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[YouTube] The True Gift of Gifting [Embed]

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Occupied Equestria - Awakening
Anonymous
4c7c7bf
?
No.167000
167005 167012
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.
997 replies and 88 files omitted.
Silver "The Floof" Sword
a727551
?
No.168515
168516
>>168514
Then that's exactly what Silver does. He wants to make sure they're not going to jump directly into a trap, after all.
Anonymous
2280868
?
No.168516
168517
>>168515
Silver looks inside to find.... an almost completely empty room. There is a desk. But that's it. No chair, no clocks, no bookshelf, no potted plants, no cat posters. It's an empty office with one single item of furniture. The walls, while a shade of white, are oddly more pleasant than the whitewashed walls of yesteryear as he remembers them, having a slightly yellowish tint that makes them closer to ecru than true white.
Silver "The Floof" Sword
a727551
?
No.168517
168518
>>168516
Ecru...it reminds him of a certain pony he met long ago...

Can the window be opened from the outside?
Anonymous
2280868
?
No.168518
168521
>>168517
No.

If there ever was an ecru pony, he is not by Silver's side here in this war.
Anonymous
0660b14
?
No.168519
168520 168524
>>168514
"I only know that he is a priest, he is dead, and that there's been issues since." Posey clarifies
"I come from a third party that operates outside the jurisdictions of the city, sent by a higher up of associates of my profession. I would tell you more but... I'd have to kill you." She says with a shrug
"Nevertheless, do I believe our interests coincide."
She whirls her cape
"I go by Rosie Ring. Why don't we be friends?" she extends a hoof
Diplomacy check
[1d20+6 = (12+6) = 18]
Anonymous
2280868
?
No.168520
168521 168523 168524
50px-Xenophobe.png
>>168519
Opposed
[1d20+4 = (1+4) = 5]
Silver "The Floof" Sword
a727551
?
No.168521
168524
>>168518
Hmmmm...assuming it's locked, is there any way to unlatch the window?

>>168520
Fanatic Xenophilia wins the day
Silver "The Floof" Sword
a727551
?
No.168522
168524
I should specify, unlatch it from Silver's side
Anonymous
0660b14
?
No.168523
168524
>>168520
I didn't think Diplomacy checks were opposed, but I think I just won.
Anonymous
2280868
?
No.168524
168525 168529
IMG_4496.jpg
>>168519
>>168520
Equestria is not unique among the nations for valuing friendship, but it is certainly exceptional as the land where friendship is very literally, magic. Posey feels something like a magical spark as the kaftar male raises his paw, grabs Posey's hoof, and shakes it. The pads of his paw are soft, with short and blunt, obviously trimmed claws. He's a bit firm. He himself looks down to his paw and her hoof with surprise.

"Sevbêrk" He answers

>>168521
>>168522
It cannot be opened from the outside, no.

>>168523
It was supposed to represent distrust of outsiders
Silver "The Floof" Sword
a727551
?
No.168525
168526
>>168524
Okay, next question: if they were to bash out the glass from the window, would the opening be big enough for each of the party members?
Anonymous
2280868
?
No.168526
168527
>>168525
>>168525
Only if they went one at a time
Silver "The Floof" Sword
a727551
?
No.168527
168528
>>168526
That can be done. He points at the other windows that are nearby.

"I need to break this window for us to get in. See if you can break some others as well so changelings do not know from sound which one we came in from."
Anonymous
2280868
?
No.168528
168530
>>168527
The ponies abide. The white pegasus shatters a window with the butt of his Jenny rifle, while the orange pony moves down before crashing in one with his submachine gun. Spectral Streak goes the opposite direction, past Silver, to crash in a window. There's another roar as the planes pass overhead again, in the other direction.
Anonymous
0660b14
?
No.168529
168531
>>168524
Posey shakes the kaftar's paw, glad the message has gotten through to him.
"Now, why don't you tell me a bit more about your brother?"
Silver "The Floof" Sword
a727551
?
No.168530
168531
>>168528
Silver meanwhile bashes in his own window and works quickly to clear it of any broken glass shards. Nopony wants to get torn to shreads before any fighting happens, after all.
Anonymous
2280868
?
No.168531
168532 168533
>>168529
"My brother Agire was very spiritual, and very attuned with the angels. He was very strong, and a leader of the community as a priest. He made friends with the others in the city as well. What do you want to know?"

