The SSRS Kostroma lies idle in the southeastern bay of Mended Horn Island. Only the front portion, the two forward masts and the front of the superstructure that sits in the center of the freighter's hull, is illuminated by a pair of dim lights that glow orange-red, a sure sign that the boilers of the Kostroma are dying, and the lights will soon go off. The remainder of the ship's funnel, and the mast behind the superstructure are visible only in silhouette. The gibbous moon and starry night that would have provided a clear backdrop to the black hulk of the Kostroma have been smothered by the overcast skies and light rain.
A sound comes, not from the Kostroma, and indeed, not from anywhere at all. A low, vaguely tinnitus-like sound that drains out the sound of silence. It calls to you. It calls to everyone.
"Come to the Kostroma, good soldier. Join us here. Come."
/vx/ - Videogames and Paranormal
1370 replies and 59 files omitted.
>>193392
"Calm down, we're not going to hurt you," Cavaliere tells the apparent pony as he approaches, now more slowly.
"Calm down, we're not going to hurt you," Cavaliere tells the apparent pony as he approaches, now more slowly.
>>193392
Silver, getting up while still blocking the doorway, blinks and stares at this mysterious small equine. "Huh, you really are little guy. I am sorry if you got hurt from that." Smiling at the creature, he offers a hoof for him (or her) to get up with. "I am Silver. Who are you?"
Silver, getting up while still blocking the doorway, blinks and stares at this mysterious small equine. "Huh, you really are little guy. I am sorry if you got hurt from that." Smiling at the creature, he offers a hoof for him (or her) to get up with. "I am Silver. Who are you?"
>>193395
Silver's smile turns slightly sad, but he understands this reaction. "I get it, we are mysterious creatures you do not know, after you heard gunshots, covered..." He stops there and skips to the next thing he has to say. "We really do not mean you any harm."
Silver's smile turns slightly sad, but he understands this reaction. "I get it, we are mysterious creatures you do not know, after you heard gunshots, covered..." He stops there and skips to the next thing he has to say. "We really do not mean you any harm."
>>193396
"Please don't hurt me"
Definitely female, and accented to something more exotic
The hooves are grey attached to darker grey. She has oil on her hoof that is getting on her cap as well. She is trembling.
"Please don't hurt me"
Definitely female, and accented to something more exotic
The hooves are grey attached to darker grey. She has oil on her hoof that is getting on her cap as well. She is trembling.
>>193397
"We won't, miss. We're the...new owners of this vessel. Are there any other rooms to the aft of this one?"
"We won't, miss. We're the...new owners of this vessel. Are there any other rooms to the aft of this one?"
>>193399
She looks up and turns her head slightly towards Cavaliere. He can see a black stripe down her face and her light blue eyes. She takes one of the hooves that has been holding her cap down, and points behind her
>>193400
No. Probably Zebrican, maybe mixed.
>Trust in me
Hey, that's kira's line!
"There was shooting..."
She's almost crying. Or actually crying.
She looks up and turns her head slightly towards Cavaliere. He can see a black stripe down her face and her light blue eyes. She takes one of the hooves that has been holding her cap down, and points behind her
>>193400
No. Probably Zebrican, maybe mixed.
>Trust in me
Hey, that's kira's line!
"There was shooting..."
She's almost crying. Or actually crying.
>>193401
Silver said trust in him, not trust inside him.
Letting out a sad sigh, he nods, even if the mare can't see. "I know. Our group was trying to board that other ship, stop something horrible from getting to mainland. They fired on us with no warning, we had to defend ourselves. We..."
Sense Motive: How much does the mare need a hug, and how willing would she be to accept one?
[1d20+3 = (15+3) = 18]
Silver said trust in him, not trust inside him.
Letting out a sad sigh, he nods, even if the mare can't see. "I know. Our group was trying to board that other ship, stop something horrible from getting to mainland. They fired on us with no warning, we had to defend ourselves. We..."
Sense Motive: How much does the mare need a hug, and how willing would she be to accept one?
[1d20+3 = (15+3) = 18]
>>193401
Cavaliere nods sympathetically. "There was, but we will do our best to keep you out of danger. We are not like the others."
Cavaliere nods sympathetically. "There was, but we will do our best to keep you out of danger. We are not like the others."
>>193404
Whether she wants it or not, a mare in need she is indeed. He goes in and wraps his forelegs around her, giving her as warm a hug as he can in this cold place.
