No.721545
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFSpuOgH8xQYou are currently flying your ship above a salt flat, which you traversed on the way to the abandoned town that hosted the vault. While there's no sign of the brick cylinders that opened the door to the vault, you have spotted a group of desert travelers braving the salt flat. They have spotted you, but have made no attempt to engage. Violet suggests asking them about the desert, while Dawn believes she could try to teleport the group to the vault from here. Carabas seems eager to keep searching.
No.721550
>>721543>>721545"Hrm… I think it's worth at least checking out what the travelers are like- they might have seen something. Failing that, maybe… hrm. Didn't you have some sort of pillar connected to this?"
No.721552
>>721545Aegis overlooks the travelers with her icy gaze, the book THE FAR LANDS OF THE ECHOES, AND WHAT I FOUND THERE by Larrikin Longstrider floating idly under her chin ''Its a possibility'' She starts ''They might be a group working under Lysander, scouting the area for him'' She points at the one holding the compass ''If that is not working for us here then it wouldnt be working for him either. I say we approach those travelers but with the utmost care, and interrogate them''
No.721815
>>721550"The key, yeah. One of three that opened the door to the vault. Should still be out there somewhere."
>taking response from last threadYou begin to use your Astral Projection again, leaving your body and drifting down towards the travelers to investigate. The majority of them are Saddle Arabians like yourself, though there are a few Saurians present as well. They are dressed in typical desert garbs, traveling in a caravan. They are speaking your native tongue, asking their apparent leader, an older stallion with a salt and pepper beard and a checkered black and white headdress to match, about your ship.
<"Now there's something you don't see every day,"> says the leader, looking up at your ship.
<"Maybe we ought to hail them?"> someone asks.
<"They could be pirates,"> says another. <"Or worse.">
<"What would pirates be doing all the way out here?">
<"You never know.">
The leader rubs his beard as he stares at the flying ship. <"I say ignore them. We don't know them and they don't know us. If they choose to greet us, then we might make some allies. But let's keep our distance for now.">
No.721817
>>721545"Hmm.. While i'm hesitant to ask for aid, the original plan for our compass has failed completely. Perhaps we can dance around the subject, mention the ghost town near the peak, not the vault.."
No.721818
>>721815Rabi awakens with a bit of a start, picking himself back up and smiling to the others.
"Well, good news, friends! They seem to be travelers, like us- they're actually a little concerned we might be pirates, but don't seem hostile- they sounded pretty okay with the idea of us approaching them, so why not give it a shot?"
No.721819
>>721818"If you believe zhat to be zo, I will lower ze zhip. Az paranoid az I have been, I have mizzed zeeing new fazez like uzual."
No.721820
>>721818I let out a relieved sigh. "Great! So then we don't have anything to worry about."
No.721821
>>721818''Excellent work again, Master Rabi. I am beggining to consider more and more to dedicate part of my studies into mastering Astral Projection. This seems like a skill that would be most useful for the spies of my family''
No.721822
>>721817"Interrogate?" Violet says with a slight frown. "That sounds a little harsh."
"Harsh it may be," says Dawn, "but we can take no chances with others. Not when we're so close to our goal."
"Anyone could be an enemy," Carabas nods in assent. "If we approach them, we should not reveal anything about our mission."
>>721816Her expression darkens a bit. "I can only pray that it is the desert causing the interference, and not something else," she muses.
"For what it's worth," Aurora chimes in, looking concerned, "I don't recall the compass being like this last time. In fact, those two merchants sold it to us so we
wouldn't get lost. Something's changed."
>>721817Dawn nods. "Best to keep people out here at arm's length. Good plan, Miss Silver."
>>721818Carabas, who has been pacing back and forth concernedly, perks up a little at the news. "Good, good. Might be worth our while to speak to them then. Still. We ought not to mention our purpose to anyone, no matter how trustworthy they may seem."
>>721819Violet nods. "I reckon it's worth a shot. Worst comes to worst, we have a ship and they don't. We can easily get away from them if it comes down to it."
No.721823
>>721822"Yez, I worry zhat zomezhing haz happened to ze egg in zhiz time. Let uz hope not."
Zunden takes the ship down, landing a bit off from the travelers.
No.721824
>>721822''I will keep quiet. Perhaps they will know what is interfering with the Compass''
''Who will stay behind to guard the ship?''
No.721825
>>721822"Indeed. Once we have our bearings the rest of this trip should hopefully fall into place."
Looking out over the railing, i wait for the ship to land with the others.
No.721826
>>721819>>721820>>721822"Of course- though, it could be good to see what they're out here for. It sounded like they wouldn't mind some 'allies'."
>>721821"A-Ah, thank you. And. yeah, I'm glad I practiced it some myself."
No.721827
>>721817>>721822"Yeah," I say. "Probably better to ask about the cemetery or town." I look over the edge of the ship, smile, and wave down. Wish we'd thought about this at the group of partiers. Maybe I could have gotten a darn drink for the first time in what seems like weeks.
No.721828
>>721824Violet shrugs. "I'm down for anything."
"Same," says Aurora. "I'll come along if you want."
Dawn turns in Carabas' general direction. "I am indifferent as well. What would you have us do, my love?"
"It would be good to stretch my legs," Carabas replies, spreading out his wings to their full impressive span.
"Then we shall both go," Dawn decides.
Etrigan seems keen on staying below deck. The heat doesn't agree with him.
>>721823>>721824>>721825>>721826>>721827Zunden brings the ship down gently, landing on the salt flat not far from the travelers. You leave the ship and go to greet them. As Rabi saw earlier, they consist primarily of Saddle Arabians, tall, elegant equines with stronger builds than ponies. There are several saurians as well. They are clad in desert robes of muted colors. There can't be more than two dozen in their group. A trio of Saddle Arabians move to greet you, including the leader Rabi saw. He seems older, but well built, with striking yellow eyes, a grey-flecked beard and a headwrap to protect him from the sun. A rifle is stored on his back. The other two are a stocky red-coated stallion and an elegant golden mare.
"Peace upon you, drifters," the older stallion says with a cordial smile, speaking perfect Common. "To what do we owe the visit?"
No.721829
>>721828"Hello, fellow drifters. We were heading through the desert ourselves, and figured we'd check out and see if you were friendly faces. What brings you through these parts?"
No.721830
>>721828"I think I'll go with you guys." I squint up at the sun. "Really wish my desert clothes weren't practically rags at this point."
No.721831
>>721828Aegis nods ''You two should probably stay, along with Etrigan, the three of you should be enough to repel most invaders, in case. Besides we might not be gone for long, we'll see''
>>721830''Why havent you bought new ones at the Swap Meet?''
No.721832
Zunden gives Aurora command of the ship to watch over Etrigan and make sure things don't go south, informing her she'll invoke the Chariot in an emergency.
Zunden nods at Rabi's words, "Az he haz zaid. Truzh be told I waz in need of zeeing new fazez, traveling zheze waztez can get lonely, even in a group."
No.721833
>>721828"A pleasure to see you as well." I reply, offering a winged curtsy. "We were traveling through the area and noticed your caravan passing through. In our haste through the desert we.. lost our bearings, something not uncommon due to the nature of this place." i add, laughing lightly.
"I don't suppose we could trouble you for directions?"
No.721834
>>721831"Because I had other goals in mind and didn't think about it."
No.721836
>>721829The leader gives you a look of acknowledgement as he recognizes you as a fellow Saddle Arabian. <"Always good to see one of us out here,"> he says in your native tongue with a smile.
"We are pilgrims," he explains. "You might think it strange of us, but we are chasing a dream. A vision we shared in the not too distant past. We believe that ultimate truth can be found at the center of this desert, as ordained by the spirits of this land, the Echoes. So that's where we're heading. It sounds… strange. And it is! But it is something we must do. The truth of existence will be revealed at the center of it all. At least, it is what the vision spoke. So we're heading there." He looks behind you, towards the giant spire that is visible from all around the Sands.
"My name is Zafer." He extends a hoof. "So what brings you all here? There is little these lands have to offer outsiders, save for dust."
>>721831Violet nods. "I'll keep watch in case anything happens." "And I'll pilot the ship if it does," Aurora chimes in.
>>721832Aurora simply nods in understand. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that…"
Zafer agrees. "We haven't seen another living soul for weeks. Save for one other group, but they didn't want anything to do with us. It's good to have someone to chat to."
>>721833"Trouble us all you like," Zafer says politely. "We know this land quite well. We've been traveling through it our whole lives, after all. What do you seek here?"
No.721837
>>721836"More travelerz hm?" Zunden says, raising a brow, "I'd love to know if you zaw ze way zhey were going. We are here zeeking a treazure we had to abandon onze before, due to a great plague of inzectz. We fear anozher group may have learned about it'z location zinze, zo it iz a raze againzt time to find it."
No.721838
>>721836<"Truth be told, I hadn't expected to see any others. I hope the sands have been as easy to bear as the ones back home.">
"Rabi. Good to see some friendly wanderers out here. As for us, we're doing a little treasure hunting, like she said." he motions to Zunden. "We're in a bit of a hurry, but not so much that we couldn't stop and say hello."
No.721839
>>721836''A vision?'' Aegis speaks up from the back of the party before walking foward to let herself be known ''What kind of vision?''
No.721840
>>721836"Ah, interesting! As it happens, we are also searching for the desert's center, though our search is more motivated by the material than mystical. There is rumor of a fabulous treasure within the center of the desert, 'buried beneath the standing pillars' as they say.
>>721837"Yes, i'm quite interested in this 'other group' they've mentioned. Given where we are, i doubt spotting others here is more than coincidence."
No.721841
>>721836Well, the whole 'chasing a vision' thing seems a little weird, but I decide it'd be rude to say anything. I cock an eyebrow. "Other group?"
No.721842
>>721837>>721840>>721841"Yes. There were some other we saw… Hm." He turns to the red stallion, conversing with him in their native tongue for a moment. "Two days ago. They were traveling by air, like yourselves. Headed towards the falling sun." He points westwards. "We tried to hail them, but they ignored us. It was a rather small ship, as I recall. We didn't see who was aboard either. Make of that what you will."
Dawn and Carabas exchange a glance, looking troubled. "So we aren't alone out here," the latter muses.
>>721838<"These are no sands, my friend. This is like nothing back home. Far more hostile and unforgiving. I hardly thought it possible.">
>>721838>>721840"You will be disappointed, then. This place… it has a mind of its own. And lusts for gold and rarities. Any treasure left open is swallowed whole by the sands. If you can call them sands. Whatever you seek, it has probably been consumed by now."
>>721840"I know the place you seek," says the golden mare, making her voice heard. She has a thicker accent than Zafer. "It is two days west of here, in a straight line. Though, the land changes constantly. You may be hard pressed to find what you're looking for."
>>721839Zafer nods. "It has been a week hence. All of us here shared the dream." He gestures towards his two companions, who nod vigorously. "The spirits of our ancestors appeared to us all, urging us to undertake the pilgrimage. To reach the spire at the center of the world, and achieve enlightenment. …Well, I don't know about the world, but there is a spire in the desert. After some debate, we decided to follow the dream. We don't know what we'll find there. But we are being guided by forces from beyond the physical plane. We would be remiss to ignore such a calling."
No.721843
>>721842''The Spirits of your Ancestors?'' Aegis tilts her head lightly ''Are you native to the realm of the Echoes?''
No.721844
>>721842I frown. So the ship was headed the same direction as the vault. And I thought we wrer ahead of Lysander's goons. My eyes widen. "Wait, spire? Isn't that dangerous?"
No.721845
>>721842<"Tell me about it, friend. This land is harsh.">
"We've seen as much with the time we've spent here. We've got a method to follow our quarry, actually, but thanks for the warning. These sands are surprising."
No.721846
>>721842"Mm.. and if it's who we assume it to be, we have much less time than we thought." i add, nodding to carabas.
No.721847
>>721842"That iz unfortunate zhen, zhey are headed ze zame plaze we are. We know of ze dangerz of ze 'zand' here zhough, again it iz ze reazon we had to flee ze firzt time we came here. We do not plan to zpend long here."
She looks out at the dunes, "Zhough, planz and reality are not ze zame."
No.721848
>>721843"We are not. We were banished many years ago, and found ourselves in this desert. …Truth be told, it is not much of a change from what we had back home." He smiles. "In the dream, I saw my father, and his father, and his father before. They begged me to lead my people to the center. To the 'truth'. Whatever that entails. Perhaps this is a fool's errand. But when dozens of us are visited by the same dream at once, do you not think it prudent to act on it?"
>>721844"It might be. But whatever dangers we face, they are nothing but a test of our will. None of us have ever been as far as the epicenter. We do not know what to expect."
>>721845>>721847"If you are headed out of this salt flat, strangers," Zafer warns, "you should know. Things are changing all over these lands. The sands are turbulent, and the sand-beasts even more bloodthirsty than usual. They have even taken to tearing each other apart in fits of frenzy. Things are changing everywhere, and not for the better. Be alert, and be wary."
>>721847>>721846>>721845>>721844>>721843Carabas nods at Silver's suggestion. "We should leave," he says, raising his voice slightly to address you all. "And move at full speed."
Zafer looks concerned. "I take it this other party is bad news. We shall not keep you waiting."
No.721849
>>721848''Perhaps, though I find it strange that your Ancestors from your homeland would know of anything in the Echoes'' She notes before turning to Carabas ''Understood''
No.721850
>>721848"I-" Dozens visited by the same dream… "I'm not sure that's a good idea. I'm pretty sure the spire is a hive. There's an evil dream magician lurking about. I don't know why he'd be sending you to the spire, but it's possible that's what's happening." I look the group over. "I won't tell you not to go, but- well, you all seem really nice. Just be careful, alright?"
I glance back up at Carabas and nod. "Yeah. We really should get going." I glance back to Zafer. "Thank you. And good luck."
No.721851
>>721848"Thank you again for the directions. I wish you safe travels to the spire. As you say, these are dangerous times ahead.."
trotting away a ways, i unfurl my wings and fly back onto the deck, ready to continue the trip westward.
No.721852
>>721848Zunden looks warily towards the spire,
"May your fortunez be favorable zhen, make your anzceztorz proud."
No.721853
>>721848"Thanks for the words of warning, friend. Safe travels, and may you find something good in this broken land."
No.721854
>>721849Zafer frowns. "Well, who are we to question the wisdom of those from beyond?" he asks with a smile. You sense a little bit of doubt in his voice.
>>721850Zafer exchanges a worried look with his companions. "I… We will. Thank you for bringing this to us. Good luck to you as well."
>>721851"Likewise to you. Take care, drifters."
>>721852"We will do our best. Until our paths cross again!"
>>721853"I hope you find what you seek out there. This place tests us all."
>>721849>>721850>>721851>>721852>>721853Zafer bids you all goodbye, and with that, you all return to the ship, where Violet, Aurora and Etrigan are gathered on the upper deck, waiting for you to return. "That looked like it went well," Violet comments. "What was that about?" Aurora asks. Etrigan tilts his head to the side slightly.
No.721855
>>721854"Pilgrimz. Zhey zaw a zhip head towardz where ze egg iz, two dayz ago. Zhingz have been chaotic here zinze, zo I worry."
She takes the necklace back, "I'd azk if you want to pilot for a while, but it iz imperative we get zhere az zoon az pozzible."
Zunden dons the necklace, and through the power of the Chariot, gets the ship moving immediately and with haste.
>Chariot: Dominion [10] No.721856
>>721854>>721855"At least we've got a good idea of what's going on now, then- better to be prepared than surprised."
No.721857
>>721854>>721855''So, we are indeed heading to the west then?''
No.721858
>>721854"According to the nomads, we're to head west to make our way to the pillars and the egg. They made mention of an airship passing overhead two days ago, and given the location it is safe to assume Lysander has beat us to the vault.." i explain to the three, looking grim.
No.721859
>>721857Zunden nods, eyes rolling back.
>>721856"Who knowz what to exzpect, if zhey are already zhere, who knowz what chaoz zhey've already cauzed. You remember ze entity trapped in ztone, for inztanze. Who knowz if zhey've made a bargain wizh him?"
No.721860
>>721859"W-Well, I mean like, at least we know they're there, right?"
No.721861
>>721855>>721856>>721857>>721858"I fear the worst may come to pass," Dawn muses, as Violet looks stony. "We cannot waste any more time. We must reach the vault as soon as possible." Carabas keeps pacing back and forth, clearly losing his nerve at the prospect of what may have come to pass, while Etrigan sits on the floor in disbelief.
>timeskipZunden wastes no time in piloting the ship to the best of her abilities, focusing every fiber of her being in rocketing forward as fast as it'll go. You are forced to cling on to something to avoid being knocked around. Even traveling at this speed, however, it is another day before you reach anything resembling your objective.
The following day, at around mid afternoon, you spot them. Three brick cylindrical pillars rise out like fingers from the crimson sands, alongside the picked clean remains of an abandoned desert town. The pilgrims were right; much has changed since you were last here. The desert has almost entirely swept over the area, burying the buildings beneath the "sand". Here and there is proof of what the pilgrims had claimed; corpses of sand-beasts, huge red mantis-like creatures, lie dismembered, either by members of their own kind, or, strangely, by themselves. You find the entrance to the vault is open wide, a flight of stairs leading below the sands. Much of it has been filled up by sand, but it seems to have been excavated relatively recently, the path downwards lying wide open.
What draws your attention the most is the being sitting atop one of the pillars, surrounded by dead sand-beasts, a serpentine, winged, goat-headed creature seemingly made of a hodgepodge of different creatures. Even from the distance, you can feel his gaze on you. Discord has somehow freed himself from his stony prison, and is just sitting there, waiting, staring up at your ship patiently. He gives you a little wave, waggling his fingers.
Violet grits her teeth at the sight. "Oh no. No no no no no."
Aurora pales. "It's… It's…"
Etrigan just looks bewildered, while Carabas is speechless. "Is that what I think it is?"
Dawn is left in the dark, frightened and confused by the atmosphere. "Wh-what is going on?"
Kairon floats out from a crack in the floorboards, peering over the edge.
"HIM?! He's here?!"Mercutio giggles to himself.
"Oh boy. Here we go! Nyeheheheheheeee!" No.721862
>>721861"G-Gah, shit. D-Did they break him out already?"
No.721863
>>721861Aegis peeks at the figure among the others, unphased ''Who is that?''
No.721864
>>721861I pale, gulp, lift my hand, and give him a little wave back.
No.721914
>>721861"So, Lysander freed him, did he? Goodness me, things really have come apart, haven't they?"
>>721863"He
was a statue within the vault, when last we were here. It was him who insisted we break the egg to escape, before any of us knew just what it would do, ending reality and all. We realized he was rather dangerous and chose to leave him as a statue, assuming nopony would return here."
"And it seems Lysander has struck a deal with him."
No.721915
>>721861>>721914Zunden drums her claws against the railing of the ship, looking out at the creature.
"Ze greatezt problem here iz ze egg mozt likely being mizzing. I have no intentionz of fighting ze creature, it iz trapped in ze Echoez az much az we are. I juzt want to zee what haz become of ze egg, and perhapz azk it if it knowz where zhey intend to take it if it haz indeed been taken."
No.721916
>>721914''That sounds pretty awful'' Aegis notes dully, glaring at the strange mismatched creature
>>721915''Why would that Discord thing want the egg broken? Does it, like Lysander, not realize what it will do once the cuckoo is freed?''
No.721917
>>721862"Looks like it," Aurora comments. Discord just keeps sitting there, patiently waiting for you to come closer. It's as if he's been anticipating you showing up.
"Ooh! Ooh! I know what's going on here! Why don't you ask me?" Mercutio bounces eagerly on the spot.
"Well of course you know," Aurora snaps at him. "You just won't tell us."
"Very true! But I might be feeling generous today! Or I might not. One way to find out! Eh? Eh?">>721863"Bad news is what he is," says Violet grimly.
"Unless this is a shared hallucination," Carabas intones, "that's Discord. An entity of pure chaos. The last thing we want to find out here. And there he is."
Dawn does a double take. "Are… are you sure it's him?"
"Absolutely," Carabas replies. "What he's doing out here is beyond me."
"He was a pox," Kairon comments bitterly.
"He plagued my kingdom more than once, back in those days. It took a tremendous effort from my court and I to keep him at bay.">>721914"Or someone else," Violet muses.
"Whoever freed him would have to be an arrant fool," says Kairon.
"Lying is as easy as breathing for the Draconequus. Do not trust a single word out of his mouth. He lives for trickery.">>721915Violet seems to struggle to say it, but she sees no other options. "Could… could you bring us down, then? Closer to the vault? We'll have to deal with… him… to get inside, after all."
Dawn turns in your general direction. "Duplicitous as this creature may be. He may be the only chance we'll have to know where the Egg has been… been taken. Assuming that has come to pass."
No.721918
>>721917''An entity of pure chaos'' Aegis repeats ''So like a living god of… Discord, huh, so that is the why of the name'' She says pulling out the Beastiary
''
An impossibly ancient being rumored to date back to creation itself'' She reads it out loud mostly for herself, then read the rest in silence before closing the book
''Fascinating''
No.721920
>>721917"Well… could you please tell us, then? There's no other way to find out, so it's worth a shot."
No.721921
>>721916>>721918"I do not know, ze creature iz foreign to me, it iz zomezhing apparently native to ze Dominion. Zhey treat it wizh ze greatezt of cauzion, zo I will do ze zame. Dezpite it'z nature, it doez look interezting, vizually."
>>721917Zunden begins to lower the ship, placing it between/over some of the ruins so that it has a solid resting place, if the sands decide the swallow the ship.
No.721922
>>721921''I disagree. It is a blight to my eyes and I hope that the time we'll have to suffer it will be brief''
No.721923
>>721918"I haven't the slightest idea how they managed to seal him inside the echoes, something so intense as chaos incarnate."
>>721917"'An arrant fool'? Well, given what we've seen of Lysander he fits the description perfectly." i reply, laughing lightly.
No.721924
>>721917Not sure how to say, I quietly watch Discord from the sidelines. I'd been worrying about this since the last time we were here and now- now it's ruined.
No.721925
>>721920"I'll consider it! Patience is a virtue, my oversized friend!">>721923"It took all my power and that of the greatest sorcerers in the land to seal him away when he plagued us," Kairon pipes up.
"And even then, he always escaped eventually. He is a pest. No two ways about it.">>721921>>721918>>721920>>721923>>721924Zunden brings the ship down closer, landing atop the roof of a half buried building, next to the vault entrance. Discord hops down from his perch. "It's about time you all showed up!" he says, putting on his genteel voice. He approaches you on foot. "I thought you might've forgotten about me! And you brought new friends, too. I don't even know half of you, and I don't really remember the rest of your names. I'm pretty good with faces though. I remember that at least!" He points at Norv's nose.
"Discord." Kairon spits out the name with contempt.
"A cruel joke of fate that we should be brought face to face again.""Sorry, do I know you?"
"You ravaged my kingdom six times over! If I still had my physical form…""Sorry, you'll have to be more specific." He looks at Mercutio. "Oh! YOU I remember! It's been a good few decades, hasn't it?"
Mercutio leaps with joy.
"Far more than that! We've been waiting so very long! As I say, patience is a virtue! Nyehehehehe!" He jumps off the ship and is caught in midair by Discord in one claw, who proceeds to hold the skull and pet it like a cat.
He turns his attention to the other newcomers, Dawn, Carabas and Etrigan. "Hm. You're not interesting enough to spend much time on, sorry." They are too thunderstruck by his appearance to say anything right now. He gives Aegis a once over. "And who are you? You seem like a bundle of joy. I'm sure we're going to get along great!"
With that, he faces you all, lounging back lazily. "So how've things been? Keeping well? Keeping fresh? Seem to be living the high life with that new boat, eh?" Without being invited, he flies up and lands on the deck, towering over you all, still holding a very snug looking Mercutio in one claw.
"So. What brings you back here? I mean, I know why you're here, but I want to hear it from you. Why come all this way after you left so rudely last time?"
No.721926
>>721925I wiggle my nose and briefly cross my eyes to look down at it before returning my attention to Discord. "I was coming back to keep my word. I was going to bring you along with us." I shift and chuckle uncomfortably. "Guess you don't need my help now, though. Nice getting to stretch your legs a little?"
No.721927
>>721925''My name is of no concern to you'' She says stoically
''And please put Mercutio down, he is very valuable to us''
No.721928
>>721925"I am Zunden, a tarot reader. Ze lazt time we were here, an incoming zwarm of inzectz zhreatened to conzume ze ruinz, and zo we left. In zhat time, we learned of ze importanze of ze egg in ze vault, and have come to return for it."
Zunden says, looking up at the strange creature, "Ze ozherz know far more about you zhan myzelf, but I can azzume you wizh to be free of ze Echoez like many ozherz. It iz one of ze zhingz we zeek, after we have zolved zhiz ordeal."
No.721929
>>721925"Why, for the egg, of course." i reply, remaining courteous. "We're well aware what the egg does, should it break, and given the cost we'd very much prefer keeping it intact."
"Might i ask who managed to free you, as well? As i recall we were forced to flee as the vault was sealed by more of these bugs scattered about." i add, gesturing to the 'sand' with a sweep of a wing.
No.721930
>>721925>>721925Rabi blinks at the mention of 'oversized', before shrugging a little. Watching the exchange between Mercutio and Discord, he frowns a bit and asks "Do you… know each other? I guess I should've figured as much." he says, trotting backwards a little when Discord invites himself along.
No.721931
>>721926"WERE you now? How decent of you! And very stupid."
"Very, very stupid!" Mercutio chimes in.
"Very, very, very stupid!""Oh, yes, it's lovely not being stuck as a statue." He cracks his neck. "Though the enchantment still has some chains on me. If I could, I'd be out of here by now. Reality, alas, still has rules I have to obey. For now." He flashes you a toothy grin as he continues to pet Mercutio like a spy movie villain.
>>721927"That's a terrible name!" he comments in mock outrage.
Discord and Mercutio exchange a look, then the skull spits another tooth at you. "No," says Discord childishly. "No, I don't think I will."
"So, No Concern. Why are you here? You aren't friends with the rest of these losers, are you?"
>>721929"Hm. Keeping it intact. Yeah, see that's the thing." He doesn't elaborate.
"A little fellow you might know. But knowledge is power, right?"
>>721928>>721929"Yes, yes, I guessed as much. I know where the Egg is. I know who took it. My question to you is, why should I tell you anything?"
Dawn speaks up. "Th-the world is in danger! Our REALITY is in danger!" she cries desperately. "If you don't tell us,
everything will-"
"Yeah, see, that's not really a big deal," he shrugs. "In the cosmic sense. If this reality gets ripped to shreds, it's not my business. Might even be kind of fun, actually."
>>721930"Oh, Cutie and I go WAY back," he says with a dismissive handwave. "Back to before he was… well, this. You see, Purdue, the other guy in here-" he knocks on the skull with his knuckles- "was desperate for more knowledge. He turned to me in desperation. I… showed him a thing or two, and, well, here we are."
>>721926>>721927>>721928>>721929>>721930"So. In case any of you missed that. I know where your little plot coupon is. I know who took it. I can help you. But I don't really have a reason to. So, sweettalk me. Give me a reason to give you a hand. Hoof. Claw. Smoky green tendril. Take your pick."
You notice Mercutio has gone bizarrely silent. No.721932
>>721931My shoulders slump, I look away, and my ears flatten against my head. "Yeah," I mumble. "I guess it was kinda dumb."
I look back up at him and knit my brow. "Sounds like you already know what you want us to offer."
No.721933
>>721932"What iz zhat, iz he ze type of entity zhat formz contractz? Or demandz zervitude?" Zunden turns, looking to Norv
No.721935
>>721931"Interesting… I guess. I'd ask Mercutio, but he looks a tad overwhelmed right now." he remarks, shrugging a little.
>>721933"Contracts seem a little… eh, rigid for him? Maybe that's just me, though."
No.721936
>>721932"Pretty much. Seems like he wants us to offer to help get his power back to me. Otherwise why would he even be talking to us right now?" I shrug. "Maybe I'm wrong, but it ain't like we have anything else to offer a cosmic being."
No.721938
>>721935>
[ 1d10 = 10 ]Roll #1 7 = 7 /
Roll #2 7 = 7 No.721939
>>721931"Making a deal? Given you've already been freed i doubt anything physical would suffice."
"What could we possibly offer as payment for a being that doesn't care for this reality? A favor?"
[ 1d10+2 = 4 ] Persuasion
Roll #1 5 + 2 = 7 /
Roll #2 10 + 2 = 12 No.721940
[ 1d10 = 4 ] test
Roll #1 1 = 1 /
Roll #2 7 = 7 No.721941
test 1d10
test
[ 1d10 = 1 ]Roll #1 8 = 8 /
Roll #2 1 = 1 No.721942
1d10 test
No.721943
'1d10' hmmm
Roll #1 7 = 7
No.721944
'1d10'
Roll #1 1 = 1
No.721945
>>721931''They saved me from trouble'' She replies, barely flinching at the tooth pocking her on the forehead
''Then explained the whole story shortly after. After learning our reality could be destroyed I offered my help in preventing that''
She glances to the rest of the party then back to Discord ''I would rather you just told us what you want, instead of wasting our time''
No.721946
>>721936"Zo ze zame zort of agreement you have pledged to Kairon zhen." Zunden rubs her chin,
>>721931Zunden looks to the others, "zhiz Dizcord az you zay iz duplizitouz, but az I have zaid-"
She looks back to Discord, "-you likely zeek to leave ze Echoez az well. It iz ze ultimate goal of many of zhiz group, I would zhink. If we were to find a way out, we could zertainly enzure you were able to leave az well."
No.721947
>>721946"I-" I clear my throat and rub the back of my neck. "Yeah. I guess so."
No.721949
>>721932"Do I?" he asks mysteriously. "I'm not omniscient. Your pal here is." He holds up Mercutio, who sits there slack-jawed like a marionette.
"Nyeh! Make me an offer, Norv!" Discord crows, imitating Mercutio perfectly.
>>721933>>721935>>721936Discord looks a wee bit offended. "Why are you talking about me like I'm not even here? That's very rude!"
>>721935>>721938"Oh yes. Quite overwhelmed." He gives you another grin, but this time it is more the predatory kind, like a lion about to pounce on a helpless gazelle.
