Set six years after season 6, Occupied Equestria presents an alternative history where the Changelings have conquered half of Equestria, while a former Equestrian colony - soured to Princess Twilight's notion of harmony with all creatures because of their encounters with griffins - Invaded and took the other half. In Baltimare and the Equestrian Southeast, the magic of friendship has weakened, as Communists, Changeling infiltrators, Fascists, gangs, and corrupt creepy politicians threaten the city. This role play is based in large part upon the Equestria at War mod for Hearts of Iron 4, and uses D&d 3.5e mechanics
In the North, in Bales, Brie has just aquired a carriage with which he shall make the journey into the Changeling Occupied Zone, alongt with Spark and Onyx. In Baltimare, Dark Star recouperates from injuries sustained in a near fatal encounter with a Changeling opperative. Silver helps treat two traumatized orphans, and Iron examines ancient secrets in the Jungles
1697 replies and 139 files omitted.
>>103639He hangs his head, then moves his legs, and shows himself to be stuck
>>103640Silver lets out a sigh before coming over to help him. "Alright, let us see, here..."
And I'm back.
Feels great to sleep continuously.
>>103651>Have me hanged.She probably means hang her arms in a tight embrace over my neck!
>>103653>>103652Princess Luna shall show you the true meaning of the phrase, “hung like a horse”
>>103654Hiss!
>>103655Right. Because she'll hang her
forelegs on my neck. Silly me, mispronouncing that.
inb4 Equestria frees itself from bughorses and New Marelanders through Nightmare Moon's rise to power.That, or the New Marelanders just cum straight on the spot when seeing such an authoritative and strong mare >>103654Skies may not know what to say, but she does look expectantly at Dark Star. She is exceptionally cuddly
>>103657He looks up and smiles at her
then he pets her
>>103659*coo*
She looks at him with those turquoise eyes. The top of her head is soft, and her ears come down as his hoof makes contact
>>103659You have any references for what Dark Star looks like? Thinkin' of drawfagging.
>>103661He’s posted a couple images
>>103661>pic related>>103660He smiles, Genuinely happy
He then Goes back to eating those Delicious Pan Cakes.
>>103661>>103664Although i did change his cutie mark from that to a Fasces
>>103667I never noticed he had a toxic sign.
Bundleofsticksism all the way!
>>103664The pancakes are delicious. But Blue Skies continues staring at Dark Star, evidently expecting something
>>103669You could take this downtime for some of that Big Dialogue that Fleshes out the New Best Pony. I'll try some small talk with Cauldron for the time being.Poking Cauldron on her shoulder, Iron's walk is a bit slowed.
"Did you get some of the flowers you wanted?"
>>103670Uh, good luck.
I thought thay by now you would've started already tbh >>103673*coo*
That’s what she wants. She leans into it, even as the table is in the way. She is both soft and feathery
>>103671“Before our trip took a... side tour? Some”
>>103674"Want To Go Visit the Boys with me?"
>>103677>"Want To Go Visit the Boys with me?"Well, shit, guess Silver needs to get done galivanting with the colts, soon.
Also, I'm finished with the drawing of Dark Star. Just need to get it scanned, then I can post it. For some reason, it looks a bit more like anime than I was expecting it to, and I don't know why.
>>103678We shall see how anime it actually is.
tbh Star is sort of an anime character in at least some standard. >>103677“Well... I guess I could...”
Whelp, here it is. I'm not very good at drawing, but I do genuinely hope you like it, DS. I also got the thing I did of Silver scanned, so y'all can see that in its whole glory.
Not sure what to do about the empty space on both of them. Might be I'll doodle some other stuff for the characters at a later date.
>>103683I Do. you did a Good Job.
>>103682"Great. i'm Sure they'll love you."
>>103686She smiles awkwardly, and turns her head and eyes away a bit
“Well... we should probably meet with Seabreeze to show him you’re still alive”
>>103692“Well, I
told him, I meant letting him see you...”
>>103693Why does he look like a gorgon
>>103698>gorgonThought it signalled his Nativeness well.
>>103700“So what are you wanting to do with these... foals?”
>>103701"Maybe take them to see a Moving Picture."
>>103702“Where are they located now, exactly?
>>103705“Okay... why are you taking an interest in them?”
>>103641White Orchid moves all four of his hooves. He’s not perfectly stable, but he did manage his way partly over the fence
>>103710"Well, this should be simple." Silver sees if he can use his telekinesis to at least push White Orchid's lower half down, like a lever.
