/vx/ - Videogames and Paranormal

>>189935
As she moves towards the door, she moves her head back and looks towards Amber with a pouting expression. She stops. Then her lips curl back into a sly smile, combined with a partial lidding of the eyes.

"Very well. Keep your secrets."

She turns her head, and heads out the door.

>>189970
While Posey and her skeleton friends get the explosive and the guns from the plane, Kira will lead the rest of the party on hoof towards the airship, staying on the side of the central hill facing away from the GRU.

Survival: Speaking of Kira leading...
[1d20+11 = (11+11) = 22]

Silver: "I do not think you can reanimate something which was never animated in first place."

>>189970
Sneaky sneaky sneak

>>189970
I'm lurking.

>>189972
I want to point out that Kira previously rolled a 32 to do this.

Okay, so Silver is going with the NPC flock/herd across the island towards where he believes the airship ponies are. Kira is leading this group. Dust, I assume, would be with this group. Cavaliere, I do not know.

Brie is going.... to the Kostroma? I guess

Posey is taking the whale bone thing and is flying up towards the Sea Rover crash, I believe to pick up the torpedo and the machine gun, evidently all by herself. That sounds like something Posey would consider beneath her and refuse to do.

>>189976
>Posey is taking the whale bone thing and is flying up towards the Sea Rover crash, I believe to pick up the torpedo and the machine gun, evidently all by herself.
Iirc, Cavalier was with me.
>That sounds like something Posey would consider beneath her and refuse to do.
She has her Dreads, her Unseen Servant, and the Bone Lurker to do the manual labor forward. She only has to watch and give them orders.
Maybe it's breaking character a bit, but idk if it's right to refuse to commit to agreed-upon plans at this point.

>>189976
>I guess
Do you have questions? I thought this was pretty self-explanatory >>189947

>>189976
Is Posey able to pick up the bomb without issue?

>>189987
GM described the explosive portion of the bomb as weighing in the neighborhood of 500lbs, so Posey may want a team-lift

>>189970
>>189976
Cavaliere is going with Posey, as was said before. Don't we have the griffons with us?

>>189970
Cavaliere, who has seen Posey's morbid armor, looks toward the whale with a perusing glance. He replies, "She isn't a rock magician. Unicorn magic is typically specialized according to what the pony is good at and otherwise incapable of complex feats. She is a student of thanatology, or the mechanism of death, and knows enough to perform magic like this."

>>189971
Amber looks confused at her boss leaving. Why do ponies have to be so inquisitive yet enigmatic? Can't they just be forthright? Anyway, she keeps at her work and waits patiently for High Sewn to return.

>>190042
You have the Griffins, yes, but who are the griffins going with? Are the Griffins flying with Cavaliere and Posey while the ponies are going with Silver and Kira?

>>190043
That was what was implied. I wanted to take the communists too but Silver seems to want to escort them. That might be necessary for him to do regardless. They would have to fly under their own power, since none want to ride the bone lurker.

>>190042
Amber would do well to remember that mares, for all of their allure and mystique, are, at the end of day, females.

The minutes that follow are among those lulls in the day, when no customers enter the store and there are no tasks that need be done immediately. The store is oddly still and silent, with only the most subtle hum of a steam line, and the buzz of some backroom electric light, to break up the silence between the automobiles that pass outside. High Sewn has elected not to have music playing, though music often plays in the store when Guy is around, and Amber has heard the radio play in High Sewn's office. Perhaps this moment is peaceful. Perhaps it's unnerving. Perhaps it's a matter of perspective. When High Sewn returns into the store, she simply walks past Amber and towards her office.

Of those heading to the crash of the Sea Rover, Posey is of necessity the first to move, with a command directing the skeletal leviathan to the right, and up the adjacent hill. Though the fog has not returned in full, a lower cloud moves in the kiss the hill's peak. Posey, Cavaliere, and all who fly may immediate get the sense that it is not wise to fly in these parts in the dense fog, and especially not in a foggy night, for these clouds have rocks in them.

