(05-13-2019, 06:06 PM)Iron Wrote: [ -> ]Grim: "Pokemon are a resource. I'd help only if there was a chance it would be strong or interesting. Since you said I don't know its strength, there are a lot of circumstances where I wouldn't bother to help. Pokemon can take care of themselves, or not." But Grim is absentmindedly stroking one of the Pokeballs hidden in his belt as he says this.
Kelda: "Scimitars don't hate Pokemon, Nathan! They're just a distraction from the arcane arts, which are what really matter. So...I probably wouldn't help the Pokemon, 'cause I should be practicing. But maybe if it wasn't going to take much time." (She clearly feels bad about this)
Hmmm...they're saying similar things, but both of their actions and emotions say otherwise...
That's enough for Nathan to make a decision.
"I wasn't saying they do, Kelda. However, that doesn't mean I've seen a lot of evidence so far that indicates they're particularly fond of them, either. I certainly haven't met very many pokemon that are fond of Scimitars. Maybe you'll show me otherwise, though." Maybe that last statement surprises her a little.
Grim is a man who clearly knows who he is and what he believes in. He didn't hesitate to recite the Scimitar values. He seems to be good underneath that layer, but...he's reciting the Scimitar values a little too quickly for Nathan's taste.
What's drawing Nathan to Kelda is the simple fact that she doesn't know what she's fighting for yet. She will go to great lengths to achieve her goals, but what are they in the first place?
Maybe Nathan can help start her on the right path. If Nathan has to do this, he wants to have a positive impact if at all possible. The two of them might be alike in some ways, too...
Nathan chooses Kelda.
(05-12-2019, 08:31 PM)Iron Wrote: [ -> ]Cosh:
"Well. The time approaches, Nathan. Your companions vouched for your story, our spells determine you may be telling the truth... though we are not so adept at mind tricks as the Water Scimitars. You say you know the entity. You know its name, and that name alone will prove its cooperation. Despite the horrid legends surrounding the Kadabra Chambers... I am prepared to believe you, to forsake my orders and risk my rank on this compromise. All you have to do is speak that name. If you do, and everything is as you say, we five Scimitars shall accompany you alone into the Ruins to seek the Artifacts and wield them together as best befits the world. I give my word on it. Speak that name now, and let us venture forth!"
Gallade detects no duplicity. He is focusing hard to get past the steely nature of Cosh's mind. It's a bit like reading Terra. Yes, there's something a bit more than human to Cosh.
Nathan and Gallade look Cosh straight in the eyes, their arms crossed, as Nathan drops the big reveal. Nathan isn't amused by how heroic Cosh is trying to sound.
"The
person's name is Marco. That is the name that Juni knew.  What, you were expecting something different? Well, I'm afraid I'm going to have to burst your bubble. And all the other bubbles, too. Because even with all the Insight of a Mega Alakazam, not even Juni managed to figure out why the heck I was so cross with her."
"
His full name is Marco Warren, and he is a pokemon trainer able to rival the Elite 4 themselves. A trainer I've known for my entire life, who I have the utmost respect for, who taught me many of the things that have helped make me who I am today."
Nathan and Gallade simultaneously point dramatically at the Scimitar Admin.
"
For my name is Nathan Warren. And if you continue to stand between me and my father, Cosh, we're going to make sure you'll regret that decision."
Nathan and Gallade cross their arms again. "...choose wisely, Cosh. I've been waiting three years for this chance. My dad was here for the same reason we are from what I know, and it's thanks to Juni that he got stuck in that place instead of finding more information on the artifacts before they were immediately needed. And I am
sick and
tired of you and your superiors threatening my friends and family, purposely or not. Help me get to my dad, though, and maybe he'll be able to help us if I explain to him why I'm here of all places."
I wonder what some of the grunts think of that? Kelda in particular, given family seems to at least have a little significance for her...
Cosh knows more about it than Juni, in some ways.
As soon as the name Warren is first dropped, his mouth opens wide. He shuts it just as quickly.
"You've really delivered here, Nathan Warren. Getting Marco Warren on our side wouldn't hurt a bit, no sir! And you're just the one who can make it happen. Well, you've all chosen a partner. Everything is even between us, nothing left unrevealed. Then I think we're ready!"
Yeah, Gallade can sense Kelda's sympathy swelling within her.
(05-14-2019, 02:14 PM)Iron Wrote: [ -> ]Cosh knows more about it than Juni, in some ways.
