//------------------------------// // IV - Jack-Of-All-Trades // Story: Gielinor's Visitor // by Hilord17 //------------------------------// (Optional BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMXM3jXYeE0 - feel free to use the 'loop' option if you want) "At first, I said that it was luck or fate that guided you here, Lord Euris. Now I believe it's definitely fate. To think that you would be such a great business partner..." "I'm just happy that the two of us are getting benefits from our trade." "Nonsense. You did me a huge favor, and I hope to repay it soon, as I feel this trade was not enough." Bits. That is the currency of this land. It's not that different from the gold in Gielinor, but Grandioso told me that despite looking like gold, the coins are made of a different material. He also told me that there are a few special coins that work as currency, too. Those are only used when dealing with very large quantities of products. Just like he promised, he told me about the prices, and how I could haggle depending on the situation. Of course, when it comes to expensive or special items, that's out of the question. The only exception to this would be an auction. As he was very interested in blurite, I offered him both ores and bars. As a reference, fruits are generally cheap, needing only a few bits to buy a bunch. Ten bits for a dozen apples, for example. Now, I saw cut gems with price tags of 70, 150, and even 250 bits. Unsurprisingly, the finished jewelry had a notorious increase, ranging from 750 bits to even four-digit numbers like 2500 bits. I assume the weird icon on the left of the numbers is the currency's symbol. I offered 100 blurite ores and 100 blurite bars I did gather a lot of resources while playing Runescape. I have a bit of everything. Well, I don't have any kind of 'endgame' stuff, like the Scythe of Vitur, but I think I'm good. Grandioso offered me 7500 bits for the ores and 12000 bits for the bars. So that's 75 bits per ore and 120 bits per bar. A grand total of 19500 bits. It will definitely be useful if my stay gets extended. I was tempted to offer gemstones, but I decided not to. It seems that the items I crafted and enchanted yesterday will have to wait. "I have to say. That 'inventory magic' of yours is quite useful." said Grandioso. "It has its perks." and it's true. I still think it's quite OP. "Thank you for your time, Grandioso." "No, Lord Euris. Thank you for bringing such wonderful materials to me." said Grandioso after laughing a bit. "Give me a couple of days, and I'll shake the world of jewelry and luxury once more. I will make sure that your contribution is shown to everypony." "Let's hope to see each other again, then." I was just about to leave, but... "Please, wait a moment." as I stopped and turned back to see him again, Shine Grandioso used his magic to take something out from one of the pockets of his suit. "Please, take this with you." It was a... blue coin? [Sapphire Coin] [A special coin made of sapphire. One of the Coins of Trust.] "A Coin of Trust?" I was not able to keep quiet this time. It's one of those unique items that really get my attention. The guards in the room were even more surprised than me. "My, it seems that I underestimated you. Lord Euris." said Shine Grandioso, activating his magic again. The coin started to glow for a few seconds, then stopped. "Indeed, this is one of the 'Coins of Trust'. I am the only one who creates these special sapphire coins. By giving one to you, I acknowledge you as somepony I can trust. The Radiant Fortune Company is now your ally." "Are you sure?" I was honestly surprised. "This was just a transaction. A good one, but still..." "Once again, nonsense." replied Grandioso. "Only a fool would fail to see and understand how valuable you are as a partner and even a friend. I'm sure Princess Celestia knows this, too." Well, for now, I will accept his kindness. The more allies the better. You never know, I may need his help in a future quest. "Then I will accept your gift. Thank you very much, Grandioso." "I hope to see you in the future, Lord Euris." said the unicorn owner as I was leaving. "Only time will tell." was my answer, as I closed the door. "I heard that you met Mr. Grandioso, Lord Euris." "That's right, Princess. How did you know? That was just twenty minutes ago." "I'm afraid not all of my guards are aware of your presence. One of the guards in Grandioso's jewelry exchange was very quick in giving me a report about you." "Well, he is just doing his job." "I'm surprised you knew where to look for, Lord