Concerning Ponies

Chapters

Concerning Crystal
The Frozen North
Concerning Maredor
Concerning Darkness

Concerning Crystal

“Concerning Crystal”
(A guide to understanding the Crystal Empire and its residents)

Section 1: The Crystal Ponies

The Crystal Ponies, known for their residence in the Crystal Empire, are a most peculiar breed. It is common knowledge that the coats of these ponies shine and sparkle, almost as though their coats are composed of crystal. The reason as to why this strange phenomenon occurs is unknown to most ponies, and even from my own studies, I can do little more than hypothesize exactly why their coats shine, but I would have to say that it is the result of some form of magic; in short, they are magical Earth Ponies.

Their magic is weak, but is nonetheless present, as though it were a sword permanently lodged into its hilt. It radiates through their bodies, and as a result of exposure to the Crystal Heart’s radiation, a chemical reaction takes place therefore causing their coats to shine a crystal hue. However, what sparks my curiosity is that when I, a Unicorn, visited the Crystal Empire, the Heart did not have the same effect on myself, until it’s energy was rejuvenated in an immense flair during the end of their customary Crystal Fair. Fortunately, the spell was short-lived, as after only a matter of hours my coat had returned to its regular state (and my beard free of incessant braids and locks which had woven themselves into place as a result of the magic!), leaving not a single trace of ever being affected. So, I should have discerned that it is a mere result of two different forms of magic interacting with each other, though the Earth Pony accompanying myself on this journey had also experienced the same effect of this magic, his coat shining just as vibrantly as my own. So it must be a result of the heart, yes? Well, perhaps not. There was one pony there, a young, black-coated Unicorn stallion by the name of Somber Night who was never affected by the heart.
Furthermore, upon asking a crystal pony to leave the kingdom, her coat remained in its usual crystal state. We can deduce that Somber Night is obviously an outlier, and that the heart alone cannot be the sole cause of the crystal coats, unless it is the mere result of continued exposure to radiation. What these two ponies do show, however, is that the crystal gleam is not a result of the heart’s magic alone. (It should also be noted the curve in Somber’s horn. Never in all of my travels have I seen a unicorn with a curved horn, though perhaps in continued travels I shall find more Unicorns of that breed, and perchance explore the cause).

Section 2: History of the Crystal Empire

During my stay at the Crystal Empire (though it is more of a city-state than an empire, but who am I to rain on their parade?), I had the wonderful opportunity to use the entirety of the Crystal Library at my disposal, as well as having discussions among nobles, and even the Crystal Queen herself. From these studies, I have gathered an account of the Empire’s long history. The Empire was around long before the Pegasi of Cirra had come to the racially divided Northern Kingdoms, which as we know had moved south into Equestria, only to be put under Discord’s chaotic rule.

What surprises me is that the Crystal Ponies have suffered neither from the Windigo’s winter, nor the chaos of Discord. Apparently their Crystal Heart, which they believe to be old as time itself, protects them from mostly all supernatural threats. It is apparent that once the Northern Kingdoms had moved to the new land of Equestria, the Crystal Kingdom, as it was called then, had taken all former territory which the three Kingdoms had left behind.

The Crystal Ponies are not the only group known for such expansion, and certainly were not the most aggressive conquerors of new land, for merely a few hundred years prior had the Fersian Empire on the other side of the world, had fallen to the forces of Maredor. As we know it, Maredor covers the entire Eastern continent on the other half of our planet, and may be expanding into the scattered Kingdoms formerly known as Gryphus as I write this. No group, not even the mighty Pegasi of Cirra, nor the ferocious Griffons of the Dioda continent has ever fought Maredor offensively with any success whatsoever; however that was soon to change.

The Crystal Empire expanded past the North Pole into Maredor, where without knowledge of doing so, they had taken the dark nation’s Northernmost territories, not too valuable in terms of resources (excluding crystals, of course), but enough to suffice for the ponies of the Crystal Empire. In this fertile region they lived for many decades, and had even built a second city of crystal there known as Crystopolis. However, eventually Maredor’s Queen, Lucifus, had taken notice of this, and mobilized an army to stop them. The accounts of this conflict are vague, as it was short-lived, but it is said that Lucifus attacked with an “army of darkness”; taking the city from the Crystal Ponies. Though legend has it that the Queen of the Crystal Empire at the time, Queen Spiritus (who was an Alicorn of immeasurable power and intelligence, given her name because it was believe she could communicate with spirits), travelled to Crystopolis by her lonesome to banish the darkness. She fought with all her strength, but could not dispel the darkness which had covered the land, until with all of her magic, she created a second Crystal Heart, and using it in combination with her own power, she banished darkness from Crystopolis.

