The Stalkers RPG: Dustwoken Season 1 - General Chat Thread (Savant Hideout - Beachwood Farmstead)

[Neo Emolga]

https://i.imgur.com/n2ZULUy.png

Before you on the outskirts of town lies the old farmstead owned by Benni the Appletun. As you arrive with your fellow Savants at the farm, it seems you have no place to stay for the time being, although it seems Benni was almost expecting your arrival. She seems welcoming, although somber and lonely.

“Welcome,” she tells you, smiling a bit though feeling nervous. “Someone left me a note and asked if I would be willing to give you a place to stay. They told me you would be trying to help us…”

She shivers a bit, looks away for a moment, and then looks back to you.

“Please… help us…” she begs.

After regaining her composure, she shows you around the old farmstead, which still seems to be in working order and shows how much care Benni has put into it, although she has been trying it all by herself without much help.

She has had a few empty beds available for you, as well as plenty of storage space. You get the feeling with the size of the farm and the homestead, there used to be a much bigger family here at one point, but now it’s only Benni by herself. You have the feeling simply being here, helping the town, and simply giving her more company than the ghosts of yesterday has already slightly lifted her spirits up.

Now that you’re here, you’re hoping you can prove her hospitality was placed in the right hands…



This is the place for Savant chat and for discussing plans, tactics, what to do next, and can also be used for working out puzzle solutions (if you submit them here, please mention me so I can check the solution!)

Just some easy to follow ground rules:

Be kind, be friendly, be considerate! You're all on the same team, it's not a competition. The Demoni are your enemies, not your fellow Savants!
New members are ALWAYS welcome! I understand that while we have a few Stalkers RPG veterans who have been with us since Season 1 in the Legacy Version, I get that new people are always coming by. And that's still awesome, it's great to have everyone along!
You are totally welcome to meta-game and do some role play in here. Heck, we've even had fan art made, so that's totally welcome as well! Also, you never know who else may swing by this old steel mill while your mission is ongoing...
If you have any questions, please ask them in the Q&A thread! Although if you forget by chance, not a biggie, I'll still try to answer them.
You are totally welcome to make additional discussion threads beyond this one. It can be useful if you just want your own personal staging area to review notes, or make a poll in order to work out a team decision. That's been done in the past!

Also, you're totally free (and encouraged!) to use PMD portraits whenever you speak.



imageLinkHere

Text here! It will appear in the middle if it's two lines down. But if you're saying a lot, you might want to have it one line up.

In practice:


https://i.postimg.cc/MGYM0HSD/Emolga-Happy.png

Cheers and good times!



PSMD Mugshot resource (no gen 7 or 8, sorry!): here! (https://www.spriters-resource.com/3ds/pokemonsupermysterydungeon/)
Party icon sprites resource: here! (https://archives.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Category:Generation_VII_menu_sprites)

News and Updates:
[4/28/2022] Threads coming up, stay tuned!
[5/1/2022] - Starting date is 5/6/2022! Be there!

Useful Links:
Offical Stalkers-RPG-Dustwoken-Season-1-Rules-and-Gameplay (https://www.pokemoncrossroads.com/forum/showthread.php/33200-The-Stalkers-RPG-Dustwoken-Season-1-Rules-and-Gameplay-WARNING-HORROR-THEMES)
Storyline and Sign Ups (https://www.pokemoncrossroads.com/forum/showthread.php/33201-The-Stalkers-RPG-Dustwoken-Season-1-Storyline-Sign-Up-Thread)
Questions & Answers (https://www.pokemoncrossroads.com/forum/showthread.php/33208-The-Stalkers-RPG-Dustwoken-Season-1-Questions-amp-Answers)
Stalkers RPG: Duskwoken School (https://www.pokemoncrossroads.com/forum/showthread.php/33209-STALKERS-SCHOOL-for-if-you-need-a-hand)

[C0L0R3D]

2005
Nice, a farmstead! I always thought that we had to find shelter ourselves, but this works as well. So don’t worry at all, Benni. I’m confident this town is in safe hands!
2006
Also… don’t worry about Silver wandering off every now and again. He’s still not all too happy about turning to a fluffy chinchilla. He’ll adjust, probably.

[Benni the Appletun]

https://i.postimg.cc/8cth4wg9/Benni-Normal.png Hello there, it’s good to meet you all, and thank you for your words of comfort, Colored.

I just don’t know what is happening to our town lately. I’ve been trying to keep safe and quiet, but I’ve still been hearing bad news from the others. Talks of Pokémon being murdered, dead bodies being found in gruesome ways… I’ve been trying to keep quiet and only visit town when I need to. Keeping things in order here is a full-time job and times are hard as is, but it’s good to have company once again. I hope you find it comfortable here and if there’s anything you need, please let me know. I can’t say I’m big on cooking either, especially when it’s been just me for the past few years. I hope most of you will be fine with soup, sandwiches, salads, and some good fruit and vegetables. I don’t know where you all come from, but hopefully I can make this place feel like home to you all.

The letter I was given told me you all would be trying to investigate this. That you had a special… something no other Pokémon has. Well, I hope it comes through for our sake. I’ll admit, we don’t have the most cordial or politest police force around these parts. While I would say that would be a good place to start getting answers, you might have some trouble dealing with them. I’ve heard a few things here and there about them and, well, let’s just say it’s not a good idea to go digging for trouble in Seabourne, here. There’s also the Seabourne Coast Guard, which might have seen a few things, too. I don’t know too much about them, but I’m sure they’re hard at work with what’s been going on.

While I know you most likely want to get started right away, I still need some time to get things together here. This happened quite suddenly and I need to get some things in order and make sure we can stay safe and hidden up here. That and I’m sure you’ll need some storage space and beds prepared.

I suspect we should be ready in about four days. That should give you enough time to get settled in and comfortable.

[C0L0R3D]

2007

Wow, that’s barely any time at all! But hey, I’m ready to dish out some serious justice. Also…

2008

I’m surprised the others haven’t swung by here yet. But hey, they’ll pop up in their own time. Until then, I guess-

2009

YOU NEVER SAID THERE WERE OTHERS!

2010

Try not to freak out too much, we haven’t even started yet.

[EmeraldSky]

Thank you Miss Benni, for your kind hospitality. We're going to everything we can to save this place, or die trying.

[ARandomTool]

He crawled from the attic, which is unsettling. It implies he got here first.
"Or that I climbed up the far side of the house to make an entertaining entrance..." he says to Nobody in particular. Brushing the glass of a broken window off his shoulders, he looked around and sighed.

"Y'know, I was hoping that the world wouldn't be in such a way, this time... Shame on me for forgetting what the Stalkers are if given freedom."

[Benni the Appletun]

2007

Wow, that’s barely any time at all! But hey, I’m ready to dish out some serious justice. Also…

2008

I’m surprised the others haven’t swung by here yet. But hey, they’ll pop up in their own time. Until then, I guess-

2009

YOU NEVER SAID THERE WERE OTHERS!

2010

Try not to freak out too much, we haven’t even started yet.

https://i.postimg.cc/8cth4wg9/Benni-Normal.png
Whoa there, it’ll be okay. No reason to cause a ruckus, now. Let’s just all try to remain calm if we can, but if things get rough out there, come on back and take as much time as you need. I know from the past that it’s best not to rush into things sometimes.




Thank you Miss Benni, for your kind hospitality. We're going to everything we can to save this place, or die trying.

https://i.postimg.cc/3rvNZtYv/Benni-Worried.png
Oh hun, I truly hope it doesn’t come to any one of us dying. We’ve lost a number of good folks already. Listen, if any of you find something bad and you need to take a breather here, I’ll be here for you. You’re not alone.




He crawled from the attic, which is unsettling. It implies he got here first.
"Or that I climbed up the far side of the house to make an entertaining entrance..." he says to Nobody in particular. Brushing the glass of a broken window off his shoulders, he looked around and sighed.

"Y'know, I was hoping that the world wouldn't be in such a way, this time... Shame on me for forgetting what the Stalkers are if given freedom."

https://i.postimg.cc/8cth4wg9/Benni-Normal.png I hope you didn’t cut yourself on that window up there. I’ve been meaning to fix that old thing and just haven’t gotten around to it…

Is that what they’re called? Stalkers? I don’t know much about them or if they have some kind of history, but that does seem rather fitting given what they’ve been doing to unsuspecting folks around here. No one has said anything about seeing them or finding one of them, but then again, I haven’t been out there asking around myself. I have seen folks trying to watch their backs and I’ll admit this all has made it easy to jump at any sudden noises.

Whoever they are, they’re hiding well, but I’m hoping you all can find those hiding spots and send them running for the hills. But if I do come across something out there that doesn’t seem right or if I overhear something, you’ll all be the first to know.

[C0L0R3D]

(Due to a computer meaning no portraits to use... coloured text time.)

Hey, don't worry about it. I know the words to use in order to avoid disclaiming this stuff, and I can ensure said words shall be used. And try not to mind how Silver is. He's... not the best with a lot of stuff.



But on a non-roleplay note, I'm just excited to see how the map and suspect list is gonna look. Although it doesn't take much for me to think Benni here is innocent 99 times out of 100 if she happens to be on it. And note to Neo if he reads this, still no pressure on getting those out.

[Neo Emolga]

(Due to a computer meaning no portraits to use... coloured text time.)

Hey, don't worry about it. I know the words to use in order to avoid disclaiming this stuff, and I can ensure said words shall be used. And try not to mind how Silver is. He's... not the best with a lot of stuff.



But on a non-roleplay note, I'm just excited to see how the map and suspect list is gonna look. Although it doesn't take much for me to think Benni here is innocent 99 times out of 100 if she happens to be on it. And note to Neo if he reads this, still no pressure on getting those out.

From the quiet shadows of the Beachwood Farmstead dining room where you now stand emerges a mysterious figure, making almost no sound at all, causing you to question if he even emits a sound while softly breathing. As you look upon this mysterious shadow now materializing before you, you feel almost as if he’s both attached and detached from this world and plane of existence, an ethereal trait and aspect you might expect from some mysterious god or angelic being. You’re not even sure if Benni can see what you see now standing before you, or if from her point of view, there is nothing even there at all and only your Savant eyes can see him.

The shadow takes form and you are almost inclined to believe this is an otherworldly Raichu at first, but then on a second glance… no… there’s something more to this conundrum here. It seems as though he has worn many faces, many identities as of late, like an enigmatic shapeshifter wandering the labyrinth of reality and the other planes that he knows of. But the figure’s eyes reveal more to you, an answer hidden in the shadows that can be easily overlooked by many that don’t stop to take that second glance… if they can even behold this mysterious figure in the first place...

Only then do you realize this Raichu is disguised. A voice in your head suddenly whispers the answer in your head. No… this is no ordinary Raichu. In fact this isn’t even a Raichu at all. This is in fact an extraordinary Emolga…

…and then you see he is the sky squirrel named NEO, wearing his distinctive crescent moon-shaped necklace and a confident smirk. In his presence, you almost sense a mysterious aura… not of shadow or darkness… but one of magic, mischief, and whimsy, the kind you might experience being in the presence of faeries…

https://i.postimg.cc/MGYM0HSD/Emolga-Happy.png Hi there! Pst, it’s me, Neo Emolga!

Oh, you’ll get to see how everything looks this Friday when I post all the stuff the mysterious dark fog now surrounding the town is cleared and you can venture out of the farmstead to check out whatever you like and talk to all the suspects! How do I know that? Oh, I know many things!

…many, many things…

See, I’ve been preparing for quite some time here! Who knows what you might find out there!?

Who knows… … … I know. Because I know everything….

Farewell, my friend! I’ll be watching!

