Ghost on Worldbuilding 0 - Bookplayer's Questions · 1:18pm Apr 11th, 2014
Hello my readers enchanting and effervescent!
So, I asked if I should be blogging more and you all said yes. Which was nice of you. :) Of course mere seconds after that I was buried in real-world work. The malevolent force which controls my life has, apparently, a bit of a sense of humor. Oh joy.
Anyway, the theme of my blog posts (at least for a while) was meant to be “Ghost on Worldbuilding” where I wanted to discuss the lesser-explored corners of worldbuilding and why I think they are important. Then, out of the blue, Bookplayer, a dear friend of mine, came up with the idea of doing fifty questions of headcanon, to match the fifty personal questions floating around[1], and I figured that would be a perfect way to start “Ghost on Worldbuilding.” So I wrote up a rough sketch of my headcanon which I know present for your enjoyment[2].
[1] I will not be answering those, you’ll be glad to hear.
[2] Enjoyment not guaranteed. Offer void where prohibited. May contain nuts.
The Princesses:
1. How old are Celestia and Luna?
They are ~3500 and a bit less than that, respectively. In my mind they spent a lot of time roaming and wandering and remember the advent of Discord, as well as his fall. My tentative history of Equestria goes something like:
I) Prehistory
II) Pre-classical Equestria, the tribes dwell alone. Luna and Celestia are born.
III) Classical Equestria. After founding of an Equestrian state, but before Discord.
IV) The advent of Discord.
V) Five hundred years of dread. Luna and Celestia fight back.
VI) The Tree of Harmony is discovered, Discord falls. The Reconstruction begins.
VII) Equestria is finally in its present form, territorially. This is 521 b.f.l.
VIII) The Crystal Empire falls.
IX) Advent of Nightmare Moon. War of the Two Sisters.
X) Banishment.
XI) A busy thousand years.
XI) Luna returns.
This, however, is subject to change. The important thing is that both Luna and Celestia are seriously old.
2. How old is Cadance?
Either 30 or 900 or so, depending on how you count. I hew to Skywriter’s canon in this wise.
3. Were Celestia and Luna always alicorns, or did they ascend?
They alone are natural-born alicorns. Their origin is a bit of a mystery because neither of them remembers their parents or much about where they came from, in fact. I know, of course, but I’m not telling in case I use it for a fic.
4. Are Cadance and Twilight immortal?
Yes and no. They will both age, though a bit slowly, and when they reach what, for a pony, would be extreme old age they might die. It would at that time be really more of a matter of choice.
5. Have there been other alicorns in the past?
Four total, ever.
6. How much authority do Celestia and Luna have in Equestria?
Some.
:)
Okay, let me elaborate. Strictly speaking, Equestria is a federal constitutional democratic republic. Yes, I said republic. Luna and Celestia were elected. It was, however, for a life term, and that ain’t up yet. :) Oh, and while they are gods, Equestria isn’t a theocracy because the official position of the Equestrian government is that Their Royal Majesties are goddesses in their spare time.
In practice they wield a bit less power than the, say, American president and a bit more than your average European one. They sign laws into effect, but can’t veto a veto-proof one. They must consent to declarations of war or peace but they can call for neither without the approval of the legislature[1]. They have absolute authority over the Civil Service[2], and the Royal Guard[3], though, and they have all manner of special powers granted on a case-by-case basis depending on the Articles of Union[4] signed with each federal unit. Also, they _own_ bits of Equestria, though those are mostly on semi-permanent leases as royal grants. Ponyville is one, as is basically all of Canterlot.
[1] Tricameral. Council of Lords (largely ceremonial now), House of Commons (very important), and the Federal Commission (three delegates from every federal unit Equestria has. That’s eighty one in case you are wondering).
[2] Technically the Civil Service, or rather its upper echelons, are the personal staff of the princesses that, according to the Equestrian Charter, is lent to the government. Dotted Line is, very technically speaking, a valet. Don’t call him that.
[3] Canterlot Special Security Regiment, technically.
[4] Treaty which makes, say, Cloudsdale part of Equestria. Also serves as the de facto constitution of Cloudsdale as a federal unit.
7. Does Shining Armor rule The Crystal Empire along side of Cadance?
No. His title, that of prince-consort, has no power whatsoever. He is, however, Chief of Staff of the Crystal Empire army, but that’s because his wife appointed him. Not that he isn’t qualified, of course.
8. Other than Twilight, Luna, and Cadance, what relationships have been important to Celestia in her lifetime (students, close friends, lovers, family)?
I’m yet to determine anything special here, but there have been students, though none as beloved as Twilight, and some friends[1]. No family, though she’s ‘related’ to a ton of ponies. These relations are the result of political adoptions, used to seal old alliances.
Lovers? A lady does not kiss and tell[2].
[1] Traditionally she’s quite friendly with her staff.
[2] She means ‘Lots.’ --Luna
Ponies and Equestrian Culture:
9. Are there still cultural differences between earth ponies, pegasi, and unicorns, or is the culture homogeneous by the time shown in canon? Are there cultural stereotypes (positive or negative)?
There are massive cultural differences, still, though these have been much lessened over the years. Also, a lot depends on not just the tribe but also the homeland. A Vanhoofer pony from an old mixed family (Leafy Salad) is very little like military Canterlot nobility (Silver Wing) who is in turn very little like a Cloudsdale pony (Rainbow Dash) All pegasi but from different pegasus cultures.
There are stereotypes, of course, positive and negative ones, but they are varied. They can be best summarized by the old “how many to change a light-bulb” joke[1].
Q: How many Cloudsdalers does it take to change a light-bulb?
A: Today? Just one. But in the old days...
Q: How many Vanhoofer earth ponies does it take to change a light-bulb?
