[PTU] The Charizard Knights

[Arcran]

Moltres 43, 357 EL
The Trial of Courage

In every man's life, there are a few moment that force you to pause and wonder if it was all worth it. The sacrifices, the trials, the things you'd lost: what did you actually accomplish with it? Some look back on a full life bursting with accomplishment, and are at peace. Others see squandered opportunities, and a life not worth living. Anything can force this (sometimes unwanted) retrospection, whether it be the loss of a loved one, completion of a long sought after goal, or the loss of years of work.

You? It's being brought on by the twenty-foot long Charizard in the canyon below you have to steal an Egg from.




Dawn, the Same Day

It was a rather typical day on Cinnabar. The sun was scorching even as it crested the horizon which, coupled with the fact that today was the beginning of Initiation, had caused more than a few of you to sweat through your clothes. Quickly looking around reveals some of the most promising youth on the island. Chantu Katsura, one of the many in line to the throne and Kasai's sponsee, sits still enough to almost be mistaken as dead, somehow not sweating under his armor. On the other hand, Goto's candidate, a boy none of you recognized who could hardly be over the age of ten, fidgeted about almost constantly, rarely stopping his movements for more than a few seconds. Looking around, you can see quite a few of the other candidates. Adrianne Wells, one of the psychics who had worked with Yvonne in the past. Brawley, a son of one of the more common sailors to the island, was also present, carrying a trident of some sort.

And, of course, the four of you.

You'd been told to assemble at dawn, and yet it seemed the actual Knights were late. You were alone, and, after a few minutes, a few of the other candidates were becoming fidgety.

"What the hell is going on? Where's Maddigan?" Studs, the town urchin finally cries, glaring at the sky.

"Patience," you hear Chantu commands, surprisingly causing Studs to fall quiet. "Can you not hear them?"

After a strained moment, the wind begins to pick up, as numerous small orange dots begin to appear on the horizon. Squinting through the dust, you can barely make out just short of a dozen Charizard and their riders, with a massive creature leading the group, no doubt Kuttara himself. Soon enough, the group can make out Ji Choi, Vladamir Ward and Thadeus Alphonse, the latter allowing himself to be seen, likely for the point of ceremony. Ibis isn't anywhere to been seen, but judging by the fact that her Charizard couldn't carry her weight, that was hardly surprising.

In a massive gale of wind and dust eight riders land. You quickly recognize Kasai, Goto, Dreues, Yvonne Brielle and Maddigan, as well as your own sponsors. With a quick pop Ibis appears, Charizard clinging to her shoulder like a snake.

"Welcome to the Initiation," Kasai says with a voice that sounds like two stones smacking together. "You've been selected as candidates to the Charizard Knights. Today, we see exactly how foolish your sponsors are for backing you," Kasai states with a pointed look towards Ji Choi, obviously not approving of her selection. "I'm going to do my best to make sure none of you pass. We need only the most powerful Charizard Knights right now, and I'm not convinced any of you will last more than three seconds against a Dragonite," Kasai snarls.

"Ey, Kasai, let meh handle dis," Maddigan says with such a horrible mix of accents that you can't tell exactly what he's trying to do. "Ahm in charge of yer first trial, the Feat o' Strength," he continues, pulling out a scroll. "Tha military is tha one who puts this forth. As ya might guess, the first thing ya need ta be a Charizard Knight is yer Charizard. You lot are a buncha runts, so ya gotta stert with a Charmander. Fertunately, mah Charizard just had a clutch o' eggs."

"Yer gonna steal one," Maddigan says with an evil grin, drawing a chuckle from Thadeus and Vladimir. "If you get un, meybe Kasai'll stop bein such a grump," Maddigan says, completely unphased by the glare the leader of the Knights threw in his direction. "This is the Trial o' Courage, where ya get ta prove ye got the right stuff. Or, ya know, that yer just stark ravin' mad! Traditionally tha military handles dis trial, but I volunteered to give 'em a little help this year. They wanted 'cha ta kill rats er something dumb."

"Now comon. Ye got work ta do," Maddigan states, turning to walk away, likely towards wherever the Eggs were kept. The other nominees follow, most looking to their sponsor as they follow the Mad Knight.

"Oi, an' word of advice? Don try 'n fight 'er. We don' wan any dead kids."

As you turn to follow Maddigan, you feel the all-to-familiar grip of Ibis' Charizard upon your mind.

My master says don't muk this up, the beast commands, the smugness carrying heavily across the telepathic link. Kasai didn't like her appointment, and if you don't impress him you could be in trouble.

As you leave, a familiar hand comes down on your shoulder.

"Good luck," Thadeus says shortly, face more serious than normal. "It's not quite as dangerous as Maddigan would have you think, but keep your distance. Use that laziness to come up with a plan, alright? You're ready for this."

"I'm not supposed to give you any advice, but keep an eye on the edge of the canyon. I doubt it will help you with the Charizard, but it may be of some interest to you," Jin states, looking at you with an appraising eye. "Now go. Find your fuel."

Vlad nods at you as you walk by, hardly sweating despite the hundred pounds of armor the man was wearing. "Good luck kid. Make your brothers proud."



The trek to the canyon had been tough, but not overly taxing, despite Maddigan's best efforts. The second you'd reached the edge of the canyon the Mad Knight had apparently disappeared, leaving without a word.

Below, down the edge of a forty foot cliff, Shikina lounges about, body covered in the same blue tatoos that Maddigan seems so fond of. You could see various clutches of eggs scattered around the floor, the great female Charizard striding between them, occasionally letting out a burst flame to keep the eggs warm.

"See you at the bottom," Chantu states, anchoring some rope around a stone before beginning to hop down edge of the cliff, obviously not bothering with teamwork or plans. A bit behind, the young boy that none of you recognized was looking on in terror, obviously unsure what to do. The others looked down below, attempting to find some sort of advantage to use against the beast.

[Zelphas]

Satomi stands silently with the other potential Knights, seemingly focused on nothing at all. Patience is one skill she is very, very good at, and besides, Sensei Choi had an unorthodox teaching style; waiting for a trivial few minutes did not bother her in the slightest.

She turned to look at Studs and Chantu as they spoke, her violet eyes carrying no emotion, only a cold calculation. Chantu has above average senses... Useful, as an ally. Her gaze flicks over the other potentials as well. A trident, perhaps with some Maelstrom abilities... A Psychic... a standard Knight, with sword and armor... purple hair, but not eyes? Supernatural, unknown... A bowman... an unknown...

When the Charizard Knights finally arrive, Satomi listens attentively. Unlike many of the others at the training, she is not covered in heavy material or burdened by weaponry or armor; in a light blue cotton blouse and dark trousers, her long blond hair tied in a ponytail, the heat barely touches her. With a large cloth stachel at her side, bulging with various potions, bandages, and other necessary instruments of healing, she stands out in the crowd; a healer among warriors.

Kasai-sama looks at Sensei Choi, and Satomi shows the first hint of emotion of the day: her eyes narrow slightly, and she focuses entirely on the leader of the Charizard Knights. Kasai-sama sees profit only in martial prowess, it seems. That may be challenging, as the trial progress. A moment later, her face has smoothed back to neutrality.

As Maddigan-sama takes over the narration, Satomi begins to formulate a plan for the theft of a Charmander egg. She only has the bare bones of an idea at the moment, but it seems viable. She looks up when Sensei Choi speaks to her, slightly more animation showing on her face as he gives her advice. "Yes, Sensei," she responds levelly; her automatic response, and one that Choi has no doubt heard many times before.

---

Despite her petite stature and porcelain skin, Satomi remains at the forefront of the potential knights during their journey, reaching the canyon only slightly out of breath. As they neared the canyon, she pauses for a moment and releases Renault, allowing the awakened fossil to crawl onto her back and cling like a heavy backpack. She looks over the canyon impassively, checking the edge of the canyon wall as her Sensei told her. Then she bends down and begins to climb the canyon wall towards the ground below.

Pokemon Education to look for fossils on the wall/the edge of the canyon: [roll0]

Perception to look at the wall normally: [roll1]

Athletics to begin climbing down the canyon wall: [roll2]

[CosmicOccurence]

Neils silently appraised the candidates as they waited. Only two jumped out at him as being worthy of his notice. The first, Chantu, was for obvious reasons. Kasai wouldn't have sponsored somebody inadequate, and no doubt Chantu would be front of the pack the entire way. Might be worth making an ally out of, Neils thought to himself. The second was Adrianne. His lip twitched when he realized that there would be a psychic with them, but he held back. It'd probably be best to avoid the girl, given their sponsor's disposition toward each other. He just had to be sure to come out on top when push came to shove.

Not that push comes to shove is really my thing, he thought, but if I'm going to become a knight I guess its inevitable. The other candidates didn't seem like anything too spectacular, but it was too soon to make assumptions as to who would be useful and who wouldn't. Best keep his mind open to other options.


-----

When Neils heard the challenge, he groaned inwardly. While he was excited at the prospect of getting a Charmander egg so soon, this was ... overkill. I'd rather have just beat up a bunch of rats to be honest. This could actually get me killed if I'm not careful. When Maddigan told them not to fight the creature, Neils nearly snorted in laughter ... almost. People would have to be idiots to go up against that thing. While it was Maddigan that had slain that Dragonite, Neils had no doubt that the Charizard had played its part.

As he was following Maddigan and got Ibis's message, he nodded curtly. He wasn't obvious about it, but he knew that Ibis would get the message. Still though, the Charizard's message bothered him. Ibis had a reputation for picking successful recruits that passed the trials. Many called her the Headhunter for that very reason. Half the reason he accepted Ibis's offer instead of going to somebody else was because he figured it would give him a leg up. Apparently not if Kasai already didn't like him. It made sense though. Neils wasn't exactly traditional Knight material, and, to top it off, he didn't have any real accomplishments yet either. Winning a few training battles did not a Knight make. Still, there wasn't much he could do about it now, and so he simply followed Maddigan, aware of the terribly thin ice he was skating on.


-----

Neils stared down at the Charizard and the eggs, mind churning at what seemed like the speed of light. The more he processed what this challenge entailed, the luckier that he realized he was. Well, luck in a relative sense. Nobody in this position could call themselves lucky and be sane. Still though, this was not a challenge that one could win with brute strength, putting him on equal ground to other candidates. Heck, he might even be able to make an impression on Kasai, which wouldn't have happened if they were just beating up rats. He finally saw this challenge for what it really was: an opportunity. Neils just had to discover how to milk the opportunity for all it was worth.

After quickly mopping the sweat from his brow, Neils considered his options. The first problem would be the cliff, but that was the least of his worries. How the muk were you supposed to steal an egg from a protective, firebreathing mother? It wasn't like he could offer it coupons for a dream reading or anything. He supposed he could send Zepar down and use telekinessis to float the egg away. If worst came to worst the Kadabra could teleport away and flee. He didn't necessarily think that would go over well with Kasai though, so he searched for other options.

Then a thought struck him. A wonderful, inspired, and, quite frankly stupid, thought. Why not just ask for one? Neils couldn't run fast or be sneaky, but if there was something he was good at, it was connecting with Pokemon. The thought terrified him. Channel Maddigan's Charizard? He had to be crazy. But maybe crazy was just what Kasai was looking for. It was certainly Maddigan's area of expertise. If he failed, he'd be dead. If he succeeded, he might be able to catch Kasai's eye. This was the first test, and it was time to make a first impression worth remembering. It wasn't as if Ibis would accept him playing second fiddle to any of the other candidates.

Courage. This was the test of courage. Not combat, and not stealth. With growing confidence matched in equal part by growing terror, Neils settled on his plan. If worst came to worst he could always resort to Zepar's telekinesis. Now he just had to make it down there early enough so that the creature wasn't too preoccupied with everyone else stealing eggs that it was in a bad mood. Or god forbid that somebody piss it off to the point of launching attacks.

As the realization struck him, Neils cast his gaze at Goto's squire. Muk, he thought. I wouldn't be surprised if that boy were stupid enough to do it. If his plan were to work, he needed to get down there quickly. Neils rapidly scanned the area, locating his method of getting down and, once he saw it, he started to move.

Intuition Check to "filter out relevant data from the irrelevant" in order to help judge the best path for his level of athleticism (untrained). This includes the rope that Chantu latched to the rocks if that's what looks best to him. He's not looking for secret paths or anything, just using logic to try and locate the best one from the obvious choices. [roll0]. Assuming there's nothing major in the way he begins moving down the path that he deduces is the one conducive to his success.

If an Athletics Check is required:
[roll1]

Oh also, he does a quick cross check between the number of eggs and the number of cantidates. Just a check to see if we're competing with each other in addition to with the Charizard.

[CateranEnforcer]

Aloriana bounced on the balls of her feet, Butterfrees fluttering in her chest. I can't believe I'm about to really do this! Lined up with the assembled youth, about to embark of the journey of a lifetime, filled her with excitement and anticipation. But do they really need keep us waiting? It's killing me!

She looked around at the others, many of which were very different from the knights she had heard of or aspired to be, but that didn't put her off. If any of them caught her staring, she'd simply smile and wave. Looks like they take all types here. Makes sense now that I think of it. She thought she might be able to learn a lot here, from the looks of the crowd here. That'll have to wait however, she needed to focus on the task as hand or it might be straight back to the farm and she'll learn nothing. And that'd be embarrassing, I'd never hear the end of it. But what am I supposed to focus on? Let's get on with it!

-

When the knights made their entrance, Aloriana almost whooped with joy but managed to hold it in as she listened to the challenge. I do fancy a good challenge, but they're not serious are they? They wouldn't really try to kill their applicants would they? There's gotta be some angle to this test. She beams as Vlad acknowledges her and gives him a thumbs up as she walks past. The trip to the test site was a good use of her pent up energy and she stretched out her arms a bit on the way there. Upon arriving at the canyon, she gulped a bit seeing the task before her laid out beneath her feet.

Well, it's hard to argue with this kind of angle, she thought to herself staring down at the tattooed beast. She looked around the area trying find a way down and more importantly, a way out once you did get down there. It would be really bad to grab your egg and almost escape only to realize you trapped yourself. She goes over her equipment, making sure her brother's sword he gifted her and mother's old bush knife are firmly strapped to her belt. She shouldn't need them, but having them close to her fills her with confidence. She had a few herbal remedies stored away in case things get dicey. She reties her long, blonde hair behind her head in a tight bun; less fun, but more practical than her usual ponytail.

Just like nicking from the cookie jar, only the cookies are eggs and your dad is a fire breathing lizard. Most of the others seemed to be handling the realization of the task reasonably well, except for Goto's squire. The young boy's terror concerned her so before she set off she tried to meet his eye and flash an encouraging grin and a thumbs up at him. She had never met him before and wasn't sure what best to say but she hoped to cheer him up, this task would hard enough without having to treat each other like enemies.

But there was no time for chit-chat either and Aloriana was not about to be outdone so easily. She had a plan, maybe a bit reckless, but they did say this test was for courage. She starts to descend into the canyon.

-


Aloriana will look around, particularly looking for ways to escape once she's gotten and egg. Perception: 2d6

She'll do a quick Charm check on Goto's chosen to improve his disposition or otherwise cheer him up. Charm: 4d6

And'll lastly, the Athletics check to climb down to the canyon floor. Athletics: 3d6

[CateranEnforcer]

Sorry I think I mucked up the rolls by hitting preview post being posting it, gonna try again.
Perception: [roll0]
Charm: [roll1]
Athletics: [roll2]

[Elyander]

"Such a nice day to do nothing..."

Laying on the grass and watching the sun peak on the horizon, Harisson didn't really pay any attention to the people around him. The breeze constantly brought their shapes and scents to Harisson, but he pushed those senses away from his mind, focusing on the clear sky and the wind above him. He, for one, didn't mind Thadeus' delay at all, despite the anxiety that was slowly brewing inside of him. So when he heard the strong sound of beating wings, he couldn't hold a sigh before standing up to welcome his mentor.

When the Knights landed, though, Harisson was a taken little aback. "What on Earth is Thadeus doing walking among the elite Knights?" - he thought, confused by his mentor's proximity with the other, much more famous Knights. He didn't let it show, however, nodding politely to Thadeus as Kasai started speaking. As the Trial was explained, Harisson felt the nervousness increasing. He would like having his companion soon, of course, but the whole thing was a bit crazy. "Well, I shouldn't be surprised, coming from Maddigan." He urged the wind to inform him about the other contestants, and with few exceptions, he wasn't the only one excited.

As they were about to leave, Thadeus' final words didn't do much to appease Harisson's worries.



The walk hadn't been too difficult, although he was somewhat tired. He knew he could freely use his powers now, but he also paid attention to his mentor's instructions, and decided to try keeping them from being noticed so early. As they reached the canyon, Harisson was a little out of breath, but he joined the others as they all looked in amazement to the gorge below. In an instant, Maddigan had disappeared, so the competitors all started immediately getting down the ravine, except for a small boy.

"He's too young to be here" - Harisson thought, before calmly sitting on the edge of the abyss, his legs hanging lazily as he checked the challenge before him. With barely a thought, the wind started sweeping the rocky walls, looking for an easier way down and up. It also followed the other contestants, trying to analyze their movements. As the breezes brought him this information, he focused his eyes on the pokémon below, looking for details about the eggs, their positioning and, more importantly, where the charizard's attention was.

It took only a few seconds to process the information, so when he had a clearer idea of his plan, he turned around to look at the terrified boy. "Hey, little guy! Afraid of heights?" - he said, trying to put on his best smile to engage in conversation. The boy reminded him of Elias, one of his younger brothers, so he tried to calm him down a bit - "Just relax for a moment. It's all right. Come here, let's watch what they do first, ok?"


Harisson binds 2AP to use his One With the Wind feature, allowing him to extend his touch sense to an 8 meter radius around him.
He first uses this to frisk the other candidates to see what kind of weapons they are carrying, and second to find an easier route down and up the ravine, if there's any.

Perception Check [roll0]
To look at the positioning of the eggs (what cluster is more distant or less watched by the Charizard?),
if anything is out of the ordinary (fake eggs, rocks, anything that can be a trick)
and where Shikina is watching (is she paying attention straight up?).

Charm Check [roll1]
To convince the boy to join me?

[Arcran]

Satomi

As you scan the walls of the caverns you see a few distinctive layers of limestone near the bottom that would imply the presence of some fossils, but it is difficult to tell from up here. If you had to guess, you'd be almost positive that there was something down there, but the exact what isn't available at this point.

You and Chantu more or less keep pace as you begin climbing down the cavern wall. It wasn't particularly difficult, although the fact that you hadn't bothered with a harness makes the going just a little bit slower. Soon enough you've reached an edge that makes a convenient stopping point, a fact Chantu seems to already have taken advantage of.

"No rope?" the noble says, obviously impressed, albeit grudgingly. "And no weapon. Seems like you're already winning this Trial of Bravery," the boy states, measuring out a length of rope and handing it to you before the purple haired boy arrives on the ledge, having apparently used Chantu's rope, with Adrianne simply appearing on the ledge an instant later.


Neils

While you're not particularly adept at finding a simple path to climb down, it becomes abundantly clear that Chantu and Satomi know what they're doing, and following the path that they attempt is rather simple. Even more, Chantu has even left a nice length of rope. Sure, he was on it down below, but in terms of the easiest path it's hard to beat that.

Soon enough however, you're on the small respite Chantu and Satomi are resting on as Chantu hands Satomi a length of rope. Up above you can see Adrianne looking down, likely trying to determine how to best use her powers, before she simply appears on the ledge with a loud pop, flashing you a smirk as she gets her bearings.

As you count the Eggs below, you quickly discern that there's more than enough Eggs for the number of you there are.

In fact, there are far more Eggs than a single clutch of Charizard Eggs, or even a dozen. They certainly weren't just Maddigan's Charizard's brood.

The only source of this many Eggs would be if the Knights brought out their entire collective clutch, although why they'd risk them like this is beyond you.


Aloriana

As you flash the young boy a smile he gives a curt nod, reaching for his Pokeballs as the bowman goes to comfort him.

Still, you had more important things to do at the moment. Looking around, you can easily tell that the others are taking the wrong path; while theirs is easy to scale, it leaves them without much cover at the bottom. You manage to easily find a path that should deposit you behind a large rock, giving you an easy path to a nearby batch of Eggs.

After a quick moment to get your bearings, you're able to begin your descent into the canyon, finally dropping the last few feet behind the boulder, Maddigan's Charizard nowhere in sight, which is a very concerning fact.

Even as you wait, you hear a soft thud behind you as Brawley drops in, bare feet hardly making a sound.

"Got a plan?"


Harisson

As you frisk the others, you're quite shocked that, besides Chantu, Aloriana and Brawley, nobody seemed to really be carrying weapons. It seemed most either weren't combatants or relied on some other form of combat.

"I'm not scared," the little boy mutters, viciously shaking his head as he looks down into the canyon as the others begin their attempts to scale the sides. "I just don't want Teddy to hurt Maddigan's friend. Teddy always hurts scary stuff," the boy states matter-of-factly. "Can you help me? I don't want to have to use Teddy," the boy says, a quiver of fear in his voice.

Looking down below yields far better results. The only thing that seems off are the tatoos on Shikina; unless you're mistaken, the marks are actually moving over the boy of the Charizard, although why they'd do that you have no idea. She seems to be covering the batches of Eggs rather well, but a small cluster by where Brawley and Aloriana had just touched down appears to be fairly safe; it's at least close to an easy climb up the cliffs if nothing else.

Of course, your keen eyes are able to just barely make out Shikina glancing repeatedly towards a small ledge that Chantu and three others had stopped on while scaling the side; while she's not being obvious about it, she's spotted the group and is keeping careful watch.

[Zelphas]

Satomi accepts the rope with a nod of thanks, her face remaining expressionless. "We shall see who wins in the end, Chantu-san." On her back, Renault hisses at the strange presence nearby, but the girl quiets him with a touch. Collecting a Charizard egg has become almost a secondary concern for Satomi; she barely takes notice of the other occupants, feeling only the slightest twinge of jealousy as the psychic uses her power to leap down. All of her focus is on the band of limestone.

Resting for only a few moments, Satomi moves to the edge of the ledge and ties the rope securely, positioning it to place her near the limestone bands. With her Kabuto still tightly clinging to her back, she starts down once more, searching in the bands of limestone for a tell-tale sign of ancient life now extinguished. She realizes her increasing proximity to Maddigan's Charizard as she moves slowly downwards, and does what she can to exhibit herself as a non-threat. More than enough for all of us... strange...

Perception to place the rope properly to get Satomi close to the limestone on the way down: [roll0]

Athletics to climb down the rope: [roll1]

Pokemon Education to see/identify any fossils in the limestone: [roll2]

Charm (?) to appear non-threatening as she climbs: [roll3]

[Elyander]

"I'm not scared," the little boy mutters, viciously shaking his head as he looks down into the canyon as the others begin their attempts to scale the sides. "I just don't want Teddy to hurt Maddigan's friend. Teddy always hurts scary stuff," the boy states matter-of-factly. "Can you help me? I don't want to have to use Teddy," the boy says, a quiver of fear in his voice.

Harisson smiles softly as the boy speaks. He was most likely not as weak as it appears, as he should have guessed. "Whoever Teddy might be, I bet I don't want to face him if he can hurt a charizard.", Harisson thinks, watching the other contestants and their development. With a deep breath, he stands up on the edge and faces the boy.

"Tell you what: I'll be the thief, you'll be the getaway guy." - Harisson says with a grin - "When I get there, I want you to scream as loud as you can. If you can ask Teddy to help you, even better. Not before I get there, though. Wait till I'm close to the eggs. I'll grab two, one for each of us. Your shouts will distract the charizard and allow me to escape and, hopefully, everyone will also have a chance to get an egg on the confusion." Harisson looks down, towards the eggs he will be approaching soon enough. He starts to focus on the wind around, requesting aid in both direction and information, ready for his play.

"She won't chase us because she has more eggs to take care of, so it's kinda safe. We just have to do it quickly, before we are out of time for a surprise." - Harisson faces the boy again, ushering him closer to the edge - "Remember, as much noise as you can, and we'll pass this trial. And if not... well, I'm counting on Teddy to help me out." Harisson says with a smile, before leaping off the edge, not really waiting for an answer.

As soon as his feet leave the ground, the wind takes charge, guiding him towards his objective ever so slightly. The rush of the wind is loud as he falls, but it doesn't prevent him from sensing everything around him. As soon as they're in range, he quickly feels the moving marks on Shikina's skin, fearing they could be pokémon in disguise. He also frisks the eggs, once more trying to recognize something that would show them to be something else. And in a few seconds, he softly "lands" close to the relatively unguarded batch of eggs, already turning to grab two of them.


If those are real, he will try grabbing two eggs (one with each arm) and gliding away from the charizard along the canyon's bottom, not really looking for a way up as much as a way to increase his distance from the beast.



Again, One With the Winds is used to study the moving tattoos and the eggs' texture to find unpleasantries.

Acrobatics Check (AP used) [roll0]
To jump and guide himself towards the batch of eggs

Perception Check [roll1]
To try identifying real eggs from possible fake ones

Pokémon Knwoldge Check [roll2]
To try identifying real eggs from possible fake ones

Focus Check (AP used) [roll3]
To use Levitate capability correctly and avoid falling damage

Do I need a Stealth roll to fall silently? If the Focus check suceeds, he didn't even touch ground on his way down, levitating a few inches above ground, if possible. Besides, I tried rolling but apparently you can't include rolls when editing xD

Current APs: 2*/6 (*2 Bound in One With the Winds)

[CosmicOccurence]

Satomi
Neils

While you're not particularly adept at finding a simple path to climb down, it becomes abundantly clear that Chantu and Satomi know what they're doing, and following the path that they attempt is rather simple. Even more, Chantu has even left a nice length of rope. Sure, he was on it down below, but in terms of the easiest path it's hard to beat that.

Soon enough however, you're on the small respite Chantu and Satomi are resting on as Chantu hands Satomi a length of rope. Up above you can see Adrianne looking down, likely trying to determine how to best use her powers, before she simply appears on the ledge with a loud pop, flashing you a smirk as she gets her bearings.

As you count the Eggs below, you quickly discern that there's more than enough Eggs for the number of you there are.

In fact, there are far more Eggs than a single clutch of Charizard Eggs, or even a dozen. They certainly weren't just Maddigan's Charizard's brood.

The only source of this many Eggs would be if the Knights brought out their entire collective clutch, although why they'd risk them like this is beyond you.


Neils was sweating profusely when he reached the ledge. He nodded at Chantu politely, but was too out of breath to manage anything other than a halfhearted gasping greeting. When he saw one of the other candidates free fall to the ground and Adrianne teleport onto his ledge, his gut began to twist. He felt a pang of jealousy, the same he felt every time he watched a psychic work, at their abilities and how useful they were, and he was already starting to fall behind other candidates. After pushing down a wave of frustration and anger that followed, Neils decided to completely ignore the girl and the flying boy. He was just happy that Adrianne hadn't dislodged his rope from above while he was on it. Of course, doing that in front of Kasai might not have been the best move Neils thought. Even if the man wasn't visibly around, he had no doubt that they were being watched and evaluated the whole time. Still though, he fingered one of his vials, just in case.

That thought, that there were watchful eyes following him, including Ibis's, got him moving again. As the girl decided to completely ignore continuing downward in favor of staying on the wall - was there something important there? Neils dismissed the passing thought as quickly as it came. The girl was clearly more suited to climbing than him, and simply getting to the ground would be hard enough. With no rope in front of him now, he knew that the chance of falling was greater, but he was not asking Chantu for help.

Neils gulped, knowing this was probably not a good plan, but he began to free climb the rest of the way. If Chantu had already gone down the last portion using a rope, Neils would use that. While he wouldn't ask for help, he'd certainly use other's actions to his advantage when it was an option.


Athletics Check! Fully expecting to fall here, but Neils' pride is acting up.

Spending 1 AP on this one. [roll0] 5/6 AP left over


Having reached the bottom of the cliff, Neils takes a moment to catch his breath. Hands on knees, he panted. Did this look good? No. Was it really something he had control of? No. I need to start exercising more he thought.

When he had caught his breath, Neils straightened his back and walked forwards, not attempting to hide his presence at all. When he reached a point that was close enough to the eggs to catch the Charizard's attention but not close enough to actually be able to grab one, Neils sat on the ground. Legs crossed, hands resting gently on knees. This was the pose he'd sometimes take when REM latched onto his head, and he was well used to it.

While Neils tried to look calm, he knew that his hands were quivering in fear. This was so utterly stupid, but it was the option that he figured would give him the greatest advantage moving forward. This was too good of an opportunity to pass up, and he just had to calm the muk down. When he gained control of himself once more, Neils centered himself and began to wait. She knew that he was there, and he would wait until he had her undivided attention before attempting to forge the bond between them. Of course, he might be dead by then, but he'd made his choice. He made his choice when Ibis gave him the baby Abra. It was too late to turn back now.



As Neils crashed to the ground, Neils regretted not requesting help from Chantu. Mission first, pride second he thought. As pain coursed through his body, he realized that he was already letting his emotions interfere with his ability to think clearly. He was supposed to be the candidate whose mind was his greatest weapon, who didn't do stupid **** or try and whack things with a sword. Brains over brawn and all that.

When the pain had lessened enough for Neils to get moving again, he gingerly rose to his feet and limped out toward the eggs. When he reached a point that was close enough to the eggs to catch the Charizard's attention but not close enough to actually be able to grab one, Neils almost collapsed to the ground. He would have liked to cross his legs, but that hurt too much, so he just kind of sprawled while supporting his torso with one arm.

The pain of the fall, both physical and emotional, had steeled Neil's resolve. He would succeed in this, as he'd already failed once today. His mind had been cleared of extraneous details, and he focused solely on his goal. This was more like him, the laser focus and cold determination. And so he waited. He was in no rush now. Even if all the others came and got eggs and ran off, Neils would wait for Shikina's attention and not attempt to grab one and run. That would ruin everything.

[CateranEnforcer]

Aloriana felt rather pleased with herself, for taking this path. She was a little tired from the descent but she had no time to waste. The others look like they may be chatting each other up over there, while she is well on the way to getting the first egg. The bad news is that being first meant she'd be the first into the lion's den. Oh well, she kind of expected to get the beast riled up for them after this was done.

She crouches behind the rock taking a look for the nearest clutch of eggs and keeping an eye out for the Charizard. She barely hears Brawley land behind her and turns when he asks his question. She smiles and clasps a pokeball briefly. “I do, but it might be a bit risky. Gonna try to get in and out quickly, before Shikina knows what's happening. I'm hoping the others over there are being noisy enough to distract her.”

Aloriana releases her ball and her Skiddo named Lily pops out with an excited kick of her back feet. Aloriana holds her finger up to her lips to signal silence and she pats her neck. She felt a bit nervous bringing Lily out with a large Charizard around here. It's just a test, they don't really want to hurt us here.

"Alright Lily, we're gonna move as far as we can unnoticed and make a dash for those eggs. We probably won't get the whole way there so be ready to run." She turns to Brawley. “That's my plan, pretty direct, huh? You can come if you can keep up.” She winks at the boy and with that, she urges Lily forward and the two head off towards the nearest egg patch.


OOC

Aloriana's plan is to sneak up to the egg patch with her Skiddo, though she plans to fail spectacularly and is ready to simply bolt for it. If she can, she'll try to have Lily used her threaded ability to pick up an egg at a distance but if they're running it may be faster to simply run up to it and grab it manually and head back to the rock or any nearby cover. All the while, she's going to keep and eye out for the Charizard. In the worst case if Lily is targeted by a fire based attack, Aloriana is prepared to intercept it for her to keep her up.

Additionally, she's going to regard Brawley in a friendly manner and improve disposition with charm, if applicable.

Lily's Stealth: [roll0] (+2 from Focused Training)
(If needed) Aloriana's Stealth: [roll1]
Aloriana's Perception: [roll2]
Aloriana's Charm: [roll3]

[Arcran]

Satomi

Climbing down with your new length of rope, you find yourself able to easily reach the floor, ending up only about twenty yards from what appears to be the main deposit of fossils in the limestone, along with a nearby nest of Charizard Eggs. However, Shikina is in the way of that path... Or not. It seems the Charizard has decided to rush one of the other Trainers, the massive creature moving faster than you thought something of that bulk could, only to have Neils dash at the creature, sitting in a meditative stance, an action that draws Shikina's attention, the creature hovering around the strange boy. Either way, the path was clear to the other wall, at least for now.

However, through all the dirt, you do catch a small, domed fossil that, unless you're mistaken, could be an Egg of some sort.

Of course, that wasn't the only development. Chantu was creeping towards one of the nearby Egg nests, with Adrianne following a few meters behind with her teleportation.

You're fairly certain that rocks aren't supposed to be blue (well, at least this particular kind) and, while hard to see against the glare, two lines of blue stone run across the easiest path to the other wall. While you can easily avoid them, it would require skirting far closer to Shikina than you might like.


Neils
Fortunately for you, Chantu quickly climbs the rest of the way down into the canyon, leaving his rope behind rather conveniently for you. After catching your breath for a moment, you're just barely able to catch Shikina move with impossible speed, closing with one of the other Trainers and letting loose a roar that shook the very stones themselves.

Still, when you walk towards the giant Charizard she decides the others aren't nearly as interesting, turning to glare at you with blue eyes. When you sit, you could swear the Charizard grins before moving with such speed that you swear the Charizard had teleported, the wave of air displaced by the Charizard threatening to tip you over.

And so you sat, with a four-ton Charizard only feet from, head extending on a serpentine neck to sniff around you, large drops of searing-hot spittle splashing against the ground. You could feel the waves of heat radiating off of Shikina, and, more interestingly, could get a better look at the Charizard's tattoos. From a distance they had seemed seemingly random blue lines, but from this distance? You could tell the shapes were shifting and moving across Shikina's skin, some ever detaching the tip to hover hardly an inch over the Charizard's skin. Already two had snaked down Shikina's forearms and onto the ground, and were currently slithering around you, obviously encircling you.

Still, you had her undivided attention.


Harisson

Everything goes almost exactly how you could wish. The young boy furiously nods at your plan, holding a Pokeball in hand as he does so. You leap into the canyon, effortlessly guiding the winds around you to carry you towards the pile of Eggs, throwing enough thrust downwards at the end to reach the ground unharmed, placing you right next to the Eggs. Shikina was even distracted; one of the

Well, almost exactly as you wanted. As you near the Eggs you notice a blue stripe across their shells, but fire could be blue, right? As you reach for one of the Eggs, the blue line reveals its true nature, detaching from the Egg and firing itself at you like a spear. Were it not for your quick reflexes, you might have been impaled; as-is, you just manage to launch yourself backwards a few yards before you watch the blue line continue to unspool from the Eggs, slithering across the ground towards you like a pair of strange, two dimensional snakes. It would seem that the Eggs weren't unguarded.


Alorianna
"Not a bad plan. If we both take different nests too, we can definitely do this," Brawley says, nodding appreciatively before taking off, hardly making a sound, throwing you a wink before he takes off. "Try not to get hurt, alright?"

Just as you almost reach one of the nests, you smack your sword into the side of the canyon, creating a loud ringing that, obviously, draws Shikina's attention. Before you can even blink, Shikina is almost on top of you, the wave of air displaced by the beast nearly knocking you flat, and actually rolling your poor Skiddo end over end. However, an instant later the Charizard's head tips as if it heard something else before vanishing once again (you would swear that it smirked at you first), seemingly focusing on a Trainer simply sitting in the middle of the canyon for some odd reason. As you turn to continue, you see Brawley suddenly stop when the beast moves; seems as if the boy was going to try to save you from certain death an instant ago. He throws you a quick salute with his trident before trotting off towards another nest.

With Shikina gone, you're free to grab one of the Eggs. However, even as you're idly wondering when Charizard Eggs got blue stripes, twin blue lines shoot out of the mess of Eggs and stretch like springs as they try to wrap around your arms!

Tattoo #3 Attempts to Grapple Aloriana!
AC 4: [roll0] Hit
Combat: [roll1]
If it succeeds, take 1 Tick of Damage.

Tattoo #4 Attempts to Grapple Aloriana!
AC 4: [roll2] (Note you may be Vulnerable due to the first Grapple attempt) Hit
Combat: [roll3]
If it succeeds, take 1 Tick of Damage.

When Shikina lunges after Aloriana and again after Neils, you are barely able to register a flash of blue as two tatoos near the Charizard's shoulders detach, shoot out into the sides of the canyon and then pull the beast forward like a giant rubber-band gun. Shikina extending her wings was all just for show here it would appear.

[Zelphas]

Satomi's mouth curves into a small smile as she sees the fossil before her; an emotional equivalent, to her, of jumping up and down with joy. She notes the chaos beginning to erupt as the other initiates begin moving around her, but ignores it for the moment. Eyeing the wall, she moves away from it, skirting near Shikina while walking calmly. Her path brings her near to Chantu for a moment. "As thanks for the rope," she states quietly, and then points to the blue lines marking the walls. "Beware of blue. It seems that Shikina-sama's markings are more than simple decoration."

With that, she moves away from him, curving gradually towards the deposit of fossils. Once she comes to an area roughly equidistant between the fossil deposit and the nearest cluster of eggs, Satomi bends down, tapping the ground with a splayed hand. Obligingly, Renault crawls over her shoulder and down her arm, onto the canyon floor below. For a moment, she simply looks into the Kabuto's glowing eyes; then she points to the nearest egg. "Burrow, take, and return," she states clearly, and Renault chirps once in response before diving into the dirt and disappearing from sight.

Once she reaches the fossil deposit, Satomi drops to her knees, her left hand going to her satchel and coming away with a small wooden trowel. She begins scraping away the dirt from the fossil, intent on claiming her prize.

Occult Edu on the blue lines (and Shikina's markings): [roll0]

Pokemon Edu on the fossil (to identify it): [roll1]

Command (if necessary) to get Renault to obey her instructions: [roll2]

Charm to continue to be non-threatening: [roll3]

[CateranEnforcer]

Aloriana retreats back in surprise but it's too late, she finds herself trapped by the strange...creatures? She winces in pain as they attack and has a moment of reflection thinking back on the strange beings that attacked her farm that makes her surprisingly angry. She strikes out at one close to her with a shout. “Lily, you alright? Concentrate on this one! Razor Leaf!” She swings as she calls out orders, a bit hampered by the things holding her still.


I'm calling the top tattoo on my board as 3 and the bottom one as 4, to let you know.

Aloriana will use Metal Claw as a standard action on Tattoo 3: AC 3 [roll0] Damage [roll1] Also the target loses a tick of HP since Aloriana was hit by it this round due to Steelheart.
She will use Focused Training as orders on Lily as a swift action to increase her bonus to accuracy to +2.

Lily moves to Flank Tattoo 3 with Aloriana moving directly above it, avoiding AoO's if possible.
Lily will use Razor Leaf in a cone that only hits Tattoo 3. AC 4 [roll2] Damage [roll3]
Lily will use Grass Pelt as a Swift action to gain 2 ticks of THP (+12)

[CateranEnforcer]

Moving quickly, Aloriana brings her blade back in line and strikes at the second tattoo before it can react. “Great job Lily! Help me here. Razor Leaf!”


Aloriana uses Bullet Punch on Tattoo 4 and uses After You on Lily.
Bullet Punch - AC 2: Damage Base 5 (4 + 1 for weapon due to Steel Wind?): [roll]1d8+16 18 as per OOC roll

Lily takes her turn and moves once more to flank, directly to the right of Tattoo 4, avoiding AoO's
Razor Leaf - AC 4: [roll1] DB 8: [roll2]

[CosmicOccurence]

Neils was beginning to rethink his genius plan.

Theoretically it was a great plan, but things looked different with a massive firebreathing monster about two feet away from you while its semi-animate blue tattoos surrounded you. He knew coming in that there was a chance that he'd die, but he hadn't realized exactly how powerless he was compared to this thing. If Shinkina decided he wasn't worth the time, it was over.

Nearly paralyzed with fear, it took a few uncomfortably long seconds for Neils to remember that he wasn't just waiting for the thing to open its mouth and swallow him whole. Right. Channeling. You can do this Neils. Just sync your mind to its. No big deal. Its not like you haven't practiced channeling angry Charizard mothers before. He wanted to reach out and touch Shinkina, as he usually used touch as a method to establish contact easier, but you couldn't pay him to move unnecessarily.

Instead he locked eyes with her and tried to center his breathing, trying to use her eyes as a gateway inside her. It was hard to describe what initiating a link was like, especially when it was done almost without thinking when he and Rem connected. With a new Pokemon, especially a hostile one, it was different, as if there were two sets of emotions living inside a single body. It wasn't a connection of the minds, it wasn't telepathy. It was more primal than that, and it was impossible to lie. It was two creatures coming together in intuitive communication in a completely indescribable experience. An experience that might kill him.

As he reached out emotionally, he tried to raise what he hoped to communicate to the Charizard. Full coherent thoughts were impossible, but emotions, ideas, concepts, those were what channelers dealt in. Clarity was hard, but lying was impossible, and Neils hoped this pure connection would keep him from dying. Humility in the face of power. The desire to follow in the footsteps of those like Maddigan. Desiring to be worthy of such an honor. Permission instead of theft. Respect for the sacred bond between Charizard and rider. A chance for a hatchling to rise to greatness.

This was what Neils hoped for. He respected Pokemon such as Rem and the Charizard more than he respected his peers, and his experiences with Ibis, and now with Shinkina, forced him in a position of humility. Of great ambition to rise to the top, but with the understanding that now he was nothing more than one to be judged.

