Chapter 19 Interlude
An Examination of the Logistical, Military, and Domestic Situation of Mankind During the Equestrian Crusade
Written by Betz the Elder
The Equestrian Crusade, as mankind referred to the war between the Empire and the nation-state of Equestria, was a conflict that shaped the very fabric of human and Equestrian politics for many decades to come. While I could write vast tomes on the varying aspects of the war itself and the myriad consequences for both sides, and have incidentally, in this chapter I will confine myself to an examination of the human tactics and a general overview of their logistical situation.
When mankind launched its crusade under the personal leadership of Emperor Aurelian, it had just come out of a brutal civil war against the rebel group known as the Collective. As such, much of the Empire’s military was already mobilized and many formerly green soldiers were now battle scarred and hardened. Recovery was still required if the Emperor wanted his armies to fight at full combat effectiveness, it allowed the crusade forces to be mustered and armed for battle much faster than would have been allowed in peace time.
To prepare for the coming war, months were spent repairing and rearming the empire’s military with up-to-date siege cannons, more advanced rifles and grenades, and replenishing and reorganizing the various companies of the armed forces. It was a blessing from Magnus then, that while the ground forces required much time and effort to be made ready, the navy was relatively unscathed.
During the civil war, the Collective operated mainly in inland provinces and cities. The result being that the Empire was able to hold onto many of its ports during the opening engagements of the war and preserve a marked naval superiority for the duration of the conflict. What this meant for the Equestrian Crusade was that ready transports and warships were available to transport their troops across the sea.
However, the sheer size of the crusade forces sent ensured that there would need to be a massive transport fleet raised to bring them to the battle. A full half of the Imperial Navy was dedicated to the task at the beginning of the war, though not at the same time. The ships dedicated to the crusade were split into two separate task forces under the command of two admirals with Lord Admiral Arianna commanding the overall forces.
Of this task force were an estimated 60 ships of the line along with at least 200 or more supply ships and smaller transports vessels specifically designed to carry any additional forces and the penal legions. The penal legions numbered an estimated 1,000 men and women each with about 10 legions in total raised for the crusade. Conditions on the transports for the penal legions were horribly cramped as these ships were converted cargo haulers and, while not directly intended, a small number of deaths were reported during troop counts following the taking of Manehatten.
All in all, there were an estimated 45,000 regular troops and 5,000 penal troops that made landing in Equestria during the first and second waves of the crusade. The remaining penal troops were en route during the opening battles of the crusade and a number of fresh recruits were being put through some basic training within the Empire’s borders to form a potential wave of reinforcements. Though even if needed it was unlikely that these recruits would be able to reach the Equestrian lands in time to prevent any major disasters due to transit time for both messages and transports.
----
So, while numbers and weapons were present in large numbers, there still remained the issue of supplies while in the field. This is where the large supply fleet came in. Large amounts of ammunition, gunpowder, and other necessary supplies were stored on these vessels and transported and offloaded into coastal regions where crusade forces had forced a landing.
However, even with large initial stores, these supplies were unlikely to last the army forever. Army units were allowed and even encouraged in certain areas to hunt for food in the wild within perimeters blessed by the priests of Magnus. Further, it was discovered that certain foodstuffs within Equestria’s boundaries were actually edible for human consumption after some cautious testing.
Some of these foodstuffs included: eggs, wheat, bread, certain fruits like apples (which were surprisingly abundant, especially within the settlement of Ponyville), and more. As a result of this, foraging off of the land itself and the conquered regions provided for the remainder of the soldiery’s food needs. However, this foraging was not always possible and in more isolated areas of Equestria food supplies were far more limited and rations were stretched dangerously thin.
----
However transport of the large stores of iron, food, ammunition, and more needed to be transferred to land conveyance as soon as the crusade moved beyond the coastal regions. In order to accomplish this large baggage trains were formed in order to swiftly move the supplies and siege weapons that formed the backbone of the human military.
While many front-line soldiers carried their own equipment, including a rifle, ammo bandolier, gunpowder, canteen, field rations, etc., the bulk of the army’s supplies were carried on carts pulled by the wisunt. For my more urbane readers, the wisunt were a fairly large pack animal similar in body structure to the Buffalo mankind warred with during the crusade. Typical wisunts measured 7 to 10 ft. long and 5-7 ft. tall. Female wisunts could weigh up to 1,900 pounds while the males could weigh up to a staggering 2,200 pounds.
The wisunts were one of the first types of animals that the nascent Confederacy encountered that could be tamed and domesticated. For many years the wisunts were kept as a source of meat and furs but eventually were used as pack animals to transport the growing numbers of goods and supplies being traded between the growing lands of the four tribes.
