Ghoulsby TomsketchitChapters Journal of Uncovered Truth: Day OneDay TwoDay ThreeDay FiveDay Six???Bonus Chapter: The QueenBonus Chapter: The Grave DiggerDay Four Journal of Uncovered Truth: Day OneJournal of Uncovered Truth: Day One Journal of Uncovered Truth Day one Today, I prepare to embark on the most important expedition of my career. The one moment where I shall gain the recognition in the scientific community that I rightfully deserve! Yes, I had my initial moment of fame with my book The Pony Race Through the Ages: An Account of Pony Subspecies, but this will be the discovery that will land my name in the history books! Allow me to start from the beginning, as I feel I'm getting ahead of myself. My name is Professor Uncovered Truth of Canterlot University. I've studied ancient pony history for years, but my specialty has always been where it comes to lineages, subspecies, races... One may mistake me for a genealogist from one look at my works, and I suppose in a sense it is true. However, I believe I am more of an hippologist. I study ancient cultures and pony breeds. So far, I have written extensively on my findings, only one of my books achieving any note of acclaim. In it, I reveal the ties that bind together the six subspecies of pony: Earth, Unicorn, Pegasus, Thestral, Crystal, and Changeling. All had been theorized to have been connected, until I brought forth the conclusive evidence of my findings, showing that despite differences in physical attributes, culture, and thaumatic inclinations, all stem from the same ancestors*. *Note: I wished to include alicorns in my study, but as it turns out, alicorns are not naturally born, but instead are an instance of one of the subspecies achieving a sort of enlightenment that causes them to ascend to a higher position in the natural order. Thus, only six subspecies. However, over the past few months, things have been building up to my current situation. It first began when I was giving a passing glance over a late colleague's works, and found a bizarre hypothesis of his. He claimed to have found evidence that once, long past in our ancestry, our common ancestors were omnivores, living of off both plants and animals for survival. Eventually, however, the majority of these primitive ponies began to farm, and increasingly turned away from meat, to the point it became taboo. In the meantime, they chased away their hunter-gatherer brethren, forcing them into the caves where he presumes they starved in the lifeless depths. At the time, I mostly dismissed his claims. He did have some points, such as the fact that ponies often eat eggs and milk products without even considering the source, and he did quote some instances of ponies with severe mental disorders becoming carnivorous, in some extremes even turning to cannibalism. But ultimately, I didn't see much proof to his claims, and thus pushed them from my mind. Then, an old acquaintance of mine related to me a strange tale. He had always been an art enthusiast, and unlike most, flocked to the bizarre and macabre works of an eccentric old artist whose name I can't quite recall. Regardless, he claimed every single one of the artist's pictures depicted horrendous pony-like creatures crawling from the depths to feast on the flesh of ponies, be it in a graveyard or somepony's cellar. Somewhere along the line, my friend caught a glimpse of a photograph, that he swears was actually the model for the pictures. He shook as he told me that it was a photo of one of the monster ponies he'd seen in the paintings. Immediately my mind flashed to what I'd read, but I shook it off once more as paranoid nonsense. The final straw was when I began researching traditional thestral burial rites. The cave-dwelling thestrals would dowse their dead in sweet scented nectar and oil. Then, they celebrated their parted friend and kin's good life, wishing them well in the next. And finally, and most bizarrely, they would then drag the corpse to the outskirts of their cavern, into the deepest and darkest depths they dared to go, and left it there for the "eaters of the dead", or Ghouls in their native language, to come drag the body into the underworld. I was going to pass this off as more nonsense, until I attended such an event first hoof for better knowledge, as I always believed it best to get first hoof accounts when one could. I was forbidden from staying by the body to see what would happen, much to my displeasure. But... I was unprepared for what happened next. Late into the night, from the spot they'd left the body, came low, guttural moans, accompanied by the occasional shriek or rapid series of clicks. It was unlike anything I'd ever heard. I was completely unprepared for it, and to be honest, the sounds struck at some deep, primal fear within me, telling me to run for my life before whatever made that sound came for me as well. I fought the urge and attempted and failed to fall asleep once again. The next day, a bloody trail led down into the depths, surrounded by the blood-ringed hoofprints of whatever did it. These hoofprints were strange, unlike any I'd ever seen. I've recorded the shapes of each and every equine variety I could, and these were unlike any I'd ever seen. For starters the hooves were similar to those of a pony, yet the stride indicated that these creatures had longer legs and moved in sort of crawling position. Even stranger was that behind each print was another small mark scraped along the ground, as if each hoof had a claw coming out the back of it to drag along with each step. In any case, the trail of hoofprints indicated about three individuals, all heading back into the depths. It was at that moment that I realized that maybe... maybe it was all true. Maybe there was a seventh subspecies, lost to time in the dark depths of underground cavern systems. These ponies, these... ghouls... were truly the remnants of a time when ponies freely ate meat. I had to know. If this were real, if I could find evidence of the truth, it would be ground breaking. Carnivorous ponies? Imagine the public's response! I had to get the facts and show the world the truth on this! That is why I am here today, bags packed before the entrance of the thestral colony with a loyal crew along for the journey. Tonight, we shall delve into the caverns to find some conclusive evidence to the existence of these ghouls. I shall keep this journal to chronicle my endeavors for future reference. I must stop writing now, for I have plans to discuss with my team. I shall start up again when I next have something to report. Until then... Uncovered Truth. Author's Note Loosely based off of and inspired by the story "Pickman's Model" by HP Lovecraft, in theme and a brief reference only. I've done two pictures of the creatures in this story. They are NSFW for gore reasons though, so I'm unsure how or even if I should share them. Thank you to Iron Sky for letting me know that Hippology is the horse equivalent of Anthropology. Here's hoping this goes well. Day TwoDay two Today is the day we set off into the tunnels. We are to gather and head off into the tunnels in exactly one hour, and I'm eager to begin. I've finished checking with the expedition team, and have decided to write down an account of our preparations. We were all to awaken and rise early this morning to prepare. My task as head of the expedition was to check in with every crew member and double check all of the provisions. Nothing could go wrong with this; my career depends on it. I began by checking in with my assistant, an intern at the university by the name of Silent Scribe. A unicorn like myself, she was to take notes on anything that she noticed in case I missed anything at all, as well as to give a secondary point of view to my own. In addition, I believe that going on this expedition would be good to bolster her career in this field of work. She was one of my top students a few years back, and nothing would make me prouder than to help her achieve glory and a spot in the academic community. Afterwards, I went to speak with our guide, a native to the same thestral town I visited where I was inspired to set off on this journey. Night Cloud, I believe his name was. A strong, young member of their tribe, in training to become a warrior I believe. Having grown up in this region and with his natural affinity to the darkness, he would make a perfect guide for the winding system of tunnels and caverns we would be venturing into. I had him chosen specifically because he was not as superstitious as most of his superiors; he did not fear the ghouls like the others did. While most would think this foolhardy, I can see that he is likely to go places with his attitude. I would have to recommend him to Luna's Night Guard when all was said and done. I then went to meet with my royally appointed guards, Honor Guard and Shield Banger. While not the best of the best, this duo would serve their purpose of keeping the expedition team safe from any threats lurking in the cavernous depths. Honor Guard was promised to be a very agile flyer, good at weaving around opponents in combat, while Shield Banger relied more on strength and brute force, which his well-muscled size conveyed greatly. While I'm not overly fond of having them come along, the Royal Sisters insisted upon it, so I have no room to complain. The Earth pony workers who would be helping to carry the provisions were hard at work packing and moving as much as possible, ensuring that nothing was left behind. I made sure to double check everything we had to bring: food and water provisions for at most two weeks, though we only planned for one; a large collection of medical supplies in case of injury; equipment for collecting and preserving any samples found; and specially developed cameras to attempt to capture pictures of anything unusual down in the tunnels. A few minor checks later, and I felt that we had everything prepared. Now I sit, writing as I await for this to begin. I am quite anxious to begin; why, I can barely keep my quill steady in my aura to write this all down! Ah, it seems everypony is ready! I will attempt to write down another passage when we stop to set up camp. Until then! It seems I had quite underestimated how difficult traveling down these caves would be. My hooves are killing me, and I do believe my legs are going to be sore in the morning, still though, this does nothing to spoil my mood! Before we set off, one of the thestral elders wished to give us a prayer to bless us on our way. I accepted, though somewhat annoyed at the unplanned delay. Afterwards, we continued onward, Night Cloud leading the way. As we reached the end of what the thestrals considered there territory, a spot where their torches ceased lining the walls, Scribe and I began to cast the night vision spell that would allow us to see where we were going in these dark depths. We wouldn't see as well as young Night, but we wouldn't be falling over our own hooves. On and on we went, for several hours. Every now and then Night would rub himself against on of the cavern walls, especially when there was a branching path. He said that this was so he could lead us back the way we came, following his own marker scent with his keen sense of smell. After a good deal of progress, we stopped in an area open enough that we could set up camp for the night. I am tired and wish for rest, but I had to ensure that I wrote this down while it was still fresh in my mind. I suppose that is all for today. I'll be sure to My apologies, for cutting