Princess Essenta

by Pone_Heap

Appendix for Princess Essenta (Contains Spoilers) (Updated July 21, 2019)

Author's Note:

Decided to keep appendix here. I tried adding it as a chapter once before and got downvoted into the toilet. Like, eight in one hour. That sucked.

But I've never liked keeping it in a blog and it's fine at the story's beginning so I snuck it in one day when I did a chapter update.

I suppose this makes it a "pre-appendix".

Story Arcs

Prologue: The Continent and the Dale

The Dale: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4

Southward to New Friends: Chapters 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

Renata: Chapters 10, 11, 12, 13, 14

Troubles: Chapters 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21

Healing: Chapters 22, 23, 24

"Last Chance" Stopover: Chapters 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37

Desolate Places: Chapters 38, 39, 40, 41, 42

Wicked World: Chapters 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50

Antecedence: Chapters 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62

Restoration Coalition: TBA

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Timeline

Ancient Times:
-Ponies come to or first appear on the continent
-Centaurs immigrate from across the Western Seas
-The two species live in an almost constant state of war
-A sub-race of Earth ponies emerge after a magic in the southeastern continent becomes evident, granting them great physical strength; they become known as Terrans

Year 0:
-The event that came to be known as the Great Centauri-Equine War ends; the ponies emerge victorious
-Centaurs are either killed off or expelled from the continent
-Most knowledge before this point in time is lost

Ca. 50:
-The Terrans establish the city of Terrow

Ca. 70 to 500:
-Pegasi in the eastern mountains come across a magic unlike usual Pegasus magic; they diverge from standard Pegasi, showing enhanced physical and mental attributes and become known as Knollwings

Ca. 100 to 150:
-A number of Earth ponies emigrate across the Great Eastern Sea and establish Mazan
-It is learned the magic present in Mazan exemplifies the female sex; males cease to be born and adult males lose fertility
-Mazan mares must go across the sea in order to conceive a filly
-Mazan becomes a female-only society and culture as the remaining stallions die off

Ca. 3200:
-Several years of late frost and droughty conditions affect the entire continent
-An event that came to be known as the First Great Famine kills approximately half of the ponies on the continent

Ca. 3900:
-The Second Great Famine occurs, largely affecting the eastern continent

Ca. 4050:
-Earth ponies gain control of the land known as the Dale; the established royal family takes the name "Dale" as its own
-The land of the Dale responds to Earth pony magic in ways never before seen in history
-The Dale's capitol city of Greendale is founded

Ca. 4100:
-The Third Great Famine, affecting much of the continent, is relieved by the bounty of the Dale; some consider the production of the Dale to be divine in nature
-A protection treaty is endorsed by a number of kingdoms, to shield Earth pony hold upon the Dale

Ca. 4300:
-The Knollwing race and their lands begin to deteriorate as the source of their magic begins to fade
-Knollwings begin to spread out from their traditional lands in the east, in search of magic and new lands

4350 to 4360:
-The Fourth Great Famine, spurred by an incredible drought that pulled the land into desert, wipes out many settlements in the southern continent
-Ponies flock to the Dale and surrounding areas
-A cultural explosion in seen in the northwestern part of the continent
-Ponies begin to repopulate the northwestern coast of the continent for the first time since the beginning of the Centauri-Equine War

Ca. 4600:
-By this time, virtually all Knollwings lack the traits to separate them from standard Pegasi, other than their unique wing pattern; "true" Knollwing births are one in several-hundred
-Slave trade of Knollwings increases exponentially due to their novelty and decreased difficulty in capture; Knollwing fillies are of particularly high value

4761:
Autumn
-Loress Claystable is born in Terrow

4762:
Summer
-Ama Waterfall is born in Mazan

4763:
Spring
-Delia Elias is born
Winter (End of year)
-Dechaa Beiran is born in the Dale
-Princess Essenta Dale is born in the Dale

4764:
Winter (Beginning of year)
-Zyra Argon is born in Oswald
Winter (End of year)
-Prince Valles Dale is born in the Dale

4765:
Summer
-Tessa Andemax is born in Alba, the imperial capitol of Albin
-Orni Valkea is born in the eastern mountains

4766:
Winter (Beginning of year)
-Princess Calleha Dale is born in the Dale

4767:
Spring
-Prince Abateles Dale is born in the Dale
-Princess Essenta Dale and Dechaa Beiran begin their friendship

