[Game Thread] Lord Windos’ PokeRole Adventure 2: The Wild Lands

[Lord Windos]

 to put in short was extremely confused. She awake looking around her, and so far as she can remember she was having a conversation with Bernard. She clean her eyes trying to rationalize everything. When she fail to understand what happened, she decided to drop the topic (for now). She might ask Bernard later about what happened.

She sees the Spell Tag in her table, and check its properties. Could be useful later, she thinks.

Well, she sure is curious to meet the lady Tiffany mentioned. She really want to meet her at the afternoon. "There still a few things I must do. Need to train my new sister in the group. They could use battle later. And also..." She checks her pockets and found the two fossils. "...I very curious about these two. Gonna need to found information those fossils. If got luck might revive them and get some new partners too! I check you later boss Tiffany!" Oz is very respectable towards Tiffany. Both because she is the mother of Bethany. And she is Oz boss while the healer works here, so she needs to respect her authority! Not to mentioned she really like the Hisuan Zoroark in disguise.

Encounter Choose (Minor or Moderate depending in how you decided to interpretate Windos): Check the institute in the city where they search fossil Pokemon (I forgot the place where it is) and check what species is those two Pokemon. Maybe also have the opportunity along the way in problably find some good trainers to train and get some money? I was thinking in maybe revive those two, but considerely how much I working to adopt Meza, gonna save some money to adopt the fluffy dragon! Just going to grab some information and maybe some Pokemon battle along the way. Besides, Bethany and Dite could use some training.

It would only take a Minor Encounter to get the Fossil Identified and an offer to Revive Them.

First, though, a brief description of the one of the Wild Life Centers at Trinity's Sutalör Oceanic and Wild Life Parks and Rayquaza Weather:

While the trip was not the most pleasant, getting to a research Center that caters to Fossils and ancient Pokemon was easy enough after getting some directions from Tiffany - apparently those who got the C-Fossil booby prize frequently headed over there to see if they could salvage their losses any.

The place seemed like any other Pokemon Lab you've been too, if heavily decorate in 'primative' theming in the main areas common to the public - this place was a tourist destination, after all. Finding someone to get your Fossils Identified was not easy, since a lot of the staff here were moonlighting in the Weather Center to keep an eye on the state of things now, but you manage to find a bored aide look them over and run a few readings:

C-Fossil Result:
Is it Viable? - (5)(3) Nope
Does it have any Value? - (5)(5) Yes
How Valuable? -  (19) Very

Nothing can be revived from the first Fossil you presented, BUT the aide seemed very interested in it regardless - something about it containing the 'Prismatic Essenes of Morphology' - the entire meaning flies over your headed. They offer a straight $1500 Poke for it - $500 more than you lost - is willing to split the yield of the fossil if you want to process it (1 Unit of ???) or you pay $1000 to get most of it (2 Units of ???).

For your MUCH more interesting Fossil you got a doubletake at, as well as the attention of several other scientists here. The aid, after recovering, straight up offers $10000 Poke for this Fossil, being tight lipped and evasive about what could possibly be revived. If you insist on having the Fossil Revived for yourself, however, they'd grumble in disappointment and say it'd cost anywhere between $5000 to $20000 to Revive this Fossil - this one is fairly unique and the standardized process for Reviving more 'common' Fossils wouldn't/shouldn't be applied to it. The amount you pay determines how long and how high quality the Final Resulting Revived Pokemon will be: $5k will get you it after a day but Worse than usual, $10k for 3 Days but of good/average quality, while the $20k price will get you the best of what is commercially possible for Reviving Mons and the Best result thereof but will take 7 Days.

No deals can be made a this time - you don't have enough rep or clout yet here to try and get a better deal.

[Lord Windos]

A cold and dark, but quite so clarifying road.

Choose.

This split gives her pause, her headache still humming a little.
The choice between her preferred sunlight on an occluded path, or the cold and dark on a path that nonetheless makes sense...
She knows she wants to do one or the other, much rather than turn backwards - though she trusts it likely leads somewhere new - or continue unaltered.


...well. No reward without risk, she supposes. She'll take the dark path.

Brave one, are you?

Or are you simply ambitious?

Curious?

We'll see

What the results of your Choice

Will be.....

=====

??? - (2)
*Fortune Roll Revealed due to ?????* - (1)(2)(1)(5)(4) Snake Eyes, Two Successes, One Fail.....

The Dark path is thick with miasmic energy, blotting out your telepathic senses and leaving a sinking feeling in you.

Strangely, though, it seems to be clearing up your head too - you're beginning to feel more like your normal self, if a bit limited.