As soon as the name Warren is first dropped, his mouth opens wide. He shuts it just as quickly.
"You've really delivered here, Nathan Warren. Getting Marco Warren on our side wouldn't hurt a bit, no sir! And you're just the one who can make it happen. Well, you've all chosen a partner. Everything is even between us, nothing left unrevealed. Then I think we're ready!"
Yeah, Gallade can sense Kelda's sympathy swelling within her.
(OOC: *snicker*Â Oh, if Cosh only knew what Nathan is still hiding about many different things...)
Nathan and Gallade still have their arms crossed as they look at Cosh with narrow eyed gazes.  "Very little is even between us, Cosh. If it weren't for Terra, we wouldn't even be having this discussion in the first place. You better not forget that." Meeting a few of the grunts has changed Nathan's viewpoint of them a little, but his opinion of Cosh specifically is still very much the same as before.
Distaste from having to work with one of his and Gallades' worst enemies aside, Nathan's ready to go. He lets Emolga out of his pokeball, and the Sky Squirrel Pokemon perches on Nathan's shoulder, oddly silent as he surveys the surroundings.
It's time to finally begin the search for Marco Warren.
Terra's ready to begin the search too, moving towards Cosh and offering him a handshake with a neutral but not unkind expression.
"We have an accord, Cosh. My group shall honor it, and so will yours. Break it, and I break you. That is that."
He then moves to his partner's side, and points towards the direction of the Kadabra Chambers.
"Now, let us go."
And as Spira gets ready to go in, he lets Luna out of her Apricorn; "I'll be counting on you to deal with any lost spirits we come across down there." She does a flip midair and has a gleeful expression on her 'face', (kinda like this Drifloon from the core book:
)
as if saying "You can count on me! (`·ω·´)"
Cosh: "We've been keeping an eye on the Kadabra Chamber since the very beginning. Follow me!"
"OK, here's the situation. The best entrance is right over there, beneath the biggest Barrow around. Won't be too many ghosts around in daylight, and the five of us can banish any that do crop up. You'll need Rock Smash or Cut or something to get inside - there are many doors in the Barrow, all locked and warded. If we pick our way through the Barrow Downs, knock down at least one door, jet inside through the maze of tunnels... we'll be ready for the Kadabra Chambers. Sonar reveals a big chamber right beneath that Barrow, full of some crystalline substance and itself networked with tunnels. The Kadabra Chambers are sort of transitional between the Barrow Down layer and the Upper Palace ruins layer."
You're all going to pick your way through the old graves, mass burial sites, uprooted artifacts, and earthen tombs. You aren't sure which paths lead onward safely.
Everyone is required to pick exactly one Encounter to solve with your Scimitar partner. No overlap or sharing - they all have a Cap of 1. Scimitars may want to make a capture, in which case we'll have to work that out somehow (not traditional XP bidding as the Scims don't have full char sheets).
This will count as Encounter 2 for the day.
You can tell me how you begin to address the problem as soon as you choose the Encounter, then you can react as I reveal more info.
Skull Ruins Barrow Downs Encounter List
1. Name: Treasure Tomb
You see the glitter of metal inside one of the tombs. Looks like you could crawl through a hole in the side and investigate.
2. Name: Stone Circle
There's a circle of upthrust stonework from long ago, and you spot flickering movement there. The circle is guarding one of the possible paths to the Great Barrow guarding the Chambers.
3. Name: Shallow Ground
This area is littered with old armor and weapons. There are a few old marble coffins sticking up, and some suspicious looking dirt with bloodstains everywhere.
4. Name: Daaarkness
A fairly nice straightforward path suddenly reaches a pair of stone pillars with a missing top, like an old archway. In line with the pillars, and everywhere beyond, it is just pitch black. Lots of skittering noises in there.
5. Name: Stone Puzzle
This path is blocked by a sliding stone puzzle like the ones you found in Mt. Sentry.
6. Name: Golurk Statue
The path runs right between Golurk's legs, and its eyes occasionally flash menacingly. However, it's a greyish orange color, the color of dirt, and it doesn't move. So it must be a statue and not a Pokemon, right?
Spira can roll Survival + Lore every Encounter to see how many spirits Drifloon finds.
Each day, Drifloon loses one spirit.
Some encounters may have more or less spirits and thus grant a bonus or penalty.
Needs 16 more spirits in order to be full and trigger evolution.
