/vx/ - Videogames and Paranormal

Fun fact if anyone here cares at all: I found out that if New Mareland has put in an effort towards improving the range of their aircraft, even if they somehow lost control of every airfield in Equestria, they could still reach much of Eastern Equestria using their BD-4 Manebourne strategic bombers. Especially if they took off from the islands of Eldoran, Boltaire, or Cross Island.

Also, rollcall, I suppose, since I have no idea who's on.

>>90904
Hello Silver.
I am currently in this plane of existence, although it's mostly void currently.

>>90903
I'm here, but i'm also quite tired.

>>90906
Damn. Well, that sucks. Do you have a path for Ash to follow or should I make you leave and try to buy the foal then?

>>90907
>plan
Well... I'll admit I went off on a tangent and had her rant about the importance of being a good person.

>>90908
Oh. Well, have you rationalized anything since that tangent?

>>90904
Am here

>>90909
Well.. Not much. I've been thinking about it for some time, but idk if I can 100% it at 11:15 pm..

>>90911
Will you be able to come up with something tomorrow?

>>90912
Yeah. I can do that.
Sorry about it, but i'm actually pretty busy on weekdays.

>>90913
Don't worry. I get it.
I do want successful quests though, so try to think your way through this one.

I'm here, probably a little late

>>90915
Maybe. We'll see.
I am always watching.

>>90915
What do?

>>90919
First step would be find food for the Lings.
"Ihr Jungs isst Liebe, richtig?"

>>90918
No. Countries that are not America do not have reasonable alcohol laws. Not to imply that American alcohol laws are reasonable, but I mean they are worse in Not-America

>>90921
"Ja!"

>>90922
"Okay, bleib in der Nähe"

Brie takes flight, keeping a pace so that Kerr and Wesley can follow close behind, keeping an eye out for a large public area, preferrably someplace like a shopping area.

>>90924
Wesley flaps his wings once and moves to Brie's side. Kerr, who has been off and somewhat aloof, now pulls up to Brie's side as well

>>90925
There are no "shopping malls" as understood after the 1970s. What there are are various shops of different kinds periodically. department stores are the largest, but also general stores, all manner of specialty stores, and restaurants

>>90927
Are the specialty stores in relative proximity to eachother?

>>90928
In most areas, no. They appear periodically on the ground floor of buildings that house apartments and offices. It stands to reason, however, that there are specifically commercial areas and "districts"

>>90929
>commercial district
Perfect! Plotting a course

>>90930
It's essentially a long street of shops with more than a few department stores. Buildings vary in height from 1 to 4 floors

>>90931
Perfect.
"Warum kaufen wir nicht ein bisschen ein, während wir einen Happen zum Essen finden?"

>>90932
Little Wesley wags his tail in enthusiasm as he follows Brie
"Klingt sehr gut!"

Kerr complies, but he remains fixated on the environment, seeming a little uneasy

>>90933
I forget, but IIRC they are both disguised, correct?
"Etwas stimmt nicht Kerr?"

>>90934
Yes. Wesley as a grey pegasus (like Silver's grandcolt), and Kerr as a purple-grey bat pony (looking like a young relative of Brie)

"Ponys haben die Kontrolle. Und sie werden nicht gerne gejagt"

>>90935
"Wahr. Kann ein Pony spüren, wenn es gefüttert wird?"

>>90936
"Ich glaube schon. Sie sehen aus, als ob sie Angst haben oder sogar ohnmächtig werden. Ich kann es dir zeigen, wenn du es herausfinden willst"

>>90937
"Ich dachte, du hättest gesagt, dass du Liebe isst. Sie werden nichts von mir finden, versichere ich Ihnen."

>>90938
"Du verstehst das nicht. Alle Kreaturen haben Liebe. Es ist die Basis für alle Wünsche und Motive, neben Angst und Hass. Es ist Teil der Magie, die deine Seele formt. Sie schmecken vielleicht nicht gut, aber auch Sie haben Liebe"

>>90939
"Faszinierend. Beim nächsten Mal vielleicht. Muss das Thema bewusst sein, damit dies geschieht?"

