[Game thread] Skull Ruins Pokerole

[PhantomUnderYourDesk]

The PUNisher's words cause Shiva to snap out of her sulking state and figuratively shrink in size as she looks away in faint embarassment. "I'm sorry that I caused you to worry so much, Heart... Excuse me if I caused you headache, everyone, hehe...!" She tries to chuckle and take it with humor which only halfly works, in silent she seems happy that the others haven't just let her be and moved on. By Reshiram's blazing flare, no!!

(Spirit, mind if we get to that handing of Conditional Balls at some point later, at best after we've finished the Scimitar Quest? This doesn't feel like the best time to trade Items, and it's a bit uncomfortable to do so in front of everyonelse. If it's okay with you to keep them for a while, that is! I'll assume that during that future handing Heart will also tell her what these Balls do/what the paper that comes with it says or that she'll find out herself in a way if that's good, no need to dwell on such details.)

[Spiritmon]

(No problemo! We can exchange items later)

[PhantomUnderYourDesk]

(Thankies!~)

Oh, if none volunteers on pushing that "DELIVERIES" crate, Shiva will do so carefully. Azu and Yena are on guard and Lilith watches closely.

[Dragonstrike]

Oh, if none volunteers on pushing that "DELIVERIES" crate, Shiva will do so carefully. Azu and Yena are on guard and Lilith watches closely.

(I would have probably said something about that already, but I'm waiting on Mika to say if Spira wants healing of some kind before I do anything else, tbh)

[PhantomUnderYourDesk]

(Oh, alright then. Maybe try highlighting that next time to make it more visible, I guess. So then Mika, will you heal yourself by yourself or via a requested Heal Pulse before we progress?)

[Mikaruge108]

(Heal Pulse, wanna save my healing items until absolutely necissary. iirc Spira is missing 3 hp)
"Interesting, so are these 'key stones' hard to come by? I also got a little scraped up in that fight, and would like a Heal Pulse as well."

[Dragonstrike]

(Heal Pulse, wanna save my healing items until absolutely necissary. iirc Spira is missing 3 hp)
"Interesting, so are these 'key stones' hard to come by? I also got a little scraped up in that fight, and would like a Heal Pulse as well."

(I double checked the posts, and Spira took 4 damage.  Shiva took 5 and has healed 4, so she has no pain penalties atm)

Gallade will use Heal Pulse #2 on Spira then!  5 D6 heal this time iirc!  If Spira still has a Pain Penalty after that, Nathan will also fork over a Tincture of Ramses (i.e. Berry Juice) to heal the rest (2 if Heal Pulse restores no HP for some reason).

On the topic of Key Stones: "Mega Evolution is dangerous in the wrong hands, so Key Stones are League regulated.  I can tell you more later.  No time for long explanations right now."

Once that's all addressed, let's push that DELIVERIES crate!

[Iron]

(1)(4)(5)(5)(3) That's enough to leave Spira with 1 damage and erase the pain penalization.

You move the (d)ownstairs crate aside and creep down the stairs. You can hear a muttering and clanking of chains, so you peek around the corner. You find yourself staring straight into the wide eyes of Uncle Oscar. He is chained to a barred cell with heavy chains, which he is clanking rhythmically. His mouth is pursed shut firmly - Shiva, you can immediately discern he's telling you not to speak. Might be obvious to others too.

Keni Morgusi is there too. Unlike Oscar, his hands are not bound, but he is connected to the floor via an unusual rope around his waist. It seems to be threaded of many different colors and materials of thread, from silky white threads to ethereal pink to shadowy chains.

In front of him is a corkboard pinned with different drawings and photos, obviously not his own work. Also a few scraps of notebook paper.
He sits at a drafting table, where he works furiously with his ink pen. A selection of paints and other supplies fill the nooks of the desk.
To one side is a bank of video monitors, looking at various things: this room he's in now, the Skull Ruins, Cress City, and something Nathan recognizes as Borealis Road.
Keni is muttering as he works, and he raises his voice pointedly as you creep down the stairs.

The walls are studded with more Gauntlets, each frozen in a different arcane gesture. Unlike the ones Shiva/Spira found, they don't glow with light, nor are they paired with statues. They're just stuck directly into the walls.

[PhantomUnderYourDesk]

Oh dear heavens, that sweet relief to have finally found the good uncle and extraordinaire card artist!!~ It feels like a huge weight is taken from Shiva's kind and sweet heart as she juuust makes it to hold back a squeal of delight. She calmly nods to Uncle Oscar in response to his silent request to not speak and gestures this to the others as well by placing a finger on her lips to indicate a 'Sssshhh!'. She also recalls all her Pokemon out and very carefully places the airholes crate into her bag. Humm, just from the look Oscar and Keni seem alright - from the spot around the corner Shiva watches closer, do they sport any wounds or other signs of maltreatment? Any...'tortured' feelings coming from them she can make out?

It seems like her guess why they abducted Mr. Morgusi was partially correct, the Scimitars and/or Almanac DO want him to create artworks for them it seems, but not such that could be used on trading cards. She's very interested in these drawings, sketches and notes on the corkboard, desires to take a closer look at them - BUT, since one of the screens displays the room they're currently in, she doesn't believe it'd be safe to simply approach, the Scims might recognize the 'intruders' right away. So she gazes around - are there any hints inside this room or nearby that the record of the current room can be disabled, where's the camera recording?

[Dragonstrike]

For Nathan's immediate reaction, he simply mutters, "...bastards."

From the looks of things, Almanac and the Scims are definitely monitoring the room to make sure Keni is drawing artwork for them.  Probably forcing him to draw the locations pictured on that corkboard.

They'll probably have to disable both those cameras and those gauntlets (whatever they might do) if they're going to free Keni and Oscar woth minimal trouble.

They screw up, though...and either Scimitars are going to attack them, or those gauntlets might open fire on the captives and whoever else happens to be in that room.

Charizard could probably easily melt those bars and chains with his Flamethrower, and potentially do a number on at least some of those gauntlets (how many are there?).  Porygon-Z might be able to disable the cameras.  

That strange thread keeping Keni tied down, though...hmmmm...not entirely sure what exactly that might do if it's cut...or if it can be cut...