Title:           Zombie Appul Quest 5
Author:          ChurroAnon
Pastebin link:   http://pastebin.com/dr3LqrL9
First Edit:      Friday 4th of November 2016 02:13:33 AM CDT
Last Edit:       Last edit on: Sunday 6th of November 2016 01:08:48 AM CDT

Sesquame-Last Saturday at 3:09 AM
You and Rarity make your way down into the heart of the ruins of the old city, your new companion guiding you to the location of the old Solar Tomb. You finally arrive at the entry, prepared to hunt down the leaders of the organization responsible for the slaughter of your family. A great stone door blocks ingress, but you smash through it with the superhuman strength granted to you by your Exaltation.
The moment your foot crosses the threshold, you feel a sense of foreboding: like some ancient being is watching you, warning you against intrusion.
BBSA-Last Saturday at 3:14 AM
Harvester grunts
"Must be a lotta magic trying to hold us back."
She grips her fists, the metal of her gauntlets clinking together as she marches forward
A smile forms on her lips, and although Rarity does not see it Harvester still looks back at her with it as she says
"Bet they'll be mighty surprised when we show up."
Sesquame-Last Saturday at 3:19 AM
"But of course, darling. We wouldn't want them to run off on their own when the city is in such crisis? The brave, righteous Heirachs would never be so cowardly as to run and hide when the city is under seige." Rarity titters at her own joke, following you close behind as you take the lead delving deeper into the tomb.
 
The two of you follow a long, wide hall lined by stone columns. A dozen stone warriors bearing blades of unrusted metal accompanying them. At the end of the hall is a metal legionnaire fashioned from brass. It seems that mere human thugs aren't trusted with the location of the Tomb.
You stride forward confidently, and the automaton warriors come to life with the screeching noises of metallic friction. The brass "commander" hefting a spear and striding forward with measured, precise, clockwork steps.(edited)
Brass Legionnaire: 10
Stone Soldiers: 8
Harvester: 4
Rarity: 0(edited)
BBSA-Last Saturday at 3:24 AM
Harveter chuckles at Rarity's joke as they stride forward together.
 
 
As the Legionairries awaken, Harvester adopts a more sinister chuckle.
 
"Well, lookie here.   These statues must've cost the Guild a pretty penny er two."(edited)
Sesquame-Last Saturday at 3:24 AM
Spend mana on initative roll?
BBSA-Last Saturday at 3:25 AM
( remind me when it becomes dangerous to spend mana cause of anima problems)
(But in this case spend a little mana on Initative)
Sesquame-Last Saturday at 3:25 AM
anima is a problem due to people seeing you
You're in a dungeon delve without bystanders
so subtlety can be dispensed
BBSA-Last Saturday at 3:26 AM
(But Rarity!)
Sesquame-Last Saturday at 3:26 AM
oh yeah
Shit
Just respond along a no-mana, dont-flare, all-out specturm
>1 success on 11 dice
BBSA-Last Saturday at 3:27 AM
Again?
Sesquame-Last Saturday at 3:27 AM
HARVESTER GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER
BBSA-Last Saturday at 3:27 AM
:
Let me roll this shit
Sesquame-Last Saturday at 3:27 AM
:^
BBSA-Last Saturday at 3:28 AM
Bruh
HOW?!
:0
Sesquame-Last Saturday at 3:28 AM
>1,4,3,1,9,6,5,3,5,2,4
BBSA-Last Saturday at 3:28 AM
Eww
Sesquame-Last Saturday at 3:29 AM
Gibe description of Appuls dumb overconfidence while I roll up their attacks
I doubt they'll even scratch you
BBSA-Last Saturday at 3:30 AM
Harvester cracks her neck as she brandishes her axe, still covered in it's silk cloth, and hefts it over her shoulder while waiting.
Her stare is focused primarily on the Brass Legionairre as she lets loose a small sigh
Sesquame-Last Saturday at 3:34 AM
The Brass Legionnaire makes its precise march towards you, and you heft your axe to cleave it in twain when it charges you. But apparently these golems have some amount of cleverness to them, even if pre-programmed.  The Brass commander makes to spear you and you unleash your counter blow to deflect it, but the mindless statue had been feinting. It reverses course, forcing you to overextend while the stone soldiers assault from all sides.
They close in and only your preturnatural speed allows you to recover and deflect their slow-moving ambush.
Rarity is not so lucky however.
They only manage to nick her, but first blood goes to the defenders.
Your turn
(They damaged Rarities initiative so you go before her)
BBSA-Last Saturday at 3:40 AM
Harvester grits her teeth as they automatons surprise them with their coordinated attack
However, she doubts these machines will function so well without their leader
Harvester uses her athletics to  jump over the Brass Legionairre and pounce it from behind with her axe!
Sesquame-Last Saturday at 3:40 AM
(All out or still trying not to flare?)
BBSA-Last Saturday at 3:40 AM
(Yup!)
 