One paw of yours falls into a hole, causing you to trip and stumble end over end -

- until you found yourself Caught by something.

Something that felt f̵̤͒a̴͍̤̗͗ḿ̵̪̎î̴̡̱̤̥l̸̛̞̔̀̂į̷͚̓̋̎a̸̗͍͗̒̀r̵̠̦͓̿͜

"ØⱧ? ⱠØØ₭ ₩ⱧØ ł'VɆ ₣ØɄ₦Đ? ĐɆ₴₱ɆⱤ₳₮Ɇ ₮Ø ₣ł₦Đ ₥Ɇ, ł₣ ɎØɄ
₵Ⱨ₳₴ɆĐ ₥Ɇ ₳ⱠⱠ ₮ⱧɆ ₩₳Ɏ
ⱧɆⱤɆ."

Looking up, you see -

T̶̳̣ͮ̅͢ȟ̸̷̸̷̷̘̰̗̙̘͚̺̻̙͌́̀̊̍̐̽̑ͭ̍̊ͣ̔̐͗̀͂͑̋ͯ͛ͨ͟͞͡͞ͅę̛̫͓̪̠͍͉͍̥̫̙̺̫̙̳̳̩͔̠̬̗̣̏̈́̅ͩ̑̌̅ͬͩ́̉ͨͫ̀̋̌ͮ͒̓ͬ̂͑͊ f̴̰̮͓̎ͯͩ̐ͦ̕͝͡͞͡a̅̊ć̸̢̛̛̮̘͓͉͕̤̜̜͐̃͑̈́ͯ̌̀̀̒͆̾̍̂͠͞eͣ̎ ǫ̶̶̰̜̩̞̣̣͔͓̳͖̩̼͆ͥ͛ͫ͐̐̋͊̈́̐ͩ́͘̕f̸̨̨̠̝̟͚̙̤̼̦̯̰͚̘̥͂ͭ́ͫ̔̈́ͦ̍͛̆̍̋̈́̉̿͝͞͠ͅ ỷ̴̷̸̯͖̭̣̰ͬ͆̌͠_̰͒ȯ͚̌̈́ͤ̄ͫ͜_͕͔͎̇̃ͥͨu̵̳̗͕̱͉͉̻̭̫̩̠͛ͪͧ̋͌̈́͗̊͘͜͞͡͝r̯̞̎̍ %̬̪̖̓̓͑^̴̧̻̻̮́̈́͂ͬ́̑ͯͪ̓̅̊̑̀ͩ͠͠&̖͔̼̗͕̩̫̰̌ͪ̀ͧ̋̂͠͠^̷̷̷̧̧̣͖̞̞̗͈̺̥̯̙̙͚̘̫̬ͮͣ̓ͧ̆̀͋ͮ͆̓̐̂̅ͣ͋͂̃̿̌̀̐͌͐̕͡͝ͅ^̡̥̎̊̆_̵̴̢̢̛̣̩̹͉͓̇̈́̏̑͊̀̐ͯ̈ͯ̄͒͡ͅ^̴̡̥͙̊ͤ̊%̵̴̸̧̧̛͕̟̦͈̪̥̹̐̈́̐͆̋ͨͮ̿ͮ̎̓͆̊͆͑̃ͮ͟͢͠͞

[Lord Windos]

Pokeball Prices remain the same in your Inventory - you don't have a lot of time to try and find any Specialty Balls or shops with discounts, but you do find someone offering a Premier Balls if you buy a couple of Used Ultra Balls (- Seal Strength, +/- Glitchy) for $2000 Poke. No haggling with TM Prices, though maybe bartering other stuff for the goods is possible...

He'd buy a one time use Attract from the bargain bin for 1000$ and the used ultras (idk how many lol) and premier for 2000$. Simple but useful


For the last encounter he'll go to the cafe, a good place to relax and get Lani something nice while waiting for a reply. On the way there a pokemon center visit is in order though.

Cha-Ching! Items bought - 2 Used Ulta Balls, Premier Ball, One Use TM! Note them down!

Link to the Koffee Shop - https://pokemonuranium.co/forum/showthre...2#pid82232

No new Items or services on offer - the weather has, again, made it difficult for any business to update it's inventories.

Pick any Two of the Services on Offer - that's what you're able to get done with the time you have. For example you can order some Koffee for your friends and yourself, then try the Raffle. Or you could get those same Koffees and hit up the Fox Nook for some interesting reading material. Choice is yours.

