>>42707306
dope
come on hit me with the Grain Vein

Rolled 3, 5 = 8 (2d5)

>>42707317
fuck forgot how to roll

>>42707322
Oh great, who the fuck linked [Dirge]?

The figure ahead draws closer, and the familiar grey armor confirms who you’re meeting. Being transferred to Unit N for this mission had come as a surprise, but the operation clearly needed the extra numbers. A six-pony team—enough to handle whatever awaits. You guess the briefing will explain the rest. As you walk, you think about your skills.

>Roll your L.A.S.S
>Next five posts roll 1d10

Luck

Autism

Skill

Strength

>>42707363
next four, I can't count

Rolled 4 (1d10)

>>42707363
How the fuck do I roll again?
Ah never mind, /qst/ holds the answer.

Rolled 1 (1d10)

>>42707363
AUTISM 10 NOW

Slow night. If you rolled, roll again. I want to get this thing started

Rolled 3 (1d10)

>>42707535
Slow night, or a start that doesn't catch people's attention?

Rolled 1 (1d10)

>>42707535
Anni is still also going kinda so board is deader than usual.

File: 1746507492205.png (74 KB, 595x345)

74 KB PNG

>those stats

Rolled 5 (1d10)

>>42707363
Fire in the hole here goes nothing.

>>42707381
>>42707482
>>42707550
>>42707557

Luck - 4
Autism - 1
Skill - 3
Strength - 1

You approach the mare. She doesn’t move, her gaze fixed on the endless dark blue water ahead. You stand there a moment too long, unsure whether to speak or wait.

Finally, she turns her head just enough to glance at you from the corner of one pale grey eyes before facing the sea again.

“I take it you’re Marrow Dirge, I’m unit leader Lumin Nights. You’re early.”
Her voice is soft but edged with command, a Manehatten accent that rolls on like worn cloth. She brushes her straight blue mane from her face and gives her bat wings a slow, deliberate flutter, as if to stretch old bones.

“So,” she says, the sea wind catching her words, “what am I dealing with here? How do you meet your end? You know, your fate. I hope it isn't anything to do with water.”

You think back to your first day with the unit—when your leader guided you into that cold, underground temple. The air had been thick with incense and dust, the walls lined with runes that pulsed faintly in the dark.

You remember the pedestal at the room’s center, and the skull resting atop it. The moment you lifted it, the world seemed to fall silent. That was when you saw it- your fate.
You snap out of your thoughts, the unit leader still waits for your answer.

>Roll 1d5

1 - You drown without water.

2- The mirror forgets your face.

3 -You burn where no fire should burn.

4 -You meet yourself, and only one walks away

5 -The hound finds you in the rain.

Rolled 5 (1d5)

>>42707586
at least it's not working retail

You tell her your fate — running out into a storm, barking at your heels, the slip, then the crunch. The memory hits like a phantom. You remember the warmth spilling down your throat, and your hoof drifts instinctively to your neck. You’ve avoided dogs ever since.
Lumin watches you for a long moment before turning her gaze back to the sea.

“A hound?” she murmurs, her expression briefly clouded. “It’s supposed to rain tonight. I suggest you stay indoors for the mission,” her eyes flick toward the darkening horizon, “or away from any falling water, for that matter. Remember, fate likes to rhyme.”
Before you can respond, the rhythmic thump-thump of wings fills the air. four shapes descend through the dim light, landing in the sand behind you with soft thuds. You turn to see four bat ponies, each wearing gear much like your own.

“About time,” Lumin says, finally stepping away from the water to face them. A frown creases her calm expression. “Why are you late?”
A mare with a fiery mane and sharp red eyes steps forward, her voice rough but confident. “Blame Tarn,” she says, jerking her head toward another mare—this one with a beige mane, a pair of round glasses, and a glare sharp enough to cut glass. “She had to go back to base for her notebook.”

Lumin exhales through her nose, her composure cracking for a moment. “You need to prepare your equipment the day before Tarn. Now…” she looks over the group, “we’ve got two transfers tonight. Let’s do this properly—name and role, one by one, so we’re all on the same page.”

Using a glowing gem, the fiery mare lights a rolled cigarette that smells faintly of sage. “Ember Harrow, Exorcist.”

The one with the glasses follows, pushing them up her muzzle. “Tarn Rime, Rune Specialist.”

You notice the hooded mare next—smaller than the rest, almost folding into her cloak as she speaks barely above a whisper. “Sable Whisper… just your normal operative.”

“She’s also a medic,” Lumin adds. “Any injuries go to her.”

A stallion with dark purple fur steps forward next, his tone steady. “Ashen Mire. Strong pony. Normal operative.”

The group’s eyes finally turn to you. The wind shifts, carrying the salt and tension in the air.

Lumin tilts her head slightly. “And you?”

>Roll 1d4

1. Exorcist
+2 luck
2. Researcher
+2 autism
3. Rune specialist
+2 skill
4. Hauler (Packmule)
+2 strength

Rolled 4 (1d4)

>>42707793
>stats are so shit we need a bonus
kek

>>42707793
Don't know if we can flirt with one of these bat pony mares but wouldn't mind if you allow us the option to do that would be pretty cool.

