http://pastebin.com/Pu749mrT
>>27270444
Post sheets
>>27270449
http://pastebin.com/RaZG8KLM
>>27270449
http://pastebin.com/R0AXr1UU
>>27270444
>Be me, 19yo dork
>Entering college, first class, really qt girl next to me
>Afraid to talk to her
>Really start freaking out, she's noticing.
>She leans in and whispers "Read the first letter of every line"
>>27270449
http://pastebin.com/p1dtY3qj
>>27270449
http://pastebin.com/0DRyArfZ
>>27270539
No drinking tonight, only good wholesome goats http://pastebin.com/YJFusUgn
Flaming 8/4
Pryce 9/4
Novelus 6/6
Observer 7/6
>Golem 5/5
Shei 6/7
>Pheo 4/4
Flow 10/5
Amy 7/6
Last time on HQ...
https://desustorage.org/mlp/thread/27208198/#27210024
After getting run over by a spiked log made of wooden wheels and skeletons, the party entered a deep chasm in which skeleton miners dug mindlessly at the walls for ore and gems. No valuables were to be found here, however, and so the party went further. Flow and co. checked out a series of cramped burrows in the walls, while the others went down a constructed tunnel.
After passing through a storeroom, the walls lined with boxes like coffins, they reached a long, increasingly dark hallway, where the darkness sat like a solid wall, heavy enough that even Pheo's light couldn't penetrate. In the darkness stooped a humanoid figure, its body encased in a dark pillbug like carapace. Very tall, its body was bent over at a painful 90 degree angle at the waist, and it dragged a thick coarse bag on the ground that occasionally moved, slick with black noxious goop.
It picked up Amy and put her inside.
In the tunnels, Vice and Trapper found a burrow containing many small red pillbugs and a few large ones. They found skeleton clutching a bag with some rubies and a smooth metal sphere inside. Flow emerged into a pitch black room, where one of his bounty posters began to glow. It had an image of the bipedal figure on the cover, labeled "The Hoarder."
>>27270459
In the wider burrow, the larger pillbug begins to worm around, stirring at Vice and Trapper's proximity. From little divots in the walls, more tiny pillbugs begin to swarm, crawling toward their hooves.
The larger pillbug rolls sideways toward V&T
Flow hears a weak clanking against the cell bars a few feet above him and to his right. "Up... up. I know... your voice..."
(1/2)
>>27270539
>>27270473
>>27270458
As Amy's head slips beneath the cover of the bag, the bipedal creature leans forward, getting a better look at each of you. It reaches toward Rus Tea, much in the same way.
"Absolutely not!" Rus declares, reaching into her bag. [1d10+2] [1d3]
Box vanishes.
>>27270607
[1d10]
>>27270449
http://pastebin.com/YSc8fEpU
>>27270643
https://youtu.be/FdCkiR15yMg
As you slip into the bag, your entire body is rapt in a relaxing sensation, so much that you can only move in tiny spurts, like sleep paralysis. The bag's scent is appalling and rotting, and you feel the crinkle of insect carapaces and the smush and sludge of some unknown liquids.
A faint feminine wheezing comes from inside the bag, but it is too dark to see. You feel hot breath on your face.
>-2 to movement rolls while inside
>>27270607
Flow looks up in the direction he can hear the voice. He uses the glowing paper as a light source, holding it in one hoof, and gripping Schlangenschwert in his other hoof.
"What's your name?"
Meanwhile, Vice and Trapper begin to look around at the large amount of pillbugs surrounding them.
>"Trapper, pick up that bag, we're leaving!"
Trapper reaches for the bag, and the gooey duo both run to where they had entered the burrow from.
>>27270619
"Get your hands off them!"
Pryce shouts at the creature as it starts grabbing at the party. Looking at the bag it carries, Pryce thrusts his arrow-javelin towards it to cut the bag open and freeing its inhabitants.
>Bag Slash [1d10]
>>27270619
>As a note my Phase Aura ends next turn.
With Shei-Sher's light produced he now has a good look at demon as it grabs Amy and puts her inside his bag.
Shei immediately holds out his lantern an speaks to the demon in an assertive voice "No. No bad. Take her out."
>CONTROL+1: Spell, attempts to take control of a hostile or neutral undead. More powerful undead may require a higher minimum roll. Also used to take control of a larger undead at recharge 2.
[1d10+1]
Pupil pokes its eyeball out of Shei's cloak to see the commotion
>Appraise
[1d10]
>>27270674
Amy barely cares about the bugs and other gross things. None of that is new. But, there's someone else in here. They need help!
"Hello?" Amy calls out to the other thing in the bag. "Can you hear me? Can you speak? Are you hurt?"
The wheezing doesn't sound good. They need help, but Amy can't see. Amy takes a shot in the dark, almost literally. She takes a potion out of her bag and just sort of splashes it in some directions, hoping she gets some to a useful location. It's magic and ranged, so it must be homing, maybe it will home now too, Amy figures.
[1d10+3] to get Natural Remedy in the right direction (feel free to raise the DC for this)
>>27270719
>dipping
Vice: [1d10]
Trapper: [1d10]
>>27270607
>>27270736
>>27270730
As Amy's head vanishes beneath the lip of the bag, Shorthorns' eyes open wide, and she gasps loudly as she begins to enter panic mode. "N-n-n-no! AMMMMY!"
She growls, scraping her hoof across the ground of the dark tunnel, growling and shouting along side Pryce and Shei, "You heard them! LET HER OUT!" She charges at the creature, intent at making it back off from Rus Tea and maybe even drop the bag as she rams her head in the direction of its outreaching hand, intent on breaking it if need be
[1d10+5] Charging applied, using All or Nothing
>>27270449
Novelus groans as Amy is scooped up by the strange tall figure ''She shouldn't get too close to these obviously omnious things... Someone please get her out of there''
[1d10+2] inspire
>>27270607
http://pastebin.com/6dTx6i08
>>27270719
>>27270747
V&T escape to the chasm in front of the burrow, shaking off a few persistent little pillbugs that cling to their hooves. They hear the commotion of the party going down the constructed tunnel.
Four levels up and to the right, Flow sees Blessings' face behind small bars. She lays, beaten and bruised, in the cramped drawer-like cell. "Hey there... makes twice now?" she asks, stifling coughs.
>>27270738
You manage to shake a potion out of your bag and undo the cap, splashing it before you. The wheezing stops, but hyperventilating and squirming follows. You hear sobbing now.
The bag shudders and begins to move, dragged along the ground.
>>27270730
The tip is stopped by the black gunk all over the bag, barely piercing any threads.
>>27270786
>Inspire succeeds
>>27270736
>>27270777
As Shei commands the creature, it stops in its tracks, but does not open the bag. When Flaming hits it, however, it wheezes and drags the bag across the ground, sweeping at you.
[1d10+3] [1d10+3]
>>27270814
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3-XnTvJnO0
After you make the surrounding areas icy through weather manipulation, the horse-skeleton riding the magitech motorcycle revs his engine and speeds toward you, but at a lower speed than he did earlier. As he peels around the far boundary of the ice, you see the figures on the landripper load cannons and crossbows.
[1d10+3] [1d10+3]
>>27270840
Observer decides to change the cannons, switching them out for the new basic turrets she has built onto the ship. Meanwhile she attempts to lift the ship up into the sky and away from the landripper. Her nail beast reacts by leaping back onto the ship when it attempts to take off.
>Turret shot
[1d10]
>>27270840
"Hey, hey!" Amy says in a firm, but consoling voice. "It's alright now. I'm here. And, my friends are out there. I'll make sure nothing happens to you in here and they'll make sure we won't get taken away. You'll be okay."
Amy takes a deep breath, convincing herself of that fact as well. Then, she continues, "Who are you? What's your name?"
>Mantra of Equality to calm the panicking individual
[1d10]
>>27270840
>>27270777
''Flaming, don't just ram in like that and...''
''...Actually what am i saying, that always worked...Keep going!'' he urged the buffalo on
[1d10+1] glorify
>>27270840
"Come on, open up!"
Pryce twists the javelin, magic lighting around it to try and burn or evaporate the gunk away so the bag can rip.
