TheCustodian

Store, park, library... All words that made little sense to Snodrift as he stood there in thought.

"No, I cannot read. A pony showed me your books and they seemed like nonsense. I didn’t understand a thing" he replied with a sigh "All our knowledge is passed down from generation to generation orally. We don’t use these things. On the tundra we have nowhere to store them or ability to transport them. An archive of books would just slow the tribe down." he explained. That said perhaps it was easier for ponies to store things in books since they didn’t seem to move about much. Everything here seemed static and permanently in place.

"However the library would be interesting to see. I have only seen a couple books. I’m curious as to how many there are." he was definitely not going to accept Gerrard's offer for a flight. "Uh.... I’d like to keep my hooves on the ground..." It was partially true. The other fact was he really did not trust the griffon despite feeling a little more comfortable around him. As a calf growing up Snowdrift had been taught to fear Gerrad's kind... It was not something that would disappear in a matter minutes...

Its ok. Im gonna try and do it myself (Slowly learning how to do things). THx though for accepting in the beggining

( OOC: Bellosh, It's Cantrip, not Catnip XD )

The filly stared at the floating box for a moment before taking a tissue with a hoof not really knowing what to do with it other than quickly wipe her muzzle. She didn't say thanks, mostly because she wasn't thankful. Right now Cantrip wanted nothing more than for the adults to just leave her alone to her thoughts. She wanted to run away and resume her search for her mother and it would be difficult to do the more these ponies drew attention to her. At least that's how Cantrip figured things.

Ingrid's question though gave the filly pause. What could she do? She was hardly a prodigy with magic, mostly because she didn't try. While she was interested in learning more most of her time was spent testing the boundaries of the orphanage, looking for weaknesses she could exploit one day. For a moment she didn't reply thinking of what she had done with magic in the past.

"Uh... Telekinisis... I also turned a caterpillar to water once" that incident had exhausted her. The filly had been trying to simply change its colour but after many failed attempts her anger had gotten the better of her and she lashed out with a random blast of magical power. If asked to do it again Cantrip wasnt sure if she could. There had been many times her anger had fueled her magic to do... Things, but that usually she would black out afterwards from exhaustion, forgetting anything that might have happened afterwards.

Cantrip sighed as the class finally began to calm down but made a not about who had been the first to start laughing... Cantrip had figured out awhile ago that they were usually the ones everypony followed and if she was going to make her time here any easier Cantrip would have to make an example of them... Nothing major. But enough to make sure the others knew the unicorn was not fooling around and to be left alone.

It took her a moment to realize the teacher was speaking to her but when she did Cantrip couldn't help but sigh again in frustration. [colour=#dda0dd]"Cantrip..."[/colour] is all she said in a grumpy voice. She was not going to elaborate unless prompted, she wanted a name? She got it.

Snowdrift just gave the griffon a bit of a smirk at his response concerning something that happened so long ago. It wasnt like his species to forget... Anything really. So long as knowledge was passed down from one generation to the other thier magic would ensure no details were changed. It was thier way of keeping thier lore and history intact, and that the truth would always be there no matter what. Either way it was not something he should think about for now... Although...

"Library... A place that contains books right?" hed heard the term used a couple times and during his trip here Snowdrift had been shown a book. He didnt understand any of it though, the symbols and pictures seemed strange and confusing.

"I guess i can accept your aid. However it is still strange considering that if we were anywhere else i would have run away by now and we would not even be talking."

"You may call me Snowdrift" he frowned for a moment again. It was not his real name but the magic that let him speak to these ponies, and griffon, translated his name for some odd reason.

So far? Nothing new... Cantrip watched with mild interest as the new pony introduced herself, it was the same speech she had heard a thousand times...

~Magic is hard, be nice to each other, don't make fun of your classmates when they fail... Blah blah blah~ The filly thought with mild irritation. This was far from her first magic lesson... Arrogantly she believed herself above the others because she knew how to use telekinesis already. It wasn't much though, nothing more than a utensil or quill could be lifted by the filly. As for treating the others well Cantrip would... So long as they didn\t get in her way...

Sighing the filly turned her attention elsewhere as she waited for somepony to introduce themse-

~Huh?~

"ATCHOO!" the filly exclaimed as she let out a loud sneeze that seemed to have come from nowhere. Around her some of the other classmates started to giggle at the filly not stopping despite her rather fierce glare at them all.