If you choose Foxy Rescue, only the following Mon is on offer from the get go:

Mios the Phanpy!
"This lil' guy is rambuchious! VERY rambuchious - they're always up to something, and LOVE scrapping around with anyone ready to throw. Sometimes those that aren't too, which can be problematic, eh he he. Still, they have a good heart and great spirit - all they need is the right Trainer to temper them just right!"
Qualities: Wild-caught, Knows Play Rough and Body Slam as Egg Moves, + 1 Disobedience but + 1 Fight Bonus, Knows All Moves up to Roll Out + Endure, will have Happiness/Loyalty of 2/2 , and has 3 Brawl, 3 Clash, 1 Alert, 2 Stealth, 1 Perform
Cost: $5000

[Redstone]

Link to the Koffee Shop - https://pokemonuranium.co/forum/showthre...2#pid82232

No new Items or services on offer - the weather has, again, made it difficult for any business to update it's inventories.

Pick any Two of the Services on Offer - that's what you're able to get done with the time you have. For example you can order some Koffee for your friends and yourself, then try the Raffle. Or you could get those same Koffees and hit up the Fox Nook for some interesting reading material. Choice is yours.

Spoiler

If you choose Foxy Rescue, only the following Mon is on offer from the get go:

Mios the Phanpy!
"This lil' guy is rambuchious! VERY rambuchious - they're always up to something, and LOVE scrapping around with anyone ready to throw. Sometimes those that aren't too, which can be problematic, eh he he. Still, they have a good heart and great spirit - all they need is the right Trainer to temper them just right!"
Qualities: Wild-caught, Knows Play Rough and Body Slam as Egg Moves, + 1 Disobedience but + 1 Fight Bonus, Knows All Moves up to Roll Out + Endure, will have Happiness/Loyalty of 2/2 , and has 3 Brawl, 3 Clash, 1 Alert, 2 Stealth, 1 Perform
Cost: $5000

He'd order some Koffee for himself and Lani, hers infused with a Papaya berry and his own with a simple oran. He'd also ask about her opinion on the rare candy now after what happened, it would make for a pretty sweet reward for her efforts.

In addition he'd spend $2000 at the raffle, there's some nice things to be won.

[Lord Windos]

He'd order some Koffee for himself and Lani, hers infused with a Papaya berry and his own with a simple oran. He'd also ask about her opinion on the rare candy now after what happened, it would make for a pretty sweet reward for her efforts.

In addition he'd spend $2000 at the raffle, there's some nice things to be won.

Your Oran Koffee is a simple but smooth blend, the berry flavoring being a strong undercurrent to the finely roasted coffee beans. With how hectic things have been, it is a balm for the SOUL - + 1 Will!
Lani reeled back as she took a sip of her beverage, surprise flashing on her snout, before she hesistantly began lapping it up. If you ask for a sip, it tastes like a blend between sour pop rocks and sugary decaff - very sweet and sour, but somehow not terribly bad? Lani's Happiness gains for the day are effectively maxed out, but she still gains its other benefits: - 2 Psychic Damage to the next source of that kind of Damage!

Onwards to the Raffle! Will Lady Luck continue to Favor you, or has Miss Fortunate, getting jealous, wants to steal you for a few turns? Let's find out~

Kupos Koffee Raffle!

1. Result: (6)(2) Common!
    Rarity: (10) Average!

2. Result: (2)(3) Uncommon!
    Rarity: (1) MEGA Doh !

You manage to snag a Coupon for some Free Koffee the next time visit! Sweet!
Your next prize, though.....was what looked like a Fenniken plushy....which head popped off with a *BRIONG!*, scaring you senseless and almost causing Lani to spit out her drink. Much laughter ensues at you manage to get a most Uncommon but funny ZONK ! Gag Fenniken Toy Obtained - not worth much, nor has it much use, but hey at least it's cute? 

[u]So ends all of Akamu's Encounter Slots: you can RP with other Characters that are free to do so, but you can't join in their Encounters (or at least can't help/benefit/do much at all). Time for some Rest after a hectic day.... ZzzZzzZz.....

[Pokekitty2]

Brave one, are you?

Or are you simply ambitious?

Curious?

We'll see

What the results of your Choice

Will be.....

=====

??? - (2)
*Fortune Roll Revealed due to ?????* - (1)(2)(1)(5)(4) Snake Eyes, Two Successes, One Fail.....

The Dark path is thick with miasmic energy, blotting out your telepathic senses and leaving a sinking feeling in you.

Strangely, though, it seems to be clearing up your head too - you're beginning to feel more like your normal self, if a bit limited.

One paw of yours falls into a hole, causing you to trip and stumble end over end -

- until you found yourself Caught by something.

