Stalkers RPG Main Action and Team Status [SEASON 4]

**Neo Emolga** · 09-22-2019, 11:49 PM

Originally Posted by ARandomTool

~~"Ah, another presence like Oen Aglome... took you long enough to show up." he mutters to himself.~~
He had a bit longer before he would see Vex again, and the Tower was cleared. So he would have to occupy himself somehow...
And that was how he decided to learn Forge. He hammered away on real metal with invisible tools on an invisible anvil, unsettling his teacher but entertaining himself as he made a simple pair of trinkets - two necklaces, each with a charm at their apex of two circles locked in a seemingly impossible way, one of green and dark purple gem, and the other of a pink and black stone. He refused to confess where his material came from, because it was a small shard of his power - once Vex put it on, he could follow her soul to the Depths and bring it back safe, should the unthinkable happen.
At the same time, he took the chance to make a basic Dagger, for that slot in that statue that SOMEONE would get to stab eventually.

(While you're good to go with Padded Strips, you'd need an Iron Ingot to make the Dagger, which unfortunately you don't have in your personal inventory and one isn't in the Team Inventory either. You'd have to ask Brass for one of his or find another one elsewhere, but at least you can learn the skill for now).

You head out to meet with Kannari at Disaster Defence, hoping to learn the ways of Forging to see what kinds of things you can create. Just as she's opening up shop for the day, she sees you arrive and takes an interest in your desire to craft new weapons and trinkets of your own creation.

"You seem confident," the hulking Rhydon smirks. "I like that. I'm game if you are, Mime."

You agree to be taught under her wing, and she shows you the basics of how to carve, shape, and repurpose metal and leather into many useful items, starting with basic shapes like metal strips and coins. Once you've mastered those, you then try working on shapes and items with more utility value, like rings and buckles. After you get those down packed, you then move onto more intricately-shaped items like precision cutting knives and picks and hardware tools like hammers and screwdrivers.

During downtime when there are no customers, she spends the time mentoring you and gradually takes you from practice items to crafting weaponry and armor that she can sell for merchandise. She finds it's a mutual benefit. You help her make merchandise she can sell, and you learn valuable training from her.

Once you have a strong grasp of the skills, you feel you've reached a point where you could make just about anything with the right blueprints and guidelines to follow.

Nicholas "Nicklefool" Foligan the Mr. Mime has learned Forge!

While you can't wait to craft all kinds of weapons, armor, and other items, you realize you're going to need the materials for all those things first. But one step at a time.

"Heh, I'm getting better at this teaching thing," Kannari chuckles. "Hope you enjoyed those lessons. You pick up quick which is great for both of us. And this is some nice stuff you made for the store as well."

"You take care now!" she smiles as she casually waves goodbye.

You then head back to Emissary base, looking forward to putting your newly-acquired skills to good use.

Nicholas "Nicklefool" Foligan the Mr. Mime (M: Psychic/Fairy)

Health: 10/10| Sanity: 8/8 | Purity: 10/10
Battle Stance: Fight
Perk: Diplomacy | Abilities: Forge
Trait: Charming

**Neo Emolga** · 09-23-2019, 12:13 AM

Originally Posted by Chakramaster

Heal Daniel the Umbreon Sanity by 3, Old Lace the Buzzwole health for 4, and Adrian Aylian the Lucario sanity by 1.

You decide to spend the day helping your fellow Emissaries recover from the pains and horrors they've encountered while on this mission.

You start with Daniel, who you can tell from the look in his eyes that he's seen things he definitely wish he could forget. Focusing on your energies, you purge the nightmarish shadows surrounding his spirit.

You restore 3 points of Sanity to Daniel the Umbreon.

Daniel the Umbreon (M: Dark)

Health: 9/10| Sanity: 8/8 | Purity: 12/10
Battle Stance: Flee
Perk: Seinaru
Trait: Charming

You then approach Old Lace. Using your medical knowledge, you apply an anti-infective agent to his wounds. You then stitch the wounds closed, deftly using your suturing skills to bind the cuts and lacerations shut.

Once finished, you've done the best job you can and Old Lace's natural healing ability will take care of the rest in due time.

You restore 4 points of Health to Old Lace the Buzzwole.

Old Lace the Buzzwole (L: Bug/Fighting)

Health: 12/12 | Sanity: 8/8 | Purity: 8/8
Battle Stance: Fight
Perk: Diplomacy | Abilities: Escort/Protect, Rescue/Escape
Trait: Stealthy

With the time and energy you have left, you spent a short time with Adrian, using your remaining vigor to dispel some of the darkness surrounding him.

You restore 1 point of Sanity to Adrian Aylian the Lucario.

Adrian Aylian the Lucario (M: Fighting/Steel)

Health: 10/10 | Sanity: 7/8 | Purity: 10/10
Battle Stance: Fight
Perk: Diplomacy
Trait: Resourceful

Taking a breather from your hard work, you prepare yourself for what the night may bring, knowing you've been a blessing to your team with your support.

Sparkstrike the Pikachu (S: Electric)

Health: 8/8 | Sanity: 6/8 | Purity: 7/12
Battle Stance: Fight
Perk: Medicine
Trait: Lucky

**Neo Emolga** · 09-23-2019, 12:56 AM

Originally Posted by Scytherwolf

I will interview Rachta the Tepig.

Interview Rapport: NEGATIVE, MODEST
-1 Evolution Stage Difference
+Modesty (Bug vs Fire)

You find Rachta the Tepig at the Jeek and Zundy Leisure Centre, where he's playing a board game called Vertigo War with two other Pokémon, a Pachirisu that takes his time making every move and a Zorua that just wants him to hurry up already. From what you can tell, Rachta has a pretty big pouch with him, carrying all sorts of gaming gear and other belongings. From what you can tell, he definitely intends on spending a lot of time here today.

You approach him, politely waiting until it's the indecisive Pachirisu's turn so you have a moment to speak to Racha while he waits. You introduce yourself to him, and he wonders for a bit about why you're talking to specifically him.

"Huh, Carly?" he asks, wondering if he's heard that name before. "Don't think we've ever met. How are you, I guess?"

"Come on, Chasey," the Zorua complains to the Pachirisu. "I'm not getting younger here!"

