private Clover's Rest

[Silverwisp the Bard 2,353]

OOC thread

 

Clover's Rest

 

 

You all sit on the remarkably uncomfortable benches, somewhere in the deeps of Canterlot Castle and stare at the strangers who share the torchlit room with you. You don't know, why the Nightguard has brought you here, but you have a suspicion, that there must be something more to this than the minor bar-brawl, that occurred just a couple of hours ago. Just when you are about to break the silence, one of the doors leading to your room swings open.

 

"Enter." a voice beckons from the other side and one after another you shuffle through.

 

This new room is little different from the previous: Roughly hewn rock walls, here and there veined by crystal, with the occasional torch burning in an iron holder. The only real difference is a massive oak table occupying the center of the room, upon which is pinned a large map of Equestria.

Two ponies, a pterasus, or batpony, mare wearing a cloak and a tall pegasus stallion clad in the cloth and copperscale armour of the Wonderbolts.

The latter seems not at all happy to see you, but the mare gives all of you a knowing

smile.

"A good evening to you all. You may call me Lenore and the handsome fellow over there is Ember Storm, captain of the Wonderbolts. I imagine, you are all wondering exactly why you are here, but I'd ask you to introduce yourselves to each other first."

Edited July 25, 2013 by Silverwisp the Bard

[Standard User 2,127]

"My dear Lenore..." Jabbermouth begins, flashing her a grin. "Do you believe in fate? Because I feel like we've met before. In a dream, perhaps?...regardless, the name's Jabbermouth. I'm sure that whatever minor charges have brought me here before you are more than worth the punishment, for I have been graced by your beauty and charm."

He waggles his eyebrows playfully before turning his devilish grin into a pleading grimace. "So can I puh-LEASE go now?! I swear, I don't have any history with the rest of these ponies! I'm really really really sorry!"

[Had to make a post (from my phone, no less), just in case I won't be around much the next couple of days. Feel free to pick on Jabber. He's kind of a jerk sometimes.]

Edited July 10, 2013 by Scoutaloo

[Ampharos 1,009]

Dust rolled his eyes at the smitten stallion. "Uh, ahm Diamond Dust. But I'd rather ya call me Dust if we end up gettin that acquainted and such." Dust honestly had no idea why he was here. He had remembered doing anything that bad. After all, he was a very kind person and wouldn't hurt a fly if bribed to. Unless he was drunk. That coulda been a problem... He never me a single one of these ponies before, but he enjoyed meeting new people so it didn't bother him that much that he was here. He just wanted to know why.

[Agent505 661]

"You make one stop before heading into the Amblezon, and get caught up 'n all kinds'a mess..." Discharge grumbled to himself, flaring his left wing and partially extending his right as he entered the room. After the first couple of introductions had been made, he cleared his throat and stepped to the side and forward, making himself known as he spoke. "Discharge. A pleasure making your acquaintance ma'am, sir." He nodded, bowing his head slightly as he folded his wings back by his side. 

[Silverwisp the Bard 2,353]

I swear, I don't have any history with the rest of these ponies! I'm really really really sorry!"

Lenore grins back, pointed canines glittering.

"No? I assumed you were an compatriot of Master Discharge, considering the marvelous artifacts we found on your person."

She rustles around the papers on the desk.

"...including several charms to guard against dragon's fire, with a money back guaranty no less, a ring that will make a rich stallion fall in love with the wearer and my personal favourite: The fabled Alicorn Amulett."

She holds up a pendant with one wingclaw.

"Somewhat smaller than described in the chronicles and set with what appears to be a rather inferior garnet instead of ruby, but I am no expert on these things. Also, yes, a considerable sum of bits, which I unfortunately seem to have misplaced somewhere around my quarters. But I am sure a dashing adventurer such as you, will not deny the mare of his dreams a simple request, no?"

Another rustle of papers.

"And talking about you Master Discharge, I have here requests from messengers of various nations, who seem to disagree on your definition of "lost" treasure. I won't go into detail, but at least one includes hungry lions."

Edited July 10, 2013 by Silverwisp the Bard

[Mephala 2,633]

A creamy earth pony seated slightly in the shadow shuffled her chair forwards, her differently coloured eyes glowing in the flickering light. Her mane was swept away neatly to avoid getting in her eyes, but it was done carelessly, as though the mare didn't care much for her appearance. The lids of her eyes were slightly drooped as though unconcerned, but upon touching her, one would find her stiff and unfeeling, trying to betray nothing but confidence-her greatest lie.

 

Braith shifted in her chair, and then smiled. "I don't think I need that ring to get stallions to fall in love with me...but Jabber might," she added with gently mocking thoughtfulness, giving him an exaggerated look-over.

