[Everfree Forest] What strange lands... [Open]

[TheCustodian]

~Hot...~

If there was one word that Snowdrift would use to describe this place it was that. For three days now the caribou had been making his way through the forest since leaving the badlands. He had yet to meet anything capable of sentient thought and frankly that was rather disappointing. Snowdrift had been hoping to meet others like him, others who could speak, who could think, others the caribou could learn from.

~Instead I get colorful plants and oppressive heat~ he thought silently to himself. The Everfree forest was nothing like the frigid tundra from which Snowdrift hailed. Where the tundra was cold this forest was much too hot. In the tundra life struggled to survive and here plants and animals seemed to thrive easily, Snowdrift could not begin to count the different kinds of plants and animals that he had seen (not for lack of trying, Snowdrift lost count at about 58.

"I hope she is ok," he muttered silently, it was the first words Snowdrift had spoken in days. He was refering to his sister, Glacial Eir. Back home to pair had been inseparable. He only hoped that she was safe and sound with the tribe and had not foolishly gone out to look for him. It was a miracle that Snowdrift was standing here now. By all accounts he should be dead after a fall into the frigid glacial waters that ran through his home. Instead something had decided his life was worth saving and Snowdrift had awoken some time later in this strange land far from home.

Stopping for a moment the caribou took look at his surroundings. In every direction trees seemed to spread giving the area a slightly menacing quality, but other than that it was quiet... Too quiet... Standing still the caribou listen carefully in the hopes of hearing the source of whatever had caused the forest to go silent. Of course to any idle observer Snowdrift appeared like any other animal within the forest with no obvious indicators to show that he was much more intelligent than any common deer one might find within these woods.

[Vulpibard]

Storybook had also been wandering for ages, of course to him, ages could be anywhere between a few hours to a month, when he noticed the curious creature. "huh, maybe this one can give me directions." he muttered to himself before trotting out of the bushes, "Hello there, friend!" he called, surprised the caribou hadn't noticed his white fur against all the green of the forest.

[TheCustodian]

Snowdrift frowned as the white creature seemed to emerge from the forest. It didn't seem dangerous but he was rather disturbed that it had managed sneak up on him. Taking up a slightly alarmed stance Snowdrift was taken again by surprise when the creature seemed to speak. Not that the caribou could understand what it was saying. Narrowing his eyes the Snowdrift could feel a bit of tingling in his body as his ancestral magic tried to make sense of the strangers words. It was difficult though, this was not a simple case of a slightly changed dialects. What Snowdrift was encountering was a completely different and alien language.

As this occurred however the caribou took the time to examine the unicorn. His body type was slightly smaller than his own and judging from his coat Snowdrift figured he was not a native to the forest.

~Is it even male though?~ he then thought in curiosity, the voice sounded male and there were certain physical features to indicate that this was the case.

After a moment he finally felt the tingle stop which Snowdrift took to mean that the language had been learned, he still didnt know what the unicorn had said though.

"Uh... Hello?" he replied nervously, the words feeling alien on his tongue but somehow he understood what they meant. To Storybook though they were probably heavily accented, something his ability was unable to compensate for right now. Perhaps with more exposure to equestrian that accent would disappear.

"What.... Are you?"

[Vulpibard]

"Alas, you speek! my name is Storybook symphony, and I'm a unicorn." He began paceing around the caribou, "truth be told, i wasn't expecting to find something that could talk in this forest, are you native?" he poked Snowdrifts side experimentally. "no, not built for a forest, oh well, Are you lost?"

[TheCustodian]

Snowdrift flinched as the unicorn poked his side and took a couple of steps away. As for what he had said much of it was confusing to the poor caribou but he could feel that same tingle as The Speech worked on deciphering their meaning.

~Unicorn? Storybook Symphony?~ the words were rather alien but Snowdrift could tell that the latter was the creatures name.

"Yes, I am very lost" he muttered in reply, the accent noticably lessened , if he was given a few more phrases the caribou would be sounding like a native Equestrian "My name is Snowdrift"

~Odd..~ he thought... Snowdrift was not his true name but for some reason the magic inside him had converted his name as well.

"Um... Where... Are we exactly? What is this place?"

