/vx/ - Videogames and Paranormal

>>167414
Both nod affirmatively

"Whatever gets us there"

>>167415
And so Amber continues on to the train station…

I need to sleep now

>>167404
"And we have machine guns. I think we can make do with these."

>>167373
I'm kind of stuck on the "getting into the country" part. I thought new players started already there.

>>167419
I like to start players at their point of entry in Baltimare. Union Station if they enter from Equestria, or Locust Promontory if they are from abroad. I suppose it can be skipped.

I made a very, very rough draft:
Rosie "Posie" Ring - Necropolitan Half-vampire Unicorn Dread Necromancer 3, Major Vampire Bloodline 3; spellstitched (not represented)

Medium Undead [augmented monstrous humanoid] [Unicorn] [Pony]

Init: +11 (Nimble bones, Improved Initiative); Senses: Darkvision 60 ft, Spot +4, Listen +4
Languages: Pony, Abyssal, Infernal, Griffon

Armor Class: 18, Touch 13, Flat-footed 17 (2 grotesque Griffon leather , plus 1 dastana, plus 4 natural)
HP: 47 (3d12+22 HD); Corpsecrafted
Saves: Fort +1, Ref +4, Will +7

Speed: 40 ft (leather armor; nimble bones)
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/+1
Attack: Charnel Touch +5 Melee touch (1d8+1 negative), Slam +5 melee (1d6+7 bludgeoning + 1d6 cold), Compound Bow +4 Ranged (1d8+5 piercing)
Full Attack:
Space/Reach: 5/5
Special Attacks: Spells, Rebuke Undead 7/day, Charnel Touch, Telekinesis, Negative Energy Burst, Winter's Chill, Destructive Retribution, Charming Gaze
Special Qualities: Undead Traits, Lich Body, DR 2/Bludgeoning And Magic, DR 2/Slashing; Fast Healing when below full HP; Enery resistance 5 for electricity and 10 for cold, Turn Resistance +6
Saves: Fort +1, Ref +4, Will +8
Abilities: St 21 (+4 enhancement corpsecraft), Dex 16, Con-, Int 16, Wis 14, Cha 19
Skills: Bluff 12, Climb 6, Concentration 9, Craft (stitching) 3, Decipher Script 3, Diplomacy 6, Disguise 6, Hide 7, Intimidate 11, Knowledge (religion) 8, Knowledge (Arcana) 9, Move Silently 7, Sleight Of Hand 5, Spellcraft 12, Use Magic Device 7, Hypnosis 5
Feats: Apprentice (bonus) (lvl 1 flaw); Magical Affinity/Aptitude (bonus) (Occupation); Necromantic Bloodline (lvl 1); Defiler (lvl 3); Reserves Of Strength (severe taint); Cerebrosis (bonus; Rite Of The Blot); Iron Will (bonus; Otugh Hole); Evil Brand (bonus; elder Evil); Evil Brand (bonus; Elder Evil); Versatile spellcaster (bonus; Vampire Bloodline; Stealthy Redundant); Improved Initiative (bonus; half vampire); Stealthy (bonus, Ironwyrm vault)
Possessions: Nightcaller; Unholy symbol, spell component pouch, grotesque griffon leather barding, compound bow + 20 arrows, Gloomy (slave), 2 zombies (bound to nightcaller); "self" (slave price)
Organization: Unique plus thralls (see text)
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: Combat Gear
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: +0 (Half Vampire LA bought off)

Undead Traits:
Spells: (see Dread Necromancer)
Posie casts spells as a third level Dread Necromancer. Her caster level is 5 for all non-necromancy spells, and 7 for all necromancy spells (Major vampire bloodline + spellgifted).

Expanded Spell list
Her spell list has been expanded and modified as follows:
Apprentice Spellcaster: Posie's time as an apprentice has given her the option to replace a number of her spells known. She has replaced six of the redundant spells she knows from her necromantic bloodline:
Cause Fear -> Ebon Eyes
Ghoul Touch -> Desecrate
Vampiric Touch -> Gaseous Form
Contagion -> Clutch Of Orcus
Eyebite -> Antilife Shell
Control Undead -> Ethereal Jaunt

Rite Of The Blot: Posie has dealt with eldritch horrors from beyond the void, which has resulted in a mutated mind in the form of Cerebrosis. Her scarred, necrotic brain matter gives her access to the following Cerebritic spells, rudimentary and difficult to control conjuration magic, mostly in the form of summons:
Lvl 1: Aching Dread
Lvl 2: Call Amoebic Crawler
Lvl 3: Far Realm Visitation; Dimsensional Rift
Lvl 4: Call Cranial Encyster; Lingering Raver
Lvl 5: Soul-Blasting Dread
Lvl 6: Call Kaortic Hulk
Lvl 7: Finger (hoof/horn) of Expulsion
Lvl 8: Call Nightseed
Lvl 9: Welcome Amoebic Sea
Although Rosie knows all of these spells, her current level of Sorcery only gives her lvl 1 slots, so she has only been able to cast Aching Dread.

Mother Cyst: As a physical manifestation of her corruption, Rosie possesses a Mother Cyst; the ugly black lump where her heart used to be. The cyst is internalized in her chest, beneath her ample floof, and "beats" with a painful throb. Posie, in her prophetic hubris, considers her cyst to be sign of The Mother's "love". The cyst gives her access to the following spells, of which she can only cast lvl 1 spells (or lvl 2, if straining with versatile spellcaster):
1 Necrotic Awareness
2 Necrotic Cyst, Necrotic Scrying
3 Necrotic Bloat,
4 Necrotic Domination
5 Necrotic Burst
6 Necrotic Eruption
7 Necrotic Tumor
8 Necrotic Empowerment
9 Necrotic Termination
Rosie Typically uses Necrotic Awareness to seek out Gloomy, should she lose sight of him. Since she has to strain to cast Necrotic Cyst, she has yet not shared her "love" with anyone but Gloomy.

Defiler: In research of the impure arts, Rosie has delved into the forbidden practice of Defiling Magic. Defiling magic scars the land and coats it in toxic defiler ash. Rosie is aware of the destructive nature of this magic, and uses it sparingly, not out of goodness of her cyst, but to keep her practice secret, and for the backlash defiling deals on her own body and mind.
Defiler Points (defilement of self): TBA
Defiler Score (permanent moral burden of defilement): TBA

Spellstitched SLAs: TBA

>>167431
Charnel Touch (Su): (As Dread Necromancer ability) In combat, Posie prefers to use her endless negative energy to hex living creatures. At will, but no more than once per round, she can deliver a touch attack that deals 1d8+1 points of negative energy, or heal an undead creature 2 HP

Negative Energy Burst (Su): Once per day, Posie can create a burst of negative energy that harms living creatures. Creatures within 5 feet of her take 6d4 points of damage (DC 17 Will for half). Undead Creatures are healed the damage living creatures take.

Rebuke Undead: as a 7th level Cleric (major vampire bloodline + Bloodtouched Rite)

Charming Gaze: From her vampire heritage, Rosie can charm humanoids and monstrous humanoids with her cursed eyes. This is similar to a gaze attack, except that she must take a standard action.

Unicorn Telekinesis:

Undead Weaknesses (work in progress): Rosie Ring possesses the following unique weaknesses
Delusional (-1/3 CR): Posie believes that she is born of Holy Blood and that her powers are a gift from The Mother. Her desire for this to be true is her internal justification for her continued existence. Creature's that become aware of this can manipulate
Phobia (CR -1/3): Princess Celestia, a figure of myth and horror in the Dread League, is a terrific sight to those brought up there. Her phobia refers to Princess Celestia herself, and any holy sites or consecrated temples dedicated to her honor. In the presence of the Princess or on the princesses sanctified lands, Posie takes a -2 penalty on all attack rolls, ability checks or skill checks
Code Of Honor (-1/3 CR): Until Rosie surpasses her Master, she can never disobey an order from a higher ranking member of the Dread League. This binding includes not causing excessive damage in Equestria that might interfere with the Society Of Bone's infiltration goals, or the Coven Of Blood's diplomacy goals. Posie's binding has caused her to leave battles unfinishes and flee before she risks exposure.
Considering
Distractible (-1/3 CR): maybe put something about her adopted 'son' in there.
Energy Vulnerability (CR -1/2; LA -1/2): maybe
Turn Submission (CR -1/3; LA -1/2): would wipe out most of her turn resistance, probably worth the option
Sunlight Vulnerability (-1/2 CR; -1/2 LA): debilitating, but thematic as a vampire descended creature.
Phobia (see above): could include basic vampire weaknesses to represent vampire heritage

Note: the undead weaknesses with no LA adjustment are mostly for flavor. They do, however, reduce her overall CR, and thus her price as a thrall (buying self out of slavery is to represent tithes paid to her Master, as debt for creation).

Taint Score: 20
Corruption: 10
Depravity: 10
Symptions Of Taint:
Paralyzed Face; Bones Thicken
Hubristic; Prophetic

Occupation: Hedge Wizard (if not using d20 Modern rules ignore)
Region (Dread League); regional quirks tbd

Tactics: Until lvl 8, Posie is effectively a melee warrior. At lvl 8 she'll be a master of undead minions.

Military Rank in Dread League
Commander Rating: 2
Commander Aura: Necromantic Commander
Benefit: Undead allies within 30 feet of you that have an Intelligence score of 1 or higher deal an extra 1d6 points of damage on melee attacks made against living creatures. This benefit is considered a morale bonus.

Master: Dread Necromancer of at least 8th levels. The stats above assume Posie was created by a cabal of the Dread League who possessed the appropriate corpsecrafter feats in a desecrated area. This price is represented in her WBL.

Magical Location Bonus feats: the bonus feats Posie Gains from her starting equipment represent training and torture dealt to her by the Dread League, this price adds up to the 5500 gp, the same cost as having been imprisoned in the Otyugh Hole (Iron Will), The Ironwyrm Vault (Stealthy), and the Cerebrotic Mire (Cerebrosis).

>>167432
Almost 3 hours typing that and I still forgot something:
>Flaw: Test Subject (-2 to all saves vs necromancy and Enchantment spells).
Painful since Command Undead is a lvl 2 spell, but appropriate as a product of dysgenics by the necromantic Society of Bones and the enchanting Coven Of Blood.
Pick up Haunted at lvl 6 to pick up Undead Leadership.

I figured spending money on thralls was an exercise in futility when I can't even cast Animate Dead myself. Roleplaying four characters felt obnoxious to do starting off, so I'm would like to start just with Posie and her apprentice. It also makes getting into the country easier so I can actually start.
I'll post Gloomy's sheet shortly. 200 gp of Posie's starting equipment goes towards "conditioning" him, to give him Iron Will, which helps him avoid insanity from taint. He'll otherwise have no starting equipment. I want him to eventually be a cohort, so I'm making him a Binder.
>>167423
I could just go with that. Gloomy's illness wouldn't be too visible, so Posie could go through regular border control with him. It sounds like a good test for her infiltration abilities and charisma skills.
As for cover story, I had an idea for the occupation of "Neurologist": a person who studies death, both mundane and magical. Part mortician, part doctor, part mage, such a skilled pony would be in high demand in a war-torn region where death, disease and amputation are widespread, so I could come with a work visa. That way I have an excuse to skulk around graveyards and carry dark magic implements.
Maybe the Society of Bones could forge me a fake ID (or I could buy it, but I'm cutting it close with starting equipment).

>>167433
*Necrologist

>>167431
>>167432
>>167433
>>167434
This is really cool! It must have taken a lot of thought.
>Dread Necromancer 3, Major Vampire Bloodline 3
Is she level 5 or level 6? I'm still relatively new to playing DnD so I'm not the best at reading and interpreting character sheets.
>neurologist necrologist
Reminds me of the Lovecraft story "Herbert West–Reanimator"

>>167373
>In terms of military equipment, Equestrian is British, Changeling is German (so is Imperial Griffonian, don't think about it too much), Stalliongrad is Soviet, Aquilea is French, and the River Republics are Czech iirc. There's no hard-and-fast rule about having the exact same equipment that was used in our world, it's more about what's cool while fitting the setting.
The Dread League is pretty low tech in favor of having tons of skeletons and thralls, and I want to honor that, since Posie was brought up as a mage in the Dread League and I intend to go cowabunga with minions once I get to level 8. I spent most of my starting equipment on training and perks, and a trusty Nightcaller so I can pretend to be an actual necromancer despite being level 3 with no ability to raise the dead for a long time. The compound bow is as far as I'm going to go in terms of modern weaponry for now, although it synergizes well with my high Str (also the White Horseman has a bow, so I'll use one too). I should be good against anything except paladins and golems.
>There's no real official "party"
I would hope to interact with the other active PCs at some point, because that's part of the fun of roleplay. I guess it wouldn't be too bad just to talk with NPCs or do solo quests, although it feels like a bit of an undue burden on the DM to make solo quests though.
>I highly recommend going to the start of the game and reading through every thread to see how the story has progressed, though it's by no means required and it would take an extremely long time to get all the way through
Yeah, I tried that, but it's admittedly hard to follow. Thanks for pointing out who's active and who isn't, btw; it made it easier to tell what relevant.
>I'm looking forward to seeing you play here!
Thanks. I'm interested in seeing how this will play out.
>>167435
Is she level 5 or level 6
She's actually level 3. The bloodline levels don't contribute to total ECL, but you still have to pay XP to get them; thus, it's best to take them all at level 1. They do count as class levels for certain level based parameters though, including LA buy-off, which has good synergy since it reduced the cost of buying off the half-vampire LA, which let her reduce the LA for half vampire from +2 to +0. Posie is ECL 3, with the same XP as a level 3 character.
Tl;Dr, she spent 7K out of 10K XP to get some perks, and is now lvl 3.
>I'm not the best at reading and interpreting character sheets.
This sheet is an unfinished mess, so I don't blame you. I forgot how complicated it was to make characters in 3.5e. I haven't played in years, and I had to spend a few days looking stuff up.
>Reminds me of the Lovecraft story "Herbert West–Reanimator"
Yeah, something like that.

