/vx/ - Videogames and Paranormal

New thread!

>>191000
Hooray for new thread!

What preparations need to be done to wait for the GRU attack?
If the point is to wait behind cover, could we have a map? Even a crudely-drawn line image will do. It's difficult to manage cover without any visuals.

>>191006 →
Silver: "I would be worried about unintended damage to airship if we blow it now. If we want to draw them over here, we have guns. I can just fire off couple of rounds from my rifle and they will likely come to investigate."

>>191007
"Acceptable. Proceed."

>>191005 →
>>190999 →
Johan's wings fold downwards at the middle joint

"Uh, oh, okay..."

>>190999 →
One pony, this tine Rustling Pine, raising his right forehoof, eeks out:

"Зачем сражаться с нашими братьями? У нас и так достаточно проблем с пришельцами."

>>191006 →
Johan is less calm in response to this suggestion

"Hours?! I would be shocked if we had minutes. And why, oh why would you want them here? Even if you thought you had to fight them, there are many more."

>>191004
Uh...

>>191010
Silver looks at Rustling Pine, giving a resigned look upon hearing his words.

"Я тоже не хочу сражаться. Они тоже мои люди. Странник — враг всех. Мы с Комиссаром поговорим с ними, постараемся заставить их это понять, но если мы потерпим неудачу... мы должны быть готовы."

>>191010
>Hours?! I would be shocked if we had minutes. And why, oh why would you want them here?
Posey appears relieved.
>Even if you thought you had to fight them, there are many more.
"Stealth specialists were unable to evade them in their descent. With a group as large as ours, we will be unable to descend the mountain without encountering them, and even if we could we would be tracked easily. It would be better to fight them here, on our terms." Posey says
"Besides, we have the high ground here. It is a mechanical and strategic advantage."
>Uh...
GM, if you have a preferred course of action for us to take, just make it clear to us.

New thread!

>>191007
>>191012
"Do we? They may be on their way already. If they're not, then if they pass by we could escape without encountering them at all. I would prefer not making contact if we don't have to."

>>191012
Still neurotic,

"Oh, I don't know, you could go any other direction than right towards them. What's down that slope anyways, but even more soldiers?"

I meant about the map. Maybe later?

>>191011
Rustling Pine lowers his head,

"Хорошо..."

>>191013
"If we descend before they pass, our chance of encountering them is near certain." Posey replies
She gives a sigh
"Then again, we will know in a few minutes. Everypony take cover and prepare to engage." She says, looking for the nearest cover.
>you could go any other direction
I didn't consider that as an option. I've having a hard time visualizing the area.
"I suppose that might work, but we cannot be furtive with such a large group."
>>191007
>>191013
"Kira, Cavalier, can you still track the airponies down the other side of the mountain?"

>>191014
Silver trots up to Rustling Pine, placing a hoof on the crestfallen soldier's shoulder. He speaks in a tone of voice that's somewhere between fatherly and that of a squad leader. "Эй, солдат, не унывайте. Ваши товарищи, вы им нужны так же, как и вам. Если дело дойдет до драки, помните, что вы все сражаетесь друг за друга, за пони рядом с вами, что вы все вместе справитесь с этим."

>>191015
Survival: "Uh, sure, let me see." Sticking her head out of the airship, Kira flicks her tongue into the air to see if she can catch a whiff of the incoming Spetsnaz ponies.

[1d20+11 = (8+11) = 19]

>>191016
Rolling to assist (DC 10)
[1d20+1 = (9+1) = 10]

>>191016
I said track the airponies down, but knowing where the GRU is useful too.

"Everypony else gather your equipment and be ready to leave. Noncombatants will be needed to carry the thralls." Posey says to the rest of the crowed
"We will be moving at tracking speed, so it is imperative that we leave immediately, before the GRU closes distance. If we leave soon enough, we may outmaneuver them."

>>191015
I believe there is some real confusion as to the geography. I'm not sure if I can clear up that confusion without figuring out how to try to make a map on microsoft paint or whathaveyou.

Let me try to describe the relevant geography again:
Imagine a horse shoe, and stand it upright. Now take a spot on the right side of that horseshoe that's maybe one third of the way towards the top. Slightly closer to the inside of the horse shoe. That is about where the party is now. Now imagine that the inside half of the horse shoe is communist infested. That is the bay and the areas adjacent to the bay. Now return to the airship. In one direction, towards the inside of the horseshoe, is the landing beaches and the bay. That is where the soldiers are coming from. If you went up the side, you'd come to the end. If you went towards the outside, you'd leave the horseshoe. But if you went down the horseshoe, you could circle around on the horseshoe on the outside, away from the communists.

The moral of the story is that yes, there is one direction that the party can go that would go around the communists: Facing the bay and towards the communists, go to the left. Technically you could also go over the rocks to go around, but that would take longer.

What is not at all clear is if the wounded ponies and the infected ponies could be removed fast enough, and if the airship could be rigged to explode quickly enough. That is uncertain.

>>191016
I'm not sure exactly what you're rolling for. Are you trying to figure out the exact number of feet away the soldiers are, down to the inch?

Yes, the soldiers are still there, and now are slightly closer, apparently moving slowly. They cannot see the party now, nor even the massive airship in the fog. Neither can the party see them. Most likely, they saw the airship before the fog moved in and went towards it. Maybe they just randomly encountered Kira as they were advancing on the island. When Kira ran off, they started to follow her, and away from the airship. But Cavaliere immediately undid that when he attacked from the opposite direction. Then Posey's Dreads basically confirmed the location of the airship. So now they are heading directly for the airship.

>>191016
>Эй, солдат, не унывайте. Ваши товарищи, вы им нужны так же, как и вам. Если дело дойдет до драки, помните, что вы все сражаетесь друг за друга, за пони рядом с вами, что вы все вместе справитесь с этим.
D'awwww

Sitting down, he looks towards Silver

"Эм, хорошо. Но нам придётся драться?"

>>191019
Silver lets out a sigh as he lowers his head. Raising it back up to look at Pine directly, he replies, "Если повезет, то нет. Но если они начнут стрелять и будет ясно, что они нацелены на вас, ваших товарищей и вашего комиссара... возьмете ли вы свое оружие и будете сражаться за пони вокруг вас?"

>>191015
"We can make an attempt. The longer route toward the outside of the island would be a good way to avoid the GRU."
>>191016
Also rolling to assist:
[1d20+3 = (14+3) = 17]

>>191020
>Если повезет, то нет. Но если они начнут стрелять и будет ясно, что они нацелены на вас, ваших товарищей и вашего комиссара... возьмете ли вы свое оружие и будете сражаться за пони вокруг вас?
He replies,

"Я... Я так думаю? Но смогу ли я вернуться? Будет ли с моей семьей все в порядке? Если они подумают, что я мятежник."

>>191021
What is he trying to do?

>>191019
scrunches intensely

>>191022
Plotting a route to avoid the soldiers. I suppose the best option is to move out all the wounded airponies and plant charges while a token force remains to parlay and delay the enemy.

>>191019
>The moral of the story is that yes, there is one direction that the party can go that would go around the communists
Alright, let's do that then.
>What is not at all clear is if the wounded ponies and the infected ponies could be removed fast enough
Well, rescuing the airponies and torching the systems is our mission, so we don't really have a choice if we want to succeed. Let's do it now.
>I'm not sure exactly what you're rolling for.
I asked her to find the missing airponies.
>Then Posey's Dreads basically confirmed the location of the airship. So now they are heading directly for the airship.
...Really?
They attacked from the air, in conditions of intense fog.

>>191019
GM, with Kira's 30+ survival check before the last encounter, can guess the general location of the missing airponies?

>>191022
Frowning, Silver looks over to Black Heel. While he does have some things he could say, he wonders if the commissar might have anything to say or suggest to the worried soldier.

>>191024
>They attacked from the air in dense fog
Have you ever played Red Alert? Or Civilization? Or any kind of game wherein you have a very limited field of view, you are surrounded by fog of war, and you are being attacked by an enemy that spawns from a specific location?

If the enemy attacks you from the northwest, you can probably go northwest through the fog of war and find the enemy base. If they attack you from the south, their spawn point is probably to the south.

If the soldiers follow a straight line from the direction the Dreads came, they will find the party.

>>191023
Able bodied ponies and griffins can move out under the fog before the soldiers get there.

The problem is the non-able bodied ones.

>>191025
This happened 50 posts ago.

>>191026
For the moment, he is speechless, opening his mouth to say something, but managing nothing.

