[Game thread] Skull Ruins Pokerole

[Lord Windos]

Spoiler

Mr. Finder smells something unusual up ahead. Lots of plant life, and several Pokemon he doesn't recognize. "More Chingling up ahead, though." He breathes deeply. "Feel that air! Feels incredible for something so far underground." Slurpuff is incredibly invigorated by all the scents, and is running around excitedly like a puppy.



The tunnel descends, widening as it goes. The ceiling starts out within reach, then slowly ascends in contrast to the floor, until soon it is high above your heads and you are all able to walk abreast.

On the level below you, where your ramp is headed, you behold a wondrous cavern! Almost all of it is covered in the hairy roots, and the roots are frosted with ice. A light snow is falling in the cavern, and beautiful argent/aquamarine light shines off it. The source of that light is a thousand tiny phosphorescent ferns poking up through the accumulated rime.







Central to the cavern, bigger than any oak, is an enormous treelike fern. The outermost leaves brush the frost from the ceiling, creating the snow. Roots spread wide to split protruding rocks, to dive into rusty clay, and shepherd the snow into drifts. Lower leaves are hung with Chingling and Chimecho, all silent - but not asleep. In fact, there being not the slightest breeze in the cavern, no part of the great fern moves. It's completely stationary.

Behind it, Elder Unown sleep - living ones.




Though the scene is Christmassy, you don't get that warm and jolly feeling. No, you feel...watched. Warded. Protection, protection. Raphael actually looks a little bigger than normal, soaking in that protective aura. You find yourself glancing about to discover just who is watching you, from what dark corner.

Shadows wreathe the leaves and palmlike trunk of the fern tree, though all its tips glow with phosphorescent light. There is much hidden to your eyes here, though you sense little is hidden to the great tree. What that means, you cannot say.

Pokemon move about in the cavern. You see Torterra, modeled after the cavern, with tiny ferns at the foot of healthy hardwood saplings on their backs. They care for the mighty fern - pruning roots with their beaks, bringing in new soil, and exhaling frosty clouds of carbon dioxide. Members of the Bulbasaur line climb everywhere - these seem to have sticky feet that even allows them to hang upside down, until they reach Venusaur size and become too big. The Bulbasauri are planting spores. A ring of Snover stand around the room like little sentry trees, partially explaining the snow. Patrat hide in their branches.

*rolls*
Heart spots two Sudowoodo among the ferny plant life. They stand stock still. What their purpose is, you're not sure.

One more step forward - in a blur of darkness, three Weavile appear before you, claws unsheathed. Each has dark brown eye shadow and facepaint in an unusual pattern:

, with additional stripes running horizontally.

They block your path, blades crossed. All three are growling low.

To Mr. Finder: "Yes.....the very atmosphere seems to a.......aetherial power to it. Only a matter of time before we find out what's the source of it.....'

*Later On...*


Upon first stepping foot into the positively picturesque cavern, Ventus couldn't help the letting out a gasp of shock as he gazed at the snow dusted plant life and the massive, mystical feeling fern that seemingly dominated the area in both design and presence. "Kyurem's frosty domain come to life.......I expect Mt. Sentry's depths to contain any number of oddities besides Antheneum, but a self contained winter wonderland like biome? Does this mountain's wonders ever cease......?" the researcher said aloud, more to himself than anyone else with an expression that was a mix of awe inspired, flabbergasted......and deeply intimidated. He could feel the forboding and protective power this location holds, and the fern tree in particular......he knew without a shadow of a doubt it was both guarded and the guardian of this place, overseeing all within its root network.

'Is this....is that gargantuan fern the physical manifestation of a genius loci? How long must this....this plant must have lived and been tended to develop into a protective and all seeing being, and how did it came about to thrive in such a hostile environ to its kind......? Whatever is the case, it and this is a sacred place and sanctuary to all that live here, so we must not invoke its wrath, lest we be set upon it or the Pokémon that live here......"

As that train of though chugged along in his head he became ever so slightly more Alert as an air of guardedness/carefulness suffused him, beconning Malphena and Raphael to stay close to his side to both act as added protection and to keep them from running afowl of this place and its inhabitants. The screeming banshee was captivated by her surrounding even though this feeling of this place made her a bit uncomfortable, dancing around in the air and letting out cheerful *Scree!* noises in the snow, while the archangel seemed perfectly in their element despite how Icey it was, as the aura of this place bolstered their power and re-affirmed it sense of purpose. No doubt both his family members would enjoy their stay in here, though they still had to be wary of the dangers it holds!

Reading the Elder Unown after spoting them: "The Sentlieu Fern.....? *Hears Nathan's response on this? The Central Fern? So that this genius loci's name.....strange, but not unexpected for it to have one....."


Before the researcher could have the chance to observe and ponder about the many Pokémon and their unique roles in this place, he was interrupted when three Weavile's clad in warpaint stalked out of the shadows to confront the group in a menacing manner. In an instant Ventus's undivided focus was upon the three artic felines as he becomes tense, with Raphael and Malphena quickly glide in front of him and glaring at them, both of them primed and ready to take them on despite their disadvantages!

While Nathan was conferring with his newest ally and after the black cats responded to Shiva's polite but firm entrey in the negative, he stepped forward and cooly regarded them with an unflappable look of seriousness.

"She speaks the truth, Weavile, whether or not you choose to believe it. As it stands, though, we all will explore this sacred place and then continue our journey past this cavern, and will not tolerant you barring our path. If you wish to continue standing guard over The Central Fern in perfect health, then I suggest you leave us be, as we will in turn leave it be and conduct ourselves respectfully while we are here. Otherwise, we will fight, and you all will fall. What outcome happens is entirely in your hands, so what will it be, guardians?"