1392 replies and 114 files omitted.
>>180165Mala shakes his head
"That's not how that works."
>>180164You wanna join in on the [-ransacking[/-] searching?
>>180165Kira: "Sounds good to me!"
>>180162Before they leave, Silver takes the one good spearhead, and checks the papers located inside the boxes.
>>180166"How would you prefer to do it?" Posey says
>>180167Posey helps herself to the bone spearheads
>>180167These are written up by a typewriter, and are in a foreign language
>>180168Mala backs down. Literally
>>180169"I thought so." Posey says, smugly
"You can hold on to that watch though." She says, as she leaves the building
Posey moves towards the other structure
>>180169>>180168Well, if the papers can't be read, then Silver attends to Mala with pets. "You are not so used to even shares or items freely given, are you? I noticed how you hid that pocket watch as if it was your most precious possession, my friend."
Kira: "I have a pocket watch, too!" Kira excitedly shows it to Mala.
>>180170And so the group follows Posey.
>>180171Mala:
"No. Usually when a subject was not completely looted by the zebras... or more often, when we were cutting up corpses, and there was a golden filling, or maybe they had swallowed some jewelry, it was about who got to it first. And even then, you had to hide it, or it would be taken from you."
Mala moves back at Kira's pocket watch, but then moves his head to look closer at it.
"I... I see... I've never had one before."
>>180170>>180171Please note the presence of two smaller structures. This one, however, is actually larger than the last, with a shorter ceiling, and no windows. Dark wooden walls. Door is closed
>>180172>it was about who got to it first. And even then, you had to hide it, or it would be taken from you"It was like that where I did my training too. We could do it that way, but since we need to ride the same transport home I would prefer waiting until we got back before we descend into barbarism." Posey says
"Where did that thief go, anyway? Did he fly off? Oh well."
>doorPosey awkwardly waits for someone else to open the door.
>>180172Kira is...a bit grossed out by the description of cutting up corpses, as she doesn't know much about the Hoebuck job and Mala's place in it, but she keeps showing Mala her pocket watch so he can look at it. "When I came to Baltimare, I went to a pawn shop to sell the gold and jewelry I brought from my homeland, and they let me have a pocket watch as a gift. It's pretty neat! I imagine you'll love yours as well!"
Silver: "I imagine you will. And no, there will be no fighting over loot, do not worry. If you see something useful, you can keep it, and rest of it will be gathered together, sold, and profits shared among all members of party. That is how adventurers such as us do it."
As for the door, Silver is more careful this go around, trying the doorknob and peaking through should it prove to be open, rather than just barging in.
>>180173"How do you... wait until you're home to do that?"
>>180174Mala says:
"You can't really change your mind on who has what..."
The door is closed. It is unlocked.
>>180175"We put it all in a bag, and then we fight over the stuff in the bag when we're done with the mission." Posey says
>>180175Kira: "I imagine it's all on an honor system? Like, trusting everypony else to do what you would do and contribute the loot and money to a sort of central pile. Trust and honesty is very important to Harmony!"
Silver peaks through the doorway to make sure there aren't any hostile entities on the other side.
>>180176Kira: "Oh, I can watch after the bag and make sure everyone gets their fair share! That way we don't have to fight over stuff!"
>>180177"Just put it on the disk." Posey says, gesturing to her magical disk
Posey peaks behind silver
Note that Posey has Darkvision
>>180176Mala:
"Oh."
>>180177>>180178It is indeed dark, and not easy to see into the whole structure with just a peak
>>180179Does it
appear to be safe though, at least from where they are?
>>180180Nothing jumps out at them.
Literally nothing jumps at them.
>>180181Posey has her unseen servant push the door open as she readies her weapon for anything that might jump out anyway.
>>180181Silver enters cautiously, clearing the way for the rest of the group.
>>180183>>180182Kerosene lamp on the wall, paper on the floor, and a big table with a giant knife - functionally a sword - laying on it.
>>180184Posey goes up and examines the sword.
A raised portion of the roof allows some light in.
What is blatantly visible without a deeper search is a set of boxes and barrels in the back, stains on the floor, another table besides the one with the knife/shortsword on it which has an open notebook, a rack of knives with most missing, a few tools against the wall, and kerosene lamps on the wall. There is also a stove.
>>180185Blade length of eight inches and a wooden handle that is four inches. It's a single sided blade that seems more for slicing than stabbing.
>>180186"Looks like a butcher shop." Posey says
None of the items look fancy/magical, right?
Search check to check for anything interesting
[1d20+5 = (17+5) = 22] >>180186The raised portion of the roof, what does it look like exactly?
Silver checks the fuel level of the lamps. Kira investigates the boxes and barrels to see what they contain/used to contain.
>>180192"The prior inhabitants left in a hurry. They didn't even take this necklace with them. If the lamps still have fuel in them, that supports this notion."
>>180186>a rack of knives with most missing"Somepony took some, but not all of the knives. It could be that they took them as weapons when a fight broke out, like that ice pick we saw earlier."
>open notebookPosey opens the notebook.
>>180195>Opens the open notebookI mean Posey picks up the open notebook and reads it, starting with the page it is open to.
