Nightmare Moon

The RP takes place in the world of Equestria at War, a version of the My Little Pony universe that is more conflict-intense and technologically is in the era of WW2. Specifically, the year is now 1015, with an Equestrian Civil War having taken place in 1007 after the failed integration of the Thestrals. Nightmare Moon returned and managed to defeat Celestia, banishing her for a thousand years. In 1011 the Changelings invaded, and were utterly defeated by Nightmare Moon's elite forces of the New Lunar Army and Night Guard.

The technology of the Lunar Empire is late-WW2 era, and their military uniforms are deep purple with black highlights and Lunar iconography, with officers wearing peaked caps and foot soldiers wearing helmets and primitive gear rigs that hold ammo pouches.

The Lunar Army carries rifles, some conventional, some magic.

The continent of Equus has been totally conquered by the Lunar Empire, with the Crystal Province under Governess Rarity being the only semi-independent political entity on the continent.

Having pardoned the Elements of Harmony, most of them went back home to Ponyville, with the obvious exception of Rarity.

Foals and fillies are taught the Lunarist religion in school as well as the regular lessons, extolling the virtues of the night and their eternal Empress Nightmare Moon.

The Lunar Empire has undergone a process of modernizing and aiding the public works of the Empire, expanding cities, providing new homes and jobs and opportunity to those affected by the civil war and the Changeling invasion that ravaged the Empire in 1012.

Being Stratocratic, the Lunar Empire extolls the virture of army service, and Mares in the army are basically given free reign to choose any mates they want, with or without consent, as thanks for their service to the Nightmare. This is partly encouraged by the Lunarist religion which venerates a kind of family unit almost akin to a BDSM relationship where those Submissives are put in their place by a Mare who will take care of them, love them, and show them their place in order of things.

Military Schools have popped up all over the Empire, barracks and motorpools, and factories to produce weapons.

Despite these change,s life has returned to semi 'normal', ponies have gone back to their jobs, school has resumed, and the future seems oddly bright for what many thought would be the end of Harmony, perhaps it was simply the end of Harmony as they had understood it.

The military presence is omnipresent in the Empire but the day-to-day lives of ponies are relatively free, albeit their social values have been slowly replaced with Lunarist values.

• Setting: Equestria at War (EaW) is an alternate universe of My Little Pony, set in a 20th century-inspired world, on a planet called Faust. Unlike the peaceful and colorful tone of the original series, EaW is defined by industrialisation, global tensions, ideological conflicts, and war. Technology mirrors early to mid-20th century Earth, with the dawn of armored warfare, combat planes, mass industrialization and common electricity.

Equestria has been at peace for nearly a thousand years, but after a failed attempt by Chrysalis to capture Canterlot, tensions are rising. Changelings rapidly militarized in secret, their technology similar in function and form to German WW2 equipment. Equestria has been forced to attempt rapid modernization to keep up.

Faust is home to several magical beings, such as Alicorns, Unicorns, Dragons, and deer.

Across the ocean on the continent of Griffonia, racial tensions exist between the pony colonists and the Griffon natives.

To the South, Zebrica has exploded into a series of wars, with empires vying for control, and new ideas taking hold. That's not to mention the nation of Chiropterra, a remaining and rapidly expanding nation of Thestrals that adhere to the ancient Lunarist religion.

This world uses a custom calendar. Years are counted from the banishment of Nightmare Moon: year 1 ALB (After Luna Banishment) begins at her exile. Her return happens in 1000 ALB. Any year before the banishment is marked as BLB (Before Luna Banishment).

Faust is a planet divided into three major continents: Equus, Griffonia, and Zebrica. Equus is the Northwestern positioned Continent, Griffonia is North Eastern, and Zebrica takes up almost the whole Southern hemisphere.

Equus is a large western continent split between a cold mountainous North and a warmer South. It is home to Equestria, Crystal Empire, Stalliongrad, Changeling Lands, Nova Griffonia, Olenia, the polar bear nation, and Pingland.

Equus has a primarily temperate climate in the center, with forests, rolling fields, and good amounts of rainful.

