- Location
- Reno Nv
Got the link right here, and If we can pull it off we would have one hell of an ally.
en.wikipedia.org
Who Needs Harmony?: An MLP Empire Quest
- Thread starter Questor
- Start date
- Location
- Somewhere
Link to the last time I did this.
Archival purposes: "The Maretonian Campaign, Part 3" (posted by QM on Saturday, July 24, 2021)
OR
The Front Page as it appeared to me on Saturday, July 24, 2021.
Character Sheet (last edited by QM on Sunday, May 23, 2021)
(Been my experience that spoilers inside quotes, don't work well, so I'm removing those spoilers)
- Not Changed
-- I am prejudiced against spoilers.
Informational: State of the Nation (last edited by QM on Thursday, June 17, 2021)
- Not Changed
Informational: Diplomatic Relations/Persons of Interest (last edited by QM on Friday, May 21, 2021)
- Not Changed
Archival purposes: "The Maretonian Campaign, Part 3" (posted by QM on Saturday, July 24, 2021)
OR
The Front Page as it appeared to me on Saturday, July 24, 2021.
Character Sheet (last edited by QM on Sunday, May 23, 2021)
(Been my experience that spoilers inside quotes, don't work well, so I'm removing those spoilers)
- Not Changed
-- I am prejudiced against spoilers.
Name: Garrick Golden-Feather
Age: 56
Titles: Emperor of Gryphus, King of Griffonia, Inheritor of the Imperial House of Gryphus, The Unifier, Great Winged Alpha, The Lightbringer, The Liberator, the King of the North.
Description: Before your wife got her talons on you, you were a fairly typical example of the Griffon species. An unmistakably masculine build, a strong, prominent beak, feathers and fur that seem to be perpetually well-groomed, and a pair of piercing amber eyes hiding a fierce intelligence. Not anymore though. Oh, you still have all those qualities, they're just overshadowed by the massive amount of muscle you've put on since you started your wife's "enhanced training regimen". Your wings can lift dumbbells, and your legs are like tree-trunks supporting a barrel chest rippling with abdominal muscles. In short, you have the build of a person who has been lifting heavy objects his entire life.
Martial: 9+2+1+2=14
Diplomacy: 14+2+2=18
Stewardship: 13+2=15
Learning: 16+2=18
Intrigue: 11+2=13
- Trait-Attractive: You are a very handsome fellow. +2 Diplomacy, better spousal relationship
- Trait-Genius: Smart doesn't even begin to describe you. +2 all skills
- Trait-Strong: Working out with your wife has done great things for your body. +2 Martial
Inventory:
- Blade of the King: an ornate and deadly sword you had forged for yourself after being crowned King of Griffonia. +1 Martial
- Runic Royal Armor: Serving to protect you as well as display your royal status to onlookers, this armor is both durable and aesthetically pleasing. With Merlin's assistance, it has been enhanced with runic magic, making it even more durable.
- Orichalcum Sword: A blade made of an extremely durable, magic resistant metal
- Sendak Manuscript: Recovered from the Archives of the Shadow King Sombra, this strange book is bound in the treated flesh of monsters and is written in numerous unknown tongues. It contains diagrams that seem to reference everything from the movements of stellar bodies to the biology of plants and animals to the complex physics of magical phenomenon. It's origins remain a mystery.
Wife: Gabriella Golden-Feather
Opinion of You: 10/10
Age: 55
Martial: 15+1+2=18
Diplomacy: 11+1=12
Stewardship: 8+1=9
Learning: 13+1=14
Intrigue: 10+1=11
Trait: Strong - Born stronger than most. (+2 Martial)
Trait: Experienced - Has been a mercenary for several years, ranging across the lands of the former Empire. Knows much about the world. (+1 All Stats)
Son: Gawain Golden-Feather
Age: 25
Martial: 14+2+2+1=19
Diplomacy: 13+2+2+2=19
Stewardship: 14+2=16
Learning: 10+2=12
Intrigue: 11+2=13
Status: Designated Heir. Will become player character in event of Parent's Deaths.
