Occupied Equestria: set six years after season 6, it presents an alternative history where Chrysalis chose a different approach to her second attack on Equestria. The Changelings have conquered half of Equestria, while an Equestrian splinter colony - soured to Princesses notion of harmony with all creatures thank to their dealing with griffins - Invaded and took the other half. In Baltimare and the Equestruan Southlands, the magic of friendship has weakened, as Communists, Changeling infiltrators, Fascists, gangs, and even ancient necormancers and dark gods threaten the city and the surrounding regions. This role play is based in large part upon the Equestria at War mod for Hearts of Iron 4, and uses D&d 3.5e mechanics.
In this latest episode, the crew has united once again, and returned in full to the catacombs under the Curwhinny farm. What old secrets they will unearth, whether they will survive without being turned into undead monsters... whether Silver will ever get paid... will be determined in this thread.
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>>82523She believes that scattering cremation remains is a ceremonial practice, but she's unaware of pony customs regarding where it is okay to scatter them (since you can't just do it in the middle of a city).
>>82526Yeah. That's who I was looking for.
>>82527She looks at the jars of blue salt, with a kind of horrified confusion
“What are these?”
>>82527Tl;dr, I have a lot of jars and idk what to do with them all at once, so I'm looking for someone who's job it is to deal with this.
>>82528Sister Ash responds with a morbid expression.
"They're ponies. Trapped, tortured, and descrated. I retrieved them in this state from the depths of Curwinney's farm. That wretched, evil, necromancer did this to them." She says, looking over the jars
"He did something vile to them, so they were unable to pass into the next life by themselves, and they've been suffering alone for who knows how long. I have done what I could to repose them formally, bit their torment won't be completed until their remains are properly scattered."
She looks at the mare
"Can I beg your service, in finishing their funeral? I would have reposed them myself, but my knowledge of proper Equestrian morticianism is limited."
>>82529Her eyes are wide and her mouth well open
“I can...
Let me go get help”
She runs off, and eventually comes back with both Father Maren and Slow Burn. Slow Burn, for the first time, is stilled and the joyful smile wiped right off his face as he is told that the jars contain “ponies”
Father Maren: “Good Celestia, what did that stallion do here?”
>>82526Dark Star rubs his stomach
>>82531Uh, I take it this means he is hungry?
[1d20+9 = 23]>>82530"It seems to have been an extensive process to trap the would of the deceased. Necromancy was used in the process, other types of auras were mixed in as well. Copious amounts of embalming agents were used as material components for the practice, and he jars appear to be an arcane focus to hold the powers together." Sister Ash says, communicating her hypotheses
"I do not know what motivated that evil creature to put them in this state, or why he stored them together in such quantities, but it was certainly a most sinister ambition."
And fuck it, Spellcraft check, to see if whatever this is has a name.
>>82533Nothing more than “essential salts” comes to mind
“I can safely say I have never seen anything like this before. Great Celestia, there must be dozens of these jars. I will call an expert in Canterlot, and see if there are any special procedures needed”
>>82533>>82535I took a shower, so I'm going to just assume Silver helped you two with carrying the jars like Iron requested earlier."Knowledge, I am afraid. And loss. He was looking for ways to resurrect his family -- his wife and foals -- after they had all died from plague. Dug up remains of long dead ponies who might have had knowledge he had so sought, and cremated them using mixture of herbal solutions and arsenic, while chanting incantations to bind their souls to their ashes."
>>82535>Tfw Druids don't get any of the convienient abjurations and utilities Clerics do."... I've done what I can.. I've been listening to them, speaking to them, preparing her for the next life. They were long-overdue for their eulogies."
>>82536“Well, that would explain the why... and part of the how... now we need to break this curse and reverse this ambonible process”
>>82537“Judging from the statement of your friend here, it sounds like many of them have already had eulogies”
>>82539Iron cocks his head. "Eulogies? So are the souls gone from the jars, then? That is what it means, right?"
>>82539*Checks definition of 'eulogy' one more time*
..I may have been using this term incorrectly...
>>82532yea
"hey do you sell food too?"
>>82540"No. They're still there. Their remains need to be reposed before they can leave."
>>82542He ponders the question
“As of now, we only have peanuts. It we could expand to sell food as well, if I can make that back room into a kitchen”
>>82540>>82543“The souls are ‘tied’ to the salts, shall we say, ms. Dragon lady”
>>82543>>82544"Oh. Sorry." Iron bows lightly, a bit uncomfortable.
>>82540>>82543>>82544"I can confirm, their souls are very much still contained in these jars. From what I understand, it is still possible to summon corporeal apparition of pony these ashes come from. How, I am not so sure of."
>>82544"hmmmm how much would that cost to turn it into one?"
