Dio

I've actually got just the place for you. If you'll check in the Where is [PLACE] thread in the General OOC section, you'll be able to see maps of the regions. The area near Appleloosa is a confluence of both mountains and desert on the edge of Griffon territory.

Also, if you experience any problems with the new forums, please post in the bug report thread so that the staff knows to take care of it.

Virtue bristled at the slight. It seemed the two hulking brutes failed to discern who they were dealing with. Their accents and choice of vocabulary marked them as hired muscle, all brawn and no brains. Certainly they were larger in stature than he was, but after taking down a manticore or hydra, taking on a mundane pony seemed like foal’s play to him. The pegasus’ eyes darted away from the glowering form in front of him to the mulberry filly pinned beneath the hoof of the other henchpony. She struggled and cursed, but her speech was slurred and her reflexes dulled, leaving her in no condition to break free.

“Wrong. This became my concern the moment you laid a hoof on her,” the knight said, his upper-class accent manifesting as he dropped the growl. “I will give you one more chance to step away.”

Oh how Aequitas longed for battle. Between the pounding of the pulses in his head and the surge of adrenaline in his veins, Virtue could almost feel the beating heart of steel in its scabbard. But no, not in this fight. There was no honor to be gained, no blood debt to be settled. This was a street crime with two thugs who thought themselves on top of the world. Aequitas could wait.

“It ain’t happenin’ buddy.”

“Then this will only end in blood,” Virtue replied, his voice cold with righteous indignation.

“Fine, we’ll just clobber ya both then!” the shadow retorted, clopping his front hooves together with a metallic PING that echoed loudly through the confines of the alley. The other henchpony pressed down harder on the mulberry filly, who choked between curses and coughs.

Every combat instinct learned from years of training and indoctrination came online in a sudden rush of awareness that allowed Virtue to pick up every last detail, including the sniffling, mewling voice of a stallion in a window above the alley. There was a wall between him and Virtue, however, so his actions were of little consequence in this confrontation. The two stallions were actually colored a dark blue and dark green, both noted by the knight for easy identification later.

Leaping into action, Virtue charged down the alley, barreling past the stallion in front with incredible speed. Blue made a clumsy attempt to grapple Virtue, but ended up falling flat on his face as the knight flew past him. The other pegasus looked up just in time to see the fire in Virtue’s eyes as the knight body-checked the larger stallion into the alley wall, impacting with enough force to dislodge bits of mortar and throw up a massive cloud of pulverized brick dust around them.

Blue had picked himself up just in time to see both Green and Virtue disappear in a roiling cloud of dust and mist. His jaw dropped at the scene. What kind of training did the white Pegasus have that allowed him to do THAT? He inched closer, unsure of who would emerge from the cloud in one piece.

“D-Did you get ‘im?” Blue asked hesitantly to the cloud.

“NOT A CHANCE!” Virtue snarled as he barreled forward, parting the dust cloud with sweeping wingbeats. His second charge impacted with the same force that took down Green, but Blue was somehow alert enough to keep his footing. Skidding backwards, but otherwise withstanding Virtue’s attack, Blue reared up on his hind legs and kicked out with brass-clad hooves, lashing at the knight with renewed ferocity.

Ninety percent of swordsmanship is footwork. That instruction was not lost on Virtue as he deftly slipped around the larger pegasus’ flailing hooves, getting in a few jabs of his own before swinging himself around and bucking Blue cleanly across the face. His target stumbled backwards unsteadily, blood streaming from a smashed nose and torn lips, eyes bleary from the concussive impact of Virtue’s hooves.

Virtue strode forward, cracking his neck as he prepared to finish his opponent. Suddenly, pain—blinding pain from the back of his head. Virtue stumbled at the blow, finding himself propped against the alley wall as both stallions closed on his position. Virtue burned with both embarrassment and righteous rage. There was no honor to be had here. Why did he assume that Green would stay out of the fight?

“Ya shouldn’ta come here, shorty. Ya shoulda just walked away.”

“Now we’re gonna have to have to chop you up and bury the pieces.”

“Boss wouldn’t be too happy to have someone like you knowin’ about the business.”