 

Really, Braith didn't know why she was here, but some revelry had seemed in order at the time. Ponies partied hard compared to her griffin neighbours, after all; if they slipped something in her water it wasn't her fault.

[Standard User 2,127]

@:

"And what does that mean, little missy?" Jabber huffs, turning towards the mare. "I'll have you know I was voted Canterlot's most eligible bachelor two years running." He coughs awkwardly before continuing. "Well, that was, uh, a while ago. Nopony probably remembers, so if you ask around...but my point still stands!" 

He quickly looks her over, noticing her dual-colored eyes. Ooh, how exotic, yet fetching. "Y'know, ma'am, we should see if that ring works not only on rich stallions but poor mares such as yourself. Lenore, my dear, would you please hand me that ring...? No? Please? Okay, how about that worthless amulet-- er, I mean, the Alicorn necklace...thingy..."
 

[i read Braith's bio...I didn't know whether to lean rich or poor. So, naturally, I swung poor.  ]

Edited July 10, 2013 by Scoutaloo

[Agent505 661]

@@Silverwisp the Bard, 

 

"Hay I - that wasn't food, and the Canterlot museum paid happily for it, too!" He adjusted the straps around his shoulders on his jacket as he spoke, shuffling them comfortably to one side. "And I know nothin' 'bout anythin' that you may have as far as letters from angry locals go."

[Silverwisp the Bard 2,353]

And I know nothin' 'bout anythin' that you may have as far as letters from angry locals go.

 

"I didn't suggest that you should, Master Discharge. But to make  a  long story short, you are all here because me and my associates find ourselves in need of ponies with certain qualifications for a minor undertaking.

You all are of course free to refuse and continue to wherever fate calls you. Such as, for example,  a high altitude rock farm." Another grin at Jabber. "Or, in the interest of diplomatic relations, the aforementioned lions." A nod to Discharge.

"Should you however decide to accept, you can be assured of the gratitude of me and my superiors as well as the satisfaction of having done a good deed."

[Mephala 2,633]

@

(OoC: Y'ALL NEVER HEARD OF MIDDLE CLASS?)

(...yeah, she's poor.) 

 

"Jabbermouth, your name quite gives away your attitude," said Braith with a little chuckle. "If you were even on the most eligible list, then I'm a manticore's uncle." She paused, and then thought. "Well, considering my family history, I wouldn't be surprised if I was an honourary one."

She batted her eyes at him. "Oh, sir, with thine looks, you would need much more than a petty amulet to win this one's affections. Why, it appears you have quite the bad case of freckles-unless my eyes deceive me and they ARE boils. Either way, quite the affliction."

 

@@Silverwisp the Bard

She eyed Lenore in minor distaste; Braith wasn't a fan of the higher-ups. "Were it minor, you wouldn't be asking us to go on this trip," she pointed out. "Unless you're one of those who wouldn't rather get your hooves dirty...now, go on, what is this you ask of us petty fools?"

[Agent505 661]

(I'm really sorry, I can't not reply if see it's open)

 

"Why do I get the sudden feeling we're not talking about the same "lions" and the ones you are referring to are metaphorical?" he muttered, more to himself than out loud, but probably loud enough for others to hear. "I do have a question if I may, am I going to have to be working with this rabble? I'd prefer to work on my own if I could..." He flapped his wings slowly and stretched his neck, getting a good look at the armoured stallion before them all. 'Looks competent' he thought, 'wonder if he'll be joining us on this foray?'

 

"Either way though ma'am, I feel like there's not much choice in the matter, i'll be forced to accept either way will I not?"

[SilverHeart 741]

(OOC: Sorry, I had some unexpected company last night. I threw this out on my phone.)

 

Silver Heart shifted on her bench, while fidgeting with her hooves. She worried that aomepony had said she been a part of the bar fight. While not entirely untrue she had mainly tried to help the ponies that had gotten hurt.

 

Silver Heart decided to not speak up until she knew why she had been summoned by the Nightguards. It seemed like a wise choice, they may have brought her here for an entirely different reason than the bar fight. She hoped that Lenore would speak up soon.

[Standard User 2,127]

@:

Jabber had already decided that this one would be trouble. She was sarcastic, rude, and witty. And if there was one thing Jabber hated, it was a good-looking smart mare. Yeah, definitely not attractive at all. Gross. Girls have cooties. 

"My dear, the rest of you may be 'poor fools' as you've so delicately put it, but I myself am an intelligent stallion. If I may be blunt, my darling Lenore, cut to the chase. I have ponies to rip off-- er, I mean, sell things too. I have a family, y'know!"

It wasn't a lie, persay. There was a family -- a mom and a dad -- but no wife, no children. Jabber didn't make lasting connections, and friends were out of the question. The sooner he got out of this room with the two ponies with the power to arrest him, the better.

