Chrysalislover
This isn’t so much an RP, as a setting I created. I’d like to share it with you guys, in the event that some of you do feel that it would work for a good, epic-scale RP scenario. Credit goes to a variety of inspirations, especially PoorYorick’s “Equestria Divided” headcanon (though sadly he has since deactivated his DA account).
I’ll start with my Overview entry on Equestria, and its several factions. If people find it interesting, I’ll post more.
If you’re too lazy to read all the backstory, I’d recommend jumping down at least to where I listed the different fighting factions. I’m also open to critiques and suggestions if anyone has any that are constructive.
Equestria: History and Overview
“When the bonds of harmony are broken, the fury of war is unfettered…”
I’ll start with my Overview entry on Equestria, and its several factions. If people find it interesting, I’ll post more.
If you’re too lazy to read all the backstory, I’d recommend jumping down at least to where I listed the different fighting factions. I’m also open to critiques and suggestions if anyone has any that are constructive.
Equestria: History and Overview
“When the bonds of harmony are broken, the fury of war is unfettered…”
- Starswirl the Bearded
Introduction
Centered in the heart of the World of Harmony is the mighty pony kingdom of Equestria. Once a powerful source of wisdom, magic and friendship, this once beautiful land now finds itself ensnared by the savage claws of war…
The Founding of Equestria
The history of Equestria is a tale with origins dating back to primordial times. It all started when the physical World of Harmony was created from out of the shapeless Void of Chaos. For reasons unknown to this day, even by the greatest Equestrian scholars, legends tell of a mysterious influx occurring within the void. This influx created a ‘spark’, from which emerged six mystical powers: the Elements of Harmony. From within the void, these six elements created a countering force to the everlasting chaos. In time, this countering force created a physical world: a physical world in which harmony could flourish amidst disharmony…
Soon enough, this newly-created World of Harmony began to house its first inhabitants: the alicorns, who served as the very embodiments of the six Elements of Harmony. Under the power, wisdom, and guidance of this alicorn race, this harmonious world began to form and grow evermore. To inhabit the new lands they created, the alicorns created three new races, one to represent each of their major traits. They created the earth ponies, who possessed their immense physical prowess; the unicorns, who possessed their impressive magical abilities; and the pegasi, who possessed their ability to soar as high as the heavens. The three species (known collectively as ponies) inhabited their harmonious domain, all while under the watchful eyes of their alicorn leaders. The alicorns also created a wide variety of flora and fauna to reside in their world, for the earth ponies, unicorns and pegasi to tend to.
Ages passed, and the three pony species flourished within their own separate but harmonious tribes, under the rule of the alicorns. The earth ponies had the duty of growing food for the land; the pegasi were tasked with controlling the weather; and the unicorns used their magic to raise and lower the sun and moon every day and night. Sadly, over the centuries, the three tribes began to grow distant from one another, resulting in hostility amongst them. The pegasi and unicorns complained to the earth ponies about not growing enough food; the earth ponies and unicorns criticized the pegasi for not controlling the weather properly; and the earth ponies and pegasi felt angered at the unicorns for not doing anything besides controlling the sun and moon twice a day. The three tribes continued to feud, and as they did, a mysterious winter fell upon the land. It was unlike any winter they had seen before. It was colder and had much more snow, and seemed to continue on without any end.
Eventually, this savage winter rendered the ponies’ homeland impossible to live in. Tired of feuding with each of the other tribes, the earth ponies, pegasi and unicorns all departed in separate ways, to find a land where they could live in harmony amongst their own kind. Though this disharmony deeply saddened the alicorns who oversaw the three tribes, they told themselves that this was an issue that the three tribes had to learn and solve for themselves, in order to flourish in the end. It seemed that wherever all three of the tribes went, the ice and snow followed. As the endless winter continued, each of the tribes was able to find their own homeland. Within these separated lands, amidst their own kind, each race flourished for generations to come.
