Ruins Expedition - Dated to Mid-week

[somnambulatory]

[Jinxie's feeling pretty good after that expedition to the Old City last week to calm down the raging Pokemon and stop the earthquake.  And she's always been curious about what kinds of things exist in the Ruins, so she's recruited her cousin and fellow spookygirl spiritualist Maya Fey to mount an expedition to go down there and look for interesting artifacts and Pokemon.  She's got her trusty companion Dokuro with her as usual, her Warp Band attuned to a full complement of five additional Pokemon, and her sleeves packed full of protective charms she stayed up all night making, so she's feeling as confident and ready as Jinxie Tenma ever gets.]

Are you ready, Maya?  Shi?

[Turning to Maya and her own Duskull, Jinxie nods at them both before looking toward the dark and mysterious entrance.]

((note for myself: Rex, Brownie, Sable, Wooster, and Goo are attuned for this log))

Comments

[bravenewmods]

[As Jinxie stands on the edge and glances down, she'll receive an incredibly intense vibe of psychic power - it seems like more than her natural sensitivity to Psychics and Ghosts. ...It seems as if something is sensing her.

The sensation passes quickly, although the background noise of psychic power still remains.]

Jinxie -> Maya -> mod journal from here out?

[somnambulatory]

[Jinxie shudders at the sensation, wobbling on her feet a little but eventually steadying herself.]

Th-there's something really powerful down there.

[She brings a hand up to her head to touch the charm she has stuck there - half because this is already giving her a bit of a headache, and half to remind herself that she's at least got that much for protection.]

sorry if this thing doesn't alert me, notifs have been weird on tracked threads

[mastermedium]

[Though she shudders, Maya doesn't seem altogether freaked out. If anything-- though curious, Maya seems calm for now. It can't be anything too big, right?]

Well, guess we can't get on its bad side then, huh?

[Always time to make a little joke, right?

With Shi hovering over her shoulder, Maya tugs at Jinxie's sleeve. Dangerous or not, there's stuff to be nosy about here. They've got to keep moving.]

[bravenewmods]

[Probably the first difficulty would be the fact that the entrance to the ruins is a gaping hole in the ground. Hopefully the two of them brought rope.

As they descend, they'll land on the first floor - a mossy, unpleasantly damp environment, with the turbid waters from the swamp occasionally sloshing in from overhead. Rangers have been here in the past: there is a sign posted that warns that the area ahead is extremely unstable and filled with very powerful Pokemon. As of yet, no one has made it past the second floor. This is their last chance to turn around and go home. The sign sits in front of a gigantic stone slab in the middle of the floor. Walking around it will reveal that both the walls and the rock are roughly rectangular - or perhaps trapezoidal, with the north wall a little shorter than the south. It will take a good fifteen minutes to progress all the way around the rock.

As they walk, they may note the remnants of what seem to be spots of paint and carvings on the walls. The swamp environment is so corrosive that hardly anything can be made out on this floor, although it's possible they might be able to get some characters or symbols if they really study it intensively.

The stairs down can be sighted in the northwest corner, half obscured by lichens and other... growths. There are no Pokemon yet on this floor.]</small

[somnambulatory]

[Jinxie's been curious about the Ruins for a while, so she did indeed bring some rope for the expedition. She makes sure to tie it off securely before descending down into the hole with Dokuro floating along at her side just in case. Once she's at the bottom, she steadies it for Maya and Shi's descent before looking around.]

Wow... look at it all... I wonder what these carvings mean.

[No Pokemon yet, but Jinxie makes sure to keep her eyes, ears, and her sixth sense peeled for any sign of that changing. Especially once they make the approach to the stairs.]

[mastermedium]

[It's a good thing Jinxie came prepared, because Maya sure wouldn't have.

Slipping down the rope, she's glad she's opted for wearing something akin to tattsuke-bakama instead of the usual furisode, playfully mentioning in her head that if they're found dead at least it won't be in muddied skirts.

Better not to say that out loud when Jinxie's around, though.

Even if the carvings were perfectly legible, this part of history isn't exactly what they teach mediums; even though she gives them a thorough look-over, Maya's not got a clue to what's going on.]