You notice that as he holds Mercutio, the telltale spark of life in the oracle's eye sockets is fading, looking more and more like a lifeless prop.>>721939>>721945>>721946>>721936>>721935"I suppose there's no sense in beating around the bush." He continues to hold Mercutio as he makes his proposal. "You see, I'm out and about, but I don't have my powers anymore. I'm still a slave to reality. For now. That means I can't really leave this awful desert without it taking forever. So. You have transport. I know what you want from me. You get me out of here, and I'll tell you everything you want to know. What do you say? Give us a lift?" He gives you a "charming" smile.
Carabas speaks up. "It may not be my ship, but I wouldn't trust you with the time of day, fiend. I believe it for the best if we continue to search on our own."
"Wow. Mean. What did I ever do to you?"
Kairon agrees.
"You are nothing but a backstabber," she says coldly.
"You will betray us at the first opportunity you get.""I'm a changed man! I swear! I'd never betray you!" he proclaims completely unconvincingly.
Violet crosses her forelegs, looking conflicted. "What else can we do?" she asks you all. "You know how urgent our mission is. …Oh, I don't know what to do." Aurora shifts in place uncomfortably, completely lost as to what to do in this situation.
No.721950
>>721949''I might have an alternative, Violet'' Aegis speaks up for all to hear, shooting discord a cold gaze ''It might not be the most trustworthy but perhaps better than resorting to Him''
No.721951
>>721949"If he iz a entity zhat'z main goal iz cauzing chaoz, zhen he zhould find himzelf able to cauze much more chaoz if he waz to leave uz after we had tranzported him from ze dezert." Zunden says, continuing to rub her chin, "I do not zee ze reazon he would backztab uz and torment a dozen or zo people when zhere are much larger groupz he could cauze more havok in."
She looks back up to Discord, "Iz zhat az far az you wizh uz to take you? Out of ze dezert?"
No.721953
>>721938"Hmm…. a good show of trust could be handing our friend back, if you're a changed man? No need to hog him too much, even if you are friends." he offers, frowning a little bit.
No.721954
>>721949"A lift? How pedestrian. And i suppose it is safe to assume you'll leave to cause all measures of havoc once we clear the sands?"
No.721956
>>721949"If bringing you along as stone would have been stupid, wouldn't giving you a ride be even dumber?" Still, it's not like we have too much of a choice. "And yesh. Can we have Mercutio back?"
No.721957
>>721950The other crew members turn to you. "What's your idea?" Violet asks. "Yes, do tell, No Concern. What IS your idea?" Discord asks.
>>721951"Bingo. I don't much care to vex you when there's a whole dimension of mortals to play with. You're a means to an end, really."
>>721954"Yeah, I know. Pretty shameful that I have to resort to it, but desperate times call for desperate measures, and all that sort of thing."
"Well, duh. Who do you think I am? I have a reputation to uphold, you know."
>>721953>>721956"Sure. Done with him anyway. Catch!" He lobs the skull at Rabi, then examines himself. There doesn't seem to be much of a change, but he seems satisfied. "Bit less than what I expected, but better than nothing."
>>721956"Well if you'd rather keep combing the desert, then here. Knock yourself out!" He tosses you a cheap plastic comb out of nowhere.
Violet frowns. "I thought you said your powers didn't work anymore.
"Well, they didn't. And now they do. A bit. Your chatty friend there still had a piece of me in him. So I took it back."
Violet looks to Mercutio with a furrowed brow. He continues to lie there limply.
No.721960
>>721957''I will use the Liber Animarum to guide us to the Egg. There is a particular Demon I read on that might be just what we need. I refrained from suggesting we used it until now because this is a rare situation where a lesser Demon could be more trustworthy than Him''
No.721961
>>721957My stomach sinks as I look over at the limp Mercutio. "Is he-" I gulp. I look back up at Discord and glare. "Why- why would I want to help you after you hurt my friend, Persolus?"
No.721963
>>721957>>721961Rabi catches the skull, daintily passing it to Norv. He sets a hoof on the dog's shoulder, before speaking up with. "I think I saw a bit of him still in there. We can try taking a look in a couple of ways later, Norv."
No.721964
>>721960"A demon? This won't involve more of that severance ritual to pull it off of you, will it?"
No.721965
>>721960"The Liber Animarum?" Discord parrots. "That's cute. You think that old rag will do you any good. Here's a little piece of advice, No Concern. That thing's never brought anyone anything but misery. And now that you have it, you can't get rid of it either. So have fun selling your soul to some two bit demon. I'm much more reasonable than their lot."
>>721961He is inert.
"Oh, you don't have to use that name anymore," he says dismissively. "And why? Because I need that power more than he does. Because you're one of the idiots that lives in this reality. Because you don't have much of a chance of finding the Egg without me. So…"
No.721966
>>721960I sigh. "Sounds like we're caught between a rock and a hard place, huh?"
>>721963I relax just a little and nod. So he's not completely gone.
No.721967
>>721965Zunden gives the skull a once over, while they talk.
>Antiquarian [ 1d10 = 4 ]Roll #1 4 = 4 /
Roll #2 2 = 2 No.721968
>>721967'1d10' whoops
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.721969
>>721965I cock an eyebrow. "Wait, then why did you take the name in the first place?"
No.721970
>>721964''Unlikely. This will be, hopefully, much more controled''
>>721965''We'll see'' She replies dismissively
>>721966''I know I might not be completely deserving of your trust either, but I am confident in my ability to go through with this'' AEgis nods to Norv
''I am only offering an alternative of course, if you want to accept Discord's offer, I will not rebuke''
No.721971
>>721967Looks like a skull to you, and nothing more.
>>721969"Because I was bored," he shrugs. "You try staring at a wall for a good few centuries and not resort to doing weird stuff to pass the time."
No.721972
>>721966>>721965"Really now, is that the best method for convincing us to help you? Demanding a lift and breaking Norvy's friend?" i chime in, scolding the chaos god
"I'm sure you must be aching to have that power back, but is it really necessary to take it now and ruin your chances for an easy ride out of here?"
"Return Mercutio and we'll assist you."
'1d10+2' persuasion
Roll #1 6 + 2 = 8 No.721974
>>721969"Mercutio iz no more, I am afraid, or anyzhing zhat onze waz enchanted in zhat zkull. It iz now completely mundane."
No.721975
>>721971I study him. I don't buy it, but decide now isn't exactly the time to discuss names.
>>721970"I'd hate to point this out, but he's probably gonna get out of here one way or another. Seems like a net gain getting his help out of it."
No.721976
>>721974I slowly look over at Zunden and the skull. "Are- are you serious?"
>>721972Tears well up in the corners of my eyes, but I fight to keep composure. There's not even anything I can do. Why does it seem like it's always like this? "Yeah! I'm not helping unless you give The Oracle back."
No.721977
>>721975Aegis looks through Norv for a moment, silent
''Very well, I'll follow your plan then''
No.721978
>>721974>>721976"I could have sworn there was just a bit left… I'm sorry I didn't catch on sooner."
No.721979
>>721974"You're welcome," Discord shrugs. "He talked too much anyway."
Violet covers her mouth, looking at the skull in disbelief. Kairon looks vindictive.
"He always was a nasty piece of work." Aurora looks upset, while Dawn, Carabas and Etrigan don't have much of a reaction, looking somewhat sorry for the loss.
>>721972"I already did," he retorts, pointing at the skull. It floats up into the air, seemingly of Discord's will, and clacks its jaw like a marionette.
"Nyehehehe! See? He's still alive. Kind of. I'm sure there's something in there. You seem like a smart cookie. Fix him yourself." He lets the skull clatter to the floor again. "So. Are we getting out of here or not? Time's a-wasting."
>>721975"Yeah, exactly. If you don't help me, I can get out of here on my own now that I have a little bit of a boost. It'd just be more convenient for me to tag along."
>>721976Violet doesn't seem to know what to do, putting one foreleg around your shoulder. "It's okay. We can find a way to get him back. There's always a way. He's not gone."
Discord gives you a mischievous smile, and the skull twitches slightly. Presumably Discord using telekinesis again. It rolls along the ground towards you. "All yours," he he says.
>>721977"Excellent! I'll make myself at home then, shall I?"
>>721977>>721976>>721974>>721972>>721978As Aegis seems to concede, Discord looks a bit triumphant. "Do we have a deal then? Transport in exchange for what I know?"
Dawn looks hesitant. "…Reality is on the line. I think we should do it." Etrigan nods, while Kairon still looks obstinate.
"As much as I disliked that chattering animal, making any sort of deal with this one would be a mistake." No.721980
>>721979I pick up the skull and hug it to my chest with both my arms. "I don't-" I swallow. "How long?" I ask. "How far do you plan on us taking you?"
No.721981
>>721979"Ze deal haz already been altered. You have taken zomezhing of ourz, Mercutio, wizhout return. Balanze ze zcalez and return him back - ze ability manifezt zmall combz, or your way out of ze dezert."
No.721982
>>721979''Whatever comes later, we will deal with it the best we can'' Aegis says to Dawn ''Anything'' She emphasizes ''Is better than letting everything simply be gone. Discord has been put under control thrice before, it is much more feasible to inprison him again than to stop the freed Cuckoo. Now, for the sake of our reality, enough hesitation. Let us go'' She orders, turning to Discord for a second with a discerning glare
No.721983
>>721979>>721981"If it's possible to, yeah. Couldn't take too long, could it?"
No.721984
>>721981>Zunden's words are filled with determination, unwittingly activating the Chariot.[10] Persuasion
No.721985
>>721982"hm.. i suppose you're right. attain the information now, deal with the lesser threat later."
No.721986
>>721980"Just outside of the desert," he shrugs. "I can go and find someone to bully from there. There's almost no one out here though. So dreadfully dull. The dead buried here don't talk much. And when they do it's just the same thing as always. Whinge, whinge, whinge. 'The coffin's too cold! My plaque should be larger! Why does he get more worms than I do!'"
>>721981"Pray I don't alter it any further," he answers in an uncharacteristically deep voice.
>>721984>>721981He looks frustrated. "Well that's just cheating!" he gripes. "You can't just invoke
Them like that. Ugh. Fine, fine. I'll bring him back."
>>721980>>721981>>721982>>721983>>721984Discord snaps his fingers grumpily. After a moment or two, Mercutio starts to stir, letting out an uneasy groan. "There. He's back. Give him some time," Discord says, sounding annoyed at being forced to act against his will. "He should be back to normal. Now. Get this hunk of wood up in the air and I'll tell you anything you want to know."
No.721987
>>721986"My ozher intention waz to invoke Zeverance, but I azzumed zhat would be more painful. Waz zhere anyzhing left in ze vault after zey left? No uze leaving it here, before we leave."
No.721988
>>721986I loosen my grip on the skull and let out a relived sigh. "Thank you." I only catch that I probably shouldn't have thanked him for fixing something he caused after the fact. I ket out a mirthless laugh. "Well, I guess I expected to leave with you anyway. So I guess that much hasn't changed."
No.721989
>>721986Satisfied, i wait with the others as Zunden readies the ship.
>>721987"Excellent work, Zunden." i add, relieved
No.721990
>>721988>>721986''Lovely'' Aegis notes dully ''I will go ahead and prepare a vacant room for our guest, I suppose'' She turns around and begins heading for the ship
No.721991
>>721988>>721987"Oh, thank goodness- I'd say you're a literal life-saver right now, but… I suppose you always are."
>>721986With the skull returned, the Saddle Arabian lets out a sigh of relief. "Deal's a deal, I suppose. Welcome aboard."
No.721992
>>721987"See, here's the thing. I don't really know much about whoever it was that came here. At all. But they looked like they meant business. They weren't the ones to free me either, it just… wore off. On its own. They ignored me and went after the Egg, but didn't find anything. Check for yourself. The bugs took it months ago. I tried to tell them but they didn't believe me. Can't imagine why. Anyway. Where you're going to want to go is the Hive. That's where the bugs take all their little knick knacks. Fun place, really."
>>721988"You're very welcome. Enjoy your friend while he's around. Nothing lasts forever, you know." He gives you a wink.
>>721991>>721989>>721990>>721987>>721988Carabas looks grim. "I hope you realize what you've done, drifters."
Dawn looks indifferent. "A means to an end. We have our heading, at least."
Kairon seethes.
"As if the head wasn't bad enough."Violet doesn't look happy with it, but seems resigned to the decision. "Guess we don't have much of a choice."
Aurora shies away from Discord, looking intimidated. "Let's just make this quick."
"Huzzah!" Discord crows. "All aboard the… wait. Does this hunk of junk have a name or…?"
No.721993
>>721992Aegis silently heads on ahead to embark on the ship, heading to the main hall and finding a seat for herself as she waits for the others to rendezvouz
No.721994
>>721992"Fatez… it really haz been monzhz haz it. Anywayz, ze zhip iz between namez. We have not yet replazed ze old one, but I zhink a fair few of uz are calling it ze Fate'z Fortune. I zhought it waz a clever name."
She starts to move the ship, "My welcomez, Dizcord, for ze time being."
No.721995
>>721992I gulp and squeeze him tighter again. "I, uh… I think I'm gonna head to my room."
>>721994"Yeah. I've been calling it the Fortune in my head."
No.721996
>>721992"Oh my, so the egg was stolen away by those bugs? I'd be relived if i didn't know who we were up against. If
we could clear them out, no doubt lysander can as well.."
No.721997
>>721992Rabi offers a short shrug to Carabas and Etrigan, before sighing. "Aegis made a fair point- one of these is easier to deal with than the other. Sorry you have to put up with it all the same."
>>721992Looking back to Discord, he frowns a little "The… bugs took the Egg? Well… let's hope they can do a decent job safeguarding it until we find them."
No.721998
>>721994>>721995"Fate's Fortune? That's a terrible name!" Nevertheless, as he boards the ship, you see an elegant golden scrawl appear on the bow, spelling its name in graceful handwriting.
>>721995Violet looks at you as if to ask if you want her to come along.
>>721996>>721997"We're facing an entire desert of insects," Violet muses. "We're going to have our work cut out for us.
>>721993>>721994>>721995>>721996>>721997As Zunden moves the ship up and away, Discord climbs up the mast, coiling himself around the mast like a rope, proudly perching himself atop its sails. "This is going to be fun on a bun!" he proclaims. As you zoom off across the scarlet dunes, music starts playing out of nowhere, speeding you along your journey.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UEnAY6C1xk
>pausing No.722086
>>721998You find that the unearthly music is quite literally speeding you along your journey; the ship is moving much faster than it ever has before across the sand dunes. Curiously, apart from a slight initial jolt, you are not put off by the sudden speed at all. Discord takes in the view of the desert with a smug smile before simply appearing next to you all; the next moment, he has taken off into the bowels of the ship. "I simply
must know what you've all been up to for so long!" His voice echoes in the distance as he begins acquainting himself with every nook and cranny of the Fortune. You hear things being toppled over and breaking as he does so. Violet looks annoyed and takes off after him. "Oi! You can't just…" Aurora seems intimidated by it all, omposing herself after a moment and flapping up into the crow's nest. Carabas and Etrigan go with Violet to see what Discord's doing, while Dawn seems deep in thought about something. Kairon looks very annoyed at Discord's presence, and seeps off through a crack in the boards to sulk somewhere. Mercutio has a faint glint in his emerald eye sockets, but still has not said a word.
No.722098
>>722086>>721998Rabi frowns a little bit as, after the surprisingly nice act of whatever he did to hasten the ship, the draconequus popping off to another part of the ship. He moves to head downstairs in to the lower decks of the ship after him, before stopping to take a look at Mercutio's skull.
"Hrm… maybe I should take a look? I'm not sure what to expect, but maybe… I don't know. If he's a soul, maybe I could see something?"
No.722104
>>722086In the time since the ship had left, Zunden has checked in and identified Mercutio with her talent, ensuring that Discord has kept his word.
Otherwise, Zunden has kept watch over Discord via her magic view of the ship, humoring him if they want a conversation.
No.722114
>>722086Aegis proceeded to calmly powerwalk her way to her room
No.722121
>>722086With the clatter from within the lower deck, i rush downstairs with a gasp, trying to make sure our room is okay
"My word! That furniture is quite expensive, do be careful!" i call into the lower deck as i gallop down.
No.722124
>>722104'1d10'
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.722198
>>722086I hold The Oracle in my hands as I follow Discord's erratic movement to the best of my ability, silently hoping that he didn't break anything important. "Lots of stuff, actually. It'd probably take a while to actually go over it all."
No.722199
>>722086>>722198"Is it ýou making the ship go faster?"
No.722200
>>722098"I suppose it's worth a shot," Aurora says from her perch. "He's… definitely less chatty than usual."
>>722104Mercutio seems to be different somehow. He still seems to be able to perform his function as an oracle, however.
>>722114You go back to your room for some peace and quiet. Discord seems to have left it untouched for now.
>roll Perception in addition to whatever else you do>>722199"Hm? Yeah, sure, let's go with that."
>>722121>>722098>>722198>>722104You follow (and Zunden watches from afar) as Discord heads for the cargo hold. By the time you have caught up with him, you find him judgmentally surveying the various trinkets and baubles you have accumulated over the course of your travels. Inexplicably, the draconequus is wearing a pair of round spectacles, a chic turtleneck sweater and a pretentious silver wig.
"Oh don't mind me," he says pompously, strutting through the cargo hold and eyeing your miscellaneous goods judgingly. Violet and Carabas look dumbfounded. Etrigan looks like Etrigan.
"Wh… what are you doing?" is all Carabas can ask.
"Destroying your collection, of course." He keeps moving past them looking snobbishly derisive, disregarding each of your treasures in turn with a wave of his claw. "Garbage. Garbage. Derivative. Shallow. Fake." He stops at the Severance seal Black Pudding placed. "That's not half bad," he admits. He pauses when he gets to the core of the ship, a pony sized blue crystal in the far end of the cargo hold "Oh,
this I love. I absolutely love." He moseys towards it, seemingly reveling in the magical energy that radiates from it. He turns around in a complete 360 before facing you all, looking directly up at Zunden in her omniscient vantage point. "How much for it? I
need it. It's everything. It's…" He clutches his hands to his chest dramatically. "
Beautiful."
No.722201
>>722200Zunden speaks to Discord, assuming he can hear her despite her location, "If you wizh for ze zhip to ztop in plaze and forze you to walk ze rezt of ze way, have at it. Perhapz you'd have more fun in ze kitchen- talk to zome tomatoez or make ze potatoez waltz. Zhere iz a zet of cutlery in zhere zhat'd hate you, I'd want to hear zhat converzation."
No.722202
>>722200Wait, so is it
not him speeding the ship up? I get the feeling he just said that to confuse me, so I decide not to continue the line of questioning.
At first I'm stunned by his nonchalant wandering and dismissal of everything he comes by, but I manage to compose myself enough to follow him around in hopes of even attempting to keep him from actually destroying anything. "I, uh- I ain't completely sure how it works," I say, "But I'm pretty sure we need that. Both of those, actually."
No.722237
>>722200Annoyed but holding my tongue, i follow along with discord as he wanders through our things, speaking up when he mentions the crystal.
"Yes yes, i'm sure it looks quite lovely, but i would recommend you leave the crystal there alone, lest you send the ship crashing into the sand below. It
is what seems to be the 'engine', after all."
No.722238
>>722200Aegis made sure to take a good look through her belongings once she arrived
'1d10'
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.722239
>>722237>>722200[ 1d10+2 = 9 ] Persuasion
Roll #1 10 + 2 = 12 /
Roll #2 7 + 2 = 9 No.722240
>>722201[ 1d10 = 5 ] oh boy
Roll #1 1 = 1 /
Roll #2 8 = 8 No.722241
>>722240'1d10] goddamnit
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.722242
>>722200"Let me just, ehm… go check on, you know." he gestures to the noises from below deck, and follows after the others.
>>722200Rabi grimaces a little as Discord seems to take his time to disturb almost everything in the hold, before sighing.
"Maybe just… I don't know, find something less disruptive to do? Knitting?"
No.722243
>>722202'1d10'
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.722244
>>722242'1d10'
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.722245
>>722201>>722202>>722239>>722240>>722242>>722243>>722244"You know, you don't really need this with me around," he drawls. "With the power inside it I could have made you rich, and flown you to your destination. But if you insist." He gives you all a judgmental look. "By the way, darling, you do know that ring is fake, right?" He points out the signet ring on Zunden's claw. Before you can answer, he simply poofs out of existence, and you hear pots and pans clattering loudly, along with a shrill little yelp from Aurora. Zunden can see he took her up on the whole kitchen thing.
>>722238Everything seems to be in its place, for now. However, as you rifle through your belongings, you find something that was not there before: a single grey and white feather, half buried beneath your stack of books.
No.722246
>>722245I sigh and flip The Oracle around, looking into the small glowing pinpoints in its eyesockets. "Hey," I say. "You doing any better, buddy?"
'1d10'
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.722247
>>722245Aegis mentally raises a brow at the feather, then storms her way out of her room, looking for the others. She headed to the Kitchen to find Aurora ''Where is Zunden?'' she asks, a hint of worry in her voice
No.722248
>>722245Crisis averted, i roll my eyes and make my way back to mine and Rabi's room.
"Right then, i shall retire to my room for now, doubtless i'll need to steel myself for the mess we'll need to clean later.."
>ret 2 skip No.722249
>>722245"Oh, goodness… I hope Aurora hadn't been carrying anything fragile. Should I go check on her?"
No.722251
>>722245Zunden starts making her way to Norvegicus' location, interested in the skull as well.
"Zomezhing haz zertainly changed, I have been trying to figure out what."
Antiquarian
[ 1d10 = 6 ]>>722247Listening and watching the commotion in the kitchen, Zunden watches Aegis ask Aurora for her location. She summons a Servitor next to Aegis, beckoning her to follow to Zunden and Norv's location.
Roll #1 5 = 5 /
Roll #2 4 = 4 No.722252
>>722251And follow she did, bringin the feather with her, presenting it to Zunden the moment she she the Saurian
''Zunden, they were here. Lysander spotted us''
No.722253
>>722251I knit my brow and look the skull over. "What I'm afraid happened was Discord gave back The Oracle powers but not actually Mercutio or Perdue. Which is the opposite of what he should've done. Actually 'figure out a way for them to stop knowing everything' has been on my list for a bit."
No.722254
>>722252I look down at the feather and swallow. Is that another one from the cuckoo? "What's that?"
No.722255
>>722254''It's a dove feather. Lysander has gone to hiring birds to spy on us now, since he cant track the ship magically anymore''
No.722256
>>722255I relax a little bit, but I'm still tense. "Oh, that's all?" I catch myself and clear my throat. "I mean, that's bad, but that looks like the feather I found when I-" I gulp. "You know. Died."
No.722257
>>722246As you try and prod him into consciousness, the Oracle comes to life in your hands. He starts breathing heavily, crystalline eyes darting left and right.
"Wh… What is this?" It's Purdue's voice.
"What's happening? Where's… where's my body?!">>722248You find that Discord seems to have been through your room at some point, having torn through it like a tempest. While nothing is broken, clothes and assorted knick knacks are strewn willy nilly across the room, looking like some sort of war zone. You also notice a tiny sort of tornado in the corner made of assorted rubbish.
>>722247>>722249Aurora is in a corner, shrinking away from Discord, who is currently entertaining himself crafting some sort of horrific misshapen homunculus out of pastries. "How dare you interrupt my work," he says in a mock sneer. Aurora looks too intimidated to say anything, giving you a side glance before waiting patiently for Discord to leave.
>>722251You examine the frightened skull. It seems Discord has revived Purdue, but at the cost of either removing Mercutio or his knowledge. Or both.
No.722258
>>722257Groaning, i set about trying to put the room back together, doing what i can to pull the items from the tornado and get the clothing back into the clothesrack.
[ 1d10 = 9 ] Cleaning
Roll #1 6 = 6 /
Roll #2 6 = 6 No.722259
>>722257My stomach drops. "Purdue? Do you- do you not remember? Is Mercutio still in there with you?"
No.722260
>>722256''I'm glad to see you got better'' Aegis squints, scrutinizing the Diamond dog for a moment''I think''
''But this is more than bad, Norvegicus, Lysander will know our every move now, and he has been striking deals with the Oneiromancer. I saw it, the black mark that was on Hermodur's hand. He was bearing the same mark on his chest. Who knows what else he will do now that he knows where we are?''
No.722261
>>722252"And we know zhey or a group likely paid by zhem were here earlier. It changez little, unlezz it haz heard ze converzation wizh Dizcord. Nonezhelezz, at ze next meal,
made by Dizcord or not, everyone on ze zhip zhould be made known of zheir exiztanze, and to routinely check ze zhip for zheir prezenze, bozh inzide and outer perimeter."
>>722259>>722257Zunden nods, "Mercutio iz likely gone, and wizh it pozzibly zheir knowledge. I do not know if zhiz iz becauze of having been 'killed' and revived, or if Dizcord haz kept ze magic for himzelf."
>>722260>>722256She nods, "I do not zhink it az dire az you zay, but yez, he knowz he cannot have ze Oneiromanzer keep tabz on uz, and haz created what I azzume to be homunculi made in ze zhape of ze cuckoo to watch over everyzhing he needz to keep tabz on. Zhey zhould be deztroyed on zight, zhould we zee one. Likewize, we zhould have zentriez watching out on ze top of ze zhip, zniping any zhat come in zight."
No.722262
>>722257"Hrm… I wouldn't suppose this is an Equestrian take on a Gingerbread Pony, is it?"
No.722264
>>722261''I always enjoyed practicing with far away targets. And we could have Carabas take that form he used to chase us and drive away any birds he sees''
No.722265
>>722258Mercifully, it doesn't take too long to clean up Discord's mess. He doesn't seem to have taken anything, just barged through your room out of sheer curiosity. Even though the door was locked.
>>722259"…Who are you? What did you do to me?!" He drops out of your hands and to the floor in a panic.
>>722262"I hadn't thought of it that way, but sure!"
The pastry golem comes to life with an unnatural groan.
"K… Kiiiiilll meeeee!…"Discord frowns. "Shame. Ungrateful little swine." He taps it lightly, and it collapses into a pile of baked dough and mushy ingredients. Aurora looks both horrified and annoyed at him wasting her money.
No.722266
>>722265I defensively throw my hands up. "It- it wasn't me! You've been like this for a long time. What's the last thing you remember?"
No.722267
>>722265"E-Ehm… a bit more talkative than I expected."
No.722268
>>722267"And much less thankful to be alive. Oh well. On to the vegetables!"
He finds a particularly large eggplant and takes a knife from the rack, starting to chop it into impossible shapes with the intent of makinge some sort of otherworldly moussaka. He is interrupted, however, by a strident voice that rings out from the utensil.
"What in the WORLD are you doing?!" it thunders. [i]"You're ruining it! You animal! Moussaka! More like mouSUCK! Absolutely worthless piece of SHIT!" A frying pan flies off the shelf of its own free will, narrowly missing both of you and leaving a dent in the wall. Discord looks thunderstruck, gingerly putting the knife away. "Guess not, then."
>>722266"Th… the queen… she wanted me dead… I knew something… What did I know, what did I know… Everything's so blurry… What happened to me?" No.722270
>>722267>>722266>>722264>>722258>>722261>timeskipLater that day, while having lunch, Zunden, Norv, Aurora and Aegis inform the rest of the party of what Aegis has seen: Lysander is close, and he is using cuckoos as spies. One seems to have slipped on board at some point.
Dawn looks fearful. "So he's watching us? Right now?"
"Potentially, yes," says Aurora grimly. "We don't really know how his spies work yet."
Violet looks very concerned. "And no one saw a thing. That's what worries me the most. You're meant to be able to see the whole ship with that necklace on, but nobody saw a bird fly in and out?"
Carabas seems more resolute. "I will fly alongside the ship from now on. If anything approaches, I will hunt it down. We can't have him tracking us again."
The next few days are hell. Discord continues to run rampant through the ship, leaving destruction in his wake. Where Mercutio seemed to only like to annoy people, Discord is more malicious, hiding clothing and other essentials, popping in on people when they are seeking privacy, or simply stalking you unseen and playing obnoxiously loud music to make you jump. Overall, he is a pest. He seems to delight in vexing Queen Kairon, often calling her out when she's trying to eavesdrop. It's unclear what exactly he wants from all of you, though he still seems interested in acquiring the crystal core of the ship for reasons known only to him.
After heading back over the mountains bordering the desert, you stop on a patch of land near an overgrown crossroads. You go to find Discord to tell him you're dropping him off, only to find him outside already, leaning against the crossroads sign, carrying a comically large bindle full of who knows what and sporting a swanky black suit. "Well, I can't say that wasn't a fun little trip," he grins. "So long, my little ponies. I'll be seeing you.
If you survive your travels."
No.722271
>>722270During the trip, Aegis finally gave in to the heat and began strutting around the ship without clothing, excusing herself as 'not being used to the high temperatures'
She also doesnt head out to bid her farewell to Discord, prefering to remain in the ship far away from the draconequs
No.722272
>>722270I wave. "It was- well, it was an experience. I'm sure we'll bump into each other again. Good luck with your thing." I wait a moment, trying to gather what I'm going to ask before finally asking it. "Is Mercutio going to be back? And is Purdue going to get his memories back? I don't care if you give them back their future sight. Actually I'm kind of glad you took it away, but I was hoping you could tell me they're going to be alright." I look away and rub the back of my neck. "Alright for being dead and trapped in a skull, anyway."
No.722274
>>722270"Good luck out there, I guess. I'm sure you'll find more people to entertain you aside from us…" the stallion says, with a sigh. Hopefully he and Silver will be able to get some alone time now.
No.722275
>>722270Having come close to pulling my shivs more than once, Discord's passing has finally given me a sense of relief. "Not to worry about us, i'm sure we'll see this though. Do try to keep things in one piece, i'd hate to put all this effort in just to have the dimension collapse in on us anyway."
No.722276
>>722270Zunden does her due diligence and sorts all her belongings before Discord leaves, ensuring, even if out of place, everything still remains in her possession. She also makes sure to check the crystal as to make sure it wasn't tampered with before Discord leaves '1d10' [Antiquarian].