He hoped that he would not be found wanting.

Soooo I have an exactly 50/50 shot at getting this with an AP investment. So here we go! Intuition to Channel DC 15. [roll0] with +2 from Skill Enhancement and +1 from AP. 4/6 AP left

EDIT: YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!! I may not die!!!!!

While I don't necessarily expect you to give me a full list of Capabilities/Abilities/Moves for this baby (cause I doubt you've actually statted her up), It'd be nice to have a few fun tidbits so I can learn a bit more about her powers.

Oh, and also her memories from the past hour, however much a 'vague knowledge' qualifies as. ;p

Yes I realize that I'm not out of the woods yet, but I was really worried about making that check and am in general euphoria mode at the moment.

[Elyander]

"Interesting ability." - Harisson thinks as he gets some room to analyze this new opponent. Even though he had his senses expanded, the slithering lines were just too thin to be noticed by the breeze's touch, so he couldn't count on it to avoid attacks. As he starts planning his move while the charizard seems distracted, Harisson thinks about the boy he left above. "Never even asked his name." - he regrets, drawing one of his pokéballs - "Well, I'm still gonna get you an egg."

- "Cepheus," - he calls as the beedrill appears in a flash of light, the buzzing helping him focus on the task ahead - "let's make this quick. Snatch and hold." - Harisson orders, with a snap of his fingers towards the eggs. He then quickly knocks an arrow on his bow, ready to fend the strange blue marks. He had noticed their elastic properties, so he would have to make sure Cepheus could take the egg without them trying to take it back, and he would use the fact that Kishida was focused on the (apparently) crazy purple-haired boy.

The well-trained beedrill spurts a sticky string, which hits the egg with a wet sound. The egg then is pulled towards the pokémon, who starts ascending quickly as his trainer has ordered.

Harisson smiles.

Harisson releases Cepheus above the eggs [shift action]
He then draws his bow [standard action]

Cepheus uses Threaded to grab one of the eggs. [standard action]
He will then flies up 8 meters [shift action]

(I'm not sure Cepheus should roll to hit the eggs, since they are not "an unwilling Pokémon or Trainer", but if it's needed:
Threaded Roll (AC 6): [roll0] )

[Arcran]

Satomi
Chantu gives you a short nod at the advice, pulling a sword from his back as he approaches one of the nests. As he closes the distance with one of the nests, he easily cuts down the tattoo tendrils that shot forth. It would seem your advice helped somebody at least. While you hadn't heard much about the gifts The Mountain had given Shikina, you did know that they were among the stranger in the Knights. The ability to animate tattoos, whether as tendrils or as weapons, and the ability to detach them, allowing the tattoos to act independently. It also would explain why Maddigan occasionally had tattoos and other times had skin as unblemished as a heavily-scarred baby. Either way, judging by how quickly they fell when attacked by Chantu, they weren't particularly dangerous on their own.

Renualt chirps out a quick reply before beginning the slow process of burrowing towards one nearby nests and leaving you to begin work on removing the fossil.

A few short seconds in, and you've already discerned what the Egg was. A Charmander Egg, almost perfectly preserved in stone. While bringing something back from an Egg was risky, it was certainly possible. It would seem your Sensei knew what she was talking about.


Aloriana
The storm of leaves shot forth by Lily literally shreds the tattoo creature, leaving the other for you to focus on. Two swift sword-cuts later, and the other creature was completely eradicated, leaving you a clear path to the blue-line-free Eggs.


Neils
You manage to slip your way near Shikina's mind, only to recoil slightly in shock. Sure, you'd Channeled Rem and a few other capable Pokemon, but never something like Shikina, and never on this scope. The sheer power of the Charizard threatens to overwhelm your mind before you center yourself. Surprisingly, you find no malice in the mind of the Charizard like you'd expect of a mother watching her children stolen. Rather, you feel mild amusement and a sense of duty. As you continue to reach into Shikina's mind, a brief flash of a memory from earlier appears.

Shikina was barely conscious in the canyon, apparently napping while she waited for the challenge to begin. She'd had to dash over after flying Maddigan down in the grand display earlier, so it was warranted. Hardly paying attention, one of the tattoos encircling a nest impales a Raticate attempting to pillage the Eggs, the razor-sharp one dimensional construct tearing through bone and sinew.

Oio, almost 'ere love. Wakey-wakey, you feel in the Charizard's mind, the voice distinctively Maddigan's. An instant later tattoos fly from across Shikina's body, slithering through cracks in the walls of the canyons even as the first of you appear on the hill.

Inside the wall, you can feel some tattoos cutting through the stone, weakening the walls, even as others begin to chisel out two small caverns, pulling together rocks as tattoos bind them into vaguely humanoid shapes.

An instant later, in the real world, Shikina still stares at you, letting out a huge jet of smoke with a snort. With a nod she gestures towards one of the nearby nests before standing tall, revealing a massive mess of tattoos stretching from her legs into the walls of the canyons. As you watch, tattoos across her belly begin t rearrange, spelling out a single word.

Go.


Harisson
As you direct Cepheus to take flight and steal an egg, the Beedrill manages to shoot out a small net, retrieving not one but two of the Eggs before taking off, doing his best to outpace the tattoos, but to little result. Twin blue lines streak up from the mess of Eggs, arcing towards Cepheus as he takes off. The Beedrill dodges one without issue, only for the other to impact his side, drawing a thin line of greenish blood but barely harming the Pokemon.

Tattoo #1 Struggles against Cepheus!
AC: [roll0] Hit
If it hits, Cepheus takes 21 damage before Defenses.
Tattoo #2 Struggles against Cepheus!
AC: [roll1] Miss
If it hits, Cepheus takes 21 damage before Defenses.

As you go about trying to retrieve an Egg, you begin to hear slight cracking in the walls of the canyons. Something was going on in there, and you could only assume it wasn't good.

[Elyander]

The beedrill had performed even better than he had hoped for. Taking two eggs at once was a fine work, one he would be sure to reward Cepheus later. As the beedrill rises, Harisson isn't surprised to see the tattos strike. In fact, he was ready for that, having aimed precisely their path as they leaped from the ground. "Oy," - he says, shooting and arrow and quickly aiming a second - "I'm your opponent here. Cepheus, deliver the eggs to the boy up there and return".

Harisson had noticed the rumbling behind the rocky walls. Expanding his senses, he tries to see how everyone else was doing, and if anyone was in need of help in case things turn ugly. "Which I'm sure they will." - he thinks, sighing.


Harisson uses Aiming Down the Shots (+2 on Accuracy and Critical Hit Range).
He then shoots an arrow with Bullseye! at the one who hit Cepheus. [standard action]
Bullseye - AC 3, Critical Hit on 13+

Accuracy Roll: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1] (Normal type)
[S]If critical: Extra [roll2] + [roll3]

Cepheus will keep flying up, even if that causes an attack of opportunity [shift action]
When he gets above, he will deliver the eggs to the boy.

Perception Check: [roll4]
To hear the cracking.

[CateranEnforcer]

Breathing heavily from her short burst of exertion, Aloriana looked around a moment after felling the strange creatures. They had left some painful, yet clean scratches on her arms and she took a moment to make sure she wasn't seriously hurt. She shivered a bit thinking about the existence of such constructs; it reminded her that the chilling events three years ago and shadowy creatures that were set upon her village. Perhaps they were more common than she thought. But they can be killed, so maybe not as threatening either.

With the eggs just in front of her, these thoughts would have to wait. She walked over to give Lily a pat on the head. “Good job, girl. They scratched me up a little, but I'll be fine. Now lets get an egg and get out of here! Looks like she's run off to terrorize the others.” Aloriana walked up to the eggs and not really knowing much about biology pondered for a moment and picked out the first egg that came to mind. She held it under one arm and headed back the way she came, trying to keep her distance from any tattoo like shapes.

I knew they wouldn't try to kill us, she thought, Just gotta get out of here, easy as pie. I wonder how the rest are faring right now. Maybe I should have a look at what others are doing. Aloriana altered her course slightly to try and figure out why that trainer had stopped in the middle of the canyon. Surely he hadn't meant to fight Shikina, the one thing they were told not to try? She'd better go make sure they were alright.

[CosmicOccurence]

Neils was shocked. He had assumed that this mother would be actively defending her eggs, but it seemed as if she didn't mind what was happening. He considered trying to see through her eyes for a second, but only for a second. Instead he quickly severed the connection and dashed to the clutch of eggs she had indicated. Slipping the egg into his jacket and nestling it inside the pack, he quickly closed the flaps and slung it once more over his shoulder.

He began to dash for the canyon wall. He didn't know what Shikina was up to, or what those rocky shapes in the walls were, but he didn't want to find out. He wasn't a combatant, and he had no idea if he or his Pokemon would be effective against nonliving things. Would he be able to put them to sleep? If not he was in for a bit of trouble.

As he raced for the ropes he noticed one of the sword-bearing trainees coming toward him. Run! he called to her. Something is going to happen, and we don't want to be around when it does. He didn't stop to wait for her reply. She would either believe him or not, and he didn't have time to explain. If she followed that was her prerogative, but his first priority was himself, and himself only.

[Zelphas]

Satomi lightly kisses the egg fossil before placing it in her pack. I have all I need; the terms of the challenge were to take a Charmander egg from the canyon, and I have done so, she considers as she moves towards the place where Renault is burrowing. However... with Kasai-sama already questioning my inclusion into the Knights, perhaps it is best to claim an egg as a safeguard as well.

She pauses at the spot where Renault's tunnel begins, looking around the canyon floor. Shikina's shifting tattoos draw her eye, and her fingers twitch lightly as she studies them. I wonder, are the tattoos themselves magical, or is it an inherent gift from the mountain? Perhaps Maddigan will allow me to study her once I finish this initiation. She looks over at the boy crouched in front of the Charizard as he leaps towards the eggs. He is shouting something; Satomi strains to her, a look of mild concern on her face.

Perception to look around the canyon: [roll0]

[Arcran]

Harisson
Your arrow flies true, piercing into the tattoo and dangling there, the 3D protrusion standing out starkly from the two-dimensional monster. Still, Cepheus is able to escape, disappearing over the side of the canyon for a moment.

Of course, being the distraction is rarely safe. In a flurry of blue lines, the tattoos lash out, seeking to cut you wide open.

Tattoo #1 Struggles against Harisson!
AC: [roll0] Miss
If it hits, Cepheus takes 21 damage before Defenses.
Tattoo #2 Struggles against Harisson!
AC: [roll1] Hit
If it hits, Cepheus takes 21 damage before Defenses. Cepheus will be back next round and you can place him wherever.


Aloriana
Grabbing an Egg is easy enough; soon you have a rather large, surprisingly warm Egg under an arm and are dashing towards Neil, who had just turned to grab an Egg after fleeing from Shikina, seemingly without issue.


Neils
Grabbing an egg is easy enough and, without issue, you're able to scoop one up and begin your mad dash towards the wall.


Satomi
After popping the Fossil Egg out, you have a second to marvel at its mass before heading towards Renault's quarry, making quick progress towards your backup Egg.


All
With all of you having secured your Eggs, you begin to feel just a little safe. Well, save for Harisson, who had two animated tattoos trying to kill him. And yet, even then, he'd managed to return two Eggs instead of one, something to be proud of. Looking across, you can see that the other three initiates have managed to collect their own Eggs, and were currently attempting to

That pride and safety is dashed instantly as Shikina lets out a mighty roar, quite literally shaking the walls of the canyon, and more. From every nook and cranny in the walls of the canyons blue tendrils shoot out, the once dusty brown floor becoming royal blue in the blink of an eye. The mass converges into two huge branches as Shikina takes flight, a wave of blue arcing towards each of the initiates in the canyon, driving you towards the far walls, even as it drives the other group away. If you sprinted, perhaps you could reach the wall before the tattoos cut you into shreds, but that would be a bit of a stretch.

And, of course, you finally learned what the rumbling in the walls was. Even while you attempted to dash from the cutting sea closing in on you, you manage to make out outlines of giant stone golems bound together by blue tattoos, lumbering out of the side of the cliff.

High above, Shikina lets out another roar, and the more eagle-eyed among you might just make out other Charizard hovering near the angry mother.

Athletics and Acrobatics against DC 25. You take Physical damage (meaning you also subtract Defense) equal to the difference between the DC and the sum of your rolls. Pokemon that are out must roll as well, except Cepheus.

[Zelphas]

Satomi's eyes widen as the blue on the walls burst into motion. Perhaps I should stand my ground? Then the giant golems burst from the cavern wall. No; this is the Trial of Courage, not insanity. She turns and sprints towards the far wall. Ahead of her, Renault bursts out of the ground, chirping happily, as he clutches onto an egg. Before the Kabuto can see what is happening, Satomi is upon him, scooping him up in one hand while clumsily grabbing the egg with the other. She stumbles, trying to shift Renault onto her back while placing the egg in her satchel with the fossil, and an advancing arm of blue washes over her.

The tattoos strike swiftly, aiming for her arms and legs. She manages to jerk her limbs out of the way of most strikes; the few that land hit her flatly, stinging strikes that hurt, but do not wound. On her back, she can hear several sharp pinging impacts, as well as Renault's rising hiss. Worry for the Kabuto shadows her thoughts, but she ignores it, focusing on running. She breaks free of the blue wave and notices the other people around her. "Is anyone wounded?" she calls out as she runs, her voice still managing to sound calm despite the rising chaos around her.

Sprint action to make it to the far wall.

If anyone is adjacent to her and wounded, she'll take a Swift Action and use a Potion on them. They gain 20 HP, and Satomi gains +5 Damage Reduction until the end of her next turn.

[CateranEnforcer]

That's him! Aloriana saw the purple haired trainer as he was running away. He didn't really need to tell her twice, her plan all along was to get out of here as fast as she could anyways. She took after him at her fastest pace with Lily galloping hot on her heels. Besides, I really don't want to see what he's running from.

This bit of warning seemed to get her in a good position for what happened next. As the Charizard roared and blade-like blue strands began to coalesce, Aloriana had a head start on getting to the safety of the wall. Well, relative safety, as she beheld the stone constructs striding forth from the sides of the canyon like it was nothing. She held her sword behind her as she ran, slicing the air to keep the leading strands from getting to her or Lily and protecting the egg held in her left arm with her body.

Aloriana has now been running and fighting for a long time, her hair had become a bit disheveled. The girl next to was asking if anyone around was wounded and now was not the time for bravado. She leaned against the wall breathing deeply, and coughed out reply, “I am, a bit. Those things got a hold of me earlier, but it's not too serious.” She was more worried about those stone giants, and took a one handed guard stance facing the nearest, the egg still clutched to her side in her other arm. I may need to send out my big guns for this one. Aloriana took one last long, deep breath to prepare herself for a fight.

EDIT:

Status duplicated here.

Aloriana
HP 53/65
Def 10, SDef 10, Speed 5
Def Evasion 2, Sp Evasion 2, Speed Evasion 1
AP 5/6 (1 Drained)

Lily (Skiddo)
HP 67/67 +12 THP
Def 15 (+1 CS to 18), SDef 12, Speed 3
Def Evasion 3, Sp Evasion 2, Speed Evasion 0 (+1 Evasion from Inspired Training)
Inspired and Focused Training active. +1 Default Defense stage.

[CosmicOccurence]

Even with the head start, Neils was slashed from several directions by the sea of tattoos. He clutched his pack in front of himself, trying to guard the edge. He wasn't hurt too badly, but it didn't feel good either. Well, I didn't really expect to get out of this unscathed anyways, so it could be worse. After checking over his wounds, he noted that it was only his left arm with a gash on it, but that would heal up no problem with enough time.

When the girl asked if anyone was injured, Neils glanced at his arm. He could deal with it easily, but it would be nice to get some medical attention, especially of this girl had medical knowledge. That said, he had no interest in being indebted to others so quickly in the process. I'll live he said, dabbing at it with his sleeve. I'm sure we'll get much worse in the future.

Turning his attention to the golems, Neils reached for his Pokeball and released Rem. The Musharna floated slightly in front of him, mist pouring out of its body. Without facing the others, he gave a few terse instructions. He didn't know these people's battle experiences, but if they were going to work as a group, they needed to know how to battle with each other. I'm not sure if these things can be put to sleep, but if they can, ignore any of them that a put to bed. Your attacks will just wake them up. Instead focus attention on those that are still running around.

Took 14 damage from sea of tattoos.

Neils, 57/71, Initiative 12
Def 5, SpDef 5
Speed Evasion 2

Rem 90/90, Initiative 3
Defense 19, Special Defense 17
Physical Evasion 3, Special Evasion 3, Status Evasion 0
Focused Training (+1 Accuracy and +2 Skill Checks )

[Elyander]

Despite his agile movement, one of the tendrils bends unexpectedly and is able to cut a shallow gash at Harisson's shoulder. Using the force of the strike, he swirls around, getting some room to prepare another shot. At that moment, though, his fears become true as the charizard roars with all her might and the walls seem to burst in a blue light, as the tendrils move in unisson trying to reach the candidates. Harisson reacts quickly, using the ground to take impulse and glide away, dodging most of the tendrils, excpet for one, which he manages to parry using his bow.

After the dust settles and he makes sure he's intact, Harisson quicks look around, trying to identify every bit of useful information. The candidates start yelling, offering medical service or giving tactical ideas. "This is getting serious." - he thinks, appreciating the will of working as a team some of the others show - "Perhaps we can make this over soo... - What the..?" Harisson's train of thought is interrupted by the stone giants coming from the walls, but is the blur of a second charizard arriving that really gets him anxious.

- "Uhm, guys? - he says, trying to make his voice clear yet not yelling, to show calmness - "I think Shikina's got company." He grabs his bow with confidence, focusing his senses in his surroundings trying to understand everyone's positions as they prepare for a battle.

Harisson rolled a 19 in his Acrobatics+Athletics, which combined with his 7 defense, means he takes no damage from the tendrils.

Cepheus will join the combat as soon as he can, hovering 4 meters above Harisson.

[Zelphas]

Satomi glances around at the group, before moving to Neils. "Don't be foolish," she replies shortly to the boy, digging a Potion out of her satchel and preparing to spray. If the boy insists, she shrugs and moves to the boy with the longbow.

Swift Action: Use a Potion on either Neils or (if he refuses) Harisson. If they both refuse, no action.

[Arcran]

The sea of tattoos pursues you all up to the wall, driving you into the corner. Just when you realize there's no escape from the oncoming flood, the tattoos stop short, slinking back and upwards to the flying Shikina, leaving the oncoming horde of tattoo golems very easy to see, as well as the giant wall dividing the canyon in half. Across, you can already hear the sounds of battle: it seem Chantu and the others haven't wasted any time against this new enemy.

As it stands, nine golems are marching towards the group of you, stones loosely held together by a mess of tattoos. Above, Shikina lets out another roar, causing the golems to seemingly grow, marching forward with increased speed. As they stride forward a loose stone falls, knocking one of the golem's arms clean off only for it to snap back on with a heavy thunk an instant later. If you had to guess, these would be significantly tougher than the initial enemies you had fought.

Alright, time for a real fight! Initiative is up on the map, so let's get to work! (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Lxflm43u_bO4cz_CROSGMu_MDeRl5k0GxSJORikTzKQ/edit#gid=0)

[CosmicOccurence]

Neils doesn't argue this time when the girl tries to heal him and accepts to potion. It stung a bit as his wound stitched itself back together. After quickly Channeling Rem, Neils slid backwards behind a rock. There was no need for him to be on the front lines of battle, but he pulled out a vial of dream mist anyways. Just in case.


Healed 14 damage from the potion. Swift Action to channel Rem.

Neils, 71/71, Initiative 12
Def 5, SpDef 5
Speed Evasion 2

Rem 90/90, Initiative 3
Defense 19, Special Defense 17
Physical Evasion 3, Special Evasion 3, Status Evasion 0
Focused Training (+1 Accuracy and +2 Skill Checks )

[Elyander]

Looking back, Harisson can only see the cliff wall. He might be able to outrun the creatures, but it wouldn't do much good if he can't climb outside the canyon. Besides, the others may not be as fast and he wouldn't like leaving them to fend themselves, specially because most of them are unarmed. "Thadeus, this is alredy too much work." - Harisson curses his mentor, facing the monsters ahead - "I hope the boy is fine on his own."

Harisson stands straight, extending his arm to better aim his bow. He mentally draw the more likely path of attack, breathing deelpy in concentration. The wind brings the shape of his beedrill arriving, which calms him a bit. "Let them come to us." - he urges the others in a steady voice - "I have a clearer shot if no one rushes. If you can't fight, get behind those who can. Cepheus," - he adds with a smirk - "we'll focus on the distant ones. Get ready."

Cepheus buzzes in answer, rubbing his hand spikes together in a raspy sound as he slowly advances.

{Initiative 15} - Cepheus
Moves 2 meters ahead, flying 3 meters above ground [shift action]
Uses Focus Energy (+2 Critical Hit Range) [standard action]

{Initiative 12} - Harisson
Uses Aiming Down the Shots (+2 Accuracy and Critical Hit Range to next attack) [shift action]
Uses Overwatch, creating a protected area. For one full round, if a foe moves in or out of that area, Harisson may make a Ranged Weapon attack, Frequency allowing, against that foe as a Free Action. [standard action]

I colored an area on the map, representing the Overwatch area. I hope that's ok.

[Zelphas]

Satomi nods in response to the archer's plan. "Renault!" she calls out, pointing to the nearest golem. "Mud Shot." The Kabuto crawls off of her back and forward, stopping just in front of the Beedrill before shooting a thick wad of brownish canyon mud at the oncoming tattoo construct.

Renault

Move Action: move to D7.

Standard Action: Use Mud Shot on Golem 2. Special Ground Damage.
Accuracy: [roll0] vs. 3+Evasion. Target loses -1 Speed stage on a hit.
Damage: [roll1]
If Crit: [roll2]

[Arcran]

As the group scrambles into position to attempt to take down the group of golems, the group of stone-clad tattoo monsters slowly strides forward. Rem's jet of mud connects solidly with one of the golems, grinding a few stones in the center of the Pokemon to dust. As a few stagger through Harisson's firing zone the archer manages to sneak out a few quick shots, although only one arrow manages to find purchase, the other effortlessly batted out of the air by tattoos that leap from the golems to defend their body.

The golems move forward angrily after the feeble attacks connect with them, obviously intent on getting some payback. Two attempt to batter on Renault, but the Kabuto's thick armor provides more than enough protection against the golem's clumsy attacks. Another two attack Rem, only to find the Musharna's spongy body more than capable of handling the attacks. The final two swing fists towards Aloriana and, whether through dumb luck or simply how green Aloriana is, the two manage to connect, stones whipped about by stones connecting heavily with the Steelheart's shoulder, nearly popping it out of its socket and making further combat far more difficult.

The others, rather than fight, simply creep forward, tattoos pulling small stones from the ground to help patch up their defenses.

Overwatch Attacks:
Golem 2 - Miss
AC: [roll0], Critical 18+
Damage: [roll1]
Critical: [roll2]+[roll3]

Golem 6 - Hit
AC: [roll4]
Damage: [roll5]
Critical: [roll6]+[roll7]

Golem 3 - Miss
AC: [roll8]
Damage: [roll9]
Critical: [roll10]+[roll11]

Attacks
Golem 2 uses Pound on Renualt! Miss
AC: [roll12]
Damage: [roll13]
Critical: [roll14]

Golem 6 uses Pound on Renualt! Crit, but Battle Armor negates.
AC: [roll15]
Damage: [roll16] - 7 Damage, 3 after Resistances
Critical: [roll17]

Golem 3 uses Pound on Rem! Hit
AC: [roll18]
Damage: [roll19] - 9 damage
Critical: [roll20]

Golem 4 uses Pound on Rem! Hit
AC: [roll21]
Damage: [roll22] - 10 damage
Critical: [roll23]

Golem 1 uses Pound on Alorianna! Hit
AC: [roll24]
Damage: [roll25] - 19 damage
Critical: [roll26]

Golem 5 uses Pound on Alorianna! Critical
AC: [roll27]
Damage: [roll28] - 24 damage This puts Aloriana under 50% HP, so you gain one Injury that affects Attack.
Critical: [roll29]

Golem 7 uses Harden!

Golem 8 uses Harden!

Golem 9 uses Harden!

And you are free to post!

[Zelphas]

Satomi watches the golems advance dispassionately, looking over her teammates to see where she is needed. The heavy crash of impact upon the sword girl catches her attention, and she moves quickly to her, a golden restorative already in her hand. "Dislocated shoulder? No, merely sprained," she comments as she sprays the Super Potion, her eyes intent on the affected limb. "Mobility decreased, pain likely upon using the joint. For optimum restoration of the sprained limb, immobilize and prohibit patient from strenuous activity for a period of no less than six hours." She glances across the battlefield, and her voice suddenly sounds dry. "However, given current circumstances, a period of strenuous activity followed by rest is in all of our best interests.

"Renault! Absorb!" she calls over her shoulder. The Kabuto, who had risen to his back legs in preparation for an attack, hisses in displeasure but complies, dropping back down again. His eyes glow viridian for a moment as tendrils of power reach out after the golem in front of him.

Satomi

Move Action: Shift to B5.

Standard Action: Use a Super Potion on Aloriana. She regains 35 HP, and Satomi gains +5 damage resistance for 1 turn.

Renault

Move Action: None.

Standard Action: Use Absorb on Golem 2, Special Grass Damage.
Accuracy: [roll0] vs. 2 + Evasion
Damage: [roll1]
If Crit: [roll2]
Renault gains half of the damage as HP.

[CateranEnforcer]

Aloriana winces in pain as the Golems advance around her and pummel her roughly. She feels the pain in her arm and it's definitely going to slow her down. She takes a swing at the one in front of her and backs up towards the group. "I'm clear, Lily! Hit em with Rock Slide!" As Lily moves forward to give the golems a pummeling of their own, Aloriana turns to hear Satomi rattling of medical procedures that she really isn't paying too much attention to, but she greatly appreciates the treatment anyways. "Thanks for that, I'm going to keep them away from you as best I can! You can call me Lori, by the way!" Not finished yet, Aloriana turns back, poised to strike once more.


Aloriana uses Metal Claw on Golem 1 in A6 and disengages to C6. She uses Focused Training on Lily to improve her accuracy by one.

Attack: [roll0] vs AC 3 + Evasion, +1 Attack CS on 18+
Damage: [roll1] plus one tick of HP
Crit: [roll2]

Lily will use Rock Slide to hit the blast 3 between A6 and B8, attacking the three golems there.

Attack: [roll3] vs AC 2 (4 – 2 accuracy from Focused Training) + Evasion, Flinch on 17+
Damage: [roll4]
Crit: [roll5]

At the beginning of the next round, definitely going to be using a Priority Bullet Punch. Just want to make sure I know the results of these attacks first, which enemies are up, etc.



Status duplicated here.

Aloriana
HP 45/65, 1 injury, -1 atk CS
Def 10, SDef 10, Speed 5
Def Evasion 2, Sp Evasion 2, Speed Evasion 1
AP 5/6 (1 Drained)

Lily (Skiddo)
HP 67/67 +12 THP
Def 15 (+1 CS to 18), SDef 12, Speed 3
Def Evasion 3, Sp Evasion 2, Speed Evasion 0 (+1 Evasion from Inspired Training)
Inspired and Focused Training active. +1 Default Defense stage.

[CateranEnforcer]

Not giving the constructs time to react to Lily's last attack, Aloriana thrusts swiftly against the golem in front of her. She can feel the power in the blade even as her arm twinges in pain at the exertion.“Hit em again, Lily! Razor Leaf! Don't let them recover!” The Skiddo shakes out dozens of blade-like leaves that fly into the golem formation, and she positions herself protectively in front of Aloriana.


Aloriana uses Bullet Punch on Golem 5 in B7, then uses After You on Lily.

Attack: [roll0] vs AC 2 + Evasion, Priority
Damage: [roll1]
Crit: [roll2]

Lily uses Razor Leaf in a cone, targeting the Golems 1 and 5 in A6 and B7. Then Lily Disengages to B6.
Attack: [roll3] vs AC 3 (4 – 1 accuracy from Focused Training) + Evasion, Crit on 18+
Damage: [roll4]
Crit: [roll5]



Aloriana
HP 45/65, 1 injury, -1 atk CS
Def 10, SDef 10, Speed 5
Def Evasion 2, Sp Evasion 2, Speed Evasion 1
AP 5/6 (1 Drained)

Lily (Skiddo)
HP 67/67 +12 THP
Def 15 (+1 CS to 18), SDef 12, Speed 3
Def Evasion 3, Sp Evasion 2, Speed Evasion 0 (+1 Evasion from Inspired Training)
Inspired and Focused Training active. +1 Default Defense stage.

[CosmicOccurence]

As the golems strike Rem, she lets out a stream of smoke into the face of one of the golems, downing it to sleep. Bring another down Rem he instructed coldly, transmitting his intentions more clearly through their link. Immediately, she floated backwards, rearing back in the air. Her eyes glowed deep purple as she let out a ray of swirling prismatic lights towards another of the golems in her immediate vicinity.

Seeing the two fall soundly asleep, Neils grinned. Well, might as well try for three, he popped the top off the vial of dream mist that he held and released the smoke in the face of the golem nearest him. It was hard to control the stuff, but there was a good chance the thing would end up in contact with some of the purple smoke.


Rem activates Dream Smoke on Golem 4 (F7) putting it to sleep.

Rem disengages to E6 and uses Hypnosis on Golem 6 (E8)
[roll0] Hypnosis cannot miss, but I can crit on a 20!
Golem 6 falls asleep, on crit it takes -4 to its first save check.
EDIT: Rem also gains 5 DR from Type Strategist

Neils uses Dream Mist on Golem 7 (G6) 4 vials left.
Using 1 AP on accuracy roll [roll1] AC 6 status
On hit, the target falls asleep.

3/6 AP left.

[Elyander]

Harisson curses as most of his arrows miss their targets. This kind of situation is new to him; not battling unknown enemies, but having people around he can't stop worrying about. The blond girl is being too focused, and doesn't seem to be handling it so well. The barrage of attacks from the creatures has taken its toll, but luckily the other girl is effectively tending to the wounds. When he considers helping her deal with the ones attacking her, she and her pokémon throw a furry of coordinated attacks. "Huh! Perhaps I'm worrying too much. She seems capable enough." - he thinks, already turning to deal with the monsters coming from the other side.

As they attack the pink pokémon commanded by the purple haired boy, a cloud of mist expands, making Harisson panic a little about vision, but the mist dissipates quickly and he's happy to find two of the monsters seem to be immobile, as in stasis. Whatever the munarsha did, it was effective. Harisson smiles as he appreciates the coordination the group shows, despite not knowing each other. "So the candidates are really something else."

-"Cepheus, let's do our thing." - Harisson commands, aiming an arrow carefully between the disabled monsters to hit the golem behind - "Cover the boy with the vials! Fury attack!"

The beedrill makes no sound as he quickly flies towards his objective, before becoming a blur as he strikes it multiple times with his spikes.

{Initiative 15} - Cepheus
Flies towards Golem 7, stopping 1 meter above it (G5) [shift action]
Uses Fury Attack! [standard action]

Fury Attack - AC 4, Critical Hit on 16+

Accuracy Roll: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1] (Physical, Normal)
Critical: [roll2] + [roll3]

{Initiative 12} - Harisson
Uses Brutal Training on Cepheus [swift action]
Uses Aiming Down the Shots (+2 Accuracy and Critical Hit Range to next attack) [shift action]
Uses Bullseye against Golem... 8? (F8) [standard action]

Bullseye - AC 3, Critical Hit on 13+

Accuracy Roll: [roll4]
Damage: [roll5] (Physical, Normal)
Critical: [roll6] + [roll7]

(I assumed we had time to apply Training before coming to the trials, because... well, we knew we're coming to the trials. If not, then Fury Attack is a Critical on 17+ instead.)

[Arcran]

Even under the mighty flurry of attacks, the golems don't even flinch, simply moving forward as tatoo tendrils and stone keep coming. Renault manages to completely restore the small indent the golem had done to his armor, but hardly damages his opponent. Still, Satomi's Super Potion provides Aloriana the second wind she needed, the girl and Skiddo unleashing a hail of steel, stone and razor-sharp leaves, nearly laying their opponents low, the golems literally hanging on by tendrils of tattoos. Despite Neils initial concerns, Rem manages to cause two to simply freeze, although Neils isn't quite as successful with his sample of Dream Mist. Harisson manages to sneak an arrow in against the golems, and Cepheus unleashes a powerful hail of blows that causes the golem to stagger backwards.

And yet, after all of that, not a single golem had actually fallen. After Lily's mighty attacks against the horde you hear a bellow from above and, like clockwork, three of the golems turn to focus on the Skiddo. Three golems in turn slam fists into the Skiddo but, fortunately, the Pokemon's thick grassy coat absorbs the brunt of the hit, keeping Lily standing. Two more attempt to buffet Rem and Renault to embarrassingly ineffective results. The final two golems not under Rem's magic dash forward towards Cepheus, heavy fists battering the Beedrill back and forth, causing the Beedrill to hit a spike heavily into the ground, blunting the tip considerably.

As the golems finish their assault one of them begins to stir, whatever spell Rem had cast clearly wearing off.

Golem 1 uses Pound on Lily!
AC: [roll0] Hit, Critical
Damage: [roll1] + 9 because crit, 18 damage

Golem 2 uses Pound on Renault!
AC: [roll2] Hit
Damage: [roll3] 14 damage, 7 after Resistance

Golem 3 uses Pound on Rem!
AC: [roll4] Hit
Damage: [roll5] 1 damage.

Golem 4 is Asleep!

Golem 5 uses Pound on Lily!
AC: [roll6] Hit
Damage: [roll7] 8 damage

Golem 6 is Asleep!

Golem 7 uses Pound on Cepheus!
AC: [roll8] Hit
Damage: [roll9] 13 damage

Golem 8 uses Pound on Lily! Lily is Flanked!
AC: [roll10] Hit
Damage: [roll11] 7 damage

Golem 9 uses Pound on Cepheus! Cepheus is Flanked!
AC: [roll12] Hit
Damage: [roll13] 17 damage Cepheus gains an Injury. This Injury affects Attack.

And you're good to go! Kill some ****!

[CosmicOccurence]

Neils cast a thankful glance towards the archer when he Beedrill came to help him out, but when they managed to put dents in the thing, he decided to step in. Whipping another vial from his belt, he cast Dream Mist at another one of the creatures, this time hoping the mist found its mark. Without knowing what the coming trails were, he couldn't afford to use more this battle, but the Beedrill was already damaged enough that he needed to help in whatever way he could. At the same time, Rem let out a yawn at the Golem in front of it, coaxing it into an eventual slumber, while casting a seductive wink at it to keep it occupied before it fell asleep.

Tentatively, Neils reached out to see if he could Channel one of these creatures. While he didn't expect to get them to stop attacking, he could gain valuable information about their combat abilities which could help the others out.

Neils disengages (shift) to G4 and uses Dream Mist on Golem 9 (H4). 3 vials left.
AC 6, using 1 AP [roll0] 2/6 AP left.

Uses Channel on Golem 9 (H4) as well.
Intuition DC 15 [roll1] I'm only really interested in the part of Channeling where I learn all of its Moves, Abilities, and Capabilities.
In the event that he doesn't reach DC 15 he activates Skill Monkey as a free action to try again, taking the second result [roll2] Not applicable as I succeeded the first time

Musharna uses Yawn on Golem 3 (E7)
Yawn cannot miss, but it crits on 20 [roll3]
Target falls asleep at the end of their next turn, on crit they get a -4 penalty to their first save check.

Neils activates Trickster as a free action to allow Rem to use a Flirt Maneuver (1/6 AP)
It automatically hits, with Neil's Guile [roll4] vs its Charm or Focus.
On success the target is infatuated with Rem for 1 round and automatically fails its check.

[CateranEnforcer]

Aloriana flinched a bit as the golems rained down blows on Lily. Still, she took them a lot better than she herself had and still looked fighting fit, if a bit tired. That wouldn't last long at this rate, however. Aloriana hacked desperately at the golems trying to thin their numbers. "Hang in there just a bit more Lily!"



Aloriana uses Bullet Punch on Golem 5.
Attack 1d20 [6] vs AC 2 + Evasion, Priority
Damage 1d8+15 [20]
Crit 1d8+8

She also uses Inspired Training on Lily to raise Evasion as a swift action. I'm out of After You uses unless this counted as a new scene so she's got to wait til the golems go again to act.




Aloriana
HP 45/65, 1 injury, -1 atk CS
Def 10, SDef 10, Speed 5
Def Evasion 2, Sp Evasion 2, Speed Evasion 1
AP 5/6 (1 Drained)

Lily (Skiddo)
HP 46?/67
Def 15 (+1 CS to 18), SDef 12, Speed 3
Def Evasion 3, Sp Evasion 2, Speed Evasion 0 (+2 Evasion from Inspired Training)
Inspired and Focused Training active. +1 Default Defense stage.

[Elyander]

The situation was starting to get a little dire. None of the beasts had fallen yet, while some of the candidates and their pokémon had already suffered some damage. Seeing Cepheus suffer a nasty blow, Harisson starts thinking different ways to deal with the golems. "The wall of pokémon is working. Except for Cepheus, none seems too hurt, so it will have to do for now." As Harisson starts aiming at the golem behind Beedrill, the other buy suddenly dashes forth and splash another vial onto the creature. Despite thinking it was a bit too risky, Harisson is pleased to see the monster freezing as the others. "Disabling them is a perfect strategy, allowing us to concentrate on the active ones while diminishing their force. I like it."

He smiles at the boy - "Thanks, man. Now get away from it before it reactivates. Cepheus," - he adds to his pokémon - "don't let them surround you. Step aside and use your fury attack once more! That boy is your charge, not the other way around." The beedrill immediately obeys, making a twirl midflight for a better position, before rapidly striking at the nearby golem with his spikes, blunt or not.

Harisson then turns around, and for a second he considers taking down the golem who is hanging by threads. He stops though, unsure of how the knight girl would react to him "stealing" her mark. "Eliminating them should be more important than personal pride, but this is not the time to make enemies." - he thinks, as he aims at a more lively one who has been battering the skiddo. He breathes deeply before letting the arrow fly.


{Initiative 15} - Cepheus
Disengages towards H6 [shift action]
Uses Fury Attack! on Golem 7 ([standard action]

Fury Attack - AC 4, Critical Hit on 16+

Accuracy Roll: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1] (Physical, Normal)
Critical: [roll2] + [roll3]

{Initiative 12} - Harisson
Uses Brutal Training on Cepheus [priority swift action]
Uses Aiming Down the Shots (+2 Accuracy and Critical Hit Range to next attack) [shift action]
Uses Shortbow Struggle against Golem 8 [standard action]

Struggle Shot - AC 5, Critical Hit on 17+

Accuracy Roll: [roll4]
Damage: [roll5] (Physical, Normal)
Critical: [roll6] + [roll7]

[Zelphas]

Satomi nods to Lori. "Good to meet you, Lori-san. I am Satomi." She glances around the battlefield before moving to stand next to the archer. "You have keen eyes," she begins conversationally. "Let me know if there are any wounded I should tend to, and I will move to them."

She then focuses on the battlefield. "Renault! Retreat, and Mud Shot!" she cries, pointing to one of the more wounded golems. Renault whines at retreating, but backs up into the line of Pokemon and pivots, firing a jet of mud at the weakened golem.

Satomi

Shift Action: move to C5.

Standard Action: None.

Renault

Shift Action: Disengage, moving back 1 Meter to D6.

Standard Action: Mud Shot on Golem 5, Special Ground Damage
Accuracy: [roll0] vs. 3 + Evasion. Lowers Speed -1 CS on a hit.
Damage: [roll1]
If Crit: [roll2]

Status
Satomi: 71/71 HP.
Renault: 59/66 HP.

[Arcran]

Without missing a beat Neils manages to successfully thrust the vial of Dream Mist right into the center of the tattoo golem, causing its movements to instantly become more than a little sluggish until it finally goes still. An instant later, both Cepheus and Aloriana are able to finally land solid hits on the golems, the Beedrill and swordswoman shredding tattoos into ribbons as the stones fall to the ground in a harmless pile. Renault and Harisson's assaults are far less effective, but it seems the combined assault of the party against the stone monsters is finally beginning to chip away at their defenses.

More interesting by far is Neil's small source of information as he taps into the mind of the tattoo golem, or lack thereof. Rather than being a conscious creature, the golem is very obviously just a projection of Shikina's will. No memories beyond a dark cave, and no emotions besides the completely apathetic desire to take the group of you down.

After Aloriana takes down one of the golems the two closest to the swordswoman instantly change focus, a pair of fists slamming into the warrior, a jagged stone cutting across her forehead. An instant later a thin line of blood runs into Aloriana's left eye, making it just a bit harder to see. The one Rem had just yawned at attempts a lazy swing at Renault, hardly damaging the Kabuto before it shuts down as well. Another swings at Lily, the unfortunate Skiddo letting out a sharp cry at the hit, but somehow remains standing. The last golem takes a short leap at Cepheus, intending to finish what the other golems had started, only to fall far short, the Beedrill agilely flying beneath the assault.

Just a note, I've swapped the Locations tab on Tracker to just Notes on the Tokens; it seems like it'll be a lot easier.

