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Merry Christmas and Happy Hearth's Warming Everyone and Everypony!

[YouTube] The True Gift of Gifting [Embed]

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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)
1627 replies and 47 files omitted.
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.175451
175453
>>175450
Kira nods, as she slithers towards the outskirts of the city, figuring that any farms would probably be further out.

"Oh yeah, it's part of the lamia diet. You don't need a whole lot of room to raise goats, they're filling, and you can get milk from them."
Silver "The Floof" Sword
3952934
?
No.175452
175453
>>175450
Silver whispers back, "Really really." He smiles at his kirin and her cute reaction.
Anonymous
b276261
?
No.175453
175454 175455
>>175451
“Ah, that makes sense.”

She follows, lowers her head, and then asks
“Would you… like some help? In finding a farm?”

>>175452
She smiles in a display of happiness, again showing off her fangs. “Hehehehe.” She almost squeaks. Then she moves closer, places her nose against Silver’s, and nuzzles him, closing her eyes.
Silver "The Floof" Sword
3952934
?
No.175454
175456
>>175453
D'awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww. Khoi really is just the cutest thing. Silver closes his own eyes and nuzzles back.
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.175455
175456
>>175453
Kira comes to a stop, perhaps forcing Neela to dodge out of the way if she was following immediately behind the lamia.

"Oh, uh...sure, if you know where one is. Lead on!"
Anonymous
b276261
?
No.175456
175457 175458 175459
>>175455
“Nope! But I might be able to find out.” She says.

Gather information, with secret modifier. Neela pretends to be looking for work as a farm hoof.
[1d20 = 4]

>>175454
The little Kylan is nuzzled
“Hehehe.”

Unless Silver has something else he wants to do with her, she hops out. Or waits until Silver opens the door, and hops out.
Anonymous
b276261
?
No.175457
175458
>>175456
And… Neela doesn’t get much of a response
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.175458
175460
>>175456
>>175457
"Here, let me try."

Survival: Taking a deep breath and trying to clear her mind, Kira takes in a deep sniff and tastes the air for any sign of agriculture. Though she gets many unpleasant smells related to urban and suburban areas, she hopes that somewhere underneath them all she can pick out something familiar of farms and animals.

[1d20+10 = (10+10) = 20]
Silver "The Floof" Sword
3952934
?
No.175459
175460
>>175456
Silver doesn't have anything he needs to do with her, and though he would love in that moment to spend more time with his kirin/kylan, he knows she has to go to work. He gives her a brief kiss and wave goodbye as he opens the passenger side door for her to get out.
Anonymous
b276261
?
No.175460
175461 175462
>>175459
Khoi smiles, and hops right out, with a sound of tapping as her cloven hoofs meet the pavement.

>>175458
Moving out unpleasant smells like diesel and asphalt, Kira can pick up on some tasty smells. Deer, although Neela seems to be upwind, and… yes. Goats. Across the river. To the south. South and south west.
Silver "The Floof" Sword
3952934
?
No.175461
175463
>>175460
What beautiful music those hooves make. He watches his kylan as she goes around the car and towards the restaurant, not leaving until he's seen her safely enter the establishment.
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.175462
175463
>>175460
"Okay, I think I have it. Follow me!"

Perhaps Neela is a bit disturbed by the strength of Kira's sense of smell, as Kira follows the trail she picked up leading her across the river and towards those mythical goats.
Anonymous
b276261
?
No.175463
175464 175465
>>175461
After making sure her mane net and her jacket are secured, she trots towards the entrance, looking back at Silver with a smile. The zebra mare continues to watch both creatures.

>>175462
Neela and Kira go a few blocks south and then over, across an iron bridge. It’s still a bit urban, but progressing further, the buildings thin out.
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.175464
175466
>>175463
While following the trail, Kira decides to engage in some small talk.

"Where else have you been, besides Baltimare?"
Silver "The Floof" Sword
3952934
?
No.175465
175466
>>175463
Silver smiles back, happy to see his kylan in such high spirits. He waves at her some more until she enters the restaurant, and then looks over at the zebra mare once more.

"Do you know Black Cauldron, by any chance?"
Anonymous
b276261
?
No.175466
175467 175468 175469
>>175465
She widens her eyes, opens her mouth and audibly breathes in.
“That’s my sister.”

>>175464
Neela tries to ask around again
[1d20 = 3]

“In Equestria? Nowhere. When I was a fawn my family traveled around. Different cities and villages in Lushi.”
Anonymous
b276261
?
No.175467
175469
>>175466
It seems like Neela continues to receive no response…
Silver "The Floof" Sword
3952934
?
No.175468
175470
>>175466
"Oh! Alright, can you just tell her that I said 'hello' and hope she is doing okay? I have couple of things to do, otherwise I would just come in and do so myself."
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.175469
175470
>>175466
>>175467
Hmm, perhaps if she wasn't travelling with the lamia she would be getting better responses.

"All I ever knew before leaving was Dhamaji and the savanna surrounding it. Baltimare is so different from my homeland."
Anonymous
b276261
?
No.175470
175471 175472
>>175468
“Uh, sure.” She smiles a little awkwardly. “I think she’s out today… I don’t know. I haven’t seen her. Today at least.” She flicks her tail to her right side.

>>175469
“How… so?” She asks. The sun is going down, and it’s getting darker.
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.175471
175473
>>175470
Dang, how long has it been? Kira checks her pocket watch for the time.

"All of the buildings are tall and made of different materials, you have all of this technology like cars and stuff. There's also a lot less nature here in the city then I'm used to."
Silver "The Floof" Sword
3952934
?
No.175472
175473
>>175470
"Oh, well, whenever you see her." He smiles and waves at the pretty zebra mare. "Have good day!"
Anonymous
b276261
?
No.175473
175474 175475
>>175472
She smiles and waves back
“I will!” A pause “And… have a good day, Silver, Khoi’s Fiance!”

>>175471
I mean, she’s been continuously doing stuff all day. Does she have a watch? It’s like 5:30.

“Well, yeah. It’s a city. A big one. The biggest in the region… I am told. Of course there isn’t any nature in it.”
Silver "The Floof" Sword
3952934
?
No.175474
175476
>>175473
Silver rolls up his window and heads off. He sees if he can navigate the care to Curwhinny's old farmhouse, hoping that such a remote location for the car will keep the gang off their trail until his business is finished.
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.175475
175476
>>175473
Yeah, she got a packet watch from the nice ponies at the pawn shop.

"It's a great city full of amazing things, but I do wish there were more trees and dirt in the city."
Anonymous
b276261
?
No.175476
175477 175478
>>175474
That location is more northerly, close to the road Cherry Hill is on, but much further west. The location is not remote, but is in the middle of new construction. Silver can of course drive there.

>>175475
“Well… it’s a city. There’s a few parks and trees, and a little dirt, but… of course there’s not going to be many trees or dirt.” She trots a few more feet. “That little yard uh the back is the most I’ve seen since I left Lushi.” She says. “In a private yard, I mean. Like on someone’s apartment.”

The two have reached the end of where navigating by dead reckoning can take them. It isn’t clear where they need to go.
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.175477
175479
>>175476
Survival: Another sniff, another tasting the air, as Kira attempts to figure out the correct path to take to get to the food.

[1d20+10 = (20+10) = 30]
Silver "The Floof" Sword
3952934
?
No.175478
175479
>>175476
It's a good thing he can drive there, otherwise it would be hard to hide the car there. Even if it's not super remote, hopefully it's far enough away where they'll be safe.
Anonymous
b276261
?
No.175479
175480 175481
>>175477
There’s no question at all. The smell is unmistakeable. Down the road, to the left, and then the equivalent of a few blocks. Goats and perhaps even lambs. And besides that, Kira now knows there are cervines in the wilderness. Also Neela is still there.

>>175478
One way to find out! Silver can indeed drive there. The lot is a lone semi-wild lot surrounded by new-constructed houses.
Silver "The Floof" Sword
3952934
?
No.175480
175482
>>175479
Then it's time to vroom vroom (safely) his way to the farmhouse.
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.175481
175482
>>175479
Ooooo. Kira's going to have to remember this place for future hunting plans. She excitedly leads the way towards the farm full of food.
Anonymous
b276261
?
No.175482
175483 175484
>>175480
Silver finds it. The quarry is still an archeological site, but the farmhouse is untouched. A random carry wouldn’t look out of place, with the archeological survey still going on.

>>175481
They’ve left the rows of houses and have entered the woods. The trees break for a meadow behind a barbed wire fence. There’s a smaller enclosure, a henhouse, a barn, and a farm house. Kira can hear the baying of goats.

Neela
“Oh I should have brought wire cutters…”
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.175483
175485
>>175482
Kira once more tilts her head at the deer. She's going to get a sore neck if she keeps doing that too much.