Virtue’s ears twitched at the keyword. Boss. That meant the two stallions had a higher authority guiding them. This crime was far from random—it was planned with malice and premeditation. The smoldering flames in Virtues eyes ignited, escalating into a roaring conflagration that seared away the pain, granting him renewed focus and charging his veins with holy strength. Virtue snapped his hooves to the ground, his stance defiant and the ringing in his ears doing little to interfere with his newfound vigor.

“Do not think I will grant either of you the luxury of an honorable death,” the knight said coldly. “What you do in the darkness WILL be brought to the light. I will make sure of it.”

“Get ‘im!” Blue shouted.

The blue stallion lunged forward, but his brass horseshoes found nothing but brick wall. Virtue side-slipped around his attack, using both his wings and hooves to flit between the two hulking stallions. He whirled around and with a mighty kick sent Green sprawling across the cobblestone. Blue dislodged himself from the wall only to face a series of quick jabs to the face and chest from Virtue. Over and over again, the Pegasus hammered his opponent, slipping through or shrugging off Blue’s feeble attempts to counterattack. A blow to his chest left Blue gasping for breath, giving Virtue enough time to buck him in the face, sending his limp form flopping in a pile on top of Green.

As the two stallions slowly came to, Virtue approached them, that same fire still burning in his eyes and holy menace in his voice. Despite being taller and more muscular than the white stallion, Blue and Green both quailed in his presence, having just gotten their rumps handed back to them by what they were now sure was a four-hooved, white-coated, winged demon.

“Run,” Virtue spat. “Run and tell your master that he will PAY for the evil that he has done this day!”

“C’mon, let’s get out of here! This guy is NUTS!” Blue said, scuttling backwards as he desperately tried to get back on his hooves. Green and Blue stumbled clumsily over each other, bumbling their way out of the alley and back into the street, where their frightened chatter slowly faded into the night.

Finally, all was quiet. Virtue exhaled deeply as his thundering pulse subsided to a dull roar. His head still throbbed from where Green had struck him. Bruises from hoof impacts and scratches from brick and mortar fragments covered his side and neck. His flight feathers were ruffled, dirty, and unpreened.

“Routine injuries,” Virtue snorted as he shook the mortar chunks and brick dust out of his mane and tail. All things considered, he was virtually unscathed. The knight had seen much worse back in the day. As he approached the crumpled mulberry filly in the alley, he only hoped the same could be said of the victim.

“Miss,” Virtue said as he knelt down next to her. “Are you all right?”

Fillydelphia.

The cobbled streets of the middling-sized Equestrian city gleamed in the pale glow of oil-wick street lamps, wet from a freshly concluded storm. In the distance, low thunder rumbled as the sky yawned in boredom at yet another late summer night. The passing storm had done little to dispel the humid haze that lingered at street level like a murky miasma, sticking to a passing stallion’s coat like so many hitchhiker seeds. Between the cracks of eroded cobbles and in the basins of uneven dips in the stone, water pooled, forming myriad liquid looking-glasses. The shallow pools reflected the dancing oil lamps above with their glass-like surface, a dim likeness of the night around and above it.

Calm reflections scattered into myriad ripples as the sedentary stones were set vibrating by something yet to be seen. The ripples dispersed, a flash of white the color of freshly cleaned bone revealing itself in short order. The weight of his hoof-falls reflected his training, but the measured rhythm of his steps and the faint jingling of metal on metal that punctuated the steady clip-clop marked his pedigree.

Virtue couldn’t sleep. Though reasonably furnished, the the inn had provided little in the way of fans or air conditioning. The room was stuffy, hot, and oppressive. Perhaps he would have been served better by taking his chances bivouacking that night. The burly Pegasus ambled along, no particular destination in mind, working his hooves mostly to clear his head and perhaps allow him to doze off when he returned.

There were few others about at this hour of night. Hustlers, cabbies, drunkards, the odd citizen simply making his or her way home after a night out. All was as it should have been. However, as Virtue continued down the street, a subtle change at the edge of his perception set his senses on heightened alert. The tempo of foot traffic changed. Their clip-clops were faster now, more agitated, as if yet another storm were rolling in. Virtue’s eyes narrowed as he continued undeterred. Something lurked in the darkness, something that the average citizenry wanted nothing to do with.

As if on cue, a BANG punctured the darkness, quickly followed by the sickly tinkling of shattered glass on stone. It was close, not farther away than around the next corner. Incoherent shouts broke the eerie silence that had descended upon the street, interspersed with the clattering of hooves scuttling along cobblestone. Finally, a scream rang out, a guttered feminine shriek that seemed to hang in the air like the thick miasma of watery haze.

