The Stalkers RPG - Main Action and Team Status Thread [SEASON 3] *SWEET VICTORY!*

[Neo Emolga]

New day, fresh start, let's get to it!

I'm going to put some blessing action into this [Pewter Bowl] and I'll check to see how this [Light Green Scale] turns out.

And then I think I'll try that potato pot pie recipe I've been meaning to test out. Mmm, just thinking about it makes my mouth water! c;

Tashy gets started early in the day and spends a good amount of time purifying and blessing the [Pewter Bowl] with her Utopian-given Seinaru power. Once she completes it, the bowl glows with a peaceful and tranquil illumination.

[Pewter Bowl] has become [Blessed Pewter Bowl: <Empty>]

She then takes her time to screen through the [Light Green Scale] to see if there's anything that ties it with the essence of the Stalkers. After spending about an hour and a half delving into it, shrugs and tosses it into the trash.

Pokémon Sample [Light Green Scale] does NOT belong to a Stalker. It has been removed from the Team Inventory.

[Ladybugclue]

I guess I should rest....

[Neo Emolga]

I think I still need to rest, sorry.

Resting for the day.

Even though you had a really peaceful sleep last night, the wear and mental exhaustion of your last exorcism still remains and you feel you still need to recharge before you're ready to take on something like another Enthraller fight like that again.

You decide to remain in bed for today and allow a good, continued rest wash away the mental trauma that RttnCrps put you through. Thankfully, the dark and painful memories and sensations of that battle are slowly washing away, but it needs time.

Quincy has recovered 1 Point of Sanity.

You close your eyes and let your better dreams remind you that the good things still carry on and the darkness fades away.

Quincy the Victini (S: Psychic/Fire)

Health: 4/4
Sanity: 3/4
Perk: Lockpick | Learned Abilities: Exorcism
Failed Assassinations: 0/2

[Neo Emolga]

I got told about this place by Jeddi, might as well go sheck it out. Searching (44) Rubinelle Condominiums

You decide to head to the edge of town where the fanciful Rubinelle Condominiums are. In truth, this building almost seems out of place in a smoky, industrial town like this, but it seems like whoever put this building up probably thought others would follow suit. But that just never happened.

You search around the exterior and the grounds are very nicely kept. You get a nice look at the exterior and everything is in very good condition. There's next to no trash or rubbish to have to even search through, so your check around the exterior is quick and easy. Not surprisingly, you don't find anything much out there.

You head inside where the clean and fancy lobby with its marble flooring and gold chandelier feels almost like a rich hotel and the rooms are in very good condition. It also doesn't surprise you when you see most of these rooms have been abandoned. Anyone who had one of these likely had money and you figure they didn't stick around when the Stalkers started doing their dirty work.

In one of the rooms, it seems like whoever owned it simply left and was probably so rich that they really didn't care for most of what they left behind. You're not sure who owned the room, but you find what looks to be a Harvest Festival candle in the corner of the room. It seems like it's supposed to be scented with an apple pie smell, but either way, it's something Tashy could use for the Sin Purge Ritual. You take it with you.

Item [Festival Candle] has been added to the Team Inventory.

You search some more, but most of what you find seems to be simply expensive items you really don't need or just meaningless baubles.

As it turns out, most of the rooms are empty, likely because you figure the costs are steep and not too many Pokémon can afford condos like these. As a result, it does make searching through them quick and easy as there's not much to find.

You then seek out the place that Jeddi mentioned and it seems like she was right. In such a fancy building, there's no reason for this one door to have been blasted like this. Meanwhile, as Jeddi mentioned, the name "NHILS" has been dug into the wooden door and it looks quite grizzly and ugly.

Meanwhile, there is a kind of locking mechanism that seems highly unusual. There is a canister that looks like it requires some kind of fire or flame source to be activated. Meanwhile, there is another locking mechanism that requires a very distinctive shape to be able to insert the necessary key. It's definitely not something you could fabricate.

You notice there's a small message by this key indentation mechanism:

Only those that bear the insignia of the True Blacksmiths and the eternal forge fire may enter here.