>>191027
>Have you ever played Red Alert? Or Civilization? Or any kind of game wherein you have a very limited field of view, you are surrounded by fog of war, and you are being attacked by an enemy that spawns from a specific location?
Idk, I haven't played any of those games. I have been operating based on standard 3.5e exploration rules, spot check minimum distances, encounter ranges, and Track DCs. It didn't cross my mind that they could track two flying creatures without feat+skill investment, or what the DC for that would be. I guess I should have thought about that, but it's too late for that.
>The problem is the non-able bodied ones.
Monstrous should be able to carry maybe ~6-8 more of them.

>>191027
The issue I have is that Cavaliere specifically circled around to attack from the enemy's rear, in a direction I assumed to be away from the airship. I thought that Kira was closest to the airship, and so by distracting them Cavaliere would be doing a dual service. I am very much frustrated that you have said it was his action that encouraged them to move towards the airship. It's the opposite of what I intended.

>>191030
I also recall saying that the Dreads flanked the enemy from either side, with the explicit goal of confusing and distracting them.

>>191030
Kira went and circled around their right, and then fled to the right. Cavaliere went and circled around their left, and attacked from the left, opposite of Kira. The dreads attacked straight on. Average the three out, especially with the last one moving, and you get straight on.

>>191031
Then I answered that they didn’t see anything. So they went through the most towards the music.

>>191032
Alright, we can only move forward.
How long does it take for Silver to set the charges?

>>191030
>>191033
I'd normally put this in the OOC thread but I need y'all to see this: There is zero chance we can move the wounded and set the charge before the GRU finds us. The NPCs expressing their concerns aren't doing so because GM pone is trying to subtly get across that we should leave, they're expressing their concerns because that's what the NPCs would naturally do in this circumstance.

>>191034
Then what are we supposed to do?
I really don't care what we do, let's just do something.

>>191035
I'm the same way. GM Pone really seems intent on forcing this encounter no matter what we do, unless if we abandon our mission. Some of our characters would rather die than abandon our mission so we are stuck here.

>>191036
>Some of our characters would rather die than abandon our mission
I am definitely not abandoning the airponies. I didn't come all this way for a paycut. I'm trying to raise an army.
Whatever it is, let's do it fast. Whatever advances the plot, let's do it.

>>191035
Maybe the plan that Silver keeps talking about but keeps getting ignored: bunker down, take cover in/near the airship, and prepare for a defensive battle. Silver and Black Heel will attempt to meet the Spetsnaz squad when they're spotted and convince them to turn around and let us get on with killing the Traveler. If we fail to do so and they attack, we defend ourselves using the airship as cover and the mounted machine gun to our advantage.

>>191038
Okay, let's go with Silver's plan
We hunker down, and then we play the waiting game for GM to advance the plot for us.

Posey looks for a suitable source of cover, preferably one she can be closer to the enemy without being in line of fire.

>>191027
Silver looks back at Pine, deciding to speak up instead. "Мы знаем, что вы не предатель. Никто из вас не предатель. Нам просто нужно встретиться с ними лицом к лицу и, надеюсь, убедить их в этом. Эти солдаты, они напуганы так же, как и все мы. Они на грани."

He gives him a pat on the shoulder. "Мы все братья здесь, на этом острове. Если повезет, они прислушаются к голосу разума."

"Is everypony ready?"

>>191040
Rustling Pine has a look of genuine fear to him, of a sort that was not present on the precipice where Silver first encountered him. His fur stands up, as if it weren't already ragged and deshelled on top of a dirty Marine uniform.

"Эм, хорошо..."
He looks away, ears down and right hoof stood partly up.

With repetition to the last phrase, he says,

"Я надеюсь, что то, что ты говоришь, правда. Я действительно надеюсь, что это так. Я надеюсь, что то, что ты говоришь, правда..."

>>191044
Silver's look shifts further in the fatherly direction as he sees Pine's fearful look. "Что тебя беспокоит, солдат?"

We are in mountain terrain, so spot checks should begin at ~300 (4d10x10) feet away. Kira and Cavalier should stand guard, so that we see the GRU before they see us. If we spit then first, we get a surprise round, which may be enough to kill them.

>>191046
Are you waiting in a defensive position, going out to parlay, or evacuating?

>>191047
The plan, as far as I still know, is for Silver and Black Heel to go out to parlay with the soldiers while the rest of the group stays back in defensive positions.

>>191048
>>191047
I thought the plan was to shoot them as soon as we saw them, to put us at an advantage.
If we sufficiently weaken them on the first round, they may be forced to retreat or surrender.

>>191049
I feel like y'all are selectively ignoring what I say, because I've mentioned that multiple times over the past many days.

>>191050
Idk, I'll go along with whatever plan.

>>191049
No, we are not shooting them. That might be a good idea if 1) Cavaliere and Kira weren't at death's door, 2) we didn't have a bunch of communists with us, and 3) Posey still had her dreads. As it is, we might as well try parlay and hope diplomacy rolls won't kill us.

As for Cavaliere, he will be hiding behind cover somewhere. I don't really care where.

>>191055
Okay, I guess we will just wait for them to arrive then. Idk why that's better than simply running away now, but I won't contest the plan.

I have no other actions to declare, so I guess it's just GM's move for what comes next.

I checked back in this thread after Stellaris became unfun and I finally got my dad to agree to travel with me, and it feels like a mistake

>>191055
He could hide inside of the airship and shoot out of the windows. He could hide behind the carriage and use it as cover. He could hide behind a rock formation south of the airship, or a rock formation north of the airship, or even physically above it, maybe use the envelope... But if it doesn't matter to you, I suppose it doesn't matter to me.

>>191056
>Idk why that's better than simply running away now
Because there isn't enough time to evacuate the wounded and possessed of the airponies, as well as rig explosives. Have you read anything posted by anyone over the past two weeks?

>>191050
>>191055
>>191056
Part of me feels life I need to ask clarifying questions like "Is Posey a part of the Parlay group or is she fortifying?" or "Are the NPCs being impressed into a defensive position?" or "Will there be any attempt to evacuate or to set a trap with explosives with the time bought by the parlay or is a ready defensive position going to be established instead?" But the greater part of me feels like if it doesn't matter to you, it shouldn't matter to me.

>>191060
>Have you read anything posted by anyone over the past two weeks?
Yes, I just get confused sometimes. It's been a busy two weeks.
>"Is Posey a part of the Parlay group or is she fortifying?"
Sure, I have the Charisma score and Charm abilities, so I may as well help. Silver will probably be needed to speak though.
>"Will there be any attempt to evacuate or to set a trap with explosives with the time bought by the parlay
This sounds like a good idea, but idk how it would work.
>But the greater part of me feels like if it doesn't matter to you, it shouldn't matter to me.
Whatever you feel is appropriate, GM.

>>191060
No, it does matter.

Silver and Black Heel are going to go parlay with the commies. While Posey's charming gaze ability is useful, I have doubts as to its effectiveness charming special forces wearing gas masks who can't speak any of her languages. The others are holding defensive positions using the airship and surrounding terrain as cover as we don't have the means to get them out in a timely manner, and we can't really set an explosive trap on something we're using actively as cover.

Also, Silver turns to Black Heel, asking him, "Do you think we should come up with cover story for my presence? Perhaps say I am part of attaché from Northern Tribes to keep eye on Chernobog and report back with any discoveries that are made?"

>>191061
Maybe though your Charm ability would still be useful...

>>191061
>>191062
>>191063
Giving it some more thought, ultimately I think I'll leave the decision as to whether you'll come or not up to you. It's not that the decision doesn't matter or that I don't care about the decision, it's that I think Posey would be of invaluable help to either group.

>>191064
I'll be there. I just need to sleep for now.

>>191062
>"Do you think we should come up with cover story for my presence? Perhaps say I am part of attaché from Northern Tribes to keep eye on Chernobog and report back with any discoveries that are made?"
"They will be unwilling to trust us no matter what we tell them, so there is no need to make up new stories. Just tell them that we are pirates who came to pillage this airship for items and take the airponies hostage, before the monsters started appearing and complicated our escape." Posey says

Virgin Flame is scared awake by her own loud snoring. "Who let the pones out? Neigh. Neigh. Neigh-neigh!" she shouts as she just dreamt of being on stage with baggy clothes, rapin' off a sick freestyle. She rips her hooves free from the fat gluing her to the floor, like you might put pineapple on pizza. She tears through the cobwebs strung up between her ears and hammers out the spider nesting in her ear. She brushes off the moss grown on her coat.

Sees the bap before her. She grins wickedly and a tongue glazes up her lips.
>Rape ^^

>>191070
Nice to have you back, Flame.

>>191071
Idk what compelled me to draw porn and post here.

