It belongs in a museum! [PM For Invite]

[Snowshoe]

It was an unusual day, to be sure. The sun was shining and the Badlands weren't particularly cold, either. It was also unusual in that Curio was adventuring for something specific. He knew, full well, that most things in his shop were horsefeathers. You might buy a high quality and decidedly antique writing desk, but that wasn't to say it was ever owned by an old Duke of Canterlot. Every item had a story...and none of them were (usually) real. He'd gotten quite a bit of a shock when it turned out an amulet he sold had actually caused quite a bit of trouble for one small town, according to hearsay and the papers.

But not today. This was not going to be another wild goose chase, nor another collection of items to be given false stories. No, this time he'd learned of an amazing find, north of Talonpolis: what might possibly be an ancient Pegas Empire town that served as a trading post with the griffons. The possibility of a true, legitimate ancient artifact with an important story, as well as the possibility of crazy profit, attracted Curio like a moth to a flame. But he knew he couldn't do it alone: he was an adventurer, but he was no Daring Do.

So to that end, he'd posted flyers around Canterlot, Fillydelphia, and other major cities.

SEEKING!

Intrepid ponies for exciting, possibly dangerous trip to the Badlands!

Must not fear cold, adverse conditions, ancient traps, or curses!

Inquire at Curio's Relic Shoppe, 12 Starswirl Way, Canterlot.

Of course, everypony who he'd interviewed and accepted would recognize him, given that Curio wasn't in his mysterious, far-east Manechurian salespony persona. But he reasoned that the loss of mystique for a hoof-ful of ponies was worth the adventure and the profit. He'd even sent out letters to each pony involved, telling them to meet him at his camp north of Talonpolis, where the Raptorclaw River split.

At the camp, Curio was making sure everything was ready. His mane was down, not in the usual braid, and he wore a brown, REA surplus greatcoat to keep himself warm. A fire was burning, and a wagon sat nearby. He intended to have everypony take a turn pulling it, and had decided it was essential. The wagon was loaded with food, water and other such survival necessities, which he deemed necessary given the often dangerous conditions of the Badlands. The blue pony checked the position of the sun, and noted it was still before noon. Plenty of time for everypony to get there from Talonpolis, which he could see in the not-so-distance. He hummed quietly to himself and took out one of the few legitimate artifacts he owned, a zebra-made machete to cut through the brush, and got to sharpening it. He had no idea what was going to happen once they plunged into the woods, and Curio figured something to cut wood with for a fire would be incredibly handy to have around.

[RarityDash]

SEEKING!

Intrepid ponies for exciting, possibly dangerous trip to the Badlands!

Must not fear cold, adverse conditions, ancient traps, or curses!

Inquire at Curio's Relic Shoppe, 12 Starswirl Way, Canterlot.

[colour=#000000]It took a keen and quick eye to be a seeker of true secrets. One needed not just wisdom and resolve but the acumen to segregate true items of interest from the insipid and useless dross that populated the world by design at proportions few would truly be willing to deal with. Arcana was no common mare though. She had a vision for the future, a vision that called for power. Power came from understanding. She would understand. That's all there was. She would be willing sift the landscapes from Unyasi to the Crystal Empire if that's what it took. [/colour]

[colour=#000000]Luckily Arcana was indeed a shrewd mare who had a talent for picking up on the right things. Looking at the seemingly ordinary flyer posted outside the Crystal Empire library a few key things stuck out to her. She was the furthest thing from your everyday thrill seeker or any kind of witless "adventurer" for hire so the first line had been entirely disposable and easy to disregard. The second offered more of intrigue; ancient traps indicated they would be looting some place that someone millennia ago wished to protect. That told Arcana this was serious. The mention of curses spoke to the possibility of magic being involved. Reading that was enough to pique the interests of the dark pink unicorn.[/colour]

[colour=#000000]It was the final line that sealed it for her. A relic shop was making the request. That told her indeed that this was not an expedition for simple knowledge or history or anything on its own entirely useless, but for things and ultimately for bits. It was far easier to convince a merchant to let go of a valued artifact than it was a museum or a private collector. Moreover, the name of this shop seemed familiar. Arcana was a mare who sifted through a lot of rumors, and a lot of them mentioned this particular shop in conjunction with the Alicorn Amulet story. If this was the sort of pony discerning enough to unearth things like that wondrous piece of coveted power, Arcana couldn't help but hold out hope.[/colour]

[colour=#000000]Meeting this Curio in Canterlot, Arcana couldn't be entirely sure what to think. He was an unusual sort of stallion. He was shrewd enough to erect a wall of artifice to display to his hapless customers. He sold his tawdry trinkets to unsuspecting simpletons with a careful facade of exotic mystery all the while convincing him they were priceless. This told Arcana he was a clever businesspony at the least, but she did have some disappointment in finding so little of the items he peddled were worthwhile. If he had held the Alicorn Amulet at a time, it may just have been his luck that it landed in his hooves, nothing more.[/colour]

[colour=#000000]Nevertheless, Arcana had remained intrigued by his pitch. Perhaps she was just another fool taken in by his affectation, but Arcana believed herself to be cleverer than that. No, she still felt good about this. She had confidence and she had hope. She had agreed to partake in his scheme, whatever it may be and not very long afterward had received a letter saying to meet north of Talonopolis, the griffon capital. At the letter's arrival she had left for the designated spot at once. [/colour]

[colour=#000000]She wore a dour expression as she found the area. Dressed in her usual hat and scarf as well as a thick travelers cloak for warmth, the gray-maned mare trotted slowly toward the campsite. She smirked some when she saw him. He was no longer an actor nor a peddler, so it was of course expected he would tear down the elaborate pretense. Seeing the stallion in his normal appearance after the initial meeting was still somehow alarming and cause for a laugh. She didn't know what she had expected, but evidently it wasn't to see him looking so pedestrian.[/colour]

[colour=#333333]"Oh my, whatever do we have here?" [/colour][colour=#000000]she started, laughing some more. [/colour][colour=#333333]"I'm hardly a viable authority on the surely ever gravitating fashions of greater Manechuria, but I do wholly doubt that that is a recurrent style one might find."[/colour]

[colour=#000000]She gave a knowing smile and a chuckle. [/colour][colour=#333333]"How wholly anomalous! I suppose not everything is quite as it first appears! Is it now?" [/colour][colour=#000000]she continued, now just to tease.[/colour]

​

[Snowshoe]

Curio had been in the middle of reading when the first of the crew arrived. He took a moment to look her over as she approached, going through a mental checklist in his mind. He didn't have a photographic memory, but he was good at recalling things. Pink coat, grey mane, odd little hat. This must be Arcana. A cold one, if he recalled correctly.

He greeted her with a tilt of the head as she approached, grinning at her laughter, and her words.

"To be frank, ma'am, neither am I," he admitted with a laugh. "Aha! No, things ain't always. But for the most part...this all here? Exactly as it seems," Curio assured her with a smile and a wave of the hoof. "For instance, this is a real fire, it is real snow on the grass, and this is really a camp, prepped for some adventure. And my name is, in all sincerity, Curio, though perhaps not from Manechuria. And there truly is what appears to be the ruins of an ancient Pegas Empire town." The stallion went to retrieve a map from some saddlebags nearby. "If my good friend is correct, aside from another possible addition to our group here, we're here before the University of Canterlot's archaeological society," he explained, setting the map down on the ground near the fire. It was a copy of an old map, written in an archaic form of Equestrian. While it did show the north, very little seemed the same. The desert was not named, and there was no indication of Appleoosa or other settlements there. Talonoplis was smaller, and the rivers were named differently. In addition, multiple other settlements were noted, farther east toward modern day Stalliongrad.

"Right here..." he tapped an X, marked on the map. "Is where it should be."