>>168530
Slam the butt of the Jenny through (slightly harder with its bullpup configuration, but still possible, though it works better with the Grim or the Strange), then use the butt to clear the broken glass at the bottom. It is done.
Anonymous
0660b14
?
No.168532
168534
>>168531
"What happened to him in the past couple weeks? How did he die, and where was he buried?"
Silver "The Floof" Sword
a727551
?
No.168533
168534
>>168531
Silver whistles to the others that the window is ready, and he climbs through first. He keeps his gun (currently the Strange) at the ready for any changeling interlopers.
Anonymous
2280868
?
No.168534
168535 168536
>>168532
Sevberk blinks, and stands silently for a moment before answering Posie. He has a someone hushed and deflated tone.

"He was meeting with a group that called themselves 'The Society,' lead by a pony and a griffin just a little south of here. It was a religious gathering. Not of our faith, but Agire was very spiritual and would sometimes be present for the rituals of other faiths. He was there when mercenaries sent by customs from the fascists raided, and they killed him. He was stabbed several times. The police took the corpse, and after I petitioned them, gave the corpse to us. We had a ritual in the temple, and sealed him away in a cellar under the courtyard behind the temple."

>>168533
Silver goes through to again find that it's a fairly spacious empty office. Most likely it's meant for multiple workers, as it's a little long and has several windows. The ponies come through, until finally all eight ponies (counting Silver) are inside. Silver hasn't seen any changelings yet. Unless the desk is a changeling. But changelings can't disguise themselves as desks. Can they?
Silver "The Floof" Sword
a727551
?
No.168535
168537
>>168534
No...surely not. At least, that's what Silver hopes...

"Alright ponies, if they have bomb, my guess it is in basement. Let us find stairs, probably towards center of building. Follow me."
Anonymous
0660b14
?
No.168536
168537
>>168534
Posey nods knowingly
"Your brother had friends in far places, but it looks as though that ran him into trouble. You have my sympathies. It's not easy working in his profession in these trying times."
"Where was he when he was meeting with 'The Society'? Was he handling any objects that might've been supernatural or mystic at the time?" she implores
"Lastly, with your permission, would like to examine the condition of his grave below the temple, to see if there's any signs of a haunt."
Anonymous
2280868
?
No.168537
168538 168539
>>168535
Silver looks out through the door to find... a hallway. This is actually slightly blue tinted, rather than yellow tinted. The hallway continues straight in either direction, though to his left, it turns off to the right, apparently going deeper into the building.

>>168536
"He was at the old building where many of their immigrant members lived at 33 Hoebuck Street. I do not know if he was handling any items."

Posey can hear the female Kaftar lightly sobbing. Sevberk slowly walks towards her, sits next to her, and places a foreleg over her.

"It is sensible but... these areas are off limits, especially to ponies."
Silver "The Floof" Sword
a727551
?
No.168538
168540
>>168537
That is the direction Silver follows: left, then right.
Anonymous
0660b14
?
No.168539
168540 168544
>>168537
I came here to rob these guys, now I feel kinda bad...

"Well, I do respect your customs, but I press you to reconsider. I'm not an average pony, afterall, and I have some respect for your brother's profession. I am skilled in this trade, and I believe I could deal with whatever restless spirit may be bothering your neighborhood. Just a look around; I'll be gone by the end of the night."
Rolling bluff to goad them into consideration
[1d20+12 = (7+12) = 19]
Anonymous
2280868
?
No.168540
168541 168543 168544
>>168539
I'mma roll opposed. But Posey has worn down their xenophobia
[1d20+2 = (16+2) = 18]

>>168538
When Silver turns, he passes an office, and then to a set of glass doors and large glass windows with a view to outside. Silver can see that to either side of this hallway is a courtyard, with light shining through
Anonymous
0660b14
?
No.168541
168544
>>168540
Friendship win!
Anonymous
0660b14
?
No.168542
I have just been informed that I'll have to get up at 5:30 tomorrow, so I'm not going to be able to explore the crypt tonight.
It's been interesting this session though. I'm looking forward to the next developments with these NPCs.
Silver "The Floof" Sword
a727551
?
No.168543
168834
>>168540
"Those are not stairs."

Confused, Silver looks around to see if there are handy maps of the building located on the walls, for a pony as lost as he is.
Anonymous
2280868
?
No.168544
168545
>>168539
>>168540
>>168541
Posey can sense some hesitation from him. The ears go down again. He is silent for a moment, before answering

"You are not Kaftar and you have not lived here. You do not understand...

