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Inching Closer
Anonymous
058ba7b
?
No.175000
175042 175084 175098
The next big quest with everypony in it is coming soon (TM)
1727 replies and 50 files omitted.
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.176640
176641
>>176639
Kira's ears droop for a bit before coming back up. "What are pony males like?"
Anonymous
058ba7b
?
No.176641
176642
>>176640
"In what way?" She asked. "You've met a few of them today, haven't you?"
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.176642
176643
>>176641
"Well yeah, but I mean 'down there'. You know?"
Anonymous
058ba7b
?
No.176643
176644
>>176642
"Well..." Neela proceeds to give an explanation that makes use of her hooves and her own hindquaters

"The pony penis, well, actually all of the quadrupeds, is contained in a sheath under the lower belly and mostly between the hind legs." She stands up perpendicular to Kira and points towards the corresponding area on her body. "There's only one. I don't know how many there are on lamias but, uh, there's only one on pretty much anycreature you'll find over here. When stimulated it comes out and grows to be about" she sits down and uses her hooves to show dimensions "this long and this wide. It has a pretty consistent thickness and is flat on the end. Same with the kirin and zebras. Horses are bigger. Other creatures, like the deer, taper towards the end and are a little smaller. It's pink and soft at first but gets harder when stimulated. They like to place it in the vagina of the female. Or which ever hole, really, and, well, I'm not sure how it works with lamias but uh, they like to penetrate you and make thrusting motions until they've climaxed. Is that how it works with lamias? I don't know how much you know. It's like this." Neela proceeds to stand her forelegs over the couch, and basically hump the couch.
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.176644
176645
>>176643
Neela's...in-depth demonstration is certainly informative. Kira takes mental notes, trying to paint a picture in her mind. Her deep crimson blush shows she probably didn't need the mental image of Neela humping a couch to achieve this, but she gets kudos for the extra effort put into her description.

"Uh...hmm...I guess I can see why they have to, when they have four hooves. For us it's a little more, like...coiling and wrapping around each other..." Kira makes twirling and twisting motions with her hoofs. "...I mean I don't really have much or really any first-hoof experience with it but I've seen and heard enough to know, and mom explained some stuff to me a while back so I wouldn't be completely lost when it finally happens. I guess I'll still be pretty lost if I end up doing it with a pony like Free Rover or what have you, but maybe I'll be able to figure out what to do with what she's told me and what you've just, uh...demonstrated. Is that how you learned about it, did someone show you all about mating?"
Anonymous
058ba7b
?
No.176645
176646
>>176644
Her ears go down, and she is silent for a second. Then another. Then another. Then another. And another

"No... You know, you should probably just see if you find a buck who likes you. And then... go from there."
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.176646
176647
>>176645
Hmm...did Kira accidentally say something wrong? Hopefully she didn't make Neela upset...

"I see..." Kira smiles at her deer friend. "Hey...thanks for all of this advice. You're a really good friend, you know?"
Anonymous
058ba7b
?
No.176647
176648
>>176646
Neela has returned to laying on the couch with her forelegs hanging off. She lowers her head, has a toothy smile, and blushes

"Heh... do you really think that?"
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.176648
176649
>>176647
Kira nods with a wider smile.

"Of course! Even with how you thought I was going to eat you (which I never was, by the way), you still have been nothing but helpful with me! You've even been going out of your way to help me!"
Anonymous
dce5ec2
?
No.176649
176650
>>176648
"You still might." She looks down "Going out of my way?"
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.176650
176653
>>176649
"Yeah! Like, where you didn't need to do anything to help, you still did. Like those police ponies after that car almost hit me while I was crossing the street, you didn't need to step in to try to help, and in fact it could have been very dangerous for you to do so."
Amber Sunset
33e5497
?
No.176651
176653
>>176635
Now Amber is very worried. "Papa!" she cries out as she tugs on his sleeve. "Makea Amy, the mare we saved, was muttering the same thing when we saw her! The stallion we brought her to said she was 'delirious.'"
Anonymous
1b54013
?
No.176652
176653
>>176612
>>176625
>>176631
>>176632
I did this a bit awkwardly yesterday, because I was preoccupied with life, but can Posey go ahead and look for the owner of the site?
I forgot to roleplay Posey's instinctive aversion to entering homes without invitation is one of her character flaws earlier, so I'll do that now.
Anonymous
058ba7b
?
No.176653
176654 176655 176656
>>176616
>>176613
>what does he look like
"Like you don't know. Or did he never tell you his name? He'll be a grey color, with a white mane, a tripe down his back. Larger. Older. Wearing a flak jacket, most likely. I spotted him just a few minutes ago. But you suspected he was here already, didn't you? Well yes, he's off with a mare. Associate Professor Faucet."

>unseen servant
He scrunches
"You think I can't see that you are a unicorn?"

>>176652
Yes.

>>176650
"Well those police officers were assholes anyways. They want to harass all non-ponies, and probably everyone in that part of the city, because it's not the 'good' part of town to them."

>>176651
He looks at her with concern
"I see... Well, let us go to the shop."
Amber Sunset
33e5497
?
No.176654
176662 176683
>>176653
Amber is disappointed that her father won't help the poor stallion, but she doesn't want to disobey him. She follows along, glancing over her shoulder at Kuhlo.
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.176655
176659
>>176653
"Does it make you glad we're in a good part of the city, now? Or at least it looks really nice to me."
Anonymous
0b3b8e9
?
No.176656
176659
>>176653
>Associate Professor Faucet
I'm going to roll Knowledge (Local) to see if Posey recognizes this name from her time at the university, if if it's from a rival uni
[1d20+3 = (8+3) = 11]
>He'll be a grey color, with a white mane, a tripe down his back. Larger. Older. Wearing a flak jacket, most likely.
Posey takes out her notebook and writes this down
>Like you don't know.
Posey puts on a flat expression, evidently not caring if the stallion believes her or not
"Silver Sword: That name sounds like that of a Celestian exorcist or warpriest. He probably invited himself in to undercut my work..." Her expression darkens somewhat
>"You think I can't see that you are a unicorn?"
B-b-but muh lack of visible components.
Posey makes a poker face, hiding her embarrassment for her transparent poltergeist stunt
"..... ANYWAY, I think it's best that I speak with the owner of the property. Would you mind directing directing me towards them?"
Anonymous
058ba7b
?
No.176659
176660 176680
>>176656
>Knowledge roll
I think it would be best if you rolled again.

