/vx/ - Videogames and Paranormal

>>168208
"We may still" He says

He smiles
"You don't think the Dread League sought me out because I'm an especially powerful sorcerer? Or, especially committed to the cause, do you? No. What interests them is my ability to, as we say here in Equestria, 'make friends'. My circle... is knitted to together from those with interests that aren't exactly standard in Equestria. Not necessarily considered seemly, or moral. These are religious preferences, or artistic preferences, perhaps scientific curiosities that are esoteric in nature, or not for the masses, at least. I find these creatures, and we group together as suits us."

>>168209
Perhaps, though I'll probably have to do some work tomorrow

I can do whenever today, so long as it's not too late.

>>168210
"Interesting... And where will this meeting take place?"

>>168212
"To which meeting do you refer?" He asks

>>168211
I think I'm going to have to go out tonight, so I'm not sure I'm available

>>168214
I'm confused, did Lament invite me to meet his associates, or am I going on a combat quest?

>>168215
Not so much a meeting of his associates, but of a couple key individuals.

Or she can go out exploring

>>168216
Did he have a plan?
If the individuals are ready to be met, Posie would get dressed and meet them. If they're not, she would go out exploring to salvage from the other lairs, and maybe kill something along the way.

>>168216
Posie would just follow orders and go along with the plan. When in Rome.

>>168218
>>168217
There was only really one pony that Lament intended Posie to meet at first, although that's less important with Posie not living in the city. Posie is fine for some sort of mission.

>>168223
Then I think it would be best to start the mission immediately.

>>168227
I would like to progress to the next part at the earliest convenience. Whatever works.

>>168229
>>168227
My schedule has freed up dramatically

I know a couple ways this could go

>>168231
My schedule is not free, but I guess that's a perk of pbp.
I'll go along with whatever Lament wants, since I'm his guest.

>>168232
Lament continues

"As I've said, I've made connections with... a fairly diverse array of those interested in the occult, and things outside of the norm."

"But you're not really looking to make friends quite yet, are you?"

>>168234
Posies checks her armor, collapses her spear, and coils her cape.
>"But you're not really looking to make friends quite yet, are you?"
"It depends what you mean by that..." Posie replies
"Although diplomacy and infiltration are the first priorities of the Dread League at this point, I had my own ambitions for travel. You see, it's rather suffocating back in Magehold under my masters' hoof, and I've been eager to test the limits of my personal powers." she says with a flat tone, checking her reflection on one of her knives

>>168256
He raises an eyebrow, and pulls his lips back in something that resembles a smile. But his facial features relax as he utters

"So I've noticed"

His expression does not quite convey disdain, but it certainly does reflect a difference in philosophy and preference on the matter

>>168368
ur silly

>>168370
Dungeon Master
I am giving you full permission to railroad Rosie Ring into whatever plot development you have next. Just please let me get past this conversation and maybe later get to my first encounter. I'll meet this new associate if that's what you have prepared.

>>168373
scrunchy

"Very well"

He pulls back
"It isn't my taste, perhaps, but it's not necessarily in every instance inadvisable."

"Among those sorcerers, and those practitioners of the occult and, shall we say, the maligned arts, who were so recently slain, there were at least five of whom I am aware. One, you've already met. Another, the leader of them, likely has police crawling over his worldly possessions. But the other three? They all lived in a particular neighborhood by the seaside. Two of those, close together."

He sits down on the couch and looks towards Posie.
"There's a stretch there of a few blocks that comprise an insular community that belongs almost entirely to a pair of clans formed by foreign immigrants. You needn't worry about police there. The police will not patrol there. They will not even respond to calls without back up, and even then, only for the most dire of cases. And the locals neither trust the police, nor consider them necessary to resolve disputes. Even the soldiers, who so readily respond to the sound of gun fire anywhere else, will not venture there. Not without armored cars. Even then, only with hesitance. The local criminal gangs are bolder, but only barely. They will do business there, but find that the blocks will not permit themselves to be ruled by any outsider.

