Once more, with feeling! (IC)

[Theoboldi]

With another snap of his fingers, echoing through the void like thunder, Discord sends you away to the dimension where adventure awaits you. Alongside treasure and painful death, of course. Blinding light engulfs you, not going away even when you close your eyes and through it you can just barely make out strange and otherworldly images floating by. Pony-like and not so pony-like creatures, lands and skies of alien colour pass by, barely able to be made out in the blur of light and colour that is happening all around you.

And then, it stops.

When the light passes, the first thing you feel is an immense, sweat-inducing heat bearing down on your backs. The air is dry, and the ground beneath your hooves shifts as if made wholly of sand. All around you, there is no noise except for the slight whispering of the wind. Regaining your eyesight, you understand the why of all these things. Discord has teleported you into the middle of a dead, empty desert, its sandy dunes stretching as wide as your eyes allow you to see. The daylight sun bears down on you painfully.

Yet you are not in the middle of nowhere, as you initially fear. Only a short walk away from you stands a large, walled structure amidst several gently swaying palm trees, carved from solid, brown stone. Two heavy bronze doors mark its entrance, above of which you see see two balconies, one above the other. There are few other features you can make out, as the building has clearly been eroded by the winds for many years.

Almost hidden behind the structure and the tall date palms lies a calm, silvery lake amidst the desert. A thick, blue-ish mist has risen above most of it, but still you can make out the point of pyramid rising amidst it like a yellowed claw, its very top covered in red gold leaf.


This must be the ruins Discord spoke of. Somewhere inside of them must be the scroll you seek.

[igordragonian]

Kitty now looks like a sweet Appelozian pink coated with a great mane and a cowboy hat. Her mane was combed into braids tied with pink ribbons. Kitty had "cutie mark" of three colorful ribbons.

First thing she did was.. to hug the closest living being to her. "|I am as nervous as a long tail cat in a room full of rocking chairs."
she whined.
What in tarnation are we supposed to do?!

[DigoDragon]

Lance walks over to Kitty and brushes back his mane. He gives her a gentle pat on the back with one of his wings. "There there, now, pretty lass. I am a trained guard from Luna's court. My name's Lance. Pleasure to be your savior today. We royal guards know how to deal with danger," he says. Lance takes a look at his surroundings, pondering the predicament.

"Desert training not so much, but no matter. I think we should head to that ruins for shelter from the sun."

[igordragonian]

Kitty grabbed Lance's tail.
"Gee, thanks Mistah!" Kitty said sighing with a relief.

[Derjuin]

Opening her eyes, Glory shakes her mane and makes sure her heavy cloak is still in place - heatwave be darned - before looking to her new compatriots.

"Hey, it's just like the beaches back home in San Franciscolt," Glory mused as she tromped through the sand to stand next to Lance and the other mare. "Like, hey, everypony. Name's Glory. You know, this place could use, like, a lot less sand. Maybe more than just three totally hot stallions and/or mares," she says, putting a hoof to her chin. "But in lieu of that, I'll totally take a fantastic treasure any day!" With a giggle and a wide grin, Glory checks her cloak to make sure it's still in place, and then begins to trot ahead.

"So, you're Lance, from the royal guard? And... okay, maybe I totally missed you introduce yourself so I'm like, super sorry if I did, but... like, who're you?" She asks of the other mare, tilting her head to the side as she turns to trot backwards toward the temple, keeping her eyes on the mare.

[igordragonian]

"Call me a rusty shovel, if you aren't pretty as diamond on his wedding day." Kitty raised her head enough to notice Glory.
"Nice to meet ya..." she till held Lance's tail as if it was comforting plusie.
"Why I go by the name Kitty. Kitty from Applossa. That would be me."

[DigoDragon]

Lance has absolutely no problems with Kitty holding on to his tail. "Pleasure to meet you too, Glory."

"I guess if Discord dumped us all out here, we should play along a bit until we can figure out what his scheme is."

[Theoboldi]

Approaching the ancient building, you get a closer look at bronze double doors barring your entrance. Though much of them has faded with age, you still can make out images set into them. Images of two alicorns, one surrounded by rays of sunlight and the other by twinkling stars, showering what appear to be lotus blossoms onto a single earth pony foal.

Everything is covered with a visible layer of sand and dust. Still, the building's construction seems sturdy, uninhibited by the passing of the ages. The only sound you hear continues to be the low, whispering wind all around you.

[igordragonian]

"Well, this place remind me of home. Only a bit more of antiques, if may I say so.' Kitty observed.
'But careful, yo. Ah just wanna make sure there nothin' nasty waitin' to buck our skulls, like apples at bucking season.'
Kitty with a sigh, left Lance's tail and started to study the gates.



Mind-2
Elementary, My Dear 1
talented 1
job proficency

(best 2)
[rollv]3d6[rollv/]+4

[Theoboldi]

Khitty takes a closer look at the door, giving it a good once-over, but cannot find any traps on it whatsoever. However, the door does appear to be locked, as pushing against it even with all your strength does nothing. For a moment, you ponder what to do, when suddenly Khitty notices that the equipment Discord gave her for this mission contains a set of lock-picks.

How curious. She could have sworn those were not there just a moment ago.

Even so, she gets to work on the gates, and within moments there is a satisfying 'click', indicating that the lock has been opened. Together, you open the doors, which creak and groan loudly from all the sand that has accumulated in their hinges.

Immediately, you are greeted by a most unwelcome stench. Your nostrils are filled with the smell of old death and uneasy decay, hanging faintly but noticeably in the air. Dust swirls into the air as it enters a room void of it for many centuries. Behind the bronze doors, you find a small entrance chamber that once must have been an awesome sight, but now is degraded with filth. Torn, rotten tapestries flutter ominously in the wind above you. Just ahead, there is a further pair of bronze doors, just as big as the ones you just went through, but opened slightly. Behind them, you see only darkness.