~Laugh it up...~

Snowdrift stood his ground for a bit but then took a bit more of a relaxed stance, his fear being replaced with a large dose of curiosity about what he was learning. Luna.. Nightmare moon.The story of what had happened to her was intruiging, and world shaking. If ever he returned to his tribe the caribou would certainly get some attention with this knowledge. For a time some of his fellows had believed the sun and moon moved on thier own. A few had even created theories about the universe around them. The sudden change to night in the middle of a 6 month day had thrown those theories out the window. What puzzled Snowdrift though was Gerrard's mention of this happening before. His species did not forget things easily, if at all thanks to thier magic...

"Perhaps the first time is happened during the night." he muttered and then shrugged. It was an explanation...

"So why are you helping me? Ive never heard of a kind hearted griffon before" then again Equestria was a strange place. But while Gerrard had spoken earlier about freaks helping one another out and having been in the same situation SNowdrift just couldnt believe it to be truth.

"What's your name griffon?"

46) Your OC should not be able to use two diametrically opposed types of magic. (i.e. fire and ice)

The only way around this is if you modify the termperature or an object. But then it isnt really fire and ice...

On that topic...

60: Think of something other than fire and Ice to make your unicorn excell at in magic... Im not pointing at characters already who have those skills but it is SO overdone i find... Theres other fields of magic to excell at...

Boredom...

Cantrip watched with mild amusement as the silliness that unfolded in the front of the classroom. Unlike the others this filly did not laugh, or smile at all, her mind was elsewhere. Supporting her head with a hoof she appeared like any other bored school filly if it were not for her eyes darting about, looking for that chance or opportunity she needed to escape the confines of this blasted building and resume her search. She barely payed any real attention to the newcomer, Ingrid, which arrived, at least... Not right away.

The sudden magical blast was enough to get Cantrip’s attention. While escape was her primary goal she had a thirst for magical knowledge. In her mind magic was a tool, a means to an end to get whatever she wanted. While the cloud dissipation spell was not exactly something the filly was interested in, the mare herself, Ingrid, seemed to be somewhat proficient in the use of spells; at least more useful than the other pony they had up front… What was her name again? Miss... Magic? It didn’t matter, like the rest of the staff here Cantrip had little desire to get to know any of them.

Cantrip herself had only arrived at the orphanage a couple days ago and was already oriented. Being shuffled from place to place, orphanage to orphanage, had given her much experience in adapting to changing conditions. Not that these facilities changed much. There were classes, medical exams, playtime, and the occasional party to celebrate mass birthdays. Cantrip idly wondered what month the orphanage would set her birthday this time... Not that it mattered. The filly didn’t plan on staying long.

Oops! Forgot that.

As for the sad part it wasnt as bad when I created her elsewhere. Mostly because she had a family ready to accept her (complete with original mother) and the only bad thing was a much higher chance of bullying. Here things are much more uncertain for the filly.... Thx for the words though Mojo ^^

~Why wont the blasted thing attack me already?~ Snowdrift thought silently as he listened to Gerrard allowing himself to relax a bit. Since he had not been attacked yet the caribou figured attack was not on the griffons mind, especially with all the unicorns and other ponies wandering about.

"I wouldn't have considered it anyway..." he replied as Gerrard finished speaking. If these ponies were considered to be the rulers of Equestria then it made sense that he give them respect. They must have earned their position in some way.

"So if they control the sun and moon... They were responsible for the long night a couple years ago?" he questioned curiously, his stance relaxing a bit...

(Yes i am using the overdone orphan trope but with the creation of an orphanage and such I think it will be ok in the end.)

Roleplay Type: World of Equestria

Name: Cantrip

Sex:Female

Age:Filly

Species:Unicorn

Eye Color: Blue

Coat Color: White

Mane/Tail/Markings Color & Style: Tends to keep her mane in a ponytail and... Well just look at the picture

Physique:A little bit taller than most fillies her age, otherwise nothing really stands out.

Cutie Mark: None

Origin/Residence: Ponyville Orphanage

Occupation: None,

Motivation: To find her mother wherever she may be

Likes: getting what she wants, learning magic, anything 'cool', books

Dislikes: Getting in trouble, ponies trying to adopt her, most cots and fillies the get in her way

Personality: To most ponies Cantrip is quite the brat, mean, arrogant, and nasty in many ways she puts up this facade to try and discourage others from adopting her and for the most part it has worked. Other than that she rarely takes no for an answer and is willing to do whatever is necessary to get what she wants.