Locked Door {Secret Room of Nhils: Missing Blacksmith Insignia Locket, Missing Flame} has been noted in the Team Records.

For a minute, you almost think it's related to the Candle of the Departed, but upon a closer inspection, it seems like this is something else entirely. This chamber and that candle look like they have nothing in common.

You decide to search through the rest of the building, but you don't find anything else that really stands out. You then decide to head out and make your way back to base.

Julia the Weavile (M: Dark/Ice)

Health: 4/5
Sanity: 4/4
Perk: Repair | Learned Abilities: Exorcism
Failed Assassinations: 0/2

[Neo Emolga]

I search outside Overland Metalworks, in hopes the site of the latest loss yields any clues

You decide to head back to Overland Metalworks to see if anything new has been left there. Upon a first inspection, you see that not much has changed, even in the area that was taped off where the police found Pashay's body.

You once again find the message warning about Edder. It seems odd that someone went through the trouble to post false information, but you also wonder if perhaps they were just mistaken. It does remind you of the fact there is a Stalker named Overkill out there, but this still doesn't give you what you need to take action.

You decide to ignore it, thinking whoever wrote it was mislead, jumped to conclusions, or was just falsifying information on purpose.

Still, despite your search around Overland Metalwork's exterior, you don't find anything new that relates to Pashay or the Stalker that killed her. It seems as though either the police found it and recovered it or there was nothing to be found in the first place.

You decide to head back and plan out your next move.

Lita the Pikachu (S: Electric)

Health: 4/4
Sanity: 3/4
Perk: Science | Learned Abilities: Investigate
Failed Assassinations: 0/2

[AgloMe Oen]

May as well take the [7734 Key] to (25) The Copperplate Hotel (Abandoned)

Oh wow, you sure you really want to do that? I mean... of course you do.

So you head back to that c̯͎͈͓̦͚̆̄͌ͫr͇ͤ͊ͤe͈̱͈̬̭͗͌͌͆ͦ̚ě̹̹͕̘̝ͬ̈́̍̑ͥ̄p̫͉̎͂̏ͪ̃͒ ̼̹̻̣ͅy̑̐ little place and wow, so it really hasn't reopened since you were last here. So you decide to head back to that freaky disturbing door that goes to the downstairs. Oh, and you spot that fun inscription again as a fun remin̼̖̿̑͆ͤder as to what gets to happen next.

ThIS iS thE DooR tO HeLL. WhERE OnlY thE WoRsT oF thE woRsT EntEr HErE.

Well, of course that means you! So you pop that sucker [7734 Key] in your mouth and jam it into the demonic keyhole. An̼̖̿̑͆ͤd of course, it all makes sense when you turn it with your hoof and ta-da, that "7734" reads "HELL" upside down. And of course the door opens with the farm-fresh scream from rusted metal. Down you go to discover some fun!

You head down the filthy metal stairs and the stạ͎̼̲̿͛̍̑ͭ͋͊irwell is dark. Hell, you can barely make your way around in this little death hole. Eventually you get to the bottom, and it seems like a scratched-up metal door is all that's standing in your way. Well, go on then! Push it open!

#Trigger Bloodstained Blade# Trap 40% Evasion Test: 20 out of 100: Failed!

Sam has suffered 2 Damage to Health! Aww, that looks like it hurt!

Oops. Looks you like didn't expect to get slashed AND impaled by those ḵ̹ǹ̜̩͍̩̥͙͛̆ị̱͊̑ͭ͐v̗̦̠ͭ̅ͨ̚e͉̬̔ͦ̀͒ͅs̯̞̓̀ͣ̐̌ and that sharpened metal pole coming out of the freak̖͇̳͛͐̏ing wall! It digs right in and feels all warm and fuzzy half-buried in your side! Oh, and by the way, you're leaking Grade-A Deerling juice all over the floor now, Sam. I'm sure mommy would be disappointed.

Despite you hurtin' and cussin' a bit, you keep going forward and you find out the room ahead is actually a lovely kitchen! Why, that seems unusual to have as the "hell" this place was speaking of!

Of course it all makes sense when you push open the door!