Over time, all three nations continually expanded their territory. Eventually, every bit of land was controlled by one of the three species, except for an area between all three of them. This area of unclaimed land was deemed beautiful by all three tribes. It had bountiful resources, plenty of space, and an ever-present aura of harmony. As all three tribes relished to claim this land, they saw only one solution to the issue: war. Taking up arms, each tribe marched to battle against the others, spilling blood across this otherwise beautiful land. As the war raged without end, the cruel winter that followed the three tribes from their original home soon arrived in this new land. Before long, the winter got so horrible, that ponies were dying from it just as much as they were from the blades of their enemies.
Finally, amongst the three tribes, its wiser members learned what was causing this endless winter. It was brought forth by a feral species known as Windigos: creatures that gained power by feeding upon hate, and using their powers to unleash devastating winters. At last, the three pony tribes realized that it was their long-time feuding that brought this deadly winter. Knowing what had to be done; all three tribes stopped fighting with each other, and instead used their rekindled harmony to battle their true foes. In time, the Windigos were driven far from this beautiful new land, and the three tribes rejoiced. Overjoyed that their subjects rediscovered the ways of harmony, the alicorn lords appeared before all of their subjects. They deemed that the three tribes would now live united in this new, beautiful land, in a kingdom that would forever be known as Equestria…
The Reign of the Royal Sisters
Centuries passed in Equestria, as earth ponies, pegasi and uinicorns lived in harmony with one another, under the rule of the alicorns. During this prosperity, a new threat began to emerge: Discord. Heralding forth from the enigmatic Void of Chaos, Discord first attempted to let the pony citizens partake in his fun and games. Once the alicorns stopped their subjects from following him, Discord enslaved all of the land in his chaotic grasp. Misery became rampant, as ponies of all three species suffered under Discord’s disharmonizing reign, and the alicorns were forced into hiding. Eventually, the alicorns fought back against Discord, in a war to reclaim their land from his chaotic tyranny. Though nearly all of the alicorns perished in this so-called Chaos War, two sisters in particular made a daring stand against the Spirit of Chaos. These two sisters, by the name of Celestia and Luna, harnessed the timeless power of the Elements of Harmony, and used them to turn Discord to stone once and for all.
Though Discord was vanquished, the painful scars that he left upon the world would not be easily healed. Realizing this, both Celestia and Luna vowed to serve as overseers of the land’s reconstruction, in place of their many alicorn sisters and brothers who had died in their attempt to stop Discord. Celestia took it upon herself to control the sun, Luna took it upon herself to control the moon, and both of them oversaw the land every night and day. Eventually, Equestria had reformed itself into a beautiful kingdom, and its subjects came to praise Celestia and Luna as its princesses. Thus began another beautiful chapter in Equestrian history.
Under the rule of Princess Celestia during the day, and Princess Luna at night, Equestria flourished through ages of prosperity and harmony. Sadly, harmony was not destined to last forever between the two sisters. Princess Luna grew envious of her sister Celestia, as she watched their subjects flourish in Celestia’s days, only to see them sleep through her nights. One night, Princess Luna refused to lower the moon, so that her sister could bring forth the day. Princess Celestia pleaded with Princess Luna to end the night, but the princess of the night refused. And so, Equestria became engulfed in a state of eternal night.
As her endless night continued, Princess Luna’s envy transformed her into a vicious mare of darkness: Nightmare Moon. In this new state, Nightmare Moon desired to not only let the night last forever, but to smite Celestia and rule all of Equestria herself. Under the cloak of her eternal night, Nightmare Moon assembled from the darkness her own ponies, and began to lead them against Princess Celestia. In retaliation, Princess Celestia rallied her subjects, and the forces of the sun and the moon clashed across Equestria in a savage civil war. Many ponies lost their lives in this tragic war, until Princess Celestia stepped before Nightmare Moon, wielding the greatest power she could find. The same power that created this land; the same power that saved it from Discord: the Elements of Harmony. Unleashing the full force of the elements, Princess Celestia mournfully banished her now evil sister to the moon, where she could no longer threaten the land of Equestria. At last, with peace restored, Princess Celestia took it upon herself to care for both the sun and the moon, watching as Equestria entered yet another era of peace.