[tacobob]

Zelda was feeling rather uninspired as she slowly strolled through one of the many small parks nestled in the great capitol city of Canterlot. Usually when she ran out of work from both her own private clients and the R.E.A workshop that normally supplied her with repair jobs, she had made time for her own personal projects. Just at the moment, she could not think of what she wanted to do next, and when she felt the crushing weight of the dreaded 'artist block' on her shoulders, she would take time to either fly around the city, or just meander around a park. She would occasionally find inspiration from either the abundant nature, or the assortment of people who shared the park with her. After coming across an simple park bench, she sat down and started to finish off her coffee when it hit her. It was not a spark of inspiration that had planted itself on the blacksmith's face, but a small flyer. She peeled it off and started to crumble it up, when she noticed a familiar name of the bottom. Intrigued, she read the text in it's entirety:

SEEKING!

Intrepid ponies for exciting, possibly dangerous trip to the Badlands!

Must not fear cold, adverse conditions, ancient traps, or curses!

Inquire at Curio's Relic Shoppe, 12 Starswirl Way, Canterlot.

"Curio's Relic Shoppe?", she thought to herself as she slid the small flyer into her pocket. She was familiar with an odd little pony who shared that name. She would hardly consider him a friend, but had done business with the stallion several times in the past and his junk-shop always seemed to have new and interesting items of note every time she visited him. Curio always had some silly story to go along with nearly every item he sold to her. That simple costume jewelry she needed to 'pretty up' a set of armor she was working on might appear to be just some random rhinestones and Bakelite to the average eyes, but to Curio, it was lost jewelry from the vast treasure holds of the infamous 'Steelbeak' the pirate. The yard of vintage cloth she had considered for a tabard she was thinking of putting together, wasn't just simple polyester to him, it was ancient cloth spun by the great dragon Oshkosh B'Gosh. She knew the old pony was full of it, but she enjoyed listening to his little stories nearly as much as he enjoyed telling them. It did not take her long before she was at the little corner shop, where she agreed to go along with the pony and anyone else brave enough to come along. After the letter, a pleasant airship ride to Talonpolis and a short flight on her own to the camp, she found herself in the company of both Curio and an unicorn mare.

The griffon wore a light suit of griffon steel armor which was mostly hidden by a baggy green hooded sweatshirt. A simple scabbard hung from her side, while a backpack rested slowly on her top. She slowly walked over to the two, "Good morning ponies.", she noted that the stallion was wearing regular clothing for a change and gave off a somewhat beaky smile, "So, who else is coming?"

[Snowshoe]

Curio heard the distinct sound of wings beating the air, and he looked toward the source of it. For a split second the sight of a griffon on the horizon spooked him...he wasn't entirely sure if they'd forgotten the bribing incident, and he still feared the authorities would harass him. However, as the figure got closer, he noticed it was wearing a green hoodie, which was decidedly not griffon military issue. No need to guess who this one was: this was Zelda. He'd been apprehensive about bringing her along...after all, she was a regular, one of the very few he had. But not only did Curio suspect she knew the truth about his little charade, he reasoned that she'd be of some use, with her skill at metalworking. He figured she'd be able to help identify and value the items they'd come across, not to mention fix up any weapons or other metal bits they brought with them.

"Ah, Zelda!" he called out in his faux mystic accent. "It is good that you are here, yes, my favourite customer!" he laughed and held out a hoof. "But I figure you always knew that was an act. Surprised you wanted to come along, but glad to have you. As for who's coming? No idea. I have a long list of possibilities, but not sure who'll show up," he said, all in his normal voice again.

[RarityDash]

((ooc: not sure who else we're waiting for on this, but I figured I might as well post to keep it moving.))

"To be frank, ma'am, neither am I. Aha! No, things ain't always. But for the most part...this all here? Exactly as it seems. For instance, this is a real fire, it is real snow on the grass, and this is really a camp, prepped for some adventure. And my name is, in all sincerity, Curio, though perhaps not from Manechuria. And there truly is what appears to be the ruins of an ancient Pegas Empire town. If my good friend is correct, aside from another possible addition to our group here, we're here before the University of Canterlot's archaeological society. Right here..."

[colour=#000000]Arcana smirked. She liked what she was hearing from this stallion. He seemed direct, but far from simple. His quick separating of himself from the University and their archaeological society was particularly good news. What use were ancient secrets if they were to be grabbed up by insolent simpletons who wanted nothing more than to shove artifacts of legend behind sheets of glass so the philistine masses can gawk at them listlessly in some tawdry and overstuffed museum. This was a pony who, like her sought to get his hooves on the artifacts before they met this irksome fate, and while it was likely gold that motivated this stallion rather than want for power, Arcana felt she could, at least for now, trust this stallion[/colour]

[colour=#333333]"You have an intriguing find here, sir,"[/colour] [colour=#000000]she said as she peered over the ancient map. [/colour][colour=#333333]"Heh. Following an ancient map to treasure; what droll cliche! There's even a little X to mark the spot! How decidedly quaint," [/colour][colour=#000000]Arcana said, more amused than was usual. [/colour]

[colour=#333333]"Let us hope your map is genuine. The language on it is period, but this is of course a copy. You have or have seen the original, I trust?"[/colour] [colour=#000000]she started, analyzing the document closer. Arcana had the full knowledge of a scholar, and was fairly adept at reading and analyzing old documents; one of many things that helped her weed out the fool quests from things actually worth her time. [/colour][colour=#333333]"I do not wish to have come so far only to find my time has been squandered."[/colour]

​

"Good morning ponies. So, who else is coming?"

"Ah, Zelda! It is good that you are here, yes, my favourite customer! But I figure you always knew that was an act. Surprised you wanted to come along, but glad to have you. As for who's coming? No idea. I have a long list of possibilities, but not sure who'll show up,"

[colour=#000000]It was then that another of the adventuring party arrived. Arcana nodded at the sight of a griffoness bearing arms and armor. Griffons were a strong and versatile species; fascinating really. Furthermore, the right instincts were in their blood; they were predators, hunters. Ponies were peaceful by in large, but knowing how to fight and fight aggressively was inherent to griffonkind. That this griffon was clad in steel and wore a sword brought a smile to Arcana's face. Not just a griffon but a trained griffon. Provided she was not an insufferable boor, she would surely be a boon to their quest.[/colour]

[colour=#333333]"A fair morn to you as well, griffoness,"[/colour] [colour=#000000]Arcana said, nodding again.[/colour] [colour=#000000]She had expected to detest working with a team, but so far she saw promise. [/colour][colour=#333333]"I am Arcana, adroit scholar of magic and seeker of secrets that have been lost to the course of time. A pleasure to be making your acquaintance,"[/colour] [colour=#000000]she continued in her typical wordy and literate fashion.[/colour]

​

[tacobob]

The young griffon rolled her right hand into a fist and gave the pony a quick and friendly 'hoof-bump',"I just pray for your sake and safety that nopony from the actual eastern lands does visit your shop while you're cantering about in your costume. They might be a little offended.", she gave the stallion a wink before backing up a little and surveying the area, "I'm assuming you're going to wait to give us the full and proper plans once everyone shows up. I was actually hoping a good friend of mine was going to show up. Miss Fire Walker has always been more into the whole 'adventure' thing than I. Ooh. A map!", she glanced down and studied the old scroll for a moment, also noting the lack of more recent towns and settlements. Her 'griffon sense' started to tingle when she caught site of a pony I the corner of her eye. Not wishing to insult the mare, Zelda turned away from the map and greeted the pony.

