1555619
Nice work there... is it my nickname who inspired you for one of the mob's organizations?

Also, I predict the resurrection of a certain quotes thread...

1556322
Why thank you!... but I'm afraid I got the Black Hoof name from elsewhere. The Black Hoof are largely inspired by an old method of extortion practiced by gangsters called the Black Hand, which I basically ponified and turned into a single organization for the purposes of our game
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Hand_%28extortion%29

A quote thread you say?

1556507
"What would the main characters and units say if ED was an RTS", if I remember the title right.

1555619

Well,

the canon statements on Octy and Vinyl might be a bit problematic, especially DJ PON3 since she's apparently affiliated with the military.

Still, I thought Whitegold seemed somewhat Italian,

like how Stormwing is Greek (except the Nhorse, of course), the Earthborn are kind of Teutonic, Moon and Star is Holy Roman Empire, the Cult has a sort of French theme and Everfree are sub-Saharan or just plain beastial.

1557291
Sounds fun,I can think of a few easy ones right off the bat
Pre-Fight liners
legbreaker: "You want a piece of me? You ain't shit!"
Enforcer: "Its only business"
Diamond Dog Enforcer: " *growl* You're in the wrong neighborhood little pony"
Black Hoof: "You got a death wish?"
PUNX: sober-"You want a dance?!" Drugged: "ALRIGHT! LET'S GO!!!"
Rabble Rouser: "Awwwww shit son! You have officially FUCKED UP!!!"

heh heh, maybe a little over the top but entertaining none-the-less
1559936
Well that's unfortunate, I was under the impression those two didn't have a place in canon yet
HOWEVER, judging by Poor Yorick's description, he didn't really seem to set on any of those canon ideas and was basically asking us for ideas and input. Also, the Canon ideas for Octavia and Vinyl both seem pretty bare bones, Octavia herself almost sound indistinguishable from her depiction in the show.
The way I see it right now is that as far as Octavia and Vinyl's status in our setting goes, we are given a fairly large amount of room for interpretation. Hell I don't even see why Poor Yorick's canon and my ideas couldn't coexist. Octavia could still try to pursue a musical career while living the double life of a feared gangster, and the same might hold to a certain extent with Vinyl and her work in Whitegold

That being said, I am curious to hear what people thought of my depiction of those two? I would like to think that I gave them interesting roles and backstories, as well as their own badass footsoldiers, but I would love to hear feedback

1560891 Hey Grave, are you planning to flesh out the rest of Manehattans underworld?

Good work by the way, certainly better than my stuff.

1561542
That's very kind of you to say man
I might try to flesh it out at some point. You're welcome to give it a try too though, I remember you mentioning some cool ideas for gangs!

1555619 The levels of swag coming off this faction is just too much. Seriously, I really enjoyed reading about this group you've created. The only thing to nitpick would be Vinyl/Octavia but in the end I would gladly accept them being apart of this group.

1562336

Thanks a ton man! I'm thrilled people like it!

I would like to thank Gravehaunter for letting me expand on his idea on the Manehattan underworld and for helping me along with this massive Faction Sheet. I'd also like to thank Tsunami Rain for his help.

Manehatten Gangs

After the fall of Equestria and the ascendency of the Great Houses and the dreaded Cult of Laughter, Manehattan slowly but surely became a massive urban sprawl never before seen in history, filled to the brink with refugees fleeing the savage warfare. Accompanying the massive population explosion was a newly revitalized Criminal Underworld which rose to new heights not seen since the Pre-Alicorn period of Equestrian History, and naturally, Street Gangs and petty Mobs arose.

These Gangs may be nothing but petty nuisances, compared to say the Manehattan Mob, or the dreaded Cult of Laughter but to the average Stallion or Mare living in the massive Slum, they are each a danger. If you come in late with your protection payments, or get too just for your own good, or rat one of them out; they’ll go after you and make you regret the very day you were born.

But that being said, some Gangs and like-minded Crooks arose to be more dominant, or at least more noticeable than the others. The Manehattan Mob is noted to have clashed with them on occasion, and more than one Gutter-Runner ended up losing his or her life from underestimating the danger of these degenerates. Some of the Notable Gangs are:
-----
The Hatters:
The Hatters were started by a group of wealthier refugees fleeing the ‘Yoke’ in Canterlot that wound up losing it all. Some were similar to Hoity Toity and had to turn to crime in order to survive; taking over a Theatre mill and using it as a hideout. This gang deals in Extortion and Blackmail, and has dabbled in drug smuggling and gun running, which has sometimes led them to clash with Mob whenever they trespass on their territory.

The Hatters are known for-well, the fancy hats they wear. Top-Hats, Bowler Hats, and Fedoras. Some members are also remarkably well dressed for their chosen profession, but they aren’t as well endowed as their rivals, the Manehattan Mob. They are also a bit more… Civil… Than the other Street Gangs, towards other Ponies. They have shown prejudice towards Non-Ponies like Griffins, Goats, Rams, and Minotaurs, and it’s rumored that they once hung a chimp on a street-light as a warning to a rival gang.

Notable Members of the Hatters:
Photofinish: the leader of the Gang. Formerly a wealthy member of Canterlot High Society, she was forced out of her home and fled to Manehattan when the refugees were driven out of Foaledo by a White Militia. Photofinish had ran out of money and was denied access to the upper city, who just assumed her to be yet another filthy refugee and tossed into the mud by laughing Arqueteers.

Photo was forced to live in a then-shantytown, and, had to resort to thievery in order to survive. She eventually wound up joining a small gang of thieves that she co-founded and had some success. But as the ring grew she and the first leader of the Gang, began to wrestle for control. Photofinish ended up poisoning the Ex-Leader, a Griffin named Gustav Le Grand, and took control with her supporters. Under her control; the hatters arose to new heights they only could formerly only dream of. And now they are a powerful force that even the Mob has to respect them, at least a little bit.

Notable Facts about the Gang:
-The Hatters think themselves classier than the other Gangs and generally look down upon them. They view the Mob as the Old Guard that needs to be replaced, the Dead Rabbits as filthy Immigrants stealing jobs from decent Equestrians, and the Whalers as a pack of violent thugs. And the crew of the Tortuga are thought of as… Smelly landlocked Pirates who aren’t even a real gang.... Because they really are smelly, and aren’t a real gang.

-Some of the members speak in faux regional accents in a attempt to appear classier. Photofinish herself speaks in a fake accent vaguely reminiscent to a Prench Dialect.

-The Hatters have no affiliation with the Cult of Laughter.

Units

Rake: the basic members of the gang. Often former members of the Upper Class, they prefer to fight at a distance with ranged weapons and Molotov Cocktails, but will perform decently, if a bit below average, with a melee weapon.

Hare: Hatter’s who prefer to go at it close and personal are known for using speed and agility, doging opponents attacks and striking whenever there’s a opening. They prefer to use bat’s and Cain’s as Melee weapons. They are often former Athletes and Gymnasiasts. Fortunately, rather fragile.

Mad Hatter: The high ranking members of the Gang. They are well experienced Fighters, skilled with ranged weapons, carry a few cocktails, and also trick their opponents by using things like Smoke bombs to distract a opponent long enough to get a shot at him. They also seem to like Tea.
-----

The Sharktails

The Sharktails are a Gang that formed from Mule refugees fleeing the war. After the collapse of Equestria; Immigrants and enthic minorities faced greater prejudice than ever before, with many Ponies accusing them of stealing jobs and being nothing more but violent, thieving savages that Celestia Civilized. Their ranks include most notably Griffins from the Northern Lands, Rams, and Minotaurs, but those aren’t the only ones who joined them. They are all united by the discrimination and the racism that they face on a daily basis, and many had to join the gang or one of it’s affiliates just to survive.

There are also Zebras, Deer, and even Ponies who were unfortunate enough to immigrate to Equestria during this unfortunate time period, among others. They are a very savage and cutthroat band of murderers; who take no crap from almost anyone, and their sphere of influence lies in smuggling. But they also have a stake in prostitution, and extortion. Their appearance is often just poor, shitty clothes and brown Caps; and they also carry a certain odor that’s definitely noticeable, but nowhere near as bad as the Whalers.

Notable Members of the Gang:
Mulia Mild: A former Cook and Baker who lost her business following the collapse of Equestria and was forced to wander Equestria until she settled in Manehattan where she was treated like she was lower than the dung on the street by the Ponies. She like many others was forced to crime to survive, and started out small in a smuggling ring. Eventually she took over; and like Photofinish, ‘expanded’ her business to prostitution and Extortion.

Now she’s the Matriarch of the Sharktails, and one of most feared Mares in Manehattan. There’s also a popular rumor going around the sprawl that she was a former Courtesan, whoever started it disappeared. Jee, I wonder who’s responsible…

Rumble: A young member of the gang. Split off from his family that he assumes died during the flood, he was adopted and raised by Rams who took care of him even when the Ponies began to grow xenophobic and project their anger on those different than them. He deeply cares about his step parents and step brothers. He joined the gang as a way to make money, and actually rather likes the fast life.

Rumble however is different then a lot of Gangers; he has a code of honor. He won’t rape a mare, in fact, he finds the act completely repulsive and won’t attack at random. He is still a thug however, and will easily beat a shopkeeper late on his payment.

Important Facts about the Gang:

-The Sharktails has come to blows with both the Hatters and the Mob before. Mostly over crossing each other’s territory and rival drug dealing. The Mob see’s them as a petty annoyance and a bunch of whiners; while the Sharktails sees them as a group of old farts who can’t come to grips with the new world.

