Pony POV Series World Building, The Umbrum · 7:09am Nov 19th, 2018
While Sombra was created by the rune Nythy tricked the Crystal Ponies into constructing that made all their repressed fears manifest, and became sapient thanks to Radiant Hope's retcon into existence ( he also manifested as a foal rather than an adult).
The rest of the Umbrum, Sombra's family, were an unintended side effect. Each Umbrum is born from a different repressed emotion, just as Sombra is born from the crystal ponies' repressed fear, and is unconsciously driven to make those fears reality.
This include repressed anger, hate, lust, worries, the repressed love for that crush you never confessed to, burying that small voice of courage that tells you stand up to your domineering boss, old fashioned greed from a former thief, envy, doubt, repressed gluttony from a weight watcher, repressed joy for someone expected by their family to act a certain way, rather than facing these emotions.
Their individual level of power is how much the crystal ponies repressed these emotions before they were jumped forward a thousand years into the future. Thus, emotions that were repressed very little, gave brith to the weakest Umbrum.
Ira, Sombra's sister, is the crystal ponies' repressed wrath. Rabia, Sombra's mother, is the crystal ponies' repressed rage. Umbrum follow this theme of spanish names. As long as the rune is intact, killing a Umbrum will only result in them manifesting again. If the rune is destroyed, they'll know what it is to fear death.
As as spoof of the Espada antagonists from the anime Bleach, I can almost imagine the Umbrum have 'sealed forms' and 'power forms', possibly resembling mundane ponies (Ira's sealed form resembling a breezie, as Sombra's sealed form resembles a unicorn). Of course, if we continued this spoof to its illogical conclusion, it would be their powers were parodied off the angels of death, but that is taking the spoof too far perhaps!
Also, the Umbrum gaining self-awareness was NOT part of Nythy or Discord's plan, it's a question if Discord even knew they existed! Rabia is her own entity, but she also serves as Nythy's avatar among the Umbrum. The Umbrum do care for each other as family... as much as the emotions they were spawned from ALLOW THEM to feel any sort of endearment. This also means they can think, learn, plan, and have different viewpoints and individual goals.
Being born from rejected emotions, all Umbrum feel varying levels of spite towards the crystal ponies, be it a benign general dislike, to seething hatred, to a terrifying jovial 'so hateful it circles back around from hate and they giggle as they stab you.'
Your average crystal pony knows none of this. Though it's possible a previous incarnation of Cadenza had figured it out the truth.
The Heart of Ponyland, AKA The Crystal Heart as it's known in modern times, is something the Umbrum all fear since regardless of what emotion they were born from, the basic building blocks of their being were created from opposing magic. Of course... part of Ponyland's magic is self acceptance with the happy contradiction of self-improvement, which is contrary to the repressed emotions that birthed the Umbrum.
That's pretty fascinating stuff Alex. I really enjoy reading the world building entries.
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Thank you. This will likely be the last one, some ground work for whoever writes Crystal Empire.