Ponies & Dragons - Episode 1: A Tail of Two Cities

[Trilobite]

"Indeed we do, my friend. Come--it is just this way..."

(I'd say that's an excellent point to cut the scene and join these two later...if that works for you, Kirby?)

[Bramble Rose]

Bramble Rose let out a sigh of relief as he took the sealed documents, and smiled warmly up to Luna, his heart swelling with pride and love for his princesses. "My thanks, your Highness." He meant it both for her praise, and also for allowing him to tell the prisoners the good news, and also for being able to show how Canterlot was, indeed, the center of nurturing care in this world, but he had no idea how to say all that without babbling, so he left it at merely, "My thanks," and hoped that somehow, they would understand all that was in his heart. "I will bring the good news to the prisoners first, as they're right here, and then I shall do my best to find that wizard, wherever he might be." Bramble didn't have the slightest idea how to even begin to do that - how to find and catch a pony that could move through dirt and rock and could be anywhere in Equestria by now, with absolutely no clues - but that didn't seem a terribly large problem, given how uplifted he was feeling in this room.

He ducked his head for only a moment, a respectful gesture, then looked up once again to Luna with a bright and open smile, right on the verge of open and delighted laughter, before turning and prancing out of the room with happy energy in his step to seek out the prisoners.

"Good news, my friends!" he nearly sang in delight as he reached the small crowd of ponies awaiting their fate. "The Princesses have spoken in your favor! Better than being freed, better than mere bits, you have opportunity! You can go back to your village... or you can stay here for a time and learn a trade, and bring knowledge back to your town! No need to pay others to build your grand homes, you can build them yourselves! They have offered you what the wizard lied about - the chance to lift up your village and make a better life for your foals!" Bramble could have danced for joy!

[Starburst]

Some of the bandits bow low when given the generous option to take up hammers and sickles towards learning a trade, and are simply ecstatic that a dignitary in a foreign country would allow them to live there while learning from a tradesman. After some bickering between just which trades they'd like to learn. The majority of the stallions choose Stonemasonry, Blacksmithing, or Carpentry. The mares choose weaving, farming, medicine, and baking as their future vocations. When you arrive at the meeting point some of the bandits are bickering about who's going to learn what, and eventually they're able to settle the result peacefully.. with minor help from a Canterlotian guardspony.

You arrive at the meeting point and wait for Curtain call and Ironmane. For some reason they haven't arrived yet.

[Kirby Krackle]

( We managed to find ourselves a nice stopping point for that awkward little side quest. Let's keep this ball rolling! Which reminds me. If it please the court, allow me to skip ahead a bit. )

Curtain Call's Ma and Pa sure taught him some pretty despicable things. But also, as he would argue, an equal number of respectable things. The first? Never, ever, under any circumstance be-

"Oh rats! Rats! A thousand plague rats! I'm late!"

The "friendly debate" he had against Ironmane lasted more than he realized. The thought of filling the hungry bellies of a troop of ex-soldiers became an afterthought instead, brought back to the front of his mind by hollering peddlers. Each pony's shop was loud and bright, with the newest and shiniest wares out front, which made it awfully hard to spot Fair Weigh's General, as instructed. The shopkeep was polite and did wish to chat up a bit about how Curtain came to know Bramble but that was a story for a later date, fearing that now in his bags could be some last meals. He offered Bramble's gold as payment for the loaves and bushels, gave a warm hoof shake and a fond farewell, then galloped off to find the accused and their keepers. Meanwhile, he had completely lost track of Ironmane.

"Rats rats rats I hate being late!"

[Trilobite]

Ironmane looked around as she walked toward the meeting point. "He is certainly gifted at being elusive," she said, half to herself. "Ah. The meeting point. I've no doubt...no. He will return. Bramble Rose! Have you seen--" she was interrupted as a galloping pony barrelled into her, eliciting a high-pitched squeak of surprise from the large mare.