>>191072
Ty c:

>>191060
GM, is there anything else you want us to clarify to avoid frustration, before we proceed?

>>191060
Cavaliere will stay inside the carriage to better avoid being spotted by any nosy scouts. He makes sure the griffons are inside, too.

Perhaps it would be best to set the explosives on the equipment in question, just in case. I don't think he would be the one to do it if it took a special skill check.

>>191070
Yay!

>>191079
>I don't think he would be the one to do it if it took a special skill check.
None of us has ranks in the demolitions skill, and GM has yet to call for it in this game. If any of us can do it, you can to.

>>191079
Aww <3

>>191071
While I don't where the last post of our RP is, I do know where we cut off. The fash bat was about to give Zealot Pyre the info of where the rest of the statue's body is (so she can >Rape it instead). ^^

>>191100
The other red-haired white mare is threatening to outrape me. I need to step up my game.

>>191100
This >>188329 → was the last post to Virgin Flame, which was evidently supposed to be followed by more.

>>191102
>>191100
She continues,

"This pony of interest was a dock worker - so many of the radicals are - and was presumably unemployed at around the time of the Revolt. A teller from the bank across the street who had been impressed into defending it identified a pony of his appearance as among those who had approached the Cathedral. One of his neighbors mentioned him leaving that morning. He seems to have a hatred for the Celestial Church. Some sort of personal issue. He was suspected to have committed other acts of vandalism against churches." She smiles. "Hard to blame him. He's living in the Eastside now, unloading trucks for a soda company at restaurants in the area. He has not caught our attention since, though he seems to have been arrested for public intoxication once."

She then pushes forward another manilla folder with her hoof,

"This is Goldmare. A yellow unicorn mare, below middle age. She went to University, and unfortunately never recovered from the experience. She was on the payroll of the unions as an 'administrator' at the time. She was suspected by the Baltimare PD investigator as having organized the vandalism of the cathedral and several other structures. This is based on evidence in other cases, but also a conversation overheard by a patron of a local diner between her and ponies unknown. She was not witnessed nearby the cathedral that day, but that doesn't mean she wasn't there. She has remained in our interest since then for... other reasons. She lives north of the city center in a rowhouse with her disabled mother."

She moves a final folder towards Virgin, and remarks
"Good luck with this one. This is Haymarket. Tan colored pegasus stallion. Young adult, would have been 21 at the time. He was seen by the teller walking towards the Cathedral, though the investigator speculates that Goldmare may have been mistaken for him at long distance, given their similar coats. But he was certainly in the area. A pony watching from her home saw him walking along the streets earlier that day. He did much more than that. He was seen building barricades for the revolt and is alleged to have stolen from the requisition offices of a company he once worked for.

We have nothing on him since the revolt. Nothing at all. This would usually be explained by him moving out of Baltimare, but his mother filed a missing pony report on him shortly after the revolt. He is believed to have died in the revolt, but you never know. His mother could be covering for him. He may have gone off with the money."

In anticipation for her next diplomacy check, Posey spritz herself with a bit of glitter and applies her makeup (powder, mascara, rouge). She does so expertly, in a motion so practiced it's clear that she's doing it without a mirror.

"I absolutely ADORE lead! Who knew that a humble byproduct in the production of silver could be so fabulous? Paint, makeup, powder, glitter, plates, sweeteners. White gold is simply divine."
She spritz some more glitter, now surrounded in an aura of mercury-infused microplastics.
"And this synthetic glitter is fabulous as well. The modern world brings so many new pleasure."
She takes a puff from her cigarette and blows a heart shaped smoke ring

>>191104
Kira peaks her head out of a window in the airship, as she's hiding out of sight of the GRU for when they arrive. "Isn't lead, like, really super bad for you? I heard it seeps into your skin and travels along your blood to your brain where it makes you go crazy. I've heard that cities who built their sewage and water pipes out of lead have vastly worse crime rates and higher rates of mental disabilities than other cities."

>>191104
Blackheel shares in Posey's love of the gray metal

"By product of silver? Nyet! Lead is more important than silver. Paint. Batteries for cars. Soldering for electronics. And cars, trucks, and planes could not even move if not for the lead in gasoline. Haha, and of course bullets. Who could forget bullets?"

A pause, and
"Yes, many new things. Science ponies are good for some things sometimes. When they don't need bullets through them."
He smiles

>>191105
Starfire shakes his head,

"Oh no. The Ethyl company actually did a test, when people claimed their fuel additive was dangerous. The pony poured the lead additive over his legs to show that it is fine. It isn't higher than background levels of lead in the environment."

Blackheel:

"Nyet! Infrastructure is fine!"

>>191105
>Isn't lead, like, really super bad for you?
We are in the early 20th century. Ponies in this era think that lead is a vitamin.

"Oh, quite the contrary. It does wonders for the skin, and the color is to die for." Posey replies
"You should try it some time. A little bit of makeup would really bring out your pretty scales."
>>191106
"Indeed. You have a pragmatic mind, Blackheel. Lead is more useful and beautiful than silver ever was." Posey says, with absolutely no vampiric bias in her speech

>>191106
>>191107
With a grimace and a tilting of her head, Kira replies, "He poured lead over his legs? That seems...really dangerous and irresponsible. Like, you would do that just to keep up the use of lead in your gasoline? It makes you wonder what kind of motives he would have beyond just proving it's safe to risk such harm to himself."

To Posey specifically, Kira replies, "I'm not so sure I'd call lead more beautiful than silver. I mean, sure, it's shiny and all, but so is silver. And silver's definitely less poisonous than lead. Well, I mean, it's not totally non-poisonous, but you have to interact with an actual ton of silver for it to be properly harmful to you."

>>191108
"I never expected a tribal lamia to be so opinionated on the health effects of industrial metallurgy. This world is full of surprises. Where did you hear such a thing?"
"Lead is excellent for makeup. Besides, I am allergic to silver, so it may as well be poison to me. I made the mistake of using an imported silver leaf eyeliner one day, and I can only begin to describe the burning."

>>191109
Kira: "Ohhhhhh, fair enough on the allergy. I'm sorry to hear that, allergies really suck." She lowers her head in reverence to the poor infirm mare before lifting her head back up. "I mean we're tribal, but we're not primitive, you know? We have miners, smiths, metallurgists...I'm not any of those, but you pick stuff up when you talk with the other castes. Plus we get all kinds of books on all manner of topics through trading with merchants who pass through our lands. It's why I speak Ponish so well, the clerics had so many books in Ponish in the collection that it was basically either learn the language or go without reading."

I'm ready to start the next encounter whenever GM is

>>191106
>>191107
>>191108
>>191109
>>191110
Cavaliere butts in.
"Regardless, I would prefer any application of lead to be away from me. Life is risky enough as it is, and many things have a capacity to be used to either create or destroy. Miss Kirafiki is quite right on her knowledge of heavy metals."

If nopony else is doing anything, Cavaliere will plant the scuttling charges on the radar and the engines, hooking them up a single signal which for now will be protected from accidentally going off. Then he will return to cover.

Is knowledge of lead poisoning public information in this decade? I was making a period joke.
>>191124
I think all the preparations have been made then.

"Oh, that reminds me."
Posey produces her tiara from her satchel and polishes it gently, gazing at the white-gold metal in the evening light, basking in its horrible power.

"Such a lovely, exquisite color... I wonder if it contains any lead? It appears to be an allow of some kind. Sadly, I missed out on Arcane metallurgy at the academy. My tutors had other priorities..."
>>191126
>and anyone who is well-educated in a modern setting would also recognize that fact
Alright. Time to roll Knowledge (Earth & Life Sciences) to see if Posey is aware of the effects that lead has on mortals:
[1d20+3 = (1+3) = 4]
If this is a common knowledge check, the DC should be 10. If it's not common knowledge then I guess I can't use it untrained, unless it's an Alchemy check in which case Posey has the same mod.

Whether or not Posey knows about this, she would remain pro-lead because she's evil, lol. Also I love the poisonous white gold metaphor for her.

>>191127
>1
"The Ethyl Corporation has no reason to lie to us. Lead is the metal of the future!"

>>191108
Starfire:
"No, the point of the demonstration was to show the public that it isn't dangerous and irresponsible. The product that his... company sells. And makes money from..."

Starfire tilts his head to the left, letting his left ear flop down.

"Are you eating silver?"
He moves his head back up
"Anyways, don't drink gasoline. Or paint. Or silver."

>>191122
"Ha!" Blackheel turns his head to address Cavaliere

"Are you afraid of getting your claws dirty?" he has a sly smile and slightly tilts his head. "Progress comes through paint, batteries, and gasoline. Do you expect it always to smell nice?" He turns to walk off with Silver, but then looks back to Cavaliere to add, "I would have thought you become accustomed to bullets."

