DM jlord's Savage World of My Little Pony (Inactive)

Game Master jlord

Trottingham is the first settlement in the travel route through Equestria from the cold lands, and it sees many visitors and refugees, and has a huge industry in farming along with an increasing industry in metalworks. The town also sports a school, a theatre, and an ever increasing slums. Newcomers to the town are struck by the industry and optimism in the citizens. Despite the slums and the overpopulation from the refugees, the quality of life here is much better than in the cold lands.

You have each responded to posters placed around the area by Baroness Cookie, the ruler of Trottingham, for worthy adventurers and heros. The posters were vague, failing to describe the baroness’s need in any detail, but the rich reward promised, 100 Florins, drew your attention.
On arriving at the baroness’s keep, you were shown into an audience room and asked to wait while the baroness finished with urgent business. You are the only ponies present.

Go ahead and take this opportunity to introduce your characters.

Nightflight knocked on the door, and it was answered quite quickly. "I am here..."

"Yes, yes, I take it you're here for the posting." The maid says rather quickly almost paying no attention to Night.

"No, I just need to..."

"See the baroness, I am capable of figuring it out myself you know. When she is done she will tell you all about it."

"but I am not here..."

"Just wait here, she will be around shortly." The maid closes the door just as quickly and is gone.

Now I know why he didn't want to deliver this himself, at this rate I'll be home for tomorrow's dinner.

Doctor Gearbox approaches the door, and knocks (Looking left and right to gauge his surrounding).

As the door opens, "Good afternoon, my name is..."

I know, you are here for the posting, follow me." The maid the opened the door quickly turns. She escorts Dr. Gearbox to the audience room, and says "please wait here for the Baroness."

Upon seeing a unicorn with a midnight coat already in the room, Dr. Gearbox inclines his head to her.

He walks up and says, "Good day dear lady. Are you here for the posting as well? It looks to be a great adventure into the unknown. Where are my amnners, the name is Gearbox, Doctor Gearbox. I am the greatest inventor in all of Equestria. My spendiferous inventions will change the way we look at science. May I ask who you are?"

"I am Nightflight Mintleaf, daughter of Bigleaf. You can call me Night. I actually came here to make a quick delivery but it seems she is busy right now. Are you from Tinkertown? I heard they have the best mechanics, but I thought they hadn't left quite yet, something to with 'The Big Thing'."

Gonna give some time for the others to get in here and introduce themselves. Feel free to roleplay a conversation or explain what you look like or whatever you want while you wait for the baroness and the other heros to arrive.

Not much is going on outside the keep. A few workers go about their business, muttering quietly.
Then, the area is filled by the voice of a single pony. The workers wince as a white pegasus with a short pink mane lands in front of the door and knocks loudly. She is singing a traditional unicorn ballad, but appears to have forgotten a lot of the words.
The door opens. "I know," the doormare says, "right this way."
The white pegasus skips along after the maid, eyes closed, substituting the words to the ballad she doesn't know with her own.
"And so the thing with the mountain
Said to the climber
'Look out! An avalanche!'
And leaped out of the waaaay...."
She flies into the audience room, and starts trotting in circles, singing to herself. Opening her eyes, she notices the other ponies here. "Hail! What are your names? My name is Lark. As in the bird. Have you ever seen a lark? I haven't seen any larks in a while. They were really common back in the old lands, of course! Hey, old rhymes with cold. I wonder if that's--anyways, there were a few where I grew up. Sorry, did you want to say something?"
She waits about a second.

Getting past the maid was easy pesy, just a knock on the top window, she opens it, then a knock at the door she comes down then in v the window, and look around, nothing of use here, then

"so Whats this? Another knock at the door? Some other is here."

Higgs has been told by Bobo the fence that a Baroness no less would be here tonight,

"That means loot Higgs, Fine loot for the taking me-old-nag"
Bobo has said, well she was her for that.

"But why would others come, and now another Knock?? two, so not the law then who? curiouser and curiouser, a big wigs meeting, or privet dinner, that means Sliver lates and Gold coblets"

Higgs nerly neelid with glee.

"Ok time for some bluffing"

She popped off her catsiut and put away her tools. She made her self look like any other Pony from the town. she opend the door a chink. The maid was showing a Fine Gentalpony into a room. Once the maid walked back down to the mian door area. Higgs slipped out and headed for the door the Gent had gone into. She opend it and slipped in.

