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

[ARandomTool]

Taking the Mysterious Flame Incubator to Axlin Chemicals for that Purple Flame, since we don't have both Nhils Key Items yet... Hm, suppose that might be the flame for Nhils in the first place! Either way, my full healths will make this decent for me anyways. Also, I'd like to curse out Hope for getting hisself abducted... AGAIN. And I think that Bless should come with me like always - only place I won't let her follow me is into a Stalker Hideout.

[Neo Emolga]

Disarm [Sigil of the Last Payment] #Mind Ravage: Psychic# (2 Sanity Damage) #Suicidal Infliction# (2 Health Damage)

If I can't disarm both in one go I'll disarm #Suicidal Infliction# (2 Health Damage)

(You can disarm both!)

You approach the Sigil of the Last Payment, which is definitely one of the most dangerous Stalker items the team has come across besides the Suicide Mirror, and it's clear these two things are even related. The very strange, metallic emblem with its fiery, kanji-like symbol seal is imbued with a very self-destructive trap that causes anyone that touches it to be instantly driven to kill themselves in a very violent fashion. And as you saw with Hope, the victim even relishes their own self-destruction, longing for death. You can see where the "Last Payment" comes from it.

The Sigil relies on physical contact to activate, so it doesn't matter if you look at it. The most it'll do is make you feel a bit unsettled by it. You carefully pick it up using a pair of tongs, place it in a plastic tray, and then pour a sealant coating over it to put a barrier over it that will stop it from affecting anyone who picks it up and uses it.

It takes some time for the sealant to dry, but once it does, it dries clear and makes it look and feel like the Sigil has been covered with a plastic, laminated coating. You carefully pick it up and the effect no longer affects anyone who picks it up. Meanwhile, the Sigil is still intact and hasn't lost its functionality.

The #Mind Ravage: Psychic# (2 Sanity Damage) #Suicidal Infliction# (2 Health Damage) trap on the [Sigil of the Last Payment] has been removed.

You're still a bit unsure of what this dark artifact leads to, however. Anything that has this much dark influence seems worrisome when you think about what it's likely used for...

Sarah the Archen (S: Rock/Flying)

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

[Neo Emolga]

Rescue Hope the Alolan Vilpix

You decide to head out toward Redbarrel Foods to see if you can find Hope. He never came back after mentioning that he was going to head over to help Vadi the Skitty, and you're definitely getting worried that maybe something happened to him.

You make it to the manufacturing plant and then find your way up to the meat locker that was previously locked. You take a peek inside and wince at what you find.

There's no sign of any Skitty, but there's definitely a gruesome amount of blood scattered and splattered in all directions. Thankfully, it leaves a trail and you follow it toward another forgotten area of the manufacturing plant that looks like it hasn't been used since the Stalkers first attacked.

You find Hope in very serious condition with his arms, body, and face slashed open with what had to be some bladed object. A lot of the crimson blood has dried and matted his white fur, but thankfully at least the bleeding has stopped. Meanwhile, he's chained to the wall and it seems like yet another dark ritual is in progress, laying dark and unholy symbols and runes on his body while his body rests in the center of an abyssal circle surrounded by blood-colored candles with black flames. You're not sure what the Enthrallers have found now or what they've managed to uncover, but you quickly put an end to it by putting out the candles, scattering them around, and breaking open Hope's chains to pull him away from whatever this dark conjuring is attempting to do. You then carry him on your back and then carefully and quietly make your way out of there before anyone notices you.

Arrow the Jolteon has rescued Hope the Alolan Vulpix.

You ask if he's doing okay, but he still seems like he's out cold. Still, it's a far better place to be than within that dark and disturbing shadow ritual circle. It seems like as soon as Hope gets back, some rest, bandaging, and taking some time away from the shadowy nightmares would do him a lot of good.

You soon see the Emissary base in the distance, and you're looking forward to seeing both you and Hope back in its relieving and comforting warmth once again.

The Enthrallers have learned a fraction about your mission...
Mission Disclosure: 60%/100%

Hope the Alolan Vulpix (S: Ice)

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

Arrow the Jolteon (M: Electric)

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

[Neo Emolga]

Madder is resting whether he likes it or not.

You, despite having really enjoyed annihilating Karrasin beyond existence, realize the Shaymin has a point as she pounces on you to get your Mimikyu rear into bed. You realize there's a fine line between simply being mad and frothing at the mouth, driveling like a psychotic lunatic drunkard. You'd rather not be the later, so rather than risk getting to that state, you climb into bed and decide to get a good night's rest. While reluctant at first, the bed is unusually comfortable and welcoming. You decide this was actually a good idea after all and you decide to close your eyes and let yourself be taken into a deep sleep.

Madder has recovered 1 Point of Sanity.

The shadows are still trying to play Frisbee with your mind and sanity, but for now, it seems they're beginning to fade. However, it's still going to be some time before you fully purge those shadowy presences completely.

Madder the Mimikyu (S: Ghost/Fairy)

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

[Neo Emolga]

Gonna rest tonight! getting ready for the assault on that Suicide door.

