Explorers Written Test 2

[Instructions: Copy and paste this section into your written app, following the written test. You can choose how you want to respond to it: write a return letter, or describe your characters reading the letter and discussing their answers, or throw out the letter framing and describe a direct meeting with Teresa - just keep the questions the same.]

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The recruitment slip you received from the Explorers wasn't the most professional-looking bit of paperwork, but it was definitely the most charming. It was just a piece of scrap parchment, unevenly stamped with the guild logo and blanks for names, but the ink used had a strange iridescence, changing from purple to blue to dark green. The back also featured a hand-lettered note in cheerful cursive, reminding your new member to "drop by the Guild Barracks and sign the roster, or send in this slip and we'll paste your name in. Welcome aboard!" So you did, and figured that was that.

Some weeks later, you receive a postcard addressed to your team. There's no guild insignia, but it's covered front and back in the same cursive handwriting, in the same strange, shimmering ink. You wonder who back at base would send you a personal message, but the first line makes it clear:

"Greetings,

It's Teresa, from the guild. I hope this gets to you okay. I've been busy here in Andalusst working on our Basalt haul (from the Basalt Halls). We ended up with a couple tons of mixed meatroots and fleshcaps, and going through them all felt like it took years. We've distributed most of them, but I've been trying out some stuff with the leftovers. Like this ink - I made it from some odd-colored meatroot skins. We might be able to sell it to raise money. Do you think it's too hard to read? There's a couple other formulas I- [The line is scratched out mid-sentence]

Uh, sorry, I got carried away and realized I was running out of space. Anyway. I'm writing cause saw that you have a new recruit, and I got that "zing!" again just hearing about it. I thought it would be nice to get to know more about your new teammate - or you, if you're reading this (hi there!). There's so many questions I could ask you, but I'll stick to the ones I asked your friends when I met them. One, why'd you decide to join the Explorers? And two, what do you think will be your most useful skills as an Explorer? Don't mean to put you on the spot, I'm just always curious about this kind of thing.

I guess the other thing to ask is what you all aim to do next. I think you definitely know by now how important helping and connecting with other pokemon is to our guild - you made a new teammate, after all! But being an Explorer also means having your eye on the future. Are there any places you've heard about that you'd like to go? Or any other pokemon you've met who you want to get to know better? Totally understand if you don't want to share, of course.

Okay, that's just about all I can fit onto this card. I can't wait to hear from you, and good luck!
-Your Serperior, Teresa

[Scribbled, in the tiniest handwriting] (I'm still actually a Servine. Guess that joke doesn't really work for letters.)"