Agire's soul has been transported to the Beyond by the Angel. He has preceeded both his heavenly brother and his mentor, and he now waits in the Beyond for them to join him, and they wait to be born again with the rebirth of the world. The body he had in life is now simply rotting meat. We Kaftar understand this better than almost anyone. Better than you ponies, to be sure.

But you must understand. We have almost nothing to ourselves in this strange land. Nothing to set aside as sacred. We have no special cemetery, and even our temple is an old pony church. This one old pony wine cellar, where we may bury our dead upright, facing towards the North Star, sealed away and awaiting the rebirth of the world... is one of few places that is our own.

My brother was killed by ponies. Pony customs agents. Our homes have been burst into multiple times by pony soldiers, and pony police, looking for weapons and fugitives. When I first saw you, you looked like a utilities worker or debt collector, or other agent from the city, here to harass my brother's widow.

Di Bin Milyaketan is the chief priest of our religion here. He was Agire's mentor, and was supposed to be succeeded by Agire. He is bonded by ritual to Agire as his heavenly mentor, and was supposed to preceed Agire to the beyond, and wait for him there. He will not be happy to see a snooping pony enter into his temple, through the old crypts and to the illegal burial chamber beyond.

I could help you. But he will not easily allow it."
Anonymous
aa09950
?
No.168545
168546 168551
>>168544
I am questioning why I came to this place... I guess I was looking for treasure and a fight.
>Di Bin Milyaketan is the chief priest
Well, there's some useful information. I kind of doubt there's that much treasure to be had in the crypts. These guys are broke.
If I had 340 go for two holy arrows I could try to bring the priest back, but I don't think his wife would like that... Still a fun idea though.

Posey considers the above thoughts. She ponders silently for a moment, ruffles her chest fluff, and bows her head.
"You've been more than hospitable for a stranger such as myself. I'm sure your brother Agire was a very talented spiritualist, and it's a great shame that he joined the dead before realizing his potential. If what you say was true, I doubt he would have been one to bother his family from beyond the grave.."
She raises her head
"Take care, Sevberk. These are trying times, but I'm sure you and your people have a place somewhere somehow. Equestria is changing, war is on the horizon, changelings are swarming, and something much darker is on the horizon..."
Her face suddenly shifts to something a bit less charming. Her pleasant smile twists into a wolf-like snarl, her rosey cheeks turn palsy with clammy black veins, and her majestic golden eyes look cloudy like those of a dead fish, sunken in their sockets; for a brief moment, she looks truly monstrous. She sneers, and the moment is over as soon as it began.
"...Something is coming, and your brother knew of it, as well as the role he and his people would play. Perhaps he still has a role to play beyond the gray, or even here on the mortal plane. Wait for that time, when your kind will know your calling in this land." she whirls her cape, and turns, fiddling with something beneath her cloak
"I won't torment the two of you any longer. Take good care of your sister in law, Sevberk. There's much stirring in these parts. Rumor has it that the city may be walling-off this district soon."

As she slowly walks away, she levitates back a small object:
It's a clump of sealing wax, stamped with her unholy symbol: the mark of the Dread League.
"A token of our friendship. Your brother was lost helping strangers with their ambitions, people in my profession. It's beyond my powers to undue what was done, but the least I can do is extend our friendship to you. It means that we.. or at least I, owe your kind a favor. Keep it or discard it as you please. Crumble it up if the mercenaries of the city threaten you for it." she floats the wax seal to him as she opens the door to leave
"I'll give your temple a visit if there's anything to be concerned of, but it seems as though this is where we part ways. Until next time, Sevberk, oh faithful hound."
Anonymous
aa09950
?
No.168546
Dread_League (1).png
>>168545
Forgot the mark
Anonymous
2280868
?
No.168551
168553
>>168545
I mean I would hope it's at least a little interesting

