The harmony crusade upcoming ideas and asking for fan ideas · 7:33am Nov 25th, 2020
First of all, for those who are fans of The harmony crusade, thank you for reading, liking, commenting, etc. I'd like to share some ideas I'm slowly working on for the upcoming chapters(nothing is fully concrete yet and subject to change). The 10 ponemarch will name their respective legions and 3 of them will split their legions into smaller war herds(currently each legion is about 100,000 pony marines strong and the legions that will split their forces will split them into 10 herd each). The olther four princesses will each get their own transequine super soldier bodyguards made up of 30 individuals. Two minotaur tribes will voluntarily pledge themselves to the crusade. One tribe will be called the fire pipes and their preferred weapons will be homemade scatterguns.(think bastard offspring of a punt gun and a blunderbuss) The other tribe will be called the long pikes.(I think their preferred weapon is self-explanatory) Each tribe will be about 2,000 warriors strong. As the liberation and pacification of Equestria and lands beyond happens, the Ponyhood of Steel will make their mobile forges more permanent structures that will be expanded into massive manufacturing facilities.
Second, I'd like to ask the fans to leave either in the comment below or in a PM various things. The names of the transequine bodyguards for the other princesses, their armor colors and weapons they use. The names of the legions, their colors, ranks, iconography, standards, traditions and any war herds that come off it.(be creative and go hog wild) The names of regular pony regiments. (army, Ponyhood of Steel and the Fraternity) Names of the remaining unnamed War Striders. Should Canterlot, Cloudsdale and the Crystal City be repopulated or turned into fortresses? Names of the various gangs(and what their preferred MO), warlords(they are basically going to be ruling as tin pot dictators over their little fiefdoms they have carved out), cults(and who they worship. The princesses, Grogar, Sombra, etc...) and major marauding bands of maniacs and mutants. Remember this is heavily inspired by 40k and Fallout, but doesn't pull 100% from either so feel free to pull your ideas from whatever. The comments below that get the most up votes(even from ideas I didn't think to ask for) I will use and any ideas sent to me in PMs that I like. If your ideas are used in the story, I will credit you in the story description.
I already have plans for Cozy Glow, Chrysalis, Pharynx, Thorax and his hive.
To better help you all with ideas, here's the basic ideas for the ponemarchs and their legions I've already come up with:
Pomum Ligni: Personality traits: dour, steadfast, patient, stubborn. Quirks: has a rivalry with Vent Rapide that borders on violence, slow to adapt or accept new ideas. Physical traits: Earth pony, orange coat, blonde mane, largest and strongest of the ponemarchs. Legion traits: Prefers thicker, heavier armor and heavy weapons. Prefers slow grinding advances to inflict massive casualties.
Zoccolli di Pietra: Personality traits: Jovial, good natured, enjoys pranks, has a close relationship with Apricus. Quirks: Has a tendency to be a bit scatter-brained, tends to leap before looking. Physical traits: Earth pony, dusky pink coat, dark pink mane, lost both forelegs in a battle and had them replaced with cybernetic limbs. Legion traits: Prefers shorter range weapons, rapid strikes deep into enemy ranks and close quarters combat.
Vent Rapide: Personality traits: Brash, bold, has a close relationship with Papilionem. Quirks: Has a rivalry with Pomum Ligni that borders on violence, impetuous, braggart, easily distracted if bored. Physical traits: Pegasus, sky blue coat, multi-spectral mane, physically smallest of the ponemarchs. Legion traits: Prefers lightning-fast strikes into the center of enemy ranks, prefers fighting in melee with wing-mounted blades and planting explosives on enemy weapons and structures.
Papilionem: Personality traits: Quiet, calm, reserved, slow to anger, has a close relationship with Vent Rapide. Quirks: Will actively avoid combat where bystanders, wildlife or forests would be threatened, tends to avoid social contact, when angered will become a raging berserker. Physical traits: Pegasus traits: Pegasus, light yellow coat, dusty pink mane, second tallest of the ponemarchs. Legion traits: Prefers strafing runs, dropping explosives on enemy war machines, swooping attacks on enemy flanks and decapitation strikes. Like ponemarch, when angered will fly into berserk rages.
Adamantem: Personality traits: Master craftspony, master artificer, master builder, sharp eye for details, master melee combatant. Quirks: Perfectionist to a fault, will go out of way to preserve works of art, will focus on aesthetics and design overly, obsessed with personal appearance, haughty, snobbish, superiority complex. Physical traits: Unicorn, lily coat, violet mane, most attractive of the ponemarchs. Legion traits: Prefers to build fortifications and/or entrenchments, holds ground until the last moment before charging headlong into enemy ranks, favored weapons are guns that fire mass reaction rounds, values accuracy over massed fire, constantly tweaking armor and weapons until they are masterwork.
Aster: Personality traits: Highly intelligent, instinctual tactician, master of defensive and healing magic, inventor and tinkerer, natural leader, instinctual statespony. Quirks: Obsesses over the minutiae, will go out of way to preserve knowledge, obsessive to the point of near-madness, has tendency to micromanage, mad scientist-level of tinkering and inventing, rivalry with Epresario. Physical traits: Unicorn, dark purple coat, two-tone royal purple and magenta mane, second shortest of the ponemarchs. Legion traits: Prefers small squad combined arms units, employs the highest amount of experimental weapons, armor and other gear, prefers outflanking or hammer and anvil tactics, every squad as at least one medic embedded in it.
Mica: Personality traits: Highly intelligent, master of combat magic, fierce, quick to adapt, has close relationship with Epresario. Quirks: Impulsive, over reliance on magic, stubborn, tends to leap before looking. Physical traits: Unicorn, pale purple coat, two-tone turquoise and amethyst mane. Legion traits: Uses small squad hit-and-run tactics, shock attack tactics and terror tactics, will attempt to control largest area of a battle, prefers to use magic over ranged weapons.