off, but I was called away by Scribe, as she had come across something that needed my attention. In another path, just out of our field of vision, she had found a pile of what appeared to be the carcasses of some sort of large cave beetles. Unfortunately there were no live specimens of this undiscovered species in sight, however there was something of worth from this. Each carcass had been cracked open at the stomach, with the insides scraped clean out. Not a hint of flesh or organs remained inside the creatures. All there was were carapaces and a grimy yellow-green residue, possibly from the beetles. Most importantly though was something we had almost overlooked. Something that erased any doubts this expedition would be a success. Next to the carcasses on the ground was a hoofprint in the stone, marked with dried residue. It was a perfect match for the prints I had seen near the thestral corpse. To say I am excited by this development is an understatement! I must cease writing and get some rest now. We begin again early tomorrow morning. Author's Note Anyone know if pictures with blood are allowed for cover images? I want to do something better than just a dark cave entrance. Day ThreeDay Three Never before in my life, through any of my travels, have I felt this amount of soreness and agony in my legs. When I awoke this morning, everything was sore, and aside from the most active of our group, the others shared in my discomfort. And then the walking started once again... I swear, if it weren't for the fact that I am walking this journey unencumbered (the workers take care of all of the heavy lifting), I would have sent somepony else to take this journey. The discovery is a lifetime is worth nothing to me if I drop down dead from exhaustion on the journey to find it! In any case, we've now set up camp, in what Night Cloud tells me is the deepest any of his tribe has ever gone. Technically speaking, these are depths that are considered forbidden by the thestrals, regions to dangerous to venture into, especially since it is supposedly close to where they believe the underworld where the ghouls take the dead resides. Nonsense of course, but I do feel that the deeper we go the closer we shall get to finding evidence of the ghouls. I mainly wanted to write this passage to vent off frustration before the next phase. We plan to split off into groups and look around for any more evidence. So far, we haven't seen anything out of the ordinary, aside from a few live specimens of the giant cave beetle and some previously undiscovered species of bio-luminescent moss. It is my hope that we will find something more substantial down here in one of these many branching paths. I am to head off with Scribe and Shield in one direction, while Honor Guard, Night Cloud, and a worker take off in another. We are to explore for no more than an hour. We don't know just what dangers lurk down here, so we cannot stay apart for long. It's time to head off. I will record any findings when I return. Until then... Amazing new! We've found what appears to have been another remainder from a ghoul attack! Deep in the tunnels, my party found an assortment of bones that, after careful examination on my part, were determined to be of an adult diamond dog! The cave floor had traces of dried blood on it from the fight, and each bone had been visibly picked clean by sharp fangs. Even more impressive was that each of the bones had been cracked open, the marrow within scraped out. Many of the bones were missing, likely taken back to wherever it is they reside to be eaten later. Judging by the multitude of different hoofprints and the size of the dog, I believe that the ghouls may be pack hunters. I'm currently looking over some of the bones back at camp as we await the other group to return, and I have to say it's quite fa Something's happened. The Earth pony worker who had left with the other expedition just ran back into camp, screaming about an attack. I have to go see what's happened right away. Dear Celestia, no. This can't have happened. Night Cloud is dead. Our guide, the only one who knows these tunnels and knows the way out, is dead. He had apparently split away from the group to go and 'take a piss' as Honor Guard so elegantly put it, going down a separate path from the other two in an area with an exceptional amount of pathways. After a few minutes, Honor says he heard a deathly, unnatural shriek from in the distance, followed by the sound of Night Cloud screaming in terror. From the account, Honor thinks he heard him screaming something along the lines of, "No! You can't be real! You're not real! Luna above preserve my soul! I'm sorry!" Honor sent the worker to get help while he tried to get to Night Cloud to help him. However, apparently the echoing in the caves disoriented the guard enough that he couldn't tell where it was coming from. By the time he'd finally found the right tunnel, it was too late; Night Cloud's body had been dragged away down the tunnel system, a trail of blood indicating the path. We are trapped. Our only options are to head back and hope for the best, or continue onwards. I don't know what to do... I have decided, ignoring the protests of the workers, that we shall continue onwards with care. The tunnels couldn't possibly only have one single exit at the surface. All we need to do once we leave is head upwards, and I'm sure we shall find some exit somewhere. Right now, I just want to continue onwards. This trip will not be wasted just because of a single careless death. We knew the dangers of this place, we will not turn back because those dangers turned out to be real. If anything, this just proves that what we seek is out there. From now on, nopony is allowed to be out without somepony else to accompany them. Somepony also must keep watch at night. As long as we are careful, I am sure that we will be fine. In any case, Honor Guard mentioned to me something of note he had noticed that proves to be interesting. Before the attack, he had noticed a faint clicking noise in one of the tunnels, which he described as like 'the sound of a tongue clicking against the top of the mouth'. There was a moment where it stopped for a moment right before the creatures screeched. While he was examining the area Night had died, he'd heard it begin again, closer this time, and somewhat faster paced. I theorize that this could be some sort of form of communication. The clicking could be a call to announce the presence and location of prey, and the shriek could be a declaration to attack. I would need more evidence to prove this hypothesis, but at the moment it sounds fairly sound. In any case I must get some sleep now. We continue our journey in the morning. Until then. I have been awoken in the middle of the night... awoken by the sound of rapid-fire clicking noises coming from the tunnels around us. After it stopped, the sound of more clicking, farther away sounding, replied. I dared a peek out of my tent, looking into the darkness of the tunnel it sounded like the initial clicks had come from. Staring back at me in the dim were four shining red eyes. Immediately, their owner dashed away. Due to the short range of the night vision spell, I couldn't see the creature. But judging from the evidence... I believe it was a ghoul. A ghoul... stalking us and calling for aid from its pack... I need to sleep. We will be safe as long as we all stay together... There is nothing to worry about... this will all be worth it... Day FiveDay Five I was mistaken. While sated for the night, it seems that they've returned by morning. There are more of them now than before. We hear them following us, their repetitive clicking echoing at all hours as they stay just out of sight, waiting for one of us to let our guards down. Oh, how I wish one would come to where I can see it so I could learn more. Perhaps... What was that fool thinking? One of the remaining worker decided he would approach the ghouls to taunt them, thinking that they would stay in the shadows at all times. The fool apparently forgot that we ourselves are cloaked in shadow and only can see thanks to my spell. The ghouls lunged out and struck him down, and if anything good came of this event, it was that I finally got to see the beasts in action. I watched the horrid creature lunge forth from the shadows like some demon out of Tartarus. It's long, scarred muzzle open in a snarl as it twisted its head to bite at the stallion's throat. The way it tore out his jugular with one swift motion of it head, the way it cut into his flesh with the strange talons on its hooves... the way its four red eyes gazed up hungrily at the rest of us, as if it were staring into our souls. The other ghouls came forward and began to feast. I shall attempt to describe them as best as I can, despite the nausea this sight causes me. The ghouls were obviously equine in origin, somewhat resembling fossils of primitive equines, our long dead common ancestors. Their bodies were devoid of hair, leaving only pallid, scarred flesh clinging against their gaunt frames. They were extremely lanky and limber, and I imagine that if they were to stand at full height instead of crawl as they do, they would stand a head taller than the average stallion. The fact that they have four eyes was something of an enigma to me. That is, until I noticed one of them staring at me as it ate, its front two eyes focused on its meal and the other two on me. But by far the strangest aspect of these creatures were the stubby, flesh-covered tentacle-like protrusions from their shoulder blades. They seemed to be vestigial organs, probably the remnant of ancient wings or some such thing. One other detail worth noting is the fact that on a few of the older looking ghouls' flanks, there seem to be symbols of some kind carved into their flesh. Perhaps some attempt to mimic the cutie mark? A right of passage? I wish I could learn more... In any case, that is the clearest picture of them I can detail. Scribe is more of an artist than me anyway, she'll be able to sketch one for the report on this. Their leaving, having eaten their fill apparently. I'd ordered the rest of the crew not to intervene at any point. Now their dragging away the half eaten body, probably back to wherever it is they resi- For Celestia's sake, why am I surrounded by such blasted idiots!!! That damned Honor Guard ran after them, apparently trying to get the body to give it a proper burial. That fool! The ghouls immediately turned and attacked him as well, and the remaining workers and Shield Breaker rushed forth to help him, ignoring my direct orders. The sheer nerve of this all! Only one worker remains after that disaster of a battle. Honor Guard is dead as well. The ghouls dragged the bodies off in a hurry. Shield Breaker tells me that he had managed to snap ones neck and take it down, but they dragged that body off as well. If this insubordination has given me anything, I suppose, it's the idea that maybe these creatures have some way of honoring their dead. Our numbers have gone down to just four now. Me, my intern, my guard, and a lowly worker ~~who I so wish I could strangle for the stupidity of his comrades~~. In any case, the ghouls won't be bothering us any more tonight. ~~Perhaps we should finally turn back to try and find an exit~~ No. We go forward. No matter how few of us there are, I WILL find the truth. Day SixDay Six BLAST THAT SHIELD BREAKER HE'S DOOMED US ALL!!! We're trapped we're surrounded dear Celestia why why did that damned fool have