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Post by Red Charge on May 29, 2013 14:13:57 GMT -5
"Civilization? Are you kidding? I'm a Diamond Dog. If ponies caught sight of me they'd shoot me, griffon or otherwise. We're staying in this forest until we can find what I'm looking for. Though what that is, is beyond me!" The Diamond Dog continued walking in a certain direction, "Let's just hope we don't run into any undead. What's your name anyway? Mine's Bowie." The dog introduced himself with a regal bow. He had noticed he never learned the female griffon's name.
Perhaps it would be best to go with this griffon for now, two had a better survival chance than one that was for sure. Who knows what they could run into here, so far Bowie's been lucky but he had a feeling it wouldn't last much longer. But having a griffon partner might be good, especially if he was going to find a Dreadwing eventually. "Hey, do you remember your dreams?" He asked suddenly.
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Gilda
Griffons
Acolyte Griffon
I'm half-eagle, half-lion and all awesome!
Posts: 213
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Post by Gilda on May 29, 2013 18:23:00 GMT -5
"Psh, right, you have a point, least the ponies would. Us griffons would probably care less right about now, we're not at war with your kind." She explained, to her limited knowledge. "So fine, lets wonder this ridiculously dangerous forest filled with everything possible that could want us dead. I mean, sounds like a brilliant idea... actually - sure why not, if you're killed I can take sword and pawn it." She said, clearly teasing, accentuated by a playful tongue stick. "Anyway, Bowbag, name's Gilda. Most awesome thing this side of Royal Rocks." She boasted, thumbing her talon to her armored chest - brimming with pride. "Yes, you can bask in awe if you like." She polished her talons against her breastplate. "But seriously, back to the topic, you really think that a Dreadwing would really hang around some dank forest like this? You said it yourself, Dreadwings should be in ivory towers. So certain you can find one of them here?"
As they carried on, Gilda kept her attention to their surroundings. She really wanted to be above the tree-line. This forest wasn't welcoming and not that she would turn down a good fight, she had no intention of being eaten by some mega-timberwolf. "Huh?" Snapping from her attentive watch. "Oh, yeah sure. Wait, like sleep dreams or something. What you talking about again?"
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Post by Red Charge on May 30, 2013 13:01:05 GMT -5
"They won't hang around in the forest for sure, but I have to look for something, someone. I don't know..." Bowie slicked his hair back again, unsure of where to proceed for now. After Gilda replied to his strange question he suddenly stopped moving, seeing something that Gilda couldn't, walking behind him.
A peek around him would reveal to Gilda what he was looking at, another Diamond Dog, a very familiar one. An old and emaciated looking canine with a long cane and a hood. Oh Gilda recognized him, it wasn't the first time she saw the mysterious dog. She did wonder how he survived the explosion of Coyote's Maze... but then again there was obviously much more than meets the eye with this one.
"Ahh, young miss Gilda..." He said, spotting her, "Well, well, it's almost like history is repeating itself isn't it?" He asked, looking from her to Bowie knowingly. "Did you ever get to meet the Rainlock Head of Security dear? I heard he was a very powerful pony, others certainly do seem to stay out of his way."
"The Rainlock head of security?" Bowie asked, obviously unaware of who Rainlock was, or rather, why they would have a head of security.
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Gilda
Griffons
Acolyte Griffon
I'm half-eagle, half-lion and all awesome!
Posts: 213
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Post by Gilda on May 31, 2013 17:43:47 GMT -5
Don't know is right, Gilda thought to herself as she and Bowie continued on their blind wandering through the dangerous forest. His sudden stop nearly caught her off-guard and almost resulting into her colliding into him. She was about to unleash a serious tongue lashing for this but then saw what caused him to stop. Her eyes widened in surprise then relaxed into a cool indifference.
"Sup?" She said, "Half figured you were vaporized when that forest decided to go nova. You move fast for an old dog." She concluded, was rather strange that she should run into him again. Actually, the way this week had been going, perhaps it wasn't as strange as it should have been. She was half-beginning to believe that maybe he was stalking her. Kinda creepy. "Yeah, no not really. Like to fly solo, don't try to associate to much with the rest of Rainlock's crew. Last they had me with this one pegasus-" She groaned with disgust, "Total dweeb. So why are you here? Bit far from Manehatten."
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Post by Red Charge on Jun 1, 2013 11:43:42 GMT -5
"Do you two know each other?" Bowie asked, looking at Gilda then at the old Diamond Dog, who managed to get to the far edge of the forest, ignoring Gilda's question he pointed in the other direction.
"Like I said, you'll find what you're looking for over there." He said with a mysterious grin, moving into the brush.