A: Three. One to complain about the price, one to say that the dark was always good enough in her day, and one to blame it on pegasi.
Q: How many Vanhoofer pegasi does it take to change a light-bulb?
A: Three. One to complain about the price, one to say that the dark was always good enough in her day, and one to blame it on earth ponies.
Q: How many Stalliongrad ponies does it take to change a light-bulb?
A: Sir! This soldier is not afraid of the dark, sir!
Q: How many Canterlot ponies does it take to change a light-bulb?
A: Thirty-one. Three to set up a procurement bureau, four to supervise the drafting of the procurement specification document, nine to supervise the redrafting of the procurement specification document, fourteen to oversee production, packaging, and shipping of the light-bulb, and one to screw it up.
Q: How many Manehatten ponies does it take to change a light-bulb?
A: Well now. What’s the answer worth to ya?
[1] Well, I say joke….
10. Are there foods or items native to Cloudsdale that are uncommon on the ground? Are there foods or items on the ground that are uncommon in Cloudsdale?
Cloudsdale is well-supplied with food, so you can get pretty much anything. Nothing grows on clouds, of course, but pegasus cuisine sometimes uses odd things, like fresh buds of maple and oak.
11. Can all unicorns learn all spells, given the time and effort spent practicing them, or is magical talent usually limited in some way?
They can learn any spell that takes their fancy, provided they are clever enough. Having enough power to use it, however, is another matter. Most ponies don’t bother learning things like teleportation because it is
(a) Insanely hard, and
(b) they don’t have the magic for it.
Magic has a system and it is possible to work out new spells from first principles. This can be done, in theory, by an earth pony or a pegasus, though few are motivated to make things they can never use.
12. Earth pony magic: Does it exist? What is it?
Yes.
It’s incredible strength and stamina, coupled with the ability to sense things underground. Some use it to be exceptional farmers, some are into rocks. An earth pony could tell you, instantly, on what sort of ground you were standing, how deep it went, and how fertile it is, and would be shocked to find out you couldn’t do the same, much in the same way you’d find it odd if someone simply couldn’t see what color the sky was.
13. Some pony families we’ve seen seem to have naming conventions (the Apples, Twilight’s family) and others don’t appear to (Rarity’s family, Pinkie’s family), which is more common? Are there reasons for one or the other?
I sort of have a vague headcanon on that that underlies my stories but isn't that important. Basically, ponies get names from three prominent traditions: Earth Pony traditional, Unicorn traditional/Noble, and Classical/Pegasus traditional.
Earth Pony traditional naming is when all members of a family share either a theme or a surname. Closest real world analogue is how Chinese families often have a generational character. Having a name in this wise indicated but does not guarantee common origin. An example from my own work is the Salads. Leafy Salad, after all, doesn't have lettuce farming as his special talent.
Unicorn traditional naming (which is used by the nobility, too) uses a name based on the cutie mark one gets. That means that one's foalhood name is different than the one you get once you get your mark. Dotted's middle name, actually, 'Hieronymus,' is what his parents called him before he got his mark (Well they called him 'Mus' or 'Mussy' but don't call him that or you will die). In the same way Spinning Top was 'Sunblossom' beforehand. Don't call her that either. This name indicates that you are upper-crusty or that your family really hews to old naming traditions.
Classical naming is based on what sounds good, basically, and is the oldest tradition. It's vaguely related to pegasus ponies, too, but not strongly. Classical names don't follow a pattern but frequently include names from mythology, the ones some ponies get as middle names. Such exotic sounding things like: Diane, Miriam, and Joe.
Incidentally I used this obscure little theory to put a hint in my stories. Leafy Salad's beloved wife, Dr. Inky Quill-Salad's name tells an interesting tale. She took the 'Salad' part to fit with the naming scheme of Leafy's family which--given the name--is not noble[1]. Her name, on the other hand, was Inky Quill which is given based on the noble tradition[2]. And, indeed, her family is fiercely proud of their faintly upper-crusty origins and they had great plans to get their daughter married off to someone of higher social standing still. Then Dotted went and introduced Leafy and Inky. Her parents actually tried to put pressure on her to break the relationship off, but she had none of it, and they eventually married. Now they aren't monsters, they can't actually hate the father of their grandchildren, but they can hate Dotted Line. And they do. A lot. Hence "A Canterlot Carol."
[1] Salads, rather obviously, are farmers. There's an earth pony and a pegasus pony branch.
[2] In childhood she was Velvet, in case you are wondering.
14. How much formal schooling is an average, middle class pony expected to complete?
Schooling is compulsory until age of fifteen. Most ponies at least complete secondary school, and a significant percentage[1] attend university, though those not from large cities must travel. On-campus housing and tuition costs are heavily, heavily, heavily subsidised.
[1] Twilight has a master’s degree (okay, two of them...well, three. Okay. Four.) and will be getting ‘round to her doctorate[2] any day now. Rarity has a B.A. with a dual major in Equestrian Literature and Visual Design. Fluttershy has a VMD.
[2] Three honorary ones. All refused. Politely. You don’t get degrees on Planet Twilight. You hack them from the bleeding bodies of your exams, you crush them, drive them before you, and hear the lamentati--anyway, she prefers to earn hers, thankyouverymuch.
15. What’s the average lifespan for a pony? At what age is a pony expected to be independent of their parents?
Basically, they are slightly longer-lived humans.
16. Are there roughly an equal number of male and female ponies?
Yes. Also, both mares and stallions can serve in the Guard. We see mostly female ponies in the show and male guardsponies by sheer accident.
17. How informed are most ponies about things that happen in other parts of Equestria? What about other parts of the world?
Solidly so. Newspapers exist and are widely read.
That said there’s no instant communications[1], so some news take a while to get places. Magic helps, as well as rudimentary radio technology.
