bravenewworld | Descent

Entry tags:

Descent

Iron Mines:
The trip to the eastern mountains is punctuated by the continuing aftershocks. After each one, it may be tempting to glance back at Union to see if any of the towers have fallen yet. The expedition parties move with incredible speed, knowing that the fate of their City hangs on the line.

When they reach the mountains, guided by the coordinates given of the 'strange radio signal', the parties will find that many of the normal entrances and routes have been blocked by cave-ins. In contrast, however, a gaping hole has opened up where none existed before. As this seems to be the easiest way to gain access, the parties slowly lower themselves in...

They will find themselves in the long-sought iron mines.

But there are so many twisting turns and tunnels, it will be impossible to stay together and make any sort of progress. Each group will have to take their own paths from here...

Old City:
Each of the twelve entrances down into the Old City take a different meandering route through the ruins. Though several are blocked off by this time, there are still many potential paths to take. The state of the Old City is poor, being underground as it is, and occasional soft rumblings are certain to cause unease. As the report states, however, there is enough of an interval between quakes that it should be possible to investigate safely.

It would be unwise to venture down alone, but it is impossible, too, for everyone to stay together if they wish to make headway.

Union:
The wild Pokémon continue to come out of the Old City, though the frequency has been somewhat lessened. Rubble lines the streets and though no towers have collapsed as of yet, some seem to be dangerously close and certainly nobody should be staying inside of them. As stated, the towers in Sector 3 are the worse off and construction crews work frantically to attempt to restabilize the foundations of these buildings.

The injured are innumerable, the number of casualties is as of yet unknown, and the chaos and panic is difficult to fend off.

There is a great deal of work to be done.

((Please post below with your groups - in the first comment, please note the members of your group, where you are, and whether or not you intend to keep a threading order. Regardless of threading order, mods will be responding at least once every 24 hours to keep the event moving. Groups should be three to four people in size.

At this time, all characters entering the iron mines will be able to choose to bond with a free extra Pokemon listed under 'Cavern' in the Map and Wild Pokemon post. Please respond there if you intend to make use of this. Characters who have already claimed a free Old City Pokemon may not do so.))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Ashlynn put a hand to her hip and frowned. The shrug had been pretty clear to her. So she turned to Duke to see if he had any insight to offer, whispering under her breath.]

Can you tell what's going on? They don't seem to know.

[ooc: it's a little after 2AM my time so I'm out for the night.]

[ Duke lets out his breath in a hiss. Whispering, yes, that works- ]

They think we're stealing their children.

[ That's really only part of it, but that probably gives a clear idea of they are really not happy. ]

Move back to tell them? More to it.

[ He doesn't like how close they are, and how angry all those grimer sound. Sure, he has some weapons this time, and company, but... that is a lot of pokemon.

Maybe he can get across to the other group that they should duck back... ah, yes, over there looks like a good spot that both of them can hopefully reach without being noticed... Hopefully that comes across with his pointing. ]

Edited 2014-01-31 07:44 (UTC)

[Reimu narrowed her eyes for a moment when the guy pointed to a place further away from the gathering. Looked like they wanted to talk to them. Well, she supposed if he could understand what that Nidoqueen was talking about... She poked Marisa in the shoulder and jerked her head towards the place that guy had pointed to before quietly flying towards the spot herself.]

[Marisa nods and follows, flying on her broom over and making sure to put a finger to her lips at her pokemon, trying to remind them to be quiet. At this point any noise more then needed would be a very bad thing.]

[ Hopefully that works. Duke is stuck on his feet, and so he gets there after the other two. In a hurried whisper- ]

Two points - first is that they think we are invading and stealing their children.

[ He is really sure it doesn't work that way, at least now. The pokemon have a way to say no.. ]

Second is they think we're making a tower that is driving them mad - and her nidoking I'm guessing is on his way up and they're going to go after all the towers. Think it sounds like this group is going to join them which gives us a big problem and a few options, I think. Retreat, retreat and damage the paths behind us, I really don't think trying to hold them would be good at all, and reasonably sure they will think humans and not listen-

[ He should stop before he starts rambling. Only he already started so here he is rubbing at the side of his head. He's a researcher, not anyone particularly suited to dealing with so many angry pokemon. ]

[Ashlynn asked Cake, her Scraggy, to stand watch before she made her way over, catching up to the limited conversation as Duke gets to the part about 'going after the towers'.]

