Kelly Mathews, Equestria's Landstalker

by Leafwebs

Chapter 15_Aurora Borealis of The Campfire Smoke (O&O) – The Party Assenblers.

Author's Note:

This chapter gimmick take light inspiration from Steam Game Wildermyth. The factions will only be briefly described but not stated.

Nigel is fused with Hazel Leaf and Sumac for this arc. Their body is a large wolf centaur with bat wings on the upper torso. Their body is covered by a mix of tree bark and branches, and fur.

Simulated Displaced will appear in this arc, if anyone wants to their own to join just know I'm making up the events of this on the fly. It might not work well for collabs.

Lastly the Folklore Killer ability is going to be used here. I will be inventing clue items, likely up to 6 or 8; for ability use.

Chapter 15_Aurora Borealis of The Campfire Smoke (O&O) – The Party Assembles.

Twilight Sparkle, Spike, and their recent acquaintance Gilda, having just finished cleaning off a table in the Ponyville Library; prepare to open a recently arrived package.

“So that dweeby comic shop sent you a raffle prize?” Gilda playfully chides.

“Yeah the ticket was free if your purchase was more than 20 bits. I got some new Ogres and Oubliettes modules and two figures and the shop keep put in a ticket for me.” Spike replied cheerfully before glancing at Gilda and smirking. “Oh Parasprite chieftain.”

Gilda blushes with embarassment.

“Ritual Dancers can be very random when they fail a routine but you can’t deny the fun it brings.” Twilight adds giving Gilda a friendly poke with a hoof. “They did prove useful.”

Poking a claw tip into the package paper Spike opens it up his prize.

The first items were a finely painted GM screen featuring Spike’s Ogres and Oblates persona Garbuncle and an enameled gold ring. When Spike puts on the ring the Garbuncle image on the GM screen would copy his moves.

“That’s so sweet!” Spike cheers rolling some dice and watching illusory dice role with the real ones.

“Oh Spike there’s more here.” Twilight exclaims surprised pulling out a book with a letter on it. ”Aurora Borealis of the Campfire Smoke… Is this some kind of new Ogres and Oblates module?”

“Check the letter.” Spike replies.

---

Congratulations Spike on winning 2^nd place in the raffle.

I’ve included this new product for your gaming experience.

It uses a magic registry system that lets you homebrew your own races and items just add art and a brief history.

I did one race for you based on your Squizard villain and the tales you’ve told me. It even lets you take everyday knickknacks and converts them into items using the same system so I just picked a few things that were collecting dust and let the book randomize the item traits.

Don’t worry about any dangerous magic side effects from playing this gift. All the mechanics of the game and the enchants on the tome are certified safe by the Royal Academy of Canterlot Magic and has all the safety spell triggers to end the game if play gets too intense.

I hope you give it a try and have fun.

---

“All this was the second place prize. You got some mad dweeb loot.” Gilda remarks ruffling Spike’s head spikes. “I’m impressed. You sort of got published.”

Spike giggles with delight.

“We will have to ask around for players to do this module…” Twilight add skimming page four of the instructions. “Some of these battles can have a small army of mooks to deal with.”

“Hello. Is the library open?” Nigel asks as the door’s bell rings at his arrival, and with a timber wolf pup in tow.

“Oh look our first victims.” Gilda whistles tilting her head Nigel’s way.

Hazel Leaf took only a brief glance at the library’s guests before seemingly deciding to talk to the greater tree that house the library itself.

“Shush!” Twilight chides the gryphen hen. “We just had a delivery we we’re excited about. It even has promise as a new feature during the quieter period of the day. ”

“Really like what kind of new feature?” Nigel replied stopping before the group.

“A high noon game bash.” Spike replies.

“But won’t games be distracting for the other patrons. Not many libraries at home let games in if they could be loud.” Nigel replies looking around.

“No worries I already have some semi-private rooms as is, and this game has taken noise concerns into consideration.” Twilight giggles with Spike and Gilda joining in.

“Sound interesting what’s it called?” Nigel replies intriguing even Hazel leaf.

“It’s named Aurora Borealis of the Campfire Smoke. It’s quite a beak full to say tough if you ask me.” Gilda adds gesturing her wing for the visitors to come over.