>>167423
I'll do that, because doing what you're used to should make it smoother. If I get arrested for dark magic, then so be it.
I'm close to finished, so tell me when you would be open to start.
Rosie counts as coming from abroad, since she's from another continent.

After escaping prison through the sewers, Gibs is ready to hustle again! But first, he gotta get off all the shit on his body. He gotta find the closest store with pony-axe so he can spray his whole body clean. He was lucky that toilet couldn't tell the difference between him and turd, otherwise he would never have gotten out. Yeah, zigga!

>>167438
>He was lucky that toilet couldn't tell the difference between him and turd,
I'm sorry, that was a bit too gross. :S

>>167432
I've fucked up. The both of those magical locations are 3K gp, which means on top of the night caller they add up to 9k, which doesn't leave room for my basic equipment or cost of emancipation. I'm either going to have to drop one of those bonus feats, or the Nightcaller.
I could plausibly rank up my defiler score to cover the cost of spellstitching, although that's meant to be for emergencies.

>>167436
I can't wait to see your character in the game, new fren!

>>167441
I'm almost ready with the sheet. I'm open to start posting whenever.

>>167440
>>167433
>>167432
>>167431
>>167437
>>167436
That's a lot to sort through

>>167438
>>167439
Gibbs has escaped his imprisonment Shawshank Redpemption style, but he ain't ready to go to his beach in Zihuatanejo just yet.

Gibbs observes that his stripes... is gone, He now a pure brown stallion. Like an earth pony.

>>167416
Helder tries to take the lead, although it becomes apparent fairly quickly that he's only feigning familiarity with the street pattern. The quaint cobblestone streets of the riverside are repeated one street in further inland from the river, as are the multi-colored blocks of apartments and shops that line the roadway. The further the group goes into the town, the older the buildings become, tending towards closely spaced red roofed, white-walled, half-timber constructs, with dirty stone roads that exist not in any planned-out grid pattern, but haphazardly angling out in which ever direction, occasionally cut by alleys or small squares. Not much time elapses before Federklied calls Helder's bluff, and exposes that no, he does not know where he is going, and she asks a local for directions to the train station. The griffins find and move through the central market square, lined by a large, green stoned temple of boreas with twin spires and a vaulted room, and the rathaus with its square, peaked red roofed tower and rink brick construction. The sight of a set of police passing through the market square encourages the group to move behind a set of stalls set up in the middle, selling vegetables, and to pretend to take interest in buying cabbage - probably a sincere interest for Erich by now. But there is no time to waste. More walking, past packed streets with now lowered buildings, and more trees with falling, brown leaves. The town is only a fraction of the size of Katerinburg, but it's still a proper town. It's a few more blocks before they arrive at Kronburg Hauptbahnhof.

Kronburg Hauptbahnhof is fairly long building with a black roof, and though it is only one story tall, it is as tall as two floors at many points. The building has a reception area in the fore, and two open air platforms with covers on the side away from the street. The building is accessible from the main street, and actually has space for the parking of automobiles, though only a small number are present.

>>167468
Another strange town, though quite similar to Katerinburg. Amber could not wait to get to the train station, and now that she is here, she looks for where staff rooms may be at.

Spot: [1d20+2 = (7+2) = 9]

>>167467
Gibs sniffs his unquiely colored hoof.

"Sheeeeeit."

He sneaks around like he's about to steal shit cuz yo ass don't get any respekt points with nasty ass sheeit in yo fur. Sadly for him, he turns the corner and walks straight into a crowd of bitches.

>>167467
Is there anything that stands out to you?

>>167480
>>167467
>>167432
I am going to wait to finish this, but I'm ready to roleplay or talk about backstory or exposition changes whenever.

>>167431
>Rosie "Posie" Ring - Necropolitan Half-vampire Unicorn Dread Necromancer 3, Major Vampire Bloodline 3; spellstitched (not represented)
I can't say I am familiar

>Init: +11 (Nimble bones, Improved Initiative)
That's... a lot

>Languages: Pony, Abyssal, Infernal, Griffon
There isn't really a single unifying pony language, nor a unifying griffin language (although Herzlander is probably a pretty good contender)

>Armor Class: 18, Touch 13, Flat-footed 17 (2 grotesque Griffon leather , plus 1 dastana, plus 4 natural)
HP: 47 (3d12+22 HD); Corpsecrafted
The 3d12 is 3 levels of undead, but where does the +22 come from?

>Skills: Bluff 12, Climb 6, Concentration 9, Craft (stitching) 3, Decipher Script 3, Diplomacy 6, Disguise 6, Hide 7, Intimidate 11, Knowledge (religion) 8, Knowledge (Arcana) 9, Move Silently 7, Sleight Of Hand 5, Spellcraft 12, Use Magic Device 7, Hypnosis 5
116 skill points at level 3? Come again?

>Feats: Apprentice (bonus) (lvl 1 flaw); Magical Affinity/Aptitude (bonus) (Occupation); Necromantic Bloodline (lvl 1); Defiler (lvl 3); Reserves Of Strength (severe taint); Cerebrosis (bonus; Rite Of The Blot); Iron Will (bonus; Otugh Hole); Evil Brand (bonus; elder Evil); Evil Brand (bonus; Elder Evil); Versatile spellcaster (bonus; Vampire Bloodline; Stealthy Redundant); Improved Initiative (bonus; half vampire); Stealthy (bonus, Ironwyrm vault)
I can't say I familiar with many of those

>Three paragraphs of spells
I am not familiar with these

I don't know what books these came from, but just to be completely honest, the odds that I am ever going to be familiar enough with the powers of these spells in order to create encounters that are balanced are probably pretty low

>>167432
I can follow this post pretty well. I can definitely work with these

>>167433
>but appropriate as a product of dysgenics by the necromantic Society of Bones and the enchanting Coven Of Blood.
Don't the two societies hate each other?

>Roleplaying four characters felt obnoxious to do starting off,
We could have them under my control. Which characters do you want to control? Gloomy as well as Posie?

>As for cover story, I had an idea for the occupation of "Neurologist": a person who studies death, both mundane and magical. Part mortician, part doctor, part mage, such a skilled pony would be in high demand in a war-torn region where death, disease and amputation are widespread, so I could come with a work visa. That way I have an excuse to skulk around graveyards and carry dark magic implements.
Maybe the Society of Bones could forge me a fake ID (or I could buy it, but I'm cutting it close with starting equipment).
As Baltimare is well known for its medical school, that works pretty well.

>>167437
>If I get arrested for dark magic, then so be it.
Immigration isn't going to be looking for magic. They care about tuberculosis, weird foreign parasites, and leftist radicals

>>167483
Sure, what do you want to talk about on backstory?

We could definitely start Posie soonish, although I sort of want to bring other characters in a position where they could join her

>>167475
These bitches be fiiiine. Like, solid 5/10s. One of these is even a pony, and she only got one chin! But he still smells like shit.

>>167469
Well... it ain't in the center of the building. That has the entryway, the time tables, and the ticket office.

>>167488
>There isn't really a single unifying pony language, nor a unifying griffin language (although Herzlander is probably a pretty good contender)
I want to be able to speak the most common language in Equestria (or at least Ponyville and Canterlot, i.e places in the show), so whatever that is I'll pick that. I'll pick whatever language the griffons of the Arcturian Order at the border of the Dread League would be speaking too. I probably should have read a bit more into that.
>where does the +22 come from?
It comes from being created by another Dread Necromancer of at least 8th level, who personally possesses the Corpsecrafter feat or is assisted by another necromancer who has it, after being ritually crucified in a desecrated area on the altar of an evil deity (Desecrate spell), and then gaining Cha bonus once through the Blood Touched Rite.
>I can follow this post pretty well. I can definitely work with these
I'll try to rewrite it in that format then.
>Don't the two societies hate each other?
I see them as more of competing factions who are rather passive aggressive in their bid for dominance in the same country. Posie, being level 3, probably wouldn't be high ranking enough to be an official member of either faction (since everyone who isn't a powerful necromancer is either a mindless monster or basically enslaved).
I mention both groups because it's unclear if the Society of Bones or the Coven of Blood is dominant in the Dread League in this game: should one particular group rise to power, that would be the group Posie would be loyal to.
>116 skill points at level 3? Come again?
Those are modifier, not skillpoints. I posted them in the format of an NPC statblock. If you want her skill point allocations, I can do that.
>Three paragraphs of spells
I put every resource I could into expanding my spell list, since her biggest weakness is her limited spell selection.
>We could have them under my control. Which characters do you want to control? Gloomy as well as Posie?
Well, when I was writing her I got all cocky and kind of wrote a lvl 20 backstory forgetting she's actually just a lvl 3 apprentice. She can't even have cohorts until she's level 6, although she could make Gloomy her own apprentice at lvl 5.
I think it might be better to make the other two show up when she's level 6, if she even gets there.
I would control Posie because she's the actual player character. Gloomy, until he becomes an apprentice, is an NPC, that I technically have no control over. I could roleplay him, although I wouldn't mind you roleplaying him either if you're down for it. He has the personality of a heavily-brainwashed anemic child who's somewhat numb to witnessing unspeakable evils, but still child-like in his own way.

>I can't say I am familiar [3]
Do you want me to cite the sources? I can explain or source any of the stuff, if you want.
The Elder Evil thing was kind of stupid, in hindsight, considering I made a stupid assumption about the "Prime Mover" cosmology. I'll cut that feat. I only wanted it because it could give me Lichloved as a bonus feat at lvl 5.
>I don't know what books these came from, but just to be completely honest, the odds that I am ever going to be familiar enough with the powers of these spells in order to create encounters that are balanced are probably pretty low
I see your concern. Is there a particular aspect of it that you think needs cutting down, so I could amend it? The game didn't come off as very combat-intensive to me, and I didn't build for that in mind, but if you feel like it's unbalanced I wouldn't want to be disruptive.
I would like to point out that most of the stuff her sheet comes at the expense of starting at lvl 3 instead of lvl 5 (7000 XP loss), in addition to allocating almost all of her money to creating her own body, so she's not as powerful as her bare stats might reflect in comparison to a lvl 5 character with full equipment.

>As Baltimare is well known for its medical school, that works pretty well.
That's cool. I'll go with that.
>tuberculosis
Don't have that. I'll just make sure to clear the spiders out of my lungs before the oral examination.
>weird foreign parasites
Do vampires count? Jk
>leftist radicals
Death is a preferable outcome to communism.

>what do you want to talk about on backstory?
Do you like it? Too edgy? Too obscure? Not appropriate for the setting/game? Too boring? Anything that could be improved? I'm open to suggestions.
The Dread League doesn't have very much going for it in terms of lore other than being a country of wicked mustache twirlers, so I was hard pressed to imagine what sort of twisted pony would be born and raised there. I'm not sure if I want to go through with the part of being a clone who grew up in a tank, since I think having childhood memories might actually be better for character development. I like the idea of being bred as thrall stock for vampires though: the kind of nightmarish abuse she would have lived through would make for a good foundation of development.
>I sort of want to bring other characters in a position where they could join her
Take your time then. Current players take priority. I wouldn't want to derail them with my stuff. I'm more than willing to wait while I work on the fine details

>>167497
>I want to be able to speak the most common language in Equestria (or at least Ponyville and Canterlot, i.e places in the show), so whatever that is I'll pick that
Yeah, Equestria and New Mareland speak what we'll just call "Ponish," but be advised that native tribes in the Equestrian South East, as well as Ponies from Griffonia usually don't. Posey woud definitely speak Ponish, as otherwise it wouldn't make much sense to send her to Equestria.

>Griffins
Probably Herlander?

>It comes from being created by another Dread Necromancer of at least 8th level, who personally possesses the Corpsecrafter feat or is assisted by another necromancer who has it, after being ritually crucified in a desecrated area on the altar of an evil deity (Desecrate spell), and then gaining Cha bonus once through the Blood Touched Rite.
I'm a little skeptical of what seems to be combining multiple source books to give a mage the HP of a Fighter. It's seems a little bit unfair to our fighter, and the several characters with half that HP.

>I mention both groups because it's unclear if the Society of Bones or the Coven of Blood is dominant in the Dread League in this game: should one particular group rise to power, that would be the group Posie would be loyal to.
Just sort of as a general rule the world of Occupied Equestria follows the "historical" playthrough of Equestria at War save for New Mareland's Empire. I think that The Dread League will usually be Society of Bones in a historical playthrough, so that may make most sense.

