Fandom The Dawn Brigade, Equestria's Fall (EF)

[Pleaseworkforonce]

(Wow I feel like an ass for that, oh well I'm back)


Dim shrugs "Not too terribly weird, the quarantine area is just located here." Dim pushes through a set of plastic curtains in a doorway. "Our soldiers found an interesting trinket inside one of the giant wasps that attacked Caramel. I was wondering if you would know what it is?" Dim approaches a table inside the quarantine zone on it is an iron emblem of the sun. On the intier of the emblem a snake is is eating its own tail. "We believe this in an emblem of one of the necromancer cults that still exists, but we can't discern what it actually does. The only thing we know is that every single wasp that attacked us had one in its stomach" Dim says.


(I'm giving you some freedom here to make up lore if you want, or you can just pass up the opportunity and say you don't know)

 

[Ebonysdagger]

"Interesting symbolism. The sun being on it is a bit odd but the snake eating its own tail is a symbol of eternity. Was there anything else with these wasps or where they were found? At a guess I would assume this is the remnants of an old cult that believed they could tap into the power of the sun, or rather Celestia's to be honest, to empower spells that would perpetuate the regeneration of their dead bodies. In other words their goal was seemingly living bodies while surviving eternity through undeath."


Star blinks a bit. "I thought they were wiped out at least centuries ago though." He sends a minor bit of magic into the emblem to see how it will react and to possibly pick it up to check the other side.


 
"Really an odd choice. If I were a necromancer I would tap into the moon for illusions to hide that I still occupied my rotting corpse. I'm sure it would come with a handy batch of extra effects too."

 

[Pleaseworkforonce]

Dim shrugs as nothing happens "We only found out about these a few hours ago. One of the pegsai brought back these corpses so we could make an antivenom for Caramel.." Dim stops talking for a moment before saying "If what you said is true we should at least launch an investigation to find out if it really is them, but after that the Solars will probably find out and take over the investigation." Dim peers at the emblem "I believe I have heard of an extinct cult that matches your description. I believe they were post Night Mare Moon. Maybe they used the sun because Celestia was the only alicorn around?" Dim says the last part obviously unsure of himself.

 

[Ebonysdagger]

"Partially. Another was they felt it would give them a boost over the typical frailties of undeath. None of those quick fix kills that bypass the supposed immortality of undeath would theoretically work. The fact that this means their undead body regenerates wounds now rather than merely being damaged and in need of external repairs through surgery and grafting might also weigh in here. It's not hyper regeneration like a troll or the like but it would make them seem more alive than the black blood sluggishly flowing from a wound until there is no more flow available that the typical lich might have."


(Ooh, letting me do lore eh? Hehehe, I love working with lore.)


 
"They'd still die if you blew them into small enough chucks but so do most things other than alicorns and draconequises."

 

[Pleaseworkforonce]

Dim nods his head approvingly "Good to know, well I suppose that unless you want to keep examining it we should let the other mages come back,"


(I love making lore,)

 

[Ebonysdagger]

"I suppose I can let them fiddle with them for now. I'd like a chance to look at their findings though before we turn them over to the solars at least. Also, do we have any of those wasps on board? I want to check them if I can."

 

[Pleaseworkforonce]

Dim grins "While these were nasty little buggers, they do look badass" Dim waves for Star to follow him to the onboard lab. (Btw this ships exterior is kind of steampunk, but without the steam, while the interior is sciency/luxurious)

 

[Ebonysdagger]

"If they were sentries for necromancer cults I would expect no less. They do have to keep up an image after all even if they are defying the usual conventions of the type." Walks into the lab behind Dim. "I'll need to see where inside these things they were found for one thing. It might help me determine how they were made at least."

 

[Pleaseworkforonce]

Dim walks up the table of the giant black wasp, adorned with dark yellow stripes It was easily the size of Dim's head even if you did not include the glass like wings. The wasps stinger was nearly the size of a thick pencil and had razor sharp barbs on the end of it. The Wasps thorax was cut open from where the ponies had dissected it in order to find the venom sack. "The emblem was found here" Dim says pointing to the location that normally would be occupied by a liver was (I don't know insect anatomy so just go with it). The wasps guts were black with a grey rancid goo covering them.

 

[Ebonysdagger]

"Hm... definitely magically grown. Their innards wouldn't look like this if they were a natural creature." Star almost sticks his head down inside the body and then begins to poke around a bit with some magic. "Yeah, here is where it sat alright. I can even see where it left marks on the surrounding tissue. My guess is those emblems were used as either a controlling focus, which might be unlikely, or as the source of the magical growth throughout the creature. If the second is true then these things must have taken some time but would have lasted much longer than a quick growth spell from a unicorn directly upon it would have allowed. How toxic are these things or are we still working that out?"

