Dawn Stone Hills - Year 1 Spring - Session 1

8:30 PM] castella: It's the dawn of a new age of exploration for the quiet settlement of Dawn Stone Hills. Your years of toil have restored the ancient waterways you inherited from the Lotus people, repaired the synthetic protein machine recovered from the wreckage of a pre-fall airborne vehicle, and gotten the farm up and running too! With your survival and relative comfort ensured, the town has a whole has turned towards the outside world. A year ago, a number of the more experienced members of the town set off on an expedition, and you've since lost contact...hopes are high though that you'll see them again if you too journey out into the world.

We begin on the morning of the second day of your expedition, setting out to the east for uncharted lands. Already, during the first day, you saw discrepancies with the pre-fall map you're referencing. In the pre-fall days, the Tashkar forest was tame, gently sprawling over the flat dry plains to the east of the Bayan Lowlands. What met your eyes yesterday was anything but. Tall forested spires rose out of the ground in the distance, like fingers reaching towards the heavens. On the ground, the forest has grown thick with vines and tall grass. A surging river now flows with vigor from further east.

But you can't see any of that right now, because when you woke up this morning, a thick fog had settled over your encampment, and you can hardly see five feet in front of you. You can still orient yourselves by the sound of the rushing river, thankfully. As you groggily roll out of bed, you can hear the flutter of feathers and clopping of hooves retreating into the distance. Your supplies have clearly been disturbed, but nothing is missing, luckily.
[8:38 PM] Rosalie: Rosalie puts the finishing touches on her face. Though she occasionally manages to come by vast hoards of makeup in pre-fall buildings supposedly dedicated to shopping, on account of the fact that you can't eat it and it's largely irrelevant for survival, she has learned how to make some rudimentary makeup of her own with various crushed berries, plants, the occasional pulverized bug, chalk, and other odds and ends. She lets out a surprised gasp as she finally departs her flamboyantly colored little tent and stares around through the fog. "Hello!" She calls as she tries to get her bearings.(edited)
[8:42 PM] Vasko: Vasko nearly rips his tent apart in a frantic hurry to get out of it, calling out, "Oooooiii! Everyone here?! Ugh, can't see anything... Uh....roll call??"
[8:43 PM] Wick: Wick has been up for an hour already, used to rising with the dawn. He's just getting back to camp from his dawn-time scouting when he sees figures rush off into the fog. He groans with frustration which quickly evaporates as he sees that nothing is missing.
[8:43 PM] Wick: "I'm here. We had camp visitors, but nothing seems to be missing."
[8:45 PM] castella: Rosalie, your 'hello' is met with a rustle and cute bug noises, as a Caterpie and Sewaddle crawl out from a pile of leaves. It looks like they had ducked under the hide. The pair start to munch on some big leaves from a sapling low to the ground here.
[8:47 PM] Rosalie: The performer gives a small to the little bugs and a quiet "good morning" as she walks towards the other voices. Her ragged costume sewn together over time from the bits and pieces she either found or made.
[8:48 PM] Vasko: Vasko looks back inside his tent, "Guess you're right, all there... And everyone's fine? Was there a stampede? That'll teach me to sleep in. Well, nothing to it but to pack up. Good a sign as any to get started on the day."
[8:49 PM] Wick: "Just some curious critters. But yes, let's get moving. We're barely out of sight of town," Wick says, lighting a torch with the smoldering remains of the campfire to burn away some of this fog.
[8:52 PM] castella: The flame cuts through the fog, revealing a small gathering of curious bugs - Paras and Venipedes mostly - who had congregated a safe distance from your camp. The scuttle into half-rotted logs, up into tree hollows, and into piles of leaves.
[8:53 PM] Wick: Wick smiles at the critters, and then packs up his tent and provisions quickly. Within five minutes or so, he's ready to set out.
[8:53 PM] castella: After the initial burst of activity, you're left in relative silence...just the muted rush of the river and your own thoughts.
[8:54 PM] Rosalie: Rosalie packs her tend and supplies back up, smiling as the torch provides an obvious gathering point. She joins Wick with a cheery smile and another quiet  "good morning".
[8:56 PM] Wick: "Morning beautiful. Ready to perform as always I see. Don't you tire of such an elaborate morning ritual though?"
[8:57 PM] Vasko: Vasko nods at the others, happy for the light. He laughs at Rosalie's greeting, jokingly replying, "Good morning, she says! Hah! Well, it's definitely a morning, but I've had better ones."
[8:58 PM] castella: You don't exactly have much of a directive from town...especially because you're basically one quarter of what constitutes "town" anyway. So, how are you planning to proceed from here?
[8:58 PM] Rosalie: "Oh, it gives me something to do each morning to get me going. In truth, I am...usually not particularly conscious when I begin!"(edited)
[8:59 PM] Rosalie: "How far did we plan on going on this trip? Until we found something of note?"
[9:01 PM] Wick: "Well... until we either run out of provisions, find something worth turning back for, one of us is too injured to continue, or... I guess if we end up traveling for a week and find nothing, we ought to turn back then too..."
[9:02 PM] Vasko: "Let's hope we don't have to go back empty-handed! We'd never live it down. Gotta set a good example, too."
[9:02 PM] Rosalie: "A sensible plan as always!"
[9:03 PM] Wick: "If we're ready, let's move out then!"
[9:03 PM] Wick: Wick MOVES OUT
[9:03 PM] castella: Are you doing anything in particular to make it easier to navigate, or just pressing on into the fog?
[9:05 PM] Vasko: Well, we could follow the tracks left behind by the visitors, or follow the sound of the river
[9:05 PM] Wick: Well I have my torch... Following the river also sounds like a good idea
[9:06 PM] Rosalie: The river seems like a decent enough waypoint.
[9:06 PM] castella: Okay! Whoever's taking the lead IC (won't matter mechanically) give me a d20 roll with a +3 bonus.
[9:06 PM] castella: /channel_inline_toggle
[9:06 PM] BOTGM's Toolkit: castella: Currently, inline rolls are disabled in this channel.
