Dai wasn't sure if this one would get posted or not but it still paid to shoot an intro just in case. Pausing outside the guards he holds his holorecorder in front of him.

Konnichiwa Delve Devotees! It's your favorite, Delvin' Dai, back again for another deep dive into the Desolation!

Now I know that some of ya are clamorin' for me to see if Wailin' Watanabe manifests durin' daylight, and I'm sure we'll get to it, but today's delve is a special order. So let's see if we get some glimmer or if the gaki get me!

And remember, Devotees, I couldn't outrun those nasty spirits without our favorite spirit: White Wolf! White Wolf: It steadies the nerves but still gives you that boost of energy to get you through any situation. Awooooooo!

Now let's get ready to dive!

That done, and not wanting to waste daylight, Dai secured the recorder to his shoulder and made sure his backup was running on his belt. Showing his papers he made his way into the Desolation. Knowing well the areas claimed by various gangs, and those already well picked over, he very carefully makes his way towards where he would expect a likely score of glimmerstone. Not yet aware of any specific danger he still does his best to keep quiet - a flitting shadow in the late sunlight.

(D1, LA: Stealth/Agility, Void for +1k1 (+2 for Wolf's Way) | 7k4+2 ⇒ 40 (TN: ?)
Way of the Land: Dark Zone called upon for whatever benefit it might make towards encounters/success)

Even as Dai sneaks into the Ground Zero, ephemeral butterflies large as grown man's palm flutter around him, their wings glowing in the light. While known for luring in worse things, the insects living only partially in ningen-do posed the season delver no harm. He could always wade deeper as the wrecks around him had been looted empty years ago.


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1d10 for encounter table | 1k1 ⇒ 1 (TN: ?)

Dai made sure to catch an angle or two that would record the butterflies as he moved. They were common enough but still made good filler footage in editing. He hoped they'd pass on without drawing anything else but he wasn't going to let them stop him from seeking his goal.

As Dai walks deeper, he can hear eerie clicking sounds reverberate in the distance, growing slowly closer and closer. Suddenly all the gleaming butterflies scatter, leaving him all alone in the ruins. Even as the butterflies phase out of the realm of men, the clicking sounds grow louder and louder.



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1d10 for encounter table | 1k1 ⇒ 19 (TN: ?)
Lore: Spirit Reals at TN 20 please!

It wasn't a sound that Dai recognized but he didn't need to recognize it to know it wasn't good.

The ronin flips a mental coin between flight and hiding before trying to put as much rubble as possible between himself and the noise as he holds his breath and holds still.

(D1, LA: Lore Spirit Realms Unskilled | 4k4 ⇒ 18 (TN: 20)

Let me know if we need a new stealth roll or can hold on the past one)

While Dai might lack the finesses to identify the creature that is approaching him, chances are that his senses tell him that the being is not from this realm. The monster has far too many limbs with far too many joints, it's insectoid arms and legs clicking and clacking as it walks across the ruins, its movements twitchy and predatory. While the monster seems not to spy Dai, it remains in the ruins near him, meaning that he either has to backtrack his steps or to try to sneak past the monster.

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OOC: Can hold into that. New roll if you try to get past the monster. Can keep old roll if you want to backtrack.

Can we spy the nasty little humansies? | 6k3 ⇒ 23 (TN: 40)

The clicking might be some sort of echolocation in which case shadow alone might not be enough.

Screwing up his courage, and praying the holorecorder catches some of this because he doesn't dare linger to aim it, the ronin falls back on an old classic that he hopes isn't a cliche in the beast's home realm....

*Clunk!*

Goes the thrown piece of debris as the ronin is already moving in the opposite direction, not even risking a second to watch, to circle around where he hopes the monster will now go.