Whether she wants it or not, a mare in need she is indeed. He goes in and wraps his forelegs around her, giving her as warm a hug as he can in this cold place.
>>193404
He looks away briefly. "We captured as many as we could manage. Most of the crew are off this boat."
He looks away briefly. "We captured as many as we could manage. Most of the crew are off this boat."
>>193407
Silver keeps at it. Feel the fluff, little mare. Feel the warmth of kindness, and let it chase away the chill.
Silver keeps at it. Feel the fluff, little mare. Feel the warmth of kindness, and let it chase away the chill.
>>193408
squeak
She's still trembling and crying, though. Silver mostly feels her clothing, which has some oil on it.
squeak
She's still trembling and crying, though. Silver mostly feels her clothing, which has some oil on it.
>>193409
The trembling and crying is natural. She's lost friends, comrades, family. It's a feeling Silver can relate to, and he knows how quickly it can turn to poison if you don't let it out.
The trembling and crying is natural. She's lost friends, comrades, family. It's a feeling Silver can relate to, and he knows how quickly it can turn to poison if you don't let it out.
>>193407
He does not answer. "We are trying to capture the rest alive. Do you know if any are hiding near this room?"
He does not answer. "We are trying to capture the rest alive. Do you know if any are hiding near this room?"
>>193412
"It is okay to cry, little mare." He gives her a friendly squeeze to reinforce this point. "But if there is anything you can do to help us, to help your comrades here, please do so."
"It is okay to cry, little mare." He gives her a friendly squeeze to reinforce this point. "But if there is anything you can do to help us, to help your comrades here, please do so."
>>193414
Silver gently pets the mare's mare, his hoof stroking it slowly down its full length. Surely, the end of the world can wait for a moment, such that this mare can process her grief, sorrow, and fear at least a little.
Silver gently pets the mare's mare, his hoof stroking it slowly down its full length. Surely, the end of the world can wait for a moment, such that this mare can process her grief, sorrow, and fear at least a little.
>>193411
What unfolds in front of Cavaliere is a scene of pure horror
Has Cavaliere seen, under a microscope, an amoeba enveloping and devouring a smaller organism? Could he imagine the same, but on the macro scale? What he witnesses does not need to be imagined, it is happening in real time, in front of his eyes, through the horror called by some “Alzughab.” A ball of sentient fur envelopes the poor mare on the ground. Little tendrils of fluff move around her uniform, then her cap, then down to her muzzle, under she is scarcely visible under the ball of floof.
What cannot be imagined is what becomes of the poor mare beneath.
What unfolds in front of Cavaliere is a scene of pure horror
Has Cavaliere seen, under a microscope, an amoeba enveloping and devouring a smaller organism? Could he imagine the same, but on the macro scale? What he witnesses does not need to be imagined, it is happening in real time, in front of his eyes, through the horror called by some “Alzughab.” A ball of sentient fur envelopes the poor mare on the ground. Little tendrils of fluff move around her uniform, then her cap, then down to her muzzle, under she is scarcely visible under the ball of floof.
What cannot be imagined is what becomes of the poor mare beneath.
Posey spends a few minutes convulsing and wretching ichor like in The exorcist before eventually regaining her composure, which is my way of fluffing absence during the last few bits of roleplay.
>>193415
She follows Silver
"What did you find?"
>>193415
She follows Silver
"What did you find?"
>>193417
Silver is currently busy hugging a crying mare wearing oil-stained cotton work clothes. In a way, it almost looks like he's trying to absorb her into the floofiness.
Silver is currently busy hugging a crying mare wearing oil-stained cotton work clothes. In a way, it almost looks like he's trying to absorb her into the floofiness.
>>193199
>The grey griffin has... some kind of prayer beads?
Ooh, those could be really valuable. Posey takes these.
"Prayer beads? Quite the find. These may be useful to Dust or Kira, or perhaps even a get-well gift for Agire..."
Rolling Religion to identify them for mystical properties.
[1d20+11 = (15+11) = 26]
>knife with an ivory handle
Posey also takes this if no pony else claims it. (Posey likes Ivory and other bone-like aesthetics).
>The grey griffin has... some kind of prayer beads?
Ooh, those could be really valuable. Posey takes these.
"Prayer beads? Quite the find. These may be useful to Dust or Kira, or perhaps even a get-well gift for Agire..."
Rolling Religion to identify them for mystical properties.
