Chapter Eight
Landfall
Wherein the delights and annoyances of foreign travel are explored,
and also a philosophy of gift-giving is examined.
June 17th - 19th, 1012
Stone Town, Zanzebra
Our experienced crew took it in stride, but the rest of us were terribly excited by our first look at the isles of Zanzebra.
I was in my cabin when the call came down from the cupola. The speaking tube whistled and I leaned over and put my ear to it.
"Land ho!, Twilight," came the tinny voice. "There's an island ahead of us!"
I grinned. "Thank you, Spike! Good work!"
Then a different voice came through the tube. It was Acorn, who had been on lookout with Spike. "Land, fine on the starboard bow, capt'n. I make it the southern end of Ungula. We should see Stone Town within the hour."
I grabbed a chart and went on deck. The crew on watch were soon busy with spyglasses, compasses, and quadrants, fixing our exact location and course.
Lee Helm put a series of pencil marks on the chart and laid it on the binnacle for Fluttershy to see. "Here's our course, lass. We'll take in sail, and on engines at half-ahead we'll be good for another half hour or so until we pass the southern tip of the island. A league past the point, you should bring her right to North Northwest and hold that course as we run up the bay. The mooring ground is a league further on after we cross the coast, just southeast of the city."
"S-shouldn't I give the wheel to somepony more experienced?"
"Nonsense, lass!" Mr. Helm scowled around at the rest of the ponies on deck. "None of these lubberly louts have your fine touch on the helm. I'll be on the engine telegraph right here beside you until we moor. It'll be a piece o' cake."
There was actual cake involved. Pinkie Pie had baked it in the shape of the island and had little zebra and palm tree figurines all over it. She also arranged a four-confetti-cannon salute as we slowed to a stop at a mooring tower. The port officials took it all in stride, though they did make quite a bit of low-voiced conversation among themselves. I supposed that living in a city that was one of the hubs of the spice trade gave them a certain blasé attitude toward bizarre foreign customs.
Speaking of customs, the customs officer spoke Equuish fluently and preferred to converse in it, but she seemed genuinely pleased by my greeting in the local Zebrish dialect.
"You have a Zwahinny accent," she observed. "You did not learn this from a book, I think."
"No," I admitted. "I have a very dear zebra friend named Zecora back home. She tutored me and helped me practice."
"A zebra in Equestria? That is unusual, no?"
"She's studying our plants and animals. She's amazingly good at making potions and infusions."
"Ah, an mganga,[1] she must be! An odd sort, such zebras. I would not like to live so far from home." She finished the inspection, collecting the fees, and stamping our paperwork, and trotted back across the gangplank to the platform circling the mooring tower.
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[1] The word can be translated into Equuish as shaman, doctor, wisemare, or witch depending on context. The plural form is waganga.
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While I had been dealing with the officials, a swarm of colts and fillies had surrounded us. They were calling out from the tower platform and from various rickety-looking flying machines that hovered just beyond our rails. Most were advertising the services of various chandlers, provisioners, and other merchants who sold necessities of the shipping trade. A few were trying to sell local fruits and vegetables directly to the crew.
I wanted to give my friends some advice on being careful to respect the local culture and to be wary of dubious enticements, but most of them were across the gangplank and out of sight before I could draw breath. Only Fluttershy and Rarity remained aboard. And Spike; he stuck to my side, playing the captain's servant to the hilt.
"You'll be going to the trading hall, Twilight?" Rarity asked me.
"Yes, Halter Hitch is taking me there. He's been here before and knows the procedure."
"He may know the routine but I doubt he's a better haggler than I am, and I know you're hopeless at it… no offense, darling... so I'll be coming along."
"Ah… sure. I don't see why not."
Fluttershy still stood at the wheel, looking out over the bustling, colorful city with wide eyes.
"Are you going to go ashore?" I asked her. "Maybe you'd like to come along with Rarity and me?"
"Oh… I don't know. I think I'll just stay here and look at the town for a while."
Lee Helm made a sad tsk tsk sound. "It would be a shame for you to miss the Caliph's animal garden. And there's beast sellers in the Grand Market. Why, they've got creatures that nopony in Equestria's ever heard of!"