to bring that ghoul's head into camp with him. They came screeching in the night to get it back they killed the worker and Shield Breaker. Only I and Silent Scribe remain now. They're circling our tent, I can hear their clawed hooves on the stone floor, hear their clicking throats. Oh gods one is poking its head inside oh Celestia why is this happening to me DON'T COME ANY CLOSER!!! I've... awoken in a hospital bed. My head is wrapped, apparently I took a hit to the head somewhere along the line. The belongings from my pack, including this journal, were found and brought with me. No word on what happened to Scribe... I'm trying hard to remember what I went through down there after I fainted in my tent. Why am I still alive? How did I reach the surface? And why do the doctors tell me I was found with a strange series of lacerations on my left flank, right over my cutie mark, so deep they would permanently scar? So many questions... I'm being let out of the hospital now, they say there's nothing more they can do for me. Good. I hated this place. Haven't been able to keep down any of this slop they keep feeding me... I'm so hungry... I shall not say a word of this disaster of an expedition to anyone. It never happened, as far as I'm concerned. I've returned to my estate. The first thing I did when I arrived was request my favorite dish from my personal chef. Strangest thing though. I couldn't stand the taste of it. In a fit of rage I blamed it on her and fired her on the spot... it's too late to go back on it... Gods above I'm so hungry... something smells delicious, but I don't know what... ... I've realized what smells so good. My staff. Dear Celestia, what's happening to me?! Why do I have these cravings all of a sudden?! I sent them all off, I don't want to think like this. But the hunger is so great... I need to eat... So hungry... I remembered something... something from those tunnels... I woke up... in a large cavern... a chamber... there were holes in the walls... nests... I was in the ghoul nesting grounds... I saw taller ghouls, about Cadance's height... females... tall and serene looking compared to the vicious stallions. They had glowing symbols on their flanks, bioluminescent I believe. There was... Scribe... Silent Scribe... I saw her... feasting on a corpse... transforming... dear gods, she was becoming one of them... There was one ghoul... taller and more impressive than the rest, with a writhing cape of tentacles... the... the ghoul queen? She gave me visions. Visions of the savage life of a ghoul. Of being driven on by relentless hunger, to the point where you will turn against your own brother just to get an easy meal. Of having to hunt down an unwilling mate to mark him as your own. But mostly of the hunger... the hunger... the hunger is what dominates their lives at all times... always starving... She left me with a final request, in simple telepathic thoughts. The basics of it were... did I wish to stay safe with them and join the pack... or did I wish to leave... I remember choosing to leave... Right before Scribe attacked me. Scribe... forced me onto my side and began to attack my flank with one of her claws... she's the one who carved this strange symbol into my flank... I feel like I should know why but... it's meaning escapes me. I think I fainted again at that point... the next thing I remember is the hospital... did they carry me back to the surface? Why then do I still feel like this? My... my mind grows heavy... it's getting harder to think straight... maybe a good night's sleep will put all of this behind me... Author's Note One chapter left! ???Celestia and Luna damn it I'm so hungry. I can't keep down anything at all except liquids it seems, and even then many of my favorite drinks have become revolting to taste. I can no longer stomach anything plant based. Why? Why must this happen? I thought my life was returning to normal! My staff... ponies in general... why can I smell them so clearly? And why... why must they smell so... succulent... delicious... Dear goddesses, why does the smell of flesh flare my hunger so?! What did those heathens do to me while I was unconscious? Those blasted bloody beasts! I should never have gone down into those forsaken caverns, should never have risked my life for fame. I will forever be cursed to hold the knowledge of what the darkness below our hooves hides, cursed to keep this secret to my grave... which shall hopefully come sooner rather than later... I'm losing control of myself... I almost attacked one of my maids today... she just smelled so good... the hunger almost took over... the hunger commands my every thought... I sent my staff away. For their own safety. For my sanity. I cannot eat meat. I cannot sink to that level. I'm so hungry. So hungry. So much hunger. My mind is growing heavier by the hour. My thoughts are becoming slower. I must fight this. I WILL fight this. If I have to, I will end myself tonight. So hungry so hungry so hungry so hungry it hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts so hungry must eat must eat must eat it hurts so hungry must eat kill rip tear bite kill eat hunger food kill food must eat so hungry so hungry so hungry so hungry it hurts it hurts it hurts make it end please make the hunger end I I killed something I woke up stained with blood and less hunger I killed and ate something and i dont remember what Why why did this happen? Why did it have to be so filling and taste so good. why is it so hard to think straight? I am changing. Eating the meat started the change. Just like with Scribe. My horn is shrinking into my skull it hurts so much. My coat and mane are falling out in chunks. My skin is disgusting. I can feel my bones stretching and cracking into shape beneath my skin. It hurts it hurts it hurts. My mark is gone. My name is Uncovered Truth. I'm scared. I am hungry. Thinking hard. Queen. Queen wanted help me. Queen thought she helping me. Thought me sick ghoul. Head hurts. Thinking hurts. So hungry. Need to hunt. Writing. Writing make me feel not crazy. Hunger make me crazy. What my name? No remember. Light hurts. Want dark. Dark is safe. Dark is friend. So hungry. Smells in dark. Good smells. Food smells. Hungry. Must hunt soon. So hungry. Less hungry. Hunger never stops. No like place. Too bright. Want always dark. Smells. Her smells. ~~Scr Si sci sln~~ Mate. Mate is coming. Afraid. No want mate. Mate will mark me. No want mark. Mark hurts. Pain. So much pain. No want other mark. She comes. For me. Fear. Fear stronger than hunger. close so closs smell her forget how rite gud hed hurts so much nno think gud hear her screech she cums she close no want mate no want mark afraid afraid afraid no no no no no no no no no no no no so afrai Notes from Royal Guard investigation into the apparent murder of Professor of Hippology Uncovered Truth, to be directed to the Captain. A tattered, blood-stained journal was found at the scene of the crime, detailing the missing Professor's disastrous expedition in search of some mythical race of subterranean monster ponies. The information within the journal has been deemed questionable. A running theory is that Uncovered Truth went mad during the expedition and may have caused the deaths of his crew members before escaping to the surface. While unlikely, we feel more inclined to believe this than the laughable idea that a group of ponies, including two of our own highly trained members, would be taken down by some ridiculous monsters. I mean, Captain, are we really going to believe that this stallion 'magically transformed' into a monster over the course of a few days? The writing in this journal clearly shows that this stallion was going insane. It's obviously some sort of mad delusion. In any case, those are our findings and beliefs on the matter. Do with it what you will. Official Notice: Princess Celestia has ordered a close to the case of Professor Uncovered Truth. A service will be held in the honor of his fallen crew, and then all investigations into the matter will be closed. She has also forbidden any further expeditions into the caverns below Equestria to prevent such tragedy from ever occurring again. This is non-negotiable. Author's Note Question: Do those last two segments fit? If not, I will take them out. It seemed like a fitting wrap up, but I understand if they feel out of place and ruin the mood. In any case, thank you all for reading. It's been amazing writing this story. This is by far my favorite thing in my collection. I'm thankful for every one of you who took the time to read this. It means a lot to me. Bonus Chapter: The QueenAuthor's Note I decided I wanted to try and show things from the Ghoul perspective. Hopefully this clears somethings up. If not, then I hope you enjoy this at the least. Bonus Chapter: The Queen The Queen awoke to yet another day in her colony. She let out hissing yawn as she stretched out her long, gangly limbs before standing to trot out of her personal cave. Out in the main cavern, she gazed out upon her subjects, all six eyes glancing about as she happily observed the day to day activities of the smaller Ghouls. She watched the tall females stooping down to nuzzle and care for their foals, feeding them scraps of meat from the kill pile. She watched the males, driven on by their endless hunger, prepare for the hunt, gathering together in a fierce, snarling pack of starving beasts before all rushing out as one to find anything to sate their hunger and bring back to the colony. The Queen smiled. All was well. She stepped out to the kill pile as the females bowed to her as she passed them by. And why shouldn't they? She was such a regal sight to behold, with her cape of writhing, flesh-covered tentacles and her bio-luminescent markings trailing all across her tight, pallid skin. Truly she was a perfect example of a Ghoul Queen. She selected the choicest kill available, the flank of a large diamond dog her hunters had caught yesterday. She savored the taste of the raw flesh in her fangs. Sure, it was a bit old, but down here the Ghouls couldn't afford to be picky. Swallowing her meal, she returned to her cave to watch over her subjects. Her hunters returned with a strange kill. It looked like a diseased Ghoul, the kind that were born wrong, without claws or fangs. The Queen mourned for the sickened stallion; his colony must have cast him out. Perhaps it was a colony with no Queen to heal his ailment? In any case, she treated this stallion as if he had been one of her own. She bent down to his partially eaten corpse and licked his forehead, to give thanks for his sacrifice. Then she opened her mouth, and with a sickening crunch, began to bite open his skull to feast on his brain, as was custom. Once she had finished, the corpse was to be given stripped of all flesh by the colony, then the bones would be taken to be laid to rest with those of her own Ghouls. After the ceremony was over, she began to scan her hunters' minds to see what they knew about the diseased Ghoul. She saw their actions through their own eyes, watched them pounce on him from behind. The stallion screamed out some indecipherable noises as her starving stallions ripped into his throat. Then, the biggest shock of all, she heard more sickened Ghouls, making the same strange noises. It was all very bizarre. Was there a colony of sick Ghouls out there? If so, then it was her duty to heal them. With a fierce mental command, she sent out a small group of her hunters to go out and watch and follow the sick Ghouls. If