That victory was short-lived, however, for when Spiritus died decades afterwards (she was not of your immortal breed of Alicorn), Lucifus retook Crystopolis. It has been hundreds of years since then, and that was the most recent conflict the Crystal Empire has faced. I fear for the empire, for their military might has decayed with the passage of time, the proud Crystal Legion (which I discovered was based off of the notorious Cirran Legion) is now little more than a cultural symbol. They are too confident now that nopony (or any other creature) on Earth will attack them, and if they are attacked then the Crystal Heart will save them. However, Crystopolis is still a major religious site for the Crystal Ponies, as the ponies there were saved from darkness, in the same way that the ponies here were saved from chaos.

Section 3: Governmental Structure

The Crystal Empire’s governmental structure is one very similar to our own in Equestria. However, instead of a Diarchy, they are a Monarchy, with a single Monarch, usually an Alicorn (presently Queen Rosetta) ruling over the entire nation. The Monarch rules however they please, but are generally kind to their citizens, lest they risk a revolution. However, many Nobles serve under the Queen, helping her with various decisions, and keeping her informed in terms of both domestic and foreign affairs. Despite this, it is generally up to the Monarch to make the final decision on any issue, as to ensure that the royal family does not become a figurehead.

As I stated before, the Alicorns ruling the Crystal Empire live mortal lives, despite their vast power. As a result, control of the Crystal Empire is inherited through the generations, by the offspring of the Monarch, and/or their spouse. It is written in Crystal Law that they indeed can become a Diarchy for a time if they choose to do so, when the current Monarch is married. Allow me to explain the process: the offspring of the current monarch is either a prince or princess, and that prince or princess can marry either a noble of their own land, or a prince/princess of another kingdom (the former being a more common tradition), and after the wedding ceremony, the spouse becomes part of royalty as well. So therefore, when the parent of the prince/princess dies, either the offspring alone or them along with their spouse can become the ruler(s) of the Empire. Typically, only one pony holds control, just as Queen Rosetta does today. In fact, she stated that she is fearful for her daughter, Princess Gloriana, who has not taken any interest in the current Nobility at all.

Section 4: Social Hierarchy

Like most societies, the Crystal Empire has its own social hierarchy. Unlike most social hierarchies in foreign lands, however, there is a certain harmony between the various classes of the Crystal Empire. The classes which their society is built upon are the Royal Class, the Cleric Class, the Business Class, and at the bottom, the Working Class.

The Royal Class we have already covered: it consists of the royal family, and the nobility. These ponies are the latter of the two aristocratic classes, though by no means make up the majority of the aristocracy. For the most part, the members of the Royal Class live fairly luxurious lives, though have the burden of maintaining the Empire, be that through overseeing technological advances, cutting spending, etc.

The Clergy is the second highest class, though it is not an aristocratic class. The Crystal Priests and Deacons are to live lives of poverty, depending entirely on the government and donations from the people for funding. However, to fully understand the Clergy, one must understand the religion of the Crystal Ponies. Unlike the ponies of Equestria, the Crystal Ponies worship spirits and deities rather than immortal Alicorns. I find their beliefs to be extraordinarily fascinating! They believe in two opposing forces, two Gods, which have no physical form, they are merely entities, sentient embodiments of the principles of good and evil, which fight for control over the Earth. The good God, Galactica Dragoras, created all things in our known plain of existence (you would have to consult Luna regarding the fields of reality and quantum physics). Galactica lets all creatures have free will, a rather loose leadership, but he will do whatever it takes to defend all creatures of the world, regardless of whether or not they believe in him. but Ahriman, the God of evil, is jealous Galactica’s, and sees Galactica as incapable of maintaining order, so he wishes to seize control. Both of these entities are omnipotent, though Galactica is believed to be Omni-benevolent, Ahriman being Omni-malicious, and as such they essentially both have control of our world. In addition to Ahriman and Galactica, they referenced Discord in their beliefs as a spirit of chaos, who works for neither Ahriman nor Galactica. It is believed that he is either the purpose or result of the two forces colliding (perhaps you could share some light on this? You seem to have known him for some time from what Luna has told me). So, the Clergyponies profess the word of Galactica, and encourage practices to keep one’s soul safe from the evils of Ahriman. They believe that it is not just power that may drive back Ahriman’s influence, but simple good deeds among one another, a maintenance of harmony. How they achieved this word? Well, Spiritus is their last known prophet, as all other prophets of this religion shunned the limelight. They saw themselves as mere vessels of Galactica’s word, and that His word was what needed to be remembered.

