Adventures in Equestria IC.

[Deme]

"...It looks like there are things to do with the time, anyway..."

Foxglove said, to no one in particular. This was also, if anyone caught on, her assenting to help the kids.

[Benson]

"Thank you for the assistance. I'll pay for your stay at the inn if you want to stay there. Just go to the "Sleeping Dragon inn" whenever you feel like turning in for the night."

"Thanks cutie pie, such a kindness," Gearstride replied as her eyes found a nice npc patron flank to watch.

The oldest foal tugs on Godwyn gently. "Mister, somebody stole a few of our toys. We shouldn't have just left them lying around, but at the same time, somebody shouldn't have stolen them. We aren't exactly trackers so we couldn't find who took them. All we know is there appeared to be a rather bad smell. If you could get our toys back, or at least convince whoever took them to not steal any in the future, we'd be very grateful."

Then her eyes snapped to attention here. Children in trouble? That counts.

"Stole your toys? Well that's just not nice or cool. We'll help you find your toys," She boldly proclaimed with a smile.

[Lycan 01]

Godwyn gives a nod of respect to Silent Night, before turning to look down at the kid and raises an eyebrow. He then gets up from his seat, and kneels down to crouch in front of the young pony, so that they're eye-level. "Someone stole your toys? Well that was rather mean of them. When did this happen, and where?" he asks, before giving the foal a kind smile. "I'll do whatever I can to help you and your friends. Whats your name?"

[Mystic Muse]

"It happened about half a mile out of town. We think whoever did it went into the old forest, but we aren't allowed to go there. Our parents say it's dangerous, and that there are dangerous, nasty things in there." the foal explains. "My name is Neopolitan." she says.

[Lycan 01]

"Neapolitan? That's a nice name," Godwyn observes with a smile. Funny how even after all the day's troubles and pains, he can act so polite and nice to a random kid. "What was your toy that got stolen? And what sort of nasty things live in the forest?"

[Mystic Muse]

"I lost a large doll that I usually use to play with my sister. I also don't know exactly what's in the forest. I've never gone close enough to find out." Neopolitan says.

"I went in one day, because I'm brave!...Didn't see anything though."

Neopolitan looks at the younger foal, as if to say "There's a fine line between bravery and stupidity, and you crossed it."

The younger foal doesn't notice.

[Deme]

"...Hm. The woods must be nice this time of day..."

Foxglove mumbled. She'd never been out here, but woods were lovely, dark, and deep. She looked at the foals and said,

"If it's the forest...It shouldn't be too hard for me to find it. What's the doll like?"

[Mystic Muse]

The foals all describe their toys. The Daring Do doll is about 9 inches tall. The little girl's doll is about a foot tall. The bog girl's doll is a foot-and-a-half. Almost more of a mini mannequin than a doll. Some accessories such as clothes, a brush or two, and some mane and tail styling things were also stolen. The foals weren't gone long, so there were either multiple thieves, or the thief was rather large.

[Benson]

"Well don't you worry kids, we'll find your toys, those thieves will regret taking them," She told the foals with a reassuring and warm smile.


"In the meantime, I don't want you lot to be toyless, so, in the meanwhile, you can have my bag of marbles. You do know how to play marbles right?" She asked as she reached into her Handy Haversack as conveniently the velvet red drawstring bag was right on the top, as how the sack works.

She held it between her teeth settling it down in front of them.

[Mystic Muse]

The two younger foals grab the bag and go to play with the marbles.

"Thanks miss! I'll make sure they bring everything back." Neapolitan assures Gearstride before running off with her friends.

[Lycan 01]

Godwyn watches the foals gallop off, before rising to a stand. He turns and gives Gearstride a soft smile of approval. "That was rather nice of you."

He then looks over to the door. "So, eat first, or go rescue toys first?"

[Benson]

Gearstride nodded at the foal with a smile as they skedaddled out the bar. Were there still puppies in here?

Godwyn watches the foals gallop off, before rising to a stand. He turns and gives Gearstride a soft smile of approval. "That was rather nice of you."

He then looks over to the door. "So, eat first, or go rescue toys first?"

"Heh, I have my moments. I'm not all about hunting some tail to keep me warm at night, mostly." She smirked and thought about that bartender's cotton candy tasting lips. She took a moment to have some HPK pervy thoughts.

"Anyways, let's get them kiddies their toys, a kid without toys is like spellbook without spells. We can always have dinner later." She closed the flap on her bag and took a moment to stretch and totally show off her body to whoever was looking, NPCs especially included.

