The next big quest with everypony in it is coming soon (TM)
/vx/ - Videogames and Paranormal
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1777 replies and 46 files omitted.
>>176102
Kira nods excitedly.
"Oh yeah, let me go get them!"
Kira rushes upstairs, letting Bright Dye get a brief but still very interesting view of how Kira slithers upstairs, moving along anchor points on the steps to maintain upwards motion without sliding back down. She quickly grabs her spear and bow, and slithers back downstairs to ecstatically show off her possessions to the visitor.
Kira nods excitedly.
"Oh yeah, let me go get them!"
Kira rushes upstairs, letting Bright Dye get a brief but still very interesting view of how Kira slithers upstairs, moving along anchor points on the steps to maintain upwards motion without sliding back down. She quickly grabs her spear and bow, and slithers back downstairs to ecstatically show off her possessions to the visitor.
>>176103
Kira slithers back into the room to catch the following exchange. Bright Dye, leaning over to his right towards Neela,
“Do you have any fawns?”
“N-no, I don’t. I haven’t had any.”
“Really? Your teats are enlarged.”
Neela giggles, adjusts herself to sit more firmly upright, and places her right hoof against her neck. Smiling, she looks over to him and asks, “why are you looking at my teats?” Leaning over towards him to tap his right foreleg with her left hoof. She continues giggling, and a few seconds later both creatures turn their attention towards Kira, staring at the spear and bow before she addresses them. Both of them seem somehow surprised to see weapons in the home, even though Neela has surely seen Kira’s bow and spear before.
Kira slithers back into the room to catch the following exchange. Bright Dye, leaning over to his right towards Neela,
“Do you have any fawns?”
“N-no, I don’t. I haven’t had any.”
“Really? Your teats are enlarged.”
Neela giggles, adjusts herself to sit more firmly upright, and places her right hoof against her neck. Smiling, she looks over to him and asks, “why are you looking at my teats?” Leaning over towards him to tap his right foreleg with her left hoof. She continues giggling, and a few seconds later both creatures turn their attention towards Kira, staring at the spear and bow before she addresses them. Both of them seem somehow surprised to see weapons in the home, even though Neela has surely seen Kira’s bow and spear before.
>>176104
"Oh, I'm sorry to interrupt, I was just excited to show off my things, it's not very often I get to show these off to someone who doesn't already know about them."
She holds out the bow for display. If Bright Side or Neela knew anything about archery or bowmaking they could probably tell what material it is or what it's unique shape is meant for, but otherwise all they can tell is that it looks like a bow bent backwards on itself, made with a wooden core and separate materials on the back and belly. "We make our own bows for hunting. My mom showed me how to when I was younger, and I made this! It was pretty tough to learn to use at first, you need to be really strong to pull the string, but that's the idea behind it; you build the archer to fit the bow, rather than building the bow to fit the archer. Basically you wanted to build a really strong bow first, then you trained yourself to use it. That way you can get every ounce of strength out of every draw!"
Next she shows off the spear. If either Neela or Bright Dye continue to harbor thoughts in their imagination about Kira's culture being like some primitive neolithic tribespeople, they would be quite surprised by the quality and craftsponyship (or perhaps craftsnakeship) of the weapon in front of them. The broad leaf-shaped steel spear head looks honed to a fine edge, and is fastened to a studded shaft that has been balanced near perfectly. It's bigger and heavier than a javelin, but could still be thrown in a pinch if no other option was available. "There's not really any kind of special story about this spear, it's just the average kind of spear you'd see all sorts of hunters using. I haven't actually used it yet. I definitely favor the bow over spears, but it's important that us hunters have a way to defend ourselves in close quarters."
"Oh, I'm sorry to interrupt, I was just excited to show off my things, it's not very often I get to show these off to someone who doesn't already know about them."
She holds out the bow for display. If Bright Side or Neela knew anything about archery or bowmaking they could probably tell what material it is or what it's unique shape is meant for, but otherwise all they can tell is that it looks like a bow bent backwards on itself, made with a wooden core and separate materials on the back and belly. "We make our own bows for hunting. My mom showed me how to when I was younger, and I made this! It was pretty tough to learn to use at first, you need to be really strong to pull the string, but that's the idea behind it; you build the archer to fit the bow, rather than building the bow to fit the archer. Basically you wanted to build a really strong bow first, then you trained yourself to use it. That way you can get every ounce of strength out of every draw!"