She nodded polity as the young pony went about her introduction and kept quiet until she was finished. "Well met Miss Arcana. The name's Zelda, formally of Rockwington and now a happy little citizen of Canterlot. ", she added without any sarcasm, "When I'm not helping the pony smiths over I the R.E.A, I do private commissions for clients, and apparently I've become an adventurer. Still not sure how that happened.". That was a minor fib as she knew very well how and when she took the first step into becoming a part time treasure hunter. This would be the first time she would go on adventure with ponies though. Something started to bug her as the name of the mare started to ring a few bells. "Oh. You're Lady Arcana! A very good friend of mine ran into you during a somewhat tedious but well paying job she had while in Manehattan. She told me she got paid a small fortune to foal-sit some jabbering wanna-be street entertainer. Said you made things rather agreeable for at least one of the days she was stuck with the stallion. Had nothing but wonderful things to say about you."

[Snowshoe]

Curio grinned at Arcana's enthusiasm. Yes, it was a little bit cliched, but it was easier to mark his map with an X than a large circle and the words 'SOMEWHERE HERE' in big, friendly letters.

"Yes. My contact works for the Canterlot Museum, and he was the one that showed me the map. He's still a scholar at heart, and would hate to see me accidentally damage such a beautiful old map. This is an absolute perfect copy, that I can assure you," he said sincerely. "Worry not, Arcana. This'll be worth it," he assured her. The stallion grinned and looked over at Zelda, hoof-bumping with her.

"Ah, actually had a Manechurian come into my shop. For them, I was Saddle Arabian. I'm an actor at heart, Zelda. I always need to think on my toes," Curio said with a warm smile. "And yes, the details will be given when we move. For the time being though, it's just a simple trek through the tundra." Curio couldn't help but smirk as he said it: nothing was ever that simple.

He watched Zelda and Arcana speak, rather surprised that the griffonness knew the mare even just by name. Small world.

[RarityDash]

"Yes. My contact works for the Canterlot Museum, and he was the one that showed me the map. He's still a scholar at heart, and would hate to see me accidentally damage such a beautiful old map. This is an absolute perfect copy, that I can assure you. Worry not, Arcana. This'll be worth it,"

[colour=#000000]Arcana just gave a simple nod at the stallion's words. It was only a fool who would take at face value the words of a self professed actor at heart, but on these matters she felt that this pony was being truthful with her. For now at least, she could trust what he was saying. In truth, she didn't have much to lose regardless. Only time, and Arcana was not in a truly terrible hurry. If in the end she found out she had been duped, she would just have to make the responsible pay. It was that simple. Until then, she was fine content assuming the part of a team player.[/colour]

​

"Well met Miss Arcana. The name's Zelda, formally of Rockwington and now a happy little citizen of Canterlot. When I'm not helping the pony smiths over I the R.E.A, I do private commissions for clients, and apparently I've become an adventurer. Still not sure how that happened."

[colour=#000000]Arcana nodded at the introduction. So a smith rather than a soldier or swashbuckler? Curious. In the field, skill at forging a sword was worth nothing compared to skill at wielding one. Good equipment could only go so far on its own in untrained hooves or claws. It was cause for mild concern over whether this griffon would pull her weight. For now, however, she would be willing to keep her mind open and not make snap judgements. Though an admittedly self-concerned mare, she was not above relying on others when it was to her advantage.[/colour]

​

"Oh. You're Lady Arcana! A very good friend of mine ran into you during a somewhat tedious but well paying job she had while in Manehattan. She told me she got paid a small fortune to foal-sit some jabbering wanna-be street entertainer. Said you made things rather agreeable for at least one of the days she was stuck with the stallion. Had nothing but wonderful things to say about you."

[colour=#000000]As the griffon continued talking, Arcana arrived at honest surprise. She was not easily taken aback, but not often was she greeted with someone who knew her name, much less spoke it with a fond intonation. She had trouble remembering the incident at first but after some thought, she could recall the encounter with the delusional fool prestidigitator and the intriguing guard charged to act as his sitter. It had come at the tail end of a disappointing time spent in the ever mundane city of Manehattan and had provided enough amusement to make the trip almost seem worth it to her.[/colour]

[colour=#333333]"Ah, yes. Being a mare who has kept herself purposefully obscure, it's a singular rarity that I find my name known by another,"[/colour] [colour=#000000]she said, giving a small laugh.[/colour] [colour=#333333]"In this case, I do recall a Manehattan encounter much like the one you describe. Fire Walker, was it?"[/colour]

[colour=#333333]"She was an intelligent mare--far more intelligent than is called for in her chosen vocation--who left a quite auspicious impression. That she would count you as a friend sets my expectations high,"[/colour] [colour=#000000]Arcana continued, nodding along.[/colour] [colour=#333333]"And while my knowledge of smithery is decidedly slight, I have enough awareness to know that in arts of the forge, Rockwington is unmatched. I only hope that when it comes to matters of arms you know how to wield and not just weld."[/colour]

​

[tacobob]

The armored griffon nodded her head in response to the mare’s question, “Yeah, that would be Fire Walker, First Lieutenant and occasional adventurer.”, the griffon smiled as she spoke of her old friend, “While her client drove her to distraction, not only was she paid rather well for the job, the client’s father also helped her find more suitable employment once she was finished. Fire ended up going on some rather interesting missions of sort, and even spent a night escorting Princess Luna about. She was even involved in a bit of an dicey situation when she helped a rather infamous noble-pony find his father. Mare refuses to tell me who she was helping, but I’m pretty sure who it was. As for me.”, she reached into a duffle bag that she kept around her shoulder and pulled out a small sword which was resting in its scabbard.

She slide the blade from its scabbard and held it up so the two ponies could see. It was a well made cutlass, free of any gaudy baubles or inscriptions, “Most blacksmiths you see nowadays don’t bother with weaponry or armor. Doesn't make sense for most to concentrate on such things when there has been nothing but peace in these lands for generations. Thankfully there are a few of us out there who still continue with the old ways.”, she paused for a moment to slash out at an imagery foe with the fine sword, “I just normally work on ceremonial armor and arms for the Royal Equestrian Army, and sometimes I get jobs from wanna-be adventurers or those involved in er, ‘war games’, but there’s only so much demand for such a thing nowadays. That’s why I’m here. Helping one of my favorite little ponies out.”, she winked at Curio, “As for my skill in actually using this blade. I learned a bit from an old friend of my father’s named Crackbeak. The guy is as old as the hills, and can barely walk, but you stick a hilt into his claws, and there isn’t anything in this world that could stop him.”, she returned the sword back into its scabbard before adding, “I just pray I don’t have to actually use my weapon.”

[Snowshoe]

Curio watched the mare and the griffonness speak about somepony he'd never heard of, and past adventures that he hadn't been aware of either. Interesting. The fact they knew each other would help: he didn't want to have to keep warring groups in line and away from each others' throats.

"Small world," he said with a chuckle. To think that, of all the random ponies and griffons that could have applied (And did), he would choose two with a history and a connection, without knowing it first.

"Eh, I wouldn't put too much stock in the peace. I live in Canterlot, and was present during the royal wedding. That was...quite the event," he said with a chuckle, winking back at Zelda. Would be great to have somepony...or someone, in her case, with a sense of humour, and someone he actually knew.

"I would never have expected to actually need to use that old Equestrian naval cutlass, but when there's three changelings knocking down your door..." he shrugged. "I also never knew a broom handle could be so effective versus a cutlass. I still have the bruise to prove it. Still, three on one, and I still held my own, until that magic blast sent them flying away." Curio nodded at what Zelda said.

"I hope so. I don't expect there's going to be any trouble whatsoever. But between your sword skill, and Arcana's magic, we should be safe," he said. "Besides, it's an old town. What are we going to find? Ghosts? Can't exactly stop a ghost with a sword," he said with a chuckle.

