/vx/ - Videogames and Paranormal

>>177230
>the show had very many mages
Well I would say that even the show isn’t super high magic. Outside of the characters of Starlight Glimmer and Twilight, we really don’t see all that many uses of magic besides basic telekinesis or weather control. For example, despite teleportation existing in the setting, pretty much everyone takes the train. Even characters that can teleport tend to take the train or the chariot or fly or go by hoof, implying the teleportation has limits. While some types of magic are pervasive throughout the show (basic telekinesis), I think the only reason is looks super-high magic is because so much of the show focuses on Starlight Glimmer and the alicorns.

>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.
She can be like that, all I’m saying is that if you have expectations for extremely high levels of magic, you will probably be disappointed.

>Well, I can do that whenever you are ready. I don't mind if it takes railroading or time skipping to get there
To be clear: I am fully aware that silver’s character/player started it; coming back to the catacombs is fine, just know that I have nothing planned for it that hasn’t already been dug up. If you want something new or special, you’re probably going to have to wait to give me time to think of new things. The only reason Silver got things is because I basically dumped a plot hook for every quest I’ve been thinking of for the past three years.

>>177231
Let me get back to this

>>177232
>I have nothing planned for it that hasn’t already been dug up
Well, there go my hopes of discovering a sealed lich whom I could revive later, and for getting a fancy new set of magic robes.
If there's nothing left to do in this dungeon, Posey would just continue her inspection, and then write up a report to spook Glass Horizons into quietly selling the property to her for pennies on the dollar. She'd possibly come back to the property on another day to plant haunted objects to scare off the archaeologists and convince Glass Horizons that the liability isn't worth keeping. Maybe she could get her ghast minion to prowl the catacombs and pick off the occasional archaeologist over the course of the next week or so, to scare them off.

Intent to buy the property would also give Posey a reason to want to come up with a very large sum of money in a very short amount of time, which would easily lead her to look into mercenary jobs for the next quest.
>>177217
With Silver's cooperation, I would like to try to streamline this and treat it as our "meeting in the tavern" moment, just to establish contact for the mercenary quest later. GM has already outright told us that there is nothing left. Posey detected some ghouls in the walls, but from her perspective the ghouls are fine where they are so she wouldn't share them. She would tell Silver that there aren't any tangible entities left to kill off here, but she would assert that she detects that the land is "poisoned", and that for the sake of his health it would be best that he not stay on the property for too long.
If there's nothing here left you think you could use Posey's help for, she would finish her cryptic but unremarkable inspection of the property, take a few samples, and then probably leave.
>>177232
>if you have expectations for extremely high levels of magic, you will probably be disappointed.
I'm just interested in finding cool treasure and magic items, and maybe the occasional discovery about death/necromancy that
What I did expect, however, is war/battle; and although I'm not complaining about how you run your game I would appreciate some clarity on the matter later.
>Let me get back to this
Alright.

Once Posey leaves, she will pick a flower or some other plant-based prop from the surface. She will then use the negative energy from her her charnel touch to cause the flower* to wither and warp and sprout diseased pox all over. She finally uses her Magic Aura SLA to cause the flower* to radiate an aura of strong necromancy for 7 days, turning it into the ultimate Necro-botanist prop to convince glass Horizons or even her peers at the university that the land is poisoned by the necromantic activity that took place there.

>>177231
Not the DM and I have zero idea what the endgame will be, but I'm not sure he knows exactly what the endgame is either. Barring exceptional circumstances, I don't see this game ending in less than five years, and that's if there aren't long pauses like there might have been (it's been so long since I've read the entire thing that I can't remember). As a player, worrying about something that far out may be inadvisable.
>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.
Well it's certainly the long-term goal or aspiration of a couple of PCs, but that doesn't mean it has to be yours. I see this setting as a sort of sandbox to play around in, sort of like Far Cry but with even more freedom. In Far Cry you can do lots of things but you're still limited by the programming and set plotlines. This being DnD there's only really a limit to it by imagination and worldbuilding, and Equestria at War's world adds a huge depth and breadth that we've only scratched the surface of (I'm guessing this is why there are so many dream quests; the main setting is Baltimare but it could've been anywhere else, so the dreams help to scratch that itch of seeing how the rest of the world is doing, or seeing its past or possible future). There are different factions to side with, large and small, and you can pick any of them. One (sadly inactive) PC sided with the Changelings, and another joined the Blackhooves. Speaking of the Blackhooves, they are the actual occupiers of the playing space, and you would have to go through them to get to the Changelings. But that raises a dilemma: although most ponies in Equestria hate the Blackhooves, if you were to topple them then the Changelings (who are far worse) would invade. It's this dynamic world of politics and power balances that makes the game more than merely DnD but with ponies, though the ponies are a great reason to play.
>I thought it would be a gritty, grindy game with mass combat where the characters are constantly in war.
I don't see this happening very soon, personally. Besides the issues 3.5e has with mass combat (a system like AD&D might work better for this), the players (aside from Posey becoming an extremely powerful necromancer, which is its own can of worms with how everypony else would deal with it) would have very limited impact on the overall war. They would have an impact, but instead of simulating the entire Battle of Stalingrad it would be more like Operation Market Garden or the many commando raids that happened. There has been combat and it's more-or-less played out like this, resembling a video game with a combat>brief reprieve>combat>brief reprieve>combat>goal format. It could be played like The Campaign for North Africa board game but, again, 3.5e isn't built for that, it would make the interminable campaign even longer, and you could get that experience far easier just by playing the Equestria at War mod.
The HOI4 mod macro-scales the world of MLP by turning the lovely setting into a grand strategy game, and the drawing point of this campaign is that it reverses that. You get the dark and gritty setting that EaW provides, but with more focus on individual characters and heroics that can never be captured in a Paradox game. It's a microcosm of a larger world with powerful nation-states and armies numbering in the millions. I'm guessing PCs will get the chance to affect this larger world with their actions, but it will be through diplomacy, seduction, and the dagger of small-scale combat, not through personally leading a million-strong army. That doesn't mean PC actions are useless, but it changes the dynamic. If Hercules was real and was alive in the modern day, he'd still be superhumanly strong but he wouldn't be able to fight the whole U.S. army, for example. He would still be able to affect the world in powerful ways, he would just have to go another way about it.
>because she's based off of the white horse of Conquest (antichrist) and represents her role as a false savior.
That's really cool
>It took me more than a year irl just to join with another party member
Has it really been that long? You really lose all sense of time playing this campaign.
Anyway, these are just my own thoughts and I hope they help, but I don't have much more to add.

>>177234
>I see this setting as a sort of sandbox to play around in, sort of like Far Cry but with even more freedom.
Well, not exactly. I can't just go killing ponies and making monsters as I please. I have to deal with military checkpoints and whatnot that require me to keep a low profile. I don't know how I'm going to get that advanced bone lurker out of the swamp.
>dream quests
Posey doesn't need sleep, but I considered giving her ranks in Lucid Dreaming so that she could topple Baltimare's leadership by attacking them in the realm of nightmares and dragging them into the "if you die here you die in real life" portion of the dreamscape. A very vampire-like tactic.
>But that raises a dilemma: although most ponies in Equestria hate the Blackhooves, if you were to topple them then the Changelings (who are far worse) would invade.
I am the far worse thing.
One idea could be to invoke a wight-apocalypse and convert the population of Baltimare into undead, and then immediately march the wights into Equestria to attack the changelings. It's a rash and drastic plan though, as it conflicts with potential to cooperate with the rest of the party (because it's so overtly evil).
>issues 3.5e has with mass combat
Read Heroes Of Battle.
>would have very limited impact on the overall war
This can be resolved using the Victory Point system, in Heroes Of Battle. Characters winning battles and finishing key quests contributes to the overall victory of their faction.
>3.5e isn't built for that
I've seen, played in, and DM'd 3.5e campaigns that worked skin such a way.
>I'm guessing PCs will get the chance to affect this larger world with their actions, but it will be through diplomacy, seduction, and the dagger of small-scale combat, not through personally leading a million-strong army. That doesn't mean PC actions are useless, but it changes the dynamic.
That's what the Victory Point system is good for.
>If Hercules was real and was alive in the modern day, he'd still be superhumanly strong but he wouldn't be able to fight the whole U.S. army, for example
Hercules was capable of bringing back the dead by ambushing and wrestling death itself, fought the entire armies of tens of nations by himself, could lift and throw mountains and reroute rivers, once held up the weight of the sky, overthrew countries for sport, and could even change the weather by threatening to shoot down the sun with his longbow. He only died because he killed himself in shame, and then ascended to actual godhood upon death. Don't underestimate demigods; he could easily lay waste to any nation.
He has canon stats in 3.5e, and iirc he could probably solo pretty much any d20 modern campaign. The US army doesn't even have any weapons that could damage him, and even if they did he has so many hit points that they would be able to do anything to him before he picks up Oceanus by the ballsack and crushes the country under the weight of the Atlantic Ocean. He has enough HP to survive an atomic bomb dropped on him.
>Has it really been that long?
Yep.

>>177233
>Well, there go my hopes of discovering a sealed lich whom I could revive later,
If you really want it, you can have it. You just can't have it now.

>>177231
The game is intended to be more or less open ended

I was inspired more than any other source by a video I watched many years ago about Skyrim, where the reviewer said that they thought that Skyrim would be better if it were made without the main questline. What is Skyrim without the main quest line? It's a mostly open ended story where the central plot focuses on the civil war between the Stormcloaks and the Imperials, with many side quests and especially the guild questlines, and the Thalmor looming above all as a greater evil, and the presumed big bag of any potential sequel. That's more or less what I wanted to do here. Later, I discovered Fallout New Vegas, and it was an even better example of what I sought to achieve. It has an open ended plotline where you can choose between three distinct ideologies or start you own. It explores issues of political philosophy that I find fascinating

That's more or less what I wanted to do here. To create a world in motion that's at a crossroads and could go any of several ways. There's a Far Right option, a centrist/center right option, a far left option, a center left option, a criminal syndicate, and many types of "fuck it" options. One player immediately went and got in bed with the fascists in the fullest metaphorical and literal meanings of the phrase, and fully sided with them. One decided fuck it, went to the changeling lands, and intended to come back with changeling infiltrators to take over Baltimare. One joined the criminal syndicate. One did a more or less good but neutral mercenary work. One decided to just be a regular filly. Several of them decided to do waifu simulator.