If you would like to toggle it, type /Yes. Otherwise, type /No.
[9:06 PM] castella: /Yes
[9:06 PM] BOTGM's Toolkit: Inline roll set to True!
[9:06 PM] Wick: 1d20+3
[9:06 PM] BOTGM's Toolkit: Wick:
1d20+3:(18)+3=21
[9:11 PM] castella: Following the river proves quite fruitful! The ground near the river is relatively easy to travel, barring a bit of tall grass. As you proceed further east, you start to come up on the huge spires you saw way off in the distance only yesterday. Up close, you see they appear made of sandstone and other layers of rock, like someone had pulled up millions of years of compressed stone to put on display to the world. Some of them even look climbable and not as steep as they first appeared. Another a bit further away, at the edge of your torchlight's reach, appears to have a cave opening in its side.
[9:13 PM] castella: Traveling along the river, you had intermittently heard wings flapping overhead, as well as the splash of something in the water ahead of you. You get the sense that some Pokemon have been following you, and are zeroing in on your position, but the relative ease of your path has left you with more than enough attention span to notice before they could sneak up on you.
[9:15 PM] Rosalie: Her voice drops to a whisper. "Shall we lay low and wait for them to pass?"
[9:15 PM] Wick: "Hrmph. We're being tailed, and not with friendly intentions. It might be worth exploring that cavern upon the spire - it'll give the Pokemon following us time to get bored and find easier prey."
[9:17 PM] Vasko: "Sounds like a good idea to me. Though, there could be something much worse in the cave!" Vasko doesn't seem as upset about that possibility as he maybe should be.
[9:17 PM] castella: Visual reference for the area, btw: https://d3hne3c382ip58.cloudfront.net/resized/750x420/zhangjiajie-national-forest-park-day-tour-tour-2-259057_1510029029.JPG

[9:18 PM] Rosalie: "There is always something much worse in the cave, but the heroes inevitably vanquish it, no?" A sly grin crosses her lips.
[9:19 PM] Vasko: "Exactly! Now you're catching on. And they're catching up, so maybe we ought to hurry.."
[9:19 PM] Wick: "Right. Well, this way..."
[9:19 PM] castella: Also BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOhpHX3q7P8
YouTube
Mooncrystal
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles - OST - Twilight in Dreamland

[9:20 PM] Wick: Wick leads on towards the cavern at the base of the spire, waving his torch around for vision.
[9:21 PM] Rosalie: Rosalie's steps grow lighter as they approach. Almost dramatically so!
[9:23 PM] castella: The light of your torch causes yet more Paras who were dozing just inside the cave entrance to wake up with a start and scatter. The inside of the cavern is slick, compounded by the smoothness of the sandstone floor. The torch reveals a narrow passage forward - single file lines only! - that slopes up and appears to open into a larger area, which is too far for your light to reach.
[9:27 PM] Vasko: "Can you see what's up there? Wait - nevermind. Better if it's a surprise. If I can get there..." Vasko has to squeeze through the passageway, "Somehow, I don't think this cave kept people my size in mind when it was forming. Real cramped."
[9:28 PM] Wick: "Caves are always so yonic, aren't they? It's unsettling. Delving in is like...  being un-born into some dark abyss where time hasn't started yet. Anyway I'll lead the rear since I've got the light so... after you Rosalie," Wick muses, his hand petting Wander, who sticks close to his legs.
[9:28 PM] castella: Whoever's last in line - guess that's Wick! - give me a Quick roll!
[9:28 PM] Rosalie: "And sometimes a cave is...simply a cave." She clicks her tongue in amusement as she patiently follows Vasko.
[9:29 PM] Wick: 1d20+3
[9:29 PM] BOTGM's Toolkit: Wick:
1d20+3:(13)+3=16
[9:31 PM] Wick: "All caves are caves, but ... oh forget it," Wick sighs, leading the back of the group when...
[9:32 PM] castella: "Gyuuuu~!" You instinctively dart back a step as a Goomy falls from the ceiling down on where your head was just a moment prior. It starts to tumbles down the narrow passage but flails and grabs onto your pants leg with a sticky appendage to keep from rolling all the way down and out of the cave.
[9:34 PM] castella: Up above you, a beady eyed Spinarak pokes its head out of a hole in the cave ceiling and waves an arm at the Goomy in the universal sign for "get off my lawn!".
[9:34 PM] Wick: "Oh no."
[9:34 PM] Wick: Wick picks up the poor Goomy.
[9:35 PM] Wick: "Are you all right, small mucous creature?"
[9:35 PM] Vasko: Vasko tries to crane his neck to look back, "You, uh, you okay back there?"
[9:36 PM] castella: "Goom." The blobdragon sighs with relief. It looks...bitten in a few places? Doesn't seem so bad off, especially with its jelly-like body that already seems to be filling in the holes. It's very sticky though. You don't know if you can get it out of your arms now that you've picked it up. Ever.
[9:37 PM] Rosalie: "Is it...always supposed to be that slimy?"
[9:37 PM] castella: The Spinarak meanwhile watches your group warily. Intruders. It waves two of its front legs menacingly and makes little clicking noises.
[9:38 PM] Wick: "Hmm," Wick says, shaking his arm a few times, testing to see how tightly it's stuck on. Then he simply shrugs. "I see. Then I accept you into the collective that is Wicklethan Varagrav. You will be provided with an entity designation moniker shortly."
[9:40 PM] castella: You shake your arm, and it holds on tighter!
[9:42 PM] Vasko: "You're sure you're good, right, Wick? And sober?" Vasko watches the Spinarak, "What, is that all, little guy?" He only kind of hopes so.
[9:43 PM] castella: Give me an...Intense roll!
[9:43 PM] Rosalie: "It would certainly liven things up were he imbibing something!"
[9:44 PM] Vasko: 1d20+2
[9:44 PM] BOTGM's Toolkit: Vasko:
1d20+2:(20)+2=22
[9:44 PM] Wick: "If you are implying that I am under the influence of alcohol, I will have you know I haven't had anything alcoholic in hours and sadly very much sober."