Something that felt f̵̤͒a̴͍̤̗͗ḿ̵̪̎î̴̡̱̤̥l̸̛̞̔̀̂į̷͚̓̋̎a̸̗͍͗̒̀r̵̠̦͓̿͜

"ØⱧ? ⱠØØ₭ ₩ⱧØ ł'VɆ ₣ØɄ₦Đ? ĐɆ₴₱ɆⱤ₳₮Ɇ ₮Ø ₣ł₦Đ ₥Ɇ, ł₣ ɎØɄ
₵Ⱨ₳₴ɆĐ ₥Ɇ ₳ⱠⱠ ₮ⱧɆ ₩₳Ɏ
ⱧɆⱤɆ."

Looking up, you see -

T̶̳̣ͮ̅͢ȟ̸̷̸̷̷̘̰̗̙̘͚̺̻̙͌́̀̊̍̐̽̑ͭ̍̊ͣ̔̐͗̀͂͑̋ͯ͛ͨ͟͞͡͞ͅę̛̫͓̪̠͍͉͍̥̫̙̺̫̙̳̳̩͔̠̬̗̣̏̈́̅ͩ̑̌̅ͬͩ́̉ͨͫ̀̋̌ͮ͒̓ͬ̂͑͊ f̴̰̮͓̎ͯͩ̐ͦ̕͝͡͞͡a̅̊ć̸̢̛̛̮̘͓͉͕̤̜̜͐̃͑̈́ͯ̌̀̀̒͆̾̍̂͠͞eͣ̎ ǫ̶̶̰̜̩̞̣̣͔͓̳͖̩̼͆ͥ͛ͫ͐̐̋͊̈́̐ͩ́͘̕f̸̨̨̠̝̟͚̙̤̼̦̯̰͚̘̥͂ͭ́ͫ̔̈́ͦ̍͛̆̍̋̈́̉̿͝͞͠ͅ ỷ̴̷̸̯͖̭̣̰ͬ͆̌͠_̰͒ȯ͚̌̈́ͤ̄ͫ͜_͕͔͎̇̃ͥͨu̵̳̗͕̱͉͉̻̭̫̩̠͛ͪͧ̋͌̈́͗̊͘͜͞͡͝r̯̞̎̍ %̬̪̖̓̓͑^̴̧̻̻̮́̈́͂ͬ́̑ͯͪ̓̅̊̑̀ͩ͠͠&̖͔̼̗͕̩̫̰̌ͪ̀ͧ̋̂͠͠^̷̷̷̧̧̣͖̞̞̗͈̺̥̯̙̙͚̘̫̬ͮͣ̓ͧ̆̀͋ͮ͆̓̐̂̅ͣ͋͂̃̿̌̀̐͌͐̕͡͝ͅ^̡̥̎̊̆_̵̴̢̢̛̣̩̹͉͓̇̈́̏̑͊̀̐ͯ̈ͯ̄͒͡ͅ^̴̡̥͙̊ͤ̊%̵̴̸̧̧̛͕̟̦͈̪̥̹̐̈́̐͆̋ͨͮ̿ͮ̎̓͆̊͆͑̃ͮ͟͢͠͞

Sylvia looks up into the face of her old trainer, and several emotions flash across her face - anger, fear, disgust - before she pulls them under control. She hasn't got full control, still - the gem at her forehead crackles with enough power hastily restrained to warp her face like a shimmering wall of heat, a compression of her abilities around her as she struggles to contain an explosion of emotion.
Do not take his face. His visage is not worthy of your effort, she grits out, psychic pops punctuating her words.

She needs to find a way out - needs to run. She doubts that losing control here would do anything good - quite to the contrary, she thinks. But to focus on restraining her power while also keeping track of the creature with H̴i̷s̴ face *and* trying to find an escape route - she can't. She can't do it all at once - she will make a mistake. The question is what, and how fast.

[Lord Windos]

Sylvia looks up into the face of her old trainer, and several emotions flash across her face - anger, fear, disgust - before she pulls them under control. She hasn't got full control, still - the gem at her forehead crackles with enough power hastily restrained to warp her face like a shimmering wall of heat, a compression of her abilities around her as she struggles to contain an explosion of emotion.
Do not take his face. His visage is not worthy of your effort, she grits out, psychic pops punctuating her words.

She needs to find a way out - needs to run. She doubts that losing control here would do anything good - quite to the contrary, she thinks. But to focus on restraining her power while also keeping track of the creature with H̴i̷s̴ face *and* trying to find an escape route - she can't. She can't do it all at once - she will make a mistake. The question is what, and how fast.

^&%*&$  voice clears up as you focus your power, and they simply look at you before giving you an E m p t y  S m i l e  and t i l t i n g  t h e i r  h e a d.