>Telekinesis [Fire] [1d10]
>>27270840
>>27270873
Flaming grunts and growls as her head is stopped by the creature's solid stance, bouncing back and hopping on her rear hooves to get away from its long sweeping motion of the bag.
As she jumps and weaves, she taps her hooves rapidly and shouts back at Lady, "That's what I always say but hardly anyone listens to me!" She strikes out at the creature again, leaping at its bag-holding hand to make it drop it as it passes over her
[1d10+3] Attacking with All or Nothing, specifically targeting the hand if possible
>>27270786
"Amy has the most terrible habits! She never listens and now she's been abducted." Shei says terribly worried.
>>27270840
Shei takes a moment to appraise the demon with Pupil
>appraise [1d10]
Shei-Sher's assertive cool breaks when he sees the Demon brush off his control spell.
He remembers the demon cowering before illumination emanated from his aura.
He pulls forward his Sefer Yad and releases a flash of solar light.
[1d10]
Pheo caws violently and double's Shei's effect by releasing her own flash of light
>Blinding Flare: Recharge 2; A dazzling display of light blinds foes, Dazing them and lowering their damage by half.
[1d10]
>>27270840
The two goo clones start making their way towards the commotion. Vice plucks the smooth metal sphere from the bag Trapper is carrying, and starts examining it, seeing if there's anything special about it he could find.
>observing
[1d10]
>>"Good call mate, now we got some extra bits with these ere' rubies."
Trapper giggles excitedly as he looks inside of the bag, and begins counting how many are inside.
Flow looks taken aback as he squints at the defeated zebra.
"Blessings? How in the hell did you get here, anyways?"
He hands her his canteen, and begins chipping away at the small bars with his daggers.
"Watch out, I don't want to cause an accident."
>breaking bars
[1d10+2]
[1d10+3]
>>27270930
"T-tell me about it! She did this exact same thing back in Circadia! Ooooh, her niceness is going to be the death of her, I know it!"
>>27270930
>>27270840
>crit inspire makes blinding flare succeed.
forgot about that inspire
>>27270923
''Although please...Be mindful to not accidentally hurt Amy...''
>>27270930
''Indeed. She is too foward for her own good, that pony...''
>>27270868
"Wahyuh...faehm," the figure sputters, "My jah... goh tuh fahl ahff. Bahndagh..."
You get smacked horribly into two figures, and debris in the bag pierces into your sides.
>Amy takes 5 hits and Ooze status
>Ooze: Max Wounds reduced by 1 (now 2/5)
>>27270873
>Glorify succeeds
>>27270866
The ship rocks as the cannonballs explode on the hull and bolts pierce the windows. The horse-skeleton wobbles on the ice as you fire back, shrieking as your fire pelts him.
Zjetya runs around in a circle for a bit, panicking, then stops. "Hey! Wh-what do I do?"
From below, the skeleton pounds his handles and growls. "Come ON! Every time I hit an airship it flies away! Get back here!"
>Main Area 23/40
>>27270880
You break the gunk off the bag, and it slightly opens.
>>27270923
>>27270930
The bag smacks into both of you, bruising you and coating you in Ooze.
>Shei 2/6, Flaming 5/3
>Ooze: Max Wounds reduced by 1
The creature recoils and cowers behind its hands from the Sefer Yad's bright light.
>>27270948
It's vaguely familiar and reminds Vice of mourning, but he can't place why.
The bars are too thin to pass the whole thing in, so you give her a trickle instead. As you smash the brittle bars, Blessings drags herself a bit forward, then cringes. "Oh. Oh that's broken... shit. I... got curious about those Ecclesians poking around... guh. Turns out this used to be some kind of... base for the Sons, according to the Apostles' records. Someone followed me, I got careless... fell into a trap, woke up here."
>>27270972
"For Heaven's sake what had she done in circadia??"
>>27270993
Pryce turns the javelin, pushing it into the opening he made in the bag and yanks it to the ground to either rip the bag open more, or rip it from the creature's grasp if it can't cut.
>Yank [1d10]
>>27270988
Flaming shouts back to the sheep, "I would never ever EVER hurt Amy!"
>>27270995
"Sh-she saw some sort of demon that reminded her of a... well, a... a witch she did a bad thing to a long time ago. She tried to befriend it and it nearly killed her!"
>>27270993
Flaming cries out as the bag hits her hard, groaning in dismay at the sticky ooze now covering her fur and messing it up. "Eewww, uck! Disgusting! Get it off of me!" She tries to shake it off in vain, then looks as the creature shrinks back in dismay at the bright light coming from Shei's staff.
"Ooooh, you don't like light?" Her body glows with a holy aura as she prepares her mantras, aiming to cure herself and harm the creature at once
>Mantra of Recovery (on the creature, crits due to Glorify)
[1d10]
>Prayer for Salvation (Automatic)
>>27270993
"Wire Frame?" Amy asks. "My friends told me about you. Don't talk any more if it hurts, I'll get us-"
Amy is interrupted as they are slammed into something. "Okay, we're getting out NOW!" she says angrily. She shoots out her white holy flames indiscriminately to disintegrate the bag.
Wrath: [1d10+3]
>>27270993
"Come over here to this monitor." Observer says to Zjatya, pointing at a monitor with a seat in front of it near Observer's pilot seat. "I will give you control over a turret, fire down at the target I'm firing at."
She then continues to fire at the ship, her nail beast attempting to shoot out spikes along with the turret fire.
>Turret Shot
[1d10]
>Nail Beast spikes
[1d10]
"Volkama." Observer's voice rings out through the speaker system. "How much damage has main area taken?" She asks him, hoping he will co-operate in a situation such as this.
>>27270993
Flow nods as he puts away his daggers and puts his hooves on Blessing's shoulders to get a grip, and starts slowly pulling her out. He takes off his hat and places it in front of her.
"If the pain is too much, just bite on this."
"Ecclesians? Poking around here? Hrmn...I think I know why..." he looks at his light source.
"So, you didn't find what you were looking for, you were followed, and you were imprisoned in this tiny cell...something about this feels very strange."
Vice squints at the metal sphere, and shakes his head before putting it back in the bag.
>"I'll see if Observer or Box know what it is instead..."
The two goos continue making their way to all the commotion.
>>27270993
Shei-Sher is smacked to the other side of the room he gets up with a heavy motion flicking off the ooze. "Eeeyuck, revolting."
Shei is still holding onto his Pupil "Speak to me. Please my Pupil what do you see.. Is it too dark?" he whispers to the eyeball
[1d10] Appraise
Shei-Sher finds two strips of cloth on the ground. He grabs them both and lights each aflame with a match. Tossing them both in the air he makes a prayer "Cinders of the wind. Breathe of gehenna -you Cer'rog affluent keeper of birds. Bequeath me two more feathers."
>A Vision of Thralls [1d10]
Summoning two phoenixes
Pheo pecks at the demon's head [1d10]
>>27270993
''That's it! Hit it with the light!'' the sheep shouts encouragedly
>>27271036
''I know you never would...But still, be careful...''
[1d10+2] inspire
>>27271036
"One of the witches of Gehenna. Vizsla told me that tale." Shei sighs "Amy gave the demon her sympathy I presume. That is just like her."
>>27271043
>>27271036
Shei-Sher yells for Amy to hear "Amy after we rescue you we are going to have a discussion about your reckless friendliness!"
>>27271043
Your Wrath emerges much weaker than normal, but it's strong enough to melt a hole in the bag for you to slide out of. Behind you slips out a beaten-up changeling with a cracked carapace. In the dim light you see her neck is horribly scarred, and her mouth has a glasgow smile. The stitching looks to have been recently ripped out, as her bloody jaw dangles from the rest of her face.
>>27271088
Her back legs are indeed broken and covered in foul goop as you pull her out and prop her against the wall. "Bastard left a bunch of wire for me - I'm just grateful my legs're still attached," she mutters through your hat.
V&T reach the party, and see them engaged with the bipedal hunched figure with a pillbug carapace on its limbs (see last reply)
>>27271051
Zjetya stammers as she fumbles with the controls. "What the hell do all these levers and buttons do!?" she shouts in confusion. She hits one at random [1d3] [1d10]
The skeleton grabs the chain connecting his bike to the landripper and crushes it. Swerving around your hail, you hear an earsplitting revving as white fire and asphalt shriek from his exhaust. A trail of asphalt begins to form in the air, and the motorcycle flies up like a ramp up toward where you float.