I do not know what, if any possessions these sorcerers had that would be of any use or interest to you. But I can say almost with certainty, it hasn't left those blocks."

>>168385
Posie's eyes sparkle, the apprentice magician finally getting a chance to roam free of her leash
"That... Sounds excellent! Where are these blocks?"
She fumbles with her crappy travel brochure, squinting at the text

>>168386
Posie looks at the map, which reflects a grid pattern that is broken up near the shore by diagonal roads, a couple rail lines, and oddly shaped old buildings. A hoof full of old churches, schools, and manor houses stand out from the sea of apartment buildings, factories, and warehouses that line the shore, but no few blocks... until Posie can see that a portion of the inner city is circled in red as inadvisable to travel to, though it is surely much more than a few blocks.

>>168387
Posie gives a bit of an evil smirk, clearly not at all intimidated by the common sense red flags.
"So that's how things are around here. Quite different from Magehold, I'll say. I think it's best to reap what's left before anypony else gets there first." she says, fastening her armor

How far is it?

>>168388
"Oh I'm sure you won't be the first, and perhaps not even the first to know what you're looking for. Just the first from beyond the blocks. I would say perhaps twelve miles going by the highways, mostly east."

>>168388
Well, obviously just in the middle of the city. I assume within galloping distance for a supernaturally fast and tireless sorceress.
Rosie Ring whirls her cape
"Shall I be off now, oh Lord Lament?"
>>168389
She nods
"I should be back before sunrise."

>>168390
"You don't mean to get there all by yourself, do you?" he asks

>>168391
*is metaphorically chomping at the bit*
"Well, ugh, I guess I could use a ride... I wouldn't want to still be home when Gloomy wakes up." she gives a bit of an embarrassed chuckle

>>168392
"I'll have Mason give you a ride. He has an idea of where it is and can take you close. Your enthusiasm is admirable, but until I know for sure you can make it past a garrison checkpoint, or avoid getting hit by traffic, and not get lost in the endless rows of near identical apartment blocks, you'd best have a guide. He won't go into the blocks with you. But he could be around if you need to make a quick getaway, or need help carrying away salvaged artifacts."

>>168393
Posie nods
"Excellent. I'll meet him out front then. Until we meet again, Licorice." she gives him a coy wink and disappears into the night

And while I am absolutely stoked to play this part, my body is running on fumes. I have all of tomorrow off, if you're available any time then. I don't know what your timezone is.

>>168394
I'll be available tomorrow I'm just pleased that I actually have a questline with plenty of violence planned out.

>>168395
Whenever you're ready then.

>>168396
And then my saturday closed up quite a bit.... I'm still going to write the next bit, but I don't think I can do a continuous session util at least much later tonight

Posie makes her way outside, as Lament calls for Mason. She is surely by the black drab automobile before Mason comes out. Lament follows him out, and speaks to him near the vehicle as Mason has his hoof on the door handle.

"34th and Commanche, to say farewell to Umoya, apartment 24, and to 36th and La Fete, unit 12, to say the same to Agirê Bêdawî. Keep her away from our friends in blue and khaki, and expect quite the welcome. She's planning a Baltimare party, with plenty of fireworks. It'll be a surprise." Lament then looks to her and says "Good luck."

Mason gets in the car, and Posey has very likely already done the same.

Mason doesn't speak much, and takes Posey down the long driveway to the road, then a right turn onto a rather dark two lane road with many trees, and then right again onto a slightly better lit road.