....How curious. Suddenly, you notice that Discord has also supplied with a supply of torches.

[DigoDragon]

"Nicely done, Kitty," Lance compliments. He looks the torch over and then looks for something to light one with.

[Theoboldi]

Alongside the torches, you also find some matches. For a moment, you could swear you hear Discord in the distance mumble something about of course not forgetting to give you something to light the torches with, but then dismiss it as just your imagination. Either way, you have the means to light these torches.

[DigoDragon]

Lance lights torch and holds it up with his wing. "Super phenomenal cosmic powers where he could just snap those... those... what are those little wiggly noodle-things Discord has at the end of his 'hooves'? Fangers? Fungers? He can snap those and get this scroll himself, but... really, why us?"

He walks into the ruins, looking around the walls with the torch light. "I mean, I guess I didn't have anything to do today, but... well, a warning would be nice."

[Derjuin]

"I can totally like, get behind his reasoning with me at least. Mostly he probably just, like, heard the legends and whatnot. I mean, " Glory says, trotting next to Kitty. "Those were some pretty hot skills, Kitty. I can totally see why Discord would pick you, too." She rushes up next to Lance, looking over the walls with him with a lit torch.

"Maybe it's like a game to him? Like, that one game, like... what was it, Oranges and Omelettes? He's the king of the Breakfast Club, and we have to, like, adventure, and stuff. Not that I'm, like, opposed to that or anything - especially when we get to keep the treasure we find." She claps her hooves together and grins, before taking a look at the open set of bronze doors within the room.

[Theoboldi]

In response to your complaints and speculations, Discord stays quiet. Somehow, this quiet seems more intense than the earlier one when you had just arrived. Part of you wonders whether the Draconequus is sulking.

As you walk through the entrance portals, you see a great amount of dust and darkness beyond. Your eyes slowly adjust to the low light beyond your torches' range, and you get the impression that this was once a place of great majesty and serenity. Ornately carved wooden pillars featuring great battles between celestial and evil forces stare ominously at you as the breeze from the outside wafts into the room, creating a slight fog of dust.

Suddenly, braziers light up in the corners of the room and you see a tall, pony-like figure sitting atop a large throne before you, beckoning you to approach. From where you stand, you cannot make out more of the figure's features.

Lit up by the braziers, you now see two wooden doors each both in the left and right corners of the room, on the other side of the room from where you stand.

[DigoDragon]

"Guard training has a... chapter I think on dealing with Discord and I think it amounts to 'lighten up and just play along'. Considering his--" Lance shuts up when he sees the figure on the throne.

"Stay close to me, Kitty," Lance says, wanting to keep the group together.

[igordragonian]

Kitty was purring in delight from the praises, and even did.. a weird thing- she has opened her mouth, for a moment. After Glory's praise.. she.. burped?

"Oopsy daisy. Excuse me!" she wishpered.

when they gotten to the throne, she gladly hugged Lance's tail.
'Do you think he is friendly?"

[DigoDragon]

'Do you think he is friendly?"

"Guess we'll find out." Lance took a few steps in approach to the figure.

"Greetings. I am Lance of the Equestrian guard. We were sent here on a quest, perhaps you'll be of assistance to us?"

[Theoboldi]

As Lance approaches, carrying his torch with him, he can finally make out more features of the figure before him. What he sees is not nice at all. The figure appears to be an ancient, dessicated corpse with male features, its long dried-up body nearly covered in raggedy linen wraps, and decorated with dull jewellery.

Most horrifyingly, the corpse moves as if still alive, with a strange grace and power to its motions that belies its horrific appearance.

"Foolish mortals." It groans, with a voice like sandpaper. "More dogged contenders you are, here to uncover the ancient scroll of Discord. You'll not succeed. I, the mighty Ponretep, will slay any and all challengers to my throne. Run now, and I may be merciful enough to let you escape."

[Derjuin]

"Whoa, now, let's, like, slow down a bit, yeah?" Glory says, leaping forward and skidding to a halt next to Lance. "We don't want your totally grody throne, just the scroll. Isn't there some way we can, like, come to an agreement?" She glances to Lance and Kitty, keeping a smile on her face. "If he tries anything funny, be totally ready to jump on him. I don't really expect him to, like, like my proposal."

[igordragonian]

Kitty tried to sneak around the throne whil Glory has spoken.


Body-
2+
Thief Job


[roll0]+3

[DigoDragon]

"If he tries anything funny, be totally ready to jump on him. I don't really expect him to, like, like my proposal."

"It's less a funny thing and more worry that he just attacks us," Lance whispers back. He flashes a smile to the... um, mummy-tep thing.

[Theoboldi]

As Glory and the mummy are talking, Khitty sneaks off into the dim light of the room, hiding behind the pillars. From there, she makes her way towards the throne, though she is not quite there yet.

"No." Ponretep answers in the meantime, his gaze coldly upon you. "Long ago have I stolen his scroll, and one day I shall decipher its secrets. No fool shall I share it with." With that, he jumps from his throne, dropping into a combat-ready material arts stance, hooves ready to beat you to a pulp. "Prepare yourselves. This is where you die."

Suddenly, you hear a shuffling noise above you. But as you lift your heads, it is already too late. From the ceiling, a group of three mummified ponies and two changelings drops towards Lance and Glory, landing all around them. They utterly surround the two ponies, and swiftly move in for an unarmed attack.

Meanwhile, another changeling lands in front of Khitty, cutting off her way to the throne. "Thought nobody saw you, huh? Sorry to disappoint you!" With that, he snaps his sharp teeth at her, eager to bite her.

Time for Cinematic Mode, everyone. It's time for some reactions.