A fair number of these animals were sent along with the crusade forces to assist in transporting their supplies and weapons across areas where more ready means of transportation, trains for example, were not available. In this way the crusade forces were able to keep a steady pace over large areas and maintain tenuous supply lines across Equestria. However it was clear to all involved that despite this method of ensuring mobility, their supply lines were thinly stretched and only the bottling up of the Equestrians in their remaining holdings had allowed them to function fully for as long as they did.
Finally we come to the source of the iron and raw materials needed for mankind’s war machine. Situated on a continent as we are, iron is plentiful in many areas throughout the empire, and supplies were transported along with the initial invasion forces. However, there were some examples of iron in Equestrian architecture, mainly in the city of Manehatten, that made it possible to use some of the ruined buildings to add to the stockpile. However while the initial stockpile was large, certain events and setbacks drastically reduced said stockpile and hindered the war as a result. But the reveal of the princesses’ airship, and the civil conflict within Equestria, changed everything . . . for both sides.
----
A Cursory Examination of Human Foreign Relations
Written by Betz the Elder
For reasons I believe are clear to any and all of my readers, our race has long been one prone to isolationism over trade and diplomacy abroad. Dealings with races like the dragons and the vile Drak’shaal did nothing to mitigate this belief. However, after the reunification of mankind and the apotheosis of Magnus, the nascent human empire realized the value in trading with species other than our own.
It was with this mindset that mankind began its great program of exploration, sending ships and explorers in every direction except southwards. Initially this great exploration yielded little result. Numerous reports would return to the capital speaking of small, but fairly unimportant island chains and little else. All of this changed with the journeys of Captain Albrecht.
Albrecht was a man of little importance before his journeys and took to the open sea in a desperate attempt to do something, anything, more with life. He and his crew sailed through violent storms and endured hunger and disease over many miles of uncharted waters. After one such bout, Albrecht and his men were stretched to the breaking point until they came across another ship.
They were elated until they realized that it was not a human vessel. While initially fearful, Albrecht convinced them to not begin attacking and was able to hail the other vessel. The being that returned those hails referred to himself as a Taloran and to all onlookers appeared to be little more than a humanoid lizard, with blue scales and red ridges around the head.
Eventually the stilted and awkward first meeting turned an amiable trip as the Taloran crew agreed to give the humans supplies and show them their lands. What followed was an epic months long trek across foreign lands that made Albrecht and his crew famous. He encountered the Talorans and myriad other races and peoples all of whom he recorded in great detail in his reports and journal. In time he garnered a great friendship with the Talorans and is hailed as being near solely responsible for opening up Taloran ports to trade.
Foreign spices, herbs, fabrics, and more soon began to flow into the Empire. This trade agreement allowed for humanity to begin to see what life was like outside of the empire and in fact many humans emigrated into these new lands establishing businesses, trade houses, and even minor shrines to Magnus. New settlements and ports soon sprang up on those previously unimportant islands as rest stops and dockyards for the myriad ships sailing between the Taloran lands and the Empire. Mankind has maintained an amiable relationship with the Talorans and others on their landmass, but has kept the bulk of their trade and diplomatic focus on the first civilized race they encountered as an empire.
As for the races living spread across the southern continent, like the Equestrians, Buffalo, and Griffins, humanity’s relationship is far different with them for myriad reasons. The Crusade and the events that followed it played a large part in shaping the Empire’s relationship with them and is discussed in further in the text: Our Southern Neighbors.
Also LikedSimilarAuthor
- Duffman18 · 18k words · 63 7 · 2.3k views
- RandomPerson · 20k words · 323 14 · 7.7k views
- Scorched Earth · 17k words · 254 13 · 11k views
- Nightwatcher · 14k words · 152 8 · 2.6k views
- Reactor · 16k words · 647 14 · 14k views
- Nightwatcher · 15k words · 344 24 · 3.2k views
- InsaneBatPony · 123k words · 634 54 · 13k views
Stats
Page generated in 0.151 seconds
Total duration
1,010 users online
1,921,472 hits today, 2,660,641 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Happy Birthday then dude keep it coming this story is great it inspired me to write my version of it.
Keep it up
3081034
Thanks. I'll have to check out that story.
Lilith: Hmmm....an interesting list of facts about humans that I didn't know about. I cannot wait to see more about facts of humans. I can also tell that this was written after the great war too. It seems that humanity will at the very least come out with a draw and not a defeat. This I can accept.
Me: Cool shit, hope to see more about it!
Lilith: Hm...will we see anything about human laws concerning marriage with other species?