First check (while arguing with the Scimitars): (4)(4)(1)(4) Drifloon finds and slurps up 3 spirits.
Before they eventually make their way into these ominous Ruins,
Shiva takes a moment to page through her notebook to make a mental note: 'The first of these ancient Artifacts is said to be directly below the Barrow Downs and stolen and hidden by ghosts' - and to summon her anti-ghost-doggo from his Ball. She affectionately tousles through her good boi's black neck fur, rearranges her comfy Ranger Cloak and finally ... takes the first step alongside the others. She's hoping - nope, BELIEVING - that this isn't the first step into doom but rather into glory and salvation.
Maybe it's obvious, maybe not, but Shiva would really really wish to become a wielder of one of these Artifacts.
She keeps herself close to Arachna - just in case,
and she lets Yena pick up and remember her scent if too much heavy perfume doesn't disguise it. It relieves Shiva that at the current time of day there are less ghosts lurking around and that the Scims will take care of them, this encourages her to wander a bit further away from Spira. Not
too far away though, still close enough that she'll sense or hear any call for help with a potential ill-natured Spiritomb.
EDIT: Oh no, wait, can't help in this scenario due to Cap.1. Sorry!
Just as she was letting her gaze wander - she's pretty adamant about not starring for too long at any tombs, they're creepy - some skittering noise makes her fastly turn into it's direction.
Quote:4. Name: Daaarkness
A fairly nice straightforward path suddenly reaches a pair of stone pillars with a missing top, like an old archway. In line with the pillars, and everywhere beyond, it is just pitch black. Lots of skittering noises in there.
She shivers over that uncommonly dark blackness, something must be...devouring any light within and beyond these pillars. That 'something' catches her attention and interrest, though she's very unsure why. "Hey, Yena.... Arachna..."
she'll adress her butterwolfy and edgy partner before approaching this darkness and the pillars, "You hear these sounds as well? Yena, can you smell...any Pokemon in that direction?" What feeling does Shiva herself get from the pillars and this darkness?
(05-14-2019, 03:09 PM)Iron Wrote: [ -> ]Cosh: "We've been keeping an eye on the Kadabra Chamber since the very beginning. Follow me!"
"OK, here's the situation. The best entrance is right over there, beneath the biggest Barrow around. Won't be too many ghosts around in daylight, and the five of us can banish any that do crop up. You'll need Rock Smash or Cut or something to get inside - there are many doors in the Barrow, all locked and warded. If we pick our way through the Barrow Downs, knock down at least one door, jet inside through the maze of tunnels... we'll be ready for the Kadabra Chambers. Sonar reveals a big chamber right beneath that Barrow, full of some crystalline substance and itself networked with tunnels. The Kadabra Chambers are sort of transitional between the Barrow Down layer and the Upper Palace ruins layer."
You're all going to pick your way through the old graves, mass burial sites, uprooted artifacts, and earthen tombs. You aren't sure which paths lead onward safely.
Everyone is required to pick exactly one Encounter to solve with your Scimitar partner. No overlap or sharing - they all have a Cap of 1. Scimitars may want to make a capture, in which case we'll have to work that out somehow (not traditional XP bidding as the Scims don't have full char sheets).
This will count as Encounter 2 for the day.
You can tell me how you begin to address the problem as soon as you choose the Encounter, then you can react as I reveal more info.
Skull Ruins Barrow Downs Encounter List
5. Name: Stone Puzzle
This path is blocked by a sliding stone puzzle like the ones you found in Mt. Sentry.
The Skull Ruins Barrow Downs: Ancient Barrow - Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon
Nathan pulls out his own map of the old castle, the one that Bill sent him, to compare it to what Cosh is saying about the structure of the place. Is it going to be the same? Probably not. But call Nathan curious at the very least. Even if the map doesn't end up being very directly useful, seeing the general layout and comparing 'now' to 'before' might be handy.
When Nathan sees one of those Stone Puzzles similar to the ones in Mt. Sentry, his immediate thought is to investigate it. He walks up with Gallade and Emolga and gives it a good look before touching anything. Figure out how it works, if it's trapped like the one Shiva solved was, what kind of picture it might depict, asking Gallade if he can sense anything on the other side of it...
Nathan also glances over at Kelda briefly during the process. "Any good at puzzles, out of curiosity? Because we're looking at one right now. Didn't fully expect to see one here, though, if I'm being honest...hmmm..."
Oh, and if Kelda has any questions for Nathan, he probably won't mind answering them.