FoE RPG G0 - #027 Creaking Echoes

[19:30]<SpiritOfFate>	Group 0: *Epitaph, - Session #27 starts now
[19:30]<SpiritOfFate>	===============================
[19:38]<SpiritOfFate>	Pulled by Firefly, the compass cloud starts its descent to the clearing in the middle of the thick jungle. Knick Knack stays close to Royal Lace, trying to to look out. Buck watches the descent, waiting silently. You can see a small spring in the clearing, sprouting from between the few rocks there
[19:40]?	Hawkeye adjusts her saddlebags so both her rifle and her shotgun are within easy reach, and watches the descent with trepidation. "Y'all decided how we're gonna tackle this zebra thing?" she asks the group. "Ah don't think it's gonna be as easy as walkin' up an' sayin' howdy..."
[19:40]?	Royal_Lace remains close to Nick Nack and trys to focus on staying as calm as possible for the sake of everypony and herself. It was just a clearing, a nice, big, happy clearing where nothing bad could possibly happen...
[19:41]?	Sotho nods a bit. "I don't think so either..." He thinks a bit. "Well, I can try and ask a few spirits for help, even if it's just a bit. But otherwise I'm not sure besides taking them out at a distance."
[19:42]?	Ignis snorts a bit, his spines being drawn from side to side by the wind. "Lace's our diplomat...she'll try to strike a deal or at least get us into the loop before we do anything brash..."
[19:42]?	Firefly pushes the cloud to the clearing. Oooh, maybe she can go for a swim...the water looks really nice...
[19:43]?	Wintergreen sticks to Ignis' side, protective glances landing on Firefly ever so often.
[19:43]?	Hawkeye checks her sniper rifle's magazine, and gently kisses the side of the firearm. "An' if they decide Lace'd make a better punching bag than a friend, Pepper an' I will help keep y'all safe. Say, Firefly..." She turns to look behind her at the pegasus filly. "Y'all spot any high ground Ah might be able t'take advantage of?"
[19:43]?	Wintergreen calls out to Firefly, almost sensing bad filly behavior. "No swimming, Firefly."
[19:45]?	Firefly cocks her head at Hawkeye. "But I thought we didn't want to go to the big tree?" Her attention is diverted to Wintergreen. "But...Miss Green!" The tired filly looks up at Wintergreen, lower lip stuck out.
[19:45]?	Sotho tilts his head, looking over to where Firefly was looking. He slowly approaches the spring, on guard in case.
[19:45]?	Wintergreen taps her hoof on the ground. "No, Firefly. We don't know what's living in their, and it might be dangerous."
[19:46]?	Hawkeye carefully gets down from the cloud and shakes her head. "Nnnope. Ah need someplace to keep an eye on the tree from, that ain't the tree, just to keep tabs on all muh friends. Including you, half-pint."
[19:47]?	Firefly sets down on the cloud. "Uh...I didn't see nothing on the way in. Maybe you could go from tree to tree?"
[19:47]<SpiritOfFate>	Closer, you notice the shape of a pony and a radhog under the shadow of a tree on the other side of the spring
[19:47]?	Royal_Lace takes in slow breaths as they near the ground. She needed to stay calm and focused, there was no room for error for anypony while they were this far from the relitive safty of.... well, someplace safe. It disturbed her that she couldnt really think of a safe place for herself and her firends, but that was a matter for another day.
[19:47]?	Ignis gazes around. "Then you'd best keep on the cloud...apart from that, any other choice ya got are those trees...and I dadndy don't trust them a bit."
[19:48]<Hawkeye>	"Cain't push it around myself," Hawkeye says, then takes a closer look at the pony and radhog through her scope. "What in the hay...?"
[19:50]?	Firefly looks over at Ignis, confused. "Why don't you trust trees? They can't hurt you! Well...unless they fall on you."
[19:50]?	Ignis shakes his head. "There's something making the trees sprout all over, kid...it isn't natural."
[19:51]<Ignis>	"I'd be careful of what to expect..."
[19:51]?	Royal_Lace opens a single eye and looks to Ignis, "Are we so sure it isnt natural? we traveled quite a way to get here, and the town seemed to not take notice of it. Maybe it is natural for this place"
[19:53]?	Ignis crosses his arms and shakes his head in clear denial. "No, that's not it Lace...for the sprouting plants to justify a daily vivisection from the town outskirts...."
[19:54]<SpiritOfFate>	Hawkeye sees the "pony", as misshapen tree with the hooves rooted on the ground, a mane of leaves and a coat of bark
[19:54]?	Firefly looks up at the trees. "Maybe their weeds? Poppa always said that weeds grew faster than anything."
