Precipice of Dust (Rising_Dusk | Deck_Knight | Terrador) (LABYRINTH ALPHA RUN)

[Rising_Dusk]

Ingram ponders for a moment. There's ample room for a massive conflict in this room that could feasibly defeat his entire team if not played correctly. Metagross are no trifle matter, and that Hippowdon would be a major pain too. Ingram decides to take the route of reason for now in order to both not disturb the Hippowdon and to try to glean some information as to the nature of this room.

Aerodactyl:
Do Nothing

Weavile:
Detect to try to find traps in the room

Lucario:
Communicate telepathically with Metagross to avoid waking up Hippowdon. Try to figure out how we can avoid aggravating it (Metagross) and the nature of the pedestal.

 

[Deck Knight]

"And the dungeon has an interior decorator, you say?"

Seems innocuous enough, but lets look around. Rook and Foggy Bottom, guard the entrance in case our friends come back.

Bishop, search the room with Extrasensory and see if there's anything of note in the walls.

Rook and Foggy Bottom: Stand Guard.

Bishop: Extrasensory ~ Give analysis

 

[Terrador]

I'm back from my week at bible camp, so I'm going to sort out what the situation of me being out of sight with Lou and give my orders once that's done.

 

[LouisCyphre]

You're off the map because you aren't active this round. Now that you're back, you will be placed back on the map the upcoming round (Opus carries you to wherever the rest of the group is).

 

[LouisCyphre]

♪♫ - FFVI [Celtic Moon] - Into the Darkness

For Deck Knight and Terrador

Bishop hesitates before attempting Extrasensory - if it could have drug its feet, it would have. After a moment; Bishop reports nothing out of the ordinary - the room appears to lack mechanisms or levers of that sort. There is, however, water running in the walls, floor, and ceiling; but the reading is indistinct and direction can't be determined. The ceiling has chutes that can be opened; they lead upwards to some unknown end.

Terrador awakes from his slumber; grumbling, he rubs his neck only to dislodge an object found stuck there - a needle. This is a less than a savory find; but at least its effects were merely debilitating instead of being more harmful.

For Rising_Dusk

Lucario's attempts to contact the Metagross are successful in that communication was established, but no further. The only information gathered was that the Klinklang were "vandals and pests" and that, for their disposal, the group would be free to come and go as they please - so long that no trouble was made, of course.

Weavile's report is alarming; the entire room is rigged like nothing he's ever seen before. All manner of traps, projectiles, pitfalls, gasses, and other hazards lie in wait in the walls and ceiling, waiting for deployment from some unknown trigger. Weavile seemed unable to trace the exact route of the mechanisms to their source, so jumbled as they where, but you have a gut feeling that you know who has the controls.

The Hippowdon snorts and turns a bit, tossing a bit of sand here or there - it is sleeping only lightly. The Metagross continues to stare, unblinking and rapidly shifting from you to each member of your team in turn. For a brief moment; the Metagross' attention is elsewhere entirely, but it soon shifts back to its cycle of watchfulness. At the very least, Terrador took the north route and not the west.

What do, Dusk?

_____________________________________________

Note to Keepers: The sheer length of a dungeon delve necessitates a different method of dealing with absenteeism, beyond disqualification. If it's a one-time thing, or only affects a round or two; simply leaving them idle is perfectly valid. I had an excuse ready to go (there's a trap for that), but you can use whatever reasoning seems fitting - getting lost, for example.

It's important to note, however, that an AWOL player can never find a solution to a problem, and their Pokémon can't take initiative - they may only follow the lead of others.

 

[Deck Knight]

"Water, water, everywhere, and not a drop to drink."

So this entire room is basically underwater, except it isn't. Now that Terrador's back from his slumber, he's a more helpful partner than Ingram. Too much RAGE.

Terrador, see if you can have Shao Detect what's up the chutes, and since there appears to be water all around, it'd be helpful if Celeste could feel it out. None of my Pokemon are that good at dealing with large amounts of water. Foggy Bottom is what you'd call a mud dweller.

