/vx/ - Videogames and Paranormal

>>131489
He chuckles and smiles at him.

"I am not so smart myself, but I appreciate that, Mala. I am glad to have you with me."

He seems to stop and think for a moment before he takes his own sheathed greatsword off of his body. He looks down at it.

"This sword was forged by my father when I turned 18 and decided to leave to become adventurer. He gave it to me, to start me off well on my new life, and I have had it ever since."

He looks up at Mala, and holds his greatsword out to him.

"And now...I want you to have it, to start you off well on your own new life as adventurer."

>>131490
He opens his jaw partly, showing his array of sharp and jagged teeth. His eyes grow big, not that it's easy to see through his pupils. His ears turn and lock onto Silver
"You really mean it?"

>>131491
Silver nods.

"Yes, I do."

>>131492
He lights up, and delicately bites around the grip to take it

>>131493
Silver smiles, and lets Mala take the sword.

"I can also show you how to wield this sword sometime, if you ever decided to use it."

>>131494
He removes the sword from his mouth, and places it in a holding position in his paw
"I think I got this"
He reaches for his belt with his mouth, and pulls out a mouth guard, which he awkwardly moves around in his mouth. Then he takes the great sword, places it in his mouth, and swings it around, and stabs it in a few moves. It seems he has at least some familiarity with how to use swords, even if the larger sized sword is newer to him

Any silly ponies?

>>131496
How silly?

>>131501
I am extremely reticent to show anything other than the direct material plane, and I think I should justify that hesitation.

It links into my theory on fantasy and magic and a common failing of the fantasy and sci fi genres. To me, an experience or a part of the world needs to fall into one of two categories, or else be boring and uninteresting. The first is that portion of the mundane world that can be studied by the natural sciences and thus comprehended by human reason. There's a beauty to the logic of it. The other is those experiences that are so far beyond the natural that they can be called mystical, and incite emotions of awe or terror as they defy human comprehension. Outside of these two extremes, experiences become familiar and mundane while not having a logical substance to it that the brain can ruminate on. This is my problem with many depictions of magic and fantasy. Often, the point of view character is familiar with the magic and [workings of the world, and thus cannot and will not react with the wonder or terror that a human of our world would, while the same magic and workings are obscure to the reader and thus do not allow the leader to understand and appreciate the intimacies of the internal logic on a rational level. If the workings of the world are unfamiliar to both the point of view character and the reader, the reader and character may both respond with awe or terror. If the workings of the world are well understood by the reader, regardless of the character's understanding, then there is an opportunity for the reader to rationally appreciate the internal workings of the world and their beauty. Outside of maybe comedy and dramatic reveals, I think it is only a downside for the point of view character to know significantly more about the world than the reader.

I honestly and sincerely believe that mystery and ambiguity are better than firm answers, especially when it comes to metaphysics and religion. The moment you have answers to this, you've stripped them of their wonder and elegance.

Another issue is that one of the themes of the campaign is or at least it really should be the diversity of competing ideologies.These different ideologies have different metaphysics, be they materialist, idealist, or anti-realist. There are also very different forms of religion, some pantheistic and mystical, some theistic, dualistic, and rational, and some are atheistic and materialistic. To definitively show 'actually, this one theory of the world is correct and everyone else is just wrong' would be to completely miss the point and undermine the theme. Sure, there are some events - like the appearance of Maar or Windigos - but they at least should admit of multiple interpretations, not definitively proving or disproving ideologies.

Having said all of that - all of it - I guess there might be some circumstances that I would be okay with plane walking. There is an H.P. Lovecraft short story that features a character finding and exploring a dimension accessible through a mirror, and two of my quests thus far have been adaptations of H.P. Lovecraft stories. But it's hard for me to justify the characters already knowing a considerable amount about the planes before encountering them.

I feel like I didn't say very much of that well... Most of my background is in various forms of non-fiction. In college I was a philosophy major, and much of my reading has been history or philosophy. In so far as I read fiction, it's mostly horror. The rule in horror is 'don't show the monster.' So I feel more comfortable obeying the rules of horror and non-fiction writing than even what is normal in fantasy or sci-fi. I am certainly willing to listen to anything you'd like to say

>>131498
Pretty silly, but not Applejack silly.

