TimeQuest Timeline and Lore

--Prehistoric Era (10000+ years before Present)

-General Setting
Pony has only recently come into the realm of sentience, as roving tribes of primitive, simple horses band together to survive in what is still a very harsh and fertile world. Vast, lush jungles cover the continent that would eventually be known as Equestria, and the three primary races are divided throughout the savage lands by various geographical hazards. The tribes roam from spot to spot, constantly on the move rarely settling in any one single area for longer than a few weeks, or even days. The land is shifting violently, with quakes and eruptions occurring frequently and unpredictably.

The pony tribes have not yet fully realized their talents, only having come into sapience just centuries ago. Earth Ponies strength is beyond compare, at least as far as equines go, but their ability to farm and nurture plants to grow is not fully understood and utilized. Pegasi have the power of flight, and will make their homes in the mountains or tree-tops in an attempt to forge safe havens, but they cannot yet command the weather as it remains too wild and untamable at this stage of the world's development. Unicorns magical abilities are raw and undisciplined, with unicorns shifting between being able to blow away creatures ten times their size with but a thought to suddenly forgetting the even have the magic to begin with. Highly defined spells such as teleportation, transmutation, and elemental control are nearly non-existent, with only raw magical energy being the primary art known to unicorns.

The Earth Pony tribes roam the western plains, larges sources of food readily available among the deep jungles. They move around the most out of any of the tribes: lacking the flight or magical might of their kinspony, they are most susceptible to the predator dinosaurs, particularly due to the open space between the trees and among the fields.

The Pegasi take the northern mountains and the high tree-lines of the forests beneath them, more stabilized due to the protection the skies offer but still at risk of the flying monsters and the chaotic weather patterns besieging them. Despite this, they are the safest tribe from them due to their speed and maneuverability, with their primary concern being food sources than predators.

The Unicorns have the greatest ability to defend themselves from the meat-eating dinosaurs: not only do they seem to taste less appealing due to their magical nature, but their power provides ample protection from their brute might. They carve out homes for themselves in caves among the active volcanic fields of the south, tar pits and lava rivers serving as barriers against other tribes and monsters. They suffer the most from the shortage of food, however: their inability to find food as easily as the earths and pegasi, as well as facing competition from other herbivores, make their population by far the smallest among the roaming tribes.

-Beliefs
Ponies in this era worship the elements of the chaotic world they find themselves in, believing the planet in its constantly changing state to be as much a living thing as the rest of them. As it provides them with shelter and food, the environment itself is venerated. Occasionally, some of the larger dinosaurs met will be viewed as sort of 'demi-gods' because of their power, and worshiped/feared appropriately.

-Leadership
Each of the roaming tribes usually have a chief leading them, forged by fire into his position of power by being the strongest the tribe has to offer. Fights will often break out for chiefdom and supremacy of the tribe, with the alpha-male (or female) being whomever wins, though often the long-standing chief manages to hold out his position.

-Technology
Practically non-existent by this point in time. Ponies build what structures they possess out of sticks, stones, plants, and hides. They are capable of skinning and tanning to create simple clothing, and carving stone and wood to fashion spears and clubs, as well as create slings to chuck rocks at their foes. They have a relative grasp over harvesting and foraging for food, but have not mastered the ability to plan crops or use calendars of any sort.

-Issues
In addition to the dangers of the environment, the land is filled to the brim with reptilian monsters (referred to as 'dino' by the locals) that roam the earth freely. Some are herbivorous much like the ponies, and do not harm them directly. Nevertheless, most of them are very territorial and dangerous to be around, and they devour the ponies main food supplies without pause, which requires them to move around often to keep one step ahead of the roving herds. Other members of this monstrous order, however, are meat-eaters, and pony is as delectable a treat as any to them. Fear from these terrors keep the tribes constantly moving, and no spot is ultimately safe from their reach.

Besides the ponies, there is another tribe that takes these lands, one that may ultimately prove to be a greater threat than the dinosaurs: ape-like creatures battle them at every turn for territory and food source. Though they lack the strength, flight, or magic of the ponies, they have two advantages that give them the edge in their hunt. Firstly, they possess intelligence far greater than the equines, setting up traps and ambushes as well as being able to accurately determine where the best sources of food are located. And secondly, though the tribes are distant and uncommunicative, the apes seem to have no issue in working with other tribes. It is a constant battle of natural selection to see which tribe emerges from the trials of fire in the early stages of the world.