[19:55]?	Sotho cannot see anything due to what little sunlight there is reflecting off the pool into his eyes
[19:55]?	Hawkeye lets out a low whistle. "Uh, everypony?" she says, gesturing at the creatures on the other side of the spring. "That pony over there is a tree. An Ah don't mean a nice kinda tree. Somepony want to tell me what the hay is going on?"
[19:56]?	Royal_Lace now stands and walks over to hawkeye, pulling out her binoculars to look for herself. "What in the name of equestria are you going on about Hawkeye?"
[19:57]?	Sotho rubs his eyes and focuses on what Hawkeye was saying, moving to the side of the spring and a bit closer, still on guard
[19:57]<Hawkeye>	"Right there," Hawkeye repeats, pointing at the pony-shaped plant life. "Ah betcha that ain't no kind of natural thing. Didn't them folks in town say this plant grown was real weird-like?"
[19:57]?	Wintergreen quirks her head, not seeing the form.  "...A tree."
[19:57]?	Firefly shakes her head. "Don't be silly. A pony can't be a tree!" Firefly turns her head toward the pony on the other side of the spring to take a look.
[19:57]?	Wintergreen shakes her head. "That's... impossible. Unless, magic?" She frowns.
[19:57]<Sotho>	"Unless it is a spirit, or a monster..." He says to mostly himself
[19:57]?	Ignis does nothing but await, sure that was the calmness before the storm. "I don't doubt anything."
[19:58]<Hawkeye>	"Nnope. Ain't a spirit, or Ah'd have seen it." She taps her eyepatch, and turns to Wintergreen. "Y'all want to try an' make friends with the pony plant, or do we want t'avoid it fer now?"
[19:58]<SpiritOfFate>	Royal Lace also sees  the oddly pony shaped tree, and she sees the radhog stopping to drink his water and running away
[19:58]?	Royal_Lace uses her horns magic to adjust the focus on her binoculars as she looks through the old device to take a closer look
[19:59]?	Royal_Lace shrugs, "It... looks like a pony I suppose, but it must be something ells. Just a tree shaped like a pony. That has to be it"
[19:59]<Firefly>	Firefly's eyes widen as she takes in the pony tree. "Whoa. Creepy."
[20:00]?	Ignis sighs, his better judgment telling him to not mess with that thing...but alas, it was very suspicious. "We have no choice but to do that...we're all out of any other leads on the plants' quest...and that thing looks awfully suspicious."
[20:00]?	Wintergreen scratches her head. "I... don't know. It's not what we came here for, and if we can just avoid it..."
[20:00]?	Sotho keeps approaching, still on guard
[20:00]?	Wintergreen shrugs. "I guess we should check it out."
[20:00]<Sotho>	"Hello?" He calls out to the tree pony
[20:00]?	Hawkeye snorts. "Fine. It might be a lead. But Ah'm stayin right here, and keepin' a bead on it in case it decides y'all look tasty." The charcoal unicorn lies down and takes aim at the pony plant's 'head.'
[20:01]?	Wintergreen nudges Royal. "Can I take a look?"
[20:02]?	Ignis tilts his head. "I doubt bullets will do much for plantlife...I'll just roast it in case it gets rowdy."
[20:02]<SpiritOfFate>	Royal_Lace deduces the plant must have grown around something to get on this  shape. most likely a pony
[20:02]?	Royal_Lace groans, "you ponies... its just a tree, an odly shaped tree... I mean, what ells could it be?". Turning she taps her hooves to her nose as magics her binoculars to Wintergreen to use.
[20:03]?	Wintergreen looks for the tree, wanting to examine it through the binoculars.
[20:03]?	Ignis shows his tongue. "Yup, and trees shaped like ponies grow on everybody's backyards..."
[20:03]<Royal_Lace>	"... wait.... maybe we are both right in a way. Lets get closer. I have a thought about what it could be. If im right well... then this forest really is growing to fast.... if it can just grow over and consume a pony like that"
[20:04]?	Royal_Lace trys not to sound ominus, but that was one scary thought. How fast could plants grow out here that something like this could happen?
[20:08]<SpiritOfFate>	As you come close to the pony tree, Hawkeye and Sotho can see an ethereal flash, and a beacon which disappears into the ground
[20:08]?	Firefly sits on the cloud, pouting. She wants to go swimming. No pony ever lets her go swimming.
[20:09]?	Hawkeye tries to focus on the bright spot, but quickly gives up. "Horseapples," she mutters. "Somethin' noticed y'all," she says, getting up from her sniper position. "Look out fer weird, fast-movin' plants, right Lace?"
[20:09]?	Sotho blinks a few times and smirks a bit. "Well. It seems it's possible spirits do have something to do with this."
