The Awesome Pony Rp : Equestria Divided (OOC, CLOSED)

[Frenequesta]

WARNING: This RP contains ponies. You have been warned.

The Awesome Pony Role-Play
Equestria Divided
A sequel to The Awesome Pony Rp: Under the Shadow of War
-A Triple-F Role-Play-

Co-Ops
The Flutterlands
Frenequesta
Fascist Russian Empire

IC Thread

Previous Threads in the Arc
Reboot of the Reboot
Under the Shadow of War

Greetings, fellow P2TMers, you are an inhabitant of the fantasy land of Equestria and its neighboring nations, allies, and enemies. What happens in the IC is completely up to you to decide via OCC. You may use either a Canon Character or an OC.

PLEASE NOTE: Some characters MUST be taken by players other than the Co-OPs before the IC thread goes up. These characters are marked with an asterisk.

Table of Contents

1. The World of Equestria (Background, Vital Facts)
2. Rules and Other Preliminary Matters
3. Character Applications
4. Player and Character Lists
5. Proposed Plotlines and Other Suggestions

[Frenequesta]

Background

Equestria, the land of Princesses Celestia and Luna, the Elements of Harmony, and the Mane Six, has undergone a great political change in the wake of a bloody and divisive war.

Eleven years ago, Prince Razor Wing, the leader of a minor changeling colony, came to Ponyville to warn Princess Twilight Sparkle of an impending attack by Queen Chrysalis’ hive, and asked for Equestria’s assistance. Over much skepticism, the Equestrian government agreed to ally with Razor Wing’s colony to prepare for the attack, and in doing so formally recognized the civil rights of changelings for the first time in a thousand years.

That attack came at the Grand Galloping Gala, attacking not only Canterlot but virtually every major city in Equestria. With the exception of Manehattan and New Londam in Equestria’s northeast, Equestria and its new changeling allies were able to keep the Changeling Empire at bay. Queen Chrysalis set up the capital of the Empire at Manehattan, and war continued between the Empire, Equestria, and the resistant changeling colonies.

For the next nine months many cities constantly switched hands, with Equestria gradually gaining the upper hoof and solidifying their position. The war took a turn, however, when the Changeling Empire enlisted Philip Blackwing, a claimant to the Griffon Kingdom throne and military commander, to reform Empire tactics and strategy. His acumen led to the fall of Cloudsdale, Hollow Shades, and Fillydelphia within a matter of days, and the Empire was reinvigorated.

Meanwhile, many ponies were incensed at Equestria’s new changeling-tolerant policies. Some of them joined the Temple of Vision, a reactionary cult centered on the ancient god of Equestria (the All-Maker) and a zealous, genocidal hatred of changelings. The Temple became militant shortly after the fall of Cloudsdale, taking over Ponyville and Salt Lick City in just a few days.

Stuck between the Empire and the Temple, Princess Celestia reluctantly agreed to side with the Temple, allowing them immunities for their crimes and backtracking on pro-changeling reforms in exchange for their aid in combatting the Empire. When Princess Celestia tried to preserve changeling lives by allowing the Crystal Empire (which had become especially pro-changeling in the meantime on Princess Cadence’s epiphany on the nature of love) to become fully independent, the Temple demanded independence referenda for all Equestrian cities and towns. In spite of fierce resistance from the elites, the Equestrian government also caved into this demand.

With the Temple on their side, Equestria was finally able to turn the tide back in their favor. Empire-occupied cities fell again to Equestria, ending in the great Battle of Manehattan, killing many changelings, both enemy and ally, and driving Queen Chrysalis off the Empire throne.

Then the borders of the world began to change. Equestria, through the referenda process, lost at least 80% of its territory, with the Crystal Empire, the Kingdom of Lethe, the Northeast Confederation, the Republic of Cataract, Sierra Palomino, the United Duchies of Neighland, and the City-State of Nubes-Synnefo forming out of the land. In addition, Phillip Blackwing retook the Griffon Kingdom, reorganizing it as a feudal monarchy and maintaining ties with Queen Chrysalis. The changeling colonies that had supported Equestria were split on their continued Equestrian support, with now-King Razor Wing’s colony favoring friendly relations and others favoring a return to isolationism or hostility. Nonetheless, all of them joined an alliance for mutual defense, especially against the Temple-driven policies of the Kingdom of Lethe.

For more background, see here and here. Pay particular attention to the Epilogue in the "Under the Shadow of War" thread, as it provides several important details of each of the new countries' governments and culture.

Map of Equestria

Map

Map is subject to change as the RP progresses.

Species and their Powers

Earth Pony: Some have limited, passive magic relating to agriculture and strength, others have no special powers
Unicorns: Can do active magic, usually related to a specific talent
Pegasi: Fly and control weather
Alicorn: Fly, do active magic to a greater degree than unicorns. Reserved for Equestrian/Crystal Empire Royalty only.
Griffin: Fly
Zebras: Witchcraft—like unicorn magic, but more connected with the physical world
Dragons: Fly, breath fire
Changeling: Magic, fly, change shape
Donkeys: No special powers
Buffalo: No special powers
Non-Buffalo Bovine (i.e. Cows and Bulls): No special powers, provide milk

Other species may be accepted via application.