 
 
 
Sesquame-Last Saturday at 3:45 AM
You leap over the brass soldier, making to decapitate it from behind
But the statue swings around and blocks your blow with its metal spear, weapon refusing to be cleaved by your axe
[fail to bypass its Parry of 4]
Rarity conjures knives hidden on her body, from where you would never be able to guess considering the... limitations of her outfit.
With flashes of steel she succeeds only in scraping the stone warriors, lacking any vital areas to remove
[2 chip damage to Stone Soldiers, 15 Remains]
The Brass Legionnaire engages you in single combat, a flurry of spear strikes to force you to separate from your Lunar companion and attempt to prevent you from supporting each other
 
Sesquame-Last Saturday at 3:52 AM
This robot may be 'skilled', or skillfully assembled at the very least. But it simple doesn't have the raw power to go toe to toe with Harvester of Firey Vengeance.
While you're distracted however, Rarity cries out for aid
BBSA-Last Saturday at 3:53 AM
"That all ya got!  Bucket of--"
Sesquame-Last Saturday at 3:53 AM
They have her surrounded and she's on the ropes
She's a seductress and an assassin, not a fighter
Brass Legionnaire: 10
Stone Soldiers: 8
Harvester: 13
Rarity: 1(edited)
Your turn
BBSA-Last Saturday at 3:59 AM
Harvester ceases her tautning mid-battle, a feat that occurs rarely considering how confidently and joyfully she tends to approach battles these days.
She see her comrade Rarity, as teh Stone Soldiers begin to surround her and she feels something she seldom feels in the midst of battle.
While she often feels a dark desire to survive and carry on her dark work, there are only a few times in which she truly feels fear.
This is one of those times!
"IMMA COMING!"
Harvester channels her strength to charge straight through the Brass Legionaiire and adopts a fierce battle stance as she defends Rarity from the advancing Stone Soldiers
"I'll smash ya ta DUST!"
BBSA-Last Saturday at 4:09 AM
A flash of anger, not unlike the first time she drove Flim and Flam off of her property, flares across Harvester's eerie green eyes as she hacks through solid stone soldiers like scythe through wheat!  Controlled, precise, and MERCILESS
 
 
Sesquame-Last Saturday at 4:10 AM
Only the Brass Legionnaire remains, a leader without an army but a formidable fighter on its own
BBSA-Last Saturday at 4:10 AM
: )
Sesquame-Last Saturday at 4:10 AM
Stone rubble is scattered around your feet, a bloodless carnage
Rarity, no longer outnumbered, finds her footing again. She is not to be outdone by her knight, she is just as capable a fighter as anyone.
She dodges and weaves past the brass soldier's spear, getting in close. She grabs a panel off of the soldiers armor, ripping it off and sticking her nailed, clawlike hand into the gears that control it
Ripping out gears and servos, the soldier bucks her off, but its movements are jerkier now: it's been damaged severely
It's no trouble for you to finish it off
BBSA-Last Saturday at 4:15 AM
Harvester kicks aside stone rubble, a little bit of her malicious joy returning to her as she seeks to smash this Brass obstacle out of her way with a single decisive axe stroke through the opening her partner has made
Sesquame-Last Saturday at 4:16 AM
Soon, all that surrounds you is shattered stone and warped metal as you and your companion stand victorious
You make your way further into the Tomb, a little worse for wear
BBSA-Last Saturday at 4:17 AM
"Say, let's stick a little closer when we fight next time?  That sound fine to you?"
Sesquame-Last Saturday at 4:19 AM
She chuckles to herself, skipping over and grabbing you by the arm, leaning into your chest.
"Oh? Is this close enough for your tastes? Or am I still unsafe outside of your arms?"
BBSA-Last Saturday at 4:20 AM
Harvester stumbles with Rarity firmly enclosed around her arm
"u-Uh, y-yeah!  That's uh... "
She pulls at her brestplate as if to let a little steam rise off of her cold dead skin
"a-As long as ya feel safe..."
Sesquame-Last Saturday at 4:22 AM
She giggles and rolls her eyes, "I'm merely teasing you darling. I can hold my own. Mayhaps next time neither of us wil hold back? Is there a reason we didn't want to show our animas back there?"
"I was only following your lead after all."
BBSA-Last Saturday at 4:27 AM
Harvester pauses, as a hidden fear arises within her
To show off your Anima now would spoil your plans, but perhaps worse yet there's a part of Harvsester that seems to fear what Rarity might think should she know the truth.
There is a big part of you that feels aboslutely proud to be an Abyssal, a devoted servant of the Death Lords and the Neverborn.  And yet, you seem a little afraid of letting Rarity know this...
"I just... well, don't wanna go all out yet.  Maybe when we finally see those Council members up close!  But until then..."
Harvester looks down into Rarity's soft smooth  face as she remains clasped around her, patiently awaiting an answer
"... right now ah feel pretty comfortable with things as is.”
Ses
 
