Do you want Wild Western adventure and romance? Do you want to be the little girl? To quest with Braeburn? It's your lucky day, because BraeburnQuest starts now....Equestria and Earth are connected, and humans and ponies have been traveling back and forth between the worlds, bringing in an age of unprecedented advancements, mingling, and complications. You are femanon, one of many humans who have emigrated to Equestria in search of a new life. Unlike most of your kind, you struck out for the unsettled Frontier lands, where there are few urban comforts and far fewer humans. In fact, you're the only one you've seen out here for a year or so now.You live in Dodge Junction, on Cherry Hill Ranch, working for Madame Cherry Jubilee. As you brush your teeth, you reflect on your time spent here, and the day's tasks ahead...Speaking of which, what is your vocation at Cherry Hill Ranch?[cont]
>>12303560 (OP)In BraeburnQuest you will play as one of three VocationsDEPUTY: As a Deputy, you will have the authority of the law, knowledge of firearms, and a basic understanding of criminology. You safeguard Cherry Hill and Dodge Junction from bandits and troublemakers.Starting Skills: Badge, Arms, WantedHOSTESS: As a Hostess, you possess considerable charms, an intimate knowledge of fashion, and physical manipulation. You provide comfort and company for Equestrians of all stripes.Starting Skills: Allure, Fashion, SubdualLABORER: As a Laborer, you can work wood and metal, speak and understand Equestrian dialects, and do some really heavy lifting.Starting Skills: Craft, Lingo, MuscleEach Vocation has its own unique skills, and access to a free starter Skill. Although this first choice is locked in, it's up to you how your skills will develop.Don't worry about the mechanical benefits of this choice, just think about how you would address challenges and enemies in the Wild West.
>>12303738I'm all for having either a silver tongue or sure aim. I'm thinking Hostess or Deputy.Deputy first choice.
>>12303738Deputy
>>12303738>address challenges and enemies in the Wild West.Anything other than Deputy and this quest will be ogre real fast
>>12303738What are Braeburn's skillsets? Would be good to have something that works off of him
>>12303738I'm really feeling Deputy, especially as how >>12303985 put it, but I'd like to think the other branches have merit as well. I don't really understand what most of these skills are is another thing. I'm leaning Deputy and/or Laborer tentatively, but I feel unless these skills get some explanations we're a shoe-in for the former.
>>12303738Deputy.Be the action girl.
>>12303738Hostess sounds quite appealing!
>>12304013I'm remaining silent about that.>>12304034"Moxie" skills cater to charisma, stealth, and subterfuge. For example, Guise lets you change or impersonate identities, Inspect lets you enter Sherlock Holmes mode to spot fine details and clues, and Shadow lets you hide in plain sight, especially when following a target.Smarts skills cater to using your noggin to discover information and interact with the environment. Engines, Alchemy, and Relics all work with different types of Equestrian magic items.Combat skills obviously make you better in a fight, but not too much else. OHKO lets you take down an opponent with one blow, Improv helps you find weapons and tools where there are none, and Close Quarters makes you a master grappler.A full explanation of skills can be found here:goo gl/035do
It seems there's an overwhelming majority for the Deputy. Shall we finalize that decision in five minutes, then, or would you all like more time to read the detailed descriptions of skills given in >>12304224 ?
>>12304336Reading it over myself but I'm not too opposed to Deputy, though I'm better at noncombatant roles
>>12304336I still vote for Deputy.
>>12304336Alright, let's Deputy
>>12304336I think >>12304375 has it right. Maybe we should think it over a bit. NBC interaction is by far the best part of quests. Braeburn probably isn't that good with sweet talking and I assume he might be a combination of Deputy + laborer. I change my vote to hostess.
>>12304498i'll vote for hostess too thensomeone's gotta pass those speech checks
Let's move right along. Even though you start as a Deputy, you can later develop your skills to branch into the Moxie category to give you that social edge....You put on your vest, duster, and hat, ready to take on the world. Oh, and dont forget your star-shaped badge. You'll be needing that as a Deputy of Dodge Junction.You're in your room in Cherry Hill Ranch, ready to head downtown to report to Sheriff Saddle. You still have time to poke around the Ranch if you like.>Inventory added:Badge>Skills learned!Arms: knowledge and use of firearmsBadge: respect and authority of the lawCover: find defenses and hiding spotsWanted: identify and inquire about criminals
>>12304336Hostess, hostess!Gotta make dose cakes and seduce those cowboys
>>12304336I'm moving to Laboror, because of how Brae may be a Deputy. Despite the name, it's the one with the "smart" skillsets. Frankly, I think it'll make this quest a bit unique.
>>12304603Pay Ms. Jubilee a visit.
>>12304603Admire badge and become filled with over-whelming sense of accomplishment and fulfillment.
>>12304603Do we have a gun?
>>12304603Let's go see who's on the Ranch today!
>DeputyExcellent.