You ask Rachta about the Stalkers, and if he knows anything about them. He seems surprised you're specifically asking him about that, but he shrugs and decides to spill what he knows.

"Yeah, they're creepy, huh?" he asks you, wondering if they make you feel anxious as well. "Sometimes I wonder if my teachers are actually Stalkers! Or maybe that weird librarian, Bencho. He's always whispering weird things, talking to himself, stuff like that. I mean, he's always done that, but I wonder."

He reaches for his bag, but a few of his belongings spill in the process, scattering playing cards, dice, and metal gaming tokens. He groans as he quickly to tries to gather them up and clean up the mess. However, among these scattered gaming items, you notice something unusual. It appears to be a toy Igglybuff, only it looks badly scratched and damaged. Normally, this wouldn't bother you, but you feel a faint dark presence emanating from it...

Rachta sees you eyeing the Igglybuff, wondering why you've taken a particular interest in that item specifically.

"I know, it's kind of weird, isn't it?" he asks you and smiles, looking at the mauled figurine. "I found it the other day. Bet some kid got angry and started throwing it or something. Well, finders keepers!"

You try to inquire further about it, trying to convince Rachta to allow you to have it. Something seems wrong with it, but you imagine Rachta can't tell the difference between it and any other regular toy.

"Huh, you want this?" Rachta asks, looking at you strangely. "Why? Well, I found it, I'd rather keep it. I'm sure you can go buy a brand new one! Besides, I need it to replace one of the Vertigo War gaming pieces I lost the other day."

After the Pachirisu finishes his turn and Rachta is next up to go, he goes back to playing his game, leaving you convinced that you're going to need someone else to convince Rachta to part with what he's improvised as a gaming piece...

Carly the Yanmega (L: Bug/Flying)

Health: 12/12 | Sanity: 8/8 | Purity: 8/8
Battle Stance: Flee
Perk: Technical
Trait: Nimble

**Neo Emolga** · 09-23-2019, 01:46 AM

Originally Posted by Shruikan

It has come to my attention that there is an injured Mudbray trapped in the graveyard. That place has much evil eminating from it, but I feel that I can survive it long enough to help.

[Use Medicine to heal the Mudbray at (37) Valley Graveyard]

Selflessly, despite knowing the dangers that Arrow reported at the Valley Graveyard, you know there isn't much time to help that Mudbray, even if you have to face the same nightmarish evil that Arrow had to deal with before. But you figure your best chances of dealing with the horrors are when the sun is out, dispelling as many dark shadows as possible.

As you approach the graveyard, the threats aren't so apparently obvious at firs̸̴̛̜̹̼̖̫̪͇̦͟͝t. From far off, one might even think there was nothing wrong, but as you draw closer, something feels unnaturally off. The air becomes c͉̰̙̳̱͇̰̟̞̠̯̘̬̼̺͎̗̼̅̋̋͊ͪ̓͂͆ͤ͐ͭ̇̔o̻͓͓ͤͫ͒̍ͯ̏͑̍͌͗͛͊̓́ ̖͓̙̥̭͖̲͖̫̘l̘̤̰̪̝̹̣͖͎̜͈̙͐̇̽͊̓̇̈́ͧ͋̐̄d̯̐̏ͨ̀̉̍̌͋̀͊̿ͮ̿͊ ̱͔̻̲͓͙̻̹̺̗, but wisps of unusual heat pass around. Murky shadows and shrouds surround the headstones that have had their inscriptions worn down from many years, but the shadows play t̰͈̗͔̥͇ͬͅr̹̪̣͍ͮ́͐iͥ͂̽͊̉̂ͦc̯̭̰̝̹͇̞͊k̪̜͍s̗̝̯ͩ on your eyes and the whispers make your heart race and skip beats at times. All the while you feel you're constantly looking over your shoulder, but it makes no difference as the shadows prod your wings, scales, and get in d̺e̙e̺̮͇̜̘̟̥p̰ ̲͈͙t͚͉ͅḥ̖͖̘̳̥r̺͔͇o̜̬̦u͇̼͈̯̘̳g̹͉͙̭̳̤h̼̼̞͚ ̜̪y͔͚̹͍͇̹o̬͔͕u̬̲r͉̪͉̠̯ ̳̹n͍e̘r͈̜̬v͖̙e̪̜̙s̖.

Yris the Ultra Necrozma suffers 1 point of Purity damage.

A sudden S̡̨͎̮̱͍̱̟̯̰̣̘̼̗͐ͫ͐͒̑͑̅͒͌͂̐̿̍̋̀͠ͅͅcͪͫ̈̃̄ͭͥ́̌ͨ̾́ͥ́͜͝ ͇̠̼̘R̡̲͔̬̺̖͚̼͇̺̝͑̀̓ͯ͒͐̊ͣ̾ͭ̾ͨ̒̍̿͝͞͞ͅe̶̹̺̮̔̾ͪͪ̎̓ͨ̅̓́ ͓̯̖̬͉A̺̘̠̱̘͚͚̤͖̪̣͔̲̠͇̰ͫ̋ͯ͗ͮͥ͂̎̒ͩ̒͗͑̋̎̌̿ͧ̚͟ͅM̃ͩ̇͌̃̌ ̪̗̮͈̮̺̤̲̰͚̩̳̠͚̖͎̭̣ͭͤ̍̈́ͤ͐̍̀̀ͅI̶̧̡̛̠̝̟͎̳̳͈͈ͣ̈́̊̉̔̓̎́ͅ ̮ͅͅN͖̹̮̱̗̭͈̯̹̞̭͌͌̐̿͛̈́̐́ͅͅg̛̝̹̙̜̮̥̼͍ͨ́̀͗ͩ̓͐̇̄ͭͦ̇ͮ͂̀ ̼͎̜̱̼ causes your heart to fill with so much dread that you nearly vomit from the anxiety and tension. Suddenly, even your memories go into an infernal corruption as dark visages of your past appear on the headstones. Names, places, all as if everything in your past just d̴̢̨͚̣̖͇̰̱͍̗̠͔͎̯͙̖̿ͤ̏͊ͯ̽̃ͪ̿͒̓̊͊͛ͪ͆͗ͤi͛ͨ̍̉̍҉̲̳̭͢͟͞ͅ ͔e̢̛̫̭͓̖̋̈̋͌̕͜d̞͓͚͉̼̱͓͕̒̅̂̎̇ͧ̾͆͛̈́ͬ́̚͞ and was swallowed by the h̻̜͙͚͈͖̤̜o̩̖̝͎͎̣͉̘̯̟̹͕̦̜̤ͅr̤̣̳̟̞̥̞̤͍̺̫̤̻r̳͚̰̜͔o̦̻̘ ͓̥͉̝̮̳̜̪̭̯̖̣̹̭͔̣r̜͓̮͓͉̦̺̞̣̰͎͔̮̲̱̞̤.

