[Note: I have tried to break up this huge wall of text that is the first of several parts concerning in-universe lore. Pictures, and music, have been interspersed at regular intervals in order to prevent your non-augmented brains from being fried via hyper-traumatic in-load syndrome.

~Bloodpool, Fabricator-General.]

Given the long history of Equestria, it is difficult to discern when Pony society made the transfer from the relatively uncivilised "nomadic gatherer-tribe" stage to what would become the founders of the first permanent settlements.

From archeological evidence, the first permanent settlements arose in what is now the Manehatten River Valley (Manehatten translates from Ancient Equestrian into something like "protective mother") some 4000 years before the events of what is now known as "Hearth-warming's eve". In the historical sense, anything that transpired before this date is denoted by the "BW" (Before Warming) symbol.

The reasons for this sudden change from a nomadic lifestyle to the creation of permanent settlements are unclear, mostly due to the fact that the transition occurred many hundreds of years before the invention of writing. Up until this point, society had had no need for a way of permanently recording information, with the exception of simple pictographic images that had very little significance outside of burial sites. "Proper" writing would not appear until around 100 years later in 3900 BW.

Long before the creation of bustling Metropolis that dominates the landscape today, the Manehatten area was a large expanse of relatively flat land. The proximity to both the coast and the Manehatten River produced large areas of fertile farmland, while the mountainous territory further up the river was a good source of easily accessible gems and metals. The relatively stable climate made the local sky ideal for Pegasi cultivation. Even more importantly, with the mountains on either side and behind, and the sea to the south, predators and foreign invaders would be very hard-pressed to make it into the valley. Therefore, it was the ideal location for all three types of pony to settle. However, their new home produced other pressures that would shape their society for years to come.

As previously mentioned, the lack of any permanent records of this time, written or otherwise, has made study of this period in history rather difficult. It is because of this that the exact nature of the circumstances surrounding the separation of the three Pony races into distinct and racially separated tribes is unclear, and the argument still rages between historians today as to the exact reasons for this racial separation.

That said, it is clear that the three races did not abandon each other immediately. Archaeological evidence shows that the three races stayed in close proximity to each other and worked together for a period of about 500 years after their arrival, before the tribal spilt formed in around 3500 BW. It is, however, still difficult to map out the actual sociological and cultural mentality that would lead to such a split.

Furthermore, the transition period between separation and the three races forming their own tribes is a virtual blank, with only scattered references and circumstantial archaeological evidence granting the vaguest of timelines for this period in history.

The tribal split resulted in the creation of the first major political powers in Equestrian History; the Skyborne Stratocracy, The Unicorn Kingdom and The Earthen Republic.

At first glance, today's readers would most likely label the Hurricane Stratocracy as little more than a Military dictatorship. However, a Military Dictatorship is an illegal occupation of one’s own land, holding your own nation hostage while imposing your rule without any legal authority or right to rule. A Stratocracy, on the other hand, is a form of government headed by military chiefs. It is not the same as a military dictatorship or military junta where the military's political power is not enforced or even supported by other laws. Rather, a stratocracy is a form of military government in which the state and the military are traditionally or constitutionally the same entity, and government positions are always occupied by commissioned officers and military leaders. In the case of the Skyborne Stratocracy, citizens were eligible to vote on the condition that they were, or had been, part of the Military. The armed forces were open to both Stallions and Mares over the age of 16. Sources from this period indicate that there was no official retirement age, and that a soldier could request his or her superiors for an honourable discharge from the Military at any given time, though the request could be denied.

The Unicorn Kingdom, however, was unique in the fact that it, as the title suggests, was a Patriarchal society as opposed to a Matriarchal societies of the Skyborne Stratocracy and the Earthen Republic. The constitution of the Skyborne Stratocracy specifically states that Mares are to hold positions of authority, especially in the uppermost ranks, and while the Republic had no such condition, the academic consensus is that it was just assumed that a mare would run for and be elected into office.

When the three races split into separate nations, the Unicorns settled in the mountains. A small number of the more powerful members of that early society were able to use their power to claim large areas of territories for themselves and their descendants. These individuals and their families quickly acquired copious amounts of wealth, to the point where they could afford to hire others to mine their claims for them in exchange for wages and protection. These families were the origin of the nobility that still exists in Equestria today.

