In the far-off, northern island of Mended Horn, the party there has learned that they face an enemy they have dubbed "The Traveller." They have decided to go to an old, abandoned village there in hopes of rescuing some communist sailors.
In Baltimare, Dark Star tries to get things in order, while Virgin Flame looks for her old friend.
312 replies and 18 files omitted.
>>185144Kira: "Thank you!"
Kira similarly takes the offered vial and drinks its contents greedily.
[2d8 = 9] >>185142Posey reiterates that Even mind controlled subjects retain some of their emotions - in this case, a fear of being constricted by a large snake.
I trust my frustration wont be begrudged when I say Brie will resume his apparently 90' of necessary elevation
>>185146Smiling at the snakepony, he answers,
"Let's get this marine tied up for now. Silver, go talk to the survivors and make sure they're alright. Mala and Brie, keep watch along the perimeter."He undertakes several actions. First, he ties up the last prisoner
I do want to know how much rope it takes. I'd guess 5 feet per pony if we're generous, and of course blinds and deafens him. Second, he goes to the party's rear to bring up the veritable entourage they have now of griffons and captured ponies (who would have to be hauled since they are unconscious and/or tied up) into the village's perimeter. Finally, he returns to his hiding spot and folds up the camouflage net to pack away to be used again.
>>185149Silver: "Hmmmmm...okay, this might be longshot, but...could we use that as way to free him from Traveler's influence? He is still there inside, he is even able to act on his own outside of Traveler's commands. He just needs to summon his own inner will to fight it off."
>>185146>>185151Kira's wound heals itself very quickly thanks to the potion. While she's still hurt, she looks to be in much better shape now that she no longer has an entire chunk missing out of her.
Mala whimpers. He is not only bleeding, but still has a quill stuck in his flesh
>>185151"Okay..." Mala answers.
Cavaliere succeeds in tying up the prisoner. He still moves about but can be blinded and partly deafened.
>>185152Posey would definitely try to see if the application of enough fear effects causes the mind control to fail.
Unless it says in some book somewhere that fear effects don't do that, then she wouldn't
Oh ffs. Brie amends his ascent to try and help Mala with his wounds, in that Brie knows about fleshwounds.
[1d20-1 = (11-1) = 10] healing
>>185153Silver goes over to his poor injured friend. He gives him some pets.
Silver: "Here, let me see if I can not help you with that. I need you to stay still while I try to heal you, okay?"
I do think it would be a valid experiment to see if we can stir the pony's will to fight off the Traveler's influence.
>>185153He's not likely to leave with a DC 29 check.
"Dust! We need your expertise over here!" he calls out to the stalwart cleric.
Is he still here?Also still no info on the amount of used rope scrunch >>185157Depending on the gauge, it only takes 2-3'of rope to bind somepony, and if in a daisy chain, however much length between them
Do we seriously have a prison caravan by now? Are we the baddies?
Dust gave me permission to use his character to help with Heal checks, so let's see...
[1d20+13 = (20+13) = 33]
>>185160Thats fine, I didnt want to try to do anything to ight
>>185161Most of the other party will be busy, but you can search the different buildings of this old village.
>>185155D'awww
Mala licks at Brie
But Brie does not succeed in removing the quill
>>185156Mala is pet
"Okay"
>>185160Dust expertly removes the quill and stops the bleeding, applying disinfectant and bandages.
Mala smiles
>>185159That's not a bad idea actually
>>185162What a great idea!
Suddenly overcome with a ravenous sensation of greed, Brie will search around for valuables
searching first for traps and hazards Including traps that are traps but are not yet traps So something involving an explosive charge or.payload would qualify before then looking for valuables Cuz commies have valuables,...
>>185167Roll SearchBrie can see that there are three or four ponies inside of the central ruined house, and there is a piece of bright, reflective metal lying on the ground 30 feet away from the house, to the right of where the party came from
>>185168Anyways, after hugging Mala, Silver goes over to talk with the survivors.
Silver: "Ладно, все в порядке? Кто-нибудь ранен?"
>>185169Damn. Impressive
A fuller account of the medieval village and what's in it will not likely be availed until tomorrow, but for now, know that the survivors are in one house, and a metalic something is on the ground 30 feet away
>>185164>>185171Mala is huggedMala smiles. Even if he is down 11 HP
A purple pony head peaks out from a window
"Да-да. Мы истекаем кровью и нездоровы. Шепчущая Ива истекает кровью, а Соляной Спрей, я думаю, может быть мертв." -
"Yes, yes. We are bleeding out and not well. Whispering Willow is bleeding out, and Salt Spray I think may be dead. >>185174>my nat 20 doesnt include the shinyWhy does my nat 20 not include the shiny? Are u making me roll separate for the shiny?