The Nations of Equestria, their Foreign Allies, and their Enemies

Country	The Co-Principality of Equestria	The Crystal Empire	The Kingdom of Lethe	The Northeast Confederation	The Republic of Cataract	Sierra Palomino	The City-State of Nubes-Synnefo	The United Duchies of Neighland
Capital	Canterlot	Crystalopolis	Salt Lick City	Manehattan (de facto)	Vanhoofer	Los Pegasus	Cloudsdale	Baltimare
Other Important Cities	San Flankcisco, Whinnyapolis, Ponyville	Manetreal, Ice Bay (Sombragrad)	Appleloosa, Dodge Junction, Lubbuck	Fillydelphia, New Londam, Hollow Shades	Tall Tale, Seaddle, Tackoma	San Palomino, Buckson, Reino	n/a	Wingscotting, Crystal City
Population (approx.)	18,000,000	7,000,000	22,000,000	30,000,000	5,000,000	10,000,000	1,000,000	12,000,000
Form of Government	Constitutional Monarchy/Multiparty Democracy	Constitutional Monarchy, Consultation System	Absolute Semi-Theocratic Monarchy	Decentralized Democratic Confederation	Multiparty Republic	Multiparty Republic	Two-Party Republic	Aristocratic Oligarchy
Head(s) of State	Princesses Celestia and Luna	Princess Cadence	The All-Maker	None (Mayor of Manehattan Caring Heart)	President Smoky Topaz	President Red Feather	Chancellor White Knight	Grand Duchess of Baltimare Symphonia
Demographics	35% Earth Pony, 30% Unicorn, 15% Pegasus, 8% Donkey, 5% Non-Buffalo Bovine, 2% Changeling, Other 5%	Pony 88% (of which ~97% Crystal), Changeling 10%, Other 2%	50% Earth Pony, 25% Pegasus, 10% Unicorn, 5% Non-Buffalo Bovine, 5% Buffalo, 5% Other	32% Earth Pony, 30% Unicorn, 14% Pegasus, 10% Donkey, 10% Non-Buffalo Bovine, Other 4%	Unicorn 35%, Earth Pony 30%, Pegasus 10%, Changeling 10%, Donkey 5%, Other 10%	45% Pegasus, 25% Earth Pony, 20% Unicorn, 5% Donkey, 5% Other	90% Pegasus, 2% Griffin, 8% Other	30% Earth Pony, 30% Unicorn, 20% Pegasus, 6% Non-Buffalo Bovine, 5% Donkey, 5% Changeling, 4% Other
Economic System	Mixed-Market Capitalism	Socialism	Laissez-Faire Capitalism	Depends on city, but no city imposes tariffs on each other, and all are at least based on private enterprise	Worker-Oriented Corporatism/Market Socialism (i.e. German model)	Mixed-Market Capitalism	Laissez-Faire Capitalism	Guild-Based Capitalism
Legal System	Common Law, Adversarial	Civil Law (but observes Equestrian common law for code gaps), Inquisitorial	Customary/Religious Law, Inquisitorial	Common Law, Adversarial	Civil and Common Law, Adversarial	Civil Law, Inquisitorial and Adversarial	Civil Law, Adversarial	Common/Customary Law, Inquisitorial
Military Structure	Permanent Voluntary Standing Army	Permanent Volunteer Standing Army	Volunteer Permanent Standing Army/Militias/Mercenaries	City Militias	All defense provided by Crystal Empire	Universal Compulsory Permanent Standing Army	Draft Compulsory Standing Army	Voluntary Permanent Standing Army/Duchy Mercenaries
Foreign Policy	Anti-Lethe, Anti-Philip	Anti-Lethe, Pro-Equestria	Anti-Equestria, Anti-Changelings, Anti-Philip	Isolationist/Neutral	Pro-Crystal Empire, Pro-Equestria	Eclectic, no clear orientation	Anti-Griffon Kingdom, Pro-Lethe	Pro-Equestria, Pro-Griffon Kingdom
Changeling/Pony/Griffin Policy (where applicable)	Generally Changeling-Friendly, Some Local Exceptions	Strongly Changeling-Friendly	Extremely Anti-Changeling	Anti-Changeling	Strongly Changeling-Friendly	Minimally Changeling-Friendly	Anti-Changeling, Significantly Anti-Griffin	Generally Anti-Changeling, but allows "reformed" changelings full citizenship
Major Economic Sectors	Professional Services, Light Manufacturing, Agriculture	General Services, Light Manufacturing, Mining	Agriculture, Mining, General Services	Professional Services, General Services, Agriculture	Heavy Manufacturing, Finance, Information Technology, Forestry	Tourism, Gambling, Defense Manufacturing, Weather Production	Weather Production, Defense Manufacturing	Finance, Professional Services, General Services

Country	The Griffon Kingdom	(Razor Wing's Colony)	The Changeling Empire
Capital	Griffonstone	n/a	n/a
Other Important Cities	Clawston City	n/a	n/a
Population (approx.)	13,000,000	100,000	Unknown
Form of Government	Feudal Monarchy	Semi-Absolute Monarchy	Absolute Monarchy
Head(s) of State	King Philip Blackwing	King Razor Wing	Queen Chrysalis
Demographics	94% Griffin, 6% Other	100% Changeling	100% Changeling
Economic System	Feudalism/State Capitalism	Communism	Communism
Legal System	Civil Law, Inquisitorial	Customary Law, Inquisitorial	Customary Law, Inquisitorial
Military Structure	Decentralized Military Among Nobles	Voluntary Permanent Standing Army	Universal Compulsory Militia
Foreign Policy	Anti-Equestria, Pro-Changeling Empire	Pro-Crystal Empire, Anti-Lethe, Pro-Equestria	Anti-Lethe, Anti-Equestria, Anti-Crystal Empire, Pro-Philip
Changeling/Pony/Griffin Policy (where applicable)	Favors Changeling Empire, against other colonies; Generally anti-pony with some exceptions	Generally Pro-Pony	Anti-Pony
Major Economic Sectors	Light Manufacturing, Defense Manufacturing, Agriculture	General Services, Defense Manufacturing	Defense Manufacturing

If you cannot see the full charts, click here. This chart is the "official" chart and is the official source of basic national information. Any inconsistency between the charts above and the chart in the link will be resolved in favor of the one in the link. At this stage, you can modify this chart upon declaration, provided that the change does not contradict anything previously established.

Special Information on Equestria:
Equestrian Constitution
Amendments to the Equestrian Constititution

[Frenequesta]

Flutter's Eleven Commandments

1. We, the Co-ops, are God. You do as we say and how we say.
2. Don't meta-game or god-mod.
3. Don't insult others or be an asshole.
4. Have fun!
5. Posting Speed Limit: No more than three posts per character in a 12 hour period.
6. Posting speed MINIMUM: One post every 72 hours unless you give the Co-OPs notice of a foreseen lack of post. Failure to give notice will render any posts made beyond the 72 hour window ignored except by explicit waiver of the Co-OPs or the person to whom the post is directed to.
7. No one liners. They suck. We want paragraphs.
8. This RP’s tech level is modern mixed with fantasy.
9. Let us know if you're going to be unable to post or taking a break. Don't just vanish without warning.
10. Post within no more than 12 hours when you say you're going to post. If you're unable to post by then due to unforeseen reasons, please refer to the 9th rule.
11. Respond to our TGs. Ignoring us is rude.

Fren’s Corollary Principles

1. This RP, in the spirit of the show, leans more towards idealism on the sliding scale of cynicism and idealism. In other words, while there will be no shortage of the less savory parts of human (pony?) nature, the tone is overall optimistic and some sort of happy ending, affirming reason, and especially friendship, should be the long-term end goal.
2. All canon events taking place in Season 4 or before, or mentioned in later seasons as having happened in Season 4 or before, are canon for this RP. However, some events in later seasons are also assumed to have taken place—see “Adopted Post-Season 4 Canon Events.”
3. If you are having difficulty coming up with a post, don’t hesitate to ask for help in the OOC! We might be in competition on occasion, but fundamentally, we are here to make a good story and we all can benefit from each other’s ideas.
4. If your next post has the potential to fundamentally change the tone, direction, or plot of the RP, discuss your proposal in the OOC before posting so that it can be discussed and revised under the guidance of the Co-OPs and the consensus of non-co-ops.
5. Pay attention to everyone’s posts, not just those that deal with yours specifically. You might find an opportunity for your character that you have not foreseen.
6. As corollary to #5, always ask yourself: what purpose does my character serve in this RP? How does this post drive the plot?
7. While the RP world has modern technology, do not automatically assume that the characters use them the same way we do. For example, with the exception of the Republic of Cataract, computers, smartphones, and the like are not (yet) widely available to consumers, and most often they will be found in specialized contexts such as within government agencies or research universities. Remember that there is something of an anti-technology streak in Equestrian culture, and ponies prefer to use either their own strength or magic to get tasks done.
8. Commandment No. 6 shall be interpreted equitably. To do this, the 72-hour period is a "safe harbor" for posts, with a 48-hour grace period for "reasonably late" posts, where posts made during that period may only be disregarded if it prejudices the timely posts of other players. Beyond that, the procedures for formal waiver must fully apply. The rule also does not preclude players from conditioning their posts on the future post of another player, but this too must be made known in this thread. Those that do not timely post because of the untimely and unexcused post of another player shall not have that held against them.
9. The Co-OPs understand that there may be times when you have to attend to real life tasks immediately and cannot simply let the Co-OPs know that you cannot post. However, waivers will be given very sparingly and for compelling reasons (i.e. death in family, personal emergency). Ultimately, it is your responsibility to give everyone notice of any absence, needed or otherwise. An RP rises and falls on the enthusiasm of its posters, and one’s unexplained absence can damage the enthusiasm of all.
10. The Co-OPs shall be in control of all non-reserved, non-player characters until taken by a non-co-op by filing out an application. Non-co-ops are also free to control any character that simply helps carry out a reasonably limited task related to the actions of one or more of their applied characters without the need to explicate the character’s personality. (For example, a non-co-op player may, in a restaurant scene, control the waiter that serves the non-co-op player’s character’s food, but that waiter cannot suddenly become the character’s new spy partner without separately applying for such in the OOC.)

