Set six years after season 6, Occupied Equestria presents an alternative history where Chrysalis chose a different approach to her second attack on Equestria. The Changelings have conquered half of Equestria, while a former Equestrian colony - soured to Princess Twilight's notion of harmony with all creatures thank to their dealing with griffins - Invaded and took the other half. In Baltimare and the Equestrian Southeast, the magic of friendship has weakened, as Communists, Changeling infiltrators, Fascists, gangs, and corrupt creepy politicians threaten the city. 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.
Silver is learning about foreign pony cultures, Dark Star is preparing to put on a play for the children of the Saint Prancis Orphanage, Onyx has received several possible missions from the government, Brie is buying clothing, presumably for a long journey. Ash and Iron are leaving the office of a now enraged gangster... or not.
1862 replies and 83 files omitted.
>>90998 →"Yes, those ones. They are more liberal than most in the area, and suppose themselves to have a right to rule over the entire drainage basin as if it were their own personal property. With Equestria gone, they think of themselves as the 'leaders of the Harmonic world.' As for Wittenland... a bunch of Unicorns prancing around in their high castles wasting their time on wine and parties."
>>90987 →>>90996 →You could just, you know, roleplay diplomacy, rather than treating it like it's a form of mind control
>>90983 →"Please allow me"
Trim fit pulls out a measuring tape, and starts to take measurements of Brie's neck, shoulders, waists, chest, wings, and so forth, all in a rather invasive way.
Next comes the little foals. Wesley stands still enough for it, although he looks as Trim fit with a wierd, predatory glare, until Kerr boops him into stopping. Kerr stands for it, but not without squirming, being both annoyed and unnerved by the process
"The ballistic Nylon itself will help to keep much of the heat, and it will certainly appear thick. But we can prepare a version for even colder climates"
>>91001I would also like to have it as a skill.
>>91001"From what I have heard, there are three rivers that meet in Rijekograd. Their names I think are..." Silver looks towards the ceiling while scratching his chin in thought, as he tries to remember what he's heard of the River Republic. "Griffking, Gold, and...Green? And these rivers I imagine run through many of their neighbors. So I can see why some would think as such, even if they do not have rightful claim to region. I have heard it is beautiful place, with lots of hills and forests beside its grand rivers. I have also heard Rijeka is almost like brother language to my native Cyrillic. It makes me wonder if Rijekograd and Jezergrad ponies originally came from Severyana, many millennia ago.
"Wittenland sounds like some of old aristocracy in Canterlot. Somehow, I do not feel I would have good time there."
>>91005"The Griffking is the main river. The Gold and the Green are it's most easterly tributaries. It is a hilly area, yes, and mostly forested where there are not farms. It's not as beautiful as the green mountains and mountaintop cities of Nimbusia, though. I guess it is possible that there is some relation in the lettering. They say the ponies of the East came from the far north of the Equestrian continent, originally... Does Wittenland not sound 'exciting' enough for you?"
>>91006"Well, for instance, 'Rijekograd' comes from Rijeka words for 'River City', literally 'rijeka' and 'grad'. Cyrillic translation for these words are 'река' and 'город', but if I were to use Ponish characters, it would look like..." He grabs a simple pen from his saddlebags, and uses it to write on a napkin provided by the diner. In particular, he writes down 'reka' and 'gorod'. "...do you see resemblance?"
>>91008“Uh huh...” she says, looking down, and seeming a little confused. She hasn’t really eaten much of the food she ordered
>>91009Silver's left-side ear and eye lower in confusion at her own confusion. "Is something wrong?"
>>91011He doesn't look like he believes this statement. "Well, okay. If there is something wrong, it is okay to say something to me, you know.
"Anyways, no, I do not think I would really fit in among Wittenland crowd. I am no Pinkie Pie. Outside of purpose of gathering information for some job or another, I have not been to many parties at all."
