Ambergriff wonders her way through the bog at night, looking for safety. Silver leads a heroic assault on the infiltrators before they can destroy the city. Both will have to wake soon...
Hopefully Spark's line will continue soon as well.
>>168437>>168438You're going to have to be more interactive with the objective than "indicated destination." As you've hopefully noticed, there are not one, but two locations of interest, each nearby but in opposite directions.
Equestrian culture presents itself as valuing and promoting goodness. How well the ponies live up to this ideal, or even value it, is an empirical question.
>>168442Pardon, I misunderstood.
I think I'll go to LA Feta first. It seems like the more dangerous option, but if the priest was killed recently enough for the Kaftar to still be riled up his grave should be worth robbing. Also, I'm kind of itching for a fight.
"Kaftar" makes me think these creatures are gnoll-like monsters, and in d&d gnoll clerics are some of the monster powerful and feared necromancers.
If that doesn't work out, I'll head over to Commanche and see what the deal was with the witch doctor, if I haven't been eaten by hyenas.
>>168436>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.I take it these are the Kaftars?
I guess I'll make a religion roll to see what I might be able to expect from the temple or home of a Kaftar priest:
[1d20+9 = (2+9) = 11]
>>168444>>168446Posie knows only this: that the Kaftar, like a majority of Zebrican cultures, place spiritual entities as the objects of their worship. That is to say that they worship gods, unlike the Equestrian or Kirin religions, which see the divine essence as permeating the universe.
I'm not sure how much I can describe tonight in the locations, as an event irl that occurred earlier has kind of deflated me
>>168451>an event irl that occurred earlier has kind of deflated meNo hard feelings. Real life takes priority over games. No point in playing if you're not feeling well.
>>168471Yes, am here. I should be available most of the weekend (I think). I should have the next part up soon
>>168446>>168451>>168444The night is bathed in a dim, yellow light from numerous street lights, which are a bit too far away from one another to completely illuminate the sidewalks. Posie looks at the small, rectangular green street signs
assuming she isn't color blind, which I'm really wondering if she may be, and sees that she has come upon the intersection of La Fete (the street she is on the right sidewalk of now, travelling north) and 34th (which intersects perpendicularly with La Fete). Looking forward, on the corner, Posie can see that there is a brightly lit location that seems to be a diner, with many creatures in it. Posie can smell meat - hard to tell whether it is fresh or rotten - coming from it. Turning right, Posie can see that there are a few more of these creatures walking about. Not many, but a few. Posie thinks more are female, some wearing headdresses and some not, but it isn't easy to tell with the low light, the distance, and Posie's complete indifference. She can feel a slight breeze, though blocked by the factory, that makes the air feel like a cool autumn day, if only she could forget it's the night in the middle of winter. Past this block, Posie can see that 34th dead ends in a tall, dimly lit manufactory with a high roof. It's one single building past the corner block that Posie comes upon the first location - a tenement building only 30 or so feet wide, and four stories tall, with dark brown, weathered bricks. Posie actually has to step down to enter through the unlocked front door. There are mail slots at the entry, a narrow hallway, and closed, locked doors to either side along these brick walls. The first door right there on the first floor is her destination - unit twelve.
>>168474>assuming she isn't color blind, which I'm really wondering if she may beShe's not..dark vision is color blind, but lights shouldn't be an issue.
>unlocked front doorPosey feels relieved she doesn't have to confront her irrational phobia of entering buildings uninvited today.
>The first door right there on the first floor is her destination - unit twelve.She readies her unholy symbol beneath her cloak, and enters the unit.
>>168476Posies counts her various weapons to ensure they're all there (spear, bow, knife) before she enters, ready for a potential fight.
She enters stealthily, not wanting to alert the locals before she makes her move. Her little white hooves prowl gently on the floor, stepping softly and slowly. I will roll her Move Silently skill to sneak in:
[1d20+9 = (18+9) = 27]She scans the floor, the ceiling, and all surrounding structures to search for anything unusual (objects, traps, etc). Search.