Virtue had heard enough. He strode around the corner of the nearby brick structure, making his way into the alley. Virtue’s eyes smoldered with pale fire as his gaze fell upon two burly pegasi flanking a fallen form. The street lights at his end of the alleyway cast strange shadows on the aggressors, masking their faces and painting them with solidified darkness and sharp slivers of golden light.

“Come on kid, don’t do this.”

“There ain’t no where to run no more.”

Virtue lowered his head and flipping his wings open, both for their menacing profile and to prepare for rapid and violent action. “Let this blade be a shining beacon in the howling darkness, flashing steel against the sins of the wicked, and an ever vigilant guardian against the insidious powers of corruption and vice,” he mouthed as he approached. Though his blade Aequitas remained in its scabbard, it practically thrummed with eagerness at his side, impatiently awaiting its chance to sing in battle once more.

“That’s close enough,” Virtue growled. “Step. Away. NOW.”

We now have a workaround for weird formatting codes showing up in the post editor after the preview function is used. In the upper left-hand corner of the editor window is a button that looks like a lightswitch. When you see weird code start to appear, hit that button to switch it over to BBcode mode, then hit it again to switch it back into the rich text editor. That should remove the weird characters. Be advised that you will need to "flick the switch" every time you load up a new preview.

Just remember to post any problems you find in the Bug Report thread!

As you all know, moving to a new board comes with its share of growing pains. Among these are forum bugs, some of them merely annoying while others are complete gamebreakers. The staff would like to thank you all for your patience as we get everything running again. In the meantime, you all can help us out by collecting data about the bugs when you find them. Having all of the bug information on hand will be critical in getting them all squashed quickly and thoroughly.

Please post here and include the following information when you discover a bug:

Name: Give it a name or at the very least a few descriptive words to make it easier for us to reference, track, and handle.

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I like the basic setup.

If you need to use them, I will allow you to use any of my expanded universe organizations (ie: The Holy Order of the Destriers, Royal Equestrian Army, Honor Guard, etc.). I can also make White Feather (a thief), Argent Rook (a doctor), Virtue (a Destrier Knight), and Fletcher (an Honor Guard commander) available for use as supporting characters.

Fillies and Gentlecolts of Canterlot!

You've been waiting, you've been watching, and you've been holding your breath for them! You've subscribed to the art threads, stalked the galleries, and dinged the bell on the helpstaff desk! Well wait no longer, because the gala thread portraits are finally here!

After careful deliberation and a committee vote, the staff of Canterlot would like to congratulate Dubstep, Tempest Rime, Mudbug, Tales, and all of the many participants of the Open Bar gala thread for the RP contributions.

Now, without further ado, I give you The Grand Galloping Gala 2011!

Tango to Terror

Dark Core and Malediction

Luna's Entrance

Celestia and Luna

Open Bar

Martini Paradise, Maximilian Rockefilly, Babbles, Knightly, Cherry Dawn, Soarin, Spitfire, Monty, Ginger Mint, and Doctor Whooves

This post has been promoted to an article

“It was my sworn duty to involve myself,” the knight said, looking past Cherry, gazing through the barn door at infinity beyond the driving rain. “When I became a Destrier, I vowed that I would protect the innocent whenever they were threatened by the wicked and corrupt...”

Cherry continued. “I should have at least said ‘thank you’ before I left though.”

A light chuckle escaped Virtue’s lips at Cherry’s response. “Yes, it was a bit rude. But I can hardly blame you. I will admit that staying at an inn with a sword-wielding stranger when you had just been chased down by strange stallions would be quite unnerving were I in your position.”

As his laughter faded into the night, Virtue’s mind rang with the clanging of blade on shoed hoof and scintillated with flashing arcs of polished steel. The Destrier made a show of shaking out his short-cropped mane and flicking his tail, partially hiding the attempt to shake the thoughts from his head. Certainly he would have been justified in slaying Cherry’s pursuers outright. He could see the malicious intent in their gaze, sense the darkness in their souls, darkness that needed to be eradicated if Equestria was to ever have lasting peace.