>>42707822
[Strength increased by 2]
[L.A.S.S]
Luck - 4
Autism - 1
Skill - 3
Strength - 3

You tell them you just hauler in your unit back home.
Ashen smiles, “Another strong pony eh? And admitting you're a packmule too?”

Lumen glances at Ashen, “A disrespectful term, but by the sounds of it we have two. Even though this isn’t a recovery or extraction mission,both your strength will be useful.” She turns to you, “Though Marrow you do look on the slim side. Don’t overdo it. Leave it to Ashen here.”

“Me and my big mouth…” The stallion groans.
“Now that we’re all acquainted and know each other’s roles, I’ll begin the briefing,” Lumin said, pacing slowly before the group. Every eye followed her as her hooves pressed faint tracks into the sand.
“Fifty years ago, Unit T boarded a ship from this very beach,” she began, her tone steady and weighted. “The vessel in question was the EQS Latchmare—an infamous ship that had already been missing for fifty years before Unit T set hoof aboard. I’m sure you all heard the legend of the Latchmare”
Tarn nods, “It was the finest cruise ship built last century. Until its last voyage from the Griffinstone never to return to the Baltimare Port. There have been numerous sightings over the years of the ship in the Celestial Sea. The first boarding of the ship was unit T who disappeared and unfortunately the last.”

Lumen nods, “Thank you Tarn, that is correct. But on the last boarding till tonight, we have a report that said the ship is heading our way and is currently being tracked by the royal guard.”

“Whoa hang on, we are going to board it?” Ember asks, blowing smoke from her nose.

The other operatives look unnerved. Sable somehow shrinks back further in her cloak.

“We are, we need to find out what happened to Unit T. Find out what happened to its passengers. And find whatever haunts it.”

Ashen speaks up, “How do we know it’s haunted? I mean the ship could be just floating around and unit T’s fate just caught up with them.”

“Tarn.” Lumen orders the research mare.

“Some reports say those who saw the ship saw figures on board. But upon hailing the ship, there is no response. There is one report that a coast guard boat came close to the ship, they had to back away due to the overbearing smell of rotten flesh.”

“Great…Glad I’m carrying extra sage.” Ember deadpans.

“Thank you Tarn, researching history is like rune research isn’t it.” Lumen states.

Tarn mutters about extra work under her breath.

“Any questions?” Lumen turns to you “Marrow?”

>Any questions before the mission starts?

>>42707971
How do I get out of this chickenshit outfit?
don't actually say this

>>42707971
If there's an unliftable curse that will never let us leave the ship no matter what, we'll have to send information to the headquarters somehow to make our deaths count. Since ponies saw shapes, maybe leaving somebody behind and using flag semaphore would work.
What do we know about the ponies of unit T, their personalities, skills and fates? What were their orders? If they are somehow still alive, were there any passowords or other procedures that may make them trust us?

>>42707971
How long was Unit T missing when they first boarded the ship?

Did Unit T ever contact the base to report their findings before vanishing off the grid?

Why would the EQS Latchmare be heading here?

Okay figures on board the ship but no response and overbearing smell of rotting flesh that's a serious red flag right there. Lumen the ship been compromised someone or something took control of the Latchmare captured and kill every pony on board including Unit T. If we go board it guarantee we're going to find dead bodies there.

Even if there are some survivors still alive on the EQS Latchmare. Shouldn't we wait until the royal guard show up to help investigate the ship in case it's filled with hostiles enemies or at least bring weapons with us to defend ourselves in self-defense if we're about to be attack on sight?

>>42707971
Do our colleagues in Griffinstone have any guesses about what we are dealing with?

>>42707971
Any plan for extraction? I doubt the higher ups are eager to lose an entire unit after all.

“If there’s some unliftable curse keeping us trapped on the ship…something that won’t let us leave no matter what—we’ll have to send word back to headquarters somehow. At least make our deaths count. If ponies saw shapes on deck, maybe leaving somepony behind to use flag semaphore could work…”

Lumen studies you carefully, her gaze steady and unreadable. When she finally speaks, her tone is firm “That’s if there’s a curse. But you’re right, we’ll leave one of us airborne to test your theory. Reports will need to make it back to HQ, no matter what. There should be semaphores stored somewhere on the ship.”
Your thoughts turn to Unit T, the team that vanished. You lean forward slightly, curiosity peaking.

“What do we know about them? Their skills, their fates… what were their orders?”

Lumen glances at Tarn. “Check the pre-mission log of Unit T, that was a nightmare to pull from HQ archives.”

She flips through a few pages. “The unit leader was Coal Vein. There were two sisters: Flipbook, a researcher, and Doodles, a rune specialist. Finally, a rookie called Rough Luck.”
She pauses, scanning more notes. “As for their fates: Coal Vein,crushed by coal. I know, it's ironic. Doodles, impaled. Flipbook, hanged. And Rough Luck, dehydration, surrounded by water.”

You nod, absorbing the grim details. “How long was Unit T missing before they first boarded the ship?”
Tarn flips back a page. “The unit’s dead mare hoof was triggered after three days of not returning to base.”

“Hence the reforms within P.H.E.E.R.,” Lumen interjects. “We’ll have a watch by the Pegasi Royal Guard. They’re ordered to keep sight of the ship. A dead mare hoof will be triggered if we’re not sighted for three hours. I’ll explain the protocol more when we’re on the ship.”

