[Game thread] Skull Ruins Pokerole

[Dragonstrike]

Nathan can't even look Heart straight in the eyes right now.  He's instead choosing to focus on the Mega Stone Sensor as it flashes purple, leading the way to the Mega Stones Shiva left behind.

That doesn't mean Nathan won't engage in conversation, though.

"...and?  These minarets are almost indestructible, Heart.  Reaching the throne room was never going to be easy.  The Sword is plenty powerful.  Just not as strong as whatever the Last King used to construct the walls of his palace, nor as strong as most actual Legendaries."

Nathan stops and sighs, still looking at the ground and the rainbow colored artifact in his hand instead of Heart.

"...why is me wielding this Sword such a big deal, Heart?  Seriously, why?  We all agreed on who would wield it before we even attempted to pull it out.  I said you'll be compensated for what you did.  I just...can't help you find Sid.  Not right now.  He isn't even in Creshire any more.  We're friends, right?  So why...?"

First Heart, now Shiva...why does trying to be friends with people have to be so hard sometimes?  He hasn't even done anything wrong...at least, in Gallade's opinion.

Well, at least Gallade will always be someone Nathan can rely on...

-------------------------------

Just waiting on the start of the Lunapup encounter to be brought up before I get started on reacting to that.

[Spiritmon]

Spoiler

Nathan can't even look Heart straight in the eyes right now.  He's instead choosing to focus on the Mega Stone Sensor as it flashes purple, leading the way to the Mega Stones Shiva left behind.

That doesn't mean Nathan won't engage in conversation, though.

"...and?  These minarets are almost indestructible, Heart.  Reaching the throne room was never going to be easy.  The Sword is plenty powerful.  Just not as strong as whatever the Last King used to construct the walls of his palace, nor as strong as most actual Legendaries."

Nathan stops and sighs, still looking at the ground and the rainbow colored artifact in his hand instead of Heart.

"...why is me wielding this Sword such a big deal, Heart?  Seriously, why?  We all agreed on who would wield it before we even attempted to pull it out.  I said you'll be compensated for what you did.  I just...can't help you find Sid.  Not right now.  He isn't even in Creshire any more.  We're friends, right?  So why...?"

First Heart, now Shiva...why does trying to be friends with people have to be so hard sometimes?  He hasn't even done anything wrong...at least, in Gallade's opinion.

Well, at least Gallade will always be someone Nathan can rely on...

-------------------------------

Just waiting on the start of the Lunapup encounter to be brought up before I get started on reacting to that.

Heart flames was now flickering more than ever. "...You really want to understand why? Alright. I tell you."

Heart then close to Nathan, way to much close and tell in his face. "Many reasons. But the main one is this: You. Dont. Deserve. That. Sword. I am more worth in wield that sword more than you. And you know that. You never though the same hardships as me." Then Heart grab Nathan shirt for they look to each other faces more closely. "You never see your whole family perish before you eyes! To have live a entire life receive the beat up of a abusive father, and the only comfort you had was a mother and a little brother! Do you any idea the feeling of a child, see everyone that he ever knew, be burned alive?! To every night, remember the same smell of burning skin, and to be forced to relieve the same nightmare?! Over and over and over again?! HUH?! DO YOU?! And to see your own brother be burned alive in embrace and die together with your mother?! And thats make you more worth than me?!"

Heart then let it go Nathan shirt. "No....you never loose anything really precious in your life. Even your father who you think you would never see again is alive. My family not. I could have used that Sword to everything over find the culprit of my misery...but you...you betrayed that trust and grab the sword."

Heart flames spark more intense now. "I try to be cool and accept that decision...but...I cant. I cant accept you as my leader, and problably will never be. The only reason I help to get the sword, is because I know Terra. He would even willing to sacrifice himself for you to get the sword. And you would allow it. You...you are willing to sacrifice anyone of us for you to get what you want. You are capable of sacrifice your own friends just to get a stupid magic sword. You are acting just like Saminarok. The only opinion you really care is yours."

"....And you just confirm that when you refuse to help me find Sid later. It could a quick search to see where he go. But when you refuse that...you only betrayed even more the trust I had on you. Now...everytime I see you with that sword, all I can feel is jealouesly, hatred and the feeling of betrayed a friend that I trust a lot."

Heart then look in the ground. "That why I decided: If we didnt find any item who could make up (no artefact, but something who could be used as a held item), or something strong as the Everlink Armor and the Miracle Rood, I will leave the group, and go east, and find Sid myself. With or without. You guys will be alone to find Deoxys problably, but consideraly how I feel about you Nathan, I think this relantioship between us would only get worse and worse. I feel like...a volcano. Who could enter in eruption at any moment, and burn everything in my path. My fire powers drawn from my emotions, and right now my emotions is in havoc and almost unbearable when I near you."

