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Illiad Easle

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Everything posted by Illiad Easle

  1. @Blitz Boom (Changelings) Grey Mare led them out the back door of the Stacked Deck so they could return to the judgement hall without being seen from the plaza, entering the citadel of retribution from a disguised portion of the wall. Once they were in a private room Grey sat across a desk from Yannit, "Your blindfold was swapped. I think Ninja wanted more direct access to our information, which makes it all the more important that we bring him in sooner rather than later. We'll need to get you a new one before we send you back out, but that won't take long." She leaned forward, "Tell me, did you see anything suspicious about Vengeance Pointer or her companions? Do you think she can be trusted to keep you and other agents safe?" (Null) "Well, I think the best way to explain this is that shadow specters aren't really entities per-say, rather, an individual is made up of several smaller pieces forming a consciousness collectively. Typically one can grow more powerful, stronger, either through simple growth, or by absorbing and dominating other weaker specters. When a specter becomes sufficiently large they are considered a King. They spin off parts of themselves to form Knights, whose purpose is to serve and defend their King. I was spun off of a King who calls himself the Black Knight. Nibiru and Nemesis were also spun off of my King. While I am older than the both of them, I never had much opportunity to grow, so I am less powerful." "Anyway, yes, King Wonder is a progenitor of creatures like me, as you say. His Knights are known for being very independent." Returning to the party, it seemed to be ramping up, many creatures moving towards the dance floor. If Null wandered enough, she'd eventually find a small alcove where Ninja was waiting for her. As she was looking for him, he would be able to see her and would motion for her to join him. He didn't take her to the room this time, instead electing to keep watch over the ponies passing without noticing either of them. "You're back sooner than expected. I assume you met Grey Mare in the lobby? We couldn't see her, but you did stop in the lobby then come right back. So it's not hard to assume she was there but hidden." "So, did she come back with an offer?" (Plaza) Mongoose would catch up to Arcade in the crowd. It seemed they were right on time too, as a number of chips began to rain from above as though they had been tossed from the top of the tower. They did slow as though passing through a barrier just a bit above the crowd, so as to not injure anyone they would hit. But Arcade was quick enough to nab a chip that another member of the crowd did not hold onto very tightly. By the time they noticed it was missing, Arcade was already moving towards the door to enter the Stacked Deck. (Hotel) Ardee had intended to enter their room, find it empty, and lament to no one that she had been left behind. But, seeing that the room was not empty, she immediately drew her bow, lodging an arrow in the wall next to the kitsune's paw. A second arrow already knocked as she spoke, "Best if you left." Before the kitsune could leave though, another entered the scene, the pegasus from before standing in the door, "One of Basher's minions no doubt. What, setting a trap for them to return to?" He would turn to call down the hallway to the staff, "Help! Someone's broken into one of the rooms!" (Void) (You swapped Ardee and Toupé both here and below) The foals were curious as to the boxes, and would try to touch whatever new thing came into reach, but the would stop if they were told not to, content to watch as Void set up the decorations. Though she would have to deal with at least one case of Piecey pulling down one of the decorations with her magic, as well as one case of Peal hovering a short distance off the ground trying to jump high enough to see the hung decorations. (School) She nodded, "Try not to be making this a habit, yes?" Toupé smiled and turned to look at it again, "Yeah, it just seemed... right? I don't know." she shrugged, "I guess it's part of getting it? That you see yourself differently?" (You'll have to remind me about their lunches at lunch time) Once everyone was seated Gypsum would begin the lesson proper, "Welcome, welcome, we will begin the lesson now." She motioned to the posters around the room, "As this one was saying to those here before, today the lesson will be on how it-is to come-of-age for other species. This one hopes that you will see what-is same, and what-is different. Each of you will pick a poster to learn from, then all will share what they learned with the class." She moved to stand in front of the pony poster, blocking it as an option, "You may choose now, try to pick different things, not just one you already know." (Cherish can have first pick, or you can have others take ideas from her if there is one you want to know more about, but don't think she would be interested in. I'll fill in who beats her to which poster if you choose that route.)