Moves: Pound
Abilities: None
Capabilities: Overland 6

Golem 1 uses Pound on Lily!
AC: [roll0] Hit
Damage: [roll1] 8 damage.
Critical: [roll2]

Golem 2 uses Pound on Aloriana! Aloriana is Flanked!
AC: [roll3] Hit
Damage: [roll4] 12 damage.
Critical: [roll5]

Golem 3 uses Pound on Renault!
AC: [roll6] Hit
Damage: [roll7] 2 Damage, 1 after Resistance.
Critical: [roll8]

Golem 4 Disengages to G7! Golem 4 uses Pound on Cepheus!
AC: [roll9] Miss
Damage: [roll10]
Critical: [roll11]

Golem 8 uses Pound on Aloriana! Aloriana is Flanked!
AC: [roll12] Hit
Damage: [roll13] 13 damage. Drops you below 50%, so Injury that affects Accuracy.
Critical: [roll14]

Also, Infatuation check: [roll15]

Also, note for Elyander: Technically you can't target anything within 4 meters with a Long Range weapon. Just a note for future reference.

And you are free to post.

[CosmicOccurence]

You forgot that they hard Harden too Arc ;p

Neils eyed the battlefield carefully. Two down and three asleep, not bad if I do say so myself. However, he had no intention of being near the thing when it inevitably woke up, meaning the Beedrill would have to fend for itself. He couldn't spare any more of his Dream Mist though, meaning Rem would have to handle the rest of the heavy lifting on his end.

Speaking of heavy lifting, it was time for Rem to go on the offensive. Sensing her trainer's intentions through their empathic link, Rem immediately acted, latching herself onto the golem facing it and sucking its dream energy out. It's body glowed, absorbing the dreams and converting it into restorative power that stitched together some of its wounds.

Neils shifts to E4 and uses Focused Command on Rem.

Rem uses Dream Eater on Golem 3
[roll0] AC 2
Special Psychic Damage [roll1], gain half the damage taken back in HP. Dream Eater does not wake up its target.

[Zelphas]

Satomi pulls out a Potion and sprays it over Lori once more, her actions unhurried and businesslike. We seem to be making progress, she considers, looking over the battlefield. Again!" she commands to Renault, who grumbles but fires out another jet of mud.

Satomi
Shift: No need.

Standard: use a Potion on Aloriana. She regains 20 HP, and Satomi gains 5 Damage Reduction until next turn.

Interrupt: If Aloriana is targeted by an attack next round, Satomi will Intercept Melee, pushing Aloriana to C7 and taking the hit instead. Athletics check (DC 3): [roll0]

Renault

Shift: None.

Standard: Mud Shot on Golem 2, Special Ground.
Accuracy: [roll1]
Damage: [roll2] vs. 3 + Evasion. Lowers Speed -1 CS on a hit.
If Crit: [roll3]

[CateranEnforcer]

Head ringing and blood filling her vision, Aloriana grunted in pain, dropping to one knee. That's going to leave a nasty bump, she thought. With a hand on her sword and another still clutching the egg, she had no way to clear her face. This was the first time she had really felt threatened this trial. She had kept telling herself that it was just a test, and that may be so, but failure here may very well be her last. She feels Satomi behind her once more applying another dose of her healing potions and shakes her head and stands back up, but she's unable to completely clear the stars from her vision.

“Once more, Lily. Razor Leaf these guys,” she commands, a bit weakly in between deep breaths. Lily was becoming a bit tired herself, but was still quick to act as she let loose another deadly hail of projectiles. “Help is on the way.” Aloriana reaches for the other Pokeball on her belt.


Lily disengages to A5 and uses Razor Leaf in a cone, targeting Golem 1 and Golem 8.
Atttack:[roll0] vs AC 3 (4 – 1 Focused Training) + Evasion, Crit on 18+
Damage: [roll1]
Crit: [roll2]

Aloriana is not using a priority move next round and must wait for the Golems to act again.




Aloriana
HP 40/65, 2 injuries, -1 atk CS, -1 acc
Def 10, SDef 10, Speed 5
Def Evasion 2, Sp Evasion 2, Speed Evasion 1
AP 5/6 (1 Drained)

Lily (Skiddo)
HP 38/67*
Def 15 (+1 CS to 18), SDef 12, Speed 3
Def Evasion 3, Sp Evasion 2, Speed Evasion 0 (+1 Evasion from Inspired Training)
Inspired and Focused Training active. +1 Default Defense stage.

[Elyander]

Harisson takes a moment to analyze the battlefield. Although the candidates seem to have the upperhand, they are suffering some damage. "We better end this quickly, or we will be in trouble." - he thinks, exactly as the frail-looking girl comes to talk. She asks for his perception, and he nods quickly. "Will do. For now, support the girl with the shield, please. She's providing us a wall." - he tells her, just as she doses the knightly girl with another potion. He smiles to himself, before turning to the other side of the field.

"Cepheus, speed it up." - he orders the beedrill taking some steps back. The golem's advance are throwing his aim a bit askew, so he needs to open a proper line of fire. Gliding above would be tactically better, but Harisson didn't want to show his biggest trump so early on the Trials. "Don't hold back now. Attack and reposition."

The beedril releases a relentless flurry of strikes, so wildly that many do not connect, before dashing back to create some room from the golem.

{Initiative 15} - Cepheus
Uses Fury Attack on Golem 4
Fury Attack - AC 4, Critical Hit and Trip on 17+

Accuracy Roll: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1] (Physical, Normal)
Critical: [roll2] + [roll3]

Uses Fury Attack on Golem 4 [free standard action - "Strike Again!"]
Fury Attack - AC 4, Critical Hit and Trip on 17+ - MISS

[S]Accuracy Roll: [roll4]
Damage: [roll5] (Physical, Normal)
Critical: [roll6] + [roll7]

Disengages to G5 [shift action]

If Cepheus hits with any attack, he becomes Vulnerable for 1 full round.

{Initiative 12} - Harisson
Uses Reckless Advantage on Cepheus [priority swift action]
Uses Strike Again! on Cepheus [priority standard action]
Moves to D3 [shift action]

Harisson Binds 2 AP to the Reckless Advance Stratagem, having now 0 AP available.

Current AP: 0 / 6 (*4 AP bound)

[Arcran]

Rem latches onto the still golem and, while Neils is able to note their strange consistency through their Channeled link, Rem is more than capable of absorbing whatever passes as dreams for a pile of stones animated by living tattoos, causing a few stones to fall away loosely. Renault's shot of mud, while not particularly damaging, continues to chip away at the golem, leaving less and less of their stone body behind each time. Lily's Razor Leaf, on the other hand, is massively effective, leaves sneaking through gaps in the stones to shred the tattoos within, causing the golems to revert to just a pile of rocks. Compared to Lily's success, Cepheus' rapid assault is barely effective, the heavy stone body deflecting the vast majority of the attacks effortlessly.

Between Neils work and the combined assault, only two golems are still standing and able to act, although they continue the assault bravely. One swings at Aloriana once again, only for Satomi to dive in the way, taking the stony fist squarely in the back. The other continues to chase Cepheus, slamming a fist into the flying bug that causes it to falter momentarily in flight, clearly about to fall. Finally, the golem that Rem had assaulted stirs into consciousness, a few stray pebbles falling loose as it prepares to attack once again.

On the other side of the stone wall, the sounds of combat have ceased.

Rem is healed for 15 from Dream Eater.

Golem 2 uses Pound on Aloriana! Satomi Intercepts!
AC: [roll0] Hit
On hit, 26 damage. Critical adds 11. 13 damage.

Golem 4 uses Pound on Cepheus!
AC: [roll1] Hit
On hit, 26 damage. Critical adds 11. 16 damage.

Injuries:
[roll2][roll3][roll4][roll5][roll6][roll7]

Checks:
Sleep 3: [roll8] Awake!
Infatuation 3: [roll9] Not in love!
Sleep 6: [roll10]
Sleep 9: [roll11]

You are free to post.

[Zelphas]

Satomi lets out a grunt as the golem's fist strikes her, otherwise showing no reaction to the attack. "Once more should do it, Renault! Mud Shot!" she calls out, and Renault fires another blast of sticky mud at his foe.

Satomi

Full Action: Intercept Melee for Aloriana.

Renault

Shift: Nowhere to go, really.

Standard: Mud Shot on Golem 2, Special Ground
Accuracy: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
If Crit: [roll2]

Status
Satomi: 58/71 HP, 5 Damage Reduction.
Renault: 58/66 HP.

[CosmicOccurence]

Neils saw that the Beedril was getting beaten up pretty badly. While the Golem he'd hit with Dream Mist was still down, the other was still going at it. Casting a glance that the one that woke up, Neils was half tempted to put it right back to sleep again, but decided against it. Let the other mons take care of them, we'll keep the left flank immobilized in the meantime.

Rem, dash around the boulder and use Hypnosis again! The Musharna complied, sliding past the now-awake Golem and instead targetting the one that it previously couldn't see. It sent another dizzying array of hypnotic lights at the thing.

Hypnosis on Golem 4!
Can't miss. but I can Crit [roll0]
On crit I gain a tick of hit points.
Target falls asleep

[Elyander]

The golems advance once more, attacking both the knight girl and Cepheus. Harisson cringes watching his pokémon being pummeled, but the knight is saved at the last moment by the talkative girl, who takes the blow instead. Without missing a beat, she is already dashing towards the beedrill, ready to deploy more healing, while the Skiddo covers ina flurry of leaves. "Well, it sure looks like you don't need my eyes, miss. Thank you!" - he salutes, before aiming at a nearby enemy: one of the golems suddenly wakes with a rumble.

Harisson considers the battefield for a milisecond, before shouting quick commands: "Cepheus, deal with that one and protect the candidate." - his voice is balanced and clear - "Boy, retreat. Stand behind the beedrill." That last command is accompanied by the sharp pitch of his arrow flying towards the recently conscious golem. Cepheus do as he's told, aiming a few strikes at the golem before moving to stand in front of Neils.

{Initiative 15} - Cepheus
Uses Fury Attack on Golem 4 [standard action]
Fury Attack - AC 4, Critical Hit and Trip on 16+

Accuracy Roll: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1] (Physical, Normal)
Critical: [roll2] + [roll3]

Disengages to F4 [shift action]

If Cepheus hits his attack, he becomes Vulnerable for 1 full round.

{Initiative 12} - Harisson
Uses Brutal Training on Cepheus [priority swift action]
Uses Aiming Down the Shots [shift action]
Uses Bullseye on Golem 4 (or 9, if miraculously Cepheus finishes 4)[standard action]

Bullseye - AC 3, Critical Hit on 13+

Accuracy Roll: [roll4] (includes +2 from ADtS and -2 from obstacles on the way)
Damage: [roll5] (Physical, Normal)
Critical: [roll6] + [roll7]

Harison is also ready to intercept the next attack that hits Cepheus.

The golem is 4 meters away. The text about long ranged weapons says "Long Range Weapons can’t target Pokémon or Trainers that are closer than 4 meters from the user." Technically, it isn't closer than 4, but at 4 meters. I just wanted to make sure that's how I should read it.
If not, Harisson will take a step to C3 instead of Aiming Down the Shots.

[CateranEnforcer]

Aloriana stumbles a bit as she is shoved aside, but is still grateful for the help. Her previous flurry of attacks had left her vulnerable to counter attack. Now that she was back on her feet, she calls out, ”You've done great Lily, let's get you out of here before you get hurt.” She recalls the Skiddo with a flash of light and tosses out her other ball. “Thanks for your help,” She says to the other girl. “Dirk should be able to keep me safe now. Hit those things!” The Machoke appears in front on her and cracks his knuckles before lunging forward to attack.


Aloriana uses a Standard action to Recall Lily and release Dirk in D7. She uses her Swift to use Inspired training.

Dirk uses Karate Chop on Golem 3 or 6 if it gets downed.
Attack: [roll0] vs AC 1 (2 – 1 Focused Training) + Evasion, Crit on 17+
Damage: [roll1]
Crit: [roll2]

If any trainer is attacked next to Dirk, he will use Body Guard to soak the hit.




Aloriana
HP 40/65, 2 injuries, -1 atk CS, -1 acc
Def 10, SDef 10, Speed 5
Def Evasion 2, Sp Evasion 2, Speed Evasion 1
AP 5/6 (1 Drained)

Dirk (Machoke)
HP 75/75
Def 20 (+1 CS to 24), SDef 13, Speed 5
Def Evasion 4, Sp Evasion 2, Speed Evasion 1 (+2 Evasion from Inspired Training)
Inspired and Focused Training active. +1 Default Defense stage.

[Arcran]

Rem easily glides around the corner, hypnotic pulse causing the golem to stay still just long enough for Cepheus and Harisson to tear into the golem, stones falling to the ground in a loose pile. Dirk and Renault's combined assault takes down another, stones flying across the canyon walls after Dirk's powerful hit.

The only two remaining golems remain stationary, still animated but under the thrall of Rem's magic. As you watch, the tattoos pull out of the two golems, slithering up the canyon walls back to Shikina, even as a new set stretches down into the canyon, creating an elaborate blue staircase from the floor of the canyon to the top. As you watch above, you can see the various Charizards up above begin their descent towards the ground, seemingly about to land on the lip of the canyon. From all appearances, it would appear the trial was over.

Even as the last golem falls, you feel a familiar (and unwelcome) presence in your mind.

It would seem you managed to impress a certain somebody, along with the others. My master is satisfied with your performance.

I'm assuming you were targeting Golem 3 with Renault since Golem 2 is down. Correct me if I'm wrong.

And yeah, shooting at somebody that's exactly 4 away is kosher.

And combat is now over! Congratulations!

[Zelphas]

Satomi smiles lightly as the battle ends, bending over and rubbing Renault's shell. "Well done, Renault." She places her hand on the ground palm up, and the Kabuto uses it as a ladder to move to her back, causing her eyes to tighten in pain as he skitters across the bruise from the golem.

Straightening up, she looks around at the group, pulling a wad of thick gauze from her satchel. "Does anyone need bandages?" she asks, looking between the Beedrill and Lori. "The Knights await us, but I can bandage someone as we go."

As soon as everyone is ready to move, she turns towards the staircase and begins to walk, taking the time to examine the tattoos in more detail as she does so.

If possible, Occult Edu on the runes again, since she's getting a closer look: [roll0]

Satomi will probably use the bandage on Aloriana, since she has two Injuries, but if Harisson speaks up first, she'll use it on Cepheus.

[CateranEnforcer]

Aloriana let out a cheer as the remaining golems fell inactive, thrusting her sword arm into the air. The twinge of pain she still felt there made her flinch a bit, but it could not spoil her mood in this moment. Breathing heavily from the exertion, she sheaths her sword and rubs her face to clear the blood from her eyes. She leans up against the wall and brings her egg in front of her face to check for any damage.

Dirk stands protectively in front of her while she does, watching the other candidates closely until Aloriana pats him on the shoulder, “It's alright, we should be safe now.” She walks over to Satomi. “Thanks so much for the potions back there. I thought I might be eating dirt right about now.” She smiles and points to her head which still seems to be bleeding after the recent hit. “If you're offering, I might need a little something for this. I don't think it'll be too polite to bleed all over place. Will you take these as thanks?” she offers some medical supplies from her own stash.

She'll smile at the others as well, wanting a chance to thank them as well, but the Knights await them above and she's eager to present herself. She waits for them to catch up, before heading up.


Aloriana is offering to give Satomi one Super Potion and one Energy Root to pay her back for the healing during the fight.

[Elyander]

Harisson exhales deeply as the last of the golems fall. It wasn't a particular hard battle, but he wasn't used to thinking about others' security while fighting and that alone was enough to make his heart beat faster. As he checks around to see if everyone's fine, Cepheus flies close, stopping just a few inches from Harisson. The boy faces the beedrill with a serious demeanor: "You almost didn't make it, huh?" - he says, before tenderly caressing his pokémon's head - "Good job, boy. Get some rest now. You deserve it." The beedrill vanishes in the familiar beam of light.

Harisson now watches his companions, eerily satisfied with their advanture together. "With a bit of practice, I could get used to this..." - he thinks to himself, before noticing that's very unlike him. As if to remind him of that, his body hurts all around, begging for some respite. Now looking forward to some quiet time, Harisson hangs his bow on his back before heading towards the canyon wall, patting the purple haired boy's back on the way. "Come on, guys. We should go get our 'Well done' ." As he thinks about the irony of using the same tattoos that were attacking them not long ago as stairs, he decides not to touch them, using his wind to hover inches above the protusions.

[CosmicOccurence]

When he realized the battle was over, Neils returned Rem with a grin. Nothing quite like a field of sleeping opponents to make his day. He quickly fished out some bandages from his pack and walked up to the girl whose name he didn't know yet. They aren't potions he said, but they're worth about the same. Now we're even.

Neils turned and walked away towards the stairs. While he realized that it probably came across as rude, he'd rather be brash and not get ambushed with owing favors to people down the line. Better to be clear up front rather than try and clean up spilled Dream Mist when things fell apart.

As he climbed the stairs, he got the message from Egret - Ibis's Charizard - he didn't respond via the link. Instead he simply nodded once, not making eye contact with anyone or anything. She would understand.

XP? ;p
Also I finally decided to name that thing. That way we don't have to keep skating around it.

Neils gives Satomi bandages!

[Zelphas]

Satomi accepts the medicines silently, wrapping the gauze around Lori's head as they walk. She takes a moment and sizes up her battle companions once more. The archer is a Windrunner; even if his leap into the gorge didn't show that before, his levitation now proves it. The purple-haired boy is likely a Channeler, judging by his actions with Shikina earlier. He also seems to have a connection to Dream Mist. And Lori... a Steelheart, unless I miss my guess. I wonder if she realizes her connection to Steel? Her thoughts turn bitter, though she keeps it from her face. Three promising initiates, gifted with power beyond the human norm... and me.

[Arcran]

While the climb down into the canyon had been rather difficult for certain members of the party, the stairs were as convenient a route out as you could hope to receive. They even seemed to actively help the Trainers climb out, the tattoos indenting and pushing out with every step to provide a little bit of extra power for the Trainers climbing their way out.

Just as Satomi finishes bandaging Aloriana's head injury the group reaches the lip of the canyon, their respective Knights coming in for landings even as Egret and Ibis appear with a pop. You manage to see Kasai, Dreues, Yvonne Brielle and Maddigan landing on the far side of the canyon where their own initiates had just finished climbing the tattoo stairs.

When Harrisson reaches the top, an unfamiliar girl waves at him, holding two Charmander Eggs before quite literally tossing one at the archer. While you were easily able to catch it, you still had to wonder who the hell exactly would toss an Egg at somebody carrying a bow with both hands.

"Thanks for the assist! Really didn't want to have to wake Teddy up," the girl says with a huge smirk. "Well, that, and I didn't particularly feel like dealing with whatever trap Maddigan came up with since, you know, the guy is loonier than a Jynx in the middle of the summer, amiright?" she says, punctuating it with a laugh that made Growlithe whining sound like music. You did notice, however, that the instant Goto slid off of his Charizard the girl straightened up, becoming the very image of humility faster than you could blink.

As the other knights slide off their mounts, you notice two other men hop off of Gaia. One you recognize as Admiral Atmite, the leader of what navy Cinnabar managed to maintain, and one of the highest ranking members of the military., while the other is not immediately recognizable to any of you.

"Greetings. I am Admiral Atmite, and was one of the representatives of the military to ensure that all the Initiates showed the proper courage in this challenge. While some were obviously lacking in that department," Atmite says with a brief pause to stare pointedly at the unfamiliar girl, "Others decided that cleverness and ingenuity were just as necessary as true courage in battle," he adds, quite obviously unhappy with this point. "As such, I would like to congratulate you all on your performance in the Trial of Courage, and formally state that you have all passed this stage of the trials."

The other simply stands by silently through Atmite's speech, although a slight sparkle appears in his eyes at Atmite's obvious anger at the fact that the girl was allowed to pass.

"I would be Monchi, Liason for Special Operations," the man says, words seeming abnormally short as he says them. "As some of you may have guessed, these Eggs weren't from Shikina, otherwise you'd all be charred husks," the man says in a tone that makes it difficult to tell if he's trying to be humorous. "These Eggs are from the Military's own breeding facilities, and represent the pinnacle in both genetics and some special enhancements. While they're just a Charmander until blessed by the Mountain, they're the best Charmander you could hope to find. Consider them a gift from the military to aid you in your journey," Monchi finishes before nodding to Goto.

The old knight hobbles forward, leaning more heavily on a walking stick then you might like.

"As has been stated, you all have managed to pass the first Trial. Of course, there are still more to go until you are officially inducted into the Knighthood. Tomorrow you shall all go through the Trial of Spirit, led by the Tower of Flame. Traditionally, Initiates spend the night before attempting the Trial of Spirit with their mentor, in order to pass down the wisdom of generations to a new class of knights," Goto says, nodding gently. "If you will go to your mentor, they will take you to get healed if you were injured, then take you to a location of their choice. This is not a true Trial, so you may opt out, although it has been a long standing tradition among the Knights for generations."

With that, Goto turn to walk back to Gaia, the strange girl jogging to catch up with him, clutching her Charizard Egg tightly.

As you looked on at your own mentors, Vladimir had a slight smile across his face, giving Aloriana a curt but approving nod. Both Ji and Ibis have almost identical expressions; tight, barely moving facial expressions that give away exactly nothing about what they were thinking. Thadeus, in contrast with the composure of the others, had a massive grin across his face, obviously pleased with the fact that Harisson did so well in the trials. The different Knights stand by their Charizards, waiting for their mentees.

As you finally get a really good look at the tattoos, you're surprised to see a lack of glyphs, markings or really anything indicating magic at all. In fact, at this distance, you could swear they were organic; you could just barely make out tiny blue scales and the stairs themselves pulsate, although it seems more like the steady, rhythmic pulsating of a heartbeat than the rapid, irregular fluctuations consistent with true magic. Either the tattoos were the result of a nigh-impossibly stable spell or had some kind of organic component to it. Either way, despite all your learning, the exact magic that made these things function was beyond you and, if you had to guess, far beyond Maddigan as well.

[Zelphas]

Satomi nearly misses a step as she moves up the stairs, her face coming alive with shock as she investigated the tattoos beneath her feet. How is this possible? she wonders numbly. What happens on that mountain?

By the top of the canyon, she has schooled her face into neutrality once more, though her mind still races. She pays as much attention as she can with the Admiral and Goto-san, calming down enough to understand what must be done next. She turns to her little group, giving them a short bow. "Thank you for cooperating with me against the golems," she states calmly. "Until we meet again at the next Trial." With that, she turns and walks to her mentor.

Satomi stops a few feet away from Ji and Sasin, bowing somewhat deeper than she did towards her allies from the canyon. "Sensei," she states calmly, waiting for Ji to direct Satomi on what to do next. In her satchel, the charmander egg fossil is a comforting weight. They may have given us well-bred Charizard, but mine will be greater still; a Charizard from before human memory.

[CateranEnforcer]

Aloriana had to stop herself from skipping up the stairs with her prize egg in tow. She cast a bemused look at the new girl and wondered a moment what this meant, particularly with her reverence for Goto. Yet another distraction for another time as she saw the Admiral dismounted and presented himself. Aloriana stood to attention and listened intently.

–

After the knights had each said their piece, Aloriana had a few moments to reflect. She wondered briefly about what her parents had done in the military specifically. They had told a few stories, but only enough to sate the curious young minds of their children and not into the nitty-gritty of the rank and file logistics. Her father Marcus struck her as more of a soldier type, while her mother mentioned things more along the lines of long, covert missions. Aloriana pat the survival knife at her hip in memory; just having it close gave her a bit of strength, even it was was only in her head.

She nods and smiles at the other candidates gathered, uncharacteristically solemn. Maybe this is a good mindset for a “Trial of Spirit,” she thought as she walked over to Knight Ward, nodding her head in kind. At a loss for words, she simply held up her egg in both hands and let one corner of her mouth rise in a half-smile.

[Elyander]

Harisson feels better when he reaches the top of the canyon. The wind there was less constricted, so the relative freedom calms his mind a bit. It's all immediately undone when the strange girl throws him one of the eggs he stole and Harisson barely grabs it, his usual dexterity disturbed by confusion. When she starts speaking, Harisson's mind battles some sort of sense into the situation. "Perhaps I'm the one getting loony." - he considers as the girl speaks, then his mind shrieks when she starts laughing - "Nope, I'm definitely not the crazy one." He only manages to answer an uncertain "Sure, yeah, no problem..." before the girl reacts to the arrival of her mentor knight, quieting herself. All the others do the same, so Harisson doesn't have much chance to delve into the gender bending matter.

Shaking his head clear from whatever just happened, Harisson half heartedly listens to what the men say, already thinking about a warm bath and clean sheets. The charmander egg emanates a soft hot pulse, which helps him think about some well deserved comfort, until Goto starts speaking about spending the night in preparation for the upcoming trial. "Well, there go my plans..." - he thinks, as the elder knight finishes his speak.

As the other candidates start moving towards their sponsors, Harisson begrudgingly approaches Thadeus and his giant smile. Before his mentor can even utter a word, Harisson is already speaking: " 'Passing down your wisdom' sounds like chatting and sitting down, so please tell me you won't take me to work. At all."

[CosmicOccurence]

Neils nodded at the explanations. While he hadn't expected everybody to pass the first exam - maybe they were easier than he thought - it might just mean that the competition was extraordinarily talented. Certainly the trainers in his group seemed competent, but that had just been one battle.

After the explanation, Neils nodded and walked to Ibis. He wore the smallest of smirks as he approached her, knowing that his performance had at least impressed somebody was a victory in his book, and he felt like celebrating. How was the view Master? he asked her, wondering where they had viewed the battle from. Probably above, but he hadn't noticed any Charizard hovering in the sky.

[Arcran]

Satomi

"I see you found the real prize in the canyon," Ji says curtly, nodding towards your bag. "I do not know if The Mountain will accept it; perhaps we should head towards the archives and do some research? After a stop by the Center and a meal, of course," Ji says, the ghost of a smile creeping onto his face for the first time since you met, the Eldritch Knight's shadow reaching up to Sasin to pull the knight into the saddle before offering you a hand as well, easily lifting you and your pack onto his mount.

"What you did down there was foolish," Ji states as Sasin's massive wings begin to pound the air. "Foolish, but seems to have dispelled some of the doubts that Kasai had. Why did you risk yourself for a stranger?"


Aloriana

"Well done," the old knight says, looking almost naked without his heavy suit of armor. "You took quite a beating down there; are you and Lily alright?" the man says with concern, gently touching your bandage before pulling out one of his own and beginning work on your shoulder. Reinhardt looks perhaps a bit too smug at your injury, although his head does snake towards you, sniffing the Egg quickly before becoming contended, laying his head on the ground for a moment.

"Now, hop on. There's somebody that wants to see you," Vlad says with a knowing air as he tightens the bandage on your shoulder one last time, seemingly satisfied with his work.


Harisson

As you approach Thadeus, the knight begins clapping slowly, a mocking grin on his face as he leans on Mirella. "Congratulations! I'm a bit surprised; not only did you get your own Egg, but you grabbed one for another contestant? I've got to say, the Trials suit you," the Knight says. "And somehow I'm not the only one who thought so. Goto is a bit annoyed at his own charge, but the fact that you were willing to help certainly endeared you to him."

"Either way, Cepheus has certainly earned some rest and a night off, at least in my opinion. Hop on; Mirella and I have a place we want to show you," the Knight states, pulling himself into Mirella's saddle in a single smooth motion.


Neils

Ibis' face is expressionless as you walk over, her face a stone wall.

"You performed well, or at the least didn't make a fool of yourself," The Headhunter states, a quite different response than you would have expected given Egret had stated earlier. "If you continue work like this, you might just stand a shot. Either way, you're not ready for the Trial of Spirit. At least not yet. Take my hand," your mentor commands, placing a hand on Egret's shoulder as she offers you her other hand.

[Elyander]

"Heh, you know me. I'm a sweetheart." - Harisson says mockingly - "So, you know, not only Cepheus worked. I deserve some rest as well." He climbs the charizard without difficulty, caressing the rough skin on his way up.

"I just helped because I was already going for my egg, so one more wouldn't be too much work. Didn't expect the trap, though. - Harisson explains in a calm voice, enjoying the sitting place - "And I sure wasn't trying to make him look bad. Wait... 'her' look bad? What's that deal with that, by the way?"

[CosmicOccurence]

Neils was taken aback. Egret had seemed pleased with him, but ...

Well it wasn't like Ibis was ever particularly chirpy unless she wanted something, so perhaps he shouldn't read into it too much. Still though, I figured I would have been more prepared for the Trial of Spirit than the Trial of Courage. I thought my chances would improve the further I went, not decrease.

Curious to know how he was lacking, but scared at Ibis's implications, Neils took her hand. He enjoyed teleporting greatly, though when Egret teleported him it felt rather like being squeezed through a very thin tube. He much preferred the Abra line's style, which was more like being pulled at great speed by a hook than anything else.

[CateranEnforcer]

“No permanent damage,” Aloriana replied. “And Lily's fine too, she tore those things up! She'll be fine after a rest.” She couldn't help but smile at the memory of the trial, the two of them working together. And the other candidates too. They sure were an interesting collection of people, and she really wanted more of a chance to meet them. This wasn't a contest, was it?

“Better hurry then!” she replied. She decided not to rise to the bait and ask who wanted to see her. Sure, she really wanted to know, but she doubted Vlad would spoil the surprise. So she did as she was told and got on Reinhardt's back, still brimming with energy from trial and it took all of her self control to sit quietly.

[Zelphas]

Satomi returns the faint smile, her expression turning slightly rueful as he mentions the Center and a meal. She had spent enough days poring through old texts until her stomach screamed with hunger to know that it is best for her to eat before entering the Library.

Ji's comments and question take her by surprise, and she is silent for a long moment, watching the island of Cinnabar pass beneath Sasin's cloudy grey wings. Finally, she speaks. "Lori--the stranger--was guarding our right flank. She had already sustained multiple injuries, and until that point our combined efforts had produced little in the way of noticaeble damage against the golems. I had so far been uninjured, and judging by the wounds on the others and their Pokemon, a single attack from a Golem would not have been enough to injure me severely. It seemed that the logical course of action was to take the strike, allowing Lori to continue functioning at peak effectiveness while not hampering my own usefulness.

"Also," she continued, her voice remaining calm, simply stating facts, "In observing the setup for the Trial of Courage, it seemed that it was not built to be a competitive exercise. The amount of Charmander eggs far exceeded the number of candidates; in such a situation, the optimal course of action would be to cooperate with others, boosting the chances of success for all. The Trial of Courage could have been testing our ability to trust in others, as well as our bravery when standing alone. To that end, I protected my companions, though they were strangers, since I had already trusted them to do the same for me." Satomi takes a breath. That should be enough; it answered his question and then some.

"And..." for the first time, Satomi hesitates. "Is not risking oneself for strangers a succinct description of the duties of a Charizard Knight?" She pauses again, collecting her thoughts. "The Knights are the greatest line of defense against Lance. They... you guard our borders against those who would strike us down, risking your lives for all the people of Cinnabar. Should I succeed in the Trials, I shall become a Knight and do the same. And yet... though I was born here, though I have lived here all my life, I know very few of the people of Cinnabar. Those who I do know are little more than strangers to me; I am... strange... and close friendships are unknown to me. Risking myself for a stranger is precisely what I will be doing for the rest of my life once I become a Knight."

[Arcran]

Harisson

"I'm actually not sure," Thadeus says to your surprise. The man usually made a habit of knowing, well, everything, since that was more or less his role in the Knights. "Goto has done an admirable job of keeping anything and everything about that girl a secret. My guess? Somebody the Magi snatched up when they found out they had a strange gift. I thought I'd known who everybody was selecting though, so maybe that isn't her true form either? I'll leave that for you to find out; consider it your first unofficial mission," Thadeus says sarcastically as Mirella takes off with a few powerful wing strokes. "We should probably get you patched up first though..." Thadeus states, Mirella changing course almost as the words leave the Knight's mouth.

After a short stint at the Center where you see most of the other recruits, Mirella takes off again, silently flying towards the coast, then simply continuing over the ocean, the sea almost mirror-like in the calm. After nearly twenty minutes of flying, you spot a small light in the distance, and Mirella begins to descend, eventually coming in for a landing on an island that is honestly just a small port with what seems to be a bar.

"Welcome to Tentacool Swill," Thadeus states as he hops agilely to the ground. "Where I get most of my information on the outside world, and the best ramen outside Ufuchia. Can I trust you to handle yourself in a room full of smugglers and thieves?"


Neils

"Take a deep breath," Ibis commands, before the three of you are pulled through a pipe, suddenly appearing somewhere much, much colder, likely because of the fact that you seemed to be on top of a mountain. Looking down, you can see the signs of civilizations, numerous small settlements dotting the landscape with a few larger ones dominating the horizon. As you peer out, you begin to recognize a few things. The Tower of Magi, a towering obsidian obelisk dominating the skyline of one of the larger settlements. A path of seven consecutive lava pools, marking a path up the mountain. And then it dawns on you. This wasn't a mountain, it was The Mountain.

"I saw everything from the air. Tell me, what do you know of the other candidates?" Ibis asks, peering out over the landscape. "Or, more accurately, your competition for The Mountain's blessing?"


Aloriana

Vlad looks slightly disappointed as you ignore his bait, but helps you up onto Reinhardt all the same, heavy armor tinkling slightly as the massive Charizard leaves the ground.

"We'll get you patched up first, and maybe I'll see about getting you some armor. You do realize you're supposed to block when something tries to hit you, right?"

After entirely too much time, the healers are done with you and Lily. You watch as the other candidates come and go through your treatment; it seems that everybody save Neils stopped by the Center at some point. Still, after a short amount of time you're back in the air, the landscape all-too-familiar under the soaring Charizard. Easily a good ten minutes before you begin to come in for a landing you recognize where Vlad is taking you: Home.

You manage to spot your father and Lilian looking up eagerly, with Bernard, Vince and Gerald standing in a circle, Bernard hurriedly hiding something behind his back as you finally land.

"I thought you might want to see them. The sage advice can wait until later," Vlad says, a kindly smile crossing the man's face. "Bernard made me promise to bring you back before the next Trial. Said he had good news," the Knight says, reclining slightly in his saddle.

"Sissy!" Lilian cries, almost climbing Reinhardt's leg to get to you. "Can I hold it! Pretty please!"

You father gently removes your little sister from the massive beast's leg, offering you a hand to hop down. "Well? How'd it go?" he asks, looking with concern at the bandage over your forehead. As you glance at your brothers, you see Gerald scowling slightly before Vince elbows him, your brother instantly forcing a smile onto his face.


Satomi

As you explain yourself, Ji nods appreciatively. "It seems you are already wiser than some Knights will ever be. Some, myself included when I was young, rely too heavily on our own strength. We assume between our Pokemon and our magic we are unstoppable, which is rarely the case. The Knights are only as strong as we are able to come together, combining our unique gifts."

"Either way, that little stunt dispelled the concerns Kasai had about your appointment, and for that I thank you. It makes my job far easier to accomplish if my leader isn't questioning my judgement," Ji states, causing you to reel slightly. In the last thirty seconds the Eldritch Knight had given you more praise than you had received throughout your entire relationship with him.

"Still, it was foolhardy: you have been better served having your Kabuto take the blow," the Knight quickly adds, deflating your ego somewhat. "Now let's go. We need to make sure your foolhardy behavior didn't permanently damage anything."

Well, it seemed Ji only had so much praise in him.

In a short while you were at the Center, and familiar faces abound all around. Jolene, an old friend from your days at the Center, treats the bruise on your back, applying some sort of salve to it. "I can't believe you're off in the Knights. Just a few months ago we were pulling those night shifts together..." Jolene murmurs to herself, obviously impressed. In addition to old coworkers, you see most of the other candidates come through the Center, everybody obviously a little worse for wear.

Soon after, you return outside to Ji and Sasin. An instant later, the three of you were in flight once more, en route to the archives. As you land, Ji looks at your small bag, squinting at the fossilized Egg and the other, less fossilized one next to it.

"Well, you know what to do. Find out if The Mountain has restored a dead Egg before, unless you want to haul both up The Mountain tomorrow," Ji states simply, his voice carrying the tone of someone more intrigued than they should be.

While there are quite literally hundreds of conflicting opinions about The Mountain, one thing is certain: it is not entirely natural. Or, at least, the power it provides is not. The Magi have proved rather definitively that it increases the yields of the crops, protects against bad weather, and even seems to cause the Pokemon on Cinnabar to be more docile. There are legends from centuries ago of a beast of flame running from the mountain, destroying the Lavender fleet before it could ever hope to make land on Cinnabar's shores.

Perhaps the greatest dispute is over the source of The Mountain's source of powers. Some said it contained a great Red Shard, commonly used by some Artificers, that was tapped by great amounts of energy. Others said The Mountain itself was a great Pokemon, living in a symbiotic relationship with the people on the island. The most popular theory is that a god resides within The Mountain, although the identity is hotly contested. Moltres, Ho-oh and Entei are the most common, although some Oracles that have scried far-off lands have claimed it could be Victini, Heatran, Groudon or Volcanion, strange gods unknown to those on Cinnabar.

Still, besides the few undisputed acts of The Mountain, only one other thing is known: The Mountain created the first Charizard, and ever since has had a strange bond with that species of Pokemon. Charmander hatched within The Mountain's heart are stronger than others of their kind, and always have an uncanny bond with their rider.

[Zelphas]

Satomi smiles at the praise, but her smile disappears quickly as Ji continues. Her cheeks color slightly in embarrassment. "Yes, Sensei," she murmurs in response, silently berating herself for not even thinking to have Renault take the blow instead of herself.

At the Center, she nods to her acquaintances, reacting to Jolene's words with the slightest curving of her lips. "Thank you, Jolene-san. No one was seriously injured in the Trial?" she asks, curious despite herself about how the other group fared against the golems.

Once within the Library, Satomi relaxes, some invisible knot of tension loosening and falling away. "I had planned to awaken the Egg myself, Sensei, and then draw it up to the Mountain alive, but perhaps if the Mountain deigns to grant it life it will be strengthened all the more thereby?" she replies, releasing a small Magby next to her in a flash of light. "Guinevere, gather The Mountain and the Fire-Drakes from Mythology, Row 12, and the scroll entitled Odd Occurrences on Cinnabar from History, row 35, please. Oh, and also On Revivication and the Second Life, Mythology, row 42." The small fire Pokemon curtsys and moves away through the Library, while Satomi seats herself at a desk. Mountain and Odd Occurrences are reference books; they will tell me where to begin looking. On Revivication's author was convinced the mountain was sacred to Ho-Oh, so anything he says about revival there will need to be verified. Still, it is a start. She is so caught up in the act of researching that she has almost forgotten Ji entirely, though she will respond to any questions he asks during her research.

If Satomi wouldn't have been able to reanimate the fossil egg herself, I'll edit out the first part of the third paragraph.

Time for rolls!

Occult Edu: [roll0] (add 2 if foreign mythology plays a role)
Poke Edu: [roll1] (add 3 if knowledge of Fossils is important)
General Edu (just in case): [roll2]

[CosmicOccurence]

Neils shivered. His clothes were too thin to handle this. He was used to well heated libraries with candles and fireplaces aplenty. However, the view was what took his breath away, not the temperature. It's so large he thought, feeling incredibly small. And Cinnibar is only one small country among the region. How big is this world? It was as if the mountain were swallowing him, consuming him for digestion later. He was happy to be its meal.

He was snapped out of his reverie by Ibis's words however. His gut solidified. So we are competition he thought to himself. I figured, but its always good to be sure.

Very little actually, and none of their names really. Well, Kasai's pick speaks for himself, although I couldn't see the other half of the battle. On my end, its a mixed bag. A healer who seems focused on helping others, a melee brawler who got themselves beaten up pretty badly, and an archer whose Beedril was poorly trained. All in all, I think I'm in a fairly good position. He didn't mean to be callous about it, as he rather liked working with the group. But if there was competition, he needed to ensure he was in the best position possible. He'd thought that he'd accomplished his goal with the last battle, but if Ibis still had doubts ...

Where do I stand in the rankings? Neils asked. He knew Ibis wouldn't lie to him. Well, he hoped Ibis wouldn't lie to him. There was really nothing out of the question when it came to her.

[CateranEnforcer]

Once it was obvious where they were headed, Aloriana could no longer contain her excitement, and began thanking Vlad profusely a few miles before they landed. She took a moment to breathe deep the earthen aroma of the country side as the wind blew swiftly across her face.

Once landed she beamed at her awaiting family a bit overwhelmed at being the center of so much attention. She smiled down at little seven-year-old Lilian. Of all the children, she looked to most like their mother; she was the only one with brown hair and brown eyes, while the rest sported blond like their father. Aloriana kneeled down and set the egg on the ground next to her to quiet her curiosity, “Just be very careful, there's a baby Charmander inside.” She kept one hand on top to make sure she didn't get too rough with it as she looked up at her father. “Just a bit of a scratch, the trial was a bit harsh, but fair I think. I'll tell you alllllll about it inside!” She had already thought of some vivid descriptions and hand motions to describe her own tale for once.

She cast a look down at Bernard as well, “I also hear someone had news? Sword works great, by the way. Watcha got there Benny?” she asked casually, flashing an innocent look at her brother.


I mentioned it briefly in a different post, but just wanted to let you know. Aloriana is also often called simply Lori, if you want to apply nicknames in a more friendly environment. Just like how she shortens her family's names, they often shorten hers. Other than that, I'm not picky about how they are portrayed at all!