I don't want to discourage you from doing something with vampires, but I am going to mention the following because it could become relevant: I have a sort of blood-loss phobia/vascovagal reaction that causes me to literally feel numb or limp in my limbs just by thinking about blood loss or blood draws. Don't expect any sort of roleplay around vampiric draining or extraction of blood

>Those are modifier, not skillpoints
Oh, okay

>I put every resource I could into expanding my spell list, since her biggest weakness is her limited spell selection.
I'm just not familair with them

>Well, when I was writing her I got all cocky and kind of wrote a lvl 20 backstory forgetting she's actually just a lvl 3 apprentice. She can't even have cohorts until she's level 6, although she could make Gloomy her own apprentice at lvl 5.
I think it might be better to make the other two show up when she's level 6, if she even gets there.
Honestly, I might be more comfortable with more characters than with supernatural qualities, since it's easy for me to quantify the effects of another melee fighter, and more characters allows for roleplay possibilities.

>Gloomy, until he becomes an apprentice, is an NPC, that I technically have no control over. I could roleplay him, although I wouldn't mind you roleplaying him either if you're down for it. He has the personality of a heavily-brainwashed anemic child who's somewhat numb to witnessing unspeakable evils, but still child-like in his own way.
There's a pretty firm consensus that my best skill as a GM is my writing and handling of NPC characters; I like controlling NPCs. Conversely though, if you want to control an NPC that's okay. Although writing realistic children isn't exactly a strength of mine. You're probably going to get something closer to an adult or a dog

>Do you want me to cite the sources? I can explain or source any of the stuff, if you want.
Yes. I don't know what any of those spells do.

>The Elder Evil thing was kind of stupid, in hindsight
I'm not a super big fan of having Posie or Gloomy have much connection to Elder Evils, because I think that having knowledge of or allegiance to Elder Evils kind of underminds the alien, mysterious, and hostile quality of these forces that make them compelling in the first place

That Cthulhu, through the power of his dreams, unintentionally projects nightmares into the minds of artists through some unknown power, highlights how beyond our understanding he is, and how dangerous he is that he causes harm to people thousands of miles away without even desiring to do so. The cults that worship him are atavistic callbacks to an era before civilization whose simple existence calls into question just how disposed towards reason and civilization humans really are. If Cthulhu is like a Pope to whom you pay tithes, I think it looses much of that.

In EAW, in the Dread League playthrough Rosa Maledicta feels faint and experiences periodic loss of consciousness, and generally has the feeling of being controlled. Then one day, a not-entirely solid creature the size of an elephant appears to her, floating in the air. Rosa recognizes the creature as a Wendigo and realizes that the creatures have been controlling her and directing her on her crusade, as it serves their ends. The way this is done is genuinely unsettling to the reader, and Rosa, though she is making progress in the Black Crusade, is unsettled and shaken in her beliefs by the Wendigo and the fact that she's not even able to completely control her own actions. That's a "traditional" depiction of eldrich powers as something possessing great and unknown powers that is intentionally or unintentionally hostile, and I think it works very well.

I do need to say that for many of the characters in Occupied, who have no magical abilities, I like to contrast them against the supernatural, especially against cosmic horrors, as it is something alien to them. Posie, because she will be by far and away the most knowledgeable player character, and frankly above most non-player characters in the setting, is most likely going to receive mundane horrors as a contrast because it would be alien to her. The setting is modeled on the world wars, so there is a lot of mundane horror to work with.

>>167497
>I see your concern. Is there a particular aspect of it that you think needs cutting down, so I could amend it?
Most likely, the majority of enemies that Posey will face, and certainly the vast majority of enemies faced by the party so far, have been "humanoid" type enemies with melee or ranged weapons. Ponies, Changelings, Diamond Dogs, and Griffins with talons, machetes, and bolt action rifles. Sometimes, there are zombies or animals or monsters with teeth and claws. And sometimes, there is something more exotic, like machine guns, explosives, or combat mages who use deflective shields to bolster their submachine guns. Sometimes there is armor, or cover, or many enemies. But in all instances, combat is ultimately about dice rolls and modifiers. Chance of hitting multiplied by damage against health. It's all about math. I can balance things just by changing the numbers.

Spells, by contrast, tend to be more qualitative, and a bit harder to quantify. When Posie has a spell that I've actually worked with before like vampiric touch that does something like, let's say 2d6 damage, I can say to myself, okay, she's doing twice the damage of a knife, let's put her up against at least one diamond dog with a knife, or maybe even put her against a pony who has a pistol that does 2d6 damage. But if Posie has [spell that I can't remember the name of] that does [I have no idea because I couldn't even name the source book], then... what do I put her against? Four changeling drones who guard a fifth and a sixth with a machine gun? It's an apples to orange comparison, so I really don't know what to expect here. Either she is going to win and win very easily to the point that it's boring, or she is going to lose and lose massively to the point that it's frustrating.

I guess you can just post sources, or what these spells do. If the spells are too powerful I'm probably still going to be hesitant because I'd rather Posie be comparable in power to the other characters when she is alongside them. So long as she's in solo combat though, it shouldn't matter, as the enemies can be adjusted accordingly. There's also the danger that she could be too weak, especially as what are essentially MG42s have been used in combat before, although this is usually easily fixable by adjusting enemies.

>The game didn't come off as very combat-intensive to me
It really isn't. It really isn't. There can be vast stretches with no combat. Also, warning ERP has happened in the past and is probably going to happen in the future. Obviously if you don't want to you don't have to, but other players... probably will

>she's not as powerful as her bare stats might reflect in comparison to a lvl 5 character with full equipment.
Well, this highlights why I need to get a feel of how powerful she is. If I assume she's way OP, but she's not even close, her challenges are probably going to be a bit higher than they ought to be.

>Do vampires count?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvRWniTDxys&pp=ygUZeW91IGxlZnQgbGVhbmluZyBwYXJhc2l0ZQ%3D%3D [Embed]

>Death is a preferable outcome to communism
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=FGaosBHdFMA&pp=ygUNbGliZXJ0eSBwcmltZQ%3D%3D

>Do you like it? Too edgy? Too obscure? Not appropriate for the setting/game? Too boring? Anything that could be improved? I'm open to suggestions.
Mostly I'd like to flesh more out. What jumped out to me was Gloomy's woobie status; he'd probably become a favorite of the other players quickly

>>167498
>Equestria and New Mareland speak what we'll just call "Ponish,"
Then that's what I'll know.
>It's seems a little bit unfair to our fighter, and the several characters with half that HP.
Really? Even with constitution boosting items in play? That doesn't quite sound right, but I believe you. If the Fighter doesn't like it, then I guess I should be more considerate...
I do have a lot of hitpoints, but I have very few means of increasing them later due to no constitution score, and can't use conventional healing items. I put all the resources I could into getting those now, instead of having equipment, because that would be hard to increase later. I guess I could drop the corpsecrafter benefit, or take the feat myself to burden the cost instead, if it's too much. I was kind of fond high HP though, since I'm outright destroyed if I go to 0.
>phobia
I understand. I won't be too graphic. I'm not really into bloodplay myself, even if my character would be based on her background.
>realistic children
Gloomy is not a realistic child. He's a tortured soul bred and raised for pony-sacrifice, possessed by an ancient demon, and comes from a society where being raped by vampires or eaten by ghouls is a fact of life, and by some latent talent/insanity remains alive anyway. He also acts affectionate to his "mother" despite her being demonstrably evil, narcissistic, cruel and generally insane. His chaotic nature means he can be roleplayed however, although I would like at least a little bit of autonomy over him if I'm going to make him a proper cohort later.
My inspirations for him were Stygian (season 8), Chrona (Soul Eater), and various Binding Of Isaac characters.
If Posie is the White Horse, Frenzied Red, and Caligo Black, Gloomy is the Pale Horse.

>Yes. I don't know what any of those spells do.
The Cerebrosis spells come from Dragon #330. They consist mostly of conjuration and summoning aberrations. Every Cerebotic spell has a "Cerebotic Escalation" which allows the caster to attempt to make it stronger at the expense of potentially targeting themselves instead.
Posie can cast Aching Dread, which is a fear-based debuff that makes the targets shaken, or frightened by escalation.
Posie won't get access to most of those spells for a while, so I'm not going to post them all here right now (I will later), but a guy posted all of the spell descriptions here, in addition to monster statblocks.
https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/hum_forgotten_realms/cerebrosis-t314.html
The summons are what you'd expect: aberrations that attack with tentacles and mental debuffs. They're good summons overall, and compliment Posie's undead summoning.

The Mother Cyst spells are from Libris Mortis, and are all centered around the Necrotic Cyst spell: a spell that grows a clump of necrotic flesh within the target to make them susceptible to other spells in the tree. It's basically the idea that by creating an undead tumor in a living creature, you could debuff, harm or control the target by controlling the tumor.
https://dndtools.net/spells/libris-mortis-the-book-of-the-dead--71/necrotic-cyst--1488/
I could post all of the spell descriptions, but since I don't actually have access to those spells I would rather not. Their names are pretty self-explanatory (awareness, scrying, bloat, domination, burst, eruption, termination, etc). The unifying factor is that they only effect targets that have already been infected with a Necrotic Cyst.
Overall, I don't really know how useful they'll really be, but I took it because I wanted to have as many necromancy spells as possible, and because having a throbbing cyst where her heart used to be is a cool aesthetic.
For utility, it would help me keep track of Gloomy using Necrotic awareness.
Later, it could be useful as a de-facto dominate person on certain targets, provided that they're targeted with the necrotic cyst spell first.

>is most likely going to receive mundane horrors as a contrast because it would be alien to her. The setting is modeled on the world wars, so there is a lot of mundane horror to work with.
I like that dynamic. Sounds interesting. It's actually why I chose to play a necromancer in a modern warfare setting.

>>167499
>what these spells do
Posie's spell list is the Dread Necromancer spell list. It contains the necromancy spells in the player's handbook, plus a couple others. It's overall a very limited spell list, consisting only of necromancy spells:
https://srd.dndtools.org/srd/magic/spells/classSpellLists/dreadNecromancerSpells.html
Although she has more spell known than a typical Sorcerer, her spell selection is very, very limited. Her abilities mostly consist with causing fear, disease, debuffing or attacking with negative energy. She has Summon Undead which gives her some direct damage options. She notably doesn't get animate dead until level 8, so until then she's basically a melee fighter attacking with her Charnel Touch and Inflict spells.
The Dread Necromancer is a fixed-list caster, like the Warmage or Beguiler. She has a lot of spells on paper, but most of her spells only do different iterations of the same thing (fear, negative energy attack, debuffs, create/control undead), and she can never gain any additional spells other than the ones she gained through the feats I listed. Posie can never learn to cast Fireball, Protection from Arrows, Fabricate, Shield, Shocking Grasp, Tiny Hut, etc. She has no offensive evocation spells, very few utility spells, hardly any battlefield control spells, and even fewer buffing spells.
The Dread Necromancer is a fixed-list casters, based on the Warmage. Similar to the Warmage, which knows almost all of the Evocation spells in the players handbook, it's abilities are consistent because it only knows evocation spells. The Warmage was printed in the Mini's handbook and designed to be simple to play and balance, because it's spells mostly just do different kinds of direct damage. The Dread Necromancer is a similar case.

>what are essentially MG42s have been used in combat before
Are you using d20 Modern rules for modern weaponry? Iirc, that was a reflex save vs damage.
No offense, but the way you describe it, it sounds like my high-HP necromancer with some extra summoning spells isn't exactly the biggest balance concern here when I'm hearing about NPCs attacking the party with machine guns and bombs.
>combat mages who use deflective shields to bolster their submachine guns
That sounds like a pretty brutal encounter, depending on what kind of stats you were using for the gun. d20 Modern machine guns are pretty strong if you have Burst Fire.
I can't do any deflective shields though. My defenses come from light armor, high Undead HP, and a bit of damage reduction.

>has happened in the past and is probably going to happen in the future
Yeah, yeah, all of the rest of us bore witness to it on the overboard. I'm braced for severe autism.
>Obviously if you don't want to you don't have to, but other players... probably will
I originally wrote Posie as an implicit necrophiliac (I am NOT one irl though, fyi), since necromancers like Pale Masters, Thralls of Orcus and Yathrinshee all tend to be sexual degenerates, but she's a Half-vampire, so she'd naturally still have an attraction to living things. I didn't sign up to ERP unsolicited or push obscure fetishes on the game though. The door is open.

>>167506
>Well, this highlights why I need to get a feel of how powerful she is.
Well, to summarize things, her defenses are very strong for a caster, due to undead benefits. She has some self-healing capabilities, high HP, natural armor, light armor and damage reduction. I made her specifically this way because I expected her to get sprayed with bullets in the war setting: I really like the aesthetic of an undead character getting peppered with bullets, but still walking through the gunfire an attacking the enemy, immune to pain and fear. It's like a horror movie trope.
However, in terms of combat with monsters and most of d&d as expected, she's just average defensively, maybe a bit below average, because she's still not an actual warrior.

Offensively, she's basically a mediocre warrior. She has a Slam attack that does some melee damage and a high Str score. She has simple weapon proficiency one martial weapon (I chose the compound bow, since she's the white horseman of the apocalypse, and because it compliments her undead Strength), but she has no base attack bonus or feats to back it up, so it will only be good for a couple levels. I don't know how you handle firearms proficiency, but at least at the beginning I planned to only use the longbow, because the Dread League is low tech. Her offensive options consist of summoning skeletons, casting touch-range inflict spells, and using her Charnel Touch (which is basically a lvl 1 Inflict spell).