Empresario: Personality traits: Master of misdirection, sharp eye for detail, highly charismatic, has a close relationship with Mica. Quirks: Egotistical, haughty, showboat. Physical traits: Unicorn, light blue coat, white mane, has best night vision of ponemarchs. Legion traits. Prefers night raids, demoralization attacks, misdirection strikes, sabotage, assassinations, ambushes and fire-and-fade tactics, uses small squads of 2 to 3, employs flash and smoke grenades as much as standard explosives.
Divinos: Personality traits: Scholarly, master tactician, instinctual statespony, best knowledge. Quirks: Slow to respond, obsessively documents all information, weakest in overall magical potential. Physical traits: Unicorn, pale orange coat, vermilion mane. Legion traits: Prefers to hold back until gaps opens up in enemy lines then charging in in massed formations, pefers massed volleys before charging, will quickly split into small fire teams upon punching into enemy ranks.
Apricus: Personality traits: Master of fire-based magic, master artificer, quick to adapt, close relationship with Zoccoli di Pietra. Quirks: Hot tempered, brash, egotistical, tendency to be cruel. Physical traits: Unicorn, dark amber coat, mane and tail never grew in. Legion traits: Prefers plasma casters, high-powered lasers, heat beams and flame throwers in massed attacks along with fire-based magic, uses close quarters terror tactics to break enemy's moral, will completely destroy as much of an enemy army as possible before moving on.
If have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments or a PM. Remember the only stupid questions are the ones that go unasked.
Hm... let me think. There's a lot of info to look through and consider. But, off the top of my head, here's some of my initial ideas.
APPLEJACK: This legions most distinctive overall color is some shade of orange, varying in hues depending on which herd a marine is part of. And the secondary colors also help to denote rank and/or squad. Like red stripes are only worn by lieutenants and company commanders have white. Since their ponymarch is an earthpony, a large chunk of them are also. And they proudly display this heritage in some of their more esoteric decorations, medals, and even weaponry, like using farm-based tools (shovels, scythes, rakes) as close quarters weapons and all of them (whether earthpony or not) are immensely physically strong. And after successful victory, they plant a fruit tree on the battlefield and using their earth magics to ensure a healthy growth for the tree even long after they've departed, with apples being reserved their most important victories.
RAINBOW DASH: Quite clearly, the lightning bolt is going to be the most common symbol of this legion. I think it goes without saying that the Sonic Boom Legion is going to consist of pegasi almost exclusively. And ALL OF THEM are super elite flyers capable that could easily outfly even the fabled Wonderbolts, not to mention being able to fly fast enough to make Sonic Rainbooms. It's so important to this legion's identity and heritage that if an aspiring pegasus is unable to create one, they are not inducted into the legion proper but are given to one of the supporting herds. After all, the Rainboom is an excellent distraction. Can you imagine the chaos that a multi-pony coordinated Sonic Rainboom could have on unprepared enemy forces (both aerial and land-based)?!
RARITY: I'm afraid I don't have many concrete ideas for this legion. But since it's descended from Rarity, it only seems fitting to me that they'd proudly have have gilded armor that sparkled in even the most muted light. So, chrome colors like gold, silver, bronze, platinum, and other such would be their chosen ones. They could also use the same identifying color scheme as Applejack's legion. Like commanders have certain colored gems lining their armor in place of ranks. Emeralds for squad leaders, ruby for company leaders, amethyst for herds, and their ponymarch has diamonds? That being the case, maybe something to do with gems or 'beauty' could be used in their legion name? Like the Princess's Gems, though most everypony else just calls them the Gilded Legion. After battle, they would go out among the liberated slaves or ponies to help teach them the importance of art and expressing individuality from it.
I'll try to think of more later.
5465992
You've defiantly got some good ideas and given me something to ruminate on.
Okay, minor notes this time.
I keep getting the idea that Applejack's legion should be named something like the Stalwart Legion. Something that hints at relentlessness and stubbornness.
And the second is to cut the Sonic Boom Legion down to just the Sonic Legion. Though, that might be even worse since I'm sure some jackasses will inevitably compare it to a certain blue hedgehog. Sorry, I can't seem to find an adequate name for this one. Though, something speed-based does seem appropriate, right?
Oh! I've also had a small idea for Fluttershy's legion. Well, it's more of an addition to something you've already made. But along with them trying to save civilians or reduce collateral damage, how about each of them possesses an innate love of nature and animals? Enough so that they decorate their armor with animal images, maybe even individualizing their various herds and squads or even specialized combat styles with specific creatures. Like the Bears are strong brawlers, the Foxes are cunning trapmasters, falcons are speedy melee specialists, and salamanders are the bomb droppers? Maybe even particularly sentimental legionnaires/squads keep a few animals as mascots or pets or friends? And finally, since this is Fluttershy, it seems obvious to me that this legion would be the most friendly and approachable of the army, trying to give and spread peace and kindness to everyone they meet. As for a name to this legion, it's a little unoriginal but I think you'll see the humor in it. They are the Saddle Ragers!
5466649
I've already got the name for Vent Rapide's legion, they'll be called the Sky Rangers and once they retake the ruins of Cloudsdale, they'll turn it into their stronghold.
5466658
Oh, thank Celestia!
I was starting to get a full head of 
Twilighting
going on there for a little while. And Sky Rangers is a LOT better than my ideas!
❕❕❕
I just had a rather...peculiar idea for a faction that the Harmony Crusade could fight against. I haven't thought of a proper name for it yet since it's still just a basic concept. But the overall idea is that this faction is largely pony-based and dominated by unicorns.
