1357 replies and 92 files omitted.
>>173870Paper Clipping’s horn is across the armrest, and his tail spread over the opposite armrest.
Silver does *not* see White Orchid in the living room, the dining room, the kitchen, or the bathroom, nor is he visible on the porch.
>>173871>>173869It should be mentioned, Silver would definitely blush should Clip's nudity reveal...certain anatomical structures he hadn't seen before on him.
Okay, now Silver is getting worried. He even goes as far to check underneath the house and the area immediately surrounding their home.
>>173868I can only assume this warrants a survival check.
Posey uses the shade of the building for stress support.
And also
[1d8+2 = (5+2) = 7]Some bloodletting, for extra clarity.
Survival
[1d20+5 = (3+5) = 8] >>173873Okay, that's a failure.
Posey heals herself up, and goes back to looking for signs.
>>173868>>173869Is there anything else that Posey can do to discern the direction that the building was fired at from?
>>173875Yes. Roll int.
>>173873Posey hears more insects buzzing around her than before
>>173868Which mud does she uncover, exactly?
>>173872He isn’t underneath the house. He isn’t immediately around it, nor in the half-constructed “rock garden”… Ah! There he is. He’s sitting by the water.
>>173877Whew! Panic attack averted! Silver trots out towards the colt, calling out to him, "Mind if I join you?"
>>173878“Huh?” He turns his head back.
“Oh. Uh. Sure!” And after a pause “I was just… watching the water. After walking around a bit.”
>>173877>Yes. Roll int.[1d20+3 = (20+3) = 23]>Which mud does she uncover, exactly?The mud at the bottom of the pit, the one with the gas mask near it.
>>173879"Heh, sounds like
ton of fun," he says sarcastically, before sitting down with the colt. "See anything interesting so far?"
>>173880Yes, yes, yes! Finally! My quest may finally come to a close.
>>173880Parts of shell fragments, and a bag. The back has a New Mareland flag on it, and inside, has medical tools.
Posey is able to piece together the scene now based upon the poles, the level ground, plastic bags filled with plasma, the craters, the truck, and the general surroundings. This site was the location of a mobile army surgical hospital set up by New Mareland forces, being next to a road. At some point it was shelled by Equestrian artillery, evacuated, with the evacuation having… mixed results, with most of the equipment being removed, but tents and poles being left behind, and one truck clearly completely destroyed. Some of the craters belong to lighter artillery, evidently 18 pounders, but several belong to larger 35 pounder guns. Now, unlike New Mareland forces, who use artillery as their primary weapon in most attacks and will shell anything that disagrees with them, Equestrian forces employed fewer guns, especially in the Eastern Front and especially in the south, and tended to use them either in important parts of the battle or on important targets. Now, while the lighter artillery could be used in any general attack, the heavy artillery was almost certainly saved for an important target, like a battery, or an intelligence headquarters. It is unlikely that they intentionally shelled a hospital with heavy shells, as doing so exposes their heavy artillery to counter-battery fire. So the question for Posey is: why would they think this was the site of either a headquarters or a battery? There is a third type of crater there, belonging to 60 mm mortars. These could be either Equestrian or New Mareland, and likely came at a later time in the battle than the heavy fire, when this became a front line to an Equrstrian counter attack, rather than in the rear.The equestrian guns must have been miles away, but that isn’t what she is looking for. She’s looking for the New Mareland battery, and wherever the guns were taken.
>>173881White Orchid frowns, but then says,
“Well, two freighters have come in to the harbor so far. One has left. I also saw some sort of sea creature. I don’t really know what it was. Mint would know. I don’t know.”
>>173883>She’s looking for the New Mareland battery, and wherever the guns were taken.Is she able to discern what direction the guns were fired from? She would like to travel towards the place from where New Mareland set up its artillery line, to find any artillery devices that might've been abandoned there.
>>173883"Close, so close... A little further, Posey, and you'll be out of the sun." Posey says to herself, trying to ignore the obnoxious white light in the sky as she scours the ground for any signs to tell which direction her charge is.
Surely, my nat 20 ability check enables her to find her way to the artillery itself, right?
>>173886||There’s one more tiny piece that hopefully you’ve already put together.||
Actually… the sun isn’t so bad. Posey doesn’t mind the light so much now.
>>173884"It does sound like this is more Mint's bag. I get feeling you like camping, from what I bought for you on our first day of me taking you out. What else do you like?"
>>173887>here’s one more tiny piece that hopefully you’ve already put together.Now I'm feeling stupid...
>>173887Is there anything in the truck? The building?
I'm sorry, I'm drawing blanks. I've been on this quest for more than a month, and it's difficult to keep track of all of the clues over time.
>So the question for Posey is: why would they think this was the site of either a headquarters or a battery?She can only presume something tipped them off, perhaps with machinery moving through the area.
Being from the Dread League, Posey isn't necessarily proficient in modern warfare lore.
I'm going to make another Int check to see if she would know the answer to this question.
