/vx/ - Videogames and Paranormal

>>122525
"Well, there is a pony being falsely accused for sabatoge which I'm trying to free. I might need some back up if the old sweet talk doesn't quite pan out."

>>122526
"Sounds fun. So, where do we go?"

>>122525
The foals return to a situation much like that before Onyx looked into the cart

Ruby sits down on the left side of Onyx, holding onto (lightly) his left foreleg. Beneath the much taller Onyx it's like hiding behind a table leg. In front of Onyx, and to the right, Wesley sits down with a drooping head. Kerr stands up over his brother, with his right hoof on him. The scowl on his face slowly fades to a frown

>>122527
"Right now I'm waiting on the lieutenant to return with word about my request to bring the prisoner over to reveal who has been doing it. Perhaps I can get him to point to the forest and you can pop out and scare them into thinking there is a supernatural force out there messing with them."

>>122529
"Maybe. Say, can you take care of those two-"
he points to the changling foals
"I don't understand them"

>>122530
"Sure."
>>122528
He looks to the changelings.

>>122530
>>122531
The purple colt is the first to look up at Onyx and then Spark, with almost blank expression, ears that go down for a moment, and wide open, green eyes. The grey pegasus joins in a moment, lifting up a heavy head and looking at onyx with wet blue eyes that glisten

>>122532
Spark goes over and hugs the little ponies.

>>122533
The purple bat pony pulls back and inch, and starts to hiss. He is cut off by the hug. As he is much smaller than Spark, he is easily dominated. The grey pegasus is less mobile, but closer to the ground and places more weight into the hg, making him a slightly more difficult target. He is hugged nevertheless. Both have been out in the cold and Spark can feel it

>>122534
Awwwwww. Poor cold ponies.

Spark comforts the little ponies.
"We will be out of here soon. Don't worry."

>>122535
chkchk

>>122530
"What we gonna do?"
Ruby asks Onyx

>>122536
"Well, do what he says until we can get outta here. Hopefully sooner than later."

>>122537
"Where you gonna take me when we get out?"
Now, the bright red pony looks up at Onyx with a smile, his tail starting to move slightly back and forth

>>122538
"Well, there's lots of places we could go. Where would you like to go?"

>>122539
"Well, I hadn't been to the state fair in... three years now? Ever since daddy reenlisted there watn't really any time for it it seemed. I'd always wanted to see the Crystal City. Or.... I know! Canterlot! If we could just get....... Them"
He turns his eyes, but not all of his head, over to a guard that stands some 50 yards away, the same guard that Onyx so bravely made go away a few minutes before
"-to let us travel around rather than stay in our sector"

>>122540
"We'll get there, don't worry"
He pets the colt to reassure him

>>122540
Spark goes to check on the lieutenant.

>>122541
The colt closes his eyes, and slightly lowers his head, but presses up his big, bushy mane for the pets
"Awwwwwww If anypony can put some fear into them giant bedbugs, it's you. Make 'em let us go"

>>122542
The lieutenant walks out causally with an haughty expression. Behind him walks a white coated changeling who carries on a leash the prisoner spark met with earlier. The prisoner's head is lowered, but faces forward, with a firm if somewhat frowning expression. His eyes have bags and black around them, and his ribs show those portions not covered by a brown coat

>>122543
"we'll go soon enough, don't worry. But apparently we have some busiess first"

>>122543
Spark greets them.
"So prisoner, ready to point out who is responsible?"

>>122545
He looks up, then over to Spark. For a moment, he is completely expressionless. But then, he narrows his eyes at Spark.

The lieutenant looks to the prisoner. His lips are pulled up midway along his muzzle, almost like a snarl. But the fangs don't help, forcing the lips up at the front. Then, swiveling his head and its massive, dragon-fly eyes towards Spark, he says
"How can you succeed on this? We've been working him down for two weeks now and he has yet to name accomplices!"

>>122544
He looks up again to Onyx
"Oh... Alright"

>>122546
"Don't worry, it probably won't take more than a day"

>>122547
He looks up to Onyx, and his sad expression changes to a smile. His right ear folds in half for a moment, and flops back up, then his tail quickly moves back and forth
"I can wait for ya. I know you'll get it done"

>>122548
Onyx chuckles and continues petting the colt

>>122549
He stretches out his neck
"I know 'ya can. You scarred off that big, mean old changeling earlier like it was nothin'. I thought for sure we were goners! You see the teeth on that thing? Like ice-cycles. The big ones that form on the siding. But you scared him away"

The guard in question is still 50 yards away, sitting down and looking back at Onyx. He has lazy air about him, with indifferent eyes and relaxed lips, like a lion resting under the Savannah sun at midday. His spliced, tubular right ear twitches.

