//------------------------------//
// The Quest Begins 
// Story: Quest for Harmony 
// by SonicSpeedster97 
//------------------------------//

The people in the town of Impekka were overjoyed at the sight of their village’s women returning from over the ridge of the forest, all running to hug loved ones as the Warriors of Harmony walked the slavers down into the square. “Where are the rest?” the priest from earlier asked.
“Didn’t feel like cooperating.” Sunset shrugged simply, her eyes drifting to the smoke cloud rising from the slavers’ camp.
The priest nodded as he looked the girls over, examining Sunset, Rainbow, and Rarity’s injuries. “So I see,” he noted. “Come; I’ll take you to have those examined at the temple.”
“Thanks.” Rainbow nodded, glancing over at Applejack. “You guys make sure these punks are locked up tight.”
“With pleasure.” Applejack nodded as she and a few townsfolk in leather armor led the slavers toward a small stone prison tower near the tavern, where the slavers were locked up.
“Remember this moment, girlies; it’s the moment you made your worst enemies.” the captain scowled from behind the bars.
“We’ve had to deal with a lot worse than you. And I doubt we’ll ever be seeing you again.” Twilight assured as she and the girls walked out of the tower.



At the temple, Rainbow, Rarity, and Sunset were impressed; it was a modest church-like building made of white-painted wood that seemed to glitter in the early evening sun and while it appeared on the inside almost the same as any old church in their own world, the sun symbol on the altar let them know that it was still truly a church of Pelor.
The priest who led the girls in saw an older woman – not quite as old as him, but certainly not a spring chicken – cleaning the altar wearing similar nun-like robes. “Sister Gila, a word please?” the priest asked as they walked down the aisle.
The nun glanced over and smiled at the priest. “Ah, Father Taliesin. What can I do for you?”
“More what we can both do for our friends here.” Father Taliesin noted as he pointed to the girls. “Got a bit roughed up in the woods fighting the bandits that have been plundering our town.”
“Ah, say no more.” Gila smiled as she stepped forward and gripped her own holy amulet, walking over to Rainbow. “Used up your own healing ability, eh?”
“Yeah, thanks again for this.” Rainbow nodded as Gila set her hand on Rainbow’s shoulder. (Sister Gila casts Cure Wounds on Rainbow Dash – +10 – 11HP) Once again, Rainbow felt a glowing heat burning through her body, soothing her bruises and closing her slash wounds. She took a deep breath and smiled as she stood up, stretching in her chainmail. “Thanks, Sister.”
“Anything for a Sister of the Sun,” Gila assured, glancing over at Sunset and Rarity. “And what about you?”
“We’ll be fine after a while,” Sunset assured, knowing a short rest would be enough for her and Rarity to heal up. “Maybe you guys could help us with something else though?”
“Oh?” Father Taliesin asked in intrigue.
Sunset reached into her pocket and produced the ring she took from the slaver captain. “Do either of you recognize this symbol?”
(Father Taliesin History Roll 19, Sister Gila History Roll 6) Sister Gila seemed to recognize the ring, but Taliesin simply scowled at the sight of it. “I thought I’d never see that brand again,” he said angrily.
“So you do recognize it.” Rarity noted.
“Unfortunately. But I believe that’s a conversation best had with the rest of your party.” Taliesin noted as he walked from the temple.
(Sunset Shimmer Insight Roll 18, Rainbow Dash Insight Roll 7, Rarity Insight Roll Nat 1) The girls were more than a bit confused by the way he was acting, but Sunset knew baggage when she saw it. “Might as well find them anyway.” she shrugged as she stood up.
“Of course. But first…” Rarity noted as she checked her belt and found a small pouch of gold coins, five of which she handed to Sister Gila. “For your aid.”
“No payment necessary, dear one; it was simply a favor from one Daughter of the Sun to another,” Gila assured.
“Perhaps, but considering the state of your fine chapel here, I’d say you need it more than I do.” Rarity assured. (Rarity Persuasion Roll 15)
Gila couldn’t deny that; the church was in bad shape. “Very well. May Pelor light your way.” she smiled as she accepted the money from Rarity before she and Rainbow left, following Sunset and Taliesin out. (-5GP)
The group all met back up at the tavern, where the people were fixing the place up already. “Is everything settled?” asked Rainbow.
“Yep; crooks are locked up to face justice.” Twilight smiled.
“If they’re whom I think they are, they’ll be dead before they make it to court,” Taliesin noted simply.
