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Tyrrier Islet of Light

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Ch08: The Light of Tyrrier Part 3 – The Fading Light
  • Threadmarks
    • Inkedust

    Inkedust

    A Murder of 'Krows
    Heartache staff
    Pronoun
    she/her
    The expedition through the dungeon started at the brink of dawn. Jostled by Bellatrix, the Wayfarers would find themselves meeting with a few select members of the Dog Squad, including Looker and Clive, waiting for them at a remote port. There they were greeted by a gruff swellow and his modest ship who was expecting them. It seemed that Seir was kind enough to organise a trip for the Wayfarers to the dungeon after his sudden departure.

    While the trip to the Islet of Light itself remained largely uneventful, there was a pervasive air of excitement and intrigue (mostly from Garnet) that seemed to settle upon and infect the Wayfarers and anyone nearby. Even the odd gyarados known as the Watcher seemed interested in their little excursion to rear its head about the water's surface to stare at the slow-moving vessel. Unsettling distraction aside, it wasn't long before their boat reached the shores of the islet the dungeon called its home.

    Just standing outside, it was obvious that the dungeon exerted blinding, invigorating power. Even the Radiance-drenched leaves and bark of the trees glowed softly with a golden white light that grew brighter the further one looked within.

    But something... felt off. The light pulsed unevenly, like a flickering light bulb connected to a faulty socket. The power was immense but it wasn't overwhelming, nowhere near the amount required to create the immense beam of light that'd carved through the skies. It was like something had interfered and whatever it was had began to sap the Radiance away from the dungeon.

    And the scattered remains of a campfire just outside made it obvious...

    Someone else had been here just a few days ago.
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Dave cautiously put his nose to the ground around the campfire, sniffing at it for any sense of who'd been there. Seir...?

    Dave used Odor Sleuth!
    Click to expand...
     
    Laura's heart jolted in her chest, and she swore bitterly beneath her breath. This was wrong. They were late.

    "Who beat us here?" she muttered to herself. "Who else knew?"

    Maybe that Kleavor? Or someone else, someone more organised and capable – whoever was responsible for the other strange happenings in Tyrrier...? Or nobody – who was to say the campfire wasn't a coincidence, and the ebbing of power a result of having scalded Alexander? It felt like too much to hope for.

    Her ears twitched, and she approached the dungeonmouth. If someone else had already cleared the dungeon before them – and recently – they wouldn't meet much resistance on the way through...

    "Let's blitz the bloody thing," she hissed, mostly to herself to keep her blood up in the northern winter chill.
     
    He’d expected to need his goggles the second they stepped off the boat and onto the shore. Now, though, it was beginning to seem more like he could have easily gone without. The flickering light pouring from the dungeon wasn’t half so blinding as Archie had expected – a development that seemed to put Laura, at least, on edge. The campsite didn’t help, of course, who knew if its owner had left the island already or not. Worst case scenario, they might well be walking into a trap. They had a solid number in their group, but that didn’t meant they could get complacent.

    “Better to take things slow and steady,” the Dewott said, “we don’t want to overextend, or get separated.”

    He shot a glance back at their Scizor chaperone.
     
    Ralsen stared into the golden light, mesmerized. It took several long moments for him to break his gaze from it, observing the remains of the campfire left behind. He knelt and scooped up a bit of ash, letting it trail through his claws as he considered. Was it the Vanguard, or...?

    He threw a glance at Laura, amused by her gung-ho attitude. "You sound eager. Still, there's no reason to wait around here."

    Ralsen stood up once more and turned back the way they'd come, eyeing the lone Gyarados in the lake. Was it just his imagination, or...?
     
    Inkedust said:
    Just standing outside, it was obvious that the dungeon exerted blinding, invigorating power. Even the Radiance-drenched leaves and bark of the trees glowed softly with a golden white light that grew brighter the further one looked within.

    But something... felt off. The light pulsed unevenly, like a flickering light bulb connected to a faulty socket. The power was immense but it wasn't overwhelming, nowhere near the amount required to create the immense beam of light that'd carved through the skies. It was like something had interfered and whatever it was had began to sap the Radiance away from the dungeon.
    Click to expand...