-Somewhat supporting the rumor that Mulia was a former Courtesan herself; working Mares are treated surprisingly very well in her Brothels and are seen more as a business.

-Doesn't care for or like the Cult very much. Hell; they’ve only encountered them a handful of times, and most of the members who had a run in wiht them just thought they were creepy and not a whole lot else. Mulia’s rumored to have a encounter with a converted Wonder Bolt that went badly, but that’s only a legend.

-Despite the fact that some ponies are apart of their ranks, there is a growing amount of Xenophobia against them, particularly from the Griffons, as Rumble and his Brothers can attest to being in a few brawls with them.

Units:
Brawler: Shaktales love to go in with melee weapons. They fight with incredible savagery, and are unrelenting. They are also known to go in with nothing but their fists, and have often beaten a opponent to death with their own bare hooves. Come in Pony, Zebra, Mule and even Deer Varieties.

Griffin Exiles: Griffins exiled from their Homelands who were accepted by the liberal Celestia as refugees in Equestria. Following the collapse of Equestria; many of these Griffins were forced to flee from their homes into Manehattan where they faced greater discrimination than ever before. Many wound up in the Sharktales as extra muscle capable of outclassing any punches thrown at them from regular street thugs. Rather xenophobic, and have a rivalry with the Rams.

Ram Berserker: Rams from the far north who immigrated to Equestria yet were forced into Manehattan due to the war. Rams are fierce, strong, unrelenting, and have been known to shake off almost anything, and can just simply plow through opponents. They also sometimes completely lose all self-control and attacking anything nearby, friend or foe alike.
-----

The Whalers

The Whalers are a interesting lot. They are less of a Gang, and more like a internal police for a company; forcing workers to work to next to no pay, brutally cracking down and crushing strikes, and making protesters ‘disappear’. They work for the Equestrian Trade Union’s Whaling Branch and for the most part keep order in the Slaughterhouses. It’s made up of the most brutal Sailors, the most demented butchers, and the most corrupt executives; and the higher ups in Manehattan will do anything to protect this new resource.

Whalers often appear as just more dock scum, the ones with a truly distinct appearance: it’s the Butchers. They often appear at fights wearing their guts-splattered, stained work clothes; and there's a certain look in their eyes, and carry these massive buzz saws capable of tearing through whale bone. Butchers are infamous for being notoriously bloodthirst, apathetic, and extremely cruel to the other factory workers that they have higher standing over.

If there’s one thing true about the Whalers; they smell. The Whale guts leave a repulsive and putrid stench that gives away their presence every time. There are also a great number of rumors of what hearing the sorrowful and painful songs of whales as they are gutted can do to a Pony, some of which say that if you hear the song too much you’ll eventually go mad.

Notable Members of the Gang:
Diamond Tiara: The ruthless and apathetic owner of the Whaling Branch of the Equestrian Trade Union, and one of the higher ups in Whitegold. She’s the one credited with discovering whale oil as a new energy souce that can compete with both steam and magic, but there are dark myths and legends over how exactly she discovered it. Some say she had worked with the cult and other dark things, or that she was ‘spoken to’ by a Giant Crystal in a Dream.

Whatever the case, she quickly silenced her opponents in the Council, including Fancy Pants, and went about her new business enterprise. It was a unbelievable success, and changed many things about Manehattan…

Dinky Doo: A Unicorn Butcher with unsettling Wolflike honey colored eyes. Little is known about her except for that the fact that she came from Fillydelphia, started out as a Sailor on one of the early Whaling Vessels, and eventually was given the offer to move up a little bit in the world, and become one of the dreaded butchers after she showed a particular aptitude for the job. She jumped on the offer.

A Mare known for her Cruelty who holds a grudge against Pipsqueak and his crew for unknown reasons. She holds quite a bit of respect for Bab’s Seed and some of the more pleasant aspects of Manehattan Mob, she also has a soft spot for Children and Dehorned Unicorns and will warn both of them to stay away from a rumble if they are nearby.

Important Facts about the Gang:

-In increasing numbers, Whaling Vessels are disappearing at sea.

-Butchers use Buzz Saws powered by Whale Oil to help gut the magnificent beasts of the sea.

-The Butchers are most hostile towards the Manehattan Mob; perhaps due to Diamond Tiara’s long standing feud with Babs Seed. The Mob wants in on the new whale oil trade market, but the whalers make it rather difficult for the mob to do so.

-Whale Oil has proven to be very helpful in the industrialization of Manehattan. But at what cost?

Units:

Sailor: These sea ponies are hardened by time at sea and can handle themselves in a brawl. They have squarred off before with the Sharktails, the Mob, and the Hatters before and are a force not to be trifled with. Their prefered Melee weapons are bats and hooks.

Harpooner: Whalers that use the long-ranged harpoon gun. A effective and powerful weapon at medium range, it’s a bit lacking as a long ranged weapon.

Butcher: the most frightening and intimidating of the Whalers. They carry powerful Buzz Saws capable of tearing through whale bone, and come to fights wearing their gut splattered work clothes and overalls, giving them a immense and noticeable stench. Thankfully very slow moving.

1564091

Are the Dead Rabbits and Tortuga getting descriptions too? Or are the shout outs too obvious?

1568589
Yeah. I planned to name the Sharktails the Dead Rabbits, but it would have been too obvious a shoutout. Glad you caught the references, love that movie.

I was thinking about Pipsqueak and his bunch but got tired. If you guys want to write his crew up, go ahead.

hello folk I'm new here and I'm trying to make a faction but need help

still I have some thigns that I have put:

1.- They have rifles (yes rifles) and rifled cannons but those are hard to make
2.- Initially they were neutral because they lived outside Equestria but after the Moon and Star and Earthborne houses attacked them, they entered the war against everyone but not the caravan (and I have some reasons for the other houses and the caravan is spared because s the only decent house there is)
3.- all the units are professional
4.- had to deal with a Changeling Invasion
5.- have almost no unicorns and very few pegasi
6.- hate slavery, genocide because they suffered from it

so if you can help me, I would love it

1640525
That's honestly not a whole lot to go off of.
Could you explain a bit more on where this faction came from and why they are in Equestria to begin with?
Also, a lot of Houses tend to be influenced by their Founders/leaders. Do you have an idea of who or what that might be as far as personality and ambitions go?

One bit of advice that I can give is that you might like to think of a civilization/organization that you can base your faction off of. Such as how Stormwing Pegasi are influenced a bit by Ancient Greece or how the Cult of Laughter has a lot of Carnival aesthetics.

OH! and welcome to the Equestria Divided Group dude! Hope you have fun here

1642628

well I'm basing mine of the Cadian from WH40K in the military and society part i the history part is as follow.

They came from another continent and ended in the same continent as Equestria because Miasma (origin of all that is bad, corrupt and evil) kicked them out of their homes afetr failing to kill them all.

They make their country but the changeling attack them, thay defeat the changeling and conquer the territory of the small hive gaining a frontier with Equestria. Five years later the Clusterf*ck begins, with the cult of laughther infiltration and another changeling attack a civil war erupts.

By sheer luck Cadian loyalists win the war, but with the results already mentioned, then two equestrian hiuses attacks them (you already know who) and they enter the war to stop it because after a house wins the war it is going to start looking outside Equestria and compared to the changelings they are an "easier" target.

The leaders are military leaders, that survived both the civil war and the changeling wars, also since they looked how miserable the changlings acted with ponies, they outlawed slavery and hate when a group try to genocide another (like Earthborn to the unicorns, it doesn't matter what type of genocide)

Basically they are a group that was f*cked over quite a few times by almost everyone, and they want to stop that.

NO MATTER THE COST!

1642721
Aren't Cadians WWII era Canadians?

Hmm... If they're deep within the Wastelands, you want to write up a very detailed and well written timeline that justifies them being there. You may also want to consider the threat any ascendant power in the Wasteland, the Zebrican Desert and beyond can pose.

1643168

part of the territories, who said the wasteland aren't all the continet minus Equestria there could be a decent place that no-one knows about

about why like I said an Eldrich Abobination tried to kill al Cadian (why self explanatory) but it failed but Cadian were forced to leave, ended in equestria Continent, then they were promply f*cked up again many times

In a way but what do you wished me to choose the Catachans? they would burn down the Everfree house faster that you can say hello

or the Tallarns? pissing off everyone that dares to look them at them funny

1642721
OK I don't know much on the Cadians but I know a fair bit about the Imperial Guard in general.
There are a few things that I suggest modifying and adding to your House so far.

I would suggest that instead of having your house claim territory from an already established faction, that they perhaps settle into a new territory. For example, they might establish themselves in some kind of abandoned fort or watchtower somewhere in the Wastelands or in the nearby Deserts to the East. Having your faction start out with territory that once belonged to Miasma's Hive sort of messes with ED's Canon lore concerning the current state of the Changelings in Equestria.

Also, you mentioned that your House was attacked by the Cult of Laughter, the Earthborn, and House Moon and Star. I think you need to consider both "how" and "why" they attacked your faction to begin with. What did any of these houses have to gain by taking hostile actions against this faction of yours?

For your leaders, I suggest coming up with a name and a backstory for a few of them to give your faction some flavor. Give your badass Guardsmen an equally badass Commissar or two to lead them, but try to give them some character flaws and quirks as well to make them a little relatable or endearing.

Finally, for your faction's goal. You say they want to stop the other factions from pushing them around all the time. Now I'd like to ask you, how exactly do they intend to do this? Do they posses the means to make their goals a reality or are they currently working toward eventually acquiring said means?

