Continuing, and hopefully introducing new characters.
And on the wrong damn post number
1713 replies and 84 files omitted.
>>177117Oohh fuckoff, thats a good number
>>177099"A letter from Curwhinny, addressed to his son. It is a complete letter, and Curwhinny should have had the means to send such a letter quickly, so it appears as though these are not the bones that we are looking for."
>>177112He looks down and breathes out, then back in with a labored breath,
“The
Inspector will be here
before the sun rises. And we won’t banish him. He’ll banish
us. Vaeltaja, I mean. He’ll have us banished. The Inspector won’t let us leave. That’s for
damn sure. And I don’t
want to harm Valeria’s. I just need him to go for a walk, and
never come back. We know what’s happening to the villagers. They’ve gone mad, and it’s Vaeltaja’s fault, whether he’s drugging them with some mold he ripped off a dead tree, or… or if he’s just leading them out in the cold or… whatever it is, we need to end it. And before the inspector gets here. Just, why am I arguing with an eleven year old?”
Father adds,
“But it
would be a very good idea to figure out exactly what he’s doing to the villagers. Regardless of what we tell the Inspector, we need to stop it, and to do that, we need to know what it is.
>>177114“No?” He replies
>>177101"You found other letters? It could be worth comparing the dates, to determine when and where he died."
>>177119>>177122"That is interesting theory. It
could be true, I suppose. Every note and letter I found is currently in possession of archaeologists here. You would have to ask them for them yourself, they are not well fond of me.
No idea why, of course."
>>177122>>177123Pear:
"He is supposed to have died here. Or at least he is presumed to have died here. On the night of January 4 or morning of the 5, 770."
>>177123"I would prefer avoiding the archaeologists for as long as well can. The priority, however, is locating Curwhinny himself. Let's check the rest of the catacombs for any similar caskets, as the true casket may still be here."
Her gaze fixates on several points in the darkness.
"This dungeon still has hidden dangers, just waiting to be disturbed... Glass Horizons might be disappointed when he reads my report, but it's for the best."
>>177124When is the letter dated?
>>177125"Have you found anything left that require being cleared out? It would not be good for my track record to leave job half-finished after having already taken payment."
>>177126Among other imperfections in the letter is a lack of a date after the signature.
>>177127"You can read my report when it's finished." The white mare replies, her gaze evasive
"There's still danger here, that's for sure, the kind best left undisturbed. I want to find out if Curwhinny is among that."
>>177128Oh well
"Lets search the remaining exposed gaskets on in these chambers. Curwhinny may still be here."
Posey says, as she walks down the length of the catacombs, searching for caskets that fit the description
>>177124Posey addresses Pear
"You're a historian from this country, correct? What do you know about Curwhinny's death? I heard many were sacrificed to put him in the grave. Was magic used to seal him there? You'll have to humor me; I'm from Farbrook, and I only know so much about the history of this country."
>>177131“There was a small revolt by locals, mostly sailors, against Equestrian Customs authorities in Baltimare over basically taxes and crackdowns on smuggling. Most of the violence was actually against higher members of the Celestial Shipping Company, presumably over wages, discipline on ships, and personal grievances. The only reason it was recorded at all, besides the high death toll, was because the director of the Celestial Shipping Company for fifty five years was killed. There is no mention of undead, lichs, or magic besides the usual. Light damage to the Shipping Offices and none to his mansion. The grave set up for him in Rose Mound is understood to be empty. That is how it was recorded, anyways.”
>>177129"What kind of danger that has not already been dealt with? This is my profession, it is information I need to know and sooner is better than later. It is not just my professional reputation I am talking about here. There are ponies here or who will be here who could get hurt, killed, or worse if there is something left here that needs to be taken care of."
>>177132>The grave set up for him in Rose Mound is understood to be empty. That is how it was recorded, anyways."Hmmm, it's questionable if he was ever buried at all then..."
>>177133"I'm here to investigate haunts: things that aren't so easy to remove with bullets."
>>177134"How would you know if you were looking right at him? The historical record is split, saying his body was never found, probably because he was murdered and buried in a forest or out in the ocean, or alternatively that his wife decided not to display the body because he was horribly mangled, either out of revenge or from being burned in a fire. The writing on the wall in the chamber where the casket was found said a lich was sealed away there. And, well, that's about all we know."
>>177135>"How would you know if you were looking right at him?"Well... I could just try to ask him myself..." Posey says
"..But I would prefer not to deplete my horn until I've finished my inspection today."
Posey looks around the section where the casket was, checking for any plaques or inscriptions that could hint who the corpse might be.
>>177135>The writing on the wall in the chamber where the casket was found said a lich was sealed away there."If he really was sealed away, it would have been with powerful necromantic or abjuration magic. Perhaps we could trace the source of that magic, of it exists."
>>177134Silver frowns.
"That is not answer to my question."
>>177111Neela moves back on the couch, going from laying down to sitting upright as her back is pressed against it. She stares at Kira
"Ah! Oh, you're yawning."
>>177136There are none. It does not appear that the reason for this is defacement, but rather because none were added.
>>177137"If he's sealed away with powerful magic, why do we need to tamper with him at all?"
>>177139Kira tilts her head at the deer after having closed her mouth.
"Uh, yeah? What, do deer not yawn?"