[20:09]?	Sotho moves to the pony tree and examines it.
[20:11]?	Royal_Lace makes a scrunch face as she tries to reason what could be going on, "Umm... I suppose so Hawkeye. I really wish we could get a closer look... do you think we can get the cloud to ground level without actually having any of us touching the ground firefly?"
[20:12]?	Firefly looks up at Royal_Lace, eyes looking upward as she thinks. "Uh...we could, but it would squish the cloud into the ground I think."
[20:13]?	Royal_Lace sees that some of the ponies have already left the cloud while she was thinking anyway. "Oh.... well dont worry about it dear. we wll all just have to be carful I suppose"
[20:16]?	Royal_Lace calls out from the cloud to Sotho, "Be carful!"
[20:17]?	Sotho nods and calls back. "I will!" He goes back to examining the pony tree
[20:19]<SpiritOfFate>	Wintergreen and Sotho notice the pony shape is unusually thin under the  the bark, the mane and tail also appear to be missing, except for a few aged strands. Wintergreen realizes whoever was inside seemed to be dead for a long time. Sotho sees some purple berries under the "mane" of the tree.
[20:20]?	Sotho moves and plucks a berry carefully, examining it closer as well, knowing not to eat it unless safe.
[20:20]?	Wintergreen quirks her head. "Odd..." She returns the binoculars. "It... /seems/ safe, if we were all to go examine it. I do not think it's anything other than a pony... dead inside a tree." She grimaces.
[20:22]?	Hawkeye trots over to join Sotho, switching from Sniper to Shotgun. "Well, ain't that weird an' a half," she comments as she looks at the ponytree. "Best we keep movin' then, unless we want this t'happen to us, right?" The charcoal mare looks in the direction of the big tree. "Do y'think them zebras did this, or are they in danger from it too?"
[20:22]?	Ignis looks at everything with skepticism. "Don't you think its weird that the tree grown exactly around the pony? Moreso, it grew fruits exactly where its mane would be, as to be a semblance of hair..."
[20:23]<SpiritOfFate>	You hear a loud squeal coming from the jungle
[20:23]<Sotho>	"We should keep moving, that would make sense." He shows Hawkeye the berry. "I am not sure if these are safe to eat..." He turns his head to the sound
[20:23]<SpiritOfFate>	The berry looks like a berry
[20:24]?	Firefly looks over at the sound. "Huh...sounds like bacon."
[20:24]?	Hawkeye immediately jumps and brings her shotgun to bear on the forest. "Betcha that there radhog just got treed," she says, narrowing her eye. "Somepony got an idea of how to get the hay out of here without becomin' part of the scenery?"
[20:24]?	Royal_Lace magics her binoculars back into her bag as she watches the group around the pony tree from the cloud
[20:24]?	Ignis cranes his head towards the source of the sound. "I swear...if we get there and find a radhog shaped tree..."
[20:25]?	Royal_Lace calls out to the group, "What did you find?"
[20:25]?	Sotho plucks a few berries just in case and pockets them, just in case, as well as for further study
[20:25]<SpiritOfFate>	There is some light coming from the direction of the noise
[20:25]<SpiritOfFate>	Sotho gets 5 purple berries
[20:26]<Sotho>	"Some berries!" He looks to the light. "I think a spirit is causing these tree morphings, in which case it might be related to the evil tribe."
[20:26]?	Hawkeye turns to Sotho. "Are there spirits of plants an' such? Ah thought y'said they communed with dark spirits, not tree spirits."
[20:26]<Ignis>	"Its always spirits..." The dragon grumbles.
[20:27]?	Hawkeye pats Ignis on the shoulder. "I know your pain, pardner. Just gimme something Ah can shoot, any day, instead of this mystical glowy malarkey."
[20:27]<Sotho>	"Well, there are spirits of Nature..." He thinks. "Perhaps you're right, if these are some nature spirits, perhaps I could call on them and ask for safe passage?
[20:27]?	Ignis just raises his eyes to the mare briefly. "At least you can see them."
[20:28]?	Hawkeye snorts. "Ah'd trade it in a heartbeat t'have muh other eye back," she says. "Ain't a day goes by that this blind hole in muh skull don't remind me of what I lost." The mare sounds a bit bitter, but she takes  few steps forward toward the forest to see where the glow had come from.
[20:28]<Ignis>	"The issue here is that if it were something else than spirits, we could crush or shoot it till its dust...but since its one, what we can do is cut a deal to get balance..."