Backstory: The story of Cantrip begins in the bustling city of Canterlot. There her parents once lived, her mother and father living a quiet but difficult life where every month was a challenge just to pay the bills. Eventually the two had a falling out and split up, Cantrip’s mother moving out of Canterlot only to soon learn that she was pregnant. Unable to support both a foal and herself she made the difficult dicision of placing abandoning the foal on the doorstep of an orphanage in the hopes that somepony else could give her daughter the life she knew she couldn’t. The only evidence Cantrip would ever have of her mothers existence is a picture of the two taken soon after she was born.

As the years passed Cantrip would grow to be a strong and healthy filly, for awhile she was like many of the other foals at the orphanage (if a bit of an egghead) but she never stopped dreaming about finding her mother. Whenever ponies would visit in the hopes of adopting Cantrip would make sure she was as mean and nasty as possible to discourage any attention she might receive; Cantrip believed her mother would one day return for her... That day has yet to come and growing frustrated as time went on the filly eventually decided to make her bid at freedom by running away during a field trip to Canterlot to search for her mother.

Her freedom did not last long. Eventually concerned adults would turn her into authorities and she would be sent to another orphanage. Not that it stopped her. Again and again Cantrip would run away only to be sent back to the same or a different orphanage. It has been 2 years now since her first run away, and after being apprehended not too far outside Ponyville Cantrip was sent to the local orphanage; to the filly though this is only a minor setback. Given a couple weeks or months she knows she will eventually succeed in running away again, nothing would stop her from finding her mother... Nothing.

Pic:

I have been considering bringing my filly OC here and her backstory did involve an orphanage for a time before finding her family again... Ill plop a link to the app here once it gets done. OVerall shes quite the brat and bully so i hope thats ok XD

Snowdrift continued to back away but couldn't stop the griffon from getting too close. All in all this was really getting scary. The creature's response to his words were most troubling though.

"You thought you were a pony?" he muttered in slight confusion. Sarcasm was not something the deer caught onto easily. It wasn't that he'd never heard it before, it just took some time for him to process. Especially when it was coming a creature who spoke a completely different language. As for the rest of Gerrards words the caribou's innate ability to translate meant that he was not completely lost on the meaning of self awareness. His mind imagined something about knowing oneself, in what way Snowdrift was not too sure.

~Whoa! Way too close!~ he suddenly thought in panic as Gerrard's talon touched his neck. Instantly he began to back away quickly lowering his head ready to attack with his antlers if need be. Glaring in anger and fear Snowdrift listened to the griffons last words and shook his head "I'm not a freak..." he muttered, the word reminding him of what some others back home would call him from time to time, mostly because Snowdrift's tendencies to wander off alone or with his sister to explore. As for the rest of the hybrids message Snowdrift was not sure exactly what he meant. The word Dictator was not one he knew of and the image his mind provided was of one who ruled with absolute power. As for the rest of it...

"What are these rulers? Gods?" Snowdrift asked partly in jest. His tribe had no real religious beliefs but knew that there were other herds that did. That said he kept an open mind about these things; who was to say that these pony rulers could move the heavens. It would certainly explain the sudden night that had occurred a couple years ago... IN a land where the sun shined for months on end the sudden shift had been... Unnerving.

"Uh.. That would be great actua- " Snowdrift turned to address the newcomer only to take a couple paces back in fear.

"Gr-griffon!" the deer stuttered as he prepared to run away. It didn't matter what Gerrard looked like, to Snowdrift he was a predator. Back home griffons would prey upon members of the herd who strayed too far. All things considered though he had not expected the griffon to speak.

~Then again we never really tried to speak to one another...~ he thought and put himself into a sort of defensive stance, ready to run or defend himself if needed. The fact the griffon was actually talking to him was enough of an indicator that this hybrid was nothing like those in his homeland...

"You... Want to help me?" this place just gets weirder and weirder... Cities built in mountains, colorful ponies, and now a creature that Snowdrift knew as a predator was offering help...

Big, loud, crowded...