Holy p̹̱̲o̫̟p̳̞̘̪̫̞̫p̘̙̻̮͖in̻g snotballs, grandma.

@-The Boiling Horror@ (3 Sanity Damage)

Sam has suffered 3 Damage to Sanity! Look at you go Cuckoo-ka-chew!

You just outright V̝͚̭̣̜̘̦̫ͅO̖̜̭̗̯̝M͍͇͈I̗͔̳͖̯͔T͙̤ at what you see!

Why it's CHEF 553590's WORKSHOP! Where she COOKS POKÉMON ALIVE AFTER NEARLY STUFFING THEM TO BURSTING!!!

It gets even worse. Oh, how so do you ask!? In one corner, you find a fattened Prime̙̦͉͈̎͋̄ape carefully prepared and se̙̦͉͈̎͋̄asoned. In another, a FREAKING COMBUSKEN stuffed and deep-fried like a unholy chicken! Oh, and you wanna know the worst part? DO YOU!?

They smell delicious. And this is coming from everywhere.

It almost drives you over the edge. "No, no, no, it shouldn't be possible!" your mind tells you, but screw that! It's exactly like a nightmare version of Hansel and Gretel. All of 553590's... no, CHEF OBSESS's victims grilled, fried, boiled, what have you, aͦ̃͐l̞̞̫̓̄̆̾l̼̥̗ͣͮ̒̆ͅ ̱̟͚͈̼͂̈́̄̂̓͒ͅa̬̭͇ͦ̋̿̅r͉͚̲̯̣͔͒ͨ̋̈̃̉ͮo̮̬̱ͯ̄ͫ̚ű̾̑̀ͨ̌́ ̗͇nͭͩ̇̉̚d̮̱̒̑ ̬̮̜̹̤̥͂ͬ̐͒͊͂ͧy̜ͬo̤̿͂̃̅̓́̿u̬͍̞.



And yet you can't understand WHY THE WHOLE KITCHEN SMELLS LIKE A DELICIOUS FEAST!? You don't get it and it drives you beyond reason like never before. It can't... no, it shouldn't be possible, but oh Sam, it soooo is.

And just when you think you're about to LOSE YOURSELF, sṳ̹͔͌̒̋̉̍ddenly it all makes sense. Even after just lost yȏ͙͚̞ͦͤ̃̓͛ur lunch and a pint of blood on the floor.

You find a recipe book, slathered with blood. And you see in such sweet calligraphy on the cover...

VENDY'S RECIPES

It hits you like a lead train rushing at a thousand miles an hour and you have NO CLUE HOW YOU'RE STILL STANDING AT THIS POINT! You flip through it and g̩̋ͬ̇ͤͪo̙̗͔̺͇͙͋ͅo̰̠̙̯͓͂̏͆̚d͙̟ͧ̇̌ͮ ̰͖̗̦̣ͥ̎̾ͧͅl̝̮̳̪̘o̫͖̩͔͙̳ͣͧͮr͕̩̣̹͉͐̅̽̐̉͑ḏ̯͎͚͙ͭͅyͫ̐̚ ̟͉̻, it has everything you need to know on how to outright slaṳ̹͔͌̒̋̉̍ghter and cook just about any Pokémon you can imagine. Oh look, even a Deerling such as yourself! Turns you, you go really well with chopped onions and garlic! YUM! Just as a warning, Deerling venison tends to get a little gamey. Hey, you know, just in case you wanted to eat one of your own kind or wow, maybe even yourself!

You don't manage to get through the whole thing. With your appetite D͐̍ͧͬ͐Ê̅̍Å̰̗̺̞̬͉̄̐D͓̱͍ͫ̊ͥ, you suddenly found the absolute killer of weight-loss plans! Oh come on, tell me you laughed at that joke! T̟̳̱̟̭̳̥̳͎̭E̟͎͎̹̖͉͙̼̙̯E̤̮̲̱͔̹̘͙͈̘̫͎̜͎͉͎ͅE̲̲̘̘̯͚̭͕̗ ̠̥̦̜Ḷ̫͉͉̭̩̫̲͙̳͚̰̟̠͎̰ͅL̙͉͈̹͔̻̻L͎̭͙͕̘̥̝̮̦͙̱̤̝̣͙͈̭̣L ̟̣̩̤͙͖̖͉̠̝̻̜ ̣̩̰͇͔M̭͉̠͖̩̱E͉̖͇̩͚̥̳̯̮͎͈̼͎E̗͉̮͖̯͔̗̞̫̗̲E̳̟̻̩̻̫̯ ͅ, I'd love to know!