>>12304642You admire your badge, a symbol of the level of trust the community has in you. Not something most humans can claim.>>12304678Sadly, Equestrian firearms aren't at the level of human tech, and what's available isn't suited for your human hands. But you did have a deal with the local tinker and blacksmith, Cats, to put together a weapon you could use. You may want to check in on her progress today.>>12304624>>12304836The girls of Cherry Hill Ranch are gathered in a modest hall, eating breakfast together. Bread, juice, fruits, nuts, vegetables... no milk, no meat, and no eggs. Half of them are, er, entertainers, and the other half work in the orchards, but they all seem like sisters. Cherry Jubilee has a habit of taking in wayward fillies and mares and giving them honest work and wages. Just like she did with you.Madame Jubilee is at the head of the table; the redheaded mare beckons you over with her hoof.
>>12305003Well, let's go see what she wants
>>12305003Let's greet her, then!
>>12305003anything interesting happened recently?
>>12305003Best to go see what she wants, I guess.
"Good morning, Cherry Girl! You sleep well?" Why Madame Jubilee and the rest decided to make that your nickname is a mystery; you're hardly the only one of "Cherry's girls". At second glance, it is a little late in the morning..."Listen, I've been having a darn time getting the Ranch ready for a special visitor today, I can't go down to the train station to see him myself. His train'll be here in about an hour, so if you happen to not have your hands full, could you please make sure he gets here safe? It's still before noon so I don't expect you have to haul any salt lickers out of the saloon just yet..."
>>12305420Hold on, I'm coming back here later.
>>12305420Sure thing, if the sheriff doesn't have anything for us. Who should we be looking out for?
>>12305420What's he look like? Some important buffalo?
>>12305420What's this visitor look like?
>>12305420Might as wellIf we have time maybe we could stop by the blacksmith's?
>>12305647we should check in with the sheriff first. then blacksmith. then the train station. we have an hour, so there should be enough time.
>>12305562>>12305625"Oh, just a tall, strapping gentlecolt, with a dandelion coat and sunset orange hair, gorgeous apple green eyes. Name of Braeburn, his train should be arriving from Wounded Wing, if I recall."You have no idea what sort of business this stranger has with Jubilee, but judging by the way she goes on, she's awful fond of him.>>12305647>>12305703Assuming there are no complications (knock on wood) you have enough time to check in with with the sheriff and the blacksmith, but which one first?I see a vote for Sheriff first.
>>12305833Sheriff firstS/He's our boss after all
>>12305833blacksmith. we've invested stats in guns, lets have one to actually use.
>>12305833I don't think we're planning on shooting Braeburn so Sheriff might be good first stop, as a way to find out what else might be happening in town.
>>12305833I vote sheriff. Don't want to get scolded for lollygagging around.
>>12305833The Sheriff. We're here to be the Law, not to trick ourselves out with fancy pistols.And the Law is bulletproof.
>>12305833Blacksmith. Let's get armed.
>>12305833Let's go check on the Sheriff
>>12305872>>12305905>>12305913>>12305916>not shooting BraeburnYou excuse yourself and take a bit of garlic bread (you tried calling it Texas toast once and every.pony looked at you funny) to go. The sun is getting high, and the heat's turning up already. Not wanting to waste daylight, you head over to Sheriff Saddle's office.He's a tall, lanky stallion with a strikingly dark coat and short-cut mane. Less savory folks have taken to calling him the Black Sheriff out of earshot. He's an honest law pony, though you suspect he's earned that nickname somehow."I thought you'd be headin' over to Cats' place first thing today, but just as well. I just got word of a complaint from yonder that part of town about missin' articles. Possibly burglaries. Now, unless you want to sit here an' do paperwork, I suggest you look into that."He's straight and to the point, and judging by the high stacks of official Equestrian forms—the script and language of which still evades you—you probably have little choice.There's a wild screeching laughter from the jail in the back of the building. "...Jester back there's still delirious from sunstroke. Said something about seein' the future. If you really want to do me a favor, you can take him down to the doctor's since he's become... less violent since we hauled him in yesterday."
>>12306230We can just deal with the escort later. Burglaries are serious business.
>>12306230>Visit Cats>Investigate burglaries>Take Jester to the doctor>Braeburn arrives in an hourOh geez, are we gonna have time for all of this?I hope the doctor's office is on the way.
>>12306230Huh, that burglar thing sounds important
>>12306230take him with. we can drop him off on the way. so long as we don't have to sit there while he's getting treated it shouldn't eat up too much of our time.
>>12306230hrm, I think we're short on time for all of this.Burglaries would likely take the most time and could probably be resolved later.I say we escort our crazed pony to score points with the sheriff we could abuse later, and grab our piece if we've got time.
>>12306331I >>12306327 was going to say that as well, but taking a madman along to the gunsmith's as well as a crime scene just sounds like a little much to be on our hands all at the same time.Of course, it might not be a bad idea to listen to him for a bit, see just how bad he really is. I'm kinda curious about this whole "seein' the future" thing, I admit
>>12306230Where's the doctors?Near where we need to go anyway?