[1d20+5 = (16+5) = 21]Her golden eyes glow in the darkness, as she looks around for any hidden creatures. Spot.
[1d20+4 = (5+4) = 9]And flicks her cute little pony ears in a manner not unlike a bat, listening for any movement. Listen.
[1d20+4 = (11+4) = 15](So silly how perception is three different skills in 3.5e...)
>>168476>>168477I'm sorry if it wasn't clarified - the building is a multi-unit apartment. The door to the common area of the tenement building is unlocked. The door to the apartment itself - unit 12 - is locked.
>>168478.......
"... Okay, Posey. You can do this. A door can stop you..."
Posey takes her mace out ready to break down the door, but then her eye gives a twitches, she shudder, and....
She forms a fist with her magic, and politely knocks on the door first.
(Gotta roleplay her flaws)
>>168479Meant to say "can't stop you", but I guess the irony sticks anyway.
>>168478Does she get any reply after knocking?
(I didn't think I would get a response so soon. I can play for the remainder of the day if you want)
>>168479Oh, but they can, little pony. Posey was right not to trust doors. This particular one seems to be made out of a few boards of very old wood. It has a large crack running through it, is discolored at points, seems water damaged, and the most recent coat of verdigris blue-green paint is starting to peel off.
At first, Posey hears nothing. Then she hears shifting inside of the room. She may consider knocking again, until a slot on the door is moved, and she can see a pair of brown eyes looking back at her through the slot.
"Who is there?" She hears in labored ponish, and barely made out through a thick accent.
>>168483Posey curses her vampiric compulsions silently.
With her hood still over her head, she fabricates a lie, playing to the superstitious culture of the kaftars
"Necrologist. A B-class haunt has been detected in these chambers, and it's imperative that any cursed items in these chambers be disposed of properly to to keep the curse from spreading." she speaks softly but sternly, in a formal sounding voice
Rolling bluff, to influence whatever answered the door into letting me in
[1d20+12 = (4+12) = 16]She goes on, her voice turning dire
"Something has died here recently... And yet it lingers. You are in grave danger!"
And intimidate, to spook them into anxiety-driven compliance
[1d20+11 = (19+11) = 30]
>>168484Opposed. She gets a buff for xenophobia:
[1d20+4 = (9+4) = 13]
>>168485Posey looks the kaftar dead in the eyes, her golden eyes glowing in the dim light.
"You feel it, don't you? Something is stirring. Time is of the essence."
>>168485>>168484>>168486With fear, the creature responds
"Nothing has died here recently" But the sentence is said without conviction, not so much because it's asserter knows it to be false, but because she is uncertain of the truth herself. But Posey can hear a lock turned on the door, and a latched undone. The door opens. Posey can see that the creature is female, has a light coat beige, almost white coat striped with black stripes, though most of her body is covered with a thin, white robe. Her legs are thin relative to the body, and tipped in brown paws. Her somewhat muzzle is black, and the top of her head is that light brown, with triangular ears. All in all the creature has the appearence of some ersatz wild dog, and is around about typical of the "Kaftars" she has seen. Her mouth opens slightly to reveal browned, partly broken but certain sharp carnivorous teeth, and her eyes, reflective of the yellow light behind Posey, remain locked onto her, showing clear fear. If she does not fully believe Posey, she at least takes it seriously.
"What... what is a haunt?"
>>168487>what is a haunt?"Something that lingers from beyond the grave. Perhaps it could be from a grudge of one who died restlessly, or a curse set on a soul who dealt with powers beyond their control in life; it could even be the a geas from a great spirit furious with events that came to pass in the area. A haunt can come from many places, but it's always a menace to the living...." Posey says, truthfully
She lowers her hood, revealing her face
"But you know that already, don't you, madame? I'm sure you've felt something... restless, tugging at you recently? A presence, an emptiness, a chill? Something tugging at your very soul, spreading around the neighborhood like a blight, rooted deep into the earth..." she says, playing to the kaftar's fear
"Tell me, what is it that happened here?"