All this water, especially in the ceiling and all these chutes can't be a good omen. After dealing with the last room the idea this one is entirely innocuous is a crock.

Await more information on the water in the walls and the purpose of the chutes. Leave mons to their own devices based on reports.

 

[Rising_Dusk]

Ingram wonders where to go from here. He needs to traverse this room, but he can't risk angering either the Hippowdon or the Metagross. There were many possibilities here, one of which particularly disturbed Ingram. What if the idea of safe passage was itself a trap and Metagross would spring on them unexpectedly? Certainly, Ingram and his Pokemon would have little to thwart such an attack. Still, he needs to press onward and would be best served by abiding the Metagross, so long as he doesn't interfere with exploration and eventual conquering of the dungeon.

Ingram nods to his Pokemon to carefully head along the northern wall of the room to the door and try it for opening. He doesn't yet know the motives of the Hippowdon, so Ingram assumes it is hostile and will attack when awaken. To that end, he nods to his Pokemon to be particularly deft of foot in maneuvering around it.

All Pokemon:
Maneuver to north door, Weavile Detect it for traps real quick, then try to open it if safe.

 

[Terrador]

"All right, time to get to work."

Terrador is worried by the information related by Deck Knight; surely the room would be a tremendous danger if not handled correctly. However, Shao's Detect would certainly make the job easier.

"Shao, you heard the man. Detect and find out about those chutes!"


Shao: Detect (Chutes; specifically how they are activated and how they may help or hinder us)

 

[LouisCyphre]

This post may very well need no edits!

♪♫ - SMT: Strange Journey - A Scorched Nation

For Rising_Dusk

You make your way, carefully, across the sandy floor. The sand gives quite easily, and you each time you put your foot down it sinks a few inches before stopping. As you cross to the other side; this becomes less pronounced as what is presumably a stone floor comes up underneath the sand to meet the frame of the door.

Weavile reports nothing suspicious; tentatively and still watching the Metagross, you open the door - or at least try too, it doesn't budge. Lucario, having made his way across the sand, also attempts to budge the door with no avail. You hear a click behind you; the Metagross flips a switch on the panel in front of it, and the stone doors silently glide out of your path. Nodding, you proceed into the next room - at least until Weavile stops you.

Stooping, he returns and hands you a small caltrop; coated in violet, it's slightly wet to the touch. Looking behind you, the Hippowdon has stopped stirring and is more soundly asleep The Metagross has tucked its legs in and also seems to be resting. The room ahead of you is lit up to the far wall, and there is another stone door barely visible at the edge of your light. The room is littered with caltrops akin to what Weavile brought to your attention, but it should be easy enough to sidestep them if you're cautious. Deck and Terrador could also be told about them, or you could take that time press further onward.

What do, Dusk?

For Deck_Knight and Terrador

Shao chuckles a bit; all of this concern over the chutes for no good reason. Upon opening them, they were found to lead a long ways up - possibly several hundred feet - and outside; allowing air and starlight into the room. The water being piped through the room and around the chutes chills the air, making it rather frigid by the time it's arrived in the room. The wind at the top of the mesa must be strong; echoes of it can be heard distorted and deepened by the chutes.

Bishop, on its own, has been checking the walls with Extrasensory. It seems disturbed by being surrounded by moving water, but less so now. It reports the pipes being very, very thick - two of them are the width of Rook. Whether that tells the sturdiness of their construction or the amount of water they're porting is lost on Bishop, however.

The Rampardos haven't returned yet; but it's been a while and they could be back at any time. This room seems to be their den, so they might not be too pleased with having unexpected guests. The room has been fully explored, as far as you can tell.

What do, trainers?

_____________________________________________

Note to Keepers: Notice how I've gotten in the habit of making the last paragraph of the flavor a general summary. Any prospective Keepers would do well to get in that habit as well; I've found that it helps the players make better decisions, and in general just keeps the game moving.

 

[Deck Knight]

"Better safe than sorry."

Alright, that's enough of this. Good to know there's a passage out to the top of this place. I don't know if anything is up there... but Rook is tough, the Rampardos didn't seem to want to mess with him earlier.