Going towards the City, Posey drives over the same road as before to find a fairly well lit city at night, with many automobiles and carts still on the roads, and ponies trotting about. The sun has gone down, but the day is clearly not over. Mason's one unprompted remark to Posey is to have her ID ready, and to not speak or act at any check points. This actually happens sort of early, near the bridge, when the car has to stop and Posey is asked to give over her ID. But it seems to be more or less perfunctory, as the two move forward again. The city seems to be bathed in a kind of dim yellow light that colors everything, and half of the windows are lit with the same or brighter electric light as the two move along. Only the river and its embankment are completely dim (save for the occasional building). The car takes a left turn down denser streets, and moves northward

>>168398
Mason continues along this street until he comes to another checkpoint, staffed by ponies in khaki uniforms who hold metal pipes that must surely be the weapons of this future the living have created, but Mason develops a sudden aversion to the checkpoint, places the car back in gear, and turns right, and gling his head to the left. He turns left and moves up, with a dark factory to the right and a row of lights in a diner to the left. Going up block further, he slows down as they pass a brick barrier. "They are walling it off" he says with some degree of astonishment and worry. He goes north a block, and then turns around to pull into a diagonal parking space on the left (now right) side of the road. He gets out and tells Posey "Come with me." He behaves a bit like a parent with a child, holding Posey's hoof if necessary. So close to Posey, Posey can tell that he is no form of undead, just a regular magical unicorn. He seems to have some aversion to the road, especially as a white and black car passes, where he places her on the opposite side of him, though the passage is uneventful. They walk towards a door, where Mason tells Posey "Here" and drags her in. It's a restaraunt in a kind of shotgun-shell design, longer back than it is wide, with the left side having tables and the left side having the bar, and he walks past a golden feathered and a white feathered griffin making his way in. He encounters a large, grey unicorn with a white mane, who is smoking a cigarette inside. His coat is a little darker than Mason's, and he is much larger.

"I need passage to Commanche." He says. The grey unicorn responds in some sort of accent Posey can tell isn't local.
"The military have started blocking it off."
"Are they planning something?" Mason asks
"Probably not, but our friends at Commanche do not know that. They are spooked, as everypony is. They think the fascists will come in and clear them out."
Mason looks back to Posey with a grave expression, as if this somehow means something.
"And what are you going over there for? I've never seen you take interest." The big unicorn asks
"To say farewell to old friends."
"You have friends there? Haha-" He cuts off, as if realizing what this means
"I see. Well be discrete, and keep your head low" He tells him
Mason says "That won't be easy" and again looks over at Posey. Then Mason looks back to him and says "And of course, we were never here"
"Of Course not." The unicorn says. "Good luck"

Mason goes past this unicorn, and to a stairway going down. He goes down it into a vaulted room with electric lighting, beige bricks, and many more dining tables. Posey may notice that it's dimensions don't quite match the upstairs, being even wider to the left, and much bigger overall. But Mason doesn't linger, and drags Posey to the back of this, through a door, and through what must be a kitchen, with several griffins working, big steel pots over gas fires, white cabinets, big sacks of onions and potatoes and so forth, and then past them, to another door that goes into a long, dark hallway. He opens this door, to find it to be the back entrance to a new weird world.

It almost looks like a mirror of the above street, but underground. It isn't quite a mirror, because while you could perhaps pull a cart through it, it is obviously for hoof traffic. To either side of the cobblestone paved pedestrian street are little business, or sometimes just a wall. To the left is a bar with plenty of noise, where Posey can see several of what she can recognize as diamond dogs. She walks past a street vendor zebra with numerous purses. Then further along, a pink earthpony mare in an aquamarine skirt smoking a cigarette says "Hey there" to Mason as he walks by. Mason says "hey" almosty absent mindedly to her as he walks by. Posey can see she has on too much makeup, and her eyeshadow is bleeding. Next to this mare is another creature Posey mare have heard about, but never seen in person - one of that scally, two-toed equiniform creatures from the far south and east. She is green with silver scales, and likewise has on too much makeup, and far more black eyeshadow. She looks "out of it."