Euris." said Twilight Sparkle. "It's literally your first visit, yet you managed to find his store." "Let's just say that I tend to have interesting discoveries while exploring the unknown." Honestly, I don't know if what the Princess told me is true. Maybe she is keeping an eye on me. Either way, I don't mind. I want to be friends with her, and everyone knows that trust is not earned right away. "I was ready to give you some funds for your stay in Equestria." said the Solar Princess, giving her pancake a bite. "But it seems that you were faster." "I hope you don't mind, Princess. While I appreciate your intentions, I refuse to be a burden. That's why Mr. Grandioso provided me with a good opportunity to trade goods and know a bit more about the currency of your land." "Very well." aaaand now she looks more serious. "Now, regarding what we discussed yesterday, Luna created an item that might help you. She apologizes for not being here right now, but she awakes mostly when it's night time, and goes to sleep during the day." Oh! So that's why I met her so late yesterday. Princess Celestia activated her magic, and an object appeared right next to her, floating with a golden aura around it. It was a small orb. The color of it reminded me a little of the crystal shard I gave Luna yesterday. Celestia made it float to me, and I took it with my left hand. [Examine Nightmare Seeker] [A device crafted by Princess Luna to help me locate other nightmarish creatures.] "According to my sister, this orb will react when a creature matching Nightmare Moon's essence is near. She also apologizes for not being able to craft a better detection spell, but this was everything she was able to do before the crystal shard shattered." said Princess Celestia with a hint of regret. "This is more than enough. I'll have to say thanks to her the next time I see her." this is indeed a good start. Of course, it was not going to be easy since this is a long quest. Wait... I think I'm forgetting something. Something about the old castle. Something- "Oh! That´s right!" It seems my reaction got the two ponies curious. Well, the nearby maids and butlers, too. "What is it?" asked Twilight. "I almost forgot!" I took a certain item from my inventory. The 'Home Necklace (uncharged)'. "Hey! That's the necklace we found in that castle when we were in the Everfree Forest!" Eek moved through my arm to get a better look. "Indeed. We found this while exploring the old castle." I can see that the Princess recognizes it. "It was just a hunch, but I think this necklace could be important or useful, so I brought it with me. Do you know anything about it, Princess?" "..." Okay. For her to be this surprised, it has to be important. At least to her. "Princess? What's wrong?" Twilight is a bit worried now. However, Celestia quickly recovered. "I am sorry. It's just that..." she focused on the necklace. "Can I see it?" "Of course." I was about to get up and bring it to her, but I saw the golden aura around the necklace, so I let her take it. "This... is a gift. I gave it to Luna a few years before she... transformed into Nightmare Moon. After the battle, I tried to find it but..." Celestia sighed like she was remembering everything. "So much happened... and I never found it." "Then I'm glad we found it. You should give it back to your sister. It was your gift to her, after all." "I thought I would need to bargain for it." admitted the Princess, a bit ashamed. "You are an adventurer, after all." "It was originally yours, and it became a gift for your sister. Even if it's in ruins, that castle in the Everfree Forest is still yours." I'm a bit surprised she believed that I was going to 'sell' it to her. I'm trying to form a friendship bond between Gielinor and Equestria! "Words are not enough to describe how grateful I am for this. Nevertheless, I can try: This means the world to me, Euris. I thank you from the bottom of my heart." Hey! She said my name without honorifics! "I'm just doing my job as an adventurer. It's not the first time I find important objects during my journey." Now, this breakfast was delicious and no one can say otherwise, but it's time to make some progress, and that means... "Alright. Duty calls." now I focus on the Princess. "It was a wonderful breakfast, Princess Celestia. I thank you for everything during my stay in the castle, but I need to go." "I believe this is farewell." said Princess Celestia with a wonderful smile. "At least for now. You are welcome to our Castle anytime, Lord Euris of Gielinor. I'm sure Luna will love to hear