“Check this out it’s the intro page for the Squizard’s faction.” Spike cheers awe struck.

“Wait is that a custom faction? Did you make this?” Nigel asks suddenly cheerful.

“The shop owner did it for me as part of the prize. Let’s see…” Spike continued flipping to the index. “Here are the instructions for adding more. How about this? We’re looking for some extra players and since you’re here how about you create one for a trial game. Same thing for you two, care to contribute?”

“Wicked idea dweeb why not? How about we do this in two weeks?” Gilda add clenching a claw.

“Sure as long as I’m not busy I’ll be there.” Nigel adds stoked. “Before I leave do you have the books on useful handicrafts and The Culinary Wonders Cookbook.”

With a Smile, Twilight uses her magic to stamp the library cards of the books and levitates them and the game supplement sheets over to Nigel. Nigel shakes the hooves and claws of the new gaming group and wave goodbye as he and Hazel leaf exit.

Heading into the market square Nigel and Hazel Leaf notices a human couple turn to them and wave them over. The sight of the couple shocked the elf as they hurried over to the pair.

“Excuse us sir I think we’re being followed. Can you please lead us to the town hall?” The husband asks out stretching his wedding band adorned hand as the pair stop to catch their breath in front of Nigel.

“We’ve been trying to get directions but none of the ponies will talk to us for more than a word before getting spooked by someone behind us.” The wife adds wide eyed. “We keep looking around but we don’t see the culprit.”

“We only arrived 40 minutes ago on a Tourist Visa can you help us?” The husband adds showing his documents to the elf.

Nigel skims the paperwork and notices the red head and blond mane of Big Macintosh peak from an alley one block away.

“Yeah I can lead you to the Mayor’s office. They should be able to process you there.” Nigel replies courteously to the couple before whispering barks to Hazel Leaf. “The Apple clan stallion is stalking us Hazel. Scratch an ear if he gets into ready pounce range.”

Hazel Leaf gives a quiet chuff of a bark signaling that she understands and is ready.

“So tell me you doing your honeymoon here?” Nigel asks trying to break the ice.

“Yes… How did…” The wife replies startled.

“It’s your wedding bands, hard to miss the newly minted shine. I can think of one pony who might literally jump out of nowhere for the chance to help you celebrate.” Nigel adds flashing a soft smile.

“We had not planned on getting an event planner…” The husband adds. “But it would be nice to find romantic spots.”

“I’m sure once we sort you two out you’ll get plenty of suggestions.” Nigel replies waving toward a cream colored cottage that the mayor lives in. Nigel knocks on the door before opening it up for the couple to enter. “Newlyweds first.”

Inside the mayor’s office the group is greeted by the mayor as she is sending her secretary home. The couple hand over their documents and the mayor immediately open a filing cabinet and motions for them follow her into her office.

Nigel pulls out the monster faction sheets and begins filling in some of the information to pass the time.

Picking the name DaVinchi’s Fauna, Nigel recalled a news story of wooden sculptures that moved with a combination the power of wind catching canvas sails and it skeleton of linked wooden rods. He could not remember the artist of these walking machines but they looked like Chinese New Year decorations if they were unpainted.

The comparison gave him the inspiration to combine the two observations. Their history would be that a long dead family created the DaVichi Fauna as caretakers and protectors of their lush garden estate and as replacements for natural animals. This family had been too good in their craft but was undone by lack of respect for the life they made for novelty.

He began to sketch a kite like animal contraption when Hazel Leaf scratched an ear interrupting his train of though. Nigel put the game sheets away as Big Mac enters.

“That was clever kid, here to collect you a bounty?” Big Mac remarks with a snort.

“Nope.” Nigel replied.

“You should because you ain’t making this a trend.” Big Mac replies red faced. “I’m Ponyville’s best bounty hunter and aim to keep it that way.”

As Big Mac left Nigel couldn’t help feel a little pride in ruffling the stallion. Shortly after the conversation from the mayor’s office caught Nigel’s attention.

