1777 replies and 47 files omitted.
>>176316“A game on a field at night. I kicked a ball. An office… a badge and a gun. That mare. Her name is… Morning Dew. I remember that. She had a nice black mane. A paper delivered to me by a stallion. Boat down a river, with several other stallions. Trees to either side. An ambush. Hoofcuffed fi a tree. A very
wicked mare.” He looks up at the flesh
Milyaketan raises an eyebrow and tilts his head.
“And what is that?”
>>176315>>176316>>176317Posey continues
"...Umoya, the Crocutta shaman, suffered a fate similar to your own, in the same week. I had plans to visit her flock as I did yours, but I'm a very busy mare, you know..."
She looks at Agire
"Milyakaten told me that you were one to consider the wisdom of the Crocuttas, more than himself. I'm sure there's been strife between your tribes, but in the end you're both Gnolls, having more in common with one another than any of the other creatures in Baltimare."
She gestures towards towards the altar with her knife, before floating it to Agire
"I want you to do for her the same that I have done for you. However you wish to do it is up to your discretion, you are a seasoned priest afterall, it should be within your skills. Offer a life to the Angel and make a prayer in her favor, and see if your ordinance as a priest is enough to repeat this miracle for her... If you succeed, perhaps you could take it as a sign, that the Gnolls are mightier when united, in friendship."
She competes her proposal with a shrug
"Or don't. You are, afterall, the next leader of your temple. It's none of my business giving you orders you would refuse. I just think it's something to consider."
>>176317>A very wicked marePosey is intrigued by this, as nothing is more poetic than an undead lamenting in it's most traumatic memories.
"Fascinating...."
>>176318Agire stares in silence at Posey with reflective eyes.
Milyaketan answers
“Outside revenues like the Storm King are alone all that could unite us with the Crocutta. They are not like us. They do not have our customs. Our religion… I will take it under advisement. They will be… more receptive than us, I could say that.”
>>176319The ghast moves up to Posey to take the clump of flesh promised to him.
>>176321“She looks hungry and dehydrated. I’ll heat up some water and try to keep her warm. Where was she, and where did she come from?” She looks at the mare. “I think this is Kiinteä Maa’s wife, Makea Amy.”
>>176317>He looks up at the fleshPosey commands (or rather, permits) the ghast to eat.
She speaks, although it's seemingly more directed at Agire than the ghast
"Ghouls are diet-dependent creatures. Although you have no need for sustenance, you need regular intake of flesh to to maintain your upkeep. Eating flesh, especially raw, will repair your lost tissues and prevent your body from rotting. More importantly, maintaining your diet is important to retain your sense of self, as a starving ghoul regresses to little more than an animal. The more regularly you eat, the closer to life you'll remain, I've even heard of cases where well-kept ghouls managed to procreate with the living... That being said, your craving for flesh will still push you away from the mortal path."
>>176320>Our religion… I will take it under advisement. They will be… more receptive than us, I could say that.Posey nods
"Umoya was a wise and powerful shaman, and her loss was a waste to her people. I think it's worth testing if the Angel could be persuaded to release her, certainly a good test for an upcoming chief priest." she replies
"However, for the time being, I think I am done with raising Gnoll priests myself for a long time. After all..." She turns to Agire
"...I really only came here because I told your brother and your widow that I owed them a favor, and Rosey Ring keeps her promises." Posey finishes, a bit smug
>>176322"We found her on the tundra to the west(?) of here, and she was walking southwards(?). She kept talking about how Beaivi was bringing the sun." Amber feels very worried about the poor mare's condition.
>>176324He sighs, and looks back to her, sitting down next to the mare and using his right leg to press against her chest and hold her on the bed.
"This is Metsän Vaeltaja's doing. I'll heat her up with warm water and keep her in here. Could you collect some snow to make water?"
>>176325Amber is curious as to who exactly Metsän Vaeltaja is, but dutifully goes to collect untrampled snow a decent distance away from the huts.
>>176326The stallion gives a pot to help in this task. It must be filled several times, as the snow is much lower in volume when it is melted than when it is collected. He has a fire going, and though his collection of firewood is disturbingly small, it is sufficient for the moment. He seems to have kept the mare, this Makea Aamu, blinded with the improperly placed mask. She readily laps up the water.
>>176323Milyaketan again speaks where Agire remains silent.
"As I said, it's not all that different from being alive. Again, thank you, Miss Ring. I don't know how much longer we will be here. The ponies tighten around us like a noose. I have heard they have removed entire neighborhoods up north. I think they will do that here."
>>176327Amber rushes to get enough water. When she is done, she asks,
"I had to leave all the firewood to bring her here. Please, let me collect more before it gets too cold." Jakala's mother's admonition still rings in her head.
>>176327Posey nods understandingly, walking past the two slowly, towards the door
"It's been a pleasure praying with you, Milyaketan. I wish your temple and your people well. Stay strong and endure, as your kind will be ready to take up arms in Armageddon, be it the Kaftars or the Crocutta. As for the ponies in Baltimare, you won't have to worry about them too long..."