>>185175The metallic object is shiny
>>185176Tell.me about the fucking shiny
>>185174Shit, not good. Silver calls over Dust to help with patching up the wounded before anyone dies.
[1d20+13 = (6+13) = 19] >>185180Assuming it doesnt conflict with the fucking shiny, Brie tosses Silver the potion Dust gave him (no, he never drank it)
"Its a 2d8. I was contemplating drinking half of it and got "distracted"
Cavaliere checks up on the griffons who had stayed behind. He talks to Bøkli in particular. "Are you alright? Did anything come over this way?"
>>185180Silver goes into the house, presumably, to see that there is a pegasus stallion with a royal purple coat and black mane, a unicorn with a mulberry coat and white mane, both wounded but conscious, a tan earth pony lying down with a brown mane, and then a mint green pegasus with a yellow mane sitting back against the wall, head slumped down and in a pool of blood. There is a radio in the room, and bullet marks on the walls. The unicorn wears a hat or headdress made out of kitchen wrapping.
>>185179It's twelve inches across, has ripples, and honestly kind of looks like metallic foil.
>>185183"Yes..." His eyes dart around
"What is going on?"
>>185184Shit. Is the mint green pegasus alive?
>>185184Okay, this is exactly the dragging out I was trying to avoid.
Is it dangerous(check?), what the fuck is it(check?). What am I rolling, just say it.
>>185184"I don't think you would believe it if I told you. What's important is that the village up ahead is safer than out here. Help me get these wounded soldiers up there.">>185186The more drawn out it is, the more valuable it'll probably be.
>>185187I swear to god,... if its tin foil
>>185186It is, simply put, a set of tin foil, folded several times into... a hat?
>>185189It's tin foil
>>185190Wow, you didnt realize you could perceive steam coming off of a player, through their character.
Goodnight
>>185190>>185185Whelp, I suppose nothing to it other than to make the mint pegasus drink the potion and pray that they're still alive.
>>185192A hacking sound and a movement of the head.
>>185194Silver: "О, слава Селестия..."
Okay, with the worst one of the group taken care of, Silver takes account of the rest of the survivors. Is the tan earth pony wounded, or are they just laying down?
>>185195Very seriously wounded, with gashes on his belly
Brie shoots the fucking tin foil, cuz his player will be up until everyone wakes up again,...
This is how I johnny-on-the-spotted when on staff btw, it was insomnia
[1d20+8 = (11+8) = 19]
>>185199PopThe sound of the supressed gunshot piercing the fluid trap - something Ive been waiting this entire time to describe - sounds much more like a very loud clapping of hooves than gunfire. Despite this, Brie can be seen to wince even though the sound suppression and (for those who recall/noticed) his ear protection.
>>185197Heal: Okay, definitely the first pony who needs to be given the zeeb treatment.
[1d20+13 = (8+13) = 21] >>184962 →Flashback: part 1
During the walk there, the thought of potentially meeting Hope's again spikes Vir's nerves. A memory comes to mind.
She's panting and her breath has created a wet patch on the floor.
Just one more, she thinks and lowers herself down to the floor on her front hooves while her back legs remain up on her bed. She stops there and feel the wetness of the patch on her cheek. Then, she slowly, on shaky hooves, push herself back up. After a snail has travel to Fillydephia and back she reaches the apex of her push, only to immidately collapse and fall down on the floor.
"Owie," her lanky filly self says as she hits her head against the floor. She rubs her snout off the pain.
She lay strewn about on the floor. Her eyes were shut as she panted away; her chest expanding and depleting over and over again.
"You know it's dangerous to leave yourself open like this," a filly voice whispered into her ear.
She glanced back and saw a brown-red filly pegasus with a mischievous grin on her face. Then she felt the barest of touches on her toned belly. Her eye darted down. A pair of wings with their feathers aimed down towards her exposed stomach like the two large hands of a boogeyman, though she wondered what a man was lmao.
She gasped and her face contorted into one of fear. Her gazed moved over to the filly. The filly's ends of her lips zigzagged away over her cheeks.
"Tickle tickle tickle," the filly said as she pounced with her feathery appendages.
Vir curled in on herself; moving her hooves to cover her abdomen but in doing so, she leaves her neck unguarded and the pegasus filly is quick to switch target.
Apologies, my lack of sleep and stupid week finally caught up to me. My throat no longer feels like I did some amateur sword swallowing with broken glass to wash it down though.