[1] The tech-level of Equestria is weird and my head-canon about it vague. But the way I see it they have excellent scientific knowledge, but they don’t have industrial infrastructure. Why? They are stewards of nature. They don’t pollute. Ever. As a result, they don’t have mass production either. That’s why they tend for one-off high-tech items with about a 50/50 magic-tech split, though of course, they don’t see it like that.
The Main Characters:
18. How old are the Mane Six? Spike? The CMC?
When the show started the Mane Six were about 23. Rainbow dash was 22 and Fluttershy 24. Spike is twelve and the CMC twelve-thirteen.
19. Did Fluttershy remain on the ground after getting her cutie mark? Were she and Rainbow Dash friends all along, or did they drift apart for a while?
They drifted apart for a while, as Fluttershy went to live on ground level.
20. Rarity and Applejack both seem to have grown up in Ponyville. What were their interactions like before the show?
Limited. Applejacks is all Ponyville all the time. Rarity… isn’t. Twilight brought them together and now they are much changed.
21. What do Twilight and Spike consider their relationship to be?
I suspect neither of them is introspective about it. Their relationship is such a constant in their lives they don’t really think about it.
That said, I suspect they are like brother and sister with Spike seeing Celestia as mother and Twilight as cool big sis.
22. When did Pinkie move in with the Cakes? Is she a worker who rents a room, an apprentice, or is there some other relationship?
Formally? Apprentice. Informally? Sort of like a daughter/favored niece.
23. Who among the Mane Six had the best parents growing up? The worst parents?
Best parents? Twilight.
Worst? Fluttershy.
AJ, poor thing, had none.
24. Why didn’t the CMC hang out more/know each other before Call of the Cutie?
Frankly, no idea.
25. Is Scootaloo an orphan? Will she ever be able to fly?
No, and no, I’m afraid.
26. Will Apple Bloom’s cutie mark involve an apple in some way, even if it’s unrelated to farming or baking?
It will involve an apple, but will not involve farming or baking. She’s going to become an engineer.
27. How is Sweetie Belle’s relationship with their parents different than Rarity’s was?
She’s the ultra-pampered baby, while Rarity got over that phase fast and wanted independence as soon as possible.
Side and Background Characters:
28. Is Mr. Cake the father of the Cake twins or not?
Yes. Being different tribe from your offspring is not unheard of.
29. Are Big Mac and Cheerilee an item, romantically?
Nope. Or not yet, at any rate.
30. How did Prince Blueblood get his title?
By being born.
‘Prince’ or ‘Princess’ is a specific title in Equestria that’s really closer to ‘Archduke’ or ‘Fürst.’ It’s basically the top-tier noble title. It’s traditional for houses with this title to claim descent from Celestia. That’s rubbish, of course, and the familial relationship is based on adoption based on political convenience.
‘Princess’ does not mean ‘alicorn.’ It’s just that alicorns get this title, as it is the highest one.
31. Is Silver Spoon equally as bad as Diamond Tiara?
No. One day she’ll look back at her foalhood and feel very sorry. A much older set of CMCs will, at length, forgive her.
32. Is Zecora’s magic common among zebras?
Moderately so.
33. Why does Daring Do publish her stories as fiction?
They are sufficiently changed from reality (to clean it all up and so on) that she feels this to be necessary. It all happened, sure, but not quite in that way.
34. Do you have a strong headcanon for any non-speaking or one line background ponies that you want to share?
I don’t really go for background ponies much. I’m more of an OC guy. :)
Other Species:
35. Does Equestria differentiate between speaking and non-speaking species, in terms of respect, rights and legal responsibilities? Is there some other line or scale used? (For example, how are cows classified? Diamond Dogs? A chimera?)
Ability to make yourself understood guarantees personhood rights[1]. Everything else falls under the Animal Welfare Program.
[1] A bit more complex than that, actually. For instance, dragons, grown ones at any rate, are technically sovereign states in Equestrian law. Spike is a bit of an anomaly as is, technically, registered as a pony.
36. Do other speaking species form their own nations, or are all nations largely integrated, with some having larger populations of a species than others?
There’s minority populations in pretty much every country, but they were generally founded by one species. That said, there’s really no ‘Zebrica’ country, but rather a very loose alliance of the heartland and port cities (with heavily varied population) that barely musters enough cohesion to have one foreign policy. And the Dual Empire was founded by two species: Dragons and Qilin[1]. And there’s some uncertainty over who owns territory where in the border region of Saddle Arabia and Dromedaria where the populations is pretty evenly mixed.
My thoughts on these countries, incidentally, are these:
Zebrica is supposed to be a mixture between Ethiopia and subsaharan Africa in general -- but not the impoverished hunger-stricken version. Because it's my world, I decided to model them after the times when they were rich and powerful -- great trading powers like Mali in the fourteenth century or Aksum in the sixth. It's more Ethiopia than anything else, really, especially since I use the historic divide between the inland which is arid and not very hospitable but historically significant and the vast port cities which are far more populous but lack the might of tradition. That's why the capital of Aksum and its great palace of Ta'akha Maryam is inland, but the most populous cities were places like Adulis -- on the sea. Anyway, I didn't give the Zebras a Negusa Nagast to make them a proper empire, instead they are ruled by a two-pronged system. Each city has a ruler (common title in Equestrian is Merchant Prince/Princess -- i.e. Fedha Tabassamu, The Merchant Prince of Jiwekuta) and they together form the Council of Cities. However, equal in respect of all zebras everywhere, if not in gold and power, is, what Equestrians term "The Peripatetic College" This is a community of scholars, and let's call them priests, who travel from city to city constantly. They know the ways of traveling the harsh savannah, and keep the wisdom and the stories of the Zebra people. They, likewise, organize and dispatch the Sent. Their power is tremendous because their words carry great weight. Think of the princes as the medieval kings of Europe and the Peripatetic College as a sort of distributed Pope.