[1d20+11 = (15+11) = 26]
>knife with an ivory handle
Posey also takes this if no pony else claims it. (Posey likes Ivory and other bone-like aesthetics).
>>193416
at first I was confused and interpreted it literally, and was about to start shooting
>>193417
>>193420
"Of sorts, but I would not use that word. This poor mare must have stories to tell. It's unfortunate that we have our own to write at the moment. At the least, we need to see what's at the stern of the ship to have any semblance of safety."
at first I was confused and interpreted it literally, and was about to start shooting
>>193417
>>193420
"Of sorts, but I would not use that word. This poor mare must have stories to tell. It's unfortunate that we have our own to write at the moment. At the least, we need to see what's at the stern of the ship to have any semblance of safety."
>>193423
"Probably another nameless monster." Posey says with a sigh
"It is important to clear it before the ship takes too much damage."
"Probably another nameless monster." Posey says with a sigh
"It is important to clear it before the ship takes too much damage."
>>193420
The mare is laying on her belly, and Silver is in part over top of her, trying to affect a hug. She moves her head up towards Posey. Posey can see her black muzzle, grey face, the black strip down the center of her face, and then the beginning of stripes on either side. Her icy blue eyes finally look up towards Posey. She shakes
"I'm a prisoner?!?!?!?"
>>193421
Posey recognizes them as beads for the worship of the Griffonian Pantheon. More particularly, for Eyr
The mare is laying on her belly, and Silver is in part over top of her, trying to affect a hug. She moves her head up towards Posey. Posey can see her black muzzle, grey face, the black strip down the center of her face, and then the beginning of stripes on either side. Her icy blue eyes finally look up towards Posey. She shakes
"I'm a prisoner?!?!?!?"
>>193421
Posey recognizes them as beads for the worship of the Griffonian Pantheon. More particularly, for Eyr
>>193425
>"I'm a prisoner?!?!?!?"
"Are you?" Posey inquires
"Who are you?"
>beads for the worship
So, like proper noun magical prayer beads, or just trinkets?
I guess we can test them later.
>"I'm a prisoner?!?!?!?"
"Are you?" Posey inquires
"Who are you?"
>beads for the worship
So, like proper noun magical prayer beads, or just trinkets?
I guess we can test them later.
>>193426
Prayer beads
"Am I?" Her ears go down, then back up. She lowers her head then raises it back up
"I'm... Zara Zama. Mechanic"
Prayer beads
"Am I?" Her ears go down, then back up. She lowers her head then raises it back up
"I'm... Zara Zama. Mechanic"
>>193428
She turns her head to look straight up at Silver, and rotates her ears towards him. He can see her icy blue eyes, the black skin at the end of her nostrils, and can even make out small holes in her ears. She pulls her lips back in a kind of awkward smile, and he can see some teeth are imperfect.
"Nice to... Nice to meet you..." She tries to extend a hoof but can't really manage it from the angle.
"Who are you and why are you here?"
She turns her head to look straight up at Silver, and rotates her ears towards him. He can see her icy blue eyes, the black skin at the end of her nostrils, and can even make out small holes in her ears. She pulls her lips back in a kind of awkward smile, and he can see some teeth are imperfect.
"Nice to... Nice to meet you..." She tries to extend a hoof but can't really manage it from the angle.
"Who are you and why are you here?"
>>193429
Silver perhaps relents just a bit, to give the mare a bit of breathing room. Just a bit though. He takes her hoof and gives it a firm shake. "As I said, I am Silver. Me and my comrades were attempting to board Kostroma to kill or destroy what they had brought back with them from Skynavia - extradimensional entity called either Chernobog or Traveler, depending on your preference. It consumes creatures' consciousnesses and absorbs them into hive mind, where it can then control them like puppets. It took over minds of most of Kostroma's crew, and it is trying to get to Equus so it can do same to everyone on continent." Looking sadly to the side, he continues. "Your comrades on deck fired upon us before we even knew fully what was going on."
Silver perhaps relents just a bit, to give the mare a bit of breathing room. Just a bit though. He takes her hoof and gives it a firm shake. "As I said, I am Silver. Me and my comrades were attempting to board Kostroma to kill or destroy what they had brought back with them from Skynavia - extradimensional entity called either Chernobog or Traveler, depending on your preference. It consumes creatures' consciousnesses and absorbs them into hive mind, where it can then control them like puppets. It took over minds of most of Kostroma's crew, and it is trying to get to Equus so it can do same to everyone on continent." Looking sadly to the side, he continues. "Your comrades on deck fired upon us before we even knew fully what was going on."