stories of your travels and see your elemental magic in action." "Of course! It's a promise." It's time to return to Ponyville. Seems like Twilight is also ready to go, so... "Now, Twilight Sparkle... let's go meet your friends." BGM -OFF- "Hey! Welcome back you two!" So that's why Spike was not with us during breakfast. He was already in Ponyville. I guess he is more than capable of watching over the library if he is Twilight's assistant. She must have teleported him back here a few hours ago. "Good morning Spike. Did you have any problems opening the library?" asked Twilight. "Nope. Everything is ok." was the little dragon's answer. Yup. I was right. "Hello there, Spike." he looks happy to see both of us. "Hi Euris!" his response makes me think that he still has our little talk about spells on his mind. "Thanks for bringing me back to Ponyville with your teleport spell, Twilight." Seriously, I know how it feels to be able to travel to other cities in an instant. I'm starting to miss it already. "I often teleport to Canterlot and teleport back to Ponyville with Spike." said Twilight, smiling at me. "So it's no problem at all." I was about to ask Twilight about her friends, but... "Spike. Did you send the letters?" Oh? "Yup! Just a while ago." "Letters?" I was just too curious. I had to ask. "I figured that instead of looking for each one separately, we should call everypony here! That way we save time and effort. That's why I asked Spike to send a letter to our friends explaining that I need to talk to them." Well, I can't argue with that. It's the truth. But how did he... "Oh! I get it. The special properties of your fire breath." I said while looking at Spike. I almost forgot about that. "Now we just have to wait." said Twilight, getting closer to me. "But that's better than wasting an entire day just to meet them. Right?" "Definitely." "So, do you mind if I ask you a few questions while we wait?" asked the unicorn, a little eager. Well, I can't blame her, considering this whole situation. "Sure. Why not?" (Optional BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mq_782oLjYc - feel free to use the 'loop' option if you want) "You mentioned that your species has a 'level system' that considers many skills. What skills are those?" asked Twilight. She used her magic to take a quill, a small bottle of ink, and some paper. Is that a scroll? "Well, there are twenty-three skills that are considered in this 'level system' we use, but some of them may never get over level 2, depending on your profession or your lifestyle. I could tell you about each one in detail, but I'll try to keep it short." I mean, I can go into detail, but it's not like I can explain it properly. I just know the basics and what I can remember from the wiki, so everything I'll say now might be interpreted as an absolute truth to Twilight and Spike. "Six of the twenty-three are combat related: Attack, strength, defense, ranged, magic, and hitpoints. I think ranged and magic are self-explanatory. It's our ability to use equipment such as bows, crossbows, darts, and other particular weapons, while magic is our ability to cast different spells and use certain magical equipment, such as elemental staves, magic books, and other unique items." "What about the other four?" asked Spike. Twilight was taking notes, and by the look on her face, she is very interested. "Those are a bit tricky to understand. Our hitpoints skill is basically a way to know how healthy we are, and how much damage we can endure. The attack skill shows our accuracy to hit our opponents, as well as our mastery of certain weapons. The defense skill is a way to know how well we can defend ourselves, and the strength skill is basically a way to know how strong we are, and how much damage we can inflict on our opponent. The combat skills determine your combat level." "Combat level?" Twilight stopped writing and focused on me. "Is that a way to understand how dangerous you are?" "In a way, yes. If someone has a high combat level, it means that they are a very skilled warrior. A lower combat level means that they don't have much experience." "I wonder what our combat levels are..." said Spike with a bit of curiosity in his voice. "I am a bit curious too." added Twilight. "I've studied magic for years, and while I'm not a soldier, I know a few combat spells." "You are level 9, Spike. Twilight is level 48." "Wait. How do you know?" Twilight was the first one to react. "Let's just say that I have a blessing from my master, Guthix, that allows me to know the combat level of those