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>>122273Iron cocks his head before nodding. "I suppose that is a good enough answer," he responds, rather surprised nothing else was found. "How close are we to clearing out the place?"
>>122274"I think there's an entirely separate group of these cultists elsewhere in the building," Skies answers
>>122275"So we look for stragglers for now, then?" Iron asks, rather confused. "Maybe there are valuable items on these floors?"
>>122276“No” she answers
“The group we attacked earlier was one of two. And we still haven’t found Maakie”
She answers his second question
“There certainly could be valuables”
>>122277Thinking of Cauldron, he sets off in his small quest to find stuff to plunder for some much needed capital for Cauldron's business, he starts to trot off to start his search with Sands in tow if she wants to.
"That is what I will do for now, then," he states as he leaves the room, eager to explore.
>>122278Sands comes out, but Johann as well
There are two doors at the end of the hall, and the hallway seems to wrap around. One door is further away, the other closer
>>122279Iron first tries to open the door closest to him, trying to open it softly.
>>122280Locked
Sands:
“I think she cane to this one first, and doubled back when it didn’t open”
>>122281Humming slightly, he tries to bust the door open by slamming it with his body
[1d20+10 = 14]<Attack roll >>122282Well, he certainly hits it. Roll damage or strength, depending on exactly how Iron is approaching it
>>122284Iron kicks the door with his hind legs in a full buck, cracking the door, and while not knocking it to the ground nor separating it from its hinges, it does seem to break the portion keeping it locked in place, and allowing it to open
Sands and Johann both seem impressed by Iron’s kick
>>122285With a nod, he pushes the door open, eager to see what's inside.
>>122286In a way, it’s a construction similar to what was seen in the last room, with a wall to the left and a wall with doors on the right. But in another way, it’s completely different, with the most immediately noticeable difference being the electric lights hanging from the ceiling with open wiring. Against the wall is a rack with no less than three firearms, and several melee weapons. There is a table further back with a handgun on it, a table with a radio - of all things - on the far end, and ornamental carpet in the floor, a separate rug, a painting on the wall, and a bed visible through in the other room
>>122287Iron is admittedly surprised to find such a jackpot of weapons in here, trotting towards the rack in fascination before turning to Sands. "Think this is sellable somewhere?" he asks her, as if she'd know.
>>122288“Someone must have sold it to them, I’m sure it can be resold”
She says
>>122289Smiling wide, he quickly picks as many guns as he can, prioritizing the firearms then the fancier looking weapons, stuffing them on his person.
Spark continues to think up a plan.
"What do you think would work then?"
>>122299From the North, a wind blows down, and a great rustling runs through the pine trees. Down in the pit, Onyx is shielded in part, but he can feel it getting colder. Much colder.
Spark has gone off, talking to a Changeling in uniform, while the new wind has encouraged Ruby and his two "friends" to come closer back, towards the carriage
>>122300He only shakes his head
"If I knew, I wouldn't be in here"
>>122301Onyx seriously wonders how he got qualified as a foalsitter as her herds the foals closer to the wagon.
>>122303"The pit is nice, but where else are we gonna go today, Onyx?"
Ruby asks
>>122304"I'm not sure yet. Depends on how quickly we get out of here... Hang on a moment"
Onyx jump into the wagon and begins looking for something to start a fire with.
>>122303Spark seems to have gone off into the town.
>>122305Presumably they brought blankets and coats. There's a set of matches. No kerosene
>>122306He grabs the pack of matches in his maw, before poking his head out to see if there's a any sticks or such laying around.
>>122307Inside of the pit, nothing... 'cept maybe a few leaves that have blown in. Clay, mud, and that taconite rock. But there is a forest 40 feet above and beyond the brim
>>122308He sets the matches down and grabs his halberd
"Who wants to help collect firewood?"
Ruby, looking around, still semi-mesmerized by some of the machines, now turns his head up to Onyx. A smile forms across his face. And his tail begins to rock back and forth
"I do! I do!"