Me: what?!
Lilith: *looks at Duffman18 with puppy changeling eyes* Please?
3081087
I might include it but there is no official laws forbidding it or endorsing it. There are some recorded cases of humans marrying other races, with most of these cases being them marrying Talorans, but it isn't a very widespread phenomenon. But at the same time there also isn't too much of a stigma against it either. The worship of Magnus and participation in His church is a fairly insular religion with little said about any races other than humanity with the sole exception of the Equestrians. So in short: it exists, but is not a widespread enough phenomenon to have any legislation on it, good or bad.
3081134 Lilith: So I won't have much trouble then? Heheheh!
Me: Woah woah! I didn't say-
*zaps him with magic*
Me: I mean we ARE getting married!
Lilith: YEA! Thanks for the info Duffman18! Now I just got to find somebody to perform the ceremony!
Is it me or does every species in this world conveniently speak the same language.
... and then the aliens came.
Interesting chapter. Thats cool that the humans have allies that aren't on the continent, also Happy Birthday enjoy it, Then get back to work!
3081563 No it isn't, but ours did much worse. We sent children into way, slaughtered billions of our own kind, enslaved innocents. You need to learn more about the history of man.
just caught up with the story congratulations you gained a new reader
Questions:
1.Can i get a number comparison of the Armies that are in this story (How many thousands do each race have)
Humans-
Human Traitors-
Pony-
Gryphon-
Diamond Warlord-
Changelings-
Buffalo-
2.If the Humans are using muskets and grenadiers, Do they have Chain guns and Fire Engines (War machines not firetrucks)
3.will any ponies join the humans willingly
4.(Although this fits in to my first question) What age are the humans in if by the looks they are somewhere pre or ww 1 era right now if so its time the humans crank out the big guns And i mean the big guns its a old retro tank design from ww 1 but it was never use due to its instability but in this story it fits perfectly
And remember my brother
Without the Dark, there can be no Light,
We have purpose
Without the Lie, there can be no Truth,
We have purpose
Without the War, there can be no Victory,
We have purpose
Without the Death, there can be no sacrifice,
We have purpose
Without the Hope there can be no Future,
We have purpose
Without the Loyalty there can be no Trust
We have purpose
Without Magnus, there is nothing,...
And we would have no purpose
3082851
That wasn't what I was saying, but oh well. Writing a comment at 2:00 AM tends to cause it to come out poorly written and not very clear. Also, everything you've said was obvious (going through a college-level history class was a very good indicator that we're pretty bad people), and the gist of my comment was that it actually MAKES sense for what they've done so far. Sorry for the poorly written comment-- it's why I generally avoid commenting on small amounts of sleep.
Ironically, I was reading a book about US foreign policy and the questionable actions the US took, as well as references to other similar altercations.
3082029
Would magic be a sufficient answer?
3082853
Welcome to the party. Alright *cracks knuckles* lets get started.
1. Humans have an estimated 48,000 soldiers currently in Equestria along with another 2,000 members of the Blessed.
The Collective has unknown, but fairly small numbers. They operate mainly through misdirection, manipulation, and long-term plotting.
Ponies have around 10,000 ponies trained with another potential 20-30 thousand in the wings. However with the decimation of the Royal Guard at the Battle of Manehatten almost all of these are reserves or conscripts with little to no experience.
The various warlords of the Diamond Dogs have radically shifting numbers of troops though the Crimson Warlord is known to have a current total force of 5,000. Not very large, but with the varying clans and warlords all with their own forces its fairly sizable by their standards.
Gryphons had a fairly large army of around 15-20 thousand total I would think. Currently the majority of this force is being bogged down on the Eastern Front which allowed the humans their sneak attack. Their total army has been reduced to an estimated 12,000 or less with a fair amount of front line forces knocked out of the fight.
The Buffalo have become political and military non-entities. While they still exist as a species mankind has wiped out the bulk of their military and imprisoned their leaders. Those that remain free are not in any good shape to fight back.
Changelings would have had the largest army with their total forces, with all the hives factored in, at 50,000 or so before the debacle at Canterlot. Now support for Chrysalis has waned and the forces that she has been able to rally back to war is significantly reduced to around 10,000 or so. Many of these are simple drones and on the whole trained operatives like Lilith or Storm are fairly rare.
2. Early chain guns are in development and the generals considered bringing a prototype with them. However it was decided that more research and experimentation was needed. It is widely believed that these weapons will not be a stable reality for a few more years at least. Fire engines not so sure. Can you send me a link to what you mean?
