Stalkers RPG Main Action and Team Status [SEASON 4]

[Neo Emolga]

Here goes nothing. I'd like to use Seinaru on that weird shadow at the Rotting Cottage.
Hey. Abyssal Umbreon. You're really persistent, huh? I'll give ya some cookies if you sit it out this round though.

You aren't entirely enthusiastic on venturing out to the Rotting Cottage to see for yourself what horrors are there. After all, the last Emissary who ventured there, Neo the Emolga, was confirmed to have been lost in the darkness. You already have a bad feeling about this and hope not to end up the same way he did.

You walk about the dusty, ruined landscape toward the clutch of decaying, crumbling houses. Even during the day, this area feels stricken with chilling, morose feelings. And the Rotting Cottage beats like the heart of darkness among all of them. Here, the shadows and infernal infestations linger and swarm, and the further you come toward them, the more they lust for your spirit.

The crumbling staircase up to the rotting cottage is covered in lichen and fungal overgrowth, causing you to have to watch your step and be min̢̰̗͙̣̬̗̱͇͚̩͟͢ͅdful of what you're stepping in. Threaten̢̰̗͙̣̬̗̱͇͚̩͟͢ͅing and t̵̡̡͔̤͎̗̳̩̺͇̼̹͎͜͞à̷̖̻͎̰̥̙͓͓̯̗͈̞͠u̶̷̼̗͚̼̭̤̠̻͓͇͟͟͡ͅ ̠̜̳ǹ̶͔͕͍̳͓̻͍͙̰t̷͔͎̭̻̹̹̪̭̝̝͜͝ͅͅi̵̡̜͙̦̩̻̟̩̫̬͟͠ǹ̸̢͔ ̞͇̟̻̣g̴̨̭̘͙̥͚̲͓̯̘͈̥̭̳̦̥̝̪͞ whispers of shadows and m̷̧͚̗͉̯a͍̦̩̭͜͠d̴̖̬̭͙ṉ̵̸͉̟e̪̬͔̕͜ͅs̶̳̫̥͉̗s͏͉̦̜͔͇ ̬̲ begin to try and play tricks on your mind, but you dismiss them, arriving at the front door. As you realize easily, Neo was originally the one who opened it, but never came out to shut it closed on the way out. You begin to wonder if he's still inside...

The pitch-black room you step into seems u͕͈ͣͭ̉͋̑̌͆̊́ṅ̵̟̬̦͈͔͘n̲̯̲̦̅̎̕a̸̸̢̜͚͕͇̭̘̥͋͑̆ͥ̄ẗ́̓̓̇ ̧̢̰̻̪̓u͚̞̫̼̯͖̯͊͒̌̄̅̐̿r̂̀͗̏ͭ͏̱̬͕̺̠̼̥̬a̛͚͓̭̒l̊͊ͦ͒͒́͐ ̪̤̝ͦ̿͘l̪̘̗͓͎̫̹͍ͧ̌ͯ͠͡y͖̣̲͔͓͈͆ͯ̐͡ dark. Where sunlight should permeate the room in some way, it just doesn't, as if a dark sub-reality refuses to let light naturally come in to this corrupted place. A strange c͔ͤͥͣ̆ͪͧ̀ͨ̔h̰͋ͯ̇͆́̒ͨi͓̩̠̠͑l̞͍̮̯̗̫̟̩͗͒̈́̾ͥͤͫ̿ͯl̿̄̽̉̓ ̰̘̲̆ͨ and feeling of macabre pressure tries to wrap around you, but you continue moving forward, able to see in the darkness where most other Pokémon would be w̙̮̤͐ͩ͌͗aͩͭ̅ͮ̂ͅl͓̬̹̩̀̉ͫ͛k̮̞̟̣͇̞̦͊̅̍̃̈́͗̑ͩ̅i̪ͥͬ͐̓̑̈́̈́ ̤͕͔̟̙̜̘ṋ͕̺͐͗g̜͙̺̬̦̘̥̑ ͉̜̜͈͋ͤ͐ͣb̺͋͗ͦ́ͤl̟̝̟͙͈̹͍̆̒̿̍ͅì͈͙̙̻̲̥̖̑ͦ̽͗͒͛n͊̆̍̿̽̎ ̭̤̥̫͇̯̩̜̐̋͋d̪̪͙̤̳̦͍̹̿͒̿̏ͤ̓̾ͭ̇. You've faced this kind of nightmare before. And while it never hesitates to harass you with its threatening, spidery taunts and tendrils of shadow, you grow more complacent to it.