Saddle Arabia is now canon, but I'm yet to invent something cool about them.
South of Saddle Arabia, though, is the land of Dromedaria which is inhabited by camels. These are a proud people, known as great crafworkers and engineers. Their relationship to Equestria is distant but cordial, especially since one of their greatest cultural heroes is a pony -- Sunny Sales[2], though he is commonly known by the Camels as He Who Taught Triangles To Dance. Their culture is bound up closely to their religion and to the divine family of The Dancer on the Edge and his children The Veiled God and The Counting Goddess. The dancer on the edge is the god of truth and lies both, and knows all that can be known. He is associated with mysticism, though, because as he shifts along the line in the sand, his pronouncements are now lies, now truth, now neither, now both. There was a great schism, and his worship was abandoned, and he dwells alone in his stone-carved city deep in the burning wastes. Instead the camels worship The Counting Goddess who is ever truthful and is the patron of mathematics and exact thought. Her twin brother is The Veiled God who can do naught but lie, but his lies are often illuminating. His are the artists and especially the poets. This religious divide leads to a certain inflexibility of thought, because the Camels are often repulsed by the (usual Equestrian) notion of mixing reasoning with intuitive leaps. To them this is a dangerous heresy, threatening to let the Dancer back into your mind. Still, the discipline this encourages has made them splendid engineers and poets both. Curiously the Veiled God and the Counting Goddess have both made it to Equestria where they are frequent subjects of allegorical artworks under the names of Rhyme and Reason. The most famous of these is a statue in the Canterlot Library called "Enlightenment Leading Rhyme and Reason."
Across the sea lies the mighty Griffonstan Empire which is meant to be very much like the Holy Roman Empire. Lots of factious nobles and an Emperor struggling to get things done. Griffons are known for their metalwork and have a strongly militaristic culture. They have historically fought a great many bloody wars with the pegasi but this has evolved into a bizarre form of friendship because the Griffons count the Pegasi as their very best enemies and term them "more than prey." This being said, they no longer hunt ponies, not even around Stalliongrad. It's been explained to them that if they do, Equestrian trade will dry up, though they may expect to be party to a brisk trade in second-hoof ammunition, courtesy of, say, the 493rd Airborne Infantry. A hundred years ago an emperor decided to try to wage war once more but he was assassinated shortly thereafter and his successor abandoned all such plans. It is a popular sport to blame Equestrian spies for the assassination.
The Qilin Empire (also known as the Dual Empire) is based on Imperial China. I haven't worked out all the details yet, but one point is that the Qilin are very close to dragons with whom they have an understanding of sorts. Thus in the territory of the Qilin empire there are two rulers: The Qilin Emperor who dwells with his Honored Scholars in the Jade Hall[3] and the Dragon Emperor who none see, but it is said that all dragons hear. The Qilin Emperor is made a honorary dragon (it's a bit more mystical than that) at his/her ascension so that he(she) too may have the benefit of the Dragon Emperor's counsel.
[1] That said, it’s more of a symbiotic relationship than a straight-up union.
[2] Really really really really really obscure joke. Pythios is a variant of Apollo's (the sun god) name and agora is Ancient Greek for market/square. Hence Sunny Sales -- Pony Pythagoras.
[3] Strictly speaking, that's Korean, but hey.
37. Are minotaurs related to cows at all?
No.
38. Do all zebras rhyme?
No. Very few do. It’s a practice of the Sent. The Sent are a… religious order, of sorts. It all has to do with the Zebra belief[1] that only a mountain in heartland Zebrica (Nyeupe Kilele) is actually really real. You see it all comes down to the figure known as Sheha[2]. In the beginning the world was without form, a shifting dream with no permanence, no place to stand. In the howling void beings were born, but surrounded by chaos they could not hold neither form nor purpose, and in the mixed earth and sky of the un-world shadows of disembodied jaws, and hooves and wings fluttered and writhed. One day, Sheha came from above the sky. He fell through the mists of the unformed world and, with a great shout, she rose a mountain from below to meet him. The mountain fell through as it has nothing to rest on. So below the mountain she made a vast iron spire to hold it, but the spire had nothing to rest on, and the mountain kept falling. Sheha made Kuungua, then, a being of fire with a thousand eyes, and commanded it to hold the spire that held the mountain. Kuungua obeyed, but it, too, had nothing to stand on. So Sheha reached into his chest and flung her heart into the abyss below. Kuungua could stand on his heart and hold the spire which held the mountain, and Sheha had somewhere to stand at last.
For a long time the mountain was the only solid land in the world, and the half-formed peoples clung to it in desperation. Sheha, who was weak without his heart, called them to her side, and spoke to them. He started telling them stories about the world, and lo, as she spoke what he said became true. She spoke of the forests, and there were forests. He spoke of the seas, and all could hear the crashing waves. In time she built the world around them using naught but words, and all the creatures found themselves with bodies to suit it which no longer shifted and changed and hurt, but were solid and strong. This effort weakened Sheha, however, and he grew silent for a long while. In time all the creatures bade farewell and went off to explore, but the first zebras stayed and to them, at long last, Sheha spoke her last words. He charged them to keep the story alive, and then died dissolving into the snows of Nyeupe Kilele.
One of the ways in which the Zebras honor this commandment is to dispatch the Sent. There’s thirty six Sent at any one time, each dispatched to a distant land, to learn about it, about its people, learn their stories, write new ones, and teach them Zebrican ones. This, it is thought, helps bind the world together and stops lands distant from the navel of creation at Nyeupe Kilele from fading away into shifting chaos again. The Sent are rigorously trained, both in zebra magic[3] and in storytelling, and are charged to ever speak in rhyme[4] so that every utterance of theirs is carefully considered and they never take their words for granted.
