Prologue

Look upon my kingdom, look upon it and see its perfection.
Now look at it again as my Golden City is darkened,
For each step you take brings evil to its golden halls,
Sins against heaven, shall bring hell upon the earth.
Friendship is lost.

-Celestia

The Chantry teaches us that it was the foolishness, and greed of ponies that brought the darklings into our world. The mages attempted to breach the very heavens, but instead they destroyed it. Celestia, queen of the heavens, threw them back down to earth. Darkness and corruption twisted and cursed their minds and their bodies. They returned as monsters, husks of their former selves. They became a mighty darkness that ate the light, a true blight upon the land.

The earth ponies were the first to fall, pushed to near extinction by the darklings. And from deep underground the darklings attacked again and again, nearly destroying the world like they did the heavens.

Until the Grey Wardens came.

Mares and stallions from every race. Pegasi and unicorns, earth ponies and griffons. The Grey Wardens sacrificed everything to stop the darklings, and they prevailed.

It has been four centuries since that victory. And we kept our vigil, watching and waiting for the darklings to return and destroy the world. But those who once called us heroes have forgotten, and now we are put a few light against the overwhelming darkness. And our warnings have been ignored for far too long. It may even be too late. For I have seen with my own eyes what is coming on the horizon.

Celestia have mercy on us all.