Along the shores of Baltimare Harbor, in the halls of old 33 Hoebuck, our heroes have discovered a dark secret. What started as a mundane mission to stop illegal immigrant smuggling has uncovered something far more horrific - a cult from Griffonia. The party has successfully challenged and defeated many of the cultists and hired criminals, but in the process, has nearly died themselves. Now, low on health, they must both recover and put an end to the evils in 33 Hoebuck once and for all - before it puts an end to them first.
Way up north, in the Iron Range of Whinnysota, the ponies their inquire into exact who or what is damaging so many machines. Investigating and following leads, they may unveil the faults and problems of the Haysabi Iron Mine, and gain favor with Changeling authorities.
Damn it, I missed 123,000
1710 replies and 22 files omitted.
>>123039Hi, fluff pone!
So does Silver do anything now?
>>123039>>123040Iron opts to snore softly on Silver's barrel.
>>123045Silver begins to make his way to the infirmiry, once everypony's gathered.
>>123046>>123047Silver walks his way to the door that separates the southern dormitory building from the administrative building. Opening the door, he can immediately feel air rush onto him. Cooler and fresher, lacking that horrid burning cloth smell that now permeates the dormitory. Looking down the hallway no creature is visible along so much tile floor and whitewashed walls, unlit at the midnight hour.
Mala: "It's on the second floor, I think"
>>123048Silver smiles at his newfound companion, before making his way upstairs.
>>123049Mala smiles back, moving his tail back and forth
Do you want to go down through the first floor in this building to find the staircase to go up, or go up to the second floor in the dormitory before going across? >>123051At this point, though only at this point, Khoi walks down. Her mouth hangs partly open, almost in a frown, and her ears droop. She says nothing.
Walking along the tile floor, Silver's hooves clop, a little louder than would be prefered, and the clopping reverberates down the hallway. Some light comes in near the center, evidently from a window or door to the illuminated outdoors. Walking along, he eventually makes it towards what seems to be a staircase in the center of the building
>>123052Silver slows down to talk with Khoi.
"What is wrong?"
>>123053She looks up at him, and her eyes betray much, with pain and sadness
"Who
are these creatures?"
>>123054Sensing she needs it, the old unicorn gives her a hug.
>>123055The creature is hugged. She doesn't seem to have been anticipating the hug, and even pulls away for a moment as Silver pulls on her. Scales cover her back and are kind of cold. But on the bottom of her barrel is more equine fur, and this is a softer touch
>>123056Silver doesn't try to trap her in the hug. If she doesn't want it and she pulls back, he'll let go.
"What did you see?"
>>123057She doesn't push him off. At least, not when she realizes what he's doing. But she doesn't hug back either.
"They left their youngest in a room on the third floor. I tried to care for the chicks"
\r
>>123058Silver lets go.
"You did well to, Khoi. You are good person."
>>123059She scrunches her mouth in a mix between a smile and a frown. Her eyes seem watery
>>123060"It is not out of place of what we have found, so far. Come, we are heading to infirmiry to treat our wounded before facing off against Maakie."
>>123061"Okay"
She moves her hooves along in a trot
"I came here to get away from civil war, not fight in one"
Opening a large, wooden door into the stairwell, here too the stairs go from an underground level to at least two floors above. The steps are concrete, and the walls are painted in whitewash. Though far from inviting, the whitewash is less
old than in some locations, like the fourth floor of the dormitory
>>123062"I am sorry, Khoi. It will not be too much longer."
Silver continues to look for the infirmiry.
>>123063Silver, going to the second floor, opens a heavy wooden door onto the second level. It's less well lit even than the first level, with little light from outside coming in
Mala:
"I think it's one of these rooms"
His face betrays a look of uncertainty"
There are a few doors on both sides, some with plaques above them
>>123064Silver tries to read what's on the plaques.
>>123065One has nothing on it. The other seems to be covered up, though shifting around a piece of paper there seems to be "maternity ward" in faded white lettering. That has since been at least partly covered up
>>123067The good news for Silver sword: it doesn't seem like there are
that many rooms on the second floor. Rather a few big ones
>>123069Is there any way for him to tell which room is the infirmiry from the outside?
>>123070A little further down, one is marked as "infirmary"
>>123071Silver gets set in front of the door, motioning for the party to support him when he enters.
>>123072Mala is by his side, and Johann, Jubilosa, Khoi, and Blue Skies follow
>>123073Silver takes a deep breath, and enters the room.
>>123074Opening the door (it is unlocked).....
