Murder Mystery in a Timely Manor - Session 14

[13:07:57] <~sophos> Lightning flashes and thunder rolls on cue. The marble dragon's red eyes and lantern cast stark shadows over it's form. A whirring gear ends with a click, and a compartment opens withing the statue's chest.
[13:09:18] <Ace_Moonlight> Ace smiles and props his forelegs on the statue in an attempt to see into the cavity.
[13:09:47] Mistress_D smirks "Finally on the right track."
[13:16:09] <~sophos> Inside the cavity is a black box.
[13:17:02] <Ace_Moonlight> Ace gingerly tries to remove the box from the statue.
[13:18:10] Bandolier is a bit disappointed. Nothing shiny.
[13:18:47] <Bandolier> "Ominous black box? Check."
[13:19:07] <Stellar_Ascent> "What to do with it?" He asked the others, hesitant to open it
[13:22:33] <Ace_Moonlight> Ace shrugs while inspecting each side of the container.
[13:23:38] <~sophos> The box is light and slides out easily. Something loose shifts inside it and clinks softly when tilted. It's corners are frayed and more of a dark gray than a black. A brass lock with tints of green is imbedded in one side.
[13:25:31] <Bandolier> "Oh, it's just a lockbox.
[13:25:55] <Stellar_Ascent> "That means?" He asks the Griffon.
[13:27:14] <Ace_Moonlight> Ace shakes the box next to his ear, "That means, we gotta find the key," he answers.
[13:27:17] Bandolier gives Stellar a confused look. "You mean you haven't seen a lockbox before? I mean, it's weird lookin but there's a lock right there," he says as he points to the black box.
[13:29:16] <Bandolier> "A key? You mean you look for keys? Ever?" Silly ponies always doing silly things.
[13:31:57] <Mistress_D> "So we finish with the other statues, if they drop the key good if not, we continue on and just hold on to the box. Sound good?"
[13:33:04] <Ace_Moonlight> Ace blinks a couple times while looking a Bandolier. "Of all the stupid things I've done...." he says, trailing off as he produces his screwdriver and sets to work on the lockbox.
[13:38:38] <~sophos> Ace_Moonlight's bobby pin snaps in the lock.
[13:39:40] <Ace_Moonlight> Ace grumbles as he pulls out another bobby pin, trying the lock once more.
[13:41:38] <~sophos> Before his bobby pin breaks; Ace_Moonlight realizes this lock can't be picked. Deep, reverberating tones descend onto the courtyard from as high as the bell tower. It tolls ten times.
[13:43:25] <Ace_Moonlight> Ace furrows his brow, huffs and unceremoniously drops the box into his bags. "Stupid unpickable locks. Stupid mansion..." He puts away his screwdriver and continues to quietly pout.
[13:45:36] <Bandolier> "Weird... a box that actually /needs/ a key."
[13:46:57] <Mistress_D> "There are many of those around, ...important areas of the wastes." she pokes the box "Regardless, we still are on a time limit we shouldn't dwell on it."
[13:47:28] <Stellar_Ascent> "I wonder though what is inside. Likely a note or another key."
[13:48:13] <Bandolier> "My caps are on~ megaspell! Gotta take the bet with the worst odds."
[13:51:11] <Mistress_D> "Note the one statue in the south was that of an old owl, its lantern was made of marble."
[13:53:07] <Bandolier> "I'll follow your lead. Came into this a bit after so I didn't pay attention to the statues comin in."
[13:57:37] <Stellar_Ascent> "Yeah, not a master of puzzles myself. I will just folllow, hehe."
[14:02:07] <Mistress_D> " It's fine, Dragon, Cat, Griffon, Owl, and Goat were the ones we've seen so far, and dragon and another one eyes glow."
[14:03:10] <Bandolier> "Just one had glowy eyes?"
[14:05:05] <Mistress_D> "Before the dragon, yes."
[14:06:26] <Ace_Moonlight> "You know, I could just build a bomb, blow up that fucking door in our way, and we could move on..." Ace says, still pouting.
[14:08:31] <Mistress_D> "Do you have the materiels to build a bomb?" looking down at Ace
[14:11:18] <Ace_Moonlight> Ace digs through his bags. "Cherry bombs and a tin can," he says, still moving things around in his bags.
[14:12:21] Mistress_D shakes her head
[14:12:25] <Ace_Moonlight> The colt shrugs, "If I had some more gunpowder, I could make a bigger boom. Only other stuff I have is random metal." he asks.
[14:13:42] <Ace_Moonlight> "Oh, ye of little faith. What could go wrong? Plus, like you said, we're on a time limit here," he says, his grin getting wider.
[14:14:00] Mistress_D sticks a hoof in her cloud mantle digging around for a few seconds and pulls out a stick of Dynamite." Here, don't blow your self up."