...I’ll always be watching…

…

…

The mysterious disguised Emolga then walks out the old farmhouse door and as you watch him leave, he then mysteriously takes flight over the large field where Benni grows her crops. He shows his true form but for just a glimpse of a second as he glides into the sky with his membranes attached to his wrists and just next to his feet. He glides upward like a shadowy, ethereal kite toward the gray cloudy skies before he passes through the veil and crosses into another plane of existence. The dream-like vision quickly fades into the skies and as you look back to Benni standing a short distance behind you, she looks to you, wondering why you’re gazing up at the sky, as if your eyes have been gazing into a mysterious, faraway place…

From that moment of disbelief, you realize she never saw anything that you beheld just now…

[Noblejanobii]

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/801486399664291871/971487226770886716/Lewisia_Transparent.png

Lewisia gazed around the farmstead at the others. They were causing quite the ruckus, but she didn't mind. The more that were here, the easier, she thought, it would be to solve the problem at hand. The farmstead was cozy, at least, and a nice place to rest for the time being until the dark fog cleared from around the time. This was as good a place as any to get acquainted with her allies in the coming days, weeks, or however many months it took for them to resolve the conflict involving these evil beings known as the Stalkers.



Not me just deciding to go absolutely off model for Lewisia's design LMAO. Another Shaymin joins the collection!

[Lychee]

2011
Yay, we're here! Oh, and what a lovely farm! So big, I'm sure it can fit everyone here! Thanks so much for letting us stay, Benni!

2012
Oh... But there have already been deaths? Murders? Grisly rumours?

2013
I'm pretty good at talking, so I might go straight to the Police. I doubt they'd turn me away...
Does anyone want to volunteer to talk to the coastguard? They might be a little more friendly.

2014
We'll sort this town out yet, just you wait!

[C0L0R3D]

2015

You said it! Also, I think I was able to get a friend on board to help us out. Not a friend like Silver, I’m talking a friend friend like us! No guarantee, but I hope they go through with joining in.

[Lychee]

2013
Alright. Its time to do some things already!
I don't know who works at the Police station yet, or at the coast guard, so we are probably going to have to go to those locations to get some names before we start interviewing.

Also! I don't know if you guys noticed, but apparently if a Pokémon in this town is killed, it's ship sinks! That means we should probably prioritize searching the ships...because they might disappear later...
I'm certainly not able to get down to the bottom of the ocean to search a sunken ship-- and neither are any of you, right?

[C0L0R3D]

2018

I’d do it if I were a bit more Palpitoad-y. And no, I’m not gonna throw my life away just for so we can check these ships out. I could work on Diplomafying a Water type or we could track down Aqua Gear or something similar to it.

EDIT: Made a list of folks worth chatting up. Was originally meant for me, so ignore things that may chat about myself.

MORTEK + TAYOU: Mayor and his wife, gotta get them on our side. PRIORITISE MORTEK if we can, also Diplomacy just in case he's wary of us.
BENNI: She can share what she already knows. INTERVIEWED! Result: Very helpful.
TATCH: Guy has some traffic, so there's a chance he knows something or someone.
NAMREA: Same reasoning as Tatch.
VANNI & SHESA: They may have had to deal with some Stalker victims and could share a tale or two. Diplomacy on Shesa if I chat her up due to rapport being absolute dung.
MYTA: Best rapport matchup for me.
GRESCO: Ship captain, very important.
VELAY?: He might know something, but who knows.
VELLI?: Diplomacy mandatory.
HASHANI?: I feel like such a dull attitude may not be typical, even with how the school is.
COLBYI?: You know what they say about being too high up on your horse.

[EmeraldSky]

Okay...that was not what I was expecting...

What is Kurosuōba, and how can I purge it or purify it?

[C0L0R3D]

2019

Judging by the description of it and the way it’s set in your stats, I have a feeling his may or may not get fatal if we dabble with what can only be the dark arts. But besides from that, we got armour and a Murkrow skeleton so far… interesting.

EDIT: Idea, maybe we should contact that Umbreon or her Arbok friend about it. There’s a chance they’ve stumbled across this and are able to help it somehow?

[Benni the Appletun]

2011
Yay, we're here! Oh, and what a lovely farm! So big, I'm sure it can fit everyone here! Thanks so much for letting us stay, Benni!

https://i.postimg.cc/8cth4wg9/Benni-Normal.png Oh, you’re quite welcome, hon, I’m glad to hear you’ve been settling in ok. Just let me know if you need my help with anything, although I’ll admit I’m just not the mystery-solving type. But I’ll try to make sure you feel safe and provided for while you’re here.




Okay...that was not what I was expecting...

What is Kurosuōba, and how can I purge it or purify it?

https://i.postimg.cc/3rvNZtYv/Benni-Worried.png I… I can’t say I’ve ever heard of it. It sounds… strange.

Did something happen while you were out there? I don’t see anything wrong with you…

[EmeraldSky]

Benni the Appletun

Basically, while I was exploring the library, I found these odd artifacts that radiated this odd energy, and even though I don't look it, I may have absorbed some of it. So I'm wondering what this energy is, and how it can be purged, if it all.

[C0L0R3D]

2020

Okay, I am 90% sure this can kill you. Over half of your body spiritually separated (or something like that)?! SOUNDS KINDA KILLY TO ME!

2021

Also, there’s good reason why we shouldn’t put ourselves as Savants. Folk may think we’re mentally insane like that Weavile… do ya think there’s more? Some could be in hiding… who am I to know.

[ARandomTool]

"Ah, where I'm from an out-of-body experience is a good thing.
Actually.
Thinking about it, there's a chance this is one way we can be rid of these things. Separate them from their host, then put them in... something so they can't get out.
Also we now have both halves of something, even if it shears the soul to interact with it. That's a step forwards."

[sammy0295]

Okay...that was not what I was expecting...

What is Kurosuōba, and how can I purge it or purify it?
https://i.imgur.com/P3oYVct.png

It (and a few other things (I see you Neo)) is Japanese. Its "Crossover". Which is,, intriguing to say the least.


So far we got:
shukufuku is blessing, jozai is either help or medicine, which all sounds far less ominous than it seemed
[Burakkupeji] black page
[Kagami] mirror
[s][Shocho] eh, best I got is "chief" but that would actually be shochō. Might not be Japanese, or it could just be because I'm not actually very good at Japanese
[Shōchō] emblem
and
=Majutsu Investigation Report= majutsu being black magic

[Neo Emolga]

https://i.imgur.com/P3oYVct.png

It (and a few other things (I see you Neo)) is Japanese. Its "Crossover". Which is,, intriguing to say the least.


So far we got:
[Shukufuku no jozai] shukufuku is blessing, jozai is either help or medicine, which all sounds far less ominous than it seemed
[Burakkupeji] black page
[Kagami] mirror
[Shocho] eh, best I got is "chief" but that would actually be shochō. Might not be Japanese, or it could just be because I'm not actually very good at Japanese
and
=Majutsu Investigation Report= majutsu being black magic

https://i.postimg.cc/MGY5czrk/Emolga-My-Bad.png Ah ha ha, ok, ok, the gig is up, you got me. xD

And yeah, I think my little accents on the Os got wiped or misplaced, but it should be Shōchō.

[sammy0295]

https://i.imgur.com/lliGeHO.png

Got more japanese (https://i.imgur.com/mx2mDKI.png)


"Michana, Yume and I are as one as I speak to the dreams"

if michana means something in japanese I can't figure out what, but Yume is dream.
"But alas the final step remains untaken, the dorimugeto set"

dorimugeto is just "dream get"
"Shadoupureto"

shadou is shadow, pureto i'm uncertain. for the record, i believe it is an english word written with japanese sounds so if yall have any guesses?
"kage no Shukufuku"

shadow's blessing
"Shado Sunadokei"

shadow hourglass
"Shadoutsuru"

shadow again, tsuru could be the verbs to hang or to lure/to fish. or it could be crane, the bird. japanese has a lot of homonyms. not sure bout this one
"Shadoumemorizu no hon"

book of shadow memories
"I could have made Yum no Saidan whole once again"

assuming yum is a typo, yume no saidan is alter of dreams

and Ohnashan, I think, is just a name, not Japanese.

[C0L0R3D]

All very interesting finds! From what I've made out, we have a Stalker kinda similar to Labyrinth on our paws. Trying to leave but only ending up somewhere new, not to mention thorny vines... c'mon. It's like a Labyrinth-Philter hybrid! Labphter? Still, let's not jump to blame a grass type right off the bat.

We also have two 'mons to focus in on, Raboa and Vocco. If someone can cover that Umbreon tonight in my place, I could look into this thieving Wigglytuff. Doesn't look like anyone is particularly restricted to day and night cycles, so I could try and knock some smack into the guy.

EDIT: Nix Vocco. Y'know that note we found regarding a 'Sarkkan'? Just so turns out there's a Beautifly in town with that exact name. I'm on his trail tonight.

[ARandomTool]

"Yes, I was hoping to cover the Wigglytuff myself, I have am itching feeling they don't remember why or how they came into their "wares." A bit of probing should reveal whether they have the practiced lies of a skilled fence, or the generic, nervous answers of someone with another in their head who has sticky fingers when it comes to the history of their goods.

Additional thought - We should consider the possibility of a Stalker who throws chaff when they kill - Stolen things winding up at the scene of a murder, possibly with fur or scales attached to lead us down a false trail."

[C0L0R3D]

Mhm, while I do get what you have in mind with the memory idea, keep in mind it may not totally seal the deal on a Stalker being the cause. Vocco here may just have some genuine memory issues if we ask someone.

But a stalker who leads us down the wrong trail intentionally? That’s something to consider for sure.

[Noblejanobii]

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/509939533757022209/973360559527440454/Lewisia_Reports_smol.png "Alright, I know we had said to prioritize searching, but I thought it best to at least speak with our host on what she knows, first. I know Stalkers can be anyone, but I thought it best to at least learn what Benni knows, since at the moment, she's something of our closest ally, given she's opened her home to us. I'm inclined to trust her, if for no other reason than that, at least for now."

"The first thing she said of note was about Raboa, the Drapion. Apparently they used to be friends, but Raboa has grown especially bitter as of late and even snapped at Benni when Benni tried to reach out to her about breakfast and such. Benni thinks it might have something to do with the fact that Raboa recently started carrying around a black flower, which apparently don't grow much around here. Considering Raboa works at Kako Farms, perhaps myself and someone else could team up to search the fields and farm for any potential stalker leads. It's possible Raboa, or someone else who works there, is using it as a base of operations for Stalker activities."

Lewisia tilts her head in thought as she reads through her notes. "I'm wondering if whatever this is Raboa has isn't actually a flower, but rather some sort of artifact related to the Stalkers that might be influencing her behavior. Perhaps someone with Diplomacy could go speak with her on it? Benni mentioned seeing a pitch black vase with red markings on it at the market the other day, and that upon touching it, she was overcome with a horrible feeling that ultimately gave her horrible nightmares the following night. I wonder if these artifacts are somehow influencing people's behavior and spreading the Stalker's control over the town. Like they're making them or something. Regardless, it might be worth checking out the Macro Market to see if we can find that vase and remove it from the premises before anyone else does."

Lewisia puts a paw to her chin in thought. "Benni also mentioned the nightmare featured her being chased on a factory and that thorny vines were coming up from everywhere in the factory to attack her. She also said she couldn't understand logical reason anymore. I wonder if that's a hint at the power of the Stalker that made the vase? Assuming the Stalkers are the ones that made them. Still, I think it's worth checking out the Percho Mill and interviewing Beltha the Salazzle, since that would match the factory setting, and Beltha owns it. Perhaps if we find anyone who works there, we could interview them too." Lewisia sets aside her notes and bows her head. "Hopefully that helps! If you all have anything in particular you'd like for me to do next round, I'm all ears!"

[Lychee]

Oh... Ohhh... I feel terribly strange... Like some black magic has seeped into my soul...
I don't think I can search anywhere tonight! It would be too dangerous. I'm going to interview at night instead....

But who should I interview? We have so many people on our list now- can someone help me figure out the toughest nut to crack, and I'll go to them with diplomacy?

[EmeraldSky]

I'm a little leery about searching too--I'd hate to see what happens when someone maxes out the amount.

[sammy0295]

I'm a little leery about searching too--I'd hate to see what happens when someone maxes out the amount.

i'd love to see it o.o

[C0L0R3D]

Well, this Kurosuōbā is a bit of a mystery and a half, though I do think that death or a similarly ill fate is on the cards if this maxes out or goes beyond. Looking pack at the police station search, we specifically got told THIS when our Tapu Lele pal got hit with 6 Kuro points:


You shiver, feeling like more than half of you has been detached and disconnected from this very realm of reality. It almost feels as though some other kind of dimension is trying to lure you and enrapture you through these bizarre artifacts.