>>180145"One might expect hunters to have different types of spearheads, but wouldn't they be of similar material? I can't see the practical reasons for this collection.">>180157should've put points into appraise to know the origin of the coins or bills"A family crest? Perhaps one of the griffons was nobility. We should hold onto that as a clue.">>180176"Our goal right now is to resolve a conflict, not to create a new one," he says in a dismissive tone.
>>180195>>180207Cavaliere also looks at it, expecting to find either a ledger or the same language as before.
>>180192>raised roofA physically overlapping gap in the roof, presumably to allow the movement of air, with rolls of wool that can come down. The rolls are tied up.
A couple of the lamps are empty, two are half full.
The barrels seem to have an animal product in them
>>180188>MagicalProbably not
The pallets and barrels, aside from the tools, notebook, and lamps, are presumably the most interesting thing. Well, maybe the stains on the floor, which may be blood or body fluids.
>>180209>SpearheadsOne of the heads is clearly the broken tip of a larger blade. One is visibly corroded white and green. Another is chipped, and one is in pretty good condition, having been hammered and shaped well, with barbs at the bottom. Unlike the steel head, these do not have long, metal shafts.
>coinsCavaliere doesn't need to be a numismatist to recognize the portrait of Grover V on half of the coins.
>>180211What's in the notebook?
We should probably check the bottom of the barrels, in case any treasure was stashed beneath the animal product.
Just put a stick in there and poke around.
>>180211What kind of animal product?
Are we doing stuff tonight?
>>180213The first note, in a familiar style
"My Dear Ingrid,
No boat has come by in more than a month. You haven't gotten any of these in a month. Maybe I'll give them to you in person when the ship comes around. We don't have enough new blubber or furs to justify a ship coming by anyways.
Nils says he knows why Sørvik had us stay. He says he heard Sørvik talking to himself. He says that Sørvik owes a lot of money to griffins he shouldn't. I can believe it. Both the debt and the talking to himself. He gets drunk and locks himself in his cabin at night. He'll wear that damned crown, even though it does not fit his head. Nils has had enough of him, as has Ingerstad. I have had enough of him. I have had enough of Ingerstad and Nils as well. There's no more protesting of who will do their duties, but there's always an air of resentment. I suspect Nils has been through my things again. I have nothing he wants, anyways, besides by share, and he's not getting that. I should have gone back in November with the others. Two more weeks of eating seal meat every day and we are done for good, and I am back to you, my dear Ingrid.
Lovingly, Johan Bøkli"
Hastily written,
"Sørvik has gone mad. He's put on that damned crown and started muttering. He's not just drunk. I've seen in glowing with light. Damn Seapony crown is cursed. I am making a run for the boat. I am leaving here if I have to pilot it myself, to Hel with the consequences."
>>180214Looks like rendered fat, or oil.
>>180223Posey raises an eyebrow at the last part.
"I said sea magic is not to be taken lightly. It looks like their foolish leader was cursed or possessed, by an artifact they didn't even know how to use, too blinded by greed to save themselves." Posey says
"We know where most of them went now.... It's not impossible that Sørvik, or what's left of him, might still be haunting here... Be on guard." She continues, holding her halberd close
She brandishes the necklace
"This could be be a lion, but does it not also look like an Anzu demon? Sørvik might've shared his body with something nasty, attracted by the power of the sea crown."
>>180225"If the cursed Sørvik is still here, it's plausible that the Marines have already run into him. We should be careful.
>>180226Cavaliere turns to Posey.
"Do you know about these sort of spirits? What can you tell us about them?" >>180223>>180226Silver: "It seems like this Sørvik found out what Johan was doing and sabotaged boat before attacking him. That is my guess, at least. It is possible there was also mutiny, judging from blood everywhere and missing knives. I am not so sure of Sørvik becoming cursed with anything but madness. It sounds little bit like what our new friend Sea Stone was being affected by, but that could also have just been hypothermia."
Kira takes her spear, and pokes around in the fat/oil looking for anything that might by interesting at Posey's insistence.
>>180230Nothing, Nothing, Nothing, Something, Nothing.
Wait a minute. There's something in one of the barrels at the bottom.
>>180231Kira grimaces, before bringing up her tail, and sticking the end of it into the barrel of gross fat/oil.
Kira: "Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwww...grossgrossgrossgrossgrossgrossgrossgrossgrossgrossgrossgross..."
She does
not like how the substance feels on her tail.
She wastes no time feeling around for where she thought she felt the object. She looks like she could get sick before with an "aha!" she grasps the object with her tail and pulls it out.
>>180227>"Do you know about these sort of spirits? What can you tell us about them?"That's a good question.
Religion check
[1d20+11 = (7+11) = 18]>>180228"Leviathans live for centuries and are known to swallow treasures of power. The idea of Sørvik coming into contact with an unknown artifact isn't far fetched."
>>180231Posey helps with the search by using her unseen servant and horn to sweep the bottom and pull out whatever's inside.
>>180232Or not
>>180233Oh, I would also like to know Arcana, to see if I would know anything about such a crown.
[1d20+11 = (15+11) = 26] >>179000How much time has passed in the game since the red one's disappearance?
>>180232I was going to suggest just pouring out the rendered fat on the ground... but sure, that would work. Eventually. Once you've pushed it up against the side of the barrel and can fish it out.
It's a necklace, with pearls and a seashell
>>180235Cavaliere? He's still there. I think
>>180233What is the religion check on?
