The purpose of this thread is to serve as a reference point for the whos, wheres and whats of the Skitchverse setting. A catch all reference point for readers and writers of the setting.

1.)Outline, Tone and Themes
2.) The Setting: Nations
-Equestria
-High Confederation of Wings
-Elkienhiem
-Empire of Tapiria
-Republic of Dromedus
-The United Kingdoms
-The Free Hive of Venexia
3.) The Setting: Races
-Overview
-Earth Ponies
-Unicorn Ponies
-Pegasus Ponies
-Thestrals
-Crystal Ponies
-Alicorns
-Other Races
4.) Major Characters
-Pinkie Pie
-Fluttershy
-Rarity
-Twilight Sparkle
-Applejack
-Rainbow Dash
-Skitch-Sketch
-Princess Celestia
-Princess Luna

Outline

The Skitchverse is an alternate reality of the Friendship is Magic TV show, that spins off of two basic premises. The first being that the world of Equis is a little rougher than presented in the show. More dark warlords and evil creatures existed in the past and a criminal underbelly exists in the present. The second is that into this mix a brony turned unicorn is dropped, who now has to deal with the universe not being what she expected it to be.

Tone and Themes

The Skitchverse is intended for older audiences than the show and is written to be a little bit on the darker side, but in no way overwhelmingly so. I liken the tone to what you'd see in heroic pulp fantasy/steampunk novels. Things can get darker, but the heroes can turn things around with their wits, skills and bonds of friendship. Guarded but optimistic would be a good explanation.

Due to the more mature nature of the setting, themes such as sex, violence and other more adult subject matter does show up, but is filtered through the more optimistic world view.

Proper Name: Kingdom of Equestria
Rulers: Her Shining Radiance, Princess Celestia and Steward of the Night's Depths, Princess Luna
Government: Immortal Diarchy, supported by a collection of administrative noble houses
Capital: Canterlot
Major Towns: Ponyville, Dodge Junction, Appleoosa, Manehatten, Hoofington, Fillydelphia, Trottingham, Baltimare, Las Pegasus, Los Pegasus
Provinces: Twenty four royal provinces
Resources: Foodstuffs, gems, timber, minor ore deposits, historical and magical knowledge.
Allies: The United Kingdoms, The Empire of Tapiria, The Free Hive of Venexia
Enemies: Queen Chrysalis' Hives, Strained Relationship with Elkienhiem and North Griffin Confederation

Equestria has long commanded the largest amount of territory on it's home continent, sprawling from the foothills of the Adelegg Mountains that form the border with the former Crystal Empire in the north, to the scrub filled plains of the south that run up to the Buffalo Tribal Lands.

Equestria's size, power and the immortal nature of it's rulers has led to the nation dominating the political landscape of the world, fairly or not. While the benevolent nature of it's rulers have kept such a relationship from becoming exploitative, some of it's neighbors are still suspicious of it's intentions.

Equestria's unicorn population has helped ensure the nations' magical superiority, it's magical academies some of the finest in the world. Said magical supremacy has caused industrialization to come the nation slowly, though it is currently undergoing a large public works project to ensure that electricity will become available to all towns and small villages in the nation.

It's current concerns, aside from the usual affairs of state, is the fate of the various magical prisons scattered across the world that Celestia and Luna used to seal dark creatures away in ages long past. The attack of the mysterious human known as The Collector has left the state of the seals in question and now Celestia and Luna scramble to determine their fate.

Proper Name: High Confederation of Wings
Ruler: High Chancellor Eckhard Ironclaw
Government: Constitutional Parliamentary Confederation
Capital: Dreshden
Major Towns: Griffondorf, Altenprow, Branschag, Arlson, Rustdolt, Dessau, Nurslen
Provinces: Two kingdoms, five grand duchies, five duchies, seven principalities, and three free cities.
Resources: Ore deposits, coal deposits, timber, minor gem deposits
Allies: Elkienhiem
Enemies: On again, off again rivalry with Equestria

The North Griffin Confederation is the second largest nation on the Equestrian continent. A largely mountainous realm, the ranges get taller and more jagged the farther north one travels, culminating in the legendary Storm Peaks that border the icy waters of the North Sea.

The confederation nature of it's government can make the political landscape of the Griffin Confederation intimidating to outsiders, as the component kingdoms that make up the confederation squabble with each other almost as much as the Confederation squabbles with Equestria as a whole.