"You better hope you can pay me back for what he's done to MY home!" Volkama quips.
The motorcycle flips in the air as it careens toward you. "BITCHES," the skeleton declares.
[1d10+6]
>>27271151
>The Hoarder
>41/50 HP
>DC 8 to attack, -1 Damage on Success
>A passive demon that likes to collect oddities and bears no ill-will toward most creatures. Now trapped in the Tower of Traitors after something lured it inside.
>>27271197
>Inspire succeeds
>>27271151
>>27271023
>>27271036
The Hoarder continues to back away, arms held out before it. It begins to lower its lanky arms, and the darkness in the corridor grows and stretches to the far ends. Shei, Amy and Flaming start to feel heavier and clunkier.
It backs away further like a scared animal.
>>27271228
Amy's face twitches with fury as she sees the poor changeling in her condition. Her body turns black almost immediately. Waves of heat radiate above her. She breathes in and out heavily several times, staring at the poor changeling. She looks back to the demon then to Wire Frame again.
"Don't talk," Amy says, her voice quivering with barely controlled fury. "Just nod yes or no. Did that thing do that to you?" Amy asks, pointing to the Hoarder.
>>27271228
Pryce pulls his javelin back as the creature backs away. He goes to make another jab, but stops as he sees Amy and the changeling spill out of the bag.
Seeing their states, and with the goop that was on that back, Pryce's horn glows white as he attempts to help them both, hoping it doesn't go too badly.
>Prayer for Deliverance [On Wire Frame] [1d10-1]
>Mantra of Purity [On Amy] [1d10-1]
>>27271228
Flow touches the goo with a hoof as he lets out a deep sigh.
"We're gonna need to get you to Renee as fast as possible."
He crouches down, facing away from Blessings.
"C'mon, climb on. Let's get you out of here."
When the two goos see the bipedal creature, they both freeze in place, and look at each other. With a nod, they both run in the other direction to regroup with Flow.
>>27271228
Observer quickly switches cannons, firing a thunder shot at the skeleton. From the looks of it she had to knock him off course or take another blow that the ship can't handle.
>Weather ball shot
[1d10]
>Nail Beast shots
[1d10]
Observer also attempts to give Zjetya instructions on how the controls work for the turret.
>>27271197
She groans she looks at all of the ooze piling around her hooves, looking over at Dania, "Though for getting all this... crud all over me I MIGHT kick her butt a little bit."
>>27271226
She sighs, "It really is, glad you know what I'm talking about. I don't think Amy likes talking about it... but, that's just who she is. I'm not ever gonna change that."
>>27271228
>>27271261
Shorthorns buckles down on her hooves as she sees the whole burn open in the bag, and smiles widely with glee at seeing Amy and the strange creature slide out of the bag behind her. She tries to jump, but only gets a few inches off the ground due to the sudden heaviness and weakness flowing in.
"Urggh... A-Amy! Thank goodness, you're alright!" She tries to move a little closer, but due to the increased clunkiness finds it difficult enough she simply stares down the Hoarder from afar, glaring at it angrily. She realizes the picture of a scared animal when she sees it, and rather than fight in a less than ideal condition, tries to scare it.
"Alright, that's enough out of you! Go on! Get!" She slams her head into the ground several times, making loud 'bangs' and stomping her hooves to mark her territory as she inches closer to the Hoarder to intimidate it out of here.
[1d10] Intimidation and pushing back
>>27271303
"You're going to let it go?" Amy barks with sudden anger.
>>27271228
"Ba-a-a-ah Do not ignore me Cer'rog" He curses as he fails to produce a Pheonix.
Shei notices The Hoarder backing away. Afraid he might run away Shei brushes his cloak open revealing the Switch-Cane he purchased from Mfaniyabiashara. "I am sorry, but you are in need of discipline."
He pulls the cane out with a motion that unhinges it into a chain whip. And slings the chain at the demon to lasso it
>Lasso [1d10]
Pheo continues pecking [1d10]
>>27271342
+1 from inspire lasso succeeds
>>27271330
She growls, looking over at Amy with slightly weak knees, "It's... doing something to me. It's hard to fight like this. But, what are you talking about, I thought you wanted to give it a chance anyhow!"
>>27271282
>Didn't see the successful inspire, remove the -1s from those
>>27271355
Amy's face twitches. She closes her eyes and breathes deep. "Look what it did to her!?" Amy says, suddenly breaking her meditation to point to Wire Frame.
>>27271261
Wireframe rolls onto her back, gasping at the ceiling, pressing her lower jaw together with the upper. "Nnnn... Fuh-Freh-shoozh," she chokes out between coughs, slowly shaking her head.
>>27271261
>>27271282
Pryce heals some of Wireframe's bruises and cuts, but the jaw remains separate. He breaks the sickening ooze off of Amy's back. (Max Wound raised)
>>27271303
The Hoarder's "hands" lower back to its sides as it creeps away, lowering its head in a show of submission. In the little light that remains in the room, you see Shei slinging a kind of metal whip at the creature.
>>27271342
You hear a distant plink as the cane's head connects with the carapace. The creature begins to vanish in the darkness, but with a look around, you realize that your vision is beginning to blur as well.
[1d10+3]
>>27271297
The last remaining thunder ball jams in the cannon, temporarily jamming the controls. The ship starts to drift slowly downward, its descent slowed by the clouds.
"WHOAWHOAWHOAWHOAWHOA--" you hear a loud crash come from the entrance area as the ship shakes and accelerates in its fall.
"AKAKAKAKAKAAA! Holy shit, I can't believe I landed that one! Yes! Oooh, when I tell everyone they'll give me a name for sure! Uh... Two... Flips... Twoflips! Yeah! MUCH better than Tricycle. Totally brass! I'll become the Accuser in no time!" the skeleton laughs, muffled by the fact that he's several rooms away.
>Entranceway 20/40 HP
You hear a pause. "Eh.. what am I doing here again?"
Zjetya remains still and pale.
>>27271296
Blessings slowly creeps onto your back. V&T go down the tunnel that Flow went down, but are soon greeted by more tiny pillbugs. More aggressive this time, the tiny ones swarm their legs. (Roll to get around)
>>27271397
Observer continues to pilot the ship, leaning the ship a bit to assist her minions. Her nail beast attempts to jump in through the entrance while the golem rushes to bash the vehicle out of the ship.
>Golem: Bash bike
[1d10]
>Nail Beast: Attack the skeleton
[1d10]
>>27271397
Flow carries Blessings out the way he came in.
"Just remain on the lookout, okay? I'm trusting that you'll remain perceptive."
The two goos swat and struggle against the pillbugs, trying to move forwards.
[1d10] Vice
[1d10] Trapper
>>27271397
Pryce glides over to Wire Frame at seeing the jaw still detached. He winces mildly at seeing the damage to it, and at not having much medical knowledge to help further than his mild spell.
He pulls off his scarf, levitating it around her head in telekinesis.
"Hold still just a moment."
He loops the scarf over her head and ties it into a sling to hold the jaw back in place, with slight slack so she can talk and breath through her mouth.
"It might not help but it'll keep it covered and not come apart further."
>>27271368
>>27271397
She looks down at the changeling besides her, Flaming's eyes opening wide at the horrible injuries inflicted upon the girl as her teeth grit, looking at the monster as it backs off in submission. She strikes the ground with her hooves, snorting and preparing for a new charge as it slinks away... but then pauses, anger still rising as she stares at Amy.
"It's a demon, I'd love nothing more than to break it into pieces... but you told me before you think even monsters that did bad things deserve a little kindness. I-I'll do what you do, Amy. If you want to crush it, I'm right behind you. But if you don't... then I won't."
She stares at the monster, keeping her eyes trained on it as she tries to keep it locked down in fear.
[1d10] Sustained intimidation roll if needed
>>27271228
>>27271397
''Oh my goodness...Wireframe? What happened to you?! N-no no no don't speak... Oh dear you need medical care...'' The sheep puts a hoof to her mouth, worried at the state of the poor changeling
''I'm sorry I...Cannot do anything to help...''
