/vx/ - Videogames and Paranormal

>>171408
The creature does not respond back. Perhaps it can't talk. Perhaps it doesn't want to. And it isn't impossible that it has gone deaf between the shot that grazed its head and the automatic rifle next to it.

Silver hears,
"Sergeant Sword. Sergeant Sword!"

>>171411
Before he reacts, can he tell who/where from his name is being called?

>>171412
Down the (short) hall from whence he came. It's the white pegasus corporal.

>>171413
Silver stands up, and goes to the corporal.

>>171410
>But not for free
I have just enough gold on my sheet to afford one. It would afford Posey an element of surprise that her griffon bone and leather armor wouldn't. It costs me the last of my gold, but it's worth it. If he mistakes Posey for a knight, she might be able to get some information out of him.
>not glow
Good. That'll make it easier to conceal.
>new babysitter, if necessary
Posey has to spend 8 hours a day not-adventuring to recover arcane spells, and prefers to spend that time with Gloomy. Also, she's very, very, very, very, very possessive of him.
>Is she trying to look sexy, or just like she has a pulse?
Both.
>it's probably worth making a few checks
I guess these are common knowledge checks. I'll roll
Architecture and Engineering:
[1d20+3 = (8+3) = 11]
Dungeoneering
[1d20+3 = (16+3) = 19]
History
[1d20+3 = (2+3) = 5]
Local
[1d20+3 = (2+3) = 5]
Also Search
[1d20+3 = (1+3) = 4]
And a raw Wisdom check, just to get a sense of things:
[1d20+2 = (2+2) = 4]

Ignore the spamrolls if they're not relevant.

>These things can only ever be decided by secret rolls
I guess I'll know if he shows up on the rendezvous night.

>>171415
I guess I'll add a survival roll too.
[1d20+2 = (15+2) = 17]

>>171403
>charging smite
Just out of curiosity, how do paladins typically work in this world? Do you use any variants? I take it that ponies in Equestria's Royal Guard (of which I would expect there to be several paladins) and Griffons in the Arcturian Order wouldn't typically have special mounts; would they use Charging Smite or Divine Spirit. The Centaur Paladin from Dragonlance had a similar mechanic to charging smite as well.
Posey would only have experience with the Arcturian paladins. Griffons wouldn't use mounts, but they'd be particularly formidable combatants with charging smite on diving charges, because of the damage doubling, a sort of peregrine falcon build. The Arcturian Paladins seem like cunning military tacticians too, so maybe they'd use the Red Falcon variant.

Ponies haven't had very much need to fight undead, but since they're followers of Celestia I would imagine they'd have access to all of the sun-themed anti-necro stuff that Paladins normally get, such as Pelor's Blessing. Perhaps Paladin Of Light suits ponies of Equestria too, or Solstice Knight.

If course, every paladin is unique, so their builds would vary by individual and order. I'm mostly just curious to hear how mounts are replaced. Divine Spirit and Charging Smite are typical contenders for that.

>>171418
I forgot the Religion check to see what Posey knows:
[1d20+9 = (2+9) = 11]

>>171419
Why do I keep rolling for things that I could take 10 on?

>>171368
Amber raises an eye"brow" quizzically. "I can't really say. But, here is one possibility. At a pawn shop I like to frequent, I came across a viol of exquisite make. The owner knew it was somewhat valuable–I paid a hefty price for it–but he really had no idea of its true worth. I like to play music on my off hours–it helps to keep me sane with what I have to go through–and it's now my most prized possession. Could they have learned about the presence of such valuables on the train? Perhaps, they have their ways after all."

Amber seems to be cheerfully eager. "Would you like to see my viol? You look to have an eye for fine craftgriffship."

>>171415
Oof, those rolls

>>171415
The tunnel system actually varies significantly. In some areas, it's a nearly circular tunnel bored through the earth. In other areas, it's an almost rectangular shape likely buried in the earth, usually with an arch to support the roof or support beams between the tracks. The tunnel is concrete, presumably steel reinforced.