Glory and Lance run the risk of being pummeled and bitten by changelings and mummies. They are surrounded on all sides.

Khitty is at risk of being painfully bitten by the changeling that is blocking her path.

[DigoDragon]

"Oh ho, well if it's a fight you, want... well I rather you didn't," Lance says as he tries to weave between swings. His combat training comes to the forefront of his mind. "Guess we're doing this the easy way." He bounds forward at one of the mummies with his hooves.

Paragon effect: When facing danger, on a 5 or 6, gain +1 Valor ([roll0])

Dodging Reaction: [roll1]+6 Body = 14

Attacking the closest mummy for his action~
[roll2], [roll3] (Skill Training (Brawl)) +6 Body = 13

[igordragonian]

Kitty tried to hop above the changeling, and to pull a horseshoe from her hat, while landing behind the changeling.



Body

[roll0]+2

[Derjuin]

"Get away!" Glory shouts, pointing her horn to the ground and kneeling as her horn begins to glow...


Casting Force Shield (lesser) (Canterlot archive), aiming it at the mummies and changelings.
[roll0] + 9 = 20 lol
10 Willp to pay

[Theoboldi]

Glory's shield deflects any and all strikes the mummies and changelings make at her, easily protecting her. Their attacks harmlessly bounce off her magic.

Sadly, Lance is not quite as lucky. Though he is quick, and able to weave in-between the swings of several of his attackers, he is still surrounded and heavily outnumbered. Several strikes and smashes hit him, though weirdly enough the mummies themselves do not seem to be really punching him. No, it's more like they simply touch him. And moments after they do, he feels a painful burning sensation run through the spots they touch, as those spots of his flesh wither from the ancient magic that animates the undead!

Khitty, meanwhile, bounds over the changeling in her way in one swift move, though she is unable to avoid taking a hit in the risky process. As she goes through the air, she feels the changeling's teeth scrape against her legs, drawing a small trickle of blood, though it's not a bad wound. Ponretep, who so far has stayed out of the battle, looks at her in worry now that she has a clear shot at him.

"Just what are you plotting?"

Lance just barely avoids taking Heavy damage, and instead takes [roll0] Average Fortitude damage.

Khitty takes [roll1] Light Fortitude damage.

Time for your actions, then!.....Though Digo has already chosen his.

[igordragonian]

Khitty clenched in pain. "My granny's toothless snail bite harder than you!" she snored to the changeling, bravely.

Khitty looked at Ponretep. "Don't ch'a you worry about a thing, Mister!"
She made a disgusting noise from her throat, as she did in one of the more festivities of Applozza- The Grand Spitting Competition!
Also very akward accident has revealed her ability which even Chrysalys didn't seemed to posses.

"KHA...TFOY TOY!" she spat toward Pontrep.



Using Signature Move- Polymorph other. The "logic" is, that with her dna on the target, she could shapeshift the target. However it's very draining.
But turning Braeburn into an alicorn princess, made Big Mac jealuse and he begged of her to spit on him... What a mess.
She gotten drunken, and Khitty doesn't even know how Braeburn turned to normal.

Anyway... if she has any control over it (and it could be fun is she isn't) she turn him into... a bunny.
Come on! This is classic!

If you decide she need to roll for shooting-

2 best of 3 ("thrown" skill) [roll0]+2

[Derjuin]

"Like, get away from him!" Glory snarls as she charges into a group of the mummies and changelings falling over Lance, hoping to give him a figurative wall to put his flank against. "You okay, Lance?" she shouts, focusing on her magic to push away the offenders.

"If you're gonna, like, fight us," Glory starts, giving Ponretep a sly grin. "Well, then we're OBVIOUSLY plotting on like, giving you a fight! Duh."

[Theoboldi]

Glory, moving uninhibited thanks to her own spell, manages to rush into position behind Lance while she keeps up her concentration, creating an obstacle between him and the warriors. With cruel curses on their lips, they quickly realize that this means they can no longer surround the two ponies.

Meanwhile, Lance goes to town on one of the mummies, his first strike dislocating the undead's jaw, and the second smacking it into one of the pillars with a loud thud. Knocked out, perhaps for good, the mummy slides down onto the ground. Luckily, Lance's armor prevents him from touching the mummy with his bare skin during all of this, which is probably for the better.

Igor, I'm not gonna ask for a roll on your signature move, giving that you can only use it once per episode. Still remember that you have to spend Valor to use it.

Also, remember to mark any changes in Valor points and any HP you lose on your character sheet. You haven't done that and it's very important. Seriously, it only takes like 15 seconds to do, and it's really important for a game like this.

Ponretep opens his mouth to answer Glory and Khitty's taunts, but before he is able to a fat wad of spit hits him squarely in the side of his head, causing him to instead utter a rather pathetic, out-of-character "Eeeeeewwwwwww......" Then, something strange happens to ancient being. In a flash of green fire, his form disappears, replaced with not a small kitten, but instead a grown changeling wearing metal hooflets and a strange, monkey-faced mask, reminiscent of Tirek. He looks at you in confusion, before green changeling fire suddenly surrounds him once again, this time leaving a small, white, cutesy bunny in his place.

The transformed 'Ponretep' looks up at Khitty, before opening his mouth, somehow speaking despite his current state, in a voice that sounds far higher pitched and completely different to his earlier one. Still, his leporine teeth do make speaking more difficult in one regard. "Oh dith ith jutht great! Well, fine! I'm not the real Ponretep! If you're tho eager to fight my mathter, come and thearth him!" With that, he suddenly makes a bound for the wall, which despite his current form he quickly runs up. It appears he's running towards a door that you can now see is set into the room's domed ceiling.

As the fake Ponretep runs away, the other changeling jumps at Khitty from behind, using the distraction to his advantage.

