[SEASON 2] The Stalkers RPG - Main Action and Team Status [ENDED... FOR NOW]

**Shieldbearer** · 03-04-2017, 01:15 AM

Clock is ticking. I don't seem to be getting any suggestions, so I'll go with what feels right. Protecting 83. Lora the Kirlia. Being the very teacher of investigation herself, she likely does a fair amount of it on her spare time, so it'd likely be a good idea to get some info out of her sometime.

**LKWayvern** · 03-04-2017, 01:22 AM

I had a hunch. Can I interview Mustle the Cacturne? Particularly... I'd like to talk to him about the mission.

**Suicune's Fire** · 03-04-2017, 01:33 AM

Originally Posted by azura evley

im going to open the vine lockbox with the vine key

You make your way into Shalerich Apartment Building, holding the Vine Key in your clawed paws. You are not too glad to be doing this at night, as the building looks pretty terrifying with little to no light source available, but your headlamp can, at least, illuminate specific spots on the walls which you at first think are shadows waiting to strike. At one stage you feel something fall onto your shoulder and you leap out of the way, only to realise it was a handful of peeling paint which has just fallen from the wall. You shudder and move on, hearing the creaking floorboards as you continue.

Eventually you reach the section of the building Ciel had told her teammates about. You see where she smeared the depictions of Pokémon in pain upon the wall panel, and beside it is the caved in wall where the Tendril Locked Box sits. You were told that it can't budge, but you try it just to be sure. It doesn't move.

You slide Ciel's pack off your shoulder and reach in with a paw, catching the mouldy, vine-ridden key between your two giant claws and lift it out as the mould clears up off the bag, holding it at arm's length. It reeks of rot, but you know that you have to grasp it properly to use it in the keyhole slot. You cringe as you do so, making a note to scrub your paw later, and fit the key into the golden box. You brace yourself for something to spring out at you as you turn it and the lid pops open, but to your relief, nothing happens. Inside, there is a single piece of paper, which you extract. You immediately suspect it is a diary entry, and the rest of the diary must be hidden elsewhere or simply gone.

You pull the piece of paper out to read it.

Object =Philter Diary Entry #1= was noted in the Team Records.

You take the note and fold it up in Ciel's bag, sure that there's nothing else here for you to uncover. You leave the key with the locked box and make a beeline for the stairs, running down as fast as you can and exiting the building.

Katzu the Sneasel (M: Dark/Ice)

Health: 5/5
Sanity: 4/4
Perk: First Aid | Learned Abilities: Escort/Protect
Failed Assassinations: 0/2

**Suicune's Fire** · 03-04-2017, 02:55 AM

Originally Posted by Bulbasaur

Eddie liked engineering, and 13 is a sketchy number, so he decided to search that floor in the engineering complex!

Search (87c) Floors 11-20

You arrive at the Omnicore Engineering Complex in the dead of night and look upon it from outside the building. It's large, square, and almost looks impenetrable. You're not here to search the exterior, though, so you enter into the lobby area and make your way up to the eleventh floor, then work your way up. You can tell that a there are a lot of citizens who work here by the number of desks, workrooms, and everything in between. Blueprints cover the walls of some rooms, while others are for equipment.

You continue up the floors until you reach floor 19, which you stop to patrol like the other floors.

You walk into a room with large machines and look around using your headlamp. You feel curious about the back of the room, and as you walk near it, you see a large metal plate resting on the floor which appears to be attached to a scale. Curiously you step on it, but the needle showing the weight on the scale only goes up halfway. You note that at the top of the circular indicator, it has a blue triangle, which tells you that somebody who weighs more than you could hit the marker. But if anyone weighed more than that, the needle would miss the mark. You notice above you, near the ceiling, there is a locker which looks tightly sealed. You suspect that applying the right amount of pressure to this scale will enable the locker to open.

Object {Titanium Pressure Plate: ^Medium Pokemon^} was noted in the Team Records.

Knowing there's nothing you can do right now, you ascend to the 20th floor, which contains nothing important. You return to your teammates to let them know of your findings.

Eddie the Bulbasaur (S: Grass/Poison)

Health: 4/4
Sanity: 4/4
Perk: Science | Learned Abilities: Escort/Protect
Failed Assassinations: 0/2

**Neo Emolga** · 03-04-2017, 03:13 AM

Originally Posted by Shruikan

Hey Sam, you look like you could use some fixing up.

Use First Aid on Sam the Deerling

You employ your medical skills for Sam the Deerling. Her injuries are severe, but you feel confident enough to take care of them. Using your knowledge of how best to apply medical ointment and bandages, you address Sam's wounds by cleaning them, disinfecting them, and applying the necessary bandaging.

Sam the Deerling (S: Normal/Grass)

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

When you're all done, Sam definitely looks ready to get back in there.

Fir the Luxray (M: Electric)

Health: 5/5
Sanity: 4/4
Perk: First Aid | Learned Abilities: Escort/Protect
Failed Assassinations: 0/2

**Neo Emolga** · 03-04-2017, 03:36 AM

Originally Posted by Ladybugclue

Let's head out!
Search (47b) Floors 8-15 of the Azure Water Tower.