>>91012“That’s neat that the languages are similar. Perhaps there is some connection between the two nations. One that has survived after all of these centuries”
>>91013"I have heard of more far-fetched possibilities than that, so it very well could be." He looks at her barely-touched food. "Do you need take-home box for that?"
>>91014So you’re telling me that you care more about some character skill than actually doing role play - particularly since the skill in question is one that can actually be role played
>>91015“I don’t... I don’t think so”
She pokes it with a hoof, sticks her muzzle down, and takes a small bite of the bread
[1d20+3 = 5]>>91017Sense Motive: With searching eyes looking for any sign of what's wrong, Silver decides to push a little harder. "...
Is something the matter, Blue? I am your friend, I am here for these types of things. You can tell me."
>>91018She absolutely despises Silver’s choice of food, that’s definitely it
>>91021Silver looks down in disappointment and sadness. "I mean, I thought it was good food..."
>>91022“No, it’s... it’s good food.”
She takes another bite, chews, and tries to swallow
“I’m just not used to Equestrian food, and I don’t eat that much anyways”
>>91023"Then what are you used to? Maybe next time we go out I can find someplace that you will enjoy."
>>91024“Well... Salads, bread... it was a bit different growing up. You are fine”
>>91016Well, no, but said skill is easily one of the more valuable skills for PCs concerned with anything but killing everything in sight. NPCs with opposing motives, intents, or alignments may be difficult to convince in ways that can't really be explained other than how eloquently the character words his/her speech.
Also, I suck at this kind of stuff irl, but my character shouldn't.Diplomacy doesn't necessarily make NPCs do whatever you tell them to, but it does improve their dispositions and attitudes.
>>91026Okay, reassign skill points from wherever you have it to Diplomacy
>>91025"Salads? I take it that is common meal in Nimbusia?"
>>91028“Well, among other things. Various beans, bread, figs, and olives would often provide the basis of common meals”
>>91029"There must be very many olive plantations in Nimbusia to not only have them as staple food item, but also to clean yourself in olive oil."
>>91030She laughs slightly
“Indeed there are. The land is mountainous, and not much else will grow in most parts”
>>91031To Silver, it sounds a little bit like the situation in Severyana, if you replaced 'mountainous' with 'frozen'. "But here is question: for how long can crops be grown in Nimbusia?"
>>91032“If you mean grain, I think one harvest worth of grain can be grown during the year. Sometimes clover can be planted in the winter, or even beans. Obviously fruit trees grow year round. But I never handled farming. The helots did that”
>>91033"It sounds like Nimbusia never had many issues with food, thankfully."
>>91034“Well, not usually. If food
did begin to lack, it would be the helots who would pay the shortfall”
>>91035"I suppose that was incentive to grow as much food as possible. Still, it would not be very fun to be helot during food shortage, I imagine."
>>91036She leans back, and a smile returns
“I never had to find out”
>>91037"Yeah, I suppose you never had to." Silver silently contemplates how Blue would have turned out if she had some of that perspective.
>>91038If she were other than as she were, would she even still be Blue Skies?
>>91039It's a fair enough point for Silver.
"I would like to hear some more about Nimbusia, if you would not mind."
>>91040“We Pegasi built our cities on the hilltops, above the valleys of the east. We were not so wealthy, nor so industrial. Our roofs tended to be thatched, but our temples were made of fine stone columns with elegant and ancient friezes depicting the glory of past battles and of the settlement. Life was very communal, and emphasized relationships with other Pegasi. I guess it has that in common with Equestria. The state-run Education emphasized physical combat, but many of the wealthy purchases tutors to teach rhetoric and public speaking. We would often meet in the amphitheaters of the larger cities, where the citizenry would hear and vote on proposals for public matters, or watch plays. The markets, likewise, were big communal areas. And the temples to the gods tended to be the grandest in the cities. Soaring over the valleys, or the long coast lines, the hills were covered in grass or olive groves. It was beautiful...”
>>91041"It sounds like it. I imagine I would have liked very much to see it in its prime.
"You have said before that Nimbusia has its own religion. What is it like?"