I hope some of this was able to help!

1643278

no they don't have territory that was from Miasma, Miasma (not the changeling Miasma the my OC-Eldrich Abobination) kicked them out of the initial Cadian territories

they only killed a very-minor hive no-one cared or knew, about the other hives are pissed off but can't afford a war againts someone that can hurt them bad, so as long Cadia doesn't look in their direction there would be no war

Laughter needed more recruits and managed to get some cultist in Cadian territory, Eartborn by a misunderstanding and Moon and Star because only 1% of the population are unicorns and the house thought is was week (they aren't but they are weaker than before the civil war and second changeling war, lets no talk about when they were at their original territories)

the leaders would be expy of Lord Castella Ursarkar E. Creed, his friend Color Sergeant Jarran Kell, Colonel-Comissar Ibram Gaunt, Sergeant Merrick and Lord General Sturnn

they have means to defeat them, but most of them are tied to defense and garrison actions (they don't know the changelings won't bother them, and that the cult can't send anyone to Cadia...for now), and they will manage that by killing enought of the other side (will try to spare civilians) so they can't be a threat, or by conquering the other houses territories. Also they are just going to cause the greatest forest fire in history

1642721
Seeing as Cadia is essentially a planet-sized multi-generational garrison of the Imperium I think you might be better off drawing inspiration from the Swiss.

There is a reason every household in Switzerland has a rifle and a case of ammo.

1643401
Ok the minor hive thing makes much more sense, and the reasons for why those other Houses became enemies of your faction seem to make a fair bit of sense.

Judging from your faction's war strategy, (correct me if I'm wrong) it sounds like your faction is going for a long term approach to defeating the other houses. They're holding up in the Wastelands and slowly preparing to strike their enemies when they are weak. I like it

I don't know too much to suggest at the moment, except you're going to want to have a fair description of your faction's culture and appearance. Not everyone is going to know exactly what you mean when you describe your faction as being like the "Cadians" and you're going to want to explain clearly what the tech level of you faction is like and how it fits into the established setting

1643539

didn't know that but Cadians fit better in a way because everuone wants them dead and they aren't the center of the worlds economy

Ok, thanks GraveHunter92 for your help, will try not to make it overpowered (Hard not to if you use technology from the Franco-Prussian War)

this is a faction, of Jack of all trades, master of one (decent at anything but the factions will trump them in their respetives strenghts, only superior military technology lets them survive and that technology is very hard to use)

House of Cadia (Name-change pending/shoot-out to obvious)
Improvise, Adapt, Overcome

A civilization far beyond Equestria, they arrived to the wastelands after fleeing an extermination attempt, starting to rebuild and expand they came in contact with a minor Changeling Hive. Said Hive tried to conquer them but was defeated and the remnants were absorbed into one of the main hives. After the short war the Cadians got a frontier with Equestria 5 years before the disappearence of the princesses. Fast forward 10 years the current Cadia is born in a civil war thanks to the Cult of Laughter, Hive Chitinus invaded Cadia. It was only after another 5 years of wr that the Cadians managed to kick the Hive out of Cadian Territories and purge the Cult out of Cadia. Now with the war between the houses for the remnants of Equestria the Cadians a biding their time preparing to strike when it is time.

Important facts about the house:

-Military centered culture, basic military training starts at 13 and ends at 18 when the Cadians choose to enter the militias (closest thing to a civilian) or the professional army.

-The cities are basically giant fortresses and even villages have a great number of earth-works and traps to defend them

-Trained to detect lies and subterfuge the Cadians trust nobody that isn't Cadian that means that when they start a war it's very hard to end it with diplomacy

-Kicked out of their ancestrall home, a civil war and a major war with the Changelings have depleted the Cadian numbers

-Cadians have a very basic code of honor but will do everything in the field to defeat their enemies, no tactic is to dirty, they even copy their enemies if needed!

-They also suffer from a natural lack of resources, that means that Cadians lack a super-unit in the strict sense of the word prefarring to updating their metods to beat their enemies

-While the military technologies are impresive and more advanced, the wars have destroyed the capability to use them fully, making units that use them very hard to replace and also a rare view on the battlefield

-Cadians hate slavery and genocide after the experiences with the changeling and the "great enemy"

-The necesity to make good use of the few resources they have Cadian military have put some units under "trees" that can only be called by generals that specialize in those trees

Important members of the House

-Grand General Creedance and High General Krell: friend since childhood both of them, Creedance soon proved himself as a fantastic leader, after the Changeling and Civil Wars, he found hiself in position of Supreme-Commander of the Cadian Armed Forces, his close and only friend Krell have always been at his side even nagating a ranking-up because it would separate him from his friend Creedance, still Krell is a good commander that complement his friend in the field

-Army General Shadow Sun and Master Mage Dinky Hooves: Shadow Sun (known as Pipsqueak in his youth) is the Commanding Officer of the would be Cadian Expeditionary Force, known for his uncommon tactics, Creedance believe that he will succeed on his campaing. His companion and wife Dinky Hooves is the most powerful mage in all Cadia and the creator of the Mage training system, she also serves as an advisor to Shadow Sun

-General Skiller Mask: Leader of the 6th Regiment "Shadow Hunters", Skiller Mask, is a hot-headed and strategically sound commander, know to appear hit and disappear is viewed with distrust by fellow generals, Creedance viewed in him the leader he needed and appointed him as the leader of the 6th Fast Regiment

-General Adriaric: Leader of the 1st Regiment "The Whites", Adriaric is an old but reliable cgeneral, known to be very calm under preasure, he's still with the years a very powerful combatant.His victories against the Cult shows that this old lion still can kill.

Important facts about Creedance:

-Called a tactical Genius he is known for carefully planning for an upcoming battle and guessing how the enemy will react

-Managed to hold his own against Queen Chitinus long enought for his troops to rescue him

-The current organization of Cadia is based on his ideas and past lessons from the wars Cadian has been through

Units of Cadia

Line Army Units
This units are used as base for most of the cadian armies

Halberdiers: The Cadian Army version of the Spear Militia, this professional stallions and mares are trainned to hold the line while rifleponies and artillery rain death, still they are not a joke and it isn't unknown for battles to be won by the halberdiers

Riflepony: armed with rifles this units are rare because of their weapons that are hard to make and to come by but that lets them make fast and accurate fire from beyond normal combat ranges fro the other houses.

Lancer: Unarmored pegasi armed with spears, they aren't made to stay in combat but to make passes and kill their enemies while doing them.

6-Pounder Cannon: a rifled, breech-loaded cannon, this is the closest thing to standard artillery the Cadians have. Very rare but powerful a group of three is a very big force multiplier, thanks to its very-long range and its varied ammunition (HE-FRAG, AP-HE, Canister)

Militia Tree
Favoured by charismatic commanders and territorial army commanders

Spear Militia: The most common type of Cadian militia, while not very well tarined to the Cadian Army standards, the training they recieve from 13 to 18 helps them to hold its own until reinforcements arrive

Musket Militia: armed with muskets, this militia is the "basic" ranged militia units, still muskets are very uncommon and only a few have Cadians them.

Rifle Militia: A evolution of the musket militia, the rifle militia is extremly rare, because the rifles used by them are also very rare. Still a few of this in a well entrenched position, can be a very big problem thanks to the ranges of their out-dated rifles

Mortar Militia: Armed with a primitive form of shoulder-fire light mortar, this units are very rare. This is because very few militiaponies can afford the rare weapon and its ammunition. Still it give the militia a form of short-ranged artillery (it used HE-FRAG ammunition)

3-Pounder Cannon: The lightest Cannon ever constructed by the Cadians, the 3-pounder (nicknamed the peashooter) give a big firepower increase to the militia. The downside os that keeping the cannon in working state and with ammunition is very costly and only the most important cities have them in their militias (Fire HE-FRAG rounds).

Guerrilla Tree
Born of the nesecity to kill enemy commanders to cause panic and morale decrease in the enemy troops to level the field of battle

Hunters: Armed with hatchets and a bow with arrows, they are the information collectors, spies and assassins of the Cadian. They are also used to great effect a guerrilla soldiers.

Skirmishers: Using the same rifles as the raiders, this rare units are some of the dealiest guerrilla units thanks to its rate of fire but they can't hide as good as other guerrilla units.

Sharpshooters: Using a prototype rifle, the sharpshooters are a riflepony that can kill someone at extreme distances by using their rifles with a primitive scope. Still those rifle are so rare that to have a sharpshooter team in an army is extremely rare.

Gunners: Using the same weapon that the Mortar Militia, they use the mortar as a shock weapon to cause confusion at the start of an ambush. Rare in the guerrila formations one of this uits can be the difference between victory and defeat.

Siege Tree
Used by most of cadians commanders when heavy firepower is needed

Grenadiers: An evolution of the Rifleponies, the grenadiers got the name thanks to the extra weapos they carry, the hoof grenade, used to destroy entrenched positions and to kill a group of enemies the grenadiers stand as one of the elite units of the Cadian army. No brainer here they are also one of the rarest units of the Cadian rmy

Berserkers: Nicknamed that way, because they only leavy part of bodies. The berserkers are armed with a two-hoofed axe. Used as Shock Troopers to break formations, they aren't as good armored as other units used to the same effect. They are also a rare sight in the battlefield.

20-Pounder Cannon: The biggest cannon ever made by the Cadians, this beast have the longest range and hitting power of an artillery unit thanks to its rifled barrel and breech-loaded to get a decent RoF. Also extinct by the fact they can be lost faster that they can be buildt. Fire the same ammunition types of the 6-Pounder.