>>27271397
Also Pheo unleashes another Blinding Flare onto The Hoarder
[1d10]
>>27271451
[1d10]
>>27271485
"Dania, do you know that mare there?! She doesn't look that good at all, w-who is she?"
>>27271397
Amy calms down. Her coat gets less black. And, the heat dies down completely. Amy sighs. "I'll find whoever did this to you. I promise. They won't get away with it."
She kneels down to Wire Frame and gives her a potion. "I'm sorry, this might hurt, but I promise it will make you feel better."
The magic pours the potion directly down her throat, avoiding the mouth injuries.
[1d10+3] to natural remedy on Wire Frame
>>27271481
Amy's coat turns back to its normal purple. Her jaw drops as she turns to Flaming. "You... you listened to me?" she asks as tears well up in her eyes.
Amy leaps up and hugs Flaming. "Thank you, Shortyhorns. That means so, so much more to me than you know."
>>27271511
With a heavy sigh, She purses her lips ''That's Wireframe...An old acquantaince that I met aong with Hexapod a while ago...Curses....Why did she had to come this far and end up like this...'' She shakes her head
>>27271397
Shei-sher notices WireFrame and his party surrounding her. Although relieved he can't help feeling disappointed he won't capturing this demon.
He releases the chain and approaches the party and Wireframe "Wireframe is that you. What happened?"
>>27271451
https://youtu.be/-BaIihESb3Y
As the Golem and nail beast come into the entranceway, Tricycle turns and waves. "Ahh, good, it's populated. I'm looking for the one with the Mark of Vipak-AAAAAAHHHHH! HOOVES OFF THE BIKE!"
Tricycle spins and bucks the Golem and nail beast. [1d10+3]
The nails embed themselves in his cool leather coat, while the bike remains embedded deeply in the entranceway's metal.
>>27271453
V&T manage to get around the bugs, but Trapper gets a nibble taken out of his shins. (-2 Hits).
They eventually meet up in the middle of the burrow, with Blessings huffing and puffing, biting the hat with a pained look.
>>27271542
>result of 11 last turn
The breath gets pushed out of your chest, as though a force was squeezing you from below. The Ooze feels abhorrently heavy, threatening to break your legs from its weight.
>Max Wounds reduced by 2, now 2/4
>>27271481
The Hoarder backs away until you stop hearing its footsteps.
>>27271522
>>27271485
>>27271463
>>27271542
With the scarf holding her jaw in place again, Wireframe growls. "Mahgahtahmah... sch-should be... somewhere around. Got an enchanted lead. You're welcome," she slurs, her speech breathy and indistinct from her open cheeks.
As Amy gives her another potion, she convulses and chokes, back arching and spasming, her eyes twitching wildly as she heaves and retches repeatedly.
>>27271522
"GAH! A-amy!" She complains as she's suddenly hugged, blushing and tapping her toes nervously, "O-of course I listened to you, you're my sister. W-was that just some test?"
She grunts, snorting a little in embarrassment. "Amyyyy, I'm trying to scare it away, you're making me look not so scary when I'm hugged...."
>>27271528
Grunting through Amy's affection, she turns to Dania with a shocked look, "That's some chances... why would someone you met so long ago be out HERE of all the awful places to end up?" She blinks, "Do you think she knows what happened to Mariposa?!"
>>27271567
Observer's voice suddenly rings through the speakers. "How do you know that I have a mark?" Observer questions, her golem still ready to push him off but even if she's suddenly interested by how the skeleton knows. Even her nail beast holds off on attacking in exchange he'll talk.
>>27271567
>"Sir Flow! Miss Blessings? Wh-whatever, Sir Flow, we know where that mark is!"
"Take me to it. Time to get our first mark, fellows. First, we gotta get Blessings to safety."
>>"These bleedin' pillbugs are fookin annoying mate!"
The goo trio make their way back to the crossroads.
"Do me a favor, in exchange for this, Blessings. You tell noone in the group that I'm after demons. The Ecclesians will have a price on my head if they find out."
>>27271567
"A lead? What where you following down here? Is there anypony else that came with you?"
Pryce asks as Wireframe speaks clearly Though as she convulses and retches after the potion, Pryce takes a step back to give hr some space, knowing what she just drank.
As the creature fades from sight, Pryce steps forward and attempts to conjure a flame, trying to see if the darkness can be repelled now, thinking it might have just been the creature.
>Telekinesis [Fire] [1d10]
>>27271567
His ears tilts foward at the mention of the magatama
''Don't worry about that now...Come on...We need to take you back to the ship where it is safer...''
>>27271580
''I assume she is here hunting for treasure...The stupid fool...''
>>27271580
>>27271626
>>27271542
>>27271522
>>27271463
''Everyone...I think I should take her back to the ship to get help... I'm certain that Observer might have a medical alley or some proper medical supplies for Wireframe...''
>>27271522
>>27271580
Shei-Sher watches Amy hug Flaming mildly irritated look "Yes, Yes of course not all demons are deserving of punishment. Some are just lost souls. You still shouldn't be throwing yourself at ever opportunity to befriend one Amy!"
>>27271228
Shei-Sher tries to shake and scrape off the gunk weighing him down [1d10+1]
>Got an enchanted lead
"The magatama? You have my thanks."
Shei-sher watches Wireframe choke from the potion "Do yourself a favor. Try not to think of the taste too much." he says with derision.
>>27271567
"NO!" Amy shouts at herself. She hits herself painfully hard in the head several times. "Stupid, stupid Amy!"
"I'm so so sorry friend!" Amy kneels down next to Wireframe. She begins to cry. "I keep messing up. I'm just making things worse."
>>27271646
Amy perks up, tears still in her eyes. "I'm coming with you," she says immediately.
>>27271646
"That sounds like a fine idea Lady Dania."
>>27271662
''Amy...Are you sure? your sister might need you...I know you're worried, but I think you might be needed more than I with the others...they might need your uh...Potions''
>>27271674
''Just please, be safe while I am away. All of you''
>>27271567
She snorts and gives a sigh of relief as the creature finally leaves them be, scratching her hooves against the ground in a final show of bravado before turning to the injured mare.
>>27271567
"Mah-ga-mah-tah? Is that a friend you came in with? We've found nothing else but skeleton guards around here. She cringes hard at seeing that Amy's given yet another piss potion for healing, and gives an awkward look of pity to the poor mare.
"S-sorry.... she means well. If that helps at all. What sort of lead are you talking about?"
>>27271646
>>27271567
"Oooh, she's a treasure hunter? That's interesting. What did you come here looking for?"
As Dania suggests taking her back to the ship, Shorthorns groans, "Awww, do we have to go back already? We just got started..." she looks at the ooze covering her, aching from the added weight. "I mean, I could still keep going a LITTLE bit before taking a break."
>>27271660
>>27271662
Flaming grunts at Shei with an irritated 'don't say you told me so' look of displeasure, but then smiles as he helps her gang up on Amy. "Y-yeah! I know you just want to help Amy but that's the second time you put yourself in danger like that! This is dangerous, you know..."
>>27271698
>>27271660
Amy frowns. "I want to be like that pony who was nice to me. He put his life in danger for me. I want to do the same for others."
>>27271694
"No!" Amy says quickly. "I... I shouldn't. I'll just keep messing up. I need to take responsibility for this mistake."
>>27271646
"Renee and River are back there too, they should be able to help her."
>>27271698
''No no Flaming...I want to go back alone...Or with Amy if she really wants to come. But you should continue while I do so. Wireframe needs medical attention that we can't provide here...''
She glances back at the way they came
''And while I am away, please do not ruin your new getup, you hear?'' the sheep chuckles, patting Flaming in the headpiece
>>27271616
"Eh? Can you not smell yourself? Half the country can smell the debt of sin on you. Nobody's had a chance to take on the Vipaka in centuries -- I'm surprised I got here first! Wherever the Mark is, so too shall the Vipaka come. A mark of an immaculate angel, Rider and Chariot! Everybody wants to kill it!"
>>27271626
You return to the crossroads, Blessings in tow. "Lips re sealed," she grunts, squinting.
>>27271639
The flame is only slightly brighter than before.
>>27271646
>>27271660
>>27271662
>>27271698
Pheo helps Shei burn off the rest of the gunk, letting his lungs expand once again.
