• Welcome to The Cave of Dragonflies forums, where the smallest bugs live alongside the strongest dragons.

    Guests are not able to post messages or even read certain areas of the forums. Now, that's boring, don't you think? Registration, on the other hand, is simple, completely free of charge, and does not require you to give out any personal information at all. As soon as you register, you can take part in some of the happy fun things at the forums such as posting messages, voting in polls, sending private messages to people and being told that this is where we drink tea and eat cod.

    Of course I'm not forcing you to do anything if you don't want to, but seriously, what have you got to lose? Five seconds of your life?

Offscreen Activities

In her time away, Togepi Grace has been off scouting Forlas, urged by her adventure lust from back home— it felt like a crime to leave things unexplored and she needed to scratch that itch if she wanted to better support her teammates.

Before she could start returning, she encountered a frenzied Charmander several days before the Charmeleon was spotted, putting her out of commission as she spent all her energy recovering and healing herself. She hadn't been expecting to be attacked like that...

She now has a little pink bow just to prove she's not wild.
 
Alternatively, the Watchog family who provide most private security in town have a shooting range in their rather large back yard and occasionally provide lessons for a fee. They're a bit curt, but not hostile.

Doc Drungfield is regarded as the best marksmon in town and can put a bullet in a living thing from half a mile away with her hunting rifle. She's also a deadeye with a revolver, and a dab paw with uncanny projectiles. She doesn't give lessons. Not normally, anyway...
Knowing this, upon returning from Blaguarro, she visited Drungfield to get bandaged up from her attack. During the appointment, she bluntly asks if Drungfield would consider training her to use the derringer. She explains that she was a gun weilder in her old world, but has never held a derringer before. She wants to learn so she can fight back against another shadow ‘mon that might come for her or someone else’s ass again (knowing it might not do anything but just to have the option for a moment of protection to perhaps get away).

In the event Drungfield said no or redirected her, she made a plan to go to the Watchog family and take their training as is.

After the drapion attack, she goes to Greasewood and speaks to him about moving into Sun Stone as a resident.
 
Since the meeting, Isidora began taking her self-training more seriously. Having previously avoided them, she begins taking bounties from the bulletin board. Out of curiosity and looking for a better way to keep training, she also searches town to see if it happens to have some kind of training hall, or other facility that organizes and mediates practice battles between civilians.

With some new questions in her head, Isidora returns to the Sand Veil Archives for another research session. She looks into the following:
  • She searches for material on the earliest accounts of civilization on Forlas.
  • Curious about the organization, she looks into the Ranger Union. Specifically, she wants more clarity on their history and the way they fit into the Forlasan way of life (what they do, their reach, their jurisdiction and relation to the government, how others feel about them, etc.)
  • The way Dave had described 'Radiance' back at the meeting almost made it sound like magic. And so, she asks the librarian Tlalli about it, hoping to learn what the archive had to offer on the subject.
 
After his chat with Kimiko, Wes asks Betel to pass along everything he and Archie learned about and from the Wolf to the rest of the team.

He also visits the Sand Veil Archives to try to learn more about Radiance. While he’s there, out of sheer curiosity, he researches this world’s constellations and their lore, as well.
 
In the aftermath of the Haus attack, Steven offers up most of his savings to the Maus to help pay for the repairs. It was his room, after all. In the meantime, he takes Koa up on his offer to share a room at the Haus. Despite the reassurance of a roommate, he doesn't sleep well.

During the day, Steven spends most of his time around the Outskirts and the Sanctum of Wishes, splitting his time between trying to regain his strength and attempting to practice mindfulness to try to unlock some of the latent psychic powers he knows beldum possess. Losing his ability to levitate after the shadow attack left him rattled, and he doesn't want to be left helpless like that again. Gaining more psychic strength would go a long way to reassuring him he isn't a liability to the group. However, his current mental state isn't making things easy.

As he promised Ridley, he makes a flyer and hangs it in the lobby of the Haus advertising small group training sessions. When he finally catches a good night's sleep, he'll host sessions for those who are interested.
Willing to social scene these with small groups for anyone who wants to practice their battle flavor writing!
 