[9:44 PM] castella: The Spinarak backs up a step, as if to leap down upon you! Then it realizes you are a giant creature many times its size, the likes of which it has never seen before in this cave or the forest at large. It quietly retreats into its hole and covers the entrance with a rock.
[9:45 PM] Rosalie: "Aw, you've scared it!"
[9:45 PM] Wick: "For the best. Now we don't have to beat it up."
[9:45 PM] castella: The Goomy meanwhile has started crawling up your arm, Wick, coming to rest on your shoulder. It licks your face, like a dog, then pants like one too, tongue hanging out of its gooey mouth.
[9:46 PM] Vasko: "Exactly what I was going for. Heh, unless it's going to get backup..."
[9:46 PM] Wick: "Probably. The ancient video-tales shows us that Giant Spiders are classic foes to Adventurers."
[9:47 PM] Wick: Wick pets the Goomy lightly, making sure he doesn't get his other hand stuck.
[9:48 PM] castella: 1d2 mf
[9:48 PM] BOTGM's Toolkit: castella:
1d2:(1)=1
[9:49 PM] Vasko: "Everyone, uh, good to continue on, then? Not stuck to the floor? Or the walls? Or anything else it would be inconvenient to be stuck to right now?"
[9:49 PM] Wick: "Nope, just to this creature. Goo to go."
[9:50 PM] Rosalie: Rosalie claps excitedly at the pun.
[9:52 PM] castella: With the spider gone and the Goomy rescued, you all can squeeze your way through the narrow corridor. Before you lies...a slightly larger room, maybe the size of a small kitchen. Still pressed up close to the layered sandstone walls, you can see ancient imprints from ferns, leaves, other fossilized plants. Here, there are two paths forward. One goes back down towards the ground, and you can hear the sound of flowing water coming from that way. The other spirals upwards, and you can see more and more of the fossilized imprints on those walls.
[9:53 PM] Rosalie: She runs her hand along some of the imprints in curiosity.
[9:56 PM] Vasko: Vasko too plants his hand on the leaves, shoving his face near them, scanning the fossils, "Fascinating...I've never seen most of these before! What I wouldn't give to take some of these back. We should go further! Maybe, just maybe, some of these might still live further on!"
[9:56 PM] castella: Rosalie, you brush your hand along the fossils. You notice on closer examination there are some smaller imprints that seem to come from shells, or maybe bones of a sort...nothing identifiable yet.
[9:57 PM] Rosalie: "Indeed, it would make a most curious tale."
[9:58 PM] Wick: "I hope you're right. It's said things elsewhere dead live and dream within the earth... why not here then? But more likely - silence and darkness. I'm prepared to enjoy either."
[10:00 PM] Vasko: "Too bad you brought a torch, then, isn't it? Come on, stick to me!"
[10:00 PM] Rosalie: She puts a hand to Vasko's back, imitating one of the slimy sounds of the goomy.
[10:01 PM] Vasko: "Not what I--you know what, fine, that works."
[10:02 PM] Wick: "Upwards first. We'll be in the sky while also in the earth. That's funny, isn't it?"
[10:02 PM] Wick: "Wait that's just what buildings are... this is still weird though..."
[10:04 PM] Vasko: Vasko has a hard time believing his friend hasn't been sipping on something behind his back(literally) the whole time, but he opts not to call him out on it.
[10:05 PM] castella: Upwards you go! The fossils on the wall grow larger and more varied as you go, but you also see a disturbing amount of spider webs woven across the ceiling above you, out of reach....This time, the passage opens up to a much larger chamber of rock, with a gaping hole smack in the center. On the far wall, there's a series of ledges formed from the imprints of larger bones that lead up to another tunnel. Right at the base of it, there are piles of rocks broken off from this wall.
[10:06 PM] Wick: "The bones grow," Wick says simply as he observes the chamber.
[10:06 PM] Rosalie: Rosalie cautiously approaches the rocks to sift through them.
[10:06 PM] castella: Give me an Insightful or Focused roll, Rosalie!
[10:07 PM] Rosalie: /roll 1d20+2 Insightful, though it's the same either way
[10:07 PM] BOTGM's Toolkit: Rosalie:
1d20+2 Insightful, though it's the same either way
[10:07 PM] BOTGM's Toolkit:
ParseException: s at 9
[10:07 PM] Rosalie: oop
[10:07 PM] Rosalie: /roll 1d20+2
[10:07 PM] BOTGM's Toolkit: Rosalie:
1d20+2
[10:07 PM] BOTGM's Toolkit:
(15)+2=17
[10:07 PM] Vasko: "Be careful! Don't slip! No telling what's down there..."
10:09 PM] castella: You stoop down and start going through the rocks, almost immediately finding what looks like a large rocky feather, perfectly preserved as stone now. You also notice that nestled among some of the fossils and partially hidden under them are...eggs. Pokemon eggs. Like a nest of some sort...
[10:09 PM] castella: They have a pattern on them suggestive of scales.
[10:11 PM] Rosalie: Her head tilts back and forth as she considers the eggies. She looks around for any signs of a guardian.
[10:11 PM] castella: You don't seeeeeee any nearby right now.
[10:12 PM] castella: But there are definitely signs of a larger Pokemon having been in this area.
[10:13 PM] Rosalie: She scrunches up her face for a moment before reaching to acquire one of the eggs and stash it away.
[10:13 PM] Wick: "A tantalizing choice... and temptation wins out. Let's hope the mother isn't the vengeful sort."
[10:14 PM] Wick: Wick continues on up ~
[10:15 PM] castella: You stash the egg away! As Wick starts up the wall, you all hear rubble shifting from the hole, and a claw reaches up and grabs the edge.
[10:15 PM] Vasko: Vasko picks up the feather stone, "Well...it's no plant, but maybe it can provide a little insight for someone." He stows it away, and follows Wick.