I wish I knew what it all said. There's not even books on this kinda thing, huh?

[Drifting idly at her side, Shi's light of an eye keeps a silent, siren-like watch. Maya isn't the most careful, so Shi has to be cautious on her part.]

[bravenewmods]

[Amongst the degraded carvings, there is one bit that seems a little more recognizable - a spherical blue-green ball. Above it stands a humanoid-esque figure, though it's too worn away to make out much apart from that it has two arms and two legs.

The stairs will provide an even stronger sense of psychic power. The sign is quite accurate; there are Pokemon roaming around the ruins below.]

[somnambulatory]

Forbidden technology, maybe?

[Jinxie eyes up that drawing of the blue-green ball with some puzzlement. She thought the devices people used to enslave Pokemon were red and white, like Wooster's cap. Pausing to make sure she can remember the image for later, she walks toward the stairs, Dokuro at her side.]

It feels like there are a lot of Psychic types down there, so we'll need to be careful.

[Proceeding down slowly, she reaches her hand back silently. She doesn't say as much, but she's probably looking for Maya to hold it as they're descending the stairs together. Even at her bravest, Jinxie will always be a little nervous. And even though Maya can be a bit of a tease, she looks up to her older cousin a lot in troubled times.]

[mastermedium]

I guess so. I don't think they looked like that, though-- maybe it's something else.

Or maybe the colours wore out.

[Maya knows they have some advantage-- ghost have strength against psychic-- but... are these pokémon really what are giving them this feeling?

She shakes off the notion, nodding to Shi; the duskull takes its place back in Maya's hair, a light occasionally peeking through the locks.

As if it's habit from working with the younger villagers of Kurain, Maya picks up the cue instantly, slipping her fingers around Jinxie's hand. She makes no comment about it as it's practically second nature, but she's also sure it will keep them from getting lost in the grimy ruins.]

But... why are there so many psychic types around here?

[What was there before?]

[bravenewmods]

[The humanoid-ish figure stands with its arms raised high above the sphere...

The stairs down are crumbling from years of disuse. It abruptly breaks off into a ten foot drop onto crumbling bits of rock - not too terrible if they hang off the ledge and lower themselves.

The floor is decorated with more coloration that might have once been decorated with beautiful pictures and carvings. It seems a bit strange, though, that the ancients would want to walk on something they put so much effort into. The walls are similarly decorated and like the first floor, they are corroded to an extent that its difficult to make out what's going on.

The carvings here seem to be mostly script. There is the script of the Old City, recognizable. ...But there are also symbols that seem... different.

The center of this floor is once more marked by a giant stone slab in the same position as the stone slab from earlier. Owing to the way this stone slab has collapsed over the years, it is nearly impossible to walk around it. However, there is an opening inside.]

[somnambulatory]

[Jinxie slowly makes her way down the stairs, keeping hold of Maya's hand the whole way and helping her down to the next landing. She treads lightly and carefully around the floor, feeling a little bad to be stepping all over something so colorful.]

Do you think the scholars have already been down this far? Maybe we should try to copy down these weird symbols before we keep going.

[She'll wait for Maya to make that call, but she does pull out some paper and a pencil just in case while she wanders over to peek into the opening in the stone slab.]

[missleadingquestions]

Too bad we don't have a smeargle.

[She can't help but look around in awe; where did all of this come from?]

You'd think they'd say something, right?

[Suddenly she looks a little mischievous, following Jinxie over.]

What if we are the first ones to see it? Let's keep going deeper!

[bravenewmods]

[As Jinxie stares into the opening in the slab, her eyes may need some time to adjust to the darkness. No sunlight drifts in from above here - the opening is quite dark.

...There can be heard the sound of rustling from within...]

[somnambulatory]

Stay close, Dokuro.

[Jinxie's voice is a whisper as she huddles close to her Pokemon, once again reaching out for Maya's hand. Taking out a flashlight with the other, she starts down the dark passage.]

[missleadingquestions]

[Curious, Maya follows alongside Jinxie, pulling a bit of her hair aside to call Shi to her shoulder.

The red light of her eye doesn't illuminate much, but it helps a little, and Maya knows that at least Shi (and Dokuro) has a better view of where they're going.]