Legend has it that the founder of their kingdom was a great hero, warrior, and politician who himself had been descended from the longest running and most magically gifted of all Unicorn bloodlines. This hero, Blueblood the Great of House Platinum, had taken command of the sun goddess's great army of unicorns in the days of the cataclysm when the goddesses abandoned their little ponies in their time of greatest need. Thus, Blueblood the Great led a valiant charge against the besieging monsters at the gate of the Dead City and his army broke out. Once free of their enemies, the great and valiant hero then led his loyal troops to the far west of the lands. As they went, they rescued any and every unicorn they came across, as well as snatching up numerous earthpony and pegasi. Arriving upon the great Smokey Mountain, Blueblood founded a new city which would become the capital of his kingdom. However, his kingdom was vastly different and is considered FAR superior to what the sun goddess had ruled over. Unicorns outnumber the other tribes (5-to-1) and rule over the earthponies and pegasi with iron hooves, making them into slaves in all but name. After all, the unicorns have only deepened their understanding in the magical arts over the past thousand years whereas the earthponies toil away in the fields and the pegasi fly the skies (scouting and weather control). Plus, the other two tribes depend heavily upon the unicorns to keep them safe whenever a bad magic storm rolls through the area. While they do possess some technological advancements, they are only around the 21st century mark rather than the 31st millennium. So, they have stuff like automatic belt-fed rifles, rockets and jets and missiles, and whatnot, but there's a heavy magical undertone to everything. Everything's magically charged, forged, enchanted, and empowered.
Obviously, this particular faction was created when the cowardly Prince Blueblood started a panic within Canterlot during the crises as the dangers were rapidly approaching. He was able to do this because the princesses had all be busy elsewhere (outside the city) trying to deal with the problems. Blueblood knew that the princesses couldn't stop what was happening and saw an opportunity. He spun a compelling lie that the princesses had abandoned them and that they needed to escape the city as quickly as they could. And since the nobility hold power in Canterlot and he was considered 'royalty' thanks to his connections to House Platinum, he naturally became the leader. Sure, he was absolutely terrified for his life and had only really wanted the Royal Guard to escort him out of the city and to somewhere safe, but he also realized that there was safety in numbers. Specifically, numbers of meatshields he could throw between himself and any danger that comes his way. Anyway, Blueblood led his faction away and set up his own kingdom when it became clear that the princesses really couldn't stop what was happening to everyone, so they banded together to try and rebuild their society. As a result of him maintaining his lie and mounting 'evidence', it became an unquestioned fact of history that the former Princesses truly had abandoned them. Thus, the ponies of this faction (of ALL tribes) hold deep and passionate hatred towards the princesses for the perceived abandonment. So, when the Harmony Crusade reaches them, they are going to fight tooth and nail to very last pony to reject assimilation into the growing Equestrian nation. And they are too dangerous and stubborn enough of a threat that it's not going to be a quick and easy victory for the Crusade either.
If I had to compare this kingdom to Warhammer, I'd say that this kingdom is gonna be like the Dark Elves
(founded on perceived injustices, dark magic, slaves, and all that).
At least, that's my basic idea.
What'cha think?
I even had this little idea that Blueblood doing what he did actually is what caused Canterlot to become the Dead City. Because he caused the panic and mass exodus, he ruined Celestia's plan to lure the dark forces up the mountain and 'contain' them there until the other princesses could somehow marshal their own forces and strength to come and smash into their enemies from the rear. But with Blueblood taking the Royal Guard and most of the rest of the fighting fit ponies with him, that plan was ruined, and so was Canterlot as a result. The remaining defenders were slaughtered and the city destroyed/sacked before Celestia or any of the other princesses could arrive to stop it.
So, in a sense, Blueblood was very much a villain in this time of strife.
5468594
That's a really good idea, though I'll probably change it to a group of scheming unicorn nobles who were already on the precipice of committing high treason when the cataclysm happened. Remember that the cataclysm happened far enough into Twilight's rule that the other 5 element bearers had shown the physical signs of ageing. They would have used the combination of the cataclysm, Twilight fleeing with as many survivors as she could load, the princesses seemingly falling in combat or disappearing and the ensuing chaos to convince as many unicorns, especially the ones who would be on the fence, like those in the Royal Guard or more liberal-minded politicians, that they had been abandoned, so they decided to reform a new Unicornia, unfortunately the original leaders fell to political intrigue and infighting, leaning a power vacuum for brutal dictators who visit their wrath on their "lessers" for daring to look upon them, their "subjects" live in abject poverty while they live in gilded halls as pontifs. Their tech level, I was thinking, could be a hodgepodge of the late industrial period and mid-cold war, they'd have selective fire rifles, self-propelled guns, but have a lack of efficient body armor, using more in the way of simple cotton shirts with "sacred seals" on them for the rank and file infantry, while the officers wear outdated breastplates, the engines of the self-propelled guns would run on coal oil and they haven't quite mastered modern explosive shells, using projectiles more akin to what was fired from parrot guns(solid kinetic rounds propelled from an artillery shell).
5468632
Hm....yeah, the scheming cabal of high nobles makes sense.
Although, I feel I must argue with their tech level. If for no other reason, adversity is mother of invention. By them having to consistently face off against the horrors and dangers of this new world, they need every advantage they can get. So, they would be forced to push their innovations further and further.
Oh! I also just had an idea for the dragons! How about they had their own fracturing of society. Some of the more 'rambunctious' and traditional-thinking ones who valued strength, power, and dominance became roving warlords and despots. They would be like just as likely to raid and war with themselves as they would another kingdom. To use a Star Wars reference, these dragonlords would be like the various Moffs and Admirals of the Expanded Universe, each vying to expand their own territory, prestige, and power.