Then we have the second aristocratic class, and third in the social hierarchy: the Business Class. The Business Class is composed of all business owners, from the owners of major corporations (mostly weapons manufacturers, architects, and engineers), to the most simple street vendors. The owners of well-known corporations that turn a great profit are accepted into the aristocracy due to their massive wealth.

And finally, we have the Worker Class, which is simply the work-force of the Crystal Ponies. The ones that get paid to work the Crystal Fair, the ponies who clean the streets, the ponies who act as servants, chefs, carriage-drawers, and even farmers. In many cultures, this class is looked down upon, however they are actually honored in the Crystal Empire, as they are the backbone of the society. Their wealth varies, as they are paid based upon their work ethic. Queen Rosetta calls this principle “Capitalism”. I implore you, Celestia, that we incorporate the principles of Capitalism into our economic system (see attached document for the entirety of the workings of Capitalism and how to use it).

Conclusion

I can conclude that the Crystal Empire is a well-functioning, orderly society. It embodies peace and harmony, as well as love and friendship. These things are essential for maintaining a civil society, and as such we should mirror these principles of the Crystal Empire. And I hope the efforts for rebuilding our nation are doing well, it has been a long road to recovery.
Your faithful student,
~Starswirl the Bearded
P.S: Say hello to Luna for me.

The Frozen North

“The Frozen North”

Dear Princess Celestia,

In the midst of my travels, I came to the Frozen North. A barren, desolate land filled with sadness. As you know, this Northern land was once home to the three pony kingdoms: The Earth Ponies, the Unicorns, and the Pegasi. Though it is evident that the Pegasi have moved their massive cloud cities to Equestria (and I should hope they remain there), ruins of the other two kingdoms remain.

Section 1: Concerning Earth Ponies

Upon my decision to explore the kingdoms, I was utterly lost. Literally. When I had finally found the remains of the kingdom, I discovered why I had been so lost. The snow has piled itself massively over the years, only the tops of the tallest buildings remain.

I was able to enter town hall after blasting through the reinforced ceiling with magic, and I explored the building. The doors and windows had been heavily reinforced, as to deny entry to the sea of snow. Out of curiosity, I made a decision which I soon regretted. I enhanced my senses, and closing my eyes I saw differently. The world was veiled in darkness, though I could see the aura of all things. In the submerged houses, I saw the shapes of skeletal ponies in their homes. Stallions, mares, and foals alike all killed by the merciless winter. These were all the ponies who had stayed behind, holding onto the hope that their land would recover from the curse of the Windigos.

Section 2: Concerning Unicorns

I took a detour through the ruins of the Unicorn Kingdom. After all, it is where I was born. I wish you could have seen these kingdoms, the way they once were, before the Windigos. Much fewer Unicorns had stayed behind during the Windigo attack, which I found to be quite interesting. As you are aware, Unicorns are typically materialistic, our race was the aristocracy of the three kingdoms, being among the few ponies in the land to experience a luxurious lifestyle. So many were quick to abandon it, even if it meant leaving absolutely everything behind. I do know of one group who did stay behind, though. The Great Council, comprised of my fellow wizards remained after the exodus to investigate why the Windigos still remained even as the population dwindled, but they had never left to rejoin us at Equestria. I made my way to the great library; a tower which stored the entire history of the Unicorn race (I had wrote over a quarter of the six-hundred thousand books in the tower), and after reaching the top of the tower, I was faced with a horrid sight; the other wizard ponies had been killed. Not by the cold nor starvation, somepony had killed them. I examined the wounds on their bodies; each one indicative of magic and steel. Additionally, in the fireplace lay the ashes of several documents.