[14:14:56] <Bandolier> "'What could go wrong?' Now those are words to live by!"
[14:15:45] Bandolier grinned cheerily at Kiwi.
[14:15:51] <Ace_Moonlight> Ace nods excitedly.
[14:16:19] <Mistress_D> "Just get it out of your system."
[14:25:33] <Ace_Moonlight> Ace happily grabs the dynamite. The colt pulls out a can of peaches and hands them to Bandolier. "Empty that."
[14:26:57] <Ace_Moonlight> The colt sets the dynamite, a couple cherry bombs and a scalpel on the ground.
[14:28:02] Mistress_D sighs as she hope the kid won't kill himselve but she doesn't have time to be picky "I'll continue fiddling with the statues, untill you blow something up."
[14:28:35] Bandolier accepts the can and sets to work with his talon. He easily penetrates the edge and after punching a second hole, shotguns the whole can in one go. "Yum~ Still edible," he saide while licking his beak.
[14:28:35] <Mistress_D> "Or I can help you with the bomb Your choice."
[14:28:50] Bandolier passes back the empty can.
[14:30:14] <Ace_Moonlight> Ace quickly snatches the can and excitedly gets to work, he waves off Mistress_D. "I got this," he says, smiling.
[14:30:52] Mistress_D clicks tongue
[14:30:55] <Mistress_D> "Alright."
[14:31:08] Mistress_D turns into the maze "I'll be back."
[14:32:07] <Bandolier> "We'll be back!" Bandolier calls back as he follows Mistress Death.
[14:32:35] <Bandolier> "So what are you thinking about this puzzle? Is there a story behind the statues or anything?"
[14:33:46] Mistress_D looks to Bandolier "There was a riddle up light, feast and the like, but ask Ace about that. so far from what I seen besides the first Statue, the Riddle stopped being useful."
[14:36:21] <Bandolier> "So there were 5 statues right? Anything similar about how you activated them?
[14:36:29] <Mistress_D> "The lanterns."
[14:36:50] <Mistress_D> "Each has a picture or emblem imbedded on them."
[14:37:04] <Mistress_D> "Except for the one at the owl'
[14:37:11] <Mistress_D> "That one was just heavy."
[14:37:54] <Mistress_D> "The Dragon took the Gem Lantern, and honestly I never saw the others, Ace has been mostly looking them over.'
[14:40:19] <Bandolier> "I guess we can find out now. Sounds like fun. This stuff normally comes in twos though. I wonder why it's 5 statues."
[14:43:04] <Ace_Moonlight> Ace picks up the scalpel and carefully begins cutting into the stick of dynamite.
[14:47:57] Bandolier inspects the statue.
[14:54:46] <Ace_Moonlight> Ace uses the scalpel to cautiously cut a small hole in the explosive. He's about to begin draining the gunpowder into the can when he realizes he hasn't dried it out. The colt holds the dynamite in his teeth while he wipes the inside of the can with the inner part of his beret.
[14:55:14] <Ace_Moonlight> He then drains the gunpowder into the can.
[14:58:49] <~sophos> The statue in front of Bandolier is a gargoyle with a goat head.
[14:59:39] <Ace_Moonlight> Ace uses the scalpel to once again try and open an explosive, setting to work on one of the cherry bombs.
[14:59:41] Mistress_D taps chin "Maybe a goat would eat mable,....but the weight.....hmmm."
[15:00:34] Bandolier carefully hovers around the statue looking for anything remotely unusual, an inscription, or anything.
[15:04:35] <~sophos> Ace_Moonlight's hoof slips while holding a cherry bomb steady, and he drags the scalpel over his fetlock.
[15:05:23] <Ace_Moonlight> "HOLY SHIT SNACKS!" Ace yells. "That's not good..."
[15:07:10] Mistress_D head jerks to the sound of Ace_Moonlight yelling. "WHAT HAPPENED."
[15:10:10] <Ace_Moonlight> "NOTHING! I'M FINE!" he replies.
[15:10:30] <Ace_Moonlight> The colt shakes his head and grumbles.
[15:11:14] Stellar_Ascent cringes intensily when he sees the wound of Ace. "Ouch... we got any bandages?"
[15:12:05] Bandolier is too engaged with his searching to acknowledge the yell.
[15:14:17] Mistress_D grits her teeth but nothing blew up so she re focuses on the status though concerned
[15:14:40] <Ace_Moonlight> Ace shakes his head. "A potion or two. Nothing I wanna use for this," he replies. Ace sighs. He picks the scalpel back up with his tail, and holds the cherry bomb in place with his uninjured hoof.
[15:15:06] <Ace_Moonlight> "Let's try this again..." Ace mumbles.