>>90940
"Nein, aber es hilft. Wenn sie nicht in einem Zustand der Liebe sind, kann nicht so viel extrahiert werden, bevor sie in Ohnmacht fallen. Aber jedes Pony kann bis zur Ohnmacht ausgelaugt werden"

>>90941
"Hmmm. Vielleicht ist das nicht der richtige Ort. Nach etwas Einkauf finden wir dann etwas."

>>90942
During this small conversation, it was Wesley's turn to examine his surroundings, and look at the pony filled world around him.

And as he hears Brie say these words, the joy melts off of his face slowly, as the utopia of prancing candy canes and sugar cubes around him is revealed, only to be denied to him

>>90943
"Mach's gut, Wesley, wir müssen noch einkaufen."

>>90944
"Für was?"

>>90945
"Richtige Kleidung, um zu beginnen. Wir haben eine Reise zu machen, und während Sie Jungs das Teil einfach sehen können, brauche ich etwas mehr Substanz."

>>90946
Wesley looks confused, not understanding Brie's meaning, or at least, his intent. Kerr, however, whispers
"Tu was du brauchst. Lass uns diese Sprache nicht öffentlich sprechen ..."

>>90947
"Ganz richtig. Lass uns dann gehen und in der Nähe bleiben. Kommunizieren Sie nur im Flüsterton."

>>90948
About what age is Brie?

>>90949
As ponies age, about mid 30's

>>90950
>>90948
>>90948
"In Ordung. Wenn Ponys fragen, bin ich dein dummer Sohn, der nicht sprechen kann, und er ist mein Schulfreund"

>>90952
Brie looks at Kerr, rather impressed. "Guter Einfall. Ich wollte es spontan spielen, aber das funktioniert gut. Du brauchst dich nicht dumm zu nennen."

>>90953
He whispers "Was nennen Sie sonst ein Pony, das kein Pony spricht oder versteht? Kaufen Sie jetzt die Sachen, bevor mein Bruder entscheidet, dass Sie gut schmecken"

>>90954
Brie bows slightly and directs the colts toward a fancy clothier.

>>90955
He finds none other than a path tread well before: the Baltimare Branch of the high class "Pommel" chain. A pony named Trim Fit asks "How may I be of assistance for you today. He looks down and notices the foals, but says nothing

>>90956
"Good afternoon my good stallion. I shall need a proper suit to go with my vest."

>>90958
"For what sort of occasion?"

>>90959
"Making a good impression. The colts and I are to be leaving to visit distant relatives."

>>90960
He rubs his chin in silent contemplation.
"It seems that you need something high class, yet versatile enough to wear for most occasions, and comfortable enough to wear several days in a week. I think our best suits for that are to our left. Let e ask you, what sot of weather are you anticipating, and do you have any special needs?"

>>90961
"Yes, let me look here. It's been many years since I've visited so I can't speak to the weather, but what do you mean by special needs?"

>>90962
"If you were anticipating your clothing protecting you from difficulties beyond a simple spilled beverage or a cold breeze"

>>90963
"Hmmm. Not a bad idea, but let me decide on the suit first."

>>90966
"Very well, we have a number of sets, as you see, over here. I recommend a bow tie, should you intend to fly."

The suits are, in a way, standard for male formal wear for the century, with undershirts (or Brie can just keep his vest) and a number of suits. They vary from solid colors to plaid to checkers, most on the lighter side. The clothing is undeniably formal, yet not so much as a wedding tuxedo. They likewise vary by warmth: Deep Winter, cold, cool, nuetral, warm, and very warm. Yes, they are made for winged ponies

>>90968
Brie glances at Slim. "Something like this would be fine I think. How much does such a suit run?"

>>90969
"50 bits for a single set"

>>90970
"I see. And if I did want it a bit more durable, would you be modifying the suit? I'd prefer that any such embellishments be,... discreet."