Adopted Post Season 4 Canon Events

Additional events may be listed here upon petition. In general, acceptable events are those that (1) do not involve Starlight Glimmer, and (2) could have reasonably taken place in spite of the war described in the last RP.

1. Flurry Heart has been born and the events in “The Crystalling,” absent those parts involving Starlight Glimmer, took place.
2. The Cutie Mark Crusaders have received their cutie marks according to the events in “Crusaders of the Lost Mark,” including Diamond Tiara’s reformation.
3. Starlight Glimmer has been overthrown from her village, but not through the Mane 6’s intervention. Players are encouraged to speculate on alternative paths for Starlight Glimmer and the town. (Starlight’s Village was/is located in the Northeast Confederation.)

[Frenequesta]

If applying as a canon character, only Numbers 1, 10, and 11 are required (and 8 and 9 if necessary to explain the character’s non-canon actions or personality that relate to this RP). The OP and Co-ops are more than familiar with the canon characters. To learn about the canon characters, see here.

Numbers 6 and 7 may be filled in with either a link to a picture, a written description, or both.

Code: Select all

[b]1. Name:[/b]
[b]2. Species:[/b]
[b]3. Sex:[/b]
[b]4. Residence:[/b]
[b]5. Occupation:[/b]
[b]6. Appearance:[/b]
[b]7. Cutie mark:[/b]
[b]8. Bio (two paragraphs minimum):[/b]
[b]9. Personality:[/b]
[b]10. How do you foresee your character contributing to the RP? Be specific, but don’t give away too much.[/b]
[b]11. Please certify the following statement (not necessary if this is not your first application):
[i]I certify that I have read and understood the Background, Flutters’ Eleven Commandments, and Fren’s Corollary Principles. I agree to abide by the letter and spirit of the terms of the Commandments and the Principles, and understand that violation of the Commandments or Principles may risk my character(s) being ejected from the RP. (To certify, please link (URL only) to a picture of Pinkie Pie in the space below.)[/i][/b]

Model Applications
These applications should give you some idea on how to fill out the forms for either canon or OC characters.

1. Name: Cherry Gardener (born Cherry Ranger)
2. Species: Earth Pony
3. Sex: Female
4. Residence: Whinnyapolis, Equestria
5. Occupation: Cherry grower, retired quality control inspector and politician
6. Appearance: Deep magenta coat, white and graying mane and tail. She is around 80 years old at the time of this RP.
7. Cutie mark: Two bunches of three cherries opposite of each other, touching at the branches, with a yellow starburst behind them
8. Bio (two paragraphs minimum): Cherry Gardener was born Cherry Ranger in Saddleia, Equestria (in what is now the Kingdom of Lethe) to an itinerant insurance salespony and a more stationary nurse. She spent a lot of her childhood, however, on her aunt’s cherry farm in Dodge Junction (her cousin is Cherry Jubilee), helping with a variety of chores. A rather sour experience with Canterlot bureaucracy as a teenager inspired her to see politics in her future.

Growing up, she became a quality control inspector for her aunt’s cherry farm and later one for a cherry farm in Roanford, an earth pony suburb of Manehattan. She also served for a time in the Royal Guard Support Corps as a surveyor and scout for Royal Guard excursions. At age 38 she became the deputy for Roanford as a member of the Agrarian Party. In Parliament she gained a reputation as a warm, reconciliatory compromiser, ideologically flexible but sticking up for core Agrarian values.

She served eleven three-year terms in the Chamber of Deputies, rising as the de facto leader of the Agrarian Party’s liberal wing. However, her second-to-last term revealed that she had improperly solicited funds for her re-election campaigns and swore to inaccurate financial statements, leading to a censure from Parliament. She nonetheless won re-election very narrowly. In her final term she became an outspoken advocate of changeling integration and opponent of the Temple of Vision, the latter of which increasingly unpopular in light of the Temple’s power and Equestrian ally potential in the fight against the Changeling Empire. Then, in one meeting with Princess Twilight Sparkle on strategies to combat the Temple, she mocked Twilight out of perceived snobbery. Her reputation never recovered from this incident, and she lost the next election. She would eventually retire to Whinnyapolis, changing her name to Cherry Gardener and running a small cherry grove of her own.

9. Personality: Cherry has a knack for synthesizing people’s wants and getting them to compromise, a trait that served her very well in Parliament. Like most politicians, she also enjoys meeting people and networking with them. She is usually very warm and friendly with everyone, except perhaps unicorns, her encounters with them as a child, as well as her aunt’s rants about them, leaving her with largely negative impressions. She nonetheless only lets her bias show at her weaker moments. She believes very strongly in the power of democracy and the ability for anyone to make a difference in their community. Curiously, and perhaps as a side effect of her quality control training, numbers can obsess her mind.
10. How do you foresee your character contributing to the RP? Be specific, but don’t give away too much. Cherry was among the most upset that Equestria was splitting up into multiple countries. She will likely work with other like-minded persons to re-unite the Equestrian nations.
11. Please certify the following statement (not necessary if this is not your first application):
I certify that I have read and understood the Background, Flutters’ Eleven Commandments, and Fren’s Corollary Principles. I agree to abide by the letter and spirit of the terms of the Commandments and the Principles, and understand that violation of the Commandments or Principles may risk my character(s) being ejected from the RP. (To certify, please link (URL only) to a picture of Pinkie Pie in the space below.)
[url]PINKIEPINKIEPINKIE[/url]

1. Name: Princess Twilight Sparkle
10. How do you foresee your character contributing to the RP? Be specific, but don’t give away too much. Besides advising the general public on friendship advice, Princess Twilight will work towards the reunification of Equestria and advise Parliament on political issues. She will also oversee the development of her adopted children, spending as much time with them as possible.
11. Please certify the following statement (not necessary if this is not your first application):
I certify that I have read and understood the Background, Flutters’ Eleven Commandments, and Fren’s Corollary Principles. I agree to abide by the letter and spirit of the terms of the Commandments and the Principles, and understand that violation of the Commandments or Principles may risk my character(s) being ejected from the RP. (To certify, please link (URL only) to a picture of Pinkie Pie in the space below.)
[url]PINKIEPINKIEPINKIE[/url]

