Stargazer Quest

So, what do we do?

Choose an island?

>>27975232
what's pacers point?

>>27975232
Where are we on the map? Also, have we been eating our food?

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>Glory squints her eyes at the map, struggling to see.
>"Well, where are we now?"
>You slide the map closer to her.
"So we're here in Elmont near Shivelight Grove and Ambertide Waters. He said that we can probably find an element near Thymel, which is there. But what happens after Thymel? We start island hopping and pray to the gods? Just unrolling a map before us won't do much. We don't even know what most of these mean. What's Pacer's Point, for example?"
>"Pacer's Point is a location highly renowned for its view of the Floating Isles, but that's unimportant. But I must apologize, for I don't know. This map is actually very empty, as Haven is full of surprises. Maybe the temple shall hold a clue? I just suppose."
"Well I dunno what to do then."
>You realize you haven't been eating at all since you first sat down and decide that this is the proper time to start.
>You take your first bite of the hay salad and it's quite underwhelming.
>Your rations have more flavor to be completely honest.
>Asha seems to silently agree.
>Glory speaks up.
>"Here's a question. If Haven is completely cut off from Equestria, how do ponies know of it here? Why do we speak the same language?"
>"Haven wasn't always cut off from the rest of the world. It's rumored that Haven is the source of all life, and thus is why it is such a strong source of magic. I assume that language just kept itself alive."

>>27975473
would it be better to walk to hunters cove or to take a boat?

>>27975559
"Would it be better to walk to Hunter's Cove or to take a boat?"
>Sea Scribe smirks.
>"Walking would be free, if that is what you ask. It takes maybe three hours by land, thirty minutes by sea."

>>27975473
Since the elements were removed from Equestria, possibly before Haven was separated from the rest of the world, it might be that they were stolen by somebody here to hoard all of the magic. He did say this is where the magic comes from.

>>27975624
How much would a boat cost for future reference?

>>27975779
"How much would a boat cost?"
>"More than I could afford. Perhaps ask a mariner for a ride? But if you have to ask, I've heard of somepony selling at a few thousand bits."
>You whistle at the thought.
>Wait, they might have different values for currency.
>"Speaking of money, we're gonna need some for supplies and transportation and perhaps food. Any idea where to get some?"
>"Haven is friendly to bartering, so you may be blessed with luck there. Jobs are an option also."
>"Are there any local dangers?"
>"There are your natural dangers such as bears, timberwolves, manticores, you name it. That's the only reason for a militia here, to fend off wild animals. Haven is a unique island with grasslands to swamp to mountain, you can find nearly anything."

>>27975952
Alright then. I guess everyone needs to split up and look for jobs and we can pool some money together to buy some supplies and maybe even some bartering money.

>>27975987
"I guess we should split up and look for some jobs then. Is there anything else we should know?"
>"You all are welcome to stay here as you please. Make this your home. You can leave some of your belongings here, especially the tablet. We wouldn't want to lose it, now would we?"
>You ignore the inquiry for now.
"Okay guys, what should we do, how're we gonna handle this?"
>"Maybe Beans and I can go hunting or something, we have armor and weapons. Glad we nabbed those spears, huh Beans?"
>Asha chips in.
>"Eh, yeah you guys go do that. I'll keep to stuff less... kill-y. But yeah, it's about 11 AM, right? We can meet back here tonight."
"Sounds good."
>"Agreed."
>"Don't forget to leave the tablet behind."

>>27976304
Let's go out and find some work.

>>27976304
I see no reason to leave it behind.

>>27976456
>>27976607
>You decide to keep the tablet for now as there's no reason to leave it behind.
>The four of your walk out of the house and back into the streets of Elmont.
>Glory tells you to hide the tablet under your bed later tonight, and you let yourself decide that later.
>With that, you and Asha part from Glory and Beans to leave for the marketplace.
>There's jobs where things are happening, and naturally things are happening at the marketplace, right?
>You are absolutely right.
>It was decently populated when you passed through it earlier, but now it's actually quite busy.
>Walking through the market stands and stalls set up in a gigantic plaza, you look around.
>There's market stalls for everything.
>Antiques, food, furniture, art supplies, travel gear, potions.
>Isn't that crazy!
>They have potions!

>>27976744
Dang I want to buy most of those things. Ask a random pony if there is a board around here on jobs that need to get done.

>>27976744
Lets browse for a little bit to see how things are priced and what they use as currency.