The tunnels were built under the western part of the town so that trains, especially passenger trains, going along the relatively new rail-line that stretches south towards Blackwater and Saltlickingham - and soon, as far south as Tenochtitlan - will have a rail line that is not crowded with the freight trains that move above and below ground moving freight for the port and industry of the east - and of course to avoid needing to stop for vehicle traffic.

The tunnel starts shortly past union station in a section where the rail line is already somewhat below street level, and turns in a single-line tunnel until it widens into a rectangular section, going a little less than a mile with large opennings for the circulation of air, before briefly opening up to the outside air, turning slightly, and going into a circular segment, that again transforms into a rectangular section that lasts for about a mile before the tunnel ends, and the rail raises to go over a bridge across the Delemare, ultimately to a never completed passenger station, and to Saltlickingham. The oddities of the layout, and especially a few subterranean platforms and "stations," speak to much of the tunnel system being the remnants of a never completed subway system.

For more specific details, pick a specific portion of the tunnel system. As you can tell, it has 4 entrances.

>>171424
If I pick the innermost subterranean station, could I have specified that in the letter?

>>171425
The "stations" are not listed on any map. There is little reason for the recipient to know of their existence.

Posey would also have to specify the southern or the northern section of the tunnel.

>>171427
I should have thought of this before I came up with this plan.
Tbh, the details of the rendezvous point aren't particularly important, so long as it's in an area out of the way with sparse traffic at midnight, and the location obvious enough for Luminous to find his way there. An overhead canopy and dark lighting conditions are just a bonus.
Posey is from up north, so she chooses the northern section.
>There is little reason for the recipient to know of their existence.
Then she specifies the mouth of the tunnel, which should be easy enough for a flying creature to find.

>>171427
>>171428
All this said and done, is there anything else I need to specify before it's revealed if Posey's plan works?
Luring him out is the simple part. After this Posey is going to need to fight a flying paladin of indeterminate level.

>>171430
>luring him out is the easy part
Are you so sure? The military, after all, has spent years looking for harmonic stragglers. If all of their vigilance, deceit, and treachery cannot locate them, how can Posey be so certain it's easy to find a griffin in a griffin-stack?

>>171431
Maybe it's not so simple then... I guess it depends if he takes the bait or not.
I could just go to his place of residence and kill him there, but I would prefer to minimize witnesses, and maybe get some information out of him.

>>171431
>how can Posey be so certain it's easy to find a griffin in a griffin-stack?
Posey is betting on the idea that Luminous is searching for allies in Equestria, which necessitates that he take risks and present himself to potential allies. If he doesn't take the bait, that'll at least give Posey something to write home about how desperate for personnel the Arcturian Order is right now.

>>171428
While there's technically a couple openings, we know what she means.

Some few hundred yards before a train arrives in Union Station - or rather, a few hundred yards after a train leaves Union Station, going east - there is a switch, wherein a track turns south. A most of the turn occurs outside in a low area. A part of it, however, occurs in a tunnel. This whole line of tracks is lower than the surrounding street level. There is a concrete wall maybe 4 feet high, then above that, vegetation, while slopes up towards what would be street level. Whether there are streets or fields depends the specific point of the rail line. The rail line is mostly a double track, but in this area, it becomes a quadruple line, with the northern most track being a bypass for freight, and the southern most track being the one that curves off to go into the tunnel. The tunnel entrance itself takes in only a single track. The entrance faces Northeast at about a 45 degree angle.
This opening is maybe 80 yards from the far side of the barrier. The tunnel here has grass above it, and slopes gently down, continuing to curve, until the tunnel has curved another 45 degrees. At this point, the track merges with another going southwest, and soon becomes the rectangular kind after maybe 150 yards. Past this another 100 yards is a false station. This area near the entrance curves enough that it's possible to place yourself out of view of the entrance. It's very narrow, not much wider than a train passing through, so you'd rather not be in it when a train comes. Trains must necessarily take the turn slowly, although it's so close to Union Station that you can't go fast anyways. The tracks are a foot above the surrounding dirt on top of massive piles of rocks. Drainage is always an issue, and the tunnel is not well drained. lights exist in the "subway" portion but not in the curve, and one can almost speculate as to whether it was built to cull the homeless population. The sides of the rail lines have bushes, rocks, and juniper trees. The rails are illuminated by what are essentially streetlights on the side.

