Midnight Park

Locales found within the main city centers; primarily Inside, Riverside, and Skyside.
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Shadowcaller
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Re: Midnight Park

Post by Shadowcaller »

Changeling Needs

"Yeah, souls rarely go unaltered after what you've been through. Things, parts of your personality, might have been taken while others could have been added." Jaahlyn would have added more but looking at Bobbie's reaction it was probably a mistake even saying this much. "These people-" She gestures at the nearest gloompony they walk past. "-deal with souls a lot though so they might be able to help."

With those words said Jaahlyn will keep silent for the rest of their trip to Hometree. Wouldn't want to worry Bobbie too much.
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Rebonack
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Re: Midnight Park

Post by Rebonack »

[Changeling Needs]

Let's be fair there is very little NOT worrying about what Bobbi has been through.

The walk to Hometree isn't TOO eventful. It involves heading through the neighborhood surrounding the park itself first, which seems like a vibrant enough place. The equestrians seem to like their surroundings to be just as colorful as they are. The park itself consists of absolutely massive, dark colored sequoias that resemble giant pillars more than they might look like trees. A meandering path has been made through the forest lined with helpful little lanterns and flowerbeds of ethereal blossoms. Every now and again there are signs warning visitors to stay on the trail on account of the feral shadows and wraiths that crop up in the woods.

Wouldn't want someone getting drained to death after all.

Eventually they'll reach the end of the trail and find themselves in a clearing dominated by a single tree of such incredible size it may as well be a high-rise building. Judging from the balconies, windows, and equestrians all over that appears to be exactly what it is. Hometree, the seat of power of the Princess of the gloom ponies.

Our heroes will be able to walk right in, finding themselves in a pleasantly furnish lobby with pictures of the various projects Team Nightmare tends to around the Nexus. A mare seated behind the receptionist desk waves to them.
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Re: Midnight Park

Post by Earl of Purple »

Changeling Needs

Bobbi follows Jaahlyn, since she doesn't know her way around on her own. She's definitely sticking to the path, as well; last thing she needs is to get her soul mutilated further, or whatever it is shadows and wraiths drain from their victims. She likes the look of the place, except she doesn't like the feel of it. It's too... dead, is what Bobbi would probably say, though actually figuring out how she gets that impression is hard; with all the bright colours and bustle, it shouldn't be dead. Even if everything is actually dead to some degree or another.
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Re: Midnight Park

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Changeling Needs

Jaahlyn waves back and then elegantly bows before the receptionist. "Greetings, miss Lullaby. Could we by any chance get audience with Balm? My friend here as been through a lot so I could use some help making sure she, ah, well." She throws a glance at Bobbie.
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Re: Midnight Park

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[Changeling Needs]

That's by design, as it happens. The gloom ponies are in fact the end product of a powerful necromancer's pet project. Normally when you mix life and undeath you simply get something that's dead. But the gloom ponies mix both life and undeath in a fashion that harmonizes rather than causing mutual annihilation. To senses meant to sniff out life or undeath they appear to be simple inanimate matter.

And that sense they give off carries.

The gloom ponies exist to mask the Nexus' presence from the baleful gaze of Atropus, the World Born Dead. As long as they exist the vibrant life of the Nexus as well as its unusually personable undead denizens are invisible to the stillborn god. Which is good for everyone, arguably. No one wants Atropus to visit again.

Anywho!

Lily Lullaby perks up as the satyr approaches. "Oh, good evening Jaahlyn! Let me check her schedule," the secretary pony replies as she begins paging through a large book in a way that one would expect to be quite difficult with hooves for hands. "Hmm... oh! You're in luck! She has an opening right now."

The kirin flicks one of her ears. "Switchboard? Could you send a message to Myrrh Balm that Jaahlyn and a guest will be seeing her shortly?"

A few seconds pass.

"Thank you, Switchboard! You're always a sweetheart."

The kirin's single antler-like horn lights up and a life of crystalline lilies begin growing out of the wood, forming a trail off into Hometree. "Just follow the flowers, they'll lead you to Myrrh Balm's office."

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Re: Midnight Park

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[Changeling Needs]

Jaahlyn had only heard about Atropus from the gloom-ponies but it sounded pretty bad.
Which made her even more thankful that they were around. She had gone through enough bodies already.

