@Badwolf I guess it's just that I find the mystique aspect more interesting. They've built it up around Celestia, so I think the payoff we'll get when we see her true nature will be more satisfying than it was for Luna

So would Horses essentially be the 'Giants' of this world?

If Diamond Dogs are like the trolls/goblins, and Boars (fanon as they are) are the orcs?

edited 13th Dec '11 11:34:23 AM by ApplelightLimited

You're making me wonder again about how Megan and her friends regard T. J. the non-talking pony.

I'm guessing magic then. Actually, the "quick evolution" thing kinda makes sense; if Celestia and Luna were born thousands of years ago, it makes sense that they'd look different if that was the case.

I think the other difference in perception between the sisters is that Celestia is unequivocally the ruler of Equestria. Luna obviously has some power, but Celestia is the one the ponies have seen ruling Equestria for years, and Luna doesn't seem to be nearly as involved in running the country. Therefore it's easier for the ponies to look at Luna as a peer (well, they give her token respect for being a princess); all of their interaction with her is centered around her attempts to ingratiate herself.

I always figure Giants as being much bigger than twice but there is a lot of leeway with giants I think so probably.

Diamond Dogs don't seem serious enough to be goblins. Maybe Kobolds.

Griffons can be Gryphons.

Actually, what do you think Luna does all night? Does she work? (doing what) Or does she just goof off until the it's time to lower the moon?

Ogres?

Nah, ogres are usually very nasty. Child eating monsters mostly.

Actually, that could be a good point. Misinformed ponies think Horses are foal eating monsters?

edited 13th Dec '11 11:39:20 AM by ApplelightLimited

Art? Fanon (not that it's accurate) often paints her as an artist so maybe she spends a lot of her free time doing that. Alternatively maybe she frequently just goes to random towns and tries to hang out.

I'll get my Monster Manual and look for other possibilities.

She goes clubbing, duh.

My implied question was supposed to be: "How much free time do you think she has?" Celestia's depicted as having almost no time for herself because she's always so busy. I can't imagine Luna being like that. Is there any Royal Work that she needs to do?

edited 13th Dec '11 11:46:14 AM by gingerninja666

Thunderfury Boars look so cool. Are they a variant of boar in your headcanon, Apple?

All the free time probably. She's probably being integrated into power slowly and for millennia old ponies that'll be a while.

I haven't seen them. What are they?

I like the idea of Luna being a mathematician. I think she wrote A Mathematician's Lament under a false name.

Reintergrated into power slowly? She flat out BANNED a national holiday on a whim! And the residents of Ponyville acted like she had the legal power to do so.

I would've loved it if Twilight had sent a letter to Celestia asking if she could pull rank on Luna and tell her to calm down

edited 13th Dec '11 11:52:58 AM by gingerninja666

Considering that Nightmare Moon's legend morphed her into a cannibal pony-eater, I can easily envision the fear that a Pony would have for a Horse. Especially an enraged Horse.

Horses are essentially the giants nowadays. But it's far more complex than that.

What I have in mind:

In the First Age, two proud Equine races ruled the lands of Equestria in harmony: Horses and Alicorns [see separate entry for Horse and Alicorn]. Alicorns, less numerous, led the hiearchy and formed the noble-class, leading their Horse-kin in founding the once-great realm of Equestria.

Horse-kind formed the working-class - tireless, strong, brave. Led by Alicorn officers and Nobility, the Horses harnessed the earth and dominated it. The Great Army of the First Age ensured that all citizens of Equestria lived, worked and slept in absolute safety.

In harmony, the two Equine races inter-married with one another. And a curious thing happened. Offspring of this perfect union formed... Ponies.

Alicorn mystics were befuddled by this matter. Tiny foals, who grew to full maturity with a mere fraction of the stature of their progenitors. Theyy were different in other ways. Some had only wings, others had only horns, and some had neither. Thus, was born the equine races of Pegasi, Unicorn, and Earth Pony.

-excerpt from Ancient Equestrian Lore

Alicorns used to be taller, so they were pretty much the same height. Might show some long-abandoned ruins from that ancient time and ponies are all "wow, they made everything big here" or something.

They inter-bred, and the result was pony-kind - earth ponies are much like their Horse parents, while Pegasi and Unicorns got wings or horn traits from their Alicorn heritage. Some were born as Alicorns, although smaller in stature (we can debate that part). As a result of inter-breeding, pure-blood Horse and Alicorn populations declined rapidly, until both were virtually extinct. Celestia and Luna are (well, could be)purebloods. Heck, Celestia could be old enough to recall pure-bred Horses.

Anyway.

Horses are thought to be long-extinct. Their closests genetic off-spring are Earth Ponies, as they're both fairly mundane. Earth Ponies have inate magic, though, as they have tracees of Alicorn blood in them. Twilight may have read about all of this at some point, whereas Horses had passed from history into legend, legend into myth. It's no longer common knowledge.

Now I just have to figure out where the heck Zebra Ponies came from.

@ Applelight: They look about twice as big as a standard boar, have two extra tusks and a horn. They also, as the name suggests, have access to thunder magic. Oh and a few plates of bone around their necks.

Do you think golems can be made? Twilight does cast a come to life spell in Winter Wrap Up.

Was Discord pre First Age?

Zebras aren't ponies are they?.

edited 13th Dec '11 12:01:34 PM by Badwolfwho

Note: If you read the excerpt in Galadriel's voice, you're doing it right.

Not just Zebra's I have to figure out... Donkeys...? Where do they fit?

edited 13th Dec '11 12:08:24 PM by pvtnum11

That sounds awesome!

I think I've found my 'alicorn' boars...leaders of the Earth, Chrysaor and Magisoar races.

Also, are horses totally non magical? I mean, they could have EP type magic...plus super strength and made of iron...ness.

edited 13th Dec '11 12:06:15 PM by ApplelightLimited

Zebras are from a completely different country, and they look VERY different from ponies.

I like to think that most (not all) countries in this world have a type of equine as its dominant species

edited 13th Dec '11 12:06:03 PM by gingerninja666

Happy to be of service.

Earth is standard I assume. Chrysaor sounds like a mix between crystals and a dinosaur but I bet that isn't right. Magisoar, flying magic users?

I want to see Giraffes.

Do horses have cutie marks?

I assume the "oar" comes from "boar".

edited 13th Dec '11 12:09:29 PM by CountDorku

yeah, I was thinking of giving Horses a milder version of Earth Pony magic, while making them virtually Made of Iron and such.

No. Horses do not have cutie marks. Since there's no humans, they also have no branding marks. They go by a given name based off of their trade.

I still have a lot of junk to work out as how horse culture is going to be. Apparent cultural sophistication goes Canterlot > Ponyville > whereverthehellhorseslivenow.

edited 13th Dec '11 12:12:33 PM by pvtnum11

Earth boars are the standard, but they have much larger tusks than the others.

Chrysaors are winged boars (insidently, the Chrysaor was the Pegasus's twin brother)

Magisaors have magic horns, but are quite weedy.

Maybe they could have the ROYAL CANTERLOT VOICE'S PREDECESSOR?

edited 13th Dec '11 12:13:05 PM by ApplelightLimited

She goes clubbing, duh.

You do not want to be in a club with Luna on karaoke night!