[10:16 PM] castella: A Haxorus begins to climb up out of the hole. It yawwwwns slowly, rubbing its eyes groggily. Then it spies all of you and snarls, swinging its head back and forth as it slowly approaches the pile at the base of the wall.
[10:17 PM] Wick: "Oh."
[10:17 PM] Rosalie: "Oops, we should probably make with the fleeing now!" She begins backing away slowly, trying to keep the poached egg out of view.
[10:18 PM] castella: The Haxorus swings its tail viciously, clearing the space around it, then it stoops down and nudges the pile of rocks. It seems to be counting...
[10:18 PM] Wick: "But there's lots left to explore here..."
[10:18 PM] Vasko: "Right! No worries!" Vasko puts himself between the others and the Haxorus, "This is what I trained for, we'll all be fine! Er, if we have to fight, I mean. Not that I'm saying we should..."
[10:19 PM] Wick: "I vote fight. We've only scratched the surface..."
[10:20 PM] Rosalie: "It's still early, plenty of time for more bad decisions to make a good story!"
[10:20 PM] Wick: "Hrmph. Fine. Down it is."
[10:20 PM] Wick: Wick begins retreating! There's still that WATERY CAVE to explore...
[10:21 PM] Rosalie: She's hot on his heels!
[10:21 PM] castella: You head back down! About halfway there, you hear an ear-splitting roar from the cave above. Oops, guess she finished counting...Give me Quick rolls!
[10:21 PM] Rosalie: /roll 1d20
[10:21 PM] BOTGM's Toolkit:
1d20=1d20
(4)=4
[10:21 PM] BOTGM's Toolkit: Rosalie:
1d20
[10:21 PM] Vasko: Vasko, now in the back, acts as a sort of rear guard, keeping an eye on his flank.
[10:21 PM] Vasko: 1d20
[10:21 PM] BOTGM's Toolkit: Vasko:
1d20:(18)=18
[10:22 PM] Rosalie: (Can I apply my tumbler ripoff skill trait cuz running through a cave?)
[10:22 PM] Wick: 1d20+3
[10:22 PM] BOTGM's Toolkit: Wick:
1d20+3:(18)+3=21
[10:22 PM] castella: Go for it
[10:22 PM] Rosalie: /roll 1d6
[10:22 PM] BOTGM's Toolkit:
1d6=1d6
(1)=1
[10:22 PM] BOTGM's Toolkit: Rosalie:
1d6
[10:22 PM] Rosalie: 5!
[10:24 PM] castella: Wick and Vasko, you book it down the passage! Rosalie, you're shaken by the sudden roar and trip! When you get back up, you see the Haxorus bearing down the passage at you, her head swinging back and forth in a violent dance. Luckily for you, she's blinded by her rage and tumbles past you, just grazing you with the side of her head - lose two Ticks of HP! - before slamming into the cave wall, momentarily dazed.
[10:25 PM] castella: You manage to pick yourself up and catch up with the others in the small chamber, but you hear another roar from above and the sound of crashing rocks as the Haxorus picks herself back up
[10:27 PM] Vasko: "Rosalie! Can you still run? Anything broken? I didn't notice you fall...that's my fault."
[10:28 PM] Rosalie: The harlequin whimpers a little from the pain, but seems to be able to run without issue. "It's fine! Everything's fine! Don't stop running though!"
[10:28 PM] Wick: "Right! This way then!" Wick says, still moving, sliding down towards the cavern where they heard water before
[10:32 PM] castella: Down the other path, you see veins of crystal spreading out like a grid through the wall. You emerge into a tall and wide chamber, the size of a stadium, dotted with pools of pristine water wreathed with fractal patterns from the veins of crystal set in the stone here. On the other side of the room, a rushing underground river funnels into a dark tunnel. More Goomies are resting here at the side of the pools, and you think you spy a few Machop lounging in one of the far pools as well.
[10:34 PM] castella: All of the Pokemon take notice at your sudden entrance, then jump when they hear the Haxorus stomping around in the chamber above. Everything is silent for a moment, then you can hear it smashing against rock - probably the wall with the narrow passage through which you first entered the cave
[10:34 PM] castella: It seems preoccupied...for now. Maybe. Hopefully??
[10:36 PM] Rosalie: She whispers carefully, "Perhaps we should hang out here for a bit? Maybe hide?"
[10:36 PM] Vasko: "How long until it decides that rock isn't what stole her egg?"
[10:38 PM] Wick: "I suppose we could lounge among the gray naked fightmen here until she gets tired? Plenty of hiding spaces if she does get down here..." Wick says, moving towards one of the pools and looking inside.
[10:38 PM] Rosalie: "...it would be stranger if they were not naked."
[10:39 PM] Vasko: "But more intriguing to report. Pokemon in tuxedos? The rest'd get a kick out of that."
[10:40 PM] castella: The water is clear and pristine. At the center of the pool, there's a Squirtle sleeping at the bottom. Once in a while, little bubbles float to the surface from its mouth.
[10:40 PM] Wick: ".... Fucking. Adorable."
[10:40 PM] Rosalie: "Positively!"
[10:41 PM] Wick: Wick shakes his head at the cute squirtle, disgusted with how adorable it is, and moves onward, looking around at the crystals too.
[10:42 PM] castella: One of the Machop slowly makes its way up the tunnel to take a peek at what's going on up there. After several seconds, you see it return with an expression of utter fear on its face. It walks up to the rushing river, hops in, and is quickly ferried away by the rushing water.
[10:43 PM] Rosalie: "O-Oh."
[10:44 PM] castella: The crystals reflect your torch light, gleaming with all the colors of the rainbow. There are some chunks with denser crystal veins you can take as samples.
[10:45 PM] Vasko: Vasko watches the poor little Machop float away, "...that bad...? Better get ready! To run or fight, one."
[10:45 PM] castella: The other Machop look over at their friend, look upwards at the source of the sounds, then as one, they all get up and start to walk over to the river too, jumping in like it's a water slide.
[10:45 PM] Wick: "Huh. Neat. Hold this," Wick says, handing his torch to Rosalie.