Rarity has an inscutiable face as she loosens her grip and resumes walking beside you. You can't even begin to guess what she's thinking. The two of you delve deeper into the tomb as Rarity's keen eye and your prodigeous strength make short work of the majority of defenses, including one awkward moment where you picked Rarity up to carry her bridal style while leaping across a charm only to be gently reminded that she could easily have crossed the gap herself.
 
Sesquame-Last Monday at 4:00 AM
After dusting yourself off and readjusting your hat, you make your way into the next chamber. You and Rarity buckle over and cover your faces at the putrid smell the moment the seal of the door is cracked.
The path into the heart of the tomb intersects here with the city sewage system, and you must cross a river of raw human refuse flowing with prodigious speed. On the far side of the chamber is a disgusting being.
Clad in muddy, dripping robes and lying back in a muddy, dripping hammock, his skin is covered in pustules and vermin surround him
He is the most obese man you've ever seen, with long raspy breaths like a snorer despite his open eyes
BBSA-Last Monday at 4:04 AM
"Would ya get a load of that."
Sesquame-Last Monday at 4:05 AM
https://thewootapeletters.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/nurcult.jpg
 
BBSA-Last Monday at 4:05 AM
Harvester sneers at the obese monster man as he reclines in his hammock
"That thing supposed to be guarding the way?"(edited)
Sesquame-Last Monday at 4:06 AM
Your voice rouses him from his revierie idly counting flies, he sits up in his hammock and grumbles out "No visitors, bosses orders" before leaning back and resuming ignoring you(edited)
BBSA-Last Monday at 4:08 AM
Harvester glances back at Rarity before staring back at the guardian
"Uhh, we don't really NEED an invitation..."
She tries to judge the distance between herself and the sewage man
Sesquame-Last Monday at 4:09 AM
The room consists of a river of foul sewage bisecting the room, with stairs leading from both the entrance and exit leading down to form a flood zone around the banks of the channel
3 range bands across, the entrance side, the river, and the far side
the river is at least 10 feet wide
BBSA-Last Monday at 4:12 AM
Looking toward her companion, Harvester whispers
"Ah reckon we can both make the jump over easy right?"
Sesquame-Last Monday at 4:14 AM
"But of course darling, but what about the guard? He appears to be some kind of stink spirit... it could be a trap"
BBSA-Last Monday at 4:16 AM
"Huh, maybe one of us oughta distract him while the other hops over?"
Sesquame-Last Monday at 4:17 AM
She shudders again at the smell and filth surrounding her "This place is absolutely horrid!"
She makes her way over to the other side of the room while you prepare to jump, calling over the disgusting man on the other side and assaulting him with a wave of fashion advice
Suggestion after suggestion of how to spruce his lair up while still staying on theme, such as green banners glowing faintly, reflecting off gemstones encrusted in the walls
Sesquame-Last Monday at 4:21 AM
You make your way over the river of sewage and are now behind the guard, out of sight.
Rarity still needs to make her own way over.
Sesquame-Last Monday at 4:23 AM
You sneak up behind it, cleaving down to split it in half like splitting wood back home
As your axe bears through its head, it simply falls apart into human waste and crawling vermin, and you can feel a dark presence watching over you.
The sewage bubbles over and the flow of the river intensifies, breaking free of its channel and flooding the chamber
BBSA-Last Monday at 4:25 AM
"Shit!"
"LITERALLY!"
Sesquame-Last Monday at 4:25 AM
Rarity doubles over, clutching her stomach and vomiting, disabled by the smell
BBSA-Last Monday at 4:26 AM
Harvester looks back over the way behind her, the way out within reach but her companion away in the distance
"Ya gotta move Rarity!"
Sesquame-Last Monday at 4:27 AM
The smell strikes at you too, your hardy constitution making short work of it, but you can tell that this is far worse than mere human stink
It's been intensified by whatever magic the spirit possessed, making it into a true toxin: one Rarity apparently was unable to resist
Rarity struggles to her feet with a great effort of willpower, dry land rapidly becoming a scarce commodity
Go back and fetch her or trust in her ability to handle herself?
 
