/vx/ - Videogames and Paranormal

>>169287
>have moved to canterlot
Isn't that currently under changeling occupation, or am I mistaken?
What does Posey know about the current political/military situation right now.
Rolling a history/local check (same modifier)
[1d20+3 = (10+3) = 13]
>some new shift of power against organized labor
Hmmm, I thought fascism was on the rise here; didn't think organized labor would be on the chopping block with fascists in charge. I guess it must be a product of paranoia with the threat of communism.
Posey takes note of this, looking for any political wedges that may assist the conquest of the Dread League.
>When the family has money again, the father will not be stressed, her mother will recover, and she and Lament could have a life together.
Hmmm, looks like Lament has his own, mortal motivations. Posey observes this from a distance, her golden eyes watching the two silently.

[i]resists the urge to sneak up and jumpscare them

>>169287
>her father's wishes
>stress
>specific suitor
>life together
Hmmm, complex problems require complex solutions... I think I just might have an idea.

>>169288
Posey knows that Canterlot has always been the center of the Equestrian Elite, though it hardly has a monopoly. It seems to be under pony (New Mareland State) control, albeit on the border.

Posey is able to gather a small history of labor relations in Baltimare. Evidently there has always been tension, very often violent, between labor and industry in Baltimare. As Lament tells her, it has been going on since before she was born. Under the Twilight Administration the balance of power shifted decisively towards industry, as factories could simply replace striking and disgruntled workers with cheap migrant laborers that came in by the tens of thousands, although this did not translate to personal success for the Mare's father as now they competed with a company out of Hippogriffia. Lament claims this whole period just made the worker's even angrier, although the mare seems to have preferred this era as the social gatherings were nicer. The mare doesn't care for the gatherings herself much, but her mother does, and she wants to see her mother happy. It should also be noted that the mare doesn't terribly like the migrants. Specifically bat ponies. They look creepy with their slit pupils, and tall ears.

Then came the war. The goods her father makes - industrial dyes mostly used in clothing - came in much higher demand, and so things were looking brighter. But then the pools of migrant labor dried up, and a general labor shortage began. The unions took advantage of this, and several strikes began. Between this and the low profit of the government contracts, what promised to be an opportunity for business turned into a series of losses. Then calamity struck when New Mareland invaded, and cut off Baltimare from most of the world. General shortages, and certainly no selling of goods. Peace came, but was followed by a revolt, which saw discontented workers try to seize the factory and evidently a small amount of damage was done - not that much, but one more bill on top of others. The old unions were abolished and replaced by a new one. The new union will not permit strikes, and the workers think that the (multiple) agreed upon wage increases are not sufficient given the labor shortages and inflation. Workers will act independently of the union, like the aforementioned cabbage throwing (one incident among many). The mare's father evidently has contracts with several state run businesses that are apparently more lucrative than the former wartime contracts, or even trying to compete with the Hippogriffian suppliers.

Lament smiles to the mare (on the one occasion Posey can see his face; the angle she's observing them from does not permit a good view), and places his hoof on her mane at one point in a reassuring manner. The mare more or less keeps her hooves next to her on the sofa. This may be caused by her sadden state, but she's actually less touchy towards Lament than Day Low Rain was the previous day.

>>169289
I'm... not so sure the mare agrees

>>169292
Posey scoffs at the state of labor relations. The mages in League know better, as skeletons don't go on strike (or at least, not successfully)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EcXcKg4pm3k
>I'm... not so sure the mare agrees
I was gonna shoot the shot, but I guess no point in jumping the gun.

Posey remains silent, contemplating this information.

>>169292
Oh, I probably should have checked this earlier.
Does Day Low Rain actually live here?

>>169293
Perhaps some day, Posey can revolutionize industrial production in Baltimare by showing the obsolesce of a living workforce.

The conversation drags on for quite a long time for Posey to get the above information - at least 30 minutes. By that time. Posey is likely wanting to do something else.

>>169294
Posey gets the distinct impression that Day Low Rain does not actually live in the manor

>>169295
>perhaps some day
Well, Posey is waiting for the Dread League to get ready to declare war on all life, so her political ambitions are a bit different.
>Posey is likely wanting to do something else.
Posey decides to explore the manor, the presence of this new mare making her question its secrecy, and it's inhabitants. She goes for a stroll, examining its fortifications, rooms, utilities and supposed inhabitants.
In the 30 minutes, did she catch the mare's name?

>>169295
>distinct impression that Day Low Rain does not actually live in the manor
Posey makes note to inquire where she resides at the earliest opportunity.

>>169301
>Mare's name
Lament never actually says the Mare's full name. He does refer to her as "Bell," so she can surmise that is at least part of her name, but likely not her full name. Bell's father is referred to as "Mr. Mordant," at points.

