Celestia's Finest: Comrades in Arms

[Miltonian]

The party forms up and moves out, ready to face whatever should come. United in purpose and...friendship? Maybe. Mutual respect at least. Your friendship mileage may vary with anyone except Love.

Anyways! Onwards, through the creepy, twisting tunnel they go! And as they do, a rancid smell begins to come from up ahead as well as a cold, dead blue light.

[Elbeyon]

Scomm (EDF), "Can't shoot you. Love you." She thinks, "The cultist did say something about being too late. Nightmares, huh. I didn't expect that."

Love flutters around and stands on her hoofs. The little artistic wings on her hoofs rest against her ankles. She reaches down to help Longshot stand up. Scomm (EDF), "We used Tangler." Six hexes of tangler remain. Love makes a note to come back and destroy it.

Scomm (EDF), "Let me catch you up." Love gives Longshots the few details he missed. She picks up his gun and hoofs it to him. She smiles at him. ""Would you like me to test you on your lip reading? Not trying to brag, but that was a pretty flower back there. I'd love to see the cultist make one of those in a hurry!"

[DigoDragon]

Rose remains quiet during the banter, concentrating on her surroundings for danger.

Perception (3d6)[13]

[D.KnightSpider]

Longshot accepts the help up and the rifle. Once re-equipped and secured, he moves forward and takes the lead. Under the circumstances, ghosting forward seems unwise so he remains with the pack.

'Given how skilled you've become, I doubt that they'd be able to mimic your use of holograms. It was a nice display." The answer goes over silent comm. "Now, let's focus on the task at hoof. Things are still dicey."

He makes sure his suit is sealed.

Spoiler: I See Smells

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Perception
(3d6)[3][5][2](10) VS 16

[userpay]

"Welcome back from whatever that was." Brazen grunts. Still if they could break in that easily that didn't spell good things for the rest of the op. As they tromp along the earth pony keeps his eyes pealed.

Perc (3d6)[10] vs 15 (12 + 3 hyper)

[Miltonian]

The group moves forward, keeping a wary eye on their surroundings, as the tunnel gives way to a carved stone passage. The smell intensifies, a sickly sweetness that is alluring in its own right. The onboard sensors in Love's bots identify it as a rare, exotic form of incense.

They draw up to the threshold of a great room filled with robed figures laying on their faces before a massive statue of a griffon whose form is fuzzy, indistinct, and blurred save for the hard, crisp lines of a plague doctor mask over his face. In front of it, between the statue and the cultists, is a glowing circle surrounding by burning braziers, from which come the scent. The cultists are hidden in robes, but from their shapes Harrier Squad can identify both ponies and griffons.

They show no reaction or knowledge of the EDF's presence.

[D.KnightSpider]

Longshot begins the process of quietly swapping out his grenade payload. Anti-Magic and explosives were the order of the day.

He swaps over to Stun on his rifle.

Subvocal EDF Comm: "Running battle plans now. Any idea what they're doing with the spells?"

Spoiler: Prepping For Battle!

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Perception
(3d6)[4][5][2](11) VS 16

Tactics
(3d6)[5][1][2](8) VS 17

[DigoDragon]

Rose pulls up her gas mask over her face and then studies the ritual to make out what they're doing.

Thaumaturgy (3d6)[9]

[Elbeyon]

Love wants the lowdown on what happen from Longshot's perspective, but she can hold off since they have important matters to attend to first.

She is probably too far away to SCAN anything?

Love might as well check her database to see if anything comes up on the mysterious griffon? The iconic mask might lend her a clue.

If she has time, she gives the ritual a look over herself.

Spoiler: Roll

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Research?
(3d6)[12] vs 16 (Research) +2 (Program)

[Miltonian]

Longshot runs through some battle plans and determines that a strong, sweeping area attack, with Harrier Squad taking cover by the side of the door, will allow them to clear the room of hostiles within seconds. The room the cultists are in is devoid of cover whereas the doorframe will provide good cover for them. Furthermore, the faster they eliminate the 'cultists', or so they seem, the less time they will have to mutate or work their magic on the squad.

Grenades and full-auto sweeps of fire seem to be the order of the day.