  2. @Skylight Scintillate Nova met her hoof and shook it, blushing a bit, "It's... um... it's nice to meet you too." Speckle's enthusiasm helped him to quickly overcome his nervousness. Quickly looking at all of the things that Speckle pointed to. "I think it's all really neat! It's super high up here, going up the mountain in the train was fun, I'm sure you can see so far away from up here!" To answer what they should do first, he'd adjust his bag on his back, "Maybe, um, we could go put my stuff away first? Oh! I should also say goodbye too." Nightwing would salute Nightsky and both Nightwing and Indigo would accept Radiant's offered hoof. Indigo would speak up, "It's a pleasure to meet you both in person too, though I can see my initial impressions of you were not wrong. You do seem to be as polite as your letters suggested." She would spare a glance over to the younger ones before continuing, "Unfortunately, Nova didn't sleep as much as I would have liked on the trip over, so you may need to convince them to rest earlier than usual so he can adjust. While Canterlot is only one time zone off of the colony, It would still do him some good to take some time to adjust."
  3. @Evil Pink One (I'm going to assume this does not include leaving the room) Their neighbors would waste little time leaving their room, immediately heading south towards New Pegas. @GeneralDirection The other group, which consisted of a unicorn stallion and a pair of gryphons, were headed immediately out of town in the direction that the two of them had come from. That was to say: directly towards New Pegas. While they weren't traveling especially fast, they would quickly get away if the two of them didn't get a move on soon. @Props Valroa By the time she was suited up the remaining spawn had been dealt with. If Carnelian decided to look at them she would find that, at least physically, they were normal ponies, just with the colors washed out and faded, and their marks blurred beyond recognition. They seemed to have the glowing purple dust deep in their coats, though it would spread just with the wind. It seemed like these spawn could prove to be quite the vector for the powder to be spread if not contained by the troops. If she did not investigate, or after leaving them, the soldiers would burn the bodies from a distance so as to not come into contact with the powder. The city stood before her, and it seemed quieter than it had the previous day. maybe if she were stealthy enough she could gather the items without being spotted by the spawn within?
  4. @Evil Pink One (Blu) Blu would spin when Alpha suddenly appeared behind him, likely striking her with the end of his rifle in the process. Once she seemed to be in control of herself again he nodded, "And don't you forget it." He'd motion for her to lead the way back to the tower, on the one hand because he didn't want to let her out of his sight, and on the other because he didn't know the way back to the tower. But he wasn't about to admit to that. (Fuoco) Fuoco's expression softened, slightly. "I consider her escape an inexcusable failure, but the fault is not entirely yours. I should have seen her betrayal coming, been ready for it. I won't be so easily defeated a second time." Her expression hardened at the commotion. She would move to investigate, "Anyone in this party dies, I'll hold her personally responsible. Keep this group moving, but be safe about it. I've no doubt we're walking into a trap."
  5. @Skylight Scintillate Nova was excited to read the last letters, as it meant that it was time for him to start traveling! His mom put his sister in the care of some of the other thestrals, and soon they were off. First, the two of them flew towards Mohotma city, where they would get on a boat to take them to Las Pegasus, since Nova was still too young to fly all the way from the Shimmerwood to Las Pegasus. Once in Las Pegasus, they would be able to take the train and rest from their travels for a bit as they made their way into Canterlot. Though Nova was a bit too excited to really rest during the journey, especially as the train climbed the mountain into Canterlot itself. Even as the sun was setting it was resplendent, reminding him to put his sunglasses on as they prepared to disembark the train. At the station, they might recognize another thestral arrive, dressed in the uniform of the Canterlot City Night Guard he also watched over the platforms, scanning the passengers as they moved about the station. He wouldn't approach the Scotia family unless they spoke to him first. Eventually, Nova's train arrived. Nova would want to fly up to get a better view, but his mother would caution him to stay low, follow the other passengers, so as to not cause trouble. Soon enough though they could see the fountain that the family was waiting for them at, if Speckle hadn't gone up to him first. Nova would wave at them otherwise before approaching, seemingly taking all of his willpower to not explode in excitement as the thestral from before moved quietly up to his mother to share an affectionate nuzzle. Nova would bow in greeting before getting a bit nervous, "Um... hi!"
