I wonder how many xxx's will be around opening the box during the recap.

>>33604661
2 Days Ago:
>Met up with Sweetie Belle, guard left you alone
>Head to market square to find Rarity
>Ask Pinkie Pie to buy you an elixir
>Discovered that Hayseed has been non-mortally injured
>xXx Gave Sweetie Belle the Snakeoil Sally Miracle Elixir that Pinkie handed you xXx
>**Sang the alluring melody for the fillies wandering town square**
>Saw Snakeoil Sally in a disguise hiding her loot in a secluded tree
>xXx Decided to immediately investigate the tree, brought Scootaloo along xXx
>**Did not hide behind the tree when Scootaloo dropped the Golden Box**
---If you would have done so, the Treasure Seeker Fanatic would have more than likely killed you
>**Confront Sally, avoided mentioning Tezel too much, showed your bravado**
>**Obtained the Golden Box**
>Rendezvous with Sweetie Belle at Sugarcube Corner
>Got the Peppermint Grape Jelly
>Pinkie joined your party
>Dropped off fillies and Rarity at Fluttershy’s cottage
>Went to get Applebloom and bomb at Sweet Apple Acres; obtained Apple Cart
>Went back to Fluttershy’s to discover a filly has gone missing, picked up Rarity
>Went into Everfree Forest to talk to Zecora before heading to the assumed location of the castle
>**Discovered properties of Siren Sand**
>xXx Opened the Golden Box, nearly dying. Unconscious for several hours xXx
>Geared up and traveled further into the Everfree Forest
>Temporarily dealt with Cockatrice by throwing Siren Sand at it
>Met up with Treasure Seeker Fanatic and began singing to her

>>33604661

Can we get an inventory check when you're finished with the recap?

>>33604715
Last Night:
>Stopped singing to the Treasure Seeker Fanatic, watched her get turned to stone by the Cockatrice
>Huddled up and waited for the Cockatrice to leave
>Headed down the path, found Sweetie Belle injured in a bush. Rarity had vanished.
>Put Sweetie Belle in wagon, continued onward to the base of the mountain trail
>Scouted ahead of the team because Scootaloo was too chicken to do so herself
>Came to a plateau, saw two ponies standing on the other side
>Sang to ponies, discovered that they were Rarity and the derped out filly Fluttershy lost
>Chanted to a dead tree
>Saw a gap in the trail, told Applebloom to cut down the tree to make a bridge
>Gigantic stone bird flew by on patrol, caught the group by surprise
>xXx Decided to try and utilize the mysterious box to attempt to control the giant stone bird xXx
>xXx Raisin lost her mind, player unable to control Raisin… xXx
>APPLE QUEST TIEM > Player assumed control of Applebloom
>**Took Raisin’s explosives, threw them at the giant stone bird. Bird was defeated**
>Rushed the team out of the plateau due to an impending avalanche
>All ponies accounted for; group hug and attempt to restore Raisin’s mind
>Rarity runs off ahead of the group
>**Used Marshmallows as earplugs to stop the derped out filly from rushing off to the Castle**
>**Traveled to the Castle in the Sand**
>Used a stone to distract guards, assumed cardboard box disguises from hammerspace, snuck into the Castle
>Distracted guards inside the Castle with rocks, got most of team to the Grand Staircase
>**Went back and rescued the scared filly**
>Looked into treasure room; tempted to search through treasure
>Sitting on steps, trying to determine next course of action

>>33604722
>>33604722

Seconded.

>>33604737
In the grand hall of the Castle in the Sand, Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Pinkie Pie, a random filly named Strawberry, and Raisin sit upon the steps of the Grand Staircase in front of the entrance to the Throne Room. On the other side of the curtain, Applebloom caught the first glimpse of the gigantic stone pony that Raisin had been talking about earlier; King Tezel. Camping in their slightly musty cardboard boxes, the team shudders with anticipation, wondering how they’re going to stop the enormous golem’s plans, save Raisin, and underp the gaggle of unicorn slaves running about throughout the kingdom of Equestria.

As the record in the other room plays a discordantly sweet melody, the team devises their cunning plan with care, knowing that their next decisions will determine the success or failure of their entire mission.

Because Raisin has lost her little pony mind, you, the player, will be able to influence the outcome of this quest by giving Applebloom some ideas as to how your team will overcome their greatest challenge yet. Good luck, questers… may Celestia have mercy on poor Raisin’s soul.

INVENTORY
Applebloom: CMC Cape, Hammer, Saw, Apples, Slingshot
Sweetie Belle: CMC Cape, Slingshot, Hayseed
Scootaloo: CMC Cape, Vial of Strange Water, Vial of Algae, Stompstarter
Raisin: Boots, Rocks, Peppermint Grape Jelly
Pinkie: Raisin
Strawberry: 2 Marshmallows (ears)

>>33604737
>**Used Marshmallows as earplugs to stop the derped out filly from rushing off to the Castle**

I'm going to hazard a guess that we should leave her ears plugged.

>>33604830

Alright, our first priority is destroying the crystal phonograph. We'll be captured either way, so the best we can do is hope that we destroy it first and hope it has a ripple effect.

>>33604830

My plan is: Give Pinkie jelly and tell her to drink the strange water. If the strange water DOES turn out to be elixir, then we send her out and in the initial confusion shoot an apple at the phonograph.

>>33604888

how will we get Tezel to release Raisin's soul once we've broken his favorite toy?

Looking back through my notes it says that the potion didn't contain any of the algae growing around the tube. Does anyone remember if the algae was floating in the tube, or just growing around it?

>>33604935

I'm pretty sure the strange water is just nasty bathwater. it probably wouldn't do anything. we lost our last bit of elixir when Rarity swiped it from Sweetie

>>33604830
Does the strange water look the same as the elixir?

>>33604715
>**Discovered properties of Siren Sand**
umm.. what were they again?

>>33604976

It only affects magical creatures. Used to make the cockatrice leave us alone.

>>33604965
GAME INFO: The Vial of Strange Water looks exactly the same as Snakeoil Sally's Miracle Elixir. Like the elixir, it is a clear, fully transparent solution.

>>33604976
GAME INFO: Zecora revealed that Siren Sand can be used to control magical creatures via a song. The creator of the sand binds a melody to the powder.

>>33604965

If we're Applebloom, we've already drank some.

Do a taste test first. Just a sip though.

>>33605087
>>33605102

Taste the strange water and smell it. We should be able to tell if it's elixir or not.

i'm at a bit of a loss, so here's a few notes
- The box takes over whoever opens it
- The box contains something, possibly the missing tip to Tezel's crown
- Destroying the music box will most likely free all the unicorns from their enchantment
- Destroying the music box will most likely piss King Tezel off very badly
- Destroying the box/Tezel before saving Raisin may cause us to lose her forever
- Just why the contents of that box are so damn important to Tezel still remains to be seen. a weakness? egotism? perhaps hinting that his crown is somehow connected with the curse gripping raisin?

there's so many possibilities, I can't settle on one as most likely

>>33604962
We got the water from the tub where she brewed it.

>"The other ingredients? It was just some nasty bathwater I forgot to drain... I think I knocked in some floor cleaner and paint thinner at some point in time."

>>33605133
Last night Jr said that if Raisin is alive when this quest ends we will play as her in Raisin Quest 4. I'm assuming that means that Celestia or someone will be able to cure her.

We could always try going to the treasury and seeing if we can use that scepter he mentioned to ope the box without touching it.

So...

Do we search the treasure room or not?

>>33605134

are we sure the powder was added into the tub? maybe it was added to the individual bottles afterwards

I don't think that nasty water and algae are going to help us

>>33605133

It might be risky, but we have to at least try:

When Tezel has us captured, we tell him that at least Raisin won't feel the suffering because she's in the box. This might cause him to release her, at least so he can torture her a bit before ending us.

>>33605235
I think the powder was just the controlling agent. From what Sally told us it sounds like her recipe for the elixir was older than her job with Tezel.

>>33605102
>>33605124
While devising your plan, you wish to see if that Vial of Strange Water Scoots has on her may be the elixir. Considering how much energy it gave you at first, it could give one of your team members the energy they need to do a blitz-rush attack/distraction in the throne room.

"Hey, Scoots... lemme see that water fer a second..."

"Uh... you know where we got this from, right?" Scootaloo hooves it over to you carefully. "This came from Sally's lab... I don't know what it might be..."

You open the vial carefully and smell the solution. It has a very pungent smell to it, much like the flavor of the elixir you drank. You cough a little. Just to be sure, you take a small sip. The solution crackles against your tastebuds, just like the elixir. It's so sour that it almost stings, but it perks you up.

"We've got elixir!" You tell the team.

"Ooooh! We do? Anyone got some candy?" Pinkie scoots up to your box, intrigued by this discovery.