[1] Or rather the belief of the traditional Zebra religion. Not all zebras hew to it, and of those who not all take it as, ahem, gospel truth.
[2] Roughly, ‘Storyteller’ or ‘Speaker’ or ‘Singer.’
[3] Which is heavily bound up with stories and words.
[4] Actually, they have to speak in fixed-verse poetry. Zecora can speak in sestinas if she wants to.
39. Do zebra cutie marks work the same way as pony cutie marks?
Roughly. But their design is much more abstract, and this is actually cultural. Both ponies and zebras interpret their marks. The difference is that it is exceptionally impolite to ask a zebra what their mark means. If they tell you, they think very highly of you.
40. Do any species have types of magic, other than ponies and zebras?
Every species has access to some form of magic.
41. Is the lack of buffalo presence in Equestria cultural, or simply because most pony towns aren’t built to accommodate a full grown buffalo?
It’s cultural.
Headcanon and You:
42. Do you consider official sources other than the show (comics, card game text, movies, novels, etc.) to be canon?
Not really. I consider them to be, basically, officially produced fanon.
43. Do you have one headcanon that you always use, or do you switch depending on projects?
So far, all of my stories save one[1] were in the same universe. I can easily see constructing another, but I’m having too much fun with this one for now.
[1] Hoofprints.
44. Can you easily accept the headcanons of different writers? Do you prefer when stories match your headcanon?
Depends. I mean, there’s some things I simply don’t accept, ever, such as reinterpreting any of the mane six (or the princesses) as being secretly evil. I have a special distaste for tyrant Celestia.
That said, I don’t demand that the writings of others match my headcanon and would consider it quite odd if it did.
45. Is there a part of your headcanon that you wish was more popular among writers?
Yes, actually. That the Princesses aren’t absolute rulers.
46. Is there a popular piece of headcanon that other writers use that you dislike?
As I said, I loathe Tyrant!Celestia. And evil!Pretty-much-anypony.
47. Have you ever written a story or blogpost just to explain some part of your headcanon (other than this one)?
Blogpost, no. Story… well, “On the Nature of War” was written pretty much to nail down a few details about Griffin-Pony relations.
48. Does your headcanon influence things like your favorite pony, ship, or episode?
Not really. It’s so exotic that the show never even touches on most things I headcanon about.
49. Would it bother you if the show proved part of your headcanon wrong? Any specific piece that would really bother you to lose?
Yes and no. I’m not so conceited that I expect them to hew to my ideas all the time. That said, I had a perfectly good backstory for Discord and the War of the Two Sisters that the show utterly ruined by Discord’s redemption and the flashbacks.
50. Is there something that wasn't asked about here, but you feel like you need to explain to everyone?
Is there!
:)
Actually, I’ll just put this here:
The Greater Griffonstan Empire isn't called that in the language of griffins. They call themselves the Dreikronnenreich referring, as they do, the three crowns of the Emperor, viz. the gold one signifying the rule over the Southwest, the bone one signifying the rule over the tribes of Northern Griffonstan, and the steel crown signifying the allegiance of the Central Eyries.
But the Equestrians call their land Griffonstan because the ponies of Stalliongrad call the bit of Northern Grifonstan they border with "Griffonstan[1]" and, hence, the name for the whole of the rest of it is Greater Griffonstan.
In much the same wise their name for Equestria is Sonneheim Fürstentum[2].
[1] Which means 'the place griffins live.' Because it is.
[2] Griffins speak bad German because I speak bad German, you see. Southwest Griffonstan is France, incidentally. Well. French. Ish.
Hooooly...so much theology.
That is so cool!
Camel headcanon ACCEPTED. Most of the Qilin headcanon too.
Just wow.
So what is your headcanon on Batponies? (I had to ask because they've taken up so much of my writing time)
Minor quibble or misunderstanding on Cadence. Do you see her as an infant rescued from the Crystal Empire before the fall (thus placing her age at +1000 or so) or as an alicorn born after the fall (giving the 900 or 40 candles on the cake range)?
This is awesome, in the best meaning of the word. Worldbuilding is my favorite activity and you've got lots of stuff here that I'm gonna steal to put into my own headcanon. Yoink.
I SEE WHAT YOU DID THERE.
Well, that was fascinating. Thank you for it. Also:
Q: How many Ponyvillians does it take to change a light bulb?
A: Five. Three to scream and panic, one to subdue the lightbulb, and one to write the friendship report.
2000195
I don't have one. A canon on batponies, I mean. I just have no earthly clue what to do with 'em.
And she was born in exile outside the Crystal Empire after its fall. Or thereabouts.
2000206
2000197
2000193
I like fantasy theology. It's very relaxing.
Nice! I particularly liked your ideas about zebras and their religion. That's the legend of Bahamut roughly repurposed, isn't it? As for the Sent, I'm detecting hints of the Lamed Wufnik. Very, very cool stuff.
Incidentally, my take on Celestia is that she (and Luna) is a very absolute ruler who's been spending a lot of time getting the ponies to rule themselves, to the point where she very, very rarely actually uses the nigh-limitless authority she has. Which... I guess we're coming to the same place, through different routes?
I really did laugh at the Canterlot lightbulb joke. Like, a lot. Thank you for that. Also: 'Lots'.
I agree with a lot of what you said (though I've never really been a fan of Qilin) but I can't tell if that's because we had similar ideas or because you've just wormed your way into my mind. Your take on Zebras and the Sent is a really cool idea, expanding upon the whole Zecora-is-a-shaman-class-researcher thing in a neat way.
We haven't really seen your Twilight have we? Just a comment to a tired Dotted after a jam, custard, and otherworldly tentacle filled day. I would really like to.