There may be more that needs to be said, but this is the gist of it.

>>171434
That's quite a bit of detail. I'll do my best to envision the encounter map (if the encounter ever actually happens; which is a big if).

(I can't do the encounter tonight though. I gotta sleep)

>>171435
>>171436
I swear I'm finally available

>>171437
Maybe we can get to it tomorrow then. I have the day off.

>>171438
Let's try

Anything else to set up?

The scene would obviously be dark with obnoxious yellow lights from the streetlights that line the railway. Trains are not so active at midnight.

>>171422
The officer places the phone to his head, and seems to be frustrated by the lack of an answer. He looks to Amber skeptically, as if to say "I'm on to you." He places down the phone, and takes a hold of her viol, peering especially into the center, as if looking for anything hidden within.

"And you mean to tell me rebels would attack over a viol?" he says, in clear disbelief.

>>171439
Posey casts Undetectable Alignment before entering the scene.

>>171441
I believe Posey can chose how she looks, he how she approaches the scene

>>171439
>Anything else to set up?
With the very last of my gold, I would like to buy a bolas, since it's listed as an archaic weapon and I think it'll help against an enemy who can fly.
Also I really want to lean into the low-tech style of the Dread League, so I might end up doing this whole game without guns.

On the previous day before the rendezvous, Posey casts Detect Magic on the sword she found in the woods again, and tries to determine its caster level and school (I assume CL 5 Evocation, but you never know).
Spellcraft check
[1d20+11 = (20+11) = 31]

>but why use all of these mundane weapons?
Posey intends to open with a melee attack routine, for a number of reasons. First of all, most of Posey's blackweave attacks don't work on paladins (fear), and her remaining spells with saving throws are unlikely to affect them because of high fortitude and will saves. Second of all, if for some reason Luminous decides to make a "tactical retreat" at the beginning of the fight, and he's already seen Posey's dark magic, he might expose Posey's operations to the public, so Posey intends to wound him to soften him up before finishing him off with her most potent spell at this level: Summon Amoebic Crawler, which would summon one or two grapplers to disable him. The longer she can avoid being wounded or casting evil magic, the longer she can keep her disguise. Of course, Luminous would be taking risks reporting her to the military, but being an LG knight he has a lot less to risk than Posey does when it comes to exposure.
Posey expects Luminous to immediately use Detect Evil upon meeting her, because why wouldn't he? Using the Undetectable alignment, she could pose as a neutral agent of the military, which would temporarily deter Luminous from opening with burst-damage smites; this of course only works until Posey is wounded (exposing her necrotic innards) or casts an evil spell, at which Luminous would immediately realize that he's been tricked and will use his smite routine, hopefully not 20 ft in the air, from which he could dematerialize Posey with a charging smite aerial claw attack (especially if he's a charger build with leap attack and battle jump, and has Rhino's Rush prepared). Paladins are a daily-resource gish class, so they can be especially dangerous as single-encounter enemies burning through all of their resources in one fight.

Idk why I'm tactics-dumping. I guess I just had a long time to prepare for this, and I wanted to share.

>>171437
Are you available today, GM?

>>171446
I will have to leave for some hours eventually, but I'll be back... eventually

>>171444
Bolas obtained

Posey can tell that it is a +2 magic sword, simple enchantment made to a layer of silver that coats the steel blade.

But the real questions are:
What time does she arrive?
Where does she stand in relation to the entrance and the rails?
What does she look like?

Does she look like a medical student? Does she look like a necromancer? Does she dress up to look like August Wreath did? Or like the ELF fighters did? Or like an Arcturian knight looks? Or like what she imagines a paladin would look like? You know she has to get by still more military checkpoints... she'd likely want a coat or overshirt.