As for what spell they are using, it is unusual in that it seems to be incomplete. It is definitely necromancy, necromancy of the highest order, but if a spell were a sentence, this would be only a single letter.

And the statue is one of Maar's many different depictions, one associated with suffering, poverty, and 'rebirth', which is a thinly-veiled metaphor for undeath.

[DigoDragon]

necromancy

necromancy of the highest order

Silent Comm (EDF), 'Necromancy ritual in progress. Unfinished spell. Advise we take them out.'

[Elbeyon]

Scomm (EDF), "The statue is the fourth griffon." Winter and death. "Associated with suffering, poverty, and becoming undeath." Love of course has her weapon on Stun. She isn't taking a chance with body snatchers around.

[D.KnightSpider]

It can be assumed that the squad received a cliff notes version of Longshot's experience during the trip to the ritual room.

EDF Comm (Subvocal): "Take cover by the door and shoot to sweep the area. Hard and fast." Longshot pushes the battle plan to the group. "On three."

He counts down with hoof signals and then launches the attack!

Spoiler: Suuuurprise!

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This is sure to backfire because the situation might be an illusion.

Attack: All Rolls are VS 32 -Distance (17 Skill +14 Gunslinger +5 Weapon Mods -2 Move and Attack)

(3d6)[4][1][1](6)
(3d6)[2][3][1](6)
(3d6)[4][1][6](11)
(3d6)[2][4][1](7)
(3d6)[6][3][6](15)
(3d6)[3][6][1](10)
(3d6)[1][2][3](6)
(3d6)[3][3][3](9)
(3d6)[2][4][1](7)
(3d6)[5][2][6](13)

Damage
(6d6)[6][5][6][1][1][3](22)
(6d6)[2][4][3][2][6][1](18)
(6d6)[2][5][3][1][2][3](16)
(6d6)[2][3][5][4][5][2](21)
(6d6)[1][1][5][2][5][6](20)
(6d6)[1][5][5][1][6][5](23)
(6d6)[3][1][3][6][2][3](18)
(6d6)[6][4][2][3][4][3](22)
(6d6)[5][5][6][4][3][4](27)
(6d6)[5][4][5][4][5][3](26)

[Elbeyon]

Love will take her placement near Longshot and gives herself some door cover.

On the mark, she fires her GL at her ponies.

Spoiler: Fire

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GL (Sleep)
(3d6)[9] vs 22 = 14 (GL) +4 (Floor) + 4 (Targeting) +x? (aim time?)

[DigoDragon]

Rose takes careful shots, shooting at the cultists in her arc of the sweep.


Rifle (3d6)[8]
(Base skill 18, firing 12 shots in bursts)

[userpay]

Brazen braces as his underslung launcher whumps out several tanglers in short order.

Spoiler

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40mm Tanglers, three shots, ideally against different targets though not sure how that affects accuracy or is possible at this rate of fire. If at a single target then one of the more threatening seeming ones.
Grenade launcher (3d6)[11] vs 20

[Miltonian]

The barrage lays waste to the room. All the cultists go down, one way or another. Stunned, shot, or bound, they are no longer a threat. They lay in much the same way, unconscious or otherwise, but all still kneel before the statue.

However, the circle does not go away. It doesn't change either, so the situation does not grow worse, but it does not go away.

[DigoDragon]

However, the circle does not go away. It doesn't change either, so the situation does not grow worse, but it does not go away.

Rose ponders if there's a way to break the circle without causing catastrophic repercussions?

Thaumatology (3d6)[11] vs. 15

[D.KnightSpider]

Longshot puts some stun bolts into those cultists whom retain their consciousness. It's best to ensure they're all incapacitated.

"Is there a way to break the circle without causing catastrophic damage?" He asks.

[DigoDragon]

"Is there a way to break the circle without causing catastrophic damage?" He asks.

"Checking..." is Rose's reply to that question as she tries to work out the answer.

[Elbeyon]

Love ponders the question herself. She gives the portal a SCAN.

She checks on one of the cultists and makes a plan on how to effectively move them away from the portal. If they seem safe to move, Love will move them away from the magical portal.

