Silly Plots

[Rebonack]

[Adventure Sewers!]

"Well..." Opal wrinkles her nose a little as she ponders. Soon there after she smiles a wide smile and nods. "Sure! Let's go check it out. If the ghouls are friendly we might get some useful information! And if the ghouls aren't friendly then we might make some new friends."

Knowing looks are exchanged between the shadelings.

Everypony knows what that particular euphemism means.

Silver motions with a flip of her tail for her new friends to follow her! A few twists, turns, and one very dead dire vampire bat later our heroes enter the ghoul lair! Ghouls are odd creatures, to be sure. Decayed looking humanoids with a hyena-like head and a massive, toothy mouth in place of their ripped-open abdominal cavity. The fact that they're all wearing stylish hats is rather incongruous. The lair is approximately as stylish as the hats. Fancy furniture, a nice lamp hanging overhead, an expensive hardwood poker table topped with green felt. Nearby is a pool table with a stand next to it holding a collection of pool cues. In one of the corners stands an old jukebox, faithfully filling the lair with neon lights whilst cranking out old-timey tunes.

One of the ghouls glances up over his hand at the sound of a pony-herd clopping their way into the ghoul lair. "Well boys," the creature rasps. "Looks like we have some company."

[Deathkeeper]

Adventure Sewers

Morgan makes a sweeping bow, which would be quite impossible if her limbs actually made sense.
"G'morning gents. I hope you don't mind that we've stopped in. Thought we'd ask you pleasant folk if you might tell us a thing or two 'bout someone you might have seen. That fine with you?" she asks with a smile.

[Rebonack]

[Adventure Sewers!]

The ghouls exchanges glances with each other.

One of them shrugs.

"Alright boys, cards down and no peaking else you get your arms gnawed off," the ghoul with the dealer's visor says before turning back to the ponies. "Alright then ladies and... uh... gentlestalions? I guess? What can we do you for?"

"We're not interested in joining your hokey religion," one of the others points out.

Another elbows him. "Come on, they could probably stomp all over us while going 'die and convert!' and we would be skunked. They're bein' polite, no reason fer us to be rude."

The other ghoul grumbles back at him.

Well! Seems these are the more personable flavor of ghouls. Thankfully.

[Deathkeeper]

Adventure Sewers

Morgan nods, and gestures for Opal to come forth.
"This one's your turn, Opal. I don't know the details." she says gently.

[Lord Magtok]

Ruined League of Ruins - Exterior

Ruined League of Ruins

A transport helicopter comes flying overhead, taking a cautiously wide loop around the site while the occupants strain to examine the structure below, looking for defenses, hostiles, and potential landing zones. It is painted entirely white, with gold letters on the sides of the fuselage spelling out HALO. One of the side doors is open and from it a man in combat gear looks at anybody he can see through the scope of a sniper rifle.

[Ruined League of Ruins]

Hey look! It's Kal! He's here! Approaching from a rather different direction than any heroes, we'll say for convenience's sake. He's also not dressed in his Spooktober costume anymore, having replaced his revealing Union uniform for a slightly more plain black one, with purple linings, suitable for any senior underling that a respectable villain might have. He's also got his gauntlets.

He makes a rather direct beeline for where his dramatic instincts are telling him a trap or guard might be, in an attempt to address it and ask where its boss is, hopefully before it kills him.

Ruined League of Ruins

Aiden's ditched that party, changed out of his costume, and gone after Malice. He decided that this would be a lot more fun than being at a party that couldn't even get a decent soda. He has his sword and pistols, and his other weapons have been stored away in his very own hammerspace. He grins at the former League site. "Well, Doc Ock, let's hope you're gonna give me some fun," he says.

Aiden and the helicopter won't find much to exploit from outside of the ruins. There are quite a few holes in the roof, yes, but these have been warded off with forcefields laid over them. There are many entrances and exits to the complex, sure, but the part that has undergone repairs, the snaking hallway linking the member quarters, the old infirmary, and the stairway to the detention center, it only has that one doorway. Malice has already sealed off the way he came in (through a hole in the roof and another in the first floor), leading one to believe he expects any and all heroes to just walk right in the front door, to walk through any number of traps or minions he might've set up along the way, and face him battered, bruised, and half-broken.