  6. @Skylight Scintillate I think they would have only two or four passenger platforms, and maybe a separate station elsewhere for cargo and military use.
  7. @Skylight Scintillate I don't think it will make any difference really.
  8. @Skylight Scintillate Not that it changes anything, but doesn't Canterlot have only one rail line into the city? At least, that's all that's shown in the show, and it makes sense given how high up the mountain Canterlot is. While I still expect the station would be opulent, twelve platforms seems like a lot. Although, if they have a second line exclusively for trains descending the mountain, then maybe they could have use of 12 platforms, especially if the trains need to have a smaller car to engine ratio given the climb.
  9. @Blitz Boom (Null) "You're lucky to be alive. You are the first to actually survive disappearing when he is involved." She turned her attention towards Null, "I expect you had something to do with that." There was no one else in the lobby, and it seemed like she wanted a response sooner rather than later. "Mongoose?" Nine stretched out to interact with Grey's shadow, "Of King Wonder. So a different type from us." Gray Mare nodded, one eye darkening, "I see, that would make him quite valuable to our cause, given he already has a shadow, and has been shown to be able to use it. His debt is quite substantial, but given he's turning himself in he'll receive the reward for himself. Hopefully that amount will satisfy him." Nine seemed impressed by the unseen transfer of information. "Offer him that in exchange for returning to the Grey and helping you in your efforts. Tell him I humbly request his help for other situations contingent on the success of this one. I think that should be quite satisfactory." She turned to leave, motioning for the changelings to follow. "I'll need to borrow your helpers for a bit, they need to be properly checked before we can return them to duty." (Hotel) Arcade sighed, frustrated at being caught between the two mares that he cared for. "She'll be fine here, won't she? Or is the hotel not safe with all the changelings and staff inside? Besides, she should be asleep anyway. We should be out and back before she notices that we're gone." He paced a bit. "She's safe here, but Null might not be, your friends too. But if you think it best, you stay here, and I'll go." He wouldn't wait for an answer before leaving the room and heading outside in the hopes of catching a chip to get into the party with. Whether Mongoose followed or stayed behind was up to him. (Void) While the foals were initially confused with the presentation of the fruits, they were happy when they discovered that it tasted like what they thought, if not a bit sweeter given the process, and were happy to eat the food with help. Once breakfast was done, the larger three would take their packed lunches and make their way to school. (School) They would arrive at the classroom to find a number of things had been pinned up on the walls, a set of posters that seemed to be from an old school set detailing the differences between different cultures present in Troy as it pertained to coming of age. Miss Gypsum was pining up the poster on Diamond Dogs when the students entered, "Ah, welcome pups! This one was told that one has come of age. While all of you are ponies, this one thought it good-idea to share what the experience is like for other species who have something similar." Around the room there was a poster for Ponies, Griffons, Camels, Changelings, Minotaur, Deer, Reindeer, Zebra, and Diamond Dogs. Gypsum would motion to the desks, he tail waging excitedly, "Sit! Sit! Once all are present we will begin the lesson!" She seemed very proud of what she had planned.
  10. @Evil Pink One (Blu) Blu took a small amount of pride at the fact that he had not yet been discovered, though it was clear enough that those two were either looking for him, or for one of the other two who had made their escape as well. While he was tempted to just take Alpha out then and there, he wanted his revenge on her to be more personal, something she would see coming and be powerless to stop, like he had been when she tried to kill him. The floating ball though, he had no qualms with destroying. The tree wouldn't support the shot though, so he had to quietly descend the tree, then find a gap in the leaves that he could see the ball through, aim carefully, charge the weapon, place a fire enchantment on the round, and fire. Just as before, he would start moving immediately after firing, moving perpendicular to his previous course to move in a circle around where he thought the ball was. Both to distance himself from where the bullet came from, and to maintain distance in case it wasn't killed. Though the former might not be an issue, given the lack of ear protection the opponents had. (Fuoco) Her gaze centered on White, eyebrow raised. She didn't speak, as she had already asked the question and he claimed to have the answer.