"MY
MY
MY
WHY SUCH
ANGER
DON'T YOU WANT
ME
TO TAKE YOU BACK?
DUST YOU OFF?
F I N A L L Y *G I V E *Y O U *T H E *L O V E *Y O U *D E S E R V E ?

YOU CAN NOT
FOOL
YOURSELF
MY DEAR
DEAR
SYLVIA

TRIED SO HARD
TO MAKE YOURSELF USEFUL
GIVE PURPOSE
TO YOUR
M E A N I N G L E S S  L I F E

&(*^(*^%  crouches down and oepns their arms wide, b e a m i n g  at y o u .

I t 's  o k a y
I ' l l  t a k e  y o u  b a c k
P u t y o u t o g o o d u s e
L i k e
t h e
G o o d
G i r l
y o u
A R E.

[PhantomUnderYourDesk]

Original Post

Definitely an Icy Rock then please. We'll leave it in her paws, same with that begnin and enigmatic Card - it's not infused with Magic, contrary to what Bern believed? Alright then. That actually makes him even more curious about what the heck happened and where dear Zephy got it from + what's wrong with her: Every now and then he'll check on her, only to find her still in that unconscious and unrestful sleep (unsuprising).

...Maybe that's why he didn't have any luck finding that Black Market; too lost in thoughts he was over concern and worry for Zephy, Fortune's latest ploy he never asked to be part of, and no we'll not think or daydream about Morgana now, nu uh. Probably wasn't the smartest idea to look around for the Blacl Market without any clue either. Damn, Bernhard, get your head out of the clouds and FOCUS, for Arceus's sake.

I'm aware that...looking for the shady sort of business somewhat goes against what the Settlers see Scimitars as - But we're not loosing too much thought about that or make a fuss out of it. Bernhard's used to do what HE thinks is right and follow his OWN path and goals, and in his book looking into the more unethical side of business in order to get what he wants/needs for his next alchemistic masterpiece - that's fair game. After all the ends justify the means. (Sure, we COULD go without it - but the better the creation turns out to be, the more useful it will hopefully turn out to be in terms of the journey ahead.)


Alright. Let's try to think again, and go a different approach.
(Found the post where we obtained knowledge of the Black Market: https://pokemonuranium.co/forum/showthre...4#pid81064. Crazy to think it's a little more than a year old already, time is weird)


Let's go for the docks then, more specifically one of the Sea Trade Shops. Preferably one that feels or looks.....less frequented, or empty of customers at best. One that gives off an impression of 'not too opposed to indulge into less honorrable things/business, life at the sea is hard enough'. For even better results, have Myra help pick one: Via summoning the former, and observe her reaction to various shops if 'scanning' them with her sixth sense - because I feel a shop that's not opposed to do shady or 'shady' business would trigger a different reaction from her than a shop that goes 100% by the laws.

In there, Bernhard would try to strike up a conversation with whoever's currently at the counter. "Sincere greetings on that rainy day. I'm just passing through, and... *more quietly, whispering*...I do hope you are able to help me with sort of a 'problem' on my side. I know it's perhaps not the most honorable issue, though I assure you that your hospitality would be appreciated and remembered."

He would then, behind closed doors and after looking around once more, present one of the Houndoom Fangs Darren has given to us the day prior. "Have you heard the news of a rabid Houndoom running loose in Bayhama lately? Well, as you see, that problem got..., well, solved, if you wish. It wasn't me, and please do not ask how this fang found its way to me. ...Connections, you see. A gift to me, if you wish. I have more of these, and more parts of that poor dog that would be too precious to... hmm, let go to waste, if you know what I mean. Perhaps you do know a way to make good use of these goods?~ Perhaps someone of the rougher or less lawful type of person could make more use of these than dear me can?"

NOTE: Due to my FUCKING COMPETER glitching out, I have lost most of the post I was working on. Therefore, I will be abbreviating it for the sake of time and out of anger. Sorry dear, but this has pissed me off something FIERCE...

- The Result of Your more focused Search has Paid Off: It has lead you to a Business known as The Lapis Lagoon, a small courier and shipping business that also does tours and various other small jobs and activities. It was fairly out of the way, and judging by its rough-ish exterior and their pontoon boat being festooned with all sorts of serious looking (and occasionally less than legal looking) gear fit for braving the seas and other stuff, it was a PERFECT start to really digging into the BM...

- ....However, you were suddenly yanked off into a side ally by what appeared to be no other than another Scimitar! One that, judging by their dark blue robes, seastone and blue metal Gauntlet, face obscuring hood and 'fluid' demeanor, was of the Water Faction! They had this to say: "What. Are you thinking? Are you even thinking? Do you have any IDEA of what you're doing?" Their voice is staticy and reverberating, but distinctly irritated, bordering on pissed off - magic hiding it, no doubt.