Within a generation, the fledgling kingdoms began to expand rapidly, which inevitably lead to open warfare. Numerous battles were fought over territory and resources as each kingdom struggled with its neighbors. In the chaos and danger of these times, the general population had very little organized governmental protection from brigands, conquering war bands and the armies of other lords. Knowing there was safety in numbers, local lords gathered around them young, fighting-age Stallions to fend off rebellious vassals or conquering neighbors. These Stallions, in turn, were rewarded with looted treasures for their service and loyalty. Those who survived became experts in the art of warfare. Soon, grants of land were made so that these young soldiers could receive an income from those lands and afford the high cost of outfitting themselves with the accoutrements of war, such as armor and weapons. The era of the Knight had begun.

Eventually, these Unicorn Knights began to treat their land grants as hereditary rights (usually transferring ownership to the eldest son upon death), thus beginning the rise of knights as a "landed" class whose importance went beyond simply being a military "free-agent". Knights soon found themselves involved in local politics, the dispensation of justice, and numerous other required tasks for their sovereign or liege lord.

Inevitably, one family rose to prominence above all others. The self-titled Grand Duke Sunstone of the Two Dozen Sons eventually amassed enough wealth and power to declare himself "High King". The new "King" enforced his claim with the backing of the large army he had amassed during his rise to power. By 3480 BW, Sunstone had united the many unicorn kingdoms into one nation through a combination of diplomacy and brute force. In an act of cunning foresight, Sunstone allowed the other the noble families to keep near total autonomy over their own lands, so long as they all pledged fealty to him and his successors, promising to donate soldiers and coin in times of war. This ensured that the Unicorn Kingdom would continue to exist as a single nation long after Sunstone's timely and, by all accounts, natural death in 3460. Tensions with the Skyborne Stratocracy remained high throughout the Kingdom's lifetime, but open warfare between the two races was thankfully avoided.

Evidence suggests that The Earthen Republic may have been founded as early as 3499 BW, and thus is probably the oldest of the three tribes. With their two greatest sources of protection gone, the Earth Ponies had to organize quickly in order to make sure everyone was safe and accounted for. The Democratic form of government was the product of necessity. With no concrete power structure to work off of in place, the Earth Ponies quickly turned to a handful of individuals who they felt would best lead them. This method of choosing leadership would remain in some form or fashion into modern day Equestria. Sadly, lacking the military strength of the other two tribes, the Earth Ponies found themselves pressed into providing food for both themselves and the other two tribes as well.

The Manehattan River Valley that served as the protective cradle for these three civilizations. With the sea to the south, the mountain chains to the north, east and west, the area was effectively cut off from the rest of the continent. It was a most fortunate happenstance, because during these first few centuries of settlement and development, there were two great empires that shared the continent that could have easily crushed the fledgling nations.

While may be hard to believe for modern readers, the packs of Diamond Dogs scattered about Equestria and the tiny nation on the other side of the of the continent today are the descendants of a conquering nation whose empire covered more square miles than any other in history.
In 3800 BW, a Diamond Dog named Skrak finally united all of the Diamond Dog Tribes after several years of bloody and declared the founding of the Grand Pack. With an ever burning desire for wealth in gems and precious metals, the new nation expanded out in all directions, conquering nations, enslaving entire populations.

Given the rough correlation of dates, it is most likely that the nomads that would settle the Manehattan River Valley were in fact running from the ever expanding Diamond Dog Empire. The mountains that protected the River Valley are loaded with dense metamorphic rock, making effective burrowing nearly impossible. Though the Diamond Dog Empire was in its prime at around 3450, the rise of the Skyborne Stratocracy and the Unicorn Kingdom had made an invasion of the area much less appealing. For this reason the Grand Pack largely ignored the valley in favour of softer targets. Furthermore, by this point, the Grand Pack was more concerned with putting down rebellions and insurrections from both its vast slave population and power hungry members of the ruling class than continued expansion. By 3435, the last descendant of Skrak's line was dead. With no heirs remaining, the empire collapsed into bloody civil war as rival families fought each other over the rotting carcass of what was once a mighty empire.

However, by 3428, a new threat had arisen; the mighty Gryphon Empire.

The Empire had begun far to the northwest, when eighty-six griffin tribes were conquered under the might of the eighty-seventh in 3440 BW. The Gryphon Empire was partly responsible for the downfall of The Grand Pack. As the Diamond Dog Empire dissolved internally, the Gryphon Empire took the opportunity to seize vast swathes of land from the Diamond Dogs, who, in 3438 BW, were too concerned with fighting each other than combating outside threats. By 3428 BW, the Gryphon Empire was the largest, most powerful nation on the planet. This would prove to be the height of its success.