Skills-wise, she's a low-skilled specialist mage. I spread out her skills thinly to get synergy bonus from 5 Ranks in each of the key skills. Her main skill specialties are going to be Intimidate, Bluff, Concentration, Spellcraft, and Knowledge (Religion, Arcana). She's meant to be a social character based on deception and fear mongering. Her racial bonuses give her minor stealth abilities that will only be relevant at early levels because I don't have the skill points to increase them.

Magic Wise, she's a specialist in necromancy and black magic, and very little else. She lacks most of the offensive evocation, defensive buffing, utility divination, no teleportation (it hurts, but it can't be helped).
I think after reading her spell list, you'll find that her spells are powerful, but easier to deal with than the selection that a typical Sorcerer or Wizard, because since her spellcasting is specialized she's unlikely to surprise you. She also doesn't have very any of the annoying Wizard tricks like "Skip the adventure plot" (Scry + Teleport) or "break the economy" (Wall Of Iron + Fabricate) or "Hahaha, fuck your monsters" (various offensive spells combined with battlefield control) any of those other tricks that give GM's headaches.
Also, at lvl 3, she can only cast 1st level spells. She can't even animate dead until lvl 8.
At lvl 8, if I get there, your attitude towards her powers might change, because she'll suddenly change from a mediocre pseudo-warrior to a master of dozens of undead minions.
She has no Metamagic feats, so just expect her spells do what they would normally do.

Special qualities wise, she's what you'd expect from a Half-vampire who is also undead. She has some limited ability to charm people, emergency fast healing 1 when below half health. As an undead, she has the usual immunities, which make several of her class features redundant (Mental Bastion, Negative Energy resistance, etc). Her biggest blanket immunity is her immunity to mind effecting attacks, although Terrors Of The Deadlands created an option to give a variant weakness to make the undead vulnerable to mind effecting while decreasing it's LA and CR, so I could take that if you're not fond of the blanket immunity.
Spellstitching could give her a small selection of spell-like abilities with limited use.
She's also made with the benefit of the assumption that at the cost of her starting wealth she could have had access to necromancers from the Dread League who could create her under ideal conditions, her Apprentice feat means that her Mentor is a Dread Necromancer of at least 8th level, so her Mentor would have used Undead Mastery to give her bonus HP and an enhancement bonus to Str and Dex. Desecrate means bonus HP. The Corpsecrafter feat tree means a tiny bit more HP, in addition to a bonus to speed/initiative, cold damage on her slam attack, and increased turn resistance.

Note that I was going to add a couple undead weaknesses from Terrors Of The Deadlands to decrease her CR and thus the cost to create her, so I have a bit left over for a wand. Will probably at least include the ones listed above, plus maybe material vulnerability (wood).

>Mostly I'd like to flesh more out. What jumped out to me was Gloomy's woobie status; he'd probably become a favorite of the other players quickly
Well, I meant him to be cute. I thought he could be fun for character development or comic relief. Something about a psychotic necromancer committing various war crimes, and then speaking sweetly to the colt that she's totally-not-grooming-for-sacrifice humors me.

>If I assume she's way OP, but she's not even close, her challenges are probably going to be a bit higher than they ought to be.
I'm a good sport. I won't get pissy just because my evil little pseudo-vampire dies from an overpowered fight. I might feel a little bit annoyed if I feel like I'm just killed with zero options to fight back or avoid it, but overall it's just roleplay, so throw whatever you have at me.
I just hope that, even if you're not using XP, you'll let me level up with a degree of fairness proportional to whatever challenges you throw at me.

>Equestria follows the "historical" playthrough of Equestria at War save for New Mareland's Empire. I think that The Dread League will usually be Society of Bones in a historical playthrough, so that may make most sense.
Okay. I'll take note of that.

>>167507
>I might be more comfortable with more characters than with supernatural qualities, since it's easy for me to quantify the effects of another melee fighter, and more characters allows for roleplay possibilities.
Well, I also thought I should cut them because I couldn't actually afford them as thralls, but if they're NPCs that represent factions of the Dread League that could be a thing.
I could still make them now though, given some time. What level should they be?

>>167489
Amber turns to the other griffons. "We need to split up and search for it. Let's meet back here in ten minutes."

>>167497
>I'm open to suggestions.
There's not much to add, though I would like to remark on just how different Posie is from everypony else. She's a stillborn alicorn turned into a dark messiah necromancer and none of the other PCs come close in strangeness. By comparison, a kirin druid and a Sevrayanan war hero are decidedly average in comparison not to mention my own character, who is intentionally as boringly ordinary as you can get. It's a very creative concept for a character and I hope to see her in-game, but it will be an "Aerith and Bob" situation unless if she disguises herself. Maybe she will need to balance her need to stay inconspicuous with her true nature's hautiness? And if she does disguise herself she needs to worry about ponies mistaking her as a changeling, since everypony is paranoid about them as they are also disguised as ordinary ponies.

>>167498
>I do need to say that for many of the characters in Occupied, who have no magical abilities, I like to contrast them against the supernatural, especially against cosmic horrors, as it is something alien to them. Posie, because she will be by far and away the most knowledgeable player character, and frankly above most non-player characters in the setting, is most likely going to receive mundane horrors as a contrast because it would be alien to her. The setting is modeled on the world wars, so there is a lot of mundane horror to work with.
This is perfect! I do find it interesting how, compared to OE, threats in FiM are usually the eldritch variety rather than mundane. And the whole point of EaW is that the ponies of the show are contrasted with the mundane horror of world war which they're ill-equipped for.

>>167506
>No offense, but the way you describe it, it sounds like my high-HP necromancer with some extra summoning spells isn't exactly the biggest balance concern here when I'm hearing about NPCs attacking the party with machine guns and bombs.
Actual machine guns (not just SMGs, though those are used by more serious threats too) don't pop up as often as you'd think so you don't have to worry that much about them. I don't think we've encountered actual heavy weapons like tanks or bombs in combat yet either; they will likely be at higher levels.

>>167507
>balance
To me it looks fine. Also balance is a secondary objective compared to fun. I consider Silver Sword the strongest active PC, probably stronger than Iron and definitely stronger than Amber, but that's perfectly OK. It's up to the DM and it might take a little while for him to go through everything since he's often busy.

>>167505
> and can't use conventional healing items
Now if your character can't heal very efficiently, that's a serious reduction in power.
>I was kind of fond high HP though, since I'm outright destroyed if I go to 0
Okay, that's a fair argument for needing more HP
>Gloomy is not a realistic child. He's a tortured soul bred and raised for pony-sacrifice, possessed by an ancient demon, and comes from a society where being raped by vampires or eaten by ghouls is a fact of life, and by some latent talent/insanity remains alive anyway. He also acts affectionate to his "mother" despite her being demonstrably evil, narcissistic, cruel and generally insane.
>I meant him to be cute. I thought he could be fun for character development or comic relief
What

>My inspirations for him were Stygian (season 8), Chrona (Soul Eater), and various Binding Of Isaac characters.
I have seen this pony show, yes. Not those other things though
>Spells
I will look through them when I have the time

>Are you using d20 Modern rules for modern weaponry? Iirc, that was a reflex save vs damage
Mostly I've been winging it so far

>No offense, but the way you describe it, it sounds like my high-HP necromancer with some extra summoning spells isn't exactly the biggest balance concern here when I'm hearing about NPCs attacking the party with machine guns and bombs
scrunches
In the few instances where machine guns have shown up, the players have command over a literal dozen NPCs, and with weapons like machine guns and mortars. There has been no bombs or indirect fire artillery.

>That sounds like a pretty brutal encounter
Yes.

>I originally wrote Posie as an implicit necrophiliac
Well okay then...

>>167522
>What
I haven't really finished writing him. The book is still open. The general theme is sad + cute + a bit creepy. It's still in writing.
Gloomy is conceptually meant to be either the perfect Slaymate or a potential apprentice. Posie does attend to his wellbeing and health and makes him feel cared for, in her own ways.
>if your character can't heal very efficiently, that's a serious reduction in power
I will not undersell you on my abilities: I *can* heal efficiently, just in limited ways.
I can heal, it's just that I can't really be healed by others or by items, which means I have to rely on my class resources (and by extension, my own action economy) entirely.
>Not those other things though
Not super relevant anyway. Only a vaguely allusion that I actually meant to cut out before posting.
>I've been winging it so far
Based.
>players have command over a literal dozen NPCs
Well, that's my plan as a necromancer.
>okay then...
Also not super relevant, plus open to recommendation/development/rewrite.

Anyways, I'll finish up my character and start whenever you're ready.

Per player recommendation, I've been trying to backread (skim) some old posts, although it's pretty convoluted and difficult to follow. Something peaked my interest though. What is this "Curwhinny's Farm" place? I read something about ghouls lairing there.
That adventure seems to stretch across multiple threads, and I can't tell if it was ever really resolved or what it was really about, but the site itself interests me, because although Rosie wouldn't really know anything about Equestrian politics or history, she might know rumors about any local undead.

>>167517
>none of the other PCs come close in strangeness
>decidedly average in comparison
See, that's where I'm a little hesitant to insert my edgy pseudo-vampire special snowflake into your tea party, because I don't want to be a dick. I can rewrite my character however the rest of you would prefer, if you wish.
>It's a very creative concept for a character and I hope to see her in-game
Oh, that makes me feel better about it then.
>Maybe she will need to balance her need to stay inconspicuous with her true nature's hautiness?
>disguise herself
Yeah, that's kind of the point. It's the attitude of undead monsters with any interest in mingling with the living (vampires, etc) have, if they're interested with their continued existence. Also an attitude necromancers carry.
Posie herself looks like a normal unicorn at a glance, being the type of Necropolitan that looks more like a vampire. She's stark white like fresh snow (and just as fluffy) with a crimson mane. Her most monstrous feature is her eyes, piercing and frightful, just slightly sunken in their sockets (which could be mistaken for mascara),
>"Let me into the cemetery. I am normal, and can be trusted around corpses."
>needs to worry about ponies mistaking her as a changeling, since everypony is paranoid about them as they are also disguised as ordinary ponies
Well, I guess that'll be a challenge then. Going to have to beat the changelings at their own game. Sounds like fun.

>>167517
[YouTube] Let's split up and look for clues! [Embed]

"I don't know if I want to take that long, but let's do it." Erich says

Though Erich and Federkleid are hesitant to split up, they do so all the same, each griffin moving to try to find something of use in the relatively small train station.

[1d20+1 = (8+1) = 9]
[1d20 = 18]
[1d20-1 = (12-1) = 11]

[1d20 = 14]

>>167517
>>167537
Helder returns, stating "I found teh waiting room, restrooms, the ticket counter, the control room... but nothing of direct use."

Erich has little to comment, save that he noted where staff members would stand at the end of the platforms.

It's Federkleid who has the most important information:
"I watched a porter walk through a door by the platforms. I looked inside. All of the rooms for the trainline staff are inside a hallway there, accessible from the platform, and probably a door somewhere to the left of the main entry."

Any chance that I (Rosie) could play soon?

>>167539
Probably. It'll probably take some time to finalize the details of spells and combat powers, but that doesn't really matter because the first instances of combat are probably not going to happen very quickly, and Posie becoming acquainted with Baltimare can happen first

If you want to try to start Posie's arrival into Baltimare, you can state what she's carrying, what the gist of her cover story and purpose in Baltimare is and what have you.

>>167540
>state what she's carrying
I spent almost all of my money on becoming undead and getting bonus feats, so not much in terms of expensive weaponry or magic items.
She'd have:
>a spell component pouch + unholy symbol
>a dagger
>a compound bow + arrows
>forged passport and medical certification
>Medpack
>Mortician's outfit
>Spare robes
>Portable bedroll
>Book of assorted grim fairy tales
>Water bottle
>A week of rations
>A tin of those delicious strawberry candies that grandmas carry
>Brush and comb
>Saddlebags
>grotesque leather barding
>Coinpurse
>Maybe some jewelry

As for her cover story, I'm going with the "Necrologist" gig. She studies the dead, which is a relevant field with the ongoing war and mass casualties.
>Let me into the morgue. I am normal, and can be trusted around corpses.
Gloomy is her adopted son. His condition isn't medical, but Posie simply says he's anemic in case he draws any attention.
Her purpose in Baltimare is one part spiritual pilgrimage and one part military infiltration. She's setting up operations in Equestria so that if the Dread League succeeds in toppling the Arcturian Order and subsequently declares war on the world, it will already have an army yo support it here in Equestria. She's also interested in exploring the supposed ancestral home of ponykind, and increasing her own personal powers.

I'm kind of really tired after work though, so I can't RP right now.