Posey explores the house to find that:

The large library-parlor room occupies a portion of the southeast of the house, with a billard room next to it, which includes a pair of tables with other games. Lament has more than one chest set, including a griffin knight themed set, as well as a drawer displaying what seems to be collectable playing cards. On the other side from the library parlor room is another room likely best described as a parlor room (smaller than the last), with a couple couches and a large potted plant. This room holds a display with a number of weapons (a halberd, assorted pole arms, swords, an entire suit of armor, arquibuses and a musket). Beyond this in the corner is a library, which seems to be more the "real" library than the last. This room is two floors with a spiral staircase going up, a small desk, and while there are several windows, there are book shelves going all the way to the top of the second floor, with a small ladder to reach them. These books look a bit older. Adjacent to this room, though not connected, is a large kitchen, as well as a pantry, a large butler's pantry, and in the northwest corner connected to the entry foyer, a large dining room with a long dining table, a cabinet with a porcelain collection, a chandelier, and a set of silver plateware and candle holders. The long semi-library, the billiard room, and the library are decorated in green, albeit different shades of green, with the true library having a forest green, and the billiard room and semi-library a lighter shade. The parlor room and the living room, as well as the entry foyer have red wall paper. Floral pattern decorations occasionally paint the high ceilings. The dining room is blue and white, like the porceilin in the cabinets, and every outer wall is lined with windows. The entry foyer has a large chandelier, and the two semi-circular staircases going up to a large landing. Underneath this staircase, towards the door going outside that sits between the parlor room and the semi-library, is a powder room, and a seperate, larger bathroom that includes a tub. There is also a closet with boots and umbrellas inside, and across from that, a door that opens into a basement.

Going up the staircase, there is a landing with red carpet, a suit of pony armor on the left, as well as paintings on the walls. It should be noted that most rooms have at least one painting on the walls, as this seems to decorate empty wall space when there is no cabinet or display case. Every single painting that is not a portrait is in the same artistic genre - a school of realism that was popular about 200 years ago. Most of the paintings show nature scenes, ruins, famous landmarks, or mundane scenes like a colt putting on shoes in an outdoors scene. These paintings mostly come from the same four or so artists, it seems. Upstairs, there are also several portraits of unicorns. These appear old and are accompanied by a pair of old photographs - more than a half century old - of mares. At the far end of the landing is a "flower room," with large windows, several potted plants, an old stove, a couple chairs, and a pair of small statues of mares. This room connects to what must be a work room on the left, which has a large, luxurious desk, a large window, a leather chair, more bookshelves, and decorations like zebrican shields, more halberds, and paintings on the wall that include symbols and abstract shapes. There is a table at the far end that is a small, marble square placed at an odd angle. This room connects to the staircase of the library, and to what seems to be a dressing room, that in turn connects to what seems to be the master bedroom. The Master bedroom has a large bed, a phonograph, a sofa, more paintings and cabinets, another statue, and a taxidermied... Chimera? It's not the full animal. This connects to a large bathroom and closet with a marble jaccuzi tub in the former (this must be a new addition as it does not fit with the general decorum) and a closet full of suits. There is also a door that connects to a staircase that goes up to a third floor.

All of these rooms take up the left/northern half of the second floor, but the other half includes one, two, three more bedrooms, on the other side, as well as two smaller bathrooms, and a small smoking room that connects to the flower room. This latter room is decorated with many mirrors.

>fortifications
The manor is not anywhere styled as a castle, and certainly was not actually intended to be a castle. There may be magical wards, but no mundane locks on the main floors. In fact, the staircases going to the third floor and the basement are the only doors that are locked.

>Utilities
The house has electric lighting and indoor plumbing. These must have been added during renovation, as the house's construction seems to have preceded these innovations.

>Inhabitants
Lament seems to be the only pony living in the manor itself, although unmade beds in a couple bedrooms suggest there may have been others.

The manor is of course only one of several buildings on the property.

>>169306
>description
Very detailed.

With nothing better to do, Posey decides to take a bath, in the more remote bathroom, filling the tub before shutting of the water and entering it. She takes about half an hour, paying attention to scrub her mane, coat and other bits clean, applying copious amounts of various soaps and cosmetic products if any are available.
When she's finished, she exits the tub before draining it, retires her mane into her war-bun, and dries herself off, looking especially fluffy as she does. She momentarily recoils at the sight of a mirror, before turning and going about her night, stalking the mansion, like a cat prowling about its turf.
>Lament seems to be the only pony living in the manor itself
No servants of any kind. Interesting.
>unmade beds in a couple bedrooms suggest there may have been others
How fresh do they appear? Are there any clues as to whomever they might be?

>>169306
>The manor is of course only one of several buildings on the property.
Which other buildings are present? Posey might want to explore those, with no mission at hoof.