>>82544"It's interesting.. normally, we salts such as this are used to prevent the spread of decadence and repell impure creatures. But in this case, it's being used to hold back the life force of s pony. An inward-facing saltine, you could call it."
>>82546>>82545>>82546“I believe the process uses the corporeal essence of the corpse to mimic the bond of flesh and soul, so that the spiritual essence of the deceased is recalled to the salt when summoned”
>>82547“Hard to say... perhaps 1000 for all renovations”
>>82548“You don’t understand. These are not salts added, these salts
are the corpses, after treatment with certain acids”
I cannot for the life of me figure out what evocation spell uses salt as a matrial component and creates an affect such as this. I have no idea how to solve this as of now.
Alright, it's 2:30; now I need to go to bed.
Goodnight.
>>82550"if i come into some more money ill fund it."
>>82551I'll follow your steps and go to bed as well. Night Ash, and everyone else.
>>82551>>82553I guess I'll head to bed as well. Goodnight everyone.
>>82552He laughs slightly
“Now that would be very welcome”
>>82551It’s because I got it out of an HP Lovecraft novel and not the SRD >>82555Gibe More H.P lovecraft>>82555"would you give me some peanuts?"
>>82557Well shit, if you don’t mind more blatant lovecraft rip offs, I had a quest based on a different lovecraft short story imagined, but Ash never took the hook“Sure, I can get you peanuts”
Glistening Glass pushes over a bowl of peanuts to Dark Star
>>82559Did it involve the books?>>82559Dark Star eats the peanuts and drinks the shot
>>82559>Ash never took the hookIf it was there, I did not see it even in the least bit. Now I wish I had known...
Plots involving lovecraftian horrors sound fun though, especially if it includes killing some Eldritch abominations. It's definitely something a Druid would be committed to. I actually based Sister Ash's background in part in the Gatekeeper Druids from Eberron, who dedicated their lives to suppressing in the lovecraftian abominations of Xoriat (Beholders, mindflayers, and other Aberrations and outsiders). Aberrations and undead are unnatural creatures, and Druids despise them, so some spooky lovecraftian shit to purge from the world sounds like a fun call to action.
Also, Lords of Madness, and the Eberron books have some pretty awesome mechanics and suggestions for lovecraftian villains, plots and monsters. The Book of Vile Darkness has a lot of cool ideas for evil villains, rituals, black magic and cults too; and a lot of contextual tips on creating genuinely evil creatures and characters. You can find all of the PDFs online, if you're interested.
>>82565I mean, has anyone actually tried punching them?>>82550"You would know better than I. All I know is that process is simple enough for non-magic users to summon spirit, and similar to dispel them. Perhaps it is as simple as exposing ashes to open air, then resealing them in jar once you are finished."
>>82566Eh, that's true. Iron could be the first to find out.
>>82567Iron the God Puncher. Has a ring to it.
>>82568We'll see if he can pierce a god's AC, but it does sound good.
>>82569You have a 5 percent chance at absolutely succeeding anything action you attempt.
Gods aren't a joke though, even in RPGs.
I'm working on the stats for discord as a minimum level deity, and holy draconequius, he's already practically invincible.
>>82570Don't worry. I won't attack gods just because I can, but I will try if push comes to shove.
Feel sorry for Iron if that's the case. >>82566He looks a little surprised
"You tried it?"
>>82574He shakes his head no. "Not in legitimate attempt, no. I did almost manage to, while disturbing ashes yesterday, but they settled before they could fully form."
>>82573*suppresses urge to go on a rant about the later seasons' lack of plot consistency*Anyway, I'm free for the rest of the day.
>>82550Sister Ash nods in acknowledgement.
"So.. How should the remains be handeled?"
>>82572"Do you have any of that potato alcohol?"
>>82575Father Maren looks more than a little disturbed by this
>>82576"For that, I need to make a phone call"
>>82577"Why yes. Yes we do"
>>82578"Very well then."
What time of day would it be?
>>82578"get me some of that with milk in it."
>>82578"At least I did not try to lick them." Silver, somehow, manages to say this with a straight face.
>>82581This leaves his mouth open
>>82579Like 2 PMish or something
>>82580"Let me see if I have any fresh"
>>82582Silver continues to have a straight face.
>>82582Noted
Sister Ash bows politely, and allows the stallion the time it take for him to take care of his business.
>>82583>>82584Father Maren Disappears to the back and is gone a little longer than would be expected. Sundew remains in there a bit uneasy. Slow Burn is more than a little uneasy, until he starts asking questions
"So you saw, like, Zombies?"
>>82585"You're in luck! It hasn't expired yet"
He pours the milk into the Vodka
>>82586"Yes, in addition to skeletons. There are many we still have to slay, though matters out of our control have forced us to delay."
>>82586"Ghasts." She replies
"And a rather large skeleton.."