>>177140She turns her head somewhat, and still looks at Kira
"Oh no, we do, but...."
>>177141Kira tilts her head the other way at the deer, and flicks her tongue for good measure.
>>177142"Uh, I didn't know that lamias did that." She says, and then looks away.
>>177143"Oh!" Kira smiles, and ceases the tilting of the head. "Yeah, we do. It's just getting late, and I'm getting sleepy."
>>177139>why do we need to tamper with him at all?"It's not my job to tamper with him, just to confirm that he is here."
>>177138"It's not quite so simple, but the answer is maybe; probably even."
>>177139>There are none.Posey cautiously walks down the catacombs, to check if there are any other caskets stashed here that fit the description.
(I've been a bit preoccupied lately)
I'm wondering if I should use my slots for Speak With Dead now on this skeleton. I don't want to waste them if there are easier options to complete this task. We should check the rest of the catacombs first.
[1d100 = 50]>>177144"Ah, uh, already? Okay, sure."
>>177151Looking down, the stallion sighs yet again
"Whatever. Either way, we are going to find Vaeltaja. Keskiyon, do you have your axe?" The stallion holds one up in the air. "I brought mine."
He has a large sled there which he places the axe on, or rather has it fit in a ring at the back.
"Get your axe, and lets go find him. Get a light as well, but you may need to turn it off, or at least dim it."
>>177152Mildly scrunchy, he replies,
"I just need to see a license that would allow you to have a firearm, and some kind of proof of work."
>>177153Amber looks uneasily at the axe but says nothing. She waits, looking around at the surroundings.
>>177153Are there any other exposed caskets in the catacombs that fit the description of the one we are looking for?
If not, might just cast speak with dead to confirm the origin of the corpse.
>>177153The griffon pulls out an envelop from his breast pocket, thumbs through some documents inside (thumbs, how do they work???) and retrieves a Nova Griffonian document. It is not in Ponish and the official might need a translator, but it contains a license for usage of firearms issued by the city of Weter, as well as registration for two pistols.
"Licenses aren't typically required to own or carry a firearm in Nova Griffonia, except in certain locales," he explains.
"Unfortunately, the only contract for work I have is the letter from your office of military intelligence, which you cannot read. I'm personally surprised they didn't disguise the purpose of my visit, but I appreciate the honesty." >>177147Silver isn't happy that's the case, but at least he got an answer, so he's glad about that. He looks back at Posey's son, floating on that magic disk.
"Are you
sure he should be here? My own father never took me anywhere as dangerous as this while I was in middle of my training."
>>177153'Already'? Kira takes a look at her fancy new pocketwatch to check the time.
>>177148Silver does, however, see what Posey is doing, and assists her in her search.
Actually...it might be a long shot, but Silver attempts to recall what, if anything, the dead militia ponies were wearing.
>>177157>danger"Oh, he's been through much worse than this." The white mare replies, nonchalantly
>training "We do things a bit differently in Farbrook. Besides, our professions are quite different. Magic is an esoteric thing, which takes more than just practice, but a more wholehearted cultivation."
>>177160Silver does recall that the militia ponies would wear jackets, hats, coats, and breastplate armor, as well as sometimes shoulder armor or other barding. Please note that the bodies of the militia ponies are absent from the floor.
>>177158Like… 10 PMish
>>177155Posey can see one. It’s a rectangular shape, the outer layer seems to be cast iron, and it’s more or less identical in basic shape to the one placed in the chamber. It’s slightly smaller than the stone casket, and thus fits into the hole more readily. It’s on the lower level. The only markings visible is “C 27”
>>177156He looks at the envelope and the Nova Griffonian documents. He does not open the letter.
“A registry is a good start, but to actually possess them here, you’ll need a license. Someone from the military could get you one.”
>>177162>oneIs this one of the ones that pinged my Detect Undead spell?
>>177162"If you would summon the appropriate official, I would very much appreciate it," he answers politely.
He also gestures to the other room where the stallion is detained.
"It would also be good for him to be able to see his family again. What's necessary to make that happen?" >>177166“Pretty much just that he not be a spy. His story needs to line up. Having family in the area certainly helps.”
“I can get someone from the military, yes, if that is what you wish. Someone who can, well, someone who has power to get a license, at least. If you are in fact doing what you claim you are doing, that is.”
>>177154Stars twinkle in the night, and before the tree line, snow is moved by the wind in a sort of light haze. There’s the howling of the wind, and that odd noise as always. Father went back in, got an axe, and put it on the sleigh.
Stallion:
“Are we seriously taking her?”
Father:
“Do you want her roaming around here?”
Stallion:
“Fair enough”
The ponies go not many feet, past the opposing row of huts, and towards the dark outline of the tree tops when someone approaches.
It’s Jakala
Amber is shocked to see her friend out, alone, in the cold. She breaks into a gallop to meet her. "Jakala! What are you doing out there?"
>>177170“Yes, it would.” He answers
“And very well. Met me make a call…”
>>177163It is not. Both of those were brick-sealed chambers adjacent to Posey. This casket is past that.
>>177171“The stallion left and I got bored.” She answers. She is tightly tied up in thick clothing
>>177172The griffon looks satisfied that he made some headway with ponies rumored to be more stubborn than griffons. He waits.