Pegasus tree
Used by pegasus generals and generals that prefer mobile war tactics

Raider: armed with a different tyu of rifle that lets them get a very-high rate of fire. The job of these units is taking pot shots at the enemy disrupting the attetion from land units, the rifle are also used with gret effect against flying opponents. They are a rare sight in the battlefield.

Armored Lancer: Exactly what it saysin the title. Same job but with staying melee power. Rare

Sniper: Airborne version of the sharpshooter.

Support Tree:
Used by second-line generals that follows the combat front, rarely used by field commanders

Combat Medic: Exactly what ot says. Armed with a short sword for self defense.

Combat Mage: One of the rarest units in the Cadian army. A force multiplier they can have 4 areas of studies. Telephatic, Telekinetic, Elemental and Seer. Extremely Rare

Combat Engineer: Armed with a sledge-hammer that they also use to build things, this units aren´t made for combat but to build traps and cover for friendly troops. Rare

Note: To put into perspective the Cadian army is one of the smallest armies in Equestria and 85% of it are Halberdiers, Lancers with a few Rifleponies and Artillery. The rifles and cannons are hard and expensive to produce and with the lack of resources that Cadia have well....still but you now what difference can make a rifled barrel.

Edit: Changed some thing about cadian units

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Lack of resources aside the Cadian ponies will suffer from lack of labor with so much of their population in the military. You know, like the Turians of Mass Effect, they took the Volus as a client race so that they could run an economy for them.

Also rifles are about a century ahead of the most advanced gun in the canon houses' armories.

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not exactly not all cadians are military, the militias, aren´t soldiers, they do the jobs of civilians the only difference is that they got the training from 13 to 18

also know that but the Cadians have a gret deal of wars and developed their technology from that (jlike us humans) and trust me they needed to make those rifles to survive (apart from that why do you think I put them in the wastelands, killed of most of them and generaly f*ucked them up)

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War is just a motivator for scientific advancement, to actually develop new technologies you need a large population to both produce and support a dedicated class of scientists and inventors. Why do you think most technological advancements historically were produced in large and prosperous nations?

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what do you think they were before they were almost exterminated in their old home? they were big, powerful and rich then they got their flanks handed to them by the great enemy, there isn't scientific innovation since they were kicked out so the technologies they use now are the same they got from the original territories. Equestria will catch up with them if the present rates of scientific development continue without changing.

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I'm happy I could have been of some help
You've given them a pretty large list of units, its bit of a shame that so many of their unique units are so rare but its good for balancing purposes. Its actually rather cool how much research you've seem to put in concerning various periods of gun technology

Say I'm curious, how do you think this house of yours would view House Stormwing? Despite the large differences concerning technology, they seem to share a number of similarities. Both are heavily militarized societies, both train their people from a young age to serve as soldiers, and both suffer from a general lack of resources and a relatively small population.

Hey, anybody want to have a go at the Whites in Saints Trottersberg?

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About house stormwing, the Cadians have a similar view in the military view but they don't like to put a type of pony over other. Compared to the other houses Stormwing could be the closest thing to ally the Cadians will have. Basically this is the political view of Cadia:

Moon & Star: Hostile (War if Moon and Star gets a adyacent territory, Adriaric has asked to lead an expedition against them, He knows what is to be a slave after he was captured by the changelings)

Everfree: Neutral-Hostile (they don't like the expansion of the forest and the destruction it causes but they will not attack everfree without provocation, Skiller Mask views the forest and Fluttershy as a good opponent to his guerrilla units)

Earthborn: Neutral (don't have a problem with Earthborn but they don't like they are blocking the territories were they can expand, Creedance and Krell view them as the greatest danger just behind the Changeling Hives)

Stormwing: Neutral (share similar views but they don't like the air of pegasus supremasy, Pipsqueak and Dinky hate them so much because the destruction of Ponyville and would gladly lead an expedition against them but have another priorities)

Cult of Laughter: War (they want to exterminate them completely for the actions of the Civil War, Dinky is trying to find a way to save her mother while destroying the rest of the cult, Pipsqueak is also helping her)

House Whitegold: Hostile (as a militant culture, respect for authority was very important in the past, even more now that the army is the only thing between Cadians and damnation, the uncontrolled use of assassins and mercenaries aren't viewed in good light by the Cadians in general, Creedance, Krell and Adriaric views them as a dormant evil.)

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are they the whites of the russian revolution?

I'm thinking about writing something similar to the 'Six Tribes of Everfree' page for the 'Rebels' so there's potential we don't just write them all off as being in a 'Rebel Alliance' of sorts. The thing with Insurgencies; is that often they are very diverse and sometimes even fight each other due to opposing Ideologies. Forgive me, they are indeed barebones, but I feel I must share what I thought up:

The Stalliongrad Resistance
Theme-WWII Soviet Partisans and Mao's Guerrillas.
A basic summary-The remnants of the Stalliongrad Red Army and Civilians who took up arms instead of being herded off into the Pins and then later shipped off to the Slave Domes. Moon and Star seemed to have taken Stalliongrad rather quickly, as you remember Struttgart before the map got updated was formerly independent. However; the Unicorns left many Red Army Holdouts and many Citizens simply refused to be enslaved, taking to the woods or hiding out in the mountains, continuing to fiercely resist the Unicorns even long after the fall of Stalliongrad.
Racial Makeup-Mostly Earth Ponies, with some Donkey's and Pegasi spread thorough. Obviously, there are no Unicorns.

Equestrian Home Army
Theme-WWII Polish Home Army, French Maquis, and Italian Guerrillas.
A basic Summary-basically Redhearts group. They operate covertly and use hidden bases in the Whitetail Woods as their center of Operations. Unfortunately; they share these woods with both Outlaws other Insurgencies, and even some new Cults-and they don't often get along. The Equestrian Home Army operates covertly and subverts their enemies influence-they would get smashed in a open battle. They do hold a lot of influence in cities like Trottingham, Baltimare, and Hoofington; but are outgunned and outnumbered.
Racial Makeup-Ponies of all shapes and sizes. They are after all, the Home Army and accept any kind of Pony into their ranks.

The White Remnant
Theme-the White Army from the Russian Revolution.
A Basic Summary-Basically; Royalists who refused to bend the knee to Candence and Shining Armor. Whether or not they chose to resist because they were doing so out of their own gain, or knew that it was actually Twilight taking the reigns and using them as figureheads varies from Individual to Individual. The Whites were pretty powerful at first-but were ultimately crushed by both Twilight's Unicorns and revolts in almost all of the Territories that they directly controlled. The White Army was hounded to death and massacred. Today; the Whites only hold onto Saints Trottersberg, with a apathetic lower and middle class who are simply tired of the war, and a Griffin 'Intervention Force' who are there for Unknown reasons.
Race Makeup-Mostly Donkey's making up the lower classes, with Unicorns as the Aristocrats, and Griffins as their 'allies.'

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You took inspiration from Dishonored when writing this didn't ya?

Has anyone thought to do 'Sub-Factions' like in Command and Conquer 3 with the Nod sub faction focused on fanaticism and the other on biotechnology?

Easily from the perspective of the Earthborn we can see their battle doctrines as being the basis for Sub Factions. Primairly based on the Pegasi Auxiliary Corps, more traditional Buffalo/Earth Ponies, and the Technopunks based on Applebloom and her inventions of war.

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Everfree faction has several tribes. House Earthborn have different war doctrines (Devastating Force, Lightning Assault, ...). House Moon and Star has two Guilds. Etc...
Some informations here :
Canon Fim characters in EqDiv

House Ah Viking
Forward! Forward! Ponies of the North! Ponies of Ice and Snow!

Origin Story

In Equestrian historical texts the appearance of the Nhorse Ponies begin to appear shortly after the disappearance of the Crystal Empire as a result of the rule of King Sombra. Shortly after the disappearance of the Crystal Heart the entire region quickly underwent a devestating climate shift that transformed The North from rolling hills to a frozen tundra. The tribal origins of the Nhorse Ponies have yet to be fully verified but leading Equinologists in Equestria postulate that either the Nhorse were originally Crystal Ponies outside of the city center that had been exiled or were members of another Tribe that immigrated to the area. Nonetheless, Nhorse society for the most part remained completely isolated from greater Equestrian society due to the barrier of the Crystal Glaciers. Though, for sometime they had relations with the Griffons...relations which included trading and periodic plundering of border settlements.

Contained in their eternal Arctic wonderland the Nhorse may have never really involved themselves in Equestrian politics beyond the odd arrival of the directionally hopeless pony. The return of the Crystal Empire heralded a new epoch of change and turmoil for the Nhorse. The Crystal Empire's return has slowly effected a minor climate shift, the eternally guarding Crystal Glaciers along the northern borders of Equestria melting and forming new passages into Equestria.

The Nhorse were not happy about the arrival of the preachy, wishy washy Crystal Ponies, with all their talk of living 'civilized' and in 'harmony'. The Crystal Ponies themselves seemed unable to differentiate between the Nhorse tribes who wanted to trade with them versus those who carried off their Crystal Ewes. On one hoof the relations with Equestria over the years deteriorated rapidly, fueled by increasingly wandering bands of Nhorse who found they could sail on their toboggans on water just as well with ice (with a few adjustments such as sails and waterproof tar). On the other hoof the sudden disappearance of the Regal Sisters caused so much chaos and panic in Equestria that many of their best troops were pulled from the Crystal Empire leading to a reversal in territorial gains for the Crystal Ponies.