Rarity seemed surprised when she heard that. “I beg your pardon?”
The priest held out his hand, prompting Sunset to hand him the ring. “This ring carries the symbol of the Dead Eyes; an infamous yet mysterious guild of criminals with branch houses all across Emacula.”
“Emacula… that’s what this world is called,” Sunset noted to herself. “What do you know about them?”
“More than most; any crime you can think of, the Dead Eyes have, are still, or will one day commit, no matter how heinous,” Taliesin noted. “And I happened to be point-blank on it at one point.”
“Really? What happened?” asked Rainbow.
Taliesin sighed as he leaned against the bar. “It’s… hard for me to think about.”
“It’s okay; you don’t have to tell us if you don’t want to,” Sunset assured.
“Well, either way, looks like we got ourselves a lead.” Applejack nodded.
“Yeah, that captain said he got his orders from Bagnon,” Twilight remembered. “If we can find who gave him those orders, we might be able to break up a huge criminal gang.”
“We’re gonna need to track down the contact first.” Rainbow pointed out.
“Well, if you’re going to Bagnon, you’ll need to take the north road out of town.” Father Taliesin noted as he pointed out the same road the girls had entered town along.
“Then that’s the way we’re going,” Sunset noted.
“Perhaps in the morning, Darling. One does need their beauty sleep if they’re to go out to fighting evil.” Rarity pointed out.
“For once, I’m with Rarity.” Applejack nodded. “We need a breather before we go back to adventurin’.”
“Speak for yourself; you came out of that fight without a scratch.” Rainbow reminded, pointing at the wrist that had once had a large slash wound on it.
“We’ll be fine in the morning,” Sunset assured as she turned to Maccus. “Are there rooms available?”
“Upstairs. No need to pay; you saved my sister. It’s the least I can do.” Maccus nodded.
“Thanks.” Sunset nodded as she led the group upstairs to a hallway of small rooms. She opened one of them up and walked in, followed by the others where they all scattered around the room and bunked down for the night. (Long Rest; all damages healed and spell slots regained)
The next morning, the girls did indeed feel much better as they helped themselves to a simple breakfast prepared by the townsfolk and started toward the north road out of town. But as they walked to the outskirts, Rarity felt compelled to talk to Sunset. “Sunset Darling, I hope you’ll forgive me but I have concerns, one elf to another.”
Sunset was still a bit surprised to be talking like that, knowing they were all stuck in a DnD game playing as their own characters. “What is it?”
“While I agree that an adventure such as this does sound fun, I can’t help but feel the need to remind you that our main goal is to find our geodes and return to our own world.” Rarity pointed out.
“What happened to ‘I can multitask’?” Applejack smirked, reminding Rarity of something she had once sneered to the girls.
“This is hardly the same thing.” Rarity assured.
“Isn’t it?” Sunset noted. “Our geodes are incredibly powerful magical tools; if we were changed when we came to this world, then they probably were too. And if we find out what exactly they were turned into and find them, then we’ve got our way home.”
“I only hope we do find them,” Twilight noted. “Who knows how big this world is, or how many places they might be hidden?”
“Well, we’ll just have to hope we get lucky.” Sunset shrugged. “We’ll try constantly to use our powers, and if they activate, we’ll know our geodes are close by.”
“I just hope that will be enough.” Rarity noted as they walked to the edge of town… where they found Maccus waiting with a covered wagon and two horses. “What’s this?”
“A gift from the town,” Maccus answered. “It’s a week-long hike to Bagnon from here, but only three days ride; the cart will make the journey much easier. And… more convenient for the town.”
Rarity seemed surprised. “‘For the town’? How so?”
“Impekka may not seem much, but we do have well-renowned wares that must be sold for the town’s benefit after the bandits’ attack,” Maccus noted. Indeed the wagon was loaded with crates of rather fine-looking items; glass, leather, and well-carved wood. “We ask only that you take these goods to the market in Bagnon. There you will meet my cousin Hartmann and his wife Morana; they will see these wares are sold and you may continue on your own quest.”
“Thank you, Maccus.” Twilight nodded as the girls climbed carefully into the wagon. “We’ll be sure to send someone back with the wagon when we’re done with it.”
“Thank you. May Pelor’s Dawn light your way.” Maccus nodded.
“Much obliged, pardner.” Applejack nodded as she took the reins of the wagon. With a quick crack of the reins and a goading click of her tongue, the wagon rumbled out of town, carrying the girls onward on their adventure.