How long have you been here? In this numb yet peaceful void? You can't remember. There hadn't been any desire to leave, and you truthfully can't be sure how aware you were up until this point. For something has intruded into your nihilistic sanctuary: First vibrations, followed by distant voices. Many voices, a cacophony of sobbing and yelling as a chill washed through your being. And for the first time in your existence, you wake up.
You open your eyes.
You see a world, or at least a fraction of it. A mass of land blanketed in snow and ice. Yet despite looking down from a great height, you perceive different places in great, overwhelming details.
"So cold...so hungry..."
"Help us! Please, anyone?!"
"No, no! Get away! We don't have anything, just leave us alone!"
"Mommy? Daddy? Come on, we have to go!...Mom? Dad?"
"I can't believe we're actually eating this..."
"When will this end?"
"What did we do to deserve this?"
"If she doesn't give it up willingly, we won't have a choice..."
"No one is going to save us!"
Creatures freezing, starving, dying, killing, and praying for help; you feel as if you're drowning in their sorrows as information rushed into your mind from some unknown abyss…ponies, griffins, hippogriffs, kirins, windigos, disharmony, snow, ice, magic, frozen, death, salvation, protection.
Help.
"You could use some help yourself."
The voice isn't something you hear so much as feel. Your very essence jumps. Instead of moving, it is your perception that changes. Upon the land you now witness great figures of colors dominating the land scape in a brilliant yet strange lightshow: A vibrant pale-purple beyond the southern horizon, a clashing of pulsing and passionate pink with pure darkness in the coldest north, twins of silver and gold in the mainland, a green fire in the south and a decadent black and green shadow creeping in the in the west. All these and many more, but which spoke to you?
"Up here."
You freeze. You can't be sure if you look up or if He makes you look up. In the end, you stare upwards and take in the terrifying form of a great serpent made of...a thousand impossible things jump to mind. The shadow of wind, the rain of cotton candy, the singing of tea, the fluidity of glass, the breath of a pineapple. It was everything that could and couldn't be. It was...
"Chaos, and no need for flattery," He answered with a grin that you could smell somehow as he circled closer to you. "Don't fret little Godling. You're young, new, and confused. As boring as sense and rules are, I thought something like you could use a little help," he informed playfully. You're uncertain, but in no place to refuse. "You're a Godling, a very young god. Maybe you were just born out of the needs of those frail mortals below or maybe you used to be a mortal yourself? That's not important," he explained with a dismissive wave that felt like polka dots. "A new age is coming about, little one, brought on by the desperation of mortals seeking protection. We're all vying for their attention and worship," Chaos elaborated with a chuckle as you suddenly felt worried. "Oh, don't fret. I'm already out of everyone's league; I have no need or desire to swat a child. No, actually, I'm going to give you some advice."
Advice?
Chaos gave a nod that felt like a wave of monkeys. "You see that land down there?" he prompted, motioning to the vast landscape with a tall mountain at the center. You answered yes, hoping he could sense your reply. He did. "Don't come there. The Sun and Moon sisters, I, and some other Godling are already aiming for this, among the others. Too many big fish."
Peering down, you could indeed see a tiny glimmer of prismatic light in the midst of the land. But what were you to do then?
"You're young and, no offense, weak. You don't even have an avatar to take on. But don't worry, that can change with time and a gaggle of worshippers. All you need to do is find some survivors and help them escape this frozen nightmare. They're all so desperate for help that they'll latch onto to anyone that delivers," Chaos explained with dark mirth. His eyes glowed eerily as you felt more, clearer information flood your mind. "That should give you a head start on your options and what to do. Just be careful who you pick and don't wait too long. Winter is leaving."
With that, Chaos left, descending as an unseen twister of change, leaving you to decide your own fate.
Throughout the land, your perception changed once more. This time, by your own will. Now you looked up survivors of twelves races and saw the advantages of each:
The powerful races could be the easiest choices to make, strong in one form of power or another:
The militant Pegasi ruling over weather with a long experience in warfare.
The mighty Dragons with mighty forms and fiery breath leave them needless of most other weapons.
The greedy Griffins are competitive and fierce, both with their money and in battle.
The proud Yaks, possessing some of the greatest physical might in the world, not to mention they survived this winter with the least casualties.
Yet the more advanced and otherwise prosperous ones are not to be overlooked:
The vain Unicorns gifted with a powerful innate access to the arcane and stockpiled in gems.
The sturdy Diamond Dogs whose ability to hunt and scour for resources is rarely bested.
The solitary Hippogriffs, who can go theoretically anywhere thanks to their mystic pearl.
The cursed Kirins, who possess lost treasures of bygone ages.
Though there was something to be said for the more populous of these creatures:
The staunch Earth Ponies, natural born experts of farming the land and build strong homes.
The clever Changelings, the masters of hiding from and infiltrating their enemies.
The wise Deer, who live in perfect unison with nature, wielding and healing it.
The fragile Breezies, whose most unique magic allows them to dwell in realms hidden from most.
But when considering who to save, it isn't just about the species, but the location; this great winter has forced pockets of races to scatter across all lands in search of survival. While it would certainly be advantageous to pick a race's homeland to get the largest bulk of survivors, benefits might be found for starting in each land.
Pegasta, the current Cloud-fortress of the Pegasi.
The Dragonlands, the ancient nesting grounds of the Dragons.
Griffinstone, a relatively young nation at this point.
Yakiyak, the homeland of the Yaks, which is more and more abandoned by the year.
Unicornia, the seat of power of the High Kings and Queens of Unicorns.
The Crystal Empire, a realm that has played host to many mixing of species, allegedly carved by the ancient Diamond Dogs of the Old World.
Mount Aris, a spot of land stabbing from the sea that has been a natural home to the hippogriffs.
Kirin Grove: Not even the Kirin themselves know how long they've lived here.
Terratha, the largest of all Earth Ponies cities, who held out the longest in this storm with their excellent management of stockpiled food.
The Badlands, a dry realm that was often a homeland to monsters and criminals, now where the winter hit the least- which isn't saying much in the end.
The Everfree, a mystical, perhaps even sentient forest of many unique creatures that only a few, such as the Deer, have the ability to find coexistence within.
Mount Canter, a center point of magic in these lands, long used by the Breezies to boost their magic and access their hidden homes with ease.
No matter how much you might want to save more, you can only pick one creature and start in only one location.
Species:
A. Pegasus
B. Dragons
C. Yaks
D. Griffins
E. Unicorn
F. Diamond Dogs
G. Hippogriffs
H. Kirin
I. Earth Pony
J. Changelings
K. Deer
L. Breezies
Starting Location:
A. Pegasta(Cloudsdale)
B. The Dragonlands
C. Griffinstone
D. Yakiyak(North of Yakistan)
E. Unicornia(East of Vanhoover)
F. The Crystal Empire
G. Mount Aris
H. Kirin Grove(South of Dragonlands)
I. Terratha(Near Neighgra Falls)
J. The Badlands(Changelings)
K. Everfree(Deer)
L. Mount Canter(Breezies)