Bishop: If you can fit, go up the chutes and see if there's anything up top. Worst case scenario you should be able to Teleport back down here.

Rook, Foggy Bottom, stay here in formation. If we get our two visitors back, they might be more easily persuaded to let us go if we have some leverage.

Don't know what you want to do Terrador, I want to check out these chutes once more, if possible.

Bishop: If possible, ascend the chute and check up the topside of the mesa.

Rook and Foggy Bottom: Stay in formation and prepare in case you need to defend. Don't attack in haste.

 

[Rising_Dusk]

Ingram muses to himself. Does he actually care enough about the other trainers to warn them? He looks over his shoulder, but returns his gaze forward, adamant in not wasting time. He figures they can take care of themselves if they want to make it through this place alive. Ingram motions to his teammates to take care to avoid the toxic spikes with their deft footsteps, but to wait a bit and give Aerodactyl room to take action. Ingram looks at Aerodactyl and points at the far door; his immunity to the Toxic Spikes would make him the easy one to examine the room without fear of additional traps springing. As Aerodactyl began his actions, Ingram sighed and decided to have Lucario seek out the aura of his allies and warn them about what has transpired so far and the rooms that Ingram's encountered.

Weavile:
Wait

Lucario:
Telepathically communicate what has transpired to allies

Aerodactyl:
Cross room carefully and Detect the just barely visible door for traps

 

[Terrador]

"To be fair, Deck_Knight, I don't want to fight a beast like that if I don't have to. You're really doing all that can be done here; I'll follow Ingram."

For fear of inciting Ingram's temper, Terrador refrained from mentioning that he worried for his comrade - it's not as if Ingram's trio was in the best of shape, whereas his own were practically in peak condition. After a moment of consideration, he decides to have Opus carry himself and Shao over the Toxic Spikes. Terrador spoke of his plans to his team, then Ingram over the radio.

"Opus, I want you to carry Shao and myself over to the room that Ingram is exploring. Celeste, you can Levitate and follow us. Everyone, be sure to avoid waking Metagross and Hippowdon!"

"Ingram, heading in your direction, and will be there shortly. Over."

Shao: Hop on Opus' back ~ nothing
Opus: Wait ~ Fly over to the entrance of the room Ingram is exploring (take care to avoid waking Metagross and Hippowdon)
Celeste: Levitate ~ Follow Opus (take care to avoid waking Metagross and Hippowdon)
Me: Hop on Opus' back ~ WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE (silent)

 

[LouisCyphre]

In this post: terrador is badtouched

♪♫ - FFTA - The Road We Both Aim For

For Terrador

You decide to vacate the room while you can; Deck seems to have things under control and you'd prefer to be there to cover a teammate with weakened Pokémon. You turn south and round the bend in haste; hoping to make up for lost ground. You slow down as you approach the sand room, hoping not to wake the sleeping Hippowdon or Metagross. However; when you reach that room, neither of them are sleeping.

The Metagross moves to the control panel; the Hippowdon, however, moves towards you with alarming speed; as if the sand where so much air to it. It rises from the sand - blasting everything in the vicinity with a wicked duststorm - and attacks with jowls of frost, which Opus does not enjoy.

Pulling a lever; the Metagross closes the doors behind you; leaving you sealed in with the Hippowdon - whether it's to trap you or the Hippowdon, you can't tell. Either way, the Hippowdon continues its assault on Opus, whose sole effort is to keep the Hippowdon off of his trainer. Frozen and in deep pain; Opus won't last much longer under this assault. Now; however, the Hippowdon is on the surface of the sand and will not get nearly the same rapidity of attack; meaning you stand a chance to fight back.

Give battle commands, Terrador.

For Rising_Dusk (I had to rewrite this from memory due to accidental F5; bear with me)

Lucario contacts Deck with information regarding the Hippowdon and the Metagross after grumbling about simply using your radio. Terrador, however, is already on the move; it's impossible for Lucario to establish communication. Just as you give in and reach for your radio, Terrador springs into view just as the doors to the previous room slam shut - the last thing you see is the Hippowdon making a mad rush for him.

