Just Be Sure To Steady Yourself Afterwards.
In a large and sumptuous office within the Asinial Parliament Building, by a window that looked over the dark and moonlit harbour, Burro Delver sat and watched the world turn. The moon’s reflection cut a lazy path across the quiet waters, with only a few wandering tugs and fishing vessels marring its path.
He reached round to his desk and casually hefted the half-full coffee pitcher, dragging long and deeply at the spout. Cups on the desk gathered dust.
It had been a busy past few hours. Quite apart from pacifying Asincittà, he’d had to re-establish contact with the far-flung elements of the Merchant Fleet and check that their ships were all restored and not eating anything or anyone. Letters had been sent off in different directions. One had gone to Gellert, an invitation to meet and drink themselves out of their skulls the next mutually free moment they got. Another had been dispatched to Ceratos, apologising for the conduct of rogue elements of the Merchant Fleet and offering new trade terms privileged towards Ceratos for all the inconvenience.
The latter letter could have waited - Ceratos was happily half the world away once again. But after what he’d seen from Celestia ....
Her own letters on the matter of the Ceratos treaty ports had grown increasingly shirty over the last months. She could be spared any provocation.
Burro wondered if the rest of the world would have the same view. He sipped from the pitcher, and looked out towards the still night. As still as you got around Asincittà, at least. And only quiet for now.
If you sought peace, and all that.
“It’s probably unfair to assume they’ll all turn into krakens,” he muttered.
“Beg pardon, Arch-Minister?” said Silhouette, his secretary.
“Do me a favour, Silhouette. Before you retire for the evening, send a message to Ms Amiatina of the Brineside Shipwrights. The Asinial executive’s interested in placing an order.” Burro looked back down towards the dark and ever-churning tide, and heard the echoes of roaring and fire. “Enquire after the price she’d assign to three Fear Nowt-class ships. We’ll haggle, of course.”
“And with one quick swipe of a claw, I hefted the Dread Emperor of Ceratos up by his neck!” said Gellert, punching the log he was perched on with a fist. Light flickered up from a campfire and made shadows dance across his angular face. “He struggled and fought, but I held him fast using all the strength I had, bracing myself for the Grand Duke of All Hippopotami charging in while I was distracted. Onwards the scoundrel came, onto my other claw, as I swept overhead with the Emperor still in my grasp and drove the duke into the dust! Holding him there, I saw the fight wasn’t over. The Capricious Crown of Capra, glowing with dark magic, holding fast to the head of the biggest, ugliest, hairiest goat I ever saw, three times taller than I! Thinking fast, I met his advance with a stiff uppercut -”
“Dad, you’re somehow using three claws at once in all this,” said the griffoness at the fire’s other side, spearing a brace of salmon on a stick and roasting them above the flames. “If you’re going to embellish, at least keep it internally logical.”
“Nobody likes a griffon who nitpicks on the grounds of mere physics, Gilda darling. Now where was I ... ? Ah, yes, that was when this entire flight of dragons entered from the cage’s side -”
“Cough,” said Fairy Floss.
The butterfly looked sullen.
“Cough,” said Fairy Floss, in a tone of voice and with an expression that in conjunction had been known to make hardened Archons cry softly with terror.
The butterfly grumpily opened its mouth and coughed, bringing up a flailing, spluttering black-coated ram in steel armour. The butterfly discorporated in a flurry of chaotic sparks, and Fairy Floss waited as the black sheep rose unsteadily to his hooves. “A full Black Company once again. Excellent,” she murmured.
“Tyrant? I - ah, I find myself somewhat behind on events.”
“Don’t we all, from time to time,” replied the Tyrant. “The Archons have been summoned for an emergency meeting in the Thousandfold Chamber; other company members should be retrieving them as we speak. Be a dear and escort your sovereign. We have much catching up to do. And so much preparation to be done.”
“Bullwalda, with all respect, we’ve never bound ourselves to the west, to Equestria and Asinia, in such a manner. Loose pacts of convenience, yes, upon occasion, such as during the last Corvid Incursion. But these sorts of premature bindings … it flies in the face of our independence. Your sovereignty. If Bovaland is ever in a place to be dictated to ...”
The Royal Concubine of Bovaland, Steel Thews, a tall and strapping minotaur bull, spoke at length. The thick tapestries and carpets lining the royal bedchamber swallowed the sound, kept all discussions discreet, and muffled the sound of the rain outside. The Royal Consort, Goldtorc, a small and reserved aurochs cow, occasionally chimed in with agreement and fervent nodding.
Greenhorn ignored them both. His armour had been removed, and now rested on a stand in the room’s corner. His unburdened attention was on a cradle and its tiny calf occupant, sleeping softly under the candlelight. He occasionally reached out with his magic to rock his daughter gently.
“Please listen to Steel Thews, dear,” said Goldtorc. “The notion drives right at our very traditions. We cannot tether ourselves.”
“Even if it helps us keep our grounding?”
“Beg pardon, Bullwalda?” said Steel Thews.
“I have not decided upon this lightly, but rather in light of events today,” said Greenhorn quietly, giving the cradle another rock. “We must prepare. A snare draws around us, and to press on as we are risks it growing tight about us. The Crown grows ever-wilder. A new Cormaer threatens in the east.”
“Cormaers are the greatest calamities of the days in which they spawn, I do not dispute that,” said Steel Thews. “But her rule is new. She will need time to cohere the clans and beat the drums for war. We can yet marshal our own resources, Bullwalda. If the lords were mustered -”
“The clans are cohered. The drums have been beating since the end of the last great Corvid Incursion. And she has been negotiating with Capra, the older enemy.” Greenhorn dragged a hoof down his face and looked away from the cradle. “We will face a war on two fronts. We will need help. And I will not, in the last, go to my ancestors as the Bullwalda who lost Bovaland. Let me spare myself that shame.”
He rested a hoof on the cradle’s edge and said, in a voice so low neither Goldtorc or Steel Thews could hear. “No matter what, let me meet them with pride.”
“Forward! Forward, you sons of mothers! Take it on the points!”
Thunder clamoured in the depths as the Diamond Dog squadron advanced on the Dweller Below. The umbral creature flolloped all of its multitude of polyps at them, fires reflecting in its multifaceted eyes, and keened uncannily. Barks and yaps greeted it.
“Spears out!” barked Rex. “Fire lances!”