Elsewhere, Kal finds himself facing a minefield, and a MalBot obliviously right in the middle of it, staring in disbelief at what appears to be some sort of tablet computer in its arms. Who thought these things were a good idea, and why did the rest of the world believe them?! Honestly, this thing is just completely ridiculous. You'd have to be a moron to want a phone that's too big to carry, or a laptop with a hideous touchscreen instead of a proper keyboard.

[Rebonack]

[Adventure Sewers!]

Opal gives a nod and steps forward to relay her story. The ghouls listen dutifully (glad they aren't getting eaten, mostly) nodding and commenting at all the right times. Though when they get to the name of Opal's brother the reaction is... interesting to say the least.

"Adrian Darksteel? Hoo boy..." one of the ghouls mutters. The rest of them look similarly put out by that.

Opal wrinkles her nose, her ears drooping. "What? What happened to him?"

"How to put this... You know how Atropus turned people into all sorts of different undead?" the ghoul asks.

Opal nods. She totally knows about that.

"Well, 'Lord Darksteel' is a lich that's set up down in the Dungeons of Doom. Normal lich stuff. Evil plots. Undead minions. The works. If that guy's your brother, getting him back is going to be a real task," the ghoul replies.

Opal plops down on her haunches, unsure of how to even... what to even... Could they even redeem liches? She wasn't sure...

[Morty]

[Ruined League of Ruins]

Not long after Kal arrives there, so does Michalson. The half-elf also had time to change out of his Spooktacular outfit. He's now wearing his usual grey, hooded robe and carrying the staff he purchased from Azik. He was mighty curious about this weird MagClone and figured it'll be easier to follow someone who seems to have some expertise in tracking people.

"Swob me bob, tha's th' old GLoG site, ain't it?" he asks.

[Darkcomet]

Ruined League of Ruins

I don't know what you've been hearing. I don't really follow Wall, Happy says, completely oblivious to DC's hints. I'm not sure what he's doing, besides acting in questionable taste and pissing me off. He's not a dead Magtok at any rate - very much alive.

Apparently this one is one that was killed a few years ago or something? Regardless, has he said anything that would indicate what he's planning? I'd prefer to know what I would be dealing with. Oh, good, DC seems to not be inquiring further on that topic yet.

Probably bring the old ion cannon, since just about any Magtok is liable to be vulnerable to that kind of weapon...

[Recaiden]

[Ruined League of Ruins]

"Really? An awkward staring robot? Is that the best you can do?!"
Ashna scoffs and approaches the edge of the cage, idly wondering if Malbots can feel fear.
She points at JT-85, sending a narrow jet of fire towards the thing, seeing how flammable it is, compared to the cell. It's not terribly hot, even a flimsy human would have to stand there and let themselves get burned for a good while in order to die from it.

[Swampside]

The man adjusts his bottle glasses. Yes. Going blind would be terrible.
"Follow the waaaaater. That's really the best advice."

He fidgets with his own nearly empty glass.
"Oh ho ho, you were complaining about the wisps, weren't you? They're a lot more useful if ye get em really riled up. Course then you got a swarm of angry wisps to deal with, but if'n that's what ye neeeed, that's what it is. As for the swamp itself, careful of any still water, there's always a reeeason for it. Don't bleed."

[happyturtle]

Apparently this one is one that was killed a few years ago or something? Regardless, has he said anything that would indicate what he's planning? I'd prefer to know what I would be dealing with. Oh, good, DC seems to not be inquiring further on that topic yet.

Probably bring the old ion cannon, since just about any Magtok is liable to be vulnerable to that kind of weapon...

A vintage Magtok? Really? Happy's mental voice sounds intrigued. Couldn't you just go with incapacitation instead of killing? If you're right, this one is a collector's item!

The staring robot will just see Happy standing at the bars of her cage, possibly a little unfocused as she talks to DC. It's been a long time since she's done much telepathy.

[Deathkeeper]

Swampside

Krayger had meant going outside blind in the sense of not having information. But whatever.
"No still water, no bleeding, wisps are more informative when angry. Got it. "
Krayger stands up.
"Thank you very much, sir. I'd hate to intrude so I better leave now if I want to get back any time soon. You've been a great help."
Well really he's sorta been helpful, if very vague, but Krayger is just being polite.

Adventure Sewers

Morgan blinks. Lich? Oh. Oh, my.
"I don't think we've the capability of taking out a lich and his private undead army. Maybe we should get back to the Tree, make a report and come back to it with more big guns?" she suggests.