[10:45 PM] Rosalie: She holds it dutifully, still a little perturbed and unsure as to whether they should be following the Machops.
[10:45 PM] Wick: Wick quickly takes off his shirt, stuffs it in his backpack, and then jumps into the waterslide too!
[10:46 PM] Rosalie: "...w-wait...um..."
[10:46 PM] castella: The water is...even faster than it looks! Give me a Strong roll!
[10:46 PM] Wick: 1d20
[10:46 PM] BOTGM's Toolkit: Wick:
1d20:(4)=4
[10:48 PM] Vasko: "Oi! What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Vasko starts to run up to the side of the, uh, 'slide', in case he has to save this guy from drowning
[10:48 PM] castella: Oof. Ouch. Ow. Oof! You're tossed by the water against the walls of the narrow tunnel, and at one point the strong current even tugs you underwater briefly! After a couple minutes of being thrashed about by the river, you're unceremoniously ejected from the cave, flying out over a short waterfall and landing in a thankfully deep pool of water.
[10:49 PM] castella: You're outside again! It's still heckin foggy out here, but you can see the Machop nearby at least. They seem to be drying themselves off with what looks like...a really raggy large cloth? Definitely human in make, but old and worn.
[10:50 PM] Vasko: "...we're never seeing him again, are we?"
[10:50 PM] castella: It looks like they're used to this. Must be their "in case of angry dragon mom" contingency.
[10:50 PM] Wick: Wick rises from the pool with a deep gasp, bleeding and smiling from ear to ear. "Holy fuck that was awesome!" he says, looking between the Machop and the Goomy.
[10:50 PM] castella: Goomy is still steadfastly stuck to your shoulder!
[10:50 PM] castella: Oh yeah, lose two Ticks of HP, Wick~
[10:50 PM] castella: Ouch. Oof. Ow.
[10:51 PM] Rosalie: "I guess...uh...we should follow?" She starts jogging alongside the river as far as she can without actually getting into it herself.
[10:51 PM] castella: You can't get very far along the river without just jumping in, unfortunately. The tunnel isn't that wide, so it becomes totally filled by the river quickly
[10:53 PM] Rosalie: With a sigh, she puts the torch out, packs it away, and makes sure the egg is secure. She gives Vasko a dejected shrug and climbs in, trying to stay near the side to have something to hold onto...and to keep water away from her makeup.
[10:54 PM] castella: Strong checks for those getting in the slide!
[10:54 PM] Vasko: "...I suppose so. Now I know, if all my friends jumped off a bridge, guess I would too." Vasko hops in as well!
[10:54 PM] Vasko: 1d20+4
[10:54 PM] BOTGM's Toolkit: Vasko:
1d20+4:(13)+4=17
[10:54 PM] Rosalie: 1d20
[10:54 PM] BOTGM's Toolkit: Rosalie:
1d20:(18)=18
[10:55 PM] castella: Vasko and Rosalie, both of you manage to keep control as you go down the slide! About halfway down, you can hear another roar as the Haxorus stomps down into the pool room. You both shoot out of the cave and land in the pool near Wick~
[10:57 PM] castella: Wick, now that you've had some time to get your bearings, you notice something in the distance, up and away to the east - little dots of light, standing out in the fog.
[10:57 PM] castella: They look like distant lanterns.
[10:57 PM] Wick: Wick swims around slowly, floating on his back, squirting water from his mouth straight into the air
[10:57 PM] Wick: "Hey dudes. Fun ride eh?"
[10:57 PM] Vasko: Vasko gets up and shakes off, "So now we know - let Wick go first. If he survives, it's good for the rest of us."
[10:58 PM] Wick: "You couldn't have possibly known I survived before you jumped in too. I could have been bloody chunks somewhere."
[10:58 PM] Rosalie: In complete amazement that she managed to weather the slide without catastrophe, she hops up and down excitedly, water splashing about. "That was...astounding!"
[10:58 PM] Wick: "But those Machop looked pretty confident so it wasn't much of a risk."
[10:59 PM] castella: Speaking of the Machop, they're all huddled together and grunting. The way they keep looking your way once in a while, they're clearly talking about you
[10:59 PM] Rosalie: Rosalie waves! "Good morning!"
[10:59 PM] Vasko: "It...was pretty fun, I'll admit. But whether it was more reckless than facing the dragon, I'm not sure."
[11:00 PM] castella: The machop looks unsure. It mimics your waving motion, cautiously
[11:01 PM] castella: One of them picks up the giant cloth they used to dry off and walks over slowly, offering it to you with an unsure expression
[11:01 PM] castella: The others watch this with great curiosity
[11:02 PM] Vasko: Anyone got a speedo and a belt? Vasko could maybe pass for a Machoke. As is, he regards the Machop with a bit of interest, watching how they interact with Rosalie.
[11:02 PM] Rosalie: She uses it to try to towel off, smiling at them appreciatively!
[11:03 PM] castella: The Machop raises its hands in triumph at seeing you're friendly! It punches you on the shoulder. Hard. Ouch! Based on the other Machops' reactions though, this is...a friendly gesture?
[11:05 PM] Rosalie: She takes the punch with a quiet whine, punching it back, albeit it's practically a pat on the shoulder in comparison.
[11:06 PM] castella: It grins widely, despite your pathetic attempt at a punch. It then walks over and offer the cloth to Vasko and Wick as well. The other Machop are just idling about, with a sort of "what now?" expression on their faces
[11:08 PM] Vasko: "Oof, you okay, Rosalie?" He nods in appreciation to the Machop, drying himself off, "Heh, thanks, little guy." He punches its arm, probably harder than Rosalie's, but nothing aggressive.
[11:08 PM] Wick: "Thank you, gray naked friend. You are very kind," Wick says, taking the blanket and kinda patting his chest with it a bit before handing it back.
[11:09 PM] castella: Vasko and Wick each get a greeting punch too as they towel off. With everyone dry, the Machop folds the cloth up and leaves it by the side of the pool. After a bit more discussion amongst themselves, they apparently decide to wait out the Haxorus's tantrum with a nap
[11:10 PM] Rosalie: "I am...a little sore. It hit me almost exactly where the mama dragon did."