[RarityDash]

“Yeah, that would be Fire Walker, First Lieutenant and occasional adventurer. While her client drove her to distraction, not only was she paid rather well for the job, the client’s father also helped her find more suitable employment once she was finished. Fire ended up going on some rather interesting missions of sort, and even spent a night escorting Princess Luna about. She was even involved in a bit of an dicey situation when she helped a rather infamous noble-pony find his father. Mare refuses to tell me who she was helping, but I’m pretty sure who it was. As for me...”

[colour=#000000]Arcana smiled at the stories of Fire Walker. It sounded like the mare had had quite a string of successes since their encounter. Meanwhile, Arcana had encountered little more than continual failure at every turn since that night and long before it if all things were considered. What a unique pleasure to be called upon to escort the night princess in particular. Had Arcana that opportunity she would have had so many questions to address the way of the pony, though she had to imagine the royal would be reticent to speak of the awe inspiring things she did as Nightmare Moon. [/colour]

​

“Most blacksmiths you see nowadays don’t bother with weaponry or armor. Doesn't make sense for most to concentrate on such things when there has been nothing but peace in these lands for generations. Thankfully there are a few of us out there who still continue with the old ways. I just normally work on ceremonial armor and arms for the Royal Equestrian Army, and sometimes I get jobs from wanna-be adventurers or those involved in er, ‘war games’, but there’s only so much demand for such a thing nowadays. That’s why I’m here. Helping one of my favorite little ponies out.As for my skill in actually using this blade. I learned a bit from an old friend of my father’s named Crackbeak. The guy is as old as the hills, and can barely walk, but you stick a hilt into his claws, and there isn’t anything in this world that could stop him. I just pray I don’t have to actually use my weapon.”

[colour=#000000]Arcana was happy to see the griffoness' form looked good from what she knew of such things. Her attitude was perhaps a touch more passive then she cared for in her griffons, but it seemed this Zelda had a very lucid head on her shoulders. From what she was hearing, Arcana was pretty sure she could trust this one to hold her own. At the very least she felt encouraged here. Much like her friend Fire Walker, this was someone she could actually hold a conversation with without working circles around them or talking down.[/colour]

[colour=#333333]"It appears our respective arts are not so disparate. The secure lull of peace has made soft the magicians of the world as well. Coddled by Celestia almighty, the once proud unicorn, who all on his own once raised the sun and moon each day, now is resigned to his submissive life. The modern unicorn dissociates from and often scorns power. Magic as a study has regressed profoundly since the Golden age of Starswirl. Now we are but a bunch of children meekly wading our hooves in the water where once we made bold strides out of necessity,"[/colour] [colour=#000000]Arcana spoke bitterly, shaking her head.[/colour] [colour=#333333]"But that's why we both do what we are to do, is it not? It's simple fact that the craftsponies, both of blades and spells, of one thousand years ago were doing far more miraculous things than those of this all too sanitary age. For those of us cognizant enough of this fact, digging up what has come before us is the only acceptable course."[/colour]

​

"Eh, I wouldn't put too much stock in the peace. I live in Canterlot, and was present during the royal wedding. That was...quite the event, I would never have expected to actually need to use that old Equestrian naval cutlass, but when there's three changelings knocking down your door...I also never knew a broom handle could be so effective versus a cutlass. I still have the bruise to prove it. Still, three on one, and I still held my own, until that magic blast sent them flying away. I hope so. I don't expect there's going to be any trouble whatsoever. But between your sword skill, and Arcana's magic, we should be safe, Besides, it's an old town. What are we going to find? Ghosts? Can't exactly stop a ghost with a sword,"

[colour=#000000]The unicorn nodded at Curio's words. This stallion was another sharp seeming sort who had set a good impression. Arcana gave a laugh.[/colour] [colour=#333333]"A fine point to be made there. The changeling ordeal was a shameful example of how the Equestria of today can't do anything without it's guardian princesses. The city was besieged, the day was lost--all until precious Cadance and her beau stepped forward to expel the invading queen. The modern pony can't be asked to even fight his own battles. Even the REA, with all their numbers and 'training' can't be counted on for anything when an actual threat arises."[/colour]

[colour=#333333]"What a laugh it would have been had the capital fallen that day. Canterlot taken, their darling princesses expunged, how would the poor ponies of today even react to such a fate? The insuing chaos would have been palpable,"[/colour][colour=#000000] Arcana started with a hard laugh.[/colour] [colour=#333333]"Truly that day should have come as an augury of what could very well happen to this Equestria that depends entirely on the princesses for everything, but ultimately all settled back to where it were before almost immediately. The memory of the modern pony is ever so quaintly transient."[/colour]

[colour=#333333]"As for dangers, it's foolhardy to proceed expecting only shadows. The badlands are home to all manner of roving beasts that might have come to infest the location. It's always best to be wary and expect the worst,"[/colour] [colour=#000000]Arcana added with a smirk, shaking her head.[/colour]

​

[tacobob]

"Eh, I wouldn't put too much stock in the peace. I live in Canterlot, and was present during the royal wedding. That was...quite the event," he said with a chuckle, winking back at Zelda. Would be great to have somepony...or someone, in her case, with a sense of humour, and someone he actually knew. "I would never have expected to actually need to use that old Equestrian naval cutlass, but when there's three changelings knocking down your door..." he shrugged. "I also never knew a broom handle could be so effective versus a cutlass. I still have the bruise to prove it. Still, three on one, and I still held my own, until that magic blast sent them flying away." Curio nodded at what Zelda said.

"I was actually back in Rockwington when all that happened, which was a shame.", the griffon smirked as she glanced towards the horizon and then down at a small pocket watch that she kept in her pockets, "Would have been interesting to have an encounter with an changeling in person. Imagine having one of those creatures at an ally? Or even a friend? He or she could be whoever you want and all you needed to do is supply him or her with a bit of love. Easy peasy.", a somewhat devious looking grin fell on the young blacksmith's face as she thought of such things, "Er, as for Canterlot itself, please, even with an occasional bit of excitement, you're probably living in the safest city in all of Equestria, if not the entire world. You want excitement? Try living in the rough section of my hometown."

Arcana spoke bitterly, shaking her head. "But that's why we both do what we are to do, is it not? It's simple fact that the craftsponies, both of blades and spells, of one thousand years ago were doing far more miraculous things than those of this all too sanitary age. For those of us cognizant enough of this fact, digging up what has come before us is the only acceptable course."

Zelda was slightly surprised as the mare went into a slight 'rant-mode' as they spoke, but she remembered that Fire Walker has mentioned that 'Lady Arcana' was very passionate about her beliefs. The armored griffon nodded her head politely as she went into details and did not reply until she was finished. "Well, my fellow crafts-persons don't make the things that they made back then, not because we're unable to, it's because there isn't any demand for such things anymore. And most smiths generally stick to making what sells. My parents were wise enough to make sure I picked up a few more talents beyond metal working, so when the forge is cold, I can at least make some bits with my sculptures. ", she glanced over at Curio for a moment before adding, "And would you actually want to live in Starswirl's time? I'm sure it makes for good reading, but I remember hearing life was pretty horrid back then. If you weren't being terrorized by windigos, dragons and other beasts, you had issues with your own sub-species as well. I'm not going to even mention how my kind treated yours back then. Wasn't pretty.", the smirk returned her face for a brief moment, "I do agree with you on Princess Celestia. Eventually you ponies are going to need to grow up and leave the safety of 'Big Mum'."

She returned her gaze back at Curio, "So how much longer are we going to wait?"

OOC: I have been getting responses from some other players-to-be in the PM section. So hopefully we'll get a couple more players before we move on..