[Elyander]

Harisson considers Thadeus' words. "Well, Goto must have a good motive to keep it hidden. I don't think sending me to spy on another knight's intention is a good use of my time." - Harisson says, although both he and Thadeus knew he would do exactly that, as his curiosity would eventually win. "Besides, if she can do this kind of stuff, I'm just glad I'm on her good side for now." He stays quiet as the charizard flies, enjoying the wind on his body. He had been ignoring the pain, but the gash on his shoulder had been bothersome, so the stop at the Center was welcomed.

As Mirella starts heading towards the ocean, Harisson starts trembling slightly. He had never been outside the main island, so this was definitely something he wasn't expecting. As the scent of saltwater hits him stronger than ever, Harisson feels the anxiety rising. When they finally see the light of a small island, he wonders who Thadeus really was, as everything starts to make sense. "Getting information on the outside? Ufuchia? You're not a low knight after all, are you, master? Should have known." - he thinks, deciding that should be his real first unofficial mission.

As he gets off the charizard, Thadeus' question actually makes Harisson smirk. "Oh, master, of course I am." - he says with a grin - "I live with you."

[Arcran]

Satomi

Back at the Center, Jolene shakes her head at your question. "Wouldn't appear so. Seems like other than a few bandages nobody need too intensive of treatment."

The Magby nods as you give the orders even as Ji listens to your plan, face unreadable. "It is certainly worth the research. In either case, The Mountain may appreciate the gift of something closer to what it made, but that is impossible to anticipate. What do you plan to do with the spare?" Ji asks, obviously intrigued.

As you scan through the books, you're unable to find a single reference to a completely fossilized Egg being revived by The Mountain, although there are a handful of examples of rebirth among The Mountain's records. The most recent occurred approximately fifty years ago, when Duncan the Lost Knight went through his initiation. Reports stated that he dropped his Egg in the Heart of the Mountain, an act that should have certainly killed the Charmander within, only for the Charmander do be fine, albeit with some strange connection to death that went beyond even what a normal Mountain's blessing entailed. Throughout history, The Mountain has allegedly revived Charizard's slain in the defense of Cinnabar, although most of these records are far too old to truly be credible. Nowhere in the Mountain's vast history has a fossilized Egg been presented to receive a blessing, meaning you would be the first, with all that entailed.

Still, there is one well documented case of true resurrection, although it occurred long enough to be considered myth. Referenced within both Odd Occurences and Second Life, the legend is, of course, the revival of Chantu Katsura, First of His Name's Flareon. After dying in the defense of Cinnabar from a slaving group of Saff Kadabra, Chantu brought his deceased companion to the Heart of the Mountain, plunging the corpse into the boiling magma within the Heart with his bare hands. The magma ate away the founder's hands, nearly killing him, but moments later a great Pokemon, often referenced as Entei, leaped from the pool, Chantu's companion reborn in flame. While often considered myth, the great beast is referenced in numerous ancient tomes, lending it some credence.

In terms of resurrecting a fossilized Egg the more typical way, that is a well documented and common occurrence. Seen both within Second Life and The Soul of a Fossil, returning a Pokemon Egg to a living state is slightly more difficult than a normal resurrection, although it carries with it the benefit of the Pokemon lacking any and all memory of the past, a fact that often makes the Pokemon more docile and far easier to assimilate into the world in addition to making them more docile. Even more, the normal trend of a hatched Pokemon being more attached to a Trainer certainly applies, a benefit that can never be understated.


Neils

"You're slipping," Ibis states in response to your reviews of the other candidates, before pondering the question for a moment. "Kasai was impressed with your little stunt with Shikina, and the others were impressed with Rem and your little Mist trick. You're certainly not on par with Chantu at this point, but you're certainly in the upper third," the Headhunter states, a note of pride creeping into her tone.

"But that isn't why I brought you here. We are going to scout out the path up to the Mountain's Heart. No matter what you have to do, be the first to enter. Egret and I were the last among our group to enter, and look what the Mountain gave him compared to some of the others," Ibis states, the bitterness in her voice obvious. Next to her, you feel Egret's annoyance as well, but also directed towards The Mountain. It would seem neither were happy with the gifts they were given.

"Use your Mist, lie, cheat, steal, whatever it takes. Just make sure you and that Egg get in first, understood?"


Lori

"Nothing!" Bernard says at your question, in perhaps the most obvious lie you've ever heard uttered aloud, although his face does light up when you say how well his sword worked.

"Come on you idiot, just give it to her," Gerald says, earning him another glare from Vince as your eldest brother kneels down to the Egg with Lilian, making sure the young girl is gentle with your trophy.

"Alright," Bernard states, pulling a poorly wrapped package from behind his back and handing it over to you. As you tear into it, you find a gleaming sheet of metal, which, when unwrapped further, reveals a full shield, an insignia of wheat arrayed to look like a ring of spikes (or perhaps the sun) adorning the front.

"He worked all night to finish it, but couldn't get in done in time for your first trial," you father states simply, putting an arm around Bernard as he says so. "Better late than never, right? And tell her Bern."

As you marvel at the shield, turning it over reveals a small message engraved in the back in careful lettering: Family Protects.

"I, uh, was invited to study with the Magi," Bernard says, awkwardly running a hand through his hair. "Vlad brought one of the mages here to look at my work after he selected you, and they said 'Such quality is impossible for somebody with no training!'" your brother says, throwing on a formal voice. "They offered me a chance to study with them, making weapons and the like, and I accepted," the boy says with a huge grin.

You get a Shield! Make sure to note that they were changed in the September Playtest Packet.


Harisson

Thadeus chuckles good-naturedly at your joke before patting Mirella's flank, the Charizard taking to the sky without a sound.

"Just don't mention too much about Cinnabar, and we'll be fine," Thadeus orders, walking through the door into the bar.

Compared to the number of ships outside, the noise and numbers within the bar are a bit of a shock, as well as the patrons. Eyepatches and hooks are in no short supply, and nearly every man has their fair share of scars. Not even all the patrons are human; in the corner, you see a Machamp in a massive hat apparently playing some card game with other sailors.

The second Thadeus enters, a cry goes up from the patrons, and two serving girls almost race to the door, and begin rapidly speaking to Thadeus, with one small hiccup: they weren't speaking Cinnabarian, although you pick up the Cinnabarian word for black multiple times. Apparently whatever they told your mentor was funny though, judging by his bark of laughter. He quickly says something back, gesturing to you as he does so.

"I Katie, she Gwen," one says in broken Cinnabarian. "You are...?" she asks. As she does, you notice Thadeus watching you closely; for whatever reason, your response here seems important to him.

[CosmicOccurence]

Neils was taken aback by Ibis's comment about Egret. He'd always assumed the two had a good relationship, but maybe he'd been reading the situation wrong the whole time. A part of him wanted to channel the Charizard, but he knew that wouldn't end well for him. If you think that I'll be able to outclimb and outhike Chantu and the other physically active warriors, you're overestimating my physical abilities, and I doubt that Chantu will stay with the group: he seems like a loner. Neils wasn't uncomfortable owning up to his own deficits. They both knew that physical activity was not his strength, and calling Chantu athletic was an understatement. If he was unrealistic about his options then he was doomed to fail. Heck, one of them seems like he might even be able to fly.

Flight. Maybe that's the key I need. He turned back to Ibis. How likely do you think it is that a Fearow might nest near the start of the trail?

If Egret is reading Neil's mind, which I assume he is, he'll see that Neils wants to befriend a Fearow or other mountable bird to fly him up the mountain using his Channeling. If necessary Egret can teleport him around so he can pick up supplies (food offerings come to mind). I use fearow because its a relatively low level mon that can carry humans.

OOC I have no intention of capturing it, just channeling it and convincing it to help me out during the trial.

[CateranEnforcer]

The moment she touched the package Aloriana had a sense of what must be inside. Still, when she finally revealed the whole thing, she was awestruck. Surely, this was the nicest thing she'd ever seen come out of their meager, make-shift forge.

“I take it all back, this is amazing! Thank you!” She ran her hands along the surface and she could feel the strength and craftsmanship in the steel. It felt warm and comforting in a way she couldn't explain. He had definitely come a long way from piling misshapen lumps of iron in the corner. “And to go work with the Magi? In the city even?” she moves closer to give Bernard a hug. “Well I guess we all knew you were rubbish at fencing. Now we know why.” she teases.

She walks back over to Lilian and picks her up in her arms. “Gosh you're big now.” Casting a glance at the family surrounding her she feels a bit homesick, but as her gaze turns towards the towering Mountain in the distance, she remembers all the more why she needs to go through with her knighthood. She turns to Vlad, “How long are we staying? The next trial is tomorrow, isn't it?”


Aloriana also reads the engraving. Wasn't sure if it was omitted on purpose or accidentally.

[Elyander]

"Just don't mention too much about Cinnabar, and we'll be fine," Thadeus orders, walking through the door into the bar.

Harisson doesn't have time to think about what that means before they are inside the bar, and the cacophony of sounds and smells take Harisson by surprise. The place was crowded and most of those inside didn't seem very friendly at first glance. When Thadeus enter, however, shouts of joy come from many patrons, and Harisson understands Thadeus must be a regular. As to prove him right, two girls come running to salude him, and they start an animated conversation.

Harisson tries no to seem too focused, but his attention is devoted to trying to understand what the chat is about. "Black? What the hell are they talking about?" - he thinks, wishing he too could speak that exotic language. As Thadeus burst in laughter, Harisson reflexively smiles, although he has no idea what that was about. The elder knight then speaks something back, gesturing towards Harisson, then the girls introduce themselves.

"Crap! What does he expect me to answer? I don't even know if they know him as Tadheus as well!" - Harisson quickly considers, before widening his smile before answering. "I'm Harry." - he speaks slowly so they understand, with a not so short bow, taking the one speaking by the hand - "It's a pleasure to meet you, ladies. A true gift for weary eyes." He finishes it up with a soft kiss on the back of her hand.

Charm Roll [AP used]: [roll0]
To bedazzle the girls (Add +2 if they are considered servants)

[Zelphas]

After Guinevere has collected all of the tomes and scrolls needed, Satomi htanks her and hands the Magby the spare Charmander egg. "Warm it and keep it safe, please," she states to the fire Pokemon, before turning to Ji. "While the prospect of two powerful Charizard is an intriguing one, I would not be able to give the spare egg the proper attention it needs to fulfill its potential, sensei. Therefore, I planned to return it to the military; I doubt that they will let such a powerful Pokemon go to waste, even if it was not picked for the Trial. I would explain that I had acquired a second egg as a precaution, but did not want to offend the Mountain by presuming too much in bringing two eggs to its Heart." She takes ontice of her teacher's interested look. "Do you have a suggestion as to what should be done, sensei?"

In reading through the various lore of life, death, and the Mountain, Satomi is both encouraged and worried by what she finds. There are enough stories about resurrection tied to the mountain and the special circumstances of eggs leading to more powerful Charizard that it seems feasible for the Mountain to bring the Fossil to life for her. However, her mind keeps returning to Chantu First-of-His-Name and Entei. Sacrifice and love. In order to bring his Flareon back from death, Chantu had sacrificed his hands and had risked his life. He had done so to save a beloved companion, and his reward had been the birth of one of the closest things the world had to a physical god.

"I see two paths before me," she says softly, placing the words into the air to feel her way through them. "The first is that I bring the Egg to life here, tonight, and draw it living up the Mountain. At that time, it will be a peculiar Charmander Egg, similar to the other Eggs, and the Mountain should bless it according to its unique qualities like any other Charmander.

"Or, I can bring the fossil up to the Mountain as it is, and place it in the Heart. The Mountain has caused great wonders before, but rarely has it done so without... sacrifice. If I choose this path, it is likely that I will lose something dear to me in return for the Egg's revival." Satomi falls silent,contemplating the paths before her and waiting for her sensei's opinion before she commits to one or the other.

[Arcran]

Neils

"Well, that depends," Ibis says, looking out over the horizon. "How many favors are you willing to owe me?"

"Not that it would help you much, in all honesty. The actual climb is only partly physical; probably the first third is wasted on useless 'Trials of the Spirit' that the Tower puts together, and are the main point of the trial. They're supposed to deduce if you're worthy enough in spirit to become a Knight or some garbage. Just lie your way through, and you'll be fine, although that loose mind of yours could be a problem. They had a telepath when I attempted it, but that wasn't a problem," Ibis says, voice completely absent of pride at that fact. "After that though, it'll become a footrace with a brief intermission at the Magmar settlement not far from The Heart," Ibis states, still not looking at you. "In exchange for a small favor, I can guarantee that Zepar can secure you a mount there, making the final part of the trek far less difficult. While I can't give explicit aid, it'd simply be a convenient coincidence if the Magmar owed my tribe a favor, no?"

"Or you can attempt your plan. Fearow are well known for their even temper," Ibis says, not even attempting to hide the sarcasm.


Lori

"I'm not that bad..." Bernard mutters, drawing a good-natured laugh from Vince.

"Just for dinner. I have one thing I want to show you," the older Knight says, leaning against Reinhardt's haunch. "Now go, enjoy your meal. It might be the last one you have with them for some time."

"Sissy, I'm hungry," Lilian mutters, stomach grumbling for effect.

"We didn't expect you to be back so late," your father admits, heading towards the house. "Still, the food should still be warm, and I get the feeling you might enjoy what we have," your father adds with a knowing grin.

As soon as you step into your old home, you can smell it: roasted Farfetch'd with Cinnabar apple glaze. Your father had certainly pulled out all the stops for this meal, although it was a special occasion.

"So, what did you have to do? Fight a dragon?" Vince jokes, taking a seat and helping to serve Lilian.

Let me know how much of the dinner you actually want to RP! I'm good either way.


Harisson

Thadeus gives you the curtest of nods at your response, obviously pleased you weren't foolish enough to use your real name.

The girl blushes at your introduction, even as the other looks to Thadeus. "Wee-ry?"

Your mentor slips effortlessly into whatever language the two girls spoke, causing the one who's hand you had kissed to blush even further. It's short-lived however; the barkeep shouts something, and the two dash back to work as Thadeus leads you to an unoccupied table in the corner, pulling out a seat. Soon Gwen was back, depositing a bowl of ramen in front of both of you. Thadeus hands her a few coins, and she's off to serve other patrons just as quick.

"I must say, I've failed you," Thadeus says, a frown on his face. "All that training, and I didn't even bother to teach you a word of proper Kantonese. That's what's wrong with Cinnabar now. Nobody feels the need to try to connect with foreigners," your mentor states, pausing to take an overly large bite of ramen. "Tell me Harry, what do you know about the rest of the world? The parts not on our dear little island?" Thadeus says, glancing around the small tavern. Across the bar, the Machamp has began arm-wrestling with the crewmen it was drinking with, easily smashing the drunk's hands into the tables.


Satomi

Guinevere takes the Egg eagerly, even as she stumbles through library, coming back a few minutes later holding Incubation and You. While you were almost positive that the Magby couldn't read, there was a decent chance the fact that the cover consisted of a Magmar and a clutch of Eggs was enough to draw the Magby's attention. The small fire duck sits on the ground, leafing through pages and staring at pictures as she huddles against the Egg.

"When it comes to the mountain?" Ji says, giving you a queer look. "I'm not entirely sure what to tell you. It's just as likely to damn you for bringing two as to reward you with some soul-linked Charmanders or something of the like. Ever since I've became a Knight I've tried to figure out how The Mountain works, and even now I'm still not sure. Take Maddigan's Charizard for example: what possessed it to give the creature animated tattoos?"

"As cliche as it may sound, simply do what you think is best and be secure in your plan. The Mountain should respect that."

The fact that one of the greatest arcane minds among the Knights had so little understanding of The Mountain was slightly concerning to you, but not altogether unexpected. It was, as you well knew, wildly unpredictable.

"As for your two paths..." your sensei says, pondering. "I see the merit in both, although I question your logic. While Chantu the First sacrificed his hands, I do not see any indication that the particular act caused the resurrection, although that may just be misplaced optimism," Ji states. "While it is a bit philosophical, it could be argued that you aren't truly returning the Egg to life, just finishing its initial processes. Perhaps that will lessen the toll?"

[Zelphas]

Satomi watches Guinevere with the egg, her features softening for a moment. Perhaps I should check with the nursery during my free hours, to see if Guinevere may be of some use, she considers idly.

"Chantu the First put his own life at risk for the sake of his companion," Satomi responds slightly, trying to explain her logic. "In every myth I have found concerning life and death--Ho-Oh, the dark dragon Giratina, and especially the Kalos gods--a brush with death is often necessary in order to create a miracle of Life. 'Xerneas is most often found in the shadow of Yveltal's wings,'" she quotes, her expression and voice energized with more passion than she's shown in the entire day. "Death and Life are inextricable; they exist together, and any encounter with one is a meeting of both." Suddenly realizing her tone, Satomi sits back, a small blush rising to her cheeks as she sets her features back to a neutral expression.

"Bringing back life to one who's existence was cut short may lower the cost, but the cost will still be there," she murmurs, half to herself, looking at the fossilized Egg sitting before her on the desk. Bringing the Egg to life herself would be a further test of her abilities with magic, a further affirmation to herself that something special is within her. It would be another step on her journey to prove to herself that the Magi were wrong, that she had power.

But that is all it would be. A test. Proof... to herself. And had she not just spoken with her sensei about the duty of the Charizard Knights to risk themselves, to sacrifice themselves for the good of others? Bringing the Egg to life herself is the safe option, but not the one with the greatest chance for a powerful defender of Cinnabar. In order to be the greatest Knight she could be, on order to gain a powerful comrade in her new duty, she would be required to sacrifice something, she was certain. Could she face the mountain, knowing that she had taken the safe route, the one that made her the most comfortable and secure?

After a moment, she nods sharply. "It is a cost I will pay. I will take the fossil Egg up to the Mountain as it is, and take it alone," she states, her tone unwavering. There would be other Fossils for her to find, perhaps; her duty in becoming a defender of Cinnabar is clear.

Her choice made, Satomi turns once more to her sensei. "The other Charmander Egg was given as a gift to those who succeeded the Trial," she begins calmly. "As such, it is mine to do with as I wish. I would give it to you, Sensei. You know where its talents may be better placed." She beckons Guinevere over, and the Magby toddles over to Ji, balancing the Egg against her hip and one hand with Incubation and You in the other. "Now, Sensei, if I may ask: What does the Trial of Spirit entail? How should I prepare for tomorrow?"

[Elyander]

Harisson felt a little annoyed with the current situation. "Here I was thinking I'd be able to rest, but no..." - he thinks as the girls leave - "I'm God knows where having to lie and consider my words carefully because master thinks I should." He is a little pleased with him himself, though. Distracting the girls with flattery and giving a fake name had been strangely exciting, something he didn't think he would ever need to do, but he did it perfectly. As they sit down, he takes some time to look around and really look through the crowd, and it doesn't cease to impress him. "Who would have thought such a place existed outside movies?" - he wonders, as he watches the strange games pokémon and human play together.


"I must say, I've failed you," Thadeus says, a frown on his face. "All that training, and I didn't even bother to teach you a word of proper Kantonese. That's what's wrong with Cinnabar now. Nobody feels the need to try to connect with foreigners," your mentor states, pausing to take an overly large bite of ramen. "Tell me Harry, what do you know about the rest of the world? The parts not on our dear little island?" Thadeus says, glancing around the small tavern. Across the bar, the Machamp has began arm-wrestling with the crewmen it was drinking with, easily smashing the drunk's hands into the tables.

Harisson's excitment goes up another notch when Thadeus speaks about learning the exotic language. That's an ability he would be really interested in; not for utility, as he doesn't think many people know it in Cinnabar, but out of sheer curiosity. "Well, I can't say I know much, master." - he answers honestly, but in a low voice - "I know Lance rules it with an iron fist, and the names of some places like Pewter and... Seafoom?" He doesn't feel embarassed by his lack of knowledge, as Thadeus knew his upbringing didn't exactly involve high education. "I mean, it's not something people normally talk about in the island, is it?"

He stops to try the ramen and is surprised by how good it really tastes. The flavoring is different from what he's used; a little stronger and bittersweet, but definitely tasty. "Wow, you weren't lying. This IS good." - he says, eating some more of the delicacy - "Now, tell me, how do you know so much about the outside world? Oh..." - he exclames, before lowering his voice even more - "And how exactly should I call you here?"

[CosmicOccurence]

Neils glared at his master. Let's be clear about something. You are the one who is insisting that I reach the cavern first. I'm not stupid enough to owe you extra favors just to fix what you see as your failures. And if I'm last in and The Mountain gives me a Charizard that has the ability to teleport across an entire mountain, then I'll accept it happily.

Neils was breathing heavily knowing that he had overstepped himself. Still, he wasn't going to let himself be a slave to this woman because of these stupid trials. People passed them all the time didn't they? And he wouldn't take favors to fulfill her unreasonable request that he be the top of the pack. Why couldn't top third be enough? Could she revoke my sponsorship? he wondered. The truth was, Neils didn't know.

Time to swallow your pride. You can't alienate her yet. It's all just part of the game Neils. Swallowing the spittle that his dry mouth wasn't producing, he spoke up. I'm sorry. That was inappropriate. I understand that my Fearow plan was stupid. That being said, I respectfully decline your help in this trial. If I cannot pass this on my own, then I likely won't be of much use to you when I'm a knight will I?

[CateranEnforcer]

After the day's work, Aloriana found herself to be famished herself, her own stomach grumbling when she caught a whiff the pleasant aroma inside the house. She even brought out Dirk and Lily to meet with the family. The Machoke had assisted the family for several years before leaving to accompany Aloriana on her quest for knighthood and since then the boys had to pick up his slack. And Lilian too, she's old enough to do her part now as well. Lilian was also her Skiddo's namesake, and was a calf of the milk-bearing Gogoats they cared for here. That used to be my job, hope they're doing alright.

During dinner, Aloriana would be eager to talk about the trial. Somehow between bites, she told the tale of her trial; the long wait in the sun, the hike to the canyon, the other varied candidates and their sponsers, and of course the tattooed Charizard. When she got to talking about the tattoo monsters and golems, she stood up and held out an invisible sword and animatedly gave a blow by blow account of the battle, the mad dash to the wall, and banding together to fend of the creatures.

“And then, this big one came up and smacked me right across the head,” she winced in mock pain and held up a hand to her bandage. “Lily got so concerned she jumped up and shredded apart two of them at once with her leaves. I was about to get hit again when the girl from earlier, Satomi pushed me away and took it for me.” She patted her Skiddo on the back. “After that I made sure Lily was safe, I didn't want her to get hurt anymore so I had Dirk take her place.” she flexed, imitating the Machoke. “Together with Satomi's Kabuto they shattered another one!” Aloriana shrugs, “And then it was over. We had passed, it looked like since the rest fell down on their own.”

She looked around as she finished. Going over the story once more was a good chance to for her to reflect on the trial and the one to come. As much as she loved being home after being away, she still felt a strong urge to go out and do something. She'd never be content in one place forever, but it just made the time she spent here all that more special.


This is too much fun to write, didn't want to take it any farther without giving you a chance to reply. Like I said, will try to keep the plot moving forward and yet still develop the backstory some. Particularly with Vince, Gerald, Marcus and Lilian, since they had very little about them in the original backstory. But at the same time I don't wanna linger here too long.

[Arcran]

Satomi

Ji is silent throughout your musings, look at you with a peculiar expression. When you offer Ji the Egg, your mentor simply nods, sparing the Egg a quick glance before looking back to you, the man's shadow gently placing the Egg within his pack. The pale man is silent for a long moment at your final question.

"Technically, we are forbidden from sharing information about the specifics of the test. I will tell you this much though: Be honest, in both the trials and with The Mountain. It is a trial of your spirit, not your ability to hide it," Ji says sagely as his shadow rummages through his pack. "Still, I cannot allow you to give me a gift and not return the favor," your mentor states, reaching into his pack to pull out an old book.

"Cinnabar, a Complete History." Not many copies are still around, and even less in readable condition," Ji states. "I got it years ago, but have never gotten around to reading it somehow. Seems a waste for me to keep it when others can put it to better use," Ji states, a shadowy hand laying the book out on the table in front of you.

You get an old book! Hooray!


Harisson

"Here, I just go as Black," Thadeus says nonchalantly, leaning back in his chair. "Nobody uses real names anyways. Smugglers and pirates, the whole lot. But also some of the only sailors that can navigate the sea from Pallet to Cinnabar, which is part of how I know what I know. You know as well as I that my duty is to defend the coastline, but any domestic threat is easily handled by the military," Thadeus states. "Something from the mainland is our main concern, and part of why I make my rounds out here. Sailors talk, and drunk sailors all the more. When you learn to sort out the difference between embellishment and fact, a dive like this is a wealth of information," Thadeus says. "But, that's not why we're here tonight, unfortunately. Those lessons will have to come another day. For now, I'm your source of unbridled wisdom. Anywhere you want me to start?" Thadeus says, pausing to take a long draw of noodles.

While hardly noticeable, Thadeus' face draws ever so slightly at the mention of Seafoam.


Neils

Ibis eyes flash at you for a moment, and Egret's eyes begin to glow ominously as you reject her offer. "This is your chance for sage advice, and you ignore what I offer you?" Ibis says in a remarkably calm tone for the way her eyes are almost literally ablaze. "Perhaps I should have selected somebody slightly more pragmatic," she adds. "Do as you will. I've given you my advice, and a view of the path. Do what you will with it," Ibis states before grabbing your shoulder. An instant later, you're dragged through a tube and find yourself in front of your home.

"I will be watching," Ibis says in a somewhat softer voice, but far from friendly. "Take these; should make it a little less dangerous to put enemies under," Ibis states, dropping a sack on the ground, disappearing a moment later without a sound.

You receive four Sleep Pester Balls!

Also, since you'll probably ask, you've got about an hour and a half until Neils should plan to go to bed before the next trial.


Aloriana

As you act out the daring battle with the golems Lilian gasps at all the appropriate times, and even your father isn't entirely able to disguise his amazement at how you successfully accomplished the trial

"How hard could a bunch of tattoos be anyways?" Gerald asks indignantly, only to instantly quite when the question earns him a glare from Vince. "Have you ever fought a tattoo you idiot? No? Then I'm inclined to agree with Lori here."

"Sissy, is Satomi your best friend?" Lilian asks, obviously excited by the idea of her sister already making new friends. "And is she okay? If the golems could hurt you, she has to be beat up really bad!"

[Zelphas]

Satomi accepts her sensei's words with a nod. "Speak honestly, and act with conviction," she repeats to herself, realizing how vague those words were. They didn't give her much to make a plan for the next day; hopefully, they will be enough.

Any thoughts of plans go out of her head the moment Ji reveals his gift. Satomi lifts up the book almost reverently. "Thank you, Sensei," she breathes, gazing at the cover. It may not be a series of esoteric myths from far-away lands, but the stories of her own culture are dear to the girl as well. She places the book in front of her and begins to read, turning the pages gently as though afraid they may tear from just the simple pressure of her fingers.

A few minutes later, Satomi looks up abruptly, a slight blush coming to her cheeks. "I am sorry, Sensei; are there any more words of wisdom you have for me?" she asks, her eyes flicking down to the book before her periodically as though drawn there against her will.

[CateranEnforcer]

Aloriana thought about Lilian's question, recalling the calm, formal girl. She had seemed nice enough, but was very distant. Friend was definitely a stretch, though out of all the candidates she was the one she had interacted with the most. Not that there was much time for all of that with the trials going on and each one leaving individually. I wonder what their evenings are like right about now.

“I hope so,” she replied to Lilian. “We don't get much time to talk. I hope to see them all again tomorrow, though. We're going on another adventure, I'm told!” She remembered Vlad's words. This might be her last chance in a while to see her family. Rather ominous, but hopefully not in a bad way. It made her sad that she might not be able to come home tomorrow to tell them about her latest exploits. She knew her time here was limited and wanted to try and give something back, even if it was just a moment of her time.

“Say, how about we take one last ride with you and Lily,” She says to her little sister. “You remember how, right?”


The intent here is just to spend a little bit more time with her sister and family. Given enough time, Aloriana would have rode a Gogoat with her all around their property, but for now she just wants to take her sister on a short trip around the yard with her mounted on Lily. Like a pony ride.

[CosmicOccurence]

Neils sighted and rubbed his temples. This was possibly the worst case scenario. Why did he have to snap at her? He kept bouncing back and forth between thinking he had been reasonable or dumber than a Slowpoke.Well its not like I can do anything about it now he thought. All that's left is to try and make it through to the cave first, but fat chance of that happening with Chantu around.

A bit over an hour, he thought, looking at the sky. Not much time to put together a plan. Maybe I should just wing it. The morning had been so good. He'd succeeded, and established himself as a serious contender. Well, it didn't look like Kasai was going to be impressed with him for long. Resigned to be chewed out by his master again after his inevitable failure at the trial tomorrow, Neils headed inside.

I'm home Mom, Dad, he said without any enthusiasm as he opened the extraordinarily creaky door of his house.

[Elyander]

Harisson was too distracted by the taste of the exquisite ramen to notice Thadeus' reaction. He hadn't realized it before coming, but he the Trial had left him starving, so the food was really welcome. He listens to his mentor's words, though, absorbing the information he gives between words. "I see. Your expertise is outside threat and information gathering." - he thinks, coming to admire the knight more for the ruse he's kept - "Not a bad line of work, I'd say."

He then considers Thadeus' question. "Well, Black, I reckon you can't give me too much information about the Trial, so I won't go there." - he says calmly, finishing his plate - "And since you didn't bring me here to tell me about the outside world, I imagine you had a reason. Besides feeding me well, I mean." - He smiles widely before adding- "Although that was a first.".

[Arcran]

Satomi

Ji chuckles at your question, obviously amused by your whole-minded focus on the book. It was far from the first time you'd ignored him for a book, and in all liklihood would not be the last.

"None from me, although you may find Chapter 8 of particular interest. Other than that, make sure you are well-supplied and well-rested for tomorrow. The Mountain is no easy task," Ji states. "Now, I'll stop distracting you. Goodbye Satomi-kun," he says with a queer grin. You glance down at your book for an instant, and then he is gone.


Aloriana

"Yay!" Lilian cries, obviously excited by the prospect of riding around on your Skiddo. "Are you sure I'm not too big now?" your sister asks, somewhat concerned.

"She's been taking good care of what's left of the herd," Vince says as you all walk out into the yard. "Something's bee thinning them out lately though; I don't think Lilian has noticed, but we've lost three in the last week alone. When you're down with all your Trials, maybe Gerald and you could look into it? He could use the outlet," Vince adds, a note of concern in his voice. Still, that vanishes an instant later as Lilian runs up, tugging on your pant leg.

"Comeon, I wanna ride Lily!"


Neils

As you enter your house, you see your mother in the kitchen, knives telekinetically chopping vegetables and dropping them into a soup as she stirs it.

"Oh, you're early!" your mother exclaims, quickly wiping her hands on her apron. Her eyes flash purple for a moment as she calls the rest of your family. An instant later your brother appears with a pop, teleporting right into a chair at the dinner table. Your father, mundane as he is, can be heard walking down the stairs.

"So, how'd the Trial go?" your mother asks in a coddling tone, obviously expecting you to have failed. While your father had been supportive of your appointment, your mother and brother had been significantly less confident in your ability to compete in the Trials.


Harisson

"Honestly? I thought you deserved a night off before the real work began," your mentor states, pausing to eat some more of the ramen. "And hey, this is the first time you've really earned a good meal," he adds with a well-meaning grin.

"But if you're not going to try to pry information about the Trial out of me, that makes my job much easier," Thadeus states, pulling out a small satchel you hadn't noticed earlier. "Most of the Knights are content to sit on Cinnabar, piling out defenses higher and training day in and day out. I know, with absolute certainty, that it won't be enough," Thadeus says, the humor that was in his tone only moments ago gone. "We need allies, we need information and, most of all, we need more Knights on our side. That's why I brought you here. I want your help. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but someday you'll be a great Knight. If The Mountain sees what I have, you and your Charizard will be among the greatest. Which is why I brought these," Thadeus states, pulling two small books out of his satchel, laying them out in front of you. "The one on the left is the closest thing to a Cinnabar to Kantonese guide we have, written by yours truly. The one on the right, is basic history of the mainland up to and including Lance's coup. I would consider it a favor if you could study these, learn what you can. Someday I may want some company when I make a trip to Ufuchsia, and trust me, the ramen there is worth the trip," Thadeus says, finally leaning back in his seat once again.

You get TWO books! Because I like you better than Zelphas, don't tell. :smalltongue:

Also, let me know when you want to wrap this up. I'm happy to RP all day, just don't want to make you if it's a little dull.

[Zelphas]

Satomi sighs once she sees that Ji has vanished. She is fairly sure that he enjoys the reaction to his disappearances a little too much.

Satomi flips the book gently to Chapter 8 and reads through it thoroughly, before noting the time and reluctantly packing up her things. She calls Guinevere back to her and returns the Magby to her Poke Ball, doing the same for Renault who had been dozing on her back. Finally, she looks through her collection of Potions and other restoratives and counts her small collection of money. What I have now will have to suffice; I lack the funds for more.

Leaving the Arcane Library, Satomi ventures through the darkness back to her parents' home. "Good evening, Otosama, Okasama," she says as she enters the house, bowing to her parents when she finds them. "I succeeded in the Trial of Courage today, but the Trial of Spirit begins early tomorrow. I must rest to ensure that I will do my best tomorrow. Do you have need of me for anything?"

After speaking with her parents, Satomi goes to bed, but has difficulty sleeping. The excitement that had been slowly building inside of her throughout the day breaks over her in a wave. Tomorrow is the Trial of Spirit; tomorrow, she will be connected to real magic. Finally.

[CateranEnforcer]

Aloriana pauses as she listens to Vince. The way he said "something" gave her a chill. Predators were not unusual but the whole family remembered the night three years ago and the shadowy somethings that resulted in Rosalyn's death. It had been several weeks since her last nightmare about it, but she could still hear her mother's cries. It was likely a hungry beast of some kind, but nowadays they assumed nothing.


"I'll have to ask Vlad, but I think that sounds like something he'd be interested in helping look into. With me, Dirk, and now Benny leaving maybe ya'll will need some extra hired hands around here," she remarked. "You know I'll do anything I can, if...when I pass these trials." She gives her brother a brave smile and a determined look.

With that she looked down at Lillian and took her hand to lead her outside. "Comon, let's make these last moments count. "

[Elyander]

"Interesting way to give me a night off." - Harisson says with a smile - "Bringing me to a thieves' den and making me lie and charm my way around things. Wow, I feel so rested!" He finishes the sentence by stretching his arms exaggeratedly. He then listens to the rest of his mentor's explanation, becoming more and more susprised by what's being said. When Thadeus hands him the books, Harisson can't hide his enthusiasm.

"Wait, for real?" - he asks, slowly taking the books - "This is something that you expect from me?" His voice shivers a bit with emotion, but he quickly hides it. He didn't know the knight considered him so much, and having that much trust laid on him was a bit overwhelming. He knew, however, that if he wanted to help Thadeus in the future, he'd need to be levelheaded and confident. "Well," he tries to smirk as always - "this sounds like a lot of work, but I can do that for you. If you buy me some more of this." He points at the ramen.

He then fixes his eyes on the books. He never had too much to read, only a few guides Thadeus had given him about archery and bowmaking. His family wasn't exactly literate, so they had no book on their house. This was a much more precious gift to Harisson than Thadeus imagined; it was a piece of knowledge, of culture he never had access before. He takes the book on Kantonese in his hands, flipping through some pages. He couldn't wait to study it. "I can't believe you really wrote this. This actually looks good!" - he says, trying to return Thadeus to his good mood - "But, you know, I think I'll need some help. I can barely read in Cinnabar, so you'll have to teach me how to pronounce some of these..."

Yay, books! Thadeus won't be ignorant forever o/

Well, regarding the RP, I'm good with it. We can do it for as long as you want.
It would probably be nice to finish it with everyone though, so the other players don't have to be doing nothing...

[CosmicOccurence]

Neils groaned internally and rolled his eyes. His mom and brother just loved to rub it in everybody's face that they were Psychics. Did they really need to teleport into the kitchen and chop vegetables telekinetically? No, of course they didn't. It was all just a show. Just one large elaborate show for them to hold over everybody else.

Still though, today he was on top. He walked to the table and set across from his brother. He and Elric fought so much that it had become a rule at the house that they couldn't sit next to each other. Of course, that just meant that Neils couldn't respond when Elric's fork found its way floating underneath the table into his shin. Repeatedly.

Neils pulled out the egg and sat it on the table, knowing that the egg in and of itself would speak volumes. Quite well actually. Kasai was apparently quite impressed when I channeled Maddigan's charizard to convince it to give an egg to me willingly.

I'm cool moving on whenever. I will say that Neils will harvest Dream Mist from Rem before he goes to bed.

[Arcran]

Satomi

Your parents, while obviously interested in how you did in the Trial, seem to have resigned themselves to the fact that they would rarely get more information than is necessary out of you. After a few basic questions, your parents wish you goodnight and you are able to head to bed.

As you hover on the edge of sleep, your readings of Cinnabar, A Complete History stand out in your mind. Chapter 8, oddly enough, was focused less on true history, and more on the culture of the Magmar Tribes and how they fit into the history of Cinnabar as a whole. Clan hierarchies, proper mannerisms and their relatively favorable relationship with the Knights are all well-documented, as well as an interesting note about how the proto-Charizards hunted the Magmar clans to near extinction before the creation of the Knights. Still, how that small fact worked was slightly beyond you; a Magmar's body was almost literally lava, meaning it should be impossible for even a Charizard to devour one without significant internal harm.

Despite your roiling mind, you manage to eventually find sleep, the day's labor fading away as you fall unconscious, the image of your Egg illuminated by a lamp the last image you saw before you fell asleep. In that lighting, it almost looked like it was on fire.


Aloriana

"Certainly couldn't hurt to have a Knight looking into it," Vince says, a grateful note creeping into his voice as you go to play with the Lily and Lily.

As you help your sister around the yard on the Skiddo, you are reminded of days long ago when your own father helped you ride a Skiddo around the yard. Lilian seems to enjoy it greatly, squealing with joy the whole while as Lily jumps and trots around the small enclosure.

Of course, nothing can last forever. Far too soon for your liking its time to go, a time that is accompanied by a tearful farewell from Lilian, some gentle ribbing from Vince, a reluctant "Good luck" from Gerald and Bernard insisting on going over the proper way to care for your sword for perhaps the third time this night; after seeing the nicks caused by literally hacking at stone, your brother had taken some offense at your treatment of his gifts.

Your father was the last to say goodbye, simply grabbing your shoulder and nodding at you, the pride in his eyes evident. "Come back with more stories, alright?" he says, placing a bit more emphasis on come back then you thought was necessary before turning you back over to Vlad, the two of you taking off on his massive Charizard, making your way towards the coastline to the north. As you near, you can see massive stone pillars sticking out of the ground that dwarfed even Reinhardt, and the stone itself seemed to have melted and warped, but it was far too distant from The Mountain to be lava flow.

"Do you know where this is?" Vlad asks, looking around at the distorted landscape, answering himself before you had a chance to reply. "This is where the Knights came together to fight back Lance's Dragonite. Three Pokemon, against the might of Cinnabar, and we very nearly lost. Certainly would have, if Maddigan killing one hadn't driven the other two off," Vlad says quietly. "We thought the rumors about the beasts were just that, rumors. We couldn't have been ready," Vlad says, sounding far older than you'd ever heard.

"But now we know, and now we can prepare. You see that pillar?" Vlad says, pointing to one of the massive pillars of stone that rivaled the size of Kasai's Charizard. "One rib from one of those damn Dragonite. They're bigger then us, stronger then us and, with Lance controlling them, I'd almost say smarter then us. The only thing we have is our training as Knights, and our ability to fight as a unit."

"These are my words of wisdom to you, passed on from too much experience. Protect your friends, keep them safe, until the day they no longer need protection. There will be those among the Initiates less capable, especially before they receive the Blessing of the Mountain. Some Initiates will look down on them, try to get ahead in the Trials because they see them as weak. Everybody selected was chosen for a reason, and all have their own particular gifts. Protect your allies, treat them with respect, and you will become a unit that no enemy can hope to defeat," Vlad says, looking out over the sea. The old Knight simply stands there for nearly a minute, seemingly lost in thought, before turning back to you.

"Come, we should get you back to your farm. It's late, and you have a great trial ahead of you."

Soon enough you were back on your farm, your body quickly finding sleep after the day's toils.


Harisson

"I'd be happy to help. It's a little easier work then shooting arrows, so maybe you won't take as many naps this time?" Thadeus says, seemingly ignoring the slightly choked tone in your voice. "That's also part of why I brought you here. Everybody here speaks at least Kantonese, so it'll be a good place to practice. Of course, until you have your own Charizard, coming here might be somewhat difficult without a chaperone," the man says, beckoning Gwen over who quickly makes her way across the bar, blushing slightly when she sees you.

"Let's start. Ko-nni-chi-wa," Thadeus says slowly, enunciating each character carefully. "It means hello, and is the typical greeting. Go ahead and try," Thadeus states.

After perhaps an hour of broken conversation in both Cinnabar and Kantonese with Gwen as well as another round of ramen, Thadeus finally calls it a night, giving Gwen a small coin for her help as he makes his way out of the bar, stopping for some short conversations with a handful of the ne'er-do-wells present. At the door, you feel the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. As you turn to find the source, you see a man wearing a cloth over his eyes staring right at you, his head tracking your movement as you go.

