Sojaveña Wilds Northern Badlands

[MintyMimix]

Turn 3
Enemy Phase​

Levi's Knock Off dealt 20 damage to Nova!
Levi tried to Knock Off Nova's Covert Cloak, but his beak was too strong!
Levi's Drain Punch dealt 20 damage to Nova! Drained 10 HP!

"Rough one, aren't ya?" The Morgrem hissed as he wrestled against Nova's grip. "Maybe I just need a quick snack before I can really go all out...!"

Levi's AGILE Draining Kiss dealt 11 damage to Astrid! Drained 8 HP!
Levi's Pickpocket stole one of Astrid's Magic stages!
Levi's Draining Kiss dealt 16 damage to Astrid! Drained 12 HP!

The Morgrem sunk his fangs into Astrid! "Ahhh, tastes so heavenly!" He cackled as he drew them out with a flourish. "Now that I'm satisfied, let's give this another try, shall we?"

Boss Action: Sure Crit
Levi's Play Rough dealt 37 damage to Astrid!

"And don't you dare mock me again!" He screeched before leaping back. "Candy cloud, monster, and... whoever the third one is, know that we are the apex predators, we are—"

Nova's Bide dealt 40 damage to Levi!

With a cry of, 'Wrrrrrrry!' worthy of his species, the vampiric Pokémon found himself being flung across the field, barreling towards the Trash Heap where he belonged. As he made contact with the pile of garbage, a number of pointed stones buried inside dug into him!

Levi 'walked' to Trash Heap!
Levi was took 19 damage from Stealth Rock!

Astrid still has the majority of Levi's ire, but some clever goading could divert attention to Nova!

 

[Ambyssin]

"Oh. The guy's LARPing as a vampire." Nova sat down with a curious tilt of his head. "That answers a few questions. Raises several more, but I guess that can wait until lockup."

He looked around at the flames. "No wonder the fire was so effective." He marched over to Grace's side, gesturing to Astrid his crest.

"Hey, how's about you help our vampire hunter take out Count Dorkula over there?"

Spoiler: Nova turn 4

Nova (50 STM, 19 TMP, +0 SPD, +0 ACC, 0 SHD, 0 RAD)
- **Act:** Call @ Grace
- Focus (Breather) (+5 TMP, -20 SHD, -20 RAD)
Net change: +0 STM, +5 TMP, +0 SHD, +0 RAD
Net totals: 50 STM (100 after regen), 24 TMP, 0 SHD, 0 RAD
(BREATHER)

 

[Goat]

(Sparknotes: Grace deals 30 fixed damage)

Spoiler: Grace turn 4

Grace (49 STM, 4 TMP, +0 SPD, +0 ACC, 0 SHD, 0 RAD)
- Receive (Call) (+3 TMP, -10 SHD, -10 RAD)
- **Act:** Focus (+5 TMP, -20 SHD, -20 RAD)
- Celebrate (-9 STM, +3 TMP)
- Metronome (Sonic Boom) @ Levi (-36 STM, hit, -14 TMP, +2 TMP)
- **Act:** Call @ Astrid
Net change: -45 STM, -1 TMP, +0 SHD, +0 RAD
Net totals: 4 STM (31 after regen), 3 TMP, 0 SHD, 0 RAD
(TAKE COVER)

 

[Goat]

After the horde was depleted, Astrid had split herself between pummeling Levi and dragging a few unconscious bodies away from the raging flames. Then a clang from the smellier side of camp pulled her attention back—that must’ve been Nova’s counterattack.

"Hey!" she called out, quickly advancing before Levi could gather himself. "You're a shitty role model for them, y'know!"

Spoiler: Turn order

1. Nova
2. Grace
3. Astrid

Spoiler: Astrid turn 4

Astrid (60 STM, 10 TMP, +0 SPD, +0 ACC, 0 SHD, 28 RAD)
- Receive (Call) (+3 TMP, -10 SHD, -10 RAD)
- Receive (Helping Hand)
- Walk (+1 MC) to Trash Heap (-3 TMP)
- Nasty Plot (-18 STM, +2 TMP)
- **Act:** RADIANT Focus (+5 TMP)
- STRONG CRITICAL RADIANT Frost Breath @ Levi (-15 STM, Sure Hit, +4 TMP, +10 RAD)
- CRITICAL Draining Kiss @ Levi (-9 STM, -20 TMP, +2 TMP)
Net change: -42 STM, -7 TMP, +0 SHD, +0 RAD
Net totals: 18 STM (45 after regen), 3 TMP, 0 SHD, 28 RAD

 

[MintyMimix]

Turn 4
Player Phase​

Grace's Sonic Boom dealt 30 damage to Levi!