[11:10 PM] castella: They all find comfy spots on the forest ground and doze off immediately
[11:10 PM] Wick: "Do you need me to hit you somewhere else to balance you out?"
[11:10 PM] Vasko: "You reckon that thing can swim?"
[11:10 PM] Wick: "Or can we go explore those lights," Wick says pointing to the mystery lights
[11:11 PM] Rosalie: She grins at Wick. "Ever the amusing one!"
[11:11 PM] Rosalie: "Lights are always worth exploring!"
[11:11 PM] Vasko: "Your curiosity knows no bounds or reason, does it? Well...that's fair. I'm still in top shape. What's a few little lights to me?"
[11:12 PM] Wick: "Right. Onward then! Let me light a torch again..."
[11:12 PM] Wick: Wick does so, and begins walking towards the lights he saw before.
[11:14 PM] castella: You all start off toward the lights in the distance. From here on out, the path becomes hillier, but you're still pretty much following the river exactly. As you get closer, you can see the rough form in the distance of some sort of structure - definitely not a natural landmark.
[11:15 PM] castella: Once in a while, you hear the unmistakable chime of a bell from across the river as you continue, but it fades away quickly.
[11:15 PM] Rosalie: "We seem to have been spotted I'd wager!"
[11:16 PM] Wick: "Maybe. Could just be bells."
[11:16 PM] Vasko: "Wait... You don't think there's someone over there, do you? If we could find another settlement - that would be huge!"
[11:17 PM] Wick: "This close? We'd have run into their scouts right? Maybe though..."
[11:17 PM] Wick: "Let's go see!"
[11:17 PM] Wick: Wick moves faster
[11:17 PM] Rosalie: "Well it is a little hard to see..."
[11:17 PM] Rosalie: Not wanting to be left behind in the fog, she hurries along with Wick despite this seeming like a poor approach!
[11:20 PM] castella: You hurry along, and the structure up ahead becomes clearer and clearer - it's the remains of what appears to be a fortress, constructed in the style of the Lotus people. Immaculate stonework that has survived centuries of modernity - as well as the overgrowth of the post-apocalypse years. The sources of light become apparent too - rows of braziers lining a path up to the fortress, roughly positioned in stone assemblages.
[11:21 PM] castella: A chimchar appears from behind one, having just relit a brazier that had snuffed itself out. It hasn't seemed to have noticed you yet
[11:22 PM] Vasko: "Oh! Have they been trained, or... Is that instinct?"
[11:22 PM] Rosalie: "Good morning!" She calls out to the Chimchar.
[11:22 PM] Rosalie: "...oh, is it still morning?"
[11:23 PM] castella: The Chimchar peeks out your way, then its eyes widen and it yips excitedly, waving at you and jumping up and down. It then darts off towards the fortress.
[11:24 PM] castella: It is...late afternoon to early evening by now. You probably stopped briefly to eat at some point on the latest leg of this trek.
[11:25 PM] Rosalie: She shrugs and follows after the monkey.
[11:25 PM] Vasko: "Abandoned fortress, good enough a place as any to rest for the night. If we don't get charred for trying."
[11:25 PM] Wick: "Huh, a fire Pokemon. Neato."
[11:26 PM] Wick: "An abandoned fortress is much more than that, that's huge! There could be tech left behind, or other stuff we can use... it's close enough to base we could use it as an outpost."
[11:26 PM] Wick: "Let's go!"
[11:26 PM] castella: You're greeted by a bustling crowd of Chimchars, Mankey, and Pansage. They...kinda swarm all over you, sniffing. After a minute, they back off, clearly disappointed by something, but they immediately perk up again and start to lead you into the fortress.
[11:27 PM] Wick: "This is the most welcoming group of wild Pokemon I've ever encountered..." Wick murmurs, a little suspicious, but he follows towards the fortress
[11:27 PM] Rosalie: Rosalie tries to see if she can spot the first Chimchar they saw.
[11:28 PM] Vasko: "They're oddly friendly, yeah. But, we shouldn't complain, right?" Vasko follows Wick, in case he runs into more trouble
[11:29 PM] castella: There are some signs of modernity here, now that you get closer, but not in the way you might have first expected. You pass metal plaques with inscriptions on them, some of them even still readable! They describe this as the Tashkar Dam Fortress, and you can pick up little snippets of history - apparently this was an impressive dam from ancient times.
[11:30 PM] castella: You...don't see much of a dam here anymore. The river surges straight through the middle of the fort now, which explains some of the changes to the geography you passed through at least, though not the spires. Some things will just remain mysteries.
[11:31 PM] Rosalie: "Quite the find!"
[11:32 PM] castella: You don't see any other humans as you enter the fortress, but there are unmistakable signs that a human other than you has been here before, like folded cloth similar to that the Machop had as well as woven baskets holding fruits and vegetables.
[11:32 PM] Wick: "Huh. Woah. That's wack."
[11:32 PM] castella: Two Primeapes guard one basket in particular, with a tall pile of gleaming red chili peppers in it.
[11:33 PM] Vasko: "Amazing! If these Pokemon are this friendly, this could be a great asset. We may even be able to repair it, eventually..."
[11:33 PM] Wick: "Maybe there IS someone living near here, unless the monkeys did all this gathering themselves..."
[11:34 PM] Rosalie: She waves to the Primeapes. "Good mor- eh...good afternoon!"
[11:35 PM] castella: The Primeapes give you a salute. They look at you as if expecting something from you and seem at least a bit confused - you'd guess they expected you to be bearing more chili peppers maybe?
[11:35 PM] Vasko: "Seems like they were waiting for someone else. That would explain why they looked disappointed earlier."