With Equestria plunged into warfare the Nhorse, in perhaps small bands of travelers or small fleets of Longships, freely cross into Equestria. Many Nhorse admire the honor and courage of House Stormwing, happy to swing their axes for the winged warriors. Just as many though don't really care about politics, and are much more interested in appearing without warning on the many rivers and inlets of Equestria proper to burn towns and loot whatever isn't nailed down to the floor.

Nhorse Warriors
Brave and deadly with an axe.

Glacier Stalkers
Silent as death these Cuthroats wield daggers of ice and can disappear in a blink.

Frostbite Wolves
Their winter coats are white as snow or red with the blood of their Nhorse masters.

Winter Warlocks
Calling on the powers of the Windigos their body temperature are -50 degrees below and their manes are caked with icicles. Their powers can freeze the blood of ponies into ice.

Offers factions "crusaders" Creation of representatives of all the dominant houses a secret from their heads! Purpose fractions peace and end the war that had already lasted too long.

3232988 English isn't your first language, is it?

Yes.

Staying on top of the command structure of many dominant houses "crusaders" called in their numbers of new recruits mustering forces to destroy the houses from inside and outside.
Sorry for the grammar using Google translator.

Earth grand Master Applebloom, Stars grand master Sweetie Belle, Sky grand master Scootaloo leaders of the "crusaders" and Master Babs Seed leader of the secret operations and communication between knights chapters.
Knightly chapter is divided into the earth, sky, stars respectively earth ponies, unicorns, pegasus. Battletactics using all three chapters as a whole.
Units:
Crusaders - core troops unit always fights in formations of three knight of all three chapters, army сonsist of all the chapters evenly.
"True friendship" Paladin - elite unit of "Crusaders", past trials and training Crusaders began to understand the true friendship and equality of all ponies, become paladins with adamant will and faith!Detachment of three paladins standard tactical unit able withstand a whole army of large and strong may be.
Earth knight - heavy unit with the task defense and break enemy lines.
Earth engineer - gunners and demolition specialists.
Sky Knight - flying highly mobile unit which aims to fight for supremacy in the skies.
Sky commandos - invisible flying unit of the role of intelligence and the destruction of logistics.
Star Knight - high destructive unit but requires protection from flying and ground enemies.
Star enchanter - support unit, reinforcing its troops and weakening enemies, brings destruction to nonliving units (mechanisms, golems, wagons, chariots).
Sisterhood - healers and rescuers do not fight require protection.
Machine golem - combination of magic of Star enchanters and inventions of Earth engineer.

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Gotta say that is cool. Wish I could get something like that done for House Brightflame.

So anyone can make a faction? I think I might give it a shot. Thing is I don't know what this faction is going to be like.

My non-cannon Equestria Divided Faction is this (from my Equestria Divided Chronicles Reclaimer Fanfiction):

Equestria Pirates

The Elements of Friendship and the Guardians of True Friendship and Harmony have returned.

This faction came out of the shadows and from the stars literally, This group is made up of not only the original users of the Elements of Friendship, but also other races as well that have joined this band of rebels with the goal of taking down the five houses and the Cult itself in order for Equestria to be restored. Unlike other houses, they operate out of a ship and a stolen incomplete cloud city modified for their needs both which are rumored. One thing is certain: they will not stop until every one who commits war crimes is taken care of as so the Royal Sisters can return.

Important Facts About the Equestria Pirates

Founded right after a failed Earthborn assault on a Changeling Hive that was saved by the eight founders of the Pirates.

Made up of the eight members of the group called Fireteam Sparta which consists of two unicorns, two pegasi, two earth ponies, two griffins, a baby dragon though older, Changelings, Zebras, and others who are sick and tired of the war.

They believe in a clause given to them by a powerful leader: "Freedom is the right of all sentient beings!"

They're a motley crew so, fights aren't uncommon.

Despite the founders or the first eight not being from Equestria itself, they still call it a home that's worth fighting for.

Important Members of the Equestria Pirates

Arthur R Hanson
Founder; former human turned unicorn and husband to Jura Basil Elden-Hanson. He's appalled at what Equestria has become during the absence of him and his fellow Fireteam members. User of the Element of Freedom along with sharing the Elements of Leadership and love along with being known as Daredevil due to his tendency to be the first into battle. Skilled tactician and leader, he will lay his life down for the future of Equestria if it has to come to that and is determined to make Twilight answer for what she's done to Equestria.

Jura Basil Elden-Hanson
Co-founder; former human turned unicorn and wife of Arthur. A former pirate herself, she's a co-leader in raids against the other houses and Cult when her husband isn't available. User of the Element of Justice and carries a habit from Rarity which is being a drama queen which despite that, she believes in the idea that Equestria can be capable of doing good again.

Meia Gisborn-De Gras
Co-founder; former human turned Earth pony and wife of Brian De Gras. Cold and calm, she leads all aerial assault missions despite being a earth pony. A former pirate herself, she's well familar with pirate tactics, but is also a loving and gentle woman or mare as shown around her crew. User of the element of Liberty and has one thing in common with Earthborn's Applejack; she's stubborn at times.

Brian De Gras
Co-founder; former human turned Earth pony and husband to Meia Gisborn-De Gras. Specializes in CQ or Close Quarters combat. Very hard core, stoic, and disciplined as he's known as the hand-to-hand or hoof-to-hoof combat instructor. User of the the Element of Valor, he believes in being strong in the face of impossible odds thanks to influence from a certain Spartan II. Disgusted by the Cult's usage of Pinkie Pie's legacy, he believes that laughter is to be used for good and not evil.

Hibiki Tokai
Co-founder; former human turned Pegasi and husband to Dita Liebely-Tokai. Hot-tempered occasionally, thinks outside the box a lot, and tends to let his mouth get the better of him. Skilled mechanic, pilot, and warrior like his fellow Equestria Pirate founders or Fireteam Sparta. User of the Element of Honor and views House Stormwing as a cheap knock-off of Sparta and his native Tarak home as he's against the idea of a Pegasus-dominated military dictatorship.

Dita Liebely-Tokai
Co-founder; former human turned Pegasi and wife to Hibiki Tokai. Somehow despite of years of warfare, death, and destruction haven't dented her kind and loving personality which is good for keeping moral up in this dark age. User of the Element of Serenity and is a skilled cook which helps with keeping the pirates fed and great story teller along with flying viewing the five houses and Cult as in her words "A bunch of evil, good aliens turned evil aliens!"

Bart Garsus
Co-founder; former human turned Griffin and husband to Isabella "Bella" Malone-Garsus. Long ago has he shed away his cowardice due to years of warfare by becoming a skilled flier and excellent helmsman of the ship Nirvana II. User of the Element of Hope which is considered by his comrades a very important thing in this age along with being an occasional wise-ass or smart-ass. Known for his stealth and evasion skills, he helps get Intel so the pirates can plan their attacks flawlessly.

Isabella "Bella" Malone-Garsus
Co-founder; former human turned Griffin and wife to Bart Garsus. Captain of the Nirvana II, she commands the ship and is the leader of the hidden base called Equestria Paradise. Years of warfare have taken their toll on her, but despite that she still believes that life can return to Equestria and wants Harmony to return to the land. User of the Element of Forgiveness and co-user of the Element of Leadership, she often takes time to look after any children that the group picks up.

Queen Chitinus
Ally of the Pirates, unlike her fellow Changelings she wanted nothing to do with the fighting along with her hive as she want them out, but was drafted in via another queen named Chrysalis. Upon meeting the Fireteam Sparta and after being helped by them, she's vowed to repay them in any way her hive can in exchanged for opportunities for her subjects thanks to Fireteam Sparta.

Important Facts of Arthur R Hanson
He's fought alongside legendary figures outside of Equestria including Master Chief or John-117, Captain Keys, Fox McCloud, Captain Jim Kirk, Optimus Prime, and Captain Lasky along with his fellow teammates of Fireteam Sparta prior to their return to Equestria.

Considers himself a great leader though he knows he can't predict everything and will bear the weight of everything that happens to his group.

Is rumored to be at odds with ONI Admiral Serin Osman due to their views on Doctor Halsey's actions.

Believes that none of the houses or the Cult are fit or fall under the protection of the Forerunner idea called "The Mantle" due to what he calls War Crimes against Equestria.

Cares greatly for his crew who he sees as a big family despite many not being related to him or his wife.

He believes that Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash are no longer fit for their Elements of Harmony and is determined they're given to new users.

(Units will be coming soon)

955625So have any of you played an old but great RTS game by the name of Battle Realms? The story is about Kenji who unites the land, leading one of the factions.

Well, I have a faction idea: The Dragon Alliance!
Leader: Kenji the Dragon Emperor

Arriving at Equestria, the various exiles gathered by Kenji struggle to survive in a new land, just like with Kenji's ancestor. Set five years after the Princesses vanished, Kenji must unite the warring factions lest the ones coming after them plunge the land into eternal Chaos for their Dark Gods!

Strength
-The human troops have better morale, attack and defense when compared to pony counterparts.
-Elite units such as the Dragon Warrior, Kabuki Ninja, Wolf Berserker, Lotus Warlock and Dragon Samurai are not only resistant to pony magic but use their own magical abilities to wreck havoc on the battlefield
-Hearts and Minds Campaign: Due to their benevolent nature, ponies from defeated armies, neutral factions, or simple farmers will defect to Kenji's faction.
-As long as the Dragon Alliance isn't at war with House Whitegold, they receive supplies and money and access to Whitegold's mercenaries for a discount.
-Expert siege specialists. The Dragon Alliance excels in attacking and defending fortified formations.