>>191124
"Hey, Griffin." A pony inside of the carriage, the white, wingless, hornless pony with a tunicate over his leg identified as Pinup Locker holds up a couple vials, offering them to Cavaliere.

"I see you've got pretty banged up. We have some extra potions in our med kit. These are more for cuts and external wounds. Not really what we have, but... You look like you need it."

Primed Well returns to his station at the gun.

>>191127
Lead is a darker grey. The tiara is obviously an alloy of gold and a white colored metal, most likely silver.

>>191136
Kira: "No no, I don't...eat silver. It gets absorbed into the skin as you handle it. But no, none of us would drink/eat gasoline, paint, or silver. I don't think any of those would taste good, anyways..."

>>191136
>most likely silver
I hope it doesn't burn me. I'm going to just tell myself it's palladium instead... Posey's silver aversion is psychological anyway.
>>191137
"Lead is an excellent sweetener."

>>191136
"The GRU should be arriving any second now. Be ready." Posey says, staring off into the mist with a ready stance, her horn cracking with power and anticipation

The hillside remains veiled under thick, grey fog. But it moves slowly over the hill, portions vary in color, lighter or darker, corresponding to thicker and thinner portions of the cloud. The variations have an effect almost like being under water, watching the lighter and darker refractions of the sunlight on the sand in a shallow lagoon. But it is not by the visual senses alone that the hill draws comparison to being underwater. There are, to be sure, in a few blessed moments, the sounds of distant explosions or cracks, the former sometimes shaking the ground in miniature quakes. But between the explosions, the sound of silence takes over, only to remind the ponies that there is no silence at all. Though there is no sound in the slowly moving air, still in the mind of every creature present are two sounds that meet together. A high-pitched droning noise, like subjective tinnitus, and a muffled, constant reverb, like the sound of moving underwater.

Silver, Blackheel, and whomever joins them go forward. They doesn't make it far before the fog thins, and several figures can be seen. The black figures stop for a moment, and spread apart. Silver can see the edges of steel helmets, thick nylon flak jackets, the long wooden-encased barrels of rifles, and gasmasks that cover the muzzle and eyes. There is the sound of low whispers as they speak to each other, and move into three small groups of four.

>>191144
Through instincts, Silver's stance becomes a bit guarded, being surrounded by so many armed and not necessarily friendly ponies. Still, he manages to hold up a hoof to them and speak, "Товарищеские матчи, товарищеские матчи! Мы не одержимы!"

>>191144
Posey uses a readied actions to charm any creature that comes within 30 ft of her with her Gaze.

How close are they?

>>191136
"Progress does not come without cost. When the costs are due to laziness, negligence, or deceit, I will take issue."

Cavaliere accepts the vials and passes one to Kira. "Thank you. We will need these for what comes ahead."

He stays hidden.

>>191145
Two groups of four start to come closer, while a third group of four remains a bit further behind.

Blackheel calls out,
"Я комиссар Черный Каблук дружбы и научной экспедиции на SSV-Кострома. Мои пони разбежались после мятежа, и... дела вышли из-под контроля. Нам нужна помощь."

A soldier replies,
"Уроните оружие!"

>>191146
At the earliest interaction (what is happening now) 100 feet away. They are moving closer, towards 60 feet.

>>191148
>>191145
"What are they saying?"
>>191148
Posey waits to use her gaze.

How close together are they?

>>191148
Silver continues to hold a hoof up, gesturing to the fog around them. "Находиться на этом острове без оружия — самоубийство. Чернобог может в любой момент призвать монстров, которые нападут на нас."

>>191149
Silver whispers to Posey such that the still somewhat distant ponies can't hear. "They made demand to drop our weapons."

>>191150
"Tell them we refuse. They can leave."

>>191150
They move closer

Speaking through a mask:
"Этот район находится под контролем ГРУ. Все неопознанные существа враждебны, если доказано обратное. Сложите оружие, и мы сможем доставить вас в безопасную зону на корабле. У нас есть оружие для вещей."

Blackheel, with more force:
"Я комиссар Черный Каблук. Я занимаю ранг в Коммунистической партии. Я требую, чтобы меня отвели к вашему командиру и вывезли с острова.

>>191152
>>191150
"What are they saying?"

I'm being a good sport by not Google translating this. Pls explain.

>>191153
"They are having difficulty understanding the hierarchy" Blackheel replies with venom

>>191154
"Interesting..." Posey replies, her horn sparkling somewhat to prepare for battle

>>191152
Silver tries to speak franticly enough to get the point across to the GRU ponies. "Слушай, я атташе Социалистического Зимнего Союза Свободных Северных Коммун. Меня послали вместе с посылкой, чтобы посмотреть, можно ли извлечь из нее что-нибудь полезное, и доложить о результатах. Она завладела разумом большинства членов экипажа, это верные солдаты и моряки, в чьих разумах вселился демон. Мы должны остановить и убить Чернобога, прежде чем он восстановит свои силы и двинется на материк!"

Will we require diplomacy checks?

>>191157
>Diplomacy checks
Yes.

>>191158
>>191157
I don't speak the language, so idk if I can help, but Posey will charm the ponies at the earliest opportunity.
If you figure out a way for Posey to help, you can have her take 10 with a +10 mod, for a total of 20, enough to change them from unfriendly to indifferent.

I need to sleep.

So... Is Silver going to roll?

>>191163
>>191158
Fug it
[1d20 = 5]

>>191164
I love this game but this game clearly does not love me.

>>191164
That's just barely high enough to prevent changing their attitude to hostile.
But no cigar.
>>191166
Want me to roll intimidate to make them fuck off?

>>191167
Hmmm...we'll see, but maybe

>>191168
I mean, now would be the time. I only need to yell at them to make them go away. No mutual language necessary.

I want to get past this encounter.

Yeah... I am not waiting another week to resolve an encounter that can be done with a single charisma check.

Posey eventually catches on the the negotiations are not going her way, and gets progressively more agitated.
"A lift." she calls behind her expectantly
Monstrous rises from the pile of bones, the bony tip of its tail snaking out for Posey to hop onto, before raising her ~32 ft in the air, while its front end glares towards the GRU with a threatening rattle, its teeth dripping with corrupted ectoplasm.

Posey's horn crackles and sparks with malign, sanguine power, and her mane begins to stand on end as she whirls her cape, glaring down at the approaching GRU from her ghoulish perch. Her golden eyes blaze with a sickly yellow light, like a Jaguar in the moonlight, and she gnashes her fangs as they sprout from the roof of her mouth, putrid black icor bleeding around them. She draws her sword, its silver blade glimmering in the evening light. The bones on her armor rattle.
She shouts an order, not in their language, but clear enough that anypony should understand it (particularly the Bard, which I suspect knows multiple languages):

"BEGONE!!!"
[1d20+15 = (20+15) = 35]

>>191170
>20
KYAHAHAHAHAHAHA COWER IN FEAR YOU LITTLE WORMS!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7KSZicb6Mc&pp=0gcJCdgAo7VqN5tD

>>191173
Does it work? Do they run away?

>>191157
The pony speaks,

"Нет, бросьте оружие, и мы проведем вас к пляжу, откуда вас увезут с острова и поместят на карантин."
This last sentence ends somewhat abruptly as he looks up

>>191170
Perhaps Posey is disappointed by just how silently the whale skeleton swims through the cloud. Songless, it is seen before it is heard, and even then its yellow tinged grey is not so distinct from the grey mist.

One pony in the squad says "Что это?" and nudges the pony next to him, who looks up. The leader sees it, looks up, then down to Posey, then up to the looming mass, and then levels his weapon at it. Another pony follows suit, but several others moves back several steps

Then Posey says, "BEGONE"

The Soldiers tremble and flinch backwards, several again aiming their weapons at it. The lead pony moves a few steps back, and so all of the ponies behind him start to move even more steps back.

The lead pony takes a voice piece from a radio attached to the back of the pony next to him:

Voice trembling, he says into it
"У нас есть новое развитие на склоне холма. Огромный летающий монстр и некий маг. Нам нужно больше сил. Мы отступим и уйдем."

Then they all start walking backwards as best they can, increasing in speed, moving back down the hill. The more organized of them keep their weapons trained on the magician riding the bone whale, though the less organized move down the hill at a faster pace.

>>191170
>>191185
Silver looks over at Posey as all of this is happening, his ears pinned back. It appears even he, the experienced soldier and adventurer, is taken aback by the shear force of her intimidation. He glances over at the retreating soldiers, seeing them running away more or less at the little mare and her big skeleton whale and hearing their leader's call for assistance over the radio. Look back at Posey, he breaks the silence. "I supposed that will work to prevent this from turning into battle. I have bad feeling this will lead to further troubles down line, however. Let us return to airship, we need to get moving as soon as possible."