You head deep into the Silverbay Coast, continuing the exploration of the Azure Waters Tower. Not much has changed since the last time you were here, but it is significantly darker now that it's nighttime.

As you enter through the eighth floor, some areas of the building, especially the hallways, are dimly lit with a comforting, blue-tinted light, but it's enough to see and find your way around. It seems right for the halls to be illuminated in case a Pokémon was still up and about at this late hour.

You search the eighth floor, and while the rooms here are very clean and grand in style, nothing really seems to be out of the ordinary. You head up to check the ninth, tenth, and eleventh floors as well, but nothing stands out to you as being alarming or serious.

On the twelfth floor, it seems there are several apartments here that were once inhabited, but the inhabitants simply fled and left most of what they owned behind. One room in particular seems to look like the previous owner simply packed their bags in a hurry and fled as soon as possible. It's not entirely out of the ordinary considering it's a normal and expected reaction from the situation with the Stalkers.

In one apartment, you find an old grandfather clock that was constructed to be waterproof and usable underwater. It doesn't immediately cause any suspicions at first, but upon a second glance, something seems strange. It's locked and the hour hand and minute hand are missing. Meanwhile, it looks like it's been badly damaged and isn't something you could fix on your own.

You begin to think maybe it's just old, but you see something stuck inside. You can't get a good look at it though, but it seems like it was put there intentionally to lock it up, and that seems suspicious to you. You wonder why someone would do this, but you figure trying to piece this back together might yield answers.

Locked container {Grandfather Clock: Missing Hour Hand, Missing Minute Hand, Positioning, <Repair>} has been noted in the team records.

Unfortunately, there's nothing you can really do for this right now. You decide to check the remainder of these floors, but nothing else seems to provide any other clues around here. You then head back to the surface and swim back to the city.

Marta the Buizel (M: Water)

Health: 5/5
Sanity: 4/4
Perk: Lockpick | Learned Abilities: Investigation
Failed Assassinations: 0/2

**Suicune's Fire** · 03-04-2017, 03:38 AM

Originally Posted by Shieldbearer

Clock is ticking. I don't seem to be getting any suggestions, so I'll go with what feels right. Protecting 83. Lora the Kirlia. Being the very teacher of investigation herself, she likely does a fair amount of it on her spare time, so it'd likely be a good idea to get some info out of her sometime.

Lora is at her home in Sunspot Apartment Tower when you knock on the door. To your surprise, a Gothitelle opens the door and glares down at you. You ask for Lora, and she narrows her eyes at you before abiding and fetching the Psychic type. When Lora shows up, dressed in a colourful nightgown, she has a very curious look on her face. She cocks her head at you but offers you a smile.

"Well, hi there! What are you doing here...Emissary?" She gives you a wink. "Ooh, are you here to ask me for information on Stalkers? Or to get me to investigate someone for you? Hmm, well, I guess I could, but I'm about to turn in for the night and--"

You interject and state that you are at her doorstep to protect her from a Stalker this night, and she nods, clearly interested and a little flattered, and performs a short bow for your amusement.

"That's awfully kind of you! I can't say I'm scared of them, but hey, I'm not going to pass up the opportunity to have a sturdy, strong Pokémon like you help me!" She offers another smile, clearly trusting of you. "Well, I'm gonna head in. Want to have a bite to eat before we head off? Maybe a nice tea biscuit?" She doesn't wait for an answer before rushing into the apartment to collect a jar of pale coloured shortbread-like biscuits. She holds out the jar to you but then realises that it might be a bit awkward for you to grab one out yourself. She stuffs a hand into the jar and pulls one out, shoving it into your face. You have little choice but to eat it, and afterwards, she beams at you again and bids you goodnight.

It all happened a bit fast, but you're glad that she was grateful. You take up your position by the door, a little tired from protecting Udipheign the night before. However, you will still stand vigilant against anyone who tries to bring harm upon Lora the Kirlia.

#83 Lora the Kirlia will be defended against all Stalker attacks for this Night Cycle.

Aurimas the Bastiodon (M: Rock/Steel)

Health: 5/5
Sanity: 4/4
Perk: Diplomacy | Learned Abilities: Escort/Protect
Failed Assassinations: 0/2

**Suicune's Fire** · 03-04-2017, 04:01 AM

Originally Posted by LKWayvern

I had a hunch. Can I interview Mustle the Cacturne? Particularly... I'd like to talk to him about the mission.

You knock on the Summer's Moon Condominiums apartment door where Mustle and Nairek Cankas both live. There is a pause before a tired, worn Cacturne opens the door. Cacturne normally have black rings around their eyes, but this one seems to have larger, darker ones than normal, which you suspect are from stress or sleepless nights. Nairek was only arrested a few hours back, so you guess that his troubles with sleep were unrelated to her arrest and have been happening for a while now.

"What do you want?" Mustle spits, standing at the door and almost leaning on it for support.

