[Game thread] Skull Ruins Pokerole

[Lord Windos]

Ventus silently watched as his snake and camel take out the last of those magical conjuration made by this cursed location, a distinct feeling of sastifaction and triumph welling up inside him, before he repressed that as well. He couldn't savor his accomplishment or let his guard down now, not with the whole forest watching with bated breath his every command and response. Taking a deep breath and focusing his empathetic sense outward to detect/pick up any more guardens that dare approach the Pokémon Contruct, he calmly ordered the place's death sentence.

"Hanael, resume using Magnitude on the den, and focus exclusively on taking it down. Apsis, move to my side to avoid the shockwaves of you sister's power until she finishes her tasks. The both of you will then purge the site of any ambient natural/magical energies with Acid Spray and Ember, until no life or arcane forces can reclaim this area for future use. Destroy and scour this wretch place of magic, my sisters."

Order: Its time to finish the job, with the added orders of Acid Spraying and Embering this site until absolutely nothing can possible use this area again without waiting for a couple of years or decades. He'll then recall Hanael back to her Pokémon and return to Winesberry, hunting any WILD Pokémon along the way until they re-meet with the group.

[Dragonstrike]

Three hours...and still no Ventus. Three hours of uncomfortable conversation/silence with Shiva as they waited and waited...he hadn't told her about the Running yet, since he'd rather only say it once...there's a dead serious look in his eyes as he tells Shiva he's heading out...

"Alright, that's long enough. I'm going to go look for Ventus. It's been way too long. Princess, Zippy, you're my eyes in the sky. Kirlia, you know what your job is. We need to go find him."

[Iron]

The den collapses. Acid washes over it. The grass and vegetation burn. There's little left of the sacred geometric site but a muddy, ashen clearing.

Ventus calls his Pokemon to him and leaves the desecration. He looks back proudly on his work from a half mile away. That's when a silky voice speaks in his mind.

"Oh, how little you understand, Ventus Zachariah. You can destroy the home of these Pokemon, but can you shift the Earth in its orbit? Can you slide the continents into new positions? Can you drain the oceans and all the water that feeds them? For these are the sources of nature's might. You've accomplished little this day but the satiation of your own disturbed spirit."

"Creshire is a new land for you, rich in all the things that make life worth living. Let the den temple be a sacrifice to the future. Put the past behind you...as I have done. Consider well what I have said."

[Lord Windos]

(Does Ventus recognize this voice, @Iron? I'm just asking out of curiosity, really!)

Ventus left the former magical site, head held high as he began his journey back to Winesberry with his trusty and beautiful Arbok at his side. Once he was far enough away from the thoroughly desecrated location, he stops for a moment to look upon his efforts, and allow himself to finally savor the fruits of his efforts, as was his right. 'My will has been done on that blighted land. No more shall its influence corrupt Fireweed Forest, beguiling unwary people and being a literal den for mages. Sans would be proud of me...' he thought, a small smile gracing his face as he removed the mask and packed it away from his clock, and made to resume his journey back into town.

That was what he was planning to do, until that Voice interrupted him, causing him to stagger in place as he clutched his head at the sensation of his mind being VIOLATED by those silken words of the being projected into him. Apsis stopped in her tracks as well, looking surprised and a little frightened at her master being unexpectedly assaulted, and in an instant curled up safely around him, shield them from harm while she furtively started to sweep the area around her with all her keen predator senses. Something was harming her master, and she will NOT rest until it has either left them alone, or she find them herself and tears them limb from bloody limb! *Hiiiiissss!*

The empath was forced to process what IT wanted to say, cringing the whole time while he barely within held his urge to vacate the contents of his stomach on the forest floor. When they finally fell silent, as if to hear their response, he panted for a few moments, scrambling to get his mental defenses and emotion re-organized and re-fortified against this unknown threat, before he finally spoke up on their words.

"If such understanding would lead me toward sympathizing with that vile, wretch, and dispeciable place of its magics, I rather remain a fool for the rest of my days! No single man or being has the power to do what you described, but as a collective whole we have already bent the Earth to our will, and can choose to preserve of destroy any part if we so will it! Nature power is vast, but Mankind's own might and mastery is a worthy equal to it, so if I have to beware, so to must you. Even if Cheshire is a new Genesis for myself, a departure of my old, harsher and lonely existence, I will NEVER forgot the experiences that have forged me into what I am today. I will endure and persevere as I am, and change only when I desire to, and no one, least of all a wretch mind invader such as you, will dissuade me of my beliefs!  Consider what I say to you, and be gone from my mind you swine! Fail to head my warning, and you will learn well that I am NOT to be trifled with...."