Looks like Dust was helping Silver with the survivors.
>>185202Dust nods at his works and moves on to the other ponies in the room. He looks to stabalize thr dying or unconscious, or dress grevious wounds.
[1d20+13 = (6+13) = 19] Purple
[1d20+13 = (4+13) = 17] Mulberry
[1d20+13 = (20+13) = 33] Mint
Dust works silently
>>185206Yay! I'm glad to hear it pony! Zeeb? One or the other.
>>185197With Dust taking care of the wounded, Silver addresses the still conscious ponies in the room. "Простите меня за то, что я хочу затронуть ваши проблемы, но... что, черт возьми, здесь произошло?"
>>185072>Brie's bravery and tacticsIt looks like hes fired 4 shots, and since we're idle for the moment hes gonna go ahead and manually reload, pocketing the spent brass.
"I dont know what came over me. Its as though suddenly I wasnt myself and couldn't think of the very things I was about to do. I'm glad to have been useful, but in hindsight thats some of the worst strategy Ive ever displayed. Imagine, me, not thinking to go fpr a sneak attack! Preposterous!"
"For example, did you know that when NOT trying to be stealthy all that is required for me to ALWAYS sneak attack is flanking, even with ranged weapons? It's true, ALL of my attacks could have been sneak attacks. I'm not gonna drag it out,... it just seems odd I wouldnt think of it."
>>185209>>185211Is sneak attack not what the 5d6 in
>>185030 is?
Acknowledged, this was the only hit I noticed
>>185071>>185209Cavaliere likewise reloads the spent cartridges in his revolver.
>>185213At least you got a hit in. The only damage Cavaliere had done was the knockout punch against the final sailor.
>>185214Fair. Again to reiterate, its no one's "fault", and my frustration is with the clusterfuck of colliding circumstances.
But even getting 2(?) hits is less satisfying if its unaccompanied by a badass narration ._.
>>185211>The second shot, the one that actually landed, could have been a sneak attack, especially as the way in which it was described performed was by turning around and attacking the Abomination from behind, which would have placed him opposite from Kira, the direction the Abomination was facing, and thus given him flankingWe can't say it was Brie's best night
>>185215Hey! The super cool narrations are for critical, sneak attacks, and kill hits
>>185209The first one was sneak attack. It just didn't beat the natural armor.
>>185206Dust applies disinfectant and bandages to the purple and mulberry ponies, but his best work is on the mint pony, whom he applies makeshift, internal stitches to. All three ponies have gashes, cuts, and what seems to be bit marks, as well as bullet wounds in a few instances. All four seem to be stabilized for now.
>>185202Silver disinfects the wound and applies bandages.
>>185188"Uh, alright." He turns back and yells something to the other griffins
Sorry I skipped the last round. I'm sick, and Rosey doesn't have very many non-lethal attacks.
Well, she has her blackjack, but still.
>>185174>a metalic something is on the ground 30 feet awayOoh, a shiny.
Surely, an encounter this epic with so many fearsome monsters has at least standard treasure for its cumulative CR.Rosey Ring commands her unseen servant and her Dreads to aid with post-encounter cleanup and any other tasks they might need. She is somewhat disappointed that there are no beautiful cadavers left over after the fight.
"In all of my studies, I have only ever heard of one creature who could summon so many monsters in a day: Zceryll, the Alienist. She was a mighty Sorceress who dabbled with the horrors from beyond the stars and was able to conjure unlimited monsters, but her greed and hubris got the better of her and since she was in the end unable to control her powers, it controlled her, and the same aliens that she summoned turned her into a monster, who to this day still seems to return to the world... My master told me of her before he cast me into the Cerebrosic, and I swore that the fate of Zceryll would not be my own... My Gloomy is fascinated in her story though..."
She looks to the spot where the abomination fell, as if trying to discern its shape
"If the Traveller is anything like the aliens that Zceryll made contact with, it is a greater threat to this world than any in the past century. It will warp the minds and bodies of every creature and even the land itself until nothing is left but its ugliness, and deformed two-headed beasts like the one we just met will be the most comely of the sort."
She looks up to the stars
"We unicorns have always looked to the stars and as our wellspring of magic, for bending fate is the basis of sorcery, but just as we control the cosmos, they control us."
>>185218>The super cool narrations are for critical, sneak attacks, and kill hitsOkay false, all my narrations are cool, besides which Ill allow for having neglected to mention cheeky banter as a must during combat
>best nightWhich part? Dozing off at THE worst time or being up since and likely to repeat >_<
>>185218Posey searches for treasure.
