Welcome back to the Latest Thread of Occupied Equestria
Onyx, Spark and Brie settle down for the night in a cabin in the woods along with a set of recently rescued ponies, saved from Changeling cocoons, as well as the changelings who sought to take them captive, who are themselves locked away as captives.
In Baltimare, Silver, Dark Star, Iron, and now Midnight Lily do their last preparations before seeking to take on a creature smuggling operation in a port-side neighborhood
2377 replies and 180 files omitted.
>>113165im here i just had to deal with some boomers.
>>112858>>112875>>113168The two enter the church.
A speech is ongoing, and the speaker looks at the Zebra and the fluff ball entering the sanctuary - they are directly opposite him.
“And thus the Aramaspi tore through the gates of Griffinstone and entered the King’s chamber”
He looks to his audience, places a claw up and grape into a fist as if to emphasize the lines in a pause. Then he looks up to the entrants.
“It seems we have some visitors”
Creatures in the crowd look back to the entrants. Some clearly do not like the entrants, other have more bewildered or neutral expressions
>>113195Silver steps into the church and pauses at the sight, acting as though he were about to give his friend a tour until noticing the current occupants. "Oh! Apologies, I did not mean to interrupt. We were in area, and I wanted to show my zebra friend here my place of worship when I was young."
>>113198Silver nods at him. "Yes, this was where I once went to church, long ago."
>>113197>>113198The Griffin’s eyes remain wide, and his cheeks pull back in what must be some kind of quasi smile. He grasps his chest
“... At nine o’clock at night?”
>>113200"Yes, we..." Silver looks down, in what seems to be a gesture of sadness. "...do not have much else we can go to, anymore."
>>113200>>113201"House get taken by damn fashets!"
>>113200>>113202Silver nods sadly. "And mine blown up by fascist artillery shell. We are vagrants: no home left to go to, wandering until day we die."
>>113201>>113202>>113203He pauses
“I see”
Another pause
“Tell me, are you looking for something?”
>>113204"Are we all not looking for something in our lives, друг?" He looks up to meet the griffon's eyes, his own being that of a tired, old stallion, with nothing left in his life. "Meaning. It is all we can look for, now."
>>113205His feathers are a grey coloration, and his lion coat a darker shade of tan and brown. The unidentifued model of cap is blacken wool, as is the coat he wears. The little hook at the top of his beak is a little sharper than jay be average, and his eyes - equally meeting Silver’s are a dark red, almost burgundy, like partly dried blood or a dark rose.
“Then you understand me. Tell all of us, where are you from?”
\r
>>113204the zebra has a look of saddness on his face
"We aint got nuthin, we look for soumthin more den dis life."
>>113207"My granny from zebrica she ded now,my momma ded, i is from baltimare."
>>113207"I was born here in Red Heart after my parents moved to Baltimare from St. Petershoof, but after I became adult I moved to outskirts of city. It was quiet, serene, minus occasional wildlife. I found love, had three foals with my late-wife...now, I am old stallion, I do not even know if my foals are alive, my house and everything I owned is gone...I have nothing left, not even purpose. I came back to Red Heart, hoping I could find something to keep me going, and still nothing, still stuck in this meaningless existence. If it was not for my friend here...I am not sure I would even be here to talk to you."
>>113209>>113208“So I’ll ask, why are you
really here?”
>>113210Silver has that look of sadness and loss again. "This place...it is all I have left. Perhaps I hoped I would find something that could put me back on path, something to maybe...I do not know. I have nowhere else to go."
>>113211>>113212“The path to what, exactly?”
>>113216"So many ways to put it, that I am unable to do so properly...enlightenment, I suppose..." His own ears droop, as he thinks of other ways he could put it, to make him understand.
I feel like a bluff check is appropriate
Wondering if Skies should join in....
>>113232Well, she's gotta be somewhere. She wouldn't waste that potion, I'd imagine.
>>113232Yeah! Skies should partake in second claw propaganda!
[1d20+10 = 27]>>113235>>113237“These two are a little drunk. We came from the Maurice Pub, where they were talking about the church in their childhoods and how things are now. They are in kind of a dark spot, and thought returning to old sights would help”
>>113241Zekker looks a little shocked to hear somepony speak on our behalf
Eh... maybe having an NPC intrude on the prerogative of the player characters was a bad idea
>>113251I mean, it depends on the context. Like, if Blue thinks that Silver and Star are going to blow it.>>113241Silver looks over at the griffon speaking on their behalf. "It was only couple drinks...I think...
“I’ll just.... I see there is something else going on here. I’ll leave you all be.”
