Set in the original region of Arciel, Legends Rising is a route-inspired, but not strictly route-based, Pokemon roleplay. Pick a faction, pick a class, and strike out into the wild to take on the League, master Contest coordination, research the mysteries of Pokemon and Arciel, and much, much more. Will you be a classic trainer? A criminal? A farmer? Choose your destiny on Legends Rising.
As the rope lowers, Shalin, she still can’t see the bottom. However, the walls that seem to pass now feel… softer? Vaguely sandy almost. What Crepe would notice first would be the floor coming in fast. Sure enough, there it was, a sandy gunky mess but stable enough to stand. The area had a strange almost sulfuric smell down here. Through the darkness, Shalin would see that this was wide tunnel with a river far off to the side moving somewhere to something. At the very edge of the water, an old metal chest sat half sunk in the sand. There doesn’t appear to be a lock on it, but those hinges look rusted.
Post by Shalin Nariya on Nov 29, 2019 19:55:54 GMT
ghO31kNnp_
"I still can't see the bottom!" Shalin cried again, her arms now shaking from the stamina test holding the rope was. It was now or never. In a fierce rush of adrenaline, she let out a loud scream that echoed both above and below for quite some time, the noise she was certain reverberated all the way to the entrance. With a heroic effort, she climbed all the way up to the collapse, heaving herself above the edge of the sinkhole and back up to safety, Caprice staring at her with eyes wide open.
If was only when she turned around to retrieve the rope that she noticed an enormous Mantine bracing itself against what appeared to be a wall and a ceiling. The drop didn't appear to be too far - it couldn't have been more than 50 feet. With a few pitons, climbing in and out wouldn't be a big deal. Shalin turned around and walked toward Senara, panting. "It looks like...there's solid ground...below...treasure...ooooooooohhhhhh..." The rush leaving her body, she lurched toward the cave wall closest to where the other girl stood and slumped next to it. Caprice let out a bark before running toward her. The only response was a mild snore.
{WC: 209} {PC: 8}
Last Edit: Nov 29, 2019 19:56:06 GMT by Shalin Nariya
Post by Senara Spargo on Nov 30, 2019 12:38:58 GMT
Oh thank, God she didn't die. Not that Senara especially cared about one stranger's well-being, but having to help an injured person--or report a dead one--would have been a waste of valuable time. As Shalin approached, wobbling on her feet, Senara raised a hand to try to steady her, only for the woman to literally collapse against the cavern wall. At least she had the soft glowing moss to kind of soften the impact. Well. That made her significantly less useful. But she'd said something about there being treasure down there...Senara sighed, testing the strength of the rope, and deposited her pack and the heavier equipment of hers next to the sleeping Shalin. "Since you've left consciousness, you can play pack-watcher. Don't worry. I'll share whatever is in there with you."
Probably.
Senara kept both hands on the rope as she walked cautiously to the ledge, then, just as warily, looked down into the abyss. She saw Crepe balancing in a way that would catch her if she slipped so there was that. Swallowing her nerve--or rather burying them in the slowly building adrenaline rush--she turned and jumped down into the chasm, still with a tight grip on the rope. She climbed down to Crepe without issue, then slid down his back to stand comfortably on the sand. She flicked the light of her helmet on to see better.
There was, indeed, a chest of all things in the sand, which she approached with as much care and caution as she had the chasm itself. Seeing the rusted hinges gave her pause but not for too long. She dug her gloved fingers into the tiniest space between the lid of the chest and the bottom of it and gave it as much of a push as she could!
Shalin NariyaSenara Spargo +2 Strength for Shalin rolling exactly 100; Your strength in a pinch is truly powerful! Though it has worn you out for a little.
+ 1 Strength for Senara for rolling above 75; The climb down was not terrible and not nearly so terrifying. The chest you would find opens to reveal... what appears to be an old plush Clefairy toy and a few Pokeballs, all of which were broken and empty by that point. Whatever was in them had long since gone. Looking around, Senara would see that the river in the tunnel would stretch on for some time.
Post by Shalin Nariya on Nov 30, 2019 17:33:11 GMT
Caprice scampered around the sinkhole, observing Senara as the girl slid down the secured rope as well as down the water-type's back. The sound of creaking wood and metal filled the cavern around them. She loosed a volley of Embers toward the opposite side of the sinkhole to get some visual of where Shalin's traveling partner was.