Spears jutted out from the tight dog phalanx, longer poles bobbing out from their midst, crowned with canisters and torches. Firedamp gas hissed out from the canisters as their bearers yanked levers, swinging the contraptions out towards the Dweller’s sides. Fire met gas, and a solid wave of heat and sound and light and fury erupted and all but blew Rex off his paws, intermingled with the perplexed toots and vwoorp-vwoorp-vwoorp sounds produced by the Dweller. Dazzled, it surged onwards towards the squadron, tentacles cutting through dimensions as it came.
“Brace! Brace!”
The whole squadron shuddered as the Dweller crashed down upon the bristling spear-heads. Sharp mithril met unspecified organic matter, and the Dweller was pushed off with one great heave, leaking uncoloured ichor from a dozen wounds. It chirped, discarded several acid-spraying protrusions in a fit of confusion, and then turned to blunder down into the depths of the tunnel.
“After it!” said Rex. Several other dogs opened cages, and armoured war-canaries took flight after the Dweller, pecking at its squamous back. Dig Dogs immediately started ploughing through the earth at their paws with cries of “Cut it off! Cut it off down below!”
“Infestations of the buggers all throughout the works!” snapped Rex’s lieutenant, slotting a new canister into a spent fire lance. “Barely took ‘em hours, amidst all the chaos!”
Despite it, Rex couldn’t help but grin.
Spare him the open sky and a pack of wittering half-wits and a berserk alicorn. Down here in the homely dark, you could trust things to be sensible.
Mirage, Vicereine of Saddle Arabia and the closest thing to anything like a competent authority figure in Saddle Arabia at any time, was withers-deep in management. So many enquiring Saddle Arabians, so many that had to be fobbed off with variations on, “I’m sure everything is being managed well by greater powers,” and “Our fate, as always, is in the hands of a psychopathic universe, Creator help us all,” and “Look, get back to your homes, you idiots! The evening sandstorm’s on its way!”
It had been hours since the magical chaos had died down, and hours more since Simoom had vanished. She was deep in the archives, calmly debating whether or not to bury herself in more work or permit a mild breakdown into panicked tears, when there came a knock on the door.
She turned, brushing quickly at her eyes, and stopped when she saw the familiar, wonderful, benignly vacant smile of her husband.
“Simoom? Simoom!” The mare rushed over to wrap him in a sudden embrace. “Where were you? I was worrying myself sick, you handsome idiot of a stallion -”
“It’s alright, dear, it’s alright. I was just out … somewhere. Equestria, I think.” Simoom kissed her and put on his best amiable smile. “Met a lot of world leaders there. Bit shouty, some of them, but I’m sure they all mean well.”
“Did … did you?” Mirage paused to consider all the possible terrible implications of this. “Simoom, darling, maybe you should sit down and tell me exactly what you said to each of them. I’ll get my notebook -”
“Just some helpful advice, here and there,” Simoom said airily. “There was more fun afterwards. I helped negotiate a ceasefire!”
“You what?”
“A partition, then.”
The stars hung silent over the meeting place between Punda and Milia, a upraised platform on the disputed border open to the elements. Several empty chairs and several empty bottles of tej shared the space with them, provided by a shuffling staff of mummified servants. One lurched over, trailing wrapping, and gurgled as they offered another bottle between their teeth; Punda took it and waved them away.
“A partition!” declared Milia. “Upper Zebrica for you, and Lower Zebrica for me. Like the two pharaohs in centuries gone by. Equal and resplendent and something-or-other.”
“Not … not permanent, though,” said Punda, who was trying and failing to stay sharp past the muddying influence of bottles of honey wine. “See, I have a plan. We settle down, right? We rule. Don’t step on each others hooves too much. And … we have firstborns! See?”
“Oh,” said Milia. “Oooh. Make the little bastards marry!”
“‘Zactly! They marry, since it’s only proper to keep royalty within the family. We die off sooner or later, and then they take the reunited Zebrican throne. Happiness all round.”
Milia nodded blithely, the wine forming a warm and comfortable cloud in his brain. Something niggled, though. “Hold on,” he said.
“What?”
“Suppose … suppose both our firstborns are colts? Or both fillies? That could play merry hell with the whole ‘siring future members of the dynasty’ thing. Bloody nobles like to raise a ruckus at the slightest lack of protocol.”
Punda sat in silence and contemplated, Milia and the stars as his audience.
“When you think about it,” he said eventually, swaying slightly, “that’s not really our problem. They'll sort something out.”
South of Ungula, the sea rolled on and on until it met the archipelago of the Burning Mountains, where the sky was painted black with smoke, the water in the sounds between the islands was cold and lifeless, and where the passages and caverns riddling the craggy islands were filled with gold.
Here Be Dragons.
It was possible - if only on the cusp thereof - to negotiate a path through the Burning Mountains, avoiding the usual circuitous trading routes to the Ceratos Sea and any other vessels one might wish to avoid. If you didn’t mind having to avoid storms and poisonous water and lava, of course. And the dragons.
Desperada had been smuggling through quick routes in the archipelago for decades now, in a little old-fashioned brig that was as hard and weather-beaten as the jenny herself. But there were still some things she could encounter here that would give her pause.
She crouched next to her daughter on the vessel’s deck, which itself rested beneath a sheltering lip of rock. In the distance, a colossal red dragon, so large that Desperada’s faint grasp of metaphors failed her utterly, perched on the side of one of the larger islands and growled as it tried to push its way down a tunnel in the surface. Said tunnel was sized for a much smaller dragon, however, and the effort was very much ongoing. Flocks of smaller dragons wheeled around in an attempt to be of use, and their roars were distant thunder.
“Ma, do we … do we help it?” said her daughter, the younger jenny cautiously cradling a heavy crossbow in her hooves. “If it’s trying to get at something in there -”
“No, Conquista. No, we do not help it. We avoid whatever this whole mess is, and we sail far away from it.”
Lord Regent Trumpeter of Ancient and Glorious Pachydermia lay behind the low desk in his office and regarded his nephew.
“And did you notice anything … unusual about the others there, Your Grace?” said Trumpeter. “Did they say anything to you that immediately sticks out in your mind?”
“Don’t know, uncle. What’s ‘unusual’?” said Sailears. He scratched one of his ears absently with his trunk. “I don’t think anyone was saying all that odd. Just all grumbling and shouting like when Court’s in session, except with more species. Nobody really stopped until the Equestrian princess went all firey and started yelling at everyone.”
Trumpeter, who had been tapping a quill pen against parchment, missed a beat. “Celestia? Yelling? Are you quite sure?”