Well, you dec̜̠̟͚̺̩̐̌͂̇̔ide to leave with the little sanity you have left, all while trotting through puddles of blood from Arceus-knows-who and what looks like a raw sternum just sitting there like it's nobody's business. And there's a kidney there, and someone's liver there.

Vendy. Vendy the Weavile. Who'd a thunk it!? Turns out, she's a really good chef. I guess it gets easier when you have an ENTHRALLER SHOW YOU HOW IT'S DONE LIKE THIS! Yeah, you're not going to get this out of your mind for a nice loooooong while, Sam. You jitter and quiver as you go back up the stairs like your soul got hit with a taser. You make it bac̜̠̟͚̺̩̐̌͂̇̔k to the main floor and boy do your run your little Deerling butt out of there! Kinda like when Bambi was running from that hunter and his mommy got shot and- oh... did I hit you with the feels right there?

Oh, do go tell the others about Vendy. I'm sure they're just d͇͚͓͔̝͇͈y̮̒ͩ̒͂i͖̮͖̖͕͌ͦ̆̊n̲͔͉̾̔̑ͮ̔ͧͯg͚̘̞͉̔͐ͯ̈́ to know. But the fact that you know it's possible to deep fry a Pikachu and make a sweet rotisserie with a Buizel... yeah, maybe it's better if Lita and Marta don't know that.

Whoever said ignorance is bliss... they were right.

Sam the Deerling (S: Normal/Grass)

Health: 2/4
Sanity: 1/4
Perk: First Aid | Learned Abilities: Investigate
Failed Assassinations: 0/2

[Shruikan]

Ahh, umm, I still haven't caught up with this... Ehh, I don't think (16) Culton Apartment Building has been searched yet? So I'll do that.

[Neo Emolga]

I disarm the item [Damnation Nail] #Hellish Presence# (1 Sanity Damage)

As you continue your work on disarming all the traps on these Stalker items, you come across the [Damnation Nail]. As you can easily sense, even just touching this grizzly metal nail is enough to succumb to its horrifying, mind-consuming effects. You're not even able to start work on it without having to use tongs and graspers.

You first use the tongs and graspers to pick it up and lock it into a workbench vice, treating it as if the metal is red-hot. Once it's in place, you examine the metal to determine what can make it safe to hold, but still function as a nail.

Upon close testing and inspection, you learn the sanity-consuming charges are very similar to an electric charge, and immediately your mind thinks a rubber coating would be the best way to handle this thing. You're able to find a can of this necessary rubber sealant and you use that to coat the nail. You coat everything except the very point. You figure no one is going to be grabbing it by the sharp end anyway, but you need that to stay sharp so it can be used on whatever it's supposed to go into.

You give it a double coat just to make sure nothing creeps through. Once that takes hold and dries, you then take the leap of faith and hold it in your yellow paw. No problem at all. You're not sure how this will be used or who will be using it, but it can be easily hammered without making a mess of someone's mind.

The #Hellish Presence# (1 Sanity Damage) trap on the [Damnation Nail] has been removed.

You definitely feel good about a job well done.

Arrow the Jolteon (M: Electric)

Health: 5/5
Sanity: 4/4
Perk: Security | Learned Abilities: Rescue/Escape
Failed Assassinations: 0/2

[Neo Emolga]

I'll search (39) A Goal in One Sporting Goods

You head toward the center of town and you find the Goal in One Sporting Goods store, which honestly doesn't feel like the most welcoming place. Outside, the storefront looks pretty shabby. You can tell Ledric really doesn't care about making the place look presentable and inviting. The walls could really use a fresh coat of paint, as the old paint is chipping away and looks really dirty. Meanwhile, there are cracks in quite a few places and the whole place just feels old. You have a feeling ApexMart sells the same kind of thing that this place does, so why would anyone shop here?