Cavaliere, who has been observing this from afar, remarks. "They will be back in no time.
Come on, let's get everypony ready to go."
How are the injured ponies looking?

>>191185
Satisfied, Posey descends from her perch.
She takes a moment and grunts sharply as she fishes something from between her teeth, before spitting tossing it into the fog down the mountain (it's her fangs)
"That will last us about an hour. We need to find the missing airponies and withdraw from this site before then."
>>191186
"Indeed. We do not have very much time. Giddy up." She says
She turns to Kira
"Can you find the missing airponies?"

>>191186
"Well, uh..." Blackheel drops his ears down

"Let us make haste"

>>191188
Cavaliere can't see most of what occurs, it being beyond the veil of mist. But he certainly can see Monstro, moving silently through the mist, and he can hear the conspicuous absence of gunshots.

Cavaliere is among the injured, but Pinup Locker can move on his own, the captain likely can as well, though he is not yet willing to talk, and the injured pony who was previously laying down is improved, but not able to move on his own. The enthralled ponies are still locked up.

>>191189
>>191188
>>191186
In the distance, likely the other side of the bay, a couple explosions, then a much larger explosion can be heard.

>>191191
"Help me get a stretcher ready for him," Cavaliere commands, indicating the injured pony.

>>191191
>>191192
Posey helps prepare the stretchers.

"Quickly, quickly...!" she mutters, knowing time is of the essence

>>191192
>>191193
"It's uh-" Pinup Locker starts to speak, then pauses

"Well we don't have proper stretchers. Any ideas for a Jerry rig?"

>>191194
"We could tie a few to the skeleton as a gondola...."
Posey suggests, although not confidently
"Did Dust's cure spells not allow them to walk? What is the severity of their damage"

>>191195
"Let me check" He moves over to the injured pony, raises a hoof and, smack right on the pony's thigh, and a bit more than the thigh
"Up!"

The pony's eyes open, and he starts to get up, though obviously dazed.

"Can you hear me? We need to move. Walk if you can."
This pony is not very responsive, but darts his eyes at the other ponies in the room.

Pinup Locker says,
"I think he might be able to walk. Don't you have others?"

>>191196
"Yeah, I think I can find some rods in here. In the beds and also some of the pylons. They've fallen apart."

"Did anypony pack a cure wand?" Posey calls out, with little confidence, silently regretting her apathy towards healing resources
>>191197
"I do not know, but get them moving. Make them hustle if you have to. We cannot afford to rest here. If they pass out from exhaustion at the Kostroma then so be it." she says, a bit coldly

>>191191
The other side of the bay? Is this towards the GRU's landing zone, or the Kostroma?

>>191198
Kira raises a hoof. "I can look along the ground for medicinal herbs and make healing poultices while we travel. I have the mortar and pestle to do so!"

>>191199
"Find the airponies instead. Nothing is growing on this island."

>>191200
Kira: "Oh, I've already found them. There's a bat pony scent over by the...lighthouse...which is right next to where the 'gee are you' landed..." She slowly lowers her hoof. "...aw dangit..."

>>191201
"Lead the way."

Is Kira able to lead us to the airponies

Is there anything else we need to work out before Kira leads us to the airponies?

>>191205
How to wait patiently for a response?

We just have to be patient.

>>191207
If that WERE the answer, it would be from GM, which I am not.
But, since we're here, allow me to suggest that incessant "Tend to me and my declared things/posts/dicerolls" are,... not conducive. What I mean is, imagine someone made an effort-post, which got buried under a whole bunch of "GM, I'm waiting on you". "GM, hurry the fuck up." and so on posts.

If you like, we can get into how one player observed and learned from this phenomena and exploited it, to everyone's chagrin, but yes; for now patience is the as-yet unlearned attribute

>meanwhile, at the Silver estate
Gloomy practices his Crayola binding sigils. He has already succeeded in contacting the firebreathing Amon once before, now familiar with the disgraced former god of light and justice.
Will the precocious little colt learn to rewrite his pact with Tenebrous before the shadow goat drags him to Tartarus? Or will he be just another lamb on the altar? Only time can tell.
"Nabewious, answew my cawl...."
>....
>Silence
He needs to work on his enunciation.

>>191222
"What'cha doing, little pony?"
Gloomy may look up to see a colt a few years older than him, on the cusp of, but not quite to puberty. His white coat is reasonably well-kept and shiny, with puffed up fluff in a few areas. His lips are closed, and his eyes partly lidded. His position standing, his older age, and his naturally larger build, all cause him to loom over Gloomy. Or maybe Gloomy doesn't look up. It won't stop what follows from happening.

"Calling for the old gods, are you?"
He gives a weak smile. Then he tilts his head forward and to the left, such that his eyes look upwards towards the lower colt, and he raises the right side of his mouth in a half-smirk.
"They couldn't help you, could they?"

He rolls his eyes to look away, and then moves his head as if looking out the massive door-windows that view the sea.
"There was a filly at the orphanage who did that. They couldn't help her. They won't help you. It's not just that they don't care. They don't" He shakes his head slowly
"But uh... Well, they are weak. There is a reason they have fallen so far out of favor with the herd."

It is at this moment that the colt produces from behind his back a large toy locomotive. Though his hoof holds onto it, in the final seconds it is allowed to fall before Gloomy, resting overtop and somewhat behind and to the left of Gloomy's crayon drawings. It makes a loud but quick, metallic thud as it hits the wooden floor. The toy locomotive is a 1/32 scale model of a 4-6-0 of the Godwinson works circa 972, painted in the livery of the Southern Lunar line, with a tender car and a cow catcher. The paint is bright and professionally added. Only in specific areas like under the roof of the cabin are there signs of naked chromatic steel. At the tip of the cow catcher the paint has peeled away, but a brown-orange stain remains over the silver-steel.

Gloomy needs no special wisdom nor insight to understand that this is a very fine, fancy, and expensive toy. Certainly more so than any gift given to him by his adoptive mother. And for the colt to just place it right in front of a stranger... Such behavior is contrary to nature. Gloomy knows this. Any normal child would horde such toys, keeping it for himself and sharing it only when forced, or when in the presence of a very trusted compatriot. Could not Gloomy steal it for himself, or at least damage it? What could drive a colt to such a display? Surely the colt must be ridiculously confident, either that Gloomy could not damage it, or that the toy could be very easily replaced. But no such colt could exist. Not in nature, anyways.

The colt leans over, and speaks
"Do you like trains"
His eyes bulge on that last, exaggerated syllable. And though he has thus far affected the appearance of normalcy, his mask breaks. His wide, teeth showing smile betrays predilections and esoteric knowledge that belong to no conventionally functioning mind, but only to those few with brains that work in just the right way.

"I can tell you all about them." He says. "And all about those who - ever heard of a tycoon?" He moves closer, and inspects what Gloomy has been working on

"What is this? A contract?" He places a hoof on the drawing, and moves it to the side. "Oh, I can tell you about those who are the true masters of contracts. Those who could make any contract mean, or not mean, exactly what he wanted it to mean." He turns his head back to Gloomy,
"What, do you believe that if a contract is written in your blood, it is stronger? Heh, well I can tell you, your blood isn't as thick as their ink, and no amount of blood nor moral right could stand against the power of steam and steel and sheer force of will."

He smiles again, and pushes the locomotive. Then he sits down across from Gloomy.
"Little pony, there is much for me to show you. And much for you to learn."

>>191198
>>191201
>>191207
Kira has at least a sliver of an idea as to where the remaining airponies are located. The wounded can be moved, even if the petrushkas continue to present issues for transit.

The light dims.

>>191230
Silver helps with getting the wounded up and moving. As he's doing that, Kira works on the petrushkas. She looks in through the window to where the one in the back of the airship is locked up, flicking her tongue as she does so.

Kira: "Um...hey there...buddy. How're you doing?"

>>191229
The sick little colt is taken aback by the approach of this mysterious older colt. He was always shy and neurotic, and being bombarded with so many questions at once from a stranger is quite overwhelming. He sputters, and the Crayola crayon falls from his mouth
"Wh-wh-wha..?!" he stutters
He reflexively reaches for his alarm talisman (which, if broken, would prompt Posey to send in the ghast to kill everypony), but against his better education, his eyes widen as he sees the toy train, like a colt who's never seen a train before. Not like any of the ivory statuettes, magic jewels or bone talismans his mother gave him to play with, but a fantastic machine with so many moving parts.
The train is excellent bait, as the sick little colt is now listening, his eyes remain glued to the train for half of the older Colt's speech, before looking upwards to meet his gaze, and slowly but surely, the rebellious Colt comes out of his shell, and returns the smile with his own manic, deranged grin.

