Ascent Lorebook

Altare Valley

Strange creatures are rumored to roam this area.

There is also rumored to be a tribe of ponies living in the valley that posses a strange magic. If this tribe exists they are very secretive and elusive.

 

Ceridona Pass

Part of a major route that is know for traders disappearing. Usually their disappearance is blamed on bandits and diamond dogs. The area is full of strange sandstone formations that are full of hiding places.

 

Demon's Playground

A site just above timberline on Mt. Cortez. Know for it's natural hot springs and horrible smell.

 

Edelbrook

Earth pony territory, your home-town. A small creek runs through the town that powers a gain mill. The area has few trees mostly plain grass as natural foliage the town is mostly subsistence farmers. Most stallions from the town have been drafted into the military to fend off the other nations of ponies and other sentient creatures.

 

Fairfax

Earth pony territory, Small mountain town. Mostly Known for a small inn with good food. The town has a creek that runs through it, there are a lot of wild raspberries and chokecherries growing in the area.

 

Fairfax Woods

A thick forest rumored to trap the lost souls of children.

 

Fort Fetlock

local earth pony military fort, many merchants have set up shops around the fort taking advantage of the pay given to the soldiers stationed there.

 

Holley Heights

Earth pony territory, on the edge of Unicorn controlled lands. Small village similar to your home town on the planes. Known as a small farming community with a fairly well known brewery.

 

Lake Palomino

Lake on Mt. Cortez Supposedly has the freshest water in the world. A small mining settlement is there.

 

Mt. Cortez

Local mountain visible from Edelbrook. Non-volcanic, mostly granite. Home to a local dragon that has been terrorizing your home town.

 

=====Bestiary=====

Bunyip

Aquatic beast| carnivorous: It's beak is full of sharp teeth and tusks used to subdue it's prey. It hides in the shallow water waiting to ambush it's prey. It's dark fur keeps it well hidden until it pokes it's head up from the water to snap. They usually avoid larger groups, choosing to attack lone travelers. Slow on land, they will give little effort in chasing prey on land.

 

Tharsis

Areal beast| carnivorous: IT's fleshy colored body does little to hide their musculature which makes them a chosen war-beast for the Pegasi. Able to Swoop down and grab of pony in both of it's powerful hind legs and carry them off with it's massive wings. Few see one and live to tell the tale, but you've heard tales of them resembling a scaleless wyvern.

 

 

 

=====Bellows's Important people=====

The Dragon Merrimack

An awful beast who has been extorting your home town of Edelbrook for the past months. Though your village elders have sent word to the king of the earth-ponies, yet their response has only been that the army is needed more to hold back the forces of the pegasi and unicorns. At first the drake only wanted your food and an offering of gold, but as time went by the town went broke and dragon still demanded tribute, which he began to take by kidnapping young mares from the village. With most of the able bodied ponies taken from the village to participate in the war, the town had no way to defend itself.

 

-----Bellows's Family-----

Father: Mirror Dust

Robust dark blue stallion with charcoal mane dark eyes and a healthy beard. Comes off very serious and soft spoken but often makes sarcastic remarks when he does speak up. His cuti-mark is a pair of tongs. Your father has been gone for two years to help with the war.

Mother: Mountain Breeze

Medium sized light teal mare with a pink mane and tangerine eyes. Very goal oriented, Doesn't like to see anyone loafing around. Her cuti-mark is a rock with some ore sticking out of it. She has been running the family blacksmith business with you since your father left to help with the war effort.

Sister(younger): Lavender Blossom

Small filly, Medium blue coat dark purple mane blueish green eyes. Young and full of joy. Cuti-mark N/A.

 

=====Mythology=====

Apollo

God of knowledge and reason. Said to grant his followers the drive to transform the land. His followers preach the value of removing the self and considering a situation as objectively as possible as the one objective truth is the only one that can truly take control of their world.

 

Cygnus

God of balance. Said to have intervened in the struggle between the god of reason and the god of passion. Followers preach to importance of compromise and the balance between your actions dictating the rewards the world gives you.

 

Dionysus

God of passion and spontaneity. Said to be addicted to all the pleasures of the world. Encourages indulgence whenever you can take it. Life is short and his followers believe that one’s greatest action in the world is to take and give as much pleasure as possible in your ultimately short life while you can. Followers of Dionysus often find many reasons to celebrate the days as happiness is something that much be shared as much as possible.

 

Frith

A spirit sometimes credited for creating the world and the things that live on it. Frith has no shape or form known to anyone, but simply a warmth and a voice that you can experience in Frith’s presence.

 

Rocinante

The first Pony. In some cultures he was also know to commune with Frith during and after the time when all creatures were the same. Described as more swift, strong, smart and beautiful than most of the other creatures after they became different.