Equestria Today
In recent history, a thousand years after the defeat of Nightmare Moon, Equestria witnessed her liberation from her lunar prison. In the wake of her emancipation, the kingdom saw the coming of six ponies that were destined to wield the Elements of Harmony. There was Rainbow Dash, who represented the Element of Loyalty; Applejack, who represented the Element of Honesty; Rarity, who represented the Element of Generosity; Fluttershy, who represented the Element of Kindness; and Pinkie Pie, who represented the Element of Laughter. All five of these ponies discovered this destiny thanks to Twilight Sparkle, a talented unicorn who represented the mysterious sixth element: Magic. Using the elements, the six were able to defeat Nightmare Moon, and liberate Princess Luna from this evil form.
Since then, these six ponies have saved Equestria and proven their heroism numerous times. They defeated Discord after he escaped his stone prison; helped Princess Cadance and Shining Armor save Equestria from an invasion of Changelings lead by the vile Queen Chrysalis; and saved the returning Crystal Empire from its former tyrannical ruler: King Sombra. Little did they know, that they’d soon face the greatest ordeal any of them have ever witnessed…
The Dawn of War
The Great Equestrian War was spawned from a variety of occurrences and participants. Shortly after her initial defeat in Canterlot, the Changeling Queen Chrysalis launched another, larger invasion against Equestria. Assembling a swarm far greater than before, her subjects cleaved a deadly swath through much of Equestria, leaving nothing but death and ruin in their wake. Luckily, for Equestria, its forces were well prepared for this reckless invasion. In what came to be known as the Changeling War, the ponies of Equestria took up arms, and fought against this incursion. Though the queen’s forces were not entirely defeated, her swarms were pushed back to their badland homes, before inflicting any permanent scars upon Equestria. Little did the Equestrians know that this brief war was but a blood-stained prelude to the terror that was yet to come.
Towards the end of the Changeling War, news came to Equestria from the frozen lands of the north. Fear shook Equestria, as they learned of the resurrection of King Sombra; the evil unicorn king who enslaved the Crystal Empire a thousand years ago. Though King Sombra was defeated upon the empire’s reawakening, he was revived to his full potential by a sect of unicorns who remained loyal to him, even after the empire’s return and his temporary defeat at the hooves of Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor. With King Sombra’s revival, the Crystal Empire’s capital city and inner regions fell to his tyranny, forcing Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor to flee to the empire’s more distant regions. With the connection to their closest ally broken in the north, and the constant threat of further Changeling invasions from the south, it was clear that Equestria had fallen into a state of vulnerability that it had not seen in a long time.
Very quickly, the non-Equestrian nations began to assail the pony kingdom, each of them hoping to reap its rich resources and fertile land. Several of the earliest incursions were made by the griffons, who wanted to dominate the ponies and use their land to expand their own kingdom; and yet another strike by the quickly-recovering Changeling swarms, who saw the land as a lush source of food. In time, additional forces were beginning to assail other edges of the kingdom, such as the buffalo tribes to the west and the zebra tribes to the south. Even as the Crystal Empire became engulfed by a civil war between Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor’s Crystal Legion and King Sombras dark Crystal Empire, the latter would occasionally send slave armies south, attempting to invade Equestrian soil. Along with unrest that was emerging within the kingdom, as a result of the outer assaults, it became woefully clear that Equestria had entered a state of total, open war.
Witnessing war befall their kingdom from all sides, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna assembled the six wielders of the Elements of Harmony. Declaring that no others were better suited for the job, they asked these six ponies to serve as the top commanders of the Equestrian forces. Rainbow Dash, Applejack and Rarity were tasked with leading the three largest fighting forces, entirely composed of pegasi, earth ponies and unicorns respectively; while Princess Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie were asked to lead three factions that specialize in more unique fields. Together, they lead the forces of ponykind against all who dare threaten their homeland.
Equestria at War
Since its borders experienced their first hostile incursions on all sides, Equestria has been at war for approximately ten years. So far, the kingdom has held strong against opposition on all fronts, though much has changed within the kingdom over those years.