The bone whale, or "Monstro" or even "Bay lean," as it has been so lovingly named, moves some feet above the ground in a rythmic motion that mimics the movement of a whale in water, traversing through the air in death as it did the ocean in life.

It may take some prodding by Cavaliere, but the griffins follow shortly thereafter and on the same course, spreading their wings and taking to the air. None wish to come to close to the bone monstrosity, but the threat of a loss of visibility when the fog comes in force keeps the griffins near, lest they be separated and loss. Cavaliere, presumably, stays close to this group.

For all of the glory and majesty of what remains of the devil whale, the aluminum corpse of the Sea Rover deserves a few words of its own. Coming into view as the summit of the hill is rounded, it's great, 30-foot-tall vertical stabilizer comes into view perhaps before the cockpit windshield, the broken glass observatory of the nose, or the high-mounted wings with four engines and broken propellers. Though glass and the propellers are broken, and the wings bent, it remains almost entirely intact.

The light blue painted color scheme is on its own invocative of a large whale, as is its size. But this one could fly fast, high, and far. And whereas the devil whale ate whatever was smaller than it, the Sea Rover hunted prey bigger than itself.

One, perhaps two torpedoes are nearby. It'll be just a little effort to get a warhead, and a machine gun off of a mount.

For those bound to the ground, who seek to traverse the island to get to the presumed crash site on the other side, the route is familair. Or at least, half of it is. Between the two hills that form the southeast edge of the island, then up the line of the hill that splits the island in two, and towards a hill on the other side. There's the battle site where the first encounter with the Petrushkas and the creations took place, with the corpse of the dead Petruska remaining. Blackheel and more than one other stop to investigate the body, remarking in their native language. Remains of the ruined wall line the ridge of the hill, towards the medieval village.

What is different, however, is the sound of gun fire and explosions. They may not be so alone. The veil of fog is not so near as may be desired.

>>190048
What do Black Heel and the commies remark about as they pass the body, that Silver can hear?

Can Kira use her keen sense of hearing to lead the group safely around the battle going on?

>>190049
Translating,

The mulberry pony rescued from the village: "May you walk the fields of Elysium." He places his hoof to his chest and bows, a gesture Silver is familiar with in Celestialism

Starfire: "Be at peace now, comrade." He makes a gentler bow.

Blackheel winces and shakes his head. "What a waste. All of this over a whale carcass in a forest. I should have shot that damn griffin and the hippogriff when they started acting strange."

The grey pegasus, Rustling Pine, says, "What tore him up?" And looks away quickly.

That sounds like a dice roll

>>190046
Amber doesn't mind the quiet, though she would prefer to enrapture herself in music. When High Sewn returns, the younger mare decides to speak up. "Miss Sewn, what is the best part of living in a city?" she asks.

>>190047
Cavaliere prowls next to the clowder of griffons, keeping an ear out in the fog. When they arrive at the now-deserted plane, he wastes no more time. "Sørvik, Nils, pak het machinegeweer en draag het naar buiten. Laat het niet vallen!" And, quickly switching languages, "Bøkli, Ingerstadt, let's finish dissecting that torpedo. We will need to grab a canvas cloth for the warhead. There should be one in here."

>>190052
Amber doesn't need a radio. She can call to mind great symphonies played on instruments she can correlate with no known form, recalled from some memory, or from some depths of her psyche she cannot quite place. The tracts are not necessarily full, instead taking the form of fleeting fragments as if from a half-remembered dream. But they are glorious.

High Sewn stops, turns her head, and looks towards Amber. She opens her mouth to say something but stays there frozen for some time more than a second. She closes her mouth, then opens it again to say,
"It's where everything is." As if straining to say what is really meant.

>>190053
Amber peers at the mare. She's nothing if not interesting, if hard to interpret at times. "And what's 'everything?'" Amber asks, a small smile curling across her lips.

>>190054
Speaking as she stands in place,
"Culture. Power. Entertainment. Everything. It's all in the city. If you wish to go dancing, you may do that in the city. If you wish to make connections with important business ponies - at a dance - you may do so in the city. Probably only in the city. If you wish to buy a dress for said dance - either one - you may do so in the city. If you need to go to the hospital, if you have a lawsuit, if you need to buy certain materials en bulk... It's much easier in the city. Everything happens here. Anything can happen here. My dear filly, I scarcely know where to begin."

