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

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.

Waver has Foongus, Vulpix, Amaura, Blitzle and Absol

[untalented]

[The frigid cold chilled his bones, and made him cling to Helen tighter than he would have normally underneath the layers of his Ranger's jacket and the other winter gear that his new position had provided. One day he would need to ask an Engineer to make him a pair of heated mittens, based around fire-type abilities-- but today was not that day.

Plodding slowly though the snow in his heavy boots, Waver came to a stop and peered out in the direction that their guide had indicated through the folds of his scarf and woolen hat.]

I wouldn't judge that until we have more data, [he said quietly, lifting up a hand to shade his eyes while he tried to get a better look at the campground in hopes to Analyze what was down there.....or at least get a good luck of their supplies.

He had hopes that they wouldn't get into a fight, but it was best to be prepared if they did.]

Chie's got Blaziken, Barbaracle, Aegislash, Hydreigon, and Kingler

[footprints_on_your_face]

[Chie, on the other hand, feels perfectly at home even in this frigid clime. It's one of the few advantages she's found in her half Ice typing, and allows her to keep her clothing light and loose to provide for maximum maneuverability. She's got a pair of Steel type enhanced shoes on that give her kicks extra power and allow her to march through the snowdrifts like they weren't even there.]

Yeah... we'll definitely need a plan first. If we're lucky, we can surprise them.

Hayato has Marowak, Aggron, Gogoat, Darumaka, Rotom

[expertonshutters]

[Hayato hates the cold. He grew up in a place where the "cold" barely dipped below a chilly breeze. Where you could wear shorts during the winter. But he hated Gigas and caves a whole lot more than the cold so, here he was. He wasn't about to be kept out of the action this time and he was pretty curious about Glacier as a whole.]

[But that didn't mean he wasn't bundled up in almost every piece of outer wear he owned with his Darumaka tucked in his arms for his own warmth.]

[He kept his shivering and chattering to a minimum, though and stayed close with the group.]

Especially when we can't tell how many we're dealing with.

[He glances to Waver to see what he figures out.]

Feliks has Gardevoir, Pangoro, Altaria, Beartic, and Bastiodon

[niepokonany]

[Was it a good idea to get up and run off to Glacier just as soon as his wounds from the last big battle? Probably not.]

[Could anyone stop Feliks? Oh, not damn likely.]

[After all, if they could stop the enemy from bringing that kind of fight to Union's gates again, how was he supposed to just sit on his thumbs all day waiting for the right moment?]

[At the moment, Feliks is riding piggyback on his shiny Pangoro's shoulders -- the height makes it easier to see things far away, and also he's a lazy little bastard sometimes. Anyway, that makes it practically like resting at home like a sensible person, right?]

How long have they been camped out there?

I bet if someone has, like, a really small Pokemon they could sneak in way close and get a better look at how many there are...

[bnw_showan_npcs]

[Waver's analysis shows multiple humans and pokémon in the area, some seem non-threatening, others would be more than a handful. The total amount would overwhelm the group.

Naia peers towards the encampment as well, tapping a finger to her lips thoughtfully.]

It is indeed hard to say. But I do not think it would be wise for us to get too much closer. [She peers around the trees again.] It doesn't appear to be a hunting party, either. They chose excellent cover- there is far more tents than I originally thought. One is quite large, see?

[She points a bit farther off to the left, where a tent that is significantly bigger than the rest lies.]

[conquerorofwaves]

[He kneels low - with Badr trying to keep a low profile as well]

Generally the larger building belongs to the leader, so... that should be where we should focus on for observing. I might have a means to conceal our presence better, but have to make it look natural or they'll be on guard.

[With that, Sinbad looks at the sky before the others, waiting for what the others have to say]

[demenscantrix]

[There's not much kneeling for Nero, but she stoops, peering further. She's fairly sure with surprise she could deal with the entire group, but that might prove dangerous to her less hardy companions, so she checks her ego.]

A fine choice of tent. But what do you have in mind Sinbad? Because we could simply sneak around the edge of the camp and into the back of that tent. There's likely something worth purrloining inside.

[footprints_on_your_face]

Yeeeeaaaahhh, sneaking's not really my thing, so much. I'm kinda better at kicking faces in.

[Chie's a little out of her element on this one, and is definitely feeling it.]

But if there's something I can do to help, I'll do it.

[untalented]

Let's not do anything stupid until we know we've got some back up, okay?

[Waver piped up amidst the crowd, feeling anxiety spike in his chest as he realized how this might end up going down. He was lacking an invisibility spell--something he would need to ammend in the future-- and there was only so far he was comfortable teleporting with so many people around.]

Remember: we're here to get info, and not get them to send the Dragon on us again!

[niepokonany]

Yeah, the whole "walk up and purloin stuff" approach does sound a little, like... I don't know, like it might get me smushed again?

[That wasn't fun, and he's actually pretty keen on not repeating it. As badass as "I scorched a god with the fire of my righteous rage" sounds, Feliks isn't made for all the lying around and doing nothing that recovering from getting his ass kicked by a god entails.]

But we do have to figure out a way closer if we can... What about, like... some kind of disguise? Or, like... does anyone have any Ghost types?

[conquerorofwaves]

With this form I can create some hail - that might send most of them into their tents, but I have to make sure it looks like natural hail or else they'll get suspicious...

[He winces when Feliks brought that up - he just got his tail out of that stupid cast not that long ago]

And believe me, I don't plan on having a God sit on me again.