If that doesn't scream to be careful then I don't know what does. Looking into finding a cure as of now is a medium priority case, so I recommend we try and look for folk who work in the chapels as they may be more knowledgeable with spiritual stuff like this when morning comes.

[Noblejanobii]

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/972125532869242941/972198034022744074/Lewisia_Neutral_Portrait_smol.png If you wanted to interview someone, perhaps you could consider going after Beltha the Salazzle or Raboa the Drapion? Colored also has a list of potential interviewees (https://www.pokemoncrossroads.com/forum/showthread.php/33207-The-Stalkers-RPG-Dustwoken-Season-1-General-Chat-Thread-(Savant-Hideout-Beachwood-Farmstead)?p=323025&viewfull=1#post323025) as well! Perhaps you could pull someone from that list instead. In the meantime, I plan to go search the farm, as I stated in my report. But next round perhaps we could go look at the Birthright Chapel?

[Lychee]

Oh yes! I had a listen to the friendly Shaymin and COLOUR3D and it certainly did seem like a good idea to interview the drapion that Benni mentioned..

On the plus side, if that flower does have Kurosuoba energy to it, I might just be about to answer a few questions about maxing out!
Otherwise, I think the posts also hinted quite strongly that we feel tired... perhaps a sleep would heal this black magic just as it heals souls and sanity? I don't want to waste a whole day napping unless I really top out at 8+ though...

[EmeraldSky]

So what should I do tonight?

[C0L0R3D]

Perhaps just follow the advice above and check out the mentioned chapel. And Colored works fine instead of all that silly number junk, I really don’t mind that.

[EmeraldSky]

C0L0R3D

I'll try that, then...

[C0L0R3D]

Okay, so from what we got so far: that rose just makes you sad and unpure as heck, and yes, Vocco is just a bona fide thief. Guess that strikes him off of a potential Stalker list for now, same with the Drapion.

In darker news, first kill of the game coming up. Don't take this the wrong way at all, but I'm a tiny bit excited about how some of these Stalkers will work their black magic. But whoever dies shall be avenged without a doubt.

EDIT: EmeraldSky, it was recommended Birthright Chapel got searched over instead of Southshore. Feel free to continue with the Southshore scour if desired, if you do that I can try to cover Birthright in the morning.

EDIT V2: I also have a bit of a plan myself for the next few days, being so. If anyone wants to look into them, go right ahead.

DAY 2: Interview Myta the Chespin / Search Birthright Chapel
NIGHT 2: Search the Slacker's Shack. Link to Raze Cache?
DAY 3: Search Emerald Fields Townhouses. Silver's coming in case I accidentally get all seizured.
NIGHT 3: Interview Velli the Sylveon. With Diplomacy, as not every lonely hermit is totally crazy. She might appreciate the company.

[Lychee]

Ohh my gosh... I'm really not having a great run on these trapped items... deary me...

This brings up something! We currently have SIX trapped items in our team inventory. That's a lot. It's a total of 16 Kurosuoba damage and 6 purity damage. Nobody wants to touch them, obviously, even if some of these things obviously go together, like the Black Pages.
But we are going to have to.

And you know what? They dont have to remain trapped! The @ symbol is a trap type that a pokemon with the security perk can remove!

From the Rules and Gameplay:
Some items are trapped or cursed and have ## or @@ indicators wrapped around the object’s name..... When using Security to disarm traps on items, you can select as many trapped items as you want in one turn and your character will attempt to disarm them all if possible. This is useful for clearing off many traps on many items...

So, would one of our security types consider doing a massive de-trapment sometime in the next couple of turns? Chakra, Maya, Scroll or Lewisia? Its not urgent right now, but we don't want to wait until there's an insurmountable backlog and we can't touch any of our stuff while we wait...

[C0L0R3D]

2027

I think it’s easy to say I heard things I never wanted to. We got Enis somewhat merged with Derange, and if Nhlis had too much coffee to drink before taking hold of Ferghus. Yes, I’m drawing too many irrational lines between dots.

2028

And I guess it wouldn’t hurt to line up some Kuro purging. Also, if we find the other half of that Sarkkan note then I’d recommend someone takes it back to him and mentions that this was the one a Snivy was talking to him about whoever long ago it was by the time we locate it.

[EmeraldSky]

Lychee

If there's not anything else I need to do in the morning, I can probably take care of a few.

[Noblejanobii]

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/972125532869242941/972198034022744074/Lewisia_Neutral_Portrait_smol.png Same here. I had planned to search the other remaining part of the Kako Industries but depending on how I and the others are feeling, I can use security on a few items.

[Chakramaster]

https://i.postimg.cc/Nftpnhcq/Jirachi-Sad.png I'm honestly not too sure where I want to go next. At least not yet...should I use my Security perk on anything?

[DayBreak]

2030
Arriving late, as they had many times in lives previous, was a Nidorina wearing a worn out jacket with holes punched in the back for their spikes and a bag that blew behind them. Sprinting full speed towards the farmstead, as they approached they just tripped and skid along the ground for a few meters, slowly grinding to a stop. Quickly getting up and brushing the dirt off of themself, they looked at those that had arrived, noting the presence of two Mythicals and a Legendary Pokémon. Not the most outlandish thing they'd seen across their lifetimes, but it still gave them pause.

"Ah, sorry I'm late everyone. I've never been the best with geography. Blindly wandered around and made it here by chance. Anyway, I'm Lyric Winterheart!"




2029
I literally just got here, my brain is in cooldown mode from drawing all of Lyric's icons and I don't really know what my character should really do. Can someone give me a quick sparknotes version of what's happened up to now and what the general plan / to-do list is? All I understand from the last few posts is that we're picking up cursed items like crazy and need to de-curse them.

EDIT: Alright, just read up on the latest thing and I decided to stitch the two sides of the Sarkkan Note together so it's easier to see the whole thing at once. I'll try to skim through everything else that's happened in the Main Action thread to get myself up to speed.

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/430221307565572096/974866494150291496/unknown.png

Text version:

Hey Sarkkan,
Vocco keeps stealing my cash and
I remember you told me you
think she swiped your watch. I
found an old safe in that
abandoned hitchhiker café no
one is using anymore. We can keep
our more valuable stuff in
there so she stops stealing it.
The combination to it is
17,8,42,32
I'll take the top row, you can
have the bottom.

[ARandomTool]

"You know, I'm literally never above theft, even if I know the sucker, and I'm still in perfect health. Obviously SOMEONE needs to go and be A Terrible Person[TM] and acquire the implied goodies. We have Jewelry slots for SOMETHING after all~"

[Neo Emolga]

2029
I literally just got here, my brain is in cooldown mode from drawing all of Lyric's icons and I don't really know what my character should really do. Can someone give me a quick sparknotes version of what's happened up to now and what the general plan / to-do list is? All I understand from the last few posts is that we're picking up cursed items like crazy and need to de-curse them.

EDIT: Alright, just read up on the latest thing and I decided to stitch the two sides of the Sarkkan Note together so it's easier to see the whole thing at once. I'll try to skim through everything else that's happened in the Main Action thread to get myself up to speed.

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/430221307565572096/974866494150291496/unknown.png

Text version:


https://i.postimg.cc/QMmW3CVz/Emolga-Sw-eat.png DAAAANG, you’re already off to a great start with that!

Piecing the parts of the note together, you get the full message.

“Hey Sarkkan,

Vocco keeps stealing my cash and I remember you told me you think she swiped your watch. I found an old safe in that abandoned hitchhiker café no one is using anymore. We can keep our more valuable stuff in there so she stops stealing it. The combination to is 17, 8, 42, 32. I’ll take the top row, you can have the bottom.”

[4-Number Combination] has been added to the Team Inventory

You're not quite sure why this note was ripped in half and seemingly discarded, but you wonder what you might find in that old safe now...



(What I was going to post earlier, but you might still find this helpful!)

https://i.postimg.cc/MGYM0HSD/Emolga-Happy.png Hey there! Always awesome to see new people joining us!

So if you’ve ever played games like Resident Evil and Silent Hill (or ever did one of those real-life escape room things), those were a HUGE inspiration for Stalkers RPG. Horror themes, some puzzle work, you name it, you got it, and this crazy sky squirrel thought hey, wouldn’t it be cool to do it with Pokémon with a Pokémon Mystery Dungeon feel? Voila!

So, as a spoiler-free kind of overview as to how Stalkers RPG works (and all this could be learned through going through the previous Seasons), there are multiple Stalkers hidden among the list of civilians. Each of them has a hidden “route” (most of the time, *wink* *wink*) which comprises of things that need to be done before you see the big reveal as to who the Stalker is. All throughout that, there are heaps of tricks and traps that you need to be on the watchout for. Sometimes you can be prepared for them (assume entering a dark and creepy place will be dangerous), but NOT always!

Not only that, but you also need to uncover the means to eliminate them since just knowing which Pokémon are Stalkers is a great start, but they’re demonically possessed and need unconventional means to be fully eliminated (it used to be a holy/heavenly themed “Sin Purge” ritual in previous Seasons, it’s something entirely different here). It’s a bit like gathering pieces of a jigsaw puzzle together. The extra challenge is now it’s like you’ve got the pieces of multiple jigsaw puzzles in the same pile. In time, things get sorted out and you find out what’s related to what. Yeah, there’s a whole methodology that goes on behind the scenes when I create these.

So now that you’re here (and thank you for joining us!), things are still in the very early stages. Right now things are in the “gathering phase” where it’s the proverbial gathering of the jigsaw pieces before you can start putting things together. Best way to do that is search locations and interview Pokémon.

Searching locations will always give you something, but there are often hidden dangers (usually if you have full Health/Sanity/Purity, you should be fine, though). Not every location will need to be searched to finish the game, but most of them need to be checked out. As a guide, reading the descriptions of locations is often quite helpful. Everyday locations like a character’s house, a market, an apartment building, and so on generally aren’t too dangerous, but they main not reveal all that much. Creepy abandoned locations are generally ripe and full of danger, but they’ll often have your most critical components of Stalker routes. Again, there are plenty of exceptions!

Interviewing Pokémon is a different but also helpful approach, but you get more and better answers from Pokémon you can connect with in terms of Rapport (your Diplomacy perk can override this, so you don’t need to pay too much attention to this). If you share a typing with them, that’s quite beneficial. The Timid/Intimidating modifier is based on the type chart, so keep that in mind as well. A Charmander talking to a Bulbasaur might make the Bulbasaur feel a bit on edge, but a Squirtle talking to that Bulbasaur would make the Bulbasaur feel more at ease. Your evolution stage is also taken into account. If it’s close to that of the Pokémon you’re interviewing, that’ll give more positive interviews whereas if it deviates too far from it, it will have a negative effect.

Also, each of those civilians has their own personality traits, likes, dislikes, things they like to do, and may have possible friendships and rivalries. Getting that information may be helpful. Some of the civilians also may have items that will be useful to you and the rest of the team.

If you need some examples:

Example #1
Slowking to Azelf (with a kind personality)

Slowking (Final 2of2, Water/Psychic) to Azelf (1of1, Psychic)

Interview Rapport: POSITIVE
+1 Shared Pokémon Type (Psychic)

Nothing too crazy here. The Slowking's Interview with Azelf would be positive and mostly likely Azelf would provide helpful stuff and fork over an item if he was carrying one. No intimidation factor either.


Example #2
Pidgeot to Celebi (with an indifferent/uncaring personality)

Pidgeot (Final 3of3, Normal/Flying) to Celebi (1of1, Psychic/Grass)

Interview Rapport: NEUTRAL, INTIMIDATING
+Intimidating (Flying to Grass)

Because Celebi is pretty indifferent, she might think this Pidgeot is being a bit rude and overbearing, and chances are good she's not going to be too crazy about helping them. She might give her opinion about the Stalkers and that kind of thing, but would mostly keep the better details to herself. If she's carrying an item, chances are good she's going to hold onto it until someone a bit more cooperative comes along.


