/q/ - Quest

ADVENTURE!

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File: 1355017727705.png (934.32 KB, 1733x1069, space pon.png)

No.241367

Still investigating the disappearance of the colony on Galtor IV, our intrepid crew has started to piece together what happened: Honeybee, the only known survivor, has spoken of "bad people" who came to the town, and the population headed off to the north. The crew also found tracks leading north, which seems to corroborate Honeybee's story.

Last time, the crew of the MV Celestial Drifter rescued Gibson from a enormous, psychic, alien boar-dinosaur-thing. They returned to the ship and dropped off Honeybee, where they wait and recuperate before continuing their search for the missing colonists.

No.241553

You are all still on-board the Drifter. If there is anything you'd like to do or get on the ship, you can do so now. Otherwise, Captain Rosewater is waiting for you in Cargo Bay 1.

No.241554

I'll restock my Medkit and get a new Trauma vest. Holes tend to lower the utility of them, after all. I'll also make sure I'm fully stocked on ammunition, and if one's available I'll see if we can't get a portable scanner. If we're going to be tracking ponies, we'll need something with a bit more finesse than the truck.

No.241557

I shuffle towards the cargo bay.

No.241559

>>241553
I grab my autopsy tools and a couple of medkits plus some extra gauze bandages to cover wounds in any minion I find. I also grab an extra laser scalpel and a few more power cells for my ray gun before going back to the cargo bay.

No.241560

I believe I wanted to look for a slight defensive upgrade for our ship, maybe gibs can work together with me to make it work even? A lazer or a shield would be prefect.

Roll #0 1 = 1

No.241561

>>241560
Well truck, not ship.

Roll #0 3 = 3

No.241562

>>241554
Ah, right, should be rolling for that, shouldn't I?
Time to find someone with a portable pony scanner, I guess. '1d10'

Roll #1 6 = 6

No.241563

>>241554
You go up to the ship's small medbay and restock your medkit. Let's hammer out what it will do — let's say it's basically three heal spells. You grab a new vest and some fresh energy packs from one of the weapons lockers, too.

>>241559
You take your supplies and make your way back to the cargo bay.

>>241557
In the cargo bay is Captain Rosewater and Lucky Leaf. Lucky is fixing up the truck. Rosewater seems to be talking to someone on her communicator.

>>241560
You go up to the galley and ask the ship's steward, Guillaume, about where you might find lasers or shields. He shouts at you in Griffon to take your "abominable tree-rat" out of his kitchen.

You'll have to ask someone else.

>>241562
You remember that you have a scanner of your own. You swing by your quarters and get a set of electronic binoculars and a compass, too.

Your scanner is a basic model intended to track ponies and other relatively large animals. It's not especially powerful, but it will aid you in tracking attempts. +1 to that.

No.241564

>>241563
Timidly wait for Rosewater to notice me

Roll #0 3 = 3

No.241565

>>241563
I swap out my raygun's power pack for a new one.

No.241566

>>241564
She doesn't. She continues chatting into her communicator. Sounds like she's talking to Bracer, ship's Chief Engineer, about something regarding the sensors.

>>241565
You find a weapons locker and do so. You grab a few more in the bargain.

No.241567

>>241563
Alright, after everything's in order, I'll head back to the hangar.

No.241568

>>241564
"Pera, do you need any more charges?"

No.241569

>>241563
How rude, I'm sure that Boltzy is making some rude gestures at her as well. I'll look around where we keep the spare parts myself.

Roll #0 5 = 5

No.241570

>>241566
Oh dear… continue waiting. Maybe try listening in

>>241568
"N-No thank you. I'm good.."

Roll #0 10 = 10

No.241571

>>241570
"Are you alright? I don't still have bits of those corpses on me, do I?"

No.241572

>>241571
…does he?

Roll #0 5 = 5

No.241573

>>241569
You know where the spare parts for the ship's defense systems are — Cargo Bay 3. It's a few hundred meters past Cargo Bay 1, but you get there pretty quickly, considering the ship's size.

You find replacement YZ-10J "Starshine" plasma cannon in one of the cargo bins. The Drifter mounts a few of these to fend off pirates. They're outdated — not especially accurate past a few kilometers, heavy,, and power-intensive — but they might work for you. Rigging it to the truck might be a problem, though — the cannon is almost as long as the truck is, and you'd need to attach a large battery system, too. It wouldn't be a comfortable ride in the back, and you'd probably only get a few shots with it, but it would make short work of most anything you might encounter out there.

>>241570
You can hear their conversation perfectly, or, at least, the final parts of it.

"I don't care if you ran the diagnostic last week, Bracer, run it again. They said something might have landed out here, and we didn't detect anything, so either the sensors are broken or they're wrong. Just do it."

>>241572
There's a bloody molar stuck to his butt.

No.241574

>>241573
>>241571
I point to his butt
"I wasn't going to say anything…"

No.241575

>>241573
>>241574
I look around at my butt.
"Oh! So that's what you were looking at earlier. Of course it was."
I try to brush it off with a hoof. Can I reach it?

Roll #0 6 = 6

No.241577

>>241575
The geometry of buffalo is not an easy thing, but you manage to brush it off after a good deal of struggling and wiggling.

No.241581

>>241573
Oh, that could work pretty well, I'll keep that in mind but is there anything else more.. mobile?

Roll #0 4 = 4

No.241584

>>241581
I assist her!

Roll #0 10 = 10

No.241586

>>241577
"That's better. It's always a pain to find loose teeth or bits of offal on my coat in the shower."

No.241588

>>241577
Try not to feel grossed out

Roll #0 1 = 1

No.241591

>>241588
I'd like to not get vomited on, so I shall keep my distance.

No.241592

>>241591
Same here.

No.241593

>>241584
>>241581
Gibson, putting aside any personal antipathies, shows up to help you look.

Belle doesn't find anything to improve the truck's mobility, but she does find some slabs of ferro-carbide plating, used to protect the ship from hostile fire, as well as debris. It's heavy and not greatly protective, but if you added it to the truck it might prevent some damage to the occupants.

However, if you added it to the truck along with the plasma cannon, you'd likely make the truck far too heavy to move effectively.

>10

Gibson finds a small antifusion supercharger in one of the bins. Why this is here, you don't know, since these sorts of things are used to give extra power to RSF fighters, shuttlecraft, and the like.

This would greatly improve the truck's speed, if you connected it to the truck. You'll probably need some help from the Drifter's engineers, but if you had them mount everything you found on the truck, you'd improve its firepower and armor without sacrificing any speed. Indeed, it would likely make the truck faster, and connecting the cannon to the supercharger would probably mean you wouldn't need any heavy batteries.

>>241588
You try to think of pleasant things — nice books or pretty dresses that you might munch on, tasty leaves of grass, or a nice bed of flowers — but the memory of those strange ponies' faces being eaten off by that poison gas comes back to haunt you. You wretch and hurl a vomity mess of what little you ate since you got back to the ship all over the deck.

>>241591
Hotshot steps back and avoids the puke.

Rosewater finally notices you. "Hey! Hey! The deck is not for that!"

>>241592
You trot back about a meter. A little still splashes on your front hooves.

No.241594

>>241593
"Hey Belle!"
I wave over to her and hold up the antifusion supercharger.
"Consider this an apology."

No.241596

>>241593
"I… oh gosh I'm so sorry. I couldn't help it pleasedon'thateme"

Roll #0 10 = 10

No.241597

>>241594
"…" I stare in amazement. "Gibson.. Its perfect! With this our truck will be able to handle anything!" I give him a hug and round up a few engineers to assist us with the big upgrade.

Roll #0 9 = 9

No.241598

>>241593
"Hope we've got a swabbie to take care of that…" I'll mumble to myself.
I'll take a quick look around from where I'm standing to see if I can't spot a mop/bucket for such emergencies.

Roll #0 1 = 1

No.241599

>>241593
"How could I hate a tiny little goat like you? Help me find a rag and we'll call it even."
I look around to see if I can spot a rag dropped by an engineer.

Roll #0 7 = 7

No.241600

>>241599
"Sorry.."
Help him look..

Roll #0 4 = 4

No.241601

>>241597
I reluctantly accept her hug.
"…You're welcome."
While she's off doing that, I head back to my own quarters to retrieve… whatever tech stuff might be useful. Anything?

Roll #0 6 = 6

No.241606

>>241596
>10
"It, well.. It doesn't matter, Pera. We'll get this cleaned up." Rosewater calls for one of the crewponies to swab the deck. He soon arrives and cleans up the mess with hardly a grumble.

>>241598
You turn around and hit your head on a cargo bin.

>>241597
You call for some of your fellow engineers to help out. You all drag the cannon, armor, and supercharger down to the main cargo bay, and the engineers set to making the necessary changes to the truck.

I presume you want everything

>>241601
You find a specialized Nverness interface system. Nverness makes good interface units, but they tend to burn out pretty quickly. One-time use, +1 to an interface check.

If Clinic or Pera wants to check for something of their own, that would be fine. You've got some time while the engineers outfit the truck.

No.241608

>>241606
T-Thank you ma'am!"
Take the time to go fetch something to help along translations a bit. Maybe a software update for my translator or a few dictionary files I forgot to download?

Roll #0 2 = 2

No.241609

>>241606
Yes, it will be glorious! The cannon, the armored plates, the supercharge speed, COME AT ME NOW DINO BOAR! yeah, that's what I thought.

No.241610

>>241606
Clutching the spot with a hoof for a moment, I'll hiss a bit at how that hurt and these things always seem to spring out of places they weren't before.
After that, I guess I'll just watch them put the truck together before we go, and Captain Rosewater gives us the go-ahead.

No.241611

>>241606
Ooh!
Do I get a Ponynet connection here?
I try to look for any software that will assist me in driving.

Roll #0 3 = 3

No.241613

>>241606
I go back to my lab/walled off section of a cargo bay and rummage around for anything I can use to improve my reanimator.

Roll #0 10 = 10

No.241614

>>241606
I smile proudly at their work and make notes so I can repair it later.

Roll #0 8 = 8

No.241620

>>241611
You can't really access the larger ponynet from here, of course — there's no FTL communications, after all.

You do search your computer. You don't find anything of tremendous value, except for a copy of Grand Turispone 1999. It's a good racing sim, but not really what you're looking for.

>>241608
No, you don't find any new dictionary files. Your translator's up to date, it seems.

>>241613
You find some improved reanimator goo that you made a few weeks back. It's not much, but it should give you a bit of a boost to a task with the reanimator.

+2 to a roll for either commune or raise dead. You pick when it happens.

>>241614
You make a few notes. +1 to repair the truck.

No.241621

>>241620
Bleh. Maybe an extra pocket dicitonary. If not head back to the cargo bay

Roll #0 1 = 1

No.241622

>>241620
Alright, my gear should be in fine order lets meet up with the others now.

Roll #0 8 = 8

No.241623

>>241620
I get it loaded into my reanimator for later use then go back down to the cargo bay while whistling a happy tune.

No.241624

>>241621
You find a good Northern Diamond Dog-to-Equestrian dictionary and take it back with you to the cargo bay. Your mistake, however, was carrying it in your mouth. You unconsciously munch it on your way back, and before you know it, it's gone!

>>241622
You join everyone in the cargo bay.

"As soon as everyone's done, I'll brief you and you can get out of here," Rosewater says.

>>241623
You happily take a seat on one of the bins near Rosewater.

Everyone done?

No.241625

>>241620
…Hey, I completely forgot I had that!
Shame I don't have the time to play it.
Ah well, head back to the group I guess.
Though… can I think of any user mods that'd help increase the longevity of the Nverness interface? Surely there's at least a few settings on there I can tweak…

Roll #0 7 + 2 = 9

No.241628

>>241625
You update its drivers (thankfully an easy task) and replace the wood screws the company used on the interface unit with much better, non-silicon-destroying types.

No.241629

>>241624
"Sounds fine to me, right Boltzy? " I pet my cyborg squirrel and take seat.

No.241630

>>241628
You get another use out of it

No.241631

>>241624
Ready.

No.241632

>>241630
Works for me!
Ready!

No.241633

No.241634

>>241624
Been done and ready to go.

No.241636

Rosewater speaks up.

"Okay, I've talked to Honeybee, and she hasn't said much that you haven't already told me. Some 'bad ponies' came to the colony and took everypony with them off to the north. She doesn't know why. She's been living in the remains of the colony for a few weeks at least.

"You say she saw another ship come by. Well, I really doubt it, and our scans aren't showing anything. I think she was just talking about us when she said she saw something land out here.