[11:36 PM] castella: Meanwhile, other monkeys are sizing up Wick and Vasko as they lead the pair to a room with a single crude futon on the floor. Beyond that is what looks rather similar to a Pokemon battling arena, with cages in a corner. The monkeys tug on Vasko's pants leg and start pulling him that way excitedly
[11:36 PM] Wick: "Uh? Oh are we slave gladiators now?"
[11:37 PM] castella: Over in the cages are a pair of Trapinch and a Shinx. The monkeys hop up and down and gesture at the caged Pokemon, then look excitedly at Vasko as one of them goes over to start undoing the cage doors. The way they act, it's like they feel they're giving you an amazing gift or something.
[11:37 PM] Vasko: "A-are we?? Hold on, little monkey. I won't lie, I can hold my own, but..."
[11:37 PM] Rosalie: Rosalie gives a quick goodbye wave and a farewell to the Primeapes before hurrying after her companions.
[11:38 PM] Vasko: "Oh? Wait, perhaps they don't mean to do battle, but they're a present? An offering? If this is meant to be a fight...what kind of relationship do these Pokemon have with the other people who come here?"
[11:39 PM] castella: The monkeys hoot and cheer as the one opening the doors shakes the cage up to rile up the Pokemon inside. Nope, definitely looks like they're prepping the Pokemon for fighting
[11:40 PM] Rosalie: "Oh dear...that seems rather cruel!"
[11:41 PM] Vasko: "Right, scratch that. Wick! Are you good to fight? Doesn't look like they're willing to give us a choice."
[11:41 PM] castella: By the time the Trapinch and Shinx are loosed from their cages, they're absolutely fuming. The monkeys all disappear, hopping up into trees nearby to watch as the angry Pokemon launch themselves at the only targets in sight - you!
[11:42 PM] castella: Position yourselves and your mons anywhere in that box!
[11:43 PM] castella: And give initiatives!
[11:43 PM] Rosalie: (I take it we should be able to see the map)
[11:43 PM] Wick: "I'm ready! Let's rumble, Wander!"
[11:45 PM] Vasko: (Yeah I can)
[11:46 PM] castella: Okay, Wick and doggo!
[11:47 PM] Wick: Wick blows a SWEET KISSO at the Shinx
[11:47 PM] Wick: 1d20 KISS KISS
[11:47 PM] BOTGM's Toolkit: Wick:
1d20:(5)=5
[11:48 PM] Wick: The Shinx is thrown of balance by the sudden winky faces, and meanwhile Wander runs up to it and STABS!
[11:48 PM] Wick: 1d20
[11:48 PM] BOTGM's Toolkit: Wick:
1d20:(20)=20
[11:58 PM] castella: 1d20 mudslap eduardo
[11:58 PM] BOTGM's Toolkit: castella:
1d20:(20)=20
[11:58 PM] Vasko: (rip)
[11:58 PM] castella: 3d6+3+12 physical ground
[11:58 PM] BOTGM's Toolkit: castella:
3d6+3+12:(4+4+5)+3+12=28
[11:59 PM] Rosalie: Eduardo looks below him, Levitating?
[11:59 PM] castella: This Trapinch isn't very smart.
[11:59 PM] castella: 1d20 bite doggo
[11:59 PM] BOTGM's Toolkit: castella:
1d20:(9)=9
[11:59 PM] castella: 3d6+3+12
[11:59 PM] BOTGM's Toolkit: castella:
3d6+3+12:(2+3+2)+3+12=22
[11:59 PM] castella: Wick + Rosalie!
August 18, 2018
[12:00 AM] Wick: Wick huffs as Wander goes down and gets ready to STRIKE these fools!
[12:00 AM] Wick: 1d20
[12:00 AM] BOTGM's Toolkit: Wick:
1d20:(20)=20
[12:01 AM] Vasko: (this bot is rigged)
[12:01 AM] Wick: 4d6+4+5
[12:01 AM] BOTGM's Toolkit: Wick:
4d6+4+5:(4+4+5+4)+4+5=26
[12:02 AM] Wick: "Watch how we do this!" Wick tells the Goomy on his shoulder
[12:02 AM] castella: You send the sparkcat flying! It's KO'd! The Trapinch is fairly hurt too but just looks angrier.
[12:02 AM] Rosalie: Eduardo shrugs and just Tackles the Trapinch again, trying to move it closer to the rest of the group.
[12:02 AM] Rosalie: 1d20
[12:02 AM] BOTGM's Toolkit: Rosalie:
1d20:(18)=18
[12:02 AM] Rosalie: 2d6+2+11
[12:02 AM] BOTGM's Toolkit: Rosalie:
2d6+2+11:(3+3)+2+11=19
[12:03 AM] castella: The Trapinch is Shaken!
[12:03 AM] Vasko: (Aight)
[12:04 AM] Vasko: Hazel's gonna run in and Leafage the Trapinch nearest it! Uh, the lower one.
[12:04 AM] Vasko: 1d20-3
[12:04 AM] BOTGM's Toolkit: Vasko:
1d20-3:(16)-3=13
[12:04 AM] Vasko: 3d6+3+8
[12:04 AM] BOTGM's Toolkit: Vasko:
3d6+3+8:(6+1+6)+3+8=24
[12:05 AM] castella: The Trapinch is taken out in a flurry of leaves!
[12:05 AM] Vasko: (And +2 Evasion and +5 DR vs Ranged attacks for a round due to LEafage's 16+ effect)
[12:05 AM] castella: The remaining one tries to recoup its honor...by biting Eduardo!
[12:05 AM] castella: 1d20
[12:05 AM] BOTGM's Toolkit: castella:
1d20:(6)=6
[12:05 AM] Vasko: "Atta girl! See, the wait wasn't for nothin'!"
[12:05 AM] castella: 3d6+3+12 if hits
[12:05 AM] BOTGM's Toolkit: castella:
3d6+3+12:(2+2+1)+3+12=20
[12:06 AM] Rosalie: Eduardo frowns. He does not like this thing.
[12:07 AM] castella: Back to the top of the round!
[12:08 AM] Wick: Wick rushes up to the remaining pincho and does a stylish pirouette kick!