"Why do we need wire cutters? We just go over to the farm house and pay for a goat."
Silver "The Floof" Sword
3952934
?
No.175484
175485
>>175482
That sounds good. Silver parks the car by the farmhouse, hopefully out of sight, and turns off the engine. He makes sure to grab anything left inside the car to take with him as he trots back towards home. Though, as he passes by the quarry, he gets curious and decides to see if Pear Faucet is still there.
Anonymous
b276261
?
No.175485
175486 175487
>>175483
She half scrunches, rolls her eyes upwards, and moves her ears back.

“Okay fine, we’ll buy the goats. Have you lived your whole life make to just buy everything, miss money bags?”

The farm house is right there. The lights show it is occupied.

>>175484
Looking in, Silver can see that Pear is indeed in the quarry. She is sitting down, with a hat and jacket on, and her tail curled up next to her, looking down at a set of paper items, presumably cataloguing or examining them.
Silver "The Floof" Sword
3952934
?
No.175486
175488
>>175485
Silver casually saunters on down the quarry to her to see what she's looking at.
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.175487
175488
>>175485
"I just don't want to steal from them. They're honest farmers, and they provide a very valuable service to creatures like me."

Kira slithers around to the farm house, and knocks on the front door.
Anonymous
b276261
?
No.175488
175489 175490
>>175486
Silver is seen by a couple familiar stallions, who seem as if they will stop him, but evidently decide against it. They busy doing other things, after all. Pear is looking at pages from books. She’s looking at them fairly intently, and using her hat to block the sun from her eyes. She does not notice Silver, even when he comes close.

>>175487
Kira knocks on the door, and a brown mare answers.
“Hi… Ah!”
She runs away
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.175489
175491
>>175488
"Hi, uh..." That's all she can get out before the brown mare runs off. Kira calls after her. "W-wait! I'm friendly!"
Silver "The Floof" Sword
3952934
?
No.175490
175491
>>175488
I suppose they don't have fond memories of Silver after he made off with an enchanted sword. Silver politely clears his throat to announce his presence to the unaware mare.
Anonymous
b276261
?
No.175491
175492 175493 175503
>>175444
“How will you get the diamond dog in?” He asks

>>175489
A grey stallion comes up. He’s an earth pony, although zebra striping around the legs may be a feature or hybridization. He comes to the door, cracking it open.

“Who are you?” He asks. He looks back and says “It’s just a mare.”

>>175490
Gasp
She turns around, startled.

“Silver Sword? What are you doing here?”
Silver "The Floof" Sword
3952934
?
No.175492
175494
>>175491
"Hello Pear! I was just in area and thought I would come say hello, see how you are doing."
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.175493
175494
>>175491
Hmm. Perhaps it's best for Kira to keep her snake tail out of sight if just for the moment.

"Oh, hello there mister! I was hoping I could make a purchase of one of your goats."
Anonymous
b276261
?
No.175494
175495 175496
>>175493
“Oh yeah, we have many goats. What are you looking for? A kid, a doe, a buck? Are you looking for a pet, a breeder, a milker, or maybe even for the foreigners?” He answers happily. “A little late to come out here. Who is your friend here?”

>>175492
“In the area? Wha? Uh, hello? I’m going through book pages.”
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.175495
175497
>>175494
"Oh, this is my friend Neela, she's been showing me around the city." She looks back at Neela, then again to the farm stallion. "What do you mean for the foreigners?"
Silver "The Floof" Sword
3952934
?
No.175496
175497
>>175494
"Ooo. What is book they belong to?"
Anonymous
b276261
?
No.175497
175498 175499
>>175495
“Well, I mean they will eat the… well never mind, you’re not here for that. What do you need?”
He looks over at the Deer

>>175496
“A book of esoteric magic spells. I believe they are spells of the old ponies of Paradise Valley. Hard to say though. It seems most of the pages are lost, and I can’t say I am familiar enough with the language.”
Silver "The Floof" Sword
3952934
?
No.175498
175500
>>175497
"Huh, that is odd, seeing language you are not familiar with. But it would make sense with what else I found looking through those catacombs so many times."

Silver looks around them to make sure nopony is within whispers range, and lowers his voice.

"Actually, can I, uh...tell you something?"
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.175499
175500
>>175497
Kira blinks, once, then twice, before replying to the stallion.

"That's, uh...actually exactly why I'm here..."
Anonymous
b276261
?
No.175500
175501 175502
>>175498
“Well, there’s both an old ponish, and comparatively modern ponish note, but…” she moves her tail to the other side. “What is it?”

>>175499
“What is?” After a second, “Oh, for the… griffins? The cats? No matter. It’s alright, that’s actually where most of our goats go. The dogs, the cats, the gnolls, the bears, the griffins and wolves, they love goat meat. What are you looking for? A buck? Kids?” Then he says. “Actually, would you like to come to the pen and see what we have?”
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.175501
175505
>>175500
"I would, just...please don't freak out?" She smiles awkwardly at the stallion.
Silver "The Floof" Sword
3952934
?
No.175502
175505
>>175500
Silver checks again to make sure nopony is in earshot before leaning in and whispering to her.

"So, reason I am in area. To make long story short, I may or may not have stolen car from Waterfront Gang and I may or may not have hidden it away up by Curwhinny's farmhouse so they can not find where I live."
Anonymous
e8e7a7e
?
No.175503
175504 175505
>>175491
>how
"I will hypnotize her, and then I will tell her that she's going to be volunteering at the Kaftar temple to pay off a debt I have to her, and eventually released." Posey says
"If she knows what's good for her, she'll avoid making a scene. It's not the first time I've brought her through military checkpoints." She adds
Anonymous
e8e7a7e
?
No.175504
>>175503
>to her
*to them
Anonymous
b276261
?
No.175505
175506 175507 175508
>>175501
He blinks.
“Why would I freak out? No, we have many ponies who buy for restaurants here-“

Neela:
“She isn’t a pony.”

Stallion:
“Huh.”

Neela:
“You are not talking to a pony.”

The stallion looks a little concerned
“What?”

>>175502
She blinks
“What?”

And then a laugh
“Heh”

>>175503
“So make her think she’s being released? Go in willingly?” He looks into the rear view mirror, looking back at Posey.

“If you can pull it off, it’ll work. Just don’t let ‘er guess the truth.”
Anonymous
e8e7a7e
?
No.175506
175586 175587
>>175505
>+14 Bluff
"I think I can manage. This is just how we do business in Magehold."
Silver "The Floof" Sword
3952934
?
No.175507
175510
>>175505
Silver laughs with her.

"Heh, yeah. There is longer story around that, but that is core idea. I just do not want others in your team to overhear, I do not think they like me after last time I was here."
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.175508
175509 175510
>>175505
"Yeah...like I asked, please don't freak out, but...you can come out and see for yourself."
Anonymous
b276261
?
No.175509
>>175508
[1d20 = 15]
Anonymous
b276261
?
No.175510
175511 175513
>>175508
The stallion walks out, looks over, then jumps back a couple feet.
“A snake?!?!” After a pause “That’s a big snake…” he looks up at Kira with worried, focused eyes. “Is that you?”

>>175507
“Yeah… Critical Theory has not forgotten you… Not every day somepony comes and… takes a sword.” She blinks. “A big, silver sword.”
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.175511
175512 175515
>>175510
Kira nods, then smiles embarrassed at the stallion.

"Yup, that is me. I'm a lamia." She extends a hoof for a hoofshake. "I'm Kubana Kirafiki, by the way, but you can call me Kira."
Anonymous
b276261
?
No.175512
175514
>>175511
I’mma make the snake do a charisma roll.
Silver "The Floof" Sword
3952934
?
No.175513
175515
>>175510
"Heh, that is me. Big Silver Sword." He chuckles some more, before looking around at the quarry. "It looks lot better here now, at least. No undead clawing at my throat, nor body parts flung around, not even giant Rocs come to fight mummies and undead knights over smelly bait."
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.175514
175515
>>175512
Oh my.

[1d20+3 = (5+3) = 8]
Anonymous
b276261
?
No.175515
175516 175517
>>175511
>>175514
He kind of just stands there, with an awkward smile. He doesn’t quite extend a hoof to her.

>>175513
“Rocs what now?” She says, looking up at Silver
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.175516
175518
>>175515
Awww.

"I promise I'm really friendly, mister, if you took the chance to know me."

She gives the stallion a sad look with big, sad snakepony eyes and folded ears.
Silver "The Floof" Sword
3952934
?
No.175517
175518
>>175515
"Did I not tell you? To lure undead out from catacombs I used some really smelly bait I got from hunting store, and it was so smelly that it lured Roc to quarry. You know, those giant dragon-eating birds? It fought mummy and undead knight over bait and won. It is why that mummy was in such poor condition."
Anonymous
b276261
?
No.175518
175519 175520
>>175516
He shakes
“You you - you’re a snake?” He asks, as if that question hadn’t already been answered by Kira - as if the answer weren’t already in front of his eyes.

Neela
“Don’t worry. She won’t eat your chickens.” She rolls her eyes “Not without paying for them first.”