>>90971
"But of course. It would appear to be... warmer, but otherwise, utterly indistinguishable to the observer"

>>90972
"Still lightweight and quiet I hope, I would hate to be clinking around."

>>90973
"It is silent, or as silent as it can be. As for weight, it certainly should be so much that you could not walk a great distance with it, or fly"

>>90974
"That sounds perfect. So it would be 50 for the suit and how much for the embellishments?"

>>90975
"300 additional for the basic add on, for 350 total""

>>90976
"Excllent. Do you carry colt sizes?"

>>90977
He looks down
"One moment"
He walks out, and returns after a minute
"Indeed we do"

>>90978
"I trust they will need to be fitted?"

>>90979
"I take it you wish to purchase the same for these two as for yourself?"

>>90980
"They needn't be identical, and I gather you are the expert in style and color coordination. Select something that you feel would be fetching. Slightly on the warmer side I think, it gets a bit cool where we're headed."

>>90981
He smiles
"Very well"

A more detailed description of what is produced will come tomorrow. But for now, I must sleep

As soon as Fit is out of earshot, Brie would whisper "Nur um sicher zu gehen, Sie bekommen Ihre eigenen Klamotten. Es wird gut sein, wenn du dich umwandelst, aber das bedeutet nicht, dass wir nicht auf andere Probleme stoßen werden."
to the Lings
>>90982
K

>>90984
Barbie Brie going shopping for some classy suits.

>>90985
Thanks

>>90986
So, have you thought up something?
>>90982
Is Ash's character sheet at >>90892 acceptable?
I would like someone with diplomacy right about now.

>>90548
Silver is kill, but though Silver is gone, Blue Skies talks on, as though giving a grand speech she has memorized before.

She tells of the conquest and the occupation of an area of Griffonia known as "the Frontier," an area of sparsely populated griffon land that separates the Eastern ponies from the more serious Griffin nations.

Some of this land had once belonged to the Eastern ponies, cultures disposed, oppressed, or even exterminated. Most of it became the Empire's forward operating base of terror: the Host's twice yearly raids into pony lands, and the scheming crusades of the Knightly orders. All carried out the will of the Emperor to maim, mangle and mar the vibrant pony societies of the east, in exchange their petty baronies and fiefdoms. What had they done with this land in all this time, exactly. It remains wild, undeveloped, with neither the industry nor the culture of the ponylands of the east, and certainly nothing like Equestria.

Or so it had been. In the span of less than a year, the guns of the New Marelanders left these lands under pony control, a state it had not been in for hundreds of years. All of it. The entire frontier. There was something almost magical about this fact to her. Something shown in her eyes, and her smile, though it remained vicious carried in it a happiness more so than normal. To think that these ponies had achieved in months what the none of the Eastern ponies had the will or follow through - or where applicable, the power - to achieve after centuries of torment from the griffins. To be sure, they would talk of standing as a bulwark against the griffin menace, but the Equestrians of Griffonia had done it. For they themselves lived on lived on stolen Griffin land. They dealt with Griffins both living among them and across their borders. In a way, it was only natural that they would be the ones to take that first step in the sacred crusade against the Griffin menace.

But though Blue Skies is an idealist, she is also a pragmatist. The new territories may have been easy enough to take, but they would be far more difficult to hold. Almost 11 million griffin subjects lived in the frontier, or twice the pony population of Equestria’s Griffonian colony. Thus the question, how to keep them? This was not straightforward, as the geopolitical situation imposed special constraints. First, ponypower was strained to the limit, and any colonial occupation must consist of an absolute minimum of military forces and administrators. The second is that these territories would have to be profitable if the colony as a whole were to survive, so whatever what put in must be less than what is taken out.