>>27976804
>>27976806
>You browse around to get a feel for the prices.
>Restoration potion: B20
>Healing potion: B15
>Okay, maybe looking at stuff that you have reference to is better.
>10 arrows, quiver not included: B10 compared to about B40 from home.
>A pound of apples: B0.30 compared to about B1.
>First aid kit (no potions): B7.50 compared to about B25.
>A basic sword: B100 compared to about B160.
>So it seems like they use bits as well, and everything is about a fourth of the price as it was at home.

>You get the idea that there might be a help wanted board somewhere around here.
>You walk up to the mare tending the food stall and Asha follows behind, taking the scenery in.
"Excuse me, but do you know if there's any board for jobs that need to get done?"
>"Ooooo, a newcomer! I'm pleased to meet you two! We don't get many new ponies around here much. I'm Scarlet Sugar."
>She grabs your hoof and shakes it vigorously.
>"Oh, I apologize, I didn't answer your question. Yes, there's a community board just down this alley and take a right, next to the fountain. You'll see it no problem!"

>>27977028
Thanks Scarlet. How often do new comers show up and where do they usually come from? Ask if there is anything interesting in town to see. Let's go check the board after the light conversation. Maybe we'll be back so that we can buy a little of whatever she's selling.

>>27977095
"Thanks Scarlet. Say, how often do newcomers show up and where do they usually come from?"
>"Oh they rarely pop up, coming from the other towns on Haven who got an adventure craving. It's just that ponies usually don't travel unless they need to, you know?"
"Do you know if there's anything interesting in town to see? We'd really appreciate it if you could help us out."
>"Oh yes! There's a paper lantern festival going on later tonight in the town square. Surely you came for that? But anyways, I'm sorry, I can't think of anything else off the top of my head."
"That's alright. Well thank you for your help, Scarlet. We might even stop by later for some food if you're still open."
>"Oh, I'd be delighted. Take care!"

>You grab Asha, who seems to have been put in a trance.
>You look up to see what she was looking at and spot about five pegasi twisting and turning in the air, doing aerial maneuvers with extreme skill.
>You drag Asha along towards the community board, but keep your eyes to the sky.
>"Ohh man, how jealous am I of those pegasi. Can you imagine what it would be like to fly?"
"Yeah, I really wish we were able to fly."
>"Maybe we can. Remember how Sea Scribe said you can learn?"
>You flap your wings, but nothing happens other than the blowing of a bit of dust around.
>Suddenly, you come to a stop when you run into a pony carrying several books with her magic.
>The books clatter to the floor and ponies swerve around the collision.

>>27977347
Apologize to her since you weren't looking at where you were going. Ask if they're alright. Pick up their books.

>>27977403
"Oh man, I'm so sorry!"
>You and Asha scramble to pick up her books.
>"No no, it's okay, I wasn't looking where I was going, I'm sorry."
"Are you alright?"
>"Yes, are you?"
"Yeah."
>You and Asha finish collecting her books and offer them to her.
>She floats them back over to her with a white aura, and you get to see for the first time who you ran into.
>Her coat is a pale lemon yellow and her mane a milky grey.
>"I'm so sorry again, I was just so engrossed in figuring out how to make this new potion, I'm sorry."
>Asha takes an interest.
>"Potion? What kind of potion?"
>"Oh nothing much, just something that would allow the user to teleport, unicorn or not."
>A potion.
>That can make you teleport.
"Wow. How does it work?"
>"Heh, well, I'm working on that."

>>27977683
what exactly is the problem? can't figure out what you need to put in? need a pony to drink some potions?

>>27977754
"What exactly is the problem? Can't figure out what you need to put in? Need a pony to drink some potions?"
>"Oh no no, nothing like that. I wouldn't want any pony to mess with an experimental potion until it's gone through enough testing. I just need to find the right combination of herbs to create the effect desired. Different combinations interact differently, and I need to find what combination works."
"So is this some sort of trial and error thing or?"
>"It can be, but it may take a while to get anything done. I look for specific combinations and try them out. For example, I've looked at a combination of zulsendra and anise. The zulsendra works to increase movement and anise has a type of burst effect. While the potion may seem like teleportation in the end, you can't get through walls."
>"Huh, that's interesting. So you have to kind of mix and match the effects of herbs to get a potion?"
>"Kind of, it's more complicated than that but it works as a simplification."

>>27978043
how many ingredients can you put in? well that's about all the questions I have. I hope you're able to succeeded in your experiment and if not at least you tried. let's check out that board now.