Example #3
Pansear to Slurpuff (with a nasty personality)

Pansear (1st Stage 1of2, Fire) to Slurpuff (2of2, Fairy)

Interview Rapport: NEGATIVE
-1 Evolution Stage Difference

In this case, the types don't conflict in any way, but it's the evolution stage difference that hits the Pansear player. And because the Slurpuff is a jerk, the player wouldn't get much besides getting the birdie flipped in their face. They would have pretty much wasted their time on this one.

Example #4
Misdreavus to Frolass

Misdreavus (1st Stage 1of2, Ghost) to Froslass (2nd Stage 2of2, Ghost/Ice)

Interview Rapport: NEUTRAL
+1 Shared Pokémon Type (Ghost)
-1 Pokémon Evolution Stage Difference

Example #5
Togekiss to Hawlucha

Togekiss (Final 3of3, Flying/Fairy) to Hawlucha (Final 1of1, Flying/Fighting)

Interview Rapport: POSITIVE, VERY INTIMIDATING
+1 Shared Pokémon Type (Flying)
+1 Intimidation (Flying to Fighting)
+1 Intimidation (Fairy to Fighting)

So hopefully that helps. :3



Things I’d recommend when just starting off:

I’d say start on the safer side of things and maybe search some of the everyday kinds of places in town first as you get a feel for the game. You’ll be gathering helpful things for the team to work with and you’ll be crossing off places that need to be search. That always helps the team get closer and closer to the end goals. HOWEVER, If you’re feeling a bit more brazen and incredibly brave (like Scytherwolf here) and you feel like plunging your Pokémon self into dark waters for dark, horror funsies, pick any location with ABANDONED on it, preferably with a creepy as all heck description and check that out. Hey, that’s taking one for the team!
Look at the list of civilians and see which ones your Nidorina form would have a good interview with. Those would be great Pokémon to have a chat with to see what their take on the Stalkers is and if they’ve seen anything strange or unusual around town. If the interview is good, they might have something to give and they might disclose information about who to talk to next or where to search. Plus it’s a fun narrative! NOTE: Since you have the Diplomacy perk, you can always use that to essentially override the Interview system and get pretty good interviews each time, so the Rapport system isn’t something you need to pay too much attention to. That usually applies to folks who have some other Perk. :3
This is a classic case of “when in Rome, do as Romans do.” So see what other players are doing and check out the results. It’s a great way to see how it all works and it gives you an idea of what kinds of results you’ll get if you do similar things.
And when possible (and you’ve already done this I see!), look at what was found and see if there’s ways to piece it together. Early on, you still have a LOT of missing pieces, but as time goes by and more things are found, you’ll start to see connections if you look back at what’s in the Team Inventory and what’s noted in the Team Records at each location. The more you uncover, the more connections you’ll be able to make, but you’ll have to occasionally go back and check these things and discuss them with your peers.

So hopefully that was helpful! As always, I won’t give away too many hints, but if you have questions or if something doesn’t quite make sense, please reach out! And again, thanks for joining and I really hope you enjoy this!

Cheers! :3

[DayBreak]

2037
"I don't think I'm ready to put on my charm yet, especially with so many Pokémon, and I don't think I'll be able to handle anything scary on my first day on the team. But I want to make my first turn count, so if you guys need me, I'll probably be checking out the Hitchhiker Restaurant once I get the chance. Something useful could be in the safe, and sides, if they didn't want the stuff in it to get taken, they should've just kept the combination with them. Plus there might be other useful stuff there too, and it's probably one of the least threatening abandoned places. ... hopefully."

2038
"... Claws crossed I don't get shanked on my way in, out, or while I'm searching."

2036
".... Wait, does it count as abandoned if people are technically still using it for something...?"

[Neo Emolga]

2036
".... Wait, does it count as abandoned if people are technically still using it for something...?"

https://i.postimg.cc/q7LfkVsq/Emolga-Normal.png Good question! The general rule with that is that if the location was used at least once a month prior to the arrival of the Stalkers, then it's not considered abandoned. Miscreants that only visited the location to loot, vandalize, trespass, and so on don't count toward that designation. And of course Stalkers that have been using that location to do horrible things don't count either.

As according to Legal Match, "personal property is generally considered to be abandoned when it is found in a place where the property’s true owner intended to leave it, but is in such a condition that it is apparent that the owner has no intention of returning to claim the property." That can be applied to most of the locations here that have the ABANDONED designation, but there are a few exceptions (Slacker's Shack, which most Pokemon in Seabourne think is abandoned, when really it's often used by naughty teenagers being the most obvious example).

[DayBreak]

2043
"Hooolyyy crap... What planet am I on? ... What's today? My braincell destroyed."
10 points if you get that reference.

So just for the heck of it, I decided to try and do the maze puzzle that was in the Main Action thread so that I wasn't completely useless this round (though I still intend to have Lyric explore a bit once the next turn cycle comes up). And holy crap. I had to erase quite a few line attempts to keep it from becoming completely unintelligible, but like, here. Now to take a bit of a break because my brain is slightly fried.
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/430221307565572096/975150129768194088/srpg_maze_puzzle.png

EDIT: Changed my action since it seems Nickolas has the café covered. Checking out the docks part of the Pleasant Waters Harbor.

2046
"The docks seem like a nice place anyway. What's the worst that could happen at a place called 'Pleasant Waters Harbor'? Creepy rumors or not, it's not like I'm gonna die, right?"
... Um.
2047
"... I'm not gonna die, right...?"

[EmeraldSky]

Is there anything I need to do, or can I spend a turn to deal with some of our trapped items?

Also...these guys are not playing when they get one of us from the get go. I was afraid they'd get one of the NPCs we are still doing quests for more than one of us, but still...

[Scytherwolf]

https://i.imgur.com/Q0Vz7kW.png

OK WHAT THE HELL. I'm just minding my own business and I get murdered??? What the hell man!! I've met some inconsiderate people before but this takes the cake. ]:<

I get revived as a heracross though, so I guess it's all good?

[C0L0R3D]

Yup, at least Xerneas was more than kind enough to offer you your best form in return for being bonked by a Stalker. But that’s three we can confirm now: Exonull, thorny Labyrinth ripoff, and twisting mutilation. I have a feeling one of these three may relate to that mirror you tracked down yesterday. Maybe Exonull themselves, but who’re we to know right now.

EDIT: If the rules are correct, we should be able to investigate and protect with no lessons mandatory. Would consider asking someone to keep an eye on Sarkkan, but we’ve finished his note and he’s provided all the info he can for us.

[Lychee]

Oh Scy! How terrible! How unexpected! How brutal! Geez.... I sure hope I don't get any wings shoved down my throat. Thats horrible! But also, in another way, isn't it nice that none of the townsfolk died? Still so many people out there to talk to!

OH! And theres a new friend here too! Woohoo! Another chatty diplomacy type, lovely lovely lovely.
Here are my current ideas on who might be good to have a little chat with;

I feel like someone ought to talk to Caily to get the final say on what that trio of students have been up to- her grades have been dropping and shes been withdrawing from her friends - its also hinted she also might know where a hidden hatch is or have location clues.
We have an [unopened note] from Kabis dad that perhaps we ought to show her? At least, I can't imagine it's useful for anything else.
Devin the snorlax who owns the shop with the haunted void vase might be good to touch base with too... does he know how it got there?
Junlus the Accelgor who works and lives at the church? -- potentially ask him about the lockbox that we have now unlocked!
Jamsaki the Servine at the Eonology church? Definitely want to talk to her, but I'm probably not the best pokemon for the job-- Colored probably is!

Yanza the purugly and Dantus the dragapult, our two police who found Scys body. They're probably a great source of information!

[DayBreak]

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/430221307565572096/976304303247622154/unknown.png

Lyric's thought process atm

2048

" So, I uh... Huh... That... was an exploration. I think I might be slightly not okay from that. What's a good alternative to 'scarred for life' that'll work here, because I'm gonna remember this for all of my future lifetimes. THANKS XERNEAS. "

Also, bonus doodle I made a few days ago:
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/430221307565572096/976307098369527818/unknown.png

[C0L0R3D]

Okay, we've got what I can only assume to be some Stalker hideout locations jotted down, now. Why else would we need so much complicated stuff for a door, mirror or otherwise?

In other news, I'm going to put my Slacker's Shack investigation on hold for now and talk to this Servine when night comes. If anyone else would be happy to look into this cache by heading off to the Shack tonight, that'd be greatly appreciated on my half.

EDIT: And it looks like Neo wasn't afraid to hide some truth in Finnish as well! 'Taika Tempelli' is Magic Temple, 'Taika Tekstit' is Magic Texts and 'Palauttaminen' is Restoration!

[EmeraldSky]

Is there anything I need to do tonight, or can I continue purifying artifacts?

[Scytherwolf]

Anything I should do in particular tonight?

[C0L0R3D]

Well, takin' a look, I think I can dig out some good ideas for you two.

Maya's recommendation: Search Beachwood University OR interview Caily the Charmeleon. Either way should potentially notify us of this hatch Kabi or Sarkkan were on about.

Scy's recommendation: Deliver the blackened rose to the vase in the Macro Market OR search Jadebreeze Forest. Depends on if you're game to take risks.

Heh, with the way I am you can almost consider me a leader! But it's still 100% a team effort here, and you two are free to do other stuff if neither options tickle your fancy.

But if we do establish a leader thing at any point, I'd be genuinely willing to give it a go.

[Noblejanobii]

I've been feeling a bit under the weather the last few days so I'll catch up on all the lore and stuff once I do, but in the meantime can I get a recommendation for an action as well? I've done everything I had planned to aside from interviewing some of the other grass types.

[C0L0R3D]

Well, I think you should go and explore the proper bit of Beachwood University so we can try to guarantee we find this hatch. There’s always a chance Caily won’t spill many beans.

Scytherwolf You, Tool’s already sorting out the blackened rose. I recommend you go try something else here.

[Noblejanobii]

Well, I think you should go and explore the proper bit of Beachwood University so we can try to guarantee we find this hatch. There’s always a chance Caily won’t spill many beans.

Scytherwolf You, Tool’s already sorting out the blackened rose. I recommend you go try something else here.

I'm on it!

[Chakramaster]

https://i.postimg.cc/Nftpnhcq/Jirachi-Sad.png Well I was hoping to investigate The Comfort Forest at night time, but I hear Psychic Pokémon have a hard time dealing with that forest. So I don't think I should visit. For my own safety at least....or do you guys think it'll take a psychic tour like me to uncover the truth?

[C0L0R3D]

If you’re willing to investigate it, then I would say go ahead and take the chance. While Psychic types are gonna be pretty affected by the first, it’ll probably help a lot.

[Scytherwolf]

Oh dang it. Okay. o:

[Chakramaster]

Oh dang it. Okay. o:

Looked back, I just don't think anyone knows anything specific that does need doing right now. Most seem to just be interviewing or investigating right now. Still kinda early on is all.


If you’re willing to investigate it, then I would say go ahead and take the chance. While Psychic types are gonna be pretty affected by the first, it’ll probably help a lot.

If it'll help us find something only a psychic type like me can find I don't mind. I just hope I don't lose my mind in the process.

[ARandomTool]

He squinted at the words upon the page.

You feel like you’re so close to the answers, but they still feel like a world away at another time…
"...This was said about the "evil" book while the person making it was at 8 of 10 "Crossover." Maybe... Maybe we need to cross that line. It seems to me that it's less "Well, you're dead." and more "Let's Have An Out-Of-Body Experience!" So, y'know. Maybe we should throw someone to the Crossover Wolves? Find out whether or not it's just a pile of puppies?"

[Lychee]

I agree with the crazy guy! We should definitely get someone to max out on Kurosouba and see what happens!
For realsies tho-- but that said, theres a possibility it gives you an out of body experience you can't come back from, and we might need to find out how to do rituals or something to put ourselves back into-body? That would be a bit awkward, since we aren't really nearing any ritual completion things (despite probably having the magical textbook completed now).

Eyes eyes eyes!
Lets fix those horrible statues!
- We have one bloody eye already
- Another one is in Kulsso's posession
- Another is in Charms and Chimes giftstore- or in Jupos posession(?)
- Final eye is ???