The mine never ceases to produce obnoxious sounds of diesel engines, rocks tossed into the back of trucks, power shovels digging through clay, and above all else, the pounding of the grinding mill

>>122546
"Well, sometimes it takes a pony to get a pony to talk."

>>122551
His snarl drops to a colder, straighter impression, and part of what seems to be an eyelid closes in. He nods
"Very well. We shall see what you can do. But I will have my eyes on you"
\r

>>122552
Spark nods and motions for them to bring him along.

>>122553
The lieutenant himself extends a hoof pointing forward, and the guard walks forward, pulling the chain tight, and with a "cling" the prisoner starts to move forward over towards Spark
\r

>>122554
Spark heads to the other workers to find the traitors.

>>122555
checks self in loneliness
Spark ponders his plan.

>>122564
Intercontinental Ballistic Boops!

>>122565
>>122564
Y'all are silly

>>122566
D'awwww.

>>122584
Gah!

Hi little pony! What is Silver up to?

>>122585
Currently looking at his compatriots, look around the small armory. He speaks up. "Finish up in here. I am going to scout ahead on this floor. Join me when you are done."

>>122587
White Sands nods. Blue Skies:
"Just.... Be careful"

And yet, from somewhere comes another voice, whispered
"Do you think me so easily repulsed?"

>>122588
Silver pays little head to the whispered voice. He smiles at Blue Skies. "I will."

The old pony thus leaves the armory to explore this floor of the building.

>>122589
Silver opens the door of the room, back into the hallway, and sees something rather different than he may recall

Light enters the hall. Natural sunlight, shining in from a glass roof that vaults upwards divided into one meter squares, covering the area over the rectangular atrium at the center of the building. Two beams cross under the raised glass roof, with flood lights attached. The sun shines through the roof, slightly angled towards the opposite side of the building, and leaving Silver's position slightly in shadow.

The walls on the left side of the hallway that blocked off the atrium are gone. Replaced with a part wrought iron, part wood railing kind of like that found on the lower two levels. Yet Silver can see that he is, in fact, on the fourth floor - albeit one that looks different than when he went in.

The walls hold a fresh set of white wash, tempered slightly by the presence of at least one sun symbol on each wall. The doors and door frames are fresh wood, if somewhat austere. Silver is not alone, as some ponies walk around here and elsewhere

>>122590
Silver blinks once, then again, then looks side to side at the new surroundings and the ponies that shouldn't be in there. He reaches out to the nearest one to get their attention.

>>122591
Silver doesn't have to look far. Over to the left, Silver sees a mare walking at leisurely pace in his direction. A nun. She wears a simple black habit that raises where in covers her ears, and has no coloring other than a white garment around her neck

>>122592
Silver reaches out to touch her shoulder. "Sister?"

>>122593
Silver feels something, without feeling the full detailed tactile sensations he would normally associate with touching a garment. It's something there, but it isn't soft or rough or smooth or wrinkled.

She pulls back at the touch. And narrows her eyes
"Are you looking for somepony?" She says to him looking at him

>>122594
The feeling makes the fur on the back of his neck stand on end. It's just wrong to him. He pauses for a moment before a question comes to him.

"Excuse me, Sister, what is the date today?"

>>122595
She blinks, and her mouth is partly open
"It's the twelfth, I think, of April. Nine forty four. Tuesday."
She looks at him for another moment in silence, maybe a second and a half
"Do you have a daughter or somepony close to you that you expect to be released today?"

>>122598
The old pony's eyes widen.

April nine forty...I think I am having stroke...

Nervously, he smiles. "I...do believe so, but I think I will be fine, Sister...?"

>>122599
She turns her head ever so slightly to the right. Still looking at Silver. Her mouth closes. Then she says
"North o' the' Dam. This floor is for the sisters and patients with higher needs. Who are you looking for?"
\r

[1d20-1 = -14]
>>122601
Bluff: Silver says the first thing that comes to mind. "I am looking for Willow."

>>122602
Her eyes open up "Wippy Willow? Oh yes, she should be coming up soon from her treatment. I'm not sure she's ready to be released yet though. I think she's on a court order...."
She kind of trails off, with less confidence in her most recent words

>>122603
He nods. "Thank you, Sister North."

>>122604
She looks at him, almost confused, but moves over to the side and tries to walk past him

>>122605
Silver steps out of her way to let her pass.

>>122606
She does so. But what does Silver do?

>>122607
As soon as she's out of sight, the old unicorn releases a breath he didn't know he was holding. His legs get a bit wobbly underneath him. He shakily trots over the railing down into the atrium, the one that not 30 minutes ago was host to a very brutal massacre by his own hooves.

