/vx/ - Videogames and Paranormal

The face

>>177117
Oohh fuckoff, thats a good number

>>177099
"A letter from Curwhinny, addressed to his son. It is a complete letter, and Curwhinny should have had the means to send such a letter quickly, so it appears as though these are not the bones that we are looking for."

>>177112
He looks down and breathes out, then back in with a labored breath,

“The Inspector will be here before the sun rises. And we won’t banish him. He’ll banish us. Vaeltaja, I mean. He’ll have us banished. The Inspector won’t let us leave. That’s for damn sure. And I don’t want to harm Valeria’s. I just need him to go for a walk, and never come back. We know what’s happening to the villagers. They’ve gone mad, and it’s Vaeltaja’s fault, whether he’s drugging them with some mold he ripped off a dead tree, or… or if he’s just leading them out in the cold or… whatever it is, we need to end it. And before the inspector gets here. Just, why am I arguing with an eleven year old?”

Father adds,
“But it would be a very good idea to figure out exactly what he’s doing to the villagers. Regardless of what we tell the Inspector, we need to stop it, and to do that, we need to know what it is.

>>177114
“No?” He replies

>>177101
"You found other letters? It could be worth comparing the dates, to determine when and where he died."

>>177119
>>177122
"That is interesting theory. It could be true, I suppose. Every note and letter I found is currently in possession of archaeologists here. You would have to ask them for them yourself, they are not well fond of me.
No idea why, of course."

>>177122
>>177123
Pear:
"He is supposed to have died here. Or at least he is presumed to have died here. On the night of January 4 or morning of the 5, 770."

>>177123
"I would prefer avoiding the archaeologists for as long as well can. The priority, however, is locating Curwhinny himself. Let's check the rest of the catacombs for any similar caskets, as the true casket may still be here."
Her gaze fixates on several points in the darkness.
"This dungeon still has hidden dangers, just waiting to be disturbed... Glass Horizons might be disappointed when he reads my report, but it's for the best."

>>177124
When is the letter dated?

>>177125
"Have you found anything left that require being cleared out? It would not be good for my track record to leave job half-finished after having already taken payment."

>>177126
Among other imperfections in the letter is a lack of a date after the signature.

>>177127
"You can read my report when it's finished." The white mare replies, her gaze evasive
"There's still danger here, that's for sure, the kind best left undisturbed. I want to find out if Curwhinny is among that."

>>177128
Oh well

"Lets search the remaining exposed gaskets on in these chambers. Curwhinny may still be here."
Posey says, as she walks down the length of the catacombs, searching for caskets that fit the description

>>177124
Posey addresses Pear
"You're a historian from this country, correct? What do you know about Curwhinny's death? I heard many were sacrificed to put him in the grave. Was magic used to seal him there? You'll have to humor me; I'm from Farbrook, and I only know so much about the history of this country."

>>177131
“There was a small revolt by locals, mostly sailors, against Equestrian Customs authorities in Baltimare over basically taxes and crackdowns on smuggling. Most of the violence was actually against higher members of the Celestial Shipping Company, presumably over wages, discipline on ships, and personal grievances. The only reason it was recorded at all, besides the high death toll, was because the director of the Celestial Shipping Company for fifty five years was killed. There is no mention of undead, lichs, or magic besides the usual. Light damage to the Shipping Offices and none to his mansion. The grave set up for him in Rose Mound is understood to be empty. That is how it was recorded, anyways.”

>>177129
"What kind of danger that has not already been dealt with? This is my profession, it is information I need to know and sooner is better than later. It is not just my professional reputation I am talking about here. There are ponies here or who will be here who could get hurt, killed, or worse if there is something left here that needs to be taken care of."

>>177132
>The grave set up for him in Rose Mound is understood to be empty. That is how it was recorded, anyways.
"Hmmm, it's questionable if he was ever buried at all then..."
>>177133
"I'm here to investigate haunts: things that aren't so easy to remove with bullets."