I found a note near the body of one of my fellow wizards, it contained only three words, “dungeon... crypt... darkness”. Curious, the palace has a dungeon, though I know of no crypts there. As I searched my mind for a possible meaning, I looked out towards the remains of the Unicorn kingdom. For being located in the mountains, why wasn’t this city overridden with snow? Walking through town, I could still feel the cobblestone streets with my hoofs, whilst one could potentially drown in the snow covering the former Earth Pony kingdoms! Though I could not help but marvel at the brilliant architecture of my race. Perhaps we could employ such architecture in our capital Everfree?

Section 3: Concerning Darkness

I went to the palace. I had to find out the meaning behind that note, so I ventured down into the depths of the palace dungeons. While exploring this palace, I could not shake the feeling that I was being watched, though even with the most thorough examination of the palace, nopony could be found, all I felt were eyes heated with malice locked onto me as I made my way to the dungeons. Sure enough, after descending to the bottom depths of the dungeon, I had found a door once sealed with a powerful magical bond. Attached to this document is a sketch of the lock. I demand that Queen Sapphire be questioned with regards to the nature of this crypt. All I could see beyond the towering doorway was a curtain of darkness, a curtain I dared not penetrate. It was as though there were a set of eyes beyond the curtain glaring back at me, and I felt a powerful magic, the likes of which entirely foreign to my knowledge of the subject, only that it maintained the essence of darkness and evil. I dared not explore on my own, as I have many more lands to explore, and perhaps in those places I will find the answer to the mysteries of the palace crypt.

Conclusion

It can be concluded that (obviously) no survivors remain in the ruins of the old kingdoms, and the lands remain desolate. However, an answer is needed for the murder of the wizard council, and the crypt of the palace. How any magic so powerful that one could simply feel it has remained a secret for so long is beyond me, and the Unicorns must answer for this!
Your faithful student,
~Starswirl the Bearded

Concerning Maredor

“Concerning Maredor”
(A guide to understanding the nation of Maredor and it’s residents)

Dear Princess,

I would like to begin this letter with stating that I was often isolated from the rest of the council for personal reasons, which would explain why I did not know of the crypt. I would also imagine that seeing as only the members of the old Unicorn Elite so much as knew of this crypt, it was a closely guarded secret shared only among the highest nobles and royals, so if anypony outside the palace were to know of the crypt, it would have been the head of our order. Additionally, I have spoken to Mährdån, an exchange I will get to later. Now, Concerning Maredor...

Section 1: Maredorian Life

Maredor is a vast and expansive Empire, with spotty prosperity. Despite the size of the nation’s boundaries, much of the land is either barren desert, uninhabitable mountain ranges, or enormous stretches of farmland and prairies. I would have to estimate that the Eastern half of the continent would have a population density of five ponies per square mile, as most of the population is concentrated into occasional cities about the region; primarily Crystopolis, Neighran, and Hoofistan. Let us also not forget the southernmost territory of Saddle Arabia, containing Flecca and Maredina. Saddle Arabia will be covered in another document, as it contains its own culture, and is under a fairly independent rule (odd, perhaps Lucifus has become more merciful?).

The ponies in the east live simple lives, for the most part. They are farmers and merchants for the most part, and though they have very little, they are content, for they have each other. Other than that, they have governors for each region, who live at a higher standard, controlling their little niches of territory. They all serve under the two lords of East Maredor: Mährdån and Silver Tooth. Mährdån remains a friend to Equestria, though I must admit I was fearful of her at first sight. Her horn is composed of some kind of black crystal, her coat green as grass on a sunlit prairie, yellow eyes with red irises. Additionally, her mane moved around unnaturally, in a similar manner to your own, but the hairs on hers were oddly frayed, and I believe a hissing noise emanated from it. Despite this, she was very kind and hospitable, unlike Silver Tooth. The silver-coated Alicorn was rather withdrawn, muttering to himself, always on edge, and would often snap at anypony noncompliant with his demands, including Mährdån. I would believe that Silver Tooth suffers from some form of anxiety disorder.