He listens, looking to Posey with his dark brown eyes. At first, he simply takes it in. Then, he nods. Then, he is confused. And though the confusion does not fade, he moves ever so slightly back in fear, and in recognition that something far darker and more menacing is alluded to, though he cannot fathom what. He takes the wax seal, and looks down to it in his open paw, as his mouth opens slight. The female too, looks over in curiosity, quite content to keep that small sliver of distance between herself and Posey, and that cryptic wax seal she left behind. Sevberk looks away from the wax seal and back towards Posey, his mouth still hanging ever so slightly open. He watches her leave, still dumbstruck. He starts to say "I am not a hou-" as Posey closes the door.
Anonymous
ad93e40
?
No.168553
168704
>>168551
Oh, it's definitely interesting. Much more intrigue than I expected. I think I might give the priest a visit some other time to see what connection he might've had to the league. It's just that Posey would have figured out that there's little reward in attacking to these people or plundering these parts, and there's little she could do to help except overthrow society (which she intends to eventually) if she wanted to, so she may as well leave. I intended to roleplay Posey as a self-serving, sadistic and ruthless monster, but there's little to be gained from turning violent here aside from some books and a silver statue, and I doubt I'd level from the fight; so I gave them a hook to potentially meet again in the future, and took the opportunity to act a little scary.
I sort of assumed this was your intention. If there's a major plot hook that I missed that you want me to follow, don't be shy to tell me.
*closes door*
"Well, that's that. I think I'll give that witch doctor a visit before the night is over." Posey says to herself, as she tosses her mane, swishes her tail, whirls her cloak and trots off into the night (looking deceptively adorable as she patters about on her little hoofsies)
Anonymous
ad93e40
?
No.168555
168704
Posey notes the kaftar clergy as a potential ally of the Dread League, and makes her way towards the tartarian depths of Commanche.
Anonymous
934f335
?
No.168625
168694
IMG_1988.gif
I am out on horse-related business this weekend, and so will likely not be able to play, at least beyond one or two posts, until at least Sunday night
Anonymous
85ff5ba
?
No.168646
[dead horse noises]
Anonymous
c50ff39
?
No.168694
168704
>>168625
What about this week?
Anonymous
5638ae5
?
No.168698
168704
Hey, DM, could Posey search behind any of these Kaftar shops to get enough bones to form a skeleton?
Anonymous
2280868
?
No.168704
168705
>>168694
I'm at least home, though work has been awful

>>168698
She can try.

>>168555
>>168553
Posey exits the apartment, and then the tenement building, back onto 34th street. The air is only marginally cooler than in the apartment, and that difference is explained by the breeze that makes its way past the manufactory and onto the street. Posey can hear the sounds of distant talking, of idling diesel engines, of automobiles passing through roadways, of machines opening and closing, and the beating of drums in some alien musical performance somewhere nearby. Posey can make out the smell of meat, though further details about its nature elude her. A cloud obscuring the light of the waning gibbous moon moves out of the way, providing a dim white overlay to a street otherwise marked by a mixture of darkness and obnoxious yellow street lights.

Where does Posey go next?
Anonymous
5638ae5
?
No.168705
168709 168714
>>168704
Tell me about it. Work has been kicking my ass.

Posey consider finding a skeleton if it looks convenient. If it doesn't look convenient, she'll just keep trotting.

Imagery
Posey looks over the busy urban hellscape with grim fascination, somber melancholy, and a touch of awe. In her few hours in Equestria, she's seen many things she's never seen before, although little to change her mind about destroying it.
"Equestria... Is much more complex than I expected..." she says to herself, wistfully

>Where does Posey go next?
Posey decides to investigate the witch doctor in Commanche before the night is over, wondering with the innocence of a foreigner from the sunless lands if that pony meant it literally when he said it had fallen to Tartarus
Anonymous
2280868
?
No.168709
168710 168714
>>168705
It's hard to tell if they sell skeletons here. In the one corner, there are several Kaftar sitting at tables and served food, while another trio play dice. In another corner, clothing, including those robes Posey sees. In another, a store with bars over the windows that seems to sell.... liquor. If they practice voodoo or witchcraft, it doesn't seem to be advertised at street level. There are several creatures moving along the street level, and several automobiles, though altogether not that many, and the streets, though far from deserted, are far from bustling. Posey cannot tell if the blocks are depopulated, or if she caught them at a lull in the day - day of course meant metaphorically, as it must surely be at least 9 PM.

