from the academy and out towards Malachite Forest.

    *

    The forest had a tendency to sneak up on you, as Tullius had discovered during his time in Malachite, and today was no exception. He felt as though he'd only just left when he was suddenly immersed in the dense foliage of tree cover that very nearly blotted out the afternoon sun. He needed to turn back. Going here at all was dangerous, but it was suicide without a Pokemon or at least a weapon. Tullius had neither. He turned around, prepared to wander back towards town a bit, but he'd gone farther than he thought. Somehow, he'd gotten turned around, and the entrance to the forest wasn't where it was before. He cursed loudly, quite cross at himself for such foolish behavior. He decided that it would be better to just try to hear the sounds of the town, so he stopped walking and listened carefully.

    He heard the sound of someone else walking towards him and sighed in relief. He walked off in that direction... only to stumble upon his worst nightmare. Another of those face-painted goons from before. This one looked remarkably like the armored man whose immolation was indelibly printed on his mind. If he didn't know any better, he'd say it was exactly the same man. He had a sword, and held it right up to Tullius's neck, causing him to stop dead.

    "Look what I've got here." Tullius didn't recall any of the other attackers talking, but apparently this one did. The stranger laughed darkly. "Nice little present to bring back, I guess."

    Tullius tried to think. Malachite needed to be warned. If these people were still in the forest, the town was in a great deal of danger. But somehow he needed to get away from an armed man to do it. Unconsciously, he looked to both sides to see if there were others.

    The man noticed. "Don't even think about running, I'll stick a bleedin' hole in you." With the hand not on his sword, he reached into his backpack and fetched a length of rope. He tossed it at Tullius. "Here, tie yourself up."

    Tullius knelt down to pick up the rope, still conscious of the sword pointed at his head. Tullius prepared to start binding his hands, when he heard a twig snap nearby. Without warning, the stranger swung his sword around to point at the noise, and Tullius took off.

    "Aww hey!" the man swung back around, sword first, catching Tullius in the side. But it was too little too late, because Tullius was already gone. He ran off into the forest, heading away from the man, aware that his life was at stake.

    He took off into the forest. He ignored the pain from the wound. Malachite wasn't too far away. If he got out, he could warn them. The town had to be close. Just past this line of trees. No? Then it's probably just over here. He should be seeing the edge of town soon. Yep. He was almost there.

    He ran for what felt like hours. He felt his blood seeping out of the wound and down his leg. Slowly but surely he felt his pace slow and his head grow lighter. It felt as though he were running in molasses, as though everything should have been going a lot faster. He started to forget why he was running and where he was headed, only that he couldn't stop, and there was a vague sense of urgency to everything. He wanted to shout out for help but he couldn't catch his breath. He heard noise behind him. He remembered that he was running from a dangerous man, and looked back to see the man closing behind him.

    That was all it took for Tullius's left foot to hit a root the wrong way and send him tumbling to the ground. In a flash, the man was digging his knee into Tullius's back, and Tullius could feel the sticky blood running down the outside of his shirt and pooling under his right arm.

    "Hope you're happy, you've killed yourself now." The man was out of breath, but he still managed to convey a good deal of anger and annoyance. He got up and flipped Tullius onto his back; Tullius was in no condition to fight him any more.

    "Now then, let's just get this over with." The man reached into his pack again. He wasn't going for rope. Somehow, Tullius knew what it was going to be before he ever saw anything. Another amulet, like the one from before. The man grimaced just like the one from before. This was the man from before.

    He held the amulet up, and Tullius tried desperately to close his eyes, but he knew that it was for nothing. The man was on top of him. He'd be incinerated regardless.

    He took a moment to recollect on his own foolishness, and contemplate that he was at least right about what he'd told Bossan. He couldn't have survived out here. That's all he had time to think about before the man activated the object and spontaneously burst into flame. Tullius watched helplessly as the fire consumed first the man and then him, but in the pattern of the flames, he spotted something that looked familiar. It was the woman who'd been looking for him. She was... crying? As the flames swallowed him up, the last thought through his mind was how odd it was for her to be crying in the fire.