It's at that dark moment that the shadows feast upon your fears, and you've ú̝͚̇̋̽̈͑n͓̹͉̣̈̑̾͗̈́̀i̹͈̰͍ͣ̏͑͗͛ͦn̩̥̺̿ͩ̇̈t͎̻͖̥͖ͨ͆̐̓͗ ̹̲ȇ̺̼̮͖̤̍ͮ͑ͥͯnt̬̺ͬi͓̟̻͙͙͚̮̔̅̋̓̊̃ͬo̫̘̦͙͓̠̬͊ͨ͐̎n̮a̓ ̫͇͍̰̘͎̪ͬl̝̥͉̺̜̟͍ͬ̒̄͋̑̈́ͫḷy͒͊̓ͨ̋̑ ̜̺̙͉͙̩͑̈̆̅͗̄̏p̼͒ͤͦ̉͛rö̟͇̮̦͇́̒vͭ̄͐ͤi͍͎͂̓̄̉ͯ̚dͩͤ͛ͪ̿̊ ̺͚ͣë́̐̑ͭ̅ͬ̈́d͔̥͆̑̇̚ ̝̙̰͍̔ͫ͐͑͗͐̋t͖̽̾̈́h̰̥̝̿ͮe̹͍ͦm̼̪̭̯͇͇̤̉̾̓ͣͥ̌ ̯͖̲͍͕͚͌a̲͙̞͈͓ͩ ̖̥̬̄ͥͬb͇̩͔͈̗ͮͪ̆͋ạ̝̹̳͎͍̘́n͗̆q̍͌ͥụ̱̘̰̩͆e̝̝͌̿̊̚ṫ̔̚ ̥̼̋́̊̇.

O̺͇͎̗̰̥ṉ͗̎̓ͫë͖̼́ͫ̊̄͊ ̝ͩ̋̅ͩ̾̿O̠̐͛͐̋̚n͕͚̫̠̞̭̮Ë͎̻͚̖̘̩́ͦ ̭̝̬̩̹̰͋ͨ̐ͅo̒ͤ͛N̩̯̯Ë͙̌̑̿ͩ͛̊ ̩̺̣͍̰̻ͬ͒͗ͣo̥̤͔̰̟ͥ͛̈́ͧ͐̓n̟͖̮ͧ͐̽̚E̒̔̈́͂͗̇ ͙̩d̝̜̮͎͌̍ͦ̐ȧ͍͈̻̟̾̃ͭ̉Y̱ ͯͦͩ̈̚D̳̂ͨ̑ͭ̀͊͆Ǎ̗̟̑̉ͨ͐̿̐ͅŸ̑̉̌͗̌̐ d̜͓̻̦ͅa̠͔͉̭͚̽̂̔͒ͮŶ͍͍̮̎͑ͦ̀ ̲̺̩̠̈́̀̂ͧͩỳ͕̤͈̩͖̅͗o̙̜͚̬̠ͬ̀͂ͭ̚u̽'̻͍͈͓͖̌̐ͤ̏̑̊͊r͕̹e̿ͧ ̀̉̓͛ ̲̳͈ͥ̋ḡ͍̂̀o͖̹̗͙̙ͣͦ̓͌́̈́̐i̜̤̥ͤ̓ͩ̅ń͕̰̤̮̤̳̑g͓̥͖̫̜̰ͭͮ̃ ͉ ̗̦̜̐̈́̾̾ͩ̂ț͚͈ͬ̓ͤͪ̎̐ő̦͉̞̳̫̣̣ͣ ̻͎̗͓̗͈d͍̰̻̠̝̣ͣ̊̓̾i̘͓̭̺͆͗ͨȅ̳̙̘̥̫̩̹ͥd̝͙͉̰̯͚͆͗́ͮ̈́̿i̱ ͚̠e̟̜̮̣̗̯̅ͤd͍̩̳̫ͥȋ͑ͮe̟̗ͩ̅̃̈ͭ̃̐d̪͇̻̖͈̋̆͂̂i̙̟͇̹͇eͪ̂ ̯̤̹d̙͓̰̗̹̭̗í̥̂͐ͯ̍̓̄e͓̯̬̣̱͎̺ͯd̠̩̥̙͉̃ͨ̇ͦ̓̚í̟̳͙̓̓͆e ͖̖̼̗̖͚͗̑̓̏ͩ̔ͪͅd̲̯̙̣ȉ͚̥̗͕̗̏͂͛ͨͥḛ͇͖͖̤̜͒ͨͭ̅ͯͅd͖͉i̾̇ ͯ́ͨͭ̿e͛͂D̥͎̗͔̃̀I͕͓͓͈͕̙̗͛ͤ̈́E͑D̤̺̭̮̱͙͑̔ͮͣ̓̽͆I̟ͫ̉̐ͨ̊̚ ̖̻̺͔̲E̠̠̱D͂ͨ͐̍I͇̪͆̚E͙͈͉D͇̟̘͇͓͔̽ͣ͋̋̾̚I͙̼̗̖̠̍̂E̾ ͙̳ͤ̓

Trying to attack the dark presences to defend yourself proves to do nothing. Your assaults hit nothing but air, and the dread suddenly becomes Ả̻̱̫̹̻̟̺̺̮̠̝̗̖͙̠͇͖͎̓ͮ̽̾̋̾̾̽G̗̬̹ͫͣ̓͛͐ͦ̽̆̄ͪ̐̄̿͐̆̐̽̋ ̩̫̤̣̞̤̰̙͇̥̟̣̬͕͕O͍̞̙̣͎̎ͪ͂ͦ̃̐͒͐ͪ͐̓̌ͥ͋̏̆N̞̮̠ͭͬ͆͑ͨͨ̋̒ͤ ̙͓̪̰͉̣̭̯I͕̦͉̖ͦ̽̊̓̃̏ͭͧ̊̌̒͌͐̅̓͐ͥ̄̚ͅͅZ̔ͭͨͦͧ͛ͣ͂ͭ̈́ͤ́̓ͪͫ ̩͕̜̟̮̫͇̩̺̲̼I̦̟̥̣̯̼͓͎̜͓̦̗̊̂ͥͯͭ̽̔̂͑̊N̲͍͚̘̈́̃̈͗̐̂͛̾̅̉̚ ̳̘̗̭͈̳͓͙G̱̜̺͔͍͍̏ͨ̌ͥͭͣ̇̃̓.