Fluttershy practically dragged poor Mr. Helm down the mooring tower stairs.
"Don't let her buy more than her body weight in animals!" I called after him.
= = =
Books are wonderful. Books enable me to learn from others far removed by distance or time. But there's nothing like learning directly from a pony who really knows their subject.
Rarity had always had a flair for the dramatic. Though I would never have said so, I had often thought of it as a weakness in her character. That day I learned that flamboyant acting could be a definite asset in trading, even when filtered through a translator. A scientific approach would have been much less productive in a setting where value depends more on attitude than hard data.
We came out of the trading hall having promised our cargo in exchange for a load of whole nutmegs and cloves, with some complicated side exchanges that had yet to be specified. At a rough calculation, we would make a tidy profit on our voyage even if we didn't pick up any other cargo.
"That was amazing, Rarity!" I said as we worked our way toward the Great Market.
"Oh, it was nothing, really," she said, though she tossed her head happily and wore a smug smile. "Just shopping on a larger scale, and I'm very good at shopping!"
Though I was itching to see the Grand Council in session and do some focused research in the Royal Library, we spent the rest of the day exploring the city.
The Great Market was a riot of colors, sounds, and scents, and it was crowded with the most amazing people. It was the first time I had seen camels, antelope, gnus, and water buffalo in the flesh. There were also many zebra, of course, as well as a few griffins, horses, llamas, and even a hippogriff! I tried not to stare like a tourist from the sticks.
Rarity did some more trading with the exchange tokens[2] she had received from the spice merchant and I picked up several little gifts for friends back home. There was a hanging incense burner whose chains were interlinked with dozens of little silver crescent moons. I was sure that Luna would love it. I also bought a gold serving platter with an intricate raised sun on its surface.
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[2] These are like a blend of private currency and promissory notes. A clever idea and very useful when engaging in barter trade involving bulk commodities.
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Then I had an awful moment of realization: How many useless sun and moon themed gee-gaws must Luna and Celestia have been given over the centuries? I was going to bring them back stupid stuff that would immediately be forgotten and probably disappear into a huge pile of junk in some storeroom.
"What's wrong, dear?" Rarity had noticed my sudden distress.
When I had explained, she dismissed my worries with a flip of her hoof. "Piffle! They will love them because they love you, Twilight. Though…"
"What?"
"Well… the moon one is just the teeniest bit tacky."
"Oh no! Oh no! You've got to help me, Rarity! I can't give her the equivalent of an 'I HEART Manehattan' tea-cozy!"
She smiled. It was a complex smile. "Well, then… do you know what this calls for?"
"A party?" asked Pinkie Pie from right behind me.
"Eeeagh!"[3]
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[3] No, years of exposure have not made me immune to Pinkie's sudden appearances, and I don't really think there is any justifiable reason for finding humor in my distress at that moment.
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"Please, Pinkie Pie! Twilight is having one of her 'moments' and you're not helping. What this situation calls for is more shopping! From this moment, we are on the hunt for the perfect gifts for the royal sisters."
We found them, too. For Celestia we bought a mnara mwanga, which is a golden sculpture of a flame hung with pure crystals that make the whole thing sparkle and shimmer in even the lowest light. They are traditionally used in a ceremony welcoming the rising sun at the Winter solstice. The one I picked out was so impressive that I thought some sort of magic must be involved. But a quick check revealed its beauty to be wholly due to the skill of the artist who made it.
For Luna, it was a carpet woven in a traditional pattern called The Goddess of the Night Passes, Unseen. It was a subtle design in black, dark blues and purple, accented in thin streaks of white, representing in abstract the touch of the light of the moon hidden behind clouds. When I heard the name of the pattern, I knew I had found the perfect gift for her.
Not that we didn't pick up lots of other stuff. Poor Spike was groaning under his load, even though I was floating the majority of our purchases along in our wake.