>>180234The specific crown is hard to say, as the exact culture it originated from is hard to say. But it isn't hard to imagine one being deliberately designed as a conduit of magic.
>>180233Silver: "I do not doubt that it was swallowed on accident by whale or 'leviathan' they hunted, and they found it as they carved whale up for meat and fat. I am just saying that curse that could be placed on it is likely just curse of madness, rather than anything like spirits taking over his body. I have heard of cursed objects like that before, whispering dark things into mind of those unfortunate enough to wear or wield them, like Helm of Shadows."
>>180235Does the red one you mention have "Star" in his name by any chance?
>>180237Silver: "Why did you not just pour out barrel to retrieve that? Or ask one of us to fish it out with our magic."
Kira sits there, with a tail covered in muck and holding a similarly mucky necklace, staring at him like a deer in headlights. "...I'm so dumb...can you get me a towel or something, please? I don't trust the water near that boat, what with all of the oil in the water."
Silver looks around for a towel, giving it to the poor lamia. She uses it to wipe up first herself, then her spear, then the necklace. Once it's clean, she inspects it closer.
>>180232"You don't need to do that, Kira. Let me help you." Posey says, as she reaches into the barrel with her magic.
>What is the religion check on?What Posey knows about the relevant sea spirits that Cavalier asked about.
>It's a necklace, with pearls and a seashell"Ooh, more jewelry!" Posey says
"..... That's the second piece of hidden jewelry in a row... Someone didn't want to share, but also didn't come back to claim it." Posey observes.
>>180237Gonna roll another Arcana check, to see if this necklace could be magical
[1d20+11 = (13+11) = 24] >>180241Very possibly. It looks to be of hippogriff design.
>>180240Are you asking about the lion on the other necklace?
>>180239Mala starts licking Kira's tail.
>The necklaceFour pearls, and a shell in the center on a thin, presumably silver necklace. The silver is not in good condition, and is corroded.
>>180242I thought I already asked about the lion and the answer was no.
As the licensed curse-checker, I will take the liberty of briefly placing the necklace on my neck to see if there's any magical power, before putting it in the plot bag.
>silverPosey cringes before she does this...
>>180242Kira: "Awww. I don't think being in this barrel has done this necklace much good..."
Silver: "Silver is not so hard to restore. With some hot water, baking soda, and polishing, we can make it as good as new."
Kira giggles at the feeling of Mala's licking. "T-that tickles!"
>>180243Not so fast, I believe Kira would like to try it on first. She
did go to the trouble of fishing it out of the barrel (even though she didn't have to).
>>180243poofIf it's magic, whatever it does is not immediately apparent
>>180244Okay. You risk the necklace of strangulation. Not like you need to breathe :3
>>180245Posey levitates it back to Kira.
>>180246>>180245Kira tries on the necklace, wishing she had a mirror with which to look in at the moment.
>>180235Although if you're talking about a certain
yellow pony... I don't believe he's formally disappeared
>>180247Kira suspects she may be pretty as a hippogriff. Or a seapony.
Anyways, it isn't clear what, if anything it does. Except look pretty. That, it does respectably well. Besides the corrosion. But it's a very pretty shell. It's easy to see why it was chosen for a necklace.
"It doesn't look like there's anything left hidden in this building. Whoever was hiding these treasures knew better than to put all their eggs in one basket. Let's search the remaining structures before we check the pier. With any luck, our colts will be sheltering in one one them."
Posey makes for the door.
>>180247Cavaliere looks over at the snakepony.
"It looks good on you, but we must find either those griffons or the ponies. There's not much daylight left."He follows Posey, moving past her to the next structure and opening the door for her.
>>180248>>180250>Kira suspects she may be pretty as a hippogriff. Or a seapony.Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...
Kira: "I'd like to at least wear this out, if you guys didn't mind! I think it looks pretty!"
Silver: "That it does. If you change your mind later, we can always add it to look pile."
>>180249>>180250Silver and Kira follow Posey, though Silver has his doubts that the Navy ponies would have made for this location. Still, exploring is nice. It brings him back to his days as a young novice adventurer.
>>180251"Go ahead and wear it. We'll divide it later."
>agreeing with yourself in-character for why you should have treaure
Beyond these structures are another two sets of whale bones in the ground, though these are much smaller than the leviathan bones from before
>>180251>>180250>>180249The penultimate structure is smaller wooden structure with a closed wooden shutter over a window
Opening it up, it is an outhouse
Yes, it has been used recently
>>180253Alright. Who's going to crawl into the outhouse to find the ultimate treasure stashed at the bottom?
>>180252scroonchI can't just not have them interact with each other. Besides, I have business plans for them.>>180253>>180254Kira: "EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW! I am
not sticking my tail in that, even if it has that crown inside!"
>>180253Cavaliere inspects the bones. Are they juvenile whales?
>>180254You have an unseen
slave servant.
>>180255Silver's nominal cohort looks up at him
>>180256Roll! Oh, wait, I could probably just use my Unseen Servant to get it.
>>180256Beat me to it.
Magic is nifty.
Posey uses her unseen servant to check the bottom of the outhouse.
>>180257Silver pets Mala. "Do not worry, I am not going to ask you to check outhouse. I will not ask you to do anything I would not do."
>>180257I guess I'll roll wisdom?