>>175517
“Oh. Right. Heh…” her ears go back. “And now you’re… hiding a car stolen from the gang?”
Silver "The Floof" Sword
3952934
?
No.175519
175521
>>175518
Silver nods and replies, "Indeed", as if it's the most normal thing in the universe.
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.175520
175521
>>175518
"Lamia, actually. And Neela's right, I wouldn't ever dream of eating any of your livestock without paying for it. You're honest farmers, and you provide an invaluable service for all sorts of creatures!"
Anonymous
b276261
?
No.175521
175522 175523
>>175519
Her ears go back up, and she looks up towards Silver. She’s still sitting down, but she twists her body towards Silver to have a direct look at him. Her eyes are green, ever so slightly yellow-green.

“So why would you want to hear about old books that aren’t even complete books.

>>175520
“So…” his smile shows every tooth. He’s actually missing a couple on his upper jaw. “You want to see the goats? Or do you know what you want?”
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.175522
175524
>>175521
Kira actually finds that a bit interesting, though she's not going to stare at a pony's missing teeth.

"No, I hadn't looked at the goats yet. I'd like to see them, if you please."
Silver "The Floof" Sword
3952934
?
No.175523
175524
>>175521
"Because old books are interesting, they tell tales of our history that sometimes have been lost to us for ages." He smiles at Pear. "Rocs, and mummies, and gangs...those are like regular Tuesday."
Anonymous
b276261
?
No.175524
175525 175526
>>175522
Still smiling. “Oh, oh, uh, okay. F-follow me. If you could, keep a little distance. When we get to the pen, the goats might be afraid of you.” He blinks, and finally takes a step forward “Stay downwind if you can.”

>>175523
“Hehehe” she smiles, and wraps her tail even more. “I think so. That’s why I’m so happy we have these archeological studies. Just…” she looks down “It’s a shame these books have been damaged and so much is missing. And it’s a shame it’s taking time out of our expedition…”
Silver "The Floof" Sword
3952934
?
No.175525
175527
>>175524
"It is unfortunate, and sad. It makes you wonder what has been lost to time forever." He looks down at the pages he can't read, then back up to Pear with a smile. "There is silver lining to how long it is taking, at least...pun not intended. It means I get to see you just little bit longer."
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.175526
175527
>>175524
"Can do!" Kira graciously slides out of the way of the stallion's path. She seems friendly, or at least she hasn't lunged out at him to eat him as soon as he stepped out of his door.
Anonymous
b276261
?
No.175527
175528 175529
>>175526
Kira may get the feeling that the pony genuinely does feel that she could lunge out and eat him. He must not genuinely believe it. If he did, he would have gone back inside and locked the door. Instead, he walks in front of her and turns his back to her. Yet still he turns back towards her periodically, and he keeps his distance. Indeed, virtually every creature Kira has encountered, from various sales ponies to Neela, have kept a distance from Kira. Perhaps it’s a distance that they think would let them dodge a lunge from Kira, though Kira thinks the real distance is longer than that. Surely they don’t actually think Kira would lunge at them - if they did, they wouldn’t come near her at all… right? Right?

The stallion leads them to a pin. Kira can hear the baaing of sheep and goats inside.

>>175525
“Yeah,” she says, sullenly. Then when silver says his line.

“Hehe” she giggles, looking up at silver with a blush, a tooth-showing bashful smile, and one ear going back while the other moves to the side.

“D’awww, that’s sweet” she says
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.175528
175530
>>175527
These thoughts worry the friendly lamia. Surely if they took the time to get to know her, to follow through on the promises of friendship and Harmony that she had heard some much about with regard to this land, they would realize that she's one of the nicest, kindest creatures they could befriend.

Of course, these thoughts are chased away as soon as they get to the pen. Kira suddenly realizes how hungry she is, all of that pony food earlier wasn't really what he body was needing. She flicks her tongue, getting a taste of the scent of the food inside.
Silver "The Floof" Sword
3952934
?
No.175529
175530
>>175527
"I hope not every day you are here in Baltimare will be spent in this quarry. I would like to spend some more time with you."
Anonymous
b276261
?
No.175530
175531 175532
>>175529
She continues her bashful smile, tilting her head.
“What do you - what do you have in mind? Is it a shootout with gang members? A dash into an old mill overtaken by rum runners? Maybe a jaunt through a haunted hotel?”

>>175528
There’s still a barbed wire fence in the way. Kira can see a kid, an adult goat, and a few more off in the distance, including sheep and lambs. The adult goat is white, while the kid has alternative white and black, black more so on the top and white around the belly. Kira can hear many “baas,” and smell the delicious smell of goats, sheep, and a chital deer.
Silver "The Floof" Sword
3952934
?
No.175531
175533
>>175530
"Heh heh, those are some good ideas. Part of me was thinking about gallivanting through some forsaken ruins sometime."
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.175532
175533
>>175530
Oh yeah, Kira is definitely hungry now.

"Which ones are for sale? Or, I guess, which ones would you recommend for, uh...you know..."
Anonymous
b276261
?
No.175533
175534 175535
>>175531
“Heh heh” she smiles, but her expression slowly changes with her lips coming down.

“Are you serious?”

>>175532
“They are…” the pony is sweating, and both the stallion and Neela keep an even greater distance from Kira than before. They actually would have time to react if Kira lunged at them. The stallion speaks loudly to communicate with Neela.

“There’s a ewe in the back that I am breeding but…” he swallows. “Any of those that are roaming free, that you see here, those uh, those are for sale, yes, I uh, the does are in the barn… these are all free of disease, and internal and external parasites, if that’s what you are asking.” He swallows again. “I’ve had them de-wormed.”

He doesn’t comment on how to best feed your lamia.
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.175534
175536
>>175533
"Ah, good, no one likes parasites." She looks over her options, before settling her eyes on one of the largest ones available. She points it out to the pony. "What about that one?"
Silver "The Floof" Sword
3952934
?
No.175535
175536
>>175533
Silver initially smiles back, but as she asks the question he tilts his head.

"Well, sort of. I would take you to one if I knew of any at moment. Gang shootout happened yesterday, so...whoops..." Silver looks around to see if anypony else heard that slip.
Anonymous
b276261
?
No.175536
175537 175538
>>175534
“The uh” he swallows “going rate is a bit less than one bit a pound. “That’s uh, a 201 pound buck so, so he’s uh, worth about 175, I would say.”

Kira knows that she could swallow any creature here. There are likely some ewes or bucks or cattle elsewhere that are too big, but not here. The largest will be the most filling, and last her the longest between meals - maybe two weeks. These animals will be the hardest to catch and will need to be killed or drugged before being eaten. Kira may have difficulty being active after eating them, and the bulge may be mistaken for being an eaten pony. The smallest prey will last her an only a few days before needing to eat again. At worst, the smallest prey will require her to eat again before digestion is complete. These will be easier to catch, may not require drugging or killing, and should be less noticeable on her body. They may also have minimal effect on her ability to move.

>>175535
“Shootout?” Her eyes widen
Silver "The Floof" Sword
3952934
?
No.175537
175540
>>175536
"Uh...yes, shootout, related to stolen vehicle. They started it, if that is what you were worried about."
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.175538
175539
>>175536
These are very salient points being brought up, and these are ones Kira is considering. She looks at one of the smaller ones. "And what about that one?"
Anonymous
b276261
?
No.175539
175541
>>175538
“There’s a newborn kid I’ll part with for about 25 bits. He’s only about 15 pounds… but there’s one around 3 months old that’s 55 pounds and 50 bits. I have a couple that size.”
Anonymous
b276261
?
No.175540
175542
>>175537
“… Oh… No, uh, I’m not worried just… I can’t say I remember the last time I’ve been involved in a shootout, heheh, the closest was that time I was with you, and the griffin tried to stab you. The books don’t really try to stab me.”
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.175541
175543
>>175539
Kira notices that the larger the animal, the more food she goes for what she pays. 15 pounds seems a little on the low side, so...

"Okay. I'll take one of the 3 month old ones, please!" She gets out 50 Bits for the farm stallion.
Silver "The Floof" Sword
3952934
?
No.175542
175543
>>175540
Silver has to chuckle at his next line. "Do papercuts count as stabbing, though?"
Anonymous
b276261
?
No.175543
175544 175545
>>175542
“Heh heh.” And then seriously. “These are burnt in the edges. They can’t even do that.”

>>175541
He moves just slightly closer, then leans in, then moves slightly closer, then leans over… he is too far away from her to take the bits.
Silver "The Floof" Sword
3952934
?
No.175544
175547
>>175543
"Burnt? Did you pick these up from burned library inside catacombs?"
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.175545
175546
>>175543
Kira looks very sad that he won't even get close enough to her just long enough to take the Bits. It's not like she would eat him or even bite...
Anonymous
b276261
?
No.175546
175548
>>175545
He leans in a little further, then moves a little closer, then leans in a little further, then moves a little closer, then Neel takes the bits from Kira and gives it to the stallion.