[Deme]

Foxglove nodded.

"...I can eat while we're looking, anyway..."

To Foxglove, just eating what she found in the woods was pretty much her first nature. And...She was still a little nervous about being in a crowded bar, so slinking out made her pretty happy. So that's what she did.

[Lycan 01]

Rolling his eyes at Gear's stretching and attempts to objectify herself, Godwyn looks back and forth between the bar and the departing unicorn. He could really go for a sandwich, but Foxglove had a point. She'd probably be able to find berries and such for them to munch on during the trip.

With a shrug, he hops up and trails after her. "This should prove interesting," he muses.

[Benson]

Well Gearstride did have trail rations (probably fruit leather hahah) so she wasn't bothered by skipping out on lunch here. After some sexy posing she scampered after the griffon and the unicorn.

[Mystic Muse]

The group are pointed towards the area where the kids lost their toys. As they get there, there isn't much out of the ordinary, or at least nothing obvious.

Tweedle doesn't seem to like something about this place, and sneezes. He acts as if there's something happening with his nose.

The kids were playing underneath a willow tree, which is a quite healthy looking specimen. No broken branches, nothing dead on it, no fungus growing on the sides, and no sap coming out of the side indicating something has cut into it.

The field you're standing in is a fairly well kept one, with a few instances of Crabgrass here and there, but overall it looks very nice. There are a few dandelions, all of which are currently yellow.

The group is about 500 yards from the forest, which is filled with tall, thick, old trees. It doesn't look quite as uninviting as the Everfree, but if you were just a normal pony, you wouldn't have much reason to think going deep into that place was a great idea. There are some fairly large trails into it it seems, but the rest of the forest is rather things with trees and underbrush.

[Lycan 01]

Godwyn idly looks around, before turning to Foxglove and raising an eyebrow. "I think I'll be letting you take the lead for this investigation, Miss Foxglove, since you are most knowledgeable and comfortable with the wilderness around us."

[Deme]

Foxglove was, for the moment, busy worrying about Tweedle.

"What is it, Tweedle?"

[Mystic Muse]

Tweedle communicates to Foxglove that there's a REALLY bad smell. Basically, whereas Tweedle periodically takes baths and such, he smells something that hasn't bathed in years. Minimum. He doesn't like whatever the smell is.

(Tweedle has scent, so he can smell things a normal pony wouldn't be able to.)

[Deme]

"Tweedle says he smells something. It's kind of --"

"<Momma!>"

"Very smelly. It's a smelly smell that smells...smelly. Sort of like when you find something and it's entirely itself, and it's kind of like getting kicked with the itness of the it? It becomes a sort of singularity... Or a platonic form, and other ideas to describe it fall by the wayside, because it can only be itself. Prototypical."

Foxglove forgot what she was saying until Fox!Glove taps her foot with his paw.

"Oh, right. Think that might be what took the toys?"

[Benson]

"Ooh...perhaps its a stink boogeypony, regardless come on, dilly dallying no mas," Gearstride wiggled her flank for a second as she sprang into action and then paused.


"Yea, I should probably just follow ya'll."

[Lycan 01]

Godwyn lands in the central plaza in the center of the town, making sure to land in a dramatic and showy fashion so as to grab everypony's attention. He then stands up on his hind legs, wings majestically outstretched, and his fiddle held aloft in his talons. He flashes a grin at the citizens... and then begins to play a lively tune.

"Fillies and stallions,
Colts and mares,
I'm sure you have problems,
Worries and cares.

Well I have a solution
To a common concern.
Please lend me your ears,
And the answer you'll learn.

I see many a mare
With flowing locks and dreads.
Long beautiful manes
Adorning their heads.

And stallions you too
Must show your manes care.
The occasional styling,
To impress your dear mare?

Well hip hip huzzah!
I've brought news for you.
You may not believe it
But by Icarus, it's true!

A wonderful fellow
I happened to meet
Whose styling skills
Are far beyond neat.

With a brush he's unmatched
He can make your coat shine!
When he's done with your mane
You'll look simply divine!

But "bah!" you may say,
What sets him apart
From a normal stylist
Who plies the same art?

Well I'll tell you my friends
What makes him unique.
The fellow's named David
He's quite young, no antique.

He's no pony, no zebra,
Not a griffon like me.
He's a species uncommon,
Something most never see.

Don't gasp in horror
Please don't raise alarm,
When you learn he's a Troll,
Who would do you no harm.

