Session 27, VP1

After a restful night, our heroes awoke to a grey, overcast sky. The rainstorm was still going, but the lightning appeared to have died off. Thankfully, the small shelf they had made camp under had succeeded in keeping them mostly dry. Slowly, the group moved through their morning routines, lost in thought.

Once they had eaten, they each took hold of a few Rowlets, & began to follow the base of the mountain range towards the coast. Their hope was to find someone to look after the Rowlet chicks in Stygian Falls, or at least get pointed in the right direction.

Whether it was due to the inclement weather, or something beyond their ken, the three days of travel passed by peacefully. As the party neared the end of Hrungnir’s Lay, the Vanachrom coast began to come into view. Strangely, despite the map indicating otherwise, no settlement could be seen between our heroes and the coastal cliffs.

Disappointed, drenched, & desperate for supplies, the group pressed on. Naivara let out a small gasp of exclamation a short while later: she explained that she could see some sort of man-made structure at the coastline, low to the ground.

Encouraged by this, the trainers made a beeline towards what Naivara had spotted. Standing upon the very edge of the country, the group could see the ocean waves crashing hundreds of feet below them. A fall from this height would surely be fatal, which made it all the more unsettling that the structure Naivara had found was the beginnings of a rocky stair, hewn into the salt-marked cliffs themselves.

With nowhere else to go, the party recalled most of their Pokemon for their own safety, & began to descend. The stairs were, thankfully, well-made. They soon began to curve along the coastline, offering some protection from the continuing downpour. Once they had descended a few hundred feet on the path, a roaring sound joined the backdrop of the waves below.

Shortly ahead of where they now stood, a waterfall crashed down on the trail. By their best guess, the source of this waterfall was likely twofold: the Himinglaeva, & the underground river they had found beneath Drillsberg. Knowing its origins did nothing to solve the problem before them at the moment. The tumultuous spray was impossible to see through, while the stairs appeared to head directly beneath the falls. If the waters were to knock them off the path…

Gunnar turned to his friends, handing off the Rowlets he had been carrying. After putting on his climbing spikes, he calmly began making his way forwards. The waterfall soon obscured him from view. Bergie & Naivara both stood in anxious silence. Saffa nervously juggled a few Rowlets at the back of the group as they waited.

Only a few minutes later, Gunnar reappeared striding towards them, seemingly safe & dry. With a smile, he waved for his friends to follow him back behind the waterfall. As their shoulders sagged in relief, the group continued onwards.

Just as the stairs reached the beginnings of the waterfall, they began to bore deeper into the cliffs. After travelling in this direction for a moment, our heroes found that the stair suddenly spiraled upwards. Following the path to its end, they found themselves standing in what appeared to be a massive cave, echoing with gentle sounds of life.

Their eyes took some time to adjust, but the cave was, surprisingly, decently lit. At the far end of the cavern, it opened up completely, with the waterfall falling before it like a veil. Some light filtered through the cascade, & the smell of the sea-breeze filled the area.

Working with this, large portions of moss appeared to be gathered deliberately in spots along the cave walls: the moss glowed in a soft, blue color. All across the cavern, stone houses could be seen, as the townsfolk milled about. Though several of the citizens glanced in the direction of the group, none of them seemed particularly interested in the visitors.

Each of the townsfolk appeared to have a black, kohl-like substance drawn in a band across their eyes. Although they were eager to begin exploring the town, a visit to the Pokemon Center was the prudent course of action.

After healing their teams, Bergie asked the nurse on duty if they knew anyone who might be able to help care for the Rowlets. The nurse thought for a second, before suggesting they speak to a woman named Silholdra; at this time of day, Silholdra could typically be found gathering glow-moss near the waterfall.

With no real need to rush, our heroes sat down on benches outside the Pokemon Center. Though it was odd to find a subterranean town, the cave itself didn’t feel claustrophobic or intimidating. It was clear from the buildings & standards of dress that this place had been a home for many, many years.

