TVTropes Now available in the app store!
Open

Follow TV Tropes

Following

Perils and Ponies; Champions of Friendship

Go To

SOCR Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Get out of here, STALKER
#1: Aug 27th 2011 at 9:13:51 AM

Coltvaire. A continent secluded from Eberron from a pact with three dragons, which gave rise to a race of peaceful, sentient ponies. Their existence was idyllic, and Ponykind prospered under a wise ruler for a thousand years. But even the stars in the night sky eventually fade, and one day their sovereign no longer attended to matters of state. Unable to decide a new ruler, the empire of Galloway split into five nations.

No race can be completely free of conflict. Eventually grudges and opposing motives played off each other enough to spark what no pony ever thought possible; outright war. The fighting lasted, in various violent and non-violent forms, for a hundred years. During this time the Ponyforged were made, artificial constructs meant to fight in a pony's place. But even they knew war was against a pony's nature, and many of them too joined the growing volume of voices pleading for the fighting to stop, put an end to the unponylike violence that had the continent gripped in fear and apprehension. The belligerents finally saw reason, and gathered together in Celestia's old seat of power to sign the Treaty of Friendship.

For the past two years Ponykind has finally seen peace that none currently alive remembered in their lifetimes. Ever optimistic and cheerful, ponies all over immediately took to peacetime and even without recollection of the time without strife before them, they have immediately taken to rebuilding society and the feeling of kinship that all of Coltvaire shared before. Once again everypony can be friends, with no arbitrary divisions between them. Many of the tools of war were either repurposed for peaceful uses or buried in massive underground vaults, and the twelve Dragonmarked Stables fuel a continent-wide shared economy and help make life easier for all.

The elites of each nation, and of the Stables, still hold much power- the former they say from Celestia and the latter from the dragons that made the world themselves. Amongst them the friendship is reluctant or tense, and there are still forces at work to divide them. Coltvaire needs adventurers, ponies willing to go out into the wilds to do everything from solving petty conflicts, to keeping these nobles in line and under the terms of the Treaty. There are also many secrets Coltvaire holds, and many dangers ponies need to be protected from aside from themselves.

In the city of Sharn, a meeting is taking place to assemble a group of ponies for just such a task. The Sivis Stable has gotten word of some serious issues, and they need some promising ponies to achieve their goals. They have spent much time looking for promising candidates, and finally small invitations have been sent out; On her travels a monk receives a note with a time and place, accompanied by a familiar symbol. A noble contacts a carpenter and family friend. A Weather Service pegasi gets a word from her boss that their services are needed in a very specific situation. An artificer learns of an opportunity to test their creations out in the field. A sympathetic academic colleague informs a transmuter there may be a way to secure the influence he needs. A performer is informed by her agent and friend that there is a unique opportunity for her to use her talents in a new way. A pony renown for taking any challenge receives an offer to be paid for his efforts.

All of them have been told to meet in the back room of an inn, reserved for just such an occasion. The innkeeper has been informed that they are not to be disturbed, and has positioned ponies to ward away intruders, but some are doubtless to come. Inside a table sits with envelopes and cards sitting in eight equidistant positions. A short distance away stood a filly with the Sivir dragonmark on her left flank, and a yellow emblem on her right. She was fidgeting nervously, stark contrast to the statuesque ponyforged next to her, who was merely mildly irritated at the lack of ponies before them. How long would they be kept waiting?

edited 29th Aug '11 10:53:43 AM by SOCR

How can you be in two places at once when you're not anywhere at all?
Chabal2 Since: Jan, 2010
#2: Aug 27th 2011 at 9:26:35 AM

-A large, rustic-looking pony enters the tavern, looking for the ponies it was told to meet. Seeing a rather obvious ring of empty tables, he heads for the pair at its center.-

You here for the job?

SullenFrog (Elder Troper) Relationship Status: I wanna know about these strangers like me
#3: Aug 27th 2011 at 10:44:47 AM

It had been several weeks since Valour Swift had left the relative peace and tranquility of her mountain home, and as she walked slowly through the streets of Sharn the young monk found it difficult to ignore just how different this sprawling city was from the grim peaks and hallowed halls of the Equ monastery. Ponies of every sort mingled freely in the road, the din of countless conversations filling the air to the point where it was difficult to think, and in every direction great spires and towers stretched high into the sky, gargantuan edifices that seemed almost as tall as the great peaks on which her order's monastery had been built so long ago. Yet the mountains were natural formations, whereas these titanic structures had been wrought over the course of decades by the hands of Ponykind, and the sheer scale of this city, combined with how many people seemed to live within it, threatened to leave Valour flummoxed in the middle of a busy thoroughfare. How could anypony live in a place like this, she wondered, packed together in such close proximity to one another and in such a state of what seemed to her like complete and utter pandemonium?