Next she shows off the spear. If either Neela or Bright Dye continue to harbor thoughts in their imagination about Kira's culture being like some primitive neolithic tribespeople, they would be quite surprised by the quality and craftsponyship (or perhaps craftsnakeship) of the weapon in front of them. The broad leaf-shaped steel spear head looks honed to a fine edge, and is fastened to a studded shaft that has been balanced near perfectly. It's bigger and heavier than a javelin, but could still be thrown in a pinch if no other option was available. "There's not really any kind of special story about this spear, it's just the average kind of spear you'd see all sorts of hunters using. I haven't actually used it yet. I definitely favor the bow over spears, but it's important that us hunters have a way to defend ourselves in close quarters."
>>176098
“Okay…” she says, looking downwards in resignation. But she looks back up, turns around, and moves through the strand of trees that are just beyond the slope. Amber moves forward past this tiny strand of trees, one or two rows, and she sees that they are more or less, already there. Past the tiny number of trees that ringed the edge of what was presumably, an arboreal forest dominated by tall, narrow fir threes, Amber sees numerous acres of fallen trees all in neat rows, approximately facing Amber. Many of trees have roots visible, some are singed, and in many areas beaches and needles are severed from the trunks. There’s an island of standing trees in the distance, besides the one Amber is standing next to, and the pattern of why these exist while trees are felled elsewhere isn’t clear. A few saplings do, however, stand up, including a couple birch trees. The trees that stand are narrow and have few branches extending far from the trunk, although whether that’s how they grew and not the product of some event cannot be said. Under the trees the ground is mostly dead with dead grass, dirt, and snow, sometimes disturbed. In several areas, trees have been cut up and branches removed, with tracks all along the ground. There is a big rectangular pile of cut up wood some hundreds of feet from Amber.
Jakala is uncomfortable with the area.
“Okay…” she says, looking downwards in resignation. But she looks back up, turns around, and moves through the strand of trees that are just beyond the slope. Amber moves forward past this tiny strand of trees, one or two rows, and she sees that they are more or less, already there. Past the tiny number of trees that ringed the edge of what was presumably, an arboreal forest dominated by tall, narrow fir threes, Amber sees numerous acres of fallen trees all in neat rows, approximately facing Amber. Many of trees have roots visible, some are singed, and in many areas beaches and needles are severed from the trunks. There’s an island of standing trees in the distance, besides the one Amber is standing next to, and the pattern of why these exist while trees are felled elsewhere isn’t clear. A few saplings do, however, stand up, including a couple birch trees. The trees that stand are narrow and have few branches extending far from the trunk, although whether that’s how they grew and not the product of some event cannot be said. Under the trees the ground is mostly dead with dead grass, dirt, and snow, sometimes disturbed. In several areas, trees have been cut up and branches removed, with tracks all along the ground. There is a big rectangular pile of cut up wood some hundreds of feet from Amber.
Jakala is uncomfortable with the area.
>>176105
“Oh!”
Bright Dye stands up, and comes closer towards the weapons to look at them. He extends his hooves.
“So you’ve shot this bow many times?”
“Oh!”
Bright Dye stands up, and comes closer towards the weapons to look at them. He extends his hooves.
“So you’ve shot this bow many times?”
>>176107
If he's asking to be handed the weapons so he can take closer looks at them, Kira gladly complies. "Yes sir! I'd like to say I'm quite the shot, all thanks to Mom!"
Bluff: While he does so, a minor aside: Kira tries to see if she can sneak a peak at Neela's teats to see if she can see what Bright Dye was talking about, without Neela either noticing or believing that's what Kira is doing.
[1d20+3 = (2+3) = 5]
If he's asking to be handed the weapons so he can take closer looks at them, Kira gladly complies. "Yes sir! I'd like to say I'm quite the shot, all thanks to Mom!"
Bluff: While he does so, a minor aside: Kira tries to see if she can sneak a peak at Neela's teats to see if she can see what Bright Dye was talking about, without Neela either noticing or believing that's what Kira is doing.
[1d20+3 = (2+3) = 5]
>>176108
Bright Dye gladly takes it.
“Neat!”
He tries to pull back the string on the bow, but has difficulty.
“Wow, this uh, strong pull.”
Secret modifier:
[1d20 = 18]
Bright Dye gladly takes it.
“Neat!”
He tries to pull back the string on the bow, but has difficulty.
“Wow, this uh, strong pull.”
Secret modifier:
[1d20 = 18]
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>>176112
Kira takes the bow in her hooves, and using the end of her tail draws back the bowstring. The bow bends as she draws, the material on the belly contracting while the material on the outside stretches. The act is not without effort as both Bright Dye and Neela can see the muscles in her tail flexing and tightening, but even then she makes it look easy compared to the trouble the stallion was having. She holds the draw for a couple seconds before carefully, slowly returning the bow to its normal state and offering it back to Bright Dye if he wishes to continue observing it.