Crystal Era (1200 years before Present)

-General Setting
Millennia since the chaotic and barbaric days of Prehistory, a continental super power emerges as the most advanced civilization of its day. The Crystal Empire, led by the transformed and enlightened Crystal Ponies in the days before Sombra's reign, was a vast imperial state built on the back of slaves and low-class workers (slavery being a recent edition with the last couple of generations), with the Crystal Heart at the soul of its culture. The ponies' emotional connection to the heart entered them into a Golden Age as they developed their crystal cities with no regard for their primitive pony brethren to the south.

In these days of the Empire, the 'Frozen North' as it would someday be called did not yet exist, as the Windigoes had not yet arrived. The north consisted of warm and temperate plains, rivers running across from ocean to ocean, teeming with large fauna. The capital city was vastly larger, and the empire consisted of dozens of large settlements spread across the north in what was then the largest civilization yet to emerge. Where the Crystal Tower would one day be erected by Sombra stood the mighty Imperial Palace, seat of the emperor, within an enormous city surrounded by an impenetrable crystal wall to protect its Crystal Ponies.

The Crystal Empire of Nero's day was a vast imperia built on the back of slaves and low-class workers, though it should be noted that the Empire only truly became a 'slave empire' during the last two centuries of its life, under the reigns of Nero, his father, and his grandfather. For another eleven generations prior to that, slavery was nearly unheard of in the (much smaller) Crystal Empire. The Crystal Empire was founded and controlled by Crystal Ponies, a race that emerged after being exposed to a magical artifact discovered millennia ago known as the Crystal Heart, a jewel that had the ability to reflect the emotions of those tied to it across all of reality. The latest line of Emperors, Emperor Nero, had even found a means to tap into the energies of the heart directly, using the emotions of his entire people to fuel his own power to become God-like, enabling the rise and fall of the sun and moon as he saw fit.

-Beliefs
The religion of the Empire focused on a pantheon of gods based around simple concepts like war, the harvest, honorable behavior, ruling, and later on knowledge, love, and friendship. As time went on this turned into a convoluted affair managed by priests who lived off the courtesy of nobles. The royalty supported the priesthood who in turn controlled and pacified the populace. The two institutions were actually merged in the person of the Emperor, who was god-king-priest of the entire Empire. Despite this the Emperor was almost never worshiped during his lifetime, generally only being deified after their death. There were some exceptions however, who would insist on divine titles and submission while they were still alive (Emperor Nero among them, actually, as part of his plan to pacify the unite the nobility).

-Leadership
Besides the bloodline of the Crystal Emperor, the Empire was ruled by nobles who gained their position through grants of power from the Crystal Emperors, or by seizing power from those who had it and then petitioning the Emperor for legitimacy, which was usually granted due to the survivalist philosophy of the Empire

Non-nobles were divided into classes in descending order of priests (who venerate a primitive pantheon now forgotten), warriors (who use primarily bronze-age equipment), merchants, workers, and slaves.

-Technology
It had a slightly advanced magical economy primarily built on orchards, berry fields, and grain, as well as cow, yew, and goat milk. Its cities were planned, built into grid patterns using paved crystalline roads. The buildings were grown from solid crystal 'Seeds', which were magically manipulated as they grew to create the desired structure. In the days before Sombra, most buildings were very ornate houses. Though in the long reign of Sombra, practicality became the rule of the day, and most buildings have lost this style. The cities were lit by magic light-crystals, which when stimulated with magic drawn up from the ground, create light in a similar vein to electricity. Due to the difficulty of their design and their high maintenance, only large cities had these. Most large cities also had indoor plumbing, an art that would be lost for centuries after the Empire fell.

Another innovation was Levitation Crystals. Usually used merely as toys or for decoration, these levitate a set distance off the ground by default (determined by their size. Small crystals go very high up, large ones hover barely off the ground), however this can be altered by magic. The very rich would design some of the world's first flying machines using these crystals, carving a chariot out of the crystal, having a unicorn slave manipulate the crystal's leylines magically, and having the whole craft be pulled along through the air by slaves, usually pegasi, but griffons were not unheard of.

They did not however have any form of long distance communication, magical or otherwise. This was the largest barrier to achieving unity in the Empire, and was circumvented through one of the world's first mail systems, utilizing hoof to hoof slaves who would run with messages between checkpoints, who would in turn pass the message off until it reached its destination.