Yris the Ultra Necrozma suffers 2 points of Purity damage.

A sudden, frost-like feeling takes stabs at your soul, like fangs ignoring your spirit energies and bones. The shadows burden you, stinging from all directions. Unfortunately, steeling yourself against these horrors does ń̗̞͔̍ͭ̅͆o̪̭̘̺͒̈́ͦ̒̃ͅt͇̎̋̚h̯͖͎̖̎̀̂ͬ͗i͈͎͙̼̦̜̺̓͌̋ͅnͯ̍ ͚͖̰̪g͕̘̮͆ͩͫ͐ͩ͒. Attacking them does nothing as well. Your only choice is to continue treading forward as the weight of the darkness gets heavier.

"A-Anyone there!?" you hear a voice in the darkness shout.

You recognize it as the Mudbray. You follow the sound of his voice, but your eyesight is shrouded as the shadows e̗̙̜̥̬͉͎ͣ͊͑̆ͭ̇ͧ̓n̤͍͕̭̗͔̤̤̓͂v̮̼̏̈́̾͒̒ͬ̈́̐̅ͅe͎̜̠͌̇̔ͥl̈ ̩͍̝͍̞ͣ̾̚ͅo̹̞̮̺̹̣̘̩̒̇ͬͩͤp̯̜̮ͯ́ͭ̊̆̎̍ ̪͍̺̙̗̥̫̌̍ȳ͍͉̱̝ͣͯ́o͉̟͐̿ͣ̎̒̀ṳ͖̥͍͕̤̾ͨͫ, nibbling generously upon your spirit. You groan, grunt, and press on despite the macabre horrors swarming around you.

"Oh god, you made it..." the Mudbray sighs in relief, paranoid of the swirling shadows around the both of you. "We got to get out of here!"

You rush your way to the Mudbray, knowing you're not going to have as much time to heal him as you would have liked, but it's enough to get him out before the shadows attempt to devour you both. It allows him to get back up again with enough strength to hopefully leave this horrendous nightmare graveyard.

{Shivering Mudbray: ~~<Medicine>~~}

"You saved my life," the Mudbray thanks you profusely. "Come on, I can't thank you enough, let's go!"

You turn to follow him, but thë̴̡̢̱̗̮̺͖̯̤́̄ͦ̊͋̒̓̽́ͪ̓̏͂ͣͦ͋̏̏͘n you feel something yank your attention away, like a lasso yanking your s̘͍̖̻̦͚̣̜̠̾̔̈ͮͭo̙̹̝̺̱̣ͪ̓ͅͅu͍͉̙͛ͫ̽ͨ͌̉ͮl̬̳͎̫̭̑̌̓ͅ ̯ in another direction. You look dë̴̡̢̱̗̮̺͖̯̤́̄ͦ̊͋̒̓̽́ͪ̓̏͂ͣͦ͋̏̏͘ad ahead, seeing an e͔̘̯̽̉ͧͮ̐̏ͧ̐ͣn̞͚̫̤̦̘̎̾̈́̽͐̆̌͂ò̹̤ͮ̑̓͌ͪ̄͛r̞͓͋̐̅̆͆͗͌̋ ̙͙̼̫͈̜m̘͍̳͙̪͇̩̯ͤ̽ͨͥ̎̏ͩ͋ő̮͖͚̰̲̖̻̖̆̃ͥͬ̑̄̚u͓͖̣͇͔͕̐ṡ ̟̻̻̯̪͇̲͍ͤ͊̿ ͍̖͗ͩ̈̋ͦm̖͈͉̠̄̿̀̽ͦ̚a͎͉ͭ̄͋̏s̼͕̦̯͔̩̬͈̑̈́͛ͣ̎s͐̽͑̂ͪ̚ ̦̭̟̏ of horrë̴̡̢̱̗̮̺͖̯̤́̄ͦ̊͋̒̓̽́ͪ̓̏͂ͣͦ͋̏̏͘nd͑̊́̀̃̂̓ͤͤ͐̾̂ͫ̾ ̡̧͖͔̱̙͉̪̤̙͎͉͍̗̓͢ously dark, depressing energy raging and forking its way throughout the graveyard. All you can do for those dark moments is behold̡̧͖͔̱̙͉̪̤̙͎͉͍̗͑̊́̀̃̂̓ͤͤ͐̾̂ͫ̾̓͢ that dark image, m̘̦̭̗͍̥̭̙̥̠e̟͔̮͙̘s̭͎̞̹̼̺͎͙͙m̥̜̙͚̬͇e͇̠̬̤̳͍̤͇͙͓̻r̗̦͉ ͔̺i̖̲͎͖̥̯͓̜̥̦̪ͅz͎̖̮̯͍̜̝e̙̺̼̠̣̜̤̻̝͈͚͙̻̗̼͎d̺̻̝͇͓̩̠͉͎ ̥͇̫̣̱̻̘̲̹̜ ͓̤̥̱͚̗̝b͔͈̥̱̙̟͔͇y̮͈͉̪̙͔̙̠̳ ̮͍͙̬̟̥̪͇̰̙̖̻̝̹ͅi̱̟͕͎̥̰̝͓̩̦̲̮͈̦̮̱t̥̬͖̬̺͈̦͓͎̬̠͈s ͖̫̻ ̹̣̹̟̹͙̖̲͖̥̻ͅd̮̰̜͇̝̙̞̹a̼̱͖̘͙̭͕͕̥̰ͅr̗̙͈̰̯̪̻͇͉̹̖̼̫̞͔ͅ ̜̩̠k̤͖̳͔̼͚̖͉ ̪̱̤̯͔̞͓̙͇̦i̩̪͕̞͚ṋ̫̹͚̝̫̺͚̝̫͙̱̭͖̖͔f̼̮̹̤͓̠̜͕̹l͎̝̺͙̳̤ ͔͈̰͕̭͈u̩̞͉͇̹͚e̞̻͎̝͚͖̻͍̮̯͇̯ͅͅṋ̪̺͈̙͕̠̺̹͙͔͕̞̮̼̰̗c̗͖͓ ̮̲̠̱̞͓̫̞̰͉̘͙̖̩͓̘e̖̬̱̺̲͉̳̪͚̜͇̠̜͇͙̤̖ͅ.͖͔̜͈̻̮͓̲̰̝.̻̪͔ ̼̹̦̘͇̪̺̠̺͚͖.