We should definitely stop them. I'd rather not hurt them and damaging the path behind us will only do that. Maybe one of us can try to bond with her? Ask her to stop?

While the team is discussing, the Nidoqueen has squared her shoulders. She and her grimer army, there are probably about fifteen of them right now, start lumbering toward the exit to Union.

[Reimu frowned, folding her arms over her chest as she listened. She wasn't really sure what exactly 15 odd grimers, a Nidoqueen and a Nidoking could do to cause all that much damage, even with the city in the mess it was, but who knows. Maybe that Nidoking had more pokemon with him or something? Meh, still a pain either way.]

I'm all for stopping them, even though I don't know how much of threat those guys actually are. We should also try and see if we can get that Nidoqueen or someone to tell us more about those machines they're so worked up over, and why they think we're stealing anyone.

[Yeah, those bits were definitely worth getting more information about. It might not have much to do with what was causing the quakes, but it was still a problem that probably should be looked into. Who knows? Maybe it was connected somehow.]

Probably the best bet in all honesty. But at the same time, we don't know if it will upset the other pokemon at the same time. I kinda don't think a rampaging Nidoking would be a good thing, even with a small number behind it.

[Marisa is a bit wary, still glancing about just in case.]

And splitin' up would not be a good idea at this point. There's too many for just one or two ta deal with.

If... [ And he stays quiet, drawing the word out and thinking as...

... as the group starts moving. They are running low on time, so he starts up again and talks a bit quickly. ]

... If she uses anything ground, I'm in trouble. On the other hand, I can talk to them? On yet another hand, I have a bit of an advantage over them.... despite really not having much of one at all because I have not used any of those skills for much more than sorting books in years...

[ He's a researcher! ]

... Is anyone good at public speaking? Would it be polite to call her ma'am or miss, because, well-

[ They're starting to move, which he indicates with a hand, so they really ought to move as well. ]

((Gonna go ahead and advance this a bit))

While you guys are discussing, Duke feels a slimy blob run into his foot. A Grimer straggler has just run into his leg.

"GRIMER!"

The rest of the Grimer and the Nidoqueen turn and all look at the team.

[Reimu had been floating along after the guy as they started to get moving. She sighed a bit at him mentioning he was also weak to Ground, and that he wasn't really much of a fighter. At least he could talk to them, so at least he was useful.]

If she's that mad at us humans, I'm not sure how much good trying to talk polite to her would do anyway.

[From her experience, angry pokemon weren't as easy to talk down from a fight as angry humans, and angry humans could be pretty hard to talk down from a fight sometimes depending on their natures. Then again, she wasn't someone who could talk to pokemon herself anyway.

She stopped, however, when he ran into the grimer and sighed again more loudly when the other pokemon they'd been following turned and saw them. She moved back and gripped her purification rod more tightly, some ofuda appearing in her hand as she got ready for a fight.]

And it would've been nice if you could've spent less time talking and more watching where you're going.

[Public speaking was certainly not Ashlynn's forte, but she much preferred the idea of a peaceful resolution to a fight. If one could be had. The pokemon were already on edge, of course, but even with Reimu preparing for a fight now that they'd been spotted, she wanted to try talking.]

Ma'am would be politest, Duke.

[She spoke in a rush.]

Please hurry and tell them we mean no harm and only wish to speak with them. To find out about and stop whatever machines are hurting them. Please.

[While Ashlynn was immune to all Ground and Poison and could probably wreck more than half of the gathered Grimer with just the large steel hammer slung over her shoulder, it wasn't necessarily a help if everyone else wasn't able to back her up. She moved to step to the side where she could still defend Duke if he was attacked, but otherwise wasn't in his way.]

If you can't get her talking, maybe one of use can use our warp bands to at least convince her we don't know anything about what has her so upset.

[ooc: Sorry for the late, busy weekend.]

If I had stepped on the grimer, I think the grimer would be somewhere else.