The brown stallion says,
"No, he's not a charlatan like you or the priesthood. Just a straight up thief. Of course I'm not going to tell you where the office is."

The blue stallion, silent thus far, speaks. He raises his left hoof and crosses it over to point to his right.
"The uh, owner is Glass Horizons. There's an office he may be at two blocks past the intersection. Red tile roof."

>>176655
"Yeah... It's cleaner. Nicer looking. Less likely to get mugged. The apartments are much B=better. I'm not sure the neighbors will like... immigrants moving in, though."
Anonymous
f2ad7b9
?
No.176660
176661 176675
>>176659
>I think it would be best if you rolled again.
[1d20+3 = (5+3) = 8]
>charlatan
"Rude! I am a licensed practitioner of Necromantic Securities."
>"The uh, owner is Glass Horizons. There's an office he may be at two blocks past the intersection. Red tile roof."
"Thank you, kind sir." Posey replies, with a cheerful smile
"Come along, Gloomy." Posey says, trotting off towards the indicated building, floating the colt behind her
Anonymous
f2ad7b9
?
No.176661
>>176660
>Worse than before
Well fuck.
Anonymous
058ba7b
?
No.176662
176683
>>176654
The sky to their right and behind glows purple/ Closer to the horizon and above the dark silhouettes of trees it glows a brighter shade of blue. In most of the sky, the purple tinge of the sky blots out most of the stars. But to the left and in front of the ponies, a black void bespeckled by numerous stars and adorned by a green luminescent band that hangs in the sky like garland still has its hold. In every direction, the earth itself is shrouded in relative darkness. Around the ponies are many more huts. Sometimes the snow is completely blown off and only dirt is visible, and always on the same side, facing left, though invariably found on the pony's right.

The two ponies come to the store, which is a structure presumably made of wood, and having angled walls, much like the huts. It has a couple, small holes where windows once were that are blocked up by wood. Father opens the door, which does not open easily. Like the hut, thick furs must be parted to enter. Inside are two, technically three walls filled to the brim with items. Shovels, candle wicks, kerosene cans, ropes, gasoline cans, hatchets, matches, sewing kits, bandages, eating utensils, sugar, penicillin, lamps...

There is a sort of fireplace along the left wall that provides lighting for the room, as well as heat. Behind a wooden counter in the center of the far wall and slightly to the right is a single, somewhat elderly stallion wearing an undercoat and an orange cap.
Anonymous
058ba7b
?
No.176663
176664
>>176609
In the several rooms of the library and the laboratory, Silver finds several items. Most of these are underneath books or flasks, or behind the same. Some are in cracks. But in one instance, they are hidden in a cavity behind a shelf in a laboratory room.

A sketch of a somewhat tear-dropped shaped creature with six, short wings and no other limbs, and could be said to very vaguely resemble a cross between a honeybee, a crocodile, and a baleen whale.

A sketch of a set of trees or shrubs and the root network, with a special emphasis on what seems to be a vast network of shared roots. It is unclear if the trees depicted are or are not the same as seen earlier.

Still another sketch of a tree and mirrored root ball with a sun above, and a moon, as well as a pool of water below. This one is closer to the trees seen before

A few pages of a manuscript with the title "Remnants of Skyros?" with a sketch of an alicorn.

A map of the Equestrian South East, the Zebrican Northwest, and the chain of islands inbetween, including what Silver can immediately recognize as non-existant land masses in the ocean. There are a few noted points of interest

A map featuring the Thalassic ocean, with two fictional landmasses, one in the north and one in the south. Unlike the previous map, which was very careful with every detail of its fictional geography, this one is much more approximate with its guesses of where these paper-islands are supposed to be located. This map has a sketch of alicorn-shaped creatures, though these alicorns have more butterfly-like wings and curved horns. Beneath it are several pages of writing that seem to be summaries of captain's logs.

A book of poetry

A sketch of what are, for a lack of a better term, sea ponies. This includes what appears to be the sea ponies in a kind of religious ritual, a couple of them in warrior garb, and several of them preparing to attack, or at least approach, a wooden sailing ship.

A vial of a transparent liquid.

An open envelope with a (broken) wax seal and signed as being from the "Sisters of the Three Bodies," which likewise carries the symbols of the Celestialist Church in the South.

A map of some particular city on the water on a river mouth which has a few points of interest. The name "Pirate Jean Claw" comes up. This too has attached pages, which likewise seem to be summaries of captain's logs.

A set of notes that show what seems to be a transfiguration of animals, as well as what seems to be a process of impregnation. This has one attached note.

A very oddly shaped helmet of unknown metal.
Silver "The Floof" Sword
3952934
?
No.176664
176665
>>176663
This has to be the best haul Silver has gotten in many years, excluding payment from completing jobs. Well, also maybe excluding getting a house, but besides that he's very happy with the results. He looks through his findings with Pear.

"It seems like lot of this could lead into even more adventures. We could have our hooves full for while. Maybe I could find way to get some starting capital for some globetrotting adventures. Pirates, lost landmasses of alicorns and alicorn-like creatures, and whatever this chimeric-looking creature is. It would be fun to go on these adventures with you!" Silver makes a note to take a lot of this to the local university to look for somepony's help in deciphering some of the more obscure bits of information located in all of this. The vial and helmet he keeps but doesn't immediately use. Mystery fruit is one thing, but mystery vials and unknown metal helmets are a level of risk that not even Silver can conscientiously take.