Thus far, the players have attacked communists, fought ELF fighters on a train, killed random changeling infiltrators, fought undead, and so forth. Most of the quests have been for the New Mareland Occupiers, or have at least favored them, in large part because of the aforementioned full-blown fascist, even when their characters aren't really entirely aligned with it.

In terms of overall plot, the main things going on are that within East Equestria is that the new Governor of Manehattan is leading a revolution to clear out the criminal syndicates, leftists, and moderates, and in teh process is draining all of the Fascist aligned resources on the continent. Overseas, a war goes on between the tripartite pact and the old allies of Equestria. Here in Baltimare, the New Mareland Government wants to get rid of its untrustworthy Social Democratic Party allies, and also is likely to do a crackdown on immigration and immigrant communities after recently exposed cultist activities. Down south and in many places, war continues against separatists, rebels, and bitter-enders. Over all, there is a serious looming threat of the Tripartite pact breaking down, and war happening between Changelings and the New Mareland State, and this is the long term danger. You could think of it like being in German Occupied France or Belgium during the time of the invasion of Yugoslavia, after the fall of France and before the breakdown of the Molotov Ribbentrop pact and the invasion of the Soviet Union.

> I thought it would be a gritty, grindy game with mass combat where the characters are constantly in war.
Not... Not really. I mean, it can be done that way, it would just need to leave baltimare. Posey could join with a resistance group in West Equestria to fight changelings, or go fight against griffins in the Meredines, or fight overseas, or... maybe create a fight.

I absolutely would not have approved any kind of pure evil aligned character, if I could do it over again.

There was interest to reprise/resolve the aspirations of no particular changeling-sympathizer,....

>>177236
Has Stalliongrad been sitting around twiddling thumbs the whole time? In EaW they do different things based on leader chosen. Vasiliy Pentsushenko helps Equestria fight against the Changelings, but that didn't happen so presumably he's not in charge. Sinister Serov prefers to start wars of expansion and there's no news of that so he doesn't seem to be in charge either. That leaves Dark Wing and I'm not sure what he does except have a risk of turning harmonist over time.

>>177236
>If you really want it, you can have it. You just can't have it now.
Cool.
>Skyrim without the main quest line
Oh, I see. Total open-world.
>just need to leave baltimare
I am okay with this. Posey has only been in Baltimare for about a week, and aside from the few NPC contacts and support networks that she has made in that time, she doesn't have any attachment to the area.
Transportation isn't even a big issue. Posey could pack up Gloomy and his snacks, go out to the swamp to that massive Bone Lurker, and ride it like a flying carpet wherever she wished. I just need a plothook to know where I am going.
>Posey could join with a resistance group in West Equestria to fight changelings
That sounds like fun. Going Changeling-hunting was something I wanted to do.
>fight against griffins in the Meredines
Posey is experienced in fighting griffons.
>fight overseas
This is one thing I would prefer avoiding. Posey just got to Equestria to start her mission, and she gets sea sick so she's not going to get back on a boat soon.
>maybe create a fight
I thought of that, but I've also been mindful of your efforts as a DM by not killing off the entire map or causing unending cataclysms in your world, despite all of the ideas I came up with to do that. The result is that I've been playing Spy, even if I wanted to play Warlord.
>spoiler
Technically, being a Dread Necromancer only requires being nongood. There's room for character development.

>>177237
wags tail rather intensely

>>177231
>>177239
>I've been playing Spy, even if I wanted to play Warlord
>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.
>invoke a wight-apocalypse and convert the population of Baltimare into undead, and then immediately march the wights into Equestria to attack the changelings.
I very, very, very seriously doubt that a single necromancer is going to conquer the entire continent of Equus all on her own with only a small amount of support from a couple ethnic minorities. Period. I just don't buy it. Baltimare itself has about 2000 garrison soldiers. But of course it isn't just garrison soldiers, it's also 1000+ police, some number of anarchist fighters, and all of their support like mortars, armored cars, and what have you. And then if she gets all of Baltimare, then what? There are 100,000 occupation soldiers in East Equestria. These have thousands of artillery guns, several battleships, and hundreds of bomber planes in support, as well as 500,000 more that can be brought from across the ocean. Now, I'm sure your response is "oh, but an infinite number of soldiers can be easily beaten by a good necromancer. Soldiers are not a threat at all." But please remember, the main purpose of soldiers is to delay the enemy while artillery shelling does most of the work. 70% of casualties are caused by artillery, and half of the rest by bombs and mines. I really don't imagine the undead as being very effective at countering artillery and mines. And it isn't just artillery. There are bombers, land mines, barbed wires, ships that also have artillery, flame throwers, tanks, combat mages, mortars, machine guns, and what have you. This is besides the fact that the 30 million of population who don't want to die would help, including formerly hostile partisans. And you just assume that they won't have paladins, clerics, mages, wizards, and hell, fucking necromancers of their own to fight back? Why would you ever assume that? If they don't have them, they will move them in from abroad.

And let's assume that the New Mareland State is defeated in its entirety. Then you have the full Changeling nation, at something like 500,000 to 1.5 million soldiers, with proportionately far more tanks. You have Stalliongrad with some hundreds of thousands. Probably yaks. And all of this is ignoring the fact that Starlight Glimmer, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Twilight, the Mane Six... They ain't dead. They are in captivity but if there were a very obvious need for them, they would be drawn out.

The essence of the problem is that when you go out and make a thousand or a half million wights, you've announced who you are, what your intention is, and how you operate to the entire planet. The entire planet is on notice that there could be necromancer operatives ready to spring up in their own population. They are on notice that they need to start making counter measures. And most of all, they are on notice they need to stop fighting each other and fight together.

The ELF can go on in part because they are cowardly and run away, in part because they can hide in plain sight with the general population, in part because they can recruit and get supplies from the mostly sympathetic population of the 65 million ponies in occupied Equestria and the Crystal Empire, in part because they have multiple foreign nations as well as the remains of the former Equestrian military supporting them, but mostly because they aren't self-evidently a threat to literally everyone. An undead army will have none of those benefits. And even with all of that, the occupiers are adjusting their strategies and means of fighting to try to counter partisans. They are introducing check points and internal passports, just as Britain did in Malaysia. They are banning and searching for all firearms, explosives, and cameras. Do you think there wouldn't be an adjustment in approach if the undead became an undeniable problem? It's not like how to counter the undead is unknown. It's just put to the side because it is not necessary. You can bet that book would be dusted off if there were a need.

The Dread League has one hell of a lot more than just one necromancer, and they build artillery. And even then, they almost always lose, and when they win, it's only by taking out the nations one by one. Never all at once.

>Hercules could defeat the entire US military
Would you believe me if I told you a little pink pegasus filly could suck the magic out of all of Equestria and disable every mage? What if I told you that a passive defense of the Changeling Hive - a literal rock - could neutralize even a god? You'd best believe it. Chrysalis and Cozy Glow are not stone or in Tartarus in this world, either.

>>177221
"Uh, well, yeah, sure, just... looking to see how... what you were doing, heh heh."

>>177174
"He left. The mare was mubling and moving her hooves like she was walking. Then she stopped. She went to sleep."

>>177212
>>177207
Posey knows exactly what this is. She can feel it. It is a cloak of resistance. It's on the weaker end +1. Almost certainly at one time it was much stronger. But it's been battle damaged, having been hit with at least two magic bolts and partly cut by two sword slices, slightly damaged by mold, and by the magical entropy of the passage of time, and in that time it has deteriorated in power. Posey could imagine that this cloak was made and donned for battle, but more likely it was kept around for dangerous magical experimentation.

>>177241
"Oh. Oh! That's good. Maybe you can come walk with us, so long as you promise to not be too loud." Amber gives a smile that would look forced if she wasn't wearing a cloth mask over her muzzle.

>>177242
Jakala moves over to the sled. The stallion speaks,
"Why is this one here? Jakala, you need to go back."

She looks up towards him
"You left."

He says,
"Little pony. You need to go home."

Replies,
"Everypony is out... I'm scared..."

