The Equestrian Representatives
"So a democracy huh?" Little critiqued, as she scanned through Green's plans for how their new country would run. "Didn't this end badly for the griffons?"
"Well yes- but we're ponies, so the results would be different." Green justified; also having seen the numerous failed precedents of republican griffon warlord states in Harold's book. "Also, it would be political suicide to reintroduce authoritarianism in a society which just overthrew it." Green shrugged, prompting Little to nod slowly in understanding.
"Didn't your last meeting go badly?" Little asked, making Green's eyes widen.
"Where'd you hear that from?!" Green demanded, limping towards Little as his hindhooves slipped off his wheelwagon. "I made sure that nopony would know!"
Little leaned backwards in Green's approach and cracked a twitchy smile. "One of Forest's friends told me," Little explained whilst leaning on her hooves to prevent her fall. "Wasn't I supposed to know? Were you planning on not telling me?" Little's expressions quickly turned into one of betrayal, as she thought Green had sent the stallion who told her about the conflict in the senate.
"What-! No! It's just that-... I don't want you to get embroiled in all this mess lil' sis..." Green conceded, loosening his stance and frowning deeply in shame. "How can I call myself an older brother if I leave my sister in the dark?! She needs somepony to trust on...-and I've failed...
Green thought of limping away, but was tackled by Little's hug; not strong enough to pin or knock him down, but enough to tell that Little forgave and loved him. "You're the best older brother a sister could have." Little assured; presuming Green's grief was his thoughts of being a bad sibling. "Just... Next time, tell me what's bothering you..." Little pleaded; only smiling when Green hummed in agreement.
"Thanks, sis..." Green muttered whilst leaning into the hug; wrapping his head around Little's neck. "You're the best lil' sis a brother could ask for..."
The two continued to hug; unaware of their parents standing in the doorway heart warmed by the scene. Opal and Graze at first watched on as the hug prolonged, but after a while, they finally decided to join in; turning it into a group hug.
"I wish this moment would never end..." Green thought; distracting himself from the upcoming senate meeting which would have representatives all across Equestria. "Here's hoping not all the senators will be lunatics..". Green hoped, tightening his grasp in the hug to extend its length. "Hopefully we could also decide the name for our country...
"Which region have you come to represent?" Green asked, pointing his gavel towards an entering pony.
"The southwestern regions of Equestria; being the duchy of Maredovia." The pointed pony answered, giving a slight bow in instinct due to experiences talking to nobles.
"Very good then, please take a seat," Green stated whilst reviewing his roll call to ensure that every representative had come. Miraculously every representative did come, many of them having departed early to not miss out on their chances of being a part of the new government.
As the last pony entered the senate, Green prepared himself to strike with the gavel to begin the session. But then, a courier bursted in, pushing aside the last representative to halt in the middle of the senate.
Green and the other representatives raised a brow, as the courier stopped to pant and grip his chest out of exhaustion. Green spoke first, as nopony else took the initiative to do so. "You okay?" He unprofessionally asked, causing several of the representatives to cringe.
The courier took a deep breath and spoke; "Unicorns at 8 o'clock incoming! High profiles! Starswirl and Ares!" The courier gasped for another round of air; his sweat and stench contaminating the senate's air and interior.
"I tell ya! The unicorns are 'ere to execute us!" A Jacobin yelled, gaining nods from his fellow radicals. Radicals are called Jacobins (I know, very confusing).
"Don't spread your hysterical lies! The unicorns don't even have enough ponies to threaten us!" A Pastorian rebutted, whose faction had become the majority by popular vote.
"If the unicorns are Ares and Starswirl, there is nothing to fear." Another Pastorian added, shrugging in indifference to the news. "Courier?" He asked, which made the stenching pony lookup in acknowledgement.
"Do you know why they're here?" The Pastorian asked, which made the stenching pony jump in realisation.
"Ah yes! I nearly forgot! They're here to negotiate... Something... I don't know, they didn't elaborate." The courier shrugged causing the senate to frown in annoyance; "Well that's helpful..." Everypony thought, as they began rubbing their chins in speculation of what the unicorns were here to do.
"...and! They are here." The courier finished, gesturing to the floor dumbly.