[1d20+3 = (11+3) = 14] >>180257This is a roll for a bone-fanatic
[1d20+5 = (13+5) = 18] >>180253Posey uses her unseen servant to check for treasure at the bottom of the outhouse.
I will have to sleep soon
>>180259Mala tilts his head
"What?"
>>180260No, adults of a much smaller species.
>>180261Probably Minke whale
>>180262At the bottom is....
An empty bottle, and a pistol
>>180264Silver: "Oh, I thought...nevermind. Just happy to have you here."
pet pet pet >>180264A masterwork, +1, splitting, explosive pistol?
>>180265Mala is pet pet pet>>180266No, but it is covered in shit.
>>180264>No, adults of a much smaller species."These were either killed separately, or the leviathan was defending the whale pod."
>>180267The unseen servant drops the pistol on the ground.
"Well, that is the last structure. The only thing left in sight is the pier, and the cliff. Let us check the ship first."
I must slumber
>>180268>Last StructureNo. There is another
>>180269But you can go to the boat instead
>>180270Let's save the boat for last, and go to the last standing structure.
>>180270Let's check the last structure before the board. I expect combat on the boat.
Let"a search it quick. My strength wanes.
>>180272>>180271This one definitely has no windows. It's bigger than the last.
The door is thick and does not open easily.
Inside...
Are big blocks of meat, blocks of ice, and in the fore, a box that has blood, coagulated but still mostly liquid pulled on top of it, beneath it, and in a trail to the door.
>>180273Cavaliere opens the box, bracing himself for what he might find.
>>180273>big blocks of meat"Food was left behind. Now we know for sure that the griffons didn't leave out of hunger."
>and in a trail to the doorLet's follow that trail and see if there's anything interesting in this room.
Search
[1d20+5 = (1+5) = 6] Okay, gonna sleep now. Somepony else can roll to find clues and treasure.
>>180275Posey slips on a set of blood near the door, and falls
>>180274Inside of the box is...
Two bags of salt. Curative salt. One bag has been opened and is mostly empty. There may have been a third.
>>180278Cavaliere scoops up some of the salt with a claw.
"It's salt. But perhaps we're closer to an answer." Should I get involved or should we wait for Posey's player to get back online?
>>179629Amber's curiosity gets the better of her.
"How many spells do you know? I know unicorns are the best at magic of all the creatures in the world, save for the Princesses themselves. I haven't seen that much magic here in Baltimare though, which has me curious." >>180281"What?" She looks down in evident surprise, and then back up and towards Amber, and briefly lifts her right hoof.
"Well, what would you call a 'spell'? Is mending a tear in a jacket a spell, or simply a particular exertion of telekenesis? And what of the ability to simply look at a young mare, and recognize what would work best on her when she visits the mountains, or her aunt and uncle in Dodge Junction, or what she wears to the school dance with the colt that asked her? Is that a 'spell'? Well, it's a, it's a knowledge more than anything. A kind of insight you need both talent and experience to execute properly."
>>180280See
>>180277 >>180282She blinks as she mulls High Sewn's explanation over, and ends up looking more confused than before.
"I never thought of it that way. I've read about magic in stories, but I ain't got a clue of what it really is. Is it really just experience and insight like any other task?" >>180283With a small smile
"Well, what is magic, anyways? With enough practice, maybe you could have it one day, too." She frowns looking at Amber
"Even though that jacket of yours says otherwise..." She lifts a hoof to her chin, staring at Amber inquisitively
"Hmmmm... Perhaps I should recommend some reading for you to do, to see if that helps."
>>180284The younger mare perks up at High Sewn's encouragement.
"I'd love to do some reading, but what about? And where would I find the books? I met this older mare who's in a sort of reading club, maybe I could join that…what sort of books do you like to read?" >>180285"There's magazines on the latest designs in Manehattan and Canterlot. Even Aquelia and Aris, though those are a bit less... communicative, nowadays. Books on the industry, the history of the industry, and especially on the materials themselves. Honestly, even reading a field manual on Army uniforms would do you some good.
As for me." She moves back as if leaning "I
do like to do a quite a bit of reading. Tales of Romance, stories of love lost, and spy thrillers... And I like to delve a bit into" staring into Amber's eyes and with a smug smile, as if confident that simply uttering the name of the following esoteric field of black magic would give her power
"Economics."
>>180286Amber wags her tail as she grins.
"Oh, oh, so do I! I love old stories about adventure and romance, and I've read a few of the newer ones about spies," she replies, tactfully refraining from mentioning how her coltfriend's mother disapproves of such stories and has likely kept them from him.
Her smile falters into a more awkward expression with the mention of the dismal field.
"I don't know much about economics, aside from knowing how to account for my own money and how to save and invest. I mean, it sounds like I ain't doin' a good job of it now with my current situation, but it'll get better…but you probably learn all about economics from bein' a business owner." >>180289Hmmmmmmmmmm
Last I remember, he shot up some mobsters. But he didn't seem to want to tag along to kill some communists and rescue downed airmen.
Unless....
>>180290"Really?" She raises an eyebrow in an unrestrained expression of disbelief. But she does not linger on that.
"Well, you learn more about economics being a business owner than being a demogauge,
I can tell you that."
>>180292"Heh." She looks away. "Yes, I suppose I do. And oh no. It's
so much worse."