[12:08 AM] Wick: 1d20
[12:08 AM] BOTGM's Toolkit: Wick:
1d20:(17)=17
[12:08 AM] Wick: 2d6+2+5
[12:08 AM] BOTGM's Toolkit: Wick:
2d6+2+5:(2+1)+2+5=10
[12:08 AM] castella: Trapinch is not very bothered by that!
[12:08 AM] Rosalie: And another Tackle.
[12:08 AM] Rosalie: 1d20
[12:08 AM] BOTGM's Toolkit: Rosalie:
1d20:(9)=9
[12:08 AM] BOTGM's Toolkit: Rosalie:
2d6+2+11:(4+6)+2+11=23
[12:08 AM] Rosalie: 2d6+2+11
[12:09 AM] castella: And with that, Eduardo punches out the last Trapinch!
[12:09 AM] Rosalie: He seems...disappointed.
[12:09 AM] castella: The monkeys cheer from the trees and then descend to swarm you with a congratulatory dance
[12:10 AM] Wick: "Hrmph! Look what you did to poor Wander! Wow, rude!"
[12:10 AM] Rosalie: "HEY! BAD MONKEYS!" She yells at them all!
[12:10 AM] Wick: Wick picks up Wander and potions him up
[12:10 AM] Vasko: "Whoa! They're not looking to join the fight, are they?"
[12:10 AM] castella: The hop back in surprise at the rebuke.
[12:10 AM] Rosalie: "It's not cool to make things fight against their will and keep them in cages and pressure people to fight and stuff!"
[12:11 AM] Wick: "I mean, I wouldn't have minded an honorable fight, but keeping caged Pokemon... despicable!"
[12:11 AM] Rosalie: She directs Eduardo to go smash the unoccupied cages!
[12:11 AM] Wick: "Apologize to this cat and these chompy things right now!"
[12:12 AM] castella: Give me Intense checks!
[12:12 AM] Vasko: "Not to my tastes, either. Wait - hold on! What if they attack? I don't know if we can handle this many!"
[12:12 AM] Rosalie: 1d20
[12:12 AM] BOTGM's Toolkit: Rosalie:
1d20:(13)=13
[12:12 AM] castella: Eduardo floats over and calmly crushes a wooden cage between his rocky hands, then another.
[12:13 AM] castella: The monkeys cower with their hands on their heads. They don't get what they did wrong!
[12:14 AM] Wick: "Hey hey, it's okay, it's okay shh shh..."
[12:14 AM] Wick: Wick gets on his knees and pets a mankey
[12:14 AM] Rosalie: "You have to ask for permission! For example..." She turns towards a Chimchar. "Would you like to come with me and fight things?"
12:14 AM] castella: The Chimchar freezes up at the scary yell-y lady! Give me a Charming roll
[12:15 AM] Rosalie: 1d20+5
[12:15 AM] BOTGM's Toolkit: Rosalie:
1d20+5:(18)+5=23
[12:15 AM] castella: The Mankey flails about until it realizes you're not going to bulli it, then lets you pet it
[12:16 AM] castella: The Chimchar points at itself like "who, me?", then slowly nods after a moment.
[12:16 AM] castella: Mankey is still scared and confused though. Why yelling and then petting?
[12:16 AM] Vasko: "I think we ought to take care of the ones they forced to fight." He tries to rouse the Shinx, "Like this one. It doesn't look as though it fits in at all."(edited)
[12:16 AM] Rosalie: "See, that's better!" She then...uh...how do you use an Apricorn or whatever? She does that.
[12:17 AM] castella: It's just like a normal poke ball except more ~aesthetic~ looking
[12:17 AM] Rosalie: Okay! She boops it against the monkey and does the thing.
[12:18 AM] castella: The Shinx wakes up slowly. After blinking a few times, it starts to crawl away, whimpering.
[12:20 AM] Rosalie: Rosalie then promptly employs the Chimchar as Royal Egg Carrier to help keep it warm.
[12:20 AM] Vasko: "Whoa, hold on! You shouldn't try to move like that!" He almost tries to grab it, to stop it from hurting itself, but decides he shouldn't try to spook it, and takes a gentler approach, holding his palm out with a little bit of jerky, "See? No harm meant."
[12:22 AM] castella: The Shinx stops. It looks around warily at the monkeys all around you, but slowly approaches you regardless. It nibbles at the jerky, then its eyes widen and it chomps the whole rest of the piece down in a gulp.
[12:24 AM] Vasko: "Food's something we can all agree on, huh? What do you say, little one, would you like to come along? Be much more comfortable than here."
[12:25 AM] castella: Meanwhile, it seems like the rest of the monkeys are holding a small council amongst themselves. After a bit, their expressions still look every bit as confused as before, but they seem to have decided that the best course of action is to give you all Apology Food, as they come back with a basket of fresh veggies and even a few bright red chili peppers on top.
[12:25 AM] castella: The Shinx quickly leaps into your arms. Anything is better than scary monkey fort
[12:27 AM] Rosalie: She accepts the basket, patting the deliverer on the head.
[12:27 AM] castella: By this point, it's starting to get dark.
[12:28 AM] Vasko: Vasko catches the Shinx, petting it and turning to the monkeys, "Oh, so now we get the offering. I see how it is. Hah! Well, thanks."
[12:28 AM] castella: The monkeys seem pretty okay with you staying the night, though it's slightly cramped with three of you in that room with the futon they have. While you have the supplies to continue on your journey, this is probably a notable enough discover to report back to town as is!
[12:28 AM] castella: Annnd we'll wrap up there unless there's any other Pokemon someone wants to approach. Feel free to continue RPing amongst yourselves though if you'd like
[12:29 AM] Wick: Wick sets up a little camp for himself outside, possibly on the roof of the fortress structures!
[12:30 AM] Vasko: (Cool)
[12:30 AM] Rosalie: Rosalie is all about that futon.
[12:31 AM] Vasko: Vasko's gonna just lay down his bedroll/sleeping bag in the room and cuddle up with the Shinx, it probably needs the comfort