Trait: Strong-Born stronger than most. (+2 Martial)
Trait: Attractive-A handsome fellow. (+2 Diplomacy, better spousal relationship)
Trait: Genius-Smart doesn't begin to describe him. (+2 All Stats)
Trait: Game Master-Years of playing games of strategy and wits with members of the Imperial Court has honed his sense of strategy and taught him how to read others. (+1 Martial, +2 Diplomacy)
(Adopted) Daughter: Gwyndlyn Golden-Feather
Age: 21
Martial: 15+4-5=14
Diplomacy: 9-5=4
Stewardship: 6+2-5=3
Learning: 8+1-5=4
Intrigue: 9+1-5=5
Status: Adolescent-Malus to all stats
Status-Designated Regent: In the event that no heir is capable of taking the throne, or in the event the rightful ruler is otherwise unavailable, she will take control of the kingdom until the situation can be resolved.
Trait: Dragon-A fire breathing reptile. (+4 Martial)
Trait: Gardener-Years of studying and caring for plants has taught her much in the realm of botany, and has instilled in her an understanding of how hard work and patience can yield great dividends. (+2 Stewardship, +1 Learning, +1 Intrigue)
Daughter: Gilda Golden-Feather
Age: 18
Martial: 8+4-5=7
Diplomacy: 11+2-5=8
Stewardship: 11-5=6
Learning: 7-5=2
Intrigue: 6-5=1
Trait: Beautiful- A stellar example of feminine grace. (+2 Diplomacy)
Duelist: An experienced master of one-on-one combat who spars against others as a hobby. (+4 Martial)
Status: Teenager-Malus to all stats
Daughter: Gleaming Pearl Golden-Feather
Age: 19
Martial: 7+2-5=4
Diplomacy: 10+2-5=7
Stewardship: 12-5=7
Learning: 5+2-5=2
Intrigue: 8-5=3
Status: Teenager-Malus to all stats
Trait: Beautiful-A stellar example of feminine grace. (+2 Diplomacy)
Trait: Studious-Knows her way around the written word. (+2 Learning)
Adopted: Permanently last in the line of Royal Succession.
Crystalmancer: A prodigy in the arcane art of Crystal Manipulation, able to turn a few pebbles into a forest of glittering spires. (+2 Martial)
Informational: State of the Nation (last edited by QM on Thursday, June 17, 2021)
- Not Changed
Informational: Diplomatic Relations/Persons of Interest (last edited by QM on Friday, May 21, 2021)
- Not Changed
lockingbane
If you're crazy and you know it clap your hands!
- Location
- Waxahachie tx
It was in response to make the army invisible.
Also I think, considering most bears prefer easy meals, the Ursa would go for the dead laying on the battlefield first rather than any living soldiers. Not saying it wouldn't if it got too close but I think it will go for the easy meat it DOESNT have to catch firsy
- Location
- I think somewhere. I might be nowhere though
Yeah, that's the Equestrian event I was referencing in the last sentence.
Unfortunately, we're the wrong culture for that. It was explicitly mentioned in the Equestrian vs. Gryphonian Culture post Questor did that one of the main differences between the two cultures is that Equestria sees nature as something to live in harmony with while Gryphonians see it as something to be fought and to survive against. I believe it even mentioned that Gryphonians would see the extinction of a dangerous animal as a triumph.
I mean, meta-wise we can try to make a strategy that will avoid killing it, but that's not going to be the mindset people approach it IC so it's gonna need a different narrative justification.
Unfortunate.
Huh. Trixie seemed prideful but still pretty intelligent in the episodes I watched. Same thing in her EaW depiction. Must've been character development.
Also, I just realized that Questor comparing Ursa Majors'/Minors' intelligence to that of a mundane bear implies we're not gonna be getting a country of British Polar Bears like in EaW. A shame. They seemed funny.