    Tullius opened his eyes to find himself curled up on his bed in the fetal position, facing the wall. He shivered, both because he had fallen asleep without a blanket on and because the memory of the dream was still with him. He tried to figure out when he'd went to sleep. He knew the woman was real, he'd seen her before. He had definitely run to his room to avoid her. He must have fallen asleep before the talk with Bossan then. He seldom walked into people's rooms, and definitely would have waited for a response after knocking.

    He laid there, thinking about the dream and trying to warm up a bit. He tried to piece together any meaning, if there was meaning to be had from it. But he couldn't find anything. He couldn't find anything but sadness and fear in it.

    "Is that what this is?" he asked nobody. "Am I just doomed to a life of fear? Do I not get to be happy?" he started to cry again, feeling a fresh wave of despair crashing upon his mind.

    He rolled over to look out the window again, when he saw something on his desk. It was folded white cloth, with purple trim. His robe. He blinked back a few tears to get a better look, and along the edge he noticed a line of fresh stitching indicative of a repair. Someone must have found it for him after the battle and had it mended and delivered to him.

    He stood and picked it up. He rubbed his thumb along the thin, fine fabric. He shrugged the robe on and felt the extra bit of warmth it offered him, then reached to the basin of water on his desk and splashed his eyes with a bit of cold water so that it wouldn't look as though he'd been crying. Then he picked up the Codex of Laws and slung it over his shoulder. He opened the door and stepped out into the hallway, setting off to look for that woman. If she still needed him, he'd come help her.

  • Halos Nach TariffHalos Nach Tariff Can you blame me? I'm too famous.Registered User regular
    I don't think I have any choice but to give you a Voltage for that Terrendos, awesome stuff.

    Catarine and Mitsuhide
    [Haughty 2][Noblewoman 4] and [Honorable 0/2][Protector 2/3]
    Volt: 1 Exp: 0


    Catarine bows her head respectfully to the monks request, there's no rush and it is pleasant in the temple after all. She moves to the edge of the cloister and sits on a carven stone bench. There is a faint sound of running water somewhere nearby, an ornamental stream or somesuch perhaps?

    Catarine takes her locket from beneath her cloak and holds it in her hands, closing her eyes and letting the tranquility of the shrine wash over her, its almost as if she can feel the energy of her wounded partner through the delicate metal bauble.

    A sudden influx of sound snaps Catarine from her reverie, a new face has entered the temple, the questing knight from the academy. Galahad? Gregor? Something with a G anyway, Elise mentioned it earlier... Gawain, right, knew it all along. From her bench she has a clear view of a large portion of the temple and watches the tall knight closely.

  • NeoTomaNeoToma Registered User regular
    edited January 2012
    Makai & Iktomi
    [Perceptive 1] - [Ninja 3] & [Swift 2] - [Trickster 3]
    Volt: 0 Exp: 2


    Makai nods and heads off.

    At what he deems the appropriate room, ninja pulls his cowl forward so it covers his eyes. The Darkness
    is all consuming. He removes his shoes. After 10 seconds his eyes begin to to acclimate. He falls to one knee and prepares his mind, an attunes his spirit to this holy(?) place. Somehow Iktomi picks up on all this and her background electric chittering goes completely silent as well. Makai makes two clicking noises with his tounge. Iktomi climbs his back and hides in his satchel backpack he made for her. In this room he'd prefer to have eyes on the back of his head, and Iktomi was the next best thing.

    Ridding on her master's back was habit Iktomi had developed when she was a tiny little Joltik. Despite the fact in her fully evolved state this act was far less cute and way more odd looking, the Ninja allowed his partner this somewhat maternal indulgence and eventually found a way to work it to his fighting style.

