Chapters Keepers of the Night: A Written History of Thestrals
Equestria, if nothing else, is a land of consistency. The Pegasi, with their ability to fly, have always ensured that the weather never becomes out of hand. The Unicorns, with magic, have always cycled day and night at regular intervals. The Earth ponies have always taken advantage of this stability in order to provide the rest of Ponykind with a steady food supply. So it has been since before written history.
Another thing that is consistent is Equestria's regular schedule of massive societal upheavals. The first example that may come to mind is the banishment of Nightmare moon over one thousand years ago, and much more recently the return of the Crystal Empire. However, long before either of these events transpired, a series of much more dramatic changes took place, and in a relatively quick succession.
In order to fully comprehend what the effect these events had on our history, one must first have a basic understanding of Equestria's societal structure prior to them. That is the purpose of this text.
It may not be entirely clear to the average pony who exactly the Thestrals are. In recent times, every member of their race is a member of the Nightguard, responsible directly to Princess Luna. Their responsibilities consist of any and all events that take place during the night. This usually consists of simple peacekeeping, but occasionally, they may perform dreamwalks into ponies who have nightmares, in order to put their minds at ease.
Aside from these, Thestrals have very little direct contact with the rest of the pony world. Few in number, they reside in Princess Luna's Night Castles during the day, when they get their rest. Their quarters are restricted; even pony nobility are forbidden from entering their domain. Princess Celestia has begun to push for more access to the Thestrals, although those talks between the two princesses are still pending at this time.
Although they are general kept from direct Contact, ponies are permitted to know the names and positions of the Nightguard. The total Thestral population is very small, totaling 250 at the Canterlot Garrison, with a further 3000 spread across other Equestrian Castles. The Nightguard is divided into 5 divisions, based on location; North, South, East, West, and Capital. Each division is divided into Dream, Creature, and Watch Battalions. A detailed chart of the ponies that hold these positions can be found at the end of this chapter.
However, this organization is a very recent creation, only being instated with the return of Princess Luna roughly 3 years ago. Before then very little is know about them other than their own oral traditions and a limited number of written texts. However, through the efforts of Princess Twilight Sparkle and this author, much of the information has been gathered here, enough so that we now have a clear picture of the history of this unique race of ponies.
Beginnings in Equestria
Little is known about the origin of the Thestrals. The prevailing myth, and accepted theory, is that roughly 4000 years ago they were created by Starswirl the Bearded, as a way to protect the ponies from creatures who might harm them during the night. It isn’t known exactly how he created them, although their numbers increased rapidly in short amount of time. In 300 years, their population exploded from 500 to over 5000.
Their function then was as it is now; to protect the sleeping ponies from whatever might try to harm them at night, although their organization, the Thestral Watch, was much more informal than it is today. In those times, dream walking had not yet been discovered, so their duties were simply peacekeeping and creature control. Since at this time, most of Equestria was still wild, there were many places where such unrest might have occurred.
Initially, there was little objection to their official function. In the populated cities, such as Maresailles and San Franciscolt, they were praised for their skills as detectives, being watchful at night for burglars and other night time crimes. It was often said that one couldn’t litter without the Thestral Watch knowing about it. Such sayings were just that, as the Watch was focused on preventing major disturbances, though they show the confidence the pony populace had in their abilities.
The majority of the Thestral Watch’s effort were focused in the countryside. In those times, dangerous creatures, such as Timberwolves and Cockatrices, were not confined to the Everfree forrest, since most of the land was not yet settled. They wandered freely, attacking any pony unlucky enough to cross their path.
At night, the Watch allocated a vast amount of resources to corralling these creatures in controlled areas. Squads were at constant readiness should one of the creatures escape into the populace. The Everfree Forrest today is the product of the largest of these reserves, and still serves that purpose under the Nightguard. The farmers and pioneers were immensely pleased with their performance, noting in town documents that “The efforts of the Thestral Watch have made possible the safe and effective use of these lands, where our families can grow free of fear.”
However, because of the nature of their duties, the Thestrals were never fully integrated into regular society. Their appearance, being closer to bats than normal ponies, often terrified ponies of the day. While this made them effective enforcers of the law, it hampered their ability to operate in regular life.
The same duties that altered their social traits also altered them physically. On average, Thestrals stood half a hand taller than Pegasi, and a whole hand higher than Unicorns. They were also extremely physical, outperforming the Royal Guard in every Equestria Games since their inception.