Sesquame-Last Monday at 4:33 AM
You punch into the downstream wall, cracks shattering across. You make to smash your way through when you see the safety grate of the channel with a strange membrane accross it. You wrap your fingers around the metal grid and yank, pulling it free with one go.
 
Sesquame-Last Monday at 4:34 AM
A white heron flutters past you, settling near the exit door, graceful and beautiful
You make your way out of the chamber and Rarity transforms back to her human form, looking chagrined "My deepest apologies for taking so long, dearest. The smell was simply... urgh..." She looks rather green in the face, making her resemble your own skin in tone almost
She takes a short break to vomit a bit more, and you worry that she's been poisoned by whatever foulness was in that sewer.
Of course, as Exalted such a thing would never threaten her life, and she'll recover from it supernaturally quickly
But it could be a liability
BBSA-Last Monday at 4:39 AM
Harvester looks at Rarity with concern, though she also looks furhter into the path knowing that her hated foes must be near
"Here."
Reaching back behind her, Harvester brandishes her bandanna from her suit of armor and offers it to Rarity as she stands behind her
"Want me to hold your hair?"
Sesquame-Last Monday at 4:41 AM
"No! No. I'm fine. No need to be concerned, though I appreciate it all the same" She waves off your help, standing up straighter. She closes her eyes for a moment, and when she opens them all trace of sickness is gone from her and she returns to her perky self.
You continue through the tomb, statues decorating the passageways, making you draw your weapon repeatedly as you look out for a repeat performance of the entrance guardians
You finally start relaxing a bit, returning to merely guarded on the 8th statue, when one finally moves.
The stone statue of some unknown historical woman breaks free of immobility and places its hands on its hips, leaning forward. A familiar voice emerges from it.
"Hey numbnuts! I thought I said to keep your zombie apocalypse out of my chaos crusade? I had a good thing going on when all of a sudden zombies start showing up scaring the bejeesus out of everyone! That's fear that wasn't caused by me!"
She waves a finger at you, berating you for trying to steal her thunder
BBSA-Last Monday at 4:52 AM
The familiar voice of Aria cuts into Harvester's cool demeanor like an arrow through the chest
Harvester brandishes her axe and stands in front of Rarity
"Does it look like ah'm raising zombies?!  Ah think ya must be confused, ah'm here to face the Council!"
Sesquame-Last Monday at 4:57 AM
One stone eyebrow raises higher than the other (impressive attention to detail in the craftsmanship), "Yeahh.... riiiiight..... Just keep your goons out of Cinnibar and Bastion Districts, kay? I'm doing a thing there. Sound like a nice compromise? See how reasonable I am? And catch up with me when you're done murdering the old geezers -you go girl by the way, buncha jackasses- I'll need your help later." The stone freezes back into immobility mid-eyeroll.
BBSA-Last Monday at 4:58 AM
"Eh?"
As soon as the statue seems to freeze Harvester charges forward and smashes into the prone statue with her axe!
Sesquame-Last Monday at 5:00 AM
Rarity regards your destruction of the statue with a half-amused, half-annoyed expression, arms crossed and foot tapping.
"You know you probably should have tried that the second you heard the voice of the Fair Folk invading the city coming from it rather than waiting for it to incriminate you"
BBSA-Last Monday at 5:07 AM
Harvester stoops over the wrecked remains of the stone statue, her back still turned to her companion as she knocks the stone head aside
"Incriminate... "
Her grips over her axe tightens as a great anger flares inside of Harvester
"... ah, ah don't know what yer... "
In a stroke of fury, Harvester offhandedly punches another statue to dust before turning to face Rarity
She swallows as she takes a step back from Rarity, waiting to see what she'll say or do
Sesquame-Last Monday at 5:10 AM
She lets her berating posture slip away from her, replaced by a... sort of bittersweet happiness? "Darling... next time you'll want to invest in perfume if you're going to want to fool a Lunar." She gently steps towards you and reaches out towards your helmet.
BBSA-Last Monday at 5:11 AM
Harvester shakily grips her axe as she stumbles back, falling to the ground
"DONT!"
Sesquame-Last Monday at 5:16 AM
She gently straddles you as you lie back on the cold stone of the tomb, cobwebs hanging around you. She wraps her hands around your helmet and lifts it off, looking you straight in the eyes for the first time. When you try to look away she grabs you by the cheeks and forces you to look back at her. "I just want you to know I'm very happy that you seem to be so reluctant to embrace your curse. I would have been so sad to discover that my Mate was a true loyalist."
 