Those three words pretty much summed up Snowdrifts first thoughts as he wandered the streets of Canterlot. He had gone ahead and separated himself from Pinoak and Symphony to explore. Upon first seeing the city from afar the caribou had been astounded. The concept of buildings was not something completely foreign to him but to see so many buildings, tall ones built on the side of a mountain, was simply breathtaking. How did it all work? Was it magic that made this possible? Or did some intelligent mind design these structures. In the end Snowdrift knew that any answers he got in regards to Canterlot would only create more questions. Not that it would stop him...

Upin entering the city Snowdrift was stuck by just how... Organized everything was. The straight roads, planned buildings, and that everything was clean... All in all it was rather unnerving. Snowdrift was used to the wild chaos created by nature, Canterlot appeared to be completely tame.

"Since when did they allow beasts in here?"

Snowdrifts ears swiveled to the source of the sound but he made no move to look at the unicorns that had spoken. This was another thing that disturbed him about Canterlot, many of the ponies here seemed to hold themselves as superior to others, why though... Snowdrift could not tell. Perhaps it was money? Or some unknown social class structure he was not aware of. In his time with Pinoak and Symphony the caribou had come to believe all ponies were equal despite their physical difference and lived in harmony. But hearing the citizens of this city made Snowdrift wonder if that was true. It sounded as if these unicorns wished to rule over all. Perhaps they already did and the two unicorns Snowdrift had traveled with either lied or were simply misled. It wasnt just unicorns though, he had seen many earth and pegasi ponies who seemed to bear the same air of confidence and disdain for others.

As he thought upon this Snowdrift paused to look around realizing he was completely lost, and alone. Looking back he could not discern where he had arrived from, his natural ability to navigate confounded by the order that made up Canterlot. Sighing in annoyance the caribou decided to do his best to backtrack and, if possible, find someone to help him.

Snowdrift blinked and gave Pinoak a confused look. A few terms in the story were alien to him, dogs, cats. The image the caribou was getting was that of a small animal not too different from a wolf... The rest of the story though sounded like some of those told back home to frighten young calves.

After Symphony finished his song Snowdrift smiled "You both are very talented If this keeps up our journey should be over in no time"

The carribou gave a bit of a nervous smile as the two poniescomplimented him and shook his head "Honestly thats the extent of what i know" he said lying a bit. Snowdrift could easily dredge up songs and tales thanks to his species abilities but only if he wanted to know it.

"But thank you anyway..."

(In case your wondering Im using a blend of both Inuit and Old Nowegian culture to define Snowdrifts species)

The caribou frowned and gave in with a slight sigh. He wasnt in the mood to play the drums, especially on the move like he was now..

"Alright..." he sighed and began to hum a tune he was quite familiar with he was quite familiar with, as he did so the carribou slowed down his pacing so that the clicks in his rear legs would be in time with his intended tempo. The song itself was was a form of greetingthat story tellers and elders in the tribe would sing prior to recounting legends passed down through the generations thanks to The Speech. Clearing his throat he began, the first section usually was sung only by the females but since there were none Snowdrift would have to do it himself.

Snowdrift smiled as he allowed himself to unwind a bit remembering the stories that would often be told at these gatherings.

It was amusing to the caribou as he noticed that each name in the song had remained the same and untranslated. Including the legendary figure he had been named after. Natibvik, which translated into Snowdrift.

I like the sounds of this. Will be watching but dunno how i can fit Snowdrift in. He has enough ion his plate just learning about Equestria itself. Never mind searching for a mysterious staff.

Capitol, theatre, stores, princesses... All these words were again alien to the foreigner although that last one, princesses, seemed important. Whatever this Canterlot was it sounded important.

"Drums, some noise makers... And singing... Not that i ever could do that... Usually i kept a beat and joined in only where the rest of the tribe was singing" Snowdrift replied and gave Symphony a look "And where do you call home then?"

He nods his head "A lute? Interesting" Snowdrift decided to make a mental note to explore more about the music the locals used "So, where exactly are we headed?"

(Sorry for the delay. Was kinda hoping Jak would post but guess not)

"Is that so..." the caribou muttered in reply still eying the instrument "What is it? My species do not use stringed instruments" besides hoof drums the caribou females also practiced throat singing between themselves as a sort of game while the males were out foraging or scouting.

The caribou shrugged "I suppose. I didnt seem that exciting for me" he muttered surprised. Then again perhaps it was more interesting when you were not the one undergoing the life threatening situations. Walking along in silence Snowdrift listened iddly to the music, it was differrent from the chanting tribal beat he was used to back at home. But stll lovely in its own way. "You play that well."