"Yes... You told us this already..." A Jacobin grumbled, still deep in thought.
"No, I mean 'here' 'here'." The courier corrected, causing many of the representatives to bat their eye in confusion.
"What do you mean?" Green chimed in, not bothered to think. The courier simply smiled and began walking back towards the entrance. Green raised a brow.
The courier stepped beside the entrance and began bracing himself. He cleared his throat, and he royaly announced, "Presenting you! The father of the Solarist church, and the hero of Equestria! Ares and Starswirl!" He stepped aside for the door, but was slammed by it; the door now illuminating with a blue aura.
In the entrance, two immediately recognisable ponies were seen; being Starswirl and Ares, who were both looking around and observing the senate's architecture. So far, they weren't impressed.
The senate at first was frozen, as they weren't told about the unicorn's arrival, and were in a state of shock.
But as soon as the initial shock died down, the representatives began appraising the unicorns and acting according to their beliefs. The reactionary Pastorians gave them both a courtly bow, whilst the moderates ranged from giving them suspicious glares to indifference. The radicals didn't hide their contempt for the unicorns, and many had stood on their seats to display their outrage.
"Prestigious unicorns, for what reasons have you come here for?" A reactionary asked politely, however, his tone bled annoyance.
"You better not zap us! You're surrounded!" A radical warned; suspicious of the powerful unicorn's intentions.
Ares was surprised and glad that the earth ponies had not devolved into civil or political conflicts as the unicorns had, and instead were gathered cooperating in a congress-like building.
Ares's bishops however did not share their leader's sentiment, as they shrank before the radical's hateful glares and growls.
Starswirl was surprised that the earth ponies were able to form a pseudo-government and presumed that they had a well-learned leader who organised it. "Perhaps a disgruntled steward from puddinghead's court defected... Starswirl thought, as no peasant would be able to teach themselves the principles of governments.
Tia meanwhile stood close behind her teacher, as the radical's glares frightened her. As she began to slightly shiver, Lulu trotted close and held her hooves to calm her down. Seeing this, the radicals ceased their glares.
"Glaring at fillies?! How embarrassing!" A reactionary mocked, garnering several chuckles from the Pastorians.
"Many unicorn fillies have gloated at our suffering! It's entirely justified!" A radical justified, prompting some of the radicals to regain their pride.
"Not all ponies are the same. You would be implying that we are the same as Puddingheads!" A moderate countered, causing the radicals to lower their heads in shame once more.
Starswirl cleared his throat to regain the senate's attention; as he had done many times before in a unicorn court. But this was not a unicorn's court, and the insults kept being thrown. Ares began to have second thoughts about the earth ponies.
"ORDER! ORDER!" Green shouted, striking his gavel thrice to silence the bickering representatives. All of the unicorns cringed from the loud, echoing noise. "We have guests! And we're making fools out of ourselves by arguing!" Green reprimanded, causing everypony to droop their heads in shame.
Starswirl and Ares eyed the teenage pony in disbelief, as they could not believe an underaged pony would lead a government. "Are you the leader here?" Starswirl asked hesitantly, which made Green brighten up.
"Ye-"
"No." Forest chimed in, stepping forward to reveal himself from the group of radicals. He began glaring at Green. "Stay out of this filly..." He warned through his glares, gesturing him to 'shoo' off.
Green glared back at Forest, accidentally focusing on his eyepatch instead of his intact ones. "What are you doing?" Green cautioned, hoping Forest would realise showing weakness through division in front of the unicorns would make them vulnerable against sabotage.
"...then who is it?" Ares interrupted; breaking Green and Forest's glare. Several radicals nudged Forest to concede, who did so begrudgingly. "I assure you all, we mean no harm; we simply wish to talk." Ares attempted to calm the gathered earth ponies, but it only made the radicals more suspicious.
"The leader would be me." Green pointed at himself proudly, puffing his chests out. "...and no, I'm not a midget, I'm 12." Green crossed his hooves in preparation for the unicorn's reactions.
Starswirl hummed thoughtfully at the information, as he had already guessed Green's age and had time to prepare his thoughts. "...Impressive. Who are your benefactors?" Starswirl asked; confident that the earth ponies, no less a filly could've done this all alone.
