Equestrian Midnight

[jasonguppy]

The village of Ponyville was ready for this year's winter wrap up. They had gotten all of the suits together the night before, and all was ready. The designated organizer, Twilight Sparkle, handed the checklist to Mayor Mare who then stepped to the podium. "Fillys and Gentlecolts! Welcome to Winter Wrap-Up! As I can see, all of you are ready and suited up in your vests to enjoy today. So when the clock hits 7:00 am, we will all get to our stations!" Tick, tock, Tick, tock. "Five, Four, Three, Two." tick. "ONE!" The ponies rush off towards their destinations, ready for a hard day of work.

[cantdrawatall]

Achilles flew down rapidly to the quickly dispersing ponies, Drat, he quickly exclaimed, I'm late... again.

This year wasn't his fault though, well mostly. He looked around looking for the weather team leader to get his assignment. Having your alarm clock fall though the bedside table was one hazard of living in a cloud house. Especially when things have been so dry. he murmured as he finally spotted a certain rainbow haired mare flitting about.

Well, at least Mom had gotten him up before he had missed too much.

[Grim ranger]

Having been present to hear the opening words of Winter Wrap-Up, Zephyr watched Achilles arrive (late as usual) and shook his head somewhat impatiently. It is bad enough that their whole team got slightly delayed due to the other pegasus' tardiness, but he would no doulbt have to hear yet another lecture of the wonders of being a guardpony soon enough. Luckily enough, there would be more than enough sky to clear that he could focus on handling his own part and block out such distractions. Everypony was going to be busy for a good while.

Taking his mind off his compatriot, Zephyr galloped over to the leader of the weather team to get his instructions, regarding the still snowy landscape somewhat sadly. Winter was his maybe favourite season out of all of them, a thing someponies could not quite grasp the reason of. He enjoyed the cold winds and snow as much as others enjoyed the summer days: yet another fact that made him odd pony out. Well, it was not like he had not gotten used to it already.

Zephyr's preference to gallop more than fly was also quite odd to other pegasi, but he had his reasons for such. Today he would be flying rather lot, though, and even if he tended to gallop it did not mean he did not enjoy flying. It was just some stupid pride on his part: flying somewhat ungainly at times hit his self-esteem, and so he tended not to fly. Luckily, nopony knew that little fact.

With his usual serious expression in place, the blue-coated and white-maned pegasus nodded to Achilles in way of greeting before focusing on listening the team leader for instructions.

[cantdrawatall]

Zephy! Achilles quickly moved to catch up with his good friend. Sorry I'm late, did I miss the assignments? My bedside table dissolved and my alarm clock fell through... again. Please don't tell me I've got to clear the Cirrostratus clouds again, its really cold up there!

Achilles finally looked around and saw others staring angrily at him... thats when he realized just how loud he had been talking. Oh... Sorry.

[Kira_the_5th]

"Oh boy, here we go again..." Emerald sighed to himself as the day began. "I've never been much good at this, maybe I should just ask Twilight where I should go..."

Dusk looks around amidst the chaos of ponies scattering around the town for Twilight, to try and figure out what exactly he could do to help out.

[Grim ranger]

Sighing to himself, Zephyr shook his head, his white mane stirring slightly in a breeze. It seemed that they would indeed have quite a lot of work to do. "No, Achie, I think you are here just in time to hear them... But I think you still missed the opening. As for Cirrostratus clouds, it is not my choice on who gets that job. But if it helps you any, I will ask to get it this time around. At least it will give me a chance of enjoying the last breezes of winter air..."

Turning towards other pegasi, the white-maned pegasus stared them down until they focused on the task at hand again. Achilles might get on his nerves at times, but they were still friends. In fact, he was quite sure that the guardpony was one of his rare few good friends, in ponyville or beyond. That was worth saving his hooves from trouble like this every once in a while... But it was not like he would be required to smile while he did so.

"But let's listen for now so we will hear what to do", he said in his usual neutral tone, focusing back on the team leader again.