>>33605258

We'll need to talk with him a bit, to get an idea of how wrathful/cruel he is. He might be willing to grant us one last request of talking to Raisin again if he thinks we'll die either way.

>>33605295

Hand her some jelly, ready our apple shot as soon as she rushes out and bounces around the throne room.

We need to do it the instant their attention focuses on Pinkie, otherwise our apple will be stopped in midair be one of the guard's telepathy.

>>33605302

keep in mind king tezel doesn't like kids. he probably won't be in a talking mood

>>33605295

Do this >>33605350, utter a prayer to Luna, Celestia, and even Discord, just to be we have our bases covered.

>>33605295
Tell Pinkie that Raisin stuck some candy to her doll.

The way I see it is that we have four options.
>Give Pinkie the elixir and some candy, then have her zip over to the phonograph and break it
>Use our slingshot to break it from cover
>Go to the treasury and see what's up
>Walk in and say hello to King Tezel, hope that by pretending to be disenchanted with Celestia's reign he will free Raisin so we can serve him

>>33605353
We could get Pinkie to do the talking

>>33605353

Well then what do you propose? We can't sit around and wait forever, and there aren't any spots to sneak around.

>>33605350
Do we know what kind of pony Tezel looks like? What if he's got a horn? Can he use magic?

>>33605375

Pinkie should probably try to destroy the phonograph first. Can we fire a shot from cover to make sure we have two chances to break it?

The filly we saved is a unicorn, right?

Ask her if she can do some magic.

>>33605392
Sally said he was about seven ponies tall.

>>33605392

He has Twilight brainwashed as his personal guard. Doesn't matter if he can use magic or not; after our surprise attack, we'll be captured and held in place with powerful magic.

>>33605471
We are operating that she won't be under his control once we break the phonograph. The filly is hopefully evidence of this.

>>33605392
GAME INFO: Tezel resembles a gigantic unicorn. He looks much like the gigantic statue outside; he's got a crown, a full beard, and is made entirely of stone. He's extremely massive, standing about 7 ponies tall.

>>33605523
>gigantic unicorn
Crap.

>>33605471

twilight will be freed from the mind control if we break the music box

>>33605520

What other choice do we have? If you have any bright ideas, then I'd like to hear them.

The treasure room is boobytrapped to high heaven, don't say that.

>>33605523
Can we get a description of the throne room again? You said there was a passage leading out of it, right? Where is the phonograph in relation to this passage?

>>33605576
>Break music box
Ha, in your face!
>Tezel starts singing the song instead
FUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

>>33605576

That if Tezel doesn't place a secondary spell one the unicorns so that they obey him instead of the music box.

OH SHIT, IT'S THE CROWN SPIKES THAT DO THE MIND CONTROL, NOT THE BOX ITSELF.

SHIT, SHOULD WE AIM FOR THE BITS AND HOPEFULLY KNOCK SOME OFF?

>>33605615
He's a giant rock. I don't think he can carry the tune.

>>33605630

Be careful when jumping to conclusions like that. We already lost control of Raisin that way.

I have a feeling there's something in the treasure room that will help us, probably that staff.

>>33605523

is there anything remarkable about the crown, besides the missing tip?

If the is another passage out of the room we could always tell her to run over to it then start making noise after we give her the elixir and candy. While Tezel and his unicorns are distracted we can shoot the phonograph off its pedestal.

>>33605721

Do you really want to go back? We trigger a trap, we lose the element of surprise.

>>33605613
GAME INFO: The room is slightly taller than the massive doorway leading in. You can see King Tezel off a ways, a magnificent royal rug leading up a single platform and up to his throne. Twilight and the other guard look miniscule next to the giant stone king. To the King’s side is a pony sized Crystal Phonograph playing an entrancing melody throughout the castle. It’s rather loud.

Looking down at the base of Tezel’s throne, you see that the carpet, which is mostly a crimson color, has some dark blotches ground into it. On either side of the throne, you see two doorways leading out of the room on the right and left.

>>33605736
GAME INFO: The crown looks like the top of a castle. From the front, you can see that it has 4 rectangular bumps along the top with one bump missing in the center. It's made entirely of an ornately carved gold.

>>33605787

does it look like it can be separated from his head? or is it grafted to his stone body?

>>33605787
We're a good engineering minded pony, in our estimation, woulda good shot with an aple even be enough to actually break the phonograph?

>>33605787
Is the phonograph within range of our slingshot? How long would it take an elixired Pinkie Pie to make it to one of those corridors?

>>33605828

If it can't destroy it, could a well aimed apple shot right into the horn block out the sound?

>>33605787

And there are no columns around the room?

Also
>death by stomping

At least we won't suffer if we lose.

>>33605826
GAME INFO: The crown appears to be grafted into the stone of his head.

>>33605828
>>33605832
>>33605883
SKILL INFO: Using your engineering insight, you don't think that an apple will be enough to knock the big phonograph over. Seeing as the horn on top is constructed of Crystal, you think that you'd have an easier time shattering it with something a bit harder.

The horn could probably be blocked by a well placed apple.

It appears to be in range of the slingshot. You're pretty certain you could peg Tezel in the eye from the door if you really felt like it.

Sorry we are asking so many questions, but with our safety net gone we have to make sure we know exactly what we are doing.

>>33605967
Of the CMC, which one is the best shot with a slingshot?

>>33605967
>GAME INFO: The crown appears to be grafted into the stone of his head.

Does it look like he had it grated on to his head, or does it look like someone else did it in a hurry?

>>33605967
Well, I'd rather break the horn than just plug it. Raisin still has some rocks.

I stil kind of want to at least look at the treasure room more. I remember something about not knowing if there was a door leading out of it or not.

And the fillies were stealing from it before right?
It can't be impregnable.

>>33605969
No, this is excellent. Since you can't see directly into the room because it's a text based adventure, you need to understand your options and use all of your observational skills to pick the best course of action.

I like how much thought you guys are putting into you plan. This is excellent.

>>33606008
GAME INFO: You personally feel that you are the best with a slingshot. You know that Raisin is pretty good with hers, but you think you're a better shot. Scootaloo isn't bad, but Sweetie Belle doesn't really know how to use a slingshot very well.

>>33605787
>dark blotches in the carpet
Possibly bloodstains?

Does one of the doorways look like it might lead to the treasure room?

>>33606059
>>33606101
GAME INFO: You are unable to ascertain this information from your current vantage point.

>>33606059
>grated
Hurp.

>>33606065
Give Scootaloo a couple of apples and tell Sweetie to give her a slingshot. Tell her that once we shot the phonograph with a rock we want her to peg Tezel in the eyes.

>>33605967

Should we plug Tezel in the eye to distract him and have Pinkie destroy the phonograph with a supersonic kick?

>>33606144
From where we are right now, what direction would we have to go to get to the pile of treasure?

Is the phonograph on Tezel's left or right side?

>>33606174

no way. the last thing we want is to draw Tezel's attention towards us

>>33606217
GAME INFO: In order to get to the treasure room, you'd have to go down the stairs and to the left. Looking into the throne room from the stairs, you see the big Crystal Phonograph is on King Tezel's left side, right behind a derped out unicorn mare.

>>33606174
I'm thinking we should give Pinkie the elixir, shoot the phonograph with a rock, then have Pinkie zoom in and rescue Twilight while Scootaloo shoots him in the eyes with apples.

>>33606144

And you're going to tell me the blotches are just wine stains?

>>33606267

She can't rescue Twilight, not when she's under MC.

Shoot Tezel with apple, shoot Twilight with rock, Pinkie destroys phonograph.

>>33606319

pinkie won't get mind-controlled, she's not a unicorn.

and don't forget to give her some of that jelly with the elixir

>>33606319
That is why I'm saying Pinkie goes in AFTER we destroy the phonograph.

>>33606319

I support this. Think about our brother and sister, know that if we fail them, they'll be joining us in death.

>On either side of the throne, you see two doorways leading out of the room on the right and left.

Guys, I think a headlong attack is going to end disastrously. There has to be a sneaky way in.

Look carefully. Does it look like there might be a magic forcefield?

>>33606388
>>33606363

I'm talking about Twilight.

If Pinkie doesn't go in as soon as we do, then Tezel will be expecting others and tell his guards to zap anything that moves.

>>33606411
GAME INFO: You can't see any magic hanging in the air, but then again, you've never been all that sensitive to sensing magic. From what you can tell, there are no forcefields present.

>>33606431

the guards are controlled by the phonograph. we break it, and twilight is free

>>33606407
>Guys, I think a headlong attack is going to end disastrously. There has to be a sneaky way in.

He has a point. Tell the others we might be able to get a better vantage point if we go through the treasury.

>>33606479
If we do go through the treasurey, let Pinkie be minesweeper. Her pinkie sense means she has the best chance of identifying traps.

>>33606479

the treasure could be booby-trapped though. remember last night how Jr said deciding whether or not to investigate it was a critical decision point?

i'm pretty sure he said something like that...