“Did Unit T ever contact base to report their findings before vanishing off the grid?” you ask.

Lumen shakes her head. “From what I’ve read, no.”

“Why would the EQS Latchmare be heading here?”

“Simple. Tarn and I plotted each sighting over the years. The ship seems to sail past here every seven years. The Royal Guard confirmed it today,it should pass here at sundown.” Lumen glances at the sun as she speaks.

“Any plan for extraction? I doubt the higher-ups are eager to lose an entire unit.”

Lumen’s gaze hardens. “Even the higher-ups don’t control our fates. But for extraction, I have a flare gem. A coast guard vessel will reach us within minutes.” She produces a small gem from her pocket, before tucking it back in. She turns toward the sea just as the sun dips below the horizon. The sky burns red, and a thick fog begins to roll across the water.

You squint, and through the haze, a shape emerges. An enormous ship, ghostly and silent.

“About a click away, We will fly and talk. Let’s go. Ashen, grab Marrow.”

You feel Ashen’s legs wrap around your barrel. “Come on, big guy. You’re with me.”

>>42708316
Wheeee

File: 1.jpg (13 KB, 270x270)

13 KB JPG

>>42708316
>Lumen
You watch the waves churn below as the rest of the unit chatters quietly among themselves. The sea has turned an almost blood-red hue, matching the fiery sky. As the unit moves into the fog, the ship slowly materializes beneath you—a dark silhouette floating like a ghost. A small coast guard boat trails behind it, while three royal guard pegasi hover in observation.
Lumin points toward the deck. “Everyone on deck. Sable, stay airborne. We’re going to test Marrow’s theory.”
Hooves strike the worn wood of the deck as the team lands, Sable hovering silently above. Ashen releases you, and you drop the short distance to solid ground. Lumin surveys the group for a moment, then orders Ashen to fly away from the ship and return.
All eyes follow as Ashen arcs into the fog, disappearing for a minute before returning with a smooth landing trot.
“Seems like no curse. We can leave whenever,” Ashen reports.
Lumin nods. “As I suspected. Ashen, Sable, Tarn—with me. We’re setting up base camp on the bridge. Marrow, Ember—you two do an observation sweep of the deck, then head to the bridge. Do not enter the lower decks. Understood?”
Ember nods, flicking a trail of smoke into the fog. “Sure, boss.”
Lumin turns and departs with the others, leaving you and Ember alone on the deck. The red mare takes a long drag from her cigarette, exhaling slowly. “Of course, they get the easy job.”
You sweep your eyes across the deck. Rust devours the iron, eating through rails, bolts, and the last of fittings. The air reeks of stale saltwater, rot, and something fouler you can’t quite name. A massive anchor chain snakes across the deck, pitted and corroded, its links almost indistinguishable from the worn, sunbleached wood beneath it. Every hoofstep you take creaks and groans under your hooves.
The fog hangs low, slowly wisping around the deck, hiding the far railings and giving every shadow a ghostly shape.
Ahead, the bridge rises like an ancient ruin. Its three chimneys pierce the red-streaked sky, black and white paint peeling and warped, revealing the dark, scarred wood beneath. Windows stare down like empty eyes, cracked and clouded with salt and grime. A faint metallic smell, bitter and coppery, hangs in the air.
Ember exhales a stream of smoke, the thin trail curling into the fog. “Charming place,” she mutters, her tone half-joke, half-warning, “Alright Marrow. You lead. If you're a chickenshit it's best I should know now.”

[Options are suggestions]
1. Check equipment.
2. Take a simple walk around the upper deck, taking note of the sights and sounds.
3. Wait for a while then head to the bridge, it’s clear there are no ghosts here.

>>42708518
Choice time nice hope we also get the option to flirt with the bat mares later on if not then playing this adventure mini game is good enough. I pick Number 2.

>>42708518
Lets begin the search. Any rust spots that look like old blood?

>>42708518
Quick equipment check and then option 2.

>>42708518
Wouldn't hurt to take stock of what we came in with. Then start looking around like we were told

>>42708518
Let's do a quick gear check, then take out the... meter fuck what was it called again? and start looking around.

Nice to see you again, it's been a while. It's gonna take a moment to unearth the knowledge lel

>>42708888
Ki-meter?

>>42708940
yeah, that one. Ki, Psi, and light/dark, right?

>>42708948

>>37700262
>Willow: "Ah right, I'll get onto that now, you got Zen, Ki, and Tau. Tonight I want you to focus on Ki. That measures life energy, we borrowed the term from the Kirins. Now since I'm in the room with you you should be getting a reading..."
>Willow laughs.
>Willow: "Well I hope you are...Anyhoo, when there is a spirit nearby your Ki-meter should react to it...Next is Zen, that's Magic, some spirits and cryptids can use magic, this is useful for detecting what mana you are dealing with. If it is low then it means the surrounding magic is Harmonic, if it's high then it means its chaotic."
>Next Willow taps on the last gauge on her device.
>Willow: "Finally there Tau, that measures magic too. But the light and dark verients. If it's low then light magic is prominent and high then it means you're probably going to die...I'm not joking if Tau spikes then run...So...yeah...Right now you should be reading the environment as Light Harmonic with a presence of a life energies..."