Because of these facts, the Thestrals began to see themselves as something apart from normal ponies. This sense of otherness eventually developed into a sense of superiority, and the Watch eventually began demanding an expansion to their rights. At the time, all Thestrals were all inducted into the Watch at birth, and were given no choice in occupation. With their increasing size, they began to demand the right to live amongst the regular ponies, and live alongside them rather than for them.
The Equestrians viewed these demands as aggressive threats, even though the Watch had made no direct threats. The fear was that if the concessions were not met, the Watch would cease watching over the night. However, the majority of ponies did not want the Thestrals living with them, only knowing them as police and brutal creature controllers.
Despite the population boom, the growth of the Watch was outpaced by the growth of developed land. Equestria could not afford to have the Thestrals do anything other than guard the night. Princess Celestia asked the Thestrals if they would continue in their duties if they were allowed to live amongst the ponies, but the Captain of the Watch Captain Gibbon stood fast on their desire for freedom from Watch service.
Events came to a head when Gibbon ordered an end to all operations until the Watch demands were met. His plan was to make the Equestrians realize that they couldn’t function without the Watch to protect them. The night of the strike, reports of deadly creature attacks and disorder increased by 1500%, to the point where Princess Celestia needed to send her Royal Guard out to end it.
The reaction from the Equestrian population was immediate and violent. In at least one instance, a Thestral barracks needed to be abandoned to a mob farm ponies, reportedly with the aid of regular soldiers. Gibbon, furious at the failure of his plan, attempted to storm Canterlot Castle, in order to force Celestia to give in to his demands. However, his assault was turned back, with a majority of the Thestrals captured by Royal soldiers.
With this action, the Princess could no longer trust the Thestrals to coexist with the rest of Equestria. She banished the entire race beyond the Hadrian mountains, a mountain range from which no pony had ever returned. With no other choice, the Thestrals settled into this new land and made it their home.
Organization of the Nightguard
Division Commander: LTCOL Speck
Creature Control Officer: MAJ Crescent
Chief of Peace: MAJ Florence
Master of Dreams: MAJ Starcross
Division Commander: LTCOL Southern Cross
Creature Control Officer: MAJ Eclipse
Chief of Peace: MAJ Crystal Sphere
Master of Dreams: MAJ Star Gazer
Division Commander: LTCOL Stella
Creature Control Officer: MAJ Moon Beam
Chief of Peace: MAJ Raven
Master of Dreams: MAJ Solstice
Division Commander: LTCOL Tranquility
Creature Control: MAJ Stormy Night
Chief of Peace: MAJ Nightfall
Master of Dreams: MAJ Borealis
Division Commander: COL Night Watch
Capital Affairs Officer: MAJ Moonshine
Master of Dreams: MAJ Serenity
Nightguard Positions
Members of the Nightguard, as mentioned above, are divided into 5 divisions within Equestria. Division North is responsible for the areas spanning Galloping Gorge to Manehatten, and is Headquartered in Manehattan. Division South covers the San Palomino Desert to the Badlands, and is headquartered in Las Pegasus. Division East spans Fillydelphia to the Hayseed Swamps, and is based in Baltimare. Division West covers what remains, and is commanded from Vanhoover. Capital Division only covers Canterlot, and is responsible for all events during the night in the capital city.
Within Each of these divisions, there are 4 senior officer positions (excluding Capital Division). The Division Commander is responsible for all actions carried out by the division. All other officers report directly to them. Commanders usually hold the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, although Major and even Captain commanders are not unheard of.
Creature Control Officers are charged with ensuring that ponies are safe from creatures that may wish to do them harm in the night. This usually means maintaining security around designated reserves, the most well known of which is the Everfree Forrest. However, rapid response units exist to capture any creatures that may escape.
Dreamwalkers use unicorn magic to enter the dreams of sleeping ponies, surreptitiously aiding them in overcoming their nightmares. In special cases, Princess Luna may take part in these dreamwalk, although the task usually falls to the Thestral Unicorns.
The Capital Division stands apart from the other divisions. Their area of responsibility lies only within Canterlot, so they do not have Creature Control. Instead, there is a Capital Affairs Officer who handles all matters that concern law and order in the nighttime capital.
Keepers of the Night: A Written History of Thestrals
2: Civil War and the Founding of a Dynasty
In the early days of Equestria, the geography was very different from what we know today. The known world was roughly half the size of what we now know, the entire continent being divided by a mountain range known as the Hadrian Mountains. To the west lay Equestria, where day and night cycled much as they do now, and the ponies tend to their fields and the weather as they do today.