The biggest change to the kingdom has been the addition of fortifications. In the heart of Equestria, both Ponyville and Cloudsdale have become walled settlements, with towers and battlements to defend their citizens from potential threats. Still shining like a jewel amidst the war-ravaged land, even the already fortified Canterlot has been given increased defense. Its walls and towers have been additionally strengthened and magically-enhanced, while the cliffs and mountain passes leading to it have been bolstered with additional walls and keeps. To an extent, almost every other settlement across the kingdom has received a similar treatment. Smaller hamlets are given barriers ranging from wood to stone, while the great cities such as Manehatten, Baltimare and Fillydelphia are fortified, both magically and physically, to the extent that only the mightiest of armies could have any chance of infiltrating them. Along with additional urban defense, the war has led to the emergence of a wide variety of keeps and forts. These are mostly situated in the kingdom’s more rural regions, and serve as outposts and bases of operation for assorted divisions of the Equestrian forces.
Fortifications have also been erected along the kingdom’s borders and wilderness. Just beyond or within the eaves of the forested regions (especially Everfree) countless fortified camps have been set up. These serve to house the forest-based combatants, and to serve as lookouts for any threats that may invade through the forests. Similar camps are situated near the entrances to major caverns. The soldiers positioned here are tasked with protecting the subterranean passages, to prevent unsuspected attacks from feral beasts, Diamond Dog packs, Changeling hives, or even enemy armies that have learned how to use the caves as a secret way of entering Equestria. Though Equestria’s northern lands are separated from the tundra of the Crystal Empire via towering, snow-capped mountains, there is one particularly wide valley. This valley has served as a means of reaching one land from the other, and is barred by a massive wall of stone. The train to the empire used to run through this wall, though its tracks were demolished when the war started, and the opening in the wall was sealed by a pair of massive, magically-enhanced iron gates. Now, the wall serves as Equestria’s northern line of defense, primarily against King Sombra’s slave armies.
Along with traumatizing and tormenting its citizens, the war has led to heavy damage and changes in Equestria’s productivity. For starters, the food output has been heavily reduced. Some of this is caused by so many ponies, including farmers, having to take up arms; while other reasons include fertile lands being destroyed by conflict or the total end to food trade with other nations. This shortage of food has led to a growing famine across Equestria. Though the hunger alone has not yielded any destructive results, all are living in constant fear of what it may lead to very soon. The war has also caused large amounts of the kingdom’s infrastructure to be destroyed, a key example being its railways. Though most of the railways within the kingdom’s heartland are still active, and serve as a useful way of transporting troops, most of the tracks that used to run through the more distant regions of the kingdom have been destroyed. This lack of infrastructure has several consequences, from making it difficult to transport food to certain parts of the kingdom, to forcing soldiers to cross difficult terrains by foot. Though Equestria still holds an ample supply of wealth, the war has redirected how its treasury is primarily used. Now mostly in the hands of the Jeweled Regiment (led by Lady Rarity), Equestria’s riches are used to fund the war and as a powerful tool for recruiting mercenaries to Equestria’s aid. With no end to the war in sight, the kingdom has plenty of doubts about how much longer it can maintain its monetary power. There is also a lack of knowledge as to when it can be used to fix parts of the kingdom unrelated to the war, yet still ravaged by it.
Though enemy forces haven’t always penetrated Equestria’s frontiers, the kingdom still experiences its own share of internal unrest. The biggest of these issues has been banditry. Once open war had been unleashed upon the kingdom and many ponies took up arms to defend it, others chose a different, more lawless route. Rather than aiding their fellow ponies, these renegades choose to prey upon them. Similar to bandits, the Diamond Dog packs present troubles for the kingdom, with their numerous tunnels that run below the kingdom’s surface. Thankfully, both have proven susceptible to bribery by the Equestrian forces, into serving as mercenaries. While deemed as an invading, outside force, Changelings have given Equestria a lot of inland turmoil. Their smaller size and deceptive instincts allow them to sometimes slip past Equestrian borders, within which they will construct entire hives without any ponies knowing. Another, far more sinister force at work within Equestria is the Cult of Chaos, which has had a growing influence since the outbreak of the war. Lurking all across Equestria, especially in its major cities, these mad ponies are always looking for diabolical ways to shed blood and spread Chaos in the name of Discord. Lastly is the Equestrian fauna, which can pose just as much of a threat as invading enemy soldiers. While ponies have learned how to deal with most of the kingdom’s savage beasts, or how to avoid them entirely, their state of war still forces them into confrontation with these creatures.