>>27978075
"How many ingredients can you put in?"
>"Well, as many as you want, but it dilutes the effects. You also have to keep in mind that some combinations can make something completely unexpected."
"Note taken. Well, that's about all the questions I have. Sorry about bumping into you again."
>"It's quite alright."
"I hope you're able to succeed in your experiments, and if not, at least you tried."
>"Thanks, I wish the best for the two of you as well."

>You finally arrive to the community board and see a huge wall of fliers.
>It contains events, clubs, résumés, help wanted ads, etc.
>You're most interested in the things that could get you money.
>You skim over the board.
>Militia wanted. B15 per night watch.
>Slopes Tavern hiring part-time and full-time.
>HELP WANTED: ATTRACTIVE MARES ONLY
>ARNICA and ZULSENDRA, will buy
>Living wood wanted, B10 per branch.
>Mourning wood wanted, B10 per branch.
>Information on Elmont Institute of Magic wanted
>Protection from wildlife needed.

>>27978356
hey, we're some pretty attractive mares! it sounds sketchy but we can do that. or do you think that the slopes tavern would be better? not sure we can do anything else on the wall since i don't think we know what living or mourning wood is.

>>27978421
"Hey, we're some pretty attractive mares!"
>You point at the relevant poster.
"It sounds sketchy, but we can do that. We can handle ourselves if anything happens. Or maybe do you think that Slopes Tavern would be better?"
>"I'm completely up for the attractive mares job, but I'm afraid that you're just not up for the cut, Stargazer. It just wouldn't be fair for me to outshine you in a job like that."
>She gives you a playful smirk.
>"Seriously though, the Slopes Tavern can work, just what type of work is it?"
>Asha looks at the board some more.
>"How about the night watch thing? You have good eyesight at night, it'll be a breeze for you."
"Well I'd like money sooner rather than later, and it's still a long ways until night."
>"How about the information on Elmont Institute of Magic? We're spies! Our job is information."

>>27978551
That information isn't going anywhere so I think that job can wait though we can ask how much they're paying. it'll probably be" based on what you find" though.
is it on the way to any of the other jobs?

>>27978551
Lets look into it. Whichever one pays the most with the least amount of time is what we need right now.

>>27978610
>>27979431
"That information isn't going anywhere, but we can look into it. Is it on the way to any other jobs?"
>"I don't know where anything is, so don't ask me."
>Asha continues to look at the board.
"Whichever pays the most with the least amount of time is what we need right now."
>"Here. 'Protection from wildlife needed. Expedition team researching Smoldering Heights will take two days. B200 offered.' That's quite a lot of bits, right?"
"Yeah, that's about B800 back in Equestria, but I don't think we have that time. Plus, I don't think you want to be fending off or harming any wildlife."
>"Yeah, you're probably right. So we have no idea what living or mourning wood is, we don't know what arnica or zulsendra is, and the night watch is for later. That leaves us with the Slopes Tavern, the Institute of Magic, and the attractive mare lead as our only immediate options to look into."
>Asha looks back to you.
>"I dunno about you, but I don't want to be discriminated by looks and I don't want to be a waitress in a land of magic. The choice is yours though."

>>27979798
alright, let's go do our actual jobs instead of having fun. but then again we can still do it SEXILY.

>>27979798
Our looks might make us exotic and net us a premium, but I think we're better suited for information gathering.

>>27979798
let go grab some info about the institute of magic.

>>27979854
>>27979859
>>27979871
"You sure? Our exotic looks might net us a premium."
>"I don't think non-sparkly hair is exactly exotic."
"Fine. If you want to have no fun that badly we can go ahead and just do the Institute of Magic work. I'm not letting you go with saying I'm not attractive though. I'm gonna do this as sexily as I can now."
>You swing your hips as you swagger closer to the poster.
>Asha laughs at your display.
>"I'm not impressed."
"Hmpf. Speak for yourself."
>You look for more information on the poster.
"'Ask for the ethics director at the Elmont Institute of Magic if interested.' Huh, interesting that they want information on themselves, isn't it?"
>"Yeah, that's weird. It's the ethics director too."

>>27979984
Maybe he wants somebody to spy on his coworkers, make sure they're being ethical?

>>27979984
Let's go check it out

night time bump

>>27980011
>>27980090
(1/2)
"Maybe he wants someone to spy on his coworkers, make sure they're being ethical?"
>"But isn't spying kinda unethical?"
"Ends justify the means type of pony I guess. Also, are you saying that we're bad ponies for being spies?"
>"Well, no. We're just doing our job."
"Quite the strong moral system, Asha."
>What you say visibly strikes a chord with Asha, and you immediately regret it.
>"I didn't say I'm proud of being a spy, Stargazer. Let's just find out where this place is already."