- Location
- MN
So I had an idea on how to fight the bear
Ground troops:
Pull. Back.
the thing is a murder blender and sending ground troops after the thing is bound only to end in massive casualties
Diamond Dogs:
Also pull back but then start to dig a collapsable hole between the Ursa Major and our artillery
Basically dig a pit trap that will hold if nothing stands on it but is week enough that if the Ursa were to step on it, it's weight would cause the bear to fall into the pit
Aerial Units:
Engage the Ursa Major but stick to the maximum range of their weapons.
Their job here isn't to kill it but to distract it long enough for the dogs to finish the pit trap so stick to max range to try and keep out of it's attack range
Artillery:
Prep all guns and point them at the Ursa Major and hold fire until the Diamond dogs finish the pit trap... or in the case that the Aerial units cannot distract the Ursa Major long enough for the pit trap to be finished.
Basically get all the guns ready to fire off in a volley both to try and hit the damn thing as hard as we can to hopefully hurt it and to act as a lure to get the bear to go towards the pit trap. Though if it ignores our aerial units and just rushes our ground forces or artillery they'll be ready to fire and hopefully slow the beast down enough for the knights to intercept it.
Knights:
Hold until either the bear falls into the pit trap in which case all units will converge on the trapped beast to finish it off before it can free itself, or if plan A fails, they are to rush in and try to subdue the beast before it can tear the army apart.
So they will either act as the final blow to finish the beast off once it's trapped or act as our Oh Shit button to try and keep the operation from going full FUBAR. Don't want to send them in right away as they are our elites and Storm still has his entire army to throw at us and I would like to have them around for some of the later fights and not have them bleed out in our first few battles.
Thoughts? thinking merlin might be able to help distract the Ursa Major with his illusion spells or perhaps make the Ursa Major sees our artillery is on top of the pit trap instead of further back to try and make sure it actually lands on the pit trap and doesn't just go around or jump over it but not really sure if he could pull it off or not.
Ground troops:
Pull. Back.
the thing is a murder blender and sending ground troops after the thing is bound only to end in massive casualties
Diamond Dogs:
Also pull back but then start to dig a collapsable hole between the Ursa Major and our artillery
Basically dig a pit trap that will hold if nothing stands on it but is week enough that if the Ursa were to step on it, it's weight would cause the bear to fall into the pit
Aerial Units:
Engage the Ursa Major but stick to the maximum range of their weapons.
Their job here isn't to kill it but to distract it long enough for the dogs to finish the pit trap so stick to max range to try and keep out of it's attack range
Artillery:
Prep all guns and point them at the Ursa Major and hold fire until the Diamond dogs finish the pit trap... or in the case that the Aerial units cannot distract the Ursa Major long enough for the pit trap to be finished.
Basically get all the guns ready to fire off in a volley both to try and hit the damn thing as hard as we can to hopefully hurt it and to act as a lure to get the bear to go towards the pit trap. Though if it ignores our aerial units and just rushes our ground forces or artillery they'll be ready to fire and hopefully slow the beast down enough for the knights to intercept it.
Knights:
Hold until either the bear falls into the pit trap in which case all units will converge on the trapped beast to finish it off before it can free itself, or if plan A fails, they are to rush in and try to subdue the beast before it can tear the army apart.
So they will either act as the final blow to finish the beast off once it's trapped or act as our Oh Shit button to try and keep the operation from going full FUBAR. Don't want to send them in right away as they are our elites and Storm still has his entire army to throw at us and I would like to have them around for some of the later fights and not have them bleed out in our first few battles.
Thoughts? thinking merlin might be able to help distract the Ursa Major with his illusion spells or perhaps make the Ursa Major sees our artillery is on top of the pit trap instead of further back to try and make sure it actually lands on the pit trap and doesn't just go around or jump over it but not really sure if he could pull it off or not.