>>171447
>+2 magic sword
Wow, that is more than I expected.
>layer of silver
Posey would have figured this out at some point while she was polishing it as the reflection started hurting... And then stopped polishing it.
I wonder if the PC named Silver Sword would want it.
>What time does she arrive?
With nothing better to do, Posey arrives some hours before the rendezvous point, after putting Gloomy to bed. Maybe around 9 to 11 PM, depending on how long it takes to get there.
>Where does she stand in relation to the entrance and the rails?
Posey stands in shadow, but near enough that she could see any flying creature arrive, and make herself seen if she wishes.
>What does she look like?
Posey looks like a youthful unicorn mare dressed for war, albeit from a bygone age. Her mane is tied back in her war bun (which looks something like Nurse Redheart's bun) instead of her casual braid. She's wearing simple chainmail and a steel cap helmet. This is all beneath her regular black hooded cloak, which gives her a "Mysterious cloaked stranger" look at a distance. Attached her her pack saddle she has a greatsword which probably looks rather large on her, her usual compound bow and quiver, a spell components pouch, as well as a bundle where her net and bolas are tied. She's done her makeup well.
>Or like what she imagines a paladin would look like?
She's trying to look somewhat knightly, as much as a lowly creature of the night can pull off. Her light armor proficiency is putting in the extra miles here.

What's important to mention though is that in spite of everything Posey does to maintain her vanity, she's still undead, with cosmetic mutations to boot. As a half-vampire with a high charisma score, she looks more like a mortal, even after death, but a trained eye might know that something is amiss with her. In the night, having had a good blood intake, she looks vivacious, but perhaps uncannily so. Her skin and snowy coat are flawless, almost glowing in night, her mane looks like a shower of crimson, and her eyes, most strikingly, appear as pools of gold and shine like a predator's (which might reveal that she has Darkvision, depending on how well he rolls); at a glance, she seems more like some sort of spiritual apparition than a corporeal creature.
>she'd likely want a coat or overshirt.
Posey doesn't go anywhere without her cloak.

>>171448
Posey's disguise mod is +6, although I'm hoping to get the "minor details only" bonus. It's a secret roll, so I guess I'll just have to see how well I do.

Undetectable Alignment lasts 24 hours, so if possible I would have liked to cast it at the end of the previous day (leaving me 6 spell slots to use), but otherwise she'll just cast it before she leaves.

>>171448
The city itself is rather small and could be traversed in an hour or less. This is assuming Posey did not have Mason drive her there, which she surely could. As Posey has surely become all too familiar with by this point, she has to pass through an internal checkpoint. She may as well have some story for what she is doing out, especially as her antique weapons may require explanation. This area of the city is not well known to Posey. Some blocks have apartment buildings, some blocks have wider commerical blocks like cart or car dealerships, and some are parking lots or undeveloped fields. The rail lines are traversed by bridges in areas, and leading towards Union Station, goes into another tunnel.

This section of the city is less active at night than the easternside; whereas in the east, refineries, factories, and freight docks continue through the night, in the norwest of the city, things slow down. Nevertheless, Posey will find she is not alone. Ponies walk by across the opposite side above the tracks. Some walk with purpose, some stumble around, and more than one glances down at the tracks below. Posey sees at least one military patrol move along above and look down to the tracks. Flying creatures do fly above, though not many, and its unclear if the griffin she sees is scouting.

The rail lines themselves are not without activity. A train moves by going into Union Station. At least one train goes through the tunnel itself - a full sized passenger train with green livery, presumably the night train to Tenochtitlan. Have they completed that line already? Freight trains are more common, taking the right most track. One comes by with empty cars. A fully loaded, massive train comes by with cars laden with coal. For all of the mineral wealth of the Southeast, it appears that coal must be imported from further west and north.

If Posey was expecting perfect punctuality at midnight, she is disappointed

>>171450
>She may as well have some story for what she is doing out, especially as her antique weapons may require explanation
Posey takes 10 on her bluff check (modified 22) to convince them that she's going out to have this set of implements appraised for historical value.
>If Posey was expecting perfect punctuality at midnight, she is disappointed
With nothing better to do, Posey waits for a while. She flickers her lamp every now and then, to draw some attention.
If her mark doesn't show up by ~3:00 AM, she gives a shrug of disappointment, and leaves to lurk the alleys outside the nearest bar to find a drunkard to exsanguinate.