To the left a little further up is another shop that has numerous woven baskets for sale, and a female creature inside picking them up and placing them around. Posey has never seen one of these. She's tan with brown stripes, mostly resembles a dog, and has a white head scarf that lets the ears poke up. Past this, Mason looks at the writing on a stairwell, before going up.

They enter on a street more than a little darker than the rest.
"Here, more or less."

>>168398
>>168399
I apologize for the delay. I had a family emergency.
>my saturday closed up quite a bit
Oh

>"Here, more or less."
"This'll be where we part ways then, Mason." Posie says, whirling her cape
"Until next time. You needn't worry about me; I can take care of myself."

I guess this is the part where I roll a check to get where I'm going?

Rosie Ring herself seems quite fascinated by all the views around her, the hustle and bustle of still-breathing bodies unlike anything she would have experienced in Magehold. While failing to hide a bit of her bloodthirst enthusiasm at first, she keeps an uncannily calm and almost impervious expression: like that of a mare who believes she's invincible.
"Now, let's see if this new country is worth conquest." She says, to herself, as she trots down the lane

I guess I'll roll the gather information skill to find my way to my destination. It serves as survival in urban areas, if I recall correctly.
[1d20+4 = (17+4) = 21]
And a search check, for anything out of the ordinary that I might be interested in (secret passages, clues, etc)
[1d20+5 = (13+5) = 18]
I'll also roll a separate check to find any leads related to my target, by asking around for anyone who might be able to help out a poor, defenseless mare such as myself.
[1d20+4 = (17+4) = 21]
And a bluff check, to maintain a low profile
[1d20+12 = (4+12) = 16]

>>168401
Pardon, the third check was also gather information

To keep this smooth, I'm going to roll all of the checks I want right here
Untrained knowledge (local) to see what I might know about this neighborhood:
[1d20+3 = (2+3) = 5]
Knowledge [Arcana] to see what I might know about the magical traditions, practices or preferences of mages local to this area, that might clue me into where they would lair.
[1d20+9 = (12+9) = 21]
And last but not least, Religion, to recall any forms of undead that I might encounter in this area, in addition to insight on local traditions of necromancy (such as Voodoo, as referenced earlier)
[1d20+9 = (4+9) = 13]

Rosie darts around the street as discreetly as she can, with most of her body obscured by her cloak. The golden glow of her eyes can be seen darting left and right, searching for her charge like predator prowling in the night.

>>168403
>tfw you fail a common knowledge check
In reflection of her background, Posie has absolutely no idea what this strange new world is like. She wouldn't recognize a stoplight of she saw one.

>>168404
Don't worry, you get used to failing rolls eventually

>>168405
Hi
Haven't seen you around recently

>>168406
I've been around, waiting patiently and seeing what the other game frens are doing.

>>168407
I might get to kill something soon, and maybe find some cool treasure along the way. I am excited.

>>168398
>much later tonight
How late are we talking about?

>>168400
Posey can tell the feeling from Mason is mutual.
“Sure thing. Remember: 34 and Comanche, apartment 24 for Umoya, and 36th and La Fete, unit 12, for Agire. I’ll go see if those mares back there need any help.”

Left alone on the street, Posey finds that there are a number of creatures are up and about. Just as Posey prefers the night to the day, so too do these creatures. They walk on the sidewalks, congregate en masse at their open bars, or take down laundry from the open windows of their illuminated tenement rooms. Posie has never seen anything like these creatures. They are vaguely canine in appearance, like giant wild dogs, dingoes, or coyotes, with unkempt brown fur and hunched backs as they walk on all fours. But for their mimicry of living pony behavior, Posie would assume these were dangerous wild beasts that wondered deep into the city, albeit in frighteningly massive numbers. But their clothing and occupation of decrepit and antique apartment buildings and storefronts, as well as their drab foreign cloaks and alien spoken yap-like language, conveys with certainty that they belong to some ancient, sapient, if perhaps questionably “civilized,” race.

