[Game thread] Skull Ruins Pokerole

[Lord Windos]

Spoiler

When Terra asks if Gallade can help him learn a little about swordplay, Gallade starts thinking very carefully about that.  More on that later.

(...)

Then Nathan looks at everyone else.  "Everyone understand?  No talking about Heart having a member of the Honedge family in this era.  That could endanger him, plus us for associating with him.  The less we talk about it, the safer we'll be.  I don't think any of us want to end up dead, imprisoned, or worse because of this."

He looks back at Heart.  "...you can raise it without getting in trouble if you're careful about when you use it, just...don't get yourself...or us...in trouble with authority figures by doing so, alright?"

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

Now then, on to the soldiers.

(...)

A pause, then he continues.  "...peasants could be conscripted into the army too.  They were usually just expendable cannon fodder, though.  And punching bags for the Progenitors to train with.  I don't see any in any of those camps, though..."

One last pause.

"...well, welcome to 500 AD, everyone.  Or at least, we're in the general ballpark of that century.  Being 1500 years in the past...well, 1400 in your case, Spira...it's certainly going to be a...different experience, to say the least...we'll need to tread carefully, and second guess anything that seems even remotely out of the ordinary..."

Whew, that was a long lecture...



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

At some point, Nathan also introduces his stranger pokemon to Terra and Spira.  "Ah, right.  Terra, Spira, this is Charmeleon.  One of my few dragons, and one looking for an opportunity to prove his strength.  And the big guy behind me..."

Nathan points behind him at the big, scruffy looking dog that appears to be wearing a cape.

"...that's Ditto.  Currently Transformed into a Herolune, a rather rare and...heroic dog pokemon.  Just a quick question, Ditto, but are you able to detransform at the moment?"

Dittolune barks, focuses...then shakes his head.  Nope.

"...well, I suppose there's worse things you could be stuck as..."


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

After having giving Terra's question some thought...Gallade turns to Nathan to discuss something with his best friend.  He extends one of his blades, slashes at the air with it, then sheathes it, waves his hand around, and shrugs.  Nathan turns to Terra to 'translate'.  "...he's not sure how well that might go.  He could try if you really wanted to attempt to learn, but fighting with bladed elbow is a bit different from waving a sword around."


It's at this point that Gallade notices the images on Terra's shiny, new, medieval gear and points them out to Nathan, who hadn't really paid too much attention to them at first.

"...ummm...Terra, I think it might be better if you don't use those...I'm not sure it'd be a good thing if somebody thought we were part of Sarimanok's army because of all those eyes..."

Then he notices the pictures of what appear to be pokemon on the shield and helmet.

He blinks a few times.  "...Terra, what are those pokemon depicted on the helmet and shield?  That paint still looks fresh if I'm not seeing things..."

(OOC note: if Terra wants Nathan to elaborate on anything he said during the course of this post, he's free to ask)

While the use of some terminology and a little complexity of Nathan's treatise on the Aegislash line was lost on Terra (Mainly the word 'Treason' ,and why exactly it was barred from League Battle usage by everyone save the Champ), the overall message was not, especially with the dire warning they issued at the end. His expression went firm and hard like the mountains, and his posture became Alert and rigid as he listened, a growing sense of concern and apprehension replacing the happiness and curiosity he felt over Heart's capture.

'.....Honedge are THAT special and important? Enough that the soldiers and Sammy would.......punish us all badly? Just because Heart caught and own one? *Shakes head* ......Not good. Not good at all. Hm......but Heart said he sent them back to our time, though. Maybe.....we won't get in trouble, if we are careful? *Expression darkens, as he tilts his head down* ....I hope so. My duty is to protect them......but can't from the King and his kingdom.....'

After having a moment of silence to dwell on the grave new, the simple monk looked up at the scholarly trainer, and gave them a solemn nod of his head.

"Understood. Will not talk about.....it at ALL while we are in the past. Promise."