Still, the thought soon leaves your mind as you experience the thrill of flying silently across the sea on Mirella's back, soon arriving back at your home.

"You did well tonight," your mentor states, the taunting edge gone from his voice. "I'll try to get you a chance to speak with Gwen or Katie at least once a week, give you some practical application and help their Cinnabar. You'll be able to benefit each other, so to speak," Thadeus says with a smirk. "If you do well enough, maybe we can even move up to talking some of the smugglers at some point. They're always worth talking to, one way or another."

Without another word Thadeus left, leaving you to return to bed.

Your mother was asleep in a chair; she'd obviously attempted to stay up and wait for you, but hadn't quite made it. If you woke her, she listened awestruck at your tale before threatening to crush your ribs in a hug and ordering you to bed.


Neils

While your brother and mother tried to hide it, you clearly saw the incredulous look the two shared when they saw the Egg, obviously impressed. Of course, they didn't say anything about it; asking only the minimum amount of required questions. Your father, on the other hand, could not get enough details: the other contestants, the strange golem monsters, all of it. It didn't hurt that the tales of your exploits clearly annoyed your brother.

Still, eventually you had to sleep, especially if you wanted to prepared for the day to come. You manage to get through your nightly ritual of harvesting Rem's mist before drifting off, dreams finding you swifter than normal.

The tortured landscape you'd come to recognize was gone, this time replaced with a simple field. Your body was not your own; you were trapped within the body of a Pidgey, fluttering around the field. As you flew far and wide across the field you slowly saw other blurry shapes at the edge of your vision, fluttering around you. A grand total of eight appear, flying in and out of your vision, never long enough to see their shape but always present, always keeping you safe.

After some time, winter came to the field, snow blanketing the field as small ponds freeze over, elaborate icicles appearing over some of the ponds. You felt your wings become heavy with ice, but you pushed on, barely staying aloft. Two of the other shapes were not so lucky.

Soon the ice melted, and the grass began to grow, higher and higher. Soon it was high enough to almost reach your wings, and you were able to just barely stay above. One of the others was not so lucky.

You awoke with a start, Rem clutching your head desperately as he devoured the dream, making small sounds of concern in what was definitely a new phenomenon. In terms of how unnerving the dream was, this was one of the more mild you had experienced, but the Musharna was clearly shaken.

Still, you could barely see the sun rising; it would seem it was time for the next Trial.




Moltres 44, 357 EL

The Trial of Spirit

If yesterday had been hot, today was punishingly so. The sun overhead beat down and, this close to the mountain, heat radiated out from the ground as well, causing each and every one of you to sweat profusely. At least your mentors had all ferried you here aboard their Charizards, allowing you to avoid the exercise of walking all the way here. Today you are not kept waiting; as soon as all nine of you are present, an older man that some of you recognize as Thonos the Most High, chief priest of the Tower of Flame makes his way over to the group of you, accompanied by a Magmortar with black streaks across his body wearing a large black beaded necklace. From her studies last night, Satomi is able to instantly recognize the Magmortar as the chief among the tribe due to the necklace made of perfectly round bits of obsidian. Thonos is far younger than you might expect from the chief priest, the man barely looking to be in his thirties, although he is already bald, although whether through misfortune or choice you could not say.

"Greetings. I am Thonos, and I shall be your guide in this Trial of Spirit today," the man says, standing tall, his robes reflecting the sun's light and almost seemingly ablaze. "This Trial will ensure you are pure of heart and that The Mountain deems you worthy to join our ranks. For this Trial you will climb the Sacred Path, just as us of the Sacred Flame do every year. Upon this path are the Gates of Mind, Emotion and Will, the three key parts of a healthy spirit. Mind ensures you are mature enough to handle the duties of a Knight, as well as intelligent enough to conduct yourself with dignity in this role. Emotion shall burn through your outer skin, revealing who you truly are and determining if you are of the proper moral fiber to fairly protect all the citizens of our great land. Finally, Will will test your drive and desire for this; many a knight has passed the first two Gates, only to be stopped at the third and final before reaching The Mountain," Thonos states, pausing for a long breath.

"After the Gates, you shall arrive at Chief Ahiru's village, where he and his people will assist you, allowing you to eat, drink and rest before continuing onward. While we Cinnabarians are the chosen people of Moltres, our burning mother has chosen the Magmar as her chosen race, and their wisdom knows no bounds. Seek their aid, for they see the message in the flames," Thonos preaches even louder, even as Ahiru exhales loudly, a purple plume of smoke rising from his mouth.

"From there on, you compete with The Mountain itself. Moltres is a jealous mistress, and does not freely share her heart; you must defeat whatever obstacles appear in your way before you finally reach The Heart of the Mountain, earning the blessings of our protector and finally meeting the physical representation of The Mountain's blessings upon you!" Thonos says, the fervor in his voice reaching a fever pitch.

"Well?" Thonos asks in a considerably quieter tone, looking over the nine of you. "Do you have any inquiries before we test your Spirits?"

Judging from the black streaks across the Magmortar, you can tell that it is quite advanced in age. As a Magmortar grew older, their body began to cool down, with some parts of their inner magma becoming simple obsidian. If you had to guess, this one was in the last few years of his life.

[Zelphas]

Satomi lets out a slow breath as she sees the Magmortar before her, her sensei's suggestion to read chapter 8 pulling into greater focus in her mind. No direct help in the Trials... thank you, sensei.

The Fossil Charmander Egg sits heavily in her satchel, pulling at her side with a greater than physical weight. Though she is determined to see her path through to the end, the unique challenges of raising a Fossil Pokemon have already begun to crowd on her mind. Renault is overtly hostile to anything that is not Satomi or Guinevere, and Guinevere he barely tolerates. It is not unlikely that the proto-Charmander shall have all of those traits magnified, and then there is the fact that Charizard of the past seemingly ate Magmortar... she decided before falling asleep the night before that Guinevere and the new Charmander would need to socialize as much as possible in the new Pokemon's first few months, in order to curb any latent instinct to devour the allies of Cinnabar. Still, the prospect that her new companion came from a time when Charizard could eat molten magma sent a thrill through her. It will be powerful indeed...

Now, as she stood before Thonos the Most High and Chief Ahiru, an idle thought struck her. I hope that riding my Charizard will not be constantly as hot as a day like this. Though her face remains in her customary stoic mask, the heat makes her forehead glisten and brings spots of color high on her cheekbones.

Brushing the silly thought aside, Satomi bows to Thonos and Ahiru, her head only a fraction lower when facing the Most High than the Chieftain of the Magmar tribes. "Thank you for this honor, Most High, Honored Chieftain," she states simply. She glances at Ahiru and away again, noting the blackened streaks on his sides. The tribe must be making plans for a new Chieftain to succeed elder Ahiru, she muses. Perhaps it would be beneficial to discover who, at the village.

[Elyander]

Harisson smiles as Thadeus' jumps right at practicing the language. The servant girl was pleasant enough, he had another plate of delicious ramen and he was talking Kantonese! Barely, but still... It was such a good feeling to be able to do learn something cultural, something his familiy status didn't exactly allowed before. He practices with gusto, laughing at his own mistakes as both Gwen and Thadeus try to teach him pronunciation and vocabulary. By the end of the conversation, he understands the phonetics and has learned a few sentences. "Arigatō, Gwen!" - he says with a heavy accent - "Ohyasumi...nasai? he farewells, while both his mentor and the girl nod with smiles.

As they prepare to leave, his keen instincts make him feel he's been observed, and, while he turns around and recognizes the source of the feeling, he knows he shouldn't be drawing too much attention to himself, so he simply ignores it and keeps going as normal. He thinks about asking about it to Thadeus, but the idea vanishes from his mind when Mirella takes flight, the sea breeze freeing himself from any concerns. Experiencing the winds at this altitude and speed is almost a drug to Harisson, his connection with the air currents making him feel free and unstoppable. It is a short trip, though, and soon they arrive at the simple house where his family live. He says goodbye to his mentor, noticing candlelight through the window. "Mom..." - he sighs.

He enter the small wooden building, the door creaking loudly. His mother is soundly asleep on a chair; she had obviously been expecting his arrival before the drowziness won. He gently caresses her shoulder to wake her up - "Mom, wake up." - he says in a soft voice - "We both need to go to bed for now." When she eventually wakes up from her deep slumber, she hugs him tightly, asking how did it go while grabbing a piece of pie from the table and forcefully feeding Harisson. Although he was full, he happily takes the fruity cake. "It went well, mother, but I have another trial in the morning." - he devours the cake in a few bites - "Can we leave the story for tomorrow?" She agrees with a soft smile, and both go to bed.



The next day comes, and Harisson has a big breakfast with the whole family. He has to tell the tales of his adventures so far, for the delight of Sabrina and Julian, his younger siblings. Mathias pretends he's not interested, though, feeling a little envious, but the boy has always been competing with Harisson, so there's not much to do there. The family reunion is quick, though, as everyone has their own business to attend to. Thadeus is there to pick Harisson and they both fly to the place of the next Trial, the anxiety Harisson feels increasing by the minute.

As they approach the place, Harisson feels more and more uncomfortable. The heat was a little bit too much for him, and he hates being sweaty. He appreciates the fact there's no waiting this time. Thonos starts giving the instructions right away, but Harisson has trouble focusing, the high temperatures taking a toll on the boy. He manages to catch the gist of it, but his mind wanders on its own. "That magmortar must be really old. Apparently she's a girl again today." - the flurry of thoughts runs through his head - "Would I look good if I were bald? Ko-nni-chi-wa!" Not even the mention of Moltres is enough to make Harisson focus solely on his words, his head hurting from the heatstroke.

When the High Priest asks about questions, Harisson looks at the other contestants., hoping nobody drags this for much longer; the quicker they can leave, the quicker he can get away from this hell.

[CateranEnforcer]

Looking at this ruined coastline was the first time Aloriana could truly appreciate the magnitude of the task ahead of the them. Not to mention the valor of the knights in the past. She had no idea a pokemon of that size could even exist and to be controlled by a mad conqueror...she couldn't fathom how they had any hope of defending themselves.

But, she reminded herself, we did defend ourselves. She smirked a bit at the thought. Oh 'we' already is it? She nodded when Vlad mentioned keeping her family and friends safe. That really was the most important thing here. She had intended to ask a dozen questions about her trials and knightly duties, but she couldn't find the words. The trials would be nothing compared to reality and if she couldn't handle them, how could she possibly hope to be of any help against something like this?

She nodded and bowed her head in awe of these realizations. “I won't let you down. I promise.”

----

Aloriana had done her best to sleep the night before, but with mixed luck. Her head had been a swirl with a dozen different thoughts; excitement and trepidation for the next trial, the looming threat of Lance's dragons, and protecting her family both living and deceased. She was up early, already treating her sword as instructed and practicing with her new shield when it was time to leave.

She stood at attention as she listened to Thonos. She didn't want to sound overconfident, but now she felt more ready than ever to face those gates; her mind, her drive, and her feelings had never been so in sync after yesterday's display. Aloriana mentally applauded Knight Vlad for showing her exactly what she needed to be in the right state of mind.

Despite the lack of sleep, Aloriana was brimming with energy and eager to face the tests. She was sure any questions she might have would be revealed in time. Remembering Vlad's words she looked over the other candidates. Those who made it through would be her fellow knights, and they needed to work together and protect each other. Certainly each person here was unique and capable in their own right. Surely, they could leverage their strengths and overcome the trials together, if they put their minds to it. This wasn't just about her own trial, it was the group that mattered, and Aloriana intended to give them her all.

[CosmicOccurence]

Neils sat up with a start upon waking, cold sweat covering his body and soaking through the thin undergarments he wore to bed. He was clutching his sheets and breathing more heavily than he had for years. Rem clung desperately onto his head as he jerked awake, and Neils lifted her down gently. Sorry love, he said to her, breathing still ragged and irregular. Everything will be alright. I'm sure it was just a dream.

But it wasn't just a dream, he thought to himself. I don't just have dreams. Not since Rem arrived. What did it mean that a dream, no a nightmare, was powerful enough to get through Rem's labors? And how strong would that nightmare have been if Rem hadn't been around to dampen the impact? He shuddered at the thought, and his mind immediately jumped to the worst case scenario: weeks and weeks without sleeping to avoid the nightmares that would inevitably follow him into his unconscious mind. Those years had been the worst of his life, and he would never go back to living like that. He resolved to return to the library at the next possibility. He hadn't done formal research in months, favoring the more physical avenues to increase his knowledge. Still though, he quickly searched through his mental stores of dream interpretation technique to see if anything in the dream jumped out at him. He had no doubt that anything he learned wouldn't make his day any better.

Everything will be alright, Neils repeated while stroking Rem's hide. I'm sure it was just a dream. Except this time he wasn't talking to Rem.



__________________________________________________ _______________________________________________

Neils was rather bored during the explanation of the second trial, perhaps because his master had partially explained it to him the day before. Instead his mind wandered, resting on his nightmare he'd woken up from in the morning, what the magmar tribes were actually like and why this one was covered in black streaks, how badly he'd mukked up yesterday with Ibis, and what he could do to make amends. Of course, he knew the best way was to end up being the first into the cave ... or at least not the last.

His attention was only pricked when Thonos began speaking about the gates. This was new to him. Neils had to resist rolling his eyes at the last comment however. He had no doubt that passing the Gate of Will; his desire to be a knight was more like the thirst of the parched beggars who wandered in far off desert cities. He would have no problem proving his drive. No, it was the Trial of the Mind that presented the challenge. It wasn't that Neils was anti-Cinnibar, nor even that he didn't value the life of the citizens. It was more that he wasn't quite willing to leap in front of a sword for one of the old people who frequented the hot springs. He was more interested in protecting the island and the society than anything, for there was no telling what Lance would do to the things that Neils held dear. Those things just so happened to belong to the nation of Cinnibar.

When the dodgy old priest asked for questions, Neils remained silent. Time to get moving. The sooner we start the sooner we get all of this over with.

Occult Roll to do a preliminary Dream Interpretation on himself. [roll0]

[Arcran]

Thonos seemed more than a little surprised by the complete lack of questions, only to seem momentarily relieved when Studs, Maddigan's Initiate, raises his hand.

"Why are you wearing a dress?"

"It's not a - it's a robe," Thonos says indignantly, looking at Studs with some confusion. Did the boy seriously not know what a robe was, or was he messing with the priest?

From behind you, you can clearly make out a bellowing, erratic laugh that you would put money on being Maddigan's. Thonos blinks a few times before turning back to the nine of you.

"If nobody has questions then, may Moltres guide your path and good luck," Thonos says solemnly, stepping to the side and leaving the worn dirt path up The Mountain open to the group of you.

"Hey, Aloriana, right?" Brawley says from behind the swordswoman, tapping her on the shoulder. "Wanna team up? It'll make the trip easier."

As the group looks around, you quickly see that the others are forming small groups, save for the tricky boy-girl-person that Harisson had met and Adrianne, the psychic. The two hadn't quite taken off up the mountain, but were obviously preparing to.

You know a lot about dreams, and also know that any normal dream wouldn't be able to get through Rem's hunger, which meant what you had seen was more than just the rambling of your subconcious. Of course, the source of these dreams is slightly more hotly disputed; some claim gods, some claim an innate magical connection, and some claim indigestion. If you had to guess though, simply from the feel of the dream, you were almost certain it was an outside influence. While you hesitate to jump straight to the divine, the only ones commonly linked with such an act would be Cressalia or Darkrai, with the latter being slightly more likely due to the nature of the dream. And yet, that didn't rule out tampering by a sufficiently powerful mage.

As to what the dream meant, it was rather obvious. Winter came and two of the birds died, then spring took another, leaving only six of the original nine. Death was coming.

Feel free to split the party if that is what your character would do, or make groups! The choice is yours!

[Zelphas]

Satomi shakes her head at the boy's question. She had always regarded the priesthood with a mixture of respect and mild discomfort, and so a person so blatantly disrespecting one of their number surprises her.

As the people begin to pair off, Satomi looks for the group she was with the day before. Spotting the archer first due to his height, she approaches him. "Hello. I do not believe we introduced ourselves yesterday. I am Satomi Nakajima." Satomi waits politely for the archer's response before continuing. "Our group worked fairly well together yesterday; do you wish to join forces again?" As she asks, Satomi glances around the field, looking for Lori and the purple-haired channeler as well.

Satomi's talking to Harisson and is willing to team up with Alorianna and Niels as well, but whatever works for the rest of the group!

[CosmicOccurence]

As the group began splitting into different factions, Neils' eyes landed on Adrianne, and his stomach twisted. He'd assumed the dream had been something supernatural, but what if it was actually just Yvonne and Adrianne interfering? His mind began to race, trying to account for all of the possibilities. Did this mean that he shouldn't take the dream seriously? But what if it actually was supernatural? If three of the group was actually going to die, then he might be better off working as part of a group even though that had never been part of his plan in the first place.

Plan for the worst, and hope for the best he thought, Assume three people are going to die and plan to be one of the ones to make it out alright. If the dream turns out to be false, that means that Yvonne is after me, which might actually be worse. If the dream is true, then I've got a whole lot of thinking to do.

Neils quickly scanned the groups. Working with Adrianne was out of the question, but what about Chantu? No guarantee that he would accept, and by then the other groups might have headed off solo already. His eyes landed on the archer and healer, then on Brawly and Alorianna. Two options, although neither group was solidified yet. Did he choose healing potential, or would he rather be with two brawler types to be on the offensive lines? He quickly decided on healing. The girl at least seemed gullible, and she would no doubt do whatever it took to help him up the mountain. They probably wouldn't make it up the mountain first, but his priority was arriving alive, not becoming a corpse right before he reached the Heart. Even if it did turn out to be psychics messing with him, that dream had shaken Neils to the core.

Casually, he walked up to them. Hey, I was wondering if you two wanted to go up the mountain together? He asked. We seemed to work together pretty well during the first test. Why fix what's not broken? He neglected to mention anything about the three of them potentially dying horribly on the way up, but that was just the way it was. He figured his chances were better this way.

Guile to hide that I'm hiding something! [roll0]

[CateranEnforcer]

Aloriana's stoic look on her face softened into a smile at Studs' question and it took a lot of willpower to suppress her giggle. It seemed to snap her out of a trance. No reason to dwell on things outside my control, for now I just gotta focus on the task at hand.

She smiles at Brawley as he speaks to her; again he had approached her like the last trial, even though they had gotten split up. “Oh hiya! That's me, but you can call me Lori for short if you want. Nice to meet ya! Teaming up sounds like a good idea, just give me one moment.” It would be nice to get to know more of the candidates, so she jumped at the chance to meet another one. Aloriana looks around at the remaining candidates and locates Satomi. She walks over to address her and anyone nearby, “Thanks again for your help yesterday. This first leg of the journey sounds pretty easy, so me and Brawley are gonna get moving, but if you pass through maybe we could all meet up again at the village? The last leg sounds dangerous.” She awaits everyone's reply, but is otherwise extremely eager to head off. She finds herself wrestling with her competitive side that insists she be the first and best, but at the same time wanting everyone to come out of this safely.


She will make the same suggestion to anyone still around; to meet up at the Magmar village for the final leg of the journey. Otherwise, she'll head out as soon as possible.

Charm to convince any remaining NPCs to work together with her plan: [roll0]

[Elyander]

Harisson is initially pleased when nobody asks anything, but then Studs' question manages to draw a smile from him. He quickly hides it, knowing he shouldn't be laughing at that, but his head still hurts from the heat. "Ok, great." - he thinks, as the path becomes open - "Let's get out of here." Just as he sets his bow and backpack, though, the girl with violet eyes approaches him offering to join him.

"Oh, yeah, sure." - he says, forcing a smile - "I'm Harisson. It's nice to be properly introduced. Well, let's get go..." His sentence is cut midway by the boy with purple hair this time, again asking to form a group. "Sure, sure." - Harisson speaks absentmindedly - "I'm Harisson, this is Satomi. I think it's a good idea to team up."

As the group prepares to leave, "Thankfully" - Harisson thinks, the knightly girl approaches them. She speaks briefly, and even though Harisson's head still aches, he feels a tingle of appreciation for her words. "Of course! I hope we can all see each other at the village."

Just on their way out, Harisson catches the boy-girl on his peripheral vision. Asking the rest of the group to wait just a second, he runs towards him/her. "Uhh, sorry." - he says shyly, still curious about the gender-swapping ability - "Just wanted to make sure you're gonna be ok on your own."

"Great! Thanks for saving me the egg yesterday. I hope we can see each other on our path to the mountain." - he says quickly, before rushing towards his companions and finally taking the path up.

"You know, I'm heading out with those two." - he points at Satomi and Neils, waiting (im)patiently for him - "You can come with us if you want. Teddy and you would have some company."

[Arcran]

Aloriana

"Sweet," Brawley says, absent-mindedly patting the trident on his back.

As the two of you begin your trek up the path, Brawley is awkwardly silent for a long moment, stealing glances at you all the while, before finally speaking.

"So, uh, how'd you meet Vlad?" he finally asks awkwardly.


Harisson

"I mean, I'd be fine, but that doesn't mean I actually want to head up on my own," the girl/boy says before offering a hand, standing perfectly straight. "You can call me Selky! Why won't we team up?" she asks, giving you some puppy dog eyes.


Neils and Satomi

"Hey, you two," Chantu cries, seeing you begin to group up. "Want two extra? Studs and I wouldn't say no to some company," Chantu says, the noble frowning as Adrianne begins teleporting up the path.

[Zelphas]

Satomi nods to Chantu and Studs as they come over. "I would not object to two more, Chantu-san, Studs...san." She looks up the path, noticing the rest of the initiates leaving, and begins to walk herself. "It seems we are gathered, shall we go?" she calls back as she walks.

Athletics (if needed): [roll0]

[CateranEnforcer]

Aloriana sets a quick pace along the path. She doesn't notice Brawley's looks at first, and kept looking far up the ahead trying to discern the next stage of the trial.

She smiles at the question, "My dad was an officer many years ago. He retired to start a family, but he's still got some connections in the military and was able to get Vlad to fly out to our farm to see if my brothers or I was worthy of a sponsorship. I guess I impressed him the most." She turned to look at Brawley. "What about you? How'd you get tangled up on all this?"


Perception check to look ahead. [roll0]

[CosmicOccurence]

Neils nodded. He hadn't expected Chantu to approach, especially after the last trial when he went at it alone. And while he didn't know much about Studs, the more there were, the safer they'd be. After a brief greeting to the two of them, he quickly hurried off after Saotomi, travelling up the mountain path.

[Elyander]

Harisson smiles at the girl's frankness, stretching his hand - "Then welcome aboard. I'm Harisson." After he introduces himself, Harisson turns to see his other companions were approached by to more contestants. "A large group we'll be it seems... Don't know if that's a good idea." His head still hurting from the heat, Harisson ushers Selky and they both join the others.

As they begin walking the mountain path, Harisson tries to focus on something other than the heat, but his first words to the groups are: "By the maker, can you believe how hot it is?"

[Arcran]

Harisson, Neils and Satomi

"Thank you Satomi-san," Chantu says, inclining his head as he does.

"It's just Studs. Studssan sounds like some crappy name somebody would give a Nidoran or something," Studs says, obviously questioning your intelligence. How do you get somebody's name wrong? The two quickly exchange pleasantries with Neils and Harisson. Selky introduces herself as well, flitting between the different members of the group so quickly that you could swear she was teleporting. You also managed to notice that she was blonde now, and most of you were certain that her hair had been black only a few moments ago.

"Oh, I love the heat! Pokemon are all over, the beach is warm, and it makes it so much easier to make -"

"Selky," Chantu commands, the girl instantly going silent, although the instant Chantu turns to Harisson the girl sticks her tongue out, drawing a giggle from Studs.

"I could certainly do without the heat, but I suppose that's my own fault," Chantu states, pounding the breastplate of his armor quickly before wiping a bead of sweat off a moment later.

"Do you think you'll actually need that?" Studs asks, obviously unsure. "I mean, the Trials don't exactly sound like fighting. We just have to be pure-hearted or whatever the hell The Mountain wants."


Aloriana

"He smashed my boat," Brawley says with a laugh. "I was out fishing, trying to get dinner and all that, and he and that giant fish of a Charizard he has just dived down into the ocean, making a wave about twenty feet tall and smashing my poor little dinghy to smithereens," Brawley states. "Found out later that he saw a Gyarados getting a bit too close to the island and took action, but at the time I was just pissed. He saw me on the beach and flew over, trying to make ammends. I tried to stick him with my trident, and apparently he liked what he saw. Six months and way too much training later, and here I am, trying to become a Knight."

"He still owes me a boat, come to think of it..."

Looking ahead you see a path, and lots of it. Far ahead you can see heat distortion; it really was a blazing day.

[CosmicOccurence]

It's the Knights, Neils said to the boy Studs as he walked. This is the group that sent a fully grown Charizard at us yesterday. I wouldn't be surprised if they have a horde of Magby attack us from behind on the last leg of the journey, just to encourage us to reach the top faster.

[Zelphas]

"The Magmar tribes may send a challenge after us to test our worth," Satomi half-agrees with Niels, her eyes fixed on the path ahead. "The Gate of Will may be our willingness to fight against difficult or insurmountable odds. And Moltres will be challenging us herself later on; battle will be a part of that test, almost certainly." She pauses for a moment, thinking. "This heat may even be the first of her tests. It is well within her mythology to raise the temperature near the Mountain."

Perception!: [roll0]

Occult Edu to make sure my theory that Moltres is raising the temperature is actually possible: [roll1]

[CateranEnforcer]

Aloriana laughed appreciatively at the story, "I hope he got you a new boat! Vlad liked it when I hit him too, but his Charizard didn't." Smiling at the memory, she pat the knife at her waist. "I wonder what these gates we are supposed to be walking through look like. Can't see anything up ahead, can you?"

[Elyander]

"Oh, I agree." - Harisson says, breathing heavily - "We don't know what's up ahead, so being safer is not a bad idea. Although I really don't know how you can stand the heat under that, Chantu." Despite being part of the conversation, Harisson is keeping an eye on Selky. "How on Earth you do that, girl?"

He then listens to Satomi's theory on the mountain, intrigued by the prospect of being tested by the Lady of Flames herself. "Let's just keep our eyes open so we don't run into any surprises like last time..."

Harisson uses One With the Winds, as usual, binding 2 AP.

He also tries to be aware of his surroundings, looking for any sign of the first gate or problems.
Perception Check: [roll0]

[Arcran]

Aloriana

"Seriously? You tried to stab yours too?" Brawley says with a laugh, some of that awkward nervousness gone from earlier before shaking his head, spraying you with sweat.

"Oh, god, I'm so sorry. Here, let me help," the boy says, pulling a rag out of his pack and handing it to you. "How is it possible that it's this goddamn hot? I mean, I get that it's summer, but we're on a damn mountain! It's supposed to get colder as you go up, right?" Brawley asks, positively dripping. You couldn't really blame him; your clothes were getting soaked through as well at an alarming pace. You'd felt heat on Cinnabar before, but this was a new level.


Neils, Satomi and Harisson

"I might take it off soon," Chantu says, the heat obviously getting to him. "I'm just worried the Gate of Mind will be an Alakazam or something; don't want to go up against one of those naked, you know?" the boy says, breathing heavily.

"I don't know why you're complaining; I'm just fine," Selky states, skipping along to keep up. "I do love the summer so!"

"Anybody bring any water?" Studs asks, breathing heavily. "Or food. But mostly water."

Truth be told, the three of you were beginning to feel the heat as well. At the base of The Mountain it had been bad, but as you got higher it seemed to only get worse. Every step seemed to push you into yet warmer air and, while all of you had felt heat on Cinnabar before, this was a new level.

The Mountain is more than capable of raising its temperature of the air near The Mountain. If your Moltres theory was correct it was even more likely; it was rumored that the air around the Goddess of Flame caused even the strongest of water attacks to instantly evaporate.

I'm going to need some Survival and Athletics checks from everybody.

[Zelphas]

Satomi begins to breathe more heavily, her steps growing more labored as well. "I believe..." she pants out, "that we may already be... at the Gate of Mind. This heat... is a product of the Mountain. It may be... our first test."

[Elyander]

Harisson considers Satomi's words, despite how difficult it is to think in the blazing heat. She might as well be correct, so they couldn't falter now. "Satomi's likely correct. This is part of the trial, so we must keep going." - he thinks for a second, trying once more to focus before saying - "Does anyone have a pokémon capable of producing water? Getting doused might help."

I don't know if it helps, but Harisson will levitate if he thinks it will make it easier for him. I mean for the Athletics check, if not only for enduring this...

Athletics Check: [roll0]
Survival Check: [roll1]

[CateranEnforcer]

Aloriana takes the rag but it feels wholly inadequate for the task of drying herself. "This can't be natural. Are they testing us already?" She took a moment to remember,"What are they again? Mind, emotion, and will right?" She pants a bit and slows down but keeps moving forward, and tries to think of something other than just walking forward. "Mind? It's all in our heads maybe?"

[CosmicOccurence]

Neils mopped his brow with his sleeve. He was astounded at just how hot it could get on the island, but if this was one of the trials, then he would bear it and push through. Still, this wasn't good for his body, which wasn't used to such outdoor activity. Yesterday had been tough enough, but today, if it was possible, was even worse.

To the question of water typed Pokemon, Neils shook his head. Both of mine are psychic types, so no water here. Just Dream Mist. He would kill for some water though. Well, maybe not kill, but he had to admit the choice would be tempting.

[Arcran]

Satomi, Harisson and Neils

"Fire and Normal," Chantu states, looking like he's currently in pain.

"Got a pile of garbage and a rat. Those help?"

"Just Teddy, and he's not coming out," Selky states with a giggle.

"Can somebody help me out of this?" Chantu finally asks, wincing as he accidentally brushes his hand over the metal. "Can barely move, and if I keep this damn thing on I'm going to get boiled alive," the noble says.

"Bunch of babies," Selky mutters, still somehow unphased by the weather.

"Stop gloating, alright? We need to get out of this heat like five minutes ago, otherwise we're all getting fried, unless there's something I'm missing," Studs says to nobody in particular.

Perception Checks if you will! DC 20!


Aloriana
"Doesn't feel like it's in my head," Brawley mutters, releasing an otter-like Pokemon you hadn't ever seen before. "Mahol, can you do anything about the heat?" the boy asks, an instant before the otter shoots a jet of water into the air, spreading into a light shower as it falls. Still, despite the efforts of the Pokemon, the heat is still present, beating down on you and quickly evaporating the water.

"Muk. We're going to need a more permanent solution."

Alright, new round of Athletics checks! DC 7 this time, except Aloriana; the water from Brawley's Pokemon makes it only DC 4.

If you fail gain 1 Fatigue Counter, plus and additional for every 3 extra you fail by. Gain too many of these, and you're going to fall unconscious. You won't lose any HP though.

[Zelphas]

"Renault is... not experienced enough to know any Water techniques at this time," Satomi responds, moving to help assist Chantu with his armor. "In any case, the faster we move through this section, the better our chances for the next."

[CateranEnforcer]

"I don't think this is going to let up; we should keep moving I think. The rain is helping a bit, though." Aloriana turned her face to the sky to let the water fall on her. "Maybe try to find shade or water?"


Perception to look for shade or water along the way (if needed):[roll0]

[Elyander]

Harisson rushes to get Chanu out of his armor, taking off his own shirt and sharing it with Satomi so neither of them gets a burn. His shirt is soaking from the sweat, so he isn't sure the girl will take on his offer, but it's the best he can do now. After they succeed, Harisson just hangs the shirt on his trousers. He can't think straight, so he doesn't consider sunburns as a menace, just trying to get a little fresher.

"Just..." - he says, painting heavily from all the exercise - "...keep going." His muscles start to hurt from the trek, and his vision starts to get blurry. "Try to find the gate." - he mumbles, his mouth going drier by the minute.

Harisson got 2 Fatigue Counters and didn't beat the Perception DC.

Fatigue Points = 2

AP = 3*/6 (*2 bound in One with the Winds)

[CosmicOccurence]

Tired and exhausted, Neils is happy for the brief respite that the stop to help Chantu with his armor offered. He removed one of his vials of dream mist and cracked the lid. Slowly, he inhaled a small amount into his nose. Not enough to put him to sleep, and not enough to ruin the dose, but just enough to get his head spinning a bit. Maybe not the best idea to do with heat exhaustion pouring down on him, but the rush of euphoria felt good enough that he didn't care.

When the group had finished with the armor and stored it, Neils considered taking off his own sweat-soaked clothes but decided it might be better to just push through. Alright, let's head out again, he said, hoping the heat didn't beat him too much.


Alright, DC 7 Athletics! [roll0]
Can't make perception check, so Imma not gonna roll it

[Arcran]

Harisson, Neils, Satomi

Chantu nods appreciatively at the help from the two of you and lets out a massive sigh of relief. . He attempts to pick up his breastplate before pulling his hand back in pain. Obviously the metal was still not quite touchable. An instant later Chantu releases a blue Pokemon with a huge protruding nose. "Hana, a little help?"

"At least rocks aren't bothered by the heat," Chantu mutters, watching as the Nosepass levitates the breastplate with magnetism.

Studs rips off his shirt, holding it over his head to try to block some of the sun, to some effect. It certainly wasn't helping the heat, but it did take some of the sun's anger off.

"Brawley has all sorts of water Pokemon, but noooo, he went with Mrs. Swordsypants," you can just barely hear the boy mutter under his breath followed by a quite prodigious string of curses about the weather, including a few that none of you had heard before.

And Selky? She just keeps skipping along.

Looking forward, you can't see any sign of a gate, nor the Magmar village. You still have a ways to go up The Mountain.

It's a Nosepass! They're extremely rare in Kanto; due to the shortage of natural metals, they're rarely found but highly prized, especially by miners for their uncanny ability to sniff out deposits of ore.


Aloriana

"That... is a very good idea," Brawley breathes, obviously having trouble in the heat. As you look at his neck, you can actually see small gills, barely visible, flapping wildly in the wind. It would seem that Brawley had a little magic as well.

As you scan the horizon for something useful, water is nowhere to be found, nor are any caves. However, you do see a cliff ahead that, while far from ideal, could provide enough shade to keep you out of the sun.

New round of checks for everybody. Aloriana's group is DC 6, other is DC 8.

Also:
Looking forward, you can tell from the heat distortion that it's only going to get hotter ahead as you progress up The Mountain. You'd barely made any progress so far, and if it got hotter you doubted the group of you could keep going.

[CosmicOccurence]

Neils continued to mop his head uselessly. The heat was really bearing down on him now, and he could feel it in his bones. He knew that if he kept going like this there would be poor consequences. Hadn't his master said that getting up today was going to be the easy part? Their group was being pushed further than they could handle, and while nobody was up now, it was clear that he, if not Chantu, was going to end up on the ground if this deathmarch kept up.

Birds, Neils said suddenly. What about birds? I can see through the eyes of a Pokemon, so I could scout for some water or up the path if we had a bird Pokemon. He turned to Harrison. If we don't have a bird though, your Beedrill will do nicely, though I'm not sure how bugs would handle this heat.

He had no idea if this would work, or even if it was a good idea at all, but he knew they needed to figure something out quickly, because several of them already seemed to be taking a toll from this walk. They still had the two, if not three gates to go and whatever came after the Magmar village. And right now none of it was in sight.

[Elyander]

Birds, Neils said suddenly. What about birds? I can see through the eyes of a Pokemon, so I could scout for some water or up the path if we had a bird Pokemon. He turned to Harrison. If we don't have a bird though, your Beedrill will do nicely, though I'm not sure how bugs would handle this heat.

Harisson considers the idea as best as he can, his eyes barely able to register Neils face. He didn't even think about the whole "see through a pokémon's eyes", simply nodding. "I... I think that will have to do." - he fumbles to grab a pokéball on his belt, dropping on the ground. A tranquil burst up, crying loudly before taking off and hovering near her trainer. "Sorry, Columba, this isn't a good day. Just..." - he stops a little, using the shirt to dry some sweat off his head - "Just do as he says, girl."

Harisson then moves his hand around, conjuring some wind to lift him off. The blazing air around seems to coalesce at his feet, making it even hotter. "I'll try keeping a watch." - he says, even though he's not sure he'll be able to be conscious for much longer.

Harisson's got 2 more Fatigue Counters.

He'll also levitate 3 meters above ground, trying to take a better look around, and use his 8 meters touch range to try feeling something out of the ordinary.

Fatigue Counters = 4

AP = 3*/6 (*2 bound in One With the Winds)

[CateranEnforcer]

“Over there! Are you doing alright?” She looks to Brawley with concern. The heat was getting worse and Aloriana started to loosen the buttons on her own clothes, hiking her shirt up a bit try and get some air. It wasn't unbearable yet, but it wasn't getting any cooler. “Let's rest a bit in that shade and think this through.” Aloriana goes to sit down and take stock of the situation. She muses aloud. “Our last trial was direct, and we all passed that one. They want us to use our minds. This is hard!” she pouted a bit at the thought.

Aloriana was wracking her brain for anything that could help. She reached into her pack and checked her supplies, pulling out her egg making sure it was alright. I wonder how it likes the heat here, she thought. No way this is natural, but how do you fend off supernatural forces like this? Was this Moltres showing off her power to us?

“Keep up with the water at least, I dunno if my pokemon are of any use here. What if we just ask Moltres to turn down the heat?” she giggled at her own half-serious suggestion, but it couldn't hurt.

With her egg in hand she bowed her head towards the Mountain, trying to remember bits of prayer her family would say and trying to make them relevant to the situation. “Lady of Flame, we feel the heat of your wings. We humbly ask for your blessing before we can begin our Trial of Spirit.”


Don't know if there's any roll needed to for this one. Aloriana prays to Moltres to let them pass!

[CosmicOccurence]

Let me know if you'd like me to change what she's doing/how I'm presenting Columba. You're the boss here Elyander.

With her trainer's permission, Neils approaches the bird, reaching out to it mentally. This time the connection was easy. Even with the intense heat pressing down, a willing Pokemon made all the difference. As their minds merged, he took the connection one step further, delving into its every sense so it could see through its eyes.

Fly he whispered to it, and the creature spun up in the air, using its view and better perception to see if it could notice anything that the grounded party had missed.


Binds Shared Senses on Columba. 5/6 AP (1 Bound to Shared Senses)

[roll0] Perception via eyes of the bird!

[Zelphas]

Satomi seems to be adapting to the heat, staving it off even as it rises. Her gaze turns to the path ahead. "The heat will only increase as we move towards the mountain," she reports calmly, her eyes on the heat distortion rippling the Mountain's face. "What does Columba see?" she asks Niels, a hint of true interest and, perhaps, the smallest trace of jealousy in her tone.

[Arcran]

Harisson, Neils and Satomi

As Columba is released the large bird begins frantically beating her wings to stay aloft, the breeze created by Columba's providing a brief respite against the heat. An instant later, Neils was inside the Tranquil's head, a touch met initially with confusion, both at Neils presence and the heat, but becomes much more accepting at Harisson's command.

Columba rises rapidly, and you notice that almost immediately after the bird is perhaps thirty feet off the ground that the heat returns to normal Cinnabarian levels. It's still hot, but the bird is by no means in danger of collapsing from heatstroke. Looking around, you can see that Aloriana and Brawley area good distance ahead, some sort of Water Type occasionally dousing the two as they make their way toward a cliff of some sort. Other than that, you can see Adrianne teleporting, although her pace has slowed considerably compared to the speed she was going at the base of the mountain. It would appear the heat was getting to her as well.

Up the mountain you can see, well, nothing. Well, at least nothing through the heat distortion. Even at Columba's height you can't make out anything up the side of the mountain. Other than that, you can see a few large stones that could provide meager shade, although none seem large enough to provide cover for the whole group.


Aloriana

For an instant the air grows cooler and you allow yourself to believe that maybe, just maybe, Moltres was going to listen to you before realizing that Brawley's Pokemon had just shot out a jet of water. An instant later the heat was back, almost in full force.

When you pull your Egg out, you could swear that it shook excitedly, but that could have just been the heat talking.

"I'm fine," Brawley says, his tone making it obvious that he wasn't. "Heat and my magic just don't get along that well. At least we're out of the sun?" Brawley says as he collapses onto the ground.

The shade is a bit of a surprise, truth be told. You'd expected it to be slightly cooler, taking some of the heat of the sun off your back, but little more. Instead, the temperature dropped quite considerably. While it certainly wasn't enough to make you comfortable, it made things much better. There were some strange symbols on the wall as well, although they don't look like typical writing to you...

You manage to just barely translate the carvings; it was old Cinnabar script, something you didn't exactly see every day.


When The Mountain boils and begins to rumble,
And the wise seek the shade so as not to tumble,
Those that plow the stone shall not crumble.

Saves again. Aloriana has DC 7, other group DC 9. This does not include Columba.

[CosmicOccurence]

Neils quickly calls Columba back down after realizing there was nothing more to see up ahead. This is definitely part of the trial. The air is only superheated for about the first thirty feet before returning to normal levels. And Columba couldn't see anything ahead even at her height. Not much shade around either other than a few boulders. The other three are pretty far ahead of us though, with the pair near some sort of cliff.

Neils racked his brains. How was this connected to the Gate of the Mind? It couldn't be the dream: none of the birds had died of heat exhaustion, just the cold. And that certainly wasn't what was happening here. The fortitude to push on? Somehow he thought it was more than that though.