[Frenequesta]

Reserved Characters of the Co-ops

Princess Celestia
Princess Luna
Bounty Hunt et. al.(Princess Twilight's adopted children)
Peacekeeper
King Razor Wing
Chrysalis

Princess Twilight Sparkle
Princess Cadence
Shining Armor
Cherry Gardener
Trilby
Sapphire Quill

The All-Maker
Visionary
Iron Rose et. al. (OC Temple apostles)
Philip Blackwing

Other Major Characters

The President of Sierra Palomino: Red Feather (Ippeia)
The Chancellor of Nubes-Synnefo: White Knight(FRE)
The Grand Duchess of Baltimare: Symphonia (Nocturniica)
The Mayor of Manehattan: Caring Heart (Das Metro)

A Member of the Mane 6 other than Twilight Sparkle: Fluttershy (Ippeia)
Major General Rainbow Dash Nocturniica

Other Accepted Players and Characters

Thidareik af Oium
Sigvard Sturrlasson
Agamemnon I
Anaxippos

Chilling Wind
Soothing Lullaby
Discord

Rex

[Frenequesta]

This post will show some of the discussion and planning that has been going on in TGs, as well as compile major suggestions in this thread for easy reference. In some cases the conversations have been slightly edited for context and clarity.

The Flutterlands: So, I'd been talking about it a little, but I'd like dark magic to be a theme in the new rp, including introducing spells equivalent to the unforgivables in Harry Potter . . .

Pitch Black [would] find [] a book of dark magic and it gets a hold of him. Almost like in inspiration Manifestation, but worse...

Fascist Russian Empire: Alternatively, we could make it a Temple of Vision plot; seeing as the ToV has two prominent magical figures (the All-Maker and the apostle Deep Insight), it would make a lot of sense for them to have knowledge of some sort of black magic. The All-Maker, especially, would be a good candidate to possess said magic; after all, he's a very powerful wizard and would have a lot of knowledge of ancient spells (on account of the fact that he is many thousands of years old).

It could potentially make for an exciting story to have the Temple utilize dark magic, and have Twilight Sparkle and other Celestial figures attempt to either find ways to counter it or steal the Temple's magical secrets for themselves.
. . .
[Or] . . . we could take one of your ideas and do a sub-plot in the Crystal Empire where a cult worshiping King Sombra is formed, and have Pitch Black join them and turn to the dark side that way. It could be a nice way to create some conflict in the Empire, while simultaneously advancing Pitch's character.

Frenequesta: I don't really like recycling old, one-dimensional villains that seem to have been vanquished for good.

But if we are going to go with it, here's how I'd spin it: To me King Sombra is less fitting as a religious figure or a god, but he is certainly a political figure. FRE might have noticed that I have as an alternative name of one of the Crystal Empire cities as "Sombragrad," a parody of Stalingrad (Volgograd today). So at best the group Pitch joins would be less of a "cult" than a very fervent political party who want the Crystal Empire to be more like as it was under King Sombra (of course, they don't think they will be enslaved) and want to raise Sombra from the dead(?) to stage a coup on Princess Cadence.

Pitch just wants to practice dark magic, especially by conquering death; he doesn't completely realize what the group's motivations are, although he eventually learns it in the course of his helping them and grows to sincerely adhere to their cause.

The Flutterlands: Well, I had Sombra more of a Voldemort or Darth Sidious type of villain, not an actually viewed as a god. So Sombra's followers would be seen as a personality cult similar to the Death Eaters.

Also, I'd like to portray dark magic as something NOT to use. Dark Magic should not be something cool like a new set of super powers, but something ugly and destructive to those around the user and the user's self.

Consider this to be one of the fundamental laws of magic in MLP, straight from Harry Potter:
"Tamper with the deepest mysteries — the source of life, the essence of self — only if prepared for consequences of the most extreme and dangerous kind."

Frenequesta: I didn't mean to endorse dark magic in describing Pitch's help of the group--it's bad enough in itself, but just that he doesn't realize the political consequences of his help.

I suppose we also have a disagreement on the nature of dark magic. You seem to see it in terms of ends while I see it in means. Some ends can only be achievable by the means, but other times it might be simply [] more efficient (but less ethical or more dangerous) to carry out an otherwise legitimate and less controversial end.

Perhaps we can set it up like this: There are three categories of magic: Dark/Black, Gray, and White: Dark magic is that which uses hazardous, experimental, or novel methods of magic to achieve unethical ends, such as those of the Unforgiveable Curses. Gray magic also uses hazardous, experimental, or novel methods of magic, but they can be used for legitimate ends but only in the right hooves and with great care. Many methods mentioned in Looking into the Light*, as well as the "top secret" spells the Royal Guard uses*, would fall into this category. White magic is virtually everything else, largely unregulated except in the context of other laws.

The Flutterlands: Actually, I see dark magic as a means to end as well, but is still nonetheless, potentially harmful. Extensive use of dark magic would most likely take a toll on the user being highly corruptive and addictive. That being said, the kind of Dark Magic Pitch Black would become most interested in is the, considered by most, vile and unholy art of Necromancy which may or may not include magic akin to making horcruxes.

*You will have to scroll down to near the bottom of the post to find this reference.

[The Flutterlands]

A wild tag appeared.

[The Flutterlands]

Can you get rid of that historical character rule please?

[Frenequesta]

Can you get rid of that historical character rule please?

Done.

[Fascist Russian Empire]

It's nice to see that the new thread is finally finished.

Here are some updated and revised applications for my three primary characters; not particularly long applications, seeing as they've already been established in the last thread.

1: Name: His proper name is Letum, though he is more commonly known as the All-Maker.

2: Species: The All-Maker's race is largely a mystery to the ponies of Equestria. Amongst his religious following, the Temple of Vision, he is believed to be a deity; amongst his opponents, there are a variety of theories as to what he is.

3: Sex: Male.

4: Residence: He resides in a grand palace in the Temple's holy city of Salt-Lick City.

5: Occupation: He serves as the absolute monarch of the Kingdom of Lethe (using the title of His Heavenly Majesty, God-King Letum of Lethe, Sword of Justice and Shield of Righteousness), in addition to having a significant role in the Temple of Vision.

6: Appearance: The All-Maker is capable of changing his appearance on a whim, but he typically appears as a draconequus with a black body, a manticore's tail, a rabbit's paw and a diamond dog's claw in place of fore-hooves, a griffin's talon and a goat's hoof in place of hind-hooves, a red pony's head bearing two jagged, curved horns, with a dark blue mane and rainbow-colored eyes, and a griffin's wing and a bat-pony's wing adorning his back; he also normally wears lavish regalia.

7: Cutie mark: Not applicable.