4. As for what age technologically they are i modeled their weapons more after the style of the late 18th, early 19th century. Grenadiers were not prominent but by this time there were regiments of them in the military. So probably no tanks for some time yet. Though that steam powered one could at least be something being considered at least due to some early steam experiments being conducted on the mainland.
3. Maybe. There is a chance that Rainbow's plan may allow them to make peace with humanity but that remains to be seen. It also remains to be seen whether or not any ponies would be willing to join them beyond cooperating with their occupation forces.
And I love that ending bit. I'm going to have to work that in somewhere.
Those "however"s are bothering me more than they should. However, I do enjoy this new chapter.
And since you said they have weapons from what is our 19th century, can we expect the nukes to begin production within the next 45 years?
3083733
You're judging the full extent of their technology, scientific capability, and the research paths they will likely, off of their current weapons technology?
wat :L
3083253
Fire engines were ''So called'' line breakers they are basically a battering ram that has the ram removed and a Old version of the flamethrower mounted on it and the front reinforced with metal plates
The Flamethrower itself uses a pump mechanic like a old water hose used to propel pre light fire inside the barrel of the flamethrower which flames last to about 1 and 45 seconds at most and then needs to be reloaded with flammable martial like cloth of highly concentrated gunpowder.
The flamethrower has a fire arc of 45 Degrees to the right and 45 to the left but these are usually deployed in rows of 6 to maximize the fire spreed
As of ways to move them around its simple these engines can be simply dismantled and reassembled in a whim due to not having to move a giant ram around and can be pushed forward a lot faster due to its lesser weight
And this is how it would look like just with front part being reinforced with metal plates and the ram replaced by a cannon like flamethrower
I know it does not look like much but this design was a massacre machine in the 17 to 18 century due to its armor and fire lighting the entire area in front of it on fire it could stop cavalry and infantry alike in their tracks and the only real way of disposing of one would be by using cannons or grenadiers otherwise a row of these will burn down thousands before braking down
3083910
Perhaps. Humanity could make that, but the way their warfare developed more emphasis was placed on heavy support and siege weapons backing up an army of well-trained front line troops.
3083733
Yeah . . . sorry about those. was writing that chapter while pretty tired and it didn't come out perfectly. At any rate when I say 19th century i mean around the very early 1800s. Nuclear science won't be developed for another century at least and that's assuming they would take that route.
3084048
Well This thing can serve and a Siege machine as well if the enemy walls,barricades,gates are made of wood which i guess most of Equestrias Defenses are probably made of this thing can burn them down faster then any cannons can do
This is the Flamethrower model that is mounted
And two more question :
Which model of guns do your men use I'm interested
Are your grenadier divisions armed with hand canons
3084283
Yes to the hand cannons. As for the rifle model I'm not the most knowledgeable of type which is why i kept it a bit vague but i would say most likely the breech loading model.
3086259 It would be awesome if you added Ironclads from the 19th Century, like the HMS Warrior. c69011.r11.cf3.rackcdn.com/d41f740bf67a4246bad7a08f62502334-0x0.gif
3086320
Hmm. It could work. Especially later on. Consider it taken under consideration.
3185948
I aim to please.
3237371 It's a small world.
It seems that a World War has come into an effect...
The problem other races will have with humanity is that humans thrive on war and they are soon to advance. Stronger artillery, Machine Guns, Tanks, and Bi-Planes (To counter the Equestrian Air Ships)
well thank goodness for this chapter. Logistics has been bugging me forever. also its good to know that this fic isn't just gonna be a human equestrian pub stomping.
oh yeah duffman btw look up the jaeger long rifle. its a breech loader that seems like your boys would use. only downside is that it isn't rifled like you said theirs were. then again i don't know any breech loaders that were rifled... other than the armstrong gun.
This would make a great MMORPG. So many races and factions with lots of possible unique classes. Map is big, each race has a capital city and there are 2 sides.
3543133
Partially yeah. I'm a history buff and the Crusades are a fascinating period for me. I have also based the humans on Warhammer Fantasy among other sources.
I'm a little disappointed at this chapter as it kind of spoils the ending of the war to a certain extent. It does reveal that humanity and Equestria come to some type of peace. Although I kind of wonder if there are any Griffons left. :) I love the idea of the dragon banner. Any chance of the story updating the current state of that front?
3625254
Yeah. I'm getting to that front soon. Sorry for not updating lately, but finals have been an issue.
4054280
Thanks for pointing that out. I'll get around to fixing those eventually.
4269800
American actually. Its just that when I was writing the story, I combined some Slavic, Scandinavian, and other names and such for the Humans. I thought it fit with their origins.