Spoiler: Roll

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Occultism
[rolll]3d6[/roll] vs 14 (Occultism)

Thaumatology
[rolll]3d6[/roll] vs Thaumatology

[Miltonian]

Rose determines that it would take a significant amount of time to safely disable the circle. Unsafely disabling it, however, would be faster. And very, very dangerous. It could be done in as short as ten minutes, though.

Love's SCAN reveals that it is not a portal. It is not summoning anything. "It is, however, a spell fragment," Little Twi says, "Specifically, this is the sort of circle someone would set up to feed into a much larger spell."

The cultists do seem safe to move and Love can start doing so.

[Elbeyon]

Love moves the cultists to safety. Love says to her armor, "Thanks, Little Twi. What would we do without you?"

While she is working, she scomms (EDF), "The spell isn't a portal or a summoning. Little Twi says the circle is a component, a spell fragment. It could be used in part to power a much larger spell." Love begins searching and tapping up the cultists. "It'd be nice to know what is going on here. Anyone see any clues? Maybe, we could wake one of the ponies up and ask?"

[D.KnightSpider]

"Then indications are that there are other cells located elsewhere also involved in the ritual." Longshot says via EDF Subvocal Comm: "Which is just great. Love, let me and Brazen take over trussing the cultist turkeys. You do your search routine."

Longshot puts actions to words.

[DigoDragon]

"Disabling this safely will take a lot of time. However, that's time the cult gets to finish whatever they're doing."

"My suggestion is to buck safety and blow this thing now to deprive the cult of this fragment. Move everyone away and set explosives where I indicate."

[D.KnightSpider]

"Alright, slight amendment to the plan. Brazen, you start setting the explosives. Love and I will get the ponies out of range."

Longshot starts hauling other pony and Corvid flanks out of the explosion radius.

[Elbeyon]

Love makes sure she is recharged and reloads her gun. She reminds Rose to take a battery if she is low on fuel. She has been sling around some spells.

Scomm (EDF), "The circles might all use the same incense. Group discount. I also picked up scent trails in another tunnel. Their may have been more splits on the way here which could give ponies room to hide." She says in response to Longshot, "Roger. I'll focus on searching."

Scomm (EDF), "It seems like we're in a crunch. If the cultist are knocked out, do we need to destroy the circle?"

Love begins her search. She puts BugBots on the EDF so she can watch them work as they move around. That should save her some mental energy. The swarm of buggers spills out of her bag and marches away from her crawling over and into everything. They crawl over the rocks below and above, cultists, and every piece of furniture except the funky magical statue.... which she will now SCAN. If that seems safe, she'll start searching that as well.

Spoiler

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Search
(3d6)[12]
vs 13 (Search: Sight) + 2/3 (Infra/Hyper) +x (Telescopic 5)
vs 13 (Search: Hearing) +x (Telescopic 5)
vs 13 (Search: Smell/taste) or 18 (Sensor) + 4 (BugBot/Hound)
vs 13 (Search: Touch)

Terahertz
(3d6)[6] vs 16 (Sensor) +2 (Software)

[DigoDragon]

Rose will mark spots for Brazen to set explosives to maximize disruption on this piece of the spell.

[Miltonian]

By 'very dangerous', Rose is decently sure that, if disturbed, the backlash won't be contained to the cave. Or to the subterranean world. If this goes off improperly, the whole island and everyone on it will die and come back as zombies. Which will make a great theme park, but suck for those on the island.

This is really something that should be done properly.

Furthermore, Love sees Little Twi shaking her head. "A spell of this magnitude would require rituals across an entire region, not a single island." As for the statue, she says, "That is a statue! It is made of slate and carved in the likeness of Maar, griffon god of death and undeath. Legends about him include...."

[Elbeyon]

Love keeps searching. She peaks an eye at what Little Twi says.

Scomm (EDF), "Update. The massive spell itself requires area. There are probably rituals on other islands." Love makes sure she sends the information Longshot's way that way he gets the exact wording on everything.

Love puts a hoof to her mouth. She, mwhahahas to her armor and says to Little Twi, "That is a statue! Thank you, Little Twi." The fuzzy, blurry form probably isn't magic then, but an artist take on the griffon.