[Iron]

Ventus is positive he's never heard this voice before.

"Don't you threaten me, human. The defenders of this forest are nothing in comparison to my own strength. You have a lot to learn. I just thought you might appreciate the chance. It was not for my own benefit I chose to speak with you...but for a supposed man of knowledge, you sure keep a closed mind. Worry not. None of my kin shall ever speak in your mind again."

[Iron]

Assuming Ventus is likewise done here, Princess eventually spots Ventus ahead on the road and alerts Nathan. The two of you run into each other back on the path, plenty far away from the site of desecration. Even if Nathan were to backtrack along the path, he'd never run into it; it's not even close enough to the path to see the smoke.

[Lord Windos]

Ventus is positive he's never heard this voice before.

"Don't you threaten me, human. The defenders of this forest are nothing in comparison to my own strength. You have a lot to learn. I just thought you might appreciate the chance. It was not for my own benefit I chose to speak with you...but for a supposed man of knowledge, you sure keep a closed mind. Worry not. None of my kin shall ever speak in your mind again."

"If you consider my words a threat, then I either must hold some power over you, or I struck a nerve with my rebutal. Enough to rouse your ire over a pitful human and his refusal to kiss your blighted ass, at the very least. Knowledge might be power and hold immense value, but not all of it is good or worthy of praise, or derserves anything but my complete and utter contempt. Oh, and thank you. Now leave me, and may you be frozen to your core by Kyurem the Null, and suffer their coldness for all eternity, you waste of life."

[Dragonstrike]

When Princess eventually comes back with a positive that she found Ventus, Nathan's rather relieved.  "Great job, Princess.  Amazing work, as always.  Since we're out here, why don't you and Zippy go collect some more honey?  Kirlia, let's go meet up with Ventus in the meantime."

Nathan looks rather annoyed as he approaches the researcher.  "Ventus!  What the heck is taking you so long?!  We should have left hours ago!"  Kirlia's right by his side as always, ready to analyze the situation.  The bees split off to do some honey gathering once Nathan gets to Ventus's location.

[Lord Windos]

Nathan looks rather annoyed as he approaches the researcher.  "Ventus!  What the heck is taking you so long?!  We should have left hours ago!"  Kirlia's right by his side as always, ready to analyze the situation.  The bees split off to do some honey gathering once Nathan gets to Ventus's location.

Ventus doesn't react much to Nathan's sudden arrival, besides placing a calming hand on Apsis sinous body to prevent her from striking out at the boy out of stress and surprise. He was still panting from his 'conversation' with that , clutching his head and covering one eye as he slowly starts to pull himself together and give them a answer to their inquires. "...I decided to..go out hunting with Apsis...as she was...insistent that her hunger would be...sated and I didn't want to...risk the chance of 'snacking' on the...road. However, our quary...a particularly poweful Hypno...happened to have a swarm of Pokémo...under its command, so I was entangled in...a fierce battle that I barely managed to... escape as the victor. Unfortunately, I...may have gotten a tad lost while retreating...so I decided to take a breather here and...try to regain my barring once more. I'm...terribly sorry for the...delay, my friend. Please lead the way back....to the Pokémon Center..." the researcher panted out, his emotional state carefully guarded for the time being. His cover story was not quite honest, but it was truthful to some degree, so they hoped that it would get past Kirlia's radar at the very least.

[Dragonstrike]

Ventus doesn't react much to Nathan's sudden arrival, besides placing a calming hand on Apsis sinous body to prevent her from striking out at the boy out of stress and surprise. He was still panting from his 'conversation' with that , clutching his head and covering one eye as he slowly starts to pull himself together and give them a answer to their inquires. "...I decided to..go out hunting with Apsis...as she was...insistent that her hunger would be...sated and I didn't want to...risk the chance of 'snacking' on the...road. However, our quary...a particularly poweful Hypno...happened to have a swarm of Pokémo...under its command, so I was entangled in...a fierce battle that I barely managed to... escape as the victor. Unfortunately, I...may have gotten a tad lost while retreating...so I decided to take a breather here and...try to regain my barring once more. I'm...terribly sorry for the...delay, my friend. Please lead the way back....to the Pokémon Center..." the researcher panted out, his emotional state carefully guarded for the time being. His cover story was not quite honest, but it was truthful to some degree, so they hoped that it would get past Kirlia's radar at the very least.

Nathan and Kirlia almost buy it.  There's just one part that Kirlia notices is an obvious lie:

Getting lost.

Nathan gives Ventus a very skeptical look.  "Ventus, you're on the main road right now.  And a field researcher with who knows how much experience.  How the heck could you have gotten lost? And why the heck were you attacked by a horde of wild pokemon?"