The Third Age... Pony Style! [Ponyxalted 2e IC]

Random_person · 12-20-2011, 12:55 AM

The East. A jungle among jungles, vast in breadth and extending seemingly to forever. The towering forests of the Orient may hide many things.

The Deliberative of Equestria has charged you with the task of finding it all. As members of the Explorer's Guild, the six of you have been scouring the trees for days, searching for things of interest. Besides flowers, bark and the odd elemental, you have found very little. The East, though abuzz with life, seems rather dull. Two days ago, however, you ran across a demense in the trees. Though small and uncapped, it was interesting because of the sheer volume of Essence pouring through it. Poking around, you found what appeared to be a shrine to the demense itself, with a trail leading away.

Now, having left the airships in a nearby clearing and followed the path to its conclusion, you have emerged before a grand stone archway. Two ponies flank it, barring your path with spears of tarnished bronze, and as you approach one of them challenges you in Old Realm. "Who goes there?"

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aetherialDawn · 12-20-2011, 01:28 AM

Optimistic and undaunted by the magnitude of the task set out - even glad, secretly, for a darn good reason to leave politics behind for a while yet! - Skywing is swift to answer, alighting on the path and taking only a single step forward, dipping her head down politely for a moment before speaking. Old Realm is easy to recognize, and such a formal language is a good sign.

"We are explorers sent from the magical land of Equestria. I personally am Skywing, and bid you warm greetings, strangers!"

As for Stormchaser, he's remained on the Air Boat - studiously examining the local geomancy as best he's able with the help of Seven Righteous Fires, a bound Garda Bird. Demenses of great power are more than a little unusual, after all!

nolispe · 12-20-2011, 01:33 AM

Miri trots forward, smiling happily.
"As my friend said, we're from the nation of Equestria! We need to map this area. Would you be so kind as to escort us to this shrine such that we may pay our respects? Or we can probably find our own way, if your duties here keep you from leaving. "

BlasTech · 12-20-2011, 03:33 AM

Despite the fact that the monotony of the jungle was beginning to impact his comrades, Igneous was, more or less, having the time of his life.

Each new sound from the trees was like a musical note he'd never before heard, each new plant or creature they saw was like an artwork. Even a simple rock on the path earlier had occupied his undivided attention for a good minute. He'd even stored his armour in Elsewhere simply for the purpose of being able to feel the jungle wind in his mane or the feel of the sun on his back.

Right now, he scanned the treeline and canopy with wide, open eyes; drinking in every detail he could. His mind bubbled along as he located, sorted and then discarded objects as they caught and subsequently outlasted his attention span.

OOh, that's a nice tree. And those leaves are awesome. Oh hey, a bird! I wonder if that's a Metalark? Oooh, more trees!!!

It was during this stream of mental blathering that he finally registered the two new ponies with the shiny spears. He spared them sufficient attention to give them a wave and a chipper "Hiya!" before turning his mind back to looking at everything else at once.

Random_person · 12-20-2011, 03:58 AM

The guards do not smile, but the one that spoke speaks again. "Be welcome, honored guests, to our village. We offer you our hospitality in our homes, so uniquely blessed. The Shrine lies down the path which you have followed: if you wish guidance in the offerings, the shaman can assist."

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DukeGod · 12-20-2011, 01:49 PM

Kaiser's landing was frankly a bit weird. He didn't particularly liked leaving the Lillith but wasn't actually worried. His crew was there, and seriously? It wasn't like anyone could actually sail it

Aniway, he had his cloak on. It was gray with gold flourishes (very unneeded, but apparently he needed it. Nobles...), and had his personal crest. But most importantly, he had his guns, loaded with one shot each. Carrying more ammo was a pain the ass, so he'd use his Essence from them on

The pony takes a while to recognize spoken Old Realm. Nearly no one spoke it these days, he was at his best when reading it. Aniway, nevermind that, he nods to the guards and passes once they say he can

nolispe · 12-20-2011, 03:26 PM

Miri smiles, and begins to walk down the path.
"We thank you for your admirable hospitality. If you would not object, we would love to visit your village."

BlasTech · 12-20-2011, 08:17 PM

Iggy gave the guards a grin trotted past. "Lovely weather today isn't it?" he asked, watching their expressions to see if they might have understood him.

aetherialDawn · 12-20-2011, 10:43 PM

Skywing smiles politely to the guards, wings furled carefully as she walks on. She does take a moment to examine the stone arch; a gateway without a wall is rarely meaningless, but she doesn't linger. If there are ponies, then there's probably history to be heard, and she'll no doubt have brand new bushels of questions once she's spoken with this shaman these guards have mentioned. Old Realm probably means lots of spirit contact, but that's too big of an assumption to make right away!
She doesn't speak up further herself, letting Miri lead on, but does watch and listen for any reaction to Igneous' words out of the corner of her eye. She ought to start trying that sort of test more often...