>>177240
>a single necromancer is going to conquer the entire continent
Well, it would depend how quickly she could level up, but I had several different plans for how to go about it.
>only a small amount of support
A fun part of being a Necromancer is that you can gain the support of your deceased enemies, such as via Juju Zombies or Dread Warriors, or other various monsters.
>Now, I'm sure your response is "oh, but an infinite number of soldiers can be easily beaten by a good necromancer. Soldiers are not a threat at all."
Well, it depends how good. Posey is currently unable to even animate a single skeleton with her own power. As Possy stands, she it's really a necromancer at all, but closer to a warrior who happens to also know a handful of magic tricks.
Level 8 is when she would kick off, because that's when she gets access to Animate Dead + Undead mastery: at that level she would have ~77-150 HD worth of undead under her control, which is an entire legion and a half of undead soldiers, on top of around ~100 followers from Leadership + Undead leadership. These numbers can be further pumped with items, spells, and feats. At higher levels it could be possible to create bound undead versions of fiends who have at-will undead creation abilities alongside spawning undead to raise a truly absurd number of undead minions.
That's certainly not enough to take over the world all by herself, but it's enough to play a war game, isn't it?
>paladins, clerics, mages, wizards
Those sounds like cool bosses to fight as quests, and possibly even great minions when Create Undead comes online.
I don't know how many paladins or Clerics the changelings would have though. Wizards maybe. I didn't consider changelings to be very religious creatures.
>This is besides the fact that the 30 million of population who don't want to die would help, including formerly hostile partisans.
Well, that is a hurdle for the Dread Leagues run, yeah. Its cause cannot be justified, although that is made up for by the 100% recruitment rate for conquered territories.
But I'm not playing as Rosa Maledicta. I'm playing as an apprentice warmagus who wants to prove her worth on the battlefield and expand her powers by contributing to the war against the changelings.
>And let's assume that the New Mareland State is defeated in its entirety. Then you have the full Changeling nation
I was kind of hoping to go fight the changelings first. I have contacts in New Mareland that I would rather keep alive (for now).
I don't believe that the changelings have very many allies anywhere, because they are untrustworthy by nature. I think if a powerful and beautiful magician started freeing pony villages by squishing bugs, other factions wouldn't be quick to come to their aid, even if there are rumors of her using black magic on the battlefield.
>Starlight Glimmer, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Twilight, the Mane Six... They ain't dead. They are in captivity but if there were a very obvious need for them, they would be drawn out.
I considered that, but that's also sounds like something that would occur 10-15 levels from now.
If you think of it, the presence of Celestia is probably one of the biggest deterrents for necromancers from the league attacking Equestria, and the fact that she's currently cocooned would mean that this is the best opportunity for the league to infiltrate the continent.
>The essence of the problem is that when you go out and make a thousand or a half million wights, you've announced who you are, what your intention is, and how you operate to the entire planet. The entire planet is on notice that there could be necromancer operatives ready to spring up in their own population. They are on notice that they need to start making counter measures. And most of all, they are on notice they need to stop fighting each other and fight together.
This is kind of why I haven't done it. I'm still gunning for the false-savior gig, and Posey's cardinal flaw is her sense of vanity.
>The ELF can go on in part because they are cowardly and run away, in part because they can hide in plain sight with the general population
Well, August Wreath can count himself lucky that there's at least one mare in this world who believes in his courage, despite the odds. The Reconquista began with only 40 Christian monks hiding in the mountains, afterall.
He could make a good Shadowbane Inquisitor, and perhaps far later an excellent Blackguard.

>>177243
"Everypony?!" Amber exclaims. "Are you sure?" She looks back at the different huts in the village.

>>177244
>An undead army will have none of those benefits. And even with all of that, the occupiers are adjusting their strategies and means of fighting to try to counter partisans. They are introducing check points and internal passports, just as Britain did in Malaysia. They are banning and searching for all firearms, explosives, and cameras. Do you think there wouldn't be an adjustment in approach if the undead became an undeniable problem? It's not like how to counter the undead is unknown. It's just put to the side because it is not necessary. You can bet that book would be dusted off if there were a need.
Idk, GM. I've thought of a lot about this, but all of my calculations and simulations have been null, because the mere thought of an undead army is still 4 levels away, and that will take me 4 years at this rate unless I start doing a lot more combat a lot more often.
I would still be interested in fighting changelings and/or liberating Equestria even before the undead army becomes an option. Posey has a bow and a sword, she has a formidable amount of hit points, and she has spells that are useful for making victims look like the died of disease or dessication.
I'm really excited for the mercenary quest.

But I'm getting from your implicit tone that you're not really interested in my aspirations of taking Equestria back from the changelings with an army of skeletons. Since that's not going to be for at least four levels, would you mind giving me some hooks/guidance/advice for how to go forward? I feel like I could play a bit better if I had a good sense of direction for how I could play my character in a way that's helpful to the party and/or GM's story. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
>>177241
>cloak of resistance
Ooh!
>battle damaged
>Posey could imagine that this cloak was made and donned for battle, but more likely it was kept around for dangerous magical experimentation.
"This was a cloak made to defend its wearer from hexes and deadly curses. I have a a strong hunch that this may be Curwhinny that we are looking at, based on the clothing alone." Posey says

If there's nothing left to do in the dungeon, what's stopping Posey from casting Speak With Dead to know the answer for sure and call it a day? Posey would just go home to meditate after her investigation is over. I know it's meta-gaming, but you seemed a bit strangely insistent on Posey preserving her magic, when by your own admission there's nothing left for her to do on this quest. Are you planning for us to do something immediately after this dungeon on this same adventuring day?

>>177246
>Are you planning for us to do something immediately after this dungeon on this same adventuring day?
Yes.

>>177245
At least one of them has smoke, surely

"She means her family," Father says

"Little pony, you shouldn't really be out here."
Jakala sits down

"But I am bored. I am scared and I am bored."
She trots along when the sled moves, to sit slightly in front of the sled, and then moves along as the sled passes again.

>>177247
"Let's bring her along, Papa. She won't make too much noise," she pleads.

>>177246
>what's stopping Posey from casting Speak With Dead to know the answer for sure and call it a day?
I mean, I guess there’s nothing. I know that you’ll 1000% wish you had that spell slot when you need it later. I suspect you’ll like the answer you’ll get if you wait until after the quest is over much more than the answer you’re going to get if you ask it now. I know from a meta perspective that it’s a very bad idea to do it now (and there is no reason at all it can’t be done later). But in character, I’m not sure why not.

I hate that fucking spell for how it undermines world building. It will never, ever, ever be referenced as existing by any NPC anywhere in the world. It will not come up in any conversation. If posey mentions it, the answer will be “what?” I’m not going to nerf your character’s spell set, but I don’t have to acknowledge it either.

>>177247
>Yes.
Okay then.
The only question left is what to we do to get there? I guess that's our job to figure out.
We could just leave.
>>177249
>I know that you’ll 1000% wish you had that spell slot when you need it later.
Noted.
>I suspect you’ll like the answer you’ll get if you wait until after the quest is over much more than the answer you’re going to get if you ask it now.
Cool. I'm excited.
>But in character, I’m not sure why not.
In character, Posey has no reason to expose the scale of her powers to strangers, or to help these two ponies with their quest.
Out of character, I, the player, just wanted to be helpful to Silver's player because I like contributing to things.
>I hate that fucking spell for how it undermines world building. It will never, ever, ever be referenced as existing by any NPC anywhere in the world. It will not come up in any conversation.
Well, that should be simple, because in the PHB it's a Cleric-only spell, and it looks like Clerics are pretty rare in this setting, and those in the business of extracting information of corpses could be even rarer due to burial practices, let alone those of "heroic" level capable of casting lvl 3 spells would be few and far between. This is reinforced by priests being virtually non-existent in FiM and irrelevant to the plot if they did exist.
>I’m not going to nerf your character’s spell set
Thank you. I would have missed this spell, because the word "Necromancer" means done who speaks to the dead.

That aside.
>>177219
"I strongly suspect that this cadaver may be Curwhinny, but I can't be sure. We should stow him back, so that nopony else tampers with him. I intend to take some samples and revisit this dungeon at a later date, perhaps within the week. There shouldn't be any corporeal entities left here, but it is inadvisable to stay on this property very long, because I strongly suspect that the soil may be cursed."

She turns to leave, to resume her inspection of the grounds before making her way aboveground.

>>177248
Father:
“Well, she needs to stay somewhere. Should she really be alone?”

Stallion, exasperated
“What are we going to do with the child?! What, is she going to just follow us? What then?”

Father:
“Well, maybe”

>>177251
"Jakala is very trustworthy to bring on hikes, but she shouldn't be left here. We got us firewood earlier and she did very well," Amber says in a lauding tone.

>>177241
"Just getting to bed! Did you want to join? There's plenty of room."

>>177227
"I do, but let us get out of this dank dark place first."

>>177233
>>177250
Silver supposes that will have to do. He does ask for Posey's help in re-sealing and stowing away the casket containing the skeleton, as it's probably not a one-pony job, even for him.

>>177255
Her eyes go wide, she breathes in, and she moves a half step back.
“Oo-what?! In the bed?”

>>177256
“Ah, okay. Fair enough.”

It’s at least not too difficult to place the large stone casket back where it was formerly placed. Soon enough, it is done.

>>177255
Her eyes go wide, she breathes in, and she moves a half step back.
“Oo-what?! In the bed?”

>>177256
“Ah, okay. Fair enough.”

It’s at least not too difficult to place the large stone casket back where it was formerly placed. Soon enough, it is done.

>>177257
With the casket placed back where it belongs, Silver leaves the strange Necrologist mare to her work and exits the dark catacombs with Pear via the quarry exit. Once back out in the open, Silver stretches and breathes in the fresh air deeply. He's very much glad to be out of the stale, dank corridors and cold dungeon rooms. He looks over at Pear and smiles.

>>177257
Kira nods in the affirmative. "Yeah! If you wanted to, that is." In a singsong voice, she adds, "*It's really comfy!*"

>>177152
“Alright. If you would, step over to the side.”

Garb is placed over into a side room. He has to wait. Quite a while, actually. Garv can’t see much of the world beyond the one open door, which seems to forever await the arrival of the pony who is the key to his new life in this new land, but what he does see he surely analyses to no end. A couple ponies move by, and he can hear noises, but mostly it’s a still room with indistinguishable sounds of talking elsewhere.

Then he steps through. It’s a peppered gray unicorn with a green uniform, a slough hat, and a cigarette in his mouth.

“You the new one?” He asks

>>177252
“Just. Ugh- You know what? Sure. It will give your daughter something to do. To look after the even smaller one. Come on.”

Jakala hops onto the sled.

>>177256
Rosey Ring complies. She even carefully puts the cloak back on the skeleton (she can always come back for it later), and helps him stow it away.
>>177259
The white mare follows him, shielding her eyes from the light of the sun. Gloomy does the same.

>>177261
Heavy clothes obscure their expressions too much, but Amber would be smiling and wagging her tail. She considers sitting behind Jakala, but she doesn't want to make the grown-ups second-guess their decision by being dead weight. She instead helps pull the sled.

>>177261
Cavaliere nods, remaining in place.

"Name is Cavaliere. May I know whom I am speaking to?" he replies.

>>177264
“Major Jungle Dark of the New Mareland Army Corp.” He nods.

“You’re a… special recruit, as I understand, from Nova Griffonia? To help replace some of those we’ve lost to Manehattan and general attrition.”