He nudges his drawings over, the parchments scribbled with various failed soulbinding sigils. In the margins are drawings of various monsters, which include black dogs, serpents and especially a particular jet black, skeletal caprine creature
"I've never seen a 'twain' before... Momma said she'd show me one night." he says
"I like playing crayons. Do you like crayons?" he says

>>191231
"We may need to knock him out." Possibly says, coldly
"Try not to engage with him. We do not need the Traveller to get any more information."

>>191231
What was there before the Ouroburos, before all things? Was there nothing? Was there something? Was there something in-between nothing and something? Wait. That doesn't make any sense. Before the Ouroburos was the Ouroburos, ad infinitum. There is no "before." It's snakes all the way down. Unless....

The bat pony looks back at Kira with wide, abyssal black eyes and a child-like glee. He licks the window between himself and Kira. His tongue leaves no saliva, nor does his breath cloud the window.

>>191239
Hmmmmm...there's some weirdness going on with this pony, that much Kira is certain of. She looks back at Silver, who then looks at her and tries to make a scary face, before encouraging her to do the same. Kira looks uncertain, but with some further encouragement she closes her eyes and breathes in deeply.

When she opens them, her pupils have narrowed to a pair of thin, animalistic slits. She turns back around to face the pony in the window, her false jaw opening up completely with a subtle pop, the skin around the corners of her mouth pulling back and deforming to allow her to open her mouth to its fullest, terrifying extent, exposing her fangs and revealing a hungry, empty maw that leads down straight to her impossibly long throat. If there's any bit of awareness in the possessed pony, he may realize, terrifyingly, that her mouth is indeed big enough to entirely engulf a pony's head.

>>191247
“Hiss!”

There is a “thud.” It must have kicked the window.

>>191252
Hey, hissing is Kira's thing!

Kira thinks to herself, Please don't make me do this, potential pony friend! She does this instead of speaking because at the moment, her fully opened jaw makes the act of speaking a little difficult, as she can't really move her mouth and tongue when they're like this to make the noises required for speech.

Strength: Kira lunges at the door, giving the pony a terrifying close up view of inside her wide, gaping maw as she attempts to break it down and get to the possessed pony on the other side.

[1d20+3 = (10+3) = 13]

>>191253
THUD

Kira slams against the door and cracks its hinges, causing the top to lean backwards. The pony has backuped within the small confines of the bombardier’s station. Kira can see - if she can look inside at all - that there is actually a second pony in there, though this other one also has a charcoal coloration. They are almost on top of each other.

>>191254
One more good lunge should do it. Kira really feels uncomfortable doing this, appearing as monstrous and scary to creatures as cute and nominally friend-shaped as ponies, but if it's what's necessary to bring these possessed ponies to heel...then she'll do it.

Strength: Kira lunges again, seeking to send the door flying off its hinges and forcefully enter the bombardier's station.

[1d20+3 = (10+3) = 13]

>>191255
CRACK

The door comes off of its hinges and falls into the bombardier's station. In the tight quarters the end of it falls onto the pepper colored bat stallion. It does not land squarely over top of him, but traps his head and a part of his shoulder. Maybe parts of his upper body, hard to tell.

The other stallion kicks Kira, or tries to.
[1d20+3 = (15+3) = 18]
[1d3+1 = (3+1) = 4]

If anypony is watching, they have not thought to intervene, neither to stop Kira, nor to tell her there was a knob.

>>191256
>a knob
Well, to her credit...Kira thought the door was locked, hence why the possessed ponies were still trapped in the station.

Improved Grapple: Anyways, she'll deal with that later, right now she has a very upset possessed pony kicking her right on the tail, which may possibly end up bruising before this is all done. Kira retaliates by lunging forth with her head, trying to latch onto the pony so she can hold the him in place and coil around him.

Touch Attack: [1d20+9 = (19+9) = 28]
Grapple: [1d20+13 = (13+13) = 26]

>>191257
Be advised:

In the tiny space of the bombardier’s station, which is in between a broom closet and a walk-in closet in size, Kira would necessarily have to be at least partially on the door. The door is now over top of part of the pepper bat stallion. Kira can’t tell if the end of the steel door is on his spine, his neck, or his skull, but she does know that a large portion of her 1,000 pounds combined weight will be overtop of a very small portion of some very important bones.

>>191258
Hmmmmmmmmmmm...that does pose a problem. Kira very much does not want to kill any of the friend-shaped creatures, especially on accident.

Possibly weird question: is the other possessed pony, the one not currently trapped underneath a door, visible from the doorway? Could Kira, say, latch onto the pony and drag him out of the bombardier station?

>>191259
Yes, the other pony is immediately beyond the door. The two ponies were almost on top of each other.

Beyond the pony is a set of glass windows, and possibly a forward-facing gun.

>>191260
Okay then, instead of Kira going into the room to grapple and constrict the pony (which would result in the other pony getting crushed to death), Kira will instead lunge forth with her open maw, grab onto the pony, and drag him out so she can safely do her thing.

>>191261
Maybe a strength check for good measure.

>>191262
Strength: Let's hope the strong noodle can be strong once more.

[1d20+3 = (11+3) = 14]

>>191263
“Neigh!”

The pony is grabbed, dragged out of the station, and constructed by Kira

>>191264
Kira mumbles something around the pony's head that she currently has in her mouth, the head blocking her ability to speak properly even more than her unhinged pony jaw does, but she's probably saying something along the lines of "I'm so sorry about this!" Or maybe she's telling the pony to be still. Or perhaps even she's commenting on the pony's flavor, it's impossible to tell. What is possible to tell is that the lamia has the pony wrapped up in her muscular coils and his head in her maw as she begins to squeeze the air out of the pony's lungs, aiming to starve the pony of oxygen and cause him to pass out rather than actually cause any serious harm.

[1d6+3 = (4+3) = 7]

>>191265
Wait, does Kira have the pony’s head in her mouth?

Kira gives him a squeeze. He whines.

>>191266
That's the idea. It's the most grabbable thing for a lamia's mouth to latch onto. Speaking of, she keeps the squeeze around the pony's chest going, preventing him from raising his chest to inflate his lungs and breathe. She does feel really bad about this, she really doesn't want to cause any lasting harm. I mean, it may lead to additional mental trauma, but really, compared to having an eldritch extradimensional entity in your head, is this really all that worse?

[1d6+3 = (6+3) = 9]

>>191267
Kira get’s a grip on the stallion’s head, even as one ear pokes out. It’s a similar feeling to what Kira has felt so times before, even if the head is larger and less streamlined than the many antelope, bushbucks, and duikers she’s had in there before. Ponies are ungulates just the same as most medium sized fauna, and just as Kira is accustomed to.

Blood drips out of the pony’s chin and onto Kira’s tongue, letting Kira savor the fresh and now somewhat rare flavor. It gives Kira an estatic rush. To some degree this always occurs when she gets the taste of blood, but there is something more here. It tastes… magical, like the pony is imbued with energy - and flavors - not seen in common ungulates. Even the normally tasteless, or even occasionally dirty or foul tasting fur is oddly sweet, and certainly cleaner and smoother, softer than any wildlife or livestock she’s tasted before.

The pony raises a hoof to try to press against Kira’s face to pull himself out. His press is weak, and he misses the first two times. Kira knows this is normal, and shows he’s weakening. There are no horns that could get caught in her throat, thankfully, though he has large wings which spread out. But even these weaken and fall. Finally, the pony becomes weak and limp.

>>191268
Perhaps there's a part of the base instincts of a lamia that are calling out to her: Do it. It's food, ready to be eaten. Helpless prey. Thankfully, however, Kira is able to easily drown out these attempts by the more animal side of her using logic and reason: Ponies are friends, not food. Besides, we're getting paid to bring them home alive. And how bad would it look against all lamias if she ate a pony, for Ouroboros' sake!? With a "BLEH", she spits out the pony's head from her mouth and slithers past him, leaving him for the other creatures, such as Silver behind her, to tie him up. In the meantime, she goes to check on the pony she managed to pin underneath the door.

>>191269
Kira:

For all she wishes to represses, suppress, dismiss, and villainize that reptilian instinct - that “intrusive,” or invasive thought. That desire to eat, to dominate, to bite, to strangle - that part of her that revels in the taste of blood, or the feel of a other creature’s head in her mouth and throat - that part of her that sees other creatures not as ends in themselves but as simply instruments to satisfy her own, base ends - she at least knows where it comes from. It comes from her.