  11. @Evil Pink One I should clarify that too. Fuoco did NOT drain the creatures around her, she simply used her emotions in the song to make it more powerful, rejuvenating her while causing those who heard the song to be chilled by her purging her fear. Those nearby are fearful, both from the unease Fuoco was radiating while unconscious, and because she pushed her fear out onto them when she rejuvenated herself, but she did not drain them. (In terms of energy, she did a mana to health conversion and used emotions to boost the exchange rate, with the side effect of some emotions seeping into the song and being spread to the rest.) Per what to do, You can edit your post to remove the dream incursion and add the answer to Fuoco's question. Then I'll post as normal.
  12. @Evil Pink One Looking back, that is what was said. Still, it doesn't seem wise to send a bunch of civilians in the direction of what could be a fortified enemy base. Especially if it calls into question whether the crystal empire is still standing or not. Regardless, now that I think we've clarified the situation on Blu's side, how do we proceed from here? We already dropped the dream, but that could be irrelevant if you want to step back and have Blu shoot the ball instead of running off. If you don't want to step it back, we can have Blu shoot it now with the explanation that being up in the tree gives him a better angle to better see how small it actually is and take it out now. In either case, you can step the Fuoco story a bit further by having White answer her stated question: "What happened?" Fuoco is asking what has happened between when Applebloom knocked her out and her waking up now.
  13. @Skylight Scintillate yes, I think that would be nice,
  14. @Evil Pink One I guess we have very different viewpoints as to what Blu has actually done. I can only see things through his perspective so I had no way of knowing how much damage he actually did, given he was never privy to it. Blu hardly did much damage to it, Shamrock doing more and Fuoco ultimately killing it. Alpha did the killing blow, much to Blu's annoyance. I hardly think that was very impressive. Yeah, that one's fair. Blu saw the headshot, but given the body was not recovered and he didn't see what damage he did through the portal, so he had no confirmation that he had accomplished anything there, plus the whole area got destroyed in response. So despite the actual damage dealt, Blu doesn't see that he's done much, and ultimately he's alone by himself so he doesn't have much to show for what he's done. You see, I imagined something massive, like Majora's mask moon big, something large enough that shooting at it would only give away his position without actually downing it. I also thought it was an obvious trap, like the bullet would pass harmlessly through it and he would be spotted immediately. That's why you should give size references when you describe things, because if it were described as the size of a pony or thereabouts, Blu would have shot at it. But given the size I pictured, combined with Blu not having seen much success himself, that's why he decided to run instead. Plus, the thing could have exploded and sent the pollen everywhere if he did shoot it. So the question then is: How big is the pollinator really? And if it is small enough, do you want to step back to correct the scene with the new information? Fuoco is furious at Apple's betrayal. It will take passing quite the speech check to save Applebloom from Fuoco. Also, didn't Beta tell Applebloom to take the survivors to the crystal empire? Why is Applebloom allowing the survivors to still go there despite knowing that it might be a trap?