4768:
-The kingdom of Joeh invades, at the behest of the emperor of Albin, the eastern part of the Dale, ignoring the long-standing protection treaty
-The Confederation of the Valley is formed in response to Joeh's aggression towards the Dale
-A brief war, mostly consisting of border skirmishes, is waged; the Joeh forces are considered a nuisance more than anything, but are numerous and persistent, resulting in a stalemate
-The Andemax family relocates to Gitano in the Protectorate of Tomar

4770:
Spring
-The tide of the war turns heavily in favor of the Confederation of the Valley
Summer
-The Confederation hires the "Fire Breathers" guild to aid in ending the war
-When the kingdom of Joeh refuses to surrender, King Ansgar Dale leads the "Fire Breathers" into Joeh; they commit numerous atrocities and raze several Joeh towns bordering the Dale
-Clovis and his friends are orphaned when their town is destroyed; the foals follow Clovis south
-King Dale murders the wife and daughter of an Earth pony named Drausus as a final act of terror in Joeh
Autumn
-Joeh formally surrenders to the Confederation in Greendale; representatives from Albin attend
-King Dale is condemned for committing war crimes within western Joeh by members of the Confederation, but he pays little heed to the outcry

4771:
Spring
-Clovis and his friends arrive in "Last Chance" City and are put to work under Melchior
-The Confederation of the Valley splits up
-Tatius Argon, the keeper of the Fire Diamond and leader of the Oswald magic guild, attempts to sell his niece Zyra Argon and their family gem, the Fire Diamond, to Aodh Radulf, the leader of the "Fire Breathers"
-When Tatius is unable to deliver Zyra and the Fire Diamond, Radulf and the "Fire Breathers" kill everypony, save two, in Oswald and reduce the town to ashes
-Zyra and Tatius escape Oswald; Zyra learns of her uncle's betrayal
Summer
-Tatius dies passing the Fire Diamond to Zyra; Zyra escapes into the wilderness
-Zyra is rescued and taken in by Master Amelbert of the Greendale magic guild
-It is long believed Oswald was destroyed at the behest of somepony within the Confederation
Autumn
-Zyra befriends Princess Essenta Dale and Dechaa Beiran
-Delia Elias and her father come to "Last Chance" City; Delia is sold into servitude to Melchior to pay her father's gambling debt
Winter (End of year)
-Delia's father gambles into debt again; he himself is brought into servitude

4772:
Summer:
-A Knollwing caravan traveling near the town of Renata is attacked by slavers; Orni Valkea is injured and separated from her family, but survives
-Orni is adopted by the farmer Vess of Renata
Autumn:
-Prince Durenes Dale is born in the Dale

4774:
Summer
Gitano is set upon by slavers; Tessa Andemax is captured, along with a number of able-bodied ponies
Autumn
-Tessa is sold to Phestos of Adelardo and branded as a pleasure-slave

4776:
-Tessa Andemax develops strong regeneration magic; it is soon exploited by Phestos of Adelardo and his ilk

4777:
-Delia Elias's father dies in an accident when she is 14-years-old
-After years of humiliation and abuse, Tessa Andemax incapacitates her master and escapes; she changes her name to Wilka Starling and escapes the southeastern coast

4778:
-Upon reaching the age of 17, Loress Claystable attempts to join the Terrow Army
-Loress chooses to travel the continent after failing to become a soldier
-Wilka Starling travels west

4779:
-Wilka Starling arrives in Renata and befriends Orni Valkea

4780:
-Ama Waterfall comes of age; she receives the ceremonial blade, Dragonsquarter, and sets off on her birth journey

4781:
Late Spring
-Princess Essenta Dale meets Prince Asklepiades Fulco in the capitol, Greendale, as arranged by their fathers in hopes of a marriage
-The princess is detained a month as punishment for her drunken escapades with Prince Fulco

Early Summer
-While Princess Essenta Dale is detained, King Dale plots with his advisors and council to "scare Essenta straight"; they decide to give her a seemingly impossible task of retrieving a relic in the far south