[20:29]?	Sotho trots ahead of Hawkeye, looking out. "Spirit, I call on you!" He says loudly, hopeing the spirit hears him
[20:29]?	Royal_Lace turns to look at her companions on the cloud, "umm... Miss green, Nack, everypony, do you think we should join the rest of them? Nothing seems to have happend to them yet... so maybe its safe to leave the cloud?"
[20:30]?	Firefly continues to sit on the cloud and watch what is going on.
[20:31]?	Wintergreen shrugs. "We aren't that great in combat-- well, except for Firefly." She nods to the filly. "Think you can keep us floating above them?"
[20:33]?	Wintergreen corrects, "And buck, I'm sure he can handle himself."
[20:34]<SpiritOfFate>	Buck nods.
[20:34]<SpiritOfFate>	The trees around you shake and tremble, showering you with leaves. The forest screams with a thousand voices to the ears of the seers. You hear crawling noises
[20:35]?	Hawkeye cowers back from the forest. Damn! That's a lot of racket, and it's scary! And worst of all, there's nothing solid to shoot at! Hawkeye retreats a few steps, but still stays between the forest edge and the cloud containing her friends.
[20:35]?	Sotho 's ears flatten in reaction to the sound. "Spirit! I am a shamin, I simply wish to speak with you, perhaps offer you a deal!" He says, hearing the crawling and becoming a bit worried.
[20:36]?	Firefly covers her ears with her boxing sock hooves. "Owie!" The filly whimpers at the forest's scream.
[20:36]?	Ignis gaze is as impassive as it gets. "It hates us...or it fears us?"
[20:36]?	Wintergreen shivers, her ears falling back at the sound. She looks around nervously.
[20:37]?	Royal_Lace eyes widen as her heart pace quickens, that sounded.... not good
[20:37]<SpiritOfFate>	The spirit voices sound from everywhere, their words twisted and lost among each other
[20:39]?	Hawkeye nudges Sotho. "Ah get the feelin' we ain't wanted here..."
[20:41]?	Sotho smiles a bit and focuses his ears. "Many aren't welcome where spirits dwell, thats why we must make ourselves welcome." He hears the word and his eyes widen. "It's crying for help. We have to try and help it!" He turns to his group then back to the forest. "I promise to help you Spirit, but I must know how!"
[20:42]?	Hawkeye takes a deep breath and stands next to the zebra. "A-an me too. Tell us how, an' we'll do our best." She nervously glances at the zebra, and REALLY hopes Sotho knows what he's doing.
[20:42]?	Sotho looks confident in his actions
[20:44]?	Ignis has its arms crossed...that spirit was wreaking havoc, it would need to be set down if they couldn't help it.
[20:44]<SpiritOfFate>	A vine shoots from the trees and tries to wrap around Sotho
[20:44]?	Sotho manages to dodge out of the way, frowning a bit. "Spirit! Please, we are trying to help you, tell me if this is you or the thing harming you!"
[20:46]<SpiritOfFate>	The voices grow louder again, but not a word is made clear.
[20:46]?	Hawkeye shies away from the vine and aims her shotgun at the flailing tendril. "Sotho!" she growls. "If that thing gets you...!"
[20:46]?	Royal_Lace starts to trot in place, "Oh oohhh this isnt good, if he cant manage whatever hes trying to do im going to pull him out!"
[20:48]?	Sotho breaths in and the out calmly, focusing his hearing to find the same voice he heard crying for help earlier.
[20:48]?	Firefly wraps her legs around her head. "The voices hurt. Stop screaming, stop it!"
[20:49]<SpiritOfFate>	You hear a creak as the pony tree turns its head to face Sotho
[20:50]?	Sotho looks towards the tree pony, on guard, not sure about it.
[20:50]?	Hawkeye steps between Sotho and the treeline. "Focus on the pony tree, Stripes. Ah'll stop any more vines that pop out, a'ight?"
[20:51]?	Sotho nods to Hawkeye. "Thanks Hawkeye." He looks to the ponytree. "Spirit, is that you?"
[20:51]?	Wintergreen wraps her forelegs around Firefly, patting her mane. "Sh... it's okay," she comforts.
[20:53]<SpiritOfFate>	You hear leaves shuffling from within the darkness all around you
[21:16]<SpiritOfFate>	Knick Knack cowers, still on the cloud, covering her eyes
[21:18]<SpiritOfFate>	"What is going on?!"
[21:19]<SpiritOfFate>	Buck stands on the edge of the cloud
[21:20]<SpiritOfFate>	You see a number of pony shapes showing up from the shadows of the forest, all around you
[21:20]<Hawkeye>	"Bad news with leaves," Hawkeye growls. "Shoot anything green, leafy, and mobile!"
[21:20]<Sotho>	"Well, I can safely assume this isn't the spirit who called for help thats sending these at us."