Gotta drive someone somewhere. Will be out for 15 minutes before I can reply.
>>168488When the dam breaks, it brings a flood:
"I - I - My husband, he died recently, he would do things with those he worshiped with. Rituals. I do not know what he did with them, they did not let me watch, but I think it may have left spirits. And then he had a dispute with a young kaftar who challenged him. I think it happened here, I do not know. I do not know exactly what happened... and then before we came, I do not know what has happened here. I have always heard noises. I do think things have happened here. And much has happened in the neighborhood-"
>>168489Posey gives a knowing nod
"These matters are complicated, but they can be resolved with proper expertise. May I come in?"
>>168490"Yes, of course" She moves to the left, and gives room for Posey to enter.
>>168491Posey enters, taking in the room around her.
Gotta go again. 10 minutes.
>>168492Back
>>168491What does the inside of the room look like?
>>168489>And much has happened in the neighborhood->I have always heard noises.Posey's gaslighting/burglary campaign is derailed by her curiosity in encountering what might be an actual haunt, a twinkle shines in her eye.
"There is much work to be done then. Let's take things one hoof at a time. You said much has happened in the neighborhood: have your neighbors noticed anything unusual?"
>>168492Looking into the room, Posey can see that she is looking into what must be a living room. The first thing that must be understood is that this is not a manor house; the room is fairly small and cramped. There is a couch that has dark green cushions that are a bit old, and definitely dishvelled and out of place. There is a pair of pillows on the couch, and a blanket. On the floor are a items of clothing, mostly fairly simple robe-like articles of either green or white color. There is a coffee table to the left of the couch, which has an electric lamp, an empty candle holder, a ceramic cup, a plate, and a couple pieces of mail.
But the real prize is when Posie turns back to look at the wall towards where she came in. Posie sees a book shelf with a number of books, many of them with simple brown bindings, a statue of a Peacock painted green that is above it (presumably ceramic, hard to tell), an incense holder that is pretty nice looking and presumably silver, and to left of the door, a simple brown canvas with one, two, three, four, five, six brown Kaftar eyes, three each to the side of a display of peacock feathers. The wall to the left of the entrance has a window to the outside with closed curtains, and to the right is a door going to another room. The floor is wooden with a few stains, and the ceiling is somehow even more stained, pained a simple white.
>>168494"No, I, I don't believe so. The building here is old. The water has not worked all of the time. They have complained of screams, yes, but I do not know what that has to do with this."
>>168495Posey trots over to the book shelf and appraises the items on it:
[1d20+3 = (9+3) = 12]She reads the titles of any books on the shelves, judging their contents. Can she make out their contents? Posey reads abyssal, infernal, and griffon.
"You said your husband did rituals with his fellow worshippers. Where exactly did he conduct them?"
>>168496Nothing on that shelf is in Griffin. Actually... that's not true. One seems to be a history book about Griffinheim predating the Grover dynasty. There is a ponish book, "The survival of the witch cult in Western Griffonia," and then one, two, three in some other language that Posey is not familiar with. But what likely is of the most interest is a phrase written in Infernal: "The Seven Mysteries" on one of the books
>>168496"Well.... Most of what he did he did not do here. He was either at the temple or at that that building on the water. All he did here was prayer. I think. I think all he did here was prayer. It would be here. In the living room."
>>168496>appraisalHard to say, but these books, that statue, and that incense holder are very clearly well above the value of the other items in the room, and well above the value of items you would generally expect someone living in these accommodations to be able to afford.
>>168497Interesting books.
"In the living room... And these-" Posey points a hoof towards the various shelf items
"Were these part of his prayers? They might need to be... sanctified." she lifts the incense burner and sniffs it lightly
"If he was conducting his rituals at the temple, I might have to visit there..."