"In any case, I think it's pretty clear what we need to do. You need to head off north of the colony and find where the settlers went. Checking the colony itself again might not be a bad option, either, but I'm leaving this at your discretion.

"We're not leaving here until we find out what happened. We'll be here if you need any help.

"If you want, you can take someone from the crew. We have the people to spare. Up to you, though."

No.241637

>>241636
"Who do we have that's useful?"

No.241639

>>241636
"M-Maybe… Sunshine? We could use someone to fix us up in case we get hurt…"

No.241640

>>241636
"I'd like someone with medical training, Ma'am. Don't know if Sunshine's up to going out again, or if we've got anyone else who fits the bill that wants to volunteer, but we'd probably need them, judging how our last contact with whatever's out there went."

No.241643

>>241637
"Well, you could take Sunshine. He's a good healer. I know Belle knows her herbs and natural tinctures, but it's always useful to have a priest around in a fight. And if you find those 'bad ponies,' you're likely in for another fight or two.

"Otherwise, Lucky could tag along. He can shoot and fix up the truck, but you've likely got all that covered. I guess he can dig holes for you, too, if you need to bury bodies…"

She chuckles for a moment before frowning at her own gallows humor. A little too dark.

"Other than that, I don't know. Everyone else is busy with something else or they'd be no good in a fight. I could go, I suppose, but I'd only be good for shooting things."

>>241640
"Sunshine will go. He'll go if I tell him to, and I think he's more than willing to, anyways."

No.241645

>>241643
"Let's take Sunshine. No point in burying bodies."

No.241648

>>241643
"As you say, Ma'am. Looks like Sunshine's the choice. Once he's ready to go, and by your leave, we can set out."

No.241649

>>241643
'Sunshine then."
I assume my regular position as driver and then impatiently wave for everyone else to hurry up.

No.241652

>>241649
I hop in the back seat and bury my face in my notes

No.241653

>>241649
I climb into the back of the truck if there is room. If there isn't I climb into the front.

No.241656

>>241643
I nod. "Don't worry, I can fix up this truck, another healer will be nice thou."

No.241657

>>241645
>>241648
>>241649
Rosewater makes a call on her communicator, and Sunshine arrives in the cargo bay in a few moments. He climbs into the cab of the truck.

The truck now features an enormous plasma cannon on the back bed, along with several large slabs of armor lining the sides and roof. There isn't much room in the back now. Enough for Clinic and another pony, maybe.

The plama cannon will have to be manually aimed by adjusting its angle. One of the riders in the truck bed will have to do this.

Firing the gun is made at -1 for right now. It's big and hard to move. You also don't have an unlimited supply of ammunition for it. After 8 shots, it will have mostly drained the supercharger. Firing any after that will be possible, but it will mean that the truck won't be able to move faster than a walking pace.

Everyone else can fit in the front cab, though it takes a bit of squeezing.

No.241660

>>241657
"I'll take the gun. I think I'm the only one big enough to move it."
I climb into the back and get on the gun.

No.241662

>>241657
…I shift somewhere to the front of the cab. Still worried about what Clinic Love might still have on him

No.241665

>>241657
I sit somewhere in the cab.

No.241666

>>241657
I guess I'm in the back, on firing duty, then.

No.241667

>>241657
>>241660
>>241662
>>241665
>>241666
"Uh… where am I driving?"

No.241668

>>241667
"Back to the town. We never checked out the other buildings, and there might be records leading up to the attack."

No.241669

>>241667
I look to Hotshot for direction.

No.241670

File: 1355037803417.png (72.49 KB, 1000x1000, map.png)

>>241667
For reference.

No.241671

>>241668
"Town. Roger."
I start up the truck and head back towards the town.

Roll #0 1 = 1

No.241672

>>241666
"I've got this, don't worry."
I swivel it back and forth a few times to familiarize myself with it.

>>241667
"Town. I need to take a closer look at those bodies."

No.241674

>>241671
You pop the truck into reverse and slam into a cargo bin.

"HEY! Watch it!" shouts one of the engineers. He looks okay, though.

You put the truck in gear and head towards town. You park in the town square.

There are several prefab bunk houses, similar to the one you found Honeybee in. The main office is still here, as is the clinic. There are some assorted workshops around town, too — a machinist shop and a large warehouse.

Power is probably back on, since you repaired the connection with the power station.

No.241676

>>241674
"Let's hit the town hall first. Should be settlement records there."
After a second, I'll add lightheartedly: "And when I say hit it, I mean that metaphorically, Gibson."

No.241677

>>241674
Interesting. "So, should we just check all the houses, or what?"

No.241678

>>241674
"WASN'T ME."
I scrunch my face up and high tail it out of there.

Any connections I can pick up in the town square now that the power's back on?

Roll #0 3 + 2 = 5

No.241679

>>241677
>>241676
"I-I'll just follow along with whoever."

No.241681

>>241674
"If any of you need me I'm going to be examining some bodies."
I hope off the gun and go into the med center. Does this place have a room set aside for autopsies or am I going to have to rough it?

No.241682

>>241681
"No you aren't, Clinic, that's an order. Priority is to the settlers and what happened to them."

No.241683

>>241678
The main computer is back on. You can't access it from here, though. You could probably try the terminal in the town hall, though.

>>241676
The town hall is exactly as you left it. The main computer mainframe is near the back of the building, a few meters from the power regulation computer. Both appear to be online.

>>241681
Doesn't look like they have much. There's just the three medibeds. You look around for a set of surgical tools, but you can't find any.

No.241684

>>241681
"Er… maybe not whoever then…"

No.241686

>>241684
"I'm going to start checking to houses.. " I head off and start knocking on doors

No.241688

>>241683
To town hall it is then.
Snoop out a working terminal and interface dat shit.

Roll #0 5 + 2 = 7

No.241689

>>241683
I'll sigh a bit as I apparently have no command clout over any of these science types. Grumbling a bit as I walk over to the computer, I'll give it a once over. '1d10'
"think they'd listen to the guy they were assigned to keep them safe, but nooooo. Hrumph."

After a second I'll turn back to Belle and Gibson.
"Don't suppose you two want to give this a look see and try to find something about the settlers?"

Roll #1 1 = 1

No.241691

>>241689
Well, just Gibson, I guess, as the rest of the party has inexplicably vanished without a trace.

No.241692

>>241686
"Wait for me!"
Follow her

No.241693

>>241686
'1d10' for knocking on the nearest residential door.

Roll #1 3 = 3

No.241694

>>241689
"Already on it."

No.241695

>>241682
"Exactly. I'm going to be looking for anything that can tell me what world these ponies came from or any other little details.

>>241683
Good thing I brought my own tools.
I grab a body and toss it onto the bed. I get it open and start looking in the guts and tissues for chemical traces and bits of native or exotic flora or fauna that could tell me if they came from this world or not.
I think my Biology Doctorate should come into play here.

Roll #0 7 + 2 = 9

No.241697

>>241693
'1d10' for the same

Roll #1 2 = 2

No.241698

>>241686
>>241692

You don't get any responses. All of the house doors are open. The interiors are disheveled and it's apparent that they were abandoned quickly. Clothes are strewn about, tables are overturned, and beds are unmade.

>>241689
You fiddle with a bunch of buttons. The computer makes a loud buzzing noise.

>>241688
You gently push Hotshot to the side and connect to the mainframe. It gives you a few options:

WEATHER TRACKING
SUPPLY INVENTORY
TOWN REGISTRY
MAYOR'S LOG

>>241695
You grab one of the cultist bodies that you dropped off here before you encountered the dinoboar and start to dissect it.

Your analysis is thorough. He's an Equestrian Earth Pony, you're certain. But the cultist's intestinal tract possesses mostly plant matter that seems to come from this world. This is odd, you know, since colonists generally eat only food that they brought from the home planet, or else they eat species of plants brought from the home world. Native foods would not have been eaten unless there was an emergency.

Additionally, you can see evidence in the pony's bone structure that he suffered a variety of traumatic injuries over his lifetime without being treated properly for them — broken bones, mostly. This would be unheard of back home. The gravity on this planet is slightly less than that of the homeworld, too, and his bones show evidence of prolonged exposure to its effects.

From this you can gather that he probably lived on this planet a long time — far longer than the colony existed. The colony was young, only about three years old, but he's been here for at least ten.

No.241700

>>241698
Mayor's log first.
The rest can come after.

No.241701

>>241698
I crack open his head and start poking around in his brain. Has the local plant matter he had been eating had any adverse effect on it or was it something else that made him go crazy?

Roll #0 1 + 2 = 3

No.241703

>>241698
I suppose I'll try and keep in touch with the others while waiting.
I'll give Belle a buzz on the com.
"Belle, this is Hotshot. Status report."

No.241706

>>241698
"Well Pera, it looks like they are all gone.. but where?" '1d10' for any clues.

Roll #1 8 = 8

No.241707

>>241706
"Maybe they ran off somewhere. Somewhere nice and safe…"
Assist with the clue looking

Roll #0 2 = 2

No.241708

>>241703
"Confirm, this is Belle, We have found all residences evacuated in a hurry. "

No.241710

>>241708
"Roger that. Is Pera with you?"

No.241711

>>241710
"Y-Yes. I'm here!"

No.241712

>>241710
"Confirmed, Pera is still with me. Have the others found anything?"

No.241713

>>241700
The last entries were from about three weeks ago.

"Spring 3 — Ferny found 2 miles outside of town, burned by laser fire. Seems his reports of seeing ponies out there were true. Have put the town on alert and have pulled everypony into it. Prepared to launch communications buoy, but all three were damaged beyond repair. Reason unknown. Suspect sabotage."

"Spring 5 — 20 strange ponies arrive today. Easily overpowered us. Told us go north. Please send help."

>>241706
You don't find any clues for direction, but you find one of those amulets they cultists were wearing. The chain it was hung on is broken — perhaps in a struggle.

>>241701
Your saw rips into the grey matter as you crack the skull, and most of it is reduced to hamburger. You'll need to use one of the other bodies.

No.241714

>>241713
I put the body aside and crack open the head of another after putting it on the table. Looking for the same thing as last time.

Roll #0 8 + 2 = 10

No.241716

>>241713
I'll pocket the amulet for now. "I don't think we're going to find anything else here.. Lets regroup with Hotshot."

No.241717

>>241711
"Tell me next time you plan on wandering off so I know."
>>241712
"Not so much yet, though Gibson's skating through the records at the moment. Haven't called Clinic yet. He's next on the list. You two get back to the truck with Sunshine as soon as you finish up there, got it? I don't like us so spread out."

No.241718

>>241716
"Right.. let's go."
Make my way to the town hall.

No.241719

>>241716
You put it in your pocket. You feel the raised edges of writing on the back of it as you do.

>>241714
You saw open the skull more carefully this time. You don't find any obvious signs of infection from bacterial or fungal sources. There are some odd chemical imbalances in the tissue samples, but those could easily be attributed to the high dosage of hydrocyanic acid he got at the moment of death.

No.241721

>>241713
North… North!
Just gonna speed things up, but can I get summaries of the other 3 categories?
And also check to see if this entry is legit? Could be a forgery leading us into a trap… '1d10+2'

Roll #1 3 + 2 = 5

No.241722

>>241717
"Rodger that, on our way there now."
Back to the truck.
>>241718
"Hey, hotshot wants us to go to the truck. "

No.241723

>>241719
I take a few samples of the chemicals, brain tissue, muscle tissue, bone tissue, and various other tissues from the two bodies I've examined and label them. After that I clean the beds and my instruments. I then gather the all the bodies and store them in whatever passes for a morgue in this place so they won't rot as quickly. Once that is all done I try to raise the most intact looking one.

Roll #0 10 + 2 = 12

No.241724

>>241723
Now that Belle and Pera are on their way back, I'll raise Clinic on the com.
"Clinic, this is Hotshot. Status report."

No.241725

>>241724
I ignore him and focus on raising the body. I've got a good feeling about this.

No.241726

>>241721
You scroll through the other categories. Weather patterns were normal over the past several years. Exactly as predicted by initial surveys. The inventory is complete, though you suspect it doesn't reflect reality. The Town Registry lists all 127 citizens in the town.

The mayor's log is consistent, at least, with everything you know. It was made at about the time Honeybee said the colonists left. It refers to a "Ferny" injured by laser fire, which is corroborated by the medibed's logs, you recall. Seems legit.

>>241723
Attention to detail is a boon. You see a freezer in the back of the room. It is empty, you note. Was probably used to store blood supplies and some drugs. You stuff the bodies in there as best you can and take your samples with you.