Meanwhile, the remaining two changelings and two mummies advance on Lance. Still, they cannot quite all attack together in unison, as there is not enough space for them to do so without getting into each other's way. They attack two at a time, hoping to exploit any opening in his defenses.

Time for reactions!

Khitty is at risk of getting jumped by the changeling. Any of her reactions are at one Drawback, due to him attacking her from behind.

Lance is at risk of getting hit by the attacking changelings and mummies.

[igordragonian]

sorry. Was posting from my phone. Now sheet updated.
So.. this whole adventure is an episode?
ugh...
welp. What a waste.


'Well, paint me up in stripes and call me a Dolly! This surely was a-" Khitty gasped and attempted to lay low, and attempted to roll away from the attack



[roll0]+1

[DigoDragon]

"There's no... de Nile of my greatness. And maybe the rest of you think you got a hoof on me, but I assure you, it's just part of my pyramid scheme to topple you all!" Lance boasts.

He backflips to dodge over the incoming strikes, then lands behind one of the changelings.
[Dodge! [roll0]+6]

Lance grabs the changeling by the hind legs in a grapple. "I sense a changeling is in the air here. Time for the Skybolt Spiral!"
[Grapple [roll1]+6]
[If Brawling skill applies: [roll2]

Lance spins around with the changeling in his grasp, using the hapless bugpony as an improvised club to whirlwind strike the entire crowd of mummies and changelings around him. "Yeehaa!"
[Spending 1 Valor for extra action]
[Skybolt Spiral [roll3]+6]
[If Brawling skill applies: [roll4]

[Theoboldi]

Khitty, despite her enemy's element of surprise, is able to avoid his attack, rolling out of the way just in time to hear him thud against the floor. She comes to rest against the solid stone throne, leaning against its worn, but once majestic carvings.

Lance, just as he planned to, exposes his back to the attacking warriors for a moment. Without hesitation, they take the bait, allowing the stallion to backflip into the air in a move that would probably be impossible without his wings and Discord's power. He easily clears them, too quick for their strikes to reach, and comes to rest in a way that puts the entire crowd between him and Glory. He looks like he is about to unleash a serious can of whoop-ass.

The bunny-changeling continues to rush towards the door set into the ceiling, pushing it open with some effort despite his diminutive size and getting ready to slip through it.

Sweet. Nobody took damage. Actions from Glory and Khitty, please. :smallbiggrin:

[igordragonian]

Kitty "Hold your horses, -bunnyling!' Kitty pulled out from her hat a horse shoe. She spinned it around her foreleg and tossed it toward the bunny.



2 best of 3 [roll0]+2

[Derjuin]

"Like, you GOT this, Kitty!" Glory shouts as she turns to the changelings and mummies pinned between herself and Lance. "How about, like, a totally awesome pincer attack? Check it, Lance!" she shouts, dropping her shield suddenly as her horn glimmers with magic once again.


Gonna drop the Shield to cast Magic Beam:

[roll0] + 9 = 16

Paying 5 Will, 5 Fort

[Theoboldi]

"Oh great, now he's making puns!" one of the changeling warriors groans as Lance advances on him, only to swiftly be grappled by the stallion and lifted off his hooves.

It is in that moment that Lance realizes something. Despite his enhanced physical abilities and increased endurance, he does not actually have super-strength. As such, rather than swinging the changeling like a club, all he is able to do is pick him up and toss him at one of the mummies. Still, it's an encounter that ends badly for both of its victims. The moment the changeling touches the mummy, his skin starts to dry up, and he is unable to remove himself from the undead before his body is fully turned into an empty, dry husk that bursts into sand. The mummy, meanwhile, tumbles back from the impact, unceremoniously bumping into one of the brightly lit braziers behind the pillars. Its bandages catch on fire, and the creature begins to emit a fearsome cry of panic as it burns to the ground, reduced to ashes.

Glory's blast, meanwhile, uses the distraction caused by this, and shoots right through the other remaining changeling and one of the mummies, tearing a large hole into both of them. From the changeling's body, a fountain of green, gooey blood erupts while sand falls from that of the mummy. Both of them fall to the ground, dead.

Only a single mummy remains. It takes a wide-eyed look at the remains of its fellow warriors, before opening its mouth in a horrific wallow of despair, filled with all the terror of undeath. You feel your courage leaving you and your blood running cold.


Meanwhile, Khitty's attempt to attack the fake Ponretep one last time sadly fails. The bunnified changeling is a very small target, and the ceiling of the room is still quite dark. As such, her throw strikes the stone just a few inches away from the bunny's head, making him scream in a rather non-masculine way. But then, he has jumped through the door and is out of reach.

The changeling behind her jumps towards Khitty once again, this time pinning her between him and the stone throne. His hooves bar her escape, and he stares her down, fangs at the ready. "Stop ignoring me! I'll feast on your love yet, little pony!"

Lance and Glory are at risk of being frightened by the mummies' howling.

Khitty is at risk of being scared by the changeling's intimidation.

Reactions, please.

[igordragonian]

Khitty blushed from Glory's praise.
"Sheesh,
sugarcube, don't feed me in middle of battle!"

All of the sudden the world crushed her into the throne- a familiar way of speech, type of body... And even mouth breath- she never forgotten the hive..
She never belonged her, and her needy attitude made her constant target for bullying.
Khitty already has missed Apploza.

But she was stronger than that! Apploza gave her the spirit of an Earth Pony!
She got heart! Strong! As! Horses!

"Oh vermin-boy, you have no idea what you are messing with- you are like a hornet who tryin' to sting a mountai' of butter!" she tried to sound bold.