>>122608
*over to the railing

>>122608
>>122609
Trotting over to the railing, Silver can find that his hoof can go no further than to the railing itself - not over it. But his vision extends further, and down to the floor he can see that it is a set of dull greyish stone tiles that break up the otherwise oppressive atmosphere impossed by the bright, whitewashed walls. There is no hint of bodies or blood.... but still Silver can vaguely smell burned clothing. A smell that is added to by a slight smell of disinfectant and bleach. A mare walks past, naked, as does another, and one is visible on the second floor as well. From off in the distance is the sound of a foal crying.

>>122610
"I must be having stroke..."

The unicorn slumps down into a sitting position, holding a forehoof to his head. "April 944...I was not even born yet..."

After a minute of catching his breath, he trots back to look in the small armory he just left.

>>122611
Entering the room, he finds it to be, as before, a long common room with two separate other rooms on the right. This room is actually a bit simpler, with a white tile floor, a white washed right wall, and the far wall painted a sort of ocean blue color. There is a table, a wooden chair, and a simple but fluffy couch. One window on the far side opens to outside, looking onto ocean, and letting some light shine in, with rays falling nearly directly below the window. There is an oil lamp, but no electric lights. Looking over to the two side rooms each have a bed but are otherwise mostly plain, and the doors have windows and locks from the outside.

>>122612
He just shakes his head. "Oh no..."

The old pony paces out in the hallway, wondering what to do now that he has obviously lost his marbles. Ultimately, he decides to follow whatever is causing the scent of burnt clothes.

>>122613
As Silver moves back into the hallway, he comes upon three mares. One, a little further away is North, who has turned and is looking to the other two. The other two are a daffodil yellow mare with a white shirt, and another nun, this one clearly a white unicorn cover completely in black. The yellow mare rocks her head side to side, and moves her mouth as if in mumbling, and does not seem to notice Silver, or even focus her eyes forward. The Unicorn nun tugs at the daffodil mare with a yellow magic glow, trying to pull her forward.

The mares seem to be coming from the stairwell, as the door closes Silver can see stone steps like those on lower floors, and can smell the smell of burned clothing coming stronger from the stairwell

>>122614
Silver continues to follow the scent, wondering what could be causing it.

Is it hallucination like everything else? Or is it real?

>>122615
Only faint, but it does seem that the air caries it stronger nearer the stairwell. As Silver passes, North says to Silver and to the other two
"Oh! It's the father! Here is Willow"
She looks back to the Daffodil mare, who audibly mumbles to herself and rocks her head back and forth. She pays no mind to the alleged father. The nun looks over towards Silver

>>122616
Silver stops in his pursuit of the smell, and looks towards Willow. "...Willow? Is that you?"

>>122617
The mare actually does look up, and over to Silver. Her eyes are magenta. Her mouth keeps moving, occasionally stopping, evidently talking at low volume. She says nothing to Silver, however. Partly covered by the collar of her shirt on her neck are a couple darker spots with some lost fur that Silver by now can recognize as electrical burns

>>122618
Already knowing the answer, Silver points the burn marks out to the Sisters and asks, "What are those from?"

>>122619
North tries to answer
"I... I think it's from her treatment. She has mania"

With an air of almost indignation, the white unicorn nun interjects, looking over towards North and then to Silver. She speaks, with a voice that sounds older and harsher
"The doctor says she has Premature dementia, and has prescribed treatment accordingly. If you ask me, she's been conversing with demons."

She looks back to Willow, who at least sometimes looks in the direction of people who are talking, only to then again look off into the distance down the hall.

>>122620
He raises an eyebrow at the Sisters. "You are treating my daughter...with electricity?"

>>122621
She answers, with a tone of no apology
"Electrically induced seizures, yes. So says the doctor. And a healthy dose of prayer time, so says I."

Willow looks down the hall and says something under her breath every few seconds, occasionally nodding

>>122622
"That is just barbaric!"

Silver tries to listen in on what Willow is muttering.

>>122623
She's talking at a really low volume, and her head is pointed further down the hallway, slightly to the right
"The cats jump to the moon and live on the far side?"

Pause

She nods
"Can you take me there?"

She pauses, and moves her head forward, more eager
"My daughter will be there?"

Short pause

"But.... I am stuck here"

A much longer pause. She nods
"I see"

>>122624
I wonder who she is talking to...

Silver pats the mare's back, while trying to discreetly smell if the burnt clothes smell is coming from her.