Realizing that this vista was beginning to overwhelm her, the silver-maned filly retreated to a shallow recess between two shops, closed her eyes and began to recite one of the Egu's mantras undr her breath in an effort to calm herself. She was normally more disciplined than this, but the sights and clamour made it difficult for Valour to concentrate, a fact that filled her with some shame; after all, the vivid green leaf emblazoned on her flank was mute testament to the discipline and calm determination she had demonstrated years ago during her Rite of Balance.

Calmed by the familiar rote of the mantra, Valour resolved that this would not happen again. She stepped out into the street once more and continued on her way, not allowing the various unfamiliar sights and sounds to overwhelm her as she panned her gaze across the establishments in the vicinity; the letter she had received indicated that the inn was nearby, and sure enough her green gaze fell upon its entrance after a brief moment of searching. Satisfied, the young monk trotted along, slipping between other ponies as she moved against the flow of the crowd towards her destination.

The letter had been something of a curiosity, she mused as she opened the inn's door and stepped inside. It had come to her several nights earlier as she ventured through the wilderness of Breland, appearing before her in a sudden burst of magic which had startled the young mare; it was the first time she had ever seen the services of the Sivis Stable put into action, and while she knew of the dragonmarked stable's ability to send messages across vast distances in a very short span of time, reading about something in course of her studies and seeing it in person were two very different things. Once Valour had gotten over the initial shock, confusion had set in; the letter's contents were very brief, containing only the name and address of this inn and a time—which, if her sense of time was accurate, would be upon her any minute now.

She might have dismissed such a brief and mysterious letter altogether were it not for the unexpected presence of a distinctive mark: beneath the time and place had been drawn a crescent moon, with a drawn bowstring stretched between its points. Before leaving the monastery, the elders had instructed Valour to look for this symbol, and while they had not explained why she was to do they had explained what this celestial bow represented: the moon was indicative of a cosmic importance; the bowstring respresented tension; and the lack of an arrow meant that something vital to the world was missing.

That had been the first time in the course of her journey that Valour had happened upon this symbol, and the young monk was not about to turn down what might very well be her only lead to the nature of this quest; and so here she was, entering a nondescript inn in the fabled City of Towers at the behest of a mysterious letter. She remained cautious and alert as she approached one of the back rooms, not certain what lay in wait for her beyond that door yet remaining somewhat hopeful nonetheless. If someone was in need of her aid, then she would not hesitate to give; and if this was some manner of trap, if whoever sat within the room before her had hostile or malicious intentions, then Valour Swift would show them that a monk of the Equ was not easy prey.

After taking a moment to steel herself, Valour raised one hoof from the floor and knocked politely on the door.

edited 27th Aug '11 11:06:20 AM by SullenFrog

The Danse Macabre Codex
JohnStargazer Since: Jul, 2009
#4: Aug 27th 2011 at 11:01:22 AM

A dark hided young pegasus sits in one corner of the inn, cheerfully chatting away with a table of ponies who, frankly, had no idea who he was twenty minutes ago.

"Really? The weather service? That's interesting, I've heard it's good work. Not, you know, anything I'd go into myself. I couldn't tell an altocumulus from a stratocumulus until I've fallen through!" He laughs, glancing up as interesting looking individuals started entering the back rooms. "Oh, excuse me, fillies and gentlecolts. It looks like the meet-up is about to start, so I'd better sli- head in before the tables get crowded. Enjoy your night!"

Walking casually away from the table, he joined the young earth pony waiting at the door with an easy grin, cheerfully greeting her, "Hi! Here for the big meeting? Me too. Name's Stargazer, with the astronomer's guild. Nice to meet you, Miss...?"

SullenFrog (Elder Troper) Relationship Status: I wanna know about these strangers like me
#5: Aug 27th 2011 at 11:24:36 AM

Valour had suspected that she might not have been the only pony to have been summoned here, and from the words of the the black-furred Pegasus who had just approached her, it appeared that her suspicions were correct. As for the Pegasus himself, this Stargazer seemed friendly enough, though Valour was somewhat puzzled as to what his intentions were; was he simply interested in polite conversation, or did he have something else in mind? Or worse, what if he was some kind of conpony, and his cheerful and friendly demeanour was simply a facade intended to make her lower her guard and be more susceptible to his schemes?