There is a lot to read through, and Silver isn't sure how much time he has to go through it all especially as they still have yet to find the sarcophagus. But, he thinks he has at least a little time to go through some of these findings. He starts with the notes on animal transfiguration.
Anonymous
058ba7b
?
No.176665
176666
>>176664
It needs to be noted that with the exception of the poetry, none of the papers are especially thick.

There's a note about an artifact crafted custom made for use by a disgraced former manager of the Canterlot Menagerie for the breeding in captivity of rare and exotic animals and magic beasts. The artifact was at one time owned by Vivienne Discret of Aquelia - and Queen Consort of the Grover II - though the timeline is fuzzy as to whether she is supposed to have acquired it from the manager, or vice versa. Jean Claw is said to have stolen the item after it was sold by the dynasty, or possibly stolen, though less charitable sources claim that Vivienne Discret gave it as a gift to Jean Claw directly as a sign that they were lovers. The notes are honestly kind of vague as to what exactly the artifact does, save that it aids in the creation of animals, beasts, and creatures.
Silver "The Floof" Sword
3952934
?
No.176666
176667
>>176665
Silver has to be especially careful with the papers, in that case. He doesn't want any to get damaged or ruined.

Hmm, that sounds like an interesting artifact to have possession of. Especially as thoughts of what happens if Jubilosa decides she wants children and Silver isn't able to provide them being a pony flash into his mind. This leads Silver to look at the pages attached to Jean Claw's map, perhaps they may lead to clues as to where she buried her stash.
Anonymous
058ba7b
?
No.176667
176668
>>176666
>she
scrunchy

Speculation centers on a cemetery plot, and not entirely defined portions of a river flood plain.
Silver "The Floof" Sword
3952934
?
No.176668
176669
>>176667
Hmm, probably another task to require use of additional maps to cross-reference and maybe help from the local university, just like these other maps contained within the haul. Silver takes a look next at the opened envelope.

Knowledge, Religion: In addition to reading the contents of the envelope, if present, Silver examines the wax seal to see if he recalls anything about these "Sisters of the Three Bodies".

[1d20 = 13]
Anonymous
058ba7b
?
No.176669
176670
>>176668
It appears to be a monastic order. From the symbols on the envelope itself the "Three Bodies" seems to reference the sun, the moon, and the earth. They belong specifically the Tenochtitlan Basin branch of Celestialism, and not the mainline
Silver "The Floof" Sword
3952934
?
No.176670
176671
>>176669
"You have interest in local cultures, yes? Is there anything you can decipher from this?" Silver gives the envelope to Pear, as he looks at the poetry. Part of him feels like it's probably the weirdest item among this haul, at least until he identifies this vial and helmet.
Anonymous
058ba7b
?
No.176671
176672
>>176670
"I think" gasp "I think this might be a companion to my religious texts. Or another version of it." She seems to wag her tail.
Silver "The Floof" Sword
3952934
?
No.176672
176673
>>176671
Silver smiles at the cute professor mare. "Do you want to keep it?"
Anonymous
058ba7b
?
No.176673
176674
>>176672
She sits down, wraps her tail around her body, and says
"Yes!"
Silver "The Floof" Sword
3952934
?
No.176674
176675
>>176673
Silver chuckles at the adorable display. "Go right ahead!"

Anyways, the poetry is next on Silver's list to investigate. He wonders to himself who might have made it or to what purpose.
Anonymous
058ba7b
?
No.176675
176678 176679
>>176660
Posey can't say she knows of her.

Posey finds the building just as she was told. A white unicorn mare with a red puffed-up mane behind a desk greets Posey with a smile.

>>176674
Okay, I got confused. I thought that Silver gave Pear the poetry to examine, and then to keep, not the envelope.
Anonymous
24fe00a
?
No.176678
176681
>>176675
>A white unicorn mare with a red puffed-up mane behind a desk greets Posey with a smile.
Posey approaches her doppelganger
"Good [insert canon time of day here], I love how you did your mane." she greets
"I'm here to see Mr. Glass Horizons, about a site visit concerning the Necromantic Securities department of the university, pertaining to a recent malevolence on the property down the street."
Silver "The Floof" Sword
3952934
?
No.176679
176681
>>176675
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh, okay. Well, if she's excited by the poetry, then she's still welcome to keep it. No way Silver is going to disappoint her like that.

In that case, the next thing to examine would be the map of the Thalassic Ocean.
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.176680
176681
>>176659
"It's okay, we'll make them see that we're a couple of the best neighbors they could ask for!" Kira smiles brightly at her deer friend. "I'm glad you like it, though, and that it's much safer than your old one. Also you won't have to spend any more time with that griffon from your old place if you don't want to."
Anonymous
058ba7b
?
No.176681
176682 176703 176704
>>176678
"Oh, is this about the archeological exam?" She says

>>176679
It's a very big, open ocean, featuring two islands. One of them is massive, almost the size of Olenia, near the north. Another is much smaller, further south, and closer to Equestria.

>>176680
"Oh yes, I'm beyond grateful I'll never have to see her again. Ugh! And can you believe that Lash is with her? What happened to him? Just... So many reasons I don't want to go back there."
Anonymous
a9b86f5
?
No.176682
176683
>>176681
>is this about the archeological exam
"Yes and no. This is a matter pertaining to magical security in relation from recent dark magic activity in the area, although it may impact the archaeological exam. We have reasons to believe that Mr. Horizons will want to know about potential liabilities." Posey replies
Anonymous
058ba7b
?
No.176683
176684 176692
>>176654
>>176662
The stallion speaks,
"Hey, Keskiyön Aurinko. I didn't think I'd see you here"

Father:
"Well I had to catch you now, wasn't sure if you changed your hours."

Stallion:
"No no, the Sun is coming, and everypony is going to need all of the supplies they can get for the great home coming. I'm staying open as long as the weather allows. What do you need?"

Father:
"Oh, just salt. One bag."

Stallion:
"What size?"

Father:
"Let me go ahead and get me... I should really buy enough for the family. I really only need one merker..."