>>122625
The smell is not coming from her, and has actually dissipated somewhat since they entered. And yet, there is a slight - very slight - smell of burning fur from her

She speaks a little more
"Wait?"
And this time, it sounds as if there is a whispered reply
"Just take me home"
Another whisper
"And be with the cats"

>>122625
>>122626
When Silver pats the back, he feels like his hoof is completely numb. He can feel that it is touching something, but he can feel no details of it. Silver's hoof comes down on the shirt. Her ears twitch back, and her fur goes from a completely upright position to one ever so slightly relaxed

>>122626
>>122627
It might be a hallucination, and it might feel like it's wrong, but he continues to pat Willow's back. "There, there..."

>>122628
Her fur relaxes a bit again, but she keeps staring forward, almost like a dog at alert.
"Tell me when it comes" she whispered

The nun speaks to Silver
"She is not ready to go home"

>>122629
Silver speaks back to the nun. "You know that this 'treatment' isn't helping."

>>122630
"Guh! The court ordered her to treatment by a doctor. She needs an exorcist. But the Doctor has his own ways"
She looks down to Willow, who is silent now, and has turned her body to look at the three

"She's only been here a few weeks. Give her more time"

>>122631
"With all due respect, what she needs is love and care. She's a pony. She's my daughter."

>>122632
There is a distant whipser
"Well, give her love now while you are visting. She tried to stab a stallion on the street, the court says she is here as long as the doctor says she is harmful to self and others. She can't go home with you."

Willow sounds more joyful
"I can jump to the moon, like the cats, and see my daughter!"
She smiles, turning her head and looking over into the atrium

>>122633
Silver nods, and continues to pet his "daughter".

"My poor Willow..."

>>122634
She smiles, looking definitely contented. Her mane is cut somewhat short, but still messy. Silver's hoof feels completely as if numb when petting her, only barely registering that he is touching anything. But her mane moves with the pets. She sits down, and stares up into the glass ceiling over the atrium to the blue sky above
"Like the cats"

The nun says to her
"She may be released when the doctor approves. She's had her parental rights taken away, just a reminder. If your granddaughter is with you, she is to stay with you"

>>122635
How quickly I've already adopted this mare, and she likely doesn't exist...

He nods, and continues to pet Willow to help keep her calm and happy. He begins to wonder if he'll even be able to feel his hoof after he's finished.

>>122636
The numbness extends only to the touch itself. Otherwise, Silver feels mostly fine. Mostly. Maybe a little dizzy
"Well, we can't stay in the hallway forever. She needs to come into the room now. Come on"
The nun turns away, and tries to open the door, while North goes towards the door as well.

Willow stands up again, looking again outside, up through the glass ceiling in the atrium

>>122637
Silver stands up as well, and looks in the same direction as Willow.

>>122638
"Now!"
Standing up, Willow looks forward, and when both mares are turned, Willow jumps forward towards the railing, placing her forehooves over the top

>>122639
"Willow!"

Silver tries to keep the poor mare from (presumably) killing herself.

>>122640
Willow's forelegs go over, and her hind legs push upwards.

When she hits the railing, the two nuns look back and try to intervene. The unicorn grabs her shirt with magic, the other nun tries to run forward to pull on her

Roll grapple

>>122642
Silver grabs her successfully, and is holding onto her

>>122643
Silver pulls her away from the railing and her certain demise.

>>122644
Silver pulls on her, and when this happens she falls down next to the railing, onto her back, looking up at Silver, with her two hooves together over her chest as he stands overtop of her. Silver can feel her with that strange, numb feeling.

But when Silver pulls her down, something happens. A phantom version of her - the image of her, but translucent - remains in her place on the railing. The yellow magic rips the shirt off the ghostly double, and North grabs for a hoof, and fails. The phantom manages her rear hooves over, and then presses forward, jumping off the railing.

She laughs the way down, filling the atrium with her laughter, until after a second and a half there is a loud "clump" sound. The nuns rush to the railing

But beneath Silver, the more solid version of Willow looks up at him. The magenta in her eyes bleeds away, replaced by a pure black that takes up her irises, and ever increasingly the whites as well.

She smiles, and starts to laugh, looking up at Silver

>>122645
"...Who are you?"

>>122646
From downstairs, a mare's scream is heard. This is swiftly followed by North, then the nun, who place their hooves up to their faces in horror.

But Willow still looks up to Silver in a sort of glee, taking heavy breaths and laughing maniacally, if at a volume reduced for lack of air.

She does not speak. But Silver can hear a voice, male, as if from the distance
"I am Maar. She is with me now, and her granddaughter nearly followed as well."

>>122647
"..." Silver starts to chuckle.

