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 24 files omitted.
>>124076"I wasn't... I was a typist for a shipping company. I wasn't prepared for this. It's not easy to die for something... harder to kill for it. At least for me."
>>124077Silver nods in understanding.
"I know how that is, if partially. If you can not do this, then you do not have to. No one will look down on you for backing out. And as always, Khoi and I are here if you need someone to come to."
>>124078Khoi raises a hoof
"This is important"
Jubilosa adds
"No.... I won't... back out"
She does look nervous, and she smiles awkwardly
>>124079Silver smiles at her.
"You truly are strong person."
He looks to Khoi for what she has to say, if anything.
>>124081She eeks a smile out
Khoi looks to Silver, then to Jubilosa. She then walks closer to Jubilosa, and places a hoof on her, then pulls her closer, so that Jubilosa's chest contacts the relatively fluffy area of Jubilosa's chest, in a hug
"It is normal to have such emotions. But understand, what is happening here is important, for you, for so many that were not fortunate, and for so many in the future. Set aside your fear, and the universe will repay it later. You are strong. You have shown it. Just be strong a little longer. Remain in control of yourself. Suppress it. And you will prevail."
>>124080Is... that a Pulp Fiction reference? >>124082Silver remains silent in respect of Khoi and Jubilosa's friendship, but he does nod in agreement at her words.
>>124084The physical contact seems to calm her
"There we go. Calm yourself. Clear your mind. It is hard, but you are strong"
Khoi, still hugging her, looks back to Silver, and motions her right hoof for him to join
>>124085"Oh, right."
Silver trots over, and hugs the poor cat-bird from the other side. He hopes his own floof makes the hug as enjoyable as Khoi's.
>>124086Silver comes and hugs her from her back. She flinches a little, not evidently expecting the touch, but quickly relaxes, and places a claw over Khoi in front of her. Silver can feel her wings move out slightly when he first touches her, but these too, relax, and Silver can feel her slim body and feathered wings. Her fur is kind of soft, but fairly short, and she does indeed feel like a giant cat under his forelegs.
>>124087"You have done well tonight, Jubilosa. Thank you for all you've done."
>>124088She places her head forward, into Khoi's chest. At Silver's words she seems to say "thank you," but her words are muffled. It's not clear if she does or does not start crying, fairly silently. Khoi tries to stroke her feathers and fur with her free right leg, as she sits down next to Jubilosa
>>124089He moves one of his forehooves to pat Jubilosa's back.
"That is it, let it out."
>>124090Her back moves a bit up and down as he pats. She seems more comfortable with him now
Khoi scrunches, but goes with it, petting her
>>124092"You have been so strong for us, Jubilosa. Let us be strong for you."
He rests his head against her soft back. As a pony who likes hugs, he has to admit, Jubilosa is a very nice griffon to hug.
>>124093She shivers a little, presumably in crying for a moment. She tries to sit down, though her back arches a little under Silver's hooves. She seems comfortable under Silver's forelegs, and after a moment it seems almost like she is... purring
>>124094Silver continues to hold her close, enjoying the feeling of her soft and warm fur.
"We are glad to have, Jubilosa."
>>124097Now she pulls her head back, and looks to Silver with what is almost embarrassment. She sort of pulls her back away with him but as his legs are wrapped around her, she doesn't have much room to move
"I guess... it could be worse here"
Khoi pets her on her neck again
"There we go"
>>124099>>124097Iron snorts amusedly at the scene in front of him, all huggy wuggy between the chick and the cane.
>>124099Silver chuckles, pets her back a couple more times, and lets her go.
"I think it is decided, Khoi: griffons are nice to hug."
>>124104Khoi smiles to him. Jubilosa, pulling away from Khoi, gives a smile as well, but it is more reluctant
Jubilosa:
"If you say so"
>>124105Silver looks between the pair.
"We have couple of spare rifles. If you two would like, you could move to back to fight at range, so you are not in direct path of harm for upcoming fight,"
>>124106Jubilosa:
"I could... try"
Khoi:
"A hammer can be heavy, and hard to swing"
>>124107Silver nods, and looks to Jubilosa.