The Morgrem grit his teeth as he struggled to emerge from the heap of trash. "What, do you think that will be enough?" He let out a low chuckle. "A bad role model? What I show to them is how to attain power, no matter what!"

His eyes widened as his sinister grin turned manic. "That is where you and I differ! I am a proud Fiend! My vision is clear and my mind is focused; I have but one goal, to—"

Astrid's Frost Breath dealt 130 damage to Levi! KO!!

His speech froze along with his will to fight as he toppled out of the trash and smashed into the harsh, rocky ground face-first. His hair fell over his face as the light of consciousness slowly faded from his vision.

Astrid's Draining Kiss dealt psychological 74 damage to the already downed Levi! Therapy is the only cure!

Along with his pride.

Victory!

The remaining Impidimp, after finally dousing the flames and one another, scattered as they watched their lieutenant become as crumbled and discarded as the refuse around them. Some fell to the ground, pleading for a light sentence, others tended to their brethren and not caring what would happen to them next. It was clear that very few, if any, would be able to escape this time.

There just left one question: where was their big boss?

 

[Ambyssin]

"And that's that." Nova clicked his tongue. "Nice work you two." His fish tail wagged.

Nova stepped toward all the impidimp running around like terrified little joltik about to be stepped on. "All right, small fries! We're moving the party to the precinct!" He practically sounded like a drill sergeant. "Those of you still standing grab your buddies and gather up here! Faster you do this, the easier it'll be for you!"

He had no idea if the jailhouse had a way to hose these stinkwads down. If not, they'd have to come up with something.

 

[Magyk]

Grace grinned and clapped as confetti fell around them once more. "Good work you two! That was amazing...!" she praised with a big smile on her face.

 

[MintyMimix]

The remnants of the horde quickly surrendered themselves, more worried about each other's well-being than trying to make a break for it against an overwhelming foe. Though their smell was unpleasant, they weren't leeches like their leader.

With the last of the lieutenants in their capture, the Wayfarers had more than helped clean the roads of Northern Sojaveña and helped ensure a safe passage for any well-to-do traveler. Still, the Fiends weren't quite done yet; after all, they still Hawthrone at their helm.

<><><><>​

 

[Jackie Cat]

The badlands were a strange place to make camp – more barren than the relatively lush Soja' deserts, under a certain sky it felt as if one were making camp on the goddamn moon, a million miles from civilisation. Even here, there were ways to live off the land, and settlements to carve out a space to make a proper living.

Cacturne Sally, Soja' bounty hunter, was scratching a crude map into the near-lunar dust of those very settlements. Points of light in a vast expanse, marked on her map by tiny succulent buds of her own making.

"Been at this a while," she rasped, in her corpse-like voice. She grinned at Bellatrix, her ghoulish mouth distending over her face.

The Zoroark would know by now that this was about as friendly and benign an expression as a Cacturne could make. It didn't necessarily help much to know this.

"How're ya holdin' up, sister? Ain't exactly the ultra-deluxe out here, I know."

 

[Inkedust]

"As well as I can be," Bellatrix replied, studying Sally's makeshift map intently. The grass-type's unsettling expressions were something that did not seem to bother the zoroark, at least not outwardly, so her demeanour remained calm.

Choosing to go on this mission had, admittedly, been a spur-of-the-moment decision but the bounty was good and Bellatrix saw it as an opportunity to expand her knowledge of Forlas further. Though the expedition had been rough, it was nothing Bellatrix couldn't handle even if progress had been a bit slow for her liking.

