Session 25, VP1

Bergie, Gunnar, & Naivara stayed in Drillsberg for a few days after their counterparts departed. There was still much rebuilding to do in town, & a part of them felt nearly hesitant to leave. Still, things in Vanachrom beyond called to their spirits.

With somber faces, they sent Erling’s body over the underground waterfall in the boat Gunnar had crafted. Once the shape of his form could no longer be seen, they ascended back to the surface. The group stopped by the mines, which had been growing emptier by the day.

There were still injured who she could help, so Eplina couldn’t bring herself to leave just yet. She sent the party off with hugs, & wishes of good luck…as well as a gentle warning to be more cautious in the future.

Next, they made their way to the Colosseum. Saffa’s arm would never regain its former strength, but she was making a valiant effort to practice juggling despite that. Naivara & Bergie watched in awe, as Gunnar began throwing more objects into Saffa’s juggling rotation. Her brow furrowed, but she managed to maintain her pace for some time.

Finally, she decided she was done for the day, and began packing her things. Once she was set to go, the trainers made their way to the elevator out of Drillsberg. The scent & sounds of the plains grew closer, a welcome contrast to the past few weeks spent amongst sand & stone.

When they first arrived in Drillsberg, the plan had been to visit Harbinger Valley. Brunick had mentioned there might be people who knew more about our heroes’ strange powers living there. On top of that, Sylvie had entrusted Bergie with a letter for someone in the Valley as well.

Gunnar had promised to take Brenna’s letter to Erling’s brother in Stygian Falls, to inform him of Erling’s passing. Neither of these matters were particularly pressing, time-wise, so the friends had a decision to make. After some discussion, they chose to head South-West to Stygian Falls.

The cloudy skies helped block out the sun as they began their trek. The occasional signs of life could be heard distantly amongst the tall grass, but they didn’t encounter any Pokemon for some time. Once the sun was setting, a spot was chosen to set up camp. As they were doing so, our heroes could detect the sounds of a Pokemon fight occurring nearby.

Gunnar charged through the grass towards the noise, in his typical fashion. A Litleo was locked in a tussle with a Shinx, as several other Pokemon watched in excitement. The creatures were surprised at the group’s sudden appearance, but didn’t seem immediately aggressive…until an intimidating Scyther locked its eyes on Gunnar’s slashed-up shirt.

Something about seeing a cut that it didn’t make angered the Scyther. Its hackles raised as it advanced towards Gunnar, who quickly tied his hand-axes to his forearms. While this was happening, Naivara & Bergie attempted to catch some of the other Pokemon with the element of surprise; unfortunately, the captures failed, leading to an all-out fight.

In a short amount of time, all of the wild Pokemon had been either defeated or captured. Thankfully, no one in the group had suffered any serious injuries. After starting a campfire, the trainers began preparing for dinner & bed. Seeing that Saffa’s motley clothing appeared hand-made, Gunnar asked if she knew how to sew. When she confirmed that she could, he asked if she could mend his collection of slashed shirts.

Saffa grumbled a bit as she worked. Naivara moved to four points around the camp, setting crystal down as focal points. All the better to “keep the spirits out”. When she wasn’t looking, Gunnar pointed the crystals out to Skeldr, who made quick work of them.

The night was winding down when our heroes suddenly felt a strange chill. With their nerves still on edge from Drillsberg, the group immediately readied for defense. Gunnar began to sneak his way through the tall grass, sensing something slightly to the South.

A familiar, shrouded figure floated slightly above the ground, its phantasmal cloak rippling in the night. Gunnar cheerfully greeted Yr, recognizing their spectral savior from Bor’s Rest. Yr seemed to accept Gunnar’s invite to their campsite, & floated to the outskirts of the campfire’s glow.

Saffa, who was a bit more scarred by Gudbrund’s spirits, was very uncomfortable with his presence. The group’s assurances that Yr was friendly did little to allay her fears, but she held her tongue.

As he had what felt like ages ago, Yr generated an arrow of shadow, using it to write runes in the dirt. Gunnar explained that Yr was reminding them of when he had aided them, & asking for help in return. Seeming to understand that there was a communication barrier, Yr began to scrape out pictograms instead of further runes.

From what they could discern, Yr’s “people” were taken by some outside force. He seemed to be trying to track them down, visiting the different mountains in Varfjell. When the trainers asked how they could help, Yr drew two suns, and a mountain range.

A line pointed South-West, towards one of the peaks towards the middle of the range. When they asked if Yr wanted them to meet him in two days at the indicated part of Hrungnir’s Lay, he nodded. Bergie asked if Yr would be travelling with them, but he shook his head no. His drawings seemed to indicate that he could only travel by night.

Finally, Naivara mused about if the situation might be dangerous. Yr floated for a second, seemingly unsure how to convey what he wanted. In the end, he drew four symbols surrounding the figures representing “his people”.

A few of the symbols seemed to indicate either inclement weather, or Pokemon Types, but the message was unclear. The party agreed to help Yr, in honor of his own aid so many nights ago. He seemed satisfied, & slowly glided backwards into the night.

A sense of gratitude in the air let them know that they would be watched over until dawn. After a bit more discussion, our heroes drifted off to sleep one at a time. In the morning, they would continue with a new pit stop added to their plans…