>>190055
Amber glances off to the side, then back to High Sewn, a bemused expression on her face. "Those all sound very grand, but I don't know how I can possibly get involved in those things. I don't suppose waiting for them to happen would work? Life so far has been…dull," she remarks with a frown.

>>190051
The small herd traverses the top of the hill, through that old medieval village where they encountered resistance before.

Starfire moves near Silver, staring at him, but looking away when Silver acknowledges the stare, and glances back. He keeps a guarded distance, but has some sort of fascination, clearly, He moves forward and shows interest in Kira. Oddly, he's less motivated to keep a distance from Kira, attempting to come near her long body, staring at her scales, and looking as if he may pounce. It's Kira, actually, who keeps her distance from the group, travelling ahead in advance. Starfire's dual yellow and red mane is frizzled, long, and wavy under his hat. His light green eyes look tired under his spectacles. His body must be kind of slim, though it's not easy to tell with how lose fitting his white coat is. His tail is longer than normal for a stallion, and shares the yellow and red scheme.

Blackheel likewise tends to be distant from Silver, but unlike Starfire this does not seem to be a deliberate choice. He talks with the mulberry pony and the royal purple stallion, who comments as they enter the village. He stops to look inside of the hut where the mulberry pony was rescued. Steppe Eagle and Rustling Pine, as well as the engineer of unknown name, help move along the wounded ponies. Mala keeps guard of the rear, looking over the train of blindfolded and gagged petrushkas who are pulled in a rope by the engineer pony. Patient Pippette walks near Dust, though after a while she moves to the front, closer towards Kira.

>>190047
Posey gets to work, ordering the minions to load the items in a timely fashion.
When all is done, she readies the loaded lurker to proceed after Kira'a group.

Posey and Cavailiare may be able to see some of what follows

>>190051
>>190074
Kira is likely the first creature to look over the side of the hill towards the bay. Or maybe she isn't. The view is open from many parts of the hill as the weather has cleared and the herd is along the ridge, and sounds of explosions and danger emanate from the lower position.

The northeastern bay is not quite symmetrical with that of the south and west, but it's very nearly a mirror. The hill descends towards the water, where there is a black, basalt beach that is thin in some areas but noticeable and thick in others, especially near the center. The bay has a sort of half circular shape with a hill, low cliffs and a thinner portion of the island on the left, culminating in a small light house, and then on the right, a taller and thicker hill bathed in green, and this one almost alone is crowned with fog. There are some cliffs to the right, though as a whole there is a decline towards the water that is covered in grass and traversable on hoof. The island is thicker and not as long on the right as the left, breaking up the symmetry. Off in the far distance, another island can be seen that is a smaller companion to this one. But the party isn't interested in the scenery.

In the center of the bay can be seen a grey coated warship, presumably a destroyer, or perhaps a frigate. But more importantly, on the beach in the center are several beached row boats, with ponies outside and on the main beach. Near the center they have set up boxes, and there is an attempt - on pause at the moment - to set up tents. Two mortars are set up, with several ponies manning them.

But there is ongoing action. On the right, near where the ponies are going, are two, very long legged... things. You could say they are vaguely equine in shape, being quadrupedal... except they aren't quadrupedal. A superfluous fifth leg exists on each... thing, although for one it is on the front and on the other it is on the back. It's also greatly larger than a pony, being something like twelve feet tall, although this is more so caused by unnatural long legs than an unnaturally large body, though both have this latter feature. In one, the number of heads is correct, while the other has a vestigial head that mostly stays out of view on the thing's right side. Or maybe the other one has a vestigial head too, you just can't see it. It is hard to tell if it has elephant grey skin, or if its creator has understood the concept of fur. There are black lines along one of them, presumably some kind of dirt or oil or other contaminent, though at this distance little can be said with certain. The things advance forward, down towards the beach. One of them picks up a large rock with two of its three forelegs.