{Corruption's Eye: <Seinaru>} added to the Team Records.

YriiiSSsSsSS... nothingnothingnothing beyond the darkest darkest fathoming nothing FATHOMING!

The twisted anarchy of these incoherent screams that your spirit quakes at make no sense to you, but as you try to scream, no word̡̧͖͔̱̙͉̪̤̙͎͉͍̗͑̊́̀̃̂̓ͤͤ͐̾̂ͫ̾̓͢s and no sound escapes your lungs. There is only silë̴̡̢̱̗̮̺͖̯̤́̄ͦ̊͋̒̓̽́ͪ̓̏͂ͣͦ͋̏̏͘nce, and then... nothing.

Yris the Ultra Necrozma suffers 3 points of Purity damage.

"Don't look at that!" the Mudbray shouts to you. "It's nothing but evil!"

You snap to your senses, forcing your vision to të̴̡̢̱̗̮̺͖̯̤́̄ͦ̊͋̒̓̽́ͪ̓̏͂ͣͦ͋̏̏͘ar itself away from the d̨͔̥̠͉̦̃̄a̴̖̟ͧͥͤ̏ͬrk̷͋ ̮͑̅̈ͨ̚͡b͇̺͓͛̕e̜̩̥ͭh̩̠̜̳ͧo̦̙̫͇̱̪ͅl͌̾ͤ̇ͮ҉̥͈̼̘͔̮ḋ͍͚̻ ̻̟̝e̛̙̤̾͒r̲͓̯̜̯̖ͦ̎͋͆̾. You charge your way through the shadows, following the Mudbray away from the horrors of that infernal, twisted graveyard.

It's going to take a lot to convince you to ever come back this wretched way again...

Yris the Ultra Necrozma (L: Psychic/Dragon)

Health: 12/12| Sanity: 8/8 | Purity: 2/8
Battle Stance: Fight
Perk: Medicine | Abilities: Rescue/Escape
Trait: Resourceful

**Neo Emolga** · 09-24-2019, 12:37 AM

Originally Posted by Bulbasaur

Mistee will check on the body of Meela-Tey.

And search (5) Produce Stall.

You start by heading to Yellowback Lake to see if there's anything new to uncover beyond what Lita and Truly have already found, but their results were conclusive by the time you get to the body. The dark work of Indulge is definitely brutal and you see firsthand what it's capable of.

When the afternoon hits, you head to the Produce Stall, which is run by Vertriss the Seviper. It seems like a quaint little shop made of wooden planks and while made of rudimentary materials, it seems well-maintained, although it still seems like an old building. From the outside, it doesn't seem like there's too many suspicious things going on.

In terms of the merchandise, there's a large selection of fruits and vegetables here, many of which are fresh. Apples, bananas, melons, and a few exotic fruits you've never seen before are all available here. Most of them look delicious, but every now and then you find one or two fruits with too many bruises or pits to be appealing.

You wait until the store closes and Vertriss locks the store up for the night. Whatever produce wasn't sold is gathered up and wheeled out using a wheelbarrow while the doors are locked and wooden shutters are chained up over the windows, which were essentially square holes in the walls.

You wait until everyone is gone and then unlatch one of the windows to climb inside and investigate. Inside, it doesn't seem like Vertiriss left behind any free produce for you to take, but you go through the old wooden drawers and cabinets to see if there's anything of value or objects of suspicion. Most of what you find are spare bags, a few knives for cutting produce, and a few weighing scales that look like they've seen plenty of use throughout the years. There also seem to be plenty of spare wooden baskets and bins, but nothing too out of the ordinary.

Inside, the floors and walls seem old with many scratches and indentations from many years of use. The back storage area doesn't seem too different, but it seems like this area hasn't been used for a while. It seems like there was once a time when demand was very high and they needed to make use of this back storage area to make sure supplies were plentiful, but these days, it doesn't seem like that's necessary.

You find another storage area further in the back, although something about this area seems peculiar. You would think the storage compartment furthest from the front would be even less used than the other area, but it seems like someone's been back here recently making use of it. You see disturbances in the dust that comes from this cabinet door, and it makes you wonder if Vertriss even knows about this, or if this is just her own doing.

You open the cabinet to see what's inside and you almost lose it in a h͕̙̦̦o̥r͉͎̪̼̳r͈ì͔̭͇̟f̴̲̲̯̗y̭̻͕͚̺̤̦i̩̥̥͙͞n̪̲̭g͎̹͖̀ ̪̮͓̟ ̤͖͓̱͔̳s͙̲̠̳̗c͖͓̘̳̜͉r̦̼̱̠e͎͔a͏̟̰m.

The back storage area has been turned into a horrifying s̫̥͎̤̘͉̎̄̒l̦̠̥͔̪͎͎̆͑ͣ̔̎̌̽ǎ͙̯̻͕̣̻̲̲ͧ͆ͧ͛͗ŭ͈̲̟̤͇ͨ̐ͧ ͉̫̻̜ǵ̣͕̥͕̱͂ͫh͉͖̊̓t͍͚̆ͯͣ̎̚e̯̟̤̭̾̄ͨr̙̺̿ͯ͋ͦh͎̲ͤ̄ͧ̇o͌ ̗̫ͬ̍̀̌ͩ̓͋̏u̗̲̺̫̞̙̤̠͛ͥ̐ͭs͔̰͕͇̠̯̼̞͑ͭͣ͑͋̄̔̀͒eͤͣ͋̓ ̳͇̣.

