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

[LKWayvern]

I'd like to use Diplomacy on Rancha.

Greetings, plebeian. How is the weather on this arbitrary, meaningless day?

[Noblejanobii]

Well, I'd say that interview went splendid! Shall we try another?

Yes! I'd say we should talk to #42 Muruna the Clefable! Franny did recommend speaking to her about her husband.

Hello, madam, ignore the fact that I was just talking to myself. How are you doing today? How is your husband doing? Would you happen to know anything about the Stalkers?

[Caite-chan]

"More searching is needed."

Search: (9b) Floors 4-6

[Pokemon Trainer Sarah]

I'll interview #58 Edder the Sigilyph, ask them if they know anything about the Stalkers.

[Neo Emolga]

I'm checking the western square of the park, in hopes there are clues at the scene of the crime

During the day, you wonder if the murder last night would have even happened if things were like as they are now. The Western Square of Jekker Park is quite peaceful, quiet, and even though it's still only a short distance away from the factories, it gives you at least a bit of solace and peace in this troubling time. And while the trees, grass, and shrubs don't look at healthy as they could be, it is still nice to see a bit of nature in this usually very arid area.

You decide to check around the area where the murder happened last night. It seems as though crime scene cleanup did a pretty decent job, but there's still police tape around where it happened. You can't really take a closer look, but you get the idea that the murder didn't actually happen here. It happened somewhere else and the Stalker placed Salsha's body here in a public area where it would definitely be found. Where it actually happened remains a mystery. A grizzly mystery nonetheless.

As you search, you see a patch of odd-colored grass off to the side where a few bushes are. However, when you take a closer look at it, it seems to be beige in color and it turns out it's actually fur. It makes you wonder, though. Does this have something to do with the murder last night and does this belong to the Stalker? You're not entirely sure, but it could lead to something. You decide to take it with you, thinking this might be something the police missed last night when it was dark outside.

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

You continue your search in the Western area of the park and eventually, you come across something else that seems unusual. There's strange, burnt markings in the grass, and they look like they make some kind of shape and form letters. However, from the ground level, it's impossible to read. You're not even sure if what seems like a "b" could be a "p" or a "d".

Objective {Indecipherable Burnt Message: +Flying Type+} has been noted in the Team Records.

You figure if someone were to look down from the sky, they might be able to read the message clearly with a bird's eye view. It might give a clue or be some kind of Stalker signature. You're not sure, but it's worth a shot.

You spend the rest of the morning checking out the rest of the park, but you don't find anything else that seems to stand out. At least what you have seems to be making the path toward getting answers.

Lita the Pikachu (S: Electric)

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

[Morzone]

Might as well finish this place out. I'll check out(10) Senger Manufacturing Exterior!

[Shruikan]

I'll search (30) Jayberry School this time. Hopefully there won't be any half finished dark rituals there.

[Neo Emolga]

I'll search (8) Overland Metalworks - (8a) Sublevels B3-B1

As you head down into the lower levels of Overland Metalworks, you realize this is where the factory does a lot of its smelting and steel mill work. As you take a look around, you can tell the facility is not even running at half capacity. Most of the mill's staff has either fled the town or has been killed. You imagine there may also be others that are simply trying to hide or haven't been able to get to work.

As expected, these areas are very hot, and they would have been even hotter if everything in the whole facility was up and running fully in use. You figure the cooler temperatures underground at least help a little, though there is a large and heavy-duty ventilation system constantly running to assist with keeping temperatures under control. While it doesn't make the area cozy, it at least makes it bearable. You also imagine only fire-type Pokémon would be perfectly happy and jolly working in this kind of heat. Everyone else would be working up a sweat, but at least they wouldn't be melting.

While searching through the B2 sublevel, you find this is where Overland keeps most of its equipment and supplies it uses for smelting and welding, as well as the safety equipment and other supplies the facility needs to get work done. It seems a lot of it is being unused, though in looking through the inventory, you find one industrial-strength blowtorch in particular that seems to stronger than the others. You have a feeling this might be really handy later on as it could melt chains and make welding easy. In here, it won't be helping anyone, but you're sure you'll be able to find some use for this in the near future.

You decide to take it with you. Overland would never notice its disappearance and you feel right now, the Emissaries need it much more for dealing with this Stalker problem that you're sure Overland would be happy to be rid of.

Item [Industrial Blowtorch] has been added to the Team Inventory.

You then search the B1 sublevel, where it seems Overland stores its metallic ingots and raw material components before the upper levels use it to fashion it into end-user goods. Nothing around here seems too out of the ordinary, and it seems production has been a little on the slow side, but you figure that's likely another result of the Stalkers being responsible for hard times.