>>177266
The griffon raises an eyebrow. "Pleased to make your acquaintance. I am not a 'recruit' however, more of an 'auxiliary.' I understand there are areas where you need discretion and don't want a pony that can be tied directly back to the Army."

>>177262
Oh wait, I forgot to do my actual job. Rosey Ring may be a liar, but she's also a trained professional, so when she says she's going to complete a quest she makes sure it gets done.
Before Rosey Ring leaves she takes a minute and chants in the throes of recitation to perform the necessary exorcism ritual to force any haunting presence on the grounds to reveal itself. She takes 10 on her DC 20 religion check for a modified 21.

(I don't expect anything to come of this. I'm just make a point to show that Posey did in fact do what she promised she would do).

>>177269
For best results for number of ghosts, if any ghosts, and any traits these ghosts may have, check in after I’ve had enough time to think of individual stories and traits even though I did this for the undead in the vampire cavern and it amounted to nothing.

>>177270
>even though I did this for the undead in the vampire cavern and it amounted to nothing
Yeah, I was really interested in that, but I was preoccupied by the hail of gunfire and subsequent burning of the building. It wasn't necessarily my intended path, but that's how it played out.

>>177267
He takes a seat in the room and invites Garv to sit down on a seat across a small table from him. “Come, sit.” Any insistence on standing is met with “No no. Sit.” He speaks

“Yes, auxiliary. I suppose that’s the term. I think you’re already familiar with our practice of recruiting Nova Griffonian mercenaries. Most of those are assigned to patrol the Changeling border. To hopefully cut off any trade of arms, or movement of rebels across the border, and to provide warm bodies to slow down any potential invasion, while the real defensive line is built back here, in the Port of Baltimare. Those griffins are paid well by Nova Griffonian standards, but very little, all things considered. They are recruited from among the vagabonds and the unemployed. You can imagine we’ve had to hang quite a few for smuggling arms themselves.” He taps his cigarette over the floor and lets the ask fall to the ground, then takes another draw

“But that isn’t why you’re here, as you’ve surely surmised. Let me give you the background. This is Baltimare. Baltimare is not a live, organic city. A live city - if any settlement so large as to be called ‘a city’ coulr ever be considered ‘live’. In any proper pony settlement, a pony is born, lives, and dies in more or less the same region, if not the same village. He has a connection to the land he lives in by birth and by blood. Its myths are his myths. Its history is his history. Its successes, failures, and suffering are his successes, failures and and suffering. It’s collective project is his collective project its its glory is his glory. He has a place, a purpose, and a destiny within a carefully crafted social scheme where he is connected to those around him by shared history, myths, blood, and destiny. That is harmony. That is where loyalty, generosity, kindness, laughter, honesty, and friendship flourish.

And that is not what Baltimare is. To be sure, at one time in recent memory, it was a simple fishing village, then a moderately important trading port, even if lacking a royal shipyard. But Baltimare’s curse is the have a natural harbor, not far by rail from the equestrian interior, the closest by barge to the resources of the south, and closest by sailing clipper to southern Griffonia or northern Zebrica, and even closer by steamship or ocean liner. Always a center of entrepôt, it is now a center of heavy industry. Not even half of the creatures residing here were born here. Its most obvious, to be sure, with the myriad non-pony creatures in Baltimare, a majority of whom flooded the east side in the last five years, but a great many have been here far longer than that. There are diamond dogs, griffins, zebras, deer, Kirin, and more than that, and most are not well assimilated, if a non-pony may ever be said to be fully assimilated into the land of ponies. But even among the ponies most are alien, and if they are not their parents are. Many come from oversees, many are severyanan emigres, from the natives of the south, or of the bat pony communities, and many are simply from the countryside or the interior, looking for work.

The result is that most are strangers living amongst strangers, whose only relationship with the city and its ponies is that they are employees under large industrial employers. They are alone, in need, and angry. Just as mold grows in cold, dark, environments, so too do dangerous lies take hold here.

They are told lie that harmony does not need a delicate ecosystem, but only a simple set of values that may be applied to an ever-growing circle. They are taught that friendship does not require commonality, but may encompass the whole universe. They are taught the lie that money is the only defined value, and that every other value is pure idiosyncrasy. Abd for this dangerous lies, a few are willing to kill and die. These are the anarchists, the harmonists, and the assortment of other leftists who make up a majority of the politically inclined members of the population. Baltimare was rebellious against the old princesses, trying to establish a state based on the abolition of most of what forms the foundation of civilization, as they did in Severyana. But unlike Severyana, the Princess was having none of it, and the rebellion was crushed.

But in the chaos, a few opportunists seized on the chance to present themselves as the harbingers of the brighter tomorrow, holding back the reactionaries, and in reality creating their own little fiefdom. You have them in Nova Griffonia, don’t you? Social Democrats. A socialist state by non-violent means, or something. They set up their own secret police force, gathering information on their political enemies, then hoofing it over to the Equestrians who then arrested their enemies. Perhaps the most efficient of these was Lavender Berry, who placed himself at the head of the police force, and allowed organized crime - and disorganized crime, for that matter - to flourish, so long as he and his friends stayed in power. After we came in, this arrangement was abolished by the previous military governor. A revolt ensued. It has been reinstated, but our trust in our collaborators must be forever verified. And likewise, Baltimare has long been a cauldron of racial tension, especially with the bat ponies, who have not gotten along well with the labor and leftist organizations of the city.”

>>177267
>>177272
“Against all of this, Baltimare is actually useful to our overall efforts. The city refines the tin and copper mined in the south and brought it on barges. It processes the jute and the rubber. It refines the oil of the south into aviation gasoline and fuel oil we use in our planes and ships. It makes the chemical dyes we use in our uniforms, and fertilizer we ship to far off Griffonian fields. So there is a need to keep order in this modernist mess of leftist extremists, organized crime, potential bat pony or southern separatists, and whatever dangers come out of the immigrant population, besides more traditional and obvious threats, like royalist rebels along the countryside, or hippogriffian spies and commandos.

And now to you…
If you were following along, and as you may have guessed, relations can get… complicated. More discretion is required in, for example, labor relations. We represent the ponies, but also industry and the migrant workers that compete with labor. Having somepony… err, someone else to handle the finer details is hoofy.

Over in Bales, you can stay your entire tour on the border, flying patrols or sitting at check points.” Shaking his head. “That is not what this is. Here, you will serve as required. Your pay is for results, not hours. Your contract does preclude you from any work adverse to the military district, but it is not exclusive. You may work for the State Secrurity Administration or Revenue and Migration Service doing much the same, or for the police, for the Feltons doing security, or even the Bail Bonding companies taking bounties. Though if a war breaks out on the continent…” He smiles “That would change things.”

>>177259
“Yeah…” Pear places the light down, turns it off, and then turns back towards Silver. “Gasp!” Her eyes go wide and she jumps back. Head pulled away. “Silver! You’re different!”

She turns her body to face him, and slowly steps closer and moves her head closer. Her neck slowly extends and tail slowly moves upwards. And raises her right hoof and extends it until it touches Silver’s fur.

“I thought your coat looked different inside but uh, I couldn’t be sure in the dim light… I thought I saw something. I guess I did see it. Silver, your coat is brighter… Your mane is darker… you must look at least twenty years younger…”

>>177260
Her head moves down and ears go back. She is blushing. “Do you uh, do you normally sleep with other snakes? Other females. At night?”

>>177274
>. I guess I did see it. Silver, your coat is brighter… Your mane is darker… you must look at least twenty years younger…
Iirc, this was one of the warning signs of potential demonic possession. Posey makes a religion check to see if Silver needs an exorcism.
[1d20+11 = (18+11) = 29]

>>177275
While there is a surge in harmonic magic in the subject, what Posey observes is not consistent with said magic containing an intelligence. It’s also worth mentioning that his appearance has not changed since Posey first laid eyes on him.

>>177276
Well, that begs the question: wtf is going on?
Arcana check
[1d20+11 = (17+11) = 28]

>>177277
Best guess? An introduction of unnatural amounts of life energy. This is consistent with Posey’s observations of magic, and also Dr. Faucet’s claims that the subject de-aged.

Pear may have also gone semi-blind while underground. That works too.

>>177278
>An introduction of unnatural amounts of life energy.
REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE muh real estate! I wanted a dungeon full of lingering negative energy and entropy.
Is the source of the magic within Silver, or within the dungeon itself affecting him? If there's one thing Posey is familiar with, it's negative energy, and by extension it's polar opposite.
I think *now* might be the appropriate time to use my 1/day Detect Magic SLA.
>>177274
"Silver, ummm... Something is going on..." Rosey Ring appears to be at a loss for words
She appears to be agitated, her eyes widening. The pony who talked so casually about torture, monsters and death appears to be on guard for whatever has caused this sudden change in the ambient energies.

>>177280
I think I'll wait for Silver's response.

>>177274
>>177279
Even as Pear makes her exclamation, Silver can feel something has changed. As he stretches, the usual cacophony of pops and cracks that accompany his aged joins is surprisingly missing, as are the aches and pains that naturally coming with aging. As Pear's hoof touches Silver's fur, she can tell immediately that somehow it's managed to become softer, fuller, fluffier than before. Silver looks at Pear, and she can see in the light of day how even his eyes seems to be sparkling in a brighter shade of blue than they were before they delved beneath the earth.

"I feel different. I feel good! I have not felt like this in...years!" It was hard to tell inside the dungeons and catacombs with how their voices reverberated against the walls, but even his voice sounds different to her. It's still deep, but much of the gravel of age seems to have left it, making him sound clearer and younger. He looks up and off into the distance, the cogs turning in his mind coming to a realization. "Мои богини...that fruit!" He looks over Pear, seeing if similar changes have been made to her as well.

>>177284
"Whatever could be the cause of this...?" Rosey Ring says as walks out of the dungeon, her tone flat
She doesn't appear quite as glowing as she did in the darkness, her colors slightly dulled and not quite as strikingly beautiful as she was in the dim light of the dungeon. It seems as though she wasn't lying about being sensitive to sunlight.