"It's all a matter of practice, building yourself up to be able to handle the strength the bow demands."
Kira takes the bow in her hooves, and using the end of her tail draws back the bowstring. The bow bends as she draws, the material on the belly contracting while the material on the outside stretches. The act is not without effort as both Bright Dye and Neela can see the muscles in her tail flexing and tightening, but even then she makes it look easy compared to the trouble the stallion was having. She holds the draw for a couple seconds before carefully, slowly returning the bow to its normal state and offering it back to Bright Dye if he wishes to continue observing it.
"It's all a matter of practice, building yourself up to be able to handle the strength the bow demands."
>>176113
“Woah” he watches Kira pull the string back, and when offered, takes the bow back.
“What’s the furthest you’ve shot an animal from? What’s the biggest one you’ve killed? Do they like, run off wounded, or…”
“Woah” he watches Kira pull the string back, and when offered, takes the bow back.
“What’s the furthest you’ve shot an animal from? What’s the biggest one you’ve killed? Do they like, run off wounded, or…”
>>176114
"Hmm, maybe a bit over...seven tail lengths, which is probably the maximum extent of my bow's range. It loses speed pretty quickly once it gets past a certain range. As for largest there's really no contest, it would be that giant eagle. They're as big as we are, maybe even bigger if you count their full wingspan, and heavy too. They really don't like us lamias, and they tend to attack us on sight. It's unfortunate because they're actually pretty intelligent creatures. I was out hunting about a year ago when this big old eagle came swooping out of nowhere, diving at me from above, then slashing at me with its claws and pecking at me with its beak. It was honestly a pretty close call, but I managed to bring it down and carry it back to town. Most normal animals though don't tend to give you too much trouble, and a well placed shot is usually enough to bring them down in one. If not, though, then that's when you need to track."
"Hmm, maybe a bit over...seven tail lengths, which is probably the maximum extent of my bow's range. It loses speed pretty quickly once it gets past a certain range. As for largest there's really no contest, it would be that giant eagle. They're as big as we are, maybe even bigger if you count their full wingspan, and heavy too. They really don't like us lamias, and they tend to attack us on sight. It's unfortunate because they're actually pretty intelligent creatures. I was out hunting about a year ago when this big old eagle came swooping out of nowhere, diving at me from above, then slashing at me with its claws and pecking at me with its beak. It was honestly a pretty close call, but I managed to bring it down and carry it back to town. Most normal animals though don't tend to give you too much trouble, and a well placed shot is usually enough to bring them down in one. If not, though, then that's when you need to track."
>>176115
“You get attacked by eagles?!” He is genuinely surprised. “And tracking. What does that involve? Do you just follow a blood trail?”
“You get attacked by eagles?!” He is genuinely surprised. “And tracking. What does that involve? Do you just follow a blood trail?”
>>176116
Kira nods to the first question before continuing on with the second. "Well following a blood trail is part of it, but there are actually all sorts of clues that animals leave behind. It could be as simple a hoof or paw prints in the dirt, broken sticks and trampled grass, sometimes you find a tree that a certain animal has been scratching themselves on or has been marking or even sharpening their claws on in the case of predators. And then you have things like urine or dung which can also be good indicators of an animal's presence even if it can be pretty gross, and predators sometimes leave carcasses behind when they're hunting. You've also gotta make use of all of your different sense, if you're only bothered with looking for signs of animals and you're not keeping your ears open to the sounds around you or smelling the air for clues, then you're putting yourself at a disadvantage."
Kira nods to the first question before continuing on with the second. "Well following a blood trail is part of it, but there are actually all sorts of clues that animals leave behind. It could be as simple a hoof or paw prints in the dirt, broken sticks and trampled grass, sometimes you find a tree that a certain animal has been scratching themselves on or has been marking or even sharpening their claws on in the case of predators. And then you have things like urine or dung which can also be good indicators of an animal's presence even if it can be pretty gross, and predators sometimes leave carcasses behind when they're hunting. You've also gotta make use of all of your different sense, if you're only bothered with looking for signs of animals and you're not keeping your ears open to the sounds around you or smelling the air for clues, then you're putting yourself at a disadvantage."
>>176117
He nods,
“So if tracking down and killing animals is… well kind of your job, why did you not want to eat the goat earlier?” After a pause, “was it too small?”
He nods,
“So if tracking down and killing animals is… well kind of your job, why did you not want to eat the goat earlier?” After a pause, “was it too small?”