The most intact one remains your old friend, the leader. He rises, more complete than you recall. He moves with vigor that, you think to yourself, looks almost as if he were still alive.

His jaw clatters and clicks. Maybe he can talk again?

No.241727

>>241726
I hold my breath.
"Can you speak?"

No.241729

>>241727
"Oh great, it's still you…" the cultist leader moans.

No.241730

>>241726
I sit back and relax a moment. "So, Sunrise, Tell me a bit about yourself? I'm always so busy on the ship it feels like I never have time to just sit and talk." I laugh a bit.

No.241732

>>241729
I start laughing and dancing around the room then slap my communicator.

>>241724
"I DID IT! AHAHAHAHAHA! YES! I FINALLY DID IT!"

No.241735

>>241732
I'll be silent for a moment as he cackles.
"Did… what, exactly?"

No.241736

>>241726
Works for me.
I turn back to Hotshot.
"Com buoys sabotaged. About twenty ponies show, overpower town and force North."
With that done…
Can I access any equipment from here that I can repurpose or take control of? Farming equipment, maybe even security drones.

No.241740

>>241736
"Gibson, I'd like a copy of those notes forwarded to the Captain. We'll need them for records, in case there aren't any colonists left."

No.241741

>>241730
"Well, it's Sunshine, first of all…" he chuckles at this.

"I'm a priest of Luna. A Nightwanderer. I travel the space lanes to spread Her word of love and good. The Drifter is pretty much the perfect place for that, I think."

>>241732
"Oh glorious day. How shall I serve thee, o masterful master?"

If the ghoul's voice were a salad, and were sarcasm a sort of salad dressing, you can be assured that such a salad would be slathered liberally in said dressing.

>>241736
You scan around. No security drones. And the only maintenance bot you can find in the master computer's registry is the one you exploded.

No.241750

>>241741
"Oh.. sorry about. See what I mean about no getting out enough Sunshine?"
"Yeah, the drifter is a nice vessel, I believe more in luck than in any goddesses helping me out, but its a respectable way to live at least. For such a sunny name its a little ironic that you wound up following the moon goddess."

No.241752

>>241735
"It's alive, it's moving, it's alive! It's alive, it's alive, it's alive! It's ALIVE!"

>>241741
I stop transmitting my voice over my com unit.
"Master? Oh yes, I suppose that touch of Necromancy does make me your master. Tell me about you and the others you were with. How did you get to this world?"

No.241753

>>241741
Damn.
Ah well.
>>241740
I do that and disconnect.
"So we go North?"

No.241757

>>241752
I'll stare at the now dead com unit for a minute.
>>241753
"…yeah. After we collect Clinic and whatever he's reanimated this time."
I'll sigh again as I start to exit the building.

No.241761

>>241752
"Very well, if you must know… We came here ten years ago, at least. It's hard to remember, master — the brain rots and the mind has less access to its memories, I'm sure you understand.

We came on a ship, dozens of us, carrying a great cargo. That is all I remember of our voyage here, and I remember precious little from before then."

>>241750
"Yes, well, I believe my parents had a sense of humor about that. It doesn't really fit my appearance, either." Indeed, he's greyish-blue with a silver mane. Very little suggests "Sunshine" about him.

"And you? How did you get here? I'm afraid I rarely read the crew files."

No.241763

>>241752
"…What the fuck is wrong with him."
>>241757
"Count me out."
I peek my head outside and run back to the truck to avoid the sun. '1d10'

Roll #1 9 = 9

No.241764

>>241761
Where even am I? Either way make my way back to the truck where Belle is

No.241765

>>241761
"What was the cargo?"
Tell me if/when to roll.

No.241770

>>241765
Yeah you'll definitely need to roll for that one.

>>241764
I believe you were back at the town hall. You are now at the truck. Everyone but Clinic is here.

No.241772

>>241770
'1d10'

Roll #1 2 = 2

No.241773

>>241770
Sit down in the truck and lay back on one of the seats.
Also take out my harmonica and blow a tune to pass the time~♪

Roll #0 10 = 10

No.241775

>>241773
"That's real nice, Pera."
After listening to her play for a bit, I'll head off towards the clinic. I will have my rifle out and ready, though.

No.241776

>>241761
"Oh, I took an interest in engineering at a young age and ships always need an extra wrench to throw around, so It was a.. logical choice. Its my hope that I help research in my own way. " I nod to my little friend. "Maybe someday this vessel will even make leaps we couldn't dream of.. "

No.241777

>>241773
"That's not bad…"
I hum along with it.

No.241779

>>241772
>2
"I do not remember, master, only that I believed it to supremely important."

>>241773
You play an enchanting song. While you're playing, you have a sudden epiphany! Hey — what were those cultists running to when they tried to retreat into the fields?

No.241780

>>241775
"T-Thanks…"

>>241777
I notice his humming and try to keep playing. N-No spaghetti here.

Roll #0 8 = 8

No.241781

>>241779
"And what have you and your friends done with the colonists here?"
Roll?

No.241782

>>241779
"Oh!"
I pop up off my seat and turn to the others
"T-Those ponies were trying to run off somewhere right? Think they have a hideout hidden somewhere around here…?

No.241783

>>241782
"Perhaps, that's worth checking out anyway.."

No.241785

>>241782
"The only thing past them is the mountain, ain't it?"
Scope out the mountain!
Can I see anything?

Roll #0 6 = 6

No.241786

>>241781
"We took them north, master. North to our…"

He searches for the right word, "…to our home."

>>241785
Nothing on the mountain that you can see, but you note that the fields north of town are pretty large. Anything could be hiding back there.

No.241788

>>241786
"Why did you take them?"
Roll?

No.241789

>>241788
Yes, for that.

No.241790

>>241789
'1d10'

Roll #1 4 = 4

No.241791

>>241785
>>241786
"Nothing on the mountain… fields themselves maybe?"

No.241792

>>241791
"Maybe…"
Look out in the distance. Can my cute goat eyes see anything better?

Roll #0 2 = 2

No.241793

>>241790
"We needed labor, I remember. Someone to… dig, and to tunnel."

"We needed… it's on the tip of my tongue, master, but I do not recall."

>>241792
Your goat eyes may be cute, but they cannot see anything on the mountain, and they can't penetrate the thick field of wheat. Whatever is in there is well hidden."

No.241794

>>241792
>>241791
Wait, I'm a pegasus, I can get out and fly, that should give a good view. "I'll be right back, going to fly up and look."

No.241795

>>241794
Rolling to fly.

Roll #0 10 = 10

No.241796

>>241793
"Keep trying."
'1d10'

Roll #1 2 = 2

No.241798

>>241793
Hmm…
Do my technogoggles have like infrared or something? Can I detect any head signatures in the field?

No.241799

>>241798
>rolling
'1d10'

Roll #1 7 = 7

No.241801

>>241794
>>241795

You fly up in the air and look around. There you spy what they were after — three hoverbikes, it looks like, parked in the center of the field in a small crop circle. There doesn't appear to be anything dangerous nearby.

>>241796
"I already told you what I remember, master. Do you want to pop off the top of my head and have a look around for yourself? Oh do be a dear and fetch some nice memories while you're in there. I'm growing tired of just being able to remember your big, fat face."

>>241798
>>241799
You see some idling hoverbike engine heat!

No.241803

>>241801
It's at this point I'll intrude on the Medbay.
"Clinic, would you wrap it up? We've got settlers to find and… is that the guy who was missing a jaw earlier?"

No.241804

>>241801
"Oh please. I have a very handsome face, even if no one else ever comments on it. Do you remember where you and the others came from or who sent you all here?"

No.241805

>>241801
Nothing dangerous? I'll radio my team mates. "Hello, this is Belle, I can spot some hoover bikes in the field. Going for a closer look. over." I fly over to the bikes and look closer.

Roll #0 9 = 9

No.241806

>>241805
"Do you need any help Belle?"

No.241807

>>241805
"Roger that, don't approach until we're all together. We don't know how many of them there really are here."

No.241808

>>241801
>>241805
"It looks like she's flying closer…"
I radio over the com,
"Belle! What the hell are you doing!"

No.241809

>>241804
"We came from the home planet. I believe we came here ourselves, of our own wills."

>>241805
They're in decent shape. Older models of hoverbike, maybe 30 years old or so, but pretty fast and rugged. Army surplus, you think.

It looks like one of them has a sheet of paper taped to the fuselage. It's all in the sort of squiggly scratches you saw on the cultists' amulets earlier. It also looks like a map.

No.241812

>>241803
"Yes he is! Didn't you hear me talking earlier? I made life! LIFE! Ahahahahaa I can still hardly believe it, but it's true! That pony is as close as you can come to being alive without being truly alive!"

>>241809
"Minion, say hello to Hotshot. Also tell us your name."

No.241813

>>241806
"I'll probably need help getting the bikes back."
>>241808
>>241807
"Calm down, I think I found something."
>>241809
I pick up the map and fly back to the truck.

Roll #0 8 = 8

No.241814

>>241813
"What's that? Can I see?"

No.241815

>>241813
I smack my face.
"I guess we could use the tru- why the hell do we even want hoverbikes?"

No.241817

>>241813
You've got a map. You can't read it.

>>241812
"Hello, Mr. Hotshot. I am Grey Eminence, and this is the fat cow who dares to command my obedience."

No.241818

>>241814
"It looks like a map of some kind, it was on one of the bikes, matching the writing on this amulet." I show you the map and the amulet. "Can you make anything of it?"
>>241815
I shrug. "Well, at least it would keep them out of the cultists hooves, maybe we could use them for parts?"

No.241820

>>241815
"M-More vehicles for the ship's crew to use…?"

>>241818
"I can try.."
Translate it '1d10+2'

Roll #1 2 + 2 = 4

No.241821

>>241817
"…Can't say I'm entirely pleased to meet you again, Grey."
Turning to Clinic, I'll continue.
"But this is besides the point. We're getting back to the truck so we can get moving to find the rest of the settlers. Or what's left of them. Since he talks, I assume you got something useful out of him?"

No.241822

>>241818
>>241820
"…I guess we could use the truck."
There's enough room for them, yeah?

No.241823

>>241820
Your translator clicks and whirs but returns nothing. Maybe if you combine it with the data you got from earlier…

No.241825

>>241822
What, in the truck? No you can't fit the bikes in the truck.

No.241827

>>241823
"Oh.. maybe I'm just no good at my job…"
Try again.

Roll #0 1 + 2 = 3

No.241829

>>241827
Indeed, serious doubts about your qualifications flood your mind, and they're only confirmed as your translation unit spits at you, "ERROR NO MATCH FOUND."

Stupid thing. You'll have to find another source for that language to analyze it again.

No.241830

>>241822
"Probably not, I was thinking we should lock them up in town hall if we're not going to use them, then we can drive them on board the ship later. "

No.241831

>>241803
"Oh, and Hotshot? Keep him safe. Necromancy can be a tad uncontrollable at times, but if you kill him I swear to Celestia and Luna that you will take his place. Grey Eminence will get me the respect I deserve."

>>241821
"Lots of stuff. I'll tell you once we are back with the group."

>>241817
"Grey, what is Bromion?"

Roll #0 3 = 3

No.241832

>>241831
"He is something beyond you. I… can't explain him. Something great and terrible and beautiful. That is all I can remember and say."

No.241833

>>241827
"Hey.. don't worry, You're sure to get it this time."

No.241835

>>241832
"Is he from Equestria or another world?"

No.241837

>>241835
That you'll need to roll for

No.241838

>>241827
"That's… not entirely true. You can get it if you try again! Probably…"

No.241839

>>241837
'1d10'

Roll #1 8 = 8

No.241842

>>241839
"He… he came from Equestria, yes. I remember that. He's from the home world. He came with us."

No.241843

>>241829
"I…"
Rolling to not cry…

Roll #0 1 = 1

No.241844

>>241843
You burst into treats.

Which is to say, you pull a few candies out of your pack and chew on them to make yourself feel better.

No.241845

>>241843
"Hey.. its probably the machine anyway, I'll try to fix it for you!" Give her scanner a tune up! '1d10+3' repair, plus its a machine so binary bonus comes it.

Roll #1 2 + 3 = 5

No.241847

>>241842
"Hmmm. Well I guess that's better than space monsters. Follow me."

>>241821
I start walking back to the truck.
"Here's what I was able to learn. This stallion and the others have been here for at least ten years. That's much longer than this colony has been here. They brought something big from Equestria to here and are set up somewhere in the north. They took the colonists hostage to use as labor."