It throws the rock at a group of ponies who stand near each other, moving back in a fighting withdrawal. There must be a dozen of them, or at least ten. Ponies in dull green uniforms that don't stand out significantly against the green and yellow grass, and contrast most significantly with the black sand and gravel of the beach. They wear black gas masks and carry brown saddle bags. Most carry the vlazhny rifle, though many don't. One carrying a light machine gun with a great pan magazine and an assistant run further back, before going prone and laying down a machine gun. The group of ponies shoot at the two things, which roar back, opening a black mouth that opens all the way to the back of the head as if the jaw were not attached. Through the sky, a little black line can be seen as a mortar round goes far and lands behind one of the things. Then another hits the second one on the head. There's a delay of many seconds, to be sure, where the mortar can be seen dropped in the tube, launching high in the air, and falling on its target.

But the things don't make effective use of the time. Some distortion of light, some kind of will of the wisp floats near the things, momentarily taking their attention. The crack of rifles follows quickly, hitting the things and making them recoil. Then a mortar round hits the second in the head, causing its head to explode into smoke. It's body follows a second later, but the left more of the two charges forward, scattering rocks forward that hit a couple soldiers and seems to daze them. The thing charges towards the beach, and at this point, the center of the dozen ponies break and they move back. But even this breaking is a retreat backwards with rifles and bayonets facing this alien enemy. On the far left, a couple ponies keep up fire with automatic weapons. On the far right, the pan on the machine gun is put into place, and there is a "tat tat tat tat" until the thing screams and turns into smoke, just feet before coming into contact with the line of ponies.

Yet this isn't the only set of twelve ponies. Another, to the left of the center, stands in a line. A pony wearing a gas mask and the great black cassock of the northern rite of Equestrian Harmonism walks past the soldiers letting a thurible swing. The soldiers stand at the ready, and each offers his rifle to the priest, who lets each weapon bathe in the smoke from the thurible, then touches it with his hoof.

More boats move in, to both the left and right shores of the bay, including towards where the ponies wish to go.

Kira quickly gets the impression that it's best to hug the southern slope of the hill, out of the line of sight of these ponies.

>>190056
"Well..." she takes a moment to respond. "It isn't like living in a village, or a small town. There, you are kind of just thrust into life. You know everypony. You know what your life is. What your place within the world is. In the city... You really have to insert yourself into things. Like when I entered Canterlot. I was into the trade of prepared fibers. Yarn, for example. So I began to learn ponies in the trade. Of course I didn't go to Canterlot alone but... You have to go out there and take advantage of things yourself. If you don't, well, you won't really take advantage of very much at all."

>>190076
>Posey and Cavailiare may be able to see some of what follows
"Giddy up, Monstro!" Posey shouts, as she hears the sounds of combat in the distance
Monstro takes the Run Action, proceeding at 120 ft per round.
>the priest
Hmmmmm... Is he handsome?

>>190076
>Kira quickly gets the impression that it's best to hug the southern slope of the hill, out of the line of sight of these ponies.
If Posey is in any position to do the same, she follows this maneuver, ordering her bone lurker to fly as low to the ground as it can.

>>190077
Amber nods. "I've been wantin' to do that! Well, it's tough to do if you don't know anybody…I guess going around town helps. There are lots of nice ponies everywhere. Maybe learning music will be the 'inserting myself' that I need.
Everypony likes music, after all."

>>190074
>>190076
Okay, am back from doing a thing.

Silver takes a moment to give Starfire's slender, tired body a look over. Certain thoughts are brought to the forefront of his mind, though he puts them aside for later when the danger has passed. Kira for one, should she notice, would be ecstatic to see the ponies growing more comfortable with being around her.

Looking over the battlefield, Kira grows uneasy watching the weapons and tactics being used by the GRU, drawing similarities between them and the foes who are currently attacking her people back home. Silver whispers quietly to the group upon seeing the priest. "He is blessing their weapons. They will be more effective against these abominations. Traveler will have to send far, far more if it wants to keep them from overwhelming island."