>>176118
Kira blushes, and rubs the back of her pony head with a hoof. "...small creatures like that have their own defense mechanism: being too cute. I mean, he was just this tiny little nugget of a goat, and with a name like Nippy I just...I honestly couldn't. And then Hopper...I'll be honest, even with how big he was if I hadn't blocked it out in my mind before he had the chance to bombard me with cuteness, I don't think I could have done so with him either. You're way too good at raising cute animals."
Kira blushes, and rubs the back of her pony head with a hoof. "...small creatures like that have their own defense mechanism: being too cute. I mean, he was just this tiny little nugget of a goat, and with a name like Nippy I just...I honestly couldn't. And then Hopper...I'll be honest, even with how big he was if I hadn't blocked it out in my mind before he had the chance to bombard me with cuteness, I don't think I could have done so with him either. You're way too good at raising cute animals."
>>176119
“Heh heh, thank you.” He smiles. Then the smile fades. “Though I suppose you swallowed him all the same…”
Neela shakes her head
“She has the body of a Nagini. Even the instincts of a Nagini. But her spirit is something else. Something weaker.”
“Heh heh, thank you.” He smiles. Then the smile fades. “Though I suppose you swallowed him all the same…”
Neela shakes her head
“She has the body of a Nagini. Even the instincts of a Nagini. But her spirit is something else. Something weaker.”
>>176120
Kira continues to blush as she looks away, ears folding down. "Yeah..."
She turns then to Neela, tilting her head. "I mean...probably true, but also ouch."
Kira continues to blush as she looks away, ears folding down. "Yeah..."
She turns then to Neela, tilting her head. "I mean...probably true, but also ouch."
>>176106
https://youtu.be/KZZKzJTGI9E
Amber stares at the sight for a minute. Trees fall in a forest all the time, but never this many. It's impossible for her to know how this possibly could have happened. It looks like some sort of giant had stomped over so many trees, and for some reason cut and stacked some of it up. But why were some burnt? Jakala is not the only uncomfortable pony as this looks highly disturbing.
She considers leaving Jakala behind, but doesn't completely trust her to not move and thinks better of it. In the dim light she carefully steps over the fallen logs and makes her way to the island of standing trees, making sure the smaller filly is right behind her.
https://youtu.be/KZZKzJTGI9E
Amber stares at the sight for a minute. Trees fall in a forest all the time, but never this many. It's impossible for her to know how this possibly could have happened. It looks like some sort of giant had stomped over so many trees, and for some reason cut and stacked some of it up. But why were some burnt? Jakala is not the only uncomfortable pony as this looks highly disturbing.
She considers leaving Jakala behind, but doesn't completely trust her to not move and thinks better of it. In the dim light she carefully steps over the fallen logs and makes her way to the island of standing trees, making sure the smaller filly is right behind her.
>>176121
Neela nods.
Bright Dye turns to her and asks, “Nagini?”
“Yes, the children of the Naga. They are monsters with the chimerical bodies of ponies fused with those of giant snakes. This is the only one I’ve seen. She has the killer instincts, and the strength of a python, but also that false, benign facade of a pony.”
“But why do you say ‘children of the Naga’? I haven’t heard every Griffonian legend before but, I don’t think I’ve heard that one.”
“I mean…” she looks over at Kira. “She’s quite a specimen isn’t she? I didn’t think I’d be… well, sold to one, or even see one myself. But here we are.”
Neela nods.
Bright Dye turns to her and asks, “Nagini?”
“Yes, the children of the Naga. They are monsters with the chimerical bodies of ponies fused with those of giant snakes. This is the only one I’ve seen. She has the killer instincts, and the strength of a python, but also that false, benign facade of a pony.”
“But why do you say ‘children of the Naga’? I haven’t heard every Griffonian legend before but, I don’t think I’ve heard that one.”
“I mean…” she looks over at Kira. “She’s quite a specimen isn’t she? I didn’t think I’d be… well, sold to one, or even see one myself. But here we are.”
>>176123
"So that's why you keep calling me a Nagini." Kira raises an eyebrow. "But then, what's the Naga? Is the Naga the same as a Nagini? Is there a difference?"
"So that's why you keep calling me a Nagini." Kira raises an eyebrow. "But then, what's the Naga? Is the Naga the same as a Nagini? Is there a difference?"
>>176124
“It’s just a term from a children’s story. Don’t put too much stock in it. It just means that you’re… well… how do I say this? A bit child-like. Uh, ‘young’ is the charitable way to say it.”
“It’s just a term from a children’s story. Don’t put too much stock in it. It just means that you’re… well… how do I say this? A bit child-like. Uh, ‘young’ is the charitable way to say it.”