>>12306460I'm assuming we'd drop him off BEFORE we go to the blacksmith/crime scene
>>12306540Which, unless it's a direct line Doctor's-->gunsmith/crimescene, is going to be at least a little inconvenient. Remember, this guy is LESS violent. I'm not saying he's probably dangerous, but he might be a handful.We should probably check on him to see what he looks like, but I said that already.
>>12306501>>12306460>>12306540The doctor's is in the same direction as the blacksmith's, though it is a slight detour away.
>>12306679Eh, shouldn't take us too long, and the sheriff will be glad to not have to deal with his incessant cackling for awhile. Let's do it.
>>12306679If we think we can handle the guy, I'd say cart him to the doctor, stop in at the blacksmith, then depending on the time go to the robbery scene or get Braeburn
>>12306679take him to the doctor
You decide you may as well have a look to see if you can handle Jester alongside your other errands. You remember that he proved to be a handful the other day. Sure, he was a disoriented soul that got lost in the unforgiving desert, but he was suffering from delusions that made him dangerous to those around him.Though that might just be the teeth and claws.Jester's a Diamond Dog in tattered fatigues and little to his name apart from hallucinations and inane babblings. He's thrashing less now, but gets agitated upon seeing you again, pacing back and forth in the cell on all four paws."You can't let 'im see me! Can't let 'im see me. Can't see me. Can't see you, you can't see me. He's got one eye, but he can't see me."
>>12307154only indulge his ramblings if it'll help us get to the doctor's quicker.
>>12307154We are unarmed and he's potentially violent, so cuff 'em (assuming ponies invented handcuffs for nonponies)
>>12307154"C'mon. We're taking you to the doctor."Indulge him in his crazy ramblings on the way. He may spill some cryptic/ominous warnings that could prove important later on."...So who's 'he'?"Also, should we cuff him?
>>12303738Definitely Deputy.
>>12307309I definitely think he should be restrained in some fashion since it'll be harder for a diamond dog to run away on 2 legs, and it would look a little bad for us if he did escape.Also I don't know how fond loonies would be of doctors in this time period.
>>12307204>>12307244>>12307309Most of the restraints lying around are for equines, a fact that you were painfully aware of yesterday when hauling Jester in from the outskirts. You managed to make do with a lasso as a makeshift "leash" for the dog, but yesterday you had the Sheriff and about three other citizen volunteers helping to pin him down. Today, you'd have to spend a bit of time to make it any more secure, even if he is cooperative.ACTION TIME! Let's roll the dice.In BraeburnQuest, rolls go a little differently; in order to count towards success, a roll has to be 8 or higher. Better conditions and advantages let you make more rolls.You get 5 rolls to see how well your rope-binding goes.
>>12307554Rolling.
>>12307554hoo boy, let's go
>>12307554/mlp/ doesn't have a dice system. how are we supposed to roll? do we use our post numbers?
>>12307554OH BOY THAT NEVER GOES BAD
>>12307610Oh. Yeah, post numbers.0 is 10
>>12307662can I use >>12307610 as a roll? most of these rolls suck.
>>12307731Hope so, either that or this roll I'm making is the 5th
>>12307587>>12307604>>12307631>>12307731>>12307752>7>4>1>1>2This rolling system sucks.
Out of 5 rolls, you had 1 success.Jester tugs uncomfortably at his "leash" and you have to admit you feel pretty weird about it yourself. He is a dog, but... yeah."He is the one eye! He sees me, and it's over! He sees things, his vision! Flying trains! Pointing lights! You will see, too. I've seent it! I can't let him see me. See, no see..." Jester is lost in his rambling as he walks headfirst into the wall, and you have to tug him along gingerly to keep him from bumping into things, even on the open street.You can take him along the middle of the avenue, where he'll bump into less stuff and fewer ponies, but he seems to be a lot more jittery and furtive out in the open, even clinging to you at times and making it hard to walk (Diamond Dogs are pretty darn big). Alternatively you could bring him into the shade, where he has a better time skulking around behind things but is liable to cause a commotion.Either way, the doctor's office is in the same direction as the smith's, but a bit of a detour. You'll be cutting it close if there are any complications."Pleeease! I can't let him see. He is watching!" Jester shields himself from the glare of the sun.
>>12307908How big are we/humans compared to diamond dogs and ponies and such, anyway?If we're strong enough to control him pretty easily, and the rope is well attached I think we can go into the shadeJust choke up on the leash a bit so he has less room to get into troubleHe's crazy, but not criminal. We don't need to torment him more than necessary
>>12307908Ehh, I'll go with the potentially safer route through the shade. Who knows how long he was out in the sun to make him violent but let's not tempt fate
>>12307908If we had access to a blanket of some kind, maybe we could drape it over his head or something. Like a curtain over a parrot's cage.If we can't do that, shade's probably a good idea. Just make sure you look like you've got the situation under control, and that you're the one in charge, so nobody panics. Ponies are prone to that.
>>12307908Shade.
>>12308035Well, we do have a sweet hat. Would that work?