[Snowshoe]

"I was actually back in Rockwington when all that happened, which was a shame.", the griffon smirked as she glanced towards the horizon and then down at a small pocket watch that she kept in her pockets, "Would have been interesting to have an encounter with an changeling in person. Imagine having one of those creatures at an ally? Or even a friend? He or she could be whoever you want and all you needed to do is supply him or her with a bit of love. Easy peasy.", a somewhat devious looking grin fell on the young blacksmith's face as she thought of such things, "Er, as for Canterlot itself, please, even with an occasional bit of excitement, you're probably living in the safest city in all of Equestria, if not the entire world. You want excitement? Try living in the rough section of my hometown."

"I don't know. I haven't really had a chance to interact with a Changeling, really. They were trying to capture me, I was trying to avoid that," Curio said with a laugh. "Maybe if we make peace, proper peace, I'd go and visit. Sure could use some new artifacts." He couldn't help but laugh again at the grifonness' grin when she spoke of the Changelings. "Easy, tiger. Tigress. Anyways, you know what I mean. As for your hometown...with all due respect, I'm not exactly the best of fighters. I'd prefer to avoid trouble when I can...especially around Talonopolis...the uh...guards may or may not still dislike me."

[colour=#000000]The unicorn nodded at Curio's words. This stallion was another sharp seeming sort who had set a good impression. Arcana gave a laugh.[/colour] [colour=#333333]"A fine point to be made there. The changeling ordeal was a shameful example of how the Equestria of today can't do anything without it's guardian princesses. The city was besieged, the day was lost--all until precious Cadance and her beau stepped forward to expel the invading queen. The modern pony can't be asked to even fight his own battles. Even the REA, with all their numbers and 'training' can't be counted on for anything when an actual threat arises."[/colour]

[colour=#333333]"What a laugh it would have been had the capital fallen that day. Canterlot taken, their darling princesses expunged, how would the poor ponies of today even react to such a fate? The insuing chaos would have been palpable,"[/colour][colour=#000000] Arcana started with a hard laugh.[/colour] [colour=#333333]"Truly that day should have come as an augury of what could very well happen to this Equestria that depends entirely on the princesses for everything, but ultimately all settled back to where it were before almost immediately. The memory of the modern pony is ever so quaintly transient."[/colour]

[colour=#333333]"As for dangers, it's foolhardy to proceed expecting only shadows. The badlands are home to all manner of roving beasts that might have come to infest the location. It's always best to be wary and expect the worst,"[/colour] [colour=#000000]Arcana added with a smirk, shaking her head.[/colour]

​

Curio blinked, listening to Arcana. He'd known her to be on the colder side, and a crack sorceress, but he'd never, in all his years of living in Canterlot, heard a pony speak of the princesses, and the current state of Equestria, in such a way. He didn't disagree, but he was taken aback by it.

"Yes, I've watched the REA's occasional parades and such. While the Night's Guard looks good, your run of the mill pony usually just wants the golden armour and the status...mares swoon over it, after all. Still, there's a number of them I would hate to have to come to blows with, despite everything." He retrieved a canteen from his saddlebags and took a sip, before heading to the carriage. He grabbed two more and offered them to Arcana and Zelda before continuing.

"It's kind of hard to see it both ways. On one hoof, I quite like peace, and would never seek out war. On the other hoof, you make a great point, Arcana. We're quite the coddled nation. Who knows? Maybe the Changeling attack will...well, change things around here. From what I hear, it was only through the Queen's stellar catch of the Idiot Ball that she was defeated." Curio slipped the canteen under his REA greatcoat, shrugging a little. "Still. Peace is good, after all. Nothing wrong with living the day to day life, and all that," he said, chuckling a little at her mention of the badlands.

"Yeah, I know. Here's to hoping for a swift, easy journey...but don't worry. If it comes to a fight, I'll be at both your sides, figuratively of course. Not one for the whole rank and file type of brawls."

She returned her gaze back at Curio, "So how much longer are we going to wait?"

"Not sure," Curio said, turning to look at Zelda and shrugging. "They should have been here by now."

[RarityDash]

"I was actually back in Rockwington when all that happened, which was a shame. Would have been interesting to have an encounter with an changeling in person. Imagine having one of those creatures at an ally? Or even a friend? He or she could be whoever you want and all you needed to do is supply him or her with a bit of love. Easy peasy. Er, as for Canterlot itself, please, even with an occasional bit of excitement, you're probably living in the safest city in all of Equestria, if not the entire world. You want excitement? Try living in the rough section of my hometown."

"I don't know. I haven't really had a chance to interact with a Changeling, really. They were trying to capture me, I was trying to avoid that, Maybe if we make peace, proper peace, I'd go and visit. Sure could use some new artifacts. Easy, tiger. Tigress. Anyways, you know what I mean. As for your hometown...with all due respect, I'm not exactly the best of fighters. I'd prefer to avoid trouble when I can...especially around Talonopolis...the uh...guards may or may not still dislike me."

[colour=#000000]Arcana listened at the brief exchange discussing changelings and safety in Aquelia. The first topic was of more interest to her. She gave a small laugh at Zelda's enthusiasm for meeting a changeling. She very much shared it. Unusual creatures were her greatest passion following magic after all. Changelings were not only a rare sight in Equestria, but also had their own unique breed of magic. It would be a delight to study one and see just how its magic differed from that of a unicorn.

As for Aquelia, it was certainly true it was a rougher scene than Equestria, and especially so for a pony. Talonopolis was especially unkind to Equines who came to visit, though if you were a griffon it was perhaps the most secure place you could be. Rockwington from what she knew of it was more welcoming, but she was sure that it probably did have its rough patches as Zelda claimed. Generally Aquelia was not a place Arcana spent much time though; after all, griffons possessed no magic to study. Their cities were seldom of use to her.[/colour]

​

"Well, my fellow crafts-persons don't make the things that they made back then, not because we're unable to, it's because there isn't any demand for such things anymore. And most smiths generally stick to making what sells. My parents were wise enough to make sure I picked up a few more talents beyond metal working, so when the forge is cold, I can at least make some bits with my sculptures. And would you actually want to live in Starswirl's time? I'm sure it makes for good reading, but I remember hearing life was pretty horrid back then. If you weren't being terrorized by windigos, dragons and other beasts, you had issues with your own sub-species as well. I'm not going to even mention how my kind treated yours back then. Wasn't pretty. I do agree with you on Princess Celestia. Eventually you ponies are going to need to grow up and leave the safety of 'Big Mum'."

[colour=#000000]Arcana smirked at the response Zelda gave her. It was all to typical of this stagnant era. She shook her head and gave a sigh.[/colour] [colour=#333333]"You may say that you could make now what the masters made then, but I wonder what the truth is. Perhaps today's artisans do have the technique and the talent, but do they have the discipline? Do they have the will? In that bygone age, blades were honed to mortal sharpness and made to endure rigorous use, because that is what the common pony needed to insure his survival in the more wicked realm. It was by necessity that everything had to be better, or else one did not last. In this age, the thought of making a weapon for the express purpose to take life is considered a savage one--to ponies especially, but even to many of your kind--and none of you are practiced on such master works. Perhaps you have the means and the knowledge to still make such things... but on the question of whether you truly could, I remain unconvinced."[/colour]

[colour=#000000]The unicorn nodded and gave a brief chuckle.[/colour] [colour=#333333]"As for your question, I for one would welcome the return of an age like that. Against the convention of the day, my life in Glorious Celestia's Empire of Sunny Cheer has never exactly been a model of serenity. I for one have the mental preparedness and acumen to face and survive mass chaos without a princess' hoof to hold."[/colour]

​

"Yes, I've watched the REA's occasional parades and such. While the Night's Guard looks good, your run of the mill pony usually just wants the golden armour and the status...mares swoon over it, after all. Still, there's a number of them I would hate to have to come to blows with, despite everything. It's kind of hard to see it both ways. On one hoof, I quite like peace, and would never seek out war. On the other hoof, you make a great point, Arcana. We're quite the coddled nation. Who knows? Maybe the Changeling attack will...well, change things around here. From what I hear, it was only through the Queen's stellar catch of the Idiot Ball that she was defeated. Still. Peace is good, after all. Nothing wrong with living the day to day life, and all that, Yeah, I know. Here's to hoping for a swift, easy journey...but don't worry. If it comes to a fight, I'll be at both your sides, figuratively of course. Not one for the whole rank and file type of brawls."

