Dramatis Personae of the Pony Wars

by Wings of Black Glass

Ormyryx, Fabled Pricetaker

The Alicorn Ormyryx is perhaps the oldest living thing in existence, far older than even recorded history. He has traveled so far and wide that almost every culture has legends of the lonely figure who grants wishes for a terrible price. His incredible age makes him distant to most, having tired of the same petty ambitions of visitors. He warns that there is a price to all things and never gives out anything for free, not even advice. Guilt over an ancient crime and many lifetimes to consider it has left him deeply contemplative.

"I know the cost of forever. It means everything ends. Pause for a moment to think about that."

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There is a legend Ponies speak of, the story of Warlord Destrier and his short-lived empire. As the story goes, Destrier was a king who wanted to rule a great kingdom, but his army was small and his magic weak. He traveled into the Twilight Lands and found the Alicorn called the Pricetaker and asked him for the gifts of power and glory. The Pricetaker told him he would grant that boon but pay a dire cost for his desire. Destrier was adamant, and the Pricetaker took him to become an Alicorn.

Warlord Destrier tried to use his new powers to conquer a dozen nations but was not strong enough to overcome them, and they tried to assassinate him. Warlord Destrier spent the rest of his life in abject fear, paranoid that he was surrounded by those who wanted him dead and never felt joy again. When one attempt on his life finally succeeded, his kingdom was rapidly overwhelmed. The tale is told as a warning not to trust the gifts of the Pricetaker, the strange figure who had stolen Destrier's happiness.

The Kirin Ormyryx was speaking with, Aqua, listened closely and then asked why he told her the tale. Ormyryx said that the Pricetaker had tried to warn Warlord Destrier that the cost for power was his peace of mind. Had Destrier understood and not taken the boon, he wouldn't have so ferociously invaded other lands and would have reigned long and wisely. Aqua considered for a moment and then asked him how he could possibly know that. Ormyryx then said that it was because he was there; he had been the one to make the warning. Because he was the Pricetaker.

Then he said that the price for that information was only some of her time, but that any more would be costly. He would not tell her the rest of his long, long history. When pressed on what it would cost her, he responded that he had long ago stopped telling those who paid precisely what their wish had taken, only describing it vaguely. Too many had returned in anger when they finally realized what it was they had lost.

Thinking about this, Aqua wondered if there were any who were pleased with the trade they had made with him. Indeed there were, such as an unstable young soldier who wanted to control his emotions. Ormyryx had taken his anger in payment, and although he could no longer bring himself to harm another the young Pony lived the rest of his life peacefully. Many others had found the price acceptable. It is one reason why so many kept coming to him to ask for gifts or boons.

One question remained, why? What cause did Ormyryx have to give these gifts and take such prices?

Ormyryx pondered if he should answer at all and studied the Kirin beside him. This mare he saw spying on him from the water was by no means unattractive or unintelligent. It had been a long time since he had spoken with someone who only wanted to know and not to have or take. Longer still since he had a companion. If he chose to answer her, it would steal a future from her. She would stay by his side and bear no children. Not by any physical means or magic of his, but by her own choice. It would not be the first time this price was paid, and he suspected it would not be the last either.

Still, he left her the choice, informing her the cost would be heavier than she might be willing to carry. Aqua persisted, wanting to know all he knew and saying she was ready to pay. Ormyryx began his story, although millennia's span takes long to recount, and he would not finish entirely for years. During that time, he would sometimes leave to wander for a while, but as he had grown fond of Aqua, and she of him, would return before many years passed.

Long ago, in the first Alicorn age, Ormyryx was a king. Although, he admitted his citizens saw him more as a tyrant than any honorable monarch. He used his considerable magical abilities to sacrifice his subjects' health and lives to grow his own power. His rivalry with the other Alicorn leaders wasn't remarkably peaceful, but it was stable. They each had a large city and surrounding territory they claimed and often came to violence. Only the fear of adversaries allying together in opposition should they grow beyond their borders kept them from all-out wars with each other.

Then came the first murders. One of the other Alicorn queens was found dead, and her foes quickly divided her territory among them. Decades later, a second Alicorn king was destroyed in an explosion, along with much of his palace, and his kingdom met the same fate. These deaths disturbed Ormyryx and the other Alicorns, but it was not unheard of over many years, and Alicorns live very long lives.

Many years later, a mighty Alicorn connected with the Nexus of Fire was slain in open combat. He was widely known as immensely powerful, possibly the greatest direct combatant of any of them. This shock the Alicorns to their core even as they cut his empire into shreds. The borders had just started to stabilize when another Alicorn was attacked. Then a third. By now, it was clear to Ormyryx that a terrible and powerful new Alicorn had come into being, one who was uninterested in territory or land or recognition.

Unfortunately, there was no trust between Ormyryx's kingdom and the neighboring nations. They would not listen to his warning or his concern and saw his worry as a weakness. The sieges of his own lands came quickly enough. He could have fought them back, but he knew it would only weaken everyone involved. So he went to one he believed would listen, accepting that he would probably be imprisoned. Fortunately, he was correct; the other dictator was also concerned about this monstrous Alicorn.