>>131495
Silver nods at the display.

"Indeed you do. Still, it never hurts to learn more, and if you ever dicide you want to, I would be honored."

>>131513
Mala turns his head, and looks at Silver with his big, brown-black eyes.
"Thmmh nimmh" he mumbles. Then he turns his head back, and practices thrusting the sword, stabbing the air in repeated maneuvers.

Looking back to Silver's new sword, he might see the branching rays of the four point sun, or any of several other symbols engraved on the sword's ricasso, between the forward quillon and the crossguard. Perhaps they are the symbols of the sword's makers, of families and ponies who owned the sword, or of certain monasteries in any case, Pear either couldn't or just didn't explain them. The blade of the sword is close to pristine, almost worryingly so, until a very close examination reveals a few small nicks on the edge and top of the blade. On the handle, Silver can see that the hilt is covered in a decaying leather, and for the first time, silver can see rust underneath this layer. There is no pommel on the end, but rather a leather cover over what seems to be a screw for a pommel. Silver still has no proper way to carry it.

>>131514
He holds it across his back with his magic in liu of a way to carry it. He decides he needs to find a blacksmith soon to finish restoring the sword and find a way to carry it.

>>131406
Trotting into the Northeast, Amber is once again in a very different kind of area. There's a section of land in an almost "L" shape that moves east, then south nearer the coastline, consisting of factories, manufactories, warehouses, mills, and other such industrial facilities built around a rail-line. Though factories are not often marked, small signs show an aircraft landing gear factory, a factory making truck parts, a textile mill that finishes uniforms, and another making parachutes. At the corner of the "L" is what appears to be some sort of oil refinery or chemical plant. Many of the factories have high fences, even barbed wire around them, and some have green uniformed guards that look like soldiers. Amber has seen these sorts of guards before, around a few prominent buildings in the city center, and they seem more common here. Not all of the factories have smoke stacks or cooling towers, but those that do are certainly making use of them, as the factories abound with activity and sounds.

By the water are a few clusters of docks and piers with warehouses beyond, though segments of the water have other buildings by them, which appear to involve fishing, and even a much older colonial style mansion on the waterfront. The northern most section of piers is roped off. The sections nearest the waterfront have the least consistency with the grid pattern, with some roads crossing diagonally, and more space between roads. In some instances this seems to be related to the larger plots used by industrial sites, and in some instances - especially the diagonal roadways - it is an inexplicable part of the city planning.

Shops congregate in a band around the city center, though they are often scattered throughout. Some are strange and almost mysterious, some are run down, some are abandoned, and some look just as proper as the ones in west town. Many are beneath larger buildings or are attached in rows, but especially towards the north and closer to the water there are more free standing buildings and shops. One building that stands out is the regional offices of the Dominion Mining Company, a twenty story beige brick office building with narrow, tall windows. It's not particularly aesthetically pleasing or tall, even by the standards of Baltimare, but it stands out as one of the few, or the only, high rises in this section of the town, well east of the center. There are a few more tall buildings, in particular what seems to be a shot tower stands out, looking almost like a castle's tower. The red brick tower is well over a hundred feet tall, and closer to the south of the city.

Residences are mostly overwhelmingly multifamily apartment buildings in blocks. Never more than five stories in height, these black, grey, brown and red tenement buildings are close to together and sometimes have external fire escapes, though that doesn't seem to be universal. Whereas the industrial buildings are mostly in functioning condition, or seem to be at least, residences display more signs of damage, with boarded up windows, shattered windows, and collapsed roofs being far from rare. Further north are more rowhouses and single family residences, though there are some near the center randomly placed, that seem to be of a much older design.