>>180294"Ugh. No, it's all too real. It means a creature who looks to rile up ignorant mobs with empty rhetoric to exert her own will. Take for instance this last Mayor - Blessedly I'm blanking on the name, though I doubt that will last much longer - that nonsensical pony they let come in after Ash. He had this scheme of regulations and taxes and-"
Amber may have realized that she made a mistake here. Like cracking open a dam.
>>180295Amber visibly does not like it when Sewn gets into a tizzy.
"Um, I'm sure I have a lot to learn about politics too, but I'd like to know more about what books you read. It's much more interesting and pleasant." >>180296High Sewn looks over at Amber and scrunches
"Oh sure, let's look to fantasy instead of what directly affects us. Anyways..." She repositions herself.
"Are you looking for specific recommendations? Or just my most recent read? I assume you're not talking about the 1013 New Mareland Army Corp Field Uniform Manual."
>>180297She taps her hooves together.
"Um, either? I ain't picky. I don't mind reading anything, even uniform manuals. I'd actually be curious as to how fashion is different for those foreign cultures you mentioned." >>180298"Oh, they have their own traditions. Aquelia has long been a tendsetter. Certainly more so in griffin spheres than here in Equestria, but it would be false to say that looking across the ocean to griffin styles is a recent phenomenon. Aris is newer on the world stage, but their styles are tried and tested. But that's a whole other subject. As for books... I suppose my most recent book has been
When the Apricot Blossums Fall, a sort of coming of age and romance set in Somland, at around about the turn of the millennium. Not the best, mind you, but I
do recommend it."
>>180299"That sounds intriguing, and it's a beautiful book title. How did you find it?"Rolling for knowledge about where Somland is:
[1d20+6 = (2+6) = 8] >>180300Amber could not find it on a map
"There's a bookstore I frequent. The mare there will give me recommendations. That's how I found that one, anyways. There are also reviewers in the magazine who read and recommend books in their monthly reviews."
>>180277>Nopony rolled>>180278>slipBalance check (watch me roll another 1)
[1d20+6 = (20+6) = 26]>saltCheck the bottom of the salt bags for treasure.
>>180280You didn't have to.
>>180303Bwahahaha! Slippery surfaces are no match for my vampony hooves.
>>180289I really liked him and the adorable romance he had with Blue Skies and I also really liked his interactions with Lunar Nadir. I hope we get to see them again soon.
>>180277>>180278Search: Kira gives searching the building her best shot, hopefully while finding more traction on the floor than Posey.
[1d20+5 = (1+5) = 6] >>180306Are all of the search rolls going to be 1s?
Cavalier, Dust, pls help us.
>>180303>>180304Posey is able to use her talent at spreading her legs to regain balance on the slipper floor.
>>180306The floor is oddly slippery; Kira simply slithers in place
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sO2d90YedN0>>180306>>180303The floor appears to be covered in a thin layer of water that has frozen back over.
>>180307Yes.
>>180311>her talent at spreading her legsuwu
>Yes.I guess we could just spend several minutes here taking 20...
Posey helps Kira up.
>>180278Is there anything at the bottom of the bags?
Posey pokes around in the container of blood, looking for anything in it, and inspecting its quality.
>>180311>>180313Kira: "Reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" The snej slithers and flails along uselessly, unable to get any traction on the icy floor. With a bit of help, Kira's able to be pulled back out of the building with Posey and Silver's help. She thanks both creatures for their help, but pouts and crosses her forelegs as she's unable to come inside to help with the search. Silver
is able to come inside, however. If Mala can come inside despite the icy floor, Silver looks over to his fellow fluffy friend.
Silver: "This may be weird question, but...can you tell what kind of creature blood came from through scent or some other manner? I will admit part of me is curious if blood belongs to all of this meat or...something else."
>>180319"Yes, I can, actually."
Posey smells the blood to determine it's origin, as she's stirring through it for hidden treasure.
Garv's player will not be available tonight. I think the same is true of Dust.>>180315Yes.
Salt. Curative salt.
>>180320Uh huh...
>>180319>Can Mala come inHe has paws that would give him better traction, but at the same time, let's see if the Nat 1 trend continues.
Mala
"I think... maybe... I can try"
[1d20 = 9] >>180321If they're not available, we should refrain from going to additional areas, lest they miss combat.
>>180322"Did you find anything, big guy?"
>>180324The location of encounters can change
>>180325>>180323>>180319Posey is a necrologist, but Mala is an evolved carrion eater. If anycreature can use the sense of smell to sniff out the subtle differences between blood and corpses, it's Mala
Mala:
"Griffin... I think."
>>180326Posey knows what griffon blood smells like. She had it just last week.
"Why would there be a container of griffon blood there? This isn't proper medical storage. It could only logically be for sacramental, or to be fed to some monster..." She appears confused, despite the comforting familiarity of the sight
"Something weird is going on. And something weirder is being planned. Whoever left this here did so for a reason."
>>180326Silver: "That is...oddly enough what my suspicious were going to be."
Kira, from outside: "They bled a griffon
dry!?!?!? Who would do such a thing!?"
Silver: "And more to point, who does it belong to?"
The blood appears coagulated, right? Could it be hiding something under the surface, such as was the case with the barrel of oil and the outhouse?
>>180328>Who would do such a thing"Vampires, ghoul merchants, cultists, demons, evil wizards, alchemists, the list goes on." Posey says
"The real question is why. For what purpose would they want this enough to store it here?"