No.241848

>>241843
>>241844
Er-
Rolling for awkward nerd comfort hug?
>>241845
"Yeah! That's it! The software's just junk or something…"
Rolling to improve the analyzation algorithms? '1d10+2'

Roll #0 5 = 5

Roll #1 10 + 2 = 12

No.241849

>>241847
"Interesting. I'll relay that to the Captain before we get moving. Belle found something out in the field earlier, if I heard her right. We'll get filled in on that in a minute, I guess."

No.241850

>>241848
Awkwardly hugging back

Roll #0 9 = 9

No.241851

>>241845
You fumble around with it and make a few tweaks, but translators aren't really your forte, and you doubt you did much.

>>241848
The hug is suitably awkward, but your work on the translator is swift. You reconfigure the system and, you believe, greatly improve its efficiency.

Okay, Pera can roll for that again. +1 bonus on it

>>241850
The hug isn't as awkward as you might expect.

No.241852

>>241851
"T-Thank you!"
I hand him some candy and try translating again
'1d10+3'

Roll #1 7 + 3 = 10

No.241855

>>241852
I also give some to Belle

No.241856

>>241852
"U- Uh- you too!"
I accept the candy and quickly scurry back into the cab.

No.241858

>>241852
The translator spits data at you this time instead of error messages, and you start to sort it out.

Earlier it gave you a list of languages that use the alphabet you're reading, including some varieties of Diamond Dog, Gryphon, and Draconic. You're able to easily pare it down to Draconic — the language of the dragons. It's a language beloved by all sorts of strange mystery cults, and it isn't especially surprising that these weirdos would be speaking it.

The map shows the way back to the cultist layer, you're certain. It's embedded in the side of Mount Luna — the westernmost mountain. You'll have to drive there, but it should only take an hour, at most.

No.241859

>>241849
"Is that all any of you found?"
Are we at the truck yet?

No.241861

>>241855
I munch on the candy and see Boltzy tapping her feet at me. "Oh fine, you can have to peanut ones." I had her one and she unwraps it efficiently, packing it into her cheek. "You little scamp, you didn't even do any work this time."

No.241862

>>241859
"Well, there was the journal the mayor had been keeping, but that was the usual 'strange things are happening' type of journal that you find in horror movies before the victims disappear."

No.241864

>>241862
"Ohhhhh. Well, those stories have to come from somewhere."

No.241865

>>241858
I do a tiny giddy hop at my success
"Um, it seems they have a hideout after all. On the side of mount Luna…!"
I point it out on the map

No.241867

>>241856
I guess I munch on some of the candy and try to avoid thinking about the fact that I just hugged someone. Again!

Roll #0 9 = 9

No.241873

Alright, paused for the moment. We'll pick it up again next week.

No.241874

>>241865
"Oh, interesting.." I mark it on our map of this planet before I forget.

No.250135

Our crew rested and refitted back on the Celestial Drifter, where Belle and Gibson found some nifty parts with which they could modify the truck. With their ride now up-armored and carrying a large plasma gun, the landing party drove back to the deserted colony.

There, Clinic managed to once again raise the leader of the small band of ponies that attacked the landing party earlier. While more talkative than before, the ghoul did not reveal too much new information. However, Clinic did determine that the cultist ponies seem to be from the home-world, and they came to Galtor IV several years ago, at least. Grey Eminence, the new ghoul, said that they came to the planet carrying an important cargo, but he did not remember (or did not reveal) what that cargo was. He also said that the colonists were captured and taken to the north.

Gibson found and accessed the colony's log, and this provided yet more evidence that the colonists had been taken north after a struggle.

Pera remembered that the cultists took off into the field after the fight turned against them, and the party investigated the field for whatever the band went after. There they found several hoverbikes, as well as a map. Pera translated the map, and it appears to show the location of their layer to the north.

The landing party is currently still in the colony. It is a little past midday on Galtor IV, with perhaps another 8 hours of daylight left.

No.250141

>>250135
Alright, I'll radio in our progress.
"Home Base this is Landing Party, do you copy, over?"

No.250170

>>250141
You hear Captain Rosewater's voice. "We read you, Landing Party. Go ahead."

No.250171

>>250135
I hop in the truck and fiddle with a candy wrapper while waiting

No.250173

>>250170
"Pera's translated a bit more off the cultists' equipment, and Clinic has managed to get a few more answers out of the dead attack leader. With this information, we've located a potential base of operations for the cultists that's on the side of Mount Luna. We've also recovered three hoverbikes that most likely used to belong to the cultists we first encountered. Plan's currently to hit the base and see what falls out, over."

No.250176

>>250171
It's the remains of a peppermint from the Four-Thousand Seasons on Centauri. It's got the hotel's seal on it, and is crinkly and biodegradable.

>>250173
"…Roger. Be careful, Landing Party. Keep in radio contact. Out."

No.250180

>>250176
"Roger that, Ma'am. We'll keep you updated, over and out."
Looking over to the truck, and noticing that there's really not enough room for all of us plus Clinic's mostly-dead follower, I'll consider the hoverbikes.
"So, anyone want to drive alongside the truck with me on the bikes, or are you all comfortable in there?"

No.250181

>>250176
"Grey, tell me about the base we will find at mount Luna."

Roll #0 8 = 8

No.250183

>>250180
"I'm not a very good driver…"
I take a front seat to be as far away from Clinic Love and his minion as possible.

No.250186

>>250180
"I would have absolutely no idea how to pilot one of those. Grey might."

>>250183
"Thanks for making room."
I climb into the seat she vacated.

No.250189

>>250183
>>250180
I shift a little uncomfortably. "Maybe I should check them over before you go?" look over the bikes once more.

Roll #0 7 = 7

No.250191

>>250181
"First of all, master, it is inside Mount Bromion.

"The fortress runs deep into the mountain, master. So deep that it taps into the sleeping core of the volcano it lays within. All of the Believers are there, I am sure."

>>250186
"You press the button to start the vehicle, and then you operate its speed via the hoof pedals on each side. It is simple, master. Simple enough that I am sure all of you could learn to operate it without too much remedial classwork."

>>250189
They're not in the best shape, but they all seem to be in working order. They, like the truck, run on fuel cells, and the hydrogen tanks on the side are all intact and fairly full.

No.250192

>>250191
"How can we get there without being seen? If that isn't possible tell us how to get as close as possible before they see us."

Roll #0 1 = 1

No.250197

>>250191
>not in the best shape
"They look a little shaky to me, let me give them a tune up, tighten a few bolts and such to be safe." repair whatever looks like it would break.

Roll #0 9 + 2 = 11

No.250209

>>250192
"There are three entrances into the fortress, master. The main entrance is on the eastern face of the mountain. It overlooks most of the valley. You may be seen, but you might not.

"Another entrance is high on the mountainside. You would all need to climb to the very top, but it is huge and leads into the fortress's heart.

"A third is more secret, my master. The underlings use it to leave the mines quickly without going through the main entrance and inviting the High Priest's ire. If you went this way, I'm sure you would not be seen."

>>250197
You tighten a few bolts and replace the electrical contacts on one of the bikes. They are now in perfect condition.

No.250216

>>250209
"Very good. I've got to say, Grey, you are my favorite experiment yet. Much more successful than the time I tried to build a dragon."

No.250219

>>250209
"S-So which way do we go?"

No.250221

>>250209
"Perfection!" I smile down at Boltzy and see what the others have discovered. "So which way to cultists?"

No.250222

>>250216
"Build a dragon? Why did the fates assign me such a foolish master?"

No.250223

>>250219
"Well… North. After those ponies, right?"

No.250224

>>250219
"You've got the map, Pera. Make sure everyone gets a good look at it. Especially our driver."
I'll go wander over to the bikes and pick out one I like.
Are they all the same, or do they have different paint jobs?

No.250226

>>250224
They are all the same shade of dull red.

No.250236

>>250226
Dang. Closest one will do.
I'll practice with it for a bit before we set off.

Roll #0 6 = 6

No.250238

>>250236
You do a few donuts in the grass. It's not as satisfying when there's no rubber being burnt.

No.250239

>>250222
"I think it would have worked if I only used dragon parts. Instead I ran short and tried substituting some bits from a Gryphon that tried to mug me on a slum world we stopped at."

No.250242

>>250239
"Dragon parts?"

No.250246

>>250223
"But the minion said…nevermind"

>>250224
"Right!"
I lean over and hold the map up to Gibson and point to the hideout's location
"O-On the side of the mountains. Right here!"

No.250247

>>250238
Wonderful. Don't suppose I can harvest the fuel cells on one of the other bikes just in case without rolling?

No.250251

>>250242
"Limbs, bones, internal organs. Hard to come by but they stay fresh enough for a long time with even minimalistic preservation techniques."

>>250246
"Grey, go point out that third entrance you were talking about on the map."

No.250254

>>250236
>>250238
I nod proudly. "They run like a charm now."
>>250223
>>250219
>>250224
"Right, lets be off then. " I set boltzy inside my shirt for safe keeping and give her a little helmet, before putting on a helmet myself and hopping on a bike.

No.250260

>>250246
"So just drive to th-"
>>250251
"Third entrance? There's three entrances?"

No.250263

>>250260
"That's what Grey said."

No.250270

>>250247
You're no technician. You'll need to roll for it.

Where do you all want to go? Grey Eminence has given you three options. You know where the main entrance is — it's marked clearly on your map. The other two, however, he could guide you to. You just need to ask.

>>250251
His eyes narrow a bit.
"Barbaric."

He points out a location on the east side of the mountain, in the middle of some woods and the base of the mountain.

"It is here, master. A small tunnel leads into the mines."

No.250272

>>250270
Rolling to not freak out at being so close to the walking corpse

Roll #0 4 = 4

No.250273

>>250270
"Let's just roll up to the main entrance. They probably already know we're here anyway, and if all else fails we do have that big cannon on the back of the truck."
Turning to Belle, I'll ask if she can get the fuel cells from the bike we aren't taking, just in case we need them.

No.250274

>>250270
"Barbaric? They weren't using their pieces any more. Better to use them for science then let the black market take them somewhere else."

No.250275

>>250272
You're a little disturbed, but you keep control, save for a slight tremble in your legs.

No.250277

>>250273
"I think we should go through the third entrance."

No.250278

>>250270
I quickly attempt to look up both locations on GPS. Maybe the town's power coming back on opened up a connection with whatever remote survey equipment they set up? '1d10+2'

Roll #1 7 + 2 = 9

No.250284

>>250273
"Yea, sure thing." Hopefully I didn't bolt them down too tightly, I get the fuel cell from the spare bike. (should be easy right?)

Roll #0 10 + 1 = 11

No.250289

>>250277
"Clinic, no disrespect to your field of expertise, but I wouldn't trust a guy we shot to death as far as I could throw him."

No.250298

>>250289
"It would be nearly impossible for him to lie to me. Just because he is mostly alive doesn't mean he isn't my minion, if I may use the Necromantic term."

No.250303

>>250278
You're still in the town square, and so you easily access the town's computer. The town had no long-range survey equipment. The closest thing they had was a perimeter alarm that stretched out about five miles around the colony.

There are, however, some geological surveys — made by the BSI corporation's MV Far Wanderer when it first dropped the colonists off here three years ago. They show a simple scan of the surrounding area. Mount Luna is, as Grey Eminence said, a dormant volcano, and it is honeycombed with tunnels made by lava flow over the eons. Significant gem and mineral deposits were expected in the mountain, though the colony had yet to survey the mountain more completely before their disappearance.

>>250284
You get the fuel cell and detach the hydrogen supply, to boot.

>>250298
"Oh, yes, my master, I could never dream of sending you to your violent doom."

No.250308

>>250303
I… fiddle with the truck's radio while we wait. Can we pick up any music out here?

Roll #0 3 = 3

No.250310

>>250298
"That doesn't mean I still can't trust him, Clinic.
"Anyway, Grey, are you certain that we can enter the main complex of the base without being detected if we go in either of those entrances? And they both lead to the same place?"

No.250312

>>250303
"Well that was a dead end… so the third tunnel?"
>>250308
"Oh? You want some music? Here! I think I have something you might like…"
I shoosh her hoof away and connect to the radio, then play http://youtu.be/7H5pYCw4ET4
Also a roll if you want it I guess '1d10+2'

Roll #1 6 + 2 = 8

No.250315

>>250303
"All ready here hotshot. " I smile a bit, and store the fuel cell and hydrogen supply away in the back of the truck before hopping on my bike, ready to travel to the mountain.

No.250319

>>250315
"Thanks, Belle. Good work."