“Let this blade be a shining beacon in the howling darkness, flashing steel against the sins of the wicked, and an ever vigilant guardian against the insidious powers of corruption and vice,” Virtue silently mouthed the words inscribed in Old Equine on the flat of his blade. Aequitas was forged just for this purpose. Why, then, did it feel wrong to use it to carry out his sacred duty?

“Those stallions made an enemy of the Destriers when they attacked you,” he said, suddenly adopting a much more serious tone. “Until they pay for their crimes, it will always be so.”

An enemy of the Destriers? Could he really say that now? Were they really an enemy of the Destriers, or were they merely an enemy of Virtue, the knight errant? Virtue laid his head down upon his forehooves, closing his eyes as he mulled over the words he had jut spoken.

It was all over local radio and social networking, but I didn't feel a thing because I was in traffic at the time. Apparently quite a few of my friends, including several in the engineering building (a tall tower) felt it.

Moved to General OOC chatter, as this is an RP-related request.

Ooh, Elements of Chaos sounds like intriguing concept. That could be done really cool.

inb4 Chaos Space Mare-ines.

Ever since I saw Sanity-X's work on Deviant Art, I will never see Celestia as anything less than the Emperess of Ponykind and anything associated with Nightmare Moon as Chaos.

Welcome, welcome! The ponies in IRC already gave you the run-down, so I'll spare you the reiteration on the boards. For quick reference of RP rules and tips you can go to the Getting Started subforum. Any more in depth questions can be answered by me or any of the other staffers. Feel free to contact us via PM or on IRC.

Again, welcome to Canterlot!

EDIT: Ninja'd by Tales.

I'm putting him up for evaluation before I end up writing myself a small novel.

“-Then why are you here? Why are you following me?”

“Following you?” Virtue cocked his head quizzically as he answered. “Cherry, after the incident in Hoofington, you vanished. How was I to know you would be in the same barn I happened to seek shelter in here? Wherever ‘here’ is...”

Virtue trailed off as he realized he hadn’t the slightest idea where in Equestria they were. The storm had caught him off guard, completely erasing his ability to recount the distance or direction he had traveled while within it. All he knew was that he was somewhere north of Fillydelphia, lost in the mess of farms that covered the rolling hills of the Equestrian Heartland, sheltering in a dilapidated barn with a filly he had met just days earlier in Hoofington under less than auspicious circumstances.

“It appears fate has decided that we cross paths again, Cherry Dawn,” Virtue said as he stood. The Destrier gently nuzzled Cherry before stepping back to his corner of the barn. “Come now, you are much too big for me to be dragging you around by the nape of your neck like a foal!”

Unsnapping one of the straps on his saddlebags, Virtue removed a small metal canteen from its containing pouch. Virtue popped the cap open and took a quick swig before sitting down on his haunches, holding the canteen in one hoof and motioning for Cherry to come over with the other.

“I always travel light, so I apologize for having nothing more to offer,” he said. “But the water is potable and the corner is dry. Hydration should help loosen the cramps in your wings and rest will do wonders for your nerves.”

A peal of thunder rattled the barn again, albeit with far less intensity, seeming more distant than the ones prior. The bursts of lightning were also becoming more sporadic, indicating that the storm was blowing past them. Virtue briefly considered heading out to find a more secure location, but reconsidered when he looked outside through the crack in the barn door. The rain was far from over.

“When this storm clears up we can see about finding a town and getting some proper lodging and a real meal,” he sighed, turning back to Cherry. “Until then, I think you should try to relax and get some sleep.”

“...you... No... not you too.”

Virtue took a step back, not from an impending threat, but from the venom that Cherry Dawn spat back at him. She recognized him, that much was certain, but her inflection cut just as deep as any Destrier blade. There was vitriol in her voice, a volatile concoction of cold rage and abject terror that detonated in a spray of acidic verbiage.

Et tu, Equus? The words echoed in his head, his own words, now being repeated to him by an innocent that he’d sworn to protect. Betrayal was a dart that pierced deeper than any armor could protect, down to the very heart of a stallion. Even when colored by fright and anger, the accusation still struck a blow deep within the recesses of Virtue’s psyche.

“Cherry!” Virtue spoke curtly, but without malice, trying to get the filly’s attention without antagonizing her. “Please calm down. I am not here to—”

“No!” Cherry cut him off, her eyes darting about the barn like a frightened animal. “I won’t go back! Not after what that – that Buzzard did to me!”