[jasonguppy]

The weather team cluster around Rainbow, who was giving out assignments. "Zephyr? Achilles? You two get to go help Derpy over there get the southern birds. Make sure she goes the right way this year."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dusk trots up to twilight, asking what to do. "Well", she says. "What team are you on again?" looking at him quizzically.

[cantdrawatall]

I couldn't ask you to do that Zephy, lets just take our orders like the good soldiers we are. Oh... sorry. Achilles had forgot that Zephyr wasn't in the town guard. He had recommended Zephyr join at least a dozen times, and it was clear that he wanted to join, but only his shyness kept the cold faced pony form joining. Least, that was the only reason Achilles could think of, I mean, who wouldn't want to join the guard? That's just silly.

When Rainbow called out his name, he stood at attention. A salute and a quick, Yes Mam! and he began to look about for the derp eye'd mare.

[jasonguppy]

Diztianne Doo watched at the two young stallions approached her. "So you're the navigators this year? Rainbow insists on giving me guys to help out. Babbling on about 'responsibility'. I'm plenty responsible, i even have a bucking filly that i have t take care of. But noo-OO, i have mesed up eyes so i HAVE to be stupid. Sheesh"

[Kira_the_5th]

"That's what I came to ask you, Miss Twilight." Dusk says, hanging his head a little. Without magic, I'm not terribly useful at any of the teams. Which do you think I should go with?

OoC, I honestly have no clue which team Dusk would be in, given his skills are almost entirely social. I suppose maybe animal wake-up team, as it's the one he would fail least in, but yeah, he's pretty much in Twilight's predicament here...

[Civil War Man]

Winter Wrap Up. Shackleton did not particularly look forward to this event. It wasn't that he disliked it. He just felt awkward when he was there, since it made him more conscious of his spotty attendance. More than once he'd be off working, sometimes not realizing that missed another Wrap Up until he got back. It was not like seasons worked the same way out in Buffalo or Zebra lands.

Tugging at his vest with his teeth, he trotted over to where the rest of the Animal Team was gathering and waited to hear the assignments from Amethyst.

[jasonguppy]

"Well emerald...I guess you can go help out with skating. You can do that, right? Pinkie Pie is late this year, which is VERY odd..." she mumbles off before resuming. "Whatever! There is a shack with extra skates down there!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
As Shackleton arrives late, he gets there in time just to hear his name called. "Shackleton! Go help Fluttershy out with the animals. They need some extra coaxing this year."

[Civil War Man]

Shackleton nodded, turned, and trotted towards the fields where the animals hibernated. On the way, he watched the other ponies scurry about on their way to the tasks assigned to them. Even though he missed the occasional Wrap Up, he did find something intriguing about Ponyville's. Even in previous years when it was barely controlled chaos, the whole process was steeped in tradition, with even more rules and protocols than a royal audience in Canterlot.

And even though very few ponies have talents that are directly applicable to the tasks that needed to be done, it was an event the everypony participated in. Shackleton certainly wasn't much better with animals than any other unicorn, and he couldn't imagine being much help beyond being an extra hoof, but for today, that was good enough.

Soon he was in the field dotted with various animal dens. After a few moments, he picked Fluttershy out of the crowd and approached her. "Hi Fluttershy. I was sent over to help wake up the animals."

[cantdrawatall]

Miss Doo, I'm just doing what I've been told. May as well make use of us as long as we're here. With the three of us we should be able to get it done three times as fast, right? He talked to her in his "I'm trying to be helpful" voice.

