In 1012 the Black Crusade was declared against the world. A campaign southwards, seeking the annihilation of the living. By the time the threat was appreciated, large portions of Griffonia had fallen. With the dead marching onto the Equestrian continent. Even Zebrica was not safe, with necromancer cults seeking to establish their own Black Crusade.

By 1020, the world was in a state of complete chaos and was in a new dark age. The living sought to survive over everything, and tried desperately to keep the dead at bay. For the next fifteen years, technological advancements stalled. As current arms and ammunition were needed in bulk, and spells to counteract the black magic used by the Dread League. In 1035, a semblance of a stalemate has settled across Griffonia.

Two years later, in southern Griffonia, a battalion fights to return to their homeland and to survive. The former soldiers of the Northern Tribes. Many of these long fallen nations fled to fight another day, establishing refugee settlements in south Griffonia. Growing to full sized cities, these settlements are a hub of the former nations. All are united under the international organization known as UNAD, United Nations Against the Dead, to combat the Black Crusade.

In this narrative, you follow various soldiers fighting the undead. From the Northern Tribes and elsewhere, all fighting for the survival of the living. Each chapter is a different perspective, with the last holding multiple, as it concludes each one. Written for the 2024 Equestria At War writing contest. Cheers!