Domination of Equestria: 50% · 5:27pm Oct 19th, 2015
Domination of FIMfiction - T- +15 days.
Well, rule 50. Half way through the list.
50 chapters in, 50 to go.
A silly little idea in the middle of the night to throw together some short little snapshots based on a piece of internet history so old I can remember finding it on a dial up connection after a friend pointed out this cool new thing they'd found.
This, back in the day before 'The Google'.
I feel so old sometimes.
Still, while the thought entered my head, I never seriously entertained the idea that it would become even a vaguely well read series.
Well, even Overlords can be wrong sometimes. Here we are, and it's been a featured, popular story and faves, likes and messages flooded in. Hell, they still trickle days after the last chapter, and I expect with the release of two more and a blog I'll see a few more.
It's a funny thing seeing that alert feed come morning. On the one hand, it's a very real, quantifiable measure of how much people enjoy what you write. On the other, its a very real measure of quite how many people are watching what you write.
Giddy excitement and heart burn are very much on the same scale, I can promise you.
It's honestly a wonder and a pleasure to see people reading my silly little stories. It's a little cliche but I would honestly like to thank you all. When it's wonderful, it's wonderful. Seeing people reading, debating, commenting, it's such an uplifting thing that I never expected.
So, I'm gonna keep doing what I'm doing. Although, not for a bit. Remember that scale I mentioned? I'm currently at heart-burn, and I'm gonna take a few weeks now we've gotten half way to cool off. It's been a heady rush to throw out so many in just over a couple of weeks, but now I need to properly chill out.
That said, time to tease you all and answer a few burning questions I've seen come up again and again.
Or not, depending how I feel.
Perspective. This story has, in some funny organic way, turned into a very narrative light depiction of events. Most, if not all, chapters take place inside a pony's head, listening through their ears and to their thoughts. I can promise now, to anyone who has ever been confused, perspective never changes in any chapter. The 'head' you're living in does not change within a chapter.
In the ones where we're just eves dropping in a conversation, it doesn't actually matter which head we're in, but when we're listing in on their thoughts too, it's always the same pony/changeling/horror from beyond the veil (delete as appropriate).
The Overlord. Is he a pony? Is he A Human? Is he an elder god pulled forth from the froth of the collective unconsciousness of the universe? Well, he's definitely not that last one. I've spotted many people debate whether the Overlord is human or pony. Honestly? You're both right. I've got him pegged as either. Whatever you think fits more is right I guess. It's deliberately ambiguous. I've got my theory, but it's just a theory. Yours could be better.
Horrible aren't I?
One thing I will say. The Overlord is the exception. Everyone else in the story is absolutely from Equestria or from their world at large. No demons or legions of bipedal space soldiers have been imported from anywhere, and everyone is in the same adorable quadrupedal package as you'd expect them to be in.
The Mane Six (sans Twilight). Why has the Overlord kept them alive? Does he have an ultimate plan for them? Why didn't he just kill them when he had the chance? Well, that one's going to remain a mystery for now. Narratively anyway. For my own reasons as the author, I honestly don't like killing characters I like. It's been quite a struggle finding ponies to murder for the rules where someone has to die. So, I've come up with reasons why most of them get to live. Are some of them horrible reasons? Of course they are, he's an Evil Overlord. Am I going to tell you any of them?
Nope.
Twilight Sparkle. Is she dead or is she not? What happened at the end of the battle of Ponyville? Was she consumed in the burning fires of a horrible magic explosion?
Good question.
Am I going to tell you?
Nope.
Princess Celestia. Is she dead or is she still alive, burning for eternity as the core for a weapon of mass destruction, or has she melted into a pile of princess grade molten solar slag? Honestly? I have no idea. That's another one I'm leaving up to you to imagine.
Why are some of the rules stupid/contradictory/make no sense/impractical?
No clue. In case it's not been clear, It's not my list. The Evil Overlord list is older than the millennium and was written by a one Mr Peter Anspach back in 1996/7. It's linked in the story description but I'll give it here again for your convenience.
I've taken the decision not to edit the rules in any way. All I'm doing is taking a rule, putting my spin on it and throwing it into my own magical pony world. You're very welcome to debate and discuss the validity of any rules, but remember that the rules themselves aren't going to change. Admittedly it's meant I've had to come up with some bizarre and even some out of place scenarios but I'm just going to keep doing my best to adapt each rule, as written into the story.
By the same token, don't take any specific references to hands, feet or other human attributes/nouns to be a direct reflection of the story. It's just how the rule was written. As stated previously, everyone is from Equestria, with the possible exception of the Overlord if you so choose.
What is the After Harmony Project?
You'll find out.
Tee-hee.
How many more ponies will lose their lives?
Well, Shining Armour is definitely going to cop it. In fact, his execution is scheduled for Rule ??. So if you're a fan of Cadence getting misty eyed, you're in for a treat. If not...well, enjoy anyway.
Anymore ponies scheduled for death? Most certainly.
Those are all the ones which I've seen crop up a lot. Hope that's cleared up a few things.
Or not.
Heh.
Well, last thing to say is, I'll catch you all again in a few weeks.
Rules of The Melancholy Mage No:1 Knowledge is power. Power corrupts. Study hard. Be evil.
Power corrupts, absolute power . . . is a whole lot of fun.
Everyone is equal under my boot.
Just some overlordy things of evil
Are you going to do the supplemental lists afterwards?
How about reader submissions of Evil Overlord-style rules?
3482401
Ah, good point. That's another one of the most frequently asked questions.
This story will only include the first hundred, original rules.
There are no plans to do anything more than the first hundred.
There's still fifty to do after all, and while they're short snappy chapters, that's still a lot.
Once they're done, I'll then consider whether there'll be any more and whether or not it will take place in the same timeline.