Random_person · 12-21-2011, 04:52 PM

The guards uncross their spears, allowing you to pass. They give no obvious sign of understanding Iggy's chance remark. Skywing's cursory examination of the arch yields little: it appears to be weather-worn, but its purpose is unclear.

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Passing through the arch, you feel a moment of disorientation. When your heads clear, you see that the clearing beyond the arch is ringed by buildings, both in the trees and on the ground. Ponies bustle back and forth, while at the opposite end of the clearing you see a throne, apparently made of solid jade, on which a gigantic pony sits. At least twice the size of any of your circle, his shaggy green coat is matted with twigs and leaves. As you enter the clearing, his red eyes find you, and he beckons.

nolispe · 12-21-2011, 05:15 PM

Miri walks towards the giant pony.
What? What happened? The Arch was magical, certainly, but... Maybe some form of teleportation?
"Hail! We come from the great nation of Equestria. We ask you, what is this place? Who are you?"

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BlasTech · 12-21-2011, 06:02 PM

Iggy's casual reading of the guards was somewhat thrown off by the sudden transition from the middle of the jungle to the centre of a bustling township.

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Reflexively, Iggy half-dropped into in a combat stance before he realised that there was no cause to do so. Reacting quickly he turned it into a stumble that caused him to faceplant into the ground, hopefully before anyone else noticed.

"Woah". He said, as he picked himself up and returned the wave of the giant green pony. "That's a nice chair."

Lix Lorn · 12-21-2011, 06:50 PM

Shadows, who has of course been following quietly all along, looks carefully at the arch, but is startled by the sudden change!

She thinks rapidly, trying to work out what could cause such a transition.

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DukeGod · 12-21-2011, 07:19 PM

Kaiser gets a bit worried once they pass through the arch. The disorientation and the weird teleportion almost had him reach for his pistols. He saw a pony by his side also enter a combat stance. But he keeps his calm for now aniway. He had to remenber what he had learned. If it seemed like you were being led into a trap than it was probably too late. Better go with the flow for some time and find an opportunity to get out of the mess later

The pony awes him for a second. He was big. Kaiser himself wasn't most likely among the biggest ponies but he considered himself a bit above average. But that pony was truly big. Miri started the conversation huh? Well why not join in? He wasn't particularly good with formalities but the Deliberative had hammered a lot into his head. Nobility was complicated. His speech isn't quite as natural as Miri's. He takes a second or so to put the words together and form the phrase, but then he speaks, voice ringing with a bit of impatience

"I'd believe him to be the one we look for" Iggy breaks the whole thing with his casuality. He turns his eyes to him kinda scolding the pony before looking back at the big pony and continuing "Am I right? Are ye the shaman?"

Random_person · 12-22-2011, 02:26 AM

The giant sits back on his throne. "So. The Lawgivers have come at last to my humble abode." His voice drips sarcasm, ignoring your questions and comments. "I would tell you to make yourselves welcome, but your kind has never had any difficulty with doing that much. My children will be taken from me, my work will be forgotten as your... Equestria absorbs this little corner of Creation into one more piece of the perfect world." He spits the last two words like a curse, almost as angrily as the word Equestria. "Well, here's a funny twist. No. I stood by once and allowed this to happen. Not again. Never again. So I swore and so I decree. Never again!"

BlasTech

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Lix

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nolispe

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Everyone

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Lix Lorn · 12-22-2011, 07:54 PM

Shadows narrows her eyes a little.
"Is that so? Your anger is sudden and vicious. I have no doubt you have your reasons for what you say, but to be so rude to us when all we do is greet you? I wonder, what gives you the right to treat as such?" she spits the words, clearly irritated by his inexplicable bitterness.

Random_person · 12-22-2011, 08:05 PM

The giant seems unmoved. "How old are you? Fifty years? A hundred? How many winters have you seen, little foal? I have lost my count. Thousands, certainly. And in all that time, the Lawgivers have done nothing but lord and command, taking what they want and leaving only the dregs. Three times I have built from the ground up. Twice now your kind has taken it from me. Not a third. That, foal, is what gives me the right."

Lix Lorn · 12-22-2011, 08:38 PM

"Hmm." her lip curls up a little, and she clearly dislikes being called a foal. That said, despite desperate searching of all she knows, she's finding it difficult to form an argument based on more than outright lies.

DukeGod · 12-22-2011, 08:55 PM

Kaiser had had enough. It was quite likely that the shaman would act like that
Oh well, this might jeopardize the whole thing. Also it was not proper to a noble...
Oh well, stuff happens

The pony steps up, taking the lead

"WATCH YOUR WORDS! Don't you dare to speak of us, to compare us to the old Lawgivers. Do not be so arrogant and presumptions to believe you can judge ponies whom you hardly met like that. There are things you do not know"

He scrapes the ground. Oh yeah, that was one amazing act of wrath...