around me." I can't tell her that as players we can see it all the time. I'm not going to risk this dream trying to explain fourth-wall stuff. "9, huh?" Spike gave it a bit of thought. "Well, can't say that is wrong. I hardly fight at all." "48? That's not bad. I think." said Twilight, then she looked at me. "Is that good or bad?" "Well, you obviously don't fight with swords, lances, or any kind of melee weapon, and I don't think you own a bow or crossbow, so your combat level must be entirely based on your magic and hitpoints level. Level 48 is pretty good if you ask me." "What about you, Euris?" asked Spike with a hint of curiosity. "What's your level?" "My combat level? It's 104." ... I think that saying it so casually was not a good idea. "104!? I thought 99 was the highest!" exclaimed Twilight. "Dude that's so cool!" added Spike. Looks like he is not worried at all. "Well, combat levels can go higher than 99. Way higher, actually. Thing is, humans like me have a limit. The highest combat level we can achieve is level 126. Well, there's one human I know that is level 146, and he is a combat tutor." "But... that means you are very powerful!" said Twilight. "Do you have experience with all of the combat skills?" "Yup. I can fight with all three combat styles. Remember that I am a guardian of Guthix. They wouldn't pick some random adventurer, right? I've been traveling Gielinor for a while, and I have seen many things. I've also helped a lot of people from different races. I'm proud to say that I'm one of the good guys. You know, doing good deeds instead of trying to take over the world or some dumb thing like that." "But the gap between 104 and 126 is relatively small." said Twilight. "You must be one of the best fighters in Gielinor." "I like to think that I can defend myself from the dangers of Gielinor, and hopefully from this land too. Don't be fooled though. While 126 is the highest combat level for humans, there are many other beings out there with combat levels higher than that. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are perfect examples. To be honest, I was a bit nervous when I met them." "Why? They are very kind ponies." said Spike. "Because they can easily defeat me, and even kill me." "They would never do that!" Twilight looked concerned. "How can you say that so casually?" "I say that because Princess Celestia is level 546. Her sister, Princess Luna, is level 572." "Woah..." was all that Spike managed to say. "They are... very, very powerful." added Twilight, thinking about this interesting fact. "They have the experience and knowledge of hundreds and hundreds of years. In a way, it's not that surprising, but it's still incredible..." "Alright. Enough about combat skills. Let's talk about the other skills. Most of these are not related to combat, but rather, they are related to our everyday lives: Mining, agility, smithing, herblore, fishing, thieving-" "Thieving!?" Oh. Right... how do I explain this to her? I know thieving is bad in real life, but... "I'm not going to sugarcoat it, Twilight: In a world where spies and tricksters abound, thieving is considered a skill. Also, the thieving skill is not only proved by stealing, but also by your ability to open locked doors and chests, and by disabling traps. As long as there is poverty and injustice, thieving will exist." Twilight was still looking at me with a certain level of doubt, but she slowly nodded, hopefully understanding my point. "Ok. As I was saying, after thieving, there is cooking, prayer, crafting, firemaking, fletching, woodcutting, runecrafting, slayer, farming, construction, and finally hunter." "That's a lot of skills to consider." said Twilight, once again writing on the paper. "A few of them sound very interesting." "Can you talk about the other skills later?" said Spike, getting our attention with his choice of words. "I wanna know more about magic!" "Well, I did promise you to talk about it after my visit to the castle. Very well, my eager little dragon. Let's talk a bit more about magic. I guess you want to hear about it too, Twilight." "Of course!" was her obvious answer. "Please do!" "The main combat spells have five different levels: Strike spells, bolt spells, blast spells, wave spells, and surge spells. Spike is able to cast all the strike spells and he is ready to try the bolt spells. However, combat spells are not everything we have." "Magic is full of wonders!" said Eek, who allowed me to access my bank before I even ask him to do it! He must know that I need some runes, and for this, I'm going to