Seekers

[bravenewmods]

"This is Union...?"

They stop outside the gates and exchange a glance. Moments later, the Warp Band network across Union switches on to broadcast a message, displaying two strangers, similar enough to be siblings apart from their stereotypical color schemes. The man in blue speaks first.

"You guys mind opening up? It's been a long trek; we can't all just align with Ponyta and gallop across a desert."

"Though I'll bet Ponyta are less grumpy to travel with than this guy. How about we introduce ourselves? I'm Maeve."

"Ceilto. We're here representing a group called the Seekers, from the branch up in Caldera. You guys hear anything about us yet?"

A short expectant pause before Maeve smiles. "No problem. I'll explain! What we do is seek out information about the old gods. You know, the ones that a lot of people worship or hate depending on who you are and where you're from. The ones who're in the legends, buuut other than that, we don't really know much about them. So! Our Boss wanted us to come here to do some digging."

"Yeah. You'll meet him sooner or later, but the Boss-man wants to start up a new chapter here if he can - heard you guys built your whole city on top of some old ruins."

Both of them look more enthused as the topic shifts to the Old City. "We don't know how deep you guys have gotten or how much you know, but we thought that maybe, just maybe, there might be some information down there. We want to help check it out!"

Ceilto holds up a finger. "We heard those Team Evolution nuts've been around already. If you're worried we're like them at all, don't be. We're interested in learning more about the old gods, not in catching them and rubbing on a Pokéball for three wishes. But you can kick us out anyway if you feel like it - long as you let us borrow your artifacts now and then."

He receives a sock in the shoulder for his troubles. "Arg, don't tell them to just kick us out when we haven't even gotten in! ...But yeah, those Team Evolution guys? Far from what we're here to do."

"We've got a few expeditions you might be interested in, too, since you guys've got some more tricks up your sleeves than the Calderans. Small groups, though - we don't need a hundred of you coming along with us and getting killed when you blunder around and collapse it on your heads."

"Oh good grief. Don't listen to him. We do have some favors to ask, but what we're asking for isn't that dangerous. No one is going to get killed. ...Probably."

The man grins mischievously. "Probably. ...Yep. ...Well, that's about all. We'll be by the gates if you've got any questions. ...As soon as someone lets us in, c'mon already."

"Maybe if you stopped acting like that, they will."

The conversation devolves into meaningless bickering before the Warp Band unceremoniously switches off.

((Respond as you please!  Thread jacking will likely occur.  Don't feel the need to wait for both characters to respond before you do; it will be in and out!))

Comments

Video

[niepokonany]

Okay, so you're not with Team Evolution. So like, do you have branches in Gigas?

[Feliks is gradually building up a hierarchy of people he doesn't like of trust, it seems.]

[bnw_wighty_npcs]

Ceilto makes a face.

"Gigas won't let us in. We've submitted like, a dozen requests to investigate their area and start up a base, but they're all paranoid and weird about government secrets or whatever."

A pause.

"That's why... our first expedition will be to infiltrate Gigas! ....No, just kidding."

[usedstringshot]

So...question. Your boss chose you two for this illustrious mission solely to get the both of you out of his hair, right?

[bnw_tara_npcs]

[ Wow, rude! ]

As if! We're one of our Boss' best and we hear Union is pretty big y'know. If he wanted to get rid of us he would have sent us to someplace smaller!

... Or try for the millionth time to get Gigas to let us in.

video;

[stahlflugel]

So... what, you want to come in and loot the old city? I'd be surprised if there was anything left down there.

[bnw_wighty_npcs]

"Yeah. Despite how my sister might look, she's pretty decent in an excavation."

Ceilto deadpans.

"...Anyway, do you really think they would have sent some amateurs to scope an entire new civilization?"

video;

[myfedorarocks]

You seek out information about the old gods?

[That's... actually really interesting. It's not his specialty, and he knows almost nothing about them, but there are always the legends. Flemming is a practical man, though. He doesn't put much stock into whether or not they exist. It doesn't do much in the way of directly benefiting him, after all.]

I know nothing about them personally, but Union is a big place. I'm certain there are people here who know more than I.

[bnw_tara_npcs]

Maeve hears Ceilto and sighs from off to the side.

"That was really lame, Ceilto. But y'know infiltrating them doesn't sound like a bad idea. The jerks totally deserve it for turning us down time and time again."

video;

[ingoodhans]

How interesting! [ Hans is all about learning about the rest of the world. ] How many branches does your organization have, besides Caldera? Have you found very many ruins from back then?