  15. @Skylight Scintillate Nova's excitement was growing, much to the chagrin of those around him. He had packed all his things for the trip the day he sent the last letter, and so had been living out of his pack for things like brushing his teeth for the past few days now, despite the fact that it would still be a few more days until he left. Enough for this and one final letter to arrive. Again, he was disappointed to see that there was another letter for his mom, delaying things just a bit longer, but he was excited to write one last response before leaving. Greetings Nightsky and Radiant Scotia, I should clarify that the clan name is Fastar, a portmanteau of Fast and Star, which likely would have been the clan name had the founding matriarch not been a young filly at the time. It's a minor thing, and Nova wouldn't notice a mistake, but the others here would notice and could take offence if your daughter mispronounces it. That being said, we'll make plans to arrive in Canterlot via the evening train on the last day of the week this letter is dated. That should give enough time for your daughter to send one last letter before we arrive if she so desires. As to important information, well, Nova is a bit more energetic than the rest of the clan, but I wouldn't say more so than the average pony. If he starts to get too loud you'll just need to remind him to calm down and speak softly. If you need him to be especially quiet, you can tell him to use his hunting voice. As to food, he should be able to eat anything that you do. While he hasn't been exposed to bugs much before he's old enough to try new things without being too picky. There are no allergies that I'm aware of. As to bed times, I wasn't planning on being too strict given the occasion, but yes he is nocturnal like most thestrals are. I'll be sure to send his sunglasses with him so he'll be able to enjoy the daytime activities. We can discuss the last details when we meet in person, if any remain to be discussed. ~Indigo Eclipse Fastar His mother's letter finished, and the important details passed along to Nova, he set about writing his own letter. Dear Speckle, That's so cool that Princess Luna will be there while I'm there! I wonder if she'll notice me? Do you think maybe she'll visit my dreams while I'm there too? Also that's cool about the art thing, did you know they make paper out of trees? I wonder if anyone has tried to make paper out of shimmerwood, would that make like glowing paper? I've heard stories about Princess Twilight, the elders here say that the ponies should fix their own problems rather than wait for a princess to come help them, but I think sometimes the problems are too big and I wish a princess would come help me. I hope I'll get to see her too during the trip! I can stay up during the day if we need to, I just need to wear some special sunglasses that my dad got me so that I don't hurt my eyes. It's not a big problem around here, since the trees hide us from the sun, but I guess you don't have as many trees in Canterlot as we do here. Flying down the side of the mountain sounds super cool! There are a few who do that around Archback, but that mountain is full of ponies who live there and don't like it when you fly past really fast, plus it's far away from the colony. Seeing the castle from the inside sounds fun too! Maybe I could get us inside Archback castle while you're here? They don't usually let just anyone in though, so maybe not. I'm just so excited to see all the cool things you have to show me, I can hardly wait! Excitedly, ~Nova The next morning both letters were ready to go out with the rest of the clan's mail, and Nova once again had his bag packed and ready. Once the final response came, he'd be traveling all the way to Canterlot!
  16. @StrawberryMilk Simp The griffon sorted but ignored him. Otho looked intrigued, "I mean there's a lot of context missing, but a courier in association with House is unusual. What could he have needed that his golems couldn't get for him?" @Props Valroa @GeneralDirection @Evil Pink One The next morning. @GeneralDirection @Evil Pink One Both groups are awoken by the sound of their shared neighbors preparing to leave. The first light was only just appearing, it seemed like they wanted to make an early exit. @Props Valroa Carnelian was awoken by the sound of gunfire outside the tent. If she went out to investigate, she'd find a pair of the soldiers defending the camp against a small group of spawn, it looked like 4 were left. One of them, a pegasus, was flapping its wings but was unable to take to the air, shaking a purple dust out of its feathers as it tried.
  17. @Blitz Boom (Null) Ninja retrieved his knife, allowing Yannit to take her blindfold back. It was undamaged, Ninja having stabbed the desk through the already cut hole in the blindfold. As it turned out, finding Gray Mare was not as difficult as she might have supposed. They exited the room the same way they had entered, which if they looked back there was just a blank wall behind them with no sign of there ever having been a door there. If they felt the wall they'd also find it just as solid as any other part of the building. Back in the middle of the party as though nothing had happened. Depending on how they decided to leave the party, they would be met, either in the stairway or the lobby, by none other than Gray Mare, who despite the veil hiding most of her expression, seemed relieved to see Null. Her voice did not betray that however, her tone even, "Ah, you're still alive. When we lost track of your assistants we had supposed..." She shook her head, turning her attention to Yannit and Craven, "Report, what happened?" (Hotel) Arcade nodded, "Let's go then. Better a small chance than none?" He would get his stuff together quickly to set off unless Mongoose stopped him. (Void) Toupé still seemed a bit unsure about Void's explanation, and looked a bit uncomfortable at how much Void emphasized the wings, but she didn't further comment on it. They nodded, the other two still a bit sleepy from having only recently woken up, the foals though seemed excited at the spread of food, though Peal seemed a bit confused when she could smell the fruits, but couldn't see any. She was able to follow her nose to the marmalade jar, before turning her gaze to Void with a cutely befuddled expression, pointing at the jar, "Stawbewy?"
