Tempest Rime

You poor, poor, non-flying pony.

Lola retrieved a notebook from her bag and began to take notes on just how the balloon is piloted. In the margins she also adds in little ideas on how the system might be improved or automated. By the time Monty gots done talking about dead air, she had begun drawing a few design ideas for dirigibles. "Thank you, Mr. Monty, I hope to do business with you again in the future." She put away her notebook, resolving to look into alternative methods of propulsion later on. She turned her attention to the Unicorn. "I've never been further than the mountains, here. There's a decent amount of mining and whatnot up there, and the coal is what powers our whole nation. But the desert itself is something I've only read about. Between the Painted Pinto Desert and the Everfree Forest, it's no wonder that the griffin and pony nations have so little contact."

Lola smiled and stowed away her parasol. "How wonderfully punctual." She motioned for her servants to load up her bags and gave an envelope to one of them. "Give this to my father next time he's at the estate, please, Javert." The servant nodded and Lola turned back to Monty. "Well, I'm prepared," she said with a notable amount of excitement in her voice. She climbed into the balloon, managing to make doing so look dainty and graceful somehow. "Let's get this journey officially underway!" She watched Monty carefully, so she would have an idea what to do to fly the balloon later in if she needed to.

"How interesting. Well, another traveling companion certainly can't hurt, and a unicorn no less. Well, lets get going, don't want to keep this Monty waiting." Lola gestured for the servants to get her bags, and stepped out the door. She unfurled her parasol to shield herself from the sun, and because she believed it gave her a more elegant bearing. First impressions are important, after all. "You know," she said, making idle conversation as they headed to the balloon, "taking a direct course will lead us directly over the Everfree Forest. What a fascinating place that must be. If I wasn't already committed to studying unicorn magic, I'd be tempted to mount an expedition into it to see what fascinating things we could find. Ah, here we are." "Good morning, um, Monty, was it? I see the balloon is already prepped and ready to go. Fantastic. Now, ah, I trust your associate here has the details on where to deliver it once we reach our destination?" She turned to the unicorn, clearly more interested in him than in the other griffin. "Salutations, I am Lola Silverbeak. It is a pleasure to make your accquaintance."

((OOC: Lola's gonna be scarce for the rest of the day, and since everyone's split up, we may as well skip ahead a bit in the interests of getting this back on the road, so to speak.)) Whenever Dellios eventually arrived at the estate, a relatively modest mansion by Lola's standards, Lola herself was not there. The servants had been told to expect him, however, and were exceedingly polite, offering him dinner and showing him to the guest room without commenting on his rough appearance, though they do give him a few disapproving glances when they don't think he's looking. Lola herself got back quite late, and headed straight to bed. She still managed to be up bright and early in the morning, however, and had the servants prepare a few meals to eat on the way. She has a pair of fairly large suitcases already packed, and greets Delios as soon as he gets up. "Good morning my young accomplice, I trust you slept well? I've already packed my things, and a few meals worth of supplies so we can eat en route." She gestured to her bags. "Were you successful in finding us transport? I'm eager to get going, we have an awful lot of desert to cross before we get to anywhere interesting. I'm not sure how quickly we can travel, but I'd like to reach Bareback Gulch by tonight if possible."

Lola landed gracefully and whipped a pen and paper out of her purse. "Alright then, let's see... I don't suppose I could get you to look for some transport while I attend to my business? I've got a decent amount of equipment I'd like to bring along, and even with two of us it would be more than we could carry by wing. Something like this would be ideal." She gestured at the nearby air balloon. "Here's the address of my estate, I'll let them know to expect you so if you show up before me they don't think you're some ruffian. Is there anything else you need before I go?"

"Would you look at that, we're already nearly there. The trip really does pass by much faster with someone to talk to, does it not?" Lola said as she glided down towards the city, oblivious to the fact that she had been dominating much of the conversation by herself. "It'll be a bit late to set out for Bareback Gulch by the time my business is done here, and there's an awful lot of desert to cross. If you'd like I can have them set up one of the guest room at our estate here for you, if you don't mind being the subject of gossip. A strange young man arriving with me is sure to spark all manner of speculation from the servants." She smirked at the thought. She had never been one to shy away from a scandal, as it was an excellent way to stir up the curiosity of the upper classes.

