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// Outline & Characters 
// Story: The Fall of Valencia 
// by Etherium-Apex 
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Outline

This alternate-universe story tells the downfall of the ancient city of Valencia, about 5,000 years before the events of the show. A crown jewel of the Solar Empire, a global nation led for millennia by an powerful being named Magnus de Vaspian. A broken, desperate Lord, and his unloved son, a Captain of the Imperial Legion, who does his best to protect his home while wishing he could earn the love of his father. They prepare for an invasion by the Umbrum and their armies while dealing with their own internal conflict, aided by his lifelong friend and closest subordinate.





Characters

Marcellus
A young adult unicorn enlisted in the Imperial Legion. Despite his youth, he has a great number of achievements, owing to his lifelong training as a warrior and his skill with magic. He is brave and honorable, but his mind is frequently troubled by his conflict with his father.

Felix
A lifelong friend of Marcellus, sharing a very close bond, serving as a 2nd Lieutenant of the Legion. He acts as his friend’s field companion and confidant, as well as a source of guidance and emotional support when off-duty.

Marcus
Lord of Valencia, father of Marcellus, and a shameful ruler. Feeling humbled and overshadowed by his predecessors, his mind has fallen into delusion and despair, preferring to wait for the end rather than suffer his own existence. He shows no love for his own son, whom he believes to make a mockery of him due to his success. He wallows in pity, and bitterly tries to stop anyone who shows a glimmer of hope.

Magnus de Vaspian
Great, ancient, and immortal ruler of the Solar Empire. He spends his time in the orbiting sky-city of Urba Sol, watching over the world’s denizens and doing his best to protect them from harm. His presence is unforgettable to any lucky enough to meet him. As an Aurum, he feels a strong desire to love, protect, and comfort every mortal creature.





Prelude

Long ago, in the vast annals of the ancient world, the eternal threat of the Umbrum was much more dire. A number of earthly cities belonged to them, all taken through terror and conquest. Their capital stronghold came to be known as Moenia Tenebra, a ruined and blackened city hiding their most terrible creatures and twisted leaders.

The origin of Moenia Tenebra is one of great tragedy; it was once a shining city of the Solar Empire, the capital and center of all trade in the central regions of modern-day Equestria. The city of Valencia was laden with the luxuries of fine silks and beautiful gems, towers of white gold which pierced the sky and shone upon the lands beneath it. The city knew not a wink of sleep, for at every hour it bustled with the activity of merchants seeking to trade away for riches and the clashing iron of warriors who trained to the bone to protect their land and its inhabitants.

The glory of Valencia was long upheld by the great lords who oversaw it. There was first Lord Hadrian from the Northern lands, who led with a firm but forgiving hoof. He was succeeded by Lord Valerius, father of Valencia's final ruler, Marcus. A unicorn humbled by the legacy of his forebears, he took comfort in holding the names of his descent more dearly than his own son.

Marcus spent many long days in the height of his towers, looking to the stars for answers to his existence, ignorant of the stagnancy and decay wrought by his lack of presence. The light of Valencia withered, its walls became vulnerable. Marcus saw his world fade, and blamed himself, yet did nothing. He fell into despair, for he could never live up to the lords that came before him.

His son, Marcellus, served Valencia as Captain of the Guard. He was a brave, young unicorn, a valiant and skilled fighter, and a loyal companion to all those who were close to him. His spirit and valor were great, and his achievements were many. Despite his character, he still could not earn his father's love.