>>177284
Pear's body is turned towards Silver, allowing mostly her front profile to be seen, and not much of her body. Still, Silver can see that her coat is a strong lemon-yellow, and her mane a vibrant strawberry-red, kept up as it is by several ties, and her tail likewise tied up. She's small and thin, and appears to be a youthful mare of about 24 or 25. How old is she really? 26? 28? Hard to remember. She may not be a borderline filly like Khoi, but she's hardly old, either.

Pear is very close to Silver. Her head is stretched out, now near his. He can see her little pink nostrils at the end of her rounded snout slowly open then close. She stares into Silver's eyes with her own. Her irises are yellow-green, the color of a pear. For a moment the two stare into each other's eyes. Pear breaks off after twenty or so seconds, looking to the side. Her hoof presses against Silver's chest, buried slightly in her fur, up until she breaks away.

>>177286
>>177284
Her coat is indeed more vibrant than it seemed. But is that only because it stands out more than it did in the dim light of the catacombs, or is she really more brilliant than she was before?

She looks confused. Her heart rate is heightened. She seems almost frightened, and certainly surprised by what has occurred. But she is certainly calming down.

>>177285
>>177286
>>177287
Silver feels the urge to blush after his extended staring contest with the beautiful archaeologist mare, but he manages to keep his composure. "You look good as well! You already looked great, but now you look even moreso! I...I think this is because of that fruit we ate."

Silver wonders, looking at how harsh the sunlight seems to be on Posey's fur, if she also could have used some of the mystery fruit that he is mentioning.

>>177288
>>177285
"Eh heh." She looks down, smiling, and probably blushing. "Yeah, I- I think it was the fruit too. I knew it was unusual."

She tilts the front of her body back, and pushes her tail down with her hoof, and sits down on the ground. She looks back towards Silver, and then to Posey.

"I think it was the fruit. That fruit... it reversed aging. At least twenty years. Thirty or so."

>>177289
Silver starts moving various parts of his body, lifting up legs one by one, bending his midsection left, right, up, and down, showcasing a remarkable amount of flexibility and dexterity. He lets out an amazed chuckle at every movement.

"I can not get over this, how I feel. I had gotten so used to so many aches, pains, and so much stiffness, I had forgotten what it feels like to be, well...young!" He bounces and prances around for joy.

>>177290
Pear turns her head away, looking over at Silver, and occasionally breaking away.

But she does extend a foreleg, and wiggles it around.

>>177284
>>177289
"It seems as though those were the fruits of Curwhinny's labors. He seemed rather obsessed with the concept of immortality, and went to rather grotesque lengths to further his research." Rosey Ring says, acting strangely unimpressed by this strange turn of events
(she hasn't actually seen them before they ate the fruits, so she can't tell the difference; and even if she could it's a meh issue to her)
"Be wary though. Such great magic always comes at an equally great price..." She adds, ominously, as she walks past the two into the site, Gloomy trailing behind.
>>177288
Rosey Ring is wearing a heavy cloak and chain shirt barding + dastana, and has pulled up her hood to shield herself from her sun. Her fur doesn't appear to glow like it did in the darkness, making her appear like less of a supernatural manifestation of pure fear and more like a regular pony, albeit a bit duller than before. Before she pulls up her hood, her eyes, no longer glowing, appear a bit sunken in their sockets, seemingly from fatigue.

>>177291
>>177292
Silver is too preoccupied enjoying his younger body to truly hear Posey's ominous warning. Instead he goes over to Pear, wrapping his forelegs around the petite mare and attempts to pick her up.

>>177292
“Like what?”
Pear asks before being picked up by Silver

>>177293
squeaky
Picking up mares seems easier now.

Silver is able to wrap his leg around her chest and pick her up.

>>177294
Silver gives his petite mare a friendly squeeze, and lightly swings her from side to side.

"Hah hah! This brings back memories!"

Thankfully for Pear, he doesn't keep this up for very long, and he sets her back down gently.

>>177295
>His

“Ah!”
Pear is flung through the air as Silver picks her up, swings her around, and puts her down, ending with a “hehehe.”

The last mare he felt like this was Mollis, who was just slightly bigger barreled and more muscular. She feels soft.

>>177293
>>177295
Forgot pic

>>177294
>“Like what?”
"It depends." Rosey Ring replies
"For consumed magic.The kind of magic that extends the longevity of the subject is drawn from one of two sources: from the lives of pony's sacrificed to produce it, or the dignity of the subject who benefits from it. It's the rarest and most dreadful magic, the type of which coveted by sorcerer kings who are ruthless enough to pursue it." she continues
"If you're lucky, you can count on the probability that Curwhinny sacrificed the lives of very many ponies to harvest the magic to produce the fruits that you just consumed. If you are unlucky... Then it's likely that the fruit took something from you, something that was worth twenty years of your life."
She's now hiding her face, having turned away and raised her hood, but pear thinks she might've seen the ghost of a dreadfully sadistic smirk as she slowly walks away

>>177298
Pear blocks, and after a pause says,
“It kind of looks like he found a tree that makes it. He was obsessed with alchemy…”

>>177296
>>177298
>>177299
If his dream from last night was any indication, he should be glad to enjoy her softness for years to come. Years he certainly has in him now, after having eaten that fruit. He seems to shrug off the even more ominous warning that Posey makes.

"This does not feel like dark magic. It feels like light magic, holy, or Harmonious magic. Like..." gasp "..like Tree of Life!"

>>177300
>>177298
“I mean… she’s certainly right that we don’t really know what that fruit will do. Or how long it will last. What will happen if or when it wears off. If it does have a cost…”

>>177300
>>177299
Rosey Ring shrugs as she walks away
"If you are lucky." she says, nonchalantly

>>177301
"I hope it does not wear off, I could get used to feeling like this again. I think she is just trying to scare us. You ate that fruit just like I did. Did it feel at all like any sort of dark magic to you?"

>>177303
"No uh..." Pear looks past Silver, her mouth partly open. "This was... electrifying but not intoxicating... like dark magic."

Posey goes about examining any plantlife aboveground as she finishes her job.

>>177304
Silver nods in agreement. "It felt right with my soul. Deep in my heart I know it to be true, that was from Tree of Life. This was good, light, wholesome magic, straight from creation. I do not know however if this will wear off or not. I hope it lasts, at least. Even if it does not, however...I think this further reinforces that you and I should go out there and find it."

>>177306
Pear’s eyes go wide, and he sees her tail move. She raises her hindquarters as if starting to stand up.

“Go out and find it? You and I?”

>>177305
The plants do not display signs of magical disruption, though even this is inconclusive. Though grasses and a couple shrubs grow over top of the catacombs structure, the trees that grow elsewhere on the same lot are absent, though if the catacombs extend to not far below the surface, there may not be much room for root systems.

>>177307
Silver nods and takes hold of Pear's forehooves yet again, which may delay her abilities to stand up. "Indeed! I still want you as my partner, going out together and following these clues to find Tree of Life."

>>177308
She sits back down. Silver takes her hooves. Her ears go up, and eyes go wide. She looks back into Silver’s eyes, then looks down. “I… heh…” she smiles showing her teeth, and some of her mane comes down to cover her eyes.

>>177307
Posey picks a flower or twig and does the same thing I described above, and prepares to leave.

>>177309
Silver takes one of his forehooves away from hers to brush her mane out of her face. "Heh, I think your mane has grown bit as well. It is trying to cover your gorgeous eyes."

>>177310
How would Posey react to another stallion pulling up in a truck and coming to the scene? Would it change her reaction if this stallion were obviously military? What if he had a gnoll with him?

>>177311
“Heh, what? Hehe.” She giggles and looks up at him, making eye contact.

>>177312
Silver looks deep into her eyes, risking them both getting lost in each other's again. His are still a shining, sparkling blue, like looking into a bright sky.

>>177313
She slowly closes her lips, and forms a more warm and gentle smile, still occasionally showing teeth with a “heh heh” giggle.

“I… I would like that. I don’t know if I can, but I would like to.”

>>177312
>military
Posey would cautiously observe the newcomers as they arrive, trying not to draw too much scrutiny to herself. She draws Gloomy close to her side.
>What if he had a gnoll with him?
Hopefully my clout with the Gnoll community is about to pay itself off.

>>177314
Silver smiles with a level of warmth and gentleness that might not have been possible earlier. It's not that his previous smiles lacked warmth or gentleness, but now that he appears to be back in peak condition it's as if they beam at her like Celestia's sun. He looks to be back in his prime. He comes in closer, pressing his forehead against Pear's, making sure to angle his head so that their horns don't get in the way. They still touch, however, as do the tips of their muzzles.

"I would love that, too."

>>177316
>their horns
Pear is an earth pony…

Pear’s snout makes contact with Silver’s, and the soft pink of Pear’s touches Silver’s. Pear continues smiling and looking at him. She giggles.

>>177312
What are the soldier and gnolls doing?

>>177318
*Gnoll

>>177317
Shit, right, forgot. Still, forehead against forehead, but easier since there's only one horn to take into account. Silver laughs along with Pear, his laughter ringing out with the tones of youth and joy, and he wraps his forelegs around the back of her in a warm embrace.

>>177320
“Heh.” She closes her mouth and looks back at the foreleg in acknowledgement, then resumes the embrace

>>177321
Silver rubs the tip of his muzzle against hers. "I hope they let you come with me to look for Tree of Life. Getting to go on adventure with you...I think it would be amazing."

>>177322
Pear closes her eyes, leans forward, and with a smile, rubs her snout against his, accidentally catching his lower muzzle as well.

“So many mysteries to uncover… Adventure… it sounds exhilarating…”

>>177323
"It very much is...doubly so, with somepony like you to share them with..."

Hmm...dare he? To test the waters, Silver goes to place the end of his muzzle against hers. It's not quite a kiss...but their lips are indeed touching now, and if Pear were to show interest...it would be very easy for it to turn into a genuine kiss.

