Who Needs Harmony?: An MLP Empire Quest

Equestria. Land of magic, friendship and ponies. A paradise of colorful landscapes, friendly inhabitants and benevolent rulers.

At least, that's what you've heard some say. For you have never been to Equestria. You have never seen the glittering spires of Canterlot, nor the wonders of Equestrian magic. You have lived your entire life in the lands beyond Celestia's gaze.

But then, that would only make sense. For you are a ruler of your own kingdom. Perhaps not as great or as prosperous as Equestria…yet…but a kingdom nonetheless. Some inhabitants of that magical sugarbowl like to claim that theirs is the only light of civilization, but that's never been true. They're just more unified...with all that entails.

The lands outside Equestria's borders are far from paradise.

They are civilized, yes, but they are chaotic and often violent. Your world is one where the safe places are only so because of the armies they field, where bandits, pirates and monsters are an ever present threat to life and limb. It is a world quite different from the multi-species union of Equestria, where there is nothing to tie together the disparate peoples of the world save a shared distrust for each other. It's a place where one must be strong to take power, and stronger still to keep it. It is an environment that still pays open homage to the most basic rule of law: the rule of the sword.

But despite all that there is a sort of beauty to be found in these turbulent lands. There is a wild and freewheeling desperation for life, for freedom, for change, and it suffuses every inch of this realm.

You love your homeland with all your heart, and you dream of the day that it's glory may surpass Equestria's.



Where are You?

[ ] Neighpon:



Difficulty: Easy

Descendants of the Divine Dragon Amaterasu, the Qilin of Neighpon have lived in their idyllic island kingdom for thousands of years. Possessing elemental magic that allows them to bend fire to their will and a code of honor that binds them to their Emperor/Empress, they are a force to be reckoned with.

But while they may be great in power, they are few in number, and their placement upon an archipelago poses numerous issues, limited resources and isolation being the greatest among them. Combined with the antics of the mischievous spirits that also call Neighpon home, these obstacles will prove a hindrance to the Qilin' dreams of expansion.

Benefits:

1. One People, One Ruler: The Qilin are united and bound to the service of their Emperor/Empress, loyal unto death with no regional, tribal or religious differences to create internal conflict or disunity.

2. Firebenders: All Qilin possess a unique form of magic that gives them pyro-kinetic abilities, giving them an advantage in the realms of warfare and industry.

3. Exotic Goods from the East: Neighpon produces numerous goods suitable for trade, from exotic foodstuffs to luxurious silks and lacquerware.

4. Divine Intervention: When Neighpon and it's people are threatened, when all hope seems lost, the legends say that the Divine Dragons shall rise from their eternal slumber to protect their descendants and lay waste to all those who would threaten them.


Detriments:

1. Infertile: The Qilin are few in number in comparison to most of the other races, and due to their unusually low fertility rates this is unlikely to change any time soon.

2. Islands of Isolation: The ocean provides a barrier to enemies, but it also makes diplomacy, trade and offensive military action significantly more complicated and difficult.

3. Mischievous Spirits: From Kitsune and Tanuki to Kappas and Oni, the numerous spirits and creatures that share Neighpon with the Qilin can be an annoyance at the best of times. At worst, they can be a menace that threaten the security of the Empire.

4. Honor before Reason: While codes of honor bind the Qilin people together, they can at times be restricting, preventing them from taking a more practical or less costly option.



[ ] Zebrica:



Difficulty: Medium

Zebras are a race of many tribes and one nation, their disparate peoples united into a single kingdom. They are a people greatly in tune with nature, possessing knowledge of alchemy, potion-making, and esoteric ritual magic. They are a nation at a crossroads, bordered on all sides by other tribes and kingdoms with the potential to become their most steadfast allies or their most bitter of enemies. They are a nation with much history, their lands holding many ancient ruins and tombs hiding both great treasure and great dangers. But above all, they are a nation of potential. As to whether they will live up to this potential…only time will tell.

Benefits:

1. Strength in Diversity: The might, wealth and knowledge of four Tribes combine to form Zebrica, their strengths and cultural specializations complimenting each other to create a whole greater than the sum of its parts.
2. Who Do Your Voodoo: From potions with mystical qualities to alchemy that can enhance and alter the attributes of materials to exotic rituals capable of harnessing the power of nature itself, Zebras have no lack of magical abilities.
3. Ancient Treasures: Ruins of past kingdoms and empires litter the deserts and savannas of Zebrica. Most are nothing more than the bones of previous cultures, but a few hold great riches and secrets of ancient magic for those who can find them.
4. Crossroads of the World: Zebrica is placed between several other neighboring kingdoms, creating numerous opportunities for diplomacy and trade.