Heart

[roll0]+4

[Derjuin]

"Oh, please," Glory huffs, flipping her mane over one of her eyes. "Fillyfriend, if you need to like, sit down and talk about your problems, we can, like, do that... but getting all up in like, my BUSINESS with your grody plot wailin' and terror-this and despair-that, like, it is NOT gonna happen, filly. Nuh-uh," she waves a hoof from side to side and bobs her head, narrowing her eyes.

"I do not, like, have TIME for you being this EXTRA."


Can this count as Mind, since she is reasoning that she doesn't have time to be afraid of the mummer's wail?

[roll0] + 6

[DigoDragon]

Lance's ears brushed back. The heck is this thing screaming for? Well Lance wasn't one to turn down a good bit of competition. So he takes in a deep breath and belts out his loudest royal guard battlecry from the bottom of his lungs. "FOR GLORY OF THE SUUUUUUUUUN!!"

Loudness check to drown out the enemy. [roll0]+6

[Theoboldi]

Khitty, glaring back at the changeling with all her courage, manages to unsettle him just enough to make him break off his intimidation attempt. Uncertain as he looks, there no longer is anything scary to him.

However, seeing as how he cannot frighten the target of his attack into surrender, he instead opens his maw, planning to bite down on Khitty any second now. Even worse, she is still caught between his hooves! There's not much time left until his next attack.

Meanwhile, both Glory with her stubbornness and valley attitude, and Lance with his sheer volume, manage to drown out the last mummy's scream, although Glory herself just can't help but find it a tiny bit creepy to hear still.

Seeing that its scream has had little effect, the mummy breaks off, and falls back into a more defensive martial arts stance. It seems like it is preparing for your counterattack.

Glory takes [roll0] Light Willpower damage. She couldn't use Mind on her roll and instead had to use heart. However, that didn't actually make a difference for the result of her roll.

Anyways, time for your actions, everyone. Khitty still has time for her own action before the changeling's next attack, don't you worry.

[igordragonian]

Kitty was really tempted to turn into the tentacled eldritch goo shark from the random fallout site, which apeared next to Apploza from alternate(?) future.
But this mindless drone, wasn't worth it. And she didn't wanted to challenge her new friends's ability to accept her.
"Wanna a bite, huh lil' fella? Bit THIS!" Kitty said and hack head butted herselrf right at his fangs.
This might look stupid- but Kitty's hat wasn't around just to look fancy and protect her from the sun- it contained her horse shoe collection, and the poor drone might need to visit the mummy dentist.



Body
[roll0]+2

[DigoDragon]

Lance rears back wand flaps his wings. "Block this, dead-head!" He flaps to create a windgust to knock the final opponent down to make it easy pickins' for the alicorn.


Winging it: [roll0] +6 Body, +1 Wing Power

[Derjuin]

"Like, it's time for you to re-TIRE," Glory shouts, aiming her horn at the mummy as a quick burst of magic pulses through it.


[roll0] + 9
Casting Magic Bolt, paying 5 willpower

[Theoboldi]

Khitty butts her head forward just as the evil changeling starts his bite, causing his jaw to impact rather painfully with the horseshoes underneath her hat. With a loud "YEOUCH!" the changeling flinches back, his mouth agape. Then, his fangs begin to crumble, breaking to pieces, before he topples over and loses consciousness.

Meanwhile, Lance's wing blast pushes against the mummy, who stands firm at first, but eventually is pushed off his hooves and falls to the ground. He grunts painfully, already attempting to get up, but Glory's blast puts a quick end to that. The magic squarely hits the mummy, who explodes into a cloud of dust that quickly settles onto the floor. Then, all is quiet.

Alrighty! Cinematic Mode is done for now. Back to Narrative Mode.

You now stand alone in this large chamber, flanked by several ornate, wooden pillars. The large, stone throne is empty, and one of the braziers that light this room has been knocked down during the battle. Its coals still burn brightly on the floor.

Looking around, you see two doors behind the pillars to the left of the throne, and two doors behind the pillars to the right of the throne. Across the room are the large, bronze doors that you walked in through. And up above you is the hidden door in the ceiling that the fake Ponretep fled into. From here, you can't see much more of the ceiling, as there just isn't enough light.

[igordragonian]

Khitty sighed. "Phewy, I was scared for a moment. Sugah' cubes, give me a moment, will you?"

she started to research the throne



Mind
Talented
Job Proficiency:

[roll0]+2+1+1

[Theoboldi]

As she searches the throne, Khitty quickly comes to a surprising conclusion. The seat of the throne is actually a thin sliding plate, its inlets clearly visible once some of the dust is wiped away. With some effort, she manages to drag this sliding plate out of its spot, revealing a shallow inlay the shape of a lotus blossom.

She is unable to discover any other hidden compartments or secrets at the throne.

[igordragonian]

Khitty with amaze. "Well, toss at me popcorn soup and call me a doggy- I think I have found a gold mine or samfin!"

She pulled a horseshoe from her hat, spat on it for luck, and tried to pick the thing open.






Mind
Job proficency

[roll0]+3

[DigoDragon]

"Well then, good doggy," Lance says, just following what Kitty asked to be called earlier. He'll walk over and help out.

[Harmony]

[Theoboldi]

As Khitty and Lance keep pushing and prodding at the inlay, something quickly becomes apparent to them. There actually isn't any sort of mechanism here. At least, none that is visible. There are no slits and no gears, no cracks and moveable pieces. It's just a solid depression in the throne's stone, seemingly made for a thin object the shape of a lotus blossom.

[igordragonian]

Khitty blushed being called 'doggy'.

It was akward, but it was a nice snack.

"Mmm.. Ah think we might need samfin to fit on it. Ah guess we'l have to research d'a place further."

