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Who Needs Harmony?: An MLP Empire Quest

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I'm curious if there is a way to breed certain talents into ponies like how there are families for certain professions can u have ponies resettle and have them produce a pony that will take up a certain mantle as needed or is a cutie mark just something innate and not something to be developed?

TLDR: Are cutie marks more innate or more developed
 
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ConfusedCanuck said:
We did? I thought they'd be our protectorate for a time then sometime in the future they'd vote to see if they want to stay with us or leave?
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I might be wrong but I think we ultimately went with the protectorate choice without a time limit but fully intending to fully integrate them at some point anyway, we just didn't want an actual time limit hanging over our heads
 
ninjakirito6 said:
We wanted to make Maretonia a protectorate right? What is our plans to pacify and manage the country until we annex them? And do we plan on conquering and colonizing the mountains with the Yeti's in them? They do have a absurd amount of strategic resources.
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For Maretonia, I believe one of the most important things we should do to start is set up Imperial-owned railroads from their ports and going in to the interior and hopefully eventually spiderwebbing across all major parts of Maretonia after two or three years. It will allow us to set up a logistics chain that will allow us to better push our economic and diplomatic influence across the former queendom, as well as allow us to easily build up any bureaucracy needed to competently govern the wartorn area.

Ideally we'd want to connect their railways to our own across our actual border, but ones beginning from their ports should be prioritized since that is where most of the supplies and transport from the Empire to Maretonia wil likely come in post-war. It's just a poorer route to transform the entire economy of a feudal, pre-industrialization society through a mountain route as our border with Maretonia is.

As for the Yetis, I do not know how feasible colonizing the area will be until we can get a better view of the area, but at least setting up a fortified port with the potential for protecting and transporting goods of satellite mining towns would be a nice prospect.
ConfusedCanuck said:
We did? I thought they'd be our protectorate for a time then sometime in the future they'd vote to see if they want to stay with us or leave?
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I thought that was after 50 years?
 
jonasquinn said:
I might be wrong but I think we ultimately went with the protectorate choice without a time limit but fully intending to fully integrate them at some point anyway, we just didn't want an actual time limit hanging over our heads
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Huh I think they'd be an option to intergrate them full by now if that be the case but you know what I'll ask the QM about it and clear it all up!
PyrrosWarrior said:
I thought that was after 50 years?
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That seems a bit too long to me but I can't rightly remeber as it is so I'll just ask the QM.

@Questor got a question for you our protectorate will there be a referendum on if they want to become there own nation at some point or fully integrate with our Empire?
 
I think at this point separation with the Crystal Protectorate would be both impractical and improbable seeing the number of resources and time we've put into it also the culture has been unsurprisingly homogenized
 
weeblypanda said:
I think at this point separation with the Crystal Protectorate would be both impractical and improbable seeing the number of resources and time we've put into it also the culture has been unsurprisingly homogenized
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Well yeah. That was a large part of the point. We want them to not want to leave. We just can't remember what the exact deal was.
 
I mean, the specific deal doesn't give a timeline for a referendum, just that at some point in the future the Crystal Ponies would either want to further integrate or leave.
[ ] Protectorate: Aid will be provided on the condition of the Crystal Empire becoming a Protectorate of Gryphus. While the Crystal Ponies will be allowed a degree of autonomy over their own affairs, they will be considered a part of the Empire. A portion of their tax revenue will be paid to you, and they will be protected from outside aggression by the might of the Imperial Military. The vast majority of Crystal Ponies would be content with this, not believing themselves capable of standing on their own hooves so soon after their liberation from Sombra, and seeing the assistance gained as being well worth the price of some of their autonomy. And while some of the particularly ambitious members of your nobility may grumble a bit, most of your own people will likely see this arrangement as beneficial. Though it should be noted that the attitudes of the Crystal Ponies may change with time, either seeking independence or further integration into the Empire itself. Something to think about at any rate.
 
Questor said:
"Princesses, there was room for over a million names."
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I shivered here.
Oh wow...
That line to me sounded so powerful.
So damn powerful.
A million heroes...
A million defenders of the Empire.
Damn...
Just damn...
That line sounded so epic to me.

I notice that people are talking about the Crystal Protectorate...
Mayhaps a referendum is needed soon?
Let the people decide if they wish to remain...
With the Empire as its people...
Or close, independent friends.
Sometime in the future hopefully.
 
...Now we cut to some Maretonian expedition who happened to stumble into Equestria by accident, eagerly tries to meet with the Princesses to gain their support for "pony solidarity against the savage griffon oppressors", only to have the Princesses ask them politely, but firmly, to leave.
 
huh, wonder how our relations with Equestria well change over time? I mean at the most base level the views of both kingdoms are opposite. Ponies believe the natural order of the world is harmony and chaos only happens when someone messes with the natural order, while griffons believe that chaos is the natural order of the world and harmony only appears where there are people to suppress the chaos. We're similar enough that I doubt we'll ever really have open hostilities between our two nations but I imagine that there is going to be a friction between them as time goes on. The empire seeing Equestria as naive and the Equestrians seeing the empire as boorish and brutish.

And depending on what the future brings it might stem some of these beliefs early like if both Equestria and the Empire join forces to deal with the yetis should they become a threat, or it could plummet our relations with each other if the Equestrians think the Empire goes to far when conducting war and the Empire becoming frustrated that the Equestrians are prolonging the war because of indecision and lacking the will to do what needs to be done. Other things could also affect it like both nations going into an economic war with each other, or possibly having a natural disaster hit a nation and one or both sides sending aid which could raise the opinion of each other.