[colour=#000000]Arcana nodded as Curio spoke to her, taking the canteen that was offered to her. This was straightforward sort of stallion. She appreciated that. [/colour]

[colour=#333333]"Change? Not likely. Ponykind is too remiss and too pampered to know how to adjust itself. The only changes we might see, and the only changes that in turn carry weight, are those at the very top. That's the great new development after all, isn't it? We now have four ever magnanimous and puissant sovereigns reigning over us from on high. Equestria's four horned and winged protectors perched at their vigil, determined to keep the soft-hearted, soft-bodied masses ignorant of the things in this world which might mean them harm,"[/colour] [colour=#000000]Arcana took a sip of water from the canteen and gave another laugh.[/colour] [colour=#333333]"Peace in theory is nice, but when it comes at the cost of collective ambition, it quickly loses its luster in my eyes. Mother Celestia over-nourishes her children until plump, making them resigned to indolence and all too lacking in the hunger to push themselves ahead. Hence the stagnation of the day."[/colour]

​

"So how much longer are we going to wait?"

"Not sure, They should have been here by now."

[colour=#000000]At this talk, the magician scoffed.[/colour][colour=#333333] "If they are the sort to slow us down now, it's all too likely they'll only continue to do so. Three is perhaps a small party for a venture into lands where even dragons are known to roam... but should much more time elapse it might be prudent to simply continue on ahead,"[/colour] [colour=#000000]she suggested.[/colour]

​

[tacobob]

"It's kind of hard to see it both ways. On one hoof, I quite like peace, and would never seek out war. On the other hoof, you make a great point, Arcana. We're quite the coddled nation. Who knows? Maybe the Changeling attack will...well, change things around here. From what I hear, it was only through the Queen's stellar catch of the Idiot Ball that she was defeated." Curio slipped the canteen under his REA greatcoat, shrugging a little. "Still. Peace is good, after all. Nothing wrong with living the day to day life, and all that," he said, chuckling a little at her mention of the badlands.

The griffon stretched as she let out a rather lengthy yawn, "Excuse me.", she glanced down at the trail her claws had made in the ground as she shook her head, "Still, they're not all a bunch of pony-waists. I heard the good Princess sent her Champions to this lost kingdom after someone or something brought back some dead old king...An long forgotten tyrant who I guess ruled the place with an iron hoof until the two Princess' had stopped him. He comes back and not only did the mares stop him, they actually blew the guy to bits. Not sure if he was really alive to begin with, but at least these gals aren't afraid to get their hooves a little dirty when the trash needs to be taken out.", the griffon was trying her best to keep an eye towards the distance, hoping to catch sight of anyone else who was willing to join their merry little group.

"Next time you do this Mister C', you might want to have us all meet somewhere better than the 'Middle Of Nowhere', like a proper tavern. Not only will you get a full crew much quicker, you'll be able to tell who will be worth their meddle by those who are able to get up and walk off on their own free will after downing a few pints.", she snatched up one of the merchant's canteen and took a long sip and listened as the mare spoke more of the past.

[bg=#D00085]Arcana smirked at the response Zelda gave her. It was all to typical of this stagnant era. She shook her head and gave a sigh. "You may say that you could make now what the masters made then, but I wonder what the truth is. Perhaps today's artisans do have the technique and the talent, but do they have the discipline? Do they have the will? In that bygone age, blades were honed to mortal sharpness and made to endure rigorous use, because that is what the common pony needed to insure his survival in the more wicked realm. It was by necessity that everything had to be better, or else one did not last. In this age, the thought of making a weapon for the express purpose to take life is considered a savage one--to ponies especially, but even to many of your kind--and none of you are practiced on such master works. Perhaps you have the means and the knowledge to still make such things... but on the question of whether you truly could, I remain unconvinced."

Once she was finished with her drink she wiped the excess water from her beak and handed back over to the pony, "Thanks.", before turning her full attention back to the mare. "From what I've heard, the typical R.E.A guard is trained to stop a troublemaker with the flat of his or hers blade. As for me, I'm hardly a master in anyway as there's a ton I still need to learn, but if you ever make it to Rockwington and take time to explore the old artist district, there are some things there that will knock the fuzz from your face. It is weird to see this small, but beautiful oasis of beauty and art stuck in the middle of a mostly nondescript mining town, but it's there. And what do you say?", the very anxious griffon made her way towards the stallion, "Another half hour and we go? You know I'm not very good at the whole standing still and not doing anything.", she glanced down at his mane and sighed, "I could at least do something here. Maybe get your hair into that cute little top-knot you usually have.."

OOC: On an side note, M. A. Larson mentions in an interview that a few of his jokes were cut from the 'Duel' episode, for example Trixie asks to see the "revenge section" of the curio shop and the shopkeeper replies "oh, right over here." (From

)

[Snowshoe]

[sorry for not posting...nobody's gotten back to me yet on anything, aside from our villains (plural, because like an idiot I forgot to check who was actually playing who), and they're not set to come until later.]

[Makuzui4220]

The wind caught underneath Pyper Uscroll's wings and she soared higher, until her hooves touched the tops of clouds and the sun warmed her light, almost white, lavender coat against the icy wind. She stopped shivering and sighed in relief with the warmth. Her coat may be thick, with the time she had already spend exploring the badlands, but it wasn't enough to keep out the chills. Once she met with the party she would be able to take her cloak out of her saddlebags and protect herself more, but it was a foolish thing to wear when one was flying. The wind could catch it and send her off course, or tangle her wings and send her tumbling to the ground. Pyper shuddered at the thought, and chose instead to focus back on finding the exploration party. With sharp eyes she searched the rolling hills beneath her. Not to long ago she had flown over Talonpolis, so the rondevous point couldn't be to far. Flapping her winds once in a powerful stroke, Pyper began to circle the area in search of the group. Though Pyper was a very tall mare, anything that looked to the skies would think her only a hawk, so high up she was.

It was the glint of armor that caught her gaze. Tilting her wings slightly she spiraled downward to get a better look. There, below, two ponies and a griffon in armor sat circled around a fire with a wagon nearby.[colour=#ee82ee] [/colour][colour=#dda0dd]'This must be the gathering.'[/colour] Pyper thought and tilted her wings further, spiraling down faster and faster and then landing at a run upon the ground; her lyre, attached to her saddlebags, bounced against the matching cutie mark on her flank. Slowing herself to a canter, she tossed her dark purple mane out of her eyes (though a particularly stubborn skyblue streak refused to get out of the way of her eyes) and approached the group with a smile.[colour=#dda0dd] "Greetings, fellow wanderers!" [/colour]

[Snowshoe]

[colour=#333333]"Change? Not likely. Ponykind is too remiss and too pampered to know how to adjust itself. The only changes we might see, and the only changes that in turn carry weight, are those at the very top. That's the great new development after all, isn't it? We now have four ever magnanimous and puissant sovereigns reigning over us from on high. Equestria's four horned and winged protectors perched at their vigil, determined to keep the soft-hearted, soft-bodied masses ignorant of the things in this world which might mean them harm,"[/colour] [colour=#000000]Arcana took a sip of water from the canteen and gave another laugh.[/colour] [colour=#333333]"Peace in theory is nice, but when it comes at the cost of collective ambition, it quickly loses its luster in my eyes. Mother Celestia over-nourishes her children until plump, making them resigned to indolence and all too lacking in the hunger to push themselves ahead. Hence the stagnation of the day."[/colour]

Curio blinked, still intrigued by this addition to the team. Sure, he'd chosen her himself as their magic expert, but still...she hadn't gone too much with this kind of talk during the interview. It was talk of a kind he'd never, ever heard before, in all his years of hanging out around old libraries and such.