"I suppose I've been quite fortunate with my own father. Had I couched it in simple terms, he may have disapproved as well, but when it comes to enriching the business, he's more than willing to overlook the cultural norms to get an advantage." She grinned, recalling just how easy it usually was to manipulate her father. "But yes, I suppose I'm a diplomat of a sort, though perhaps public relations would be a more accurate description of what I'm aiming for, as I'm representing a business rather than a nation. I don't want our company to be a foreign thing, I want us to have branches that reach across the divides of culture and species. Everyone will benefit."

"Oh my, no. I'm... broadening my horizons, I suppose. Progress marches on, and I don't think the prevalent xenophobia of Talonopolis is conducive to a progressive mindset. I'm sure you've heard the tales of what wonders unicorns can work, in spite of the amusingly naïve socio-economic policies of their nation. I hope to learn more about their ways and to spread the influence of my family outward. For far too long, we've been content to live in isolation, but modern technologies demand a more globalized marketplace." She paused, realizing she was lapsing into a rant. "But I digress. The purpose of my travels is scientific, to put it simply. I have no intention of abandoning my family... uh, not that there's anything wrong with seeking your own fortune."

"Excellent." Lola stashed away her parasol in her bag and retrieved a hand mirror to check her appearance. She had not been planning on company on the trip, but some conversation would make the trip pass much faster, and it presented her with the opportunity to learn a bit more about how the lower classes viewed the world. She smoothed her crest feathers a bit, put the mirror back, and cleared her throat. "So, Dellios, are you from Talonopolis yourself? Are you a would-be adventurer setting off for a life of excitement, perhaps? Or are you a runaway fleeing the obligations pressed upon you by your clan?"

Yeah, I used the template, with some tweaking to various bits in GIMP. And another character from her clan would be awesome!

"Well, then, Dellios, perhaps you should wear a nametag so those who have not been properly introduced will know your name," the griffiness teased. "Regardless, you may call me Lola, or Miss Silverbeak if you prefer formality. I have some minor business in Rockwington, and I was hoping you might be willing to accompany me that far. In fact, I'm headed east after that. If you are truly aimless in your travels, I could make it worth your while to join me as far as Canterlot, if you'd like." "It's not that I have need of assistance, mind you, it's simply that as a woman traveling alone I seem to attract a bit too much of the wrong sort of attention, and it's rather bothersome having to constantly electrocute those cretinous brigands." She waved her parasol emphatically at the last bit, sending a few stray sparks into the air.

Lola glided casually over the canyons, musing on her insistence against traveling with a bodyguard. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, and the scofflaws she had encountered thus far had been no trouble at all, but the two groups in the short distance she had come from Talonopolis were already trying her patience. Though she had traveled between Griffin cities before, she had never been alone, and the attention a lone female such as herself seemed to attract was far greater than she had expected. She kept a talon on her parasol as she flew, and her eyes out for any more trouble. She spotted the other griffin in the distance and flapped hard to close in. She sized him up briefly, quickly coming to the conclusion that he was not just another ruffian. A plan quickly formed in her mind; she had no desire to travel with a bodyguard, but if the boy was headed in the same direction there was no reason she couldn't travel with him as a deterrent. She closed in further. "Boy! I say, boy," she called out to Dellios, "where might you be headed? Would you happen to be going as far south as Rockwington, perchance?"

Tempest pokes through the goods on display one last time. "Hmm, well I don't see anything in particular at the moment, and I should be getting to work. Perhaps I will come back after the storm. I'll let my colleagues know they should keep winds down. If your captain needs anything else, any of the locals ought to be able to point out one of the weather ponies." With that, Tempest saunters off towards the town hall for a pleasant morning of sorting and filing paperwork.

Of course. That would be awesome, in fact.