"Admittedly though, I cannot wait until we finally find our prize. Although I must say," she added, "I do wonder where this Hawthorne is getting his supply of impidimp from." It was clear that working so closely with the cacturne for an extended period of time had left the zoroark more lax then usual, indicated by a greater amount of sarcasm. "You'd expect them to thin out after the first few arrests. Yet another one of the many mysteries of Forlas to unravel."

 

[Jackie Cat]

Sally scratched at her hat-like crest with a spiny limb.

"You see this kinda thing sometimes," she mused, in her sibilant voice. "Might be worth checkin' in on the big house – y'know, the ssslammer? – an' seein' if they're managin' to keep all the inmates in. 'Course, could just be that this is how many of the li'l bastards there are."

Most criminals given long or indefinite prison sentences in the Soja' (or Blaguarro, and the rest of the state of Prosper) were sent to facilities like Bleachstone Correctional and Lindwurm Penitentiary, harsh 'tough on crime' units erected to deal with spiralling outlawry. They tended to be about as secure as a gaol can be, but there were always exceptions, and imps were crafty. Maybe it would be worth investigating them?

Sally sniffed, raised an arm, and fired a spike at one of the buds, piercing it. She had good aim.

"Can't shake the feelin' that tall, Dark an' ugly himself is throwin' goons in our way as a distraction while he gets closer to whatever he's plannin'. Which... could be pretty big, with this much preperatory consideration. Crack open a major bank, maybe. Hold up one a' them new trains as is haulin' all sorts west now that the tracks're openin' up proper. Kidnap and ransom."

Sally's speculation was just that – conjecture not from evidence, but from sensational gravity. She liked the idea that she wasn't just chasing a slippery wretch, but a Big Boss of banditry.

 

[Inkedust]

Bellatrix let out a small grunt of mild agreement. "Might be, but I doubt the fiends will be much of a problem once we deal with the ringleader. As for what he might have in store well, we won't know until we meet him and see for ourselves. Then again I doubt an outlaw with such notoriety attained his position through any small-time activity."

The zoroark yawned and sat herself down on a nearby rock, indicating some boredom at the idea of the very plausibly mundane explanation. Spending so much time in the badlands away from Frontier Town just for a standard-issue outlaw felt like a waste of time the more she thought about it so she decided to humour Sally's idea for the time being.

"Regardless, we best be prepared for the worst. It would be a shame to come all this way only to have underestimated Hawthorne this entire time – not that I'd expect us too, but no harm in reminding ourselves from time to time."

 

[Jackie Cat]

Sally nodded along, still with her mouth distended into a broad, jovial gash.

"Yeah, sister, you'n I best be ready fer a tough fight! I got more of an appreciation for the slow, careful hunt than most a' you furred types, but I can savour a good battle, too."

Then the grin faltered, and she frowned a little.

"'Course, you Wayfarers are a good bit stronger'n just about anyone else 'round the Soja', lately. It's fair freakish just how fast y'all've sprung up. Dare say you outclass me already, and it's nary a couple seasons since you fell to earth, ain't that right?"

The Cacturne tapped a limb against her chin.

"That's an angel thing, ain't it? Least that's what folks say. Angels're meant fer fightin'."

 

[Inkedust]

"To each their own," Bellatrix said with a shrug. "Personally, I prioritise swift efficiency above all else but who am I to deny the value of slow and steady caution?"

At Sally's following comments, Bellatrix responded with an affirmative nod. "I imagine that the reason that those summoned to Forlas are so strong is because it would be... counterproductive for a prospective hero to be given no edge. By their nature, crises bring great amounts of conflict with them."

She drummed her claws on the side of the rock she perched upon. It seemed that this and comparing her experiences between Forlas and Kythra was something that Bellatrix thought about a lot, especially these last few days.

"'Angels', though," she then said more wistfully. "What a title but does it not imply that any human that walks on Forlas are inherently good in some way?"

 

[Jackie Cat]

Sally's grin widened again at Bellatrix' endorsement of efficiency. The Cacturne seemed to enjoy those moments when the Zoroark affirmed her own competence – perhaps she approved of having a proficient partner on the hunt. Perhaps she just thought Bellatrix was cool.

" 'Swift efficiency'," she hissed, breathily. "An estimable approach. We can, hahh, complement each other's strengths."

