1328 replies and 69 files omitted.
>>192738Kira sees that the spear can, in fact, cut the tendrils. But they retire quickly. A more selective application of force is more likely to be fruitful.
>>192740Considering the armaments of both creatures, Kira focuses her slashes towards freeing Posey first.
>>192741>>192740>>192739After being freed, Posey proceeds to do the same for Cavalier, cutting the tendrils with her silver sword as she magically rots and withers the ones beneath her hooves with her Charnel Touch.
"Cavalier, go fly towards the herd and defend them immediately. We did not come this far just for monsters to pick off our meal tickets. We will join you later." Posey says
>>192742>>192740The tendrils regrow, if somewhat slowly
>magically rots and withers the ones beneath her hooves with her charnel touchThat’ll do it. Posey at least, is able to maintain her freedom from the tendrils.
Outside, a sound akin to the sharpening of a knife. Then a “chic” sound between the high pitched call of a bird, and the failed ignition of a gasoline engine.
>>192743>>192742With Posey and Garv freed, Kira focuses on keeping herself free from any of the tendrils trying to move on her. "Uh, shouldn't we also get out of here!?"
>>192743Posey gallops towards the rest of the herd.
>>192745Posey is right with her, slithering away for dear life. She waves her forelegs wildly in the air as she does so. "TRAVELER! TENDRILS! SCARY!"
>>192743Id Posey able to reach the rest of the herd?
She runs the entire way, galloping at 120 ft per round.
>>192747>>192746Posey may just run past them, in this long, thin street. There is nothing on the road. No visible enemies, and certainly no airponies. No sounds of whinnying or terror. Presumably they are holed up in buildings, though keeping track of them wasn't exactly Posey or Kira's job. There's a sound like something falling into the bushes that surrounds one of the houses behind her. Posey can feel the rocks of the pathway, and the now moistened dirt that starts to cling to her hooves. There is no light in the sky. She can feel the little droplets of water flitter down, and cling to her fur. Again, there's that "chic chic chic." It's not
radically different from the yipping of a zebra, or maybe some other foreign creature, but it still sounds almost like an electric motor. There's the sound of something scraping against the slate roof of one of the houses. And then off in the distance, a definite "BOOM."
>>192748Kira, staying as close behind Posey as her slower speed allows, jumps, something which is odd to see a lamia do as it looks like her body just levitates in the air for a second. She holds her spear defensively in the direction of the explosion sound. "What was that!?"
>>192748Have we searched every building in this village? It might be time to go...
>>192750There's still stuff to find in the village
>>192751Darn, we will have to search.
I will guard the herd with Monstro. Retrieve the airpony.
>>192742Cavaliere remarks,
"We will have to trust her. Kirafiki, with me!" He sprints in a semicircle pattern away from the source of the noises, toward the remaining buildings that had been identified as unsearched.
>>192753Kira follows Garv, but she clearly shows concern for the strange noises. "Um...okay, but...what
are those noises?"
Once Posey reaches the herd, she draws her sword, climbing onto Monstro's back for a good vantage point.
"Enemies are approaching. Monsters may appear out of thin air at any second. Stand guard."
>>192754>>192755>>192753Kira and Cavaliere are presumably in the set of houses near the northern edge of the village. Posey is nearer the center with the herd. Silver is MIA but presumably also here, as is Mala.
There is more sound of bushes moving, and Kira believes that she sees the edge of something long and thin come down next to a house. You can't quite compare it to a flag pole - it is too bent. Nor to a tree trunk - it is too thin.
>>192755Eh? The herd has been hidden inside buildings in the village, like the old tavern or the store. Isn't monstro hidden further away? You can't exactly fit it on Mainstreet in the middle of the line of buildings.
Be advised that if Monstro were present, if the GRU appeared for any reason, he would be spotted.
>>192756Okay, Monstro is somewhere out of sight. Posey draws her sword and stands by the door as a choke point.
