DimCarcosa

Pokemon: The Stuff of Legends

Wake early, sleep early. Donovan sat cross-legged on a small, wooden watch tower that overlooked one of the small fields that surrounded the palace, perfect for anyone on lookout duty. The sun had yet to rise and the air was still sharp with the biting cold of the night; he could see a few lone figures, lamplighters, walking the streets with their ladders and torches in hand. He turned his gaze to the routes that lead to and from the kingdom. As usual, they were barren save for a single caravan heading out, no doubt carrying much less than it had arrived with.

A gust of wind alerted him to a large figure that had chosen the tower as a perch. Standing just under four feet, the Talonflame shifted uneasily as it rested. The wood creaked slightly under the bird's talons. Donovan smiled and raised his head at the Talonflame. For once, he'd gotten here faster than it.
"Looking handsome as usual, eh? Looks aren't gonna get you too far if you start getting laz-"
The look on the Talonflame's face stopped him. It lacked the usual prideful gaze and, in fact, it carried a look of worry. Donovan stood up and reached for the back of the bird Pokemon's neck. He stroked it softly and felt the bristling feathers relax.
"Hey, what's wrong?"
The Talonflame opened its beak as if to speak and craned its neck at the sky. It dawned on Donovan that it was not as early as he had thought, and the sun had already started to rise. It seemed like the sun was oppressed by a thick layer of darkness, and a feeling of unease crept into the guard's heart. He wasn't too caught up on the latest divination trends, but he knew that whatever was happening was bad.

In a swift motion, he snatched his belongings from the floor and donned it. A recurve bow adorned with figures of three mythical birds, nineteen steel arrows in a leather quiver, a leather pouch filled with all sorts of odds and ends, and his iron breastplate, all were marked with the insignia of Urael. He patted the troubled bird on its right wing and towards one of the towers of the castle. If something happened, he was going to need more support.
"Hey, come on. Go get her over here, I'll need some help."

The Talonflame took off towards the steeple at a great speed, almost too fast to follow. Donovan stood facing the sunrise and waited. He would stay here and be on the watch for... anything. He wasn't sure what, but if the darkness was indeed a herald of bad times to come, he was going to be the first to see what it brought.

---

It didn't take more than ten minutes for the guard's companions to arrive, the Talonflame reclaimed its usual spot but the new arrival, a Staraptor, instead elected to land directly on the platform. The Staraptor chirped happily and flapped her wings at the sight of Donovan, tossing a fair few feathers around the tower. He sputtered and cleared his face of stray plumage, then laughed and chuckled at the brown bird's display of affection.

"Really funny, now..." He clapped once and turned the bird's head towards the darkened sky, now slightly brighter as the sun started to shine through. "See that?" He continued, but the bird turned back and looked at Donovan with a quizzical look on her face. He groaned, poor thing didn't understand what was going on. She might have been one of the strongest of her murmuration, but she was never the brightest.

"That thing's bad keep an eye out for more bad things, got it?" The bird seemed to nod in understanding. "Good." He smiled and gave her a pat on the comb.

---

The skies seemed to slowly be returning to its usual brightness, the gross incandescence of the sun was beginning to pierce through the darkness that had imprisoned it. Two large birds seemed to be coming and going from the watchtower at great speeds, only stopping to give a brief response before being given another area to patrol. One cry meant that there was nothing of note to report, two was the opposite.

A long while passed without anything significant being reported. Donovan loosened up slightly, maybe he was taking this too seriously...
Two shrill noises from his left caught his attention. He saw the Talonflame standing just behind him, a content look on its face. A small strip of cloth was tied to the bird's talon, it had somehow stayed on while it was in flight.

Donovan bent over and loosened the piece of fabric. It was likely a message, though he didn't spare a thought to wonder how they got the Talonflame to stop in the first place.
You are being summoned by the princess. Report to the meeting hall at once.
-M

He stared at the writing on the cloth for a second, then at the palace in the distance. It would at least half an hour to get there! Cursing his situation, he dug around his pouch for a few items. A scroll of paper, a thin stick of charcoal wrapped in a thick blanket, and a string specifically made to be attached to fast Pokemon like the Talonflame standing right there. He quickly scribbled a note on the scroll.
I'm not going to be able to make it to the meeting in a timely manner, I hope you accept this Talonflame as an acceptable substitute for myself. I will arrive in thirty minutes to an hour.
He quickly wrapped the scroll to the bird Pokemon's leg and gave it it a command.
"Get this to the meeting chambers and stay there until I get there, alright?" It stared at Donovan for a second before taking off, confident in its ability to follow that order.

Donovan stared up at the rising sun and made a silent prayer to Tornadus. It was times like these that he wished that he had instead become a mounted knight, perhaps then he'd get to where he needed to faster.

The guard made a whistling sound with his fingers, a signal for the Staraptor to stop searching and follow him, and started making his was down from the ladder.

---

Meanwhile, a large red and gray bird flew through the castle. He made his way through open doors with remarkable dexterity and grace. While reluctant, the guards would let him through any closed doors that he encountered. It didn't occur to him that they were not respecting his power, but rather recognized him as Sir Donovan's partner.

Eventually, he arrived at the meeting hall. With a bit of assistance from two guards stationed at the doors, the Talonflame flapped his way into the large hall, the visages of legends staring down at him. He reckoned that they looked much less intimidated in person, not to imply that he was intimidated by their depictions in the first place. He landed on the clean floors and let out a short screech to draw attention towards him and, more importantly, his message.

