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[Dunder]

Dunder Blust was pacing in front of the smoldering remains of last night's fire. He was anxiously awaiting the arrival of the other ponies he had requested the company of. He hoped they hadn't become no-shows... even if they had he hadn't payed them a bit in case they were no shows. Maybe I should have paid them... I don't want to explore this place alone after all... He thought. The idea of exploring a dangerous set of ancient ruins by himself was enough to give him goosebumps.

After about 10 minutes of pacing in front of the fire, he bowed his head and sighed. Still no pony showed up. He specified to the readers of the posters the exact date and location. Where the Ripclaw River and White Raptorclaw river meet. Maybe I should have had a better method of recruiting? This poser deal is kind of too sketchy for some ponies. He thought. He looked into his small tent with a cloud bed, an idea from a close friend of his, and decided he might as well get ready.

He walked inside of the leaf and stick tent and pulled on his brown synthetic leather belt. A serious expression on his face as he looked down at the rapier, he closed his eyes as he took it. The cold steel against his coat felt good as he put the sword away in it's black scabbard. Other than the sword belt, he wore nothing else beside his saddlebags full of food and survival supplies.

The small red tassle on the end of his rapier scabbard bounced as he trotted out of the tent. He glanced out over the horizon again to check if anypony was coming.

[Andifferous]

"Shouldn't have overslept."Mumbled Dusty Clouds.  Wings flapping hard as he tried to make up for lost time, his eyes were busily scanning the surroundings, taking in anything that could serve as a landmark; trees, rocky outcroppings, anything that stood out would do, cataloged in his memory for future use. Thankfully the spot itself was a fairly easy one to find, especially with the thin streamer of smoke from a campfire marking his destination. With one more glance around from this altitude he began his descent, taking a gentle spiral around the campsite before touching down a few feet from the dead campfire.

"Hello!" he called to the only other pony in sight. "You Dunder Blust?" He asked. He immediately followed by introducing himself as Dusty Clouds; a name that was rather fitting of his appearance, coat and mane looking like he was covered in a fine layer of dirt and dust. He took a moment to brush his messy mane and adjust his olive colored vest, an article of clothing that had probably seen better days.  He gave a slight smile to the other pegasus and offered a hoof to shake.

"Sorry I'm a little behind. Overslept. Hope I didn't miss too much!"

[Phil the Time Wizard]

Midnight Brand moved at a steady canter as she pressed Westward through the woods at the far northern reaches of Aquelia. She was responding to a posting she had read in Beakbreak city. A pony by the name of Dunder Blust was to explore some manner of ruins and was hiring help for the task. The pay hadn't been excellent, especially given what the job likely entailed, but Midnight found herself strangely drawn to the job regardless.

It was out of her way and would likely take some time. As it were, however, at that moment her daughter Hopesong, the one pony that usually kept her tethered to the Ridge and the surrounding areas, was currently away in Cloudsdale attending a Flight Camp which would occupy her time for many months. Because of this, MIdnight was free to wander a little farther and take on more time-consuming jobs. It actually encouraged as much. Midnight needed to keep busy with tough missions or she'd grow beset with worry.

The so called Badlands they were to explore were evidently dangerous. Midnight didn't really know much about the area. Even while she had still been a soldier she hadn't ever been deployed this far north. Still, she was confident she had the strength, training and survival skills to face whatever came her way. The big question mark was who else would respond to the postings set up by this Dunder Blust. She hoped it wasn't too many. One or two others at most. She disliked large groups; usually she worked entirely alone. Bigger parties reminded her of her past in the REA, which always ultimately reminded her of her most critical mistake.

The yellow-maned earth pony could tell she was getting close to the meeting spot. She had been moving in parallel with the White Raptorclaw River for a while now, and from the sounds of the river, she imagined it was nearing its meeting with the Ripclaw where they were set to meet. Judging by the position of the sun, she wasn't that far off schedule either. She nodded and picked up her pace until the Ripclaw and the campsite near its banks came into sight. She could see two ponies standing about. She approached them, slowing her pace.

"I've come in response to the request for help posted by one called Dunder Blust," Midnight Brand explained her arrival in terse terms. "I trust that is one of you?"