>>192757Posey resheaves her sword and draws her bow.
>>192756Kira takes one of her arrows and draws her bow, aiming at the weird tree trunk flag pole thing. She tries to sound confident despite being at pants-shitting levels of fear. "H-hey, show yourself!"
There's that sound again. "choc choc choc." Somewhat animalistic, but closer to an engine that will not start. "choc choc choc."
Kira is the first to see it. Long and thin, it bends down from invisible night above the roof of a home until it reaches he ground, between two houses and behind a bush. A tube-like object, not entirely cylindrical but composed of so many smaller, straight segments, each maybe three or so inches in width, and each segment perhaps just over a foot in length. To what, exactly, do you compare it? Trees don't bend that way, nor do poles. Even a rubber tube, or a probiscis, would curve. But it doesn't curve. It is composed of so many straight segments, like a straw that has been bent and chewed in far too many places. It is black, black as tar, and does not reflect any of the dim light. Presumably it leads upwards towards something, though what that is cannot be seen. This twelve or so feet can be seen only because of the lighter greys and browns of the homes behind it, and nothing can be discerned against the black sky.
Then there's a burning sound, and a small "pop." Another green light burns in the sky, bathing the village in a dim, green glow that illuminates the eastern roofs of the houses. A second and a half pass, perhaps two seconds, and there's another "pop" and burn, as a second light, slightly further north shines in the sky, and the whole village is lit as if under the light of a bright and full, green moon.
Now, it can be seen. The body is an approximately the shape of a cylinder on its side, the same as most animals. It is composed of a single primary segment, and it tapers off towards the rear in a way reminiscent of the familiar creatures of Euungulata, or Carnivora, albeit a decidedly sickly specimen. It's larger than any pony, and perhaps any griffin. Attached to this "barrel" is an elongated neck, somewhat thin for the size of the creature, and to that, a head. The head more or less takes the same shape as that of a pony. Indeed, most of the head and barrel take shapes that could be considered equine, but the shape is so basic and so abstracted that it could just as easily be said that it takes the form of a griffin, or a wolf, or near any carnivore or ungulate. A ring in the eye consistent with an iris reflects green light - green only because that is the tint of the magnesium-fire light - but both the center and outer portions are black, if slightly more reflective than the black skin, or maybe it's chitin that surrounds. At the end of this pony-like head is a long... probiscus. A several foot long beak-like mouth of a black color that curves downwards, like that of a hummigbird or perhaps a mosquito. It could be compared to a plague-doctor mask except it's much thinner. On the opposite side is a short, mop like set of skin that could be compared to a beaver's tail, or the matted fur of even a pony
But probably its most interesting feature is its legs. Like an ungulate or carnivore, it has four legs that protrude from its barrel at the edges and are a little shorter than the length of the barrel, though exactly where the knees and ankles are, and how they bend, cannot be discern. It would be like that, except that beneath the contortions of these "limbs," at the approximate location hooves or claws would be, each leg splits into three other, much smaller legs that extend twelve or so feet to the ground. One of these is the small "trunk" seen earlier, and each has ten or twelve - hard to tell if the hind leg has three or only two. These could perhaps be thought of like the fingers of a bat's wing, or extended claws, were they so obviously not at all like fingers. Rather than a simple knee and ankle of a leg, or the four points of a finger, these "legs" have at least twelve points of movement below the split. If anything, it looks closest to so many lengths of chain placed together. The creature is obviously using these long "legs" to place itself over a house. Near every part of the creature is of an oily black color, with no distinction in its legs above and below the split. This color, unfortunately, does not reflect light in the nighttime, though there are patches, especially on its "barrel" and "tail" that are closer to a charcoal grey, and are easier to see in the light.
There are two, with a second one at the end of the road, hovering between the houses.
>>192766Kira's grow very,
very wide, with her pupils shrinking to pinpricks. She lets out a very quiet "...meep..." and starts literally shaking with fear.