>>177134
"How would you know if you were looking right at him? The historical record is split, saying his body was never found, probably because he was murdered and buried in a forest or out in the ocean, or alternatively that his wife decided not to display the body because he was horribly mangled, either out of revenge or from being burned in a fire. The writing on the wall in the chamber where the casket was found said a lich was sealed away there. And, well, that's about all we know."

>>177135
>"How would you know if you were looking right at him?
"Well... I could just try to ask him myself..." Posey says
"..But I would prefer not to deplete my horn until I've finished my inspection today."
Posey looks around the section where the casket was, checking for any plaques or inscriptions that could hint who the corpse might be.

>>177135
>The writing on the wall in the chamber where the casket was found said a lich was sealed away there.
"If he really was sealed away, it would have been with powerful necromantic or abjuration magic. Perhaps we could trace the source of that magic, of it exists."

>>177134
Silver frowns.

"That is not answer to my question."

>>177111
Neela moves back on the couch, going from laying down to sitting upright as her back is pressed against it. She stares at Kira

"Ah! Oh, you're yawning."

>>177136
There are none. It does not appear that the reason for this is defacement, but rather because none were added.

>>177137
"If he's sealed away with powerful magic, why do we need to tamper with him at all?"

>>177139
Kira tilts her head at the deer after having closed her mouth.

"Uh, yeah? What, do deer not yawn?"

>>177140
She turns her head somewhat, and still looks at Kira
"Oh no, we do, but...."

>>177141
Kira tilts her head the other way at the deer, and flicks her tongue for good measure.

>>177142
"Uh, I didn't know that lamias did that." She says, and then looks away.

>>177143
"Oh!" Kira smiles, and ceases the tilting of the head. "Yeah, we do. It's just getting late, and I'm getting sleepy."

>>177139
>why do we need to tamper with him at all?
"It's not my job to tamper with him, just to confirm that he is here."

>>177138
"It's not quite so simple, but the answer is maybe; probably even."

>>177139
>There are none.
Posey cautiously walks down the catacombs, to check if there are any other caskets stashed here that fit the description.

>>177120
"Vaeltaja has to be meeting ponies a lot if he's doing this. If we keep an eye on him it shouldn't be long before we have an answer," Amber reasons.

[1d100 = 50]

>>177144
"Ah, uh, already? Okay, sure."

>>177151
Looking down, the stallion sighs yet again
"Whatever. Either way, we are going to find Vaeltaja. Keskiyon, do you have your axe?" The stallion holds one up in the air. "I brought mine."

He has a large sled there which he places the axe on, or rather has it fit in a ring at the back.
"Get your axe, and lets go find him. Get a light as well, but you may need to turn it off, or at least dim it."

>>177152
Mildly scrunchy, he replies,
"I just need to see a license that would allow you to have a firearm, and some kind of proof of work."

>>177153
Amber looks uneasily at the axe but says nothing. She waits, looking around at the surroundings.

>>177153
Are there any other exposed caskets in the catacombs that fit the description of the one we are looking for?

If not, might just cast speak with dead to confirm the origin of the corpse.

>>177153
The griffon pulls out an envelop from his breast pocket, thumbs through some documents inside (thumbs, how do they work???) and retrieves a Nova Griffonian document. It is not in Ponish and the official might need a translator, but it contains a license for usage of firearms issued by the city of Weter, as well as registration for two pistols.

"Licenses aren't typically required to own or carry a firearm in Nova Griffonia, except in certain locales," he explains. "Unfortunately, the only contract for work I have is the letter from your office of military intelligence, which you cannot read. I'm personally surprised they didn't disguise the purpose of my visit, but I appreciate the honesty."

>>177147
Silver isn't happy that's the case, but at least he got an answer, so he's glad about that. He looks back at Posey's son, floating on that magic disk.

"Are you sure he should be here? My own father never took me anywhere as dangerous as this while I was in middle of my training."

>>177153
'Already'? Kira takes a look at her fancy new pocketwatch to check the time.

>>177148
Silver does, however, see what Posey is doing, and assists her in her search.

Actually...it might be a long shot, but Silver attempts to recall what, if anything, the dead militia ponies were wearing.