She loots the unconscious soldiers, looking for any magic items, potions or talismans they might have been issued
>>185221>treasureHey, dont try to kike anything until.my nat20 search gets resolved
I should be available through tonight again.
>>185218Cavaliere observes the griffons' reactions as he leads them into the village.
Once he finishes with the aforementioned tasks
GM, how much rope did I use? I need it for my weight calculations he approaches Dust.
"You showed remarkable courage out there and that fight would have been much harder without you. I should have brought an elephant gun, because unfortunately my revolver only tickled that thing. How are we on medical supplies?">>185225The rope is a calculation of how many bitches we got minus one, times roughly 8' (x-1)x8'
Oh yeah, Brie takes back his hoofcuffs and offers Garv his mana les back.
"So heavy, you really should invest in finer hardware."
>>185229After a moments consideration, Brie observes a similar ratio of size increase in Cavaliere's choice of firearms so he mentally acknowledges that it makes sense for a griffin compared to a bat
>>185181>>185196These posts were never acknowledged, so Brie will retrieve the potion which presumably bounced off Silver's chest and landed in the grass
I guess I will roll search
[1d20+5 = (4+5) = 9]
>>185219If you offer symptoms I could try to offer advice, but otherwise hope you recover
Brie however is VERY interested in this line of dialogue. He thinks for a moment.
"Perhaps a moment could be taken to examine that strange tiara from before; Carefully. It may provide additional clues and insight perhaps? The presence of so strange an object in the vicinity of so terrible a force hardly seems a coincidence, even at face value."
>>185225Dust shurgs
"Supplies we have many
For now it should be plenty"
>>185236Oh the potions. I thought you meant like the medkits.
Dust rummages around and hoofs over a potion. As far as I'm aware kira is the only one who's used one, so we've got 3 left. You have one, Brie has one, and I guess Dust has the last?
Ive been meaning to ask of Brie could drink HALF the 2d8 potion,....
>>185238He immediately drinks his, as he is down to 14 hp.
[2d8 = 10] Wait, Silver gave that one potion to the minty pony. We're down to two. If Brie has one the grif has the other.
>>185240Okay, so now only Brie has a potion, I'm pretty sure I've used a healing kit on everyone today so I can't use it on anyone again. So we're down to my last few spells
>>185184Rosey greets the survivors the same way she greets all living humanoids: with the charming gaze of her eyes.
Will DC 19
She does this as an ice-breaker for Silver to negotiate with them.
>>185190>tin foilIs there any other treasure here?
Gonna roll arcana, to see if the tinfoil hat can actually make its bearer immune or resistant to the mind control of The Traveller.
[1d20+11 = (6+11) = 17]Such as the cap of a lead-lined breastplate that the schizophrenic Barbarians in Dragon #348 wore.
>A thin layer of soft lead added to the interior of this breastplate (and often to a skullcap as well) helps protect the mountain ghosts from divinations and mind-affecting enchantments. This armor provides a +1 circumstance bonus on saving throws made to resist such spells. Im gonna hope since that was an OOC dice roll it didnt count, cuz otherwise Brie is actually at 16 health AFTER the fucking potion
[2d8 = 6]
>>185251 →Actually, I think this would be a more fitting option. I know I said nothing needed redress, but that was before Brie was returned to me mostly dead
>>185219If Cavaliere overhears this, he replies, "This is a threat unlike any of the various scoundrels and murderers I have encountered. It has a hideous nature, but other than that it is finite in power and vulnerable. It can bring in only a few reinforcements every so often and because of that it hasn't been able to overwhelm us. If we strike the ship, quickly, we can kill its creatures and then deal with it directly."
>>185252Would you like Brie to be used with the least risky tactics possible, similar to how Cavaliere was fighting?
>>185255Negative, because the least risky tactics possible require MY understanding of how to best utilize his dodge bonuses, tumbling, feints, etc. Posey has the knowledge but (no offense) not the appreciation of Brie's current and trending-toward mindset. I wouldhave that he become a non-targrtable vegetable than risk losing him now OR later cuz he took a hit he might not have.
If I get him fucked up, Im okay with that, but thats like loaning someone your car and they rear end someone.
Do any of the survivors speak our language, or is only Silver able to communicate with them?
Are they affected by Posey's charm?
>>185205You can continue, with your description when you feel like it. Part 2 of this flashback can come later, when I have access to a computer.