The griffin awkwardly leaves
>>113256Oooooookaaaaaaay...just pretending that didn't happen, I suppose...
I don’t know.... Do you want the NPC there active and doing things, or do you want to tackle it yourselves. Yes or no. Any more flakey answers that fail to fall into either camp will mean more inserts that will be quickly retracted
>>113268Yes. You should know this by now with my speech about liking having Cauldron in the jungle mission after you complained Ash's comment about 'NPCs shouldn't appear in quests'.
>>113303Yeah. I nudge'n ye. Got a problem with it, lad?
*is nudged*
I still feel off about whether a DMPC is a good idea
>>113305I'd say it's a good addition so long as it doesn't cover a base a PC player in the party has.
Sure, it might feel railroady and the DMPC's suggestions may be accepted unilateraly due to the OOC ties with God itself, but it makes the party more powerful and able to take on harder foes.
As long as the NPC
Skies, in this instance does not jerk away the PC crafted plan it should be absolutely fine. If a PC asks her , she can answer. If a DMPC figures she must step in, and if not the three of them will face negative consequences, she can do so, since she doesn't want to die/take a reputation hit.
Although Cauldron's participation could be seen as minimal, I do admit she was the most helpful asset in the mission, always covering Iron's back.
But perhaps she's not a DMPC, so I might be wrong with my assessment. >>113305It's not a bad idea, depending on how it's implimented. If the DMPC exists to simply railroad the party along a predetermined plot path, then it's a bad idea, but when it's used as a way to cover one of the party's weaknesses and help out as a normal PC would, then it's a good idea. So, ultimately, I would recommend you use her as a normal PC, detatched from the fact that the god of this universe is controlling her.
Okay, we can probably do something tonight
>>113308>>113308This reminds me of a particular battle I tried to construct.
Now, in my mind it was the coolest construct ever. Dr. Grant is clearly pissed at Iron for stealing half the valuables at the archeological site, and while Iron is.... I guess resting, or otherwise not really taking the threat seriously, Dr. Grant gets the sub machine gun Cauldron discarded for lack of ammo off the ground, goes outside, findsthe body of the bandit leader, and takes the ammunition out of his 9mm automatic and puts it in the magazine of the sub machine gun for 15 bullets or half a magazine. Now, he’s not normally inclined to violence, but he’s lost it with how badly everything has gone for his trip. He knows that Iron is still in the half of the cavern beyond the trail’s apex because Pear is by the stream doing her own thing with the idols, and answers Grant’s basic questions.
So he goes to the apex, and stands there being hard to see because it’s so dark. Then he starts taunting Iron by talking about how Iron stole what belongs to him. Now, Grant is doing this partly to argue, but really what he’s doing is getting Iron to talk back to him, and thus get Iron - who otherwise is pretty well hidden - to reveal his approximate position. As he’s doing this he’s cackling in laughter showing that he’s had a mental break down, and he’s making statements about Iron that, true to Grant’s role in the story more generally, show himself to be an entitled selfish asshole, but also occasionally contain valid criticism and moral point. Black Cauldron, meanwhile, knows that Grant has already made up her mind to attack, so she’s sitting silently in the corner trying to hide her position, and execute an attack when he shows himself. I figured that Grant would light a flare, toss it to where he heard Iron, then maybe either either shoot at Iron or Iron would punch him.
And then it didn’t happen that way, and the whole fight was anti-climatic. Grant rolled a 1, and the flare hit the ceiling and stayed near him. Then Iron failed to land a hit on Grant. Then Grant got a chance to shoot at Iron, and landed so many hits that realistically Iron should have been reduced to “dying” with how low his HP was before the battle. The shit that kills (disables) Grant doesn’t even come from the PC, it’s Cauldron’s shot. The whole battle is over in one round with the PC failing to even land a hit. Designing encounters is hard
>>113319You can't predit how rolls are ever going to exactly go. For all intents and purposes, it was an excellent encounter with a lot of buildup. I thought it was satisfying to watch, at least.
>>113319Yeah. It broke my heart to see so much bad luck on both sides.
>>113321By the way. My last post was
>>113146 >>113146Which way, left or right? The same side of the hall as he came from, or opposite side?
Ah let's see, Midnight had just opened the door to a kitchen, no?
"Buck, this is not it"
She looks around for a sign of where she came from.
>>113339Midnight can pull out of the kitchen, to see Iron, pushing a cart out of the next door, and going the opposite direction
>>113335Dark Hallways and tile floor, with a few rooms. Eventually it dead ends in a door
>>113340>>113335"Iron!"
Midnight trots over to him
"Thank Luna I was able to find you again!"
>>113341Iron grins.
