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Who Needs Harmony?: An MLP Empire Quest

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FINALLY!

I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS!


Questor said:
Gawain Golden-Feather, Crown Prince of the Empire of Gryphus, tried not to show any reaction to the stares of the numerous servants and assorted nobility as he made his way through the wide, marble-floored halls of the Castle of the Two Sisters, the quintet of gold-armored and white-coated stallions that made up his party's escort leading them to the throne room at a steady but unhurried pace. He had to give the guards credit, they were the very picture of professionalism; a delegation from a foreign nation and the survivors of a supposedly lost expedition show up on their doorstep without any prior warning and he couldn't make out so much as a crack in their stoic personas. They certainly contrasted with all of the other Equestrians that he and his fellow Griffons had encountered on their journey across Equestria.

Then again he supposed he couldn't blame them. It wasn't everyday one saw an airship after all.

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yeah. Ponies are already a bit more... expressive than most other species (at least in canon times), but... well, an Airship to them would be a bit like a spaceship or teleportation to us. It's unexpected AND impressive.

Questor said:
Gawain turned to regard the speaker, the much-acclaimed Captain Dawnclaw, dressed resplendently in his dress uniform. He still wasn't too sure what to make of the griff whom the newspapers had dubbed a "Hero of the Empire". He was a far cry from the dramatic and bombastic figure that the media seemed to paint him as. To the Crown Prince he seemed to be a straightforward and typical (if sometimes overly casual) example of an Imperial Army Officer, one who seemed to be continuously frustrated and annoyed with his own sudden fame, shunning the spotlight and focusing on his work. When the Prince had asked the Captain why he seemed so upset with the praise being heaped upon him, Dawnclaw had simply stated his opinion that "no soldier should be honored simply for doing what is expected of them." Gawain wasn't sure if he agreed with that, but he could respect the sentiment behind it.
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he's humble. I understand his position, but succesful soldiers are also symbols, and they're good for morale. It's not just about their deeds being recognized, is about giving people someone to take as an example.

Questor said:
"All this. The ship, the return of the Expedition, the fact that the Heir to the Imperial Throne left the Capital to personally establish first contact with a foreign government...we really pulled out all the stops for this, didn't we?"
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To be fair, this is both THE strongest kingdom we've met yet, possibly our only equal (Maretonia was close to it before the Civil War, Neighpon is just too small to be our equal except on the seas), A new possible source of priceless magical knowledge, someone with NO CONTACT with any other nation, which means we'll be their first introduction to the rest of the continent/world...


...and rumors are that their leaders defeated Discord.

Questor said:
On his right stood Sir Sapphire Lance, the first and thus far only Crystal Pony to be admitted into the ranks of the Blackwatch. If what Gawain had heard about the male was true he had more than earned his place there. The Crystal Stallion cut an imposing figure in his Blacksteel Armor, the almost light-absorbent metal drawing as much attention from the Equestrians as the being inside it. One of the first Crystal Ponies to be liberated during the Winter War, he had thrown himself into the task of assisting the Imperial Army, from providing information on the layout of the Crystal City to serving as one of the guides that had accompanied the Emperor and Empress into the catacombs beneath the Crystal Palace, fighting for his people's freedom every step of the way. Once the war had ended and the Knightly Order of the Crystal Guardians was established, he had been among the first to be accepted into it's ranks, and the only one that Hardbeak has thus far deemed worthy of a place amongst the Black Watch, the Elite of the Elite. His martial skill was matched only by his fanatical loyalty to the Empire, something that rapidly became apparent to nearly everyone who met him. The Knight had introduced himself to Gawain by dramatically stating that he was prepared to lay down his life for him if need be. The Crown Prince was fairly certain that the equine warrior would cut his own limbs off without hesitation if he could be convinced that it would benefit Gryphus and the Protectorate in some way. It was honestly kind of unnerving.
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VERY GOOD!

Having a Crystal pony as one of our highest ranked elite knights will help a lot in putting ponies and princesses at ease and make us seem more trustworthy.