>>33606518
>>33606319

Alright, let's go to the treasure room.

>>33606518
He was talking about us missing the box back behind the stage. I'm in favor of trying to move so we can attack from the left.

>>33606518

Maybe the only way to defeat Tezel is in that room.
Fucking paranoia

>>33606587

SO MUCH PARANOIA

>>33606575

Alright, change my vote to investigating the treasure room.

Have Pinkie lead the way and use Pinkie sense for traps.

So much thought into our next move! I'm relishing in the suspense! I see a few options with some popularity so far...

>Bum-Rush the throne room with hyper-Pinkie, try shooting the Crystal Phonograph with apples and rocks
>Explore the Treasure Room

These seem to be the most popular choices. What shall you guys attempt to do?

>>33606621
Also, let's continue our exhilarating discussion in the next thread. One can never be too careful, am I right?

>>33602668
>>33602668
>>33602668
>>33602668

If we do go to the treasure room do so very slowly and carefully. Tell the others to do the same.

>>33606621

Treasure room, abuse Pinkie sense.

I'm literally getting tensed up

>>33606649

Treasure room. Even though it's against my better judgement, our sneak attack will be much more successful if we approach from either the left or right hall.

Continue onwards, questers. What shall you choose to do?

>>33606587
>>33606602
HAPPINESS IS MANDATORY, CITIZEN.

>>33606621
Let's move the group to the treasure room to see if there is another passage we can take.

Alright, treasure room. But watch where you step and tell the other ponies to do the same.

>>33606694
If we do go this way though, tell Pinkie and the others not to touch anything incase they are cursed or trappaed and ask Pinkie to take the lead and try to sniff out any traps.

>>33606671

I'm really worried that going to investigate the treasure room will be like Opening the Box 2.0

but charging the throne room doesn't sound like such a good idea either. it may have worked if we were controlling raisin, but without her we may miss our chance of saving her

and I would rather die trying to save raisin than succeed and let her die

>>33606871
Ask Pinkie if her Pinkie Sense is acting up. Examine the floor and walls of the treasury.

>>33606871

don't pass that threshold

there's no way this can be anything but a death-trap

>>33606871
Was it actually the tail twitch?
Sweetie is a unicorn, can she sense magic at all?
examine everything without touching anything.

When we switched to AB didn't you say something about us being able to trigger the "danger sense" or whatever it was? If I'm remembering things right, lets do that too.

>>33606977
The other filly is also a unicorn. Ask her too

>>33606929
GAME INFO: To your front, you can see the back of Pinkie's cardboard box. Beyond that, the doorway to the treasury. There are mountains of gems, gold, Bits... a treasure beyond your wildest imagining.

The floor is made of granite tiles, but you notice that several tiles have an odd symbol on them. The walls look like the rest of the Castle; polished to a brilliant shine.

>>33606977
>>33606929
"Pinkie... are you sure that was a 'Twitchy-twitch' or..."

"I'm pretty sure... the Pinkie Sense doesn't lie." Pinkie continues to look about, trying to find what set off her 6th sense.

>>33607023
>>33606977
"Little filly..." You tap on the box behind you, then slip under it to talk to her. "Little filly..."

The box close behind you shudders. "...Strawberry.." She whimpers.

"Strawberry, Sweetie Belle... can you guys feel any magic stuff around the door?"

Sweetie steps out ahead and points her horn at the doorway. She shrugs. "...hmmm... nope." Strawberry doesn't know what to do, copying Sweetie Belle. "N..Nothing."

The music echoes through the halls. You can hear the soft tap of some hooves walking down the main hall.

>>33607145

Roll an apple into the room.

If nothing triggers, then rush inside.

>>33607145

are the symbols arranged in some kind of pattern?

>>33607145
My mental map of this place is not up to snuff.
Are these footsteps approaching?

>>33607145
Describe the symbols on the the tiles. Are they spaced out to far apart for us to step from on to another?

Look behind us so we can see who is walking.

>>33607145

Can we see from here whether the tiles seem moulded together and there's a small gap next to the ones with a symbol? If all the tiles seem a little loose, then maybe walking on the marked tiles is the path to safety.

He knows he's being burgled; Tezel would probably switch things up.

>>33607209
>>33607254
GAME INFO: The symbols on the floor in front of the treasury door seem to be spread out in a zigzag. They have a weird mark upon them that you've never seen before.

>>33607228
GAME INFO: Behind you and around a corner, you swear that you hear the trotting approaching the stairs. You cannot see who it is yet.

>>33607300

Give Pinkie a few more seconds to identify a trap. If the hoofsteps get closer and Pinkie's still at it, roll an apple through the doorway.

>zig zag pattern. Oh yeah, reverse psychology. Step on ONLY these tiles.

>>33607300

it must be a ward. we definitely shouldn't go past those markings

You guys kill Rasin yet?

>>33607300
So we can't go back, I guess.
Do any of the fillies know anything about magic?
Are runes and such things that exist?

>>33607300

Tell Pinkie maybe see if her Pinkie sense triggers along the outer edges of the doorway.

Maybe the trap only triggers if you walk through the center.

>>33607400

You could say that. She's a vegetable who's probably not going to be restored.

A shame, really. All it took was one bad decision.

>>33607300
>The symbols on the floor in front of the treasury door seem to be spread out in a zigzag.

I don't suppose you could whip us up something in MSPaint really quickly?

>>33607449

Yeah, when you mean zig zag, does it look like a pony could step from tile to tile to the treasure trove?

>>33607406
GAME INFO: Judging from previous scenarios, runes are a very real thing. You remember back to Cil's journal and how Twilight was cursed with terrible luck from reading through it.

>>33607449
MAP: Red X's represent guards and enemies. The Blue circle is you. The gray dots are the zigzag pattern. The purple flower is the phonograph.

>>33607515
GAME INFO: The tiles could be jumped upon, one to the next.

Why don't we unplug Strawberry's ears and tell her to lead us to treasure? She has to know the secret to getting past the door.

>>33607549
What was directly behind us again?

>>33607549

Wow, I pictured it completely differently.

So there's another path behind us? Shit, I would have rather went down that one. Too late now, though.

Also
>Twilight's curse

Please oh please tell me she was never cured.

>>33607549
Do the runes look like they were recently put there.

Keep an eye behind us until we can see whatever is walking/

Thanks for the picture.

>>33607636
>Please oh please tell me she was never cured.

She wasn't. Why?

>>33607627
>>33607636
GAME INFO: Directly behind you is a darker corridor. It's not as well lit and you cannot see down it clearly.

>>33607658
GAME INFO: The runes, if they are to be called as such, look fairly old, like they've been carved into the floor for centuries.

>>33607674

At this point I'm just hoping for anything, ANYTHING that can help us.

>>33607559
For some reason, I feel like there was a reason we couldn't do this, but I can't remember what it was.

Alright, my vote is

>Give Pinkie a few more seconds to find a trap
>If she doesn't, roll an apple through the doorway
>If nothing triggers, tell everyone to stay away from the runes as best they can and rush to the closest hiding spot.

>>33607757

It's not worth the risk of her asking a few questions and giving away our position.

>>33607757
We didn't think she would be able to get inside.

My guess is that we should unplug her ears, jam an apple in her mouth so she can't talk, then do whatever she does to get into the treasure room.

>>33607781

I have a bad feeling, but this is the most logical plan of action that we've come up with.

>>33607824

I support this. Tell Strawberry to bring back treasure, too. If she turns around, plug those ears and do >>33607781

>>33607824
I'm kind of liking this idea.
Gag her first, before removing the earplugs, and tell her to get into the treasure room, for the sake of the princesses and the world.
It's a better shot that blindly guessing what the wards do.
Oh god, please don't fuck everything up

Use the Pinkie Sense!
Pretend to be stepping on a tile with the symbol, see her reaction. Then do the same with a tile without the symbol.

Tell one of the others to keep an eye behind us so we can see who is walking.

>>33607887

There's a reason she's with us.

Change my vote to this. If we die, then we can at least say we tried our hardest.

>>33607918
This also sounds good.
We don't have much time before whoever is walking up can see us though. there is a direct line of sight down the hallway.

Just as a safety net, if we hear someone just about to be able to see us, everyone under the boxes and freeze.

>>33607824
>>33607881
>>33607887
>>33607965
You again slink under Strawberry's box, but this time you pull out an apple. "...huh?" The scared little filly shivers as you jam it into her mouth. Quickly, you reach up and yank the marshmallows out of her ears. She panics for a moment, but you can see her eyes lose focus in an instant.

"Go to the Treasure Room and bring us back somethin' shiny."

"Applebloom! What are you..." Sweetie Belle protests for a moment, but quickly gathers what you intend to do. You can hear Strawberry mumble a question from behind her fruit gag, but she starts to scoot across the floor with you still inside the box.

