MLPFEMTORPG -- Nerf that shit

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>>30883280
Post sheets

>>30883285
https://pastebin.com/7FyBUa0q

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61KB, 260x273px

>>30883285
https://pastebin.com/haMVj8ts

>>30883285
https://pastebin.com/HZDtCp5g

>>30883285
https://pastebin.com/w7vFkeLu

>>30883285
https://pastebin.com/68nd0GB3

>>30883285

https://pastebin.com/2yRGA0fT

>All at full H/W

Last time on Pirates...

The party resolved to traverse Mt. Chill in search of Master Cangrejo, the guy who could possibly teach them how to use Aura (but according to Brewhaha, would TOTALLY embarrass them and send them packing). But the only way up there would be to get the attention of the dragon who lived on Mt. Chill, and only came down whenever he wanted to collect interesting people. So, they tried to put on a show with some now to get the dragon's attention, since he's an ice dragon and all. However, the snow clouds that Cloud summoned were not only sapient, they clearly had an opinion or two about what the party was doing, and started a snowball fight with them.

Cutlass, after talking to Miss Sunshine and Schwartzwelt, had finally been given permission to leave the jail, on the condition that she take a collection of assassins from the Gates of Justice and take them with her to the Ribcage. To keep up appearances, Cutlass would have to leave once the inspectors had finally left. This meant she'd have a little time with her crew in their cell to sit and ruminate on the situation with Capt. Plague, Ossie and Schnitzel.

>>30883289
>>30883298
>>30883303
>>30883336
>>30883353
Cerulean joins the team of HUEG ponies (and griffon). Though the chilly breeze doesn't deter any of you, it blows away the big snowball that Cerulean tries to put together. Many of the clouds point and laugh derisively. One of the bigger clouds floats forward, with his topside protruding out from his "head" in the shape of a pompadour. Approaching with a big grimace, he starts to shake his head wildly, spreading snow and wind everywhere. The other clouds start to follow his lead, and blow icy wind in all directions. Slowly but surely, a snowstorm starts to brew...

>Roll to not be blown off balance by the snowstorm, Tough lowers DC by 1.

>>30883355
Miss Sunshine takes you by the arm and leads the way down the corridors back to the prison, all while keeping an eye out for Devotchka. "We don't want word of this going around too quickly, so for now you're just going to have to go back to your cell. If anyone but the crew asks, you were taken in for questioning on a recent raid."

Soon you reach the prison tower, and shortly after, your cell. "Godot should be getting moved up to this cell by Godot. You wait here, and tomorrow morning, just before dawn, we'll make the arrangements for the ship."

Schnitzel, Ossie and Plague look up eagerly upon your return.

>>30883413
Godot should be getting moved up to this cell by Schwartzwelt*

>>30883413
>>30883336
"I've had enough of this little show! Cloud, make me as big as ye can so I can fly us all up there personally!" Rin shouts angrily, getting tired of the snow clouds attempting to pester the party.

>Keep balanced
[1d10]
>Dual Strike
[1d10]
[1d10]

>>30883413
The roll is instant, so you can make another action this round as well

>>30883413
"Whats some ice gonna do to a buncha guys as cool as we are? Y'all stand no chance!"

Steve throws down his shield and plants his hooves to face the snowstorm head on.

>Tough, DC-1; [1d10]

>>30883413
Cerulean braces herself against wind, baring her sharp teeth at them.
>Tough
[1d10]

She then rears up and does a jump into the air, turning herself quickly to smack the bigger cloud right in the pompadour.
>Slam the pompadour
>+1, DC-1, crits 8+, Ranged due to Arabian Agility
[1d10+1]

>>30883469
>>30883413

"And with that outta tha' way onto the next lil trick!"

Steve takes a deep breath, catching some of the snow. He lets out a violent shout, losing a bit of his grip as he does so.

"CHAOS MIND," exhaling right into the biggest of the bunch.

>WoP [1d10]

>>30883413
Alder blinks once or twice as the giant cloud drifts into view, and tugs at the shark's shoulder a little bit "H-Hey, look! Another cloud! That one looks angry, though." The griffon remarks, before hunting for something to throw at it!
>Stay Balanced!
>[1d10]
>Chuck something at it!
>[1d10]

>>30883413
Cloud crouches down to avoid the cold, blowing winds of the snowstorm.
>Balance [1d10+1]

>>30883463
"Think you cna handle that? We're all pretty big now."
Cloud chides as his eyes glow orange to grow Rin for a quartet of giants.
>Wax/Wane [1d10+1]

>>30883413

"Well..." Cutlass says as she looks around the cell with a cocky smile on her face. "Good news, everyone. We're getting out of here tomorrow."