“Your all set and don’t worry about your honeymoon getting ruined by it becoming too crowded. Our resident party planner advertises private intimate gatherings alongside grand celebrations.” The mayor cheerily comments giving the couple their tourist visas. “Enjoy your stay Mr. and Ms. Miller.”

“Thank you Ms. Mayor.” Mr. Miller replies. Turning to Nigel and offers is hand to shake addressing the elf. “Thank you for bringing us over here. I’m John and my wife is Lisa.”

“On this side I go by Nigel, but my real name is Kelly.” Nigel replies shaking John’s hand. “I don’t know how long you’ll be here but barring some emergency I’ll be at the tree library from before.”

“Emergency? What kind of emergencies are you talking about?” Lisa asks curiously.

“The easiest way to explain it is it is like being deployed. Only it wasn’t the government that drafted me. I can’t provide many details beyond that because some details are top secret and others will catch me by surprise no different from everyone else.” Nigel replies. “But it does involve a lot of boredom.”

“That reminds me of my dad, he’s in the navy as part of flight deck crew.” Lisa adds with a smile. “Boredom is one of his biggest headaches.”

“Well we will keep an eye out for you and thanks for the invitation.” John adds. “Good bye for now Nigel.”

“Enjoy your honeymoon and good bye for now.” Nigel replies waving the couple off. “let’s go home Hazel Leaf.”

The next two weeks seemed to fly by for Nigel.

Going on hunts with Sumac and Hazel Leaf were becoming less and less of a dreaded chore. He would get a share of the meat which he would need to clean and preserve putting the handicrafts book and cookbook to good use.

Hazel Leaf struck up a weird friendship with Apple Bloom’s mushroom monsters and Nigel confirmed the filly was more than just a monster tamer protecting her farm. That filly had strange tastes.

Absent of incursions by any displaced or plane hopping criminals, Nigel finished the sketches on the DaVinchi Fauna with the remainder of his free time.

The game day soon arrived.

“Alright dweebs this a smoking turn out.” Gilda chirps starry eyed wearing a beaded and braided lion’s mane, and several ornately decorated armbands.

“Nigel you made it as well?!” Spike dressed in a well made wizard costume covered in magic circles adds shocked but ecstatic.

“Yeah…” Nigel begins a little nervous.

“He’s not the only one.” John adds walking in behind Nigel’s group.

“John, Lisa how was the Honeymoon?” Nigel asks with a smile shaking the couple’s hands. ”Are you two gaming or watching?”

“Just watching this time, we’ve had a real splendid and eventful couple weeks.” Lisa replies.

“Attention Ogres & Oubliettes competitors and guests. Today we’ll be testing a different system that was gifted to Grand Wizard Garbuncle…” Twilight announces striking a small drum saddle she wore and pointing to a bowing Spike. “This system accepts custom nations as opposing factions for the heroes to contend with, our other heroes for the session have written one for this special debut of Aurora Borealis of The Campfire Smoke. Please hand in your faction sheets now.”

“We will also be employing a Divining Diorama Spell that will let the audience watch our adventure from the comfort of the library seats.” Spike in his Garbncle voice adds. “It shall be a grand adventure.”

Joining Spikes’s Squizard Faction and Nigel’s DaVinchi Fauna were the factions of the Neglected Chronicle and Seed Rancher Spiders.

The Neglected Chronicle faction, made by Gilda; tragically was born of abandoned historical testaments and records. Their forms depended on the medium the lost record captured in from living tapestry images to motes of mad oratories of dead folk song.

The Seed Rancher Spiders faction, made by Twilight; had a very Druid like aesthetic. The armor they wore appeared to be made from magic gleaming bark, pine cones, and or moss. Their martial weapons included oversized potted roses as thorny Halberds or Briar clusters as flails. This faction’s dream is simply to establish a new homeland.

“Let’s hear a roll call for our heroes. I’m Drum Priestess Tremor Song.” Twilight announces playing a soft beat on her drum saddle.

“Yodel Yell, of the Rockslide. Ancestral Lore Keeper Barbarian of the Shifting Cliffs Clan.” Gilda adds with an operatic flare and flexing a muscled claw.

“Land Stalker Nigel.” Nigel adds as Hazel leaf springs up next to the elf with Sumac in fairy form getting tossed upwards off the wood pups head.