[Silverwisp the Bard 2,353]

what is this you ask of us petty fools?"

"Mistrees Braith, I do command a quite extensive staff and am certainly in no short supply of fools. The five of you are here because of certain qualifications you all posses. But, where are my manners? Please, all of you, come closer."

 

She waits until you are grouped around the table, before holding up a small piece of paper, upon which you see a rather good coal sketch of a young unicorn stallion, perhaps twenty years old.

"This is Jasper Meadowgreen, the only child of Gerald Meadowgreen, a big merchant. The family has ties to most of the old unicorn aristocracy and more money than the rest of them combined. From what we know, Jasper spend most of the last five years here in Canterlot, mingling with the high society.

Now, Gerald passed away a week ago and when young Jasper got word of it, he left for his home, a small town called Clover's Rest, about a day's journey south of Canterlot."

She taps the map.

"Where it seems he dropped of the face of the earth. His fiancee informed us, when he ceased correspondence."

 

The captain clears his throat and points one armored hoof on a large green area near the town.

"Usually I'd just send a squat to investigate, but there are two problems. First: Clover's Rest is close to what's  known as the Everfree Forest, apparently there is some trade between the village and the nutjobs who choose to live in that hellhole. And to make things worse there's a colony of griffons just inside its borders, which brings us to the second problem."

He taps the map a second time, pointing out a castle marked with a crescent moon.

"Clover's Rest falls under the jurisdiction of Darzar, head of Princess Luna's personal council and supreme commander of her guard. He doesn't like griffons. If he got wind of this, we could have a massacre on our hooves."

 

Lenore speaks up again.

"Currently our relationship to Highqueen Gwyinn is strained to say the least. Any incident involving the Royal Guard could have serious consequences indeed. So we find ourselves in need of ponies of an inquisitive nature, ponies whom Darzar won't recognize."

Edited July 13, 2013 by Silverwisp the Bard

[Standard User 2,127]

 

 

And to make things worse there's a colony of griffons just inside the borders

Jabbermouth paled, beginning to visibly quake -- only slightly, of course. "Gr-griffons? With the talons and the beaks and the wings that can fly really high and, say, drop a pony?" Jabber had half a mind to nopenopenopesorry his way out of that room. Being in close proximity to a violent species with the ability of flight didn't exactly make him comfortable. But this was a potentially lucrative job offer, and being arrested didn't seem to be on the table.

"So no Guard, eh? Instead you're sending in a bunch of wannabe mercenaries...and myself, of course. Very well, then! I accept your offer on two terms: any record I have with the Guard is wiped and you pay me a whole lot of bits. Like, a whole. Lot. Of. Bits." If Jabber was going to be risking his life for the very people who had chased him out of town on numerous occasions, he was going to be well-compensated for his services--

Wait. What services would he offer?

"Hold on a second..." Jabber mouth began, narrowing his eyes at Lenore. "You say we have 'certain qualifications.' What exactly are those for each of us? I mean, I know I'm irresistibly charming, but what about these other ponies?" He said, turning to the rest of the group.

[Ampharos 1,009]

@, 

 

Dust walked over to Jabbermouth. He looked down at the stallion, then looked down at himself. 'Ah think it's pretty obvious why ahm here. Ahm probably stonger than this guard here.. But you. Ah have no idea what use you would be." Dust was usually kind and understanding, but this egotistical stallion was getting on his nerves. And that wasn't exactly a good thing.

Edited July 13, 2013 by Ampharos

[Agent505 661]

@, 

 

"Keep up that attitude and Gryphons wont be the only thing y'all'l have to worry about..." Discharge grunted to himself, aimed at the cocky stallion. 

"Y'ever found y'self lost in shadows, my friend? Mountains, towering above the clouds in all directions, not a landmark to go by in the place everything looks the same. No trees, no wildlife and no food." Discharge stepped closer to Jabbermouth, narrowing his eyes and looking him in his. "Y'ever found yer way back from there? Surviving with food from sources you wouldn't even dream of existing? Perhaps i'll take you there some time..."

[Silverwisp the Bard 2,353]

 

 

  I accept your offer on two terms: any record I have with the Guard is wiped and you pay me a whole lot of bits. Like, a whole. Lot. Of. Bits."

"Tamper with the Guard records? Why, you must think me some kind of shady character. But should you indeed succeed, it might just be possible for some documents to slip under the floorboards."

 

 

 

Ahm probably stonger than this guard here.. But you. Ah have no idea what use you would be

The captain scoffs.

"Don't flatter yourself, civilian. But you are not completely wrong. You and Discharge are here on my insistence, just in case things go south."