“Yes. She was angry. Even angrier than you get sometimes. Does she do that lots?”
“I do not get angry, Sailears. I simply conduct myself so as to preserve a proper balance of humours,” said Trumpeter curtly. He controlled himself and continued. “And no. No, she doesn’t exhibit that … at all, to my immediate knowledge. She just lost control?”
“Yelled at everyone to shut up, went all firey, picked up everyone and threw them around, said something about conquering. And then a rainbow just swept through and it all just stopped. Why was that?”
Trumpeter didn’t answer, his gaze somewhere past his nephew. “I shall have to re-read the histories,” he said eventually, quietly. “This could be bad. Exceedingly bad. Pachydermia may have to take steps to control matters. I shall see who on Ungula may be receptive to a concord. If it comes down to projecting force, Asinia will certainly be an obstacle more easily removed at their end of things. I shall see.”
“What?”
“Never mind for now.” Trumpeter set his pen back to the paper, his purple magic shimmering up his tusks. “Did you speak to anyone there in any detail, Your Grace? I may have some sherbert in my desk for a bright calf who can recall an honest account.”
Sailears brightened. “I met an ibex. She was nice. I think she was a servant to someone else there, and she’d been pulled along by the -”
“Sailears, you mustn’t waste time talking to mere servants, no matter how nice they are. They have nothing useful to tell you, and it risks them thinking beyond their station. Did you speak to anyone more important?”
The little elephant considered. “I met the king of the donkeys, I think! I asked him about his fleet.”
“Oh?” Trumpeter smiled. “And what did he say about it, Your Grace? Any comparisons to our own? Any positions? Any plans?”
Sailears thought hard. “Well, he said that you could take a mast and shove it sideways up your -”
“Holy depths, you’re not seriously suggesting we pin our hopes on an expedition into the Interior?”
“We know the remains of Antlertian outposts still stand there, untouched by anything civilised since the Fall,” said the warthog delegate stoutly at the centre of the circular room. It had been one of the longest sessions of the Gazellen Congress in years, and everyone who was still upright and speaking had cultivated a certain hoarseness. “If there are any useful artefacts as yet unclaimed, that’s where they’ll be. I’m rather taken with the notion of having our own Sun Blade - or something greater - to defend ourselves with in light of today. Aren’t you?”
“Every expedition into the Interior has ended in disaster. The environment’s as hostile as anything outwith the Ungulan North. Even if there was something Antlertian to be salvaged -” said the okapi delegate.
“Failure isn’t inevitable; proper outfitting and planning is not beyond us,” the warthog replied. “There are always adventurers ready to risk themselves for a reward. Remember that pegasus that broke into that old temple in the outer jungle? She could be recruited -”
“Let’s not add a possible Equestrian agent into what could be a reasonable plan,” said the hippopotamus Grand Duke. “Does Celestia really need to possibly gain another Antlertian artefact? We do ourselves no favours by still regarding her as a benevolent force. Not now.”
“Oh, come now,” said the camel delegate. “Her whole style and manner wouldn’t let her -”
“Celestia’s style is to apparently sit on her dreams of world conquest until given something like an excuse,” said the Grand Duke. “I support this plan. Our conventional forces are not enough. We need a greater weapon. We need an unexpected edge, whatever form it might take.”
“I detect a certain hostility in the honourable Duke’s tone towards Celestia,” came a new voice. The gazelle delegate, sitting in a place of honour at one side of the room, their chair a deep shade of red.
“Does that seem so unreasonable?” said the Grand Duke. “You were there in that cage. You saw what could be unleashed, what they can bring to bear, what’s waiting. Equestria must be contained before it is too powerful to be stopped.”
“It’s more reasonable to set ourselves against that than the alternative?” said the gazelle. “So much as acquiring a weapon to wield against Equestria, even if for self-defence’s sake, will set us onto a certain trajectory. We may not like the end result.”
“We can venture into the Interior and at least attempt to arm ourselves,” said the warthog, “or we can remain defenceless. The choice is entirely ours.”
In the airy darkness of the chamber, delegates shuffled and muttered until the camel delegate sighed and rose. “Shall we put it to a vote?”
In far Ceratos, under different stars and indigo skies, the Emperor studied a foreign letter that had arrived mere moments ago. It had been carried by telegram wires and courier-fire and, for the final stretch, by palace bureaucrats. A sigil on the front presented the sea and the dawn sky. Or the dusk sky. And the sun. Or a coin.
He opened it, grimness passing like a shadow across his face. He read the contents, and was smiling by the end.
Emptiness, the philosophers said, begged for filling. A retreat, said the military tacticians, invited an advance.
“Attend us,” the Emperor said aloud. A rhinoceros servant stepped smoothly away from the throne room’s wall and kowtowed before looking up to the Emperor.
“Deliver our instruction that the Lord Ministers are to meet with us an hour earlier than scheduled on the morrow. We have several ideas we wish to see discussed, and would see them given ample time.”
The servant kowtowed once more and left. As they turned at the prescribed number of ten backwards steps, the Emperor permitted himself to smile.
It was true that Ceratos had a great many trees, a lot of metal, a lot of coastline, and a lot of catching-up to do. And it was especially true that the Emperor paid his debts with interest to spare.
Stormclouds darker than the night sky crowded out the stars over Corva, sending down wave after wave of light drizzle. They gathered, threatening thunder, and cold winds scythed through the tips of the vast forests and around the endless mountains.
At the top of a copse of titan pines, matching the mountains themselves for size, mingling branches had been woven into a rough circle. Several corvids perched around, dipping their beaks briefly into jars of whisky. A covered oil lantern dangled down at the centre, giving a measure of guttering light and something almost like warmth.
“Gie’s the clype, then,” said one of them, a lean and straggly magpie, one of her eyes murky. “Discord’s dealt wi’. Whaur’s he noo?”
“Wha can say? After all had passed, Celestia took off wi’ only a few parting words,” said the Cormaer. She was deepest into her own jar, and still steady upon the branch. “She’ll hae her own designs on him, I shouldnae wonder. Naebody after was up fer asking whit.”
“Even ye?” This from a small hooded crow next to the magpie. His tone held a hint - just a hint - of scorn.
The Cormaer was silent initially. “When the bards sing of the Battle of Dream Valley, some few dare tae sing that the Seventh Cormaer fell wi’oot a fight. He just burned.” She looked into the depths of her jar. “I believe them noo. The cuddy queen’s a force ye don’t daur meddle lightly wi’.”