“Garbuncle, the Grand Wizard of Spiketopia.” Spike concludes putting on his ring and letting his GM screen double toss an illusory flower bouquet. “Now bear witness to another tale of Heroism.”

As Spikes final words were spoken the four players touched the board and vanished. The Diorama lights up with a Magical glow and creates a scene of a sheltered grassy coastline with a sailed ship anchored a short way off. An unfamiliar narrator begins speaking.

“In the many years following the Squizard’s banishment from Spiketopia, Grand Wizard Garbuncle and his ally Drum Priestess Tremor Song find themselves arriving on the shores of Solemn Seasons. She is a land that confounds nature’s normal cycles as the seasons blend together and an eternal mist carpets her grounds.” The narrator speaks. “It rumored a powerful artifact called the Tiger Ivory Moai is what holds the land of Solemn Seasons to its curse.”

“Solemn Seasons sounds more like a pony name than one for mysterious land.” Garbuncle muses aloud.

“Are you saying ponies name themselves after what their destined interests are?” Tremor Song replies sarcastically.

“I… take it back. So you got any idea where the others are?” Garbuncle replies with a gulp of shame.

“Don’t know we likely must recruit them along the way.” Tremor Song replies shrugging.

Coming out of a nearby misty forest was a pair of mono-chrome butterfly kites grasping red yo-yos and a wasp kite with bottle rocket launcher instead of a stinger. The DaVinchi Fauna flyers turn toward the new arrivals of Garbuncle and Tremor Song intent on battle.

The scene of the upcoming battle pauses to switch to a pair of other locations.

In the first new scene we see Yodel Yell was flying into a clearing at the misty forest’s edge far from the coast, a large, colorfully decorated memorial catching the griffin’s eye as she lands.

“Whatever rich dweeb… Oh right let’s start again.” Yodel Yell begins to say only to face palm. Pulling in a deep breath and kneeling she whispers to the grave. “Honored Ancestor of another’s clan grant me permission to pay my respect to you on the bed of your long rest.”

“Gentle winds rise up from the surrounding around the pilgrim griffin and flow across the memorial beckoning her to join its song.” The unnamed narrator announces.

“Sing…” Yodel Yell chirps suddenly shy.

“If you will please, grace us with your divas voice.” The narrator replies.

With flushed cheeks Yodel Yell pulls in a long breath and begins to sing in harmony with the memorial’s tune as the scene freezes.

“Our last scene opens with the eyes of our last hero; he is deep in the misty forest at a crossroads only just still visible thru the underbrush. A light song on the wind having roused him from an unexpected sleep, Nigel begins to take stock of his situation” The narrator announces.

“Unexpected sleep huh, well thank you kind voice for waking me with a song and not a princess.” Nigel politely replies.

“You’re welcome.” The narrator whisper announces making Nigel sincerely smile.

Nigel’s smile almost vanishes as he makes to stand.

“Different body again…” Nigel adds with a sigh and turning to look at himself. “So they did end up with me in a way. I’m a bit like a winged centaur… with a muzzle.”

“Okay finding the rest of the party and figuring out my limbs should be my first to do things.” Nigel continues having finished standing. “Folklore Killer set arming for Investigation Mode.”

Nigel’s AR Glasses wink into existence on his head from an indigo light. The dark forest becomes illuminated by a light amplification effect as our hero looks around. Following the HUD Nigel finds a white ribbon with blue symbols still attached to a broken wooden rod. Opposite the break is a green egg shaped gem.

“A clue… Investigation action: Log signature.” Nigel whispers into the microphone, the HUD info updates to show the object as recorded for tracking. As soon as the screen cleared Nigel’s ears and the HUD register a phantom voice like sound joining the background symphony of the winds. “Left on this fork of the road then, lets rejoin the others.”

Back in the library the O&O guests as well the newlyweds waited with anticipation for the game’s first move in response to our heroes.

Comments

[DisplacedWriter]

11367424
Updates is a yes and no. Yes I did update him but not story-wise, its more like I overhauled his future self and I plan to reboot the story but can't due to lack of writing drive.