>After asking a few ponies for directions, you find the Elmont Institute of Magic.
>The building is impressive, consisting of two wings wrapped around it's own courtyard.
>You and Asha enter the building and are welcomed by a warm atmosphere of a library.
>The two of you walk to the front desk and Asha speaks before you can say anything.
>"Excuse me, may we please speak to the ethics director?"
>"May I ask what for?"
>"There was a flier asking for information about your institute here, and it said to contact the ethics director."
>"Ah yes, I'll get him right away."
>The secretary gets up from her station and hurries away.
>A few minutes later, she returns with a elder stallion of a blue coat and grey mane.
>"Oh thank you two for coming! Please, come to my office."

>>27980387
(2/2)
>After situating yourselves in the stallion's office, he introduces himself.
>"I am True Blue, and I assume that you two are good at acquiring information, if you know what I'm getting to."
>"Yes sir."
>"Good. Well, as you know, the Institute provides grants to students who want to pursue magical research of their own. These grants are provided under certain terms, terms that include ethics."
>"Yes."
>"I've been wanting somepony to provide some information on a certain student of ours, Sunlit Meadows. She's a bright student, but I'm afraid that her enthusiasm over magic is a bit too much. Her recent research into teleportation potions is brilliant, but we must make sure she is abiding by our ethics."
>Teleportation potions?
>That must be the mare that you ran into earlier!
>"Huh."
>"Yes?"
>"Oh, nothing, sorry."
>"Obviously, to see if potions are safe, animal testing is unfortunately a must. Our guidelines, however, provide that testing on animals specifically bred for that purpose is allowed. I'll entrust to you fifty bits to find out whether she abides by the guidelines or not. We have her place of residence if needed."

>>27980391
Alright, we'll take the job and scout out the location.
this job will be so easy since we have a positive relationship with her so far and we can ask seemingly innocent questions to probe.

>>27980444
>You take the job and shake hooves over it.
>Sunlit Meadows, huh?
>Hopefully this'll be easy as you've met her already.
>With a positive relationship established so far, you can ask seemingly innocent questions to probe.
>True Blue provides you with a picture and a place of residence.
>The picture confirms that she is the same pony that you bumped into earlier.
>With that, you are ready to go.
>Seeing that her place of residency is your only lead, you set off.

>It takes a while to travel from the middle of town to the residential area where she lives, but you're almost at her house now.
>Asha stops and you mirror her.
>"So, what're you thinking Stargazer?"

>>27980580
i really wanna learn to fly and possibly learn an aerial maneuver or two. I wonder how fast I could be?

Though about the job? She seemed like a nice mare that wouldn't break the rules but that was just a first encounter and everypony is always on their best behavior on those (usually). Then again she did say she didn't want anypony to drink it without "proper testing"
my plan is to try to look in through a window or two. there was a flier that said they needed zulsendra. do you think that was her? want to claim we're here for that job?

>>27980637
"I really want to learn how to fly, that's one thing for sure. I wonder how fast I could be?"
>"Though I think the same, I meant about the job you dumb dumb."
"Well, Sunlit Meadows did seem like a nice mare, but that was just a first encounter and she may have been on her best behavior."
>"I don't know, she seemed really genuine when we met her."
"She did say that she didn't want anypony to drink it without 'proper testing.' We can at least look in through a window or two."
>"In broad daylight?"
"Okay, true. But how about earlier? There was a flier that said they needed zulsendra. Do you think that was her? Do you want to claim that we're here for that job?"
>"I don't know about that. What if it wasn't her and it's just a coincidence? We'd be screwed."

>>27980754
>I've looked at a combination of zulsendra and anise.
>ARNICA and ZULSENDRA, will buy
Seems rather similar, we can at least ask her about zulsendra since she knows about it and the poster was asking for some. If it turns out that it was her ad, we can just say the contact information was illegible. Also we should apologize for the stupid joke about ethics.

>>27980754
You wanna run to the poster while I sit here staking out the location loitering and seeing if she comes out of the house and then I can tail her?

>>27980807
>>27980827
"She said that she looked at zulsendra and anise before, and the poster for arnica and zulsendra seems rather similar. We can ask her about zulsendra since she's familiar with it, and if it turns out it was her ad, we can just say the contact information was illegible."
>"Well how did we find out where she lives in order to ask?"
"Hmmm. How about this? You wanna run to the poster real quick while I stake out the location? If she comes out I can tail her and meet you back at Sea Scribe's place."
>"Sure, sounds okay with me."
"Oh, and before you go, I'm sorry about what I said earlier, with the ethics and morals thing. I really am. I shouldn't have joked about that."
>"It's okay. I'm just..."
>She looks to the floor and sighs.
>"I'm just a bit conflicted with myself about all that. Anyways, I'll go run to the poster and see what's up."