Nonetheless, she takes the jar of randomly flavored sticks and brings it up to the top deck, handing it to the draconequus as they leave.
"I believe order doez need chaoz to balanze it. Of ze all entitiez trapped here I've met, you are far from my leazt favorite. I will look out for objectz zhat I
would be fine wizh you draining of zheir chaotic magic, zhould we meet again."
She grins a little, "I am zure we'll zee ze rezult of plazez you've
been before we zee you zhough. Anywayz, I don't know if you actually have ze need to eat, but zheze remind me of you. I zhink we've yet to tazte a good one, but zhat iz juzt how ze world iz. Where iz ze fun in knowing what'z to happen next every day."
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.722277
>>722271Aurora looks a bit surprised seeing you out of your usual outfit, and perhaps a little uncomfortable. "If we run into some merchants, it might be good to get some proper desert clothes. We're going to be here for a long time, after all."
You notice Etrigan doesn't seem interested in bidding Discord farewell either. He is sitting in the dining hall, inspecting some sort of trinket you can't make out. Kairon wants nothing to do with him either, floating around idly, seething over one thing or another.
>>722272He purses his lips. "All I know is I know nothing," he says mysteriously, then opts to give you a more straightforward answer. "Really though, I have no clue what's going to happen there. I just did what I could with the little I had. At least something's back. Maybe you two can be better friends now!"
>>722274"Oh, I'm counting on it." He gives you a big toothy smile.
>>722275"Well, in the cosmic sense, you're doomed to fail eventually. Food for thought. Have fun on your little sortie though. Wish I could be there!"
>>722276It seems to be just fine. He doesn't seem to have touched anything, just messed things up and slightly traumatized your pet balaur.
>>722276"Oh, one of these! I love these!" He eagerly grabs it and takes a bite.
[ 1d100 = 21 ]Roll #1 14 = 14 /
Roll #2 31 = 31 No.722278
>>722276>>722277"Yech!" He spits it out. "Honey!"
"Right you are, reptile. It's good to be free. I've so missed toying with people. And knowing what you're all up to, things will get very,
very interesting around here."
>>722276>>722275>>722274>>722272Violet looks thoroughly harrowed from the past few days. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I really hope we don't run into each other again."
"Likewise," Carabas grumbles. He's missing a couple feathers here and there from Discord plucking them out in his sleep to make a set of quills.
"I feel like fate has plans for us meeting again," Dawn adds. "For better or worse."
"You're all too kind," says Discord with a cloying tone. "Oh, before I forget. Catch!" He pulls out some sort of orb from his pocket and lobs it at you.
'1d10' Carabas catching
'1d10' Violet catching
'1d10' Dawn catching
Roll #1 7 = 7 /
Roll #2 1 = 1 /
Roll #3 7 = 7 No.722279
>>722278Well. I guess he tried. Hopefully The Oracle will be alright. I give Discord a small smile. "Well , thanks again for giving them back. Basically. Maybe we can actually get to know each other a little better next time." I flinch as he tosses the orb and throw my hands up in front of my face on reflex.
'1d10'
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.722280
>>722277>>722278"Yeah, I think I could do without this experience again." he says, before scrabbling a little as he chucks the orb.
'1d10' "W-Woah, I think I got it!"
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.722281
>>722277Aegis's interest is picked, and she silently approaches Etrigan, snooping over what he is doing
No.722282
>>722278Zunden choose to sidestep, rather than catch.
[1d10 dodge]
No.722283
>>722282'1d10'
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.722284
>>722278further from the orb than i'd like, i use my wings to push myself from the ground, leaping towards the lobbed sphere!
>bounce'1d10' catch!
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.722285
>>722281He is holding some sort of locket, looking at it wistfully. Inside is an old faded photograph of a doe. He puts it away promptly as you approach, looking rather defensive.
>>722279>>722280>>722282>>722284Even with Dawn and Carabas trying their best, there's too many cooks, and the orb shatters on the ground. It was made of clay, with green patterns on it. "Ah, shame. I hope it'd be sturdier than that. That's what I get for buying online I suppose. Until next time!" Discord snaps his fingers, and with that, he appears to vanish in a big puff of dramatic smoke; however, you catch a glimpse of him running off quickly to give the illusion of disappearing. Either way, it doesn't seem like you'll be seeing him again any time soon.
>pausing No.722286
>>722285She looks at him for a moment, then bows her head ''Forgive me''
No.722400
>>722268"I-" I pause, look him over, and gulp. Should I just rip the bandaid off now? "You were killed," I say. "And trapped inside that skull. I think for some reason with the jester Mercutio? You were turned into a tool. An oracle that knew everything and every possibility from every time. It drove you a little crazy, but it's gone now. I found you at a travelling caravan, bought you, and we became friends." I knit my brow. "The queen? Kairon? I thought you were killed because she wanted you to be-" I clear my throat. "Well, The Oracle."
No.722418
>>722285"Back unto ze fray, I zuppoze. We will have to take Dizcord'z word on ze location of ze egg, but I do not zhink it particularly likely he had any reazon to lie, unlezz he had made a deal wizh ze previouz vizitorz."
She drums her fingers on the side of the deck, bringing the ship to start heading to the center of the desert, "I worry not only for what liez in ze zenter of the dezert, but Lyzander'z zcoutz and zhoze zhat may be influenzed by ze Oneiromanzer. Zhoze zhat truzt zheir dreamz more zhan anyzhing are dangerouz."
No.722421
>>722285Rabi picks himself up off the deck with a somewhat annoyed whinny, before looking to the others "You, uh… You all don't suppose that breaking's a really bad thing, do you? Anyways, I guess we ought to keep moving, right?"
No.722432
>>722285My stomach sinks as I see the orb shatter. I really hope that wasn't something useful. "Should we, uh, keep the pieces?"
No.722442
>>722285landing with a sigh, i eye the pieces before making my way back into the ship.
"Wonderful.. Well, hopefully the egg will fare better when the time comes.."
No.722445
>>722285'1d10'
Roll #1 9 = 9 No.722447
>>722285'1d10'
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.722448
>>722432"I can keep it in my curio caze, unlezz you have planz to repair it."
No.722450
>>722285'1d10'
Roll #1 9 = 9 No.722451
>>722433'1d10'
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.722452
>>722448"I can take a look at it. Won't try anything if it just seems like I'll mess it up more, though."
No.722453
'1d10' Violet
'1d10' Aurora
'1d10' Dawn
'1d10' Carabas
'1d10' Etrigan
Roll #1 7 = 7 / Roll #2 3 = 3 / Roll #3 2 = 2 / Roll #4 2 = 2 / Roll #5 7 = 7
No.722454
>>722453'1d10' Dawn
'1d10' Carabas
Roll #1 6 = 6 /
Roll #2 10 = 10 No.722455
>>722447'1d10'
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.722457
>>722286He nods solemnly and puts it away. In his dead black eyes, you sense deeply rooted pain and grief over his trials and tribulations.
>>722418Violet nods. "Not to mention we've lost even more time dropping Discord off. For all we know Lysander's already at the Hive by now…"
>>722421>>722432Carabas gazes out at where Discord ran off. "It is probably nothing. He lives to vex mortals. If anything, we should put it out of our minds."
>>722286>>722418>>722421>>722432>>722442A few days of uneventful travel go by. You find that most of the relentless heat of the desert is avoidable by staying indoors. Etrigan especially seems to shun the raging sun, keeping to the shadows.
Violet and Dawn chat a little. From what you learn of the latter, she was a well regarded sorceress in the Dominion, but was betrayed by a jealous peer and framed for a spell gone awry.
Carabas and Aurora spar occasionally, the latter teaching her how to defend herself more effectively in combat. While his past is not yet clear, he seems to have a martial background.
Purdue, now separated from Mercutio, is extremely reclusive, shying away from any interactions in favor of spending time in solitude, contemplating his existence.
Kairon is more active, loudly asserting her opinions on Discord; from what she tells, she had to rally forces to keep him at bay many, many times during her reign. He is a timeless being, perhaps one of the most powerful in the Echoes, and revels in trickery. He will betray anyone, even if it inconveniences him to do so, if it means getting a cheap laugh. For now, he seems much less powerful than he was at his peak, and he will surely become a problem for the Echoes at large.
1/2
No.722462
>>722448>>722450>>722445>>722451On one quiet night, all of you save for Zunden are plagued by horrific dreams, the type of nightmares that have you break out in a cold sweat and wake up with your hearts pounding in your chest. One by one, each of you awaken. From the looks of it, it is very early in the morning, and as befits a desert, it is extremely cold. You can hear the others starting to stir in their rooms as well. Norv sees Violet wake up next to him, having a haunting look in her eyes, while Silver notices that Rabi is still asleep, and seems to be having a nightmare. Zunden awakes for different reasons; while sleeping and controlling the ship, she was jolted awake by a strange foreboding feeling, like a shadow passing over everything.
>>722455https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cADlT6ylv4YYou are the only survivor.
The ship is splinters.
Silver is dead. Zunden is dead. Aurora is dead.
You did nothing.
You could do nothing.
The world is on fire.
You are alone.
A hooded figure stands over you.
He holds a black orb.
Two mouths appear where the Oneiromancer's eyes should be.
He reaches towards you with many hands.
He whispers in your ear.The mummer's dragon.You awaken with a jolt, your heart feeling like it's going to burst out of your chest. You're back in bed, next to Silver. For a moment, you're not sure whether this is a dream or not.
No.722466
>>722462Tossing and turning fitfully in my sleep, dreams of abandonment and Rabi's death, of rancorous laughter and gnashing teeth, the very breath pulled from my body as a weight sought to crush the life from my form.
I awake in a sweat, falling out of bed screaming, wide eyed as i slowly try to recover my senses.
[ 1d10 = 4 ]I practically throw myself into Rabi, sobbing uncontrollably as i hold onto him.
Roll #1 6 = 6 /
Roll #2 6 = 6 No.722468
>>722457>>722462Aegis occasionally stops and watches in on Aurora and Carabas's sparring sessions during her breaks, silently scrutinizing both fighters with her cold, analytical gaze
Upon waking up, Aegis stared at the window of the Captain's room from the comfort of her blankets, thinking about the nightmares she's just experienced for a few minutes before she finally hopped off the bed, fixing her mane and getting dressed before heading off to the kitchen to whip up breakfast
No.722469
>>722457"Eh, if you say so. If I had some sort of magic… broom, or salt circles, I'd use it."
-
Rabi spends most of the time on the trip with Silver, or offering to go over some of the magic he knows or found with Aegis. Aside from that, he'll occasionally check in on Etrigan
>>722462Rabi grits his teeth and thrashes in his sleep, trying to no avail to help his friends, or even just do anything at all. He awakens a few moments after Silver begins to jostle him and lets out a panicked shout, grasping on to her and gripping her tightly.
"C-C'mon, say something! Y-You're still there, right? S-Silver?" he asks, too terrified and hazy to even realize he'd woken up at all.
No.722471
>>722462I slowly sit up and scoot a little closer to Violet. My whole body feels heavy, and I'm sure I'm wearing the same look as her. I swallow. "Bad dream?" I ask, hoping I'm wrong about the answer. "You don't think Discord did something to the enchantment, do you?"
No.722472
>>722469I lock eyes with you and nod, still teary from the nightmare.
"I.. I'm here, Rabi. We're okay."
No.722474
>>722462Zunden awakens and watches over the others as they stir, clearly suspecting the work of the Oneiromancer. Getting up with purpose, she clears some space on her table, immediately getting to work on creating charms for her allies.
>Creating a Severance charm like the one she made with Black Pudding[ 1d10+1 = 10 ]Roll #1 6 + 1 = 7 /
Roll #2 6 + 1 = 7 No.722480
>>722472"I… W-We are?" he asks, exhaling shakily before gently feeling her over. I-It… it was a dream, I guess. Did you, uh, have one too?" he asks, letting his tensed-up body relax a little.
No.722482
>>722466For a good minute, you're not sure what's real and what isn't. It takes a while to come around and realize you're not in another nightmare.
>>722468It seems Aurora is picking up quite well. Though she's still a little clumsy with her new sword, she's getting much better overall. Carabas, from what you can tell, is an expert swordsman as it is.
There is no one in the kitchen as far as you can tell, yet you can't shake the slight uncomfortable feeling of being watched from afar. In the distance, you can hear Etrigan patrolling the ship.
>roll Perception>>722469While Etrigan is, unsurprisingly, not much for conversation, he seems to greatly value having someone that'll stick around him like you do.
The gripping fear of the dream slowly starts to ebb as you regain your grip on reality, though the words of the Oneiromancer still echo in the back of your mind. "The mummer's dragon".
>>722471She gives a slight nod, tearing up a little and suddenly throwing her arms around you. "I…. I don't know what's happening… It felt like there was something
torturing me in my head… I… I think it might be
him…" It takes her a minute to calm down, reassuring herself that she's not dreaming anymore before breaking away. "You felt it too, then… We… we should go check up on the others. I hope it's just us." She seems to doubt her own words.
>>722474You oversee the others. Aurora tosses and turns fitfully, almost falling out of bed as she awakes, while Carabas jolts awake with a cry and instinctively shoots his claw out, reaching for the greatsword next to his bed. Once he snaps out of it, he begins to comfort Dawn, who is curled up and crying quietly as she awakes. Etrigan seems to be stalking the ship, as if looking for something.
You don't waste time in getting to work, taking one of your many necklaces and engraving the rune of Severance on it, with the intent to ward off intrusion. As soon as you are done, you sense a magical energy coming from your new artifact. The rune invocation seems to have worked, and you now have a pendant that should keep the Oneiromancer at bay.
No.722483
>>722480I nod, wiping tears from my eyes with a wing. "I did, yes.. A horrible nightmare, even now just trying to recall it all.." i trail off, shivering in fear as i lean into you for support. "I'm just glad we're okay."
No.722485
>>722482Aegis picks up an apple from the basket and takes a bite out of it, idly looking over at the window on the kitchen as she chewed incredibly slowly, her mind sharp for any disturbance in the silence of the early morning
'1d10'
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.722486
>>722482My voice trembles as I speak, but I gently put my arm around her both to try to comfort her a little and to help ground myself. "If it was both us then I doubt it was
just us. It feels-" I gulp and turn away, swinging my legs over the side of the bed. "wrong. Yeah. Let's go check on everyone else."
No.722488
>>722482Zunden grits her teeth and continues to work, summoning a Servitor to aid Etrigan in search of black marks or cuckoos.
[ 1d10+1 = 4 ] charm
[ 1d10 = 2 ] Servitor perception
Roll #1 3 + 1 = 4 /
Roll #2 9 + 1 = 10 /
Roll #3 6 = 6 /
Roll #4 6 = 6 No.722490
>>722482Not knowing much of what to say, the stallion will talk about a little of anything- if it catches Etrigan's attention, he'll likely talk about it more.
>>722483"Yeah. I-I don't know if I remember everything, but… I lost everyone. You too. I-I've lost my family once already, and I'm not keen on repeating that here." he says, after a pause. "Think you'd mind hanging in bed a little longer? I think I just… I don't know, I need to be near you."
>>722488>>722482Some time later in the morning, Rabi approaches Zunden and Etrigan uneasily "Hey, uhm… I wasn't sure who to take this to. I had a dream involving the Oneiromancer, and he said something. I can't get the phrase out of my head, but… does 'Mummer's Dragon' mean anything to either of you?"
No.722494
>>722485You think you hear a slight flutter of wings somewhere nearby on the ship, but it could just be your imagination.
Norv and Violet join you in the dining room, looking thoroughly shaken by something. The latter manages a weak smile of greeting.
>>722486She nods weakly and joins you in getting out of bed. You move to the kitchen, where you find Aegis already up and about.
>>722490You go to find Etrigan. As you speak, he motions for you to be silent. He seems to be looking for something. A Servitor, doubtless sent by Zunden, appears next to you. Etrigan ignores both of you as he keeps walking the corridor, heading towards the cargo hold in search of whatever he's trying to find.
>>722488As you send a Servitor, you keep an eye on everyone on board. Kairon and Purdue are nowhere to be seen, while Aurora is trying fruitlessly to get back to sleep. Dawn and Carabas are talking about something in hushed tone, while Violet is with Norv in the kitchen, where they have met up with Aegis. Silver and Rabi comfort each other before the latter goes to find Etrigan. The undead elk seems to have found something, ignoring both Rabi your Servitor as he chases something down throughout the ship.
>>722490>>722488He grabs it from up in a small, dark gap. A squirming grey and white bird, flapping furiously trying to get free of his grip. One of Lysander's eyes and ears. Etrigan stares at the struggling for a moment, then without further hesitation, wrings its neck with a single powerful motion. Etrigan turns to Rabi, dead bird in hoof, having a fearful look in his eyes.
>>722490The phrase mummer's dragon seems to resonate with Etrigan when you bring it up, but he would require something to write on to communicate what he's trying to convey. The bird he killed seems to worry him more, however.
>roll Perception>>722488The scene with Etrigan distracts you from your work, and you fail at first to make another necklace.
No.722497
>>722490Smiling, i nod. "Of course, dear, i'll be here for you, for as long as you need."
Putting a wing around you, i lay my head against your side for a time, the ordeal behind us.
>>722494After some time, i slip on my under dress and follow Rabi out into the ship as he searches for the others.
No.722499
>>722494Zunden keeps to work, the Servitor watching over the others as she's swept up in a protective fervor, creating etchings into her necklaces.
[ 1d10+1 = 11 ] Severance
[ 1d10 = 4 ] Servitor percep
Roll #1 1 + 1 = 2 /
Roll #2 9 + 1 = 10 /
Roll #3 1 = 1 /
Roll #4 4 = 4 No.722502
>>722494"Another one of those? I guess they can come as they please… I'll help you look."
'1d10' Perception
"If we can't find anything, you can write on my cloak."
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.722503
>>722494I nod a greeting at Aegis, but don't make eye contact. After a moment, I glance up at her. "So, sleep alright?"
No.722510
>>722494Aegis replies with a simple nod, filling a bowl with some oatmeal
''What are the plans for today'' She speaks up
>>722503''No, I didnt''
No.722511
>>722497"Thank you, Silver. I don't know what I'd do without you." he says, with a nervous chuckle.
No.722513
>>722510That's not good news. I fold my arms in front of me and lean on the table. "Yeah," I say. "Me neither."
No.722514
>>722497You find Rabi and Etrigan in the cargo hold, the latter holding a dead grey and white bird in his hoof. You remember Aegis and Zunden having warned the rest of the party about these birds; they are spies sent by Lysander to track you. Both of them seem to be searching the ship, alongside one of the Servitors.
>>722499You keep working, crafting two more functional Severance necklaces for the group. The Servitor patrols the ship, looking for additional cuckoos.
>>722502After a quick search, you find a piece of chalk and some parchment. Etrigan draws a surprisingly good sketch, depicting a cloth dragon supported on tent poles, waving above a cheering crowd.
Silver joins you both as you begin to search for more cuckoos.
>>722497>>722502>>722499To your dismay, you spot a total of eight more cuckoos as you scour the ship. If neither Silver or Rabi wish to do the dirty work, Etrigan or the Servitor will kill them themselves.
>>722510Violet shrugs. "We keep moving, I suppose." Her voice sounds a little hoarse.
"Neither," she says as you answer Norv. "I feel… I feel like something might've happened. With the dream walker. He's not meant to be able to plague us anymore. But he is."
No.722518
>>722514Finding Rabi with the mysterious Etrigan, i glare at the cuckoos as i recall Zunden's warning.
"This is ridiculous, all the effort to place the runes and
still we're not free from that wretched mage! I suppose these horrid birds are the nightmare's source as well, yes?"
In a huff, i join in the hunt, scouring the ship with the pair for more birds.
"Had i brought my shivs i would fillet them for Zunden, such is my disgust, but i suppose hunting them for you to dispose of will suffice, Etrigan!"
[ 1d10 = 1 ] Bird hunting!
Roll #1 9 = 9 /
Roll #2 10 = 10 No.722520
>>722514Rabi will at least try to snap the necks of a few of them, seeing as they find so many.
>'1d10' if you need another roll"If I knew more about magic, maybe I could do something about this. They can't just be flying on, can they?"
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.722521
>>722514Zunden continues her fervent runecrafting, putting her all into two more charms, quickly growing weary of the enchantment work.
[ 1d10+1 = 2 ] Severance
[ 1d10 = 9 ] Servitor Perception
Roll #1 7 + 1 = 8 /
Roll #2 9 + 1 = 10 /
Roll #3 4 = 4 /
Roll #4 4 = 4 No.722526
>>722514I nod. "Yeah. Maybe Z will know something about it, but-" I let my sentence trail off. Something tells me she won't, and I'm terrified we might have to deal with it again. Or force ourselves to stay awake.
No.722527
>>722513''Nightmares of the eldritch variety I assume?'' She raises a brow at the dog
>>722514''Maybe the presence of its flock is allowing it to sow the chaos in our minds, otherwise I cant think of any explanation as to why it would suddenly be able to invade our dreams. At least its interference seems to be limited to our sleep, or so I hope''
No.722533
>>722518>>722520>>722521Together, you patrol the whole ship, searching in every nook and cranny for the birds. It seems that they numbered 9 in total. After you deal with them, Etrigan takes the corpses outside and throws them into the dunes below, where they are promptly swallowed by the living desert.
>>722521In your haste, you slip and crack one of the necklaces, rendering it useless for rune-crafting.
>>722526>>722527"Miss Aegis may be right," says Dawn. She and Carabas have entered the room quietly, looking as haggard as the rest of you. "He may not be able to enter our minds directly due to the seal placed, so he has sent spies to act as his representatives. If you see any of the birds, kill them on sight."
Violet blinks, taken a little aback by their sudden appearance. "Uh. Will do. Good to know. Hi."
"Hello. …Tell me," Dawn asks, "does the phrase 'mummer's dragon' mean anything to you? We both heard it in our nightmares, but as little more than a whisper on the wind. It is very odd."
No.722534
>>722527I nod. "Yep. That about sums it up."
>>722533"Will do." I shake my head. "No, that doesn't ring a bell. Think it has something to do with that gang?"
No.722537
>>722533Zunden hisses, holding out a claw and channeling her determination to finish her project into the last two necklaces, carving the symbols with her own claws into the necklaces.
>Chariot'10' Severance
No.722539
>>722533"Think there's a way we could sweep for them? Magic, maybe?" he asks, before humming a little bit "Oh… and, did you know much about what I said earlier?"
No.722540
>>722539>Edit"So… was this 'Mummer Dragon' some part of a festival, then? Is it here, or back in the other world?"
No.722544
>>722533with the ship cleaned of birds, i breath a sigh of relief.
"With that settled, i wonder how the others are faring? Plagued by nightmares as well, no doubt.. So close to recovering the egg, i can't help but wonder if nights like this will continue."
No.722546
>>722533>>722533''No, I dont believe I recall hearing it before''
No.722548
>>722534>>722546"They share the same word, but I doubt they are related," Carabas chimes in. "A mummer's dragon is a cloth contraption used by performers," he explains, "in parades and such. A mummer is an actor, you see. It's a fake dragon made of cloth and sticks. The question is, why would the Oneiromancer be telling us about a false dragon?" You're not sure whether it's a rhetorical or genuine question.
>>722537Filled with otherworldly determination, you doggedly carve into the necklaces with all the strength you can muster, etching out the four pointed eye symbol on the remaining two necklaces. When you are done, you have a collection of five similar necklaces, all protected from the Oneiromancer by way of Severance.
>>722540He nods at your first question, and points towards the sky for the second. He looks as confused as you are, really.
>>722544>>722539Etrigan nods towards the ship interior as Silver brings up the others. Taking the hint, you go back into the main dining room, where you find Aegis, Norv, Violet, Carabas, and Dawn gathered, discussing the previous night's events. It seems the latter two have heard about the mummer's dragon as well.
No.722550
>>722548''No doubt something to try and confuse us. If it is against us, it would have no reason to do anything but torment and confuse the group the best it can, not that different from Discord, but at least his intents were simply for his own amusement. Who knows what the Oneiromancer seeks to gain from destroying both our realities'' Aegis stands up and carries her bowl to the sink
''I would dismiss these words if I were you, or at least try to not worry about them. The Oneiromancer is not trying to give us a friendly hint here''
No.722552
>>722548>>722550"He mentioned the same thing to me last night- I can't say I'm sure why, though. Maybe he's talking about Lysander?" the stallion suggests, with a shrug.
No.722626
[1d10] test
Roll #1 9 = 9
No.722627
>>722400"Mercutio?" He keeps looking around, trying to make sense of his surroundings.
"Who's Mercutio? I… I don't understand… I was in my private quarters, and… now I'm here here…" He looks down, looking dismayed at being reduced to just a head.
"Stranger. I… I do not know who you are, but I beg you, please help me. If nothing else, I will need a better body than… th-this. A-and I can help! I'm something of an oracle, it is true. Perhaps not omniscient, if I am to be frank, but I can read stars. Constellations. Patterns in the spheres, pertaining to things to come. And I am well connected, if I may say so myself. As Queen Kairon's personal court mage, I do have friends in high places. I could make you quite wealthy. …Queen Kairon… If… if you are not mistaken, I wonder why she would have wanted me dead. I did everything to serve her…" "…It seems… It seems the details of the truth are vague here," he muses, more to himself.
"You say one thing, but that contradicts everything I know… I have no reason to doubt your word thus far, stranger. One of us must be mistaken.""In any case. I'm sure I can be of service to you in some form. You do your part, and… and I'll do mine. What do you say?" No.722633
>>722627I smile, walk over to him as calmly and unthreateningly as I can manage, and sit down in front of him. "Like I said," I say, resting my arms across my thighs. "We're pals. I was already lookin' for a way to help you anyway, and you might not remember, but you already done a hell of a lot to help me out. You don't know everything, and can't remember knowing everything, so that's a good first step. It, uh…" I rub the back of my neck. "It drove you a little batty, y'know? You said it was more of a curse than a gift. Anyway, I'd appreciate all the help you're willing to give, but I ain't gonna hold it over you-" I pause, look the skull up and down, and clear my throat. "Over your head. Your grace-" I pause again. "Uh… her grace? I think that's how you'd say it. She's here too, somewhere. Probably best to tell you that now before you run into her yourself."
No.722634
>>722627"Also you can call me Norv," I add, just realizing I need to introduce myself.
No.722831
>>722548I sheepishly glance down at my hands. "Oh. Didn't, uh… didn't know that. So, what, it's sayin' something about something that either looks like a dragon but ain't, or claims to be a true dragon but ain't. Seems like a lot of room for interpretation." I squeeze my eyes shut scratch the top of my head in annoyance. "Y'know, I kinda like things like balur, bandits, and brigands more than this guy. At least they make sense and you know what their goal is."
No.722832
>>722548Zunden rests her head against the table, feeling tired despite having just woke up. She has the Servitor start work on breakfast, a quick fruit medley for the party.
No.722833
>>722548my fury sated by removing the birds, i join the others in the dining room looking haggard.
"Hmm.. Given nearly everypony is here, i suspect you all had much a similar night? Etrigan, Rabi and i have rid the ship of a veritable coop of cuckoos, no doubt what brought such a horrid spell upon us."
No.722834
>>722550>>722831>>722552Carabas nods. "Believe me, we're all as confused as you are. The only thing that comes to mind is Lysander himself. But why would the Oneiromancer, his master, refer to him as such? It's all beyond me, quite frankly."
>>722832You sit and almost nod off as the Servitor prepares breakfast, serving it dutifully. It consists of a surprisingly well made fruit salad, along with a few bread rolls with sandwich options for those so inclined. "Oh. Thank you, Zunden!" Carabas says cheerfully, his spirits improved by the sight of food. He helps serve Dawn a small serving of fruit salad before helping himself to a ham and cheese roll. Violet heads off to go make coffee for those so inclined. Aurora is still in her room.
>>722833Carabas nods between bites of his bread roll. "The dream walker is back, it seems. Though we don't know what he wants. I'm assuming Lysander sent those feathered spies. We shouldn't linger. He is most likely ahead of us, after all."
>timeskip when everyone is ready No.722835
>>722833>>722834''Perhaps the Oneiromancer has some kind of plan not even Lysander knows'' Aegis speaks up as she makes herself as she butters up some bread ''Lysander probably doesnt know he must be merely a puppet for the Dream Walker''
No.722836
>>722834Zunden watches over Aurora and delivers has the Servitor deliver fruit and a necklace to Aurora, concerned for her wellbeing most at the moment.
No.722837
>>722834I sigh. "Yeah. Punching the cuckoos clocks is all we can really do right now. Can't wait for a day where I can just sit down, relax, and not have to worry about being spied on by someone with ties to some apocalyptic, cosmic otherworldly entity."
Ready
No.722838
>>722834Taking a seat, i put together a serving of salad with the others, grateful for something to settle the stomach.
>>722835"Curious indeed.. It's all come to a head now, we'll need to put everything we have into making sure neither of them retrieve the egg."
No.722839
>>722834"I guess he doesn't think very highly of him? I don't really know what else to suggest." the stallion offers, before settling in next to Silver in the dining room. He'll happily have some salad and bread; eating might take the edge off.
Ready if we need to timeskip!
No.722840
>>722835"I'd like to think we know everything he's planning," Dawn muses as she fumbles with her bowl, "but we can't, really. That's what has me worried. What if we don't have the full picture? What if we're wrong about something, and this whole expedition was built on bad assumptions?" The thought lingers uncomfortably for a while.
>>722836The door to her room is open, but Aurora seems to have curled up and fallen asleep again, clutching her blankets tightly.
>>722837Dawn nods. There is a brief silence, then Carabas laughs slightly. "Haha! Clocking the cuckoos. How apt."
>>722838Etrigan nods. "I have to wonder, though," says Carabas, "what comes next? After we retrieve the Egg and hide it away somewhere. We had planned on going our own way after that, but what will you all do? Do you have a plan in mind?"
>>722839"Perhaps," says Dawn. "Or perhaps something happened between them."