Mistee sustains 2 points of damage to Sanity.

The floor, the walls, even the ceiling are caked with blood and pieces of internal organs. You almost feel like vomiting at the sight, but you managed to keep your stomach under control. On the floor, h͖̭̗̦̺̠͕̩ͤͣ͒ͦ̄̄̀e͚̝͙̬̋́ͫ̂ͧa̲̗̜͈̯̤̥͙͙̾ͭ̈̎pͤ̓͋ͩͬͦͦ͛̑ ̣̣̱̱̼̯s̠̠̦̟̿ͪ̌ͪ of body parts and vitals are in b͔̟͉̮͒ͩ͌̐ͣ̊̊̿͑l̗͎̼̮̖̥͔̄̾o͈̞̱̠͎̜̣ͭͫ͒ͅo̤̼̻̻̊̽̏̍̏̎͐̔d ̻̾̀̃̎ͪy͍̭͇̹̯͎̪ͤͨ ̳͍̠̻̹̣͎͒̾m̪̦̯̙̩̠̰̲̱̂̔̚ô͔͇͙ͣͧ̂ͤ̒͑ͭͅu͖̳̲̭͇̜ͩ͛̄̔ͫ̌̂ͨ n̰̼̺̹̼̮̳̆̋ͥͩ̈ͅd͉͈͕͙̮̗̯͓̬ͯͭs̞͖͍͓̪͔̦̙͌̍ͭ̎, sitting there as the smell of blood and decay ŵ͎̲̈́ͥ̐a̵̶̞̭ͧ͂ͯ̕f̢͔̰̳̊ͫ̇̽́t̫͈̣̲̟̥̝̅͊͊̈͝s̰͉͒ͥ͑́ͥͦ̎̚ ͈̱̖͈̣͔̥ into your nostrils.

The slick, darkening blood gets all over your feet at you look around, not sure what to expect or how this even happened. You're also not sure who has been making use of this room like this, or when they'll be back. But you know you definitely don't want to be around w̩̘͇̥̠̜̫ͥ̑̈͗̍̃̚h͓̹̺̹̪en̴̝̫̊ ̻̖͕̜̰̥̠̃̇̈̾ͬ͆̀̚ẗ̛̹̮̼̹̅h̨̦̹̬̍̍ēͧ͑̋̾ͧͮ͝y̱ͯ͌ͩ͆ͤ ̪̰̪ ̢͓̫̞̙͔̐ͫ̚d̪̩ͭ̅ͦͭo̵̦͛͗͆͊̏ͥ̄.̝̝̥͚̓̏̉ͣ͋͒.̥͈̟̺͢.̖̻̫ͥ̈́ͯ ̹͉̲

Mistee sustains 2 points of damage to Sanity.

Despite the feeling of d̵̗̮͔͍̐͐͗̽ͣͮͅr̜̮̹̬̪̔̓̎́ͤ͡e̢̘̜a͓̦̭̙̣̣̽ͩ̐̊d͑̎͏̝͖ ͍̘̠͔̪̥͐a̱̼̻͉̩̳̎ͤ̑͋͜n̲̝̲͖͖̦̘ͧ̃̂ͫ͐̀d̘͖ͪ͑͛̐̌ ͫ͌̏͋͜t͙͕͚̿͌͑ͧ͋ͨ͜ͅe͌͆̉ͮͤ͑҉̭̣̹̝̰̟r͈͓̳̃̽ͣ̆͡ṟ͎̬͉̹̀̀ͩͅ o̠̮̗̓r̻͓͘, you try to focus on the mission despite your mind racing and feelings of panic suddenly setting in. You search through the canisters, buckets, barrels, and bags stuffed into a corner, now moving quickly to do what you need to do and get out. All of them are slathered with b̓̈́̈͒ͮͤͨ̄ͪ̃ͭ̒ͣ͒͊̇ͬ̅́҉̡̝͇̘̩̱̳͕̮̝͔̭̙̲̮̲̦̼̱lͤ̈́ͭ͐͊͊͌ͨ̀ ̡̢̓͛͂ͤ͑͂͋́̕͏͚͖̼̥̝̩̙̰̭̞̼͍̦͓̱̝͈ͅo̧̖̔ͥ͌ͨ̋ͤ̃̈ͣͣͤ̾ͩͬ͘͜͜ ͕̳̮̱̪̱̻̦͓̟ö̸̢̜̗̜̘̟̖̳̥̱̼̪̫̤̳́͋ͮ̌ͦ̃ḑ̴̸͇͌͋̅̇̀̉̏̆͊͌͜͝ ̱͉̫̖ and look like they were recently filled with body parts, but now they're empty with only bloody bits and pieces remaining. However, there is one bag among them still filled with intestines. Many long, tubes of flesh and vitals fill this black plastic bag, and you feel a slight feeling of dark disturbance from it...

You decide to take it with you, having a strong feeling this is connected to one of the Stalkers. As you head out and leave, you wonder if Vertriss even knows about this back room being used like this, or maybe she is already well aware of it...

[Bag of Intestines] has been added to the Team Inventory.

You then return to base, hoping the grotesque sights you just witnessed don't become a new addition to your nightmares.̗̦̤̝͙̩̭̫̺̲̜.̟̳̺͖̘̳.̘͍̭̝̻̣̞͍

Mistee the Bulbasaur (M: Grass/Poison)

Health: 10/10 | Sanity: 4/8 | Purity: 10/10
Battle Stance: Flee
Perk: Technical
Trait: Charming

**Neo Emolga** · 09-24-2019, 01:26 AM

Originally Posted by arnisd

Will go interview Orolaph the Magby

Interview Rapport: POSITIVE
+1 Shared Type

You find Orolaph working at his florist shop, which seems like an unusual occurrence as you find it strange for flowers to be sold by a fire type right in the heart of a forlorn, cataclysmic world. Still, you have to admire the Magby for trying his best to keep spirits up.