“Do you uh, want me to get the kid for you, or would you like to go take the kid?” He asks.
Anonymous
b276261
?
No.175547
175549
>>175544
Her mouth is open

“… Yes…”
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.175548
175550
>>175546
Somehow, it makes Kira even more saddened that Neela had to do it for him, especially when she resembles food-shaped creatures far more than any pony.

"I think it would be best if you were to get it. Maybe you could set it at ease. Maybe..."
Silver "The Floof" Sword
3952934
?
No.175549
175550
>>175547
"Ah, yes, that is uh...well that is not my fault, but I know what happened there." Silver awkwardly rubs the back of his neck.
Anonymous
b276261
?
No.175550
175551 175552 175553
>>175548
The stallion opens the door, closes it behind him, and goes up to the black and white kid. It tries to run from him, but he quickly catches it and picks it up with a “bah.” He holds it under a foreleg, trying to limp along on three legs of his own. His leg is under its forelegs, letting its hind legs hang down. It “bah’s” again, and once he goes through the door, closing it behind him, he starts petting it. Its ears, one black and the other white, go down, then back up. The pony looks at Kira, sits down, and keeps petting it.

>>175549
She perks up
“What happened there?”
Silver "The Floof" Sword
3952934
?
No.175551
175553
>>175550
"Well, first time we came through here to try to clear undead, we brought entire group. There were mostly ponies with us, but there was also one kirin. Kirin nun, to be exact. Me and one other pony went down to this exit to try to seal it with dynamite we found on body of unfortunate quarry worker who had decided to explore this ruin while it was still occupied. We figured we did not need any other unfortunate souls to try to explore from this direction, and we did not want any undead wandering outside into city. While we did that, rest of group came upon library, and when kirin saw books she immediately thought 'evil books' and went full nirik. By time fuse had been lit and we had returned to group, most of library was up in flames and it was too late to try to stop fuse on dynamite, so we ran back way we came as fast as we could. When dynamite went off, it sealed catacombs and that fire immediately ate most of oxygen inside. We barely made it out.

"I suppose benefit of that is that fire was snuffed out before it could claim everything. It ate through all of oxygen too fast. As for this exit...well, our original plan did us no good. When it was just me I had idea to lure undead out here to kill them with unexploded bomb, and ended up having to reclear all of debris our dynamite made."
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.175552
175553
>>175550
Oof...this is the hardest part of the transaction...it's always so hard, seeing the farmer get ready to part with their livestock for the final time, especially when they've spent time raising and caring for it. She knows she needs to eat, but still...
Anonymous
b276261
?
No.175553
175554 175555
>>175550
>>175552
He continues petting the kid, which has calmed down significantly
“We call him ‘Nippy’ because he likes to nip at your fetlocks.” He says. He does not move closer to Kira. It’s not easy to carry the kid and walk, and he certainly can’t pet it. He continues sitting down.

Kira is likely going to need to come to him. Don’t move too fast, or he’ll run away.

>>175551
“Ugh….” She shakes her head “So much lost. Maybe I should expect that from a kirin… so many don’t appreciate old knowledge and faiths. They just dismiss it as ‘evil,’ not willing to recognize that the spirit is above good and evil.” She says, clearly holding back a much longer rant.
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.175554
175556
>>175553
D'awwwwwwwwwwwwwww. But also...aaaaaarrrrrrgggghhhh why did they have to name him? And why did he have to tell her? That just makes it ten times worse...

"...nnnnngh...Aaauuugh..." Kira looks down, defeated. "...I can't do it. I can't eat something that cute, not him."
Silver "The Floof" Sword
3952934
?
No.175555
175556
>>175553
While Silver does have other tasks for the day...it's not as if he needs to get to them right that minute, if she wants to share more with him.
Anonymous
b276261
?
No.175556
175557 175558
>>175554
“Yes. You can.” Neela says. But she doesn’t want to come up to pet Kira.

The stallion continues petting Nippy, who, true to his name, tries to nip at the stallion’s hoof on one pass by his mouth.

>>175555
She blinks.
“I just… it’s a longer story but… ‘good and evil’ apply to ponies and are terms for behaviors that are good and bad within society. But outside if civilization those terms don’t have much meaning. Nature and spirit aren’t really good or evil. Hurricanes aren’t really evil, nor is fire. They kind of just are. I think burning the books of magic and lore just because the ponies who made them did not have good intentions is a bit short sited, and it shows a deep lack of trust for your fellow pony who would receive that knowledge.”
Silver "The Floof" Sword
3952934
?
No.175557
175559
>>175556
"To be honest, it seems as though most of those books were not even really made with bad intentions. Sure, most had to do with occult or legends and myths from other societies, but none actually seemed to have been 'evil' by our sense."
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.175558
175559
>>175556
"I can't, he's just too cute, plus he's been given a name..." Her ears fold down, and she looks up at the stallion. "May I pet him?"
Anonymous
b276261
?
No.175559
175560 175562
>>175557
I hope this is obvious, but a particular NPC’s opinion an event is not the same thing as an objective and correct assessment of an event

“Exactly!” She says with exasperation, breathing outward and looking down.

“Just… why would you burn this? There’s so much history. So much… esoteric knowledge of magic, and spiritual creatures…”

>>175558
He holds out the kid with both forelegs extended. It bahs.

“Pet him? You can take him. He’s yours.”

He then adds.
“Don’t put too much stock in the names. We just give them that to tell which is which. He was being raised to be eaten anyways.”
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.175560
175561
>>175559
"Aww, but he's just so...so...argh, come on, Kira..." She shakes her head, still being conflicted on what to do. "Ponies really just make everything around them so much cuter. I never had this much trouble back in Zebrica..."
Anonymous
b276261
?
No.175561
175563
>>175560
The stallion smiles, and continues holding out the kid with both hooves.

“If you’d like to buy another one, or maybe a lamb…”

Neela scrunches, and both ears are back.
Silver "The Floof" Sword
3952934
?
No.175562
175564
>>175559
Unless it's Best Pony

"Well we did delve into lair of long-gone necromancer or lich. It is just...very unfortunate she immediately took assumption that it was all evil."
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.175563
175564
>>175561
"Maybe, maybe..." Since he keeps holding the kid out, Kira slowly slithers up to him, and begins to pet the kid between his ears. "Maybe I'll take one of the bigger ones instead, after all. I'll be sluggish for a time, but...maybe it will be easier to actually get over any cuteness."
Anonymous
b276261
?
No.175564
175565 175566
>>175562
Neigh
She looks away and whips her tail.

“Very much so…” she shakes her head “Of course the fire was started by a Kirin…”

>>175563
He continues holding the kid up. Nippy bahs, and squirms when Kira touches him, but he’s held in place. The head is kind of soft, and the fur kind of stands up from his head.

So soft. So… Juicy…
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.175565
175567
>>175564
Such helpless prey, too...gosh, if only he didn't have a name...she continues petting him, though.

"Is the big one still on offer?"
Silver "The Floof" Sword
3952934
?
No.175566
175567
>>175564
"It probably did not help she was nun, as well." He chuckles. "Again, it could have been much worse. Had that fire been allowed to continue, not even these pages would have been left. All would have turned to ash. At least something can be salvaged and saved."
Anonymous
b276261
?
No.175567
175568 175569
>>175565
“Oh yeah, that’s Hopper. He’s a two and a half year old buck. We thought he would be a good breeding buck but… No, didn’t quite make the cut. Sure, I can go get him for you. 175 bits. Be very careful with him though. We have to keep him on a rope. He will jump the fence.”

Nippy’s helplessness is actually a good thing. Kira can simply hold him like burger. A goat like Hopper, however, will need to be constricted, have his throat slit, or drugged.

>>175566
“Yeah” she nods, and looks down at the pages.
“It’s something. But something that hints at something more substantial.”
Silver "The Floof" Sword
3952934
?
No.175568
175575
>>175567
"And what is that something more substantial?"
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.175569
175570
>>175567
Constricting is something she can do, though she does have one more question.

"I already gave you 50 for this little guy." She pets the little burger. "If you keep him, do I still have to pay another 175 for Hopper, or just 125?"
Anonymous
b276261
?
No.175570
175571
>>175569
He scrunches.
“Okay, 125.”
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.175571
175572
>>175570
"Trust me, I'd like to keep this lil cutie as a pet, but I just don't have the space to take good enough care of him."

Kira smiles, and pays the stallion the 125 Bits she still owes for Hopper.

"I only have one request, if possible. Is there a place where Hopper would have trouble escaping?"
Anonymous
b276261
?
No.175572
175573
>>175571
He looks up and around. Then he takes the money.

“I think so. There’s a pen just a little back that has wooden walls that are high, a wooden roof and chicken wire in between.”
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.175573
175574
>>175572
"Okay, that sounds like it will work. Thank you. Just put him in there, and I can do the rest."
Anonymous
b276261
?
No.175574
175576
>>175573
“Okay.” Holding Hopper in his foreleg, he turns around, carefully opens the door, moves away the new born with his hoof, then closes it. He sets Nippy on the ground, and Nippy immediately runs off and away.

“You know, I’ve had ponies buy goats for a manticore before. Can’t say I saw what it was they did with them. But I can imagine.”