she had anything to say about it, she would see them healed. Her hunters came back with quite a few sick Ghouls the next day, all dead. Apparently, according to her subjects' memories, these stallions had tried to attack her hunters, and they responded in kind. It was a shame, but she hoped she could at least help the rest. After performing the ceremony for each of the stallions, she went to her cave to ponder with her simplistic mind. How could she get these strange Ghouls to come over to her side of things? Once again, her stallions brought another dead Ghoul from the sickened colony. Again she repeated the process. At this rate there would be none left to heal. She sincerely hoped that soon her hunters would be able to find a non-hostile member of this colony. Later that same day, yet another group of dead diseased Ghouls was brought in. Not only this, but evidently one of her own had been slain in the battle. As she performed her honors, she realized something. Something horrible. The head of her subject's corpse was missing. How none of her hunters had realized this she did not care. All that she felt was a sudden burst of rage that her subject had been desecrated and dishonored in such a way. With a raging shriek, she sent out her hunters to retrieve the head so his soul could be put to rest. She did not care if these sickened Ghouls were harmed in the process. Nothing was more important to her than her own colony. Her hunters had retrieved the head. Not only that, but they had taken on the last remainder of this strange, malformed colony. Two of its members were dead, but two remained alive, an unconscious stallion and a pitifully small mare, shaking with fear. It was as if she had never seen a Queen before. The Queen, seeking to calm her, projected images and memories of a good, natural Ghoul's lifestyle, killing and hunting and mating, the things that Ghouls lived for. It did seem to calm her down a bit, so the Queen cast her healing spell and projected a question, or at least a question in the form of images since she did not have language to use. It basically boiled down to this: "Would you rather stay here where it's safe or go home to your own colony?" Some things may have been lost in translation, not that the Queen would have known or cared about this. After a moment of hesitation, the mare agreed. The Queen gestured to the kill pile, knowing that feeding would speed up the healing process. The mare obliged, though apparently still intimidated. The Queen watched as instinct began to take over, causing the mare to begin to feed... begin to change. Her attention was pulled away as she noticed that the stallion was rising. Her response was the same, though this time the stallion refused her hospitality. She accepted his wish and was about to let him leave, when suddenly the mare, presumably his mate, lunged for him. She had finished the healing process and, now driven by instinct, wished to take part in the mating ritual of claiming him for her own. She pinned him down and began to carve a symbol matching the one on her flank into his own. Then she let him go, although unlike most stallions he did not partake in it as usual by running away for his mare to hunt him down. He had fallen unconscious. Before his mate could claim the other flank and seal the deal, the Queen stopped her. He had wished to leave, and she would respect that. She had her hunters carry him off to somewhere he would awake safe, then explained to the forlorn mare that she would be able to hunt him down later, and either join his colony or drag him back with her. She'd already marked him, so he was already hers. She just had to give him time to heal, become a proper stallion. Her hunters later returned. The new mare found a cave to sleep in. And thus, the Queen laid her head to rest with a smile. All was well once again. Bonus Chapter: The Grave DiggerAuthor's Note So, I decided that I will be adding more bonus chapters to expand on the lore and what not as the inspiration to do so strikes me. So, enjoy this little tidbit about what the Ghouls do when food is scarce in the caves. Bonus Chapter: The Grave Digger Transcript of the Royal Guard's interrogation of Rusty Picks for charges of grave robbing Now, Mister Picks, you've already made your confession on your own accord, and things seem to match up. However, there's one thing that we would like to clear up here: why? Why did you come forward about this? We didn't have any leads saying it was you, you could have easily gone scot-free from this. So why go through the trouble of coming to get yourself locked up? ... I don't wanna talk about it... (Subject appears distressed.) That's fine, that's fine. Let's start at the beginning then. Tell us why you got into this in the first place then. Why rob graves? ... Well you see... I always made sure to dig up the rich broads, ya know? The kind that bury themselves with their finest jewels and what not? I figure I dig 'em up, swipe 'em, bury 'em again, and hightail it. Maybe find some place on the other side of Equestria where I can sell 'em where they can't be traced to me, ya know? Sometimes, I sell the bodies to medical students who ain't askin' a lot of questions. I guess that's how you lot got word of what I was up to? Not my brightest move, but it put some good bits in my pocket, and I made sure those punks couldn't squeal on me. Alright, alright. We get the picture. This just makes it all the more curious that you'd turn yourself in. Why do it? You had it made, it sounds like, so why give it all up? Why the change of heart? (The subject stays silent and seems troubled again.) Mister Picks, it might be possible to give you a lighter sentence if you comply and tell us the truth. Something made you come to us, and I doubt it was a guilty conscious. So, why don't you save us the trouble and tell us what happened to change your mind? ... I was doing a job... just the other night, same day I came in to confess. It was some trophy wife who'd kicked the bucket a week ago from some heart attack or whatever. I crashed her funeral to see what she was buried with, and oh boy did she have some good loot on her. I came in same way I always did, dark of the night with nothin' but my trusty shovel and a sack for the loot. So, I'm slippin' in, and... (The subject falls silent and shakes slightly with a deep breath. He begins to speak again, in a shakier tone.) ... and... I notice somethin' off. Usually, there's all these bats and night birds and whatever, so there's at least a little noise and shit there. But that night it was dead fuckin' silent... and then I hear this sound... like a low moanin' sort of sound. And at first I says to myself, 'Rusty you ass, it's just some dumb drunk losin' his lunch,' but fuck if it didn't scare me. It... it didn't sound natural. Like... it just... it sounded almost like a pony barfin' or somethin', but kinda off, ya know? No, I'm afraid I don't. ... Rrright then... so yeah... uh... so, I'm a bit shakier, but I tells myself to buck up and ignore it. Then there's another moan. And another. All comin' from different fuckin' parts of the grave yard. Now I'm a bit spooked, 'cause I can tell I ain't alone, and like I said that shit didn't sound right. But I wasn't leavin' without my loot, so I found the grave, and it was quiet all around. No more moans. I set to diggin', movin' quick-like and all that. I just focused all on the diggin' nothin' else. And then I hit the coffin and I pulled it out. And then a-... (The subject has begun sweating and has grown more panicked as he continues.) And then as I pried it open, I heard a bunch of fuckin' hellish soundin' moans from all around, and I look up and see all these tall things standin' around me, starin'. Just... just starin' with these fuckin' red as blood eyes that just stared at me like I was starin' into the eyes of the Reaper himself. And-... I'm sorry sir... what exactly are you trying to say? You were surrounded by some sort of pack of monsters. Did I fuckin' stammer?! Fuck yeah that's what I'm sayin'! Oh no, but they weren't just monsters, they were fuckin' monsters that looked like messed up ponies, like some zombie shit or whatever. They were all tall and skinny and had these things on their backs, and they all had four eyes that just stared and stared and stared at me like you wouldn't fuckin' believe and don't you dare say I'm lyin' about this because you weren't fuckin' there, you didn't fuckin' see those things start walkin' towards you with that stare, that Celestia-fuckin'-damned stare! (The subject has begun to hyperventilate.) I fuckin' ran, oh god did I run away from that fuckin' place, and while I was runnin' I tripped, and ya know what? I fell in a fuckin' grave they'd dug up and ripped open! I fell on a fuckin' ripped up corpse and when I climbed up out of that shit I saw those fuckers goin' to town on my mark, just eatin' that dead bitch up. I fuckin' ran out of that place and I didn't fuckin' dare look back. I came straight here because fuck it, I don't give a shit no more. As long as I never see those fuckin' things again, I don't care if you hang me for all I care. Just keep those hell things, those fuckin' Ghouls away from me! Alright, Picks, calm down. I think we're about done here... Subject created some elaborate fantasy story about grave-digging monsters that fed on corpses. We have no idea why he would come up with such a crazed tale, but we're setting him up with a psychiatrist to help in case it's some sort of delusional mental disorder or whatever. Honestly captain, I wouldn't give any merit to what he said. Sure, there were some dug up graves in the graveyard Mr. Picks was referring to, but there weren't any chewed up corpses. Not even so much as a speck of blood. Just empty, torn up graves, probably some punks, or more likely, associates of Mr. Picks who he's trying to protect with this monster story. Either way, I think we've gotten all the info out of him that we can. All we can say is that he seems genuinely afraid of cemeteries now. Keeps mumbling that he didn't want to have to deal with competition that vicious or something like that. In any case, that's my report. This is (Name Redacted) signing out. Day FourDay Four ~~Those blasted idiots! How dare they! The sheer audacity and idiocy! I hope their damned souls rot in Tartarus for this betrayal!~~ My apologies for that outburst above. We had an unfortunate event happen, and my emotions got the best of me. This morning, I had decided to inform my crew of what I had witnessed late last night. It was my firm suggestion that we all stay close together at all times, and that hopefully the larger number of our crew would keep them at bay. It was then that over half of our Earth pony workers decided to make a break for it out of the tunnels. They evidently had been harboring discontent the entire trip, and this was the final strike for them. They'd rather take their chances out there with the ghouls than in here with the group. Needless to say, the sounds of screeching and screams of pure terror echoed after us as we continued on. Blast, these bags of equipment are heavy... We've stopped for the night, and I'm happy to report the ghouls have been leaving us alone tonight. Perhaps those fool Earth ponies were enough of a meal for them and sated their hunger. Perhaps now we can travel in peace. Author's Note Keep in mind that since this is a journal, not every day is going to be packed with excitement. Don't worry though. Next chapter is coming in soon enough.