East of these mountains was a mystery to Equestrians. Many expeditions had been led to discover what lay on the other side, but no pony ever returned to describe what they saw. This led to the creation of many myths as to what was on the other side. Some said that it was a land of dragons, and that they devoured anyone who dare trespass in their domain. Other speculated that the mountains simply went on forever, forcing the poor souls to climb endlessly. Still others claimed that there was nothing at all, simply a void where unfortunate ponies fell off the edge of the world.
It isn’t known if Princess Celestia knew what was beyond the range when she banished the Thestrals; the Princess herself is known of being secretive about the land's history. What is known for certain, though, was that she knew whatever lay over the mountains would be sufficient punishment for attempting to dethrone her. As it turns out, she was correct. Although the truth about this land wasn’t quite as wild as some had led themselves to believe, it was no less disheartening.
The land that would come to be known as Nocturna was a bleak and dismal world, more akin to the moon itself than a nation for ponies. The land was bordered by the Icy North, where it was too cold for any pony to survive. To the south lay the Forest of Monsters, where fierce creatures would attack lost ponies. The very east was flanked by the sea, which stretched on beyond our known world. In between was nothing but arid wastelands, where basic crops struggled to grow.
The Thestral population’s reaction to exile was divisive. Some attempted to maintain the status quo of the Thestral Watch, and tried to keep existing structures of authority in place. Others lost faith in their commanders, and fled to edges of the world, hoping for easier settlements.
There were those that saw opportunity in this new world. The seeds for a nation were sown by a previously unheard of Thestral alacorn by the name of Nebulus. She claimed that been coronated shortly before the uprising, and that she would be their rallying point for the founding of a new empire.
There is no evidence to either prove or disprove Nebulus’s story. There are no official records of such a coronation actually taking place. However, it is possible these records were destroyed following their exile. Another possibility is that she was once a Thestral unicorn who cast an alacornication spell of herself. This cannot be verified for certain, as the instructions for this spell are under constant guard in Canterlot.
Nebulus must’ve been very persuasive, since it appears that she was able to convince a large majority of the population to follow her in building her kingdom. However, there were those who doubted her story, and so began a war for control of what can only be described as a Netherworld.
Nebulus had managed to organize a substantial portion of the former Watch into her Nighthawk guard. She used this army to build a base at the base of the Mountains, where she would launch the majority of her campaigns. Her remarkable organizational skills inspired confidence in her new subjects, who had initially given up hope of survival.
The creation of a home was only a temporary reprieve from their hardships. The Thestrals had taken a supply of crops with them into exile, but their supply was running out rapidly. The ground was not ideal for growing, and the lands that were lay in the hooves of ponies hostile to Nebulus.
However, the new Princess did not give herself nor her soldiers a rest from work. Before her capital was even completed, she sent out an army to the east to capture the wetlands that were more suited to farming. Once she had control of the habitable land, she planned to launch more campaigns to the north and south in order to capture the rest of the land.
Campaign for the East
The Eastern Shore was going to be Nebulus’s greatest challenge. Since it’s inhabitants had broken away from the rest of the thestral population, they stopped identifying themselves with rest. The feeling of otherness was felt by the other ponies. Rumors, and later confirmed reports, began to make their way west that the Eastern Shore had found a way to grow their own food.
At this time, the west was still struggling to survive off of what they’d brought from Equestria, and every pony knew that life there was unsustainable. Even Nebulus, charismatic as she was, could not ignore this reality. She had initially planned to sweep south before heading north. Only then would she head for the sea. The knowledge that there were farms in the east now made those plans pointless. The east needed to be secured at all costs. However, the shore was over 150 miles away from her capital. There couldn’t have been a better pony to capture it than Nebulus.
The Princess was known among her troops for her inexhaustible supply of energy and utter fearlessness. She would routinely march with her soldiers for 30 miles at a time, only stopping so that they could be fed. When one of her captains asked they take shelter from a sandstorm she was reported to have said “These stallions have survived a failed revolution and a land that is actively trying to kill them. I have faith they can take some dust in their eyes.”
General Meteor, the first Nighthawk Captain, expressed his concern in a letter to Nebulus.
Princess,
It pains me to make such a request, but I must request that you cease these campaigns to take the eastern shore. It is not my lack of faith in our stallions that causes me to write, but rather it is my concern for their welfare and safety. I understand you give them hope and that they wish to follow you into prosperity above all else, but they are only ponies. They may not know it themselves, but your army has limits as to what they can achieve, especially with the current state of our food supply. I have my staff searching for alternatives, but until they come up with an one, the Nighthawks can not push much farther without a catastrophic failure. I pray that you will consider delaying any more operations.