[Derjuin]

"Now that that's done and, like, over with, let's get on to the fun stuff!" Glory says, rubbing her hooves together and grinning madly. She takes in the now-empty room, standing a while in the middle, scanning each inch of the throne area before moving to look for treasure to liberate. She looks high and low, seeking anything that shimmers in the light - or anything that might shimmer in the light, if given a modest polishing. She peers over the symbol in the throne as well, giving it a good once-over in between Kitty and Lancey.


Mind check to look for shinies that might be worth something:

[roll0] + 6 (Also gain Advantage on treasure finding)

[Theoboldi]

Glory gives the whole room a good look over, not finding much of material value at all. The throne is made entirely of stone, the braziers are wrought from cheap iron and bronze, and everything else is either stone or ancient wood. The carvings of Celestia and Luna's many battles against the forces of evil that cover the pillars are quite beautiful and ornate, but it'd be impossible to remove them without ruining them.

Indeed, Glory finds nothing much at all until she observes the ceiling. Just across the room from the hidden door that the bunny changeling escaped through, facing the exit of the temple, there is another door in the ceiling. This one must lead to the lower of the two balconies. The dust between the two doors seems to swirl somewhat oddly, but you cannot make out more than that in the dim light of your torches.

[DigoDragon]

"Research the place... right. That is... the fun part..." Lance was pretty unconvinced.

He looks around the room, maybe there's a hidden doorway around. [roll0]+1

[Theoboldi]

Though you continue searching for several minutes, exploring each and every nook and cranny of the room, you find only one thing. As Lance lifts off into the air to search for potential further doors there, he suddenly collides with something that is hanging invisible in the air. The impact is quite painful, and sends him tumbling to the ground.

Lance takes [roll0] light Fortitude damage.

Thankfully, it is not too much of a drop, so he does not get hurt too badly. Now that he's looking more closely though, he can see the dust settling around some sort of large, rectangular object in the air between and just below the ceiling doors. Sadly, in the dim light of your torches you cannot make out much more of it.

Otherwise, it seems you'll have to make a choice between one of the four doors on the ground floor leading deeper into the ruins, the door leading to the lower balcony, and the door that the bunny changeling used. Either that, or you could go back through the massive double doors you came in through, though you imagine that would leave you at the mercy of a very unhappy discord. And somehow, you're getting the feeling that you've wasted enough time in this room as is. Whatever have your enemies been up to in this time, you wonder?

[igordragonian]

"Should we catch the vermin-bunny?"

[DigoDragon]

"Actually, there's something up there," Lance points out from the ground. He flies back up, albeit slower this time, and feels out for it. "Just bumped into something invisible."

[Derjuin]

"Hrm. So, like, nothing doing down here. But what's, like, up with up there?" Glory asks, tilting her head to the side. She kneels down, as if looking like she's about to jump, but slowly stands back up as two bulges slowly form and then fade away under her cloak. "Do you have, like, any rope or something? Don't let the ladies like, have to wait! SO uncool." She flashes a grin to Kitty and waves a hoof in her direction.

[Theoboldi]

With some care, and again taking a few minutes, Lance is able to feel out the object. It appears to be some kind of invisible stone bridge, spanning the distance between the two higher doors.

Meanwhile, Khitty discovers, to her surprise, a coil of rope inside her hat that she had not noticed before. How strange.

[igordragonian]

Kitty blinked. She was tempted to expose herself.. but...

"Ehh.. Ah got a rope! Ah think?" she said confused pulling the rope.

[DigoDragon]

"Seems to be an invisible bridge between these upper doors," Lance explains. He makes his way down. "Well where do you want to go, up or down?"

[igordragonian]

"Ah bet d'a fancy stuff are up." Kitty said, and tied a horseshoe to the rope.


'Heeee haaaw!". She yelled spinning the rope, and throwing it up, hoping to use the horse shoe will stuck on samfin.






Hot bod+throw stuff skill
[rollv]2d6[rollv/]+3

[DigoDragon]

Lance will work in harmony, assisting with a bump on the horseshoe trajectory to latch on.

[Theoboldi]

Luckily, as it turns out, the invisible bridge is quite large and Khitty is easily able to throw her horseshoe onto it with Lance's help. It is caught on the other side of the bridge, and with one firm pull you confirm it to be secure. You can't help but think that Lance could have just flown up and attached the rope by himself, but somehow that seems far less cool.

In the far distance, you swear you can hear faint applause for a moment, sounding not unlike a certain draconequus. Then, it is gone, leaving you with the distinct impression that Discord enjoyed you showing off.

Either way, you climb up the rope together, finding yourself miraculously standing on invisible ground. Your hooves are a little wobbly, as you can never quite tell just how much space you actually have available to walk on, but at least the bridge appears to be straight and sturdy. Still, the choice between heading deeper into the complex, after the bunny changeling, or heading for the balcony remains.

[igordragonian]

Khitty blushed, and bowed and pulled down her hat. "Geesh. Thanks Sugah Cube." then she frowned and putted back the hat. 'But you still a vermin, if you ask me!" and then followed/clinged to Lance.



"Why in tarnation would a pony build an invisble bridge? It's the stupidest thing I have seen, ever since, I'v seen Pink Lady's cosplaying as cousin Big Mac." Khitty complained as she pushed forward.

"Ah say, let's avoid the fuzzy vermin- he probably up to no good!"

[Derjuin]

Looking between the doors, Glory nods toward the door that heads toward the balcony, waiting first for the winged member of their trio to take the lead as she certainly did not want to fall off the invisible platform.

"Like, let's try the balcony first. See if anything important or shiny or expensive is out there, yeah?" She points a hoof off toward the door, then gently sets it down once she finds sturdy ground again. "Totally calling dibs on, like, the expensive stuff," Glory chirps with a grin.

[igordragonian]

'If it can hug ya, I am calling my thunder dibs on it!"