Her gripe here polearm
"I have a hunch that whoever left it here might come back for it. Stay alert."
>>180329Kira, from outside: "Are you talking about
blood magic!? But that's, like, the most evil kind of magic there is! Who would be foolish or mad enough to think of trying it!? There's so heavy a price to be paid for using it!"
Silver: "Should we...dump it out? If it
is intended for something like blood magic, should we not deny them its use?"
>>180330"I'm more interested in seeing what they were thinking of doing."
>>180327Having an adequate number of receptors in the nasal cavity and brain to process food of smell isn't the same thing as familiarity... But nevermind that
>>180329>>180330>>180328>>180327Clarification:
The blood is not inside of a container. It is in two pools, which is to say, on top of, a wooden box/crate that was later found to contain bags of salt, and on the floor, next to the box, as well as in a smaller trail going to the door.
The amount of blood on the floor and on the crate is not as much as fits in a griffin, nor even necessarily fatal
The blood is coagulated, yes
>>180332Ohhhhhh, okay, that clears things up. Well, it's definitely a lot easier to dig through salt to see if it contains anything rather than a container of blood.
>>180332Oh
"Looks like a griffon was wounded in this room, and either limped their way out the door, or was dragged. Same as with the ice pick."
Are there footprints that could tell us more of the situation?
>>180333I thought we already checked the salt bags?
Anyway, I have to sleep. We can have the others roll checks to discover hidden compartments later.
>>180307Cavaliere indeed checks the salt bags and anywhere else that could be a hiding place.
[1d20+2 = (13+2) = 15]>>180313We don't have that much time.
>>180321I'm late but available now
>>180327"A griffon driven to the depths of madness can do many frightful things. So can one with a cold reason." >>180334If the blood left claw prints, it has since been disturbed by hooves, paws, claws, and especially the giant reptile. The blood looked undisturbed at first save for a claw print, but it's hard to say.
>>180336Inside the salt is only a piece of the bag evidently ripped off, and a single droplet of blood.
>>180339What about Nadir?
>>180337Oh, can Kira or Silver tell which direction the blood trail seems to be coming from?
>>180339Nadir is not a zigger, she just happens to have stripes
>>180336>>180337It looks like we've exhausted everything in this room, so we can move onto the pier next.
>>180342"All that is left is the pier. Be wary of the spilled fuel."
>>180337Can we get a description of what we can see about the ship from the outside?
Outside, the fog has rolled back in, and visibility has gone down significantly, perhaps 100 ft.
>>180345She does really enjoy watermelon. Thats a bat pony food, right?
>>180340The blood came from the direction of the door.
>>180344Th fog obscures much that was visible only minutes before. However, from what can be remembered of the first glances, as well as what can be seen through the fog, the boat is approximately 70 feet in length, probably wooden hulled, has a raised and pointed bow with a black hull, a wooden deck (except in areas of the rear deck that seem to be covered in metal), a cabin raised above the deck with a faded white-painted wall, concentrated in the front half of the vessel, a mast after the cabin with a long, metal beam, which implies an intended use as a trawler, and a long, reset deck that takes up half the length of the vessel. The vessel is sunken in the shallow water, with the deck still just above the waterline.
>>180346>approximately 70 feet in length,Alright. This makes for close-quarters combat, but still enough room to charge. Melee characters may have the advantage, if they play their cards right.
Posey makes way towards the pier, walking slowly, so as not to give her position away. She has her polearm drawn.
>>180346It's late close to evening, and there's thick fog, so we should have cover to approach, especially with the sand of the beach covering our good steps.
Can we see any lights from the ship as we approach?
>>180346Kira slithers along the pier, staying low and using the fog to help conceal herself.
Hide:
[1d20+14 = (14+14) = 28]Move Silently:
[1d20+14 = (11+14) = 25]Silver follows suit and creeps along the pier, though his heavy flak jacket hampers his movements somewhat and it's only due to his natural dexterity that he is able to maintain an average level of stealth expected of a pony in the fog.
Hide:
[1d20-1 = (1-1) = 0]Move Silently:
[1d20-1 = (9-1) = 8] Hide [1d20+9 = (2+9) = 11]
Move Silently [1d20+9 = (15+9) = 24]
>>180353Why didn't I just take 10?
At least I have cover bonus.
I know we are getting to something important, but my availability will be intermittent>>180351Kira is surprisingly stealthy.
Silver is able to fluff up, show off his massive muscles, his great height, his now healed scars, and his luscious mane. All of the mares will surely fall for him now. Wait, was he trying to be stealthy? Well still.
https://youtu.be/fdyLiTvEFPo?si=LOAaz9cNePrh9Lux>>180354Roll will save to avoid being passively seduced by Silver’s “”””stealth””””
>>180355Well, luckily they shouldn't be able to see us if we can't see them.
Will
[1d20+9 = (2+9) = 11] >>180355>I know we are getting to something important, but my availability will be intermittentDoes intermittent mean we're still doing stuff tonight?
>>180345>>180358Maybe, but do not expect combat tonight.
>>180357Are you
sure?
>>180359Alright. Do we get to the boat without issue?
>>180356>>180355I do believe (with Posey's player's permission) that she might have fallen for the floof.