Someone somewhere has written an excellent evil!Celestia story I'm sure, but I've never seen it. The idea that anybody would have Celestia be anything worse than greater-good manipulative as their "official" headcanon is not a nice thought.
"Q: How many Cloudsdalers does it take to change a light-bulb?
A: Today? Just one. But in the old days...
Ah, this light bulb joke reminds me of the Babylon 5 answer. "Just one, but in the great old days of Republic, hundreds of servants would change a thousand lightbulbs at our slightest whim!"
We need more pony light bulb jokes:
Q: How many alicorns does it take to change a light bulb.
Celestia: What are light bulbs?
Luna: The bulb is just fine. Do you not appreciate my night?
Cadence: "Oh, honey! The light bulb is out."
Twilight: "The light bulb needs changed? What did I do wrong? Oh, no! Now I won't be able to find the book on how to change the light bulb, and Princess Celestia will be so angry at me for neglecting the bulb in this way! There has to be a way to fix this! Spike! I need you to go find all of our friends and bring them to the library. If I can't solve a light bulb problem, I'll--"
Spike: "Just a minute, Twilight. I'm changing the light bulb." *click* "Now what did you want again?"
Wow.
So much amazing headcanon.
2000252
Well, you saw my Twilight in "Twilight Sparkle Makes a Cup of Tea." With luck, you might see more of her at some point.
2000239
It is based on Bahamut by way of Manual de zoología fantástica! Well spotted!
And as for Luna and Celestia, you are right. They are engaged in a long project to make themselves redundant. Strictly speaking, Celestia's political views are very anarchist-by-way-of-Bakunin with a trace of let-the-state-wither-away-by-way-of-communism. But she takes the long view on these things.
2000304
That's no accident. The memory of that very joke is what prompted me to use them as a stereotype shorthand.
Q: How many civil servants does it take to change a light-bulb?
A: None. The light-bulb was changed but the Cabinet Secretary denies all knowledge of its procurement or installation and resents the implications produced by the gutter press.
Q: How many politicians does it take to change a light-bulb?
A: Is it in a swing district?
Q: How many Pinkie Pies does it take to change a light-bulb?
A: Three. One to serenade the giraffe, and two to paint the accordion.
2000206
My headcanon version of that one would go:
Q: How many Ponyvillians does it take to change a light bulb?
A: Ten. Three to scream and panic, one to jack up the price of light bulbs by a bit, four to organize the Light Bulb Changing Festival, and one to run to Sweet Apple Acres to get an Apple to change the light bulb.
Unf. I deeply enjoyed all of this. You should write a Daring Do story that explores the Sent and Zebra beliefs and geographies, so that i can read it.
Favoriting for future reference.
Do you have a name for the capital of the Greater Griffonstan Empire?
2000567
Yes I do! White Peak Eyrie. Technically that's just a palace, the city is below but they share the name.
That is gloriously detailed. You've hinted at so may of these things in in the past, it's nice to finally see large chunks laid out.
PS: I want a go:
Q. How many Cutie Mark Crusaders does it take to change a light bulb?
A. Three. One to comment on how this could get them all cutie marks, one to build an unworkable and improbable means of getting up to the ceiling, and one to ask Rarity to do it.
2000349
You forgot the servant that screws up screwing the light-bulb up, necessitating a second light-bulb be procured. This, of course, draws the ire of the lightbulb-changing guild, whose contract with the Canterlot city government clearly states that all lightbulbs within city limits shall only be changed by a licensed, bonded, and insured member of said guild. Fluorescent bulb changing incurs a double-overtime hazard pay penalty.
In my headcanon, the answer to this one is, "Yes." Twilight—and only Twilight—learns this the hard way. Cadance isn't sure what to make of being excluded, though it's only for now.
Quite interesting, and very inspiring. There are a few things that I would comment upon:
4. Are Cadance and Twilight immortal?
I would have alicorn immortality be based on the character's "portfolio". Luna and Celestia would then be immortal because they are tied to the Moon and Sun, not because of race. Twilight and Cadance don't have such portfolios, so unless they get similarly important portfolios — either by inheriting Celestia and Luna's portfolios, or finding a way to tie themselves closely to a phenomenon of similar importance — they will remain mortal.
This, IMHO, creates a series of interesting possibilities.
5. Have there been other alicorns in the past?
I would say four total, ever, that Celestia and Luna know about — which does mean that either no such being existed before or else no such being was ever important historically. Celestia and Luna already knew of the possibility of ascension before Twilight ascended, though, so in my headcanon they do suspect that other alicorns could exist outside their knowledge. And the possibility for more alicorns in the future, either ascended by Luna and Celestia, or by something else, also exists.
Also, I have as my headcanon that the Alicorn Amulet was created as the center piece of an ascension ritual devised by unicorns; whether it was attempted in the end, and whether it was or would be successful or not, is not something I have decided.
6. How much authority do Celestia and Luna have in Equestria?
My own answer would be a bit different: little power de jure, near absolute power de facto (in Celestia's case).
I mostly agree with your headcanon about Celestia's and Luna's legal powers, but on top of that Celestia has over a millennium of experience dealing with ponies. Despite being benevolent, she should be exceptionally good at detecting lies, be exceedingly hard to mislead, know everypony important (and their full lineage), and (if needed) know enough dirty secrets to ruin any of the Noble families. As long as she doesn't abuse her influence she can get nearly anything she desires done, even if legally she had no influence over it.
This does mean that Luna would be in a tight spot if she ever had to rule Equestria alone, as she spent the last millennium on the moon, though she does have one trick her sister doesn't; entering dreams. On the other hoof Luna does know that using her power for political manipulation will indispose the nobles and politicians for a very long time, potentially more than a pony generation, so she keeps it as a last resort tactic, hoping to never be forced into using it. Also, in my headcanon there is a way to magically prevent Luna from entering one's dreams by creating a talisman (a dream catcher) that anypony can make, as well as more specialized unicorn magic; if Luna is ever perceived as malicious such magic might become common knowledge.