>>192767Without a word Cavaliere drags Kira into one of the nearby houses before they are seen.
>>192766Posey readies and action to draw her sword and strike at anything that reaches into the building that she and the herd are in, abd strategically positions herself to be able to strike from behind cover.
She takes 10 on innuendo to silently order the ponies behind her to stay silent.
Has everypony gone into a building? I don't think Silver, Mala, and the NPCs have left, and Cavaliere and Kira have gone inside, but has Posey gone too?
>>192770I'm a bit confused. I was having Posey stay behind and guard the herd from incoming monsters, particularly the airponies, while Kira and Cavalier used their superior tracking abilities to search the remaining buildings.
Idk where anything is or anyone is, tbh. My perception of the area has blurred somewhat over the week. I am wherever the airponies are.
>>192771Is Posey inside of a building or is she on the street?
>>192772She's inside of the building with the ponies, by an opening peering outward.
Choc choc. Chic Choc
Surely it must have seen them. Both of them must have seen them. It turned as they ran inside the old houses. Looking outside through a doorway that cannot open, the long thin blades of three... toes? stand in the roadway. chic chic
But there is a sound of a "tat tat tat" and a "dulupe, dulupe." And the toes hesitate. Through the window behind them, from the hill, a flash of light, and the abomination clearly hesitates
>>192774Cavaliere glances out the window, careful not to reveal himself to what may well be an enemy force. He draws his revolver.
>>192775Coming down the side of the hill, flashes of light from multiple sources. Muzzle flashes.
>>192776Cavaliere pats the snake-pony on the withers and points to the hillside.
"That's GRU," he states.
"We need to search what's left of this village, and get out of here!" >>192777Kira goes wall eyed for a moment as her mouth opens up and she lets out a nearly silent, strained
hiss sound, her tongue wiggling out in the air. She's still definitely freaked out about this particular Abomination.
>>192779What do they do indeed. The thought keeps running through Kira's panicking mind, causing her to freak out even more. She closes her poor eyes, and starts thinking to herself, "
Come on, Kira, you can't panic now, people are counting on you! Come on, what would Mom do? Think!" Her thoughts pause. "
Uhhhhhhh...she would...take note of the situation! Let's see, there's a super freaky beaked Abomination outside, there's 'gee are you' coming down the hill...where's that last airpony? Where are any ponies? Come on, Kira you noodle, use that tongue of yours, this is what you're here for!"
Survival: Calming down just enough to focus, she flicks her tongue out into the air to try to catch the scent particles of ponies and friendship.
[1d20+11 = (1+11) = 12] >>192780Ponies. Outside. In imminent danger. They need her help.
>>192781Oh no! The thought of those adorable creatures of friendship being in immediate danger stirs Kira out of her panic, letting her pick up her bow again and make to rush outside. "I'm coming, ponies!"
>>192780>>192782Cavaliere grabs Kira by the tail, trying to keep her inside.
"Remember the last time you tried doing that?" he exclaims.
>>192783She slithers in place, held by her tail. "But but..."
>>192785Kira pouts, but relents with a sigh. "...you're right."
I'm assuming Kira, Posey, and Cavaliere are in a different building than Silver, Mala, and Blackheel? If Posey is even in the same building
>>192787Idk where Blackheel is. I assumed he was commanding his troops with the rest of the herd.
Posey is wherever the airponies are, whome I assume are in the same place as Blackheel and the other commies. Posey's goal is to defend the airponies, while Kira and Cavalier search remaining buildings for the airponies, even if it comes at the cost of exposing herself to attack.
I would assume that Mala, Silver, Dust, and all other characters are with the main herd unless otherwise specified.
Idk where the airponies are, or what the layout of this town is, but Posey is there.
>>192789>search remaining buildings for the airponies,*for the one remaining airpony
Can Kira detect his scent? It would be nice if we could at least confirm or deny that he is in this town before the monsters close in.