[Rebonack]

[Adventure Sewers!]

The rest of the shadelings are exchanging worried looks with each other.

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea," Air Brush says. "If we're going after a lich we should make sure to get somepony really tough like Slip Fault or Sonita Blossom or Red Velvet."

A beat.

"Okay, maybe not Red Velvet..."

The others nod. "Alright, we aren't too far from the path up to Midnight Park now. If we really shake a leg we should be able to get there in a few minutes," Opal says before flashing a winning smile at the ghouls. "Thanks a lot, you guys. We'll tell everypony else that you're nice. But if you ever feel like joining the team, but pop by the park and ask to join!"

The various ghouls exchange a look with each other. One of them rolls its eyes. "Yeah, no. I think we're pretty happy with hands."

[Deathkeeper]

Adventure Sewers

Morgan gives them a toothy smile to back up Opal's.
"Good for you guys. I am too, and I don't even need them for stuff like shooting and playing cards!" she says, a pair of spooky shadow-hands coming up from the ground behind her and waving around. Morgan doesn't really know how to do many things with her shadow powers, but that's really just her shadow-whip with some fingers attached. They don't actually move, they just look spooky!

"All right, move out!" she says, leading the group on. Or rather, leading them to keep following Opal.

[Rebonack]

[Adventure Sewers! ==> Shadowood Hold]

Goodbyes are said and the Team members trot off. True to Opal's words the trip doesn't take that long and before they know it they're standing at the Shadowood Hold!

It's a tree.

A really really huge tree.

Impossibly huge.

With shadelings coming and going all about. Traveling to and from the doorways in the trunk, flying up to platforms build into the branches, shadelings everywhere! There are even a few living people among them! From the looks of things, a decent number of them are various groups dedicated to hunting undead. Seems Sunder is trying to make ties with other such organizations around the Nexus given that they have more or less a common goal. Some are happy for the help. Others seem to think that the shadelings are just some new, equally awful form of undeath that needs to be exterminated.

Though they probably won't say something like that in front of the ponies.

Inside the main entrance of the tree a lobby has been set up! Complete with a bored looking unicorn sitting behind the front desk fiddling with a pencil. When our heroes approach he perks up. "Hi there! How can I help you all?"

[Lord Magtok]

Ruined League of Ruins - Interior

Spoiler: Quotes

Show

A vintage Magtok? Really? Happy's mental voice sounds intrigued. Couldn't you just go with incapacitation instead of killing? If you're right, this one is a collector's item!

The staring robot will just see Happy standing at the bars of her cage, possibly a little unfocused as she talks to DC. It's been a long time since she's done much telepathy.

[Ruined League of Ruins]

"Really? An awkward staring robot? Is that the best you can do?!"
Ashna scoffs and approaches the edge of the cage, idly wondering if Malbots can feel fear.
She points at JT-85, sending a narrow jet of fire towards the thing, seeing how flammable it is, compared to the cell. It's not terribly hot, even a flimsy human would have to stand there and let themselves get burned for a good while in order to die from it.

Ruined League of Ruins

FY-54 comes up from behind Krystal and jabs her with the taser. The mutant gives a short cry of pain as her body tenses up. She drops the crystal and drops to her hands and knees.

This also makes her a bit upset.

After a deep breath, Krystal quickly rises up and swings her arm, sending crystals from her knuckles flying right for the head of FY-54.

FY-54 staggers backwards, caught entirely off-guard by the crystals in its forehead. It tries to rip one out, only to drop dead on the ground. Seems it accidentally pulled out its own neural circuitry that had been impaled on the crystal. What an idiot.

"Shoot. JT, cover my captive and yours, I'll deal with the troublesome one," Happy's robot says, assuming the shapeshifter won't be any trouble, and knowing full well that his coworker can handle temperatures far above the average human. It lunges towards Krystal's cell with one of the disincentives, intent on poking her until either she kills the poor robot, or is zapped until she's too tired to keep fighting.

Right about this time is also when Malice returns, of course. He wasn't gone long; it looks like he just dunked his head in a bathroom sink and recited some sort of villainous, self-affirming mantra before stepping right back into the detention center to give this nefarious, unflappable bad guy thing another spin.

"I leave for two seconds and Krystal has committed robo-murder. Fantastic. Other than that, is everyone doing fine so far? Should I have a bot get you girls any snacks or drinks in the meantime?"

