What Lies Beyond

[bravenewmods]

After weeks of repairs, tightened sanctions on incoming immigrants and the general feeling of unease that hangs heavy around the city of Union, the Council finally comes to a decision. It is not unanimous by any accounts, and there are many that wonder if this is the right approach. Union has existed for generations behind its great walls, and there were those who felt that it was that way of life that they should return to—one of solitude and skepticism. However, in light of recent events, the desire for security has own over the need for seclusion.

An announcement comes over the Warp Band, still hazy from the attacks on the Signal Tower. But it is not the face of a Councilmen that the citizens and visitors of Union are met with, but, rather, the youthful face of one of the leaders of the Seekers.

“Citizens and friends of Union—is that seriously what they wrote? Man, it feels weird talking like that, can I just say ‘hey you guys?’ Whatever. Everyone. We’ve got some big news, so listen up.” Maeve groans at the feed, tossing aside some paper, likely an official statement penned by some Council member. “So, the Council has decided that they want to take a more proactive approach after the attack by Sveta, Alina and their friends, and it comes to me to give you the juicy details.”

Okay, actually maybe she did need that paper. Leaning over in her chair, she ducks off the stream to reclaim the statement. “The Council has asked for volunteers to come together and investigate three possible leads for both our ‘friends’ with the Elite Four, Gigas, as well as some interesting goings-on in and around Refuge: a settlement to the west with supposed ties to Gigas; the inner caves of Refuge; and to the east of Glacier, in the direction which the great dragon fled.

“Now don’t all come flooding in all at once, I know how you Unionites get excited about stuff like this. Groups will disembark immediately, so get any supplies you can and meet up at the Seeker’s HQ before heading out. You’ll be given briefs upon your assignment into a group. If you have any questions, you can ask me or Captain Pirate Krabbypants, Ceilto. Maeve, out.”

Once they arrive, each person will be assigned a group, and after a quick briefing, begin moving to their destination within the day. Most take no more than a few days to arrive at their destination, and will immediately be put to work.

[All event logs are now live! As usual, mod tags will come every 24 hours. Feel free to post all IC questions to the Maeve top level and all OOC questions in the standard mod top level. During this log, several NPCs from prior events may appear. The event is scheduled to last a week and will end at midnight on the morning of March 5th.]

Comments

OOC Questions

[bravenewmods]

IC Event Questions

[bnw_sheepy_npcs]

[ Maeve and Ceilto will be on-hand at the Seekers Headquarters for those who have questions about the missions at hand. ]

Gigas Group 1 (Morgiana, Ahri, Gwendolyn, Tendou)

[bnw_mari_npcs]

[ Crescent has spared no expense in its attempt to make negotiations run smoothly. A large banquet table has been set for the guests from Union; they will arrive to discover the food has already been laid out, platter upon platter of endless bounty, all for the sake of peace, goodwill, and excellent first impressions.

Closer inspection, however, will lead the diplomats to discover everything on the table, from the entree to the otherwise-fresh vegetables, has been deep-fried.

An old man chuckles to himself as he sets the last plate at the table, a stray pair of Skitty frolicking at his feet. One more perches atop his shoulder, along for the ride. ] He he....he.........

[9tailedtemptress]

[Ahri glances at the area a bit skeptically and waits for her companions. She's been rather distant as of late but still offers a smile when addressed or looked upon. It seems this time around her duo of misfits is not trailing along.]

Hm...

+1 fletchling and +1 swablu (not appearing in this tag)

[sleepingvalkyrie]

[ Barely days after evolving - an unnerving experience, to be sure - and Gwendolyn finds herself joining her group at the banquet. Hair now more silver than blonde, and with a set of wings of her very own. Said wings are kept folded against her, looking like a feathery 'skirt' attached to her armor. A single red bird pokémon is nestled in her hair, the Fletchling silent and mindful of the skitties at large.

Upon entry, she is directed towards one of the tables reserved for the Unionites. That Ahri is already here is a boon - though the firefox shifter was more silent on the journey than expected, at least she is a familiar face, and the Valkyrie greets her with some warmth. ]

They have certainly made some effort, haven't they? I was not expecting so much food.