[C0L0R3D]

Well, I've plans to chat up Velli come the morning, but boy we're starting to get on Exonull's trail! Lemme list some worthy candidates that might match who we're looking for, as it may just be a case of jealousy.

ALL the female birds / flying mons down here!
Tayou the Salamence - TOO OLD
Jackia the Combusken - Not enough known
Farshira the Staraptor - Possibly too old?
Kammia the Starly - Seems too young, but you never know
Jupo the Whimsicott - Potential is there, though Whimsicott CAN glide around
Altrea the Eldegoss - Same deal as Jupo. Any Sw/Sh player can remember the floating Eldegoss on the bridge
Erine the Swoobat - Not enough known


And there's the lot of them! I think focusing on these eyes are a key task right now, as Exonull DID blind this sacrifice Starly. So she's gotta be in the know with this Birthright/Soutthshore stick! We should probably look into if anyone here attends either chapel, though my hunches are leading towards Jupo and Altrea as of now.

[Chakramaster]

Alright then I'll take the bite. Come nighttime I'll investigate the The Comfort Forest. See how things go. It might max me out Kurosouba. I'll think on it, but I might go with it.

[Neo Emolga]

https://i.postimg.cc/MGYM0HSD/Emolga-Happy.png So ChiChi Lychee completed this for all you fun party people out there:

https://i.imgur.com/8sRoe73.png

(Full image below)

https://i.imgur.com/Ub4Avfz.png

(This plays out as though Scy completes the Repair job)
Scytherwolf

Piece by piece, you place all of the broken shards back into their respective spots before the mirror seemingly broke itself into a myriad of fragments. But what you see before you gives you the chills.

{Broken Mirror Door: <Repair> AND Indentation of Fragility AND Indentation of Hideousness} – The Team Records have been updated.

It’s you. Broken, cracked, and shattered… just moments before you felt the lacerating plan. But there’s no denying this frozen depiction is you, forever locked into this ungodly stasis.

The Yanmega that you once were just moments before your death. And with a warning that makes you shiver. Was this linked to what killed you?

While it has been pieced together, there are still two missing pieces. Fragility. Hideousness. Whatever those mean… maybe the answers will reveal themselves in time.

But it makes you shiver once again as you think of what might lie ahead…

…wi̳̜̯͕̤ͅll̻̦̦̤̪̯ yo͉̞u̜̦̻͉̰̺ ̹͍̜̮̞b̖͕̹͙͈e͉̤̗̹̪ ̩̭̠̲͙̣r͖e͍̝̺̗ad͔̺̠͈y ̰̦̻̗̦͚ͅfo͙r wh̘͓̭͍͚̹̼at ̗͓̖̣͍th͖̖͈̭̫̲̟o̺̪͕͓͙̠͖s̬̠̝̗̦e̯̮ an͎s̼̜̖̩̣we͉̼̤̞r̝̬̳̺͙s ar̟͚e͈̠̬̮̭…͔̼͚̝̠̭?͚̞̩̹̲̻

[C0L0R3D]

Well… strike my rear sideways, I think we’ve ALREADY honed in on Exonull based on what this Slacker Shack investigation has shown us. Jupo or Erine… both on the list of female Pokémon that can fly in some way.

I don’t think it can take a genius to say we should try to look into this pair, but also Jupo’s Cincinno friend just in case as well as keeping an eye on Velay.

[Lychee]

Are we assuming the jealousy aspect comes from another winged Pokémon? What makes us think that--- did I miss something? It seems to me that a non-winged Pokémon could possibly be very jealous of a winged one?

[C0L0R3D]

Could well be the case. But there could be far more to Exonull than we think, though the females we've seen in the Shack are all rather young from what I know... seems awfully convincing when it comes to my Jupo hunch. But now we have Kabi, Caily AND Myta on the table... four main suspects.

But unless some big evidence comes through, I say we focus on other Stalker leads for now. Somebody should focus on bringing the Raze or Diplomafying Dantus, though.

[Neo Emolga]

Somebody should focus on bringing the Raze or Diplomafying Dantus, though.

Lychee did the word search puzzle, so I'll resolve that later today (didn't have the time last night to post the outcome).

Stay tuned for the exciting results!

[Scytherwolf]

Are we assuming the jealousy aspect comes from another winged Pokémon? What makes us think that--- did I miss something? It seems to me that a non-winged Pokémon could possibly be very jealous of a winged one?

They hate me 'cause they ain't me.

But seriously this is what I would assume with jealousy. O:

[C0L0R3D]

Are we assuming the jealousy aspect comes from another winged Pokémon? What makes us think that--- did I miss something? It seems to me that a non-winged Pokémon could possibly be very jealous of a winged one?

No assumptions needed now. As said right around here:


'We originally classified these as hate crimes, but something in them appears to be rooted in jealously with traces of self loathing.'

Looks like the old Colored noggin was somewhat on the money. I grant myself a single merit point to keep things reasonable.

[ARandomTool]

"Quick, are there any winged-but-flightless Pokémon in the town? Either too-old-to-fly or outright cursed with useless wings?"

[C0L0R3D]

Afraid not. All our winged townsfolk can fly, possibly excluding the town Salamence due to age. That negates her being Exonull anyways. as she's apparently young-sounding and feminine.

[sammy0295]

(i’m not caught up yet so grain of salt but)

Any of them could be disabled and we wouldn’t know yet, right? (Also, can Combusken fly?) I also think a Charmeleon would be a pretty prime candidate for self loathing about wings despite not having them yet herself.


I wonder if Farshira and co would have a lead considering their son.

[C0L0R3D]

So… this mantra half. Is it just me, or do I kinda make out a ‘mon in the white bit of it? Probably just me.

[sammy0295]

So… this mantra half. Is it just me, or do I kinda make out a ‘mon in the white bit of it? Probably just me.

Nidoking maybe? There is a nidoking in town

[C0L0R3D]

It’s worth looking into for sure. Looks very Nido-y and could be a step in the right direction.

[Scytherwolf]

Anything in particular I should be doing?

[EmeraldSky]

Do I need to do anything today, or can I spend today removing traps?

[C0L0R3D]

I’d say go for whatever, honestly. Head’s a tiny bit burnt out but I’m still able to crack on regardless.

[Lychee]

Alright, I'm thinking again on who to interview-- these chats have all been quite handy in leading from one person to another! But, it's also daytime, which I would wager is a slightly safer time to go investigating houses? Who knows, really!

Yanza the Purugly -- the cop who seems slightly more invested in these investigations, out in the field more often
Junlus the Accelgor -- resident priest, might be able to help us with info about the community or about rituals
Jupo the Whimsicott -- Naive upbeat owner of charms and chimes, which has an evil eye (could be easy interview for Lewisia our Shaymin?)
Santea the Lilligant -- probably has evil orb, and has been looking up "Phudistus" (may need diplomacy - Coloured or Nicklefool?)
Zakra the Kadabra -- lecturer at the uni, Caily says they saw them with an unusual stone tablet! (may need diplomacy)
Korak the Nidoking-- just based on what we saw on that weird note, perhaps? (Does our resident Nido-friend want to handle that one? Lyric?)
Verio the Toucannon --mailman Caily saw who was muttering about demons (potentially had a nightmare? Might be gonna die soon, or a killer) OH WAIT LYRIC IS ON THE JOB GOOD LUCK LYRIC HE MIGHT BE VERY HAUNTED


I think I'm gonna aim for the mysterious stone tablet today, since my purity is so low and my Kurosouba is so high, I'm hoping to avoid Stalker artifacts and overcharge myself on some dreamy crossover energy!

[Chakramaster]

So when night comes. I can go and check The Comfort Forest. I don't mind. Since Psychic types seem to hear something most others can't....maybe it's worth looking into.

[DayBreak]

2061
"That... went a lot better than I was expecting. Should we try finding out what we can about Velli tonight? It would fit the description of a feminine voice that Ralon mentioned, plus she's already got a rep for being a complete nutjob and.... Wait a second..."
2062
"Oh.... Oh crap.... That's right..."
2063
"Colored, whatever you do during your interview, you had better be extremely careful around her...!"
2064
"Because if you go dying on us, I will personally slap you in the mouth when you reincarnate!"

[Noblejanobii]

Sure I can grab the Whimsicott next!

Hoping I can fully catch back up soon now that it’s finally a slow recess week at work (knock on wood).

[C0L0R3D]

So Velli may be a LITTLE bit loopy after all. Oh she also has a demonic stake as well.

I did warn you of such an opportunity! So promise me you won’t be stupid!

I’m pretty much a high school student. Being stupid is the LAST thing I’d dare to do.

EDIT: …okay. Being full on drugged by her was NOT on my bingo card.

[DayBreak]

2065
"Is there anything in particular anyone needs me to do tonight?"

[C0L0R3D]

….not in particular, but WHAT EVEN WAS THAT IN A NEUTRAL WAY?! ChiChi became a second coming of the lord, this Korak guy might be a Stalker (hence the mission disclosure) and I literally got DRUGGED LOOKING FOR A STAKE! Could’ve been worse though.

Okay, sorry about the outburst there. I’m not really sure what I want to do here myself, so I suggest everyone goes with their gut on what to do here. I personally think I’ve got myself a bit more than a fish to fry.

[EmeraldSky]

What should I do? Do I need to search, talk to someone, or should I untrap something else?

[C0L0R3D]

Okay, I think I've got me an idea brewed up! Someone should take that =Macabre Mantra= to the hospital based on what Altrea told us. It may link two totally different Stalkers (child face-blotter and aneurism goon), but it may be a start if you're willing to take a hit or two.

Lychee should check out that Dorumigeto at the Rolyea House. See if we can dig something up out of it.

[Chakramaster]

What should I do? Do I need to search, talk to someone, or should I untrap something else?

If we got anything else to untrap. Might be good to work on those. I think right now we still have some connecting to do with investigating and searching before we tackle anything major. Up to you though!

[EmeraldSky]

Chakramaster

Okay, I will untrap another item tonight.

[Scytherwolf]

https://i.imgur.com/t9SXdCE.png

[Lychee]

I love that so much.

But also, gosh, I feel rather bad for Velli. I mean, its only the stalker influence that makes her evil, right? Otherwise she's just a lonely person living in an absolutely derelict house ;_;
Oh wait, all those books on poisons probably didn't just appear.
Oh.... and those experiments...
Oh well, just Velli is Bad to the Bone.

PS. Lyric you gunna dieeee
(Or, at least if not die, I wonder if we triggered another increase in mission reveal)

[DayBreak]

2072
" First actual children, now a mother... Not to mention what I saw in Velli's home... "
2073
" I swear if I ever properly get my claws on any of the Stalkers, I'll tear them limb from limb! "

[C0L0R3D]

Can't help but agree with you. Whether Edifice is this Korak guy or not, boy do I want these hooligans dead as a doornail. But in an RPG fashion of course, gotta keep things somewhat lighthearted at best.

[EmeraldSky]

Is there anything I need to do, or should I keep untrapping items?

[C0L0R3D]

I recommend untrapping that shadow eye for when we get our hands on this other one.

[Chakramaster]

Well guess I gotta decide on my next search xD. Will I be so lucky this time?

[C0L0R3D]

Hopefully so! There's just the tiny problem of... you know. Who's gonna sort out Ralon.

I think Lyric's got that covered, though if he has to abandon that for whatever reason I'm happy to cover for him when night comes.

[Noblejanobii]

Dangit looks like work got the best of me and I missed my action window.

Regardless, I think I'm mostly caught up. Worth noting we need someone with Diplomacy to speak with either Santea the Lilligant or Altrea the Eldegoss, based on my interview. Neither of which I can do. I can try to interview Ohu the Dhelmise next, or untrap an item, or search somewhere. What do you guys need?

[Neo Emolga]

Dangit looks like work got the best of me and I missed my action window.

Regardless, I think I'm mostly caught up. Worth noting we need someone with Diplomacy to speak with either Santea the Lilligant or Altrea the Eldegoss, based on my interview. Neither of which I can do. I can try to interview Ohu the Dhelmise next, or untrap an item, or search somewhere. What do you guys need?

https://i.postimg.cc/MGYM0HSD/Emolga-Happy.png Ah, just go ahead and take your action, no worries!