He's friendly and nice
Quite a timid you see.
Wouldn't hurt a fly.
Might flee it, actually.

Ponies? He loves them.
Particularly their hair
Which he styles and brushes
With astounding good care.

So of you kind ponies
Let me ask of you then
Would you like to meet David?
And perhaps be his friend?

He'd be happy to help
With a mane style you want
Give you quite the good brushing
Give you something to flaunt.

And so ends my song
I've run out of rhyme
Just remember dear David
Thank you for your time."

And with that, the Paladin finishes his fiddle tune with a flourish, and then bows before the crowd that has no doubt formed.

[Mystic Muse]

The townsfolk are, at first, not convinced about the merits of this troll, or even having a troll in the town. After all, don't they grind somebody's bones to make their bread?

...And then the Griffin serenades them with a very convincing musical number, and there are very few, if any doubters left. It seems the crowd is entirely in favor of at least meeting this David.

[Deme]

Foxglove's squad of birds were passing out little flyers about town, directing people to the market (or wherever this town had little stalls for selling him), where they'd gathered David's supplies and set him up. Foxglove was making more flyers off to the side, her mane still flawlessly coiffed as a proof of concept, and chirping a little tune to keep the birds in line.

...The flyers were probably starting to get a bit strange, though, and sometimes they were just abstract patterns in ink and marker. It would probably be a good idea to ask her to stop.

[Benson]

As Godwyn sang his merry little tune, Gearstride conjured up musical notes and had them following him around bouncing with him. She herself found her own self dancing to his tune adding to the merriment.

When he was done she danced and twirled her way out of the scene and towards David.

"Dave, hope you got that lesson there, when in doubt, sing and frolic, ponies love musical numbers." She laughed.

[Mystic Muse]

"Dave, hope you got that lesson there, when in doubt, sing and frolic, ponies love musical numbers." She laughed.

"Okeh Pwetteh poneh." David said and pats Gearstride on the head.

He starts in on his first customer, a mare with an incredibly frizzy mane. It doesn't seem like the mare takes very good care of it, really. He helps get rid of her split ends, dead hair, blahblahbah, none of you care about haircare.

He seems to be a success!

[Lycan 01]

Godwyn finds a barrel or box or something to sit on nearby, and cheerfully watches as David plies his trade with the townsponies. As ponies come by to get their manes done, he casually plays his fiddle, more to keep himself busy and provide some slight entertainment for the patrons, rather than to actually put on another impressive show. Though he may throw in the occasional flourish or bit of liveliness, just for fun.


Perform (Fiddle) (1d20+15)[34]

[Deme]

Foxglove will join him, singing along either wordlessly, or with little snatchets of words that peter in and out of the song every now and again, because she's just sort of making them up as she goes.

((Perform: Song
(1d20+13)[29]

[Benson]

There was a small grimace as David petted her head as her mane frazzled up comically. Anyways, afterwards, she would just play the role of David's assistant, cleaning up mane trimmings, fetching clean new scissors and other tools, flirting with the clients', etc etc.

[Mystic Muse]

Godwyn gives an absolutely stunning performance. The quality of his music alone convinces most of the crowd to give David a try, and very few ponies seem to have any sort of complaint, and it's arguable at best whether any of those complaints are legitimate. Additionally, for his music, Godwyn earns (4d6)[14] GP.

After a certain point, David has to take a break, but he appears extremely happy with his new job. He attempts to hug each of the group in turn, but understands if they aren't willing to accept said hugs.

As the sun begins to fall below the horizon, ponies begin heading home, and Dave closes up chop. You can't cut and style manes and tails in the dark, it'd be a travesty!

The inn is the best place for a room to spend the night here. It'd be a good idea to do so, even if you all decide to just head on to the Badlands instead of going to the castle with Silent Night.

The Next Day.

Spoiler

Show

Word of the Griffin's music spreads far and wide. It's amazing how far a tale of something so simple can travel in a single day, is it not? Godwyn will probably be pleasantly surprised by this result after the lousy night of Nightmares he had.

Sometime, after he woke up the next morning, he'd be approached by a mailmare.

"Here's your mail, Mister. Have a nice day!" she says, and flies off. She gave Godwyn a single letter with a rather distinctive wax seal. Well, there are certainly worse things than a letter from Princess Celestia.

(A 30 on a perform check is sufficient to get attention from distant patrons or extraplanar beings. With Foxglove's help, Godwyn got a 38.)