Ghosts of the Past: Profile Portfolio · 5:57am Aug 2nd, 2014
Man, I want to keep reading this, but the cast of characters, locations, and events have ballooned so much I have no idea who's who anymore.
-Repoman
Well, Repoman, you're in luck. I've been meaning to do this, and now I'm inspired to actually do it. This is a summary of the characters in Where Loyalties Lie, up to Chapter 20 of Ghosts of the Past
Forewarning: the rest of this blog post contains enormous spoilers for Ghosts of the Past, up to Chapter 20. Read on at your own 'peril'.
The Guard
Commander Steel Lining: Celestia's bodyguard, Rainbow Dash's father, and the de facto leader of the Equestrian Guard. Steel Lining has been foal napped by the assassin Masquerade, dragged to the boars and Warchief Khagan, de-winged, and tortured for the past 6 months due to his involvement in the 'Tusk Rot', a disease rampaging the boorish populace. He is known for wearing Commander Hurricane's armor, carrying the late stallion's sword, and bearing a massive scar on his right flank, which leaves him with a notable limp.
Commander/Commandant Red Ink: Actually named Roscherk Krovyu, which is Stalliongradi for 'Blood Stroke'. The student of Commander Lining, Ink is not nearly as well loved as his predecessor. Though he formerly preferred to rule by fear, intimidation, and his powerful fire Empatha, his summer spent in Ponyville has lightened his attitude somewhat. He is still known for his sarcasm and skill in battle. He wears a black coat, purchased for him by his younger brother Midnight (Polnoch), the day the latter stallion died. It is that assassination which drives Red Ink to capture and hate Masquerade, as well as the mare he believes to have hired her: Soldier On.
Captain White Flag: A former disgraced Honor Guard, White Flag was given temporary command of the Royal Guard following the death of Shining Armor in battle with Masquerade. She despises Commander Lining for some role he played in the fateful Battle of Treasonfang Pass. An aging, cruel, and calculating unicorn, Flag is known for her brutal logic and her powerful, classically trained magic.
Captain Shining Armor: The former Captain of the Royal Guard, Shining Armor is known to have been killed by Masquerade in a train on the way to Stalliongrad. His soul, however, was never delivered to the Summer Lands by either of the Royal Sisters, leaving some to believe he may still survive.
Captain Unending Vigil: An extremely elderly earth pony mare, Vigil is the former Captain of the Royal Guard, and now 'serves' as the captain of the Equestrian National Guard, a reserve force. Her seniority is respected by most soldiers, and especially by those she once led in battle, such as Dead Reckoning and White Flag.
Warrant Officer Mirror Image: An estranged noble of Trottingham. In his youth, Mirror Image's horn was cracked, making his magic more powerful, but at the cost of extreme pain when casting. He now serves as Luna's assigned bodyguard.
Sergeant Thunder Crack: Following the departure of Red Ink, and the 'death' of Commander Lining, Crack is Princess Celestia's new bodyguard. Known for his fierce interpretation of loyalty and his short-temper, he's made an enemy of Rainbow Dash.
Private Marathon: Technically a guards pony, Marathon is not combat trained, and in fact lacks her hind legs as a birth-defect. She is a member of the Honor Guard only for the sake of the authority it lends. However, after an argument with Princess Luna, she has been branded a traitor, and disappeared into the ice of Stalliongrad.
Soldier On: Formerly a Stalliongradi potato farmer, Soldier On (Stoikaja) participated in the Blizzard Revolution with her secret lover, Midnight. Following his death, Red Ink mistakenly killed their two children, leading her to start a rebellion against the new government of Stalliongrad. She herself was eventually pulled away by Commander Lining. Following Luna's assassination, she was branded a traitor, and now travels to save the Commander without their approval.
Private Going Solo: An ex-drug dealer turned guardsmare, Solo narrowly survived a run-in with Red Ink in Baltimore, saving Shining Armor's life at the cost of her own near-death. Now terrified of flames, she's determined to help Twilight track down her brother.
The Night Guard
Eldest Sister/Loose Cannon: A former B-list Wonderbolt turned Honor Guard, Loose Cannon was killed by Nightmare Moon the day of her return. Raised to serve Nightmare Moon, she volunteered her services when Luna was redeemed. Believed to be controlled by Luna (as all Night Guard can be), she is distrusted by her former companions.