But a smaller collection of dragons who'd embraced the ideals of Twilight's school formed a confederation of like-minded creatures (griffons, ponies, dragons, minotaurs, kirin, yaks, etc.) up in the more northern reaches, near the Crystal Empire, because it was arguably safer than anywhere deeper into Equestria where the majority of the magic storms happened. They have built a society that continues the ideals of harmony, but they are small in size and population and are finding themselves constantly beset on all sides by monsters, disasters, and spiteful 'neighbors' who just want to see the precious kingdom burn.
5468653
Most of the dragons will be loyal to Dragon Lord Ember, though a few upstarts traveled to the stormlands, the badlands and the forbidden jungle to scratch out their own fiefdoms, so far none have seen them. The dragons are mostly cloistered in their volcanic homelands. I am planning some kind of union between Spike and Ember that will ensure the safety and stability of both the New Equestrian Empire and the dragons. The kirins and the Neighponese have an uneasy alliance as they're fighting for their very existence against the nezumi. Klugetown is no longer a lawless free port and is now a massive spired city that has allied with the technocracy of Germane, Roam has walled itself off becoming a xenophobic earth pony-centric society, the griffons are mostly enslaved by a horde of centaurs, the one who managed to escape have either thrown their lot in with the warlords and gangs, joined mercenary companies or decided to strike out on their own to become settlers and/or prospectors, though there is a growing rebellion in occupied Griffonstone, but a leader hasn't quite arisen yet who can unite the griffons, though rumors of an heir to the last ruler of the griffons will start swirling. The hippogriffs and yaks shut their borders to the world outside, abbysinians and avian shaven't been seen for centuries. There's going to be a handful of power players that will throw their lots in with the crusade, the secret village of Hidden Valley is one.
Hm....correct me if I'm wrong, but these 'nezumi' are the skaven of this story, right? Just like those hogs are the Orks?
Anyway, I just had an idea. That the nezumi and the diamond dogs (or whatever they're called now) are also stuck in an unending war as well. However, the dogs are on the losing side and one of their packleaders decides to take a gamble and request assistance from the NEE to at least help them guard their borders against the nezumi. Once this is done, an uneasy alliance transitions into tentative trade between the two with the dogs trading gems and jewels for certain minor necessities like food, comfortable clothing, and maybe a few enchanted items to help with home security?
5468692
Yes the nezumi are inspired by the skaven , just no magic mad science tech and more like pony-sized samurai and ninja rats that come swarming out of everywhere, they're more like the ratkin from the old school world of darkness. The diamond dogs are divided up in a loose clan and tribal structure and are more about getting the shiny bits and bobs. The hogs are inspired by the orks, but they don't reproduce through spores, their young grow from the flesh of their dead.
Hey, I was browsing through some various MLP fanfics and stuff and I came across this particular video on YouTube. While I can't say I like all of them, there are quite a few Legion names in that I feel would probably work quite well in your story. Particularly the 'Arcane Angels' one for Starlight's Legion and the 'Daybreakers' for Sunset's Legion. But the names of Imperial Hooves, Celestia's Children, and Ultramares also have some promise, right?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7sn83H8Z7I
5471662
The link is dead.
As for the names, I think those were used in God Empress of Ponkykind. I you haven't read it, it's really good.
I've come up with a name for Empresario's legion the Night Hunters. Ultramares would be fine if the legion was entirely female, but the ponemarchs don't identify themselves as male or female, though the transequine warriors of the legions may identify themselves s mare or stallion.
I'll put a pin in Daybreakers as it could give me something to work with.
I was thinking Celestial Hooves or Canterlot Guard for Adamantem's legion, considering that that legion specializes in fortifications and making sure their gear is the best there is and having an aesthetically appearance is important to them too. Definitely some ideas for me to consider.
5471694
Try a simple copy/paste into the address bar. The link works, I'm sure of it. I mean, I LITERALLY just watched it today!
As for if those ideas come from that other story, I'll have to look into it later.
5471725
Those are from a story called Warpony 40k. I've heard of that story and have seen a lot of artwork based on it.
https://www.fimfiction.net/story/67922/warpony-40k
5471725
I don't want to intentionally plagiarizer someone else's work. I don't know if you've written your own fics or not, it's considered bad form to take someone else's work and write it as your own without at least getting their permission first. It's one thing to write something inspired by another's work and another thing entirely to rip their work off.
5471751
True that. I can understand and fully approve of that mindset. Although, it does kinda limit you somewhat.
On the other hoof, that means you gotta be even more creative as a result!
5471754
Being creative is kinda my forte, I started writing when I was about 12 or 13 and I'll be 42 at the end of this month, this site is the first site I've published anything on.
5471760
Heh, yeah. I started writing when I was like 10. Started posting on ff.net at 17/18. And am now pushing 35. But my muse has been drying up significantly these past 5 years. It's disheartening. So, helping you brainstorm is a very nice experience!
5471767
I know what it's like to have your muse vanish or get writer's block or even suffer creative burnout, been there multiple times.
I've just had a pair of ideas. One deals with New Unicornia and the other is the basis for a potential new faction for a new subspecies of pony.
NEW UNICORNIA: Now i am unaware of if you've already chosen names for the royal family. Of you have, I apologize. If not, here's what I came up with:
King Supreme Crown
Queen Divine Right
Prince Holy Crown (the heir)
Princess Beauty Divine
Okay, the new faction is actually an offshoot of the Crystal Ponies, so they hail from the extreme north. Given they live in a land of snow and ice, they naturally had to adapt, living in sprawling communitiesof tunnels and caverns under the glaciers and mountains. But they are fortunate to live there as ice (in my headcanon) is a natural isolator against the magic storms that ravaged the lands above.
Now, over the centuries, interbreeding between the crystal ponies, pegasi, earthponies, and unicorns have produced a new breed of pony. A pony that absorbed the pegasi magic of weather manipulation, earthpony strength and adaptability, unicorns' talent for overt magic, and the crystal ponies' affinity for Crystal creation and manipulation, combined with the necessity of survival and the nature of their environment, and you've got the first ever branch of iceponies who are able to create and/or control ice. They use this power to continually reinforce the defenses of their home against the storms, are potent warriors, and are as steadfast and stubborn as their parent races.