 

[Pleaseworkforonce]

"3 stings from one of those buggers would kill me even with a detox spell active, so odds are one sting can kill most non earthpony civilians" Dim says as he eyes the stinger

 

[Ebonysdagger]

"And I would imagine the gaping hole these guys create and the torn tissue doesn't help. Well other than the fact that some of the poison will inevitably be bled out at the wound. Not the best design choice but effective. Death by poison or blood loss." Star pulls his head back. "Tell those other mages to check and see if those emblems have any signs of growth or expansion. They may have started out rather small and attached to somewhat mundane wasps before the magic in them suffused the wasps."

 

[Pleaseworkforonce]

Dim nods his head in silent agreement. A moment passes before he says "This may sound messed up, but I can't help but wonder how quickly we could crush the griffons if we made these." Dim laughs suddenly before saying "That would make an interesting entry in the history books, The griffon empire wiped out by an army of... wasps"

 

[Ebonysdagger]

"Hehehehe, while true that would mean we used a biological weapon in a very real sense. While some might be okay with this I have the feeling that the zebras at least would object. For that matter the changelings might even take offense or claim they did it instead depending on how well it goes over with everyone else. Still, I would imagine I could make them to be honest. The wasps wouldn't live long though as I'm sure this was the result of a lot of horns bent to the task over years where as I would be reverse engineering it off of guesses and estimates." Star smirks. "After all, what is more dangerous than a mage with a lab? A mage specialized in enchanting with a lab."

 

[Pleaseworkforonce]

Dim grins "And I believe the worst you could concoct in this lab pales in comparison to the cargo we are carrying." Dim frowns for a second "Well at least I think it does. They still have not told me what we're testing."

 

[Ebonysdagger]

"I'm not sure if I hope you are right or not. I've been known to get a bit nasty with my enchantments if pressed. Remind me to tell you about the can o' flesh peeling some time when we aren't surrounded by grotesques already. Preferably after you've had a big meal. I want to see your face. Really glad they were trying to kill me using a cockatrice at the time. " (Think a flechette bomb going off in a room full of people with each piece bouncing around more than they should be able to.)

 

[Pleaseworkforonce]

(nice, but our package out does that by a long shot)


Dim raises an eyebrow at the name "Can O' Flesh Peeling? I haven't hear of a name with an O like that in over a hundred years." Dim waits a few seconds before saying "Wow you really are a history nerd arent you?"

 

[Ebonysdagger]

"Hahahaha, you could say that. I'm rather fond of the old history in particular though not a lot of it is around to study."


(Oh, that I don't doubt. That is just what he did in an emergency situation to keep from being killed outright by his enemies.)

 

[Pleaseworkforonce]

"Yeah, I like history, but I only study ancient cults and magic in the very little free time I have. and no drinking time is not free time".


(http://www.fimfiction.net/group/203829/twilights-dawn/thread/155530/ground-rules-for-content-discussion What do you think?)

 

[Ebonysdagger]

"Can't get a buzz off the company clock, eh? You ever ran across the ones that worshiped the other draconequis? Discord wasn't the only one. I don't even think he was the worst one by some definitions. There was that one that embodies raw lust after all."


(Looks fine to me. I'll have to be careful about some of Star's backstory because he has been tortured before so I'll try to keep it mild if it ever comes up.)

 

[Pleaseworkforonce]

(You just won't be able to write out the torture scene in detail.)


"No, I haven't heard of them, but my favorite one to research would have to be the cult of the void. Apparently they believe that until the void and equestria become one, there will always be suffering. Of course that's complete BS that demagogs spout out to further their own agenda, but still interesting. I believe the last major group of them was hunted down by Princess Luna a thousand years before her banishment."

 

[Ebonysdagger]

"Those folks always were a little unhinged. A good thing she did. I would imagine that people who follow that philosophy though could make some effective assassins. Though their keep what you kill philosophy is one I can get behind." (Hah, Dark Brotherhood reference and one for Chronicles of Riddick too.)

 

[Pleaseworkforonce]

(( ))


Anyways, hear anything new from our teammates?" Dim asks as he begins to leave the room.

 

[Ebonysdagger]

"Nothing in particular other than about Caramel and Sky being angry. I think I had pissed that one off already though so I hadn't really approached 'em." Follows Dim out. "Mostly been waiting for us to arrive at our destination so I can see the fireworks."

 

[Pleaseworkforonce]

"Huh, wonder how you managed that?" Dim says as he walks to the deck once again.