Midnight studied the two others quickly. She was chagrinned to find herself facing two pegasus stallions, both in the prime of youth, one brown and one gray.   It had to be pegasus stallions, both roughly the age Wind Chaser had been back then. Midnight gave the smallest sigh as she nodded at them. At least the group was still small.

[Sturmmann]

[Congratulations, Sturmmann, you're the new Saren.]

So old Dunder Blust was at it, looking for an adventure. The flier had ended up in Muggo' Ale's hooves somehow, and he planned to drop by just to surprise the guy. The bar was left in command of his father (again, technically, as Muggo' had first gotten it from Stout) and Meadow Runner, which freed him from his obligations. Usually he liked being around the bar, but adventure was calling, and heck, he could go for a good story after all this.

His standard grey newsboy cap was on his head, a grey matching the scraggly mane on his head, and for the first time in a very long time, Muggo' Ale looked ready for anything. A dark brown tweed vest, filled with pockets inside though only two on the outside, in case he needed to carry a lot, but most of his adventuring gear was in a pair of thick canvas saddlebags off his flanks, and a final bit of gear in the form of a utility knife attached to one of his saddlebags within easy grasp. It was there for tasks like cutting trees, underbrush, and helping get fires going and the like, more than a weapon. He said goodbye to his father, a few of the regulars, and his employees, then stepped out into the Fillydelphia sun.

That was, of course, a few days ago.

Now though, the older Earth pony stallion was trotting toward the meeting point. Others were already there, including his friend. "It's the grey one." he called to Midnight Brand, having heard her question and grinning at the crew ahead of him. "Dunder, how's ya gettin' on, old b'y?" he asked, his accent thick as ever. He trotted up to the camp and bowed his head to the two unknown ponies, a young pegasus, and another Earth pony that seemed about his age. "Name's Muggo' Ale. A pleasure to be with yous all." he said sincerely. They all seemed like nice folk, which was good. And judging by the cutie mark on the mare next to him, a fighter too. Good...no idea what they'd find out there. He was confident in his hooves to get him through though.

[Winter]

When WInter had seen a flier up describing adventure, he knew he had to go.  After all, what fun is life without a little adventure?  He flew from Cloudsdale to the meeting point between Ripclaw River and White Raptorclaw.  When he finally got there, he saw an earth pony trotting to a small camp and assumed that must be it.  How often is there a group in the middle of nowhere like this?  Winter flew down over to where they others seemed to be gathering, landing heavily.  Winter looked around at the other ponies around him, doing his best to stay quiet and keep a poker face.  He wanted to put on a tough guy impression, just for fun.  Winter looked over the group and ran diagnostics in his head about who and what they were.  There seemed to be a tough mare, an older earth pony, another pegasus, and...  Dunder!  When Winter saw Dunder, he couldn't keep the facade up any longer.  He burst out laughing and introduced himself.  "Hello, you all.  Nice to meet you!  Sorry I am a bit late...  The sun was in my eyes!"  He said jokingly before looking at Dunder.  "Pleasure to see you again, Dunder.  I saw your name on the flier and couldn't resist showing up.  I thought it could be fun!"  Of course, Winter had other motives than fun.  He wanted to learn.  There was a group of adventurers here, and what group of ponies could possibly be better to learn with?  

[Dunder]

Dunder's eyes lit up when he saw a pony flying from over the horizon. His morning drowsiness broke in an instant as he watched the pegasus pony fly up. He smiled wide, glad to see he wouldn't be alone. He gladly took Dusty's hoof and shook it, "It's good to see you. Finally meeting a pony so I won't have to go on this expedition alone." When he let go of Dusty's hoof, he introduced himself formally. "You must know, but just to be formal, my name is Dunder Blust." He said as he put a hoof to his chest. "What's your name?" He asked the newly arrived Pegasus.

His eye caught a glance of another arrival. He looked over at Midnight Brand. He gave a warm smile to the mare. She looked young, but something was off about her. Although, she still looked strong and was definitely an addition to the team. Still, something looked off. She looked like she was worn a little, dispite her young age. She also looked like she was distraught to see them, but it was no matter. She would perk up eventually or else she wouldn't have come. He noticed another pony coming, but his bad far-sighed eyesight made him push off their still incoming presence. "I'm Dunder." He said almost at the same time as the other pony. He recognized that accent anywhere.

