Ranger HQ Ranger Union HQ

[Shadow Serenity]

"I research all kinds of dungeons,"

The white deer revealed a lot of interesting information in so few words. The excitable electrike beside her (...Koa?) proposed a slew of his own questions, including the one that Kimiko would have asked herself; what kind of being the Purifying Spirit was. For some reason, that word 'purifying' stuck out to her, although she wasn't immediately sure why.

With Koa handling that, Kimiko had a different question. She'd already mentioned she was new to this, so she hoped it didn't come off as too naive. "That does sound intriguing! What other kinds of dungeons are there?"

There is always at least one Escarpa Ranger. Sometimes many more – not so many now."

Well, that much shouldn't be a surprise, given the Escarpa's history. And although she hated to admit it, it probably also made sense that there were only a small number of them among the Rangers right now, given their feelings on the current status of the world and their place in it. "You all must have good relations. It's always comforting to know you have allies you can fall back on." And she meant that going both ways.

 

[Inkedust]

Sybil couldn't help but smile at Koa's excitement. "Divine Dungeons are incredibly rare, I doubt there are more than fifty in existence, so finding one is nothing short of incredible; the winds have blessed me with such luck to have one so nearby. Each Divine Dungeon has its own unique properties based on the Relic lying at its heart although there have been no accounts of a Saint appearing if there is a Relic."

To Kimiko, Sybil nodded. "Naturally!" The orbs in her antlers shone for a moment and a scroll depicting several diagrams and sketches of dungeon-like environments was rolled out for everyone to see. At this point, the other Rangers would realise that Sybil had once again, found an excuse to go on another long tangent about dungeons, whether they liked it or not.

"There are five kinds of dungeons that are currently known to us," she began, tapping a hoof on the scroll. "Natural, Divine, False, Ruinous and Enigma. Natural dungeons are your typical dungeon and the most common, if you've been in any dungeons so far, chances are it was a Natural one; False dungeons are places where distortions are so minor or so faded that it hardly counts as a dungeon at all outside of the odd sensation of being within alongside a bit of gold or dust; Ruinous are highly dangerous and are formed from tragedy or disaster. Never, under any circumstance, enter one." Sybil's tone grew deathly serious for a moment before it returned to its usual, excited state. "Enigmas are by far the most malleable, completely shifting to bring out anything buried in a delver's heart out to the forefront. Or if it has a sense of fun - some dungeons have spirits, you see, like our very own HQ - may opt for simple brainteasers instead.

"And finally, we have the Divine, which I am sure you have heard enough about at this point. Speaking of which—"

She continued, "The Purifying Spirit itself was said to be capable of healing any wound whether it be physical or spiritual and vibrant forests would appear wherever it went. Alongside this, the spirit appeared to have had some kind of dominion over time based on the behaviour of its domain, the Timeless Oasis. See, it appears and disappears at regular intervals and my research points to the Oasis reappearing on the 15th this month. Once it does, I will be making my own expedition through it although, I would not mind a helping hand or several. Perhaps you would care to join me?"

 

[Namohysip]

Purple listened to the lecture with fascination in his eyes and clean air running through his ears. He didn't understand a goddamned word, but he liked the way she talked.

 

[Tetra]

The entire time Sybil spoke, Koa was practically a statue, completely enraptured by her words. He furiously tried to make as many mental notes as he could, reciting the information to himself, making a note to stay far away from Enigma dungeons, and searing everything she said about divine dungeons into his mind.

Timeless Oasis. Not going to visit the abbey still lingered, but now that she spoke of a Purifying Spirit. Desperation and excitement fear gripped him. He needed to go. It was the only way.

"I would love to!" he blurted, eyes wide as he gazed at her. Quickly composing himself, he continued. "It sounds rather familiar to a being I know of from my world, and perhaps the spirit may be able to help m-us as well." That, and the idea of exploring a legendary's dungeon was not one he could pass up. He wondered if he could ask Archie to come with him. "It would be my pleasure."

 

[Phoenixsong]

"I'd love to help explore the Oasis, too!" Leaf chimed in, looking eagerly between Sybil and Koa. Hadn't even been here five minutes and already she was so eager to see more she could almost forget she was exhausted. (Almost.) There really were multiple dungeons out there you could interact with, maybe even talk with, and then on top of that there were dungeons that could be made or controlled by legendaries themselves? "Do you know anyone who's met the Purifying Spirit before?"

 

[Jackie Cat]

"Well, you guys can listen to Sybil here, or you can turn in for the night in the civilian lodgings," said Nico, preening himself a little. He sounded as if everyone who turned up at HQ got an expository seminar from Sybil and he'd developed a routine response to it.

Cascada smiled with serene composure. "Make yourselves at home. Tomorrow you can speak to Chief Ayda, train, get to know some rangers, or whatever you please. If you need assistance, Sinopa will know."