Faithfully, GEN Meteor
It seems though, that the self made princess either had incredible luck or clairvoyance. 2 days after the General wrote the above letter, Unicorns in the capital discovered a crystal that could be sown into the soil in order to make it fertile. It was another week before a sizable deposit was discovered in the hills south of the city. Fortune seemed to be on the side of the Nighthawks.
Nebulus was shrewd. When she finally received the news the day before their planned siege of the coastal fort of Fallen Star, she withheld the information from her army. When questioned by one of her colonels why the stallions couldn’t know of the new innovations, she reported retorted, “These stallions fight because they’re starving. If they’re not worried about where their next meal is coming from, why would they try and take that fort?”
The siege went ahead as scheduled. Taking advantage of her army’s superior expertise, the Nighthawks were able to size the fort within 3 days. When Nebulus paraded into the city the next day, she discovered that the ponies living there had also discovered the crystal, dubbed by the locals as helio.
As it turned out, helio was quite common in this land, with deposits scattered in areas where the soil had either eroded, as on the shores, or had been forced up, as in the mountains. With Fallen Star now under her control, along with more arable land, she prepared to launch her twin offensive to conquer the rest of what she had already claimed as her land. In a letter to her close friend and confidant, New Moon, we find the first instance of the land’s name.
Dearest New Moon,
I pray that you are recovering from your dreadful case of feather flu. It’s an unfortunate plague we carried from Equestria. In happier news, I’m glad to report that all of the ponies here in the east are reaping the benefits of helio. It seems such a pity that, had we discovered this magical mineral earlier, all of this suffering may have been averted.
But that is in the past. Now we look to the future, and I see that it is a bright one. Once those fools in the north are pacified, the south will follow suit, and this war will be over for good. We will rebuild our civilization here, without any interference.
I predict that future generations of thestrals will see Equestria as a mythical land, lost to those who sought only to use and abuse. But it will be just that; a myth. There is no need to return. Celestia wanted us to learn a lesson by banishing us here. I’ve learned that we don’t need her in order to be a great race. Nocturna will be eternal!
Yours, Nebulus
Operation Dusk
With two footholds for her army, along with a steady supply of food, Nebulus’s dream of a unified Nocturna was close to reality. The last strongholds of resistance, to the north and south, were expected to fall within weeks of each other. With the Nighthawks increasing in number, resistance seemed a futile effort.
However, the thestrals in the remaining regions had developed an even stronger sense of independence than the Eastern Shore had. The living conditions in both regions were much harsher than any pony had ever endured, ensuring that the survivors were the strongest of their kind. However, these conditions had also had a detrimental effect on their populations, thus making it seem as though pacifying them would be swift, albeit not painless.
Nebulus had sent scouts to gather this information on her adversaries. They reported back that the Northern and Southern thestrals were indeed physically formidable. However, they reasoned that in the north, there is no stable food supply, so they would be the easiest to subdue. With this in mind, Nebulus planned to crush the northern thestrals before sweeping south, a campaign codenamed Operation Dusk.
Even though she appeared to revel in the chaos, Nebulus did not want the war to drag on. She had kept her populace pacified with a string of victories, but she was well aware that her streak would someday end. If she was to lead Nocturna after the war, she needed to make sure it was the only nation to lead.
She split her army in Fallen Star into two forces; Army Group North, roughly 500 thestrals, and Army Group South, 1000 thetrals strong. Army Group North would move first, subduing the northern thestrals in a swift attack on the largest city, Borealis. Army Group South, meanwhile, would begin marching back towards the capital, under the guise of leave. This was to ensure that southern forces did not grow suspicious of an imminent attack, although it would have been difficult not to expect one. Once the north was secure, Army Group North would march south to join Army Group South, and the combined force would sweep into the southern capital of Crater, unifying the whole continent under the banner of Nocturna.
Initially, it seemed as though the plan was a perfect success. Army Group North reach Borealis two days ahead of schedule. With an army behind her, Nebulus offered to feed the ponies if they joined her to unify the continent. The Northern Council, the governing body of the north, agreed to her conditions, and so Borealis became part of Nocturna. It appeared to be yet another exemplary show of Nebulus’s leadership.
Nebulus wasted no time moving the campaign forward. She dispatched messengers to Army Group South, telling them that they were to turn south immediately and move on Crater. She reasoned that with a smaller force, she would be able to arrive at the southern capital at the same time as the southern force.
From that point on, the plan began to fall apart. The northern group became held up in a snowstorm as they navigated then frozen plains, and their march was slowed down significantly. They would now arrive at Crater later than the southern force, and they may not have the strength to take the city.