(D1, LA: Try not to die, Dai - Stealth/Agility, Void +1k1+2 (Wolf's Way) | 7k4+2 ⇒ 29 (TN: 23)

The monster shuffled around, lifting its limbs in the air as if was looking for something. Yet, the ronin seemed to be an expert at what he was doing, deftly avoiding detection. As Dai walked deeper and deeper, the clicking sounds grew more and more faint. Eventually he would arrive to ruins of a building that somehow stood tall among all the debris, the reinforced plastisteel frame supporting the walls that had been torn apart by the cataclysmic explosion.
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Can we spy the nasty little humansies? | 6k3 ⇒ 21 (TN: 23)
OOC: Way of the Land means that I am not having you find your way / risk getting lost.

He finally lets out his held breath in a shaky, but still very quiet, sigh of relief.

He knows glimmerstone seemed to have been like shrapnel so was mostly located outside, or embedded in the walls of, buildings so he begins with a quick perimeter sweep to see if he can uncover any. His risk tolerance already very, very strained.

(D1, LA: Perception/Investigation, 1 Raise called - TN20 after raise | 6k3 ⇒ 30 (TN: 20)
Dang, should have gone big - but not risking death for empty hands)

Rummaging the ruins, Dai manages to find two glimmerstones, both lodged into the walls of the building. While not the largest nor the brightest samples ever found, the two stones still made a decent haul. Now he can chose whether he makes his way back keeps searching.

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OOC: Sakkaku can't manage D3, so I rolled by hand.

Going back -> new Stealth roll + encounter roll by GM
Searching -> new Stealth roll with a Raise called to allow him to search and keep hidden + encounter roll by GM

He has his target, and it's not like the primary buyer even knew how to appraise them, so that was treasure enough.If he had managed footage of the clicker that, too, would be ratings gold.

His reserves spent and one close call too many Dai decides on discretion being the better part of valor. It seems his earlier prayers to Shosuro, as flawed as they might have been, paid off and it was as if the shadows welcome him as one of their own.


(Gettin' out of dodge! D1, LA: Stealth/Agility | 6k3 ⇒ 46 (TN: ?))

Dai can hear a low, keening cry in the distance. It does not take long before he can spy a ghastly form wandering among the ruins, wailing in despair as it stumbles from pile of rubble to another as if it was seeking something, its immaterial hands passing the solid debris.

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Random encounter table | 1k1 ⇒ 4 (TN: ?)

Lore: Spirit Realms at TN: 20

Well it wasn't Wailin' Watanabe, that one stayed in its spot, but ghosts he was more familiar with. They were common enough on these runs, so many unfortunate dead, the question was if it was to be pitied or feared.

What spirit lay in his path?

(D1, LA: Lore: Spirit Realms Unskilled | 4k4 ⇒ 24 (TN: 20)

Dai would recognize the spirit as an ubume - a type of a "mourning ghost" that has become lost on their journey to Meido and returned to mourn the tragedies of their life. While ghastly and terrifying, ubume were rarely known to pose a danger as long as one didn't challenge them openly. This meant that Dai was free to slip past into the (relative) safety of the city.

Ghosts weren't big draws, common as they were, but a relatively harmless one was always worth a few seconds of filming so Dai made sure his path kept him far away but still with a clear shot of the mourner.

As safe as it seemed he never breathes a true sigh of relief until well past the guard line.

Unhooking the primary holorecorder from his shoulder he closes off.

Wow! Did ya hear that Delve Devotees? Here's hopin' I got a few clean shots so you can see it too! In all my time divin' and delvin' I ain't never seen somethin' that ugly that close. Thought this might be the final signoff - whatever that Clicker was here's hopin' it leaves this realm soon.

But, hey, we got a glimmerstone out of the run and I'm still breathin' so that's a win!

Again remember to comment and share... and enjoy the refreshing, invigorating taste of White Wolf! White Wolf - the greatest rush that won't risk your life!

Awoooo!

In truth his pocket was heavy with two glimmerstones but this way, if the client wanted secrecy, he could edit out one of the finds and still use the footage.

/scene