>>192789>or what the layout of this town isIt's a line. It's just a line. There is a road. One and only one. To either side are houses. Near the center are the four public buildings
>>192791Okay, so, last I checked, the herd is in one of the public buildings near the middle of the line? Posey is there with the airponies, with her horn ready to draw to her sword and her ears perked as she watches out for predators. (I could not find the corresponding video for this).
We searched the buildings systemically, so then Kira and Cavalier would be on the opposite side of the line where we just searched, sneaking across to scout the remaining buildings for the airpony with their expert stealth and perception.
>>192790>Can Kira detect his scent? It would be nice if we could at least confirm or deny that he is in this town before the monsters close in.She tried and suffered a critical failure, unfortunately.
Cavaliere uses his survival skills to deduce where the remaining pony would want to hide:
[1d20+3 = (2+3) = 5] >>192793nodsOutside of the building Cavaliere is in. It's definitely not in the building Cavaliere is currently in.
>>192793I roll Survival to see if I can sniff it out (it should be feasible without the feat if the DC is 15 or lower).
I can't take 10 because my wisdom isn't high enough.
[1d20+1 = (9+1) = 10] >>192795Posey does not detect anything nearby of significance.
>>192794>>192795>>192796riggedWe might have to manually search every building, starting with the one Cavaliere is in (not that there is much to search).
>>192796>>192797How many buildings are there left to search?
Could the Rangers just run past the doors and take 10 on perception? Kira should auto-detect creatures within 30 ft. Idk.
>>192798Either do something, or something is going to happen. Act or be acted upon.
>>192799I have a readied action to attack whatever comes close to the herd. I'm waiting for the Rangers to find the airpony.
>>192799Okay, Silver is with the rest of the group of refugees and survivors. How's the group doing?
>>192798Cavaliere does just this. He calls into every doorway,
"We are your only hope, Lieutenant. Hostiles are coming and we need to go." >>192802"I thought you were searching for that airpony?"
fuck the airpony
While the party is pussyfooting about over whether they will or will not go outside to look for an airpony that is not in the village, the enemy is not doing nothing.
Outside of the house that Kira, Cavaliere, and maybe or maybe not Posey are located in, they can see several of the "legs" of one of the things. Well, presumably one of them. The odd number of legs does not give much certainly.
choc choc choc
It is either waiting for them to come out to it, or determining how to get to them. It may be unaware of their presence, but that seems unlikely
>>192801Uneasy, unsettled, but sufficiently quiet such that they could *probably* avoid being killed
Or is Cavaliere already outside?
>>192807>>192808Uh, no. He is good at hiding.
>>192802>>192806Kira looks out towards the advancing enemies, then back to Garv. "Should we run and try to link back up with the others? I'm not sure about our odds of fighting them off...or distracting them. And hiding seems like it would just delay them finding us..."
>>192807So the rest of the group can see the approaching enemies?
I want you to acknowledge the existence of the enemies. Fight them. Hide from them. Sneak past them. Sneak around them. Distract them. Just so long as you acknowledge them.
Shut up about the fucking airpony. The airpony is the next encounter after this one. There is, however, a present encounter that must be addressed before moving on to the airpony. I haven't had it attack yet or a role for initiative - which is what I intended to do and really should have done - because maybe you wanted to hide, or sneak past, or something besides fighting.
Even in a game where you can skip something, you have to press a button, and make an effort to skip it. Jesus Christ
You're not going to find the airpony, who - spoiler alert, is not in the village - until you do something with the present encounter. It's not going to fucking happen. Stop. Shut up about it. Stop talking about it. Deal with the horrifically obvious present problem at hand first.
>>192810"Let's make a break for it and get out of here. If we fight, the GRU will know we're here and target this area with force.">>192811>>192812So much for the psychosomatic strategy.
>>192813Kira nods, and makes ready at the door. On the count of three, she swings it open and
bolts outside, slithering for all of her life towards where they left the rest of the group.
