5 years later
Ellery Quinn woke up with a jolt, nearly falling from her hammock. So many times she had that dream. It was part of the reason she set out from her village at such a young age with some older friends who had set out in search of adventure. She wanted to see Equestria for herself, as impossible as it may seem to most.
Since then she had traveled far into the wilder lands, encountered such random things on the road that it seemed like the gods were rolling dice on what showed up (If she only knew), and learned how much loot could be found in ruins, and carried out by one person single handed first hand.
In the hammock next to her's slept a changeling with a tricorn hat hung on the wall next to him. He snored softly and muttered something about a hand of glory in his sleep. Good old Ix, Ellery thought, Though he probably has been around too many of those macabre items he likes to collect.
He got up as she was making a cup of coffee. "Mornin Ell!"
"Good Morning Ix. How was your rest?"
"Pretty good. Had a dream about steal-"
That's when a green and pink Faery dragonborn rushed in the room looking worked up about something.
"Guys! Big News! Someone broke into the Local Magi's Tower! Someone stole a-"
"H-hand o-of G-glory?"
The Dragonborn (who was named Kajou) looked surprised. "You read my mind."
The Changeling scratched the back of his head and nervously smiled.
"I think I may have had a teensy weensy case of sleep robbing..."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't incinerate the lot of you..."
The Magi stood a full 3 feet taller than Ellery, with the usual Blue robes, white beard, and scowl prominently featuring.
"W-well you see, I never mean't to steal it. Mr Tal-zaad sir... I sleep walk, and sometimes I do stuff I don't know how I did." Ix was nervously fidgeting with his hooves.
"So you're saying that you got through my best magical wards, traps, and guards IN YOUR SLEEP?"
Ix brightened a bit. "Yes sir! I could have done it in half the time if I was awake but," He stopped grinning when he saw the Wizards frown deepening, "I would never have dared."
The Magi smiled a bit.
"Fascinating. I could make use of one such as you, and your friends."
Ellery and Kajou had been caught trying to smuggle Ix out of the village in a pumpkin cart. They would have made it, if Ix had not sneezed at the check point.
"There have been reports of hooded figures kidnapping people during the last few weeks. No one has had any substantial leads, or more than verbal reports, so the Watch has not investigated. Normally this would be beneath my notice, but this morning, one of my apprentices was snatched from their beds. Their extraction was flawless, except for this..."
He handed them a scrap of parchment with an eye on one side, and a short message in the common tongue on the other.
Midnight, Pentacle Keep, We have the 13th for the blood moon rite in 3 days.
Ellery had no problem with deciphering it.
"Pentacle Keep? I thought no one lived in that crumbling wreck anymore except bandits, monsters, and the unquiet dead during the Eve of the Lost."
"Usually, little pony," Ellery winced internally at that remark, it was considered offensive by non ponies, "but it was once a temple to the All Seer, perhaps even one of the places where they tore the fabric of reality long ago, and no doubt not all of their ilk have forgotten it. If you are willing to go forth and rescue them. You will be rewarded."
"You can count on us sir!" Ix said with a tip of his hat and a nervous grin.
"I'm sure I can, but I am sending a friend who owes me a favor to make sure you don't skip town instead of doing your job. It will also put some credence when I say god help us..."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
They found their contact in one of the most well known bars in the city: The Four-shadow inn, on account of what an ancient hero of the city, Saint Theodus, was said to have exorcised from the premises. It has been a popular bar since then by people of a mostly less holy and pure persuasion.
Father Theodus, the very distant descendant of said saint, was currently praying with one hand, and beating a long line of burly people in arm wrestling halfheartedly. He saw a changeling, a equine, and a dragonborn approaching him and looked up.
"I assume that you are the ones 'Zaad wanted me to accompany on your expedition?"
"How did you know?" The Equine replied.
"He told me I'd know when I saw them. I see what he meant. I already know what is up and I am prepared."
"But you look like you're only in a robe and brandishing a little gold symbol of Pholtus!"
