A long time ago, before it was ever called the Crystal Empire; there was a mining village in the Arctic. The village made its money from the strange and unique crystals that they’d sell to researchers in Early Canterlot.

One day a researcher from Canterlot arrived at the village on the same day a miner found a large block of crystal deep inside a mine; immediately enamored the researcher felt compelled to buy it off the miner. Taking the block of crystal; the researcher moved into a house a little farther out from the mining village, and she worked tirelessly everyday carving into the crystal; barely eating, sleeping or ever going into the village to the point the villagers had to check up on her regularly to make sure she was still alive. This behavior frightened the villagers. It was as if the researcher was compelled by an unseen force to spend her days carving into that crystal.

The researcher carved out two pieces from the block of crystal; a large heart and a life sized unicorn. But before the researcher could finish the finer details of their unicorn statue; an eternal winter threatened to bury the town alive. And that got her out of her trance just enough for her to run to the safety in the village; only able to grab the crystal heart in her haste as the statue was far too heavy for her to carry.

The small mining village could barely survive the terrible weather that rained down upon them. Exhaustion, hunger, and the endless cold, the looming threat of death was soon approaching the mining village.

That was until the crystal heart that the researcher had carved listened to the unanimous plead for help inside the ponies hearts and in response used it’s magic to create a forcefield to protect the ponies from the eternal winter.
Immediately a surge of warmth and light emanated from the infinitely merciful crystal heart. Large crystals emerged from the ground, twisting themselves into buildings for the villagers to live in, edible crystal food for the villagers to eat, and a large crystal palace for the villagers to erect a ruler; an entire empire was conjured up by the crystal heart in a matter of minutes.

In exchange for this generosity the Crystal Heart turned the normal ponies it had protected into crystal ponies; bonding the ponies to the Crystal Heart. creating a harmonious relationship between the crystal ponies and the crystal heart.

Many moons passed, different rulers came and went. Completely forgotten was the crystal statue buried deep in the Arctic. And eventually, even the origin of the entire empire was forgotten as well.

That was until Flurry Heart, on one of her researching expeditions found and dug up a large crystal statue buried deep in the snow. Uncovering it she could feel the ancient power radiating off the statue. A power that gave off a mix of longing and anger. A power that compelled her to bring it back home.

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This is Part 1

I vaguely started sharing lore about the Crystal Empire last Halloween and this is the big one that I’ve been meaning to share. The origin of the crystal heart and the introduction of the crystal statue as a character in WishfulGen.

I wanted the origin story of the empire to have a little bit of.. eldritch properties? With the researcher’s obsession and the creation of crystal ponies. It gives off a very creepy feeling if you really think about it.

The crystal statue will also have a proper reference sheet and deeper dive. They have feelings too, you know? :]