Then, there is West Maredor. West Maredor is governed entirely by Lucifus, and is referred to all over the country by civilians as a “Dark Lord”. I learned why upon traveling to West Maredor. She stands atop her tower, overlooking the land as slaves toil away. Were it not for my invisibility spells, I would likely have been captured or killed by the ever-alert military patrols. Everywhere you go, you will see slaves working. Not just imported slaves from Zebrica or Dioda, mind you, but actual Maredorian residents, be they convicts from the East, or natives who have lived in that land for thousands of years. The ponies there, though muscular from lifetimes of labor, are rather thin due to a lack of basic nutrition. It is protocol for anypony who is unable to work, or simply stops working from exhaustion or starvation to be executed on sight.

Nearby the tower, I’d say within an entire square mile around it, the ponies were building something. Exactly what they were building, I can only guess. Judging by the wall, I’d say a fortification of sorts, but they were also building a foundation. All I know is that this horrid place is Tartarus on Earth.

Additionally, I found a connexion to West Maredor and the Unicorn kingdom. I was able to work my way into the caves beneath Lucifus’ tower, and there I found another massive door, identical to the door in the palace at the Unicorn kingdom! However, there was no lock.

Section 2: History of Maredor

This land was not always known as “Maredor”. Before, it was simply a continent in which various pony tribes lived peacefully among one another, primarily in the East. It is also said that this land is the birthplace of the Alicorns. Thousands of years ago, Lucifus came to the continent, and with what was simply described as “the forces of darkness”, she attempted to conquer the land. However, there was a young Alicorn colt, roughly around the same age as Luna, named Darius, and he united the various tribes of the land to protect themselves from Lucifus. Lucifus, not expecting much resistance, was beaten out of the East. This new alliance came to be known as the Fersian Empire, soon became one of the most prosperous nations in recorded history. After forcing Lucifus off of the continent, Fersia became an almost perfect, utopian society, much like the Crystal Empire. The three different pony races, under Darius’ rule, lived peacefully together. However, unlike the crystal Empire, they maintained a military, warding off attackers from the nearby continent of Dioda, and maintaining order by offering the citizens his love, working with few nobles. The Fersian warriors were both revered and feared by all. Roamulus, who soon founded the great Pegasus empire of Cirra, studied the art of war in Fersia.

Though the one weakness Darius had was his over-confidence. It was nowhere near as ignorant as the government of the Crystal Empire, though he believed Lucifus to be defeated, even though he knew she was still alive. Three hundred years ago, Lucifus returned, her armies stronger than ever before. “Fire and lightning rained from the skies, the black clouds, unmoved by any pegasi, but by the winds and storms which Lucifus commanded through her own sheer will, blotted out the sun, the same black clouds hang over the West to this day” (except from “Records of Maredor”, found in the hidden library). The war was catastrophic, hundreds of thousands of ponies raped and slaughtered by Lucifus’ forces. The deranged ponies who served her made a sport of the atrocities, seeing how many mares they could keep as personal servants, and how many stallion heads they could lob off in a day. Lucifus rewarded the soldiers who could deliver the most heads, and stole the bounty of those who did not kill enough. These mercenaries did not discriminate. Even foals could be counted among the dead during the “Vendetta Massacres”, as the war has come to be known.

The final battle lasted for nearly a year: the siege of Neighran. Neighran was once simply a gathering spot, for traders all around the continent from the different tribes to hold meetings, and trade goods. Since the founding of Fersia, Neighran soon grew into a massive castle-town, being not only the most prosperous city on the continent, but also the most well-fortified. It is written that Darius protected the city by mustering a great magical barrier around the city. It took the combined strength of millions of mercenaries from all corners of the world, as well as the “forces of darkness” to bring the barrier down. Then Lucifus, the “Dark Lord” herself came in to finish off the barrier, and she led the charge into the city. There, her and Darius fought blade to blade, magic against magic. It is a fight that has been told throughout the land for generations: a battle between two immortal Alicorns. However, Darius began to falter, and eventually lost. “Exhausted, Darius swung blindly at Lucifus’ head, thinking nopony knows what. Lucifus seized the opportunity, strafing to his side, she dismembered a wing. He turned, scoring a hit on her flank, barely maintaining the magic holding his sword in place ... Despite the wounds, the two continued to fight onwards, until Lucifus had finally dismembered his other wing, knocking the wingless Alicorn unto the ground. She was not through with him yet, as she continued onwards, crushing Darius’ horn with her powerful armored hoof” The passage ends there, rather abruptly. However, since then, “Fersia” has now been come to be known as “Maredor”, with all the surviving denizens of the west enslaved, forced to toil away under Lucifus’ iron rule. I believe that Darius gave up hope during the fight. His Empire was gone, and no matter what his people did, they would never escape Lucifus’ forces. Even if he killed Lucifus there, her forces would overrun the land seeking bounty, and the continent would plunge into chaos. It’s arguable that the war was lost before Lucifus even entered Neighran.