>>192810If they looked outside, maybe, though the view from the east side (where I assume Silver is) is not going to be as good as the west side
So are Cavaliere and Kira going to try to run past to get to the main group?
>>192817A roll (luck, if nothing else) if you're looking to avoid the creature getting an attack of opportunity
>>192806>not in the villageOh....
Well then.
Okay, I will take the initiative.
Am I within charging distance of the monster?
>>192820It's a bit close for that, and she could only reach the legs
>>192820The thing stabs at Kira as she attempts to slither past it
[1d20+6 = (14+6) = 20][1d6+2 = (4+2) = 6] >>192818I would assume a reflex save, and Cavaliere has a +6 on that.
[1d20 = 15] >>192822Cavaliere is able to dart past the entity. Kira, however...
>>192821[1d20+6 = (14+6) = 20] >>192821Kira lets out a hiss of pain as the Abomination pierces her snake tail with its...actually she doesn't quite know what part of the thing it used to stab her, only that it hurt.
>>192821Close enough for me.
Posey charges into the creature, drawing her sword and charging it with Ki as part of her movement. This invokes her Dreadful wrath, so the creature will have to save vs her Frightful Presence (Will 22). She slashes with her longsword into the creatures limb.
"Your opponent is me!" she snarls as she slashes with her blade flaring with destructive energies.
[1d20+9 = (6+9) = 15] (hopefully vs flat footed AC)
Iajutsu Focus (ignore if not flat footed)
[1d20+6 = (19+6) = 25]The bones on her armor rattle, and she makes a check to Demoralize (note that she's likely taking a penalty due to size disparity.
[1d20+15 = (10+15) = 25] >>192824It must have been the end of the leg, or perhaps a protrusion off of it.
"Hold it off! I will get the other creatures to safety," Cavaliere commands. He would like to help with fighting, but shooting would draw attention and in melee he would be at a disadvantage. He seeks to reach the entourage to help direct them.
>>192825>>192826>>192828Should Kira continue running away, or should she turn and help Posey?
>>192825The entity, however, seems to be aware of the presence of hostile forces, and moves to attempt to block. Posey's sword makes a "clank" sound against the round leg.
"
chic chic!"
It picks up its leg, and swipes it at Posey
[1d20+6 = (6+6) = 12][1d6+2 = (3+2) = 5]>>192828 Cavaliere makes it to the old Tavern, where Silver, Mala, Blackheel, and other creatures are holed up.
>>192829You're an archer. If it turns out I need help later, you can do that from 100-300 ft away.
>>192831Kira keeps slithering on right behind Garv's heel.
>>192828Silver looks over at Garv's hurried entrance and frowns in worry. "What is wrong?"
>>192829You're an archer. If it turns out I need help later, you can do that from 100-300 ft away.
>>192830He barges in and points in the direction of the enounter.
"Kirafiki and Rosy Ring are fighting a new type of monster roughly one hundred fifty meters away. Silver Sword, I take it you are skilled with melee? I ask because those two might need help, and we should avoid gunfire or the GRU will be on us in no time. Mala, Blackheel, we will need to get every creature out of this town before we're surrounded." >>192830Miss
"IS THIS ALL YOU CAN CONJURE, INTRUDER?!" Posey shrieks (clearly still angry from before)
Posey strikes back with her sword, and follows up with a channel touch as a secondary natural attack.
And a slam and bite while we're at it.
Sword
[1d20+7 = (10+7) = 17][1d8+5 = (3+5) = 8]Touch
[1d20 = 1][1d8+2 = (4+2) = 6]Slam
[1d20 = 11][1d6+1 = (2+1) = 3]Bite
[1d20 = 7][1d4+1 = (2+1) = 3] >>192835Posey does indeed make contact with the leg with her sword, cutting into it.
She cannot, however, successfully touch it. Or headbutt it. Or even bite it. In fairness, it's dark outside, and it's the same color as the background.
chic chicPosey can hear and see that the second creature has taken interest, and is coming forward.