She turns her head and makes direct eye contact, the monstrous, hypnotic glint in her ringed demonic eyes shining brightly in the darkness and her mouth twisting into a villainous fanged grin
"Because they're all going to
die!"
And with that last sentence, her Unseen Servant throws open the door and she trots off into the night.
If the Kaftars were to listen closely, they might hear her say "Come on, Gloomy, let's go get waffles" in a motherly, sing-song tone, after the doors slam shut.
>>176333"با فریشتەکە ڕێنماییت بکات و هێزت پێ ببەخشێت."
Was it Agire who said it, or the assistant?
Posey enters back onto the cold street, still inside the tiny enclave.
>>176330He looks back to Amber, and nods
"Go get more."
>>176334Amber pulls the sled back to the open tundra where she knows she left the firewood. It must still be there.
>>176335There is no snow to cover up the firewood. It's just a matter of finding it, which thankfully isn't too difficult. The firewood is all there.
>>176336Amber loads up the sled with the wood. She wishes Jakala were with her. She had been focused on saving the mare earlier, but now this place in the dim light gives her the creeps. She still needs to tell the others what she saw earlier.
>>176334Posey makes good on her promise to buy the ghast a kebab in the enclave. I think we can skip roleplaying that part, although it might be met with some awkward glares from the Gnolls seeing a pony buy meat.
>It's for a friendShe then seeks out Mason, and informs him that her business went smoothly.
"Oh, Mason dear, pardon me for giving you new tasks on the fly, but it's getting close to morning and I was hoping you might be able to bring us to a local die-ner if that's possible? I want to take my little Gloomy out to feed him something sweet. I'll treat you as well if you're interested in joining us." Posey requests
[1d8 = 7]
[1d8 = 3]
[1d8 = 4]
[1d8 = 7]
>>176337The wind has, unfortunately, picked up. Much more unfortunately, Amber does not have on her full set of clothing. She needs to get back, and soon. At least it drowns out the tinnitus, though the cold is actually threatening.
She has it soon enough. Well, perhaps not soon enough, but she does indeed collect it.
>>176339The ghast wags its tail, and the gnoll who sells her the kebab is certainly confused. He doesn't speak ponish well at all, and the transaction is conducted mostly by means of pointing.
Mason is asleep when Posey encounters him, but he recovers quickly.
"Of course ma'am. There are plenty of diners."
>>176341gasp >>176341Ghoul Ranger from Libris Mortis
>>176342>There are plenty of diners"Excellent." Posey says, petting Gloomy's mane and tickling the side of his throat
>>176342Merely the knowledge that the tinnitus and its frightful, mysterious source is out there makes Amber nervous. She wishes she got back her outer coat.
She hopes it's enough firewood. She quickly starts tugging along the sled once again to get to the village before it gets too cold.
>>176345She arrives back at the hut, which incidentally is actually further away from Amber than what she understands to be her home.
>>176344One is open at this odd hour with a few stallions inside. A few of those dreaded bats as well...
Nevertheless, it will do
>>176346She'll have to distribute the firewood, she supposes…. All in a day's work. Amber checks on the grown-ups and Jakala inside the hut.
>>176347Alright.
Posey goes inside with Gloomy.
>A few of those dreaded bats as well...Th-they can't be worse company than vampires, can they?
I need to sleep.
>>176348The mare is lying down, but still muttering gibberish. The stallion is preparing ersatz tea that he must have pulled out of deep storage.
Jakala is laying down with her head on a blanket on a bed.
>>176349>They can't be worse than vampires, can they?I don't know. Do vampires sit outside of your windows and "eeeeee" at 3 AM?
Waffle House is S-tier, by the way
>>176350"Is she going to be alright?" Amber asks quietly. She can't recall ever seeing frostbite as bad as this.
>>176307Neela does not offer much resistance. She almost limp.
"eeep"
Her head is straight up toward's Kira's head, and her ears are down
>>176306Well, for one, it was
probably moved with two ponies. It would have to blend in with stone. It could be behind something. It's likely intended to blend in or just be outright not visible, but out of the way enough that no one would ever bother with it.
>>176351"I don't know." He answers. "But I'll warm her up here. You should probably get back home, Kultainen."
>>176354"You did well, Kultainen" He says
Jakala peaks her head up, jumps off the bed, and follows Amber.
>>176355Would getting her winter clothes back in any way hurt the mare? If not, she'll put them back on before headed back outside and to the village proper. Otherwise, she'll just have to hurry.
>>176356No, there are a number of blankets in the hut. The only questionable part is the mask, as it's being used to cut off the mare's eyesight, and hopefully reduce her movement. But there's another mask, and Amber can get hers back and be on her way.
>>176352"You said you spent most of your time outside, I know, but do you have any idea how much of inside they have covered? If I were to hide something that I did not want found, I would put it inside room that has already been searched and catalogued."