The only reflections, other than the glowing Senara, were from the fragments of Poké Balls inside the chest. Caprice barked down the tunnel twice before running back to where Shalin was. The Vulpix gently nudged Shalin, trying to tickle her awake by rubbing her nose against her trainer's side. No response. She nudged at her legs with both her front paws. No response. That climb out of the hole must really have taken it out of her. Caprice vigilantly continued to guard both their belongings from scavengers looking for an easy meal.
Inside the chest was, alas, no shiny coins or gems, but Senara hadn't expected that for a box in a cave. Blowing away some sand from the contents she began to pick them out and turn them over in her hands slowly. A few pokeballs, broken and devoid of whoever had been in them once upon a time. She had a moment's concern that they had been let loose in these cavern. If they weren't meant for cave life, or if they were invasive to the Pokemon that did live down here, that was bad news bears for the cave's ecology.
She set down the shells of the pokeballs and pulled out the small plush from inside.
Her face, curious and calm, turned sour.
"Fées stupides." She hissed, and with no gentleness threw the doll into the far side of the cavern opposite the water. Worthless. That was completely worthless. Disgusting.
"Crepe, come get in the water," she ordered, voice tighter and colder than before. Her belongings were still up with the unconscious woman, but if she wasn't going anywhere and had her Vuilpix with her she would be fine, right? They could come back for her later. Crepe lowered himself from his awkward position and into the black water of the river, testing its depth and width for if he could safely traverse it with Senara on his back. .
Her trainer still unresponsive even after a strong nudge around her legs, Caprice doubled back to the edge and saw that there was no longer a Mantine under the rope. She shot another volley of embers toward the side opposite the rope, barely illuminating the depths long enough to glimpse a still-glowing Senara on the bottom of the sinkhole. Clearly there was solid ground down there. She ran back toward Shalin and started barking at her.
The reverberating noise aroused a very woozy Shalin, nearly falling onto the cavern floor as she opened her eyes. She groaned and swayed back and forth for some moments, the first thing she could comprehend being the Fire-type's worried barking. "Huhhhhnnnn...what?" the trainer growned again, Caprice running back to the sinkhole. She resumed barking downward, Shalin shaking her head. The girl slowly walked toward the sinkhole's edge, just barely able to see the glowing Senara. She cupped her hands and shouted downward, "Hey, Senara! You left all your stuff up here! What would you do if something happened down there? We need to stay together!"
Up above, the familiar sound of grinding of rock against rock would occur after Shalin had spoken, and if she were to turn and look, she would see one of the Nosepass had reemerged and was eyeing her precariously now.
The water Crepe got in was ice cold but not very deep. The Mantine could practically touch the bottom if he just lowered his fins enough. However, what he would also find was that he was far from alone. Something rubbed up against him— and then another… and then another. And suddenly he was being bombarded by playful water pups.
From above, Shalin's voice turned her head around, accidentally shining her helmet's lamp at her until she pushed the helmet higher to avoid doing that. "I wasn't going any farther! I'm testing the water--I think there's more down it!" She called back up with one hand pressed to the side of her mouth. Making this much noise wasn't going to do them any favors with finding Pokemon but that wasn't too high on her priorities. She was here for rocks. Rocks didn't get spooked off if you were too loud...well, usually, unless it was a Carbink in waiting. Weird little things always got her excited over nothing. "The rope's safe, though. Toss down my pack? Nothing in there's deli--"
She heard more noises in the water than just Crepe's soft cooing. Splashing and small squeaks filled the air as she turned to find her Mantine had become a playground for a family of Buizel. Senara blinked, snickered, and burst into a fit of giggles. Oh no! Poor Crepe looked completely bamboozled, his large body being the perfect playing ground for these little water puppies. What a terrible fate. "Oh, Arceus. Hang on, photo op," she managed to speak between giggles, pulling out her quite well-reinforced (and water-proof because she wasn't crazy) phone and snapping a few pictures of Crepe's new squad. He moaned in embarrassment, wiggling back and forth in the water, but not so much as to actually knock any of the Buizel off. The dumb gentle giant couldn't do it.
"You like Buizel, Shalin? Because a pack of them is using my Mantine as a trampoline."