Green stopped to think, "Should I tell them about the griffons? What would Harold do,?" Green pondered, causing Starswirl to suspect the earth pony's supporters were shady. "...I don't want to tell..." Green replied, knowing that he held all the cards, and Starswirl couldn't demand anything from him.
"Are you 'really' 12 years old?" Lulu asked whilst latching off her sister's hoof.
"Yes- and don't remind me..." Green deadpanned, slightly annoyed at the number of times ponies had asked him the same question. "Why? Is it a problem?" Green dared the unicorns to argue.
"What of your parents? Your family?" Ares asked worryingly, as he feared Green had lost his family, "No parents would allow their children to participate in the immoral practices of politics! Unless there is none..." Green stared at Ares boredly.
"They said I'm good." Green shrugged, as it wasn't a big deal for him. After all, he had been given free rein over their old farms in the past. "It's my choice to run this senate, and I like it." Green justified, as he began swirling the gavel.
The bishops looked horrified hearing Green's parent's negligence, whilst Ares and Starswirl understood Green's decisions and freedom. Tia and Lulu meanwhile looked on with admiration, as their teacher would barely ever allow them to do anything that they wanted. Green symbolised the dream of every unicorn filly; to do whatever they wanted.
Green struck with his gavel once more, as he wished to start the senate without any further delays. "The Senate is now in session everypony!" Green announced; reading off a script he had made. "We will review and vote for decisions suggested by the common earth ponies and the representatives: being us." Green continued, "The first issue I believe must be solved first is our nation's name. Should we change it?" Green asked the assembled ponies; scanning across the senate seats and representatives whilst ignoring the confused unicorns.
"Hooves up for yes, Hooves down for no," Green explained, causing every hoof to rise in yes. "Perfect! Then what's the new name gonna be?" Green giddily asked, as he already had several names lined up on his list.
A radical quickly rose to speak, "Our nation has been forged by iron and blood! So its name must reflect our sacrifice!" He continued, "Our earth brave ponies have brought us a republic, and expelled the pegasus and unicorns!" He stated triumphantly. "So I say we proclaim the Republic of Earth! A nation made by, and for the earth ponies!" The radicals cheered at the suggestion, stomping their hooves on their seats.
"Such ignorance!" A reactionary scoffed, "Our nation consists of three tribes! Not just the earth ponies!" His fellow reactionaries began to nod. "It means little to change our nation's name, so we should keep it as Equestria." He finished, garnering some nods from the moderates as well.
"Traitors! We have spilt blood to bring change, and you want to keep it?!" A radical objected, pointing a hoof accusingly at the shameless reactionary.
"I agree on the reactionary's criticism, however by changing our nation's name, we are symbolising the shedding of our miserable past." A moderate calmly voiced, "By changing our nation's name, we are indicating that everything will change; a change for the better hopefully." The moderates began nodding vigorously. "So I say we drop the 'of Earth' and simply call our new nation the Republic of Equestria." He finished, garnering several nods from the radicals and reactionaries.
Green scanned the senate and counted the nodding representatives, deeming them to be the majority and striking his gavel. "It's decided then! We will be called the Equestrian Republic!" The senate hurrayed, except for a few grumbling partisan ponies.
"Now! What do you want?" Green asked the spectating unicorns, as he pointed his gavel at them. "Also who's the stallion with the robes and such?" Green pointed his gavel towards Ares, causing several of the reactionaries to face-hoof in embarrassment.
Ares smiled at Green; finding joy in the little filly's innocence. "I, my child am Ares; the former head of the Solarist church.” Ares bowed at the filly to recognise Green's position. Green simply rubbed his hoof in awkwardness.
The representatives meanwhile raised their brows at the title 'former'. The radicals, who were trying to formulate an insult at Ares stopped in confusement. The moderates felt sympathetic for Ares, as they assumed the elitist Solarist council had finally excommunicated him. The reactionaries were angry at the Solarist church for booting the only head of faith that cared for the earth pony's plight.
"I and my faithful bishops have come for refugee," Ares explained mournfully; remembering his humiliating exodus from the church. "The elitist's scriptures demand no cooperations with the earth ponies, but we were bold enough to refute." Ares continued, "However, it cost us our positions, and now we are in exile." The bishops shrivelled, as the speech brought back memories that demoralised them.