    The boy rises, removing the cowl covering his eyes. He strides forward though the smokey entrance way into what is unmistakably the Malachite temple's Hall of Shadows.

    NeoToma on
  • MarshmallowMarshmallow Registered User regular
    edited January 2012
    Sweet post, Terr, have another Voltage6.gif.

    If I didn't reply to your post, I probably think you are going to do something that doesn't require my input. If that isn't so, feel free to correct me, laziness can affect my judgement in these cases.

    Also, I have all day today and tomorrow off, so if you got questions or whatever, you know.

    Elise & Zeal

    "No. We don't need anything else," the woman replies.

    Gawain & Amber

    "In battle..." the monk repeats, sympathetically. "Of course. You are always welcome here, Gawain. With your permission, we should take care of your own wound first. You remember the way to the infirmary, I'm sure? Come."

    The monk turns and gestures for Gawain to walk alongside him deeper into the Temple.

    Makai & Iktomi

    Even with his artificially prepared night vision, the Hall seems to actively attempt to thwart Makai's senses. The darkness is thick and oppressive, rendering pillars and walls into faint outlines in Makai's vision, and devouring his sight beyond a few dozen feet. He nearly fancies he can feel the lack of light on his skin, oily and resisting. The Temple's foundations are said to predate Malachite itself, and though it has served throughout living memory as a ward for healing, not all of its patients have had the will to recover.

    Attuned to his surroundings, Makai can feel the indelible presence of spirits in this place. Neither angry, nor content, but... watchful.

    "You've brought a Dark Type," a hoarse voice calls out from the darkness in front of the ninja, the whisper offensively loud in the silence of the Hall. If sight is not so reliable in this place, the other senses can at least make up some of the difference. Makai can hear the old man's breathing, as obvious to his ears as the man's comment, the smell of unwashed robes and old tobacco.

    "That's a bit trite for you, don't you think?" the Elder asks, amusement apparent in his tone.

    Marshmallow on
  • TerrendosTerrendos Decorative Monocle Registered User regular
    Well marsh, I was actually kinda trying to lead you into something Praetorish with the woman looking for Tullius but if you didn't have any brilliant ideas I can just send him out into the forest or something. Ideally when I'm not posting from my phone. Took me nearly a minute to counteract the autocorrect on "Tullius."

  • MarshmallowMarshmallow Registered User regular
    edited January 2012
    Yeah, halfway suspected that but nothing came to mind while I was writing the post so I figured I would brainstorm a bit and see if I could come up with anything worth pursuing.

    Marshmallow on
  • NeoTomaNeoToma Registered User regular
    Makai & Iktomi
    [Perceptive 1] - [Ninja 3] & [Swift 2] - [Trickster 3]
    Volt: 0 Exp: 2

    Makai can feel the Galvantula tense uneasily at the sound of the elder's voice.

    "Perhaps."

    "The Ninja, with the Dark Type pokemon, whom plays Tricks, and hangs in the Shadows." He replies sardonically. "But then again, such tropes only persist because they hold meaning. Collective Lies that hint at collective Truths."

    He reaches for the Apricorn containing the Houdour and offers it forward.

    "But I digress. I'm here because I'm curious about this little guy."

  • MarshmallowMarshmallow Registered User regular
    edited January 2012
    What kind of Apricorn did you catch him in, anyway? Standard sphere things are nice, but accessorizing is fun.

    Makai & Iktomi

    The Elder leans over, inspecting the Apricorn without touching. The object is warm in Makai's hand, and he can feel it throbbing against his will, like an pain somehow occurring outside his body or a curiously distant headache. Somewhere within the construct, the Houndour gathers what little energy remains of it to rage against its cage, slavering and maddened. The strong emotion contained within stands out in the dulled sullenness Hall like a beacon.

    Species: Houndour
    Type: Dark/Fire
    Demeanor: Vicious


    "You've a very angry critter, there. A pack Pokemon with no pack, well. It's got nothing to lose now, doesn't it?"