Stallion:
"The more you come back the merrier"

Father
"No no, I should really buy more than that, say... three skålpund? Yes. Let me buy 3 skålpund of salt."

Stallion:
"Sure. Now hold on. It comes to me weighed in kilograms. Let me weigh it out on the scales."

The stallion turns away.

Near the counter, to the left and lower, are hung up drawings made with colored pencil on paper. Mill made-made paper and pencils that have to be imported and are relatively expensive. Amber can tell immediately that these drawings are made by a foal, and are proudly displayed as the foal's art. However, even a young foal would attempt to imitate a known form, however poorly. Squiggly lines and colors outside of said lines are normal in representations of family members, dogs, trees, sharks, or whatever a foal may wish to depict. But that isn't what is hanging up here. Of the four images, three are simply of lines scribbled across in green, red, and black. The fourth could be said to imitate a form, only because the center of the image is a solid yellow circle.

>>176682
She flops one ear down
"Is this about that lich?" She asks
Amber Sunset
33e5497
?
No.176684
176686
>>176683
>green, red, and black
Darn, thought this place was too cold for pan-African nationalists

Amber points up the odd drawings. "What are these?" she asks curiously.
Anonymous
058ba7b
?
No.176686
176687
>>176684
scrunchy

The stallion is at the scales
"Oh, these are my daughter's drawings she made. Aren't they pretty?"
Amber Sunset
33e5497
?
No.176687
176688
>>176686
"They are…um…are they of the aurora?" she asks.
Anonymous
058ba7b
?
No.176688
176689
>>176687
"Oh no. These are inspired by dreams."
Amber Sunset
33e5497
?
No.176689
176690
>>176688
"What kind of dreams were they? Did she tell you?" she asks, intrigued.
Anonymous
058ba7b
?
No.176690
176691
>>176689
"Very insightful dreams. I think you know that premonitions can come in dreams, and that sometimes, the spirits will communicate to us in dreams. These are what she saw."
Amber Sunset
33e5497
?
No.176691
176693 176694 176700
>>176690
"And what do they mean?" she asks excitedly, and her tail would wag if it was unhampered by the coat. "Did the spirits say anything?" she whispers, though her father is right there and she knows he'll hear her anyway.
Anonymous
a9b86f5
?
No.176692
176693
>>176683
>"Is this about that lich?" She asks
"Yes." Posey replies
Anonymous
058ba7b
?
No.176693
176694 176695 176700 176719
>>176691
"Yes, they did. Well, to her. They confirmed what Metsän Vaeltaja tells us. That there will be a great homecoming of the spirits as they return to our world, and our world becomes more like the spirit world. And the Seraph will bring the sun, and there will be an end to the winter."

>>176692
"Ah. Yes. Let me call him." She picks up the phone at the desk and says, "Mr. Horizons. We've got another one." She places the phone down and says "You can go in."

Through a set of wooden doors and into an office that has nice glass windows and a few less bookshelves than Ersatz Orgone. He's a tan unicorn stallion with a grey mane and a blue business suit.

"Another one?"
Anonymous
058ba7b
?
No.176694
176700 176719
>>176693
>>176691
Amber feels a hoof press against her back, and then a tug. She is physically pulled backwards.

"That's enough of that." Father says, pulling Amber away from the images. Father addresses the stallion, and has the salt placed in a tin container. "How much do I owe you? Can I pay in lichen?" He asks

"No, no, can't do that now.... I can't sell that for a while. i have to buy this with marks so it has to be paid in marks. 12 skillings."

"Twelve skillings?!?! Half an ort for 3 Skullpund of salt?"

"Yes, it cost me a mark for a kilogram in Everfrost so really this is just breaking even for me... It's okay, we will not have need for money soon. I can take Lichen for the next purchase, okay?"

Father nods
"Alright. Come the conclusion of the Great Path Forward, we won't need money anyways."

Stallion lowing his head and semi scrunchy
"We didn't need money before the 'Great Path Foward'..."

Father
"Well... I'll see you at the next community meeting next week"

Stallion
"Sure. I think the sun will be here by then."

Father:
"I don't know about that but... see you soon!"
Anonymous
a9b86f5
?
No.176695
176696
>>176693
Posey, with no reservations against abusing her powers, immediately attempts to charm the stallion with her gaze as she enters the room.
DC 19 Will
"Good [insert canon time of day here], Mr. Horizons. I am a local Necrologist by the name of Rosey Ring." She says
"I have been summoned here on suspicion of residual malevolence on the property down the block. I've been tasked with making a site visit to ensure it is properly excised."
Anonymous
058ba7b
?
No.176696
176697
>>176695
He looks up to her and speaks with more real curiosity than veiled hostility

"Uh, summoned by who, exactly? And who tasked you?"
Anonymous
a9b86f5
?
No.176697
176698
>>176696
>he looks up at her
I reiterate my attempt to charm him
>summoned by who, exactly? And who tasked you?
"The Academy Of Arcane Sciences, by the Dean himself." Posey says
"This is a matter of public security, as it's purported that a lich resided on the property. Since the site has been disturbed, it's imperative that it be inspected for residual dark energies. Curses are serious business, a threat to pony life and property; ensuring that they are properly excised is a matter of public safety and personal liability..."
Anonymous
058ba7b
?
No.176698
176699
>>176697
"Weren't the lich and the zombies taken care of?" He says, concerned. "They were all destroyed, right?"
Anonymous
a9b86f5
?
No.176699
176700
>>176698
>"Weren't the lich and the zombies taken care of?"
"You would think so, wouldn't you?" Posey says, with a wistful expression
"But liches aren't the type to stay buried for long. That aside, there remains the issue of Haunting Presences. Just because you can't see any zombies doesn't mean they are not there; they could be lying dormant as haunting presences tied to the land. Haunting presences may either occur sporadically in places of death and misery, or artificially by powerful mages. This site meets both criteria."
These are facts about undead that Posey is sharing to spread paranoia, not lies.
"Furthermore, it's possible that the lich may have poisoned the land to make it more suitable for it's presence. It isn't always obvious at a glance, but such a monster may have cursed altered the land in various ways other than haunting presences. Curses. Contingent Spells. Manifest Zones. Hidden Portals to Tartarus. Any of these factors could reveal themselves unexpectedly if they are not dealt with immediately." Posey says, ominously
But then her tone and expression softens
"But we don't mean to cause you any unnecessary worry, Mr. Horizons. We're only wish to inspect it for the security of our fair city. We wish to ensure that you are made aware of any potential liabilities sooner, rather than later, and any measures that may need to be taken to excise residual traces of dark magic... And not to be the bearer of bad news, but.. it may affect your insurance premiums." Posey says, wincing at the last part
Anonymous
058ba7b
?
No.176700
176701 176719
>>176699
His face shows concern, and that concern deepens as Posey lays out the gravity of the situation. "Can't we just bury it?" He tries to interject. However, his expression contorts into sheer horror when she mentions the potential effect on the insurance premiums. He stands up, pushing back his chair.