Gonna be it for tonight again guys, I'm gonna head to bed. I'll be back tomorrow (or technically later today). I really hope you're enjoying it so far. If you have any comments or critiques or suggestions for improvement, please feel free to share and I'll do my best to get better!

We will now monitor.

this little caper is pretty fun and I'm interested in what we'll do when looking at this temple. getting there sounds like it's going to be a bit of a pain though.

>>27980953
>You're left alone to keep an eye on Sunlit Meadow's home.
>Nothing much happens while you wait.
>You find some shade and happily sit down.
>Ponies pass by, talking and laughing.
>Some are eager to get to their destination and others take their sweet sweet time.
>It might be a while until Asha gets back.
>You twiddle with your hooves.

>>27983749
could listen in on a couple of conversations of nearby ponies. It would at least pass the time.

>>27983901
>You decide to listen in on a few conversations.
>It wouldn't hurt anyone and it'd help pass the time.
>"The hay tea at that one store you told me about..."
>"...can't believe that those ponies catch fish..."
>"...weird that animals are acting up..."
>"You going to the sky lantern festival...?"
>"...Auster Winds were practicing..."
>You're disturbed by hoofsteps directly approaching you.
>It's Asha.
>"The flier was Sunlit Meadows's. It's perfect."
"Great, you wanna say we're here for that then?"
>"I'm fine with that."

>The both of you walk up to the two-story house and knock on the door.
>A muffled voice comes from inside.
>"One second!"
>Soon enough, the door swings open and a light purple mare stands on the other side.
>"May I help you two?"
>"Uhm, yes, we're here for Sunlit Meadows."
"There was a poster saying that arnica and zulsendra were wanted and we were stopping by for some information."
>"Oh, I'll get her for you. Please, come in."
>The mare leaves the door open for you and trots over to the stairs.
>"Mead! There's two ponies asking about your herbs!"
>"Okay! I'll be down in a bit!"
>After a few moments pass, the same yellow pony as earlier trots down the stairs.
>"Oh, it's you two! What a coincidence!"

>>27984185
Hey! We're here for the job. Can you tell us what the herbs are that we're looking for? Do you have a picture or even a sample you can show us?

>>27984269
"Hey! We're here for the job. Can you tell us what the herbs we're looking for look like? Do you have a picture or sample that you can show us?"
>"Definitely!"
>Sunlit Meadows runs back upstairs and you can hear a bit of rummaging.
>She returns with a book and a mushroom floating in air.
>She hoofs Asha the book and holds the mushroom in front of you.
>"The mushroom is zulsendra. You can see arnica in the book. These'll be fine for you to find as they're very distinct."
>The mushroom is a vibrant purple. It has a long stem with a small, bulbous cap.
>"You can find zulsendra in any tropical area, so you might have some luck finding them around Elmont. Arnica is a bit more tricky though. It's an orange flower that only grows in mountainous areas, so you might need to go to Heaven's Reach to find any. Make sure you look for leaves that grow in pairs, or else you might get marigold."

>>27984629
how much do you want of each? We can get the zulsendra though it might be troublesome to get the arnica as that's very far.

>>27984678
"How much do you want of each? We can get the zulsendra, but it might be troublesome to get the arnica as that's very far."
>"Aw. Arnica's what I need most, but I'll still take some zulsendra. I have about five samples already, so about five more mushrooms will do good for twenty potions? That should be more than enough."

>>27984793
ask when she'll need it by, maybe we can arrange something for tomorrow. We'll ask glory and beans to make the journey if they pass by there if they're doing another job.

>>27984830
"Hey Asha, we can probably ask Glory and Beans for some arnica if they pass it by on one of their jobs."
>She nods.
>You turn back to Meadows.
"When will you need it by?"
>"I'd like to have ten samples of arnica in about five days. My research is due by the end of the month. Since I already have some zulsendra, you can get the zulsendra to me at any time really."
"Great! Maybe we can to arrange something for tomorrow for the zulsendra?"
>"Yeah! You can just stop by anytime here tomorrow, I'll be here most likely. I'll pay you with a vial of aqua magica for each zulsendra and five vials for each arnica. Each vial usually costs about three bits."