From a distance, you can still hear the hoofsteps approaching. Pinkie issues a command. "Everyone.. act natural!" You hear the simultaneous thud of several boxes contact the granite floor.

Strawberry moves toward the treasury unabated.

>>33608066
Plug her ears again.

>>33608066

Listen to Pinkie's advice, put the marshmallows back in, and wait until we can't hear hoofsteps.

Pull them right out afterwards.

>>33608066

Listen to Pinkie's advice. She IS a master of disguise and always know the best way to surprise and NOT surprise[/spoiler[ someone.

>>33608066
>Strawberry's box
Pfft. Sorry, I'll behave now. The other three seem to have the right of it, though, so I can't really add anything.

>>33608066
Damint, >>33608117
>>33608156
These.
And make sure to restrain her, we don't know how she will react to suddenly losing the song, wouldn't want her to give away our position.
Allow her to make no noise, and don't move the box any more.

>>33608066

By giving us a chance to go back on our decision, I can already tell it's a bad idea.

Do what Pinkie says and plug up Strawberry. If we're discovered, then unplug her ears and follow her, hoping the guards were never taught the safe path.

>>33608066

Incoming bad end; we were too indecisive.

Jr I really hope we don't lose everyone. Losing Raisin was bad enough, and she was an OC.

>>33608117
>>33608156
>>33608200
>>33608224
>>33608225
You panic a little. Whatever pony is coming, you certainly don't want them to see you. Quickly, you plug the filly's ears once again. As she starts to regain her focus, you wrap your hooves around her body, trapping the apple in her mouth and keeping her from moving. She struggles in your grasp, scared and confused. You can hear her crying a little.

The hoofsteps continue on by. Looking out the back flap of the cardboard box, you see a mint striped green unicorn wandering up the stairs. She looks content on getting up there to meet Tezel.

"...whew. Sorry about that, Strawberry." She shudders and struggles, trying to break free of your hug.

>>33608332

stop talking like she's lost for good. we can still figure out a way to save her

>>33608360

Fucking Lyra.

Give Pinkie Pie a bit more time to let her Pinkie sense guide the way, then try Strawberry again if Pinkie can't find anything. Don't wait too long, though. We've risking enough as it is.

>>33608450

We have to figure out a way to save ourselves first. It won't matter if Raisin lives or not if we can't defeat Tezel.

>>33608457

I agree. Let Pinkie Pie experiment a little first, then try Strawberry.

Be sure to let her out from out box, though, if we're going to be using her.

>>33608360
Let's ask Pinkie if she can use her Pinkie Senses to get around what is probably a trap.

>>33608332
>Incoming bad end; we were too indecisive.

Not necessarily. The last time I can remember doing this was during Raisin Quest 2 when he tried to kill us with a crowd while we were crossing a street.

Not relevant to the next action, but I've been thinking: maybe the mind control isn't an aspect of the piece of the crown inside, but maybe it's a property of the box itself. It might be risky, but if we can open the open without triggering the spell, we might replace the crown chip with our bow.

I'm thinking that the box just makes the opener obey whoever owns what's in the box.

>>33608561

That wasn't certain, and we lost track of Zecora by not braving it.

>>33608625
That's not a bad idea.

>>33608457
>>33608543
You continue to hold onto the scared filly, keeping her from moving around too much. She's becoming quite a hassle. You tell Pinkie to experiment around a little bit more to see if she can get around this trap.

"Okey dokie lokie!" Pinkie bounces up, letting Raisin and her box land on the floor. She slinks over to the tiles on the floor, scratching her chin.

As she experiments with the floor, trying to decipher the trap, the filly you're holding onto becomes more unruly. You're starting to lose your grip on her.

"Hey, AB? What are you and Strawberry doing in there?" Scootaloo turns her box to face the two of you.

In the other room, you hear a deep, friendly laugh resound throughout the chamber. "Welcome!"

>>33608625
>replace the crown chip with our bow.

this.

remember Sally's words:
>Inside, there was a ton of gold, but also some gigantic stone pony. I didn't mind him at first... he didn't move or anything. Then, he started talking to me.

at first, he wasn't moving. then he started to talk. maybe he didn't start moving until she, say, decided to take a chip off of his ornate golden crown, to sell

and maybe returning said missing chip would make him stop moving again

and in doing so, release raisin from his compulsion

>>33608625
>>33608762
GAME INFO: In order to test your theory, you will have to obtain access to the Golden Box. Currently, you have Strawberry in your hooves.

>>33608762

Maybe.

But still, he fucked shit up back in the day. I bet he won't want to let himself be put back to sleep.

>>33608840

didn't say it would be easy

>>33608735
Let go of the filly and remove the apple from her mouth. Apologize, tell he we thought she might know how to get past the trap, then return to our box and make sure Raisin is covered by Pinkie's box.

Listen to the conversation between Lyra and Tezel as best we can.

>>33608811

Well we couldn't open it right now, we'd need a staff or a stick so we could maybe lift the hinges without using our hooves.

Even then it could still cast the spell anyways and make a fuckton of light and noise.

>>33608840
Which is why we have a juiced up Pinkie Pie put the crown piece back in place on his head. She can get it done in a jiffy.

>>33608862
Apologise first, we need to try to calm her down as much as possible.

Impress upon her how important it is to stay quiet.

>>33608735

Calm Strawberry down, tell her that you're scared too, just try and give her a hug and start whispering about your sister and how much you want to see her happy.

>>33608886

I doubt it'll be that easy, but I'll support it if we can remove the crown piece from the box. For now, let's just focus into getting into the treasure room so we can have some peace and can experiment.

>>33608882
The spell only effects you if you are touching the box. This has been said twice I think. The problem of the light can be solved simply by not being somewhere where we can be seen.

>>33608938

Just don't let her see Raisin. That could send her into shock if she realizes that's what'll happen to her if we fail our mission.

>>33608862
>>33608887
>>33608938
You apologize to the scared filly, telling her that you thought she could lead you to the treasure if her ears were unplugged. She starts to calm down a little bit, but she's still trying to get out of your grasp.

You turn your grip into a soft hug. You whisper about how badly you want to get back to the farm, how badly you want to help your sister pick apples, how badly you want to go adventuring with your friends, and how badly you want to get out of this terrible place.

She starts to calm down, but breaks down in tears, realizing how much she misses home. "I...I'm really scared.. why are we here?"

You let her go, then tell her that you need to stop the evil golem pony here from destroying Equestria. It's your mission and your duty.

You slink back into your box. Pinkie is still trying to figure out what's going on with the trap. You see her push on one of the marked tiles. A shiver ripples up her back. "Ooooohhhh... I don't like this one bit..."

There's nothing but music coming from the other room now.

>>33609133
Ask Pinkie what is up.

>>33609133

So she was able to put her hoof OVER the rune and still have nothing happen?

Just walk across while telling everyone to not touch the marked tiles. I was worried that they could sense if a pony walked over them and not just step on them.

>>33609133

>>33609197

Does have a point. Ask Pinkie how she feels about walking OVER the tiles.

>>33609170
>>33609197
>>33609231
You ask Pinkie how she feels about the marked tiles. "Oooh... there's something up with those ones. They're giving me the jeeblies all over!" She presses on the tile again, shivering once more. "Bad bad bad... these are definitely not good."

"What about walking over the tiles?" You ask.

"Hmmm... I dunno." She bounces over one of the marked tiles and lands on the floor. "Nope. That seems fine." You can hear an audible click in the wall.

>>33609337
Well fuck, back on this side as quickly as she can.
Clicks are never good.

>>33609231

And if she can't feel anything, then simply walk over the tiles, taking great care not to touch them.

Clearly communicate this with the others.

>>33609337
Can we get a description of the walls? Are there holes in them that look like they may start spewing arrows?

>>33609337
>>33609337

Look up, be prepared to run

Fuck you Jr Pinkie sense is never wrong

>>33609374
Did you miss the part about the click?

>>33609337
Tell everyone to get away from the tiles as fast as they can.

>>33609337
>>33609362

Look up, but don't grab her tail and pull her back unless we see something shift, the the ceiling is about to give way.

I'm praying, PRAYING that it's a good click that locked things in place rather than a bad click that kills us.

>>33609424
GAME INFO: The walls are plain and flat, polished to a magnificent luster. The click you heard may have come from the doorway itself. Besides the little noise, you can't immediately tell if anything else is going on.

>>33609337

Alright, I fucking give up. If Strawberry wasn't the key and neither was Pinkie sense, then how the fuck could we get into the treasure room?

>>33609518
What about the ceiling?

try approaching one of the runes yourself

you're a filly. maybe it will be different

>>33609518

Start praying to Celestia. Surely they teach a few in school.

>>33609532
Wait, didn't we stop Strawberry ourselves while she was on her way into the room?

>>33609518
Does the ceiling of the treasury look like it is attached to the walls, or is it floating free? Is there a line running across the ceiling over the way in that could conceal a door?