Meanwhile, the creature raises two of its legs and starts to slam at Posey with them
[1d20+4 = (8+4) = 12][1d6+2 = (2+2) = 4][1d20+4 = (19+4) = 23][1d6+2 = (5+2) = 7] >>192834>>192835>>192836Silver nods, and turns to Mala and Black Heel. "Get them to safety. We will find and rejoin you once we have dealt with this threat. Stay hidden, stay silent." Silver unsheathes his greatsword, and heads out into the night. Along the way, he passes by the screaming Kira as she's retreating, telling her a quick "Fight's this way, soldier!" She stops, and turns to look at the unicorn running towards the Abominations she's running away from, and in that moment feels ashamed that this pony is braver than she is. She turns her body around, and heads back towards Posey and the Abominations despite the fear that's got a hold of her.
>>192834Blackheel:
"To where?"
Mala raises his shotgun to the "ready" position
>>192837Silver and Kira see the wings of a "seraph" glimmer in the night somewhere in front of them. Green tracers fly past it
>>19283623 hits, Posey takes a blow with a sickening crack, before she reorients herself and spits up a was of black icor with a cocky smile before she throws her head back and cackles.
Is that slam attack considered to be a magic weapon?
The second creatures should roll against her Frightful presence, btw.
Sadomasochism triggers
Posey makes another full attack
Sword
[1d20+9 = (14+9) = 23][1d8+7 = (3+7) = 10]Touch
[1d20+2 = (11+2) = 13][1d8+8 = (1+8) = 9]Spam
[1d20+2 = (9+2) = 11][1d6+3 = (5+3) = 8]Bite
[1d20+2 = (6+2) = 8][1d4+3 = (2+3) = 5]Forgot my demoralize check
[1d20+17 = (3+17) = 20] >>192839Messed up the charnel you h damage roll. It should be +3, not +8.
>>192839chic chicPosey has definitely pissed it off. Her sword doesn't severe the leg, but it may as well have, with how it barely hangs.
It reaches its beak down to stab into Posey
[1d20+4 = (12+4) = 16][2d6+2 = (7+2) = 9]Then it swipes at her with a leg
[1d20+4 = (8+4) = 12][1d6+2 = (3+2) = 5]And stabs at her with the ankle of another
[1d20+4 = (18+4) = 22][1d6+2 = (6+2) = 8]A second creature now sweeps in, and with a leg, swipes at Posey
[1d20+6 = (6+6) = 12][1d6+6 = (3+6) = 9] >>19284122 hits Posey and she is impaled. She moans before whinnying and returning to her full attack routine at the same creature she's been attacking so far, although she takes a 5 foot step to avoid being flanked if possible.
Sword
[1d20+9 = (11+9) = 20][1d8+7 = (2+7) = 9]Touch
[1d20+2 = (19+2) = 21][1d8+3 = (1+3) = 4]Slam
[1d20+2 = (14+2) = 16][1d6+3 = (3+3) = 6]Bite
[1d20+2 = (1+2) = 3][1d4+3 = (3+3) = 6]Demoralize
[1d20+17 = (16+17) = 33] >>192839>MagicNo and she does not have special resistance for non magical weapons and I'm not arguing with you about that for a third time
>>192842The creature shrieks, and Posey has successfully severed several legs
Roll Will SaveThe second creature, however, makes a full attack against Posey
Attempting to impale her with its beak
[1d20+4 = (8+4) = 12][2d6+2 = (6+2) = 8]Then it stabs at her with its sharpened "ankles"
[1d20+4 = (3+4) = 7][1d6+2 = (4+2) = 6][1d20+4 = (16+4) = 20][1d6+2 = (6+2) = 8] >>192843Kira finally comes back into view of the battle, drawing an arrow and firing at the creature that's still standing.
[1d20+10 = (1+10) = 11][1d8+3 = (2+3) = 5] >>192844Kira's arrow goes... A bit
wide, missing by a considerable margin