 

[Shadow Serenity]

Alongside this, the spirit appeared to have had some kind of dominion over time based on the behaviour of its domain, the Timeless Oasis. See, it appears and disappears at regular intervals and my research points to the Oasis reappearing on the 15th this month. Once it does, I will be making my own expedition through it although, I would not mind a helping hand or several. Perhaps you would care to join me?"

A deity with the ability to heal, and a tangential control over time? Kimiko felt, for some reason, like she should know the Saint that this was referencing. A hunch, a gut instinct. Perfectly possible she was wrong, but even if she wasn't... the relevance of why was still lost on her. Maybe a bit of exploration would bring that answer. "Color me interested! I'll be happy to assist."

The notion of Ruinous-type dungeons also lodged itself in her head. They were all interesting in their own way, but she'd had enough tragedy and disaster for one lifetime; she didn't really need a dungeon founded on one in her life. (In some ways, it almost gave new meaning to calling it a 'dungeon'. She shivered.)

"Make yourselves at home. Tomorrow you can speak to Chief Ayda, train, get to know some rangers, or whatever you please. If you need assistance, Sinopa will know."

She turned the braviary. "Thank you. Is it... possible to speak with Sinopa?"

She'd be happy to spend the next day or so training with, and learning from, the rangers. But also, the thought of helping Betel build their communication network lingered in her mind. If this dungeon had a... personality, so to speak, in addition to a heart, well... it made sense to try to negotiate rather than rip the heart out and drag it to the entrance, or whatever the group from Silver Ravine had done. She also couldn't help but wonder if maybe having a direct connection between Betel and Sinopa might be important, or useful. Being able to alert the rangers at a moment's notice to a threat sure sounded like an advantage, should that be possible to set up.

 

[JFought]

Isidora couldn't help smiling at Sybil's passion, sympathizing all too well. She's a researcher all right. "Guess I know who to ask if I have any questions about mystery dungeons." She was a bit less sure about the offer to go to some random dungeon, but it was something to consider.

As for Nidoran, she felt a little out of the loop; she'd have to ask about him later. She kept her lips closed and shuddered as she yawned through her nose. Then stood up and acknowledged Cascada. "I'm ready to crash. But what do ya mean by Sinopa'll know? Can she read minds or somethin'?"

 

[Inkedust]

"Wonderful!" Sybil exclaimed. "I can lead you to the place on the day. Due to the specific nature of the Timeless Oasis, we are best to arrive as soon as the dungeon appears, which means leaving as early as possible - it's a bit of a walk from here, you see. You do not mind staying here at the HQ in the meantime, do you?"

 

[Jackie Cat]

The Braviary grinned beakishly at Isidora. "If she can, I don't know about it. But she's the spirit of the rift – she's aware of everything that happens in the pueblos." Then, glancing at Kimiko, "If you need anything, just call for her."

She nodded respectfully to the Wayfarers and her fellow Rangers, and stretched out her wings.

"I'll be in the Crow's Nest. My watch lasts a while longer."

And with that, Cascada took to the air with a rush of downdraft, ascending to return to the lookout tower.

 

[Tetra]

Koa blinked, snapping out of his thoughts and fixation on the idea of the divine dungeon. "I don't mind at all!" He glanced around at the rest of their group, hesitating for a moment. "I think we'd all like to stay for a bit."

A divine dungeon. He needed to see Archie soon, before they went... "Thank you for your time, we're looking forward to getting to know more of you." He turned his gaze to his teammates with a questioning look. "Do you want to rest and get some food?"

After waiting a moment, he headed in the direction of where he was pretty sure the lodgings were supposed to be, realizing only now just how tired he was.

 

[Jackie Cat]

"I know I need some!" Nico chuckled, and walked towards one of the doorways into the HQ interior, his webbed feet slapping on the plaza's stone tiling.

"Alright, guys – well done to the lot of you, and welcome to Headquarters! Just, uh, wander about, y'know? "You'll find what you're looking for pretty much immediately no matter which direction you go. One of the quirks of this place!"

And with that, the Wayfarers' welcome concluded, and they wandered into one of the pueblos to find a place to lay their heads...

<><><><><>​

 

[Inkedust]

Ever since the retrieval of the Relic of Timeless Oasis, Sybil had been hard at work in her study doing everything in her power to make heads or tails of it. With the Relic rendered inert in the expedition's aftermath, progress had been slow but steady.

Until today.

Sybil made no effort to mask her excitement as she waited for the Wayfarers to filter into her workshop. It was a small room, cramped for even the small group that came along. Piles of books, scrolls and all other knickknacks outlined the perimeter, topped off by a modest work desk bearing many stains from past research endeavours. At a glance, it was easy to tell that the desk had been hastily cleared to make room for the Relic which sat gently atop a small pile of notes. Beside the desk was an odd object, far longer than it was wide, bound tightly in wrapping paper. The paper was heavily dusted and on it was barely legible text that read PRESERVE WITH D-DUST.