>>33609532
We stopped Strawberry.

We should move if we aren't about to all die.

>>33605633
>>33605633
>>33605633

>>33609337

grab pinkie and pull her out of harm's way before something happens to her

>>33609582
The ceiling way up above looks like the walls; plain and flat. There doesn't seem to be any openings or other noticeable inconsistencies with the ceiling.

>>33609688
Read my mind. Thank you, anon.

Let's move into the next thread.

>>33609739
Tell Pinkie Pie to use her Pinkie senses to see if anything is about to happen while we and the others slowly back away.

>>33609737
Its possilbe that Lyra was on her way up from the start, just do force us to stop standing right in front of the room.
Actually, we probably should have tried to watch what happened in there, we might have seen him put a control spell on her or something that would confirm that destroying the phonograph won't release Twilight.

>>33609708

Well, if the ceiling isn't going to collapse, then the click was probably some sort of alarm system.

Hold still, worse come to worse, then there needs to be a new element of laughter.

>>33609762
>>33609839
You shout out to Pinkie, asking her if she feels like anything is about to happen. She looks about, a little confused. "Hmmm... not at the moment, no... but I did feel something when I looked up at the doorway..."

She stands in place, looking over the small cluster of cardboard boxes. "Are you guys coming?"

>>33609809

Holy shit thread leap just in time.

just droppin in to once again point out the inherent misogyny present every time someone derides my little ponies merit by specifically mentioning that it's for "girls" and not "kids". namaste

>>33609900
No kidding; that was way too close for comfort. Thanks to that Anon, we're still alive.

>>33609902

Duly noted

>>33609890

We have to move on. Send Scootaloo ahead first; being a pegasus, she's nimblest and has a better chance of moving out of the way if a trap triggers.

>>33609922

Will said anon also keep us alive in the quest?

>>33609890
Unplug Strawberry's ears and tell her to go get the treasure again. She's gotta know how to get around this trap.

>>33609890
Ask her what she felt, and if she feels anything different now that the wall has clicked.

If it's all safe then let's toss Raisin across, followed by the boxes, then followed by us. Be SURE to tell the others to not touch any of the marked tiles.

>>33609890

let's send everyone through one pony at a time

Sup guys hows the quest been coming along?`

>>33609986
I don't think so. I was one of the guys that wanted to use the box on the bird, but only because I thought it was to far away from us to use the bomb.

>>33609890
What about the doorway, is it noticably different from the rest of the walls?

>>33610044

Stick around, this might be our last action if we trigger a trap.

>>33610044
Ask again in about five minutes.

>>33610009

what he said. the derped fillies went to and from the treasure regularly. there's got to be a trick that they know for getting past the trap mechanism

also, the fact that pinkie sensed something above the door, combined with the "click" we heard, makes me think that something's about to get dropped on her

we need to pull her back right now

>>33610051
GAME INFO: Looking up at the doorway, you notice that it has a dark ring around the inside, under the archway itself. There seems to be a slot of some sort concealed inside the doorway. Using your engineering knowledge, you think it may be for a door to come down into.

They say that if MLP general ever 404s without starting a new thread, then it will vanish forever and cant be remade.

>>33610144
Ok, so to door closes. How long has it been sinse the click, if we can get that information without time passing.

>>33610207
GAME INFO: The click happened just moments ago.

So, here's some options I'm seeing... any look more interesting that the others?
>Unplug the fillies ears once again
>Move across the unmarked tiles through the door
>Move Pinkie immediately

>>33610144

Rush inside.

If a gate is about to come down, we CANNOT afford to be separated.

Damn, at the rate of debate we're going, we're only having one action per hour.

>>33610271

I don't know, I just don't know anymore.

Let the others decide. Every action seems like the wrong one. I don't want to be an anon who voted for the one that led to certain death.

>>33610299
Could that be the trap itself? What if the door wants us to rush through it, thinking it's gonna close?
My heartrate is going nuts...FUCK YOU JR MAKE SOMETHING GOOD HAPPEN

>>33610271

Let Strawberry lead us. She's our best best

There has GOT to be a reason she's with us.

>>33610271
Fuck, so the door is probably going to slam shut.
We can either get Pinkie back out and be locked out, or get all or most of us in and be locked in a room that may or may not actually have an exit.

Either will probably alert everyone that we are here.

Fuck it, I say unblock the fillies ears and tell her to go as fast as she fucking can. Follow directly behind her,.

>>33610362
Shouldn'ta said that, broseph.

>>33610394

Sorry to metagame, but you wouldn't have had her escape if she didn't have a purpose.

I vote for this. Tell Pinkie to stay where she is.

It's been nice knowing you, gentlemen

>>33610271

unplug the filly's ears and tell it to get you some treasure. watch what it does

>>33610394
Unplug her ears, gag her, lift the box off of her, then tell her to get some treasure for us again. Tell Pinkie Pie to use her senses to know what she needs to do in order for her to keep herself and the filly alive.

If we do get bad end, can you at least spare us the gory details?

>>33610394
>>33610405
>>33610436
>>33610445
>>33610449
You worry and fret. That click must have been something bad... you feel a knot roll up in your stomach. Going with your gut instinct, you turn to Strawberry once again. "Strawberry.. I'm going to unplug your ears again... I think you can lead us through."

She panics. "W...What?! Me?!" She shakes and shivers a little. Before she has time to respond, you quickly unplug her ears and jam an apple into her mouth.

"Get us some gold from the treasure room."

She mumbles something like a question, then starts heading over to the tiles. Defying your reasoning, she jumps straight onto the marked tile. You hear the wall click and turn like crazy. She marches across the tiles with her derped out eyes, humming the song in the other room. Pinkie watches in horror as the filly steps across each tile.

She reaches the last tile. As she steps on it, she waits, staring into the treasure room. Suddenly, the doorway lights up. A white fiery looking substance pours from the doorway, forming a wall. She stands in place, waiting. After a few seconds, the silent, ghostlike fire disappears. She hops into the treasure room and picks up the first coin that she sees.

Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and yourself find your jaws hanging open in awe.

I won't lie, I'm F5'ing like a motherfucker.

>>33610632
Woah...

Good thing we did that.

>>33610632

Do what she does, exactly. Sit down and catch our breath once we're inside.

>>33610632
I thought you guys would've rushed through, too... curses.

>>33610632
Pick our jaw up off the ground, put Raisin on our back, then do exactly what she did. Tell the others to follow our lead, one at a time.

Leave the boxes if we don't think we can get them across.

>>33610632

HAHAHA I FUCKING KNEW IT!

>>33610632
Ok, repeat that shit. EXACTLY.
And one at a time. Have pinkie carry Raisin, and maybe Sweetie if she doesn't feel up to delicate manouvering.

>>33610697
So how did Pinkie Pie get through without the flames going off?

>>33610722

I think we can leave our boxes behind, but only if they're too cumbersome. Otherwise, take them.

>>33610733
Pinkie is already on the other side. We are a big filly so we can take Raisin.

>>33610632

holy crap
well, l guess we know what to do now

>>33610755
I think the flames are at the other end. Pinkie is just passed the first rune.

She should come back out to this side and do everything right beforecontinueing, by the way.

>>33610778

Wear as much bling as possible?

>>33610771
GAME INFO: Pinkie is standing in the middle of the tile floor. She is not through the doorway.

I see you guys want to repeat her actions. Typing up the next action now...

>>33610810
Hold up, Pinkie hasn't gone all the way through?

Tell her to do exactly what the little filly did, but to abandon ship if her Pinkie Sense tells her she has screwed up.

>>33610810
Pinkie should come back out to this side before starting. I doubt it works if you start stepping on them halfway through.

>>33610856

wait. if we have pinkie move, the door might slam shut. I think she's standing on a pressure plate

we should have her stay put while we investigate the room. if there's no secret passages or anything else helpful, we go right on back, and THEN have pinkie move

>>33610810
>>33610896
Examine the floor that Pinkie is standing on. Is it depressed at all?

>>33610695
>>33610722
>>33610733
>>33610764
>>33610771
You pick up your small purple friend and carry her on top of your box. You tell Pinkie to come on back and follow your lead, one pony at a time across the tile floor.

As you start formulating your plan, you see Strawberry heading back through the doorway. She walks straight through the tile puzzle, returning to face you. A single gold Bit slides off her back. She stares at your eyes, hers kind of bobbling around. You can hear her ask you another question, more than likely about the Castle.

Her attention turns toward the Throne Room.

>>33610946

plug her ears
hug her and pet her and tell her she did a good job and probably saved your lives when she returns to her senses

>>33610946
Plug her ears again, thank her and remove the apple.
Tell her she's been very brave and very helpful, she just saved all of our lives. Make sure she knows what to do, then continue in to the room.

>>33610946

Do this. >>33610975

"See, being a hero is easy!"