Nonetheless, it still tries to g̢̫̣̖̥̠̪ͪͤn̄ͩ̐͌͏̙͕̺̘̠̲͘a̅ͭ̾҉̣ͅͅw̱̩̪̗̟͋̾͌̑̅ͦ̽͋͟ ̠̘̟̲̖̦̪̤͐ͭ̃͊̑̌͗͗͟ą̘̮̲̹̼̟̤̂́̇͒̒̓w̫̯̱ͤ̔̌̌ͤ̀̀͞aͨ̎ͦ̅͐ ͍̭̫͂͌y͇̤͉̦͈͗ͯͯ̅͑ͥ͞ at your heart...

Daniel the Umbreon sustains 1 point of damage to Purity.

Part of you really just wants to get this over with, but the shadows that surround you want to make this last as d̢̛̮̻̩̹̖̤̟̯͉̘̰̥̯͂̅̋̎̂̄̒ͣ͗̒̋ͣͥͮͮ͗͘͠a͒̿ͮ̿̆̋̀̃ͩͤ̉̀́́͠ ̪͓̝͖̙̩̯̻̮͍̫̗m͊̂̎̈ͬ̀͌̇͐҉̘̘̣͇̯͈͖̠̺̖̲̹͖̬͖̦͟ͅnͯ͋̏̓͆ͤ͊̐ ͑̈́̄͏͘͏̬̝͓͇̱͖̮͍͕̙̗̗̯̙͚͢ͅ long as possible.

But despite your searches through the rotting, crumbling house, you find no sign of Neo or the Shadow Entity. All the while, the shadows caress you menacingly, trying to grip into your soul and snatch away a few pieces. Your movement becomes harder, as if walking in sludge and muck.

Every room in this travesty of real estate is well-beyond hope. The wa̸̡̪̠͓̲̙̥͙͈̭̮̲̝̘̟͐ͦ̅̕ͅlls are half-collapsed, the ceiling barely holds the floor above it, and every other step you take upon the floor causes the rotting wood to give way or crack underfoot. And the whole time, the shadows lust and wrap themselves a̸̡̪̠͓̲̙̥͙͈̭̮̲̝̘̟͐ͦ̅̕ͅround you, hoping for a feast. You grit and growl, trying to fight them, but there's n̴̡̂͊̑̌͑ͮͭ̍̉ͮ̇͏̶͖̩̼̺̰̙̹̗̮́o̡̹̬̱̜̯̝̫̻̜̟̩̹̩͎͓͑̄̎͊̍̚ͅ ͚̘tͧͮ̀̈̓ͩ͑͌ͤ͏҉̴̬͓̱̻͓͈̱̺̲͈̮̭̱̣͇͘h͌̇̊̾͝͏͍̯͚̤͚̖̲̪̤̺͇̜ ̜̞͈̝̝î̡̩̩̟̮͊̈̍̓̄͂ͯ̏̆͢ņ̧̱̝̱͖͖̘̗̭̼̩̩̯͔̥̤ͥ͌̌̓gͬͣ̉ͫͧ ̶̷̍̋̏̔ͤ̉̿͂̑̂͋̌ͤ͊͘҉͙̼̖̩͓̲̬͓͚̠̻̩ physical to strike down...

Daniel the Umbreon sustains 3 points of damage to Purity.