"I cut a deal with the stallion running this jail. He's giving us a ship and letting us go and do what we want. There are only 3 conditions. First, we have to bring some of his pirate hunters into the ribcage with us. Second, we can't pillage anything that belongs to the. Three, we have to find them an Aura Master and bring that master back here."

"As long as we satisfy those three conditions, my crew will be immune to being hunted, arrested, or killed by them. Pretty good deal, right?"

Then, she walks up to Plague and gets in his face. "Yes, I said MY crew. I don't know what you were planning. I don't know how you knew about my map. But, I think I've proven one thing here. I am a very clever pony. Do. Not. Fuck. With. Me."

"A part of the deal is that the crew will only have immunity as long as I am the captain. You are welcome to stay on my crew. But, I am the captain. You can be the..." Cutlass rubs her chin in mock though. "Vice Captain. Or, you can just stay here. Up to you," she adds with a shrug.

>>30883463
You slice one cloud in two; its face disappears, but re-manifests on each of the smaller halves, snickering playfully as it flicks some snow onto your torso to patch up the gaps in your armor.

>>30883487
Your shout blows one of the clouds away, swirling into the distance. But, its delighted hoots suggest it doesn't mind too much.

>>30883476
You swear you can hear the cloud roll its r as it charges forward and clashes its pompadour with your tail. After a brief struggle, it flings you back into the snow headfirst.

>>30883493
Unlike the other clouds, the main one seems solid, because your rock clobbers him in the side of the head and bounces off, instead of sailing right through him. With a look somewhere between surprise and fury, he turns and dive-bombs the big pile of snow on the ground. After landing, he starts to roll toward you, quickly accruing snow until he becomes a gigantic snowball.

>Cleave vs Alder and Cerulean [1d10+1]

>>30883518
>>30883463
Rin too, becomes much larger thanks to Cloud's magic.

>>30883487
>>30883476
>>30883469
>>30883518
>>30883493
As the fight continues, a large, blue shape approaches high in the sky above. As it starts to come into view, you see it is a large, light blue dragon with a sleepy expression and a basket in one claw, scanning the horizon aimlessly.

>>30883555
Plague recoils, his smile quickly dwindling as you establish pecking order. "Okay, I get it, you're the boss! I only ask that we look for the other members of my crew. I know it's unlikely we'll see them again. But, I know that one of my crewmates had a map of his own. Assuming he survived and didn't lose the map, I suspect they'll try to get in themselves."

"You said an Aura Master?" Ossie asks. "I guess Aura must be the Glow stuff we were talking about earlier, huh?"

Schnitzel rubs his nose. "Guess they were really willing to pay a high price for Godot's neck. Heh! I shoulda looked for dirt on him myself."

>>30883588
Alder spots the large, blue shape in the sky, and lets out a startled warble! He waves to the others, and points up at the shape "I-It's the dragon! We must get his attention!" the griffon says, before trying to do a somewhat eye-catching dance! Maybe some movement would do it?
>Dance!
>[1d10+2]

>>30883588
>>30883518
Rin grins wickedly as she feels herself growing once more. "I can handle as much as you can throw at me, let's experiment how far your magic can go this time Cloud!" Rin says, before attempting to blow away the clouds with her larger wing span.

>Fly: Used to blow away the clouds
[1d10+1]

>>30883588
>>30883493
>>30883476
>>30883463
Cloud stands up through the snow as it dies down., wiping his forehead.
"Phew, been using this magic way too rapidly lately. Never realized how much it takes..."

Seeing the large shape in the sky as he looks up at the clouds, Cloud's eyes glow as he prepares his magic again.
"Hey, I think that's the dragon that skeleton mentioned. Quick, everyone do something flashy to get him down here!"
Cloud shouts to the others. Focusing his magic on the clouds, he attempts to counter their cold snowyess with bright sunshine on them (and the party, like a spotlight).
>Climate Control [Bright Sunshine] [1d10+1]

And, as added help to draw attention, he attempts to bring life to some of the ore colorful flora around to help bring something of notice up to the plateau.
>Earthen Grasp [Instant Minion] [1d10+1]

>>30883588
Cerulean growls again, trying to use her tail to whack a boulder at the pompadour cloud.

>Batter up!
[1d10]

>>30883610
"Give me a minute before we try that. Need a breather after making us all this big to start with."