"Not work with us?! What kind of rule is that?!" Green complained, sympathising with Ares's situation. "Are they so proud that they're blind?!" Green berated; causing Ares and his Bishops to nod solemnly.
Whilst some representatives were still reeling from the shock of the news, many were discussing a response. The radicals were grinning madly with a scheme, whilst the reactionaries and moderates were figuring out a use for the exiled clergy.
"...May we make a suggestion?" Forest announced as he rose from the huddled group of radicals. Ares and his Bishops responded with their attention. "If your faction were wrongly excommunicated by the Solarist Church, our armies would be more than glad to put you back into your position as head of faith," Forest suggested. "A valid justification for war... It could split the unicorns into weaker factions... We could make Ares our puppet!" Forest devilishly thought, "If this isn't the best application for 'Two birds, one stone,' nothing is." Forest chuckled mentally.
Ares looked towards his bishops and back to Forest. "We appreciate your offer, however, the Solarist Church is beyond saving." Ares grimly informed, causing the radicals to shrink in disappointment and surprise. "I once thought we could fix the Solarist church from the inside; however, the corruption was deeper than we thought." Ares clenched his teeth in anger as he continued his explanation, "What we had discovered was that the Solarist church was conceived with the intentions of greed and power..." Ares stomped strongly, causing many in the senate to cower as they had never seen Ares's wrath before. "The Canterlot church is nothing but a sham! Its intentions impure and sinful!" Ares roared through stomps; causing Tia and Lulu, who had known Ares as a gentle, calm pony to shiver in fear. Starswirl could also not believe his friend had an angry side.
"The Canterlot church cannot be reformed! It cannot be rescued! Its roots corrupted and its leader's devils!" Ares boomed angrily; making Green rethink his sympathies towards the 'helpless' Ares. The reactionaries attempted to distance, however his speech was winning the radical's support. "The Solarist church must be reborn! Rebirthed through fire and quills! We must burn the old scriptures! Burn the devils that interpret them! And open our doors to all ponies! Regardless of class nor tribe!" Ares shouted zealously, causing some moderates and all the radicals to cheer madly in support. The rest of the moderates clapped hesitantly, as they did not want to resort to violence of death, whilst the reactionaries were conflicted like the radicals were, as the 'peaceful' and 'stabilising' church looked more like a platform of revolutionaries through Ares.
"ORDER! ORDER!" Green barked, striking his gavel thrice. Green felt conflicted in his sympathies with Ares, however, saw the benefits of having a clergypony on their side.
Ares stood defiantly, his expressions of calmness replaced with wrath and determination. His bishops meanwhile stood close behind him, bracing themselves as well.
"...What do you want us to do?" Green asked slowly, unsure if it was the right question to start with.
"A new church. A church without corruption. A church without indulgence. A church where everypony is equal, and its messages open to all." Ares declared confidently; his eyes wisely shut. "We require your assistance to make this dream come true." Ares opened his eyes to look into Green's eyes with conviction. Green recoiled from the sudden attention.
The representatives began debating once more, as they questioned the need for a church in their new republic; until Green struck a eureka. "That's it! You will teach our ponies!" Green decided, causing several of the ponies to raise their brows in confusement.
"We already have churches throughout our lands and the clergy are already literate and educated!" Green explained frantically; not wanting to alienate his representatives. "Instead of getting rid of them, why not use them and find spiritual purpose at the same time?" Green appealed, as he remembered reading from Harold's book that faith gave purpose to a creature's life.
The representatives hummed at Green's proposal and raised their hooves in agreement. Ares and his bishops smiled as the entire senate agreed in Green's plan, as they had gotten everything they wanted.
"Brilliant! Now, how about a name change for your church Ares?" Green joyfully remarked, as his studies with Harold had paid off.
Ares smiled at the filly, as he and his bishops had already decided with a name during their trip. "We shall name our church the protestants," Ares replied. The name had been conceived when their faction had protested and left peacefully from the Canterlot church. "May our movement be the last and the first successful schism of the Solarist church."