>>103713Well, unless he needs a roll, he does so. Hopefully it will allow White Orchid to get off the fence on his own.
>>103708Dark Star Finishes his pancakes and stands up a little more firmly than last time.
>>103714The little pony is knocked back out, and falls to the ground, still managing to land on his feat
>>103715He’s able to stand, even if still injured
>>103717"I'm Feeling better already"
He Chuckles
Then he helps blue up and pays the bill
>>103717Silver's tone of voice returns to normal upon the colt touching the ground. "Now, are you alright, White Orchid?"
>>103719“Yes”
>>103718“That is good”
The golden pony provides the bill, and Dark Star pays. Skies nods, and stands up
>>103720"Good." He pats the colt on the back. "Now, what do you want to do? Continue looking?"
>>103721“I... don’t know, what do you want to do?”
>>103722The golden pony can only smile and nod
>>103723Silver rubs the back of his head and sighs. "Well, I do not know. I still have work to do, and should probably do, but I do not want to disappoint you two like that..."
>>103723"I Hope SeaBreeze isn't Mad."
He Hails a taxi and tells him to go to the hotel
>>103724“We can see a few more things...”
>>103725“One way to find out...”
They do so
>>103726"Alright then. I wonder what will be next."
>>103727The next area is sort of like a cage, but with thinner and closer spaced bars, almost like chicken wire. The walls do not simply end but curve up to the top, and provide a ceiling to the (smaller) enclosure
>>103728"Okay,
this is interesting cage. What would need to be contained by it?"
>>103729On a limb that is set up to hang from a wall, Silver sees one. It’s a bat, hanging upside down, and looking at Silver
Thankfully it is not one of those perfidious web-winged, slit-eyed, vampire-fanged, fluff eared Pegasi, who worship dark forces in their mountain-top cult gathering under the light of the moon, or join communist newspapers and the puppet governments in greatly disproportionate numbers. No, it is a regular bat, completely red in color, with big, cute eyes, and with the dots and texture if a strawberry. Another one hangs nearby, having the coloration and texture of a purple grape
>>103730Silver decides to take a wild guess as to the name of these creatures. "Fruit...bats?"
>>103731Mint Marine smiles.
“Fruit bats!”
They make little sounds. Another one joins, this one looking like a lemon. Their ears are like leaves
>>103732"What bunch of fruits." Silver sticks his tongue out at the bats.
>>103733The bats simply look back at him, while one gets up to fly around in the aviary
>>103734"Ah, well." Silver waves it off. "You know, that makes for very effective camouflage."
>>103735White Orchid: “Imagine receiving a basket full of them. You think they are fruit until one of them opens their eyes. Then the other ones do, then they fly at you”
>>103726Dark Star Pets her as the ride there
>>103736Silver involuntarily shivers. "Or worse...that you do not realize they are not fruit until it is too late..."
>>103738Indeed, unlike those elven-eared ersatz equines who in there cavern cabals conspire and calumny against harmony while cooperating with communists and collaborating with invaders, these bats do not wear their identity on their wings, but rather may competently camouflage as common citruses or culinary curiosities.
>>103737*coo*
Skies accepts the pets, and seems to need the affection. They arrive soon enough
>>103739Should have said, “Unlike those... who wear their treachery on their webbed wings”
>>103739"Or imagine trying to harvest orchard, and you buck tree with bunch of these hanging from it."
>>103741White Orchid’s mouth slowly hangs open as his eyes grow wide, and his head moves back
>>103742"Hmm?" Silver looks to where White Orchid is looking at, to see if there's anything he's missing.
>>103743Nothing more than the image Silver gave him
>>103746Exactly what she needs. She feels a little cold to the touch, but she has her Dark Star to warm her. She moves her wings a bit to make her more accessible
*coo*
>>103748She’s still cold, and smells lightly of lavender. Dark Star can feel the *coo* vibrate out of her. She’s kind of skinny, but her wings provide extra fluff for hugging
I should be back around beginning tomorrow. Carry on
>>103749"Your Fur feels Soft, It Smells Good as well."
>>103750 >>103752“As it should” she says, smiling and looking into Dark Star’s eyes with her own green orbs
>>103754Big F
>>103753"Your Eyes Are More Lovely than any gems, that i've seen."
>>103755She grins in her smug, malign way
“Tell me more”
>>103754F
Does anypony want to play?