It was then, however, that the light of her helmet caught the golden sheen of one of the Buizel's coats, and she let out a loud gasp. "Luisant! I've never seen one in the wild before! Oh oh ohhhh..." she pushed her phone back into her pants pocket and, instead, drew out a black and green Pokeball. The pattern it had was like that of webbing. In these caverns, dusk balls were a girl's best friend. "Crepe, just a little Super Sonic?~"
Crepe, not really up to arguing in his current state, let out a shrill sound that bounced off the walls of the sinkhole and cavern above. All of the Buizel whines and rubbed at their ears, the confusion setting in before they even realized what hit them, and she tossed the duck ball right at the shiny one's back with a brilliant grin. If this worked, it'd be her very first shiny! She didn't really need a Buizel or want one but who cares?! SHINY!!
"You weren't going farther without me anyway," Shalin corrected Senara, smiling for the first time since she had passed out. "You know it. Your pack? Long as there's nothing breakable in there, sure." She walked back to retrieve both her own pack and Senara's, struggling a little bit to drag them both over. "Once I toss yours down, I'll slide down there with you!" Once both were at the sinkhole's edge, she pushed Senara's supplies over.
Thud.
Once her partner's pack had landed below, Shalin slipped her own pack on before climbing down and sliding down the rope herself. She looked toward the source of the running water, catching sight of pack of Buizel teetering on top of Crepe as though they were inebriated. Taking advantage of their confused state, she likewise tossed one of her Poké Balls at the large Buizei in front. She had Serena's Poké Ball handy as well, just in case the water-type had some fight still. As she made the toss, she lost her grip with her off hand, plummeting to the ground. "Ow! I forgot it didn't reach all the way..." Shalin moaned, falling to the soft ground from an awkward landing.
The large water pupper was caught! One ball has been removed from your inventory.
The other Buizel are quick to hop into the water and disappear as quickly as they had come- not without knocking into one another in the water (and Crepe) but still! The tunnel was dark again not illuminated quite like the moss above. Will you search down here further?
The ball made contact and sucked the shiny Buizel in with a beam of red light, then fell onto the rocks by the water. It shook once, twice--another ball soared overhead and roped in the larger of the pack--thrice...click! Senara squealed with excitement but it only lasted a moment before a loud thud and Shalin's groan of pain turned her back towards the rope. She winced in sympathy. "Oooh, you alright? Tailbone in one piece?" She stepped over just enough to pick up the pair of pokeballs and walk back towards the fallen explorer, handing over the plain pokeball to her with one hand and offering her the other hand to help stand back up. "That was a good toss, though. Worth it? Maybe?"
Once Shalin was back on her feet, Senara scanned the dusk ball with her pokedex and it vanished in a flash of light, sent off to her box. "What a lucky find! Almost makes up for the box being a bust. Just a bunch of broken old pokeballs and a creepy Clefairy doll," she pocketed her pokedex, "But the river definitely leads somewhere. Crepe is large enough for both of us to surf on, if you're up for exploring deeper."
She picked up her pack and slung it over her shoulders again, tightening the straps and making sure nothing was open. The pack was water-proof, but a loose zipper would still get the insides wet. Not too big of a deal for the berries and potions but she'd rather not rest on a soggy bedroll. "Oh, introduction. Crepe, this is Shalin. Shalin, Crepe. He's easily embarrassed so keep all impressed comments on his size to when we aren't on his back." She snickered a little, but the warning was real. Last time she'd given the big lug a compliment while surfing he'd plunged down with her on him. The water didn't seem deep enough for that to be an issue but she'd still rather not get drenched.
With her pack secured she walked over to Crepe, knelt on the river's edge, and carefully climbed onto his back so her knees were over his torso and hands just behind his head.
"...Thanks, Senara," Shalin slowly rose to her feet, gladly accepting a hand standing up. "The fall wasn't too bad - I just landed at a weird angle." She immediately heard the sound of water running. "There's an underground river running through here - no wonder the ground is so soft. Probably saved me from actually getting hurt." She took the Poké Ball from her partner, retrieving her 'Dex just long enough to send her fresh catch back to her base. "You'll get your turn, Prower."
She staggered about with her first few steps, but it didn't take very long to recover her balance...which was good, as Senara seemed fixated on following this underground river. The pink-haired woman already found one treasure...though it wasn't much of a real treasure, from what was described of it. Shalin wasn't into exploring for the money, though it was certainly nice to find pricey loot to fund expeditions with. There was plenty to exploring the unknown that money simply could not buy.
Shalin was about to comment on Crepe's size when she heard Senara's warning. "In that case..." She walked up to the water's edge and slowly lowered her hand into it. A little cold, but not unbearable. Certainly warmer than any water there was outside this time of year. "Crepe is impressive, but I have something a little more my style. Levy, let's go!"