“Ye dinnae mean ye’re just going tae give up, are ye?” The crow sneered. “Ye werenae acclaimed as Cormaer tae turn tailfeathers at the first hint o’ -”
“Weesht, ye shilpit gowk.” The Cormaer’s eyes narrowed. “The cuddies are as in my sights as they ayways were. As I’m sure they always were for every member of this company.”
Nods came from around the circle. A few were more hesitant than others. The Cormaer smirked and turned back to the whisky jar.
“Equestria’s still in my sights. We’re just gaunny … caw canny aboot it. I’ve approached others wi’ similar interests, we’ve had a guid blether. Arrangements are in the making. Equestria will have had its day. And we shall hae oor vengeance.”
“Others? Whit others?”
The Cormaer smiled tightly, and guttering fires danced in the darkness of her eyes.
In mountain-girded Bellbylon, it was long past curfew, and the city and central citadel were quiet. Thunder pulsed through the dark sky, muted by the enchantments plastering the fortress’s walls. Lightning tore silently through the sky. The Crown watched the storm play out, resting on a stone plinth atop an open-topped tower. Rain trickled down in rivulets around the nigh-invisible dome of force that protected the Crown.
The Crown thought. There were scarcely many other things it could do.
Today had been enlightening. So many revelations about the larger world, so many things inferred. Possible pressure points identified, who was vulnerable to whose actions, who was dependent and who wasn’t. What military forces were available where, different tricks each nation had to play. A great deal to plan with.
And diplomatic windfalls! The Crown had made an ally - an ally of convenience, certainly, who was as forfeit as any of the others come the final tally - but a formidable ally regardless. Corva had once sent a black tide thundering across all Ungula; and Capra could use that this time around. Others to be plucked, cajoled into a coalition - Celestia’s outburst could do her no favours in the medium- or long-term.
Admittedly, the Crown felt it had perhaps miscalculated in its provocations. That sort of outburst came with its own short-term disadvantages. Discord’s statue had been beyond retrieval and was now back in Equestria somewhere, most certainly beyond access. The creature could have been a good weapon, a good threat, or even another ally given enough of a soft diplomatic touch before being unleashed. Everything had its levers. You rode the chaos, rather than merely weather it. Other rulers had been cowed. No use beginning negotiations now, surely. Time would be required.
Several servants waited below the tower trapdoor in trembling silence, fleeting briefly across the Crown’s consciousness as the rankling thoughts passed by. But there’d be no need to vent this time. Today had been a good day on the whole.
Restore the Capric Empire.
The same old thought, the Crown’s heartbeat. It was a constant, and it pressed. There were days it hurt, days when progress to the goal had been stunted or avoidably delayed, days where it thundered and demanded attention to the point where the Crown vented with wild abandon, trying to lose itself in the thrill of battle, any battle. Curse its creator to the hundred hells on days like those.
But today, it was a mere satisfied whisper, almost as good as it had been back when the Asinial Dales and the far west of Bovaland had been forcibly re-annexed. Good days. Let there be many more like them.
Restore the Capric Empire.
The Crown couldn’t smile. But its jewels fleetingly blazed the colour of the sun, and that was close enough.
And in Canterlot, not a peep or grumble about the shoddy state of modern architecture was to be heard that night. At least, not from the city itself.
Alloy trotted down a set of stairs into the lower caverns of Canterlot, bearing a tea tray on one upright forehoof. Celestia had sent off the request, and although Alloy only had an approximate idea of where she’d based herself, he was sure finding it couldn’t be too hard -
The stairs wobbled and distorted around him, and Alloy found the descending stone staircase he was on vanish. He instead found himself in a small cavern, crystals glittering in the walls and plants sprouting up along the sides. Several orbs of sunlight drifted casually in the space below the high ceiling. A distressingly familiar statue sat at the centre of it all.
“Wuh?” he said, decorum briefly abandoning him.
“Ah, thank you, Alloy,” came the voice of Celestia to his left. Alloy whirled as the tea tray was plucked smoothly from his grasp by the alicorn, and quickly converted the motion into a smooth bow. He rose to see Celestia attending a row of flowerbeds, tulips sprouting up in a medley of colours from them. An ibex hovered near her, dipping a watering can over other flowering pots.
“Mind the quantities, Tundra,” said Celestia gently. “We don’t want to drown the poor things.”
The ibex immediately fell into a deep bow. “My apologies, Your Majesty, I truly didn’t intend -”
“Rise, Tundra. And please don’t worry. Earth pony magic does grant me a knack for salvaging them.” Celestia gently pushed the ibex up with a helping hoof. “Could you give the hedge on the other side another going-over with the shears? As close to straight edges as you can manage.”
The ibex rushed gratefully off, stopping only briefly as she passed by Alloy to bob a shorter bow. Alloy blinked, shrugged off the urge to bow back to her, and trotted closer to Celestia. The alicorn sipped gratefully from a cup of tea as she turned towards him. “My apologies if the stairs disorientated you, Alloy. I’ve taken the liberty of placing a memory-wiping ward on the route here so the pathway can never be exactly recalled by others. I hope that’s not too uncomfortable a prospect for you.”
“That’s quite alright, Your Majesty,” said Alloy, cursing internally. “May I enquire as to the new help?”
“Tundra?” Celestia glanced around at the busy ibex. “A … refugee of sorts. Things were said and done in a recent conference that may have brought ill upon her and her kin. Luckily, in this instance, she’s a foundling, and I was quick to offer her residency and work here. If she struggles to acclimatise, please help show her the ropes, Alloy.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” Alloy looked back to the statue and the surrounding gardens. “Your Majesty … if I may be permitted a multitude of questions ...”
“Discord has been contained once again, thanks to the Element Bearers. And secured again, thanks to long-gone gem miners who needed a storage chamber,” said Celestia, smiling as she followed Alloy’s gaze. “Happily, a flaw in the previous defences was identified. Rest assured that no foals shall be permitted here without my strict supervision.”
“Ah ...”
“Please make certain parties aware of this situation, Alloy. I’m sure I don’t need to elaborate.”
“... Yes, Your Majesty.” If there was any situation more complex than being a spy, Alloy knew, it was being an exposed spy. “Is there anything else you would have expressed?”
“Reaffirm Equestria’s genuine friendship. And that we shall stand by them for whatever follows.” Celestia’s expression grew grimmer as she regarded the statue. “Frying pans and fires come to mind. I hope to navigate events with as few getting hurt as possible.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” Alloy wasn’t sure how else to respond. He waited to be dismissed, but no order came. Instead, Celestia stood still, her countenance grim and creased.