>>30883588

"You bigheaded bastards, jist wait'll I get mah hooves on yer sorry misty collections of magic and evaporashun!"

Steve uses his Earth Pony strength and affinity for nature to build up a hill of the ground below him.

>Roll? [1d10]

>>30883588

Cutlass backs up and smiles and more kind smile at Plague. "Of course. If we find a lead, we can definitely try to track them down. That's the point of being a pirate. Adventure, freedom, and whatever you want. I look forward to working with you, Vice Captain."

"Yes, I found out some more about it," Cutlass says, turning to Ossie. "It's called Aura," she says as she makes her own hoof glow a pale grey color. "I'm afraid I can't really tell you more than that. Godot should be here shortly. He can explain it better."

"Actually, speaking of him," she says, now turning to Schnitzel. "He will be joining our crew as well. Along with his entourage of goats. That's right... entourage. You said he worked alone. And, I only had to do a minutes of observation to see that that was clearly not the case. Are you really that oblivious?"

>>30883624
"I'm not in any hurry, I want to teach these sacks of mist a lesson!"

>>30883623
>>30883607
>>30883627
In an effort to stop the snowball from ruining the dance, Cerulean meets the rolling pompadour-cloud head on, grinding his momentum to a halt with her swipe, until the two of them stop just a few inches before Alder's makeshift dancing stage. For her efforts, Cerulean is buried under a few inches of snow as it falls off the pompadour cloud. As the cloud starts to shake some of the snow off of him, much of it lands on HHS, burying him alongside Cerulean.

>>30883617
>>30883610
>>30883607
>>30883607
Possessed by an otherworldly groove, Alder starts dancing furiously.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFVj0Z6ahcI

Cloud attempt to channel the sunshine, and soon, he does... in the form of a small sun with a smiley face of its own. He floats down among the clouds, but he quickly becomes MUCH too bright, threatening to blind you all, particularly Rin, who is forced to land before the small sun's heat scorches her. The sun doesn't seem to mind much, and joins in the dance, seemingly unaware of what's going on. Cloud also raises a plant minion to join in.

>continue dancing, but roll to resist the newfound brightness and heat, instant

The dragon looks downward lazily as it drifts through the sky.

>>30883640
"Back at you... Captain," Plague says with a tiny hint of dissatisfaction.

Ossie nods, but doesn't react to your glowing hoof much, seemingly unable to see it.

"I... wasn't TECHNICALLY wrong. He makes the stuff himself! I'm sure of it. I saw it absolutely," Schnitzel says. You recall Godot's words about Schnitzel being a pathological liar.

>>30883696

Cutlass smiles as she pats Schnitzel on the head. "I think we can put your talents to good use."

"I have a few more things to say," Cutlass says to everyone. "But, I feel they should be saved for better times. One thing I'll save for when Godot arrives."

>>30883696
Rin growls and covers her eyes when the sun suddenly appears before peeking up at the sky to the dragon above. "Fine, I'll have to get his attention the DRAGON way!" Rin says, before flashing her weapons and try to get his attention with her intimidating presence. Which is definitely not just reflecting a bit of light into his eyes with her weapons to catch his attention.

>Intimidation: Look impressive to catch attention
[1d10+4]

>>30883696
Cloud covers his eyes quickly, the bright sun far too much for his sensitive bat eyes.
"Gah, is all the weather here this disagreeable!"
He complains, stepping back to all the snow to cool down a bit.
>Chill from heat [1d10+1]

His plant minion shuffles over to Cloud, climbing up his leg onto his back for a good jumping point to latch onto one of the snow-clouds to swat it at the new sun.
>Shove [1d10]

>>30883654
"Alright, get ready. Gonna try to make these clouds nothing but dust balls after this one!"
He shouts to Rin, eyes glowing as he focuses more growing magic into her.
>Wax/Wane [1d10+1]

>>30883696
Steve tries to push up and out of the snow with enough force to blow the snow off both he and Cerulean.

>Slam; Crit 8+ [1d10+2]

File: Singing Alder!.png (59KB, 323x354px) Image search: [Google]

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>>30883696
Alder nearly loses composure as the cloud and sharkpony skid to a stop just in front of him, but he staves off any uneasy-sounding noises. "T-Thank you, Cerulean! I owe you one!" he chirps, before trying to twirl and dance a little more flashy-like! He's definitely glad he learned how to dance from his Saddle Arabian friend
>Resist! [1d10+1]
>Dance! [1d10+2]

>>30883696
Cerulean attempts to get herself out of the snow, shivering a bit and now knowing how it feels to be one of those fish at the griffon fish markets.