Middle Summer
-Princess Essenta Dale is given her "task", knowing it to be farcical; she determines to attempt the mission
-Essenta escapes from Greendale with her friends Dechaa Beiran and Zyra Argon for the jungles to the far south
-Essenta's company meets Ama of the clan Waterfall in the Forbidden Forest, who joins them
-The company meets Loress Claystable guarding the Canyon Toll Bridge, who joins them and allows them crossing upon her defeat
-King Dale contacts Aodh Radulf, the leader of the "Fire Breathers", contracting him to track down Essenta and her friends; the orders are to subdue Essenta, kill the company, and bring Essenta to the Dale

Late Summer
-The "Fire Breathers" locate the company, but do not engage them as the company enters the vicinity of the town Renata
-The company meets Wilka Starling, training in the woods near Renata; she joins them after dueling each member of the company
-The company immediately after befriends Orni Valkea of Renata, who joins them after dueling Wilka and her new friends

Early Autumn
-The company, upon leaving Renata, is attacked at night by the elite members of the "Fire Breathers" guild, all of whom the company kill; Zyra Argon loses touch with reality and retreats into her own mind; Wilka Starling and Orni Valkea are poisoned
-The truth is revealed regarding the "Fire Breathers'" involvement in the destruction of Oswald
-Aodh Radulf notifies King Dale of his agents' failure and retreats from pursuit of the princess
-The company stays in the town of Silas for a month where they befriend Noach, a bartender and former healer from Joeh, as they overcome the hurts sustained in the attack
-Ama Waterfall travels with Noach in to Zyra's memories, where they learn of her past; they spend six weeks searching for Zyra's essence, while mere hours pass in the waking world
-The truth behind the destruction of Oswald is learned by Noach and Ama; Ama keeps silent per Zyra's request

Middle Autumn
-The company leaves Silas and heads south
-Noach alerts a compatriate, Sir Drausus of Albin, who hunts Aodh Radulf and the "Fire Breathers", of the activity of the company and confirms Radulf's identity
-Princess Essenta Dale encounters Drausus; he reveals his identity while she is intoxicated and she does not remember their meeting
-Drausus visits the company, treating them to a demonstration of demonic power, but does not reveal his identity
-Drausus and his group of vigilantes, knights of Albin, locate Radulf; they kill most of the "Fire Breathers" guild and pursue the rest
-The company, having traversed the steppe, crosses the southern mountain range
-The company becomes entangled with the politics of the "City of Last Chances"; they meet Clovis and Delia Elias, both in servitude to Melchior
-Drausus captures Radulf
-The Mayoral Ball occurs in "Last Chance" City; Essenta, disguised, is injured by a guest; Melchior and the mayor are killed by Drausus and his knights

Late Autumn
-Clovis and Delia Elias are freed from servitude; Delia joins Princess Essenta Dale's company
-Zyra Argon is presented with the task of killing Aodh Radulf but declines; Sir Drausus, the orchestrator, kills Radulf
-The company sets hoof in the southern desert
-The company saves the life of the Pegasus pirate Hagano; he betrays their kindness, stealing their food supply
-Having made it to the southern jungle, the company discovers a magical barrier surrounding Salvatrix; upon a magical disturbance, Dechaa Beiran and Delia teleport to the city of Nuinhof; Essenta tasks Ama Waterfall with retrieving the mares in the jungle; Delia meets Cassia and determines to reunite the company
-The company members within the jungle are reunited and leaves but a seizure from Dechaa results in teleporting the fractured company back to Nuinhof, where they discover a murdered family and ponies of the city barring their path out again; Delia manipulates Dechaa's magic, forcing a way through and killing a number of civilians; Delia then manipulates Zyra's magic, killing more civilians and allowing their escape

Early Winter
-The New Salvatrix air force appears, bombing the jungle and border in search of the company
-Cassia confronts the company; she elects to take revenge on Delia Elias for the destruction in Nuinhof, rendering the rest of the company helpless in the face of ruin; she dies afterwards from injuries sustained earlier
-Delia escapes into the desert, all of her friends and their supplies in tow
-The company awakens and they learn of Wilka Starling's past
-Princess Essenta Dale and Dechaa Beiran come of age

4782:
Middle Winter
-TBA

---

Characters

Princess Essenta Dale's Company

Princess Essenta Dale
Hoof-to-hoof fighter
Race: Earth pony
Current Age: 17
Favorite Drink: Ale
Likes: Alcohol; manual labor
Dislikes: Rats; mice; rodents in general
Notables: Problem drinker; first princess of the Dale