need... Wait. If they got surprised when I said 'thieving', then I can't say the word 'curse', too. So, let's go with... "We also have 'status' spells. These spells are used to lower the attack, defense, or strength of your foes. You can also prevent their movement." "Interesting..." Twilight was still taking notes. She is diligent, I'll give her that. "Lowering the 'attack' skill would cause your foes to hit you with less accuracy. Lowering the 'defense' skill would cause them to receive more damage when they get hurt, and lowering the 'strength' skill would cause them to deal less damage. Is that correct?" "Wow. Spot on, Twilight." She understood pretty quickly. I'm not going to tell her about the 5-10%. They don't have to know about that. "And what about the spell that prevents movement?" asked Spike. "I'll show you." One 'bind' coming up. Before they were able to say something, I cast the spell on Spike. I saw the whole animation, too. Cool! "Woah!" Spike was surprised, judging by his voice because he didn't move at all. "What was that?" Twilight barely noticed the spell. And that's when Spike noticed. "I-I can't move!" "Easy Spike. Don't worry. In a few seconds, you will be able to move again." And after 4.8 seconds, he was able to move. "I'm really sorry for doing that, Spike, but that was the best way to show you two the level twenty spell 'Bind'. It makes the target unable to move for a few seconds. Depending on the situation, it can be very helpful, for example, when you are running from a strong foe or an unknown monster, or when you don't want your opponent to flee. Keep in mind that every spell that targets someone has a chance to miss, and this applies to combat spells, too. Of course, with a higher magic level, your chances to miss are lower." "Got it. Higher magic level means higher accuracy." said Spike, looking motivated. "Then I have to train a lot in order to improve!" "That's the spirit, buddy. I think you have the makings of a good dragon mage. That's something you don't hear every day." "Yeah! Not many dragons are capable of magic even in Gielinor!" added my little spider pal. "You heard that, Twilight? I can be a mage too!" Spike was really happy right now. Again, I can't blame him. Being able to use magic feels wonderful. Even to me. "But only if you work hard and act like a responsible dragon." said Twilight, smiling at him while still writing in the paper. She then looked at me. "Does that cape help you with your spells? I'm curious about the campfire icon. Maybe it has some magical properties?" Well, would you look at that! Someone finally asked about it. And it's a good thing that I discovered another small detail about skillcapes after visiting Shine Grandioso. "Well, it is no ordinary cape, and it does have some magical properties. You see, this is a cape known as 'cape of acomplishment'. However, we often refer to it as a 'skillcape'. These capes are very special. There is one for each skill, and it's proof that you have reached the highest level possible in a certain skill. This one is the firemaking skillcape. Only those who have reached level 99 firemaking can wear this. It's proof that I am a master firelighter." "So... you are an expert at making fire. As in, campfires or torches?" asked Twilight. I know most people would laugh or feel that she is mocking me, but Twilight's face tells me that her question was out of pure curiosity. "Well, in a way you are right." And that's when I did my neat trick: The normal skillcape emote. I discovered that you can choose between the normal skillcape emote, and the new one unlocked here in Equestria. Kinda like a 'right click' option. I created a small fireball that started to float on my left hand, then I started to do my thing. "If there is magic, then surely you guys know that there are also different kinds of fire. Each one has its own properties and ways to handle them. Fire is dangerous when it's not under control." They are so focused on the fireball that I almost want to laugh. It's like a dog seeing a toy. "And you are moving a fireball just like that..." said a rather surprised Twilight. "Like I said..." and now the fireball disappears. "Master firelighter. Now Spike, you want to try that 'Bind' spell from before?" "Yes sir!" Man... I underestimated Spike. It took several minutes, but he managed to successfully cast 'Bind' on me, and once he did, he stopped missing! He definitely has potential. I wish I could use 'Stat spy on him. That way I would know his exact magic level. But I'm a bit curious about Twilight. There is no