[21:22]<Hawkeye>	"Great," Hawkeye says, aiming at the closest pony shape. "Let's get violent."
[21:22]?	Royal_Lace glances back to Nick Nack, panic visible in her eyes but she is rapidly trying to gain controle over herself.
[21:22]<Sotho>	"Glad to know you have my back." He smiles and prepares against the pony tree
[21:22]<SpiritOfFate>	One of them steps out of the forest. It's a ghoul with a root buried deep into his eye socket. Spots of bark spread all over his coat
[21:25]<Hawkeye>	"All yours, pardner," Hawkeye says, keeping a watchful eye on the forest's edges. "Take them out, an' Ah'll keep them vines offa you best Ah can."
[21:26]?	Ignis raises his guns, the dragon seems quite happy to be of use. "Finally a chance for my talents to shine..." He growls. "Just perfect."
[21:30]<SpiritOfFate>	"Never seen plants this angry before." Buck says, leaning into a fighting stance
[21:35]?	Firefly looks up at the ghoul-plant-thing. "Stop screaming!" She dashes over and starts to slice and dice, two successful hits with her wingblades with the third missing. She darts back to the cloud, floating in mid-air over the cloud.
[21:41]<SpiritOfFate>	The attack opens a deep gash on its neck, but rather than ghoul ooze, a few drops of resin gather at the cut. The creature seems unfazed, though.
[21:46]?	Royal_Lace bites her lips as she reaches into her pack to pull out her last minute purhcse from town, something she hoped to avoid using altogether but was glad she had brought now. Levitating it in front of her Lace shakes a bit as she tries to imitate what she had seen of other shooting, aiming donw the sighty bits and poping of two rounds... missing twice.
[22:10]?	Ignis isn't liking the looks of that weird ghoul, not one bit...as long as he could keep that thing at bay, things wouldn't be so bad. He raises only one of his revolvers, as to aim better for the astray foe...and with his methodic craft, implants a few shoots on that abomination of nature.
[22:18]<SpiritOfFate>	The bullets open large holes on the creature, splintering the bark, but it keep advancing slowly, even mangled as it was
[22:19]?	Wintergreen grumps at the lack of opportunity to make peace. She quickly shakes her head, figuring that shooting is better than grumping. Four beams of energy fire from her pistol, aimed at the creature.
[22:21]?	Wintergreen huffs, her weapon glitching. She takes a moment to fix it, then fires a single shot.
[22:24]<SpiritOfFate>	The lazer burns the creature's bark and it finally collapses over the grass
[22:27]<SpiritOfFate>	 The trees seem to bend inwards, creaking
[22:27]?	Royal_Lace actaully mages a smile as she tilts the barrel of her gun down a bit, "Good shot Miss Green!".
[22:28]?	Wintergreen nods, looking over the scene with concern, ready to assist medically if anypony-- or dragon, or zebra-- gets hurt.
[22:29]?	Hawkeye treads a circle in the grass, waiting for more of the lashing vines, her shotgun at the ready.
[22:33]<SpiritOfFate>	Two other vines shoot at Sotho's direction
[22:37]?	Hawkeye spots the vines lashing out and intercepts the first with a shotgun blast. "SOTHO!" she shouts as she crams another shell into her shotgun and slams it closed. "DUCK!" She fires the second shell over Sotho's head, shredding the second plant as well.
[22:38]<SpiritOfFate>	Hawkeye shoots twice, three vines fall
[22:38]?	Sotho has ducked when Hawkeye shouted, smiling. "Thanks!" He says
[22:41]<SpiritOfFate>	Buck pulls out his 9mm, keeping watch
[22:42]<SpiritOfFate>	"Good shot!" He says to Hawkeye
[22:43]?	Hawkeye tips her hat as she reloads again. "Practice makes perfect," she says, scanning the area for more hostile plants.
[22:46]?	Sotho looks at the Tree Pony and start to speak to it. "Spirit, if that is you please show me a sign that you are friendly towards us."
[22:48]<SpiritOfFate>	The tree pony looks at you blankly and facelessly
[22:49]?	Hawkeye eyes the tree pony suspiciously. "Is doin' nothin' a friendly thing?" she says. "Compared to the other things 'round here, maybe, but..."
[22:52]<SpiritOfFate>	Under the shadows of the trees, more shapes approach
[22:52]?	Ignis keeps a steadied grip on his shooters, not finching. "Sotho, just...tell him to back off."
[22:52]<Sotho>	"Perhaps." He thinks for a moment and smiles. He takes out the Aloe Leaves and Chamomile he has in his bags and sets them down near the tree pony. "If you are the spirit, I offer these to you." He says. "It's foriegn nature to these parts, rare maybe?" He loosk to Ignis. "It isn't attacking us, so it does not need to back off, just not come closer."