Dechaa Beiran
Healer
Race: Unicorn
Current Age: 18
Favorite Drink: Red wine
Likes: Peace and quiet
Dislikes: Horny, elderly stallions
Notables: Skilled with twin swords


Zyra Argon
Mage
Race: Unicorn
Current Age: 17
Favorite Drink: No preference
Likes: Magic tricks; teasing Loress
Dislikes: Boring stuff
Notables: Highly skilled in fire magic

Ama Waterfall
Brawler
Race: Mazan Earth pony
Current Age: 19
Favorite Drink: Anything interesting
Likes: Meeting ponies; making friends; sparring
Dislikes: Disingenuous behavior
Notables: Very tall; doesn't use contractions in speech

Loress Claystable
Hoof-to-hoof fighter
Race: Terran Earth pony
Current Age: 20
Favorite Drink: Apple cider
Likes: Cooking; being needed
Dislikes: Being teased
Notables: 14 times as strong as an average Earth pony stallion; small for her race

Wilka Starling/Tessa Andemax
Weapons specialist
Race: Pegasus
Current Age: 17
Favorite Drink: Sweet things
Likes: Cashews
Dislikes: Mean jokes
Notables: Petite; skilled martial artist; healing/regenerative magic

Orni Valkea/Orni an Geal
Weapons specialist
Race: Knollwing Pegasus
Current Age: 17
Favorite Drink: Sour things
Likes: Family
Dislikes: Things that hurt Wilka
Notables: Lost wings at a young age; skilled martial artist

Delia Elias
Insurgent
Race: Earth pony
Current Age: 18
Favorite Drink: Anything non-alcoholic
Likes: Jokes; stories
Dislikes: Ponies lacking character
Notables: Teetotaler; unruly mane

?
Brawler
Race: Pegasus
Current Age: 18
Favorite Drink: Grog (previously white wine)
Likes: Cute things; "girly" things; comfortable living
Dislikes: Ponies knowing about her love of the above; the need to live rough
Notables: ?

?
Mage/hoof-to-hoof fighter
Race: Unicorn
Current Age: 16
Favorite Drink: Chocolate milk
Likes: Older sister and younger brother
Dislikes: Older brother and youngest brother
Notables: ?

Sir Drausus's Vigilantes

Sir Drausus
Alias: Death
Skinchanger
Race: Earth Pony
Current Age: 40's
Favorite Drink: Unknown
Notables: Can change into a fire-breathing dragon; widower

?
Alias: Wind
Mage
Race: Unicorn
Current Age: 30's
Favorite Drink: Unknown
Notables: Can manipulate wind; laid-back; nasty sense of humor

?
Alias: Typhoon
Mage
Race: Unicorn
Current Age: 20's
Favorite Drink: Unknown
Notables: Can manipulate wind/water; gluttonous

?
Alias: Thunder
Mage
Race: Unicorn
Current Age: 20's
Favorite Drink: Unknown
Notables: Can manipulate acoustics; impatient

?
Alias: Lightning
Mage
Race: Unicorn
Current Age: 20's
Favorite Drink: Unknown
Notables: Can manipulate electricity; excitable

?
Alias: Frost
Mage
Race: Unicorn
Current Age: 20's
Favorite Drink: Unknown
Notables: Can manipulate ice/water; foul-tempered; irritable

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Glossary

Dale, The: Country in the northwest vicinity of the continent, situated in the Eastern Central Valley (though not very east or central in big picture); known for its miraculously fertile land; a member of the Confederation of the Valley

Fulco: Country in close proximity to the Dale; longtime ally to the Dale and a member of the Confederation of the Valley

Greendale: Capitol and seat of power in the Dale

Joeh: Country east of the Eastern Central Valley that instigated a war more than a decade before the story's start; several of its western cities were destroyed near the war's end by soldiers of the Dale and mercenaries

Knollwing: Sub-race of Pegasus known to possess enhanced magic; notably stronger and more resilient than normal Pegasi

Mazan: Sub-race of Earth pony; localized magic resulted in a lack of male births; diverse due to mating with other pony races

Terran: Sub-race of Earth pony known to possess enhanced magic; remarkably stronger and more resilient than normal Earth ponies