Renee and Rus rush over to Wireframe's side. Renee starts to dig in her bag, but gets pushed away by Rus. Rus lightly backhands Wireframe's stomach, right on the solar plexus.
Wireframe spits up a bunch of bile to the side, panting lightly. "Muh... much better," she mutters, dazed. "It has to be in here -- I'm sure of it... this castle can sink, if we leave now... ugh..."
Wireframe blinks several times, squinting and groaning, clearly lightheaded. She rubs her eyes repeatedly. She suddenly looks bitter and puts her arm over her mouth and the scars on her neck. "Fuck you staring at?" she growls. "I'm hardly... getting prettier."
>>27271736
"Thank you."
Vice and Trapper gesture for Flow to follow them as they head down the tunnel where the rest of the party is.
>"Come, Sir Flow. We sighted the demon, as well as the others, down this tunnel."
>>"Be careful, there's a lot of bleedin' buggers round ere'."
>>27271722
''Amy listen, this was NOT your mistake. There was nothing you could have done to have prevented this from happening to Wireframe. And if this is the only reason that you want to come back, then I will have to ask you to stay with the others here...''
>>27271736
''We will get the magatama, but I won't risk your wellbeing for it. Now come on, let us go back to the ship...I will help you walk''
''Rus Tea, please keep them safe will you, darling?''
>>27271736
Shei-sher is busy observing her ailing state but its shocked out of it when Wireframe curses.
"Ah! -uh yes the magatama." Shei-sher gets too looking for the magatama
[1d10+1] to find the magatama
Pheo flies close by to provide light.
>>27271736
Pryce looks back to Wire Frame with the lack of improved sight.
"What were you looking for? We can find it while you get help. Did anypony else come with you, or were you alone here?"
>>27271736
Observer sits there for a moment to process what he said before letting out a sigh. "Well, at least I can see us coming to peaceful agreements now. So I'm a beacon your crew needs?" She asks, attempting to land the ship somewhere safely seeing as the bike will bring it down anyways.
>>27271722
"At the risk of getting yourself killed??" Shei says wildly "How do you think we felt being witness to your abduction. My heart was having a race with my blood!"
>>27271722
"Hmmmph..." Shorthorns moans in disapproval, sighing and shaking her head, "Well, I don't like it very much when you put your life in danger..."
>>27271725
"Oooh.... a-are you sure though?" The buffalo asks, looking around slightly more timid at her surroundings, "This place is pretty dangerous, th-there's safety in numbers... but, I understand if you're too scared to continue. And, I guess Wireframe really could use the medicine..."
She chuckles, brushing the head-wrap a little. "Of course not, it will be safe and sound. Wouldn't want to disappoint my new husband, now would I?"
>>27271723
"Pryce? If you wouldn't mind..." she shakes her fur, grunting at the gathered gun all along it slowing her down. "Could you help me take this stuff off? I am really starting to hate all the gunk on my fur..."
>>27271736
>>27271778
As Wireframe throws up a ton of bile to the side, she cringes in disgust, but shakes it off and asks her, "You mean Mah-gah-tah-mah? If it's so important to you I guess we can help look for it but you should take it easy."
As she's asked about the scars, Shorthorns flattens her ears and says, "I wasn't staring, honest. They just look really... unique. Scars are a great sign of courage but I've never seen any quite like those. Did you put those on so you would always smile or something?"
Watching Pheo and Shei poke around, she decides to help by searching.
[1d10] Looking around
>>27271736
>>27271823
"Oh, didn't even see with how dark it was. I'll give it a try."
Pryce's horn glows white as he attempts to clean Flaming off the ooze.
>Mantra of Purity [1d10-1]
>>27271736
"Oh thank goodness!" Amy says, her desperation disappearing. She hugs Wireframe gingerly and happily. "I'm so happy you're okay. My name's Amy. Amy Thest. Nice to meet you!"
>>27271823
>>27271808
"W-well, he would have been killed by me," Amy stutters. "But... you're right... I don't know how he was so okay with throwing away his life when he had a family."
>>27271823
''Oh shush, you know the only one I fear is my father!'' the pats turn into a brief noogie
''And yes I am sure. Now be a good 'bride' and take good care of the others. I will return as soon as I can''
>>27271856
Seeing Amy's mood deflate and that he is getting through to her Shei digresses "Just excercise some caution. You can still pay the demons a friendly hello but maybe not get so close, or hug them."
>>27271891
"I'll at least consider it more," Amy says, giving Shei and affectionate nudge. "For you."
>>27271754
>>27271775
>>27271787
>>27271844
>>27271856
>Pryce restores Flaming's status to normal, Max wound capacity restored
Dania helps Wireframe back up to her hooves. "I'm just fucking fine, no thanks to your gawking. I got... attacked by someone on the way in. Some filthy savage zebra defaming the Lord's image, dressing all sexy and using some magic... sword..."
As Flow and V&T approach from the constructed tunnel's entrance, you see that Flow carries Blessings on his back, her bloody legs clearly broken. "You..." Wireframe spits. "You filthy bitch!"
Wireframe bites the end of her hoof and pulls back, and a pink strand of wire forms between her mouth and the hoof. "Get over here!" she stammers, filled with a lot more energy than just a second ago.
Blessings, on Flow's back, looks on in worry and confusion, biting Flow's hat in pain.
Renee mutters something about "my hat."
>>27271823
>>27271778
The surrounding area is a kind of jail cell, horrific in its design: the cells are only about seven inches high, but are wide enough to lay down in. With no kind of plumbing, there cells are stacked ten high to the ceiling. You find nothing of note in this room, but in the dim light you see that there is a far end that you have not explored. It is in that direction that the Hoarder creeped.
>>27271801
"Oh! Yeah, sounds good. You'll be handing over the ship and everyone onboard for my use and/or consumption then, yeah?" Tricycle asks amicably.
You land the ship shakily in the badlands. Zjetya looks at you, appalled. "This is the part where you reveal you're not going to sell us out and kill him right?" she asks desperately.
>>27271915
''Wireframe do NOT'' the sheep shouts as he tries to delicately hold the changeling back without hurting her
''Whatever it is that you have to deal with her, save it for when you are fit to do so, now come, I will take you to the ship''
>>27271915
"hmm" Shei-sher looks toward the far end of the room, getting at bad feeling. "Perhaps I should of kept it under chains."
>>27271915
>>27271823
"Come flaming the magatama must be further into the room" Shei ambles to the farther end and lets his Aura shine out to discourage The Hoarder from attacking.
[1d10+1] phase aura
>>27271915
Vice draws the bow and aims it right on Wireframe. Trapper draws out the claymore and stands in front of Blessings.
>"Stand back, and we won't be forced to hurt you."
He gently lets down Blessings, and walks forwards, taking his Schlangenschwert in both hooves as he walks forwards.
"The Hoarder. Where is it?"
>>27271915
"Hmn... Never assumed that last part. Which is why I still have this ready." Observer speaks, before suddenly jerking the ship up in hopes it would cause Tricycle to fall out. The golem, even the nail beast, ram into the bike to push it out.
>Engineering: Piloting
[1d10+2]
>Golem: Shove bike
[1d10]
>Nail Beast: Shove bike
[1d10]
>>27271953
>>27271915
Amy follows Shei.
>>27271856
She sighs, tapping her hooves. "I know that too. I-I guess, there's no avoiding it. But, I really do wish it didn't have to happen. I still care a lot more about you than any dumb old demon. I mean, at least with that pony you said you thought he may have known you wouldn't actually do it in the end..."
>>27271872
She chuckles, "We'll have to work on that when we get back. I met your papa, this place is MUCH less pleasant than meeting him."
She bows her head to the ground, chuckling, "Oh, of course 'husband'. I won't go getting hurt before we can go out on a date and get married, that'd be pretty dumb of me, huh? Hehehe. Just please be careful on your way back up, there may be more traps we didn't see."
>>27271915
>>27271844
As the ooze is driven off of her by Pryce's white light, she sighs in content, wiggling her shoulders free of all that extra burden. She gives a skip, "YES! Much better! Thank you, Pryce, I really needed that."