Too many possibilities, much to the young monk's consternation. Unable to decide how to react or what to tell him, the Earth Pony decided to indulge his request only as much as was strictly necessary.

"...Swift," she said, perhaps a bit more curtly than she had intended.

The Danse Macabre Codex
slowzombie Platypus! from Way up North Since: Jan, 2001
Platypus!
#6: Aug 27th 2011 at 12:00:23 PM

Down the street towards the inn, trotted a young unicorn colt, his mane an unorganized mess, his eyes covered by a pair of round goggles that it couldn't possibly be easy to see through. His name: Rattleclank, and today, he was a pony with a mission. The cart he was pulling was considerably lighter than it had been, just a couple of days ago, but a rather unfortunate experiment-related mishap had been unkind to his collection of stuff. Still, he had a couple of scrolls, that old spiky thing, all in all, not bad. As he neared the inn, he found himself humming a song by a certain cacophonous unicorn.

Finding a place to park the cart was somewhat tricky, but Rattleclank had seen worse, but then again, he had at one point managed to park the thing vertically, so most situations after that had merely been tricky rather than actually difficult. He felt pretty content with his solution, propping the cart up against another cart, this one gifted by an additional set of wheels, giving it the gift of balance Rattleclank's cart was sorely lacking. He headed for the entrance, and made his way halfway in until he remembered, and hurried back to his cart. Sure, odds were he wouldn't need it, but he just didn't feel right without his bag o' miscellaneous stuff. It was very useful when there was magic to be done, for one, and as such it was vital in his experiments. For that reason, the bag was quite scorched in several places, but it held together surprisingly well.

"Sorry I'm late, everypony." Making his way towards the backroom, Rattleclank decided to pre-empt the excuse for his tardiness. It was only when he got that far that, apparently, he wasn't the last one to arrive as he had expected. "Uh, nevermind." He said, looking around in the inn, as if searching for something particular.

edited 27th Aug '11 12:01:29 PM by slowzombie

Liveblog | Deadblog
JohnStargazer Since: Jul, 2009
#7: Aug 27th 2011 at 12:13:09 PM

Huh. Wonder if she's shy?

Turning towards the newcomer, the wide grin not faltering for a second, Stargazer nodded a greeting, "Hey. Looks like you're actually a bit early. We're just heading in now, and I don't think this is all of us."

He glances from the unicorn to the earth pony, then blinks and laughs at himself, "Oh, right, nearly forgot. I'm Stargazer, this is Swift. We just met, but she seems nice enough, so hopefully we'll all get along, eh?"

slowzombie Platypus! from Way up North Since: Jan, 2001
Platypus!
#8: Aug 27th 2011 at 12:18:11 PM

"Yeah, getting along. That's good." Rattleclank said, whatever search he was doing, if he wasn't just spacing out, distracting him from the conversation before he seemingly snapped out of it. "I'm Rattleclank, nice to meet you, uh, Stargazeer and Swift." He nodded, using one hoof to pull his goggles off his eyes, resting on his forehead. Truth was he had forgotten to take them off after the latest experiment incident,but that happened so often he pretty much considered it an accessory choice at this point.

Liveblog | Deadblog
SullenFrog (Elder Troper) Relationship Status: I wanna know about these strangers like me
#9: Aug 27th 2011 at 12:54:28 PM

Valour Swift returned Rattlecrank's greeting with a polite—if curt—nod, silently appraising the unicorn as she did so. He seemed somewhat absent-minded if his behaviour was any indication, and she found herself wondering whether his current state of disarray and dishevelment was a result of some manner of experiment gone wrong, or if this was simply how he normally presented himself to the world.

She also found herself wondering just how many people were involved in this...whatever it was...and what their reasons for attending were.

The Danse Macabre Codex
JohnStargazer Since: Jul, 2009
#10: Aug 27th 2011 at 12:58:06 PM

Glancing around himself, Stargazer points a hoof at the door to the backroom. "I think we're supposed to just head on in... Unless you're looking for somepony you're expecting to meet, Rattleclank..."

slowzombie Platypus! from Way up North Since: Jan, 2001
Platypus!
#11: Aug 27th 2011 at 1:05:43 PM

"I... uhm, I'm good." Rattleclank said. "I just... uh, nevermind. Shall we?" Explaining what had distracted him would require a pretty thorough primer on magic theory, and this wasn't the time or the place for that, or at least so Rattleclank was told. As far as he was concerned, there was no time inappropriate for lectures on magic theory.