"No." The first disagreement.
Starswirl signed as he began rubbing his temples with his hoof to soothe his headache. "Our ponies will starve without food... Please... Reconsider." Starswirl begged the stubborn earth ponies, as a few of the radicals were chuckling in their rightful suffering.
"Say that to the millions of buried earth ponies who starved whilst you held banquets and parties..." A reactionary snarled as many had seen first-hoof their dead bare-villagers be buried in the fields back home.
"Maybe you unicorns will learn from this experience. They will finally know how it feels to bury their skeletal parents who starved to death to feed you!" A moderate chided; many glad that the tables had turned on the unicorns.
"Better yet! We don't need to send an army to crush you all! Starvation is cheaper and far more painful!" A radical sneered, whilst Forest nodded a sinister grin.
"What will happen to us sister?" Lulu asked Tia, who was holding her close.
"I don't know..." Tia helplessly shook her head, which made Lulu shrivel under Tia's barrel.
"Starving us won't teach us anything! It will only incur the wrath of the windigos yet again!" Starswirl warned, but the senate erupted in laughter.
"Oh yeah?! Where were the windigos when you neglected us!" A radical rebutted furiously, as he slammed on his seat. "Where were they when the pegasus extorted us!" The radical demanded.
"The windigos are dead. We made sure of that during our 'union'. It's just that our messages of love were lost as soon as it occurred." A moderate growled, angry at Starswirl for stooping to the point of fabricating threats.
"Our anger is not towards you Starswirl, for you haven't done anything to harm us." A reactionary assured, however, he continued, "But you did nothing as our ponies starved, and begged for help like you are doing now." Every representative began nodding in agreement. "It's high time we return the favour..." He finished by turning his back; symbolising what Starswirl had done to them. The other ponies followed.
"...we have to help them..." Green decided, making the ponies turn back around in outrage.
"WHAT?!" They all shouted; Forest looking especially angry.
"Listen! By starving them we are only going to perpetuate a cycle of hate!" Green reasoned, thanking Harold's book for giving him wisdom, "We live with these unicorns! If we want to feel safe and stabilise, we have to show them we are the better pony!" Several reactionary's expressions began to soften. "They raise the sun for Solari's sake! And not all will starve! They will forever haunt us with raids and skirmishes!" The moderates began to see reason. "We may have an overwhelming army, but our enemies across our borders will see weakness in our infighting! Our armies cannot be bogged down in a futile war against the unicorns!" Green had finally won the moderates and reactionaries, as they began nodding to his explanation.
"Lies! Our armies will easily crush our enemies!" Forest denied, causing some wavering radicals to stick by Forest's side.
"No nation is great enough to protect its entire borders! No less one fighting an internal conflict! The unicorns are already entrenched in castles and their magic allows them to evade battles easily! It'll be an impossible war to win!" Green argued, causing the wavering radicals to join his side.
"So what?! We will feed the ponies which starved and enslaved us?!" Forest desperately challenged, as he had witnessed his parents be carried off by a band of pegasuses to a unicorn's mine and never come back. "You want our earth pony's deaths to be forgotten overnight?! The unicorns and pegasuses forgiven despite their bloodied hooves?!" Forest clenched his teeth strongly; to the point that his gums began to bleed. "We said the same things during the founding of Equestria! And see how it turned out!" Forest stomped furiously, causing several of his fellow radicals to back off; both physically and symbolically.
"The unicorns and pegasus will not be forgiven that easily. We will hold trials and determine if a noble or general is guilty from testimonies from the native earth ponies." Green justified, completely winning over the entire senate, "But we cannot let revenge blind us, and there exist several minor or insignificant nobles and pegasuses that doesn't deserve our wrath." Tia and Lulu sighed a breath of relief, whilst Starswirl nodded at the compromise.
Forest watched on desperately as his fellow radicals distanced away from him; leaving Forest isolated within the senate seats. His desperation quickly turned into spite, then finally anger. "TRAITORS! ALL OF YOU!" Forest accused, frailing his hooves wildly, "HAVE YOU ALL FORGOTTEN OUR SUFFERING?! HAVE YOU ALL FORGOTTEN OUR DEATHS?!" Forest stomped at his seat, causing it to crack and send splinters into his hoof. "THEY HAVE BETRAYED US! YET YOU DECIDE TO TRUST THEM?!" Forest continued stomping with his bloodied hooves.