[Deathkeeper]

Shadowood Hold

Morgan cheerily trots over to the desk-pony.
"Hello. Well, we were told a while ago that we should report it if anyone sired a new nightmære spawn, and I think I turned into one over night, so there's that. Also, we have some information on an undead in the Dungeons of Doom who could use a visit." she explains.

[KerfuffleMach2]

Ruined League of Ruins

The poking stick of deterrence is expected now, making it harder to hit Krystal with. She picked up the crystal she dropped earlier and uses it to deflect the taser. Sort of a fencing match now.

The bars help her a bit, limiting the area that the robot can attack from. She pulls a hand off of the large crystal, makes a fist, and fires more crystals at it.

I can keep doing this all day, Malice. You got robots to waste like that?

[Rebonack]

[Shadowood Hold]

"Oooh! Another one, huh?" he replies with a laugh. "You aren't the first... uh, what's your name? And your sire's name, too, if you know it. The Mistress wants us to keep track of all the nightmære spawn of course. And names help!"

They sure do!

He's already writing down Morgan's tribe and her mark on a sheet of paper, a pen held firmly in his TK field.

"You aren't the first. After defeating a bunch of undead or a few really powerful undead shadelings can apparently upgrade themselves! Pretty cool, right? That's probably what happened to you. Ponies who have been on a lot of rough missions have been waking up the next day a foot taller and with their magic enhanced."

Which is exactly what happened to Morgan!

"Hmmm... Dungeons of Doom... I don't think anypony has been sent down there yet. Ardent Heart is in charge of organized assaults on undead strongholds, so I'll pass the word along to him. Can you give me any more details on the Dungeon situation?"

[Deathkeeper]

Shadowood Keep

Morgan sighs. "Gilded Shadow, and Air Brush, respectively."
She'll give a basic recounting of the whole story involving Opal and her family. She has to blink in surprise though. It's barely been a full day and Ardent's already got a job? Sheesh, she hopes they won't saddle her with something like that so quickly.

[Rebonack]

[Shadowood Hold]

Ardent Heart is still doing the same job he used to do for Orcus, but now he's working for Sunder! The guy has plenty of experience.

Anywho, information is jotted down by the unicorn!

"This sounds like a decently high priority situation," he mutters as he finishes writing. "I'll send it along right away."

That said, he rolls up the paper and then blasts it with a burst of green fire! The little scroll burns up and the glittering smoke goes zooming away! Well. That's an interesting way to send off document.

"Myrrh Balm is in charge of giving out assignments to nightmære spawn, but she's having a meeting with a bunch of undead hunter folks right now."

Only the huntiest of hunters.

"Once she's done she'll talk to you about your talent and experience and come up with a recommendation for your position within Team Nightmære," the unicorn explains. "If you want, you can wander around the Hold. You have about an hour before Myrrh will be done."

[Deathkeeper]

Shadowood Hold

Morgan perks an eyebrow.
"So, I'm given a formal position but the normal gloomlings don't? Is that how it works?" she asks.

[Rebonack]

[Shadowood Hold]

The unicorn laughs at that question. "Heh, sorry. No, I mean, I'm a normal enough shadeling right? But I have a pretty specific job. Nightmære spawn are just more powerful than normal shadelings are, so the Mistress wants to make doubly sure you lot are all being used to the best of your abilities."

Well.

That makes sense, right?

No reason to squander exceptional talent.

[Deathkeeper]

Shadowood Hold

Morgan nods. "Okay, I guess that makes sense."
And then the thestral turns around to everyone else.
"Well, we've got an hour to kill, and I really didn't have any actual plans for all of this, so does anyone have something they want to do while we're here? Because yeah, I really don't."
Morgan hasn't really planned out much of today at all. She just thought she'd wing it, no pun intended.

[Rebonack]

[Shadowood Hold]

Wing it?

Haha! Oh the puns!

A quick trot around Shadowood Hold will reveal that the place is kind of chaotic! The Team is trying to get it set up and find useful ways to make use of all its space. So far the only areas that are completely clear in their purpose are the kitchens with attached mess halls (there are lots of people here after all) and rooms set aside for practicing magic.

Makes sense to get use to using the stuff, right? The undead of the Nexus aren't going to redeem themselves after all.

Down in the lower reaches of the roots are a number of permanent portals to some various spooky darkness-related places, though the one to the Gloom is most obviously in use. Some shadelings are down there busy building an armored vault door that can be closed over the portal, no doubt to be employed in case something terrible tries to invade the Hold through the Gloom.