"Glad you are alright. Seen any exits to take out these clothes? It might prove useful."
>>113340He slowly and cautiously goes along the rooms up to the dead end door, and attempts to open it.
(Maybe these are the bedrooms?)
>>113343"Well there is a door up front, but my escort went to grab a guard to unlock it which might be bad. And there is where we came in."
>>113343>>113344Sounds down the hall from behind
>>113343One over, a double door opens to a large room with rows of long tables. There are some windows in the far end
>>113344"I think I got lost with all the doors and rooms, to be honest."
He smiles sheepishly.
>>113345Crap.Iron hopes the griffon doesn't go to the door he just entered, closing it with Midnight on the other side.
Iron is utterly lost.
(They have a dining room, too? How big is this building? I see why they lasted so long.)
>>113347As in, Midnight is with Iron while griffon chick is on the other side.
>>113345>>113346>>113347"Eep!"
>>113348Okay, good. I thought Midnight was going to have to call you names.
Midnight his happily brought on the other side of the door. Staying silent.
>>113349>>113348Evidently the door is closed behind the two, leaving both inside of the room. It has white tile floors, is very large across (50 feet by 50 feet, or something like that) with long wooden tables. Half of them have chairs turned upside down on top, and half have the chairs in position at the table. A wall is colored white - albeit a different shade than the tiles (a bit off white) - and it is occasionally populated with posters or something on it, but there is not enough light to make out details from this area. The room is not perfectly rectangular, with a reduced width near the hallway wall a few feet over to the left that must be the stairwell that goes down to the laundry room
>>113351Iron moves to a corner of the room and unlatches himself from the cart, followed by positioning himself on the door where the hinges wouldn't lead it slamming on Iron's body in case the possible two griffons may have seen the doors open.
>>113349"Move to the other side of this door in case they follow at a respectable distance," he whispers to the bat. "We may have to clobber them."
>>113352Oh yeah, he’s pulling a cart. Roll dexterity for going through the door without alerting the guard
>>113352"Okay"
Midnight stands at the ready, clutching her necklace.
>>113354Iron pulls through, not knowing if he was or was not heard
>>113356>>113355I'll use this time to wait if they follow aka hear footsteps coming closer or opening the door at any speed.
[1d20 = 4]<Big Ear Listening >>113357Iron does not hear any creature approaching
>>113357Big F
Midnight tries listening as well.
[1d20+5 = 18]
>>113360Her eyes shoot open as she mouths to Iron
"Hide, and stay
quiet"
She then readies her blindness spell to cast against the griffon when it opens the door.
Fort save negates, DC 15 >>113361Iron does as instructed, hiding under the table as there's no other options.
[1d20 = 16]<Cowering for the sake of the mission >>113361>>113357>>113362Delay. Another delay. A minute, then almost two minutes. There is the sound of air movement
Iron is cowering
>>113363Iron peeks the door while still hiding.
(Does she have a plan? Get escorted to the exit while I follow? Has she even heard anything?)
>>113363"I think they are gone."
Midnight barely whispers these words as she backs away from the door.
>>113366>>113364SLAMA Griffin slam starts the door open, holding a large knife
>>113367"EEP!"
Midnight casts her prepared blindness spell
>>113370Haha! The griffon is blind!
>>113370>>113369>>113368“Gah!”
The Griffin recoils back after Midnight does her hocus pocus
>>113372Iron uses this excellent opportunity to appear out of nowhere, charging at the beaked opponent to deliver a powerful strike to the right side of his head.
Of course, full power attack bonus.
[1d20+8 = 18]<Charging Hoof to BeakNow has Iron's Barbarian Patch been implemented yay or nay? >>113374K.Iron delivers a nice, rough stroke to the offending guard for his or her troubles.
Damage.
[1d3+12 = 13]<Who needs weapons with hooves like these? [1d2 = 2][1d20+3 = 11]>>113375The griffin recoils back, clearly stunned and with a possible broken beak
He stabs out at what attacked with his long knife
>>113378>>113375It misses by a fairly wide margin, stabbed outwards some degrees away from Iron, and not quite hitting Midnight
>>113378>>113380Nice.>>113371Your turn Midnight-senpai
>>113380>>113375"What do we do?!"
Midnight looks as if she hadn't considered what to do with the now blind griffon.
>>113383"We will worry about that later. We need to down the bird."
Aka do an attack against the beaked fellow. >>113384Midnight nods as she reaches under one wing and pulls out a knife, before slashing at the griffon with it.
[1d20+6 = 7] >>113386Midnight stabs forward, but the door closes back on Midnight, knocking the knife out of her hoof
Iron’s turn
>>113388Okay. Come on. No failure now.Iron, of course, repeats the process of introduction between his hoof and the untouched other left cheek.