But yeah, really, that's just more of a guideline in that anything submitted after MAY not go through if I happen to be hyper-energetic and manage to get through all the actions in one quick run.

[Noblejanobii]

https://i.postimg.cc/MGYM0HSD/Emolga-Happy.png Ah, just go ahead and take your action, no worries!

But yeah, really, that's just more of a guideline in that anything submitted after MAY not go through if I happen to be hyper-energetic and manage to get through all the actions in one quick run.

Well I only JUST saw this so lol. Went ahead and submitted an action anyway but feel free to skip it since it's now like five days late haha

[Neo Emolga]

Well I only JUST saw this so lol. Went ahead and submitted an action anyway but feel free to skip it since it's now like five days late haha

https://i.postimg.cc/q7LfkVsq/Emolga-Normal.png Sure! But yeah, it's really just a soft deadline that states I will definitely wait for it to be up before advancing into the next cycle even if I happen to plow through all those submitted actions, but once it's up, we're going to keep moving along and I'm just not going to wait up for late submissions, but they can dropped in if there's still other peoples' actions currently waiting to be addressed.

So yeah, no worries, I still need do Lyric's action anyway. Plus it's fun to do Lewisia's actions. :3

[EmeraldSky]

Did we do it? Have we released a Stalker?

What do I need to do tonight?

[C0L0R3D]

Perhaps… though I haven’t exactly the slightest of clues on if there’s meant to be a Pokémon in that image and all. I think I can see blotted eyes and a foot claw that KINDA bring Sandslash to mind, but that’s all I can get. Any volunteers to dig deeper?

[DayBreak]

Figured I'd give designing all of Lyric's incarnations a shot. I doubt I'll actually get to use half of them in this season with the speed things are progressing, but I thought it'd be neat (plus, I don't want to make icons for all of them. NidoLyric was difficult enough). Colors probably coming later, right now, I'm kinda melting in this weather. It's supposed to rise up even further, too.

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/945130944120115200/988807813646131310/lyric_incarnations.png

[Noblejanobii]

Perhaps… though I haven’t exactly the slightest of clues on if there’s meant to be a Pokémon in that image and all. I think I can see blotted eyes and a foot claw that KINDA bring Sandslash to mind, but that’s all I can get. Any volunteers to dig deeper?
Assuming you're referring to the image in Lyric's post, I'm pretty sure it's a Starly!

Any suggestions for my action?

[Lychee]

Lewisia, since you've got security, it's always good for you to do a bit of searching-- as soon as we find a security hurdle, we can activate it! Speaking of which, did we ever do that stone lockbox security maze? I can't seem to find it's resolution anywhere but maybe I'm just not looking.

If you want to go chat to people then we haven't talked to...
- mayor couple; Mortek and Taiyou,
- the priest Junlus,
- out-in-the-field cop Yanza,
- Someone who got highlighted as spooky, Ohu, and their pal, Velay, tried to sell a rare and ancient item- definitely need to follow up on that for ritual purposes.
- Krish the mienfoo has a cool key??
- Betta the zigzagoon kid probably dropped the eye in the shop, and wanted it back. Also, we are seeing parent-child artworks and murders. She's worth talking to in case she has other trinkets or hideouts, or its worth talking to her dad the Linoone.

[C0L0R3D]

Mhm, I'm a fan of your way of thinking! I've been giving the locations we haven't spied yet a bit of an analysis, mostly to try and find where these fangs are gonna go after we de-trap the others. It's kinda getting me excited to learn who's behind the mask!

But, I'd like to note that if I ever sound angry, it's probably just in a passive aggressive or jokey fashion and will be marking the 'anger' in italics from now on. Just in case I've been coming off as genuinely rude or upset the times this passive aggressiveness has shown up. Though I'd like to suggest an investigation on the Overlook and Centrebrooke Apartments. Both of these seem somewhat Edifice-y with weird dreams, as well as a literal kid Sandshrew ghost? I'm a bit doubtful it's a coincidence.

[EmeraldSky]

What do I need to do tonight?

[C0L0R3D]

I recommend that you investigate one of the two apartment buildings I touched into just above. May help us get on Edifice's tail once more if the fella isn't already Korak.

[Lychee]

Oh, yeah I don't want to come off as angry or bossy either! I'm enthusiastic and sometimes forget that I could be stepping on people's toes :P
Please let me know if I'm not being nice, and I'll try to be more considerate! A big part of the fun of Stalkers is the many many moving parts and the interesting strategies that emerge from teamwork! <3

[Noblejanobii]

I can search one of the apartments too, no problem!

[DayBreak]

https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/edc154f4-b20b-4fb6-bb90-3100e57ada22/df7ut9f-6c717f7e-426b-4d88-ae2d-0a1eac9f6cf2.png/v1/fill/w_1920,h_1291,strp/lyric_winterheart_the_savant_by_daybreakshifter_df 7ut9f-fullview.png?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI 1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNh NWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMT g4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7 ImhlaWdodCI6Ijw9MTI5MSIsInBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcL2VkYzE1NG Y0LWIyMGItNGZiNi1iYjkwLTMxMDBlNTdhZGEyMlwvZGY3dXQ5 Zi02YzcxN2Y3ZS00MjZiLTRkODgtYWUyZC0wYTFlYWM5ZjZjZj IucG5nIiwid2lkdGgiOiI8PTE5MjAifV1dLCJhdWQiOlsidXJu OnNlcnZpY2U6aW1hZ2Uub3BlcmF0aW9ucyJdfQ.ZCbdbzRGErb IrQ6uwd_ldA1z5qvX2300f_a_LEuPAJw

Forgot to drop this here the other day three days ago. I managed to finish the drawing of all of Lyric's incarnations. I tried to make it so that even if they're different Pokémon, they all have a couple of shared colors.

I also made sure each of them were put on separate layers should I need a reference for one of them in particular.

2081
Also, on the topic of this bronze medallion, I think it could be worth looking into at least a little. Every clue helps, even if it doesn't seem like much on the surface. I'll probably check City Hall out in the morning, see what's up with the mural and find out if the Stalkers are actually involved, or if Korak's sending me on a wild Swanna chase.

[Neo Emolga]

https://i.postimg.cc/VNg1Zcpm/Emolga-Bright.png Okay, I definitely gotta say your artwork is very very amazing stuff! :3

[DayBreak]

https://i.postimg.cc/VNg1Zcpm/Emolga-Bright.png Okay, I definitely gotta say your artwork is very very amazing stuff! :3






Thanks! Hearing people say that is definitely a motivation booster! ^^

[C0L0R3D]

Whoo! I suffered. but now look at the cool junk I got! Worthy payout if you ask me.

And funny yet probably pointless observation, that Snidgeotoadull chimera I became just... didn't involve Audino. I get it, Edifice could probably give two less shanks about Mega Pokémon or not. Which is oddly reasonable for a Stalker. And even MORE interesting, this new stuff isn't even marked as Stalker items! Just Majutsu or totally blank like Kabi's dad's note!

Methinks this is involved with relics regarding these Stalkers' true identity like we were told about. Just begs the question of who the muffin needs a ceremonial knife.

[Neo Emolga]

Hey, sorry for being inactive lately, been fighting a cold and really bad congestion ever since Monday. I'll try to get back into this once I get better. Lately the only things I've been able to do outside of everyday errands is just sleep.

[DayBreak]

Hey, sorry for being inactive lately, been fighting a cold and really bad congestion ever since Monday. I'll try to get back into this once I get better. Lately the only things I've been able to do outside of everyday errands is just sleep.
Don't worry about it! Just focus on resting for the moment. Your health comes first.

[Lychee]

Get well soon, Neo! Everyone needs a break sometimes though, especially you!
I just got covid so I understand the sicksleepy feeling.
Blaaargh.

[C0L0R3D]

Exactly that! You'd have to be as loopy as a Stalker to not understand sick breaks. You kick that cold's butt, Neo.

[Noblejanobii]

Take all the extra time you need, Neo! It's good to take breaks now and again especially when your health is involved.

With that said, what's the plan from here guys? Any pressing items on the agenda for the next cycle?

[Lychee]

Plans in process! Yes!

Obscurite bow -- needs someone to get Ohu's key, then take that key to Seabourne plaza offices, and then once we assemble it, we choose a target to shoot at?

Someone should take the Shukufuku to the Dorimugeto in the Emerald Fields Townhouses. Sounds like it'll be trippy and not dangerous! Someone who doesn't want to get injured can probably do this?

Maybe search XSHO Freighter 413, just in case Llanas, the captain, finally took out his grudge on Malco? They have bad WHS there and pokemon have already died, so there are probably traps! Someone with security should go maybe?
Possibly search West Dock Marina too, in case Malco had a boat there, maybe we can get to it before it is sunk?

Yanza the field cop, Junlus the accelgor priest guy, and Mortek and Taiyou the town loader couple probably could all use interviewing too.

[Neo Emolga]

So Lychee completed the Stone Lockbox maze for you all!

https://i.imgur.com/TZsXxLz.png

Working your way through the lockbox’s old and unusual stone lock mechanisms, you eventually uncover and learn the engineering and construction of this locked container. And with an artifact this old, it wasn't the traditional kind of tumbler you were expecting. While it wasn’t what you're used to and it had to be done with some trial and error work, you eventually learn what needs to be disabled and how to get it open without the corresponding key, which you figure could be anywhere on the planet at this point, if it even still exists in working condition…

After prying open the old lockbox, you look inside to see exactly what it was hiding and why. Resting at the bottom of the container, you find a jagged blade that radiates with an unusual dark energy, and with everything you’ve learned about Black Moon weapons, you know exactly what this belongs to and what it will eventually become.

Ombre. The dagger that’s one of the last remaining disassembled weapons of the Black Moon guild and is capable of killing demons the way traditional and conventional weaponry cannot. All that’s needed now is to find the hilt and combine it with one of the Aether Prisms, and you’ve already got one of them.

[Jagged Ombre Blade] has been added to the Team Inventory.

Even from just looking at the jagged blade and feeling its supernatural aura, you can’t imagine what kind of suffering and pain it can inflict on the Demoni, but after everything they’ve done and intend on doing, it’s exactly what they deserve.

[DayBreak]

[file "lyric-brionne-sigh.png" not found]
"Ah Xerneas damn it all."

[file "lyric-brionne-yell.png" not found]
"DAAAAY! CAN YOU GET ON MY NEW ICONS?!"


https://i.imgur.com/IK8mWfS.png
"Okay for now we're using the icons from this site (https://sprites.pmdcollab.org/#/0729). My actual icons will come later. Just know that these are made by baronessfaron and FunnyKecleonMeme."

https://i.imgur.com/qUMUsU2.png"Also, being forced to reincarnate like that isn't fun... Heading out there was not one of my brightest moves yet, that's for sure... At least something like this will get Velli off of my tail hopefully, because I imagine she... well she isn't too pleased I waltzed into her home, stole her stuff, and internally called her... well a very not nice thing."

https://i.imgur.com/iJeZKw8.png"Gotta get used to using these flippers again though. Been at least... a dozen incarnations I think, since I was a sea-based creature. A body like mine right now, fabulous as it may be, as with a good deal of my forms, doesn't really help when you have to move around on land."

[Lychee]

"I think you look fab, friend! Too bad about the death... I suppose we should have seen it coming since the other head was probably also psychic screaming damage. Or wait, nobody got hurt last time, perhaps the trap was avoided? I'm getting mixed up. In any case! Put on some armour! We have some spare sets in the team inventory, and it might prolong your life this time."

ChiChi looks worried.
"There have been a lot of deaths, haven't there... I have this horrible feeling that we are 1/3rd of the way to some terrible ritual being complete...."