>>176126
"I guess so. I mean, I'm 23 years old, that's definitely far from being an elder. I'd never heard of Nagas or Naginis before meeting you, though."
"I guess so. I mean, I'm 23 years old, that's definitely far from being an elder. I'd never heard of Nagas or Naginis before meeting you, though."
>>176127
“You probably wouldn’t have. It’s just a word that’s used taken from a children’s fable. Just know that not everyone is completely unfamiliar with lamias and what they are.”
“You probably wouldn’t have. It’s just a word that’s used taken from a children’s fable. Just know that not everyone is completely unfamiliar with lamias and what they are.”
>>176129
Neela is silent for several seconds, clearly unsure of what to say
“Sure, let’s go with that.”
thring
Bright Dye lets the string go on the bow and it snaps back.
Neela is silent for several seconds, clearly unsure of what to say
“Sure, let’s go with that.”
thring
Bright Dye lets the string go on the bow and it snaps back.
>>176130
Kira cringes as soon as she hears the sound.
"Please don't do that, you can damage the bow by loosing it without an arrow."
Kira cringes as soon as she hears the sound.
"Please don't do that, you can damage the bow by loosing it without an arrow."
>>176132
"When an arrow is loosed, the energy of the bow string is transferred to the arrow, but without it all of that energy goes back into the bow itself. It puts a lot of strain on the bow and can cause it to crack if done too much."
"When an arrow is loosed, the energy of the bow string is transferred to the arrow, but without it all of that energy goes back into the bow itself. It puts a lot of strain on the bow and can cause it to crack if done too much."
>>176135
"Awww..." Kira's ears fold down. "I didn't mean to be rude, it's just...that bow is really precious to me." She also says, more quietly, "...plus it takes all sorts of different materials to make one and then days to build it and then months more for it to actually dry..."
"Awww..." Kira's ears fold down. "I didn't mean to be rude, it's just...that bow is really precious to me." She also says, more quietly, "...plus it takes all sorts of different materials to make one and then days to build it and then months more for it to actually dry..."
>>176122
Jakala proceeds, still pulling the sled. She is not so fast as before, and Amber may pull ahead if Desiree. Much if that is because navigating around the downed trees is difficul, but clearly she lacks enthusiasm to be there. It’s a little journey down a kind of valley through the downed trees, past the chopped and cut up trees in the center, and towards the strand of still standing trees.
Jakala
“My mom says it was the Stallos. Coming in and ripping up trees. You know they will grab you and eat you? I think it’s just as well that they tore up the trees. It means they can’t hide in them. I think I’ve seen them before. Moving in the night.” She looks around cautiously.
Jakala proceeds, still pulling the sled. She is not so fast as before, and Amber may pull ahead if Desiree. Much if that is because navigating around the downed trees is difficul, but clearly she lacks enthusiasm to be there. It’s a little journey down a kind of valley through the downed trees, past the chopped and cut up trees in the center, and towards the strand of still standing trees.
Jakala
“My mom says it was the Stallos. Coming in and ripping up trees. You know they will grab you and eat you? I think it’s just as well that they tore up the trees. It means they can’t hide in them. I think I’ve seen them before. Moving in the night.” She looks around cautiously.
>>176136
“Ah, yeah, I see… that makes sense. I wasn’t trying to damage it. I didn’t know.” He answers
“Ah, yeah, I see… that makes sense. I wasn’t trying to damage it. I didn’t know.” He answers
>>176137
Amber doesn't pull ahead, lest she lose sight of her companion. She does wish she told Jakala to leave the sled behind before they moved forward.
"What are the Stallos? Why are they tearing up the trees? Why are we living so close to them if they're dangerous?" Amber asks. Though this is spoken aloud, it's more of thinking out loud since she doubts the little filly knows the answers. She hopes there are none of them in that stand of trees.
Amber doesn't pull ahead, lest she lose sight of her companion. She does wish she told Jakala to leave the sled behind before they moved forward.
"What are the Stallos? Why are they tearing up the trees? Why are we living so close to them if they're dangerous?" Amber asks. Though this is spoken aloud, it's more of thinking out loud since she doubts the little filly knows the answers. She hopes there are none of them in that stand of trees.
"Gloomy, did I ever tell you the story of how Gnolls first came to be? It's..." whispers
Gloomy 's eyes widen in incredulity.
"Really?"
"So the story goes. It might even be why the Society cared about courting the Kaftars."
Gloomy 's eyes widen in incredulity.
"Really?"
"So the story goes. It might even be why the Society cared about courting the Kaftars."