- You got a good INS + Contest + Etiquette Roll to figure out why this figure is so upset with you; you're bold and brazen search for the criminal/grey elements on the Docks has been making a LOT of people nervous and stirring shit up, both in the normal and magical sphere. This was not helped at all with having Myra out and about doing her thing: turns out she has been using Drought to engage in a literal weather war to keep you and her from getting damp (Ugh!) and being all to obvious about her helping you search for dubious venues and vendors. Couple that with the fact it is a Water Scimitar you're dealing with and the location you're in....you may have inadvertidly been causing trouble and headaches in Faction territory. Whoops.

- Myra isn't terribly pleased with you getting rough up a bit by your fellow Scimitar, and looks poised to intervene with just about as much care as you were given (IE: None).[/i]

(.........)

(Current mood over having messed up)


IMMEDIATE and OVERLOADED Fight-Response triggered upon being yanked off into a side alley!!1!1 Bernhard's mind literally short-circuited, he's ready to defend himself right away with everything we've got.

.....He calms down a tad bit however upon recognizing his 'attacker' as a fellow Scimitar. Correction: As Scimitar from the Water Faction. And no, them being angry and pissed at us doesn't impress Bern, he remains quite stoic and neutral. We're giving them a MASSIVE side-eye though. (￢_￢)

Not too happy with Myra either, Bern gestures her with the gauntleted hand to stay still and let things be. "*firm voice* ...E N O U G H. Restrain yourself, don't you dare to intervene UNLESS I do tell you so, Myra. I will handle this. *pauses, in calmer voice* You and your unique skills have served me well, very well so, you have my genuine gratitude indeed. Good girl. However, do tone your Drought down please, it draws way too much unwanted attention onto us." He casts a spell to have her fur repel water and dampness from the rain via Invocation over her (and himself) to help her keep dry. "There you go. Quiet now, please."

Back to our fellow Mage who receives a second round of side-eyes, feeling mildly insulted by their words. "To answer your question, I am INDEED thinking. ...Overthinking things perhaps. ...AGAIN. It happened again..." *facepalming and letting out a sigh* "...Forgive me. It's been...a rough morning on my end among other things, and I'm tired. Multiple things are happening all at once, at multiple places, and perhaps I'm plain overworked. Or solely exhausted. ...Or both."

There's a long break until Bernhard speaks up again. Towards a fellow Magic-User and appearantly having messed up, he feels he is allowed to be honest and somewhat (emphasis on 'somewhat'  and 'slightly') open up. "For business, that's what I'm here for. You see... Can you accuse a man of my position and rank of wanting to further hone their skills, to go for more, to strive to become even better at what you're great and masterful at already? My newest alchemistic masterpiece... Perhaps, no, quite likely so I am venturing into territory I shouldn't venture in. Reputation and all. However... Hmm... Harvested parts of specific Pokemon are hard to come by if you want to avoid the dirty work of hunting the living specimen down. Yet their alchemistic value is beyond and superb. However... *thinks* ...Doesn't it make things have more emotional value if it has been you yourself that gathered the ingredients instead of opting for shady business? Perhaps so, me thinks. I do admit that I, well, miiiight have wanted to avoid to get my own hands dirty just this time. And let me tell you, Alchemy can get VERY dirty if want to become good at it."

*extends the gaunteted hand* "Though I do bet we can find a common ground? Causing trouble and headaches, among Magi and Non-Magi, has not been my intention. I do admit I have lost sight of what's the MORE important aspect. Say, if I do drop things here and now and let people be, indulge in their blackest of black business with me turning a blind eye on it, will that leave you satisfied? What IS it that does leave you satisfied? You have my apology, and thanks for likely having brought me back onto the RIGHTFUL path."


----------------------
Course of Action:
Okay, my plans and priorities have slightly changed. Abandon my plan to find the Black Market for now. Can I instead spend this Moderate Encounter to speak with and get to know a fellow Scimitar, for connections? Unless they want me to make haste and leave the docks and never look back, in that case I have a Plan B for this Encounter.

[Pokekitty2]

^&%*&$  voice clears up as you focus your power, and they simply look at you before giving you an E m p t y  S m i l e  and t i l t i n g  t h e i r  h e a d.

"MY
MY
MY
WHY SUCH
ANGER
DON'T YOU WANT
ME
TO TAKE YOU BACK?
DUST YOU OFF?
F I N A L L Y *G I V E *Y O U *T H E *L O V E *Y O U *D E S E R V E ?