His confirmation about the truth behind the Sombra wars will also help a lot, and paint our relationship with the Crystal Empire in the best way possible.

He'll also be able to confirm our side of the story about Maretonia, and why we believe we need to attack them first.

Also, the way we treated them will show that we share the values of Equestria, the Elements of Harmony: Generosity, Loyalty, Kindness, Laughter, Honesty and Magic/Friendship.

Questor said:
To his left stood Sir Granite, the first Diamond Dog to ever wear Orichalcum armor, his twin war axes hanging from each hip as he plodded along beside his liege lord. He had drawn almost as many stares from the Equestrians as Gawain himself, stares which had more often than not been hastily diverted when the steely gaze of the canine combatant had met their own. None could say exactly what had lead Hardbeak to elevate him to the ranks of Gryphus' most elite unit, the dog himself least of all, but many suspected that the Watch Commander had been impressed by the hound's long service history. Like his equine colleague, he had been among the first of his people to enlist in the nation's military, and he had served with distinction in every phase of the Winter War under the command of the (in)famous Captain Kaboom, his career culminating in the battle of the Crystal catacombs where he had fought alongside the hero Hardbeak himself. He had apparently done something to earn the attention of the Knights Lion Grandmaster, who would later personally oversee the dog's induction into the order and his training as a true champion of the realm. He had swiftly developed a reputation amongst his fellows, both for his unorthodox fighting style and his unflappably stoic demeanor.
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EVEN BETTER.

Honestly, we're flexing hard here. We're showing more harmony than the Equestrians themselves, by PROVING how our top ranks are open to all races that claim to be citizens of our Empire.

Truly, this will make for a VERY good first impression. The Diamond Dogs AND the Crystal Ponies stories are incredibly positive examples of what our empire stands for!

Questor said:
One would think that traveling via airship would be a remarkable and miraculous thing, and for the traditionally ground-bound perhaps it was, but Gawain had found the novelty fading after the first few hours of their three-day journey. Their Equestrian passengers and the ponies that had spied their vessel along the way had been visibly awed though, and hadn't that been the whole point?
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oh, only 3 days? That actually make trade and travel between the countries definitely possible, if a bit expensive.

We need to build more civilian airships!

Questor said:
The first sign that the airship had passed into Equestrian territory had been the silhouettes of Pegasi visible in the distance. First a bare handful that had hurriedly flown away after spying the ship, then throngs of dozens that had come out to gawk at the vessel and it's foreign passengers from a distance, and finally a squadron of armor-clad soldiers that had been the first to actually approach the bizarre vehicle ponderously floating through the sky. They had been very surprised to meet fellow Equestrians aboard. Snowdrop and her comrades had quickly explained the situation, and the dirigible soon found itself with an escort of Royal Guardsponies guiding it towards the Kingdom's seat of power for a meeting with the Alicorn Duumvirate. Along the way they had passed over several towns and villages whose inhabitants had been sent into quite a frenzy by the sight of their ship. Thankfully there didn't appear to be any sort of panic, but it was clear that the locals were suitably awed by the sight of a flying machine of clearly foreign make in the skies above them. Hopefully the impression that they had made was a positive one. And speaking of awed Equestrians...
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...mh.. You know what, maybe this could make for a good gift actually.

If they claim and prove having defeated Discord, it would be remiss of us to not offer both our thanks, and our gifts.

Wouldn't an Airship, and the plans to build more, be a suitable gift to thank them?

It's expensive, but there's few ways to prove our gratitude more than that (and, obviously, favourable relationships and trading deals, and the obvious things like introducing them to the other nations).

Questor said:
"I could have saved more. I should have saved more. If I-"

Dawnclaw cut her off, his voice filled with the authority of a career officer and combat veteran.

"You can wonder about what could have been or should have been or might have been until the end of time. But people are alive today because of you. You led them through the most hostile terrain on Earth, you kept their spirits alive in captivity, you helped me get all of you back to Gryphus in one piece! You deserve a medal for what you did."
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Yeah, she did well. Truly, nobody can fault her, they were just unlucky.