>>42709123
Fuck man it's been too long. I miss them.

>>42708518
Try to find the bridge and peek in through the windows. Maybe the Captain's Log is still there?

>>42710084
That's where the others went to set up base camp

You can get impaled or hanged anywhere, but it still leaves two unit T operatives with fates that scream "don't send them to a steam-powered sea ship you dipshits". What were they thinking?

>>42708663
>>42708688
>>42708849

You check over your equipment, one item at a time, the ritual grounding you amidst the uneasy quiet.

Ki-meter V2, fitted with the new Spirit Speaker add-on — its speaker hums faintly as you test it, the needles twitching as you calibrate it to ignore your and Ember's energies.

A pack of chalk sticks, edges worn from use; reliable for drawing containment runes in a hurry.

A small hoofpick, Rarely used for mountaineering, a great tool for escaping.

Your Salt Blaster, its barrel caked in residue from your last encounter, gleaming faintly under the dim red sky.

A bag of Epon Salt, Useful for securing rooms or creating salt circles for protection.

And finally, a pack of green glow sticks — your light source in the dark, and a quick way to tell a mimic from your friends. You snap one open with a sharp crack, the faint hiss of chemicals mixing breaking the silence. A sickly green glow seeps out, bathing your armor in ghostly light as you slide it into the loop on your vest.

You double-check the straps on your vest and glance toward Ember. She’s crouched beside a coil of rope, muttering to herself as she inspects her own gear. You notice a small pouch of sage tied to her belt and tiny glass vials of water secured in her saddlebags. Holy water probably, the slight golden shimmer in the liquid gives it away.

She looks up, catches your eye, and smirks faintly. “It never hurts to bring a little purification,” she says, tapping one of the vials. Before cracking her red glowstick then tucked it on her armor vest
You wait for Ember to finish before motioning her to follow. Holding your Kimeter in one hoof you slowly scan the deck, walking towards the stern of the ship. The Ki needle on your Kimeter fluctuates between zero and one.

Each hoofstep makes the sun-bleached boards of the deck creak beneath you, the sound swallowed by the thickening fog. In the last dying light of the sun, your eyes catch the outline of what was once a luxury, a swimming pool set into the deck. Rotten deck chairs circle it like ghosts frozen mid-relaxation, some still draped with decayed, colorless towels. An old, corroded sign dangles from one chain, its faded lettering just barely readable: “First Class Use Only.”

You step closer and peer over the edge. The stench hits you first; a foul mix of salt, mildew, and something that reminds you of stagnant grave water. The pool is half-filled with murky green liquid, its surface thick and unmoving. For a moment, you swear it ripples but there’s no wind.

[What is your next move?]

>>42710812
While no one looking is put the epsom salt in an empty container and replace it with a cheaper salt. And replace the ki-meter with a cheap cardboard copy. Hehe stupid ponyim.

>>42710812
Ask ember if we should pour some salt or holy water in the green rotten pool to see if any sudden changes will happen?

>>42710812
Zero Tau so far? Turn on the radio and ask the green goo if it can hear us.

>>42710812
Check deck chairs for any BOMES or signs of violence.
Also apologize to Mr. Bones for disturbing his wild ride.

Rolled 5 (1d5)

>>42710831
You turn to Ember. “What if we pour some salt or holy water into the pool? See if anything reacts.”
Ember exhales a plume of sage-scented smoke and shakes her head. “It’d be like pissing in the ocean, barely worth it. Besides, you really think something’s in there?”
She steps closer, peering over the edge as a bit of ash tumbles from her cigarette into the murky water, then steps back.
>>42710842
You glance at the Ki-meter. Ki flickers between zero and one. Tau sits steady at zero. Zen shows a faint reading at one, indicating some harmonic magic. You flip on the Spirit Speaker, it crackles and buzzes..
[Roll luck 1d4]
[Score higher than QM's roll to succeed]

Rolled 2 (1d4)

>>42711492
I like them chances.

Rolled 4 (1d4)

>>42711492
>5
Well, fuck.

File: 1751699006188.png (281 KB, 2140x2009)

281 KB PNG

>>42711502
>>42711503
30 seconds separated us from getting a luck stat increase

File: Anon where do you think y(...).png (2.42 MB, 1200x1600)

2.42 MB PNG

>>42711507

>>42711502
The speaker keeps crackling, but nothing comes through.
Ember flicks her cigarette butt into the water. “Seems clear to me—unless whatever’s in there just isn’t a talker.”
The last of the sunlight fades, the red sky swallowed by black. The stars and moon vanish behind the fog, leaving the deck bathed in the dim shimmer of your green glowstick and Ember’s red one.Somewhere deep within the ship, metal groans—a slow, drawn-out sound, like something old remembering how to breathe. You continue starting at the pool.

[Options are suggestions]
1 - Continue investigating the pool.
2 - Move on. Investigate the rest of the deck.
3 - Make small talk with Ember.

>>42711580
2.

>>42711580
Find the highest observation deck and work top to bottom.
Also ask Ember what kind of beings she thinks there's to find here. So far everything looks like it was just abandoned or the crew and guests just up and vanished. Would that create something hostile and aggressive seeking revenge, or something sad and mournful that wants to move on but can't?