The wyrdeer didn't seem to pay it much mind, she sat down, watching the door and when she saw the first Wayfarer through the frame, exclaimed, "Ah! You finally came! Come on! Come on in! There is much to speak about."

 

[Panoramic_Vacuum]

"When I got your summons, I came as quickly as I could," said Steven, offering Sybil a polite bow as he entered her workshop. He couldn't hide his eager glance towards where the Relic rested on her desk.

Before he got too caught up in the excitement, he looked back at Sybil with a quiet hum. "I'm glad to see you're unharmed after the incident with Alexander," he added. "I heard from the others what happened. I'm sorry that you were dragged into this mess with him."

"Perhaps, though, that makes your breakthrough all the more pressing. An object rumored to be able to cure shadows?" He brought a claw to his chin, sparing another glance at the Relic with eyes that betrayed his fascination. "I cannot wait to hear what you've learned."

 

[Tetra]

Koa did his best to temper his hopes as he made his way to Sybil's workshop. No sense in getting excited for something that might not happen yet. He waved to Steven as he entered.

"Hi Sybil! How are you?" he said amicably as he entered. At least it was a chance to catch up with Sybil under better circumstances. He glanced curiously around her workshop, his gaze first lighting hesitantly on the Relic Stone. No horrible sickness this time at least, it seemed. Then he glanced at the wrapped object. "What's D-Dust?"

 

[Namohysip]

Mhynt made quick work of getting here after her talk with Koa. Whatever happened then, she was back to her neutral self in public. Business, the mission; that always came first, no matter what.

"I trust you haven't been attacked or saw anything else suspicious while studying?" she said. "With the attacks coming suddenly, we can't be too careful."

 

[Weazel]

Archie approached Sybil’s study with some amount of trepidation, expecting the sickness that had incapacitated him for basically the entirety of their escape from the dungeon to come roaring back at any second. Thankfully, for the moment at least, his fortitude held out, and the Dewott was able to make his way into the Wyrdeer’s study without noteworthy hardship. He found Steven, Koa, and Mhynt already there when he arrived, which made sense, they had also been on the expedition. They were the ones with the most invested in this Saint-Associated Rock, especially the Dewott and Electrike.

He found himself hovering near the edges of the room, not approaching the others – or the relic – too closely. Part of it was that he blamed himself for not having been there to help in the fight against Alex. Even though, logically, him being there would’ve just given the Zweilous another vector to attack them through, like he had with Koa. That didn’t make not being there to protect his friends sting any less. So near the door he remained, listening to the others converse, but not joining in himself just yet.

 

[Inkedust]

"Very well, thank you!" she replied to Koa's greeting. "And no. No reports of any suspicious pokémon around the HQ, not to mention how well guarded Sinopa has kept this room while I studied." She was going to answer the small questions first before she moved on to the matter at hand, it seemed.

"Oh, short for 'Dungeon Dust'," Sybil explained to Koa. "As the name implies, it's found in dungeons and has many special properties such as insulating against attacks or preserving organic matter for just a little while longer. You just need to be careful to not stifle the aura before it dissipates completely."

She looked like she could go on for hours but there was a more exciting matter at hand, one that she turned to Steven with. "Of course," she began. "My research has led me to believe that the Relic most likely is a means of reversing the Shadowed state of pokémon although everything points to it being more a side-effect of its actual properties than its main draw." She gestured to the wrapped object. "Thanks to some brief, experimental interactions between my souvenir here and the Relic, I believe it has the capability to slow and accelerate aura and bodily processes which grants a rapid healing or stabilizing effect. In this instance, the Relic would be restoring a ruptured aura while also naturally repelling Shadow."

A quick flash of disappointment crossed her features. "That was as much as I was able to infer with what remaining power is in the Relic," she added. If there was a way of restoring its power..."

 

[Namohysip]

"I see... An accelerating effect to let the aura heal," Mhynt repeated, looking pensive about something. "But that means it would have little effect on something naturally stable with Shadows... would it not? Or does the Shadow-repellant effect override this?"

Or perhaps it would need more power to do so--perhaps a Radiant power?

 

[Panoramic_Vacuum]

Steven spared a moment to return Koa's wave with a nod of acknowledgement. The lingering thought that he owed the young trainer quite the explanation still weighed on his mind. He'd try to catch up with Koa afterward, but for now, Sybil's words buried his worries as quickly and thoroughly a rockslide.

"Ah, so it's true!" Steven exclaimed, leaning in towards the Relic as much as he dared while still respecting Sybil's workspace. "Remarkable."

"And timely as well. So many of the people that were rescued from Terminal Two are suffering from the effects of Shadow. It would be an incredible boon to be able to undo what Cipher has done to them." He drew back slightly, suddenly aware that he was likely getting ahead of himself, and offered a sheepish smile. "I realize we're not able to do so with the Relic in its current state, but the promise alone shines some hope on their fates."

"Although, I'm curious," he said, finally tearing his gaze from the Relic to the wrapped object on the desk next to it. "What sort of souvenir was able to test something like this?"