[ Not gonna answer very many of your questions, but he'll certainly ask some of his own... ]

[bnw_wighty_npcs]

Why's that? You guys think you went through it pretty good? They don't call us the Treasure Tracking Terrors for nothing.

[...]

Not that anyone actually calls us that, but we'd rather see for ourselves, anyway.

[niepokonany]

[Feliks cracks a smile. Okay, you two, he distrusts you relatively the least!]

Well, they act like a bunch of creeps, anyway. I bet they have a ton of secrets and they're all lame, like "Valeria uses Hoppip leaves in her foot cream" or whatever!

Anyway, you should totes check out the temple here, if somebody pets you in. They know a ton about the old gods, so maybe they could tell you where to find out more!

[bnw_wighty_npcs]

More than a few, less than a ton. Somewhere around a bunch.

There are ruins all over this continent, if you haven't noticed. We passed one in your swamp coming down this way.

video;

[bnw_tara_npcs]

Yep! It's strange how little information there are right? There's gotta be more information about them somewhere! And Union seems to be an ideal place to look.

In fact, maybe we'll even find where one of them lives ... Probably not.

[bnw_wighty_npcs]

"Valeria? Cassius's head whatever? What that woman needs is hemorrhoid cream for the stick up her -- "

He cuts himself off there as he catches Maeve's eye.

"The temple? ...That sounds interesting. For anyone in particular, or just to the gods, generally speaking?"

[bnw_tara_npcs]

Really, the most terrorizing thing about us are my brother's really bad jokes.

'Sides, you guys have a huge city. You couldn't have possibly searched every nook and cranny of the old city underneath yet, right?

video;

[myfedorarocks]

I imagine we'd know if one of them was living around here.

[One of the old gods would be noticeable, right? It's not like every Pokemon out there is accounted for, but if there was a god sleeping in the forest, you'd think someone would have stumbled upon it, right?

...Then again, maybe not. He doesn't have a clue what they look like.]

...but that doesn't mean they're not out there, right? I can't imagine that any information about them exists in the Old City but that doesn't mean that it's impossible.

Maybe looking at the legends in a more objective sense would help. I haven't heard any of them since I was a child, however.

[ingoodhans]

Well, we haven't made contact with very many cities the size of Caldera-- it sounds like we could both help each other.

[ He smiles. ]

I suppose we've lived around those ruins for so long that we didn't really think they were all that special. But if you could help us understand them, that'd be a great!

[stahlflugel]

Tch. So you named yourselves? That's so lame...

[he huffs]

Well, whatever you find, you can study here. But I don't think the Delvers guild would take too kindly to you sweeping in here and stealing our stuff.

video;

[bnw_tara_npcs]

Hmm... guess so. But I totally think they're out there somewhere, and you never know what you might dig up in that Old City of yours. We might find nothing or we might find everything we need. There's only one way to find out! Hopefully without causing the city to collapse. That would be bad.

In a more objective sense huh? What sort of things did you hear when you were a child.

[bnw_wighty_npcs]

You know about Sanctuary and Crescent, yeah? Most of that area's been claimed by Gigas now. We've got bases wherever it's convenient to have one - big ones in the cities, smaller ones out near interesting ruins.

We'll do what we can to help, sure. You guys have somewhere you store the stuff you dig up?

[bnw_wighty_npcs]

The Treasure Tracking Terrors also have the Enlightened ability of being immune to unwanted criticism.

Don't worry. We're not here to take anything back; we're documenting for our records. ...Of course, if you have anything you don't mind giving up, we'll take it off your hands.

[ingoodhans]

Seems like Gigas just wants to keep expanding...

[ Yikes, once Gigas finds them they're all screwed, huh. Hans looks a bit worried, but he only lets a bit of it show. ]

Hmm, I'm afraid you'd have to ask one of our scholars about that. Perhaps someone from the university might know...?

[bnw_wighty_npcs]

...Huh.

You mean most of you don't even care that you're sitting on top of a city that dates back to the time of the calamity?

[Ceilto arches an eyebrow.]

[bnw_tara_npcs]

Still better than Gigas. Well.. once they let us in.

[stahlflugel]

I'm sure that's useful...

Look, once you get in the city, you need to head to the delver's guild. Its at [address]. That's the only way people like you will be able to get down to the Old City, I am pretty sure about that!