>>167540
>It'll probably take some time to finalize the details of spells and combat powers
While you're at it, I would like you to answer a couple questions about what I made, and/or ask for your specific approval of variant rules that I referenced. I'm not finished with it, but I won't be finished until I know what you're cool with. These are the most iffy parts, so this might make it easier for you:

1. Are you okay with me being created by an "Expert" or by experts in the Dread League? That being, my Mentor is a lvl 8 (Apprentice feat says they're at least lvl 8) or higher Dread Necromancer with all the appropriate undead-creation feats from Libris Mortis and Dragon #312 (Corpsecrafter, Nimble Bones, Uncanny Speed, Heightened Strength, Improved Animations, Bolster Resistance, Deadly Chill, Heightened Agility, Vicious Claws), provided that I use my starting equipment to pay for the services? I made this decision on the grounds that my backstory would mean I had access to multiple necromancers, as per some of the text in their respective sources, but that might have been a wrong assumption to make without consulting you first. I wanted this because it would let me necro-max my undead body, since I'm a bit of a perfectionist, but it does increase Posie's physical abilities greatly.
If you don't want me to pay for those as professional services, I would like to take some of those feats myself.
I should be honest and mention that several of the Necromantic feats in Dr#312 might be considered redundant with the Corpsecrafter feats, so maybe you might not want me to have both if I use one.
If I had to choose one feat category, I would choose the necromantic feats, as the Corpsecrafter tree doesn't stack with items or the Undead Mastery ability.

2. The Bonus feats Iron Will and Stealthy are both boons granted from magical locations in the Complete Scoundrel: the Otyugh Hole and the Ironwyrm Vault. They each have an equipment value in gp for the price of a bonus feat, but they might be too setting specific for your liking; actually, they're completely setting specific and I refluffed them without thought, which was wrong of me. Those feats aren't very important to me (although I would like Stealthy), so I'll cut them if you don't like me spending money on what's intended as a reward for a sidequest. I'm kind of short on money anyway.

3. I picked the Defiler feat from Dragon Magazine with intent to use Defiling magic rules in the pony setting. You may not like that, because turning forests to toxic ash for the benefit of enhancing might not be appropriate for the pony setting where running out of forest to consume isn't a considerable challenge. This isn't essential to my character, but it was an evil aesthetic I liked, and it felt like a nice substitute to the scarce black onyx gems that I'm bound to run out of in making undead.
Cerebrosis is granted by a magical location too, but it's not setting specific.

4. My (future) cohorts, Caligo and Thresher: you mentioned wanting me to put them earlier. I can do that, but should I just consider them two levels below me, as normal cohorts?
This goes for Gloomy too, but he's not supposed to be a combatant or servant.
If you'd like for me to pay for them using my starting equipment as "thralls" (the term used for slaves in the Dread League), I could fit them in at appropriate level budgets, provided that I cut one or two of the magical location bonus feats. In that case, I could control them telepathically using my normal command undead abilities, which was my plan in the first place before I realized I had run out of starting gold. I would actually like this, because starting with a couple undead under my control sounds like fun, since I'll only be able to animate them later.

5. Will it be possible for me to buy spell components and items in the city? I've already considered that I'll probably have to rob graves to get corpses, but the black onyx gems and diamonds to animate them might be hard to get. You don't really need to answer that, since the economy isn't necessarily something that Rosie would know about.

6. I used taint rules from Heroes Of Horror, the same book the Dread Necromancer comes from (also used in Oriental Adventures and Unearthed Arcana). I would like to use this because tain interacts with a lot of other options from that book and the Dread Necromancer class, but it is an optional rule (also, at DM's discretion, a variant to the alignment system),so I guess I should have asked you first. Are you cool with that?

7. The Undead Weaknesses come from Terrors Of The Deadlands. They don't give me any extra powers as I applied then, but I felt like I should cite them.

>>167540
>>167541
>If you want to try to start Posie's arrival into Baltimare
I can start when you are ready, btw. I'm less exhausted than last night.

>>167537
>>167538
Amber looks pleased at these results. "Good work, gang. We should get uniforms there and meet up to board the train. It would look suspicious if we all went in together, one by one would be better. Helder, would you like to be our pioneer? If not, I'll go first."

>>167552
>Are you okay with me being created by an "Expert" or by experts in the Dread League? That being, my Mentor is a lvl 8 (Apprentice feat says they're at least lvl 8) or higher Dread Necromancer with all the appropriate undead-creation feats from Libris Mortis and Dragon #312 (Corpsecrafter, Nimble Bones, Uncanny Speed, Heightened Strength, Improved Animations, Bolster Resistance, Deadly Chill, Heightened Agility, Vicious Claws), provided that I use my starting equipment to pay for the services? I made this decision on the grounds that my backstory would mean I had access to multiple necromancers, as per some of the text in their respective sources, but that might have been a wrong assumption to make without consulting you first
I'm kind of skeptical. This is both because of my aversion to min-maxing generally, and also because I'm unsure how it fits with the character. As I understand it, Posie isn't quite some abomination built by the big bad at the end of the movie to serve as a boss fight; she is one prototype of presumably many in a long line of experimentation as a part of a collaborative project between two factions that presumably was aborted when the factions diverged, leaving Posie as one of the more successful remnants of an unsuccessful project.

>The Bonus feats Iron Will and Stealthy
I'd need to look into this

> My (future) cohorts, Caligo and Thresher: you mentioned wanting me to put them earlier. I can do that, but should I just consider them two levels below me, as normal cohorts?
This goes for Gloomy too, but he's not supposed to be a combatant or servant.
At the moment, just present tag-alongs, unless they are supposed to come over separately.

>Will it be possible for me to buy spell components and items in the city?
If you have to ask that question, you clearly do not understand just what kind of modernist, cosmopolitan hellhole Baltimare is supposed to be. Almost anything, from military weapons, to historical or magical artifacts, to rare and exotic animals, to slaves can be bought in Baltimare, or someone who could obtain them could be found in Baltimare, if only you know where to look.

>I picked the Defiler feat from Dragon Magazine with intent to use Defiling magic rules in the pony setting. You may not like that, because turning forests to toxic ash for the benefit of enhancing might not be appropriate for the pony setting where running out of forest to consume isn't a considerable challenge
It would likely be difficult, though very far from impossible, to find locations that can be defiled subtly in Baltimare or the surrounding regions. It's reasonably densely populated, though there is wilderness.

>I used taint rules ... Are you cool with that?
I'm not familiar with that

>>167556
"But first" Federklied says,
"We must obtain the uniforms"

>>167558
Amber looks unclear. "Aren't the uniforms in that staff room?"

>>167559
>>167556
Wait. I may have misread. uh....

>>167559
"Well..." Helder places a claw behind his head and rubs his neck

"I think I would be more useful keeping a lookout on the platform..."

>>167560
"Good idea. Federkleid, follow me in after a couple of hours, then Erich, then Helder. Hopefully they don't notice the newcomers or I can convince whoever sees us."

>>167561
"Hours?" Federklied asks, evidently not understanding Amber's plan

>>167563
>>167561
>>167562
>>167558
As this comedy of errors in the posts proceeds, Amber must now discover for herself:

Is she only medium Sneaky? Or is she just the griffin to infiltrate the KaiserlicheBahn?

>>167564
Do I roll move silently, or is it just a matter of looking inconspicuous?

>>167565
Couldn't hurt to move silently. Amber is, unfortunately, largely deprived of her cuteness superpowers in this form.

>>167441
The two medics finish bandaging up their respective ponies. The two ponies are as ready as they can be right now. Silver knows there are enemies across the street, although save for a few open windows, their location is not known with much precision.

Silver hears the roar of a plane, a changeling medium machine gun fire somewhere in the distance opening fire, and then multiple machine guns firing back.

>>167568
>>167565
Amber moves to the door, which she confirms is not locked, and opens it. It leads to a short hallway with foor doors, all along the right. The first is to a small room that seems to hold tickets. The second is for conductors. The third is for porters. The fourth is for guards.

>>167569
Amber looks down at her own stature. Being such an old, wizened griff, Amber is certainly not suited for porter's work, let alone a guard's. It would be much riskier impersonating a conductor, and she has only a basic understanding of what a conductor actually does, yet if anygriff could pull off the look of a conductor, it would be her. Breathing in, Amber opens the door to the conductors' room and steps inside.

>>167567
This is as good a moment to cross to the ministry as any. Silver naturally goes first, keeping his machine gun at the ready and keeping an eye out for any changeling attacks.

>>167570
Breathes in
[1d20 = 2]

>>167571
Just run across? With no cover?

>>167570
Amber sees that there is a griffin inside of the room, sitting in a chair and reading some sort of novella, but in a position that he'd clearly see Amber as she entered. On the positive side, it does appear that that are uniforms on a rack by the wall

>>167572
I mean, is there any cover?

>>167574
Covering fire, or something like smoke. There is no physical cover to cross.

>>167575
Covering fire would mean leaving someone behind, and as far as I know they lack anything like smoke grenades in their arsenal.

>>167572
>>167573
Amber walks in as if nothing is amiss. "At least the weather is decent," she grumbles to nopony in particular.

>>167577
The griffin looks up towards Amber
[1d20 = 12]

>>167576
The radio carried by the white pegasus spontaneously plays a message that Silver can tell comes from the Brigadier General:

"Per Magister Mannis, 'Broken Back' protocols have been enacted. All reserve equipment is now available."

>>167577
>>167578
"You just get here?" The griffin asks, looking back to his novella and not at Amber

>>167578
Before Silver goes, this gives him an idea.

"Can you radio in and request they fire smoke artillery shells into street?"

>>167580
"I can ask" He says. He speaks into the radio

"Are smoke rounds available for the north side of the Transit Ministry?"
[1d20 = 3]

>>167580
>>167581
The response is quick
"Negative. We're working on bringing in mortars. But they are not here yet."

>>167582
"Дерьмо. What is available?"

>>167578
>>167579
Amber nods nonchalantly. "Yeah. They're a little worried about being understaffed today so they're calling in a few extra griffs, specifically those retired or close to retirement."

>>167583
The white pegasus just gives the radio to Silver.

"The mortars exist, it's just a matter of getting them there quickly enough... Planes are circling... There's a tank."

>>167584
He raises an eyebrow
"You're close to retirement?"

>>167585
"What kind of armament are those planes carrying?"

>>167585
"Looking forward to it. I've been saving up for a nice little cottage in Feathisia. Can't come soon enough."

>>167586
".50 Caliber Machine guns and 5 inch rockets." He answers

>>167587
"How?" He asks. "Hard to believe anyone could go without a job who isn't landed."

"Heh" He leans back

>>167588
"Hmm, okay, how long until mortars are ready to fire?"

>>167589
"Could be... ten minutes?"

>>167590
"Дерьмо...every minute we wait is another we risk them setting off any bomb they have. We could use straffing runs on north side of transport ministry so we can cross street to enter building."

>>167591
White Pegasus:
"Your call"

>>167592
Silver calls over the radio:

"We need straffing runs on north side of Transit Ministry to keep changelings pinned while we cross to ministry."

>>167593
"This is Flash Magnus Squadron Leader requesting clarification: Strafing run from North to South for suppression, or strafe in circle Southeast to Northeast for effect?"

>>167588
Amber smiles back. Hopefully it doesn't seem forced. "Scrimping and saving is the way. Oh and how I've done without the finer things in life for far too long." She shrugs ruefully. "But I will have to go without for a little longer." Amber puts on the conductor's uniform.

>>167594
"Straffing run North to South for suppression."

>>167595
>Ruefully
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G629a_3MkkI [Embed]

"If only I had the same luxury. Humph."
Amber now has on the conductor's uniform.

>>167596
"Roger that. In holding position. Making run in 15..."

>>167597
"Alright everypony, get ready to run.'

>>167598
Silver hears the roar of the plane get closer and closer, and then
TAT TAT TAT

Silver can hear bullets pellet the edge of the building he's in, and at points, break through the roof, causing splinters of wood and chips of paint to slowly rain down inside the structure.

>>167597
"Best of luck with the shift today," Amber says as she goes out the door, apparently ready to do this job. She opens the door she came in from, and gives a casual nod in the direction of the group. She then goes the other way, in the direction listing the departing trains.

>>167599
Silver stays calm and looks out to the transit ministry, waiting for the stream of bullets to begin hitting the building for the signal to run.

>>167600
Amber sees the set of arrivals and departures. Trains come in from far away - From Middlehiem to Helhiem to Griffinhiem, or Luxwingbird to Reitschied to Vinnin to Griffinhiem, or Osnabeak to Vinnin to Griffinhiem, or from Katerinburg to Griffinhiem, or all the way from Bronzkreuz to Crona... or From Hellquill to Beakua to Soldau... And all of these back again on the departures. Trains are pretty regular, about every 40 minutes.

The other griffins move past Amber

>>167601
The ponies move to the left of the building, to the vestibule outside of the main room, and to the wide, wooden doors. Silver hears the "thud thud thud" of bullets hitting the building, and then across to the transit ministry. Then he hears a few bullets fire from presumably within the transit ministry. Another roar, and another plane moves in, making another run.

>>167602
As the second run begins, Silver shouts out "GO GO GO!" as he runs out towards the transit ministry.

>>167602
Amber looks for and makes a mental note of the train that will depart to Hellquill, if there is one there. If there is, does it look like it is at an early stage of readiness?

[1d20 = 18]
[1d20 = 13]
[1d20 = 8]

>>167603
With more TAT TAT TAT's, the planes fly overhead. Silver can hear that they tend to hit the upper two floors of the transit ministry, and often hit the building from which they came. Sometimes, the bullets move a little lower, and closer to the street than desired. Silver can hear that at least one changeling is trying to shoot back at the passing planes, or at least does so twice. The shots in response are only a few taps.

Silver looks across to see that there are windows a couple feet above the ground level, some of which are shattered. A few have brick protrusions beneath the windows
[1d20 = 4]

>>167604
>>167606
Not yet. Arriving in 15 minutes.