Looking round she spotted the Fine Gent and a unicorn pony waiting in the room.

"Hello,im here for the, err meeting, yes the meeting and such"

Smile and keep walking, Higgs walks over and takes a seat. All the time loooking to see if there is any thing of value, or free food and drink.

"Names Higgs, short for Higgledy Piggledy, nice to me you"

Then she laps her head

"O thats so smart telling them your real name, you silly mear"

"So when dos the party start?

"Just shut up before yu get yourself in more truble Higgs"

The maid comes in with some drinks and Blinks twice at the sight of higgs.

"Here for the posting are ya, be nice if you nocked next time"

She puts a class of water in front of Higgs a bit mifft and do the same for the others.

"Er ladyship will be along soon, if you need any thing just ring the bell" says the maid

"And you will come?" Asks Higgs

"No" Says the maid. "But I finds it makes visitors feel better if they think some one will come"

Higgs slinks down into her sait.

The maid gos out and Higgs smiles at the others Sheepishly

Then another pegasus pony comes in.

"O No! not her, any Peg but her"

Lark glances at Higgs. She blinks, and then her face cracks into a grin. "Hey, I think I know you! Don't I know you? We've met! At least, I think we have. Who'd have thought we'd both be looking into this deal, whoever you are! I hope they have room for a few ponies, so we don't have to compete. Hm, see, I know I know you from somewhere, but I don't remember where. But I could have sworn I've seen you before. Of course, I travel a lot, so I see a lot of faces. This is going to drive me crazy..."

I work with a girl named Lark, actually so it is funny.

"What is this posting everyone is talking about. I haven't been able to keep up all of them."

She eyes Higgs rather suspiciously, then shrugs.

"posting what this that old snooty Corn on about?"

Higgs looks at Lark wile she talks,

"O dear this is bad, O I remember you, Just about talked my ears off at last years singing contest, the one that I napped all them cups from. lucky I never gave a name, and had the hat on, let hope you do not remember me. Stars the singing any thing but that."

Higgs shakers her head,

"Errr nope, do not think we have meet before, could I ask every ones name and I would also like to know about this posting"

"best change subject I think"

"Oh, yeah, there isn't much to tell. Baroness Cookie--her first name is Smart, by the way, I heard it from a really rushed messenger once--she needs something done. I don't know what, but it's with a hundred Florins, so there must be something. I thought I'd check it out--I'm kind of bad with money, so I could definitely use something like this. So why don't you two know about the posting?"

Lark looks back at Nightleaf and the others. "So what are your names? You didn't actually give them. Of course, you may not have gotten the chance. This nice pegasus mare and I were dominating the conversation a bit. I was doing most of the talking, really, but I was mostly talking to her."

"Did she just say 100 Florins!, wow, that's a lot of Florins, whats this Job that needs doing, I'm good at some kinds of jobs"

"The name Is Higg's I'm a hummm contractor of a sort"

"You can call me Night. I am just making a delivery for a friend, though I am curious now, I love taking jobs that get me out of the city, if it's one of those I might help out just for the fun of it. Father won't need me for a few days anyway."

"You should definitely join in! If the job allows for more than one pony, of course. The more, the merrier! It's always nice to have plenty of ponies to chat with. It beats talking to myself, after all!" Lark laughs, sounding a bit nervous. "So! Night and Higgs? I'm Lark Lighthead, like I said. Heh, got out of bed to see where this led. Isn't it funny when somepony accidentally rhymes? Anyway, why do you want to leave this city? It seems like a nice place to me."

"Why the fresh air, sea and sand, all the fun off the country side its sounds delightful I just can,t wait, its a big old Pony world they say, with lots of fun things to see and happy Pony's to meet."

This is said it such a flat tone you may get the idea that Higgs could not care lass.

She perks up when she says

"But 100 flans on the hoof, now that's a trip Ill take any day"

She rubs her Hoofs together and winks.

"Why you lot, what makes you want to take on a paid, more than likely dangerous job? need a new bridle?"

"Because, well there are so many ponies around, with a lot of ponies it gets very noisy, I like the sounds of the forest much better, quiet, but not too quiet."