Kira gladly leads the group along the southern slope of the hill, having zero interest in being on the receiving end of those weapons.

>>190081
Wait, this is the GRU? I thought we were looking for the airponies?
Or are we just spotting them as we pass by? Anyway, let's keep a low profile and head towards the airponies.

I did not expect the communists to have a priest with them. They're full of surprises.

The final resting spot of the Sea Rover is on the leeward of the hill, just beneath the summit. The sound of the wind is subdued and the air has a sort of stillness to it. In this lonely patch of still air the fog remains, though much thinner than before, and most of the sky presents grey. Down the slope, however, a part of the south bay is visible, including a small hamlet of semi-modern buildings, a lonely stone keep on the far side, and a derelict freight ship holding steady at an odd angle. Though pops and cracks often penetrate the silence, even the ringing of tinnitus is sometimes overcome by a sound best understood as the sound of moving water past the ears; a pervasive, muffled rumbling never quite loud enough to truly overpower the wind, or even the most distant of cracks and pops.

The torpedo has at least been separated into a warhead and propulsion section, with the warhead the lighter if the two by far. With rope and especially the help of the sealing griffins, this may be lifted into the ribcage and held into place. There is a second torpedo if truly desired, but this is much heavier and may only be moved by rope.

The machine gun presents a kind of challenge. It may be taken off of its turret, but Cavaliere would be wise to remember that this is not an infantry M2 designed for heavy fire support. It is not intended to be carried on pony back. It is not intended to be used against infantry at all. This is an anti-vehicle weapon designed to kill smaller frame aircraft, or even small ocean vessels. [YouTube] Call of Duty: World at War - Black Cats Mission - Improved Music [Embed]
It has a covered feed that links to an unattached feed box, and a separate feed to collect ejected casings. It is not at all easy to replace the band - or carry it, for that matter, given it is not attached - but at least jans may be cleared. The sights are for anti-aircraft use, and there’s no obvious way to absorb recoil as it has no proper mount; it is intended to be fixed onto a vehicle.

>>190085
We have a kind of aircraft to mount the guns on, don't we?

>>190086
Technically, yes. Should the effort be taken to mount it, at least.

>>190087
We can travel much faster in the air than the other party does on hoof, so let's take the time to mount them before we leave.

>>190087
>>190088
Are we able to catch up with the rest of the group after loading the weapons?

>>190081
Blackheel moves closer to Silver, followed by Starfire and Pipette, who keep slightly back. Blackheel says,

“If they brought a priest, they must consider the situation to be fairly dire. I hardly need to explain to you that that is not standard procedure. He must have been brought on for the morale of the troops.”

Blackheek is almost cut off by a voice from the back.

One of the tied up Petrushkas speak. It’s the third one back, second to the last. A burgundy stallion in a navy uniform. He’s bandaged up, and has a makeshift blindfold covering his eyes. He is half a step out of line, and pointing his muzzle towards Blackheel.

He then speaks, or perhaps yells, in a strained voice almost like a whisper; a voice that bypasses the vocal cords and uses only the mouth to form words. Perhaps the pony’s vocal cords are damaged. Certainly he was wounded. Maybe Kira crushed a rib, or crushed a bit more than that. Or maybe he who forms the words does not understand quite how words are made…

“What is he doing here?” The Petrushka demands. Mala moves forward and points his shotgun at the Petrushka, but in no way dies the Petrushka react. He certainly can’t see it. The entire line of Petrushkas turn their heads in the direction of Blackheel. The red Petrushka speaks again:

“That Traitor. He who would reject harmony. What is he doing here?”

>>190089
Eventually, sure

>>190090
Are we present for this conversation?

>>190091
It seems unlikely to me that if Posey were around for this scene that she’d be paying attention to what the ponies are talking about, and able to hear it from the back of the whale. But if you want to make an argument for it…

>>190090
Silver looks over, and quickly rushes to the burgundy stallion. He shoves a hoof in the stallion's mouth to stop him from talking as he half whispers, half hisses out to the stallion (or, more accurately, the Traveler), "Do you want to get off this island to new lands, where you can spread your gift of True Harmony to all?"