Third Brother/Polnoch/Midnight: The youngest of the sons of Tsar Watchful Eye of Stalliongrad, Polnoch was assassinated by Masquerade following the end of the Blizzard Revolution. Now raised as the Third Brother of the Night Guard, he has a reputation of going behind Luna's back to interact with his former life.
Corporal Dead Reckoning: Raised from the dead by Luna at his own request, in order to save Commander Lining, despite his distaste for the Night Guard. Now far younger than he had been at the time of his death, he struggles with whether or not to remain with the Night Guard.
Stalliongrad
Tsar Watchful Eye: Ruler of Stalliongrad following the Blizzard Revolution. A believer in equality between the 3 races, Watchful Eye earned his position by being an alicorn, despite being a pathetically weak flier, and a miserable mage. He is incredibly popular with most of his subjects, despite the reputations of his children: Foresight, Red Ink, and the late Midnight.
Secretary Foresight: Named 'Predvidenie' in Stalliongradi. The 'true' ruler of Stalliongrad, de facto if not du jure, Foresight is an incredibly skilled stock trader, economist, and bureaucrat with a particular reputation for a lack of charisma. Still young and single, he would make a prized partner for any noble seeking to expand their influence into Stalliongrad.
Commandant Molot and Marshal Serp: Leaders of the Black Cloaks (Stalliongrad's police force/guard) following Red Ink's departure to the Honor Guard. Molot is a quiet, powerful earth pony, while Serp has a reputation for brutality and over-reaction to the domain's growing rebellion.
Countess Star: The ruler of Trotsylvania, and the last true ruling noble of Stalliongrad following the Blizzard Revolution. A shrewd politician and a talented mage, known for her family's rumors of inbreeding (producing a remarkably similar appearance through the ages) and for her preference for permanence in her position over the risk of expanding her influence.
Other Nobles
Count Powdered Wig: The leader of the 'Stable of Nobles', Celestia's advisors from the noble families of Equestria. An obese unicorn with potent magic, Wig is known for the harshness with which he conducts politics. Plots for control of both Stalliongrad and the Guard.
Countess Reflection: Wife of Count Wig and leader of the Trottingham guard, Reflection is the subject of some scandal for being less than half the age of her husband. Also, she's a changeling.
Prince Sforzando Eccessivo: Princess Cadance's father, and a stallion of no small brawn and girth. Protective of his daughter, but interesting in marrying her to Foresight as a way to gain control of Stalliongrad.
Princess Cadance: Heartbroken after the death of Shining Armor, Cadance is debating whether or not to try and save him by necromancy. Also struggling with the choice of marrying Foresight.
Councilor Silver Lining: An extremely successful cloud architect turned business pony, Silver Lining only serves on the Cloudsdale council to protect his business interests. He is Rainbow's grandfather, and Commander Lining's father, though he believes the latter to be dead. Owns the Cloudsdale sky steel factory, and provides the sky steel for most of the Royal Guard's armaments.
Non-Ponies
Emperor Magnus: Mighty ruler of the Griffons and master of the winds, Magnus is known for his ego, his strategic mind, and his insistence that he is a god. In the ancient past, he went to war with Commander Hurricane.
Gaius: Magnus' three-legged second, Gaius is a talented Empath who lost a leg in a battle with Thunder Crack.
Lord Krenn: "Ruler" of the anarchic dragons, Krenn controls the tectonic shifts of the earth. Krenn single-mindedly seeks his hoard which was stolen from him twenty years ago by Commander Lining.
Lyod: The survivor of a pair of dragon siblings who accompany Krenn. Her brother was killed by Mirror Image in a battle at Burning Hearth Castle.
Lady Valdria: The enigmatic leader of the elk, Valdria monitors the afterlife, and sided with Luna during the Twilight War.
Warchief Khagan: The violent taskmaster of the boars, Khagan is struggling to heal the Tusk Rot and get his revenge on Equestria, and most importantly on Commander Lining.
Enka: Khagan's niece-by-oath. A pacifist boar who wants to restore their empire to its former glory, ending the cycle of bloodshed and military that has brought their species to barbarianism.
Fenrir: Alpha of the Vargr (giant diamond dogs), who hates Commandant Red Ink and his Black Cloaks.
The Dead
Commander Hurricane: Former lover of Celestia, and father of her only daughter, Platinum III (Gale), Hurricane was raised from the dead to fight Nightmare Moon in the Shadow War, and now despises Luna completely.