Military wise the NGC is probably most well known for their famous mercenary detachments, the Landsknechte. Pike-griffins backed up by musket wielding griffins, the mercenary regiments contract themselves out across the world; their most recent contracts have primarily been in Tapiria and the warring Three Kingdoms.

Lacking the raw magical power of Equestria, the NGC is heavily industrialized in the larger cities and imports a great deal of technology and weaponry from the Republic of Dromedus.

The current concerns of the Confederation mostly resolve around two things. The first is a fresh round of sabre rattling with Equestria. The other, and of greater concern, has been the outbreak of strange magical phenomenon that has been sweeping the nation in recent weeks....

Proper Name: The United Empire of Elkienhiem and Her Territories
Ruler: Emperor Gustav the Second
Government: Autocratic Empire
Capital: Agnafit
Major Towns: Lund, Vasteras, Vaxijo, Halstad, Horsaw
Provinces: Twenty one provinces and three absorbed kingdoms
Resources: Oil reserves, coal deposits, timber, ship construction
Allies: North Griffin Confederation
Enemies: Distrust of Equestria

Elkienhiem is a nation who's star is on the rise. Having doubled their nation's size in recent years, Elkienhiem has moved from regional power to burgeoning empire. Like the neighboring North Griffin Confederation, Elkienhiem is dominated by mountains and tall conifer forests. It's long and winding coast is full of tall cliffs and narrow fjords, though a few of the larger ones to the south of the nation are dedicated to ship construction.

Elkienhiem's unofficial nickname among the other nations is "The Land of Perpetual Twilight", due to a curse laid upon the nation during the reign of Nightmare Moon. Darkness, ice and snow grip the nation for nine out of the twelve months of the year, the curse spreading with the nation's borders.

The curse led the elk to experiment with the oil deposits buried in the ground, which in turn lead to the development the cheap lighting and heating fuel known as kerosene, which they've used to help stave off the worst effects of the perpetual winter. The sale of kerosene has bankrolled the nations military, which now boasts state of the art Dromedian technology.

Rumors abound regarding Gustav the Second's plans for the strange black pillar that's the source of Nightmare Moon's curse. While it has resisted all attempts to be destroyed so far, the elk lord has been developing a new plan of action as of late. The question is, what will come of it?

Proper Name: The Glorious Empire of Tapiria
Ruler: Emperor Placido the Magnanimous
Government: Hereditary Monarchy
Capital: Basilia
Major Towns: Sao Palo, Manas, Green Branch, Natal
Provinces: Twenty Six Royal Provinces
Resources: Rare woods, tropical fruit, coffee, sugar, rubber
Allies: Equestria, The Free Hive of Venexia, The United Kingdoms
Enemies: Chrysalis' Hives, The Bumble Swarm, Rivalry with Ahutina

Tapiria is something of a contradiction. It is both the colossus of it's continent, casting a long shadow across the jungles and mountains of the land, and a nation that is suffering from a corrupt upper class and facing an uncertain future.

While Tapiria claims vast swathes of the Rainfall Jungle for themselves, most of the nation's large cities hug the coast, civilization giving way to smaller towns and villages the deeper one heads into the jungle. A series of military forts are scattered about the interior of the nation, arranged to provide rapid response in the case of invasion.

While an Empire with power concentrated in the hooves of the ruling family in theory, in reality the military and nobility exercise a great deal of influence over the country. The twin threats of the changelings and the bumbles are spectres that the military consistently brings up to keep the funding flowing their direction.

However, Emperor Placido continues to work tirelessly to improve the lot of his people. His efforts have been leading to a large and more robust middle class. The end question is whether his reforms will last if a military coup does happen.

Proper Name: The Republic of Dromedus
Ruler: Prime Minister Karida
Government: Constitutional Republic
Capital: Rabat
Major Towns: Fes, Tangi, Agada, Asi, Taza
Provinces: Sixteen administrative regions
Resources: Technology, airships, firearms
Allies: None. Dromedus maintains warm relationships with it's trading partners, but has no full military allies.
Enemies: Saddle Arabia

The shining jewel of the desert, Dromedus has become the spark that is igniting the change of the world.