You search around the outside perimeter and you come across a small bit of orange fur that looks like it was snagged in a crack in the wall and was yanked out as the Pokémon kept walking. You imagine it had to have pinched quite a bit, but there isn't any blood or anything like that.

You take the fur sample out of the wall and decide it might be a good idea for Tashy to test it out.

Pokémon Sample [Orange Fur] has been added to the Team Inventory.

You then decide to head inside the store itself to check it out.

Inside, things seem the same way as the outside. The carpeting in the store is really old and worn, the walls just seem dingy and dusty, and it seems like the ceiling has some water damage. Meanwhile, the lighting is pretty minimal.

The merchandise itself doesn't seem like anything special and you can instantly tell Ledric is out of his mind with the markup in these prices. Sports gear and padding costs a fortune and even just a child's version of a Strikeball set would set the poor parent back quite a few hundred Poké. It's really no surprise no one shops here and Ledric's attitude about it seems to be along the lines of "accept it as is or don't come." Seems like everyone's going with the later option. You begin to think Ledric probably went from selling modern day equipment years ago, but when they got dated because they weren't selling, he probably thought he could try selling them as sporting antiques and charge triple the normal price.

You do find something that really doesn't seem to belong with a lot of all the other overpriced and dated merchandise. It seems to be a cloak or shroud, which you can't imagine how it would be used for any kind of recreational or physical activity. You check it over and it doesn't seem like there's a price tag, but when you feel a dark presence coming from it, you realize it's not supposed to be here. As you hold it in your hands, you can feel the slightest trace of misery and woe coming from it. You decide to take it with you and you figure it's not Ledric's anyway, as it definitely doesn't belong with everything else.

Item [Shroud of Misery] has been added to the Team Inventory.

With that done, you decide to head out and you honestly don't feel bad about not buying anything. To you, it seems like Ledric has a lot to learn about how to run a business correctly.

Carly the Heracross (M: Bug/Fighting)

Health: 5/5
Sanity: 3/4
Perk: Diplomacy | Learned Abilities: Rescue/Escape
Failed Assassinations: 0/2

[Neo Emolga]

Let's talk to #52 Jeb the Mawile!

Interview Rapport: VERY POSITIVE
+1 Shared Evolution Stage
+1 Shared Type (Fairy)

You find Jeb working at the law office with his paralegal, Pyra the Leafeon. He seems like a busy guy and handles a lot of cases, but as you come through the door, his attitude goes from seemingly like a snobbish grump toward being a lot more cordial. It seems like it he doesn't even mind dropping what he's in the middle of doing to come to speak with you.

"Hello there," he gets up from his desk chair to greet you. "Pardon the appearance, a lot of my colleagues and partners are on indefinite leave because of the Stalkers. At least those who are still alive. Please understand."

You ask what Jeb knows about the Stalkers, and he nods. Considering his composure, you almost think he would have boarded up the place and would have taken shelter, but it seems like he knows that wouldn't help.

"I've lost both clients and partners to these Stalkers," Jeb tells you with a nod. "I'll admit, I'm stubborn. I stay here because I have a lot vested into my practice. Captain goes down with the ship, they always say, and I'm the last partner alive. But that doesn't keep me from feeling very concerned about what's been going on."

"I'm naturally conscientious for details," Jeb tells you, feeling a bit proud of it. "And yes, I'm paranoid sometimes. Perhaps it's because I sometimes expect the worst or that I'm being watched, but in these times, such a thing can be excused."

"I've been keeping observations on the news and the word on the street," Jeb tells you. "Each Stalker with a unique signature to the way they kill. And yet, it seems like normal Pokémon are incapable of stopping them. At first, I didn't want to believe it, but the only explanation is there are supernatural forces at work here. Stalkers blend in with other Pokémon and they only reveal themselves and their true nature when their victim's death is guaranteed. I know for certain what they do is not a typical murder."