>>171451
I guess I should roll.
I'm going to roll bluff to deliver a secret message, with the message being vaguely "I'm waiting to meet somepony at midnight!", to get the attention of my mark.
[1d20+12 = (8+12) = 20]

>>171452
>>171451
>find a drunkard to exsanguinate.
concern

The rain from earlier has cleared up, and the half-moon only periodically is covered by clouds. Though not much rain fell, the ground is damp, and most ground that is not covered by rocks is covered by mud. Above the tracks, Posey knows there is movement as a group passes by.

In any event, she does not need to wait until 3:00 AM. If she had a watch on her, she'd see the time was 12:11 AM, although the first signs would appear a minute before that. She can hear the crunching of rocks. A lone figure walks near, though its hard to see from the angle as the figure approaches close to the edge. She knows the figure is not miliatry, because the soldiers never travel, or even stand, alone. She may think that its a homeless stallion, a drifter seeking to ride a freight train out of town, or even a railway worker inspecting the lines, but all doubt is removed when the figure perks up at Posey's words

He must have gone to the other tunnel entrance a few hundred yards away. That is why he walks so close to the edge, and is so hard to see. At least, hard to see from within the tunnel. In the obnoxious yellow light of the street lamps, Posey gets a decent enough look at him. He is a griffin, and his coat is some shade of yellow, almost looking like a chicken. He wears a hat, presumably a fedora, and a large, thick coat, bordering on a trench coat, that is buttoned closed and thick. Now, Posey has seen Arcturian Paladins before. She knows that they have no humility in their dress, and will proudly display their allegiance on their clothing. Either this ain't her guy, he lost his armor, or evading the military required more subtly. Posey does not see any armor, though it's hard to say what is under his coat. He moves his head back and forth, looking, and his leonine tail remains close to his body, flittering about every 15 seconds or so as if in an anxious tick. He looks towards Posey with hazel eyes that don't quite have the angle to reflect the light of the half moon.

"Yes?" The figure says, in a voice at once betraying an accent and anxiety.

>>171453
Posey flicks her lantern in dimly, illuminating her face. She removes her hood, which would reveal her chain shirt barding. She puts on a stoic, noble expression, hiding her own anxiety.
She gives a bow, her mail rattling.
"Is it you who sought aid of the Knights Of Celestia?" she asks, breaking the ice.

>>171455
He stops abrubtly, then moves closer towards Posey, standing just outside of the entrance. Unless, that is, Posey is outside of the entrance. He's clearly passed his disguise check, as he does not look like a paladin. He's the right age to be a veteran (35ish), but isn't especially well kept, nor does he look very strong.

He replies
"Are you ELF?"

>>171456
"I've heard of them, and even know a few, but no." Posey replies
"My loyalties lie... elsewhere. I'm not one to divide my devotion, but I am one to help a friend in need."
She looks past the griffon
"Did anypony follow you? I take it you got the letter."

Gonna roll spot, to check for onlookers
[1d20+4 = (4+4) = 8]

>>171459
Seems fine

>>171458
“No. I… to whom then? To whom do your loyalties lie?”

>>171460
"The Princess of course." Posey says
"Was that not who you were looking for?"

>>171460
"You are Luminous Grandeur, aren't you?"

>>171461
>>171462
“I… uh…” he closes his mouth, and then opens again, and turns his head slightly to look at Posey “Are you August Wreath?”

>>171463
>Are you August Wreath?
"I am not; sorry to disappoint you. He's a very busy stallion, and he has a lot of ponies who want him, so meetings like this would be quite the risk for him, and his endeavors. I do know him though, rather... intimately."

>>171464
I like how Posey is assuming he has a reputation as a whore mongerer
It took me a moment to realize that isn’t even a lie
“I see…” he nods slowly
“No, I am Alluring Grandeur. His nephew. Nephew on another family line. But I know him here in Baltimare. He sent me in his stead as the government will lay traps.”

>>171465
You might have noticed that Posey has a practice of minimizing overt lies while she's misleading people.

>He sent me in his stead as the government will lay traps.
Posey gives a slow nod
"Your uncle is a wise bird. The government's eyes are everywhere. It's almost as if they're more concerned with good-hearted patriots than they are with the wretched changelings hiding under their noses." she says, through gritted teeth
"Did your uncle have a message to deliver?"

>>171466
“Changelings?” He tilts his head, but then continues, as if abandoning the thought. “We wants to meet with your cell. Especially August Wreath.”