You explain that you are here to help him with a problem you know he's having, and although he doesn't ask you how you know, he guesses that you would have heard what happened to his wife on holotelevision and doesn't bother to ask you for clarification.

He grunts and lets you inside, slamming the door behind you. As you walk in, you can see that the apartment is in disarray. He notices you scanning the room and grunts, "The police ransacked my apartment." The venom in his tone cues you in to the fact that he doesn't think very highly of them. "All because of Nairek."

You are shocked to hear him hiss his mate's name as he did. When you enquire about it, he seems reluctant, and sighs before sitting on his luxurious couch.

"Ever since the SCPD performed their unscrupulous raid on my apartment, I started thinking... What if Nairek is that hideous Philter character? She does go off on 'girls nights' with her gossip-loving friends, and now that this supposed evidence has been unearthed...who knows what I have been missing?" He looks disgusted as he picks up a mug of coffee, which you suspect is made from the finest, most expensive beans to be found. Having coffee at this time of night is another telltale sign of his inability to sleep.

"I have come to a conclusion, Umbreon. I have a reputation to uphold. If my mate is one of these filthy beings, I cannot be associated with her...no matter who she once was to me." He cringes ever so slightly, and you almost feel sorry for him. "I need you to do something for me."

He gets to his feet and strides over to his kitchen table, removing some documents from a plastic folder. "Take these to my attorney, Mac. He has his own building; you should be able to find him easily enough. It's a separation request... Once he sets up the correct paperwork, I'll have them sent to Nairek in prison so that she may sign them." He clears his throat, clearly realising that he is going to be causing her much distress, but believes it is necessary anyway.

MISSION OPENED: Take the papers to Mac the Glameow, or leave the situation alone.
Reward: x1 [Adrenaline Syringe]

He hands you the request, which you take almost reluctantly.

Mission item [Separation Request Papers] were added to the Team Inventory.

"I simply cannot risk it," he declares, inhaling deeply. "If you do this for me, I can offer you an Adrenaline Syringe, which are not easy to come by. You should go now."

He opens the door for you and you leave, wondering what you should do. You are not sure why Mustle elected to hand you the papers rather than going to his attorney himself, and part of you wonders if you should interfere or not. Nevertheless, the decision is up to you and your teammates.

Laura the Umbreon (M: Dark)

Health: 5/5
Sanity: 4/4
Perk: Diplomacy | Learned Abilities: Escort/Protect, Exorcism
Failed Assassinations: 0/2

**Neo Emolga** · 03-04-2017, 04:29 AM

17. Penelope the Aurorus has been murdered by the Stalkers.

Location: The back of the Cloudrise Tower building.
Cause of Death: Fear-induced trauma and heart attack.

The news struck hard. As soon as there had been an emergency call about another suspected Stalker attack, Pormalu and Sequintia had arrived on the scene to discover the body of Penelope the Aurorus, twisted and contorted as though she was squirming and struggling in horrible, macabre fright. Pormalu's heart sank when he saw the traumatized face of the Aurorus, locked and frozen in screaming, nightmarish agony as her heart locked to a stop. It bothered the Arcanine terribly to know the old librarian didn't die peacefully.

"This is how you found her?" Pormalu asked Bere the Typhlosion, who had made the call.

"You kidding!?" Bere exclaimed, looking surprised Pormalu would even ask that. "I sure didn't do that to her face! God damn, I have no clue why they'd target her! She had nothing against anyone."

And that was just it. The Stalkers... they had no qualms about killing anyone. Man, woman, or child. Young, adult, or elderly. It didn't matter if they were the darkest of Pokémon or the most kindest of souls.

"She didn't deserve this," Sequintia muttered.

Bere took one more look at her.

"I really don't want to know just what the hell did that to her," Bere remarked, looking at the horrified Aurorus body once more.

---

As paramedics arrived to take the body away, Pormalu and Sequintia felt their heart sink as Lephley the Tropius came rushing toward the scene like it was the end of the world. It was clear the horrible news was relayed to her, and tears were already streaming down her face. Before they could take the body away, there was another darker matter that had to be attended to.

"NO!" Lephley screamed, rushing to Penelope's covered body. "IT CAN'T BE! No, no, please... please... for the love of Arceus, there's no reason it could have been her! She wouldn't do anything to hurt anyone!"

"Lephley," Pormalu stated in a firm voice, trying to fight off the urge to just break down, "you're Penelope's closest contact and as Penelope has no next of kin within Silvercoal, we need a positive ID on the body."

Pormalu always hated this part.

Trembling, Lephley nodded, but only because she believed they had it wrong it wasn't Penelope they found. She believed with all her heart and soul that this had to be some other Aurorus and they had a mix up. She knew she wouldn't be able to breathe until she confirmed it, never mind sleep ever again. Slowly, carefully, and trembling all the while, she used her mouth to pull back the sheet that was covering her face.

In that moment, she saw what became of Penelope. She saw her horrified face with eyes that were locked open, frozen in ungodly fear and fright. And all Lephley could do was just scream. Scream in a way she had never done before.

It was a sound Pormalu and Sequintia were quite sure they'd never forget...

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