The hour will pass quickly enough and before long Shadow will be ushered toward Myrrh Balm's office!

"Good luck!" Air Brush calls after her.

[Deathkeeper]

Shadowood Hold

Morgan's impressed. The place seems to be coming along nicely, if the rumors about how (not very) long Sunder's been at this are true. It makes her feel a little proud. But time is up, and she has to report and stuff. Can't keep that waiting, or she'll look like a slacker!
And such, Morgan enters the office upon her ushering to it, keeping her head high and for once not self-conscious. She gets like that very rarely when work is involved, it's sill things with friends that can get her to be like that.
"You called for me, Ma'am?" she asks formally.

[Rebonack]

[Shadowood Hold]

"I did, please have a seat," replies Myrrh Balm. The unicorn's office is... Well. It very obviously looks under construction. There are some cushions to sit on and a low, equestrian style desk. Other than that? A few shelves set up with various objects both technological and magical. A filing cabinet that's presently open. A few chairs for the humanoid folks to make themselves comfortable in. It should be quite clear that Myrrh is still in the process of setting up in here.

Myrrh's mark should be easy enough to see, an alabaster conopic jar. She seems fairly to the point, but at the same time bright, inquisitive, and very approachable. Case in point? "If I seem like I'm being too cold, please tell me. I was holed up in my tomb for a long time and I'm still trying to ah... what was that phrase... get the hang of things?"

She gives a curt little nod to herself.

"Yes, that's the right one. Get the hang of things. Well! We'll begin with the straight forward. How would you describe your Talent? You've probably been using it already without even thinking about it. Your Talent is where your magic is most potent and comes most naturally to you. Usually your mark represents it somehow."

Wonder what an alabaster jar means?

[Deathkeeper]

Shadowood Hold

Clearly the Jar means her talent is keeping really fancy jams and jellies fresh. Everyone loves fancy jelly.

Morgan has to stop and consider things for a few moments. She has to think back on the whole Complex scenario and try to pick up what seemed to come to her first.
"Well, I guess that I'm good at finding things that are supposed to be hidden. And maybe the other way around, too? I'm not sure; I've only really had one day to figure all of this out." she says.

[Rebonack]

[Shadowood Hold]

"Interesting..." Myrrh mutters as she jots down a few notes on a tablet computer she just levitated off the top of her desk. She's taken to technology pretty quickly since she was redeemed and introduced to the wonders of the modern world. And why not? Sure it's new stuff to learn, but she's a clever pony. "Finding things that are hidden, and hiding things that would otherwise be easily found. Well! I believe I might have just the job for you."

The nightmære spawn grins her toothy grin.

"How would you like to be an official treasure hunter for the Mistress?"

...

Wait.

Did she just...

Did she just say treasure hunter?

As in Morgan will be able to do the job she always wanted to do and be good at it?

[Deathkeeper]

Shadowood Hold

Morgan blinks. She...she really was seeing some actual work coming. As in, actual responsibilities she'd actually not want to do. So she's taken aback a bit. Such To the point that all she can really say is,
"We...we have those? I, uh, yes of course! I just...didn't know we had those."

[Rebonack]

[Shadowood Hold]

Myrrh laughs. "I assure you that yes, we do have those. The Gloom is filled with the forgotten riches of innumerable dead civilizations. It's dangerous for the living to venture there to retrieve it and most undead have little use for gold and precious stones. We, however," Myrrh continues. "Do. The home you live in now didn't buy itself, after all. Our Team requires food and shelter and we don't want to subsist on donations alone. Our Mistress Sunder was once a, ah, how did she put it... freelance archeologist for hire? So this is a job that's near to her heart. She's too busy now to plumb the depths of crypts and tombs herself, so she wanted me to keep an eye out for ponies who would have a talent for it."

And oh does Shadow ever have a talent for it.

"So your job would be simple. Find and retrieve objects of value that our Team can sell for the funds we need to operate and expand."

Wow.

This is basically her dream job, isn't it?

"And to begin with, I believe there's a lich in the dungeons of doom one of your room mates is related to?" she continues. "I've dug up some information on his operation. Busting the Crypt of Lord Darksteel would be a very lucrative venture, both in terms of artifacts and new ponies to add to our number. Would you like to assemble a team for this mission?"