Section 3: Military

Tales of Maredor’s military force are well known to ponies all over the world, though witnessing it first-hand was both amazing yet horrifying (much like watching a Hydra chase its prey).

The soldiers were among the most disciplined I had ever seen, much like the soldiers of the Cirran legion. They are each trained to dismantle a threat with whatever means necessary, and taught to survive for weeks with the bare minimum amount of supplies and resources. After observing a sparring session, it was evident that with the way these ponies moved, the ferocity with which they fought-- an Equestrian soldier would not last more than five seconds, and that is no exaggeration by any means.

Their military is almost as advanced as the Crystal Empire’s. While they do not quite have crystal armor and diamond blades, they have compressed steel armor. I watched the process, they fold steel, layers upon layers on top of each other to make thin yet incredibly durable armor. They even do the same for their swords, creating blades that could easily slice through the armor of any Equestrian soldier.

There are many rumors regarding the Maredorian military, and at this point I can confirm the most far-fetched one to be true: they have dragon soldiers. These dragons are slightly different from regular dragons; they are born in Maredor, and raised by ponies, namely Lucifus and Sliver Tooth. They have also bred the dragons into two completely different races as well; one race is the same that we are familiar with: large winged reptiles capable of wreaking havoc and destruction wherever they go, and smaller, wingless beings with weakened flames. However, these smaller dragons possess magical abilities, being able to send letters to anywhere in the world by simply igniting them. It takes mere seconds for the message to arrive in the hands of the recipient, allowing armies to communicate efficiently, therefore having an edge over their enemies by being able to communicate quickly. This makes dragons excellent spies, for even if they are captured they may still deliver whatever intelligence they have uncovered in a short amount of time.

I was surprised to learn that Maredor has some of the greatest strategists throughout the world. I had always imagined that Lucifus simply threw her massive military at a threat (though “victim” is probably the more accurate term), but they do rely on strategy just as much as anything else. Their troops are known for forming a phalanx, which is a great wall of soldiers, line after line of them standing together, joined shields and spears at the ready. Any attempt at charging the phalanx is futile, and their armies move swiftly if not accompanied by dozens of other phalanxes, making them nearly impossible to flank. However, if one should succeed in flanking the phalanx on multiple fronts, then the entire system collapses.

Another potential weakness in Maredor’s military is that the unicorn soldiers know very little magic. They know projectile and levitation spells, which allows them to fight better conventionally, though beyond that they are clueless. However, Mährdån and Silver Tooth are both very proficient in terms of magical abilities, and legend has it that Lucifus is one of the most powerful Alicorns alive. It would make sense that the Maredorian rulers throughout history assumed power through the use of magical force.

Section 4: Maredorian Philosophies

While there are many religions and belief systems throughout the Maredorian continent, most of which belong to denizens of distant colonies, such as Saddle Arabia, Kashmir, and Neighjing. The denizens of East Maredor, however, live under various philosophies, seeing as the religions of old were outlawed after Lucifus assumed power over the nation.

Most of these philosophies even originate from Neighjing. They are listed below:

Concerning Naturalism:
Naturalism is the philosophy which the law created by ponies and the creatures of Earth is pointless and flawed. Naturalist ponies believe that the laws of the divine forces (which can be any force the follower chooses, including immortal Alicorns such as yourself) are the “true law”. The true law is simply the beauty (or chaos) of the natural world; letting everything simply be as it is; that the world is the way that the divine forces intended it to be. The incorporation of immortal Alicorns is a recent addition, which Silver Tooth has helped implement in order to subtly undermine this potentially dangerous philosophy. However, Mährdån is also a Naturalist, which has earned her the respect of the eastern lands near the Neighjing territory.