8: Bio (two paragraphs minimum): Little is definitively known about the All-Maker's past; concrete facts are few and far-between, especially with regards to the distant past. The Temple of Vision maintains that he is the creator of the world, a mighty and powerful God, who has assumed a physical avatar in the world to purge it of inequity and bring about an era of piety and purity. Opponents of the Temple have a multitude of theories regarding his origins, ranging from him being a powerful wizard pretending to be a deity to him not even being real (his body and voice simply being illusions). Nothing regarding his past and origins has been solidly established; it is a field of mystery to researchers throughout Equestria.

Verifiable history of the All-Maker does not begin until the Visionary Rebellion, the civil war in which the Prophet Visionary raised an army of religious zealots and anti-changeling radicals and fought to topple the Celestial Diarchy. The Battle of Salt-Lick City was the first time when the All-Maker's voice was witnessed by the public, appearing before the entire city with commands to take up arms against Celestial forces; during the same battle, the All-Maker was witnessed to have magically intervened on the battlefield, striking terror into the hearts of his enemies. His battlefield participation grew more frequent and more significant in later battles, proving to be an important ace in the hole during multiple fights between his forces and his opponents, the most widely publicized (and most controversial) of which being the Battle of Manehattan, the final battle of the Forth Pony-Changeling War, during which the All-Maker personally massacred droves of changeling civilians.

After the end of the Pony-Changeling War, and the subsequent independence of the frontier regions, the All-Maker was elected as the absolute monarch of the frontier Kingdom of Lethe. Under his reign, Lethe experienced a dramatic cultural shift away from traditional values of Equestria, becoming a hub of piety and religious zealotry; a significant majority of the population joined the Temple of Vision, and the Temple's moral and religious values began to be firmly implanted into the populace. Simultaneously, under his rule, Lethe began to dramatically grow both in terms of population and in terms of prosperity, with vast numbers of ponies migrating to the frontier and bringing their wealth with them, increasing the political and economic influence of the Kingdom. The All-Maker has remained as one of the most powerful political figures in Equestria, and, by far, one of the leading voices of the anti-changeling movement, utilizing his resources to fight changeling-integrationists at every opportunity.

9: Personality: The All-Maker is both powerful and shrewd, wielding magical prowess, administrative competence, and skillful persuasion to achieve his goals, first and foremost among which is the utter annihilation of the changeling race, a task which he has dedicated every ability and every asset at his disposal to pursuing. For reasons largely unknown to Equestria, he despises changelings on a level unparalleled by any mortal; belief that changelings are abominations which must be destroyed at any cost is the most important doctrine of the Temple of Vision, and it is a philosophy aggressively pursued by the Lethean government at the All-Maker's behest. He is merciless and unyielding against both changelings and changeling-sympathizers, openly massacring both demographics within his lands, having directly or indirectly perpetrated many of the largest anti-changeling massacres in history. He is the bane of the changeling race, aggressively seeking their destruction whenever possible. His attitudes to most other demographics, to the contrary, are rather benevolent, adopting a policy of general leniency with regards to both economic and civil liberties, letting anyone do anything, for the most part, so long as they refrain from doing anything which would support changelings.

10: How do you foresee your character contributing to the RP? Be specific, but don’t give away too much: The All-Maker is the most powerful and most violent opponent of changeling integration; he is the antithesis of the pro-changeling reformers. He will, in all likelihood, be the biggest obstacle preventing the creation of a unified pro-changeling Equestria.

11: Please certify the following statement (not necessary if this is not your first application):

I certify that I have read and understood the Background, Flutters’ Eleven Commandments, and Fren’s Corollary Principles. I agree to abide by the letter and spirit of the terms of the Commandments and the Principles, and understand that violation of the Commandments or Principles may risk my character(s) being ejected from the RP. (To certify, please link to a picture of Pinkie Pie in the space below.)


https://derpicdn.net/img/view/2016/4/24/1139254__safe_solo_pinkie+pie_meme_text_beard_religion_islam_absolutely+disgusting_religion+in+the+comments.jpeg

1: Name: His name is Visionary; he is also addressed as either the Prophet Visionary or Saint Visionary the Changeling-Slayer.

2: Species: He is an earth pony.

3: Sex: Male.

4: Residence: He lives in a monastery in Salt-Lick City.

5: Occupation: He is the official head of the Temple of Vision, the imperial cult of the All-Maker, performing a variety of tasks (including making decisions regarding theological and ecclesiastical doctrines, proper interpretation of the Book of Vision (the ToV's holy book), and arranging missionary expeditions throughout Equestria).

6: Appearance: He is a beige pony with green eyes and a long blonde mane; he doesn't normally wear clothing.

7: Cutie mark: His cutie-mark is an eye with a rainbow-colored iris, the primary religious symbol of the Temple of Vision, representing his gifts of foresight and prophethood.

8: Bio (two paragraphs minimum): Visionary, the most famous of the Temple's religious figures, was born and raised in Appaloosa, an insignificant child from an insignificant family of farmers. Shortly after turning sixteen, he received a vision from the All-Maker declaring him to be a prophet, and he began reciting revelations to his fellow Appaloosans, receiving his cutie-mark by doing so. He would spend several months preaching the All-Maker's revelations in Appaloosa, converting the local ponies and buffalo to the early Temple of Vision, before receiving another vision directing him to travel to Ponyville and spread the message there. In Ponyville, his religious message gradually grew more and more zealously anti-changeling, especially after a changeling attack on the town itself (an attack which was successfully prophesized in one of Visionary's visions, leading many ponies to accept him as a legitimate prophet), eventually reaching its zenith after the destruction of Cloudsdale by the changeling army under Philip Blackwing.

The day following the attack on Cloudsdale, Visionary gave a revelation commanding that the changelings be killed wherever they are found, and he led riots and mass-killings of changelings throughout Ponyville. Shortly thereafter, Visionary raised an army from amongst his supporters in Appaloosa, Dodge, and Ponyville, officially raising his banner in revolution against the government, beginning the Visionary Rebellion. He and his forces marched to victory after victory against the Celestial armies, occupying vast tracts of land, eventually marching on Canterlot itself, leading to the surrender of the Diarchy in a peace conference known as the Peace of Canterlot. Following the PoC, Visionary and the rebels joined forces with the Royal Guard to destroy Chrysalis's army and liberate Equestria from the changeling menace, successfully winning many victories against the Changeling Empire, massacring many thousands of changelings in the process, eventually shattering the last vestiges of resistance in the Battle of Manehattan, breaking the Empire's power and prompting Chrysalis to flee the country.

He has been one of the most famous ponies in Equestria ever since the rebellion, considered a hero by most ponies and buffalo for dealing a killing blow to the changeling invaders, and a villain by changelings and changeling-sympathizers for his role in committing genocide against the changeling race. After the independence referenda, the crown of the frontier was initially offered to Visionary, but he declined the offer, thus leading to the All-Maker being elected. Since the establishment of the Kingdom of Lethe, Visionary has remained active in religious affairs, traveling throughout Equestria and spreading the Temple of Vision wherever and whenever possible. Under the diligent watch of Visionary, the Temple of Vision grew to be one of the three primary religious demographics of Equestria (alongside deism and the Peacekeeper movement, the primary rival of the Temple), gaining many millions of followers (mostly concentrated in Lethe, but with significant populations in Las Pegasus, Cloudsdale, Ponyville, the Northeast Confederation, and Neighland).