>>122648
"Stand against me and see oblivion. But there are secrets hidden in the stars. You too may see these"

She keeps laughing at Silver for a moment longer.

But the sensation of hoof against her fades. The light fades. The laughing is slowly replaced by a tinnitus-ringing, louder and louder. Silver sees stars and added brightness, before darkness. Then his eyes adjust. He is standing up, looking down, onto the floor next to the armory room.

The whitewash is faded. The railing has long since been closed up and replaced with solid wall. The sun hanging in the hallway is gone. The nuns are gone. The only real light is from a lantern in the armory room.

Silver feels a little dizzy, his vision has a "spin" to it, and his ears ring.

>>122649
"...ughhhh...mulp...mmmmulp...mulp..." Silver keeps his eyes firmly closed and puts a hoof in an ear as he tries to correct his tinnitus.

>>122650
As is the nature of such ringing, it remains even when all sensory input is cut off. So too do certain lights, sometimes in color, parade before Silver's tightly closed eyes. But the effects of both start to fade, and Silver returns closer to normal.

>>122651
As things return closer to normal, he continues his chuckling from the vision. "...I pissed Maar off."

>>122652
Blue Skies is looking at Silver when he opens his eyes
"Are you alright?"
She twists her head

Johann walks out
"Then you have done something right"

>>122653
"Yeah, yeah, it will pass. Just dizziness." He slowly sits up. "Maar tried showing me vision of this place back when it was mental hospital. He tricked mare into killing herself by jumping off railing. Tried to say that facing him is facing oblivion."

>>122654
Blue Skies twists her facial expression to one of deep, horrified concern

Johann's golden eyes light up
"And that is what he will say. He may well have killed the mare, he may just be taking credit for misfortune. Both are likely for him. Do not underestimate him. But stay resolute against him."

>>122655
"I do not fear him. But it seems he is angered by defeat of his cultists, and especially by means which those cultists who faced me in particular died. When we face Maakie, we should expect he will do something to aid Maakie in fight." He pats Skies' shoulder, and looks around. "So, how long was I out?"

>>122656
Skies:
"Not very long. You just ran out and seemed to have a spasm. Are you sure you are alright? It almost looked like a stroke, or seizure or.... something"

Johann steps forward more closely
"His power in this world is limited. He cannot act except through followers - though he can exert quite a degree of control on them. Neutralize them, and you limit his power. Be careful though. He can slip through any crack"

>>122657
Silver chuckles again. "To be honest, I thought I was having stroke at first, too. Asking nun what date was and having her tell me it was two months before I was even born..."

He looks back to Johann. "That is probably why he is so angry. I killed his priest, myself."

>>122658
At the first of Silver's statement, his expression is grave
"He can sometimes replay events from past time. He is ever watchful, and remembers. He may embellish, he may not. But he will show you what he thinks he needs to make his point."

But at Silver's next statement, he smiles, at least to the extent griffin's can
"Heheh. Really?"

>>122659
Silver nods. "He cast this magic blade and threw it through air, after things had been completely lost for him. He met his end to my blade, like those he sent to face me previously."

He considers Johann's first reply. "So, do you think he will try to turn us against each other? Try to possess one of us and use them to attack others?"

>>122660
He nods, with a smile on his face
"Very good."

Then he answers
"Maar is a god of discord as surely as of madness. He will turn a community against itself, and always seeks to convert rather than to conquer. He will try. It's whether he will find a weak point to hammer that is the real question."

>>122661
"We will have to keep eye on each other, then." He stands up. "Well now, I suppose I was going to explore this floor, before all of that happened."

>>122662
Blue Skies:
"I guess it's necessary to make sure this area is clear. But make it quick. We have a date with the remainder of the cultists here, and they may already be wise to us"

Iron hums softly as he saunters over the munitions off, inspecting what sort of neat trinkets there are.
He glances at Johann, puzzled at his inquiry. "What is this item you are searching look like?" he asks

>>122666
Johann comes back to Iron from a position he took outside of the room, and holds up one claw as demonstration. “A pistol. Small. Black, metal, except on the handle where it is wooden and brown. Comprised of two sections perpendicular to the other,. A silver barrel sticks slightly out the end of it.”

With a hum, Iron starts rummaging his excessively large bulge for a bit, sticking his tongue out in concentration as his hoof moved aside the fabrics before pulling the somewhat average-sized pistol. "Something like this?"

>>122669
White Sands smiles at the display. Johann extends his head and twists it slightly in curiosity as Iron rummages, but his eyes go wide and mouth opens as Iron pulls out the pistol
“Ja! That’s it! That’s it!”