After their first attempt was sidelined, Koa is determined to see if there’s any hope for the wild Drapion.

He begins by going to the library to research everything he can about feral pokemon and Drapion, especially the following:
- Anything about how to read their mannerisms
- Elektrike mannerisms and behaviours and their corresponding meanings
- Anything about wild pokemon and feral pokemon etiquette in this world
- Favorite foods of Drapion
- Any accounts of encounters with ferals and the outcomes
- Anything Drapion are known to dislike or fear

He also speaks to the librarian as well, both to find if she knows any books and has advice about approaching ferals.

Then he pays a trip to the store to purchase some items, particularly for healing both health and poison and and protect orb to shield himself, and any foods that he learns Drapion would enjoy.

If there's rangers nearby around town he'll also ask them about handling ferals.

(Will have to wait on these results before I try to make a second post)
 
During his next training session, Nova asks Mewtwo a few questions. Namely...

1) If literally "opening his heart" to a shadow 'mon through battle could help to calm them.
2) If this special bond he's working on growing can amplify the strength of one's heart in a battle.
3) If standing tall and fighting past fear can help him resist shadows.

His last question is more personal and asked after some significant hesitation. "You say I should make this power I'm stuck with my own. But it's practically like an inner daemon to me. So, should I try to somehow embrace that daemon?"
 
1) If literally "opening his heart" to a shadow 'mon through battle could help to calm them.

Mewtwo says that depending on how far gone a Pokemon may be to this 'Shadow' state, a combination of battle and bonds may cure them, or at least make them lucid enough to no longer be hostile.

2) If this special bond he's working on growing can amplify the strength of one's heart in a battle.

Mewtwo is confident that the power of friendship can combat the corrosive power of Shadows, even in the heat of battle. Perhaps thinking about allies or calling out to them may help if they are ever lost in the throes of darkness...

3) If standing tall and fighting past fear can help him resist shadows.

Mewtwo isn't sure how well fighting this new darkness would be while already immersed in it. Perhaps it may help if they are aware of it. But from what Mewtwo heard, some of them are barely thinking anymore...

You say I should make this power I'm stuck with my own. But it's practically like an inner daemon to me. So, should I try to somehow embrace that daemon?

To this, Mewtwo seems more serious and speaks at length about an old ally who was very much a demon in his own right. He explained that an untamed daemon, as he describes it, is one that needs to be harnessed and directed. Not to embrace the daemon, but to control and lead it, rather than be claimed by it. Nova is in control now; he can take advantage of that.
 
Last edited:
After the discoveries from the Murkrow, Ghaspius tries to take some initiative that evening and informs Betel to relay the following message to all other Wayfarers:
A Houndoom scout from Escarpa will arrive at dawn to destroy the rail. The Murkrow say it's to stop the shadows from Blaguarro, but Frontier Town may be wrecked in the ensuing battle.

He also reaches out to Drungfield as soon as he can to ask her to prepare medical supplies, and that there may be large-scale violence coming soon. "An informant from Escarpa" tipped him off as such. He even attempts to pull an all-nighter if he has to just to get to her in time.
 
A Houndoom scout from Escarpa will arrive at dawn to destroy the rail. The Murkrow say it's to stop the shadows from Blaguarro, but Frontier Town may be wrecked in the ensuing battle.
When word of this reaches Gladion he’ll contribute that Valere warned them of the railway being a likely tool for the Coven to spread their influence, and that it might work out best for everyone— save any wannabe railway barons— if the damage were to be contained from spreading and completed as swiftly as possible, rather than prevented.
 
At some point Rodion visits the library to look up information on the following:

1. General information on the Obstine Abbey
2. What to expect when traveling across the Obstinea range, if there's any trails commonly used, and if there’s anything in particular to look out for
3. What settlements are located west of the Obstinea range (he’d keep an eye out in particular for anything that matches up with what Sonora told him)

Whenever Rodion happens to speak to one of the other Wayfarers, he'll tell them about the trip he's planning on taking with Lyle and Silver to the Obstine Abbey and the settlements west of the Obstinea range. He'd mention they're welcome to join if they like, due to the abbey being a great place to learn more about Radiance.

