The Rise of the Windigo King

Torch's face... goes blank. Completely, utterly blank. He turns to Death Ray. "I assume you didn't know about this?"

"Know about..." Death Ray took a deep breath, "what?"

Torch walks a few steps closer to Death Ray, his face filling his view."Drop the act, Doctor. Did you know that we were bringing this... this thing along with us?" Torch's face shifts briefly to rage, then back to calm.

"You know, this thing would like to know why she's not being treated as an actual person now." Clan remarks, glaring at Torch.

Torch ignores her, waiting or Death Ray to respond, a deep crimson blush coming over his face.

"Um... Er... I don't... I don't know about any... uh..." Death Ray took a step back, stammering as he - s-l-o-w-l-y - shrunk away from Torch as much as he could without making any sudden movements. "I mean... I don't know about any... thing... uh... that is... any thing that came with us...per say... um... But... uh... If you... if you mean the... the, er..." the Doctor winced, "Changeling... Clan, was it? Then... uh..." Death Ray paused, "I... didn't... know..."

Clan raises an eyebrow. "What? Do you have a problem with changelings?"

Ragnarok strides over to where Clan, Death Ray, and Torch are gathered interposing herself between Torch and Clan. "To answer your question yes he does have a problem with Changelings. He casts blame upon an entire species for the actions of a single group... Pray may I ask if you have any connection to any hive that operates within mainland Equestira?

"Never a wise course of action in any case..." Clan continues glaring for a bit, then sighs and backs down. "But no, I was exiled from my old hive. Even if I was, I'm not anymore."

the seaponies look among themselves and discuss if any have seen anything. Their murmer loud enough to nearly block out the crashing surf. "there are lots of boats underwater." "there have always been boats down there." "I saw this wierd unicorn with no horn a few days ago..." "its been really foggy" "I heard the captain is sailing these waters again." "you think those boats with the ponies wearing red capes are okay?" "its dangeous lately."

"Unicorn without a horn? How did you know it was a unicorn then? ... wait. Did you say ponies wearing red capes? What can you tell me about them?" Aoi replied shifting from confused to alarmed.

"he had a fake one." the seapony answers simply.

"umm..." another seapony speaks up "a few days ago a bunch of big boats were nearby full of ponies with red capes. three split off from the group and went into the maw."

"I see." Aoi responds to both answers. "Where did the others go?"

The sea pony shrugs is fins. "I don't know. We could ask somepony but. ..it'd take time."

"How much time? Do you at least know which direction they headed?" Aoi asks.

The sea pony shakes its head. "We only just hearts about out from somepony else. It could be days before we find somepony who knows"

"Oh ok. Well thank you for your help. If you do find out please send someone to Junna with a message for me about it. As hopefully that is where I will be going after the Maw. I should probably get back to the others, they will want to hear this news. Thank you again for all your help." Aoi says and with that she flies back to the ship.

Healing Torch's eyes narrow, but he turns from Death Ray to face Raggy and Clan. "Ragnarok... I'm going to need you to be. Quiet." His horn glows, and Ragnarok is moved out of the way as he talks to Clan directly. "Do you want to know why I hate your kind?" His horn lights, but nothing happens. "Because it's really a few things.."  He takes a step forward. "You sick freaks feed on emotion. You're nothing more than parasites, twisted perversions of ponies that can only hope to imitate us. And when the feeding on metaphysical ideas isn't enough, you guys sure don't mind taking a nice juicy bite out of a pony!Why are you even trying to help us stop the King?! If he wins, you monsters will have plenty of corpses to feed on, and all the hatred you can eat!" Torch's eyes dilate, and his face reddens further, as he leans toward Clan, her face filling his view. "And don't tell me that not every hive is like this, because I've seen two cities nearly wiped out by you things! From border towns, to Canterlot itself, you beasts show no restraint!" Torch uses magic to amplify his voice. "I've lost the only members of my family I knew to you freaks! First my dad, he died defending the realm against your kind, and just this morning, I lost my mother, who moved to Canterlot specifically to be safe. She was all I had left! And your kind took them from me. So don't talk to me about how every changeling can be good, when your very biology denies you that right. Well NOT today, you monster. No. More." His horn flares once more, and a force field envelops Clan and Torch. Torch's voice goes quiet again. "Now: why are you here, and who sent you?"
((Magecraft to amplify voice: 31 14 + 17. I think that'll do it.))
((Activating Force Field, prep time was speech, cleared it with DB. Arcana check: Nat 20, 37 overall. CMC!! UNBREAKABLE.))

At this precise moment Aoi returns, flying pretty fast, to relay the news and she says, "Guys! I have news- ... seriously? You people can't be left alone for five minutes." And then she actually processes that HT just said his mother just died and she just comes to a halt in mid-air wondering what to do.