Weaknesses
-Starts out at war with Houses Stormwing, Moon and Star, Laughing Cult and Earthborn.
-Starts out with one city
-Starts out in the middle of it all: They are surrounded by all six pony factions.
-Poor lands: the starting area is low on resources, most importantly food.
-Lack of air power
-Touch of Chaos: Should Kenji fail to defeat or annex the other factions, the secret enemy will gain new armies once they've arrived.

Victory Goal:
-Unite all factions, defeat the Chaotic enemy

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The Griffin Blood Cult

"Kill! Maim! Burn!" That is the sentence from which quadrillions of mortals drown the multiverse in blood, all in the name of Khrone, the Chaos God of Hate, Violence and Wanton Destruction!

Now, the Griffin Kingdom is experiencing a bloody civil war as the Griffin Bloodcult kills its way to the path of destruction and into the hands of Chaos!

Strengths
-Blessings of the Blood God, granted the marks, gifts and mutations by Khrone, Khronate Griffins are superior to their normal counterparts and resistant to magic. They will never retreat.
-Power of Insanity, whenever the Bloodcult engages an enemy army, there is a chance that a portion of the enemy army will defected under the maddening influence of Chaos at the beginning of the battle.
-Bloody technology, the Bloodcult has access to foreign technology. They have excellent armor and access to steel weapons
-Daemons, the faction can summon low level daemons of Khrone. Possessed and Daemonhost units are available. Also, their small navy is made up of Possessed
Weaknesses
-Kill Everything, the faction starts out with war with Houses Star and Moon, Stormwing, the Griffin Kingdom and the Cult of Laughter. They cannot make peace or non-aggression pacts with other factions
-Power struggle, the current leader must mentain control of the Cult otherwise civil war and other problematic scenarios would happen.

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The Children of the Deceiver

Leader: Darkwing the Disciple, earth pony champion of Tzeentch

"Everything turns to dust!"

The cult of Tzeentch, Chaos God of Fate, Magic and Deception, is based in a deep underground network within the territories of Houses M&S and Whitegold. The majority of their troops are the poor masses given purpose by the cult.

Strengths
-Powerful Sorcery: Mark of Tzeentch allows members of the Cult to use Warp magic.
-Daemons of Tzeentch: Able to summon daemons, and to be possessed by them or used them in improving their equipment
-Brainwashing: This cult uses the power of Chaos, using a complicated ritual to cause a city to revolt, by mind controlling most of the citizens.
Infiltration: This Cult uses magic and cursed equipment to give its units cloaking and teleportation

Weaknesses
-The cult doesn't have any cities
-Lack of funds

-House Moon and Star (At war) Conflict with this faction is one-sided as the powers of the Warp are superior than the Force (Star Wars), Let alone pathetic pony magic. The cult is able to disable the spells keeping the cannon fodder enslaved.

-Griffin Blood Cult of Khrone (Neutral) Due to the non-aggression pacts of the Chaos Gods, neither cult has provoked one another though there have been a few scuffles.

-House. Whitegold (Secret War) The cult is in a power struggle with Rarity over her kingdom. Should the followers of Tzeentch succeed they would have the necessary resources to fight all the other factions

THE CRYSTAL DOMINION

"Nihil Contra Tyrannum Nostrum" ("Nothing Can Stand Against Our Tyrant")

Dark days engulf Equestria. For some they are a nightmare they never imagined possible; for the Crystal Ponies they are a tomorrow no different than their yesterdays - literally. Mysterious, enigmatic, ancient; these are the words that best describe the Crystal Dominion. On the surface a nation of oppressors, refugees and slaves, even the their detractors admit the Dominion has the potential to sweep aside all rivals and unite all Equestria under Sombra's rule. After all, that's exactly what happened a millennium ago, and this time there's no Celestia and Luna to stop him. In fact, considering his vast personal power and the gruesome toll the ongoing House wars have had upon ponydom, some wonder if perhaps a single immortal conqueror might not be exactly the solution an Equestria Divided requires...

Important Facts about the house
-The Crystal Dominion is not a 'House' per se, rather it is an entire kingdom. Its resources are rarely subject to the shifts of Equestria's land battles but being tundra-based are nowhere near as abundant.
-The bulk of the Dominion's citizenry are the Crystal Ponies, a minority compared to the three pony tribes (earth, pegasus and unicorn). Their unique magic and physiology renders them resistant to environmental extremes and provide some natural armor but these benefits only manifest when they are in high spirits.
-Originally known as the Crystal Empire, the Dominion was reclassified by the great Houses after thorough assessments of its landmass, resources and potential population. Rather than take offense, Dominion officials have adopted the term officially - with the provision that it will reclaim the title of 'Empire' once the southern lands are under its control.
-The Crystal Heart remains within King Sombra's control and it's power remains sealed. It is not the only magical artifact within the Dominion. Given that the Heart's magic is anathema to all evil and that the average pony has fallen a long way in the years since Celestia's disappearance scholars presume the Crystal Heart's magic is now fatal to everypony - and possibly the most powerful weapon of mass equicide in Equestria.

Important members of the house
-The Nightmare Force - Darkness incarnate, the Nightmare Force was in part what corrupted Princess Luna one thousand years ago creating Nightmare Moon. Often manifesting as a legion of different creatures, the Nightmare Force has alternately possessed and been harnessed by some of the greatest magical beings of all time. Today a number of individuals and covens pull from the Nightmare Force, reducing the amount available to any one pony more than ever before so it cannot be said to be the exclusive tool of the Dominion proper.
-King Sombra - More a force of nature than a pony, the King rules the Dominion with an iron hoof. It's unclear if he's still a 'sentient living creature'.
-The AllFather - A title bestowed upon the greatest Slepnir, the AllFather is a living god to the Nhorse whether allied, enslaved, or crystallized.
-The Black Knight - A mysterious figure, the Black Knight roams the battlefields of Equestria adding his support to Dominion forces as he sees fit - typically by hunting down specific targets within the opposing army. Who he is and why he does this is yet to be revealed.

Important facts about King Sombra
-Conquerors become history, histories fade into legends, legends lost their grounding until they become myths, and all myths are eventually forgotten. As a Pony out of time Sombra and his people are ill prepared to combat modern weaponry. Similarly, they've not benefited from the refinement and progress made in the arts of war. On the other hoof, ponies would sell their souls for the contents of the Dominion's libraries (and they have). The Archmagister's researchers make breakthroughs every day but they're still a long way from catching up to the Dominion's edge on dark magic.
-King Sombra is a master of many schools of magic including dark magic, crystalmancy, illusion, telepathy, teleportation, gravity manipulation, mind control, dimensional magic, and time control. In theory his mastery of magic makes him a match for any alicorn and quite possibly immortal.
-Over the last decade King Sombra has regained much of his lost 'rationality' and is able to delegate to advisers and field generals more than he has at any point in history.

Brief History:
One thousand years ago, before the rise of Nightmare Moon, Equestria was a land in turmoil. Two two sisters began a series of well-known adventures whereby they would free all ponies from the forces of fear, darkness, and chaos. One story in particular remained untold: the fight against corruption. In the Far North a mysterious tyrant mastered the arts of dark magic and enslaved one of the lesser tribes of ponies. More than just a hub from transit and trade to the other side of the world, the Crystal Empire was the source of a powerful magic, one Celestia and Luna could not afford to lose. Tragically, the tyrant had reckoned as much as well and his magic erased the empire from history.

Or so it was believed.

In the second year after the Royal Sisters' disappearance the Crystal Empire re-emerged, not having aged a day, along with the monster the sisters sealed within the ice. Unopposed, King Sombra quickly retook his kingdom and works tirelessly to build a modern nation capable of engaging the threats of the great Houses... and the world beyond.

CRYSTAL SLAVES. Ordinary citizens of the Crystal Capital, survivors of Sombra's rule and the time curse that removed them from Equestria for a thousand years. Their inner spirit is indomitable; they have suffered longer than anypony and still fall in love, mate, and raise families within the Dominion. And they still retain the ability to focus their emotional energy. The power of their hope is tangible and often the prospect of a swift victory and return to their families will restore them to their healthy crystal selves.

CRYSTAL TRAITOR. In every society of downtrodden individuals there are those who turn on their fellows to their captors. Some for self-interest, some through manipulation, and some believe that they are facilitators of social change integrating their people into a new order. Regardless of motivation, a Crystal Traitor is a pony that actively leads his fellows in service to the Dominion and has reaped benefits for his loyalty change. Their crystal coats are healthy and their ability to project inner light is undiminished. In battle they coordinate bands of slaves through the lash and crystal fluglehorn.

OTHERREALM DEMONKIN. (Restricted Character Unit). As Princess Celestia's protege Sunset Shimmer mastered many forms of magic; as a unicorn of ambition she went much further. Researching the Elements of Harmony Sunset Shimmer envisioned a plan whereby she would march upon Canterlot at the head of a army under her control. Intrigued by the prospect, King Sombra forced her to move forward with her experiment... using dark magic as the power source instead of the Element of Magic. The result is powerful but unstable and so the 'bipeds' of the Otherrealm are kept mind-controlled and docile. Named 'Demonkin' by the council of Dominion Advisors, because "Mind-controlled human demon-pony army" just... sounds so wrong.
REQUIRES FEAT "MASS MIND-CONTROL" TO FIELD.