The southern coast of Equus is defined in the South West by deserts and mountains, as well as the presence of the Buffalo tribes, and the South East, defined by jungles and swamps,

Equestria's starting position at the date 1007:

• Location: The entire bottom two thirds of the Equus continent • Population: Sixty-three million • Government: At the time of 1007 ALB, Equestria has been under the peaceful rule by the two Alicorn Princesses, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. The world is changing rapidly however and the continued state of this is not guaranteed. • Army: 1 million active personnel total, with about 500,000 in the Equestrian Army, 75,000 in the Royal Guard, 75,000 in the Air Force, 200,000 in the Navy, and 150,000 in the Equestrian National Guard. The entire military recently underwent massive modernization, with the introduction of standardized firearms.

Chiropterra is a secretive and secluded nation on the continent of Zebrica, founded by Thestrals who fled Equestria in ancient times after Nightmare Moon's first defeat. Chiropterrans keep the ancient culture of the Lunarists alive, based out of their Capital, New Ayacachtii, a utilitarian function-over-form settlement built into the mountains of The Imperial Hills mountain range.

Much of the actual inner workings of Chiropterran society are a secret, though their ideological and government framework sees them constantly at odds with surrounding Zebrican nations.

Visitors are generally not allowed to Chiropterra, as residence is only granted to believers of Lunarism.

The population of Chiropterra is primarily Thestrals, though there is a minority presence of other races, including other sorts of ponies, deers, and even some dragons.

Chiropterra is run in secret and there's unsubstantiated rumors that raiding parties of the Chiropterran military sometimes kidnap civilians from neighboring countries to use as test subjects in experiments or as slave labor. It is unclear if this is actually true, or a rumor borne out of the long held discrimination against Thestrals by other types of pony.

The Chiropterran political sphere is entirely dominated by the Lunar Cult, but the political sphere is primarily split into two factions:

The two factions are split among the same party:

Her Imperial Majesty's Lunar Court (Hardliners) < or HIMLC(h).

The Lunar Hardliners are generally Thestral ethnonationalists who believe in the original goals of Nightmare Moon, namely the goal of establishing eternal night and spreading the Nightmare's rule over the entire planet.

Lunar Hardliners are characterized by their adherence to strict Lunarist tradition, their fanatical reverence for the attempted coup against Celestia a millennia ago, and xenophobia. Lunar Hardliners barely tolerate outsiders, and have absolutely no sympathy for any 'Heretics' that reject Lunarism.

Lunar Hardliners believe in a Corporatist economic system where all social classes work together for the goal of the Lunarist cause, guided by state trade unions directly subordinate to the Lunar Cult. This puts them close to concepts like National Syndicalism.

Lunar Hardliners are strict militarists, insisting that the military constantly be expanded and refined.

The other internal faction is:

Her Imperial Majesty's Lunar Court (Moderates)< or HIMLC(m)

The Moderate Faction is currently the most plentiful faction. The Moderates are still hardcore followers of the Lunarist religion and hold to the traditions of the past, but there are a few key distinctions. Moderates are Civic Nationalists who believe that anyone of any race or station can be a true child of Nightmare Moon as long as they are dedicated to the Lunarist cause, and are not necessarily required to be a Thestral. Moderates tend to be proponents of a Welfare state and adhere to the ancient concept of Thestral Communalism, where all property is held in common by the Lunar cause. This faction has gained popularity for a number of reasons, including the lowering tension between Thestrals and other ponies, the reformation of Princess Luna, and the modernization of society.

Moderates are more focused on turning the Chiropterran homeland into a decent place to live, where Hardliners are more focused on preparing for a 'return to claim Equestria'. The Hardliners seek to industrialize Chiropterra for the purpose of making a large and advanced enough army to march on Equestria, while the Moderates seek to industrialize Chiropterra to raise the standard of living for all of Nightmare Moon's children.

The Lunar Cult is the religion of Chiropterra, and involves the reverence of night, the Moon, and Nightmare Moon specifically. The Lunar Cult is a matriarchal militaristic order that values military discipline, communal virtue, charity, and spiritualism.

Lunarism focuses on the beauty of secrecy, stoicism, romanticism, and a rejection of Celestia's claims to Godhood, the Lunarists believe only Nightmare Moon is truly a divine and that Celestia is a pretender who did not receive the same spark of divinity as her younger sister.

Loyalty is rewarded and high ranking members of the order want for nothing.

The Lunar Cult's priestesses exist to hear confessionals and offer spiritual guidance to Chiropterrans.