Hopper is across the pen, tied up on a long set of twine to the fence. The goat is white and as big as the stallion, more or less. As the stallion approaches, Hopper moves towards him, leaning his head in toward’s the stallion’s hoof.

In a kind of baby voice, he says
“No, I don’t have any food for you. There’s no food for you. Now come along. He unties the twine, and pulls on it, pulling the goat along. The buck tries to jump, but the stallion pulls taught.

“I’m sorry, Hopper.” He pets the goat. “Time’s up.”

He goes a little further, through a door and into an enclosed pen that must be the one in question. He ties the goat in there, and leaves him. He comes back to Kira.
“You can enter through this pen or go around the long way through another door. He’s in there for you.”
Anonymous
5663bc8
?
No.175575
175577
>>175568
Pear starts to talk… and talk, and generally ramble. She does not maintain eye contact, and moves her hooves about as if the motions of her hooves somehow aid in communicating what she’s talking about.

“Well, looking here, you can see a work religious poetry that references a condition after the universe consolidated into an orderly form. You see, in some traditions, the universe was at first without form and chaotic, then order is placed upon it and it becomes something more familiar to us. Still in an ancient age of gods and heroes, but there are things like, for example, time and three dimensional space, which didn’t necessarily exist in the primordial chaos. So. There’s a fight between the god of chaos and god of order or what have you, order wins, chaos is banished, the primordial essence is ordered. Thats not what this is about. This is about creatures - I guess ‘creature’ is the closest word I can find because they behave like living things - creatures that live in the proposal chaos, or maybe are created as the darkness withdraws. These things are not primary gods, so almost no source ever names them. Well, except Erebus, god of primordial chaos, who is referenced here. Anyways, this document references those… things…”

“Now here’s why this document is so interesting, and why you should care. This document is about the religion of the Crystal Ponies. The Crystal ponies don’t have a story of creation. They don’t have a story of the implementing of order. They don’t have a beginning. To the Crystal ponies, the universe has always existed and always has. It’s like Celestialism in that way. These ‘primordial entities’ are ideas in some of the oldest pony religions. They are in the changeling and the First Nation religion like the wolves, though not the buffalo…” Even Pear can sense this is a tangent, and she pulls herself back. “But basically this document describes things in an honestly kind of purple prose, that have no business being there. Now, we know that the Crystal Ponies have similar concepts. Like the Umbrum, demons and shadows and darkness long locked away in deep caverns and vaults beneath the earth. But it doesn’t have a beginning of the universe.”

“So.” She manages to look at Silver again “what caused this discrepancy? Now, the easiest answer is that the interpreter, who was a modern equestrian, added or misinterpreted material in the original text that’s being transliterated here, so that an idea that’s not from the crustal ponies is being misattributed ti the crustal ponies. I would never say that ‘Erebus’ and ‘the Ubrum’ are the same entity. But I don’t know, others disagree. Maybe this interpreter decided to refer to the Umbrum as Erebus? It’s a poem after all. That’s the most boring answer. But a more interesting answer would be that what we are seeing here is an older strain of the Crystal religion before it was influenced by the Equestrian religion. What if earlier versions of the religion did have a beginning if the universe? Or what if this is a lost strain? Or what if this is actually an older religion, now lost? I think a lot of these questions could be answered if we had the whole book. But we’re not going to know, because we are not going to find it.”

She places her hooves over her face, and seems sad.
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.175576
175578
>>175574
"I don't know what a manticore is, but I doubt they eat like lamias do."

She watches and waits patiently as he ties up Hopper and returns to Kira. Even with an older goat, the pony still makes him cute, and there does exist some hesitation within the young lamia seeing him interact with his goat he's spent so long caring for. She needs to eat, though, and deep within a primal part of her lends her the resolve to not back down. In this world, there are predators and prey, and it is the natural order of things for the predator to consume, and the prey to be consumed. She nods to the farm stallion as he returns.

"Do you need any more time with him before? It will be quick, when it happens, I promise you."
Silver "The Floof" Sword
3952934
?
No.175577
175578
>>175575
Silver reaches over with his hooves and wraps up the adorkable mare in a hug. He gives her a friendly squeeze to try to console her.
Anonymous
5663bc8
?
No.175578
175579 175580
>>175577
squeaky
“Umph!”
The little mare is squeezed

With Pear sitting and Silver standing, this means he leans over her. Her hat is tilted, nearly coming off. She is smaller and thin, fairly lacking in muscles. Her construct is closer to a unicorn or Pegasus than an earth pony. Her coat and mane are both soft and well groomed.

>>175576
The stallion looks at Hopper - almost straight in the eyes because they are almost the same height - and gives him a scritch on the top of his head between his ears.
“No.” He answers. He looks at the goat a little longer, then turns back to Kira.

“Do you need his horns removed?”
The buck has horns of moderate length several inches long that are curved back and recurve at the end. These will not get stuck in her throat, now would they tear her if the goat moved its head back and forth in Kira’s stomach. But they would make regurgitation very difficult if, for whatever reason, Kira needed to. She’s almost never needed to. Kira also needs to know that while yes, this goat will go down easily enough, and yes, he’ll digest easily enough, he is definitely going to immobilize Kira for some time, he is definitely big enough that his presence in Kira’s gut could inspire unwanted speculation as to her diet, and even getting back home from the farm may not be easy. But if she does choose this goat, this will be the last time for at least 10 days, maybe longer, she’ll need to do this. It isn’t too late to choose the kid, or maybe some third animal instead.
Silver "The Floof" Sword
3952934
?
No.175579
175581
>>175578
He keeps her locked in a hug for a few seconds longer, enjoying the warmth and softness of the mare while he cane before he lets her go. He looks back down at the pages.

"Hmm...does your university have spellcasting unicorns? I am certain there are spells for this specific circumstance, to restore damaged book pages or even completely reverse damages and reconstruct entire books."
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.175580
175581
>>175578
No, Kira has waffled about for too long already. If she doesn't go along with it now, she might not be able to at all. She looks at the tied up goat, destined for her dinner.

"Does it hurt the goat at all?"
Anonymous
5663bc8
?
No.175581
175582 175583
>>175580
“Bah!”
Hopper moves back, as if sending something wrong, so the stallion pets him more.

“It does, yes. The horns are a part of the skull bone and partly alive.”

>>175579
squeaky
The little mare is hugged. She almost falls over when Silver releases her, until she catches herself with her forehooves.

“There is restoration magic, yes, but the problem is that entire pages and parts of the book are missing.” She answers
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.175582
175584
>>175581
Kira shakes her head.

"Better not, then. I'm not here to make the poor thing hurt and suffer." She sighs. "Alright. When you've spent enough time with him, you can go. I'm not sure you'd want to be around for this." Looking back at Neela, Kira continues, "I know you said you can serve as a witness so that ponies don't think I actually ate, well, a pony, but you don't have to physically watch, either."
Silver "The Floof" Sword
3952934
?
No.175583
175584
>>175581
Silver does try to help steady her, when he notices how off-balance she is.

"Perhaps there are spells for that, too, to find missing parts of same object. Or, at least I would think so. Magic has never really been my specialty."
Anonymous
5663bc8
?
No.175584
175585 175588
>>175582
“Hokey dokey” the stallion says, wrapping the twine around a hoof and walking backwards. Hopper complies, and trots along. The stallion takes the goat to the pen, not that many feet away.

Neela waits until the stallion is away, and moves to the edge of the imaginary ring around Kira. She looks at Kira with both ears up to address her directly.

“Why wouldn’t I want to watch?” She asks in a venomous, mocking tone. “You’re just a normal pony, right? Like any Equestrian pony, right? You come up to restaurants and eat your stuffed peppers, you buy your spice at the market. What is there to hide? What is unusual? You’re not a monster, right?” She tilts her head and has a smile that suggestive of anger.

“This morning, I was sold for a bribe to a monster with the suggestion that I be eaten as food by the masters of this land. Oh they were joking, sure, but I know that they were also dead serious. This is all just a game to them. A game of which stallion can prove they are the bravest and who can handle reptiles. They could have just sent you back. That’s probably what they would have done if their supervisors were looking over their shoulder. But instead they let you go because they thought you’d be a great pet, or a mascot maybe, while those of us without paperwork are set to become slaves.”

She tilts her head with a maddened smile.
“And then, for the first time in my life fortune smiles upon me, because someone - someone - thought I was cuter than a goat. Not as cute as a baby goat, no, but cuter than an adult. So I get to live instead of being eaten by the master’s mascot.”

She leans in, lifts a fore hoof and narrows her eyes at Kira, not in anger but a sort of gleeful examination.
“But those customs ponies were right. The old Nagini, the monster of the stories of my youth, requires a sacrifice. And so long as you live, some creature must die.” She tilts her head the opposite direction, ears flopping in the process. “That’s not going to be me.” Turning her body to the side, as if to follow Kira. “Let’s see what a Nagini really is. How you really live.”

Neela breathes out, evidently done.