Rodion also informs Sonora and the rest of Las Picaras about his plans and that he'll be leaving town for a while, and asks in a half joking manner if they wanna come with. He is not really expecting them to actually join, but he offers the invite anyway since he considers them friends and they remind him a little of his own crew back home.
 
Last edited:
Lyle serves notice to the glassblower he's apprenticing with that he'll be taking a leave in the future. Much like Rodion, when he happens to talk to one of the other Wayfarers he asks them if they would be interested in tagging along for an excursion off towards the Abbey and potentially the settlements west of the Obstinea range.
 
Determined to find out more about Radiance by checking out the Obstine Abbey and weighed down by the knowledge that the Wayfarers’ innermost darkness was flowing freely and unchecked in everyone’s spirits, Silver intensified his studies to better understand the interactions between darkness and light.

As such, he checked out all nearby libraries to find the answers to a few specific questions:

Silver’s Scrap Notes said:
□ How long does it take to reach the Obstine Abbey? Days? Weeks? I’ll need to bring enough fish jerky and healing berries for a roundtrip journey. (Knowing how forgetful some folks can be, I’d better bring some extra supplies. Just in case.)

□ Do the monks living in Obstine Abbey follow some customs or traditions? Maybe we need to bring some kind of offering or learn some prayers to appease the patron?

□ About the patron. Is there anything we need to keep in mind to not accidentally disrespect the deity?
The last thing we need is having some enraged god hunting our arses.

□ What is the correlation between Shadow and Radiance? Did this world face a similar crisis in the past? How did it end?

□ Is Shadow really fueled by negative emotions, or is there more to that? Similarly, is Radiance fueled by good emotions?

Once he gathered all the information he could find, Silver left a note to the Maus: Any Wayfarer who was planning to check out the abbey was more than welcome to join the expedition.

But there was one last thing he needed to do before the journey.

Recalling what he witnessed during the meeting with Lucien, Silver decided to drop by Steven’s place and leave a few shards of garnet he found while practicing his Rock Smash. Gems that were meant to help restore emotional balance, and hopefully they could lift somewhat the champion’s spirits.

At least, the young boy could finally make good use of the various geology lessons he got from his father…
 
After their first attempt was sidelined, Koa is determined to see if there’s any hope for the wild Drapion.

He begins by going to the library to research everything he can about feral pokemon and Drapion, especially the following:
- Anything about how to read their mannerisms
- Elektrike mannerisms and behaviours and their corresponding meanings
- Anything about wild pokemon and feral pokemon etiquette in this world
- Favorite foods of Drapion
- Any accounts of encounters with ferals and the outcomes
- Anything Drapion are known to dislike or fear

[...]

Then he pays a trip to the store to purchase some items, particularly for healing both health and poison and and protect orb to shield himself, and any foods that he learns Drapion would enjoy.

Through Koa's research, he uncovers the following:
- Drapion are not afraid to demonstrate its size and will seize any opportunity to prove itself dominant. Clicking of mandibles is part of this intimidation display.
- Electrike are dogs.
- Though it tends to differ between species, feral pokémon will tend towards respecting territory of any dominant individual which involves giving them ample space. This is important in dealing with aggressive species lest anyone coming across them receive an unpleasant outcome...
- Though carnivorous, with a preference for insectoid pokémon.
- Flashing lights is enough to disorient a skorupi and drapion, thus they often try to avoid it.

It takes a few tries - some need to be aborted before they can probably begin - but, through all his efforts to study and reach out to it, Drapion has grown to tolerate Koa's presence making it less likely to attack him.
 
While everyone was fighting Seth, Grace had been training hard. If she wanted to avoid getting mauled again, she had to get stronger!

She trained and trained until she passed out, only to find herself in that same, strange dream as everyone else. She learned a lot from that!

When she woke up, she was filled with a new determination, and the ability to float— she now had wings!