Drawing and concept by BBBHuey (used and edited with permission)

CRYSTAL JOUSTER. Whereas many nations have jousting as a minor sport the Crystal Empire featured jousting as a prominent part of its history. The old schools and great jousting clubs were all closed after King Sombra's rise to power and the tradition was on the verge of becomming a lost art. In recent years King Sombra has reconsidered his position and not only allowed the re-opening of the clubs; he has invested in the creation of several competing jousting orders. Today jousting is one of few sport and leisure activities allowed to the young and slave work rotations are regularly cancelled for tournaments. The Dominion's jousters are afforded many of the same priveleges as Traitor taskmasters and top talent enjoy lives of relative leisure for themselves and their families. This priveledge comes at the cost of mandatory service in the Dominion cavalry where retaining the freedom and safety of their family members keeps them focused on defeating their enemies.

THE IMMORTALS. Alternately called 'the mute', 'the undying'. 'the crystal berserkers' or 'the stallions within the iron masks' few within the Dominion know the truth: the Immortals are a unique breed of the Laughing Dead. Where living crystal ponies are prone to fatigue and depression, the laughing dead know only joy and so their bodies always present crystal vigor. The Dominion is not yet capable of necromancy but it is prepared to use such ponies to its advantage. Each Immortal is surgically silenced before having their head permanently encased within an iron helmet. With their smiling faces permanently covered and their fatal injuries camouflaged by the crystalmancers they are indistinguishable from living ponies. Lacking the intelligence to use even the simplest of weapons, the Immortals' smiths gird their charges' limbs with warshoes.

CARIBOU VIKING. ALLIES OF CONVENIENCE. Anicent rivals of the Nhorse, these nomadic tribes take their names from their allegiances to the Kings of their 'Vay'. Caribou settlers take over fresh grazing territories while Viking raiders cross the northern tundra in search of their enemies, for pre-emptive or retaliatory strikes, nopony knows. It's enough that Caribou ambushes keep the Nhorse occupied enough for colonies to be built, resources to be foraged, depleted and the colony torn down. Nhorse settlements are hardly permanent but their aggressive taking and holding of choice territory and the greater bulk of the pony body puts them at a disadvantage; as a result Caribou raids are quick affairs resulting in damage to exposed weaknesses and the resource theft before the party vanishes away. These traits make the Vikings excellent scouts and harasser units and King Sombra has thus entered into trade with the Vays; their insight into the neighboring Nhorse, Elkkin and White-Tails may prove useful...

CRYSTALCORE KNIGHTS. Sombra's many experiments with magic have rarely yielded results for anypony other than himself. One of the ambitions the monarch has always seen frustrated are his experiments in mind control and necromancy. The power of crystal ponies is impressive but unreliable and to rule a true empire Sombra knew he would need more than just slaves and personal power; he would need an independent body willing and capable of fighting on his behalf. The Crystalcore Knights are the first success on the path. Essentially self-propelled crystal-infused armor, they may lack the strength and agility of real ponies but as troops they are competent and completely expendable. Because their vital animating crystals are tiny and hard to destroy they are surprisingly resilient.

CRYSTALCORE HYBRIDS. Crystalmancer Magos often compete with Shadowmagi for sport disciplining prisoners and unruly slaves. Because suffering is one of the main sources of power dark magic feeds off of the Magos rarely win. However, one Magos won possession of a Laughing Cultist rabble and decided to amuse himself fusing them with vanquished Crystalcore Knights. When the cultists survived, even thrived, the Magos decided to take his experiments further. The resulting Hybrids, while not as disposable or resilient as pure Knights, exhibit many of the best aspects of crystal and pony and ensuring the practice spread.

1- Image of a Hybrid fighting a Buffalo Warrior evenly -not a berserker, those are too massive even for these guys)
2- Image of a Hybrid fighting off a trio of Converted Townsfolk - the Hybrid's upper half is regular earth pony shoving with one hoof while gripping a pitchfork's upper half with his teeth from another townsfolk. The Crystal upper half is disengaged from the body (a la Iron Man 3) and its crystal hoof is haymaker-ing a 3rd Towsfolk that was attacking from the rear

SLEIPNIR. Some breakthroughs in science and magic are planned; some just happen by accident. A Crystalcore Hybrid is an improvement over the ordinary pony body, providing dense armor, strength and prehensile limbs, and supplanting the brain with the superior Crystalcore will. When formed from the mightiest of Nhorse chieftans and warriors the result is the eight-legged Sleipnir. Utterly devotion to their mythology where the Sleipnir bear the dead to the underworld, Nhorse willingly go to war against the Dominion to prove themsevles worthy of 'ascencion'. Because a Sleipnir willingly fuses their mind and their body to the Crystal they retain the physical advantages of hybrids while the magics that would normally suppress the pony's will are redirected to resist hostile spells. Typically these magics are represented as runes on the Sleipnir's shoulders and every one of its teeth.

CRYSTAL SNOW GRIFFON. Long since vanished from the arctic, these artisan-crafted statues are the last evidence that a breed of tundra griffons ever existed. They have since been altered by unicorn magic with basic intelligence and mobility. Their mass makes them mediocre flyers but their strength and dense crystal bodies make them impressive armored troops.

LUNAR GUARD. Bat-pony tribes have sworn allegiance to Princess Luna for millenia. What is uncommonly known is that some of the families continued in her service during the events of Nightmare Night, during her banishment, and even through to the present day. With the dissapearance of the Royal Sisters, the pegasus revolts and the rise of House Moon and Star the Night Guard fled Canterlot. Fearful that they might be imprisoned, interrogated, tortured, andultimately executed or forced to serve in the slave companies. The darkest of these pegasi, believing Princess Luna to have re-emerged as Nightmare Moon, followed the portents of dark magic to the north where they instead found the Crystal Dominion. A significant number of these guards thus swore allegiance to Sombra: it is their natural alignment, and many eagerly await the day when the ambitions of the dark king inevitably reunite them with their dark mistress.

CRYSTAL EARTHSALTER. The closest thing the Dominion has to a field engineer, the Earthsalters are a corp that specializes in building traps that completely neutralize the unwary: hypnosis projectors, spike pits and teleportation-reversing crystal cages protect key points effectively, freeing the Dominion's limited personel from defensive detail. The Easrthsalters also serve as road builders: the Crystal Capital's walkways are unique in that the crystals used for the main roads conduct the inner light of crystal ponies better than any known material. Building these paths in the field allows the Dominion's specialist devices to use energy from crystal ponies across long distances.

(Earthsalters - can be ponies of any race. I imagined an accessories pouch or bandoleer with crystal shards and test tubes. The accessories kit could be like a toolbelt saddlebags (preferably open faced to show the supplies) or wristbands around hooves with pouches or a combo of both. Functrion- Plant the crystal, mix it with an alchemical potion and retreat: the crystal defense will do its job now. other accessories I toyed with are wraparound visors to protect their eyes from glare and crystal headphones to keep them in contact with their fellows / cover their ears from crystal sound magic. They are utilitarian and science more than magic but shouldn't look like the greaser engineers of Earthborn.
Earthsalters plant crystals that perform debuffs

The highest ranks of Earthsalters will have assistants to reinforce his creations, lesser salters or perhaps even Crystalmancers. I don't know how to represent this visually.)

UNICORN SHADOWMAGE. In this dark age the most ambitious of unicorns are able to tread paths long scrutinized under the watchful eye of Princess Celestia. While most remain hidden in the bowels of the great cities many are willing to venture into the world and carve out territories for themselves. Since the dissapearance, hidden schools of black magic have sprouted and an informal war of dominance has begun to determine who will claim the title as First among Equestria's dark archmagi. To date the schools which declare fealty to Sombra hold the greatest advantages: his knowledge is extensive, his empire is distant, and all he demands in return are a handful of apprentices sent north every year as tithe.

(Shadowmagi - Unicorn only. The complete opposite of earthsalters; D&D type outfits or Starswirl hats and capes and cloaks are appropriate. They use shadow magic and their main accessory should be a spellbook with the abilities they've learned / rune incantations to facilitate casting and summoning. Like Celestia, Twilight and Sombra they should have the altered eyes while casting.)

(If it helps to visualize in game terms Shadowmagi cast their own spells by themselves or by use of books (expending pages? idk) A Shadowmage could be an initiate or a grand wizard (title is unimportant since they come from all over Equestria, rank is) so any caster type works.)

DOMINION CRYSTALMANCER. Few ponies understand the power of crystalmancy until they see it firsthand: these individuals alter landscapes so dramatically it takes a concentrated effort to restore the environment. There is little more demoralizing to an earth pony than to return from battle to find his town, his home and his crops encased within crystal constructs. Indeed, many Nhorse tribes have prefered to yield ground and remain nomadic foragers than to risk becoming attatched to a settlement only to lose the fruits of their labors days before harvest.
In battle crystalmancers use their abilities to attack enemy formations at range and to create defensive pillars and earthworks.

(Crystalmancers - Crystal ponies only. Their appearance should be closer to shaman than a priesthood, balancing the trifecta of science, magic and nature within the Dominion. I imagine a Crystalmancer as a naked "earthpony" - sometimes whole, sometimes crystal, sometimes fractured crystal -meditating or praying among existing crystal formations making them do different things. A crystalmancer may have a necklace of a crystal, a variety of crystals as beads, or may have shards stabbed into his /her body.
Crystalmancers alter crystals (including formations earthsalters build) to make direct attacks and alter terrain - eliminating whatever original purpose the crystal terrain did.
Both the later create crystal roads to fuel Crystal Pony magic into Crystal Hearts but an Earthsalter can create a crystal road anywhere whereas a Crystalmancer can only expand an existing road.