9: Personality: Visionary is a religious zealot and a dedicated ascetic, devoting his life to following the All-Maker's teachings. He zealously and unfalteringly adheres to every virtue and every command taught by the Temple's doctrines, living a life abstaining from worldly pleasures and material possessions, spending his time working to grow the Temple as much as possible. In accordance with the All-Maker's teachings, he is a vehement opponent of the changeling race, one of the biggest voices of the anti-changeling movement.

10: How do you foresee your character contributing to the RP? Be specific, but don’t give away too much: Visionary is a famous and well-respected anti-changeling figure, the pony who led the rebellion against Celestia, responsible for the creation of a fragmented Equestria and having had a big role in defeating Chrysalis. He will likely be one of the primary leaders in the fight against changeling-integration and the unification of a pro-changeling Equestria.

1: Name: His Royal Majesty, Lord Philip (pronounced Philippe, not Phillip) Blackwing, King of the Griffins, or simply Lord Philip Blackwing, also known as the Butcher of Cloudsdale.

2: Species: He is a griffin.

3: Sex: Male.

4: Residence: He lives in the royal castle in Griffonstone.

5: Occupation: Philip is the reigning monarch of the Griffin Kingdom and the head of the Blackwing Clan, the recently-installed royal family.

6: Appearance: Philip is a solid black griffin with a very impressive physique, typically wearing a set of black metal armor and a golden crown.

7: Cutie mark: Not applicable.

8: Bio (two paragraphs minimum): Lord Philip was originally born into a very wealthy family of prominent griffin aristocrats known as the Blackwing Clan, the firstborn son and heir of the head of the family. Shortly after the death of the father and his subsequent inheritance of the family estates and titles, Philip declared the reigning King of the Griffins, Guto II, to be illegitimate as a result of his father, Guto the First's failure to protect the Idol of Boreas and the subsequent poverty inflicted upon the Griffin Kingdom. Using his family's riches and far-reaching connections, he raised a large army and raised his flag in rebellion against Guto II to install himself as the new King, doing so with the support of many other powerful nobles in the Kingdom, fighting a major civil war for control over the throne. Though Philip initially won many victories against Guto II, even taking control over Griffonstone and having a ceremony to coronate himself as King, his luck turned around and his armies eventually lost to the Guto-loyalists.

Continuing to lay claim to the throne, Philip fled the country and sought refuge in Equestria, hoping to gather the monetary resources to rebuild his army and launch a second war to oust Guto II. Shortly after his arrival in Cloudsdale, he was approached by agents of the Changeling Empire who hired him, an experienced and well-educated commander, to lead a changeling attack on the city. Utilizing his skill and experience, Philip led the changelings to a decisive victory against the pony garrison, and presided over massacres of the local ponies, pillaging and plundering Cloudsdale, utterly devastating the city. The Battle of Cloudsdale would be marked in history as one of the biggest atrocities in Equestrian history, the catalyst for the Visionary Rebellion, and would later lead to him receiving the nickname the Butcher of Cloudsdale. Philip would repeat the process in both Hollow Shades and Fillydelphia, leaving a trail of destruction and devastation in his wake, plundering millions of bits from the ponies, before returning home with the spoils of war to rebuild his army.

With newfound support from Queen Chrysalis (who hoped to have the Griffin Kingdom intervene in the Pony-Changeling War after installing Philip as King) and the continued support of the griffin aristocracy, the Blackwing army was rebuilt and Philip went to war with Guto II for the second time. The second time around, Philip's victory was overwhelming; his army won total victory, taking control of the entire Griffin Kingdom. Guto II was personally killed in battle by Philip, and his army was utterly shattered; the remnants of his dynasty fled to Equestria and formed an unpopular government-in-exile. Unfortunately for Chrysalis, his victory came too late for him to be able to intervene in the war, with his final victory over Guto's army coming just after the changeling defeat at the Battle of Manehattan.

Since then, with his position within the Kingdom finally secured, Philip, a very strong believer in the divinely-sanctioned birthright of the nobility, enacted the total reestablishment of the old feudal system of griffin society, which the old royal family had been making efforts to reform, dividing the Kingdom into many semi-autonomous feudal fiefdoms and creating a strictly-enforced feudal caste system. He and the other nobles also directed a lot of effort into revitalizing the griffin economy, investing large sums of money into setting up new sources of revenue and employment, having some success dealing with the crippling poverty problem present in the kingdom.

9: Personality: Lord Philip is an ultra-reactionary elitist; a very strong believer in the natural superiority of the aristocracy and a major traditionalist. He zealously supports the old aristocratic order of griffin society, and strongly believes in the warrior-traditions of griffin culture. In accordance in old griffin customs and traditions, he is a warrior and a glory-hound, believing firmly in the principle of might makes right, romanticizing battle and glory.

10: How do you foresee your character contributing to the RP? Be specific, but don’t give away too much: Lord Philip is a major foreign leader, the monarch of one of Equestria's few neighboring countries. He is a wildcard, with the potential to throw an unexpected wrench into plans for Equestrian unification.

[The Flutterlands]

I thought the changeling empire fell...

[Fascist Russian Empire]

I thought the changeling empire fell...

Well, they got driven out of Equestria, but Chrysalis is still alive (and, presumably, so are some of her soldiers and supporters); I assume she still claims the title of Empress. They're kinda like a government-in-exile now, I'd say; they aren't very big or powerful, but they still exist. While it's unlikely Chrysalis will be able to conquer Equestria, she could potentially still pose a threat to Equestrian unification; after all, she does still have a favor to cash in from Lord Philip, and she probably still has some agents and soldiers loyal to her.

[Turmenista]

Tagging here so I don't forget about it. Not sure whether or not to do something Diamond dog related again or go into politics. Last time I was just inactive with my posting and busy, but now that summer's here I look to be able to post more frequently.

We picking up directly after the old RP or is there a timeskip in between?

[Frenequesta]

Tagging here so I don't forget about it. We picking up directly after the old RP or is there a timeskip in between?

About ten years have passed.

[Turmenista]

Tagging here so I don't forget about it. We picking up directly after the old RP or is there a timeskip in between?

About ten years have passed.

Alright. I won't get an app up tonight, but I'll still be here.

[Frenequesta]

It's nice to see that the new thread is finally finished.

Here are some updated and revised applications for my three primary characters; not particularly long applications, seeing as they've already been established in the last thread.

1: Name: His proper name is Letum, though he is more commonly known as the All-Maker.

2: Species: The All-Maker's race is largely a mystery to the ponies of Equestria. Amongst his religious following, the Temple of Vision, he is believed to be a deity; amongst his opponents, there are a variety of theories as to what he is.

3: Sex: Male.

4: Residence: He resides in a grand palace in the Temple's holy city of Salt-Lick City.

5: Occupation: He serves as the absolute monarch of the Kingdom of Lethe (using the title of His Heavenly Majesty, God-King Letum of Lethe, Sword of Justice and Shield of Righteousness), in addition to having a significant role in the Temple of Vision.