  18. @Evil Pink One That would imply an active magical connection, like trying to grab something or a spell that needs to maintain contact in order to be fully cast, which I imagine would require a substantial amount of power in order to search an area spanning several square miles. I think it makes more sense that Alpha and the pollinator are looking for him, Alpha looing in specific places and the pollinator doing a blanket sweep, but due to how the pollinator's search works: blanketing an area with the particles, it allows Blu to slip through undetected for now. And it makes sense that they wouldn't be trying too hard to find him at the moment, because his involvement has been minimal up until this point compared to Alpha who they already have. He's alone and without support, they can (at least in their mind) afford to wait for him to appear again while they face more clearly dangerous opponents like Fuoco. I'd say that Blu simply would not appear in the dream realm the same as he would if he were awake. So if the enemy looked there and didn't find him they would likely assume he was still awake and moving. I like that idea better, as it means they'll be searching much further out given how long they thing he's been traveling without rest, allowing him to go undetected and take some time to recuperate. Which is something that Blu really needs right now: to see that something he did actually worked without immediately being taken away from him. If I recall correctly almost every achievement he's made thus far has been almost immediately reversed. Working backwards from this moment: He sent off the warning, Alpha turned feral and he was forced to run. He found the way to the tower, the tower got attacked. He shot the alicorn, the whole area got destroyed. I wouldn't be surprised if there were more examples in addition to these, but the point is that he's gone a while without a true win, which is wearing down on him especially considering he doesn't have a strong motivation to continue. Even those around him don't seem to appreciate his efforts, so if things get much harder he may just give up.
  19. @Blitz Boom I think the Evergrown might be worth putting into their own story , given how different their arc would be from the rest, but we'll see how it plays out. @Evil Pink One When it comes time to get it started, I'll make a new thread for it. @Props Valroa Spiral has some stuff left to do, yeah, and I think Merlot, as the pilot of the Æther, has some decisions she could make as well, but that's up to you.
  20. @Props Valroa We would pick up right before the return, so character introductions would happen, then the project would arrive in Equis. This also allows for players to play survivors from the bastions or returned equestrians, which is something I've picked up from Five Score. That is to say, just a few weeks from where the story is now.
  21. @Blitz Boom (Null) There was a pause, then Mongoose responded, "He's amenable to you speaking to Grey Mare on his behalf. He'll make no move against Basher for now, and will track his movements for you in the mean time. Once you have her answer, come back and we can negotiate better." Nine concurred, "I think that's the best course of action. Get Gray Mare's thoughts on the matter. Given his debt, she'd be able to offer him more than you could just taking it out of the commission for him turning himself in." (Hotel) Arcade didn't look comforted by that answer, "And if their bodies are removed before the effect triggers? Come now, there have to be better options than that." Mongoose might remember that Bling had access to the tower as a casino head. Maybe he could get her chip to enter the building? He also might recall that the Host periodically dropped chips to the crowd waiting outside the tower. They could get lucky and snag a chip that way? (Void) Toupé's worry shifted to curiosity as Void assured her that it was not all for her, nor specifically for her mark. Though she was confused when Void called her 'my precious little angel', "Um, what does that mean? What's an angel?" She nodded, "I think they would like that. I'll go wake the others up then." She would go over to the pile, which given the circumstances was now just Teal and Elef. Without Ardee to really bring the pile together... they might push the beds apart again to have their own sleeping spaces. The other two would get up soon enough, Teal and Toupé moving to care for the foals while Elef washed up, then they would trade off care while the other washed, all being ready for breakfast within half an hour.