The highest ranks of Crystalmancers should be less Pony, perhaps replacing eyes with gems or limbs with crystal formations. They should have ease and resilience of crystal properties in their bodies and a shine like inner lightning not just the reflective surface of crystal ponies. They should also spontaneously fuse air around them into crystal droplets that fall and shatter.)

CRYSTAL THRESHER. Once upon a time the Crystal Empire flourished. The northern magics and crystal resources fueled a trading partnership which protected the frozen north from hardship. When the Empire re-emerged things were completely different. The train system had been out of use for centuries and the few surviving farm settlements soon found themselves target to Nhorse and Griffin marauders who had never known the name Sombra. With sufficient horsepower to protect his territory and run his farms Sombra delegated this task to the Earthsalters. They have accomplished through crystalmancy what House Earthborn has done through machinery: industrialization. Dominion farms are maintained by a series of crystal seeders and harvesters that tear up the earth even when it's frozen solid. Earthsalters have turned to these machines in times of crisis to protect their holdings to great effect against the Nhorse. As their magos turn their minds to the war south they begin to commission threshers of their own to work southern lands and fight mass infantry on their own.

OVERLORD CHOIR. Coordinating massed troops is difficult; turning broken and malnourished slaves into an effective fighting force is nearly impossible. To aid in their tasks a commander may take an Overlord Choir. This mobile tactical field headquarters gets its name from the multitude of fluglehorn players. Each horn is carefully crafted to match only one other horn in the army, allowing perfect battlefield coordination for all Crystal Traitors.

(The Overlord Choir: in essence it's a stage or giant table. At its center should be the main strategist for the army sitting inside a round table with charts, maps and books about the enemies and monsters he faces.
The outer ring of the table should be a system that lets giant fluglehorns be aimed out into the field. The horns are for orders to distant slave companies so they should be bigger than hand-held horns. Maybe 2x for a regular Choir (5x for a Grand Overlord Choir?). There should also be a crow's nest where somepony with a spyglass reports on troop movement + battlefield conditions.
The Choir's defense and transportation comes from the squad of slaves or Crystalcore (knights most likely) who lift the support frame onto their backs and carry it where ordered.
I guess this ends up looking like a wedding cake: the bottom layer has ponies carrying it, the middle has flugelhorns jutting out of it with a tactician center, and the topmost layer is the crows nest with spyglass ponies.)

CRYSTAL ECHO. The Crystal Echo is a limited replicas mimicking an ancient relic, the Crystal Heart. In ancient days the Empire held a fair whose sole purpose was to lift the spirits of the crystal ponies so the light within them could power the Crystal Heart to protect the empire. The Echo is capable of receiving inner light but, unlike the real Crystal Heart, unleashes the energy as a directed beam and not a centered energy field. The energy of the crystal beam naturally dispells many magical effects and is devastating to hostile energy and dark magic. Where once this would have been the weapon's great weakness the current environment makes it unlikely that anypony with untarnished intentions, and thus completely immune to the beams effect, still exists.

(The Cystal Echo is a palanquin like the Crystal Empire tower. 4 legs (or more, not a big deal), one central spike (small) and one central spike (big) with a crystal heart suspended in place between them.
The palanquin should be accompanied by a troupe of earthsalters and crystalmancers who when stationary create roads for it or fire the beam generator. The size of the Palanquin should be no bigger than a stagecoach or perhaps Trixie's wheel-less throne
It's not the real Crystal Heart, Sombra keeps that close, but the fake Heart is similar enough to deceive crystal ponies into feeding their magic into it, hench the name 'Crystal Echo')

WINDIGO. Winter spirits that feed off fighting and hatred. The more hate the spirit feels the colder things become. Windigos, despite common perception, are not tundra-dwellers: The spirits are drawn towards warm lands where they feast, returning to the arctic only during ages of peace and plenty or to spawn new members of their kind. The spirits are not born ignorant and breaking them in is not as simple as capturing a young beast and raising it in captivity. All the same a hate-starved windigo will on occasion be found and bound to serve a sufficiently powerful master. Despite their affinity natural spirits are no match for the power of dark magic. And so they are unleashed upon to battlefield; the dominion's enemies have hatred enough for them to gorge on.

Vector by HerrMyrddin

COUNCIL OF ADVISORS. “Amateurs study tactics, armchair generals study strategy, but professionals study logistics." It's not easy being king. With the dissapearance of the alicorn sisters and no sign of their intentions Sombra lives in constant fear of the unknown: The existence of so many warring factions and the occasional revelation of Laughing Mare cults among the crystal ponies have made it clear that no place in Equestria is untouchable. Food shortages and farm seizures threaten entire populations with starvation. The sun and moon and uncontrolled cycle of the weather threaten the collapse of Sombra's meticulously orchestrated society; a society that bluntly, has always been reliant on the stability and prosperity that Celestia's rule created. Add to that the need for relations with a hundred independent shadow organizations for power, fealty and information and you find a strain on Sombra's previously atrophied powers of negotiation and diplomacy.
The challenges of seizing an empire pale to those involved in maintaining it; especially now that it must be expanded upon to ensure it can stand against the threat of modern nations. Enter the Council: ponies from all walks of life are represented -stewards, secretaries, farmers, shippers, taskmasters, quartermasters, beast-handlers, builders, magi, generals- and each bring their cases to the Dominion Baron in charge. Regardless of his leanings or pet projects it is a rare Dominion leader that goes to war without the support cadre to keep things running smoothly.

DARK TOWER. These days a thousand voices pull Sombra in different directions and there are not sufficient seconds in the day to properly attend to them all. The Dominion's horsepower issues remain, however, and a thousand Traitors all proclaim the same truth: 'Nothing can stand against our Tyrant'. This is true, but the Tyrant cannot be seen everywhere. For this reason the unions of Earthsalter, Shadowmage and Crystalmancer have put aside their petty rivalries and produced the Dark Tower. While inanimate, the tower itself is the greatest nexus of the three magics in Equestira apart from Sombra himself and serves as a reminder that the King looms over all.

SHADOW THRONE. In recent confrontations the power of the Dark Tower has unfortunately proven to be no match against the greatest devices and monsters used by Equestria's Houses. With no great reserves available to him and no resources to invest in other avenues of research King Sombra had no choice but to bestow upon the creation a curse of his own: the gift of his personal presence.
In the direst circumstances, dark servants may unleash the potential of the Dark Tower and evolve it into a Shadow Throne. The construct thus empowered can be prevailed upon to create a link to Sombra himself and project his power to destroy his enemies. To do so comes at great personal peril for the Dark Tyrant has limits and the main reason he has armies is so that he needn't conquer each and every one of his enemies personally. Use sparingly lest you find yourself replaced...

GENERALS

EARTHSALTER MAGOS

TRANSCENDANT CRYSTALMANCER

DARK WIZARD

CRYSTALKIN HORSELORD

DOMINION BARON

NAMED CHARACTERS

SUNSET SHIMMER; RELUCTANT ALLY
It was called the crystal mirror, and it was an artifact of potentially limitless power. Unmitigable fate conspired to have the mirror end up in the Crystal Palace and so, when Sunset Shimmer emerged she set hoof on Equestria for the first time in years - right into the heart of King Sombra's palace. Instead of her mentor she found a monarch overladen with the burdens of a diminishing Dominion, a monarch hungry for amusement. Sunset Shimmer escaped back into the world she'd been trying to escape from with King Sombra on her tail. For three days she managed to evade him but Sombra's power was not to be denied. Celestia's former protege found herself prisoner and guide to the time-lost monarch. Eventually she outlined her original plan: to obtain an Element of Harmony and use its power to enslave a human army with which she could march upon Equestria. Together, the two managed to reopen the portal in defiance of the Mirror's limitations. In return for her knowledge Sombra laid out the modern map of Equestria divided and set her free with one promise: at any time she wished, she could return.
Sunset Shimmer travels the world in secret and is horrified by what she sees. An able spy and information broker, Sunset has quickly developed an understanding of the power vaccuum Celestia's dissappearance caused and the ruthless way each House, especially House Moon and Star have begun to rule in her name. Even with her unicorn magic restored Sunset Shimmer once again finds herself reduced to the role of powerless, friendless outsider.

(Originalby Cyrilunicorn idk if this is Russian or if it was translated accurately).
"MASS MIND-CONTROL"

THE SIREN COVEN; VASSAL GENERAL
Some creatures are born to become legend and like all myths it becomes impossible to separate truth from fantasy as time marches on. A witch coven of unfathomable power? The lone survivors of a doomed race of seaponies? Three sisters that stumbled upon one of the secrets of immortality? Nopony knows for certain. What is known is that the Siren Coven was enslaved by the Crystal Dominion prior to Sunset Shimmer's flight and it is they who now maintain the Mass Mind Control spells that keep the Dominion's non-Crystal Pony armies intact.

THE AVATAR OF SIREN. They swim through the air as if it were water, these hippocampi spark debate upon the most nowledgeable scholars: are they the true form of the Sirens or are they mere projections that serve as a target for their foes while the source of magic remains safely hidden away?

(Spoiler: the avatar hypocampi are projections. The 'real' Sirens are the gossamer-winged pony bodies. It doesn't mean the hippocampi are fake, after all, when the Dazzlings fought as avatars they used those as their main bodies. It just means that they prefer to work from the shadows with minimal risks to themselves and the precious crystals around their necks.)
"MASS MIND-CONTROL"

KING SOMBRA