But those voices she hears in her head… what she saw through those black, abyssal eyes… that siren call that for so long, has sounded like ringing in the eyes, or a muffled roar, but which like a ripple in the ocean that becomes a wave as it reaches shore - and now like a beautiful mare walking out from the water calls to her, and tells her - you don’t need to be lonely. To feel out of place. To feel inadequate. To ever feel loss. That all of these things, all of these things and more - conflict between ponies, disharmony… all of these things can be eliminated. More than eliminated, made a physical impossibility. A metaphysical impossibility. That call… that does not come from her. That comes from somewhere else. That is a truly intrusive thought.

Both ponies are still breathing, and the one under the door whimpers.

>>191270
Hmmmmm...you know, now that she's tried it, she has to say that she is not a fan of having voices inside of her head. It's making her feel like she's crazy. She supposes that by that logic, it's definitely more comforting and natural to hear the animalistic, reptilian part of her brain than to hear the Traveler's "promises".

Kira snaps her jaw back into position with another somewhat satisfying pop, her eyes returning to looking more like a bat pony's than a snake's. She's careful to make sure she's blocking the doorway with her bulk before she reaches down and lifts the door off of the whimpering pony.

brandishes truncheon
"Shall I knock them out now? We need to leave before the GRU comes back."

>>191273
The truncheon may not be necessary. Should Posey take a look inside the airship, she'll find one possessed airpony passed out on the floor with minor puncture wounds on his head, a head which is also for some reason covered in saliva. The other possessed pony is currently partially crushed underneath a heavy steel door that Kira is lifting off of the poor pony.

>>191274
Okay, then we can leave?

>>191271
There’s a whining sound. The peppered pony is probably conscious, though clearly injured and in pain. Oddly, it’s making more sound that before.

”Get away from him”
Behind Kira is the captain, finally standing up, and looking at Kira. He’s trying to challenge Kira, but at the same time his hooves are desperately feeling around in a space under the ceiling, presumably for an improvised weapon or hidden gun. He looks frightened, and his hooves move around at an increasingly frantic pace.

>>191275
Don’t be boring

>>191276
I just really want to see the next scene in the adventure. I can wait though.
Posey just watches and waits.

>>191276
Kira looks behind her, at first confused, then a mix between sad and alarmed as she holds her forelegs up in a show of surrender/meaning no harm. This is exactly what she wanted to avoid. Silver intervenes on her behalf, putting a hoof on the frightened captain's shoulder.

Silver: "Woah, easy there, Captain. She is alright, she is not going to harm him. She is one of good guys."

Kira: "...y-...y-yeah......s-sorry, I didn't mean to...cause any a-a-alarm..." Her ears fold down as she flicks her tongue out.

Cavaliere remarks, "I have the feeling a simple knock-out choke would have been preferable."

He puts a claw on the captain's withers. "Captain. He is, as far as I can tell, unharmed except for some future unpleasant memories. He's fallen under the Fellow Traveler's influence and has to be restrained for the safety of the rest. There is another pony in the bomber's station and we should check on him."

>>191279
"Whatever we do, do it quickly. We are trotting on borrowed time."

>>191280
He makes sure the other crew is getting those stretchers ready, then calls out below. "We need you to come out. This place will not be safe and your captain needs your help."

>>191278
Taking a quick breath, and with a voice of bewilderment and alarm he says,
“It speaks?” His right hoof stays in place in the small storage space under the ceiling. His eyes dart around from Silver to Kira, failing to focus on anycreature or anything.

“No… You…” His hoof comes out from the storage space and now points at Kira. Or rather, tries to point at her. It trembles.

“You were going to eat him….” He tries to focus his eyes on her. “What are you?” The right eye twitches, as does his left ear.

>>191279
Cavaliete’s touch startles the captain, and he flinches as he looks back towards Cavaliere. He quickly looks back towards Kira, then back to Cavaliere.

“Fellow… Traveller?”

>>191281
With a sound of aluminum touching aluminum, Primed Well has a stretcher ready.

>>191282
Kira's voice definitely takes on a note of alarm, as she waves her forelegs in front of her. She's gotten really good at performing this action over the past couple of days. "W-w-what? No! I would never eat a pony, I swear it! Ponies are friends, not food." Calming down a bit, she puts a foreleg over her heart. "I'm Kira. I'm a lamia from Zebrica. We're like...I guess it's easiest to just explain that we're 'ponies with snake tails'. I really wasn't going to eat him, I'd only eat, like, a goat or something. You know, food-shaped creatures. I was just trying to knock him out, and it's just easier for us to do the ol' mouth grab and constrict." She next puts her hoof under her chin in thought. "I really need to get like a little card or something to show ponies when they ask me that, it would save a ton of time and effort."

Silver pipes in, "Your pony was possessed by eldritch extradimensional deity that was on board Kostroma. We have taken to call him 'Traveler', though Kostroma survivors call him 'Chernobog'. You were almost possessed by him, until our mage Posey decided to, uh...squeeze your balls, which was apparently enough pain to knock you out of his control."

>>191283
He shakes his head,
“Food shakes what now?”

Then he looks to Silver,

“Oh, so she’s with you?”

He looks around, and remarks,

“I was having the most pleasant dream…” and seems lost in thought for a moment

He looks back to Silver,
“So that’s what has been messing with us? Sone kind of god- thing?”

>>191284
Silver nods in affirmation. "It gets hold of you as you sleep or as you are otherwise unconscious with great promises, before taking over your mind fully. If it gets off this island, then entire world is at stake. We need to kill it, or at least banish it from this universe."

>>191284
>>191285
"We can decide what it is after I dissect its cadaver. For now, we should focus on destroying it with the means available to us."

>>191285
"Yeah, I saw..." He sits down, and looks slightly to the left and past Kira, past the aluminum walls of the carriage, past the fog and into the sea beyond.

"I saw...." His eyes finally focus, and he sits there, still.

Primed Well taps Cavaliere with one of the stretchers.

The wing of the pegasus nearly crushed and eaten dealt with by Kira twitches.

>>191287
Silver gets to work tying up the pegasus so he doesn't attack the group, as Kira resumes pulling the collapsed door off of the other pony.

Silver: "We are going to get everyone up and moving here quickly before blowing up airship's engines. We need to recover other members of your crew before GRU does."

"Yes, quickly..." Posey repeats, inspecting her arrows and refastening her armor.
She polishes her sword, wincing at the reflective silver surface once she finishes.
"Are we ready to leave?"

>>191287
Cavaliere helps move the stretchers out of the airship, one by one. He makes sure Silver has the detonator.

Oh wow

GM, may Posey make some Arcana/Spellcraft/etc checks to see what she can comprehend of the limits of The Traveller's Summoning/Sensory abilities after observing them for this long?

>>191310
Sure

>>191311
Okay, I'm going to roll Arcana for the following topics
The Traveller's sensory abilities (nature, range, what it can detect, limits, etc)
[1d20+11 = (18+11) = 29]
And again for its summoning abilities (nature, range, list of summons, number of uses, limits, etc)
[1d20+11 = (2+11) = 13]

And I'll also make a flat intelligence check for The Traveller itself, to see if Posey knows anything about what kind of creature the Traveller is and the nature of its abilities and physiology. Posey has some experience with Far Realm entities from her Cerebrosis training (what she uses to summon her puppies), but she doesn't have ranks in any relevant skill unless Arcana counts
[1d20+3 = (8+3) = 11]

>>191312
Not stellar, but its sensory abilities are probably the most important piece of tactical information for now.

Primed Well and Pinup Locker move first the peppered stallion on a stretcher outside, and then the white Pegasus. The former twitches as he lays there, and moves his head about, his big, black eyes still open. The Captain moves outside and looks around.

Each party member can feel the tiny water droplets of the mist fall upon their respective persons. The wind begins to strengthen, making its ripping sound as it moves past ears, and flapping the loose folds of the envelope of the lost airship.

The last direct orange rays of the sun have long ago disappeared behind the western hill. It must have dropped below the horizon by now, as even when the ponies were on the western shore it sat upon the horizon, obscured by fog and haze. But the party members will notice something. The grey twilight is becoming brighter, not dimming.

The ground shakes, and there is a loud rubble. Every pony in the crowd is disturbed. The captain speaks
"That was a... Artillery. One Twenty-five millimeters."

Blackheel moves towards the orange stallion. He wears a look of skepticism, as he so often does. He nods
"Naval Artillery. Their ship is shelling what they cannot safely shoot."

