Tornado's guide to Ponyland, Part 1 · 6:14am Feb 20th, 2013
Dear Readers;
For those of you who may not understand Ponyland, here is a guide of our fair country in human terms... starting with the Ponyland herds;
Hoofkaido: Oriental community, resembles the culture of Japan (and to lesser extent, China) Torri gates, Shysha dog statues, and pagodas. Warrior-based society, ruled by the Daimyos of the mare-triarchal clans. Primary export is oriental foods, spices, porcelain and silk. City shares a friendly rivalry with Fort Dash. Ruled by the heridetary shogun. Extremely obsessed with elegance an sophisticaion.
Misty Mountian: German/Swiss-style chalets, known for it's senic mountians, skiing, and yodeling stallions. Aristocratic familes controlled by powerful yunkers. Upper class are desceded from Crystal pony refugees who stayed with Cadnence after the empire was destroyed, while lower classes are normal ponies of the three main types. Princess Cadence rules as an autocrat, though is still awnserable to the council of Princess Ponies.
Bright Valley: Resembles a Modern American city, 98 % earth ponies. Exports technology to the rest of Ponyland. Population is work obessed, and most materialistic of the herds. A large battery of cannons in the northern cliffs protects the city from non-pony attack. Only city to still use currency, and is controlled by it's powerful guilds. Ruler is a princess from a unicorn bloodline, and tries to hold the fires of industry in check.
Fort Rainbow Dash: Greco-Roman city resembling Athens. It is home to philosophy, art, and the most organized and regimented military in Ponyland. Mertiocracy based on merit and individual worth-it is the only city where it's leader, the margrave, is elected. The Acherons, rulers of the powerful pony Partician familes do manage to control key seats in the city's senate, however. Exports fine statuary, paintings, and philosopical treatieses- all of which are in high demand throughout ponyland.
Royal Paradise: Captial of Ponyland, a single, massive castle. Whole city-castle is based around politics and the breauacracy, place where the leaders of the Ponyland herds meet for political matters. Surrounded by the jewel sea, is the most protected community in the confederacy. Six Princess ponies take turns ruling as the queen of Ponyland, one ruling for two months out of the year before passing the crown on to the next.
Ponyland's independant pony herds;
Flutter Valley: Tropical home of Flutter ponies, polynesian-esque culture. Treetop houses, and brick roadways leading through the jungle. Extremely isolated. Population mostly Flutter Ponies, distrustful of outsiders until they prove themselves. While not as Xenophobic as thier ancestors (with a few psycotic exceptions), they still believe Flutter ponies sould not get involved in the affairs of the other herds. Apodian tribe maintains the gardens and flora of the valley, while changeling slaves (distantly related to the flutter ponies, ancestors conquered by the flutters) perform labor for the flutter ponies. Ruled by Queen Rosedust, who is advised by an elected council.
The Northern Wastes: Home to the snow pony tribes, inuit culture. Frozen ice and frequent bizzards, is the most dangerous place to visit in all of Ponyland. As a result, Snow Pony tribes, descendants of the crystal pony majority who did not flee with Cadence, are extremely hospitable to any ponies who brave the hellish conditions of thier lands. Tribes are each ruled by a hereditary chief, who awnsers to the tribal high chief, elected from among thier number every 20 years. Hostiliy is only shown to Cadence, and thier southern Cousins who live the life of comparitive ease in Misty Mountian citadel.
Dream Valley: Outcast Kingdom whose inhibitants desceded from Exlies, all dwell within the spacious pocket Dimension within dream castle. Culture is medival european, heavily influenced by thier human allies in nearby manehatten. A warlike, meat eating population, the Dream Valley ponies are held in contempt by the other herds, who see them as humans insteand of ponies. (The Dream Valley ponies take this as a compliment) Dream Castle's long line of Queens have ruled with the aid of an elected privy council, and have a reputation of being the fairest and most benenvolent rulers in Ponyland.
That is all for now. Next time, the other races and thier communties!
Tornado Firehooves
Dream Castle historian
Interesting explanation on the world of pony land. It does explain a bit of the history behind it and it makes me wonder when will we be hearing from the snow ponies ?
They did show up in several of the short stories and will show up later in ;Twilight then, Twilight now'.