However, Nebulus was not worried. She postulated that if the southern thestrals behaved like the north, they would surrender in much the same way, since Army Group South was substantially larger than North. She neglected to send messengers to the south, informing them of the set back.
As a result, the southern force arrived at crater on the adjusted timetable, but with less strength than they had planned. General Meteor, the commander of the force, attempted to convince the city to surrender, but their representatives were not even allowed inside the city. With a small force, and no word from Nebulus, Meteor decided to wait, and attempt to blockade the city while Army Group North made their way there.
However, the souther thestrals were a much more formidable opponent than anyone had predicted. They actively tried to break through the Nighthawk line, and nearly succeeded twice, only turned back by the swift reactions of the general and his stallions. Soon though, Meteor began to hear reports of a southern relief force on their way to Crater. He knew he would not be able to sustain a blockade, and hold off this force, since he didn’t even know it’s true strength. Since he had not heard from Nebulus, he had no choice but to end the siege and attempt to regroup with Army Group North.
Nebulus’s reaction to the news of the withdrawal was reportedly quite violent. In numerous instances, she openly labeled Meteor a traitor, but stopped short of actually punishing him. However, she was eventually convinced by the general’s colonels, as well as her own, that the general had taken the only logical course of action.
Although they had failed to take Crater, the operation had been a partial success. The north was now a part of Nocturna, and the offensive had inflicted significant losses on the southern forces, from which they would have difficulty recovering. Nocturna was in an excellent position to negotiate a favorable settlement with the southern thestrals.
However, the Nocturna Princess lived by an all or nothing creed. Since the south had mounted such a fierce resistance, she no longer wanted them integrated; she wanted them crushed. She didn’t know for sure that the south had sustained a hard blow to their military strength, but she was apparently willing to take the risk, much to the distress of General Meteor. However, with her personally leading the army, the Nighthawks followed her into battle as they always had.
Nebulus wanted to hit Crater again while they were still recovering from the siege. She reckoned that the population would not have the will to resist another siege, and would capitulate within a week. The military force within the city was already decimated, and her scouts reported that the relief force now inside numbered only 100 thestrals. against the combined Nighthawk force of 1200. Everything pointed to Nebulus’s prediction being correct.
However, the outcome was much more grim. When the Nighthawk army moved on Crater, they were greeted with an erie silence. There were no answers from their calls for surrender, and from what was visible though a telescope, they didn’t even guard the wall. They moved into the city unopposed, and quickly discovered why.
Crater was a ghost town. There were no ponies, alive or dead, in the entire city. Throughout the entire town, the ponies had carved the same cryptic message. onto everything; “Embrace the Nether.” Reports showed that the wagon tracks leading out of the city lead directly south, into the Forest of Monsters.
Even Nebulus was disturbed by the discovery. Even though she had meant to destroy them in battle, it seems it shows remorse that they chose what was thought of as a mass suicide. Her diary entries reflect this.
15 Month of Scorpio, 5 NCE
At the start of this campaign, I felt a genuine hatred for my enemy. Cooperation is essential to surviving in this world, but it seemed to me that they wished to remain divided, and thus doom the entire thestral race to extinction. This campaign could thus be justified as self preservation.
However, I never imagined the south was, for lack of a better word, insane enough to initiate a mass migration into the Forest of Monsters. Stallions, mares, fillies, and colts alike all ventured into the abyss together. Such a venture is a death sentence, even for a race as hardy as the Southerners. I would not have wished it upon any of them.
At one point, I expressed the opinion that the southern thestrals could not be integrated into Nocturna society as our equals, simply because of their resistance to our will. Maybe that view could’ve been justified, if their ideology carried over through successive generations. Still, I can’t help but feel responsible for whatever deaths befall the innocent souls that made the journey into the forest.
Crater and the rest of the southern cities and towns were later converted into Nighthawk outposts, but no civilians ever moved in to colonize them. The stigma from the mysterious mass migration stayed with them until the end of Nocturna itself.
Aftermath
The swift and shocking conclusion to the Union War, as it came to be known, Began a new era for the thestral race. As a species, they had never known lives outside of military service, and now were suddenly tasked with maintaining a civilization. To some it was very distressing to have such an uncertain future. Several Nighthawk officers, in reports to their superior, expressed concern that the morale of the troops was wavering in the face of their uncertain fates.