From Shalin's Poké Ball emerged a Milotic whose presence seemed to light up the cavern around them...at least, until the Ball's light faded. Making a great splash upon falling into the river, he fought the current long enough to beach enough of his pink, serpentine frame to keep himself anchored. "Plus, this way we can rely on each other if one of us goes hurtling into the drink." Levy lowered his head so his neck was half-submerged, allowing Shalin to climb aboard when she was ready.
She, too, made sure her pack was secured. This was only her second time riding Levy, and the first time unsupervised. "Go for it! You lead and I'll follow," she cried out to Senara before whispering into Levy's ear, "Don't get too excited. Just stay behind the Mantine for me, okay?" The two firmly aboard their water Pokémon, she was excited to see what was deep under Arciel's mountains!
As you go farther and farther through the darkness, the sound of running water becomes more and more prevalent. The current is picking up, and the Water Pokemon would certainly be aware of it. Shortly in front of you, the water immediately drops off into a short waterfall that dumps into a large, beautiful room with strange glowing rocks. There are numerous pools stretched out here each seemingly dumping into another endlessly.
While she didn't take her offer of riding with Crepe, Senara took no offense. In fact she was quite impressed by the sight of the Milotic she called out for herself. "How lovely, a Milobellus! Where did you catch her?" Senara chatted over her shoulder while her new travelling companion mounted up. She was still trying to figure out how to swipe that fire stone from her if given the chance but it was nice having another human around; talking to your Pokemon was fine, but after a while you longed for, you know, actual words.
She pat Crepe behind his "horn". "Let's go slowly, we aren't sure what's ahead. I'll keep my lamp on the river as best I can." Crepe made a noise that bubbled around his face like a mane of sorts, and he beat his wing-like fins and began to make his way down the black water. It started out fairly calm. The water was moving somewhere but not in a hurry, not until the cavern opened up a little more and the sound of it rushing became all the louder. Senara ducked her head just a bit and squinted ahead. Something was lit up ahead. More moss? Or was it--
"Stop!"
Her voice cut over the sound of rushing water more for Shalin's sake than Crepe's, who could see the drop-off before they actually reached it. His wings extended until they touched the sides of the river to create something of a gate. It wasn't a steep drop but it wasn't something she wanted to just go over without looking below...and she was glad that she did, peering over Crepe, over the water's end, into the pool of glowing rock below. Her eye sparkled both literally and figuratively. "Gardiens des lacs...beautiful!"
What are those rocks made of that makes them luminescent?? Is it the soil here that causes it and the moss to glow? Will it cease glowing in the sunlight as the moss does?
She didn't want to drop right into the water surrounded by the glowing stone, for risk that something about it may be harmful, but there was also really only one way to find out. Senara whispered into Crepe's ear/horn to be sure he was alright with it, and when he let out a confirming bubble, his fins moved from the river's edge and he pushed himself off the waterfall. Senara squealed like a child on a water-park ride, holding tight to Crepe.
Shalin's smile grew as Levy pushed off from the shallows. "Earlier this year, there were dozens--no, hundreds of Feebas passing through the delta north of Cedar Town," she answered Senara, maintaining her distance as the sound of rushing water grew louder. "There were so many that they were clogging up a few of the delta's channels, and needed to be captured or otherwise dislodged just to keep moving. As you can see, I didn't want to pass up an opportunity like that."
Levy swerved all around the river, trying to give his rider a better view of the path ahead...but Crepe was just too big to see around. The moment she heard Senara's command to halt, Shalin pulled back on her water-type, but he could not come to a complete stop in the current. Combined with her experience in a more controlled environment, she realized that although Levy could change directions quickly and precisely, she had a hard time braking due to her body shape.
Just as Levy was about to bump into Crepe, Shalin heard Keiran gasp. More Kalosian. It was starting to get on her nerves. She almost said something about it right there and then, but she kept to herself. Next time, it probably wouldn't be so easy. Crepe then leaped over what sounded like a waterfall, Senara letting out a loud cry she wasn't sure was joyous or panicked. "Now that's more like it!" Her smile grew to a grin. "Levy, see if you can clear them!" She held her breath as the Milotic submerged, thrashing his tail wildly to gain speed...
GwTuKkx3p_ {73+15=88}
...gracefully leaping out of the waterfall at its crest, his rider with one hand on him and one hand above her head. "Wahoo!" Shalin cried as the two sailed high above the river, on course to jump clear over Crepe. She only wished she could have seen Levy's graceful leap from another perspective.