    "The beauty of Forlas never ceases to amaze me," Andre said quietly. "Yet... it's broken."

    Broken things, though, sometimes have their own beauty.

    To the others' remarks, Andre absentmindedly hummed in affirmation.
     
    Dave would realise that, between the wind and the water spray, it was difficult to get any kind of scent from the campfire, let alone one that was days old. However, after some determination, he would soon realise that the campfire scraps had the scent of murkrow all over them despite none currently being around. Another thing that would strike Dave as odd was how wet the ground was, like it had been submerged in water. It was like the scent had been deliberately washed away by a powerful water-type. The Dog Squad also appeared keen to help but after a long look at each other, then Dave, it seemed that they reached the exact same findings as him.

    "There's no point in delaying," Bellatrix sighed, folding her arms behind her back. "Especially if we are contending with the risk of the dungeon being compromised." She glanced at their escorts but both she and Archie would realise something had gone awry...

    Garnet had already run off into the dungeon.
     
    "Wait," Mhynt said, having been silent for a time. After all, the moment they entered somewhere particularly odd...

    "Owen, what are your findings?" she stated plainly. Even if his Perceive was duller than usual, his malleable, shadowy form let him check all the nooks and crannies that a normal Pokemon could not.

    Had they not defeated Alexander, she would have suspected him. But it seemed there were others tampering with the powers that be, even if they were just remnants...
     
    The slowly fading Radiance allowed Owen to be out for a brief amount of time but he would need to be careful as the dungeon was still seeped in it but the shadowy charizard would've been able to notice that there was something at the dungeon's heart, trying to tear it apart piece, by piece. It was large and almost certainly avian and the closer he tried to get to it, the more and more murkrow he would sense.

    More importantly, however, he would realise two things: The first was that the path to the heart was... unusually straightforward, like it had already given way to someone else who'd solved its puzzles and trials. The second, and far more concerningly... there was no sign of the Relic within and it seemed that that was the reason why the power of the dungeon was beginning to fade.
     
    "...I see," Mhynt said. Owen must have been silently communicating with her to minimize the likelihood of being detected.

    "Everyone. Owen can't find the relic. But he can find... whatever that source of those Murkrow is. at least, that's his guess. Be careful. It seems to be attacking the core... Would explain why the radiance is fading so rapidly. Problems for another time. We should probably investigate this... cautiously. Be ready for a fight at the worst case."
     
    Laura blew a breath out of her nose in a huff of frustration. The Relic was bloody gone already, okay, sure, whatever.

    "We can still find clues as to who got here before us," she grumbled, forcing herself to be pragmatic.

    A fight, huh? That'd be kinda satisfying at this point. Although, anyone who could make it through a supposedly Divine dungeon infused with Radiance would probably be a pretty challenging opponent. Which, right now, sounded enticing. She wasn't getting enough battles, apparently...

    (Also, Garnet had pulled ahead of them, and that was important too, probably.)

    "C'mon, let's go."

    She beckoned to the rest of the party and paced after the Scizor knight, ears pricked and eyes peeled for hostile 'mon.
     
    Koa listened to the others talk back and forth, investigating and speculating, half-distracted by the landscape and thoughts of their mission. Though the Dog Squad seemed to have it covered, he sniffed around, mostly to give himself something to do. He wondered if Seir made it back okay... that same nagging unease returned again as he considered the odd Ninetales, but he pushed it aside.

    They had a mission here, and he couldn't afford a distraction. It was a spectacular place, and would have been even cooler if not for the strange sickliness pervading it. He was surprised at how eager Laura seemed, given how she usually seemed to be one of the more cautious of their group.

    Still, wasn't until Mhynt spoke, mentioning the missing Relic, that he snapped out of his thoughts. Of course someone got there before them, of course they got the Relic.

    His hackles rose and he trotted quickly after Laura. "We better get there quickly then, see who got it," he muttered.
     
    Ghaspius had been squinting as he observed his surroundings, hoping to get a bead on what foul magic was at work. He played with his tassel as he listened to the observations of the others, until he finally nodded in agreement. It wasn't the presence, but rather, the absence of such energy that had turned him so silent.

    Betel, do y'all have a read on anythin' around? We're goin' in blind here.
     