"What can be done?!"

>>176694
>>176693
>>176691
Behind, the door opens, and the curtain is parted

"Keskiyön" A familiar voice says with force but not at excessive volume. "We need to talk." Looking back, it's the stallion that helped Amber with the mare earlier.
Anonymous
a9b86f5
?
No.176701
176702
>>176700
>"What can be done?!"
"Well for starters, I'll inspect the property with my magic to assess the gravity of the situation. I would appreciate any documents or maps related to underground structures. If I do sense any haunts, I will attempt to excise them on the spot, but there are powers in this world in cannot face on my own."
>"Can't we just bury it?"
"The archaeological dig seems to already have disturbed the burial of whatever lurked there, but if we're lucky we may just be able to rebury it or transport contaminated materials. Building on top of it may be another story..." She puts on a sympathetic expression
"I can understand what sort of stress you're going through. I come from Farbrook, and the menace of dark magic on our lands has been ever so dreadful, especially with frequent attacks from the shambling dead."
"But momma is-"
"Hush, sweetie. Momma is working right now."

Posey continues
"I'll inspect the site, but I would advise you to keep this under wraps, if you can. If the government, or worse, your insurer, gets wind of the situation, they'll send their own inspectors, and CelEeEHstia knows *cough*, pardon me, knows what they might do then."
Anonymous
058ba7b
?
No.176702
176705
>>176701
"Shambling dead?" His ears are down. "We uh, we don't have maps, no, we... we didn't know it was there until a couple weeks ago.

He leans forward
"Can you clear it? Clean it. De-haunt it? Whatever, just make it not like that?"
Silver "The Floof" Sword
3952934
?
No.176703
176706
>>176681
Do the captain's logs with the map have anything of interest of note on them?
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.176704
176706
>>176681
"You won't have to so long as I'm here," Kira boasts, puffing out her pony chest before she continues, "How did you all manage to become roommates? Is it like me where we just happened to meet, or did you all know each other for a while before?"
Anonymous
a9b86f5
?
No.176705
176706
>>176702
>"Can you clear it? Clean it. De-haunt it? Whatever, just make it not like that?"
"I can try. Secular channeling is a skill of mine. I can at least attempt to make the haunt reveal itself. Bear in mind, removing a haunt isn't a simple process, and it could take a while." Posey says
"But I will try. You'll at least get an assessment of the situation, with my professional opinion. I'm doing this in the name of scientific research, and public security, so so long as you allow me to conduct searches and observe activity on the site, there won't be any service fees." She continues
"If you could sign a permission slip for me to visit the property without alarming the workers, that would be appreciated."
She pulls back her cloak, to reveal the chain shirt around her chest
"Ponies see a professional mare in a zombie-bite suit, and they assume she's up to no good. Tsk tsk..." Posey laments, shaking her head
Anonymous
058ba7b
?
No.176706
176707 176709 176723
>>176703
Maretania September 734, spotted land coordinates blah blah through fog attempt made to land abandoned for rough terrain and poor visibility

Falabella July 743 land-based birds spotted and hovered around the ship for two days. Mirage showed cone-shaped buildings and temples.

Lady Joy 762 Nimbussian cutter Petros encountered two weeks from Vanhoover. Sails at full dress, hailed us down. Said was underponied for journey as the captain and most of the crew went ashore for supplies, attacked by hostile indigenous pony-like creatures, ship barely escaped with none of the landing party making it back to the ship.

A clipping is attached about an Olenian whaling ship, that purports to have killed a juvenile devil whale in the middle of the Thalassic Ocean, though more by accident than design as it was rammed by the ship. When cut open, the whale's stomach was found to contain several very fresh specimens of a variety of crab that is known to only inhabit shallow bodies of water, 200 or fewer feet in depth. This is in an area of ocean where the expected depth is 2 miles.

>>176704
"Well Lash I've known for a while as he is of the same culture and we hang out in many of the same groups. Girka... ugh, I guess you could call her a work colleague. I met her later."

>>176705
He nods.
"Yes, yes. Those university folk... The city insisted on them. They are hardly mine. Here. Show this to anyone who challenges your right to be on the property. Be they police, other construction workers, or the university ponies." He says, and hands Posey a hoof-written ticket of permission to be on the property 'For research purposes valid until February 10' with his signature.
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.176707
176708
>>176706
"A work colleague? Was this from the factory work or was it from later?"
Anonymous
058ba7b
?
No.176708
176710
>>176707
"Later, when I had to do odd jobs." She answers.
Silver "The Floof" Sword
3952934
?
No.176709
176712
>>176706
"This is interesting...it could still be false reports, but I am inclined to believe it. Thalassic Ocean is big place, and much of it remains undiscovered. We would need sturdy vessel, however, and plenty of supplies and rations to last for potentially weeks..."

The map of the non-existant land masses between Equus and Zebrica, are any of the points of interest noted in places Silver recognizes, or are they noted on the mysterious land masses?
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.176710
176712
>>176708
"What kind of odd jobs?" Kira looks at her friend with clear interest in her eyes. She really wants to know more about her new friend's story.
Anonymous
058ba7b
?
No.176712
176713 176714
>>176709
"Heh, you can't actually want to go out into the ocean to look for lost islands... Can you?"