YOU CAN NOT
FOOL
YOURSELF
MY DEAR
DEAR
SYLVIA

TRIED SO HARD
TO MAKE YOURSELF USEFUL
GIVE PURPOSE
TO YOUR
M E A N I N G L E S S  L I F E

&(*^(*^%  crouches down and oepns their arms wide, b e a m i n g  at y o u .

I t 's  o k a y
I ' l l  t a k e  y o u  b a c k
P u t y o u t o g o o d u s e
L i k e
t h e
G o o d
G i r l
y o u
A R E.

no...
No.
I will not.
Her power crackles as she attempts to calm it, strengthen it, hone it.
You are not him.
And nevertheless, I will not return to him.
He lost me when he left me. I am not his.

Do not touch me.
She buckles under the strain of containing her emotions, legs collapsing as her vision blurs and buckles, the darkness of the outside creeping in...

[Lord Windos]

Spoiler

(.........)

(Current mood over having messed up)


IMMEDIATE and OVERLOADED Fight-Response triggered upon being yanked off into a side alley!!1!1 Bernhard's mind literally short-circuited, he's ready to defend himself right away with everything we've got.

.....He calms down a tad bit however upon recognizing his 'attacker' as a fellow Scimitar. Correction: As Scimitar from the Water Faction. And no, them being angry and pissed at us doesn't impress Bern, he remains quite stoic and neutral. We're giving them a MASSIVE side-eye though. (￢_￢)





Not too happy with Myra either, Bern gestures her with the gauntleted hand to stay still and let things be. "*firm voice* ...E N O U G H. Restrain yourself, don't you dare to intervene UNLESS I do tell you so, Myra. I will handle this. *pauses, in calmer voice* You and your unique skills have served me well, very well so, you have my genuine gratitude indeed. Good girl. However, do tone your Drought down please, it draws way too much unwanted attention onto us." He casts a spell to have her fur repel water and dampness from the rain via Invocation over her (and himself) to help her keep dry. "There you go. Quiet now, please."

Back to our fellow Mage who receives a second round of side-eyes, feeling mildly insulted by their words. "To answer your question, I am INDEED thinking. ...Overthinking things perhaps. ...AGAIN. It happened again..." *facepalming and letting out a sigh* "...Forgive me. It's been...a rough morning on my end among other things, and I'm tired. Multiple things are happening all at once, at multiple places, and perhaps I'm plain overworked. Or solely exhausted. ...Or both."

There's a long break until Bernhard speaks up again. Towards a fellow Magic-User and appearantly having messed up, he feels he is allowed to be honest and somewhat (emphasis on 'somewhat'  and 'slightly') open up. "For business, that's what I'm here for. You see... Can you accuse a man of my position and rank of wanting to further hone their skills, to go for more, to strive to become even better at what you're great and masterful at already? My newest alchemistic masterpiece... Perhaps, no, quite likely so I am venturing into territory I shouldn't venture in. Reputation and all. However... Hmm... Harvested parts of specific Pokemon are hard to come by if you want to avoid the dirty work of hunting the living specimen down. Yet their alchemistic value is beyond and superb. However... *thinks* ...Doesn't it make things have more emotional value if it has been you yourself that gathered the ingredients instead of opting for shady business? Perhaps so, me thinks. I do admit that I, well, miiiight have wanted to avoid to get my own hands dirty just this time. And let me tell you, Alchemy can get VERY dirty if want to become good at it."

*extends the gaunteted hand* "Though I do bet we can find a common ground? Causing trouble and headaches, among Magi and Non-Magi, has not been my intention. I do admit I have lost sight of what's the MORE important aspect. Say, if I do drop things here and now and let people be, indulge in their blackest of black business with me turning a blind eye on it, will that leave you satisfied? What IS it that does leave you satisfied? You have my apology, and thanks for likely having brought me back onto the RIGHTFUL path."


----------------------
Course of Action:
Okay, my plans and priorities have slightly changed. Abandon my plan to find the Black Market for now. Can I instead spend this Moderate Encounter to speak with and get to know a fellow Scimitar, for connections? Unless they want me to make haste and leave the docks and never look back, in that case I have a Plan B for this Encounter.

The Water Scimitar is equally unimpressed with you and Myra, not even deigning to pay her any attention while in the middle of a Disgruntled Mage Off (A common Scimitar 'past time' ) . Considering what you know of their Faction, they probably have a half a dozen ways of drowning and/or cursing the living daylights out the fiery beauty, which would be all the more potent given the 'Fiery' part.