Sometime it's simply nobody's fault.

..should we ship them? I'm sure we could leave a blackguard as protection detail for our ambassadors...

Questor said:
It took a Gawain a moment to realize that the entire conversation had taken place in Equish.

He idly ran a talon over the medallion around his neck, the faint glow of magic visibly strumming through the arcane circuitry of a translation rune. His father had commissioned Merlin to create it for him in preparation for this day, the Canterburian Archmage once again demonstrating his skill and indispensable value. It was too bad the things were so expensive to produce, had they been cheaper they could have revolutionized the world...but then, wasn't that the problem with all runes?
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eh, give it time. We'll be able to mass-produce at least some reagents sooner or later, and our rune experts are growing in number every turn I expect.

Runes are still a new thing, not even a decade old. Give it a few more decades, and maybe we'll be able to afford making them for most people traveling abroad, or even export them.

Questor said:
Besides, the visible use of magic would send a message to the Equestrians: despite lacking the biologically derived magic that the Ponies possessed, Gryphus had it's fair share of arcane resources and abilities. They simply weren't as obvious or ubiquitous. That should give them pause.
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We're truly flexing on them.

We're coming with three species on our side, to one-up their racial unification.

We're coming with Airships, showing our advanced technology.

We have translation amulets, showing we're not without our own magic.

Our knights have magic-nullifying armor...

And still, we come in peace, and bearing gifts and words of thanks for Discord's defeat.

(at least I hope. I'm really growing to like the idea of showing our gratitude for that by gifting them the Airship plans. Gawain definitely has the authority for it, and I doubt Garrick would disapprove.

Questor said:
Finally, after being led through numerous twists and turns, the delegation and their armored entourage arrived before a pair of grand double doors guarded by a pair of identical white-coated and gold-armored unicorn stallions. Gawain had just enough time to briefly wonder about the bizarre uniformity of appearance the guards displayed (did they only hire white stallions? Some sort of caste system perhaps?) when the doors were pulled open from the other side, revealing an expansive and richly appointed throne room. And at the other end of it, sat upon twin thrones carved of marble and obsidian, were the titular Two Sisters.





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showtime

Questor said:
They still had nothing on his parents though.
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Gawain meets pony demigods: "Eh, my Mom's scarier. And did you ever see HARDBEAK?!"

He's not even wrong!

Questor said:
The guards that had escorted them took up positions around the throne room, the Alicorns remaining seated as Snowdrop and the Imperials approached, stopping a respectable distance from the two monarchs. Gawain could see both of the Sisters taking the chance to observe him and the members of his party, their eyes darting between the Griffons, Ponies and the sole Diamond Dog. He was impressed by their composure. Aside from a few brief micro expressions or a minute widening of the eyes, they showed no obvious visible reaction to their visitors' appearances.

But Gawain was an attentive Griffon. He had been trained to read people, and over the course of his years of diplomatic service, and in his experience as a player of games of skill and strategy, he had learned that there were tells that were universal across all species. He saw the release of tension from the white-coated Alicorn's shoulders when she first laid eyes upon Snowdrop, how her darker-coated counterpart's gaze had immediately zeroed in on the armor and weapons of himself and his bodyguards. He saw their faces momentarily shift into an expression of surprise at the sight of Sapphire and Granite before they schooled their features back into neutral masks of impassivity. He saw both of them stare at the runic talisman around his neck before tearing their eyes away.

He caught the singular glance the two exchanged, a mere moment of eye contact that he imagined conveyed more information than he would ever be privy to.
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so, Celestia is relieved at seeing one of her ponies making it back (and presumably more of them with her), Luna is taking notice of our threat level, she possibly already noticed the magic-resistance, and they're both obviously surprised at the vastly different species we have in our party (reasonable, as their kingdom only has ponies and buffalos).

Also they noticed the amulet, and probably got the implications.