>>177157
>danger
"Oh, he's been through much worse than this." The white mare replies, nonchalantly
>training
"We do things a bit differently in Farbrook. Besides, our professions are quite different. Magic is an esoteric thing, which takes more than just practice, but a more wholehearted cultivation."

>>177160
Silver does recall that the militia ponies would wear jackets, hats, coats, and breastplate armor, as well as sometimes shoulder armor or other barding. Please note that the bodies of the militia ponies are absent from the floor.

>>177158
Like… 10 PMish

>>177155
Posey can see one. It’s a rectangular shape, the outer layer seems to be cast iron, and it’s more or less identical in basic shape to the one placed in the chamber. It’s slightly smaller than the stone casket, and thus fits into the hole more readily. It’s on the lower level. The only markings visible is “C 27”

>>177156
He looks at the envelope and the Nova Griffonian documents. He does not open the letter.
“A registry is a good start, but to actually possess them here, you’ll need a license. Someone from the military could get you one.”

>>177162
>one
Is this one of the ones that pinged my Detect Undead spell?

>>177162
"If you would summon the appropriate official, I would very much appreciate it," he answers politely.

He also gestures to the other room where the stallion is detained. "It would also be good for him to be able to see his family again. What's necessary to make that happen?"

>>177166
“Pretty much just that he not be a spy. His story needs to line up. Having family in the area certainly helps.”

“I can get someone from the military, yes, if that is what you wish. Someone who can, well, someone who has power to get a license, at least. If you are in fact doing what you claim you are doing, that is.”

>>177154
Stars twinkle in the night, and before the tree line, snow is moved by the wind in a sort of light haze. There’s the howling of the wind, and that odd noise as always. Father went back in, got an axe, and put it on the sleigh.

Stallion:
“Are we seriously taking her?”

Father:
“Do you want her roaming around here?”

Stallion:
“Fair enough”

The ponies go not many feet, past the opposing row of huts, and towards the dark outline of the tree tops when someone approaches.

It’s Jakala

>>177169
"I am assuming he'll be kept here for a while. If I brought a family member of his here, would that help?"

Cavaliere nods slowly. "Sir, if I wasn't on the level with you, wouldn't you think I would do anything but bring in someone of greater authority to assess my claim? Yes, I would like that."

Amber is shocked to see her friend out, alone, in the cold. She breaks into a gallop to meet her. "Jakala! What are you doing out there?"

>>177170
“Yes, it would.” He answers

“And very well. Met me make a call…”

>>177163
It is not. Both of those were brick-sealed chambers adjacent to Posey. This casket is past that.

>>177171
“The stallion left and I got bored.” She answers. She is tightly tied up in thick clothing

>>177172
The griffon looks satisfied that he made some headway with ponies rumored to be more stubborn than griffons. He waits.

>>177162
Definitely an interesting bit of information to note. Now, for the long shot: does the coat on the skeleton match those worn by the militia ponies in design?

>>177161
"'Heat of battle is fire that forges strongest blades'. I am familiar with idea. I am just concerned as father, myself, about his safety and how he is feeling being in such pitch dark place. Especially with how quiet he has been."

>>177172
>>177176
Rosey Ring approaches the casket, and beckons for Silver to help her open casket.
"This is the only other casket on the catacombs that matches the one that supposedly held Curwhinny. We should search it before take any other steps. I have a spell that I could use to conjure information from the corpse, but it is limited. There's also a nonzero chance that a powerful lich is sealed away here though: if that is the case, the only thing containing him would be powerful magic cast on the casket.... Let's be cautious."

Rosey Ring decides to do the thing that I probably should have done before we opened the first casket, and uses her Detect Magic SLA to scan the casket and the rest of the catacombs (and the area around us, just for good measure), for any magical items, active supernatural abilities, or ongoing magical effects. She concentrates for as long as is needed to precisely know the school and levels of each/any magical signature."

I will roll Spellcraft checks to determine power and school, if necessary, although since we're not in combat I might prefer to take 10 (for a modified 26).

>>177175
No. The coats on the militia ponies were leather with layered wool inside. They were brown, and in general, warm and water resistant. This is longer, purple on the inside, made of cotton or perhaps even silk on the inside, and in general not as warm, weather resistant, or cheap.