"Well then," he said with a chuckle. "Not sure what to say on that...never really understood the whole magic thing to the degree you unicorns do. Still, I'm not one for becoming too big for my horseshoes...just simple adventures, and the pursuit of happiness and bits," he said simply, smiling a little. Yup, that's all Curio would need to get by.

"Next time you do this Mister C', you might want to have us all meet somewhere better than the 'Middle Of Nowhere', like a proper tavern. Not only will you get a full crew much quicker, you'll be able to tell who will be worth their meddle by those who are able to get up and walk off on their own free will after downing a few pints."

"Another half hour and we go? You know I'm not very good at the whole standing still and not doing anything.", she glanced down at his mane and sighed, "I could at least do something here. Maybe get your hair into that cute little top-knot you usually have.."

"Ha! I uh...tend to avoid the taverns of Talonopolis," Curio admitted with a sheepish grin. "I may or may not have attempted to bribe a high-ranking griffon officer of the law to get an artifact on one of their airships to Canterlot. He was...offended. Certain words were exchanged...also certain blows. I don't know if they still carry a grudge, but it was only a few months ago. I figure it's best to...avoid any place where the authorities might be," he explained, sipping his water and nodding.

"Half an hour. And while I'm flattered, Zelda, truly," he said with a little grin. "I'll pass, for now. You'd be surprised how hard that is to do with hooves and no magic, too."

Before he could say more, a new pony approached. A pegasus, carrying a lyre...this must be Pyper Uscroll, the bard. She'd shown a taste for adventure to some degree, not to mention a knowledge of some aspects of adventuring that would come in handy.

He waved to Pyper as she landed, smiling. "Ah, Miss Uscroll!" he called out. "Welcome aboard! This is Zelda-" he indicated the griffonness, "And Arcana-" the mare.

[RarityDash]

"Excuse me. Still, they're not all a bunch of pony-waists. I heard the good Princess sent her Champions to this lost kingdom after someone or something brought back some dead old king...An long forgotten tyrant who I guess ruled the place with an iron hoof until the two Princess' had stopped him. He comes back and not only did the mares stop him, they actually blew the guy to bits. Not sure if he was really alive to begin with, but at least these gals aren't afraid to get their hooves a little dirty when the trash needs to be taken out."

[colour=#000000]Arcana gave repeated nods at mention of these events by Zelda. She spoke with enthusiasm,[/colour] [colour=#333333]"Ah yes, the Crystal Empire. It's return truly is another of the great historical happenings to occur in this age so unexpectedly rife with them. It's a fascinating place, you know. The knowledge kept in their library, preserved perfectly for a millennia due to that king's wonderful, terrible curse was more than I could absorb in a single trip. I was there when I first heard word of this venture and I intend to spend much time there in the future as well. Never had I seen so many lost secrets on clear public display. The only shame of it is that the Crystal Ponies themselves had no reason to study unicorn magic... and little information remains about the tricks Sombra himself used."[/colour]

​

"Thanks. From what I've heard, the typical R.E.A guard is trained to stop a troublemaker with the flat of his or hers blade. As for me, I'm hardly a master in anyway as there's a ton I still need to learn, but if you ever make it to Rockwington and take time to explore the old artist district, there are some things there that will knock the fuzz from your face. It is weird to see this small, but beautiful oasis of beauty and art stuck in the middle of a mostly nondescript mining town, but it's there."

[colour=#000000]Zelda looked toward Arcana as she spoke this bit. She gave another small nod to the griffoness and sighed.[/colour] [colour=#333333]"I have seldom the time to indulge in art, I'm afraid to say. I can appreciate it, but there's little I can take from it and use. All the same, perhaps Rockwington would be worth a visit someday. It is a town so rife in tradition and history..."[/colour] [colour=#000000]she said, shaking her head a little.[/colour]

​

"Well then...Not sure what to say on that...never really understood the whole magic thing to the degree you unicorns do. Still, I'm not one for becoming too big for my horseshoes...just simple adventures, and the pursuit of happiness and bits."

[colour=#000000]The response Arcana received from Curio made her smirk. Her rants usually would illicit three sorts of responses: one: the pony would lambast her as some kind of evil zealot; two: the pony would halfheartedly agree with her; or three: the pony would act kind of at a loss as this one did. Of the three Arcana really rather preferred this sort of response. It meant he was honest but not particularly strong in ideals. It meant he was a simple stallion just trying to get by. She could count on this sort not to judge her yet not to lie to either. At the same time, she didn't get the impression he was a weak sort of stallion. [/colour]

[colour=#333333]"A fine way to live, sir. If I could be satisfied with just that I would return to greet the dawn in Canterlot. Alas, I have taken this burden of the scholar onto my shoulders. This head of mine is so full of thoughts... I would not be able to find peace living a life of simple pursuits,"[/colour] [colour=#000000]Arcana related earnestly before offering up another sigh[/colour].

​

[colour=#DDA0DD]"Greetings, fellow wanderers!" [/colour]

[colour=#000000]It was about then that another arrived finally on the scene. Curious, Arcana examined this late arriving mare carefully. She was a pegasus, tall with a purple mane. At her side she wore a lyre. How very curious... Arcana couldn't help but chuckle as she looked the mare over.[/colour]

[colour=#333333]"A lyre? How unusual in this age..."[/colour][colour=#000000] [/colour][colour=#000000]she said, shaking her head. [/colour][colour=#333333]"Do you fancy yourself some kind of jongleur? What a droll sort to bring along."[/colour]

[colour=#333333]"I'd be tempted to dismiss such things pointless folly... and yet it seems oddly appropriate in a way. We want for this to be a momentous expedition, do we not? Having a troubadour to recount in song tales of the deeds we may accomplish may only heighten the consequence,"[/colour][colour=#000000] Arcana said, oddly amused.[/colour]

​

[tacobob]

"Ha! I uh...tend to avoid the taverns of Talonopolis," Curio admitted with a sheepish grin. "I may or may not have attempted to bribe a high-ranking griffon officer of the law to get an artifact on one of their airships to Canterlot. He was...offended. Certain words were exchanged...also certain blows. I don't know if they still carry a grudge, but it was only a few months ago. I figure it's best to...avoid any place where the authorities might be," he explained, sipping his water and nodding.

"Half an hour. And while I'm flattered, Zelda, truly," he said with a little grin. "I'll pass, for now. You'd be surprised how hard that is to do with hooves and no magic, too."

"It doesn't have to be Talonopolis, you can always stop over at my little hometown of Rockwington. It's not as built up as the capital city, but we're a tad bit more cozier than they'll ever be. We also have a few rather old family taverns that are worth hitting. Used to date the owner of 'The Brazen Mare', so I got free drinks. Still do, now that I think about it. Oh.", she glanced up at the Pegasus pony as she flew by, "Check her out.", she pointed up into the sky, "Not so bad. I rather like purple. You seeing anypony?', she elbowed the stallion as she chuckled, "Once we take care of your little job here, I'll have to see about hitching you up with a lady-friend.", she gave the older stallion a wink before turning her attention back to the mare.