There is no parrallel to the neo-gothic cathedral of Saint Eligius in this area of the city, though there are many places of worship. Some have brick and stone with towers of the celestial design, some are similarly tall but more plain. Some are round in shape but clearly adorned with celestialist symbols, and still some others, mostly of a round design. Multiple distinct sects of the celestialist faith seem to be represented, and several religions having no origin in Equestria as well. There are several government buildings like a firestation with an automotive engine, a police post, and several school houses, which are mostly multi-story brick buildings of a design from the last century Amber has seen before.

This is an area with a very large number of non-ponies. Griffins are probably the single largest group of non-ponies, but diamond dogs and zebras are not far behind, with a few Kirin and even other groups like large, bipedal cats. Ponies are a narrow majority, but some seem to be ethnically distinct from the Equestrians Amber knows, and some speak in foreign languages or strange dialects as she passes. There are a couple ponies by themselves mumbling, or even shouting to no one at corners. Creatures here seem poorer than in the west, even when of the same race as their counterparts, but mostly they are still working class, with the attire generally being a little more functional.

>>131518
The sword is very big, and even when carried across his back diagonally sort of extends over. Its center of balance is around the ricasso, and the cross guard is very large, itself covered in that decaying leather.

>>131517
Hi Spark pony!

>>131520
Hello!
wave wave wave

>>131522
[i]is waved to
Think we can pick back up the story?

>>131523
If Spark wants to respond to the last post, sure

>>131519
Something to take care of later. First things first, he needs to go to a store and buy some rope.

>>131525
Popping into the first store produces no such luck, but Silver comes across a free standing store that seems to have some agricultural supplies. The stallion - a black maned hornless pony with glasses and sharp blue eyes looks with concern at the stallion with an oversized sword across his back, and an equally well armed hyena. He says nothing, but has a wincing expression with his teeth, eyes locked on the creatures as they approach.

>>131526
He looks at the shopkeerer first confused, then sheepish as he realizes what's wrong.

"Oh! My apologies, friend, I have not yet found way to sheath sword, yet. I was just looking for some rope."

>>131527
He blinks, and his eyes return to their wide open stance. He moves a hoof up
"By the wall, closer to the back" he says, motioning his hoof in that direction

>>131528
"Ah, thank you!"

He goes to the directed area, speaking to Mala quietly once they get there.

"You remember what we did with Maakie, yes?"

>>131529
He nods

There is indeed rope, in thicker and thinner varieties

>>131530
"I was going to pull him back out, and turn him into authorities for reward. I think he has has been down there long enough."

>>131531
"Won't he tell them things, though?"

>>131532
Silver looks at Mala.

"About what?"

>>131533
"I mean... about sticking him down the chute. Or what I did..."

>>131534
After a couple seconds of silence, Silver places a hoof on Mala's shoulder.

"I promised you I would get you amnesty. I intend to keep that promise."

>>131535
"Okay..." he lowers his head a little
"I trust you"

>>131536
He pets Mala a little, since his head is so exposed.

"You do not have to come along if you do not want to."

>>131537
He closes his eyes, and seems to smile as his head is pet.
"I think I should come. You may need help securing or carrying him."

>>131538
He smiles at his reaction.

"Alright, it is your choice."

He gets some strong rope, pays for it, and heads for 33 Hoebuck with Mala.

>>131539
It only costs a few bits. The stallion at the counter doesn't say anything, but rather watches the pair.

Silver and Mala are quite a ways north and a little west of 33 Hoebuck; it's a nice, long walk back down.

>>131540
Unless they happen upon a taxi, it's a walk they'll be making.

>>131541
A taxi is certainly possible, even if taxis are less common in the northern town, and the pair are a bit of an awkward, or rather, unsettling sight

>>131542
True, but they are still paying customers.

>>131543
After what seems like a taxi slowing down then driving off, a taxi piloted by a griffin picks them up to take them to 33 Hoebuck

>>131524
>>131044
"Do you think we are safe from more of them?"

>>131547
Makade looks over intently

Waabashki continues
"I... I can't say. Tradition tells us that the Wetiko arises when a soul is consumed by its on greed, be they Ma'iingan or pony... but the doubles... we've never seen this before. Be cautious, as we are dealing with unknowns."