[22:53]?	Ignis looks around nervously. "Its calling an awfull number of others...that does not bode well."
[22:53]<Sotho>	"What makes you think it's calling them?"
[22:54]<Ignis>	"What else could draw those to us?"
[22:54]?	Hawkeye chuckles darkly. "Ah say keep 'em coming. Ah ain't out of bullets yet, and these ain't thinkin' breathin' livin' ponies, so Ah don't have t'feel bad about shootin' 'em."
[22:55]<Sotho>	"Perhaps the fact we're in a forest that grows exponentially and we're technically invaders?"
[22:57]<SpiritOfFate>	A small ethereal tendril stretches out of the tree pony's mane
[22:58]<Ignis>	"Maybe because that thing is the one that sees us as invaders?"
[22:58]?	Hawkeye watches the ethereal tendril apprehensively. "Uh, Sotho?" she says, pointing a hoof. "Maybe stop arguing with the dragon and look at this?"
[22:59]?	Firefly flutters down to the cloud and watches the area, unsure what to make of things.
[22:59]?	Ignis ' attention snaps off and is caught by...that thing.
[22:59]?	Sotho looks to the tendril. "Never mind Ignis, if this is a spirit of anykind, then it has to at least apprciate an offer."
[23:00]<Ignis>	"If anything, I take it took offense for you taking its fruit..."
[23:02]?	Sotho sighs and tosses the purple berries out to the tree pony as well. "Happy Ignis?"
[23:03]?	Hawkeye watches the exchange, a little confused. She can see spirits, but really doesn't know very much about them...
[23:03]?	Ignis answers with a silent nod.
[23:04]<SpiritOfFate>	The tendril streches out to Sotho, but the creatures in the shadows don't cease moving
[23:05]?	Sotho looks at the tendril, then to the tree pony, wondering a bit. "Spirit, I still wish to help you."
[23:05]?	Hawkeye snorts. "You chat with the tree all you like. Ah'll keep them plant zombies off ya. Comin' half-pint?" she asks Firefly as she advances on the next ghoul.
[23:06]?	Firefly nods to Hawkeye, flitting over to the charcoal mare and staying above her.
[23:07]?	Wintergreen huffs, "Not being able to see spirits is no fun..."
[23:07]<Hawkeye>	"Swap you for your other eye?" Hawkeye says over her shoulder, and chuckles.
[23:07]?	Ignis blinks. "You're not missing on much..."
[23:09]<Sotho>	"Just stick around, I'll bet by next month all of us will be able to see spirits."
[23:13]<Ignis>	"I hope that by then, we can fight average raider grunts or wildlife instead of tiptoeing around..." The dragon sighs. "I know how you feel about spirits and all...I'd get the same kick if by chance, we were after draconian history...but as it is, spiritism is beyond me in several senses..."
[23:16]<Hawkeye>	"Ah just want to get Firefly her folks back," Hawkeye says, watching shapes in the trees. "If that means we gotta talk to trees, sign me up for a language course."
[23:17]?	Sotho reaches out the spirit tendril. "Just, please keep everypony safe." He says to his friends.
[23:20]<SpiritOfFate>	Sotho collapses as soon as he touches the tendril.
[23:20]?	Sotho is collapsed
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[23:22]<SpiritOfFate>	The countless voices continue even as you drift into the darkness, but they slow down, and for once you can hear them clearly.
[23:23]?	Sotho attempts to listen to them for a second. "How do I help you?"
[23:25]<SpiritOfFate>	"Why did I leave the tribe?!" "I can fix this, I have to!" "Help!" "Give my child back!" "No, I never wanted this!"
[23:26]<SpiritOfFate>	You feel a growing foulness burning you.
[23:27]<SpiritOfFate>	"The shaman will fix this!" "I'm not a true one." "It was a mistake!" "My farm!" "I tried to run away!"
[23:28]?	Sotho frowns, feeling the foulness and cringes. "No." He pulls back. "Come and speak to me yourself spirit, not through those you are torturing!" He says loudly. "I will help all of them if I must, I cannot abandon any who have strayed." He looks around. "I am a shamin, and I am here to help!"
[23:28]<SpiritOfFate>	"What do these things want?!" "Let me go!" "No, not my mother!"
[23:29]<SpiritOfFate>	You see the glimpse of a zebra mare, and it's  face shifts into a stallion, an old pony, the eyes glow green and disappear.
[23:30]<Sotho>	"Speak Spirit." He looks at it. "i have made my offers to you. If you are a dark spirit, tell me now." He says
[23:30]<SpiritOfFate>	"Who am I?!" "Please let me go!" "Another one!" "Cursed, I am cursed!" "Another one!"