    I can detect what I believe to be the honchkrow you seek. At least, that is what the enormous aggregate murkrow aura signature I am reading would seem to imply. I expect they shall swarm you if you engage their leader.

    Judging by the significant Radiance of their collective aura signature, they will very likely be Dazzled already. You may well need to defeat the honchkrow before you can learn anything useful from it.
     
    Andre's ears folded back. Not just were they going to have to battle (well, he knew this was possible going in, he was just never a fan of it), but it would be against a honchkrow and probably the murkrow under their command as well. Dark and flying. Andre's grass attacks would not do much, which meant that he'd have to get up close and dirty. At least his Zen Headbutt wouldn't do anything, so he wouldn't have to bash people with his noggin. But he also knew that his strongest attack would be Double-Edge, which hurt him as well. He had a good amount of orans in his pouch, so he could burn himself and recharge. It wouldn't be nice, but maybe he'd be able to make himself useful...
     
    The Wayfarers and their companions continued through the dungeon, entirely unimpeded. Remnants of trials littered the path forwards which took the form of great stone structures and archways depicting some kind of leonine pokémon, a cocoon, and a cloud. Already, they were breaking apart seemingly due to the absence of the Relic. The murkrow watched their every move with an unwavering focus. Whatever the dungeon intended to test was anyone's guess but it looked like whoever had managed to clear its trials did so with remarkable efficiency.

    It was not long before the group reached a large clearing. Tall, luminous trees that resembled beams of light streaking towards the sky surrounded a humble, overgrown altar. It consisted of nothing more than a stone floor and what remained of two walls, only the corner being mostly intact. A stylised sun was carved onto the ground of the altar and in the centre of it was a knocked over pedestal – the presumed resting place of the Relic. It was nowhere to be seen.

    And right besides it, trying to tear the brickwork from its foundation, was the honchkrow. In an instant, his eyes, burning with Radiance, flicked over towards the approaching group. It clicked its beak and immediately murkrow swarmed the group, blinding light turned to impenetrable darkness, splitting the Wayfarers from their escorts.

    Bellatrix whipped around to try and find them but it was impossible to see anything amongst the murders. They screeched and pecked and clawed, trying to stop anyone from getting closer to their leader.

    But, for the lucky few who'd managed to break through the swarms to take several steps closer to the altar...

    Honchrow screamed. His voice, seemingly to be reduced to a feral-state, distorted by the sheer amount of blinding corruption that saturated his soul. Several mukrow flocked to his side before he spread his wings wide, scattering them across the battlefield.

    Enemy Phase, Turn 0​
    Click to expand...

    Honchkrow's Murders! Honchkrow is guarded by all active hordes, is under the effects of Tailwind and gains +3 Offences!
    Click to expand...
     
    Aand Garnet was gone. Again. Of course she was gone again. Archie scowled, but they didn’t have time to look for the Scizor. Indeed, the dungeon was falling apart even as they ventured deeper into it, full of ruined statues and decaying structures that threatened to crumble into dust as they rushed past. And in the center of it all, a single Honchkrow and its truly massive swarm of Murkrow underlings. And now that they’d gotten here, it was clear they wouldn’t be leaving without a fight.

    “What’s even the purpose of fighting if there’s nothing left to fight over?” the Dewott grumbled, more to himself than the others. But, they couldn’t well leave the light-drunk avian behind in the crumbling dungeon. And maybe once they’d dragged the bird kicking and screaming back to sanity, they’d be able to figure out who they were working for, and where they’d taken the Relic.

    First, they were going to have to thin the horde of lesser crows. And so he drew his scalchops, and charged into the fray.

    Archie (206 STM, 5 TMP, +0 SPD, +2 ACC, 0 SHD, 0 RAD)
    - Walk to Western Perch
    - Dash to Western Perch (-2 TMP)
    - AGILE Night Slash @ Murder B (-19.5 STM, +5 TMP)
    - Focus Energy (-20 STM, +2 TMP)
    - Swords Dance (-18 STM, +2 TMP)
    - CRITICAL Night Slash @ Murder B (-13 STM, -11 TMP, +5 TMP)
    Net change: -71 STM, +1 TMP, +0 SHD, +0 RAD
    Net totals: 135 STM (172 after regen), 6 TMP, 0 SHD, 0 RAD
     
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    So that thing had taken the Relic, huh.

