[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]

Oh... but it couldn't be real, could it? It seems... too close to a legend, really.

[There's a hint of real nervousness in her voice, though.]

[reborn_love]

"Savior's life!" Elly swore, heatedly.

The rod in her hand would do nothing; the power she was calling upon, she thought, would ultimately amount to little. She could maybe take one of the Steelix with her fire abilities, but she doubted she could run forever from them, and she knew that they would overwhelm her quickly. She drew a breath in, nonetheless, and raised her hand upward. Vierge was turning, but it would take him a moment to get here.

And what, besides, could the Dratini really do?

She caught the movement by Ondorus from the corner of her eye. She turned her head, looking at him, and whispered. "Do you--are you communicating? Through Jaeger, somehow?"

She had to think of a plan, to get them out alive. It was her responsibility.

[tinytactician]

Rare, yes, but not impossible! Anything is possible!

[bravenewmods]

The Steelixes completely ignore the team as they go barreling down the tunnel, not at the team but at each other! Leaping into the air they meet head-first with a mighty crash, their massive bodies so long they miraculously don't impact with the team although everyone is now underneath two giant Steelixes with their heads smashing into each other.

The ground is shaking just a bit.

Splinter Thread - For Lux

[bravenewmods]

((The remainder of the group can assist if desired.))

Being ready was probably more of a subjective thing. About ten minutes after Group Three begins to make their way through a passageway leading into the mountain, the sound of distant rumbling and grinding rock can be heard. The sound and vibrations are steady - no Pokemon calls are audible yet, though, so whatever was happening didn't seem to be an attack of any sort.

It won't stop for a while, so they may be forced to go on nonetheless.

[myfedorarocks]

"Ready," said Flemming, glancing around at the party. He patted once at the pack at his side that contained a handful of flares. He watched Imogen for a moment, curious. Being able to see in the dark seemed a useful skill to have in this situation.

With any luck, they'd be able to get by just with her.

[tinytactician]

Ooops, lightbulb! Armin, his Ralts in arms, is going to sidestep any falling rocks, somehow all of a sudden miraculously unafraid -- hey, they still might die, but it's as an unfortunate side effect, not because they're actively in danger of being eaten! The Steelixes are angry at one another.

So he's going to hurry over to Eren, the resident Poke-translator and duck down, after glancing to make certain the other members of the group -- Elly and Ondorus, he thinks were their names -- are safe. Setting a hand on the familiar feel of sharp metallic wings, he shouts over the din -- "Eren! Ask why they're fighting! Try to make them stop!"

[stahlflugel]

Eren fully expects to take a hard-bodied tackle from the steel serpents. And fully expects to be crushed. A surge of energy flowing through him -- who had done that? That Ondorus guy? Whatever. It felt invigorating! But then the steelixes go after one another, crashing heads above them with a loud metallic "CLANG". Eren throws his wings up over his and Armin's head, protecting them from any falling stones.

"I don't know, shouldn't we just run while they're distracted?!" As a matter of fact, Eren is ushering his little blonde friend out from beneath the warring beasts and off to one side. "But... I guess I can try?"

"HEEEEEEYYYYYYY!!" Sorry about that loud, shrill screech that comes out as, "What's the deal, huh? What are you fighting over? ... And can you maybe do it somewhere else?"

[stardunes]

....WELL THAT WAS USELESS

That the behemoths aren't coming after them is a massive relief, but the environment is still loud and tense and Star is still pulling Ondorus' hair and making weird panicky noises and he's feeling that impulsive use of his powers like a punch to the gut now.

He lets himself be led away from the immediate danger and - at Star's harried prompting - reaches into that Calm Mind he uses to connect with and amplify her psychic sense. Taking deep breaths now, trying to ignore the still-frantic beating of his heart, and letting his Ralts show him what was going on. He may not be able to get up close and commune with a Steelix one-on-one just yet, but like this he can at least get the basics of whatever exchange they have (or don't have) with Eren.

[reborn_love]

"Gck!"