Following the exodus of the south, Princess Nebulus’s views of the world appeared to change dramatically. Her succeeding actions indicate she wanted to create a society not based around the Nighthawks, as their lives had been under the Thestral Watch. She had in mind a nation more like what had existed in Equestria for normal ponies. A regular militia would be established, called upon only in emergencies, and would be separate from the Nighthawks. Meanwhile, the Nighthawks themselves would serve primarily as personally guards to the princess, in addition to the security of the nation's new castles.
Not surprisingly, the Princess’s plan seems to have faced stiff resistance from the Nighthawks. They worried that if scaled back to the degree that the princess planned, they would not be an effective enough force to defend Nocturna should an unforeseen enemy arise. There was also the concern of what would become of the Nighthawks who were to be discharged. They had spent their whole lives training to be soldiers, most of them since they were in Equestria. If they were discharged, they had no skills to immediately fall back on.
Such concerns were real problems, although Nebulus stood by her plan. She assured the members of her guard that they would not be abandoned once they left her service. In the initial draft of her decree, she planned to establish schools whereby ex-Nighthawks could be trained for new careers, and integrated into a normal civilian life.
The signing of Royal Decree 000 is generally considered to be the true beginning of Nocturna as a nation. It established Nocturna’s government, as well as the rules that would govern this new thestral society. The exact location of the decree has been lost to time. However, it is rumored that it is kept deep with the archives of Princess Luna’s castle, although this claim is unsubstantiated. What is known for certain is that Princess Nebulus had done what only Princess Celestia was thought to capable; created a nation.
Keepers of the Night: A Written History of Thestrals
3: Administration and Society
Equestria today can be described as a Federal Monarchy. Each town, such as Manehattan or Baltimare, acts as its own municipality, with it’s own government, which more often than not is a direct democracy. However, all of these cities fall under the rule of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, and their laws must ultimately comply with her own.
Nocturna’s government was much more direct, at least at it’s conception. Although the Union War was over, the military model still served as the basis for the civil administration, though obviously without the strict discipline. Nocturna was divided into three duchies; Borealis, Eastern Shore, and Capital. The southern territories fell within the Capital Duchy, since it was under military administration. Each of the Dukes or Duchesses was directly responsible to Nebulus, and were responsible for executing her laws in their lands. They were permitted to pass their own decrees, but only with the Princess’s blessing.
We might imagine that such a structure would be unsustainable. In Equestria, there is a such a diversity of ponies that a consensus on every issue would be impossible. In addition, the geographic diversity makes a certain degree of independence necessary, in order to ensure local matters are dealt with swiftly.
This model was effective in Nocturna due in part to the homogeny of the thestral race. Every citizen desired some kind of certainty in their lives, and the absolute rule of Nebulus seemed to offer just that. To be sure, there were benefits to this system. Travel throughout the empire was completely unrestricted, and trade was free flowing and prosperous, especially between the resource rich Capital and Eastern Shore duchies. The lack of regional diversity also contributed to the maintenance of the union. Every town was located in a bleak environment only made habitable by helio crystals, the only variance being what kind of environment that was, be it storm battered shores or icy tundras. As such, every municipality was accepting of Nebulus’s control if it came protection from monsters and starvation.
Population size was another key factor to the success of this model. The thestral race at the empire’s birth numbered only 5000. While this is indeed larger than the modern thestral population, it is still orders of magnitude smaller than Equestria’s current population. As such, no pony in Nocturna felt as if their needs were neglected.
Even though Nebulus held absolute power, the populace had a representative body in the form of the General Assembly. The Assembly was a unicameral body consisting of 21 members, seven from each duchy. In theory, this branch was on equal footing with Princess Nebulus, since all legislation had to originate from the assembly. However, since the Princess could rule by decree, this was a moot power. This isn't to say the General Assembly was insignificant. They were an important conduit between the Princess and her subjects, adding an additional layer of legitimacy to Nebulus’s government.
Nocturnan Duchies
As stated above, Nocturna was divided into the 3 duchies Borealis, Eastern Shore, and Capital. Each of these areas was responsible for administering the Princess’s laws, as well as maintaining general law and order.
The Duchy of Borealis was established initially as a military administration over the northern territories during the Union War. However, once they became fully integrated into the empire, they needed official rule beyond that of conquered ponies. The first Duke of Borealis, Sir Caldera, was hoof picked by Nebulus to rule in the north. Previously a Logistics Coordinator for the Thestral Watch, his ennoblement was met with disapproval from the Nighthawk Establishment, but this was of no concern to Nebulus. She picked Caldera precisely because he was a civilian in Nocturna, and not a Nighthawk officer. This way, the people did not feel as if they were still at war, and allowed Nebulus to claim even more legitimacy for her government.