>>176138
Kira smiles at the stallion. "It's okay, I know. Maybe if you wanted I could try making you your own bow someday. I don't know if you'd ever use it, but I imagine it would make for something nice to hang on the wall."
Kira smiles at the stallion. "It's okay, I know. Maybe if you wanted I could try making you your own bow someday. I don't know if you'd ever use it, but I imagine it would make for something nice to hang on the wall."
>>176139
“Giants. They look sort of like ponies kind of but big. And strong. And white. They’ll eat you…” she looks up and around, and lowers herself closer to the ground, almost crawling.
“Giants. They look sort of like ponies kind of but big. And strong. And white. They’ll eat you…” she looks up and around, and lowers herself closer to the ground, almost crawling.
>>176141
“Oh no, I don’t think I could be making bows. Or should be. I’m sure it’s a whole art form to make bows in itself. And I don’t really have much of a use for them. I don’t have to hunt. There are occasional predators, to be sure that harm and harass the animals. But the biggest monsters won’t go this close to the city, or at least I haven’t seen them. And if I did, I wouldn’t try to fight them myself.
“Oh no, I don’t think I could be making bows. Or should be. I’m sure it’s a whole art form to make bows in itself. And I don’t really have much of a use for them. I don’t have to hunt. There are occasional predators, to be sure that harm and harass the animals. But the biggest monsters won’t go this close to the city, or at least I haven’t seen them. And if I did, I wouldn’t try to fight them myself.
>>176143
"It does take a lot of time to learn, but that's why I suggested that I make you one as a gift, someday." At hearing about predators and monsters, however, Kira's ears perk up. "What kinds of predators and monsters?"
"It does take a lot of time to learn, but that's why I suggested that I make you one as a gift, someday." At hearing about predators and monsters, however, Kira's ears perk up. "What kinds of predators and monsters?"
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>>176144
Bright Dye is, and has been staring at Kira’s body since he put down the bow. Or more accurately, at her snake body. Before, when Kira was sitting down he was too, with a coffee table between them. This is possibly the first time he’s had a chance to really take a look at her under good light, as every time before she’s been facing him, or in dim light, or partly obscured. Now he stares at her long tail, partly coiled and for a 4 foot long section, visibly very distended. When Kira says her last words, he breaks out of the trance and looks back up to her eyes.
“Oh. Uh. Oh.” He smiles widely with that toothy smile. “Oh you don’t need to do that for me, heh… yeah, we have coyotes. Sometimes dire wolves will come this far north. And alligators, though if you stay away from the waterways those are not an issue. Same with the river serpents. They won’t attack ponies, at least supposedly they won’t attack ponies, but if a sheep swims in the river it might go under. No, really coyotes are the r worst if they break in. Also there are panthers, though you don’t see that many around here. But even worse are massive rocs, chimera, and hydras, though they are almost never that close to the city.”
Bright Dye is, and has been staring at Kira’s body since he put down the bow. Or more accurately, at her snake body. Before, when Kira was sitting down he was too, with a coffee table between them. This is possibly the first time he’s had a chance to really take a look at her under good light, as every time before she’s been facing him, or in dim light, or partly obscured. Now he stares at her long tail, partly coiled and for a 4 foot long section, visibly very distended. When Kira says her last words, he breaks out of the trance and looks back up to her eyes.
“Oh. Uh. Oh.” He smiles widely with that toothy smile. “Oh you don’t need to do that for me, heh… yeah, we have coyotes. Sometimes dire wolves will come this far north. And alligators, though if you stay away from the waterways those are not an issue. Same with the river serpents. They won’t attack ponies, at least supposedly they won’t attack ponies, but if a sheep swims in the river it might go under. No, really coyotes are the r worst if they break in. Also there are panthers, though you don’t see that many around here. But even worse are massive rocs, chimera, and hydras, though they are almost never that close to the city.”
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I'm going to go ahead and dump my shitty speech that was meant to accompany my diplomacy roll, because I'm bored and want to spur some dialogue.