    Need: Hierarchy

    "Are you sure you want to try and train this Pokemon? A natural-born thug with the passion and determination of a Fire-Type is not the kind of thing I would recommend for a beginner."

    Quirk: Cruel

    Marshmallow on
  • NeoTomaNeoToma Registered User regular
    edited January 2012
    DeviantArt_Adrastia217.png
    Houdour's ball is bottom left, a messy black and red Gyigas looking thing
    Iktomi's is similar to one on the bottom right, except lightning is etched in the pattern of webbing, and only in band around the Apricorn's equator.

    Makai & Iktomi
    [Perceptive 1] - [Ninja 3] & [Swift 2] - [Trickster 3]
    Volt: 0 Exp: 2


    Makai looks at the struggling ball for a long while.

    This dog seems like it's gonna be a lot of work. And Makai, well Makai has always been a bit of a shortcut kind of dude. Work smarter, not harder. Also, Fire types? Ugh.

    That being said, a trainer never got better from taking the easy route. Maybe if I could give him pack, and a purpose...he could share some of that passion and determination. Hell, maybe it'll be fun playing the role of the Alpha dog. There's a whole forest full of Bugs and Grass types to the North. We can beat up some defenseless bugs or slow witted Grass types and maybe even pee on some trees. That seems sufficiently cruel, also to be honest pretty fun.

    The young ninja looks up from the ball in his palm. "Yes." His voice trembles a bit. "I think I am."

    NeoToma on
  • MarshmallowMarshmallow Registered User regular
    PokeHeaderGhst.png

    Tanaka & Gigen

    The ritual completed, Tanaka and Gigen continue on their way. Their route hardly resembles the way that they took on the way down, but in the Catacombs that is to be expected. It is rare to exit the sub-basement level the same way you entered it, as the paths and hallways seem to shift and change, or else the place clouds the memory. Tanaka can remember an old story of one student who took inspiration from the legend of an ancient hero, and entered the Catacombs with a ball of string to unravel to help him find his way. As the story goes, when he followed the string backwards, he found it passed directly through a solid brick wall that impeded his return, and he was forced to locate another exit.

    What's important is to just keep walking, and remain calm. Despite its grimness, the nature of the place is one of mischief rather than malevolence.

    Or so he thought before the floor beneath him creaked with the worrying sound of stone under pressure, and blackness opened up below, swallowing him.

    Rocks clattering down around him, a grasping hand snatches an outcropping of roughly-hewn rock and holds fast. His diminishing grip lasting long enough for him to orient himself so that when his hand finally gives way, he lands on the uneven floor below him lightly, using his hands to cushion the fall.

    He appears to be in a natural cave, stalactites and stalagmites casting shadows in the light of his dropped torch, which flickers brightly, sizzling in the damp air. The occasional sound of dripping water echoes and the clatter of a few rolling stones from the collapse echo in the house-sized cavern.

    Above, Gigen appears at the hole he dropped in by, the Pokemon's face etched with worry until it sees Tanaka is no worse the wear from the drop. Giving a low chuckle at the predicament, it scuttles over the edge itself, claws stabbing deep into the rock wall, ignoring that it doesn't necessarily need the leverage to keep itself from falling.

    Handholds are ample, and as Gigen is so thoughtlessly demonstrating, the Sableye can create new ones if needed. This is no deathtrap, just a minor setback. His eyes adjusting to the low light of the cavern, Tanaka can see a small gathering of squat structures in one corner of the cave. On a second glance, they appear to be human bones, complete skeletons unlike the mismatched piles in the alcoves above him. They must have been here for decades, if not hundreds of years from the look of the heavy calcification on them.

    Preoccupied, it takes the cessation of Gigen's chuckling to alert Tanaka that something is wrong. Reverberating through the cavern is a low, subtle sound. A gasping intake of breath, like someone trying to hold back a sob, and then the grind of stone on stone. A few seconds of silence, then another soft cry, then another long grinding sound.