>>167607
Amber, like any self-respecting conductor, checks her pocket watch, and waits a few minutes for her friends to emerge.

>>167605
Seems like a well-suited entry point into the building when he makes it to the other side...assuming the changelings don't spot them.

>>167608
Her friends emerge after probably two minutes, all dressed in uniforms, though it seems they are porters (for Helder and Erich) and an assistant conductor (for Federklied).

Amber can see that they are not alone, however, with another staff member walking from the central ticket hall to a train at the platform, and at least one police officer moving along the platform.

>>167609
But as the ponies are crossing, there is more "TAT TAT TAT"

[1d20 = 7]
[1d20 = 1]
[1d20 = 2]

[1d6 = 4]

>>167611
Can Silver see where from?

>>167611
>>167609
It's a distance of perhaps 70 feet, with the center being dirt, and the last 15 feet being poured concrete. It's only perhaps two windows that are open, and both require somewhat slowly moving into the window. Silver makes it across, then Streak, the purple stallion, the white stallion, each of the medics, and eventually Azula....

Silver can guess it's likely the third-floor window three over to the right.

>>167611
Amber doesn't signal to them out of fear of being noticed. It may be a sleepy small town but the radical political changes happening nearby will still have everygriff on edge. Instead she walks officially to the platform where the desire train will arrive, letting the others follow at a distance. She glances at the conductors for the other trains to see what they do.

>>167613
With the group safely across and now against the side of the ministry, can Silver peer into one of the open windows to see if it's safe?

>>167614
One stands at the entrance of a coach car by the front of the train, looks out along the platform at boarding passengers, blows a whistle, and then moves in before the doors close.

>>167615
He can look, although the safety of the open street is a little questionable.

>>167616
Well, that seems easy enough….

Amber double checks to make sure that there isn't some other detail she's forgotten. This plan can't go awry after all.

>>167617
The best made plans of mice and mares and all that... Amber is still very tired. A few minutes now and the train will be arriving from Griffenhiem, before driving straight through to Soldau, and from there, who cares.

>>167618
Fair enough. Amber can have only a few minutes of reprieve before the mimicry skills of her and her friends are put to the test, hopefully for the last time.

>>167619
It's not a comfortable wait, but with time, KaiserlicheBahn Train 114 from Griffinheim to Hellquill arrives into Kronburg Hauptbahnhof.

Amber sees the train conductor get out onto the platform, as well as what appears to be two porters. This, besides the griffins on the train who exit on the platform.

>>167620
Amber approaches the other conductor and salutes. "Well met. I will be taking on your duties for this train."

>>167621
He looks up to Amber
"What? I wasn't told about this in Griffinheim."

>>167622
Amber sighs. "They didn't telegram you in time? Well no matter. This junction is experiencing a bit of a staffing shortage and extra personnel had to be called in. You're going to be needed elsewhere."

>>167623
Hmmm...

Seems like this would need a bluff check

>>167624
"It's inconvenient, I know, but at least you'll be able to stretch your wings a bit."
Diplomacy: [1d20+4 = (17+4) = 21]

>>167625
He blinks.

"And where do I go?

>>167626
Amber scratches her head feathers, looking a little befuddled. "I'm not the coordinator of all this. All I know is that I belong here."

>>167616
Silver looks. Their exposed state is very temporary, he just needs to make sure they're not jumping into an ambush.

>>167627
>>167625
The Conductor looks at Amber a little longer, tilts his head, and then shrugs.

"Just as well I suppose. I'd rather go back to Griffinheim."

And he steps off the train.

>>167629
Phew. Well, that's another big obstacle out of the way. Amber once again checks her pocket watch very professionally, waits at the front of the train, and watches the passengers leave the train.

Is Posie around?

>>167653
Yeah, I was just sort of waiting to play. I figured there was more approval stuff to be decided or I had to wait until there was an entry point.

>>167552
Btw, Necromantic feats only apply to mindless undead, so I removed all references to them.

>>167656
Well, I have more or less decided on the description of Posey's travels. And I think we could do the first few areas before settling down on her exact combat skills (although she may need to do skill checks for other purposes).

Before starting, could you give any insight as to what you want posey to do shortly after her arrival? Also, if you could answer

What is her cover story (like where she is from?)
Why she's there
Who, if anyone, she intends to meet or stay with
Where, or at least what sort of place she wants to stay at
What she's looking to do on a daily basis (if there is any answer besides "adventuring." "Adventuring" is fine)

>>167658
>What is her cover story
She's a Necrologist: a death expert. She has arrived looking for work, as such skills are in high demand during wartimes.
>where she is from?
A random pony-inhabited country in northern griffonia that is not hostile to Equestria, preferably one obscure enough to make cross examination difficult.
>Why she's there
To establish a firm hoofhold for the Dread League in Equestria for future domination.
But really, she wants to explore, practice her art, and develop her personal powers.
>Who, if anyone, she intends to meet or stay with
Her adopted child, Gloomy, is to be with her at all times.
Upon arrival, she'd immediately seek out any contacts in the Dread League, as she is obliged to tithe to her mentor.
Her eventual cohorts, Thresher and Caligo, could arrive whenever is convenient for you.
>Where, or at least what sort of place she wants to stay at
A haunted mansion, a graveyard, a battlefield, a morgue, an abandoned factory, an ancient castle or wizard lair, or a similar spooky place with access to corpses, magic, and/or people nobody will miss for the purpose of furthering her research.
Or any place with roaming undead for her to converse with, study, battle and/or dominate.
It needs to have at least some breathable air, because Gloomy is still alive and Posie would prefer to keep him that way until he's ripe.
>What she's looking to do on a daily basis (if there is any answer besides "adventuring." "Adventuring" is fine)
Carrying out missions for her master in the Dread League (if available). Researching and exploring Eldritch secrets. Making money to fuel her spellcasting. Violence of any kind (gotta level up). Establishing a cool lair and base of operations. Practicing her magic in any way possible. Making deals with Eldritch beings. Observing and understanding the undead.
And maybe actually looking for jobs as a necrologist, if all else fails: her skillsets are apprentice mage, mortician, arcane expert, monster-hunter, and undead consultant.

>>167659
Perfect.

Posie's mentor in Magehold, Dark Tides, has given her a dossier for her relocation to the Equestria. This dossier is not written by Dark Tides alone, but with notes taken from correspondence with Dark Tides' contact in Equestria, an alleged unicorn pony stallion currently going by the name "Licorice Lament," who is to be Posie's own contact and mentor in Equestria.

Equestria was established around same time the first advance of the Dread forces were repulsed in Northern Griffonia, and has since become the paragon of "Harmony," and all that to which the Dread League is opposed. Already likely the largest and wealthiest nation on the planet, with the arrival of the group of ponyville friends, Equestria seemed poised to dominate and impose it's harmonic ideology on all others. To great fortune, if not surprise, of observers in the Dread League, Equestria was toppled by a combination of the enemies it provoked, and the revolutionary forces of "harmony" that it unleashed, and split in two. But Equestria has always been ruled as a despotate, and though the rulers at the top may change, so much does not and the ground and even middle levels.

Equestria remains overflowing with magic, both ancient and modern, in its practitioners and antique artifacts. It remains one of the wealthiest and most industrialized of all nations per capita and on the whole, putting the Dread League's stagnation to shame. And though the revision of the concept of "friendship" and "harmony" over the past dozen years has brough competing interpretations of the concept, there is no denying that it has brought a revival.

Equestria is the original home of many of the necromancers and vampires of the Dread League. And just as they learned from Equestria, so too must Rosie Ring. She must learn it's power and its horror, so that she may understand why it must be destroyed, and why destroying it will not be easy. Death is transformative by nature; it does not create so much as take something living and make it, well, less so. And so too must the Dread League take knowledge of both the magical and the mundane from that greatest of all the living lands - the land, if no longer the Principality, of Equestria - and transform it into knowledge that advances the grand plan of the Dread League.

The offensive to drive out those last holdouts of Arcturius will commence shortly. Posie's sojourn will either last until the final preparations for the great, Black Crusade, at which point she shall join with her masters, or she shall remain in Equestria as a part of a cell, ready to weaken Equestria before it can counter. Eitherway, Posie is ordered to begin her journey in the Equestrian City of Baltimare, a city that is no longer a part of the Principality of Equestria, but is now a part of the Baltimare Governate, a protectorate under the control of the New Mareland State.

The first rule of life in Equestria, and this comes from Licorice Lament, is that the new controllers of the region are anal about identifying everypony. Posie is going to have to carry around identity cards, or else get detained as a possible rebel. Posie must, to avoid unnecessary hassle, present herself to Immigration authorities as she enters Baltimare. She may use her real name (why not), and use the cover story that she is from the nation of Firtree in the Griffonian North, from the city of Bonedrift. What's that? Posie doesn't know anything about "Firtree" or "Bonedrift"? Well neither do the custom's agents. She can make things up; just know that "Bonedrift" probably isn't literally filled with buildings made of bones. Probably. Never really been there. But, you know, that's not really something the living do. Except sometimes in crypts and chapels, but nevermind that. Posie is looking to study medicine at Jim Haykin's University and has secured acceptance to the program. She has not, however, secured a place to stay inside of the city, and thus will be staying upon her arrival at a house of a contact of Bonedrift University outside of the city.

And another thing. Posie's mission requires a low profile. And more than that, it requires obtaining quite a few things from ponies in Baltimare; it requires interactions with the living, non-livestock folk. So, Posie will have to refrain from killing the regular cityfolk. And refrain from referring to them as serfs or livestock. She will have to... interact with them normally. Yes yes, it's a rather vague and ill defined order, and not a little demeaning. But it comes from Dark Tides himself, so it must be obeyed to the best of Posie's ability. At least she isn't ordered to... make friends. Yuck!

>>167660
>Licorice Lament
Noted
>Equestria is the original home of many of the necromancers and vampires of the Dread League
Like our glorious leader, Rosa.
>She must learn it's power and its horror, so that she may understand why it must be destroyed, and why destroying it will not be easy.
Mission confirmed.
>Posie is ordered to begin her journey in the Equestrian City of Baltimare, a city that is no longer a part of the Principality of Equestria, but is now a part of the Baltimare Governate, a protectorate under the control of the New Mareland State.
Got it.
>the new controllers of the region are anal about identifying everypony. Posie is going to have to carry around identity cards, or else get detained as a possible rebel
Hmmph. I guess it is what it is.
>Posie must, to avoid unnecessary hassle, present herself to Immigration authorities as she enters Baltimare.
Okay, first hurdle coming right up.
>She may use her real name (why not)
Rosie Ring is her chosen name. Posie is her nickname. Her given name is Specimen #663.
>use the cover story that she is from the nation of Firtree in the Griffonian North, from the city of Bonedrift. What's that? Posie doesn't know anything about "Firtree" or "Bonedrift"? Well neither do the custom's agents.
>Posie is looking to study medicine at Jim Haykin's University and has secured acceptance to the program.
I guess that's my job.
>She has not, however, secured a place to stay inside of the city, and thus will be staying upon her arrival at a house of a contact of Bonedrift University outside of the city.
Okay. Going to have to seek out a lair soon. Posie doesn't need to rest, but she has a foal to take care of, so lodging arrangements are a necessity.
>requires a low profile
An fact of the profession.
>Posie will have to refrain from killing the regular cityfolk.
Can't I kill just a few of them?
>make friends
Gross.

>>167666
Off the coast of Baltimare, a decrepit barge approaches the city. A cloaked figure proudly stands at the helm of the ship. The figure is that of a unicorn mare, young and strikingly beautiful. Her coat is white and fluffy, like fresh snow, her chest fluff puffed out to the sea breeze, exceptionally clean; and her mane is crimson, like fresh blood, done neatly in a bun behind her head, as her tail curls gracefully in the wind. Her most striking feature is perhaps her eyes, like pools of molten gold layered with concentric rings: they burn with mesmerizing beauty, and they glow like those of a predator in the night, rimmed with dark eyeliner. Overall, she is strikingly beautiful, posing with an almost supernatural grace.
Her cloak is black with a fluffy gray rim around the hood, and red in its interior. Beneath her coat appears to be a suit of thin leather armor, of a medieval fashion, if rather grotesque and edgy in its design. Various pockets like her armor, with blades and implements. This is a mare dressed for business, ready to conquer.

Her face, plump and youthful, with sharp but delicate features, appears like it was sculpted from the finest marble. She faces forward to the wind, with her face frozen in a subtle but scheming smile.
...
Frozen

"M-momma? You haven't m-moved for a w-while.." a young and fragile voice stutters you from behind her, as a small, thin, and rather sickly colt pokes its head out from beneath her cloak and gives her a worried prod, before shuddering and giving a hacking cough
The mare doesn't respond for a second, seemingly paralyzed, before her expression suddenly softens like a video unpausing.
"..W-wha-? Oh, sorry to worry you, Sweetie. I just.. really don't like travelling on boats.." She says, leaning down from the helm to hold the foal and give him a nuzzle, gently patting him on the back until his shivers stop
"We should be arriving in Equestria soon. Are you ready? Do you want a snack? Need to go potty? Anything you need?"
"No momma.. I just, want a hug..." the sickly colt replies, with a tired voice, gripping tightly onto the mare. Life slowly returning to him, as if he were sustained by her touch.
"Oh Gloomy, you sweet treat. You complete me." the mare says softly, as she turns her head back towards the city with an almost manic grin, scheming once more.
Yes, it's supposed to be creepy.

