It might be conceivable that that cult is lead secretly either directly or by a puppet leader by one of the dukes. By leading ponies to believe that they are cleansing themselves of their evil or corruption and becoming pure he is benefiting Sombra.
There could even be a group within said cult that believe in helping each other fight off their manifestations. Either letting them go or defeating them permanently, but letting them go would fit more with providing Sombra long term soldiers while keeping the pony. 'pure'
edit:
I also like that idea of them working behind the scenes as a trying to be good group as well I think it kind of fits well with them being manipulated and trying to do good and infact possibly even doing real good while the manifestations they create are still doing such harm.
The Northern Empire: An Alternate Setting
Re: The Northern Empire: An Alternate Setting
Okay, the Pure - the shadowless group - have been added to the Factions entry on p2. The idea of locking up your Manifestation must have occurred to somepony down the line, so why not make a professional job of it?
The awesome implication of the Manifestation's ability to copy it's originals equipment at any second is that anyone who takes the offer can't ever use potentially dangerous equipment. This means that there's a Followers Of The Apocalypse-style group of do-gooders, doctors and scientists out there in the world, marked by their special slave collars which are more a badge of office than a sign of limitation - and somewhere in the background that these ponies all made a horrible choice and condemned a thinking entity to eternal prison so they could spare others.
The limitations make the Pure a viable choice for a PC unicorn, especially one who rode the line a little too far and needs a sudden escape from 900+ corruption.
The awesome implication of the Manifestation's ability to copy it's originals equipment at any second is that anyone who takes the offer can't ever use potentially dangerous equipment. This means that there's a Followers Of The Apocalypse-style group of do-gooders, doctors and scientists out there in the world, marked by their special slave collars which are more a badge of office than a sign of limitation - and somewhere in the background that these ponies all made a horrible choice and condemned a thinking entity to eternal prison so they could spare others.
The limitations make the Pure a viable choice for a PC unicorn, especially one who rode the line a little too far and needs a sudden escape from 900+ corruption.
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Someonewithapen
- Posts: 36
- Joined: Sat Jan 19, 2013 9:16 pm
Re: The Northern Empire: An Alternate Setting
This is something I can get behind. I've already made an excuse to place a game around the Empire. The usual 'caravan company after trading relationships with the locals' business. Can't possibly go wrong.
Re: The Northern Empire: An Alternate Setting
ooh I really like that group idea. Perhaps there is even something keeping Sombra from recovering them...wonder if there are other ponies that would try capturing their own manifestation.
Maybe trying to redeem them somehow.
Maybe trying to redeem them somehow.
Re: The Northern Empire: An Alternate Setting
Thanqol learned a long time ago that if he wanted fanart of his stuff, he had to draw it himself.
His Imperial Majesty, Shining Armour d'Sparkle.
Spoiler: show
Last edited by Thanqol on Thu May 30, 2013 5:54 am, edited 1 time in total.
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The Custodian
- Posts: 65
- Joined: Wed Oct 17, 2012 1:15 pm
Re: The Northern Empire: An Alternate Setting
Its shame theres no group starting up in this setting~ *hint hint nudge nudge to random users*
Also...I think he should have a beard... Dunno why. But muttonchops or something similar would really mature him I think. He looks way too young still (considering Twilight and co were getting on in age by the time the bombs fell SA should have a fatherly/grandfatherly look about him. Old coot
Also...I think he should have a beard... Dunno why. But muttonchops or something similar would really mature him I think. He looks way too young still (considering Twilight and co were getting on in age by the time the bombs fell SA should have a fatherly/grandfatherly look about him. Old coot
Re: The Northern Empire: An Alternate Setting
Oh derp, the sick beard was totally in all my design notes and I FORGOT. I shall right this wrong later.The Custodian wrote:Also...I think he should have a beard... Dunno why. But muttonchops or something similar would really mature him I think. He looks way too young still (considering Twilight and co were getting on in age by the time the bombs fell SA should have a fatherly/grandfatherly look about him. Old coot
Re: The Northern Empire: An Alternate Setting
RUINS OF THE CAPITAL
The Capital is defined by it's corruption, with entire districts falling to the Shadow - and many more being purified and dragged back into the light. One of HREC's many branches publishes regularly updated maps showing the current state of the Capital with regards to taint, and moves signposts indicating threat levels. HREC's maps are of absolutely no use in charting the movements of raiders, Dukes or other violent enemies but if you need your way around the city itself they are invaluable possessions.