>>177177
Okay, but understand that just because you’ve gone off course on a diversion to do something that could be done at literally any time does not mean that your spell slots will be refreshed when you desperately need them.

>>177177
Silver obliges Posey's request, when she's ready.

>>177178
Hmm, drat. There goes that possibility.

>>177162
Wow, it's fairly late for a lamia who just got off the boat and is sluggish with goat. She looks over to Neela.

"How long do you usually stay up for?"

>>177176
>Heat of battle is fire that forges strongest blades
"My combat experience as a warmagus is limited, but I agree with your sentiment. For magical training, however, entry is the most esoteric and peculiar part; it's more than just having a strong horn, but the mindset to weild your powers... My supervisors, my master, made sure to brand that into me, before I even proved that I was worthy of their tutelage. They subjected me to the most excruciating torture to make me understand the true meaning of pain and fear, the likes of which hail from the Dread League. They chained me in a cellar with a starving rabid, with only the power of fear to defend me from its advanced. They bled me until I was nearly dry, and subsequently starved me, to show me what hunger was. They locked me in a dark vat full of hungry maggots for days on end, letting me out only after I was full of holes. They conjured foul creatures from beyond the realm of insanity, and allowed them to attach themselves to my skull and share their nightmares. They impaled me with hot iron pokers, with magic sustaining me until I begged for death, and only then did they allow me the privilege of trotting down their path... Ummm" The white unicorn pauses, realizing that she's been monologuing and divulging a bit too much information to a total stranger. She changes the subject
>how he is feeling being in such pitch dark place
"The feeling of being in total darkness is quite the point, essential to his training, for his profession, which requires becoming one with the darkness. Besides, he's sensitive to sunlight."
>Especially with how quiet he has been
(I haven't done the best job of roleplaying him; which is ironic because he's a character based on myself)
"He's a bit shy of strangers, or at least the ones you meet in the flesh."

The pale colt with the blotched mane appears to be staring off into points in space with his sunken eyes, as if following something that nopony, not even Rosey Ring, can quite detect. His mood seems to have picked up once the group entered the catacombs, his little hooves tracing invisible circles and in the air, as if drawing on invisible paper. A red Crayola crayon hangs in his little mouth, and what appears to be either a journal or a coloring book lays open on the floating disk of Rosey Ring's magic. The colt seems to be quite used to occupying himself when his mother is working, blissfully distracted by what can only be his imagination... unless?
He's actually hasn't been completely silent, but babbling to himself and occasionally tugging on his mother's tail to point out something the shadows. His voice is faint and raspy, and he mutters strange phrases in what seem to be distorted foreign languages, softly whispering to his unseen playmates.
Silver appears to have gotten his attention though, he turns his head, his ears little ears swiveling as he realizes that he's the subject of conversation.
[Tongue-speaking stops]
"...huh?" he whimpers, his ears folding back as his shyness creeps up on him.
"We were just talking about what a talented colt you are, sweetie." Rosey Ring replies, in an affectionate singsong voice
"Gloomy is a genius, my precious prodigy. He's already been through his basic training, not so torturous as mine, but nonetheless just as rigorous for his age. He trots a different path from my own, but he has shown great promise with his own profession, in spite of what meager instructions I can provide. I believe that one day he'll grow strong enough to carry Death himself on his back."
"He's very heavy." The colt interjects
"That he is, sweetie, but I believe in you."

>>177178
>Okay, but understand that just because you’ve gone off course on a diversion to do something that could be done at literally any time does not mean that your spell slots will be refreshed when you desperately need them.
Well, when you put it like that, maybe I shouldn't... I thought this dungeon was already cleared.
I'm gonna take it from your response and lack of description of the spell's effect that you don't want me to do it, so I guess I won't.