The room is dark. There are the edges of two beds visible, at least, though most of the room is not visible in the darkness
>>123075Cautiously, Silver turns his flashlight on to look inside.
>>123076Turning it on..... from Silver's position, he can see two beds on the opposing side with white sheets and a single dresser. There is a curtain on rails between them. Silver can now see that there are also beds on his side of the wall to the left and the right
>>123077Silver lets out a sigh of relief at the lack of enemies. He first checks the dresser for medical supplies.
>>123080The first dresser reveals a blanket, a surgical mask, a catheter, and a rag, but no medical supplies. But the room stretches on past the narrow light in both directions
>>123081Then onwards does Silver search.
>>123082On each side of the room there are two beds against the wall, and then two opposite those. Eight total. At the very end are wooden doors with glass windows through them.
>>123083Silver peers through the glass windows with the flashlight.
>>123084Two rooms. One is smaller and looks something like an office, with a chair in it. The other is a big room with a sink, open space, and a number of drawers and cabinets
>>123038If we gain favor with the changelings, does that mean there might be even more changeling friends?
>>123091Hopefully you can find out
Brie looks around with a start. Had he imagined it? Had he nodded off? No, there are the Lings sitting there, in the coach as before,.... He rubs his head for a moment, certain he could remember exploding in a vibrant display of blood and gore, and then nothingness. An intangible nothingness, which he berates himself momentarily for the redundancy, but something of a 'lapse', and yet here he is. Everything seems as it was. Odd.
>>123098Over to his right in the carriage, a Changeling in white, gendarme fur coat taps against the carriage. To his left, and in front of Brie is a bigger, angrier looking Changeling wearing an officer’s cap and grey underneath a white coat.
“Well?”
His right fang is noticeably longer than his left
“What are you doing! You come and threaten our manager”
>>123100Patting his coat for a moment to verify his fine sword and throwing knives were still on him, his face brightens and looks at the apparent captain.
"Ah, yes, the manager. No, I didn't come
to threaten him, it just seemed like a good idea at the time. I came - on behalf of the Queen - to find out why production has faltered and who is responsible. I do hope none of you are party to the," he clears his throat artificially "arrangement that is going on between the mine, the sabotage, and all the rest."
>>123101The Changeling commander, full of energy and rage, now steps back a half foot, and is silent for a moment. His head twitches and his big, solid blue right eye twitches
“So they have... they would be well to send a company, or battalion. Production has fallen because of agitators. They operate out of the woods, and come in at night or when they can blend in with the workers. We dismissed the native workers a few months ago for that very reason. I have gone through my drones personally. They do not have the courage I would expect of them, but they are not disloyal.
No one here is helping the insurgents, except maybe disobedient ponies!”
Then he pauses for a moment
“It’s about time they sent
someone to do something about these insurgents anyways. I don’t know why you’d want to wear the skin of a
bat of all creatures. You stand out like that.”
>>123102"Now now, flattery will get you nowhere,...." He pauses for a moment. Seeing that the captain has stepped back, he slowly rises to his feet and steps out of the carriage. "So! I'm to understand that a bunch of rabble-rousers and guerilla ponies has evaded you and your drones?" Tsk tsk tsk. "You'll pardon me if I have a hard time buying that explanation. I mean I suppose its
possible, but if thats the case it would be disappointing in the least. What
can you tell me about these insurgents?"
"And he didn't even compliment me on the suit." Brie mutters to himself, deliberately loud enough to be heard.
>>123103Zu Lang steps another step back, while the Changeling to Brie’s left moves slightly closer, looking down on Brie
Zu Lang to gendarme: “Ist er legitim?“
Responds: “ Ein anderer, der behauptete, von der Königin geschickt zu werden, hatte Papiere. Ich glaube schon”
He then looks over at Brie, opens his mouth and waves his tongue like a snake at Brie, and there’s a sensation almost if being pressed
To Zu Lang: “Er schmeckt wie ein Wechselbalg”
The gendarme moves back a step, and Zu Lang nods
Zu Lang Speaks to Brie:
“They are a menace everywhere. There are thousands of miles of forest, and two pits. The pits along are two square miles. Besides there are a thousand workers and dozens of machines. Our soldiers can only guard so much, while they can blend in among the workers. Besides the worriers themselves are supplied and emboldened by their ‘brethren’ who hide in the forest. They probably do half the attacks themselves. But they cannot he stopped until those who live in the forest are stopped.