“Cherry!”

Ignoring Virtue’s pleas, the little Pegasus leaped upwards, intending to take wing and make her getaway in spite of the storm outside. Virtue sidestepped just in time to avoid a collision, allowing Cherry’s outstretched legs and wings to flit by just inches from his head. But as he did so, the filly seemed to crumple in mid-air, as if giant invisible hooves had been clapped together with her in the middle.

Virtue winced as Cherry foundered, yelping in pain as she tumbled to the concrete behind him. The burly stallion was surprisingly light on his feet and wings as he quickly fluttered over her crumpled form, alighting just in front of her. Virtue folded his wings again and knelt down to bring his muzzle level with Cherry’s.

“Please listen to me, Cherry,” Virtue said, looking straight into Cherry’s eyes. “I made a vow to do everything in my power to protect the innocent. I have yet to break that vow and I do not intend to start now. Please, I mean you no harm...”

I think it would be helpful to include a list of participant characters and their players. It might make it easier to visualize the scenes while reading.

Captain Fletcher

Marksmanship isn't about killing. It's about consistency. It's about being able to hit the target every time no matter the conditions. What's it matter that you've struck once if you can never repeat the shot?

Name: Captain “Akula” Fletcher

Sex: Male

Age: Stallion

Species: Unicorn

RP Type: Main RP

Coat colour: Ultramarine blue. Bone white blaze. Bone fetlocks.

Mane/Tail colour & Style: Bone white tail and mane, both trimmed, but not buzzed short as is typical of REA regulars. Single streak of ultramarine blue in his tail. Tail is tied back during combat and competitions.

Eye colour: Violet with red flecks.

Cutie Mark: Three upward-pointing arrowheads in bone white. The same shot, the same place—every time.

Physique: On the shorter side. Physique is hardened and compact from REA conditioning, but not overly bulky as would be typical of a combat infantryman.

Origin: Fillydelphia. Assignments have taken him to The Borderlands, Stalliongrad, Beakbreak City, and Canterlot.

Occupation: Sharpshooter, commanding officer of Alpha Squadron, V Order of Her Majesty’s Honor Guard.

Motivation: Lead his unit well. Rebuild Alpha team to its former glory. Avoid getting sucked into the twisted webs that REIN and the intelligence community weave. Uncovering the truth about the Aquellian operation that destroyed Alpha. Finding his ex-wife.

Likes: Tending to his bonsai trees, tea, logic puzzles, quiet, personal time, the perfect shot, archery, darts, billiards, any other activities that require precision and control, acquiring knowledge, gin drinks, moving up in the world, classical music

Dislikes: Going into an operation blind, loud music while he’s trying to do research, Griffon liquor, intellectual stagnation, ennui, bringing up his ex-wife, willful ignorance

Service Record

Civilian Life

The son of an astronomer and a math teacher, Fletcher was always a precocious unicorn, even as a child. In elementary school, his head for numbers was proven time and time again as he smashed completion records for basic arithmetic tests and left his teachers speecheless. Though the rest of his academics were merely average, his mathematical skill was far above and beyond what could be expected of his age. However, Fletcher quickly got bored with merely manipulating numbers. Only the careful encouragement of his mother the math teacher and her constant supply of both engineering and abstract math problems kept his academic ennui in check.

Fletcher was introduced to archery during a Physical Education rotation in school. The first time he picked up a bow with his magic, he discovered he could not only "feel" the ballistic properties of his arrows, but assign hard numbers to them as well. By memorizing which numbers gave him the correct results, he was able to place his shots with impeccable accuracy. His classmates made light of his ability to see the trajectories of his projectiles in his head until they realized that he was consistently hitting bullseyes from distances where other colts couldn't even hit the target. In the final tournament at the end of the class, Fletcher performed flawlessly. He scored bullseye after bullseye, much to the chagrin of his classmates and the amazement of the collected crowd, thus earning him his cutie mark.

Fletcher's parents were not the only ones with an eye on him during the contest. Recognizing his potential talent, an REA recruiter present in the crowd immediately offered him an enlistment contract with a hefty bonus to put both his sharpshooting skills and his mental prowess to use for the Army. Shortly thereafter, Fletcher enlisted in the Royal Equestrian Army and was assigned to Alpha Company of the 4th Brigade, also known as “Sunfire.” It was here that he sharpened his skills to allow him to fire arrows using aether alone, giving him even greater precision and power.