>Getting Out
[1d10]

>>30883714
Schnitzel seems surprised at your gesture. "Huh. Well, this always happens to me, so I'm not too surprised. You never know when twists will come your way."

A few hours pass in the cell, full of little but idle conversation and the crude jokes being swapped by prisoners in the nearby cells. Near midnight, you are alerted by the sound of the cell slamming open. Godot is shoved to the cell's dirt floor by a large guard, looking ruffled and shaken by the guards' obviously harsh handling.

>timeskip to morning is available whenever ready


>>30883733
>>30883734
Your performances are less than stellar. Rin slips in some of the quickly melting snow, landing partially atop Cloud, which knocks him ungracefully into the snowbanks. His plant pushes away one cloud, but it drifts around the plant and continues its dance, unabated.

>>30883753
>>30883737
>>30883774
On the other hand, you three put on a spectacular show, undisturbed by the sudden light and heat. While Alder is the main attraction, HHS and Cerulean provide amazing SFX by shoving the giant piles of snow off of them. Caught by the sun, the snow creates a dazzling show of water and light, reflected off the droplets.

The smaller clouds start gathering, and the looks on their faces show they're planning to ruin the show. But suddenly, an alarmed gasp comes from the pompadour-cloud as he looks in the sky. He flees, and the other clouds look up, gasp, and quickly follow. It's not hard to understand why, as a massive shadow descends over the party.

The giant ice dragon is shooting downward at an alarming speed toward the party, with a claw outstretched and a greedy gleam in his eyes!

>>30883789
>>30883733
Cloud grumbles as Rin falls on top of him, pushing the dragon off as h stands back up.
"And you want to be bigger with footwork like that."
He complains, shaking the snow off himself.

As the dragon starts to swoop down towards the others, Cloud shifts to get in the way of the grab, making sure h's caught after all this trouble.
"Looks like our ride's here!"
>Get Grabbed [If roll is needed] [1d10+1]

His plant also hops up after to grab onto hte dragon, to act as a rope if anypony is too slow.
>Plant Tag-Along [1d10]

>>30883789
>>30883734
"YarharhaaAUGH!" Rin chuckles before suddenly shouting in surprise. After feeling something cushions her landing, Rin looks down with a frown. "Get yer head out of me arse and help me grow damn it! You can admire it more later!" Rin commands, getting up after landing on Cloud's head.

Afterwards, Rin looks up at the greedy dragon's alarming approach. She prepares herself to fight back if he plans to snatch at her or anyone else.

>Prevent a snatching
[1d10+1]

>>30883789
"Don't worry guys, fear and shit is only in yer mind!"

Steve takes another deep breath and exhales right at the dragon, "SPEED SLOW!"

>WoP [1d10]

>>30883789

Cutlass makes a vague acknowledgement Godot's entrance. "Welcome to the crew," she mutters in a half-asleep state. She checks her hat briefly to make sure the map is still in it. Then, she goes back to sleep.

>timeskip to morning

>>30883857
"I'll grow ya as big as you want when I'm sure I won't be crushed!"
Cloud snaps back.
"And don't flatter yourself, only thing you got working back there is my magic."

>>30883880
"Don't make me add you to my flaying list, I've eaten ponies before!" Rin hisses back.

>>30883893
"Whoa whoa, chill. Just saying, you did't get that big alone."
Cloud says, holding his hooves up defensively.
"And I'd like to see you try when I shrink ya down to a newt."

>>30883789
Alder giggles excitedly as he continues to dance, and loses track of where he is for a little bit. He eventually comes to a stop and pulls Cerulean up into as tight of a hug as the (comparatively) small griffon can manage, before giggling a little more "Thank you for keeping them from interrupting me! I-I had a lot of fun!"

>>30883909
>>30883893

"Can't y'all knock it off for one second? Theres a dragon comin right at ass and all y'all can do is yer sad lil jibber jabberin!"

>>30883866
The map is there, just where you left it.

Your dreams are restless and shifting, full of turmoil and storms and quaking. As they weather on, you experience a sudden and confusing tumble, landing in freezing water, unable to swim or even work your way to the surface. It isn't until your vision fades and throat tightens that you awake, sweating and rigid, to the feeling of Ossie shaking you awake. A dream like that is typically a bad omen for a pirate.