>>12307985The tallest Diamond Dogs would be about the height of humans... and that's when they're hunched over. Thankfully, Jester is one of the smaller specimens.Either of you would still look awkward trying to ride a pony, though it is certainly in the realm of possibility....Shade seems to the be the consensus.It was probably a good idea to take him to the side of the street. Just as you're stepping into the doctor's office, you get a creeping sensation. Your deputy's intuition, perhaps, that there's someone across the street looking your way.You can spend a moment to scan the area (using your Wanted skill to intuit any possible troublemakers) or just get on with it and deposit Jester in the physician's office.
>>12307908Drape your duster over him so he's got shielding from the sun."There. Now he can't see you."Take the middle of the road.
>>12308128Scan the area.
>>12308128Couldn't hurt taking a glance around
>>12308128Scan the areaBut make sure Jester doesn't think we're not keeping our eye on him
>>12308128Scan the area
>>12308165>>12308176>>12308193>>12308216Special thing about using Skills: you get a massive boost to your dice pool (10 rolls this time!) and on top of that, any roll of 10 lets you make one more roll to try to get more successes.So... let's roll! 10 rolls to go, any 10s get a reroll.
>>12308400
>>12308400Welp, here goes something.
>>12308400Could be a neat little systemRollin'
>>12308400Do we not know that target for this one?Not that it really matters I guessRolling
>>12308400Yee haw!
>>12308400rollan
>>12308400I don't even know if we have 10 people in here
>>12308480>>12308400Neat, Bonus Roll!
>>12308480Target will be 8, unless I declare otherwise.
>>12308400one more
>>12308570and another
>>12308400Roll
>>12308400So thats 10, but we have 2 more from people who rolled 10s right?This can count for one
>>12308400hm, I feel like there's going to be a lot of low success rate at 3/10, but I suppose that could be estimated by the goal rate. Rolling since I counted 11
Out of 10+2 rolls, you had 4 successes.You spot a strange lurching shape nearly escaping your peripheral vision, and as you turn for a better look you see a thumping biped... somebody trudging down the other side of the street, hat low. You can see his paws—another Diamond Dog, not uncommon at all this far away from central Equestria—but you get the sense he's trying to play innocent. And the way Jester is trying to keep you between him and the stranger is definitely a bad sign. You push him through the doorway as you watch the stranger round a corner.Jester is very happy to be indoors again, almost giddy, and the doctor is easily able to find him a room, bedding, and water. He's looking cooperative, so you might try to pry a bit more out of him, especially that stranger, but daylight's burning."By the way, I need to know if I should write this invoice to the Sheriff's office or to Jester himself." Right, the doctor's bill.
>>12308815Write it to the sheriff. Jester probably has no money.Let's get over to the blacksmith. We can grill Jester for info later. He's probably not going anywhere for awhile.
>>12308815If Jester has the dough he can pay for itIf not I guess someone has toWhen he's sane again we can put him to work to earn it back
>>12308815Unmedicated we'll probably just get inane ramblings from him, so we should check back later and continue on our way. Oh, and write it off to the sheriff. Is Jester even his real name or is that just a nickname given to him as a joke?
>>12308871>>12308955Looks like Jester remains the responsibility of the government for now. Mayor might want to hear about this ping in the budget eventually, but paperwork is the sheriff's concern. You are a woman of action.Walking down the street towards Cats' smithy, you hear a loud bang, followed by series of explosions. Ponies in the street dive for cover (and one faints outright in a most dramatic fashion) but otherwise the town doesn't seem to be under attack. You pass by a few muttering locals as you continue."Cats is probably getting into the gunpowder again.""When's the last time we needed to defend ourselves, anyway? It's almost pathological.""Word was she's making a new kinda firearm... for that *snort* human girl."
>>12309173Ignore them. They're all talk.To the smithy we go!
>>12309173"If the weapon import laws weren't so strict i could have brought my own."
>>12308955As an aside, Jester gave several names when first interrogated: "The Pants" and "Crash Override". He responds well enough to just "Jester", though, so that's what everyone's been using.
>>12309173Bah, they'll change their tone once we save them with our futuretechYou can't be a true blooded westerner without a gun or a horse, and we've sort of got the latter
>>12309203>>12309306You can't waste any time picking fights, you have a shiny new toy waiting for you at gunsmith Cats'.Hopefully, anyway.The inside of her shop seems a lot bigger on the inside than the outside, owing to her having dug into the ground a bit and setting up basement levels, which is even weirder considering most pegasus ponies would rather live in lofty towers or cloud castles. Anyways, good luck sorting through the mess of spare parts and tools that have collapsed here, bits and pieces still clattering down in to the levels below."I'm okay!" A mocha wing shoots up from the rubble, followed by the rest of Cats as she fishes something out from the rubble. "What can I do ya for, Cherry Girl?"
>>12309528Just checking in about that custom piece. Is it ready yet?
>>12309528see if she's got anything. Also ask about that suspicious diamond dog you saw. Might as well ask if she knows Braeburn, too.