[dead horse noises]

>>167680
Happy Juneteenth!

>>167667
>arrives on what is presumably her own barge
I did kind of have a while description of the journey from arriving as a passenger on a freighter coming into the city...

>>167681
I don't care how I actually arrive. I just wanted to roleplay.

>>167703
Okay

A little busy; next off night is thursday, then probably saturday and sunday

It is time

[Dead horse noises]

>>167705
Does that mean I can finally play?

So... As soon as she gets off this ambiguous barge, Rosie Ring would do some stretches to get rid of the rigor mortis she gets when travelling over water, and then immediately go about her mission.

>>167667
As Posie steps onto the deck, she steps into view of a world completely alien to that which she has known before. The first, and by far the most persistent, and perhaps annoying detail is the heat. It' s perhaps just above sixty degrees Fahrenheit, one of the warmest days she's ever experienced. But it isn't the absolute temperature that is concerning, but the fact that such heat is present in late January, when by all right, it should be well below freezing. Similarly, it's perhaps a little after 8:00 AM and the sun is out, and has been for around an hour now. Quite a difference from a sun that comes up at 11 and sets at 2 PM. The humidity and salt water smell, though unpleasant, are not so unfamiliar to Posie.

The thousands of miles of endless ocean are broken first by sight of land, mostly lowland, though cliffs are not unknown, covered in forest. Most of the trees, thankfully, are barren limbed broadleaf deciduous trees dominated presumably by varieties of oaks with occasional hickory and chestnut trees, and the leafless skeletal trees, though still alive and in winter turpour, are near enough dead that they do not offend Posie's senses. But sprinkled among these are evergreen pines, and at the lowest levels, in mangrove swamps where the forest meets the water, are green cypress trees and willows. It's these green swamps that dominate the shore as Poisie moves towards the mouth of Horseshoe Bay, broken up periodically by by either individual houses or shacks, or even towns with numerous vaulted roof wooden houses of white or timber color, with steeples of white, wooden churches, and the even higher smokestacks of red and brown brick mills that billow out grey smoke. The small brick chimneys of the individual houses do not join their larger counterparts - it's too warm for heating to be necessary.

Past a cliff and alongside mangrove swamp, Posie sees a gap in the coming land that signifies the entry of the bay, and much further away, a green and grey cliff with a small, short, lonely lighthouse that must be at the end of the peninsula. Rounding the edge of the land, Posie sees a yellow stone set of structures that must surely be the left half of a star fortress, likely only ever half completed, that sits just back from the water, and immediately next to a lagoon created by a grassy sandbar. The gunpowder era fortress is far more modern than the castles and outposts Posie has seen back home, but still manages to appear to be anachronistic next to the other sights along her voyage. Before she enters the bay, Posie sees a large, grey freighter with a plume of smoke from its lone stack, a bridge in the center, and cranes to the fore and the rear of the superstructure. It is moving into the bay. Rounding the southern edge of the bay, which is formed by the aforementioned sandbar and lagoon, Posie sees a red and white tugboat pushing one, two, three, four, five barges, mostly empty save for the last which appears to carry steel pipes, moving out of the bay.

The bay itself is large, with one side of the bay only barely within field of view of the other, though Posie, now moving towards the center of the bay, albeit a bit to the south, has a respectable view of both sides, particularly of the south side, which in the portions closest to the ocean, is again dominated by mangrove swamps, broken up by a few houses and roads. It's alongside this portion of the bay that Posie sees the first monstrous construction of metropolis perched at the end of this bay - a massive industrial facility with tall, rectangular beige brick buildings, four of them in total, each with a massive smoke stack several hundred feat tall that pours out smoke into the sky that is carried east out over the water in trails so long it appears to be a natural cloud formation. There is another long rectangular building, and more than one massive electrical station - grey bricks of coils and wires that lead onto massive ninety foot tall steel electrical towers that move mostly westward, but also south into the forest. Behind this are railways and lines of railcars with what is presumably coal and petroleum oil, and in front of it all is another lagoon, although this one is seperated from the bay by rock, and its color is noticably more brown than blue. Next to the lagoon, to the east, are two large concrete cooling towers, each producing large amounts of steam that rise almost like a fog, and join with the black cloud produced by the smokestacks. This set of buildings is the singularly most impressive set in Posie's field of view - it is nevertheless, singular and lonely, being the furthest from the city.

Moving westward along the southern shore of the bay are more mangroves, and then more buildings, until the buildings begin to dominate. Posie sees that the shoreline moves further south as the southern shore has a convex shape. She sees several large piers, grey and brick buildings behind them, and next to them, three ships of reasonable size in full grey color. All three have turreted canons on them, and the largest has no less than two turrets in front of the bridge with two guns each, as well as a steel array over the bridge. The other two ships are less than half the size, but likewise have a canon on the foredeck. The largest ship looks to be visibly damaged, with black streaks across the bridge and a turret leaning to the right as if the deck were compromised.

Moving even further to the west, Posie sees large grey roofed buildings, mostly of brick, that could only be warehouses, interrupted by a few of what must be mills. And then along the western shore of the bay, towards its southern edge, she sees the mouth of a river, fairly large, which has seawalls to either side, and a cozy grassy riverbank. The left edge of the river protrudes into the bay with a rather small peninsula.

>>167709
>the heat
Rosie Ring, being from the far north, isn't amused by the heat, or really the sun in general. Although not bothered by the metabolic debuffs of severe heat, she's not interested in what this weather might do to her skin and coat
"... And so it begins..." The mare groan, whirling her cape and raising her hood

>>167709
>>167711
Am I off the boat? What can I do next?

>>167667
>>167709
It's the right and northern edge of the river that is more interesting to Posie, as this forms a promintory in the shape of a right triangle that extends a third of a mile past the edge of the river into the bay. A boulevard parrelels the mouth of the river on the left of this promintory, and to the right are large beige brick buildings with grey and green roofs, with inumerable windows, three and four stories in height. These are not warehouses, but surely public buildings and the largest seen thus far. At the very tip of this protrusion into the bay is a large yellow brick and stone star fortress from the age of gunpowder, likely twice the size of the one outside the bay, and with its edges directly on the water. Posie can see that it is in more or less intact, and she can even see a few ponies walking along inside it. In the center of the star, past a rusted fence, she can see a pair of small cannons, or perhaps large machine guns, angled upwards. Behind this fortress is an empty dock, then behind that, is a multiple story ocean liner that sits dormant at its dock. This large grand vessel is the largest and most impressive ship Posie has seen, likely ever, being larger than the freighters and larger than the nearby buildings. It's the section between the ocean liner and the fortress that is her ultimate destination.

But the view does not end there. Because behind this promontory, and especially to the north and right, is the city of Baltimare proper. For a few miles, north to south, is a mass of buildings. Low rise, mostly, but several towering high-rise buildings of steel, glass, and brick stand out along the city skyline, and the horizon more generally. Though they are miles away, the great rectangles stand out. In particular, a tall building of white and glass bows out along its north side, almost like a sail catching wind. Nearby is an almost as tall pink structure that narrows like a right triangle along its upper floors, and then behind these is a rectangular structure with a brown stone facade. In a separate cluster closer to the bay is a beige rectangular building, lacking in much of the architectural flourish that can be distinguished in the taller, further buildings. And besides these tall buildings, Posie can see the vaulted roofs and tall steeples of far away cathedrals in the north and south of the city, a rectangular shot tower, and numerous ten story dark brown or pink buildings that peep up from the mass of three and four story tenement buildings and row houses. And in the foreground, all along the west side of the harbor, Posie can see innumerable docks, several docked freighters and barges with cranes loading or off loading them, long warehouses, and the brick walls of tall manufactories. Some of the buildings are surely the result of genius architects and wealthy patrons, art written in brick for all to see. Far more are older, sometimes depilated tenement buildings and warehouses. And still more are simple practical apartment buildings and factories. But it's a mass of factories, as well as metallurgical plants, chemical plants, and the catalytic cracking towers of refineries that speak to a real industrial power unlike any Posie has ever seen before. And all along the water, where buildings are broken by piers or roads, Posie can see moving automobiles, carts, and ponies walking, or moving boxes of bananas, crates, or barrels.

Moving along the bay to the northern shore, the buildings thin out somewhat, and Posie can see a pier with a Ferris wheel sticking out to the bay. Further along is the peninsula and the hill that runs through it. Posie can see many single-family homes, mostly on stilts at the lowest level, or along the hillside further back from the water, in a line going nearly the length of the peninsula, eventually meeting the lighthouse she saw before.

The sky is mostly blue, though dotted by no small number of clouds.

>>167667
Gloomy, evidently, does not receive a hug in return.

At least on the surface, the city is not much like Magehold, with its ancient castle complex ontop of a hill, steep cliffs the ocean, and narrow streets with crowded medieval style buildings. It's much hotter, slightly more spread out, elevated above sea-level only by artificial walls that span almost the entire shoreline, and by and large built with no eye for beauty. But it is, nevertheless, alive. Decaying and decrepit, even necrotic in places - but alive, and beating like a heart. Posie can hear the sounds of diesel engines, water hitting piers and the seawall, automobiles, and distant sirens.

Posie's ship nears the shore at a designated landing point with fences blocking off possible paths. A red stallion in a green uniform with a broad hat smiles at Posie, and tips his hat with a nod.

>>167711
Fortunately it's still winter. Posie should fear what the heat and humidity will do to her mane in the summer time.

>>167712
According to the dosier, the next stage is to go through immigration.

>>167713
>pic
Is this something like a canon map for the game?
>>167714
>hug in return
>Life slowly returning to him, as if he were sustained by her touch
Is where it was implied, referencing Charnel Touch.
>tips his hat with a nod
Rosie Ring gives a cautious nod to the greeter, telekinetically latching Gloomy by her side as if he were a piece of high expensive and fragile luggage and trotting past wordlessly.
>go through immigration
Posie reads this off of her scroll and sets about doing so.

>>167715
>pic
It's actually a map of Baltimore that was given in a con book for BronyCon one year. Fort McHenry just kind of neatly parrels Fort Flash Prance in my version. I do not have a map, though that would be helpful.

>hug
Okay good. I was afraid that she was truly evil

>carrying gloomy
Kek

The stallion speaks to Posie, "G'day ma'am," and may or may not be responded to. Should she continue wordlessly, he is a little confused. But either way, the stallion directs her to take herself and her luggage into the building. She enters into a long hall, which has a line that bends back and forth, and leads to several desks with glass windows and a couple standing guards with carbine rifles and green uniforms. There are not that many creatures in the line, but those there are stand out. A half dozen ponies, perhaps, several griffins, and a kirin, who must be what remains from an earlier ship. Posie has a moment to collect herself and her possessions

>>167715
The dossier has more detailed explanations as needed, but in general the advice is this - what the immigration agents are looking for as red flags are not things that concern Posie. So stick to the story, don't be obviously a Dread Necromancer, and she'll be fine

>>167716
The strange mare takes a moment to make eye contact with the stallion, her eyes fascinating, like pools a liquid gold; looking too long might make him feel lightheaded... (it's a gaze attack; but don't bother rolling the save)
"...Goodnight." the mare replies, in a foreign griffonian accent, before proceeding to take her luggage to the directed building with haste, moving with grace that seems almost supernatural, like a ballerina, despite her encumbrance.
>Posie has a moment to collect herself and her possessions
And so she does, checking if all of her things are there.
>>167717
*trots up in visibly grotesque armor made of griffon bones*
She fishes out her identification papers.

>>167718
Wait is she really walking around in griffin brones

Gaze attack?

Posie at this moment is only really able to carry around luggage. As much luggage as she can carry, but only really that. She has Gloomy for sure.

Behind the glass is a grey stallion, either pegasus or earth pony (hard to tell), with a green cap. He looks to Posie and takes her identification papers. If she's really wearing bones, then his eyes linger on her longer, but generally he focuses on the papers.

>>167715
>>167716
>>167716
Posie is next up in line to the agent at the counter. Posie is asked to hoof over her documents. She asked a series of questions:

"Where are you from?
What is your race?
What is your nationality?
What is your purpose in the Baltimare Governate?
How long do you intend to stay?
Do you already have employment?
Are you seeking medical care or welfare?"

>>167719
The only noted quality the armor has is that it's grotesque. I thought Griffon bones with a feather surcoat felt cool. Figured griffons would be the most readily accessible bodies in the Dread League, with the Arcturian Order next door.
>gaze attack
Her charming gaze. Requires a standards action, so only applicable when mentioned.
>Posie at this moment is only really able to carry around luggage. As much luggage as she can carry, but only really that. She has Gloomy for sure.
The mare travels lightly, taking mostly only essentials for childcare, and her own black magic implements.
>his eyes linger on her longer
The mare stares back with a stoic expression.
>series of questions:
Posie follows her script for these questions, unless you would prefer me to answer them individually.

>>167720
>charming gaze
Ah

>black magic implements
What now?

If there is any flourish I would like individual answers. Presumably Posie would answer something like "Unicorn" to race, but I'm not certain she would do that.