"What a strange dog." Bowie concluded, "What's his deal?" He asked Gilda, slicking his hair back again, "Looks a little coocoo to me."
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Gilda
Griffons
Acolyte Griffon
I'm half-eagle, half-lion and all awesome!
Posts: 213
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Post by Gilda on Jun 1, 2013 12:32:11 GMT -5
As the mysterious Diamond Dog began to depart in the brush, Gilda turned her unique eye to him trying to see if there was something strange about him like there was about Bowie's sword. He was just so strange, it would be odd if there wasn't something she could spot.
"Yeah... strange is a good word for him." Gilda muttered. Bowie was right, whoever that Diamond Dog was, he gave Gilda a weird vibe the first time they met and once more, he gave her that same vibe. "Dunno his deal, but he definitely knows 'things'. I Ran into him in the forest outside Manehatten, called himself 'Spur'. Bunch of bodies were littered around him and he executed this pony goon like it was no big thing. Really gnarly stuff."
She looked over to where Spur had pointed, conflicted if she should follow his advice. Last time they met, it eventually led to her losing an eye - though she did get a better one for the trouble. Probably not connected to that trouble, but she wondered if he was a bad omen. "So, we taking his advice?"
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Post by Red Charge on Jun 1, 2013 12:35:07 GMT -5
As Gilda observed him all she saw was his cloak, beneath the cloak nothing. She also found she couldn't move her eye off the cloak until it vanished, as though it was enchanted to block her from looking.
Bowie looked back, "Well, I dunno, I guess you know if his word is any good. I wouldn't know. What's this Rainlock thing anyway?" He asked, "What's the connection?"
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Gilda
Griffons
Acolyte Griffon
I'm half-eagle, half-lion and all awesome!
Posts: 213
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Post by Gilda on Jun 1, 2013 12:51:19 GMT -5
Gilda shrugged, she couldn't be certain about Spur. If he wanted them dead, he could probably do it without too much trouble. But, his mysterious nature was unsettling. Who did he work for, if anyone? And most importantly, what his motivation for helping them. But disregarding those questions, Gilda saw no reason not to follow his advice.
"His word is as good as any out here. I mean, if he wanted us dead or captured, doubt he had much trouble if seeing the aftermath of his fighting is any indication." Gilda suggested, "And Rainlock? Eh not that interesting, just a rich mare from Manehatten who I do work for on occasion. She takes 'security' to a ridiculous level, wouldn't be surprised if it makes the Canterlot Guard blush."
She stepped forward, cautiously, to where Spur had motioned but stopped short from going further. "Hey, you're the one with the shockwave sword, you go first."
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Post by Red Charge on Jun 1, 2013 13:01:37 GMT -5
"It's called the Warhound's Fang, I'll have you know, and unless you can give me a few pointers on how to swing it, I'm not so sure I'll be better off than you." He said, drawing his sword and starting to move past her. He was obviously uncomfortable in the forest and even more uncomfortable with the idea of facing further Diamond Dogs, or even monsters.
But he was at least willing to move on and wasn't hurrying to stop or turn tail, she had to give him that much. He led on through the thicket until he spotted something ahead. "Umm, Gilda, what's... what're those?" He asked, pointing forwards towards a strange silver mist, within was a group of Diamond Dogs wearing shiny steel armor, so shiny it seemed almost as though it was silver plated. Though the Diamond Dogs seemed completely normal at first, focusing on them with Gilda's eye showed disfigured, charcoal images within their armor, things that probably used to be dogs but are now... something else...
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Gilda
Griffons
Acolyte Griffon
I'm half-eagle, half-lion and all awesome!
Posts: 213
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Post by Gilda on Jun 1, 2013 13:27:27 GMT -5
Gilda wasn't sure what they were but she could take an easy guess and it startled her to the core. She yanked on Bowie as she pulled him down into the high brush and hushed him. She crawled forward just enough to keep her eye on them and still remain hidden. She wanted to curse Spur, that jerk. He had to have known, but why in Tartarus would he tell them to walk right into a pack of armored Dogs, weird zombie dogs or something worse.
She scooted close to Bowie's ear to whisper. "Dunno, but don't think they'll invite us to a tea-party. My eye is telling them they are more than they seem - they're 'different'." Gilda could appreciate how lame this was, another fine capstone to her horrid week. "Keep quiet and wait a bit, see if they move on - if not, we're gonna need to try and get around them."
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Post by Red Charge on Jun 1, 2013 13:34:12 GMT -5
Bowie stayed perfectly still, luckily for them they were still coated in dust, it kept their scent from reaching the dogs. They sat still for a while but the hounds still didn't seem to want to move. Such irony that they looked so chivalric until Gilda looked at them with her magical eye. Using the eye that frequently however gave her quite a migraine all of the sudden, she felt she needed to rest before trying to use it again.