No.722841
>>722840>>722839>>722838>>722837>>722836>>722835https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoJjzpH3YlcSix uneventful days go by as your ship soars above the Shifting Sands. The sun seems to threaten to boil you alive, and the pervasive sand storms (or sand swarms, as Aurora has taken to calling them) make it difficult to stay above deck for too long. You take to closing all the windows and doors, preventing any dust or insects from entering. On the occasions that you do withstand the blistering heat to get a view of the desert, you are greeted to a dead, scarlet landscape. There is nary a living soul in sight, save for the occasional dead shrub or bones picked clean, and the landscape varies shockingly little. With the compass being sabotaged, you have to rely on cartography and your sense of direction to navigate towards the Hive. Violet helps here more than most, being experienced in surviving in the wild. As you fly closer and closer, the ubiquitous drone of the Shifting Sands grows subtly louder, always just loud enough to not be able to be ignored.
After the Hive you have been heading towards is more in sight. You can see that it is a spire that seems to tower up to skewer the clouds above, composed of some unknown material. It seems to glitter in the heat of the desert. The Hive slopes out from the bottom of a rocky red crater, too steep to be able to go down normally. The constant droning sound of the Sands is almost deafening; you can barely hear yourselves think over the skull rattling buzz that emanates from the structure. You have to crane your necks to take in the full scope of it; it is the size of a mountain unto itself, dominating the landscape. Just looking at the structure fills you with a vague sense of dread.
"It's even worse up close," Violet comments as you all gather on the deck, wrinkling her snout slightly as she takes in the view.
Aurora looks intimidated, but also curious. "I wonder where these bugs came from. How long this place has been standing. It's like… like it's been sitting here for a million years, just waiting for us."
"Being blind has its mercies, I gather," Dawn says with a wry smile. "It sounds dreadful."
Kairon emanates from a crack in the floorboard, curious to see what has everyone abuzz.
"What a curious construct. In all my years I cannot say I've ever seen anything like it before." Carabas looks very troubled. "How in the world are we meant to search
that? It could be anywhere!" Etrigan seems to share his sentiments, backing up slightly at the sight of it.
No.722842
>>722841I pant through the heat and squint through the sun as I look the structure over. "Starting to feel underprepared," I say. "Like we shoulda gotten some of those, like, bee keeper suits."
No.722843
>>722841"I juzt worry where to land - ze zandz will zurely zwallow ze zhip while we zearch ze zpire. I'd prefer to have it in ze air ze whole time if pozzible."
No.722844
>>722840''Then we will adapt once we figure the truth, lest this land be swallowed whole by the Cucoo, as it no doubt did to so many others''
>>722841Over the following days, Aegis covered most of her own room in layers of ice, enchancing it magically with the frigor spell she was taught. She also did the same for some of the other rooms of the ship, but avoided overdoing it to not exhaust herself and also to avoid weighing the ship down as she tried to provide everyone some relief from the heat the best she could
Upon the arrival at the Hive, Aegis appears silently among the party, having just returned from refreshing the frigor spell on some part of the ship
''The safest way I can think would be to have Rabi astral project his way there, but that would take time we dont have'' Aegis shakes her head ''How was the egg even hidden here to begin with?''
No.722845
>>722840"Mm.. An excellent question. I had assumed a vacation would be in order, but beyond that i'm not quite sure. I'll have to consult with Rabi about his and my future, whatever that may be, once this egg business is concluded."
>>722841shielding my eyes from the sun with a wing, i crane my neck to take in the whole structure, in awe of it's size.
"My word, the size of it all, and the
noise! We'll likely go deaf unless we find some ear protection!"
No.722846
>>722844"Sounds like the bugs like to collect things. Pretty sure it got "collected"."
No.722847
>>722844"Hmm.. while entomology isn't my forte, i'd assume the swarm must have some sort of room further in for food items and the like. Perhaps they mistook it for some morsel of food?"
No.722848
>>722840"Worth trying to look into, maybe? We'll have to see what Lysander's like when we see him again, I guess."
>>722841"Jeez… I didn't have any idea what to expect, but this is just ridiculous, to be honest." the stallion says, folding his ears back from the constant noise and trying to think of what to suggest.
"Maybe… maybe they put it with their eggs, if they have any? That, or wherever they might put food, or anything special. I could try scouting it out a little, but I don't know if it'd be any faster."
No.722849
>>722845Rabi flicks his ears back up and looks over to Silver, before offering a somewhat-excited whinny. "Yeah. I like the sound of talking it over."
No.722850
>>722846>>722847''Hmm…'' Aegis spares Norv and Silver a glance before looking back down at the hive ''This is a bit of a strech but what if we tried to disguise ourselves as something 'collecteable' then? In theory the bugs would take us directly to the egg''
No.722851
>>722850I stop panting, slowly turn my head toward her, and stare. "If you'd seen what these things can do then you'd know how bad of an idea that is. We'd be stripped to the bone in minutes." He looks back up at the hive and his ears fold back. "These things are like carpet beetles, but way, way worse."
No.722852
>>722842Carabas gives you an odd look. "Bee keeper? You think whatever made this works like bees do?" He doesn't seem to be mocking you, instead genuinely entertaining the thought.
>>722843"Maybe we could tether the ship further down," Violet suggests. "Like an anchor. Then we could shimmy down a rope or something to go explore."
>>722844Your efforts to cool down the ship don't go unnoticed. Etrigan especially seems to shun the heat, as an undead, and bows deeply in gratitude for your efforts. The others too are grateful for the temperature on the ship being drastically lowered by your spells.
"The sands are alive," Violet explains, "and they covet treasures. When we opened the vault where the Egg was, they must have swept in and claimed it, and brought it back here. At least, that's what Discord said."
>>722845"Any sort of protection, really," Aurora chimes in. "I doubt those things will take kindly to us wandering around their hive."
>>722848Carabas shakes his head. "No time for scouting, I feel. We should stick together from hereon out. Besides. With the Oneiromancer on the prowl, entering the Astral Plane might not be the best idea."
No.722853
>>722852"I mean not exactly, but if the material wasn't organic it could maybe help keep the swarm out. Swarming the suit instead of your squishy bits."
No.722854
>>722851''I have not, in fact, seen what those things are capable of'' Aegis nods ''My apologies, I didnt think of a plan coming into here, because I assumed you all would have already have a plan to retrieve the egg from the hive''
>>722852''Hm. Do you think perhaps there could be a way to communicate with them? I suppose this is nothing but a nice thought, but if we could convince them to trade the eggs for another thing they could covet more, this would be much easier''
No.722855
>>722849>>722852Zunden raises a hand, "I might be able to help wizh warding ze Oneiromanzer," Zunden says, holding up four necklaces of hers with runes carved into them, "I zpent ze morning of ze dreamweaver'z return working on creating charmz to ward off zheir prezenze, perhapz you could project while wearing ze Zeveranze charm."
No.722856
>>722852>>722855"Ah, that could work! Rabi could search for an efficient way in, we race to the egg and flee before the hive can muster a defense!"
No.722857
>>722855>>722856"You know, that's probably a good idea- I don't know how much I like the idea of Projecting while he's lurking without something like that… thank you, Zunden. You're a lifesaver."
He looks to Silver and nods. "Unless they can attack spirits, I should be pretty safe."
No.722858
>>722855>>722856''This will not be enough for all of us to use at once'' Aegis states ''We should plan accordingly to see who wears them for this operation. Remember that I too can give Rabi's Astral projection an attempt'' She glances away ''If you give me a minute to prepare. So take that into account''
No.722859
>>722855"Oh, thank the sisters. I wasn't gonna say anything but I was terrified I'd have to deal with nightmares until we got the ship's ward thingy fixed back up."
No.722860
>>722859I take the necklace and immediately slip it around my neck with the anti lightning charm thing.
>>722854"Yeah, sorry, I just-" I swallow. "I'm a little on edge right now, y'know? Things like these bugs really get to me. Especially swarms and infestations. I don't have any fatal poisons or insecticides right now but do effectively have a flamethrower, so I'm sure that'll help. I'll fill most of my cans with oil. Past that, though-" I shrug.
No.722861
>>722860''Remember to breathe, mister norvegicus'' Aegis replies, deadpan ''We're just the last hope of saving existence from complete oblivion, so remain calm''
No.722862
>>722853He nods. "If only we had more than one suit of armor to go around. …Though, you might be on to something. If nothing else, it might be a good idea to see what effect smoke has on them. If they are like bees, it might calm them. It's a stretch, admittedly. Not a good plan at all. But it's better than no plan."
>>722854"We didn't have much of a plan," Violet chimes in, looking sheepish. "Mostly because we didn't really know what we were walking into."
"They don't seem too intelligent," says Aurora, rubbing her chin, "but we could try replacing the Egg with something of about the same size and shape, maybe. If we do it quick enough, they might not even notice."
>>722855>>722856>>722857"Wonderful!" says Carabas cheerily as Zunden brings up the necklaces. "Just what we'll need to prevent any more psychic incursions!"
"Ahem." Kairon speaks up, having sat by quietly until now.
"I might be able to assist in this matter. I am intangible, so whatever these creatures may try, it will not affect me. Perhaps I could go forth and explore myself. It is for a good cause, after all." No.722863
>>722862''Do we even have anything of said shape to replace the egg?'' Aegis questions Aurora
''Yes, that would be helpful'' She turns to Kairon ''In this case the three of us could scout the give at once''
No.722864
>>722860"Yes, i'm afraid i'm also out of my element here. Shivs and daggers aren't meant to fight clouds of insects, and even at my most careful a thousand eyes could easily spot me in the dark."
i hold my head in my hoof, sighing. "Quite the conundrum, isn't it?"
No.722865
>>722864>>722862"Ideally, we would wizh not to fight ze zwarm at all - get in and out wizhout drawing ire of ze whole dezert."
She looks to Kairon, "You do wizh to explore a hive of zuch creaturez?"
No.722866
>>722862"Oh? You'd be willing to help us? That would be lovely!"
"The more eyes we have within the mound, the more likely we are to find what we're looking for."
No.722867
>>722862"Actually yeah. Could try smoke. They're swarm insects, so they might communicate with pheromones. That's why smoke works like it does in bees. It kills their sense of smell." I sigh. "But yeah. Some kind of armor would be nice right now."
I glance over at Kairon and study her for a moment. I open my mouth, close it to think a little more, and open it again. I bite my lower lip and nod. "Yeah. I think we should give it a shot."
>>722861I do continue to breathe. Really, really hard. "Yeah," I say. "No pressure. It isn't like I haven't done basically this for years now." I let out a slightly manic chuckle.
No.722869
>>722867''Just try to think of this as any other daily service, and by the end of the day you'll be enjoying a nice…'' She pauses, scrutinizing the dog for a moment ''Bowl of strawberry chocolate ice cream''
No.722871
>>722863She taps her chin. "We've got a skull. Two of them, actually. We could always fill a bag with unneeded things as well."
>>722865"No. But I happen to value our reality. So I'll do what I must.">>722867Seeing you start to fret, Violet puts a hoof on your shoulder reassuringly, looking you in the eyes. She looks as nervous as you, but suppresses it and forces a smile. "Hey. It's alright. We won't be here long. Quick in and out. Easy grab. Okay?"
>>722863>>722866>>722866>>722867"Then it's decided," she says curtly.
"I will return shortly. Don't wait for me." With that, Kairon floats over the edge and spirals down towards the crater, soon disappearing from sight as she blends into the rocks.
No.722872
>>722862>>722871"O-Oh, wait- do you want me to come along too, or should I leave you to it?"
No.722874
>>722872"If you're willing, i'd imagine you could split up and explore a different segment of the tunnels within, correct?"
No.722875
>>722863She taps her chin. "We've got a skull. Two of them, actually. We could always fill a bag with unneeded things as well."
>>722865"No. But I happen to value our reality. So I'll do what I must.">>722867Carabas nods. "I'll go make some torches," he says, and proceeds to go do just that.
Seeing you start to fret, Violet puts a hoof on your shoulder reassuringly, looking you in the eyes. She looks as nervous as you, but suppresses it and forces a smile. "Hey. It's alright. We won't be here long. Quick in and out. Easy grab. Okay?"
>>722872"No need. I am not on the Astral Plane like you will be.">>722863>>722866>>722866>>722867>>722872"Then it's decided," she says curtly.
"I will return shortly. Don't wait for me. I'll find you." With that, Kairon floats over the edge and spirals gracefully down towards the crater, soon disappearing from sight as she blends into the rocks. Etrigan and Aurora watch her descend and vanish, the latter looking a bit concerned, but she doesn't voice what's on her mind.
Carabas returns with about a dozen torches in a bundle. "I suppose one of us will have to volunteer to test if the smoke will calm them," he muses. "Unless any of you are desperate to try it," he adds with a bit of a smile, "I will go."
Dawn bites her lip. "You don't know what we're up against. What if it doesn't work? You'll be dead where you stand!"
"I'm the only one with armor. And I can fly down. Considering what's at stake, I have to test this." He looks to the rest of the group. "I don't suppose any of you will want to come with me."
> No.722876
>>722875''No, but I will leave you with this'' Aegis produces a staff and waves it, easily casting a spell on Carabas
>Dream wine staff, taking 6''I trust you to not fail'' She glares at the groof, emotionless
No.722877
>>722875I smile back at Violet and do what I can to regulate my breathing. I pause as Carabas volunteers himself. Can anyone else actually do anything against a swarm of tiny insects? It seems like everyone else is better equipped to fight bigger things. Maybe Aegis, but even then I've only seen her shoot ice as balls, and that wouldn't help much. I look over at Vi, knit my brow, look back to Carabas and step forward. "I'll g-" I croak. I clear my throat and try to still my trembling legs. "I'll go. If the smoke doesn't work you'll need someone who can clear a bunch of bugs at once. Not really anyone here but me who fits that bill."
No.722879
>>722875"Ah… hm. I suppose I'll just hang back, then." the stallion says, frowning a little bit. He shrugs a little and sits down to wait, before flicking his ears up and looking to Carabas.
"At least take some help, maybe? I'd be worried about anyone going down there alone."
>>722877"Are you sure, Norv? I trust you, but I'd still be worried for anyone going there on their own. Maybe… hmm. Maybe We could like… throw it in there? Tie it to an arrow and shoot it?"
No.722881
>>722879I hesitate for a moment, but finally nod. "Yeah," I say. "Just tossing the torch isn't gonna do much. We can't get close enough to see how it affects them, they can just avoid it, and the torch could go out. And I ain't gonna let him go down alone when I'm pretty much perfect for the job, y'know?"
No.722883
>>722881>>722875"Alright, but be careful. I'd hate to lose anyone this far in, you know?" he suggests, before humming a little…
>>722874"You know what, sure. It can't hurt to have two people looking. I'll be back soon, yeah?" he says, before settling down.
>Astral Projection No.722884
>>722875>>722883"Excellent. Do be safe, dear, i'll keep watch while you away!"
with Rabi slumping over, i take a seat nearby while the others pick through their options.
No.722886
>>722876He straightens up a little as magical energy courses through him, closing his eyes and nodding in thanks. "I won't," he reassures you. "I've come too far to get killed by a bunch of bugs."
>>722877He does a double take. "I… Well, thank you. I'll take all the help I can get. Hopefully we won't be gone long."
Violet has about the same reaction as Dawn, but trusts your judgment. "Please," she says, her voice trembling a little as she looks you in the eye. "
Please. Be careful down there. Come straight back, and don't go too far in." She goes in for another hug, kissing you on the neck. "Be safe," she repeats forcefully, and almost has to force herself to pull away.
>>722879"We won't be able to see the results if we just throw it down," Carabas explains. "We have to see for ourselves. If this works, we'll have a way to navigate the Hive."
>>722883You take a seat and shift into your astral form, copying Kairon in descending to the bottom of the crater.
You drift over the red stony slope, towards the base of the Hive, getting a closer view of it. The glossy surface you saw from afar is not a mirage; the red stone is covered in a thick glaze, making it look like stained glass. Here and there, you can see fragments of the Hive's spoils. All manner of trinkets and baubles are trapped within the Hive's exterior; coins, jewels, artifacts, weapons, even bones all make up an enormous, mountain-sized collection to rival that of even the mightiest dragon. Impossibly small holes litter the surface of it all, and the droning sound echoes ear-splittingly from within. Here and there, on the floor of the crater at the base of the hive, are larger holes, patterned irregularly, but each a perfect circle.
>>722876>>722877>>722879>>722883>>722884>>722865"I'll go as well." Aurora throws her hat in the ring. "If you get hurt, you'll need someone to fix you up." She gives Aegis and Zunden a long, meaningful look. She seems to regret having volunteered already, but it's too late now.
Dawn looks unsure, but accepts Carabas' decision. The two embrace for a long time. "Don't worry," Carabas says gently. "We won't be long." Him and Etrigan look at each other, and the latter gives him a small nod.
Carabas dons his frogmouth helmet and peers over the edge. Aurora perches on the railing, ready to descend, looking back with trepidation. "Ready when you are." Carabas stretches his hand out to Norv. "Try not to throw up, friend." The others watch nervously as the trio prepare to head down.
>Aegis, Silver and Zunden roll Perception No.722887
>>722886Ears folding back in an attempt to muffle the noise, i peer out past the railing from my seat, watching the descent and the area around it.
[1d10] Perception
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.722888
>>722886"Do not ztray long, for i will worry too much for your zafety." Zunden says, looking to the others.
[1d10] percep
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.722889
>>722886Aegis Watches as the trio descents before turning back to the Saurian
>>722865Seems we will have to wait for a bit. Zunden, could you help me with something in the meanwhile?''
'1d10' perception
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.722890
>>722886I close my eyes and nuzzle into her neck. "We'll be right back," I assure her. It's just as hard for me to pull away as her. I feel like it isn't often I put myself right at the front of something so dangerous, but there isn't any other choice. I smile at Aurora. "Thank you," I say. "Just stay close and watch yourself."
I finally break away and step up to the edge of the boat. I'm already starting to have regrets as I brace myself to descend. Brifely, I glance back at Carabas and knit my brow. "Why would I puke?
No.722891
>>722889Zunden raises a brow expectantly, "Hmmm?"
No.722892
>>722891''Could you look into an artifact for me? I had bought it during the Swap Meet and forgot about it on my shelf until yesterday. It's a curious item and I have a feeling it might be cursed, but I wanted to be certain, and this is one of the few times you are not either sleeping or piloting the ship, so I thought it might be a good time''
No.722893
[2d10] Perception: Etrigan, Violet
Roll #1 10, 3 = 13
No.722894
>>722886Rabi looks over the glazed exterior of the hive, and frowns a tad as he sees most of the prizes are trapped within it. He tries to look around the exterior, seeing if he can spot the egg they're looking for… if not here, then maybe it's stored with the eggs?
No.722896
>>722887>>722888>>722889Carabas grabs Norv, and carries him downwards, the three descending the crater slowly.
After the group have gone, Silver and Etrigan seem to notice the same thing, and the latter alerts the rest of the group. There is a ship slowly flying in circles around the Hive, sticking closer to the ground, orbiting the spire like a shark. It is strikingly familiar; a small airship, the balloon painted black.
"Clawson," Violet hisses.
"A friend of yours?" Dawn asks.
"Not really. This is bad. Really bad. Lysander brought that skink all the way out here. God dammit. What do we do?" She looks to the rest of you with slight desperation.
>>722890"I take it you've never flown before. Brace yourself." He grabs you in one swift motion and holds you tightly as he jumps off the edge of the ship. Your stomach jumps into your throat as Carabas takes flight, holding you like an eagle holds a mouse as he flies down towards the crater. The world spins around you, and you feel like vomiting.
Before long, he drops you off gently on the bottom of the crater before landing next to you. Your legs almost give way on landing. Aurora soundlessly lands next to you. "You alright?" she asks with a suppressed smile. "Lemme see if I can help."
[1d10+2] Mend
See Rabi's reply in
>>722886 for a description of the base of the Hive.
Carabas wastes no time in giving everyone an unlit torch before exploring the area, peering down one of the odd holes in the rock here and there. It's too dark for him to see anything, however.
>>722894The Hive is large enough that it would take a good hour to circle around the base on hoof, not to mention how tall it is. You see several artifacts that could be the egg, but it is too hard to be sure on surface inspection. It'll take a very long time to find it just by searching like this. In a nutshell, it's like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Roll #1 1 + 2 = 3 No.722897
>>722896I scream as we hurdle toward the ground, furiously clutching at Carabas's talons for dear life. My stomach flips around in my chest where my heart should be and my heart jumps into my throat. It's over in moments, but it feels like ages. When my legs finally touch the ground, they wobble and I collapse. An acidic burp passes through my nostrils as I hack a couple of times and throw up a little in my mouth. "How-" I gasp. "How do you guys do that all the time?"
No.722898
>>722896''We repel him, same way we did before. Then lock him up again, or kill him, either one''
Aegis glares at his ship ''So long as he doesnt get the drop on us, he is outmatched, unless he brought friends with him this time''
No.722899
>>722892Zunden nods, waiting for Aurora to produce an object then looking it over.
[1d10] antiquarian
>>722896"Perhapz practize your aim on ze balloon. It zeemz he needz it for lift, after all."
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.722900
>>722896The stallion frowns as he looks over the hive… this is going to be a lot harder than he'd expected. Trying to take note of the few that stuck out, he tries to get a closer look. Maybe he can work his way up the side, or take a look from the inside?
>Perception, if I need it?[1d10]Roll #1 6 = 6 No.722901
>>722896Glaring at the ship, i spread my wings and lift off the deck.
>bounce"Wonderful.. Let me see just
what he's up to now."
"He's polite when he wants to be, perhaps i can convince him to leave us be while we work" i mention to the others, before flying towards his vessel.
"I shall return forthwith, do keep an eye on Rabi while i'm gone."
No.722902
>>722899After a brief trip back to her room, Aegis produces the tiny Iron maiden ''What do you make of it?''
No.722903
>>722896[1d10] Perception
Roll #1 9 = 9 No.722904
>>722897"Hm?" Carabas looks over. "Oh, well, we're used to it, aren't we. I didn't imagine it would be that hard on you. Sorry."
Aurora turns her attention to the surface of the Hive itself. "That's something you don't see every day. Take a look." She points out the thousands and thousands of treasures trapped within the Hive's walls. "Gods below," Carabas curses. "This really is going to take forever. If only the compass still worked, we could just follow it to the Egg."
>roll Perception>>722898"I don't think he'd be stupid enough to come alone after last time," says Violet. "Let's just hope he hasn't spotted us yet."
>>722899"That's more Rabi's thing, isn't it," Violet shrugs. "I've never been good with a bow and arrow myself. I think it's better to try and stay out of his way."
Aegis presents you with what looks like an iron maiden, about 12 inches tall. You sense a powerful dark energy coming from it, enough to inflict great pain on someone if exposed to it. Just holding it gives you a vague feeling of dread.
>Maiden of Woe
>A sinister dark artifact of unknown origin. When blood is drawn by the spikes inside this maiden, the victim whose blood was used will be wracked with unbearable agony once the maiden is closed. This lasts until the maiden is opened again, and can outright kill someone if left under the maiden's curse for too long. The maiden seems to draw great strength from every victim it is exposed to.>>722900As you keep looking, you see several black shapes that could be the Egg, but again, there's no way to be sure.
"Find what you're looking for?"Turning around, you find yourself narrowly dodging a fierce claw swing. You are being attacked by a second astral projection, this time of a ferocious brown felid with a white cloak and a black face. You've never seen her before, but her intent is clear.
The felid leaps at you with fangs and claws bared.
[2d10]
>>722901>>722903You get closer to his airship, taking note of the name emblazoned on it: the
Clementine. As far as you can tell, no one is on board; then, you overhear snippets of conversation coming from below deck. There are at least four others on board, two of which you recognize. One is Clawson. The other is Lysander himself. You don't get to hear much, only words here and there. "Egg…" "Scrying…"
Roll #1 8, 3 = 11 No.722905
>>722904Careful in my approach, i attempt to land on the deck without causing a disturbance, intent on listening in on the conversation!
[1d10] Stealth
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.722906
>>722904"Hmm?" the stallion says, turning around and stumbling back with a yelp to avoid the claw swipe. He rolls backwards a little further, before popping back to his hooves, drawing his copperhead rifle, and firing a point-blank shot.
>Surge Shot (Lightning) [1d10+2]Roll #1 5 + 2 = 7 No.722907
>>722904"No, no, -
urp- I'll be fine." I weakly pull myself to my feet, take the torch in one hand, and pull out my sprayer nozzle with the other. Fumbling around a little, I light the charred rope on the end. It'll be a little harder to aim with one hand, but I'm sure I'll manage.
[1d10]percept
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.722908
>>722899Zunden relays the nature of the artifact to Aegis, looking concerned, "I am glad you had not plazed your hoof in zuch an artifact. It zeemz quite cruel."
>>722904Zunden paces, waiting for her allies to return with information. Restless, she tries to prepare for whatever may come next by channeling her determination into summoning more Servitors to crew the ship.
>Chariot>Summon Servitors [10] No.722909
>>722905You land on the deck soundlessly, pressing your ear to the ground to hear what they're discussing.
"After the hell we've been through, I just think I deserve a little more is all." It's Clawson speaking.
"You'll get whatever you want when we're done here," Lysander replies, sounding bored. "If you want to strip this place down to its last stone, that's on you, bounty hunter."
"What, you don't even want any of this?" Clawson sounds surprised. "I thought your kind were all about jewels and gold."
"Ignorant worm," he replies bitingly. "Treasures are a means to an end now. I thought they would grant me the power I deserve, but money isn't true power. What good are riches if you have nothing to spend them on?"
Clawson doesn't answer. He seems confused.
"Besides. We're not just here for the Egg. I have a score to settle. As do you. My birds showed me they're coming. In fact they're probably here by now. Now all we have to do is wait."
"What of Morpheus?" A third voice joins the conversation, a low, icy female voice. "I don't think he'll take kindly to your betrayal."
"I don't need him anymore. I'm protected from his meddling by the rune. The Collective is broken. Let him find another pawn for his game."
"That is not wise. You know what he is capable of. You saw what happened to that Felid that crossed you."
"He will do nothing because he can do nothing," Lysander answers dismissively. "Hermodur did not know about Severance, now did he."
>>722906You hastily fire off a shot at the ghostly Felid attacking you, clipping her on the shoulder. She flinches, but grits her teeth and powers through it, lunging at you with claws bared, raking you across the face. You feel blood trickling down.
>Rabi takes 3 hitsThe Felid keeps swiping at you, falling back into a defensive stance.
[1d10+1]
[1d10+1]
>>722907Everyone stands back as you light a torch and point it down the hole. You see nothing but swirling red bugs coursing through the rock mindlessly, the blood pumping through the veins of the Shifting Sands, scrambling over each other in a frenzy to serve their hive.
Aurora cries out in disgust, and Carabas looks horrified, but steels himself for a moment and takes the torch from you, wafting it down the hole. The bugs seem to slow for a while, becoming sluggish and complacent. However, there are too many of them to be able to go down the hole. Even if they are not aggressive, one would easily suffocate on them.
>>722908You put all your focus into summoning Servitors.Through willpower, you manage to evoke a trio of the blue spirits before you, ready to serve.
You see Rabi's body twitch slightly, and deep cuts appear across his face, as if scratched by some invisible claw.
>pausingRoll #1 7 + 1 = 8 /
Roll #2 10 + 1 = 11 No.722910
>>722908''Terribly so. I'll be sure to find some use for it eventually. Thank you Zunden''
No.722911
>>722633>>722634"Queen Kairon? She's here? She must know the answers. I'll… I'll speak to her. See what can be gleaned.""…Purdue. But you already knew that. Ahem. Where.. where are
we right now, exactly, Sir Norv? Some sort of castle? And who is this "Mercutio" you mentioned? The name isn't familiar at all." No.722912
>>722906>>722909Correction:
The Felid leaps at you before you can react, raking you across the face with her bared claws. You are wracked with pain, and you can taste blood. In retaliation, you shove her away with the butt of your rifle and shoot her point blank. Lightning wracks the Felid's body, and she falls over on her back, twitching.
No.722914
>>722911"Right now we're on a ship. It, uh… it's a long story. We're not in The Dominion anymore, though. We're in a prison dimension called The Echoes." I pause. "Actually I guess you wouldn't call it The Dominion. Equestria? We're not in Equestria anymore. And Mercutio was the queen's jester if I remember right. A hunchback when he was alive I think I remember someone saying? Maybe it was Kairon. He was trapped in the skull with you." I fall silent and suddenly feel incredibly melancholic. "You, uh… you don't hear him in there with you, do you? He was a friend of mine too."
No.722915
>>722914"That… that can't be right." He looks confused.
"I was a member of the Queen's court for almost a decade. She never had a jester… Someone must have their facts wrong here."He looks more troubled at finding out he's in another world now.
"Well that won't do. We… we have to return as soon as possible. My queen and I, we don't belong here, you see. Without us, the realm will fall into chaos. It would behove us to find the way back as soon as we can." No.722916
>>722915I sigh and plop completely down onto my backside. "Oh boy, I was not ready for this." I rub the back of my head. I'm really not qualified for this kind of thing. It's gotta be bad enough waking up to find yourself trapped in a skull, but also not in the same dimension
or century. "I, uh… I have some more bad news there. Kairon seems to want the same thing, and I'm doing what I can to help her out there, but- well, you and her were both exiled centuries ago. The Dominion isn't
really technically even a monarchy anymore." I knit my brow. "Wait, Kairon didn't have a jester? Then where did- she at least seemed to recognize him, I think. She's around here somewhere. I want to go ask her about it now. Just, uh, heads up. She's not ecactly as -ahem-
corporeal as she was last time you saw her. She's more of a-" I twirl my hand and look up. "Well, more of a billowing cloud of angry green smoke."
No.722917
>>722916"Not a monarchy? Preposterous!" he blusters.
"She was… altered? How What happened?" He looks a bit overwhelmed.
"I'm sorry, this… this is a bit much to take in all at once. Just… I'll need some time to think things through. If you wouldn't mind, would you leave me to do so for a while? It's clear much has changed since I was last around." No.722918
>>722917"No, I don't mind at all. Sorry to drop all of this on you." I stand back up and brush myself off. "If it makes you feel any better, we're all pretty new to this place. I don't know how much I can actually say, but if you want to talk or something- well, I'll be around."
No.722919
>>722918If he leaves then I wander off to find Kairon.