Oh, right, I guess I should say that I have zero recollection of what the various things measured by our magic mcguffin are. It's been a long time since. I think one of them is life force but I forgot which. Then there's the other two, one was very bad and I think the other was just paranormal shit that may or may not be bad. But I forgor which is which.

>>42711644
>>42709123

>>42711649
K, thanks. I skipped past the spoilers because, well, spoilers.

>>42711625
>>42711644

You move on, your thoughts drifting as you walk along the creaking deck. The fog hangs thick, swallowing the horizon.

“What kind of beings do you think we’ll find here?” you ask, glancing at Ember before scanning the ghostly outlines of the bridge windows above that you deem as the rest of the unit “So far, everything looks like it was just… abandoned. Like the crew and guests vanished mid-step.”

Ember shrugs, the ember of her cigarette flaring in the gloom. “All ships have their shadow figures. I’ll put a few bits on seeing one or two tonight. But what made everyone disappear?” She exhales a slow, smoky breath. “No clue.”

You mull over her words, then press further. “Would that kind of event create something hostile—something vengeful—or something mournful, trapped here and unable to move on?”
“Celestia be damned if I know,” Ember mutters. “But whatever it is, I’d bet the answer’s below deck—and it’s been festering there for a very, very long time.”

“Then we’ll work from top to bottom,” you reply.

Ember nods, with a freshly rolled cigarette hanging from the corner of her mouth. “Knowing Lumin, she’s probably already come to the same plan.”

You turn, and something drifts down from the darkness above, spinning slowly before landing at your hooves. A signal flag, black with a blue cross, its fabric damp and cold to the touch.

[What is your next move?]

>>42711712
"I know I had the idea about using the signal flags, but you could've said something before tossing it down. What's a black flag with a blue cross on it mean anyways?"
Panic if there's no response.

>>42711712
Swipe her cigarette and take a drag. Since this is our first smoke we cough roughly and try to play it off.

>>42711712
Alright, we may not understand the message but it's clear someone or something tries to communicate. Stop and let it know that it's heard. Is it a straight cross or a saltire? If it's an Xray in fucky colors, our new friend may have more to say.

>>42711712
No clue what it means, but black is usually used for something negative.

>>42711825
Why?

>>42712352
Gotta work that autism

>>42712409
Our autism is 1, there's nothing to work.

Serious question: does it make Marrow the least autistic cyoa protagonist ever?

>>42712612
I think a stat of 1 means an automatic increase on a roll though, maybe that anon is powergaming that way.

>>42712677
Kek you would have to roll a 1 out of 10 to get an increase. I swear you guys dont want to have fun in these CYOAs.

>>42712666
The least I've seen, at least. He might even be normal enough that we can say him not doing the wilder suggestions is just him being able to shoo away the intrusive thoughts.

>>42712857
Maybe that's why somebody's trying to make us more autistic, they don't know how to play as a character that's not autistic.

>>42712766
It's a 1 on 1d1 what the heck are you talking about?

>>42713716
Oh then dont do it since it would game a score increase. Lets just have him be a boring bat detective.

>>42716180
I feel like there's a middle ground between "boring bat detective" and acting like a retarded asshole to someone we just met as you were suggesting.

Rolled 3 (1d5)

>>42711812
>>42711825
>>42711902
>>42712321

“I know I had the idea about using the signal flags,” you call into the dark, voice echoing faintly through the fog, “but you could’ve said something before tossing it down! What’s a black flag with a blue cross even mean, anyway?”

Ember tilts her head, frowning. “Who are you talking to?”

You don’t answer. Instead, you crouch and unfold the flag, the damp fabric sticking to your hoof. The pattern forms a straight cross—, ot diagonal like an X-ray flag, but close enough to stir unease. The colors are wrong… inverted somehow. Is a spirit trying to communicate?

Your eyes lift toward the cables above, where another flag flaps weakly in the wind—a red saltire cross on a black background. Again, the colors are off. Wrong in a way that feels deliberate.

“Alright, Marrow,” Ember sighs, stepping closer. “I can see the gears turning from here, but it’s nothing. The flag just fell. Don’t start chasing ghosts that isn't there.”

Her cigarette smoke curls into your face as she speaks. You wave it away, irritation bubbling as you try and ponder the meaning behind the flags. Then, with a low huff, you swipe at her cigarette.

[Roll autism 1d1]
[Score higher than QM to succeed]

Rolled 1 (1d1)

>>42716463
rollan'

>>42716486
Woo, max roll!
Fuck, min roll!
You blursed us all!

>>42716486

[Max roll]
[Autism + 1]
[LASS]
Luck - 4
Autism - 2
Skill - 3
Strength - 3

Ember jerks back, your hoof missing by barely an inch. She narrows her eyes and exhales a deliberate puff of smoke right into your face.
“If the smoke’s bothering you, just say so,” she snaps. “You don’t have to be a tail-hole about it.”
For a moment, she just stares at you then huffs, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “Fine, whatever. I get it. You’re one of those deep and mysterious detective diehards.” She gestures vaguely toward the fallen flag. “So, have we reached the grand conclusion that it just fell because of, I don’t know-gravity?”

[What is your next move?]

