ENDGAME Info, Part 1: Yogurt Zombies and more!

[ponymeisters]

Hey everyone! Ni here.

As explained here, Star Swirl has indeed awakened, and is spreading chaos in his wake. Incidentally, he's also spreading a zombie plague! So characters throughout this first week are being exposed to the possibility of becoming yogurt zombies!

There are three stages of zombification with this particular plague, with each stage being worse than the last. Characters who become zombies can become any stage of zombie, or progress into a stronger stage of zombification, so long as they don't go backwards. The stages and symptoms are as follows:

• Stage 1: Character starts to get very hungry, but can only think of eating dairy products. Green dots start to appear on their face and flanks, like freckles. Character is still able to speak normally and think rationally.


• Stage 2: Character's hunger becomes more acute and more specified towards curdled dairy products. Alongside the green freckles, characters' skin starts to take a more green tone. Characters can still think rationally, but their speech is limited to the word "yogurt".


• Stage 3: Character's hunger becomes so intense its literally the only thing they can think of, and only for yogurt. Characters look sickly alongside the green tint and freckles, and no longer can think rationally, save that they really, really want some yogurt, ya'll. They also tend to shamble and groan like the yogurt zombies that were in the Basement.

Like any good zombie plague, it can be passed through bite (though honestly, most of the yogurt zombies won't bother because your characters are very clearly not yogurt); the most likely means of catching it is through the mist in the air, or through Star Swirl blasting your characters into a Level 3 mess of Oikos-eating mostrosities. For those whose characters won't be facing Star Swirl, for whatever reason, turning them into yogurt zombies is a great way to still have them be involved in the plot - and have a little fin while you're at it!

Speaking of Star Swirl, and regarding the Part 1 log, if you have any questions, comments, or anything regarding either yogurt zombies, confronting Star Swirl, or...somehow...confronting a yogurt zombie Star Swirl, ask them here! And, GOOD LUCK with the start of Endgame!

Comments

[chatwithdeath]

Goooosh, after everything she's learned, Naomi would prefer to stand Star Swirl down. Dangerous situation, buuut if she disappears, someone tell her family.

Besides that, would this be an alright path to take?

[neighfeni]

Nephenee will be taking this route herself, trying to get him to stand down. Because that's the right thing to do! Princess of Compassion, dammit!

So have an ally for standing him down.

[chatwithdeath]

Well, right answer might be getting him to stop without telling him to stand down... vital magic and all, but we'll see what actually develops.

[neighfeni]

Well, I meant stand down in the sense of 'don't attack us'. Sorry, stuck in muse's military mindset.

What vital magic we talking about?

Incidentally, since Nephenee's got a thread with Shanks about this, she might have called up Naomi and seen if they could exchange notes. Wanna do that backdated or off-screen? Might help them out a lot.

[ponymeisters]

Yes, convincing him to stop, or even trying to reason with him, are completely doable possibilities!

[chatwithdeath]

No problem.

Vital Magic as in he's been studying magics they probably don't know which might help if they have to confront Calice.

Sure, that can be off-screen.

[neighfeni]

Makes sense.

Want me to make a thing on Neph's journal with them talking, or do you just want to send me a thing about what Naomi knows?

[chatwithdeath]

Hm... sure, I'll send a PM. It isn't much, but it should be a fair amount.

[neighfeni]

Okie dokie, I'll send back what Neph finds out

[shyformerassistant]

Boy Coco sure picked a great time to come back. =D

Anyway, Coco will likely try to help out either as herself or as Cure Spring.

DDD!Tails sadly will be a yogert zombie. Haven't figure out which stage yet. Thinking either Stage 3 or Stage 1.

[bluesuit_hoofy]

Okay, I am seriously tempted to zombify Andrew and have him confront Starswirl while in Stage 2. I'm just thinking of him giving the perfect Oncoming Storm glare, then scraping the ground with a hoof for emphasis as he lets out a low, deliberate..."Yogurt."

Not decided what I'll do with Papageno yet. Seems a bit overkill to zombify both of them, but the most he's going to do re: confrontation is gibber about love an acceptance and please don't eat him...which might actually be the right tack.

As far as actually confronting Starswirl, where's he going to be? Canterlot? And will he be on the scrolls at all?

[neighfeni]

Yes, please talk about love and acceptance, birdpony. Much better than trying to squish him.

[ponymeisters]

He will be around his un-time-frozen house in the Everfree Forest.

The die is cast, let's pray it's a Nat 20 on our Friendship skill

[neighfeni]

Nephenee will be facing Star Swirl like several others. However, being from Fire Emblem, she is going in in true fashion and going for a no-death run.

What this means is, she will be going into this with the intention of getting him to calm/stand down or, if they MUST, down, but not kill, him. In as such, she may have to use some of her defensive capabilities (Her physical shielding stuff, magic, or Persona) to keep others from actually trying to kill him, unless it comes down to it. And don't doubt she will try her damnedest to keep him alive, as well as any yogurt zombies. So, not just a no-death run, but a no-death run with all the bonux xp you can get (figuratively speaking).

TL;DR, she will defend the guy to the best of her ability if anyone tries to kill him.

Please keep those things in mind as we go.

Any questions or concerns? She's not going alone, of course, so let me know if your character wants to help! She'll probably be trying to help Naomi or something?

[its_pony_rider_time]

What you talking about Gentarou's Rider Kicks are totally non lethal I mean what

You can count on Gentarou to talk to this guy. Though no promises if he starts firing lethal magic, in which case Gentarou will transform to subdue, rather than harm.

[nailed_it]

Yang'll likely help with confronting Star Swirl (since it's probably better we do not let the mare with shotguns built into her gauntlets handle the zombies).

Whether or not anything has happened to her sister and friends (like for example, if they've been zombified/injured/etc) will, in-turn, affect how seriously she handles the situation and how aggressively she fights.

I don't really plan on having her turn yogurt zombie, but I am definitely not opposed to having the Deplorable Word used on her since that sounds like a guaranteed way to make her stop and quickly too. Aura world problems.

[neighfeni]

Yang does Neph need to pop you with a rolled-up newspaper and tell you "no tryin' to kill Star Swirl"?

[nailed_it]

Please do, that's a fantastic mental image.

BUT NO, she probably will not actively try to kill Star Swirl since he's not a monster, just a really really...really annoying pony. So, if others trying to talk Star Swirl down fail, she'll likely just stick to simply trying to beat him into submission unless he does something super egregious that sends her into a rage.

So uh...so long as he doesn't damage her hair or hurt Ruby? 8'D