With a far off look,"And the view is...Oh well let me show some of my sketches I make while out there." She pulls out her sketch book and shows what is inside. Most of them are landscapes often from high up.

Edit; ninja'd you fiend you :)

"Dangerous jobs are nice. They get me out from doing all those boring duties and such. Besides someone has to do them, that's what nobles are for, to do the hard tasks and make the difficult choices so the common pony doesn't have to."

Higgs snorts,

"Right 1st time Miss snooty corn, Dangerous jobs are nice! no finding lots of lovely loot, now that's nice, risking you life to get it, that's all port of the job, and there is no job to risky for good loot, mind you she seems a nice Miss snooty corn not like some of them really stuffy ones"

"with Lark in toe, you do not need a city she talks for 20, do you have a spell for shutting some pony up"

She indicates to Lark running around the room chatting like mad to herself.

"I just bet she dos this in her sleep as well, I know you Corns have magic, just one little spell is all I'm asking, would save our poor ears in the night."

This is said again in a dry cynical tone, you may get the idea that Higgs is a dry cynical kind of pony, Miss party popper, miss "we are all going to die", miss "I'm with Stupid" kind of pony, and you know what?, You would be 100% right, Barrr humbug.

"One pony speaking is a lot different then a roomful or a street full of ponies speaking."

She continues flipping through her sketches, "Oh, lets skip that one." She quickly flips the page before anyone sees it.

O you say that now but I bet come 2am and shes till going you will change your tune, and what is she playing with, it looks like some kind of art come magic book, now real spell magic that's good stuff to know, get you in and out of a place lick-a-de-splic. I think I have just found my new best friend

"if you say so"

Higgs gets up and walks around the room looking for any odd things that may find their way into her bag, she ducks ever time Lark fly's past always in time and with out looking, its a bit uncanny you may think.

Now if this was my place I would be keeping an eye on any Pony coming in, now let me thing where would I pop that peep hole?

Higgs looks at the wall paintings to see if any of the eyes are moving.

"Because, well there are so many ponies around, with a lot of ponies it gets very noisy, I like the sounds of the forest much better, quiet, but not too quiet."

Muaahahahahaaa

With a far off look,"And the view is...Oh well let me show some of my sketches I make while out there." She pulls out her sketch book and shows what is inside. Most of them are landscapes often from high up.

"Wow, those are really good! So you like to draw? I guess that makes sense, considering your mark. A lot of ponies think I'm good at breaking things, given mine--" She gestures quickly to her mark, a patch of earth with a wide crevice in it. "But I always--"

"With Lark in toe, you do not need a city. She talks for twenty, do you have a spell for shutting somepony up?"

She indicates to Lark running around the room chatting like mad to herself.

"I just bet she dos this in her sleep as well, I know you Corns have magic, just one little spell is all I'm asking, would save our poor ears in the night.""

Lark stops. "I can hear you, you know. I'm right next to you."

"Now, now Lark. Don't take it to heart. Some ponies simply do not understand how to appreciate the benefits that having friends can bring. I think your energy is great."

Dr. Gearbox looks hard at Higg, and while looking her up and down, takes in the Takhi background that he sees.

Turning back to Lark, "I am pleased to make your acquaintance. My name is Doctor Gearbox. I invent the magnificent machines that help all ponies in their everyday like. In fact, Lark, can you reach 88 miles an hour? If you can, then with an invention of mine, we may see some serious s%#%.

Gearbox swishes his silver mane, shifting back to Higg "Now Higg, exactly what kind of contracting do you do? Industrial or agrarian? Because I may have an invention to help..."

"Oh, thanks!" Lark blushes, then smiles brightly. "Eighty-eight miles? Um, I'm not sure. I've never flown for a full hour before. Well, not top speed, anyways. I'm not such a great flier, though. My father is an earth pony." She pauses for a moment, and all is silent. Then, her eyes widen, and she starts to speak very quickly. "Anyways-contracting-yes-what-sort-of-contracting-is-it-it-sounds-really-in teresting-what-does-agrarian-mean-again-is-it-like-agriculture?"