Despite this the "Empire" had no bureaucracy to speak of, outside the private servants of individual nobles, which also limited its ability to expand. Its armies marches generally in phalanxes, or by chariot (the wagon, train, automobile, and other modern inventions did not exist in any form). This military was a force of free ponies, slaves were forbidden from serving in war except as noncombat support (medics, etc). The reason for this was simple. All war is governed by the assumption that the combatants will be honorable, and slaves are by definition without honor, and thus have no reason to honor treaties, fight fair, or heed terms of surrender. This was one of the few saving graces of the Empire, as it meant that their military would not be a disloyal mass of foreigners, but would instead stay a principled fighting force.

The weather was uncontrolled by the empire, for the most part, as pegasi slaves proved near universally unwilling to be used for this purpose, viewing it as a kind of sacrilege to help their masters in this way. The few times it was tried led to hurricanes, storms, and other disasters, as well as the escape of the slaves. However, outside of the occasional tropical storm, the empire's weather was generally agreeable. Blizzards only happened in the cold north, as the entire heartland of the empire was heated by an oceanic wind that swept in from the southeast. This wind was effectively negated by the coming of the windegoes, who both redirected the wind into the south (scorching the gardens of Saddle Arabia to a desert), and artificially cooled the land with magic.

Innovation and technical advancement was uncommon in the empire due to the high role of magic in their society, and their reliance on slave and untrained labor. However in other areas, such as law, the Empire was years ahead of its time. It was one of the first countries to adopt the concept of the "Rule of Law" as a basic for ruling, though this was interpreted more as a divine mandate, as well as the first laws protecting slaves from arbitrary violence (a law sadly oft ignored).

-Issues
The empire would meet its end at around this exact point in time: Sombra, the life-long friend and advisor of the last great Emperor Nero, his unicorn roots calling for justice to be served, would find a means of disrupting the Emperor's connection to the Crystal Heart, the source of his power, and would slay him in a coup to usurp the throne and begin the dark days of his rule, enslaving the Crystal Ponies to serve his purposes as the empire slowly crumbled. In the last days of his rule, the empire was dwindling to a fragment of its former size, brought on by the coming of a mysterious blizzard fueled by hatred: an emotion Sombra held in high regard.

--Pre-Hearth Era (1015 years before Present)

-General Setting
A century after the end of the Crystal Empire's golden age, ice and snow from the Windigoes migrated south from the collapsed Empire towards the three tribes' territories, covering the whole of all three Pony tribes begrudgingly inhabiting it with each other.
The tribes consisted of the Unicorn Kingdom, Earth Republic, and Pegasus States. Even dating back to before the Crystal Empire, the ponies of the Southern Lands have struggled to survive in a cramped community of hostile neighbors. The three tribes' relationship is in a constant state of unease and distrust, political tension and isolated skirmishes a constant reminder of their inability to cooperate.

The Pegasus had mastered the art of weather control, building a small empire of cloud cities and carving out the whole of the Southern Skies into their territory: they did not touch the ground, and never saw why they should bother. Lead by Commander Hurricane in their floating capital of Strarta, the Pegasi ran a militaristic community where warriors and commanders held the highest honor and authority.

The Unicorn Kingdom, led by the Unicorn King Bullion, was a monarchy that took a smaller territory than the Earthen Republic (begrudgingly: had they the ability to grow their own food, they would gladly take more) has upheld the virtues of wisdom, nobility, and the encompassing might of magic. The Unicorns take responsibility for raising the sun and moon every day, a task set upon by their almighty wizard Starswirl the Bearded, and believe themselves above the other tribes due to their cosmic abilities. Within the towering walls of the massive city Coltchester, the mighty palace of the Unicorn Royal Family looks down upon the peasantry of the Earth Republic, enjoying a well-established collection of elegant structures and shining jewels. The Starswirl Academy of Magical Arts trains countless aspiring unicorns in their gifts, and spells have made massive leaps and bounds in their practice.

The Earthen Republic, controlled by a democratic Congress lead by borderline psychotic elected official Chancellor Puddinghead, believe in the voice of the common horse. The republic prides itself on being firmly rooted to the simple concepts of fairness and equality for its people, that each pony is entitled to the fruits of their labors and provide a wide array of freedoms for the individual. Thanks to the Earth Pony's natural affinity for growing crops, they own the largest territory of land in the Southern Lands to plant the vast supply of food that must be used to feed both themselves and, to their displeasure, the other tribes. For without the weather the Pegasi control and the rising of the day and night, they cannot provide their crops with the resources they require.