[1d20+6 = 10]<Face? Meet Hoof Please [1d2 = 1][1d20+2 = 11]>>113388>>113386No, the door is right in front of midnight, and it knocks into her knife wielding hoof as she tries to lunge it forward, knocking it out
>>113389Miss
“Bastardo!”
He tries to stab again
>>113389I don’t know why Iron does a power attack on an enemy that has 1 HP left, but it’s a choice that causes him to fail where he would have succeeded
I think this is a hit on Iron, if I’m not mistaken
>>113392Because I have no idea how much HP a normal griffon has.In any case, it is indeed a hit. Roll damage.
Oh yeah, it's Midnight's turn.
Midnight looks dumbfounded at her hoof before picking her knife up off the ground.
Can she attack in the same turn?
>>113402Uh.... sure? Move action pick up knife attack with normal action
>>113403Thank you for humoring the retard.
>Stabby bat noises[1d20+6 = 16]
>>113407The knife lunges forward, grazing the griffin over its shoulder. The griffin, dazed and confused, winces and lurches Howard’s, and in so doing, loses his balance and falls over. He does not get up
>>113412>>113407Iron looks at the somewhat dying griffon, moving it to under the table in an attempt to hide the evidence.
"If you want to, treat him."
>>113434Woah! You have something on your face!
[1d20+11 = 16]<Ambushing Boop! >>113435REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
>>113446There is no escape for you!
[1d20 = 12] boop
>>113447>>113446You... ruthless monster!
He's surrendering!
You can't go booping people like that!
I can't let you go any longer!
*points hoof*
You shall be stopped!
>>113449N-
nani?!This power...
*gets thrown into a wall*
W-what are you?
Y-you aren't a pony...
*points hoof in prone position*
You are a booping abomination!
>>113451I reject my humanity JoJo!
>>113453Oh? You're approaching me? Instead of running away you're coming right to me?
>>113455I can't boop the snoot outta you without getting closer.
>>113456Ho ho! Then come as close as you'd like.
ゴゴゴゴ >>113459*Bats your hoof away and boops back*
[1d20 = 4] >>113461*Move my head away and boops back yet again*
[1d20 = 19]<Counter Booping >>113462*Snoot scrunches as I fall over*
Nani?
>>113465Haha!
*tries to boop back as you miss*
[1d20 = 1] >>113466inb4 self boopedThere's only one reason you lost, Anon. Only one.
You pissed me off.
[1d20 = 11]<Time to bring out the big boops Okay, so who wants to play today and when?
>>113476Can I have a burger before we begin?
>>113486I'm waiting for GM to give me my complimentary burger for the session
Ah yes.
Midnight immediately sets to work, attempting to keep the griffon stable.
[1d20+11 = 19]
>>113495The griffin is certainly stable, as he seems more stunned by the buck than injured by the cut. Perhaps a bigger threat is the griffin coming back to his senses
>>113499Well, he is still blind
"Iron, can you the chicken up?"
>>113501>>113499Iron looks at Midnight funny, but stays close to the incapacitated guard.
>>113502The work "tie" is supposed to be in there.
>>113504Iron goes to the cart to grab one of the simple garments.
"If you have anything stronger, do tell."
With that, he goes over the griffon and ties all four limbs into one knot.
[1d20 = 8]<Using da rope >>113506It’s not his finest work... but it doesn’t seem to be coming apart on its own weight either
>>113508>>113504Iron grimaces at his work.
"It will have to do."
He goes back to the cart and latches himself with it.
"Come on. We need to find an exit to keep these safe."
>>113476I have stuff to do in the evening, but I'm here
EEEE,... oh wait, I'm not the only bat any more....
EDGEEEEEY >>113509Midnight nods and follows him
"Alright, lead the way."
>>113511>>113509>>113508And so starts the now more frantic look for the exit.
Options?
>>113511>>113512Which way are they going?
>>113513I would assume out the door that they had just entered.
After that...
Midnight tries a random door
>>113513To a possible exit so we should try to go down and away from a door.
>>113514Iron follows.
>>113514>>113515It’s more than just that. Joan, the griffin servant from earlier, awaits fearfully in the hallway, standing outside the door and looking terrified
>>113516Oof. I don't wanna hurt an innocent chick.Iron simply nods curtly before proceeding onwards.
>>113517>>113516"Griffin fell, can you help him?"
Midnight cocks her head, hoping the worry isn't showing in her eyes
>>113520Iron points to the dining room.
Okay, now I am back home from my trip, and can respond more freely