Grace was very pleased to be a Togetic again. Hopefully now she would be of more use to the team...
 
she bluntly asks if Drungfield would consider training her to use the derringer. She explains that she was a gun weilder in her old world, but has never held a derringer before. She wants to learn so she can fight back against another shadow ‘mon that might come for her or someone else’s ass again (knowing it might not do anything but just to have the option for a moment of protection to perhaps get away).

In the event Drungfield said no or redirected her, she made a plan to go to the Watchog family and take their training as is.

Drungfield is considerably reluctant to teach anyone to use a firearm for self-defense, but the matter of Shadow 'mon puts her on the fence about it. She agrees to teach Odette on the condition that she swears never to draw the weapon in anger or use it to threaten another 'mon.

she goes to Greasewood and speaks to him about moving into Sun Stone as a resident.

Greasewood is willing to let one of the less flashy Sun Stone rooms at a reasonable rate. It has its own modest bathroom!

Isidora began taking her self-training more seriously. Having previously avoided them, she begins taking bounties from the bulletin board. Out of curiosity and looking for a better way to keep training, she also searches town to see if it happens to have some kind of training hall, or other facility that organizes and mediates practice battles between civilians.

Frontier Town has no training hall as such, and it appears Commonwealth culture disdains recreational or practice battling for the most part. Civilised 'mon duel over honour, and enlisted troops train to fight, but ordinary people just don't do that sort of thing, apparently.

"Trainin'? Like, fer battle? What, like a goddarn feral?"

"If you need a second in a duel, I'm told the acting mayor can handle himself. No? Well, that's no interest of mine."

"Fighting practice? Now, what on earth would you want to do that for? You're not a clanner... are you?"


However, several of the other Soja' cultures such as the Wardens and Escarpa, and the Soja' Rangers, do practice for battle. In addition, Frontier Town's saloons are frequented from time to time by bounty hunters and the like who do need to keep their skills fresh and might care to make a little extra coin on the side for showing you a trick or two.

  • She searches for material on the earliest accounts of civilization on Forlas.

Most history books that cover ancient antiquity credit Akkairos in the old world – the continent across the ocean – with being the cradle of civilisation. Reading between the lines, it seems that it was not the first culture to exist, but it is the oldest one of high status that is well-documented by Luctemarene scholars. Tsainan is occasionally admitted to be possibly even older.

Much of the material is quite dry and fixated on the 'Great Persons' of history, or on elements of Akkairosian culture that influenced modern Luctemar, such as their tradition of representative government, their pantheon of gods and saints, and so on.

Isidora may note that in ancient times, it is said that gods more readily walked among mortals, and even governed them.

  • Curious about the organization, she looks into the Ranger Union. Specifically, she wants more clarity on their history and the way they fit into the Forlasan way of life (what they do, their reach, their jurisdiction and relation to the government, how others feel about them, etc.)

Let me know if there's anything we didn't cover in our scene.

  • The way Dave had described 'Radiance' back at the meeting almost made it sound like magic. And so, she asks the librarian Tlalli about it, hoping to learn what the archive had to offer on the subject.

Radiance as a concept is very poorly documented, but Isidora may find myths and legends describing Saints and angels using brilliant light to defeat demons. In particular, there are some allusions here and there to 'the Sun' being a source of this same power of light. It's definitely a proper noun – an individual, not the sun itself.

Ridley spends time researching anything he can learn about Radiance.

We've covered a lot about Radiance in scenes since you asked this. Is there anything more specific?

He also visits the Sand Veil Archives to try to learn more about Radiance. While he’s there, out of sheer curiosity, he researches this world’s constellations and their lore, as well.

Ditto the above for Radiance.

I'm afraid I don't have any constellation lore off the top of my head but would welcome contributions to that part of worldbuilding~

Steven offers up most of his savings to the Maus to help pay for the repairs.

Through gestures and pointed proffering of documents, the maus make it clear that this is not necessary. They have insurance! They refuse to take his money.

- Elektrike mannerisms and behaviours and their corresponding meanings

Koa is puppy.

If there's rangers nearby around town he'll also ask them about handling ferals.

I expect you'll get a chance to ask them about it on the ranger expedition, should you attend.