This is .. how do you come up with this stuff? Serious question.
2000206
How many?
6. Six and a half. Five to try and fail, then the sixth to do it whilst teaching the others a valuable lesson. Then Spike to send the letter.
Now! Onto the rest of this behemoth!
Effervescent?
I'd think you meant evanescent but I keep forgetting what that word means.
Now, obviously you wrote this as a fantastically funny joke... but I have to ask; what in?
Specifically carpentry. Apple trees are still trees, dear!
I worked out a Punnett square!
Both are earth ponies, one twin is a unicorn, one a pegasus. Ergo earth pony is the dominant gene and unicorn and pegasus are equally recessive. Mr Cake and Mrs Cake would therefore have Ep and Eu.
The twins are the 1/4 chance of the two recessive genes mingling, pu, each half being just as likely to be a pegasus or unicorn! Which would also explain winged unicorns like, in theory, Cadance (if you subscribe to that headcanon.)
Unless!
Unless they are all equally co-dominant and it's only luck that all the earth ponies in the Cake family trees were earth ponies so many times in a row - feasible but far less likely.
Genetics!
Actually, I think that's about it. Fantastic.
Though I do notice you've used the word 'hew' four times. Have you taken a particularly liking to the word, now?
This was very cool. Thank you for sharing your head canon with us. It's always so cool to see how each of us can look at the show and walk away with vastly different ideas of how Equestria works.
A side-question: Is Discord's reign responsible, directly or indirectly, for the Zebra's beliefs? Specifically, did the idea that the world is not real come about before or after his rule?
Also, keep being awesome. It's appreciated.
Sorry for the double post, didn't see this one the first time around and thought I'd throw my quote in the ring.
2000304
Q: How long does it take Rarity to change a lightbulb?
A: "Darling, it isn't that simple! First we have to take the fittings, then we mark the measurements, then I see if I can fit this delightful Saddle Arabian glass, then- Oh, Spike, could you be a dear and hold onto this, for a second, please?"
Q: How long does it take Fluttershy to change a lightbulb?
A: "I suppose I'll only change it if it wants to be changed."
Q: How long does it take Applejack to change a lightbulb?
A: "Sorry, didn't hear ya, I was busy fixin' somethin' real quick." *Click*
Q: How long does it take Rainbow Dash to change a lightbulb?
A: 3 seconds for her keen eye to isolate the problem, 5 to fly to the story, 3 to find the lightbulb, 1 to dump bits at the register, another 5 to fly home then another 3 to switch the bulbs. So, you know, about twenty seconds fla- MrNumbers dodges shoe.
Q: How long does it take The Great and Powerful Trixie to change a lightbulb?
A: Any bulb you can change Trixie can change faster.
Q: How long does it take the CMC to change a li-
A: NO. NO.
2000719
What is best in life.
2000613
Now I really want to see a CMC Rube Goldberg machine…
Come to think of it, Pinkie's probably a master at building them!
2000719
No, he does mean effervescent, as in "high-spirited" or "bubbly", or if you're being cheeky, "full of gas".
2001019
You want me to build a Rube Goldberg machine out of Cutie Mark Crusaders? Are you loco in the coco!
Contraptionology! is a dangerous force that should be used responsibly.
(Seriously, you have read Infernal Machines and Contraptionology! right?)
2001021
Evanescent: Adjective - Soon passing out of sight/memory.
2000546 Something on the order of Lost Cities perhaps? It would certainly be awesome.
2000215 I can loan you my batpony headcanon if you want.
2000719
Genetics is such a tricky business when you live in a land whose background magic levels could be mistaken for the inside of a nuclear reactor. (If decidedly less harmful.)
2000215
I am very much a theology enthusiast. This post makes me very happy.
2001045
"Uh, Applejack," asked Apple Bloom, swaying placidly back and forth in her harness, "why in tarnation am I just hangin' here from this rope?"
Applejack lifted her goggles and spat into the dirt. "Well, that's easy, sugarcube," she said. "Turns out, to get my thaumic kitten catapult to function nice and proper-like, I need a counterweight of just exactly your weight and center a' gravity. Once I throw this latch here, you're gonna fall until you hit Scootaloo there, who's gonna get startled and zip forward on this here wheeled platform until she headbutts into Sweetie Belle, and when that happens, Sweetie'll shoot just enough magic sparks out of her little horn to serve as the thaumic battery for my catapult."
"It's just... I'm gettin' hungry, is all."
"For the last time, Bloom! I can't feed'ya until the test is complete! It'll completely confuddle your weight!"
"My horn's not so little," said Sweetie Belle, petulantly.
"Hush," said Applejack, her eyes gleaming. "Thaumic batteries don't talk."
"And another thing!" said Bloom. "You keep callin' this contraption a thaumic kitten catapult. Does that mean it's a thaumic machine used for flinging kittens, or a regular machine used for flinging thaumic kittens?"
"Well," said A.J., touching her hat with one hoof, "I reckon we'll find out when we switch 'er on..."
2001045 2001803
I had more comments than this, but I forgot them all by the time I finished reading xD
Anyway: I hate it when a piece of headcanon you particularly like gets mowed down by the show, but when it comes to that bit you mentioned concerning Discord and Luna's banishment, I hope you choose to forsake canon and employ it sometime, or use an alt. universe tag, unless you're the kind of writer who hates breaking canon, which is fine. In that case, if you're never going to use it, then you can totally just tell us what you had planned, yes? Because I would really like to know.