“There’s a storm coming,” she murmured. “Not tomorrow. But some day, maybe sooner, maybe later. Perhaps it can be avoided, if there’s enough skill left in these old bones. If not … we shall simply batten down and bear through it as best we can. I’ve faced terrors in my time and pulled Equestria through them. Others have always helped shoulder the burden. Creator’s quill scribe it so, this time it shall not cost them dearly.”
Alloy didn’t react. Celestia kept her gaze upon Discord. “Interesting times await, at least,” she continued. “I imagine all sorts of strange alliances are in the making. Perhaps I’ll even make some of my own. We can but wait and see and act accordingly.”
She rose from her slight slump, snapping out of whatever mood had held her, and turned to smile at Alloy. “Retire for the night, Alloy. Tundra and I shall attend to the tea tray. Sleep well. The world will continue to spin.”
Alloy bowed and turned, and he heard Celestia’s soft voice at his back. “I will make sure of it, come what may.”
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Celestia and her garden. Others believe in growing simple blooms, she believes in nations, and the individuals within them.
Let the weeds beware.
Yeah, I can see this happening
Awesome fic, but now I need a sequel for this as well. The crown and crows are looking to stir up a shitstorm, and I really wanna see a trio... or quartet of alicorns, and Discord at the front of the force that smacks them back down to earth. I'm a bit unsure about the rhino, though. Can't decide if he is simply pleased about Burros change of heart, and is growing his navy to better defend in the future, or if he has revenge on his mind. Anyway, yes, another sequel please!
I really hope there is a sequel in the near future for this
it would be a shame to make her cry
Damn.
There had better be a sequel planned, or I'll start handing out the torches and pitchforks.
An excellent sequel and really fascinating story overall! I enjoyed it greatly.
Of all the wrap-up here, probably the prospect of an Antlertian expedition has me the most intrigued. Plenty of room to work with the Gazellens, Daring Do of course (either as free agent, or willing or unwilling agent of Equestria), and any other interested parties. Could be quite the little adventure yarn with multiple factions working with and against each other to try and retrieve... something.
As for the rest, with the brewing storm and sharks smelling blood in the water, I'm sure that if you went down that path, you could pull it off with aplomb.
Looking forward to whatever you come out with next!
A fascinating look across the world. It's rather sad how a moment of utter madness didn't even make most of the world's rulers stumble. Some even saw it as an opportunity. So lost in the Great Game that they didn't even notice someone flipping the board...
Of course, it wasn't all pointless folly. There are dangerous schemes being hatched, even by the nonoviparous species. And that brief glimpse into the mind of the Crown concerns me on a number of levels. This world is one on the brink of at least one war. Whether it or they will be averted or merely have yet to come remains to be seen.
I can't wait!
That's... pretty much the opposite of what she does, though? How does the cosmology work here, anyway?
Even in defeat, Discord sows chaos. Sometimes, unintended consequences are the most... fun.
Woohoo! This story is finally complete! I've been waiting for this moment! *squee*
6000414
Whenever she establishes a garden, this Celestia, she makes a separate raised bed. If she ever comes across any weeds in her gardening, she gently uproots them and replants them there.
Some weeds harm and feed off others. But those that do no harm and simply strive in their own right, she feels, have as much of a right to live as any other. She's a sentimental sort, Celestia.
6000452
Glad you can!
6000468 6000476 6000477
Something like a sequel - a short story collection from this 'verse - already exists in a blank, as-yet-unpublished form. I'll see what comes of that - and any longer-form ideas that might crop up.
6000545
That's partly what I wanted to achieve - the impression of a world in which all sorts of stories are happening, all at once. Glad I could evoke it. That would be a good yarn to spin.
6000557
Lots of possibilities for what could await these folks. I've covered at least one so far in another story. Hopefully, brighter prospects can result as well.
6000590
For what it's worth, I've described the following in another story, so I'm not entirely pulling it directly out my arse just now. The sun and moon orbit the world, directed by Celestia and Luna. However, unicorn astronomers speculate that the world itself orbits some central point of the universe, spinning around it for eternity. Thus far, their theories seem to hold up.
and so sound the drums of war and Disocrd's plans to fruition.
would love for there to be another sequel to this it certainty would be interesting
6000640
Ain't they just!
6000657
It's all over! You can flee at last!
6000679
They're certainly sounding. Whether they suit any master plan ... that remains to be seen.
gah i read some of the the comments and just had to post this..
>Dad
>Gilda darling
Okay, mister
RIP
Such a simple sentence, yet it's absolutely terrifying.
This was fantastic. I'm really looking forward to the sequel(s) to this. They look to be amazing.
No, not the end anything but the end! Another great fic by the almighty pony cube.
I'll be interested to see how this rogues' gallery reacts to the news of the Changeling swarm appearing out of nowhere. Some will smell blood in the water, I expect...
Wow. Let me gather my thoughts.
Celestia just sounds tired and beaten up by her burdens. Makes sense given that she's had to shoulder everything.
War is coming, but how will the world leaders react during the next few crises.
The return of the Changlings. The Crystal Empire especially. With the Empire, Equestria would gain a new city-state, another powerful artifact in the Crystal Heart, and Cadance would be returned to full power.
Not to mention Tirek. I'm guessing some people wouldn't mind him draining Equestria dry.
That Crown needs to be melted down.
6000991
I think Twilight's ascension might stir up even more hubbub than those crises, especially for those that fear Celestia now. The leader of the group that beat Nightmare Moon and Discord, becoming the same type of being that Celestia is? They could easily interpret that as Celestia building up her forces.
A wonderful little web you've spun, here.
Okay, that line was gorgeous. I had to stop and appreciate the implications, both of the size of the dragon and the mind of the watching jenny, and then I got to have a little chuckle.
This tale you've told here, it whets my appetite for more. Great job!
Awesome story sir. Epic world building.
It kind of bugs me that none of the delegates tried to push for research and development into magic or technology that could be used to oppose Equestria. It's like the whole planet has adopted this golden age ideal that Antlertian magic is as good as it gets. Sure, research could possibly require hundreds(If not thousands) of Academics and a metric shit-ton of gold...and it might not be as flashy as an epic quest to a lost world...it also probably wouldn't have giant monsters...shit, forget that I said anything.