The first step was to divide the subject nations into smaller entities, generally administrative units based upon cultural or historical commonalities. This was easiest in locations like Zaphzia, where the nation was a collection of tribes. Divide the nation into its constituent tribes, emphasize the differences between the tribes, try to erase commonalities uniting the tribes, and any rebellion would have more difficulty in uniting the nation against its occupiers. Each unit would then have a pony administrator on the higher “federal” level to oversee taxation and order, but also a separate local administration, that where possible, represented a continuation of the preexisting political, social, and economic order of the territory. The theory was that if that if the occupation were perceived as mostly a continuation of the status quo, it would be more palatable. The question remained, how to govern these territorial units?
History and happenstance provided a helping hoof… or in this case, a helping claw. They were not the first to subjugate great masses of griffins. Griffinhiem herself had once subjugated these lands, and the states themselves were mostly – mostly – ruled by a tiny wealthy elite, with the vast majority having no say in the political order. Some areas, most particularly in Lushi, were feudal baronies, with a tiny number griffin nobles ruling over masses of disenfranchised serfs. All that needed be done in those areas was to shoot all nobles who opposed foreign rule or were too incompetent to keep in power, and leave in power those who were willing to collaborate, while dividing the possessions of the removed nobles amongst the populous, the loyal nobles, and new occupiers. Thus, every griffin could feel as if the change in administration had lead to a material improvement in their wellbeing, while not causing much harm…. At least to them personally.

In locations like Gryphus, where the land had been ruled by merchant oligarchy, the Bourgeoise more numerous, and the difference between the poor and the rich smaller, occupation was more difficult. While it was simple enough to replace the existing governing councils with councils filled with griffins friendlier to the occupation, this represented a change in the way that the councils were selected, and an obvious loss of freedom to at least some of the inhabitants. But such a change was unavoidable. At least, what could be done was to develop New Mareland owned industries in parts of the region, invite portions of the griffin merchant class as partners in the enterprise, and then elevate these griffins to leadership. Grifoinia was almost blessed with backwardness. Griffins were accustomed to living in hierarchical societies that were non-responsive to their own needs or concerns. The lands were so far behind the Equestrian level of industrialization that any introduction of more serious technology would result in a massive increase in living standards.

>>90988
>>90548
Other steps would be necessary for any long-term occupation. One of the first things any new autocrat does to prove his rule is to woo the masses with grand, collective projects, either wars or building projects. Since the griffins do not care for pony wars, this meant railway projects, dams, and the like. New railways were built into frontier areas, and a central rail line ran from the port in the south up through the frontier to the north. While the amount of money that could be spent on such projects was very limited, rail lines were essential to the exploitation of the region, industrial development, and any massive movement of troops that would occur should the frontier territories be used to launch future invasions.

A standard for civil service was put in place, requiring new civil servants in the administration to be fluent in ponish. This of course meant that ponies tended to pass the exam, and if any griffins did so there were more assimilated into pony culture. The police of the territories were recruited from among the griffins, although they would often be deployed into different geographical and cultural territories, to reduce their loyalty to the populations they would garrison and police. While the highest levels of the civilian and military administration were almost always ponies, an ambitious and competent griffin certainly could make a viable career in the military or civil service of the occupiers. Only a competent griffin of course – there was more than enough oversight at this level to ensure that.

Beyond making Rule by pony tolerable, it must also be made – in time – Natural. The Griffins would learn in the schools and their new curriculums that the Pony, and the Pony alone, has a special place in history. It is the pony who is the master of magic, the master of technology, and above all else, has mastered friendship and harmony. The Pony thus has a right like none other to hegemon over all other races. To take the land of others to secure its own safety, its own preservation – and its own Glory. If griffins were allowed to participate in any level of society – military, economic, administration – as if they were equals of the Pony, it was not because of the equality of the races, but as proof of the Pony’s mastery of Harmony.

But all of this would not be enough to make rule over the Frontier lands stable. What was needed was to make the frontier truly pony land was ponies. Settlers would populate sparse countryside, as famers, prospectors, and miners, eventually forming enclave pony communities, and the core of a ruling minority pony nation. The land for these operations could be taken in part from unsettled wilderness, and in part confiscated from natives who are resettled elsewhere. The Eastern areas of the old Host and old Hellquill especially where designated to be cleared, or at least, thinned, of Griffins. And these Griffins in turn would be encouraged to emigrate to Griffin countries, or resettled further South and West. This process was easier in Hellquil, where fully 20% of the griffin population were recent immigrants from Griffinhiem. They could simply be sent back. Something special was planned for some of the remaining population.