No.722921
>>722920I blink. "I- I thought you could sorta hop around." I knit my brow and frown. Wow. He can't even move around anymore? That's pretty bad. "Alright, yeah. Sure. We have plenty of extra rooms. I, uh… H'm. I don't know if I have anything that you could really do without moving. I have cards and we have some books on the ship, but-" I clear my throat. "Anyway, yeah. I'll take you to one of the empty rooms and then check back on you later so you're not just sorta trapped in there. Sound good?"
No.722922
>>722921He seems to focus on trying to move, but to no avail. Despite not really being able to emote, he looks very let down.
"Nothing," he says sadly.
"…Shame."He looks up at you.
"Yes, that would be excellent. Thank you, Sir Norv." No.722923
>>722922I give him a short, somber nod. "Yeah, of course. No prob, Purdue. I crouch down, gently pick him up, and carry him off to the living quarters and one of the empty rooms.
No.722924
>>722923You take him to one of the empty rooms, placing him on top of a cabinet facing the window, at his request.
"Thank you again. For everything. It's hard to believe everything that's happened, but this is only temporary.""Oh, one other thing. As I said, I am something of a star-gazer. If you happen upon any maps of the night skies in this strange land, please, bring them to me. I would be very interested in studying what they have to say." No.722925
>>722924I chuckle. "Man, probably could've found those easy if I'd known about it a week ago. Alright, I'll keep an eye out." I walk over to the door and give him a short wave. "We'll get all this sorted. I'll make sure of it. I'll be back to check on you later."
No.722926
>>722925"You know where to find me," he says cordially.
"Where else would I be?"With that, you leave him to his own devices as you close the door on him. You hear him breathe a heavy sigh of despair a few moments later.
After a bit of searching, you find Kairon with Dawn on the forecastle.
"…So that is why, you see," the blind mare says calmly.
"…Ah. How… how monstrous," Kairon replies. They both turn to you in greeting. "Ah, Norvegicus. Hello. I was just filling Kairon here in on the nature of Lysander's goals." Kairon, for once, seems a little shaken by what she has learned, merely nodding to you.
No.722927
>>722926"Yeah. It's pretty bad. Not sure I've ever met someone so blindly greedy." I turn to Kairon. "I, uh, actually had a question. Purdue is back but doesn't remember anything after he was put in the skull, and Mercutio-" My ears fold back. "Well, Mercutio hasn't said anything yet. But while I was talking to Purdue he said something weird. Was Mercutio not your jester?"
No.722928
>>722927"He was. For a time. The truth about that one is… complicated." You see, Purdue was interested in predictions. Very, very much so. On my behest, he began to research other methods of gaining knowledge, and while I am not privy to the details, I can only assume with what we know now that he came into contact with Discord. All I knew at the time was that he had indeed gained knowledge, a great deal of it in fact, but it had driven him completely mad. He had another voice in his head now, one which spoke through him much of the time. I questioned him many times, trying to glean information from him, but Purdue rarely answered. It was always that blasphemous little imp. No use to me as a court mage, of course. So I put him where he wished to be: a jester to amuse me and my guests. Of course, he began to become unruly, as you can imagine. Disparaging me, degrading my guests, overstepping his boundaries… It was unconscionable. So I had him beheaded. To my surprise, however, that wretched creature yet lived, taunting me from beyond the grave. I tried to have him destroyed many, many times, but he would always find some way to persist, mocking me and my efforts. So I had him turned into an artifact, cast away through a portal to another world. And I thought that was the end of that. …How very wrong I was," she adds bitterly.
"You put him on as a jester, then had him killed for… being a jester?" Dawn asks with confusion.
"Yes, of course. He was amusing at first, but the vile things he would say and do. I couldn't stand it any longer. He simply had to go." No.722929
>>722928I fall silent, completely floored by the revelation. So Mercutio just didn't actually exist? He was just gone forever? Even if Purdue was given the power again and went mad there wasn't any guarentee it would happen again, and doing that in the first place- it wouldn't be right. My lip quivers and tears well up in my eyes. I'd been telling myself that Mercutio just hadn't spoken yet, or maybe Discord had to keep him with his powee, but- "Alright," I say, choking up a little. "Thank you. I- I think I'm gonna go lay down. I'll catch up with you later."
No.722930
>>722929Kairon looks surprised, and perhaps a bit annoyed by your reaction.
"Don't tell me you actually miss that obnoxious cur. Good riddance, I say. We're better off without him."Dawn seems more compassionate, giving you a sympathetic look. "I can't pretend to know what your relationship was like with him," she says, "and I know we're not particularly close, but… well, if you wish to talk, I'm always around."
No.722931
>>722930"I
will miss him," I say, not looking up at her. "We weren't travelling together that long, and he was kind of an ass, but he was my friend. And it's silly, because that means he didn't technically exist in the first place, but- but it still feels like he's just dead now."
I nod to Dawn. "Thanks. I- I might take you up on that. For now I think I'm gonna go find something to keep me busy. Clean my sprayer, read that book Aegis got at the meet, something. If you guys need me I'll be in my room."
No.722932
>>722931"And the world is a better place for it," she replies snootily.
"I understand," says Dawn, and leaves it at that.
You head back to your room. Violet is nowhere to be seen just yet, leaving you alone with your thoughts for now. The dresser looks very bare without Mercutio on it making snide remarks.
No.722933
>>722932My shoulders slump and I sigh, walking over to my bed. First I summon a few rats to keep me company, in hopes of making the room feel less empty. Then I decide to pick my sax up and try to noodle some blues. At first I feel silly, like I'm deliberatly trying to put on a show with my lackluster skills, but even as I mess up I slowly relax and focus on the music.
[1d10]Got them magical skull ain't so magical no more blues
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.722934
>>722933[1d10]because he's gonna be here a while before checking on Purdue
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.723085
>>722933>>722934You try to take your mind off of things by practicing the sax a bit, but you don't manage to play much worth mentioning, save for a few particularly out of tune notes. You are forced to stop after one of your rats decides the sax's bell makes for a goodly home.
"Everything alright?"
You hadn't even noticed Violet sidle in, looking concerned by the look on your face. "Is… Is Mercutio gonna be okay?" She seems to already know the answer, sitting down next to you.
No.723107
>>723085My ears flatten and I sigh. For a moment I don't say anything. I just set my sax to the side, careful not to jostle my rat too much, and lean my head in her. "No. Turns out the mad oracle was- well. Mad. Mercutio was some kind of weird split personality thing. When Discord took his power away it sorta-" I twist my hand like winding a clock and click my tongue. "Reset 'em. So now it's not so much that he's dead. He was just never real in the first place."
No.723109
>>722909>>722912>>722913"J-Jeez, and I thought my last Astral Encounter gave me the chills." the stallion says, quickly pouring another round's worth of magic into his Copperhead rifle and firing it at the Felid. The 'round' of magic turns a dull green mid-flight.
>Copperhead Rifle [1d10+2] (Trick Ammo: Knockout)Roll #1 6 + 2 = 8 No.723110
>>722909Zunden has the spirits immediately go to clean and load cannons as not to be caught pants down if the enemy ship opens fire, staying vigilant for attacks or intruders, and waiting for response from her allies that had left the ship.
No.723111
>>722909Shocked by the findings, lysander so close, I try to listen in on more of their conversation.
[1d10] stealth
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.723112
>>722909Aegis takes note of the gash suddenly appearing on Rabi's face, and brings it to the attention of everyone in the room
''Fascinating. I did not know you could get physically injuried during Astral projection''
She raises her head, producing a bell from her pouch ''Whatever he is facing, it must be a serious threat to know how to wound him like that'' She noted before shaking the enchanted little bell three times, watching her surroundings within the ship
No.723113
>>722909My nose crinkles in disgust and I take a step back. A visible chill courses through my whole body, and it takes everything not to bathe the insects in flame right there. "Should I- you know." I aim my sprayer at the bug filled hole. "Burn them to a crisp? There are probably too many, but I really want to."
No.723114
>>723109You shoot the Felid while she's down, causing her to flinch and collapse, bending over backwards in her astral form and floating suspended in midair eerily. She glares at you defiantly, watching your every move.
>>723110You watch as the Servitors drift to the ship's magazine, beginning to arm the cannons, waiting for your next command. Violet looks at you with concern as Rabi's wounds manifest themselves.
>>723111They seem distracted by something all of a sudden. "What's happening to her?" Clawson asks.
"I am unsure," the woman replies. "She must be fighting something in her astral form. If it gets too hard, I will pull her out."
Lysander seems vexed by this. "They're here. Back to work."
"Yessir," Clawson replies. You hear several footsteps heading up the stairs towards the upper deck where you are.
>>723112You ring the bell, revealing several glowing pinpoints within the central spire of the Hive. You can also make out two ghostly silhouettes fighting ferociously down below. One of them appears to be Rabi.
>>723113Carabas frowns. "Do you really think that would be wise? We got what we came for. Though, if for whatever reason we were to enter the Hive itself, we would need to burn a path, I suppose. Best to leave them be for now, I say. But I'll trust your judgment here."
No.723115
>>723114Remaining practical, i back away from the door, quietly falling from the deck for some distance before opening my wings and flying back to our ship.
No.723116
>>723114Aegis squints her squinty eyes even further
''It seems Lysander's goons have some tricks of their own. Thankfully Master Rabi does not seem to be surrounded, so I think he'll be fine. In fact I think I see him landing a good shot on the enemy''
Aegis looked over to Etrigan ''Master Etrigan. Please take him inside to a safe place in the ship and if possible apply a bandage to that wound lest it gets infected. Protecting Rabi's body might be a hindrance if we get raided right now''
>>723110''Speaking of which, Zunden, what is the plan? With so few of us on the ship we will be easily outmatched by Lysander's henchmen if they come to us. Will you drive the ship away from them?''
No.723117
>>723114"I guarantee you won't get up after the next one, so just do us both a favor and back out." he says, readying a shot.
No.723118
>>723114"No, you're right. Best not to rile them up before we even go in. On top of pissing them off there's probably feces and shed exoskeletons all over the place. An allergic reaction doesn't sound bad, but-" I study the spire. "Not something you'd want while trying to fight off a swarm of insects. It's bad enough with roaches. I can only imagine how it is with these guys."
No.723119
>>723114>>723116"Keep watch ovoer him Violet, ze injuriez he haz zuztained are minor, zo I have inztead focuzed on not being boarded by dizcrete enemiez."
She says, continuing watching over the ship in her semi omniscient view.
"Az for your queztion, Aegiz, I would heavily zuggezt focuzing all our power on disabling zheir zhip, and ze capture of Lyzander himzelf it at all pozzible. If zhey like zheir chezz metaphorz, ze only piece you need to capture to win iz ze king."
No.723120
>>723118[1d10]
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.723121
>>723119''Understood. I will be maining the canon then, I recommend you call upon servitors to do so as well''
>>723114With that, Aegis quickly rushed towards the nearest canon, operating it to fire at Lysander's idling ship as soon as she sees Silver flying off of it
No.723122
>>723115You return to the deck quickly as the group reach your location. Etrigan and Rabi's body are missing, but Aegis, Zunden and Violet are still there. The latter greets you with a smile of relief. "Oh good, you're safe. What did you find?"
>>723116Etrigan nods and picks up Rabi easily, taking him below deck.
>>723117"You won't get the chance to kill me again," she snarls, and vanishes in an instant. The fight is over as quickly as it began, leaving you to ponder who that was and what they wanted.
>>723118Carabas nods. "Looks like our work here is done then. Best we head back to the ship." He extends his claw to you, and Aurora gets ready to take off, seeming relieved nothing went wrong.
>>723120For a brief moment, the constant buzzing of the insects seems to slowly flare up, then die down again, like a wave of sound crashing on the shore. Carabas seems to notice it as well, suddenly becoming wary.
>>723119>>723116You see Clawson's ship begin to move, heading higher and sailing gently around the Hive, eventually turning a corner out of sight. Silver returns safely.
No.723123
>>723122Rabi lets out a soft sigh of relief as the Felid vanishes. He's not sure if that physically hurt her, but he'd rather avoid killing anymore than he has to. Shaking it off, he'll try to look a little more before heading back- he has to find at least a little something.
>Perception/Search [1d10]Roll #1 4 = 4 No.723124
>>723122I brace myself, keeping my eye on the hive as I step in front of him and take his claw. "Yeah. We should probably get back. Fast."
No.723125
>>723122At the sight of Silver returning, Aegis steadied the canon, and began to load it up for a shot
No.723126
>>723122"Lysander is aboard the ship." i begin, landing on our deck. "Clawson is with him this time, as well as two others in his employ. It seems they too are scrying into the mound, though it seems Rabi dearest may be giving them some trouble." i add, smiling smuggly at the thought.
"Surprisingly, Lysander has cut his ties with a 'Morpheus', presumably the oneiromancer. They've brought a rune of their own to ward him off, and are after the egg for themselves."
No.723127
>>723122>can assume all cannons are being loaded by Servitors>>723126Zunden scowls, fetching the bolt of fabric from her bag of holding and cutting various lengths of fabric and handing it to Silver.
"Zhat iz a zhame, I had wizhed to be lenient if it waz juzt Clawzon. I have no qualmz zending zhat zhip to ze zandz, now. Connected to ze Oneiromanzer or not, hiz intentionz for ze Egg iz warped and will bring about great pain for many if he iz to releaze it."
She grips her staff, "I had hezitationz leaving him alive ze firzt time we met, I do not wizh to make zhat miztake again."
No.723128
>>723126>>723127Zunden shakes her head, "Zorry, can you put zhiz in ze crow'z nezt for me?"
No.723129
>>723128>>723127>>723122"The crow's nest? Very well."
piling the fabric onto my back, i carefully take off and make my way up to the nest, setting them inside.
>bounce"It seems Hermodur had the right of it from the start, we really should have finished things there."
"No matter, he's saved us the effort of finding him, all that's left is to 'clean up our mess', as it were."
No.723130
>>723129''What else have you seen while aboard the Ship? Anything you feel is worth mentioning?'' Aegis spoke up while loading the gunpowder
No.723131
>>723130"Ah, i had only managed to overhear their conversations through the door, before retreating. Were it just lysander, i would have been more likely to strike, but for our sake it was simple reconnaissance. Risking capture is less than ideal, as close as we are to the egg."
"There was evidence that clawson may be feeling hesitant in his dealings with Lysander. He seemed quite upset over his pay, unjustly compensated for the task, though given how stubborn he is convincing him to change sides is unlikely."
No.723132
>>723123Your search is fruitless. The Egg could be anywhere in this spire. You'd need a full team to even start to explore.
>>723124Your stomach drops as he takes to the air alongside Aurora. The three of you return onto the ship alongside the rest of the party in due time. You still feel nauseous from both the bugs and the constant flying, but you're in one piece for the most part. Everyone is here, save for Rabi and Etrigan. Violet rushes over to help you up, looking worried at your condition. "You okay?" she asks softly. "What happened down there?"
>>723125The cannonballs are extremely heavy, but you load one and, with help from one of the Servitors, start to line up a shot on the enemy ship.
>>723126Dawn emerges from below deck, listening to what you have to say. "He's… cut off ties with the Oneiromancer? What?" She looks very worried. "This is bad. This is very bad. Who knows what they'll be planning to do from here…"
Violet frowns. "Giving them trouble? How so?"
>>723127Violet nods grimly. "It's for the best. We'll probably have to shoot them all down."
"For the good of all," Dawn insists, her voice quavering a bit. "I dread to think what Lysander may do with the Egg if he does not intend on breaking it."
>>723127>>723126>>723127Carabas, Norv and Aurora return safely from their scouting. The former is eagerly embraced by Dawn.
>>723127>>723126>>723127>>723124>roll Perception No.723133
>>723132"One of their allies were inside the astral realm as well, according to them, and were engaged with fighting somepony. Lysander seemed convinced it was us, and Given Rabi is searching in the astral as well, i'd assumed He was giving them a good thrashing."
"How is he, by the way? i certainly hope he doesn't mind my sojourn to the enemy ship."
[1d10] Perception
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.723134
>>723131Aegis nods ''Very well thought, Miss Silver, It is good to know you are focused on the task at hand''
>>723132With the shot lined up, Aegis turned to rest of the party
''Canons are ready. On standby to fire''
No.723135
>>723132Rabi sighs a little, and returns back to reality.
>End Astral ProjectionRabi snaps awake with a gasp, holding his hoof to his head and trying to shake out the dizziness.
"They have someone with my talent, so… that's fun."
No.723136
>>723132'1d10'
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.723137
>>723132I stumble and cover my mouth, but manage to keep anything from coming up. After I regain my composure, I take a deep breath. "The torches work. They slow down. Get sort of sluggish. Maybe not as intense as what happens with bees, but it works. Everything alright here?"
[1d10]Per
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.723138
>>723132With everyone physically aboard the ship, Zunden raises the ship up higher, concerned with Lysander taking the high ground.
[1d10] percep
>>723137>>723135"Lyzander is aboard ze ozher zhip. Our greatezt focuz iz ending hiz life."
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.723139
>>723135You find yourself below deck. Etrigan is looming over you, seemingly tending to your wounds. He starts a little as you jolt awake, tilting his head a bit in concern. Your face aches and stings like nothing else, and you can feel some sort of ointment smeared where the Felid scratched you.
>>723137"Good to know," Dawn nods. "We can use this if they start getting unruly."
>>723133>>723137"Rabi… he was hurt," says Violet, looking uncomfortable. "Etrigan's seeing to his injuries down below. It doesn't look too bad. Hopefully he'll be back soon."
>>723133>>723136>>723137>>723138The droning sound flares up again. You can see a congeries of red mist starting to swirl at the bottom of the crater, as if disturbed by something. You see the enemy ship start to disappear around the other side of the spire, flying ever higher. It is about halfway up the spire at this point.
Zunden and Silver alert the rest of the group to something else approaching. It looks tiny, but is slowly flying in your direction. It doesn't take long to see what it is; it's another of Lysander's cuckoos, this time alone, flying doggedly in your direction. It seems to have come from their ship. Violet pales, and Carabas grits his teeth, reaching for his sword. "Shoot it down!" Dawn urges, firing off a magic bolt of her own.
[1d10+1][1d10+1]
Roll #1 2 + 1 = 3 /
Roll #2 7 + 1 = 8 No.723140
>>723138You raise the ship higher, trying to keep up with theirs. You are about a third of the way up the spire. Clawson's ship seems much more maneuverable than the Fortune, however, easily outpacing you.
No.723141
>>723139"Wait, Rabi was hurt? I thought he was just projecting!" I jump at the sudden excitemnet and swing around. I fiddle with my dart gun, loading an unpoisoned dart. I aim it with both hands, take a deep breath, and hold. When the cuckoo comes close enough that I think I can hit it, I pull the trigger.
[1d10]
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.723142
>>723141[1d10]perception
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.723143
>>723139Entrusting that her allies will be able to take care of the projectile scouts, Zunden begins to take efforts in to warding the ship, taking a claw to the mast and beginning to carve Severance into it, channeling her determination to cut sight of the ship to the swarm below.
>Chariot[10] Severance
No.723144
>>723138>>723139"Hmm? Oh, damn. I guess the damage does carry over, then." he says, as he looks around his surroundings. He nods a bit to Zunden, before shrugging. "At the least, I hurt her a lot more than she hurt me. What else do we know, aside from Lysander?"
>>723139"Thanks, Etrigan."
No.723145
>>723139"Oh dear.. it seems my assumption may have been correct after all."
with the cuckoo approaching, i dig through my things to find blister. readying a glass orb, i try to swing and lob the orb at the bird!
[1d10] Ranged
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.723146
>>723144>Amending>>723139"Thanks for the help, Etrigan. I guess the damage carried over from the Astral Plane, then… I'll need to be careful for that. Is everyone else okay?"
No.723147
>>723139Despite not receiving the order, Aegis took aim with the canon, carefully calculating the trajectory of both ships before firing it off at Clawson's flying vessel
'1d10' Fire!
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.723148
>>723141"He was," says Violet, looking a bit shaken. "I'm not sure what happened."
Your shot misses entirely. The cuckoo doesn't even flinch.
>>723143You start etching out the rune, beginning to carve a near perfect semblance of Severance. It seems to work to an extent. The swarm below are starting to roil more, like boiling water, but they do not seem to be searching for you; rather, they are trying to find the source of what disturbed them.
>>723146He nods reassuringly, gesturing for you to be still as he patches you up. Whatever he's using, it seems to have worked. The pain from the scratches fades to a dull throb.
>Rabi is back to 5/5>>723145The pod goes wide, and sails into the shifting swarm below.
>>723147There's a thunderous roar as the fuse burns down, firing a leaden cannonball towards the ship. Your shot only grazes the ship, leaving part of its hull splintered. Their ship rocks, but they do not attempt to engage as far as you can see.
>>723145>>723143>>723141The cuckoo does a graceful spin out of the way of Dawn's magic bolt, flying carelessly right up to your ship and perching on the deck. Immediately, Carabas goes to take a swing.
"Calm yourself."The cuckoo speaks in Lysander's voice, looking from one of you to the other almost robotically.
"So. What have you done to my ship?" he asks lazily.
There is a stunned silence for a moment before Dawn answers. "What do you want?"
"I'm only here to have a chat. Good to see you again, by the way. How are the eyes?"Enraged, Carabas brings his blade down, cleaving the bird in two with a single swing. It falls dead, squirming slightly on the deck, leaving a small bloodstain; then, the cuckoo's beak opens again, and Lysander keeps talking through it.
"Rude. As I was saying, I'm only here to talk. I imagine you all have a lot on your mind." No.723149
>>723148My jowels pull back over my fangs and I snarl a little. "Not really. Everything seems pretty cut and dry so far, and has since the first time we met you." As untrue as I know that is, I stand my ground. "I'll ask too. What do you want?"
No.723324
>>723107"…Oh." It takes a moment for her to process it. She opens her mouth to say something, but then opts not to say anything at all, wrapping a hoof around you gently and just holding you for a while, trying to comfort you as best she can.
No.723422
>>723148Rabi hops to all fours and stretches out a bit, before nodding back to Etrigan. "Right. Let's get moving then, right? I'm sure the others have plenty to talk about."
No.723437
>>723148Aegis watches as the cannonball flies before silently beggining to load another one
No.723440
>>723148"A lot on the mind? Certainly." i reply, looking down at the severed head. "For instance, i feel it safe to assume we share a similar goal in the egg, correct?"
No.723445
>>723149"…Who are you again?""My boyfriend." Violet steps forward defensively, staring down the severed bird head he's talking through.
"Well well. So good to see you again, Violet. I imagine you didn't expect to, after what you did to me."Violet stops dead in her tracks. "…There… there was no other way," she says quietly. "…We would've both died…"
"And yet neither of us did. No matter. The past is the past." He turns his attention back to you.
"Oh, I remember you now. You passed out like a coward once things started happening, didn't you. Pathetic. I'd say she deserves better, but you're made for each other, really. You're both scum.">>723422He nods and you return to the upper deck. You can hear a familiar voice coming from somewhere nearby. It doesn't take long to see what it is; there is another dead cuckoo on the ship, but despite being decapitated, it is speaking to the party, in Lysander's voice.
Etrigan takes a few steps back in shock.
"You're still alive?" Lysander says, sounding genuinely surprised.
"Not by much, it seems." He looks over to you.
"I don't even know who you are.">>723437By the time you and the Servitors haul another cannonball, the enemy ship is out of range, and taking cover behind the spire. You can hear voices coming from the upper deck, including a vaguely familiar one.
>>723440"Well, I don't know what you all want it for. Me, though, I want it for only one thing. There's nothing like it in the Echoes. It'd be a waste to break it and damn this whole reality. I happen to live in this reality as well, you know. So the Hooded Man and I didn't really see eye to eye on that."Dawn and Carabas look stunned. "You're… not with the Oneiromancer?" he asks dumbfoundedly.
"Well I was. But I'm not playing his games anymore. The Egg will be mine. Something with that much power shouldn't be kept hidden away. I'll put it to good use. Or maybe I'll just hold the world at ransom. We'll see.""Now I imagine you're all going to try and stop me, aren't you. How do you suppose you'll do that?" he asks with a slightly mocking tone.
No.723449
>>723445Once done with that, Aegis's interest is drawn to the voices, and she moves towards the deck
No.723452
>>723445I deflate a little at first. Yeah, I probably wouldn't have remembered me either. When he insults Violet, however, my jaw tightens and I take what I'm sure is a comical step forward, considering I'm advancing on a decapitated bird. "Watch your darn mouth. I may be a coward, but Vi has done nothing but help folks since I met her. A greedy, self-serving bastard has no right to call her scum."
My jaw tightens and I can't help but let out a low snarl. "Kicking your scaly ass seems like it'd be a good place to start."
No.723454
>>723445"Ah… damn, another o-" he says, before stopping as he realizes the severed head's talking to them.
"Ah, hmm. Good to see you, too."
No.723456
>>723445"Ah, so your intent is more practical than expected, another artifact for the collection. Were it that simple i'd be tempted to combine our efforts, if only to keep it from the Oneiromancer."
"It would be foalish to parade a realm destroying artifact around like a toy, Lysander. You know better than us the extent the dream mage will go to fulfill his plans, no vault in the echoes will keep him from it. For all of our lives, relent and allow us to hide away the egg for good."
No.723461
>>723449You find the others facing another dead cuckoo; however, this one is speaking in Lysander's voice, a tool for him to communicate from afar.
"Just how many of you are there?" he says, sounding a little amused as you appear.
"Wait, I know you. You were in the arena back at the Meet, weren't you?">>723452"Or what?""…We'll kill you," Violet says softly.
He scoffs.
"None of you would last a second. You can thank your cat friend for that. I've had a few enhancements done since then. And I've found my true calling."Dawn looks quizzical, and apprehensive.
>>723456He stops for a moment, then laughs.
"Hahahahaha. Very noble, for a murderer. And foolish. You still think I'm all about that. Money and treasures are only a tool, Silver. Gold loses its lustre eventually. Jewels stop sparkling. They brought me nothing but a craving for more, in the hopes it'd help me become what I'm meant to be. But I see now that I was never meant to achieve Dragonhood through wealth alone.">>723454"Not really.">>723452>>723454>>723456>>723449"I figured it out," he continues.
"I'm not like other dragons. All this time I thought I would become a true dragon by amassing wealth. But it's not gold or jewels that have helped me. It's wrath.
"Revenge. Violence. Conquest. That is what has helped me move past my shackles. And with the power of the Egg, my wealth, and my newfound allies, I will submit this place to my will, and do as I please with it. I am a dragon. It's my destiny.""You're mad," Carabas breathes.
"Y-you won't get away with this!" Aurora shouts, trying not to look intimidated.
He laughs again.
"Do you think I'd be telling you this if there was any hope you could stop me?">roll Perception No.723466
>>723461I fix the bird with a glare. "You'd tell us because you're full of yourself and
think you can't be stopped. You're spying on us. You sent a hitman after us. You're scared."
[1d10]
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.723469
>>723461[1d10] Perception
"Quite bold of your to simply write us off as a non-threat. We've gathered strength of our own since the thrashing you received aboard this ship of yours not too long ago, allies enough to end this here, and the resolve to still our hesitation. You won't be afforded the mercy of retreat this time, dragon."
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.723472
>>723461''Indeed I was. The one who fought the minotaur. Hello Lysander'' Aegis spoke softly, looking down at the corpse of a bird
She didnt reply to his mad ramblings, only glaring at the cuckoo
'1d10'
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.723473
>>723461Perception [1d10]
"If the help you've hired is any indication, I wouldn't be that confident. I'd rather not, but I won't go easy next time one of them tries something like that." the stallion says, huffing a little bit.
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.723477
>>723466"If I wanted to kill you in person, I would," he replies.
"But you're not worth the time and effort. That's why I have other tools to work with.">>723469"You assume a lot, Silver. That I would even be here in person, for one. That I don't have contingency plans for the stealing of my favorite ship, for another. And for a third… that I would be talking if there were any risk involved on my end.">>723472"Yes, I remember now. It's a shame you turned me down. You would have made a great crewman. This is a waste of your talents.">>723473"You underestimate me," he replies calmly.
"Do you think Clawson was really incompetent enough to try and kill you all the way he did? I ordered
him to lose to you. Anyone can see you're all too soft for this place. Otherwise you would've done the smart thing and killed your hostage, instead of setting him free like I knew you would. Everything he saw and heard from you, he's told me. As was the plan from the beginning. If I wanted to kill you outright, I would have done so long ago.">>723466>>723469>>723472>>723473https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOXSDh_LswcYou hear a faint
THUD in the distance, and notice a cloud of debris rising up from the spire above you. Great jagged cracks begin to appear on the spire top. Below, the swarm of red insects roils like a raging tide.
"I'm afraid I've been stalling, drifters.""What did you do?!" Dawn shouts panickedly as Carabas and Etrigan brace themselves.
"I wouldn't be gloating if there were any chance you could foil my plans. We have what we came for. All we had to do was wait for you."In the distance, the ship comes back into view, flying above you. You see ports opening on its hull, and cannons emerging.
"It's been nice chatting with you. Really. But we're both out of time." No.723480
>>723477Aegis simply remains silent during Lysander's speech, her attention picked at the distant noise, and the menacing swarm emerging from within the spire
''He's trying to get the swarm away from the egg and after us'' Aegis shouted clearly, but calmly, as she summoned an array of frozen orbs
'1d10' homing magic, ice
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.723488
>>723477"Blast, I shouldn't have been so careless!"
Rushing down below deck, i assist the constructs with preparing the cannons!
[1d10] loading
"Raise the ship, quickly! We're likely to be riddled with holes otherwise."
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.723493
>>723477Shit. Shit, shit, shit. I scramble to slide on my gas mask, hoping between my coat, my pants, and my mask enough of my body is covered to end up instantly ripped apart. While most of the others seem to man the cannons, I rush toward the edge of the boat, brandishing my sprayer. Hopefully I can help keep the swarm from making it below deck before we can figure something out. I point my nozzle forward, planning to sweep it as soon as the insects come into view.
>>723480"Aegis," I shout. "Do you have any kind of broad attack that can freeze a chunk of the bugs? Or just the ice balls?"