>>122301"Well.... I appreciate the attempt at help. But It'll have to be Zu Lang, or his lieutenant who would release me"
>>122310"And who is his lieutenant?"
>>122311"Uh, Drei Dwanzig, I think it is"
>>122310"Awwww"
He pats the colt on the head
"Hopefully your friends will stay put... Come on."
He throws his halberd over his shoulder and makes his way towards the brim.
>>122313The friends don't quite stay put, and act as if they do not understand Ponish.
A Changeling guard standing on the brim looks past at Onyx, seeming to take offense to the halberd. But he says nothing, and does nothing. They make their way through the grey earth past more rocks, puddles of water, and stepping aside for a diesel powered dump truck, until they go up an earthen ramp, and onto the ground. Here, the ground is barren with only some naked soil and scattered grass. Further away are tree stumps and denser grass, then pine forests. Pine trees 50 or 70 feet tall into the air, and swaying in the cold north wind
>>122312"Hmm... got a discription of him?"
>>122314Onyx does not acknowledge the guard
"Come on Ruby, stay close"
He makes his way to the forest, keeping a close eye on Ruby.
>>122315"He'll be wearing a darker jacket than the most of them, with black on it, and his fangs are a bit longer. He'll have an officer's cap rather than the steel helmet"
>>122316Ruby comes up closer, like a dog to heel. He has quite a bit of energy, and burst forward to his side. They get there soon enough, where there are some broken branches, and some trees have clearly stripped bark in pairs of downward trails, the left longer than the other
>>122317"Alright. I'll go talk to him."
>>122318"Grab as many of the branches as you can. We'll need them."
Onyx picks up some of the bigger ones, balancing them on his back or carrying them in his maw.
>>122319He nods, weakly
"Remember to try to think their way. They care more about results and security than justice or comapassion"
>>122320Ruby quickly picks up a branch that is broken off from 15 feet up. It is still live with green leaves, and is much, much longer than Ruby, making it awkward for him to carry. but he places the thing in his mouth, opening wide, obscuring most of his body behind leaves and an overly thick branch
>>122321Onyx can't help but laugh at the display, dropping his own sticks as he shakes with laughter at the tiny colt carrying this branch.
>>122322"Mwwwm?"
He asks
He presses forward.... to find the branch is caught between two trees, too wide to pass through. He goes forward again, bowing the branch, but nnot making it through. He tries to turn the left side up higher and the right side lower, to get it in at an angle. Finally, he pulls back, tries to push the right side through first, gets caught on a tree yet again, then the second time, narrowly makes it through, scraping his body against the tree.
He walks over, and drops the branch down next to Onyx
>>122323Onyx stops laughing and pats the colt again
"Good job, now, let's head back"
He picks up his branches again, and they make their way to the wagon again.
>>122324Onyx and the small walking sapling go back towards the carriage
>>122321"Don't worry. I got this far. I think we are just about in the clear."
Spark heads out to find the lieutenant.
>>122325I'm laughing like a madmanOnyx spits out his sticks next to the wagon, and drops the ones off his back, then moving to make a small pile of them.
>>122327Ruby drops his two small half-twigs on the small pile, and then plops down the branch that is twice as long as he is, which obscures the pile and much of the rock to either side with its leaves. It doesn’t fit in the pile, being several feet over in either direction, and its obtuse shape means sitting down it’s almost higher than the top of the pile.
Ruby spits, and licks out his mouth the get the bark out. Then he looks at the big branch and blinks
“Uh... green wood don’t burn as well as dead wood. My bad.”
The silent little grey Pegasus drops off a couple of his own twigs, about three six inch ones that are less than what Onyx can carry in his mouth
>>122326He is not inside the building as the secretary tells Spark
“He’ll be at the pit.”
But going down, around about the milk, Spark sees a Changeling that fits that description
>>122328He ruffle's both ponies' manes
"Oh well Ruby, it'll be fine"
He then gets the small fire ready and uses one of the matches to light it.