[Bramble Rose]

Bramble smiled happily to see his team-mates returning, Curtain Call born down under several packages. He hurried forward as the collision sent apples and loaves of bread flying, his magic catching several of the apples - but not nearly all of them. "Oh dear! Well, if that's the worst ... it still makes a fine celebration meal!" He grinned to his friends as he righted the basket and started picking up the apples and loaves and put them back into it. "I have delightful news! We didn't even have a wait, they just brought us right in to see the Princesses... we hardly even slowed down at the gate. It's like they were expecting us or something! Princess Luna herself stood judgement over them, and she was ... just amazing. She already knew all about it, of course - and she said that they had no ill intent, and what's more ... she gave them all they desired! Not money, but the chance to learn useful trades to bring back to their village! They'll be building their village up now, and making it themselves! They'll never be vulnerable to others preying on them like that, again!" He gave a delighted little laugh. "Creating, not taking - that's the key to their freedom!"

He smiled happily, and scooped up the basket, now full of apples and bread. "Come along, our new friends are absolutely delighted, and you both should share in that!" He carried the basket back towards the ex-bandits, with a bright smile.

"Here you are, friends! I'm afraid we *just* dropped them, so there might be a bit of bruising, but I hope you all don't mind!" Bramble smiled happily, eagerly, and took one of the most-bruised apples for himself, shining it up on his coat. "My sire always said, "Hunger don't care none 'bout a bruise" when I was a colt!" Bramble's voice took on a Western twang as he parroted the gunslinger's drawl, and he took a big, juicy bite out of the apple, licking the juice from his lips.

[Starburst]

The ponies eat with enthusiasm, conversing about their future trades.

[Kirby Krackle]

It's manners alone that he joins in the meager feast, just an apple, and sharing in the smiles had by the rest of these fellows. He was glad for them and their new lease on life, there was no doubt. But it was because of that his apple tasted sour. That and a secret he doubted he would let out any time soon.

[Trilobite]

"Thank you, Bramble Rose. That is indeed excellent news, and no less than is to be expected from our beneficient monarchs." She lowers her voice. "Tell me, what of their taskmaster? I doubt the Princesses would leave that matter unadressed."

[Bramble Rose]

Bramble takes a more serious expression. "A good question, Ironmane, and one rather a bit more difficult." He takes another bite of his apple, then lets his magic lift it from his hoof to float next to him. "Seems that we three have been given the task to hunt him down, capture him, and bring him to justice. Which ... seemed a lot more possible when I was in the throne room. Now that I think of it ... I barely got a look at him. I know nothing about him. I was hoping, once the meal was over, to inquire more of our friends here, so as not to disrupt their cheery mood for at least a short time ... but we are tasked to capture him by the Princesses ... if either of you have an idea how to do that, I would be most welcome of it."

[Starburst]

( You mustn't forget that you've yet to bring yourselves to the Canterlot scribe to get your Travel Visas. )

[Kirby Krackle]

"This plan is stupid. Do not listen to a word I'm saying, but does the mastermind behind all this know that his troops are captured? Should we assume 'no', then were are at an advantage. Load the cart back up with some of our new friends and we three in disguise, claiming victory. We are led back to the home camp, play the part and lay low. His plans will be revealed and we can choose the proper moment to strike. But that's just my plan. Ignore me."

He took another bite of his apple, simply thinking out loud. He freshly recalled his words with Ironmane, knowing that he was probably the only one ruthless enough to live a boldface lie and stab a pony in his sleep. He envied them for lacking that quality. Then, looking to the now reformed criminals, he hated his idea even more, asking them to once again dive back inside a hornet's nest. Please ignore me, he thought.

[Trilobite]

"No...no, yours is a good plan, Curtain Call. Why should we ignore you? The Higher Powers placed you on this road as well, and you are the only one with--the one with the greatest knowledge of these blackguards.

"Were it I alone, I would simply march toward where he had last been seen, asking bold and guileless questions, and trusting to fate to place me in a position to balance the scales." She smiles dazzlingly, and her tone is self-deprecating as she says this. "Perhaps we can disguise ourselves in the hopes of drawing nearer to our quarry, then, we he is in reach, reveal ourselves and seize the blackguard!"