The Corruption numbers assume basic safety precautions are taken while travelling through the relevant Zone; skirting Monoliths at a safe distance, using Corruption-detecting Pip-Bucks to avoid nasty pockets and not fighting with any inhabitants. Safe speed reduces long-range movement speed by one half. Moving at full speed through a danger zone, or being unaware of Corruption's effects and blundering into one, or taking the time to systematically loot without regard for the danger doubles these Corruption numbers.
BLUE ZONES:
+0 Corruption per hour
+0 Corruption per day.
Blue Zones are the safe territories of the Crystal Empire, places which have through great sacrifice been entirely cleared of Sombra's influence. Many strong bastions of civilisation, including farms, residential districts, and military bases are in Blue Zones, and in the nicest and most secure of them some strange parallel of pre-war life goes on. The sun shines, crops grow, and for moments there you might feel like the bombs never dropped at all. Blue Zones are regularly patrolled and kept free of monsters by dedicated ponies, and are populous enough for a genuine civilian economy to emerge. It's not all sweetness and light in a Blue Zone, but at least you can be pretty sure that whatever you're fighting is going to be flesh and blood.
New Trait: Blue Zone Baby
You were raised in one of the Crystal Empire's Blue Zones and had a lifestyle and upbringing comparable to a pre-War pony, and your parents were fortunate enough to get you a memory orb to see you through the nightmares. You begin play with +1 Intelligence and possession of a memory orb. On the downside, a lifetime of exposure to another pony's memories has had a distorting effect on your psyche; you may possess a split personality, or perceive yourself to be somepony you're not. When under conditions of extreme stress, including being reduced to 50%HP or less, this other personality takes over and you lose the benefit of your special talent (including the -15 from loss of the TAG skill) until you spend a point of willpower to right yourself. After spending the willpower, you remain firmly you for the next 24 hours.
YELLOW ZONES:
+1 Corruption per two hours.
+10 Corruption per day
Yellow Zones are places where corruption has spread, either due to outright ownership by Sombra's forces or simple neglect causing Monoliths to raise up. The presence of Monoliths and various other pieces of corrupted infrastructure provides a low-level ambient glow of Corruption. Yellow Zones are relatively safe to pass through, but they're no places to build permanent communities or raise children. The Castle itself is mostly a Yellow Zone, though it does have some Blue and Red zones within it.
Due to the uninhabited or militarised nature of Yellow Zones, they tend to be good roaming spots for monsters. Yellow Zones can be controlled and reduced to Blue status with sufficient effort and HREC's help, but this is a significant undertaking.
New Trait: Li'l Blighter
You spent too much time in the Yellow growing up, and even lost your Shadow once before your parents or carers killed and returned it. You do not suffer the effects of ambient corruption (though you still gain it from physical contact, broken Monoliths, and all the other normal ways), but you've paid for this with scars and taint - lose 1 Charisma.
RED ZONES:
+5 Corruption per hour
+50 Corruption per day
Red Zones are terrible and you should not be there. Not only are the ambient Corruption levels through the roof, but they are infested with Manifestations, shadow-beasts and terrible monsters of all kinds. Taking advantage of pony's fear of corruption many mutated monsters lair within the depths of a Red Zone and strike out as it suits them. Unfortunately, this frequently means that there is fantastic kit and gear deep inside the Red Zones, leading many incautious adventurers to risk the trip.
If there's one upshot, Shining Armour never enters Red Zones for any reason.
Major Landmarks:
The Castle (Yellow Zone)
The Emperor spends remarkably little time in his castle, perhaps due to the memories and ghosts that torment the halls, and so the place has fallen partially to Sombra. While scavengers have picked over all the outside layers, and a single HREC pony serves as a tour guide for anyone else who wants to stop by, the inner core of the palace is only reachable by sorcerers willing to wield Shadowed magic. Inside is the twisted nightmare fortress of the Fallen King, along with all his dark treasures and plundered riches.
The Jousting Ring (Blue Zone)
The Jousting Ring has been expanded to become the largest military installation in the North, serving as the mustering ground and campsite for Shining Armour's legions whenever he should chose to raise them. It is heavily stocked with arms and armour and prepared to trade for surplus, though doing so is always risky because the Emperor is frequently in attendance and assumes anypony else on the grounds is a loyal soldier to whom he can give orders.