Dunder flew over and tacklehugged Muggo' after he introduced himself. He was glad to see his old friend and he didn't expect to see the pony pretty much in the exact opposite direction of his pub. "I'm getting on good." Dunder muttered as he rubbed his head affectionately against Muggo's neck. He soon let Muggo go and just smiled, "See? I told you we should go adventuring." Dunder said happily. "I see you're read to go. That's good, wouldn't want to send you home because you'd be a burden." He said as he playfully pushed Muggo's shoulder.

Dunder recognized Winter flying in. The yellow pegasus made himself hard to forget the way he acted. "Hey! Winter." Dunder said as he gave him a hug too. He soon broke the hug and trotted down back towards the fire. "Good thing I know some of you ponies." He said as he addressed all four of them, "As for the others, I hope and I know I will get to know you well." Dunder said with a smile to Dusty and Midnight. "By the way, what is your name?" He asked Midnight.

[Andifferous]

"My name's Dusty Clouds." The young pegasus replied to Dunder's question. "Though I prefer Duster, or Dusty if its easier." He says with a shrug, noting the other pegasus looking elsewhere. Following his gaze he saw an earth pony coming toward the small campsite, a mare with a green coat and yellow mane. He offered a polite smile to her as she walked up, though her terse manner of speaking took some of the enthusiasm out of it.

He took a breath to introduce himself before a voice called out, in a rather thick accent. Ears perked he looked around, spotting another newcomer approaching. Still as the older stallion spoke Dusty couldn't help but crack a smile, nodding back in return and giving his name. It seemed like Muggo was more his type of pony, relaxed and friendly.

Dusty listened to the banter between Dunder and Muggo, glancing around the clearing and getting himself oriented. This was a nice little spot to camp out, nice and secluded, right at the edge of fresh water... It didn't take long for him to get lost in thought,
I'm really doing it, aren't I? I'm going on a real adventure... His line of thought was suddenly broken by the sound of someone laughing. Turning his attention back to his immediate surroundings the first thing to catch his eye was the newcomer, another pegasus, this time bright yellow. From the conversation it seemed like this pony also knew Dunder.

He smiled back politely as Dunder began to address them, nodding in agreement. They all seemed like fairly nice ponies, easy to get along with to say the least. Dunder's last question drew his glance toward the mare, He hadn't picked up on her name either.

[Phil the Time Wizard]

Just as Midnight arrived, so arrived two more ponies. One was yet another pegasus stallion, though he looked even younger than the other two, to the point where colt was almost more appropriate. The other was an earth pony like her, however. and he looked to be a lot closer to her in age. As these two approached, they greeted the pony called Dunder Blust familiarly. Midnight nodded. She supposed there was some sense in that. Most ponies might be discouraged to answer a flier for some mysterious adventure, but if you knew and trusted the name, that made things a lot easier to accept.

The group, five in number including Midnight herself still was workable. It was about a third the size of the platoon she once had lead. It was a decent number really. She just hoped it didn't get much bigger. After a few moments, it seemed that for now at least the new arrivals had stopped. Mdinight looked at Dunder Blust, watching as he interacted with the others.

"It's Midnight Brand," she gave her name in response to the question, saying nothing more. She had never been very good with conversation. In the REA she had wasted few words, and living a solitary life in the Roughrider Ridge hasn't awarded her extensive opportunities to grow any more skillful at conversation. She wasn't here to bond with these ponies anyway as she saw it. She was here to occupy her time until Hopesong came back and to make some money.

[Sturmmann]

Muggo' couldn't help but laugh at Dunder Blust's reaction to seeing him. He grinned and ground a hoof teasingly against the young pegasus' head, pulling away. "This wouldn't be me first stroll to the unknown, b'y. I know what I'm gettin' into." he assured him. And it showed. His bags were full of proper adventuring gear, like some flint and steel, a pair of canteens, trail rations (just in case food got scarce in the Badlands, though there always was grass in a pinch), rope, even a bed roll and blanket rolled together and tied between the bags across his back. He knew what he was getting into, at least enough to not be a burden.
He turned to his other companions as they introduced themselves, giving a little bow of his head while sweeping his hat from his head for a moment. When Muggo' Ale straightened up and set the newsboy back in place, he took a moment to look over said companions.