>>33610975
>>33610998
These.

Has Pinkie rejoined us, or is she still standing there?

>>33610946

There weren't any clicks when Pinkie got up, right?

If not, proceed into the treasure room, try not to touch anything unless we think we can use it.

I just got here and who's this Strawberry character? And why do we have to plug her ears or her mouth. What is even going on?

>>33610998
>>33610975
>>33611028
You plug her ears back up with the pair of marshmallows, then hold her tight. As she starts coming to her senses, you calmly tell her that she's just saved all of your lives. You let her know that she's done a good job.

She stares into space, confused. "Umm..."

"See, being a hero is easy!"

>>33611032
GAME INFO: Pinkie is still standing on the central tile. It appears to be slightly depressed, but you're not sure what it does. Since she has first stood upon it, you notice that it has started to become a little darker than the other tiles around it.

>>33611082
Also, continuing along... let me post the next action with you guys crossing the tiles into the treasure room.

>>33611075
She's a derped filly we found on the way out here. We have to keep her ears plugged so she doesn't walk up to king Tezel and get killed. The gag only has to be worn when her ears aren't plugged.

Just follow our lead when it comes to her.

>>33611082

Maybe it would be a good idea for her to move off of it.

>>33611082
Tell Pinkie Pie to jump back to where we are. Get a rock out and ready to the on to the tile she is standing on in case the tile doesn't reset itself.

>>33611075
Oh and since Raisin is apparently unconscious, who are we playing?

Oh and next thread has just come to an end.

>>33608642
>>33608642
>>33608642
>>33608642
>>33608642

>>33611135
>to throw on the

Herp.

>>33611213
We Applebloom now

>>33611110
>>33611244
I appreciate it.

>>33611124
>>33611135
You tell Pinkie to jump on back over. You're not sure if the tile she's standing on is safe. "Okie dokie, Applebloom." She bounces off the tile and back onto the safe side of the floor.

You continue to stare at the tile. It continues to darken up. After a little while, it seems like it has vanished. Pinkie looks over to it. "...where did it go?"

You decide that you've been dallying around long enough. You tell the other ponies to follow your lead across the marked tiles, one at a time. You make your way across, then wait for the wall of silent white flames to dissipate. Summoning up some courage, you leap through the door way, landing inside the treasure room. One after the other, you watch as the wall of flames comes and goes, each time followed by another pony.

With a little time, the team has now reassembled beyond the doorway. Raisin was carried over on Pinkie Pie's back... she seems to be moving around inside her box now.

>>33611213
Thank you anon. Let's move, guys.

>>33608642
>>33608642
>>33608642
>>33608642

>>33611213

Applebloom.

We made some choices, very bad choices.

Bad enough to get a game over, but Jr is letting us finish the quest as Applebloom.

Hold the phone. Raisin is moving? Does everyone still have their boxes?

Dried Apples general?

>>33611348
So Raisin is reacting to something?
After we have our bearings and if everything looks safe, lets see if any of the items in the room are specifically having an effect on her.

>>33611348

Well, if Strawberry was able to pick up a coin, I doubt the treasure is booby trapped much.
Still, don't touch anything that looks demonic.

>>33611354
GAME INFO: You were able to get across with your boxes intact. All ponies are still inside of their box camo.

>>33611348

see what's up with raisin. just make sure she doesn't suddenly try to make a break for it

>>33611369
>>33611400
You can here Raisin stirring underneath her cardboard box disguise. Pinkie can feel her squirming about. "Guys! Raisin's moving!" She sounds excited, taking the small purple pony down off her back and setting her on the ground.

"Alright! She's back!" Scootaloo cheers, keeping her voice down.

"Raisin! I'm so glad that you're okay!" Sweetie Belle runs over, taking the box off of her.

Raisin stands on her rearlegs, holding the box in her forelegs. Her eyes are still off center. Without an emotion on her face, you see her chuck the Golden Box into the pile of treasure. She lands on her hooves, then stares towards the back of the room. "Command me."

"She's still not back yet..." The team is disappointed.

All around you are mountains of treasure, including the Golden Box that was just thrown into a pile of artifacts. The shiny objects in this room overwhelm your senses... Scootaloo pours over the stacks of Bits just lying around on the floor.

>>33611509
Tell Scoots to stop fucking with things. We don't know whether or not things are still dangerous.

Where did the box land, next to anything that looks significant?

>>33611509

return raisin to pinkie, and grab the box

now that it's out of her hands, maybe we can figure out a way to get at whatever's inside

>>33611509

Gently remind Scootaloo that if she touches the wrong thing, she could end up like Raisin.

Also, command Raisin to do a little dance to see if she'll listen to anyone or just Tezel.

>>33608962
>violated Celestia
feels good

Have we tried to command Raisin yet?

>>33611545
GAME INFO: Raisin threw the box into a pile of similar looking treasure. There's a ton of golden artifacts in the pile, like a scepter, a mirror, a chest... quite an assortment of solid gold goodies.

>>33611548

Look for a staff or a stick we could use to open the box without touching it.

Also, look for armor. Armor pony is best pony.

>>33611574

ignore all the other crap, go straight for the box

>>33611574
Grab the box, examine the other stuff more closely.

>>33611565
And this, lets try something like "sit down"

>>33611574

Maybe the scepter too.

Don't look at the mirror though, I've played enough DnD to know that magic mirrors = instakill somehow.

>>33611509
Warn Scootaloo about touching anything other than bits or she might end up like Raisin. Try giving Raisin a simple command like "look to the left."

Is she staring at anything in particular?

flood detection is silly

What if we told derped Strawberry to get us the box and "something that we can use to safely open the box"?

Oh shit, we're still going?

I better not read any of this thread, time to speed read my eyes out

>>33611654
First thread has already 404'd.
OP was 33602668 if you want to find it in the archive.

You would not believe how slow we are going.

>>33611545
>>33611556
>>33611565
>>33611621
You gently remind Scootaloo that any of this treasure could have the same weird effects that the little Golden Box had on Raisin. Touching something could make you lose your mind.

Scootaloo stops drooling for a moment. "Hmmm... there's got to be a way to pick this stuff up safely..." She shakes her head. "Right, right. Maybe on our way out?" You roll your eyes.

An idea comes to mind. "Raisin, dance."

Raisin stands in place, staring toward the back of the room. Looking up, you trace her vision to what seems to be an set of stairs.

"Oh well, worth a shot..."

>>33611593
>>33611615
You walk over to the pile of artifacts, looking around for the Golden Box that Raisin threw. It's easy to find, sitting on top of the golden chest.

As you pick it up, Raisin spins around, looking at you. Her face is emotionless. Seeing her like this fills your heart with a certain sadness.

>>33611654

don't bother, we literally spent hours debating what we should do.

>>33611718
Hmm. Slowly extend a hoof towards the box, watching her reaction. Stop if it looks like she's about to do something.

Also have Pinkie ready to restrain her.

>>33611718

set down the box. have pinkie and either sweetie or scoots hold raisin down. try picking up the box again.

>>33611718
Can we get a description of the room we are in? Entrances, exits, statues, a drawn map?

Put the box back down and get off the treasure pile until we are ready to use the box.

>>33611718

We still have our capes, right?

We have farm experience, we could tie them together to use as a rope and hogtie Raisin if she does anything. It's for her own good.

>>33611698
I left all the tabs open, so it's all here

My heart is kinda racing in excitement... however sad that is

Past 4 hours of questing for you all in like 10 minutes for me

>>33611753
>>33611756
You find Raisin's reaction rather peculiar. You lift the box up, watching her head move. Suddenly, she lowers her head. She takes a defensive stance, but nothing happens.

Sweetie Belle looks her over. "It looks like she's trying to use magic..."

Raisin stands in place, pointing her forehead in your direction. She has an angry look on her face.

>>33611761
The treasure room looks like it was carved directly into the mountainside, it's dirt walls left bare to allow ease of expansion. There are golden treasures adorning all of the walls with a slightly wider path left open closer to the right wall.

Yellow is treasure. Blue is the majority of your teammates. The purple dot is raisin, the red box is the Golden Box, and the green bow is you.

>>33611942

set the box down
use our CMC capes to tie raisin up/blindfold her once she's been pacified
try picking the box up again

in the event that she doesn't calm down, try backing away from the box

>>33611942
Set the box down and see how Raisin reacts.

>>33611942
Alright. Let's set the box down and step away from the pile. Tell Strawberry we need her help again. Gag her, unplug her ears, and tell her to get us something we can use to safely open the box Raisin threw into the pile of treasure.

>>33611942
Ok, and the stairs continue on out of sight, right?
They are probably one of the entrances to the throne room, I think they match up pretty well.

Interesting that Raisin is trying to use magic. I guess the mind control spell was designed for a unicorn? Lets put the box down for now.

We should probably have someone go watch the stairs on the other side, we really don't want someone to wander in.