But now the question, where to find the ponies? Hellquill and Longsword had indigenous pony populations. Ilgarkadija had a very large pony population, that even as the griffins shot, burned and slew many, fought back, and numbered over one half million by the time of liberation. The ponies of former Hellsword had not fared as well against the pure black evil of the griffins. Of Hellquill’s 1007 population of 360,000, at most a few tens of thousands remained alive in the country, with a few tens of thousands living as refugees in the Riverlands or Longsword. It was populating the actually griffin pony countries with settlers that would prove more challenging. New Mareland itself was settled upon land adversely acquired from native griffins and had a huge griffin minority. The government sought immigrants from Equestria before the depression made that impossible, and no ponies could be spared. Tens of Millions of ponies lived right over the border from the Frontier. The problem was, naturally, that these ponies lived in foreign nations that were ideologically hostile to the occupying government. Still, a few hundred thousand could be expected to immigrate, mostly from Lake City. If only there were another source…

At this point, Silver is presumably nearing the end of his meal, as Blue Skies lectures on.

>>90988
>>90989
Silver is very much liv, even if he remains quiet during much of Blue's grand lecture. He's starting to enjoy listening and learning about this part of the world he hasn't heard of before, even if he's finding its griffon inhabitants extremely objectionable.

As the lecture nears its end, he freezes just before one of the last bites of his burger. 'If only there were another source…
'

"...So, that is why New Mareland decided to invade Equestria, or at least part of reason. Ponies."

>>90990
Blue Skies is almost surprised to see the corpse across from her animate. Then she smiles, and says

"New Mareland invaded in part because of the threat the Harmonic government posed to its independence and its existence, and partly out of the desire to save their little ponies from becoming Chrysalis's subjects, everyone of them"

>>90991
As with most 'official statements', it's eyeroll worthy enough to get a similar reaction out of Silver. "Of course...still, you can not deny that it helps New Mareland out very much to have control of largest population of ponies in world to use to resettle these Frontier lands you speak of."

Obviously wanting to change the subject away from something that would inevitably lead to an argument, he takes one of the last couple bites of his burger. "So, Lake City. What is it like?"

>>90992
“The Frontier lands are only a beginning...”

“I’ve only been to Lake City twice, since it’s a bit further west than I was used to traveling. It’s a pony nation-state, where they speak a different language, do not worship Celestia, and have different architecture than in Equestria. It’s less industrial, less wealthy, and less harmonic than here. Colder too.”

>>90993
Silver decides to ignore the ominous statement about the Frontier lands. "But what was it like? What made it special compared to its neighbors? In fact, who were its neighbors? It is not place I have heard much off, if at all."

>>90994
*much of

Is Greneclyf Harmonist, Communist, or Fascist in this universe? I haven't seen them go down the same path twice, even with Historical Focuses on.

>>90987
I have a few ideas.
I too would like diplomacy, because the pacifist build will be next to impossible without it.

>>90994
"I can't say I have that much experience with them. I couldn't speak the language when I was there. What I can say is that it was more like Equestria in many ways than Nimbusia. They elected their government. They didn't like griffins, and the Stallions there were much the same as Stallions everywhere. It's neighbors were"
She starts looking a bit up, and to the left
"Deponya, Rikejeck... Rikojekavik.. Reykjekvik... River City, and" She makes an expression of disgust "Wittenland"

>>90995
Alas, if only somepony knew

>>90997
If only.

"Rijekograd, in River Republic? I have heard of them, actually. They are supposed to be something like 'Equestria of East', yes? I have not heard of Deponya or Wittenland, otherwise."

With a final bite, he finishes off the burger, satisfied with his meal. "It is clear you do not like this Wittenland, for some reason. What is it?"

>>90996
Alright, whenever you're ready to roll, I'll be ready.
I wonder oh I wonder if the GM will at least accept your skills.

NEW THREAD >>91000 →