-Beliefs
The Unicorn Royal Family is worshiped and loved by the unicorns, holding a high place of honor in the hearts of all. Though the Royal Family is not responsible for raising the sun and moon every day (a task falling to the highly respected Starswirl and the magicians), their bloodline dates back to the founding of the kingdom, and are seen as the heart of their culture.

Pegasi worship the art of war and the prowess of fighters, venerating old warriors such as Peghilles and Cumules that were unmatched in their brute strength and power. Philosophy, art, and culture do exist in their civilization, but those that were not involved with fighting were considerably less popular.

The Earthen Republic believe in the voice of the common horse and prides itself on being firmly rooted to the simple concepts of fairness and equality for its people. That each pony is entitled to the fruits of their labors and provide a wide array of freedoms for the individual. Much as their ancient ancestors did, the Earth Ponies worship the earth they tend to so diligently and thank it for its rich bounties.

-Leadership
The unicorns are led by a royal monarchy, leadership passing from child to child with the current King Bullion and his daughter, Princess Platinum, being the current rulers of the kingdom. The King makes final decisions on all directions the kingdom takes, and focuses on the kingdom as a whole rather than dealing with individual estate's issues. Lords take charge of smaller territories on the King's behalf.

The Pegasi are a militaristic state, and commanders and soldiers hold the highest level of authority. They have civilian advisors and assistants, but to the Pegasi true power can only be obtained by rising through the ranks of the army.

The Earth Ponies are democratic, using elected officials to present them in the Earth Congress overseen by the Chancellor. The congress ponies present issues and tasks pertaining to either their individual areas or the Republic as a whole, with the Chancellor holding most of the power and authority in seeing these tasks done.

-Technology
Pegasi, Earth, and Unicorn all possess the art of metallurgy and masonry, and are skilled architects, though the way they built their cities differ greatly. Earths prefer their cities, even the central town of Puddingville (named for its Chancellor post-election), keep a rustic and homey aesthetic. Vastly contrasting to the towering, stone monoliths of the Unicorn Kingdom's countless walls and castles. The unicorns pride themselves on appearance, and the elegant structures and glimmering jewels that make up their cities do not disappoint.

Pegasi, having the sole controllers of the sky, build almost everything from their temples to their homes to their training grounds out of condensed clouds in an Grecian design. Their abilities over the weather are frightening, as at any moment the Commander could wish a hurricane or thunderstorm brought down over their enemies.

The unicorns have the greatest grasp over the arcane, and have entire academies dedicated to its teaching and control. Thanks to the legendary Starswirl, magic has taken on countless new forms and spells never before thought possible.
Finally, Earth ponies are the only tribe capable of growing food, their natural affinity for crops enriched by their deep understanding of agriculture and crop rotations.

-Issues
However, in recent times, a crisis has emerged that threatens to completely shatter the fragile peace that the tribes have established for themselves: from the ruins of the Crystal Empire to the north comes a blizzard unlike any scene before. One that cannot be tamed by wing or horn, and reduces the formerly wide fields of amber grain into grey, desolate lands of ice. Food and spirits diminish rapidly as the cold sets in, and the tribes, their old exchanges taken away in the span of a few weeks, think of new means of survival. Perhaps by working together, but far more likely, taking what they require...

--Chaotic Era (1000 years before Present)
-General Setting
After the crisis of the Windigoes was ended and the union of the three tribes resulted in the founding of the new nation of Equestria, located further south from the icy ruins of the north. In the days following the country's founding by the leaders of the old tribes, the fledging nation had barely found its legs before they were set upon by a most unpredicted and dangerous foe. Discord, an almighty member of the legendary Draconequii, appeared on a whim within the Castle of Unity, and from there, spread his influence across all of Equestria. The leaders of the ponies found themselves imprisoned within their own palace, the playthings of Discord, as the mad abomination effortlessly brought the leaderless tribes to their knees, sadistically warping the fabric of reality and sense of order throughout the land and filling it with malefic parodies of its former inhabitants to enforce his will across the land. Mountains turned into ice cream, lakes into oil, the laws of physics taking a nose-dive as the sun and moon rose and set sporadically.