+1 Tropius, waiting outside because big

[flying_chains]

Morgiana did her best to remain in the background of the group from Union. In any formal situation like this, she felt more ill at ease the more attention she got. Also the fact that she was closer to Gigas than she had been in years was adding to her nerves. It was looming on the horizon like a tall guy at a party who never says anything he just stares at you until you can't think of anything else but that you wish he'd go away but obviously a city can't just pack up and leave you'd have to leave the buildings all behind and wow her thoughts are going in weird directions right now she must be really on edge what if some of these people are servitors? Should she make a scene? That would probably ruin everything but...

While all this and more swirled through her head, Morgiana mechanically took another bite out of a piece of fried fish she had claimed.

"I wonder why they fried everything."

Gigas Group 2 (Rei, Ami, Palpatine, Right, Lenna)

[bnw_void_npcs]

Valeria awaited the coming Union representatives with more than a little impatience. A large tent has been set up in the center with a large table and several armed guards dressed in camo fatigues and carrying extremely advanced-looking machine guns. They are accompanied by several Machamp who are similarly armed, except in the case of the Machamp they are carrying two machine guns each. As the group approaches, the Machamp and guards check their credentials, before nodding and allowing them into the tent, where Valeria sits with a sour expression and her arms crossed.

“It is… ‘good’ to see you again, people of Union,” she says, making little more than a modicum of effort to hide her acrid tone.

[ruleoftwo]

Sheev Palpatine made a point of wearing his councilman's robes. He wasn't normally one for ostentation -- he thought it looked ridiculous, really -- but he could see the point of presenting a certain face to the Gigans. Communicating his position was important. He smiled as he entered, but the look he gave the machineguns was... nervous.

His lone Pokemon, a Pidgey, wouldn't do much to protect him against those.

"Greetings, Valeria. I'm afraid you have me at a loss. I'm unsure of your proper title," he said. His tone was carefully pleasant; his smile was practiced. "I'm Councilman Palpatine of Union. I'm pleased that we may meet in person."

Rei has Natu, Gardevoir, Arcanine, Gengar, and Charizard

[faithfulflame]

Rei too, had come dressed in as fine an outfit as she could. A smart and functional set of priestesses robes, with the stole of the Hino family resting across her shoulder. Her eyes, intense and gleaming violet, barely glossed over the Machamp and the guards. Fighting types rarely bothered her, even tough ones, and she was unwilling to show an ounce of fear. The Gengar lurking in her shadow kept the air around her cool, and it's presence masked.

Behind her trails Deimos, her Gardevoir, carrying in her hands a notepad and stenographer's pen. She was here to record, nothing more. Standing to Palpatine's left, Rei offered a formal, deep bow to Valeria.

"Good day. My name is Rei Hino, High Priestess of Hikawa Shrine. I am grateful that you agreed to meet with us. And this is Deimos, my assistant, who will be taking notes for us if you have no objections."

Lenna has Dragonite, Gallade, Lucario, Shiftry, and Probopass

[my_father_is_a_tycoon]

Lenna, much like the others, is dressed to impress today. She's wearing a circlet on her head intended to accentuate her Dragon type horns, a fancy orange dress, and a pendant with the seal of the Tycoon family depicted on the outside.

She had arrived on the back of Alexander, her faithful Dragonite, but is flanked by a Gallade and a Lucario as they walk into the meeting area. The two keep a careful eye on Valeria and stay close to their trainer, intending to act as bodyguards in case hostilities arise. In contrast to their rather severe expressions, however, Lenna keeps a calm and professional air.

"Hello, Valeria," Lenna replies with a nod to the woman. She recognizes her from past dealings with Gigas, though the two hadn't had much chance to speak at length. "I am Lenna, head of the Tycoon family, and these are Xezat and Kelger." She doesn't bother introducing them by function - it should be clear enough what they're there for.

Refuge Group 1: Ezreal, Lux, Rose, Sophia, Raine, Sanger

[bnw_ax_npcs]

It's not much farther. Please, come this way!