Cobble Common (Blue Zone)
Cobble Common is the largest Blue Zone in the Empire, centred around the old market district. Free trade is increasingly a thing of the past, though, as criminal syndicates and mafia groups slowly begin to wrap their claws, hooves and-or hands around the economy's throat. The Upmarket is the real heart of the district, where the pre-War ideals of fashion and glamour are kept firmly alive and where qualified tailors will pay good money for pre-War dresses or designs.
Spangled Orchid (Red Zone)
Spangled Orchid is run by a demented True Incarnation of a very powerful farmer pony named Joy Rides. A riot of twisted fertility, the Orchid produces the chemicals and ingredients for some of the most potent shadowed drugs in Equestria. While the Orchid does a brisk trade with fringe bioweapons elements of HREC, giving it plenty of landmines and even robot defences, the real stars of the show are mutated venus fly traps and spore plants that guard Joy Rides as she conducts her research. Joy is searching for a way to prolong her declining existence, and will owe a debt of great gratitude to anyone who helps her - and if no one wants to volunteer she'll go recruiting.
The Republic and the Capital
Despite the temptation of setting up camps in Red Zones, the Republic of Bear avoids doing this like the dickens. The last thing they need is fighting a bunch of superpowered shadow-ponies who are manifesting evil opposites everywhere. The Republic tends to stick to the Yellow Zones, but is not shy about moving through the Red Zones when it needs to. This little quirk gives them a lot more mobility in the Capital than most ponies, which is how they are able to survive there with Shining Armour breathing down their necks.
The Republic has two objectives in the capital: Weaken the Empire's military might directly, and sow dissent amongst it's peoples. For this purpose, the Empire maintains a diplomatic campaign as aggressive as it's military one, courting Dukes, influencing gangs, spreading wealth and recruiting anypony who's dissatisfied with how things are run. They also mount acts of sabotage, aggression and demolition where they can. They act carefully, because Shining Armour only has to cross visual range to lock an entire strike team in a shield bubble, which spells for them certain death.
The Capital is defined by it's corruption, with entire districts falling to the Shadow - and many more being purified and dragged back into the light. One of HREC's many branches publishes regularly updated maps showing the current state of the Capital with regards to taint, and moves signposts indicating threat levels. HREC's maps are of absolutely no use in charting the movements of raiders, Dukes or other violent enemies but if you need your way around the city itself they are invaluable possessions.
The Corruption numbers assume basic safety precautions are taken while travelling through the relevant Zone; skirting Monoliths at a safe distance, using Corruption-detecting Pip-Bucks to avoid nasty pockets and not fighting with any inhabitants. Safe speed reduces long-range movement speed by one half. Moving at full speed through a danger zone, or being unaware of Corruption's effects and blundering into one, or taking the time to systematically loot without regard for the danger doubles these Corruption numbers.
BLUE ZONES:
+0 Corruption per hour
+0 Corruption per day.
Blue Zones are the safe territories of the Crystal Empire, places which have through great sacrifice been entirely cleared of Sombra's influence. Many strong bastions of civilisation, including farms, residential districts, and military bases are in Blue Zones, and in the nicest and most secure of them some strange parallel of pre-war life goes on. The sun shines, crops grow, and for moments there you might feel like the bombs never dropped at all. Blue Zones are regularly patrolled and kept free of monsters by dedicated ponies, and are populous enough for a genuine civilian economy to emerge. It's not all sweetness and light in a Blue Zone, but at least you can be pretty sure that whatever you're fighting is going to be flesh and blood.
New Trait: Blue Zone Baby
You were raised in one of the Crystal Empire's Blue Zones and had a lifestyle and upbringing comparable to a pre-War pony, and your parents were fortunate enough to get you a memory orb to see you through the nightmares. You begin play with +1 Intelligence and possession of a memory orb. On the downside, a lifetime of exposure to another pony's memories has had a distorting effect on your psyche; you may possess a split personality, or perceive yourself to be somepony you're not. When under conditions of extreme stress, including being reduced to 50%HP or less, this other personality takes over and you lose the benefit of your special talent (including the -15 from loss of the TAG skill) until you spend a point of willpower to right yourself. After spending the willpower, you remain firmly you for the next 24 hours.
YELLOW ZONES:
+1 Corruption per two hours.