I could write an entire book about our visit[4] but here I'll just say that it was a wonderful whirlwind experience. Not all of it was pleasant, though. I could have done without the old camel offering to buy my "pretty cabin-colt" from me. On the second day, when I visited the library and sneaked[5] into the Council Ground, the mlo damu I bought for a quick snack from a nearby stall didn't sit well with me at all. Rainbow Dash lost a pouch of bits and was pretty sure that a nimble little zebra filly had plucked it from beneath her wing. But, all things considered, those were minor irritations.
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[4] I did, in fact. It's out of print now, but a copy of Opening the Gates of the East: A Traveller's Observations on a Visit to Stone Town, Zanzebra, One of the Great Trading Ports of Zebrica can probably be found at most good used book sellers. It was written under the nom de plume of Gloaming Gleam for obvious reasons.
[5] Non-noble zebras were not allowed on the Ground, let alone non-zebras. I felt a bit guilty about it, but my disguise spells and a surfeit of local jewelry let me slip in and out without any fuss.
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By the third day, we had off-loaded our cargo, made mutual inspections of the goods, and loaded the casks of spices. Rarity had made a great fuss about stowing the various bolts of fabric and jewelry she had picked out as speculation items.
We had twenty bales of the bluegrass hay left in the forward hold and were going to trade it at our next port. The merchants in Stone Town would have taken all of it off of our hooves, but my main reason for the voyage was to learn about foreign customs and government. The next leg of our trip would be a long one, but I was eager to see how the Saddle Arabians ran their nation.
So far, I had learned that the Zanzebra approach was to talk problems to death. I couldn't imagine the Equestrian Parliament getting anything done if they required unanimous approval, but there was at least some merit to the idea that no action was preferable to something that caused serious division in the ruling body. It was certainly an element to consider.
We were scheduled to set sail at moonrise, and everything had been made ready. I had several hours of free time left before departure and decided on one last visit ashore before we left. I went in search of one of my friends to accompany me, but didn't have much luck. Fluttershy was content to stay aboard and tend to her new pets. Spike had discovered that the local honey-drenched pastry could be made "totally awesome" by the addition of garnet shards, and was sleeping off his dessert binge in his little hammock. Pinkie Pie and Applejack were busy preparing a farewell meal to be shared by some of the tower crew and officials they had made friends with. Rarity had swatches of damask and brocade pinned to her cabin bulkhead and was furiously scribbling in her sketchbook and giggling to herself. I couldn't find Rainbow Dash, because I hadn't yet learned about her napping spot over the crossvent between gas cells one and two.
I considered asking one of the other crewponies, but by then I was feeling very worldly and confident. I had picked up quite a bit of the trading pidgin and didn't have much trouble making myself understood in most circumstances. I wasn't afraid of being robbed; the little money I carried on me I could well afford to lose.
And so I was alone when I discovered the changeling drones posing as merchants.
= = =
=
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This gonna be good.
I guess this might be where Twilight picks up Ket.
"his desert binge"
"dessert"?
...
Of course you end the chapter there. :D
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Depending upon the provenance of the pastry recipe—say, straight from the dragons' Sahara Dessert Cookbook!—it might very well be a "desert" binge.
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Just noticed that Spike didn't appear in any of the present timeline chapters. That's worrisome.
What...? So you leave that Wham! until last? Okay, the Changelings are probably not so much as a threat now Chryssie has been deposed but still!
Generally I liked this chapter. Twilight's notes and her reactions are all nicely in-character (then again, you've always been good at writing authentically in her voice). Just out of interest, what happened to those little knick-knacks Twilight obtained? Are they still sitting in her Storeroom O' Miscellaneous Bric-a-brac in the Castle of Friendship?
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Hey, Spike's a dragon, right? Sand is a seasoning! (fix'd)
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Heh, this is a possibility, I suppose. :)
Thanks for the chapter. just found that you started the third book and am really excited to see what comes next.
Happy Writing.
Thanks for the chapter. just found that you started the third book and am really excited to see what comes next.
Happy Writing.