Time fades by quickly in the chilly, pre-dawn haze. Schwartzwelt leads you and the others out to the massive shipyard under cover of the sunless morning. Although this is a mere prison, the ships docked are massive, multi-tiered and could easily hold their own in an all-out war. Unfortunately, Schwartzwelt takes you to one of the smaller ships. Still, it looks sturdy, clean and well-stocked. Already, several figures wearing Gate of Justice cloaks stand aboard the ship, inspecting it, eating and playing music.

As you reach the ship, Schwartzwelt turns to you sternly and pokes you in the chest. "What were the conditions of our deal?"

>>30883913
>>30883860
>>30883857
>>30883854
Rin and HHS's resistance keep the dragon from scooping you up, but the huge gust kicked up by his descent scatter the rest of the clouds and kick up the sand. He's twice Rin's height, even factoring in her size increase. He stops and lands, appearing troubled. He fishes a notebook out of the giant basket, and starts to consult it, periodically looking back at you. "Huh... I guess I already have of those, but this one can dance... hmm... I could probably get one of him on the net..."

"Hey," the dragon says, glancing down at you. "Uh, keep dancing. I gotta check your stats."

>>30883935
"Hay now what in tarnations goin on here? I thought you were some wise super dragun or somethin, don't tell me yer just one a those nerds from those uppity manehattan skools!"

Steve pushes against the base of the dragon trying to catch his attention.

>>30883909
"You'd like it eh? If ye ever back those words with action then I'll be happy to oblige showing ye." Rin growls.

>>30883929
"Stay out of this, Steve!"

>>30883935
Rin stands confused, scratching her head at what the dragon is doing or even what he's talking about. "...Net? Stats?" Rin mumbles.

She approaches the dragon and stands in a manner that should impose how strong she is just by how she looks. "I don't dance." She states to the dragon, attempting to give him a menacing glare.

>Intimidation: They look like big... strong... wings... don't they? (Impress dragon)
[1d10+4]

>>30883935

"I know... I know... No attacking anything protected by the Gates of Justice," Cutlass says like a teenager annoyed by their helicopter parent, complete with eyeroll. "I'm going to bring your assassins into the ribcage. It's up to them what they do from there, though. I'm also going to bring back an Aura Master for you."

"Now, YOU," she says, poking him right back in the chest. "You better not try any funny business. I swear, if those assassins double-cross me... And, when I bring back that Aura Master, I expect NOT to be thrown back in jail!"

>>30883967
"After all this maybe I will."

>>30883935
>>30883967
Cloud looks up at the dragon as he lands down, surprised as he's pulls out a notebook to judge them against.
"Hey hold on, you're just impressed by a little dancing? I made everypony here this big! That's gotta be mindblowing."
He brags.
"Watch, I go even bigger."
Cloud says, eyes glowing as he attempts to make himself even larger, while sticking his tongue out at RIn as he grows himself and not her.
>Wax/Wane [Self] [1d10+1]

>>30883935
Alder lets out a mildly confused warble as he listens to the dragon talk. Stats? Net? What? He shakes his head a little, and decides to just try dancing. The dragon seems alright, and they still need to get to the mountain, so...
>Dance! [1d10+2]

>>30883969
"That'll do it," Schwartzwelt nods in confirmation. He hands you a light green conch shell. "Take this. It's a Caller Conch, and it'll let you get in contact with me remotely. When you find the Aura Master, and get him to agree to train my troops, let me know. To contact me, hold the conch to your mouth and say the phrase, 'Justice is nothing without responsibility.' That general format is how you'll contact other people with conches, but you'll have to whisper a certain password for them."

He steps away and nods. One of the assassins onboard lowers the bridge for you.

>>30883976
>>30883967
>>30883962
>>30883995
Cloud grows slightly.
The dragon leans down, and now that you get a good look at his face, you see he is wearing thick-rimmed glasses. "Hmm. You guys definitely aren't around from here. Real collectors' items. Okay, yeah, you guys are coming with me. You two especially," he says to Rin and Alder. He pushes the basket toward you. "Okay, c'mon, in you go. Don't worry, you'll have it good once we get home."

>>30884012

Cutlass stares at the conch in her hoof. "Huh. Thanks," she says genuinely to Schwartzwelt.

"Where's Miss Sunshine?" Cutlass asks.

>>30883967
"Hay you just watch yer mouth now talkin' to the mon capitan like thayat now! I get you got yer lil entertaynin outbursts and whatnot but part ah me is startin to think yer serious now."

>>30884012
Steve climbs aboard the basket, "I am the mon capitan of this ship you understand big guy? Now set coarse fer that mountain up there."