Although Lunarism is not explicitly illegal in Equestria simply as a religion, the fanaticism of many of its members in their utter rejection of Equestrian Diarchy and Celestia means that most of them eventually fled the continent of Equus to live in Chiropterra.

The reason that the Chiropterra hardliners tolerate non-Thestral Lunarists is because Nightmare Moon commanded they did so almost one thousand years ago, and her word is law to them. That doesn't make them any more fond of having to share their land with outsiders. Still, these xenophobic hardliners are a group that is shrinking in size compared to the more civic-minded Moderates.

Vesalipolis is the capitol of the united Changeling Hives under Chrysalis. While even twenty years ago, Vesalipolis was typical for a Changeling hive, with biological spires composing the vast majority, things have changed since the failed attempt to take Canterlot.

A rapid program of industrialization took place. The primary hive structure of Vesalipolis was destroyed entirely. In its place was new construction, an enormous city built out in a circular pattern around one central point, a triangularly arranged pony spire poking far into the sky, of glass and concrete and steel, the Queen's Spire. Above the base's rows of shiny windows was a huge metal emblem bearing the coat of arms of the Changeling united hives.

Around the Queen's Spire, well-planned sectors were built. Industrial sectors with factories that pump out Panzer IIs, IIIs and IVs by the dozen, arms factories, agricultural sectors, and more. Commercial districts featuring large screens covered in Changeling propaganda down narrow streets of uniform buildings.

Then there was the residental sectors. The rapid industrialization of Vesalipolis was not without cost - the increase in density and quality of life caused Changelings to swarm into the city, and as such, dozens of new tenement apartment complexes fill the residential districts, which remain largely cramped, though the problem is not as bad as it once.

The known sapient races of Faust are as follows:

Ponies - quadrupedal, adaptable, and coming in four main varieties, Earth Pony, Pegasus, Unicorn, Thestral, with their Goddesses being unique beings that possess both a horn and wings, called an Alicorn. Ponies have hooves and fur, with their hair being known as a mane.

Griffons: Quadrupedal, feathered, clawed quarrelsome, industrious, griffons are industrious and warlike. Many new ideas come from the Griffonian continent, such as the birth of Fascism in the Kingdom of Wingbardy or the outline of the concept of Democratic Socialism as done by the Griffonian Republic.

Changelings: Intelligent quadrupedal beings that vaguely resemble ponies but with some more insectoid features, Changelings feed on love and that has long put them in conflict with the other species of Faust.

Penguins: Bipedal feathered birds, In the arctic reaches such as in the very north of the Equus continent, there is a history of intelligent Penguin tribes banding together to form a coherent political government.

Polar Bears: Quadrupedal (although can stand bipedally for extended durations) bears that are highly intelligent hunters with a storied history of their own civilizations on the continent of Equus.

Hyenas: Bipedal, nomadic canids from the continent of Zebrica, Hyenas are known for their relatively shorter lifespan than many other beings on Faust, their spiritualism, their tenacity and their fun-loving nature. Hyenas tend to travel nomadically and in packs, with the only vestige of permanent Hyenan civilization being the nation of Hyenia in the South Eastern part of Zebrica. Hyenas tend to adhere to a pack hierarchy based on strength, and are matriarchal in nature, with the alpha female usually leading a pack.

Horses: Quadrupedal, taller than ponies. Horses are native to the land of Zebrica, more specifically the Arabian peninsula, where their nations have long been set to internal conflict. Horses are not magically inclined the way ponies are, and therefore are a much more industrial society akin to other non-magical races. Horses are tall, averaging 6-7 feet in height, nearly double the average size of ponies.

Yetis: Bipedal furry white apes, the Yetis are perhaps best known for their most famous ruler, the storm king, a militaristic tyrant who took over much of Zebrica at one point. Yetis have a poor reputation among other races primarily due to the era of the Storm King, but many underestimate their intelligence and resolve.

Deer: Deer are quadrupedal and native to the lands of Olenia on the continent of Equus. Culturally deer are similar to ponies, and the crystals that compose their antlers allow deer to channel magic in a similar way to unicorns.

Llamas: Intelligent llamas are known to exist in the lands of Llambet, in Zebrica

Zebras: Quadrupedal, the dominant race by sheer number on Zebrica, Zebras are highly spiritual and empire builders, with Zebra Empires like Colthaginia and the recluded tribes of Azir representing some of the earliest established civilization on Faust.