>>191312
Posey has learned this much:

The Traveller is most capable as a psychic entity. It doesn't seem to be fully capable of reading the minds of those whom it does not possess, but most likely can use the sense organs or more of those it does. It can at least call out to any mind within a physically close range.

The party earlier reasoned that the possessed ponies were the eyes and literal ears of the Traveller, and so used makeshift blind folds and ear plugs with common items like T-shirts, which seemed to work. However, one possessed pony, clearly blindfolded, was always able to point its head at the last member of the party to speak.

>>191315
Thank you for the reply.
>The party earlier reasoned that the possessed ponies were the eyes and literal ears of the Traveller, and so used makeshift blind folds and ear plugs with common items like T-shirts
I gathered that much. Other creatures have similar abilities.
>However, one possessed pony, clearly blindfolded, was always able to point its head at the last member of the party to speak.
That's the part that bothers me.

Still, I think we should be able to approach the Kostroma safely so long as no enthralled creatures are aware if our location. We should probably knock out any conscious prisoners before we get ready to board.
>"Naval Artillery. Their ship is shelling what they cannot safely shoot."
"Good. Our problem is delaying itself for the time being. Let us find the remaining airponies and proceed to the Kostroma."

>>191315
>>191316
Silver: "I would not be so delighted. Depending on where they are shelling, it may make our tasks far more difficult. And we must always be worried about ourselves becoming artillery target."

Silver takes the demolition kit to the airship's engine and begins the process of setting it to blow. Kira meanwhile slithers up to the captain, looking over at the possessed ponies from the airship. She has returned to her normal self, no longer looking as monstrous as she did early. She then looks down and takes her foreleg and rubs her shoulder in an expression of awkwardness and shame.

Kira: "Are...are they going to be alright?"

>>191315
>>191316
>>191318
Btw, Posey relays the results of her check to the party

"Wow, it sure was convenient for me to find these giant bones on the beach today. Say, has anyone else ever found a large number of bones in one place before?"

>>191315
Cavaliere glances to the direction of the impact. "They may well shell this area soon if they deem us too much trouble to bother going in on hoof. They will start with some ranging shots and then open with a full barrage. I wouldn't recommend standing around here."

He has one health potion remaining and consumes it, then he goes to help Silver finalize the explosive preparations, as well as double check that all creatures are clear.

>>191324
Giving her a queer look, he replies, "Yes. Butcher shops, cemeteries, and less desirable locations."

>>191316
"For the time being" Blackheel repeats, eyes half closed

>>191318
The captain moves a few steps back, and orients himself to face Kira

"They'll be better than they would have been had I not saved them from being squeezed and eaten, but they were not right to begin with. I don't know. I hope neither will have punctured lung, or a concusion, or a..." his left ear flops down, his eyes lose focus, and then he shakes his head rapidly as if to shake something off "whatever that was..."

>>191324
Blackheel tilts his head, letting an ear flop down

"What an odd thing to say..."

>>191326
Blackheel nods,

"They most certainly will. The only reason they haven't shot at us yet is because the fog is hiding us. When it clears, they will blanket the area."

>Giving her a queer look, he replies, "Yes. Butcher shops, cemeteries, and less desirable locations."
Kek

>>190080 →
"Yeah"
She looks down towards the ground

"Music, as I said, is more of Guy's forte, though I haven't talked to him much about it. To me it always sort of played in the background. From the band at the night club, or on the radio those long, often lonely nights working...." She starts to smile and looks up towards the ceiling.

"Hmm hmm" a small laugh "There was this one time, I remember, a song came on and he grabbed my hoof and started dancing with me. I was working on that last design, but... I can't remember what song it was. I don't think I ever knew what it was called. It went like this - de da, de da" High Sewn tries her best at humming out a tune, then singing it.

Her eyes level, and she seems to catch Amber in her periphery. As if only now remembering that Amber is in the room with her, she looks to her, and both ears go up, before folding back, and then pressing against the back of her head and wrinkling. She places both hooves close together, near Amber. "But that's good that you have a talent with that. That's really good. Music can make ponies feel things. I don't know anything about it, but I try to do the same with clothing. Even if, to most ponies, it's just something in the background that they don't notice. Kind of like me and music. Heh heh..." she makes a toothy smile. "But your heart notices. That's why what happens here in the store matters. Why what everypony does matters, even when you think it's overlooked."

She continues to look at Amber with her lips pulled back and head slightly lowered, as if embarrassed. She raises a hoof, and Amber may only speculate that she intended to scratch behind Amber's ear before deciding against it

>>191329
Amber listens on wide-eyed with joy, not sharing High Sewn's self-consciousness. "You've got the heart of what makes music so special. One could have the technique down when it comes to making sound–you know, getting notes and chords and tempo just as how they're described–but it's more important to know how to invoke feeling in music, and I guess experience with those feelings is required. There are all sorts of different terms to describe feeling in music, especially when it comes to speed and loudness, but it's just a shadow of intuition. Maybe clothing is the same way? I don't know too much about that, but I know when I wear this dress I feel warm and protected, like part of home is always with me." She softly brushes her skirt.

"From what I've seen, clothing is a way of showing your personality and loves all the time. That's why there's such a wealth of colors, materials, and styles, to the point it almost makes my head spin! I know there are a great many things I want to wear one day, but I just have to be patient. I'd also like to play music for you sometime, even if I'm not very good and I'm still learnin'." She smiles shyly at her boss.

>>191330
"Heh" She continues to smile as she looks at Amber, now closing her lips.

"Yes, it is an expression of a pony's identity. Even if it's just a bow or a scarf, the first thing any pony will notice about another pony is how they look, and that is how the first opinions will be formed about that pony. So it's the first chance a pony has to shape those opinions." She moves closer to Amber and places a hoof on Amber's jacket, brushing it herself.

"There is a practical function, sure, but the form has a practicality all of its own." With a thinner smile and looking away.

"Oh, you'll be able to wear many things in your time, little pony. Many different dresses and garments for the many different you's. How you change, year by year, or day to day. I can help you along your journey." She moves forward, and tilts her head back towards Amber but doesn't quite look at her.

"I could consider a music performance..."

>>191331
Amber's eyes sparkle. "Oh, can you? That would be ama–" She suddenly pauses, remembering restraint. "If ever you have time it would be my pleasure. I appreciate your advice, too, and thank you for it."

>>191332
Smiling,
"You're welcome, little pony."

If before she was hesitant, now she pats Amber's back, running her hoof along the denim jacket.

"And one day... we'll find some proper winter attire for you."

Her eyes look over to the right, her lips curl, and her body leans back with her tail curling inwards.

>>191333
I don't recall Amber having a denim jacket and it's not in her notes. She has a wool dress and, when outside, a burlap cloak.

The pony is pat. Her long hair under her dress makes her rather soft. She leans into the pats, evidently enjoying it.

"Don't you worry, Miss Sewn. It doesn't get too cold here, and what I've got is plenty enough. It's a nice place for winter, frankly. Imagine if we were on a desolate island in the northern reaches of the Celestial Ocean! Hmmph, well, we needn't to, but thanks for bein' thoughtful…." She follows Sewn's gaze, the latter's disconcerted behavior being instantly contagious.

>>191334
>It's burlap, not denim
That's even worse, somehow

"Yes, it's enough for a winter with half the heat and sun of the southeast coast, but.... don't you think it's a bit 'rustic' for city life?"

>>191335
Amber's ears dip down, but she nods in agreement. "I suppose it is…I stand out like a sore hoof among all the cityponies. It's what I've got, though, and even if this winter has been mild I'd rather have it on than be naked. I just have to make my way, and one day I can try on all manner of pretty clothes."

>>191324
Silver takes a moment from his bomb arming to raise an eyebrow at Posey. "You are not going to raise them as skeletons or anything, right?"

>>191327
Kira suddenly crosses her forelegs and looks at the captain with a cross look. "I wasn't going to eat them!" She holds the look for a second more before sighing and returning to her previous stance, looking down and away as she rubs her own shoulder. "I just...it's easier for us to use our mouths to grab onto someone to pull them away. I-I needed to get him out of the station so I could subdue him without hurting the other pony underneath the door."

Silver, meanwhile, finds a panel on the side of the engine and uses his magic to remove the screws and take it off. Faced with the advanced machinery of the airship engine, Silver begins setting up the demolition kit within the mass of complex mechanical parts.

>>191337
>"You are not going to raise them as skeletons or anything, right?"
Pfft, no, I just need samples for my Hollow Bone Osteoporosis research..."
Bluff
[1d20+16 = (18+16) = 34]
She changes the subject
"We can talk about that on our way home. Please set the charges now."

Can we set off the charges and leave now?