Angels, though. Betel's translation convention could have chosen a number of words – 'aliens', for instance. Or 'visitors', perhaps. But 'angels', that implied sacredness. Reverence, or at least respect. Holy purpose.

Sally shrugged. "Angels can be... awe-some. Some fear them. They are a power – all power can harm. That is what makes it power. Why should, hhah, power be inherently good simply because it belongs to one being or another?"

 

[Inkedust]

Another grunt of agreement. Then, Bellatrix said, "That is where I agree, which is why I question the title of 'angel' specifically. It implies holiness and the stories speak of heroic, awe-inspiring feats – although do correct me if I am wrong, I am not as savvy on Forlasian myth and legend as I would like to be.

"It feels flat," she continued. "Easy. One is a divine savour that enacts justice while the other is the threat that gets beaten back. They often say that history is written by the victors and when one side has more power than the other could ever hope for, well..."

Bellatrix turned her gaze upwards and gazed past the sky, where she though the astral planes that Betel used to bring her here may be.

"Although I admit, my view may be coloured by the way 'angels' are treated by the world I came from. It is far less... favourable there to say the least."

 

[Jackie Cat]

Sally's eyes widened – yellow circles in sunken, black sockets.

"Y'have angels in your world, sister? But you are yerself an angel, ain't ya?"

'Sister' was just Sally's word for any female conversational partner, but it did imply a certain equality between them, over-familiar as it might seem. The Cacturne didn't worship angels – admiration aside, in her eyes, they were peers.

She creaked as she leaned forward, with naked interest.

"What's this 'bout angels bein' less than favourable back home? They call 'em by a different name there?"

 

[Inkedust]

"There certainly is no shortage of worlds that summon humans to resolve an issue, and that world is no exception," Bellatrix began. She fiddled with the laces of her gauntlets, tying up a loosening knot, and wiping off the dust that had settled upon them.

"However, they missed the memo about the summoned being heroes as the world 'human' translates to demon in the Kythran tongue. As the name implies, they're seen as wicked monsters and harbingers of disaster. Your guess is as good as mine as to why that is case beyond the unfortunate correlation between the simultaneous presence of a human and a disaster."

 

[Jackie Cat]

Sally creaked a little more as she tapped her head in thought.

"Kinda like absol in Akkairos, then," she mused. "Ain't no sense thinkin' folks're guaranteed to be a certain way just 'cause of their kind, but folks sure love doin' that anyways."

She grinned again, nightmarish. There was a strange, sallow humour in it – in Bellatrix' time working with Sally, she'd have found the cactus-creature to be unerringly amiable, but avoidant of unnecessary social interactions with clients. It wasn't that she was shy, or a bad haggler – townies just tended to find her appearance deeply unsettling. Sometimes she leaned into it, around fellow bounty hunters.

"Y'ain't a wicken monster though, are ya, sister?" she asked, with a rasping chuckle. "No more'n me. S'pose there's some as would think us pretty sinister just fer takin' bounties, though."

Sally leaned back, and 'cracked' her neck. An affectation – as a plantoid, she did not have a spine.

"It doesn't trouble me," she admitted, easily. "But there's hunters as lose their souls, and hunters as have to retire 'fore they forget how to sleep at night. Which kind are you, sister?"

 

[Inkedust]

By now, it was clear that Bellatrix had gotten used to Sally's unsettling mannerisms and just did not care, leaving her entirely unphased. It wasn't as if ghostly zoroark were known for being warm and welcoming either – she had already startled a number of people on her appearance alone – so she related to the cacturne more than she feared her.

"Exactly like absol, yes. I suppose that figuring out what to do, how to help, wrestling with your own mortality is difficult in the wake of a crisis. Finding a scapegoat to pin it all on, on the other hand, is easy. Helps absolve the guilt one feels of being powerless."

Bellatrix then hummed a short tune that she had heard long before arriving to Forlas, wondering how alien it would sound to Sally. "Of course, I like to believe that I am not something wicked due to something out of my control, although the bounty hunting certainly helps to complete the image," Bellatrix mused. "Still, someone has to do it and I am pretty good at it, so why lose sleep over it?"