The store itself seems quite welcoming as you walk by the many rows of lush, colorful flowers and flora. Even the scents are pleasant as you head up to the main merchant desk to meet with Orolaph.

"Hey there!" the Magby greets you happily. "Looking for anything in particular? I've got loads of flowers and we even put together arrangements for any occasion!"

You mention that you're trying to conduct an investigation on the Stalkers, and that you're not here to buy anything today. He seems a bit disappointed at first, but he smiles with understanding and seems friendly about it regardless.

"Well, no sweat," Orolaph tells you, trying to see if there's some way he can help. "I'll admit, I have seen some strange things around town. I live up in the Rusty Shine Units. Yeah, I know, it's kind of a sad place but it's still home to me. I live in Unit 10 if you ever want to drop on by."

"Speaking of which..." he continues, looking away with his face looking a little grim, "the other night I thought I heard a really strange kind of scratching on one of the walls. I mean, there's all kinds of bumps in the night and stuff in that rickety place, but I could have swore it was coming from one of the abandoned units. Turned out it was Unit 13. I knocked on the door, wondering if whoever was inside was alright. Up until I realized hey, no one's actually living in there. There was no name on the door plate. And then I realized the door wasn't even locked, so I opened it and looked in."

"My god, there was... scribbling all over the walls," he tells you, looking very anxious. "Such angry, violent... I don't even know what to call it! I got so scared that I just slammed the door and just ran back to my apartment. I haven't been able to sleep that well since that night. I still hear those scratches, but I just leave them be and stay safely in my Unit 10, just hoping something doesn't come barging into my apartment. Still, I'm just so scared of that place. I can't even walk by it anymore! I end up even taking the longer way out just to avoid it."

"I hate to ask this of you, but... could you please check it out?" Orolaph requests. "I haven't been able to sleep that well and I have a really bad feeling about that Unit 13. And you look way stronger than I am. But I'm just too scared to look in there again. I know... I'm totally certain the Stalkers are doing something in there and I shudder to think Pokémon are being killed in there. Or if I might be next! Please, do something about it if you can. I need my sleep but that place and those noises are the stuff of nightmares! But please, be careful. That Unit 13 nearly made me jump out of my own skin. I couldn't look inside longer than ten seconds!"

"Well, thanks for listening to me," Orolaph tells you, happy that you stuck around to hear him out. "Feel free to take a few sample flowers if you'd like as thanks. I'm sure they'll bring a little more happiness wherever you decide to put them."

You nod and thank him for his time. You're about to leave when you realise that you had intended to hand over one of the packages from Kaskin. You withdraw the package and give it to him, much to his delight.

[Care Package]x1 was removed from the Team Inventory.

"Oh man, I've been waiting for this!" he says, a chuckle to his voice. He reaches down below the counter and pulls some things up one-by-one, asking you to take them as payment.

[Padded Strip] x5 and $34 SP$ were added to the Team Inventory.

Quest Updated: Care Packages

You bid him farewell, then decide to head back to base, really wondering what exactly Orolaph saw in Unit 13. But considering how horrified the Magby looked when he recalled seeing it, you have an unsettling feeling about what might be lurking behind that door...

Brass the Braixen (M: Fire)

Health: 10/10| Sanity: 6/8 | Purity: 10/10
Battle Stance: Fight
Perk: Repair
Trait: Resourceful

**Neo Emolga** · 09-24-2019, 02:07 AM

Originally Posted by HorusMyDude

Hmm, might be a good idea to interview Pakson the Crabominable.

Interview Rapport: POSITIVE
+1 Shared Type (Fighting)
+ Intimidation (Fighting vs Ice)
+ Modesty (Bug vs Fighting)

You decide to head out and pay the white, wooly crab Pokémon a visit. You find him at his day job, "maintaining" the Rusty Shine Units. Or more like you find him napping after a game of Solitaire Stones just didn't keep his interest long enough to merit staying awake. His maintenance office is full of clutter, caked with dust, and speaks for itself about how concerned Pakson is for his job.

When you approach him, suddenly he wakes up, looking alarmed for a moment, but then he realizes you're not here to hurt him. He just chuckles and just welcomes you into his mess of an office.

"Huh, whoa, wasn't expecting anyone!" Pakson greets you, nearly falling back on his wooly butt. "But that's cool. Who're you?"

You introduce yourself as Old Lace the Buzzwole, and that you're trying to discern who the Stalkers are. You then follow-up by asking Pakson about things he's might have seen around town, or if he thinks he might know something about a particular Stalker.

"Well, nice to meet ya, Lacey!" he boasts. "You don't mind if I call you that, right? Ha, figured!"

"So, you're hunting Stalkers, huh?" Pakson asks despite knowing the answer already. "I'm totally sure I could fight a Stalker! Though I haven't heard of anyone encountering one and living to tell the tale! But I'm sure I'll be different! I know things a lot of those other folks didn't!"

"Okay, I hate to say it, but I'm totally sure there's a Stalker living in Rusty Shine," he tells you, trying to keep his voice down, although he barely pulls this off and proves he doesn't really master subtlety very well. "I did rounds the other day, kind of to... well, between you and me, pretend like I was working. Now, Rusty Shine is full of weird smells. You get used to them, but there's no mistaking... death smell stuff. Someone's been hiding corpses or something around here. Or their refrigerator stopped working! I haven't been able to track down which unit it is and too many of them are inhabited to just go knocking on every single door to see who's been keeping bodies in the closet! Plus really, who's going to say 'oh yeah, Pakson, check out my body collection! I have a few rare ones if you're interested!' Eh heh, yeah, I doubt that!"

"Now, I've managed to at least track down that it's somewhere here on the first floor," Pakson tells you, trying to provide as many details as possible. "I also think it's on the western side, but don't hold me to that! Sometimes I think I catch whiffs of that stuff on the eastern side, but they're not as strong there. Look, everyone knows me around here and they know I'm not exactly the most ambitious maintenance guy around, so I don't have the best reputation. You know, if you could somehow figure out what unit has the stinky stuff, you'd be doing me a big favor! Although no promises about me cleaning that stuff up right away. I might need to, well, muster up the courage for that! And things like that take time! You know how it is, don't you, Lacey! Yeah, you're a pro pal."