[Theoboldi]

After carefully making your way across the invisible bridge, you open the door without any resistance, and step out on a small, empty balcony overseeing the desert. Right above you, another outlook juts out of the temple. There is no furniture or anything of the sort here.

[DigoDragon]

"What is a thunder dibs? And why is everything vermin?" Lance asks. Sheesh, why are all the cute ones also the weird ones?

"Well I'm not seeing anything useful here. I mean, we're looking for a scroll, so it's gotta be in a secured room. Probably down below, but then it makes sense to store the keys to it above."

[igordragonian]

'Ah see, you don't do gambling much, Mister. Huh?'' Khitty chuckled. 'It's term from the most popular game at Apploza's casino. Y'know. Endermyth Poker?' Khitty has explained, and clinged to him. 'I'll show you someday.'
She looked above.
'We could check d'a next outlook, if you asking me.' she pointed upward.

[DigoDragon]

"Eh, they don't like us gambling back at the castle. Well, not ON duty anyway. We sometimes play for duties." Lance looks up, but decides against it.

"Nah, I think going outside might give Discord the wrong impression that we'd escape. Let's just take one of the doors there. Should be stairs somewhere."

[igordragonian]

Khitty nodded. 'Well, I'll put my bet on you, Lance Sir!"

[Derjuin]

"Like, how about that one?" Glory posits, pointing a hoof toward the right-side door flanking the throne below them. "We'll use the right-hoof rule. We'll, like, keep going right, until we hit a dead end, and then turn around and just keep going right." She trots up to the edge of the invisible platform, testing first with her hooves to make sure each hoofstep finds solid purchase, and kneels down.

[DigoDragon]

"I think that rule will work, but maybe we could check toe doors up here first?" Lance says. He looks to Kitty. "I didn't take you for the betting type of mare."

He goes over to the nearest door on the bridge level, and prods it carefully to check if anything is off about it.

[Theoboldi]

Glory, in testing out the edge of the bridge, almost loses her balance, the lack of visible ground really screwing with her head. She manages to catch herself just in time, but with every passing second up here she is starting to get a bad feeling. Best to get off this dangerous structure as soon as possible.

As such, Lance quickly flutters over to the other side, carefully prodding the door that is there. It doesn't provide much resistance, and easily opens an inch. No traps seem to have been set off either, so you decide to go ahead and open it fully. Beyond, you find yourself entering from the side into a dark corridor.

It trails off to the left and to the right, reaching two doors each on both ends, which appear to be located just above the doors on the floor below. One on each side looks far more ornately carved than any of the other doors you have seen yet. Straight ahead, across from where you stand, there is another door, located right above where the throne is.

Looks like coming up here has only increased your number of options from 5 to 9! Still, going with the right-hoof rule might work.

If anyone says they're going with the right-hand rule, I'll go ahead without waiting for the rest of the party's input. :smalltongue:

[igordragonian]

'Well, it's sure darn hard to choose from, just like the time I was the judge for d'a beauty pig contest. Let's go right.'

[Theoboldi]

Together, you climb back down the rope, happy to no longer have to spend time on the precarious invisible bridge. Once on the bottom floor, you then go ahead and step into the rightmost door, figuring you have to start somewhere.

You enter a big room which's walls are lined with tables, along with small-wheeled carts containing bottles, flasks and pots of various shapes. Artwork inlaid on the walls depicts monks artfully massaging one another. You suspect that just that has taken place in this room in the past.

Two large clay statues that are vaguely pony-like in shape, but lack any sort of facial features or cutie marks are also here, standing stiffly in the middle of the room. Across the room, there is a starway leading up.

Suddenly, with a harsh grumbling sound, the two statues animate and march towards you. "Would you care for a massage?" one of them growls in a harsh, grinding, but oddly affable tone of voice as they march towards Khitty with thunderous steps.

[igordragonian]

Khitty blinked, and then smiled.
'Well... why not? How could this ever go wrong, right guys?' she turned to her friends, and stepped toward the massagist elder thing.

[DigoDragon]

"I could think of a couple things..." Lance whispers back to her.

[igordragonian]

"Really? How?"

[DigoDragon]

"Really? How?"

"They could be as gentle as statues," Lance answers.

[igordragonian]

'Now that just racist!'

[DigoDragon]

"But... they're statues?"

[igordragonian]

"And d'at why you assume d'y evil? What in tarnation is wrong with you mister?"

[Derjuin]

"Considering, like, where we are? They probably have, like, some kind of security setting. Or are totally calibrated for massaging, like, undead things? What if it, like, totally tries to wrap you up and turn you into something that's, like, grody to the MAX?" Glory gags and sticks her tongue out, then shakes her head. "I'll, like, go to the salon after this, I think," she then looks around to see if there are any other exits to the room.

[Theoboldi]

Glory, in the few seconds she has to look around as the statues approach, is unable to find any other exists other than the door she came in through, and the stairs leading upwards at the other side of the room.

Then, the golems, who have not commented on any of your talk so far, reach Khitty. In a speedy movement that belies their massive size, one of them stands up on its hind legs, before wrapping its now free front hooves around Khitty. There is a painful smacking sound as the massive stone arms crush the changeling, making her feel as if she is in a massive vise. These statues are playing very rough.

Then, with firm steps, the statue begins carrying the painfully crushed Khitty to one of the tables, its companion in tow. Their deep, rumbling voices once again ring out, sounding rather odd.

"Massage. Y-You will....will have...m-m-m-masssssssssaaaaaaaaaagggggggggggg-"

"Relax-Relax-Relax-Relax-Relax-Relax-Relax-Relax-Relax-"

Khitty takes [roll0] light Fortitude damage from the statue's harsh grip.

We are now entering Cinematic Mode. Make your actions, everyone!