Dromedus can be neatly divided between the scrublands and rocky plateaus of the north, and the rolling dunes of the south. The mighty Nakka River, long the source of water for the nation's agriculture, follows this pattern in its own way. As it crosses into the dune sea of the south, it becomes dead, stagnant and poisonous; one of the scars left on the land by the reign of Akhem the Twice Cursed.

The other major scar the warlord left on the nation is the complete distrust of magic left among most of its populous. With magic users banished from the land, Dromedus set upon a path of technological innovation. Everything from firearms and airships, to hydroelectric power and film recording technology, Dromedus has created and sold to the world at large.

Their technological development has come at a price, however. Lacking the magical means to clean pollution from their factories, a fine haze of smog can be found in the air of most Dromedian cities.

Proper Name: United Kingdoms of Regula, Zebrica and the Ivory Coast
Rulers: King Halia, King Babar, King Regulous
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- Ponies are the most populous race in Equis, and are a minority population even in nations dominated by other types of creatures. The one major exception to this rule is the Free Hive of Venexia, which has yet to have a major influx of immigrants yet in it's fifty year history.

- Camels are the second most commonly seen race outside of their historic national boundaries, due to the diaspora of camel magic users in the nation's past. Many of those camels banished relocated to Equestria and Canterlot's foreign quarter has a section that is commonly referred to as Little Dromedus.

- Griffins are the third most commonly seen race outside of their homeland. In the case of the griffin, however, it is due to the exporting of their mercenary bands to points of conflict across the globe. In the warring lands of The Three Kingdoms, griffin mercenaries have been there long enough, that some have settled down and formed families in the area.

- Earth Ponies are the most populous of the four pony tribes, by a slim margin inside Equestria. Outside Equestria, however the gap grows, leaving earth ponies as the most populous tribe among the other nations.

- Earth Ponies tend towards larger and stockier builds. While this is in no way an absolute, the manifestation of earth pony magic does make it a dominant trait of the tribe.

- The other major manifestation is their connection to all things natural. The most well known aspect of this is the legendary productivity of earth pony farms, however, that is not the only way said connection manifests. The other most well known means is the practice of geological cultivation, or as it's more commonly known, "Rock Farming". Shards of stone are planted in the ground and earth ponies churn the soil around them with their hooves. The process, and earth pony magic, excites the crystalline structure of the rock, causing it to grow. Most of Equestria's public buildings have been built with grown stone.

- The nature of earth pony magic is largely subconscious though they do have a limited amount of control through odd farm rituals, superstitions, charms and other bits of what are commonly referred to as "hedge magic". Earth ponies don't entirely understand how it works, just that it does. Granny Smith's elaborate ritual to get zap apple jam to turn out properly is a particularly advanced example of hedge magic, due to the magical nature of the zap apples themselves.

- Unicorns are the second most populous of the four pony tribes within Equestria, and the second rarest outside it's borders.

- Unicorns are the only pony tribe who's magic is an externally controllable force, controllable through their horn. Most unicorn can only use magic in relation to their cutie-mark. Though some exceptions do exist they represent approximately 2% of the population and can usually only learn one other school. Unicorn like Twilight Sparkle, or the legendary Starswirl the Bearded, that can cast from all schools are truly exceptional individuals.

- Unicorn horns are made from tightly wound keratin. While quite sturdy and more than capable of being used to gore, most unicorn are weary to do so except in times of desperation, for damage or destruction of a unicorn's horn can cripple their ability to channel magic.

- Unicorn spell casting has been described almost like flexing a muscle and much like flexing an actual muscle, a unicorn can push too much power through their horn and blast themselves into unconsciousness or (in rare cases) death.

- Pegasai are the third most populous tribe within Equestria and the second most populous outside of Equestria.

- Pegasai cloud cities tend to follow set air current patterns. Cloudsdale, for example, floats in a circuit between Canterlot, Ponyville and the plains to the east of both towns become floating back around. These patterns do change with the winds at the change of the seasons, however.

- Pegasai tend towards lean, athletic builds. If earth ponies are brawlers, pegasai are sprinters.

- It is sometimes said among Equestria's legends, that the pegasai are as wild as an untamed storm. While this is an overly romanticized and simplified view, it is true that pegasai tend to not hide their emotions. To go out, experiance and explore is the pegasai creed.

