Preface:

When I was a filly I used to love listening to old songs and stories. Whether it was the Mare in the Moon, Hearth's Warming Eve, or any other fable I couldn't get enough of them. I guess that where the singing and lyre playing started. I loved old songs and stories full of monsters, romance, and adventure.

Then Nightmare Moon came and my world turned upside down. I'd lost count of how many fillies and colts I'd told about the Mare in the Moon, only for it to turn out to be real. Even though Nightmare Moon was defeated and Princess Luna redeemed a horrible thought had entered into my head.

Just how many other old mares tales were true?

I started doing research, much to my roommates annoyance at times, visiting libraries in Canterlot, Manehatten, Hoofington, and even Cloudsdale once (which took a tricky bit of magic I might add). It started small, researching the origins of various stories. More than a few thankfully turned out to be just that, stories. Then however I found a few very old texts in the royal library of Canterlot that truly terrified me. Stories about Menn, or humans as we in Equestria call them.

Most readers I am sure heard a few stories in their youth that had humans; big clumsy almost hairless creatures with clubs who forced just about anything to serve them or they would eat them. Most would call such stories fanciful nonsense or gross exaggerations of true events. After all? Who would want to walk around on two feet all the time? You would fall over constantly. But in those texts dating back to the very earliest Pony settling of Equestria I learned the truth. Humans weren't just real, they are real.

The text I found was copy of Princess Platinum's Diary detailing the hard fighting to secure Equestria for this land we call our home in truth once belonged to the Humans. Her diary recorded over ten years worth of entries detailing a brutal back forth struggle for the land.

The humans lived up to the legends for the most part, terrifying warriors able to wield their weapons with their awful hands better then we ponies could with our hooves. Few of them had wings however and just as few could use magic. They like we Ponies had (or rather have) sub groups who developed wings, the ability to use magic, or were simple and plain but strong.

This lack of air and magical support however was their undoing. One by one their cities and fortress fell to fast moving Pegasus forces and Unicorn magics. They fought hard to keep us out of their lands and maintain their domination of all the life in Equestria but in the end they were beaten.

The surviving humans, numbering still in the thousands were still a threat however, one that Equestria's founders could ill afford to be allowed to run rampant. So the Humans were given ships and banished from Equestria on pain of death should they ever return. To make doubly sure Commander Hurricane produced a massive storm which scattered the ships, tossing the humans to the far corners of the world.

To our ancestors the matter was settled, the Humans were gone and their was new territory to be settled. No reason to worry about those who were banished forever right? They were wrong. With some difficulty I have gathered information from a variety of sources that confirmed my suspicions. The humans survived, whether or not they thrived is in the eye of the beholder.

Most of the humans settled across the Sea of Harmony to the East, miles of ocean between them and Equestria. The closest of these human groups are called the Nor Menn(North Humans), who are barbarians among barbarians. The land they settled is cold, harsh, little in the way of natural resources, the winters there are far to long and far to harsh for any sensible pony and some say they are getting longer and colder. Rather than unite they divided into clans, tribes, and houses all fighting for what scarce resources are to be found.

Since it is difficult for them to grow their own food they devour the creatures of the wild and the fish of the sea, but even that cannot sustain them in the harsh winters. Thus they became brutal raiders, taking great longships on bloody rampages around the world. These longships may be their only stroke of brilliance as they are reported to be just as capable of sailing on the high seas as they are at navigating shallow rivers. Their raids have struck the Griffons, Zebra, other humans, and other pony nations such as Prance or Mustangia.

In Prance particularly they are feared, even paid massive sums of food and gems to keep their raiders away. The last time the armies of Prance tried to fight the Nor Menn, over forty thousand Ponies were massacred when the Nor Menn obliterated their armies and sacked the city of Reins. This constant tribute of food and gems has sapped Prances economy in recent years, causing famine and civil war, making it all the easier for the Nor Menn to plunder, but less profitable. The Nor Menn are suspicious however, keeping clear of Equestria's coastlines.

It is also said that while they are fierce warriors and brutal raiders they are also skilled metal workers and shrewd traders. They sell loot from their raids to merchants as close as Zebraca for food, textiles, and salt. They also are reported to have a rich culture of songs and stories most of which are grizzly tales filled with violence.

South and to the East of the Nor Menn dwell the people of Themizonica, a militaristic, matriarchal society. By all accounts they are hardliners for the old human empire that existed in Equestria before our ancestors arrived. They have not changed much in the many years since being exiled, improving little upon what was already present at the fall.