>>12309528Ask if that explosion had anything to do with that weapon we commissioned
>>12309590>>12309617"It... kind of did? I mean, there's nothing wrong with the weapon itself. It works great! I was just testing different ammunition for it."She finally fishes out your piece and a set of toolboxes, hovering over to a ground-level workbench to sort it out."I present to you the latest innovation in frierarms, the wristmasher! It's a modification of a regular Equestrian hoof-mounted masher, so it uses the same loading technique; just pop the cylinder, mash a potato, and you're good to go. The trickiest part was the firing and impulse system, which I was able to make into a sort of touchy-doohickey thing here. Nothing a few contact runes couldn't manage, I was using a wooden prostheses to test it out and it should fit snugly enough. Use the thumb to fire by pressing on the plate. Oh, and you can have the wooden hand, too, just in case.">>12309607"Braeburn? That's the stallion from Appleloosa, big name among the Apple family. I heard he's actually a distant relative of Madame Jubilee, but I'd think he's just coming to Cherry Hill Ranch for much the same reasons as any other. They got some mighty tasty cherry pies up there..."There's another loud explosion in the back of the lab, sending the goggles flying off of Cats' head. "Son of a—my potatoes!" She flies off to check on the oven, leaving you at a makeshift firing range and a gun of your very own.If you can call it that.
>>12309937Well let's give it a whirl. I'm guessing nonlethal?Though the gunpowder leads me to suspect...
>>12309937A potato-gun?Well, better than nothing.Try taking a few practice shots.
>>12309937hmm, any way we could fashion a holster as well, or is that more of a leatherworker's job? Would seem awfully inconvenient and aggressive to have it on at all times.
>>12309937Gunpowder powered spud gunAnd it sounds like there might be some interesting spuds around
>>12309937>frierarmsPff
>>12310038If you test fire, there are several targets down range at varying distance.Close (~15 ft): 5 diceMedium (~30 ft): 4 diceFar (~60 ft): 3 diceArms skill provides +5 dice.>>12310094There's some potatoes gathered here, probably her explosive test ammunition. One sack is golden potatoes, the other is red, and there's some sweet potatoes which aren't technically potatoes but maybe she was on to something. Science isn't exactly your strong suit, especially in the magical realm of Equestria.>>12310084You ask about a holster."Uh... you could use the wristband to clip on to your belt, I guess?"Cats is taking her sweet time taking some baked potatoes out of the oven. Hardest part about a baked potato is waiting for it to cool down...
>>12310340Fire one of each kind of potato, all at the far target.
>>12310340we still have like 0skills so try it at close/medium range as more of a personal defense weaponrolling for whichever
>>12310494we have Arms, so this is one of the few things we're actually good at
>>12310340How much space do we have in our duster to carry ammunition?
>>12310340can we check the time? we don't want to be late for Braeburn's arrival, and we still have some burglaries to investigate.
>>12310585An individual potato is good for two full cylinders, and you can carry four before it starts to become a problem... assuming you're not carrying a whole lot else.
>>12310340Let's chat with her, ask about Braeburn and the suspicious character.
>>12310622Pocket one of each type, and load half of the gold one into the cylinder.Ask Cats about the difference between the types of ammunition. We're pressed for time, so I don't think we'll be able to test them all out right now.
>>12310604It's 20 minutes to the hour. Enough time to stick around or look into the burglaries. Cats might know something about it as well, since she's in the area.>>12310633"Suspicious characters? Don't know much about any weirdos aside from that Jester feller you brought in the other day. Although... I did find that someone'd been trying to tamper with my alarms. Didn't set them off, though, meaning they know their mechanics. Other folks in the area weren't so lucky, though, and stuff's gone missing. You'll look into that, right?">>12310714"The golds are your basic impact and incapacitation; reds are good for high velocity distance shots, but they jam the mechanism if you fire too fast; the yams're kind of a wild card, far less stable and I probably wouldn't use 'em. Maybe if you were a trick shot or what, but they end up going all over the place."She eats one baked yam. "Taste good, though."Added to Inventory:Wristmasher (6 shots, gold)Gold PotatoRed PotatoSweet Potato
>>12310861Ask Cat if she knows if anything specific was stolen from the rest of the folk, or just generally valuable items. Also ask if she has any idea who might've been tampering with the alarm.
>>12310861Bid Cats farewell and go investigate those burglaries.
>>12310861We already paid advance in this yeah? Or are we "charging" the sheriff's againIf one of the crime scenes is nearby go ahead and check that out, but we also need to take into consideration the time to get to the train station (hopefully pony trains run on time).Just make it snappy
>>12310932"Just jewelry and crystals from what I heard, but no one's had any money gone missing, because they all paid me to start working on new alarm systems!">>12310949>>12311000You're paid up in advance, thankfully.Now, on to the scene(s) of the crime, according to the report the purported break-ins occurred at three buildings in the area (Cats' would have been the fourth if her custom alarms didn't keep the thief out). Cats did mention that jewelry had gone missing—one of the hits was a pawn shop, and the other two were just residences.You can investigate one site before that train arrives.
>>12311152Check the pawn shop.
>>12311152This already seems like a Diamond Dog but let's not get too ahead of ourselves. Or racist. Pawn shop seems like the biggest hit with more likely witnesses
>>12311152Investigate pawn shop.