doubt that her magic level must be good, and she must be a very diligent pupil of Princess Celestia. So why is she struggling with Gielinor's magic? She can do many unicorn spells that are akin to the standard spellbok, like, teleports and grabbing objects from afar, without the use of runes! In a way, she doesn't benefit that much from learning Gielinor's magic, aside from the combat spells, but those are exactly the ones she is struggling with. "I don't get it." said the unicorn, looking slightly annoyed. "I use magic all the time! How can this be so hard?" Oh, wait! I've seen this in a few fantasy novels and books. Maybe... "This is just a theory, but maybe it's because you are used to your magic. Equestria's magic. Spike doesn't use it. Well, almost doesn't use it, so I think that's the reason his body and mind adapted so quickly to Gielinor's magic." "You may have a point." said Twilight, understanding my words. "I'm still interested in Gielinor's magic, so I'm not giving up!" "Practice makes perfect. I know you will succeed, Twilight. You just need more time." "Hey Euris! Is there another spell I can learn?" asked Spike, ready for more. "Well..." And that's when the library's door opened. "Twilight? We're here!" I don't recognize that voice, but it seems that both Twilight and Spike do. She is the first one to react, walking to the door to greet the new ponies that I assume are their friends. Let's see... BGM -OFF- [Examine Applejack (level-51)] [Honesty is her best policy.] [Examine Rarity (level-32)] [She may not look like it, but she is actually generous.] [Examine Pinkie Pie (Level-64)] [Party planner extraordinaire. Maybe she's related to Party Pete?] [Examine Rainbow Dash (Level-43)] [Think you are the fastest around here? Not anymore, you're not.] [Examine Fluttershy (Level-15)] [Probably the kindest and shyest being in the whole land of Equestria. Don't be rude with her.] Now those are some interesting descriptions! And it's a bit weird how the pink one has the highest combat level. "It looks like we'll have to continue later, Spike. The good thing is that now we are sure that your magic level is at least twenty." "Sweet!" well, it looks like he is happy. I admit that it would be very interesting if he can actually increase his magic level. "If we manage to find a safe place to practice, we could try the bolt spells, but only if you listen to me and be a good pupil. Ok?" that last bit was just to tease him. "You got it!" said Spike. It's good to see that he's having fun with this. Now then... Twilight and her friends are walking in this direction. Rainbow Dash is looking at me with a bit of doubt. Applejack looks a bit surprised. Pinkie Pie looks happy. I think Rarity is focusing on my void knight gear, and it seems that Fluttershy is the only one focused on Eek. I also noticed that including Twilight, their group is composed of two earth ponies, two pegasi, and two unicorns. Guthix would be happy. Perfectly balanced. "Thank you for coming, girls." said Twilight, who now was presenting me with one of her front hooves. "I called you here because there's somepo-" Twilight stopped talking for a second, then... "There's a guest I want you to meet." I simply waved with my left hand to show a friendly attitude. The dust battlestaff disappeared for a moment, and then returned when I stopped using my hand. Pretty neat, just like in the game. "Hello there! You must be Twilight Sparkle's friends. My name is Euris." cue the bow emote. "A human adventurer hailing from the land of Gielinor. It's a pleasure to meet you." (Optional BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ujhRzuD0r0 - feel free to use the 'loop' option if you want) "Oh my! Such a gentlecolt." Rarity was the first to speak. "My name is Rarity Belle, darling, and I have to say that your clothes are a bit intriguing." "Can't blame you for that." If I had to explain the whole story about the Void Knights and their purpose, it would take a while... "Rarity is Ponyville's only Seamstress. If you are ever curious about our clothing, you can visit her boutique." said Twilight. "Her clothes are super top quality!" added Spike, doing a thumbs up with his left hand. Is he blushing a little? "Hiya!" seems like Pinkie Pie is next, and she is hopping like a rabbit while approaching me. "I'm Pinkie Pie! I love parties and planning parties! Do you want a drop party?" Did she just- "Woah there, sugarcube!" Applejack interrupted her friend. "We just met him. Let's not get that far ahead yet." she then looked at me. "Howdy! Mah name's Applejack. A