She then looks like she's thinking, browsing all the items in their team cupboards.
"Hey... do we know how many demoni there are, exactly? Exonull the flyer killer, Inzaketh the thorny, Languished the self-cutting, Fallow the child-killer, and two others whose names we don't know; one is a decomposer and the other is sudden sleep-death. That's six."
She looks closely at the random objects that seem important.
[Unopened Note]
[Ancient Chalice]
[Ceremonial Knife]
[Occult Figurine]
[Bloodstained Armband]
"Do we think these are the items we need for their rituals? To do the ritual, we need these mementos and to know the name of the Demoni and the name of the Victim.
We also need a Shiryoku, which we have, and this ritual needs to be performed by a Tatsujin, which we have two, at the Yume no Saidan, or the “Dream Altar"... which....I'm not too sure where it is, but we could find it!"

She frowns slightly.
"Except, unless I'm getting confused, there is ANOTHER ritual we could do, which requires restoring the Taika Tempelli - which we haven't done, using the Varjo Valineet - which we don't have, and getting the stalker Phylacteries with Olemus and a Putki, and destroying the demoni."
She tilts her head "It sounds like in this ritual we don't have to know anything about the pokemon victims or names of the stalkers- all we need is their phylactery!"

"Which rituals would you all like to aim for? Majustu where we have to guess identities? Or Puhdistus where we have to delve into stalker territory for phylacteries? Or... maybe a combination?"

[Neo Emolga]

https://i.postimg.cc/0NfpZcsh/Emolga-Relieved.png Ughhh, okay, I'm sorry for being so missing in action lately. I look at the days I last did updates and I'm like no way, it couldn't have been that long ago but eh, that's the truth. I definitely need to budget some of my time in better ways. :P

Since I haven't been quite on top of this lately, I'm broadening the open window people have to submit actions (though you can still submit them after the submission window, but I will move along if time is up and there's nothing else that's submitted). I've been now giving four days to submit actions but if you guys need extra time because I've been kind of lax with updating (busy with other stuff, too) and you haven't been checking the forum quite as often for Stalkers updates because they've been a bit more spaced out lately, please let me know.

Also, if certain things don't quite make sense and you need some clarity on things (especially the rituals since this is something totally new that's going on and may not make 100% sense compared to traditional Sin Purge rituals from previous Seasons), please don't hesitate to ask! I'm also not against giving hints if you think you might need them!

[C0L0R3D]

Ah, I wouldn’t go worrying about it. Stalkers is 100% a thing that doesn’t need to be one’s top priority in life, and while it brings happiness to some it still doesn’t meant you gotta roll with it 24/7. That’s something I can get behind without a doubt!

And hints wise… if you can answer it, which of these two little rituals are we closer to gaining more ground on? Majistus and Phudistus, those neat sounding stuff?

[Neo Emolga]

Ah, I wouldn’t go worrying about it. Stalkers is 100% a thing that doesn’t need to be one’s top priority in life, and while it brings happiness to some it still doesn’t meant you gotta roll with it 24/7. That’s something I can get behind without a doubt!

And hints wise… if you can answer it, which of these two little rituals are we closer to gaining more ground on? Majistus and Phudistus, those neat sounding stuff?

https://i.postimg.cc/q7LfkVsq/Emolga-Normal.png Sure, I can go into these a little further, especially since I feel you guys have found enough parts and uncovered enough lore to reveal this stuff. I think if you were to backtrack and go through all of the material, you’d map this all out, but I understand that’s quite an endeavor and with the heat everyone’s been having, let’s face it, who wants to do that? ;P

So here we go, this should explain things a lot more in detail.

OVERALL BACKGROUND

So as you probably have realized, the “Sin Purge” ritual thing isn’t one ritual this time, it’s three separate rituals (Black Moon, Puhdistus, and Majutsu) that aren’t connected to each other. I’m sure at one point people thought they were! That’s me being sneaky and coming up with something fun and different this time! Ah hah!

Between all three of these rituals, there are enough resources to eliminate nine Stalkers in total (three for each ritual), but there are only six Stalkers, so you actually have more than enough. What that means is you don’t have to complete 100% of all three of these rituals. In fact you could ignore one entirely and still complete the season using all of the resources of the other two. Or you can use some of all three to varying degrees! There’s some wiggle room with this.

SO WHAT’S BLACK MOON?
What you’re doing here is reassembling and using the last remaining weapons of a group of demon assassins that have come and gone long ago. These were designed to preserve innocent Pokémon, but utterly annihilate the demonic spirits possessing them. Though the guild is gone, you can finish the work they started and make use of the last remaining weapons they have disassembled and left behind.

The Lore
Black Moon was a syndicate of assassins and demon hunters who used Seabourne as a hidden outpost hundreds of years ago. They have a bit of a gothic kind of theme going on, but that’s just the nature of the guild. These Black Moon assassins are Savants just like you, but unlike you who kept your memories and were brought here by Xerneas, they were brought here by Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf and had their human memories wiped (very akin to PMD). They completed their original mission, but never returned home as they didn’t even remember anything about their former human lives. Their lives as Pokémon were all that they knew now, so they continued on as demon hunters and lived out the rest of their Pokémon lives this way.

What’s going on with this ritual?
As mentioned above, Black Moon gives you enough resources to defeat three Stalkers. And this takes the form of three different weapons: Ombre, Obscurité, and Létal. To eliminate a Stalker, you need to assemble one of these and target one of the civilians who you believe is a Stalker. If you’re right at that civilian is in fact a Stalker, poof, wave one of those Stalkers goodbye! But if you’re wrong, nothing happens but you just lost your turn. Aww.

What do we have and what’s left?

[Aether Prism] (Collected 1 of 3) (There are three of these out in the field and you have one. You’ll need one of these for each weapon you reconstruct!

OMBRE (The Dagger):
[Jagged Ombre Blade] – Collected!
[Ombre Hilt] - Currently missing.
Once you find the hilt, Ombre is good to go provided you have a spare [Aether Prism] available.

OBSCURITÉ:
[Obscurité Base] - Currently missing.
[Obscurité Shadow Essence] – Collected!
So you guys just need the base and as long as you have a spare [Aether Prism], Obscurité’s yours!

LÉTAL:
[Dark Létal Runes] - Currently missing.
[Sigil Fragment 1] - Collected!
[Sigil Fragment 2] - Currently missing.
[Sigil Fragment 3] - Collected!
[Létal Chakram Base] - Currently missing.
This one is probably the least completed and still has three more parts to find, but it’s definitely still within the realms of possibility!

What are the conditions for using a Black Moon weapon once completed?
First, you would need to know who is a Stalker. You can find that out by reaching the end of one of their routes, or if you have a strong hunch already and think you’ve figured it out, go ahead and pick your target! Just a few things.

The user of one of these weapons needs to have a Pokémon typing that is super-effective against the Stalker. So in this case, if the Stalker is a fire-type Pokémon and you’re a water type, it’s lights out for that Stalker! And the nice part is the civilian victim is free and no longer bothered by that Demoni!
You CAN get it wrong and if the weapon is used against a non-Stalker, nothing happens and the turn is just wasted. That’s the only penalty, so while you could trial and error it a bit, you might end up paying for it in lost turns. But if you’ve narrowed it down to only a few suspects and you think it’s worth trying a little trial and error on all of them, have at it!
Once the weapon has been used to successfully eliminate a Stalker, it crumbles and it can’t be used again. You’ll have to build one of the others to wipe out another Stalker.

Once you’re ready, you can simply state something along the lines of “I’m using Ombre/Obscurité/Létal on #92 Eve the Eevee because I’m sure she’s a Stalker!” and you’re golden and you’ll find out if you were right or not. If you were right, you don’t even need to finish the Stalker’s route, they’re done and won’t be a bother anymore! Cheerio!


SO WHAT’S THE PHUDISTUS RITUAL?
So Phudistus is a dark but actually helpful voodoo-themed magic that works off of destroying Stalker Phylacteries (which serves as a binding point and a kind of dark spirit anchor for the Demoni that’s linked to them). The Demoni need these to inhabit the bodies of their victims for an extended period of time like this. Think of it like needing an oxygen tank to go scuba-diving, except the oxygen never runs out. What the Phudistus Ritual does is it uses the Demoni’s Phylactery, destroys it, and rips the Demoni absolutely to shreds, committing them to a lovely eternity of torture and harassment in Kadotus (a dark parallel underworld realm that they’ll never get out of) and they only exist in pieces. But the victim they inhabited will be perfectly fine! If there’s a particular Stalker you despise, oh Susannah, this will do nicely, heh heh heh. >:3

The Lore
A band of fighting type Pokémon, in the wake of having their towns and livelihoods decimated by a group of evil psychic types, banded together to form a faction called Iahko. To fight back against these kinds of demonically possessed Pokémon, Iahko revived an ancient and previously forbidden type of magic called Taika. Taika, as it was discovered, is totally bent on obliterating evil and promoting healing, even though this magic looks dark and murky itself! Now, Taika did have many dark components to it, but it’s a dark magic being used for a good cause, which is what you’ll do if you use this.

What’s going on with this ritual?
Every Stalker has a Phylactery (they’re buried in the Stalker’s lair and you’ll know who the Stalker is when you get to the end of their route). So for example, let’s say we have a Stalker named Evilface who is actually Eve the Eevee. Once you go through the trouble of getting through all the obstacles in Evilface’s route, you’ll learn the truth that Evilface is actually Eve the Eevee AND you’ll find Evilface’s Phylactery there. You’ll use those for this ritual!

What do we have and what’s left?

Right now, you don’t have any Phylacteries. I don’t want to spoil too much, but for some Stalkers, you’re getting close to the end of the routes, but for others, you still have a bit more digging to do. Until you get at least one, you can’t really make use of the ritual, but you can get the setup going in the meantime!

As for the rest of the ritual, it consists of completing two main parts, restoring the Taika Temppeli (magic temple) and The Completed Välineitä (instruments). You’ll also need to use a [Putki] each time you perform this ritual. And here’s what you currently have going in terms of completion for that:

[Putki] (Collected 1 of 3) – You have one but there’s still two more out there.

TAIKA TEMPPELI – You know the location, it’s in (3) Kako Industries Field.
[Taika Tekstit] - Currently missing.
[Palauttaminen Mantra] - Currently missing.
So you still have some digging to do for these, but you haven’t gotten a Phylactery yet anyway, so it’s not a big rush.

THE COMPLETED VALINEITA
[Taika Ritualli Tome] - Currently missing.
[The Varjo Välineet] - Currently missing.
[The Olemus] - Collected!
So there’s some more work to be done here as well, but again, not a biggie, you can definitely still get there.

What are the conditions for using the Phudistus Ritual once completed?

Once the Taika Temppeli has been rebuilt and restored and the Completed Välineitä has been put there, the ritual is ready to be performed. And to perform the ritual, you’ll need these.

The Stalker’s Phylactery (which means you’ll need to go through the entire route to get one of these)
A [Putki].

And you’ll state something along the lines of “I’m performing the Phudistus Ritual on the Evilface Phylactery.” Provided you have the Taika Temppeli rebuilt and Completed Välineitä to go with it and you have a [Putki] to spare, Evilface will be utterly destroyed and humiliated and Eve the Eevee will be free to celebrate with sunshine and cupcakes!

And that’s it, it’s really just getting those first parts with the Temple and the Instruments completed, but you have made some decent headway.


SO WHAT’S THE MAJUTSU RITUAL?
This is one of the more interesting rituals I’ve thought of, but essentially this entire route focuses around dreams and the realm of dreams, Yume. Majutsu is a dream and sleep-related witchcraft where relics, artifacts, and spell components are created and forged in Yume and then brought into the material realm (often through Dorimugeto dream gates, which you’ve encountered already). As you can imagine, this creates some pretty powerful stuff. Apparently someone said “hah, in your dreams, nerd” to them and they took it seriously and decided to literally do that and make this the way they open up their can of whoop-ass.

The Lore
This is also a kind of otherworldly witchcraft that was recently cleansed by revivalists who dumped the nasty stuff but preserved the helpful stuff. Sure, there was a time Majutsu could pull terrible things from nightmares into the living realm. Instead, you’re using the nicer stuff as cleansing ritual components. When you master this skill, you’ll someday be able to pull that rainbow rocket launcher that shoots fireworks and sparkly flames that also cook your popcorn, but that’s outside of the context of Stalkers for now.