>>33611942

Ha, looks like Raisin's glitched.

Alright, Raisin, time to be hogtied. See if we can take our CMC capes and tie them together so they form a rope. Stick an apple in her mouth for good measure.

>>33612019

I think that may be a little too abstract for her

>>33612061
We won't know unless we try.

>>33611986
>>33612004
>>33612019
>>33612030
>>33612034
You set the box down on the treasure room floor. Raisin's expression returns to it's flat, emotionless state. She turns back to face the rear of the room, asking but one thing.

"Command me."

Scootaloo looks over the small purple filly and wanders passed you. "Who is she talking to?"

You find it in your best interests to restrain the small purple filly. You don't want her acting up. With the box out of your hooves, you're able to lasso her with your cape with no resistance whatsoever. "This is fer yer own good, Raisin..." She doesn't respond, staring at the back of the room in silence.

>>33612102
Which way is the back of the room? Towards Tezel?

>>33612133
GAME INFO: The back of the room is the part of the room furthest away from the entrance. Refer to the map for more information.

>>33612133

i think it's towards the staircase we haven't investigated yet

try picking up the box again. we should be good now, provided raisin hasn't been imbued with superhuman strength or something

naturally, drop the box immediately if she has

>>33612102
Command for Raisin: Go back to being normal. Applebloom is boring.

Cuz she's totally asking us to command her. Boy I hope/wish that's the case.

>>33612102

Stick an apple in her mouth to gag her. When she's all tied up, turn her to face the wall and look for a mundane scepter that we can open the box with.

>>33612152
So she is looking to the left of the picture?

>>33612152
Ok, well. Keep an eye on her, if she starts tracking movement with her head I want to know about it.

>>33612102
Move Raisin around the room so we can see what exactly she is looking at.

>>33612169

She doesn't listen to us. She probably only obeys Tezel.

>>33612195
GAME INFO: In reference to this map, she would be looking North, straight up.

So, what's your next move, guys? How much time do you think you've got to explore this treasure trove?

>>33612255

We just want to find a simple staff or something that can open the golden box without anyone touching it.

We know what we want to do; this shouldn't take long.

>>33612255
First thing we need to do is post sentries. We need as much warning as we can get.

>>33612288
If we can find a staff that can launch projectile-type magic, that'd be great. Blow up the crystal phonograph should, at the very least, stun all the controlled unicorns.

>>33612255

we should grab the box and investigate the mysterious staircase. if raisin was looking in that direction, there's probably something that way that has something to do with her curse

>>33612255
>How much time do you think you've got to explore this treasure trove?
Uh oh.

Tell Strawberry we need her help again. Gag her, unplug her ears, and tell her to get us something we can use to safely open the box Raisin threw into the pile of treasure.

>>33612255
Ask Sweetie if she can feel anything magical.

>>33612343

sweetie isn't really known for her magic

>>33612314

The staircase almost certainly leads to Tezel's chambers.

First priority: getting the crown bit out of the golden box.

>>33612355

oh yeah. hurrrrrr

>>33612288
>>33612312
>>33612355
You search around the room a little bit, specifically over in the artifact pile. You remember seeing a scepter in here that could help you open up that scary little Golden Box that derped your dearest friend.

"Whatcha lookin' for, AB?" Scootaloo inquires.

You tell her that you want to get something to open that Golden Box from a distance. There could be something inside that is critically important to saving Raisin's life.

"If you think so..." Scootaloo walks over, helping you pull out a solid gold scepter from the pile of artifacts. It's rather heavy... something feels odd about it as you hold it in your mouth. It's extremely cold compared to the other treasures.

The Golden Box sits on the ground, ready to be jabbed with the blunt scepter.

>>33612419
Fuck, I'm getting all worried again. See if Sweetie can feel any magic in the sceptor first.

>>33612419

Let's look around for a more mundane one. Don't want to blast the box into oblivion.

>>33612419
Drop the scepter then unplug Strawberry's ears and ask her if she knows anything about it.

>>33612437

Hey, if the Bow in the box idea works, let's see if Sweetie will volunteer to be possessed so she'll have at least some magical ability.

>>33612438

How hard can it be to find a golden rod?

>>33612419
What does the staff look like? Anything interesting about it?

>>33612419

>Wait and get caught
>Use rod now, risk blowing up the box and destroying Raisin's soul forever.

Nah, let's look for something else.

can't we just turn the box over and dump everything out?

so long as we close it before it eats our souls, we should be fine

>>33612503
GAME INFO: The staff looks similar to the Golden Box. Down it's side are engravings much in the same style as the box... though all of the artifacts in the pile you withdrew this rod from look kind of like the Golden Box.

On top of the staff is a red gem. The bottom of the staff looks rounded with a few nubs sticking out of it.

>>33612548

Alight, let's jam it with the smaller, less menacing looking end.

Also, don't jab, just gently nudge the box maybe try to get it to fall over as it's opening.

>>33612548
Ask Sweetie Belle and Strawberry if they can sense anything magical about this scepter. Unplug Strawberry's ears and ask her what she knows about the scepter. Examine the nubs at the bottom of the scepter, but be sure that the gem is pointing away from the treasure and the ponies.

>>33612608

how will we extract the contents once it's opened? it's going to fill the whole room with light

we'd better be ready to grab whatever's in it (without looking, of course) and slam the box shut quickly

>>33612608

This if we can't see any other less menacing looking rods after a quick visual scan.

>>33612648

Maybe if it falls out on its side, then the crown bit will fall out and the spell will stop.

Also, maybe the spell only activates if it's opened by hooves.

>>33612648
Should we really be sticking our hooves in the box?
Try to just dump it our first, it was rattling around, so it isnt secured.

>>33612648
We tip over the box and have one of our friends cover it with a cardboard box or a cape.

>>33612608
>>33612622
>>33612648
>>33612651
Carefully, you try to open up the box with the staff. The lid seems to be sealed shut. Gently poking at it doesn't seem to do too much.

"C'mon, AB. On three..." Scootaloo pulls the staff back, preparing to jab the box in hopes that it will open up.

>>33612683

why does this feel like an "are you sure?" moment?

>>33612676

This, tilt it from the top.

>>33612683
Nope.

Examine the staff first, especially the nubs at the bottom. Ask Sweetie and Strawberry if they can feel any magic in it.

>>33612698
Paranoia, my friend. Paranoia.
Am I just screwing with you? Maybe. Maybe not. You'll have to go with your gut and see what happens.

>>33612738
I expect us to just tip the box over, honestly. There is nothing holding it in place.

>>33612683

Tilt it on its side.

>>33612738

Tip. If Scootaloo turns Raisin into a vegetable permanently, we're deep frying her.

If we aren't going to examine it first then we at least need to tell one of the others to cover the box and whatever comes out with one of the cardboard boxes.

>>33612783

Oh shit, yeah. Tell Scootaloo to be ready to cover the light with a box, just in case.

Who's ready for something bad to happen?

>>33612676
>>33612678
>>33612723
>>33612753
>>33612754
"Wait up, Scoots..." You halt her countdown. Instead, you push on the side of the box, letting it fall over. For some inexplicable reason, the lid refuses to open.

"Hmm... how do we open it? Raisin really gave it a tug when she activated it at Zecora's..." You recall as you try to remember how it was opened in the first place.

Raisin continues to stare at the back of the room. You can hear a mighty voice resound from what you think is an exit. "Ah, my lovely servants! You may rest for now; tell the guards outside to relieve you." Two softer voices speak as you hear trotting echo from the main throne room.

>>33612850
I've been ready all night I was out, actually.

Maybe the box can only be opened by a living thing.

Did they just finish the statue?

>>33612863
Shheeeit.
Are they on their way in?
We might be able to hide under boxes under treasure, or we could book it out of here down the trapped hallway and hope that the dark path is safe.

Can we hide under treasure well?

>>33612863

Damn, there aren't any hoofguards or golden cloth in the treasure piles?

We may have to open it ourselves and see if we can turn it upside down.

>>33612863
Tell the others to move so they can't be seen by anyone walking down the main hall. Examine the scepter more closely, especially those nubs at the bottom of it.

>>33612910

I really hate to say it, but we might have to do this. The box takes a while to assume full control, right? Even if we fail and pass out, we can tell the others to revive us by pouring some elixir in our mouth.

Guys, I have a brilliant idea.
>Wrap hooves in CMC Cape
>Open box
We're wouldn't be touching it

>>33612936

This, and also be sure to open it under a cardboard box.

>>33612863

is the trotting getting closer, or further away?

>>33612935
>>33612936
>>33612952
Or we could examine the staff to see if one of those nubs remotely opens the box.

>>33612936
But that is still holding it, we don't know how it works, its better to have as little do do with the box as possible. touching it physically or not might not matter.

>>33612975

Examine the box more closely. Is there a keyhole?