[15:17:34] <Bandolier> "You said something about a marble right?
[15:17:55] Bandolier he spoke without looking away from the statue.
[15:19:19] <Mistress_D> "yes, it's the only lantern made of it."
[15:19:45] <Ace_Moonlight> As Ace tries to bore a hole in the small explosive, it slips from his grasp, rolling away. Ace huffs and throws the scalpel down.
[15:20:17] <Bandolier> "What are the other lanterns made of?
[15:23:37] <Ace_Moonlight> Ace picks the scalpel back up with his tail and tries one last time on the other cherry bomb.
[15:24:33] <Mistress_D> "Iron."
[15:26:38] <Bandolier> "I vaguely recall an old story about something like this.
[15:27:22] <Bandolier> "We need that marble lantern. I'm pretty sure it goes here."
[15:27:44] <Bandolier> "In the mouth that is."
[15:30:44] <Bandolier> "Where is it anyway? Do you have it or does Kiwi?"
[15:31:38] Bandolier is still staring intently at the statue struggling to recall as much as he can about the myth.
[15:36:27] <Mistress_D> "I left it at the owl statue to the south."
[15:38:24] <Bandolier> "I'll go grab it then. I'll be there and back in a jiffy!"
[15:39:27] Bandolier took off towards the owl statue at max speed.
[15:54:03] Mistress_D waits
[15:57:28] <Bandolier> +
[15:58:40] <Ace_Moonlight> Ace loses his grip on the scalpel. It clatters to the ground. He narrows his eyes and looks from the can to the small explosives and back.
[15:59:19] <~sophos> Bandolier finds the marble lantern without any trouble.
[16:00:22] Bandolier careens back around the corner with the lantern in one hand and he quickly places it in the mouth of the goat.
[16:01:31] <Ace_Moonlight> Ace throws his hooves in the air. "I give up. Can't get the fucking things open..."
[16:01:42] Mistress_D looks to Bandolier with a smirk "Took you long enough."
[16:03:50] Bandolier smirks back at Mare Death and says, "I'll race you sometime and we'll see what 'long enough' really means."
[16:06:26] <Ace_Moonlight> Ace picks up his things and puts them in his bag. He cautiously carries the can with his tail. "Let's go find the others, Stellar," he says.
[16:06:52] Mistress_D smiles looking back to the goat checking to see if the lantern placed in it's mouth made it's eyes glow
[16:10:55] <~sophos> The gargoyles mouth creaks like tearing sheet metal, and heavy lantern slowly decends along with the goat's bottom jaw. Mechanical creaks and clinking gears sound from its mouth like a painful groan. And the gargoyles eyes light up yellow.
[16:11:40] <Ace_Moonlight> Ace wanders through the maze looking for Bandolier and Mistress_D.
[16:12:52] Mistress_D stands with Bandolier not far from the fountain "Alright we're getting some where now, only 2 more."
[16:13:22] <Bandolier> "So we have to get every statue glowing like this?"
[16:15:22] <Mistress_D> "One can assume."
[16:17:30] <Ace_Moonlight> Ace turns a corner and spots the pair. "Bandolier, you any good with your hands?" he asks.
[16:19:12] Bandolier turns to Ace and raises a claw and wiggling his talons before saying, "Better than a pony most days."
[16:19:52] <Bandolier> "By the way, how many of the statues eyes glowed so far?
[16:20:41] <Ace_Moonlight> "Two that I know of," Ace replies.
[16:21:22] <Ace_Moonlight> The colt places the can near Bandolier and pulls the cherry bombs out of his bag. "Think you can puncture these with you claws?"
[16:22:01] <Mistress_D> "3 with the goat now glowing.'
[16:22:21] <Ace_Moonlight> "I stand corrected."
[16:22:54] <Bandolier> "How many shifted or did something?" he asks while he drops down to pick one of the cherry bombs up between two talons trying to puncture it like a nut in his hand.
[16:23:58] <Ace_Moonlight> Ace holds up his injured leg. "Only a couple..." he says, sheepishly.
[16:27:53] Mistress_D looks to Ace_Moonlight with a bemused smirk "You got this" she mocks "Huh?"
[16:29:57] <Ace_Moonlight> Ace sticks his tongue out at Mistress_D.
[16:37:42] <Ace_Moonlight> Ace anxiously waits for the cherry bombs.
[16:39:13] <Mistress_D> giggles, but turns and looks into the maze "I'm gonna go get the other lanterns." hovers and goes to the dragon to retrieve, the lantern that was replaced with the gem lantern, which has a Deer emblem on it
[16:48:49] Mistress_D hums as she returns to the party with the last lantern "This has a deer on it, and only the Owl and Cat are left."