>>91042“That the world had an order to it, shepherded by various spirits. Notos over the winds, Bellephoron over warriors, and Posedidon over all ponies. Sterope, Euos, Aithops, and Bronte pulled the sun across the sky. Each temple had a priest or priestess called a Poloi. Small sacrifices, especially of food items, were often asked for”
>>91042“The hills and the old buildings are still there. Only the spirit of the country was broken. Like an old mare who dies quietly in the night, without much fuss, leaving behind a more or less pristine, lifeless body”
>>91043>>91045Silver's eyes partially glaze over at all of the names of the different gods. "It does indeed sound foreign to Celestialism, at least. I think we used to have religion, or religions, before Celestialism that sounded little bit like what you described."
Silver looks at her with an odd expression, after her second statement. "So, it is little bit like Severyana? Everything is still there, mostly, but it is not actually Severyana."
>>91046She smiles, and seems to be a bit emboldened
“Sounds about like typical. An invading foreign power replaces the world views, customs and cultures of the natives with a philosophy that places the new rulers at the center of order., In time, the natives cannot even think of their world without its rulers and their own subjugation as an undispensable part of their existence. So died the native religions of the Equestrian continent at the hooves, wings, and horns of alicorns rule.”
Then she pulls back in
“Well, I’ve never been to Severyana. I think you said they burned churches. That didn’t happen in Nimbusia. It was a much quieter revolution”
Alright. I'm heading to bed now.
>>91047'Sounds a little bit like New Mareland' is what a small part of him wants to say. However, he decides to scale it back to a much more reasonable: "I am not sure if Celestia ever actually sponsored worship of herself. You certainly got idea from listening to how she acted that she was not very fond of that idea, and it was just her ponies acting independently.
"As for Nimbusia...well, as far as I know, it was not Communist revolution that took your country over."
>>91049"No... That's one the Communists
didn't destroy"
>>91050Silver suddenly lets out a laugh that's just a little bit too loud for the situation. "Communists
not destroying nation? That is first for me."
>>91051"Oh no, they destroy everything they touch, like fire or locusts. It just so happened that they weren't there this time. No, this was the work of 'moderate' reformists" She gives a look of serious disgust, like she is about to gag. "More L=like Aquileia than Stalliongrad"
>>91052"Aquileia...that name rings bell. Were they ones that had revolution back in '08, '09? I thought it was Harmonists that won in end."
>>91053"That's my point. It wasn't the Communists that killed
that old nation"
>>91054Silver gives her an odd look. "No, I think New Mareland killed that particular nation."
>>91055She gives him an even more odd look, and raises an eyebrow
"The state of The Aquileian Second Republic is still there"
>>91056"Really? I thought I heard..." He pauses in thought. "...nevermind then, I thought they had been annexed by New Mareland. My mistake. Still, I do not think Harmonists destroyed Aquileia. I do not know much of state it was in before revolution, but I heard that Discret family was completely unable to even manage their own countries, let alone deal with Republicans once they came back. And there was still pride in Aquileian after they became republic."
>>91057>>91057"To be sure, the Discret family was incompetent and corrupt. What else can you expect of the Griffin 'nobility.' But the Clergy were intact, the system of land ownership was intact, the old system of laws were intact. All of that was destroyed in the Revolution. Often very literally and physically by the communist allies of the Harmonists. Yes, a 'national pride' of sorts still exists. But it is like a Snail infected with a mind controlling worm, leading the snail astray, controlling it from its infected, horrid pulsating eyes, and leading them only to be eaten by a bigger bird. The pride of the republic is a false belief in a rule over all of Griffonia, not for appreciation of the History and culture of their nation. They are destined for conflict with Griffinheim, and it will not end well for them"
\r
>>91058If the snail image was meant to disgust, it has succeeded. "Destroyed, yet rebuilt anew, I would imagine, much like what happened with New Mareland."
He looks out of the window nearest to where they're sitting. "It seems as though everyone is wanting to go to war with Empire."