6635799 I hadn't noticed until I read your comment. Worrisome indeed..
So I read The Celestia Code, get The Luna Cypher practically forced down my throat (it's a figure of speech, get over it) and as I start reading The Twilight Enigma I come to the realization that I have to wait for the next chapter like some kind of waiting for the next chapter kind of peasant!
Thats harsh. Real harsh
On a happy note: Yay, I'm finally up to date with this totally epic story.
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I'm laughing with you! Honest!
Well, at least I update regularly!
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You mean the 'Warehouse of Crap', it's OK, we've all got one, mine's the cupboard under the stairs. There's almost certainly a couple of snowglobes in there somewhere.
I wonder how badly will Twilight fuck everything up for the poor, innocent drones.
Going to fast for you to keep up replies? Or getting so close to the mark and guessing things you don't want to risk saying anything figuring it'll give it all away?
Well interesting choice of titles after that ending, given this is the past, guessing it's them reaching the land across the seas, and not, actually, you know, crashing. Maybe landing at port... do they even land? Or just hover JUST off the ground and use a boarding ramp/ladder?
Well first one is, yes they are hitting a port and finding out how that can go. And yes it can be both, been there, done that. Second part... well think I can see some ideas but, I'll see how this plays it.
Ohhh Isles? So it's a series of islands rather then one large landmass... or are these just the first parts you see, and they have a larger mainland behind them? Also... are we sure Twilight isn't about to start the Zebra-Pony war up in 1014? Cause this really is fitting on very very scarily well with the backstory for FOE.
Because of COURSE there was, and of course it was Pinkie.
This town does not know what is about to hit it........
I guess they see all types but, to not even react to Pinkie? Now that is jaded. Or they are the greatest professionals on the planet.
So, not a translation spell (yes story did not say it, but we talked about it) Or just a case of she has it if she needs it, but would rather do it this way if she could just for the experience.
Insert required Monty Python "May we burn her?" comment.
So Zebras tend to be very tied to their land and not like traveling and going far away? Would explain why they are so rare and almost unheard of to ponies.
No inspection? Pretty open port. Then again this busy, likely not a lot of time... or Celestia's documents are just THAT good that they make Twi out to be a pretty big big shot who gets a free pass. Or are they not dropping off their cargo here, but just making a port call?
Okay story you surprised me on this one, did not see anything like THAT coming. How many are just a bunch of balloons tied to chairs? And, so, self propelled aircraft are a big thing in Zebra lands then? Or just in ports like this? Could see it working, just surprising.
So yes, normal port gatherings. Only missing the mares (and likely stallions) offering a bit more.. personal.. services.
On the first bit, a port this busy, they are likely used to all kinds and would be hard to offend unless you did something REALLY messed up. So yes, sit RD down and make her listen to this speech. But yeah shouldn't be TO huge a deal, but could see a few flare ups. Second half, definitely, do not believe anything that is 'to good to be true' and double check everything.
Counting Spike... that makes 3/6 so half, not 'most'. Rarity, is the one least likely to need any talks like this and be able to both fit in perfectly within an hour tops, and be so good at dealing with things like this, she'd end up fleecing any scammers for all they got and make it look easy. Fluttershy... is going to need a catapult to get her to leave the ship, isn't she?
Okay so they are putting in here for cargo, not just fun.
I would be terrified to meet the pony who is a better haggler then you, and wonder how they don't already have the Royal Palace, and the Princesses crowns and all other royal treasures by this point........ wait.. wait...... Celestia... it all makes sense! Yeah I could see Celestia being able to take Rarity on in this.
Remember Twilight, she is being direct, not blunt.
Well, this was expected.
And suddenly he's talking to a vaguely Fluttershy shaped cloud of dust.
Damn this pony is good. Twi really does know how to pick one Tartarus of a crew.
Ah right, she needs somepony to guide her to them.
Yeah, Twilight, I'm not sure if YOU could stop her from buying them all.
Well, this is Book Horse we are talking about.
Ah, taking notes on how Rarity wraps the traders exchange around her hoof are we?
Ehhhhh... it can be if she over does it, or over emphasis being 'dramatic' over actually getting stuff done. But used well, it can be quite the weapon, which I am guessing is the case here?
