After Equestria (RP, not a jump-in)

[Bane Emural]

Aldorn enters and looks at the commander. He looks at the other guards, then back to Silverblade. "Thank you, I am Aldorn Ceraphil, Master Blacksmith of the Rowan Village, or whats left of it." Aldorn turns off his heater to let it recharge by collecting the heat surrounding the machine.

[Coffee Rush]

Atoll is glad to be greeted by a pony, and rushes in rather quickly. She shuts her heater off too, giving a swift introduction. "I'm Sandy Atoll." Atoll just gave a name, as she didn't live in one place for more than a week. The primary needs of a pony were getting to her, the warm air reminding her of the times before the Ice.

[The Wandering Magus]

Mr. Brown accepted a fourth of the offered bits.  "A couple trips to the storage room is hardly worth that sum, and I'm already quite well-employed.  I'll hold you to that extra drink offer tomorrow morning, though, all right?"

Coffee Joe grinned.  "Certainly!  Always a pleasure serving you, Mr. Brown."

Aldorn enters and looks at the commander. He looks at the other guards, then back to Silverblade. "Thank you, I am Aldorn Ceraphil, Master Blacksmith of the Rowan Village, or whats left of it." Aldorn turns off his heater to let it recharge by collecting the heat surrounding the machine.

Atoll is glad to be greeted by a pony, and rushes in rather quickly. She shuts her heater off too, giving a swift introduction. "I'm Sandy Atoll." Atoll just gave a name, as she didn't live in one place for more than a week. The primary needs of a pony were getting to her, the warm air reminding her of the times before the Ice.

The stallion nodded politely to them.

"A pleasure, both of you.  As you might imagine, it isn't often that we encounter travelers anymore, not since about a month after the Ice Age began.  Most that could had already found their way to shelters long since.  Come, there is food and drink and warmth at the guardhouse, and after some rest we can move to the city proper, if you like.  Will you be staying long?" asked the Commander as he led them down a vast tiled hall lined with great pillars.  The hallway was lit with crystals that shone gently, like moonlight was stored inside.  The so-called barracks were almost mansion-like, complete with golden-gilded roof and ivory towers and marble columns, as well as small beds of flowers, apparently there for little more than decoration.  Crystal lamps lit the area outside it, and banners at the top were embroidered with the Triple Crown; silver trumpets and alarms were set about the towers at intervals.

From within the building flowed warm air, and they could see a glow like steady fire, not flickering.  There were also warm drafts from much farther down the hall... it was as if there was sunlight down there... but that couldn't be, they were underground.  Could it?

[Bravo 658]

The unicorn gave Coffee a parting nod and headed off into the paved underground streets of Duche Fancy on his way toward the recently uncovered caverns, where several diamond dogs would soon be eagerly waiting for an analysis of their latest shiny find.

[Bane Emural]

"I won't be staying here long, unfortunately. I have a long journey ahead of me, one that is most important for me right now." And probably to the entire world He thinks to himself. "But I am willing to resupply here, and sell whatever items I have scavenged from the surface to compensate for any supplies that can be offered to me."

[Omega_Khaos]

[...]
Frost hears loud bangs and explosions, as if somepony was trying to blast their way through solid rock...
But rather than the dull thudding of crumbling stone... there was clang that echoed on, and on, and on...
And this was no normal hole in a wall either...
Aldorn looked, and it was... it was no wall...
From the floor to the ceiling far above, there were many runes and engravings, heroes of old and images of forges and anvils and many thousands of ponies crafting all manner of tools.  And there was a line... straight down the middle.
A Door in the Mountain.

Frost picks up speed to try and see what her ears tell her. "[glow=blue,2,300]That was metal to metal. I know that sound anywhere. I wander who is hitting the thing.[/glow]" As she draws closer to the statue she finds that the rumors about this place were indeed true. "[glow=blue,2,300]I had a feeling the rumors about this place weren't false. Now to find a way in.[/glow]" She looks for a way to open or an open way into the mountain.

[Chirp]

The aristocrat in the tuxedo and top hat (or, well, he appeared to be the leading aristocrat; the ponies, diamond dogs and other creatures were dressed in rather fancy clothing, and those unused to high Canterlot clothing tradition would probably fail to see the subtleties in difference) stepped forward and bowed to Concorde and shook his hoof, as a leader to a leader.  "That I am, good sir.  Welcome to Duchy Fancy, and to its capital, Orod Khazad.  I am quite glad to see that others besides ourselves have survived the Ice Age, Mister...?"

Emissaries came forward and lay gifts of great value in the modern age, and at the same time also in the previous era: an abundance of food and spices, useful and well-forged tools engraved with intricate gold filaments both for a better grip and for beauty, embroidered clothing made of some sort of silk, and quantities of ancient, priceless books from before the Ice.

The soldiers behind them stood at attention; they were wearing traditional full-plate barding, gilded with gold and set with gems to show a triple crown, the symbol of their patron and leader.

"Pear. Concorde Pear." He answered, and gazed upon the gifts laid before him and his companions. Gifts of friendship in an attempt to create an alliance, no doubt, though that was not what Concorde wanted. He turned his head towards the guards behind him, and spoke. "Everyone but the council shall return to The Heart, and continue their jobs. The currently appointed miners shall assist the other miners in the excavation of ores. I will not tolerate anyone in here."
His voice carried far and deep into the tunnel, echoing all the way back to The Passion, where their entrance lay. The guards raised their weaponry, synchronously turned around, then walked forward, pushing anyone who did not follow their pace forward. Soon, all that remained was the council, and the distant sound of steady marching in perfect harmony, like a trained army would march. Concorde kept staring through his part of the tunnel, his back towards Duchy Fancy.

"I see you are as great as the rumors I heard about you told. Unfortunately, I cannot accept any of these gifts" He began, and turned around to face Fancy again. He looked at them for a moment, a hint of greed in his eyes, but he shook it off. "No, it will harm the perfect harmony I've tried to create. They aren't enough for everyone, and the ones that get something will start to feel superior. I cannot allow that."
"But, wise leader Concorde, you may take upon yourself something to show your position within Embers Rising." A buffalo of the council spoke up.
"No, Lightninghooves, I cannot." Concorde responded. The whole council collectively sighed at the stubbornness of their leader.

"But Lord Pants. I see you've upkept the normal way of life within Orod Khazad. That means you must have some sort of research facility? Do you have any idea where this blizzard came from? It can't just happen, right? There must be something! A clue, a lead?" Concorde asked. He and his faction could get by undeground, no problem. But after several decades, with a growing population like this, it might become a problem. And if the blizzard hasn't ended by then, well.. Only time will tell.

At the end of the tunnel, back in The Passion, the miners, construction workers, and engineers have come together to create a gate, much like the one at the front of The Heart, and a booth for guards to be stationed at. Despite being friendly, Embers Rising is an organized place, and will not allow any unauthorized, or filed entrance or exit. This will mean The Passion and The Welcoming will need some sort of instant transmission between them. Or carrier ponies, though that would seem redundant in case only one pony at a time will come through. Perhaps a canister can be shot through a pipe using pressure. The engineers were already thinking over different plans, whilst the miners precisely cut the walls, and the construction workers began creating the mechanism to open and close a gate.

[Omega_Khaos]

((just to keep this one alive.))