>>12311184>>12311204>>12311371The pawn shop owner's turned his entire place upside down in an effort to locate any misplaced or looted items. You have to wait a minute or two to get his attention when his head isn't buried in some chest of stuff or other."Nothing was broken, apart from the locks, and they didn't really turn the place over. I didn't know anything happened until this morning when I was going over inventory! Although, it's really strange, because they didn't take the jewelry per se... just the jewels."He presents a box of metalworks, each one a fine woven and smelted piece save for the fact their gem mountings were empty, clearly pried free."What do I do if their owners want to buyback? It's a disaster! Who would do such a thing?"
>>12311401Diamond Dogs are looking more and more likely.We should get some more info out of Jester later once we've finished our business with Braeburn.
>>12311401I suspect a diamond dog but there's no solid evidence and we have to meet Braeburn at the train station soon.Ask the shop owner if the perp left any tracks or traces. Or how the burglar got in. Can we inspect the settings for any claw marks they might've left while removing the gems?
>>12311401>>12311454what he said
>>12311454"Aha, see, he entered through the backdoor, which leads to the... ahem, dustier part of the shop, mind your footing, and you can clearly see paw marks if you shine a light just so. It's not that wild dog you brought in yesterday, is it? I thought you had him locked up?"It certainly rules out any ponies, but there's a whole lot of Diamond Dogs in town, and this doesn't point to any particular individual.Well, it's better than nothing! A clue's a clue.
>>12311626Alright, let's get to the train station to meet our handsome stallion friend.
>>12311626That's pretty definitive. Let's write it down in our handy dandy notebookWell, let's go at least look at Braeburn this session. It IS BraeburnQuest after all
>>12311661>>12311677You still have the rest of the day to continue this investigation, but for now you have a VIPony to see to Cherry Hill....Looking at a clock in the pawn shop, you realize you might be a bit late. A fast travel down the street takes you past the doctor's office again, and into a very strange scene.Jester's scrambling out of the doctor's office, a fresh gown and slippers on. "YOU'LL NEVER TAKE ME ALIVE!"And stumbling after him is a young stallion in a ten-gallon and longcoat. "Calm down! I'm not gonna hurt ya!""He's got the one eye, and the eyes are everywhere! He can see me!" Jester attempts to hide behind a water trough, but the stallion calmly walks up to him."You can't tell me anything about Red Eye?""No! Shush! It sees! It hears. It knows."Well... you should probably step in.
>>12311823"What's going on here?"
>>12311823Ask about what's the trouble and who the second stallion is.
>>12311842>>12311909"This is Royal Equestrian business, ma'am, step a—" The stallion's words get caught in his throat when his bright green eyes spot your badge. "U-um, that is... you're the sheriff 'round here? I mean, the deputy, anyways, I just talked to the... Come here! I need your help with this witness!""He lies!" Jester clings to the trough and beats his hind paws against the ground.
>>12311950"Who are you? And what is he witness to?"
>>12311950Jester should recognize usTell him we don't have time to deal with crazyness and to get back inside the doctor's office. He still needs treatment.Ask the stallion who he is, and what he wants with crazy.
>>12311950We'll likely get more answers out of the guard than Jester...but we're also running short on time. Ech, helping the guard to physically subdue him (again) is probably faster.
>>12311983>>12312008"D-deputy Royal Marshal, ma'am. Braeburn. Could you please tell him to quit giving me a hard time?"Under the longcoat and hat, the brilliant gold and sunset orange of his hair match the description. You had no idea he'd be such a high-profile character, though, and in your line of work...>>12311992You look Jester in the eyes—well, as best you can when he's looking all over the place—and sternly tell him to stop giving you trouble. He looks compliant save for continued snarling at the Deputy Marshal.Braeburn takes a slow step forward, making sure to flash the crested shield badge on his collar. "Look, I told you, I'm with Royal Equestrian Frontier Marshals, see? I'm not with Red Eye. I'm not gonna hurt you. I just need you to tell me what you know.""HE COMES!" Jester ducks behind the trough and covers his head, tail tucked between his leg.The street looks empty, though, and Braeburn shrugs at you. "What's his damage?"
>>12312105"Heat stroke. He was even worse yesterday."Kneel down to Jester's level and ask him about the hooded figure you saw earlier.
>>12312105First I guess we should introduce ourselves, and mention that we were on our way to greet his train for Cherry Jubille.We've been going with sunstroke, its why he was at the doc's.What do you want with him?
>>12312105Aw shit, I guess we missed him with all our mucking about. What a tweestTry to coax out Jester again and give Braeburn the rundown of yesterday. Introduce that we were actually on our way to see him but guess we missed the train
>>12312199>>12312223"Uh... Ms. Jubilee was sending you? Thanks, I think...?">>12312165You try to talk down Jester a bit. He looks up, just over your shoulder, and freezes.Suddenly he... leaps? into the air, dragged over the water trough and through the dirt and is pulled across the street behind you and Braeburn. In that moment you two had looked away, the stranger from before had reappeared in the alley. There's a strange device in his hand, faintly glowing, clearly exerting some sort of force over Jester's body until he is clamped securely to it by invisible bonds."Red Eye sends his regard, Jester." The stranger shakes his head sadly and produces a small pouch for you to see. "Sorry for disturbing you two, deputies, but this dog here is in possession of stolen goods... company property as it were."