[1d20+3 = (18+3) = 21] >>173891Posey doesn’t know a whole hell of a lot about artillery pieces. But she does know that they are big, they are heavy, they have to be pulled either by teams of ponies or trucks, and they have wheels that put pressure on the ground. They are, quite simply, not suited for a swamp. The only way they came through is on a proper road, or at least, through clearings and solid ground. Posey knows that the area she is at is accessible by truck, given the presence of the burnt-out truck. She knows the Equestrians must have thought the artillery was close, either thinking this was it, or it was the headquarters it was being directed from. Thus: follow the road. It’ll take her there.
>>173888He looks up at Silver
“Well… I’d like it if there were a beach. With sand. Not just rocks. I like ships. I like walking around. Um…”
>>173892>Thus: follow the road. It’ll take her there.And so she shall.
[clippity clopping sounds]
>>173892Silver smiles at the colt.
"I will have to figure out way to take you to beach. Maybe take household out on trip to Meridiennes, or Puerto Caballo. There has got to be sandy beaches there to trot along there, and public docks where we can rent ship to go sailing in."
>>173894He wags his tail and stands up.
“Sailing? We could go sailing?”
>>173895Silver nods, continuing to smile. It's good he has a colt like White Orchid around to remind him of how adorable young ponies can be.
"Of course, if that is what you want! We could make entire day of it if you wished."
>>173893>>173892Posey trots down the road, until she finds signs of artillery.
What does Posey see at the end of the road?
>>173896"I would like to go sailing! I could raise the sail, and steer the rudder, and... stand... well I don't really know much about sailing. But I'd like to find out!" White Orchid says excitedly
>>173893>>173897>>173899>>173900Does Posey find anything at the end of the road?
>>173901Before Posey can leave the ruins of the house, the hum becomes louder, until it sounds like a pony humming a song right next to her. The blue glimmer in the air becomes wider, turning into waves of blue and white, until it takes a definitive shape - that of a pony with a helmet and a saddle bag, looking at Posey, until it becomes a full, translucent equine figure standing in front of her
>>173902>an apparitionPosey is taken aback, although she seems more concerned about her appearance, having just waded through the swamp and not expecting to meet anypony
"Oh.. H-Hello there." Posey says, hastily adjusting her mane
She gives a bow of her head
"I am Rosey Ring, Sorceress in training. Might I ask your name? If you remember, that is."
>>173902Rolling Religion, to identify this apparition
[1d20+9 = (4+9) = 13] >>173904It appears to be a simple ghost. Whether it's actually the soul of a pony, or a magical remnant is up to interpretation.
>>173903It stops humming, and in an odd, distant voice, seems to say
"Carried Pack. Why are you here?" >>173905>173905>ghostOh, powerful. Must have something anchoring him to the plane
>Why are you here?"I am on a mission, for my masters, to examine the remains of this battlefield to learn of the weapons that were used in this battle, particularly the dual action shock absorber from a New Mareland 25 pounder." She says, levitating a wrench
She looks around
"And from the looks of it, there was quite the bombardment."
She puts on a bit of a casual tone
"Might I ask you, Carried Pack, what is your reason for haunting this plane? Could it be that you wish to join the undying legion? Or is it that you have some unfinished business left here? From the look of it, your passing was quite abrupt."
>>173908"It is [insert current year here]."
"My masters are across the sea. The Dread League, masters of the unliving."
>I need to get home... She puts on a bit of a sympathetic expression
"I can tell that you're confused. It's understandable, given your predicament. I'll make it clear for you: you are dead. You died some time ago, likely in this battle here. You're anchored to this plane, for one reason or another. Perhaps you might be able to return to where you lived, but there's little left for you in the world of the living."
Btw, is unicorn telekinesis a force effect? Can I use it to touch ghosts?
>>173909"No... I need to get home..."I'm tentatively going to say that it's like a hoof, and will touch the ghost the same as a hoof would
>>173912Posey peers at the ghost, intrigued
"So, what's to stop you from going there now? Do you know the way there? Are you stuck, or just confused? Can you leave on your own power?
Is that close, btw?
>>173913No. Not even remotely close.
"The trees are endless and the same... I cannot go far..." >>173913End quotations at the word "power"
>>173912>>173914"That's quite far off even at flying distance..." Posey says
She puts on a thinking face
"You must be lonely out here, all by yourself. Would you mind accompanying me on my journey? You can tell me all about yourself, and we can figure out what's next for you."
>>173914"Say, do you have any objects of yours here? Something that identifies you, such as a dog-tag, or a piece of uniform? Anything that might anchor you to this place. Perhaps if it were mailed to your home, then maybe your spirit would follow it."
>>173918>173916>"But I am not alone.""Oh, you aren't? Do you have friends here?"
>knifePosey levitates it
"Hmmm, should be easy enough to mail. Do you remember your home address?"
As glad as I am to chat with the ghost, I am really tired and have to sleep. Maybe the dead soldiers can speak to Posey tomorrow, since it's memorial day.
>>173900"We can learn together! I am certain you would be natural." Silver wonders if White Orchid is at all aware how adorable he is.
"We will do it soon, I promise you, but there is one thing I need to do first. I imagine you would enjoy having your own room?"
>>173925>>173919Posey takes the knife and slowly walks down the road, talking with the ghost as she goes.
>hurr durr why are you helping ghosts when ur evil?Because this is an experience that would help Posey train herself as a spiritualist to expand her personal powers, and might mean a second or third level up at the end of this quest.