[23:36]<SpiritOfFate>	The spirit shows up, and it is not anything. It's a being of a thousand souls, it is a powerful spirit, it is forbidden magic, and above all, it is desperate. All voices cry and reach out for help, lost in an unholy fusion of madness. Then it disappears again.
[23:38]?	Sotho shivers in fear knowing now it is a evil spirit. "Spirit. I know not your name, but I ask of simply safe passage for my friends and I." He closes his eyes and thinks of the voices. "Those who have fallen to you, their bodies are lost. But their spirits can be freed. I will save them within time."
[23:54]<SpiritOfFate>	A deeper echo comes among the voices "I can't!" "Stuck!" "Let me free!" "I never wanted this" "You did this" "It hurts." "Mother!" "MORE!" "Stop!" "Nopony can save us!" "The shaman!"
[23:56]<Sotho>	"I can save you!" He says to the voices. "I will save you." He adds.
[00:00]<SpiritOfFate>	"Save us!" "It hurts!" "Mistake!" "The great shaman!" "The fire!" "No!" "Help!"
[00:02]<Sotho>	"SILENCE!" He says. "Keep calm, this spirit feeds on your dispair, just stay hopeful! You will be saved!"
[00:18]*	Notify: ThePrettiestFilly is online (Canternet).
[00:19]<SpiritOfFate>	"We will be saved!" "Save us!" "There is no hope!"
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[23:21]<SpiritOfFate>	 Two other ghouls show up, and a zebra with a sword on its back, the three covered in bark and having roots digging though their body
[23:22]<Hawkeye>	"SOTHO!" Hawkeye dashes back over to stand over Sotho's fallen form. "All right, you leaf-brained, bark-nosed sack of splinters," she says to the wooden pony. "If you hurt Sotho, Ah'm turnin' y'all into kindlin' wood, y'understand?" She glances nervously at the new opponents. "A-ah mean it!"
[23:25]?	Ignis stamps at the grass in pent up frustration, not sure if things went according to the spiritualist's plan or...just to the hell with those spirits and their whims. The dragon merely resignated himself to keep an eye over to the ghouls and the other one to Sotho.
[23:28]?	Firefly continues to maintain position over Hawkeye. She looks worried, and is unsure if she should punch the tree or not.
[23:29]<SpiritOfFate>	Knick Knack takes a step back, trembling
[23:32]?	Hawkeye unloads her shotgun on the ghoul that has just stepped out of the clearing next to her, and then fires again once it refuses to go down. "Everypony keep those varmints off Sotho!" she says. "Ah think he's talkin' to the spirit thing in its head!"
[23:39]<SpiritOfFate>	The ghoul's chest shatters into bone and splintes, but it keeps advancing
[23:47]?	Firefly dashes over to the one that Hawkeye shot in the chest, delivering a wood-shattering BUCK to its already broken chest. She then dashes over to protect her friends on the cloud, ready to prevent the approaching ghoul from harming anyone.
[23:47]<SpiritOfFate>	The ghoul flies backwards and doesn't get up anymore
[23:48]<SpiritOfFate>	All wooden ghouls stop and shake for a moment
[23:49]<SpiritOfFate>	But they soon resume their advance
[23:58]?	Ignis grunts, his deft fingers securing the revolvers back into their holsters...the dragon slings off his rifle to aim off towards the remaining enemies, firing off at that zebra ghoul
[00:01]<SpiritOfFate>	The bullets open a hole on its roots.
[00:03]?	Wintergreen aims at the same target as Ignis, firing a round of beams into the ghoul.
[00:06]<SpiritOfFate>	The roots of the zebra get charred as it advances slowly
[00:07]<SpiritOfFate>	Two vines reach for the fallen Sotho, one of them managing to get his leg
[00:08]<Hawkeye>	"HEY!" Hawkeye shouts at the vines, and takes aim with her shotgun. "Ah warned you!"
[00:13]<SpiritOfFate>	"Time to put this to use" Buck takes aim and fires 5 times at the vine
[00:14]<SpiritOfFate>	The bullets whoosh past the vine and are set free on the jungle
[00:15]?	Hawkeye rolls her eyes at the wasted ammo. Looks like there'd be more pistol practice on the agenda...
[00:22]?	Sotho 's eyelids start to flutter, waking up
[00:23]?	Hawkeye breathes a sigh of relief. "Thought we'd lost you, pardner," she says. "Now hold still!" Again she aims at the vine that has wrapped itself around Sotho's leg.
[00:24]<Sotho>	"Can't lose me that easy."