That was that for the man.  He wouldn't do anything to endanger the lives of his charges, and would sooner sacrifice himself than let any disastrous misfortune to befall them all - something which all the group but Spira could attest to....

(...)

Like with Nathan's lecture on Aegislash, parts of his explanation of The King Era were not entirely well understood by the rugged wanderer (Genetic Lottery, Sammy being related to all those soldiers, etc.), but he got the gist: Life was rough in past unless you were Noble or strong, Soldiers and people like them were super human, Ghost were in statues and Sammy had 'magic powers' (Both of those facts sent a shiver down his spine), and the group was way back in time. It was a dizzying amount of information being dumped on him at once, and unlike his exploration of the campsite he didn't have that same connection that kept him from being overload. 

Still, he managed by focusing on the main points he garnered, and relegating the rest to long term memory to chew over/question about later. Get the general details now, and worry about the complexities later, or in other words: K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Stupid).

As such, Terra only had a few things to comment on after the boy finished speaking: The matter of the peasants, and what the heck were they going to do now.

"Uh....their are peasants. Have their own camp, little bit away from soldier's. Went over their to help them out after seeing.....how bad off they were. *Shakes head* Didn't know it was THAT bad, though... ....Hope they will be alright."

If his tone was anything to go by, he was genuinely worried about the commoner's well being and safety, despite them having no connection to the mountain of a man or a sense of duty/bond to motivate him to feel that way. Hmm....

"......*Shakes head* Never mind. *Looks at Nathan first, then everyone else* Nathan.....everyone.....what do we do now? We are......trapped in this time. Have no way to get back to our own. Only have Bill to help us out, and.....he can not do much. Not now....*Shakes head* ....maybe not ever. So....we need to plan our......next actions. Carefully. Hm....Do we stay near soldier's camp for the night? Or leave now, and.....make some distance from them? And.....should we continue going to Tezeal Valley? Or go..... somewhere else? Like a place that could......help get us back to our time, or.... safe location until we are......moved again? *Shakes head* Don't know....not yet. Need to think more. But.....maybe you all have.....idea of what to do?"

Thus spoken, Terra falls into silent contemplation, leaving the rest of the group with several important question that he himself had no answer for. At least, not now.....

(...)

Later on, once everything was settled, he was more than happy to be introduced to the red dragon and lunar doggie, offering them both a warm smile and plenty of marshmallows!

"Hello Charmeleon, Ditto. Nice to meet you. Here, have some sweet treats, if you want."

*Looks over at Nathan*


"Know about Ditto.....but not about Charmeleon or Herolune. You also said that Ditto.....is stuck as Herolune? Can you tell me more about them, and that? Please?"

(...)

He took a moment's pause of his own to think over Gallade's response, and then gave them a nod of his head.

"Yes, I do. Never know if Skill with weapon could help.....or save a life. *Bows* Please, teach me what you can, Gallade....."

Nathan's concern over the Eyes he requested Sir Artist to paint was meet with a small amount of confusion - "Uh....okay? Can wash off purple eye if they are a problem. Only had them added because I though they would increase armaments value...." - but their question about the Legends that adorn his helm + shield provoked a tilt of his head before realization dawn on him.

"Oh! Hm.....those are the Legendary Pokemon, Child of Garlic and Kazesidhe *Points to each respective image as he names them*. Child of Garlic convinced Sammy's grandfather to free peasants, and Kazesidhe is one of the four Legendary Beast that serve Ho-oh, all of them.....represent.....sacrificing friendship....I think. They are.....the Legendaries of Commoners. *Nods* Had an Artist paint them on, after he told me about them and Xerneas, Landorous, and Cobalion, the Legendaries of Royalty, Kingdom, and Knighthood."

Spurred on by this Lore recital, Terra recounted something else too, and in turn pulled out the Sack of Soot and presented it to the boy.

"That......makes me remember. Found this.....bag full of ashes while exploring campsite. *Shakes head* Don't know what to do with it.....but maybe you do? You are clever and smart. So.....you want it?"