|
Post by Red Charge on Jun 28, 2011 10:05:55 GMT -5
All of Equestria has been abuzz with the rumors recently coming out of Hoofington: A monstrous entity has been harassing the town from the nearby woods. But that was not what sent chills up the ponies' backs, it was the fact that all of the rumors clearly stated - this creature has never been seen before. What kind of monster could have been living near Hoofington, that none could identify?
Sadly, these rumors were quickly confirmed, as Ranger, the woodspony has quickly been selected as head of an Equestrian Militia team to seek and destroy the abomination attacking the citizens of Hoofington. In such uncertain times, no other step could be afforded. Ranger was quick to assemble the ponies he was informed about - Riot Rhythm, Wagon Roller, Selenia and Cloudfall the Pegasus.
Letting them prepare, Ranger led them out on the journey to Hoofington, where they found the town shut in and terrified. The local head of law enforcement informed them that the monster, which he could not manage to clearly describe has been sending its minions to attack the town from the nearby woods. Ranger was not displeased, woods were his niche, and he was unafraid of whatever he might find there. The group headed into the woods, unknowing of what lay ahead.
After being informed by Watermark of the Hoofington troubles and Equestria's plan of response, Red Charge immediately brought forth a small team made up of Muse Mustang, Mystic Eyes the bison, Ace Brighthorn, Percheron's newest recruit and Willow, the filly Watermark brought in from the bog. They were all put under the charge of the Cult's new and promising member, Trixie.
Whatever monster this may be, should not be destroyed. If it is indeed a never-before-seen type of creature, it would be a sin to exterminate it from this world. Therefore, he sent the team (along with special tranquilizer darts from Watermark) to capture the creature, and return it to the bog for studying. Perhaps it could even be of aid to the Cult. The red stallion took the time to point out how thoughtless the Equestrian response is, ordering the destruction of what could be an endangered species.
He then scattered them, letting them prepare before Trixie gathered them, the intelligence Watermark gave her, led them to the woods just outside Hoofington, where the monster would be. (Since they're coming in from Everfree, they are exactly opposite of where Ranger's forces are) They would have to go in, and capture this monstrosity, whatever it was. This was not going to be easy, especially with the Equestrians on the way. But it was their duty.
NOTE:
The posting order will be as follows - Equestria's entire team, followed by the Cult's entire team, with the last team posts by Ranger for Equestria and Trixie for the cult.
Meaning the order would be [Equestria 1,2,3,4, Ranger] and then [Cult 1, 2, 3, 4, Trixie] If there are any questions please post them in the news post and not here.
|
|
|
Post by pelboy on Jun 28, 2011 17:11:48 GMT -5
‘So nopony has any idea what this thing looks like?’ Riot asked aloud, knowing full well he would not receive an answer. He was hesitant about venturing into the forest; it had brought him and many others nothing but trouble in the past. He knew about the vast, undiscovered beasts that dwelled in the vicious woodland, and now one such monster had managed to terrorize the entire town of Hoofington, and done it without being seen! Riot hoped that they wouldn’t need to be so discrete, it was near impossible for him to do so and he was of much more help when facing a foe head on.
As the group trotted on he continued to voice his concerns: ‘and what about these “minions”? I haven’t heard squat about how they look, they could be right in front of us and we wouldn’t know it!’ He hated the idea of an invisible threat, ‘how do we face something we can’t see?’ having nothing to charge at and no immediate plan of action made him uneasy, and he might have admitted, scared
|
|
|
Post by bronydude on Jun 28, 2011 17:17:50 GMT -5
Wagon stood at the edge of the woodland, a cold shiver going down his spine. The ponies at the town had been terrified of the unknown danger that lay ahead, it seemed the rumours were well founded, something he had secretly hoped wouldn't be the case. Wagon had avoided woodlands since he was young finding them scary to say the least. He had always been a town pony by nature always being near light. This situation was not helping his fears one bit, he listened for a moment trying to make sense of the strange sounds he heard nd get his head straight.