[Vulpibard]

"well, to my knowledge we're somewhere in the everfree forest, usually avoided by ponies. I came here as a shortcut to canterlot, but got lost, what about you?"

[TheCustodian]

Everfree, Canterlot, both were names the caribou was unfamiliar with. And what were ponies?

"Um... I came from... North. Very far north" was all Snowdrift could say really. He had no idea where his homeland was but if temperature meant anything he doubt this warm temperate climate was anywhere close to his home.out on the tundra...

"Where is your tribe then unicorn? Were you separated from them as well?"

[Vulpibard]

"Tribe? nah, we have towns down here, unless you're a buffalo, but still, no, I travle between towns all the time, making music and telling stories." he thought for a moment, "farther north tan the grifens... or were they west? always hard to tell geography for me."

[TheCustodian]

Town... That wasn’t a word he understood at all, actually snowdrift didn’t understand much of what Storybook was saying. Although from the way the unicorn spoke it sounded like these towns were places, although weather they were topographical features like mountains and plains or something else Snowdrift could not tell.

"Uh..." was all he said in reply, everything that was being said was only making him more confused. "Griffons..." he then muttered in understanding. He knew of them, creatures that would roam the tundra attacking and eating stragglers from the herd. The two species never had any reason to speak so Snowdrift never had reason to believe they might be intelligent. "They are here also? What else lives in these lands?"

[Vulpibard]

Storybook thought a moment, no this traveler was definately not native, and by the way he talked he clearly was ignorant of most their culture. This caused Symphony to brighten considerabley, blending cultures for the first time! he'd better tread careully. "why yes, only in small groups though, mostly you'll find unicorns, like me, earth ponies, and pegasi."

[JAKJAK291]

A voice shouts out from behind the two on the trail. "HELLO THERE!!!!!!"

Moments later a large gypsy wagon covered in carvings in many styles from areas around the world comes rolling around the corner with a yellow brown unicorn on top holding some sort of rein. The wagon comes right up to the pair and stops right before them. "Hello, my name is Pinoak, the puppeteer and story collector, and I was wondering if either of you know the way to Canterlot. I was on my way there when I simply got lost."

He looks over to the caribou and studies him for a moment. "I haven't seen somepony like you. What and who are you?"

[Vulpibard]

"To canterlot and got lost? how many of us is that going to happen to?" he only took a second longer to process the rest. "Ohmysweetcelestia, another storyteller! hold for a sec." dashing of into the woods, he came back with his own caravan. "we must travel together!"

[JAKJAK291]

Pinoak just stops and stares at the pony. Moments later, he excitedly flails his arms around in the air. "Hook that up to the back of mine!!!! My wagon is powerful enough to pull another one. It's powered by magic and air. These fan blades generate energy that moves the wheels. Pretty nifty huh? Also, what is your name?"

He looks back to the caribou, "Do you want a lift to where ever? Seems to me like you have plenty of unheard stories." Pinoak holds out a hoof.

[Vulpibard]

"He seems to be from some northern tribes, completely foreign. but he does no of Griffens, though seems nervouse of them." Symphony blurted, calling upon his naterall judge of character as a storyteller. "My name is Storybook symphony, traveling musician and storyteller extrodinaire." he finally introduced himself, then gestured to a rat he had found in the forest, "and this is my assisstant, ratatouille" the rodent gave a extravigant bow, the rat rolled its eyes.

[TheCustodian]

Snowdrift just stared at the two with a rather dumb look on his face ~What in the name of the ancestors is going on!?!~ One moment he and this unicorn were speaking then from nowhere another unicorn had emerged causing the caribou to back away in alarm. How many more of these unicorns were hiding out there? The forest itself seemed quiet and he could not pick anything out sighing he let the two converse as he reviewed what Synphony had told him...

~Griffons, pegasi, unicorns, and earth ponies. Wait... He mentioned something called a buffallo also~ he wondered getting more excited at the thought of what else might be residing here. Smiling a bit the caribou turned to the newcomer and gave a slight bow.

"You may call me Snowdrift, and yes I come from the far north where the rest of my species reside. We call ourselves the caribou."

[JAKJAK291]

"Hmmm..." Pinoak hops off of his wagon and starts looking at all of the various carvings on his wagon.