Alpha Company, 4th Battalion (“Sunfire”)

Fletcher performed well in training with Sunfire, maintaining both his exceptional marksmanship and slowly developing a desire to lead. Within 3 years, he had advanced to the rank of sergeant and was soon deployed to the Borderlands, a dangerous place at the time, as border disputes led to high tensions between Equestria and Aquellia. During a routine patrol, Fletcher's platoon was engaged by an Aquellian force reconnaissance element. During the ensuing firefight, Fletcher's marksmanship was put to the test as he successfully engaged and killed a Griffon sniper, allowing his squadmates to move up and clear the griffon hide. For his actions, he was awarded the bronze star and an offer to switch to officer track.

Fletcher accepted the offer of a fast track to Officer Candidate School, eventually being selected as the new leader of his old platoon when he received his commission as lieutenant. Alpha Company was deployed again, this time to Stalliongrad as part of a joint operation with the Stallian Guard against a rogue kette of dragons which threatened to disrupt the otherwise peaceful relations between Equestria and the Eastern Alliance of Dragons. Alpha Company was awarded the Valorous Unit Commendation for being instrumental in the slaying of the dragon warlord, forcing the rest of the kette to scatter. During the campaign, Fletcher was given the nickname "Akula" (Stallian for "shark") by local forces for his precise leadership, impeccable marksmanship, and unwavering tenacity. For his actions in Stalliongrad, Fletcher was again promoted and offered advancement, this time obtaining the rank of Captain and securing a place in Her Majesty's Honor Guard.

While on leave in Canterlot, his swagger and harrowing tales attracted the attention of more than a few eligible mares, but only one managed to hold his attention for long. Fletcher met Caesura at a jazz club in downtown canterlot while she was studying to become a classical violinist. She shared his thirst for knowledge, his interest in books of all kinds, and his preference for classical music and quality gin. One night at the club turned into a date, which turned into several, which eventually resulted in an engagement ring. They were married shortly before Fletcher began his training with the Honor Guard.

Bravo Squadron, I Order, Her Majesty’s Honor Guard

Training with I Order of the Honor Guard was unlike anything he'd ever done before, as despite being a caster, he was expected to be just as martially capable as the earth pony door kickers and close combat specialists. It was also here that Fletcher developed use of his kinetic bolt spell, his preferred spell for close-quarters shooting.

In spite of many difficulties, Fletcher pulled through, eventually taking his place as a Special Forces infantry officer at the head of Bravo Squadron of I Order. His next deployment was again a joint operation, this time conducting anti-piracy patrols with the Stallian Guard along the Aquellia-Stalliongrad Trade Spine. Though details of his tour are still partly classified, it is known that his unit seized several tons of contraband from Aquellian freighters and participated in at least one combat action against sky pirates.

When he returned home, however, things were less than perfect. His wife had reconsidered their relationship, spurning the secretive nature of Honor Guard operations and the long deployments that Fletcher could tell no one about. While Fletcher was ready to raise a family in spite of his chosen career, his wife was not. The Captain came home to an empty house, with only a letter explaining her reasoning to remember her by.

Fletcher was devastated. His entire life, he had been able to control the variables, adjust for subtle differences in environment, and work around obstructions to make his shots ring true both in his career and his personal life. Though he didn't always get things right on the first try, Fletcher knew how to make the necessary adjustments so that things would eventually go smoothly. Now, even that was gone. For the first time in his life, Fletcher had encountered a variable he couldn't control or compensate for.

Alpha Squadron, V Order, Her Majesty’s Honor Guard

Though he was grieving, the Honor Guard did not wait. Word of his martial prowess and determined leadership had spread to the Royal Equestrian Intelligence Network (REIN) and their Honor Guard affiliate V Order. Having just experienced a tragic loss of their own in a botched operation in Aquellia, V Order needed both competent operators and a capable and tenacious leader. It appeared that “Akula” was the ideal candidate to restore Alpha team to their former glory.

At first, Fletcher was hesitant to accept the commission, but a long talk with his former squadmates in I Order convinced him that it was a risk worth taking. After some training for administrative duty, he was installed as commander of Alpha Squadron of V Order. His current responsibilities include selection of operators from the candidate pool and managing V Order’s cross-border operations and REIN assets.

