Fat Equestria Worldbuilding: Canterlot

 

Canterlot

 

Hierarchy

 

The Hierarchy of Canterlot follows a structure similar to a simplified chart of real world medieval feudal hierarchy. However, the disparity between the castes is not so strict or extreme. The castes are as follows:

1. The Reigning Princess(es)

2. Royals

a. This caste involves relatives of the reigning princess(es) and closely related blood relation and marriage-based family members. Example: Prince Blueblood

3. Lords

a. This caste involves the rich and powerful. Successful businessponies, high class rich families. Businessponies in this caste tend to own large businesses that span across Equestria, or very rarely Canterlot-specific businesses that perform exceptionally well. Example: Fancy Pants

4. Barons

a. Unlike the Royal and Lord castes, members of the Baron caste haven’t had real titles anypony was called by in centuries. In the present, the Baron caste is comprised of businessponies and citizens that are quite wealthy, but not nearly at a level worthy of reaching Lord status. Royals and Lords maintain an air of prim and properness, generally speaking, while Barons have significant wealth and a very casual demeanor, fitting in with Citizens, visitors, and Farmers alike.

5. Citizens

a. The average citizen. Average as can be. Laborers, workers, employees. Especially in peacetime Equestria, their lives aren’t as extravagant as the higher castes, but are plenty comfortable. It is the equivalent of having an income of $60,000/year while living in a place that costs $800 a month for a mortgage.

b. Royal castle employees and the Royal Guard are technically within this caste, but enjoy a higher salary and more privileges due to their positions.

6. Farmers

a. While on relatively equal hoofing to Citizens, the farmers in the lower district are technically the lowest tier with the lowest income and most simple lifestyle.

 

In the current era, each caste below the royal caste are on legally equal grounds. Groups typically stick to their own, but no Lord is considered superior to any citizen or farmer. Higher castes enjoy more privileges by virtue of having more finances available.

 

History: Fat Equestria

Canterlot is known as the “ground zero” for Equestria’s shift into corpulence. Following the vanquishing of Equestria’s final threat, the reigning princess(es) shifted focus to maintaining peace both internally and with other nations, and building a more utopian society.

Due to the limited space in the city for agriculture, a small village, complemented with vast farmlands, was erected in the land below Canterlot’s mountain home for the purpose of providing self-sustaining agriculture to the capitol. Trading goods and services with other settlements such as Ponyville continues to occur. Many earth ponies migrated to this village, considered to be a district of Canterlot rather than a separate named entity, to enjoy the higher than average wages and opportunities. Freight elevators and cable car transports are used to traverse the steep climb. Despite the initial cost, this proves more time and finance-efficient than importing food product from Ponyville across the railways.

Celebrating Canterlot’s expansion, and Equestria’s new era of peace involved a series of grand feasts, each bigger than the last. The princess(es) indulged excessively at each one, and eventually began to visibly gain weight. After the last of the dozen feasts, the castle’s chef team grew by six members. The princess(es) publicly denied gaining any weight, even as their bellies grew to reaching their knees and their flanks grew wide enough to make fitting in their thrones difficult. Only after growing so fat, approximately 600 pounds overweight, that they broke a particularly heavy duty pair of ceremonial seats at the Gala did the princess(es) admit to growing rather fat. They were also, as quoted, “having a little fun” with the media and fashion magazines, something many suspected with the way they would flaunt their bodies around and “accidentally” brush their flanks or bellies against servants or guards. Some of the princess(es)’ family were seen following the same weight trend during this time.

As the elites are wont to do, the Lord caste decided that very same day to follow the trend set by the princesses. Little by little, the elites of Canterlot grew more and more porcine, an act made easy not only by their wealth and non-strenuous lifestyle, but also by the vast overabundance of food the lower district farms provided the capitol city. It became common for an elite to require suit tailoring weekly. Some took it upon themselves to believe their girth should match their status.

With the princess(es) pushing half a ton, and Lords doing their best to surpass 500 pounds quickly, the Barons followed suit. To this day, Barons are the fattest caste on average, with plenty of wealth to finance a decadent lifestyle, and no qualms about glutting themselves at any given greasy spoon diner or failing to maintain an air of properness while tripling their daily caloric maintenance intake. It didn’t take long afterwards for the citizens and even the farmers to join in.

 

Hierarchy, revisited:

As of present day, a decade into the peace era, the average weight of a pony is as follows. The princesses are alicorns, and, generally speaking, nearly all ponies in Canterlot are unicorns, excepting the farmer caste earth ponies. Keep this in mind regarding how the weight is handled, and how fat a pony is at that weight. Recall that earth ponies are naturally heavier and have more muscle mass. Some Pegasi live in Canterlot. In their case, their weight ranges either match the below numbers or trend significantly lower, depending on the individual’s personality and how much they value being capable of flight. Note that there are still ponies that are fit, thin, or average by the old standards.

1. The Reigning Princess(es)

a. Anywhere north of 1000 pounds

2. Royals

a. 300-900 pounds

3. Lords

a. 300-700 pounds

4. Barons

a. 500-2000 pounds

5. Citizens

a. 400-700 pounds

b. Royal Guard: 300-800 pounds

6. Farmers

a. 550-900 pounds (Earth Ponies)

 

Long-term obesity effects and health

With the significant increase in body weight and gluttonous diet, various health issues began to appear. The princess(es) ordered Equestria’s top scientists to find a cure. Within weeks, a tincture was created that clears any heart, circulation, or other medical issues culinary hedonism and gluttony may cause. The tincture was created using easily gatherable or synthesizable materials, and could be mass produced to the extent all of Equestria could have their monthly dose and still have leftover stock during the time it takes to synthesize more. Using the tincture as directed, even a pony whose diet consists of pushing their stomach capacity beyond its normal limits with greasy deep fried fast food every meal is as healthy as a fitness guru.

 

Due in small part to how the princess(es) treated their weight gain, and in large part to the sheer logistics required, adaptation of clothing, furniture, and housing to the new sizes of Canterlot’s citizenry lags far behind. As you know, ponies wear clothing for fashion, special events, combat armor, and cold weather, otherwise opting to go natural. It is rare for an article of clothing to not be under considerable strain or torn. The Royal Guard are no exception, uncomfortably squeezed into undersized armor despite being little more than ceremonial positions.

Restaurants, despite making record profits in these times, face significant issues with their patrons increasingly being unable to fit in booths or other seating arrangements, and/or breaking seats by vastly exceeding weight limits designed for the old normal. Other public venues and domestic furniture alike see similar issues. The most prominently affected are the Baron caste. While the princess(es) are rather massive themselves, they are given furniture and regalia that fit their sizes. Barons are documented as becoming the most gluttonous hedonists in all of Equestria in the peace era and have bodies to match. Furniture, doorways, clothing, even fitting into many smaller rooms in general are the most difficult for this caste. Great effort is expelled finding ways to expand the city with larger buildings to accommodate this caste, alongside creating reinforced furniture that’s better suited for extreme weights.