>>12312384TIME TO ENFORCE THE LAW
>>12312384Woah woah woah, that shit doesn't fly. He must have been searched by the doctors so it isn't his gems.APPREHEND
>>12312384Shoot him!
>>12312463"That dog's got nothing on him, he came in from the desert with tatters. Unhand him!" You shout commandingly at the Stranger, but he doesn't budge save for drawing himself to full height. Diamond Dogs are a lot taller and scarier than humans when they stand erect."Apologies, ma'am, but Jester here was a former employee of my client. He's a known kleptomaniac with a penchant for swallowing his goods." He takes the bag and begins to empty it straight down Jester's open mouth as the smaller dog flails. "Ipecac to induce vomiting, should do the trick."
>>12312526Do you really want to do this?
>>12312578I wouldn't, seems a little unprecedented. >>12312544Still, he is under the protection of the sheriff's and must be given back, as well as the stolen goods.
>>12312578Oh god no. I'm all for Western Justice but you don't just go blowing holes in supposedly unarmed people.>>12312544Shout at him to unhand Jester but if Jester really did actually swallow the stolen items we want to know.
>>12312544Doesn't matterHe's in police custody and is currently receiving treatment for sunstroke.Any stolen goods are to be considered evidence and are also to be taken into custody.They will be returned after any necessary investigations are complete.
>>12312598And flash the fuck out of our badge because we are THE LAW
>>12312617This. Mutt needs to know we are THE LAW.
>>12312607It's a potato gun. It won't kill him, just incapacitate him.
>>12312713We don't know anything about this mook yet, just suspicious behavior and an implied crime syndicate. Shooting him without evidence is going down some lawful evil territory
>>12312544does he resemble the cloaked figure we saw earlier?
>>12312598>>12312607>>12312615>>12312617You unpin your badge and hold it out to glint in the desert sunshine."Jester is under the protection of the Dodge Junction Sheriff's Office! Any stolen goods are to be considered evidence in an ongoing investigation, and he is to be returned to my custody at once!""You tell him, Deputy!" Braeburn chimes in.The Stranger shrugs and makes sure the bag is empty before tossing it aside and dropping Jester to the dirt, where he proceeds to quickly cough up a whole pile of gemstones.The Stranger doesn't show much interest until Jester starts horking up a really big one; far too big to be any of the small jewels that reported missing. This is a massive red jade block, chiseled and carved with intricate patterns that you've never seen in all of Equestria. It's this piece, and only this piece, that the Stranger is interested in."This is property of the Red Eye Industrial Company. By the extraterritoriality clause granted by the Crystal Empire, I am exercising our right to defend and extradite our assets." He holds it up and turns it around til you see the symbol carved into its side, and in his other paw he flashes a crystal badge signifying the Crystal Empire's blessing. "And Jester, I've decided to not immediately terminate your contract with Red Eye.""B-but I can't go back!"The Stranger smiles a toothy, fanged grin, "You won't." and he tips his hat to you. "He's all yours, now."There is an awfully large pile of gems on the ground that don't belong to either of those dogs...
>>12312790He certainly does.
>>12312817Have Braeburn gather the gemstones to return to the robbed pawn shop/residencies while we apprehend Jester.
>>12312817Get the other diamond dog's informationTake his name and license number, etcWe were supposed to have Jester in custody when the gems went missing right?Either my timeline is wrong, these are different gems, or he's real slippery
>>12312817Pick up that evidence for cataloging and eventual return, and Jester for questioning back at the station. Forcibly if need be, though puking up your stomach contents would not put you in the best of positions. While walking back we can talk with Braeburn about what he was doing here, how did he find and why did he go after Jester, if he knows of Red Eye, all that jazz.
>>12312914I was thinking the same, the time difference obviously makes it difficult for him to be in a cell and three (four of you include Cats) robberies at the same night.
>>12312817Hold on, this is our town. You don't just walk in, rip someone out of my custody, force him to vomit up a pile of gems, and expect to walk out with biggest one of the pile. He may have the Crystal Empire's blessing, but not ours. Take him and Jester back to the sheriff to have this all straightened out.While we're at it, collect the gem pile with Braeburn's help for transport back to the station.
Something about the Stranger's testimony and the evidence doesn't add up, but Jester doesn't have much of a defense at the moment. Still..."Sir, I'm going to need to bring you down to the station for questioning." You approach the Stranger, moving your potatoes into your pockets and using their burlap sack to gather the gemstones. "You obviously know a lot about our suspect here, you'd be a major help in our investigation.""I've already told you, all those gems there are stolen." The Stranger pockets the big red stone somewhere in his greatcoat."Well, what do you know about Red Eye, huh?" Braeburn comes up at your side."That, boy, is not your business.""I'm a Deputy Royal Marshal, I'm performing an inquest into your activities.""You got a warrant? You got a royal decree?" The Stranger steps forward, towering over the both of you. Braeburn does his best to stand his ground, albeit leaning backwards. "Because if not, I know a Crystal diplomat who won't be happy to hear about Equestrians meddling in Imperial interests."