>>171467
*He wants to meet with your cell

>>171467
>Changelings
"You don't know of them? They're quite the menace in Equestria. Shapeshifting vermin that could be anywhere at any time... They even captured our princess, which is why I hope that we could help each other."
>“We wants to meet with your cell. Especially August Wreath.”
"That... Could be arranged. I'll need to meet with him first though, because, you know, Changelings, and the government."

>>171469
“Could you get Wreath to come to him?” He asks. “He doesn’t have a passport. He cannot travel. Not even to the western part of the city.”

After a pause
“The changelings are not here. They are out west.”

>>171470
>The changelings are not here
Lol, lmao even
Posey gives the griffon a sharp, dead-serious expression, her golden eyes piercing his soul
"The Changelings are everywhere!" she hisses

"Having August meet him... Would be difficult, and I still need to to vet him first. I could arrange to meet him on the eastern side of the city though."
"However, as a token of our trust, perhaps I could show him something he would recognize..."
Posey draws the silver sword out from under her cloak, and levitates it to present it to the griffon
"My most prized possession: a blade forged for the Equestrian Royal Guard. I think Luminous will be impressed by it." She says, as she levitates the 8530 gp piece of collateral to the magpie
"I would like to have it back, but if the the Paladins of the Arcturian Order are as honorable as I hear, I'm more than willing to trust Luminous with returning it."
She says, with a smile as she makes eye contact with the griffon

Also, before I forget to you this ability entirely, I'm going to try to charm him with my gaze
DC 17 vs charm

>>171471
“Have you ever seen a Changeling?” He starts to argue, and then “Luminous needs to meet with the whole cell, and what is there to vet if-“

His pupils probably double in size as his eyes hone in on the silver sword, which gleams in the yellow light. His beak opens, and his tongue would surely hang out if it were longer. He grabs the sword when he is able, perhaps at risk of cutting his claws. Posey’s completely non-malicious attempt to make eye contact fails, however. His eyes are fixed on the sword.

>>171472
Posey wraps the sword in fabric as she hands it to him. She attempts to force eye contact.
"Take this sword to your uncle and tell him to return it to me later, so I can speak to him about meeting August. Our cell has only survived because we've taken such strict precautions against the changelings and the military: as we say, 'trust, but verify'. This sword is my way of saying that I trust him; I hope he'll do the same."

GM, where would be a nice, isolated location on the eastern side of the city, where a unicorn mage could murder a griffin in the night and get away with it?

>>171473
>murder date locations
Abandoned factory is the first thing that comes to mind, but there are many options. A church? Another underground tunnel? A pier? An unused theater? A hospital? Derelict apartments? A hotel? What kind of privacy would she like? Does it simply need to be a place with no witnesses? Does it need to not allow the sounds of fighting and screams? Gunshots? Or some location where her being found would not be suspicious at all?

He looks down at the sword, then back up to Posey.
“He wants to meet with the cell directly… but I will see what I can persuade him to do.”

>>171474
>Abandoned factory
That works
>A church?
Maybe the abandoned one that the ziggers were squatting in. I think that's on the Western side though.
Posey prefers to avoid churches otherwise.
>What kind of privacy would she like? Does it simply need to be a place with no witnesses? Does it need to not allow the sounds of fighting and screams?
Enough to shout the verbal components of a spell without witnesses, preferably.
Preferably with concrete, stone, or metal floors, but anything will do.

I guess this might warrant a knowledge (local) check... I really should take 10 for a 13, but...
[1d20+3 = (19+3) = 22]
Can Posey, who's only been in the city for about a week, on the fly think of a single place that meets most of those above factors? I thought of the tunnel because I knew Baltimore had tunnels irl.

>>171475
Based Nerull, guiding me to suitable murder locations.

I think I'm gonna go to bed now. Would be glad to continue this during the week.

>>171479
I was going to wait until I figured out where to meet Luminous next for that. She intends to set up another meetup right now.
>>171474
"Do your best to convince him. It's rather risky to meet in these trying times, but it's for a good cause."

Sleeping now

>>171474
Oh, how could I forget the most important ingredient in deception: Flattery.