Bowie wasn't sure what to do, the longer they waited the closer the hounds got to them. If they didnt' think of something soon they'd have to face them and they looked pretty tough.
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Gilda
Griffons
Acolyte Griffon
I'm half-eagle, half-lion and all awesome!
Posts: 213
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Post by Gilda on Jun 1, 2013 13:47:58 GMT -5
They weren't leaving and Gilda was starting to get a headache from using her eye for its special properties. Perhaps they could use the element of surprise against them; thus far it appears they weren't detected, if they got within range perhaps Bowie could use his sword to kill them or least buy the two enough time to get out of there before the raisined beasts in silver boxes realized what happened.
She tapped Bowie to relay a suggestion. She pointed to his sword, made of motion of them walking, then a gesture that could be best guessed as 'close' and then pointed towards them and tapped her armor suggesting he should strike them there. If the sword could knock typical Diamond Dogs into the air, striking armor with it should either cause their insides to be vibrated to liquid or at least knock them a good way back and off their paws. It also was the largest and most glaring target and since Bowie was about as good as a troll with a club, probably best he aimed for the spot he'd be least likely to swing and miss.
Minute they were stunned, they could high-tail it out of the area.
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Post by Red Charge on Jun 1, 2013 22:27:29 GMT -5
Bowie got the hint, she noticed he gulped quietly, but then got to his feet. Charging forwards he swung his sword in a semi circle upwards, slicing the ground as he did and creating a massive shockwave that slammed into the ghostly hounds at full speed throwing them all into the brush.
Bowie quickly turned to run the other way with Gilda when something akin to a hunter's horn was sounded and immediately he felt arrows swishing by his ears, one bounced off Gilda's armor. Now on four legs, the sword on his back, Bowie sprinted next to Gilda, zigzagging between trees as arrows shot by them. His vest got pinned to a tree at some point but the dog continued on, tearing it as he sped.
After a few minutes of intense running, it seemed they were finally clear of the armored dogs, which meant they could finally rest for a moment and catch their breaths...
Core Hounds
Core Hounds are well armored, well trained Diamond Dogs, formerly in service of Silverback in the Dragon Wars. What has happened to make them wander the world centuries after their death, attacking all they see is a mystery. They seem to be normal dogs shrouded in mist for the naked eye, but a closer magical inspection will reveal they are spectral wraiths inside their armor.
Special Effects -
Damage Immunity: A Core Hound cannot be harmed by any weapon or magic, whenever a part of their body is destroyed, it seems to regenerate. Their armor seems to be the only part of them that can be physically influenced.
Summon Arrow Volley: Sounding their horn, Core Hounds may summon a volley of arrows from a nearby archer squad. Even though one may not see those, they are always around when there are other Core Hounds, just out of sight, ready to fire.
Summon Reinforcements: Core Hounds operate as smoothly as any military unit, they almost always have backup nearby. They call this backup with their horn using short, rhythmic blows, you can expect the reinforcements to flank anyone they target.
Danger Level: High
(Creature has yet to be studied! - so far there is no known way to kill a Core Hound!)
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Gilda
Griffons
Acolyte Griffon
I'm half-eagle, half-lion and all awesome!
Posts: 213
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Post by Gilda on Jun 2, 2013 15:33:29 GMT -5
Panting, still reeling from the rush, Gilda took this lull in the chase to collect herself. She looked to Bowie, breaking in a slow smile then a low exasperated laugh. "Not bad... but this is why I said we should forget this forest. Those weren't like the rest of you - they actually were competent." She didn't bother to mention the horribleness of their hidden form, it wasn't relevant right now and they had best collect themselves and move on quickly.
Gilda motioned towards the direct they had been going, "Got to keep moving, put some more distance between us and them. Figure out what to do form there." She suggested, beginning to trug towards where she had pointed. She figured they shouldn't stop till they were well our of range of those arrows. The scuff mark on her armor was unsettling - to think if she hadn't snagged this back in Canterlot.
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Post by Red Charge on Jun 2, 2013 22:25:51 GMT -5
"Where did the arrows come from? I didn't see any archers!" Said Bowie as they advanced, somewhat panicked, "They weren't part of Sharp's army, that much I can tell you. The only pack with access to that kind of gear is the Silverback pack, and none of their warriors look like that."
After a while it became obvious that the two were no longer chased or shot at, they must have lost their pursuers. Bowie leaned against a tree and breathed a sigh of relief. "One of those arrows glanced right off my sword." He said, drawing his sword and checking for any imperfections, there were none.
"I have to learn how to use this thing."f
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