"Thank you so much. You're a lifesaver, Lullaby." She smiles at the receptionist and then heads in the direction of the flowers, gesturing for Bobbie to follow with her.
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Re: Midnight Park

Post by Earl of Purple »

Changeling Needs

"Er, yes. Thankyou." Bobbi smiles, but she's rather nervous, and this entire area is starting to creep her out. She's getting the impulse to run, but can't see a reason to and trusts Jaahlyn to help, so until she's actually either directly threatened or spooked accidentally she's staying with Jaahlyn and not bolting.
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Re: Midnight Park

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[Changeling Needs]

The gloom ponies are clearly predatory. They don't have those horizontal ungulate pupils. They have forward facing eyes. They've got teeth that are NOT made for mashing cud. It's like walking into a den of wolves and the wolves are all smiling at you with their sharp teeth and being sweet and friendly. It's only natural to be expecting the other horse-shoe to drop and something terrible to happen.

But.

Nothing horrible happens.

Yet.

Our heroes have a nice little walk through the interior of Hometree, passing various examples of bright, colorful art and equestrians trotting around and going about their errands. Jaahlyn will get a few friendly greetings and smiles along the way.

Eventually, though, they reach the end of the crystal and a rather plain but pleasant looking office with a distinctly Ancient Egypt flair. Mostly in the form of several works of art, slabs, jars, and interesting objects on display. Behind a large desk of dark colored wood sits a unicorn pony the color of desert sand with a canopic jar for a glyph on her haunches. There's a pretty sizable pile of paperwork that she's methodically working her way through.

"Good afternoon, Jaahlyn. A pleasure to meet you in person," the unicorn says, her tone refined and measured with an odd accent to it. "This must be your friend. How can I be of service today?"
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Re: Midnight Park

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[Changeling Needs]

Jaahlyn does not seem to share Bobbie's agitation. To her these people were not more predators than she was, and she was a goat!
This was perhaps since she felt a certain kinship with those that ended undead lives and most psychopomps did assume the form of predators which she was fine with. As long as they weren't wolves.

The satyr makes a complex bowing gesture before Myrrh Balm which would seem ostentatious if she didn't finish it so curtly. Being able to go through a whole range of motions in but a moment of time.

"It's an honor, sir." Jaahlyn then steps aside and gestures to Bobbie, letting her stand before the unicorn should she want to.
"This is bobbie and she was taken by fey and have been tortured by them for many years until now when she managed to escape. I was fortunate enough to come across her and led her here since it seems a fetch have taken her place. So she needs somewhere to sleep until we can fix the fetch situation." A beat. "Also, her stay with the fey have changed her greatly and I fear she might have suffered injuries that are not visible to the naked eye. Would there be any way to get that checked out?"
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Re: Midnight Park

Post by Earl of Purple »

Changeling Needs

Bobbi is, indeed, quite changed by her experiences, though not to the average eye. To most people, she appears a normal human, tall and slender, with pale skin and tawny brown hair and large brown eyes. She's wearing a pair of ripped jeans and a beat-up leather jacket, worn trainers on her feet. To those whose sight is more mystical, she remains a woman in her late twenties, but she's even slimmer, her arms and especially her legs stretched out, her eyes are marked with a pale stripe around them, and a pair of small ridged horns, mostly straight, grow from her head. She looks like somebody took a human woman and changed them so they looked more like a gazelle. Yet her surname is 'Doe'.

Bobbi doesn't say anything, since Jaahlyn introduced her and covered most of the important things about her, and Bobbi really doesn't know what else to say. She's clearly nervous, and her legs are tensing and untensing regularly, as though she's prepared to run at a moment's notice.
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Re: Midnight Park

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Judgement

A large sports car attempts to find a parking space at Team Nightmære HQ.
Oddly enough despite the flashy car, Siana and Jaahlyn would have had a very smooth ride. Codebreaker is a slow, careful driver.
”I hate driving in Inside. No one uses their signal. The dragons say they don’t have any but they could use their claws and they know it.” Codebreaker mumbles as he pulls up.
”So…you said you wanted me there as a witness?” he asks, giving them another chance to ditch him if they want.
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Re: Midnight Park

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[Changeling Needs]

If Myrrh Balm has any sort of magical sight there's no obvious sign that she's using it. Just listening and considering carefully.

"A fetch?" Myrrh replies initially. But then she employs a POWER arcane device to search the word and- "Ah. A magical body-double of sorts."

That's certainly a troubling thing to deal with.

"I can arrange for some of our physicians to examine you, if you're willing, Bobbi. And while I can't offer an empty home there are other possibilities for accommodations. Hometree has guest quarters typically used for visiting diplomats. At present-"


She pokes at her strange arcane slate again.