>>190092
Posey would definitely be interested in anything concerning priesthood within military ranks, or the ramblings of creatures possessed by the Traveller. The bone lurker is flying low to the ground.
I will just roll a listen check to see if I can overhear.
[1d20+3 = (13+3) = 16]

>>190085
>The torpedo has at least been separated into a warhead and propulsion section, with the warhead the lighter if the two by far. With rope and especially the help of the sealing griffins, this may be lifted into the ribcage and held into place.
Frenly reminder, Brie made plenty enough side-commets that the party would know that A. an integrated explosive (grenade, or satchel charge) would be more than sufficient to detonate, alongside - according to (you) - too vigorous of an impact.

>>190093
It answers,

“Yes. I think so. We wish to spread Harmony.”

>>190094
Sure

>>190095
Also sure

>>190096
Silver: "Then trust in my plan. Also send more summons to slow down invaders on Northern shore, they have machine guns and priest blessing their weapons."

Kira peaks over the hill to make sure the GRU isn't advancing on their position.

>>190096
Posey's cute little ears swivel in on the conversation as her flying beast lurks in the ear over the rear of the herd. It has peaked her interest.
>>190097
Bluffing the Traveller. Interesting idea.
We could at least get it to expend its resources.

>>190097
It replies,
“How could that, that ‘arch reactionary’ be a part of any plan?”

>>190099
Silver: "If you can convert him, it will prove power of True Harmony beyond any doubt, but you can not convert him from afar. True Harmony's power must be displayed in person, to convert someone with such reactionary ideas in their mind."

>"Could it be naive enough to fall for something like that? This mission might be easier than we expected."
Posey thinks to herself

>>190101
That’s a very good point. I’m kind of feeling like there should at minimum be a roll here. Or a challenge.

>>190102
Let's see here, then. The dice gods gave Kira a nat 20 earlier, they may have run out of generosity. Or, perhaps not.

[1d20 = 9]

>>190103
I'm gonna assist with my smooth-talking superspy bluff mod
"She raises good points. You should listen to her." Posey chimes in
Bluff
[1d20+16 = (5+16) = 21]

>>190096
>also sure
Just reminding that it can be detonated easily OR accidentally, without the assistance of an explosives expert

>>190100
>>190103
It takes a moment to respond.

“Yes…” then it turns to Silver.

“If you can make him unconscious, I can persuade him more easily.”

A second of pause, then it turns to Silver,
“Why don’t you join in our unity?”

Then to Posey, though it misses her exact position,
“Or you, you who backed out just before achieving Harmony?”

>>190106
"Add another blindfold. And put a helmet on him. Or anything made of metal around his head." Posey demands, with a flat tone
If she was disturbed by this behavior, she does not show it on her face, but she narrows her eyes with professional caution

"No more word about our position. Do not even THINK about where we are headed. Everypony just follow Kira as she tracks the scent."

>>190106
>>190107
Silver: "To achieve great things, sometimes it requires one working from outside. Trust in me."

Silver turns away from the vessel, and nods at Posey's statement. Kira resumes leading the party, assuming nothing else interrupts them.

>>190107
This time, it gets Posey’s position correct. It speaks in its loud whisper,

“You. You are lonely. Resentful at the world. I know what it is like to resent. To hate those who have reduced you to where you are. But this world is not at fault. This world, with all of its limitations, may be transcended, or lifted, to something better than what you see. Come back. I can show you. Come back to me. I have seen you. I know you. I was like you until I came here. I can make it better. I can make you better.”

Mala keeps his position, but Blackheel moves closer, and holds onto his revolver.

>>190108
The Petrushka hisses at Silver

>>190109
Posey ignores the statements, not looking towards the pony
"Do not engage with the prisoner any further. Gag him."

>>190109
Silver places a hoof on Black Heel's shoulder. "Ignore him, it is just Traveler speaking through his vessel. Your soldier is still in there, beneath all of that. But yes, we should gag them."