>>180346Cavaliere likewise sneaks onto the pier and stops just next to the hull. He listens for sounds of movement within the ship.
Hide:
[1d20+3 = (16+3) = 19]Move silently:
[1d20+11 = (6+11) = 17]Listen:
[1d20+3 = (15+3) = 18]>>180351A zero is very bad, and very funny.
>>180361Never assume anything from a
femme fatale >>180360There is but one issue: the
beast of a unicorn near Posey, whose imposing height, muscles, and dashing mane leave quite the impression…
But they are not shot at nor attacked by a monster as they approach, if that is what you are asking.
>>180359>>180357Pic related
>>180362It is indeed very funny. A -5 Armor Check Penalty makes for funny situations.
>>180360>>180363unintentionally seductive floof noises >>180361>"Hmmm, what a specimen. I bet he will look a lot better when he's dead... Yes, he will do nicely..."Posey glances back at Silver, with a look of interest
>>180363Posey attempts to board the main deck.
>>180364You know you could have ridden the Floating Disk to auto-pass the Move Silently check.
>>180365Okay, Posey said that out loud.
>>180362Cavaliere hears a kind of tapping, and a movement of water.
He turns to the others.
"Tapping and a flow of water. This ship is still flooding, and there could be a griffon inside."
If the ship is stable, Cavaliere climbs up the side himself before turning and assisting Posey.
[1d20+4 = (10+4) = 14]
>>180366No, greentext was to imply internal monologue.
>>180365I did not know that, but it was funnier this way.>>180365>>180366Well, just in case she
didn't just talk out loud about wanting to turn Silver into an undead servant, the strapping young unicorn flashes a charming smile back at Posey. He offers to help the mare into the boat, giving her a boost before making the climb himself.
Climb:
[1d20-1 = (19-1) = 18]Kira is a bit too heavy to be helped up into the boat like the others, but she uses her own natural abilities as a lamia to make the climb herself.
Climb:
[1d20+7 = (18+7) = 25] >>180370>>180369>>180367Okay, the ship is sunken at its dock. It’s actually lower than the pier, not higher.
But those are some fine climbing rolls
>>180371Cavaliere looks for the cabin's door and tests to see if it's unlocked.
>>180371Perhaps instead of climbing
up the boat, they represent the party climbing
into the boat, such as maintaining balance and avoiding falling into the oily waters below?
>>180371Okay then, what do we see once we get on the boat?
>>180373Sure
>>180372It’s partly open
>>180374The deck of the boat is wet. The boat has a visible port-side list (the port side of the boat is… well, docked at port. This is the side of the boat closest to the party as they enter from the pier). The deck is more or less clear, with two features notable: a steel grate has been moved to expose an empty stainless steel hold near the stern of the boat. It’s not exactly empty, as it has sea water in it and is mostly filled, but it doesn’t have non-water items in it. Second, a flare gun is next to the port-side gunwale in the middle of the rear deck. The cabin door is partly open. There are no lights on. The beak that extends from the mast is tilting to port, and comes kind of close to touching the pier.
>>180375Silver goes to check the flare gun, seeing if it's loaded or not. Kira checks to see if there are any tracks or other signs pointing towards a griffon having been on board in the recent past...well, a griffon besides Cavaliere, at least.
>>180375>Second, a flare gun is next to the port-side gunwale in the middle of the rear deck.Posey moves up and examines it.
I'd it loaded? Has it been fired?
>The cabin door is partly open.She walks into the room.
>>180376>>180377It’s loaded. Unfired.
Nothing stands out, save for a smell of deisel fuel that implies a leak.
>>180378Is there anywhere else aboard the ship that we haven't searched?
Posey walks along the whole ship.
"What happened here..? Were they attacked by something?"
>>180378Silver feels like it's probably a good idea to remove the flare from the flare gun before pocketing them both.
Kira: "I'd think it would be sinking a lot more badly if it was attacked. Maybe sabotage? It sounded like the leader of this village was going a bit crazy. Maybe he made sure no one could get off the island? I wouldn't try to start the boat or anything like that, though. Who knows what he might have set up with all of this leaking fuel and oil." Kira looks over the edge of the boat, sad at the amount of oil that swirls around it in the water. "Poor water creatures...I can't imagine how badly this is all poisoning the local marine ecosystem..."
>>180380"Sabotaged how though...?" Posey says
"Still no bodies... It seems as though they escaped. Perhaps they flew off, trying their luck flying over the sea, or perhaps they're still somewhere on the island..."
>>180381Kira: "Well, it's a boat, right? Poke a few holes here, cause a few leaks there...it's definitely leaking fuel and oil really badly. And who knows what kinds of traps could have been set up before this village was abandoned? Maybe he made it so the boat would
explode if anyone tried to leave the dock with it?"
>>180380>>180382>Silver feels like it's probably a good idea to remove the flare from the flare gun before pocketing them both."Evening draws near... We'll need to find our colts soon."
"If Sørvik is truly here, it's likely that he's gone mad, thinking of himself as a king, and this island as his kingdom. It's a deluded, but simple mindset. Perhaps we could use that to our advantage..." Posey
She looks towards the cliff from which Mended Horn gets it's name
"Ideal place for a 'throne', isn't it? You could look down from there and see anything on the island. If Sørvik is still alive, i would bet that's where he's perched." she says
"I have a feeling that if we find Sørvik, we'll find our colts too. Afterall, the 'King' of the island would know of invaders in his kingdom. Perhaps we should meet him there..." She pauses
"Or perhaps, we should draw him out to us... With a declaration that he would see even through the fog."