He also reaches out to Drungfield as soon as he can to ask her to prepare medical supplies, and that there may be large-scale violence coming soon. "An informant from Escarpa" tipped him off as such. He even attempts to pull an all-nighter if he has to just to get to her in time.

"Oh, the saints do send me work to keep my paws busy..."

Rodion visits the library to look up information on the following:

1. General information on the Obstine Abbey
2. What to expect when traveling across the Obstinea range, if there's any trails commonly used, and if there’s anything in particular to look out for
3. What settlements are located west of the Obstinea range (he’d keep an eye out in particular for anything that matches up with what Sonora told him)

Obstine Abbey is a historical site home to a monastic order that live an ascetic lifestyle of meditation and good works. They supply settlements on both sides of the Obstinea range with products from their apiaries and gardens, but are otherwise fairly secluded. They welcome travellers and provide shelter and food out of charity. The monastery is several centuries old at least.

There is one particular trail used between the Soja' and the west coast. It is an extremely primitive road trod by few travellers per season, but relatively safe as these things go.

The west coast is well-settled by different tribes, and there are dozens of small towns in the region. The closest thing to a true city is the raft-town of Pearl Confluence, the 'capital' or meetingplace of the Nacre Confederacy, the alliance of coastal tribes.

Rodion also informs Sonora and the rest of Las Picaras about his plans and that he'll be leaving town for a while, and asks in a half joking manner if they wanna come with.

"Hike halfway up to the sky just to meet some holy folks in robes? Nah, that ain't fer me, partner! Y'all have fun, though."

As such, he checked out all nearby libraries to find the answers to a few specific questions:

□ How long does it take to reach the Obstine Abbey? Days? Weeks? I’ll need to bring enough fish jerky and healing berries for a roundtrip journey. (Knowing how forgetful some folks can be, I’d better bring some extra supplies. Just in case.)

□ Do the monks living in Obstine Abbey follow some customs or traditions? Maybe we need to bring some kind of offering or learn some prayers to appease the patron?

□ About the patron. Is there anything we need to keep in mind to not accidentally disrespect the deity?
The last thing we need is having some enraged god hunting our arses.

□ What is the correlation between Shadow and Radiance? Did this world face a similar crisis in the past? How did it end?

□ Is Shadow really fueled by negative emotions, or is there more to that? Similarly, is Radiance fueled by good emotions?
Once he gathered all the information he could find, Silver left a note to the Maus: Any Wayfarer who was planning to check out the abbey was more than welcome to join the expedition.

It takes a few days at a good pace for swift travellers who can make use of hastening dungeon items or some form of transport, if they aren't adequately swift themselves. Civilians on foot might expect to take about a week.

The monks have various customs and traditions, but visitors are not expected to know or abide by them for the most part. (Of course one ought to be cleanly and polite all the same!) Gifts are not expected, but may be welcome depending on what is offered.

The monks don't revere any one deity per se, and don't appear to be religious as westerners from our Earth would expect. They don't have much of a concept of blasphemy, or of offending a god by speaking ill of them. It seems the Obstine monks value humility, however. Their preferred saints are apparently obscure to Sojavenan folks.

Your other questions are best answered in the natural course of time.
 
[Ch04] ~ Offscreen Activities
Laura has been discussing Commonwealth-Escarpa relations with Lucien and hopes to do something to improve the situation. It's a daunting task to contemplate alone...



Betel has developed a sudden bout of confidence and assertiveness, and has begun issuing Objectives to the Wayfarers outside of battle.

[ ] Campaign Objective: Locate the Wandering Light, Zeraora Luz.
[ ] Campaign Objective: Establish additional Mystery Dungeon anchor points. (0/2)

They are also nearly strong enough to create a telepathic communications network between the whole party...
 
Nova hands Fein's body over the coroner's office, explaining that the zoroark is the Wolf's real identity and that he and a few other Wayfarers will be meeting with Lucien shortly to discuss the matter further. He simply asks for some sort of written proof that he'd brought the body here, at least until he could meet with Lucien.
 
Back
Top Bottom