"And yet, I've been watching you and your friends, also," Jeb nods. "Oh, it's nothing to fear, but I know a group of newcomers have come to town recently. And yes, I learned about what happened to Kanja. Or should I say... RttnCrps. No one, and I mean no one has done such a thing like that to a Stalker before."

"I don't know who you and your band of friends really are, but I know you fight for good," Jeb tells you. "I figure that's all I really need to know and I trust you are doing all you can to keep this town alive from this vice that none of us have ever dealt with before. So I'll tell you what I know. My deepest secrets, because this town is home and this practice is my dream. I don't want to see either of them destroyed and I certainly don't want to die like my partners have."

He then digs out a special, secret black binder he keeps in his desk. After unlocking it, he flips through it page by page, and each page is highly-structured with notes, diagrams, and observations. It seems Jeb has been keeping very close tabs on the Stalkers this whole time...

"There are seven Stalkers in Southwarren and I am confident of this beyond all reasonable doubt," he tells you firmly, having mapped out the patterns and behaviors of each one. "Bloodwish kills by stabbing and making sure the victims dies from blood loss. Each one of those kinds of murders are definitely related to Bloodwish. RttnCrps, who used to be Kanja, crushed victims into a paste and then made sculptures with the remains. Thank you immensely for getting rid of that one. Meanwhile, Overkill is mentioned just about everywhere and seems to be the one most commonly mentioned. I've observed their pattern for a while now and as the name implies, Overkill doesn't just murder Pokémon, but outright scatters their remains far and wide so these victims can never be put back together. Their pattern seems to be that of an endlessly working maniac and I've seen the scribbles and nonsense they've left behind. I'm sure you've heard it plenty of times before, but I agree with the others when they highly suspect Yandil the Smeargle is the one known as Overkill."

"Want more?" Jeb asks as he continues to flip through the pages. "Karrasin is your incinerator. Any Pokémon victim that was burned in fire is because of Karrasin's work. And this fire works quickly, because it's over before anyone sees it burning. Now, one of the lesser-known Stalkers that only Britera and I know about is Enis. This 'Enis' does not reveal their name very often. Whoever it is... they're very secretive and mysterious. But we have also followed their pattern and they prey off of emotion. Triggers like depression, thoughts of suicide, and self-mutilation. I definitely implore you to be very careful when dealing with that one. Then there's Nhils. Nhils is definitely a Pokémon with a lot of handicraft experience, because they're one to make tools, devices, and finished goods out of a Pokémon's body parts. Lastly, the final Stalker is not even a name, but a number. 553590. I realized it's supposed to be 'Obsess' when turned upside down, and I've seen this pattern when delving into their signatures and patterns. They work in a similar way to Nhils, in that instead of making tools and devices out of Pokémon, they make meals out of them. This one seems like a separate entity. The first letter of the first six Stalkers spells the word 'BROKEN' and yet this 553590 still works with the rest of the group. Perhaps a decoy, perhaps something else entirely."

"There you have it," Jeb explains as he closes the binder. "Seven Stalkers. I know that Kanja tried to start a rumor of 'Switchback' as a Stalker that mimics the patterns of other Stalkers, but this isn't true and it's further debunked with the originator being a Stalker themselves."

"Yes, Britera and I are close friends and we have been trying to work together on this," Jeb informs you. "A lot of her work at the police station was compromised because of Kanja. I volunteered to help her because both of us have lost a lot because of these Stalkers. I'm not confident we're strong enough to fight them, but you... whoever you newcomers are have shown you can stop them."

"I hope you're able to use this information to put an end to them," Jeb tells you. "Britera and I may not be superheroes, but we know what is important..."

Stalkers Status:

1/7 Stalkers Eliminated

BLOODWISH: <Unknown>
RTTNCRPS: Kanja the Kecleon (ELIMINATED)
OVERKILL: <Unknown>
KARRASIN: <Unknown>
ENIS: <Unknown>
NHILS: <Unknown>
553590: <Unknown>

The Main Team Status has been updated.

Madder the Mimikyu (S: Ghost/Fairy)

Health: 4/4
Sanity: 4/4
Perk: Lockpick | Learned Abilities: Exorcism
Failed Assassinations: 0/2