He had been found by Ranger back in Ponyville and informed that Hoofington was in deep trouble and that any willing pony would be needed. He had hesitated briefly but knew he could never forgive himself if he didn't try to help to the best of his abilities. He was scared, he had never done something like this before but knew that if he didn't answer the call then terrible things could happen to the ponies of Hoofington. That was something he could not allow to happen, he couldn't allow harm to come to any pony. Especially when he could help. It had been a vow he had made to himself, he would never walk away when somepony needed help and today he had been called upon in a way he had never imagined but a vow was a vow and must be kept even if it was a vow to himself.
He had galloped back to his workshop and home fearing there wasn't a second to lose. He had grabbed his old saddle bag. It had seen better days but he didn't have time to repair it. He had loaded it with a blanket some food and his hammer and a small knife. He hadn't been in a situation like this but he had spoken to ponies who had been camping before and was always told a small knife was almost essential for making shelter or many other tasks.
He looked up again and narrowed his eyes, he could feel his legs shaking but looking at the other ponies beside him he started to feel a bit safer. He just hoped they knew more about this then he did. He took a deep breath, counted to 5 and started in to the woodlands with the others trying to look confident.
|
|
|
Post by cloudfall on Jun 29, 2011 14:08:33 GMT -5
Cloudfall paused at the entrance to the forest as well, and took a breath, letting it out slowly as he reminded himself why he was here. He wasn't scared of what lay ahead of them, just nervous. This wasn't something he normally liked to do. Traveling to another town in search of an unseen creature. But that's where his curiosity perked. With some skill in not being seen himself, he wanted to know how this creature was doing it, and stop it to save the town, of course. And in the shadows of the forest, they would be on more even ground.
Cloud adjusted his bags, he had packed lightly, not wanting to weight himself down too much, only bringing food, medical supplies, a rope, a blanket, and few canteens of water. He stretched out his wings and folded them back, there wasn't a lot of room to casually fly once in the forest, so he would go on hoof for now, and fell in line behind the others. He didn't answer Riot's question when it was asked, but then he had been quiet for most of the trip anyway.
|
|
|
Post by Selenia on Jun 30, 2011 10:44:42 GMT -5
Selenia, being a unicorn, carried no arms or armor for herself, posing as unthreatening and welcome. If this creature was intelligent, she was to convince it to cease attacking the town, and also leave the area, if possible, to avert any further damage to the town and danger to its inhabitants.
"Apparently not, but I figure we'll know it when we see it." She replied idly to Riot as they continued their advance into the darkening woods.
They all continued on, either out of curiosity or fearlessness, not knowing what to expect. The villagers hadn't been very clear about where the monster was or what it looked like, there were many unusual things in the forest, and it could be mistaken for anything. Also, these 'minions' they spoke of were very confusing. A wild creature such as the one attacking the town shouldn't be as organized as to have followers and be capable of sending them out. This creature was, at least in Selenia's mind, turning out to be a lot more intelligent than she first thought.
|
|
Ranger
Acolyte Pony
I'm a wood-pony and I'm okay...
Posts: 136
|
Post by Ranger on Jul 1, 2011 2:54:42 GMT -5
"Let's calm down ponies, I don't think the creature is invisible, it might just be quick, or very stealthy. And I know a thing or two about stealth." The cloaked pony tried to reassure his team. After all, he was the elected militia leader, and he had to keep them in line.
Getting a chance to meet a never before seen creature was exciting to say the least, and Ranger wanted to come prepared. He packed away his entire survival kit, including his grappling hook, smoke pellets, chain balls, rope, and two waterskins, as well as rations. He also made sure to supply himself with a remedy or two by Zecora, and of course his portable tea kit.
He proceeded to lead the group deeper through the forest, telling them stories of past encounters and adventures he had, he wasn't a fighter pony, to say the least, but he has had lots of experience dealing with animals and monsters, always relying on his quick wit and agility rather than combative ability. His stories were inspiring, how he managed to get out of the most dangerous of situations with improvisation and creativity rather than brute force.
|
|
|
Post by eclipse on Jul 1, 2011 10:18:18 GMT -5
Willow paused to adjust her saddlebags again, being careful with her recently acquired scar. It had taken a while, but she was finally capable of moving around freely again; so naturally when this mission had come up she had jumped at the chance to stretch her legs a bit. Not to mention she was eager to pay back the people who had rescued her from near death, and she certainly agreed with their cause in this case. Why should anything be destroyed just because you don't know what it is?