The Themizons as they are called are deeply xenophobic by all accounts, hating anyone who isn't one of their own. They have waged brutal expansionist wars upon surrounding nations with mixed success and have a well organize if somewhat out dated military. In all honesty they are a lot like Stormwing only without hooves and even more likely to stab you in the face for looking at them funny.

Further east of the Themizonica is a cursed land called Silvinvania, of which few dare speak of. Silvinvania's residents are said to be cursed by a two horrible plagues which transform them into monstrous beasts, blood drinking killers, or both some say. Traders say ancient evils made their home in the mountain valleys and forests where they settled and did not take kindly to the intrusion.

Most of what I have heard of Silvinvania is either to horrible to contemplate or to wild to be true. Stories tell of occult rites, dark magic, the walking dead, and taxes paid in liters of blood. Few dare to set foot in that dark land and fewer still return from it alive.

Further south and further east are the Sunrise isles, where dwells the mighty Empire of the Sun. It is a strange place, even considering its inhabitants. Tales speak of dragons who fly without wings, of statues brought to life, and great cities bustling with trade and commerce. It is likely the most civilized of the human nations but this is most likely due to stringent laws and harsh punishments for defying them.

The humans there are notable metal workers, have a rich history and culture, and technology to rival house Earthborn. Goods from the east flow through its ports before heading west towards Zebraca and then here to Equestria. Its current ruler, Emperor Yoshiro, was an avid traveler and sailor in his younger days. Thirty years ago he even came within shouting distance of the shore line of Equestria.

The incident in question, commonly referred to as the Balitmare Mariner caused a minor panic in Equestria which Princess Celestia quickly hushed up. A single surviving report from the Royal guard group that escorted Celestia to that meeting states that she came to a stop around twenty feet from the ship and demanded to know what the humans were doing. The Emperor, then a prince of around thirty answered that he was exploring. When Celestia reminded him of the ban Yoshiro pointed out that neither he nor any of his crew had set foot on Equestria and thus had not violated the ban. Celestia let him off with a warning and ordered him to sail back home then covered the entire incident up.

Directly south of Zebraca however is our the fifth and final known human nation, the Sultanate of Turmgypt. The humans there made landfall after Commander Hurricane's storm and quickly resumed the same brutality that got them banished in the first place. They enslaved many of the local residents save for the Camels whom they formed alliances with. For centuries they have waged back and forth wars with the Zebras. Their gains have been slowed however by political infighting and civil war.

Still despite fierce resistance from the Zebra and civil strife the Sultanate has made steady gains. Most of the southern half of Zebra territory has been lost to the Sultanate who are masters of siege warfare and practice dark magics to strengthen their forces. The city of Trotpoli, the most southern city most ponies in equestria have heard of has been besieged no less than six times and fallen four of those times. Further hampering the Zebra war effort the Sultanate employs vast fleets of Corsairs who prey upon merchant shipping.

The Sultanate openly practices slavery in all its forms. They buy and sell slaves from all over the world, in particular Zebras. It is said that an elite force exists within the Sultanates army who are all slaves raised to be elite soldiers to form the vanguard force of the ruling Sultan, called the Mamluks. Most slaves however die cruel deaths of toil and torment.

It is easy for us to look down on the humans; they were barbarians when our ancestors cast them out and for the most part they are still barbarians now. They are still just as cruel and violent as before. But when I look at Equestria now I wonder if we can truly claim to be civilized? Can we truly say that we are above the evils they commit anymore?

Equestria is now a divided land, split between five houses and a cult all vying for supremacy. Moon and Stars enslave and brutalize anyone who isn't a unicorn, Stormwing flooded Ponyville and killed hundreds of innocent ponies, Earthborn has declared what is essentially genocide against all unicorns, Everfree is a mass of wild barbarians who would tear down everything our ancestors built, we of Whitegold casually play all sides off each other for profit and power, and the Cult of Laughter needs no explanation for their evils. We cast the humans out for the same evils that are now committed on an almost daily basis now by ponies upon other ponies.

Have we fallen so low? Were Celestia and Luna the only things holding our lands together? Are the ideas of harmony that we once lauded truly so hollow? Who are the civilized ones and who are the barbarians?

Lyra Heartstrings, Former House Whitegold Scholar, "Humans: Beyond the Legends."

Author's Note

So there's the Preface to this story. The first true meaty glory comes out tomorrow. Enjoy, and leave comments below.