pleasure." "The Apple family is well known across Equestria." said Twilight. "They grow the most delicious apples I've ever tasted." "We even won a few of them fancy prizes." added a proud Applejack. "Guess I'll have to try an apple pie from your farm in the future." I'm curious about Pinkie and what she just said, so... "And your drop party offer intrigues me. We have drop parties in Gielinor too, but I don't know if it works the same way here." "Sure! You can ask me anytime while you're in Sugarcube Corner. That's where I work!" said Pinkie Pie. "And I'll make sure to bake you the best apple pie we can offer." added Applejack. "Sup, dude!" said Rainbow Dash flying a bit to get closer to me. "The name's Rainbow Dash. Equestria's fastest flyer. A pleasure." she then focused a bit on my staff and book. "What's with the weird stick and the book?" Weird stick. That's cute. "Well, the 'weird stick' is a magical staff, and this book possesses magical properties that enhance my magic attack." "Wait. Magic?" this caught rainbow and the others off guard. "You can use magic?" "Yup. Not Equestria's magic, though. We have our own kind of magic in Gielinor. I've been teaching a bit of it to Spike, too." "Yeah! I can use magic now!" added the little dragon, obviously happy and proud. "Remember that you still need runes to cast our spells, Spike." "I can't wait to try more spells!" yup. He's totally hooked. I'll be more careful from now on. It seems that Fluttershy is still not ready to speak. Man, she is shy. She's even doing some imaginary circles on the floor with one of her hooves. That's kinda adorable. "Hey. Why are you so silent, partner? You haven't introduced yourself yet." Twilight's friends tilted their heads a bit almost at the same time. Obviously, they got a bit confused with that, but... "Sorry! I was waiting for the right moment." Eek swiftly moved to the dust battlestaff and reached the top. That's impossible in the game but screw the rules, this is a dream. "My name is Eek! I come from the Spider Realm! And I'm helping my pal with a very important mission!" Cue the backflip. "He can talk?" Well, I saw that one coming. Aaand now Fluttershy is in front of me, possibly looking at Eek. "Hello Eek. May I ask how old are you?" Huh. I don't know that. Or I can't remember right now. "I'm not sure." said my little partner. "I was just there, being a good spider for my Queen, and then I was ordered to follow my pal here. At the time I was just curious about the human realm, but now? I'm grateful and proud to be friends with Euris!" "Sounds like you are proud of him." said the pegasus. "Yes! He's a hero!" said Eek, looking at me. "You wouldn't believe how much he has done for the good of Gielinor! He has helped the common folk, nobility, and even kings!" "Just an adventurer doing adventurer stuff." For someone playing, it's just a bunch of unlocks and improvements to the QoL in the game, but lorewise, it is a lot." Seems like Fluttershy is better now, and she focused her eyes on me. "I'm so sorry for not introducing myself earlier. My name is Fluttershy. It's nice to meet you." said the shy mare with a smile. "I appreciate the trust and care that you have with your friend Eek." "I traveled to many places with him. He even cheered me on while fighting some powerful foes. He wanted to see our world, and since I travel a lot, I was happy to oblige." "Now girls, we need to discuss a certain topic." said Twilight. "Namely, the reason Euris is here in Equestria." Well, here we go again. Explanation time. "And that's why I'm here." "..." Well, once again, I can't blame them for being silent. It is an important mission after all. It's the kind of thing that makes you think about how important it is. "So you want to know what we know about Equestria?" asked Rainbow Dash. "How does that help?" "When facing the unknown? It helps a lot." I wonder... back when Runescape was not that well known, and when there was no wiki... Did everyone try the quests and just hope for the best? Some of the puzzles and fights in certain quests are very unforgiving. "I'm sure that I'll have to leave Ponyville and travel to other places. Maybe very faraway places, so every bit of information I can get about Equestria will be useful. If the locator reacts, I'll go to where it leads me." "You'll leave soon?" asked Pinkie, as if she was sad already. These ponies can be very adorable sometimes. "But I have to plan a 'Welcome to Equestria' party for you!" "Well, not now. I'll stay a few days. Before leaving Ponyville, I want to look around to