Willow had packed lightly for this trip; besides the darts that Watermark had provided them all, she only had a small flask of medicine and a water skin. She preferred to solve problems with her own hooves and a touch of magic, even in a situation as dangerous as this one was. Besides, she had a few tricks up her mane if worse came to worst. Light was a useful skill to have in the dark.
Her saddlebag re-secured, she moved swiftly to keep up with the loose coalition of other ponies (plus one bison) who were on this mission as well. Taking a quick look around to keep tabs on her teammates, and then spoke up.
"So... what exactly do we know about this thing?" she asked, keeping her voice barely loud enough to be heard. "Anything at all? Muse, can you see it with your sounds?"
|
|
|
Post by musicmustang on Jul 2, 2011 14:06:11 GMT -5
Muse sighed as he walked on with the group, he had packed lightly for the trip, he kept to the center of the group only because it was easiest to see everything around him. He was keeping a close surveillance on every side, the last thing he wanted was for some pony or Bison to get hurt. Muse heard Willow from the back and replied "Yea I'm searching...Nothing yet though." He said quietly hoping not to stir anything around them.
He really didn't know much about the group besides Willow, he wondered how they could co-ordinate themselves if they don't know each other. He didn`t even know the leader very well besides a name this was slightly concerning for him but he figured in the end the group would be ok, or thats what he wanted. It`s not easy for every pony to walk away find and dandy when there is a rampaging creature out there.
Then he spoke again "Umm Trixie? How are we going to deal with this creature? We don't have much of a plan and I don't think you know much about well any of us..." He hated to say it but he really thought it was true.
|
|
|
Post by Red Charge on Jul 5, 2011 20:47:21 GMT -5
NOTE: This is a post for Mystic, who missed their turn.
Being more the silent type, Mystic preferred to choose his words carefully. So, when the other members of his group immediately started asking questions, it was hard for him to keep from rolling his eyes. What was there to know? Whatever this creature was, they had to defend it from attackers, and bring it back to headquarters. At least, that was his understanding. He huffed softly and ground his hooves into the dirt, why did some ponies feel that anything strange was evil and needed to be destroyed? It was a shame. He was glad that not all of them were so blind.
Mystic Eyes appraised his comrades, it was funny... he hadn't expected to ever sympathize with any pony- but now, he was starting to feel a strange sort of loyalty to the few he had joined up with. True, this bond with them was small and fragile, but it was there. Perhaps he had been wrong- clearly his visions had pointed him here, but he had never expected the heart of a warrior to reside in any pony- and now, he was faced with the always startling realization that he had been wrong... worse, that he had been prejudiced.
Yes, there were some ponies out there that he would never like, that he would always feel he had to struggle against- but then, there were ponies like these cult supporters. They were so different. He had a grudging respect for the strong leadership of Red Charge, and a growing admiration for the abilities of Watermark and the stubborn determination of Trixie. He hadn't interacted with very many of the ponies on this particular mission, but he knew they had to have been chosen for a specific purpose, and he was proud of himself to have been chosen for something like this so quickly after joining. Red Charge must have seen something in him.
The other ponies were all supplied with saddlebags and supplies, for his part, Mystic Eyes had only brought a supply of fresh water and a sturdy length of rope. He hadn't been able to think of anything else that was really necessary, but then, he had always been taught in his tribe to pack light in order to travel fast. Apparently not all ponies shared this opinion.
Trixie seemed to be at a loss as to what to say to the others about strategy, so Mystic Eyes ventured to speak:
"If I may, would it not be possible to try and communicate with this creature? I know some foreign creatures are capable of understandable speech- it may be to our benefit to try and talk with it when we come upon it.. that is, if it is not too agressive."
|
|
|
Post by The Great and POWERFUL Trixie on Jul 5, 2011 21:45:40 GMT -5
Trixie trotted alongside her makeshift team through the forest. They were really an interesting bunch, with a bison and a completely new recruit just to mention two of them. She was speculating how to make a move on the creature when they found it when her thoughts popped at the sound of Muse's words. "You're right, I don't know much about any of you. But I do know that even a bit of teamwork can prove superior to any one foe." She discovered that single hoofedly, with the help of Percheron against the Blue Joker not too long ago. "Just do what you think is right, really, and we should be fine..."