Character Profile

Fletcher is very precise in both his decision-making and his marksmanship and is an incorrigible perfectionist. He is astutely observant of his surroundings and perpetually in search of new information on all subjects. He is a voracious reader and cannot seem to assimilate information fast enough to satisfy himself. Since he is not currently on combat deployment, he spends his off-time in the Canterlot library, acquiring ideas for new spells or methods for improving the efficacy of his current spells.

The nature of Fletcher’s demeanor depends on who is being asked. The enlisted men fear his watchful eye, as little goofing off occurs when “Akula” is on the prowl. The officer corps respects his accomplishments greatly and defers both to his intelligence and combat experience. Civilians once enjoyed his sharp wit and fiery ambition, but Fletcher has since mellowed out, measuring his statements carefully and ensuring he gets the results he’s looking for. In spite of his quiet professionalism, Fletcher is quite amicable when greeted and is perfectly willing to swap stories at the bar with other ponies in the military or intelligence communities.

Since his reassignment to V Order, Caesura has yet to contact him. Fletcher does his best to keep himself occupied with REIN intel analyses and V Order administrative duties, but he cannot help but make occasional attempts to locate her. This desire for information also carries over to Alpha Squadron’s final mission. Though he is currently Squadron leader, Alpha team’s mission is still classified for Fletcher, leading him to suspect that there is more than meets the eye to his latest reassignment.

Even when off-duty, Fletcher sticks to a tight regimen of exercise and marksmanship training to maintain both his conditioning level and shooting skills. He reads whatever material he can get his hands on that catches his interest, ranging from mathematical treatises to military history and politics. Fletcher’s apartment in Canterlot is home to several bonsai trees, carefully crafted over years of service.

Spellbook

Combat Spells

Aetheric bow. Fletcher’s go-to spell for long-range shooting. As the bow is composed entirely of aether and formed when needed, it requires no cleaning, restringing, or stowing/drawing, and can be as powerful or as precise as Fletcher needs it to be. Fletcher’s primary marksman spell.

Kinetic Bolt. Alternative combat spell that fires a small packet of charged aether that detonates on contact, generating a bright flash and powerful shockwave. Power level can be regulated to cause less-lethal effects such as temporary blindness or disorientation. Kinetic bolts follow a ballistic trajectory. Fletcher can fire multiple bolts at a time, though doing so is greatly taxing on his concentration. Fletcher’s preferred means of dealing with close targets.

Utility Spells

First Aid. Patches minor wounds, stops bleeding, and disinfects cuts and scratches, but emergencies like burns, blood loss, and broken bones or severed limbs still require more expert medical attention.

Blink. Teleport approximately 10 yards. Longer teleport jumps are possible, but longer distances exponentially decrease accuracy and increase risk of injury.

Darksight. Utility spell that artificially amplifies incoming light to Fletcher's eyes, allowing him to operate in low-light conditions. The spell is useless in total darkness. The spell automatically dispells when ambient light levels become too bright.

Telekinesis. Cantrip. Unicorn “mage hand” for fine manipulation of small objects.

Light. Cantrip. Unicorn utility spell for illumination.

Skills

Estimation and Evalution. After years of experience training in marksmanship and pathfinding, Fletcher is excellent at estimating range and gauging ambient conditions and associating those conditions with effects on the flight of his arrows or bolts.

Command. Fletcher has substantial leadership experience with both Special Forces and REA regulars.

Marksmanship. Fletcher is nonpareil in terms of marksmanship. His precision is legendary, especially among the Stalliongrad Guard. Though his primary means of shooting is the aetheric bow spell, he can still wield a physical longbow or shortbow just as well.

Metal. Cold metal. Virtue snapped to alertness at the touch, the material’s temperature and texture triggering every combat instinct drilled into him by years of training and field work. Every muscle tensed, every non-eyesight sense came online with lightning speed. Even in the darkness, Virtue knew the interior of the barn, including the location of his attacker.

“Don’t, move. Try anything, an’ I’ll…I’ll…”

With one swift, fluid motion, Virtue leapt up, knocking the garden hoe away with a massive fetlock and alighting on all four hooves just inches in front of his would-be assailant. His wings were half-opened already, prepared to propel him forward with more force than could be mustered by his legs alone in a barreling lunge that could knock the toughest creature off its feet and send it face first into the ground.