It is prudent to point out that the fall of the Gryphon Empire was not a single, dramatic event – the decline of the Empire was a gradual degradation that lasted around 300 years. The reasons for the fall of the Empire include military overreach, invasion by emboldened tribes of Minotaurs and Zebras, inflation, corruption and political incompetence. Historians have attributed the final collapse to several key events; the sacking of the Capital city of Gryphus in 3128 BW by the Minotaur Chieftain Bularic, the deposing of the last Gryhpon Emperor by the Zebra Chieftan Zodoacer in 3124 BW and the death of Emperor Krassus "The Weak" in battle against the Changelings in 3130 BW.

Even if either the Diamond Dogs or the Gryhpons had considered wiping out the Manehattan Valley ponies, the distances and the natural defenses of the valley and the very nature of the ponies’ connection to the world at large provided the largest reason to not invade.

One of the most significant deterrents was the fact that, at that time in History, the Unicorns were one of the surprisingly few races that had much more than the very limited innate magical connection that the majority of the races shared. The Unicorn's ability to actively channel their magic into potential offensive weapons was a serious concern for any opposing force. With no spell casters of their own, it would have been very difficult to prevent large-scale magical attacks from obliterating large swathes of any invading army.

The Pegasi provided an equally strong deterrent in the form of their control over the weather. A good commander knows that weather is one of the key deciding factors of a battle, and therefore, no sane military commander is going to want to want to fight an enemy who can easily control the weather in such a dramatic way.

Finally, there are the Earth Ponies, whose strength per-pound and general stamina is the highest of any other race. A properly trained and conditioned Earth Pony can out-fight and out-last almost any Soldier. Furthermore, with their connection to the earth and agriculture, given enough time, Earth Ponies in theory could cultivate a dense and vast system of hedges or brush that would slow even the fastest surface army down to a crawl, either buying the Earth Ponies time to escape, or leaving the army vulnerable to attack.

So, while the ponies of the Manehattan River Valley were without a doubt an easy and tempting target for any of the larger nations beyond their borders, the ponies themselves had formidable enough natural defenses that such an attack would become very unpleasant very quickly, thus settling the whole region into an uneasy understanding of Mutually Assured Destruction.

With the passage of time, the truth of events, and the ponies who made them, may be exaggerated, twisted or even erased.

For example, if the historical Princess Platinum could see the selfish mare she is remembered as, she would quietly mourn the piece of her soul that died. The historical Private Pansy would be hard-pressed to restrain her urge to strangle the timid leaf she is portrayed as on stage. The real Commander Hurricane might very well look upon his legacy and throw himself on his sword.

So for the sake of giving an insight into the lives of the real ponies that founded Equestria, the following section will give short biographies of each of the six ponies who lead the three tribes to uniting into our fair nation, and offer a look into the Tribes as they were in their final years up until the unification of Equestria, and the events that shaped the lives of these critically important ponies.

As the only stallion, Commander Hurricane already stands out among the six Founders. But while all of the others were born into the higher positions of their societies, Hurricane was actually among the lowest ranked pegasi of the Stratocracy, due to both his sex and the position in the hierarchy his mother held.

Born in 32 BW, Hurricane was the only foal of Staff Sergeant Star Saber. As a stallion, there were very few options open to young Hurricane in terms of a career. Hurricane therefore joined up with the Skyborne Army as a private in 16 BW. He would make a name for himself for countless acts of bravery in battle, leading charges that by all rights should have been suicidal.
Interestingly, by the time that Hurricane reached the rank of sergeant, he had a reputation not just on the field of battle, but in the bedroom as well.

At that time, it was a common practice among the commanding officers of the Stratocracy to take one or more of the stallions under their command as lovers during a tour of duty. Soldiers of the same rank (But different sex) rarely partook in such activity. Bizarrely, this was very rarely the result of any romantic relationship. More often than not, it was actually used as a "reward" for bravery in battle! However, if such a "reward" resulted in pregnancy, the consequences could be fatal. If the child resulting from the pregnancy was female, the father would be dishonourably discharged, and the foal brought up by the mother. If the foal was male, the foal would still be cared for, but the father would almost certainly be executed; the preferred method of the day was to tie the wings of the offender with coarse rope, after which the victim would be thrown into open sky. If the prisoner managed to get their wings free before hitting the ground, they would be forced to live in exile for the remainder of their days. Sadly, it was rare for prisoners to escape their bindings before they hit the ground.

Any rumors that this particular tradition still continues in the Military today are entirely false.

Personal accounts and correspondence from Hurricane’s superiors suggests that the stallion was very attractive in his youth, something that most probably did not go unnoticed by his superiors.

Through charisma, cunning and sheer force of will, Hurricane quickly rose up through the ranks of the Stratocracy, despite the prejudice against his gender. Within three years, he had risen to the rank of Captain of the Guard, the commanding officer of an elite unit of soldiers assigned to protect the Commander and her Chiefs of Staff.