Unlike what most people would do, I don't believe the icepony should a stoic and cold individual. That's just too cliche and boring. No, how about most iceponies possess a fiery passion for life and a zeal of almost religious fervor for whatever hobbies or beliefs they pursue. After all, you would NEED a fire in your belly and resolve to survive in such cold conditions, right?
5496970
I like your idea of ice ponies. It sounds like you were inspired a little bit by the Vahallan Ice Guard. I'll put the ball in your court, give me a basic description of their culture. Do they only eat things like moss, brackens and ferns, or do they eat some amount of fish and meat? What is their relationship with the yaks? What are their powers and abilities? Are they earth ponies, pegasi, unicorns or pseudo-alicorns(stunted wings or stunted horns or both)? Are they aware of their ancestry? Do they know of and/or worship the alicorn princesses? What is their tech level? Has the news of the crusade reached them, If so, will they send out envoys to try and make contact or will they attempt to conceal themselves from it?
New Unicornia is inspired more by the Vatican States during the medieval period. They're ruled by a Grand Pontiff who rules through a mixture of theocratic autocracy, superstition and good old fashioned brute force. There isn't a royal family per se, the original unicorn royal families from Canterlot, who turned traitor at the beginning of the great cataclysm, all died out from a combination from incest and political infighting. The current unicorn rulers are descended from the commoners who tried to keep the other ponies alive, but at some point in their past, a group of unicorn supremacist cultists(nopony knows exactly when or how they did it, most likely they destroyed all records after cementing power). In present, they are ruled by a Grand Pontiff and a council of lesser pontiffs(think something along the lines of the college of cardinals), when the current Grand Pontiff dies or abdicates, the council meets to vote one of their number as the newest Grand Pontiff, but almost as often it's whoever can stab and/or blackmail their opponents usually snatches the title(kinda like how at one point in history how many people became Pope). The earth ponies and pegasi are kept in subjugation, the former tills the fields and works the mines, the latter keeps the weather in check and risks their lives to break up the wild magical storms that brew from time to time. The official state doctrine is 1)Before the divine ascended to the heavens, they created the unicorns first from magic and light, and thus being the closest to the divine, they rule through divine writ, with the Grand Pontiff being the only who can truly interpret the will of the divine. It is blasphemy to speak ill of a unicorn. 2)The lesser tribes were created after the storms and the soil, but before the beasts, and thus were born too far from the light for them to rightfully rule. It is heresy for any other than a unicorn to claim the right to rule. 3) The divine holds no physical form, for they rule from the heavens above, with the unicorns serving as their vessel. It is apostasy for any outside the Grand Pontiff to claim to speak for the divine 4)Alicorns and goddesses are nothing more than demons and myths that twist the visage of the divine, and thus are worshiped by the divineless heathens and idolaters. Any who worship or claim to have seen an alicorn or goddess must be purged by fire.
Wow. That's definitely a different view and ideology for New Unicornia to have than anything I probably would've come up with. So much potential flavor and intrigue!! I LOVE it!!
For the iceponies, hm... Okay, I've got A. idea, not sure if it's good but whatever. For purely physical traits, yes, iceponies have very small, almost vestigial wings (like Scootaloo or Bulk Biceps in size) and a very small horn (like only 1/3 a unicorn's size). Their coats are all almost uniformly some shade of white, blue, or gray for camouflage in the snow. While their manes can be any color like the other ponies, they always seem to have an almost magical sparkle that twinkles in the light like snowflakes (ie: like Luna's mane but not ethereal).
But that's only the physical and natural look they have. Its what they do with their magic subconsciously that truly sets apart their appearance from other ponies. Most prominently being that they line and lengthen their wings with thin ice shards and snow. This not only gives the illusion of having wings made purely of ice, but it also gives the more magically powerful among them a limited flight ability (ie: Fluttershy level of speed and agility). This is more of a natural act than anything else, like how we have to breathe or blink. Yes, it's practical but it's just part of who and what they are. Plus, they also coat their horns in ice as, even though they are all ponies, the small horns are a bit of an embarrassment for most iceponies. Thus, the act of revealing one's horn is seen as a VERY intimate (almost sexual) one, a sign of submission or disgrace, or as a means of 'unmasking oneself' to show they are being EXTREMELY serious about something. Since they are descendants of unicorns, they can use actual magic, though most are content with just basic telekinesis and their ice magic. Since they are from pegasi, the ice on their wings could be considered as passive magic like cloud walking (which they CAN'T do naturally, btw). As far as active magic abilities, I guess a good comparison would be like waterbending in the Avatar series, but exclusively for ice.
For their culture, I'd say they live a semi-peaceful existence for the era they live in. They aren't slavers since they don't have time for such frivolous depravity. While they aren't xenophobic, they do possess a strong distrust of strangers since they are still plagued by mutants and cannibal hordes.
In my headcanon, I see this place as being a type of republic dictatorship. The republic is run by elected officials who have terms of five storms in office. Not years, but magic storms since it's during and after such potential disasters that a senator shows his worth as a leader. If he does a poor job or needlessly gets ponies killed, he is promptly kicked out of office and replaced by a military commander until a new senator is elected. Thus, the senators MUST work to appease their voters or risk social disgrace. The military acts as both the republic's defenders, police force, inquisition, and the Generals Council are the Heads of State and commanders in chief, who in turn answer to the elected High General (also five storm term). There are five Generals in the Council, each usually a representative of a different branch of service or pony tribe: Army (earthpony), Air Force (pegasi), Marines (crystal ponies), Navy (unicorns, usually), and Special Forces (iceponies).