"-only one of them is occupied. And there are no scheduled guests for the next two weeks in the three. Would find these accommodations acceptable? Or would you prefer to be put up temporarily as a guest with one of the families of Midnight Park?"

Bobbi would probably feel uncomfortable in a pony house, wouldn't she?
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Re: Midnight Park

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Keeper wrote: May 27, 2023 6:03 pm Judgement

A large sports car attempts to find a parking space at Team Nightmære HQ.
Oddly enough despite the flashy car, Siana and Jaahlyn would have had a very smooth ride. Codebreaker is a slow, careful driver.
”I hate driving in Inside. No one uses their signal. The dragons say they don’t have any but they could use their claws and they know it.” Codebreaker mumbles as he pulls up.
”So…you said you wanted me there as a witness?” he asks, giving them another chance to ditch him if they want.
[Judgement]

"...Yeah." Siana says after a moment, giving Codebreaker a little nod. "I... don't know what effect that would have on the trial, but I would appreciate it if you could come in." She opens her mouth to say more, but lacking the words, simply grabs the wolfen's hand and gives it a little squeeze.

Well. She has the words. But she doesn't want to actually say "I'm scared" out loud. That might be taken as a reason to back out.
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Re: Midnight Park

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[Judgement]

"There are Dragons driving around?" Bad enough that there were Wolves driving, now Dragons had cars too?! Why did they even need them?!

Jaahlyn looks to Siana, quickly realizing that this topic might not be appropriate right now. "...that's probably a good idea, Siana. The more friends you have with you the better." She looks up at Codebreaker. "You never told me about him. You seem like a close friend." She musters a smile to the Wolf.
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Re: Midnight Park

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Rebonack wrote: May 28, 2023 1:48 am [Changeling Needs]

If Myrrh Balm has any sort of magical sight there's no obvious sign that she's using it. Just listening and considering carefully.

"A fetch?" Myrrh replies initially. But then she employs a POWER arcane device to search the word and- "Ah. A magical body-double of sorts."

That's certainly a troubling thing to deal with.

"I can arrange for some of our physicians to examine you, if you're willing, Bobbi. And while I can't offer an empty home there are other possibilities for accommodations. Hometree has guest quarters typically used for visiting diplomats. At present-"


She pokes at her strange arcane slate again.

"-only one of them is occupied. And there are no scheduled guests for the next two weeks in the three. Would find these accommodations acceptable? Or would you prefer to be put up temporarily as a guest with one of the families of Midnight Park?"

Bobbi would probably feel uncomfortable in a pony house, wouldn't she?
[Changeling Needs]

"Well... they're often also what does the 'fetching'. Hence the name. The body-double thing only coming in once they done the first part of the job. People just don't really recognize them afterwards since they look completely different." Jaahlyn clarifies just so there wouldn't be any misunderstandings. She was inherently knowledgeable about this particular subject.

She then glances at Bobbie as she was the one making the calls, she gives her a reassuring look but she was never sure just how reassuring she could be with her black eyes.
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Re: Midnight Park

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Judgement

"Yes but I meant the ones walking around." Codebreaker explains.
His paws are certainly as big and soft as ever. If he spent so much money on shampoo and didn't have a soft coat he'd be suing someone (he would not actually it's way too much effort).
"But alright, Siana. I'm in. And just remember that they don't have a kill policy. No matter what you've got your life ahead of you."
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Re: Midnight Park

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[Judgement]

Codebreaker will hear a relieved sigh come from Siana's general direction at that. Given the context of the fey party, the idea that her judge might, in fact, order her execution, hadn't escaped her mind. And while she's reasonably confident she'd survive most forms of execution (anything short of decartication, really), that would still open up a whole mess of problems and she's fairly certain it would still end with her being dead.

Which, even as much as she's seeking to right her wrongs, doesn't quite appeal to her.

"...Yeah. Codebreaker's a good friend." Siana agrees, hobbling along toward the front door. "We, um... we met a while back, on the beach near our house. He offered to let us stay over for a bit, and we all agreed. Unfortunately, we hadn't considered the timing of the invitation and my sister and I went a little... crazy." Her face flushes in embarrassment at recalling the incident. "I'll spare you the details, but the short version is that we ended up doing a lot of damage to his house. My uncle stepped in and took responsibility for it, and offered to pay the repair expenses, as well as personally see to repairing the shrine behind the house." Her gaze flicks down to the floor. "...Codebreaker's been very gracious about the debt. Owena tells me he's tried to cancel it, even, on more than one occasion, and he and my uncle have become rather close. All the same... I felt I owed it to him and my uncle both to pay my share. That's... part of why I signed on with MERC in the first place."
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Re: Midnight Park

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[Judgement]

Ah, walking through the front door.