Pockets of resistance create slivers of normalcy in the chaotic dystopia as Earth, Pegasi, and Unicorn unite once again to combat Discord and his sick sense of humor across the globe, seeking any means of overcoming his might and returning the land to the way it once was, for the sake of all. Though Discord's power proves to be unmatchable, they do manage to discover one slimmer hope...

Two alicorns, ponies once thought to be mere legend, came to the desperate ponies hiding in the resistance cell located within the Everfree forest. Celestia and Luna, as they would introduce themselves, claim to be the last of their ancient race, hiding in secrecy until Discord's meddling forced them to intervene and protect those who could not protect themselves. Their magic is powerful, but many of the remaining pony freedom fighters do not trust the newcomers. The sisters are even unsure of themselves: though they mean well and wish to save Equestria, but the role of leadership is a hard burden. But with no one left to turn to, they must do what they can to stop the chaotic turmoil.

--Expansion Era (600 years before Present)
-General Setting
Centuries have passed since the banishment of the beloved Princess Luna, now feared as the villainous Nightmare Moon, to her prison within the night sky. Despite the loss of one of its most important figures, Celestia stands strong in the face of adversity, taking on her new duties with an iron will and determination, even within the ruins of an aging castle and the rapid expanse of a wild Everfree Forest into her domain. Her heart, even centuries later, still feels heavy with her actions against her own sibling, and thus some of her council show great concern for her state of being.

The cities of Equestria have grown large and strong, an age of palaces and imposing structures throughout all of the tribes. Some remain mostly populated by one of the three, but others have broken the mold of the past and feature equal representation of the tribes, finding hidden qualities in each other that lead the ponies into a new shimmering age of advances in culture and technology. In addition to the fantastic growth of the towns and structures, the population of the ponies sky rocket with their newfound prosperity. With their nation rapidly growing, Celestia deigns it time that Equestria to be expanded. New cities and territories are to be made as ponies spread across the land, not wishing to halt their advance across the country until the whole of Equestria stretches from sea to shining sea.

As their country grows, however, so too do the dangers. Within unknown lands come unknown threats. Diamond Dogs, monsters, and even the occasional unwelcomed sight of a dragon within the unfamiliar territory calls only the bravest knights into exploring the wonders of undiscovered lands. The passion for building new towns and settlements must run hot within the hearts of Celestia's scouts as they drive towards all four corners of the country to make Equestria into the vast empire it promises to be.

-Beliefs
Luna's betrayal and attempted coup has made her name a stigma among ponies, and many prefer her by the name she chose for herself after her turn to the darkside: Nightmare Moon. She is generally regarded with disdain as a traitor and malevolent force to ponies. Celestia tries to clean her sister of this dishonor, but the populace is hard to forgive the banished princess.
Celestia, meanwhile, as the sole Princess left, is showered with praise for her ability to bring sun and night over centuries. She is beloved by her ponies, and feared by her enemies, as a benevolent deity who seeks to bring Equestria into a new Golden Age.

-Leadership
The various settlements of Equestria have countless forms of leadership: being that the tribes they descended from were so varied in nature, elements of the old world still exist within a mix-matched combination of mayors, Lords, Kings, commanders, chancellors. However, no matter their title, all recognize the sovereignty of Celestia, and unite under her flag and rule for guidance.

-Technology
Equestria's power has grown much in the centuries since its founding: the original settlements of the nation begin to borrow elements from the three tribes, leading to some of the most intricate and well-built castles, forts, bridges, and structures the nation has ever seen, many of which still stand to this day. It is an age of medieval thinking where chivalry and the passion of warriors daring to brave the dangers of the wilds holds fast to the laws of righteousness that Celestia has instilled in her ponies, and much of the technological advancements are those you would imagine of the medieval times.

-Issues
This growth isn't merely founded on their growing population, however: it also takes into account the necessity of resources to protect the land of Equestria against growing threats. The Griffon Kingdoms over the seas, on-again off-again frenemies to the Pegasi and, eventually, Equestria as a whole have taken notice of Equestria's growing might, and the new Griffon King, Garfield, has deemed it necessary to show them the might of Griffon steel to ensure their current dominance of the globe. The war is hard fought during this age, with thousands of knights from all three tribes uniting under Celestia's flag to engage the griffons on their territory and expunge the threat despite the griffons experience, and numerous advantages, in the field of combat.