+10 Corruption per day
Yellow Zones are places where corruption has spread, either due to outright ownership by Sombra's forces or simple neglect causing Monoliths to raise up. The presence of Monoliths and various other pieces of corrupted infrastructure provides a low-level ambient glow of Corruption. Yellow Zones are relatively safe to pass through, but they're no places to build permanent communities or raise children. The Castle itself is mostly a Yellow Zone, though it does have some Blue and Red zones within it.
Due to the uninhabited or militarised nature of Yellow Zones, they tend to be good roaming spots for monsters. Yellow Zones can be controlled and reduced to Blue status with sufficient effort and HREC's help, but this is a significant undertaking.
New Trait: Li'l Blighter
You spent too much time in the Yellow growing up, and even lost your Shadow once before your parents or carers killed and returned it. You do not suffer the effects of ambient corruption (though you still gain it from physical contact, broken Monoliths, and all the other normal ways), but you've paid for this with scars and taint - lose 1 Charisma.
RED ZONES:
+5 Corruption per hour
+50 Corruption per day
Red Zones are terrible and you should not be there. Not only are the ambient Corruption levels through the roof, but they are infested with Manifestations, shadow-beasts and terrible monsters of all kinds. Taking advantage of pony's fear of corruption many mutated monsters lair within the depths of a Red Zone and strike out as it suits them. Unfortunately, this frequently means that there is fantastic kit and gear deep inside the Red Zones, leading many incautious adventurers to risk the trip.
If there's one upshot, Shining Armour never enters Red Zones for any reason.
Major Landmarks:
The Castle (Yellow Zone)
The Emperor spends remarkably little time in his castle, perhaps due to the memories and ghosts that torment the halls, and so the place has fallen partially to Sombra. While scavengers have picked over all the outside layers, and a single HREC pony serves as a tour guide for anyone else who wants to stop by, the inner core of the palace is only reachable by sorcerers willing to wield Shadowed magic. Inside is the twisted nightmare fortress of the Fallen King, along with all his dark treasures and plundered riches.
The Jousting Ring (Blue Zone)
The Jousting Ring has been expanded to become the largest military installation in the North, serving as the mustering ground and campsite for Shining Armour's legions whenever he should chose to raise them. It is heavily stocked with arms and armour and prepared to trade for surplus, though doing so is always risky because the Emperor is frequently in attendance and assumes anypony else on the grounds is a loyal soldier to whom he can give orders.
Cobble Common (Blue Zone)
Cobble Common is the largest Blue Zone in the Empire, centred around the old market district. Free trade is increasingly a thing of the past, though, as criminal syndicates and mafia groups slowly begin to wrap their claws, hooves and-or hands around the economy's throat. The Upmarket is the real heart of the district, where the pre-War ideals of fashion and glamour are kept firmly alive and where qualified tailors will pay good money for pre-War dresses or designs.
Spangled Orchid (Red Zone)
Spangled Orchid is run by a demented True Incarnation of a very powerful farmer pony named Joy Rides. A riot of twisted fertility, the Orchid produces the chemicals and ingredients for some of the most potent shadowed drugs in Equestria. While the Orchid does a brisk trade with fringe bioweapons elements of HREC, giving it plenty of landmines and even robot defences, the real stars of the show are mutated venus fly traps and spore plants that guard Joy Rides as she conducts her research. Joy is searching for a way to prolong her declining existence, and will owe a debt of great gratitude to anyone who helps her - and if no one wants to volunteer she'll go recruiting.
The Republic and the Capital
Despite the temptation of setting up camps in Red Zones, the Republic of Bear avoids doing this like the dickens. The last thing they need is fighting a bunch of superpowered shadow-ponies who are manifesting evil opposites everywhere. The Republic tends to stick to the Yellow Zones, but is not shy about moving through the Red Zones when it needs to. This little quirk gives them a lot more mobility in the Capital than most ponies, which is how they are able to survive there with Shining Armour breathing down their necks.
The Republic has two objectives in the capital: Weaken the Empire's military might directly, and sow dissent amongst it's peoples. For this purpose, the Empire maintains a diplomatic campaign as aggressive as it's military one, courting Dukes, influencing gangs, spreading wealth and recruiting anypony who's dissatisfied with how things are run. They also mount acts of sabotage, aggression and demolition where they can. They act carefully, because Shining Armour only has to cross visual range to lock an entire strike team in a shield bubble, which spells for them certain death.