"I suppose you have never used rifle? Want me to show you?"
>>124108"I... No. Militia training was not mandatory for females. You may as well"
>>124109Silver grabs a rifle, and shows her the general idea of how rifles work: how to hold them, how to aim, how to fire, how to work the bolt and load a new round in the chamber, and how to reload, if the party has any spare rounds to reload the rifles with.
>>124110An important note, since no party member has bothered to check this yet - none of the rifles recovered in the armory are bolt action
>>124111Just replace "bolt" with whatever action they have, I suppose.
>>124112One of the two rifles is simply a break action, but with two barrels. The other is a pull action, essentially a simplified bolt action. Undertoe, seeing the guns being used, comes in to help show the creatures how to operate the actions, and load the cartridges.
Fortunately there were a couple boxes of ammunition, because it doesn't work with equestrian rounds
>>124113Silver calls White Sands over as well, offering her the last rifle for the upcoming fight.
>>124114"Hmmm?" She says, looking over from around Iron. She slinks over to Silver when he offers the rifle.
"If you
insist"
Between Undertoe, Jubilosa, Khoi Lua, and now White Sands, all three rifles, as well as Silver's rifle, would be distributed
>>124115Silver looks at the new ranged corps for their group with a smile.
>>124116Is Silver giving his rifle to somecreature? If so, who?Blue Skies walks over
"What are you doing with the over sized one and the colt?"
>>124117Jubilosa and Khoi get the break-actions, White Sands gets the pull-action, and Undertoe gets Silver's bolt-action."I have thought about that. I think it would be good idea to keep them out of major fighting."
>>124118I'm curious, is there a reason why? There is one lever action, previously given to Undertoe"If you insist. But that big mare is probably stronger than any of the riflemares you have there. And that colt is almost drafting age. He would be in junior crypteia in Nimbusia and well on his way to Phalanx. And in Equetsria... well a recruiter wouldn't care to correct him if he lied and said he was of age"
>>124119Right, got confused. Undertoe has the lever-action, Jubilosa gets the break-action, Khoi gets the pull-action, and White Sands gets the bolt-action."Hmm. Speaking of Loputu..."
Silver looks around for the colt.
>>124120The colt is sitting down in the hallway
>>124121Silver trots up to him.
"Hey, little one. How are you feeling?"
>>124122He looks up at Silver, his Lavender eyes and dark blue mane standing out from a body that looks black in the dim light
"It's... I'm okay"
>>124123The unicorn sits down, looking back at him.
"Are you certain? Nothing on your mind?"
>>124124"It's... been a long day"
He moves his muzzle up directly towards Silver
"I'm... I'm glad to be out though. To be free now"
>>124125Silver smiles at him, and pets him on the top of his head with a forehoof.
"That is good to hear. You are strong colt, Loputu."
>>124126He closes his eyes. His mane is kind of long, and he's a little fluffier than most ponies.
He looks up, and smiles at Silver
"I hope my parents think so"
>>124127"If you want, when we are finished here, I can bring you back to your parents. Maybe I can help your parents see just how lucky they are to have colt as strong and brave as you, after this."
>>124128He looks up, and smiles with some joy. His rear legs bend, partly between standing up and sitting down
"Do you think you can convince others?"
>>124129He smiles at the colt.
"I might not have 'Silver' tongue..."
He chuckles himself.
"...but I can."
>>124130"If they think I am strong or brave, that would be great. Especially fillies"
He looks over to the side, and then back to Silver
"How though?"
>>124115>>124116Iron, seeing all the rifles being traded around, keeps note of who will he have to seek out and take back after this big attack in order to sell off later.
Considering the battle ahead is coming, Iron turns to White Sands. "I remember you saying there was some magic health potions?" he asks
>>124134"Yes." She says
"Or at least I think that's what he found. Some drugs too. Opiates. You want me to swipe one?"
>>124136As the Stallion hugs the griffin, she carefully walks up behind him, undoes a latch on his bag, and with magic glow pulls out a tube, then another, looks at them, and then another. She then places the flap down, and walks back towards Iron, holding up a vile.