The Commander at that time was a mare who went by the name of Stormwind. Over the course of the next three years of Hurricane's life, he would form a powerful bond with the Commander, saving her life and the lives of her Chiefs of Staff on numerous occasions. In 10 BW, Commander Stormwind fell gravely ill. On her deathbed, she did the unthinkable: She named Hurricane, a Stallion, as her successor. When Stormwind finally died, Hurricane became the first male Commander of the Stratocracy.

The initial uproar that resulted from this event was huge. The Stratocracy was, and always had been, a strictly matriarchal society. Despite this, Hurricane had been appointed to his position of leadership by the previous Commander, and was therefore constitutionally untouchable. Hurricane quickly silenced his critics by leading the Stratocracy on several (and very successful) Military Campaigns, and proved himself a strong and charismatic leader, guiding the Stratocracy through the dire crisis that resulted in the re-unification of the three pony races. By the end of his life in 20 AW, Commander Hurricane was one of the most popular and well-respected leaders of the Stratocracy since its inception.

Inevitably, Commander Hurricane often found himself at odds with the Unicorn Kingdom.

At that time, the current ruler of the Unicorn Kingdom was Princess Platinum. In a situation that was an oddly similar reflection of Commander Hurricane's rise to power, Princess Platinum had inherited the Throne after the death of her father, King Obsidian in 12 BW.

In the years leading up to his disappearance, the King had become increasingly withdrawn, preferring to shut himself in the Castle's Mage Tower rather than attend social events. Maintaining the barest minimum of interaction with the Royal Court, he showed an astounding lack of interest in the affairs of his Kingdom. On the day of his disappearance, the King was reported to have been in a very excitable mood.

Spending the majority of that fateful morning collecting various items and supplies from the rather bewildered servants, the King headed back up into the tower a short time before midday. As the clock struck twelve, the tower was reported to have lit up with a tremendously bright light, accompanied by a deafening explosion. The tower was completely destroyed as a result, splattering the bloody remains of the unfortunate Monarch over a wide area.
Historians have come to agree that the (rather dramatic) death of the King was clearly an assassination.

From the evidence that survives, the death of the King may have been orchestrated by Princess Platinum herself. As the only heir to the throne at the time, Platinum would have been very aware of the fact that, were her father to suddenly die, the Kingdom would automatically pass to her. Perhaps the most damning piece of evidence was the fact that, one week earlier, the Princess had arranged a meeting with the Gryphon Kaeso Burned-Claw, a well-known arms-dealer. It would have been very easy for the Princess to purchase a variety of explosives, though the description of the explosion in the tower points from eye-witnesses points to the use of Gunpowder; a mixture of sulphur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate that was invented by the Gryphons in 3450 BW, and was a key part of their military successes.

However, at the time, it was simply assumed that the King had died as a result of a magical accident, and therefore Princess Platinum ascended to the throne that very same year. It is interesting to note that, up until this point, there had never been a female ruler of the Kingdom. In modern times, Platinum would have probably taken the title of "Queen", but at that time, there was no word in ancient equestrian for "Queen", so Platinum retained the title of Princess, although she was, for all intents and purposes, a Queen.
The first two years of Platinum's rule was mostly spent violently crushing multiple rebellions instigated by disgruntled nobles who saw the Princess as an illegitimate ruler, due to her sex.

This was quickly proved wrong, of course. Platinum proved to be a shrewd politician and a ruthless and cunning strategist on the battlefield. She easily crushed the armies of the upstart nobles, carving out a bloody and brutal example for any others who might think to challenge her right to rule.
With her position on the throne secured, Platinum turned her attention outwards. The ten year period before the "Hearth's Warming" event saw a rapid escalation of tensions between the Unicorn Kingdom and the Skyborne Stratocracy. It is undeniable that, if history had continued on this path, a war between the two nations would have been inevitable.

Unlike the Founders we have previously discussed, whose personal traits were either exaggerated or glossed over entirely, Chancellor Puddinghead has actually been toned down from the reality. Had she lived in the modern era, Puddinghead would no doubt have been placed in a psychiatric ward for study and an attempt at counselling. However, as modern medicine of the mind was long way away in the future, mental illness was only vaguely understood and often confused for other things, such as Changeling impersonation, demon possession, or being divinely inspired.

Few documents exist concerning Puddinghead’s early life. Historians can’t even be sure if that is even her real name, and not a nickname, considering her most famous, or infamous, fashion statement. However, we do know that she had always been longing for the centre of attention, as a large collection of documents have been recovered over the years hinting that she was often muscling her way in to perform in the local theatre productions, more often than not as the lead.

