Upheavology: Highstable · 8:11am Dec 19th, 2016
Highstable
History
The original city that would later be called Highstable was the largest pegasus settlement in the south during the Outer Migration. There are scant records of the place existing, mostly through fragmented documentation written by the pegasi who took refuge in the Great Delve during the the windigo attacks. Supposedly, this city nestled among the boughs of a gigantic, singular tree, high above the lush jungle. Lok'Horus and its band burned down the tree with blackened, freezing flame, leaving mere icy ashes that melted into the jungle floor.
With even the few writings badly damaged throughout history and the totality of the destruction of the city, even proving the existence of the pegasus elder city is difficult. It remains a common method of angering Southern Barrier Lands pegasi to deny that this city existed.
Every type of pony has an "elder city", a settlement that can trace its roots to the earliest ponies from the Outer Migration. With the loss of the original city, Highstable currently serves as the pegasus elder city. It began as the headquarters of the pegasus rebels against the Everlasting Kingdom. The pegasi rebels had chosen a great cluster of tower boughs, relying on height to both hide them and make it difficult to attack. After the fall of the Everlasting Kingdom, the pegasi expanded the mostly militaristic base into a full on settlement, taking on the name of Highstable.
The intention to make Highstable the pegasus elder city complicated its race relations. Despite Lexarius's urgings during the Golden Age of Equestria, the city proved to be the most isolationist of the elder cities, highly encouraging pegasi to settle while largely staying silent regarding unicorns and earth ponies. Though the similarly increasingly isolationist True Earth Ponies had shaped the Stonetooth Aeries in the Delve, some pegasi did not follow suit and were arrogant enough to vow never to set hoof on the ground as a show of racial pride. They also refused to add the bridges to connect the tower boughs or even ladders. When both the Great Delve and Arcanotropolis cut off trade at this, it was a contrite Highstable leadership that built bridges, the ground-level settlements, and enacted the ceremonial "hurling down" of the pegasi who made the vow.
The Great Invasions hit Highstable perhaps the hardest of the elder cities. It suffered two major outbreaks of ophidite-manufactured diseases and a deadly fire attack from a group of coatls that leveled one tower bough. The Division and the increased difficulty in connecting with other Equestrian cities has made things even more difficult. Still, Highstable remains a robust and vibrant city.
Demographics
70% pegasus
20% unicorn
10% earth pony
Architecture
Highstable is divided into the Upper and Lower Settlements. The Upper Settlementrefers to the structures built on the branches of the tower boughs. It's occupied mostly by pegasi with a few unicorns. Most Highstable buildings here go for a "natural" look by building homes into their tower boughs or crafting their houses to resemble parts of the tree. As such, wood is the primary construction material. The Lower Settlement is occupied mostly by earth ponies and unicorns. The buildings are also mostly wood to respect Highstable tradition, but they follow the earth pony aesthetic of low, compund buildings. Exemptions do occur for both settlements when it comes to racial population.
Resources
Highstable exports a variety of fruits, vegetables, and herbs, harvested from the lush jungle beneath and around it. Lumber from nearby camps also proves a valuable commodity. Water is seldom a problem thanks to the frequent rains of the Southern Barrier Land. Highstable is notorious for a different sort of export, however. Ophidite-made drugs often end up in Highstable, brought in by indoctrinated slaves or simply unscrupulous ponies looking to profit. From Highstable, these drugs make their way to other Barrier Lands.
Government
Highstable has an elected mayor and city council as most Barrier Lands cities. It is tradition that the mayor and vice-mayor come from different settlements of Highstable.
Security
As the largest city of the Southern Barrier Land, Highstable stands out as a large target for the Empire of Ophidus. Given previous attacks from the Empire, Highstable security is always high and tight. The drug trade is insidous and well-organized, requiring a great deal of vigilance. The Highstable Garrison is comprised by almost entirely pegasi for easy maneuvering among the branches of the upper settlement though a small contingent of unicorns and earth ponies rounds out its forces. The Highstable Garrison maintains its headquarters known as The Watching Perch, which is located atop the tallest of the tower boughs close to the center. There is no structure to hold a Legion presence, but it is common enough knowledge that there are plenty of Southern Legion rangers in the city, always on the lookout for Ophidite espionage as well as potential recruits which they direct to the various outposts outside the city.
Places of Interest
Sky Gate - all aerial travel to Highstable must go through Sky Gate; from war balloons to individual flyers. Any violation of this law comes with the risk of being shot down by the many snipers station among the branches of the city. Contrary to the name, Sky Gate is no set of doors but a massive wooden platform suspended above most of Highstable through great cables from the tower boughs. It serves as a port and inspection area. Due to the frequent traffic, many stores have opened here as well to offer food, drink, and other commodities. As the largest flat surface of the Upper Settlement, Sky Gate also functions as a gathering place and a parade ground.
The Root Markets - As the main center of trade for the Southern Barrier Land, Highstable's marketplace is a riotous spread of some of the most exotic products in Equestria. Visitors arrive from as far as the Northern Barrier Land to buy up herbs and spices found nowhere else in Equestria. Found at the center of the Lower Settlements, it is also considered the most dangerous area in Highstable, frequented by thieves, swindlers, and dubious peddlers of dangerous substances despite the Garrison's best efforts to clean the place up. There are persistent rumors that the right connections can gain one access to a secret ophidite market where one can acquire deadly toxins, foreign and forbidden magical components, and slaves.
The Hanging Tree - at the eastern edges of Highstable is an unoccupied tower bough with a lone rope bridge connecting it to the city. This is the Hanging Tree, known as such as it serves as a place where criminals are executed, usually by hanging them from one of its branches or by pinning them to the trunk with arrows. The bodies are buried at the base of the tree. The tree also attracts suicides and those with a taste for morbid atmospheres. There are legends that state that this tree was a late addition to the grove having grown from the grave of Bell Strike, who killed himself after the Everlasting Kingdom fell as he could not bear the loss of his dear friend, Blade Gleam.
I have been loving these little lore blurbs. I'm curious how the re-integration of the Heartland would affect the barrier ponies. There's been plenty of discussion how the barrier ponies are affecting the heartland, bringing in new ideas and while not quite strip-mining the place for resources, both material and bodies, there's still probably quite a bit of tension regarding that. But, at the same time, new opportunities for trade and potentially access to resources that don't really exist elsewhere. It sounded to me like Trains where a new idea to the barrierlands and would be potentially huge now that they could run tracks through the heartland.
Regardless, curious how the populations compare as well as the social/cultural hubs. What would barrier unicorns think of Canterlot, or barrier earth ponies think of places like Manehatten and Fillydelphia, plus of course... Los Pegasus and Cloudsdale for pegasi. Especially considering that barrier pegasi can't manipulate clouds/weather like the heartlands could. Also curious if that specific ability will disappear or spread now that the barrier is down...
Also one quick question... where do Zebra's fit in?
I hear the Root Markets in Highstable would be quite nice if they just spruce the place up. Too many shopleafters :/