>>42716394
Ah I see you like doing things the simp-le way

>>42716517
"I've reached the shocking conclusion that this place is haunted. But yeah, we should keep moving to find a way up."

>>42716517
Tell her it isn't standard Equestrian flags. Unless it's some exotic system used by griffins, these flags shouldn't be on board to begin with.
> a red saltire cross on a black background
If the first one was a strangely colored X, it may be a strangely colored V. "VX"? Or just "help"? That's why we're here, yeah. Or M? RM?
We need something with vertical red and white, no, red and black stripes to confirm reception. Do we happen to have anything like that? Maybe Ember always has lewd socks with this exact pattern with her? Or do we have red chalk? If nothing else, we can try the spirit speaker again.

>>42716594
I don't think its as simple as "the white parts are black" but I'm having a hell of a time matching anything up here.
Also this line >>42716463
>The pattern forms a straight cross—, ot diagonal like an X-ray flag, but close enough to stir unease.
is fucking with me because Xray IS a straight cross.

>>42716662
>>The pattern forms a straight cross—, ot diagonal like an X-ray flag, but close enough to stir unease.
The pattern forms a straight cross.

Sorry the sentence after the - shouldn't been there.

Maybe it's just too dark to see colors right.

>>42716577

You stare at Ember for a long moment, watching her expression shift from irritation to unease. Winding the mare up is almost too easy.

“I’ve reached the shocking conclusion…” you say at last, voice dry and serious, “…that this place is haunted.”

Ember’s ears flick back, her unease snapping into a glare. “Are you bucking with me?” Or are you just high?”

You tap your chin thoughtfully, ignoring her tone. “But yeah, we should keep moving to find a way up.”

You turn and start down the deck toward the stern, your hooves echoing against the warped boards. The fog presses close, muffling every sound but your steps and the wind. Before long, you reach a set of four old stairways; two narrow, rust-bitten ones climbing toward the bridge and observation deck, and two descending into the ship’s shadowed interior. A faded sign between them marks the paths: Upper Class to the left, Lower Class to the right with a wall separating them apart.

“Those weren’t standard Equestrian flags,” you mutter, staring at the stairs.

“Again with the flags,” Ember groans, her ears drooping as she trails a few steps behind.

“Unless it’s some exotic system the griffins use, they shouldn’t be on board at all.” You frown, mind racing for an explanation. “A single flag means a message, but multiple on the same line spell letters. And the colors, why change them? None of it adds up.”

Ember sighs, flicking her tail. “Alright, before you start having an aneurysm, yeah, you’re looking for meaning in the flags, right? That reminds me of something Tarn said once, our rune specialist. Something about how power comes from intent, and every symbol or color choice matters.” She waves a hoof dismissively. “Art, runes, flags, it’s all the same theory to her. Maybe it’s worth asking her later.”

[What is your next move?]

>>42716990
Am I high?
Definitely not high enough.
Head up to the observation deck to get higher.

>>42716990
Agree with Ember to find Tarn after this to get her opinion on the matter. For now keep investigating our surroundings as we're heading towards the bridge next.

>>42716990
So we now have a flag, whose colors were unnaturally inverted, that hung undisturbed for decades suddenly fall off to land at our hooves while every other flag is hanging on just fine. Unless we missed a bunch of other altered flags littering the deck, it is something noteworthy.

In a side note, if it's a triangular pennant rather than a rectangular flag, it'd mean "8". Excluding that would leave national flags and The Red Cross.

Say QM, does this setting have anything like the Bermuda Triangle?

>>42716990
Would the Ki-meter react to something a spook moved?

>>42717427
It might measure some residual magic I think. We can try next time we pass by but it might just be the same as the background magic.

Bump

>>42718019

>>42717149

You nod. “I’ll ask her when I see her. But the real question is… am I high?”

Ember blinks, frowning. “Well—are you?”

“What? No,” you say, straight-faced. “We’re only on the deck. I need to get higher. For a mare with wings, you sure don’t know your heights.”

Ember just stares, torn between throwing you overboard or throttling you. Her jaw tightens as she exhales through her nose, muttering something under her breath about smart-flanked answers.

You let her simmer while your thoughts drift back to the flags,those unnatural, inverted colors and the way one fell to your hooves. After probably hanging there since its last voyage, that can’t be a coincidence. Something’s watching.

Without another word, you move ahead, hooves clunking softly against the metal steps as you climb toward the bridge. At the top waits a rusted iron door marked “Bridge - Crew Only.” Beside it, a narrow ladder rises to a hatch labelled Observation Deck in peeling paint.

[First post decides]
Go to observation deck
Go to Bridge

Rolled 4, 5 = 9 (2d5)

>>42707306

>>42716990
>observation deck
What chalk glyphs Dirge knows?

>>42719509
I vote bridge, more likely to find clues.
>>42719522
Little late there, anon.

>>42719549

Higher it is. You climb the narrow ladder and push through the hatch, stepping out onto the observation deck. The glass windows that once enclosed the space are all shattered, leaving only jagged edges and shards scattered across the floor. You move carefully, hooves crunching against the glass as you approach the railing. From here, you can see the bow of the ship, the swimming pool, the deck chairs, all sitting in eerie stillness under the fog.