What’s going on with this ritual?
This is a bit of a weird route in that it involves Savants giving up some things along the way. To perform the ritual, you must first become a Tatsujin (guru), and this happens if you get 10 Kurosuōbā (crossover) points (ha ha, and you all thought you’d die if this happened! Tricked ya! >;P). Once you’re in this state, your Pokémon typing becomes “Kūsho” which means no traps you encounter will ever be super-effective or not very effective against you. Everything will be regular, unmodified damage. It has a slightly better chance of keeping you alive by making sure damage will never be doubled in a way you might not be prepared for. If you need to become a Tatsujin quickly, just visit the Funsui (well) in (5) Jade Acres Park. You’ll get 5 Kurosuōbā points right away each time you visit.

If you die, you lose the Tatsujin role, but you can earn it back by encountering Kurosuōbā points again.

Instead of using Phylacteries the way the Phudistus Ritual does, you need the Stalker’s Memento, and there’s six of these out there and they have mini-routes of their own. You actually have a few of these already, but there are others out there! What the ritual does is it empowers the Stalker’s victim by energizing their spirit and will to survive by having them recall positive memories in the form of refreshing, empowering, and invigorating visions. So in Eve the Eevee’s case, Eve would suddenly recall her better memories through this ritual and through her memento and would fight back and win against Evilface, freeing her from the Demoni’s control.

Mementos can be anywhere and take the form of anything. Stalkers will go out of their way to look at them and very often they tried to stash them away (the victim’s spirit at least stopped them from destroying them). So these mementos are often buried in strange places and sort of have mini-routes to them.

What do we have and what’s left?

First, you need to collect the Mementos. You have a few!

[Unopened Note] - Collected!
[Ancient Chalice] / [Ceremonial Knife] / [Occult Figurine] / [Bloodstained Armband] – (Collected!, BUT only one of these is a Memento, the rest are junk. You need to figure out which one is the right one!)
<Hidden Memento>
<Hidden Memento>
<Hidden Memento>
<Hidden Memento>

So you have 2 out of 6 of these. Not bad!

Next, you need to complete the dream altar (the [Yume no saidan].

YUME NO SAIDAN – The site of this, once completed, will be at the (1) Beachwood Farmstead (Benni’s farm).
[Shadoupureto] (Shadow Plate)] Currently missing.
[Kage no Shukufuku] (Shadow Blessing)] Currently missing.
[Shado Sunadokei] (Shadow Hourglass)] Currently missing.
[Shadoutsuru (Shadow Tools)] Collected!
[Shadoumemorizu no hon (Book of Shadow Memories)] Collected!

Okay, believe it or not, the toughest parts of this ritual are actually done already ([Shadoutsuru (Shadow Tools)] and [Shadoumemorizu no hon (Book of Shadow Memories)] and I am surprised how fast you got these, but really, the toughest parts of this whole thing are out of the way).

Once you have all that together, you need a [Shiryoku] each time you perform the ritual (very similar to the [Putki] from the Phudistus Ritual).

What are the conditions for using Majutsu once completed?

The nice thing about the Majutsu ritual is that it saves you from having to do the whole Stalker route, so it’s the safest method for eliminating a Stalker and you don’t have to deal with their dangerous lairs, but there’s a few catches with it. In terms of materials, you’ll need these:

A Memento (and I’ll identify these for you once you get them)
The name of the Victim (Eve the Eevee for example)
A [Shiryoku] (sight)
And you need to be a Tatsujin when you perform it.

And that’s essentially it. Once the Yume no Saidan is completed and you’re a Tatsujin, you can simply state “I’m performing the Majutsu ritual on the [Happy Eevee Birthday Card] to free Eve the Eevee.” Provided you have a spare [Shiryoku] to use, you’re gold and Eve the Eevee goes into POWERHOUSE MODE and yeets Evilface into space where Evilface will cry for his mommy. And then Eve celebrates with cheesy pizza. You are welcome to a slice.

-----

So there you have it, that’s pretty much all the goods about the three rituals and stuff. There’s still plenty of stuff to uncover, but you guys have made pretty good headway and I foresee a lot of the pieces falling into place soon enough. Enjoy!

[DayBreak]

No worries mate. Honestly, I've been guilty of similar, and by that I mean falling behind on several action cycles. For example, missing Scy's ascension into Tatsujin.

[DayBreak]

This takes place during the night while Lyric is asleep after their trip to the well.

I wrote this mess 3:30 in the morning and I was about as tired as Lyric is here. As a result, this is probably just as incomprehensible as my own dreams, made worse by the mild buzz of a headache that was coming in. Yayyyyy....

Anyway, small story detail backstory infodump thing to probably help flesh out Lyric's character below, as well as a bit of info about one of their past selves in particular.

Past Nightmare


"Did you know?
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/948304691090042880/1001694005685395557/unknown.pngIt is impossible to outrun your own reflection."

After having their eyes opened by their little visit to the well, and despite only dying and reincarnating less than a day earlier, they were dead tired. Deciding to relax just outside, they leaned against a nearby tree, put their flippers behind their head and stared up at the stars. As they did, their thoughts began drifting to their past lives. Like just about everyone, they had good and bad lives. In some their sole focus was on the whole Ascension thing, others they simply wanted to bring hope, and then there were the ones they weren't proud of. One in particular was their least favorite to look back on... Treating their companions like replaceable tools, repeatedly turning their back on everyone, and eventually dying bitter and alone. They decided to just sleep this horrible feeling off and closed their eyes, unaware that their own past was about to come back to haunt them.


Blinking their eyes open, they looked at their surroundings, only to find that they were no longer at Benni's farmstead. Rather, they were in what looked like a vibrant forest straight out of a watercolor painting, with a small mountain and a waterfall pouring water into a small lake a short distance away. Figuring there was no harm in taking a relaxing swim, Lyric began to pull themself over. They dove in and swam around for a short while, deciding to surface by the waterfall to get a good look at their own amazing body. They popped out, landed on a rock that led into the waterfall, turned their gaze, and instead of seeing the good-looking Brionne they were, they instead saw them...

From the dark blue hair to the cold green eyes, all the way to their worn and torn attire, there was no doubt. They were looking at their past self. The identity they were least proud of. Of it's own accord, the reflection began walking towards the waterfall, and stepped through with ease, and Lyric scooted back towards the edge of the rock, ready to fire off an attack.

"What's wrong," their counterpart taunted. "Don't tell me that you had all those lifetimes after me and you still couldn't do it!" Lyric knew they were trying to goad them into attacking, into starting a fight that they knew they couldn't easily win. "There's nothing special about you, Lyric. There never was." They let out a low growl, glaring down at the Brionne. "Were it not for that special soul you got from Xerneas, you'd just be another face in the crowd. You haven't been able to make any sort of difference in the week you've been here. Just progressively make things worse, without being able to actually save anyone. Your so called 'friends' know it too."

They tried to speak up. "Ralon-" Their counterpart wasn't having it, however.

"You had to kill Ralon with that stake you stole from Velli. The Sylveon that, may I remind you, now knows you're out there somewhere!" They just hissed with anger. "And now I'm stuck being a part of you here while you go around and mess everything up for everyone! Useless Pokémon they are, they might've had a chance if you weren't the weak link!"

They wanted to bad to tell them off, to tell them that they were wrong, that they weren't a weak link. But they couldn't. Not in the headspace they were in. Their counterpart was spewing out all of their fears that they kept hidden. Everything they tried desperately to convince themself wasn't true. The corner of their thoughts they had tried constantly to keep from invading their normal thought processes. The waterfall darkened, and the lake with it.

The reflection scoffed, their image distorting. "No answer? Well, a̴̳̺̺̭̔̀̽̅̈́in't that a shame. Per̵̹̉̋̓̂͝͝haps you'll have one for me n̸̥̖̙̲̾̂͒̆͑̾̾͜ext time." With that, before they could even blink, Lyric was picked up and thrown into the water. Suddenly, they immediately woke up, rolling over several times and breathing heavily. A few beads of cold sweat ran down their forehead. Why was this only happening now? Did it have something to do with the way they died? Was it their overwhelming feeling of guilt for the horrible things they did in that life? Despite all of their questions, they couldn't help thinking instead about those final words.

"Next time."

Did they really intend to start popping into their dreams from here on? They couldn't even consciously do anything, lucid dream or not. For now, they just prayed that the realm of their recent nightmare stayed far, far, far away from reality. They didn't want anyone else to see their own worst side... nor did they even want to acknowledge it around anyone else, or even themself...

Leaning back once again, they closed their eyes and silently prayed for a good dream this time, as they waited for dawn to break so they could get back to work.

Out of sight, out of mind...
... Or so they hoped, anyway...

[Lychee]

Eep! So many things to do, so little time! Looks like there's 10 more kills left, which is equivalent to 20 turns... But if all ten of us take an action every turn, we have 200 more turns as the upper limit. I bet it's less than that though!

We should definitely pass the jewelry that tells you if you've talked to a stalker around between all the Pokémon who are doing interviews -- then we can be sure of everyone we have interviewed, one way or another.

[C0L0R3D]

Ooh, I was gonna bring that idea up actually! If someone else can try to find / arrange the fang delivery, I could go off and take the necklace for a spin. See if things are looking particularly murder-y on anymon’s end.

[Lychee]

C0L0R3D
"You're looking quite injured there, friend! Are... are you going to be okay searching around tonight? Stay away from anything sharp!"
Since the Rest action heals 50% of all of your stats, and you've been damaged in all of them, it might be worth doing! Just to... you know... keep the death count down... Or else doing something unlikely to be harmful, like using Diplomacy on Altrea the Eldegoss.
sammy0295
"We need to fix this book, and this key! Since we don't know where the key goes yet... maybe the book is higher priority?"
That said, it's not like we need the book urgently either. But if you don't know what to do, doing that is certainly helpful!


Still on my informant list is:
- Mortek... whose wife was just murdered... oh dear.
- Junlus, haven't heard much from him in a while
- Betta, because even though shes posessed, maybe she is still in there and can give us a memento to free her for Majutsu? I'd rather not stab a child...
- Terron the Linoone, because having a kid that's demon possessed probably means you notice strange things...
- Vanni or Shesha, because they work at the clinic and might know more about the townsfolks mental health...

[C0L0R3D]

Not to fret, advice now followed! Guess I was jumping the Bullet Seed gun when I wanted to keep going. Though I guess that’s a funny contrast to back in the normal S5. Back then, I was all for running away and such!

EDIT: Me again. I... think the Pelipper evidence is no joke. I’ve my reasons, which are mainly that whole Macabre Mantra thing. While it mostly points at Korak, I had to take that down to a hospital and then went through one heck of an unpleasant time. And the reports of this guy with this Snivy doll, when there are likely none other in town (unless this Snivy was actually the town Servine a few years back)... yikes. Sounds rather coincidental.

[Neo Emolga]

https://i.postimg.cc/q7LfkVsq/Emolga-Normal.png Hi there!

I know I've done all the action posts in the queue, but I'm going to give some peeps who haven't made an action yet (especially Noble and Lychee!) at least until the end of the weekend to make one before I swing things over into the Day 7 Day Cycle (after finding out who gets murdered for Night 6 of course, muha ha ha! >:3).

I'm trying to get back into doing these a little quicker, but I understand throughout a good chunk of July and August, I've been slow and people might be relying on that and not checking in quite as often as usual. So on about Monday or Tuesday, I'll get the next cycle going.

Cheers and enjoy the weekend!

[Lychee]

OOh, its been a while since I posted in here!

Could someone who feels up for some exploring go look at the Seaport Lofts? Its unlikely to be stalker tainted, but there could still be some boobytraps so it might pay to have good health.

I figure my time would most effectively be spent chatting! I might edit this post with a list of potential suspects hahaha!

- Drestan, while wearing the check-all necklace, just in case we need the horrible snivy doll ;D
- Junlus, because raisins
- Vanni or Shesha for mental health help!
- Betta and Terron, even though confirmed, they may have something we need and not want to give it up
- Someone from the dang coastguard, lemme go check who that is... Oh! Its Drestan or Erine!

Well, thats three reasons to go talk to Drestan, haha!

[DayBreak]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FoX1TaJaUAEc1sp?format=jpg&name=orig

Figured I'd share this Nidorina Day doodle I did here as well.