>>175583
squeak
“Well, yeah but… it’s been burnt.” She says, presumably no longer cradled by Silver.
Silver "The Floof" Sword
3952934
?
No.175585
175589
>>175584
"Okay, but...what if you used both of those spells?"

She is not current being cradled, but if that's what she wants...
Anonymous
3892b01
?
No.175586
175587
>>175506
Posey will spend part the next day selling her equipment in the city.
Anonymous
5663bc8
?
No.175587
175590 175591
>>175506
He closes his eyes, tilts his head to the left in a shrug, and momentarily takes his right hoof off of the steering wheel.
“Suit yourself.”

>>175586
Which equipment? You’ve mentioned the jewelry, but what else? The jewelry is maybe 90 bits, being on the lower end.
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.175588
175589
>>175584
Kira blinks, not fully able to unpack everything of what Neela said and meant in her rant. Even though it hadn't been invented yet, it is as if she had been flashbanged by words, unable to really form much of a response, not even so much as a rebuttal, to what Neela has said as it still processes through her mind. Only one thought manages to make its way through the mess of thoughts to the surface to be spoken by Kira:

"Who said you weren't cuter than a baby goat?"

But the rest of her thoughts will have to wait. In Neela's own words, the sacrifice is ready, and her hunger needs to be sated. She waits for the stallion to finish his work, to tie up the goat inside the pen, and leave before she slithers forward into the pen with the goat, taking the opposite side of him. She looks at Hopper with sad eyes, knowing what is about to happen, what must happen.
Anonymous
5663bc8
?
No.175589
175592 175593
>>175585
The little pony remains uncraddled. Hard to say what she wants.

“Well…” she tilts her head, and ear flopping down. “I don’t really know. I can’t say magic is my specialty…”

>>175588
Neela scrunches, and flops her ears down.

But the goat is ready. Kira must either slither around the pen, or through it.
Anonymous
3892b01
?
No.175590
175591 175594
>>175587
>The jewelry is maybe 90 bits
Oh.
>Which equipment?
The Healer's Kits. The armor she looted. The silver holy symbol. Some of her scrolls.
Mostly just the things I know the market value of, but probably won't use.
Anonymous
3892b01
?
No.175591
175595
>>175590
>>175587
Since the jewelry isn't worth that much, Posey will only sell the rings, since she can wear the rest.
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.175592
175595
>>175589
Around the pen, I suppose.
Silver "The Floof" Sword
3952934
?
No.175593
175595
>>175589
Well, nothing for it other than to cradle her and see how she reacts. As Silver resumes the cradling of the small mare, he continues chatting with her.

"What about old, ancient magics?"
Anonymous
3892b01
?
No.175594
175595
>>175590
Actually, I'm going to keep the holy symbol. It could be useful for impersonation in the future.
Anonymous
5663bc8
?
No.175595
175596 175649 175650
>>175593
“Eep!”
The little pony is cradled. She looks up at Silver with an awkward, toothy smile, and a blush.

“Eh heh, yeah…” she looks away, and then uses her hoof to move her mane, and her hat, out of her eyes. “What I study is all religious in nature.” Moving her eyes up and around and using her hoof to gesture, “rituals, prayers, things like that.” Still smiling awkwardly. “Not really… practical magic. Unless asking a spirit to bring rain or put a hex on your neighbor is your idea of ‘practical’.

>>175591
The rings were the only thing counted in that.

>>175592
Kira slithers the wrong way around, to come to a door on the enclosed pen. The stallion opens it and walks through it.

“Uh, lift the latch to get in or out. You can untie the goat, if you want.” He has a toothy smile, nods at Kira, and moves past her. He isn’t sticking around. Neela follows Kira

>>175594
Do it.
Anonymous
3892b01
?
No.175596
175606
>>175595
>The rings were the only thing counted in that
Posey still has a necklace, bangle, and bracelet from her adventures, but she likes gold jewelry so she'll wear it unless she needs to sell it.
Selling the armor would put a divine scroll of Imbue With Spell Ability within Posey's budget... but thinking in character, she would just trust the hyena to come up with whatever spells he wants to expend to buff her for the ritual himself.
She does sell her scroll of Hide From Undead, because it's worthless to her (she can already cast the spell with a higher DC) and idk why I put it in my starting equipment.
Posey meditates for her spellcasting during the day, so after her shopping she spends 8 hours relaxing in the manor with Gloomy.

I guess that would be all that Posey is able to do within this day.
Anonymous
3892b01
?
No.175597
175598 175606
After doing her daily preparations, Posey will make sure that her offering is still alive.
"Good evening, Sasha." Posey declares, as she enters the room
"I have decided what I will do with you. You will be doing some charity work at the local kaftar church."
"I owe a favor to the Kaftars, and you won't stand out too much in their neighborhood, at least not at a glance. Do your job well, and the Kaftars will see to it that you're released peacefully."
Bluff check
[1d20+14 = (16+14) = 30]
>inb4 1
Anonymous
3892b01
?
No.175598
175606
>>175597
I really hope I didn't waste that RNG 16 that I would have needed for the ritual...
Anonymous
058ba7b
?
No.175606
175608 175615 175616
IMG_0694.gif
>>175437
>>175436
>>175432
acute!

The sounds of angry pony, occasional shouting, Mustard Trim talking, and howls of laughter

>>175597
>>175598
The skin, in those few places where it shows through the fur, like the nose and the edges of the eyes, is black. She looks oddly stiff, with yellowing eyes, pupils that "bleed" black into her irises. Her eyes are open, and there is a small smile on her face. She does not shiver nor shake, but her chest rises and falls almost normally.

"Okay." Is her only reply

>>175598
You did.

>>175596
>8 hours relaxing in the manor with Gloomy.
lol no

The colt pleads with Posey
"Weren't you going to take me into town? You said there was chocolate sprinkles and pretzels?!"
Pic very much related
Amber Sunset
33e5497
?
No.175608
175609
>>175606
Okay, Amber has to see this. Can she peer around a corner?
Anonymous
058ba7b
?
No.175609
175610
>>175608
Kind of, though if she comes too close she could be visible to Salt Mixer (if she decided to not look at the commotion... which seems unlikely). She could also go outside to see
Amber Sunset
33e5497
?
No.175610
175611
>>175609
Though it's probably more of a breach of work rules than idling within the establishment, she decides to go outside and look in at the patio.
Anonymous
058ba7b
?
No.175611
175612
>>175610
Amber can see Mustard Trim awkwardly responding to a table, Trakr bending over about to die of laughter, and Red Scabbard, alternating between hacking up and trying to complain.
Amber Sunset
33e5497
?
No.175612
175613
>>175611
Poor Mustard! But if he knew why she did this, he would have found the same amount of glee she's feeling. She can't help but stick around for a few more seconds before going back inside.
Anonymous
058ba7b
?
No.175613
175614
>>175612
Trakr manages to compose himself for just long enough to struggle out the phrase

"Excuse me. My goulash isn't spicy enough."
Then he goes back to laughing
Amber Sunset
33e5497
?
No.175614
175631 175634
>>175613
Trakr does seem to have a good sense of humor regarding the whole thing, and Amber is glad she didn't spice up his dish. Anyway, she knows better than to be missing for an extended period of time and goes back to the hostess stand, wondering if Red Scabbard will leave.
Anonymous
73c0ea9
?
No.175615
175616 175631
>>175606
>The skin, in those few places where it shows through the fur, like the nose and the edges of the eyes, is black. She looks oddly stiff, with yellowing eyes, pupils that "bleed" black into her irises. Her eyes are open, and there is a small smile on her face. She does not shiver nor shake, but her chest rises and falls almost normally.
Fucking hell, I thought Baka cured her.
Oh well, it won't matter soon.
Posey narrows her eyes.
"Very well then."
She telepathically calls the ghast that she still controls.
"Bring her to the car. Tell Mason that I will be there as soon as I have Gloomy."
And with a bippity boppity boop, she casts Disguise Undead, to transform the ghast into a handsome, still-living, elegantly-dressed version of itself.
>One cannot just march a ghoul into the Duke's Court. But as the fumes issuing from the cocoon surround the creature, the form of the ghoul is replaced with that of a stately courtier armed with a rapier. Of course, it will have to keep its mouth shut.
I love that spell's description.
"And do try to freshen up a bit; we'll be meeting important guests. Do well on this trip, and I'll see to it that you are rewarded appropriately." Posey punctuates, sending the ghast on its way as she trots off to comb Gloomy 's mane.
"And you two." She says, referring to the Dreads."
"Drop your weapons, and remain inanimate in this room until I return. Do not pay any regard to those who enter the room." Posey says, functionally putting the Dreads on idle mode.
She trots off
"~Oh Gloomy! I've got such a splendid lesson for you..." She says in her sing-song voice as she finds her little sweetie
Anonymous
73c0ea9
?
No.175616
175631
>>175615
>>175606
Wait... A minute...
>She looks oddly stiff
>yellowing eyes, pupils that "bleed" black into her irises
>Her eyes are open, and there is a small smile on her face
>She does not shiver nor shake, but her chest rises and falls almost normally.
...Is she dead?
Posey takes 10 on her religion check to identify undead, for a modified 21, to check if this dog is undead.
Anonymous
058ba7b
?
No.175631
175633 175634 175635
[1d100 = 10]
[1d20 = 18]

>>175614
Amber faces an elderly couple that's a bit... too talkative. There's a bit of back and forth, but mostly there are long pauses of not much going on.