>>176352It seems Neela really
is trying to avoid having what happened to Hopper happen to her. Thankfully for her, Kira is not trying to crush her to make her easier to eat, she's merely just accidently smushing her with an overly friendly hug. She holds it for just a little bit more before she releases the poor deer.
"Thank you for that, Neela. It really meant a lot to me." She smiles at her friend, who very clearly had to take a big leaf of faith to get within what she thought was striking distance of the lamia and hug her.
>>176357Amber is a little reticent to put on a mask that had been in contact with another pony's frostbitten tissue, and decides to leave it. She is glad to have her outer coat on as she makes her way back, with Jakala and much of the firewood in tow. Summer can't come soon enough!
>>176358"Hmmmm.... Maybe near the entrance. Possibly the library? I'm not certain which areas have been completely catalogued."
>>176359mphThe does is dropped onto the wooden floor, and her legs slide apart as she drops to the ground. She can stop playing dead now.
She looks up to Kira showing her teeth and smiling awkwardly
"Uh, you're welcome?"''
>>176360As the mask has been breathed on, Amber's reticence is... understandable. With Jakala placing her rear hooves on the skids of the sled and her forehooves over the front, the two ponies go closer to the edge of the line of huts. Just beyond Amber's hut is a little building made of wood that stores firewood and other things, and as she gets closer, she can see through the gaps in the timber that there are two ponies inside.
They are talking.
>>176361Amber knows she shouldn't eavesdrop, especially when privacy in this harsh land is hard to come by as is, but she can't resist and decides to listen without announcing herself.
>>176361"Well, I know it probably doesn't mean as much to you as it does to me, but I do consider you a friend, and the fact that you're willing to trust me even though you were afraid of getting, well, crushed and constricted, it means a lot to me." Kira rubs one foreleg with the other. "So...thank you."
>>176361"Library might make sense, actually. Come on, let us go see."
>>176363"Eh heh" She looks up towards Kira - or maybe not "up," it depends on how high above Neela Kira wishes to raise herself - and gives a teeth-chowing smile. Then she looks down and at Kira's form, and then pokes her with a hoof and taps her, again focusing on the goat, which is the closest part of her body that's on the ground anyways, assuming Kira's body is most angled away from Neela.
>>176364With her head turned to Silver, in the dim light she seems to give a small smile. Then she moves her head forward and in the direction of the flashlight, and goes forward.
"To the library it is. I don't recall anything that looked at all like a casket but... I wasn't exactly looking and it may have happened since."
The ponies walk through the dark tunnels until going into the library. Pear helps by shining her light against the walls
Roll Search Gonna roll Gather Information to see if Posey has heard anything about a lich's lair nearby.
[1d20+8 = (3+8) = 11]
And Research to see if she's read anything about it at the Necromantic Security division of the university.
[1d20+7 = (4+7) = 11]
Meanwhile, at the die-ner.
Posey looks at the menu for several minutes.
"Yes, my son here will have the deluxe waffle meal for little colts. Double sprinkles, double chocolate syrup, double cream, double strawberries, double Mare&Mares, and double powdered sugar... And an orange juice. Nothing for myself."
She gestures to Mason
"He's with me, put his order on my bill."
She makes the ghast wait in the car with its kebab, since her Disguise Undead illusion isn't perfect.
>>176365[1d20 = 19]>>176366We'll see how it goes, perhaps we'll have need of somepony's assistance if things don't go as planned.
>>176366Gonna roll Knowledge (Religion) too see what Posey knows about notable lich's in the area (I can roll again since last time, because Posey has since gain a rank in the skill):
[1d20+13 = (11+13) = 24]Gonna roll Perform (Weapon Drill), with intent to attract Patrons who might be interested in requisitioning Posey's magical skills in fighting undead:
[1d20+11 = (12+11) = 23] >>176365Kira looks down at the deer, and the hoof attached to the deer, and then to the lump in her stomach that the deer keeps poking.
"You are really interested in that, huh?"
>>176368Gonna roll Aid Another for Gloomy (emotional support colt) to see if I can hit that DC 25 Perform check to attract patrons
[1d20+2 = (12+2) = 14] >>176368>>176370"No Weapons in the Diner!" a pink mare yells. "
And no public performances either. Like a bunch of damned Sangee looking for handouts..." She mutters
>>176367Silver looks around and sees charred remains, a slate floor, empty holes... why hello there, is that block unstable?
>>176366"Sure, but it's not an icecream shop. I don't think they'll have sprinkles or Mare & Mares."
>>176369Her eyes dart up, and she jumps her forelegs up, pivoting away from Kira, looking back at her. She then walks past Kira into the kitchen, giving her as wide of a berth as she can, and looking back as she does so. She enters the kitchen, which is in an open-air format to the living room
>>176371>And no public...I probably should have specified my intent to do these checks at the university later.
>"Sure, but it's not an icecream shop. I don't think they'll have sprinkles or Mare & Mares."Posey just orders Gloomy the fanciest item that his small body could consume, with a doubled amount of any available toppings.