However, many of these documents highlight of just how poor an actress she was. During this time, other contemporary sources describe Puddinghead’s eccentricities; her insistence of wearing a bowl of fresh pudding on her head every day, for example. It was during this time that she first developed a taste for politics, with her first foray as an aide for her mother, Senator Astaelan.

In 20 BW, Puddinghead ran for election for the Chancellorship, even though she was too young to be a legal candidate. Naturally, she didn’t win. However, Puddinghead put forward that the election was rigged. This was entirely untrue, but the fuss she raised was certainly entertaining to the ponies of the Republic, and for each of the next two elections the drama would repeat, with the young Puddinghead’s popularity growing with each attempt. From what records exist, it is believed that Puddinghead’s appeal with the Earth Ponies, especially the younger Earth Ponies, was less on her position on important issues, and more with the sensationalism her campaigns generated, along with her amusing personality.

In 12 BW, Puddinghead was finally old enough to run, and won the election for the Chancellorship by a landslide, thanks in large part by her large following becoming eligible to vote as well, rather than her proving to her subjects that she would be the superior candidate.

At the start of the new Chancellor’s term in office, it was both tradition and law that said new head of state would give a speech to the senate to lay out her policy for the year, appoint a Speaker of the House, and try to encourage a cordial relationship between the Legislature and Executive halves of the government. In her speech, Puddinghead vowed to work to start a series of public works projects to improve the living conditions of the citizens of the Republic, the abolishment of certain unpopular taxes, and reform of the military. As an eye-witness report from one of the Senators at the time puts it:
“…all of these proposals were all well and good, and the new Chancellor received many ovations during her speech, but the one point of concern that all of senators were agreed on was the fact that not once did she [Puddinghead] face her audience during her forty minute speech.”

Among the projects Puddinghead commissioned were the construction of two aqueducts to bring in more water to both the growing urban centres, and more importantly, to the farmlands, as well as the setting aside of forest for firewood to battle the ever decreasing temperatures. She also organised the repairing of the temples to the spirits in the capitol city, as well as the construction of an amphitheatre and chariot racetrack. However, Puddinghead also devoted significant funds to projects whose purpose was either obscure, or outright wasteful, such as the construction of a life-size statue of herself made entirely out of chocolate.

Puddinghead would also commission the construction of a bridge across the Manehattan River, connecting the capitol with the farming settlements that would eventually become Bucklyn. Considering that the river was over a mile across at this part of its course, the project was ignored. However, Puddinghead’s commission would in fact be completed as ordered thousands of years later with the completion of the Bucklyn Bridge.

With the abysmal failure of “The Shouting Congress” in 0 BW, Puddinghead made a surprisingly lucid decision to seek out a new home for the Earth Ponies, out from under the shadow of the Stratocracy and Kingdom. In fact, from what records exist, it is widely accepted that it was the Republic that actually sent out the first scouts to search for a new land, as far ahead as a week before either the Stratocracy or the Kingdom.

The area the three tribes expanded into had been mostly uninhabited up until that point, and was therefore very much still wild and untamed, though it was no more dangerous than one would expect. It was, however, rich in gemstones and precious metals, and the three major rivers that ran through the area ensured that vast tracts of fertile land were readily available. The temperate climate provided good conditions for farming, even without interference. This area would eventually form the majority of modern Equestria, excluding some of the colonies and provinces that are part of the nation today.

Though somewhat more exposed than their previous home, the land was geologically diverse enough to make it difficult for invaders to access the area. To the north, a large mountain chain constricted access to the vast expanse of frozen tundra that lay beyond (Which would soon become the domain of the Crystal Empire, which we will discuss later).

To the south, the ocean provided a moderate amount of protection, though this was by far the least secure border of the new nation. To the east, the manehatten valley, sheltered by the ocean on one side and a string of mountain chains on all others, provided a safe redoubt in the event of disaster or invasion. Finally, the western border was protected by large, open and arid plains that dominated the centre of the continent. These plains were very difficult to traverse due to the scarcity of water sources, putting any expedition attempting to cross in serious danger of dehydration and death.

What happened next, as the three tribes collided again in this new territory, is so widely known that it is relatively pointless to describe it in detail here, so we will skip ahead to around 25 AW. By this time, the three tribes had united once more, and the nation was flourishing thanks to the co-operation between the three races. Equestria was growing rapidly, and would soon become one of the most (if not the most) powerful nations on the continent.

However, events elsewhere would soon have a profound effect on Equestria, the continent, and the entire world…