Hippogriffs: Similar to Griffins but with much more aquatic features, hippogriffs are found primarily on their island off the coast of Zebrica and around their capital, Mount Eris.

Cats: Bipedal, intelligent and fiercely independent, the cats native to Abyssinia on the Zebrican continent are a force to be reckoned with. After being nearly wiped out by imperial colonizers sent by ancient pony Kingdoms across the ocean on Griffonia, the cats have formed a fervent and insular community in the deserts that define their homeland. One of the few purely carnivorous species on Faust. The body plans of the cats of Faust could be described as anthropomorphic, with paws yet an upright body structure.

Dragons: Bipedal, ancient, powerful, the dragons have long lived on their island off the coast of Equus and in the Badlands on the continent proper. Dragons are haughty and fiercely independent and rarely live among anyone other than their kind, which is part of why Spike's presence is notable in Twilight's life, as he's a rare dragon that has chosen not to live among his own.

Macaws: Bipedal sapient Macaws are not uncommon across Zebrica, known widely for being skilled sailors and especially effective privateers.

Diamond Dogs: Native to Diamond Mountain on Griffonia, though groups of Diamond Dogs are not uncommmon sights outside these territories, Diamond Dogs are Bipedal anthropomorphic dogs that are known for their dishonesty, thievery, and sly nature. Diamond Dogs have long ruled over Diamond Mountain and it is not uncommon to see slaves of other species being used to mine in their mines or as unwilling partners of their nobility.

Minotaurs: Minotaurs are bipedal, bull-like and extremely powerful, known for their warrior culture, hard work and exceptional longevity, Minotaurs live primarily in Asterion at the Southern tip of Griffonia.

Ghouls: Not necessarily a distinct species, but in the far Northern peninsula atop Griffonia lies the Dread League around Magehold, a place where time is seemingly frozen as powerful Necromancers and Vampires live isolated there raising an army of undead legions in preparation for their final war against the living. These undead minions are 'ghouls', risen corpses. One reason they are notably listed despite ghouls being of any possible species is it has been noticed that the Dread League has sometimes risen ghouls of extinct species.

Midnight (formerly Sunset) is the capitol of the Equestrian colony on the Griffonian continent, New Mareland.

Since the ascendance of the Lunar Empire, New Mareland has been ruled by Sour Sweet of the Shadowbolt Society, a cunning and sensual businessmare whose beauty and intellect are hard to match.

Midnight is a prosperous port city with thriving trade and an outpost of pony influence on the Griffon-majority continent. Under Nightmare Moon's direction, the armies of New Mareland marched.

Many neighboring nations on Griffonia have been annexed and turned into semi-autonomus territories under Shadowbolt Society rule. Talouse is ruled by Indigo Zap, a cream colored pegasus Mare with blue mane and iconic orange-framed sunglasses. Indigo Zap has a reputation for partying hard and being something of a stoner.. Sicameon is ruled by Sugarcoat, a indigo colored Unicorn with an ironic name, as she is known for her academic nature and blunt way of speaking. Falcor is ruled by Lemon Zest, a popular Socialite Earth Pony mare with a pink coat and green and lime mane. Jet Set, a unicorn stallion with a white man, rules Wingbardy. Sunny Flare, a blue coated purple-maned Unicorn Mare who was born into a rich and elite family and always destined for greatness has been appointed governess of Piumont, and last but not least, Glowing Note, a pegasus Stallion with a gray coat and blue mane has been assigned governor of Cyanolisia.

With all this combined the Lunar Empire's satellites control almost all of southern Griffonia.

The Night Guard are the Lunar equivalent of the Royal Guard, the most loyal ponies to Nightmare Moon, made up mostly of Thestrals.

The Night Guard wear ceremonial, imposing dark purple armor.

The Night Guard operate as the most elite soldiers oft he New Lunar Army, the military forces of the Lunar Empire.

Lunar Army soldiers wear modern garb, their uniforms are primarily dark purple with black, and their officers wear peaked caps with a moon emblem.

the Lunar Army favors mares in its ranks and almost all of their high command are female, and this is partly due to the Matriarchal nature of traditional Equestrian religion.