>>27271968
>>27271915
After searching the immediate perimeter of this horrific cell block, greatly disturbed by the haunting cages and dim lighting, and seeing no sign of the magatama, she huffs at Wireframe, "Well, that's one way to thank us for saving your hide." in response to the 'gawking' line. As she mentions the zebra, she narrows her eyes and raises her brow, "A Zebra...? W-we didn't see anyone like that coming in... specially not wearing anything, guh, 'sexy'. Gross."
She turns to look at Flow as she carries in Blessings, shocked and surprised to see her here as well as she smiles. "Blessings! What are YOU doing here?! I thought you were going to look for the witches... oh by the spirits, what happened to your legs?!" she worriedly approaches her old acquaintance before Wireframe gets into battle stance, the buffalo quickly taking up a defensive position between the two. She shouts at Wireframe,
"N-now hold on, you're not attacking my friend! You're barely better than she is!"
>>27271953
>>27271915
"I'll be right there with you in a moment, Shei! Just need to see that Blessing's isn't in danger first from your... 'friend'..."
>>27271968
"I want to believe they won't hurt me either," Amy responds. "And, I haven't been hurt yet from any of it."
Amy screws her face up in thought. "Hmm. I wonder if it's because he knew if things got bad, his family could protect him. Maybe they were all actually super strong! That's why I feel so safe. Because I know that you and Shei and everyone else are right behind me. You won't let anything bad happen."
>>27271968
''That is because you haven't been victim to one of his infamous scoldings...'' He cringes
But that cringe quickly gives place to a fit of giggles as Flaming goes on ''Pffteheheh I will I will... You be safe there as well''
>>27271968
"I'm glad it worked, I guess my magic is getting back to normal."
>>27271915
Pryce looks over at Flow and Blessings at Wireframe's shout out.
"You shouldn't be moving with your jaw like that."
He says to Wireframe as she jumps up, but does nothing to stop or restrain her in fear of making her worse.
Looking over at Blessings, his horn glows white as she sees her covered in injuries as well.
"How many ponies are down here on the verge of death?"
>Prayer for Deliverance [On Blessings] [1d10-1]
Pryce looks down the tunnel where the creature went. With two injured ponies and how grabby it was, there might be more that need help. He turns and glides down the hall, feeling he'd be better off finding any other lost ponies with his lack of helping magic.
>>27271987
Shei sighs "Even in her condition she is rambunctious. And she's more of a colleague than friend."
>>27271956
"Flow you care to join me? Theres a demon lurking in the midst."
>>27272008
Flaming grunts, "Well, they definitely came close to..."
She looks at Amy, turning her head slightly, "Huh? OH, well, yeah, I guess we'll always be here to watch over you. I know I won't let anything hurt you without getting ground into DIRT afterwards." She grinds her teeth, "But, we're not around ALL the time..."
>>27272013
She chuckles, "Well, how bad can they be? You ever been yelled at by a BUFFALO before? They have WAY bigger lungs than sheep do, it's way worse."
She nods her head, "Of course, I'll make sure everyone doesn't do anything too stupid down here."
>>27272024
She chuckles, poking at his side. "I'd say YOU'RE getting back to normal. Magic is confidence, right?"
>>27272046
She grunts, "I respect anyone who wants to go on the attack while they're bleeding to death, that's really buffalo of them. But I'm gonna give her a piece of my mind if she thinks she can attack Blessings."
>>27271959
>Golem and Nail Beast are supposed to be missing 2 Hits each, forgot to do damage from his roll
>Golem 3/5
>Nail Beast 2/4
Tricycle stumbles and nearly falls over from the sudden acceleration of the ship. He grabs his bike to sturdy himself, then kicks at Golem and the Nail Beast with his free hooves.
[1d10+3]
"Eh!? You dirty tricker!" he curses as he hangs on for dear life.
>>27272024
"Far as I know, just me and apparently this lunatic," Blessings nods at Wireframe. Your magic does nothing to aid her.
>>27271987
>>27271956
>>27271950
Wireframe snarls, "She attacked me! She came after me when I was upstairs--"
Blessings sighs and looks confused. "This is the first I've seen you. Nice meeting you, by the way."
Wireframe stops and stammers, remaining in place. "What... no, you... I..."
>>27272024
>>27271965
>>27271953
As you walk further down the tunnel, it gets less tall, with the ceiling leaning down, showing signs of crumbling and age. The Hoarder waits in the corner, eyeing you speculatively, but it does nothing to attack you.
As you reach the far wall, you see the crumbled remains of a doorway that has been totally caved in, inaccessible. However, because the floor above it has apparently caved in as well, there is a new tunnel that you can climb up. The rubble leads up to the floor above, and you see a small amount of light coming from the end. The rubble looks unstable and treacherous, and there are a large amount of white soft shells on the rocks, much bigger than the ones you saw in the chasm.
>>27272105
"How could I refuse?"
FLow follows them, while the clones stay with Blessings.
>>27271956
Flow accompanies them. (See bottom reply)
>>27272113
>>27272113
Observer's golem attempts to continue assaulting him in order to get Tricycle off the ship.
>Engineering: More piloting
[1d10+2]
>Golem: Continue assault
[1d10]
>Nail Beast: Spike his face
[1d10]
>>27272113
Amy happily bounces up the rubble toward the light.
[1d10] for careful bouncing
>>27272106
"I'm not sure how well the two are linked, but I'm glad however it is, its working if there's more ponies stuck down here."
>>27272113
Pryce glances over at the creature as it sits in the corner. The sight is surprising, how it huddles away when he figured it'd retreat to some lair.
"Maybe it didn't kidnap anypony else..."
As he reaches the slope, he looks up at the light. A good sign. He glides up the new tunnel since he is still wearing the horseshoes, heading towards the light.
>>27272113
Flow looks at the Hoarder in a corner, observing it staying it in a corner. He turns to Shei.
"What do you plan on doing with this demon?"
>>27272106
''Ooooh you have not seen how loud my father can be...Ask Shei, he knows it is NOT a pleasant experience''
''Stay safe now''
>>27272113
''Sshhh. Come now Wireframe. Do not make me repeat myself.''
[1d10] smooth talker
>>27272106
"feel free to use force" Shei says before leaving with flow to the farther side of the room.
>>27272122
Shei-sher scratches the back of his neck. He looks like he's mulling something over "So.. I've been meaning to ask about your two smaller familiars" He means Trapper and Vice "Are they -erm a product of you and renee.. and maritals?"
>>27272113
"What a miserable creature" Shei scoffs when he sees The Hoarder. See the caved in doorway he decides to make the climb to the upper room just to be thorough.
>Goatcraft: passive; Min -1 for all climbing and agility rolls
[1d10+2] climbing
>>27272199
"No."
Flow's cheeks seem to shift a tad bit less blue.
>>27272113
Flaming sighs in relief at the news that there had been a misunderstanding, then looks up to Wireframe and puts a hoof on her, pushing her towards Dania. "There, see? This isn't the same pony, there's been a mistake. You're injured, she's injured, but we have help on our ship outside that can keep you both safe. If you promise not to get in any fights until I'm there to kick your butt for starting them, you can stay on it."
She turns to Dania and Vice, nodding to them and wishing them well as she decides to also follow behind the others that went further into the cell block behind Shei/Amy/Pryce.
>>27272113
As she heads down into the shrinking cieling of the further part of the cell area, she lowers her head in discomfort of the collapsing overhead, feeling quite claustrophobic as a result of her shrinking free space. She eyes the Hoarder in the corner, not as afraid as she was before now that it's cowering in the corner as she merely gives it a knowing glare.
She looks at the caved in doorway, taking her hooves and digging away at the rubble from the next floor up as she clears a little space, eager to see the source of light at the end of this tunnel. She pushes ahead to be one of the first to climb, eyeing the shells on the rocks as she ascends. "More of these? Weird little things..."
>>27272157
"I imagine they might be linked a lot. Confidence has a great deal to do with one's battle prowess."
>>27272195
"Of course, Novelus, that goes double for you. We'll see who's dad is the worst shouter some day."
>>27272199
As she catches up, she sighs in relief. "It's alright, she didn't recognize Blessing other than her being a zebra, she's not the one who attacked her. I think she'll calm down back there, Dania is taking them back up to the ship with Flow's vassals."