Translator spell, or an actual translator? So, ever going to get to that spell? That really would be a good idea for her.
Ummmm, Twilight..... please tell me you are taking notes, and at some point it will seep into your brain that this applies to, you know, the stuff you are freaking out over not going with your 'hard data'. But at the same time I could see her just.. not realizing this. She is smart yes, but in a high int, only moderate at best Wisdom type build way.
Which you have plenty of time to do that. So have fun!
Plus being used to being on the other end as well, so being even better at knocking just what to do and how to pull the strings. Granted, would have loved to see her in action but, this is likely a case where it could never be as epic as whatever you imagine and yes not really needed, but would have been fun.
And these are open to random merchant captains? I mean I could see them being open to the public, but might want to double check that. And yeah almsot forgot her whole reason for being here... how fast does it end up making her hate this version of politics to and decide it needs to be fixed immediately as well?
And Rarity did this without having to put her knew rope skills to use? OP!
Wait, horses!? Actual, just regular HORSES!? And why of all the creatures, are THOSE the ones that make me question things the most? Just, so many questions about how this works.....
Hi Silver Quill! (Also, leak from the show confirms that Hippogriffs may just be about to be made canon.)
Hmmmm, yeah I could see that working, plus a great way to make sure that the sophants doing business here spend a good chunk of that money right back into the local economy.
I'm going to hazard a guess that it is somewhere in the vicinity of "All of them". Well more so Celestia then Luna for obvious reasons. Luna this might still be kind of new for her.
Twilight.... think... no they won't. These are from YOU that will make all the difference. But still, might be nice to get them something different as well. Something more unique.
The Marshmellow One is quite wise. Also, stop stealing my lines!
Hey, maybe Luna likes 'tacky'.
Yeah.. they'll still appreciate the thought but, that might be pushing it a little.
Because of course she's there. So, how many bakeries has she cleaned out so far?
If you get 'used' to Pinkie Pie doing this, it's time to check into a nice padded room with the really tight jackets. And sorry Twilight but, yes there is. Remember, Comedy is when you fall down a sewer grate and die. Tragedy is when I get a paper-cut.
Okay, you REALLY need to work out a scale for those things. This is barely a Cat 2 "Twilight Moment"
And lo we see why the Pink One was summoned. Possibly, this could go either way, either she gets right in on what to do and finds it, or just makes a lot of wacky and useless suggestions.
.... awwww, we don't get to see more then that? Skipping all the fun stuff story.. you could have SO much to do in this town just from looking through the market's, each gift could have it's own story.
Ohhhh, fancy, quite fitting for her. Maybe a bit to "Sun related thingie" for me to have picked it, would personally go for something not that directly sun related at all, but it is still pretty damn good.
AH! Okay that ups it right into "Oh buck yes" territory if it's THAT well made.
OHHHHHH now THAT one is good. Only thing I'd change is see if you could get it in Tapestry form rather then rug, but still, that is impressive.
So, again how does the spell make it look like it's on his back and not being carried in front of him?
1. can we get THAT book!? Please! I really want this whole story!
2. Seriously Twilight... that title.. SERIOUSLY! Please tell me this was self published, because otherwise, I'd have to question the competence of whatever publishing agency let THAT title go through. This is not a science journal publication! Titles do not need to be that detailed!
........ Ooooooookay then.. well that is a... thing.... that.. happened. Boy wold that Camel have been in for a surprise.
Okay so not open to the public, and not letting that stop her.
Immortal biology does not prevent indigestion, good to know.
Well not a port visit without someone getting pick pocketed. But, being able to do that without hands or fingers, just hooves and mouth, now THAT is impressive.
Fair enough. Not like merchants need much reason to want to vary their selling locations. So not all that surprising a thing for them to do.
And you got that from just one day of observing? that hardly seems like a thorough analysis of things. And, so was this the capitol of the nation? Regional capitol?
Twi...... I know you mean well but, holy buck is that to stupidest idea I've heard yet for you to consider. You really REALLY are not even trying to think about this in practical terms at all. Are you? Also, why did you have to be there and sneak into a session to learn this? Just, seems like there wasn't much point and she couldn't really learn much in that short amount of time. What did being here accomplish that a Zebran civics text book wouldn't?