[1d10] (holding action, spray flames if the insects get close first)
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.723497
>>723493''Its called homing magic'' She replies in monotone
''And I'll try to hit as many of them as I can, but I'm afraid even with my best efforts, it wont do much to that swarm. What is your plan, Norvegicus?''
No.723500
>>723477"Hmm? Oh, I wasn't talking about Clawson. He's more of a concern, at least." he says, flicking his ears as he hears the insects begin to swarm. He lets out a startled yelp and stumbles back. He quickly runs below deck to retrieves his Yumi, and heads back above deck to try and take out a couple of the cannons
Dragonslayer Yumi (Cleave 3, Fire Element) [1d10+2] (Targeting Any three cannons. If Cleaving doesn't work, I'll use Split instead.)
Roll #1 1 + 2 = 3 No.723618
>>723477"Cripple ze balloon, I will try and ward uz from ze inzectz!"
Zunden says from her post, continuing to carve into the wood of the ship as she once saw Black Pudding warding the ship from the Oneiromancer.
[1d10+1] Severance: Swarm
Roll #1 9 + 1 = 10 No.723619
>>723497"Well," I yell back. My voice is muffled by my gas mask, so I'm not sure how well it even carries over the swarm. "They reacted to the smoke. So the plan is to burn them, try to keep them away from the others, and hope for the best."
No.723621
>>723480With the situation going south, you find it difficult to concentrate for long enough to cast your magic.
>>723488The cannonballs are too heavy for you to be able to move on your own, but you manage to roll them towards the cannons while the Servitors load them up.
>>723493You ready your flamethrower, getting ready to incinerate any bugs that come close.
>>723500Clawson's ship shifts position at the last second, causing your to miss your shot completely and hit the spire instead. It only seems to aggravate the insects more.
>>723618You start carving desperately into the floor of the ship, invoking Severance repeatedly as best you can. It seems to have worked; the sand bugs below are still seething, but do not seem to be actively targeting you. Rather, they aim to cover the entire area in a blind search for whoever disturbed their nest.
>>723480>>723488>>723493>>723500>>723618>Reminder that your ship has four cannons to man per side
>Clawson has two cannonsAs the swarm continues to slowly rise, roiling like a storm at sea, Clawson's ship flies above you, opening fire with a thunderous roar. One cannonball splinters your ship's bow, while the other barely whizzes past the hull.
>Ship: 1925/2000Aurora starts trying to bring the ship higher, to avoid the rising swarm.
[1d10]
Violet and Etrigan run down to help with the cannons.
Carabas and Dawn take cover, the latter starting to cast the spell to transform him into his eagle form.
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.723622
>>723621Keeping the makeshift flamethrower trained on the swarm with my good hand, I pull out my little statue. "Send a message to Zunden below deck, please," I say. "Tell her to let me know if they need help down there. Right now I'm going to try to keep the bugs away if they get close."
No.723623
>>723621Zunden stays quiet and focused, continuing to just strengthen the ward by repeated invocations of the Severance ruin.
[1d10+1] Continued Severance invoking
Roll #1 1 + 1 = 2 No.723624
>>723619''I dont see how my talents apply to this plan then. Why would you bother burning them if they're already frozen?'' Aegis spares the dog a glance as she tries to keep her focus
>>723621Aegis shook her head and groaned, the inconsistent rocking of the ship throwing her offbalance and forcing her to focus on not falling over
Turning to Aurora, Aegis pulled out a short staff and gave it a little wave, blessing Aurora with its magic
''We must not fail now'' She reminds the Batpony with a nod before rushing her way to her room to get dressed, and then towards one of the cannons to help everyone fire it off
>Staff, Dream wine'1d10' manning and firing canons
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.723625
>>723621"Gah, that's not good." the stallion says, looking to the spire worriedly when his shot impacts it. He tries to calm his nerves with a soft, shaky breath, and take another shot.
Dragonslayer Yumi (Split) [1d10+2]
Roll #1 4 + 2 = 6 No.723626
>>723624"You think I can burn that whole swarm at once? The idea was you helped kill some while I kill others. Dealing with swarms isn't like dealing with a single monster. You can't just hit it over and over, and everything don't die at once. But if you don't have some kind of, like, freezing wind magic thing you're right. Ain't much you can do."
No.723627
>>723621Having the starboard cannon loaded with the servitor's assist, i aim the barrel towards Clawson's ship and strike the fuse!
[1d10] Ball round
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.723628
>Ignore the previous post>>723626>>723619''I dont see how my talents apply to this plan then. Why would you bother burning them if they're already frozen?'' Aegis spares the dog a glance as she tries to keep her focus
>>723621Aegis shook her head and groaned, the inconsistent rocking of the ship throwing her offbalance and forcing her to focus on not falling over
Aegis ran to her room to get dressed, doning the reinforced leather kimono she comissioned and then headed towards the sides of the ship, to one of the cannons to help everyone fire it off
> 4 No.723629
>>723626''Zunden is helping with this issue. She seems to be using magic to hide our ship from the swarm's notice, but if they become a problem again, I will come up and help ward them off''
No.723630
>>723622The Harbinger transforms into a small wolf, dutifully taking off to carry your message.
>>723623You keep carving Severance, but nothing much seems to happen this time.
You are interrupted by the arrival of an unusually small wolf. It speaks to you in Norv's voice.
"Let me know if you need hep down here. Right now I'm going to try to keep the bugs away if they get close." It leaves as quickly as it arrived.
>>723624>>723628You take control of one of the cannons, lining up a shot as the fuse burns down. It misses Clawson's ship by a hair.
>>723625You nock another great arrow, line up the shot, pull back with all your strength and loose. The javelin/arrow soars through the air, striking the ship's hull and sticking out noticeably.
>>723627You line up the cannon and fire. Your shot splinters the ship's gunwales, but is otherwise ineffectual.
>>723622>>723623>>723624>>723625>>723627Both Violet and Etrigan miss their cannon shots as Clawson's ship lurches upwards.
Both of Clawson's cannons start getting reloaded.
The swarm has almost reached your ship.
You think you see movement on the upper deck of Clawson's ship.
>Norv and Rabi roll Perception in addition to whatever else you do this round No.723631
>>723630My heart races as I watch the swarm slowly make its way toward us. I return my other hand to the flamethrower and my breathing picks up a bit.
[Holding that 10]
[1d10]Perception
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.723632
>>723630Zunden speaks quickly and succinctly, keen on getting back to carving as soon as possible,
"I am warding ze zhip from ze zight of ze inzectz, I'd like to antagonize zhem az little az pozzible. Focuz on eizher protecting ze main deck from intruderz, or firing cannonz at ze balloon."
She moves back to putting all her determination into severing the ship from the insect's senses.
>Chariot[10+1] Severance
Roll #1 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1 = 10 No.723633
>>723630Glaring past the sun to see the shot, I load another ball while i have the chance.
[1d10] Loading
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.723634
>>723632Aegis preemptively loaded up a new set of homing magic while she waited for a cannon to get reloaded
'1d10' homing magic, ice
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.723635
>>723630"Gah!" he shouts to himself as he narrowly misses a cannon, taking a look before trying to line up his next shot.
Perception [1d10]
Dragonslayer Yumi [1d10+1] (Lightning, aimed at a cannon)
Roll #1 5 = 5 /
Roll #2 7 + 1 = 8 No.723636
[2d10] Carabas and Aurora Perception
[1d10-3] Dawn Perception
Roll #1 10, 6 = 16 / Roll #2 8 - 3 = 5
No.723637
>>723635Your aim is true. The arrow soars through the air and strikes one of the cannons, temporarily disabling it. You cause noteworthy damage to their ship.
>>723631>>723635Carabas sees it first, and gives a warning shout. "Get down!" He pulls Dawn to the ground, interrupting the spell, just as a bullet whizzes past and hits the spot where they were a second ago. Someone is trying to snipe you.
>>723632The wolf sits on its haunches politely as you give it the message, after which it takes off to return to its master.
With otherworldly determination, you carve Severance once again, willing it to protect you from the coming swarm.
>>723631The Harbinger wolf returns, relaying a message from Zunden.
"I am warding ze zhip from ze zight of ze inzectz, I'd like to antagonize zhem az little az pozzible. Focuz on eizher protecting ze main deck from intruderz, or firing cannonz at ze balloon.">>723633With all the strength you can muster, you grab another cannonball and load it in.
>>723634You find it difficult to cast anything given the strenuous circumstances.
>>723631>>723632>>723633>>723634>>723635A single shot rings out from Clawson's ship, as the other cannon is disabled momentarily. It misses, mercifully.
The sniper takes aim and fires, their target unclear.
>Norv and Rabi roll to dodge, instant[3d10] Dawn, Carabas, Aurora dodge
Aurora keeps trying to get the ship away from theirs, using Zunden's sun for added willpower.
[1d10+1]
The swarm is rising, starting to surround your ship, rocking it like a paper boat in a typhoon. However, due to Zunden's efforts, they make no effort to actually attack you, surrounding the ship and surging past it in a great red cloud. Because of this, it is impossible to see anything of Clawson's ship now.
Roll #1 8, 7, 1 = 16 /
Roll #2 9 + 1 = 10 No.723638
>>723637Addendum:
Violet's cannon misses, but Etrigan's tears through their hull, causing the smaller ship to spiral out of control for a moment.
No.723639
>>723637Once again, Aegis's concentration is interrupted as the swarm rocks the ship and succesfully knocks the mare off balance. With no frustration showing in her face, she got up and took a deep breath, going back to helping reload the cannonballs with the servitors
No.723640
>>723637I shake my head and sigh at the message. I wasn't going to provoke them. I was just waiting for them to get close. I yip and try take a dive as the shot rings out.
"What do we do?" I yell. "We shouldn't leave the deck unguarded!"
[1d10]
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.723641
>>723637With my view obscured by bugs, i take a moment to catch my breath, before moving to prepare another cannon nearby.
[1d10] Reload
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.723642
>>723637Zunden keeps up her work as she hears the sounds of buzzing surround her, ensuring the ward is as strong as possible being in the eye of the storm.
[1d10+1] severance
Roll #1 6 + 1 = 7 No.723643
>>723637"There we go! That's more like it!" he shouts, before panickedly moving out of the way
[1d10] Dodge
The stallion runs for his rifle and retreives it, before trying to line up a shot on the sniper.
Surge Shot [1d10+2] (Lightning)
Roll #1 10 = 10 /
Roll #2 7 + 2 = 9 No.723644
>>723640>>723643You hit the deck as the shot rings out, avoiding the sniper completely, but it doesn't seem like they were trying to hit you.
>>723643Despite the considerable range advantage, your shot rings true, and you see them collapse. Doesn't seem like they'll be bothering you again.
>>723639>>723641You manage to reload the cannons.
>>723642The carving seems to have done its work. In fact, the insects seem to be actively avoiding the ship now.
>>723640>>723639>>723641>>723642>>723643Through Aurora's empowered efforts, the ship moves further up, now higher than Clawson's, and keeping a fair distance from it, such that you're barely in firing range anymore, but have the high ground on them.
>>723640>>723643Up in the crow's nest, Aurora looks exhausted from the effort, but grins, clearly proud of herself. "Great! Should be a better position. Now we can focus on taking out their b-"
She spasms and lets out a soft gasp, teetering in place before falling limply from the crow's nest, hitting the deck flat on her back. There is a widening red stain on her chest. She breathes shallowly, eyes darting from left to right as she tries to make sense of the situation.
Carabas and Dawn rush over to her in a panic. "
Get Zunden," the former commands through gritted teeth as he helps prop her up. Aurora just wheezes, unable to say anything, going clammier by the second.
>>723640>>723639>>723641>>723642>>723643As the swarm rages around you, blotting everything out in a sea of red, the ship lurches beneath you. Your stomachs drop as it begins to go into freefall, plummeting towards the rock and sand below.
No.723645
>>723644Rabi looks around to try and find who the sniper shot- it wasn't him, clearly, so who was it?
Perception [1d10]
"Do we have any of that stuff that's supposed to calm the swarms? Maybe we could light it now, and see if it helps any!"
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.723646
Feeling the ship lurch, Zunden starts to run towards the top deck, preparing a spell as she does.
>Bask: Dominion
No.723647
>>723644Rabi picks himself back up, wincing a little bit. It wasn't aiming for him, but he couldn't take many chances… he gets up and takes a look around, before shouting in panic as he spots Aurora collapse."I-I'll go get Zunden!" he shouts, running off to find her.
No.723648
>>723637the ground going out under me as the ship plummets, i brace myself against what i can as i try to make my way back onto the deck!
No.723649
>>723646"Z-Zunden! It's Aurora! Y-You gotta come, they shot her!" he squeaks, trotting in place.
No.723651
>>723644Aegis briefly gets an odd look on her face as she tumbles below deck, and attempts to run back to top deck, looking for the others
>>723646>>723647>>723648''This is a waste of time. Lysander is only distracting both us and the swarm so he can have free access to the egg! We need to maneuver the ship and get to the hive before he do-'' Aegis briefly stops as she turns to see the bleeding Aurora on the floor
No.723652
>>723644I rush over to Aurora as she drops to the ground, stumble as the ship drops, and fall on my face. I try to pull myself up onto my hands and try to brace myself for the sudden stop, whether we hit the ground or someone gains control of the ship again.
No.723653
>>723646>>723651>>723648You get to the top deck, Violet and Etrigan following suit, finding the place in chaos. The swarm of insects rages around you as your ship continues to fall. Dawn and Carabas are sitting anxiously by Aurora, propped up against the railing, her clothes soaked in blood. Her gaze shifts to the two of you. She tries to say something, but is too weak to form any words. Carabas looks at you pleadingly. Violet covers her mouth, too stunned to be able to do anything. "Gods, Aurora…" Etrigan assesses the situation, giving Carabas a worried look.
>>723646>>723647>>723648>>723651>>723652Dawn tears away from Aurora for a moment, addressing the group at large. "If… if we don't regain control of the ship, we're all going to die. Or we'll have to abandon. What… what do we do?…"
Aurora keeps trying to say something, despite Carabas' protests. "Go," she breathes, barely audible amidst the deafening drone of the swarm. "Save… your… selves…" She feebly holds up the pendant to Zunden.
No.723654
>>723652"Norv, your charm, now."
>>723653Zunden grits her teeth and rests her claw on Aurora's chest, mending the organs pierced and preventing any more internal bleeding.
"I already told you Aurora, I am not lozing any more family."
[1d10] Mend, lucky charm if fails
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.723655
>>723654I scramble toward Zunden and dig around in my pocket. "Y-yes m'am!" I pull out my Good Luck Charm and hand it to her.
No.723656
>>723653>>723654"I-Is there any way one of us could pilot the ship, or something? Just until you patch her up!"
No.723657
>>723653"Giving up so easily, Aurora? If you hate me as much as i presume you do, i would hope you'd make sure i died before you, correct?" i address the injured mare cooly, stowing away my concern.
"Zunden will put you back together. Save your Energy and hold still."
[1d10+2] Persuasion
Roll #1 1 + 2 = 3 No.723658
>>723654You manage to heal the worst of it, channeling your magic into her wound. She passes out in the process, but she seems to be stable, for now. Violet breathes a sigh of relief.
>>723656"The amulet is what grants one control over the ship," Carabas points out. "But none of us have used it before, save for her and Zunden."
>>723657She doesn't seem to process what you're saying, less out of spite and more out of drowsiness.
>>723654>>723655>>723656>>723657As Aurora passes out, Carabas holds his breath for a moment, but is relieved to see she's semi stable. "Best to get her below deck," he muses, "out of harm's way." He looks to Zunden. "I don't suppose you could get the ship back under control?"
>everyone roll Perception, DC 8 due to storm[3d10] Carabas, Etrigan, Violet
[1d10-3] Dawn
Roll #1 10, 10, 10 = 30 /
Roll #2 4 - 3 = 1 No.723659
>>723658With Aurora stable, i offer to help carry her below deck, wary of the swarm around us.
[1d10] Perception
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.723660
>>723658'1d10' perceptione
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.723661
>>723658[1d10] perception
Zunden relaxes her shoulders, spending her stored up energy into taking control of the ship again.
[1d10+2] Dominion, lucky charm on fail
"We will, and Aegiz haz made a potent point. Why chaze ze enemy zhip, if zhey do not have ze egg. Rabi-
>>723656Zunden turns, before her eyes roll back and she begins piloting the ship,
"-You ran into trouble projecting earlier, but can you confirm ze egg izn't on ze enemy zhip?"
Roll #1 5 = 5 /
Roll #2 9 + 2 = 11 No.723662
>>723661"Absolutely. If I see her again, well… I'll do what I need to." he says, shifting about uneasily.
>>723658"Gah… damnit. I'll do my thing, at least."
>Astral Projection No.723663
>>723658"Do you think we still need someone to guard up here?"
[1d10]perception
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.723664
>>723659You and Etrigan take her below deck, leaving her in her own room, for now.
>>723661You seize control of the ship with ease, pulling it sharply up before it hits the ground and piloting it away from the thronging swarm to safety. You have a rare moment to breathe.
>>723662You drift into your astral form, but without being able to access the ship it's difficult to see much of anything.
>>723659>>723660>>723661>>723662>>723663Zunden pilots the ship out of the storm, and sharply away from a stray cannon shot that tears through the insects towards your ship. You see Clawson's ship idly floating outside. With the altitude you lost after Aurora was shot, you are slightly below them now, giving them the advantage. The ship springs to action, heading higher. You see an unidentified figure hauling up some plain, unmarked barrels, seemingly intending to drop them on your ship once they gain enough altitude.
Carabas thinks quick. "We need to get at least on even footing, so Rabi can have access to the ship and see if the Egg is there. For now…" He dons his armor and draws his sword, extending his other claw, clearly intending to board the ship himself along with anyone what wants to accompany him.
No.723665
>>723664Rabi can't say anything, but he feels pretty dumb right now. He'll settle down and wait, since it seems like the party's trying to get closer. While he stays seated, he'll keep an eye out for the cat.
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.723666
>>723664"Dawn, can you create a portal for a brief amount of time that will allow Rabi'z zpirit to pazz zhrough? It doezn't need to be exact, juzt above or on ze enemy zhip zo he can properly zcout it."
Zunden says as she has a Servitor take Aurora below deck, taking cover behind the rampart herself as she pilots [1d10]
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.723667
>>723664''A bold idea'' Aegis notes, stepping up to Carabas ''Normally I would never take this risk, but seeing as our realities might still be on the line…'' Now with the dust settled, she attempted to summon a set of homing soulmass crystals of ice magic
'1d10' homing magic, ice
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.723668
>>723664Having set Aurora into her room and made my way onto the top deck, i step forward with Carabas, prepping my armor and shivs.
"Hm. I will join you in this boarding action, Carabas. I'm of a mind that dealing with Lysander will require a more
direct approach."
"Provided we avoid the crossfire, a melee aboard his ship should shield the others for a time, dangerous as it may be."
No.723669
>>723668>>723664"Hold, boarding iz how zhey gain leverage by taking you hoztage. If zhere iz no egg aboard, zhen zhere iz no reazon to mount zheir zhip. Wait until we can get confirmation from Rabi. At mozt, damage zheir balloon to get uz clozer in range."
No.723670
>>723669>>723668>>723664I look between everyone and knit my brow. "So what are we doing? Boarding does seem like a pretty bad idea, but if Carabas thinks it's a good idea- I don't know."
No.723671
>>723670"Not to mention our ship is warded from the bugs right now. If we leave it then we have to deal with them too."
No.723672
>>723669''Understood. At most we should try to be in range to disrupt them the best we can. Might even buy time for you to rush towards the egg, if Rabi can comfirm its not there''
>>723670>>723671''Maybe boarding the ship and trying to take them head on, yes. But we might be able to stop their ship from leaving with the egg or invading the swarm to steal it away''
No.723673
>>723664>>723670>>723669"Hmm, i suppose you're right. Perhaps my frustration with the situation has gotten the best of me."
No.723674
>>723665From what you can see, the one manning the barrels seems to be the cat, outside of her Astral form.
>>723666"I can try…" She concentrates, and her horn starts glowing silver.
>>723667Your magic fizzles out once again.
>>723667>>723669>>723668>>723670>>723665As Zunden talks him down, Carabas reluctantly sheathes his sword, seeing the reasoning. He doesn't reply, but seems to be positively itching to get his claws dirty.
One of the barrels is flung overboard towards you, coating the side of your ship in a semi-translucent greenish substance. Violet hisses as she recognizes it; the volatile, flammable substance that was being used to keep the moat creature in check at the Timeless Castle. "Wildfire," Carabas growls. "Be wary! They're probably going to try to burn us to cinders with it!"
You see the cannon ports open on the sides once more, and they are lined up to open fire on you once again.
Dawn tries to open a portal for Rabi above the ship.
[1d10+2]
Roll #1 6 + 2 = 8 No.723676
>>723674''Then I'll try to shoot down any other barrels they try to drop on us'' Aegis annouce, backing off from eagerly mounting Carabas and preparing a spell as she looks up to Lysander's ship
'2d10' homing magic, ice
Roll #1 3, 2 = 5 No.723677
>>723674"Oh, I have A-" I pat my coat before finally reaching into my right upper inside pocket to pull out a canister. "Do you think water would wash it away? Or would that make it worse?"
No.723831
>>723674Rushing back below deck, i make my way to the cannons once again, the air finally clear to fire.
No.723832
>>723674Relieved to see the feline otherwise occupied, Rabi steps through the portal Dawn creates and drops on to the deck. He decides to work quickly, just in case they get suspicious, and starts to check around the ship for any sign of an egg.
Search roll? [1d10]
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.723833
>>723674Having taken cover just indoors, Zunden begins work on manuvering the ship up and out of the way of barrels.
[1d10]
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.723834
>>723676You summon a single icy arrow above your head.
>>723677"This isn't your ordinary fire," Carabas warns. "But it's worth a try. I don't really know how wildfire works."
>>723831You load in a cannonball, with help from the Servitors. As the port opens, Clawson's ship starts moving away and to the left in an effort to stay clear of the cannons.
>>723832Dawn opens a silver doorway on the deck, leading above the ship's deck. You take the opportunity to move through it and onto the ship, undetected. Dawn closes it as soon as you go through, to avoid drawing attention.
You find two mercenaries above deck. One is the sniper that took out Aurora, a Dog in a roughspun hooded cloak, a bandanna over their face, and a pair of goggles. They are currently dipping an arrow in a barrel of oil. The other is Clawson himself, hauling barrels from below deck.
As you move below, you find the decor on Clawson's ship very rustic and not untasteful. It is made of dark red polished wood, with a fur rug in the mess hall, and a couple of mounted monster heads from trophy hunts. There are a limited amount of rooms available, and overall, the smaller ship is much more cramped than yours. It does have a lower level, which you go to investigate.
Below, you find a closed door, from behind which you can hear the fluttering of wings. Lysander's voice is coming from the other side, as are two unidentified female voices ad one unidentified male. You can't make out what they're saying without eavesdropping.
You also find Clawson's quarters. They are quite orderly, with an array of weapons being held here for all manner of occasions. By his bedside is a framed, grainy brown photograph of a saurian.
Past this room is the magazine, where Clawson is moving back and forth from. Here, you find a dark brown unicorn covered in scars from head to toe and wearing a black jacket. He is operating the weapons on board effortlessly, manning multiple cannons with telekinesis as if it were nothing, and passing Clawson a barrel when he slithers in. He doesn't seem too stressed about the current situation. Clawson, on the other hand, seems incredibly nervous, fidgeting and almost dropping one of the barrels.
Overall, there's no sign of the Egg, but if it's anywhere, it'll probably be in the room you heard Lysander's voice coming from.
>>723833You head below deck and move the ship upwards, putting distance between both ships.
>>723676>>723677>>723831>>723832>>723833Those of you above deck will see a single flaming arrow being nocked and drawn on board the enemy ship.
Dawn rapidly closes the portal and tries to fire a magic bolt in the direction of the archer.
[1d10+1] [1d10+1]
Etrigan joins her, his own antlers glowing deep purple and conjuring an orb of dark magic.
[1d10] Ranged
Carabas panics as he sees this, disregarding the previous conversation and flying towards the enemy ship in an effort to cut down the archer.
[1d10]
Violet thinks on her toes. "I'm sure he won't mind if I…" She moves to grab Rabi's giant bow, straining to pull the massive arrow back and firing it off as best she can.
[1d10-2]
Roll #1 4 + 1 = 5 /
Roll #2 6 + 1 = 7 /
Roll #3 6 = 6 /
Roll #4 9 = 9 /
Roll #5 5 - 2 = 3 No.723835
>>723834Seeing the arrow, I quickly fumble to switch the oil canister with my green water canister. "This might look kind of bad, but it's just dyed water. I'm gonna try to spritz the stuff overboard before they can burn it." I aim at the floor where the stuff splashed and pull the trigger, sweeping along the deck with a noxious looking green mist.
[1d10] spritz
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.723836
>>723834Angling the barrel further up, i try to match the direction of the ship as i light the fuse!
[1d10] cannonfire
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.723837
>>723834Rabi frowns a little bit as he looks around. It's nice, to say the least- much more extravagant than their own. He decides to leave the sightseeing for another time, and starts heading for the voice.
>[1d10]Roll #1 10 = 10 No.723838
>>723834>Servitors hopefully continuing to Servitor and repair/load/fire cannonsZunden prepares to dodge a large attack in the future.
>Bask: Dominion No.723994
>>723834Just as she begins her spell, Aegis's attention is taken by the commotion from everyone trying to stop the arrow. She joins her efforts with them, firing off a bolt of ice towards the incoming arrow
'2d10' magic bolt
Roll #1 6, 9 = 15 No.724197
>>723835Some of the green oily substance sloughs off with the water, but a large majority of it clings to the ship. It seems to almost defy physics as it sticks in place, without dripping.
>>723836You manage to hit their ship. It rocks slightly as you punch a hole in the bottom of the hull, but it remains steady.
>>723838You see the Servitors continuing to arm the cannons, aligning a shot focusing the balloon.
>>723994You fire a magic bolt, striking the edge of the ship where the archer is positioned, interrupting his arrow from firing. Dawn and Etrigan provide backup suppressing fire.
>>723835>>723836>>723838>>723994The cannons roar as the Servitors go for the balloon, tearing two clean holes through it. Clawson's ship lurches and begins to lose altitude, hurtling towards the dunes. Carabas hangs back, circling it like a bird of prey as it is hit. Violet tries to fire off the bow, but the greatarrow just limply flops off the deck.
A tremendous cracking and crumbling rings out moments later. The source soon becomes clear. The cannonballs tore straight through the balloon and through to the other side, impacting the side of the Hive. There is a brief moment of deafening silence; then, the furious drone of the desert begins to reach a fever pitch, the crimson swarm roiling and contorting as their nest is disturbed. In the distance and on the horizon, you can see more clouds starting to form from the sand, answering their brethren's call to arms. "Oh God," Violet breathes, paling at the sight. Etrigan's dead black eyes widen. "Wh-what's going on?" Dawn half shouts in a panic. "Where's Carabas?!"
While they do not attack you directly, the swarm beneath you flares up, rocking your ship like a rowboat in a hurricane.
>everyone currently on the ship roll to maintain footing, instant action, DC7Meanwhile, Clawson's ship starts hurtling in your direction, careening out of control at breakneck speed.
No.724198
>>723837You return to the room with the closed door to eavesdrop. Before you can do so, however, the ship jolts and heaves violently, struck by a devastating attack. After a minute, Clawson barrels past you in a panic, grasping at his things, struggling to stay upright.
"What was that, snake?" Lysander demands, a bite of impatience in his voice.
Clawson seems to ignore him, focused on one thing only as you hear him rummaging around for his possessions. "To hell with this," he mumbles. "Ship's goin' down. I ain't sticking around to die in this hellhole. Keep the money."
A sudden scuffle breaks out. Before long, you hear a strangled choking sound, and a shuddering gasp from Clawson. During this altercation, the door is flung open, revealing the room to you now.
There are five figures present in this room:
Clawson is currently being restrained by the same felid that attacked you before in Astral form. You see something that takes you a minute to comprehend: the felid is grabbing Clawson from behind, one claw around his neck, the other going
through his chest, as if it weren't there. Her fist coming out the front of his chest is ghostly white, and translucent. As you watch, she seems to flicker in and out of existence, as if phasing to and from her Astral form involuntarily.
The third is a white-furred minotaur. He has a lean build and short horns. His most distinctive feature are his tattoos; apart from the skull on crossed axes marking him as a Bloody Mummer, he bears an extremely noticeable snake tattoo, starting with the open fanged mouth around his left eye, stretching all the way around his neck and torso, ending with the tail wrapped around his right leg. He bears no weapons, save for a black metal kite shield strapped to his back.
You also notice an unfamiliar character. A tall, regal looking felid is among the others in the room. Her fur is a tuxedo pattern, with brilliant yellow eyes, and a heavy red gold-trimmed cloak that hangs all the way to her ankles. She has a cold, almost robotic look to her, giving her a commanding, intimidating presence. Your eyes are drawn to the object she cradles in her hands: a large, perfectly smooth egg, the size of a pony's head, black as pitch. Just looking at it fills you with a vague sense of dread.
The final figure is very recognizable to you. The green, smoky form of Kairon Irse stands with the rest of them, observing the scene from above, circling Clawson like a vulture.
What draws your attention as well is the back of the room. The whole back wall is lined with old metal cages, all containing at least six of the grey cuckoos you've been seeing. Many of them are sitting idly, preening themselves or otherwise exploring their cages. Only one, presumably the one Lysander is possessing, is observing with the rest of the gathered rogues gallery.
"Coward," the astral felid hisses in his ear.
1/2
No.724199
>>723837>>724198"I thought you were smarter than this," Lysander says pompously through the bird.
"I guess I misjudged you. I hoped you'd see reason to join me. You could've had everything you ever wanted if you'd played along."The regal looking felid shows no emotion at all, save for a hint of disdain as he looks at him. She wastes no time trying to lecture him. "The lifeboats. Take us."
"Only… one…" Clawson manages to sputter, not daring to move a muscle with one claw around his heart and another around his throat. "Can't… fit… everyone…"
"Shame. Suppose we'll only be able to take whoever's valuable." He addresses the two felids.