"Here's a 'Cure light wounds'. Do you need more?"
Iron shrugs, a little grin forming on his face at her little potion checkup.
"That should do it," he answers
>>124131"We will figure it out."
He ruffles the colt's mane.
>>124138Silver looks over to Iron, now up and walking around.
"Good, you are up. I am impressed, not many ponies could get up so quickly after getting stabbed through chest like that."
>>124139Iron snorts softly. "I am
invincible," he proudly states while puffing his chest "at this point you should have no doubt."
>>124139He closes his eyes and his head is slightly pressed down as his mane is ruffled
>>124140>>124139White Sands, looking over at Iron, slowly nods. Khoi Lua, still sitting up, and with Jubilosa just now pulling away, also nods
>>124140Silver trots over to him, and pokes the bandages he had wrapped around his chest after the grevious injury.
"You have me doubting for good minute, there. Come, heal up, I got potions from infirmiry."
>>124142>>124141Iron lets out a little exhale over her unpuffing and nods.
>>124142Silver has six or so potions in his now unlatched bag
>>124143>>124144Indeed, when he looks, he looks concerned at the lack of potions.
"...where did potions go?"
Okay, it's time to figure out exactly how potions, healing and so forth will be distributed
>>124145Counts two missing
White Sands shrugs
>>124146How many did we have, again?
>>124147Originally about 8, 6 cure light wounds and 2 cure moderate wounds
[2d8+1 = 10]>>124148Both Silver and Iron are heavily injured, so no matter what they're each getting one of the cure moderate wounds potions. Speaking of...
>>124149Silver recovers around 11 HP from a cure moderate wounds potion
[1d8+1 = 4]>>124150And a cure light wounds potion...
[1d8+1 = 3]>>124152Taking one more, then I'll wait and see how everyone else is doing health-wise.
>>12415318 recovered, Silver is likely at around 40 HP
He feels
much better than he did before, and it hurts less to walk now
>>124154Rest of the potions are for everyone else. Silver is still not really in a good condition, but he'll survive for now.
>>124146Iron simply takes the potion Sands gave to him.
[1d8+1 = 9]>>124156Iron is left feeling less groggy than before, though still in pain
>>124157>>124156Silver continues to hold the cure moderate wounds potion out for Iron to take.
>>124158>>124157Iron glances down at the moderate cure wounds on display before looking up at Silver. "...did you pay for this?"
>>124159He grins at the earth pony.
"It was in with other potions in infirmiry. Take it, you were more injured than I was and
I took one of these."
>>124160With a shrug, Iron takes it and sips it up nonchalantly.
[2d8+2 = 12]>>124161He can feel the energy seep through him
>>124162Iron trots in place, warming his muscles up. "There we go," he mutters as the faint clip clop sound reverberate through the floor.
>>124163White Sands smiles. Khoi gives a softer smile, and nods
>>124164The smiles are a bit infectious, making Iron smile slightly, with the faintest of red tints on his cheeks.
>>124165Khoi: “You still have blood in you. Good”
>>124166Iron can't help but chuckle at this little comment. "I sure do, Khoi," he asserts confidently "all ready to bash some skulls."
>>124167She pulls up her rifle
“I suppose so.”
Undertoe comes closer, brandishing her rifle
boops all the little hoersies
>>124169Gah!
ScrunchesWelcome Back, Midnight!
Silver gave Meadows some changeling honey, which restored much of her strength and made her not so pathetic. Other creatures have been given rifles. Silver explored an infirmary and found some healing potions.
All of the creatures are in the hallway of the middle building on the second floor. They believe the cultists and their allies are upstairs
>>124171Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Well, is Midnight already with everypony or?
>>124172Yes. Yes she is. Everycreature is in the hallway together
>>124173>everycreatureSorry, I suddenly have cancer.
>>124175>>124174Alright, let's get to this
>>124175Silver gives Midnight a cure light wounds potion.
"Here, drink up. We all need to be at our best for this."
>>124176Iron sniffs once at the air, waiting for the start.
>>124177Midnight looks at the vial
"Are you sure? I can take more hits than you would think, is there another one that could use it?"