And I'd lay odds Twi STILL hasn't found all of Dash's napping spots.
DUN DUN DUN!!!!!!!!!
Well gotta say, first chapter I'm just kind of 'meh' about. I mean it was good but, just, felt, so empty. So many things that could have been done, so much to do with this setting, and it just all felt a bit.. hollow, lifeless? Not really 'bad' but didn't convey a real sense of wonder and grandness that the story kept telling us there was. So many more things you could have shown us, really made the setting feel alive, vibrant. Show the trading, this whole thing is just a huge case of "Show don't tell" what we are told is fine, but it simply would have been SO much better to see this stuff, to really get a feel for it. Not just have the promised "delights and annoyances of foreign travel" be reduced to like two paragraphs of "And we did this and this" So that opening blurb lied to us. Also, "a philosophy of gift-giving" I guess technically but again feels to easy and little to really count.
Again it is not BAD but, just, disappointing in how much could have been done but was just skipped over to get it out of the way. Show some of her in the council, show why she had to be there to really see, how she could make these calls in just a day. Just, MORE! And really, that's a good thing that the story is good enough to make me want more, but again... it's just.... yeah same again. This could have been such an amazing experience that, was just, 'decent'. And all the more disappointing for what the potential lost. Hell had to kind of work at it to even find stuff to comment on I was so "Okay, this is good, this is decent" and so little meat to really get into.
WAIT... which Hive drones? Chryssi or Chessarie? Or is this another faction? And how do you know they are POSING as merchants, and not just, you know, actually BE merchants? Just trying to do their thing. Oh is this where she meet Kik? Or whatever his name was?
Aw yuss. This really is classic TCC at work.
Your protests make me laugh harder!
Please, please, PLEASE tell me that you are going to put this entire series in print.
*throws wallet at screen*
Oh, so there's Spike, I was starting to wonder. He definitely isn't with in the other half of the chapters, pirating a bit too dangerous for him compared to just merchant shipping?
Nice.
Fun to see Rarity in her element.
Shopping hasn't solved the problem? Clearly the solution is more shopping.
Though in fairness, those final presents sound like excellent choices.
Of course Twilight would discover that.
Why are footnotes 4 and 5 the same? Was that intentional or did you mistakenly copy and paste them in?
I assume it's something I missed?
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Yep, an error from when I conformed this version to the printed book. Fix'd now, thanks!
(╯°□°)╯︵ ¡sɹǝƃuɐɥɟɟᴉlƆ
oh, i read somewhere that POLAND used to have a Parliament that required unanimous approval for passing laws...AND NEVER ACTUALLY DID!
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Yes! Best government, ever!
Wew, I just realized I hadn't touched this since Wednesday. Apart from D&D on Thursday, finishing up Magisight on Friday, and general weekend-ness, I couldn't squeeze in much reading. And tonight, I have to go grocery shopping, ugh. But whatever, one or two chapters is better than nothing!
This is pure pony at its finest and I love it. This new, foreign land is wonderful, and I've played enough RPGs to visualize it very clearly in my head.
Goodness this is so comfy! Little details like these really bring the scene to life.
I
Actually, it's called The Twilight Enigma.
Uhoh. This is especially concerning given the context of the first two books.
Great chapter! I'm digging the exotic locales, and it's great to see Twilight and the others acclimating to this fairly well. I can't help but notice the map in the footer, and here it's a near-copy of eastern Africa. Is there a larger world map of everything, or is it just bits and pieces? Curious where Equestria is placed in context of Zebrica!
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Oddly enough, I put Zebrica to the east of Equestria. I never made a whole world map.
i was about to say that's 100% Africa, and then lo and behold i saw MAREDGASCAR,
Did you ever cover how you made the maps? They're pretty good.
Granted, the right font also happens to go a long way.
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Thank you. This one is pretty simple. If I recall correctly, I drew curves in Photoshop and stroked them with different sized brushes.