    From around a stalagmite floats a pitch-black creature with two wispy arms and a long tail in the place of its lower torso, its eyes reflecting the light of the torch in a deep, crimson hue. As it draws closer, Tanaka sees moisture, tears, clinging thick to the Pokemon's cheeks, and a smooth gray object held in its "tail", being dragged against the rough stone floor to make the grinding noise.

    For the first time, the spectre seems to notice the two interlopers, and its sobs suddenly stop as it looks between the monk and Sableye, its breathing getting quick and panicked. Clutching the gray object protectively, it opens it mouth and begins to let out a long, slowly growing wail of anguish.

    562.gif

    Wild Yamask Appeared!

    Battle2Map1.png

  • MarshmallowMarshmallow Registered User regular
    edited January 2012
    Makai & Iktomi

    The Elder leans back against a pillar his hands cupped at his face. There's a brief spark and a flame, the light hungrily soaked up by the emptiness of the Hall. He flicks the spent match into the darkness, a small cherry of red heat now decorating the tip of a thin twig of a cigar at his mouth.

    "Well, don't mind me then. I'll stay out of the way," he remarks, smoke curling around his head.

    Marshmallow on
  • StiltsStilts Registered User regular
    Gawain & Amber
    [Cavalier 3/4] - [Tactical 1/1] & [Warmount 1/3] - [Courageous 0/2]
    Volt: 0 Exp: 1


    Gawain nods and walks beside the monk as they head toward the infirmary. For a while he remains silent, lost in his thoughts. Eventually, though, he opens his mouth, about to form a word...and then closes it. It takes him a few more seconds to actually start speaking.

    "I'm concerned," he says, his eyes locked looking down at the path in front of him, "about Amber and me. We get along just fine, we have similar goals, and we're always willing to help each other. But we're not a team. Not like some other trainers. I've suspected it for some time, but the recent skirmish confirmed it. Even when we both want the same things, we chase them as if we're on our own. We walk together, but we don't work together." He pauses to turn his head toward the monk. "I think that, all this time I was learning to be a proper trainer, I may have been focusing on the wrong lessons."

    IKknkhU.gif
  • MarshmallowMarshmallow Registered User regular
    edited January 2012
    I'm starting to think I'm less a GM and more some sort of Pokemon therapist.

    Not a bad thing, per se, but funny. I didn't expect a difficult first battle to cause this much inner turmoil.

    Marshmallow on
  • StiltsStilts Registered User regular
    When I'm a player in a game, someone's gonna need to be my character's therapist.

    It's just a thing I do, I guess.

    IKknkhU.gif
  • MarshmallowMarshmallow Registered User regular
    edited January 2012
    Let the 'shipping begin.

    Marshmallow on
  • MarshmallowMarshmallow Registered User regular
    edited January 2012
    Gawain & Amber

    The monk plods onward, considering Gawain's issue silently. "A lack of confidence is a worrying flaw to find within oneself," he finally says. "What is it you see in these other trainers that you feel you lack? If it's merely a sense of teamwork, that can be cultivated, in time. If schooling alone is not sufficient to instill it, perhaps more practical experience is what you are wanting?"

    "I get the feeling this is not the only problem plaguing you, though. You mentioned Amber fell in battle, would you like to tell me about it?"

    Marshmallow on
  • Shock GShock G Registered User regular
    edited January 2012
    Tanaka & Gigen
    [Manful Martial Monk 3] - [Willful Wisdom Seeker 2] & [Spirited Spectral Scrapper 4] - [Puerile Pest 1]
    Volt: 0 Exp: 1


    "Shit." Tanaka dusts off his robes. They're getting awful tattered by now. "It's always something, isn't it? Can never have a quick jaunt to the catacombs." He buries his face in his hands before running them over his scalp. "Ok, I'm alright. Back to normal."