Concerning Tortorism:
Tortorism is a philosophy which Silver Tooth abides, in that the Maredorian leaders are given a divine right to rule over the continent. However, should these divinely chosen leaders fail to protect and supply the basic needs of the people, then the ponies living under their rule have the right to fight against their oppressive leader who betrayed the divine’s one simple request. Tortorism is older than Darius himself. Mährdån has remained neutral with regards to her views of Tortorism.

Concerning Nihikism:
This one is my favorite, and the closest one to being a full-fledged religion. Nihikism is the philosophy that we should detach ourselves from all things, material or otherwise. It sounds a bit cruel, though it’s not quite that bad; you may love others, though you should love and tolerate all others, and reach eternal happiness, “true” happiness. Why not reach happiness from ponies or things? Because unfortunately, all things come to an end, so you must make yourself happy through meditation and good deeds, without having to rely on something else. It brings comfort to me, especially while traveling on this lonely journey. Again, despite this philosophy’s emphasis on detachment from ponies or things, it has a huge emphasis on the values of love, friendship, and tolerance. Though aren’t some things intolerable? Yes. If somepony is hurting or abusing another pony in any way, shape, or form, then that is an intolerable action, which bystanders, and especially friends of the pony being abused should take action against (preferably as nonviolently as possible). Silver Tooth finds this philosophy to be dangerous, as it goes against the ideas of conquest and glory which the Maredorians support.

Conclusion:

So in conclusion, Maredor poses a huge threat to Equestrian security. Should our nations go to war, we would surely be utterly and mercilessly annihilated, therefore we must train our forces to be able to fight effectively. Though there is something else that is valuable to learn from this; the philosophies listed above could help our nation grow and prosper. You are already worshipped, so I see little need for Naturalism, and we know that Tortorism already applies in Equestria. Though Nihikism is very important, as it encourages friendly values in society. Also, that shielding spell would be incredibly useful in the case of an invasion. In fact, it only takes a single unicorn (though he or she must be very well-trained) to perform this spell and protect a whole city.

Also, attached are documents of Maredorian fighting techniques, transcripts from texts regarding the three philosophies, and a transcript of the exchange between Mährdån and I.

Your faithful student,
~Starswril the Bearded

Concerning Darkness

“Concerning Darkness”

Dear Starswirl,

Though I do not usually reply to your letters, know that I always take the time out of my rather hectic schedule to read them. However, your most recent letter requires immediate attention. The lock which you found broken was not a Unicorn device, but an artifact of Alicorn origin. Nopony should be able to break that lock, not even the most skilled of Unicorns.

I know where you are traveling next: the land of Maredor. It is a tremendous favor, but I ask you to speak with Maredor’s Eastern lord, Mährdån. She will try to avoid giving a direct answer to any questions out of fear that her queen, Lucifus, will “replace” her, so that is why you must speak with her alone. I need you to ask her about the lock (if you have brought the lock with you that would be most helpful). Not only that, but she may even know what darkness festers within the crypt.

Mährdån is to be trusted, but not her husband Lord Silver Tooth. Silver Tooth will report your presence to Lucifus, and he will attempt to interrogate you. And if Lucifus were to learn of Equestria’s fragile state-- I cannot bring myself to think of the consequences. Maredor is a dark and terrible place, with a legendary fighting force that at this current moment could crush Equestria within days, as though it were a pony in a dragon’s grasp (literally. There are rumors that Lucifus has taken to training dragons).

Additionally, I have spoken with Sapphire with regards to the door. Unfortunately, with the passing of all the old Unicorn Elite from the time period, we are unaware of the exact story, but apparently thousands of years ago, the Unicorn royal family was assigned with guarding that crypt, and for that reason their royal family exists today, even though they rule nothing, and no longer have influence in religious practices involving Alicorn worship. Though I must inquire as to why you yourself are unaware of the crypt’s purpose? It seems the Unicorn Elite was very well informed of this topic, yet despite being among the highest ranking members of the Wizard Council, you know nothing of the subject.

Regardless, it is imperative that you gather as much information from Mährdån as you possibly can. And though her appearance is... less than hospitable, to say the least, she is a friend of mine and therefore can be trusted.

Best of luck,

~Princess Celestia