A cry of surprise issued from the mare’s lips as her improvised weapon clattered to the concrete, just out of reach. As Virtue’s eyes adjusted to the darkness, the flier in front of him was illuminated by a flash of lightning, revealing not an assassin or a thief, but a small, frightened filly. Virtue’s would-be assailant was young, barely a mare and definitely no hardened killer. The burly Pegasus relaxed slightly, looking over to where her weapon had clattered to the ground. What could have been the edge of a dagger or sword was in fact the dull blade of a common garden hoe.

The filly quailed in his presence, visibly trembling and stumbling backwards as he advanced. Virtue mentally kicked himself in the flank. The barn hadn’t been abandoned after all. In fact, it probably belonged to one of the nearby operational farms, the owners of which had every right to evict him for trespassing.

“How in nightmare did you find me!?! Who Sent YOU!!”

The feminine voice quavered uneasily, laced with a mixture of fear and rage. Virtue’s ears perked up at the sudden change in tonality and the realization that any rational pony would be fast asleep snug in her house in a storm like this. Whoever this filly was, she was neither the owner of the farm, nor was she a native of the area.

Another flash of lightning illuminated the interior of the barn, casting sharp shadows against the cold concrete and further deepening the darkness around the walls and corners of the decrepit barn. Slivers of inky blackness accented by fleeting beads of quicksilver skittered across the two pegasi as they stood face to face on the concrete. There was something oddly familiar about the little Pegasus. Though her mane was mussed and her coat covered in wood chips and partly dried mud, her eyes shone through the darkness. Sanguine eyes. Tired eyes. Hurt eyes.

The memory finally clicked. Virtue stepped forward, his wings folded once again at his side and his head lowered to the filly’s eye level. As the lightning flashed once again, it revealed the softer expression that he had adopted.

“Cherry?”

This was originally an RP thread between RCTwilightSparkle and I from the gala, but real life got in the way. Now, a month later I've taken the liberty of finishing the story arc as a fanfic. Though I was hesitant about my ability to write anything other than combat or introspective pieces, RC has somehow convinced me that this is worth showing. So before I change my mind, I present to you "A Trace Chance."

Link to the Google Doc

(( OOC: Yes I wrote this listening to the Rolling Stones ))

"Of all the days the local weather crews could have picked, it had to be this one..."

Virtue gritted his teeth, clamped his wings shut, and forced his way through the howling tempest, with each step silently thanking the last shop owner he had visited for the storm-proof gear. The driving rain stung his flanks and streamed through his mane and blaze, blurring his vision and clouding the breath in his nostrils with fine mist.

In the periphery of his vision, Virtue spotted something in the gloom. A short distance away, an old barn rose out of the mists. Though it was in disrepair, it appeared intact enough to weather the storm. Virtue grunted as he slogged through the muck that, in dry weather, would have passed for a trail. The decrepit barn loomed in front of him, its shutters flapping in the baying wind and front door clearly falling off its hinges. Still, it was better than being out in the open and a sight more respectable than the cover of an old oak in Everfree.

"Abandoned, but serviceable. This will have to do."

The Pegasus breathed a sigh of relief as he stepped into the barn, immediately enjoying the feeling of no longer being bombarded by stinging droplets falling from the sky like a million arrows. Virtue shook himself off, starting with his cropped-short mane and working his way down his body, flapping his wings and flicking his tail to work the worst of the rain out. Though his coat was still damp, it was far more comfortable than being soaked.

KA-THUNK. Virtue's saddlebags and scabbard clattered unceremoniously to the concrete floor of the barn. He was far too exhausted from fighting the storm to care about proper procedure at this point. Nudging his gear into a dry corner, Virtue curled up on the floor and was soon fast asleep.

Added ChelseaGold's AWESOME rendering of Virtue to the profile!

Wooo, computer engineers represent! Are you a WoW junkie or an FPS freak? I'm playing Black Ops, Reach, and Bad Company 2 while I wait for Battlefield 3 to come out.

Anyways, welcome to Canterlot! If you want to talk customs, get on IRC and hit up Flutterscotch, Pony_sage (IRC handle Freddie_freewings), Thunder Boomer, and Techno Tealeaf, as they all have experience with customs.

Finally, everyone knows Twilight Sparkle is the best pony