She looks towards the flare, then towards the spilled oil
>>180383Silver follows Posey's gaze towards the flare and the spilled oil. The cogs quickly turn in his mind.
Silver: "Hmm...that is not terrible idea, actually. It is not as if we have what is needed to fix this boat to sail away, anyways. And it could serve secondary purpose of drawing Stalliongraders to this village and away from our ponies."
Kira: "As long as we get far away from this ship, first. I really don't want to be set on fire."
>>180384"We may lose the element of surprise, but it could be worth it just to see who shows up."
>>180385Silver: "That is true...it is not bad idea, though I do have concerns now that I think on it. Even with what I just said, we could possibly attempt to jury rig repairs to refloat it and sail away from island with our ponies on board. Not much effort was put into sinking it if it is still floating. And I do not have good experience when fire is involved in mission...what does rest of us think?"
Cavaliere enters the cabin and looks around, starting at the top. He elects to give up the element of surprise within the boat by yelling belowdecks and listening for a reply. If there aren't survivors, no problem. If there are, there's no time to be lost.
"Sørvik? Bøkli? Nils? Ingerstad? We're here to help you out. Make some noise if you can hear me."
Listen: [1d20+3 = (7+3) = 10]
I really should have distributed my skillpoints better
Can we pick up where we left off with my character, Virgin Flame, or has that ship sailed? It's completely understandable if it has but I'd thought I asked if nothing else. Had a desire to pick it up. ^^
>>180388Hi Sven! It's good to see you again, and it'd be great to have you rejoin!
>>180389Aww, thank you. ^^
Back when I was around, I'm pretty sure your character didn't exist. But that was a while ago, so I assume it's not new either. ^^
>>180390I also play Amber but I don't know if you were around when she was. There's only a little bit of recollection for who Virgin Flame was and I don't think she was in the game for very long.
>>180391Hehe, she wasn't. Like two sessions or something at most. That you recall at all is pretty impressive I'd say. ^^
>>180388>>180389>>180392Hello! Of course you can come back.
The last post to Virgin Flame was
>>151664 →, where she had decided she would go looking for the head of a statue, presumably lost to a river.
Not that you’d have to pick up literally immediately from there, but that is what was happening.
>>180395>Hello! Of course you can come back.Aww, thanks. ^^
Also, don't put much thought into my character's plot line cause, we all know that I'm not know for stability. We'll try to this and if it fails, know that isn't not you, it's me.
>where she had decided she would go looking for the head of a statue, presumably lost to a river. Heh, you found that. I know you used ctrl+f but still you'd need to find the right thread. That's pretty big. Impressive.
>Not that you’d have to pick up literally immediately from there, but that is what was happening.Yeah, but we can pick up from there. I actually remember the story pretty well so far, probably cause very little else happened with that character.
Though, I don't remember if she had some actual leads or what, but I know she's suppose to jump in the river for some reason so let's just do that.
>Virgin makes her way down towards to river. >When she reaches the river's edge she pulls off he awesome cloak, folds it neatly, and places it down on the "bleach".>She jumps high into the air as if flung by a trampoline and then she was kinda slow. >She was suppose to dive down head-first but she lands belly first instead. >Shucks!Is that okay?
>>180396I remembered that much of the plot line. Also search helps.
>Jumps into the river, belly floppingKek
The water is cold. At least it isn’t freezing. It has some tint of swamp water, farm, factory, and city run off, and isn’t exactly something you’d want to get in your mouth.
Roll Swim (strength modifier)
>>180395Before I blow it up, can we confirm that this ship isn't in a state that it could be fixed within a single day?
We already have the Swan Boat token to escape with.
>>180403Thats also highly susceptible to dispel magic
>>180404It's a 12th CL item, and there have been glaringly few spellcasters in this mileau, let alone ones that can cast third level spells and also reliably hit a DC 23 Dispel check.
A character that could dispel the Swan Boat could sink a nonmagical ship any by other means.
It's still a hazard worth considering, but idk about repairing this boat. We need to get out of here before tomorrow morning, because the cold may kill the Marines, so it's unlikely that we would have time to fix this ship anyway.
>>180398>It has some tint of swamp water, farm, factory, and city run off, and isn’t exactly something you’d want to get in your mouth.Virgin immediately gets a mouthful that she shallows in the chaos of sinking into the cool riverbed.
Ugh. I wonder if this stuff will kill me?----------------------------------I can't find her sheet. I think I posted it in that thread so if you seen it, you can link it. You don't need to look for it mind you, I can't even be bothered with that myself. So I'm just gonna take the PhB starting mold for monks and use it for her instead. You might need to correct me, since it's not a matter of if I make a mistake in character creation and more of a question of when.
But anyway, I'll use pic related
I don't mean for there to be blue underlining in the screenshot. as my mold, try to apply the "level up" till level 5 and then also use the method of standard array for the ability scores and we'll see where we end up
What numbers should my standard array that I'll use be of? Just as an example, pic 2 have different array's to choose from.
>>180408Actually, I will take my time to make a proper sheet. ^^
>>180405Fair. Have the marines been located yet?