--Present Era
-General Setting
It is an age of peace unlike any Equestria had seen since the founding of their great nation. The defeat of the recently released demonic titan Tirek has given cause for celebration throughout Equestria. New princesses, the return of the Crystal Empire, and the reformation of one of Equestria's oldest and deadliest foes has given rise to a celebration in Ponyville, not only to commemorate the recent victories of the newly appointed Princess of Friendship, but to remember how far Equestria had come since its struggling days thousands of years prior.

The Festival of Friendship is now taking place, a celebration of Equestria's 1017th year since its founding by the three tribes. The small town is bustling with tourists coming all across the globe to partake in the festivities and the remembrance of Equestria's history, how Friendship gave way to unification and the birth of the great lands of the ponies.

-Beliefs
Friendship and Harmony are venerated as the most important and powerful elements known to Ponydom. The bonds that ponies share and the ability of even the most drastically different ponies to become lifelong friends is a force well recognized among the citizens of Equestria, and as such Twilight and her friends are held in high regard of this ability.

Luna's return has also earned her much respect as the princess of night once more, returned from her dark days as she matches her sisters renown as caretaker of the night and protector of dreams.

Cadence likewise has become immensely popular of the newly revived Crystal Empire, who since Sombra's defeat has been revitalized as a new iteration of the former powerful nation that holds her and the Crystal Heart, the very personifications of love, above all else in the empire as their saviors and guardians.

-Leadership
Much like in the show, the rulers of the various towns and settlements hold control mostly over their territory but ultimately fall under the rule of any of the two Princesses in Canterlot. Cadence and her husband Shining Armor hold control over the northern areas of the Crystal Empire which has integrated with Equestrian society. Twilight holds power as a diplomat and judicator in affairs both internal and foreign, but she delegates direct control over Ponyville's affairs to Mayor Mare as the more experienced politician.

--Post-Modern Era (26 years after Present)
-General Setting
The near future of Equestria modern times, which much like before has experienced times of relative peace. In the decades since the show, more threats have faced the nation that have always been conquered by the painstaking efforts of the Elements of Harmony, the Princesses, and the ponies of the land. Now in their mid forties, many of those Elements have families of their own frequently taking up the mantle when needed. Throughout these changing times though, the immortal princesses remain ever the studious protectors of their lands.

-Beliefs
The faith in friendship, harmony, and the powers of the princess and the elements has not wavered since Modern times, and still hold fast theses values to their hearts, much as the Crystal Ponies still hold love to theirs.

-Leadership
Again, unchanged since Modern save for the rulers of different settlements. The mayors and leaders of various locations have changed (Applejack is now the mayor of Ponyville for example), though Twilight and the other princesses still hold their titles and ultimate control over the continent. Princess Cadence remains the ruler of the Crystal Empire along with her new family.

-Technology
26 years has also allowed for new advancements in magic and technology alike, with new spells and machines having come about in the time since Modern. If Modern technology can be taken to be seen as late 80's or early 90's in rough equivalent to ours, take this era's technology to be similar to that of the early 10's. Automobiles and personal computers and mobile networks are beginning to become common place even in rural areas as Ponyville.

-Issues

The changelings have been spotted around the outlying areas of the empire, having not made any noise or issues in over 20 years, and as such, much suspicion is had of their recent plot as guards are sent to investigate the area to no avail.

--Future Era (400 years after Present)

-General Setting

The future is in utter turmoil, with the end of not only Equestria, but the rest of the world, drawing closer with each passing day. No one quite knows why the sun has been growing closer and closer to Equestria, which has been slowly enveloping it in uncompromising heat that burns away all the land and leaves it uninhabitable, a burning hell within which no life may prosper.

The only livable area left on the planet is within the large shadow of the unmoving moon, blocking the sun's heat and providing a tolerable environment. Sadly even here, the dirt is unfertile, the air too dry for weather, and civilization has all but collapsed. Hope fades as the shadow shrinks rapidly by the year, giving fewer and fewer room for living as the small pockets of life, living in massive protective metal domes called Domes struggle to survive. In addition to the hostile territory of the Shade, the encroaching proximity of the sun has resulted in a dangerous overdose of solar radiation, bringing about harmful mutation in the some of the Shade's inhabitants, further increasing the dangers of living there. The technological advances (computers, lasers, combustion engines) are surprising still intact, relics of a bygone age that they struggle to hold onto and even advance, but they have their limits.