>>122670
Iron neatly passed the pistol to the griff in front of him casually. "Here you go," he responds, albeit with a small grimace and the slighest of ear folding from disappointment.

>>122671
Johann delicately takes the pistol by the handle and pulls it closer to him, his eyes focused on the pistol
"Your service to Boreas and to the Inquisition will be noted"
He inspects it, turning it side to side, and pulling back the slide with a "click" and letting it go forward with a "clack." He then opens his trench coat, and places the gun in a pocket on the left side.

Sands places a hoof behind Iron's head on his neck
"Don't feel bad. There will be more. We will find more."

>>122673
With a nod towards Johann, Iron tenses slightly before softening at hearing Sands' words, opting to lean his neck back towards her hoof as he grins softly. "I hope you are right," he responds

>>122674
White Sands:
“This place is made for siphoning money off of poor bastards. I’m sure they have some of *that* around here somewhere”
She pets a little more, her hoof diffing into Iron’s long and unruly mane

Blue Skies, just walking back in:
“The Government will pay bounties”

>>122675
Hearing the mix of encouragement and opportunity, Iron can't help but feel invigorated as he straightens his head out and ready to move out. "Right!" he proclaims "We shall proceed with the mission."
An awkward pose as the native stands there for a good ten seconds before glancing at Skies. "Where are we supposed to go from here?" he asks

>>122676
*an awkward pause follows as

>>122676
“I can tell you there should be more opponents the next building over in Administration. I can also tell you that not every stone has been turned over here”

>>122678
Humming softly, Iron decides to nod at Skies. "Fair enough," he starts "I will take some time to turn over some stones around these parts." He glances back at Sands. "Follow me," he commands softly, going over to the door "I will be sure that changeling does not foalnap you."

>>122679
“Hehe”
The dainty little unicorn follows him

>>122680
With Sands on his tail, Iron peeks out of the room, wondering what sort of hidden stones he can unturn somewhere along these rooms.

>>122681
Doors over to the right, around about a corner

>>122682
Iron daintily walks over to the nearest door to the right around said corner, attempting to open said door.

>>122683
The door has steel to it, and likewise seems to be locked. There is a large wooden door frame with a plate over it

>>122684
Iron inspects the door slightly, before lightly bonking the door with a foreleg to test its strength.

>>122685
The door has a slight give to it, implying a mundane lock rather than a steel bar on the other side. But it's also not wooden, and will not crack

>>122684
>>122685
Silver follows behind the group, still a little shakey from being mentally raped by Maar. He looks to the weapons on Iron's back.

"Did you decide who you will loan rifles to for fight?"

>>122687
Blue Skies pats the shaking, elderly pony on the back

>>122688
The (not so) elderly pony is pat. He looks over gratefully at the (not so) griffon next to him.

>>122689
She smiles back to him, pulling her beak back in that limited way griffins can

>>122687
>>122686
Iron shakes his head before turning around and bucking the door in stride.
[1d20+10 = 30]
<Unarmed Strike

Who, what, where, when, and why?

>>122691
Iron turns around, his rear to the door. Then, he picks up, and.... BUCKS IT

His hooves hit square in the middle, denting it slightly, and knocking it right off both the hinge and the lock, the lock giving way first, and sending it flying back across a room, slightly to the right.

White Sands, standing to his side, jumps back in shock. Blue Skies peaks over holding her crossbow, looking in

"Damn"

>>122691
>>122693
Silver looks rather impressed at Iron's display of strength. He then looks to Sands.

"Would Sands like rifle?"

>>122694
"Hmmm.... I'll think about it. I've never handled a rifle before"
She walks forward a little to try to take a look into the room

>>122693
Iron huffs softly before pushing the door open, looking back to Sands with a small smile and one little chuckle before stepping in, ready to see what sort of mysteries this room holds.

>>122695
>>122696
Silver keeps a telekinetic sheath around the handle of his sword as he too enters.

>>122696
>>122697
This room looks closest in nature to an office

There is a wooden desk, some papers, A big, wooden cabinet over in the left, two chairs before the desk and another on the wall by the left, a table, a bigger file cabinet nearer the back, a book shelf with some books on it, a carpet, and some other decorative items, including two separate paintings, one a portrait of a griffin in a naval-esque suit, and another of waving hitting a shore with a lighthouse and a windmill under the orange sky of twilight.

Probably the most interesting thing in the room is a stuffed Manticore on the far right. It is partly standing up and a higher ceiling helps. Still, the creature takes up a decent portion of a large rectangular room. The manticore is in the middle of a roar, with big fangs, but still conveys a faint expression of fear in its presumably now artificial eyes.

The walls are white, and the floor is wooden except where there is carpet.