Diplomacy roll to try to convince Ditzy Doo to not be pissed. [roll0]

[jasonguppy]

Mild Success
"Whatever. Let's just get going." She turns east, checks her compass, and then begins to fly southwards, over the hibernation fields and the lake.
~~~~~~~~~
"EEEEEEK!" screams the peach Pegasus, startled by Shackleton's appearance."Oh. I'm sorry. Maybe you could go help with, um..., the Hedgehogs... "

[Civil War Man]

"Okay," said Shackleton, glancing out over the large field. "I'll get started on that."

Knowledge (Nature) roll to see what I'd know about Hedgehogs. Specifically stuff like what their nests or tracks would look like: [roll0]

[cantdrawatall]

Okay, all we got to do is find the birdies and lead them back. Easy! Am I right Zephy? as Achilles takes to the air to follow after Miss Doo's haphazard flight pattern.

[Grim ranger]

"Right you are, Achie... Though it is best we check that we go to the right direction. The last year was a mess..." he said, carefully leaving out the fact that Derpy had large part to play in the fiasco. Still, he did not want to hurt anyone's feelings, even if he was very stoic and occassionally mistaken for rude. Best to just get on with the thing so that they can get started.

Taking to air after his compatriot, Zephyr's mind just registers something Achilles said, and he has to stop himself from slapping hood to his head from frustration alone. "And Achie, you might have forgotten that I am not a guardpony. I have asked that you would not refer to me as such! I don't want that... It would cause misunderstandings."

[jasonguppy]

Ditzy flies on in stoic silence, grumbling as she concentrates on flying south. Down below a rumbling noise can be heard a
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Knowledge (Nature) check is a success.
Shackleton looks down at the clusters of small burrows with neatly trimmed vegetation. Inside he hears the squeaking of hedgehogs as they roll over in hibernation. All of the sudden a rumbling shakes the ground. Animals begin to panic, running out everywhere. A porcupine is backed into by Fluttershy, who gives a screech. What is happening?

[cantdrawatall]

What was that noise? as Achilles looks down into the woods for the rumbling.

[jasonguppy]

The ground burst with force as several trees were knocked aside. In the clearing stood a large statue-like creature seemingly sculpted from raw stone and earth in a crude representation of a large dragon. It growled and clambered free, hissing at those ponies near by.
Roll for initiative.

[cantdrawatall]

It is days like this I live for! Init! [roll0]

[Civil War Man]

"That can't be good."

Initiative [roll0]

[Kira_the_5th]

Ah, my it's more difficult finding skates in my size these da- uh oh..." Dusk says as he steps out of the shed, walking daintily on his skates. Oh my, what is that thing?


Initiative: [roll0]

And, when available, Knowledge (Arcana) using Bardic Knowledge: [roll1]

[Grim ranger]

Seeing the stony dragon appear rather unexpectedly, Zephyr looks at Achilles, who seems to be all too eager to throw his life away. Damn that pony and his good-hearted foolishness! He is a brave guardpony, but sometimes one has to understand that certain things are just way above one's head.

"Oh, Celestia, what I do for friendship...Achie, you fool, wait for me!" he calls out as he dives after the guardpony, his arcane sword materializing itself from thin air.

Zephyr calls his Arcane Weapon forth, since it seems to be getting use very soon.

Also, Initiative:

[roll0]

[Randel]

Officially, Tea Brick was working on the animal team to make sure all the animals woke up for their hibernation and met the coming spring in a well-organized manner. Unofficially, he was patrolling the town to make sure nopony got sprayed by skunks, stung by bees, buried in an avalanche, or beset upon by creatures from the Everfree Forest.

It was no secret that Ponyville has always had a problem getting winter wrapped up on schedule and alot of ponies (at least the ones that even try to think about it) seem to attribute that to things like a lack of an organized plan or the fact that they don't just use magic to change the seasons.

Personally, Tea Brick figured the ponies had trouble getting winter wrapped up because the town was right next to the Everfree and not only had to deal with rogue weather patterns but a nearly weekly case of freak disasters threatening the town. Seriously! Dragon attacks, parasprite invasions, spells driving the town into mass hysteria... okay, those things are uncommon but still its just a matter of time before something weird happens.