Death Ray had breathed a heavy sigh of relief when Torch had turned away from him - but as he'd began his deranged monologue, the Doctor had started to get even more concerned. It was a pretty good evil monologue mind you - the emotion was definitely there and it was quite scary - but Dr. D didn't really fancy the racist bent...

-Then the force field materialized out of nowhere and Death Ray's eyes went wide.

*Uh oh... This isn't good... Um... GREGG...?*

Bobbing in the air beside him, the Doctor's robotic companion flashed his red eye, *Yes sir, Dr. Death Ray sir?*

*Scan... er... scan that field. Quickly.*

*Yes sir.*

GREGG's eye turned blue, a holographic field projecting from his optical lens - aimed out towards Torch's field.

*Scanning in progress...*

...

*Scanning complete.*

As GREGG's holographic scanner shut down and his eye switched back to a red glow, Death Ray glanced at his companion.

*So? Full report. Stat!*

*The field appears to be another one of Dr. Torch's force fields sir, but it's power level is off all internal charts... It's... It's over 9,000...*

*What did you say its power level was GREGG?*

*It's over 9,000!*

*NINE-THOUSAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAND?!?!?!

Spoiler:

...

Not good...

Should we do something sir?

Um... yeah... but... I'm not really sure what we can do... We sure can't break through that force field...

...

Let's... Let's just hope they don't kill each other...*

Clan seems unusually calm about the situation. She takes a deep breath, and then flares with sudden ferocity. "It may be true that we feed on emotions, but hate is certainly not one of them! Hell, we prosper when everyone else is happy! Love and happiness are the most rich in nutrients and all that we need to survive, and we don't even take the emotions away!" She says, stepping a bit closer and raising her voice. "And no, we don't eat ponies! You know what most of the physical food I ate while in my hive was? Fish! Hell, eating ponies would be disastrous for us! Not to mention we aren't vultures!" It's at this point she drops the disguise she was keeping, almost snarling. "I'm truly sorry for your loss and the atrocities you've seen, but from what it sounds like you're speaking of hives I was never a part of and speaking on part of my whole race because of it! Hell, we were opposed to them! The queen I served married a pony for tartarus' sake, that should tell you how different we can be!" She's practically yelling at this point, wrapping a hoof around Torch's neck. "Even if none of this convinces you, your hatred is feeding the very thing you're fighting, not me! We're not Windigoes, and we certainly aren't the monsters you've seen tear down Canterlot! And I swear, if I have to beat this into your head, I will!" She shouts, nearly headbutting Torch, before loosening the grip around his neck and bringing her head in close to whisper. "Well, as racist as you are, seems you're smart enough to question someone tagging along. Unfortunately I can't say, but just know that all of what I said is not only true, but my reasons aren't a threat to you."

Aoi ponders what Clan just said and tries to recall if she knows of any hives (or ex-hives?) that would fit the bill.

Streetwise: 10 + nat 20 = guess who knows what hive you come from Clan?

Edit: Geez, while I'm at it can I know which hive was involved in what killed HT's dad?

Torch is quiet for a moment, then says, "I didn't see Canterlot torn down. I got a bucking letter about it this morning. Can you imagine that kind of pain? Can your kind even feel that level of agony? Now, Samarea," He says, chuckling softly, "Samarea I watched burn. I saw you freaks tearing out throats with your fangs. Watched a beam of pure magic rip it's way through my father. Heard children scream for their mothers as I ran, before the changelings descended and horrible, desperate yelps were cut sickeningly short. And if feeding doesn't harm the victims, how do you explain what happened to Doctor Death Ray? He get fed on and nearly collapsed!" He shakes his head. "You're right, you aren't vultures. You're worse." Torch's eyes narrow, and he asks, "How did you know the hive I spoke of?"

Streetwise to see if Aoi knows about the Samarea incident: 10 + 15 = 25 (or 30 if it's a DC 30+)

Clan sighs in frustration. "I'm sorry for your loss, I really am, but that was the work of Chrysalis' hive, not my old one." She says, seeming to have calmed down again. "I know of it because we were literally opposing her. Hell, we had completely opposite views! My hive was peaceful with ponies! And those... Those monsters feel that ponies are nothing but pawns and food." She remarks, holding a hoof to her head before looking back up at Torch with a sad gaze. "Tell me... Have you ever heard about nest stalkers? They're beasts, some say changelings that were forced to eat others of their kind, that sneak into our nurseries and eat our eggs... I know what losing family is like... I was exiled because I was mistaken for one after I fended one off, the irony..." Clan comments, looking down at the ground then shaking her head. "What I'm getting at is that I'm not denigrating the atrocities that were done to you and your family, I was working to try to stop them. And you can't say that changelings are the only ones with violent, monstrous groups..."