tLoE XVII: Not to be Racist or Anything...

Ladies and Gentlemen, Welcome back to another intriguing installment of "the Land of Equestria"! Before we begin this week, I'd like to clear up a few things. Some of you may have noticed that my story "Marked" hasn't been updated in a while, and for that I apologize. I had honestly hoped to upload a new chapter every week, but sadly due to new work constraints and classes starting up very soon, it's been difficult to keep up a consistent writing schedule. Now, I WILL be continuing the story, but I firmly believe in actually taking the time to do things right, so although I'm not going to rush it, the next chapter should be expected fairly soon!

Well enough about all that, you came here for interesting information! So I was looking over the show and comparing it to multiple other great fantasy worlds (such as the Elder Scrolls, Lord of the rings, or any game like Pathfinder) and came to realize something very important in each of those settings: race. Be they man, elf, dwarf, or whatever, each mythical race in a given fantasy world has certain advantages and disadvantages, but this can actually be directly paralleled to MLP's primary Equestrians. so instead of Man, Elf, and Dwarf, we have Earth, Pegasus, and Unicorn. Unlike our "Equestria Origins" installment, we'll be focusing more on the individual differences between the races, not their tribes. So, what exactly are the specific strengths and weaknesses, in detail, of each race? What sets them apart mentally as well as physically? Let's dive in and have a look!

Let's begin with what appears to be the "basic" Equestrian, the "Man" of their world, the Earth ponies. From the Hearth's warming eve episode, we learned that in ancient times, they were gifted farmers, practical, and strong. What they lacked in magic or agility, they more than made up for in pure strength and rational thought. Mentally speaking, they appear to be the race with the best common sense, forgoing deep strategy and complicated ideals for simple, fast, and direct ideas. Some may see this as a disadvantage initially, but a good demonstration of how useful practical thinking can be is found in the Slumber party episode from season one, where Twilight's inquisitive and detached approach, and Rarity's thoughtful and micro-organized plan were not helpful in the slightest, whereas AJ's simple and direct "Push the tree out" was the best solution, regardless of simplicity. As a downfall to direct thinking however, in-depth military strategy may be a little harder to come by among these folk. moving on to physical attributes, the clear and most obvious point is that they have nothing too special, neither wings nor horns. However, they are built much sturdier than the other races, capable of delivering mighty blows (or kicks), and seen doing everything from bucking down the entire contents of trees, to dragging houses (Hearts and hooves day), to punching through solid rock (Maud Pie). The clear downside to all of this however is the lack of any natural way to control magic, and the lack of flight.

The next group on our list in the Pegasi, A race with a rich military past and the unique advantage of wings, Pegasi for all intents and purposes rule the sky. Mentally speaking, they are a quick-thinking people, who, although not majorly intellectual, are very fond of routines and schedules. They schedule their routes, their weather, their training, and they have a knack for organization. Thus, once an organized, outlined plan is set, they free up their minds so they need not do too much thinking later. Pegasi also appear to be (for the most part) a competitive people (Note that all assessments here are for the majority, not for the whole, as Fluttershy would be an exception here), devising numerous tricks, hosting multiple competitions, even turning some JOBS into a competitive sport (See Hurricane Fluttershy). Now, Physically speaking, the Pegasi are very agile, often times relying on their maneuverability rather than their brute strength to help them in situations (Rainbow Dash could be seen as an exception given her physical prowess). They also are lighter weight than the other races, given their need to fly (And as many Bronies have theorized, they likely have hollow bones, much like birds), and they also have the unique ability to touch, stand on, and otherwise manipulate clouds directly.

But how about the third race: the Unicorns? Many, many Fans automatically call them the master race, given their magic horns, but as with any advantage, there are always disadvantages. Starting off with mental, the Unicorns are a very intellectual people, believing firmly in writing, study, and knowledge in general, particularly in whatever field one specializes in. They also are a much "fancier" people so to speak, carrying on many traditions and finer attitudes, and conducting themselves with grace. The Earth ponies may see this as pointless, and the Pegasi might see it as a waste of time, but the Unicorns quite enjoy it. However, their love for knowledge may occasionally be their downfall, as they may commonly overthink situations where a practical solution would be necessary, and they also may get very hung up on a failure, such as Rarity's over dramatic reactions or Twilight's obsessive fear of error. Physically speaking, they are neither as strong as the Earth ponies not as agile as the Pegasi, instead relying on their magic to be their biggest asset, but as has been seen a few times before, a Unicorn without their horn functioning is practically useless in any physical situation.

And then, because I feel I must, I should address the Alicorn. The Alicorn is an Ascended Equestrian, and we know that Unicorns and Pegasi can ascend, although Earth ponies are unconfirmed, it is likely that they can to. The Alicorn embodies the major traits of all three races, the Flight and cloud manipulation of the Pegasus, the Strength and durability of an Earth Pony, and the Magic control of a Unicorn. However, given that this is an ascended form, and not necessarily an entirely separate race, there is no specific thought process associated to them, and physically speaking, they are a superior being but they are not perfect, as we have seen them be defeated before.

So what can we take away from this? Although the Races of Equestria are different, they each have their own set of advantages and disadvantages which cancel each other out quite nicely, and just help build the lore of the Land of Equestria!

P.S.: Do you hear me, all you "Unicorn master Race" Bronies?

TL:DR ?
TL: DR.

-Much like all good Fantasy worlds, Equestria is home to many unique races
-Earth Ponies are practical thinkers, and hold common sense and straightforward thinking dear.
-Earth ponies are the strongest and most durable of the races
-Pegasi are quick thinkers, but have a knack for organizing things. they are also a very competitive people.
-Pegasi have the power of flight, and are the most agile. they also are lightweight, and can manipulate clouds.
-Unicorns are intellectual and fancy people, Believing firmly in knowledge and complex ideas.
-Unicorns are not very strong or fast, but rely on their magic for the most part.
-Alicorns are ascended Equestrians, and embody the top traits of each race.
-the races are well balanced, and while each has advantages, the accompanying disadvantages ensure that no one race is better than the other.

Alright everyone! that's all for this week, And I know there are other races that live in Equestria, such as Zebras, Cows, Donkeys, Griffins, and Bat-ponies (Luna's guard: "Luna Eclipsed"). I didn't want to fit everything into just this installment, but if you'd like me to go over some of the other races later, feel free to drop a comment or a PM!

Until next time, carry on with what you do best!

I'm Ironsmith, Invent on!