Lots of pegasi...and they were young, too. Personally he would have wanted at least one unicorn, but you got what you got. Then the mare next to him, which he would put money down on being military, or ex-mil, just from the cutie mark and her curt introduction. He hoped she warmed up a little, going on an adventure this long with somepony who didn't like talking might get boring, or a little awkward. "It's just the five of us?" he asked.

[Winter]

Winter Bolt was surprised by the hug.  It wasn't every day he was greeted with a hug!  "Haha, it is nice to see you, too, Dunder."  Winter then went quiet again, listening to everypony else's story.  It seemed they were all here for hopes of adventure.  The "tough mare" was also a quiet mare...  Winter realized.   He thought about it only a moment before deciding that was the best combination.  It is easier to avoid problems that way, and he admired her for it.  He couldn't keep quiet to save his life!  "Well, nice to meet you, ma'am."  He said to Midnight Brand.  "I trust you are going to be quite an advantage on this venture." Winter looked over Muggo's gear quickly, astounded at how much baggage he carried.  He was stronger than he looked, that was for sure!  "Good question... Is it just the five of us, Dunder?"

[Dunder]

Dunder watched them all as some of them greeted one another. They seemed to all be getting along, at least for now. Some of them started asking if they were going to be the only arrivals. Dunder thought about it, there was a possibility that more ponies would come.... but there was enough now. Anyway, another pony that came would just be too late. The early bird catches the worm, so they say.

When Midnight introduced herself, he smiled warmly at her. "Hello, Midnight Brand." Dunder said. She seemed cold and distant... the way that she postured herself. He needed to find a way to get her to open up. Camaraderie was needed on an operation like this and he would pry it out of her.

He took off into the air and hovered above the remains of the fire. "Morning, Dusty, Muggo', Midnight, and Winter. I'm glad to meet you all." He smiled at them, "For however long it takes." He put his hooves behind his back as he hovered, "we will be searching for ruins here in the badlands. A researcher has discovered an ancient map, and we are here to explore what it could possibly be. Of course, a scrawny researcher is not that scary and would likely get themselves hurt. So, they hired me to hire you to get this place checked out." He took a deep breath an his tone changed to a more hasty one. "And I know none of you are getting paid until after the operation. But I assure you, it will be worth while." He said. He actually wasn't sure if this whole thing was a big waste of time.

"Anyway, if we follow the Ripclaw River, we should come across some mountains. There the ruins should be." Dunder said as he pointed down the river and gave it a glance. "We move out now. The faster we work, the faster we get paid."

[Andifferous]

Dusty listened to all of this with a smile and the occasional nod. He wasn't particularly phased by the pay issue. Foolish as it may seem to other ponies,  he felt that he was here for the adventure to be had, not the money to be earned. Of course having a few extra bits wouldn't really be a particularly bad thing either.

He took a glance up the river and stretched a little bit, waiting for Dunder to take the lead. Since they were a mixed group it would mean moving on foot, but he didn't mind that too much; he'd traveled with earth ponies and unicorns before, and it would mean he'd get to take in the sights from a different angle. After a bit something occurred to him and he picked up the pace a little to trot alongside Dunder.

"Mr. Dunder, you mentioned the researcher had discovered a map. Do we have it? Or at least a decent copy?" He asked, "If we do, I'd like to have a look at it." He figured he could glean some useful information off of it, maybe even compare it side by side to a more current map of the area.

[Phil the Time Wizard]

Midnight nodded at Dunder's words. She hoped the pay was indeed worth it. Taking a job with sketchy details when it came to payment amount wasn't like her. usually they needed to be upfront when it came to that part. This pegasus seemed like a capable enough leader though. He seemed to have a handle on things and talked like he knew what he was doing, unlike many his age. A good sign.

Midnight didn't have much to really add so far, as she had no complaints when it came to the proceedings. She mostly observed, still unsure what to make of the group as a whole. The gray pegasus, Dusty Clouds, seemed youthful, the earth pony stallion, Muggo' Ale, seemed to have a hearty personality to go with his accent and the younger pegasus, Winter Bolt, seemed to have a lot of energy. It was hard to say much more than that.

Which was in itself a problem. A commanding officer needed to know what his troops were capable of. Not knowing as much made it difficult to assess situations and plan effectively. It could even prove dangerous.