You decide to get some sleep tonight, as you're well aware you may be the best hope at resisting whatever suicidal presences may be waiting beyond the Suicide Altar at the Morning Chime Motel. You're not sure what to expect when you get there, but you know you need to be ready. For now, you simply relax, climb into bed, and get comfortable. The last voices and shadows are flushed and fully purged from your mind, allowing you to be at peace as you get a good night's sleep.

Julia has recovered 1 Point of Sanity.

Once tomorrow comes, you'll be ready for whatever you need to face.

Julia the Weavile (M: Dark/Ice)

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

[Neo Emolga]

Clear out Shalcomb Factory, since I'm fully charged

You decide to head up to the upper floors of the Shalcomb Factory tonight. There's no one around at this time of night, so it makes it significantly easier to avoid being detected.

You head up to the fifth floor, and here you notice most of the areas here are for storage, equipment repair, machine assembly, and the manufacture of machine components. Nothing around here seems all that out of the ordinary, but you can tell it seems like it's been a long while since anyone has done any work here. It seems as though Shalcomb is mostly just trying to maintain its survival rather than try to innovate or install new machinery within this research and development area. You search through the sixth floor and the situation seems mainly the same, although you're seeing less of the available space actively used by factory personnel.

It isn't until you get to the seventh floor that you notice something looks very wrong. You arrive at the dual elevators and it looks like one of them has completely jammed and locked itself shut, barring anything from getting in. Meanwhile, it seems like the control panel must have ignited and caught fire, as the whole unit is completely burnt down and most of the components have been completely destroyed. At first you wonder how and why no one has noticed this, but as you look around, you feel the lack of anyone using this area is likely the reason why...

You know it will need a whole new control panel circuitry unit, but you take out the burnt unit and with your knowledge in science and electrical principles, you feel you can at least remove the damaged components and salvage what's still inside the electrical box to make way for the circuitry.

{Locked Down Elevator: Badly Damaged Control Panel, <Repair> / <Science>} has been noted in the Team Records.

After removing what was damaged beyond repair and realigning the wires, you've managed to at least prepare the way for the circuitry to be installed. Any other Pokémon might have thought there was no way to ever repair a unit this badly damaged, but it just needs that one last piece and it should be up and running again.

You can only wonder what caused this, however...

You head up to see if there's anything remaining on the eighth floor, but it seems like barely anything is even being used on this level. Most of it seems to be completely empty and the only few items on this level appear to be equipment and materials that seem like they've been long forgotten about.

You head back to base and begin to prepare for what will need to be done in the morning.

Lita the Pikachu (S: Electric)

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

[Neo Emolga]

We can do it!

Don't need any more candles and bowls for the Sin Purge, so I'll focus on this [Lavender Fur] and we'll see if any more Stalker traces come out of it!

Tashy focuses tonight solely on the lavender fur sample as she has more than enough equipment and materials for the Sun Purge Ritual. She checks it over and runs her Seinaru screening through it, verifying to make sure no traces are hidden deep within the hairs.

However, after the screening passes all of her tests and nothing nefarious is found within the sample, she confirms this doesn't belong to a Stalker.

Pokémon Sample [Lavender Fur] does NOT belong to a Stalker. It has been removed from the Team Inventory.

With a sigh, Tashy decides to spruce things up by baking a delicious layer cake as she waits for her Seinaru abilities to recharge so she can use them again tomorrow.

[Ladybugclue]

The outside off sand wood apartments.

[Shruikan]

I shall rest.

[Neo Emolga]

I'll search (14) Shalcomb Factory - (14c) Floors 5-8

EDIT: Change to (28) Sandwoods Apartments - (28b) Floors 4-6

Hope that hasn't been searched!

(It hasn't!)

You head over to the upper floors of the Sandwoods Apartments, which are occupied by quite a few of Southwarren's residents. Like the lower floors, it seems this is definitely one of the more preferred apartment complexes as everything is well-maintained and the rent prices are reasonable. The condition of the hallways and floors around here seem clean and most of the apartments themselves appear to be in good condition and offer reasonable living space. It also seems like there's a few residents that have been living here for many years.

You find what used to be Franny's apartment up here, which gives you some eerie feelings knowing she's never going to return to it and reclaim all these belongings of her's. The odd thing is that as you observe, there's nothing here that clearly identifies Franny's connection to Bloodwish. At least not at a first glance, though after really digging in deep, you do find some unusual items. A bloody scalpel in her bureau drawer seems like something that should have been thrown away as medical waste for one, and you find bloody paper towels in the bathroom wastebasket. It wouldn't have been enough to flag her without some doubt, but now that you know the truth, it seems suspicious.

You find Cray, Drana, and Vella live on these floors as well, but nothing seems all that unusual in their apartments. You don't find any bloody objects in there either. One unusual thing you do notice is that on the sixth floor, the men's public bathroom has several bloody paper towels thrown into the trashcan. It doesn't seem like it's related to Franny as you already found where she was throwing out her garbage and she wouldn't be using the men's room anyway. You search a little further here and you come across a clump of purple fur on the tiled floor that looks like it tumbled into the corner of this room and hasn't been swept up yet. You wonder if this is related to the bloody paper towels or if it's possibly Stalker-related. You decide to take it with you so Tashy can test it.

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

You search the rest of the sixth floor, but you don't find anything else on this level. You decide to head back to base and prepare for tomorrow.

Carly the Heracross (M: Bug/Fighting)

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