Surely, the vaguely Muslim-coded starving hyena will not be offended by this baseless (based on d&d lore) mockery of his people's religion and history:
"Do you know the story ponies tell how Gnolls came to be? I'm sure you Kaftars have your own story, but ponies have our own, although I can't vouch for how truthful this one is... Long, long ago, before the three tribes were united, mighty and fearsome... Angel.. descended upon this plane from the void beyond the circle of creation, it's eyes filled fire as it passed judgement on this world for its sins. The Angel and wrought havoc on this world and its ponies for their decadent lives. The Angel, so mighty, carved a path of total destruction, and a lot of ponies and other creatures died, but in its wake, hyenas fed on the remains of the countless dead. As the Angel finished its tour of the world, finally content with punishing the ponies for their hubris, it only then looked behind itself and noticed the hyenas it had fed kneeling in its glory, the first Gnolls, who no longer scavenging animals, but brilliant and cunning creatures reborn by the grace of their lord. The Gnolls were fanatics, howling prayers for the glory of their lord, even though the Angel had offered them nothing in return. They were fearsome warriors, arming themselves with flails and battle-axes as they went on to conquer all surrounding territories and slaughter all in their path, devouring their victims, and killing off fauna faster than they could eat them. To the ponies, it was just wasteful violence, but to the Gnolls, it was the gospel of their lord, for they rid the world of weakness and punished the creatures of this world for their peaceful and decadent lives, and from the mountains of corpses a new world could be born. So devoted were the Gnolls, that the Angel gave them many blessings. Gnolls priests acquired magic and cast fourth spells in its name. Monsters from beyond the void would descend on their enemies, and even deceased Gnolls would rise from the grave to fight again. The priesthood of the Gnolls was so mighty that with their potent magic they could make the skeletons of their victims rise after stripping away their flesh, and ponies fled in terror as their reanimated siblings and parents faced them in Gnoll raids..."
"Agire, the Society sought your friendship, not just for your skills as a Necromancer, but for the strength of your people, for our kind recognize the role of the Gnolls as warriors of Armageddon, creatures of faith. These are dark times, the world locked in precarious stalemates and ceasefires that will last only as long as is convenient for the powers that be; the world of violence that we dream of might not be so far away... Agire, I heard it from your brother Sevberk that in your grave you were waiting for the rebirth of the world; and so I awoke you to tell you that that time draws near. I came to this neighborhood because I believe in you, and I believe in your people and the role you'll play in the reshaping of this world; and so I pled to your lord to bring you back to lead your temple..."
"So, tell me, Agire, will you join with the Society Of Bones again? You died once for your choices, but in the Society we believe that the bonds of friendship need not end in death. You may fight with us once more, or you may shun us and be left in peace. I'll even put you back in that coffin of yours if you wish. The choice is yours."
Surely, the vaguely Muslim-coded starving hyena will not be offended by this baseless (based on d&d lore) mockery of his people's religion and history:
"Do you know the story ponies tell how Gnolls came to be? I'm sure you Kaftars have your own story, but ponies have our own, although I can't vouch for how truthful this one is... Long, long ago, before the three tribes were united, mighty and fearsome... Angel.. descended upon this plane from the void beyond the circle of creation, it's eyes filled fire as it passed judgement on this world for its sins. The Angel and wrought havoc on this world and its ponies for their decadent lives. The Angel, so mighty, carved a path of total destruction, and a lot of ponies and other creatures died, but in its wake, hyenas fed on the remains of the countless dead. As the Angel finished its tour of the world, finally content with punishing the ponies for their hubris, it only then looked behind itself and noticed the hyenas it had fed kneeling in its glory, the first Gnolls, who no longer scavenging animals, but brilliant and cunning creatures reborn by the grace of their lord. The Gnolls were fanatics, howling prayers for the glory of their lord, even though the Angel had offered them nothing in return. They were fearsome warriors, arming themselves with flails and battle-axes as they went on to conquer all surrounding territories and slaughter all in their path, devouring their victims, and killing off fauna faster than they could eat them. To the ponies, it was just wasteful violence, but to the Gnolls, it was the gospel of their lord, for they rid the world of weakness and punished the creatures of this world for their peaceful and decadent lives, and from the mountains of corpses a new world could be born. So devoted were the Gnolls, that the Angel gave them many blessings. Gnolls priests acquired magic and cast fourth spells in its name. Monsters from beyond the void would descend on their enemies, and even deceased Gnolls would rise from the grave to fight again. The priesthood of the Gnolls was so mighty that with their potent magic they could make the skeletons of their victims rise after stripping away their flesh, and ponies fled in terror as their reanimated siblings and parents faced them in Gnoll raids..."
"Agire, the Society sought your friendship, not just for your skills as a Necromancer, but for the strength of your people, for our kind recognize the role of the Gnolls as warriors of Armageddon, creatures of faith. These are dark times, the world locked in precarious stalemates and ceasefires that will last only as long as is convenient for the powers that be; the world of violence that we dream of might not be so far away... Agire, I heard it from your brother Sevberk that in your grave you were waiting for the rebirth of the world; and so I awoke you to tell you that that time draws near. I came to this neighborhood because I believe in you, and I believe in your people and the role you'll play in the reshaping of this world; and so I pled to your lord to bring you back to lead your temple..."