"Apploosa, Zebra Tribes, Ponyville, Canterlot..... Nope! Nothing from the northern tribes. You see, each of these carvings come from the various areas from around the world. My family has been traveling and performing in this wagon for many generations. And it's very nice to meet you Snowdrift the Caribou, Ratatouille, and Storybook."

Pinoak looks around, "Sooo...... do you wish to travel with us Snowy?"

[Vulpibard]

Not to be upstaged, Storybook ran into his caravan and came out with a massive page of paper, showing the entire country of equestria, plus some blank bits on the edges, "sweet, I can edit my map further." he quickly set to work, but eventually got bored and began levitateing instruments out of his wagon and playing them with magic to keep him entertained.

[JAKJAK291]

Pinoak floats the map over to himself and starts studying it. A few moments later he floats it back and rushes inside his wagon. The wagon starts shaking as the pony is searching through it.

Calling from inside the wagon, "Storybook, do you by chance have a compass? I can't seem to find mine."

[Vulpibard]

"of course I do, but i decided not to use it." he levitates a compass out and hangs it just out of Pinoaks reach.

[TheCustodian]

Snowdrift didnt reply right away lookings at the carvings with great curiosity...

"Ze-bra, Ponyville...Canterlot... THese are Towns?" he asked before the sound of Storybook pulling out his map attracted the caribous attention. His tribe did not have items such as these, all information was shared by word of mouth, no writing. In a way it made them very primitive but for Snowdrift there was no need to change.

The land on the map was unlike anything Snowdrift had seen before and he could not understand what any of it meant. The words themselves ere not something his abilities could translate for him to understand. Frowning he pulled himself away from the two unicorns silently to think. Should he go with them? They seemed friendly and having someone to help guide him would be helpful.

[JAKJAK291]

"Oh hardy har har. I'd like to get out of these woods." Pinoak levitates the compass into his hooves. He starts rotating in a single circle trying to line up north. "Got it!" He levitates the map and looks at it for a moment. "Canterlot is this way. So let's head on out. We have to pass through Ponyville first, then we can head on out from there." Pinoak levitates the map and compass back to Storybook. "You play very well." Pinoak hops back up onto his wagon and pats the seat beside him. "Hop on up Snowy. Most of those places are towns, like Apploosa and Ponyville, Canterlot is a city and the Zebras are like ponies, but tribal."

[TheCustodian]

"You... Can do magic?" he suddenly asked noticing the levitating objects for the first time. Again a new discovery for the caribou. His tribe did have magic in a sense but it was a rare thing which only a select few could use as healers, his sister for example was believed to have the necessary skills to become one.

Lookingat the seet offered by the newcomer unicorn Snowdrift shook his head. "I prefer to walk"

[JAKJAK291]

"Oh, all unicorns can. It's just something we are born with. There are many types of magic. The most common is levitation like what we've been doing. But there is also teleportation, illusions like," Pinoak's horn glows with a brownish tint and the front wheels of Storybook's cart grow arms and start juggling various sized balls.

"That, and many others. And if you want to walk, that's up to you. Can caribou do magic?"

[TheCustodian]

Teleportation? Illusion? These unicorns seemed much more versatile at utilising magic than his own species... "We do... Our magic is what allows me to speak with you right now, and there are others within our tribe capable of learning how to heal" Although now Snowdrift wondered if his they could perhaps learn more... Healing was the only magic ever truly needed.

"What about the earth ponies, pegasi or zebras? Do they have magic as well?"

[JAKJAK291]

"Well, they have a different form of magic. They can't access it like unicorns can. Their magic is passive. Earth Ponies are very sturdy and strong, great at anything to do with growing food or cooking. Pegasus have wings that let them fly and they are the ones that control the weather. They do everything from making clouds, rainstorms, snowstorms, and so on. And Zebras are very good at alchemy and herb lore. They make many useful potions with various roots and plants that can do anything to heal you, or make a love potion. They are always potent. So you are speaking another language entirely right now? That is so cool. And how do caribou do magic?"

Pinoak pulls out a watch, "Oh, it's getting kind of late. We need to start heading out before nightfall. I really don't want to spend the night here."