>>103764You wanted to flesh out some more dialogue between Grant and Pear before doing the pot negotiation.
Not sure what about, exactly. You didn't mention the topic.
>>103764Nothin' else to do except see the next exhibit.
>>103761As long as I don't have customers
>>103767Well, Brie last prompt was
>>103547>>103766There is a divider in the aviary, then a new exhibit, with a few more dead branches located in it
>>103765Yes...
>>103768Silver looks around for what lives in this exhibit.
>>103768Your answer does not give me much hope of getting the dialogue...
Hopefully we don't reach into retcon territory. >>103769He sees it soon enough. Lethargic but menacing, there are at least two visible, both perched from their dead branches. They are bats of black and grey, with pug noses, wrinkled faces, and visible fangs. Multiple shriveled apples litter the otherwise clear floor
>>103771"Eh...vampiric fruit bats?"
>>103772White Orchid: “It... it looks like it”
>>103773Silver whistles at the sight. "They are quite beauties. I suppose I can say now that I have met vampire...of sort. Much better than meeting actual vampire, with less of chance of death."
>>103774Mint Marine stares at the bats
White Orchid: “... Actual vampires?”
>>103775Okay,
this causes Silver to stare at White Orchid. "...Wait, you do not know about zombies,
or vampires? You have not heard of them at all?"
[1d20-1 = -13]>>103768Sounds like a plan. Brie attempts to gather information from the party in front of them.
Do I get a bonus for trips?
>>103776“I’ve heard some... I figured they are myths”
Now Mint Marine is concerned
>>103779"I suppose it would be for best that they remained so." Silver sighs. "But alas, they are real, undead ponies brought back by necromantic magics and bloodsucking denizens of night. Used to be, long ago, there were many great vampiric clans spread across Equestria. Or so I have heard. Celestialist crusaders were
very efficient in seeking them out and dragging them into light over past few centuries. As far as I know, only remaining vampires in world live in Dread League, far in frozen northeast of Griffonia, still under watch of Arcturian Order." Silver himself isn't sure on how many vampires remain in Equestria. They don't exactly openly give away their positions and numbers, after all.
>>103778Yes
>>103777The pony in front of Brie, who is dressed fairly proper and has a briefcase:
“Yes, this is a checkpoint to enter Blueberry Fields, specifically the town of Hawthorne. You can navigate the Changeling Zone If only you can convince them that you are there for a purpose. Be absolutely sure to carry your papers at all times, and make certain you have them in order when you cross, and when you try to get back. Avoid eye contact with any creature in a Hegemony uniform where possible. They feel like they have the right to search you, or even to steal off your pony. And the ponies themselves sometimes want to steal your papers.”
A yellowish Pegasus coming from the other direction:
“Why would you want to enter? Well, if you do, hold on to any papers you have. The Changelings do not take kindly to foreign visitors, but they are much nicer to foreign subjects than to their own... ‘livestock.’ But try to not look like you are aiding partisans. They are fond of arrests. When you try to come back, don’t think it’s easy to run the border... they have guards, and magical alarms over their walls. But the more rural areas do not have walls. The Fascists are similar in some ways. They don’t care about most ponies entering, but they fear every pony that enters could be a disguised Changeling infiltrator, or an agitator or partisan. They will try to track you down and ask questions, and will send you back if you fail. But they do not care if you do or do not have any kind of papers. They are not fond of ponies who resist the Changelings. They think any pony who will take up arms against the Changelings may take up arms against them.”
Another pony, trying to go in
“The guards will let ponies in, but are concerned about ponies who may be spies, or who may aid rebels. They will search you and your cart for weapons.”
>>103780Mint Marine is in awe, and White Orchid is almost excited
“Wow”
[Read more] >>103781"Fascists? Revolutionaries? Hegemony? How many factions are operating in this area?"
>>103782“This is the border of the Changeling Hegemony’s pony colonies and the State of New Mareland’s ‘Bales Autonomous Region,’ basically a puppet government. On this side of the border are local Bales soldiers and a number of Griffin mercenaries for support. Occasionally New Mareland secret police come by, but they don’t normally make their presence known. On the other side of this checkpoint are Changeling colonies. The Changelings have many of their soldiers, or even colonists around. Sometimes they are disguised as ponies, but they don’t really feel like they need to. They also have a secret police, and its much more ‘secret.’ I don’t know if Equestrian freedom fighters are around in either side of the border, but I can tell you with absolute certainty that both the Changelings and the Fascists don’t want Equestrian Freedom Fighters to exist, and act like they are afraid of them.”