She stares you straight in the eyes, and you know on a fundamental level that she is speaking from the heart. "I believe in you"
BBSA-Last Monday at 5:18 AM
Harvester stares back at Rarity, her very breath taken away by her selflessness.  It shakes Havester to her very core, to the parts of her that truly echo remnants of the woman she once was, when she sees Rarity look upon her without any revulsion at all.
 
Yet it is this, coupled with her words that truly wound her.
 
"a-Ah am..."
Harvester begins to choke upon her very words
"... ah made a promise, ah swore muh loyalty... ah knew what ah was doing.... a-ah took pride in-- in... "
She stares up at the Lunar straddling her with tear-stricken eyes and attempts to explain to her how she is wrong about her, only she fails to muster any more words aside from a cracked
"... w-why do you believe in me?"
Sesquame-Last Monday at 5:35 AM
She wipes away Harvester's tears, shushing her with soft, calming words. "I was there, I listened to your heart and saw what it looked like as you stood there, horrified that your servitude to darkness had come into conflict with your loyalty to your family- with your love for your family. Those weren't the words of a monster wishing to destroy the world in a fit of pique, even in your vengeance you saw it as service to your loved ones, not mere hate.
 
You thought you had been so clever, didn't you? That you found a way to technically serve your masters while doing the bare minimum. You didn't even consider that I might have been distracting you from your task as well. It's because you didn't WANT to, isn't it? Tell me I'm wrong."
BBSA-Last Monday at 5:44 AM
"d-Distracting me?"
You told yourself, amongst other things, that it was a golden opportunity to rid your enemies of their leaders.  A chance to cut the head from the snake.  You believed that so fervently, as you strode into the depths below alongside your Lunar ally, because...
... ah can't say you are..."
Harvester lifted her head up, looking closely into Rarity's eyes
"You did all this for me?  You knew what ah was, what ah was planning to do a-and... and you helped me anyways?"
That wasn't how things were supposed to be at all.  You were the Harvester of Fiery Vengeance now, all of Creation was your enemy.  Rarity was supposed to be your enemy!  And yet she treated you like... like family....(
Sesquame-Last Monday at 5:49 AM
Rarity stands up, getting off of you and patting the dust off her body, returning to the guise of a prim and elegant noblewoman: no hint of the previous emotional outbursts on her face. She extends a hand to help you to your feet.
 
"That's quite enough blubbering, darling, it's not like I don't have a bone to pick with these people myself. We can sort out the rest later. For now, adventure calls does it not?"
BBSA-Last Monday at 5:55 AM
Staring up at the hand for a few moments, Harvester nods her head and grasps Rarity's hand rising up to her feet
She looks downcast before her gaze falls upon the helmet that previously concealed her visage.
With a scoff, Harvester kicks it away and reaches behind her.  Standing firm within her suit of emerald armor, the determined Abyssal brandishes her sturdy hat and plants it firmly on her head.
"Yeah, didn't ever see muhself crying ever again.  That's enough of that."
She sniffles as she adjusts her hat and glances back to Rarity with a malicious smile
"Can't wait to show this ugly mug off to the Council."
Reaching down, Harvester scoops her Greataxe off the ground and begins marching forward into the dark with Rarity behind her