    Well, they'd make him regret it. Dave growled instinctively at the flocking Murkrow spiraling around them. Clear these little fuckers away, and then they could get to the head honcho and knock the living daylights - and the Radiance - out of him. He sharpened his claws and charged into the flock, Shadows sprouting around his body. And why not show them some Radiance too, while he was at it.

    Dave (222 STM, 5 TMP, +1 SPD, +1 ACC, 0 SHD, 0 RAD)
    - Walk to Western Perch
    - Hone Claws (-18 STM, +2 TMP)
    - Umbral Recklessness @ Murder B (ACTIVATE: effect, Hex Adept) (-40 STM, -3 TMP, +4 TMP, +32 SHD)
    - **Act:** RADIANT Focus (+5 TMP)
    - STRONG CRITICAL RADIANT Relentless Soul @ Murder B (-45 STM, -4 TMP, +6 TMP, +24 RAD)
    Net change: -97 STM, +10 TMP, +32 SHD, +24 RAD
    Net totals: 125 STM (191 after regen), 15 TMP, 32 SHD, 24 RAD
     
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    Laura glanced about the structures of the dungeon. It looked for all the world like some kind of action platformer level after a speedrunner had already swept through it. What were those statues – different forms of the Saint whose resting place this was? She wasn't familiar with the look of them – maybe some odd, alien variant of Entei...? Something ached in her to think that the dungeon might be fading away, even though that was absurd. No paw crafted these statues, and Relics were meant to be taken.

    In any case, they'd come face to face with the ostensible culprits. Only, if they'd already nabbed the bloody Relic, why were they still here? To harass late arrivals like the Wayfarers? Surely they didn't still have it with them...?

    Then she saw the light burning away in the honchkrow's eyes, and she knew. This wasn't rational behaviour. The bird had succumbed to the light, and whatever part of its psyche that light inflamed. Avarice, perhaps.

    "We gotta take out the mobs first," she hissed, figuring that there was no point trying to take out the boss bird while its goons were still at large. They'd run interference, obviously. "Aim wide, everyone! Get as many as you can."

    Even she ought to be able to take out a few herself. She had to be worth something.

    Something cold curdled in her blood...

    "Fuck you," she muttered under her breath as she loosed a stream of freezing air and raw feeling at a swarm of corvids.

    Laura (225 STM, 5 TMP, +0 SPD, +1 ACC, 0 SHD, 0 RAD)
    - Walk (+1 MC) to Western Perch (-3 TMP)
    - Activate ability (Moody) @ +2 Spd [-1 Atk]
    - Coaching @ Archie (-18 STM, +2 TMP)
    - Soul's Conviction @ Odette (-30 STM, +2 TMP) [+Mag/Res, +Mag/Res]
    - **Act:** SHADOW Focus (+5 TMP)
    - STRONG SHADOW Icy Wind @ Murder B (-34.5 STM, +5 TMP, +20 SHD)
    Net change: -83 STM, +11 TMP, +20 SHD, +0 RAD
    Net totals: 142 STM (198 after regen), 16 TMP, 20 SHD, 0 RAD
     
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    [Flavor TBA]

    Odette (182 STM, 5 TMP, +0 SPD, +0 ACC, 0 SHD, 0 RAD)
    - Dash to Western Perch (-2 TMP)
    - AGILE Soul's Wrath (-45 STM, +2 TMP) [+2 Offenses, -25% HP]
    - Soul's Wrath (-30 STM, +2 TMP) [+1 Offenses Only]
    - Ancient Power @ Murder B (-14 STM, +2 TMP)
    - **Act:** Focus (+5 TMP, -20 SHD, -20 RAD)
    - Ice Fang @ Murder B (ACTIVATE: effect) (-16 STM, -10 TMP, +2 TMP) [Freeze @ Murder B]
    - Activate feat (Spotter Feat) @ Murder B AI
    Net change: -105 STM, +1 TMP, +0 SHD, +0 RAD
    Net totals: 77 STM (131 after regen), 6 TMP, 0 SHD, 0 RAD
     
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