The Duchy of Eastern Shore was set up in much the same way, only it was much more pressing that Nebulus find a civilian administrator, since unlike the ponies of Borealis, Eastern Shore had actually been conquered. Finding a pony who was both a competent administrator and would not be seen as a traitor proved to be a tedious task, but eventually she found one in Lady Lumia. the first Duchess of Eastern Shore.
Lady Lumia had previously been mayor of Fallen Star during the siege, and was seen as the reason the city held out for as long as it did, in part because of her own attention to detail and contagious enthusiasm. When she was made Duchess, Nebulus was relieved to hear the people of the east rejoice for her, and knew then that stability was sure to follow.
The Capital Duchy was there most unique and complex in it’s structure. It’s areas covered the western mountains as well as the southern lands abandoned during the Union War. Because it contained the capital city, renamed Nova, Princess Nebulus had a more direct role in the duchy’s affairs, although it still had a separate duchess. Nebulus wanted somepony she knew she could trust to rule over such an important position, and thus appointed her close friend New Moon as the first Capital Duchess. New Moon had been close to the Princess since the exile, and was her most trusted confidant. In Nebulus’s mind, she was the perfect candidate to rule the duchy in which she herself would primarily reside.
Because Nova was located in the Capital Duchy, Princess Nebulus had more control over that particular area. Whereas the other duchies were able to create their own legislative bodies and otherwise have democracy, Nebulus and the Capital delegation of the General Assembly were the government of thew Capital Duchy. Smaller towns were more independent, having elected mayors and councils, but were otherwise directly under there duchess and the princess.
The Southern Territories were administered in a different manner than the rest of Nocturna. Immigration to these areas was nonexistent, so there was no need for a civilian government. The Nighthawks were directly responsible for events in the south, although this usually just consisted of guard training and creature control. The Nighthawk Captain was the chief executive of this area, and reported directly to the Princess. The only legislation that was passed for this area was the Nighthawk Articles of War, which are only subject to change by the Princess.
Traditions and Customs
Since most of the original inhabitants of Nocturna were from Equestria, their customs and traditions reflect this, albeit with some modifications in order to give themselves a sense of identity. Most of the old traditions and courtesies of court were retained, but everyday life developed some notable new additions.
The Nobility were organized into a familiar hierarchy. Princess Nebulus was the head of state, and thus was above all other ponies in terms of status. Below her were the Dukes and Duchesses, all with equal status at court. Outside of this circle, there were no official nobles or royalty.
Members of the General Assembly were elected by citizens, and thus were not considered noble. Officially, they were citizens of the empire, but held no titles or special privileges. They were given an additional paycheck from the Princess, but were otherwise undistinguished from the general citizenry.
The primary differences between thestral culture and our own was the ordinary citizenry. Those Thestrals who were alive at the time of the Thestral Watch were brought up in a strict military lifestyle. Those that joined Nebulus under the banner of Nocturna maintained that lifestyle through the duration of the Union War, which caused much duress among the general populace. Those Thestrals born in Nocturna saw no need for the rigid structures brought over from the ‘Old World’, and thus were quick to discard them in favor of meritocratic social structures.
Princess Nebulus showed great support for this trend. She viewed it as positive that the new generations of Thestrals were embracing her downgrade of the military, and even took to using everyday language when addressing her subjects. Such behavior was not popular among the remaining Nighthawks or the nobility, but in regards the Princess’s behavior, her word was final.
New Society
As a result of this ease on etiquette, the Nocturnan economy was able to tap into minds that the old culture would have considered ‘unfit for service’. The techniques we now use for mass production are believed to have originated in Nocturna, developed to manufacture the crystal caravans that carried helio to the various parts of the empire.
These new minds also had to come new means to treat and organize them. In Equestria, the thestrals all lived in the military apparatus that was the Thestral Watch. In Nocturna, service was not compulsory, and so the traditional means of discipline could not be applied to everypony, and so a different approach needed to be developed.
Which is not to say that the Thestrals forgot their heritage. One could expect the average Nocturnan workplace to appear as though it were in the Nighthawk Guard, sans the uniforms and discipline. There was a clear hierarchy of leaders and followers, and etiquette as to how to behave. The difference between the citizenry and the military was that the citizenry did not take their mannerisms home. Outside of the workplace, thestrals addressed each other just as we would today. Even during the workday, the rules were not as strictly enforced as they were in the actually guard.