They are likely few in number. We do not know if natives further north are helping them or not. They seem to be recruiting from among the workers, as they do not always report back. My drones are afraid of them. Not so much in the mines. Going into the woods”
>>123104He looks back to Brie, noting his lack of military uniform
>>123105Brie smirks at Zu Lang. "Kein Wechselbalg, nur eine wirklich clevere Fledermaus."
"Very well then. So I'm to, what, scour the forests? Has it not occurred to you to make an example of anypony?"
>>123106He closes his mouth and twists his head at the bat remark, twitching once
“It would be helpful. Or have the queen send more forces. My drones are afraid to go into the first for long, especially at night. Of course I make them do it anyways, but aside from clashes with native squatters last June and the occasional runaway they have not found much. I would rather not leave too few drones guarding the mill, rail line and mines. Maybe a
bat would fair better.
Of course we’ve made examples of ponies. Those who are lazy, defiant, or let their machines be damaged. So long as they have friends in the woods, they are emboldened. It is hard to catch saboteurs anyways, and when we do, we prioritize information.”
>>123107Brie sighs and thinks for a moment. Not just thinks either, he tilts his head to the side, his eyes fixed at a non-specific point in the sky as though he's listening to someone whisper in his ear. His eyebrows furrow for a moment. "But thats...." he trails off, listening again. After a moment, his expression brightens again. "Night-time it is! You wouldn't happen to have any high explosives to spare would you? Perhaps I'm getting ahead of myself." He proffers his documentation to Zu Lang.
>>123108Zu Lang looks at the documentation, then hands if off to the Drone next to him, who looks at it, and hands it back to Brie
“This is a mining operation. Of course there are high explosives.”
>>123109"Splendid! May I see them?"
>>123110He narrows his eyes, twitching again
“What is your intent?”
>>123112Hi little pony! What is Spark doing now?
I think he was last talking to the Lieutenant about the prisoner
>>123111"Its a
little early to say with any specificity, but I'm thinking of a high-altitude reconnaissance/infiltration, and then I'll figure it out from there. Blowing something the fuck up - whether thats the insurgents, their supplies/resources, or perhaps making essential movement routes impassable - is on the menu, but I'm not sure if thats the main course or simply dessert." He says with a bit of a glint in his eye and a mildly unnerving smile.
>>123112Ayyy!
>>123113Ayyy!
>>123114I'm trying to recall. I think I was attempting to make a distraction with the prisoner calling out the "guilty" while Onyx goes around to surprise them from the woods. I may have to delay that plan now that Brie is back.
>>123113>>123115Hello ponies.
>>123115He nods, and in this he is the most comfortable
“Aerial reconnaissance and support is something I
sorely miss from the war. Their fires in particular must stick out. But don’t place too much faith in it either. The pine canopy is thick out there, and will cover nearly anything up. You will want to ask around to learn more about these...
superstitious creatures, and you may want to sortie into the forest yourself”
>>123113Hi pony. The bat is back and probably near onyx
>>123116Yes, I think he was trying to get the prisoner free somehow. He could also go see Brie
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>>123117"Oh I've no doubt that they will have done their best to avoid scrutiny, particularly from the air. However, they will be practicing to elude Changeling fliers which - no offense - aren't known to have the strongest wings." he says with,... was that a diss? Hard to be sure.
"In any case, yes. I'll be going there in person. You're welcome, by the way."
>>123117Hmmm, onyx leads his parade of foals to find the bat.
>>123119This is actually pretty easy. He is right by the carriage Onyx was at earlier
>>123118He narrows his eyes
“Just don’t come back mumbling about demons, or with arrow wounds from the wildlife”
And he twitches
>>123120"Demons? Heavens no" he waves his hoof dismissively. "But they may come out mumbling about me." he says, hiding his confusion about the reference to 'the wildlife'. "So then, to the explosives? Oh wait, one moment." He pokes his head in the carriage.
"Hallo Jungs. Interessiert an einem Mord?"
>>123121Onyx stares at the
clinically insane bat as he goes about his business, waiting for his turn to speak
>>123121Zu Lang nods, and even smirks at Brie’s boast
“Very well”
Looking into the carriage, a grey earth pony lays in one side and a brown one on the floor, sharing the same quilted blanket. They look up to the bat with a look of mostly concern
Fun: “Solange wir es nicht sind”
Seb: “Ja”
>>123122The two small ersatz foals come close in curiosity while Ruby keeps a little more distance, looking on from behind Onyx
>>123124Onyx pats the colt's head
>>123123Onyx clears his throat
"Brie, I'd like to speak to you. Now"
>>123125The colt, with a look almost of a frightened deer on his face, is pat. His ears eyes close in the pat, but afterwards he smiles a little
>>123126Yes. Both near the carriage
>>123127Oh, splendid. One moment.