    Gigen manages to hide his concern a lot better, this go around. Gotta let the kid deal with his own problems. He sniffs the air.

    It smells like adventure.

    Pakki notices the weird weepy guy. Huh. "Hey, who're you, weepy guy? What's with the crying?"

    Shock G on
  • NeoTomaNeoToma Registered User regular
    edited January 2012
    Makai & Iktomi
    [Perceptive 1] - [Ninja 3] & [Swift 2] - [Trickster 3]
    Volt: 0 Exp: 2


    Reaching in his vest Makai retrieves a pouch of tobacco. "Thanks old man." While it's weird thinking of this particular chamber as a holy place, it's still part of the temple. And when you visit a Temple you leave an offering.... Perhaps it would be better of thinking of giving an informant a bribe. Whatever. As they emerge, Makai both instinctively shake their aura of darkness off.

    "Hmmm, what do you think Iktomi?" She gives him the Galvantula equivalent of a shrug. "I figured as much."

    Leaving the Temple he pokes his head in on the room dedicated to Fire but keeps walking. He'll try that later.

    Entrance to Malachite Forest
    Hierarchy.
    Hierarchy. Hierarchy.Hierarchy.


    Makai is pacing back and forth hyping himself up. He's lowered his voice to the best growl he can muster. "Think tough. Big man. Leader of the pack. Don't take no shit. Yea!"
    Iktomi Chitters in agreement. "Bzzzt!"
    "No shit from nobody. Nah!"
    "Bzzzt!"
    "Especially no new recruit."

    He wipes his thumb across nose, like he's pretty sure he saw a Yakuza did in a play once.

    Iktomi takes her position a few feet behind her master. When he's sure everything about his stance, voice and general demenor conveys Power, Makai releases the Houdour. "Aye, listen punk. I'm the new alpha dog seeeee" He makes a point of pounding his fist on his chest real toughlike. "And fresh meat, ohohohohoho" He throws his arms back in a open in a 'come at me bro stance' "you're in MY pack now seeeeee." The young ninja pounds a fist in to his open palm. "Stay in line and know your place and we won't have any problems? Capice?"


    Makai's idea of being Tough is acting like Yakuza, which for some reason sounds like 20's mobsters
    Also gonna spend my 2 Exp training this dude I guess.

    NeoToma on
  • MarshmallowMarshmallow Registered User regular
    edited January 2012
    Tanaka & Gigen

    It's eyes tightly shut, the howling Pokemon turns around the mask to reveal the back. Hovering within the concave, beshadowed surface is a small, roiling ball of unstable spectral energy. Still screaming incoherently, the Yamask nimbly flips in the air, sending the sphere hurtling through the air towards Tanaka.

    2,5 vs. 3 - Hit!
    Tanaka takes 1 Damage from Yamask's Shadow Ball!


    The ghostly orb makes contact with him, splintering and fading away, but leaving the monk gasping as the sensation of old aches and wounds long-healed come back to haunt him. Bloodied knuckles, bruised bones and strained sinews screech in a symphony of agony that passes away far too slowly for Tanaka's tastes.

    Marshmallow on
  • MarshmallowMarshmallow Registered User regular
    edited January 2012
    That's super adorable, Neo. Have a Voltage4.gif on the house.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    HeaderHoundour.jpg

    Makai & Iktomi

    The Houndour takes one, long look at its purported "master", raises its hackles, and leaps, its snapping jaws seeking something vital, painful, or preferably both.

    With the Houndour still weakened from its earlier loss and capture, this is Makai's chance to Assert Himself!


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Probably showing how much I prefer to "roleplay it out" over doing a roll here. Gosh, this is like the tabletop equivalent of a quick time event, isn't it?

    Anyway, I make a suggestion like that it's code for "have fun with it".