>>27985108
yeah that should work. alright then i guess that's all we can do at the moment. thank her for the time and let's get out of here. hey, when we get the ingredients can we see you make the potion and try it out? I wanna see if you can get it to work.

>>27985195
"That'll work."
>Asha interrupts.
>"What exactly is aqua magica anyways?"
>"Oh, I'm sorry. It's what potions use as a base. Regular water won't do."
>"Huh, intersting."
"Well, thank you for your time Sunlit Meadows."
>"Oh please, call me Mead, like the drink."
"If it's not too much to ask, Mead, can we watch you make and test the potion once we get the ingredients? I really want to see if you can get it to work."
>"No problem, I'd love to show you two!"

>After a bit more small talk, you and Asha leave the house.
>"She seems really nice."
"Yeah, she does."
>"But what're we gonna do now? She said we can watch her test the potions, but we have no idea how she's gonna test them. If she tests them on animals, we don't know where those animals came from."
"We can ask her."
>"And what's going to keep her from lying?"

>>27985385
depending on the lie we'll just ask for more information like " does the pet shop know you use these animals to test? Where is the pet shop? why did you decide to use THESE animals specifically? what do they eat?" if she does lie then we just report to the guy who hired us that she is. she would have no reason to not tell us that they came from the university.

>>27985449
"We can just ask her a bunch of questions about the animals. Stuff like what do you feed them and where exactly she got them."
>"Isn't that kind of suspicious?"
"Would you rather we break into her house and find out?"
>"I'd rather we keep that as a last resort."
>The two of you keep walking, with no destination in mind.
>"So what do you wanna do?"
>Asha flaps her wings a couple of times.
>"Personally, I really want to find out how to fly. It'd be so liberating."

>>27985762
didn't they say we had to connect with nodes or something? maybe we should visit a doctor here and see if he can help? ask if we have magic.

>>27985784
"Didn't Sea Scribe say we had to connect with nodes or something? Maybe we should visit a doctor and ask if we have magic."
>Asha giggles a bit.
>"Yeah, hey doc, can you tell us if we can magic or not?"
"Asha, really! We don't know anything about magic! Better to make sure than to hop off a cliff and hope for the best."
>"What about the Institute of Magic? Maybe they could have a say."

>>27985901
They would ask a lot of questions but I am pretty interested in what they'd have to say. random thought but, do you think they would have some arnica on hand? we can get some from them from them with the excuse to finish a mission we were given.

>>27985945
"They'd ask a lot of questions, but I'm pretty interested in what they'd have to say."
>"They'll probably think we're crazy."
"Hey, random thought, but you think maybe they'd have some arnica on hand?"
>"Maybe, but why wouldn't Mead just get it straight from them then?"
"Too expensive?"
>"Well who'd give it to her for such a bargain price then?"
"I dunno. Might as well ask while we're there. C'mon, let's go."
>You two turn around the corner and head towards the Institute of Magic.

>You find yourselves at the front desk again, and this time you speak up first.
"Excuse me, but is there an expert that we can talk about magic with?"
>"This is an institute dedicated to magic, so of course. What are you interested in? I might be able to point you to the library."
"Well, um, we kinda want to find out if, uh, you know..."
>"Yes?"
"We want to find out if we can fly."
>"You two are pegasi, right?"
"Yes."
>"Then of course you can."
>Asha butts in.
>"Don't you need magic though?"
>"Where have you two lived for your entire lives? Of course you need magic."

>>27986095
we want to know how much magic potential we have and if we can do better. There anyway to find that out?

>>27986133
"We want to know how much magic potential we have and if we can do better. Is there any way to find that out?"
>"Well, there's no such thing as magic potential per se, but different ponies can access source nodes with varying success and efficiency. If you're asking how to pull more magic from nodes, that only comes with practice and training. You do know what nodes are, right?"
>"Yes."
>"And you're able to pull magic from nodes?"
>"Er, no."
>"Oh heavens above. Most ponies develop that ability naturally in early childhood. Knowing how to use magic is like a muscle, and that muscle can atrophy. You two being as old as you are, I don't know what state that muscle is in."

>>27986633
well that's pretty tragic for us. would we even have a magic muscle or would it be gone due to it never being used by us, our parents and their parents before them?
got any light exercises we can do?
also do you know who we need to ask for arnica?

>>27986633
And that's exactly we want to talk with somebody.