>>123124"Ich meine, bist du bereit dafür? Wie geht es deinen Wunden? Oh, ähm, denk einen Moment darüber nach."
>>123127"Yes hello! What can I help you with?"
>>123128"Yes, I'd like to know how much longer we will be here. I've probably already lost my job by now, and I'm not keen to stay here."
>>123128Fun: “ Ich werde einen Mantel brauchen, um sie zu verstecken”
Seb: ”Sie sind besser. ich bin mir nicht sicher, ob ich versuchen möchte zu fliegen.”
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>>123129"Neither am I to be quite honest. Its far too rural for my taste. I had hoped this might be over and done with by this point, but its a bit more... involved than I anticipated. Nothing a bit of high explosives can't fix though. I'd wager we can be on our way before sunrise."
>>123131"Good, the sooner the better."
[1d20 = 1]>>123130Brie eyes them a bit. Can I roll to assess their battle-readiness? Not sure which modifier to apply, but rolling anyway.
>>123132"Do try to relax, this will be far more rewarding
he means financially than bartending."
>>123130Looking to Zu Lang. "Almost finished!" he says reassuringly.
>>123133These hardy creatures are ready to fight against anything
Zu Lang nods slowly, his lips pulled back a little
>>123135"Herrlich!"
>>123136"Oh, it will be fine. Would you like to join in on the murder?"
>>123136Pic related
>>123137He continues looking back, as do Seb and Fun from within the carriage
>>123139>>123138Brie can't help but fist pump at this, before turning to Zu Lang and proclaiming: "Lead the way to the high explosives!"
Dare I say, quote of the week?
>>123140This.... actually more or less works.
“Very well. We keep them in a hut nearer the town”
Zu Lang starts to walk away, and first the nearby Changeling accompanies him, then another standing further away. They walk towards the ramp, and soon enough go over it, then down the roadway by the railroad tracks that goes towards the direction of the town, alongside the pit. A cold wind from the north blows down, reducing the temperature
Zu Lang speaks to a guard
“Grab Saltpeter”
And he goes off.
They walk further down the road until the reach and area where the rail tracks fork off, and the road goes up a hill into town. Not far down the road is a fenced in area. One of the guards pulls out a key, and goes towards a gate on the fenced in area. Then a unicorn, kind of a mint green color, walks up along with the guard before. With a glow of blue magic he pulls the keys out of the Changeling’s own glow. The Changeling looks back in irritation, but the unicorn pulls a different key on the ring, placed it in the lock, and rotated it, unlocking the gate. As he pushes it in he looks back to Brie
“Hello. I’m Saltpeter. What can I do for you?”
>>123141It just might be
>>123142Brie looks at this Saltpeter, then at Zu Lang, then back at Saltpeter. "Well, since you asked, I will be in need of one,... better make it three charges of explosives, small enough to be carried by one or more individuals without overloading them. One or more of these charges will need to be carried in flight, so not
too heavy, but big enough to 'get the point across'" Brie replies with a sweet smile.
>>123143He pushes the door open
“Sure thing”
And walks through
Looking inside there are a couple small igloo shaped buildings with doors close the ground. Like concrete eggs stuck partly in the ground.
Saltpeter:
“For most of the bigger charges we use AMFO. Just regular bags of Ammonium Nitrate fertilizer mixed with diesel, the sane we use for the trucks. But if you want something a bit easier to carry, you may want dynamite charges. We use these for smaller charges and to ignite the AMFO.”
He runs towards one of the huts, and pulls out a different key
>>123144How big are these concrete partial-eggs?
>>123144"How heavy is this AMFO?"
>>123145No bigger than 20 feet across, perhaps less.
>>123146“Well, it is made of pellets, so as much as you put in a container or a hole in the ground. It comes in bags of 55 pounds”
>>123147Nevermind, I thought the egg-things WERE the explosives
"Hmmm. And you say dynamite is the activator? I assume that flame is the dynamite activator?"
>>123148Gleefully, he starts to open the egg, to show an inside with bags and sticks
“We usually use an electric detonator, but you can use fuses as well, yes”
>>123149"I think flame would be preferable,... easier. Alright. Let me think,...."
He again thinks for a moment, with that curious tilt of the head.
"I'm thinking 2 20lbs charges, and 1 50lbs charge."
>>123150He looks back at Brie, the smile coming off for a moment
“In... dynamite? That’s 90 pounds...”