Weavile; in the meanwhile; is ripping at the door - gears, levers, and other mechanical paraphernalia are scattered across the floor among the spikes. The door opens easily; and although the triggers all spring, nothing of note occurs - the traps seem to have been successfully neutered. The room ahead is shrouded in darkness, but simply reeks of salt and water.

What do, Dusk?

For Deck Knight

Terrador runs off to catch up with Ingram; no matter. This room still begs further exploration, and those chutes in particular attract your attention. Unfortunately, Bishop is far too wide in the head to fit up them properly - instead, it levitates Foggy up there with Telekinesis to illuminate one on the way up. Unfortunately, running it all the up and down reveals nothing more than cold stone sides. It does, however, frighten Foggy a good deal.

The Rampardos haven't yet returned; but the sound of grating stone down the hallway tells you that they could be on their way momentarily. You'd best be ready for them; or at least make sure it IS them - perhaps you can get by without a fight?

What do, Deck?

_____________________________________________

Terrador's Calculations

Terrador is surprised and may act starting next round.

Round 1

Hippowdon's Sand Stream whipped up a sandstorm!
10%

Metagross idles.

Hippowdon used Ice Fang on Opus!
Hit (9500:10000) = 8196 yes
Crit (625:10000) = 895 no
Freeze (1000:10000) = 7894 no
Flinch (1000:10000) = 6275 no
(7 + 3) * 1.5 = 15 damage
5 Energy

Opus, Celeste, and Shao are buffeted by the Sandstorm! (-2 HP)

Round 2

Metagross closed the gates!

Hippowdon used Ice Fang on Opus!
Hit (9500:10000) = 5340 yes
Crit (625:10000) = 528 yes
Freeze (1000:10000) = 865 yes
Flinch (1000:10000) = 1523 no
(7 + 3 + 3) * 1.5 = 19.5 ~ 20 damage
Opus was frozen solid!
Deep Freeze (5000:10000) = 4437 yes
Opus is frozen for two actions.
9 Energy

Opus, Celeste, and Shao are buffeted by the Sandstorm! (-2 HP)

NPCs

|

Metagross|Hippowdon
Quiet|Adamant
??? HP|110 / 110 HP
??? En|76% En
5|5
5|4
4|2
3|3
61|47
4 Movement|3 Movement
Occa Berry|Lum Berry​

_____________________________________________

Note to Keepers: With the posse split up; I can keep each player's battle calculations separate. Not only are their fights seperate, now only Terrador has to give actions in battle format. It helps keep all three players distinct.

 

[Rising_Dusk]

Ingram looks down at his radio and chuckles aloud. "Sorry, Lucario, forgot I had this thing." He then reminisces on how his favorite trainer has decided to wake back up and charge headlong into the room without so much as a well-placed thought as to what he had been told. Ingram sighs. With the door sealed behind them, he would be forced to face the two Pokemon on his own. Ingram shrugs. If he survives, at the least it'll prove that he's worth Ingram's time in this dungeon.

Ingram turns forward to the door that Weavile has just hacked open with his trickery. "Good job, my friend. We move forward... Cautiously, as ever."

Move into next room cautiously, with all 3 Pokemon using Detect on anything suspicious that they encounter.

 

[Deck Knight]

"Just happy there aren't explosions."

Alright, I don't want to play Goldilocks with the Rampardos acting as the bears in the bedroom, so lets head over to where Ingram rushed a while ago. We'll depart for the south, then head west.

Bishop, just rest Foggy Bottom back down on Rook's back, whatever comes we need to be prepared.

Head south, then west.

 

[Terrador]

Terrador knows that he has to act quickly and efficiently in order to make it out alive; quite apart from being trapped alone with two normally-powerful Pokemon, there were plenty of traps and a potentially supernatural opponent to face. He decides to have his Pokemon try to preserve themselves while he speaks to Metagross. It's a risky tactic if Metagross cannot be persuaded, but his chances of success are minimal anyway if Metagross in particular is hotile.

Terrador first ensures that his Pokemon won't be annihilated if Metagross chooses to attack...