[ Poison he could deal with, ground he cannot. Attempt to talk number one start-

Duke apologizes to the grimer, stepping away from the group and dropping that funny looking sword he'd been carrying. Hopefully empty hands will mean the same to them as it does to humans? ]

Ma'am Nidoqueen! I am sorry to have been eavesdropping, but I'd really like to talk to you about several points you made that I really don't understand. Particularly the kidnapping and machines part.

[ Just... going to stand there awkwardly with his hands held open. Nothing in them, he's not a threat, honest! ]

The humans of union talk to the Pokemon they bond with, convincing them that working together is for the best? As for building things - we have had not towers built in a while. It may be because I spend most of my time reading, but I don't know what you mean by maddening machines.

[ He's going to stop there, because talking too much - which seems to be his problem today - probably isn't going to go over any better than it had. ]

The Nidoqueen whirls on Duke with a soul-withering glare.

"You know exactly what I speak of, don't lie to me human. Those machines in our caves! Our home! You set them up, and now they are constantly buzzing, day and night. We cannot slumber, we can only fight and evolve, even if we would not. But now that evolution will haunt you. For your crimes your city will fall and we will make a new home on its ashes!"

... Machines that make noise so they can't sleep and only fight and evolve.. Lovely. No wonder they want to take us out.

[ How will there be ashes, none of you are fire types is not the reaction he should have. ]

Pardon for saying so, ma'am. But if you know where the machines are, why is it easier to attack the humans above? Because there are a lot of us, with our befriended pokemon, and with the strength to destroy the city above, surely the machines down here wouldn't be a problem.

[ Remembering Ashlynn's words, he offers an option slowly. ]

We have a way so that you can know that none of us lie, if you want that option. I cannot deny that the humans do come down here, and that we do occasionally leave with Pokemon, but nothing about those machines sounds familiar to me.

[Reimu tch'd as he repeated what the Nidoqueen said. She exchanges a look with Marisa before she says anything.]

Well, if that's the problem, then they need to tell us where these things are so we can smash them.

[She frowns again.] We also need to find out what's causing those quakes, unless those things are responsible for that too somehow.

[That'd be convenient. Hit two Pidgeys with one stone and all. This mission looked better than she'd expected so far, but the miko wasn't about to put her weapons away yet.]

[Marisa frowned but nodded her agreement.]

Yeah..If we can help them out, the better things are for them and all of us back in the city.

[That and it might mean they could avoid a fight that could possibly end badly. Ground types were not her friend but if it came down to it, She'd fight.]

Maybe ask her if she wouldn't mind us tryin' ta help them out. The worst thing that could happen is we find the machines and we can't take them out without engineers or whatever.

The Nidoqueen lets out a throaty, bellowing laugh.

"Very well human! You amuse me. Show me this trick to prove you aren't lying. If so, I shall spare your city. I will, however, take the girl with the yellow head up on her offer. If you wish to save your city, you must aid us in our quest.

She likes and accepts your offer.

[ Duke sort of explains that laughing for Marisa. Does he sound relieved? He does. ]

And she says that we can go ahead and prove we aren't lying about the machines. Warp bands ready?

[ And then back to the Nidoqueen. ]

The band will allow us to briefly touch minds. You can search as you like to see what we know. ... I can do so without it, if you would prefer that option?

[ A tiny bit of a smile. ]

Either way, pick who you would like to go first?

"I think you're first. You seem to be the least honest. Or possibly the smartest."

As you like.

[ Smart, or a liar is he? He smiles a little and inclines his torso in a shallow bow - thank you for that barbed complement.

He asked too many questions in a row. She didn't pick Warp Band or his powers, but he figures he might as well do the faster option.

So Duke reaches a little slowly out with his mind - a tiny brush, and then an open door. Feel free to poke around the somewhat boring life of a researcher who loves his job and the pokemon attached to that flower in his hair, Ma'am Nidoqueen. ]

The Nidoqueen pokes around for a minute before sitting down on a nearby rock looking disconsolate.

"Ugh, I guess you were truthful. Also boring. This sucks, I wanted to break something."

My apologies for not doing particularly exciting things.

[ But she's calm, and Duke just looks relieved. That worked.

He turns back to the humans. ]

... If we can't manage to take apart the machines, would it be wrong to let them take out irritation on them?

Don't see why not. It'll help them out and get some frustration on the things that are pissin' them off!

[Hey, Marisa is just glad the pokemon isn't attacking her.]

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