- Location
- Washington
Kinda relevant to the discussion!
But anyway, here is a plan I thought up. Because we don't need to necessarily win a fight with the Ursa Major, just survive. Let's not waste resources and manpower if we can.
[ ] Plan Go The Buck To Sleep
-[ ] Have Merlin work in tandem with mages from the Abolitionists and the Royal Guard to cast a spell to put the Ursa Major to sleep.
--[ ] If this is not feasible, then a spell to pacify it for the time being.
---[ ] If THAT is not feasible, then have them cast a powerful illusion spell to distract the Ursa Major long enough to pull the army out. Either way, we just need the Ursa Major occupied in some manner long enough for every to get out of dodge.
-[ ] While the mages are busy crafting a spell to deal with the giant bear, the airborne Arbalists will fly around the Ursa Major while peppering it with bolts, while a select few mages not involved with the spell are using illusions to distract the bear. The goal is not to defeat the monster, just keep it occupied long enough for the spell to be completed.
-[ ] In the meantime, the remaining forces are to quickly vacate the area, hopefully with the Ursa Major too distracted by the Arbalists and illusions to effectively notice or, at the very least, too preoccupied to care.
-[ ] Once the spell has been casted, get out of dodge.
But anyway, here is a plan I thought up. Because we don't need to necessarily win a fight with the Ursa Major, just survive. Let's not waste resources and manpower if we can.
[ ] Plan Go The Buck To Sleep
-[ ] Have Merlin work in tandem with mages from the Abolitionists and the Royal Guard to cast a spell to put the Ursa Major to sleep.
--[ ] If this is not feasible, then a spell to pacify it for the time being.
---[ ] If THAT is not feasible, then have them cast a powerful illusion spell to distract the Ursa Major long enough to pull the army out. Either way, we just need the Ursa Major occupied in some manner long enough for every to get out of dodge.
-[ ] While the mages are busy crafting a spell to deal with the giant bear, the airborne Arbalists will fly around the Ursa Major while peppering it with bolts, while a select few mages not involved with the spell are using illusions to distract the bear. The goal is not to defeat the monster, just keep it occupied long enough for the spell to be completed.
-[ ] In the meantime, the remaining forces are to quickly vacate the area, hopefully with the Ursa Major too distracted by the Arbalists and illusions to effectively notice or, at the very least, too preoccupied to care.
-[ ] Once the spell has been casted, get out of dodge.
- Location
- The Netherlands
the idea for that illusion in the quote was to have it chase after it or ignore us using it which is very different from the idea of making a illusionary great Ursa in front of it
Alright, clearly we need to keep it out of our artillery and hit it with anti-magic munitions & - blades.A bestial roar that you can feel in your bones splits the air, a gargantuan beast of legend striding forwards with a look of bloodlust upon its face.
The cry goes up all along the line, your army reorienting to face this new threat.
"Ursa Major!"
Plan? Plan!?
[ ] Write-In, Quickly!
This will only work if a Ursa Major is the kind of creature to back down from a fight.
- Location
- Italy
Eh, Trixie is very arrogant, but she's NOT stupid. She was just bragging a bit for the sake of her show. It was Snip and Snails that took her too seriously.
Because they're idiots.
eh, there's dogs AND diamond Dogs. Nothing stops Equestria from having Ursa Majors, normal bears, and sapient bear-people.
Yeah but it still applies to how likely it is to focus on the illusion over our army
Plus as others have pointed out we don't know nearly enough about Ursa Major's to accurately recreate one nor to predict how it'll react to that
- Location
- I think somewhere. I might be nowhere though
Not sure that would work unless it thought the thing was its kid, and even in that case animals usually tell their kids by sense of smell which probably wouldn't be applicable for the type of illusion we'd be going for.
If we retreat a bit it would simply eat the corpses, wouldn't it? It might be a bit work to go around, but if we keep our distance it would be feasible?
Problem is the logistics train though.