 

Lenore rolls her eyes. "And against my expressed wish. Mistress Braith, I think you know why you qualify for this. Mistress Heart, I hope your presence will come in handy in case of "things going south", as the captain puts it.

Now, can I count on your cooperation?"

[Ampharos 1,009]

@@Silverwisp the Bard,

 

Dust turned away from the annoying little stallion and looked at Lenore. "Yea ahm in. Ahm all for helpin ponies. So um, what's the task then?" Dust was still in the dark about that, and was confused as to why they hadn't get ponies that were more skillful. But he shrugged. Helping others wasn't something he tended to question.

[SilverHeart 741]

Lenore rolls her eyes. "And against my expressed wish. Mistress Braith, I think you know why you qualify for this. Mistress Heart, I hope your presence will come in handy in case of "things going south", as the captain puts it.

Now, can I count on your cooperation?"

 

Silver Heart looked at the ponies around the room. She settled her eyes on Lenore before shrugging. "I guess you can. I do have two questions though...are you going to cover the expenses for supplies or do we have to provide for ourselves? I'm asking only because I have some money I could use but not much. With some kind of a budget I'm sure I could be better prepared...if that's too much trouble I could probably make do on my own."

 

"And since Mr. Jabbermouth brought this up, do we all get some kind of reward for doing this?" Silver Heart broke eye contact with the bat-pony, feeling slightly embarrassed for asking.

[Silverwisp the Bard 2,353]

"Yea ahm in. Ahm all for helpin ponies. So um, what's the task then?"

"Hopefully it will be little more than a brief excursion: Get to Clover's Rest, find Jasper and bring him back to Canterlot. With any luck he's just lost track of time."

 

 "I guess you can. I do have two questions though...are you going to cover the expenses for supplies or do we have to provide for ourselves? I'm asking only because I have some money I could use but not much. With some kind of a budget I'm sure I could be better prepared...if that's too much trouble I could probably make do on my own."

 

"And since Mr. Jabbermouth brought this up, do we all get some kind of reward for doing this?".

"We will of course provide you with a budget, as well as all other equipment you might require."

"As for a reward, there will obviously not be anything that will end up in the records, but you will find me and my associates very grateful indeed."

[Agent505 661]

@@Silverwisp the Bard,

 

Discharge couldn't help but notice, there didn't seem to be anything overly remarkable about the other ponies in the group, aside from maybe the other stallion who had just threatened Jabbermouth - what was his name again? Dust, something?

The way the other ponies in the room looked, Discharge could tell he was the most likely one to be issued as their fighter, if they where to be sent out as a group. 

 

"So, does anypony besides me actually have any fighting experience?" he raised an eyebrow skeptically, giving everypony a look over as he spoke. "I mean...just incase things do go south, and maybe running's not an option. Ah mean, no offence, but I wouldn't like to see a sword in the hooves of these ponies for fear of them stabbing themselves with the hilt" He emphasised the word "hilt" and turned his attention to Ember as he spoke.

Edited July 14, 2013 by Agent505

[Silverwisp the Bard 2,353]

 

 

I wouldn't like to see a sword in the hooves of these ponies for fear of them stabbing themselves with the hilt"

"And I wouldn't like to see you in a fight civilian, for fear of that tattered rag you call a right wing giving out."

Lenore gives a sigh and places one wing on the captain's shoulder.

"Master Discharge, you indeed represent the entirety of fighting experience I am willing to assign to this venture. Though I do hope you will find more use of your navigation skills than your capability of stabbing things.

Now, it is getting late. We have sleeping quarters prepared for you. Directions and equipment will be sent to you in the morning. If there are any further questions, now would be a good time."

[Agent505 661]

@@Silverwisp the Bard, 

 

Flaring both of his wings out as much as he could, he took half a step towards the stallion, leaving a hoof dangling in the air momentarily, before taking a deep breath and standing back again. 

"Of course ma'am. I was just inquiring as to a worst case scenario, that's all." 

[Silverwisp the Bard 2,353]

"Of course ma'am. I was just inquiring as to a worst case scenario, that's all." 

"I dislike worst case scenarios, Master Discharge. In my line of work they do tend to involve nations going to war. Now, if you wold excuse me, I got matters to attend to. The captain will escort you to your quarters. I wish you all the best of luck."

With that, Lenore gives you all a court bow and leaves the room through the door you entered through earlier.

When the captain ushers you out after her, the corridor is empty, with no sign of either Lenore or any Nightguards.

After a wordless ten minutes of nondescript hallways and winding staircases you finally reach a small room with three two-story bunk beds.

"In the morning, just head down this corridor to the kitchens, you can grab some breakfast there."

He pulls a folded piece of paper out of his armor and after some contemplation, passes it to Diamond Dust.

"This is the address of Jasper's fiancee. She might know something useful."