[16:49:33] Bandolier continues to puncture the cherry bombs and pour them into the can.
[16:51:17] <Ace_Moonlight> Ace hops around excitedly.
[16:52:16] <Bandolier> "Let's see, so this statue is glowing and we have 2 others glowing, so which one is left?"
[16:52:54] <Mistress_D> "Only Owl and Cat aren't glowing."
[16:53:54] <Bandolier> "And we have one lantern with a deer on it? Is there another lantern?"
[16:54:00] <Ace_Moonlight> Ace grabs his not-so-trusty scalpel from his bags, and attempts to cuts a fuse off of one of the powderless cherry bombs.
[16:55:01] <Mistress_D> "No, turns out there were only four that we found."
[16:59:36] <Stellar_Ascent> "So we are still missing at least one if I donÄ
[16:59:44] <Bandolier> "Oh, now I'm on the same page. Owl and cat aren't glowing and we have a deer lantern. Let's check out the statues again then. Where is the owl one?"
[16:59:49] <Stellar_Ascent> 't stand corrected?" He asks the others, seriously confused by this puzzle.
[17:01:08] Mistress_D looks to Stellar_Ascent "We are either missing one, or there was only four to begin with. either way lets find out were this Deer goes and we can worried about it after." holds up the lantern with the deer on it "I personally think the deer goes with the owl."
[17:01:31] <Mistress_D> 'And the owl is south."
[17:01:33] <Stellar_Ascent> "Why is that?" He asks her, trying to make sense out of this maze.
[17:01:36] <Mistress_D> "Cat is north"
[17:02:19] Mistress_D looks to Stellar_Ascent "Well deer and owls are both forest dwellers."
[17:04:40] <Ace_Moonlight> The scalpel slips once again, causing the cherry bomb to roll away, stopping under a hedge.
[17:04:41] Bandolier beams energetically once again and says, "Well, if it isn't one we can try the other! After all, what's the worst that can happen?" He turned to Kiwi and snickered quietly to himself.
[17:05:06] <Ace_Moonlight> Once again, Ace sticks his tongue out.
[17:06:05] Mistress_D touches Ace's Tongue
[17:07:11] <Ace_Moonlight> Ace makes a disgusted face and wipes his tongue on his foreleg. "Ew."
[17:07:24] <Ace_Moonlight> Ace growls in frustration. "Anyone think they can cut one of these fuses for me? I just can't seem to do it."
[17:07:26] <Stellar_Ascent> "That... makes sense I suppose." He responds to the Mistress' explanation, unable to find any other explanation.
[17:07:38] Bandolier takes off towards the owl statue once again. He calls over his shoulder, "Stellar, try and help the little guy with his bomb. 'Big D' and I can take care of this!"
[17:08:12] <Stellar_Ascent> "Alright, Bandolier." He exclaims, walking over to Ace to inspect what he was doing. "WHat's the problem?"
[17:08:17] Mistress_D looks to to her hoof and muses "Nice and clean."
[17:08:27] Mistress_D before following Bandolier to the Owl
[17:10:10] <Ace_Moonlight> Ace offers the scalpel to Stellar_Ascent. "I can't cut one if these fuses. Wanna give it a try for me?"
[17:10:35] <Stellar_Ascent> "Sure." He responds, taking the scalpel and trying to cut a fuse.
[17:12:05] Bandolier begins to inspect the owl statue as soon as he arrives, giving it the same scrutiny that told him so much about the last one. Now he at least knew of a few things to look for.
[17:13:12] Bandolier doesn't find any telling marks but what he does find is still shocking!
[17:14:19] <Bandolier> "D! This statue looks like it has Celestia's face in it! See? If you look right here, at this angle, with just the right amount of light, AND squint your eyes a bit you can see it!"
[17:16:57] <Mistress_D> "......"
[17:18:23] Mistress_D lifts her hoof to say something....but nothing comes out........she places her hoof back down stareing at Bandolier, one moment passes as she lifts her hoof again to speak but she can no muster the words to say to this situation.
[17:19:07] Mistress_D so she calmly walks over and gentle places the lantern in the owls mouth as her mind resets itself
[17:28:49] <~sophos> The lantern hinges onto the gargoyles beak.
[17:30:40] Bandolier makes sure the lantern is lit.
[17:32:45] <~sophos> The lantern has gone out at some point.
[17:33:21] <Bandolier> "Got matches?"
[17:35:34] Mistress_D takes out a lighter "No but will this do?"
[17:37:06] Bandolier takes the lighter with a thanks and lights the lantern.
[17:40:28] <~sophos> The lantern picks up the flame, which ebbs within its iron cage. A stark, lively grid further distorts the gargoyles form.
[17:40:48] <~sophos> The time is 22:11