[Zelphas]

"Hmm..." Satomi pulls a Poke Ball from her belt, releasing Renault at her side. The little fossil Pokemon hisses in discomfort at the people all around, but subsides quickly as she pats him. "I do not believe you ever introduced yourself," she says to the purple-haired boy. "If above us is defended from the heat, what about below us? Renault can burrow below the soil. Do you wish to view through him?"

Regardless of his answer, Satomi turns back to Renault. "Renault: down, over, and up." The Kabuto chitters before diving beneath the soil.

[CosmicOccurence]

Neils, he said in introduction as his eyes blurred once more out of focus to join with that of the Kabuto.


Channel and Share Senses, 5/6 ap left. 1 AP bound via shared senses (I stopped with Columba)

[Arcran]

Harisson, Neils and Satomi

Of the minds Neils has touched, Renault's is particularly alien, matched only perhaps by Shikina's. It was old, primitive; it didn't seem to form thoughts as much as simply run on emotion and instinct, yet clearly had a distinct personality and spirit. It was... different, to say the least.

The Kabuto is obviously unbothered by the heat which seemed strange, due to its aquatic nature. At Satomi's instruction the Kabuto dives underground. While the Kabuto's eyes are useless underground, Neils can feel the ground rapidly cool as the Kabuto buries himself below the dirt, the ground rising in temperature as you come back to the surface, although the Kabuto seems to simply notice the presence of it rather than actually be bothered. It was an experience you could only liken to holding your hand to the stove and recognizing the heat, yet feeling no pain.

Soon enough, Renault was back on the surface, chittering angrily when it realizes that there are still a host of people here. Columba stays up above as soon as Neils severs the bond; it seems the Tranquil would rather avoid the heat.

When Renault emerges from the ground some small stones are dislodged with the Kabuto as it pops up. While they're barely noticeable, you are able to see the dirt literally compress in the shadow of these stones, forming what look like letters, but not in a large enough quantity to make out any words.

[CateranEnforcer]

Aloriana snaps her fingers and shrugs as her prayer has no effect, “Worth a try, but what's this?” She reads the message on the wall. She had to remember some old books on the topic, but Aloriana really wasn't much of a reader. In any case, she understands it well enough and it seems to pretty much describe her situation. Plow the stone? she thinks. That sounds a lot like digging or something. That would get them out of the sun, in a way. The path forward didn't seem to be of much use.

She reaches for her pokeball, “Comon Dirk! We need some protection from this heat maybe we can dig a hole here and get a bit more shade. Help me out!” The Machoke appears in a flash and takes a moment to look around carefully and gets to work on the wall with a grunt.


Attempting to dig deeper into the cliff face and ground to either deepen the shade or dislodge some larger pieces of rock to use as a portable shade from the heat, or perhaps search for a hidden path even.

[Elyander]

Harisson notices Columba's discomfort, and as soon as she returns from whatever Neils asked her, he extends his hand for the bird to land. She approaches quickly, and Harisson caresses her head before returning her to the pokéball. "Thanks, girl. Sorry for that" - he says, slightly out of breath. Despite being higher than the others, there's absolutely nothing of interest around the group. "How are we supposed to endure this?" - he thinks bitterly.

Just as he looks down to talk to the group, something calls his attention. As the prehistoric pokémon emerges, something weird happens in the small shadows cast. "Wait, did you guys see it?" Harisson almost yells, returning to the ground fast and proning himself near where Renault appeared. "I think I'm hallucinating. I could swear I saw... - he mumbles, looking closely at the dirt - "Yes! Don't these look like... letters?" He asks the others, expecting them to tell he hasn't gone crazy. Yet.

Fatigue Counters = 7

AP = 2*/6 (*2 bound in One With the Winds)

[CosmicOccurence]

Letters in the dirt? Neils asked. He hadn't seen anything in particular, either through his own or through the Kabuto's eyes. Reaching back to he second Pokemon, he released Zepar and quickly Channeled it and borrowed its senses while releasing his bond with the alien creature.

I know this is weird Zepar, but could you lift and churn the dirt? Lift it, move it, anything like that. Try holding some of it above the ground? If burrowing had revealed some letters, he needed to find a way to recreate that in a more permanent way. All the while he watched closely through Zepar's eyes. The creature was much more observant than he. He knew the heat would be an annoyance to the Kadabra, but he didn't really know what his other options were at the moment.


Zepar can lift/move 90lbs of dirt/rock, including holding it above ground. If we need more we can head into higher than heavy lifting, but we'll try this for now.

Neils Perception on the ground [roll0]
Zepar's Perception for the same [roll1]

[Zelphas]

Satomi gives Harisson an inquisitive look, before turning to Renault. "Renault, down, then up." She watches the ground closely as the Kabuto dives.

Perception: [roll0]

[Arcran]

Aloriana

The second a karate-chop locked hand makes contact with the wall a huge chunk is dislodged, falling to the ground with a rather impressive thud. Still, it didn't seem to actually do anything of note, unfortunately. There's no path, nothing, although you do note that, when Dirk accidentally cracks the wall a little too close to the lettering, the entire passage shifts a few feet to the left. At least you knew it wasn't a normal inscription now.

"What's it say?" Brawley asks, looking at the letters inquisitively, breathing better now that he is in the shade with you.


Harisson, Neils and Satomi

Zepar shoots a sullen glance at Neils as he appears, but whether that is due to the heat, the instructions or simply dislike is anybody's guess. Either way, an instant later a huge chunk of stone is lifted up, casting a shadow large enough for an entire phrase to be seen in the shade, although the letters don't appear to be typical Cinnabar script. Renault digs again as well, a few letters easily made out in the rocks knocked loose by his digging.

You manage to just barely translate the carvings; it was old Cinnabar script, something you didn't exactly see every day. Well, unless you're Satomi; many of the library books utilize the old script.


When The Mountain boils and begins to rumble,
And the wise seek the shade so as not to tumble,
Those that plow the stone shall not crumble.


"Muk if I can read that. Selky? Chantu?" Studs asks, looking around at the others, only to receive a negative nod from Selky and no response from Chantu; the boy is kneeling currently, breathing a bit harder than you would like. It would seem the armor had taken quite a bit out of him.

While it was not as obvious before, thin lines are beginning to branch out from where Renault is digging. They looks like cracks, but a bit too perfect to be natural, truth be told. They were faint, but after the second tunnel became far more obvious.


I'm going to say Harisson is in the shade cast by the rock. That means his save is only 7, same as Aloriana. Dirk has DC 9 because of the rock-breaking, as does everybody else, including Zepar.

[Zelphas]

"When The Mountain boils and begins to rumble,
And the wise seek the shade so as not to tumble,
Those that plow the stone shall not crumble."

Satomi reads and rereads the letters, trying to think. Those who plow the stone... "Renault..." she says, then simply points to the shade. "Overturn," she says, making a circling motion with her hand. In some of her forays looking for fossils, she had had Renault churn the soil, loosening it around certain sections of the ground to free up digging space without harming any possible fossils beneath."Shake up the soil." Renault dives back into the ground, leaping in and out of the rocks beneath and spraying dirt everywhere.

She moves over to Chantu as Renault begins to move, digging through her bag to see if she has anything for heatstroke.

Satomi does not have anything to help against fatigue, so that's just fluff.

If possible, Renault will do as described, using his Burrow to basically flip the soil up around him.

[CateranEnforcer]

“Hmm?” Aloriana says, “Oh! Sorry!” she reads the passage aloud for Brawley. “So that's why I was hitting the stone, but you can't really plow it though can you? Maybe it just means the earth? Dirk, let's try an treat this soil, we know how to do that easy enough. Besides that, I may try and see what's ahead, can't stick around here forever. Unless you have ideas?” As she speaks, Aloriana gets to work on the ground and has Dirk do the same.


The plan is to literally plow the soil. Sounds like a job for a general edu with agriculture bonus! [roll0]
Failing that, to just dig a bit and see if there's anything to unearth.

[Arcran]

Harisson, Neils and Satomi

The change in your approach isn't met with immediate results but, moments after Renault begins quite literally plowing the earth, the ground begins boiling, causing the Kabuto to leap out in shock.

"That's promising," Studs breathes, still drenched in sweat.

As the earth bubbles, it begins sinking, forming steps into a tunnel burrowing below. While all you can see inside is darkness, it is at least shady.

"Forward?"


Aloriana

When Dirk begins a far more literal approach to his plowing, the ground begins bubbling, drawing a completely bewildered expression from Brawley. A few short moments later, the bubbling ground begins to sink, forming a series of stairs that descend into darkness one by one.

"Think it's safe?"

[Elyander]

Harisson's mind seems to fly away from him, as he sees things happening in blocks without coordination. Last time he was talking about letters, then the girl was commanding the kabuto to... do something, and now? Now there's a tunnel leading downwards, Arceus knows how. Not concerning with why's and how's, Harisson only focus on the fresh patch of darkness inside the tunnels, basically leaping to escape the sun.

"Don't care." - he yells, partly answering Chantu, but mostly just at the mountain - "Dark. Fresh. Good enough for me."

Exhaustion Counter = 9

AP = 2*/6 (*2 bound with One With the Winds)

[CateranEnforcer]

“Nope!” Aloriana answers cheerfully, pleased with herself. “Just stay behind me if you're scared! Comon Dirk, let's see what's down here.” She grabs her things and takes a peek inside, but descends the stairs. This is clearly what they were meant to do, and she didn't want to risk it in the sun much longer. She kept her shield raised in front of her just in case.

This is a strange way to climb a mountain. Hope we can see down there. I wonder how the others are fairing.

[Zelphas]

Satomi considers the path for a moment, reaching down to scratch the top of Renault's shell. "Well done, Renault," she praises him, returning him to his Poke Ball. A moment later, she releases Guinevere at her side. "Guinevere, some light, if you please." The small Magby nods, a tiny tongue of flame appearing at the opening to her bill. "Thank you." Without any further fanfare, she follows Harisson into the tunnel's depths, wondering at their activation nand construction.

Guinevere is using Firestarter to make light.

Occult Education to figure out how the tunnel was made: [roll0]

[CosmicOccurence]

Well that's interesting he thought to himself, wondering if Yvonne's apprentice had found this and rather hoping she hadn't. He quickly severed the bond with Zepar and, after a quick telepathic apology for bringing him out in the heat, returned the Kadabra to his ball. Then, he hurried down the steps after the others. It was probably a good thing he came with this group. It really was a pity he might have to stab them in the back soon; at least Chantu wasn't all he had expected though, so that was something.

If Zepar wants to stay out of his ball, Neils will let him stay out

Athletics Check from previous post. DC 9, [roll0], at 5 Counters now

[Arcran]

Aloriana

"Ladies first and all that?" Brawley jokes as he follows behind you, his humor returning rapidly as he enters the tunnel. Compared to the heat above, down below was almost too cold, but you weren't exactly complaining. There was even a subtle breeze somehow, cooling you down and rejuvinating you at a rapid pace.

The darkness is slightly overwhelming, until Brawley releases a second Pokemon.

"Angler, can you give us some light?" the Knight Initiate asks, a strange pod-like Pokemon suddenly glowing from two hanging lights. "At least we can see now, right?"


Harisson, Neils and Satomi

Do not call me again in such heat, Zepar 'says' in an annoyed tone to Neils before vanishing into his Pokeball.

Through the small flame cast by Guinevere is more than enough to illuminate the tunnel, making traversing the path not quite as dangerous as it would be in the dark. Chantu lets out an audible sigh of relief as you enter the tunnel, as does Studs, although Selky seems almost completely unbothered. While the change is nice for Satomi, for Harisson and Neils the sudden temperature drop of the underground tunnel is almost life saving, rejuvenating them and restoring no small amount of strength. The tunnel is long, and you walk for some time before you find anything of note.

You're fairly sure that rock doesn't naturally melt and form a staircase, meaning that this was almost certainly magic and, unless you're mistaken, The Mountain is almost definitely doing it. Of course, magic of this scale, making a giant tunnel underground, would be a ritual taking more than a few mages no small amount of time.


Everybody

After walking in the tunnel for some time, you notice that the paths seem to slope gently downwards and seem to go on forever. However, after a short amount of time, you're able to distinctly make out the sound of running water, a sound that is quite literally music to your ears. Soon enough, your paths arrive in a fork, and the two groups are reunited once more, although Adrianne is noticeably absent.

"You made it," Chantu says to Aloriana and Brawly, obviously intending to say something else before looking forward and seeing what was ahead.

Before you stood a gate, covered in runes unfamiliar even to Satomi. Even in the darkness of the tunnel it seemed abnormally dark, and the more educated among you instantly recognize it as pure obsidian. The pillars themselves are covered in ornate carvings, full of flames, tomes and some faintly glowing arcane runes. Atop the arch is a strange, sprite-like figure with long tails that Satomi is able to recognize as Uxie, the Goddess of Knowledge in a far away land. As you approach, the crown of the figure's head begins to glow yellow, and a voice flows into your mind, carrying the weight of centuries of knowledge.

You have bested the Trial of the Mind, and with it may pass this gate. While some attribute the power of the mind to rote memorization and the number of books one has read, sometimes simple logic is the greatest gift a mind can give, and the most potent weapon.

When against an unbeatable foe, perhaps the best course of action is not to confront it. Stubbornness is the enemy of intelligence. Such was illustrated when rather than push onward in the heat, you sought the shade.

Sometimes the simplest solution is the best, and overthinking a problem can waste both time an effort. Sometimes a knife is a knife, and sometimes plow the stone is not a riddle.

You have shown the presence of a swift mind, with it, have completed the first of the Trials of Spirit. Pass through, and begin the Trial of Emotion.

The statue goes silent, the light fading from its head. Looking beyond it you can spot a small pool of water, a small stream of water feeding into it. Beyond that, there is only darkness.

"Hear that? The statue thinks I'm smart."

You know what Satomi does about Uxie.

Say goodbye to your Fatigue Counters! Hooray!

[CateranEnforcer]

Aloriana was pleased to see so many had made it this far, though one person seemed to be missing. She listened intently to the figure, recognizing it as a goddess' likeness. She looks to the group when its done and addresses the group, fixing her clothes to the cooler environment."That first one was a doozey. Looks like we're meeting up before the village after all. How is everyone? We missing someone?" She cranes her neck to examine the candidates and her eyes eventually fall on the pool of water before them.


Aloriana will await any replies and will talk a bit if the group pauses a moment. Otherwise she'll approach the water and look around and in it.

[CosmicOccurence]

After Zepar had returned to his Pokeball, Neils sighed in relief. The two were not on great terms yet, despite Neils's attempts to win over the Kadabra. It was odd having a Pokmeon as intelligent as a human being, and he hoped that the Psychic Type would eventually come around. For now though, he just had to hope that Zepar wouldn't try to usurp his authority. The dangers of training Psychic Types he supposed.

I wonder why the Goddess of Knowledge from another land is part of the trials. Why not have the entire trial be a homage to Moltres? Regardless of what the truth was, Neils failed to mention that Adrianne was missing. Instead he went up to the pool, taking a drink of the water to sooth his parched mouth.

Ibis mentioned there were Psychics at the Gate of Emotion her year, meaning that the next trial will likely involve people or Psychic Pokemon. Does each vary in nature from the others? Would that make the Gate of Willpower a combat situation? After finishing his water, he stood and turned to the group. One down and two to go. Let's hope the other two aren't quite as difficult, his gaze drifted to Selky, who seemed to be the only one not affected by the heat. Curious that, he thought. Maybe she's the one to keep an eye on instead of Chantu.

[Zelphas]

Satomi acknowledges Lori and Brawley with a nod, continuing on into the new chamber. Once she sees the statue, she stops in shock, processing the addition of a foreign god in the holy place of Cinnabar. Then it speaks. Satomi hurriedly looks away from Uxie's face the moment she registers the first syllable, focusing on a point just beyond the statue. Once Uxie finishes speaking, she stands transfixed, torn between differing emotions.

If anything knew what magic she could use, how to hone her abilities with Fossils, it is the creature before her now. Uxie, Goddess of Knowledge; the things that she must have learned over the eons! Satomi is bursting with thousands of questions, on the nature of magic and its many forms, on the world outside of Cinnabar. This may be the only chance she has to ask the "Being of Knowledge" anything at all, the only time she will meet the creature. And yet...

Satomi bows low to the statue and steps carefully towards the path, keeping her eyes away from its face. "Thank you, Uxie-sama." If the myths she had read are true, just one look from the Lake Guardian would wipe her mind clean, as empty as an infant's. The best course of action is not confrontation. The possible knowledge isn't worth the unimaginable price.

Something occurs to her as she walks, stopping her dead in her tracks. Mind. Emotion. Will. The Lake Guardians... She turns back to the group, her face somber in the dim light. "After this next Trial, I believe we will see another statue. If you value your life, do not let it touch you." She turns back and begins to head down the path, Guinevere lighting the darkness at her side. Are there lakes below the Mountain? Or is the statue simply that, given a semblance of life by the Magi and the Priests? This Trial grows more intriguing with each new discovery.

[CosmicOccurence]

Neils blinked in surprise at Saotomi's comments. He thought of the woman as a simple healer, but between her odd Pokemon and knowledge of foreign legends, Neils thought that there might be a bit more going on inside that head of hers than he'd given credit for. Still though, he wasn't sure he agreed with her assessment.

You don't think that's the real thing up there do you? he asked. I figured it was just a statue. Powerful as they are, I seriously doubt the Knights could trap a god inside a stone just to be a gatekeeper. Still probably best not to touch it, but that's aside the point.

[Zelphas]

Satomi considers Niels' words while walking. "The Lake Guardians are able to leave their corporeal forms and travel as spirits," she responds after a moment. "It is not beyond their power to manifest inside a statue of themselves and speak regarding a test that references their aspect. The tunnel we came through was beyond the abilities of anything except for several mages working in concert, utilizing a ritual that requires several days to complete... that, or direct power from the Mountain itself. The Mountain might possibly trap the Lake Guardians, if it served Its purpose."

She glances back at the statue, before looking ahead once more. "Even if it is not Mesprit we see after the next Trial, but merely an aspect similar to it, I would not take the chance. The Knights do not wish their members to be emotionless; Maddigan-san, at least, is proof of that."

[Elyander]

Harisson has no words to express how thankful he is for the tunnels. He isn't sure he would be able to figue that out on his own, so he is grateful for the company. As they advance in the tunnels, Harisson recovers from the heat, breathing with less difficulty. He put his shirt back on, just as the group meets the pair who had gone separatedly. "Hey, nice to see you came. Only the psychic girl isn't here, then." He feels bad about the girl, considering for a brief moment going back for her. "Well, perhaps it's best if I don't. It is a trial, after all." - he decides, trying to convince himself that's the right thing to do.

When they arrive at the statue, Harisson can't shake the feeling the image is familiar. "Where do I know that from?", he thinks, not surprised when it begins to "speak". "Wait, isn't that like a goddess somewhere?" After the long explanation, he watches as Neil drinks from the pool expecting something to happen. For nothing, apparently, as the boy simply turns and starts debating with Satomi. He approaches them smiling, before saying. "Well, we'll keep that in mind, Satomi. No touching. I think that's a good rule of thumb for all the trial, right?" - he widens his smile before turning his eyes to the path ahead - "Now, should we move one?"

Harisson tries to look for anything out of the usual in the cave or the path ahead, using both his wind and his eyes.

Perception Check: [roll0]

[Arcran]

"Adrianne is not present, but whether that is because she is ahead or behind I do not know," Chantu responds to Aloriana.

"And make them as hard as you want, as long as they stay right here," Brawley says to Neils, dashing towards the water.

The statue remains still after Satomi's thanks, with no answer coming forward. It would seem sometimes a statue is just a statue.

After Neils and Satomi mention the statues origin, Chantu turns to the two of you. "Who is 'Uxie?'" Chantu asks, nodding appreciatively as Neils and Satomi explain, although that draws another question. "How do you have such knowledge of foreign gods?"

"Who cares? Water!" Studs cries, a fact Brawley and Neils seem to agree with, as the two begin drinking with seemingly no ill-effects. Selky joins in an instant later, the girl having been strangely silent since they went underground.

"Lori, you need to drink this. Dear Moltres this is the best water I've had in my life," Brawley says in a nearly orgasmic tone.

Your connection with the wind lets you see surprisingly well in the dark, plotting out major objects effortlessly. You note the almost unnatural smoothness of the cave walls and complete lack of draft, but, other than that there wasn't much.

Well, except the figure the size of a small child crouching just outside the range of the light. That was rather interesting.

[Zelphas]

Satomi pauses as the group seems content to linger for a moment. "Uxie is a Pokemon, similar in form to the statue that spoke to us," she answers Chantu. "In foreign lands, she is a goddess of Knowledge; according to legend, to look in her eyes is to invite oblivion, every memory wiped from your mind in an instant."

His next question catches her by surprise. "...I have spent much of my time at the Library," she answers shortly. As the others rush to the water, Satomi watches them closely. The Lake Guardians have a close connection to water... but they seem to be suffering no adversity. Still, I am content to forgo the water for now.

[CosmicOccurence]

Neils basically agreed with Satomi's description and her response to Chantu's question. However, he decided to give a bit more substantive answer. Holding up one of his vials of dream smoke, he responded: I study sleep and dreams. The region this guy is from also has two gods dedicated to dreams, so I ran across references to Uxie in my research.

[CateranEnforcer]

Aloriana nods at Chantu. "Either way hope she's okay."

Aloriana is nervous about drinking water they found in a magic cave, but shrugs. Sometimes water is just water. Clearly it was planted here for them to find, it must be safe. She walks over and lets her long blonde pony tail loose with a michievious grin. "Oh really now? Let me try!" With that she dunks her whole head under the water for a moment or two. She lets a little bit fill her mouth and swallows before surfacing. She shakes her head clear of the water and laughs at her boldness while wringing her hair dry.

When she hears Neils mention dream reading she pauses a bit, thinking of her own dreams regarding her mother. She still got them a few times a month despite how long it had been since it happened. She'll have to ask him later. Do I even want to know?

"So, what's next then? What's this next gate?"

[Elyander]

Harisson can't hold back a smile as the whole group starts discussing their backgrounds, happy for the little respite they finally have in the cave. He decides not to try the water, fearing it could be related to the trials. Instead, he calls the wind to help explore the cave, his mind still on the girl left behind. "Muk, should I go back? That girl could be burning up there, and I do not want that on my conscience." - he contemplates, the air brushing every surface of the area to bring him information - "Still, what if that's against rules? Some of us are meant to fail, right?"

Deciding the best course of action would be to dicuss it with the other candidates, although he can foresee the result, he turns to the group currently by the pool. Just as he does that, the wind tells him about the little shape crouching just out of sight. Calmly, Harisson draws his bow and readies an arrow, before calling the others. "Uhmm, guys?" - he says in a loud, yet peaceful voice, nodding towards the figure hiding by the shadows. - "We're not alone."

[Arcran]

Chantu nods at your answers, seemingly satisfied.

"Dream gods?" Studs asks between great gulps of water. "What, do they just put you to sleep? How much can dreams really do?" the boy asks, obviously not impressed. "I think in a fight of dreams vs. fire, fire wins like, every goddamn time."

As Aloriana douses her head Brawley quickly follows, laughing as he does so. The boy's Pokemon quickly hop into the fountain as well, obviously happy to be out of the heat and in their native environment.

"Hey, Lori, think fast!" Brawley says, gesturing towards the water, a thin line of light appearing on his arm. An instant later, a thin line of water shoots from the fountain, striking you square between the eyes. The boy begins laughing, and Lutra begins rolling about in mirth within the fountain.

When Harisson points out the figure in the dark, a small, purple creature, perhaps two feet tall, creeps out of the dark. You marvel at the sparkle in the creature's eyes, before realizing that they are quite literally gemstones.

"Hel-lo new-face," the creature says carefully, obviously not accustomed to or very capable of speaking your tongue. "Why here?"

When you mention wiping away memories, you are able to just barely to see Selky about to speak, before a hurried glance from Chantu silences her. The girl had obviously wanted to ask something, something that Chantu didn't want asked.

You recognize the Pokemon as Sableye, a greedy creature rarely found in the deepest of mines. They make small communities, and have an unnatural hunger for gems, constantly seeking them out no matter where they are. Many miners consider them simply a legend, but the one standing in front of you made those legends somewhat more plausible.

The legends also talk about many supernatural capabilities of a Sableye. In the darkness, they are near invisible but can see as if it was bright as day. They can slip through the narrowest cracks, turn invisible, and do not make a sound. In short, in a tunnel they would typically be absolutely impossible to detect.

[Elyander]

Harisson is a bit taken aback by the creature. It looks like a pokémon, but none Harisson has ever heard about. And it even speaks, which is also puzzling. He tries not to show any of those things, however, lowering his bow and putting the arrow away. "Er... hello!" - he says, smiling at the creature. - "We are... just passing. It's a test, you see? We must go on. Do you understand?"

He feels a little silly talking like that, but he isn't sure of how much the pokémon can understand.

[CateranEnforcer]

Aloriana's heart stopped when the shadowy creature spoke. She found herself frozen in place for a moment. Dirk on the other hand, was quick to action; with a grunt we quickly placed himself in front of his charge. He held up his fists defensively, but he looked at them and back to the creature questioningly.

What is that thing? This can't be right. Why is that here? She started to panic and was hoping it wasn't showing outwardly. She kept a white knuckled grip on her sword and shield. She looked around the at the others to see if her reaction was out of the ordinary, and back at the creature. Not gonna take my eyes off that thing. She could feel her memories threatening to flood to the surface, a faint scream that she'd heard in her nightmares, but she pushed it aside. She watched the creature closely while it talked to the rest of the group.


Dirk moves to a cardinally adjacent square and is ready to intercept attacks with Bodyguard.

[Zelphas]

Satomi looks at the new creature coming out with interest, gesturing to Guinevere to stay close. "As he said, we simply wish to pass through," she states politely to the creature before her. "We do not seek your people or your gems, and we have no gems ourselves. Is your family nearby?" Sableye only appear in deep caverns and mines... just how deep did that tunnel lead us?

This is a bad idea... Charm on the Sableye: [roll0]

[CosmicOccurence]

Neils was surprised at the creature's arrival, but while many of the others seemed on the defensive, Neils was fascinated. He had no idea what this Pokemon was, but the gemstones that served as its eyes was something that he had never seen, or imagined, before. I wonder if this means that the tunnels are always here and they merely opened a path for us.

Knowing that Pokemon interaction was his area of expertise, Neils quickly moved into action. Well, he didn't actually move, but he started acting. He reached out to the Pokemon with his mind, hoping that the connection would convey that they meant no harm. If it's Cinnibarian was broken, it might be easier to communicate with pure emotion and intention instead.

This is your territory right? he asked, trying to engage it on a topic that it likely knew well.. May I ask if this gate is always here? Neils was curious if this was a fairly standard procedure for the Knights, or if the particulars of the trials changed each time. Although this wouldn't necessarily give him his answer, it was a start.

Channel attempt [roll0] DC 15 (if it isn't considered hostile, it automatically succeeds)

Intuition Attempt to change demeanor of pokemon towards group. [roll1]

[Arcran]

The small Pokemon looks at the group of your curiously, its head tilted to the side as you speak. The others seem mixed on how to deal with the creature; Chantu had drawn his sword the instant it appeared, and Brawley's trident was in hand. Selky was looking at the Pokemon curiously, and Studs seemed to be reaching for a Pokeball if you weren't mistaken.

"You no need go. You need help," the strange Pokemon said to Harisson, razor sharp teeth becoming very apparent as the Pokemon speaks, the Pokemon leaning to look at Aloriana around Dirk. "I no hurt. I friend," it says, eyes sparkling. "You friend too. Friend help friend?"

When Satomi mentions gems, the Pokemon's eyes instantly fill with rage. "No have no more gem. Gem get stole by bad tribe. Hurt gem," the Pokemon states, obviously angry about that fact.

"This bad tribe land. I sneak," the Pokemon says in response to Neils, glancing quickly over its shoulder as it allows you into its mind, where the main image is a rather large gem crusted in rock. The Pokemon is clearly not happy about the status of that rock, nor with what happened to it. When the link becomes available, you get a fairly clear answer to your question about the tunnels: while there were always a maze of paths under The Mountain, this particular path was one the Pokemon had never seen before, but its knowledge was not completely comprehensive; it could just as well be natural but not explored.

[Zelphas]

Satomi considers the creature quietly. That is odd; usually Sableye eat gems. Was this a special meal, perhaps? But it is talking about the gem as though it were alive... its egg? She takes note of the others' actions, but disregards them for now. "We cannot be friends if we do not know what to call each other," she states quietly, wary of this greedy creature found in the darkness of the caves. "I am Satomi." She grants the creature a small bow, careful to keep her eyes on it. "What do you call yourself? What help do you seek?" Uxie said 'pass through, and begin the Trial of Emotion.' We passed through the gate, and this Sableye appeared--a creature that instantly engenders fear and distrust. Trusting in emotion is well and good, but allowing it to rule the mind is folly.

[Arcran]

"I" the Pokemon says, before its speech devolves into a series of growls and snarls, "But you call Friend. What call you?" the Pokemon responds, before its eyes literally light up at the mention of help.

"Get gem back from back tribe! Bad tribe hurt gem! You help?"

[CateranEnforcer]

Aloriana stares levelly at the creature as it looks at her, inwardly quite terrified. She really didn't know what she expected, but it wasn't this. Taking a moment to calm down, she started her mind working again. She really didn't want to help this thing, but she didn't want fail her trials either. She needed more information.

“Bad tribe?” she asked simply, wanting to keep her interaction to a minimum with the monster.

[CosmicOccurence]

Neils was thinking hard. It was tough to come to any decisive conclusions since he knew nothing about the Pokemon itself, but if this wasn't the second trial ... well then it would be a giant waste of time. However, passing up this opportunity if it was the trial would be disastrous. The Pokemon was of the mountain was it not? And why bring them down here if not to introduce them to a subterranean species? However, it was the lack of hostility directed towards the humans that eventually prompted Neils to act.

He turned to the group. I plan on accompanying the Pokemon. It holds no malice towards us

[Elyander]

Harisson nods at Neil's words, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Yes, Friend." - he speaks to the Sableye - "We help. Can you tell us more about the tribe?"

Harisson wasn't sure this was related to the trial, but he didn't feel a time constraint to reach the last gate, so helping the creature was not against his interest. Besides, he was still feeling bad about the girl they had left behind, so doing a good action could help removing the weight on his conscience.

[Zelphas]

"I Satomi," Satomi repeats, waiting quietly for the answers to the questions asked. She plans to follow the creature to the so-called 'bad tribe', but is hesitant about overt offerings of help to a Sableye that is so eager for 'friends'. How does one 'hurt' a gem? By cutting it, maybe? This creature may be confused by the human act of mining and gem-cutting, and now we have offered to help stop it.

[Arcran]

"Wait, we're going with the creepy goblin?" Studs asks, drawing an agreeing nod from Chantu and Brawley. "It could be leading us into a goddamn trap, and I can barely see in these tunnels!"

"Bunch of babies, I can see fine," Selky states, drawing an annoyed sigh from Chantu.

"We get it, nothing bothers you! Now stop. Showing. Off." Chantu orders, far more serious than you would expect for something so minor. Selky herself looks shocked as well, and is definitely not quite sure how to respond to that.

"Bad tribe big green with funny arms. Hurt gem to look at gem better. We save gem so gem is safe," Friend says, looking at Studs in confusion. "And no trap. If I want trap, you no see me. I Friend!" it exclaims, mouth widening into a disgusting grin. "You come with Friend now?"

Through your mental link you can tell that Friend is quite earnest in his desire to rescue the gem, and the only malice in his words is directed at the 'bad tribe.' You do detect more than a small amount of confusion at Studs confusion, and seconds before Selky mentions she can see fine, the Sableye gets a sudden flash of fear towards the girl, only to suppress it an instant later.

There's something definitely different about Selky's eyes since, well, you are pretty sure they weren't faintly glowing red a minute ago.

It almost seems like Chantu is scared of people realizing how little actually affected Selky and, for being two random initiates, the boy was more concerned with the girls' well-being than he should be.

The vague description of the other tribe best describes a Xatu, a Pokemon well known for their ability to see the future. In fact, the Magi on Cinnabar had more than a few Xatu at their command to try to predict anything from weather to the gender of a child. While the readings were often vague or cryptic, they were rarely wrong.

[Zelphas]

"'Friend' is a Sableye. If it wanted to attack us, it would have done so from the shadows before we noticed it," she translates to Studs, glancing over at Selky as her eyes change. "Unless I am incorrect, our next Trial has already begun. Fear of creatures in the dark is one of the earliest human emotions. Can you master it?" She turns back to Friend. "When you are ready, lead the way; but move slowly, if you please. Many of us are unused to surroundings this dark." She looks over the group, her eyes lingering for a moment on Selky. Minor changes in form... I must have read of this somewhere...

Occult Edu to figure out what is up with Selky: [roll0] (Add 3 if foreign mythology is involved)

[CateranEnforcer]

Aloriana scrunches her face up a bit at the thought of going with the Sableye, but Satomi has a point, and it's true a guide could be useful. She still didn't want to help, but she did want to see where it could led them. She pats Dirk on the shoulder to ease him off a bit. He relaxes a bit but keeps close to Aloriana and his eyes on the pokemon. "Satomi is right. Well, let's see what this is all about then," she says.

She narrowed her eyes at Selky as she notices her change. There seems to be a lot of tension among the candidates. I thought they worked together to beat the last trial. They really don't seem very coordinated. She softens a bit and realizes that the group might be falling apart. Pulling herself together she appeals to everyone. "We're all in this together. Let's not fight each other. Why not get to the bottom of this?"


Charm to improve the party's disposition. [roll0]
Command to keep the party working together. [roll1]
I'll use which ever of those two are appropriate, one or both of them.

[CosmicOccurence]

Neils was paying nearly no attention to the Pokemon as he shifted his full attention to Selky. Something is definitely going on here, he thought. The gender shifts, the eye color changing, they were odd enough. But why on earth would the Pokemon fear her in that way? And she's definitely got abilities beyond a normal human: darkvision, heat regulation. And what was Teddy?

More is happening with her than is being let on. And Chantu is in on it, otherwise he wouldn't reacting so severely. The real question though, is whether or not this is something Kasai and Goto engineered. That would be very interesting. At first he'd just thought it was an oddity, but things were stacking up in a way that he couldn't ignore that things were happening that he, and perhaps even Ibis, didn't know about. If he could figure out what exactly was happening, this could be a major chip for him to play.

Of course, he doubted it would be that simple. Selky herself seemed rather talkative. With Chantu hovering over her however, it was unlikely that he could get Selky into a conversation on her own. It would need to be handled carefully, with finesse.

And then a though occurred to him. A crazy thought that he doubted had any basis in reality. It didn't even make sense logically, but it wasn't impossible. Most importantly, his gut told him it was worth a little investigation. If he was wrong, nobody would know what he had tried to do. If he was right ... well his hand would be played, but he'd know quite a bit more than anyone would want him to.

Tentatively, Neils tried to see if he could establish a Channeling Link with Selky. Humans couldn't be connected with, so if he was wrong Selky would have no idea what he had just tried ... hopefully. He'd never actually tried channeling a human before. Of course, he was pretty certain that she wasn't a Pokemon, but she had already demonstrated the ability to go above and beyond what humans were normally able to. Then again, he wasn't trying this with Aloriana, so maybe he was just being paranoid. Still, when you worked with Ibis, paranoia was a valuable mindset.


For the record, I don't think she's a Pokemon, but damned if I'm not going to try this to rule out the option that she's a Pokemon.

Intuition DC 15 [roll0] (if Selky is both a Pokemon and isn't considered hostile, then I automatically succeed)

If the roll does not reach 15, I use Skill monkey to reroll it with a +2 bonus (if used, I now have 1 use left for the day) [roll1] Not applicable and Skill Monkey not used. Still at 2/3

[Elyander]

Harisson smiles to himself as most of the candidates seem to agree with the idea. Well, at least those he had some contact before. He notices how Selky's eyes are now shining, but isn't surprised. The girl had been showing incredible adaptative abilities for a while, so that made sense in the dark tunnels. What really was unexpected for him, though, was Chantu's snap at the girl. As far as he knew, they had no connection, and he sure wasn't gonna let some so-called-noble treat her like that.

"Hey, Chantu, don't be so jealous." - he says, in a friendly, yet lightly mocking tone, as he approaches the girl - "The girl seems to be doing better than all of us, so she really has the rights to brag about it. Don't you nobles believe that "Not everyone is made equal"? She was just made better than both of us." Even though he doesn't want to fight the boy, he can't avoid being a little caustic with something so personal to him. A noble jerk bullying a girl for her abilities hit too close to home, and Harisson now thinks he has the power to prevent that.

He brushes the girl's hair, smiling widely. "Don't you worry, Selky. Please, show off all your tricks and try to be the first one to get there. That's what everyone else is doing." He sticks by her side as he turns towards the tunnels, ready to follow the Sableye. "On we go, Friend! Lead the way."

[Arcran]

"Do not lecture me on things you know nothing about boy," Chantu snarls as he walks past Harisson, the cheery demeanor he'd had at the onset of the challenge completely gone. Still, Studs and Brawley still seemed perfectly cheery, the two taking up the rear with Aloriana, although it is difficult to keep conversation going while keeping up with Friend.

Of course, Selky seems slightly less angry with Harisson standing up for her, the girl looping her arm through the archer's as they continue walking.

Friend leads you through the tunnels quickly, barely staying within the illumination granted by the group's Pokemon. The Sableye does indeed seem to know the tunnels like the back of its hand and, after a few twists and turns the group of you are almost completely lost.

"Almost there! You beat bad tribe and get gem back!" Friend says giddily, clearly ecstatic to get the gem back.

It is at that moment that a voice creeps into your mind. It was old, powerful, and carried itself with a certain dignity, yet was gentle enough upon your mind to not cause any pain.

Ah, so the goblins go crawling to outsiders for help, as was foretold by the Gem. Why do you trust such a wretched creature?

"Anybody else hear that, or am I crazy?" Brawley mutters, rubbing his head.

Minor changes in appearance isn't that difficult to explain. Those that practiced Prism magic were more than capable of creating minor illusions and it would be trivial for Selky to change her hair color or even tweak her appearance that way, but those changes would be exactly that: illusions. They shouldn't give her the ability to see in the dark, like she apparently has now.

The only possible explanation was based entirely on rumor and speculation. According to rumors, the Magi had been attempting to create a Pokemon capable of true shapeshifting for some time. And by some time, essentially since they were founded centuries ago. You'd never heard any rumors of their success, but perhaps they'd been more subtle about it? Selky didn't exactly seem like a Pokemon though, which made that explanation slightly less plausible.

Strangely enough, you are able to make contact with Selky's mind, an experience that you are definitively not able to do with a human. But, as you poke around, you can tell that the connection is far weaker than it would be with an actual Pokemon. You can establish a link, detect some remorse towards setting Chantu off and amusement at Harisson's defense, but little more. The mind was alien enough for you to establish a foothold, but human enough to resist.

If you'd like to go further, roll Intuition to go deeper and Guile to not be detected by Selky.

[CateranEnforcer]

Aloriana cast a glare at Chantu's outburst. He wasn't old enough to be calling someone boy like it was an insult. What was up with him and that girl? They have to know each other from somewhere. If it were up to her, she'd not listen to someone being that rude all the time. At least the rest of them seemed to be getting along now.

She kept alert as she followed the shadowy pokemon, Dirk still at her side protectively. She jumped at the voice in her head. There was way too many things going on that she didn't understand. “Yes I hear it too,” she replies to Brawley. She replies to the voice in her head, I don't trust it, but we would be lost in the dark without it. What's going on here? Who are you? To be honest, she didn't trust the new voice either, but she had to get a handle on what was happening here before she could make any choices.

[Zelphas]

Satomi followed quickly behind Friend, considering the strangeness of Selky as they walk. If she is a product of the Magi, perhaps she is experimental? That would explain why Chantu is so protective of her. If she was ordered not to be overt about her actions, but she is doing so in any case, he may be worried that she is defective--not the perfect infiltrator the Magi wished for. It would even explain why Goto chose to sponsor her--it could be a boon to the Magi, a favor done for them in exchange for another. Or the opposite--a favor the Magi did for Goto.

When the voice speaks in their minds, Satomi stops walking. "Hold, Friend." She focuses inwards, attempting to speak to the creature. We followed this Sableye to gain more information; it had only one side of the story with this 'gem'. We could deny it, and wander lost in the dark; or we could ask for it to show us the gem, and discover the rest of the story from there. Friend does not seem to be malicious, regardless of his appearance. If you will, tell us more about this gem. How came you by it? What power does it possess that can foretell the future?

[CosmicOccurence]

Interesting Neils thought, his eyes lingering on Selky. Very interesting. But what on earth could it mean? By all rights I shouldn't be able to connect with her at all. Yet I can ... but not well. So is she something in between human and Pokemon? Or perhaps simply a kind of Pokemon more foreign than Friend or more powerful than Shikina. It's a pity that I don't have access to the libraries at the moment, or I'd be able to look up information instead of theorizing randomly.

He wanted to go deeper, to investigate. But it had to be done slowly, carefully. Like the dissection of a deceased Poliwag he'd seen some scholars performing one day. The prospect of delving into another human's consciousness (or at least, what appeared to be human) excited Neils in a way he could not explain. This was an arena normally reserved for Psychics; an arena that he had been denied his whole life. He would not stop here, not when a chance had finally presented itself. His desire for knowledge even overshadowed the attention he was paying to the trial, following the group's progress and trying to look engaged with what was going on.