>>185262>>185205The OG description of the Grand Baltimare Hotel:
Before you stands the Grand Baltimare Hotel. 5 stories tall, the brick building is the tallest of the Baltimare City Square, and follows a model of Architecture popular in the 950's. Of course, it's not the "Grand Baltimare Hotel" anymore. The windows on the upper levels are sealed shut and closed, and the lower level has a small section of cast iron fencing around it. This is now the Headquarters of the Black Hooves in the Baltimare Autonomous District, and a new sign has (finally) been placed above the entrance to reflect that.
To the side of the steps that lead up to the entrance are two Griffons, one with a rust red feather coloration, and the other with black. They are tall and mean looking as Griffons tend to be. One is smoking, and both are wearing tan military uniforms, complete with “Brodie” metal helmets. Each carries a rifle in their claws, some sort of Karbiner of foreign manufacture. Up the steps, and by the door, are two ponies, one a lavender Earth pony and the other a white Unicorn who stand immediately by the door. They wear full black outfits that resemble police officer’s uniforms, but much darker. They wear caps that resemble officer’s caps, and while neither carries a gun, at least one can be seen to have a handgun in holster.
>The flashbackoh noes
Is this Vir's other fillyhood friend?
>>185255>other than that it is finite in power and vulnerable"So we can hope..." Posey replies, grimly
"Perhaps it has expenses most of its resources conjuring so many summons at once, but we do not yet know the full scope of its powers."
>If we strike the ship, quickly, we can kill its creatures and then deal with it directly."Indeed. Let us be swift."
She turns to Silver
>>185202"Ask the survivors where the ship is, and how many creatures there are aboard it. In fact, tell them to lead us to it." She says
"Remember, we are playing the role of fearsome pirates, and demeanor is pivotal for our disguise. Ask them if there are any treasures aboard the ship that we could plunder it we defeat the enemy." she says, polishing her sword and rattling the bones in her armor
>>185260Posey knows that at least sometimes, metal can impede magic, and certainly electromagnetic forces. Tin is kind of heavy and semi-magnetic. Perhaps it could.
The royal purple unicorn is visibly trembling. His grey eyes meet Posey's, and he smiles. he has a cut on his face and looks kind of stupid wearing literal kitchen wrapping on his head. He extends a hoof to her, and with a shaking voice says:
"Что такая хорошенькая маленькая кобыла, как ты, делает на таком опасном острове?" The mulberry pony, who is lacking his hat, likewise makes eye contact, and has a smile that's just a bit more awkward
"Вас из Сталлионграда прислали?" >>185265Yes, the filly in the flashback is Pew Seat. Hope's will show up in it as well. I thought I can have you role play her in it when she shows up. ^^
Nice, well now I really have an image in mu head to work with.
Vir snaps out of her flashback. Part of her wished the unicorn's directions were off. Seeing the four guards pumps straight ice into her heart. At first she thinks the female unicorn is Hope's for a brief second before she realizes how ridiculous that is. She doesn't feel ready to potentially meeting Hope's again nor does it feel safe to walk in to the lion's den
She walks up just before the first steps and a few feets before the griffin guards. She then, just to summon her determination and still her heart, slams her front hooves together with a loud clop.
[1d20 = 16] >>185272We may actually be able to have Vir and Dark Star meet up quickly, at least, if that is desiredActually, there would be different griffins standing there. Still, there are griffins.
The guards look down at the mare.
Uh, what is that roll for?
>>185272That was a nice roll. I forgot to add my strength modifier of +4 to it too.^^
>>185274>rollIdk, I just thought it was funny. Maybe for sound?^^
>>185274Yeah, I'd enjoy meeting him. Though Im phone posting right now so if i dont answer immidiately you know why.
>>185274Well, if nothing happens with that roll, Vir ascends the steps towards the entrence.
>>185280Vir nods but her usual smile is not on her lips. Her face is expressionless and determined.
"Yes. I need somepony that can anwser questions," Vir says.
>>185281"Concerning what?" He asks
>>185283Heh, I dont know why I thought the qhite unicorn was female. I missread.^^
Vir exhales to steady her nerves. Unicorns had a tendecy to intimidate her with their big words and big heads.
"Two questions. One about a missing statue and one about a missing pony," Vir says.
>>185271>>185195Rosey refers to Silver
"Tell them that we are pirates, and that they will be safe if they cooperate." she says
I need to get some pearls of speech if enemies in the rest of this campaign are going to speak foreign languages.
>>185284Technically think no gender was specified
“Investigations is inside down the main hall on the right. But we’ll have to search you if you wish to come inside.”
>>185271Posey asks them if either of them speak her language
>>185287Vir blinks but then nods eagerly.
"Okay, thank you. Go ahead, search me, " Vir says.
Okay, am back from taking nap.
>>185285Am still waiting on GM pone to respond to my post, >>185207