>>177312
Does anypony else react to the truck?

>>177324
She opens her eyes and raises her ears. She opens her lips, and says

“Together?”

>>177325
It’s a hypothetical

>>177326
Oh.
So, why do you ask?

>>177326
"Together."

Silver goes in, kissing the petite mare in his embrace deeply.

>>177328
Pear leans slightly closer, opens her lips, and tilts her head to try to meat Silver’s. She closes her eyes and her ears go back. Silver can hear her - feel her - breathing out. Her lips are thin, as Silver can feel as she rubs against him.

She’s not very good at this.

>>177327
Because I’m trying to figure out how to do this

>>177329
Heh, Silver supposes she doesn't have much experience with this sort of thing. Kind of like Khoi, though he suspects for different reasons. Silver goes slow for her, parting their lips and gradually leading her through the process using his lips and tongue.

>>177329
Okay. I'll wait.

>>177330
She lets him open her mouth, and slowly moves out her tongue. She keeps her eyes closed, though her ears return upright. Silver can feel and hear her breath, sometimes through her mouth as it’s interlocked with his own, but more often out of her snout, which rubs against his own, or even against his lips when she tilts her head to get a better angle into his mouth.

>>177331
Accurate

>>177332
Gradually, Silver increases the intensity of the kiss, wrapping his tongue around hers in a dance, exploring the insides of her cheeks and roof of her mouth. His hooves, currently embracing his petite mare, pull her in tighter, until she's pressed firmly against his soft thick fur and the less-soft flak jacket he's wearing. He feels quite strong, beneath all of that fur, with how he's able to hold her like that...

>>177334
Pear presses against his chest with another hoof which is slowly buried into her fur. And tries to match the movements of his tongue, though she can’t really keep pace.

Then all of a sudden, like she’s awoken from sleep, she gasps and pushes herself away from silver. Her eyes open wide and dart around as she looks at her surroundings.

>>177335
Silver lets his petite mare escape, with a string of drool still connecting their mouths together. With enough distance it snaps, but she can still taste Silver regardless. That fruit might not have had the intoxication of dark magic, but Silver appears to be almost as intoxicating. He chuckles as he sees her look around.

"Worried about what others might see?"

>>177336
>>177335
Posey, Gloomy and all of the surrounding archaeologists looking at the two making out while covered in grave dust:

>>177272
>>177273
Cavaliere indeed sits down. Since apparently smoking is permitted, he pulls a cigar out of a case and lights it with a match, taking a puff. The edges of his mouth at his beak turn downwards as he hears about the riff-raff used to patrol the border, but he continues to listen with interest through the officer's ramblings. If the griffon was indeed a spy, he would consider Major Dark an easy and ready source of information. Though, who's to say it is accurate information?

Once the officer has finished his monologue, Cavalier holds the cigar between his talons, tilts his head up and blows a puff of smoke into the air. He pauses and looks back at the officer.

"Major, that is a colorful and informative summary of this fair city. I should also thank you for making my job a little bit easier in Nova Griffonia, by hiring a substantial number of would-be criminals. Unfortunately, we do have social democrats as well, but they aren't quite as powerful. As for labor disputes, I do have experience resolving them, particularly when both parties are butting heads and refusing to listen to reason. Having to deal with this within a large city will be new to me, however, but I'm up for it. How much do you expect to 'pay for results'?"

>>177337
It's nothing compared to what Dark Star and Blue Sky were doing while burning said grave

>>177336
>>177337
Pear leans back away from Silver. She goes so far back that her body is upright on her hind quarters, and her forelegs suspended in air. She waves her hooves around and her eyes go wide as she’s clearly afraid she will fall over on her back, but she catches herself before this happens, and goes back down on her forelegs. She uses twists her body to grab onto her tail, which is straight back from her body, and curl it around herself. She steps on her tail, and then slowly stands up. Raising her hindquarters and moving a step or so back, away from Silver. She looks towards her right, and towards the others in the archeological group.

“Yes.” She says, firmly.

>>177339
Silver looks at how Pear has to manually control her tail, chuckling.

"Something tells me you liked that."

>>177341
Pear, still looking down, says, smiles and lets out an involuntary “hehehehe.” She says,
“I don’t know what came over me.”

>>177342
"Heh. I imagine lot of ponies at university like you, so engrossed in their books and studies, forget that they have flesh and blood bodies with needs and carnal desires. When was last time that another pony has held you like that, or kissed you deeply?"

>>177343
She blushes, and both ears go down. “Heh, just a few times with that last coltfriend who joined the Navy…”

>>177344
Silver gives the poor mare a friendly hug to help comfort and distract her. "I imagine your body has been crying out for attention for long while, now."

>>177345
She blushie scrunches. Rather intensely.

>>177346
"Heh heh, that definitely confirms it."

>>177347
The mare continues to scrunch, if more mildly now, and her ears are still back. She is standing now, standing on her tail, and shaking.

>>177348
Seeing her shaking, Silver gives Pear a look of genuine concern. He holds out a hoof, placing it on her shoulder.

"Are you feeling okay, Pear?"

>>177349
“Yeah” she breathes out. “Yeah. Yeah. I’m okay.” She says.

>>177350
Sense Motive: Is she okay?

[1d20+3 = (10+3) = 13]

>>177338
“Heh.” The stallion smiles, and takes the opportunity to light another cigarette pulled from within his jacket pocket.

“Of course the griffin wants to know, first and foremost, money. Not that anyone would ever think it otherwise. That’s why you’re here, after all. Well, as I said before, some other mercenaries fly patrol. That isn’t what you are here to do. You are here to collect information, collect prisoners, and collect bodies. Much more risk, much more reward. I can’t tell you the specifics of the pay nor exactly what each job will entail, as that is handled, generally, on a case by case basis by ponies lower ranked and closer to the action than I. But to reiterate, very high risk, very high reward. You will need those guns, I assure you. As for how you will be paid, while good and foreign currency are under restriction, Baltimare Occupation Notes, per the new law, must be accepted for exchange by every republic within our Customs Union. And our Customs Union, as you well know, states at Ponyville across the Ever clear at one far end, and the castle called hills of Wittenland to the other; and from seaside villages that stare at the forest encrusted mountains of Nova Griffonia, down the the rocky islands of Asterion, the dragon lands, and soon enough, over the sands of Northern Zebrica.”

>>177352
Cavaliere looks aside for a moment and taps his cigar, sprinkling ash into the ashtray, or if there is a lack thereof, onto the table. He leans back into his chair.

"I don't suppose your city's police would have anything to say about that? This isn't the Frontier and loaded firearms, let alone using them, are likely frowned upon. I prefer being discrete but I cannot promise a lack of attention in a bustling city. As for notes, what is their exchange rate to gold?"

>>177353
“Firearms are banned twice over. By the city government, with a blanket ban, and by the military authorities, who have banned almost all uses. A license from the military with of course work for the military, but for the local police as well, as our law is above there. Of course yes, if you don’t have a license, you will be in trouble with the police and worse trouble with the military. Discharge of firearms is also illegal and sure to attract attention, so be careful. And even when executing police or customs bounties, be careful that you don’t ‘murder’ the target, even when the bounty will pay out dead or alive. As for the exchange rate it’s… 1,100 occupation bits to the kilogram? Something like that I think.”

>>177354
"I knew Equestria was going to be relatively restrictive, but I didn't know it to be that restrictive. I'll keep that all in mind." He also makes a mental note of the exchange rate, doubting that it's that generous.

>>177355
“It’s a war time rule. With the ongoing insurgency, ammunition, firearms, explosives, and certain radios, cameras, and magic items are heavily restricted. Baltimare itself has always been restrictive. The countryside is much less so, given that monsters remain a a period threat.”

>>177351
She seems to be embraced, confused, a little annoyed, and has an adrenaline rush. She’s okay, though the influence of some sort of unknown drug or stimulant can’t be ruled out.

>>177360
Silver himself feels fine, the fruit didn't cause any kind of stimulating reacting if you don't count the electrical, magic-like feeling as it must have reverse his age. There was also the strange headache he got when he looked at Posey's face, that was weird. Perhaps he himself is acting as some sort of drug or stimulant for Pear? That's definitely a good way to boost his confidence, saying he's like a drug for mares. He smiles, and pats the petite mare on the shoulder.

"Hey, it is alright. You liked it, I liked it, nothing we did was wrong, and I am certain that any others who could have watched would have wanted to do same with their own mares."

>>177361
Pear is mildly scrunchy.
“Anyways…”

>>177362
pat pat pat

"I am glad you want to go on adventure, too. I am looking forward to spending time with you, searching for lost wonders. Plus, imagine how good it would look for your collegate career if you came back with detailed reports on something as wonderous as Tree of Life?"

>>177363
little pony is pat pat pat
Petting a pony’s mane feels nice. It doesn’t feel as good as, let’s say, pressing a mare against your chest and sticking your younger down her throat as she writhes in ecstasy, but it does feel good.

One ear twists down, while the other stays up.
“But.. how? How would you find a tree of life? And why do you keep calling it that? Theres a tree of life in legend, to be sure, but we still don’t know what we are dealing with. The pale mare could have been right.”

>>177364
Silver won't complain about getting to pet such a wonderful and intelligent mare.

"Curwhinny must have found it, or at least found someone who knows of it. If he was not lich, then perhaps that is how he managed to live beyond his normal lifespan, not by dark magic but by eating fruit from Tree of Life. If he could find it, then I am certain we can as well with our combined strengths, we just have to follow trail he left behind. And my adventuring instincts tell me this is indeed Tree of Life from legend. It has been long while since I have gotten to use them. It will feel great being able to go on genuine adventure again. Again, doubly so with such amazing company as you by my side."

>>177365
Alternating between looking up at Silver and down towards the ground

“I- I don’t think I should have let you eat that fruit. We don’t have any of it now to analyze. We should have taken it back to a lab and figured out what it is. How it works. I do think there’s much to learn but- from what we’ve already found here.”