You were wrong, it just seems i̴̧͔͕̼ͨ̍̈̊͝m̵͍̙̼̙̥̙͋͒p̪̲̙̦͉͛͐̅ͮ̚͢o̶ͪ̅̀ͥ̉̐ͫ͠҉̗̜̯̝̹̗ ̦s̸ͫ̂ͪͭ̊͆̍ͬͩ͏̡̤̯̯s̡̛̤̟̟̭̆ͥͤ̇̓̑̃̽̓i̼͛͋̔͞b̏̐ͥͫͮ҉͇̦͔ͅ ̺̳̙̞ͅl̳̬̭̹̞̳̝̈́̏͝e̮̻̝̦̳̺ͪ͗̈͌̅̄̿͆ to ever get used to this horrendous presence. And you have a feeling Neo never made it out of this living nightmare. You try calling out his name, but your voice is absorbed by the darkness. If the Emolga did š͎̘̥̰̫̫͚̼͈͌ͯ̄̅̚ć̣͍͉̺̻͘r̪̉́ͭ̐̀̕ȇ̦̭̳̗̮̣̺́̊̕͠ȧͦ̄́ ͉̫̜̣̋̃͋̐͢m̳͇̞̟̱̯̫ͦ̋̈̋͂͒̍̚̕ͅ for help, you have a feeling that cry went silenced early into h̜̼̯̰ͥͤͥ̏̏̑ǫ͙̹̺͈̞͒̏̄͞p̢̲̣͚̼̗̥̖̝̆ͩ̽͋́ͣ̈̅͡è̡͓̼͓̼̽͊ ̝l̸͉̭̰̞̿̐̽ͤ͟ë̟͔̣̬͇̄̐̿͒ͮ͞ͅś͈͑̔͐͐̋̐ͣş͔͎͖̻̪̓̾͗͋̍͑͠ ̪̙n̻̤̩̣͔̰͎̑ͤ̊e̘͔̝̹̰͕̦̰̾͛̍ͨ̋̚s̯̜̻̾ͣ̉ͣͣ̑̅̆̚͘͞sͮͫ̾ͭ̎ͩ ͓̪̰͓̎̅̑̕.

Among the snaking, spidery tendrils of h͍̫̬̬͖u̝̯̮̞̙͖͍͖͍͔̼n̖̖̺͔̜̼̻͕̜̠̹͓g̭̰̹̖̭̝̦̪̠e̪͖̼̘͚̳̬r ͕̖̤͙i͙̮ͅn̩̗̦͕̫̜̱̮̠̤̜̠̟ͅg͔̻̫͎̲̱̪͖̼̜̼̬̠̥ shadows, you spot it again...

...the red-ringed Umbreon. And it doesn't seem like cookies are enough to push it away...

"Back off!" You shout angrily at it.

But all that happens is you look into the s̥̹̫̼̩̞͓͔̜͔̼̙͇͕̞̘̖͉n̹̘͎e̗͓̣̮̙̲̼̗̯͙̙͇̤̦̮̲̦e͕̱͙̟̯̩͕͕ r͔̝͖̞̭̣̜̝̻̜̪̙̺i̘̫̖̜̼̙n̙̥̣̫̮̗g̙̟͕͚̯̟̠̤̝̗̣̭̠̝ͅ ̩̩̠̘̰͖͍̲̮̩̲f̠̮̯͍͉̺͙͖͖̟̳̺̥͖͇ͅͅa̬̲̝̬̦̱̪̘̠̻̺c̦̗̤e͈̟̰̦ ̬̻͔̺̹̭̮͈̖̦̳̠̖̳ ̱̖͈̳̞̩͇̱̠̰ͅo̼̫̱͇͉̻̹̞̫͎͎̯͕̪̮̣̣f̫̞͕̝̦̦̗̭͖ ̙̫̭̞͎̳͍͎͖̻̘͓̫ͅͅm͕̘̞̭a̻̘͖̩̲͇̤̪͎̰d̞̳͙̤͙̤̮͇̻͕ͅṋ͕̜̙͔̰ ̜̣̫̪͖͖̼̪̰̱̘e͔̖͖̺̮̺͚̪͚̮̜͇̼̖̯͎̲̼̞s̮̬̲͕̫̜̺̦͈̠̺͖̪̙̘̥͓ͅ ͍s̙̤͕̣̖̳̼̤̯̤͖. You grunt and growl, and try to fight despite the toll it takes on you... dragging you down͍͔̯̬̱͚̼ͥ͗ͪͥ̍ͭ further into the shadowy A̶̸̙̲̜͙b̧̛̰̬̘̖͖̀͢ͅy̵̛̩̙͙̫̬̭͚̰̠͙̗̳͜s͏̧͜҉̰̟̘̟̖̱̝̲̣ͅs ̵̷̨̞͚̤̘̟̪̪̗̱͖͇̕͝ͅ.̧͓̪̬̯̞̥̬̙̰̥̻̼̫̼͔.̨̛̻͚̜̙̲͙͇͕̖͕̰͖͡ ̳̟̗.̵̷̢̢̛̫͎͙̳̩̖͎͕̣̪͎̙̰͇̰̞̻

Daniel the Umbreon sustains 3 points of damage to Purity.