>>190111
>>190112
The Petrushka aims its blindfolded head first towards Posey, and then towards Silver, and hisses.

>>190114
"Mindsight? Well then, have it your way."
Posey hops off her bone lurker and draws her blackjack, smashing the pony in the head to knock him out

If one blow isn't sufficient, she hits him again until he is unconscious.

>>190085
Cavaliere takes 10 to hold the items within the ribcage. He looks wistfully towards the second torpedo. "I'd like to be more sure we can kill this thing. That torpedo isn't armed and might be safe to move via towing across the terrain. It'd strain the rope and drastically slow down your 'vehicle,' 'Captain.'"

>>190086
With the machine gun feeds, he has to be careful to coordinate movement via the accompanying griffons to prevent them from breaking. If the gun is tied to one of the beast's vertebrae, the feeds would be wrapped around and held with rope.
"There is no firing this from the creature, and we'd be lucky to hit anything if we put it on the ground. I wish we had a tripod. I suppose we could brace it against a rock, and pray we don't need to aim."

>>190089
>>190090
Cavaliere scouts ahead for Posey, or at least attempts to with the creature's speed, and when the GRU are spotted he gestures to keep the thing out of a clear sightline. It's not easy but at least the terrain is hilly.

>>190115
"Good call."

>>190115
Silver: "...I hope they will not mind having to be treated for concussions after this is done."

Kira: "You know, concussions are really bad for your health."

>>190115
>>190114
Are there any other prisoners for me to knock out?

>>190123
Yes, there are at least three more prisoners. Whether they need to be knocked out is a separate question.

>>190125
I say we may as well knock them out anyway.

Can Kira determine how far it is to the airponies?

>>190139
Survival: Well, let's see

[1d20+11 = (9+11) = 20]

>>190140
Kira already rolled a 30 earlier. She shouldn't need to roll again.
But nice roll.

>>190139
>>190140
Less than a mile, but not there yet.

>>190128
Does she?

>>190144
Are they walking in their own? It would be inconvenient to carry them.

>>190144
Kira relays this information to the others. "We're pretty close, we just need to keep plodding on."

>>190145
Silver: "Probably good idea to leave them be until we need to. I worry for their mental and physical wellbeing if we keeping hitting them over head."

>>190145
Yes.

>>190146
Mala looks down at the now knocked out pony, then back up to Silver.

"I think his ear plugs got loose... I'll get him off of the line. It'll only take a moment." He tilts his head. "Do you still want him?"

>>190147
Silver nods, and gives Mala some much-deserved pets between the ears. "Yes. No creatures left behind."

>>190148
Mala smiles and bends his neck upwards to better receive the pets. He closes his eyes as he does so but opens them when he next speaks to Silver.

"How will he be carried though?"

>>190149
Kira now pipes up, wanting to feel more useful. "How heavy is he? I might be able to carry him if we tied him around my back!"

>>190150
Mala moves a step back as Kira nears,

"Uh, not that large. 160 pounds, maybe."

>>190147
Posey does not knock out anymore ponies unless they express behaviors similar to the one she just knocked out.

>>190144
Alright then. It should not take us long to get there.
Do we see any signs of airpony activity on the way there? Hoofprints? Blood splatters? Signs of a struggle?

>>190151
Kira turns around, showing her back to Mala and Silver. "Mind helping tie him to me?"

Silver looks at Mala, to see if he'd help him assist the snej with this idea.

>>190153
I'm still deciding on precisely what I want to do next

If there are preferences...

>>190154
Mala looks back to Silver with a "do I have to?" expression. He's taken initiative to do things before...

>>190155
Silver chuckles slightly. "Would you help me with this, please?"

>>190157
Mala looks up towards Silver with his big, brown eyes and leans back. His tail slowly curls down and to the right as he stands there, almost frozen in place but at the same time leaning further and further back, until it seems he is in danger of falling over on his hind quarters. But he jumps up in a sudden movement and with his mouth and paws moves to remove the unconscious pony from the line, though he takes the rope in his mouth and drags the pony towards Kira. All the same, he seems to want to not touch the giant snake-thing.