>>82589Really fucking sore and also pretty tired
>>82588>>82587His eyes widen
"Cool! So you like had to fight off hordes and chop their heads off?"
>>82590"Hey Do you have rooms here?"
>>82590"We did did precisely that, among other things..." Sister Ash replies, although clearly less enthusiastic about it than the pony, for multiple reasons
"It wasn't pleasant."
>>82593He puts his hooves together as if to say 'very good point'
"But was it
cool?"
>>82594"For you, free for today"
>>82590Silver smiles at him. His youthful excitement is a nice change of pace from what he's used to. "It is not exactly like zombie novels you have read, I am afraid. Though there is horde of undead in lower levels of catacombs, I am not sure I would want to face them all at once."
>>82595Silver gets a semi-mischievous grin on his face. "I suppose one could call it 'cool', if your definition of cool is facing certain death in close combat against rotting, shambling, soulless undead whose only desire is to consume living flesh."
>>82596Dark Star drinks his white stalliongrader
"Thanks i need a rest. which one is it?"
>>82595The foreign mare seems slightly confused by the pony's choice of words
"I don't know what you mean by that.. but it was certainly an exhilarating experience.."
Her tone darkens
"In each of the four rooms those jars layed in, there were about a dozen screaming ghasts imprisoned in deep pits.. I spent the majority of my time torching their flesh and bashing their skulls in until their bodies ceased to shamble.. It was agonizing work, but it had to be done..."
>>82598He smiles at him, and points to a door to Dark Star's left
"Through the door, up the stairs. You can take the first room"
>>82598>>82597"eeeee!"
"Go on..."
>>82600I'll assume that was for me.
"Deeper in.. there was a rather large skeleton.. the reanimated remains of a Chimera, that was probably captured for experientation.. It took some effort to fell, but it went down rather quickly.." she trails off
"At that point, I was absolutely furious.."
>>82600Dark Star pays for his drink and thanks glimmering glass then goes to the room
>>82600With a further smile, Silver recounts the tale of the battle with 'The Sarge', describing the unsightly appearance and smell of the former EDF soldier turned zombie, the harrowing fight as Silver rushed in to keep the monster away from his companions, the pain as the ghast tore into his flesh with teeth and hooves both, the exhilaration as he swung both hammer and greatsword at it, trying desperately to bring it down, and the final strike that felled The Sarge for good, putting a final end to the long-tormented soul.
>>82602"And.. I was so angry.. I kind of set the place on fire.. a little bit.." she mutters, fidgeting sheepishly
>>82603It is rather austere, lacking the elegant bedsheets, the dressers, the size, and the curtains of the Grand Baltimare Hotel. there is one chest and a simple bed, with simple wooden floors
>>82604>>82605He looks back in expressions of horror, anxiety, and above all, excitement over triumph
>>82606Sister Ash looks embarrassed, uncomfortable, and mostly tired.
"... All in a day's work.."
>>82606Silver raises his foreleg to show where The Sarge had bit him, the fur not having grown back yet allowing him to see the bite mark. "All in all, it was tough fight. Helped me to learn ways to better deal with these ghasts."
>>82607Also, she's still covered in extrordinarily bright and shining golden armor, I case anyone forgot.
I g2g for a bit.
>>82606"Reminds me of the old house..."
dark Star puts his saddle bag in the chest then he gets in the bed and tries to go to sleep
>>82607>>82608Slow Burn looks over in deep amazement, before saying "So cool! Eeeee!"
Sundew ranges from embarrassed, to an 'oh you' expression, to irritation from Slow Burn's behavior
>>82610Roll >>82612Oh He's definitely tired and sore. But he hasn't fallen asleep just yet
>>82611"Though, there was one issue during fight. One of my companions lost grip of their pistol as it fired, and bullet ricocheted around room into it came and hit me in a-...hit me in rear." Silver just barely manages to catch himself swearing. He gives Sundew a look suggesting that Slow Burn's still young yet, so this sort of thing is to be expected from time to time.
>>82614"Somepony shot you in the rump?"
>>82613"this is terrible. i cant sleep."
>>82615He nods. "On accident, of course. But yes, I got shot in rump."
>>82616Roll again to try again
>>82617He gives a contemplative expression for a number of seconds, before going to a different subject
"And this evil necromancer kept the souls of ponies in jars!"
>>82618He nods. "These very same jars."
>>82619And falls right the fuck to sleep
>>82621Dark Star snores up a storm
>>82623And what dreams may come....
Dark Star sees a crib in a house with two beautiful foals in them.
The first, a light blue earth pony with all her father's edginess and mother's bitchiness. The second, a white, blue eyed colt with expressions of courage and adventure
>>82625The little colt gives a soft coo, and the little blue filly tries to resist being picked up
>>82626Dark Star tickles the filly and then pats the colt