I think I might steal this idea for my own blog post. Great stuff, Ghost.
2000684
My Dream Extractor harvests pure creativity from children's dreams and leaves nothing but nightmares in its wake.
I mean, obviously.
There's really no fixed answer. Each bit I came up with has its own story. However I can give general advice for worldbuilding, if you like.
The key thing is to read widely, wildly, and irresponsibly. Read well, well outside your subject matter. Read nonfiction about obscure subjects. Read things well, well outside your favored genre. Immerse yourself in all sorts of esoteric knowledge just for the heck of it. In time, you'll find that bits of it stick around, and give you stuff to play with.
It helps if you enjoy this, of course.
2000719
Full respect on the genetics front, sir.
And, also, I did mean effervescent in the sense of being bubbly and happy. Pinkie-like, in fact.
And, also, also, Twilight's degrees are in Pure and Applied Thaumatology, Mathematics, Astronomy, and Physics. Her doctorate is in Pure and Applied Thaumatology, of course, specifically her thesis is going to be "On Type Three Interpersonal Bond Resonant Structures' Effect on Magic in Catalyzed and Non-Catalyzed Environments."
Since you asked.
2000736
It predates Discord's rule, but Discord did get written in as, essentially, the Satan-figure in the mythos.
2001803
2001021
Yup. That's what I meant.
2002863
I could. But it is rubbish. It involved, ooh, a race of squid-things called the Archivists who thought their goal, as a species, was to kill death, the Lost Dialogue of Broadwithers, the Hermocoltes, and the location and true nature lost Seareach, fabled home of the fourth pony tribe. Also: something called the Apotheosis Engine, a sentient colony of jellyfish that communicates using a chorus of squid, Fluttershy becoming a dread sea-god (some of the time), Twilight facing the uncomfortable nature of murder at the prompting of a god of truth and deception, the return of Nightmare Moon, the true history of the War of the Two Sisters, and why Celestia really banished Luna, a dagger made of salt and what Luna does with it, and the explanation as to why the best banana-nut muffins are to be found in a small cave the middle of the Everfree. It was to be called "Time, Space, and Other Myths: The Life and Many Deaths of Histor Theoclast" and it would have been awful.
2003104
Wow. That's high praise indeed, coming from the author of Lost Cities. Thank you.
2000546
Honestly, I never thought my ramblings about worldbuilding and such would have an audience.
2003331
I know about effervescent, I was making a joke about-
2001050
Well, yes, this.
Also?
So, what you're saying is... Friendship is Magic, then? Huh. I wonder where I've heard that before..?
2003352
Oh! Oooooh! Boy do I feel silly now...
Great joke. Sorry I managed to miss it.
And, yes, her thesis is expo-speak for Friendship is Magic. I mean, what else would she write about?
2001803
I just got back from rereading several of my favourite bits of Contraptionology! because of that comment. And I was hoping to accomplish things with my Saturday afternoon.
But seriously, though:
2003331
I love worldbuilding, and fics that worldbuild. Half the reason I love Friendship is Magic is for the interesting universe that we keep catching glimpses of around the edges of episodes.
2003331
Possibly. But it would have been gloriously, impenetrably erudite and imaginative awfulness!
2003331
2.bp.blogspot.com/_w7sln5-cmhE/TQMleb_PvMI/AAAAAAAAAT0/agf8yls-kH4/s400/Spongebob%252BSquarepants%252BMost%252BAdorable%252BPicture%252BOf%252BSpong.jpg
Oooooooooooo
You know, I'd love to take Luna one day and venture on a trip through that labyrinthine, imaginative mind of yours, Ghost. The things we'd find could likely forward science and mankind by centuries.
The stuff about Twilight sounded really interesting. Same with Celestia (Celestia!) and Luna, and Discord too. Of course, I may be a bit biased here, since I love those characters (Celestia!), and anything about them from you is hard to pass up.
2003461
Sorry to kill your productivity.
Thanks for writing this. I'll have to also thank Bradel for keeping a list of all the people who have written on this. I plan to answer these questions myself eventually.
2001803
This belongs in a sigfile line.
I don't know if I should feel envy or inadequacy – All that Camel stuff is just so involved! Any particular influences for that bit about the Camel gods?
2017722
And, actually, the camel stuff is sort of indirectly (very indirectly) inspired by Gödel's incompleteness theorem. With the Dancer, you have everything that is true, but you can't pick it out among the lies. With the Counting Goddess you can be sure, but you can't rely on ever knowing everything. Some things will be forever beyond your reach.
I'm glad you liked it.
You posted this at the start of an extremely busy week in my life and I haven't completely read through it but I just wanted to say: I like it!
Also: camels. WTF camels? FY camels!
2018157
Glad you do, but... what's wrong with camels?
2018172
Nothing's wrong with camels:
WTF = What The $&!%?
FY = $&!% Yeah!
(Oh, I see-- you thought I meant "$&!% You!" That'll teach me to leave off the umlaut).
2018259
Oooooh.
And, yes, I did think you meant "@#$% you!" and not the other way around.
Glad you like my weird interpretation of the inhabitants of Dromedaria.
Ah--the Iron Crown of the Lombardies! My dad always though that was awesome. Not as a true believer but as a history buff. I can still recall his fanboyish cackle of glee when I described the One Ring of Power to him, back when I'd read Tolkien and he hadn't. "Hah--the Iron Crown of the Lombardies!"
Like Setanta and Cúchulainn.
By the way, did you know that Cúchulainn got his adult name by killing (SELF DEFENSE! MISTAKEN IDENTITY!) the giant guard-dog of Cullen the Smith...by hurling a ball down the creature's throat so it choked?
And by that token, does Spike now have an Equestrain name ("Wolfsbane" "Wolfslayer") that's more badass than his draconic name?
This. THIS.