Welcome back to Occupied Equestria
Dark Star, Silver, Iron, and Midnight continue their investigation and hopefully, the take down of a group of organized criminals who have taken up operations at an old fortress on the sea shore. They have already rescued a number of creatures and persuaded them to join in their efforts. Now, they most hope that they can strike with enough force, and quickly enough, to destroy the evil that has taken up residence there.
Up in the North, the ponies are waking up, ready for a new day
1547 replies and 148 files omitted.
>>117970"Then I suppose we had better get moving..."
>>117972"Do you..... want to go to a floor?"
>>117966Iron is also near the front.
>>117965>>117970>>117972>>117969>>117971"Let us not dwindle for any longer," Iron says. "We go up one floor and see the resistance there. Any objections?"
Is there a reason no one wants to agree or disagree with first floor?
>>117977I can't see a reason to disagree. I'm just waiting for us to get on with it.
The stairwell itself has an olden quality to it, with the mortar on the walls stained with water. Going up the stairs even a single floor gives a different look. White painted walls, and steps that are no longer decaying and questionable, but slightly newer and concrete. Through a closed brown door and....
Into a hallway, the hallway is straight and surrounded by white walls and and brown doors. Part of a wall bears the imprint of a removed celestial religious symbol, while the light fixtures seem to have been changed over time, but have a white cover over them to dull the yellow tint of the light. There are definite sounds of movement about on the floor, and of talking as well. On the left side are visible mostly evenly spaced doors, with some irregularity. One nearby is marked as a simple closet. Further down on the right side, the wall gives way to an open entrance to something else, maybe a central hall, room, atrium, or courtyard. The ceiling there is held up by simple square columns. To the left midway is something like a narrow way to an external door. To each end of the hall are corners where the hallway simply turns.
>>117978SighIt's not like the choice is meaningful or anything, or like player participation is a part of the story
>>117980How many doors are we talking about?
>>117982Well, I have no better ideas than to try each one we come across and see which ones have either prisoners or enemies.
>>117976"How long has it been like that?"
Spark observes the damage.
[1d20+5 = 16]>>117980Dark Star tries to listen to the whispers
>>117985No whispering for Dark Star. Actually. Distant talk is mostly in a foreign language. In ponish only “we will meet up with them” is distinguishable from the mass
>>117983Door 1: Broom closet
Door 2: a public bathroom, including a section with showers. Not sure if Silver is eager to explore that given the possibility of running into some creature
Door 3: looks like a bedroom. Actually kind of decent if austere. Made bed with tree patterns, shelf of leather bound books, single chair, wooden floor (contrasted against concrete floors elsewhere)
>>117984See the same linked posts to see what the damage is, unless more details are needed
Otis responds
“They... they said it happened early this morning or last night. It wasn’t reported until later this morning. I don’t know what is true, but this machine was reported as oppressing yesterday”
>>117986"What is bedroom doing here...?"
>>117986Dark Star whispers, "i think somepony may be looking for the group in the boiler room."
>>117986Spark looks along the ground for evidence that parts were removed. Perhaps oil stains, drag marks, or peices of metal?
>>117987Mala: “Sone of the wealthier members live in the first floor… Recent arrivals are higher up”
>>117989There is oil on the ground, yes, but nothing seems obviously to have been removed
>>117991Silver nods, and continues to look through the doors.
>>117991Does the damage seem uniform, or clearly hoof made, with indentions and irregularities in it?
[1d20+5 = 6]>>117991Dark Star tries to spot the pony
>>117993"Almost like industrial equipment was used to sabotage industrial equipment." Brie says walking up to Sparks.
[1d2 = 2]>>117993It’s like a bludgeon tearing through it
>>117994A spider falls onto Dark Star’s face
>>117992Seems like a minor guard’s room.
>>117996Alright then. Any other doors to check?
>>117998 Not in this hallway on this floor
>>117999Then I suppose I'll wait for the rest of the party to advance.
[1d20+5 = 13]>>117999>>117986Dark Star Looks over the bedroom checking for anything interesting.
>>118001>>118002Imported quills, a jeweled necklace, books probably of a religious bend, white sheets, and a brass image of a sun over the vec
>>118003Dark Star takes the necklace and examines it.
>>118005Looks fairly nice, and made for a large creature. Jewelry set in a gold necklace, not too ornate though
>>118006Dark Star Hoofs it over to blue.
>>118007“Hmmm... seems to be foreign made jewelry. Do you think a female lives in this room?”
>>118008"It would be likely, i wonder how she fits into this."
>>118009“How do you suppose they got it?”
>>118010"Somepony probably stole it."
>>118011“As I figured...”
She still takes hold of the necklace
>>118012"Lets get to the next floor."
>>118011>>118012Silver is getting monitarily fucked on this mission.>>118013"If you did not want to look at open area on right side of hallway, then very well.
>>118019*Pets the poor silver pony*
>>118029You're not alone, though. I'm here.