>>177366
Silver hugs the worried petite mare tightly.

"Shhhhh, it is okay. Rosey I think was just trying to get you to freak out, she seems little bit...off. You were hesitant to trust her earlier when she could have helped, and now that she has said something negative you believe her implicitly."

>>177368
“Well, I mean… still… we could have studied it to maybe try to replicate its effects or at least, figure out what it was. Now, well, we don’t have it to study it.”

>>177369
"All more reason to go out and find that Tree. We follow Curwhinny's trail, we do our bit of investigation, have our adventure, and come back not only with fruit to study but also all sorts of reports and information from our expedition."

>>177274
"There's nothing wrong with sleeping with your friends! Don't they have slumber parties over here in Equestria?"

Kira looks inquisitively at her deer friend.

>>177370
Pulling her lips back to show teeth.
“Do you really think we could do so? Find something that no pony else has ever found… except evidently Curwhinny?”

>>177371
“Well uh, not exactly. I mean, if there’s a buck, sure. If you’re little fawns, sure. If you’re just broke, then sure. So sure I’ve done it but uh, it was always for one of those reasons.”

>>177372
"Well then, let's do it for a new reason: we're friends and it's comfier to sleep with friends! I think."

>>177372
Silver nods with determination.

"Absolutely. With your intelligence, and my strength and experience, I am completely certain it is within our combined abilities."

>>177373
Coming a little more into the doorway,
“Eh, I think I’ll try to enjoy having my own room.”

>>177374
She closes her lips in a smile and looks up towards Silver.
“Maybe we could…”

>>177375
Silver beams a smile as bright as the noonday sun back at Pear. "I know we can. I am going to look into potential job to get some Bits, have some for various expenses including funding this expedition for us. If it pans out and I get money in my hooves, I am coming back to you as soon as I possibly can after so we can get it started. In case it is actually just temporary and it wears off after while, I would want to get searching for that tree while I still have all of this youthful energy within me."

>>177375
Kira shrugs, and smiles at Neela. "Alright, it's up to you. But, I want you to know that my door is always open to you, and I am super snuggly to sleep with!"

Hmm...perhaps a Charisma roll to see how enticing she can make the prospect of sleeping with the snuggly snek.

[1d20+3 = (17+3) = 20]

>>177377
>>177378
“Hmmm… No”
And leaves the open door, and Kira can hear the door to the other bedroom open and close.

It’s rather cold in the room now.

>>177376
She closes her lips to look at him seriously. Then she laughs with an “eh heh,”

“Is that what you wish to do with your new youth? Chase mares? Go on an adventure?”

>>177379
Aww. Ah well, nothing to it, Kira supposes. Kira snuggles up in a nice warm coil, yawns, closes her eyes, and attempts to go to sleep.

>>177379
"Heh, there is more to it than that, but why not chase mares and go on adventures?" Silver smiles. "There is also couple of young colts I am taking care of, orphans both of them. They have...been through lot. I would like to give them taste of normal life, with actual family to care for and take care of them. If I can be father to them rather than grandfather, give them more years of normalcy than I otherwise could...that would be nice."

>>177380
Oh well. Is Kira has her mat, right? A nice rug to keep the heat in, so just snuggle down on that, curly up, but don’t curl up too much or it might cut off the circulation… probably going to have to let that big goat kind of sit out on top and…

That sound. A door opens, then another, tapping of hooves, a curse in a foreign language, and… It seems Neela is back in the room.

“Damn heater isn’t turned on.” She can hear Neela say

Then she feels a hoof on her scales and,
With an oddly light jump, Neela jumps on top of Kira.

>>177381
“Wait, you are taking care of orphans?!”

>>177382
Silver tilts his head at the surprised mare. "Yes?"

>>177382
A mat and a nice bedroll to sleep on. She's a bit too big to sleep inside a bedroll like a pony would, but it's still comfy to lay down on. Though she keeps up the façade of being asleep, Kira is internally excited that her deer friend has decided to sleep with her. Neela may find that the muscular lamia, strong enough to be able to hold up the deer's weight, is surprisingly comfortable. She's very warm, too, as if she's a warm-blooded creature. The goat in her stomach is absolutely helping with making her nice and toasty.

>>177383
"While you're out... extorting swords from college professors and eating two hundred year old fruit?"

>>177384
Neela taps Kira's body with a hoof, evidently to investigate the viability of the prospect. "Oddly warm." After a few taps she has her body over top of Kira's, and forms her own little curled up ball. She lays her head and back against the goat, probably because that's the warmest part, and the biggest, most pillow-like part. Then she places a blanket she has taken with her over the two.
She curls up in her own little ball.

So I guess Posey is just going to go home, write her report, and then long rest, or...?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QFsFiDRwPqc

>>177386
I'm trying to make ever character line up for the quest. Posey and Silver are either going to start immediately, or roll over to the next day.

>>177387
Alright. I'll wait.

>>177358
He smiles
"Heh heh, that you will."

>>177385
D'awwwwwwwwwwwwwwww! Kira is immensely grateful for the blanket covering the pair. She tries to ever so subtly shift as to give Neela the comfiest position possible before falling into a slumber.

>>177385
"Hmmm...I suppose when you put it like that, it sounds like very eccentric combination."

>>177390
Kira has to be careful as to not startle the deer with too much movement. And even a slight tightening movement may be perceived as an attempt at a grip. Neela is not subtle herself, poking at Kira and stepping on her at moments, which may even be painful. Once she lays down, however, Kira can feel deer fur, her rounded snout, and her bloated belly, as she lays her head abd back against and in large part overtop of Kira’s own bloated belly, which is bigger than the deer. She’s kind of small, once she’s curled up into a sort of ball, of a bit of a heavy pressure on top of Kira.

>>177391
“Well, heh, yes.”

>>177389
The griffon mulls this over a bit before leaning forward. "I don't mind starting tomorrow, Major. Who will be my point of contact?"

>>177393
"I suppose though it is good to live interesting life. It makes for good stories and tales, at very least. All of those stories you hear throughout history of kings and heroes, they lived interesting lives. Those that lived boring lives, you do not hear much about."

>>177393
D'awwwwwww. The brief period of initial is well worth it to have her deer friend sleep with her. Feeling her curled up underneath the blanket but on top of Kira, it's a comforting, reassuring presence. Kira hopes it will bring pleasant dreams to her mind, as he conscious slips off into the realm of sleep.

>>177398
"That will depend, but Orange Sunset will be yours with the army." He answers

>>177398
Neela's presence serves a practical purpose. It actually is cold in the house, and her body heat and especially the blanket help to keep the heat up for her.

Drifting off to sleep, Kira sees herself on a grass covered hill under a blue sky with a single puff of cloud. There's a trio of dandelions sticking out of the ground, and past it Kira sees a figure she recognizes. It's hopper the goat, with his two curled horns, and though he wears no bell nor collar, there is a depression in his fur implying one is regularly worn. He extends his muzzle, as he did before, to see if Kira has any food for him. But unlike before, he realizes his mistake early and moves his head back. All the same, his small tail moves back and forth a single time, and he lets off a "bah". He looks at Kira with his golden eyes, as if in intrigue.

>>177403
"For the moment it will likely be the army, but as stated before, the contract is not exclusive in the strictest sense."

>>177397
"Heh" She looks back up to him and both ears go back, "I tend to read about kings and heroes, not to try to live like them. You live like them..."

>>177402
Dream Kira looks at Hopper with sad eyes. She doesn't know if she's merely dreaming of the goat, or if this is truly her meeting with Hopper's soul, joined into her being. She reaches out with a hoof, if the goat will let her, and attempts to gently pet him between his ears and behind his head.

>>177405
Silver smiles, perhaps with a small bit of smugness. "Perhaps I need to get myself throne, then."

>>177406
Hopper recoils, like Neela before. However, he extends his snout, and sniffs Kira's hoof, moving up and down, and then pressing against the end of the hoof with his snout. The ears go slightly back

>>177407
"Heh, what?" She seems almost confused

>>177408
"It is just joke. Saying I live like kings and heroes, and only thing I would be lacking would be my own throne to sit upon. You know."

>>177408
Kira smiles, though the sadness has still not completely passed from her face. She starts to and continues to pet the goat, for as long as he allows her to.

"Hey Hopper. It's good to see you, whether this is really you or just a figment of my imagination. I'm sorry about eating you."

>>177410
Kira gets to finally pet him. The white fur is longer than it looks, and softer too. He's almost like a fuzzy pillow in how the hairs, when rubbed against the grain, come up in long, soft strands. He looks up towards Kira with his golden eyes. Perhaps it's difficult to ever really sympathize such odd, horizontally slit eyes. Maybe he feels the same about her vertical eyes, which betray that though she may falsely appear to the unsuspecting to be a pony, she's a snake at heart.

>>177411
"D'awww. You really are a cute little goat." Scritch scritch scritch goes her hoof betwen and behind his ears, watching how you move, flop, and twitch to react to her touch. Kira sighs. "I really am sorry about eating you, and...well, everything else surrounding it. I know it's nature for all animals to eat, be they predators or prey. Heck, even fungi eat the decaying remains of plants, and even plants themselves 'eat' the sunlight to live. But I'm still saddened that...that my survival means I have to eat other creatures. You're a living being with a soul just like me, after all. Don't you have a right to life just as I do?"

>>177412
Goats don't normally let Kira get this close. Hopper was a little odd in that regard, walking right up to her, thinking she was there to give him a treat. He comes closer, evidently trying to sniff her, before looking up at Kira and again staring into her eyes. There's something oddly accusatory in his eyes. Or perhaps it isn't odd at all.

>contemplate randomly ording my ghast minion minion go "bring me a naga" (kidnap Kira) as a means to conveniently bring the party together for the actual quest, since the body of a naga is something that Posey would naturally want at any time
>realize this plan is retarded
>continue waiting
Just let me know if there's anything I have to do or any roleplay you want to sort out on Posey's end.