He pulled aside his robe to show two holstered flintlocks, a iron mace, and suit of chainmail.
"“When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are undisturbed."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After a long travel through the woods to Pentacle Keep, they came to the ruins of the old castle. Abandoned it seemed, but they heard voices from the courtyard.
In the middle of the courtyard, a intricate sigil filled engraved stone circle gracing it as decoration from days long past, 30 hooded figure prostrated around the circle chanting unspeakable things in a tongue only used by practitioners of the black arts. 13 people were tied and gagged in the center, where one of the men stood chanting in a louder voice than the others
"Akalabad Etaru Porshana Korammus... Who dares disturb our sacred rites?"
The High priest motioned for his cultists to stand aside. He then spoke to the heroes.
"The forerunners of our brethren did much in their research o the multiverse, but our sect sought immortality too. We found it in a ship fallen from the heavens, bearing a sacred word, Mondas. From the wreckage, we found beings which taught us how to gain eternal life by artifice. Naturally, we decided to find people to share the blessing with, that they may live forever as we shall."
"Hey, sorry to interrupt, but I just was wondering what that has to do with the blood moon."
"Admittedly, that bit was to make it more impressive. That's half the fun of this job."
The Priest then pulled up the robe's hood to show a face more like a funerary mask, but silver and with only half of his face covered.
The others threw off their hoods and robes to show bodies that were a varying mix of technology, flesh, and clockwork. They then drew their swords.
Theodus then drew out his mace and one of his pistols and charged forward, firing like a it was a hootenanny, but with less YEEHAW and more hymns of warfare. Ix grimaced and drew his rapier, and Ellery drew out a battle axe and gripped it in her teeth as she swung it at the body of cultists.
Kajou raced her way to the center of the circle and started untying the captives, who ran out of the place for their lives as e battle raged on around her. She finally got to the last one, which she guessed was the Magi's apprentice due to the fact they'd bound his fingers together individually to keep him from doing somatic components.
They then engaged the Priest in the center of the circle, his exposed eye turning pitch black as he channeled his dark god's power. But before he did anything, Ellery chopped his head off in one swing.
Blood was spilled throughout the engraved circle from the fallen cultists, who were still human enough to bleed.
"Hey look! This guy still has his purse on him (ooh! 5 silver pieces), these guys are wearing jewelry, there are these weird glowing runes on that guy's sword, that staff that guy had looks magical, and I found this chest behind that wall."
Theodus scowled. "Have some respect for these fallen souls. (on a side note, dibs on that guy's ring.)"
In the home of the gods, A black and white harlequin figure sat in front of a game board, with a box of figures next to it.. Upon it were 3 tilted figures not unlike the cyberliches that I just described. He was waiting.
Eventually, a figure which looked like a mishmash of fantastical creatures appeared.
The harlequin smiled, "Disc! Long time no see! How have things been? Still hanging with that pegasi?"
"Fluttershy and I are well, thank you very much, Polybius. Its been a bit since we last gamed together."
They were about to set up a fresh board, when a shadowy figure came and wiped their board clean.
"Oh great... Its Mr. all seeing guy. I suppose your mad I threw that match against myself involving your acolytes?"
On the contrary, I am here to play.
He pulled out a board from the shadowy mas of his body, and both draconequus and harlequin turned pale.
I choose the bloody banner. No quarter. No mercy. I only win by total annihilation of my opponents forces..
The Board was set.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ix lugged the chest over to the center of the circle. Inside was a large amount of gold and silver, and a engraved book with the title of Tales of Equestria They ignored the 13th prisoner who was yelling obscenities into his gag who they'd forgot to untie.
Ellery immediately said, "That's mine."
Theodus smiled. "I wouldn't have thought someone of your ah..." He looked at the bloodstained courtyard around them, "Enthusiastic demeanor would be interested in childrens stories."
Ellery smiled. "Ever since my mother told me about how my people came here. I wish I could see Equestria for myself.."
At that, all the blood they spilt and filled the engravings with started glowing and and music assaulted their ears as everything went white.