[ ] Plan Go The Buck To Sleep
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lockingbane
If you're crazy and you know it clap your hands!
- Location
- Waxahachie tx
Sadly unless this bear is heavily pregnant and close to having her own cubs she is more likely to ignore or kill such a thing. If it is a male then it is all but ensured
- Location
- Goose Land
@Questor would you be able to give us some details about Merlin's Illusion capabilities?
What he can do immediately, what he can do with 10 minutes of preparation, what he needs hour+ long Rituals for, etc.
Would he be able to create a moving image of the army going one direction while we all retreat a different way?
Of the illusion army suddenly catching fire and fleeing, while the fire builds and builds until it rages towards the Major, while we retreat?
@Player Base, our win condition here is Minimum Losses.
The Ursa Major broke out of a Mountain.
Its size is comparable to Mountains.
Unless we send a dedicated kill team to fly into its ear and burrow into its brain, we aren't actually going to be able to do much of anything to it from the outside, and only suffer many many deaths.
If I'm incorrect about the size then I ask @Questor to correct me.
Our goal should either be to retreat altogether or to swiftly create an Adventuring Party to plant some Explosives into its ear canal to kill it/significantly wound it, while everyone else runs away.
In that case, I'd go for a mixed Griffon/Pony/Diamond Dog squad, for transportation to the ear, identification of the best spot to plant the booms, and transportation within the ear respectively, while Merlin provides the army with a distraction for the retreat and possibly a portal exfiltration on what would otherwise be a suicide mission.
@Questor do we have the components for such a slapdash plan to be vaguely feasible?
What he can do immediately, what he can do with 10 minutes of preparation, what he needs hour+ long Rituals for, etc.
Would he be able to create a moving image of the army going one direction while we all retreat a different way?
Of the illusion army suddenly catching fire and fleeing, while the fire builds and builds until it rages towards the Major, while we retreat?
@Player Base, our win condition here is Minimum Losses.
The Ursa Major broke out of a Mountain.
Its size is comparable to Mountains.
Unless we send a dedicated kill team to fly into its ear and burrow into its brain, we aren't actually going to be able to do much of anything to it from the outside, and only suffer many many deaths.
If I'm incorrect about the size then I ask @Questor to correct me.
Our goal should either be to retreat altogether or to swiftly create an Adventuring Party to plant some Explosives into its ear canal to kill it/significantly wound it, while everyone else runs away.
In that case, I'd go for a mixed Griffon/Pony/Diamond Dog squad, for transportation to the ear, identification of the best spot to plant the booms, and transportation within the ear respectively, while Merlin provides the army with a distraction for the retreat and possibly a portal exfiltration on what would otherwise be a suicide mission.
@Questor do we have the components for such a slapdash plan to be vaguely feasible?
Guys, are there any plans posted that focus on the possible battle, instead of hoping some kind of mind trick working on a giant, enraged bear that is hard to harm with magic?
- Location
- Washington
I made a plan. The plan can be summed up with, keep it busy and get out of dodge.
It is better to just avoid actively fighting a kaiju.
We should try using the diamond dogs digging capabilities to pit trap the bear if needed and maybe explosion on its front legs to unbalance and hurt it
Torgamous
Aspiring Gynoid
- Pronouns
- She/Her
We do have some experienced burrowers in the army and flyers that can carry them to the ear.
FictionPack
Monochromatic Ursine
- Location
- Tennessee
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I mean, I made this?
[ ] Plan Hit It Till It Dies: Order the main forces to pull back, employ mages using fire and Flame Projectors to keep the Ursa Major at bay and direct it's movements if possible. Send in the Black Watch, the Grandmasters and the Inner Circle Knights to slay the beast. Focus all artillery on the Ursa to fire when they have a clean shot so as not to hit our own. Have the remaining Knights focus on protecting the artillery. See if the Canterburians can use their magic to restrain or impair the Ursa in any way they can, even if only momentarily to create openings for others.