Great story so far, hooked me from the very beginning. Keep up the great work.
Just finished my second read of this and I wanted to say that I still enjoy the Story and am excited for the next chapter
is this story dead
oh and i got to say i might now the end of the story the rebels kill the princesses and the emperor and just rule themselves and i have to say if this is how it ends i'm going to be so pissed because that would be the worst ending ever and just lazy writing.
This is a very good story, please keep up the great work :)
3084057
Yea to the olden clans we thrive and are one. Through all we are united and through strength we endure as the atlas, the mountain.
Our minds do find new paths to tread, but the daemon....the daemon is our ice, our wind and our doubt it erodes our faith and our bond of brotherhood with its lies and unholy subjugation of the natural world.
they have collared and shackled the sun and moon and have made playthings of the stars to sate their vanity and pride.....no more.
We shall set the world free....but from them....or us is the question.
Fun story man, definitely a good read. Too ba it's on hiatus, hope to see it back in action soon.
On hiatus since 2013, it's not coming back guys.
DEAD
Here's to the first real story I read from the fandom and to the man who inspired me to start writing seriously again, all those years ago. This was, and still remains to be, my favorite story here on Fimfic, nothing can really compare in my mind to absolute gem. Holding out on a prayer that Duffman will return to this gem some time before 2020
.
Yikes. I know WH40k fans like to do crossovers with everything but this is so forced its like the story is based on a conversation with a 7 year old.
8644683
>2020
>still no sign of life
10325517
What injustice?
Humans invaded pony lands and Would NOT leave voluntarily.
When the humans left pony lands the ponies stopped fighting them.
When you invade someone elses lands you Deserve your ass whipping!
10325913
Wrong! Those lands were long abandon by the three pony tribes ancestor because they were incapable of adapting to the much harsher winter environment. Leaving the humans only inhabitants to endure and adapt to those long abandoned lands with generations of blood, sweat, and tears.
They were able to build a respectable life and culture for themselves. Only to have it all taken away through force by the ponies. Who had audacity to tell the humans they had the right to reclaim the lands they given up on.
When the humans refused to give up the land their ancestors had die for. The Alicorns and ponies showed them no ounce of mercy nor pity brutally slaughtered thousands upon thousands innocent human civilians and destroyed their many of the towns and cities. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna didn't wage war against humans out of duty to protect their little ponies. They had done what they had done out of their own vanity and ego. Out of greed and cruelty! After slaughtering the innocent, stolen what didn't belong to them, and covered all of their atrocities. They let what remain of human race to flee to the northern seas. Because they felt they had defeated a weak and pathetic foe.
After all what they done to the human's ancestors, I don't give a flying fuck how you rationalize that.
The ponies are reaping what they sowed. Blood must be paid with blood for the injustices made by the two alicorn sisters.
10326565
Eat shit.
When the humans took up residence in the (at the time recent) pony lands they did so as uninvited INVADERS.
When Twilight traveled there it was long ago BUT NOT at the time of the original war.
At the time of the INVASION the ponies had only been gone a few years. Humans took up residence in PONY HOUSES for fucks sake!
If someone breaks into MY house I am going to shoot the bitch! I do NOT care whether I am living in it at the time or not.
What happened after the war?
Ponies learned how to live in peace with each other AND in harmony with nature and the world around them.
Humans? They created a Genocidal Death Cult centered around hating the people that kicked humans out of the lands that the humans had INVADED... Did I mention the THOUSANDS of years of them killing EACH OTHER? Because ALL these humans know how to do is be genocidal shitstains!
Oh yea ... The Bigger Truth? The one you do not want to admit?
The humans did not start the war to get revenge against ponies. That was an excuse.
They started it because they wanted an Other.. Specifically An Other to KILL so that they could divert their own genocidal drives to some other goal than Other Humans ... they way they had been Murdering Each Other for THOUSANDS OF YEARS!
Go away!
I wrote this story off 7 YEARS ago and had no idea why you just HAD to respond to a comment from 7 YEARS AGO!
10327044
Quite frankly I don't give a flying fuck
If I want to make a reply to a 7 year old comment that's my fucking business. You're the one who chose to responded back which you didn't have to. So you can go eat shit and die and maybe go fuck yourself while you're at it wanker. Because that's all you going to hear from me. Later. LoL.
Pretty interesting stories. Not good but not bad either but keeping on the argument you guys are having both sides were wrong. The ponies were wrong for trying to reclaim them they abandoned and the humans were wrong for becoming genocidal coat maniac and starting an unnecessary war if you're going to try to give this a moral spin. But the real problem with the story it seems like everybody came down with the big stupid..