Also I feel that how Equestrians view the empire will probably change depending on their class as well. Nobles might hate us for reason both proper and petty or they could love us if trade with the empire helps fill their pockets. Commoners could be indifferent or supportive to our nation with all the aid we offer to others but could just as easily see us as war mongers. Royalty I feel will probably be cautiously friendly with us as the two sister will probably have a more complete picture of us then most and it's against their nature to be the aggressors but if we start to threaten their kingdom I could see them start looking down on the empire.
 
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x0Nothing0x said:
Royalty I feel will probably be cautiously friendly with with as the two sister will probably have a more complete picture of us then most and it's against their nature to be the aggressors but if we start to threaten their kingdom I could see them start looking down on the empire.
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I feel the sisters would have different view on us. And what we are, so that is going to FUN if Nightmare happens.
 
after thinking a bit, I realized that one of the Princesses are going to HAVE to come over to the Empire for the first official diplomatic visit.

Not just so they can see the empire for themselves to confirm what they have been told but because we sent the Crown prince to meet with them. Sending anyone of lesser stature could be seen as a massive insult as it would say that they don't see relationships with the empire to be as important as we see a relationship with equestria.

Now the question is going to be which one is coming?
 
First thoughts upon reading the last two updates (which, as people have said, were EXCELLENT, by the way)...

Equestria: Isolated from conflict, relatively peaceful and idyllic woodlands and grasslands, heavy magic users, believers of nature's inherent and intrinsic virtue.

Gryphus: Strives for peace but often militaristically inclined, mountain-dwellers with phenomenal yet functional architecture, mostly magicless; instead substituting mundane technology, believers in both the moral and practical value of hard work and industry.

Fitting SV would make Quadruped Dwarves in contrast to Equestria's Quadruped Elves.
 
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Wait a minute, hold on. Did Gawain basically just drop off the Equestrians, meet the Princesses, turn his airship around and leave within a day?!

Presumably the crew had restocked supplies during the meeting but still. Worry over war or not that seems like a ludicrous choice.

Either way the war is going to be well on its way by the time he gets back. Shouldn't he take a few days to establish connections and eyes first Intel on Equestria?
 
This was the first meeting, getting them caught up on current events and introducing ourselves doesn't take that long, we'll send a proper diplomat and set up a embassy later
 
Questor said:
"They possess not only several knightly orders comparable in size, equipment and training to our own Royal Guard,
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Wait, what the *quack*?

How exactly do they expect to control their borders with so few troops? Or to even defend against attacks from multiple sides?
Unless these are Meme Ponies with Reasonable Calcs, they can't by any other metric be enough.

The Yeti's are gonna eat them for breakfast, I tell you!
 
Somebodynobody10 said:
Wait, what the *quack*?

How exactly do they expect to control their borders with so few troops? Or to even defend against attacks from multiple sides?
Unless these are Meme Ponies with Reasonable Calcs, they can't by any other metric be enough.

The Yeti's are gonna eat them for breakfast, I tell you!
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I think they are expected to fend for themselves for the most part, aka Living in Harmony with the environment. the info pack that was dropped showed that kind of thinking in that the royal guard is only brought in after a monster kills multiple times or there is a disaster that the town cannot handle. you can actually see this in the show in that Ponyville even thought it is next to monster central (AKA the Everfree) doesn't seem to have any guards stationed there, not even when the elements of harmony started living there. This was not unusual in the medieval period in real life in that standing armies were just not used. a small core was kept and then the rest was filled out by militia.

I believe Granny apple was also almost killed in the comics as a child by timberwolf's and I suspect that it is only unusual in the fact she got away. so there is evidence that the citizens of Equestria are expected to handle themselves.

This would also explain Chrysalis's plan to take over equestria. If the only formal military is completly based in Canterlot then taking it out would basically mean she would of taken over equestria's military.

It might be because of Celestia's and Luna's power, anything that cannot be handled locally is handled by the royal guard and if the threat is more then they can handle then the Alicorn sisters take over, and they have yet to come across anything that needs more then that. unlike the Griffin empire that needs a standing army to survive
 
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Hurray! Another wonderful update to this Quest. Thanks for the amazing chapter as always and keep up the good work! :grin:

I definitely liked how you handled the Alternate-POV in this one, and it was quite amusing to see the Pony's reaction to our Empire as well.
Questor said:
"Princesses, there was room for over a million names."
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And this line? Whew...that's was I call a little bit intense. It certainly hit home on the Griffon's views on war, to always be prepared. For war is inevitable and ultimately unavoidable.

Overall, the update was certainly a blast to read! I can't wait to see what you have in store for the next one mate.
 
Somebodynobody10 said:
Wait, what the *quack*?

How exactly do they expect to control their borders with so few troops? Or to even defend against attacks from multiple sides?
Unless these are Meme Ponies with Reasonable Calcs, they can't by any other metric be enough.

The Yeti's are gonna eat them for breakfast, I tell you!
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Firstly, as the others mentioned, they have been in isolation and without much need for fighting. It's one of the differences between how society forms with our society having been in a giant crossroads of countries all duking out in a Battle Royale, while theirs formed amidst a largely isolated area with only nomads and few violent creatures to deal with.

Secondly, their surprise at the concept of being able to afford a standing army and their initial presumption that our guards were among the most our military can offer tells us they are still running on a feudal army. That is to say, levies and militia are likely the words of the hour. If something is attacking, call the local militia. If something is regional, then band together in your region. If it is absolutely necessary, call up the levies and send the Royal Guard to deal with princessdom wide issues. Either way, they don't have a standardized army yet.

They've also indicated they have a monopoly on magic in their area of the continent, which is undoubtedly yet another equalizer for areas that have unicorns.

As for the yetis, not too sure about that? Everything we've seen of them implies they are little more than bandits at the moment. That isn't going to be completely stopped without something more robust, but local defense is "good enough" to minimize a bandit-level threat.
 
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