Points of interest at least seem to correspond to real land masses. Roll knowledge.

>>176710
Her ears are up, and she slowly lowers her head while staring silently.

"Like selling things on the street..."
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.176713
176715
>>176712
"Ooooo, what kinds of things?"
Silver "The Floof" Sword
3952934
?
No.176714
176715
>>176712
[1d20 = 8]

"Why not? Could you imagine being first pony to make official contact with these mystery pony, and what kind of prestige it would bring you?"
Anonymous
058ba7b
?
No.176715
176716 176717
>>176713
"Well... tickets for events, food, trinkets..."

>>176714
"Well..." She rubs her hoof. "There must be some reason it hasn't been found."

Silver recognizes the bat pony city, Tenochtitlan, and then some location in the Summer Isles or perhaps the Meridines.
Silver "The Floof" Sword
3952934
?
No.176716
176719 176728
>>176715
"Could be it is shrouded in some obscuring magics. This one report mentions fog, which could be conjured rather than natural occurrence."

Hmm, alright. Perhaps places to check out in the future, and of course Silver can still take this map to a cartographer or other map expert for further information. He's been able to get through a lot more of all of this than he had originally thought he'd be able to. He finally gets to the manuscript for "Remnants of Skyros".
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.176717
176739
>>176715
Kira bounces in her coils excitedly. "What kinds of events? And trinkets? Were they anything like the things I sold to the pawn shop?"
Amber Sunset
33e5497
?
No.176719
176779
>>176716
Remnants of Skystone reference?

>>176693
>>176694
>>176700
Amber smiles apologetically as she is tugged backwards. "Sorry for bothering you, Mr. Shopkeeper." She is definitely noticing a pattern though. Everypony is talking about the sun arriving a couple weeks earlier than it should and the spirits coming into the world. Amber must talk with this Metsän Vaeltaja because that's the source of all these rumors. But then, the shopkeeper's daughter's dreams seem to confirm them too. Amber is disappointed in not having had those dreams herself, but when she thinks about it she can't remember having any dreams at all–

The stallion's entry interrupts her train of thought. "Papa! This is the stallion who helped watch over Makea Amy after we found her," she points out.
Anonymous
a9b86f5
?
No.176723
176724 176743
>>176706
>'For research purposes valid until February 10' with his signature.
"Thank you for your understanding, Mr. Horizons. I will begin the examination immediately."

(What's the date today?)
Anonymous
a9b86f5
?
No.176724
176740 176743
>>176723
Posey then leaves back for the property, with a smug, satisfied look on her face, brandishing the permission slip with the glow of her horn.
Posey returns to the site with some actual intent to do her job, and begins sweeping the site for any signs of undead activity or abnormalities that may have been caused by the lich poisoning the earth and/or laying curses on the land during his time there. The looks for phantom tracks that could indicate haunting presences manifesting around the surface. She also checks the local plantlife for uneven withering that could indicate negative energy pollution (gotta keep up that Necro-botany gig).
This naturally leads her to search the underground facilities.
Anonymous
058ba7b
?
No.176728
176729
>>176716
The manuscript is hardly a manuscript at all, but a collection of unrelated stories assembled under a cover page.

The first is a philosophical musing on the nature of cycles, and in particular, the fate of civilizations that exist in each cycle. The paper starts off by pointing to the acknowledged fact - or at least, the widely accepted theory - that the earth is of infinite age, that all that is on it has always existed, and that the world as a whole goes through cycles. Civilization as we see it in the world is of a relatively youthful age, and if the previous cycles left any remnants, they are not readily visible. So why is there so little remaining from previous cycles? Surely civilization developed to a high enough degree to leave behind signs. So how exactly do cycles come to an end, and why do they leave so little behind? The paper examines the speculation. A slow decline or decadence does not tend to create the complete renew we see or seem to see in the world. Disease would explain the population decline, but not the lack of ruins. A catastrophic event like a global flood is more plausible. The paper fixates on the renewal having a more divine-spiritual mechanism, like a "snap of the finger" to bring the world to an earlier state, perhaps a literal reversal of time. It also acknowledges the possibility that some outside force, especially spiritual entities, engage in a sort of culling that reduce or prune developed civilizations at the end of a cycle.

The next article is written by an explorer about ruins in the Equestrian Southeast. Temples, irrigation systems, bridges and various other ruins are relatively common in the Tenochtitlan basin especially. However, these belong to the relatively recent history of the indigenous ponies of the region and a collapse that took place around the time of the Empire of Quetzalcoatl, and from which that culture has never perfectly recovered. The account starts by detailing a few ruins seen in by the explorer and by other parties in an area further north, especially around the area inhabited by the Cavalum. These include usually large foundations, though these are often covered by dirt and soil, and columns that are made of single blocks of stone or solidified mortar. The meet of the account is of the author's personal venture into a territory that is almost entirely unexplored by Equestrians as it belongs to the Cavalum. He was told by a chief of a particularly ancient and impressive ruin in a gorge some miles north and asked to be taken there. The chief refused to allow the author nor any stallion access to the region, but a fellow party member, a mare, was allowed access. She was taken to a gorge that was more than five hundred feet in height on either side and twice as wide with a river flowing through it. At one part of the gorge, rock protruded from either side in an unantural manner and possessing unnatural angles, and seemingly composed of mortar or cement. This stretched up on either side the entire five hundred feet and protruded each direction fifty feet on average but almost two hundred feet on the left bank, though at points the eroded and chipped figure could be believed to be a natural formation. Other blocks existed further downstream, sometimes the size of a house. The author noted that the Cavalum would not claim the ruins as their own but claimed them to have been ancient at the time of their ancestors. The author speculates as to whether the dragons possessed once a civilization much greater than the culture they have today, given the grand dimensions of the ruins.