"Elaina. My lady. You know where to find me." He pauses to look at Clawson.
"And, hm. Captain goes down with the ship, I suppose."Clawson's eyes dart around the room terrifiedly. Elaina, the phase shifting felid, looks to the felid with the Egg as if seeking confirmation. She nods. With one swift movement, Elaina rakes her hand downwards and pulls out. You hear a stomach turning
crack, and Clawson screams in pain, falling to the ground and writhing horribly like a small animal hit by a speeding car. Your head swims as you see his spine contorted in an unnatural way. Elaina kicks him to the ground, where he curls up on the wooden floor, sobbing pathetically.
"We're done here. Your Grace, go with Elaina and Lady Grosvenor. They'll know where to go." Kairon nods understandingly and floats behind the two felids.
"It will be so.""Reck. You can pilot this ship, can't you. Steer the ship towards the drifters then get in the lifeboat.""What about the others?" the tattooed minotaur grunts. "Principo and Arafiles."
"Expendable.""Hrm." Reck trudges right through you, and towards the upper deck. On the floor, Clawson continues to flounder, panting horribly as he makes feeble, fruitless attempts to get up. Lysander merely watches him in silence. You get the feeling he's amused by the sight.
"Hey. I'll send Roscoe your regards when I see him," he says eventually.
Clawson, already in agony, looks terrified at the mention of whoever Roscoe might be, looking up at the wall of bird cages with desperation.. "P-please," he blurts. "He… didn't… do… anything… Kill… Kill me… but leave him," he begs,. "Please… PLEASE…"
"Goodbye, Clawson. If only you weren't such an idiot."And just like that, Lysander is gone, and the bird reverts to just being a bird. Lysander sobs in anguish and drags himself under a table, lying face down, at a loss as to what to do.
No.724201
>>724198>>724199Rabi scoots back from the door before remembering it can't really 'hit' him in his current state. The scene he's treated to is, to say the least, overwhelming. The sight of Clawson being grabbed through his body by Elaina is difficult to get over, but once he does he notices the far, far more important details; Kairon, and the Egg.
Kairon's apparent betrayal wasn't anything good, but he'd never felt particularly trusting of the entity to begin with. It wasn't surprising to find the Egg already in Lysander's hands, as worrying of a thought as it was. He quickly tries to commit the remaining two to memory before his train of thought is broken by the loud, sickening snap of Clawson's spine being broken. He freezes up for a little bit and watches the snake curl up and squirm in agony, finding himself feeling rather bad; Clawson might've been an enemy, but no one deserved something like this…
He lets otu a shaky sigh, deciding that he's seen just about enough. He'll follow after the two Felids if they head elsewhere in the ship, if only for long enough to get an idea of where they're headed. Once he's managed that, he'll snap back to reality- he's got a lot to discuss, to say the least.
>End Astral Projection No.724202
>>724197Aegis gets on a low stance, trying to hold on to anything to not get shaken off the ship
'1d10'
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.724203
>>724197Bracing against the side of the cannon, I try to hold my ground as the ship rocks violently!
[1d10] brace!
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.724204
>>724197I start to get more and more stressed as the stuff doesn't seem to want to come off, but don't have much time to dwell on it as the ship rocks and I stumble backwards. My knees weaken even more as I see the ship plummeting through the air, and, without anywhere to run, it feels like my heart is about to burst.
[1d10]
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.724205
>>724197[2d10] Violet, Etrigan bracing
[1d10-2] Dawn bracing
Roll #1 4, 7 = 11 /
Roll #2 8 - 2 = 6 No.724206
>>724197Seeing Clawson's ship begin to careen towards the Fate's Fortune, Zunden puts her expertise in controlling the ship into action, swinging the backside of the ship to drift out of the way.
>Dominion [1d10+2] Multiship drifting[1d10] Stable footing, keep in mind saurian damage reduction
Roll #1 2 + 2 = 4 /
Roll #2 9 = 9 No.724207
>>724201>Brace! [1d10]Rabi snaps awake with a panicked gasp, before saying "G-Guys! I found out a lot o- w-woah!"
Roll #1 9 = 9 No.724209
>>724201>>724208You vaguely recall having heard the felid with the Egg's name before. Lady Cecile Grosvenor was the ruler of the city of Braildorn, from what you remember, though she was extremely reclusive and hadn't been seen in public for months. No telling why she's partnered with Lysander.
>>724202You cling to the main mast like a squirrel in a tree. You are hit in the back by a piece of loose debris, but remain mostly unscathed.
>Aegis takes 2 hits>>724203As the ship rocks, the cannon starts to roll away, threatening to crush you under its weight. Instinctively, you get away, only to be sidelined by a large wooden crate. You take the full impact of it, managing to flap away before it pins you to the wall. Your ears ring, and you're vaguely aware of a trickle of blood running down your forehead.
>Silver takes 4 hits>>724204As the ship tilts, you struggle to maintain your footing, falling flat on your face and sliding off the ship. You desperately throw your hand out before you are thrown to the raging swarm below, barely grabbing on to a railing. The old wound from where the Beasts of Braildorn mauled you starts to burn blindingly as you strain your arm. It feels like it's going to get wrenched right out of its socket.
>>724206You curl up and hunker down, taking shelter in a tight corner of the deck. You are pinged by light debris, but shrug it off easily. Sitting and concentrating on the ship, you manage to get it to drift sideways, slowly righting it and preventing it from rolling over. The effort prevents you from having time to move out of the way of Clawson's ship.
>>724207You think fast, grabbing a hold of the ship's rigging and clinging to it for dear life. You manage to save yourself; your head spins, but you are safe from getting pummeled by debris or falling into the churning red abyss.
>>724202>>724203>>724204>>724206>>724207Violet is hit in the face point blank by a falling wooden beam. She falls to the deck with a soft groan, blood flowing freely from her now crooked snout.
[1d10] Recover
Etrigan fares better, throwing himself to the ground flat and avoiding most of the damage. He sees Norv dangling by a thread from the railing, and starts working his way towards him to try and haul him back on deck.
[1d10] Help
Dawn manages to instinctively portal herself out of harm's way, moving through a silver door into a midair freefall, then back onto the deck.
As the red storm flares up again, Carabas vanishes amidst it. The last you see of him is him being thrown about like a ragdoll as he desperately tries to fly back to your ship.
Clawson's ship is still hurtling towards yours, now seconds away from impact.
Roll #1 8 = 8 /
Roll #2 9 = 9 No.724210
>>724209''ZUNDEN! THE SHIP!'' Aegis calls out loudly as she looks up at the incoming airship
No.724211
>>724209>>724210Zunden continues to pilot silently and sternly despite the chaos around, fighting to remain sure of her ability to succeed despite the dire straits.
[1d10] Dominion
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.724212
>>724209"G-Ghuh… I don't think I want to go through that sensation again." the stallion says, trying to hold his head still for a little to clear it.
"A-Anyways… everyone, I got some important stuff! The egg's on the ship- the ruler of Braildorn's got it, she and a couple others are leaving on the lifeboat! They're going to try and ram us before they leave. Clawson looks like he tried to duck out, and they… well, they're leaving him for dead, if he isn't already. I found Kairon on the ship, too."
>>724203"S-Silver!" the stallion shouts, trying to help her up her up.
No.724213
>>724209Staggering away from the crate, my head rings as the ship's hold rolls around me. Amid the chaos, I try to move further in, holding onto the supports for my life!
No.724214
>>724209I scream as loud as my voice can manage as the pain explodes throughout my whole arm, sending my head spinning and my stomach spiraling. I'm sure the effort of holding on is the only thing keeping me from vomiting what little is still left in my stomach. I barely register as Etrigan tries to pull me up, desperately trying to scramble back on deck.
[1d10]
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.724215
>>724212>>724209Clutching Norvegicus' charm, Zunden listens to Rabi's report from below deck, getting up from her position and running upstairs in order to respond and plan out the next course of action.
>GLC to turn the 3 into an 8 No.724216
>>724211>>724215You keep focusing all your mental energy on swerving out of the way. The ship keeps surging forward, then comes to an abrupt stop, yawing counter clockwise, the rear end of the ship spinning around to avoid the incoming crash.
It's not quite enough.
>>724212Your words fall mostly on deaf ears. Everyone is struggling to recover from the sudden surge. Dawn, however, is shaken but unharmed, and hears you out. She freezes in place. "No… They have it…
They have it…"
>>724213You start stumbling back upstairs in a daze, pulling yourself to the main hold. You are only vaguely aware of Aurora's prone body slumped in a corner, thrown aside like a ragdoll by the swarm. You can hear the others above deck at the moment.
>>724214Etrigan dips his head, allowing you to grab a hold of his antlers. He hauls you back on deck effortlessly. Looking around, you can see the others are mostly unharmed, save for Violet, who looks like she took a powerful blow to the face. She is staggering around clutching her snout, blood flowing freely through her hooves.
>>724210>>724211>>724212>>724213>>724214Just as you are recovering from the first impact, there is a deafening
CRUNCH of wood on wood. Zunden prevented a head on collision, but the ship has still rammed into yours. You are thrown about by the impact like a paper boat in a hurricane, almost a quarter of your ship demolished by it. The ship creaks and groans as debris flies everywhere, threatening to capsize completely.
>roll stability again, instant[3d10] Violet, Etrigan, Dawn
You see a silver door open on the deck amidst the chaos. Dawn seems to have blindly thrown one open, though you don't know where it leads.
Roll #1 7, 3, 3 = 13 No.724217
>>724216I clench my teeth from the pain and rush over to Violet, clutching my arm and stumbling the entire way. "Vi-" I manage to croak. My voice is hoarse and my throat is sore, but I still force myself to speak. "Are you alri-" I stumble as the ship lurches again, and can feel tears stinging my eyes as the sudden movement rattles my arm again.
[1d10]
Roll #1 9 = 9 No.724218
>>724216A violent crunch as the second ship impacts the vessel, I try to hold onto the support with my forehooves as the vessel shakes again!
[1d10] brace!
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.724219
>>724216Aegis tumbled her way to the inner deck of the ship, but is stopped by the impact, rolling around the wooden planks as she tried to stabilize. Upon seeing Dawn's familiar portal appear out of nowhere, she tried to swiftly regain her footing enough to jump towards it
'1d10'
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.724220
>>724216Zunden braces for impact [1d10], Running and shouting out to the crew.
"
We ztill have a chanze, make zure we do not looze Dawn! It iz zhrough her portalz we can only hope to take ze Egg!"
[1d10] attempt to help
Roll #1 10 = 10 /
Roll #2 8 = 8 No.724221
>>724216Holding my own, I make my way back onto the main deck!
No.724222
>>724216"Gah, later then!" he shouts, trying to steady himself
>[1d10]
>[1d10] Trying to help out DawnRoll #1 1 = 1 /
Roll #2 5 = 5 No.724223
>>724216>>724219She trips and tumbles a bit, but…
'1d10'
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.724224
>>724222Correction: Ignore the help roll. Heading down below deck to see if there's anyone to help there.
No.724225
>>724217She reaches towards you, but is thrown aside by the second impact, stumbling to hug a wall. You manage to brace yourself with your other arm, grabbing hold of a loosened floorboard, clinging to it with bared claws. You manage to avoid getting seriously injured further, as does Violet.
>>724218You grab hold of one of the support beams. Your head is spinning at a hundred miles an hour, but you're not injured further.
>>724219>>724223You cling to the ratlines as the ship begins to rock again. You take a blow to the back, but remain relatively unharmed.
>Aegis takes 1 hitYou throw yourself through the open portal, abruptly finding yourself down at ground level. You are in a stone cave of some sort, though it is too dark to be able to see anything. Above you, you can hear the raging of the native insects. You can't be too far from the surface.
>>724220You see Dawn opening and closing portals madly in confusion, looking terrified. She slips and almost falls off the ship, but you grab her by the back leg and clutch her tightly. She's too winded to say anything, visibly panicking.
>>724221You find the rest of the group in varying states of injury. For the most part, everyone is in one piece, though many look like they're in pain.
>>724224You fail to get footing in time, and fall face first, cracking your jaw on the hard wooden floor. You are aware of a burning pain in your leg; looking down, you see a sharp piece of splintered wood embedded in your thigh.
>Rabi takes 1 woundHobbling down what's left of the stairs, you find Aurora's comatose body pinned to a wall by a table, blood dribbling from her mouth. The interior of the ship is in shambles, with all manner of furniture and objects you've acquired strewn about. You hear a soft creaking sort of hiss coming from Zunden's room, while in one of the spare rooms, you hear Purdue (formerly Mercutio) yelling indistinctly in a panic.
>>724217>>724218>>724220As Zunden helps Dawn, she starts getting her bearings and reaches out, conjuring another portal to what is presumably a safe location. "Has… has anyone seen Carabas?" she asks shakily.
No.724226
>>724225Addendum: Etrigan slams into a wall as the ship rocks again, staggering about in confusion. The scarf he wears over his lower face is undone: you can see that under it, his face is littered with necrotic pockmarks and scars, while across his neck is a gruesome slash, cut to the bone.
No.724227
>>724225Now certain that this portal is secure, Aegis hopped back through it, back to the ship
'1d10' spellcatcher
''Everyone, take anything or anyone you can carry through here, this one is safe!'' She shouted as she rushed down the inner deck to look for anyone in need of assistance on the way, as well as to retrieve any important items
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.724228
>>724225Rabi tries to pick himself off the floor with a pained groan. Trying his best to ignore the splinter of wood in his thigh, the stallion moves to try and push the table off of Aurora.
"C-C'mon, I'm gonna get this off of you. Just stay with us, here!"
Help: [1d10]
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.724229
>>724225I'm on the verge of panicing just as much as Dawn, and try to reach out for Violet again. "Carabas? Did he not come back?" I frantically look around, trying to see him anywhere.
[1d10]perception
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.724230
>>724227"What are you talking about?"
No.724231
>>724225>>724221Servitors flying around to repair the ship in a frenzy, Zunden devotes herself to calming Dawn down, waving over Silver.
"He iz fine, Dawn. He took to ze air to avoid ze collizion. What we need iz to make zure zhiz wazn't for naught, alright?" she says firmly and determined, holding her composure despite the world coming down around her.
SHe shouts over to Silver. "Zilver Zong, I will need you to be Dawn'z eyez. Rabi haz zaid zey are making zheir getaway on an ezcape raft. I wizh to link your vizion with Dawn'z mind wizh a rune. Fly up and get a vizual on ze egg, and I will channel ze power of ze Chariot to enzure zhe can create a zmall portal in ze palm of ze egg-holder'z hand."
without further asking, she begins carve the symbol into the scorched wood of the upper deck, holding Dawn's hoof. "Ze fate of ze Echoez reztz now at thiz very moment, we
muzt work az one and dezide zhat fate for ourzelvez. Zilver, zhrough Union become ze eyez of Dawn."
[1d10+1] Union
Roll #1 2 + 1 = 3 No.724232
>>724225>>724228''Rabi, take Aurora up the deck and go through the first portal to the left, then help the others up the deck. I'll try to salvage as much as I can in here in case we crash''
>>724230''The Portal, Norvegicus. If the ship is about to crash, I suggest you take it'' Aegis briefly motions to the portal she came back from
No.724233
>>724221>>724231"Go now, I will invoke the Chariot to enzure your link onze you have left!"
No.724234
>>724225>>724231"Right!"
shaking off the injury, i leap off the ship and take flight, making my way into the air above the two ships, searching for the escape craft!
>bounce[1d10] Perception
Roll #1 9 = 9 No.724235
>>724232"But- Purdue is still below deck!"
No.724236
>>724232There's others down here! That skull… and, Zunden's pet! Focus on those, first!" he says, huffing a little and pushing at the table.
No.724237
>>724234>>724225[1d10] Navigation
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.724238
>>724236''Understood''
>>724235''I'll get him''
No.724239
>>724225>Forgot the DM replyRunning past Rabi, Aegis ran to Zunden's room, looking for the source of the hissing
No.724240
>>724238"I'll come with you. I have to grab my cage too."
No.724241
>>724227You observe the magical nature of the portal, committing it to memory before hopping back through.
>>724228You're not sure if she's alive or not, but you manage to pull the table away with great effort. She slumps to the ground like a doll when you do so.
>roll Perception, instant>>724229No sign of him. "I told him not to leave… I
told him not to leave…" She starts hyperventilating and fretting, her horn sparking erratically.
>>724231Dawn seems to be trying to suppress a panic attack, breathing heavily. She hears you out, though, nodding slightly. "This is going to work. This is going to work. This is going to work." She seems to be trying to convince herself.
You try to carve it, but nothing happens. Dawn just keeps trying to keep it together.
>>724234>>724237As you leave the ship, you are immediately beset by the livid insects. They gnaw at your extremities, trying to burrow under your clothes and armor, but you keep shaking them, doing a series of graceful spins, loops and pirouettes as you scour the area.
Soon enough you spot it: A tiny wooden raft with three figures on it, flanked by Kairon in a cloud-like form. Two of them are covered by a cloak to protect themselves, while the other is unphased, being pallid and translucent. The hands are the only solid part on this figure as they pilot the lifeboat onwards.
>>724239Zunden's room is almost completely destroyed. The furniture, being nailed in place, is only barely standing. The wardrobe is reduced to splinters, and many of her trinkets and baubles are strewn carelessly or outright crushed. You soon find the balaur cowering under what's left of the wardrobe, terrified out of its mind. As you approach it, it tries to bite you on sheer instinct.
[1d10]
>>724240Your room seems to have been hit the hardest; it's reduced to a pile of rubble, a yawning hole in the wall leading to the chaos of the red storm. Your cage, thankfully, is unharmed, and you easily manage to pry it loose from the rubble.
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.724242
>>724241>>724240You hear a faint, familiar voice yelling from one of the other rooms.
"Someone there? What's going on out there! Is it the bloody apocalypse? Give us a hand, if you could! I'm, er… stuck… Gods… I'm finished… How did this ever happen" No.724243
>>724240Then go and fetch Mercutio, I'll handle Zunden's pet''
>>724241Aegis has no patience or tact for it, simply lifting it up with magic while she looks for any of Zunden's important possesions she can save before leaving
No.724244
>>724241Well, at least I didn't put too much effort into getting it put together. I dig my cage out of the rubble.
>>724242>>724243Hearing her call him Mercutio stings a little, but I don't have time to worry about it. I try to follow the voice to wherever he is so I can grab him.
No.724245
>>724241shaking off the clinging bugs, i keep my eyes on the pod as i hang back, flying higher in an attempt to hide my presence.
[1d10] Stealth
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.724246
>>724241"It iz zhrough our determinazion zhat we will create anew from deztruction. Dawn, zee zhrough Zilver eyez and bring about a new day for ze Echoez, one free from tyranny."
>Chariot10+1 Union between Silver and Dawn in order to link their beings together temporarily.
No.724247
>>724241>[1d10] Perception"C-Come on, come on, please be okay…" the stallion pleads, trying to hoist her over her back carefully and work his way towards Zunden's room. He'll grab the pet, next.
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.724248
>>724243It's too small to be able to hurt you much, giving you a little nick on the hoof. You also notice her pet gelatinous cube, a lute, a kettle, and the wraith skull from a few weeks prior. The rest doesn't look salvageable to you. You can't carry much either; with the lizard, you can only carry two of these, perhaps three if you can fit something across your back and/or in your pockets.
>>724244You grab your cage and head to the spare room, also in disarray. Purdue has fallen under the bed, looking around nervously.
"Oh, hello again. What in the world is going on out there? It sounds like the sky's falling! Mind getting me out of here?">>724245You use the bugs to your advantage, hiding among them as you follow the trio from above. You are completely concealed from their view from here. They seem to be heading higher, trying to get out of the bug storm.
>>724246You carve the rune again. Dawn gasps as you form the link, sinking to her knees, trembling. She has a faint smile on her face as she adjusts to the sensation of being able to see again, falling silent for a good while. "It's… it's beautiful… I…"
After a few moments, she gets to work, observing the area
>>724245You get a sudden mental jolt, followed by a strange feeling like being watched, only no one is watching you. Zunden's spell must have worked.
>>724247She seems to be clinging on to life, but only barely. Her breathing is extremely shallow.
You hoist her up and head to Zunden's room, which is almost completely destroyed. Aegis is here with the balaur in tow already, sorting through Zunden's belongings trying to salvage what she can.
>>724247 No.724249
>>724248>>724246After a few moments, she gets to work, observing the area. "…I think I see them… There's three of them. They're trying to flee the swarm."
No.724250
>>724248shivering a little as the alien feeling washes over me, i maintain my position away from them as i keep visual on the trio.
No.724251
>>724248Aegis's pockets and bags are already mostly full with her own things
Instead of struggling to carry everything at once, Aegis instead attempted to summon an icy, crystal mirror portal to a place close to where Dawn's was right under her hooves
'1d10+2' portal, ice
Roll #1 8 + 2 = 10 No.724252
>>724248Seeing as Aegis already grabbed the pet, Rabi quickly changes course to pick up Mercutio, and stuff him in a saddlebag. With that, he'll head to the way out Aegis mentioned.
No.724253
>>724251'1d10' Potent potion
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.724254
>>724249"Zhat iz right. Remind yourzelf, Lyzander took zhiz from you. Now zteal away hiz prize, balanze ze zcalez." Zunden says in a low, bassy voice, focusing her energy on now stabilizing the ship again.
[1d10] Dominion
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.724255
>>724248>>724251With a decent portal succesfully made, Aegis (gently) tossed in all of Zunden's valuables before hopping in herself
No.724256
>>724250You watch as they head towards a ray of light in the sandswarm, breaking through it and out of the cloud, going right by you without noticing.
>>724251You focus and create an icy doorway, which ripples with pale blue magic. You pass through, finding yourself back in the desert cave.
>>724255You move through, finding yourself back in the pitch black cave. The light from both portals is the only way to see anything right now.
>>724254You manage to right the ship somewhat, but it is much harder to control. It barely moves as you reach out.
Dawn nods slightly, frowning as she concentrates, trying to open a portal to the lifeboat.
[1d10+2]
>>724252You head through the portal after salvaging your and Silver's belongings, heading through the portal. You are in an extremely dark cave underground. Two portals, one silver and once icy blue, illuminate the surroundings only slightly. You can hear the furious buzzing of the insects above.
>pausingRoll #1 5 + 2 = 7 No.724257
>>724248I drop down onto my side, reaching under the bed with my good arm while trying to keep my bad arm tucked close to my body. "The ship," I say, frantically picking him up. "It's falling. We have to go."
I carry him, my cage, the two wands, my canisters, my dart gun, my sprayer, and my poisons to the portal and jump through.
No.724307
>>724257"Falling? Are we under attack? I-is there any way I can help?"You find that Purdue fits quite comfortably in one of your coat's back pockets. He looks around worriedly as you gather your other belongings, storing the smaller ones in the empty cage, then hop through the portal Aegis opened in her room.
You find yourself in a dark cave somewhere in the desert, only barely illuminated by the two open portals; one is the ice blue one from Aegis, and the other is a silver door from Dawn. Both lead back to the ship. You seem to be underground at the moment, and you are vaguely aware of Rabi and Aegis there with you.
No.724525
>>724307"Probably not. At least not right now," I tell him. Holding my breath on instinct, I hop through the portal. At first everything seems pitch black, but I assume that's because my eyes haven't adjusted. I squint and try to move my sun a little further away to get a better look at the surrounding cave. "Well," I say. "It ain't a falling ship."
[1d10] perception
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.724526
>>724256Rabi tries to grab anything of note- he can't quite get all of Silver's supplies, but he grabs some of it, along with a couple of her dresses. He salvages his own gear along with the peculiar music box, before leaving for the portal.
After coming out of the portal and into the dark cavern, he immediately tries to light the area with one of Zunden's suns (or, if he doesn't have one, his own hoof via Arcane Arms+Fire Elementalist.)
"Hey, who's here? I-I need help!"
No.724527
>>724256My concern grows as the group continues traveling out of the swarm's cover without portal intervention, but nevertheless i continue traveling above the escape raft, keeping them in sight.
No.724528
>>724256>>724525>>724526''The others'' Aegis speaks up from the darkness, producing a blue wisp of light that illuminates her form and the surroundings
''Where are they'' She speaks calmly, but with some urgency, gently putting down Zunden's pet
No.724530
>>724528>>724525I tremble a little as I set my cage down and Purdue on top of it. "I don't know!" I frantically shout. "I thought everyone was following you!"
>>724526I spin around. "Help with what? I don't know what I'm supposed to be doing."
No.724531
>>724256>>724527[1d10] stealth
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.724532
>>724530I frantically look around, suddenly realizing something. "Where's Vi? And Z? Are they still on the ship?"
No.724533
>>724256Watching the others carefully and growing concerned at the rapidly shrinking amount of crew, Zunden focuses on making sure the ship's descent is slow in order for the Servitors to have as much time as possible to repair.
[1d10]
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.724535
>>724530''And I thought everyone was on the ship trying to stop it from crashing''
>>724532''If they are not here then they are on the ship. Come''
>>724256With that, Aegis quickly hops back into Dawn's portal, jumping into scene
No.724536
>>724525"Oh. W-well, if anything tries to sneak up on you, I'll have your back.">>724526You grab yourself some of Silver's alchemical apparati, notes and ingredients, though you don't manage to save all of it. The music box fits snugly in your pocket.
You find Aegis in the cave already, and after a few moments, Norv comes through her portal.
>>724528The balaur starts immediately exploring the cave, not phased much by the lack of light.
>>724525>>724526>>724528From what you can see, the cave is blocked off from the surface, preventing the angry swarm above from rushing in. There is a path leading deeper into the cave, with a gradual downward slope. You can hear the slow, faint drip of water coming from here. On your left is a narrow crack that seems to open up into an adjacent cavern, which seems to be growing some sort of pallid desert fungus.
>>724527>>724529>>724531You follow them as they begin to break through the insect swarm, out into the daylight. You feel a wave of relief as you fly out of the raging cloud of red and into the clear blue skies. Sticking to the plan, you tail them from further away, though it is harder to find cover now that you are out of the cloud. You're not sure if they've spotted you or not.
>>724533You manage to stabilize the ship somewhat. You see the Servitors struggling to patch the holes in the ship. With the amount of damage it's taken, it will be several hours before they are done.
Dawn concentrates, opening a small door in midair in front of you. "They're getting further away… I can't hold it for long… Do it!…"
>>724535You return to the upper deck via Dawn's portal, finding her concentrating on opening a small portal in front of Zunden. Violet is leaning against the main mast, clutching her bloodied face in a daze, seemingly unaware of your presence. The ship still rocks perilously from side to side. Nearby, the Servitors are desperately trying to fix the ship as fast as they can, but the damage is extreme, and it will take no small amount of time to fix.
No.724537
>>724535>>724536My eyes widen and I slap my forehead and run my paw back. "Fer cryin'- You have to actually communicate these things!" I say, rushing back toward the portal. "I thought we were abandoning ship!" I make my way through Dawn's portal and back on deck, shouting, "What can I do?!" as I get through.
No.724538
>>724537''Do not follow me. If you want to know the will of the group, ask Zunden or the others, I was only getting Purdue and Zunden's belongings out of the ship, but at least you got him out of there for me so that's good, now I can head back sooner''
>>724536Aegis took note of the dire situation, recalling Dawn's portal as she tried to help fix the ship with an improvised ice patch on any holes she could find
'1d10' spellcatcher
'1d10' fixin with magic
Roll #1 1 = 1 /
Roll #2 6 = 6 No.724539
>>724536>>724537My eyes fall on Violet and I rush over to her. "Vi!" I shout, patting my coat. Do I really not have any healing potions? Out of everything I could keep on me- I tear my jacket off and pull off my undershirt, bunching it up. I try to find and put pressure on the wound. I remember someone telling me to do that.
[1d10] basic first aid
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.724540
>>724536Concerned with being pulled through or having her claw identified, Zunden instead holds her staff up to the portal, determined to take the egg and protect the Echoes, spewing forth inky tentacles to grab the egg and possibly throw off Lysander's crew as to identity of the thief.
>Chariot Snare No.724541
>>724536>>724530"Is Zunden here? Aurora's… she's in a really bad way, and I'm not really good at that sort of stuff. I didn't have time to check her over, but she was being crushed by a table."
No.724542
>>724536clear from the swarm, i keep to the plan, watching the party below for any sign of commotion, a hint of the plan proceeding.
No.724543
>>724538You focus on patching the ship, speeding up the process somewhat and helping stabilize the ship after the crash. It won't hold for long, but it should make Zunden's job easier.
>>724539She pulls her hooves away as you approach, looking feebly over to you.
Her snout has been crushed by the beam that hit her, mangling her face horrifically. Her nose is on a stomach churning angle, while her mouth is full of bloodied, cracked teeth. She manages a weak smile as you start doing what you can to patch her up, trying to dab away what you can. It doesn't do much, but it's better than nothing. "'S not so bad, is it?" she manages to croak. "Just gimme a moment to… walk it off…"
>>724540Your arm throbs as a dark power courses through it, flowing from your forearm into your staff. Half a dozen squirming, ropy tendrils burst from its head, surging through the portal madly, grasping for your prize. They retract quickly, depositing it in your hands.
The Egg is in your grasp. For all its terrible implication, it is little more than a pure black egg, distinguishable from any other only by its size; it is about as big as your head. It bears no identifiable markings, and is perfectly smooth. Holding it in your hands, you can feel the terrible strength that this artifact holds. It feels like you're holding a ticking bomb that could malfunction and go off at any moment without warning.
Dawn closes the portal with a gasp. Your Union rune seems to have worn off, and she almost collapses. "It's… it's done… We got it…"
The ship shakes ominously as the swarm begins to flare up again, leaving little time for celebration.
>>724541You can only see Norv and Aegis here. The rest must still be on the ship.
>>724542As you watch, you see a flash of silver below, and oily, writhing tentacles manifest on board the ship. Before any of them can react, they wrap around the Egg and retreat back through the portal. A great commotion breaks out as Zunden steals the Egg, the minotaur and the translucent felid squabbling in confusion and anger. The Felid who was holding it, however, remains completely unphased. Soon after, you feel a liberating sensation, like a great mental weight being lifted off of you. Seems the connection between you and Dawn has been cut off. The plan worked.