I know that Equestria, by and large, is a pacifistic country that doesn't want to cause any unnecessary suffering, but it's still damn disconcerting to have five living bombs capable of going off the deep end pitted against a bunch of medieval age countries. Seriously makes you want to root for the underdog, which is basically everyone but the crown and Celly.
An absolutely triumphant ending. This last chapter could use another editing pass, I noticed several typos, but I'm eagerly looking forward to what I can only imagine is a sequel, with the amount of foreshadowing we got in this last chapter.
Golly gee whiz, is this amazing or what?
I seriously like this series you have going on, and I do hope there will be more of it when inspiration strikes. I know you haven't exhausted all of Equestria's villains yet
Also, I realllllllllly wish Celestia somehow had a better retort for the leaders. When they were doing all the "This was your mistake we have to pay for" rhetoric. Like "Oh, I'm sorry, I should have let you handle it. Oh wait, I was too busy making sure your ancestors could live to procreate for another thousand years! Just so we could sit here, and listen to you all whine and somehow blame me for fostering your collective existences! Next time I'll just sit back, and see if Discord can make sentient gravy that can come up with some better ideas, since mine have gone so horribly awry!"
{cue angry solar flare and rest of the story} 
(Seriously though, love the story, and I love the "love to hate" cast you've whipped up!))
I still want to smack some of the leaders, but I suspect that's intentional. I have a feeling they'd hear whatever they wanted to no matter what Celestia said.
Ominous ending, but the inclusion of Tundra does spark some hope.
(Now I'm picturing a reformed Discord welcoming an invading army with a wiiiide smile and open arms. If the person who controls the sun doesnt spook them..)
Can't wait for the Crown's reaction when he finds out that Celestia somehow made peace with Discord and gained him as an ally.
Man, a great ending and good to see that some people are getting better. Greenhorn seems to be learning and he sounds like he is more concerned with his people (or his child at least) than with rigidly following tradition. That is a good thing. Burro and the Tyrant seem alright too, though I still hate gunboat diplomacy. Even if seems that it is necessary, going by that emperor. I've changed my mind all in all, burn the emperor, the Cormaer and the Crown. The latter would be a mercy, apparently.
And nice to see the twins figuring it out. Again, I am reminded of Discworld, that drunk speech seems right out of the books. Reminds me a lot of Pyramids.
Why do I get the feeling that Celestia is talking in double meanings with the garden? Probably because it seems almost blatant.
Man, this is a joy to read, despite my seething hatred of all the aggressive fools. They have no idea at all about the kinds of threats in existence do they? I kinda want to see their reaction to Equestria gaining the Spirit of Chaos as an ally. Both the terror and the utter incredulity about them apparently simply befriending him.
Also, if you are short of ideas, let me just state the obvious: Some grumbling about not having a chance to use the Changeling incident for anything, the reaction to the Crystal Empire's reappearance and their reactions to Tirek. And Twilight as an alicorn.
Speaking of which: Didn't Celestia mess up royally when she mentioned that people become alicorns? Or did they already know, courtesy of Cadenza? I know Burro mentioned it, but just thought I'd mention it.
By the way, is Burro Delver really supposed to be a terrible bilingual pun? Because it is... kinda vulgar the way I read it...
Great chapter again. Hope you'll give us more reactions soon.
I must admit to being amused by other responses compared to my own... While so many read this and were eager for a sequel, I was constantly praying that I hadn't already read the sequel. We've seen what can happen when the Crown and the Crows make war on Equestria, and it was terrible to behold. That story gave a rather substantial amount of dread to this wrap up, even if it's only the worst scenario of where things could go.
In any event, I quite enjoyed this one! Got a little lost among so many OCs once or twice, but in the spirit of chaotic gatherings I could just roll with it. Reading the plans of the various leaders at the end, it's easy to see the story opportunities going forward, especially combined with the events of the show. (Suddenly Chrysalis' attack reminds me of Whiplash's line in Iron Man 2: "If you could make God bleed, people would cease to believe in Him. There will be blood in the water, the sharks will come. All I have to do is sit back and watch as the world consumes you.") I also find myself asking if Tirek actually escaped from Tartarus, or if he was let loose on Equestria instead. The story opens up so many possibilities, and that's exciting.
I look forward to seeing what happens next... Even as I dread where it could possibly lead!
6000845
There's a distinct family resemblance, manners-wise.
Glad to terrify, and glad to have your attention for whatever sequels follow.
6000901
Thank you!
6000954
There's certainly a story or two to be spun from that. Which I may already have a few ideas fermenting away for...
6000991
A fair assembly of thoughts, every one. Especially the one about the Crown.
6001153
Two alicorns is already dangerous enough in their eyes. Three? That's terrifying. Four? Well, that's clear evidence of some sort of sadistic god.
6001169
Thank you! That line - and Desperada's segment in total - was good fun to write.
6001214
You'd have good cause.
6001234
Some sort of magical research is usually ongoing at all times - Equestria and other nations with magic-wielders have their own universities and institutes dedicated to training and advancing the craft. There are a few reasons to be somewhat conservative in advancing it, though. Nobody to this day knows exactly how Antlertis fell. Nobody's keen to be the first to find out.
6001343
Thank you! I'll give it another pass soon. If anything in particular stands out, please let me know.
6001456
Plenty more villains to go. Plenty more opportunities for harsh invective and cruel retorts from all sides of the Adjacent Nations.
6001483
They're mostly eminently smackable, no question. At least their citizens tend to have their heads a little more screwed on.
6001664
6001718
Glad you approve, and thank you for the ideas. There's a lot there with potential to run further with. A lot.
Dear god, I don't want to commit myself to a Song of Ice And Fire for this verse, but I'm doing a job of pushing myself there.
Burro Delver isn't just a terrible bilingual pun. He's the terrible bilingual pun. I hated myself for devising it, and then wrote it down anyway.
6002189
Many possible dreadful outcomes, like you saw and (superbly) drew for. The Motion of the Stars is one possible, terrible outcome, certainly. There are other ways it could go, some much better, some equally bad. One incomplete story I intend to get back should play merry havoc with what is and isn't 'canon' for all this.
Delightful. A great final chapter. All these factions with their scheming and their alliances, all this ominous foreshadowing, it's all just so juicy. I have high hopes for the next instalment of this series. But until then, I'm going to go back and read your other stories in this 'verse to pass the time.
Should be great.
6002502
Curious, then - are these drawings visible anywhere?
So they see how strong an alicorn is... then they remember Luna, see Cadance take political importance (and lead a nation that popped out of nowhere), and get to see the rise of a fourth alicorn. That'll either scare some of them off, or push them to more desperate ends.