Posey looks the griffon up and down and puts on an impressed smile.
"You know, you look quite dashing with that sword, it matches your golden feathers. You take after your uncle well, putting your life on the line and coming out here for the sake of the protection of others. Perhaps in another life, you might've been a Paladin like him."

Rolling bluff to butter him up
[1d20+12 = (20+12) = 32]

>>171481
Hahaha... AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

>>171475
I'm on a knife's edge about the best location for Posey's confrontation, so I think I will leave the decision to Posey

Posey knows very little of Baltimare and its buildings. Really, she knows only what Lament and Debride and their respective associates have told her. And yet, through these sources, she knows of two different locations that are just perfect for this occassion.

Now, Posey has respect for ostentation and understands the value of performance. A warehouse, a big factory, a pier or a theater would be splendid for the dramatic value alone. But at the end of the day, all she really needs to produce is the corpse of a dead griffin. And to that end, she is best off minimizing the advantages of her enemies - narrow confines to maximize her power as a melee fighter, and to negate the power of her enemies to fly, charge, and especially to use ranged weapons from behind cover. To that end, she needs a location that is large and made of small and sealed off rooms with big corridors. There are two candidates

One, she has learned of from Debride. The Traveller Hospital, located in the Eastside district, east of the city center, near Cowtown, and not far north of Red Heart, was in use until the citywide revolt last year. The Military swears up and down that the ponies that were machinegunned as they tried to escape through the second-floor windows from the fire and smoke within were not civilians seeking refuge, but were in fact anarchist holdouts who had been offered multiple opportunities to surrender; all the same, the foreign newspapers published that a "massacre" of over 50 ponies and other creatures had occurred. While the northern part of the building is fairly burnt out and fire damaged, the south and center are not. Some floors have collapsed from artillery fire and bombs, but most of steel reinforced concrete structure has not.

In the south of the Hoebuck district, beside Horseshoe bay, is an odd structure that has variously served as a fortress, a home for single mothers, a military prison, and in semi-recent history, a mare's jail: 33 Hoebuch. But Posey, and all of East Equestria knows it as the location where a "cult" lived, congregated, and held ritual sacrifices of unfortunate ponies and immigrants to Maar and other dark gods - so say the newspapers They did, at least, until mercenaries hired by Customs cleared them out only a bit more than a week ago, killing dozens, and sending still more to the Griffonian Inquisition. Lament and Day Low Rain still reel from the loss of close associates. The building itself is presumably derelict, and oddly well preserved through the capture of the city and the subsequent revolt.

Both sites are large, labyrinthian concrete structures with basements and at least one courtyard, full of small rooms and long hallways with low-enough ceilings.

>>171483
The Hospital is a place of healing: a place that secretive paladins would hide, making it less likely for Luminous to suspect something. The history of anarchists being massacred presents the potential for a haunting presence, which could be a terrain advantage...
It has the benefit of being less suspicious.

33 Hoebuch is the site of dark rituals, and if it was cleared out only a week ago, it may still house dark powers within it from recent desecration, along with a haunting presence from restless spirits of the cultists. The presence of cultists means that negative energies were being channeled there, which could bolster Posey's negative energy powers. Posey has never successfully killed a paladin before, so she's wary of fighting him at full strength. The site of the cult may also yield hidden treasures that the mercenaries missed, which Posey would like to investigate.
The downside is that it's a far more suspicious location, and if dark powers linger in the area then Luminous would absolutely sense them as soon as he enters the grounds, which would make him suspicious as to why a paladin would lead him there. Posey could possibly lie her way through it though, chalking it up to as "testing his devotion and commitment to face evil" if he asks questions; afterall, tackling the darkness in the world is the favorite passtime of paladins. If Luminous remains unconvinced, that might be all the better, as once he realizes that he's been tricked he'd be unlikely to flee, not when he's got his archenemy right in front of him and a new silver sword to test...

33 Hoebuch it is then.

"Tell Luminous to meet me at 33 Hoebuch, in two day's time at midnight, and to return this sword to me there. Tell him to dress to impress, as I'll be vetting him for how worthy he is to meet with August, should we join our forces in the crusade against the darkness. If all goes well, he'll be able to meet with our entire cell very shortly."