Major Fighting Factions
Masters of the Arcane – This is an elite force, led by Princess Twilight Sparkle. Most of this relatively small force is composed of the most skilled unicorns in Equestria, who fight with deadly magic. Even their physical armor and weapons are magically-enhanced. Alongside the powerful unicorns, there are ponies of all three species, who hold duties that allow them to be of service to each of the other five factions across Equestria.
Storm Legion – This is an all-pegasus force, led by Supreme Commander Rainbow Dash. Serving as one of the three major forces of the Equestrian army, their duty is to defend the skies. They are a highly militarized faction, with numbers that rank them among the two largest fighting forces in the kingdom. In battle, they fight by using speed, tactics that are unique to their aerial-based position, and some heavy artillery.
Stoneclad Battalion – This is an all-earth pony force, led by Field Commander Applejack. As one of the three primary fighting forces in Equestria, they serve as the kingdom’s primary ground-based fighting force. Their numbers make them one of the two largest fighting forces in Equestria, and their organization is heavily militaristic. In battle, their fighting style is based on their exceptional strength, extra heavy armor, and large amounts of heavy artillery.
Jeweled Regiment – This is an all-unicorn force, led by Lady Rarity. They are classified as one of Equestria’s three major fighting forces, providing soldiers who are skilled with magic and with physical combat. While they lack numbers compared to the other two major fighting forces, they make up for it with other useful skills. This is the faction that holds much of Equestria’s wealth, which serves as a weapon of its own. Along with weapons, its members are highly skilled with words, making them excellent spies and assassins.
Guardians of the Forest – This is a special force, led by Head Chieftain Fluttershy. These ponies are tasked with defending the kingdom’s woodlands, especially those that stand at its frontiers. The members of this faction are ponies of all three species, and they fight in scattered warbands rather than as a single, unified army. When fighting, this faction uses the environment as a key weapon. Many of its members are skilled in the art of stealth, some use nature-based magic, and some can even tame wild beasts to use as aids in battle.
Guild of Revelry – This is a very secretive force, led by Guild Master Pinkie Pie. Consisting of all three species of ponies, their primary duty is to serve as the kingdom’s espionage force. Most members of the guild fulfill this duty by serving as spies, assassins, thieves, and other, similar roles. While some members of the guild specialize in espionage, others serve on the battlefield. These members possess battle skills that fuse dancing with weapon combat, and accompany the other major factions as elite fighting forces.
Celestial Guards – The first of two sects of Equestrian royal guards. These are exceptionally skilled earth ponies, pegasi and unicorns that are tasked with protecting Princess Celestia. They are small in number, compared to any other major fighting force in Equestria. What they lack in numbers, they more than make up for with battle skills. They consist of the strongest of earth ponies chosen from the Stoneclad Battatlion, the fastest of pegasi chosen from the Storm Legion, and the most skilled unicorn mages and fighters from the Jeweled Regiment.
Lunar Guards – The second of the two sects of Equestrian royal guards, these ponies serve the duty of protecting Princess Luna. Like the Celestial guards, they are a small force made up of earth ponies, pegasi and unicorns alike, that all possess remarkable skills. In terms of skills and purpose in battle, the Lunar Guards differ from the Celestial Guards in several ways. While Celestia’s guards are experts in head-on combat, Luna’s are masters of stealth. Combining their formidable skills with deceptive abilities and magic, they make the perfect warriors for fighting in the dark of night.