The doors at the end of the chamber open. An earth pony mare with an orange coat and blonde mane dressed in a tan vest and plumbed hat walks into the room flanked by two guards. Judging by her face she has not slept in many days, though her eyes burn with a fierce passion. She seems a bit disappointed at the small turnout, having expected more than four. She takes her place at the end of the high table and bids you to listen.

“I’m Baroness Cookie,” she begins in a southern accent, “lord'o this here domain. I thank ya’ll fer attending mah call’n. Time’s a press’n, so lets get straight to tha details. Porcs are harass’n tha eastern farmlands. Many farms have lost their crops to their pillage’n and taken wounds from their spears. I wanted ta act before things could git’outta control, but its far too late fer that now. A young mare, Carrot Heart, has been abducted!”

“Three hours ride to tha east a-here lies Enchanted Acers Farm. It’s ah small family who’n just started out, but it lies in tha porcs’ path. I need ya’ll ta travel to Enchanted Acers and speak with Tomato Basil, Carrot Heart’s brother.”

“Yer job is ta oust these vile predators… Even bah force if necessary… and above all else save Carrot Heart from whatever a-foul fate those porcs have in fer her. I shall provide ya’ll with provisions fer tha trip, as well as detailed maps. If ‘n ya’ll accept, ya’ll must leave with’n tha hour. Any delay could be fatal!”

Lark's eyes widen. "Porcs? Oh, that's awful! By the stars, porcs! Of all the creatures we'd have to deal with, why did it have to be those cowardly swine, the porcs! One thing's for sure, this won't be easy if porcs are involved!"
She blinks.
"One question. What are porcs?
"Anyways, we'll go right away!" Lark salutes. "You can count on us! Looks like we'll all be working together after all! I think I saw some other ponies coming this way, but they might have been going elsewhere. Anyway, Enchanted Acres, Tomato Basil, got it, Baroness! Let's get these maps and provisions and hurry off!"

A loud knocking rings through the room, the kind that nearly sends a door flying off it's hinges. The maid rushes to the door in fear that any delay could result in property damage, and upon opening it, a brawny dark grey Pony with a black mane that has grey streaks and wearing a Straw hat steps into the room, a simple cutie mark in the shape of a rock on his flank, and says "I'm not late am I? Some pony in town said that there would be free food!... although I'm not sure i remember WHERE they said the food was... he trails off as he sees the somewhat serious demeanor of the room, backs up half a step and says "I can go if I'm disturbin' somethin', y'all look like your up ta serious business."

"Oh, hey, I saw you on the road! You're a little late, but not very late, you're just kind of a bit slower than everyone else--oh, but not in a 'stupid' way, sorry, I didn't mean to say that, I meant in a 'late' way (but not in a 'dead' way, either), we're going off to rescue a damsel in distress from some porcs, whatever those are. Do you know? I guess the Baroness can explain. Not that she has to--I think I'll know a porc when I see one. What's your name? I think I've seen you a lot around time. Wait, are you that weird miner pony? Sorry, I didn't mean weird in a bad way--I'm kind of weird, I talk a lot, even when there's no silence to fill, old habits. Oh, do you want to speak? Sorry. There's a job here! You should try it out. Okay, what did you want to say?"

taken a back by the barrage of questions coming from the attractive young pegasus Shepard stutters "I... uh... porcs... umm... what?... i mean... hi" he removes his straw hat, and recomposes himself, snapping to attention and stating quite simply "My name is Shepard Jeremiah Pie, and if there is trouble that needs seein' to, im the pony ta see to it!"

As the baroness speaks Night floats the letter and mapcase out of her pack and when she is done speaking, lays them on the table near her.

"Those are from Mapsight. He asked me to bring them to you."

"That's great, because the job pays a hundred Florins--wait, is the payment spread out or given individually? Like, will I only be getting a fifth of a hundred? Not that it matters--" Looking rather melodramatically mortified, Lark begins to speed up. "It's just that I'm wondering because I'm really bad with money but it's not my fault but I just mean that I'm wondering, it's nothing to do with the actually caring, I don't even need the payment--well, I'd kind of like it, but I can go without, one of you guys can have it, I'm not greedy--though I'd sort of prefer to keep it, but I'm fine, really, I don't care about the payment, take it or leave it. Okay, so what I'm saying is, um, well, hail, Shepard! Can I call you Shep? What's you're nickname? I don't mind long names, I like them, but do you prefer a nickname? It can make things easier. Um, wow, that's a nice lamp."
Lark begins to tap her hooves again. "Oh, my name's Lark, Mister Pie."