[00:28]<SpiritOfFate>	One of the ghouls tries to trample Firefly, while the other advances directly to Sotho
[00:30]<SpiritOfFate>	Three more ghouls show up from the trees
[00:31]<SpiritOfFate>	Knick Knack tries to look very small, and fails. She looks to Royal_Lace helplessly
[00:35]<Sotho>	"Also, you can murder that wood pony if you like."
[00:35]?	Royal_Lace lace looks down at the frightened mare and tries her best to look brave as her old pistol weakly hangs before her in a her magics glow.
[00:36]?	Hawkeye snorts. "Great! Lemme... take care of a couple distractions first," she says, blasting away the vine wrapped around Sotho's ankle, then turning and kneecapping the ghoul with a second shot.
[00:39]<SpiritOfFate>	The vine snaps and releases Sotho, and the barkcoat zebra gets another hole for its collection
[00:43]?	Firefly attempts to buck again, but her hooves fly wide of the tree ghoul. She darts over next to the cloud, getting ready to push it up to get everyone out of reach. "Miss Hawkeye and Mister Sotho, I think we need to go!"
[00:44]<Hawkeye>	"Good idea, half-pint," Hawkeye says. "Ignis? Be a dear an' set this tree on fire, would y'please?" She gestures at the treepony that had tried to claim Sotho.
[00:45]?	Ignis gives a low whistle. "When you put it like that..." The dragon holsters his weapon. "There was no other way out to begin with, I suppose..."
[00:55]?	Royal_Lace whips her pistol around to another charging ghoul, pulls the trigger and.,... Gos pale as the gun jams. Eeping in fear she hastily jerks the gun about as she tries to unjam the thing, bringing it up for another shot one the darn thing was ready only to just barely miss. If nothing ells... she had learned she was a terrible shot.
[00:59]?	Ignis steps off the cloud and moves onward, with purpose towards the treepony...the dragon draws a long, long breath, clearing his mind, before professing his words. "Revolt...grant me the hatred to scorch their very souls." As it follows, the dragon opens his maw and sprouts a true inferno from within his body, flames dancing their mortal tune as they spreaded around.
[01:03]<SpiritOfFate>	The pony tree catches fire
[01:07]?	Wintergreen waits, ready to fire if an enemy approaches the cloud. She calls out, "We need to leave, this isn't going well!"
[01:09]<SpiritOfFate>	A burning arrow comes flying from the trees, hitting the chest of one of the barkcoat ghouls
[01:10]?	Sotho nods . "We should leave as soon as we can."
[01:10]?	Royal_Lace eyes are tearing up at her inability to help when she hears the meaty thud of the arrow hiting teh dead center of a ghoul. Lifting her head she turns about in search of where it came from.
[01:11]?	Hawkeye whinnies as the burning arrow blazes past her. "What the hay?" She traces the arrow back to its source. Allies?
[01:13]<SpiritOfFate>	There is a small flame coming from the tip of a bow in the darkness.
[01:15]<SpiritOfFate>	Buck reaches his hoof to help Hawkeye up, ready show something for any ghoul who gets closer
[01:15]<SpiritOfFate>	Many of you sight this flame, only from different directions
[01:16]<Sotho>	"Well, It seems somepony else dislikes these things."
[01:18]?	Sotho moves towards the cloud, climbing up
[01:21]<SpiritOfFate>	The ghouls gather around the cloud, after Sotho
[01:22]?	Hawkeye blinks, not quite understanding why the ghouls aren't trying to take a bite out of her. But she's not questioning it! Instead, she hooks her foreleg around Buck's, and pulls herself up onto the cloud, shotgun still at the ready to cover the retreat. "Ah'm on!" she shouts to Firefly. "Let's git!"
[01:22]?	Ignis makes an alors'vours gesture as he backs off, watching with delight his flames being joined by many others...the dragon retreats back to the fluffy safety of the cloud, not caring much to discern the identity of the ones into the forest.
[01:26]<SpiritOfFate>	Buck smashes a hooffull of rage into the bark-covered zebra's face, waving to Hawkeye. "C'mon!"
[01:27]?	Hawkeye settles down beside Buck, as she'd already helped herself up, with his assistance. "Ah'm on, already! Let's get movin'!"
[01:30]<Firefly>	Firefly's wings start buzzing and she pushes the cloud off the ground, well out of reach of the plant ghouls.
[01:32]<SpiritOfFate>	As you lift off you see the ghouls being dotted witn flaming arrows, and striped figures wielding blades lunging at them
[01:34]?	Royal_Lace tucks her gun back into her saddle bags as she leans over the edge of the cloud, "Are those the..."
[01:34]<SpiritOfFate>	==============================