>>169307
>more remote bathroom
On the second floor?
Posey can probably avoid being found lurking in the manor, and she can probably avoid hearing anything more if she so desires... though it should be noted that the floors creak periodically. The house is more than a century old, and like all venerable, old, large houses, the house has a way of producing noises to make one think they are not alone, even when no pony else is present. Posey does hear Lament and Bell at one point, when the two move to the back porch. She can hear Lament tell Bell something about the plantation evidently having a history of growing indigo at some point, though not much else.

Any blood, or smell of hyena, or other undesirable debris or contaminant is washed off of Posey, and she's left just as beautiful as ever, although for whom her bueaty is intended remains to be seen.

One of the extra bedrooms seems to have been used perhaps a week ago. The bed is made, but there is an empty bottle of whiskey, and a vest belonging to a stallion remaining there. The other room has an unmade bed, an empty wine glass, and a sock that seems to belong to a female. That one is a few days old, if that.

>>169308
Posey can see more buildings. One building best seen from the library, to the left/north of the manor and a bit behind it, is a barn-like structure with a large door and a gambrel roof. The dirt road that moves past the manor goes up to it. Immediately behind the manor is a fountain, though it's empty now, and a few beds belonging to a garden, though it is dead or dormant now. There are several buildings in almost a circle behind the manor in the large clearing that is bordered by trees. There is the cottage that Posey went to during the day, another pair of what seem to be houses, a small building with a covered porch and a steep roof, and then one more, shed-like building.

To the east, posey is already familiar with the small path that goes towards her cottage on the lake.

Posey can see that over to the left/north, behind the gambrel roofed building, there is a large dirt road that goes over into the tree line. Next to this small road is a powerline, which makes the path through the trees even wider. Looming over this northern tree line, and dark against a clouded night sky that reflects the distant lights of Baltimare in a yellow luminescence, the outline of what seems to be a small steeple and another structure, that seems to move slightly in the night.

>>169216
Amber finds a suitably thick piece of cloth–a handkerchief, perhaps–and gags the griffon. This car lacks an adequate closet so she drags him to the next car.

>>169311
The griffin is starting to try to talk, and opens his eyes. Helder pulls out his handkerchief.... until he sees that it is covered in blood. He puts it away quickly before the passengers see it. The griffin manages to yell "Hey!" before Federklied places what seems to be a sock in the griffin's beak. Erich helps Amber drag the griffin to the front of the car, presumably to the lavatory.

>>169313
Amber resists the urge to talk about further plans while their captive is in earshot. Hopefully they can seal him away without further incident.

>>169314
A bit of twine around the beak, then around the claws, then around the hind legs, and an attempt on the wings... forget the wings, just stuff him in the bathroom and lock it.

And it is done.

>>169315
Once it is done Amber takes Erich aside and asks, "My friend, what do you recommend once we get to the next station?"

>>169316
Erich replies:

"Helder better not be shitting us about his contacts in the Reformitsen. If there is even a chance they will turn us over, we'll have to stay in these clothes all the way to Lake City."

>>169317
Amber seems disconcerted by this. "The longer we stay on this train, the harder it will be to keep up the charade. Would they really turn us over?"

>>169318
"I do not know" he answers, clearly irritated. "I've never been completely into this 'occultism'. Helder is the one who got me into this. He's the one who knows someone in the Reformitsen. This is my first time outside of the Herzlands."

>>169319
"And you know Helm turned out…," Amber remarks bitterly. "Let's get more details from him. I don't like being kept in the dark." Amber goes to find Helder.

>>169320
Helder is at the end of the coach, evidently trying to figure out how to close the rear door. He is kind of near passengers at the moment.

>>169321
"The latch is broken," Amber states. "We're going to need to nail it shut."

>>169322
"Yes... But we don't have a nail. We may have to hold it shut till Soldau." He answers, looking at the door, and then at Amber

>>169323
"There must be an alternative," she replies, thinking that sealing the door will help the passengers feel secure. She tries to find something nearby that can brace or hold the door shut.

>>169324
Well, Amber had her wrench, and there was the crowbar.

>>169325
Amber sees about jamming the crowbar between the door and the frame to hold it tight.

>>169326
And...

It seems to hold. Placing the wrench between the door handle and the edge seems to stop it. Jamming in the crowbar for good measure is... hopefully enough. Hopefully.

>>169327
They are over the border, there shouldn't be more intruders…right? Amber is satisfied, and takes Helder and Erich aside to discuss who his "connections" are.

>>169328
There... shouldn't be. Surely they wouldn't cross the border just to stop these dangerous rebels, and also to rescue their comrade whom they left behind? The invisible line on the map will stop them. Right?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Omw9H7In200

Erich and Amber take Helder to the vestibule at the front of the last car. Helder explains:

"I knew several of them when they would come to Katerinburg. I think you saw them too. A Feuerblume and a Geizhals in particular. Wingfried Von Katerinburg is the grandmaster now, and he is the cousin of the deposed Diazella. The Reformitsen appreciate our special knowledge and our art in ways the Imperials simply won't. Birds of a feather, after all."