>>122698
"What interesting taste in decor..."

Silver trots over, and looks in the desk's drawers.

>>122698
Iron's ears droop as he walks inside the room, rummaging around the room as he tries to find any valuables first and foremost.
[1d20+1 = 12]
<Search roll

>>122692
>Who
Iron, Silver, (Midnight?), Blue Skies, the new Griffin who wears a fedora and a trench coat, and White Sands

>What
They are exploring another room on the fourth floor

>When
Nowish, but basically sometime after the battle

>Why
To see if there is anything interesting there

>>122701
You forgot where, 4/10 review.

But yes, Midnight will be joining them.

>>122700
There is no obvious valuables out in the open. But opening the cabinets in the back reveals a can of some kind of munitions, bottles of wine and whiskey, a locked steel safe, a pair of wooden cleg shoes, two rings, a telescope, and a big leather belt

>>122699
Aside from a brass trinket paper weight that seems to be a miniature of some important griffin building, there are papers. A couple file folders, and papers

>>122702
Where is the Fourth Floor, and you are basically in the Northeast Corner. Hi

>>122703
10/10
Is there a pony version of Marco Polo?

>>122700
>>122702
>>122699
A detail that is important but was omitted in the previous description: on the far left, there is a wooden double door, painted white and with recessed panels, that is cracked open

>>122703
>>122705
That is a very important detail.

Silver leaves the papers alone for now, and looks through the crack in the double doors.

>>122705
>>122703
Iron was trailing towards the steel safe before eyeing the cracked door to the left, going towards it.

>>122707
>>122706
Opening the door leads to a small little foyer, with a mat on the ground with blue trim. The foyer area is smal, maybe two meters long. To the right there is a coat pole, with a single coat on it. It's somewhat uncomfortable looking fur coat. Green. On the ground is a set of boots. To the left are some shelves, including a hat and a cane.

On the other side is another double door, this one a soft brown but also having recessed panels. But it is closed. There is a simple steel lock closing it from the outside.

>>122704
Uh..... Meanderly Polo or something is the pony version

>>122708
Iron looks at the room in mild confusion, unsure what even is this. "...what is this place?"

>>122708
Silver steps inside and first trots over to the unusually colored coat.

>>122709
Midnight looks around, and noticing nopony around her
"Meanderly!"
awaits responce

>>122712
A yellow, fedora wearing catbird walks up to her. He twists his head quickly to the side, and blinks at her with slit, orange eyes

"Who are you?"

>>122711
Greenish color, shorter hair length. Ever so slightly fluffy

>>122710
It's fairly small, between the two doors

>>122713
ANother griffon?
"My name is Midnight. Have you seen my companions?"

>>122713
The unicorn picks up the fur coat. "What kind of fur is this?"

>>122714
Yes. Another griffin for Midnight to bond with. This one is male.
"They are here, as far as I know. Two have gone through the doors on the left"

>>122715
Relatively short fur, but a greenish tint, a little bright and closer to the yellow range. Not particularly fluffy, though at least somewhat soft. Honestly it's not clear why any creature would find this fashionable, unless maybe it's their natural coat color

>>122716
"Well, thank you. It is nice to meet you"
Se nods
"May I ask your name?"

>>122716
>>122711
Silver looks over to the others who have entered the room, and shows them the odd garment. "Have any of you seen any coats like this before?"

>>122717
He nods
"My name is Johann Lictshild. I am an inspector of the Imperial Inquisition"
With his right claw, he reaches up and tips his fedora

Also see >>122718

>>122718
Blue Shekels walks in, sees the coat, and moves her head back with wide eyes

>>122718
"Hmmm, nope. It looks odd though."

>>122719
Silver gives her a confused look. "What?"

>>122721
Johann looks over, and he too moves his head back, though a bit less dramatically

Blue Shekels:
"That.... that might be from a pony"

>>122722
Silver slowly looks back to the coat, and considers its properties and color again. "...Oh." He quickly drops it back in the pile, a little disgusted. "Just like selling unicorn and kirin horns. Why am I not surprised?"

>>122723
Shekels walks around it, keeping about a foot and a half of distance
"What the hell is wrong with these creatures"

Johann:
"In some circles.... the harder an item is to get, the more of a status symbol it is to wear"

>>122722
>>122723
>>122724
Midnight is silent, but closes her eyes and looks down.

>>122723
>>122725
Shekels:
"Guh!"

Johann and White Sands inspect it closer

>>122724
>>122725
>>122726
"Of course..." Silver makes some distance between himself and the coat, trying not to think about the pony that coat came from. He instead focus on the locked double doors on the other side of the room.