  22. @Evil Pink One In reality we don't enter a dream realm. We only dream inside our minds. Thus for ponies to enter a realm where dreams are, there must be magic involved. Also false, we've stated in this very story that all creatures have magic in them, the difference is in how that magic is expressed and the nodes available to them. Tirek could not have absorbed the earth pony magic if earth ponies didn't have magic after all. So it makes more sense to say that the dream realm is a place accessed by magic. Per your own words, it absorbs all magic. Blu is unable to use his large rifle while wearing the robe, so he has to choose between being hidden and being able to do heavy damage. @Evil Pink One Also, I should put out there, Blu is exceptionally capable on the mental front. In a sense it is where he would be strongest given the limitations of his physical form. So fighting him in the dream realm would not go well for the enemy. It might be in their best interest not to try too hard to find him that way. Further, Blu has seen what those infected are capable of. Given everything he fears about himself, and his own knowledge, he'd sooner destroy his rifle, the Kernel, and kill himself, before allowing himself to become infected. He is hesitant to do this though, so long as he can see a way to escape he won't give up. But if his capture appears inevitable...
  23. @Evil Pink One @Props Valroa @Blitz Boom Sounds like the consensus is that we close the book here, like the end of a middle book in a trilogy, and we revisit the topic in a few months, like late April / early May, where we then explore the Æther's return to Equis? If that is indeed the consensus, I'm okay with that. This has been a very good story so far, and I'm sure after a nice break, we can be ready to give it a proper conclusion, maybe with a new group of characters to view the world through fresh eyes? We could even try adding more players if some of our older participants are willing to make a return.
  24. @Skylight Scintillate Nova had forgotten what he had been upset about by the time the next letter arrived, though his disappointment returned when he saw that there was a second letter in the envelope, addressed to his parents, which meant he would have to wait to send off his response again, which meant a whole extra day of waiting! Regardless, he took the letters back to his house, and waited for his mom to be ready to read the letter she had gotten before he decided what to write, just in case the second letter caused issues for the exchange. Greetings Nightsky Scotia, I am Indigo, originally of the Eclipse clan, joined to the Fastar clan by marriage, and Nova's mother. This is also our first time participating, but I'll help to the best of my understanding. So far as I understood from the letter, the program will be covering any costs incurred over normal, including the travel fares, you should be getting a stipend soon if you haven't already. As to what they need to bring, I would guess anything they would normally need for an extended trip, your daughter won't need to bring anything special for her visit here if that's what you're asking. Per the train ride, depending on when we want to start, and which way we go first, either I or my husband could accompany your daughter. My husband is Nightwing Fastar, head of the Canterlot city night guard. As to the dates, if we send Nova over there first, it should line up perfectly with when Nightwing has leave, so he'll be able to accompany your daughter here and back. So that would be us sending Nova over in about a week? I hope that works out. I understand your concerns, I'll admit I have some concerns of my own, and if it weren't for Nightwing being in the city I'm not sure I could have let Nova go through with it. But all thestrals have to leave the nest eventually right? Anyway, it sounds like your daughter will get along well with Nova, as he too is a bit, excitable, but I appreciate the forewarning. Per the food, while bugs aren't too popular in the Fastar clan, they were a staple of the Eclipse clan, and it will do me some good to break out the old recipes again. Would she be wholly opposed to trying fish while she's here? I won't expose her to red meat if she hasn't already tried it. I'll make sure her plush is well cared for while she is here. So long as she doesn't carry it with her everywhere she goes, there shouldn't be an issue. I also hope that this will be a good experience. Personally, I think this clan could stand to have more friendly relations with those outside the settlement, maybe it won't be so quiet around here all the time? Stars guide you, ~Indigo Eclipse Fastar His mother's letter finished, and the important details passed along to Nova, he set about writing his own letter. Dear Speckle, It's okay, I didn't think you were trying to be mean like some of the others here. But I'm happy you apologized. I'd be happy to teach you about my fangs! My mom says we'll be able to meet as soon as next week if it works with your parents, isn't that exciting?! I'm looking forward to showing you around the settlement and all the cool things there are to do around here. It's too bad you don't get to eat fish often, it's one of my favorite foods! I don't like it uncooked though, but my mom makes it really good! I haven't eaten many bugs before, but my mom says she's got a few special recipes for us to try while you're here, so that's cool! Plus, getting to meet Princess Luna would be the best! I don't even know what I would do if she came to visit the settlement, they'd probably have a festival even grander than the Founder's festival! I'm jealous that you get to see her so often there. It sounds like our parents will figure out everything about when we get to see each other and what we need to bring. I'm looking forward to it though! Excitedly, ~Nova The next morning both letters were ready to go out with the rest of the clan's mail.