Magic Posey has left for this day:
>7 lvl 1 slots (I used)
>5 lvl 2 slots
>1/day Detect Magic SLA
>1/day Nystul's Aura SLA
>1/day Wings Of Cover SLA
>1/day Create Magic Tattoo SLA
9/day Rebuke Undead (half her pool of commanded undead is spent on the ghast)
1/day Negative Energy Burst (Su) ability

>>177178
>This is longer, purple on the inside, made of cotton or perhaps even silk
I'm so stupid to go around casting spells before examining his clothing.
Any chance that this could be a magic robe, the type a wealthy and prestigious Wizard might wear?

>>177181
Silver is, understandably, quite disturbed by the description of the "training" Posey had to go through. His eyes go wide and he visibly cringes, though mercifully his imagination is not quite strong enough to make too vivid of an image in his mind. He looks at the poor colt with pity. "Little one...I am glad that you did not have to go through what your mother did." Looking back at Posey, he continues, "It is not healthy for young colt to be so close to Death, or to focus his entire foalhood towards training. My father trained me every day that he could from dawn until dusk, until my muscles ached and I could barely move or lift up sword, but even he knew that it was good for me to go out into world and experience life as normal colt. Making friends, getting into mischief, learning more about world around me than just what my forge or my sword could teach me. I hope Gloomy gets similar chance to experience life as normal colt, to contextualize his training at least. It could also show him what all of this training and fighting is for."

>>177185
>gets similar chance to experience life as normal colt
Rosey Ring's eye twitches and for an instant she scowls, but in the same instant she returns to her comely, neutral face.
"Yes.. yes... We try very hard to do that in Farbrook, despite our circumstance..." she turns away and faintly mutters something unintelligible, which is hopefully not an actual curse

>>177186
Hmm, Silver wonders to himself if maybe he's overstepping his bounds trying to give advice to Posey, from one parent to another. Internally he hopes the mare at least takes what he said into consideration.

"I have heard good things about Farbrook. Very peaceful, very out of touch with modern world but in good way. All of Hill Pony nations are like that."

>>177188
dubs

>>177184
Posey is sure she’s seen more elaborate robes before. Then again, it hardly looks unlike a mage’s robes either. It certainly ain’t cheap, and it’s the same basic style.

>>177190
>purple robes
>necromancer's lair
I think I might get this reference, or I might be reading into it to much.

Posey seems fascinated
"Purple robes, they remind me of the likes of a cult of fearsome necromancers from a bygone age. The cloth has endured despite the flesh having long since turned to dust. If these are wizarding robes, that could indicate that this is indeed Curwhinny. It's best to check if they are magic." Posey says, already preparing to gently strip the skeleton

Before I try on what could be a cursed item, are there any patterns or symbols on the robe that could indicate it's intended purpose, period, or function? Posey is well familiar with burial shrouds, and has seen many robes in Magehold.

>>177181
Pear:

“Suffering helps define our lives and gives it meaning. It is through adversity that we develop our virtues. An easy life breeds ennui and listlessness. But, uh, the maggot thing sounds… quite a bit too far… Maybe your colt could use a babysitter while you’re at work, perhaps? He’s probably sensitive to sunlight because he hasn’t been exposed to enough of it. And he’s probably shy because he hasn’t been exposed to ponies enough. I don’t, uh, think he needs to carry ‘death’ on his back. At his age… it’s probably just better that he be a colt.”

>>177180
“Well, usually later than this, but… I do think it would be nice to sleep somewhere other than a holding cell for the first time in days…”

>>177194
>>177181
"I could foalsit him, if you wished. I have experience raising foals, I am experienced warrior so he can still get valuable training if that is your wish, and he could get chance to see why protecting this world and those who live within it from dark spirits like you do is so important."

>>177195
"Awwwwwwww...I'm sorry they kept you in cells for that long. You don't have to go to sleep at the same time as me if you don't want to, I'm just tired and wanting to sleep, myself."

>>177197
“Oh, uh, well, you can go to sleep I guess” she says, looking down, then back up again. “Not much to do with no alcohol and the buck gone… I guess you got that radio, didn’t you?”

>>177196
Pear:
“Heh. Heh heh. Ha! You? Foalsit? I can’t imagine it.”