>gather information; leads
The locals do not seem to care for Posey, nor for any defenseless mare. Most pay her no attention, but more than one stares at her with golden eyes that reflect in the night. Posey cannot at this moment discern either predatory glee or fearful suspicion in their eyes; but what she can see that they recognize her as a new and foreign element to their neighborhood, and they keep vigil.

Yet Posey's attempts are not without success. Posey sees a middle aged white pegasus standing on the top of a stairs by a narrow rowhouse behind her. He speaks with an accent like the owner of the restaurant.

"You've entered onto La Fete, a little south of the corner with 35th street. That unit 12 is a town house about a block north. It's to your right. It's actually not on La Fete, but to the right on the north side. Agire was pretty prominent in the community here, for the Kaftar at least. I think he was a priest in Kaftaria, came in with that big group that fled after the Storm King was defeated. I think he was a collaborator, but what do I know. He was certainly a priest here. He was killed recently; it has the Kaftar all riled up.

Commache is a block further west. In front you. To get to 34th, I'd go left. That's a big apartment building; right on the corner. One they built when they raised the street level and rebuilt all of these blocks. It's ancient now, and frankly deserves to be condemned. Many of these blocks have fallen to Tartarus or were shelled in the revolt and haven't been rebuilt. Umoya was Crocutta I think. I knew her even less, but I know she came in with a group from elsewhere in the city. They say the police wanted her, but the Crocutta wouldn't allow it. She was supposedly a teacher, but really she was some sort of witch doctor."

>out of the ordinary
At the moment, there seems to be a kind of excess of information, and little means to interpret it. Posey has pretty good reason to believe that secret passages exist, including entrances to buildings, alleys, courtyards, and underground sections.

>bluff
Posey appears as a regular magical unicorn, although such a thing seems a little less regular than elsewhere in the city.

>>168403
>local knowledge
Posey doesn't know shit
>Knowledge
Posey knows that Equestrian magical traditions tend pretty overwhelmingly to center on the study of Unicorn magic, which is friendly to multiple fields of study.
>Religion and Undead
Equestrian religion centers on the idea of "Harmony," a natural order of things where in every part of the universe has a given role, and that moral virtue can be found in relationships with other ponies. Moral virtue and magic are linked in a greater weave of the universe. Necromancy and the undead are generally frowned upon in this wider religion and are seen as deviations from it.

>predator prowling in the night
Does Posey think that she is the lone, apex predator? Has she forgotten where she is? The living invented killing. The living invented death. They invented the concept of predation. They were to the first to look upon a corpse, freshly slain, rotten, or still wriggling with the last lingering remnants of life, with hungry eyes and watering mouths. Life defies entropy only by maximizing it, by trading its own death for the death of another in a ponzi scheme that lasts until it doesn't. The creatures Posey has found here are the result of a long line of predators or perhaps carrion eaters, who have been killing and eating corpses in the night since at least the beginning of this worldly cycle, and perhaps longer. Posey is not alone.

>>168436
>Just as Posey prefers the night to the day, so too do these creatures.
Sounds like a nice neighborhood. Maybe I'll buy a condo here.
>Posie would assume these were dangerous wild beasts that wondered deep into the city
"They can't possibly be worse than Lord Vile's wolves..." Posie whispers to herself, gritting her fangs at an unpleasant memory
>some sort of witch doctor
Interesting lead
>Does Posey think that she is the lone, apex predator?
I cannot overstate Posey's hubris. She believes she is the chosen one destined to bring ruin to this world and all it's pathetic creatures (pic related). She is immune to fear and acts like it.
She airs on the side of caution though, not wanting her crusade to be cut short before it begins.

>>168436
Posey makes her way towards the indicated destination, galloping at her full speed without rest (hustle speed x 2).
>Equestrian religion centers on the idea of "Harmony," a natural order of things where in every part of the universe has a given role, and that moral virtue can be found in relationships with other ponies.
Are ponies in Equestria usually good-aligned?