"Shao, jump down and use Detect in front of Shao; this should help you, to some extent, protect Dragonite! Celeste, try synchronizing your Protect with his Detect and cover all three of you at once! Then, Shao, I want you to bodyblock for Opus; we really can't let him take another hit. Celeste, try to Camouflage to keep them from attacking you!"

Terrador then directs his words towards Metagross and Hippowdon:

"I apologize if giving my Pokemon battle orders is offensive; you understand that I don't wish for them to be harmed if you aren't willing to stop fighting. I have merely come to aid Ingram, the one who defeated the Klinklang. We have all come because this Pokemon known as the Lord of Sands, somewhere in this temple, has been a menace to a nearby village - how so, I was not informed. We wish to have an audience with him, so that the villagers may live in peace. Yes, I plan to fight him if I absolutely must, but that is an option which I would wish to avoid; after all, I am not without compassion for Pokemon nor without fear for my chances of success. Please, consider my words before you strike. Metagross, if you exercise any influence over this Hippowdon and said Hippowdon decides to attack still... please persuade it to stand down, at least until the two of you hear my plight."

Shao: Drop down from Opus, Detecting to protect himself and provide some protection for Opus ~ Hop back onto Opus' back
Celeste: Protect (Stay close to Opus to provide overlapping protection with Shao, hopefully adding up to a full Protection) ~ Camouflage (Stay Levitating throughout this sequence)
Opus: bawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

Attempt to persuade Metagross/Hippowdon to stand down

 

[LouisCyphre]

whoa dusk is actually making progress into the dungeon; awesome

♪♫ - FFTA - The Road We Both Aim For

For Terrador

The Metagross seems unmoved; but it's difficult to tell its expression anyway, so only its actions will tell. The Hippowdon's fangs crash against the defenses laid by Celeste and Shao as you try to continue your appeal - it may have been drowned out, or the Metagross may be accepting your request without responding. Or it may simply not care.

Opus frees itself from its icy cage as the sand continues to wear down your team. That Hippowdon will leave a nasty mark on your Pokémon if it isn't dealt with - whether it's worth risking the Metagross' wrath is another matter.

What do, Terrador?

For Rising_Dusk

The room beyond is quite obviously the source of the smell - it's a wide pool of churning water; with cascades coming from pipes in the walls and higher, beyond the reach of your light. The pool is deeper than you can see into - since it's not flooding, there must be pipes taking the water elsewhere; falling in might give you a flash tour of those pipes. The floor is about two feet above the water level at its lowest point. There is a bit of an incline; going downward as the room goes west - for what reason; you can't tell yet.

What do, Dusk?

For Deck Knight

You turn to follow Terrador; leaving the room and swinging west, you are confronted with the doors you heard the grating of earlier - rather than the opening of the others, it was the closing of these. The sounds of combat are audible even through the thick stone - is Terrador really taking on that Metagross? The Rampardos still don't seem done in the first room - you might have time to pry the doors open, or break them down, or whatever.

What do, Deck?

_____________________________________________

Terrador's Calculations

Round 3

Celeste used Protect!
Passed Protect to Opus!
7 Energy

Shao used Detect!
7 Energy

Opus is frozen solid!

Metagross used Magnet Rise!
Metagross is levitating on magnetism!
5 Energy

Hippowdon used Ice Fang on Opus!
Celeste protected Opus! (8 additional energy)
13 Energy

Opus, Celeste, and Shao are buffeted by the Sandstorm! (-2 HP)

Round 4

Celeste used Camouflage!
Celeste became the Ground type!
8 Energy

Shao leaps onto Opus!

Opus thawed out!