>>171481
The griffin looks down at the sword in his claws, and visibly shivers. His feathers rise and puff out. He stares at the sword and contemplates in fear and trembling.

>>171484
"Crusade of Darkness? Are thought you guys were against the Republicans?"

>>171485
Posey gives a little gigglesnort
"You're funny." She remarks
"Anyways, thank you for coming out here tonight. That'll be enough for you, I wouldn't want to keep you out too long. You've done well." She says, waving her hoof as she turns to step away

I gotta sleep again

"Hey, GM, I'm gonna captain this ship out of Baltimare to the Caribouibbean. He can do that right? Right?!"

>>171487
Now roll for navigation…
>rolls a 1

>>171487
>>171488
Orcus take the wheel
[1d20 = 4]

Before the night is over, I would like for Posey to visit 33 Hoebuch, even if just to scout out the perimeter.

>>171490
If Posey does not see anything immediately at the site, she'll patrol the perimeter, and cast some of the following spells:
>Detect Undead
>Detect Magic
If she detects any auras, she investigates further. If not, she simply uses her Negative Energy Burst and six uses of Rebuke Undead to flood the site with negative energy (because you never know with atrocity calls to unlife, sometimes they need a bit of extra juice to get them going).

>>171492
Oh wait, Detect Undead wouldn't let me detect a haunting presence, would it?
It's a shame I didn't get a chance to properly investigate those haunts in the vampire lair due to the fight. They could have been useful to keep around. There's always next time though.

>>171494
>It's a shame I didn't get a chance to properly investigate those haunts in the vampire lair due to the fight
Yes, especially after I made each unique
>Detect magic
The lingering remnants of what were surely once alarms, locked doors, and various rituals...

>Detect Undead
>Haunting Presence
There are no proper zombies, nor undead here. At least, not anymore. This is a location with a long history, and many sorrows, most of which predate and are not associated with the recent cult activity.

>>171495
Posey dumps some negative energy into the site just because, and then goes home.
She spends the next day resting to recover arcane spells, and doing her regular work to prepare research for the university. She sharpens her dagger and her spear to make them look more presentable, and polishes the arrows in her quiver. She spends most of the day spoiling Gloomy, as usual, telling him ominous stories and educating him in the dark arts, while attending to his medical needs. She does her best to rehearse her persona of an Equestrian knight, trying on various hairstyles without the use of a mirror (whether or not she shows in then or not, she's kind of afraid of them), with Gloomy's help. She does her yoga routine to promote circulation and eliminate any traces of rigor mortis, and she makes sure her fur is properly brushed and fluffy.
Like any wise necromancer, she waits patiently for her enemy to do her work for her, before setting out to her second (hopefully final) rendezvous for her mark. The day before she casts Undetectable Alignment (which lasts for 24 hours).

>>171496
This time, Posey stays the entire night, no matter how long it takes for the griffon to show up. She remains vigilant, intent on spotting her mark before she is spotted herself.

Taking 10, Posey's passive Spot and Listen checks are both 14. Posey has Darkvision and Low-light vision.

>>171497
Fuck it, I'm going to roll to see from what distance i can spot him
Spot
[1d20+4 = (17+4) = 21]
Listen
[1d20+4 = (2+4) = 6]

>>171498
The duality of dice rolls

>>171499
Does Posey see him coming?

Posting lewd yoga horses while await response, because why not?

Rolling Dexterity to stretch
[1d20+5 = (20+5) = 25]

So, does Luminous show up while Posey is tying herself in a knot?

I will note that Posey's overall AC is the same wearing chain shirt (22), but her Touch AC is reduced to 14.

Just letting GM know, in case there's a surprise round attack.

>>171516
>>171514
>>171517
Soon(TM), I'm just a little occupied with a couple other things

stigmata start bleeding suddenly
"Huh... That's odd. Guess I've had a bit too much lately. He's so sweet though. I should buy him some chocolate before I get back."

Oh, GM, one more preparation for Posey.
Posey leaves all of her magic items (scroll, mask, totem) at the manor, to prevent any additional evil auras from being detected after she casts Undetectable Alignment.

If it's too late to do that, just ignore this.