>>175615
The ghast obeys

The little colt's tail wags

>>175616
Well, it's breathing, which implies life, and it's lacking in the typical animating magic of the undead.
Anonymous
73c0ea9
?
No.175633
175634
>>175631
So long as she still has an int score of 3 (ability to speak) and is still alive, she'll do.
It doesn't take long for Posey to get Gloomy ready.
Anonymous
058ba7b
?
No.175634
175635 175636
>>175633
The colt is ready soon enough, even if he does smell of mesquite wood.

Posey is ready, as is the sacrifice

>>175631
>>175614
It doesn't appear Red Scabbard is going down without a fight, with him getting Salt Mixer involved
Amber Sunset
33e5497
?
No.175635
175640
>>175631
>>175634
Oh no. Amber engages with niceties with the couple as she gets them seated, perhaps at a high table, but otherwise is zoned out. High Sewn getting involved concerns her so she peels herself away to eavesdrop while inside the restaurant.
Anonymous
47c4973
?
No.175636
175640
>>175634
>even if he does smell of mesquite wood
I don't think I get the reference.
Posey sniffs Gloomy for a bit, wondering why his familiar scent of faint charnel miasma and abyssal smog has changed.
Nevertheless, she gets ready to leave.
Anonymous
eb1e0de
?
No.175640
175641 175642 175664
>>175635
Salt Mixer says they can send the overly spicy spice-based dish back to the kitchen, and give him a new plate that's a bit more within his tolerance levels, free of charge. Trakr commentates on this.

>>175636
Oh no, the charnel miasma and the abyssal smog are still there, just with a bit of a wooden smell added. All the same, they are ready
Anonymous
340e27c
?
No.175641
175643
>>175640
Alright then.
Let's go disappoint some mourning gnolls.
Amber Sunset
33e5497
?
No.175642
175662
>>175640
Well that's disappointing! At least it made his experience moderately more inconvenient. Amber won't risk doing it all a second time, and goes back to work.
Anonymous
eb1e0de
?
No.175643
175644
>>175641
Mason is ready as well
>disappoint
wat
Anonymous
340e27c
?
No.175644
175651
>>175643
Just me anticipating failing the check.

Does the drive to the church go smoothly?
Anonymous
33e5497
?
No.175645
175646 175648 175651
What racial bonuses should a griffon PC get? One should be flying, obviously. Griffons are also large and geared more towards fighting, so a physical ability might get a bonus. On the other hand (claw?) a charisma malus would be appropriate.
Anonymous
340e27c
?
No.175646
>>175645
What stats did pegasi get?
Griffons should get flight, and maybe a natural claw attack.
Note that claw attacks are especially useful for flying characters.
Conversely, you could just stat them as 3.5e Raptorans (Races Of The Wild), which are a very powerful and popular race in 3.5e. If you use Raptoran stats, you might want to bump up flight to level 1.
Anonymous
ade7655
?
No.175648
>>175645
they have cat body, so they always land on their feet. also maybe agility.
Silver "The Floof" Sword
3952934
?
No.175649
175651
>>175595
Heh heh, ain't she just the cutest? Silver continues cradling the little mare.

"I imagine there are plenty of cultures where those really are practical skills. Spirits bringing rain does make me think of how pegasi can manipulate weather. Maybe some cultures saw this occur and assumed it was weather spirits that were responsible."
Kubana "Nope Noodle" Kirafiki
3952934
?
No.175650
175651
>>175595
Alright, Kira heads into the pen. Once inside, she looks at the goat with her sad eyes that look so much like a bat pony's.

"I'm sorry Hopper, but it has to be this way."

She closes her eyes, clearing her mind and preparing herself for what's to come. From deep inside, her instincts begin to call out and reach for the surface. That part of herself which most would consider to be ponylike is slowly quieted as a more primal, animal-like side drowns it out. She is no longer Kira the lamia, facing Hopper the goat. She is now a predator, facing her prey.

Kira opens her eyes, the pupils and irises contracting to be far more slitted, far more snake-like. Gone is the sadness with which she looked upon the goat, replaced with the intense focus of a predator. Her tongue flicks out of her mouth, getting a taste of prey in the air. Her mouth reflexively opens up, a small pop ringing out as her false pony jaw gives way. The skin around her mouth seems to morph and stretch unnaturally as it opens far wider than it should on a normal pony. Her fangs extend fully, and if it weren't for the few remaining pony features such as the ears and mane, Neela would have a hard time believing Kira could have ever looked like an equine.

Raising her upper half into the air as tall as she can given the limits of the enclosure, the lamia looks down at the goat, opens her mouth up fully, and with a small hiss strikes at the goat's head, intending to wrap her jaws around it to start a grapple.

[1d20+8 = (10+8) = 18]
Anonymous
eb1e0de
?
No.175651
175652 175757 175758
>>175644
Yes. Though the soldiers are inquisitive tonight, and there are more of them out than the night before. There are more of every creature out than the night before, as the rain has passed. Posey isn't especially harangued, but she isn't necessarily unseen.

>>175645
Uh... let me get back to you on that

>>175649
Still blushing, and still craddled, she looks away and says "Not, heh, not in front of my coworkers. They already think you and I slept-" but then breaks off mid sentence and looks directly into Silver's eyes, and says "Saw what? Pegasi moving clouds? No, that's not it, most of these are far away from any ponies. Or at least there were." It's at this point that her eyes start wandering around again "But anyways it's not quite the same thing. Well, it is, kind of. I mean, the magic is the same, or the magical mechanism is... similar? But philosophically it's an entirely different worldview. Incredibly different. Under Celestialism, ponies are stewards over the natural order. You could say that ponies hold a higher place within the machine of the universe we understand as Harmony, well, a higher place than most creatures. Basically all creatures. And there are a few faiths sort of like that. Like the Changelings. Well the changelings aren't very much like Celestial harmony at all, but I mean, they see themselves as kind of above nature as its kind of top predators, able to take advantage of things, if not necessarily tasked with the responsibility of, well, maintaining it." At this point, Silver probably regrets sparking this tangent. "But, I mean, in these other faiths. The ones where they pray to spirits for rain, they see themselves as below a whole class of spiritual creatures and gods. Well, Celestialism has Harmony as a Spirit and Changelings have the Great Mother that are above them, but, you know" She starts gesticulating as if this aids in communication. "These faiths don't think they have the power to change the weather. They have to ask another spirit to aid them. And that spirit is not as high as, well, being the universal essence of magic and order itself. Or the creator god. But anyways, these spirits manipulate the weather directly themselves by magic. Sometimes these are understood to be singular gods, but sometimes these are more like regular creatures that happen to be made entire out of magic and are immortal. Well, okay, that's not a regular creature, but I mean, it's a level below a god and above the practitioner."

>>175650
Hopper makes it easy for her. The goat doesn't seem to recognize Kira as anything other than a pony at first. Just as he did with the farmer, he walks towards Kira going out to the end of his twine, and stretching his muzzle and neck out towards her, to sniff or lick her, and focusing on her hoof.

With Hopper's head nearly in the center of the enclosure, Kira's full body likely doesn't enter inside the enclosure, at least not until she curls up later. Rather, a little part of her tail remains outside through the still open door. The farmer has walked away, evidently busy with other tasks. Neela stands near the open door, looking intently at the scene through the 2 by 4s and chicken wire that make up the walls of the pen, designed, presumably, to keep the foxes and coyotes out.

Kira finds that the enclosure is shorter in height than she can stand upright, but is still able to loom over the goat. Hopper is not small at all. He is massive for goat sizes, and is as big as the farmer stallion.

Kira easily bites into Hopper's head.
Anonymous
08471cf
?
No.175652
175653
>>175651
Posey quickly and quietly leaves the vehicle, Gloomy trotting beneath her cloak. She telepathically commands the ghast to bring Sasha along. She goes to the church, and knocks, announcing that she's brought the volunteer.
Anonymous
eb1e0de
?
No.175653
175654 175656
>>175652
Wait. Posey doesn't have internal passports for those two, and the checkpoint would absolutely be looking for those
Anonymous
08471cf
?
No.175654
175655 175660 175661
229307_460s.jpg
>>175653
You could have told me this at the beginning of the week, GM.

Fuck it, Posey spends part of her meditation time making a Forgery check for Sasha and the ghoul.
Forgery is opposed by Forgery, and NOBODY takes forgery, so unless one of the guards is a lvl 5-10 Rogue (in which case, I had better be getting a ton XP for this encounter), it's improbable that they'd think twice, especially with Posey having a modified 26 taking 10 on her Bluff check.
She repeats this for the ghoul.
Posey would already have whatever paperwork she needs to bring Gloomy around.