Night having taken care of that then looks to the newcomer, "Hello."

Then she looks back at the baroness, "So what can you tell us about the Porcs? Do we know how many there are?"

I hope they are not the Porcs I am thinking of

Higg's just smiles and nods, then when her ladyship come in she reaches up and takes plugs out of her ears.

"Sorry missed most of that, something about Porcs, mean lot Porcs, So find a lost pony, run off the Porcs, save farmer, got ya, Ill be needen that 100 fols upfront me ladyship, got to get some things and that-not."

Higgs takes her own map case out, and of of her own maps,
"err found em some time ago, kind of left around"

she lays hers next to Mints, you can see odd bits of writing like
'good spot to hide stuff' on some x marks. She looks over the maps.

"Big area that, we will need to search, or tack from where the conduction tuck place, here Lark, how fast you fly with the wind up ya jacksey? cus we are going to be doing a lot of a flying and spotting for thems on the ground"

Then she looks at Pie.

"Pie, You look like a Pony who can look after themselves in a tussle, you think you can run off a Porc?. Cus Old Mint here's will be magicking behind ya.

She looks at Doc

"Doc, I can go at 88mph for a short wile, why do ya ask?, want would help us more would be a gizmo that could tack Porcs some how, what ya say doc can ya make som-ert to do that?"

Ill be needen that 100 fols upfront me ladyship, got to get some things and that-not."[/b]

Lark glances at Higgledy.

Higgs Points a hoof at Lark.

"look chatter box, you contract your way and ill contract mine, cash upfront it is with me. Your new to this game but me, I know we'll need to get some things before we head out to the wild woods, you has only been to once in ya life. The only thing your right about is we need to talk to the Tomato, lets hope he knows sum-ert"

Lark shrugs. "I'm just giving you some advice. You barely know why you're here, so I figured you might not realize that you aren't likely to get a small fortune 'up front'. I guess you know best, though. You are the expert at whatever it is you do for a living, after all. Judging by these maps, I'm thinking it's something I'm not going to comment on."
Once again, she seems wounded, but this time she's much quicker to react.

"I can handle any supplies we need, so no running off with cash for you today. Besides, I don't 'magic from the back', I do 'death from above' as Captain Crosspoint likes to say." Night seems amused at the hilarity of it, but very much like she will do her own thing.

Higgs looks around,

rats! there is me thinking this is a Gang of like minds at long last and it truns out their a bunch of goody two shoes, all keep the pay till later, well have it your ways, 100 smakers is still worth it even if they like to be all lawly like

"Well lets lask the lady whos paying shall we, and you canot get what I needs missy"

When Mintleaf talks of what she dos Higgs looks at her.

" 'death from above' but strong that, I was thinking just scare them a bit and grab the lost one back"

"death from above,Bleeden hells what kid of goody two shoes are they?

"I was quoting the captain. It is most always advantageous to hold the high ground, in literal as well as figurative terms. As for supplies, there is not a thing you could need that can't get. Besides, never ask for what you would never give."

"Well Minty that's all right then for you, just had me worried is all, Talking of death like that. As for what I need, I all ready have supplier fro my stuff, He knows just what I like and how I likes it, no need to train up a new supplier, and we don't have the time. So Ill take some cash now and get what I needs. You may put your life or death on the line for free but I like to see some appreciation of the fact from my employer, I like some show of commitment that I will get paid after all the risk."

"what is wrong with them, its like they do not really care about the money, really why do this if not for the loot"

Higg's shakes her head and gos back to the maps.

The door to the chamber opens and in comes a young unicorn stallion enters the room. His coat was the colour of sand and his mane and tail was light blue and green and he has fiery red eyes. He also wears rectangular black rimmed glasses. He looks quite frazzled.

----First Person mode now----
I look around at the others gather. "Oh goodness, seems I am late." I bow. "My apologies lady Cookie. I am Element Al. Clover the Clever's prized pupil and number one assistant. I came here t the request of my mentor Clover to assist with the posting the Baroness has put up." I look around at the other ponies gather. "Hmmm, I seem to be later than I thought, are you all my new comrades? I have never worked with anyone other than unicorns before. Interesting." I adjust my glasses. "Again, I am Element Al. What are your names?"