No.250320

>>250312
"O-oh! I know this song!"
I bob my head along like a dork

No.250330

File: 1355459326818.png (76.89 KB, 1000x1000, map.png)

>>250308
The only higher lifeforms on this planet are you, the cultists, and (hopefully) the colonists. There are no radio stations.

You do, however, pick up a transmission from an orbiting weather satellite. It's just some arcane beeping, though.

>>250310
"The only entrance that would ensure secrecy would be the third one I mentioned — the one on the western side of the mountain note: I originally said it was on the east — my mistake. It will lead you deep into the roots of the mountain.

"The main entrance may lead you to safety, or it may not. The valley is watched by many eyes, and they will likely see you. It leads into the fort, far above the mines.

"The other entrance is far, far up the mountain. You would need to climb very high, indeed. It would lead you into the belly of the fort, if you succeeded and did not fall…"

The red "x" is roughly the location of the main entrance. The green arrow and x points towards where the tunnel is. The blue arrow points towards the entrance high up the mountain.

No.250334

>>250330
"Maybe we should go through the front after all. We are wanting to kill the cultists, right?"

No.250337

>>250334
"There are many of us, my lord. Very many. I do not think it wise."

No.250340

>>250334
"I-I don't think we should draw any attention. If we could prevent any of them from shooting at us that'd be nice. Oh, but that's just my opinion…"

No.250341

>>250337
"How cultists are there?"

Roll #0 8 = 8

No.250344

>>250341
>"How many cultists are there?"

No.250351

>>250341
"Thirty or so, master. And they are not stupid."

No.250352

>>250330
I bob my head along side her like a total dork.
>>250334
"I just faced a mutant space monster-thing and I think that's a bad idea. I say the side entrance."

No.250357

"All in favor of this 'secret entrance' say aye. Otherwise we're storming the front door."

No.250360

>>250357
"Aye."

No.250361

No.250362

>>250357
"W-What about the second entrance? It'd be a bit of climbing, but I'm pretty good at that anyway…"

No.250364

>>250361
>>250360
>>250357
"Oh, nevermind… aye…"
I look down to the floor

No.250367

>>250362
"I can't climb at all."
>>250364
I mumble.
"…sorry."

No.250369

>>250357
"Alright then. "

No.250370

>>250362
"Don't think we'd be able to get the truck or the bikes up there, Pera, sorry.
"Sunshine, here's where you can voice any concerns if you've got any."

No.250374

>>250362
"My species is meant for the plains, not the mountains."

No.250376

>>250370
Sunshine shakes his head. "They likely know something is up, since the party that tried to kill you never returned. Regardless, I think going in guns-blazing will only get us all killed."

No.250381

>>250370
I sigh a bit, all my hard work with that canon and we won't get to use it. "If you think its better to go on foot, but can we at least get closer before hoofing it?"

No.250385

>>250381
"Oh we're using the truck, Belle. It's an hour drive, after all. I won't say I'm not hoping we don't have to use the cannon, though. Good as it looks, it would better if we didn't need it."

No.250388

>>250367
>>250370
>>250374
>>250381
"N-No, sorry. Don't listen to me"

No.250390

>>250388
"Don't let it get you down. That way simply wouldn't work."

No.250391

>>250385
"Right, that's true. It only has a few uses anyway. If we're not taking these let me lock them up in town hall." I put all three bikes in the town hall so they don't wonder off on me and the hop back into the truck.

No.250392

>>250391
We're taking the bikes too. Not enough room for all of us, plus Clinic's zombie.
I know for a fact I'm driving one.

No.250394

>>250392
There's enough room for all of you. It's just a bit of a squeeze.

No.250396

>>250394
I'm not rubbing elbows with a zombie, no matter how well preserved. I'm taking a bike.

No.250398

>>250392
"well, I'll at least put the spare one away in the town hall." do so and then I hop back on the other working bike. "So, lets roll out then."

No.250401

>>250398
Okay.

To the secret entrance on the western side?

No.250403

>>250401
Secret entrance.
I start the truck and begin heading over there.

No.250406

>>250401
Secret entrance it is. Hopefully we're not being led into a trap.

No.250407

>>250401
W-Whatever the others want

No.250411

>>250401
Secret.

No.250417

>>250401
Secret I guess

No.250430

You drive for about an hour through rough terrain before finally reaching the woods marked on your map. The trees of Galtor IV are odd, tall and spindly, with silver-white leaves — likely the result of the bright white star around which the planet orbits. They are tightly-packed in the woods, but they are fortunately brittle and easily bulldozed by the truck.

"There — there!" Grey Eminence says, pointing at a large cave in the side of a cliff face. A trickle of water seeps through the cave and rolls down through the woods. You could, perhaps, fit the truck through the cave, but it will be a very tight squeeze, and there would probably be no way turn it around.

No.250436

>>250430
We'll leave the truck, I guess. Don't want to get it stuck in there…
Might as well leave the bikes, too. Off to the side of the entrance, though. Want to remember where we parked, after all.

No.250438

>>250430
Any place I can stash the truck? '1d10'

Roll #1 7 = 7

No.250439

>>250430
"How far in do we have to go before getting inside the base?"

Roll #0 9 = 9

No.250442

>>250430
I hop out and eye the cave from where I stand. It is dangerous… or spooky?!

Roll #0 10 = 10

No.250450

>>250430
Does it look safe? '1d10'

Roll #1 9 = 9

No.250452

>>250439
"You will reach the mines very quickly, my lord. They lay just below the rest of the fort."

>>250438
You park the truck behind an outcropping of rocks. You take the keys with you.

>>250442
It's spooky, alright. There's just the eery drip drip drip of a subterranean river. It smells awful — the river is evidently used as some sort of drainage ditch.

If you listen hard, you can hear the faint sound of hooves echoing down the cave.

>>250450
It looks safe enough. The sides of the cave are reinforced with a few steel struts. You doubt there's any risk of cave-in.

No.250456

>>250452
"Anything dangerous inside the mines?"

Roll #0 9 = 9

No.250457

>>250456
"The Believers, of course. Many of them. They mine and watch the captives."

No.250458

>>250452
"Truck's parked. So… on we go into the scary, spooky mine that smells like shit?"

No.250459

>>250452
"I-It smells horrible.. and I hear somepony inside. Please be careful…"

No.250466

>>250458
"Yep. Weapons armed, and be ready for anything."
Heading to the mouth of the mine, I'll wrinkle my nose at the smell.
"If you've got any spare cloth, you might want to make a mask out of it. Should help dull the stink. And make sure you don't shoot any colonists!"

No.250471

>>250466
I follow, cautiously walking in and looking around inside

Roll #0 6 = 6

No.250473

>>250466
I follow him in.
"Come with me and stay quiet unless one of us speaks to you, Grey."

No.250475

>>250466
I follow him in, walking behind.

No.250477

Alright, taking point, rifle out. Spotting for anything that's either a cultists or enslaved colonist. Or something else that might be nefarious in intent.

Roll #0 5 = 5

No.250480

>>250473
"I will be as silent as the grave, master."

>>250466
>>250471
>>250475
>>250477
You walk about a hundred meters down the cave before seeing a faint light at the end of the tunnel.

No.250487

>>250480
Approach the light I suppose…

Roll #0 5 = 5

No.250489

>>250480
I cautiously approach the light.

Roll #0 2 = 2

No.250491

>>250480
Thermal imaging down by the light! Do I detect anything? '1d10'

Roll #1 9 = 9

No.250493

>>250487
I follow you carefully, making my way toward the light.

Roll #0 2 = 2

No.250494

>>250480
Carefully approach the light. See if there's anyone or anything nearby it.

Roll #0 10 = 10

No.250502

>>250493
>>250489
>>250487
The tunnel you are in opens up into a large cavern, lit by unknown sources. You can't see anything inside, other than more rock and the trickling stream.

>>250491
You see the cold walls of the cave. The opening towards the cavern with the light is slightly warmer.

>>250494
You see nothing as you look around… but you can hear breathing. At least one thing is breathing in there.

You also see a panel on the right side of the tunnel. It's cleverly disguised to look like a rock, but you can tell that it's really a button of some sort.

No.250504

>>250502
Whispering to the others, I'll mention my discovery.
"Alright, stand back. I'm gonna press the button. Everyone find a hiding spot."

No.250506

>>250504
"What button?"

No.250508

>>250504
"Hide? W-We're in danger?"
Duck behind something

Roll #0 6 = 6

No.250509

>>250504
"What button?"
I hide anyways. '1d10'

Roll #1 5 = 5

No.250510

>>250506
"This rock here that isn't really a rock, but a cleverly disguised button. Now find a hiding spot in case something nasty is waiting on the other side of whatever door it opens."

No.250515

>>250510
"Hold on. Grey, what is that button for?"

Roll #0 4 = 4

No.250521

>>250515
"I don't know. I never really came down here," he says.

No.250523

>>250521
I'll shoot him a glare and hiss at him.
"If you've never come down here before, then why the devil did you sound so damn confident about what was here?"

No.250524

>>250523
>>250521
I narrow my eyes.
"That's a good point. Answer the question, Grey."

Roll #0 5 = 5

No.250526

>>250523
"I don't traipse through the sewage tunnels in my spare time.

"I just know what the other acolytes told me in life."

>>250524
"Oh, pardon me, great and powerful master! I only meant to serve you!"

No.250527

>>250510
"Interesting.." I hide somewhere.

Roll #0 9 = 9

No.250528

>>250527
>>250509
>>250508
There's nothing to really hide behind, but you all take cover as best you can against the walls of the tunnel.

No.250529

>>250528
I take cover to, and so does Grey.

Roll #0 10 = 10

No.250530

>>250526
"Sewage tunnels? You're having us go up through the damn midden heap?!"

"…That's actually pretty clever, if disgusting."

No.250531

>>250529
You dig into the side of the tunnel with your hooves and pull a large rock out from it. You take cover behind it alongside the ghoul.

No.250532

>>250531
Once everyone's squared away, I'll stand off to the left side of the button, and press it.

No.250535

Pera, Gibson, and Belle — how close are you to the cavern entrance? Clinic and Grey are pretty far back. Hotshot's right up close to the entrance.

No.250537

>>250535
Far back enough that I'm a safe enough distance from the entrance.

No.250539

>>250535
I'm probably right behind Gibson

No.250540

>>250535
We are hiding against a wall near the entrance?

No.250541

>>250540
It's just a tunnel. So you're squeezed against either side. But you're either near the entrance to the cavern or a bit further back near Clinic.

No.250547

>>250541
Well, I'm near the entrance then.

No.250553

>>250532
A thick grating slams down behind you, cutting you off from Clinic, Grey, Pera, and Gibson. Only you and Belle (and Boltzy) are on the side of the grating closer to the cavern.

"Well, well, well, we got ourselves a gutter rat!" You hear a gruff voice from inside the cavern.

"Come on out, mister rat. We'll go easy on you if you play nice."

You hear the sound of a dozen laser rifle capacitors charging up, and your hair stands on end.

No.250556

>>250553
"Well, I can't say I shouldn't have been expecting that. Everyone else, fall back. You can still take them by surprise while we have a 'chat' with our captors."

No.250558

>>250556
"Tricked by a dead pony.. I can't believe this."

No.250562

>>250553
"Grey. You will tell me how to get that grate open or I will make the rest of your unlife a living hell."

Roll #0 3 = 3

No.250563

>>250558
"I can. A little. Still, he never said we should push the button, so it's kinda my fault we're stuck here."

No.250565

>>250562
His eyes plead with you, "Oh master, believe me when I say I do not know!"

>>250556
"Come ouuuuuuuuut~! Or we'll send the dogs after you!"

No.250566

>>250553
"Oh no oh no oh no!"
Look around for some hidden way around or through or something!

Roll #0 2 = 2

No.250567

>>250553
>>250556
I smack my face.
"Great. Now they know that we're back here…"
Can I see any of them? Can I determine if, say, their laser rifles may or may not be capable of being shorted out by a unicorn who's probably at least generally familiar from having worked with them for so long? '1d10'

Roll #1 9 = 9

No.250568

>>250563
"Well, lets see if we can get unstuck then.." Can I see anything connected to the button that could help me reverse it? '1d10'

Roll #1 8 = 8

No.250569

>>250565
I look at the grate to try and identify a weak point in it.

Roll #0 10 = 10

No.250570

>>250567
>at least generally familiar with electronics from

No.250571

>>250565
"We're in a cage, where do they expect us to go, honestly?"