Liveblog | Deadblog
SullenFrog (Elder Troper) Relationship Status: I wanna know about these strangers like me
#12: Aug 27th 2011 at 4:33:08 PM

Frowning slightly as she considered Stargazer's suggestion, Valour Swift again placed one hoof on the door and gave it a gentle push; it swung open easily at her touch, and after a moment's consideration the silver-maned Earth Pony trotted cautiously into the room, giving a reserved and somewhat uncertain nod of greeting to the room's two occupants.

The first thing the young monk really took in as she entered was that strikingly unusual pegasus who stood next to the young filly at the opposite end of the room. Valour was confused to note the absence of any sort of mane on this fellow's head, and for a moment she wondered if he was suffering from an illness of some sort; but then she took in his uniformly blue eyes, the dull metallic gray of his coat, the intricate and clearly artificial nature of his wings, and the angular, almost bladelike appendages which made up his tail, and with some awe the young monk realized that she was looking at a Ponyforged. She had never seen one of these living constructs before, though she knew of them anecdotally at least; no Ponyforged had ever trained at the Equ monastery as far as she knew, though some of the older monks, those who had fought in the Last War, told stories of their considerable martial prowess and skill. If her guess was correct, then this particular Ponyforged probably served as the bodyguard for the anxious filly who stood next to him; doubtless he—at least, the mechanical pegasus looked like a He; maybe he was actually a She, or an It?—would not tolerate any violence in the filly's presence, and would respond in kind...not a particularly large concern, for Valour had no intention of initiating hostilities unless she herself was attacked first.

At this point Valour Swift shifted her attention to the young filly who was currently fidgeting next to the Ponyforged pegasus. The spiralling horn which protruded from her curled blonde mane made it abundantly clear that she was a unicorn, though what sort of magic she practiced the young monk could not say; from her current position Valour could only see the filly's right flank, and the Cutie Mark displayed there—a yellow triangle with what might have been some kind of starburst at its centre—meant nothing to her. She was clearly nervous, though why this was the case Valour could not say; perhaps it had something to do with the invitation she had received a few nights previous?

In any event, Valour knew that further speculation on this subject was presently moot; at the very least some of her questions would be answered in short order.

"Hello," she said, partly out of greeting and partly to get the filly's attention.

The Danse Macabre Codex
deathpigeon Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: One True Dodecahedron
#13: Aug 27th 2011 at 5:22:33 PM

Lady Cacophony walked down the street towards the inn, I wish Radio had told me more about the job, I do hate going into a meeting unprepared. She sighed, now she was at the inn. Ok. Game face. She enters with a smile, and trots up to the group in the center. "Hello! I have arrived!"

slowzombie Platypus! from Way up North Since: Jan, 2001
Platypus!
#14: Aug 27th 2011 at 5:40:59 PM

"Oh, hi." Rattleclank said, taking yet some more time to take in the detail of the room beyond before turning to look at the new arrival. For a little bit, the wheels in his head was spinning madly, providing little traction. It couldn't be her, or could it? It wasn't like anypony else would walk around in public dressed like that. "Hi." He repeated, looking, if possible, more distracted than usual.

Liveblog | Deadblog
JohnStargazer Since: Jul, 2009
#15: Aug 28th 2011 at 10:19:46 AM

Well, that settles it. I officially have no idea what this meeting is really about.

Stargazer moved back a bit to allow Rattleclank and the new unicorn to enter ahead of him, gesturing to make his intent clear just in case.

"Hey, nice timing. We were just heading in to see what's going on. I'm Stargazer, that's Rattleclank, nice guy, kind of distracted but hey, who wouldn't be, am I right? And the one who just ducked inside you may have missed is Swift, she's a bit quiet. Sign of a deep thinker, I always say. And you are?"

deathpigeon Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: One True Dodecahedron
slowzombie Platypus! from Way up North Since: Jan, 2001
Platypus!
#17: Aug 28th 2011 at 1:58:17 PM

"She is." Rattleclank said in agreement, blinking. This was no time to embarrass himself, that could wait until his next experiment. He stepped into the room, finding himself a good spot to stand.

Liveblog | Deadblog
Bindlestick Aww, son of a bitch from Mad Hole, country of the Screamers Since: Feb, 2011 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
Aww, son of a bitch
#18: Aug 28th 2011 at 2:26:40 PM

"Gather then release? No, that would just blow up in my face. Can't have that. Heard it's very unpleasent. Maybe if the sphere is molded correctly..." For all of his supposed wisdom and intelligence, one of the few things Covalent, transmuter and ex-professor hadn't bothered to learn was not to read while walking. There just wasn't enough time that couldn't be spent researching or jotting down notes.