"...Search for Sid also could help me cool down and get used the fact I would never wield the sword, or any artefact. That you used my trust, only to gain some sort of power to yourself...."

"....I was so much angered and hurt that I was even willing to leave your dad to his luck, and not do the ritual to bring back his humanity. I wanted you to suffer be felt betrayed like I was....but then I realize: Its not the right thing. Leave someone to his own luck...be stripped away of humanity...I felt shame of myself of even thinking that, and I decided to, at least, give your dad their freedom."

"....that doesnt mean I felt forgiven towards you. I still felt angered and betrayed by you. I though....I though we were actual friends."

A few tears were now rolling in Heart eyes, with a mixing feelings of betray, hatred and jealously. He is not proud of feel that way...but he is a person who is honest with emotions. "Since I receive my Fire Blessing, my emotions get more...alive. Day after day. Anger. Courage. Sadness. Hatred. All my emotions was almost...maximized, and become some sort of fuel of my power. And the learn of Earthpower help to growth that."

"....I just hope loosing a friend was enough worth for you to get that stupid sword. And betray my trust too." Heart didnt say anything more, and go in the direction of the Mega Stones. "...Mega Stones by nature, is the crystalized power of pokemon. Theyre souls energies in solid form. In other words, Mega Stones is basically the crystalized physical form of Earthpower. Maybe I could touch the stones, and see what kind of Mega Stones they really are. Or at least try..."

@Iron, Insight+Knowledge+Earthpower to try to conect with the Mega Stones and if Heart can identify what kind of stones they belong to. I will increase Earthpower from 5 to 6 using 30 XP. Heart basically dice is now Insight(3)+Knowledge(3)+Earthpower(6) = 12D6.

[Dragonstrike]

...

...Nathan listens to the whole thing without interruption.  Just stands there and takes it.

...he's used to hearing things like that.  It's been a long time, but...others attacking his sense of self worth is something he's sadly familiar with.

So much of what Heart said is simply untrue.

...but Nathan, hurt as he is by those words, just stares at the ground in silence.

Gallade steps between Heart and Nathan and separates them, staring with narrowed eyes at Heart.

...and it's then that Nathan finally speaks up.

"...so...that's it, then?  All that over a Sword that any of us could have wielded, that we decided as a group who would get to wield?"

*sigh*

"...didn't think it'd be sharp enough to cut the bonds of friendship...all those previous promises, shared stories and secrets...guess it was all for naught, then...in the end, none of it meant anything..."

If anything can be said about Heart's words, it's that they definitely accomplished what Heart originally wanted, intentionally or not.  Nathan feels quite betrayed after all that.

...so that's all he says to Heart.  He just looks back down at the Mega Stone Sensor and keeps walking towards the coveted items, Gallade by his side, not looking at Heart at all.

[Spiritmon]

Heart felt bad and regret in what he said towards Nathan...but now it is to late to turn back in what he said. There is nothing he could do now. His emotions still a mess after this whole sword deal....He will talk with Shiva later to put his thoughts in order...but right now, he need to check this Mega Stones. He need all the concentration to use his Earthpower in its full potential.

[Iron]

As Hida slowly burns his way forward through a tangled forest of strong, sticky webbing, he is flung to the bottom of the initiative order and his dex reduced by 2.

The Burmy hangs in a thick cocoon, probably close to evolution. Its appearance is not quite like the Sandy Cloak, but similar. Little nuggets of gold and dried clay stick to the webbing to provide him with excellent armor, a very royal coat.

Giant Burmy Round 1

Burmy spits golden light at Hida. It sticks to the slug, solidifying into metal and slowing him still more. Luckily, his tremendous heat melts the metal again.
Hidden Power 1
(5)(4)(5)(4)(5)(2) (3)(2)
(1)(2)(5)(2) Hida takes 1 dmg 8/10hp -1 pain
CD: (2)(6)(4)
-1 Defense for Hida

Flamethrower 1
(3)(2)(1)(1)(6)(6) (5)
(4)(4)(5) 10/14hp -1 pain
CD: (3)

Bug Bite 2
(2)(2)(5)(1)(6)(5)
(1)(1)(5)(3)
CD: (1)(6)(6) Burmy was burmed

Flamethrower 2
(5)(4)(4)(6)(6) Crit.
(4)(5)(3)(5)(5) 5/14hp -2 pain

Psychic 3
(6)(3)(4)(4)
(1)(3)(6) Magcargo takes 1 dmg 7/10hp
CD: (4)

Flamethrower 3
(5)(1)(1)(6)
(4)(4)(5) Burmy takes 4 dmg 1/14hp

Burmy retreats into his cobwebs, but suddenly drops from the ceiling in a smoking heap as the Burn catches up with him.