[igordragonian]

"Now, Glory! That we call in Apploza friggin profiling!
And that just wrong as pineapple on a pi-" Khitty's argument was cut short by the statues.
"Aaahhhh! What in tarnation? Stop that! You are squashing me into a cider, you rock heads!"
Khitty yelled in pain and squirmed under their hold.

She decided to try a new trick. Something noling, and probably nopony have never tried before.


"Look out, behind you!" and pointed behind the statues.



Heart

[roll0]+3

[DigoDragon]

"Sigh, its always the cute ones." Lance spreads his wings and takes off toward them. He swoops in front of the one holding Kitty to try and pull her to safety.


Fly By grab, [roll0]+6

[Derjuin]

"Like, and what does that make me?" Glory huffs at Lance, before surveying her surroundings a little more closely. There should be something around to maybe turn the golems off... "Let's see if we can, like, shut them down maybe?"


Mind check: [roll0] + 6

[Theoboldi]

The two golems actually turn their heads when Khitty tells them to look back, all the while continuing their march towards the workbench unabated. "M-m-m-m-m-m-massaaaaaaaaaaaage?" one of them asks at the sight of nothing.

Then, Lance shoots forward, and snatches Khitty right out of the statue's mighty hooves, carrying her away from her assailants.

Meanwhile, Glory looks around the room as quickly as she can, but is unable to find anything that might help her deactivate these titans. Most likely, they are intrinsically enchanted to perform their current actions, with the only way to deactivate them being to disenchant or to destroy them. Neither of which seems to easy. Luckily, they also are too big to fit through the stairway or the door, so leaving the room should be enough to rid yourselves of them.

Still, there is one helpful thing that Glory finds. Looking more closely at the various bottles and flasks lying in the room's baskets, many of them seem to be filled with massage oils, which you imagine are quite slippery. There also appear to be herbal wraps and soothing muds, most of which appear to have gone bad. If only you had some time to look through them and determine which ones are still good.

The golems, seeing that their patient has been taken from them, proceed to advance towards Lance and Khitty with their quick, but ponderous moves. "Relax-Relax-Relax-Relax-Relax-Relax-Relax-" One of them picks up a large basket full of pots and flasks and throws it at the two of them. "NURTURE YOUR SKIN."

Time for some reactions!

Lance and Khitty run the risk of taking a large basket full of bottles and clay pots to the face.

Glory is safe, as the golems seem to not be concerned about her.

[igordragonian]

Khitty hugged, clinging to Lance

'Woha! Saving dames and all that is part of your daily job, eh?' she smiled charmed.

Her eyes widened.
'I got this. Sugarcube.' she pulled a horseshoe from her hat and tried to toss it at circualar movement, to break all the pots thrown at them



[roll0]+3

[DigoDragon]

"Like, and what does that make me?" Glory huffs at Lance[/COLOR]

"You're the pretty one, of course!" Lances says with a big smile. And then the clay pot is sailing his way.

He flaps his wings to bank left. "Eep! Evasive maneuvers!"



[roll0]
+6 Body
+1 Wingpower

[Derjuin]

"Like, get up the stairs! Quick!" Glory shouts out as she gallops over to a basket of massage oils and yanks it up off the floor with her mouth. With a grunt, she swings her head to the side and releases the basket, hoping her aim isn't too far off...


Mind or Body? Mind to aim, body to throw?
Mind over Matter? :smalltongue:

[roll0] +1 or +6

[Theoboldi]

Throwing the oils is a Body check, but it's an easy DC 5 one. Which you actually failed, but that's owing to a pretty crappy roll. Even Lance would have failed on his reaction with that kind of roll, so don't feel too bad.

Lance deftly moves out of the way of the approaching basket, getting himself to safety just in time.

Khitty, meanwhile, decides to throw her horseshoe-filled hat at the basket in an attempt to break it apart. And to her credit, she gets a pretty good hit. Several of the jars inside are shattered, and the projectile is knocked slightly off-target, but not enough for it to miss Khitty. It still glances her side, covering her partially in old, moldy mud as it does. It's slightly painful, but not too bad.

Then, Glory steps forth and throws a still full basket of oils at the golems, but in the heat of the battle and the gloom of her surroundings she ends up missing them just barely. The flasks shatters on the floor creating a rather large puddle of slippery oil right next to the massive statues.

Khitty takes [roll0] light Fortitude damage.

Glory already took her action on this turn, but Khitty and Lance still need to take theirs.

[igordragonian]

'Dang it!" Khitty cursed, her head spinned for a moment, and instead of stars, tiny hearts spinned above her head, before she came back to her senses.
'Hey, D rated massagists! Come and massage me!" she tried to taunt them, and then to hop and jump and lead them into the oily puddle



Heart?

[roll0]+3

[DigoDragon]

Lance will swoop over to pick up Kitty over the oil, assisting her efforts to entice the baddies to chase.

[Acting in Harmony]

[Theoboldi]

The golems keep their heads fixed on Lance and Khitty, following them without any further thought. Due to this, they end up stepping onto the patch of oil Glory created, causing them to slip. Their massive clay bodies topple over, and once they lie on the floor they struggle to get back up.

"Emergency! Our movement is impaired!"

"Relax-Relax-Relax-"

Though they are thrashing about as ever, none of their strikes are able to hit any of you. This might be your chance to get out before they get up!

Alright. No reactions this round, since there is no danger for anyone! Let's just have everyone's normal actions which will probably end this encounter.

[igordragonian]

Khitty clinged to Lance.
"HEEEEEEEEEEEEE YAAW! We bound them, like a real Cow-Ponies! Easy as knit picking for a kitten in her sleep!"
she paused.
"Let's grab some of those bottles, they might be as useful, as apple pie, in Apple Family convection!'

[DigoDragon]

"I say we just get going while we have the chance," Lance says. He'll fly them out of the danger room.