Week 5.

[azumods]

WEEK 5 As of morning the next day, it seems the rain has stopped; with Azelf awakened and your newly-hatched companions by your side, it's possible that you're feeling a new sense of resolve regarding what needs to be done - and, perhaps more importantly, your ability to accomplish it. The device Maylene gave you certainly does seem to work; activating it will reveal a dark portal crackling with energy, shades of pink and purple swirling brightly around the outer edges, and those of you that walk through it will find yourselves quite suddenly standing somewhere else - there's grass beneath your feet and an unfamiliar city to the west, and the place you're standing seems raised up in some way; turning around once the portal has closed behind the last of you will reveal a massive bronze statue depicting a Pokémon of some sort, though what it is seems to be a little difficult to tell... The trip to Eterna City may leave you feeling a little dizzy and disoriented, and for a few uncomfortable moments you're likely very, very aware of your organs, but the effects will pass after a few moments and you'll soon feel right as rain. Of course, it'll likely become obvious very quickly that you aren't alone near that statue... Either way, it's a long journey up to Snowpoint City; you might want to take some time to make sure that you're prepared before you set off. It really does seem as though finding Azelf at Lake Valor has done the world some good, though, along with your combined effects on the world already; hopefully the Guardian at Lake Acuity in the north will be just as helpful... CURRENT LOCATION: ETERNA CITY POKEMON AVAILABLE: WITHIN CITIES SUNDAY | MONDAY | TUESDAY | WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY | FRIDAY [OOC: Welcome to week five of Azume; feel free to make as many top levels as you'd like and tag out to other characters! This post is for all of your interactions this week... at least until the weekend. Don't forget that a write-up is due this weekend!]

Comments

[discutio]

Either sounds fairly likely--though if I'm to be honest, I don't think the lake guardians are the only deities of this world. It's just conjecture, but I'd not be surprised if this was built in the image of yet another one.

[heritrix]

No, Kayneth and I discussed that possibility, too. [Hm.] In our world, there are multiple deities across all kinds of cultures. It wouldn't be odd at all if this world had more than three...

[The end of her sentences drags a bit, slow and half-mumbled.]

[discutio]

We only have the Six and then twenty-four Messengers. Azelf struck me as something in the latter category; something of a middle ground between the mortal and divine.

[heritrix]

So like intermediary angels, or lesser deities. [Either seem plausible.] Yeah. That doesn't feel far off the bat.

[This statue is so odd, though. It's taken her a while, but she thinks she finally see what was throwing her off. You can almost hear the lightbulb go off over her head as it clicks.]

You know, if this statue honors another deity we've yet to hear of, it isn't just one. I think there are two different pokemon depicted here.

[Yeah, the longer she looks at it, the more she's convinced. That confidence is reflected in her voice.] I hesitated to describe it to you earlier because there was something about it that was unnatural, but once you know what to look for it's obvious. The limbs are all wrong.

[discutio]

...What, as though it has elements of two separate creatures combined into one? Is that what you're indicating?

[heritrix]

Yeah. It was hard to tell at first; the creatures of this world all have radically different form from the ones of our world, you know?

Knowing that, I'll admit there's a chance I'm mistaken. But for all the different shapes and sizes pokemon come in, their designs make sense on an individual scale. You can intuitively tell how they would walk and move about, or feed themselves and the like.

This one is different. There's something really off with it.

[Stepping forward, she comes over to stand by Ignis again.] To start, its standing completely upright. Its build suggests it's bipedal. In other words, its not like a horse bucking up on its hind legs, or anything.

If it's like that it should have hands, but it doesn't. In the place where you would expect to see a wrist or fingers, the appendage abruptly ends in a single digit. It's flat and stumpy, and completely round... The sort of thing you'd expect from a creature that walks on all fours, like an elephant.

[discutio]

...hm.

[Ignis brought a gloved hand to his face in thought, trying to picture the statue as Rin described it.]

You may be on to something, if that's the case. But then the pressing question becomes 'why combine two separate creatures', if they are in fact two at all.

[heritrix]

[That is the question, isn't it? She frowns.]

It could be there's a duality to them, and what they represent. Like the sun with the moon, or the skies and the sea.

[discutio]

I admit I'm a bit hard-pressed to come up with a better explanation myself, even if it's a concept I can't say I'm familiar with.

[heritrix]

In a world where it doesn't matter, my expertise only does me so many favors. Without more information, my theories aren't going to get better than that for now.

[She sighs, but it sounds satisfied. This isn't anything to worry over.]

But that's alright. If it's important, we're bound to hear more about this the further we go on.

[discutio]

I think you're right. Although I think it's worth remembering to ask Cynthia about whenever we might cross paths, or perhaps another of the Gym Leaders if we encounter them.

[heritrix]

...I wonder where she is now.

[It's been a long time. Rin's gaze drifts slowly to the horizon. If this was an early 90s anime, a giant Cynthia would probably probably be superimposed on the sky.]

[discutio]

[you forgot the shooting star]

I can barely guess--trying to track down Cyrus, or at least determining Galactic's movements. If they've as many as two bases, no doubt there's more we're unaware of.

[heritrix]

Yeah. The fact Maylene had a device that could transport her between bases certainly suggests there's more out there.

[And thinking of their two new encounters...]

Come to think of it, Cynthia was waiting for us when we woke up... Did your friend mention seeing anyone like her?

[discutio]

Noct didn't say anything of the sort--I presume he and Keith woke up at as much of a loss as we did.

[heritrix]

[Well that stinks for them.]

I hope they weren't on their own for long.

[discutio]

He didn't clarify, though I didn't ask outright. I'd presume they've only been awake for a short time, but I might guess they arrived in this world when we did.