That's a task.

See, there's a parking lot near the edge of Midnight Park proper. The surrounding neighborhoods, shrouded in perpetual twilight as they are, are all property of Team Nightmare and used as a sort of planned community for the equestrians here. That area has roads. The park itself does not.

There are only trails.

Of course, this is no big deal for equestrians. They're sturdy, swift of hoof, and have no trouble with going the distance!

But between Siana's hobbling and Codebreaker getting to Hometree might be be a bit of a trek.

The walk is pleasant, lined with phantasmal flowers that shine softly in the dark of the forest. And the first pony they meet?

A BAT PONY!

Tending to what is, apparently, a shadowy chocolate tree. He's busy harvesting pods and dumping them into the bags he's wearing.

"Hello down there friends! Are you having a pleasant walk?" calls out the dusk pony, smiling down at the petitioners. He's got a dark grey coat and a steely blue mane. And what looks suspiciously like a glyph of a coco pod on his haunches.
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Re: Midnight Park

Post by Earl of Purple »

Changeling Needs

"The doctor's good. I'd like that. Uh... And the accomodation, too, if it's not too much bother, and you have somewhere designed for, um, hands." Although hoof-based doors are very good too, since they often swing both directions to make things easier, Bobbi doesn't want to have to deal with whatever ponies use instead of drawers. Which is, as it happens, drawers that have knobs designed to be bitten to pull.

"I... don't think this one fetched me. I didn't know it existed, until today." Bobbi smiles, mostly reassured though as much by Myrrh Balm's professionalism as Jaahlyn's presence. The changeling has had a lot of experience over the last few years with odd eyes, since in Arcadia there are no masks, only the altered mien of the hobgoblins, fae, and changelings she encountered.
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Re: Midnight Park

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[Judgement]

"I didn't see any dragons at all, walking or driving." Jaahlyn insists, but given that she was so much shorter than Codebreaker, even while sitting in his car, perhaps that shouldn't be a surprise.
Now she was disappointed she hadn't seen the dragons.

But the other thing he said quickly made her silent. Since while what he said was true not everyone was bound by the same rules in Sunder's court. While the equastrians couldn't perform an execution there were others, like her, that could.
Rationally she knew that there was no way it could come to that but the mere possibility of it made her shudder.

It was probably best to focus on reality now and not the intrusive thoughts in her head.
So as they approach the bat-pony she takes the lead and gives him a polite nod. "Hello there, Cozy Coco. I wish i could say it was but unfortunately that's not the case. See, we're on our way to ask her majesty to judge the young lady over there." She gestures to Siana. "Since she is about to hold court now, yes?" Jaahlyn knew Sunders schedule pretty well at this point but there could always have been a last minute change as the undead had never respected her schedule.
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Re: Midnight Park

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[Changeling Needs]

"Of course. Many of our visiting guests don't share our sturdy physiology and so the guest quarters are designed with bipedalism in mind," Myrrh Balm replies, levitating down another paper and scribbling in a signature. "I will see to it that your room is repaired and one of our physicians will attend to you. The former should be ready first."

She glances up from her work, eyes flicking back and forth between the changeling and the GOAT.

"Was there anything else? Or will that be all?"

Myrrh Balm is very busy and very no nonsense.
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Re: Midnight Park

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Judgement

"The attempt to pay the loan was plenty evidence enough you were sorry. And I owed your uncle plenty for what a did to his health, but he wouldn't accept that as damages." Probably because Kyrie's change didn't actually really slow him down much aside from requiring some new clothes. Which CB provided, causing even more debt.

He lets Jaahlyn speak to the pony.
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Re: Midnight Park

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[Judgement]

Normally, that would pique Siana's interest enough to ask Codebreaker for more updates on what exactly happened while she was away, but there are other things happening that merit more attention just now.

"...So when you said ponies..." She mutters to Codebreaker, still staring wide-eyed at Cozy Coco.
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Re: Midnight Park

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[Judgement]

When they said ponies they really meant it.

But then again, Coco looks about as much like a shetland pony as a human looks like a gibbon. There's a resemblance, sure, but this is clearly a civilization building person and not some mere beast.