Almost all records of past civilization are lost, and the Domes face perils everyday ranging from being overrun by desperate bandits, internal strife, or mutant creatures assaulting the barren landscape. Each dome can barely sustain itself, with all crops being artificially (magically) forced to grow within and water growing scarce from underground reservoirs and as much 'recycling' as possible. Computers do a lot of the work to maintain atmosphere and livability in the domes, but there is no longer any weather: pegasi serve best as scouts or scavengers. Earth ponies still have use in growing crops, and unicorns are still experts in magic, though magic has slowly been getting usurped by technology as a practical tool since there are so few magic teachers in the world.

Since most domes have fallen due to various reasons, they're prime candidates for daring the barren wastes of the shadow and radiation in search of supplies, hence the Pegasus scouting parties. Cars and other vehicles also exist, but they're rare and precious. Beyond the shadow is, of course, the heat-torn landscape, of which even the most heavily armored vehicles will burst within minutes. There are some underground passages that go underneath it, but they're unexplored and dangerous.

Still, these lands of unending fire may hold secrets long thought lost to the inhabitants of the doomed world, as only understanding the past can possibly be used to change the future.

-Beliefs
In a future where the world could end any year, what's there to believe in?

Survival is a priority for any and all denizens of this timeline: morals, ethics, and the sense of right and wrong have taken a back seat to ensuring that you live.

-Leadership
The exact method of each dome's personal government differs, but generally each dome has a chieftain or leader that they turn to for guidance that oversees the Dome's well-being.

-Technology
Technology has taken major leaps forward since modern times, and despite the near collapse of civilization, most of it persists. Futuristic devices ranging from hovercraft to lasers to computers help the few remaining ponies left on earth survive a harsh and unforgiving wasteland. Robots maintain a strong presence given their immunity to radiation, though they are increasing difficult to maintain with the ongoing lack of resources. Advanced methods of medicine, such as biofoam and stim-packs, can be recovered from lost ruins.

TIMELINE (BE = Before Equestria)
-- 100,000 BP to 10,000 BE (Ponies not yet having evolved sentience)

-10,000 BE to 2500 BE (Prehistoric times, Pony tribes form, dinosaurs extinct by ending)

-2500 BE to 100 BE (Crystal Era, Crystal Empire forms and conquers most of the Northern Continent while the three tribes take up their respective territories to the southeast. 100 BE marks the rise of Sombra and the coming of the Windigoes)

-100 to 0 BE (Pre-Hearth era, slow destruction and collapse of the old nations begin as the blizzard overtakes them, Crystal Empire reduced to the capital city. Ends with the founding of Equestria and the banishment of the Windigoes after the 3 Tribes unite in harmony)

-0 BE to 10 AE (The three tribes begin establishing Equestria and forming its first cities, Celestia and Luna emerge in the north to dethrone Sombra and free the Crystal Ponies, but he takes the Empire with him as he is banished)

-10 BE to 15 AE (Chaotic Era, Discord arrives and makes Equestria his domain. Celestia and Luna take leadership upon themselves to help the ponies of Equestria take back their home. Ends with the discovery of the Elements and stoning of Discord)

-15 AE to 115 AE (Princess Celestia and Luna rule Equestria side by side as equals, giving Equestria its firm roots form where they eventually hope to grow, and continue to protect Equestria from danger such as Tirek and Scorpan. However, Luna's jealousy of her sister and her ambition reaches the boiling point in 115 AE, transforms into Nightmare Moon and is banished)

-115 AE to 915 AE (Expansion Era, with Luna gone, Celestia takes it upon herself to rule Equestria, and when their prosperity reaches a critical point, she begins to send her knights and explorers to claim untouched parts of the continent to build new settlements for her people. In this time, many of Equestria's finest cities are founded, including what will one day come to be the capital, Canterlot)

-915 AE to 1015 AE (Ending the Expansion, Equestria as stretched from seashore to seashore, as far north as the arctic wastes and south towards the territory of the dragons. Equestria continues to prosper until 1015 AE, where Nightmare Moon marks her return and is restored by the Elements of Harmony led by Twilight Sparkle)

1015 AE - ???? AE (The events of the show take place, the reclaiming of the Crystal Empire and the rise of Princess Twilight being key notes as Discord is reformed and Tirek defeated.)

???? - 1500 AE (Future Era: The apocalypse has begun, but no one knows exactly when. The earth is nearly burnt over with the approach of the sun, and only the shadow of the moon protects what little civilization remains.)