In order to secure the alliance, Ormyryx accepted a subordinate role. Slowly, they gathered other Alicorns to their side. By this point, the Alicorn had destroyed many others, and in many cases leaving the surrounding lands uninhabitable. Even the most recalcitrant other dictators knew they were all badly outmatched and came crawling to the alliance to beg for aid. Six of their strongest went to battle the threat together. Only one managed to escape and return to the coalition.

There was no negotiating, no demand for surrender; it was clear they desired nothing less than all Alicorns' extermination. The remaining magically astute Alicorns struggled to find a solution. He could not be defeated in open combat, not by any that remained. It was Ormyryx who devised a possible solution. By linking their magic together and focused through sacred artifacts, they could construct a prison that would contain the threat. But it would require them each to sacrifice much of their power, if not their lives.

They were reluctant to agree; many still believed he could be bested by force and wanted to retain their position and armies to conquer what was left of the world once the menace was eliminated. They continued to fall in the face of the terrible threat. Some of those left fled, trying to escape to very distant lands to avoid being destroyed. The great enemy went after them, and none were able to get far. At least their unknowing sacrifice gave Ormyryx time to convince the others there was no alternative.

So they put the plan in motion. Each took their most sacred artifacts to a place of power and together began the spell. Those few who could fight went to delay the enemy, stalling him long enough for the rest to finish their work. Ormyryx could hear the fighting coming closer, each scream a new friend fallen. The great enemy burst through into his ritual chamber before the spell was complete.

Knowing he had no choice, Ormyryx tapped into the greatest depths of his ability and connected it to each of the other Alicorns' Nexus. He sacrificed them in a desperate attempt to seal the enemy away. It seemed to work at first, his foe unable to comprehend the new magic used against him. There was a sudden flash of pain and light, the ground shook, and the enemy vanished.

But, the spell did not end. Ormyryx's magic ate into the Nexus, and then others, and more. The spell grew out of his control, the other Alicorns already dead. The quakes grew more substantial, the air quivered with unchecked power. Using his remaining stamina, Ormyryx sacrificed whatever he could to escape. When he could see again, he found himself alone in the rubble of the destroyed ritual site. The world was silent.

Ormyryx traveled to the nearest city and discovered it had been leveled. He searched but found no survivors. So he traveled to his old capital, and it too was gone. All across the powerful kingdoms, he went searching for someone who had survived his spell. What were once trade hubs were now silent, great cities reduced to mass graves. He could not find any sign of civilization between the war against the great enemy and his own magic. The Age of Alicorns had been brought to a sudden end by his action.

Years passed, and Ormyryx scavenged what he could to survive. He almost fell to despair and nearly took his own life, believing he had done the great enemy's work for him. Then he stumbled upon a tiny family of Kirin in what would become the Twilight Lands. When they saw him, they screamed and fled into the marshes. Disturbed but heartened by the survivors, Ormyryx traveled again, searching for more. Eventually, he found them scrabbling out a meager existence in small herds far from any city or Nexus Temple. Ormyryx considered chasing them down and using them to rebuild his kingdom, but his heart no longer held the desire to rule. It had been an aspect of himself he had traded for survival.

In his self-imposed exile, he meditated on what had lead to this terrible result. He and the other monarchs had never worked together, not until it was too late. They had quarreled and fought and believed themselves superior. Life under their rule was awful, fearful, and often very short. Ormyryx was all that was left. The Alicorns had been terrible tyrants and despots; it was time for the Ponies to build their own society.

Over the many years, he watched the world rebuild, his crimes forgotten by everyone but himself. From time to time, some pony or other creature would find him and speak of the legendary Alicorns' power. They would often ask for some of that power. In trying to prevent another catastrophe, Ormyryx would force them to give up something in return for their wishes. He hoped they would think about their actions and consider the full ramifications. Some did, most didn't.

That was the tale he told Aqua; it took years to say it in full. Even once it was done, he stayed with her. Together they would use her water sight to see far away places and watch events unfold. One day, they watched as a Unicorn from the Sunbound Kingdom was exploring a ruin from the First Alicorn Age. The wreckage was so overgrown and damaged that Ormyryx didn't recognize the location until the Unicorn made her way to the Sacred Spear Solangon hidden inside the ancient ritual site.

Then the Unicorn pulled the spear from its place, and Ormyryx felt fear again. It had been so long that he had almost forgotten that the prison had required the sacred artifacts to remain intact and in position to function. This Unicorn, transforming into an Alicorn right before him, had undone part of the barrier that held the horrible enemy captive. In his fear, he did not believe he could meet Aqua eye to eye and fled from his new home.

The door to Calamity had been cracked open. This new world was unprepared for his might, but destruction did not come. His only hope was that perhaps the seal was still intact enough to hold the monster inside. Several years passed without the end coming, and Ormyryx began to hope that the new magic of this age could defeat Calamity once and for all. But only if they were willing to pay the price.