Although some of the less savory individuals might see an opportunity to ally with Chrysalis (although I think that would be a fantastically stupid decision, it would sort of suck for Equestria).
The way you ended this... it felt outstandingly like a sequel hook. Will we be seeing others of the Equestrian cast as major characters in it?
And it just occurred to me...
The Crown rules from Bellbylon.
Capra is a country of goats.
Grogar was a goat.
Grogar's most notable magic item was a bell.
Grogar was cruel, evil, and capricious.
...
Was the Crown made by Grogar?
6002648
Happy to delight, and happier to have you for whatever follows.
6002811
He drew the cover art. It won third place in the More Most Dangerous competition, and Harwick was one of the artists who volunteered to draw a piece of prize art.
6003033
Thank you!
6003041
Happy to entertain in the comments as well.
6003293
...It wasn't previously made by Grogar. Excellent idea, that one!
6003359
The subject of the conversation was a previous war that Corva lost against Equestria, and how the Cormaer's keen on avenging that. 'Cuddy' refers to a pony. If any other phrases need deciphering, let me know and I'll translate them.
6003695
Gellert's one of the nicer beings there, no question. As for the okapi ... well, who can fault him for exploring all the avenues?
Okay. Objectively, I think that I like this. The reason I'm not certain is that I cannot help but compare it to Moonlight Palaver, and it is disappointing in comparison.
Moonlight Palaver was heavy on the world-building, and its conclusion was foregone. And yet, it still managed to have a compelling story. Even though we knew that the conference would have no effect on the Nightmare Moon crisis, we were essentially shown what would have happened, had Twilight and friends not defied all odds.
This...didn't have that. This story put the characters into an utterly futile situation. If Twilight and friends failed to stop Discord, what we witnessed in this story would have been completely meaningless. And the actual events of the story are not meaningful unto themselves; they only set up implications for future interactions and conflicts between these characters. This story was essentially nothing but world-building. And while that can be fun, it's not usually as much fun as a story with world-building and a plot.
6004058
Perfectly fair observations. No character in that situation was in any real position to counteract Discord, both during the story's course and in the event of Discord achieving what he wanted. In Moonlight Palaver, the risk of a benevolent/hostile invasion of Equestria was in play if Twilight hadn't succeeded, while in this, everybody was equally helpless no matter what. It's a situation that doesn't lend itself as well to compelling readers as Palaver achieved.
I'm now contemplating ways that could have been plausibly worked around. My own thoughts are going to 'constantly-moving conference safeguarded by the three alicorns while the rulers discuss variously-devastating contingencies they could activate' or something of that nature. My concerns there would be how to reconcile that with the power level of Discord, and whether any of the proposed contingencies could really be sold to the reader as viable weapons against Discord. Unless Discord has specific limitations placed on him, he's trickier to work with as a foe than Nightmare Moon was.
6004017
I like this idea too, but I'd hold off on canonising it in text, depending on how long you plan to write in this universe for. Between Tirek and Smooze, a gen-4 Grogar eventually rolling up to the party in some season finale or another is damn near inevitable.
6004126
I see no reason why you couldn't have done that, even given Discord's power. While he did seem omnipotent back in Return of Harmony when we first met him, the show has established since that he is a flesh and blood creature and that there are some things that his power can't overcome. Celestia herself was able to develop and cast a spell to put on the Elements of Harmony such that Discord could no longer affect them, and it seemed to hold throughout that episode. Discord is a force to be reckoned with, certainly, enough so that even Celestia and Luna couldn't beat him without powerful and ancient magic, but they clearly can resist him to some degree. So I think your second idea would've been viable if you had chosen to write the story that way.
To me, it felt like a pretty important point of the story was precisely that everything happening in that cage had no bearing on the outcome of Discord's escape. There are beings and events on Ungula against which all the plotting and ambition of these despots and tyrants mean nothing. I found it telling that the only other entity in the cage who had an inkling of what was going on, the Fire Queen, kept herself amused making bloodcurdling threats against anyone who mentioned how tiny she was rather than pay much attention to everyone else's attempts to deal with the situation - she knew full well this one was above her pay-scale, so to speak.
From the last chapter, I assume that the next installment from Ungula will involve whatever the Cormaer and Crown are cooking up. The next event from the show it could line up with would be the Changeling Invasion - all sorts of fun there. The Crown will metaphorically cream his pants over Chrysalis, I'm sure.
6004485
Good point about Grogar. I might refrain from hammering that out until any salient details emerge about the season five finale. Or I could just take a different route with the Crown's creator. Don't let me say afterwards I lacked for options.
Good point also about Discord's power level as expressed throughout the series. Part of the problem may be due to seemingly-fluctuating ability on his part. Return of Harmony certainly showed him affecting reality-warping on the scale of whole landscapes and playing casually with the sun and moon. Later episodes show his reality-warping in a somewhat more restrained light, even when he sided with Tirek and presumably had little reason to restrain himself. I tried to cover that somewhat with the whole 'chaos as a positive feedback loop' spiel Celestia gave, though that's far from watertight.
I'm sure it could have been made to approximately work, whatever the direction.
6005242
That's more-or-less it - part of what I wanted to get across was the helplessness of the rulers in response to that sort of threat. Their usual plots and resources are useless to them, and other facets of them have to rise (or fall) to the occasion. DannyJ's correct when he guesses it was just a matter of me choosing to write the story a particular way. The question for some's whether that way produces a compelling plot or not.
6005498
The positive feedback loop explanation certainly works, even if it's not something I'd have ever gone with in one of my stories, but personally, I've always preferred to believe that Discord has always had the same power level and the same weaknesses, and that any discepencies are more down to what he chooses to do. After all, what reason would he have to casually toss the sun and moon about and throw Equestria into total anarchy again when he's just as amused tormenting Twilight Sparkle, or helping some monstrous centaur to ruin everything? Plus, y'know, I imagine that obvious repetition must be anathema to a being like him. Chaos is change, after all.
6005498
Yeah, this does feel like it really needs whatever piece is coming after it to feel complete - how the assorted rulers will respond over the long term to Discord turning up and punking everyone. The Gazela wanting to dig up things better left buried, Crown being fucking crazy/arrogant/stupid enough to think of trying to make a deal with Discord, etc.