Last edited by Thanqol on Fri May 03, 2013 8:46 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Re: The Northern Empire: An Alternate Setting
The Factions list on page 2 has been updated with my new favourite faction ever, the Historical Reincarnation Society.
Re: The Northern Empire: An Alternate Setting
The Rainbow Wing
An aside
It seems kind of goofy at first, forty pegasus ponies (and three unicorns, one earth pony and a bear) who all believe themselves to be the one and only Rainbow Miriam Dash, operating as a wing of the Crystal Empire Air Force. But honestly, this conclusion seems almost inevitable when you consider the setup.
Rainbow Dash, the efficiency-minded pegasus who wanted one pony to control all weather everwhere so she could do more fighting, had the same idea about training. She constructed a set of twelve memory orbs demonstrating everything from basic flight training to advanced combat flying and even special Wonderbolt techniques. These memory orbs, together, are priceless one-of-a-kind treasures for wannabe aces. The Rainbow Wing, who was lucky enough to wind up in possession of them, subsequently spent any time that it was not exercising reviewing them.
It actually started as a joke; one of the Rainbow Wing's commanders painted herself up in Rainbow's colours, and everypony laughed. But then it started to get more serious, especially when the Wing learned that the Griffons had orders to shoot for 'Rainbow Dash' because she was an officer. The next day, everypony was done up in Rainbow Dash's colours. Some felt that this action was so absurd as to nickname the Wing "The Flying Circus".
However, the joke stuck - not helped by the effect it had on the strained minds of some of the Wing's members. After a few years, the Rainbow Wing has become a genuine cult, devoted to the emulation of the idol who's memories they have re-lived a hundred thousand times. As a result, while the Wing are some of Equestria's finest fliers, they're increasingly starting to drift in terms of loyalty. While they support Shining Armour's campaigns against the Republic, as they become increasingly aware of the Pegasus Enclave they're discovering why Rainbow Dash hated it, and becoming increasingly motivated to pick a fight with it in the hopes that it'll grind itself to pieces against the might of the Crystal Empire.
The Enclave is all down with fighting. They regard the Flying Circus, a group emulating their culture's arch-traitor, to be possibly the most offensive thing they have ever encountered. The Enclave government is more restrained about rising to the bait but if anything can set off a full Enclave reaction in the north, it's these ponies.
An aside
It seems kind of goofy at first, forty pegasus ponies (and three unicorns, one earth pony and a bear) who all believe themselves to be the one and only Rainbow Miriam Dash, operating as a wing of the Crystal Empire Air Force. But honestly, this conclusion seems almost inevitable when you consider the setup.
Rainbow Dash, the efficiency-minded pegasus who wanted one pony to control all weather everwhere so she could do more fighting, had the same idea about training. She constructed a set of twelve memory orbs demonstrating everything from basic flight training to advanced combat flying and even special Wonderbolt techniques. These memory orbs, together, are priceless one-of-a-kind treasures for wannabe aces. The Rainbow Wing, who was lucky enough to wind up in possession of them, subsequently spent any time that it was not exercising reviewing them.
It actually started as a joke; one of the Rainbow Wing's commanders painted herself up in Rainbow's colours, and everypony laughed. But then it started to get more serious, especially when the Wing learned that the Griffons had orders to shoot for 'Rainbow Dash' because she was an officer. The next day, everypony was done up in Rainbow Dash's colours. Some felt that this action was so absurd as to nickname the Wing "The Flying Circus".
However, the joke stuck - not helped by the effect it had on the strained minds of some of the Wing's members. After a few years, the Rainbow Wing has become a genuine cult, devoted to the emulation of the idol who's memories they have re-lived a hundred thousand times. As a result, while the Wing are some of Equestria's finest fliers, they're increasingly starting to drift in terms of loyalty. While they support Shining Armour's campaigns against the Republic, as they become increasingly aware of the Pegasus Enclave they're discovering why Rainbow Dash hated it, and becoming increasingly motivated to pick a fight with it in the hopes that it'll grind itself to pieces against the might of the Crystal Empire.
The Enclave is all down with fighting. They regard the Flying Circus, a group emulating their culture's arch-traitor, to be possibly the most offensive thing they have ever encountered. The Enclave government is more restrained about rising to the bait but if anything can set off a full Enclave reaction in the north, it's these ponies.