>>190158
Silver helps with the moving of the unconscious pony as Kira giggles. "Come on, Mala, I don't bite. Remember how friendly we were getting on the plane ride?"

>>190159
Mala turns his head towards Kira, his body angled diagonally towards her. His ears stand tall, and his eyes are focused on her. He says nothing, but stands there for several seconds.

>>190160
Kira twists around to look back at Mala, smiling. She flicks her tongue out in the air.

>>190161
Mala looks down towards Kira's body, then back to her eyes, then back down again, dragging the pony forward. He moves his paws along trying to find exactly where on Kira's body to place the pony. He starts high on Kira's back, on top of the goat, feeling the creature inside her with the press of his paws. Then he backs off of that, and moves lower on her body, where her tail is thinner and less conducive to carrying anything. The process is rather invasive, and Mala's frantic movement with his paws betrays that he feels the process is awkward.

>>190162
Kira: "It's okay, Mala. Why don't you try to put him higher up my back? It'll be a little hard to carry him from down there. Silver is willing to help you if you want!"

>>190163
Mala skittishly pulls the pony high onto Kira's back, and tries to tie him to her, at first seeming to circle around her body, but then instead more conservatively tying the pony to Kira's backpack and the leather straps already on her body. He tries to make sure it is secure but does not seem to want to intrude much. He does step onto her back at one point. Oddly he's gentler than even Neela despite being much larger, with soft padded paws and with soft and deliberate steps.

>>190164
Silver helps to finish up the tying, making sure it's nice and secure. Kira moves around, making sure the pony will stay stuck to her.

>>190155
>>190144
Have we made all necessary checks to get to the airponies? We're just waiting for everyone to be ready to progress to the next plot point, right?

>>190171
I believe so, yeah.

>>190164
>>190165
Kira, eventually deciding that the pony is securely tied to her, reaches down and gives Mala a big hug with her forelegs. "Thank you so much, Mala! You're such a big helper!" Once the hug is finished, she gets back up and points in the direction of where the party needs to go. "Okay, creatures! To the destination!"

>>190173
"Kira, keep a look out so that you detect the airponies before they detect us. When you sense them, signal me so that I can approach them before the herd does. If the airponies have had even half as rough of a day as we have, they will be on lookout for any incoming threats." Posey says
Posey begins to strip off her grotesque armor, revealing her less-threatening, fluffy white self. She bundles her armor with her weapons and pack saddle on top of Monstrous, keeping only her satchel that contains her tiara and spell components.

"We also do not know if the Traveller has enthralled any of them yet. I would like to go ahead of the herd to parlay with the airponies and affirm their cooperation in being rescued. If I get shot... I get shot..." she adds, with a shrug

"So be a dear and keep that tongue of yours to the wind so you can smell them before they see us."

>>190175
Kira does a mock salute with a giggle. At the mention of her tongue, Kira flicks in in the air as she begins to keep a lookout for ponies.

Spot: [1d20+8 = (3+8) = 11]
Listen: [1d20+8 = (2+8) = 10]

>>190176
Maybe just take 10 instead.

[1d3 = 2]

>>190165
Mala is surprised, and looks down towards his paws, presumably making sure to avoid being captured in Kira's constrictor grip. He repositions his paws to be in a more stable position. However, he relents, and hugs back.

Though his shape is sort of like a pony, he does not feel or smell like one. His head is lower on the shoulder, he is rather fat, though fairly muscular and with a large bone frame, making him very large over all. His legs are thinner than those of an equivalent sized pony. He has a distinct smell, not necessarily subtle or pleasant. But the biggest difference by far is how much fluffier he is, with thick fur on much of his body and a mane that extends halfway down his back.

After the initial reluctance, he does seem to value the hug. He probably doesn't get many, and certainly not from females.

>>190175
>Posey is taking active measures to not appear so obviously hostile
Noted.

>>190176
With a flick of her tongue, Kira can tell what she already should have known: that all smells, however strong or subtle, are carried on the wind. And the party is upwind of the alleged location of the airponies.