That's 10XP to Hida!

[Iron]

Shiva was JUST about to fire something back at Nathan, when Spira chipped in unsolicited but at the exact right time for her to hold back her words. She respects him way too much to disagree, and she remembers that she should not let anything that involves the young historian and/or his trademark stubborness get to her head and heart bar she wants to end like Ventus did. Which she obviously doesn't want as it'd only proof that she hasn't learnt by his example.

Means, she ends up swallowing her anger, sadness, distrust and anythingelse to prevent it from poisoning her reaction and closes the an icy-cold door behind them with quite the effort. Then she gives Spira a timid and Nathan a disgruntled glance, turns away into the opposite direction of the believed Megastones and speaks up briefly before she's leading off, her voice deliberately held in an noncharacteristically neutral tone. "Okay. Actually, fine, you can do what you want, but it's highly bold of you to assume that I care. I'll continue following the path then, we'll see one another later."  .... "Come, Yena", it's almost impressive how she can control the amount of warmth in her voice as her butterwolfly is adressed affectionately, "We get going then." Off she is, leaving figurative ice crystals behind like a Glavinug in water. This doesn't prevent Yena from licking her hand and whine because master's acting scary.


She needs some distance to cool down again and sort her upriled emotions, and concentrating on her search for hints of a Keystone along the way is an ideal way to do so. That great power she picked up on the other side of that trapdoor, that one she would asscoiate with King Sarimanok only, increased her positivity that if some are still around, they are down there, but she can still look out for other loot around, can she? After all, those Scavengers probably aren't leaving them to lay around openly. Her search eventually leads her to come across...

2. Name: Useful item(s)
There's an ancient crate held in a net and lashed to the ceiling.

How do you get it down?

[Iron]

Castform: (3) + 6 Dex + 5 Survival = 14
Mikey: (4) + 9 = 13
Sari: (4)

[Lord Windos]

Castform: (3) + 6 Dex + 5 Survival = 14
Mikey: (4) + 9 = 13
Sari: (4)

Yet again, Terra finds his partners being outspeed by their fluffy opponent, but this time he has a plan to put them in the lead!

"Mikey, Stun Spore and Spore on Castform, and bring them down with Facades! Sari, I humbly request you use Rain Dance to....create weakness in Castform, and use Confusion against it! Bring them down together!"

Orders: Have Mikey drop Giga Castform's DEX with Stun Spore  so that he and Sari get the lead, then put them to Sleep with Spore and either start hammering away at the puff ball with Facades OR Giga Drain (If Sari listens and/or actually changes the Weather to Rain, and ergo it's Typing to Water). Sari is being asked to attempt Rain Dance and then Confusion fours, the former because of explained reasons, and the later because the 1D6 Chance to Confuse would be more useful to proc than the 1D6 Flinch Chance of her HP Fairy. If Michael loses 1/2 HP, have him switch to either Drain Punch or Giga Drain (Whichever would be stronger), and a Potion will be dedicated to Sari if she loses 4 or more HP. If Castform uses its first Action to set up Rain, then Sari can do whatever during her first Action. Let's make the clouds go away, and bring a bright Sunny Day!

Moves:

Michael:  5 Actions - Stun Spore ( - 2 Accuracy, Inflict Paralysis), Spore, and Facade X3/Giga Drain X3/Drain Punch X3 (STR + *6 for Facade, STR + 3 + STAB for G.D. and D.P. and Drain Property)
Sari: Five Actions - Rain Dance (Not sure what the penalty is on this, but there's a source of water nearby for the Move to draw on AND it's been hinted that Castform has been able to use it's Weather Moves just fine), and Confusion X 4
Dice Pool: Channel and Brawl (14D6) - 5/6/7/8/9 = 9/8/7/6/5D6 Base Dice.

[Iron]

*rolls*
*rolls*

Lunapup begins barking from his doorway at your approach. Just because he's shy, doesn't mean he won't defend his territory.

With your Earthpower sense, you can feel form-altering waves of power emanating from the hidden Stones. This actually lends itself to one of your areas of expertise - Deltas! One of the psychic stones you can sense is a Delta stone. The other stone, partially Psychic too according to the Sensor, is not for a Pokemon you've encountered before. It reminds you of Doublade somehow.

Sarimanok was known to collect many Mega stones - thus the Sensor. He was supposed to have some belonging to very rare, exotic, or entirely unknown Pokemon.

[Dragonstrike]

"...well, this one certainly reminds me of a certain someone...so protective of what they hold dear..."

Nathan thrusts the Sword into the ground again, keeping his distance for now.  "...a question for you, Lunapup.  This stone right here..."

Nathan shows Lunapup the Galladite.

"...another traded something for it, I've been told.  Would you mind showing me what exactly she traded for it?"