[Kiho, one of the visitors from during Soulfasting, had seemingly melded into the party not long after they'd arrived in Refuge. She'd been all smiles and had all but insisted on showing them something that'd recently been unearthed by the various diggers. It promised to be an interesting dig, and likely of great interest to the Unionites. She'd agreed to accompany them, lighting the dark catacombs with dozens of will-o-wisps, leading them down one hallway to the next until at last she stood at what appeared to be a great chasm with natural stairways carved out of the rock.

Down, down it plunged, and hundreds of crystals glowed with an eerie blue light...distorting the shadows and illuminating what appeared to be an entire village...sunken into the earth. Row after row of buildings lined sunken streets, a skeletal tribute to the past, not terribly unlike The Old City itself.]

Is this not what I promised? Interesting, yes? [And without waiting for much of a reply, she starts down the steps at a trot, clearly curious to see.] Come! Let us investigate!

> pikachu, castform, absol, petilil

[wise_maiden]

Marvelous!

[Having spent most of the time before now being mostly quiet but attentive, taking notes when needed, as soon as the sunken village comes into view her entire demeanor changes. After her exclamation in delight, Raine wastes no time in following after their guide, any pretext of caution be damned.]

> Ivysaur, Doublade and Porygon

[soulofmagus]

...

[ Such is the reaction to Raine's sudden burst of hyper energy, Sophia watching with a faintly amused expression as the younger woman takes off after Kiho. ]

...Well, at least someone's having a good time.

[ Sophia herself remains standing a bit longer on the path overlooking the sunken city, taken both by the sight below and the sheer scale of the chasm. Pulling a note pad from one of the larger pouches on her belt, she flips it open and turns it horizontal before she starts making quick sketches of the view below, stopping several times to make note of the cavern ceiling, and the crystals embedded in the rocks around them.

Several beeps and whirrrrs from the porygon at her side indicate Kenaz is recording events for posterity, while Elhaz parks himself with a yawn next to his trainer. Ymir is close by, probably, which is why if anyone else lingers on her account, she makes occasional, vague motions with a pencil. Don't wait for her, she'll catch up. ]

Combusken, Absol, Ralts

[sparrowfeathered]

[Rose is here to be an escort, to some extent. The woman isn't really the best with ruins... but after the attack, it's important, and she knew her way around Refuge. So she's here, walking into the ruins of the sunken village.]

[She looks around and whistles lowly -- and then Raine has her outburst. Rose's eyes widen, and she glances in Raine's direction. Then, she looks back at the city.]

[The Ralts and Combusken behind her come to a stop, too.]

Wow. This place is really... [She opens her mouth, then closes it. She better... try to sound smart here.] ...It's fascinating. It looks like that, er, building is from... the old and rocky period of history? [She looks at Sophia.] Does that sound right?

Refuge Group 2 (Magnolia, Rikku, Duo, Fuuka and Yukiko, Sonia)

[bravenewmods]

As the team enters the deep tunnels, the pleasant light of the Litwick shimmering on the walls, they suddenly reach an enormous open area. The place has already been fully lit with Refuge Litwick - the ruins of a small town, by the look of it. On the top of a natural hill within the ruins juts an enormous building, strange in shape with multiple wing and a curious design. Though the roof has caved in, it remains remarkably intact.

Golett, Murkrow, Klefki

[disasterrific]

[Rikku's eyes go wide and she just beams as they enter the opening. A whole town, here! Underground! Sneaks has to peck at her head to get her to close her mouth, but Rikku can't help it]

Wow...

[She grabs Clicks before Clicks can shake her keys at any of the Litwicks and ruin this moment]

Duskull, Houndoom, Mightyena, Zubat, Pidove, Charmander

[divine_braid]

"That's a lotta Litwicks..."

Duo had actually been debating attempting to bond with one. They seemed like handy little fellows to keep around, especially if with all the cave diving he did as a salvager.

He didn't even hesitate, just wandering in to start looking around right away.

"Watch your heads and steps, but that building up there might hold some good clues." He nodded towards the hill. "We should check it out."