Questor said:
The other Alicorn with a gleaming white coat and a multicolored mane that seemed to constantly blow in a nonexistent wind (that must have been Celestia then) gave her sister a brief but noticeably pointed look before returning her gaze to Snowdrop, her gaze softening as she looked upon the mare who was still staring intently at the floor.
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Yeah, Luna, that's a bit too strong.. should we take that look at face value, or is it a sign that Nightmare Moon is still on course to happen?

Questor said:
Both Princesses bowed their heads at that, eyes closed in grief for a moment of silence befor they returned their attention to what they now recognized as a survivor. Luna is the first to break the silence, her voice now far softer and somber.

"What happened?"
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Yeah, Fanon has it that Luna is the warrior/Intrigue princess. She'd understand this better than Celestia, in that case.

Questor said:
"We were unprepared Princess. We simply had not expected to face such extreme conditions. The lands north of Stalliongrad are completely inhospitable. Temperatures never rose above freezing and the weather resisted all of our attempts to control it. No food can grow there, not even our magic could coax sustenance from the soil. Every form of fauna we encountered was some form of predator that hunted and hounded us throughout our journey."
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mh.. is it just a wild zone Like the Everfree, or is this maybe the fault of either Yeti magic Or Orichalcum?

Questor said:
Now the eyes of the Alicorns returned to the Imperials, eyes wider with understanding even as Snowdrop continued to speak.

"The Griffons...they saved us Princess. By luck or fate or some divine providence they sent their own expedition into that accursed land soon after we had been captured, one that was better prepared and more fortunate than our own. They saw our plight, freed us from our chains and brought us back to their homeland."

The Equestrian explorer paused to compose herself, glancing between the Captain and her Monarchs.

"I would not be here today without them. None of us would be."
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nailed it.

Questor said:
A silence descended upon the throne room as Snowdrop finished her report, the Alicorn Sisters digesting this new information. It did not take long for their attention to turn towards Dawnclaw and Gawain, both sporting looks of gratitude, though Celestia's smile was noticeably more obvious than Luna's. It was the Alicorn with a Sun on her flank that addressed the Imperials, her tone warm.

"Your actions have preserved the lives of our Ponies. You clearly went to great lengths to rescue them and return them to us. For that, you have our most sincere thanks."

Both Gawain and Dawnclaw inclined their heads modestly, the Crown Prince echoing the scarred Captain's earlier stated sentiments as his arcane translator glowed softly, converting his Gryphonese speech to Equestrian.

"It was the right thing to do. We would like to think that, had the situation been reversed, you would have done the same for our own people."
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nailed it

Questor said:
"I am Gawain Goldenfeather, Crown Prince of the Empire of Gryphus and heir to the throne. I greet you in the name of my father and Emperor, Garrick Goldenfeather. We come to you in the name of peace and goodwill."

Celestia's smile widened, and Gawain swore that the room grew brighter.

"We welcome you to Equestria, our friends from faraway lands. We offer you our hospitality."

Luna's smile was less blatant, but no less real, though it was accompanied by a look of blatant inquisition.

"Thou art the first true nation that we hath encountered in the wake of Discord's fall. Will thine indulge us our curiosity, and tell us more of thine people?"

Gawain returned their smiles, his wings unfurling in a gesture of friendliness.

"It would be our honor and privilege to share the knowledge of our people...and to learn more of yours."
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And it was like this, that Gawain cemented his place in the history books of both countries.

Questor said:
New Nation Encountered: Kingdom of Equestria
Relationship: 7/10 (Grateful Friends)
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good start. I hope to bring it to at least 7.5 with the "gift" idea.

Questor said:
What Questions do you ask, and what do you wish to Tell the Princesses?
[ ] Write-Ins

This First Contact question and answer is going to be a little different. Not only are you going to be asking questions of the princesses, but you will also be choosing what parts of the Empire's history you wish to emphasize...or conceal.