Forgery checks are made secretly, so roll Posey's check herself. Exhausting all of her relevant modifiers and using her own passport as an example, Posey has a +15 modifier to her forgery check.

Forgery is only a class skill for Experts and Rogues, so it's improbable that the guards have any ranks in it. They do get a +2 bonus for being familiar with the type of document.
Anonymous
08471cf
?
No.175655
175661
>>175654
>Forgery checks are made secretly, so roll Posey's check herself
*Roll her check yourself in secret
Anonymous
08471cf
?
No.175656
175661
>>175653
Am I able to get through, GM?
Anonymous
3acac02
?
No.175660
175661
>>175654
And for good measure, Posey uses her Charming Gaze on the guards to smooth things along (because why wouldn't she? It's at-will, and has no components).
DC 19, as usual.
Anonymous
eb1e0de
?
No.175661
175663
>>175654
>>175655
>>175660
>>175656
On the one hoof, the ID cards are supposed to have a magic watermark that makes forgery very difficult or close to impossible if the magic is checked. It might be easier to leave the ghast at home and use a cover story about why the dog doesn't have one. Or in the alternative, use forgery to forge birth certificates that are then used to obtain real cards for the ghast and the dog, so that there is only ever one forgery roll.

But really, I don't think it matters, because unless this goes catastrophically wrong, how she was checked in does not matter. So we can just sidestep the issue and say sure, she gets in fine.
Anonymous
eb1e0de
?
No.175662
175671
>>175642
Amber proceeds to get confused with the seating chart, and then, after an oddly short period of time, Amber can see Red Scabbard leaving, still thrusting his tongue out of his mouth, sometimes unfolding his wings up and outward, and looking back to Trakr angrily. Trakr has a very wide smile across his face, and giggles. Red Scabbard does not specifically look at or address Amber on his way out.
Anonymous
a686c2e
?
No.175663
175664
>>175661
There's always room for that
https://youtu.be/lyXoFWSVDQk?si=gqKcFPvI5n5fDhxG

Anyway, Posey proceeds with her plan.
Anonymous
eb1e0de
?
No.175664
175665
>>175663
>>175640
Kaftars line up along the street, occasionally showing their beige fur under the light of the few street lamps. They watch Posey as she goes. Posey makes it to the old church.
Anonymous
a686c2e
?
No.175665
175666
>>175664
Posey knocks on the church door and announces that she has arrived.
Anonymous
eb1e0de
?
No.175666
175667
>>175665
The assistant from the night before opens the door. From within, Posey sees a silhouette against the candlelight, and the voice of the priest calls:
"Come in"
Anonymous
a686c2e
?
No.175667
175679
>>175666 (checked)
"I have brought her." Posey says
She telepathically commands the ghast
>"Bring her in and keep her close. When I give the signal, paralyze her without killing her."

Posey continue
"Have you had adequate time to prepare?"
Anonymous
b7dc688
?
No.175668
175674
Are we doing this tonight, GM?
Anonymous
b7dc688
?
No.175669
175670 175679 175695
Screenshot_20240831-193407.png
Screenshot_20240820-224613.png
Screenshot_20240820-224652.png
Whenever we get around to it, Posey requests that the priest take time to prepare Agire's body, as well as any spells, incense or items that could aid Posey in her skill check, and to call on as many of his flock as he's willing to bring to witness the ceremony.
Posey specifically requests the spell named Desecrate, a Clerical spell that she knows of specifically, as it is the envy of all Necromancers for its ability to create undead with additional HP.

Now to lay out the specifics for the sacrifice. Posey is is personally trying to hit a DC 35 sacrifice check to create the effect of Greater Planar Ally call on a Lilitu, an Apostate Demon that specializes in impersonating deities, priests and angels to trick them into worshipping demons (hitting the DC 40 for Limited Wish isn't so realistic), and to use its powers to raise Agire from the dead. HOWEVER, since Posey is doing this on an altar of the Angel, she is doing it directly under the eye of whatever spiritual entity the Kaftars actually worship. It's possible that regardless of her check or the success of her ritual, an entity from beyond the void will offer its own reward/effect as it sees appropriate for her offering, despite the specifics of her plea. It's also plausible that the Angel will become enraged by a mere pony desecrating its congregation and may smite Posey for her hubris or send one of its servants to attack her, especially if she rolls especially low... Posey cannot take 10 on this roll.
Posey makes an appeal for the audience of a ravenous spirit of hunger to reveal itself and disgorge Agire from the grave.

Posey has a base religion mod of +11. She can further increase her mod in the following ways:
>+1 taking an hour
>+2 altar
>+2 masterwork tool (grimoire)
>+1 tortured 1 day prior (disease + heartbreak)
>+1 HD
>+1 Sadism
>+1 Masochism
With these modifiers, Posey has to roll a 15 or higher to succeed in her check, improbable, but still plausible.

Further, there are other mods that could possibly increase the check, but are not guaranteed:
>+1 successful perform check (Posey's slam poetry)
>+1 race hated by the Angel?
>+1 loss of extremities by hungry demon (does a ghast count?)
>+1 10 or more followers
>+1 100 or more followers (would require rallying the kaftar neighborhood and risk exposure)
>+1 doing it in public (on the steps of the church)
>+2 presence of a ghast (in generic d&d the deity of the Gnolls also has rulership over ghouls)
The following are spell effects that could potentially increase the check:
>+1 Desecrate
>+1 Unhallow
>+1 Guidance
>+20 Guidance Of The Avatar (cheesy)
>+10 Imbue With Spell Ability to imbue Posey with Sacrificial Skill + Lore of The Gods (would also allow reroll of the check)
>+1 killed in really cool and flavorful way (Posey casting Necrotic Bloat and popping Sasha like a balloon)
Anonymous
b7dc688
?
No.175670
>>175669
I could also try for the DC 30 Planar Ally to try to call an Efreeti for 3 Wishes... But that's just asking to get monkey-pawed. Genies are jerks.
Amber Sunset
33e5497
?
No.175671
175674
>>175662
Watching a pony doing that with his mouth cannot be anything other than amusing. Amber refrains from audibly laughing, but she does smirk as she watches Red Scabbard makes his exit, hopefully for the last time, out of the restaurant. Once he's finally out of sight she can focus on whatever late-night customers arrive, presumably for the bar.
Anonymous
eb1e0de
?
No.175674
175675 175676
>>175668
I'm a little busy, but we'll get to it

>>175671
However entertained Amber may be by this, it does not entertain her nearly as much as it did Trakr.

The ponies going to the bar, usually single, don't need to be guided. Well, sometimes they do, since a wall blocks most of the view of the bar from the entry point, and you kind of have to look to the far left. The time comes to stop accepting customers for the restaurant, and to close for the night. Customers are still eating, but it's helpful to begin cleaning up
Amber Sunset
33e5497
?
No.175675
175677
>>175674
It's part of Amber's duty to turn away latecomers, however many there might be. If there aren't any at the moment she helps the waiters, since she can't bear to stand around when there's something to do.
Anonymous
5501622
?
No.175676
175679
>>175674
>we'll get to it
Ready when you are then.
I laid out potential parameters above.
Anonymous
eb1e0de
?
No.175677
175678 175679
>>175675
And then, closing time. Amber finds that she did indeed make a mistake, at least early in the shift, in directing too many customers to Melon Mangrove. She has half of the booths, and unlike Cream Pop's, hers are in line of sight to Amber. But it may also be from customers who slipped through Amber while she was not marering her post, as again, hers are the closest to the entrance. A few tables to clean up, chairs to put up, and of course, Mustard is doing the same.
Amber Sunset
33e5497
?
No.175678
175680
>>175677
"I'm sorry about that imbalance. I should've been more careful with all those customers," she apologizes to the other customers. Unfortunately it seems like her sidequest hurt her performance, at least a little. At least moving things around keeps her from dwelling on it too much.
Anonymous
690c493
?
No.175679
175680
>>175667
>>175669
>>175676
>>175677
Is the priest prepared for Posey's plan?
Anonymous
eb1e0de
?
No.175680
175681 175682
>>175678
The customer vary in reaction, many of them not knowing what he is referring to and some understanding. But one gives her an unpleasant look.

It is done: all work that could be considered among Amber's duties is complete.

>>175679
Ritual baths have been taken and prayers said
Anonymous
690c493
?
No.175681
175684
>>175680
>prayers said
Okay, does he have any helpful spell prepared?

Posey wordlessly gets to work, levitating and rummaging through her components pouch while flipping through her necronomicon as she gets ready. With a single hoof, she reaches beneath her cloak to pet Gloomy.
The ghast leads Sasha inside.

"Will anycreature else be joining us for the ceremony?"
Amber Sunset
33e5497
?
No.175682
175683
>>175680
Drat, I meant the waiters, not the customers.

She might finally get the chance to eat, and takes a gander at the kitchen to see what's available.