These questions are said aloud, but also Posie is given a paper with a clipboard to answer these in writing

Next set of questions, and I definitely want individual answers

"Are you a changeling?
Are you a member of a union?
Have you ever participated any armed conflicted, organized or otherwise, against the New Mareland State?
Are you a member of any political party that is a member of Socialists Global?
Have you ever participated in any Hellquill or Longswordian War Crimes, or crimes against Equinity?
Are you a fugitive from Justice?
Are you a follower of the Maarist Religion?"

That last question is not actually printed out, but is hoof written, which is kind of odd.

>>167720
>>167721
Now how could I forget?

"Have you recently been diagnosed with any illness?
Do you have any symptoms of illness?
Have you ever been diagnosed with Tuberculousis?
What is the approximate value of the items you are carrying?
Are you carrying any fruits, vegatables, seeds, or seedlings?"

>>167721
>What now?
Her spell component pouch, unholy symbol, a couple onyx gems, unholy water, etc.
>Posie would answer something like "Unicorn" to race, but I'm not certain she would do that.
Unless for some reason she had to reveal her vampiric heritage or the fact that she died years ago, that would be her answer.
>"Are you a changeling?
Are you a member of a union
No. (written)
>Are you a member of a union?
"...Pardon me, officer. By 'union', are we including apprentice conjuration associates, or only high arcana circles?"
>against the New Mareland State?
No. (written)
>Socialists Global?
No. (written)
>Have you ever participated in any Hellquill or Longswordian War Crimes, or crimes against Equinity?
Hahahahahahaha... Who would ever do that?
No. (written)
>fugitive from Justice?
No. (written)
>Are you a follower of the Maarist Religion?"
Do I have to roll to know what this is?
I would like to know before I answer.
>>167722
>illness
No. (written)
>symptoms
No. (written)
>Tuberculosis
No. (written)
>What is the approximate value of the items you are carrying?
Gonna answer this honestly, but it really depends on how my character sheet looks when it's finished. Last posted, it was less than 500-1000 gp, because I spent all of my starting wealth on boons, but otherwise it would be about 9000 gp.
>Are you carrying any fruits, vegatables, seeds, or seedlings?"
I guess I should list the travel rations I brought for Gloomy.
Idk if any of my spells have plants as material components, but I wouldn't list those.

How do I roll?

[roll 1d20]

>>167723
>Maar
Posie will absolutely know about this religion, though the extent of her knowledge may vary. Maar is one of the main gods in the central Griffonian pantheon, alongside Boreas, Arcturius, and Eyr. He's special in that, under the rules of the pantheon, worshiping Maar is absolutely forbidden, and he is given no special honors by practitioners of the central griffonian religion. Maar is the god of Death, sometimes represented as the god of all evil, sometimes represented as the god of winter, sometimes the god of choas, and usually represented as the god of deception, mental illness, trickery, and what can be best described as schizophrenia - a mismatch between the perception of reality and reality. Because griffin sacrifice and libertinism, as well as other social perversions, are perceived as a part of Maarist worship, such worship is banned in Griffonian Imperial terrirtories. Why the ponies care is not understood.

>>167726
[ 1 d 20 ]
[1d20 = 15]

>>167728
That sounds kind of cool, but I'm going to say no.

>>167723
>"...Pardon me, officer. By 'union', are we including apprentice conjuration associates, or only high arcana circles?"
He looks up at her with ice blue eyes

"I'll put down 'no'"

>>167729
The officer seems to be more or less satisfied with Posie's answers. He turns his attention to Gloomy
"And who is this travelling with you?"

>>167731
"This is my son, Gloomy. We're travelling together."

>>167732
Almost instinctively, he asks
"Where is his father?"

>>167733
Posie leans in to whisper
"...He's dead."

>>167734
"I see....

How old is he? Does he have any illnesses? Will he be living with you? Do you have a means to support him?"

>>167735
>How old is he?
How do cartoon horses age? He's a colt, no cutie mark, so I guess preteen.
>Does he have any illnesses?
"He has a positive mana deficiency onset by chakra imbalance. It's not contagious, but it requires magical treatment that I administer to him on a daily basis."
>Will he be living with you?
"Yes we will."
>Do you have a means to support him?
"Being a single mother is quite the challenge, but yes, I do."

>>167736
He nods, evidently satisfied.

But it's time for the challenging question

"One more thing, madam. Are you a practitioner of any dark art?"

>>167737
"... No...?"
*poker face*

Do I need to roll a bluff check?

>>167738
Yes.

>>167740
...
I think this would be a nice time to use my Charming Gaze, before the situation worsen.
Will Save, pls

>>167742
>>167741
>>167738
He finds Posie's "no" unpersuasive

>>167742
The DC was 17, although it has no other effects for success other than that he can't be effected by my gaze for 24 hours.
>>167743
"W-well, I guess it depends what you mean by 'Dark Art', you know. I'm a Necrologist, my practice is morbid by definition, but without it I wouldn't be able to treat my son's condition, you see..."

>>167744
"A 'Necrologist'? He asks, clearly desiring elaboration

>>167744
Well, the agent rolled a 19+3

>>167745
"A Death expert. I study all things dead, dying, or decaying. With my specialty in entropic mana, I was looking to get a job, with all of the violence going on here. Bloodfiends spawned by mass killings, shambling amputations, necrotic gangrene, war wraiths, haunted battlefields, necrophages, restless dead: you'd be surprised how ill equipped the average military unit is to deal with such common occurrences on an arcane battlefield. There's always work for a Necrologist where there's war..." Posie says, keeping to her script

>>167746
With the final element provided from the dossier - a letter from a professor Diligent Debride that corroborates Posie's story - the officer backs off.

"Alright Ma'am, proceed."

Posie is allowed to pass through, and to place her luggage to the side. She is told it will be searched and she'll get it in a few minutes. She is then to go alone past a gate, and around the corner, into an open area in a kind of split off room.

>>167747
>it will be searched
Luckily I spent all of my shekels on boons and am basically broke when it comes to equipment...
>go alone past a gate
I can't take my colt with me?

>>167748
Gloomy is made to wait at the gate. The guards are very serious about this. Before, Posie has seen either unarmed customed agents, or at most a pair of ponies with carbine rifles. But beyond the gate are four armed guards, two with carbine rifles with bayonets, and two with angry looking metal pipes that are probably not melee weapons.

It's only for a minute, she is told

>>167749
For safety's concern, Rosie is going to charm anypony within 30 ft of her with her gaze (except for the original guy, because he passed), as Rosie cautiously makes looks around before turning to Gloomy and telling him to be a good colt, before she complies with the orders.

They can all make will saves, or you can skip it if this isn't relevant and I'll probably never interact with them again.

>>167750
Pony guard on the left at the far side with angry pipe, pony guard on the far side with a carbine.... But then there are three others that are visible only after you move through the gate. Two along the wall on the right, holding a carbine and an angry pipe respectively, and then a beige colored unicorn pony with a green uniform and red mane, who holds a flashlight.

"Alright, please stand here" he points at a location on the floor "And stare at that point on the wall" pointing his hoof to the opposite wall, which actually is just a gap between windows. "Keep your eyes open as I apply the light"

The pony takes the flashlight, and shines it above posie's eyes, looking at her eyes.

>>167751
Posie complies

>>167752
While this happens, the guards point their guns at Posie.

He takes a look, does another pass with the flashlight... and then waves Posie through

"Alright, proceed to the next room for your visa"

Does Gloomy have cataracts or anything wrong with his eyes?

>>167753
Pardon, I had to step out

>Gloomy have cataracts or anything wrong with his eyes?
Other than a look of supernatural dread and the subtle glaze onset by frequent demonic possession, no.

>>167754
Gloomy evidently takes a little while. Hopefully he can survive the seperation from his mother for a few minutes. Posie, meanwhile, is funneled through a door into a hallway, a white stallion in white looks into Posie's mouth and examines her,

Then after that, Posie is made to stand still in front of some sort of magical metal box that produces a blinding flash of light.

>>167755
>looks into Posie's mouth and examines her
Posie takes a moment to cough out any spiders or bats that may be lodged in her throat before this happens.
The stallion would find that Rosie Ring at least appears to be in good health: like that of a vampire that has freshly fed on blood (very young and healthy). She takes excellent care of her body, especially her teeth that seem almost shockingly perfect, if a little sharp... very sharp, actually...
Depending on his knowledge, he might feel like something is amiss, although I'm banking on Necrology being a rather scarce profession.

>>167756
A cotton swab is taken from her mouth, and she is moved on to the next section. After a few minutes, Gloomy joins her, and is basically allowed to remain as close to her as she desires. The lone exception is that he is isolated and made to sit still in front of the flash box.

The two are then taken off to an office where they sit before a cream-colored mare who does paperwork. This is mostly uneventful and drags out for the better part of an eternity, during which Posie becomes perhaps a little two acquainted with smooth jazz.

>>167757
>better part of an eternity
*eyes glass over*

>>167757
>Gloomy joins her, and is basically allowed to remain as close to her as she desires.
Gloomy stays beside Rosie, usually within touch range, and never straying beyond 30 ft of her in a way that seems almost superstitious.

>>167758
A little bit before the heat death of the universe, the mare says to Posie

"Alright, you've both come back negative for tuberculosis, negative for being a changeling, negative for any watched ponies, and Diligent Debride has verified that you're admitted to the medical school."

She hoofs over a blue card that oddly has Posie's exact likeness on it... and then one in a white color, likewise with her likeness, and the same for Gloomy.

"Here are your national identification cards, and visas. Please keep these on you at all times."

A beat, and

"Welcome to Baltimare"

As Posie leaves the room, she is given back her luggage, which though it's clearly been open and combed through, doesn't seem to be missing anything.

>>167760
Hooray, we're in the country!

Posie takes a map of Baltimare from one of those kiosks they have at travel centers, tucks Gloomy to her side, and gallops off to her rendezvous point.

>>167761
New item in inventory - travel map of Baltimare

Down the boulevard at the end is a cafe, and it's there that Posie is to be picked up by a stallion named Mason.

>>167762
Rosie Ring gallops in that location.

>>167763
Posie sees that there are other ponies around. It's not the first time that she's been surrounded by living creatures, as there are enough of those infesting the lower levels of Magehold. But it does have the feel of being present in enemy territory. She sees the chairs outside of the Rosewood cafe, and sits down. It's a few minutes, at around 10 AM, that a black automobile pulls up.

Has Posie ever seen an automobile before? Likely she has never seen one quite like this. It's clearly pretty new, black in color, with four doors and a large engine in the fore. It pulls across from the right side of the road next to the curb, and the window roles down to show a grey stallion wearing a black suit and a fedora with a red stripe.

>>167764
>Has Posie ever seen an automobile before?
I don't think she would be completely ignorant to modern tech, but they probably don't have very many in magehold. The nobles probably just fly everywhere.

Posie eyes the newcomer cautiously.

>>167765
He wears glasses

"Rosie Ring?" He asks

>>167766
"It depends who's asking..." The mare replies, not making eye contact

>>167767
"Mason" He replies

"Licorice Lament sent me." After a pause, "It must be you, because I don't know who else would wear that."

>>167768
Rosie Ring takes a moment to reconsider her choice of attire
"... Yes.."

>>167769
He nods, and looks at her with almost no expression, before raising an eyebrow and saying,

"You want to get in now?"

>>167770
"Come along, Gloomy." Posie says, not waiting for the colt to respond before she levitates him into the car behind her

"So... Mason, you said? It's a dread to meet you (said with endearing tone). I am Rosie Ring, as you already know, although I also go by Posie: Apprentice practitioner in The Art."

>>167771
He smiles back at her after that last statement, the first expression of emotion from him. If Posie so choses, she could sit in the front on the passenger side next to him. But more likely, she will get in the back with Gloomy. Possie would want to put her luggage in the back either way. Mason mostly talks without making eye contact, though he will turn to her if she is in the front passenger seat or look back in the rearview mirror if she isn't.

He rolls the window up."So you're the one they sent from abroad." And then he certainly looks back at her before starting the vehicle forward. "You were born like this?"

>>167772
Posie gets in the back

>"You were born like this?"
"It's a long story. To put it short, I'm... part of a process."

>>167773
"A process?" He says, looking back. It doesn't seem to be a serious question for clarification. After a pause, he asks "What can you do?" The car has started moving forward, and cuts across into the right lane, and takes a right turn, going along an avenue alongside the wall next to the river. Posie presumably shudders as the car passes by a basilica..

>>167774
>"What can you do?"
"I'm only an apprentice practitioner, to be honest, although I hope to change that soon with good practice. I know the basics of necromancy, and I have a rather good grasp at controlling the dead, at a level that greatly exceeds that of my peers. Raising the undead, however... Well, that's what I've come to learn." Posie says
"As per my other skills, I can lie, I can stay hidden, I can recognize spells, and my knowledge of the arcane is more than abundant. I'm no pushover in combat either, no matter how dainty I may seem."

>>167775
He looks back at her through the mirror.

"I think Licorice will be pleased to see you. He'll appreciate having one like you there. And if he doesn't... there's only one of you."

Undead GET!

Glory to our Supreme Leader, Rosa Maledicta!

>>167776
"I'll be glad to meet with him too. Last time we met he was nailing me to a cross..."

>>167777
>>167778
He looks back at her a little longer. The car turns left, and over a bridge, past shops and houses on the other side of the river.

"He didn't tell me that part..."