"Judgment?" Coco asks, his big fluffy bat like ears swiveling toward Siana for the first time as he really considers her. "Oh..."

He can tell.

And he knows many such stories.

The only judgment undead come here seeking is because they've hurt people and want to atone.

Coco offers Siana a kind, understanding smile with an undercurrent of equal parts hope and melancholy.

"The Princess is good and just. You don't have to be afraid of her. If you're coming here to be judged by the Princess of Broken Chains then you're making the right decision."

He sounds very confident.

"Court starts in about twenty minutes. Did you want me to walk with you? I know you know the way, Jaahlyn but, well. You know. Sometimes an extra pair of ears helps."
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Re: Midnight Park

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[Judgement]

"If we're not interrupting anything, I'd enjoy your company for a bit. The more the merrier, right?" She glances back Siana. "Besides, you know the princess better than me so if my charge would have any questions regarding her it would be good to have someone that could answer them better than me."

[Changeling Needs]

"I don't think so-" A beat. "Actually, you could actually tell us how long it will be until her majesty is back." She had already been told this but if anyone had more accurate information on her return it would be Myrrh Balm.
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Re: Midnight Park

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Judgement

"If you can help us get there on time there's no objections from me."
Codebreaker's spirit patron b takes a moment to examine the equestrian, floating out as a tiny purple mote and orbiting his head a few times before seemingly returning to a crystal pin on Codebreaker's formal priestly jacket. Which is also purple.
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Re: Midnight Park

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[Judgement]

"And with these two vouching for you, it would hardly be my place to object." Siana finishes, blinking in momentary surprise at the mote flying around Codebreaker's head. That definitely wasn't there before. How much had she missed?

"...Please don't take offense when I say this." Siana continues as they undoubtedly move up the path. "But... what is this princess actually like? Good and just, as you've said, but I've heard that said about several people who turned out to be neither." Her victim being the example most on her mind, but she's sure if she digs around a bit she could find a few more.
Who're you? ...Don't matter.

Want some rye? Course ya do!

Here's to us!
Who's like us?
Damn few,
And they're aaaaall dead.
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Re: Midnight Park

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[Judgement]

"Maybe a little, but the chocolate trees aren't going any- oh hey little guy!" Coco begins, only to laugh when the mote zips around him. Haha, what was that? "Guests are more important than trees, I mean. Don't worry about it."

That said?

Coco will begin trotting along side the motley crew of folks heading toward Hometree, listening attentively to Siana's question. "Gosh, the Princess? I'll try not to gush about her, but I'm hardly unbiased. She's... wonderful! I guess, back when Atropus descended on the Nexus years ago, she got turned undead like so many people did. Into a nightshade. She was raised again afterward, but once a nightshade always a nightshade. She was alive again, but the corruption was eating at her from the inside. She almost gave in to despair but a friend pulled her out of the spiral and she set off on a quest for enlightenment to find herself."

Sounds good so far?

"So she sought the six virtues of harmony; generosity, loyalty, honesty, laughter, kindness, and most importantly friendship. As she was getting closer to really, truly grasp the meaning of friendship one of the temples Inside was attacked by agents of Orcus and she died to protect her friends there," Coco says, getting a little misty eyed. "There's no greater love, they say, than a mare who lays down her life for her friends. And in that moment, in a single crystalline instant of clarity, she understood what harmony really was. She experienced apotheosis and became a Princess."

The awe and reverence with which Coco uses the word 'Princess' is usually reserved for divinities.

"She's still a nightshade, a nightmare. But she's alive, too. Life and undeath in harmony. And we're all her little ponies; former undead that she's rescued and befriended. Some undead are lucky, they aren't slaves to hunger or more powerful undead that created them. But most of us weren't so fortunate. Most of us were chained in bondage. I was. But I've been set free; my chains have been broken."
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Re: Midnight Park

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[Judgement]

"She broke my chains too in a way." Jaahlyn fills in as Coco finishes. "Though they were of servitude to the fey rather than undeath. I was made to serve any fey that gave me orders, among many other things. She judged this binding unfair and declared it void. Something which even the fey who made it came to agree with." Which details she didn't really want to get into. "So she's a chainbreaker, a true exemplar." The satyr nods to Coco in agreement with his sentiments.
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Re: Midnight Park

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Judgement

"Well, that's awfully nice of her. b here did a much smaller version of that for me. But don't worry buddy I appreciate it just as much." coos the wolfen. The spirit within the little crystal pin glows faintly.
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