Any relevant lore or valuable information not covered in the coming update can be asked about and either elaborated upon OOC or provided as a result of future Diplomacy or Intrigue Actions.
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my main questions would be

1)Is it true you defeated Discord?
2)How?
3)(if they mention him being petrified) Can we see him?
4)Offer thanks, gratitude, and gifts (possibly the airship plans), and mention how many of our people died because of him when the world was mad.
5)questions about magic and tech.
6)Questions about their races. We heard about Buffalos...
7)Explain about the other countries we know of, both in this continent and beyond the ocean. Offer to introduce them, if they were to send ambassadors back with us.
8)Explain about our unification war, the Sombra wars, Libertalia and Maretonia. Obviously present it in a favourable way, but no actual lies. The stories paint us as the heroes, or at least a reasonable party in it, anyway. Make sure to point out what we did to help Libertalia (ex-pirates), Crystal Ponies (ex-slaves), and how we tried to help Maretonia before deciding we HAD to interfere directly (also that they were slavers, and in our first contact had enslaved some of our own people).
9)explain about the threat of the yeti, as they have Orichalcum.
10)offer to answer questions. Maybe we can do a one-for-one?
11)Is it true that they move both sun and moon?
12)if yes: do they have a backup plan in case something were to ever happen to them? Such things can't be left to chance!


..this should be enough for now :V
 
silvershark said:
So should we, or should we not tell the princesses what's really going on in Canterbury? They share a border, so it's only a matter of time before they spread their influence to Equestria.
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Gawain doesn't know, we haven't told anyone about the Changelings and we don't really want to get the Sisters involved in this unbalanced Shadow War.

Also, we have no idea of their political situation. We don't want them getting super paranoid of their politics until we find an effective way of detecting the Changelings.
 
Travler66 said:
--[X] Canterbury and Queen Chevaline (DO NOT TELL THEM ABOUT THE CHANGELINGS)
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You know, how are we goign to explain Canterburys infrastructural "spottiness" without revealing the Changeling holdings there-in, if the Diarchs get inquisitive about the matter?

Sure, "infestation with monsters" might fly just fine, but "zones ravaged by Wild Magic left by Discord" might spur them into offering their genuine help about them to Chevaline, since Tia and Lulu did Discord in according to canon.

Honestly a bit worried about that angle spiralling outta control.

[X] Plan Audience with The Sun and Moon
 
[X] Plan Audience with The Sun and Moon

If Gawain wasn't dating
[JK] Any of you ladies single:ogles:
But yeah nice to see this update glad to see the inclusion of Diamond Dog and Crystal Pony in our first contact with the larger part of Equestria and I'm in agreement of keeping Changelings a secret from them I mean we haven't told our long term allies about them why would we tell people we just met.
 
We still shouldn't give to much about ourselves up. Just because this is Luna and celestia doesn't mean they won't try to fuck us over. Just give them basic information and go from there.
 
Alright so after reading some of the comments on what to add i think ive added just about everything we can think of so heres what the final rendition of the plan looks like if you can think of anything else let me know but for first contact i think it gets the point across.

[x]Plan who the Gryphons are
-[x]our history, the wars we fought, the friends we made and the chains we broke.
—[x] Explain about our unification war, the Sombra wars, Libertalia and Maretonia. Obviously present it in a favourable way, but no actual lies. The stories paint us as the heroes, or at least a reasonable party in it, anyway. Make sure to point out what we did to help Libertalia (ex-pirates), Crystal Ponies (ex-slaves), and how we tried to help Maretonia before deciding we HAD to interfere directly (also that they were slavers, and in our first contact had enslaved some of our own people).
-[x]our magical void race as well as our new magically inclined halfbreed
-[x]our schools of magic and the professors who teach it
-[x]our inventions that have improved life for all, and made the nightlife more enjoyable(ie luna)
-[x]our current diplomatic relations as well as the current crisis in Maretonia
-[x] our own multiraced family.
-[x] ask them about their history. how their government system works
-[x] ask them about willingness for trade and other diplomatic ties to us
-[x] if possible how their military is oriented(ie why white guards only but more diplomatically)
-[x] if they know anything about the end of the chaos event and if they are the ones who defeated discord/where he is. (where and what happened to discord)
-[x] exchange map information.
-[x] ask about the cutie marks
-[x] offer to build them a civilian style airship
-[x]questions about magic and tech.
-[x]Questions about their races. We heard about Buffalos...
-[x]Explain about the other countries we know of, both in this continent and beyond the ocean. Offer to introduce them, if they were to send ambassadors back with us.
-[x]explain about the threat of the yeti, as they have Orichalcum.
-[x]offer to answer questions. Maybe we can do a one-for-one?
-[x]Is it true that they move both sun and moon?
 