>>103783>>103782tldr, 2. Changelings on one side and the occupying New Mareland government on the other. Note that there are no actual blackhooves agents or New Mareland soldiers, just local guards and Griffin mercenaries, who may have their own motivations. Partisans fighting either or both sides, and organized crime smuggling ponies, as well as individual thieves or highwaymen are possibilities, but they have not been seen.
>>103784Spark’s prompts are
>>103547 and
>>103781 >>103756>>103757yee
"There's that Beautiful smile of yours. Its far more Beautiful than any piece of Art."
>>103787He Helps Her Out of the taxi
It will be a minute for me
>>103788She nods, and gets out. With Dark Star’s condition, she probably out to be helping
him out
>>103781"Well..." Silver thinks for a second. "...there might be one, maybe two clans left in Equestria. There are all sorts of rumors coming from Tramplevania and Trottingham. They would most like be hiding from rest of world. I have not had fortune, or misfortune to some, to meet one in person. I have heard some being referred to as heroes in their own tales, protecting ponykind from shadows without ever being seen. I have heard tales of them being villians, preying upon hapless ponies in dark alleyways and streets on moonless nights. And I have heard tales of them simply trying to survive, hunted for simply existing, on run for rest of their ageless, deathless lives. Nopony really knows, except perhaps vampires themselves, or very rare half-vampire offspring.
"Now, those vampires who live in Dread League, who work underneath Coven of Blood...
those would most certainly be evil."
>>103791Thus Silver relates his tales to White Orchid and Mint Marine. Perhaps Silver tells them of nocturnal ponies, perhaps ordinary bat ponies, lynched by weary townsfolk after disappearances or murders. Perhaps Silver relates to them the story of an evident serial killer who stalked the streets of Trottingham in the night when Silver was their age, and who brutally killed a number of mates there. Perhaps Silver decides to tell them about the all too real and present threat of Changelings, vampires by another name. Either way, little Orchid seems excited by this
“It’s like the fairy tales!” He seems amazed, if not convinced of the existence of legendary vampires
Mint Marine, by contrast, correlates Silver’s stories with a silent movie he saw when he was younger with his Grandmother. He was terrified by the creeping, elder vampiric figure, and he seems afraid now, cowering
>>103790Dark Star puts his leg around her shoulder.
>>103793She smiles back at him
“Well, I guess we need to go in”
>>103796"Lets Go."
He steps towards the door
>>103797The two ponies go towards the door. Felipe is somewhat surprised to see Dark Star in that state, and opens the door for him, leading him into the lobby
\r
>>103798"Thanks, Felipe."
He continues towards the desk
>>103799He sees Sea Breeze, and Sea Breeze looks back with clear concern “Are you alright?”
>>103792When there's an afraid foal, it's a father's job to comfort them. Something Silver knows all to well as he goes to Mint and pats him on the back. "It is okay. Most vampires who would be left in Equestria, as I understand it, are just ordinary ponies, like you or me. They just want to make it another day. Still, you have big ponies like me to help keep you and others safe from any mean old vampires that have thirst for blood."
He turns to White Orchid. "I suppose it is little bit, yes. I do wonder what they truly are like, even with danger meeting one could pose. I have heard they have super-equine strength, ability to turn into bats or wolves, and ability to command minions or other creatures of night."
>>103801Mint Marine is not fully placated: “but they drain ponies completely of their blood!”
White Orchid is impressed by Silver’s account of Vampire powers. “Ooooooh!”
He looks back to the bats in evident curiosity, wondering what they are hiding
After thinking about it further, I think what I had thought I would do in dialogue due Iron is best saved for later
>>103802Silver gets a grin on his face. "You say that like that would stop ponies like me."
>>103804We can probably just proceed
>>103805White Orchid zooms in on the bats as he gets closer to the wire
Mint Marine: “what do you mean?”
>>103807Alrighty. I shall Iron-post.Iron squints his eyes on the path ahead.
"How long have we been walking?"
>>103807"When I know ponies like you are in trouble, I will go to great lengths to see you made safe, even if there is threat that I would lose all of my blood." He ruffles Mint's mane. He's starting to like the action, himself, even if he's the one doing the mane-ruffling. "Either way, I do not know where you have been hearing about vampires, but I do not think they can suck out
all of your blood. Or at least, it would take them very long time to do so."