No.250581

>>250571
The tunnel behind you is shut by the grating, but the way into the cavern is open.

"I'm counting to three, and if you don't come out, then we're going to hunt you like the rat you are."

"One…"

You hear a few sadistic giggles from whoever else is in the cavern.

>>250569
The bars look like they're resistant to laser fire, but they also seem to be noticeably corroded towards the top.

>>250567
You can't see anything, but you know from hundreds of hours sunk into Canter Strike that they sound like standard RM-J7 laser rifles — the standard of the Royal Guard. They don't really have an electronics package that can be remotely accessed, though.

You do hear, however, the sound of an RT-999 heavy support laser, which should have a remote access port on it — used for automatic turrets and the like.

>>250566
You scurry about but can't find a way forward. The path back to the forest and the truck is free, however.

No.250585

>>250581
I'll peek out beyond the open way, see what I can see. Rifle at the ready, of course.

Roll #0 10 = 10

No.250586

>>250581
Hmm…
I pull out that interface tool I got back from my quarters and attempt to interface with the RT-999 heavy support laser! '1d10+3'

Roll #1 5 + 3 = 8

No.250591

>>250581
"Make way!"
I charge down the tunnel in an attempt to snap the grating off from the corroded part at the top.

Roll #0 3 = 3

No.250594

>>250581
>>250591
Oh! I notice what he's doing and hop up and headbutt the top of the grating. He's trying to break it right?

Roll #0 9 = 9

No.250601

>>250585
"Cover me while I mess with this.. There might be a way for me to make the gate deactivate from here.."
Is there anything besides the button, maybe I can dig around the button and see the wires or power supply it was using?

Roll #0 8 = 8

No.250609

>>250585
You pop your head out and look around. The cavern is shaped like a long ditch. The river of sludge runs through the center of it and into the tunnel you came through. On either side is a raised concrete platform.

On each platform are five ponies, all dressed in robes, and each carrying a laser rifle. One to the left is laying behind a support laser.

Further down the cavern, the tunnel you came through continues. You can't see where it leads.

One of the ponies shoots at your head and you quickly duck back inside. You hear them laughing uproariously in the cavern.

"Two…."

>>250591
You throw yourself against the grating. You collide with it hard, but it doesn't budge. Your shoulder hurts a lot now.

>>250586
You remotely access the support laser with the Nverness interface unit. It doesn't look like they changed the default passwords or encryption at all.

You could turn off the laser rifle, if you want, which would keep it offline until the user managed to cycle it back online. You could also try to overload the capacitor, which could destroy it (though this would be difficult). You might also try turning the automatic targeting system on. If the IFF hasn't been programmed, that might not be so good for the cultists.

>>250594
You put a big dent in the grating, but it's not broken yet. Your head smarts pretty bad now.

>>250601
You chisel at the area around the button with your ray pistol. You can see the wiring now. It looks like it's connected to a battery pack, which you can also see.

No.250614

>>250609
Yep.
Program the IFF to attack the cultists. That might buy Hotshot and crew some time to break that gate. '1d10+2'

Roll #1 5 + 2 = 7

No.250616

>>250609
"Alright, so we got ten cultists on raised platforms, with one turret. Doesn't seem to be on, though."
…Gonna fire around the corner and try and light one on fire.

Roll #0 2 + 2 = 4

No.250617

>>250609
I rub my head, then widen my eyes as I hear the shot
"OhnononofuckfuckFUCK"
Headbutt that grate again

Roll #0 2 = 2

No.250618

>>250609
"What's the point of being a buffalo if I can't even smash things?"
I back up and charge it again.

Roll #0 3 = 3

No.250619

>>250609
Alright, carefully use the omitool and see if I can disconnect the wires from the pack and locate the control panel its attached to.

Roll #0 7 + 1 = 8

No.250621

>>250616
You lean outside, but just as you put your head out the cavern you feel a laser blast grazes you across the back.

"Three! Alright, boys, have at 'em!"

Somepony throws two large metal balls into the "ditch." You watch as both clatter and clack as they unfold, revealing two robots walking on six legs. The heads on each robot are shaped like a wolf's, each with rows upon rows of glittering teeth.

>>250618
Once more you throw yourself against the grating. Your shoulder hurts even worse now, and the grating looks no worse for wear.

>>250619
The wires are now disconnected. The button and grating has no power to its systems.

>>250614
You work quickly and erase the IFF data. You'll still need to turn on the automated systems for it to fire on them, however.

>>250617
After Clinic Gives it a try, you bust your head against the grating again. You fall over afterwards and waggle your legs in the air in pain.

No.250625

>>250621
…oh.
Attack already you stupid piece of shit! '1d10+2'

Roll #1 4 + 2 = 6

No.250628

>>250621
Okay, now that I'm not in danger of being shocked can I rewire this to open the grate..

Roll #0 2 + 1 = 3

No.250629

>>250621
I back up and try to hit it with my other shoulder.

Roll #0 4 = 4

No.250631

>>250621
"Steelwolves, in the ditch!"
Fire's probably not gonna do much good while they're in what I guess could pass for water, so I'm just gonna shoot them.

Roll #0 3 = 3

No.250636

>>250621
"OW! Get this fucking thing open already!"
Hop up and give it a cute goat bash with my goddamn cute goat hooves

Roll #0 2 = 2

No.250644

>>250629
"Grey help us buck this down!"
I can act and order my minion at the same time, right?

Roll #0 2 = 2

No.250671

>>250667
>>250667
>>250667

No.250679

>>250671
Unfortunate. Guess we'll pick up in mid-combat next time.

No.250710

Paused do to technical difficulties. We'll try again this weekend, hopefully.

No.256567

The crew of the MV Celestial Drifter, acting on the advice of Grey Eminence (Clinic Love's ghoul minion) entered the cultist fortress through a secret tunnel, only to find that the tunnel was not so secret as they were lead to believe…

>>250625
You transmit the order to begin automatic fire, and the support laser gets to work. You hear it begin to shoot.

"Hey, what the hell, Jumpy?"

"It's not me!"

"Agh! I'm hit"

"Turn it off!"

'1d10'

>>250629
You lean in again, but it holds steady.

>>250631
As you raise your gun to shoot, the lead wolf leaps at your face, biting and yelping the whole way. You rear back and it misses its lunge, but it scratches you with one of its legs.

>>250636
As cute as you are, the ferro-carbide-coated steel bars are too strong for you.

>>250644
He sighs and throws his body limply against the bars. It fails to budge.

>>250628
You reverse the wires and reconnect everything. You slap the button… and nothing happens. The gate remains firmly shut.

Roll #1 3 = 3

No.256571

>>256567
"Ffffuuu-"
Try to calm down and think things through by playing something on my harmonica
Does this count as in combat inspire?

Roll #0 2 = 2

No.256572

>>256567
Well, since I've got point blank shot, I'll shoot that sucker in the face.

Roll #0 1 = 1

No.256574

>>256567
I ram the gate again.

Roll #0 3 = 3

No.256575

>>256574
And my minion bucks it.

Roll #0 10 = 10

No.256576

>>256567
Hehe…
Keep attacking them! '1d10+2'

Roll #1 8 + 2 = 10

No.256577

Radio to Gibbs "Are you making any progress on your end?"

No.256578

>>256577
"Huh? O- Oh! Uh, I'm making a different kind of progress, does that count? I'm distracting them by attacking them with their own turret!"

No.256580

>>256571
You try your best rendition of that old goat spiritual, "We're All Going to Die and There's Nothing You Can Do About It… (So You'd Better Eat a Pretty Dress Before the End)." To your surprise, however, your companions don't seem to respond in the appropriate, uplifted manner.

>>256572
You reach for your laser pistol only for the robotic wolf to lung for you leg and pull you to the ground. He begins dragging through the muck, out of the tunnel and into the cavern.

You are now helpless.

>>256574
>>256575
You give the gate the ol' shoulder, but it remains firmly rooted to the ground and ceiling.

You order Grey to give it his all, too, and the ghoul makes a surprising effort. Fueled by magical energy and a disregard for any pain he might still feel, the undead pony bucks it three times, knocking a huge hole through the center of the bars. You easily bend the remainder, and the gate is now open.

>>256576
"For Bromion's sake, Jumpy, get that thing tu- AAAHHGH!"
"I'm trying!"

You see through the support laser's infrared sights that you burn a large cylindrical hole through one of the cultists. He falls down, almost certainly dead.

No.256581

>>256580
Well, time to get up and get back to cover.

Roll #0 4 = 4

No.256584

>>256580
RUN IN THERE AND HELP THAT DUMBASS UP
PULL HIM AWAY FROM THE GODDAMN ROBOWOLF

Roll #0 9 = 9

No.256585

>>256580
I take a shot at one of the robowolves.

Roll #0 7 = 7

No.256587

>>256580
Slowly advance towards the gate and keep distracting them with laser fire from their own turret! '1d10+2'

Roll #1 10 + 2 = 12

No.256589

>>256581
You struggle valiantly, but the wolf drags you further into the tunnel. It bites down hard on your leg, but you aren't wounded too badly.

Fortunately, the situation with the support laser is keeping the cultists from paying much attention to you.

>>256584
You leap over Clinic and charge through the now open gate and ram the wolf hard, sending it back a few yards. You help Hotshot to his hooves.

He is no longer helpless.

>>256585
Following Pera through the gate, you stop at the entrance to the cavern and take a quick shot at the robot that was dragging Hotshot through the sewage. You don't land a solid shot, but it's good enough to melt one of its teeth off. Now it only has about 49 left.

>>256587
You move forward a bit, but you keep your eyes on your interface unit. You override the cultists' attempts to shut the laser off and blast the head off of another one.

No.256591

>>256589
Beat the shit out of-
No. No… Calm down. Blow something on my harmonica

Roll #0 7 = 7

No.256592

>>256578
I laugh a bit "Well, keep it up, I need all the time I can get. "
>>256580
>>256589
"H-hotshot? Are you.. " Fuck shit. go after him.

No.256593

>>256589
I shoot the wolf again while Grey moves back up the tunnel.

Roll #0 5 = 5

No.256594

>>256589
"Thanks, Pera. Back to the gate, and shoot while we go!"
I'll fire at the wolves as I retreat back to the gate.

Roll #0 2 = 2

No.256598

>>256592
He's no longer helpless. Are you trying to heal him? You'd need to roll for that.

No.256602

>>256589
Can I see how many are left?
Not that it matters because I have HEAVY ARMAMENTS HAHAHAHA '1d10+2'

Roll #1 9 + 2 = 11

No.256606

>>256598
I will try to heal him If i am next to him now.

Roll #0 9 = 9

No.256612

>>256591
You think for a second and settle on the theme tune to the Daring-Do video series. Much more uplifting for ponies, the song makes everyone feel a little better about this whole thing.

+1 to everyone's next roll.

>>256593
You just barely wing him, stunning him for a second but failing to do any serious harm.

Grey is right next to you now.

>>256594
Your parting shots miss, but the shots from two of the cultists on the ledge to your left do not. They each hit you on your back, though they don't cause any real damage.

>>256602
You can only really fire on the cultists on the right side of the cavern, as well as whatever is in the ditch (your party, as well as the robots). There are 3 cultists on the right remaining.

You let loose with a torrent of laser fire again. You hit one of the cultists in the legs, and he falls to the ground.

'1d10'

>>256606
You drag Hotshot back into the tunnel and apply some salve of Hyraxian Nutroot and pumice. This quickly numbs the pain and cleanses his wounds. You bandage up his leg, and Hotshot feels as good as new.

Roll #1 9 = 9

No.256614

>>256612
"Thanks Belle."
I'll throw out some covering fire for Pera. She's still in the ditch with the wolves.

Roll #0 5 = 5

No.256615

>>256612
I blast that wold again.

Roll #0 8 + 1 = 9

No.256617

>>256612
Blast whoever tries to come close!
'1d10+2'

Roll #1 10 + 2 = 12

No.256619

>>256612
"A-Ah… much better…"
I lean my head back let out a nice soft sigh, then headbutt a wolf

Roll #0 6 + 1 = 7

No.256623

>>256614
I nod, and watch to see if she can get out before I go in.

Roll #0 8 = 8

No.256627

>>256614
>6
You graze one of the wolves across its snapping steel face, but it presses forward towards Pera.

>>256615
You take aim at the same wolf and fire a perfect laser beam straight into its motor servos. It falls to the ground.

>>256619
You leap forward and ram the downed wolf. It jitters for a second and explodes in a shower of sparks.