6: Appearance: The All-Maker is capable of changing his appearance on a whim, but he typically appears as a draconequus with a black body, a manticore's tail, a rabbit's paw and a diamond dog's claw in place of fore-hooves, a griffin's talon and a goat's hoof in place of hind-hooves, a red pony's head bearing two jagged, curved horns, with a dark blue mane and rainbow-colored eyes, and a griffin's wing and a bat-pony's wing adorning his back; he also normally wears lavish regalia.

7: Cutie mark: Not applicable.

8: Bio (two paragraphs minimum): Little is definitively known about the All-Maker's past; concrete facts are few and far-between, especially with regards to the distant past. The Temple of Vision maintains that he is the creator of the world, a mighty and powerful God, who has assumed a physical avatar in the world to purge it of inequity and bring about an era of piety and purity. Opponents of the Temple have a multitude of theories regarding his origins, ranging from him being a powerful wizard pretending to be a deity to him not even being real (his body and voice simply being illusions). Nothing regarding his past and origins has been solidly established; it is a field of mystery to researchers throughout Equestria.

Verifiable history of the All-Maker does not begin until the Visionary Rebellion, the civil war in which the Prophet Visionary raised an army of religious zealots and anti-changeling radicals and fought to topple the Celestial Diarchy. The Battle of Salt-Lick City was the first time when the All-Maker's voice was witnessed by the public, appearing before the entire city with commands to take up arms against Celestial forces; during the same battle, the All-Maker was witnessed to have magically intervened on the battlefield, striking terror into the hearts of his enemies. His battlefield participation grew more frequent and more significant in later battles, proving to be an important ace in the hole during multiple fights between his forces and his opponents, the most widely publicized (and most controversial) of which being the Battle of Manehattan, the final battle of the Forth Pony-Changeling War, during which the All-Maker personally massacred droves of changeling civilians.

After the end of the Pony-Changeling War, and the subsequent independence of the frontier regions, the All-Maker was elected as the absolute monarch of the frontier Kingdom of Lethe. Under his reign, Lethe experienced a dramatic cultural shift away from traditional values of Equestria, becoming a hub of piety and religious zealotry; a significant majority of the population joined the Temple of Vision, and the Temple's moral and religious values began to be firmly implanted into the populace. Simultaneously, under his rule, Lethe began to dramatically grow both in terms of population and in terms of prosperity, with vast numbers of ponies migrating to the frontier and bringing their wealth with them, increasing the political and economic influence of the Kingdom. The All-Maker has remained as one of the most powerful political figures in Equestria, and, by far, one of the leading voices of the anti-changeling movement, utilizing his resources to fight changeling-integrationists at every opportunity.

9: Personality: The All-Maker is both powerful and shrewd, wielding magical prowess, administrative competence, and skillful persuasion to achieve his goals, first and foremost among which is the utter annihilation of the changeling race, a task which he has dedicated every ability and every asset at his disposal to pursuing. For reasons largely unknown to Equestria, he despises changelings on a level unparalleled by any mortal; belief that changelings are abominations which must be destroyed at any cost is the most important doctrine of the Temple of Vision, and it is a philosophy aggressively pursued by the Lethean government at the All-Maker's behest. He is merciless and unyielding against both changelings and changeling-sympathizers, openly massacring both demographics within his lands, having directly or indirectly perpetrated many of the largest anti-changeling massacres in history. He is the bane of the changeling race, aggressively seeking their destruction whenever possible. His attitudes to most other demographics, to the contrary, are rather benevolent, adopting a policy of general leniency with regards to both economic and civil liberties, letting anyone do anything, for the most part, so long as they refrain from doing anything which would support changelings.

10: How do you foresee your character contributing to the RP? Be specific, but don’t give away too much: The All-Maker is the most powerful and most violent opponent of changeling integration; he is the antithesis of the pro-changeling reformers. He will, in all likelihood, be the biggest obstacle preventing the creation of a unified pro-changeling Equestria.

11: Please certify the following statement (not necessary if this is not your first application):

I certify that I have read and understood the Background, Flutters’ Eleven Commandments, and Fren’s Corollary Principles. I agree to abide by the letter and spirit of the terms of the Commandments and the Principles, and understand that violation of the Commandments or Principles may risk my character(s) being ejected from the RP. (To certify, please link to a picture of Pinkie Pie in the space below.)

(Image)
https://derpicdn.net/img/view/2016/4/24/1139254__safe_solo_pinkie+pie_meme_text_beard_religion_islam_absolutely+disgusting_religion+in+the+comments.jpeg

1: Name: His name is Visionary; he is also addressed as either the Prophet Visionary or Saint Visionary the Changeling-Slayer.

2: Species: He is an earth pony.

3: Sex: Male.

4: Residence: He lives in a monastery in Salt-Lick City.

5: Occupation: He is the official head of the Temple of Vision, the imperial cult of the All-Maker, performing a variety of tasks (including making decisions regarding theological and ecclesiastical doctrines, proper interpretation of the Book of Vision (the ToV's holy book), and arranging missionary expeditions throughout Equestria).

6: Appearance: He is a beige pony with green eyes and a long blonde mane; he doesn't normally wear clothing.

7: Cutie mark: His cutie-mark is an eye with a rainbow-colored iris, the primary religious symbol of the Temple of Vision, representing his gifts of foresight and prophethood.

8: Bio (two paragraphs minimum): Visionary, the most famous of the Temple's religious figures, was born and raised in Appaloosa, an insignificant child from an insignificant family of farmers. Shortly after turning sixteen, he received a vision from the All-Maker declaring him to be a prophet, and he began reciting revelations to his fellow Appaloosans, receiving his cutie-mark by doing so. He would spend several months preaching the All-Maker's revelations in Appaloosa, converting the local ponies and buffalo to the early Temple of Vision, before receiving another vision directing him to travel to Ponyville and spread the message there. In Ponyville, his religious message gradually grew more and more zealously anti-changeling, especially after a changeling attack on the town itself (an attack which was successfully prophesized in one of Visionary's visions, leading many ponies to accept him as a legitimate prophet), eventually reaching its zenith after the destruction of Cloudsdale by the changeling army under Philip Blackwing.

The day following the attack on Cloudsdale, Visionary gave a revelation commanding that the changelings be killed wherever they are found, and he led riots and mass-killings of changelings throughout Ponyville. Shortly thereafter, Visionary raised an army from amongst his supporters in Appaloosa, Dodge, and Ponyville, officially raising his banner in revolution against the government, beginning the Visionary Rebellion. He and his forces marched to victory after victory against the Celestial armies, occupying vast tracts of land, eventually marching on Canterlot itself, leading to the surrender of the Diarchy in a peace conference known as the Peace of Canterlot. Following the PoC, Visionary and the rebels joined forces with the Royal Guard to destroy Chrysalis's army and liberate Equestria from the changeling menace, successfully winning many victories against the Changeling Empire, massacring many thousands of changelings in the process, eventually shattering the last vestiges of resistance in the Battle of Manehattan, breaking the Empire's power and prompting Chrysalis to flee the country.