Journal of Uncovered Truth: Day OneJournal of Uncovered Truth: Day One Journal of Uncovered Truth Day one Today, I prepare to embark on the most important expedition of my career. The one moment where I shall gain the recognition in the scientific community that I rightfully deserve! Yes, I had my initial moment of fame with my book The Pony Race Through the Ages: An Account of Pony Subspecies, but this will be the discovery that will land my name in the history books! Allow me to start from the beginning, as I feel I'm getting ahead of myself. My name is Professor Uncovered Truth of Canterlot University. I've studied ancient pony history for years, but my specialty has always been where it comes to lineages, subspecies, races... One may mistake me for a genealogist from one look at my works, and I suppose in a sense it is true. However, I believe I am more of an hippologist. I study ancient cultures and pony breeds. So far, I have written extensively on my findings, only one of my books achieving any note of acclaim. In it, I reveal the ties that bind together the six subspecies of pony: Earth, Unicorn, Pegasus, Thestral, Crystal, and Changeling. All had been theorized to have been connected, until I brought forth the conclusive evidence of my findings, showing that despite differences in physical attributes, culture, and thaumatic inclinations, all stem from the same ancestors*. *Note: I wished to include alicorns in my study, but as it turns out, alicorns are not naturally born, but instead are an instance of one of the subspecies achieving a sort of enlightenment that causes them to ascend to a higher position in the natural order. Thus, only six subspecies. However, over the past few months, things have been building up to my current situation. It first began when I was giving a passing glance over a late colleague's works, and found a bizarre hypothesis of his. He claimed to have found evidence that once, long past in our ancestry, our common ancestors were omnivores, living of off both plants and animals for survival. Eventually, however, the majority of these primitive ponies began to farm, and increasingly turned away from meat, to the point it became taboo. In the meantime, they chased away their hunter-gatherer brethren, forcing them into the caves where he presumes they starved in the lifeless depths. At the time, I mostly dismissed his claims. He did have some points, such as the fact that ponies often eat eggs and milk products without even considering the source, and he did quote some instances of ponies with severe mental disorders becoming carnivorous, in some extremes even turning to cannibalism. But ultimately, I didn't see much proof to his claims, and thus pushed them from my mind. Then, an old acquaintance of mine related to me a strange tale. He had always been an art enthusiast, and unlike most, flocked to the bizarre and macabre works of an eccentric old artist whose name I can't quite recall. Regardless, he claimed every single one of the artist's pictures depicted horrendous pony-like creatures crawling from the depths to feast on the flesh of ponies, be it in a graveyard or somepony's cellar. Somewhere along the line, my friend caught a glimpse of a photograph, that he swears was actually the model for the pictures. He shook as he told me that it was a photo of one of the monster ponies he'd seen in the paintings. Immediately my mind flashed to what I'd read, but I shook it off once more as paranoid nonsense. The final straw was when I began researching traditional thestral burial rites. The cave-dwelling thestrals would dowse their dead in sweet scented nectar and oil. Then, they celebrated their parted friend and kin's good life, wishing them well in the next. And finally, and most bizarrely, they would then drag the corpse to the outskirts of their cavern, into the deepest and darkest depths they dared to go, and left it there for the "eaters of the dead", or Ghouls in their native language, to come drag the body into the underworld. I was going to pass this off as more nonsense, until I attended such an event first hoof for better knowledge, as I always believed it best to get first hoof accounts when one could. I was forbidden from staying by the body to see what would happen, much to my displeasure. But... I was unprepared for what happened next. Late into the night, from the spot they'd left the body, came low, guttural moans, accompanied by the occasional shriek or rapid series of clicks. It was unlike anything I'd ever heard. I was completely unprepared for it, and to be honest, the sounds struck at some deep, primal fear within me, telling me to run for my life before whatever made that sound came for me as well. I fought the urge and attempted and failed to fall asleep once again. The next day, a bloody trail led down into the depths, surrounded by the blood-ringed hoofprints of whatever did it. These hoofprints were strange, unlike any I'd ever seen. I've recorded the shapes of each and every equine variety I could, and these were unlike any I'd ever seen. For starters the hooves were similar to those of a pony, yet the stride indicated that these creatures had longer legs and moved in sort of crawling position. Even stranger was that behind each print was another small mark scraped along the ground, as if each hoof had a claw coming out the back of it to drag along with each step. In any case, the trail of hoofprints indicated about three individuals, all heading back into the depths. It was at that moment that I realized that maybe... maybe it was all true. Maybe there was a seventh subspecies, lost to time in the dark depths of underground cavern systems. These ponies, these... ghouls... were truly the remnants of a time when ponies freely ate meat. I had to know. If this were real, if I could find evidence of the truth, it would be ground breaking. Carnivorous ponies? Imagine the public's response! I had to get the facts and show the world the truth on this! That is why I am here today, bags packed before the entrance of the thestral colony with a loyal crew along for the journey. Tonight, we shall delve into the caverns to find some conclusive evidence to the existence of these ghouls. I shall keep this journal to chronicle my endeavors for future reference. I must stop writing now, for I have plans to discuss with my team. I shall start up again when I next have something to report. Until then... Uncovered Truth. Author's Note Loosely based off of and inspired by the story "Pickman's Model" by HP Lovecraft, in theme and a brief reference only. I've done two pictures of the creatures in this story. They are NSFW for gore reasons though, so I'm unsure how or even if I should share them. Thank you to Iron Sky for letting me know that Hippology is the horse equivalent of Anthropology. Here's hoping this goes well.
Day TwoDay two Today is the day we set off into the tunnels. We are to gather and head off into the tunnels in exactly one hour, and I'm eager to begin. I've finished checking with the expedition team, and have decided to write down an account of our preparations. We were all to awaken and rise early this morning to prepare. My task as head of the expedition was to check in with every crew member and double check all of the provisions. Nothing could go wrong with this; my career depends on it. I began by checking in with my assistant, an intern at the university by the name of Silent Scribe. A unicorn like myself, she was to take notes on anything that she noticed in case I missed anything at all, as well as to give a secondary point of view to my own. In addition, I believe that going on this expedition would be good to bolster her career in this field of work. She was one of my top students a few years back, and nothing would make me prouder than to help her achieve glory and a spot in the academic community. Afterwards, I went to speak with our guide, a native to the same thestral town I visited where I was inspired to set off on this journey. Night Cloud, I believe his name was. A strong, young member of their tribe, in training to become a warrior I believe. Having grown up in this region and with his natural affinity to the darkness, he would make a perfect guide for the winding system of tunnels and caverns we would be venturing into. I had him chosen specifically because he was not as superstitious as most of his superiors; he did not fear the ghouls like the others did. While most would think this foolhardy, I can see that he is likely to go places with his attitude. I would have to recommend him to Luna's Night Guard when all was said and done. I then went to meet with my royally appointed guards, Honor Guard and Shield Banger. While not the best of the best, this duo would serve their purpose of keeping the expedition team safe from any threats lurking in the cavernous depths. Honor Guard was promised to be a very agile flyer, good at weaving around opponents in combat, while Shield Banger relied more on strength and brute force, which his well-muscled size conveyed greatly. While I'm not overly fond of having them come along, the Royal Sisters insisted upon it, so I have no room to complain. The Earth pony workers who would be helping to carry the provisions were hard at work packing and moving as much as possible, ensuring that nothing was left behind. I made sure to double check everything we had to bring: food and water provisions for at most two weeks, though we only planned for one; a large collection of medical supplies in case of injury; equipment for collecting and preserving any samples found; and specially developed cameras to attempt to capture pictures of anything unusual down in the tunnels. A few minor checks later, and I felt that we had everything prepared. Now I sit, writing as I await for this to begin. I am quite anxious to begin; why, I can barely keep my quill steady in my aura to write this all down! Ah, it seems everypony is ready! I will attempt to write down another passage when we stop to set up camp. Until then! It seems I had quite underestimated how difficult traveling down these caves would be. My hooves are killing me, and I do believe my legs are going to be sore in the morning, still though, this does nothing to spoil my mood! Before we set off, one of the thestral elders wished to give us a prayer to bless us on our way. I accepted, though somewhat annoyed at the unplanned delay. Afterwards, we continued onward, Night Cloud leading the way. As we reached the end of what the thestrals considered there territory, a spot where their torches ceased lining the walls, Scribe and I began to cast the night vision spell that would allow us to see where we were going in these dark depths. We wouldn't see as well as young Night, but we wouldn't be falling over our own hooves. On and on we went, for several hours. Every now and then Night would rub himself against on of the cavern walls, especially when there was a branching path. He said that this was so he could lead us back the way we came, following his own marker scent with his keen sense of smell. After a good deal of progress, we stopped in an area open enough that we could set up camp for the night. I am tired and wish for rest, but I had to ensure that I wrote this down while it was still fresh in my mind. I suppose that is all for today. I'll be sure to My apologies, for cutting off, but I was called away by Scribe, as she had come across something that needed my attention. In another path, just out of our field of vision, she had found a pile of what appeared to be the carcasses of some sort of large cave beetles. Unfortunately there were no live specimens of this undiscovered species in sight, however there was something of worth from this. Each carcass had been cracked open at the stomach, with the insides scraped clean out. Not a hint of flesh or organs remained inside the creatures. All there was were carapaces and a grimy yellow-green residue, possibly from the beetles. Most importantly though was something we had almost overlooked. Something that erased any doubts this expedition would be a success. Next to the carcasses on the ground was a hoofprint in the stone, marked with dried residue. It was a perfect match for the prints I had seen near the thestral corpse. To say I am excited by this development is an understatement! I must cease writing and get some rest now. We begin again early tomorrow morning. Author's Note Anyone know if pictures with blood are allowed for cover images? I want to do something better than just a dark cave entrance.
