The Modern Equestria Project: A Background

The Royal Principality of Equestria is a continental superpower on Planet Equs located in the northern hemisphere. It has a population of roughly one hundred million ponies, ten million griffons, fifty thousand zebras, and ten dragons across an area of almost ten million square kilometers of land and five thousand square kilometers of cloud cover as of 10 Post Twin Coronations.

The Principality, once a benevolent absolute diarchy co-ruled by Princesses Celestia and Luna, is now a constitutional pentarchy under the original two Princesses, Princess Twilight Sparkle, Princess Cadence, and Prince Shining Armor. This is in response to the increasing pressure of a growing, industrialized Equestria. The Celestial Princesses, as they are sometimes called, recognized that the two of them alone would be unable to keep up with the pressure, and so founded the Ministries and the Parliament.

Current trends indicate that the Principality is entering its third Golden Age since its foundation at the end of the Warring Tribes period, while scholars and historians mark this time period as the "Twin Coronations" era, distinguishing it from the "Solar Reign", "Celestial Reign", "Discordia", and the "Warring Tribes" eras of history.

Historians place the beginning of this era at the return and defeat of Nightmare Moon at the hands of the new bearers of the Elements of Harmony. The first three years of this Era are some of the most chaotic in recent history, with the return of Nightmare Moon, Discord, and King Sombra happening within months of each other. Much later was Prince Blueblood's scandal involving a terrorist group known only as "The Hoofmaidens" and the funds for New Hope Flying Hospital, which resulted in Blueblood's deposed and Shining Armor's installation as Prince of the North, just months after Twilight Sparkle's coronation as the Scholar-Princess.

Afterwards, there was a brief period of peace as Equestria licked its wounds and looked towards the future. In order to facilitate this, the Royalty jumpstarted industrial, technological, and scientific development, placing these imperatives under the newly-founded Ministries and their leading Alicorns. Within the span of a few years, Equestria became an important economic, industrial, and technological powerhouse.

This change can most clearly be seen in the City of Ponyville, Princess Twilight Sparkle's seat of power. Once a small town on the edge of the Everfree Forest with a population of less than a thousand, Ponyville is now a bustling university city under Princess Twilight's guidance.

However, not all are proud of Equestria's achievements. There are whispers of warlords and tyrants plotting in the Confederacies, as well as those of stirrings of dragons in the Southlands. Some rumors involve shadow beings coming in from the badlands and strange phenomena in the sky.

Only time will tell if these rumors are true.