Your ears twitch. Below, the muffled voices of your team echo faintly through the steel.
“There, you found your high. Happy now?” Ember grumbles as she climbs up after you, her wings brushing against the frame before she steps onto the deck.

“I needed a better view,” you say, then abruptly change the subject. “Anyway, about the runes…”

Ember blinks, momentarily thrown off by the shift. “Can’t you ever have one simple train of thought?” she sighs, rubbing her temples. “Fine. What about the runes? I told you to talk to Tarn.”

You don’t answer directly. You're mostly thinking out loud. “I know the Energy Draw rune and the Nada “Well, yeah,” Ember replies, rolling her eyes. “All operatives learn those. But most of us rely on the rune specialist to actually use them properly.” She exhales sharply and looks around. “Why are we up here, anyway?”

“To go top to bottom. Are you paying attention?” you ask flatly.

“I’m starting to wonder if you’re possessed,” Ember mutters coldly, pulling out her Ki-meter. She glances at the screen, then at you.

“Reading?” you ask.

“Nothing.” Ember replies with an oddly disappointed sounding tone.

A few raindrops patter against the deck, soft at first, then growing heavier. The faint ting of water striking rusted metal fills the air, followed by a distant rumble of thunder that rolls through the fog.

[What you next move?]

>>42720146
Can we see anything funny from here?
Unless Ember thinks there's something left to do, it concludes the sweep. Go pester Tarn.

>>42720146
Rain. Keep your ears pricked for barking.

File: 1643064887400.jpg (158 KB, 1280x720)

158 KB JPG

>>42720358

>>42720251
>>42720358

You watch the rain fall, feeling the weight of it against the remaining glass in the windows. Ember must have noticed the worry etched on your face. She circles you slowly, then stops directly in your line of sight.

"Not a fan of storms, huh?" The exorcist glances at the sky just as a bolt of lightning splits the fog.
"There is rain in my fate," you reply, the fur on the back of your neck standing on end, your ears perking as you brace for the blood-curdling barking you dread.
Ember’s ears flatten. "Oh, right." She turns back to you. "Well, you’ve survived all the storms so far."

“I think it’s best I stay indoors until this one passes,” you say. “Let’s head to the bridge…” You take one last sweep of the ship from your vantage point. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Carefully, you make your way across the observation deck and down the narrow ladder. You push open the door to the bridge and step inside. Trotting up a couple of steps, you find the rest of the unit gathered around a candle-lit table, poring over books and what appear to be the ship’s blueprints. The walls of the bridge are covered in chalked runes, some familiar, some you have never seen before.
Everyone is absorbed in the records, books, and anything else they can get their hooves on. No one seems to notice the ship’s wheel turning on its own, guided by unseen hooves. You spot several runes etched around it, while Tarn mutters to herself, scribbling in her notebook and trying to figure out why her runes aren’t working.

“Marrow, Ember.” Lumin greets you at the booth, looking up from a book only for a moment. “Anything to report?”
You hear Ember trot up behind you, “Nothing to report, we had small fluctuations on the Ki-meter on the deck, nothing on the observation deck.”

“Marrow? What about you? Anything to add?”

[What you next move?]

>>42720495
Describe the flag and ask Tarn about it.

>>42720495
Talk about the flags. If Tarn can solve this riddle, I still think we should answer. It isn't right to leave the ghost hanging.
What are they trying to do with the wheel? We can physically wedge it in place, but won't it make things worse? At least the ghostly helmspony keeps the ship away from rocks and shoals for now.

>>42720495
How did we reach such high levels of autism with just a 2? Is it inverted, where higher autism means more functional?

>>42707306

>>42721002
Anon in another quests sits around 10 give or take. Marrow is has nothing on him. Bare in mind Anon, jerked off in a strangers bathroom, ran into the same tree twice and solved a hundred of years old riddle about frequencies of metal just by staring at a book a minute.

And also getting tangled in wire and getting killed.

>>42720673
>>42720681

You explain what happened with the flags, how one of them fell right in front of your hooves. You describe it in detail: the signal flags, but with something wrong about it. The colors were off. Where there should have been white, there was black.

“From what the flags mean—if the colors were correct—it would suggest a spirit wants to communicate, maybe even ask for help,” you conclude.

Lumin nods thoughtfully before turning to Ember. “And you didn’t think that was worth reporting?”

“There was nothing on the Ki-meter,” Ember replies flatly. “I’ve seen this before—an operative reading too much into a coincidence.”

“But the flags shouldn’t be black,” you insist. “They shouldn’t even be on this ship. A flag with mostly black coloring could be mistaken for a pirate.”

Lumin frowns. “Are we talking about an OOPO an out-of-place object?”

You nod once in confirmation. “Fits that category, but they’re still signal flags in some sense.”

Tarn groans, bracing against the ship’s wheel as it turns slowly to the left on its own. She struggles with it for a moment before giving up, letting it spin at its own pace. The ship lists slightly. “Alright, I’m throwing in the towel for now,” she sighs, adjusting her large round glasses. “But I might have an idea about those flags, Marrow.”

You tilt your head, intrigued.

“The color black seems to be the motif. If both flags share that color as their main feature—then maybe that’s the intent or the message. Are the other colors correct?”

“The red and blue crosses are,” you confirm.