"You say you have raised this place from the ground thrice now? And you believe it to be that much of an accomplishment? Look outside the arch shaman! We, have twice raised empires that encompassed the all the land your eyes can see and countless days for even the fastest ships, beyond that! And once more we build it. You WILL listen to us shaman!"

Random_person · 12-22-2011, 08:59 PM

The giant growls softly. "Watch your own tongue, Kaiser."

DukeGod · 12-22-2011, 09:02 PM

"Not until you watch yours"

He smiles upon hearing his name. His next words sound a bit snarky

"I'm amused. Does my reputation precedes me?"

Lix Lorn · 12-22-2011, 09:05 PM

He didn't. He can't have... ugh. He did.

"If all you're going to do is shout at someone, keep your muzzle shut." she snaps at Kaiser. "This is his home and his land, and you have no right to insult him. The divine right to be an ******* is the very reason lawgivers are so distrusted, and it's not like they're wrong."

Random_person · 12-22-2011, 09:07 PM

The giant sits back, smiling. "I am glad to see that, if nothing else, there are those among the Sun's Children who have learned their history and manners, however rare they may be."

DukeGod · 12-22-2011, 09:11 PM

"I have learned the history and manners of the Lawgivers thank you...however, my sister in arms, even if these are his lands, I will not respect a pony who does not respect me aswell"

Lix Lorn · 12-22-2011, 09:15 PM

"Then prove you deserve it." she says again to Kaiser. "He has raised this place, and it may not be as great as the empires of the sun, but you did not to them ALONE."

She turns to the god and dips her head apologetically.
"Thank you. I would say that that is why you can trust us; that the very fact that we have finally realised our faults and failings is the proof that means we can resist them, but my colleague here is undermining me before I even say it."

aetherialDawn · 12-22-2011, 09:21 PM

Skywing hesitates for a moment. She's read something about elementals like this, but the distractions of the archway's strange effects distract her.
Once her companion has had her say, she speaks up in turn, carefully and politely. She does not spread her wings or threaten; clearly there is a lot she doesn't know here, after all. A little understanding is in order first.
And then Kaiser starts shouting.
She does spread her wings, now, dappled sunbeams somehow drawn to the feathers in a gentle glow. She does swoop in front of her companion, with a brief glare, and turns to the giant green pony. And she does speak up, more swiftly and hoping dearly that she doesn't stumble over her words in front of him. It's just a mercy that he's already reacted positively to Shadows, so hopefully these words will help as well...

"Your majesty, you can see that the darker path is still open, and that we still know it all too well. But we don't have to walk down that path today! This is your forest still, and our intent today was to explore, not to conquer."
She 'bows' slightly, just dipping her head down, and then flutters up smoothly and slowly to offer a hoof to the King of the Wood.
"I am Skywing, graced with the mark of Night. I have flown with the Huraka as not a leader, but a student and laborer, working alongside them. I learned the ways of the sky, but not of the forest. I do not know you, nor could I, but I would like to. Who are you?"
She smiles. It doesn't waver, but only with the help of her hearthstone in controlling her emotions.

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Lix Lorn · 12-22-2011, 09:26 PM

Shadows nods approvingly. At least one of her companions is sensible.

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Random_person · 12-22-2011, 09:42 PM

The giant shifts his position slightly. "I am" - here he makes a rustling sound - ", king of this wood and father to my children." He pauses a moment, then continues. If, as you say, your purpose here is purely exploration, I would gladly welcome you, but your companion's attitude does nothing to assuage my fears, and even if you are in earnest there are those who stand behind you. I cannot trust the Deliberative: what I have found and built is too valuable for them to let it pass from their hands easily. By all reports, the Deliberative is no different to what it once was. Can you give me a reason to think otherwise?

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DukeGod · 12-22-2011, 10:04 PM

The pegasus got the words right but they still seemed a bit empty to Kaiser. He blocks his mind to them. Mostly, aniway

"I can understand your feelings. I am a captain and like to think of myself as a father to my crew. However, if someone..." he turns to Shadows. Eyes a bit sad "Treats me based on what they knew of the past Solars, then I will lose my temper and see them as not respecting me. I am a Solar but before everything, I am Kaiser DeWolfe!

He kicks the ground, letting lose the small red stone that was on his bracelet. It rolls a bit on the ground

"I have here, an Oathstone. It can seal a pact between us, just as the Crowned Suns can. If my words are not enough, then we can use it"

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Random_person · 12-22-2011, 10:12 PM

The giant shakes his head. "My trust for you will not be improved by bound oaths woven by your tongue or mine. I know too well how readily such an oath may be twisted from its spirit while maintaining the letter. No, such trinkets are not for me."