No.724544
>>724543Holding back the desire to gloat, i do a celebratory loop in the air, before turning back and making the flight back towards the ship, intensely smug at a thought of Lysander's face just then.
No.724545
>>724543"Gah, damnit." the stallion says, trying to gently settle Aurora down on to the floor of the gave and give her a once-over. He can't do a lot, but he can at least make sure she's still drawing breath.
Perception? [1d10]
Roll #1 9 = 9 No.724546
>>724543Aegis continued her efforts to help patch up the ship, until she suddenly ran back to Zunden's room to hop through her portal, arriving at the cave to retried the Saurian's belongings
No.724547
>>724543Zunden looks at the egg in awe and mild terror, retreating into the interior of the ship again as to hide it from physical sight. She's temporarily lost in the moment, realizing the egg is now in their possession.
>Bask: Dominion No.724548
>>724544>>724543[1d10] navigation
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.724549
>>724543My stomach sinks and I can't even begin to hide the look of horror on my face. "It'll be alright," I whisper, sitting beside her. "As soon as we're all safe we'll get you patched up. Just- just don't move too much. You're still bleeding." I gently put my arm around her. "It's gonna be okay."
I look around at the chaos on the ship. I really feel like I should be doing something to help, but I can't bring myself to leave Violet alone. "After we get out of this damn desert," I say, "We're gonna find a friggin' town or head back to the monestery and actually relax some, no matter what anyone else says. This has all been way too much. I hate all of this."
No.724550
>>724544>>724548You make it back to the ship quickly, still having that lingering doubt of whether they spotted you or not. You are forced to shake off the bugs repeatedly. On the way back, you find it difficult to gauge which way you are going, as you can see nothing but a cloud of red. At one point, you stumble across a grim sight.
A familiar patterned steel greatsword sticks out of a dune, its blade embedded in the sand. Still grasping the handle is a severed griffon claw, stripped down to the bone by the raging swarm. The rest of Carabas is nowhere to be seen.>>724545She is grievously wounded, both from the table and getting shot through the chest by the sniper, but she is still clinging to life. She's tougher than she looks. You see, however, that her spine appears to have taken a blow from the table. If she does recover, it seems likely she'll have difficulty walking from hereon out.
You are suddenly painfully aware of your own leg injury, and you find it harder and harder to remain standing, now that things are beginning to calm down.
>>724546You grab the belongings and hop through the portal. The balaur seems to have taken a liking to you, and follows you through with no fuss. Back in the cave, Rabi seems to be trying to keep Aurora stable. She seems extremely injured. Rabi isn't faring much better either, with a gaping wound in his left leg.
>>724547You go below deck; at least, what's left of it. You can see one of the Servitors desperately trying to fix a support beam in the kitchen to stop the ceiling from collapsing, while another is further on trying to clear some rubble in the main hallway. Etrigan is helping the latter, for lack of anything else to do. He looks over as you enter the area, eyes widening and freezing in place as he sees what you're carrying. He drops what he's doing and rushes over, offering you his cloak in order to keep it wrapped and relatively safe.
>>724549"Don't be so… so dramatic," she replies, pausing to spit out some blood. "I've had worse from better…"
"Yeah," she mumbles, struggling to stay conscious, yet still maintaining a positive attitude. "Yeah, we're gonna… take a holiday. Had enough of all… all this…"
"…Hey… We… we should've stayed in the cave…" She grins and laughs, breaking off into a fit of coughing.
No.724551
>>724550Zunden nods, currently as mute as the deer is, wrapping the egg and sitting cross legged with her back guarding it from any debris. Unlike the balaur, the need to protect the egg fears nowhere near as motherly.
As the ship is slowly saved from crumbling behind her, she guides it away from the spire.
[1d10+2]
Roll #1 4 + 2 = 6 No.724552
>>724550Aegis took a moment watching over the two injuried ponies
>>724545''Endure, I will get Zunden to come help'' She says before heading to Zunden's room
>>724547''Aurora and Rabi are in a safe place, away from the swarm, Zunden, I need to know now if we are crashing or if the ship will endure long enough for us to land safely away from here
No.724553
>>724550I let out a quiet chuckle. "Yeah," I say. "We really should have." I rub her back and wipe a tear from the corner of my eye. I nudge her a little as she seems to try to drift off. "Hey, hey. Stay with me, Vi. Tell me, where
is the nearest halfway decent town, anyway? We've been here a while and I've only even seen a couple."
No.724554
>>724550Rabi lets out a pained groan as his own injury becomes increasingly apparent, and he settles backwards to sit and take the weight off of his leg. At least Aurora's still alive, right?
>>724552"G-Got it."
No.724555
>>724552"
with ze repairz going az zey are, we will at leazt be able to leave ze dezert. After zat we will have to land for ze rezt of repairz."
Zunden replies in a shaky, quiet voice; barely moving except to breathe.
No.724556
>>724550shaking off another cloud of bugs, i focus my eyes on the scene below me and my stomach drops.
A terrible feeling, as if i've swallowed cold iron hits me hard as i see the sword. Despite the experience with death, i shudder at the idea of this fate. landing briefly, cursing myself for leaving the sword behind, i dislodge the claw and take it with me. Something is better than naught for a memory.
With one last look back, i take flight again, heading towards the ship.
[1d10] Navigation
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.724557
>>724556>>724550Gritting my teeth, i turn back again, landing to try and pull the sword from the sand.
Blast, i can't just leave it like that![1d10] pull!
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.724558
>>724551You take his help and protect the Egg with the cloak, taking over the ship. You guide it out of the swarm gradually, moving away from all the chaos as best you can. Progress is painstakingly slow with the ship in the condition it's in.
>>724553She gives a weak little shrug. "Fiddler's Green… Sardewald… Withick… Braildorn… Broome… The Last Hearth… Giantscairn…" She keeps listing off names, steadily growing quieter and less distinct. Her eyelids grow heavier and heavier. "Just need… to take a breather…"
>>724554You take a while to convalesce. You start to notice that the rest of the party aren't coming through. Seems like things are starting to calm down.
>>724556>>724557With an almighty heave, you wrench the sword free. Immediately, the swarm around you start to roil, trying to cling to their prize, but you swipe and bat at them, fending off the avaricious insects. The sword is overwhelmingly heavy, but you manage to drag it with you as you fly, steadily returning to the ship.
The instant you do so, your strength fails, and the sword clatters to the deck. Dawn perks up a little as she hears it, looking up with a hopeful smile. "Carabas? Is that you?"
No.724559
>>724555''Understood. I will help the servitors to ensure things go that way''
>>724550Aegis carefully placed the Balaur back in place and hopped back through the portal
>>724554''Come, I will help you get Aurora through''
No.724560
>>724559You help Rabi carry Aurora back through the portal onto the ship. It's not easy to find a secure spot with the ship being as it is, but you eventually lay her down on an intact bed in one of the spare rooms. She's still comatose.
No.724561
>>724560Aegis puts a blanket over her, careful to not mess up with her wound, and resumed her work helping fix the ship
'1d10' work, work
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.724562
>>724558Flying with what strength i could muster, i finally lose grip of the blade on the deck, collapsing near it a moment later, breathing hard as i lay there to recover.
"Dawn..I.." i manage to say between breathes "I'm so sorry.."
No.724563
>>724559"
zhere iz a cazk in my bag of holding, imbibe and it will temporarily greaten your ztrengzh, if you plan to move materials around to help ze repairz."
>>724558Steady as she goes, Zunden moves herself in a position to meditate and focuses souly on piloting.
[1d10]
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.724564
>>724558I jostle her a little bit, but not too hard. I really wish I knew more about first aid. I have no idea what I'm supposed to do here, so I just stay with her and keep talking. "Well," I say. "Braildorn is off the table. But we can just pick one of those others at random and just-" I woosh my hand through the air. "Fly there. We can probably be there in days."
No.724565
>>724558>>724559>>724560>>724561"Wait, what? Did we manage to fix it?" the stallion asks, trying to get back to his hooves. It takes a few times, but he manages it with a bit of a limp.
No.724566
>>724561You try to help the Servitors, but manual labor isn't really your area of expertise. You only get in their way as they try to keep the whole ship from collapsing on itself.
>>724562Dawn fumbles, feeling about, realizing it's just the sword. She goes silent, trembling slightly, breathing heavily. The breathing turns into a sniffle, the sniffle into a sob. She doubles over and clutches the sword like a lifeline, quietly grieving. Her horn starts to spark erratically, casting wayward shots of magic uncontrollably.
>>724563The ship rocks as it's battered by the swarm, but you keep it steady, preventing things from getting too out of hand. Steadily, you fly due south, starting to clear the swarm, still protected by Severance. Etrigan offers to hold the Egg so you can focus more.
>>724564"Yeah… Can start over… once this is done…" She smiles at the thought, then closes her eyes. This time, they don't open. For a horrible moment you think she's gone, but feeling her pulse you realize she's just passed out for now.
>>724565You go back through, finding a grim scene above deck. Silver is back, having found Carabas' sword on the way - and only the sword. Dawn is doubled over in grief, sobbing over the find. In one corner, Norv is staying by a passed out Violet, who's taken a crushing blow to the face, mangling her to the point where she's almost unrecognizable. Below deck, the Servitors and Aegis are toiling ceaselessly to get the ship in operating condition, while Etrigan stands over Zunden as she focuses entirely on piloting. She is holding a large lump of an object in her lap, covered by Etrigan's cloak.
No.724567
>>724566Defeated, Aegis instead heads back to the kitchen, and attempts to prepare a meal for everyone with what she finds in the cabinets
'1d10-2' Cooking
Roll #1 8 - 2 = 6 No.724568
>>724566Rabi limps in along with Aegis and Aurora's unconscious form, and looks around the room with a somewhat-relieved sigh… until he notices Carabas missing, at least.
"I, uh… I-I'll just take a seat. When we get the chance, we ought to tend to Aurora."
>>724562"S-Silver, are you… are you okay? Were you hurt bad?"
No.724569
>>724566In the meditative state, Zunden doesn't react to Etrigan's standing offer, prefering to be perfectly still. Her orb circling above her and pulsating with light.
>Bask: Dominion No.724570
>>724568having caught my breath, i shake my head, getting back onto my hooves.
"No, i'm quite alright dear. I was simply out of breath from carrying.. well.." i trail off, gesturing to Carabas' sword with a wing as my head falls onto your shoulder. "We've won, but the cost.."
No.724571
>>724566At first I start to panic, but I calm down just a little as I feel her pulse. It seems like Z has the ship mostly stable, so I stand up, drape my coat over Violet, and go to check in on everyone. I purse my lips and freeze as I see Dawn over Carabas's sword and instantly know what happened. I look back to Violet and swallow. Maybe we should wait until we touch down before I bother Zunden. Instead, I walk back over to Violet, sit back down, and gently pet her side.
No.724572
>>724570Rabi wobbles a little as she leans into him, before nodding shakily. "Y-Yeah. It wasn't easy, but at least we got out. What about, uh… the egg?" he asks, trying his best to support Silver as she leans into him.
No.724573
>>724567With things starting to calm down, you head into the kitchen. Unfortunately, you don't find much to eat. Just about all the food has been destroyed in the turmoil, and the utensils are scattered to the four winds.
>>724569He sees your lack of reaction, and instead opts to help out the Servitors, clearing rubble and carrying what can't be fixed to be repurposed as materials for fixing the hull breach.
>>724571You stay by Violet's side, for now. The Servitors continue to toil dutifully, repairing the ship with Etrigan's help, while Dawn continues to mourn quietly in the corner. Though the worst seems to be over, the atmosphere is grim.
No.724574
>>724573Aegis could only blankly stare at the absolute mess
She picked up whatever scraps of food she could find that were still somewhat edible and placed them on the table, picking off bits of dirt and shards of glass from the food bits and eating in complete silence, staring at the wall as she chewed, and the ship occasionally rocked
No.724575
>>724572"Safe and sound." i reply, allowing a momentary smile, my eyes closed. backing up, i pace around you worriedly, giving you a once over for injuries.
"WHat about
you, dear? between the battle and ZUnden's plan, i've barely had the time to check on you!"
No.724576
>>724573https://youtu.be/YgHVdna4adcZunden remains revenantly silent, guiding the beaten ship further and further away.
[1d10+2]
Roll #1 9 + 2 = 11 No.724577
>>724575"Been, uh… been better. I'm fine waiting for Aurora and Violet to get looked over first, though." he says, offering a bit of a pained smile and gesturing to his leg.
No.724578
>>724574You find a piece of stale pastry wedged in a corner. It's better than no food, at least. You realize it probably came from Aurora's hamper.
>>724576You focus once again, tuning in to the ailing ship, willing it to take you away. With an almighty lurch, it springs into gear, soaring higher and breaking through the cloud of raging insects, bursting forth into the cloudless blue sky. You steer it gently but firmly on its path, directing it due south, towards the distant mountain chain that marks the desert border.
>>724576>>724575>>724572>>724574>>724571https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXE5jjr2fikJust like that, it's over. The ship bursts through the swarm, and for the first time in what feels like forever, there is silence. Looking outside and back, you see the Hive has broken in half, and an enormous cloud of insects is gathering around its remnants, threatening to block out the sun. The Egg is secured, the ship is saved, and Lysander has been thwarted. For now.
After a while, Dawn joins the rest of you below deck, still shaking. Her blindfold is damp. She barely acknowledges anyone, fumbling through the mess hall, grabbing a glass of water, and slumping into a chair. She seems to have temporarily lost the will to speak.
No.724579
>>724578''So'' Aegis starts, wiping the side of her mouth ''What is the next step of your plan'' She asked those present
No.724580
>>724577A quick gasp escapes me as i see the damage, a shard of wood straight through your thigh!
"
Rabi! Putting on a brave face when you can barely stand, What did i tell you about worrying me? Go see Zunden right away!" i yell, stomping a hoof.
No.724581
>>724577Zunden has since retired to caring for Aurora, somber and wishing she had had the time earlier to take care of her good friend. She kneels at the bedside, casting healing spells every few minutes away from the rest of the party.
[1d10]
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.724582
>>724578>>724579I don't look up from Violet. "You guys can do what you want, but once Z makes sure Aurora is safe and heals Vi up, I'm going to the nearest town and taking a vacation."
No.724583
>>724582''You wont join our efforts in hiding away the egg then?''
No.724584
>>724578Having adjourned to the lower deck, i've my eyes closed in thought, the ship rocking beneath us.
"Well.. We've the egg, and lysander has been driven off again, for now. What are we to do about securing it?"
No.724585
>>724580"A-Ack! T-There was more important stuff than my leg!" he whinnies in response, folding his ears back and starting to get to his hooves. "I-I'll head right over, promise."
No.724586
>>724578Rabi flicks his ears and lets out a sigh of relief as they break through the swarm, before making his way towards Zunden.
>>724582"It'll be a shame to lose you, Norv. I don't really blame you all that much though, to be honest. Be safe, regardless of where you go."
No.724587
>>724581You seclude yourself for a while, tending to Aurora's wounds. It seems she's on the mend for now, but she won't be waking up any time soon. It seems it will also be difficult for her to walk without assistance, due to the injury she received to her spine.
You are approached by Rabi while taking care of Aurora.
>>724586You find Zunden in an unused room, helping Aurora heal from her injuries.
No.724588
>>724585I sigh. "Thank you, dear. And.. do be careful, alright? You know how i can be when i see how reckless you are.."
No.724589
>>724588"I-I guess I'm not the best at that, huh? I'll keep trying." he says, chuckling nervously before planting a kiss on the mare's lips on his way out.
No.724590
>>724586>>724583I sigh and my ears fold back. "I'm just so tired. My whole body aches, and my arm aches even worse. I'm tired of being paranoid and tiptoeing around, refusing to trust anyone. It's really starting to get to me."
I pause and shake my head. "I can come to help hide the egg, but-" I swallow. "Something is going to happen. No matter what our plan -no matter how good it is- we're going to keep getting stopped along the way for weeks. Maybe even months." I look down at Violet and can't hold back a sob. "The sisters know what'll happen in that time."
I sniffle and lean back, relaxing my body as best as I can. "Sometimes I really think I'm getting the hang of this, but really I just don't know if I'm cut out for being a paranoid, antisocial nomad."
No.724723
>>724590Aegis simply watched as Norv explained himself, then nodded her head ''I see, Your group must have been at this race against the clock for quite a while now, and with the egg in our possesion, I dont doubt Lysander with double, if not triple his efforts in stopping us. I dont blame you if you want to flee from all this with Violet and hide somewhere safe in the echoes''
Aegis paused for a moment to remove a knot of dirt from her mane ''Yes, perhaps it would be best if you did just that. Violet is in a terrible condition, and you are unstable, unfit for the journey ahead''
No.724726
>>724578>Two of hours after the flight out of the hive''Master Dawn'' Aegis gently followed after a soft knock on the wood door
No.724727
>>724726The door opens on its own. Dawn's room looks immaculate; her hooded poncho is folded up neatly next to her dresser, the bed is made and tucked, and everything is clean and in its right place. It's as if the skirmish and ensuing destruction hadn't happened at all.
She's sitting on the bed lost in her thoughts. You hadn't really seen her without her hood before; she has a short, curly pink mane, unbrushed and rather wild. It's clear she's been crying again, but she swallows and forces a smile through her blindfold. "Hello, Aegis," she says weakly. "What can I do for you?"
No.724728
>>724727Aegis made herself in and stood in front of Dawn ''It seems Zunden has taken a hold of the egg, and you played a big role in that, as she told me. As you know, we are going to look for a place to seal it away, hopefully forever'' Aegis went seated herself in front of the blind mare ''Now do you intent to come with us, or will do you have other plans?''
No.724729
>>724728"I… I… I don't know. …I had planned on seeing this through to the end with… with…" She can't bring herself to say Carabas' name. "…But I don't think I can do this… Etrigan and I will probably leave once we arrive at the next town. And that'll be the end of that. It's for the best if we don't know where you take it, I think. If Lysander, or the Oneiromancer catch up to us, then we won't be able to give you away. …On the other hand, if we stay, we can ensure the egg is kept secret, and safe. …I just don't know what to do…" She rubs her face in exhaustion. "…Sorry. There's just a lot to think about. Ask me again later, I suppose." She forces another smile. You notice a very faint flicker in the air, as if of magic.
"Is… is there anything else you wanted to know? I'd hate to be a burden, any more than I've already been. If you need help with something, you can ask."
No.724730
>>724729Aegis shook her head ''Take your time. We will no doubt have a couple of days ahead of us before we stop by the first town. If you do not know about your own plans I will bother you for those later'' Aegis bowed, and took a few steps back, closing the door but stopping halfway ''For now, you must endure, for him, for all''
No.724731
>>724730"…I don't know if I can," she replies, her voice cracking slightly. She looks away, and the room flickers again, almost imperceptibly. She sinks her head into her hooves silently.
No.724732
>>724731Aegis closes the door with such grace that it barely made a sound, and moved on back to the kitchen to finish salvaging scraps of food
No.724864
Zunden's speaking and tonation has been much quieter and softer over the past couple of days, not out of timidness but out of being deeply humbled by the amount of suffering caused by the encounter with the Drake.
With the amount of injury around her, she finds it difficult to fully commit to healing the injuries of one or another. She cares for Rabi's leg enough to let natural healing take its course, offering some aide to Violet but only so far as to ensure she can breathe properly, having neither the time nor the concentrated energy to spend days playing plastic surgeon. As before, she spends the most time with Aurora, struggling to make sure her closest friend makes it out okay.
Still, having learned from her mistakes of taking on too much in the past, she spends time with others checking in on them, namely Dawn. Before bed in the makeshift sleeping area she's made in the dining area, she plays the lute, occasionally glancing at the sheet of music she played once before and wondering what it's true use was.
[1d10+2] Antiquarian
Roll #1 3 + 2 = 5
No.724865
Test
No.724867
>>724864Violet's injuries and disfigurements are too extreme for you to be able to fix without intensive care. However, you set her on the path to mending, fixing her shattered face as best you can.
Etrigan is crestfallen over the loss of his friend, but seems determined to get revenge at whatever cost. Dawn, on the other hand, is absolutely distraught. She barely talks to you, and when she does she avoids the subject of Carabas as much as possible. She doesn't leave her room, save to quietly grab a few scraps of food a few times a day. If she was reclusive before, she has almost completely cut herself off from the rest of the party now.
You examine the sheet of music one night, while the moon is gibbous. You feel a strange connection between it and fate itself, as if it can somehow change your future.
No.724868
>>724867leaning against one of the tables, she continues to study it, plucking at the lute and careful not to accidently slip into the sheet musics' notes as she had in the past.
[1d10] Antiquarian
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.724869
>>724868After some examination, you think you understand this enchanted melody better.
>Moonlight Sonata>A piece of music of uncertain origin. When played at night, the performer and anyone who hears it are filled with inspiration and improvement, gaining a single reroll of a failed roll to spend at any moment. The Sonata is long, and takes up to 3 turns to play in its entirety. Each subsequent turn playing thr Moonlight Sonata grants the reroll a +1 bonus, up to +2. The Moonlight Sonata can only be performed twice every lunar cycle. Depending on the phase of the moon, altering fate through the Sonata may have unforeseen side effects. No.724870
>>724869counting the days on her claws and looking out at the night sky from her strange perception, Zunden sets a pillow and presses it behind her head, make sure she's comfortable and in a meditative position, warming herself with a sun and beginning to play the music on the sheet for a second time.
>Bask[1d10+3] Moonlight Sonata
Roll #1 10 + 3 = 13 No.724871
>>724870>>724869Aegis had just finished cleaning up her own quarters and was now making her way to Zunden's, her ears perked up at the melody that grew closer. She raised a hoof to knock on the door but stopped herself, instead, she slowly opened the door without a sound to peek in the room
No.724872
>>724870https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtQTVlfindQYou take a moment to focus and start playing the piece. You don't know how, but somehow you can read the notes, and they come to you naturally.You pick and strum at the lute effortlessly as if some unseen force were guiding your fingers to manifest the music of the spheres themselves.
>>724870>>724871The melody Zunden plays is almost indescribable. It is as if it had come from something beyond the scope of life and death. As the melody continues, you are filled with inspiration, as if you could do anything with just a bit more ease, more intuition, more satisfaction. It is as though you have spontaneously developed keen senses and instincts, and learned just a little more about this world. And about yourselves.
>+1 reroll with a +2 bonus to any failed roll! No.724873
>>724872Before she realized, Aegis was standing there by the doorway of the dining room, her cold eyes sparkling with the light coming from the window
When the melody died down, she came to, and raised a hoof to rub her eye
''Z
unde-*Ahem* Zunden…'' She her voice cracked and she cleared her throat, making herself known ''Please excuse me, I was hoping you wouldnt be busy'' Aegis nodded before walking in No.724874
>>724873Zunden blinks a few times, seemingly coming out of her own form of stupor. She seems mildly surprised at Aegis' presence.
"
Ah, Aegiz," the saurian responds much quieter than she has had in the past, rolling up the sheet of music and returning it to her bag, "
I am zorry if I have woken you up, how are you feeling?"
No.724875
>>724874''You havent'' She states, walking up to the cabinets to salvage whatever she could find for sustain in there ''I was hoping I could get something to eat before bed''
She looks back ''I'm feeling fine, aside from the hunger. Do you know how much longer will it take until we get to the nearest town?''
No.724876
>>724875"
I zail wizh Violet'z inztruction in mind, a few dayz out. I am aware zome will be leaving zhere. Are you to join zhem?"
No.724877
>>724876''No. I want to come along and ensure the egg will be safely disposed of. Now more than ever we have to be careful'' She says staring out the window ''I fear for what measures Lysander will take to stop us. What if his word has already reached our destination and we'll be hunted down by the residents?''
No.724878
>>724877"
Zhat iz ze parameterz we have been zailing under for quite zome time now. Our only rezpite we can take iz to hope ze combinazion of my zpell and Dawn'z did not fit our normal moduz operandi. Ze chanzez are low, but I can hope perhapz he zhought it ze work of ze Dreamweaver inztead."
No.724879
>>724878''We would be lucky that was the case, but I dont doubt Lysander would still make more effort to get to us than before, even if he suspects the Dreamweaver''
Aegis gives up after finding a stale piece of bread in a corner of the cabinets that was covered in mold, tossing it aside
''What will be the plan, exactly? Now that we have the egg, do you have a destination in mind? Somewhere to safely get rid of it forever?''
No.724880
>>724879"
While I have warded ze zhip, zhat haz not prevented ze Oneiromanzer from invading onze before. If you're allow me to view ze map or book of journiez you have read from, I intend to keep ze information zecret until we have arrived. " Zunden says softly, setting her lute down, "
However, I have been mulling over the zhought of abandoning ze zhip onze we arrive zhere. It haz powerful wardz to protect from zcrying, and zhould remove the obviouz target from our backz. We would make ze return on foot."
No.724881
>>724880''That's quite something to ask of the others after these past few days. Our only relief from all of this is that we didnt had to walk to our next destination, not to mention this is a priceless treasure, even if damaged'' Aegis placed a hoof on the wood walls of the ship ''But I trust your choice in this. This ship will be worthless if we, or the whole existence dies…''
Aegis excused herself and went ot quickly fetch the map and the book in her room, leviating them in front of Zunden ''Hopefully the others will understand that''
No.724882
>>724881She nods, smiling a little as the items are brought to the saurian, "
We ztarted wizhout zhiz zhip, zo too we'll end wizhout it. My only worriez are the journey back, we will need to purchaze camping zuppliez zhat will rezizt ze elementz."
No.724883
>>724882''Quite the step-down from our current situation. I always despised camping'' Aegis says coldly as she opens the book of journeys ''Would you like me to read it for you?''
No.724884
>>724883"
I have heard it narrated, while piloting ze zhip. One zuch location I zhink iz zutible, given I'll likely dizpize it."
She rubs her head, "
We will get by, az we have in ze pazt. Again, we will be much harder to identify wizhout ze very obviouz mode of tranzportation."
No.724885
''I suppose that is true for anyone who is not Lysander or the Oneiromancer. Without the warding protecting us we will be easy to locate, and then what will we do once they come at us in their own airships?''
No.724886
>>724885She grins, holding the wide away of necklaces around her necklace.
"Ah, zhat iz zomezhing I wlll work on in our travelz zhere. I have been learning more and more of ze nature of runez, I zhink I can emulate Black Pudding'z ritual to create charmz for each of uz. To affect only one individual, it zhould be much eazier zhan an entire zhip."
No.724888
>>724886''That sounds like quite the feat. From what I heard and seen, Black Pudding is quite adept, being able to mimic his work like that is impressive, Zunden. It'd also allow us to operate separatedly if we need to spread out at some point''
Aegis stares at the lizard in silence for a moment
''…What do you think Hermodur is doing with his time? I met him for a brief time but I'm wondering how he is faring on his own in this merciless realm''
No.724889
>>724888"
I…" Zunden drops to her own silence, closing her eyes. "
He azked I truzt him, zo zhat iz what I will do. Juzt az Norvegicuz wizhez to break off from ze group at ze village, zo too will I rezpect hiz wizhez. I am not one to loze a friend, but I am learning to let go."
No.724890
>>724889''That is not what I asked. But I wont press on with this subject… I had another question to ask of you. What will you do after this is all over, if we survive this whole ordeal''
No.724891
>>724890"
In ze zhort term? Do az Norv planz to do, take a break. Afterwardz? I do not know. Perhapz I will drift looking for ozherz zhat need guidanze, maybe continue wizh ze party we have."
No.724892
>>724891''I see. I should tell you that once this is over, I was hoping to go my own way as well, and seek a path out of the echoes. Assuming no one has further need of me''
No.724893
>>724892Zunden nods, "
But you do wizh to follow ze egg to it'z rezting plaze, knowing you'll be be a target for knowing zhat information?"
No.724894
>>724893''What is the point of doing anything else? I would rather commit to see this whole ordeal to the end and do my best to ensure we succeed than stepping away and risk everything we know to be destroyed or be ruled by Lysander. Once the realms are safe, then I can start worrying about myself''
No.724895
>>724894"
Fair enough. Bezidez, I zhink I know a way to uze runez to bind an individual to zheir word, zo wizh tezting we could zee if we could rezizt interrogation zhat way."
No.724896
>>724895''That might not be enough. I have heard of magic used to tamper with and read memories before. If that is used against us, our efforts will be wasted. The only way to be safe would to erase the knowledge of the egg's hiding place from our minds''
No.724897
>>724896"We will have to tezt ze limitz of ze of runez. Zhey are incredibly powerful, and fortunately zomezhing I have been able to pick up, unlike more arcane magicz."
No.724898
>>724897''I am happy to hear that'' Aegis says, not sounding happy at all ''Perhaps in the future I will seek you again, hoping you would part your knowledge with me''
No.724899
>>724898Zunden gives a soft bassy laugh, "
Ah, I am no zcholar. My interezt will alwayz be firzt ze Arcana, not ze Arcane. Ztill, I would be happy for any reazon to zpeak togezher again."
No.724900
>>724899''Any reason? Even if I sought you out in need of help? Because there is one more reason I might need to come to you for aid, and you know what that is'' Aegis stared at Zunden for a moment
''I have business with Lady Grosvenor''
No.724901
>>724900"Of courze, zhe haz alligned herzelf wizh a tyrant and wizhez to zupprezz one'z ability to realize zheir fate, inztead confiding zhem to rot in prizon zellz. I have no qualmz wizh your tazk."
No.724902
>>724901''Then I might seek you yet again in the future, but that is a task for another day. I'm sure Ragalaseab will be patient and understand the delay on fulfilling their request'' Aegis stood back up and bowed her head ''This is all I had to say for now Zunden. Do you have anything to tell me? If not, please excuse me''
No.724903
>>724902"
In honezty? Reztrict yourzelf from being zhort wizh ozherz. Zhey are in need of zheir time to heal. Take a pauze to dezide if zomezhing will help zomeone'z emotional ztate before conzidering vocalizing a fact or opinion."
No.724905
>>724903Aegis kept her cool caze fixated on Zunden, silent for a long couple of seconds after she spoke
She simply nodded ''I understand''
And left