- Like earth and bat ponies, pegasai magic is mostly internally focused. It manifests in their connection to all things weather based. They can touch, walk on and sleep on clouds when they wish, collect water and moisture to create clouds, and to disperse it with a kick.

- A lesser known manifestation is their inherent resistance to the elements. The cold of the high fluffy clouds, the heat of the sun, and the crackle of electricity that dances through thunderstorms.

- Thestrals are the rarest of the four tribes, being a minority in Equestria, and all but unheard of in the lands beyond. The one exception to the latter is one town of thestral expatriates in the High Confederation of Wings, who fled Equestria immediately after Nightmare Moon's banishment in fear of reprisal.

- Thestrals are not a natural race. They are the result of a curse that was placed upon an entire province of Equestria during the Age of Nightmares, part of a spiteful attempt from a dragon warlord to take over Equestria. Within one night every pony within the province of Valahia was transformed into one of the monstrous new thestrals.

- The curse initially forced them to survive off of nothing but the blood of fellow sapients, until Princess Luna shattered that aspect of the spell, allowing the thestrals to once again rejoin Equestrian society.

- Thestrals were not recognized as an official tribe until the first recorded birth of a thestral foal, revealing that they could breed true.

- Due to Luna being involved in their races redemption, she is viewed as a heroic figure by most thestrals, and she draws her lunar guard almost exclusively from their numbers.

- The curse redefined the nature of the effected ponies magic into something new. Thestrals magic, like earth and pegasus, is internally focused. When moving slowly or standing still in shadow or at night, darkness clings to their bodies helping hide them.

- Crystal ponies are commonly referred to as the "lost tribe", having not been seen on the planet since the disappearance of the Crystal Empire, thanks to the machinations of King Sombra.

- While the Crystal Empire was the largest concentration of crystal ponies on Equis, they did have other population centers throughout Equestria. They too vanished with the Crystal Empire, leading to a few abandoned towns along the northern Equestrian border.

- The disappearance of the crystal ponies remains one of the greatest atrocities in the history of Equis. While others have resulted in a higher body count (such as the destruction of Tambelon by Grogar, or the reign of terror that was Akhem the Twice Cursed in Dromedus), the fact that the crystal ponies were taken, rather than killed is all the more insidious.

- There are two kinds of alicorns. Those who are born and those who are made. While both types are very rare, one hereditary family of alicorns (supposedly descended from a lost sibling of Celestia and Luna) ruled over the Middle Kingom before the dynasty fell and it broke apart into the three warring states of Wu, Wei and Shu. Surviving members of that royal family are scattered among the three kingdoms.

- Of the two "breeds" of alicorn, the born type are the weaker of the two. While showing the physical characteristics of all three tribes, magically they only show the characteristics of one, that randomly solidifies and manifests not long after birth.

- The created alicorn are what most creatures think of when they think of alicorns, the royal pony sisters being the ur-examples. All types of pony magic are manifest in their bodies and they are always connected to some kind of large magic on a conceptual level.

- "Made" alicorns, achieve the heights of their power through a process that is known only as the Rights of Ascension. To this date, only one other pony is known to have passed the Rights. Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, also known as Cadance.

Tribe: Unicorn
Special Talent: Magic
Element: Magic
Job: Ponyville librarian

Character History
Twilight was born in Canterlot to Night Light and Twilight Velvet. Twilight was hardly starved for love growing up, being endlessly doted on by her mother, Twilight Velvet and watched over by her older brother, Shining Armor. Her mother's position as a writer instilled a love of books and all things literary in the young filly, a love that would carry over into her adult life.

Much like in the Maneverse, she applied to Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. hatched Spike's egg, and became Celestia's personal pupil in the school. Here, she met a young unicorn named Skitch-Sketch one morning, but would not see her again until almost fourteen years later.

Celestia sent Twilight and Spike to Ponyville a full year before the escape of Nightmare Moon, hoping that Twilight would begin to make friends for her own good. It was a desire that would not be fulfilled until the escape of the mad alicorn, and the journey into the Everfree Forest.

The return of Skitch-Sketch into her life, albeit in a different form from the filly she met and then forgot about all those years ago, has left a profound mark upon her. Twilight has become more worried about the lives of her friends, and the overall fate of Equestria. As such, she has begun to study more magic and learn more spells to protect those dear to her heart.

Defining Characteristics

Flaws/Weaknesses

Goals