Since they are descended from crystal ponies, its obvious some of their ancestors came from the Empire. Thus, they'd have brought a lot of Equestrian and Empire lore, customs, culture, and artifacts with them one of which would've been basic foodstuffs. And because they had members of all tribes, growing their own foods with a lot of magical aid wouldn't be farfetched. So, their diets could arguably be one of the better ones nowadays.
To go along with the lore, they'd most definitely have heard tales of Cadance's wails and the abandoned tower and city. I could actually see this being the source of a new religion, where they must work hard and diligently for the betterment of themselves, their communities, and the world as a whole in order to bring comfort, reconciliation, and love back to the Weeping Goddess (or Lady or whatever title).
As far as the Yaks go, I don't really think they'd have conflict with them unless its over some kind of perceived slight to one of their honor or a misunderstanding which could come to blows. Though while incredibly defensive, I don't think they'd be willing to venture too far from their frozen lands... Not without some kind of divine vision or sign of the Goddess that they are needed elsewhere for some great purpose.
Technology wise....I really don't know. In fact, despite all of these social, military, and religious advancements, I actually see them as being very heavily reliant on magic. Almost caveman-levels of technology otherwise. Granted, since they do have limited trading and occasional wars with other nearby tribes, they will undoubtedly have and want technology, but how much...? I'll leave that up to you, I think.
Whatcha think?
5497259
Defiantly well thought out. A few questions though: With the council of 5 each representing a different tribe(earth/pegasus/unicorn/crystal/ice), does that mean that refugee ponies from the from the Crystal Empire and Northern Equestria during/immediately after the great cataclysm or did ponies from the other three tribes make their way into the the frozen north at some other time fleeing bandit/slavers/cultists/mutants/monsters/cannibals?
Do they keep extensive farms and what crops do they grow? If not(because of poor soil, short growing period, etc...), do they fish or hunt or keep livestock to supplement their diet? *EDIT* I know crystal berry bushes grow all over the Crystal Empire, but those would be more of a seasonal crop and a pony can't subsist on berries alone.
Do they carry any sort of iconography depicting the alicorns/Wailing Tower/Crystal Heart?
Is their religion standardized(i.e. centralized and well maintained churches/temples) with clergy that cloister themselves away except on the days of worship or is it more decentralized and organic with local priests/shamans/lore keepers leading the locals in informal gatherings?
Do they build vast allied cities(something along the lines of allied city/states kinda like the Akkadian, Sumerian and Mesopotamian Empires), or are they more a vast collection of villages, hamlets and nomadic bands(like the Huns before they settled in Eastern Europe or the Mongols before the rise of Genghis Khan)?
Do they build their settlements on the tundra, in the mountains, around hot spring and volcanic vents, or do they hollow out sections under the glaciers to build their settlements?
What's the name of their civilization?
Do they know of the other far off(even if only in passing) pony and other creature factions(New Unicornia/The Brass Legion/The Germane Technocracy/Klugespire[it's currently a satellite state of The Germane Technocracy]/Hogz/Sphinxes/Griffonstone and the occupying centaur hoard/etc) and what do they think of them(constantly on the lookout for their scouts/spies/etc or that they're a bunch of wild tales)?
When the crusade finally arrives on their doorstep(i.e. taking up occupation in the Crystal Empire or encountering the yaks), will they send out envoys to greet them with open arms(or in this case, open forelegs) and begin integrating into the New Equestrian Empire, or will the see them as potential invaders and interlopers? If the latter, will first contact be violent or will they refuse to even talk?
Now a comment: Maybe their tech level instead of being paleolithic/mesolithic/neolithic, their tech level could be more mid-to-late bronze age with armor, shields, swords, spears, axes and whatnot made from magically imbued ice and enchanted crystals, making their weapons as formidable as any high tech weapon.
5497366
As far as refugee ponies in the early days, I see it as a bit of a mixture of what you suggested. Initially, they were fleeing the cataclysm, running out into the snows beyond the Empire when they saw the devastation was markedly less dangerous out there than in the Empire or Equestria. Afterwards, when things began to settle a bit and they began forming small but working communities, they'd start attracting a few more refugees, who'd bring tales of the Wailing Spire and the Weeping Goddess.
For their farms, as I said, with the aid of all pony tribes magic (weather, soil, and light), they are capable of growing vast amounts of good food as long as it's not done out in the elements. So, aside from tropical fruits that need a lot of heat and humidity, like lemons, oranges, whatnot, they can grow almost anything they want or need. Though, I'd say the mainstay of their diet would be grains, corn, and assorted veggies like peppers and tomatoes. I suppose they could supplement that with fishing and goat milking, as well. But I won't argue if you decide to change or add to it.
For religious iconography, I think the primary icon is going to be a gleaming white tower inside a blue teardrop. For how the religion is developed and preached, I think a mix of preaching priests and shamanic wise ponies would be the way to go. The priests instruct the foals of the tenets of the religion, acting as their kindergarten teachers, friars, and disciplinarians whenever their parents are unavailable to do so. But the priests don't really have any real power in government or the military, acting more as mentors to the populace as a whole than a leading authority figure. So, yes, they are just lore keepers and spiritual guides.
For their cities, I'd again say its a combination of what you suggested. They live in relatively isolated and distant villages that are hidden deep under the ice, vast and sprawling and ever-growing. But the distance between these cities is equally vast, needing to traverse the frozen surface for several harrowing days, if not weeks at a time if they are going somewhere specific. As for HOW they build them, its a bit if everything you suggested since they can't afford to be picky. But they also need to be careful lest they disturb some forces best left undisturbed. They initially started by finding a natural cave in a mountainside and started digging, expanding the cave, tunneling out and digging more caverns as the community grew. But they always made sure to shield the cave entrance and ceilings with thick layers of ice since the insidious magic storms could bleed through the soil after a strong enough storm ravaged the area.