"That's enough Forest!" Green struck with his gavel, but Forest simply shouted louder.
"MARK MY WORDS! THE UNICORNS WILL BETRAY US! THE PEGASUSES WILL BETRAY US! ONCE THEY FILL THEIR BELLIES WITH OUR FOOD, THEY WILL STRIKE US!" Forest stormed, trotting silently towards the stairs and the exit. The radicals flowed outwards to maintain their distance with Forest, as he walked past them without acknowledging any of them.
As Forest slammed the door in his exit, and his hoofsteps no longer became audible, Green began rubbing his temple. "This won't end well..." Green muttered silently, as he had a premonition of what Forest was going to do.
"He has the support of his personal Battalion... And he has just alienated himself from the senate..." Green thought, fearing the implications. "Courier!" Green called out, prompting the courier to dash towards him from the door.
"Yes sir?" The courier asked, happy for the distraction.
Green began writing and narrating his letter, "Tell the guards to arrest all generals and put them into house arrest. Tell the divisions in the local garrisons to assemble hidden outside the senate and surround the capital."
"And the reasons sir?" The courier asked, reaching his hoof to take the letter.
Green finished the writing and wrote the reasons on the front. "Forest is attempting a coup."
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Someone, please send help...
Also, just found a new strat on Viccky 2, just annex Yunnan for the precious metals to get 3.1k doubloons per day. Damn overpowered.
Just realised how much of a lurker I am with the 0 'following'. But I did submit a story, so I'm not too bad, right?
vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/starcraft/images/0/0f/Lurker_SC2-LotV_DevRend1.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20141115222527
I'd say yes, they could make good friends. not sure about the church though
I kinda wanna see Luna become Napoleon. Hah. Also I’m gonna try to look up a horse word that sounds like
Paris. Or any other important French city.
I think the church should be to a point influential. How much idk. But to a point.
10868385
Haha Yes, Extremely overpowerd.Done that in game as Japan.
Say is there anynew characters from history coming.
I vote for the protestant church to be involved.
The Capital name could be Gdańsk the city of Freedom or Verteois(Greenwood in French) or just Everfree.
The Jacobins (or at this point would they be the Republicans?) really have to decide whether they are seceding from Equestria or if they are taking over administration of it. Also, this whole situation will get even more messy since it seems like you're combining the French Revolution with the early Protestant Reformation or the Great Schism.
Declaring themselves as the Republic of Equestria while also abandoning the rest of Equestria would make that declaration completely hollow. If would be like California seceding and declaring itself to be the true successor to the US all while the US is being invaded on all sides.
But I understand that there is a lot of resentment towards unicorns where even those that didn't partake in atrocities against Earth Ponies still turned a blind eye to it, like Starswirl had.
Maybe there could be some compromise here but the threat of a coup coupled with the instability of a nascent nation and the raids by almost all of their neighbors would make this a lot harder.
Maybe the Jacobins do help the unicorns (point for the moderates) but at the cost of recognizing the authority of the Congress / Parliament / Duma (or whatever the legislature is calling itself) as opposed to the failed Founders or the Unicorn nobility (point for the radicals).
Food would be given as aid this time but afterwards everyone will need to pay for their food in either goods, services, or currency.
The Republican army continues to protect Equestria's borders and the villagers including unicorns and pegasi (point for the moderates) but all military and militia units would fall under the Republican chain of command and the Republican army will ensure that settlements remain loyal to the Republic (point for the radicals).
If a settlement recognizes the authority of the Republic then it will be given aid. If it does not and instead recognizes the authority of the unicorn nobility, then it will forced to rely on the nobility for aid.
If the Republic is to represent all of Equestria then it would need to accept unicorn and pegasi representatives (point for the moderates, though one that the radicals would hate) but in exchange the Solar Church is reformed and all forms of inherited titles (such as nobility or military nepotism) is abolished (two big points for the radicals to make up for the presence of non-Earth Ponies).