Tarn walks over and sits down heavily, flipping through her notebook. “There’s a theory that motifs like in art or music can also be the language of spirits. If black keeps recurring, then it’s not random. You have to find what it means.”

“That’s easy,” Ember shrugs. “It means death.”

“Not quite,” Tarn replies without looking up. “It depends on time.”

Ember rolls her eyes. “What, at six it means good news?”

Tarn huffs, cheeks puffing out. “Do you ever listen when I explain these things? Colors and symbols change meaning over time, depending on the intent behind them.”

“In other words,” Ashen says quietly, looking up from the captain’s logbook, “for Marrow to understand the message, he needs to understand the spirit’s intent.”

“Almost.” Tarn points a hoof at him.”We need to take into account the motif of black when this spirit was alive. They probably have been on this ship for over a hundred years, they would not know any modern takes of things.”

Ember tuts, “None of this makes sense. Forget what they are trying to say, send them back behind the veil.”

“It’s easy to understand Ember. Like over a hundred years ago pink was a color for colts, now it’s for fillies. The color's meaning was flipped.”

Lumin nods, “Alright. Everyone, gather round the table.”

[continued]

>>42723078
You, Tarn, Ember, Ashen, and Sable move closer to join her. The candlelight flickers across the scattered notes and the ship’s blueprints spread out before you. While you and Ember were sweeping the decks, the rest of the team had clearly been hard at work.

Lumin turns to Ashen. “Did you find anything in the captain’s log?”

Ashen nods. “The voyage seems to have gone smoothly for the most part. There’s one entry about several complaints concerning a particular passenger’s cabin—something about a disgusting odor.”

“Did it mention the passenger’s name or cabin number?” Lumin asks.
Ashen shakes his head. “No, but I’d wager it was one of the first-class cabins. The captain mentioned he didn’t want the issue to tarnish his reputation with the rich and elite.”

“Odd,” Lumin murmurs, tapping a hoof against the table. “Captain’s logs are usually more detailed. And for a complaint like that to reach the captain himself… it must’ve been serious.” She looks back up. “Anything else?”

Ashen nods again. “The last entry states that all passengers were ordered to the lower decks, and a distress protocol was enacted.”

Lumin’s gaze shifts to Sable. “Sable, you’ve been reviewing the navigation and communications logs. Anything to add?”

[continued]

The quiet mare sinks further into her hoof, the candlelight barely illuminating her face. “There isn’t much—just docking notes and shipping lanes—but I did find this.” She carefully lays an old sheet of paper on the table. You crane your neck to get a better look. It’s a rough sketch: a large ‘V’ with several arrows pointing inward from both sides, each labelled with the word ‘salt.’

Lumin studies it for a long moment. “Leave it on the desk. Tarn, any ideas?”

Tarn shakes her head. “It’s not a rune I recognize or a kirin charm. No clue, sorry.”

“Right,” Lumin sighs, rubbing the bridge of her nose. “We’re still in the dark, as expected for the start of an assignment. We’ll move to the next deck. Marrow, keep your eyes open for more flags. You’ll team up with Tarn and Ember to search the second-class area. Ashen, Sable—you’re with me. We’ll take the first class. Finding what happened to Unit T comes first. If we know what happened to them we can figure out what is going on here.”

Everyone nods in agreement.

“You’ve got ten minutes to go over the blueprints and make a plan. Check your equipment too. We don’t know what’s down there, and I don’t want any fates tonight,” Lumin orders sharply.

Ember and Tarn move in closer to you.

“Any idea what’s going on here, Gears?” Ember asks with a teasing edge to her voice.

“Gears?” Tarn tilts her head, puzzled by the nickname.

Ember smirks. “Yeah I just made it up. He gets that blank look when he’s thinking something through, and look at his ear. See it twitching?”

[Use this time to go over information]
[In game ten minutes will end in three rounds. (QM posts)]

>>42723096
The runes all over the walls, did you guys do this or were they already here? Could unit T have done it?
Examine the old paper with the v. Are the arrows >implying the v should be made of salt or a v should be surrounded by salt? Could it be a simple drawing of the ship surrounded by salt water?
Check the blueprints. Make a plan for clearing the second class area.

>>42723096
Do the coast guards and pegasi still follow us?
V was one of the flags, presumably. Maybe the ghost tried to tell us to pay attention to this piece of paper. Can it be an OoPO too? Is there anything wrong about it, like maybe this kind of ink didn't exist back then or something? Lick the paper.
What was the distress protocol back then? In particular, under what circumstances would the crew have sent the passengers to the lower decks? It seems strange. Let's say one of the passengers tried to contraband some kind of a stinky monster, and it ran away and ate somepony. Sending everypony down to their certain death would be the least sensible thing to do. Unless some other disaster, like a storm, happened at the same time. Or maybe it was an intentional sacrifice. Have we seen any lifeboats?
Does it say who complained about the bad smell? Are the blueprints detailed enough to let us see airvents? Is there any difference in ventilation architecture between the first and second classes?
What was the last record in the communications logs? Did they send a distress signal? If they had radio, where's the radio room?

File: runes for you.png (16 KB, 269x37)

16 KB PNG

>>42723096
Write this rune pattern on the ground with chalk and look proud about it while smiling at the others.