Intuition to go Deeper [roll0]
Guile to not be caught [roll1], used Skill Monkey in OOC. Now 17 1 use of it left today

And Occult to see if I can piece anything together from what I know via observation and channeling knowledge. [roll2]; +2 more if it deals with pisonics, and +3 on the off chance it deals with dreams.

[Elyander]

Harisson only smirks at Chantu's response. He had crossed a line he didn't want to push further, but seeing the other boy getting angry was a bit satisfying. Harisson gladly takes Selky's arm before following the Sableye down the tunnel. "Please, Selky, guide me in this dark." - he says in a low voice, jokingly - "It wouldn't be nice to bump into anything or fall in front of Chantu after that. I'm counting on you."

When the voice speaks into Harisson's mind, he almost jumps out of his skin. He listens to the words, unsure of how to respond to the misterious telepath. He sees his companions in concentration, though, so he supposes they are all holding a mental conversation. He doesn't like it, preferring to speak out loud. "Well, I'd rather trust those who come forwards and meet me than those who don't. Makes sense, doesn't it?" - he says, trying to bring the speaker out of his comfort zone - "Anyway... so you do have the gem! That's a start."

[Arcran]

You may call me Atomus, the voice replies to Aloriana, the message transmitted to the others. As for the nature of the Gem, it is a valuable tool to my people. With the proper focus, my people can look into the future just as you look forward into the tunnel. Even so, in the darkness of these tunnels a normal gem would be useless, but this Gem? It is bioluminescent, making it useful even in this wretched place. We use it to predict cave-ins, births, deaths and, of course, attacks by the wretched being leading you and his kind.

As to its origin, we came by it through discovery; found in the deep tunnels. We shaped it, we sculpted it, unleashed its brilliance. Now that the goblins have cast eyes on it, they desperately try to steal it with little success, which is why I hypothesize they have gone to you for help. How did you come to be in the tunnels anyhow? Usually these paths are sealed.

And apologies, dear Harisson, the voice responds calmly. My people are not so adapt at navigating these tunnels, and prefer not to risk encountering the goblins in their native environ.

"Hear what? Do they try to talk? Do not listen! They lie!" Friend cries, shivering in fear. "Friend is nice! Friend find you! Friend try to help!" the Sableye says, dashing towards Harisson on all fours and tugging on the boy's leg. "Tell it go away! They hurt Gem! We need save Gem!"

You manage to carefully push your way further in, finding more and more memories. In the past hour, you manage to feel Selky control the flow of her blood, her body simply taking on that absurd external temperature rather than fighting it. You feel her simply will her eyes to see in the dark, and it happen. You see fear and respect towards Chantu, and a strong desire to share her abilities in the group. Even now, you can feel her frustration that she wasn't allowed to use her full powers in the trial against Shikina.

Even more, you manage to catch a glimpse of old memories. A sickly girl, attempting to climb some stairs and failing miserably. Magi, in a circle, chanting. Selky running faster than she should ever be capable of at that age. You nearly manage to catch a glimpse of Teddy as well, but the memory cuts away too soon. Some memories were far more mundane; eating dinner, playing a game, chasing Pidgey off of the town's fountain which normally would be nothing for you but, in this case provided far more information. In many of these memories of a young Selky another young boy was present, wearing the crest of the Katsuras.

You may attempt the same again, but note that the DCs have gone up.

[Zelphas]

So now we have heard words from both sides. Friend seems to have the weaker claim to the gem, but he is blinded by his emotions and will not believe that, Satomi thinks to herself, wondering idly if 'Atomus' can hear these thoughts as well. Yet we have also heard only words from each side. We have not seen this gem, or found proof of its abilities.

She turns her thoughts back to addressing 'Atomus' directly. Atomus; We are initiates undergoing a series of trials important to our nation, she responds shortly to the voice. The current trial we face has interesting parallels to your current conflict with Firend and the Sableye. If I may conjecture, it seems that you are locked in an impasse with 'the goblins', as you call them; they will continue to attempt theft, and you will need to continuously defend yourself against them. A third party may be able to see the proceedings with an unbiased eye and break the impasse without the destruction of one or both of your societies; we can be that third party, if you will allow it. For our own comfort, we would like to see you and your people. We would also like to see this gem, under as much guard as you deem necessary, so that we may be fully informed on what is there. We would only have the authority that you and the Sableye would give us; we would be giving an unbiased view, not passing judgement.

To the rest of the group, Satomi speaks. "I am asking to see this 'gem'. I do not think we have enough information to choose the right path at the moment." She bends down to look Friend directly in his jewel-like eyes. "We wish to do what is best for you and your people, but first we must understand. Do you understand?" she asks gently.

Charm check on 'Atomus': [roll0]

Charm Check on 'Friend': [roll1]

Occult Education on a gem that can see the future: [roll2]

[CateranEnforcer]

As the voice spoke to her, Aloriana began to get a bit more nervous. Up til now she had thought these trails were carefully planned and tailored to them, but now it seemed like they were on their own. It was odd that these creatures down here didn't know they were coming and seemed to just be natural inhabitants. Things are really of the rails here, aren't they? They had to know this was down here and we have to get by and find this gate somehow.

Aloriana really didn't want to help Friend and his tribe; creatures like him may have attacked her village with that magister. An attack which resulted in her mother's death. What Satomi said made some kind of sense, though. We just don't know enough about what's going on here. I don't want to incite more trouble than there already is here.

Relaxing her guard a bit she speaks aloud, “I dunno about this gem business, but I bet it has something to do with the gate we are looking for. Why else would they send us down here? Do either of you know about this?” she gestures to Friend and the darkness at Atomus.

[Elyander]

Harisson can't help but sympathize with the pokémon. It's clear the sableye has deep feelings for the gem, but the mysterious voice was making a different claim, of finding it first and now being targeted. Harisson was torn for a second there, just until the voice speaks his name. As Friend comes crawling for him, he supresses a shiver before patting the creature's head.

"You know what?" - he speaks with a clear voice, trying his best to sound in control - "It's funny how you know my name. I haven't said it, nor has anyone else. So I assume you found it inside my mind. Which really makes me wonder: 'What else can it know already? My weakness? The names of those I love? Or maybe just the right things to say to make us doubt Friend's claim.' And it's really, really hard to trust someone who invades your mind without batting an eye."

He then look at his companions, noticing some of them seem to be in mental conversations. "If we want to act as a group, we need to communicate as a group. Don't let it divide our attention. It's easier to steer us in the way it wants if everyone is being individually addressed."

[CosmicOccurence]

Quietly filing away what he had seen and experience, Neils pulled out of Selky's mind. There was no use in going in further and getting caught. He had likely already gone too far ... but it seemed as if her were in the clear so far.

Finally turning his attention to the situation at hand, Neils responded. I agree. There's no way for us to think rationally about the situation when we have so little information.


Intuition vs what the voice is saying to determine deceit and stuff [roll0]

[Arcran]

There is silence in the mental communication as Satomi proposes a compromise, Atomus obviously thinking the deal over before replying to the whole group, words resounding in all of your minds.

So long as you swear us no harm, I shall agree to this. I am quite sure you shall side with us in the matter of who owns the Gem. Inform your goblin that he may bring you to our tunnels, and we shall not attack. I am sure the sneak knows the way, Atmos states in a condescending tone.

"Friend want you un-der-stand," the Sableye states, nodding his head vigorously. "You un-der-stand, you give us gem and we eat again," the Sableye says, sadly patting his stomach. "But Friend no know gate except one just see," the Sableye states sadly, obviously wanting to help the group of you, although whether out of concern or simply to curry favor you're not quite sure.

Nor do I dear Aloriana. The Gem has not seen fit to inform us of any such Trials either, other than the fact that you would be meeting a goblin within the tunnels. I am sorry I could not be of more help in that regard.

And Harisson, your concern is unfounded. I have not delved into your minds beyond the conversation we are currently entertaining; the Gem gave me the identities of those that would enter the tunnels today. Although, there is one less of you than I had thought; was there not one among you that was a psychic? Strange, I don't sense any of the gift among you...

Still, while Atomus may seem entirely unbothered by Harisson's accusation, Friend clearly appreciates it, the Sableye almost nuzzling against the archer's leg and drawing a small giggle from Selky.

"Can we just ignore both? The purple one is creepy, and I don't like the voices in my head at all," Studs says, scratching his head angrily.

"And fail a Trial? That isn't an option," Chantu states in a displeased tone.

You're almost entirely positive that Atomus is telling the truth, but only by technicality. Each word of the telepathic conversation seems carefully chosen, selected to be true in a technical sense, but witholding some key bit of information.

Gems that can see the future are a rare and powerful thing; Pokemon and Trainers that can use a mundane one to see are slightly less so. Oracles often uses gems and crystal balls to focus their powers, as well as the Xatu line of Pokemon which, after speaking with Atomus and using Friend's meager clues, you're able to deduce Atomus is.

Of course, there was the fact that Atomus used the word "bioluminescent" in regards to the gem. Gems weren't typically living things, so unless the Pokemon simply did not understand the word, that could be of note.

Atomus is clearly lying about having gleamed your identities from the Gem; whether through picking up on slight subtleties in the speech of the mysterious Pokemon or feeling him probing about in your minds, Atomus is clearly hunting for whatever information he can to use to his advantage.

[Elyander]

"I'm trying to be friendly here, Atomus." - Harisson says with a calm voice - "I really am. But you don't make much sense, do you? I mean," - Harisson starts walking around, making sure the other candidates pay attention - ... you claim the Gem can help you see the future and is powerful enough to provide you with our names. But..." - Harisson makes a dramatic pause, winking at Friend - "Wouldn't that be possible only if we speak it in the future? So it's precise enough to see these details, but somehow it didn't foresee the psychic girl's failure? Also, and this is the really puzzling part, how would you know none of us have the gift, unless you ARE searching our minds? I mean, I can't tell who is psychic until they use their powers, so how could you?"

Harisson looks at the others, hoping they can see what's going on, because that's important for the next part. It would be better if they didn't argue with his plan. "So here is my counter proposal: We will see the Gem, guided by Friend here. I will not swear anything, though. I prefer not to be bound by my words, specially since you coincidentally didn't mention if you'd do us harm. I will avoid violence, of course, but I'd like to keep my honor intact if I need to resort to it for some reason, thank you. Besides, is there really a point in swearing when you can so keenly see the future? Don't you know already how this turns out?" Harisson manages to say that with very little sarcasm. "Oh, and Friend will come with us. We should make sure we're all talking about the same Gem, shouldn't we? I'm sure he will behave, right, Friend?" Harisson finishes, directing his last question at the Sableye.

[CosmicOccurence]

I still think we need to see the gem first Neils said. And it seems like there's still some things left for us to figure out before we can make any judgement. In any case, it would be wrong to discount Friend's testimony so soon. I've had a chance to discern that he is fully truthful through my magic.

All the while he tried to rack his brains to see if he knew anything in his studies of Psionics that would help him figure out this situation. Heck, he hadn't even figured out if he knew this species yet, let alone gone through his mental records to remember if he'd ever read about fortune telling with gems.


I don't suppose a Knowledge Occult (Psionics) would be amiss here. If it ins't applicable then it isn't applicable, but gosh darnit I'll use that +2 bonus. [roll0]. If psionics isn't applicable, chop 2 off that roll.

[CateranEnforcer]

Aloriana shivered a bit when the voice mentioned her name. There was something unnerving about someone you've never met before speaking your name, especially if that someone was a voice in your head. She found it odd that the voice agreed so quickly to let them come and decide the future of their respective tribes, but he did seem sure of himself. Maybe for good reason then, but Friend didn't back down either. They both believe they are in the right...or we are walking into a trap.

She couldn't bring herself watch Friend; the memories were too strong. He himself might not be an evil creature and perhaps there were many other kinds of shadow beasts, both real and constructed. She had just yesterday fought blue tattoo monsters so for all she knew they might not have been living creatures at all. This only added to her shame. What if I had been wrong about this creature all along?

What Harrison was saying made sense. She wasn't sure she understood psychics and mind powers but a healthy dose of caution might pay off. The thought that they might be reading her mind right now made her nervous as well, so she tries to clear her mind before speaking.

“I do think this gem thingy is our ticket out of here.” She looks to Studs, Chantu, and the rest. “Either way, we're meant to play a part in this conflict.” She addresses the darkness. “I won't hurt anyone, provided no one tries to hurt me or my friends. I'm sure we'll make the right choice here once we see your side of the story.”


Aloriana wants to concentrate on nothing in an attempt to foil mind reading. Focus: [roll0]

[Zelphas]

Satomi nods to herself as the pieces begin to fall into place. She doesn't much care for the picture, but that may still change with more information. "Friend, this 'Gem'... it's alive, is it not?" she asks the Sableye calmly, looking around at the rest of the group. Best to reveal this now, so that emotions may run their course before we see this 'gem' itself.

"Lori suggests a fair compromise. We can promise not to harm you and yours no harm, as long as you do the same for us. These oaths can last until after we have seen the gem. That way, we may see the gem with our... honor... intact," she continues, quirking one eyebrow at Harisson for his choice of words.

Should Atomus agree to this, Satomi turns to Friend. "Friend, show us the way to their tunnels, please." As they begin to walk, Satomi speaks again, addressing Atomus directly. "Forgive my forthrightness, but as I understand it the Xatu line can use gems of any sort to focus their precognitive abilities. Does this particular 'gem' bestow unusual clarity, or would another stone of similar size and shape suffice?"

[Arcran]

The Sableye nods vehemently at Harisson's question. "Friend will be good!" The small Pokemon then gestures the group of you forward, leading you through the dark tunnels.

You question my motives? Atomus says indignantly, obviously displeased with Harisson's response. I sought only to make sure the goblin wasn't sending you to grab my head, and you dare to call me a liar?

Even still, resolving this conflict would be a welcome change. I agree to your request, and will swear to not harm any of you when you determine a solution to this issue. The goblin may accompany you as well, Atomus says angrily, clearly displeased by the prospect of one of Friend's kind in their cave.

And alive? Please, a Weedle is more sentient than it. While it is certainly alive, it is only by technicality. Do not concern yourself with that issue, Atomus states, clearly annoyed. As for a replacement... No. It is not the shape or size of the gem, but the light it produces that makes it so valuable. Without the light, any gem is worthless to us in this infernal darkness. We will prepare the Gem for your arrival, where you may pass your judgement.

"Gem is alive! It talk to Friend sometime. It sad, but it make more gems for Friend family to eat! It friends with Friend!" Friend says excitedly, his respect for the Gem quite obvious even in his broken tongue. "Friend talk to Gem and you see that bad tribe lie!" he adds, scampering forward as you wind your way further through the darkness.

"Well, this will be fun. A potential trap, in pitch blackness, with two whole tribes of Pokemon involved. This will go well," Chantu says, slowly putting his breastplate back on with Brawley's help.

"Worst comes to worse, we just steal the damn thing and run. Easier than dealing with the fallout, right?" Studs states, drawing a growl from Friend. "Sorry, steal it and give it to you. Better?"

As Friend leads you, the Sableye tries to remain by your side as much as possible.

"Friend think we steal Gem no problem, but bad tribe strong. Call tribe to help?" the Sableye inquires, deferring to your leadership for some reason. "No care 'bout kill bad tribe, just want Gem back. Think we dig to get. Maybe no see future while you talk?"

I can tell the goblins displease you, Atomus says simply to Aloriana, very much present in her mind despite her attempts to resist. If you wish, we could exterminate the strange shadow creatures once and for all. However, my tribe alone is not capable of such a feat; could you requisition the aid of your allies? I can make sure you are well compensated.

You desire The Gift, no? you hear in your mind, Atomus seemingly addressing you alone. I cannot aid you there, but the art of clairsentience is not so difficult as some would believe. Aid us against the goblins, and I can promise you mine own tutelage to bring out your powers, ones that will surpass those of your mother and brother, even Ibis.

A girl who so strongly desires a gift yet has none? Atomus says to you gently. Yours is a difficult plight. And yet, I may be able to help. The art of seeing the future is not one earned from birth, but one taught through careful study. Should you aid us, I can guarantee you my own private tutelage to grant you these powers.



Soon enough, the group of you find yourself as the entrance to a new cave. Through the meager light provided by your Pokemon you can't see much, but you can tell the cavern extends some way. In the distance, a single bright light shines which was almost certainly the Gem.

A pair of bright green eyes appear in the dark, and Friend makes a sound not unlike a hiss, scampering backwards.

Please control your guide, and follow me, a familiar voice states before the green eyes turn away, leaving you to follow the silhouette of the Pokemon towards the light source of the Gem.

"Friend no want to go," the Sableye says, whipping his head about rapidly. "Lots of bad tribe. Bad tribe hurt," Friend says, clearly unnerved.

Through studying psionics, you're able to recall quite a bit about Xatu and the art of seeing the future. Both Xatu and Oracles required some sort of focus for them to see the future, as had already been stated. However, while an Oracle uses it as a sort of a lens, a Xatu uses it more like a filter. Channelers have documented the phenomena of a Xatu's diving rather well; it seemed when the Pokemon closed its eyes, a jumble of images appeared in either eye, one supposedly seeing the future, the other the past. With the filter of a focus, these images can be placed in a more useful order, allowing the Xatu to actually make use of their innate talents.

While it's difficult to tell their exact numbers, either by tracking the sounds or a connection to the wind you can tell there are perhaps four more Xatu and numerous other small Pokemon currently active in the cave, some flitting about quite rapidly. Either way, they seem to be protecting the Gem in particular.

[Elyander]

"Again, nothing you'd need with your future sight." Harisson thinks, tired of arguing with the voice. It was clear to him that it lied, but the rest of the group seemed to be willing to play nice, so Harisson wouldn't be the one against the majority. Still, he had clearly stated he would do no vows of non-violence, and the others had no authority to claim it for him. He would see the Gem as arranged, then decide on his heart with a free will.

As they move, Harisson notices the creature always close. He is strangely pleased by the proximity, as if they shared some kind of cumplicity. As Friend speaks, Harisson pays attention and considers the idea before answering in a low voice: "Less people is better for stealing, Friend. We can deal with the Bad Tribe if needed, but let's see if we can get the Gem without that, ok?" Harisson smirks analyzing he is in a better position than most. Although he can't see as Selky, the wind allows him to easily navigate the dark tunnels. And if the voice needs the gem for its light, he will have the advantage if he takes it. "Yes, Atomus. There's not much you can do about that, is there?" - he thinks with a smirk, still believing Atomus was probing his mind.



Arriving at the entrance, Harisson quickly notices the large number of pokémon around him. Although he doesn't really identifies them, he can tell being surrounded like that could be a problem. He also see Friend struggling with that, so he extends his arm to the sableye. "Come, Friend." - he gestures so the pokémon can climb onto him - "I'll take care of you. We'll be safe, ok? And you, guys," - he turns to the others in the little light - "Watch out. There are about 12 of them around us. Selky, can you help me keep an eye on them?"

Charm Check for convincing Friend: 6 (rolled OOC)

[Zelphas]

Satomi trips over a stone on the way to the caverns, stumbling slightly before continuing on her way. Or at least, that is what it would seem to an outside observer.

The power to see the future... True magic, at last... for one hopeful, heartrending moment, Satomi allows herself to truly feel the longing that haunts her every thought. Her goals in life, why she spends her days in study, why she accepted initiation into the Charizard Knights; everything she wishes to be ties in to that desire to be more than normal, to be greater than just plain Satomi Nakajima, the girl with the violet eyes and very little else. If Atomus could do what he offers, her lifetime of work will be realized. Everything she wants to be tells her to abandon whatever silly claims Friend and the others can place before her and throw in with the Xatu.

Everything she wants to be... but not everything she is. With a sensation of almost physical pain, Satomi forces her feelings away from her, and looks at the context. Atomus grew angry quickly, the moment he was not immediately agreed with. He dismissed concerns with a few words, changing the subject quickly. He did not even consider a source of alternate light, thinking that this 'Gem' must be the only one. And, on the way for them to pass judgment, he attempted to seduce her aid by offering her deepest desire, simultaneously revealing the lie he told Harisson about not reading their minds and showing a remarkable lack of faith in the correctness of his own actions.

When Satomi directly responds to Atomus, her inner voice is calm. Please, do not harm your case by attempting to bribe me. I wish to see this situation with an unbiased eye.

---

Satomi nods, trusting that Harisson's eyes are sharper than hers. She motions Guinevere closer to herself, and looks over at Friend. "Please come with us, Friend. I am sure that Gem would be happy to see you again."

Charm on Friend(?): [roll0]

Pokemon Edu for any glowing, gem-like Pokemon: [roll1]
Occult Edu for any legends of the same: [roll2]

[CateranEnforcer]

Aloriana was frustrated at her failed attempts to keep her mind clear. Still he spoke to her and this time reading her feelings. She looked at Friend again, sharp claws and teeth that could tear flesh. He unnerved her and Dirk as well who still doubted the effectiveness of his techniques. He had been there with dad that night they attacked.

If Atomus could see that, maybe he could see other things. The future. The fate of her mother that haunted her. Aloriana had fled that night but she'd seen it enough times in her dreams to almost believe them to be real. She had to know if her mother had died that night or if she still lingered, suffering in this world.

I know you can hear me. Can you do that with your power? Can you give me answers? Tears began to stream down her face as she thought this. If this what she was hearing she wondered what the others would do. Atomus seemed to think she held sway over them and maybe she did.

Chantu would want to be on the winning side, she judged. Studs seemed a bit unsavory but he had jumped in line with her when she had took a bit of charge before. Brawley wouldn't cause her a problem most likely. Harrison seemed taken with the creature and Selky with him. She wondered if she would side with Chantu if the two of them differed. Satomi seemed sympathetic to Friend as well, but it was hard to tell as she kept very level about everything. The dream reader was a wild card too. They'd never really spoken so she couldn't be sure of his motives.

What would you want me to do if I agreed?

---

Aloriana nodded at the warning. Of course they were surrounded. They were about to see their most precious possession. She sniffled a bit, get face burning red. She hoped the low light would mask it. "Just keep alert, everyone." She looked around at the candidates, trying to meet their eyes, silently encouraging them, and ready to see this gem one way or another.

[CosmicOccurence]

The ability to see the future? Neils was startled. It had been surprise enough that he had developed the ability to Channel Pokemon, but to become a reader of the signs of the future? That would be truly marvelous. He hungered at the thought, knowing that such an offer could take him far. In fact, it might place him even above Ibis, whose mastery over the arts of the psionic were only through her Pokemon.

However, did he not already have the ability to read the future? Was not his dream proof enough of that? While it was certain that he had no amount of control over the dream - if it even turned out to be prophetic - perhaps that sliver of fortune telling would be enough to give him an edge.

Besides, is this not the Trial of Emotion? Where I am tested to put the needs of others over myself? If I take this creatures offer instead of judging impartially, perhaps my own admission into the Knights would be revoked. That was what sealed it for him. More than anything, his future position as a knight would grant him more influence than the ability to read the future haphazardly would be able to.

I'm afraid I cannot take up your offer He thought at the Xatu. Perhaps if this were a different time, in a different place. But it is not, and I have other duties. However, I admire your penchant for manipulation and half truths. It is an art that I hope to perfect at some point.

-----

As the green eyes appeared, Neils immediately reached out and tried to touch the mind of the Xatu. While it wasn't an equal to telepathy, it was all he had. Even the Xatu admitted that psionics was out of his reach. But he would make do with the tools at his disposal, and this would provide him with certain ... opportunities if he succeeded.


Hopefully my answer to everything isn't 'just channel it', but it helps a lot, especially when the Pokemon are so intelligent. Let me know if you want me to lay off it Arc. I don't want to abuse things.

It's weird really, because I originally only took it so he could read dreams via Rem, but its become so much more useful than that.

Anyways, Channel attempt on my lovely Xatu, who I assume is the voice in my head.
[roll0] DC 15 (or auto success if not hostile)

[Arcran]

There have been documented cases of Trainers thought to be completely inept unlocking some talent with the help with the proper tutor and, in terms of precognizance, there are very few tutors that could compare to a Xatu. While rare and difficult, the offer is still technically possible.

Your answer is... disappointing. If you change your mind, the offer stands until you pass judgement.

You should admire my gifts, and seek to obtain them, Atomus states, anger evident in his voice.

It is simple. Ensure that the Gem remains with my tribe and, if you wish, help us to eradicate the goblins. I feel the second task may be rather enjoyable for you.

Friend nods at Harisson and Satomi's urging, the Sableye hopping forward as the group of you are allowed to approach, holding Selky's hand as he does dso. Atomus' silhouette is rather easy to follow, slowly bringing you closer and closer to the rock. Please, take your time inspecting the Gem. It is the life's work of some of our greatest minds.

"Twelve? Great, because this wasn't rough enough already," Brawley mutters in response to Harisson, drawing a nod from Chantu.

The Gem was nearly as impressive as you could have possibly expected. While its size was considerable, lying perhaps a foot long and near that at its widest, the greatest wonder of it is its radiance. Multi-faceted and brilliant, the light that shines from the center seems to be a cacophony of colors with deep blues and purples providing brilliant accents to reds and pinks. The only thing taking away from its splendor are small scab-like protrusions of stone over the surface of the Gem. The instant Friend sees it he rapidly begins making sounds in a tongue none of you can comprehend.

"What you do Gem! Why no talk!" Friend cries angrily, leering at Atomus with his diamond eyes. "Fix Gem!"

As you can see, the goblin is quite mad. The Gem is technically sentient, but speech? As you can tell, it is far beyond what lies before you, Atomus broadcasts to you, voice rather smug at Friend's distress. Now, unless you intend to allow this cretin to devour our tribes' greatest possession, may we return to our daily labors?

Using your psionic sight, you are able to make out a series of psionic 'locks' on the Gem. While there are too many for you to count and a few that are more esoteric than your studies have covered, there is at least one to suppress movement, one to slow healing, and another blocking sound. However the 'sculpted' the Gem, it involved more than a small amount of magic.

Despite your best efforts, the Xatu has powerful mental blocks in place and manages to stop you in your tracks from slipping into its mind.

[Zelphas]

As they approach the Gem, Satomi is still holding out the hope that Atomus' statements have some truth to them, that Friend is simply confused and perhaps simply needs to be taught the difference between a living creature and a beautiful stone. This hope allies with her strong desire to preserve her strength and that of her Pokemon; after all, the most difficult Trial is still to come, and it would not do to exhaust herself now.

This hope dies when she truly sees the Gem before her. For a long moment, Satomi is silent, her practiced eyes taking in every scar, every wound that the Xatu have inflicted upon the Gem before them. Finally she speaks. "I agree," she begins, icy anger filling every syllable. "After you bound its limbs, tore out its tongue, and suppressed its ability to heal, what lies before us is not capable of speech. If it could speak, it would be screaming." She turns outwards to face the eyes, feeling no need to elaborate on what she had said. Her judgment is clear enough.

Obviously, healing the Gem is far beyond the ability of Satomi. Occult Education to figure out just how far beyond her it really is: [roll0]

[Elyander]

Harisson would smile at Satomi's words, but the anger in the girl's voice made him wonder how bad the situation was. He knocks an arrow, ready to take action. "Well, Satomi said all I needed to hear." He fixes his eyes at the Xatu, aiming exactly between the green eyes.

"As you can see, Atomus, our group isn't as easily fooled as you expected, so we'll need some more time to evaluate the situation. I believe it's in your interest not trying to distract us. My fingers are a little twitchy." - he speaks calmly, without taking eyes off the psychic bird. He also expands his wind sense, trying to comprehend where the others are. "Trial of Emotion or not, we will be Knights. Defending those in Cinnabar will be our duty, whether people or pokémon. And this is a being who was maimed and enslaved by Atomus. Will you allow it?" - he speaks to the candidates. His voice is clear but not imperative, requesting the aid of the others more than ordering them - "Neils, can you do your thing with the Gem? We could use some more information. Selky, eyes on the birds. Try pointing them out to Chantu and Studs. Aloriana, can you and your companion protect Neils and Satomi? They are the ones who can help the Gem, that makes them targets. Friend," - he leaves the sableye for last, so he can see the group in action to help the Gem - "if they attacks us, I want you to slip by and go fetch your tribe? Can you do that?"

[CosmicOccurence]

At Harrisson's question, Neils scratched his head. Maybe, was the only answer he gave at first as he considered the stone.

I mean, Channeling works only on Pokemon, or at least - his eyes flicked to Selky - things enough like Pokemon for me to make the connection. Humans and rocks are off limits for me. I suppose I could try though.

He reached out curiously to the rock. Trying to Channel a human was one thing, but a rock? This was really turning into one weird day.

So I'm just going to keep doing channeling attempts until I succeed. I suppose I'll roll a few times though.
[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll4]

Oh, also a Guile attempt to 'hide' the glance to Selky and the implication that it was an intentional reference (eg, make it feel like a weird random coincidence to Selky and Chantu) [roll5]

[CateranEnforcer]

Aloriana looked at the Gem with a blank expression. Going through her memories moments before had burned her out a bit and perhaps even granted her a bit of clarity. What they had done to this creature was perhaps her greatest fear. Atomus' flippant attitude to its sentience was another nail in the coffin.

“You really aren't as smart as you think are. You can read our minds but still can't understand us. I'm not interested in revenge, never was. I don't think you should hold something against its will, either. Are you going to accept our judgment?” She looks back to Harrison and raises an eyebrow. She holds out her hand to point out the fact she has not taken out her weapon, but still moves up to cover Neils.

[Arcran]

Atomus' eyes flash brighter green for a brief moment before you hear his voice in your minds once more, a barely contained rage pulsing in your minds.

You accuse me of harming this stone? What is the difference between you and I? I hurt a single Pokemon to ensure the safety of my tribe. Each and every one of you harms not one, but two Pokemon day in and day out for no greater purpose than your own safety. What is the difference between you and I? Do not the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few? Atomus asks, the Xatu's face barely illuminated by the Gem.

In either case, I ignore your judgment. You will leave this cave and the Gem, and return your goblin back to whatever dank hole he belongs in, otherwise there shall be consequences.

Where once there was a fluttering of wings and constant sound, the cave had grown silent. A host of green eyes stares out at you from the shadows and, if you were to count, you'd see there were quite a few more than Harisson had counted.

"Please, none of us wish this to become a fight. Simply allow us to inspect-"

Leave, or face the consequences. The negotiations are over.

You manage to find your way into the rock's mind just as easily as you would do with any other Pokemon, oddly enough. The mind felt completely like the one of a Pokemon, although it's emotions and such feel dampened to you, likely due to whatever Satomi had mentioned Atomus doing to you and the constant agonizing mental screams pouring through your link. Still, there was one very, very clear motivation in the mind of the Pokemon that managed to pierce the mental fog: get away from Atomus and get away from the Sableye. It seems willing to do anything to achieve that goal.

Moves: Tackle, Reflect, Rock Throw, Sharpen, Smack Down, Flash
Abilities: Clear Body

If we want to go into a fight with this, let me know! If you decide to just attack, roll Focus or Guile against DC 10 to be able to snag an action, otherwise you wait until the regular Initiative. Xatu/Natu are faster than you all.

[Zelphas]

"My 'harm' of Guinevere and Renault, as you erroneously call it, is done with their complete consent and understanding," Satomi replies, the anger replaced by calm rhetoric. "I do not push them beyond their limits, I ensure their safety and happiness, and I work with them to increase their strength and my own. If either of them made clear to me that they were unhappy, they would be free to leave. Did you ask the Gem its consent before using it as you have? Do you ensure that it benefits from this 'arrangement' as you do? If it wished to leave, would you allow it? No. Do not compare two items which have only a passing connection."

She turns back to the gem for a moment, glancing over its many psionic wounds before turning to Atomus once more. "You have consistently attempted towards the moral high ground in our conversations, but in each case, you have attempted underhanded means. Deception, then bribery, then unfounded accusations and a show of force. You claim your use of the Gem is for conservation of your species, but did you even consider asking it for help? Is restricting its movement and muting its voice somehow necessary for your visions of the future? The results of your actions may be beneficial to your species, but the actions themselves are immoral. You wanted the Gem, so you took it. Stop claiming noble ideals and own to your decision." She draws herself up slightly. "This Gem is in pain. I am a healer. I will help it, regardless of your 'consequences'."

[Elyander]

Harisson is grining, despite the situation the group finds themselves in. Seeing the group falling into agreement on the right thing to do feels really good. "Here's the thing, Atomus: You already lost. You should have investigated us deeper if you thought that we would let things stay this way." - he speaks still aiming at the bird - "But there are two ways things can go now. One, you finally use your brain and let us leave with the Gem so we can tend to it, no 'consequences'. You'll eventually find a way to illuminate the caves, or even go outside and explore the air as you were supposed to."

Harisson takes a look around, trying to see if the candidates were ready for what was most certainly to come. "Two, you try to prevent us from doing the right thing. As you may see, most of us have weapons, and those who don't are even more dangerous. Long story short: you'll suffer a serious defeat, maybe lose some of your tribe. And then Friend will bring the others, and they will finish you off. Oh, yes, you may hurt some of us. But you have read our minds, so you know how we did against a grown charizard, tattoo monsters and golems. They also outnumbered us, but look at how we're still here, unharmed. Are you willing to bet the lives of your flock against such unbeatable odds?" - he grins again, trying to look wild - "Or have all your deaths already been predicted and you're simply fulfilling that future?"

Harisson is trying to intimidate the Natu/Xatus:
Intimidate Check: [roll0] (+2 from Elemental Connection: Flying)

[CateranEnforcer]

Aloriana looks to Chantu and her allies arrayed around her. They seemed to be in agreement that this was not something they would just let happen. The pokemon gathering in the dim light would not let them do as they willed here either, of that she was sure. “We don't want it to be a fight, but he's forcing it now. Have it your way Atomus. Negotiations over! Rock Slide!” Dirk springs into action at the command as though he had been waiting for it all along. With one blow he smashes the rocks beneath him to knock them into the air and with a second sends them flying into the darkness.


Assuming the Focus check in OoC is sufficient to grant these actions, here is my plan.

Aloriana steadies her shield as a standard action, granting +4 Evasion and 10 DR
As a swift action she uses Focused Training.

Dirk uses Rock Slide on the three Xatu in front of him
Attack: [roll0] AC 4 (-2 Acc from darkness, +2 acc from focused training.)
Damage: [roll1]
Crit: [roll2]

Dirk may use bodyguard to soak damage to cardinally adjacent allies, but will prioritize Aloriana and only for massive damage at this early point.



Aloriana
HP: 68/68
Steadied: +4 evasion + 10 DR

Dirk
HP: 75/75
+1 Def CS

[CosmicOccurence]

Neils filed the fact that the gem wanted to also escape from Friend in his mental 'folder of things to remember'. He couldn't deal with that now. Definitely sentient, he called out. And definitely wanting to get out of here.

He slipped a Pokeball from his belt and released Zepar. It's been a while since we battled together Zepar. How about having a little bit of fun? Zepar grinned. While the two weren't the best of friends, Zepar had a bit of a mean streak, and battle was about the only thing Neils could figure out that it enjoyed. Zepar raised its spoon, and a single drop of black matter coalesced in the curve of the implement. With a casual flick, the Kadabra sent the little ball spinning at one of the Xatu.


As usual, let me know if I need to tone down/change how I characterize Zepar

Neils Channels Zepar and uses Focused Training as an Orders

Zepar uses Shadow Ball! AC 2 [roll0] Crit 20+, Lower SpDef on 17+
[roll1]

[Arcran]

Dirks' sudden attack seems like it will almost be enough to catch the Xatu off guard, only for their eyes to glow bright green. Each takes the smallest of steps to the side, completely avoiding each and every stone in the avalanche falling from the ceiling. Zepar's attack, on the other hand, is much more effective. The ball of shadowy energy flies into one of the Xatu, obviously hurting the bird a significant amount.

Do not deign to threaten us. The Gem has foretold your death, and it shall come to pass. We simply wanted to give such primitive creatures a chance for peace.

An instant later, Atomus' eyes flash bright green before the Pokemon simply vanishes, his silhouette barely visible in the darkness of the cave. The other two Xatu leer at Dirk for a brief instant before whipping their wings towards the Machoke, the air making a snapping sound as it accelerates faster than sound. The Machoke manages to pry a stone loose from the ground an instant before impact and for a brief moment it seems he may block the attacks, only for it to snap in his hands, leaving the Machoke woefully unprotected as the slashes of air connect.

Even as the Xatu disappear into the darkness, a horde of small birds descend out of the darkness, beaks seeking purchase in the party.

"We'll hold off the Natu! Take Atomus' head off!" Chantu cries, leaping into battle and bringing his sword down on one of the small, bulbous birds. A pair of knives seemingly appear in Studs' hands and Selky simply dives into the swarm, vanishing before you can see what she does. Brawley dives forward as well, his Chinchou sending forth a shockwave to take down the Natu.

Despite their best efforts, a few of the birds manage to sneak past your allies, a small group flying towards Zepar to take down the second biggest threat and nearly bringing down the Kadabra, drawing a glare directed towards Neils. After all, he was the one that dragged him into this mess. Two more swing towards Neils and Guinevere, beaks seeking purchase wherever they can get it.

As soon as combat begins, you can feel a thin sliver of hope from the stone, shining through the fog in its mind. The stone clearly wants to help, but with the locks currently in place is completely unable to at the moment.

"Friend help!" the Sableye cries, vanishing into the horde of Natu.

Dirk's Rock Slide misses!

Zepar's Shadow Ball connects!

Atomus uses ???

Xatu 1 uses Air Slash on Dirk!
AC: [roll0] Flinch 15+ Miss, but Probability Control'd to hit!
On hit, Dirk takes 49 Special Flying Damage. 54 damage

Xatu 2 uses Air Slash on Dirk!
AC: [roll1] Flinch 15+ Miss, but Probability Control'd to hit!
On hit, Dirk takes 49 Special Flying Damage. 54 damage

Oh boy. 4 Injuries to Dirk, unfortunately. Ouch. And he is very KO'd. Injuries affect Attack x2, Accuracy and Speed.

Natu 1 uses Peck on Neils!
AC: [roll2] Hit!
On hit, take 24 Physical Flying Damage. 19 damage.

Natu 2 uses Peck on Zepar!
AC: [roll3] Hit!
On hit, take 24 Physical Flying Damage. 21 damage

Natu 3 uses Peck on Guinevere!
AC: [roll4] Hit!
On hit, take 24 Physical Flying Damage. 19 damage

Natu 4 uses Peck on Zepar!
AC: [roll5] Hit!
On hit, take 24 Physical Flying Damage. 21 damage

Natu 5 uses Peck on Zepar!
AC: [roll6] Hit
On hit, take 24 Physical Flying Damage. 21 damage

Zepar gets one Injury. Affects Attack.

And you are free to post!

[Elyander]

Harisson mentally curses as Atomus seem to disappear. Even worse, one of the smaller birds came unexpectedly form the right, which is too close for Harisson's shots. Taking a quick leap back, he grabs Cepheus ball and release him next to Neils. The beedrill appears with a loud buzz, already rubbing his spikes together.

"Cepheus, same thing as last time. Guard the boy for now, and get ready to retaliate." - he orders, raising his bow again to aim at the larger birds. "Neils, Satomi, move back and let the pokémon deal with the smaller birds. Alorianna and I will handle the big ones."

Initiative 12 => Harisson
Harisson releass Cepheus next to Neils (C5) [Shift Action]
Harisson uses Disengage to move back (to C4) [Standard Action]
Harisson uses Reckless Advance on Cepheus (Binds 2 AP) [Swift Action - Commander's Voice]

Initiative 15 => Cepheus
Cepheus uses Focus Energy [Standard Action]

[Zelphas]

Satomi gives a small sigh as Atomus speaks again. "'Primitive creatures'... your honest thoughts, at last."

As the Natu swarm from the darkness, she begins moving quickly, stepping carefully away from the Gem to allow Guinevere room to maneuver. "Guinevere, Faint Attack, please, on... the Natu directly in front of you. Then retreat," she says calmly as she works.

The Magby turns to face the rotund bird before her, her hands glowing with dark energy. She jabs with a low strike, causing the Natu to fly upwards and be struck by her other hand as it hammers downwards. After her strike, Guinevere steps quickly backwards into the ranks of the other Pokemon.

Satomi

Shift Action: Disengage Maneiver, shifting into D5.

Standard Action: None.

Guinevere

Standard Action: Use Faint Attack on Natu 3 (Physical Dark Damage)
Accuracy (Can't miss, aiming for crit): [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
If Crit: [roll2]

Shift Action: Disengage Maneuver, ending up at C5.

[CateranEnforcer]

Aloriana is used to Dirk being her protector but she saw the attacks from the Xatu coming and moved forward with her shield raised. She grunted as the slice of air impacts her and knocks her off balance and out of her guard stance. “Dirk! Hang back and get it together.” The Machoke knows his limits and rushes to comply, taking cover behind the Gem and psychs himself up for another attack.


Aloriana uses Intercept Ranged on one of the Air Cutters to soak the blow for Dirk. She moves to G2.

Dirk uses Bulk Up and gains 1 Attack and Defense CS. He then moves to take cover behind the Gem in A3.