>>169329
"They would heavily dislike the Empire now, wouldn't they? Hmm…if we don't cause trouble in Hellquill itself, maybe they will be accommodating. What do you say, Erich?"

>>169330
Erich blinks

"I'm not sure what else we can do. We can't go back to Katerinburg, or the Imperial District. That's for damn sure."

>>169333
"We're going to have to trust Helder's contacts then. We'll quietly get off at Hellquill Station and proceed on our way."

>>169310
Posey decides to go out for a stroll, to assess the state of the buildings arranged in the circle, and seek any inhabitants.

>>169310
>steeple and another structure
Ugh oh, that sounds like a church

>>169340
Does Posey see anything of interest outside?

>>169335
"But here's the question. Do you trust you can keep this up for two more stations, all the way to Hellquill? Or should we get off at Soldau, and take our chances with the Soldau police?"

>>169346
One minute

>>169347
Amber is hesitant to answer. "I'd like to get off, except, this close to the border, the Inquisition is likely to have agents ready to intercept us. They're local police, so we probably won't find Helder's contacts and they'll be easier to bribe–but we don't have anything to bribe them with. I would rather go to Hellquill. We've done it so far, and it's not too much more."

>>169340
The first building on the left that Posey sees is the structure with the gambrel roof that is near the manor. It is rectangular, and the roof is tar. The walls are whitewashed, and painted recently enough that it obviously has been painted in the last few decades. The paint is, nevertheless, faded in places.
It has only a few windows, and these are closed with blinds.

Posey would pass a dirt road that leads north, in the direction of the structures over the trees. It's a cart road with the aforementioned powerlines

The second structure is further back, also on the left, and looks kind of like a small home. It has a triangular roof, a painted white wood exterior, and a more or less square shape. It looks rather like the bungalow Posey saw ealier. The blinds on the windows are down, and posey can see that there seems to be a light inside.

The next building past this one is similar in design. It literally is the bungalow that Posey saw earlier.

On the right are another bungalow, albeit one where the roof seems to be dilapidated and the paint is deterioted.

There is a building a bit closer to the manor that is rectangular with a tiny covered porch, a chimney, and open blinds. There are no lights. It isn't completely deteriorated, but there are missing tiles on the roof.

There is also a structure that seems to be some type of shed. Hints of white paint indicate that this structure, too, was once whitewashed. It is hard to say if this building is abandoned or not.

Posey can also see a lonely brick chimney in another plot, and then still another lot that has a hint of a foundation.

>>169348
Erich does not seem to like this answer, but for once, his response is resignation rather than revolt.

"Alright" He answers

Helder actually has the stronger response
"Can you keep it up?" He asks

>>169349
Posey contemplates harassing the creatures in the lit building, but decides that she's knocked on enough doors for tonight.
Can Posey detect any other signs of life/unlife?
Rolling Spot
[1d20+4 = (11+4) = 15]
And Listen
[1d20+4 = (14+4) = 18]

>>169350
A tap, and a couple clops.

A shadow seems to move, albeit briefly.

Further away, Posey can hear the sounds of crickets, frogs, and a yip.

>>169349
Oh yeah, Search check as well, in case there's a secret door beneath the chimney foundation, as there often is in games.
[1d20+5 = (13+5) = 18]

>>169351
>A shadow
What kind of shadow?

>>169353
The best guess is that it's a quadraped, but the distance of the source of the shadow from the blind, as well as the angle, prevents any kind of specificity.

>>169352
Well, yes. Kinda. A simple door on the ground made of wood barely still exists, but it does, sort of. Opening this door reveals something kind of like a crawlspace, or a tiny basement. It is not deep enough for a pony to stand up in, it is covered by a wooden floor that is collapsing, and the ground of this space is not just covered in dirt, but now vegetation.

>>169354
So, not an undead shadow.
Posey decides to check if anything is hidden in the crawlspace.
She feels around with her horn, preferring not to get dirty shortly after bathing.

>>169355
"Why is nothing haunted around here? There should be more hauntings." Posey says to herself, still managing her expectations for what Equestria should look like

Rolling Search, to look for treasure in the crawlspace
[1d20+5 = (3+5) = 8]

>>169356
Nope

>>169355
>>169357
Equestrian ghosts don't seem to be very outgoing.

Twigs, a part of a broken bottle, and a deformed tin can.

>>169349
Amber is tired from the fight and the fears it brought, but maintains her resolve. "I can. Can you?"

>>169358
I guess Posey should go to a guild bulletin or something if she wants to encounter the undead.