>>27272113
[1d10] Rolling for the climb
>>27272158
Shei turns at glance at Flow and speaks in a hush tone "Could you keep a secret. The party would think it unethical but I have certain.. obligations.. I had wished the party would continue their assault. And when the demon was weakened enough I would seal it away in my witching lantern. And later deliver it to a friendly merchant named mfanibiashara"
>>27272250
"That wouldn't explain my magic outside of fighting though. I guess I'll see if this lasts."
>>27272130
His kicks send Golem and the Nail Beast helpless (0/4, 0/3 respectively), but their repeated assaults and the wild shaking of the ship eventually dislodge the bike from the smashed-up entranceway, and carry him along with it.
You eventually hear a crash as he lands, slumped over the bike, trying to get back to his hooves, dazed.
>>27272140
>>27272250
As you bounce up the rubble, a skeleton peeks its head out at the end of the tunnel, It throws rocks at you, hitting Amy in the chest and Flaming in the teeth. You land awkwardly, and feel some rubble beneath you shift slightly. The skeleton clacks its teeth in some hollow mimicry of laughter, then scurries off.
>Amy 1/5
>Flaming 2/3
>>27272195
Wireframe eventually shuts up, the wire dissipating as she looks away, bitter with confusion. "Forgive me Lord," you hear her muttering.
>>27272158
"Pssst," a somewhat depressed looking Box asks V&T, "You fellas find anything good in there?"
>>27272199
>>27272157
As you reach the top, you see that you are in a dark hallway, long and wide and ornate. It's too dark to see the ceiling, but you sense it's high. Along the walls and on the floor are crumbling stonework and the occasional tattered banner, long faded, and basically just threads at this point.
There is a doorway behind you, slightly crumbled and caved in. Far ahead of you, you see a distant light. Along the walls are candle sconces, their bases covered in melted wax. There are also lots of large, buffalo-sized pillbug creatures lounging about ahead.
>>27272218
"Wow alright, I made this awkward didn't I. Okay thanks for answering." Shei says apparently flustered
>>27272250
"Thats good... Erm" Shei knows he is going to regret touching this topic but asks "so.. Did I hear you call Dania your husband?"
>>27272270
Flow leans back in.
"Perhaps we could work together then."
He opens his bag, showing him the glowing paper.
"You help me kill it, you get half of the bounty. We can make an agreement. We split the profits. Half of the demons get sealed, half of them get exterminated."
>>27272280
Vice nods and plucks the bag from Trapper.
"We picked up a sphere."
He lifts up the metal sphere and shows it to Box.
>>27272280
>>27272250
"Well that was rude," Amy grumbles as she absent-mindedly gives Flaming a potion.
[1d10+3]
>>27272280
>>27272272
Shei puts a hoof up to his mouth to gesture to be quiet and turns to who he thinks is flow beside him but sees Pryce
"Pryce? I thought you were accompanying the others back to the ship."
Shei tip-toes past the lounging pillbugs toward the distant light.
[1d10+1] not to disturb any pillbugs.
>>27272280
Pryce stops at the top of the path, looking back as the skeleton pummels down Amy and Flaming. His horn glows white as he attempts to fix up the bruises left of Flaming.
>Prayer for Deliverance [On Flaming] [1d10-1]
Looking back into the hallway, Pryce hovers up higher to take advantage of the higher ceiling to avoid the bugs.
He looks at the remnants of decoration as he passes them by, wondering if this is a separate building or the same they entered through after going through that dug out tunnel.
He glides down to the distant light and walks through the opening (since I assume its a door).
>>27272330
"I'm not too versed in healing magic. I'd be better continuing the search here for anypony else that might be lost or trapped."
>>27272272
"Stay strong, Pryce, and you surely can't go wrong."
>>27272286
As she climbs the tunnel, she looks back at Shei, smirking, "Oh, well, it's not official yet but we're pretty much engaged now and everything since he proposed to me with this wedding gown. I'm gonna be queen of Zha Arlakane, pretty cool huh?"
>>27272280
>>27272312
"Gah HEY!" She cries out as the Skeleton at the peak of the tunnel starts lobbing rocks at them, grunting loudly as one nails her right in the teeth, causing her to yell loudly in pain as she's forced back down to its cackling 'clatter laugh', and holds her mouth in agony as she reaches the bottom.
"OOOOOOOOOOOOW MY MOUTH! Curth that thtupid... I think he knocked out a tooth!" She feels a loose tooth forming along her front, a good deal of blood pooling in her mouth as she growls furiously. "I'm gonna kill that thkeletal jerk!"
She quickly hocks down the potion to cure her ailment, then races back up the tunnel at a quick pace.
[1d10]
>>27272305
"Why not let me seal them, you can tell your benefactors you killed it? Mfanibiashara has some diabolical plans for them. He sort of implied he planned to host them for experiments. If they don't die they likely wouldn't live on as the same creature."
>>27272280
''Please...You do not need to call me lord...Now come'' he says as he helps the changeling back through the way they came, although very carefully
>>27272359
Flow pauses.
"Seal this one. I can't just tell my em' that they're dead."
He takes out the glowing paper, and shows it in better detail.
"They detect when the target has perished. Once it's shown, I just have to burn it, and I get payment."
>>27272338
"Ah I see. okay then."
>>27272352
Shei-sher feels a rapid pinging in his heart. Shei and Dania had dated for months and she never asked him to marry her he thinks to himself "m-m-mar- married.." He says with a vacant voice "D-don't you might think you.. could be rushing into that?"
>>27272312
>>27272250
>Flaming 8/4
>>27272305
Box takes the sphere and touches it with the tip of his tongue. When his mouth opens, you see Spitshine huddling inside, enjoying the ride.
"Let's see... ah! This is called a 'Lasfeather's Patience'..."
>Lastfeather's Patience (Relic)
>Forged by retired warrior-poet Lastfeather, who would strap these orbs onto the limbs of fighters driven mad by war, in the hope it could rehabilitate them. In Obscrurus, carrying excessive weights is a common ritual for soldiers mourning friends.
>Effect: User gets a -2 penalty to all physical attacks and movement actions for all combat. When equipped for five combats (do not have to be consecutive), the user will gain the Strong racial ability.
>>27272352
You attempt to give chase, but faceplant and lose the tooth. And 3 Hits.
>>27272334
No effect.
(1/2)
>>27272371
"hrmm okay. It's a deal. but first I need to find the magatama before this place collapses."
>>27272330
>>27272334
>>27272312
>>27272352
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guoOn-z008c
As you approach, you see that the light you saw earlier was in fact a gathering at a monument. There is a fountain in here, in the center of which stands a statue of a knight on a raised podium. The knight, female from the shape of the armor, raises a spear and shield in her arms.
The statue has an eerie amount of detail: the knight is slightly hunched and weak-looking, almost ready to stumble. Her head droops, as though tired. Out of her back, through her chest, sticks a long pale rod. Crawling over the surface of her armor appears to be some kind of veiny plant. Though the statue is pale, like petrified wood, the veiny parts spreading like a cancer are darker. The statue also doesn't appear to have been built as part of the podium. The statue has a kind of dark, ominous atmosphere about it, a visible dark presence that makes it look as though it could hop off at any second and attack.
At the base of the fountain sit several skeletons, although Flaming's attacker is not among them. These skeletons are mostly smaller, foals and mares in shape. Not taking notice of you, they pray and make offerings to the statue.
Beyond the fountain is an enormous double door, ornate yet faded and crumbling.
>>27272365
>>27272371
"Like I was calling you that," Wireframe gripes.
V&T and Dania take Wireframe and Blessings out the way they came, but do not encounter opposition, conniving skeletons or traps on their way out.
>this next post would depend on Observer, but Observer is not here because of reasons. Therefore... pause for this particular section
>>27272408
Flow looks at the Hoarder and tosses a Frostbullet arrow in front of it.
"*sigh* ...you wouldn't have done it."
He puts his hood over his head [since Blessings is biting his hat] and makes his way to the light, following the others.
[1d10]
>>27272379
>Presuming this is before her mouth got smashed
Flaming chuckles, delighting in the teasing. "Oh, just, you never know these days when it's all going to come to an end, we figured, why wait? It was just so... uh... romantic, the way he gave me these bridal clothes, I just thought living with him for the rest of my life made sense! He was probably going to be an amazing date, he'd be an amazing husband too, right? I'm sure we'll be very happy and have lots of sheepalo."