This development emphasized the effects that a free society had on the thestrals. Without a rigid structure to which the entire population was directed, the populace drifted more towards the mannerisms we have in Equestria. Initially, this caused friction between the veteran ponies and the new generation, but with the support of Princess Nebulus, this issue was resolved in favor of the new society.
Keepers of the Night: A Written History of Thestrals
Once the administrative structure had been established, the Empire of Nocturna had been officially created. This is the first time in pony history that a race of ponies formed a separate sovereignty since the time of the three tribes, even if we normal ponies did not know it existed at it’s creation.
Such a momentous occurrence did not escape Nebulus’s mind. She knew that to lead the thestrals in war was a difficult enough task. Ruling over a peaceful empire would prove to be a completely different sort of challenge than she had faced during the Union War.
However, just like her subjects, the transition to this new system of governance was not easy to make. In her first days as princess, she was continually frustrated with her meetings with the General Assembly. During the war, she was the supreme commander, and any debates she did have were always resolved with her final decision. Now though, she could not simply command the members of the assembly to bend to her will. While she still had near total control over the country, the fact that anyone would question her judgment repeatedly was completely foreign to her.
Many of the legislative requests that originated in the assembly were simply intolerable to Nebulus. Several of their number were concerned with the amount of power concentrated in a single pony, and proposed to give greater autonomy to the duchies. They proposed allowing the dukes and duchesses to act as their own executives, while still answering to Nebulus in matters concerning the rest of the empire.
This was a difficult arrangement for Nebulus to accept. She had focused as much power on herself as she had for a reason. She firmly believed that the thestrals needed her in both war and peace. She simply didn’t trust any pony else to tend to the nation she had fought so long to create. From her perspective, there was simply no one else.
While not a selfish motive, it certainly appeared that way to the General Assembly. Even though they had no real power, the Assembly initiated a legislative embargo. After only 6 months, the Assembly sent absolutely no proposals to the princess, and did not even convene in the capital. Several of the members actually went back their homes, many in places remote from the capital.
At first, Nebulus could care less about what amounted to a strike. She had to power to make decrees, and the proposals that were put forward by the Assembly were merely suggestions. Nebulus was legally capable of running the imperial government all on her own. She welcomed the opportunity to run the empire without the constant criticisms from civilians.
Suspended Democracy
Although the general population were enthusiastic that the princess stood steadfast as she always had, Nebulus faced the overwhelming task of running the empire with only the three dukes and duchesses to aid her, along with the Nighthawks. She was confident in her abilities to lead, but the task of regulating and controlling an empire was a greater challenge than she could have foreseen.
During the time of the assembly, the delegates put forth 300 pieces of legislation over the course of 5 years. In that same window, Nebulus had only managed to issue 50 imperial decrees. Nebulus had passed a majority of the Assembly’s proposals, primarily so that she could focus on more important organizational matters. When the assembly disbanded, the entire weight of creating and passing law fell upon her shoulders.
Unfortunately, very few documents about the succeeding events survive today. The few that do paint very different pictures as to how Nebulus handled the situation. On the one hoof, court transcripts paint Nebulus as being very much in control of the government, in spite of the massive responsibilities demanded by an infant empire. Records describe the princess as presenting a calm, though uncharacteristically reserved, image. She issued decrees as she usually did, though naturally with higher frequency than before.
Nebulus’s personal diary however, tells a very different story.
I used to revel in the chaos of battle. I may not have been in control of everything, but neither was any pony else. We were all on an even playing field. I thought I could be the mare of everything, just I was general of all the thestrals. I now know that I may be an alacorn, but I am just a pony. It only makes it worse to know that I brought this burden on myself. I must rest now. I haven’t slept in 5 nights.
This shows Nebulus as broken by the burdens of governing on her own. Whichever version is true, we know for a fact that Nebulus ceded to the Assembly’s demands with one month.
The Assembly was re-established, with the sole power to create legislation, while still requiring the princess to approve. The princess can still request specific laws, but decrees were no long a power she had. The duchies also gained the autonomy that the Assembly requested.
After this restructuring, Nebulus seems to have followed the trend of the empire, and shifted many of her duties to various officials. It’s difficult to glean her state of mind from this information. Her diary entries became much less frequent, and usually were about minor events of her day. It appears as though the crushing blow to Nebulus’s confidence and self image had a profound effect on her ability to govern. The only insight we have is the entries in the diary of the Capital Duchess, New Moon.
Nebulus made another attempt to starve herself recently. She locked herself in her chambers, sobbing and ordering the food to be left by the forrest, in case the southerners returned. I told her it was done, but only so that she would unlock the door. One wonders how long we can keep the citizenry in the dark.