You l̨̮̬̪̥͙̳̲̠͚͔̱̘͉̳͕̗̫͢ų̸̡͇̬̙̩̹̜͖̦͚̟̹̻̝̩̜̼̦̥̘͜ņ̨͖̀͝ ̰̹͚̟̺̦̳̖̱̜g̷̢̹̣̠̜̙̜̩͈͉̫̝͚͖̪͎̗̲̀͝e̡͟͠͏̞̥̯̣̟̠̳̬̪ ̳̭ after the ambiguous presence, only for it to become forgotten smoke as soon as you thought you made contact. You lose your way in the dark, m̠̮͙̖̎̈́ͯi̦̰̺͓͈͊͑ͣ͋̆̔ͅs̱̠̖g͏͍̲̦̬ͅuiͫ̆ͥͩd͎̲̓ͯ̂̆i̸̞ͧn ̥̝͍̼̖̘̅̍͋ͬͨ̚g͑҉̤̦͇ͅ ̢͖̳̣̼́̀́m͚̖͚̬͇̅̋͊ͦ́ͣ̔͡a̤̭̞̹̦̒̌ͬ̔͒̊͊́z̯̱̲͍ͣ̉̄̇͘ e ̴͍͆̄̅̿̏͆́ǒ̦̲̤̖̖̜̝͊ͫ͆̈́ͮ͂f̢̪̙̘̟͖̫̊̉͑̓ͤͤ ̵̰͍̩̮̤̈́̈́̈ͦs̨̻̩̼͙̮̗h̯ͩ̏ä̳̯̤̙̙͓̗d͓̰͍̠͙̱͍̃ǫ̹ͩ͑ͬw̪̃͠ ̹̟̪͔̟s̵̳̤̣̫ͣ̊ͩͨͥ͂̔ͅ, not even sure if you're in the cottage anymore̘̘̞͑̍ͥ̀ͧ̓, or perhaps lost within a whole new dime̘̘̞͑̍ͥ̀ͧ̓nsion entirely. You venture into an͍͔̯̬̱͚̼ͥ͗ͪͥ̍ͭother room overtaken by shadows, still trying to find the Shadow Entity.

Enough of this. You know it's a long shot, but you focus on your holy Seinaru power, hoping that driving it into the darkness will help you find the source, even if you can't see it with your eyes.

"Walk by faith, not by sight..."

Your focused, driving force of Seinaru weaves through the dark forest of tentacle-like shadows, seeking out the Shadow Entity. Unlike the sunlight, nothing stops this holy, fiery glow from driving back the darkness, causing it to cower away. The dark Umbreon is suddenly expose, and you drive your fury into it, smothering it with purifying light.

{Shadow Entity: <Seinaru>}

A scream unlike any other shrieks out. The cottage rocks, shakes, and pieces of it break away. Before you lays the relic, and you place your paw upon it, feeling it cleanse you of the darkness.

[Dragonstar Flail] was added to the Team Inventory.

Daniel the Umbreon restores 5 points of Purity, and gains a temporary +2 to Purity.

Your soul feels refreshed as you safely stow the holy armament away...

But something's wrong. Usually when you encounter the relic, the shadows are driven away...

But instead it becomes more violent. You soon realize they're dying, screaming, hungering for one last soul before they perish. And they want that soul to be yours! Ravaging ferociously, they try with their dying, dark breaths to ensnare you and take you into nothingness with them.

"No!" You shout, trying to fight your way out.

...Don't panic... I'm here... please listen to me...

For a moment, it seems a strangely familiar voice whispers into your ear. You think you've heard it before, almost like a long-lost friend, but you're not sure where, or when was the last time you heard a voice like that. But it sounds so strange, sounding like it's close by, but then so far away at the same time.

...Listen carefully... I can guide you out...