Posey can see that most of the buildings have weathered brick facades, are about 4 or five floors high, some purely residential, some with commercial services at ground level. Some have electric lights on inside, most do not. The buildings are mostly back to back next to each other, but a few are separated by alleys, and peering through alleys, Posey can see that within the blocks of apartment buildings are courtyards, sometimes partitioned by big fences into multiple tiny patios, or shared communal gardens that are barren or filled with dead plants or small trees in their winter torpor. The same few designs repeat endlessly across rectangular blocks, and most of the buildings seem to have been built in the same decade. Just one street east, Posey can see that neither the street layout nor the buildings share this pattern, as large industrial buildings of more recent origins dominate. Posey can see that to the north and the east, smokestacks and distillation towers peer above the rows of apartment buildings, while to the west, a few towering buildings loom. Nearer her location, the buildings are of glass and brick facade, rectangular shape, and lacking in decorative splendor. Further away, in the center of the city - at least, the commercial center - are a prominent few even taller buildings of more interesting shape, stainless steel or stone facades, and with some decorations, the intricacies of which are not visible in any great detail in the moonlight. Posey can guess that between the billowing steam and the present lights of the industrial and commercial buildings, perhaps a fifth or less of the commerce still operates, while a third or more of the factories continue producing in the night shift, though the ones nearby are certainly still active.
Anonymous
5638ae5
?
No.168710
168711
>>168709
Well, that's a lot to take in.
Posey pauses for a moment, realizing she has no idea where to look in this concrete jungle, let alone where a witch doctor might lurk.
I guess I'll roll a Charisma check for urban tracking, to see what she can find:
[1d20+4 = (17+4) = 21]
Anonymous
2280868
?
No.168711
168712
>>168710
Posey does have a specific address she can ask where to look and a specific name, or she can see if she can get more/new information. Which does she wish to do?
Anonymous
5638ae5
?
No.168712
>>168711
Posey will move towards the address, taking in the environment as she goes.
Anonymous
5638ae5
?
No.168713
168714
I wish I could do this longer, but I have to go to bed. I leave for work early tomorrow. At least it's Friday.
Anonymous
2280868
?
No.168714
168724 168725 168726 168738
>>168705
>>168709
Moving west one street from Apache to Commanche, and then travelling down, Posey can notice a change. The fluffy wild dog-like creatures known as Kaftars are replaced incrementally yet quickly by a new type of creature that resembles the Kaftar more closely than anything else, with hunched shoulders, a vaguely canine carnivorous appearance, and a brown coat with black muzzles, though less fluffy and with black spots rather than stripes. The space occupied by the two races do merge - and indeed, Posey has seen at least one pony and one griffin in the area, as no space belongs fully to either race - but the southern blocks seem to belong more so to the shorter haired group. The austere white robes of the Kaftar are replaced by shorter and more vibrant clothing of greens and yellows, though clothing seems to be less common among this population. Posey can hear the beating of drums played at some kind of tavern or meeting place. She can see one of the creatures on a third-floor apartment take laundry off of a clothesline (oddly late after sunset to do so). Posey passes a pair of apartment buildings that are collapsed in. This is not odd nor unique to this neighborhood, as Posey has seen many apartment buildings with the top floor collapsed or covered in tarp, but somehow it stands out more here than elsewhere.

Posey passes a building in the center of the block that is three floors tall with red brick facades and a small triangular tower in the center that marks it out as a government building, probably a school. The windows have bars or even plywood over them, and it's either abandoned or otherwise in a state of disrepair.

>>168713
Don't make me link the song
Anonymous
de4f205
?
No.168724
168729 168738
>>168714
>immigrant communities
>enclaves of two vaguely-similar but distinct (see: naturally adversarial) nonpony races
>the two enclaves rest side-by-side
>in the same shithole ghetto
Oh no. The situation is worse than I thought.

"I wonder if this is that 'harmony' I read about... I didn't think nonponies were involved." Posey wonders to herself as she trots along the road
>description
Posey calms her expectations for finding any portals to Carceri in this neighborhood.
"Abundant flesh, little oversight, multiple abandoned buildings, ample noise distraction.. it would be a perfect site to store thralls for contingency forces." Posey ponders to herself with a slight smirk and a satisfied nod, taking a moment to imagine legions of shambling corpses crawling out of the abandoned buildings to spread their chaos to the rest of the city.
>but somehow it stands out more here than elsewhere
>abandoned school
"Darkness, cover, immediate proximity to breathing populace.. if any of these buildings have sewer system access they will do splendidly."
Posey makes a mental note to explore these buildings later, to appraise their worth in storing or transporting insurgent forces, as she clip-clops towards her destined address.
Anonymous
acd72c0
?
No.168725
168726 168738
>>168714
I guess I'll roll a check to see what I know about these new creatures:
[1d20+3 = (10+3) = 13]
Anonymous
acd72c0
?
No.168726
168738
>>168725
I guess that's common knowledge.
>>168714
DM, do you use Cityscape in this game at all? I'm interested in how you handle urban encounters.