Arcana gave repeated nods at mention of these events by Zelda. She spoke with enthusiasm, "Ah yes, the Crystal Empire. It's return truly is another of the great historical happenings to occur in this age so unexpectedly rife with them. It's a fascinating place, you know. The knowledge kept in their library, preserved perfectly for a millennia due to that king's wonderful, terrible curse was more than I could absorb in a single trip. I was there when I first heard word of this venture and I intend to spend much time there in the future as well. Never had I seen so many lost secrets on clear public display. The only shame of it is that the Crystal Ponies themselves had no reason to study unicorn magic... and little information remains about the tricks Sombra himself used."

​

"A friend of mine just got back from there. Gave me a snow globe and an earful of stories. She said the King used to be a pretty decent guy until he started getting into the whole dark magic thing. Turned him into a monster and he did some rather horrible things, even beyond using his own people as slaves. When the princesses gave up trying to peacefully have him step down from power, they simply attacked him with their magic. Ended up literally ripping him to pieces so there wouldn't be anything left of him to come back to, or be reanimated. The Champions fought the only thing that wasn't destroyed, which was his spirit or shade and that had been driven mad during years of lacking a er, corporal body. So the girls just fought a really big and very mindless ghost and blew that to Hades and back."

The griffon smiled as the Pegasus got into range, "Looks like there's four of us. Will that be enough Mister C?", she fluttered her eyelashes at the stallion as she waited for an answer.

[Makuzui4220]

[colour=#dda0dd]"I am indeed nomadic,"[/colour] Pyper smiled at the Arcana, deciding not to take offense to being called 'a droll sort'.[colour=#dda0dd] "But I hope to not only account for the events to take place in songs, for my array of skills might surprise you. After all, you are simply venturing out into the wilds, while I call them home."[/colour]

"Looks like there's four of us. Will that be enough Mister C?" Zelda fluttered her eyelashes at Curio, something Pyper did not miss. This did seem like an interesting bunch, sure to make for a good story! The mare smiled again as she retrieved a green and brown splattered travelling cloak from her saddlebags and pulled it around her frame. The fire was enough to keep her warm, but the group seemed eager to set off. Pyper also took out her lyre and gently began to play a wordless, lilting tune in the hopes of starting the journey out on the right hoof; with the party in high spirits.

[Snowshoe]

[colour=#333333]"A fine way to live, sir. If I could be satisfied with just that I would return to greet the dawn in Canterlot. Alas, I have taken this burden of the scholar onto my shoulders. This head of mine is so full of thoughts... I would not be able to find peace living a life of simple pursuits,"[/colour] [colour=#000000]Arcana related earnestly before offering up another sigh[/colour].

----

[colour=#333333]"I'd be tempted to dismiss such things pointless folly... and yet it seems oddly appropriate in a way. We want for this to be a momentous expedition, do we not? Having a troubadour to recount in song tales of the deeds we may accomplish may only heighten the consequence,"[/colour][colour=#000000] Arcana said, oddly amused.[/colour]

​

"Well hey, there's nothing wrong with the simple pleasures, eh? Good friends, good drink, good food, good mares. All that. Guess I'm just of a different sort, though." Curio couldn't help but chuckle at Arcana's amusement of Piper's presence.

"She's also got some adventuring knowledge we could use. First aid and the like. Good addition to the group."

Curio looked over at Zelda and nodded with a little smile. "Of course, Miss Z," he said with a grin, looking at the group. "Not one to wait. I'll place some markers and notes for the others, should any others show up," he continued. "Zelda, mind killing the fire? The rest of you, get ready to head out. I'll take first shift on the cart, but everypony... and every griffon-" he looked at Zelda and winked. "Will need to take turns," he said. The stallion grabbed a sheaf of paper and quickly jotted down that they'd left and at least what road they would put on to find them. He pinned the note to a tree by spearing it on one of its branches, then trotted over to the cart and slipped into the harness.

"And we're off!" he said brightly, trotting along.

[RarityDash]

"A friend of mine just got back from there. Gave me a snow globe and an earful of stories. She said the King used to be a pretty decent guy until he started getting into the whole dark magic thing. Turned him into a monster and he did some rather horrible things, even beyond using his own people as slaves. When the princesses gave up trying to peacefully have him step down from power, they simply attacked him with their magic. Ended up literally ripping him to pieces so there wouldn't be anything left of him to come back to, or be reanimated. The Champions fought the only thing that wasn't destroyed, which was his spirit or shade and that had been driven mad during years of lacking a er, corporal body. So the girls just fought a really big and very mindless ghost and blew that to Hades and back."

[colour=#000000]Arcana had of course heard the same story. Part of her wondered if she wasn't bound for the same manner of fate if she stuck to her current pursuits. There was a trepidation in her heart when she began to consider such things. Still, her passion kept her looking forward. Maybe destiny would not be kind to her, but she had to keep convincing herself that her tale would have a different ending. She would find power, but she would better know how to wield it. She was not King Sombra. She would control her power, not let it consume her and drive her to madness. She would not let herself become a monster. Even still, she couldn't find a response to give to Zelda and her story.[/colour]

​

"Well hey, there's nothing wrong with the simple pleasures, eh? Good friends, good drink, good food, good mares. All that. Guess I'm just of a different sort, though."

[colour=#000000]Curio's words brought a small smirk to her face. She nodded. [/colour]

[colour=#333333]"Nothing at all,"[/colour] [colour=#000000]she said, giving a nod. [/colour][colour=#333333]"It's just not the life for me, I'm afraid."[/colour]

​

[colour=#DDA0DD]"I am indeed nomadic, [/colour][colour=#DDA0DD]But I hope to not only account for the events to take place in songs, for my array of skills might surprise you. After all, you are simply venturing out into the wilds, while I call them home."[/colour]

"She's also got some adventuring knowledge we could use. First aid and the like. Good addition to the group."

[colour=#000000]As the conversation turned to the newest member of the team to join up with them, Arcana gave another nod. [/colour]

[colour=#333333]"You'll find I do not surprise easily,"[/colour] [colour=#000000]Arcana said, smirking as she looked toward Pyper. [/colour][colour=#333333]"It will be most entertaining to see if you can make good on your word."[/colour]

[colour=#333333]"I will admit that first aid and knowledge of the wilds are both useful things however. Perhaps you may be useful to us for more than your fanciful airs after all,"[/colour] [colour=#000000]she said with cautious approval of the mare.[/colour]

[colour=#000000]As Curio then gave word that they were to leave, she gave a nod. [/colour][colour=#333333]"Excellent! Let us be on our way then,"[/colour] [colour=#000000]she said, ready to make haste toward their destination.[/colour]

​

[tacobob]

"Zelda, mind killing the fire? The rest of you, get ready to head out. I'll take first shift on the cart, but everypony... and every griffon-" he looked at Zelda and winked. "Will need to take turns," he said. The stallion grabbed a sheaf of paper and quickly jotted down that they'd left and at least what road they would put on to find them. He pinned the note to a tree by spearing it on one of its branches, then trotted over to the cart and slipped into the harness.

The griffon nodded her head and quickly smothered the fire with a handful of dirt, "I do hope we get a few pleasures out of this little job. Beyond the great big bags of bits you'll most likely be hoofing over to use once we're finished.", she winked at the stallion. He probably knew the well-off blacksmith and sculptor wasn't in it for the money, but simply wanted something to do between bouts of artist's block.

"Nothing at all," she said, giving a nod. "It's just not the life for me, I'm afraid."

Zelda frowned a little as the magical mare uttered those lines. She really wanted to say something, but she had no intention of being a 'Miss Busybody' and tell Arcana how to live her life. She hoped between their actual mission, the small group would have time for a little bit of fun, and maybe the mare would see what she was missing. After helping the earth pony with his harness, she followed the small group along while humming along with Pyper's lyre music.

OOC: Sorry. Very short post. Wanted to get something out before I rushed off to work today...