Detriments:

1. Harsh Homeland: Zebrica is a land filled with potential dangers. Predatory fauna, poisonous flora, and a harsh climate combine to create a challenging environment for its inhabitants.

2. Tribal Conflicts: Each tribe has its own history, and that history often includes conflicts with the other tribes. Ancestral grudges and cultural differences may threaten to divide Zebrica at the most inopportune moments.

3. Sealed Evil in a Can: It seems that for every ruin hiding gold or wisdom, there is another containing a great threat. Be it an ancient curse, a virulent disease, or an army of hostile undead, dangerous things lurk amongst the remnants of the past.

4. Rival Neighbors: Neighbors can be a blessing, or a curse. Be it raids on your trade caravans, encroachment upon your economy, or all-out invasion, expect a great deal of trouble from the people just beyond your lengthy borders.



[ ] Griffonia:



Difficulty: Hard

A land of snow-capped mountain peaks and great forests that stretch to the horizon, Griffonia is a hard country that has produced a hardy people. The saying goes that, while many griffons are farmers, merchants or artisans, all of them are warriors. Such a martial tradition is a necessity, as there are places in Griffonia that make the Everfree look like a peaceful tourist destination. Packs of feral diamond dogs, ravenous cave trolls, and even the rare dragon call these lands home, and they are often covetous of the bounty that their civilized neighbors have acquired through their harvest of the land's great mineral wealth.

As a consequence of such a martial culture, Griffons have often warred against each other, leading to the land being divided between numerous Duchies, Petty Kingdoms and independent City-States. Fighting with each other as often as they fight against outside threats, it will take a truly powerful or charismatic ruler to unite them and lead them to prominence on the world stage.

Benefits:

1. Hardy Population: The inhabitants of Griffonia are resilient and steadfast, used to enduring hardship and conflict.
2. Mountains of Materials: While not as rich in gemstones and precious metals as Equestria, the lands of Griffonia house great riches in the form of Iron, Timber, Copper, Lead, Coal, and other raw materials.
3. Fortified Dwellings: Frequent wars, bandit raids and monster attacks have led to a tradition of Griffons erecting walls and fortifications around their settlements. Every village is a bulwark, every city a fortress.
4. Aerial Aces: Griffons are one of the only races whose members are all capable of flight, giving them numerous advantages over ground-bound peoples.

Detriments:

1. Untamed Land: Griffonia is utterly infested with monsters, brigands, rogue dragons, and worse. Purging the land of threats to your people will be a difficult task.
2. Divided Populace: Griffonia is divided between several Duchies and Petty Kingdoms. It will take a supremely charismatic negotiator or great conqueror to unify all Griffons under a single banner.
3. Muggles: Griffons are one of the only races that are utterly incapable of using magic in any way. They can use objects that have been enchanted by others, but that's about it.
4. Lack of Luxury: Griffonia is devoid of any obvious trade goods or luxury items such as gemstones or spices. This will pose a problem when trading with other nations.

When are You?

[ ] Post-Discordian Era: Discord, the mad God of Chaos, who has ravaged the world with his foul magics for over a century, is no more. None know of his fate, nor who bested him, but shamans, seers and oracles across the world confirm that his presence can no longer be felt upon the material or immaterial plane.

With the threat of Chaos gone, the survivors of broken kingdoms and shattered empires crawl out of hiding and begin to rebuild, and a few dare to dream of surpassing the grandeur of their ancestors. But though Discord may be gone, the world is still a dangerous place.

Monsters roam the lands, the gates of Tartarus stand open and unguarded, and cruel tyrants and bloodthirsty warlords rule over great swathes of the world. It falls to a new generation of rulers to tame this new world and secure it for their children.



[ ] Age of Harmony: It has been nearly a millennia since the Equestrian Monarch Celestia banished her sister to the Moon. Since then, the world has known an era of unprecedented peace and stability. But with this peace has come stagnation and complacency.

Threats gather on the horizon, and few stand to meet them. Ancient threats once thought vanquished return to endanger the world once more, and new enemies wait in the wings, ready to overthrow the status quo for their own ends. It will take a special breed of heroes to weather this storm, and only the truly great can hope to emerge stronger than before.





Hi everyone. I'm a long-time reader, first-time quester. I had an idea a while back that never really left my mind, so I started writing it out and here we are. I request your patience and cooperation as I learn the ropes.

I've seen others on this site reference MLP and the associated fandom, but I've never really seen anyone make a quest quite like this one, so I'm applying the old logic of "if you want to see something that doesn't exist yet, make it yourself."

For the purposes of this quest, the setting is an AU, and any events past this point are non-canonical. Head-Canon abounds, especially since the show hasn't shown much beyond Equestria's borders.