>>33612975

forget the staff. the staff would probably blow the box up. it's too suspicious. I don't trust it

>>33612969
GAME INFO: The trotting seems to be getting further away. The echoes of the throne room make it hard to determine which direction the guards might be traveling.

>>33612990

Yeah, we need a better description of the box, please.

>>33612996
Which is why I want to examine it instead of pocking the box with it.

>>33612990
GAME INFO: Picking up the box, you examine it for anything peculiar. From the top on down, you see it's crowned with a beautiful red ruby. Down the box are 4 golden struts. Between them on each face of the lid is a decorative pattern of engravings. Where the lid meets the main box, there doesn't seem to be anything holding it together, but yet it remains firmly sealed.

Flipping the box over, you see a small indentation. It looks like it's supposed to attach to something. Using your engineering prowess, you'd guess that this could be a keyhole... though you have nothing that could open it at the moment.

That's a freebie, there. I didn't spend any of your turns to allow you to examine the box.

>>33613068
Does it look like it could attach to our scepter?

>>33613068
Ok, fuck. As long as the hoofsteps are retreating, If they aren't ignore this lets examine the pile of similar items for anything that would fit it correctly. Go fast, but try not to miss anything.

>>33613068
I'm scared. We must have fucked up really badly if you're giving us freebies.

>>33613068

Alight, unplug Strawberry's ears and command her to find the key that opens this box.

Make sure that everyone is ready to go back under their boxes and make sure that Raisin is already under her box.

>>33613124

that might be crazy enough to work

>>33613098
GAME INFO: The indentation looks too large to fit either end of the scepter. There are, however, a few holes that could probably be poked with something a bit longer, like the teeth of a comb. I kid, I kid

>>33613124
This could work.

>>33613068

Well, let's see if Derpberry can help us.

>>33613140
But there are holes that could be poked by something longer, right?

I'm seeing a vote for telling derped out Strawberry to find the key that opens this box up. Do you guys want to try this?

>>33613140

haha fuck you.

If we need to be quick, then >>33613124 is our best bet. we don't have time to sift through the treasure on our own.

>>33613170

Yes. It's the quickest solution.

Let's hope it's the right one.

>>33613170
Sounds good. While she is doing that we should examine the nubs at the bottom of the scepter and have Scootaloo keep an eye on one entrance while Sweetie Belle looks at the other one.

Who was the genius that ate our marshmallows?

how does "tim tebow is the friendship is magic of football" strike you?

>>33613212

We did when we were falling asleep and needed energy.

>>33613224
I remember we got some grapes the first time. Why didn't we just do that again? Oh well.

>>33613124
>>33613137
>>33613143
>>33613175
>>33613189
>>33613212
You make the realization that this box must have a key lying around here somewhere. There's got to be a way to open this box up normally. You approach Strawberry once again. She shivers in fear, knowing what you're going to do.

"Alright.. bite down on this..." You put an apple up to her mouth. Reluctantly, she bites down on it. Carefully, you remove the marshmallows blocking up her ears. Her eyes fall out of focus.

"Strawberry, find the key that opens this box up for us." You hold the box up and show her. She turns her head toward it, then mumbles something behind the apple.

She walks towards the back of the room, then takes a sudden turn up the stairs. Pinkie panics.

"Oh no! She's going into the throne room! Applebloom, do something!"

>>33613250
Lasso the bitch

>>33613262
Quietly

>>33613250
Give Pinkie the marshmallows then tell her to plug the filly's ears up quick.

>>33613250

What the fuck?

Did she sprint,? How could we not get her if she was just walking towards the staircase?

>>33613250

tackle her and plug her ears

>>33613250
Haha I can't believe I didn't see this coming

>>33613286
GAME INFO: Walking normally, she approached the back of the room, then took a sudden, unexpected turn. She hasn't left the room quite yet.

>>33613250
Tell her to stop.

>>33613250

Get her right now.

If she's too fast, grab the sceptre we were holding and tell Sweetie to get her slingshot out. Tell Pinkie she should be ready to chug the elixir and some jam if we have to launch a premature attack.

>>33613307
Herp, tell her to stop and come back.

>>33613303

Plug her ears and grab her tail.

Obviously King Tezel has the key.

We're going to have to risk opening it ourselves and hope we can turn it upside down.

>>33613325

As much as I hate to say it, we might have to. We have to replace the crown bit with our bow so that when Tezel opens the box to check on his trinket, he becomes our slave.

>>33613362
IF that's how it works.
It makes sense, but assumptions get ponies killed.

are you seriously suggesting applebloom give up her bow

What if we just told her to come back to us? She is obeying us and can hear us so why are we freaking out?

Once we have her at our side we can creep to the stars and have her point out the key.

>>33613325
>>33613287
>>33613280
>>33613309
You run up ahead. Just as the filly starts entering the Throne Room, you tackle her against the floor. She continues to struggle towards the absolutely gigantic pony golem that sits in his throne within spitting distance. You plug her ears up with marshmallows, then drag her back towards the room. The music seems to drown out the noise of the altercation.

"That was close!" Scootaloo wipes a bead of sweat off her forehead. You can see that she's loaded her empty saddlebags with gold.

As you reenter the room, you can feel a certain anxiety wash over your body. You look over the small Golden Box laying on the floor, desperately trying to figure out how you're going to open it up.

Pinkie looks it over quick. "Do we need to open it up?" She shrugs. "Why don't we try talking to the king? He sounds like a nice guy..."

"Are you crazy?!" Sweetie instantly retorts. "He'll crush us for sure!"

>>33613430

Yeah Pinkie, you can't really argue with the bloodstains on the carpet.

Open the box ourselves, either upside down or sideways so it would be easy to make whatever's in the box fall out. Make sure our hooves are wrapped in our cape, and cover ourselves with the cardboard box.

Worse comes to worse, this become Scootaquest.

>>33613430
He did seem like a nice guy when talking to the unicorns, but we know that he hates children. Maybe we could get Pinkie to talk to him.

>>33613430

Yeah, fuck you Pinkie. We'll risk opening the box ourselves.

If we can't turn it over, then shut it and tell Pinkie to drop some elixir in our mouths so we'll wake up.

>>33613430
Tell her that Sally says he hates children and there were several stains on the carpet in front of him that might have been bloodstains. She might be able to talk to the king on her own though, but what would she say?

Tell Strawberry to lead us to the top of the staircase then point at where the key is. Unplug her ears and advance with her, getting ready to plug her ears again.

>>33613491
Worse than dying.

>>33613498

He'll either crush or brainwash her. I doubt he'll let a witness go. Just because a guy is charming doesn't mean he isn't rotten to the core. Remember Discord?

>>33613519
Fine, Pinkie Quest

>>33613430

Well then what the fuck can we do? We search for a key, we take too long and get discovered

We open the box ourselves, we get brainwashed

We confront Tezel, he stomps us while Twilight restrains us.

Fuck this, we already got a bad end with Raisin Quest: we technically aren't supposed to be playing after the game over. At this point I'll take a hint. Just anything.

>>33613565

keep in mind both times raisin opened the box, she held it open for an extended period of time

we're bigger and stronger than raisin. if we're fast enough, we should be able to shut the box before it sucks too much of our strength away

>>33613491
>>33613516
In an act of desperation, you decide to take matters into your own hooves. "We've gotta get that box open! No matter what happens, you guys have got to stop Tezel!"

Before they can say anything, you wrap your CMC Cape around your hooves, slide under a cardboard box, and start prying at the golden treasure. "Applebloom! Noo!!" Scootaloo tries to stop you, but the box comes tearing open. The cape around your hooves doesn't seem to be doing much good. In an instant, you are blinded by a brilliant white light. A loud, terrifying voice blasts you senseless. "CONTROL"

You struggle, but you manage to dump the contents of the box out. The voice assaults you, weakening your small body. Memories of Sweet Apple Acres rush through your head. You remember sorting apples with your sister Applejack.

>>33613594

Alright Jr, try opening the box and pouring the contents out.

If we get a second game over, then I suppose we should just march up to get stomped and end it already because I have no clue what to do.

Be sure that we're covered with our cardboard box.

>>33613609

stuff your ribbon in the box. close it.

>>33613609
Slam that shit shut.
We didn't take much time to prepare, did we?
Hopefully someone is smart enough to wake us up if we pass out.

>>33613609
WELP.

Use our earth pony strength to shut the box.

>>33613609
Close the box.

Also they almost certainly heard that.

>>33613633
The pony touching the box is the only one that can hear the voice.

>>33613633
No one but the person holding the box can hear the word CONTROL.
They might have heard Scoots though, but we'll hope that she was smart enough to not scream.

>>33613609

Close it, tell Pinkie to pour elixir in our mouth to wake us up before we pass out.

>>33613654
>>33613654
Right.

Still a light show though, yeah?

>>33613609
Put a coin or something in there and close it

>>33613660

and jelly. don't forget the jelly