The next article is taken from a ship's doctor from the trade ship Daffodil on stop in an island in what was then the fresh new possession of the Aquelian Meredines. The island was known by Equestrian visitors to possess a set of ruins in the shallow waters on the island's eastern coast which the author decided to visit and examine. These ruins, which the author acknowledges are believed by some to be a natural formation, include long blocks of more or less rectangular stone that extend along the lagoon bottom for hundreds of feet, and are eight feet in width and five feet on average above the floor, and seem to be made from a different material than the surrounding seabed or the reef. These blocks occur occasionally in a rectangular pattern, like frames. The natives claim no memory of when these evident ruins were new, but say they have been there as far back as their stories go.

Another story is an account of a traveller speaking to Zebra king Zibn Zambusa. Zambusa recounts that he followed a caravan deep into the central desert of Zerbica, and saw through a haze of sand the base of large stone structures that he identified with tales of a lost city. A member of that caravan claimed to have entered the structures, and found the dimensions and proportions of the structures to be very large. In particular, he saw depictions of horned equine figures with wings, evidently the subjects of worship. The king likened the images in this account to Princess Celestia, which is why the king recounted the tale in the first place.

A final paper talks about caves in the Equestrian Southeast and other locations. It mentions that in most cultures in the regions, caves are considered haunted or entries into the underworld by native ponies. Some bands of the Cavalum, however, recount tails of an enter race being forced below ground in past eras by their foes and claims that some caves connect to their subterranean domain.
Silver "The Floof" Sword
3952934
?
No.176729
176750
>>176728
Hmm...perhaps originally these stories were unrelated, but it's clear they were put together in this "manuscript" with a purpose. It's clear whoever put this together, possibly the artist of the first philosophical musing, means to string together a story of a great expansive civilization, ancient and lost to history. It was absolutely the intent of the author to lead whoever might have ended up reading this towards this conclusion, regardless of it's factuality. Paired with the map of the mystery landmass between Equus and Zebrica, Silver believes he might have found a guide for investigating this supposed lost civilization. He shows the manuscript along with the map to Pear.

"You have studied this region quite extensively, yes? What do you think of this?"
Anonymous
553da87
?
No.176739
176740 176742
>>176717
Neela looks up and then down, angling her head down. Her hooves are still curled hanging over the bed.

“Uh, yeah. Sure. Like that.”
Anonymous
9f026ca
?
No.176740
176743
>>176724
>>176739
Does Posey find her way underground?
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.176742
176743
>>176739
"Did you like doing those odd jobs?"
Anonymous
058ba7b
?
No.176743
176744 176745 176746
>>176723
Like... January 24, or... something like that. Between January 20 and January 30 for sure.

"Celestia Speed"

>>176724
This feels like at least one roll

Please be aware, there is a foundation, a small farm-house (not that old), a well ruin, a couple trees, uncut grass....

>>176740
Posey may either:
Walk down into the quarry and past the ponies while holding out her permission slip. This option is hindered by Posey's lack of a middle finger to show alongside her permission note.

Or,
Search for an alternate entrance

>>176742
"Sometimes, yes, but..." She looks down, and pauses for several seconds "... No..."
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.176744
176751
>>176743
Kira looks with intense curiosity at her deer friend. She flicks her tongue.

"What did you like or not like about them?"
Anonymous
934856f
?
No.176745
176750
1954458__safe_twilight+sparkle_female_pony_mare_simple+background_monochrome_animated_white+background_magic_gif_telekinesis_vulgar_caption_glowing+h.gif
1806518__safe_lyra+heartstrings_solo_pony_simple+background_unicorn_transparent+background_magic_bust_vulgar_glowing+horn_hand_middle+finger_magic+ha.png
>>176743
>This option is hindered by Posey's lack of a middle finger to show alongside her permission note.
Posey innovates: she conjures a floating, glowing, technicolor-flashing middle finger with her magic as she strolls past the other ponies.
Anonymous
934856f
?
No.176746
176748 176750
>>176743
>"Celestia Speed"
Posey yelps and trips a bit at the words, the door hitting her in the butt as she moves out the door.
>This feels like at least one roll
Whatever it is, here it is:
[1d20 = 3]
Posey is eager to go underground or indoors ASAP, preferring to stay out of the sun.
Anonymous
934856f
?
No.176748
176749 176750
>>176746
>3
Gonna roll to see if Gloomy found anything interesting, -2 for being a child
[1d20-2 = (2-2) = 0]
Anonymous
934856f
?
No.176749
>>176748
Nope...
Anonymous
058ba7b
?
No.176750
176752 176755
>>176729
"So, let's see if I understand this. There's supposed to have been an entire civilization, or even several, that were at least as advanced as us? Or at least, as advanced as we were a thousand years ago? And the only evidence they left behind is third-hoof hearsay and a few rocks that are unusually straight? Heh. Could this 'Zibn Zambusa' not be bothered to go in and look at the ruins himself? A cyclical model of the universe is far from universally accepted. Sure, the old Celestialist religion, and most of our philosophers have believed it, as do, for example, the Buffalo, or the most common of the Kirin religions. But the Changelings believe the universe to be fresh and new, and the Griffonian pantheon believes something similar, as do, for example, the wolves of Equus. And I've heard of those ruins on Balamy. Those are either natural formations, or the ruins of a much more recent civilization." Breathing out

"But still, it is a fact that many things that are built are forgotten and lost. Many civilizations have come and gone already. This is a fact. The ruins of old Karthinia dot the cities and farmlands of modern Wingbardy and Toulouse. The lost city of Trot was destroyed by Changeling attackers. Both the Crystal Empire and Tambelon have into and back from the veil of darkness. Even this... bunker, this... this construct we are in right now... was lost and unknown for two hundred fifty years, despite being right here, on the edge of a manor. It is a fact that there are many cities and towns of eras long gone in the Equestrian jungles that have been abandoned after rivers moved, or disease killed ponies, or war caused them to be abandoned. And then, even those theories that reject an infinitely old world, do generally believe there was some kind of cataclysm that destroyed those who came before. So... maybe? I am sure there is something there. I just don't think it's as mystical as some may think. But personally... I think that what is there, is just as interesting."