>>27986697
>>27986773
(1/2)
"That's exactly why we'd like to talk to somepony."
>"You might be able to talk to our biology professor. She might take interest in how your bodies have never used magic before."
>The clerk gets up and motions for you to follow her.
"Oh, and one thing else. Is there anypony we can get some arnica from?"
>"I'm afraid not. Most herbs are easily made into potions, so many ponies sell only the potions and not the herbs."
>She sets off and you and Asha follow along.

>Eventually, the three of you reach an open door and the clerk knocks.
>"Ms. Caster, I have a few ponies that you may be interested in."
>"Please, send them in!"
>The clerk moves out of the way and you and Asha naturally enter.
>The office is small and cozy, and a yellow unicorn mare with red hair sits at her desk.
>"Oh, how wonderful to have guests for once. Nopony uses my open office hours!"
>The clerk does a curt nod of the head and leaves you all be.
>"I don't recognize you two, so let me introduce myself. I'm Fire Caster, the professor of biology and spellcasting here at the Elmont Institue of Magic."
>She shakes your hooves.
>"Now, how may I help you two?"

>>27987245
(2/2)
>Asha picks up the ball, and you gladly let her do the talking for now.
>"Well, I don't know how to explain it, so I'll just jump right to it. We haven't used magic our entire lives, and we want to know if there's still a chance for us to fly."
>Fire Caster moves her head back, caught by surprise.
>"Wow! You two haven't used magic your entire lives? Incredible."
>Fire Caster goes deep into thought for a few moments before speaking again.
>"Since you two have never used magic before in your lives, I can only imagine that you're connection to magic is incredibly weak and you probably can't pull from any magic nodes, can you?"
>"I wouldn't know how to start doing that."
>She puts a hoof to her chin.
>"Hmmm. Mind if I use my magic on you two?"
>"No problem."
"Go ahead."
>She closes her eyes and her horn glows a radiant blue.
>A quiet tingle resonates through your body.
>Asha seems to shiver from its cold touch as well.
>It feels like you've been dunked into a bath of warm yet somehow cool water, a sensation similar to when you were teleported from the forest.
>"Did you two feel that?"
"Yeah."
>"Mhm."
>"That's what highly concentrated magic feels like. While you'll most likely never feel anything that intense while using magic, that's the type of feeling you need to focus on while trying to draw energy in. I'm afraid that I can't explain it more. It's like trying to explain to a pony how to use a new limb."

>>27987253
so just look for that feeling inside?
attempt to connect a node by closing your eyes, taking a deep breath trying to make that "feeling" go into your wings

>>27987290
Lets just try to connect first rather than do something complicated. More likely to work that way.

>>27987308
but it's a good way to find out our limits.

>>27987314
You got to learn to walk before you can run. Right now our limit is no magic.

>>27987314
>>27987328
>You close your eyes and take a deep breath.
>You try to search for that feeling inside, but nothing really clicks.
>You try searching outside your body and pulling the feeling in, but again, nothing clicks.
>Dammit!
>Okay, no, calm down.
>They said this'll take a lot of work and practice, so it's obviously not going to work right off the bat.
>You open an eye to Asha, and it she appears to be trying very hard to draw any magic as well.
>Your eyes close again as you continue to search for that feeling.
>"Here, let me try to help you. I'll try to pull in some magic from Haven and you try to pull in from me."
>You focus intensely, trying to reach to Fire Caster.
>You push yourself to feel for it, and you start to sweat.
>The strain this puts on your body is immense.
>A strange type of exhaustion starts to crawl up your spine.

>>27987461
try to hold out just a little more before you give up.

>>27987533
>You keep pushing.
>
>
>A flutter.
>
>The faintest touch.
>A nebulous feather floating somewhere outside your body.
>You feel it, and let go.

>You open your eyes and let out the breath you've been holding.
>Fire Caster sits across the desk smiling.
>You wish you could smile too, but your body feels completely empty.
>Looking over to Asha, she looks like she's about to collapse.
>"Good. You two look like you've just ran a marathon. The exhaustion is magical burnout. Amazing to see it set in so fast."
>She continues to smile.
>"I'm impressed though. For ponies who never used magic before, you were able to reach out for magic very quickly. Hmmm, that must mean the ability to use magic is natural and ever present."
>The mare floats over a paper and pen and starts to write quickly.
>Asha wipes the sweat off her brow.

>>27987737
take a seat and catch your breath. Tell asha how much that sucked. but it's going to be worth it. Let's do that before we go to bed every night. Thank Fire Caster for helping you get in touch with magic.