>>177414
>>contemplate randomly ording my ghast minion minion go "bring me a naga" (kidnap Kira) as a means to conveniently bring the party together for the actual quest, since the body of a naga is something that Posey would naturally want at any time
That's actually kind of funny. Posey's looking for that 20 foot python

Actually, Kira is supposed to pick up a zebra (we'll see if that happens...) on the way to work.

I'm not sure what Posey can or should do for the moment.

>>177414
Anon, what makes you believe the entire party is here?
Or that this course is yours to steer?
I suggest until the path is clear,
You remain and sit on your rear

>>177415
Well, she does have a magically disguised minion that she can for the time being telepathically command at an unlimited range for random tasks. I was intending to have it come bring the objects that the ghosts are inhabiting, but idk.
>I'm not sure what Posey can or should do for the moment.
Well, Posey would normally be going home right about now to write her report and work on her blockbusting scheme to scam Glass Horizons out of the property.
She's still here because you expressed intent to have the party assemble to begin the next quest here. Idk what that entails for now, but I assume that means it's better for me to stay put.
>Posey's looking for that 20 foot python
Bone Nagas are one of the few undead creatures that are forced to obey their masters for an indefinite period after creation, which makes naga bones priceless for necromancers.
>>177416
I'm bored.

>>177416
Also literally who?

>>177418
The stage is not set,
I shall not appear yet
But I am a zebra cleric
Who should not be xeric

>>177419
I didn't know we had a Cleric.
Clerics are strong. I was going to play a Cleric because tbh they're the best necromancers (and the best casters overall, imo), but Dread League calls for Dread Necromancer.

>>177415
GM, if you could vaguely describe the conditions that need to be met for the party to meet, I could do my best to contribute to that.

>>177413
"No, I get it. You can be mad at me, I'd understand." pet pet pet "If it's any consolation, you'll get to stick around as part of me. At least, that's what they say. You'll still get to experience the feeling of grass, the warm sun rays, cooling rain. It'll be through me and my body, but...it's something at least, right?"

>>177404
"Very well. Before you leave, you should have my card."

Like before, he pulls out a card that reads:

GUN FOR HIRE
♜
GARV CAVALIERE
WETER

>>177263
The other stallion walks up to Jakala, who sits on top of the sled, and sits down next to her. He says,

"Little Jäkälä Kenttä." He says, and places a hoof on her hood-covered head. "If you're going to come along. You are going to need to be quiet. Can you do that?"

"Mhmmm." She says, and nods.

"No." He says, "I'm serious." He pets a strand of her blue mane that pops out from under the ring of brown fur. "You'll need to stay still when I tell you. And stay quiet. There are things in the woods. Things we can't let hear us. Do you you understand?"

"Mhmmm."

"Do you understand?"

"Mhmmm"

"I'll get you some chocolate if you can stay quiet and be a good filly." Jakala starts to wag her tail, though this tail wagging is subdued by the mass of her fur jacket.

The stallion gets back up and says to Father,
"Let's go."

Amber hooks herself up to the sled to pull it, although Father will sometimes pull on a leather belt to move it forward, however, Father mostly walks ahead and sometimes off to the side. While the sled is not as heavy nor as hard to pull as when the other one was full of wood, the task is still harder, as Amber is expected to move more quickly.

Father and the other stallion speak to each other, saying things like "Off we are, then" and "this way," though Amber cannot hear every word. They tend to walk ahead and a bit to the side. Each carries a kerosene lamp. The group as a whole walks north, just a bit to the left of where Amber saw the Blast begin over a hill top, and through an open plain of frozen group and packed, thin layers of snow. It isn't far before she sees that same pattern of endless trees, all lying down on the ground, and all pointing the same direction. A lone pine tree stands straight up, every branch blown off and looking like a telephone pole, save the topmost portion, where oddly even small branches still cling, such that it looks like a needless sapling placed on top of a telephone pole, in the middle of so many downed trees. The adults each turn off their lamps, so that the ponies go forward in darkness, with only the stars, the twilight, and the aurora to guide them.

>>177429
He takes it. "Heh." And he smiles

>>177431
This place still gives her the creeps. She can't help but wonder if the stallions turned off the lamps because they don't want Vaeltaja to see them, or if they are worried about something else in this area.

>>177422
He looks down and around at the grass, and then back up at Kira.

Kira recalls, surely, a remark made earlier by that police officer when Kira was at Customs. The police officer, like the customs officers, believed Neela to be lying about, well, everything. Lying about who she was, lying about where she came from, and above all, lying to hide that she was engaged in some sort kind of illicit activity that, if perhaps unknown, was certainly nefarious. And what was the one word that officer could come up with to describe someone like that? A "snake." What creature could be a better symbol of betrayal or deceit, than one whose modus operandi is to hide in the grass and strike you when you do not, and could not see it?

Hopper had known only ponies, and the ponies would come up to him to give him food. Kira looked like a pony. She was not there to give him food...

He seems to look around, or try to look around, at the grass and the sky.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cISYzA36-ZY
>>177429
Rolling Forgery to steal your cool business card idea.

LICENSED NECROLOGIST
❣️
ROSEY "POSEY" RING

[1d20+15 = (7+15) = 22]

>>177433
"I wish it could have been different, Hopper. I'm proud to be a hunter for my people, to bring them food and keep them fed. But if I could have it were we were like the ponies, living off of plants and their resources...I would." If her petting is preventing him from looking around, she lets up. Otherwise, she continues to pet his soft fur. "As it is, if it wasn't you, it would have been some other creature. Some other goat or sheep, or perhaps a creature of the woods if I decided to go hunting instead. But it was you, and now you're here with me. Inside me."

>>177435
The goat is done shaming her for the moment, even if he withholds forgiveness. Instead, he stands there sadly, looking away. He lets her pet him. For a while, actually. It does feel nice. After the passage of some time, or perhaps, after Kira has lost interest, he looks back up to Kira, and jumps. He jumps right over Kira. Right into the sky. And very likely, up to some celestial body, away from Kira.

>>177436
Kira falls backwards onto the grass in surprise as she watches his miraculous hop and follows his path through the sky. She watches with wonder and sparkling eyes as he gradually disappears into the vastness above her head, going towards the stars.

"Wow...goodbye Hopper. I hope you can find happiness up there..."

>>177437
Awww... That's actually kind of sad

Kira awakens in the semi-furnished room, laying coiled up over the rug. Light comes in through the windows. Kira can feel that Hopper did not, in fact, jump away. Not in time.

>>177438
Kira yawns, and with a hoof wipes away the sleep from her eyes. A small part of her still half-asleep mind registers that she wipes away some tears as well. She didn't intend to keep Hopper trapped. She hopes he'll be able to jump away tomorrow night.

"See you soon, Hopper..."

She looks where her dear friend was sleeping, on top of her coils, to see if she's still there or if she woke up before she it.

>>177439
Well I meant like he literally failed to jump away from Kira before she could kill him, because she killed him, but...

Kira can feel Hopper in her. And applying pressure to her stomach, she can feel another, lighter pressure. At first it's almost comforting, to have another animal inside her. Then it's too much, too filling. Then as Kira gains consciousness, she can sense that it's actually a separate creature on top of her, which becomes frightening as she doesn't know why it's there, then disappointing that the deer is not in her stomach, and then hopeful because she can eat it later/keep the deer as her friend.

Neela is still laying there, under a blanket that covers her eyes (but not her nose), and still sleeping.

>>177441
Ohhhhhhh, right. Am dumb.

Ultimately, her desires to have the deer as her friend win out, and Kira smiles at the sight. "D'awwwwwww." Not desiring to wake her and disrupt to cute scene before her, Kira allows the adoradeer to sleep and instead simply watches her.

>"McSlave, go down to the deli and order a daffodil sandwich for Gloomy. There's bits in my spare purse. Once it's done, bring it here. Oh, and make sure to drop off my travelling cape at the dry cleaners; I want to get those swamp stains out."
Rosey Ring is remembering how much she liked giving thralls pointless tasks back in Magehold.
It feels good to be able to control the dead with your mind.
>>177441
Built for entrail-reading.

>>177443
The deer or the lamia?

Hopper retains a strong physical presence, weighing Kira down, and definitely dampening her appetite for a while.

Neela simply lays there. It's bright enough she ought to wake up, but she keeps the blanket over her eyes. She seems content to lay there. She does not move in her sleep.

>>177444
Kira reaches up with a hoof to lift up the edge of the blanket, seeing it Neela's actually sleep or if she's just covering her head.

>>177445
"Mmmmmm" The deer writhes in the light.

>>177446
Is it good writhing like a cat stretching in the sunlight, or bad writhing like she's made uncomfortable?

>>177447
Kind of like this:
https://youtu.be/nB7iahLfFKw?t=70

>>177448
Oh, so pretty bad, then. Perhaps Kira should lower the blanket...

>>177449
“Mmph”
Neela moves around, and then starts to go back to sleep, wriggling around and rotating her body, still curled up in a ball

>>177448
"Sexy."

>>177450
"D'awwwwwwww."

Kira does wonder how long the deer will be asleep for. She's not sure she has it in her to wake her.

>>177452
Neela's body, though small, continues to press down onto Kira's stomach and weigh her down. This pressure does not cease as Neela sleeps. But with Kira still digesting from the evening before, Kira herself may not be in much of a hurry to get up, and out of bed.

I wonder if I could scare off those archaeologists for good if I made it rain searing hot blood and frogs rn...

>>177454
Neigh, for their hearts have been hardened.
https://youtu.be/GJleW4TCQM0?si=5tQ0IWXpVblwx7WM

>>177453
Hmm...a fair point made. Still though, Kira is getting bored, just laying there. She wants to be able to move and fidget about, but she can't as she doesn't want to disturb the sleeping deer. She hums a little tune to herself, tilting and bouncing her head from side to side as she lets her mind wander from subject to subject to hopefully keep herself occupied until Neela stirs from her slumber.