I don't really have a name for the place. I want to say that having Republic in the name would only be appropriate. But 'Republic' also implies that there's a lot of civilization in that area, which could attract the attentions of undesirable creatures. Hm... maybe something like the Cold Tribes? After all, it'd be the surrounding creatures who'd be naming them and that's the easiest I could think of. If you've got a better idea, I'm all ears.
Speaking of the other tribes, as I said before, they are very defensive. They use the philosophies of defense in depth and hiding in plain sight. Whenever possible when being hunted, they retreat under the snow and ice and wait, letting their hunters get lost and freeze to death or leave. If they're forced to take a stand, they are as resolute and stubborn as AJ's legion, fighting to the last pony to defend their homes, even the mares and foals if need be! But as for their relations with other tribes, creatures, or nations, that'll depend on what kind of tribe they're dealing with. Yaks will be cordial but quiet. Crystal Ponies cautious but inviting. Griffins highly defensive given the unpredictable nature each Griffin can possess.
For the crusade, I'd say they'd first hear of it while trading with the Yaks and any Crystal Pony tribes. They'd be curious, weary, and hopeful. But they won't go out of their way to seek the crusade out (well, not the communityas a whole, but intrepid adventurers might). After all, for all they know, this crusade could just be a REALLY big raiding party of slavers or a mutant warband of some kind. So, it'll have to be the crusade that comes to them. The Princesses would have to be very cordial and welcoming to be let into one of their communities. Ironically, Cadance would have the best chance of bringing them into the fold peacefully since she's their goddess after all. So, yes, they will probably see the crusaders initially as invaders and immediately fort up, waiting for them to leave or die like all the others. The best way for the crusade to even enter the communities would be if those aforementioned adventurers were found and peacefully assimilated into the crusade, so they could lead them back. If it was an icepony, I'm sure the leading Princess in the area would be VETY intrigued and more than willing to play nice if it meant she could learn more about this exciting new race in their home turf.
And finally, I LOVE the idea of them wielding primitive weapons and crystal/ice blades that are actually on par with the best of the crusade forces.
HEY! New idea! How about its that aforementioned icepony adventurer that plays a role in the crusade against New Unicornia? The icepony is a young teenager, eager to get away from the frozen northern wastes and to see the world! He/She departs their community and heads south, but gets captured by slavers and sold to New Unicornia as an exotic new bed slave. However, when the crusade arrives, they break loose and goes on a one-pony-crusade through the castle interior, sabotaging defenses and helping the crusaders enter, maybe even capturing the cardinal council and/or Grand Pontiff with their ice magic. After the battle's won, the icepony is brought before the Princesses to be commended and rewarded for their bravery and skill, and to share the secret of just WHAT they are.
Of course, if you've got a different idea for New Unicornia, that's fine. This was just one idea for how the iceponies could come to the crusaders attentions.
5497399
I was thinking that the crusade was going to find out about the exact location of New Unicornia when one of the princesses(accompanied by five Nebula Guard of course) while out tracking down not only who, but also where the new Element Bearer is when she sees said element sailing through the sky, when she comes across the body of a recently recently raped and murdered earth pony mare, she decides to take a detour to track down the killers. She comes across a squad of elite unicorn soldiers from New Unicornia, they are looking for a unicorn foal who was smuggled out(the now dead mare was part of an underground movement smuggling overworked serfs, slaves and foals[the pontiffs take any mare that suits their fancy-usually an earth pony or pegasus, drag them away from their homes and families, lock them into brooding pens, repeatedly rape them, when the mares give birth the unicorn foals are taken and either raised to be soldiers or part of the priesthood, the non-unicorn foals are discarded if they're colts or groomed to be brood slaves for the soldiers, when the grow bored with the current mares, they toss them to the soldiers, who are encouraged to treat them as cruelly as possibly, most die within the first 96 hours as the unicorn soldiers are raised from foalhood to see all "lesser tribes" as dirt beneath their hooves and the brood slaves are less than that] who smuggle them to either trader caravans who are sympathetic to their cause or to friendly villages), who are currently sitting their camp discussing not only where the mare could have hidden the foal, but also bragging about raping and shooting the mare, a few even brag about sexually violating her corpse. That's when the princess springs on them, along with the Nebula Guard, most are taken prisoner, she rips from them the location of New Unicornia, what types of defenses it has, how big its armies are, its technological level, then executes them. She then continues on looking for the element and its bearer.
The Element Bearer will be a griffon raised by ponies, named Pauline While out in the woods either hunting or looking for wild herbs, sees a group of predators sniffing around a log(wild animals, not anything sentient). After running the predators off, she looks in the hollow of the log and sees a fussy unicorn foal that has been hidden inside. Taking the foal out, she flies it back to her home, the secret village of Quarry(the former Pie family rock farm). She gives away the foal to a couple that is either barren or gay(I haven't decided yet). That evening as she's serving stew from the big communal pot(ponies and other creatures donate any food they've grown or gathered to the pot), the element comes flying out of the sky in a streak of light and bonds to Pauline. Around that time the princess comes across a series of trees, shrubs and vines that have been planted to disguise a wall made of grey stone blocks.
I like your idea of an ice pony who's a slave who breaks free. If she's a brood slave, maybe she was snatched from the north by slavers when she had moved beyond the ice and snow to gather wild vegetables that don't grow in the tundra, conversely she(he?) might have been help for study, experimentation and torture(after all ice ponies are all pseudo-alicorns, what with stunted wings and horns). After being snatched by slavers, s/he wound up being too much for the slavers to handle as s/he kept freezing and shattering the cages and restraints not only meant to hold him/her, but also freezing and shattering the cages and restraints holding the other slaves that resulted in a revolt. Several slavers were injured or killed(in many cases frozen solid) before s/he gets beaten unconscious and tossed off to another slaver caravan(lather, rinse, repeat). At one point s/he escapes the slave caravan, and in a bout of bad luck, gets captured by a band of bandits who intend to sell him/her off to the nearest slaver convoy, only to find out that they're woefully unprepared to deal with ice pony magic and wind up pawning him/her off to New Unicornia for dirt cheap.