>>118032*Is hugged by the Floofster*
*Is hugged back*
>>118032>>118033Um.... *hugs* the Floofster
Wanna watch something in the cytube?
https://cytu.be/r/Nelumbo >>118038>>118039So um.... I don’t know if anypony wants to play tonight...
>>118043>>118042>>118041Well....
maybe we can advance somewhat tonight. The ponies are in the hallway, with the sounds of creatures elsewhere. Silver and Dark Star particularly were last in a bedroom
[1d20+5 = 18]>>118044Dark Star tries to listen to find the source of the sound
>>118044What other options to go are available for native boy?
>>118046Theoretically many. There are 4 rooms (each of which identified) a door to the outside, an open access to what seems to be a central hall, the hallway seems to wrap around the first floor in a square shape, going upstairs, knocking against the wall, banging Sands in the bathroom, and so forth
>>118047>>118045From the central area of the building
[1d20+5 = 8]>>118048Dark Star points it out to the group, then tries to stealth towards it.
>>118045>>118048Silver looks to Dark Star. "Well, you are far stealthier than I. Care to sneak ahead into central hall and see what we are up against?"
>>118048One option is different than the others.A good difference but I'm not sure if stalling any longer is a wise idea.Iron is reluctant on where to go, but decides to go near the door near the access to what seems to be a central hall.
>>118051Kek, I was messing with you>>118049>>118051Dark Star and Iron are damned lucky that the sound of clipping on the floor does not sound
too radically different from what the creatures can expect to hear in the night’s revelry.
It appears the be a central square floor at the center of an atrium. Above are at least two levels with railings. In the center of the square is a group of a dozen griffins at minimum, with a few going in and out. They are shouting, talking, and in a state of revery. They wear robed garments with various white, red, and brien coloring. A could have knives or shirt swords, but the great majority are either unarmed or must be carrying the weapons out of sight
>>118050"Yea thats the plan."
>>118052What do they appear to be doing?
>>118052You had me going for a second there. I was just about to pretend sex noises to attract even more guards over.Unless...Iron glances over, unsure of their odds again this many griffons.
(Hm. I might have to apply some divide and conquer rules here.)
>>118053Socializing, and gathering together. If there is something more sinister going on here, it either hasn't happened yet, has already happened, or looks exactly like standing and talking
>>118055Dark Star sneaks back to the group
>>118050>>118052"They appear to be having a party."
>>118056"Then at least that guard's warning has not gone through. How many of them are there?"
>>118057>>118056Iron accompanies Star as he goes back, with a slightly nervous expression.
>>118057"Dozens of them, there are a few going in and out. there's one down there wearing similar robes to the one we saw earlier."
>>118059Silver's eyes go wide. "Черт.
Dozens?" The older unicorn scratches his floofy chin. "Then we have problem. We will end up facing them at one point or another on this mission, but facing them all at once will mean our death.
"You said they are coming and going? Perhaps we could ambush small groups of them after they leave, thin herd little."
>>118060"That Sounds like a Good idea. Do we have any way to start fire? i have an idea for some whiskey i found."
>>118060>>118061"Maybe we can make loud noises enough to attract a group of them here?"
>>118061It's not hard to see where Dark Star is going with this. "I have lighter. All we would need is to find some suitable bits of cloth to burn."
>>118062"Hmm. Maybe. Though that runs risk of alerting entire group."
>>118064"And you believe by starting a fire you would not alert every single pony around these parts?"
>>118059Note to clarify:
all of them are wearing some kind of clothing, even as one or two go further with headgear
>>118065"I think he is planning on making firebombs for when we do get into combat. Until then, I believe we do not even have to lure any of them out. If they are coming and going of their own volition, then we merely need to ambush those leaving until there is more managable group of guards to deal with."
>>118067Das'raycist.
>>118068"Until one of them yells..."
>>118067That's racist!
>>118068Iron blinks at Silver dumbfoundedly
"Firebombs?"
>>118067YOU CAN'T SAY THAT WITHOUT OBAMA'S EXPRESS PERMISSION!
>>118069Iron nods.
"Maybe if we pretend to scream in danger and fear to alert the guards, we might lure the strongest foes into an ambush."
>>118069"I did not say it was perfect plan. We will need to either silence them, finish them off quickly, or otherwise convinc them that they do not need help."
>>118068>>118065"That was the plan. Maybe we can grab 1 walking alone and drag him around a corner."
>>118067Cauldron Get Down!
>>118070"They are bottles of alcohol with pieces of cloth wrapped around bottleneck. You light cloth on fire, throw it, and when bottle breaks lit cloth will set alcohol on fire. Works exceptionally well against feathers and fur."
>>118072"Precisely."
>>118072>>118073After hearing Silver's explanation, he can't help but nod.
"It sounds like a plausible plan. Now where should we wait for somepony to pass along?"
>>118074>>118069Silver looks to their guide, Mala, for guidance.
>>118073"Don't forget feathers. does anypony know where we can get cloth?"