The Moaning Top Incident

by Visiden Visidane

Incident Report

The mission in Mount Moaning Top had one objective: the investigation and elimination of possible ophidite infiltration during the Moonlight Rondo’s festival.

A total of one hundred and twenty legionnaires from Sharpstone Fortress were sent under the command of Fort Commander Forge Spark consisting of a small reconnaissance team, including an Inquisitor, thirty unicorn magi, forty lancers from Flight Razor Thrash and Flight Slaughter Wing, and forty skirmishers. A large contingent was deemed necessary to prevent any escape and in preparation for hostilities from the Moonlight Rondo.

The mission uncovered the presence of a dragon-cobrahn hybrid known to the ophidites as a “tikhana” who was acting as a Moonlight Rondo liaison and had sold their leader colt slaves taken from the Empire. Also uncovered was a squad of ophidite infiltrators consisting of a cobrahn leader, three vipren, and four indoctrinated pony slaves. Legionnaires who encountered these ophidites report that they helped in tracking and killing the tikhana, suggesting that the Empire of Ophidus was also hunting the tikhana, before they were exposed and subsequently killed.

The Moonlight Rondo was found guilty of collaborating with an ophidite, trafficking in drugs and slaves, and harboring a Blade of Nightmare. In response, the entire cult rose up as a hostile organisation and attacked the Legion forces participating in the mission, forcing the Legion to eliminate them in self-defense. The number of members slain during the mission match up to the number given by earlier investigations on the Moonlight Rondo.

An incident occurred between participating troops and the inhabitants of the village of Moon Basin in which members of the Moonlight Rondo stirred up the crowd with false stories of Legion hostilities towards the village. The villagers attacked participating troops and defended members of the Moonlight Rondo.

Participating troops have been found guilty of overzealously defending themselves and attacking the villagers, resulting in the deaths of twenty of Moon Basin’s villagers including Mayor Bitter Hops and the local constabulary. A travelling troupe of entertainers led by Sweet Cheeks were also later involved in a similar clash as they fled down the northern side of the mountain and were killed to the last pony.

For the slaughter of undeserving Equestrian citizens, all participating troops, including Fort Commander Forge Spark have been subjected to decimatio.

---

Dove Quill placed the report on the mostly empty shelf within Sharpstone Fortress’s newly added archival room. A copy of the incident report had already been sent to the new Fort Commander’s office. He had read the whole thing, mostly as a curiosity, and shaken his head at the senseless slaughter involved. These were dark times for the West, especially with stirrings from Ursinium as well.

With a sigh, he looked to the rows of empty shelves and book cases. A brand new section for the archives all set up to receive countless reports on the Legion’s activities, and this was the first thing to grace it. What else would he be adding to these shelves in the years to come. Relatively speaking, the era of the Division was still young. So many strange and terrible events awaited the West, and everywhere else for that matter.

Comments

[Lainofthewired]

Cloud Breeze had no chill tho.

[Visiden Visidane]

9805299
You pun master, you.

[ionn]

Awesome!

[ponygrad]

Absolutely amazing! This is what passes for Slice of Life in the barrier lands. Ophidus is really the most formidable foe, and you can't help but root for them a bit, or anyone named Snake Eyes really. This is what happens when you don't have friendship in your society, everypony is at each other's throats.

[Beware The Carpenter]

The one thing in all of this that I don't understand.

If cobrahns need their daggers in order to cast spells then what are they graduating when they first receive their daggers? It can't be a magic school since it would seem very hard to practice magic without them. Also, why are they called ceremonial daggers when they're clearly needed for practical function. Mostly: where and how did Sassy get her dagger/ sword. We're told that she was never formally trained in magic so did the manage to make it herself or did she kidnap a smith and force him to do it or did someone else just happen to have a giant wavy sword that she was able to steal and attune to?

Overall this story deserved several likes and I'm embarrassed it's taken me until yesterday to find it existed. Kudos on being able to pack a dense cast of varied and developed characters into a relatively short novel. A lot of individual choices that were completely stupid but still believable in the heat of the moment combining together to create several disasters. This probably describes a whole lot of real massacres as well. I also quite liked how you tied in the 'The Last Shadows' with Sablesteel's grandfather.

I know asking for a finishing date of the series is impossible, but do you have a pretty good idea of how much Upheaval there is to go? Ex: are you two thirds of the way through? Half? Three Quarters? etc

[Visiden Visidane]

9940052
Cobrahns use daggers provided by their school prior to graduation.

They are called ceremonial daggers because they are used for ceremonies. That they are used for other things is not factored into the name.

Sassy forged her own sword using her own blood mixed with the blood of cobrahns and unicorns, and regular iron.

It is not that uncommon for coatl nobles to bend rules as they see fit.

Cinder did not see Sassy as a coatl because even she knows that coatls have feathery, rainbow-coloured wings, not scaly ones. The hood is also a very prominent cobrahn feature.

You’re forgetting that Cinder’s legionnaire father will never, ever, approve of her relationship with Cloud. This is the Legion’s stance on the matter and it can be assumed that this relationship is not the first one such a stance has affected.

This is the first edition, written before the pact. Sesyth does keep the pact. Later editions have kept the line just in case.

The ursans have highly skilled smiths. They also have decent surgeons, necessary as they frequently tear each other up.

Yes.