Shalin NariyaSenara Spargo Cepe would come splashing into a rather deep pool of water that was altogether big enough for him but would dump a bunch of water into an adjoining pool due to the water displacement. Shalin and her Milotic would land in this secondary pool, actually, and cause water to raise up and spill into yet another adjoining pool. Everywhere one looked there were pools dumping water into more pools. Aside form the constantly moving water, though, it was eerily quiet now.
If one looked down into each of the pools, the glowing of the gems deep in them would become more obvious. They shined a yellow hue very similar to that of the moss above. If one reached down into the pool, though, they would find that no matter how far they reached, the crystals were father. Moving down from one pool to the next, one would find that they did, in fact, end at solid ground and there seemed to be markings along the walls— hard to see in exact detail even with a light due to how worn they are but…decorative if nothing else. If you look around for an immediate exit, however, you’ll find none to be had.
"Ah, truly? I should head up in that direction, see if there are any still floating about. I dug out a Prism Scale not too long ago." Senara pursed her lips together. She didn't need a Milotic when she had Crepe to surf her around, but she did study evolutionary stones for a living. What sort of scientist would she be if she didn't try to catch the one Pokemon that responded to a specific evolutionary item? "Shouldn't be too tricky..."
Over the waterfall and into the pool they dove, and the water splashed up around her with enough force to spray her quite thoroughly. She wasn't drenched but, well, she may need to change into a dry sweater before resting! Senara let out a peal of laughter and Crepe, momentarily quite proud of himself, did a little spin in the water. As Shalin and her Milotic went soaring above them into the pool ahead they both clapped--well, Crepe flapped the tips of his fins against the water repeatedly but it was clapping in theory--in response. What grace and speed that Pokemon possessed. She was almost envious!
But not quite. She still adored her gigantic sea pancake, nothing could compare.
She peered over the side of Crepe and into the pool below. The crystals were utterly gorgeous and she wanted to get closer, but she wasn't dressed for diving. She nodded to the rim of the pool and Crepe floated over, letting her get off and sit down on the thin ledge surrounding the pool with a little extra balance than normal. "Dive down, see if you can pick at one of those stones. It might be just luminescent like the moss but...it can't hurt to be sure, right?" She chuckled and Crepe nodded into the water, then dove.
Senara looked backwards into the pool Shalin had landed in. "Do you do professional Pokemon riding, Shalin? That was impressive." And would explain the size of that Vulpix, if she intended to ride it once it evolved. "Do you see anything interesting?"
Crepe popped back up to the surface of the water and shook his head with a sad little groan. Senara pursed her lips again. Either he couldn't get the rocks from the base of the pool, or it was something else...but either way, they weren't obtainable through him. "Shame. Alas," she mumbled, climbing back onto him, "It was worth a shot. Let's hop the pools until we get to the ground, then go from there."
1kSIxk0bp_ [Prof.: Mineralogist roll, Do I recognize the carvings/stone?]
Shalin was certainly one who didn't mind getting dirty and wet if it meant having a great time. Levy had leaped down several of the waterfall-steps to a pool quite a bit further underground. Once her Milotic had come to a stop. she turned around and saw how far she had left the Mantine and Senara in the dust. Whoops! That was a habit she could probably do with breaking at some point down the road if she was going to travel with partners.
The blonde smiled after hearing Senara's applause. "You didn't listen to what I said when we first met, did you?" she teased. "No problem - it goes over most people's heads anyway. But yes, back in Johto, I did put on riding shows. There's just something magical about battling a mount you're barely in control of." She related a tale of a mischievous, even naughty, Drampa owned by a traveling trainer named Soph, about her age. Trying to break that Pokémon in did not end well for her.
As she finished recounting her tale, Shalin noticed some images along the walls. Dismounting Levy, she approached the ones in front of her. "It looks like there are some kind of hieroglyphs down here," she relayed, water dripping from every extremity. "I have no idea what they mean. You said you're into archaeology, right? Maybe you have an idea?"
{WC: 231} {PC: 14} {Shalin: 44/61}
Last Edit: Dec 10, 2019 5:49:12 GMT by Shalin Nariya
The rock even down there seemed solid quartz, a staple of the layering of the earth. However, as Senara set her hand upon the wall with the carvings, she would notice something very familiar: a pattern transcribed across an uncountable number of ancient places. Braille was not a language of sight but a language of touch. It was worn, of course, possibly from water exposure, but one word would stand out: harmonic. What did it mean? And could it be related to the way out of here?
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