Still enjoying this so far even though some rules don't seem to make sense.
Have you considered to incorporate the 'Dungeon'-Rules (Cellblock A & Cellblock B) as well?
Would be... nice evil material for a Sequel too, coming to think about it...
Also, there's a "The Evil Hencheman's Guide" with like 50 additional rules for..., well, the hencheman, evil cults and the Overlords wicked but beautiful daughter.
More funstuff for the transformation into refined, but evil funstuff.
Onwards, into well executed and malevolent Evilness!
so glad that you said only a few weeks. i hate hiatused stories but your just taking a well deserved vacation. hope to read more soon.
"Knowledge is power. Power corrupts. Study hard. Be evil."
Who else thinks that belongs on a T-shirt or bumper sticker?
You're just going through the base 100? Fun fact-there's 300 rules now.
=D
3482401 I agree with Alaborn,
Would u consider reader submissions of "Evil Overlord" rules?
I like seeing the rules work but I can never fully sympathise with evil characters who are evil for the sake of being evil or greedy. Don't get me wrong, I love your story but once the eviller side came out (Spike's death initially), my enjoyment lessened. I still enjoy it. Just a lesser degree than before. Here's to the next 50!
Well, considering the rate you've been pumping these out, I can only commend your drive and determination! I think a rest is well-earned at this point!
3482590 I would get a set of fourteen of those and fourteen black pairs of jeans exactly the same. I would wear them every day and become a cartoon villain. I would still love to have a shirt that says that.
OBJECTION!
Your honor, there is clearly a contradiction in the victims testimony... Or was it witness? Either way *slams hands on desk* What they said contradicts the evidence! *dramatic Phoenix Wright music plays*
3483129
It says sans Twilight not because she's dead but because the Overlord isn't keeping her alive.
3483597 Ahh, but you miss the point. In the later statement (which was quoted first) our dear author mentioned that they weren't going to tell us whether Twilight was killed, imprisoned or other some such that kept her away from her allies.
But yet in the earlier paragraph (quoted next) stated that yes, sans Twilight, he kept the others alive.
Which means that Twilight is dead with a near absolute certainty.
Also, if the Overlord isn't keeping Twilight alive, what other states of life is she in? Unlife?
3483129 ,3483783 ,3483597
MUAHAHAHAHAHANAHAAHAHAHHhahahahahahahahah...
3483783
What I mean is that the Overlord is not actively trying to keep her alive, she could be living in a cabin in the woods, dead, in a castle, in an alternate dimension. All the sans Twilight comment means is the Overlord isn't doing anything to keep her alive, doesn't mean he's trying to kill her just that he not actively supporting her living status.
Ok that was a bit of a tangent but anyway,
I suppose she could be imprisoned, or she could be dead, or she could have become a banana because of magic explosions, that's just it we don't know for sure
I suppose she could be undead now... if so would she raise an army of undead to take over Equestria... which would lead to her becoming an evil overlord... hmmm
3483828
YOU'RE THE OVERLORD I KNEW IT
3483828
3483854
HOLD IT!
I just had a thought. What if, Twilight was brainwashed to the point that so much so, most of her original memories and personality would be considered overwritten and be 'dead'?
The latest chapters could point to such.
Ahh, but recalling these ideas and events bring such Melancholy...
3483984
What if Twilight and the Overlord are working together to teach Equestria not to be stupid? What if the explosion was caused by the Illuminati and they took her for secret plans, what if YOU'RE Twilight but you've had your memories altered so you think you're a human talking about this and the story is a way to convince you that it didn't happen and was just a story when it actually did happen?
3483995
3483854, 3484041, 3483984
Or, she could be an undead banana with her memories altered to think she was a pony who's been imprisoned in a log cabin in the place where she died?
3483995 If I am human, they must be using a pretty damn good perception filter. That or they managed to transplant my brain to a human body. I mean, come on. We all know brain transplants are science fiction... Right?
3484063 I don't quite see the appeal with being a banana whilst thinking I'm dead in the water or even if I'm actually Twilight or could be boarded up and probably having canmbin fever at that point despite the fact I might even not be in the cabin but six feet under.
Am I Twilight? I don't even know at this point.
3484041 I first turned on this music...
3483854 then I read this comment and the comments before it!
It fit PERFECTLY!
*cough*
I am not Twilight, I know that much. If anything, I would be the Overlord who altered his own memories to save himself!
So the entire story is actually quite vague? Huh.
I honestly don't know what to think. I get a morbid laugh out of the Overlord, but I keep wanting to see the ponies rise up and shiv this bastard.
3482747
There are plenty in the classic sets.
Well... Due to one of the chapters, Rule 66 I think, saying fingerprint scanner, I'm going to assume that Mr. Evil Overlord is a human.
3483854 Another Chapter, Rule 68, Dash is clearly distraught about what The Evil Overlord did to Twilight. I think that The Overlord brought unto Twilight a fate worse that death. I dunno what it could be, hell, it could've been something that drove her to kill herself. I mean, what's worse, the villain killing the hero, or the villain doing something so terrible to the hero that they kill themselves.
Also, now that I think on it, in the chapter where Spike gets shot/arrested, he says to Mr and Mrs. Cake that the Overlord killed Twilight. So She's dead, whether it's directly his fault or just a side-effect of something he did only the author can tell us.
3560635
3560649 Where did you say that prior!?
3560655
Right there, in the blog above, in the last large paragraph before the bottom where I'm discussing exactly why you shouldn't make any assumptions based on the rules themselves.
3560658 Yep... I see it now. Well, Mr. Evil Overlord also as an affinity for meat, as said in the chapter for Rule 83, so I don't think he's a pony.
...But why do the Legions of Terror follow this Overlord? How did he build his empire?