I... guess there really haven't been many people through here at all yet...


There's not even lamps set up.

[bravenewmods]

[Almost the moment the flashlight clicks on, something large and furry smashes into it to try to knock it out of Jinxie's hand.

Something else large and furry will smash into Maya's face. There is a screeching noise - and the sound of rustling as of wingbeats.]

[somnambulatory]

Eek!

[Jinxie is no fighter herself, and her reflexes aren't all that great, so the flashlight goes clattering straight to the ground as she ducks down to avoid... whatever that was.]

M-Maya...! Are you okay?

[missleadingquestions]

[Maya, however, proceeds to tumble backward.

She wasn't expecting that. At all. With a bit of a shriek, she pushes at whatever's gone and gotten in her face, trying to get it off without letting it get tangled in her hair.]

Nonono-- stop flapping! Shi--!!

[A bit disoriented, the duskull shines its lantern-like eye around, trying to give Maya enough light to see-- but red light isn't particularly effective at all.]

[bravenewmods]

[The Duskull's light will be enough to reveal the outline of what's flapping about them! The screeching continues as something swoops down to smash into Maya again - or rather to stamp!

Wild Woobat have appeared!

It's unclear how many of them there are, but there must be at least two!

The wild Woobat has used Heart Stamp!]

((This encounter is for Maya to Bond with!))

[somnambulatory]

[Jinxie, still ducking down in an attempt to try to avoid the Woobat attacks, fiddles with her Warp Band.]

Hang on, Maya!

[Pressing a button on the band, Jinxie summons her Houndour into the battle, pointing it toward the attacking Woobats.]

Sable, use Ember!

[With a momentary glance to Jinxie, the Houndour nods its assent, stepping forward cautiously and releasing a gout of flame from its mouth, aimed directly at the Woobat that isn't attacking Maya.]

Sorry for the slowassness, my computer is d e a d

[missleadingquestions]

Whoa-- whoa whoa, wait a second-- ow!

[Maya grimaces, grasping at woobat's fur in attempts to get a hold of it.]

I'm not trying to fight-- [But, she realises, it's probably the only thing she can manage.]

Shi! Use confuse ray!

[With a nod and an empty chirp like a thick, hollow bell, Shi attacks, the light from her lantern-eye distorting into a yellowish light.]

[bravenewmods]

[The flame strikes the Woobat fluttering about right before it swoops down towards Jinxie! It lets loose a squeal of irritation before flapping its wings hard and sending a gust of razor-sharp wind towards Sable! An Air Cutter!

Confuse Ray successfully strike's Maya's Woobat and it begins to flap about awkwardly in midair! It randomly begins to strike at things with its oversized nose, Heart Stamping anything within reach, including, on occasion, slamming into the wall.]

[somnambulatory]

[Jinxie once again ducks down low, covering her head with one hand and swatting at the Woobat with the other. Sable takes the Air Cutter on the nose, staggering back a few steps and letting out a small whimpering sound.]

Don't give up, Sable! Use another Ember attack!

[It's really all it's got going for it. Stepping forward with its knees shaking almost as hard as Jinxie's own, the Houndour roars out another blast of fire at the Woobat.]

[missleadingquestions]

[Maya, on the other hand... instantly feels bad.

Oh man.

That's kind of pitiful.

which is why she's totally laughing holy crap poor Woobat.

Reaching out as if to touch it, Maya tries really hard not to laugh. This isn't funny. This is so serious. Jinxie is over there having a real pokémon battle, okay.]

Stop, stop-- hold on a second, don't do that--

Shi, help me out here!

[Shi takes that as a cue to use Astonish on Woobat, trying to knock it out of its confusion at the same time.]

[bravenewmods]

[Jinxie's Woobat gives another indignant squeak - it turns towards its fellow, and... seeing its state, decides that this was a losing battle. It aims another Air Cutter at Jinxie and Sable before attempting to flap back into the darkness, ditching its 'friend'. They probably didn't know each other all that well anyway.

Maya's Woobat continues to be Confused, but as Astonish strikes, it is now Flinched and Confused so.... well, maybe that's an improvement.]