The shadows i̩͉ͪ̍̆̿̀̊ͅn̵͕̩̥̝̞͂ṭ̗̙̮̜̪̋͌ͅë͕͖̣͕͕̳́ͫ͡n̴̦̗̜̩͖̘ͅṡ͌ ̟͔̹͍̫͌̓͑͐ͩ́i͍̤̓̽ͥ͟f̵̻̺̠y͙̗̗̹̗ͭ̍̈ͩ͜ in their dying rage, trying to lick, sting, and b͍͚̲̜̩͈̒̓̀͗̍ͤ̚u̷͔̺͙̩͇̓̆ͯ̾̈́̑ṛ̵̳̮̰̠̳͓ͨ̋̏̌̎̏r̘̟̣͇̕ͅo ͙ͬ͌̈́̀͛̚͠w̧̭͇̮͋̈́ their way into your soul as revenge for sentencing them into nothingness. But it's as if you feel a gentle presence around you, like a comforting warmth in the chills of the darkness. You feel it steering you, guiding you, pushing you forward safety even among the maddening shadows.

...This way... come on... you'll make it...!

You're not sure who or what this voice is, but you feel you can trust them. Every step they help you take draws you closer to the exit. You see the light of the outside in the distance, and you yearn for it. But the presence urges you to be careful and not be too hasty. Every step is crucial, and they help you take the careful, patent steps to safely find your way back...

...you're almost there... you're doing great! Just hang on...!

"Who... who are you...?" you ask, wondering who this mysterious ally is.

There is only silence.

Their presence helps you anticipate every attack, every attempt the shadows try to make to ensnare you in their dark devouring hunger. They help you duck down before a tendril of darkness lashes at you to claim your spirit. They help guide your feet away from danger as you narrowly avoid stepping into what look like holes into the oblivion with snake-like tendrils trying to pull you in. The guiding presence helps your heart stay calm, and they help you breathe and feel reassured.

The exit is closer now, and step by step, you make it out, safely with your soul still intact, though a bit ra̘͍̲̠̺v̰͚a͍͕̗g̞͙̘̺̫̠e͇͈̳̱d̙͓͓̟. You try searching for whatever this strange and mysterious guardian angel-like presence helped you escape, but there is still no sign...

You look back into the darkness of the rotting cottage to behold the dark, whipping shadow snares still longing for a soul to feast upon. However, in time, they all die. They shrink, wither, crumble, and turn into fragments of ethereal dust before becoming nothing. You made it out safety, and now, you see the Rotting Cottage as it was before the darkness infestation claimed it. While it seems crippled and broken, for a glimpse of a moment, you behold what it looked like when it was first built, and you see how beautiful it once looked all those many years ago. In seconds, you see a vision of what appeared to be a family of Azumarill and the family that they raised here. You see the children grow up so fast, but time... time made it all move on... And when you open your eyes again, the Rotting Cottage still stands before you. Old, withering, and broken... but still standing... and now cleaned and purified once again.

Meanwhile, outside, there is still only just the quiet, forlorn neighborhood of crumbling, forgotten houses. Places that Pokémon like the family of Azumarill you saw for just a brief moment once called home so long ago. For a moment, it doesn't feel so bad anymore.

You feel that guiding presence once again...

Great job, you did it, Daniel!

"How... how did you know my name?" You ask, looking for any kind of sign as to the identity of this enigmatic spirit.

...It may seem like I'm gone... but I'm closer than you think, even if it seems like I'm a million miles away. I believe in you guys! You can all save Yaru if you believe in yourselves!

But it's still quiet as a stray gust of wind blows through your black fur. You look around, still seeing no sign of where the mysterious voice came from. It almost seems like a dream, but still so real. But then that wind touches you again, and suddenly it becomes clear...

...

...Cheers and good times, Daniel!

For a short moment, you catch just a passing glimpse of the sky squirrel, flying by in just a short instant before seemingly vanishing into the cloudy skies. You're not quite sure what this all means, but it gives you comfort that somewhere, somehow, Neo the Emolga isn't gone like everyone thought he was...

You're glad you're not alone after all...

Daniel the Umbreon (M: Dark)

Health: 9/10| Sanity: 5/8 | Purity: 12/10
Battle Stance: Flee
Perk: Seinaru
Trait: Charming