Elly dives down instinctively so she has that extra space when the two Pokémon crash into each other with a loud crash. She grimaces and turns her head, looking once at Eren. She frowns and nods, before she looks back at Ondorus. "See if we can get them to calm down. Armin's right, if we can get them to relax..."

[bravenewmods]

The Steelix continue to crash viciously into each other. They ignore Eren, but Eren can definitely hear what they're saying.

YOU BITCH! YOU ATE MY BERRIES!

LIKE HELL ASSHOLE! YOU ATE MY BERRIES FIRST! I DIDN'T TOUCH YOUR DAMN BERRIES!

LIAR I'LL CUT YOU!

NOT IF I CUT YOU FIRST!

Ondorus, however, manages to get something interesting from them.

Neither of them ate the other's berries.

[ladyofluminosity]

This is true, so maybe!

[Now she really wants to find some Cleffas.]

[ladyofluminosity]

[Lux stops, looking around. Why was the ground suddenly moving, and what was that scraping sound? She moves her portable light around, trying to see if she can find the source.

No, nowhere around here. It must have been further up, on the path they were taking.

Camille was not one to wait, however, already starting to slink toward the sound.]

What is tha--Camille, wait!

[Without thinking, she charges after the Dratini.]

[indy_wannabe]

Damn it! Stop you two! Don't split off from the group!

[makeitquick]

[ Melaka tries to keep near point. She was trying to prove herself, after all. So... she obviously needed to stay at the front and keep on her toes. Everyone had said there ought not to be fighting (and ideally, there would not be) but right now, she suspects that won't be entirely avoided. ]

[for_realsies]

I've never been, the underground has always suited me more than the forests.

I have always wondered! Just, never been needed out there. Nobody's ever found a lost city or anything a Delver would be much good for.

So! What's it like out there?

[bravenewmods]

[Camille will find that the rumbling intensifies the further she goes. At a certain point, it is obvious that the rumbling sound is coming from beyond the left side of the tunnel wall.

...It grows louder as she listens.

Clearly the intelligent thing to do is to wait for whatever it is to emerge from the wall.]

[makeitquick]

And they won't just antagonize us?

But she didn't say that. She just nodded.

"Fair enough."

[makeitquick]

It's big.

[ She's spent more time in the Old City than the outside, but even as she says it, there's a sense of wonder - because big is the biggest thing ] There's mountains, forests, the whole thing just makes the towers here feel kinda small and cramped. Not to mention, a lotta of the time you can hear something bigger or at least strong just out of what you can see and where you're goin'.

[ladyofluminosity]

[Lux hears his warnings, and pauses for a few seconds, then keeps running. She knows her Pokémon better than anyone, and that Camille can't leave well enough alone.

Camille will, in fact, stop at the wall, putting one ear-fin up to it to listen before backing up and calling to her partner. She found something!]

[indy_wannabe]

Careful now. Something's up.

[Ezreal is speaking in a low voice, trying not to draw attention]

[myfedorarocks]

[He twists around, staring at Ezreal for a moment. When he speaks, his voice is just as low.]

Come on, we can't let them go off on their own.

[bravenewmods]

[The warning is probably not totally necessary as an enormous chunk of the tunnel wall collapses at that point and a large head emerges.

....A wild Onix has appeared!

It seems as surprised as the humans probably are! Something in its tunnel routes that isn't a Pokemon? There is a brief awkward moment of silence as it stares.

...

Then comes a great shrug as it casually leans forward and opens its mouth to try and swallow Camille in one gulp. It wasn't going to say no to a nice garnish to its lunch.]

[ladyofluminosity]

[Lux stares up. And up. And up. Oh Savior, what was that, it was huge!

Neither one quite expected it to take a chomp at Camille, and the Dratini quickly scrambles away, jumping for her partner. She manages to catch her, slowly backing away. Try not to seem scared, it could probably feel her fear through the ground. That was a thing, right?]

Sorry we... we didn't mean to... disturb you...

[Maybe if she was nice it wouldn't eat all of them? For once, Camille was totally silent, hiding her head under Lux's lowered hood.]

[indy_wannabe]

[Oh boy...]

Back away slowly...