"Oh, hail! Wow, a pupil of Clover the Clever, that's a big deal, isn't it? I'm Lark--we're going to be working together to deal with the porcs. What does Element AI mean?"

"Now we have school fowls showing up, what next the dancing team, barrr humbugg, but what the hay"

"That Big Pony is Pie, that's Mint, knows the old magics like ya self, thats The Doc Now hes a clever Pony, you have meet Lark, likes to talk a lot, and I'm Higgs whos just about to get paid some looka, we hopes, what says you lady Cookie 50 Flols now and 50 after?

Higgs smiles for the 1st time, you note Higgs Shadow dos not seem to want to behave. She stamps her hoof and it stops missbehaving.

"Thanks for summing that up so quickly Higg."

Looking to the map that is being projected, "I agree with Higg that this is quite a bit of ground to cover. Maybe I can help us a little bit with that."

Doc digs around in his pack saddle to produce several pieces of scrap metal. felt, and some tools. He fiddles around until...

Knowledge (science/engineering)or Smarts = 1d8 ⇒ 3

Doc holds up a pile of parts that crumble in his hooves. "Heh, heh. Whoops. I was trying to make a procs detector. Still working out some of the the kinks. I'm sure that I will have it fixed before we get there..."

Doc continues fiddling while they talk to fix it, rebuilding it as a short distance detector rather than a long distance one.

Knowledge (science/engineering) or Smarts = 1d8 ⇒ 7

Assuming it works...

"Eureka!

The detector is a compass that points in the direction of the porcs it detects, with a bunny nose and a pair of bunny ears attached to it so that is can hear and smell the procs that are nearby.

Since you are making a skill check you also roll your wild die, a d6. You take the better of the two rolls. All wild card characters get a wild die, even the NPC wild cards.

She looks at the pile of parts and shrugs, "I like eyes better, but it might come in handy."

To the Baroness,
"Well, is there anything else, Baroness?"

I look astonished at the barrage of questions and information. I adjust my glasses again and smile. "Well it is a pleasure to meet you all. I suppose we will be working together then." I take a moment to ponder all that is going on. Once I gain confidence in what I need to know, I ask. "Clover was a bit vague in what we were suppose to do. So we are suppose to do something about Porcs? Interesting. I am no warrior but I know quite a bit about magic and have much knolwedge in other fields as well. I will do my best to support our endeavours. So what are the details?"

By the way, the new kitten peed in my bed and I got about 3.5 hours of sleep last night (hence my posting at 1:30 AM), so my posting may be a bit slow today. I don't think the exhaustion is getting to me, though.
Now if you'll excuse me, I have to find a safe place to close my eyes. Mustn't do it out in the open, the purple pigs might get me.

To the new comer Higg's nods and says

"Foal, don't you worry, Mints here a Unicorn who' been trained by the best, by the sounds of it, ask her nicely she may stop you getting into trouble I bet"

As Doc holds up his contraption Higgs says

"Doc your are brilliant! that will save us an age, so what ya say, start here where the kidnap was done?"

Point at the map

Now this is more like it, we got ourselves a nice group, let hope we have more of us then them

"S'a pleasure to meet y'all, I'm not really sure whats goin on here, but if somepony has been kidnapped i'm not sure what we're a waiting for... That reward sounds mighty fine as well, i'm tryin ta save up for a cart to haul my rocks... and if ya wanna call me somethin fer short, Shep is fine"
Shep looks over everypony present and nods to himself " if we're likely ta find a fight where were goin, then i'm gonna need ta pick up some stuff from my farm"

"Oh, maybe I should get that stuff! I have to go back to my camp anyways, I left my helmet and lantern back there, and I should probably have them with me. If that's alright with you, of course. It's just that we're in a rush, and I'm probably faster. Maybe it's hard to get to, though."

I seem shock. "Somepony kidnapped? Um wow that's huge! I see. So this is Clover's big test of my abilities." I straighten up. "Okay lady Cookie. You can count on Element Al to aid you in this quest. Everypony can call me Elemental for short." I grin *Squee*