Metagross used Substitute!
Metagross paid 25 HP and created a Substitute (-25 HP)
24 Energy

Hippowdon used Earthquake!
It doesn't affect Opus...
It doesn't affect Metagross...
Crit (625:10000) = 9690 no
(10 + 3 + 3) * 0.75 = 12 damage to Celeste!
Crit (625:10000) = 2131 no
(10 + 3 + 4.5) * 0.75 = 13.125 ~ 13 damage to Shao!
7 Energy

Opus, Celeste, and Shao are buffeted by the Sandstorm! (-2 HP)

NPCs

|

Metagross|Hippowdon
Quiet|Adamant
??? / ??? HP|110 / 110 HP
??? En|56% En
5|5
5|4
4|2
3|3
61|47
4 Movement|3 Movement
Occa Berry|Lum Berry
Substitute (25 HP), Magnet Rise (4 actions)|Nothing of interest.​

_____________________________________________

Note to Keepers: Interactions in the Labyrinth don't have to be simply NPCs Vs. Players - the denizens of a dungeon don't necessary have to get along. It's perfectly possible to have two sides that fight whenever they meet, or to have certain mons be plain indifferent to the troubles of others. Relations between Pokémon can be just as complex as those between people; whether it be a business arrangement, the placing of guards, mutual loathing of each other, or a welcoming attitude towards outsiders. Use your imagination; try to make your dungeon more interesting that a simple hack-and-slash crawl.

 

[Terrador]

"Fine. It appears that I've no choice but to fight. COME! TEST OUR STRENGTH!"

"Celeste! I want you to use Hydro Pump, then Ice Beam on that Hippowdon! Opus, I want you to Aqua Tail it, then Roost! Shao, open with Fake Out on Hippowdon, then set up a Reflect! Metagross will probably leave us alone, so don't attack it!"

Celeste twirls silently in the air, while Opus flares its wings menacingly. Shao enters a purely offensive stance, while Terrador tries to keep calm and avoid steering his party into danger...

Shao: Fake Out (Hippowdon) ~ Reflect
Celeste: Hydro Pump (Hippowdon) ~ Ice Beam
Opus: Aqua Tail (Hippowdon ~ Roost

 

[Deck Knight]

"Lets try breaking things again!"

I still remember those damn walls from earlier that we couldn't crack, but maybe we actually can take these ones out. Instead of brute strength, lets try to weaken them first.

Foggy Bottom, use Scald to hit the iron with a blast of hot water. Bishop, follow that up immediately with Ice Beam. The rapid change in temperatures should be enough to weaken the structure. Rook, once it's weakened, finish it off by busting through with Tackle.

It sounds like there's already a battle going on. Lets see if we can lend a hand

Foggy Bottom: Scald Grates
Bishop: Ice Beam Grates
Rook: Tackle structurally weakened Grates

We'll see if we can't get through this yet. Be prepared for company.

 

[Rising_Dusk]

Ingram ponders thoroughly about the water. He doesn't quite understand what all of it means, though he has no inclination to find out first hand. He looks to his right, down to the east, but decides that his interest in this room has grown thin already. Instead he turns to the west again and directs his Pokemon down the passage and away from the water.

Move westward, having any of the 3 Pokemon Detect anything suspicious before it becomes a problem

 

[LouisCyphre]

terrador is an awful diplomat

♪♫ - FFTA - The Road We Both Aim For

For Terrador

"Such dedication to peace," the Metagross muses, "to immediately attack a mindless creature simply because it assaulted you first; rather than simply dissuading it and chosing a new route. No matter, we have measures in place for problems such as yourself."

The Hippowdon is stalled by the sudden turn of momentum; but the Metagross freely glides across the room; rising out of the light, then dropping from above like a comet.

For Rising_Dusk

The next room is, again, steeped in sand as Metagross' room was. However, as far as you can tell this room is much more vast. You can't even hear your footfalls echo; suggesting it extends a great deal into the darkness. Gargantuan stone pillars hold up a darkness-shrouded ceiling. The sounds of continual grinding and turning can be faintly heard in a westward direction; the north direction is oddly silent. The air has a foreboding stillness to it.

Weavile is particularly anxious about the grating; so much so that he leaves his position at point. Lucario is equally put off, but instead responds by proceeding further towards it.

What do; Dusk?

For Deck Knight

The door holds for a while; but crumples under repeated temperature treatments. By the time you get through, however; the Hippowdon and Metagross are already well on to Terrador's team. Worse still; the Rampardos are finally back - surprised though they may be, they seem less than pleased at seeing the fiasco beyond you. Perhaps you can avoid mirroring Terrador's situation; perhaps it's unavoidable at this point.