>>27272393
Flaming cries out in agony as she trips yet again and faceplants against the ground, her tooth indeed coming loose as she feels her tongue moving along the open space, "Ah, AWWW! No, thpiritth thave me, I'm gonna lothe it!" She moos and roars, hitting her head against the head of the tunnel as she charges on up towards the top in a rage.
After she ascends and reaches the dark hallway, nice and mad, she looks around the dim surroundings, a bit too ornery to take in the beautiful if decaying stonework. She looks around for any sign of the skeleton who attacked her, but finds herself distracted by the pillbug creatures lounging ahead and the light from the beautiful fountain at the end of the hall. She subsides her anger and approaches the shimmering knight upon the fountain, staring at the pony upon it.
She studies the long rod sticking out of her back through her chest, she shivers, "Thith fountain feelth like an ill omen... like thomething pure being eaten away at by evil. Dithturbing..." She circles around the statue in full, bowing her head in a short prayer for the venerated warrior upon it, in conjunction with the skeletons around her.
>>27272408
After her short prayer, she turns to look at the great ornate door, stepping closely towards it as she checks to see if it can be opened. "I don't get it... that thkeleton couldn't have gone THAT far in tho thort a time."
>>27272408
Shei looks at the scene with reverie "What sweet things." Ignoring initial apprehension for approaching the statue Shei ambles close to the base of the fountain but makes sure not to disturb the foals and remains behind them. He kneels before the statue and burns some praymore as he solemnly makes a prayer to Lady Tell.
afterward he proceeds around the fountain to the double door.
>>27272459
>>27272459
>and have lots of sheepalo."
"No NO! Si-i-i-i-ilence! I don't want to hear it!" Shei-sher completely spergs out.
>>27272408
Amy sits down with the other skeletons and begins to pray like they do. She knows her way around introspective mental states and respects them. Maybe something will happen if she joins them.
Plus, it looks fun.
>>27272408
Pryce glides down a bit, hovering just behind the skeletal crowd, staring at the statue. Seeing the smaller, almost innocent looking skeletons gathered around and praying, it makes Pryce pause a moment to reflect. This statue must have been of somepony important to these skeletal ponies, even that in a risen state they still pay respects.
It makes him remember how he used to revere the Church, the paladins, as a foal himself. Looking at the spreading plant, his horn glows white. If this magic removed that goop off Amy and Flaming, maybe it could remove this plant without harming that statue.
>Mantra of Purity [On Statue] [1d10-1]
>>27272507
She turns up her ears as she kneels by the fountain, chuckling wildly at Shei's reaction. "Oh, come on, aren't you happy for us? You haven't even complimented my head-wrap, I thought ponies were supposed to do that all the time after some pony asks you to marry them."
>>27272459
You see the skeleton squatting by a pillbug in the corner like a Slav.
>>27272459
>>27272465
>>27272514
You feel slightly invigorated for paying respects.
>Tip of the Winds: One time Use: Can dodge any physical attack Automatically
>>27272445
You stumble and get your leg caught in a rock on the way up, resulting in a painful bout of removing it. You lose 3 Hits.
>>27272519
Instead of the plant vanishing, the paleness coating the statue begins to chip and fragment off, revealing a terribly ancient and aged knight armor beneath. The knight falls to its knees, then puts its hooves together, planting the spear in the podium in a pose of prayer.
>>27272465
>>27272459
>Assuming you open it
The double doors shudder and coat you both with dust as you push them open. They reveal an enormous royal chamber. Round and very tall, the room's one source of light is a miniscule speck at the very top, possibly a hole in the ceiling. The architecture was once royal and rich, with ornate pillars, now long crumbled. There are many pieces of scattered and destroyed royal furniture laying about.
In the center of the room sits an enormous upright cenotaph, covered in plants. All along the room lay destroyed bits of armor and many remnants of weapons. Laying at the base of the cenotaph is an enormous tomb, partially open. Slumped over the tomb is another knight, similar to the first one, but bigger, and with a horn built into the suit's helmet. It too has a pale rod sticking out of it, and is detailed like the first one. A broken axe handle and shield rest beside it.
Behind the cenotaph, curled around it, is an enormous creature's spine. Hideous, terrible and with a spike on each vertebrate, you can only assume it is a dragon.
Resting on the knight's shoulder is a slumped-over skeleton of some enormous bird.
"Something tells me this isn't the best time to go in," Renee whispers. Box and Spitshine nod vigorously.
>>27272566
Pryce steps back in shock (not going anywhere since he's hovering) at the statue crumbling away into a knight. He's taken aback at how they're still moving, after who knows how long frozen like that.
He glides up higher over the skeleton crowd to not disturb them, then over towards the knight.
"Are you alright, can you speak?"
Pryce asks the knight with concern.
>>27272566
"When would be a better time?" Amy asks, cocking her head. "Aren't we hear to find out what happened to all these ponies in this castle? Maybe that dragon knows!"
>>27272528
"No No No! I'm not listening! baa baa baa!" He covers his ears to shut you out "And I did compliment your headdress. I said it was pretty!"
>>27272566
"Bullocks. We came all this way. I'm not leaving without that magatama." Shei-Sher proceeds to the tomb and prys the door completely open.
>>27272566
Flow, having lost a leg, falls into the hall, and shakes his head.
He wanders over to where the rest of the party is.
>>27272566
Flaming turns to look inside the double doors after she pushes them open, coughing and shaking off her fur as the dust falls down on her. She turns inside to gaze at all the royal decorations now destroyed by time, shaking her head at the sight.
"Hith Majesty said that Maripotha was an ally not so long ago... but looking at all thith it looks as though decadeth have pathed." She moves inside and looks at the center cenotaph, bowing in reverence to the memorial as she turns to look at the many weapons besides it next, not touching anything to avoid upsetting the dead resting here. "NO ONE touch anything unleth it's a nethethity... this is clearly a place of rest."
She gasps in shock at the sight of the dragon's bones, marveling at the sight of such a creature. She steadily approaches it. "A... a dragon! A-a real, live...well, obviouthly not LIVE but, a REAL dragon! A-and not like that little one Thpike, a real BIG one too! I can hardly believe my eyes..."
>>27272566
Her adoration of the dragon is cut short, however, as she sees into the corner of this chamber, and notices the skeleton who hit her with the stone sitting there. "YOU!" She loses her adoration in a moment, charging at the skeleton in a bloodlust. "THAT HURT MY MOUTH YOU BONY JERK!" She cries out as she charges headlong at it
[1d10+5] Charge + A or N
>>27272606
Flaming giggles incoherently as he covers his ears, chasing after him like an immature teaser. "I'm gonna name the first one Amy, and then the next sheepalo will be Raging Curveyhorns, and then I was thinking your or Pryce's name for the third one. Is Shei as good a cow name as it is a bull name?"
>>27272584
There is no response.
>>27272587
"Any time AFTER I've healed you before you go running off with all those leaking injuries!" Renee scolds, reaching into her bag. "Come back and give me a minute to fix you up. I've a bad feeling about what'll happen if we disturb them."
>>27272606
"Wait, hold on, you're still injured from earlier!" Renee protests.
As you pry open the top of the tomb, you see a dress, terribly worn and faded, little more than scraps miraculously held together. What was once very colorful is now all but gray.
You hear a creaking, dusty shifting around. The knight armor that was slumped over the tomb now creakily rises, shakily grabbing its weapon. It is about a head taller than an average mare, and its armor appears designed to accommodate both wings and a horn.
>>27272613
You catch up with the others.
>>27272632
You break the skeleton with a clack.
>Posted
>>27272658
whoops
>Paused*
>>27272640
"My name was passed down from generations of great Goats, Shei; that which ushers, to guide. Even when we were subjugated by griffons Shei was reserved children borne of pillars of the community. Please do not name your children after me." Shei-sher tries to contain his irritation.
>>27272671
She chuckles, "Wow, that sounds really important then... well, my kids will be pretty important sooo I think that'd fit perfect then. I'll just hope I give it to the one who grows up most to be a stick in the mud! Hehehehe..."