  25. @StrawberryMilk Simp I go into deep detail below but I'm running on little sleep so I don't know if it holds water. Short version: The magical cloak reasonably prevents dream tampering by blocking Blu from entering the dream realm. Most likely outcome is that he does not dream while wearing the cloak. As the dream is inaccessible, they cannot divine his location from his memories (Which even if he were connected is a real stretch, unless he was actively dreaming about getting to where he was.) So they only know that he's not at the tower, so must have fled to the woods, at an ever increasing radius of distance the longer they take to start looking, and the longer they take to search. Depending on how they go about trying to find him, it might make their search easier or harder. More information is needed. Long version: Your argument is tenuous, and strongly relies on weak conjecture. No, they are not. Correct, magic is necessary in order to access the dreams of another, just like mind reading. True, but that spot will be small compared to the size of the area you'd have to search. Further, depending on how you search, it may not be visible. For example: sonar. An absorption of a sonar wave will appear identical to a wave that hit nothing. One could suppose that a realm exists through which dreams can be accessed, but one would also need to suppose that magic facilitates that connection. If that connection is blocked, then the dream would be inaccessible. False. There is insufficient evidence to support that assertion. Tirek could well have been able to absorb dream magic, and changeling hives could be safe from having their dreams invaded. Again, false. You conflate the dream with the realm. We know that dreams exist without magic. Therefore the magic involved is not in the creature experiencing the dream. The absorption could be the connection between the dreamer and the realm, but there is no reason to assume anything further than that. Further, if the dream is magic, then it would be absorbed by the cloak. Or if a connection to the dream realm is necessary, that too would be magical, and blocked by the cloak. Sure, a realm that creatures are connected to while they sleep via magic. Fair enough. True, but neither is Blu. There must exist some path between Blu and the realm in order to establish a connection, and if that path is magical, as is asserted, then the cloak blocks it. False. Blu does not know where he is, nor did he pay attention to how he got here. He specifically left in such a manner to make retracing his steps difficult. You can't get Blu's location because he doesn't know where he is. Further, lets look at search area. Lets say that he's about 1 mile away from the tower. That means a search area of 3.14 square miles, That assumes that they know how long he was walking before he stopped, given that is highly unlikely, every 15 minutes that passed increases the search radius by 1 mile. So if they started searching 30 minutes after he left, the search area is now 12 square miles. 45 minutes: 27 square miles. 1 hour: 48 square miles. And that doesn't include the time it takes to search the area. The wider the area, the more time it takes to search, the more the area grows during the search. Making it even less likely that Alpha would be in visual range considering: 1. Blu is not at the top of a tree, greatly limiting his sight distance. 2. The tree cover in the Everfree is canonically dense enough that it is dark during the day. This second point also makes searching for him via pollen drop less effective, as the tree cover will block most of it anyway. She only knows that Blu went into the forest. Blu himself can't guarantee that he traveled in a straight line. So while knowing the entry point will limit the search space, he's still somewhere in the forest. A forest notorious for creatures getting lost in. And again, he didn't sleep on top of a tree, that wouldn't make sense anyway. He'd sleep high enough to not be visible from the ground, while also low enough to not be visible from above due to the foliage. Where monkeys and sloths tend to hang out for safety. That directly contradicts your earlier point about the dream realm being separate. going more align with my point that it is an overlapping space one must connect to.
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