What do, Deck?

_____________________________________________

Terrador's Calculations

Round 5

Shao used Fake Out on Hippowdon!
Crit (625:10000) = 36 yes
A critical hit!
(4 + 1.5 + 3) = 8.5 ~ 9 damage
4 Energy

Celeste used Hydro Pump on Hippowdon!
Crit (625:10000) = 1243 no
(12 + 1.5) * 1.5 = 20.25 ~ 20 damage
8 Energy

Opus used Aqua Tail on Hippowdon!
Crit (625:10000) = 9988 no
(9 + 1.5) * 1.5 = 15.75 ~ 16 damage
7 Energy

Metagross used Zen Headbutt on Shao!
Hit (9000:10000) = 2398 no
Crit (625:10000) = 7001 no
(8 + 4.5) * 1.5 = 18.75 ~ 19 damage
6 Energy

Hippowdon flinched!

Opus, Celeste, and Shao are buffeted by the Sandstorm! (-2 HP)

Round 6

Celeste used Ice Beam on Hippowdon!
Crit (625:10000) = 8499 no
Freeze (1000:10000) = 6141 no
(10 + 1.5) * 1.5 = 17.25 ~ 17 damage
7 Energy

Shao used Reflect!
Shao sent up a reflective barrier!
8 Energy

Opus used Roost!
Opus regained 20 HP.
12 Energy

Metagross used Icy Wind!
Hit (9500:10000) = 3587 yes
Crit (625:10000) = 2993 no
(6 + 3) * 0.75 = 6.75 ~ 7 damage to Shao
Shao's Speed fell!
Hit (9500:10000) = 1657 yes
Crit (625:10000) = 5894 no
(6 + 1.5) * 1.5 * 0.75 = 8.4375 ~ 8 damage to Celeste
Celeste's Speed fell!
Hit (9500:10000) = 5919 yes
Crit (625:10000) = 1965 no
(6) * 1.5 * 0.75 = 6.75 ~ 7 damage to Opus
Opus' Speed fell!
5 Energy

Hippowdon used Earthquake!
It doesn't affect Metagross...
Crit (625:10000) = 8992
(10 + 3 + 3 - 5) * 0.75 = 8.25 ~ 8 damage to Celeste!
Crit (625:10000) = 9051
(10 + 3 + 4.5 - 5) * 0.75 = 9.375 ~ 9 damage to Shao!
Crit (625:10000) = 4414
(10 + 3 + 1.5 - 5) * 0.75 = 7.125 ~ 7 damage to Opus!
7 Energy

Opus, Celeste, and Shao are buffeted by the Sandstorm! (-2 HP)

NPCs

|

Metagross|Hippowdon
Quiet|Adamant
??? / ??? HP|38 / 110 HP
??? En|49% En
5|5
5|4
4|2
3|3
61|47
4 Movement|3 Movement
Occa Berry|Lum Berry
Substitute (25 HP), Magnet Rise (4 actions)|Nothing of interest.​

Deck Knight's Calculations

NPCs

|

Rampardos|Rampardos
Adamant|Adamant
110 / 110 HP|110 / 110 HP
100% En|100% En
8|8
2|2
2|2
2|2
58|58
3 Movement|3 Movement
Rock Gem (3)|Rock Gem (3)​

_____________________________________________

Note to Keepers: This game is about to slow down again; Deck and Terrador are involved in the same combat once more. I could bullshit them apart, but that just punishes cooperation. Sometimes the keeper just has to suck it up and do the damn reffing. Such is life.

 

[Deck Knight]

"This is nuts!"

Alright, so now we're in a bit of a bind. Terrador is being mauled behind us, and now we have our own problems. That's OK though, as I've a plan for this situation. Since I can't scare our foes away, I'll just have to take them out.

"Hey Terrador, seems like you've got a problem. I do too, but I'll ward this ones off before they can reach you."

Alright team, you all work best together, so lets get started.