New Unicornia ifnds themselves unprepared for ice pony magic, as like their distant cousins, pegasi and thestrals, they channel their magic through their wings, so magic-restraining horn rings do diddly(I'm currently thinking that the horns are the product of a stable mutation). The ice pony decides to go on a one pony quest of vengeance, but being just one pony, s/he goes about making the New Unicornia soldiers lives a living hell as they initiate a ponyhunt for him/her. The ice pony using their ice magic will bust water pipes, jam gun(seriously, extreme cold makes gun oil become the consistency of wax), freeze vehicle engines and kill individual soldiers by either freezing them solid or impaling/stabbing them with icicles.
When the crusade rocks up, maybe have the ice pony recognize Cadance or Flurry Heart(both?) from the stories the local shaman used to tell when s/he was a foal and realize that the goddesses have returned(though the Cold Tribes see Cadance and Flurry Heart as the highest goddesses, with the other three princesses slightly lower in the pantheon) and that when the crusade forces start noticing strange, but advantageous things start happening, like enemy patrols slipping and falling on patches of frozen ground, enemy soldiers are captured suffering from hypothermia, their weapons covered in frost and the gun oil hardened to nearly the consistency of wax, the engines and treads on enemy vehicles frozen solid, commanders found with covered with water and sporting a stab wound or frozen solid. At some point the ice pony gets captured by the crusade forces and brought before the princesses, who realize this individual is a member of a tribe that didn't exist 1000 years ago.
***
Here's go something I wanna bounce off of you, many of the larger city/states that are carved out from under the ice sheets have tunnels that connect to each other that serve as highways, many small villages are carved out along those tunnels. There are places the tunnels don't go because of crevasses, the ice is too brittle, active volcanoes, mountain ranges in the way, the natural hunting ranges of tatzleworms and other burrowing predators, and one section of a glacier holds a shard of Sombra(which ice and crystal ponies avoid instinctively like the plague). For the communities that are too remote to justify creating a tunnel network, built out on the tundra, built too close to dangers or obstacles, or are in the mountains, caravans carrying trading goods and news make the trek, often across open terrain. Only the ice ponies will brave the winter storms, the polar vortex and the coldest regions, given their natural resistance to the cold.
I've just come up with a name for a war herd. It's going to be comprised of pony marines who got separated from their parent legion and lumped together in an impromptu fighting force. They found that they liked working with each other than with their parent legions and petition the princesses o be recognized as their own independent war herd. They'll make their stronghold in the frozen north. Not only will they incorporate earth ponies, unicorns and pegasi into their ranks, but also crystal and ice ponies. The name of the war herd is the Arctic Wolves.
5497440
Nice! Very nice! I heartily approve of all of that! Granted, I feel that the icepony adventurer (I'm thinking...Wildsnow) should be passed around TOO MUCH before arriving st New Unicornia. If he proves too much trouble for too many slavers, they may decide to just execute him, exotic slave price be damned!
And I absolutely LOVE the unified war herd idea. Wouldn't that essentially have been what Twilight had originally intended when she first started building the legions? She'd probably be delighted to see it finally come to fruition organically rather than through force, hence why she never instituted it before.
5497512
I was thinking that maybe the ice pony got bounced around 3 or 4 different caravans before ultimately escape(the slavers probably watched him/her run off and were like, not our problem anymore). The bandits that nabbed him/her were probably passing by New Unicornia, sold him/her for as cheaply as possible, then booked it out of there shouting "All sales are final!".
All the ponemarchs have the genetic materials of multiple ponies making them up(all from her friends and even fellow princesses, but none of them have alicorn traits outside of greatly increased strength, speed and durability). Maybe she accidentally dropped a couple of extra genes from Applejack or Sunburst or even herself into the test tubes, or the magic and chemicals that were used to enhance their maturing fetal forms caused them to grow or shed body parts. Regardless of how it happened, the end result were ponies less than an alicorn, but muuuuuuuuuch greater than a mortal. Twilight, along with Sunset, raised them, teaching the not only about tactics and warfare, but also how to govern, about friendship, love and harmony. As a result the ponemarchs ultimately see Twilight and Sunset as their mothers and the other four princesses as their aunts. If it ever came down to it, the ten would side with Twilight and Sunset against the other princesses.(Don't worry, there won't be a Twilight or Sunset or[insert princess here] heresy.)
5497608
Aaaah! I notice you said 'PRINCESS' Heresy just there. Heheheheh. Well, I certainly won't shed any tears if there's no Heresy whatsoever!
Anyway, heheheh, I probably couldn't help but lmao if you actually did put that whole 'final sales' scene into the story! A nice sprinkling of humor to spice up the otherwise gloomy atmosphere of the story and world.
Ummm.....anything else you wanna discuss?
5497635
The setting is more noble-dark. Yes things are pretty grim right now in the story, ya know, what with all the despots and tin pot dictators crushing those under their hooves, monsters and mutants prowling the countryside, cannibals and madponies roving around, cultists worshiping Grogar and Sombra committing blood sacrifices to gain access to dark and forbidden magics, but over time things will get a bit lighthearted, and when the crusade finally clashes with Da Hogz, things are going to get completely bloody, brutal and ridiculous.
I'm wanting to write Pauline to be very exuberant and joyous and she just wants to make sure everyone is happy and well-fed, but when she's confronted with cruelty and wanton slaughter, she completely looses her shit and goes berserk.