>>176746
Kek

Posey enters inside into a tunnel going to the left and the right which is held up by stone on the floor and ceiling. She does not feel haunting presences.

>>176748
Gloomy runs off after something that is moving.

Wait. It's just a lizard. Actually, better stop him. He might run into a snake, or a poisonous spider.

>>176745
Nice
Anonymous
058ba7b
?
No.176751
176756
>>176744
Looking up and around
"Oh, ponies and griffins bitch [in a mocking tone] 'Hey, this is fake. I want my money back. You stole my wallet. myee myee myee myee myeem'."
Anonymous
934856f
?
No.176752
176753
>>176750
>Posey enters inside into a tunnel going to the left and the right which is held up by stone on the floor and ceiling.
Posey slowly walks into the tunnel, with intent on searching the entire underground.
She looks down both paths for anything that peaks her interest.
>She does not feel haunting presences.
Posey remains hopeful. She proceeds with intent to begin her revelation ritual once she is at the deepest point in the dungeon.
Anonymous
058ba7b
?
No.176753
176754
>>176752
Along either side are two doors. Going through either takes Posey into a large room which has recesses in the ground, the rusted remains of chains, and a few bones in a pile.
Anonymous
934856f
?
No.176754
176757
>>176753
>a large room which has recesses in the ground, the rusted remains of chains, and a few bones in a pile.
Ooh, that's a great sign.
"Oooh, I like this place already. Feels a bit like home, doesn't it Gloomy?"
"I can't see, momma..."
"Oh, sorry sweetie, let me just.." (can Posey's horn produce light? I can't cast light)
Silver "The Floof" Sword
3952934
?
No.176755
176757
>>176750
Silver nods in agreement.

"It is interesting just to see what really is there, just as it is to speculate on what could have been there. I imagine there was something that came before us, though what it was or if they were even ponies or something else entirely is up to debate. I know lots of ponies have tried to claim that there was ancient alicorn civilization predating modern ponies ever since Celestia and Luna first appeared. I would like to look at these ruins and other places like them to see for myself. It also sounds like you would want to go see."
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.176756
176757
>>176751
Neela's impression gets Kira to giggle. "That's silly! But what do you mean by fake?"
Anonymous
058ba7b
?
No.176757
176758 176759 176760
>>176754
>Can Posey produce light
No. Well, technically yes, her magic is luminescent, and that luminescence has some utility, just not enough to illuminate a room of this size. The room is 40 or so feet across, with a few pillars to hold up the ceiling. Gloomy could see things a few feet away, but not up to the walls.

>>176755
"No... Celestia and Lune earned their alicornhood..." She says this not so much as speaking to Silver, but to no one.

"I don't think dragons built anything though... Go see them? Well, yes. Actually, that's where we are supposed to be. We are supposed to be investigating settlements belonging to the Windigo Worshipers of Windy River, rebels against the Equestrian Rule shortly after the integration of the Marexica into the Equestrian Covenant."

>>176756
"Oh, you'll have to go ask them. They didn't like the watches and bags and what have you we sold them."
Anonymous
934856f
?
No.176758
176761 176763
>>176757
>Gloomy could see things a few feet away, but not up to the walls.
He doesn't need to see far, so this will work.
Posey proceeds to examine the room, searching through it's contents.
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.176759
176764
>>176757
"Why would they complain about buying watches and bags? It's not like you forced them to buy them...you didn't actually force them to buy them, right?"
Silver "The Floof" Sword
3952934
?
No.176760
176764
>>176757
"Sounds interesting, though I imagine you would much rather investigate them with different company than what you are currently keeping." Silver smiles at Pear, though whether she can see it depends on where and how the light from her flashlight is shining. "Which I suppose leads me...even from searching these few rooms, we have come across plenty of clues leading towards new adventures, finding that what has been lost or perhaps never found in first place, and what I have learned throughout my life is that adventures are always better with good company." Taking one of her forehooves in his, Silver continues. "How about it, Pear? Would you like to go on these adventures with me, be my partner, discover these lost stories waiting to be told? I have this feeling, we would do great things together."
Anonymous
934856f
?
No.176761
176763
>>176758
(Posey is just going to keep moving from room to room until or unless she finds something interesting. If you have a map, I would appreciate seeing it but by bit.)
Anonymous
058ba7b
?
No.176763
176767 176913
>>176761
>>176758
I think there is a map somewhere for part of the structure, though it's from the perspective of entering from a different entrance than Posey used. This is a quest from half a decade or more ago, and there are no formal notes, only old posts. What I can say for sure is that Posey is on a "lower" level, this lower level is ringed by hallways that ring the whole structure, there is at least a large rectangular room that Posey is currently in and that she can discern was used for keeping beasts or animals, I think there are multiple vaulted square rooms used for general storage in the lower level... somewhere, and
there are two stairs going up a level to the higher level, with stone steps that are damaged. Upstairs, there is a central room accessed by the hallways with a well in the center and a hole to the ground level, on the side closest to Posey is a bedroom/study with a chamber behind it, and on the side opposite is a library. On either side are small rectangular laboratories, about three on each side. The hall rings around in front of these with catacomb burial spots on each side, until it goes to a tunnel that connects to the surface through what was once a trap door in a house. The entire structure is very symmetrical. I'm sure I am forgetting something, like evidently a smaller, breakaway library. But Posey is only going to find stones and debris that's piled neatly into corners if she simply walks through. She must search or otherwise to discover something that hasn't already been destroyed, pillaged, or taken by the militia who stormed through here, or the raiding party, or the archeologists
Anonymous
058ba7b
?
No.176764
176765 176766
>>176759
"Oh no, of course not," She forces a smile

>>176760
"Yeah, they aren't the best of-" gasp. She breathes in, and looks up to him. "Um..." Her ears go down, and Silver can see her teeth reflect in the dim light. "Well, I mean..."