[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]

[Elly is at the head of her group. She sets off into the cavern a few steps, looking around. Her Dratini slides across the ground behind her, then pokes her head up and looks around, before Elly turns. She peers back at the others.]

All right. Let's stay close together. I don't know what awaits us in here, but the caverns are more dangerous than outside. Powerful Pokémon could be down here.

[She skips a beat.]

And they may not be friendly. Move carefully, pay attention, and work together at all times if we get in trouble.

[stahlflugel]

[Eren, in skarmory form, nods] Right. [he sets Blitz down on the ground, and the Eevee protests loudly. Eren rolls his eyes and speaks to him in Pokémon language;] It'll be good for you to get some training. And, you know. WALK. On your own. For once.

[the little eevee puffs up, then huff indignantly and trots off after Elly. Eren turns to look at Armin] Stay with me, ok?

[stardunes]

[Ondorus edges a little closer to the core of the group. He's at a huge disadvantage here, and he can practically feel it; if Star's deathgrip on his head is anything to go by, she can too. The two of them form a conduit, the Ralts sensing emotion in the area and Ondorus reading Star's thoughts to detect hostility from nearby wild Pokemon.

It requires a decent amount of focus. Luckily, producing light doesn't; a soft gleam spills from the man's cupped hands before him, not quite bright enough to see into every crevice by but dim enough to avoid startling any roosting Zubat. It's the least a noncombatant can do for the Rangers of the group.]

[tinytactician]

[Oh look, a fellow Ralts. Meredith, who is being princess-carried like the fancy beastie it is, will wave cordially at it's brethren. Armin, on the other hand, is radiating stress while simultaneously trying to not eavesdrop on anyone else's emotions. It takes basically all his attention, so he's going to be even quieter than usual.]

[reborn_love]

[Elly leads the way -- or more accurately, Vierge does ahead of her, snaking ahead. The Dratini looks around, alert, before it keeps moving. Elly glances at her, then over her shoulder. A Shifter, and two people who may not be able to fight -- and an Eevee.]

[Which is adorable. And she wants one. Things she can think about later.]

[She looks at Eren and Armin, first.]

You're both with the Guard, correct? [A glance at Ondorus, too. She isn't sure who he's with.]

[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.

[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.]

I am so sorry for the lateness of this reply. See my own plurk for details at to why it's late.

[alwaysfaithful]

Chris was as he usually was, quiet and listening both to the others talk as well as listening for any unusual sounds. He also kept a close eye to his Eevee partner Carmen. "It does seem that we may encounter a Pokemon that lives in the Caverns so we probably should keep an eye in front of us just in case we can't talk our way out of trouble."

[antiseptic]

[unfortunately keeping an eye out isn't going to help much when the pokemon you encounter happen to be two steelix]

[Anyway, after all that excitement, the group may see a large crack in the wall if they're keeping a careful eye out. It's just large enough for them to squeeze through, and faint clanging noises can be heard echoing out from further in.]

[Enter?]

No worries!!

[reborn_love]

[Elly looks at Chris, then nods. She looks at Vierge.]

Keep point.

[The Dratini does so -- and when they get to the crack, the Dratini actually starts to slip through ahead of them. Elly peeks through after, frowning.]

...everyone, be cautious as we go through. No telling what that clanging is.

This is an NPCing comment hi

[makeitquick]

[ Inside the crack is ... a much larger cavern. Actually, it appears to be some sort of nest, with burrowed little hovels all around it. Not that the dratini can see much from her opening angle- but as soon as its head pops through there is a series of metallic-sounding growls - and three or four Aron move closer to the head of the dragon.

If either her or her trainer can see well, there appear to be dozens of other shifting forms behind the three or four which stepped forward - smaller, and more frightened ]