Coercing loyalty to the new state in exchange for not starving to death may seem harsh compared to modern standards, but this isn't modern days and there is historical precedent to centralize control over a nation by monopolizing food and security.
If it gives us the main dish faster (as in, the griffons), then by all means the church can go ahead and fall apart already as far as I'm concerned. A schism is hardly an interesting subject, they all look the same - they begin for more or less justified reason, they split the land and they never really end.
The fall of Solarist church is much more interesting route anyway. With how young the princesses are it brings a very serious dilemma: just who will maintain the solar and lunar cycle?
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Unless you're a hardcore history geek or studying theology then the actual differences that bring about a schism within a religion isn't very interesting, there are hundreds to thousands of books written with arguments for or against the nature of the trinity, the divine and mundane nature of Jesus as son of God but also as a being of flesh, and whether the communion is to be considered symbolic or literal.
The interesting bit comes when the disagreements flare up and go political where you have a series of wars, civil wars, domestic conflicts with everyone calling each other heretics and trying to murder them.
Ooh back and as strong as ever!
I'll do corrections if I feel like it later I guess.
10868412
Well, the earth ponies are all currently french revolutionaries, so Forest or some other earthpone would fit that mould with far greater ease.
Also, Paris is far too on the nose. Try something righteous and good, like Equitania (Aquitaine but with horse words) or Bucephalon (Alexander the Okay's horse). You could probably write a myth of Bucephalon to add in universe context.
10868816
Mate, this is a story written by and for paradox nerds – this is the sort of shit they eat for breakfast.
I do, however, agree that church schisms can be really esoteric and boring.I vote more for a background Church, occasional schemes and maybe even full on reformation into Metallurgy and alchemical colleges would be an interesting turn of events.
Alternate history, and all the junk therein, seems like a fitting way for this story to go.
I also want Luna to read of Harold – I think that'd be neat.
That's my two pence, night.
I sort of prefer that the church should be shoved in the background after all if the church becomes influential, it would just trade one chains that were visible to another sets of chains that are invisible and in words. Also I think both little and Luna should be friends after all they have things in commons from an older sibling that has responsibilities and gaining knowledge and power from humble and tragic beginnings.
Although a quick question, will the griffins from the German empire Bismarck and Paul arrive while equestrian representatives still there or after they have left the republic.
I can already see the thoughts of Bismarck of learning what equestria is and already formulating on how to make equestria and the republic into unofficial/official client states.
10868816
No, schism really is boring even if you know all the facts. The core of it is very simple - someone disagrees with a current order, either out of genuine religious concern, or because they can gain something from it. Thing is, the initial points of disagreement do not really matter, for the results are always the same, political. Religion is about the belief, not proven facts. It's one thing to argue about some very subtle, niche distinction and it's another to break off all contact with the other side. Those behind the schisms never perform them to change the scriptures. The real schism is born simply because you are sick of talking to those who disagree and simply decide that it's easier to outright ignore them rather than to try to convince them. That, or because it just gives you power/money/whatever (looking at you, Henry VIII). So yes, schisms are just cases of "I ignore your reality and substitute it with mine", but resulting in generations of pointless violence and hostility. Easily the most pointless type of conflict in human history.
As for schism going political - yes, there are all those things you named, no doubt. There's one word that encapsulates them - chaos. Not the kind that is really fun to watch either - all sides do the same thing (persecuting each other) and the only random part is who picks which side, which as I mentioned isn't really of importance. Hardly something I'd consider interesting.
Please, do not see this as some kind of attack, kolovos. I'm just another guy who read one time to many on how immature this or that pope/patriarch/whatever acted.
10868955
Can't tell ya 'cause of spoilers
10869018
That okay I was curious on if they would arrive before or after the equestrian are done with their meeting.
10868909
Napoleon wasn’t French and was a minor noble, so if you stretch it a bit, maybe Luna might fit. Also yes to those names.
10869347
Haha story go brrrrrrrr
10869038
They will arrive at a completely different location. So no.
The thestrals would be a powerful allies of the earthponies were they to court their favor as they would prove a counterbalance to the Pegasi
I think the church should be in the background.
10874219
Damn didn't see that one. Thanks for the notice
10874206
Just be the main character. Easy.