[Bramble Rose]

Bramble shook his head. "I'm not as fond of it," he says softly. "They were terrified of him ... we may put their lives and families in further jeapordy. And we don't have a plan to hold him, if we do catch him. He went right through my vines, and into the earth, without any apparant effort. We need a plan that catches him, and doesn't count on *hoping* that he might not have realized that his bandits have been gone for most of the day..."

Bramble pondered a moment, and suddenly his face lit up. "But! If we talk to our new friends, perhaps they know what the villain was looking for in the caravans? If we can figure that out, perhaps we can find it first and lay a trap. I still don't know how to hold him, but we can at least find him in that manner..."

( Haven't forgotten, Starburst! But it's not high on Bramble's priority list at the moment. )

[Kirby Krackle]

There was an initial shock to get over, Curtain Call felt, after the dazzling brilliance of one of Princess Celestia's finest sunrises. Wait a minute. Dusk has fallen. So what was... oh, yes. Ironmane's smile. Right. Gosh, she's pretty when she's not terrifying. Professional courtesy once again dictates hiding any redness in the cheeks. Besides, there's no time for being smitten when there's a mystery to solve.

"Then lets put sending our new friends back into a hornet's nest aside for a moment. It's a question that's moot. Because, regardless of how we get to him, we need to know of a way to properly snare him. Now, I've no horn, no wings. I just have four hooves and guts. Still, I'm going to assume that escaping from some plant magic hoojoo is not an easy feat. This trick stinks like rotton tomatoes. I think we should do some research and try to riddle out not only how this pony escaped as he did but how to stop him from doing so again. And... call me crazy, but I think we're in the right city to do that kind of research."

[Trilobite]

"Indeed, my friends. Let us speak with these ponies, and see what we can discover. But gently, gently. Perhaps we can ask each of them if they would be willing to tell us what they know. And you are quite right regarding this city, Curtain Call, as Canterlot's library is without parallel in Equestria. If anyone will know the answer, the scribes and scholars there surely will.

"If you two will attend to our new friends, I will arrange lodgings for us."

(Is there a local temple of the Order, or of one friendly to my order, that I know of?)

[Starburst]

( In Canterlot the Primary Temples are to Celestia and Luna. However, there are temples here to Princess Platinum because she was the one who originally founded Canterlot. Nearby, outside the town, closer to the entrance of the Bat Ponies mountain, there are temples to Death and Discord as well. )

[Bramble Rose]

Bramble nodded and smiled brightly. "A capital idea, thank you! I can also visit some of my colleagues at the university, and perhaps even my dam - if we hit the right professor, we might not have to do our own research at all." He nuzzled into his saddlebags, and drew out the papers, passing out one to each of his allies. "The princesses have seen that we will need this documentation - all you need to do is stop by the scribe to pick up your papers, and you will have full access to the city. I would be pleased to show you around my home a little - but first, we should see if our new friends have any information for us."

Bramble stepped back over by the new denizons of Canterlot, and gave a soft smile. He took the pony who had been most helpful and descriptive, and gestured gently for him to step aside. "Good friend," he said softly, "My companions and I have been tasked by the princesses to seek out and imprison the foul mage who was so unkind to you and your friends - yet we know nothing of him. Praytell, what might you let us know about his abilities, and what he is seeking in these caravans? Do you know of a home he might have, or anything that might help us find him or know him?"

[Starburst]

"Unfortunately as most intelligent villains are, he withheld most of the knowledge you're inquiring about.. however I can give you a list of spells that I've seen him use on multiple occasions.. I don't know exactly how useful that will be to you, but hopefully you'll be one step closer to finding exactly what it was he was searching for, and in doing so will allow you to capture him to be imprisoned for all of our sakes." The helpful horse says.

"I've seen him evocate Fireballs, and lightning bolts. I've also seen him use a spell that allows him to step into a portal and reappear close-by from another portal, however it never stayed intact long enough for more than one pony to enter it. We've also seen him employ a spell that when cast allows him to make someone who was previously hostile towards him friendlier. That's about the extent of my knowledge with this spell-caster. Hopefully you'll be able to find out more information." He concludes, returning to an apple that he'd been chewing on previously.