Yukiko has Snor-Lord, Heliolisk, Noivern, Blissey, and Absol

[frozenflame]

Yukiko trotted along with the group, Cassandra the Absol at her side. She'd learned to trust the things warnings, they always proved true, even if they were outlandish...and it didn't feel right leaving the Pokemon at home when they were visiting her hometown. Her attention though, was more focused on the enormous cavern, face spreading into a wide grin.

"Oh wow, that's definitely the place. It looks really old, and remarkably well preserved."

Reaching into her pack she pulls out a notebook, ready to take some data down for the seekers.

"Hopefully nobody's looted the place."

Glacier Group 1 (Waver, Hayato, Nero, Feliks, Sinbad, Chie)

[bravenewmods]

[bnw_showan_npcs]

[The cold bites at the traveler's faces and limbs, Naia leading the way ahead of the group, eyes sharp. Snow drifts threaten to send their feet and legs down into a frozen prison, walls fragile but yet heavy with the amount of snow across the landscape. The woman with the snow white hair raises a hand, signaling for the group to stop.]

Do you see them from here? Look through the trees.

[Her head inclines to what looks like a camp, a few tents barely visible through the foliage. Men with heavy coats dart quickly between destinations, but not much else is seen.]

Growlithe, Dragonite, Rufflet

[conquerorofwaves]

[Sinbad and Badr were both bundled up for the weather - more so then the rest of their companions. He had put on his mega-evolution, so his now white fur and scales are providing some warm - with the thick wool-lined clothes providing the rest - it seems at some point he decided to get a hood to accommedate his mega-evolution's vulpx-like ears]

Hm...?

[He tilts his head as his pokemon stopped in their tracks as he scans the area around them with his 'waves']

Nero has...a Lotad.

[demenscantrix]

[Her steely nature unconcerned with the cold, Nero had kept oddly silent throughout most of the journey. It was good to be campaigning again, and her feet stepped lightly atop the snow, an almost weightless quality to her movements. The stranger leading them was unrecognized, but the group had spoken of her in a positive light, so she had no qualms following either.

Peering ahead through the trees, the Gigan frowned.]

An encampment. Presumably the enemy. They have not the uniforms of Glacier's guards, and there's an unsavory look to them.

Glacier Group 2 (Haruka, Michiru, Yosuke, Minako, Ryuko, Garen)

[bnw_ax_npcs]

[As the party nears Glacier, this group of travelers is met by Ingrid, the Captain of the Guard, riding up on her Aurorus. The big Pokemon stamps to a halt some thirty yards away from the group, and the woman waved a hand in greeting to the group.]

Hail visitors. Your Council informed us that you would be arriving shortly and requested that we aid you in locating the enemy. However, we've come across a bit of trouble, unrelated to that and I would be greatly distressed to simply allow you to blunder into danger. The local Pokemon have been growing restless, and possessed with some troublesome afflictions we are as yet unfamiliar with. And...with our resources stretched a little thin, I was hoping perhaps I could persuade you to accompany me to the source of this disturbance. We've narrowed it down to a section of forest to the east.

[She draws herself upright.]

I won't command it, but will you help me?

Bibarel, Scizor, Noviern, Kabutops, Empoleon

[punchesyu]

[He instantly regrets coming back to Glacier. This kind of cold is not his thing. His arms are wrapped around his body, rubbing them while shivering every now and again. His eyebrows raise as Ingrid meets them, blinking before responding.]

Yeah, sure. But...what do you mean by "troublesome afflictions?" Don't you think that's kind of vague if you want to do this as safely as possible?

zomg bibarel (also rhyperior, beartic, pidgeot)

[actsmagnificent]

[ "Unrelated"? That's not one of Haruka's favorite words.

But she'll make that judgment call for herself, thanks. Her arms are crossed to look intimidating, not because of the cold, oh no. ] So we're the backup this time.

[ They're not in much of a position to refuse, though, given how even with Glacier looking....like Glacier looks....people from that city still came to help Union. Her eyes flick to Michiru's, but sure. This is worth a shot. If it turns out to be nothing, they can always leave. ]