"So, tell me, Agire, will you join with the Society Of Bones again? You died once for your choices, but in the Society we believe that the bonds of friendship need not end in death. You may fight with us once more, or you may shun us and be left in peace. I'll even put you back in that coffin of yours if you wish. The choice is yours."
>>176146
It's likely that, as a farmer/rancher, Bright Dye has seen a fair number of snakes while dealing with his livestock, and it's likely he's seen corn snakes with scale patterns similar to Kira's, but even still her scales simply look exotic, with how smooth and metallic her golden yellow scales they look reflecting the light, contrasted with the black and red diamond patterns going all the way down the back of her tail. Her whiter underbelly looks smooth as well, but it's actually quite rough to provide traction while slithering on various surfaces.
Kira looks quite interested hearing about the various creatures that have harassed his herds and flocks, some of which like alligators and serpents she's familiar with and others like coyotes she's not. She looks particular interested when she hears panthers. But, when he mentions one monster in particular, Bright Dye sees the lamia freeze up, her face looking pale and mortified. She's scared, for the first time that either him or Neela has seen.
"R...rocs? There are rocs here?"
It's likely that, as a farmer/rancher, Bright Dye has seen a fair number of snakes while dealing with his livestock, and it's likely he's seen corn snakes with scale patterns similar to Kira's, but even still her scales simply look exotic, with how smooth and metallic her golden yellow scales they look reflecting the light, contrasted with the black and red diamond patterns going all the way down the back of her tail. Her whiter underbelly looks smooth as well, but it's actually quite rough to provide traction while slithering on various surfaces.
Kira looks quite interested hearing about the various creatures that have harassed his herds and flocks, some of which like alligators and serpents she's familiar with and others like coyotes she's not. She looks particular interested when she hears panthers. But, when he mentions one monster in particular, Bright Dye sees the lamia freeze up, her face looking pale and mortified. She's scared, for the first time that either him or Neela has seen.
"R...rocs? There are rocs here?"
>>176142
Jakala's description stirs no memories in Amber's mind, and she is just as perplexed about what she's talking about. Does she mean bears? Amber had never seen a bear in person before and wasn't sure where her conceptions of them came from. Why would they clear an entire section of forest which is what they live in?
"Then let us stay quiet," she advises. "I want to know a little more about this place, and then head back." Despite trying to sound calm, she is uneasy about the Stallos. They had been here not long ago, and if they were willing to work in this darkness then the dim light would not do much to protect the fillies.
Jakala's description stirs no memories in Amber's mind, and she is just as perplexed about what she's talking about. Does she mean bears? Amber had never seen a bear in person before and wasn't sure where her conceptions of them came from. Why would they clear an entire section of forest which is what they live in?
"Then let us stay quiet," she advises. "I want to know a little more about this place, and then head back." Despite trying to sound calm, she is uneasy about the Stallos. They had been here not long ago, and if they were willing to work in this darkness then the dim light would not do much to protect the fillies.
>>176148
Soon
>>176149
He answers
"Oh yeah. Well, not here. They don't come close to the city. But I mean in the region more generally, yes. Really the mountains, more so. They will carry off sheep and will even attack dragons. They can be a nuisance in many places, yes."
>>176150
Jakala whispers "Okay..." and looks up above the nearby low hills for any shapes. The sky is brighter, and it is clearly twilight now, rather than true night. Many of the stars are no longer visible, and the bands of green light have faded against the blue and purple background of the sky.
Soon
>>176149
He answers
"Oh yeah. Well, not here. They don't come close to the city. But I mean in the region more generally, yes. Really the mountains, more so. They will carry off sheep and will even attack dragons. They can be a nuisance in many places, yes."
>>176150
Jakala whispers "Okay..." and looks up above the nearby low hills for any shapes. The sky is brighter, and it is clearly twilight now, rather than true night. Many of the stars are no longer visible, and the bands of green light have faded against the blue and purple background of the sky.
>>176151
Amber should be getting close to the stand of trees, but she doesn't rush, both for the sake of stealth and not to tire poor Jakala out. Can she make out anything among them?
Amber should be getting close to the stand of trees, but she doesn't rush, both for the sake of stealth and not to tire poor Jakala out. Can she make out anything among them?
>>176152
Amber can indeed see that there is damage to the limbs, with many needles missing, branches missing, and in general with much of the tree besides the bare trunk sheered off. The strand is not thick.
Amber can indeed see that there is damage to the limbs, with many needles missing, branches missing, and in general with much of the tree besides the bare trunk sheered off. The strand is not thick.
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