>>177194
If Posey is offended or moved by these words, she doesn't show it, her face remaining stoic and paralyzed as she moves away from the awkward subject. She does not respond to the statement, but instead busies herself with gently removing the robe from the cadaver and examining it for iconography that could lead to further clues, with a level of care that might be indicative of an archaeologist, but also has a spectre of something ulterior more than mere greed...

Posey holds up the removed robe with her magic so it is fully illuminated by the light of the flashlight, for
"Purple robes, the likes of which Wizards wear. It's something like both of a fashion statement to flaunt their status above unclothed common ponies, but also a container for magical power. Wizards bold enough to wear robes often make a point of their appearance, sometimes being given epitaphs named after the color of their cloth, such as 'The Gray', 'The Black', 'The White', 'The Browncloaks', 'The Blue', 'The Red Wizards', or the ever dreadful 'Wearers Of Purple'. It's possible that we have Curwhinny right here, if this is indeed a Wizarding robe. I wonder if he was known to wear one like this...? Do you think so?" She finally turns back to Pear
Posey has no ranks in Knowledge (History) and therefore cannot make a History check to answer this question herself, but maybe the friendly NPC could make the check.

Posey herself will make a Knowledge (Arcana) check, because I think think Wizard robe lore counts as a "magical tradition.
[1d20+11 = (14+11) = 25]

>>177198
Silver scrunches at Pear's laugh. "You should imagine it. I am quite good with foals, I find. You do not raise three of them to adulthood without learning at least bit about them."

>>177198
"We'll get you some more stuff to do tomorrow, so being here is a pleasant experience. Goodnight Neela!" She waves goodnight to her deer before slithering back upstairs with her things, settling into her room. She curls up in the middle of the room, snuggling her head between her warm coils.

>>177199
Pear:
“I don’t think Curwhinny wanted to be known as a wizard, even if he was clearly good at it. He wanted to be known as a business stallion. In his portraits, he’s always in a black jacket or vest. More Gentlemarely. I don’t know what he wore in private.”

Only the inside is purple. The outside is blue, or perhaps faded indigo. On each side a bit below where the cutie mark would be, is a white symbol of two inter-laced, overlapping closed loops - a Solomon’s knot. The symbol is used by specific tribe of the ancient unicorns, but is far more commonly known as a symbol of eternity. It has been used on headstones, in reference to the World Spirit, and by aspiring immortals.

It isn’t clear what it means here.

>>177200
She blinks
“What. You raised three foals to adulthood?”

>>177203
Silver nods.

"Two sons and daughter. It just has not come up in conversation until now."

>>177204
“Huh?”
She tilts her head, and her ear flops

“When? We’re they with the same, or different mares?”

>>177205
"It was years back, with my late wife Storm Warning. Why do you ask? Surprised that I was family stallion back in day?"

>>177203
>“I don’t think Curwhinny wanted to be known as a wizard, even if he was clearly good at it. He wanted to be known as a business stallion. In his portraits, he’s always in a black jacket or vest. More Gentlemarely. I don’t know what he wore in private.”
"Hmmm, that is useful information. It's possible that he dressed for battle with magical garments before his death though, in which case him being buried in a wizarding could make sense."
>Only the inside is purple. The outside is blue, or perhaps faded indigo.
Very Wizardly colors.
>Solomon’s knot
>The symbol is used by specific tribe of the ancient unicorns, but is far more commonly known as a symbol of eternity. It has been used on headstones, in reference to the World Spirit, and by aspiring immortals.
So this is either a wannabe Lich's Wizarding robe, or a horse-hebrew burial shroud.
>It isn’t clear what it means here.
Well, we can find out if it's a magic item, the good old-fashioned way:

Posey dusts off the robe, and slips it over her back, trying it on.

>>177206
Mildly scrunchy
“Well… Yes.”

>>177208
Silver chuckles.

"You will come to learn, I am full of surprises."

>>177207
Silver finds it amusing that Posey, who was warning Silver against messing with any cursed items, is now just straight up putting on a dead necromancer/lich's coat.

>>177209
DM seemed pretty intent on warning me not to use up my magic, so this is how it's going to be.