>>103809“Are you going to fight them as they suck out your blood?”
>>103808“A few minutes now...”
>>103800"I'm Fine,Sir. Just Got a little Lead poisoning."
He Laughs
>>103810The heavy clip clops continues as the duo travels ever closer to the pots.
"Alright. Do you remember the plan?"
>>103810"That I would. But I doubt I would need to." He smiles at Mint. "You have nothing to fear from vampires. I can tell you there would be none here in city, and certainly none that would try to hurt you. Besides, vast majority are just like you or me. They have their hopes, their dreams. They just want to live their lives...err, 'un-lives' as best as they can." He's suddenly reminded of his (short) time with the changeling drones, and how much like ponies they can seem to be, when you get past their...strange eating habits.
Perhaps that is what many vampires are like. Maybe not. I do not know. Somehow I keep missing Brie's player. I kind of need to cook up a plan with him because we are entering a critical part of the mission now.
>>103811“I heard you almost were killed”
>>103812“
No”
>>103816He nods.
"We will first try to simply take the pots. If they stop us or have taken at least one of them, we bring up our massive contributions to reach this temple and securing it from the bandits. If that does not work, we intimidate. The last part can either be knocking them out or killing them."
His mind reminds him of the possible option to woo the history mare.
"Hopefully we do not have to come to that."
>>103816"Those rumors were greatly exaggerated."
>>103813“.... but if you’ve never met a vampire, how do you know they are harmless?”
>>103818This gets a smile out of Sea Breeze.
“Let’s go to an enclosed room and speak about what happened this morning”
>>103817“Very well”
>>103819Iron nods again.
"Any advice of your own against dealing with these two before we commit?"
>>103820“I’ve never been in a circumstance quite like this before, and I don’t know these two ponies. All I can say is expect them to ‘know somepony’ or something like that”
>>103821The three go down to the usual room, which still retains many of the features from its origins as a hotel room, despite its current purpose as a secure conference or interrogation room
They sit down. Sea Breeze says,
“Tell me
precisely what you heard, and what happened”
>>103822He nods, a focused look to where they're heading.
"I understand. Let us get what is ours."
>>103819"I did not say they were harmless. I said I believe they were much like us. I mean, would
you go and try to suck another foal's blood out for no reason?"
>>103825“Well, no... but I’m not a vampire”
>>103826He gets a chuckle out of that. "Fair enough, but point still stands: would you just attack somepony randomly without reason?"
>>103828"Then what would cause you to believe that you are suddenly attacked by vampire out of nowhere?"
>>103829“Well that’s what I saw in the movie...”
He trails off at the end of this softly spoken sentence. He pulls his head back and a little of the the side as he breaks eye contact.
“But they drink your blood. It feeds them, or gives them superpowers or something...”
>>103831"Perhaps. It might be they need that life essence to continue to live. I do not know. But there are easier ways to acquire blood than attacking ponies, especially if you are vampire trying to avoid being found out. It might be they can subsist on blood packs, instead." He lifts an eyebrow at Mint. "What movie did you see, exactly?"
>>103823"That may be Hard Sir, I Don't Exactly Remember that much previous to getting filled with lead. Except the Fact that the police mare i was talking to turned into a Changling."
>>103833He looks at Dark Star seriously
“Did she say anything?”
>>103832Mint Marine’s eyes go up at the thought of vampires acting his life essence as well as his blood
“It was...” he looks up trying to remember “No-Nose...” he struggles a bit more, but eventually conceded defeat
“I don’t quite remember...”
To the side can be heard a “RAAA!” and a “whihehehe!” whinnying sound as White Orchid rears back, then moves back in fear from the aviary cage
>>103834Unfortunately for Mint, this new occurrence takes priority. Silver jumps up and quickly tries to get a hoof on what's going on.
>>103835A bat has hissed or otherwise made a threatening sound directed at White Orchid, who was startled by the noise, and now Mint Marine is somewhat startled as well
>>103837"...White Orchid, were you taunting bats?"
>>103840Silver sighs, though he's slightly amused at his coltish antics...so long as he doesn't get hurt by them. "You are both alright, yes?"
>>103842"Good." He looks between the two colts. "Perhaps we should leave these bats be for now."
>>103843"Okay..."
Mint Marine:
"These bats... Vampires... they are almost as bad as Changelings"