[ACTION | Caverns Expedition Log]

[antiseptic]

Log Deputy: Rei antiseptic and Charles makeitquick
Participating Characters: Jade Curtiss, Imogen Moreno, Flynn, Chris Ramirez, Ezreal, Melaka Fray, William Flemming, Varun "Banzu" Elmas, Eren Jaeger, Armin Arlert, Elhaym van Houten (Elly), Ondorus Univir, Lux Crownguard...possibly more! Feel free to gatecrash the party at any time.
Plot Description: A group of intrepid explorers set out in search of an iron mine. Things probably don't go as expected.
Warnings/Notes: Possible violence?

QUICK LINKS: Pre-exploration mingling | Travel | Arrival at Caverns | Group 1 | Group 2 | Group 3

Overview:
At 6AM, the group will be meeting at the city gates, where there'll be some time for mingling and last minute emergencies before they set off.

The group will travel east through the Verdant Forest for around half a day before reaching the Caverns. It will be freezing with a few flurries of snowfall. Try not to get lost! Or disturb hibernating Pokemon, for that matter.

At the Caverns, Jade will split everyone up into three groups. Group 1 will consist of Elly, Eren, Armin, Ondorus, Chris. Group 2 will be Jade, Melaka, Banzu, Flynn. Group 3 is Imogen, Ezreal, Flemming, and Lux. These groups aren't fixed, and characters are free to protest and try move around! Ideally, each group will end up with at least 4 members just for safety's sake.

Aaand after that, the exploration begins! At first there'll be nothing but caves and tunnels, but it shouldn't take very long for that to change...


Misc notes: Feel free to go wild with thread-jacking! The mods recommend not strictly enforcing a post order since things will probably stall that way. Also, if anyone wants a random wild Pokemon bonding encounter going in the mountains during any of this, just respond to the Map post as usual!

If you need to ask any questions, the quickest way to get in touch with me will be through PMs.

Comments

[reborn_love]

When the roars came, Elly's back went ramrod straight. She stared ahead of her, a brief moment of fear shooting through her. Vierge was a good ten paces ahead of them, as a forward scout -- which meant she could not get back and help -- and that meant that they had to work with what they had. She turned to the left, then the right. All her training told her that this was precisely what they wanted to not have happen: be surrounded, inside of a closed space. That was how good Rangers got killed.

Her heart nearly leaped into her chest. She took a deep breath, then she made herself calm down. She worked with Jade Curtiss enough to know that she had to keep her wits about her. Elly pulled her rod off her belt, then snapped it out to the side, and it telescoped out to its full length.

"Keep calm," she said, voice quiet.

[antiseptic]

Oh, no, not for that. I was thinking more along the lines of using you as bait.

[antiseptic]

[Ah, that makes sense.]

Can Spur-Mesh fight?

[reborn_love]

[Elly bites her lip and tries to not laugh. Jade, these are her future subordinates in front of her, she can't look silly! But he's kidding! Right?]

[...probably?]

I'm afraid I'm not very tasty, sir.

[antiseptic]

Oh, I wouldn't dream of feeding you to Pokemon. I have something quite different in mind.

[His voice goes quieter, more serious:] According to legends, there is a Pokemon that is capable of granting knowledge. However...

[reborn_love]

However...?

[Is she falling for it? Not quite. She has to think it's a joke, but... he does sound pretty serious, and maybe he's getting at something...]

[antiseptic]

Well, apparently, if you look into its eyes, you'll lose something of yourself. Your emotions, your memories, it could be anything.

[And he smiles again.] But that's only according to legends, of course.

[bravenewmods]

The ground starts to rumble around the group and two enormous Steelix come barreling down either side of the tunnel, straight at the group. They look... displeased.

[choseneutrality]

[At some point, Fran's foot slips and she almost starts tumbling down to which Flynn is quick to stop her from rolling. The Normal-Type clings to his arm and expresses thanks to her human partner.

He lets her go after making sure she found her footing again.]

[tinytactician]

...well, it was a nice life. While it lasted. Armin's very very pale, him and his Ralts buddy (though, granted, the Ralts is naturally that color), but there's a good bit of instinct here operating, so he attempts to figure out if the Steelix duo is really as irritated as they look, while simultaneously trying to project the most calm, soothing, "I-promise-I'm-not-going-to-hurt-you" emotions he can.