>>12313060Sounds like Braeburn's got some talking to doStand nearby in a supportive way, I guessMaybe keep an eye out for more of Red Eye's employees, apparently there's a lot of diamond dogs in this town and he seems to like hiring them. Wouldn't want someone to catch us unawares.
>>12313060I'll tell you what I do have, two diamond dogs obviously not from around here and both of them know more than they're letting on. If there's anything I or my Deputy Royal Marshal friend could do to get you down to the station and have you answer a few questions for us, we'll take care of it. Surely you're not leaving with that crystal so soon, you must have some time.Then adjust your badge, so he knows you mean business.
>>12313060"Why were you shadowing me earlier?"
>>12313060Unless Braeburn has some official documents there's not a whole lot we can do, legally. This guy just seems like just the muscle anyway so it's unlikely we would get a whole lot out of him, then he's just released by the diamond dog mafia lawyers. Definitely not the last we've seen of their organization though.
>>12313166I'm not so sure. Remember where we are. What kind of fancy pants Crystal Empire lawyer is going to want to ride all the way out into some vague settlement in the middle of nowhere just to settle petty theft? Might be he's just all bark and no bite. Metaphorically, that is. He could probably rip us in half.Besides, what goes on in our county is our business. We have just as much right to inquire about who this red eye is and he should answer whatever we want him to. We are the law around here, and like you said, he's just the muscle.
>>12313134>>12313152"This is still my town, papers or no papers. You're all coming down to the station so we can sort this all out. I'm sure Red Eye will understand if you spend some time cleaning up your tracks and not pissing off local law enforcement." You adjust your hat and badge smartly. "You were shadowing us earlier, what's that about?""I've been tracking Jester since he stole the gem I just retrieved." The Stranger checks a pocket watch. "I apologize for any frustration on your part, but I really must be going. I've told you all I can."This guy's stonewalling like nothing else, but you can't just let him get away like this.You can use your Badge skill for one last try to convince him to stay. (10 rolls, +2 for Braeburn's presence)
>>12313309Do it.
>>12313309>+2 for Braeburn's presenceSo 12 rolls or do we get a bonus to our post numbers
>>12313309We are THE LAW
>>12313309YEAH! THE LAW!
>>12313333That's a total of 12 rolls, sorry.
>>12313309rollin'
>>12313333likely rolls, that would seem too easyrolling
>>12313380and another!
>>12313380I swear, at one point we're going to keep rolling 10's and this will never endLittle more predictable right now since the board is ded though
>>12313309There's a lot of rolling in this method
>>12313309we're not very good at getting successes
>>12313431Become THE LAW
>>12313447It was worth a shot
>>12313470oh my god JC a 10
>>12313309shameless second roll of the ded
we're very bad at rolling
>>12313618like I said earlier, it's not to terrible for 3/10 chance
Out of 12+2 rolls, you got 3 successes.You look up at the Stranger, even bumping your chest up against him as you lock eyes with him, and despite his height he seems to be shrinking by the second."Remember where we are, mutt; this is the Frontier, where we take care of ourselves. Around here, I am the law, and you can't spare the time to wait for an Imperial lawyer to come talk you out of this. This is our town, what goes on here is our business. So either you man up and come to the station peacefully or I can introduce you to the concept of government-funded housing. You dig?"The Stranger takes off his hat and scratches his head, a bit flustered by this display. He goes back to the hunched stance regular for his kind. "Yeah... I dig.""Deputy Marshal Braeburn, see to the suspect and the evidence." You squint hard and grit your teeth, making sure you're in charge of the Stranger. "I've got paperwork to do."You sort of scruff the Stranger by the back of his greatcoat and drag him along with you towards the Sheriff's office. You think you hear Braeburn say "Awesome..." as you walk away.TO BE CONTINUED
And that ends session 1. Went on longer than I expected, and I fear that's mostly my fault. I shouldn't wear out my players.Well, what do you all think?
>>12313639Nice.
>>12313649That was fun! When's the next one?
>>12313649FunIntroduced a bunch of stuff, and we got to be hardassesI like the potato gun thingFeels better than throwing pies, anyway
>>12313639NoiceI can tell who has the pants in this possible future relationship>>12313649I thought it went alright. Rolling is still a bit questionable and I don't know how skill progression will work yet, but the questing itself seems solid.
>>12313675I plan to run this weekly on Tuesdays, 7PM PDT, just like today.>>12313699I wanted something different from the usual summation methods. This is based off of Shadowrun's pool/hits system, which I feel offers more "chaos" and drama to rolls. I may have to adjust the target numbers a bit to reduce waiting time for rolls, though....Oh, and have this Deputy art for choosing the classic combat-oriented class. You're well on the way to adventure and intrigue in the Equestrian Frontier!