Trixie opened her saddlebags and pulled out the darts Watermark had given her. She placed them in her hoof and it drooped a bit, as if they were heavy. Not physically, of course, but Trixie could definitely feel the weight that each of them held, as the whole fate of their mission was resting squarely on those darts hitting their mark.
Trixie wondered why Red had sent her to lead such a seemingly important research and retrieval mission, she was still fairly new to the cult and she had no prior leadership skills, not to mention her magic skills were not all up to par. Regardless, she would accept any task bestowed upon her with minimal complaints and questions.
|
|
|
Post by ace on Jul 6, 2011 15:41:49 GMT -5
Ace fidgeted with his saddlebags as the others spoke, looking through his supplies of rope, a knife, and the small amount of food he packed. He wasn’t much of a talker as it was, certainly not in a group of ponies he barely knew. The current situation only served to worsen his natural nervousness. Whatever they were looking for was unknown and they seemed to have no strategy.
He pulled his head out of his bags when Willowisp spoke to Muse. Ace made a mental note that the dark blue unicorn could locate things using sound waves. He looked at each of the other members wondering what sort of abilities they could have, especially the bison. He had never met a bison before, but judging from size alone he’d be an asset in a fight.
|
|
Ranger
Acolyte Pony
I'm a wood-pony and I'm okay...
Posts: 136
|
Post by Ranger on Jul 8, 2011 10:49:16 GMT -5
"Well, before we get caught up in the action," Ranger started, thinking, "I believe it would be best if all of you would tell me what you can do. So I best know how to use you. How about you, black and red? You go first, then the others." He asked, pointing a hoof at Selenia.
If they were going to succeed in this, especially if the monster was as dangerous as he was led to believe, they would need to work together. And for that, he had to know what his team could do in a pinch. And considering that he's never seen any of them fight, he felt this was a prudent question to ask.
|
|
|
Post by Selenia on Jul 8, 2011 11:34:37 GMT -5
Selenia glanced over to Ranger as he addressed her. "Me? Well, I'm still training so my full capabilities haven't been reached yet... But I have some pretty useful skills." She continued walking, dodging a few branches and stepping over gnarling roots.
"I can freeze and object in time for a short while, and make magical crystals out of some things.." She looked around at the trees and dirt. "But this environment doesn't hold anything I can use like that, so the best I can do is the stasis effect and the other kinds of magic you would expect from Unicorns... I have a few more tricks up my sleeve than the average bear, but not much that would be overly extraordinary."
Selenia sighed explosively and broke eye contact with Ranger. "Also, I didn't really prepare for a tussle... No armor, no supplies. All I got is my magic and wits if things get hairy."
|
|
|
Post by pelboy on Jul 8, 2011 15:56:28 GMT -5
"I err... I'm super loud and musical, but I guess music won't help us here heh heh" Riot felt awkward as the woodspony didn't seem to react. He continued "I can fight and I can be very intimidating if it comes to it. I've been working on this roar for quite some time now, it's getting better day by day!"
Riot tipped his head back, opened his mouth... and coughed as he decided maybe completely giving away their position wasn't the best idea. "Well, anyway you should hear it! It scared off a dragon when I was just a foal!" Riot said this with more confidence than it deserved. Although he had stopped a dragon from attacking, it was a very close call and he wasn’t keen to chance it again.
He looked at Ranger for a while, and wished he knew more about him. Any pony Riot was in a team with meant he would be fiercely loyal to the end, no matter how little he knew about them. He would have liked to get to know Ranger just a little before being called upon for a 'seek and Destroy mission of paramount importance!'
“So yeah, that’s me.”
|
|
|
Post by cloudfall on Jul 8, 2011 20:52:59 GMT -5
"I'm not too much of a fighter either..." Cloudfall spoke up from the back, "But I'm small and quiet, so I can sneak around." he looked around at the trees, focusing on the shadows to keep his confidence up. "And I can fly. Obviously...." he spread out his wings, flexing them briefly just to prove that he was, indeed, a pegasus before folding them back again. He figured he didn't need to point out that last part, but Ranger did ask what they could do and it was something he did. And unless Ranger was hiding wings under his cloak, he was the only one of the group that could fly.
|
|