"Trust me, I'm a professional." Posey says, with nothing to back that up.
>inb4 robe of powerlessness
No fun without risk.

>>177209
Pear simply looks over flustered at Silver

>>177210
poof

>>177201
Now, does she have a mattress? A blanket? Sheets? A Rug? Maybe like a deer to cuddle up with? Does she just lay down?

>>177211
Does that mean nothing happens, or that I disintegrate?

>>177211
"What is wrong, Pear?"

>>177211
She does have a lamia-sized bedroll to sleep on. She also does have a cuddly deer but Kira's no sure if Neela would like to cuddle together to sleep.

>>177213
"You're not going to elaborate?"

>>177214
Well, she is her deer

>>177215
Hmmmmm...Kira's going to be nice and let Neela decide for herself if she wants to snuggle up with a big, warm, cuddly creature like Kira.

>>177215
"Well, what did you want to know?"

>>177217
"Well, about the whole you being married and having children thing"

>>177216
The floor is, thankfully, strong enough to hold Kira... even if it creaks.

Neela does poke her head in, and looks at Kira

>>177218
"I know, I mean what did you want to know exactly? How we met, what our home life was life, what our children were like? I could try expositing everything about my life's story here and now, but I am not sure dark catacombs are best place for that. Better suited for something like bar or tavern, paired with good drink."

>>177212
>>177211
So, does the robe have any tangible effects, or is it just a robe?

>>177218
Kira looks over at Neela from her warm, comfy position atop her bedroll and smiles. "Hello Neela! Just saying goodnight?"

>>177219
"Well uh, okay" She answers

>>177222
Not exactly what Silver was looking for in an answer.

"Okay as in...?"

>>177224
“Well, if you don’t want to talk about it…”

>>177207
I strongly suspect that the way in which you approach the fantasy element is different than the way in which I approach and approached it when this quest was made 6 IRL years ago. To Posey, a very powerful necromancer who is sealed away is something that every county has. Like there’s one imprisoned on every hill. And studying the history of said necromancer is as simple as driving to the county seat, going to the courthouse, going into the courtroom and looking at the portraits of the county judges, as Necromancer or powerful mage is just a role in the world that people fill in rotation like county judge, and it’s as well known as a county judge. This may actually be how The Dread Lands work. But it isn’t the way Baltimare and the surrounded regions were created as being. When the quest was made six years ago, it was based off of an HP Lovecraft story. While Lovecraft has his own pantheon and Mythos, that isn’t his characters living in his world see things. They think that the world they live in is the same as our world. And in our world, actual magic is an extreme aberration, unknown, alien, mysterious, and above all, rare. Lovecraft even names multiple actual history figures to try to tie his story into our known world. This is not just a simple visit to the county courthouse. This isn’t intended to be an ultra-high magic, high fantasy setting that occasionally mixes in outside elements. This is intended to be a story about social conflict that mixes in fantasy as a spice.

I should also mention that this quest has been concluded. Five years ago. It’s been revisited and dug up twice before now, which marks the third time. You’re metaphorically as well as literally digging up a corpse. All intended mysteries have already been exhausted. There’s another quest I’ve been waiting two IRL years to get to.