    Marshmallow on
  • NeoTomaNeoToma Registered User regular
    edited January 2012
    Makai & Iktomi
    [Perceptive 1] - [Ninja 3] & [Swift 2] - [Trickster 3]
    Volt: 1 Exp: 0


    Iktomi's hairs stands on end. There is unmistakable electrical noise as mandibles furiously begin weaving an Electroweb-

    He throws a hand back in a stern no. Makai knows if he backs down now he is basically never gonna win this pup over. Anticipating the leap, Makai knocks the beast aside and pins him down. The boy ninja's teeth are bared. At this point he's not even using words. Just growling. Just low guttural growling. The Hellish hound goes to bite at an arm, but Makai just leans more of his weight into the pin and growls louder.

    He waits for the Houdour to quit struggling against his hold.


    Sometimes being a pokemon trainer means wrestling a dog and growling like an idiot

    NeoToma on
  • Halos Nach TariffHalos Nach Tariff Can you blame me? I'm too famous.Registered User regular
    Catarine and Mitsuhide
    [Haughty 2] - [Noblewoman 4] & [Honorable 0/2] - [Protector 2/3]
    Volt: 1 Exp: 0


    Returning to the locket in her cupped hands Catarine concentrates as hard as she can on the wounded pokémon held therein.

    The monks in her hometown used to proclaim that those trainers with a strong bond to their partners could interpret the pokémons feelings with naught but mental strength. Catarine has always written this off as spiritual nonsense designed to impress simple folk with the idea of a 'greater power' held by trainers and, more relevantly, monks. But at the same time she'd never had cause to attempt it before, never seen her guardian as hurt as this, if there was any way to understand his thoughts at this moment she had to try it.

    Focusing hard on the cold metal, whilst trying to look serene rather than ridculous, Catarine tried to bring thoughts of Mitsuhide to the front of her mind, although he was never caught by her, and until now she had not even held his apricorn device, he had been with her ever since she was a child, longer no doubt than some of these other trainers had had their pokémon. Surely that must count for something? Feeling patently ludicrous Catarine tries even harder to connect to her partner, 'this is so stupid,' she voices internally.

    A sudden influx of emotion quells her complaints, the pain of recent wounds, and old one, a sense of failure, of outrage; the lack of honor these 'warriors' show. Permeating it all, the strongest feeling of all, is one of redemption; never again can he be caught off guard like that, he cannot leave his charge without a shield, he has to improve and excel, how else can he regain his honor?

    But the burst of thoughts alien to her proves too much from Catarine and she snaps sharply from the psychic link, nearly dropping the fragile locket as she plunges back into reality, emitting a brief, but very audible sqeak as she does so. Glancing around hoping that no one heard her outburst only to see a rather concerned looking monk heading purposefully towards her. Rats, try to look composed, she thinks, straignthening out her clothing.


  • MarshmallowMarshmallow Registered User regular
    Dare I ask what timezone you're in?

  • Halos Nach TariffHalos Nach Tariff Can you blame me? I'm too famous.Registered User regular
    gmt+0 but I won't have internet access for ~10 hours...

  • TerrendosTerrendos Decorative Monocle Registered User regular
    Marsh if you're having trouble thinking of something I can have Tullius go do something else.

  • Shock GShock G Registered User regular
    Tanaka & Gigen
    [Manful Martial Monk 3] - [Willful Wisdom Seeker 1] & [Spirited Spectral Scrapper 4] - [Puerile Pest 1]
    Volt: 0 Exp: 1


    Tanaka curls up into a tight, painful ball.

    Gigen's gone by the time his bro eats the projectile, appearing under the weepy guy a second later. The gremlin grabs the spirit's tail, dragging it down into a swirling, unending horror-world full only of spectral claws and bight teeth. Gi spits the creature out and skitters into the nearby pool.

    Cry Ghost barely gets time to stitch its wits back together before Tanaka, recuperated, sets upon it with his flute. The monk drives the demon to he pool with wild slashes, getting a final, solid bonk in before he falls into its depths.

    Can't a dude fall into some ruins without having to assault a fragile ghost? Makes you feel like a chump.