>>27987797
>You take a seat and catch your breath and Asha does the same.
"That sucked pretty hard."
>"Yeah, tell me about it."
>You and Asha sit there panting.
"This is gonna be worth it in the end though, Asha. We're doing this every night."
>"Oh, I definitely hope it's worth it. That was horrible."
>It takes a few more moments before you get yourself together.
"Thank you Fire Caster. Thank you for helping us get in touch with magic."
>You offer your hoof and it visibly trembles.
>Regardless, she shakes hooves with you.
>"If you two don't mind, can you do a favor in exchange for helping you with this?"
>"Oh? What's that?"
>"I'd like to ask you two to keep a journal for me on your discovery of magic. I would greatly appreciate it."

>>27987985

sounds easy. we'll need to buy a journal though.

>>27987985
Oh alright. Entry one. Oh shit, we can do magic.

>>27987989
>>27988025
"Sounds easy enough, we'd need to buy a journal though."
>"I'll personally pay for it and a bit more."
"Thanks! Does this sound good? 'Entry one. Oh shit, we can do magic.'"
>"Heh. If that's what you want to write, then go for it. I just ask that you be as detailed as possible. I'll sweeten the deal a little bit more and pay you one bit for a day's worth of journal entries."
>She opens a drawer and a blue glow produces ten bits for you and Asha.
>"Get a nice journal."
>You and Asha thank Fire Caster another time.
>"It's no problem. Do you either of you have any more questions?"

>>27988169
Do you need to examine us to establish a baseline? Maybe measure our wings and feathers and see if they get longer or something?

>>27988169

Are there any other exercises or anything else we can do on a daily basis to stretch our magic muscles besides that really hard thing we just did? Maybe some potions or something that can make us more susceptible to magic?

>>27988202
>>27988284
(1/2)
"Do you need to examine us to establish a baseline? Maybe measure our wings and feathers and see if they get longer or something?"
>"I never would have thought of that, but now that you mention it, it wouldn't hurt, now would it?"
>She pulls out a measuring tape and stretches it out.
>"That would be pretty interesting if they grew, wouldn't it? Effects of magic on the body, interesting research, huh? Spread out your wings please."
>You and Asha oblige.
>Fire Caster slowly and very carefully begins to take measurements of your wings.
>It seems that as a professor of biology, she realizes how protective pegasi are of their wings, unlike most ponies.
>That's not even mentioning how sensitive wings are.
>You use the time to ask another question.
"Are there any other exercises or things we can do on a daily basis to stretch our magic muscles? I'd prefer it if we didn't have to do what we just did more than we need to."
>"Well, actually, that's one of the easiest exercises you can do, just tapping into a nearby node. Your exercises without one will be much harder."
"Oh."
>"Don't worry. You'll be able to use more and more magic from farther and weaker nodes in no time though."

>>27988594
(2/2)
>She moves on to measure Asha's wings and feathers.
>"Just keep in mind that tapping into magic is a whole different ordeal than using magic, and that is completely different than flying. You'll have to learn each thing separately."
"Hmmm. Are there any potions or something that can make us more susceptible to magic?"
>"Yes, there's aqua magica, but I'd use it with caution. Burnout is very easy if one is not careful. Made from glowing mushrooms, it can increase one's potency for magic in a way. It's the same reason why it's used for making potions."
>She finishes measuring Asha up and procedes to write down all the measurements at once.
>"Well thank you again, Fire Caster."
"Yes, thank you."
>"It's no problem, I am happy to help. If you need anything, please do not hesitate to contact me."
>You and Asha leave her office and hit the streets once more.

>"Soo, what now? It's probably about 3 PM and there's not many jobs left to do. You think it's time to jump off a cliff already?"

>>27988602
Maybe we should go ask about that night watch and then take a nap before our shift starts?

>>27988657
"We should probably go ask about that night watch thing and take a nap before the shift starts."
>"Sounds good to me. I'm pretty beat after that magic thing and can take a nap."
>The both of you go to the town hall and guild to inquire about the militia night watch.
>As advertised, they offer you fifteen bits each for the whole shift, 10 PM to 6 AM.
>You take the deal and they tell you to report to the east city gates by 9:30 PM.
>After that, you head back to Sea Scribe's home to hit the hay.

Alright guys, that's it for tonight. If GloryQuest doesn't catch up by early tomorrow, I probably won't see you guys in a while. I will, however, try to draw a few scenes for !Json over on the sister thread since Stargazer has to wait for them to catch up. As always, criticism is much appreciated! What can we do to make this better for you guys? I'd love to hear.

it's interesting to me so far

on page 10 bump