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Pittauro said:
Yeah, she did well. Truly, nobody can fault her, they were just unlucky.

Sometime it's simply nobody's fault.

..should we ship them? I'm sure we could leave a blackguard as protection detail for our ambassadors...
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The Equestrian North Expedition was essentially their version of our Winter War(s)...only that they had no Yaks (we don´t know if the Buffalo Territories to their south are a thing in this quest) or Qilin to help them out.

...Heck, one could say that *we* are the Equestrian counterpart to Neighpon in that allegory, funnily enough.

A very powerful foreign nation with a speciality in a certain field we/the Equestrians don´t really have that simply drops in through a stroke of good luck and saves the day, you know?
 
[x]Plan who the Gryphons are

This works for me a standard meet and greet and just learning about each other. The trade and real diplomatic work will happen later and behind closed doors.
 
Raptor580 said:
Alright so after reading some of the comments on what to add i think ive added just about everything we can think of so heres what the final rendition of the plan looks like if you can think of anything else let me know but for first contact i think it gets the point across.

[x]Plan who the Gryphons are
-[x]our history, the wars we fought, the friends we made and the chains we broke.
-[x]our magical void race as well as our new magically inclined halfbreed
-[x]our schools of magic and the professors who teach it
-[x]our inventions that have improved life for all, and made the nightlife more enjoyable(ie luna)
-[x]our current diplomatic relations as well as the current crisis in Maretonia
-[x] our own multiraced family.
-[x] ask them about their history. how their government system works
-[x] ask them about willingness for trade and other diplomatic ties to us
-[x] if possible how their military is oriented(ie why white guards only but more diplomatically)
-[x] if they know anything about the end of the chaos event(where and what happened to discord)
-[x] exchange map information.
-[x] ask about the cutie marks
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my previous questions, if you didn't notice them. Could I convince you to go for the Airship gift plan maybe? I think it fits IF they claim AND prove to have defeated Discord.

Also, we should at least ask about the Buffalo, the only other race in their kingdom.

Asking about alicorns also makes sense.

And the sun-moon backup plan seems like a reasonable worry when you learn that THE MOVEMENT OF THE SUN AND MOON DEPENDS ON TWO VERY MORTAL PONIES.
Pittauro said:
my main questions would be