>>122727
It's a door like you might expect within a house, but with an external lock closing handles on the door

[1d20+2 = 18]
>>122728
Strength: Silver turns his hind end towards the door, and attempts to mimic Iron's door-smashing feat.

>>122729
Crack

Silver may not be as strong as Iron, but he's still got a bit of strength in him. The lock does not break. The wooden handles on the door, however, break off, and the door opens inwards, hitting something on the side and bouncing off, partly closing.

It's open

>>122730
Silver looks inside the newly opened door.

>>122730
>>122729
"Good job!"
Midnight draws her weapons before approaching the door with the others

>>122713
Iron doesn't even begin to understand what the room's purpose is, swiftly returning to pillage that safe over in the other room.

>>122731
>>122732
A "thud" inside, and the two can see into what is evidently a bedroom.

The walls are mostly a bluish color, and here too are they decorated with a a couple paintings, one being of a city scape of low rise buildings and canals, and another of a sailing ship. On the right is a large bed, kingsize, with huge fluffy pillows and white bedspread. Over top of the bed, recessed into the wall is a glass that covers over a saber sword with intricate hilt. Opposite the bed is a television, and on the side closer to the ponies, a day bed. The wall on the right has two windows that are covered up, and there are electric lights over the top. There is a dresser on the nearby wall, and a night stand to either side of the bed, as well as a radio to the bed's far side. On the far side is a cracked open door on the left that has a leather leash leading in from the bed, and to the right is a fully open door that reveals a bathroom with marble sinks and.... a Jacuzzi?

>>122733
It looks fairly solid. Small, steel and cube shaped

>>122734
You know what's gonna happen next
Iron tries his best to force the lock open with a much needed bash from the body.
[1d20+10 = 16]
<Unarmed Strike

>>122734
>leash
lood
"well... this is not what I expected..."

>>122734
"Okay, this has to be Maakie's room."

Silver trots over to the displayed saber to inspect it.

>>122735
Bam!

The safe gets pushed back, and into the wall with a loud thud, and it hurts. Bone is not as strong as steel, and Iron's right rear hoof is in pain from this

>>122737
It's approximately a saber, a rather long but kind of thin slightly curved single edged blade. The cross guard is intricate, perhaps overly so, like a string of steel tied in a knot, and there is an engraving on the handle. Above it is the sheath, which is itself engraved with initials like "R.S.N"

>>122736
Maybe not, but let's keep going

>>122738
He looks to see if there's a way to retrieve it without breaking the glass.

>>122738
Midnight walks around the room, investigating
"What is is we are looking for?"

>>122738
Iron's hoof recoils back, letting out a series of 'ow' as he clip clops back, stabilizing his breath from the steel boobytrap.

>>122739
A close look implies that the glass opens through some mechanism on the right side of the glass. However, it's definitely intended to be difficult to remove, at least not without some kind of key

Also see >>122740

>>122742
>>122739
"Silver, do you know what this saber is for?"

>>122740
>>122742
Silver sighs, and steps away for the moment to investigate the rest of the room.

"Nothing in particular, if I am being honest."

He decides to open the door with the leash.

>>122743
"I would assume it is Maakie's own personal weapon. I am unsure if it is real or ceremonial."

>>122744
Opens slightly, Silver can see off to the left that there is some clothing, so it must be a closet, and....

BAM
There is an attempt to close the door on Silver

>>122744
>>122745
"I see..."
Midnight follows the stallion, not sure what the group is really up to.

>>122746
"Ack!"

Strength: Silver scrunches his snoot, and attempts to force his way through.

[1d20+1 = 13]
>>122748
>>122749
>>122746
Midnight notices the odd exchange, and decides to try as well

>>122748
>>122749
Silver runs into the door, and falls down to the ground

>>122750
Midnight flings the door open

Inside it's a rectangular shaped room with some suits and houseclothing, but above all

"Ah!"
A frightened creature before her. A beak, red fur, wings, a simple blue mane, purple eyes, and ears that seem backwards from that of a pony. Female and somewhat small, wearing black socks on her rear, hooved legs, and a golden necklace around her neck. There is a leather tie around her right foreclaw

>>122752
"I do not wish to hurt you!"
Midnight backs up a step, to seem nonthreatening

>>122750
>>122751
>>122752
Silver pauses in rubbing his sore flanks to look at the sight of the creature before him. He looks rather shocked. "Hippogriff...what are you doing in Maakie's...closet?"

>>122753
She stands forward for a moment, then tries to move off to the side, peering out
"What... What do you want?" she says
She actually has less of an accent than at least half the creatures here

>>122754
She speaks to him
"What do you want from me?"