[expertonshutters]

I think a disguise would be most likely to get us caught. I'm sure they know who their own comrads are.

[As for ghosts, though... Hayato passes along a glance to Cyclone, his Rotom.]

...Cyclone isn't a very subtle ghost but I wonder if maybe she can do something to disrupt their equipment.

[bravenewmods]

[A very unsubtle look appears on Naia's face, and she pats Nero on the shoulder.]

Come, this way. The rest of you get ready, we'll take care of this. I have an idea. You all just make a run for that tent.

[She whispers something in Nero's ear, and the blonde woman grins and steps a few more paces away before stepping boldly out of the trees.]

Brigands! Thieves! They've stolen my Aurorus! Someone, please help! This way, quickly!

[And then in a flash, the strange Gigan woman is off...with Naia following close behind, seeming to melt into the snowy landscape. The enemy troops, completely baffled by this, split up into two groups. A large number chase after Nero and her shadowy trail, not wanting to let someone who'd seen their camp get away.

The remaining two? Are probably nothing that the group couldn't handle with a little stealth.

What do, heroes?]

((ooc: stepping in as stated on plurk, apologies for the delay!)

[untalented]

Wha-- what are they doing?!

[It was by a miracle of the gods that Waver had kept his voice low enough to be buried underneath the pounding of boots over snow and ice as the soldiers made off after Nero and their guide-- and Waver frantically pulled his hat tighter onto his head and squeezed his eyes shut in frustration and anxiety.

Oh, no, no no no no nonononono.....]

[expertonshutters]

[Well that sure happened.]

Buying us some time.

[Just two? Not even a problem. He motions to his Rotom to follow him as he creeps over to the guards. He passes a quick whisper to her.]

Cyclone, try to put them down with a thunder wave.

[And she will comply!]

[conquerorofwaves]

Crap-! We better get a move on...

[Sinbad looks at himself, and he pulls off his blue overcoat, leaving him in his white shirt, given his current mega-evolution form, he starts to crawl low to the ground, trying to use his current coloration to blend in]

I'm going to try to sneak into the leader's tent - we better take advantage of it before they return - Focalor, take to the air, let us know if the main group returns - Badr, Furfur, you stay here and make sure we got a clear exit if we have to fall back

[His pokemon nodded as the Rufflet takes off]

[bravenewmods]

[The Thunder Wave drops both guards, a man and a woman, and they seize up...dropping into the snow and twitching.

If Sinbad makes his way towards the tent, he'll find the camp is empty, as the majority of the guards have gone to deal with Nero and Naia...

But they won't be gone forever!]

[niepokonany]

[Oh, a diversion! Feliks does love diversions. He flashes a cheeky little grin in Waver's direction, then gets down to business.]

Fryderyk, get up there and help Focalor keep watch. Just like, don't fly too close the them, and try to look like a cloud, 'kay? Jadwiga, you're with us.

[She can always teleport him out of harm's way if they get caught. That's being super safety-conscious, right?]

[He strolls right into the camp, taking a good look around outside of the main tent to see if there's any other defenses they need to worry about... or anything else that looks interestingly plunderable.]

[untalented]

[Holding on tightly to Helen, Waver cast a wan look in Feliks' direction before hastily following the slender little Fairy into the camp.]

Please just stay focused-- we can't have all that much time!

[He had Teleport and Hypnosis-- he could get them out of trouble fairly easily if they ran out of options.

He also hoped that he wouldn't have to do that.]

[conquerorofwaves]

[He moves in quickly, still trying to keep his profile low as he slips into the tent he assumed to be that of the leader, giving the area a look around to see what he could rifle through]

[expertonshutters]

[Hayato gives Fuji, his gogoat, instruction to at least guard the guards so there's no funny business and hopefully that blocks them from being able to see who just ransacked their camp if they over come their twitching.]

[Hayato meanwhile, slips in with Pentax in his arms and Cyclone at his back. Hopefully no one was still inside....]

[bravenewmods]

[The tent was thankfully empty. It was set up like some sort of war-room, with a crude looking table at the center. A map was spread out over it, a fairly detailed aerial view of the area, with what looked like markings of game-trails and ambush points. These guys were clearly planning on staying for the long haul.

Crude looking tools and antiquated bits of technology like walkie-talkies and a ham radio are all obvious.

And sitting rather prominently on the table was what looked like a missive. Obviously encoded, it was going to take work to crack, and it definitely had an official look to it. Orders, perhaps?

Alongside that was what looked like an open officers journal...and a quick glance revealed...]

Reports to Master Yarra becoming more difficult. Union forces and Glacier patrols are coming closer. Our fliers can't get away without being seen. Camp needs to be moved further east.

[expertonshutters]

[Oh ho ho. He grins a little bit. They sure came across something. He sets Pentax down and reaches into the bag he had slung over his back. The good thing about being a photographer as your day job meant you never went far without your tools of the trade.]

Looks like we hit the jackpot. Cyclone, come over here and help give me some light.

[Don't mind if he doesn't start taking pictures of everything.]

[untalented]

[Upon hearing Hayato's request for better lighting, Waver quietly cast Flash to better aid the photography efforts, and pointedly made sure not to walk around the tent for his own examinations while Hayato worked.]

Think we can get away with taking the notebooks? [he asked, knowing full well that there was no way a photographer would be able to get a snapshot of every single page in the short amount of time that they had.]

Maybe someone back in Union would be able to use them.