Aloriana
HP: 39/68
AP: 4/6

Dirk
HP: 21/75

Lily
HP 69/69

[CateranEnforcer]

Now way out in front faced with the Xatu, Aloriana felt very exposed in her efforts to protect her pokemon. In desperation, she takes a quick swing into the darkness and makes a hasty retreat, hustling back into the light with the group. “Now Dirk!” The Machoke complies, fighting through his wounds and sending another hail of rocks into the darkness before slumping behind the Gem, exhausted.


Aloriana uses Bullet Punch on Xatu 1. She uses After You on Dirk. She then moves back to B3, provoking a struggle attack from Xatu 1.

Attack: [roll0] AC 2 (-6 Blindness)
Damage: [roll1] + a tick of HP
Crit:[roll2]

Dirk will use Rock Slide on the three Xatu (centered on G4 so it's in range), then shift to A4.

Attack: [roll3] AC 4 (-6 Blindness, -1 Injury, +1 Focused Training, +1 AP)
Damage: [roll4]
Crit:[roll5]
*Gonna be a long shot here, need a big roll.



Aloriana
HP: 39/68
AP: 3/6

Dirk
HP: 21/75

Lily
HP 69/69

[CosmicOccurence]

With a small pop, Zepar disappeared from the horde of Natu, reappearing instead shrouded in darkness, using it as a shield that it's defenses couldn't match. It's eyes fixed hungrily on the Xatu, readying its spoon for another onslaught.

All the while, Neils ignored the pain of a beak stabbing into the flesh of his calf. Instead he placed his hands on the rock. So I've got to unlock the seals with emotion? How fitting for this particular trial. He began to focus his thoughts, trying to pull forth the raw emotion that he hoped would manage to 'unlock' this creature's ability to fight by their side. Knowing the way the world worked, he figured that it probably wanted joy, happiness, and satisfaction. Inspirational emotions that would encourage this little rock to break free into glorious pokemonhood once more.

But Neils didn't feel those things.

While he was a reasonably happy person, joy wasn't on his radar. Satisfaction was a luxury that one couldn't afford when working with Ibis, and glory was the last thing he'd ever achieved in his life. No, he had to focus on those emotions that defined him ... at least that's what he figured.

So instead Neils poured the pragmatism, pride, and determination that had been stewing in him into that rock which he held a connection with. He gave it his cold pragmatism that informed his every move and every action in order to always ensure that you lived to see the next day. He summoned the pride - and sometimes arrogance - of a person who knew that he has the ability to access the most subconscious depths of a person's brain to truly understand them, a power he viewed as unrivaled in its utility. But most of all, Neils fed the rock determination. Determination to always push forwards, to always look for the next move or challenge, to claw his way to the top no matter what circumstances held him from reaching his full potential. The determination to never again be consumed by the nightmares that he so feared, but to fight back and rise above his past weaknesses. All of this he gave to the stone in a surprisingly frank and vulnerable outburst for one who usually kept up a cold demeanor.

Of course, to anyone without access to this thoughts he was simply keeping his hands on the stone and not helping with battle.

Zepar uses Teleport to H8 and avoid damage!

Intuition roll for Neils (assuming its a full round action) [roll0]; using 1 AP here. 5/6 left.

[Arcran]

Under Satomi's orders, Guinevere's feinting attack manages to catch one of the Natu off-guard, the assault causing the bulbous bird to drop to the ground unceremoniously. While Aloriana defending Dirk gave the Machoke time to breath, her assault against the Xatu is far less effective, the bird simply leaning hardly an inch to the side to avoid the clumsy attack. Dirk's Rock Slide, on the other hand, cascades down on the Xatu and by all rights should have taken at least one of the birds down but, an instant later, all appeared some distance from the attack, having apparently teleported away before the rocks could do any real damage.

As Neils pushes his emotions into the Gem, the Gem pushes back. The pride it had once had in its appearance, dashed to bits by whatever the Xatu had done to it. A dash of your pragmatism, realizing that unless it helped somehow at this instant, it might never leave this damn pedestal. And, most importantly, an ironclad determination to make the Xatu clan suffer for everything they had done to it. An instant later, that determination is made clear as a piece of the Gem's pedestal flies off at lightning speed, striking one of the Natu in the head and sending it instantly into the ground.

You and the bug will handle me? Your death has been foretold, Atomus says in response to Harisson an instant before a huge stone falls from the ceiling, the boulder clipping Harisson heavily on the shoulder as it falls and nearly knocking the boy unconcious, leaving you dazed and not quite as capable with your bow as you were an instant before. Surrender and I may deign to make it quick.

Even as Atomus continues to taunt you, the remaining Natu dive forward, pecking at Satomi and Guinevere.

Atomus' Future Sight connects with Harisson! It cannot miss! 64 damage, so 56 after damage.
Two Injuries. Special Attack and Attack.

Atomus and the Xatu use Teleport to avoid the Rock Slide!

Gem uses Rock Throw! It obliterates one of the Natu!

After the Teleport, the other two Natu use Night Shade instead. Only one hits, so Zepar takes 8 damage.

Which means I only need rolls for three of the Natu!

Natu 2 uses Peck on Satomi!
AC: [roll0] Hit
On hit, take 24 Physical Flying Damage. 16 damage.

Natu 4 uses Peck on Guinevere!
AC: [roll1] Hit!
On hit, take 24 Physical Flying Damage. 19 damage.

Natu 5 uses Peck on Guinevere!
AC: [roll2] Hit!
On hit, take 24 Physical Flying Damage. 19 damage.
1 Injury. Speed.

Post away!

[Zelphas]

Satomi ignores the Natu's beak digging into her hip, turning and pulling out a bottle filled with golden liquid. She hesitates for a second, before spraying the bottle over Harisson. "Guinevere, I will help you soon. for now; move into position, and retaliate with Smog, please."

Guinevere nods, one small hand pressed to her upper leg, and limps to one side. A moment later, a stream of deep purple smoke issues from her beak, wafting around the two Natu before her.

Satomi

Shift Action: None.

Standard Action: Use a Super Potion on Harisson. Harisson heals 35 HP!

Guinevere

Shift Action: Disengage Maneuver to shift to B6.

Standard Action: Use Smog on Natus 4 & 2, Special Poison Damage
Accuracy: [roll0] vs. 7+Evasion, Poisons on an Even-Numbered roll
Damage: [roll1]
If Crit: [roll2]

[Elyander]

Harisson wasn't crushed by the rock for pure luck. He reacted poorly, barely evading the lethal blow and badly hurting his shoulder because of that. He grits his teeth as he looks at the Xatu, for a second letting anger flood his thoughts. Luckily, though, one of the smaller birds approaches him for the right again, shocking his mind back into strategic thinking.

"Cepheus, clear my way." - he orders at the same time he lines a shot at Atomus. "Go all out, boy. We're going for the boss."

The bedrill reacts in an instant, dashing between allies to arrive at Harisson's side, before quickly jabbing both pincers at the Natu in front of Harisson. As the little bird falls down, Harisson takes a deep breath before releasing an arrow at Atomus' direction, but the wound on his shoulder was still too fresh and it affects his aim more than he thought. Cursing mentally, he knocks another arrows in preparation for his next attack, just as Satomi douses him in one of her healing items. The pain fades away immediately, and he smiles widely as he aims. "Thanks, Satomi!"

Initiative 15 => Cepheus
Cepheus moves to C3 [Shift Action]
Cepheus uses Twineedle on Natu 5 [Standard Action]
Twineedle - AC 3 Physical, Double Strike, Critical Hit, Poisons and Trips on 16+
Accuracy Check 1: [roll0]
Accuracy Check 2: [roll1]
If one attack hits: [roll2] bug, physical damage
If two attacks hit: [roll3] bug, physical damage
If one Critical Hit: [roll4] extra damage
If another Critical Hit: [roll5] extra damage

If any attack hits, Cepheus is Vulnerable for one full round.

Initiative 12 => Harisson
Harisson uses Brutal Training on Cepheus. [Priority Swift Action - Commander's Voice]

Harisson uses Aiming Down the Shots [Shift Action]
Harisson uses Bullseye on Atomus [Standard Action]
Bullseye - AC 3 Physical, Critical Hit on 13+
Accuracy Check: [roll6]
Damage: [roll7] normal, physical damage
Critical Hit: [roll8] extra damage

Harisson will give his Dark Vision Goggles to Aloriana [Shift Action]
Harisson tries capturing the Natu.
Poké Ball - AC6 Status
Accuracy Check: [roll9]
Capture Roll: [roll10] / [roll11] (Not sure which method we're using

Harisson curses mentally [Free Action]
Harisson will give his Dark Vision Goggles to Aloriana [Shift Action]
Harisson uses Struggle on Natu 5[Standard Action]
Struggle - AC 4 Physical, Critical Hit on 19+
Accuracy Check: [roll12]
Damage: [roll13] normal, physical damage
Critical Hit: [roll14] extra damage

[CosmicOccurence]

Neils continues to pour emotions into the rock, but as he sees the locks loosening he casts his attention into multiple realms. He quickly establishes a connection with Guinevere, knowing it could be useful later. He then glances at Zepar, but the Kadabra was hidden in darkness, so he merely commanded - Shadow Ball again Zepar! Focus attention on the injured one.

So I wasn't sure if its totally free or if I need to keep going. So here's a roll anyways! [roll0]

Channeling the lovely Guinevere as a Swift, and Focused Commands orders on Zepar as a standard. Not shifting atm.

Zepar teleports to 4H uses Shadow Ball on Xatu 2
[roll1], lowers SpDef 1 CS on roll of 17+
[roll2] Special Ghost damage

[Arcran]

Guinevere lets out a mighty line of toxic gasses, only to have the Natu rapidly beat their wings, knocking away the poisonous cloud. Cepheus' attack on the Natu, on the other hand, is far more effective. The Beedrill's stingers both connect, taking down the small bird. Despite Cepheus' success, Harisson isn't quite as lucky, with Atomus knocking his arrow out of the air with a lazy flick of his wings.

You dare to threaten - Atomus begins, an instant before Zepar takes down one of the other Xatu. Insolent worm! You shall suffer! Atomus mentally shrieks, before an odd wind fills the arena, suddenly picking up the Kadabra and slamming him back into the ground, the Kababra barely getting back up. The other Xatu sends a blade of air at Dirk once more, only for the Machoke to block the move with a Karate Chop of his own.

The Gem beginning to become more active seems to draw the the attention of the Natu as well, with both soaring towards the man Channeling it. Neils feels a brief instant of panic from the Gem before the Natu connect with him, causing the Channeler to fall to the ground, unconscious. An instant later, the Gem flashes red before launching a rock into one of the remaining Natu, causing the Natu to slam into the ground unconscious.

Behind you, the rest of the group is holding their own, keeping the swarm of Natu from getting too close to the rest of the group.

Atomus uses Ominous Wind on Zepar!
AC: [roll0] +1 all stats on 19+ Hit!
On hit, Zepar takes 42 Special Ghost Damage! 55 damage.
2 Injuries, Speed and Accuracy.

Xatu 1 uses Air Slash on Dirk! It's through quite a bit of Rough Terrain!
AC: [roll1]

Natu 2 uses Peck on Neils!
AC: [roll2] Crit!
On hit, Neils takes 24 damage.
Crit bumps up to 39, so 34 damage

Natu 4 uses Peck on Neils!
AC: [roll3]
On hits, Neils takes 24 damage.
19 damage.
Causes 2 Injuries, both Speed

Injuries: [roll4][roll5][roll6][roll7][roll8][roll9][roll10][roll11]


Post away!

[CateranEnforcer]

Breathing heavily, Dirk sees the Natu swarming Neils and shoves him aside as the bird lands a viscous peck with its beak. Though it hurts, he weathers the blow despite his wounds, barely hanging on to consciousness.

“Dirk that's enough!” Aloriana calls as she returns him to his pokeball. She tosses another one towards one of the Xatu and Lily pops out with a cry. “Ready Lily?” she calls, preparing to strike again.


Dirk will use a Interrupt action to Intercept Melee for Neils, taking the critical hit and pushing Neils to C6. 17 damage? He can't fail the Athletics roll.

Aloriana will recall Dirk and send out Lily to F3.


Aloriana
HP: 39/68
AP: 3/6

Dirk
HP: 4/75

Lily
HP 69/69

[Elyander]

Harisson is worried as Neils is focused by the Natus, but Dirk move at the right moment to take the steam off of him. Although the Machoke is hurt, the bold action allowed Neils to stay in the game, and Harisson is glad the other candidates are so adept at teamwork. Most of the enemies are down, so he decides it's time to shake things up.

"Cepheus, go easy on that bird." - he says, pointing at the last Natu standing - "He may become our new companion."

The beedrill moves as ordered, shooting one of its spike at the Natu right in front of Harisson. As soon as the spike connects, Harisson draws one of his pokéballs and throws it at the bird. It tries to avoid the ball, but the gadget clipt it on the wing, sucking the pokémon inside. As Harisson waits for the result of the capture, he makes a quick motion with the hand towards the closest Xatu. Cepheus understands the message, spinning around and sending a second spike flying towards it. A clean hit.

Initiative 15 => Cepheus
Cepheus uses Poison Sting on Natu 2 [Standard Action]
Poison Sting - Physical, AC 2, Poisons on 16+, Critical on 17+
Accuracy Check: 15 (1d20+1)
Damage: 28 (1d8+21) Poison, Physical

Cepheus uses Poison Sting on Xatu 1 [Standard Action - Strike Again!]
Poison Sting - Physical, AC 2, Poisons on 16+, Critical on 17+
Accuracy Check: 21 (1d20+1)
Damage: 23 (1d8+21) + 17 (3d10+1d8+6) Poison, Physical
Xatu 1 is now Poisoned.

Initiative 12 => Harisson
Harisson uses Strike Again! on Cepheus [Swift Action - Commander's Voice]
Harisson uses a Poké Ball on Natu 2 [Standard Action]
Poke Ball - Status, AC 6
Accuracy Check: 11 (1d20)
Capture Roll: 10 (1d20+1) (My 1d100 roll was glitchy. Should I roll it instead of d20?)

[Zelphas]

Satomi tsks under her breath as the Smog fails to connect. It was a gamble, in any case. She glances quickly across the battlefield, noting the fall of the Xatu and the rest of the Natu, including one capture by Harisson. Finally, she looks at Guinevere... and makes a snap decision. "Guinevere... Faint Attack. Directly ahead."

Guinevere nods and leaps towards Atomus, dark swirls gathering around her as she moves. At the last second, she twists, one arm swinging up in a hammering blow from the side as the Xatu moves in that direction to dodge.

Seconds after the blow connects, Guinevere vanishes in a flash of light. Satomi places her Poke Ball back at her belt and leans over, ignoring the Xatu as she sprays a vial of purple liquid over Niels' wounds.

Guinevere

Shift Action: Shift to F6.

Standard Action: Faint Attack on Atomus, Physical Dark Damage
Accuracy: [roll0] Faint Attack cannot miss, rolling for crit chance
Damage: [roll1]
If Crit: [roll2]

Satomi

Shift Action: Return Guinevere.

Standard Action: Use a Potion on Niels. Niels heals 20 HP.

[CateranEnforcer]

Feeling a bit more confident with how things were going as the ranks of the birds thinned out some, Aloriana wanted to keep up the pressure. She rushes back into the fray and moves up to the Xatu brave or foolish enough to stand in the light. “Now, together! Rock Slide!” she calls to Lily, who stomps the ground with her powerful hooves sending a shower of stone towards their hapless victim as the two attack in tandem.


Aloriana uses Bullet Punch at the start of next round. She moves to D3 and attacks the Xatu there. She then uses After You on Lily.

Attack: [roll0] AC 2 (+2 to hit for flanking)
Damage: [roll1]
Crit: [roll2]

Lily uses Rock Slide on the Xatu as a Standard, and Grass Pelt as a Swift gaining 12 THP. If the Xatu faints this round, she'll shift to H5.

Attack: [roll3] AC 4 (+2 to hit for flanking, +1 focused training) flinch on 17+
Damage: [roll4] +6 damage from OoC
Crit: [roll5]



Aloriana
HP: 39/68
AP: 3/6

Dirk
HP: 4/75

Lily
HP (12) 69/69

[CosmicOccurence]

Cursing softly as he nearly faints, Neils calls out a quick thanks to the knight. I really hope I don't end up owing these people any favors was his only desperate thought as he scrambled away from the - presumably - unconscious Natu and into the group. If helping that stone was going to end up with him fainted, then he'd try to channel emotions into it from further away. As long has he didn't wander off too far the connection should still be intact.

At the same time, he quickly recalled Zepar and called out Rem. There was no use in having the Kadabra faint on him, and it would only cause more trouble later. A quick point was all it took for Rem to send its signature Hypnotic blast of energy at the lead Xatu.

Assuming I'm not fainted here due to successful interception, shift to D4. Full Round action to swap out Zepar for Rem, which I believe also means I cannot command this round. Correct me if I'm wrong on that though.

Hypnosis on Atomus.

[Arcran]

Dirk manages to just barely shove Neils out of the way, the Machoke taking the Natu's peck in the back but shrugging it off almost entirely. Still, he hardly complains when Aloriana returns him for Lily. Cepheus makes good use of Dirk's distraction as he darts forward, striking the Natu quickly just in time for Harisson's Pokeball to come in, the ball connecting heavily with the small bird, the capture system engaging instantly and pulling it inside. The ball wobbles twice before going completely still. It would seem you had a new ally.

The assault against the remaining Xatu goes rather well; both Aloriana and Lily connect heavily with the Xatu, causing it to stagger back a step. It was still standing however, and turned its gaze towards Lily. And instant later, the Xatu began to flash purple, before a hastily shot Poison Sting by Cepheus strikes the bird, literally pinning it to the wall of the cave.

The assault against Atomus, on the other hand, doesn't go nearly as well. Despite Guinevere's Type Advantage, the Xatu seems to hardly feel the blow. Rem's attack backfires completely; the instant the pulse begins Atomus simply locks eyes with the Musharna, and Rem floats gently down to the ground, completely unconscious. The attacks seems to have done little more than anger the Xatu.

You, Atomus says, locking eyes with Satomi. This is your doing, and you shall pay!

And instant later the Xatu's eyes flash, much like they did before the boulder hit Harisson.

The Gem, while still trying to push through the locks, seems to have exhausted itself; it is nearly as dormant as when you first arrived.

Harisson captures the Natu! Male, Level 8, 50% HP. You pick Nature/Ability.

And rolls!
Xatu 1 uses Night Shade on Lily!
AC: [roll0] Miss!
On hit, Lily takes 25 damage.

Atomus uses Magic Bounce! Hypnosis is reflected back at Rem! Rem is Asleep!

Atomus uses Future Sight on Satomi!

[Zelphas]

Satomi meets Atomus' gaze levelly. "No. This was your doing. I simply revealed it." She pulls out a bottle of purple liquid and sprays it over her wounds, keeping eye contact with the Xatu leader all the while. "This next strike is not my doom foretold, but your anger displayed."

In a flash of light, Renault appears at Satomi's side. "Renault! Scratch!" she calls out, pointing at Atomus. The little Kabuto races forward, spiny claws slashing wildly through the air.

Satomi

Shift Action: Release Renault at D6.

Standard Action: Use a potion on self. Satomi is at full health (for a few fleeting moments)!

Renault

Shift Action: Begin moving towards Atomus.

Standard Action: Scratch, Physical Normal Damage. Rolled a 2 to hit in the OOC with 26 damage. With the Pass keyword, Renault ends up at H6.

[Elyander]

Harisson smirks as the pokéball stops shaking. "Oh, look at that, Atomus." - he says, turning to the Xatu and knocking an arrow again - "I have one of your own. He'll be well treated, though. And hopefully he'll come back one day to teach your kind how to be better. In the meantime... Cepheus, make him pay."

Harisson was worried about the powerful attack that was sure to come again, so taking Atomus down was a priority. Cepheus understands that, rushing to the Xatu and striking it with a powerful blow, despite the darkness that surrounds both pokémon. Harisson follows the attack, shooting an arrow straight at the bird.

Initiative 15 => Cepheus
Cepheus moves to F5 [Shift Action]
Cepheus uses Twineedle [Standard Action]
Twineedle - AC 3, Critical Hit, Poisons and Trips on 17+
Accuracy Roll 1: 12 (1d0-5) - Natural 17, so Critical hit, Poisons and Trips, right?
Accuracy Roll 2: 3 (1d0-5) - Xatu is flanked, so I don't know if it hits with the -2 evasion
Damage if the second attack doesn't hit: 36 (1d8+31) + 23 (1d8+8+3d10) Bug, Physical
Damage if the second attack hits: 46 (2d8+36) + 23 (1d8+8+3d10) Bug, Physical

Atomus is Poisoned and Tripped. Take that, a**.

Initiative 12 => Harisson
Harisson binds Reckless Advance to Cepheus [Swift Action - Commander's Voice]
Harisson uses Aiming Down the Shot [Shift Action]
Harisson uses Bullseye! [Standard Action]
Bullseye! - AC 3, Critical Hit on 13+
Accuracy Check: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1] Normal, Physical
Critical Damage: + [roll2] + [roll3] extra damage

[CosmicOccurence]

Neils cursed softly as Rem went down; that wasn't supposed to happen. However, he quickly slid next to her and gently shook her awake. He would have rather thrown one of his Pester Balls, but waking Rem was more important. As she began to float once more, he whispered Yawn Rem. Rem complied, making sure that Atomus could see and hear her yawning expansively.

Neils disengages to E4 and wakes Rem as a Standard Action.

Rem uses Yawn. Can't miss but it can crit [roll0]
On a 20, Atomus gets a -4 to his first save check.
At the end of Atomus's next turn, he falls asleep.

[CateranEnforcer]

Aloriana looked around after the Xatu fell and sees their foes beaten, save for one. "It's over Atomus! Please no more of this." He didn't look like the surrendering kind, but she had to try. She was worried he'd try something desperate or destructive cornered now as he was.


Free action to speak. No other actions can be taken until Atomus acts.

[Arcran]

Renualt's attack doesn't even come close to connecting with the Xatu, but does enough to leave him completely open for Cepheus who flies in like an avenging missile, ramming both of his spines into the Xatu's body and lifting the Pokemon off the ground before slamming him down with a terrifying amount of force, poison dripping from the Beedrill's stingers as it hovers, leering at the foe on the ground. The Xatu seems to hardly notice Rem's attack as he slowly begins to push himself up.

You come into my home, the Xatu says, even as another stone falls from the ceiling, striking Satomi across the brow and nearly laying her out.

You assault my family, he continues, whipping a wing out to send Renault tumbling away as the Kabuto attempts to take advantage of the new opening.

And then you have the ga- Atomus begins, before Cepheus seizes the initiative, launching a devastating flurry of attacks against the Xatu. Again and again the Beedrill buffets the Xatu before finally Atomus falls, bleeding from dozens of wounds.

As Atomus falls, the few Natu still fighting the rest of your allies scatter, vanishing into the tunnels with a mixture of flapping wings and teleporting pops. For a brief moment, the cave is silent save for the labored breathing of you and your allies and the slow drip of blood falling off Atomus' body.

Satomi takes 64 damage, so 53. Two Injuries, affecting [roll0] and [roll1]

Experience will be rewarded at the completion of the Gates in a giant lump sum.

[Zelphas]

Satomi staggers from the falling boulder, but manages to keep her feet. She had been expecting the attack, but it did not help her much in overcoming it. Woozily, she turns back to Atomus--only to see Cepheus lay the bird low with a devastating series of strikes. "Ah. Good. We're done then," she mutters, seemingly to herself.

Satomi reaches a wobbling hand into the satchel at her side, extracting a thick pad of gauze which she begins to unsteadily wind around her head. Her hands gradually calm, and by the time she has finished with her bandage, she seems relatively alert. "Neils-san, are you able to communicate with the Gem any farther?" she asks calmly, back on task once more. "The arcane locks placed upon its form are beyond any of us here, I believe, unless someone has been withholding incredible occult knowledge and skill." Satomi pointedly does not look at Selky as she says this; now is not the time for any kind of accusation, after all.

Satomi uses 1 Bandage on herself.

If there's time, she also uses Walk it Off, removing 1 injury and gaining back 14 HP (1/4th her maximum), putting her at 32 HP.

[Elyander]

"Cepheus, that's enough." - Harisson says, fearing the beedrill's wrath isn't quenched yet - "Great work, boy. You deserve some rest." Harisson pats the pokémon's head, before recalling him. He then grabs the pokéball with the recently catched Natu, smiling to himself. "We'll talk soon, but first..."

Harisson looks around to make sure all the others are ok. Luckily Satomi is tougher than she looks, already patching herself from Atomus' last strike. The boy approaches her with a smile, before agreeing with her idea. "It sounds complicated, indeed. Can you do something about it, Neils? You seemed to connect with it before somehow." - Harisson sounds calm despite the battle they just had - "Also, could you take a look at the pokémon we fought, Satomi? Just to make sure they will be fine. We're not here to kill the wildlife, I believe." - he grins before adding - "You may leave Atomus for last, though."

[CateranEnforcer]

The fight done, Aloriana sheaths her sword and let's out a sigh. That's one way to end it, I suppose. She calls out to the group, “Is everyone alright?” She couldn't really do much about it even if they weren't but things had gotten a bit dicey there and she wasn't able to keep track of everything happening on all fronts. She frowns at the fallen birds all around them. “I really hope we haven't doomed the tribe by doing this. Atomus didn't seem like a good guy, but he was trying to keep his people safe. What's going to happen to them now that we've done this? I wish there was a way we could help, though we still need a way out of here ourselves." she mused aloud.

[CosmicOccurence]

Neils recalled Rem and placed the Pokeball in his pocket. Now that Zepar was in a severely wounded state, he would need to make sure that Rem was in good health for the upcoming battles, which he was sure would occur. I'll try to see if we can wake it fully. It was fairly exhausted from the contributions that it did present, but maybe with the Psychic Pokemon fainted it will be able to break free more easily.

He walked up to the rock once more and put his hands on it, delving once more into its conciousness. While the connection was still there from before, he hoped that it would be easier to truly discover what was happening now that the stress of battle had ended.


Intuition! [roll0]

[Zelphas]

The slightest flicker of a smile is all that Satomi shows in response to Harisson's suggestion, her face otherwise remaining sober. "Very well." She turns towards the unconscious Natu and Xatu all around them, wincing lightly as Renault scuttles over to her and drags himself up onto his familiar perch on her back.

Medicine Edu to assess the Natu and Xatu, seeing if any need to be stabilized or if they will recover on their own: [roll0]

[Arcran]

As Pokemon are returned around the cave, Rem drifts lazily back into Neils Pokeball while Cepheus seems less than pleased with being returned. The rest of the group takes a few steps towards you all, listening in on the conversation.

"Wait, we're going to help the bastards?" Studs asks incredulously. "Was I the only one that saw them just try to kill us? We should be finishing them off while they're down, not patching them up!" the urchin cries, wiping the blood from his knives on his pants.

"Woah, they're just as alive as us!" Selky says indignantly, drawing a nod from Chantu. "Atomus might have been a **** but, like Aloriana said, he was trying to keep his tribe safe!"

"Yeah, and the second he got in our way he tried to murder us! Why the hell shouldn't we do the same?" Brawley asks, hoisting his trident up.

"Satomi, I don't believe any of us have the skill to unlock the Gem, unfortunately," Chantu says quickly, perhaps in an attempt to derail the current conversation. "Neils, if you can make contact, I'd be eager to see what you can gleam from it."

Fortunately, it would appear that, at least for most of the Natu, actual injuries were fairly minor. While they'd have a killer headache, both the Natu and Xatu should be able to fully recover.

Atomus, on the other hand, if in fairly bad shape. Between Cepheus' colossal attack and the Beedrill's venom, you aren't certain that the Xatu will recover without a little help.

Of course, all of this was assuming the Sableye didn't shred them the instant you were gone.

The Gem, while exhausted, is seeming to slowly recover from the exertion of attacking the two Natu. The first feeling you touch is overwhelming gratitude, overriding any and every other emotion present in the Gem. A moment later, that gratitude becomes tinged with a hint of fear, and the source soon becomes obvious. With the Natu and Xatu temporarily out of the way, what was there to stop the Sableye from simply carrying her off again?

It was also the first time you felt a definitive gender from the Pokemon: it clearly felt it was female, although nothing in its appearance actually reflected that. While it was to pinpoint exactly why at this point, that fact was obviously of considerable importance in why it was so terrified of the Sableye.

[Zelphas]

"Because we plan to be Knights," Satomi responds to Brawley quietly, moving towards Atomus. "We are supposed to be better than our enemies, not only in strength of arms, but in purity of morals. The Knights are supposed to be above petty rivalries or holding grudges against defeated foes." She bends down, one hand going into her satchel and retrieving a pale yellow bottle. Renault sees the Xatu leader and hisses, but Satomi quiets him with a touch, her other hand spraying the Full Heal over Atomus. "After all, this is still the Trial of Emotion. We must not let it cloud our judgment or suppress our ethics."

She stands up again slowly, one hand to the bandage at her head, and turns to face Harisson. "Harisson-san, you know that when Friend returns he will wish to slaughter the Natu tribe, correct? You seem to have the greatest rapport with the Sableye. Are you willing to talk him down?"

Using a Full Heal on Atomus, as described. His poison is cured.

[CosmicOccurence]

So I know we came here with Friend and all, Neils said, But the gem is just as scared of the Sableye as she was of the Xatu. It seems like its recovering a bit, but I don't know if she'll be able to fully break free or not. I'm going to try and find out more of what she wants, but Channeling isn't like Telepathy. It isn't like we can talk to each other or anything.

Neils continued to try and focus on the connection. He'd never had to try this hard, mostly because he usually didn't want anything more than to see through Rem's eyes while she was reading dreams. It was only just now dawning on him just how useful Channeling was, but he finally understood that the barriers of the ability were also far greater than he had first realized.

Curiously, Neils cycled through a varied set of intentions as to what to do with the gem, trying to read its emotional responses. He wasn't sure if this would work, but he wouldn't know until he tried. First he gave off the intention to leave it here, then to take it to the surface, then to take it home. Of course, he had no idea what home would be for a gem, but it was possible that they were supposed to take the gem to the gate.

However, he did continue one emotion throughout; that he wouldn't abandon the gem to the Sableye.


Continuing Intuition. [roll0]

[Elyander]

Harisson hear both Satomi's and Neils' words, considering carefully how to deal with the situation. Satomi said something he had already considered, but he meant it when he said they didn't come to do harm to the wildlife. It included allowing the Sableyes to do harm to the Natu tribe because of their doing. Neils, however, had revelead something much more troublesome. "The Gem also fears Friend? Muk, this can get tricky..."

"I see. Well, rest assure, Satomi...san?" - he risks, trying to be respectful to the girls' tradition, whatever it might be - "No slaughter will come to pass." Harisson looks around, directly at the shadows. "Isn't that right, Friend?"

[CateranEnforcer]

“No! No just killing!” she exclaimed at the suggestion. “I mean, he had a point we did try to change everything about their life down here. Maybe we can help them get out of here and solve these problems for good. Where ever 'out of here' is.” she looked around the room for any clues or exits or anything at all.

Aloriana started to get a bad feeling about this. “Friend led us here and without him we are lost. There's got to be a way out of here. Can you help us find it?” she asks the Gem. She had hoped the Gem would be the key to the puzzle here, but it might not be the case after what she had seen here. She begin to fear the Sableye's retaliation should they take their precious Gem too.


Perception:[roll0]

[Arcran]

"Fine, fine, no killing. We'll be noble as hell," Studs says, rolling his eyes, while Brawley simply nods.

"Still, if we're not killing them, we need to do something. I get the feeling just leaving them for the Sableye would be worse than killing them, right?" Selky says, looking at the bodies. "I'd say we take them with us, but there's just too may for that unless somebody is hiding a half-dozen sleds up their shorts."

Despite Harisson's attempt to draw out Friend, there is no response and, through his connection with the wind, Harisson can tell that there isn't anything out there. It would seem Friend has yet to return.

When you thought of letting the Gem remain, a wave of panic washed over your empathetic link, clearly indicating the the Gem needs to leave. Thinking of home seems to simply confuse the Gem; it didn't seem to have a clear concept of what exactly home was. The only emotion that warranted any real response was taking it with you, although that seemed to be more due to the fact that it would escape the Sableye. While it was grateful to the group of you, escaping the Sableye was, once again, it's chief desire.

While it's hardly audible, you can just barely make out what sound like war cries echoing down the tunnel you had come through. It would appear Friend's tribe is rapidly approaching.

[CateranEnforcer]

“I don't suppose we'd have a good chance of making them see our side, either. Friend seemed nice enough, but also very...” she paused. “...emotionally driven.” she finished. “But Atomus was cold and calculating.” She seemed pleased with herself with recognizing this pattern, but it didn't help their current situation.

Aloriana thinks for a minute seeing nothing of use. “Maybe we can take the gem with us at least.” She pulls out an empty pokeball. “You think it'll come with me willingly? We can keep her safe from the Sableye in these.” she asks Neils. Looking around, "I don't know if we can hide all of this though, any ideas?” she frowns.


If it seems a promising prospect and Neils is finished with it, Aloriana will attempt to capture the gem in a pokeball.
Acc: [roll0]
Capture roll: [roll1]

[Zelphas]

"We could perhaps wake one of the Xatu, and have it protect the others..." Satomi replies to Selky, looking around. "Atomus seems to be set upon hating us; he would likely attack again if we woke him now. Perhaps one of the others will be more amenable.

I was about to suggest something similar myself," Satomi says to Lori as she pulls out a Poke Ball. "Capturing the Gem will require it to place a lot of faith in us. It is also currently our only source of light." After a moment's thought, Satomi releases Guinevere at her side once more. "I am sorry for disturbing your rest, Guinevere. Light the way for us, please." The little Magby complies, a small tburst of flame appearing under her bill.

"Selky-san, you can see in the dark; Harisson-san, unless I am incorrect, your wind allows you some similar powers too," she continues lightly, looking between the two. "IF we must strike out on our own, the two of you may have to guide the rest of us."

[Elyander]

Harisson tries not to think too deeply about Friend's abscence. "I did tell him to fetch his tribe, so..." - he thinks, turning to focus on the conversation, before agreeing with the girls' ideas.

"A pokéball may be a good idea, at least until we can figure out how to deal with the situation." - he says, reaching for something on his bag - "Also, this could help. It will allow you to see in the dark, too." - he gives the goggles to Aloriana. "You are our frontliner, so we need you to be in top condit..." He suddenly stops speaking, his ears noticing the faint sound of distant warcries.

"Muk! Quickly, gather the birds and place them behind us." - he says, rushing to grab the first fainted pokémon and carefully putting it close - "Friend is coming with backup and, boy, they sound mad. We may need to guard the natus."

Harisson gives Aloriana his Dark Vision Goggles.

[CosmicOccurence]

Neils waits to see if the pokeball captures the gem as he shuffles the Natu around. Well whatever happens, that gem is not interested in staying here, so we shouldn't really be sticking around either. I don't know that I can help terribly much in this case though; I've done all I can to help it out of its bonds, but really this isn't my area of expertise at all.

He turns to Selky, so many questions in his mind. He only chose one though. Is there any chance that Teddy would be of use in this particular instance? It's kind of hard to gauge what we're capable of without knowing the team's capabilities. And Chantu: I don't suppose your Pokemon could move the gem like it moves metal? I couldn't tell if it was telekinesis or something else, but Zepar could help out in that regard as well.

[Arcran]

"Just metals," Chantu states as he releases the Nosepass. "But maybe there's enough metal in the rocks that he could help a little..?" Chantu muses, directing the Nosepass' aim towards the

"Teddy? Here? Not nearly enough space!" Selky says, watching as Chantu's Nosepass does absolutely nothing to the Gem. "Maybe when we get outside though!"

"What if we just block the tunnel? Then they can't get the Natu, right?"

"And how do you know that won't just bury us?" Studs asks, looking at the ceiling warily. "And how the hell are we going to get out then?"

"Do you have a better idea?" Chantu asks, even as Aloriana taps the Gem with a Pokeball.

Compared to just about every other capture you'd seen, the absorption of the Pokemon and rate the ball went still was incredible. For some reason you suspect that, even if it wanted to, the Gem couldn't have avoided being captured. The cave goes dark as the Gem vanishes, save for the meager light provided by Guinevere's flame.

As the Gem is captured, a scraping sound resounds throughout the cave and, even as Selky begins to speak, Harisson is able to sense and Aloriana is able to see a new tunnel open up on the far wall, opposite the one with the Sableye sounds.

"Well, the escape route just became a bit easier."

As the Gem is captured, a wave of happiness washes over your link before it is snuffed out. The Gem was free!

[Zelphas]

Satomi sighs as she hears the scraping and Selky confirms it as an escape route. "This is still the Trial, then, after all," she murmurs under her breath. She moves over to one of the Xatu, a pulling a crystalline object out of her bag. She stops above them, the Revive held close in her hand. "I can revive this Xatu to give them a chance against the Sableye, but it may attack us as well if it awakens quickly. Shall I take the risk?" If she is given no disagreements, she bends down, opening up the Xatu's beak and placing the Revive inside.

If anyone has any objections, speak now! Otherwise, Revive on Xatu 1.

[Elyander]

"And leave one Xatu to guard all the fainted pokémon from who-knows-how-many Friends?" - Harisson says, trying to disencourage the girl - "Might as well just leave them all fainted so they don't see their doom." He sighs, expanding the wind to his limit. Grabbing his bow once more, he looks at the other candidates in the dim light.

"I believe we should face them. Not with arms, but with words." - he says calmly trying to figure what the others are thinking - "If we're gonna be knights, that's the kind of thing we'll be doing, so better start practicing. We took down the birds, we face the consequences." - he pauses to give weight to his words - "I will not leave them to certain death. I'll stay and talk to Friend, and if it fails, I'll try my best to fend them off. I can fly, which Friend didn't seem capable of, and I see in this dark as well as them, so I'm pretty sure I can get out of here if needed. If anyone thinks it's better to go, then do so now. Nobody will hold it against you." He tries not to look at Studs as he says that. Even though his voice was calm, his heart was thudding against his chest.

"Far more work than I deserve, Thadeus." - he thinks, turning his back to the other candidates.

[CateranEnforcer]

Aloriana looks at the ball a moment before putting it away. I'll have a chance to get to know you later. Now we gotta deal with Friend. She puts on the goggles Harrison presents her with and they work marvelously. She listens to the others for a moment and makes up her mind. “I agree with Harrison, I want to see if the tribes can work something out. But maybe if Satomi can revive a Xatu they can talk it out. Still, I dunno if this can be solved just like that, but it doesn't hurt to try. I don't think we're in good shape for another fight like that, though.” Aloriana really didn't like her options here, but they didn't know unless they tried.

“Still, the way is open, so if want to escape now, this is your chance. I'll stay to meet them, though. What do we tell them about the Gem? They're not going to be happy.” she said nervously, grasping the ball. “Maybe they'll respect her wishes?” she shrugged doubtfully.

[Zelphas]

Satomi considers for a moment, and then places the Revive back in her satchel. "Very well. I can revive one later, if need be." She moves back to stand beside Guinevere, trusting her light. "I do not know if Friend will understand, or care. If the Gem could speak to them directly, they may understand better... Neils-san, could you channel Friend and the Gem at once, so that they could speak through you?"

[CosmicOccurence]

Neils stared at the group in incredulity. It was one thing to keep a Pokemon from dying, but actively helping them and fighting their battles, reviving them after they fainted? It was naive and innocent, as with this pitiful last stand they were holding against the Sableye, and it would get these people killed at some point in the near future.

Normally he would just run, but the thing staying his hand was that this trial still continued. I have no way of knowing what to expect from their adjudication, he thought. Meaning I have to take the route that leads to the greatest chance of success. Right now that appears to be staying ... unless Selky and Chantu decide to leave I really don't have a choice to stay either, as I doubt I could face enemies down here on my own.


In response to Satomi's question, Neils shook his head. I can channel mutiple Pokemon at once to be sure, but it doesn't work like telepathy. It's more like being able to feel the emotions and intentions than real conversation. The only reason I know that the gem wants to get out so badly is because I can tell that its terrified of Friend. It'd likely have a nervous breakdown if you tried to get the two to have a conversation.

In expectation for the coming battle, Neils slid to the back of the group, close to the exit to the other tunnel. This would give him an easy escape if things went south. He released Rem as well and channeled her; he needed as much firepower as he could muster, because he was sure this wouldn't end well.

[Arcran]

"This is mukking suicide," Studs says, dropping a Pokeball next to him, a blob of purple goo squirming about on the ground afterwards. "I'm so glad we can kill ourselves over a few dumb birds that tried to kill us in the first place."

"It's the right thing to do," Chantu states, although his voice is lacking some of its earlier conviction.

"I don't really want to walk through the tunnels on my own, so I might as well stick around too," Selky says, pulling her hair back into a ponytail.

Brawley simply nods at Aloriana, moving forward to the front of the group with her. He silently releases his Chinchou, the small fish providing a supplement to Guinevere's light.

Were it not for the cries of Friend and his tribe you doubt you would have ever noticed their approach. You hear the cries from a distance, echoing through the halls. A moment later a horde of bright eyes appears in front of you, shining off Guinevere and the Chinchou's light. Friend is at the front of the horde, and even in the dim light you can easily tell he is among the largest of his tribe.

The war cries stopped abruptly when the tribe sees the unconscious Natu and Xatu scattered around. More than a few look to the pedestal, confusion evident on their faces.

"What happen? Where Gem?" Friend asks, his voice somewhere between confusion and outrage.