You decide to head back after feeling satisfied with your search.

Carly the Heracross (M: Bug/Fighting)

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

[Neo Emolga]

Search (33) Clean Easy Laundromat

As you come to the western side of town, you find the Clean Easy Laundromat run by Murana the Clefable. The small, gray commercial store is in good condition and it seems like Murana really cares for the store, but it doesn't do very well. You're pretty convinced whole days of no one stopping in are common and you imagine it must not be easy to cover rent with that lack of clientele. You also imagine it must be pretty boring for Murana to just sit there all day doing nothing and wondering if she'll be able to cover rent costs at the end of the month.

You start by searching around the building, which doesn't take too long as there's really not much around the perimeter and the lot around it isn't large either. To no surprise, you don't find much and nothing really stands out as being strange or alarming.

Inside, the light-gray tiled floor is quite clean, the washer and dryer machines seem to be in good condition, though it seems like they're a bit more on the outdated side. Still, they do what they need to do regardless of how old they are. The wallpapered-walls seem a little dated, but they're still functional and at least aren't disgusting and old.

The lighting on the inside isn't bright and it seems like a few bulbs should have been replaced a while ago. The store also seems a bit dusty. Areas behind and in between the machines are caked with dust bunnies and bits of debris. Still, nothing that would trigger any alarms.

Though you do find a forgotten sock and sometimes a small towel left behind, one unusual thing you find besides one of the machines seems to be a Mimikyu toy puppet, only it looks like it's been here for a while. Normally, you'd think some child left this behind, but it's a bit creepy. It also seems broken and several parts have been bashed in as if it jumped off a very tall building and morbidly killed itself. It seems a little unnerving when you pick it up, and it seems like when you shake it, there's something rattling inside. The only way to get to it is to fix the damage that was done to it.

You figure you just don't have the repair skills to fix it, though you probably could if you did. The other way to fix it would be to find replacement parts. You're not even sure where you'd find something like that, but maybe there's something out there that could be improvised.

Objective {Broken Mimikyu Suicide Puppet: <Repair> / Replacement Parts} has been noted in the Team Records.

You figure it might be worth coming back to when you have what you need to fix it up. But for now, you search through the rest of the laundromat. Besides a few more articles of forgotten clothing, you don't really find anything else that stands out.

You then decide to head back to base.

Sam the Deerling (S: Normal/Grass)

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

[Neo Emolga]

I'd like to use Diplomacy on Rancha.

Greetings, plebeian. How is the weather on this arbitrary, meaningless day?

You encounter Rancha the Breloom, who looks like she's really not in the mood for a chat, but you're feeling like MAKING her in the mood for one.

"Look, I don't have a clue who you are and I really don't give a damn the weather, but-"

"Really?" you fearlessly talk down to Rancha. "Well, try making some time, because things around Southwarren can go one of two ways. You either help us get to the bottom of these Stalker attacks, or everyone dies, likely screaming and being put into a position where you all wished it would come sooner. This is really not difficult to figure out."

"Excuse me, but I'm the Overseer of this town," Rancha attempts to counter. "I'm perfectly capable of getting this situation under control. And I will."

"You haven't been under control since this crapshow started weeks ago," you remind her. "You need us and we need you and there's no time to take the gamble on thinking you can get on top of it on your own. I'm sure you know what just happened to Salsha last night, didn't you? I didn't think it was actually possible to turn a Sylveon into gravy like that."

Rancha looks away for a moment, not exactly thrilled to be having this conversation, but you can see it's starting to sink in.

"Hasn't been the first time that bastard did something like that," Rancha replies with the look of disgust on her face.

"So for crap's sake, let's figure out what who the hell did that so we can see how they like having that done to them," you tell her. "I'm not asking you to play nice or be courteous. But we both wanted these deranged freaks lynched days ago. You help us and we'll help you."

"Lynching?" Rancha asks, almost beginning to smile. "That's old school and I can probably come up with something better than that, but fine, deal's a deal. Let's clean these assholes out of my town."

#1 Rancha the Breloom has become COMPLIANT

Having gotten Rancha on your side, you're looking forward to her cooperation from here on in. She may not be the nicest Pokémon ever, but she's now willing to help you however she can.

Laura the Giratina (L: Ghost/Dragon)

Health: 6/6
Sanity: 3/4
Perk: Diplomacy | Learned Abilities: Restrain
Failed Assassinations: 0/2