>>30884012
Rin looks like she is about to object, before thinking about it for a bit longer and grins at the thought of getting some possible treasure from the dragon. "Right, you got any tasty gems and alcohol?" Rin asks as she gets into the basket.

>>30884012
Alder blinks again... he hadn't expected glasses! He looks around to the others and shrugs a little, before climbing up and into the basket "Very well. I suppose this... was not what I was expecting, however."

>>30884032
"Oh, I almost forgot. To set your password, you'll have to whisper your desired phrase into the shell for about half a minute. If it takes, you'll hear a clicking sound."

Miss Sunshine comes up from belowdeck, bearing a tray of recently-baked biscuits, which she starts passing out to the crew. "She's been up since near midnight with excitement. Nearly blew your damn cover with how much she hyped herself up over everything. Take care of her, and don't betray her. You hear me?" Schwartzwelt asks.

Godot and the others start to board the ship, enticed by the smell of fresh food.

>>30884050
>>30884041
>>30884036
>Cloud is forced to shrink everyone down to normal size in order to have everyone fit safely

"Yeah, cool, whatever," the dragon says patiently "Settle in there and buckle up. It's a hard ride for people of your stature."

The basket is no ordinary one; you see several designated seats, backed by wood paneling, with safety straps made of rope and vine. It seems this basket used to be a pirate ship in its own right, before the dragon presumably re-purposed it. He shuts and locks the lid, but there are several windows carved in the sides, allowing you to see outside.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Da2ywl5tJHk

With a mighty grunt, the dragon squats, then rockets into the air. The island melts away below you as you launch into the sky; were it not for the belts, you'd be tossed away. Your stomachs lurch down, then up as the dragon reaches peak altitude and starts drifting downward. Through the windows, you can see much of the Ribcage below. You cannot count the sheer number of islands, but you can see that they are drifting, ever so slowly, in a series of rings, each alternating clockwise and counterclockwise in their rotation. No, not drifting-- swimming. On each island, you see a set of four fins. The islands are not islands, but turtles!

>>30884186
Rin seems to handle the ride well, however when she gets a good look at each island she begins to grin. "I'll be damned, so they were turtles all along. I was wondering why there was a big one on the ribcage." Rin says.

>>30884186
Alder happily settles in to a seat by the window, and pokes his head out to take a look! He spends most of the trip with his head out the window, only popping back in to chatter excitedly with Cerulean or any of the other party members in earshot about what's below them
>>30884217
"They are, indeed! I never would have expected something like this, though!" he chirps, his tail swishing back and forth "T-This is kind of exciting, to be honest!"

>>30884186
Steve takes account of his surroundings and thinks over the new information and how it might affect his plans.

Steve begins to meditate.

>>30884012
"Really, nothing about all this? Whatever, probably need those glasses cause you don't know greatness right in front of you."
Cloud grumbles, feeling slightly insulted as he climbs into the basket.

>>30884186

"I have no intention of betraying her," Cutlass says, once again speaking like a teenager being lectured by her parents. "I'm going now. I guess I'll be in touch."

"Well, everybody," Cutlass says as she gets onboard, an excited smile on her face. "I'd like everyone to get acquainted with our last crew member," she says as she gestures toward Sunshine.

"I'll let her introduce herself."

>>30884186
Cloud looks around the oddly designed basket as he sits down in one of the seats.
"This dragon's really serious about this collecting, isn't he?"

Looking out hte window, feeling a little queezy from the flying, more from his lack of wings and his own flight the past two days. He gazes down at the islands, thinknig back to the turtle he tried to deal with as he notices the fins on each.
"They're all turtles? Wonder if that one with all the treasure was going to be an island too..."

>>30884281
"Feel not wounded Bat-friend, the dragon is just a means of getting what we want, not any judge of our greatness."

>>30884287
While everyone gets settled in, the crew sets about getting the ship out to sea, spreading the mast, and getting everyone prepared for the journey ahead. Sunshine, once everyone's gotten a biscuit does a twirl and clears her throat. "Yep! I'm the Vice-Vice Captain here, and I'm also Schwartzwelt's little sister, so if the title isn't enough of a deterrent to keep you all in line, then I don't know what will!"

The pirates tense up, seeing the three assassins and Sunshine together with them on the ship. To break the ice, the assassins step forward.