Bergie released Stompy, to show him their new surroundings. As he did so, the Rowlet chicks began crowding around Stompy’s ankles, drying themselves with his flames. Once they were done, Bergie began a game of “Ducklett, Ducklett, Swanna” with the small flock of chubby birds.

This soon attracted the attention of some local children, who eagerly joined in. Even some of their parents joined in the fun distraction. Buoyed in spirit, the trainers discussed restocking on some supplies. They had been unable to properly do so since before Gudbrund had been released, & were quite eager to refill their packs. First, though, Gunnar explained that he needed to deliver a letter to Erling’s brother.

He & Naivara asked some of the locals where to find the name Bronze had written on the envelope Gunnar carried. In short order, they had found their way to a small house near one of the cave walls. Two young boys were outside, play-fighting with sticks. The elder of the two brothers quickly accosted Gunnar. After a brief back & forth, he convinced the child to fetch his parents.

Erling’s brother was not currently at home, but his wife came out to greet the trainers. Confused, she asked what this was about; Gunnar explained that it was a letter about Erling, & what had happened in Drillsberg. The woman sensed it might be something serious when Gunnar dodged her questions about if Erling was okay. Thanking them, she gathered her children, & returned to her house.

With this somber deed complete, Naivara & Gunnar returned to where Bergie & Stompy were watching the Rowlets at play. Seeing that the babies were in good hands for the moment, the party headed off to finally do some shopping.

An hour or so later, they felt much more comfortable with their packs weighing heavier against their backs. With the standard marts covered, they kept an eye out for any stores that might sell unique wares. A vague smell of berries being mixed led them to a small apothecary’s hut.

The interior looked to belong to a Völva, with all sorts of trinkets & runes hanging everywhere. Though they had a myriad of interesting items for sale, there was one that clearly stood out: a small, wooden shelf rested above the merchant’s countertop.

Nestled on the shelf, encircled in binding runes, was a strange plate of a pitch-black metal. When Gunnar inquired about it, the shopkeeper blanched, & insisted they not talk about it. Gunnar being Gunnar, he managed to wear her down; she agreed to talk about the plate, but only outside of her hut.

In hushed tones, she explained that the talisman was dangerous, possibly even deadly. It had apparently been sold several times over the past few decades: every time, the purchaser ended up dead soon after, & the plate somehow found its way back to Stygian Falls. As such, the item was no longer available for sale.

When Gunnar continued to ask about obtaining the metal, the shopkeeper took a quick glance at his Gym-Rune-Bracer. The woman shook her head, explaining that she absolutely would not sell to anyone not possessing the town’s Gym Rune. Gunnar stated that he would return once he had claimed it, to see about purchasing it then.

With their errands taken care of, our heroes decided to pay a visit to Silholdra. As the nurse had told them, there was a small grouping of townsfolk near the waterfall, gathering glow-moss. One young woman among them worked at a distance from the group. It was evident they were shunning her to some degree, for whatever reason. Recognizing her from the nurse’s description, the group realized this must be Silholdra.

The woman greeted them in a quiet voice as she heard their footsteps approaching. When she turned, they could see that she looked to be even younger than Naivara. Additionally, instead of the black kohl the rest of the townsfolk wore, she instead had a band of a dark grey, ashy color. Small whorls arced from the band towards her temples, where a large, grey steak rose from between her eyebrows.

Around her feet, a massive Millimic weaved to & fro. Instead of the typical coins & gems its species was known for carrying, this one had small baskets glued to its back with silk. It appeared to be helping the woman carry the moss she was picking. After introductions were made, the party explained that they were looking for someone to take care of the Rowlet chicks they had saved.

With a soft smile, Silholdra asked for the group to follow her to her home, where they could discuss the matter further over tea. Seeing the other moss gatherers casting a few looks in their direction, our heroes agreed to accompany Silholdra. And so, the strange group set out away from the waterfall, towards the darkness at the back of the cave…