Day ThreeDay Three Never before in my life, through any of my travels, have I felt this amount of soreness and agony in my legs. When I awoke this morning, everything was sore, and aside from the most active of our group, the others shared in my discomfort. And then the walking started once again... I swear, if it weren't for the fact that I am walking this journey unencumbered (the workers take care of all of the heavy lifting), I would have sent somepony else to take this journey. The discovery is a lifetime is worth nothing to me if I drop down dead from exhaustion on the journey to find it! In any case, we've now set up camp, in what Night Cloud tells me is the deepest any of his tribe has ever gone. Technically speaking, these are depths that are considered forbidden by the thestrals, regions to dangerous to venture into, especially since it is supposedly close to where they believe the underworld where the ghouls take the dead resides. Nonsense of course, but I do feel that the deeper we go the closer we shall get to finding evidence of the ghouls. I mainly wanted to write this passage to vent off frustration before the next phase. We plan to split off into groups and look around for any more evidence. So far, we haven't seen anything out of the ordinary, aside from a few live specimens of the giant cave beetle and some previously undiscovered species of bio-luminescent moss. It is my hope that we will find something more substantial down here in one of these many branching paths. I am to head off with Scribe and Shield in one direction, while Honor Guard, Night Cloud, and a worker take off in another. We are to explore for no more than an hour. We don't know just what dangers lurk down here, so we cannot stay apart for long. It's time to head off. I will record any findings when I return. Until then... Amazing new! We've found what appears to have been another remainder from a ghoul attack! Deep in the tunnels, my party found an assortment of bones that, after careful examination on my part, were determined to be of an adult diamond dog! The cave floor had traces of dried blood on it from the fight, and each bone had been visibly picked clean by sharp fangs. Even more impressive was that each of the bones had been cracked open, the marrow within scraped out. Many of the bones were missing, likely taken back to wherever it is they reside to be eaten later. Judging by the multitude of different hoofprints and the size of the dog, I believe that the ghouls may be pack hunters. I'm currently looking over some of the bones back at camp as we await the other group to return, and I have to say it's quite fa Something's happened. The Earth pony worker who had left with the other expedition just ran back into camp, screaming about an attack. I have to go see what's happened right away. Dear Celestia, no. This can't have happened. Night Cloud is dead. Our guide, the only one who knows these tunnels and knows the way out, is dead. He had apparently split away from the group to go and 'take a piss' as Honor Guard so elegantly put it, going down a separate path from the other two in an area with an exceptional amount of pathways. After a few minutes, Honor says he heard a deathly, unnatural shriek from in the distance, followed by the sound of Night Cloud screaming in terror. From the account, Honor thinks he heard him screaming something along the lines of, "No! You can't be real! You're not real! Luna above preserve my soul! I'm sorry!" Honor sent the worker to get help while he tried to get to Night Cloud to help him. However, apparently the echoing in the caves disoriented the guard enough that he couldn't tell where it was coming from. By the time he'd finally found the right tunnel, it was too late; Night Cloud's body had been dragged away down the tunnel system, a trail of blood indicating the path. We are trapped. Our only options are to head back and hope for the best, or continue onwards. I don't know what to do... I have decided, ignoring the protests of the workers, that we shall continue onwards with care. The tunnels couldn't possibly only have one single exit at the surface. All we need to do once we leave is head upwards, and I'm sure we shall find some exit somewhere. Right now, I just want to continue onwards. This trip will not be wasted just because of a single careless death. We knew the dangers of this place, we will not turn back because those dangers turned out to be real. If anything, this just proves that what we seek is out there. From now on, nopony is allowed to be out without somepony else to accompany them. Somepony also must keep watch at night. As long as we are careful, I am sure that we will be fine. In any case, Honor Guard mentioned to me something of note he had noticed that proves to be interesting. Before the attack, he had noticed a faint clicking noise in one of the tunnels, which he described as like 'the sound of a tongue clicking against the top of the mouth'. There was a moment where it stopped for a moment right before the creatures screeched. While he was examining the area Night had died, he'd heard it begin again, closer this time, and somewhat faster paced. I theorize that this could be some sort of form of communication. The clicking could be a call to announce the presence and location of prey, and the shriek could be a declaration to attack. I would need more evidence to prove this hypothesis, but at the moment it sounds fairly sound. In any case I must get some sleep now. We continue our journey in the morning. Until then. I have been awoken in the middle of the night... awoken by the sound of rapid-fire clicking noises coming from the tunnels around us. After it stopped, the sound of more clicking, farther away sounding, replied. I dared a peek out of my tent, looking into the darkness of the tunnel it sounded like the initial clicks had come from. Staring back at me in the dim were four shining red eyes. Immediately, their owner dashed away. Due to the short range of the night vision spell, I couldn't see the creature. But judging from the evidence... I believe it was a ghoul. A ghoul... stalking us and calling for aid from its pack... I need to sleep. We will be safe as long as we all stay together... There is nothing to worry about... this will all be worth it...
Day FiveDay Five I was mistaken. While sated for the night, it seems that they've returned by morning. There are more of them now than before. We hear them following us, their repetitive clicking echoing at all hours as they stay just out of sight, waiting for one of us to let our guards down. Oh, how I wish one would come to where I can see it so I could learn more. Perhaps... What was that fool thinking? One of the remaining worker decided he would approach the ghouls to taunt them, thinking that they would stay in the shadows at all times. The fool apparently forgot that we ourselves are cloaked in shadow and only can see thanks to my spell. The ghouls lunged out and struck him down, and if anything good came of this event, it was that I finally got to see the beasts in action. I watched the horrid creature lunge forth from the shadows like some demon out of Tartarus. It's long, scarred muzzle open in a snarl as it twisted its head to bite at the stallion's throat. The way it tore out his jugular with one swift motion of it head, the way it cut into his flesh with the strange talons on its hooves... the way its four red eyes gazed up hungrily at the rest of us, as if it were staring into our souls. The other ghouls came forward and began to feast. I shall attempt to describe them as best as I can, despite the nausea this sight causes me. The ghouls were obviously equine in origin, somewhat resembling fossils of primitive equines, our long dead common ancestors. Their bodies were devoid of hair, leaving only pallid, scarred flesh clinging against their gaunt frames. They were extremely lanky and limber, and I imagine that if they were to stand at full height instead of crawl as they do, they would stand a head taller than the average stallion. The fact that they have four eyes was something of an enigma to me. That is, until I noticed one of them staring at me as it ate, its front two eyes focused on its meal and the other two on me. But by far the strangest aspect of these creatures were the stubby, flesh-covered tentacle-like protrusions from their shoulder blades. They seemed to be vestigial organs, probably the remnant of ancient wings or some such thing. One other detail worth noting is the fact that on a few of the older looking ghouls' flanks, there seem to be symbols of some kind carved into their flesh. Perhaps some attempt to mimic the cutie mark? A right of passage? I wish I could learn more... In any case, that is the clearest picture of them I can detail. Scribe is more of an artist than me anyway, she'll be able to sketch one for the report on this. Their leaving, having eaten their fill apparently. I'd ordered the rest of the crew not to intervene at any point. Now their dragging away the half eaten body, probably back to wherever it is they resi- For Celestia's sake, why am I surrounded by such blasted idiots!!! That damned Honor Guard ran after them, apparently trying to get the body to give it a proper burial. That fool! The ghouls immediately turned and attacked him as well, and the remaining workers and Shield Breaker rushed forth to help him, ignoring my direct orders. The sheer nerve of this all! Only one worker remains after that disaster of a battle. Honor Guard is dead as well. The ghouls dragged the bodies off in a hurry. Shield Breaker tells me that he had managed to snap ones neck and take it down, but they dragged that body off as well. If this insubordination has given me anything, I suppose, it's the idea that maybe these creatures have some way of honoring their dead. Our numbers have gone down to just four now. Me, my intern, my guard, and a lowly worker ~~who I so wish I could strangle for the stupidity of his comrades~~. In any case, the ghouls won't be bothering us any more tonight. ~~Perhaps we should finally turn back to try and find an exit~~ No. We go forward. No matter how few of us there are, I WILL find the truth.