[ Creature Related Character ] Name: Lola Silverbeak Gender: Female Age: Adult Species: Griffin Eye Color: Sky Blue Physique & Colors: Small and slim build with pink feathers, grey skin, orange fur, and a silvery beak (her family's namesake) Residence: Family estates in Talonopolis, Rockwington, and possibly other cities Occupation: Scientist and wealthy heiress Likes: Money, power, technology, progress, electricity Dislikes: Imperfection, her inability to use magic, anyone who gets in her way, the Razorclaws Character Summary: As the eldest daughter and heir to the considerable wealth of the Silverbeak clan's large share in Talonopolis' electrical industry, Lola could very easily coast through life on her allowance from her father, but the very idea of it would never occur to her. From a young age, she has always been driven to understand and improve upon things around her, and nothing fascinated her as much as the source of her family's wealth, the relatively new and still not fully understood power of electricity. Lola studied physical sciences under the best tutors money could buy, and has designed dozens of inventions that her father's company has put into production. When she inherits the company, she has big plans for expansion, but what really drives her thirst for invention are the tales of unicorn magic. The idea that the meek little creatures could command abilities unobtainable to Griffin scientists both irks and inspires her, and she dreams of one day being able to match all of the ubiquitous capabilities of magic with the enlightened power of technology. As she believes she has learned all she can at home, Lola has begun to turn her sights east. Where better to learn how to match the power of magic than in a place dominated by it. Thus she set her heart on traveling abroad. Fiercely independent, she refuses a bodyguard, and relies on her beloved science for protection, carrying devices that are advanced even by Griffin standards. Her favorite invention is a parasol with a built-in capacitor that she can discharge to electrocute ruffians should the need arise. She can appear to be rather pompous at times, as she spends a lot of effort maintaining her appearance. To her thinking doing so is not as much about vanity, however, as it is about practicality. Looking refined lets those around her know that she is someone important, and it serves to make a good impression on them. It is more of an extension of her highly-driven, ambitious personality than an expression of narcissism. Lola's views on the world are quite progressive, intellectually, but her demeanor is heavily influenced by her upper-class upbringing. She tends to look down on ponies, even while extolling the virtues of a society that fully integrates them. What's more, her agressive griffin nature does serve to fuel a very un-pony-like cutthroat mentality when it comes to her business ventures. She is often willing to let the ends justify the means, and while she is committed to advancing the greater good of society as a whole, she wouldn't bat an eye at ruining a few lives in the process. Her mother died years ago of pneumonia, but her relationship with her father is quite good, and as his age advances he has come to rely on her advice more and more in order to stay in touch with modern advances. After her mother died, her father remarried, so she has a wide array of both siblings and half-siblings. Her contributions to the family have served to ensure her position as heir is not in danger from her siblings, though a few of her siblings may harbor resentful feelings towards her. (I'm leaving the number of siblings and they themselves undefined for now in case anyone wants to play one of them. If you do, go ahead an PM me and I can add some specifics here.)

((Sorry I was gone so long, Dragon Age 2 ate all my free time.)) "Hmmmmm, steam power, huh? How awful. I can't stand that much heat. Clouds are fine, once they've cooled off a bit you know, but have you ever been to the factories in Cloudsdale? Dreadful. But yes, I suppose the weather lately hasn't been too unpleasant." Tempest sniffed and gave the engineer a disapproving glance. "Well no matter, I suppose I'll have a look around. You've certainly got some fascinating unique items. I don't suppose you have any recommendations, do you? Something that I could keep in my cloud house without it falling through the floor would be ideal." She began to rummage through the items on display with aloof interest.

"Hmm," Tempest pulled out a note pad and did some quick calculations. "Ship's profile with the tensile strength of the trees... By my estimates you'll probably be fine, so long as the lightning won't cause you damage. Floating up there makes you a likely target for stray lightning strikes. I assume you have some means of dealing with that, and I doubt there will significant electrical activity, but you can't be too careful. The last thing I want is for your marvelous vessel to be damaged." She glanced over towards the engineer. "Speaking of which, I don't suppose you could enlighten me as to how it works, could you? It looks gloriously complicated."

Tempest Rime, after her usual morning routine, headed down from her high cloud to file some paperwork. She noticed the airship with interest, Griffon trade ships were unusual, even in the bigger cities. She decided to stop by on her way to work, flitting down from above the airship and shaking the morning frost from her mane before stepping in. She glanced through the items on display with great interest, as rare and usual things were always exciting. Before she allowed herself time to really look around, however, she decided she ought to speak with the proprietor. She approached him, pulled the current weather schedule from her saddlebag, and cleared her throat. "Pardon me, Sir. I'm from the local weather bureau, and we had actually planned on a small shower this afternoon. It's nothing we can't reschedule if necessary, but I am unfamiliar with the stress-resistance of your vessel. Would you like me to file a change in the schedule for you?"

I also had a friend there, but I didn't hear about it until just recently. Fortunately, she'd already posted on the Facebook that she's ok. Still, my heart goes out to those in the areas hit.

Equestria Daily linked you, so I'm sure there are gonna be a lot of new folks, but regardless, hello everypony. Uh... Not sure what else to put here. Working on an rp character, so that will probably be up in a few.