>>193431
Silver blinks as he realizes he may have just dumped way too much on the grief-stricken mare all at once. "...your boarding crew would not happen to have radio on them, would they?"
Silver blinks as he realizes he may have just dumped way too much on the grief-stricken mare all at once. "...your boarding crew would not happen to have radio on them, would they?"
>>193432
"I- I think so? Short range." She sniffles. "The earth pony up there. The larger yellow one. Is he okay?"
"I- I think so? Short range." She sniffles. "The earth pony up there. The larger yellow one. Is he okay?"
>>193433
Silver's sad look returns, though he doesn't look away this time. Instead, he looks right at the mare, meeting her blue eyes with his own.
Silver's sad look returns, though he doesn't look away this time. Instead, he looks right at the mare, meeting her blue eyes with his own.
>>193435
"I am so sorry, Zara. I am so, so sorry..."
If ever Silver's normal hesitation to go full lethal had a reason, it's this. Behind nearly every enemy combatant is a loved one, awaiting their safe return from dangerous places far afield. Or near afield, in this case. It was a do-or-die situation, he knows this. He knows that if he died instead in that firefight there would be many creatures who would mourn him, beyond simply the threat the world would be in at that point. But if the pirates had only stayed their hooves and claws for a second, had they only said something before the hail of bullets had begun...
Silver wraps his forehooves around the mare's shoulders and pulls her into another hug. His fur is still soft, and still would be perfect for crying into if she wished. Or she could push him away and punch him, he would understand fully, perhaps more than most here.
"I am so sorry, Zara. I am so, so sorry..."
If ever Silver's normal hesitation to go full lethal had a reason, it's this. Behind nearly every enemy combatant is a loved one, awaiting their safe return from dangerous places far afield. Or near afield, in this case. It was a do-or-die situation, he knows this. He knows that if he died instead in that firefight there would be many creatures who would mourn him, beyond simply the threat the world would be in at that point. But if the pirates had only stayed their hooves and claws for a second, had they only said something before the hail of bullets had begun...
Silver wraps his forehooves around the mare's shoulders and pulls her into another hug. His fur is still soft, and still would be perfect for crying into if she wished. Or she could push him away and punch him, he would understand fully, perhaps more than most here.
>>193436
She cries, but does not push him away, nor cry into his fur. Instead, she tries to press her face into the rusted, grated steel floor below her, and cover her face with her hooves
She cries, but does not push him away, nor cry into his fur. Instead, she tries to press her face into the rusted, grated steel floor below her, and cover her face with her hooves
>>193437
"I get it, perhaps more than you know. I have lost someone significant to me before and it nearly broke me. It did break me. But I had others who depended on me, and I pushed through to do what I had to do, for them." He puts his hooves on either side of the mare, and helps her up, even if she's not quite ready for it. He shows her his radio. "It is same for you. There will be time to grieve, and his loss will be mourned, but do not let it be in vain. You still have others who depend on you. If there is any way you can reach them, if there is still time, please help us. Call your comrades, tell them to come back immediately. If Traveler gets hold of them..." He doesn't finish this statement.
"I get it, perhaps more than you know. I have lost someone significant to me before and it nearly broke me. It did break me. But I had others who depended on me, and I pushed through to do what I had to do, for them." He puts his hooves on either side of the mare, and helps her up, even if she's not quite ready for it. He shows her his radio. "It is same for you. There will be time to grieve, and his loss will be mourned, but do not let it be in vain. You still have others who depend on you. If there is any way you can reach them, if there is still time, please help us. Call your comrades, tell them to come back immediately. If Traveler gets hold of them..." He doesn't finish this statement.
>>193438
squeak
She is pulled up, and forced onto four feet. She looks back to Silver and sniffles. Then she takes the radio almost forcefully, and tries to set it to a certain range
squeak
She is pulled up, and forced onto four feet. She looks back to Silver and sniffles. Then she takes the radio almost forcefully, and tries to set it to a certain range
>>193440
She doesn't acknowledge Silver's statement, but with a hoof changes frequencies, and with the other holds the receiver to her face
"Tâche, are you there?" She turns the dial. "Tâche, are you there? Tâche?!"
She doesn't acknowledge Silver's statement, but with a hoof changes frequencies, and with the other holds the receiver to her face
"Tâche, are you there?" She turns the dial. "Tâche, are you there? Tâche?!"
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