    Gigen uses Shadow Sneak on Yamask! Roll: 5,3. Hit! It's super effective! Yamask takes two damage!

    Tanaka uses Shakuhachi on Yamask! Roll: 5,1,3. Hit! Yamask takes one damage! Yamask is pushed to WATER POOL (Hazard)!

    Gigen shifts to CAVERN A (Dense), then WATER POOL (Hazard)! Tanaka shifts to CAVERN A (Dense), then WATER POOL (Hazard)!

  • MarshmallowMarshmallow Registered User regular
    Makai & Iktomi

    The Houndour struggles valiantly against Makai's grip but clearly wasn't expecting this kind of resistance. Grasping hands are a hell of an adaptation, don't let anyone tell you differently.

    As a last resort, the fiery canine flames desperately, managing to incinerate a few nearby bushes and scorch the trunk of a tree but accomplishes very little else of note.

    Eventually, exhausted, the Houndour ceases fighting against Makai's grapple, and whines plaintively.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Houndour is tamed! For now, at least. As a result of training and Exp spent, it has one Trait at Rank 2 and a second Trait at Rank 1, which you can assign yourself if you like. It also has two Moves. I had Crunch (Dark/Harassing/Dense) and Flamethrower (Fire/Ranged/Dense) though feel free to change those up, especially since I don't think it ever got a chance to even use Flamethrower.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Catarine & Mitsuhide

    The monk hustles up, and stops for perfunctory bow. "I apologize for the wait, my Lady. Is... everything okay?"

    Tanaka & Gigen

    As the Yamask contact with the water, the surface begins to hiss and spit as though boiling. The Pokemon's haunting cry is cut off mid-scream when it submerses, and the pool continues to seeth violently around its ghostly form as Tanaka plunges in after it.

    Its eyes open, flooding the crystal clear water with red light. Opening its mouth to bawl once more, the noise is muted in the depths of the pool. With a series of loud whomps, the surface of the pool is shaken as large sections of shattered stone smash downwards from above. The roof has apparently partially collapsed, taking with it its upside-down fields of icicle-like stalactites.

    5,6 vs. 4 - Hit!
    Gigen takes 0 Damage from Yamask's Rock Tomb! It's Not Very Effective...
    Gigen is Impeded!


    The bulk of the descending rock smashes down at the bottom of the pond near the lurking Gigen, the rubble pinning the Ghost underwater, but failing to deliver any significant damage to the resistant Sableye.

    In the confusion, the sulking enemy Pokemon slips out of the water, still clenching its mask and whimpering as the remaining droplets of water from its dip sizzle like acid on its back and arms.

    Yamask Shifts to CAVERN B (Dense)!

  • TerrendosTerrendos Decorative Monocle Registered User regular
    Tullius and Timaeus
    [Calm 1/1][Praetor 2/3] and [Loyal 2/3][Samurai 3/3]
    Volt: 2 Exp: 0


    After finding the woman who had been looking for him, Tullius discovered that, in fact, she had merely been trying to return the robes that were found by the cavalry in the battle's aftermath. With that little mystery resolved, his next stop was the academy gardens, where he released Timaeus for a little while to splash around in the clear garden pool and recuperate.

    Timaeus restored [Loyal] to full.

    During that time, Tullius mulled a few things over in his head. If they were going to survive on his own, they clearly needed to be stronger, he and Timaeus both. And although a lively battle in the academy would be a good means to help Timaeus practice, personal combat was typically frowned upon. And although he was loathe to recreate any aspect of his recent dream, Malachite Forest was said to be a good place for combat training.

    "Ready, Timaeus?" He watched the blue otter shake his fur out much like a dog. "We're going to the forest to practice." Timaeus following behind, Tullius walked out away from the academy and into the shade of the forest. This time, however, he made careful note of the entrance and the relative position of the sun, so as to be certain not to get lost. Never hurt to be prepared, he reasoned.

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