"Say, I wonder what's on TV," he talks to himself, grabbing the remote. "Hey, you're welcome to join me, Lacey, if you'd like! The Warriors and Typhoons game should be on! I've got a lot of Fantasy Thrashball points on the line with this one!"

You politely decline as you know you've got other things you need to do. But you do wonder about what might be going on about the smells that Pakson described...

Old Lace the Buzzwole (L: Bug/Fighting)

Health: 12/12 | Sanity: 8/8 | Purity: 8/8
Battle Stance: Fight
Perk: Diplomacy | Abilities: Escort/Protect, Rescue/Escape
Trait: Stealthy

**Neo Emolga** · 09-24-2019, 11:58 PM

Originally Posted by Noblejanobii

You seem like a reasonable fellow, Orin, so I'll ask you this. What's your relationship like with Shilamora? Is she the reason you became a stalker?

And you better not lie to me otherwise I'll rip your heart out right where you stand. Hehehe...

... I'm still not entirely sure you're not a Stalker, Madder.

Something about this Orin situation doesn't add up, so I'm going to investigate 1. Shilamora the Goodra

Madder the Mimikyu's Investigation of 1. Shilamora the Goodra has been completed.

You initiate your investigation on Shilamora when the sun goes down, always watching her from a distance. As the others have discerned, you accept that she couldn't possibly be Indulge and be the one responsible for killing Meela-Tay, but still, you are well aware that she could be one of the others. In light of this, you decide to see what more you can learn from keeping your gaze locked on her, weaving your way through the shadows like the eyes of a fast-moving, spidery specter.

Given she's the stand-in mayor of the town, she has plenty of guards, but you still manage to make your way by them, slipping by through whatever means necessary to dig up as much information on her as you can regardless of how imposing they might seem.

The night of Meela-Tay's murder, you saw her sleeping the entire time. But during that time, you didn't see anything unusual.

Throughout the day, you follow her and watch her from the shadows, no matter where she goes. Shilamora is definitely a brazen Goodra with high expectations and an absolute hatred for excuses. While she does plenty of administrative work for Salvage Keep, ego is important to her as well and she doesn't ever let herself appear to be meek or anxious. She sees herself as a prestigious leader and Pokémon, and doesn't pass up any opportunities to build upon that.

The fastest way to get on Shilamora's bad side is to question her authority and practices. She's self-assured that she's doing the best job anyone could ever do and to deviate from that leadership style would be a drastic mistake. She's also extremely well-organized and very meticulous about how and when things should be done. Being rude, impolite, or too overly-casual is something she takes offense to and she doesn't hesitate to make that known.

During meals, she enjoys drinking fine and what appears to be very expensive rare tea. She's also a bit of a gambler, enjoying games of chance. But from what you gather during your time watching her, she doesn't have any perks or teachable skills, or at least not things that the Emissaries would find helpful. In any case, you have doubts Shilamora has the time to teach anyone the things she knows. You have the feeling she'd prefer to keep that knowledge to herself and let it be that only she knows of certain things.

You find that Shilamora's network runs deep. She was friends with Silcress before he was blown up by Payload. In the meantime, she seems unaware about how much Orin wants her head on a stick, but you can see exactly where the Vivillon's claims of being thrown into the gutter have come to pass. You could easily argue she used him to rise to the top, took the glory for herself, and then pushed him into a corner where he served more like an underling than a friend and a companion. But you get the idea that she sees nothing wrong with it and that it was simply natural for her to take full control while Orin just faded into obscurity.

Typhen the Luxio seems to be another friend of hers, who would be her shining white knight if anyone threatened to do harm to her. She also has a friendship with Greg the Torracat, who runs the tavern Greg's Grog. It seems they spend quite a few hours sharing gossip and Greg clues her in on the dirty secrets of others so she doesn't need to go picking into these matters herself. Aluxi the Kommo-o is another one of her underground information sources, and you easily get an idea of how Shilamora keeps Salvage Keep under control by ensuring she knows the darkest secrets about anyone or anything that might try to undo her authority. It makes you wonder if this was in fact the very way Orin slowly had his power and authority bled out of him. Lastly, Xelphar the Turtonator, while not a very close friend, still enjoys short sessions of casual high-life conversation with her, often letting her know of any good books he's read that she might like.

During a moment where you begin to believe Shilamora is thinking she's being followed, you quickly but silently try to return to the shadows.

Madder rolls Stealth: 96%. Stealthy bonus +25% = 121%!
Result: Ninjas want your autograph.

But she suspects nothing and returns to her usual daily activities. You finish by recording your observations and then return to base with your full report and analysis in hand.

1. SHILAMORA THE GOODRA

Availability: Day/Night
Gender: Female
Age: 75
Home Location: (1d) Salvage Keep, Shilamora's Dwelling
Workplace: Salvage Keep
Profession: Stand-in Mayor
Personality: Ostentatious, self-assured, selfish
Likes: Tea, organisation, gambling, overseeing the valley
Dislikes: Bad hospitality, others questioning her
Appearance: Scar from the back of the left shoulder arcing up and over to the middle of her chest
Friendships: Silcress, Orin, Typhen, Greg, Aluxi, Xelphar
Rivals: None
Relations: None
Items: Shilamora does not possess anything of note.
Taught Skills: Shilamora is not a skill teacher.
Proficiency: Shilamora does not have a perk.
Background: Shilamora

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Based upon your investigation, you believe that while Shilamora's ego and attitude has caused her to get lofty ideas and douse them with her own arrogance, she doesn't show any sign or trait of being controlled or swayed by an internal Enthraller. None of her possessions seem to radiate with a Stalker's distinctive infernal aura. Based on what you've seen, you find yourself not suspicious of Shilamora, or at least not in terms of being a Stalker. You do, however, find it distasteful that she's thrown several Pokémon under the bus to get where she is today and did it with a very "ends justify the means" mentality.

Madder's Investigation of 1. Shilamora the Goodra has been noted in the Team Records.

Madder the Mimikyu (S: Ghost/Fairy)

Health: 8/8 | Sanity: 8/8 | Purity: 12/12
Battle Stance: Fight
Perk: Seinaru | Abilities: Investigate
Trait: Stealthy