make sure there are no other nightmarish creatures nearby." "Well, I'm glad to hear that!" said Applejack. "As much As I want to help you sugarcube, I still have some work to do at the farm, so I can't stay for too long." "Yeah. I have some errands to do at Cloudsdale, too." added Rainbow Dash, looking a bit troubled. "You don't mind, right?" "Of course not. I'm curious about this 'Cloudsdale' you mentioned, but there's no rush. This meeting was mostly to let you girls know about me and what I'm doing. I also need to talk with Zecora about this." "Zecora?" asked all the mares, including Twilight. "Oh yeah, you girls don't know her. She's a zebra that lives in the Everfree Forest. She's also an apothecary, and I'm sure her potions will be useful in the future." "WHAT?" Well, I didn't expect that. "Here we are, darling! My 'belle maison!" "Wow... I have to admit it Rarity. This place looks stunning." After explaining my meeting with Zecora, and the circumstances of my arrival to Equestria, I asked Twilight's friends if I could accompany one of them. Applejack and Rainbow Dash were out of the question because they had work to do. Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy had no problems, so I chose to go with Rarity first. Fluttershy lives on the outskirts of the Everfree forest, so she will be the last one. As for Pinkie Pie, she surprised me with the drop party thingie, so I guess I will go to Sugarcube Corner after this. Part of the reason I started with Rarity is that I'm curious about pony clothes. I mean, almost no one in Ponyville uses clothes. A total opposite of what I saw in Canterlot. The other reason is... "So it's true!" I saw the pony-shaped mannequins, specifically the ones that had clothes on them. "You use gems in your designs." "Of course, darling!" was her answer. "Gems are always a nice addition to clothes if you know where to place them." "Are gems common in Equestria?" I'm curious now. If the guards in the castle use gold for their armor and weapons... "You do need to find a good spot, but once you do, they appear in large amounts." was Rarity's answer. "How it is in Gielinor?" "We sometimes find a gem while mining ores. It's up to your luck I guess. There is a certain mine that offers plenty of gems, but you need certain requirements to enter." "Then I take it that gems are more valuable there?" asked a curious Rarity. "Definitely. Even more, if you offer cut gems. We don't use them in clothes, though. Most gems are used to craft accessories and more advanced jewelry." "Now that interests me, darling." said Rarity, getting closer to me. "I've noticed the amulet you are wearing, and I'm curious now. Do you have any other accessory you can show me?" "Well, I have a few I can show you. Eek, you know what to do." "Sure thing, pal!" And I took several 'samples' to show Rarity: An entire set of sapphire, jade, opal, and red topaz jewelry (ring, necklace, bracelet, and amulet.), and I also showed her a tiara, along with a holy symbol. And now her eyes are sparkling, so I think she's happy now. She was also holding everything with her magic. "Euris! This is divine! I am sure that many nobles would love to get one of these." "I'm sure Equestria also makes good jewelry. Shine Grandioso comes to my mind." "Hold on." Rarity was a bit confused now. "How do you know about Mr. Grandioso?" "I met him this morning at the castle in Canterlot. You see, yesterday I stayed on the castle, and let's just say that we did a bit of business this morning. I offered some goods, and he paid for them." "You what?" For some reason Rarity looks like she's going to pass out. "Shine Grandioso is the owner and president of the Radiant Fortune Company. He only works with the best. Only. The. Best. And you say you managed to make a deal with him just like that!?" "Well, he did say something along the lines of 'shake the world of jewelry and luxury once more', and something about the same quality as the Crystal Empire, I think. I sincerely wish him the best of luck on that." Rarity was now deep in thought. She stayed like this for several seconds. As I was admiring her home and workplace, I heard a very particular sound. A sound that now I know it signals the activation of a unicorn's magic, or when they move objects with said magic. "Euris. I have a request. I know your mission comes first, but... Can you give me a few minutes of your time?" And that's when it appeared. Start the Fashionscape! quest? Huh. I honestly thought 'Jungle Potion' would be the first, but... Guess we have to dive in. "Sure. What is it?"