...all while hiding behind the rest of the group, because yeah, he doesn't want to get eaten. Or crushed. Or...whatever.

[tinytactician]

Right. It isn't going to be that dangerous. We might see some...some Zubats or something, right?

[lol in light of the encounter thread, this is hilarious.]

[ladyofluminosity]

Or Geodudes maybe.

[Sie sind das essen und wir sind die Zubat.]

[stahlflugel]

Eren had fallen behind at some point. Blitz didn't want to walk anymore and was whining like a dumb little twat, sitting on his butt and refusing to take another step. Eren throws his wings up and tells him to go WAIT OUTSIDE THE CAVE, then.

Then there comes the twin roars. Blitz puffs up like a scared cat and makes a beedrill-line for the exit to the cavern. So much for not wanting to walk anymore. Eren turns and feels the ground rumble underneath his talons. Panic rises in his chest and he runs full tilt back to the group, coming to a skidding stop right in front of Armin (and, by extension, Ondorus) and spreading his wings wide.

Wait.

Steelix?! Are you fucking KIDDING?! TWO OF THEM?! That panic increases. Eren has nothing that would even kind of be effective against these ferocious beasts, and they're way too heavy to blow away with Whirlwind.

So instead, he opts for calling out to them.

"H-hey!!", his voice comes out in barely contained terrified squawks, "Slow down!! We're not here to hurt you!"

[stahlflugel]

[and somehow that's way worse. Eren tries not to cower] Er. Yessir. He should be invaluable to identifying ore!

[stahlflugel]

[Eren sticks to Armin like glue, keeping in stride with him and keeping one eye on him at all times. Blitz pads along in front of them, stopping to sniff at interesting rocks. And piles of zubat dung. He only does that once.

Eevee are pretty adorable. But some of these domestic lines are assholes.

Eren nods] I am. Armin... is just a friend of mine. But he knows a lot about rocks, and he'll be able to identify any ore we come across, no problem.

[tinytactician]

Or Cleffas!

[Armin likes cute pink things. Even if they don't...really live in...caves.]

[ladyofluminosity]

Isn't it rare to see a Cleffa in the wild?

[She would love to see and bond with one, though!]

[stardunes]

Star and Ondorus flinch in tandem, feeling the weight of that "displeasure" bearing down like...well, like the beasts themselves. And the serpents are massive, practically embodiments of the earth itself in Ondorus' mind; they're the largest creatures he's ever seen, if not gods themselves then definitely of their creation and well-equipped to bring down the world around them.

The man is frozen in place, one arm held out in front of Armin as though to (ineffectually) shield the boy, the other...

...he wasn't prepared for this. He has to make contact with a Pokemon to commune with it, and racing up to try to touch these ones would go far past suicidal and into the realm of sheer impossibility. So, on reflex, he reaches out to the nearest Pokemon, hoping to just do something.

His hand lands on Eren's back, barely even forming a conduit before just shoving stored energy at him. What the Skarmory will (or can) do with it doesn't really come to mind. Ondorus has more pressing things taking up his attention.

[makeitquick]

Been there a few times. Not... that often, yet.

[makeitquick]

[ Oh. ] Alright, I can do that. [ And she nods ]

[highliber]

She put a check mark on the clip board as someone unloaded a box of waterproof blankets. "As long as the rangers know their job, it hopefully shouldn't come down to much fighting."

[highliber]

"Yes, well. You are taking an awful large amount of my budget. I'm hoping to be reassured I'm not wasting it."

She looked over the group, her face indecipherable, "It could be worse, I suppose."

[makeitquick]

"Hopefully. We're going a day or so's out of the walls, I don't think hope's got a lot to do with it."

[highliber]

"Just try not to antagonize the wildlife."

[stardunes]

[Star lets go of Ondorus' head for a moment to let him notice the glance and speak.]

Officer Curtiss called for people who could communicate with Pokemon...I'm actually from the Historians. [But the way he goes into intent concentration when his Ralts taps her head against his should speak for itself. He's a Child of the Verdant Forest, and your diplomat, should the need arise.]