She turns to the kaftar
"What are the burial practices of your neighborhood? Considering your husband's... Profession, I would assume he was near the center of it. Did he have anyone to oversee his passing?"
>>168499"Oh. Yes. Well, not most of the time. But some of the time. Yes."
Posey can smell that it most certainly has been used for incense
"The city gave back his body the day before yesterday. We had to fight them over it. There is a plot outside of the town where we are allowed to bury the dead, but we bury many in the crypts below the temple." Her eyes dart and she bursts out "I was not supposed to say that. The city does not let us bury the dead within the city."
>>168500>muh zoning lawsPosey clicks her tongue in empathetic annoyance.
"You have nothing to worry about, ma'am. I don't work for the city." Poise replies, getting a bit cocky
"Was your husband buried in city's plot, or was he buried in the temple? What is your temple like?"
I came here to kill civilians, rob graves and desecrate the dead, but scamming and old widow out of her husband's antiques feels beneath me, too easy... I could probably just kill her and get away with it, but let's see how deep the rabbit hole goes first.
>>168501"He-"
The kaftar is interrupted by a voice coming from Posey's left, coming through the door from the other room. Posey sees another kaftar, a male, larger, and wearing a fitting green shirt, walk through. He has on a white turban that covers his hears and goes down the back of his neck, though some of a long, black "mane" pokes through. He speaks, clearly indignant.
"Who are you? What are you doing in her apartment?"
>>168502I have to go again. Sorry. I'll come up with a suitable response in ~20 minutes
>>168503Back
>>168502Posey turns towards the male, putting down the incense gently
"I am a Necrologist, here to investigate traces of a haunt in this area." She says
"Are you a relative of this madame here? The male of the household?"
>>168504"I am Sevberk, her late husband's brother. We do not need any help with a 'Haunt'." He answers. He is a little calmer, but seems offended by Posey's prescence
>>167628Silver Sword is joined by his son Spectral Streak, the white pegasus officer, Azelea Bloom, an Orange pony, a purple pony, and two medics, one cream, the other grey. Bloom and the orange pony are wounded, but bandaged. All have either Jenny battle rifles or submachine guns.
Silver sees nothing preventing him from crossing. He is ready. He thinks he hears music of an old patriotic song playing, though he knows not from where. A cloud passes, and the short road between them almost glows reflecting the spring morning light.
>>168506Then cross they shall! Silver leads the charge, and they should hurry lest anyling starts firing upon them.
"Go go go go go!"
>>168507The ponies cross the concrete road, and line up against the side of the transit ministry building. There are many windows a little above ground level, some already shattered. No doors are especially close.
>>168505"Ah, so you are the male of the house. Pardon me, I should have addressed you first."
>We do not need any help with a 'Haunt'"Are you certain about that? Haunts are serious business if left untreated, especially with improper burials." Poise implores
Rolling bluff to influence him
[1d20+12 = (6+12) = 18]
>>168509https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHC1230OpOg&pp=ygUXYXJlIHlvdSBzdXJlIGFib3V0IHRoYXQ%3D"I was in the wash preparing to do chores before my shift starts." He adds. "I'm helping her stay on her paws."
Opposed:
[1d20+4 = (10+4) = 14] Xenophobia boost
>>168509>>168510Posie can see his turban move down as his ears move back and down.
"My brother did not leave easy... She needs to be secure"
>>168510"What a good brother you are, looking out for your brother's widow. How honorable." Posey says with a flattering tone
>>168511>"My brother did not leave easy... She needs to be secure""Then let's make sure of that." Posey says
"Can you tell me anything about how your brother died, where he was buried, or what he was up to before he passed? It could help the whole neighborhood get over this much sooner."
>>168508Are the windows low enough for Silver to peak into?
>>168512He stands there silently for a moment as Posey talks, and again seems a bit calmer. All the same he replies to Posey's questions with a laugh "Heh, if you did not know the answers to those questions already, you would not have known to come here. Tell me. Who sent you, pony?"
>>168513Yes.