1)Is it true you defeated Discord?
2)How?
3)(if they mention him being petrified) Can we see him?
4)Offer thanks, gratitude, and gifts (possibly the airship plans), and mention how many of our people died because of him when the world was mad.
5)questions about magic and tech.
6)Questions about their races. We heard about Buffalos...
7)Explain about the other countries we know of, both in this continent and beyond the ocean. Offer to introduce them, if they were to send ambassadors back with us.
8)Explain about our unification war, the Sombra wars, Libertalia and Maretonia. Obviously present it in a favourable way, but no actual lies. The stories paint us as the heroes, or at least a reasonable party in it, anyway. Make sure to point out what we did to help Libertalia (ex-pirates), Crystal Ponies (ex-slaves), and how we tried to help Maretonia before deciding we HAD to interfere directly (also that they were slavers, and in our first contact had enslaved some of our own people).
9)explain about the threat of the yeti, as they have Orichalcum.
10)offer to answer questions. Maybe we can do a one-for-one?
11)Is it true that they move both sun and moon?
12)if yes: do they have a backup plan in case something were to ever happen to them? Such things can't be left to chance!
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Adhoc vote count started by Whenyouseeyou on Mar 20, 2021 at 5:26 PM, finished with 62 posts and 17 votes.
  • [x]Plan who the Gryphons are
    -[x]our history, the wars we fought, the friends we made and the chains we broke.
    -[x]our magical void race as well as our new magically inclined halfbreed
    -[x]our schools of magic and the professors who teach it
    -[x]our inventions that have improved life for all, and made the nightlife more enjoyable(ie luna)
    -[x]our current diplomatic relations as well as the current crisis in Maretonia
    -[x] our own multiraced family.
    -[x] ask them about their history. how their government system works
    -[x] ask them about willingness for trade and other diplomatic ties to us
    -[x] if possible how their military is oriented(ie why white guards only but more diplomatically)
    -[x] if they know anything about the end of the chaos event(where and what happened to discord)
    -[x] exchange map information.
    -[x] ask about the cutie marks
    [X] Plan Audience with The Sun and Moon
    -[X] What to Tell:
    --[X] General History of the Empire of Gryphus
    --[X] Technological Advancements of the Empire of Gryphus
    --[X] The Yaks, Yakistan and King Ruterford
    --[X] Diamond Dogs and The Kingdom of the Emerald Isles
    --[X] Sombra, The Winter War/The Aftermath and The Crystal Ponies
    --[X] Canterbury and Queen Chevaline (DO NOT TELL THEM ABOUT THE CHANGELINGS)
    --[X] Neighpon and Kōryū Ryūō, Emperor of Neighpon
    --[X] The Minotaur Republic and Minotaurs
    --[X] Caribou and Olenia
    --[X] Libertalia and Hoofbeard
    --[X] Maretonia, its history with the Empire, the civil war, the current situation and the upcoming war
    -[X] Questions:
    --[X] The Whereabouts of Discord/What happened to Discord?
    --[X] History of Equestria
    --[X] The Alicorn Duumvirate
    --[X] What is an Alicorn?
    --[X] What lands/countries are near you? (Propose map exchange)
    [X] Tell them about the nations we are in contact with. Give them info about the maretonia problem past and present. Ask if they would be willing to provide magical support. Not actually fight or put their people in danger but simply act to help prevent another storm or magical super weapon.
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Really need to get some cartographers to get an idea on what is in the way in terms of mountains and the like to figure out what overland travels we have available, I know we don't need to walk, but a full two thirds of our population is grounded so that does some bearing I feel.
 
[X] Plan Audience with The Sun and Moon

well we're off to a good start. Both the sisters still rule so luna hasn't had her episode yet, both the sisters are still kind so we didn't roll low and find ourselves in another Sombra situation, and we seem more of a curiosity then anything else to it's people then a threat so our first impressions seem to be a positive one.

Now assuming nothing blows up while we're here we should leave with a friendly nation to our west that could be a great trade partner if we can secure some safe traveling routes... especially if we can make some more airships for travel and trade because I believe right now the only ones we have are for our military and seeing how we're being dragged into a war I doubt we'll be able to spare any for simple trade.
 
Pittauro said:
my previous questions, if you didn't notice them. Could I convince you to go for the Airship gift plan maybe? I think it fits IF they claim AND prove to have defeated Discord.

Also, we should at least ask about the Buffalo, the only other race in their kingdom.

Asking about alicorns also makes sense.

And the sun-moon backup plan seems like a reasonable worry when you learn that THE MOVEMENT OF THE SUN AND MOON DEPENDS ON TWO VERY MORTAL PONIES.
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See I'd be ok with giving them an airship but just not that one we came in since it's how we're getting back. But offering one is definitely doable.

And I'll add your questions when I can get back to my computer tonight
 
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Raptor580 said:
See I'd be ok with giving them an airship but just not that one we came in since it's how we're getting back. But offering one is definitely doable.

And I'll add your questions when I can get back to my computer tonight
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oh, of course I didn't mean the one we're on. How would we even go back otherwise!? 😅

No, I meant a civilian airship. We can probably prepare it in the next one-two turn, and commit to that. After all Discord was a threat to everyone.

As an added benefit, it gives them an easy way to contact us and the other polities on their own initiative, otherwise they'd have to either go through the yaks or Canterbury, which... well, better not.

Also, best first impression before we mention Maretonia.
 
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