So far, the events of the show have occurred without the events of these stories actually impacting on them. Stuff happens in Equestria and the rest of the world gets to suck it. It feels like you're building up to a bunch of nations trying to 'do something' about Equestria - Celestia kinda blew the whole 'serene peace-loving pony-princess' thing there at the end, and I like how it got creatures other than the Crown worrying about maybe trying to do something about her. It would be hilarious if the Cormaer and Crown have a hand (/talon/minion's hoof) in siccing Chrysalis on Equestria. Of course, it'd also be funny if the events of the show continue serenely on with all the plotting and backstabbing of the Crown et al continuing to achieve nothing.
But really, I just want to see the Crown lose his shit over Equestria 'taming' Discord. Or Tirek. Good heavens, let Tirek run around and eat more than just Equestria, that would be gorgeous.
I wish I could like this a million times. I'm a sucker for world-building, and this was entirely soaked in it! It opens up so many possibilities, and I really can't wait to see what you do with them.
Thanks for translating the Cormaer's speech for me, Carabas! This story was a blast to read. I couldn't help thinking most of the rulers were making stupid plans at the end there, though. Good for Greenhorn, Burro, and Gellert (who was just storytelling, not even plotting!); boo on most everyone else. Oh, wait, the Fire Queen--she wasn't plotting, and that part was HYSTERICAL! Oh man, trying to go through her old tunnel...
That was too funny! To all of the leaders: if you have brains, ally with Equestria. Duh. FanOfMostEverything was right when he talked about the leaders being too wrapped up in their games to notice someone had flipped the board...
I have to say, much as I dislike the Crown, I felt a little bad for it at the end. "Restore the Capric Empire" constantly echoing in its thoughts, causing pain or just insanity at basically all times? Ouch.
EDIT: Also good for the Tyrant, Rex, and Mirage. They weren't being idiots at the end, either. Punda and Milia also seemed to have improved. I guess maybe the fairly intelligent ones outnumber the stupid ones. Maybe. But that isn't going to save anyone.... Also, one line--
Yeah......it's already a few thousand years too late for that.
Blocs are forming, as the world leaders have become calm and considerate... They're uniting against each other... And against Celestia. In one moment of mental weakness she has bought this upon herself, and upon the world. She saved one life that day, but how many may die because of the lack of trust stimulated by her words?
Of all the characters here, I conceptually like the Crown the best. Unfettered indeed, a truly free mind... Free from morals and beliefs and honour and so much else. Rather fascinating really.
Another marvelous story, a real masterpiece. I look forward to seeing the fallout. Very well done.
6005607
The events of the show are my baseline - as far as what's shown, Equestria is able to persist in a stable and serene internal manner. barring the odd existential threat from Tirek, etc. There's still plenty of scope there to include Celestia working like an angry bastard to keep the peace, other nations accruing their own resources in an arcane arms-race, or for all manner of skulduggery and cold warfare abroad.
6006262
A multitude of prospects was part of my end-goal here, and it doesn't seem like I've failed so far.
Happy to delight with the world-building.
6006341
The intelligent ones probably do outnumber the stupid ones. Alas, sometimes all that intelligence can grant you in these sorts of affairs is the ability to fail more ambitiously. At least a few (Gellert et al) really do have their heads screwed on tight. And a pity for the Crown as well in some ways, like you observe - inasmuch as it can't help the fact of its existence and the orders drumming in its mind, it's something of a victim along with everyone else in this whole mess.
6006954
Being powerful enough to avoid hard decisions can sometimes lead to unoptimal results when such decisions are forced upon you. We'll see how Celestia fares. Glad you enjoyed it!
6006954 Yes, the actions of leaders always have consequences. One reason I like this story ending is it avoids the usual cliche of "Celestia or Luna blows their top and shouts someone down, thus fixing the problem" that we seemed to be heading towards at the end of the last chapter. I'm not sure if Discord intended something like this to happen, or it was just his luck.
I also like the Cormaeyr. I feel like corvids are a bit like the classic representation of orcs. They don't really have a peace-time leader, if a cormaeyr is able to seize power and unite the tribes, it is only with the promise of war to come, and the war will continue until someone kills the cormaeyr, upon which the tribes will scatter and return home, and feud with themselves until a few generations later the corvids have replenished their numbers and another charismatic warlord starts uniting the tribes to start the cycle all over again.
Either way, I feel like in this universe, the alicorn amulet isn't going to sit quietly in a shop for years at a time, not after this...
6008476
That cliche you point out in the first paragraph is a good one to avoid, no question. If Obama and Putin had a meeting, for example, and Obama started violently swearing and put Putin in a headlock, you'd expect some diplomatic backlash rather than real capitulation. No special favours for Celestia in this 'verse, alas.
Spot-on about the corvids as well. Part of my inspiration for them was medieval Mongolia (as passed through a Scottish filter), where a great many tribes and clans exist in a naturally disunited space, and can only be united by the charisma and skull-cracking exerted by a powerful Khan - or Cormaer, in this case. The promise of foreign warfare, plunder, and glory can certainly work wonders for getting clan warriors on their side.
6010705 Thanks. I've lost count of the number of scenes I've read where Celestia does exactly that, but replace "scheming foreign leaders" with "scheming nobles," etc.
I based my interpretations of corvids off of Orcs, so I suspect whoever wrote them in a lot of early D&D settings probably used the same historical sources you did. Either way, they are fascinating (in part because I loved your mini-fic of them discussing flies), and I can't wait to see what bloody shenanigans they get up to in the future.
6010747
Warhammer Orks are an especially good comparison here for how the rest of the continent views the corvids - thankfully disunited barbarians who, once every while, will unite under a powerful warlord and rain destruction on nearby lands. It's an impression with some recent historical justification, though the corvids have their own share of peace-makers, altruists, and non-combatants, just like any other species. Geography, biology, and culture exert unhappy influences on them, though.
6011407 They are carnivores, and when they get hungry enough, they eat other sapient races, at least that was my take. I guess when prey is low in their territory, they go raiding (and hunting), until their population is killed off enough that they can once again feed themselves internally.
6011476
Yep. Their territory's vast, but fairly poor and sparse food-wise. They produce clutches of eggs, so their population tends to rapidly inflate, leading in turn to a lot of competition and petty warfare between clans for scant resources and hunting grounds. Carnivorousness plays a role in this as well - they're happy to eat the meat of other sentient species, as well as their own. They don't have any taboo against all this cannibalism and flesh-eating - they just see it as necessary waste-avoiding, or even regard it as a respectful due to the dead. The rest of the sapient world beg to differ.