>>256617
>13
Running out of targets on the opposing ledge, the targeting system aims at the remaining wolf in the drainage canal. A single white-hot ray of focused energy vaporizes the robot instantly into no more than a pile of metallic dust.

>>256623
You pull Pera inside the cavern and bandage a cut above her eye from when she was ramming the gate.

No.256628

>>256627
"Clinic, I'm going to have strong words for your zombie once we're done here."
I'll see if I can't take a potshot at one of the remaining cultists. There should still be a few left up on the ledge, right?

Roll #0 4 = 4

No.256629

>>256627
"Thank you Belle!"
I give her a quick non-spaghetti hug and play a song on my harmonica as thanks

Roll #0 2 = 2

No.256631

>>256627
"What's happening with that turret?"

>>256628
"I'll take care of him, don't you worry."

No.256634

>>256629
That's not a non-spaghetti hug at all. "I-its not that big a deal, just- what is that you're playing?"
>>256627
Fire at a wolf with my laser gun.

Roll #0 1 = 1

No.256635

>>256627
Aww yeah.
I just set it to defend now against any enemies that approach it and triumphantly strut over there. '1d10+2'
>>256631
"That would be me."
I do a showy bow.

Roll #1 8 + 2 = 10

No.256640

>>256635
I look at the smoking bodies and the pile metallic slag that used to be a wolf before whistling.
"That is pretty damn impressive. What do you think, Grey?"

No.256647

File: 1355721134871.png (13.69 KB, 539x450, map.png)

>>256628
There are many still up on the ledges. On the left-hand ledge, there are five, most of whom are attempting to repair the support laser system. As you lean out to harass them, one of them spots you and hits you in the face. Fortunately, it's a weak shot, and you just feel like your corneas are on fire.

>>256629
You strike up a minimalist composition. Just a long B-flat note that shifts intermittently to an off-key C-sharp.

It does little to liven the mood.

>>256634
All the wolves dead, you step outside the cavern to shoot a cultist.

The cultists are waiting for your head to appear, however, having just tagged Hotshot a second before. A scalding laser blast burns the top of your head, and you collapse to the mucky ground.

You are helpless.

>>256635
Your turret takes a shot at one of the two ponies standing on the righthand ledge. He yowels in pain and drops to the ground.

You start to strut out into the cavern, but think better of it when you see Belle take that laser blast to the head.

'1d10'

>>256640
"I think master should be more attentive and not celebrate victory before it is achieved."

Roll #1 5 = 5

No.256648

>>256647
"Dammit!"
I'll rush out to help Belle up.

Roll #0 4 = 4

No.256650

>>256647
"Belle!"
I run over and try to help her up '1d10' and order the turret to defend! '1d10+2'

Roll #1 2 = 2

No.256652

>>256650
'r2 1d10+2' / Roll #2 5 + 2 = 7

No.256653

>>256647
"Ohgoshsorry"
Help Belle up

Roll #0 4 = 4

No.256654

>>256647
"Aaah" get back up!

Roll #0 8 = 8

No.256655

>>256648
You run out into the cavern to pull Belle back, but you slide in the muck and go too far. As you scramble back, one of the cultists lacerates your back with his laser rifle.

>>256650
>>256652
Your turret fires a few quick shots at the other side of the cavern and hits the sole standing cultist. He yelps but remains on his hooves before diving behind cover.

>>256653
You try to pull Belle back in, but as you do so a cultist laser blast ricochets into the tunnel. Your teammates are lucky, though — you take the brunt of the weakened blast. Your side aches a little, but you'll be fine.

>>256654
You scramble to you hooves and pull your erstwhile compatriots into the tunnel.

'1d10'

Roll #1 8 = 8

No.256658

>>256655
I lean around the corner and shoot at one of the ponies on the ledge.

No.256660

>>256658

Roll #0 5 = 5

No.256661

>>256655
Alright, I'm going to torch one of the cultists up there on my way back to the tunnel. I'm bound to hit one eventually.

Roll #0 3 + 2 = 5

No.256664

>>256655
"GRRR"
Take a shot at one while I'm retreating into the tunnel

Roll #0 9 = 9

No.256669

>>256655
I command the turret to attack any colonists that pop out. '1d10+2'
Suppressing fire!

Roll #1 1 + 2 = 3

No.256672

>>256655
"whew.., we're all safe here.. " I peek around the corner and try to blast one of the cultists.

Roll #0 4 = 4

No.256676

>>256660
>>256658
While your huge form makes a tempting target for the cultists, they refrain from shooting at you while you take a few potshots. They only offer retaliatory fire after you lean back inside. Neither of you does any significant damage to the other.

>>256661
You scurry back and fire, but fail to hit anything but cavern.

>>256664
You leap up and begin shooting wildly, hitting little except for the face of one of the cultists. He screams and falls to the ground before rolling around in pain.

>>256669
The turret shorts out for a moment before something clicks. A cheer goes up in the cultist ranks, and you hear the support laser reboot and prepare to fire on all of you.

>>256672
It's not quite as safe as you'd like, however. As you peek out, one of the cultists shoots you in the chest, opening up a small cut.

"Prepare to flush 'em out, boys!" you hear the lead pony say.

No.256679

>>256676
I'll burn the one who just said that, if I can spot him. Gibson should be able to take care of the turret problem.

Roll #0 5 + 2 = 7

No.256681

>>256676
I take a potshot at whichever one just spoke.

Roll #0 8 = 8

No.256685

>>256676
Nervously blow on my harmonica…

Roll #0 6 = 6

No.256690

>>256676
"SHIIIIIIT SHIT SHIT SHIT"
I nervously try to hack back into it and regain control!
'1d10+2'

Roll #1 8 + 2 = 10

No.256692

>>256676
…look down at boltzy, I can't let the little gal down, she's lost with out me. I have her play a motivational song and poke back out firing according to the beat. song has no real effect just fluff

Roll #0 6 = 6

No.256701

>>256679
>>256681
You both lean out and fire at the leader. A hot blast of plasma burns his coat, and then Clinic's laser fire to his legs sends him sprawling. "Charge, believers!" he says, before he falls.

>>256685
You buzz out a little bit of "The Ballad of Don Perseo," the story of the bravest goat knight who ever lived. It's a good song, but short, and everyone always asks for more.

Everyone's spirits are raised a bit. +1 to your next roll.

>>256690
You scramble to reverse the cultists' gains. Hastily accessing the turret again, you find that the laser's software has locked you out of most interface commands. Nevertheless, you manage to convince its cooling system that it is overheating, and you hear the laser begin venting heat and discharging its capacitors. It'll be a while before the laser comes back online.

>>256692
Boltzy feels a little better.

No.256705

>>256701
I shoot at one of the charging cultists.

Roll #0 4 + 1 = 5

No.256706

>>256701
Well, keep firing up there. This one going for the closest one I can see that's still standing.

Roll #0 1 + 1 = 2

No.256709

>>256701
Well that's dealt with at least.
I peek forward and attempt to shoot the first cultist I see. '1d10+1'

Roll #1 1 + 1 = 2

No.256711

>>256701
Run out and slice one of the cultists to near death~

Roll #0 4 + 1 = 5

No.256729

>>256701
fire at the cultists

Roll #0 8 + 1 = 9

No.256738

>>256705
The Cultists jump into the canal, lasers pointed at the tunnel. Counting six of them, you prepare to fire, but you jump back into the tunnel as they unleash a concentrated burst of laser fire.

>>256706
>>256709
Both of you fail to dodge the incoming wall of laser bolts. Both of you are burnt badly on the chest, and you collapse to the ground, spent.

>>256711
Your goatish speed and grace allows you to slip under the cultists' shots, and you prepare to ram the nearest hostile. He dodges you at the last minute, however, and you instead slam into the side of the canal.

>>256729
Taking cover behind the cavern entrance, you avoid the incoming laser fire and blast one of the cultists in the face. He falls down, alive but squirming.

No.256742

>>256738
I'll try to get up and fall back. This is getting old.

Roll #0 8 = 8

No.256744

>>256738
I try to get back up. '1d10'
How many more turns until the turrets active?

Roll #1 1 = 1

No.256745

>>256738
"DAMMIT"
I notice Gibson collapse from the corner of my eye and immediately run over to help him up

Roll #0 2 + 1 = 3

No.256748

>>256745
er, forgot to take off the +1

No.256750

>>256738
I keep firing at them.
"Grey, pull Gibson back into cover!"
'1d10'

Roll #0 7 = 7

Roll #1 3 = 3

No.256751

>>256738
"are you all feeling okay?" fire off a few more shots at the cultists.

Roll #0 5 = 5

No.256758

>>256742
You get back up easily and scramble for cover in the tunnel.

>>256744
You struggle to your hooves, only have a wicked blast of laser fire cut open your back. You scream in pain.

The cultists will start rolling for it in a turn or two

>>256745
You rush back to help Gibson, but as you reach him, the same laser bolt that sent him sprawling hits you in the chin. You are knocked back a few feet, but remain on your hooves.

>>256750
"Menial labor — of course, my master." He mimes zombie movements and moves to help Gibson. As he reaches the cavern, however, he is struck by a laser bolt and cannot reach the helpless pony.

You return fire at one of the lead cultists. He grunts as a laser bolt misses him and hits the rock wall beside him, sending a shower of debris into his eyes.

>>256751
You shoot a few times, but keep missing. The torrent of laser fire is too much for you to risk peeking out too much farther.

No.256762

>>256758
Wish this thing had a rapidfire capability…
I'll shoot at one of the remaining cultists.
"Keep firing!"

Roll #0 2 = 2

No.256764

>>256758
FUUUUUCK
I try to crawl my way back to the tunnel and get up there.
'1d10'

Roll #1 4 = 4

No.256766

>>256758
I tear up, but still try to help Gibson's big butt back up

Roll #0 8 = 8

No.256767

>>256758
motion for boltzy to stay hidden as I go and try to distract the cultists from gibson and hotshot with my own gunfire.

Roll #0 10 = 10

No.256769

>>256758
"Get to cover, my little science project."
I blast at the cultists to try and cover Pera's rescue attempt.

Roll #0 9 = 9

No.256774

>>256762
It actually sort of does. I don't know if we discussed this an past the first session, but laser rifles have the "cleave" and "power attack" abilities, renamed "pulse" and "disruptor," respectively.

You lean out and take another burn to your leg, right where the dog bit you. Were it not for Belle's medicine, it would likely hurt quite a bit.

>>256764
Gibson crawls meekly towards the tunnel…

>>256766
…but Pera grabs him and pulls him back in.

>>256767
Boltzy dives behind a few rocks while you sally forth. You strike one of the lead ponies right in the temple. He falls just as…

>>256769
…Clinic shoots him in the chest. A huge gaping wound opens up across his heart, and he dies before he reaches the ground.

"A wise choice, my lord," Grey says before joining Boltzy behind a rock.

No.256776

>>256774
I shoot another one.

Roll #0 2 = 2

No.256777

>>256774
Oh, and you all notice that Gibson is pretty gravely wounded. He should get help soon.

No.256778

>>256774
Oh do they? I must have overlooked that. Maybe it was in Spacequest Prime?
I'll keep firing. I'm supposed to be protecting these guys, not the other way around.

Roll #0 1 = 1

No.256780

>>256774
>>256777
"Oh gosh oh no SOMEONE HELP HIM"
I quickly wave at Belle to get her attention

I can't heal but I can maybe get some inspiring music going?

Roll #0 7 = 7

No.256781

>>256774
I whimper and groan from the pain and try to get a shot off on one of the cultists. '1d10'

Roll #1 5 = 5

No.256784

>>256780
I come over to you. "Go for! Try playing that theme from space crime scene investigators, it always gets me going. "
>>256781
"Hold still.." I try a natural remedy on you.

Roll #0 3 = 3

No.256790

Hey guys, hate to interrupt, but I'm trying to fix something and its not working right, so I figured I'd ask.

Can one of you check /mlp and tell me if the site is frozen? I keep trying to refresh it but I get the same thing from like an hour ago?

Again, sorry to interrupt.

No.256792

>>256776
Following Belle's charge, you run into the cavern, where the cultists' fusillade meets you. You take several shots to your enormous person, but stay on your hooves. You return fire, but only manage to hit a stalactite.

>>256778
Not wanting to let Belle and Clinic win all the glory, you charge as well, only to meet the same fate as your buffalo comrade. But where he withstood several laser hits, you fall to the ground in pain.

>>256781
You lean out into the tunnel and fire a few potshots, but none strike true.

>>256780
As you frantically wave, you hum a hymn of Celestia. Everyone feels a little braver.