 

Creation myth

In the beginning Frith was lonely until Frith decided to create a context for his own existence. Frith reaches down and an expansive plane extended all around him. For a long time Frith spent time combing over the never ending expanse until Frith found it unfulfilling. Frith in a bout of frustration focused his energy into the plane until it began to warp and bubble and tear. Once again Frith was content surveying his creation, but found that it was a difficult task to preform alone. Not being one to simply let this continue to be an obstacle Frith Reached down and took a bit of his creation and molded it into the first animals. At first his animals were all the same and all without name. Frith ordered them to assist him in surveying the lands which they did. Soon the animals found themselves getting weak and tired as their stomachaches emptied. The animals returned to Frith and told Frith what they were feeling. Frith knew that they could not help him if they where exhausted. So Frith gave them plants that they could feed on. The animals ate of the plants and soon found themselves able to continue exploring the lands for Frith. The land proved to be much larger than any could expexxt and the animals soon found themselves overwhelmed. So again they returned to Frith and told him that there were not enough of his animals to explore all of the lands. Frith looked onto them and told them and devided them in two, Frith told them that half of them would be male and the other half would be female, he then told them that they only needed to couple both male and female to increase their numbers. Frith them devided his creatures further, giving them names like Rocinante (The first pony) El'Ahrairah (The First rabbit) Felidae (The first Cat) and many others so the creatures could know who was responsible for what. Soon the creatures had explored the lands Frith had created and let Frith know what they had seen Frith made note of all of the things they said and soon began to see the things they had told Frith about. In Turn Frith Told the Creatures that they were free to do as they wish and as thanks, if they needed assistance, they need only ask. For a time Frith's Creatures were happy but one of Frith's creatures decided that they deserved more than the others. El'Ahrairah the price of rabbits let his children breed out of control. They began to choke the land with their kind and Soon the other creatures feared that they would starve. So the went to Frith and told what was happening. Frith heard them and told El'Ahrairah that if he did not find a way to control his children Frith would do it himself. El'Ahrairah thought himself superior to the other creatures and did not listen to Frith, so Frith gave all of the Creatures special gifts making them all different and told them With these gifts you will no longer eat of the plants but you shall now eat El'Ahrairah's children. The rabbits soon found themselves decimated and El'Ahrairah hid from them all in a hole that he found. Frith them went to El'Ahrairah and offered to give him a gift as well, and gave him the swiftness and bright white tail his children now share. Rocinante feeling sorry for El'Ahrairah went to Frith with some other creatures and asked Frith to be merciful. Frith asked if they did not appreciate their gifts and Rocinante taking his place as leader told Frith that he did not. Frith let them have their wish and said “you will once again eat of the plants but you will share El'Ahrairah's fate. You will be hunted but I shall also bless you with new gifts similar to El'Ahrairah's. From then on Rocinante and his children were prey and learned to fear all of the creatures as they now shared in El'Ahrairah's curse.

 

The story of Cygnus

In the early days of pony kind we did not live in houses or cover ourselves with clothing to shield ourselves from the cold, we did not have weapons to keep us safe from the beasts and we did not know any better. Then there came a god Named Apollo who told the ponies, “you do not need to live in fear, I could teach you to make more of the land than you could ever imagine.” The ponies said to this God, “How can you promise such things, we are simple prey.” Apollo Smiled to them and then gave them fire, the ponies soon found themselves gathering near the fire which kept them from the cold. Apollo told them, “I can Show you peace and comfort in a world that you transform. You will learn to build vast monuments and never go hungry if you only promise to worship me unconditionally. The ponies saw the value in Apollo's offer and accepted it. Soon the ponies built vast cities and the most intelligent ponies began to invent things that made their lives easier. For a time they were content, but never happy. The ponies felt that something was missing as a growing emptiness welled up in them as they all worked day in and day out. One day, another god named Dionysus came to the ponies and asked, “Are you not happy? Why do you work so hard if you are not happy?” The ponies knew nothing of happiness since what they had known before had primarily been fear, and so they asked Dionysus to show them how to be happy. Dionysus promised them that he would show them how to sing and dance and enjoy life but only if you only promise to worship me unconditionally. Some of the ponies accepted and soon they found themselves happy making merry and sleeping in the woods beneath the stars. For a time they were content until the winter came, and they found themselves once again cold and hungry. Nopony knew just who was right and so them began arguing and soon those arguments turned to fighting, and it wasn't long until the first death happened. The ponies continued to fight for years as they argued whether Dionysus or Apollo was the real bringer of truth. Many wished for peace, but it would not come. One day during a vicious battle all on the battlefield heard a voice without shape or form express it's anguish for their senseless struggle. Hearing this voice they all stopped and listened. The voice told them that what they needed was not just thought and reason or just happiness and passion but them must find a balance between them. Not were the ponies astonished by this revelation but both Apollo and Dionysus found this idea profound. Dionysus and Apollo said to the voice, what you say is wisdom beyond all wisdom, for you are without shape and for we shall call you Cygnus the god of balance and shall grant you the most elegant of signs we can. They gave Cygnus the symbol of a swan and let the ponies know that although it was not his true form if they are to see a swan they are to remember the peace between Love and reason and the balance we all must hold represented by the arrow that the swan points in as it makes it's way around the world, representative of guidance that can always be trusted.

 

Dream Valley

Mythical kingdom of long ago where Earthponies Pegasi and unicorns all lived in harmony. The ponies living the the valley built a castle in the base of the valley, where they kept an ancient treasure that had the power to repel the evils of this world, but to do so, they had to call upon a being from another world. With it she had protected the ponies from many dangers, to the point where they could even expand to a new settlement they called Paradise Estate. But one day she was no longer able to return, and the evils that constantly threatened the ponies continued wear at their settlements in dream valley until every pony blamed each other for their inability to keep themselves safe leading the the great schism. Since the schism, the location of Dream Valley has been lost to the ages.

 

Flutter Valley

Ancestral home of the flutter ponies. After the schism the pegasi attacked the flutter ponies to try to obtain their prized relic known as the Sun's stone. The Sun's stone was rumored to have power to control the sun. During the sack and later destruction of Flutter Valley the Sun's stone was lost, and the once luscious land was claimed by ice. Flutter ponies are now rarely found traveling in nomadic troupes, unable to return to their ancestral land.