[Trilobite]

(Ironmane will head to the temple with the most comfortable appointments, especially if she and her guests can stay for free! After that she'll head back.)

[Starburst]

(Ironmane will head to the temple with the most comfortable appointments, especially if she and her guests can stay for free! After that she'll head back.)

( That would be the posh temple of Princess Platinum. It's followers are devoted to beauty and generosity. )

[Trilobite]

(Excellent! That's my order, baby! I'm happy to step back for a bit and let the others handle this scene. Just lemme know when Ironmane is back!)

[Starburst]

(Excellent! That's my order, baby! I'm happy to step back for a bit and let the others handle this scene. Just lemme know when Ironmane is back!)

( That's not my place to decide, If you want to go there, role-play it. )

[Kirby Krackle]

( Here's a question! That temple to Discord. Describe that to me. I have a slight inkling that it could be, more or less, a den of thieves. My future actions depend on this info!)

Ever the tidy and organized one, Curtain Call whips out a small pocket sized tome and opens it to a fresh page, where-in he scribbles down in a sharpened bit of charcoal (much more portable than ink and quill. All it needs is a sharpening and boy does Curtain Call carry knives) every last capability his new spell-casting target described by his former underling. The more he knows, the more he can find out later, then repeat. Politely, he thanked his informant and tucked his little black book away.

"Best we can do for now. I'm glad I have a hunch or two I can follow for now. Bramble, I need to do some digging. You mentioned something about having full access to Canterlot? Where am I picking this up?"

[Trilobite]

( That's not my place to decide, If you want to go there, role-play it. )

(You got it, boss! I'm stepping in here with a bit of description, more to do my part as a player than anything else. If that's not the way to roll, lemme know and I'll be happy to see the sights as presented by Your GMness)

Ironmane trotted down the streets, head high. The actions of the Princesses filled her heart with warm gratitude at being allowed to defend so great a land, and Canterlot, most amazing of cities, always made her feel proud to be an citizen of Equestria. And the Grand Temple of the Order was, in her opinion, a testament to the care, ingenuity, and spirit that made this city, and the country great. She was eager to share it with her friends, particularly Curtain Call. For him, she thought, this place might be something of a test, but she had no doubt he would pass it...not to her satisfaction, but to his own. And Bramble Rose was always such a pleasure to spend time with, she felt it was the least she could do to share the hospitality of the Order with him.

The Grand Temple stood in the center of a circular plaza with a magnificent view of the palace and the lands beyond. Topiary circled the plaza, providing shade and fruit for anypony who wished them. The courtyard beyond was finest marble, each flagstone a work of art unto itself, elaborately inlaid with platinum and precious stones to form images that told the story of the Order.

Ironmane paused at the entrance, where an enormous sculpture stood. Princess Platinum, Chancellor Puddinghead, and Commander Hurricane stood facing each other, shaking hooves over an exquisitely detailed miniature of the Palace. The platform beneath them was wrought with the images of Windigos, depicted so that they were pinned under or being driven away by the hooves of the three founders. Ironmane nosed into her saddlebags and brought forth some trail rations--all she had--and a gold piece, dropping them in a collection box at the base of the statue. The Order gathered collections each day, to form part of their contributions to ponies suffering ill fortune.

This done, she bowed before the statue of Princess Platinum herself.

"Princess Platinum. I am humbled and honored to continue to serve the ideals of generosity and fair-hoofedness which you set forth. I thank you for your guidance, and for the opportunities you have presented me to learn what I can of these ideals and to pass some of my understanding on to others. I am especially grateful for the chance to bring the misguided to the light of justice, as was done this day with the help of my friends. And I am thankful as well for a new friend, Curtain Call. I ask that you watch over him especially; he is a good soul in very great need of your guidance. May I always remember to be honest, generous, and kind, to be strong when it is called for and seek the beauty in all hearts."

This done, Ironmane rose and approached the main gates of the Temple, intending to arrange accomodations for herself and her companions.