Cyclone: Son of Commander Hurricane and founder of Stalliongrad, Cyclone is a figure haunted by a mistake he made in his youth, which he spent the rest of his (surprisingly long and fruitful) life making up for.
Typhoon: Daughter of Hurricane who died in Onyx Ridge. At some point in the past, she wronged one of Countess Star's ancestors, leading to a desire for vengeance on the latter's part.
Gale: Hurricane and Celestia's secret child, dubbed 'Platinum III' in public and attributed to Hurricane and Platinum I instead. The founder of the Royal Guard, original owner of Shining Armor's armor (Platinum's Ward), and wife of Mortal Coil. The basis for nearly all Equestrian nobility, she is the ancestor of Prince Blueblood, Princess Cadance, Count Wig, and dozens of other rulers and nobles.
Mortal Coil: Celestia's former student, court mage of Equestria, and the 'father' of Necromancy, Mortal Coil is known for making the only known spell to raise a pony from the dead--though he never truly completed it. Now trapped in the 'Between' by his own magic, and unable to move on to the next life by the fact that Celestia still remembers him.
Misc.
Twilight Sparkle: Looking for her brother, who she doesn't believe to be dead.
Rainbow Dash: Looking for her father, who she doesn't believe to be dead, despite the fact that she actually hates him. Motivated by a spell from Cadance causing her to fall for Corporal Reckoning.
Princess Luna: Trying to stop a war with the dragons. Struggling with the fact that she chose to give up her memories of being Nightmare Moon when her choices a thousand years ago keep resurfacing.
Princess Celestia: Trying desperately to maintain calm and peace in Equestria, despite the threat of war with the dragons, and the very real risk that Rainbow Dash, Soldier On, and Dead Reckoning may start a war with the boars to the south.
I'm almost certainly missing someone, but these are the important characters which come to mind.
If you have any questions about Ghosts, or want to ask me anything about... well, anything... go ahead. Even here at Bronycon, I rarely miss updates on my phone.
-Loyal
So... I notice Shining Armour is dead. Not "dead", but dead. Huh.
Also, I am very interested as to how Hurricane managed to make babies with Celestia. Doesn't seem like a thing that either of them would do, especially after Swift's death.
Umm... Are you not going to mention any of the main cast? Or the princesses? Or the Vaygr? Or Cyclone? No? Ok then.
Good summary.
2337335
I added emphasis to the Shining Armor line, but I did not change the printed text at all. Added Luna, Celestia, Cadance, Twilight, Rainbow, Cyclone, and Fenrir. Thanks.
Celestia x Hurricane (OTP) is something you're going to have to wait on 24 on (even if I'm likely to ghost-write a fair portion of it).
Don't make blog posts at 2 in the morning when you aren't even in your native timezone.
2337656
Thanks for the additions.
The amount of interesting and well-planned OC's you have on this list is quite amazing. Are we at the point though, where your universe is pretty much established? Have most of the locations and characters now been introduced?
Keeping in mind the impact of necromancy in this world...is old Baron Frostbite going to be making an appearance in the present time at all? Or is it safe to say he is dead for sure?
This helps. Thanks.
2343515
The vast majority of characters have been introduced. I'm certain there will be a few non-Honor guardsponies later on because there simply aren't enough of them to hold a 'Royal Guard' scene yet, and there are several characters (like Youmin and the other Stalliongradi rebels) who've been introduced, but not yet really explored.
But by-and-large, yes, the stage has been set fully.
I... elect to make no comment on Baron Frostbite.
So when I finally decided to do another read, should I go for from Stallongrad with love or just skip it and go straight for Ghosts from the Past?
2370049
Your call. Hope your deliberately bad Russian accent is good if you choose FSWL.
2370090
Yes, my 'delibrate' bad accent
(lowers head) darn that southern dialect.
Anyway, oh believe me...I will have some good ones. Heck you made me get a whole bunch of new accents on the first one.
So does the 'Commander Coil' that is mentioned in a few chapters (Lining's predecessor?) have any relation to Mortal Coil?
2421663
Well, his full name is Mortal Coil. It's been 8000 years, so I'll let you draw whatever connections you like.
2421678
When Gods and Necromancy are in play, 8000 years doesn't mean much... :P
Also I hope Eldest Sister survives, she's quickly becoming one of my favorite characters, even though she hasn't had much 'screentime'.