Day SixDay Six BLAST THAT SHIELD BREAKER HE'S DOOMED US ALL!!! We're trapped we're surrounded dear Celestia why why did that damned fool have to bring that ghoul's head into camp with him. They came screeching in the night to get it back they killed the worker and Shield Breaker. Only I and Silent Scribe remain now. They're circling our tent, I can hear their clawed hooves on the stone floor, hear their clicking throats. Oh gods one is poking its head inside oh Celestia why is this happening to me DON'T COME ANY CLOSER!!! I've... awoken in a hospital bed. My head is wrapped, apparently I took a hit to the head somewhere along the line. The belongings from my pack, including this journal, were found and brought with me. No word on what happened to Scribe... I'm trying hard to remember what I went through down there after I fainted in my tent. Why am I still alive? How did I reach the surface? And why do the doctors tell me I was found with a strange series of lacerations on my left flank, right over my cutie mark, so deep they would permanently scar? So many questions... I'm being let out of the hospital now, they say there's nothing more they can do for me. Good. I hated this place. Haven't been able to keep down any of this slop they keep feeding me... I'm so hungry... I shall not say a word of this disaster of an expedition to anyone. It never happened, as far as I'm concerned. I've returned to my estate. The first thing I did when I arrived was request my favorite dish from my personal chef. Strangest thing though. I couldn't stand the taste of it. In a fit of rage I blamed it on her and fired her on the spot... it's too late to go back on it... Gods above I'm so hungry... something smells delicious, but I don't know what... ... I've realized what smells so good. My staff. Dear Celestia, what's happening to me?! Why do I have these cravings all of a sudden?! I sent them all off, I don't want to think like this. But the hunger is so great... I need to eat... So hungry... I remembered something... something from those tunnels... I woke up... in a large cavern... a chamber... there were holes in the walls... nests... I was in the ghoul nesting grounds... I saw taller ghouls, about Cadance's height... females... tall and serene looking compared to the vicious stallions. They had glowing symbols on their flanks, bioluminescent I believe. There was... Scribe... Silent Scribe... I saw her... feasting on a corpse... transforming... dear gods, she was becoming one of them... There was one ghoul... taller and more impressive than the rest, with a writhing cape of tentacles... the... the ghoul queen? She gave me visions. Visions of the savage life of a ghoul. Of being driven on by relentless hunger, to the point where you will turn against your own brother just to get an easy meal. Of having to hunt down an unwilling mate to mark him as your own. But mostly of the hunger... the hunger... the hunger is what dominates their lives at all times... always starving... She left me with a final request, in simple telepathic thoughts. The basics of it were... did I wish to stay safe with them and join the pack... or did I wish to leave... I remember choosing to leave... Right before Scribe attacked me. Scribe... forced me onto my side and began to attack my flank with one of her claws... she's the one who carved this strange symbol into my flank... I feel like I should know why but... it's meaning escapes me. I think I fainted again at that point... the next thing I remember is the hospital... did they carry me back to the surface? Why then do I still feel like this? My... my mind grows heavy... it's getting harder to think straight... maybe a good night's sleep will put all of this behind me... Author's Note One chapter left!
???Celestia and Luna damn it I'm so hungry. I can't keep down anything at all except liquids it seems, and even then many of my favorite drinks have become revolting to taste. I can no longer stomach anything plant based. Why? Why must this happen? I thought my life was returning to normal! My staff... ponies in general... why can I smell them so clearly? And why... why must they smell so... succulent... delicious... Dear goddesses, why does the smell of flesh flare my hunger so?! What did those heathens do to me while I was unconscious? Those blasted bloody beasts! I should never have gone down into those forsaken caverns, should never have risked my life for fame. I will forever be cursed to hold the knowledge of what the darkness below our hooves hides, cursed to keep this secret to my grave... which shall hopefully come sooner rather than later... I'm losing control of myself... I almost attacked one of my maids today... she just smelled so good... the hunger almost took over... the hunger commands my every thought... I sent my staff away. For their own safety. For my sanity. I cannot eat meat. I cannot sink to that level. I'm so hungry. So hungry. So much hunger. My mind is growing heavier by the hour. My thoughts are becoming slower. I must fight this. I WILL fight this. If I have to, I will end myself tonight. So hungry so hungry so hungry so hungry it hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts so hungry must eat must eat must eat it hurts so hungry must eat kill rip tear bite kill eat hunger food kill food must eat so hungry so hungry so hungry so hungry it hurts it hurts it hurts make it end please make the hunger end I I killed something I woke up stained with blood and less hunger I killed and ate something and i dont remember what Why why did this happen? Why did it have to be so filling and taste so good. why is it so hard to think straight? I am changing. Eating the meat started the change. Just like with Scribe. My horn is shrinking into my skull it hurts so much. My coat and mane are falling out in chunks. My skin is disgusting. I can feel my bones stretching and cracking into shape beneath my skin. It hurts it hurts it hurts. My mark is gone. My name is Uncovered Truth. I'm scared. I am hungry. Thinking hard. Queen. Queen wanted help me. Queen thought she helping me. Thought me sick ghoul. Head hurts. Thinking hurts. So hungry. Need to hunt. Writing. Writing make me feel not crazy. Hunger make me crazy. What my name? No remember. Light hurts. Want dark. Dark is safe. Dark is friend. So hungry. Smells in dark. Good smells. Food smells. Hungry. Must hunt soon. So hungry. Less hungry. Hunger never stops. No like place. Too bright. Want always dark. Smells. Her smells. ~~Scr Si sci sln~~ Mate. Mate is coming. Afraid. No want mate. Mate will mark me. No want mark. Mark hurts. Pain. So much pain. No want other mark. She comes. For me. Fear. Fear stronger than hunger. close so closs smell her forget how rite gud hed hurts so much nno think gud hear her screech she cums she close no want mate no want mark afraid afraid afraid no no no no no no no no no no no no so afrai Notes from Royal Guard investigation into the apparent murder of Professor of Hippology Uncovered Truth, to be directed to the Captain. A tattered, blood-stained journal was found at the scene of the crime, detailing the missing Professor's disastrous expedition in search of some mythical race of subterranean monster ponies. The information within the journal has been deemed questionable. A running theory is that Uncovered Truth went mad during the expedition and may have caused the deaths of his crew members before escaping to the surface. While unlikely, we feel more inclined to believe this than the laughable idea that a group of ponies, including two of our own highly trained members, would be taken down by some ridiculous monsters. I mean, Captain, are we really going to believe that this stallion 'magically transformed' into a monster over the course of a few days? The writing in this journal clearly shows that this stallion was going insane. It's obviously some sort of mad delusion. In any case, those are our findings and beliefs on the matter. Do with it what you will. Official Notice: Princess Celestia has ordered a close to the case of Professor Uncovered Truth. A service will be held in the honor of his fallen crew, and then all investigations into the matter will be closed. She has also forbidden any further expeditions into the caverns below Equestria to prevent such tragedy from ever occurring again. This is non-negotiable. Author's Note Question: Do those last two segments fit? If not, I will take them out. It seemed like a fitting wrap up, but I understand if they feel out of place and ruin the mood. In any case, thank you all for reading. It's been amazing writing this story. This is by far my favorite thing in my collection. I'm thankful for every one of you who took the time to read this. It means a lot to me.