"Before we depart, might I inquire as to the experience, training and capabilities of those in our group?" Midnight started in a low voice. "Not knowing such things leaves us more susceptible to danger, which could in turn weaken our overall effectiveness as a unit."

[Sturmmann]

Ruins in the Badlands, huh? This was going to be fun, Muggo' Ale mused. Dangerous but interesting at least. He wondered what they were going to find in there, or why the researcher was curious as to what was inside. He stayed quiet during their little briefing, then while Dusty spoke to Dunder about the map, he looked over at Midnight Brand, who asked about their skills and such.
Just the way she worded it, and word choice, confirmed his suspicions. She was a soldier, or at least had been. "Well, I don't have REA levels o' trainin'." Muggo' said. "But I've been in me fair share of fights, an' heard tell of some stories from soldiers passin' through the bar. Ya won't have to worry about me gettin' in the way, that's for sure. Used to go on a few adventures as well when me father didn't need me 'round the Pony. Last one was out toward the Talonclaw Mountains when I was a colt. We had been goin' straight to the far shore, but the mountains ended up bein' a bit much so we turned 'round." he explained. He glanced at Dunder and chuckled.

"Oh, and then there's this one time when Dunder and I took on a Manticore. Remember that, b'y?" he asked with a laugh. "Oh, that's a story. Save it for later though, yeah, we got a long walk ahead of us." he said. All in all, he didn't have too much professional experience, but he knew, for the most part, what he was doing. He had a distinct feeling that wouldn't be enough for the ex-mil mare, but he didn't care. This wasn't a professional thing, and really, how dangerous could it really be?

[Winter]

Badland ruins...  Winter Bolt barely suppressed a shudder.  He had already met a pony from up there, and though he was definitely friendly, who knows what other things living there were?  There could be any number of things hiding around, ready to pounce, especially in ruins. "Well, uhm, as far as training...  Miss Midnight... well... uh..."  Winter stalled, trying to think of something impressive to say.  "I can... er, I can fly pretty well!  Yep, that's me, I trained with the Wonderbolts and everything."  He said, choosing not to add that it was only once. "And besides that, I explore the Everfree pretty often, which relies on fast reactions and inventive plans.  I think these ruins shouldn't be too hard for us to handle."

[Dunder]

"Sure. I don't see any harm." Dunder said as he pulled off his saddlebag. He opened it and carefully pulled out an old, wrinkled, discolored piece of paper with an ink sketch of of some sort of small building on what appeared to be a plain. "He said that he found the map in some sort of shrine like thing. Found it in a box with some flowers." Dunder pulled out another map, this one was much newer with drawings of the area. "This was also courtesy of the researcher. It also shows where he searched for that entrance to the ruin, and where he suggests we look." Dunder said as he pointed to the notes saying where he looked and arrow that said "here."

Dunder stopped walking and looked back at Midnight when she asked what the skills of the group were. He looked down at the ground and zoned out while eh thought. He knew that Muggo and Winter were going to be useful ponies. Dusty looked like he knew what he was doing, or at least what he was going to be doing. Midnight seemed like she was strong and would be a good fighter. Although, he thought they wouldn't need fighting skills. He listened to Muggo' as he explained his skills. Dunder laughed and nodded when Muggo' recalled their experiences with the manticore. "Yep, we showed him not to mess with us!" He said and chuckled. With his stories, Dunder was more convinced Muggo' would be of good use.

Dunder then looked at Winter. He always seemed like more of a lean pony than a muscular one. He knew that Winter could be of use with his fast flying. Not sure how, but he knew he would be of use.

"As for me, I am a master rapier fencer. I've never really had to lead an operation like this..." Dunder said, awkwardly admitting his lack of experience with leadership "but, that shouldn't be a problem. This should be a calm job." Dunder said. The researcher had told him there was nothing to worry about, but Dunder could tell something was wrong... all he could do was hope that his gut was wrong. "What about you, Dusty and Midnight? What do you do well?" He asked them, wanting to get off the subject of danger.

[Andifferous]

Dusty gave short a whinny and a grin of excitement as he was handed the maps, taking them carefully and looking for a place to set them down and analyze them for a few minutes. At times like this he wished he were a unicorn; being able to walk and read a map at the same time would be exceptionally useful, but then again he'd likely end up walking face-first into something sooner or later. Finally he spotted a fairly large and relatively flat outcropping of rock and trotted over to it, the rest of the group falling to the back of his mind for now.