He has been one of the most famous ponies in Equestria ever since the rebellion, considered a hero by most ponies and buffalo for dealing a killing blow to the changeling invaders, and a villain by changelings and changeling-sympathizers for his role in committing genocide against the changeling race. After the independence referenda, the crown of the frontier was initially offered to Visionary, but he declined the offer, thus leading to the All-Maker being elected. Since the establishment of the Kingdom of Lethe, Visionary has remained active in religious affairs, traveling throughout Equestria and spreading the Temple of Vision wherever and whenever possible. Under the diligent watch of Visionary, the Temple of Vision grew to be one of the three primary religious demographics of Equestria (alongside deism and the Peacekeeper movement, the primary rival of the Temple), gaining many millions of followers (mostly concentrated in Lethe, but with significant populations in Las Pegasus, Cloudsdale, Ponyville, the Northeast Confederation, and Neighland).

9: Personality: Visionary is a religious zealot and a dedicated ascetic, devoting his life to following the All-Maker's teachings. He zealously and unfalteringly adheres to every virtue and every command taught by the Temple's doctrines, living a life abstaining from worldly pleasures and material possessions, spending his time working to grow the Temple as much as possible. In accordance with the All-Maker's teachings, he is a vehement opponent of the changeling race, one of the biggest voices of the anti-changeling movement.

10: How do you foresee your character contributing to the RP? Be specific, but don’t give away too much: Visionary is a famous and well-respected anti-changeling figure, the pony who led the rebellion against Celestia, responsible for the creation of a fragmented Equestria and having had a big role in defeating Chrysalis. He will likely be one of the primary leaders in the fight against changeling-integration and the unification of a pro-changeling Equestria.

1: Name: His Royal Majesty, Lord Philip (pronounced Philippe, not Phillip) Blackwing, King of the Griffins, or simply Lord Philip Blackwing, also known as the Butcher of Cloudsdale.

2: Species: He is a griffin.

3: Sex: Male.

4: Residence: He lives in the royal castle in Griffonstone.

5: Occupation: Philip is the reigning monarch of the Griffin Kingdom and the head of the Blackwing Clan, the recently-installed royal family.

6: Appearance: Philip is a solid black griffin with a very impressive physique, typically wearing a set of black metal armor and a golden crown.

7: Cutie mark: Not applicable.

8: Bio (two paragraphs minimum): Lord Philip was originally born into a very wealthy family of prominent griffin aristocrats known as the Blackwing Clan, the firstborn son and heir of the head of the family. Shortly after the death of the father and his subsequent inheritance of the family estates and titles, Philip declared the reigning King of the Griffins, Guto II, to be illegitimate as a result of his father, Guto the First's failure to protect the Idol of Boreas and the subsequent poverty inflicted upon the Griffin Kingdom. Using his family's riches and far-reaching connections, he raised a large army and raised his flag in rebellion against Guto II to install himself as the new King, doing so with the support of many other powerful nobles in the Kingdom, fighting a major civil war for control over the throne. Though Philip initially won many victories against Guto II, even taking control over Griffonstone and having a ceremony to coronate himself as King, his luck turned around and his armies eventually lost to the Guto-loyalists.

Continuing to lay claim to the throne, Philip fled the country and sought refuge in Equestria, hoping to gather the monetary resources to rebuild his army and launch a second war to oust Guto II. Shortly after his arrival in Cloudsdale, he was approached by agents of the Changeling Empire who hired him, an experienced and well-educated commander, to lead a changeling attack on the city. Utilizing his skill and experience, Philip led the changelings to a decisive victory against the pony garrison, and presided over massacres of the local ponies, pillaging and plundering Cloudsdale, utterly devastating the city. The Battle of Cloudsdale would be marked in history as one of the biggest atrocities in Equestrian history, the catalyst for the Visionary Rebellion, and would later lead to him receiving the nickname the Butcher of Cloudsdale. Philip would repeat the process in both Hollow Shades and Fillydelphia, leaving a trail of destruction and devastation in his wake, plundering millions of bits from the ponies, before returning home with the spoils of war to rebuild his army.

With newfound support from Queen Chrysalis (who hoped to have the Griffin Kingdom intervene in the Pony-Changeling War after installing Philip as King) and the continued support of the griffin aristocracy, the Blackwing army was rebuilt and Philip went to war with Guto II for the second time. The second time around, Philip's victory was overwhelming; his army won totally victory, taking control of the entire Griffin Kingdom. Guto II was personally killed in battle by Philip, and his army was utterly shattered; the remnants of his dynasty fled to Equestria and formed an unpopular government-in-exile. Unfortunately for Chrysalis, his victory came too late for him to be able to intervene in the war, with his final victory over Guto's army coming just after the changeling defeat at the Battle of Manehattan.

Since then, with his position within the Kingdom finally secured, Philip, a very strong believer in the divinely-sanctioned birthright of the nobility, enacted the total reestablishment of the old feudal system of griffin society, which the old royal family had been making efforts to reform, dividing the Kingdom into many semi-autonomous feudal fiefdoms and creating a strictly-enforced feudal caste system. He and the other nobles also directed a lot of effort into revitalizing the griffin economy, investing large sums of money into setting up new sources of revenue and employment, having some success dealing with the crippling poverty problem present in the kingdom.

9: Personality: Lord Philip is an ultra-reactionary elitist; a very strong believer in the natural superiority of the aristocracy and a major traditionalist. He zealously supports the old aristocratic order of griffin society, and strongly believes in the warrior-traditions of griffin culture. In accordance in old griffin customs and traditions, he is a warrior and a glory-hound, believing firmly in the principle of might makes right, romanticizing battle and glory.

10: How do you foresee your character contributing to the RP? Be specific, but don’t give away too much: Lord Philip is a major foreign leader, the monarch of one of Equestria's few neighboring countries. He is a wildcard, with the potential to throw an unexpected wrench into plans for Equestrian unification.

It wasn't really necessary, but thanks for the update! I'll add a link to these tonight.

Also, I only wanted a link to the certification picture and not the picture itself, but as you provided both I shouldn't complain. I've clarified this in an app update.

[The Flutterlands]

Should I make my apps? Because there's a lot of apps.

[Frenequesta]

Should I make my apps? Because there's a lot of apps.

You don't have to. I've already reserved the major characters you control.

[Turmenista]

Now that it's daytime and I can type up an app without nodding off to sleep, I'll be getting an app up soon.

[The Flutterlands]

I think that we should have a discord for this...

[Fascist Russian Empire]

I think that we should have a discord for this...

Why? Messages can be clearly and easily conveyed through either posts or telegrams; off-site resources really aren't necessary.

[The Flutterlands]

I think that we should have a discord for this...

Why? Messages can be clearly and easily conveyed through either posts or telegrams; off-site resources really aren't necessary.

Okay. Just thought we could have a place where players can talk without making spam.

[Frenequesta]

Added a new entry to the table of contents--a suggestion compilation for easy reference.

[Valgora]

I was trying to read the Equestrian States info; however, the table goes off screen for me and I can't read it.

[Fascist Russian Empire]

I was trying to read the Equestrian States info; however, the table goes off screen for me and I can't read it.

Try zooming out.