>>177228
>I strongly suspect that the way in which you approach the fantasy element is different than the way in which I approach
>actual magic is an extreme aberration, unknown, alien, mysterious, and above all, rare
>This isn’t intended to be an ultra-high magic, high fantasy setting that occasionally mixes in outside elements. This is intended to be a story about social conflict that mixes in fantasy as a spice.
I think I have misunderstood your mileau. I got that it was a CoC/d20 modern sort of contemporary mileau, but I also approached it from the perspective of the show where every third person being a unicorn and every tenth unicorn knowing a handful of spells and the heads of state having been immensely powerful mages, so I took it as a high-magic fantasy within a contemporary setting. That and it being D&D. It appears that I approached it from the wrong angle.
>To Posey, a very powerful necromancer who is sealed away is something that every county has. Like there’s one imprisoned on every hill. And studying the history of said necromancer is as simple as driving to the county seat, going to the courthouse, going into the courtroom and looking at the portraits of the county judges, as Necromancer or powerful mage is just a role in the world that people fill in rotation like county judge, and it’s as well known as a county judge. This may actually be how The Dread Lands work. But it isn’t the way Baltimare and the surrounded regions were created as being.
This is a product of Posey's backstory, and I have been roleplaying accordingly. Posey being out-of-touch with the nuances of the modern world is meant to be a flaw in her character and the potential for character development. It's why she thinks flaunting her powers and acts of brutality are the solution to all life's problems, and why she uses archaic weapons instead of guns.
That being said "it's what my character would do" is no excuse for inappropriate behavior, so if it's too annoying then I'll adjust accordingly.
>this quest has been concluded
>All intended mysteries have already been exhausted
This I did not know. I believed that I was helping Silver with completing his quest, and that my character's knowledge of the Dark Arts would be useful to the party's goals and a way to finally join with the party.
Also, I was kind of just looking for something to do while the snek was finishing her quest.
>There’s another quest I’ve been waiting two IRL years to get to.
Well, I can do that whenever you are ready. I don't mind if it takes railroading or time skipping to get there. I don't really need any strong motivation other than the promise of treasure and/or a chance for Posey to practice honing her powers in battle; I just want to play.

>>177228
>There’s another quest I’ve been waiting two IRL years to get to.
I want to ask, GM, what exactly is your endgame for this whole thing? Like, is there an overall plot of events you want the party to take part in? It's been going on for 6 years, but looking at it, I'm not exactly sure if I joined at the end of the story or somewhere in the early middle. I don't need any spoilers, but I feel like if I understood the point of the game a bit more clearly then I could roleplay in a way that advances the plot more effectively.

For context, I'll tell you what I thought was the point when I joined. I saw a game titled "Occupied Equestria", and from that I thought the point of the game would be to eventually free Equestria from occupation: to raise an army, to defeat the changelings, and to liberate Equestria. I thought it would be a gritty, grindy game with mass combat where the characters are constantly in war. It's why I made a Dread Necromancer: a character who at mod level could command a very large number of minions for a mass warfare based game. I figured it would be cool to raise undead soldiers in the battlefield and possibly reanimate dead NPCs or even characters from the show lost to war and make them friends forever.

Posey isn't meant to be a hero, far from it, but I still made her with the intent to join the party in liberating Equestria from the changelings. Posey may be an enemy of all life, but she still hates changelings as much as the next pony; more importantly, they are threatening her own dream, which is to conquer Equestria. Posey saw conquering Equestria as her calling in unlife, her reason for being, and without that reason for being she's just a shambling corpse of an ex-slave doomed to eternity of hunger and hate. Her cutie mark is a Ring Of Fire Eclipse surrounded by red flame (which also looks like a buboe from the black death), because she's based off of the white horse of Conquest (antichrist) and represents her role as a false savior. The reason why Posey would come to Equestria now of all times is because her dream is under threat; Equestria is being conquered by somecreature else, which means her reason for being is slipping away, and she has to stop it before it's too late as the changelings destroy everything that she herself wanted to destroy. That's my evil vs evil motivation for joining this game. The reason why she let August Wreath go wasn't because she was too cowardly to face a paladin or because her slave-bindings demand that she prolong her own existence; she let him go because his cause is the same as hers, to liberate Equestrian from the changelings, and because he could be a potential ally for that cause (even if she may need to kill him before she could make him her friend).

My point here is that I did make a character with motivations to be part of the main quest and to join the good guys. I didn't just make an evil, self-serving necromancer who only cares about vanity and increasing her personal powers (although that does describe Posey); I can in with intent to be an active participant in the overall story. Thing is that I feel like I might have missed the mark because I didn't understand what the point of this game was. It took me more than a year irl just to join with another party member, and although I'm not one to complain about that it unsettled me when you implied a while back that that was because Posey had no motivation to.
Did I fuck up? Did I miss the point of the game and make a character that isn't relevant to this story? It's been bugging me for a while.

I don't mean it as any insult, but I want to know what you actually want the characters to do with this story, so I can figure out how to continue.