Quickly laying out both maps, He sat on his haunches and looked them over thoughtfully, eyes scanning over details and similarities between the older map and the more recent one. After a few minutes he reached into one of the many pockets of his tattered green vest and drew out a map of his own, this one older and tattered from much use, covered in creases and stains. Despite the aging it was still readable enough; a fairly large map of Equestria. It wasn't particularly detailed, but he found it useful to have on hand for when his memory failed him. Mumbling to himself to keep his thoughts organized, he began to compare the different maps, getting a decent idea of where the ruins lay.  Still he'd have to get closer and actually see for himself; his personal map didn't give much information about the badlands, only a couple of landmarks that also appeared on the researcher's map.

During all of this he had stopped paying attention to his companions, leaving him unaware of their chatter, or the questions directed at him and Midnight. He did however, realize they were getting further ahead than he would like, so he quickly started to pack up the maps, not wanting to fall too far behind.

[Phil the Time Wizard]

Midnight considered the responses she received in turn.

Muggo' lacked any formal training, but he worked as a barkeep and had privy to all the wisdom and reckless brawls that came along with the profession. Furthermore he had adventured extensively as a colt so he likely was competent when it came to survival. Additionally, though she herself had warded off a young manticore while just a filly, warding off a fully mature manticore was still an impressive feat in it's own right.  This pony also just seemed physically imposing with his larger size. In all, he seemed like the strongest link in the group and the one Midnight would have to worry over least should danger surface.

Winter Bolt's response lacked conviction, which spoke to youth and lack of discipline. The Wonderbolts were a name not to be thrown about lightly though. If he had truly trained with them for any real amount of time, that was actually a mark in his favor. So too was his frequent braving of the Everfree. If this pony were cornered, Midnight might have to extend a hoof, but otherwise he should prove effective in escaping trouble before it reached him. She'd keep an eye on him regardless.

Dunder himself spoke of his rapier skill. Even if he had learned through sport fencing, talent with a weapons was something most ponies lacked and spoke to skill and finesse, especially if he was the master he claimed to be. To be skilled at fencing one had to be quick and capable of thinking on their feet which was invaluable to leader. Which was good, since he made clear he had never lead such an operation. Midnight figured she could give him his space for the most part. He was their leader after all; it wasn't her place to step on his hooves.

Dusty didn't answer. He was lost in the map. He studied it rigorously, not looking up and inevitably falling behind. If he was a master navigator studying every contour for their benefit, Midnight supposed he might prove invaluable. If he was instead just an easily distracted fool, then he would prove far less so. Midnight would just assume he was the weak link for now until he displayed otherwise to her.

She nodded at Dunder's question. She hated talking about her past, but for the unit to function they needed to know her skills just as she needed to know theirs. There was no avoiding it.

"Some time ago I was a soldier; an officer and platoon leader in the REA. I have all the experience and combat training that comes along with that. Since leaving the force, I've spent the last many years taking on various paid jobs like this one," Midnight explained as straight-forwardly as she could, ending with a rigid nod.

[Sturmmann]

Muggo' Ale looked back at Dusty who was falling behind but eventually got that they were moving and caught up. Meanwhile, Midnight was quiet and obvious mulling over all she'd learned. He looked over at her when she finally spoke, talking, very briefly, about her skills.
"Ya must'a just gotten out then, eh? They still left a stick behind, if ya catch me drift." he teased, giving her a good-natured grin. He was obviously just playing around with her. If she wanted to be abrupt and short, that was her prerogative, so long as she worked for the group.
"So, Dunder, why ya, b'y?" he asked casually. "Tryin' to get yer name out there? Or just got bored with the wanderin'?" he asked.

[Winter]

Winter Bolt gave up on watching Midnight within a few minutes of her contemplating the group.  He looked around, trying to figure out who would be easiest and most productive to chat with.  His eyes caught Dusty, and Winter trotted over to him.  Winter nudged Dusty in the side and said, "Hey, whatcha up to?  Reading the maps?  Didja find anything interesting on there, like what we are doing or what to expect?"  He stayed silent a moment before tacking on, "Oh, and I was just wondering...  what're you here for?  What are you good at?"