The first is a tall blue unicorn stallion. "I am Droplet, of Eqrussian branch. Good to be here."
The second is a diminutive green pegasus mare with a black dress. "Sparkler."
The third, who was playing guitar earlier, is a tan donkey jack. "And I'm Colobok. Nice to meet all of you."

The various pirates of the crew introduce themselves, with the exception of Godot, who has lain down and fallen asleep.

>>30884314
>>30884217
>>30884269
>>30884251
The ride quickly smooths out as the dragon floats northwest and downward in the direction of a big ice mountain, on a smaller island (also a turtle) off the coast of Semetyer. The layout is jagged and crooked, full of messy geography that looks intentionally hard to traverse.

After about ten minutes of flying, the basket starts to shake as the dragon lurches from side to side. Through the windows, you can see fireballs being launched up at you from below, about three-fourths of the way up the mountain, but you can't determine the exact source.

Rin peers through the windows and braces herself in case the ship gets hit, attempting to try and get a better look at what may be firing the fireballs.

>Perception
[1d10]

>>30884364
Alder ducks his head back in for those fireballs, though! That's a little too dangerous... well, not really. He peers outside the window, and tries to take a look-see
>Perception [1d10]

>>30884364
Cloud looks as they fly off to a different island entirely, looking worried.
"Hey, so uh, we're gonna be able to get back to the others easily. Right?"
He asks the others, feeling more concerned about that than the fireballs being shot at them.

>>30884364

"Right," Cutlass says to the three assassins. "I'll be talking to you three later."

"And, don't worry about Miss Sunshine," Cutlass says to everyone as she points to her. "She genuinely wants to be a pirate. So, she'll be harmless to us. Assuming you stay in line."

"Which is as good a time as any to bring up roles on our ship. I realize discussing this AFTER we set sail is kind of weird. But... You know... We were all desperate to get the hay out of there."

"First of all, OBVIOUSLY, I am the Captain," Cutlass says, tipping her captain's hat. "I decide what we do and where we go. Of course, it's a free ship so I'm open to suggestions."

"Plague is our vice-captain. When I'm not around, you answer to him. And, if neither of us are around, you answer to Miss Sunshine. Understand?"

"Godot is our doctor," she says as she kicks Godot in the side with a minor amount of force to wake him up. "And... you two," Cutlass says, pointing to Ossie and Schnitzel. "...What do you two do?"

>>30884364
Steve keeps meditating despite his awareness of the possibility of certain destruction.

>>30884398
The smaller island isn't too far from Semetyer. The distance is short enough that one could cross it with a bridge. It's probably a baby turtle, judging by the ratio of the islands' sizes.

>>30884393
>>30884388
>>30884398
>>30884480
https://youtu.be/HJ6Z2PGoN8g
The source seems to be a very buff, armored minotaur. He appears very heroic, with gold-trimmed armor that is decorated well with big pauldrons and gauntlets. His armor appears a big impractical, but certainly showy. As the dragon starts flying around toward the other side of the mountain, the minotaur flexes, and shouts something about saving "those poor fools in your dastardly basket!"

The dragon gives an annoyed groan as the minotaur launches a cluster of fireballs at him. Most sizzle futilely against his skin, but one catches the side of the basket, and lights it on fire.

"Ooh... that could be bad," the dragon says.

>>30884449
The pirates nod and set about their various duties. The mooks explain their various skills, mostly relating to ship maintenance and navigation.

"On my last crew, I was the boss's personal bodyguard," Ossie says. "Even without Aura, I have the power to hide in your shadow and jump out at anyone attempting a sneak attack, or serve as a set of eyes in the back of your head."

"And obviously, I have an ear for all the best gossip. Although, I'm not too good at it," Schnitzel adds. "But, I can figure out what's what whenever we make contact with the peoples of the islands inside the Ribcage.

A small wall of Aura cushions Godot's body from the kick, leaving it with little more force than a light tickle. He sits up with an annoyed yawn. "What is it?"

>>30884505
With a course of action that can now be taken, Steve springs to life and runs to the edge of the ship!..

Only to ask the dragon to do something about it, "What in the good name of the queen is all this mess about? Can't you put this out ya big mountain dragon or whatever?!"

>>30884505

Cutlass can't help but let out a small giggle. "I'm sorry," she says sincerely. "I just didn't expect that from a giraffe. I'm happy to have you on board."

"You can be our reconnaissance, then," Cutlass says to Schnitzel.

"And, this leads us to our next discussion," Cutlass says, looking to Godot's Aura. "Aura. Reveal," she says as she reaches into her dress and pulls out the pills. "Godot gave me these. They help manifest your Aura. I warn you... it's a trip... If you're interested and Godot thinks you're able, take one. You'll be an even greater asset to this crew."