>>91059"The Duke never destroyed churches or humiliated clergy. Go ask Jacques what he thinks about it being 'much like New Mareland.' He has lived through both.
As for the Empire,
not enough"
>>91060"No, that is quite opposite of problem: there are too many who want war. We should be prepared for it, but we should never wish war upon ourselves or other countries. It is wasteful, costly, and pointless, even if it is occasionally necessity."
>>91061She stares onwards, and seems to bite her tongue. As she is about to speak, she stops herself
>>91062"You were going to say something you were afraid would upset me or sour our relationship, I take it?"
>>91063Then, she speaks
"Do you believe that war with the Changeling Hegemony is necessary?"
>>91064Right for the throat with that question. For his part, Silver's answer comes short, simple, and quick: "Yes."
>>91065>>91065"Then you understand why I think it would be a great evil to forgo war with The Empire. Even if my government does not feel the same way"
>>91067"Do you want war with the Changelings?"
>>91068Silver's just a little annoyed by how she refused to just answer the question herself. "Of course not. I do not
want any war, even if we
must war with Changelings, even if it is absolute necessity in order to protect ourselves and rest of world. We must, and we will, go to war. Because even if we do not want this war, this war is coming to us regardless."
>>91070Silver raises an eyebrow at her response. "You did not answer my question."
>>91071"Does the distinction between doing something begrudgingly out of a sense of obligation, and doing something out of a desire to do the act in itself, really matter so much? The end is the same, and the intent is the same"
>>91074"War has a price, a very costly price, one that transcends mere currency, and we all will have to pay it. I do not want to see my fellow countryponies pay for it, if it can be helped."
>>91075"I've noticed that. You do not want to see your country ponies help the present administration at all. Not even for self defense against the Changeling invasion you consider imminent"
>>91076And thus begins the point at which Silver must tread upon thin ice. "We will fight, and we will defend ourselves. That is not question. It is question of whether New Mareland will fight alongside us, or if we will have to fight alone."
>>91077"I assure you that if they wanted to hand this land over the Changelings they would have already done it, rather than stare down Chrysalis and deal with a rowdy and ungrateful population"
>>91078"Either way, I would prefer if we did not continue this conversation. I have seen where it leads before, and I would prefer if it did not go that far."
>>91079"Very well. Want to get the bill?"
>>91080He nods. "I did suggest this idea."
>>91081The purple maned unicorn zony is flagged down
"How do you want to split the check?"
>>91082"Ah, do not worry about it, I can handle bill."
>>91083She smiles slightly, and seems to purr
The total is 12 bits for the two of them
>>91084He fishes out 12 Bits from his saddlebags, plus 5 for a tip for the zony waiter.
>>91085"Thank you" says the zony, smiling and nodding at Silver
>>91086Silver nods back, and stands up from his seat. "So, Blue Skies, would you like me to escort you back to your place of work?"
>>91087"Didn't you have something you needed to do today?"
>>91088"Yes, but I think I can spare enough time to see you back to work. Unless you would rather I simply get onto what I need to do."
>>91089"Alright... Then let us go"
>>91090Like a true gentlestallion, he opens the diner's door for her.
>>91091She prances right through, nodding to Silver
>>91092And thus, Silver trots with Blue on the way back to the Grand Baltimare Hotel. "I may try to see if I can not explore more of catacombs, if Spark is okay with watching little ones for little bit longer. With luck, I will have found rest of those books for you."
>>91093"And that is very good. You are really keeping those drones?"
>>91094"Not forever, no, but I have not yet run plan by them."
>>91096"Plan to run them through immigration and have them sent back to Hegemony. One I asked you about earlier today."
>>91097"How much longer do you expect to keep them?"
>>91098"Not long. Two more days at very longest."
>>91099Yup. >>91003"No need, if it is too cold, we'll just use a cloak. We're not flying the
whole way,..."
I have time to play today, if anypony is ready.
>>91098"Do you carry fine cloaks? Perhaps magical ones? After the suits I have a budget of about 1250 bits"