Your normally content vixen withers under your ire, tucking her head down and relaxing her tails as she concedes to your Will. She much rather give that Magi a bit of a torching for their rudeness, but what you Say, Goes.

Your abductee lets off a scoff at your discipling but says nothing, crossing their arms when you apologize.

Diplomacy Roll: INS + Contest + Empathy - 3 (Irritated) + 1 Success (Important/Master looking Magi)
(1)(6)(2) 2 Successes

"....*Huffs* Fine. Don't understand why you're not using your Disciples and lesser to aid you, but I suppose it is for a good reason if whatever business you're on has you like....this to ignore propriety and act in haste."

Which is a rather polite way of saying 'You're stupid for letting things get to this point and showing your ass, but I'm cutting you slack anyway.'  Not nice, but that is how it tends to be between different Factions and with grumpy/jumpy Magi in general. 

Also, now that it is relevant: each Faction operates fundamentally differently from one another. To keep things brief and relevant, here's an EX:

Water Scimitars tend towards a bunch of underlings and a few key Discples/Inheritors underneath one Master, with the Discples themselves also having some underlings if they are competent enough for them/have enough clout to get them. Very corporate and at times accultic, but such a way of doing things does promote a more 'free flowing, River starting' sort of society that has a great sense of unity and responsibility with each other.

Earth Scimitars, on the other hand, tend towards Master - Apprentice relationships that are One on One or up to Three. Think of it as a rather Knightly way of teaching Magic, which has a knock on effect of Earth Scimitars being a very Traditionalistic and 'classic' / noble society/culture. Very structured, but that firmness gives strength to their ways and people. Since Acrowls was originally a E.S. before taking his mantle as Supreme Magus you got this sort of teaching style and culture - though it didn't stop you from becoming Air in the end.

Air Scimitars tend to have fluid student-teacher relationships with whomever they're teaching or simply overlooking- it's not uncommon for them to randomly decide to just rope some Magi in their breezy ways if they take a fancy/shine/whim to one, much to the potential irritation to others sense that could include other Faction Magi. Because of this they're among the least populated and most disconnected of the Factions, but in exchange they're the most willing to be creative, free-form, and innovative in the Pursuit of Magic and the Arcane, willing to tap resources and just do stuff the other Factions wouldn't dare to do.

As for the rest of your Speech ...


Diplomacy Roll 2!. only - 1 this time as you've officially identified yourself as a High Ranked Magic, apologized, and offered a 'decent' explanation

(5)(6)(6)(6)(6) + 1 ......Well, Zephy isn't with you, but her Social Spirit sure is! Critical Diplomacy!

Your fellow Magi seems taken aback by the philosophical yarn you've spun, their guardedness vanishing as you manage to draw their attention in like sweets does with Zephy. Couple that with how you're proving your status as a Master Magi/Scimitar the more and more you speak and act, and by the end you have the Water Scimitar bowing deeply to you, almost to the point of falling over!

"My deepest apologies, Master of Air! It is just that I heard reports of some unknown Magi causing a scene in the area, and I felt the need to try and get things back under control. Keeping our house and home in good order is key, and so is making sure to nip any trouble in the bud quickly. You understand, correct? Not that you're trouble at all, of course, no no no!"

Once you extend your hand they look at it and you, their hesistation clear, but in the end they gingerly take it with their own seastone/steel Gauntlet - one of the ultimate signs of trust and cooperation between Scimitars.

"I....believe that is a most excellent idea. While I am now sure you could have handled your business here well enough in the end without causing mo - provoking rash behavior from the less shrewd and stern of us here, leaving now would settle things down greatly. Especially seeing as it would seem like I'm the one sending you on your way - the people here and my own Faction trust in my ability to handle matters, as they are right to.

"*Pondering Tone* Dare I say...I believe this could benefit us both in the end - my reputation will float up even further from 'solving' this 'problem' , while I would be more than willing to aid in your endeavors in with all the discretion at my disposal. Once this blows over, of course - give it a couple of days and your....trip should be forgotten about and we can get to work.

The Water Scimitar gives you their number, and motions to the exit of the ally.

"Now that this misunderstanding has been sorted out, would you allow me to escort you out from the area? As I said, it would go towards a great deal of calming the 'grey' community and my cohorts down, and it would do me a great Favor in 'dealing' with you so firmly and descively . *Apologetic Shrug* A bit humiliating, I apologize, but you know how it is - and I'll be sure to properly make it up to you for this slight, so I Swear."

In other words, will you let yourself be used to elevate this Water Scimitar's own standing (and reap the windfall thereof) at your own expense in exchange for greatly increased Favor with them and the Water Scimitar Faction, or do you have any alternative ideas at resolving things?