Bonus Chapter: The QueenAuthor's Note I decided I wanted to try and show things from the Ghoul perspective. Hopefully this clears somethings up. If not, then I hope you enjoy this at the least. Bonus Chapter: The Queen The Queen awoke to yet another day in her colony. She let out hissing yawn as she stretched out her long, gangly limbs before standing to trot out of her personal cave. Out in the main cavern, she gazed out upon her subjects, all six eyes glancing about as she happily observed the day to day activities of the smaller Ghouls. She watched the tall females stooping down to nuzzle and care for their foals, feeding them scraps of meat from the kill pile. She watched the males, driven on by their endless hunger, prepare for the hunt, gathering together in a fierce, snarling pack of starving beasts before all rushing out as one to find anything to sate their hunger and bring back to the colony. The Queen smiled. All was well. She stepped out to the kill pile as the females bowed to her as she passed them by. And why shouldn't they? She was such a regal sight to behold, with her cape of writhing, flesh-covered tentacles and her bio-luminescent markings trailing all across her tight, pallid skin. Truly she was a perfect example of a Ghoul Queen. She selected the choicest kill available, the flank of a large diamond dog her hunters had caught yesterday. She savored the taste of the raw flesh in her fangs. Sure, it was a bit old, but down here the Ghouls couldn't afford to be picky. Swallowing her meal, she returned to her cave to watch over her subjects. Her hunters returned with a strange kill. It looked like a diseased Ghoul, the kind that were born wrong, without claws or fangs. The Queen mourned for the sickened stallion; his colony must have cast him out. Perhaps it was a colony with no Queen to heal his ailment? In any case, she treated this stallion as if he had been one of her own. She bent down to his partially eaten corpse and licked his forehead, to give thanks for his sacrifice. Then she opened her mouth, and with a sickening crunch, began to bite open his skull to feast on his brain, as was custom. Once she had finished, the corpse was to be given stripped of all flesh by the colony, then the bones would be taken to be laid to rest with those of her own Ghouls. After the ceremony was over, she began to scan her hunters' minds to see what they knew about the diseased Ghoul. She saw their actions through their own eyes, watched them pounce on him from behind. The stallion screamed out some indecipherable noises as her starving stallions ripped into his throat. Then, the biggest shock of all, she heard more sickened Ghouls, making the same strange noises. It was all very bizarre. Was there a colony of sick Ghouls out there? If so, then it was her duty to heal them. With a fierce mental command, she sent out a small group of her hunters to go out and watch and follow the sick Ghouls. If she had anything to say about it, she would see them healed. Her hunters came back with quite a few sick Ghouls the next day, all dead. Apparently, according to her subjects' memories, these stallions had tried to attack her hunters, and they responded in kind. It was a shame, but she hoped she could at least help the rest. After performing the ceremony for each of the stallions, she went to her cave to ponder with her simplistic mind. How could she get these strange Ghouls to come over to her side of things? Once again, her stallions brought another dead Ghoul from the sickened colony. Again she repeated the process. At this rate there would be none left to heal. She sincerely hoped that soon her hunters would be able to find a non-hostile member of this colony. Later that same day, yet another group of dead diseased Ghouls was brought in. Not only this, but evidently one of her own had been slain in the battle. As she performed her honors, she realized something. Something horrible. The head of her subject's corpse was missing. How none of her hunters had realized this she did not care. All that she felt was a sudden burst of rage that her subject had been desecrated and dishonored in such a way. With a raging shriek, she sent out her hunters to retrieve the head so his soul could be put to rest. She did not care if these sickened Ghouls were harmed in the process. Nothing was more important to her than her own colony. Her hunters had retrieved the head. Not only that, but they had taken on the last remainder of this strange, malformed colony. Two of its members were dead, but two remained alive, an unconscious stallion and a pitifully small mare, shaking with fear. It was as if she had never seen a Queen before. The Queen, seeking to calm her, projected images and memories of a good, natural Ghoul's lifestyle, killing and hunting and mating, the things that Ghouls lived for. It did seem to calm her down a bit, so the Queen cast her healing spell and projected a question, or at least a question in the form of images since she did not have language to use. It basically boiled down to this: "Would you rather stay here where it's safe or go home to your own colony?" Some things may have been lost in translation, not that the Queen would have known or cared about this. After a moment of hesitation, the mare agreed. The Queen gestured to the kill pile, knowing that feeding would speed up the healing process. The mare obliged, though apparently still intimidated. The Queen watched as instinct began to take over, causing the mare to begin to feed... begin to change. Her attention was pulled away as she noticed that the stallion was rising. Her response was the same, though this time the stallion refused her hospitality. She accepted his wish and was about to let him leave, when suddenly the mare, presumably his mate, lunged for him. She had finished the healing process and, now driven by instinct, wished to take part in the mating ritual of claiming him for her own. She pinned him down and began to carve a symbol matching the one on her flank into his own. Then she let him go, although unlike most stallions he did not partake in it as usual by running away for his mare to hunt him down. He had fallen unconscious. Before his mate could claim the other flank and seal the deal, the Queen stopped her. He had wished to leave, and she would respect that. She had her hunters carry him off to somewhere he would awake safe, then explained to the forlorn mare that she would be able to hunt him down later, and either join his colony or drag him back with her. She'd already marked him, so he was already hers. She just had to give him time to heal, become a proper stallion. Her hunters later returned. The new mare found a cave to sleep in. And thus, the Queen laid her head to rest with a smile. All was well once again.
Bonus Chapter: The Grave DiggerAuthor's Note So, I decided that I will be adding more bonus chapters to expand on the lore and what not as the inspiration to do so strikes me. So, enjoy this little tidbit about what the Ghouls do when food is scarce in the caves. Bonus Chapter: The Grave Digger Transcript of the Royal Guard's interrogation of Rusty Picks for charges of grave robbing Now, Mister Picks, you've already made your confession on your own accord, and things seem to match up. However, there's one thing that we would like to clear up here: why? Why did you come forward about this? We didn't have any leads saying it was you, you could have easily gone scot-free from this. So why go through the trouble of coming to get yourself locked up? ... I don't wanna talk about it... (Subject appears distressed.) That's fine, that's fine. Let's start at the beginning then. Tell us why you got into this in the first place then. Why rob graves? ... Well you see... I always made sure to dig up the rich broads, ya know? The kind that bury themselves with their finest jewels and what not? I figure I dig 'em up, swipe 'em, bury 'em again, and hightail it. Maybe find some place on the other side of Equestria where I can sell 'em where they can't be traced to me, ya know? Sometimes, I sell the bodies to medical students who ain't askin' a lot of questions. I guess that's how you lot got word of what I was up to? Not my brightest move, but it put some good bits in my pocket, and I made sure those punks couldn't squeal on me. Alright, alright. We get the picture. This just makes it all the more curious that you'd turn yourself in. Why do it? You had it made, it sounds like, so why give it all up? Why the change of heart? (The subject stays silent and seems troubled again.) Mister Picks, it might be possible to give you a lighter sentence if you comply and tell us the truth. Something made you come to us, and I doubt it was a guilty conscious. So, why don't you save us the trouble and tell us what happened to change your mind? ... I was doing a job... just the other night, same day I came in to confess. It was some trophy wife who'd kicked the bucket a week ago from some heart attack or whatever. I crashed her funeral to see what she was buried with, and oh boy did she have some good loot on her. I came in same way I always did, dark of the night with nothin' but my trusty shovel and a sack for the loot. So, I'm slippin' in, and... (The subject falls silent and shakes slightly with a deep breath. He begins to speak again, in a shakier tone.) ... and... I notice somethin' off. Usually, there's all these bats and night birds and whatever, so there's at least a little noise and shit there. But that night it was dead fuckin' silent... and then I hear this sound... like a low moanin' sort of sound. And at first I says to myself, 'Rusty you ass, it's just some dumb drunk losin' his lunch,' but fuck if it didn't scare me. It... it didn't sound natural. Like... it just... it sounded almost like a pony barfin' or somethin', but kinda off, ya know? No, I'm afraid I don't. ... Rrright then... so yeah... uh... so, I'm a bit shakier, but I tells myself to buck up and ignore it. Then there's another moan. And another. All comin' from different fuckin' parts of the grave yard. Now I'm a bit spooked, 'cause I can tell I ain't alone, and like I said that shit didn't sound right. But I wasn't leavin' without my loot, so I found the grave, and it was quiet all around. No more moans. I set to diggin', movin' quick-like and all that. I just focused all on the diggin' nothin' else. And then I hit the coffin and I pulled it out. And then a-... (The subject has begun sweating and has grown more panicked as he continues.) And then as I pried it open, I heard a bunch of fuckin' hellish soundin' moans from all around, and I look up and see all these tall things standin' around me, starin'. Just... just starin' with these fuckin' red as blood eyes that just stared at me like I was starin' into the eyes of the Reaper himself. And-... I'm sorry sir... what exactly are you trying to say? You were surrounded by some sort of pack of monsters. Did I fuckin' stammer?! Fuck yeah that's what I'm sayin'! Oh no, but they weren't just monsters, they were fuckin' monsters that looked like messed up ponies, like some zombie shit or whatever. They were all tall and skinny and had these things on their backs, and they all had four eyes that just stared and stared and stared at me like you wouldn't fuckin' believe and don't you dare say I'm lyin' about this because you weren't fuckin' there, you didn't fuckin' see those things start walkin' towards you with that stare, that Celestia-fuckin'-damned stare! (The subject has begun to hyperventilate.) I fuckin' ran, oh god did I run away from that fuckin' place, and while I was runnin' I tripped, and ya know what? I fell in a fuckin' grave they'd dug up and ripped open! I fell on a fuckin' ripped up corpse and when I climbed up out of that shit I saw those fuckers goin' to town on my mark, just eatin' that dead bitch up. I fuckin' ran out of that place and I didn't fuckin' dare look back. I came straight here because fuck it, I don't give a shit no more. As long as I never see those fuckin' things again, I don't care if you hang me for all I care. Just keep those hell things, those fuckin' Ghouls away from me! Alright, Picks, calm down. I think we're about done here... Subject created some elaborate fantasy story about grave-digging monsters that fed on corpses. We have no idea why he would come up with such a crazed tale, but we're setting him up with a psychiatrist to help in case it's some sort of delusional mental disorder or whatever. Honestly captain, I wouldn't give any merit to what he said. Sure, there were some dug up graves in the graveyard Mr. Picks was referring to, but there weren't any chewed up corpses. Not even so much as a speck of blood. Just empty, torn up graves, probably some punks, or more likely, associates of Mr. Picks who he's trying to protect with this monster story. Either way, I think we've gotten all the info out of him that we can. All we can say is that he seems genuinely afraid of cemeteries now. Keeps mumbling that he didn't want to have to deal with competition that vicious or something like that. In any case, that's my report. This is (Name Redacted) signing out.
Day FourDay Four ~~Those blasted idiots! How dare they! The sheer audacity and idiocy! I hope their damned souls rot in Tartarus for this betrayal!~~ My apologies for that outburst above. We had an unfortunate event happen, and my emotions got the best of me. This morning, I had decided to inform my crew of what I had witnessed late last night. It was my firm suggestion that we all stay close together at all times, and that hopefully the larger number of our crew would keep them at bay. It was then that over half of our Earth pony workers decided to make a break for it out of the tunnels. They evidently had been harboring discontent the entire trip, and this was the final strike for them. They'd rather take their chances out there with the ghouls than in here with the group. Needless to say, the sounds of screeching and screams of pure terror echoed after us as we continued on. Blast, these bags of equipment are heavy... We've stopped for the night, and I'm happy to report the ghouls have been leaving us alone tonight. Perhaps those fool Earth ponies were enough of a meal for them and sated their hunger. Perhaps now we can travel in peace. Author's Note Keep in mind that since this is a journal, not every day is going to be packed with excitement. Don't worry though. Next chapter is coming in soon enough.