"Once we're all done with that, I'd like for Miss Sunshine to teach us the basics," she says, looking to her.

>>30884505
Cloud shuffles in the seats to move away from the fire as their basket lights up.
"Let's see if the weather here is more cooperative."
Cloud's eye's glow as he tries to conjure a rain cloud in their flight path, so they'll fly right through and be extinguished.
>Climate Control [Rain] [1d10]

>>30884505
Alder blinks once or twice, and checks out the armored Minotaur curiously... before folding his ears back and ducking out of the way! He doesn't have much he can do to help here, honestly!

>>30884535
Ossie smiles. "That's why it's worked so well in the past. Nobody expects it."

"I'll bring you the best tabloids I can find!" Schnitzel pledges.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgpJ0WJwiks

Various crew members draw near to the small white medicine, but Godot sits up. "Before we go any further, I want you all, and that includes you, Cutlass, to ask yourselves this honestly." The air chills, and a frightening pressure begins to exude from around Godot. His Aura goes from a solid to a trembling gas, and many members of the crew, even the assassins, tense up and grow pale. "Do you have something that you're willing to die for?"

>>30884576
>>30884526
>>30884538
"Ah, you'll be fine, just hold-- WOAH!" the dragon shouts, stopping suddenly in the air. You see that, on the eastern side of the mountain, many more minotaur in similar armor (theirs is gray while the leader's is white and gold) stand, raising shields and magic staves. They launch volleys of fireballs and other projectiles at the dragon, who is forced to turn and circle around the other side. He breaths a bit of ice on the basket, putting out the fire and sealing the plug. "Aw heck, it's another infestation. We get those from time to time. People discover fire magic or waste an ability to do it with aura, and all of a sudden they think they can kill anything ice themed. Have you seen those guys before?"

>>30884505
"Who in the seven seas are they? White knights?" Rin asks the giant dragon, snickering at the minotaur's attempts completely failing until the fire hits the basket. "Well... White knights with terrible aim I see." Rin groans as the fire begins to spread on the basket.

>>30884619
"Ah can't say I have lesser bein' but ah am sure they can't take a bunch a fellas like us! Let us at 'em!"

Steve slams the side of the basket to try and land the ship in the water.

>Slam; Crit 8+ [1d10+2]

>>30884634
"Probably something along those lines..." the dragon says, protectively putting one arm around the basket.

>>30884619

Cutlass smiles. "I recently decided that I do."

>>30884619
"Haven't seen a minotaur in a long time. But he was as far from a knight as you can imagine."
Cloud responds as the dragon starts to make chitchat with them.
"...So how much longer till we get to your cave?"

>>30884619
>>30884650
"Just snuff them out like a candle flame and let's keep going. You DID say we would be set up comfortably." Rin says, relaxing back in her seat seeing that he's being protective of the basket.

>>30884674
"And how nice is your cave exactly?" Rin adds to the question.

>>30884619
Alder strokes his beak in thought and hums, before looking towards the minotaurs "...Infesatation? What, some sort of travelers? Do they come often?" the griffon asks, before letting out a sigh of relief as the fire is put out.

>>30884652
"Then the rest of you better follow your Captain's example," Godot says ominously. "The use of this power demands that level of single-minded dedication. No matter what your goal is, with Aura, you'll reach it as long as you're willing to put in the effort. The problem is that you cannot simply stop there. In exchange for pushing you to your goal, and beyond it, this power will refine and improve you, until the old you has died and slipped away beyond anyone's memory. In at least one sense, your old self will die to your ambition. The question then, is if there's anything new that can be born in you after that! If you aren't certain that something can, this WILL kill you."

Much of the crew look down, or at the water, gravely considering Godot's words.

>>30884643
You fail to loosen the dragon's grasp. Given how extremely high in the sky you are, this strikes you as an incredibly suicidal idea.

>>30884674
>>30884683
>>30884713
"Here, let's get back to my cave first," the dragon says. "I'm Mori by the way, thanks for asking."

Nobody asked.

The dragon brings you near the peak of the mountain, but instead of thinning, the peak is wider than the mountain beneath it, and a swanky nest of ice is resting at the top, kept up by an intense network of ice support beams.

>>30884713
"Not these ones in particular, but people like them come by every now and again, thinking they'll be cool hero guys if they can kill a dragon. Nobody ever does, but a few have stolen some things from my collection."

>paused