Pokemon: The Stuff of Legends

Well, I found 8 7 images that might suit your need in my landscape folder, there's a lot more but I accidentally uploaded those 8 7 and couldn't be bothered to find them in the ~1000 files. If you want, I can give you some download links to the collection, but it's split into 3 parts and it's really damn big. Still a great inspiration for settings.

Link

Edit: Damn, must have gotten the wrong file. That chicken isn't supposed to be there.

Pokemon: The Stuff of Legends

And another question, does this picture represent the geography of the area around the castle? (Sitting on the bottom of a valley/surrounded my mountains, almost no flat spaces that aren't inhabited)

Pokemon: The Stuff of Legends

I'm going to be pretty busy today and tomorrow, though I'll try to get something done soon. Would have posted this earlier if my phone service provider hadn't cut service just as I was posting.

Where do the royal guards live, anyways? In barracks/houses/villas near the royal family, or anywhere they please seeing as they're the highest-ranking guards?

Anyone know Pokemon Tabletop United?

I was considering starting as a chef, but I'm worried about being useless in battle near the start. I'll probably still end up taking it anyways.

Anyone know Pokemon Tabletop United?

I'm not implying that being "generic" is bad, I just wanted to ask so I knew what type of character to make.

Any specific limits (age, gender, experience, etc. on the characters we can make?

Anyone know Pokemon Tabletop United?

So, what's going to be the setting? A generic "beat the gym leaders/E4, acquire champion title" or something different?

Pokemon: The Stuff of Legends

Name: Donovan Johansen

Age: 31

Position/Title: Royal Guard/Royal Falconer - Essentially, the scout of the guards.

Appearance:

Spoiler -Click to view-

Personality: Optimistic, friendly, crafty, caring, and loyal. One of the more humble-looking royal guards, Donovan is certainly one of the more lively people of the group, an eternal optimist with a tendency to crack jokes. That isn't to say that he isn't serious about his duties, quite the opposite. He owes his entire livelihood to the royal family, and will willingly lay down his life for those who he protects and their mission. His attitude in combat may seem too relaxed, but his mind is as sharp as the arrows he carries on his back.
Donovan has a deep respect for the mundane, for those who haven't been chosen by some divine prophecy to control the elements. He has always preferred to work with non-legendary Pokemon, especially the two that he raised himself. Donovan has an uncanny ability to connect with normal (As in, not (pseudo)legendary) Pokemon and form a closer bond than most knights.

History: One could say that Donovan was born to be a falconer. His parents were caretakers of the royal aviary, a huge structure that spanned several forests. It housed the army's flying type Pokemon while in peaceful times. He became an apprentice to one of the master caretakers at the aviary, a kindly old man that went by the name of Joseph. Joseph was a former Urael Falconer, a branch of the avian forces that specialized in using their bird Pokemon as weapons, that had long since retired to live a much simpler life. Donovan was trained in caring for the various flying type Pokemon that inhabited the avian sanctuary. Often, Joseph would treat the young Donovan with stories of brave falconers and their victories, until Donovan became enamored with the art of falconry.

When Donovan expressed interest in joining the falconers, Joseph passed down what information he could before Donovan left. And so, armed with the knowledge of an elder and his experience with flying Pokemon, he set off. What followed were years of training and a few scouting campaigns with the falconers. This was where Donovan found his skill at handling Pokemon. It was immediately obvious that he was a cut above his peers, he was able to command the birds that were considered too troublesome to handle, and with greater skill. He rose through the ranks, taking charge of his squad, being given command of a platoon, and eventually becoming a candidate for the position of a general in the Urael army. He denied the position and instead chose to stay within the kingdom as a guard. It didn't take long for him to be chosen as a royal guard based on his skills, though he secretly suspects that it might have been done out of desperation.

Relationships: I'll update this once we get relationships sorted out.

Pokemon At Your Service: Two of them. Both wear harnesses and on occasions where a clear target and a calm head are imperative, hoods over their eyes. Their equipment is inscribed with patterns and runes, and their ceremonial attire is embellished with gold trimming for a more regal look.

Talonflame
Ability: Gale Wings
Moveset:
-Acrobatics
-Incinerate
-Fly
-Flare Blitz
Pokemon's Personality: Like most others of its kind, the Talonflame in Donovan's command isn't interested in affection or honor. Even though he was raised and trained by Donovan, his entire companionship with him is built on mutual benefit and trust. So long as Donovan helps him become stronger and provides him with food, Talonflame gladly follows his commands. He is a bit arrogant and takes great pride in his plumage. When he sets his mind on a target or idea, it is difficult for him to change his mind.

---

Staraptor
Ability: Reckless
Moveset:
-Close Combat
-Return
-Double Team
-Thief
Pokemon's Personality: Surprisingly cuddly for a bird of prey, this Staraptor seemed to stand out among all others for being oddly happy about things. Unlike Talonflame, she finds great joy in serving Donovan. She is friendly, sociable, and not easily intimidated by the legendary figures that she mingles with every day. Preffers to sleep close to someone at night.

Pokemon: The Stuff of Legends

Ah, sorry. Got a bit distracted. Nearly done.

You can start tonight, I don't mind.

Anyone know Pokemon Tabletop United?

Would you be willing to take another player? I remember playing this system a long time ago, like 2 years ago. We never did get it off the ground, but I remember enough to be familiar with the base concepts.