Rook: Hopefully we can scare these Rampardos away. I don't care much if they aren't pleased, we aren't about to be bullied by their ilk. Hold firm and fill the hallwya before you with Razor Leaf, followed by Earthquake.

Bishop: Start off by avoiding the Rampardos with Dig. Hit the Red one, then get in behind them. Ideally we can scare them enough to thrust them back in their room. Then use Earthquake from behind them and synch with Rook to leave these Rampardos nowhere to go but their home.

Foggy Bottom: Your task is simple, from you perch on Rook's back, blast your foes with Discharge, and then if they aren't frightened, aim a Scald at the Red Rampardos.

Rook: Razor Leaf ~ Earthquake (room synch)

Bishop: Dig (Red) ~ Earthquake (room synch)

Foggy Bottom: Discharge ~ Scald (Red)

"I know you can hold out Terrador, but I don't have many peaceful means to aid you now, and I'd rather not be chased down by abandoning my defenses. I'll clean these up shortly!"

 

[Terrador]

Terrador is certainly not pleased at this turn of events, but he isn't enraged as he was earlier; the situation is manageable if he keeps his head and Deck Knight keeps the Rampardos away. With that in mind, he tries to give his orders before Metagross and Hippowdon rally for another attack.

"Deck! I need you to keep those Rampardos off of me! Fight them, scare them off, do whatever you have to; if you can keep them from interfering, I think I can beat these. Maybe your flare gun or Bishop's Rock Tomb can help!"

"Celeste! I want you to use Hydro Pump to put a huge dent in that Hippowdon, then set up a Light Screen! Shao, you can finish that Hippo off with a Hi Jump Kick, then use another Hi Jump Kick on Metagross. Finally, Opus, I want you to roast Metagross with a Fire Blast, then Roost!"

All three of Terrador's Pokemon, mangled though they were, itched for a fight; nothing would stop them from facing the Lord of the Sand.

Shao: Hi Jump Kick (Hippowdon) ~ Hi Jump Kick (Metagross)
Celeste: Hydro Pump (Hippowdon) ~ Light Screen
Opus: Fire Blast (Metagross) ~ Roost

OoC: Mad credits to Albinoloon for this custom sprite.

 

[Rising_Dusk]

(There are a few errors in the reffing that will change the damage dealt a bit. First, Icy Wind has 6 x 0.75 = 4.5 BAP. The damage isn't multiplied by 3/4 when hitting multiple Pokemon, the BAP is. This also affects Hippowdon's EQ, which has 7.5 BAP instead of 10. Lastly, Metagross gets STAB on Zen Headbutt, so Mienshao should take an extra 4.5 damage from that attack.)

Ingram senses that this room holds more than meets the eye, and may indeed hold a great threat to his team at its northern point. He knows what it means when there is sand on the floor, and reminisces to Hippowdon. Hopefully his team wasn't dead by now, because he'd feel bad about leaving them. That said, after eyeballing his radio, he decides that he won't try to contact them yet. He watches his Pokemon carefully, trying to sense their reactions to the sounds beyond. Lucario's push and Weavile's trepidation suggest that something Steel-type, probably more of those damned Klinklang, are westward. Ingram decides his course of action.

"Lucario." Ingram whispers just audible enough for Lucario to hear. "Heal Pulse Weavile so that he is better prepared for what is to come. Afterward, Chill to regain your energy." Ingram turns to Weavile now. "Steel yourself, friend. I need you to combine your Dark typing's intrinsic ability to see through blackness with Foresight and get a better understanding of what is beyond us both Westward and Northward. Communicate your findings to Lucario as he Chills so that he can tell me." Ingram at last turns to Aerodactyl. "Bide your time. I'll have need for your talents soon enough."

Lucario:
Heal Pulse Weavile ~ Chill

Weavile:
Foresight (Dark typing-boosted) Westward and Northward ~ Communicate findings to Lucario

Aerodactyl:
Do Nothing

 

[LouisCyphre]

Alright; odds are I might not have time for this for the next few days.

Even if I do have time; this is as good of a time as any to establish a standard procedure for Keeper absence. Drop thoughts here and I'll pick them up in the morning when I ref the turn.