And so it was that when the ground shook and a giant clay dragon rose out of the ground, the zebra guard silently cursed himself for expecting this very thing.

"Run ponies! There is a dragon made of stone and rock! Hurry, tell Twilight, there is no time to gawk!"

Whatever that thing is, it's likely that Ponyvilles local student of Celestia would be able to figure out a way to stop it. But in the mean time, it's his job to keep the thing under control.


Initiative: [roll0]

[jasonguppy]

The dragon grumbled and then stalked towards a cowering townsperson. He picked her up and flung her out of the way, heading for the Unicorn shouting orders. The purple one.
Now post what you will do on your turn.

[cantdrawatall]

Don't worry Citizen! I'll catch you! Achilles turns in an attempt to intercept the flight path of the poor townspony.

[Randel]

Seeing the dragon toss a poor townspony out of it's way, Tea Brick hopes that the other guard (Achilles was it) catches her safely, if not then he'd make that dragon regret it.

He rushes to get between the dragon and Twilight Sparkle. "Stand back, Ms. Sparkle."

"All right Mister, stop where you are and explain your business here." the guard zebra says in his most commanding tone. A whisk of his tale warns Twilight to step back in case things get messy.

"Just state your business and we can work something out, but we can't have you damaging the town or hurting our townsfolk."

The zebra keeps an eye on the creature, trying to see any signs of intelligence or if it is some sort of magical construct. Either way, he has to give it a chance to work things out peacefully before any more trouble starts. Or at the very least he can distract it enough for the citizens to get to safety.


He's spending a standard action to negotiate with the dragon. If the dragon ignores this then he gets a bonus to attacking it with his challenge.

Diplomacy (if needed): [roll0]

[Kira_the_5th]

"Oh no, Twilight needs help!" Dusk says, looking towards his friend as the dragon bears down on her. Tea Brick's diplomacy seemed to have broken down, and Achilles was busy saving the hapless pony tossed into the air.

"I...I need to do something... Oh, this won't end well...*Gulp* Hey, dragon, over here!"Dusk gallops to a space where nopony is between him and the dragon, and he begins to speak.

"In days long past, before all ponykind
There lived a drake, impressive, keen and strong.
This dragons hoard seemed bigger than all mined
For with each gem his life he did prolong.
The dragon lived for cent'ries thereupon
The rocky mountain cave he called his home
No creature matched him yet in feats of brawn
And yet the dragon's mind began to roam.
Eternity was lonely, so he found;
His days of hoarding gold and petty jewels
Were long, without a faithful friend around,
And living as he did was but for fools.
The dragon broke his hoard that very day
For friends are gifts we cannot merely pay."

Right then, I'm going to try Fascinating the dragon, reciting some lovely sonnets for him. DC 15 Will save to resist being fascinated.

[Civil War Man]

"This definitely can't be good," said Shackleton as he took off in the direction of the dragon.

Knowledge (history) check to see if there are any legends about stone dragons. Who made them, weaknesses, what would cause them to attack. That sort of thing. [roll0]

[jasonguppy]

The dragon stares dead-eyed as it tries to get past, no intelligence showing.
Both attempts fail because it can't be fascinated (No Int). I'm going to wait for everyone else to post before i state its actions.:smallwink:

[Grim ranger]

Watching as the situation gets worse by the minute, Zephyr flies over to Dusk. "What are you doing? We have to go! You cannot talk that thing away! Come on!"

[jasonguppy]

please Post What You Want To Do!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Civil War Man]

Who are you waiting for?

[jasonguppy]

I mean spoilered actions in dice or whateve

[cantdrawatall]

What? here is a d20 roll if I need one [roll0]

[Makiru]

Godwin never cared too much for the Ponyville festivities. Of course, Winter Wrap-up was kind of important, but it was still them goofing off under the guise of changing seasons. Laying spread out on a nearby cliff, he had watched the ponies gallop about. He was technically doing his job of watching them in case somepony got in trouble.

The stone dragon was new, though. But it looked like things were being taken care of, so Godwin sat back, clawing at the pistol under his wing, just in case things got out of hoof.

OOC
Holding action until next initiative round

Init: [roll0]