In hindsight, levitating the spellbook directly in front of his face had been a bad idea. Especially while he was supposed to be meeting a contact from the university. The letter had informed him of a way to gather power and influence quicker than he would have otherwised. It just hadn't said how. In fact, most of the letter's content had been frustratingly cryptic. But it had lead him here and that was what mattered. Maybe.

The robed unicorn replaced the speelbook in his pack as he approached the door to the back room. Several other ponies appeared to be gathering around the door. He approached them, clearing his throat. "Ah, excuse me, am I late?" A beat. "Oh, I'm sorry, are you using this room too?"

"You have more than enough potential. So tell me what is the one wish that would make your soul gem shine." -Mitt Romney, probably
SOCR Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Get out of here, STALKER
#19: Aug 29th 2011 at 12:08:26 PM

"You have arrived," the white pony mumbled to herself, as distracted as Rattleclank. "Oh! Yes you have!" she exclaimed suddenly, launching into action. She bustled around in a very small area for a short bit of time, before realizing she had set a place at the table for herself.

She sat down in front of the table with a cheery smile, "Sit! And I can tell you about why you're all here!" On each position of the table was a piece of paper and a largish envelope filled with other materials. Included was a map, and several sketches of things that were not immediately obvious.

A pegasi came through the door about then, dressed in Weather Service gear and goggles over her eyes. Clear Skies had been told to 'come prepared' by her boss, and in her mind that meant ready for Weather Service duty. Not having the bow or any arrows, she simply left without them, under the impression they'd be provided wherever she was going. She waved to a fellow pegasi in the corner, one she recognized from work, and trotted straight to the back room without introduction or comment.

How can you be in two places at once when you're not anywhere at all?
deathpigeon Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: One True Dodecahedron
#20: Aug 29th 2011 at 12:17:35 PM

Lady Cacophony takes her seat, and sits elegantly.

SullenFrog (Elder Troper) Relationship Status: I wanna know about these strangers like me
#21: Aug 29th 2011 at 12:21:14 PM

Still somewhat uncertain about this whole situation, Valour Swift nevertheless approached the table at the young filly's words and took a seat. More and more ponies had begun to arrive, making her wonder just what sort of gathering this was meant to be; the materials on the table made the young monk raise an eyebrow as she examined them, wondering precisely what they indicated. The map seemed obvious enough, but what else was contained within these envelopes?

edited 6th Sep '11 9:59:09 PM by SullenFrog

The Danse Macabre Codex
slowzombie Platypus! from Way up North Since: Jan, 2001
Platypus!
#22: Aug 29th 2011 at 12:21:39 PM

Rattleclank sat down, frowning at the envelope. He was no fan of envelopes, scrolls was more his style. Still, if that was the way his employers wanted to play it, he wasn't going to argue. "Thank you." He said after a little bit, it seemed appropriate.

Liveblog | Deadblog
Chabal2 Since: Jan, 2010
#23: Aug 29th 2011 at 12:31:56 PM

...

-Hammerhoof looks uneasily at the papers. Maps he might be able to make sense of if given enough time, but in the wilds, literacy is not an essential trait. Best to wait until the situation is explained aloud.-

slowzombie Platypus! from Way up North Since: Jan, 2001
Platypus!
#24: Sep 3rd 2011 at 2:16:34 PM

Rattleclank looked up from the envelope. "Uh, so." He said, sounding like he had just woke up or something similar. "Not to sound impatient or anything, although I guess that's kind of what I'm doing, so this whole lesson in politeness is kind of..." he trailed off. "Sorry. What I meant to say was, uh, what's the situation?"

Liveblog | Deadblog
Bindlestick Aww, son of a bitch from Mad Hole, country of the Screamers Since: Feb, 2011 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
Aww, son of a bitch
#25: Sep 3rd 2011 at 2:22:17 PM

His question going unanswered, Covalent decided that just going inside would be the better option. He took a seat. he glanced at the materials on the table, then the various ponies gathered around said table, then at the table itself, then the others again. "Hello!"

edited 3rd Sep '11 3:27:07 PM by Bindlestick

"You have more than enough potential. So tell me what is the one wish that would make your soul gem shine." -Mitt Romney, probably

Total posts: 42
Top