+1 to everyone's next roll.

>>256784
You apply a compact of Proximan Parallax and Mint. It cools Gibson's burns, but does little else.

No.256794

>>256790
It's frozen, and you probably should have asked in the metathread instead of during an active quest.
>>256792
Well, got to force myself to my hooves again. '1d10'

Roll #1 5 = 5

No.256795

>>256790
its still down as far as I know, but you should as such things in the meta from now on if that's okay.
>>256792
Try another natural remedy.

Roll #0 3 = 3

No.256798

>>256790
ASK IN THE DND GENERAL GODDAMMIT

>>256792
Keep it going! Take out my harmonica

Roll #0 2 = 2

No.256799

>>256790
4chan is down right now. In the future, please ask the general thread.

No.256800

>>256798
>>256799
Sorry, I didn't know. From now on I'll ask in the general. Bye.
>Thx.

No.256801

>>256792
I get back into cover and try to heal Gibson with one of my medkits.

Roll #0 3 + 1 = 4

No.256802

>>256790
Ask in the meta thread, not in a currently running quest, please.
>>256792
"Thanks… it all fucking huuuurts…"
I lean against a wall and continue trying to get a shot off one of them. '1d10'

Roll #1 10 = 10

No.256803

>>256802
>+1
So that'd be an 11.
Neat!

No.256806

>>256794
>6
You stagger but get on your hooves, ready to fight once more.

>>256795
>4
You rub some more compact into his wounds. Nothing changes.

>>256798
You try that CSI: Canterlot theme Belle likes, but you only get a few bars before you start coughing and spitting.

>>256801
You take out your medkit and try to fix him up, but you fumble and drop the medkit in the sludge.

>>256802
Steadying your pistol against the wall, you fire a shot at one of the cultists in the canal. Hitting him right in the knees, you send him into the muck, where he rolls around helplessly before dieing from shock.

No.256809

>>256806
Try not to be embarrassed… keep on playing…

Roll #0 4 = 4

No.256812

>>256806
"Come on Pera… you can do it!"
I stumble over to her and give her a pat on the back, then try the same tactic again. '1d10'

Roll #1 5 = 5

No.256813

>>256806
Working my way over to Gibson, I'll dose him with something out of my medkit. '1d10'
Hopefully that will keep him around long enough to appreciate it.

Roll #1 8 = 8

No.256814

>>256806
"…" I focus, this time I need to actually heal him.

Roll #0 9 = 9

No.256815

>>256806
I grumble and keep shooting the cultists.

Roll #0 4 = 4

No.256820

>>256812
Spaghetti roll for the pat

Roll #0 4 = 4

No.256838

>>256809
Your harmonica plays a bit of "Dirge of the Flying Gryphon," a song about a lost starship that prowls the void and drags ships to their dooms.

It's not very uplifting at all.

>>256812
You clean and bandage the cuts along Gibson's back. He feels a bit better.

>>256814
You rub in a soothing salve of Moxleaf powder. Gibson's wounds are cleaned and the bleeding has stopped. He feels fine.

>>256815
You try to lean out and shoot somepony, only to miss wildly. The cultist you aimed for shoots back, hitting you on the torso. You wobble a bit but stay on your hooves.

>>256820
You stutter a bit but for the most part keep it together.

No.256842

>>256838
Alright, and now to shoot at whomever's left standing. '1d10'

Roll #1 6 = 6

No.256843

>>256838
Gotta make distance. Awkwardly scurry out and slam my horns against something. Hopefully a cultist.

Roll #0 6 = 6

No.256845

>>256838
Uh, I think you mislinked Hotshot's response to my post and skipped my actual post.

No.256846

>>256838
"RRRRAAAA!"
I try to shoot him in the face.

Roll #0 5 = 5

No.256855

>>256845
I don't know what happened to that. You missed, but moved back inside before they managed to return fire.

No.256858

>>256806
I give Pera a weird look and try to shoot again! '1d10'

Roll #1 7 = 7

No.256859

>>256838
Go collect boltyz and peek out to see how many are left to shoot at my friends..

Roll #0 9 = 9

No.256872

>>256842
You jump out into the cavern and begin shooting at one of the three ponies still standing. You nail one of them in the hoof, which does little damage. It still hurts a lot.

>>256843
You charge the pony Hotshot harassed, landing both horns squarely in his teeth. He falls to the ground, wounded and helpless and toothless.

>>256846
You charge forth, following Pera, but you slip on some sewage and fall down. You spend the next few moments struggling to get back up. Fortunately, nobody shoots at you while you rise to your hooves.

>>256858
You follow Clinic and dodge his lumbering and falling form. You put a shot into the cultist Pera felled and end his mad mad mad life.

>>256859
There are now just two cultists left in the canal. You see one of them and shoot him in the face. He screams but remains standing.

No.256882

>>256872
I shake my head and charge at the next cultist, keeping my eyes to the ground as I run

Roll #0 8 = 8

No.256885

>>256872
I'll see if I can't finish that one off. Incendiary round, because I'm feeling a bit spiteful at the moment. '1d10+2'

Roll #1 4 + 2 = 6

No.256886

>>256872
Shoot the screaming one! '1d10'

Roll #1 4 = 4

No.256889

>>256872
I shoot at one of the cultists.

Roll #0 9 = 9

No.256890

>>256872
Fire again

Roll #0 8 = 8

No.256899

>>256882
You pounce on the felled cultist and eviscerate him with your tiny horns. He screams and dies.

>>256885
You leap up onto the left-hand ledge and scorch the cultist leader, who remains alive but wounded. He is alive no longer after the roasting you gave him.

>>256889
You leap onto the right hand ledge and put down another one of the cultists.

>>256890
There are no cultists remaining. They are all dead.

The cavern you are in is empty save for a few barrels and chairs. There's also a music system set up in the corner, as well as a water cooler.

It looks like this place was a guard post.

The tunnel you arrived here in continues forward, past the cavern. You may press forward or return to your truck.

No.256902

>>256899
Hopping back down to the others, I'll confront our resident undead.
"Alright Grey, you knew this was an outpost. What sort of joke do you think you're trying to pull not telling us?"

No.256903

>>256899
"Grey. Explain why you told us this was a secret entrance."

Roll #0 1 = 1

No.256907

>>256899
Ooh, neat. What's in the music system right now?
Also, I walk over to the turret and plug in, then try to override it again. '1d10+2'

Roll #1 4 + 2 = 6

No.256909

>>256899
"…"
I stare at the cultist I just gored with my goat horns and back up.
Rolling to not feel horrible…

Roll #0 3 = 3

No.256913

>>256899
Go check the bodies, any alive?

Roll #0 9 = 9

No.256915

>>256903
>>256902

"I believed that it was just the unguarded sewage system, master. That was what all the acolytes assigned to the mines told me! How was I to know that it had been fortified?"

>>256907
It sounds like… religious music. Hymns in an alien tongue.

You manage to turn the turret on. It is still stuck in its cooldown cycle.

>>256909
You feel pretty bad. He may have been a crazy weirdo who wanted to murder you, but he was once just a little foal…

>>256913
You left none alive. There are just ten dead cultists here, a junked robotic wolf, and a pile of ash from that other robot.

No.256921

>>256915
I'll grumble at him.
"Whatever. Any other little 'oversights' that you might want to fill us in on?"

Roll #0 7 = 7

No.256922

>>256915
So how large is this turret anyways?
Too large to even mount on the truck?
Anyways, I keep fiddling with it, trying to reset the IFF system again. '1d10+2'

Roll #1 4 + 2 = 6

No.256925

>>256915
I tear up and fall back behind the rest, keeping my eyes glues to the floor as I stand against a wall

No.256926

>>256921
"I don't answer to you, play-soldier."

>>256922
It's small enough to be carried relatively easily.

You fail to get past the lockout. "ACCESS DENIED" it tells you in no uncertain terms.

No.256927

>>256915
"Hmmf. Fine."

>>256925
I pick some guts off her horns and throw them away.
"You are a surprisingly violent little thing."

No.256932

>>256915
>junked robotic wolf
take that with me, I might be able to use that.

Roll #0 6 = 6

No.256934

>>256926
No system denies me.
Keep hacking. '1d10+2'

Roll #1 2 + 2 = 4

No.256936

>>256926
"Answer him, Grey."

Roll #0 2 = 2

No.256937

>>256927
"I-I don't mean to… j-just when they start shooting…"
I look at the bodies and sniffle
Do I feel any less horrible?

Roll #0 8 = 8

No.256942

>>256926
I'll glare at him.
>>256937
"They had it coming, Pera. Would you rather have wound up dead instead?"

No.256944

>>256937
"You need to teach me how to do that with my horns; do you sharpen them? Normally all I have to rely on for protection is a laser scalpel."

No.256945

>>256937
"Hey.. it was them or us. We had to kill them.."

No.256954

>>256934
The system shuts down completely at your touch. It's totally inoperative.

>>256936
"I have told you all that I know. This tunnel should lead straight into the mines."

>>256937
You feel a little better. He may have once been a foal, but he was trying to kill you.

It's still not a good feeling, though.

No.256956

>>256954

I take it and throw it against a wall. '1d10'

Roll #1 6 = 6

No.256958

We're going to be pausing soon.

>>256956
In a surprising feat of strength, you hurl the turret at the cavern wall. It doesn't shatter, but it does make a satisfying "clunk."

No.256960

"Regardless! Pera, could you fetch Sunshine? We could all use a good looking over…"

No.256961

>>256942
>>256954
>>256945
"I guess you're right…"
I wipe my tears away and sigh

>>256944
…I just cringe and walk further into the tunnel, looking about while trying to distract myself form this horrible feeling.
Do I spot any papers or notes or anything with writing these cultists have laying around?

Roll #0 4 = 4

No.256967

>>256961
You find a stray note on the ground. It's covered in writing. Looks like the same language as before.

No.256970

>>256958
"Stupid piece of shit…"
Can I see any way forward from here? Deeper into the mountain? '1d10'

Roll #1 10 = 10

No.256974

>>256960
…I nod and mumble into my communicator.
"S-Sunshinepleasecomeinplease…"

>>256967
Pocket it for later

No.256975

>>256970
Yes, the tunnel you're in leads further down, just as Grey Eminence said.

>>256974
"Sunshine here. The truck is still fine. Are you all okay?"

No.256977

Okay, maybe I can fix up that wolf and find a way to reset it to factory conditions '1d10+2'

Roll #1 4 + 2 = 6

No.256979

>>256977
>+1 for binary

No.256980

>>256975
"We got into a fight and ponies died… j-just please come in."

Actually, can I translate anything on that paper?

Roll #0 2 + 2 = 4

No.256982

>>256980
I need a new career ;_;

No.256983

>>256961
I frown and start poking through the bodies. Any tattoos or ritualistic markings that stand out? I'm applying my doctorate here because Clinic should know how to check bodies.

Roll #0 9 + 2 = 11

No.256993

>>256977
It's pretty much junked. You'll need to make multiple rolls if you want it to work again.

You repair its movement servos. If you can get the rest of it working again, it will be able to move well enough.

It still needs its power system repaired, and its main computer will need to be repaired, as well.

>>256980
With your knowledge of the Draconic language, you easily translate the note.

"BG —
There have been reports of prisoners trying to run for the sewage tunnel. Make sure none escape.
— GE"

>>256983
A few have markings that one would typically associate with criminals and pirates, which is certainly strange for a band of "believers." The lead pony seems to have horns painted on his head.

No.257003

>>256993
"T-They have prisoners here?!"
I show the note to the rest of the party.

No.257007

>>256993
"I've got one pony with some horns painted on his head. Anyone have any ideas what that means? Also: A few of them have criminal and pirate tattoos."

No.257008

>>257003
"If they have prisoners, that means the colonists will still be alive. And maybe even still sane."

No.257011

>>256993
I plan on leaving it with our healer as a guard bot if we get it running again. '1d10+3' to fix it.

Roll #1 6 + 3 = 9

No.257012

>>257011
You repair the power system. It stands but cannot move without its "brain" fixed.

No.257018

>>257012
I'll have to keep at then. '1d10+3'

Roll #1 9 + 3 = 12

No.257022

>>257003
"Well yeah. The colonists. I doubt they killed all of them."
I snort.
How large is that stereo system?

No.257024

>>257018
With its brain fixed, the robot whirs to life. It checks its systems before spinning into its convenient ball form for safe travel.

>>257022
About as big as a typical boombox. Much more power, though.

We're pausing here. We'll pick it up later this week.

No.257028

>>257024
I'll take it then.

No.257037



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