Noctis Perpetua: In Fine Dierum (Anthro)

Subject: Noctis Perpetua: In Fine Dierum (Anthro) Sat Mar 30, 2019 8:32 pm

Once upon a time, a scorpion lived in a dark and dingy cave near a mountain. He grew tired of his surroundings and wanted a change.
One day, he came out of his cave and noticed that the valley across the river was very green. He crawled up to the riverbank and wondered how to cross it.
Suddenly, he noticed a frog leaping around.
“Hello, Mr. Frog, would you carry me to the other side of the river?” asked the scorpion.
“I would, but you see, I don’t trust scorpions,” replied the frog.
“All scorpions are not bad. If I sting you on the way I will die for I do not know how to swim,” explained the scorpion.
Now the frog saw enough reason in the scorpion’s statement and agreed to carry him across the river. So the scorpion hopped on to the frog’s back and they set out on the journey. The frog paddled his limbs through the water as fast as he could.
Halfway through the journey, he suddenly felt a sharp sting on his soft hide.
“Why did you sting me? Now both of us shall drown,” cried he.
“What can I do, for this is my nature,” replied the unrepentant scorpion.

This is not the Equestria you know. This is an Equestria born out of hate and shrouded in darkness. Night reigns eternal over the sky, and the sun is a thing long-forgotten. Peace is known by none, yet war is a foreign concept.
War is fit for nations strong enough to wage it, after all.

In this world where the evil within the hearts of ponies is worn on the outside, where hope struggles to find itself heard and valor has long since been silenced, where night reigns supreme and the sun is unknown, where the last dying embers of a bygone era burned out long ago, the battle carries on, fought by those who don’t even remember what they’re fighting for, or who had never known to begin with.

Welcome, welcome, everyone, to Noctis Perpetua: In Fine Dierum. It’s been a while since I ran anything here, so let’s go through everything. If you can’t tell, this is an AU thread, so expect a big fat infodump of stuff.
If you’re interested in joining contact me on the Discord and post your character here, tell me what they’re like in this world of eternal night.

The World
In this world, Nightmare Moon never lost. Tirek was never brought to Tartarus. Sombra’s kingdom never fell. And for a thousand years darkness has reigned supreme over the land. Demons and batponies roam the land, and the world is divided into small city-states, variously aligned with these monarchs, with alliances that shift weekly.
The moon rises and sets every day, and midnight is now the center of ponies’ day. Noon is the darkest part of the day, for with no sun and the moon long laid to rest for the day, only the distant stars provide any light. By moonlight, ponies can see, at least somewhat, but in the deep darkness of noontime, pony eyes fail and the true horrors come out to stalk their equine prey.
Equestria here is a dark mirror of the Equestria you are accustomed to. Canterlot lives, as do places like Manehatten and the Everfree. But the details of the world are quite different; many places build their economies on simply providing sources of light and heat; farmers and hunters provide food for an Equestria where carnivorism is regarded as a necessity, miners provide the coal that keeps cities going, and the truly skillful artisans and engineers create lighting and process the gas and kerosene used to keep so much of Equestria lit though the darkest parts of the night. It is a cold, miserly world, and every ounce of heat and light is carefully rationed out.

The gates of Tartarus have been shorn open to let the demons with run wild on the surface. And with this disturbance, portals and gateways have been ripped open across the world. Geographical distance isn’t necessarily the real connection between two locations now, complicating the simple geographically-separated politics of the olden days.

Beginning in Equestria, you will almost certainly be servants of Her Lunar Majesty, at least at the moment. These things do change a lot after all.

I simply ask that you begin in one city or be someone on the way there, that I can arrange you all meeting together, so we can get this all started up smoothly. You can be anyone there, really, just expect things to pick up pretty fast from the starting zone.

Subject: Re: Noctis Perpetua: In Fine Dierum (Anthro) Sat Mar 30, 2019 8:37 pm

I'll throw Diamond Mind at this thread with some changes at the discretion of Khaos.

Virtue: Fortitude
Vice: Wrath
Personality: Choleric

Posts : 272 Join date : 2015-05-03

Perhaps Sola. However, she'll probably need to be adapted, although she does the best she can with the circumstances she's in.

Humour: Melancholic
Virtue: Temperance
Vice: Wrath

Hue: Black
Element: Earth
Metallic: Lead
Planetary: Kronos
Locale: Caldera
Constellar: Draco
Animist: Dragonfly
Herbal: Hydrangea
Gem: Turquoise

Posts : 388 Join date : 2015-11-08

I’m gonna throw Salem and potentially Stygian Sunrise depending on how the world develops before the actual thread starts.

Stygian
Humours: Sanguine-phlegmatic
Virtue: Fortitude
Vice: Pride

Salem:
Humour: Melancholic
Virtue: Prudence
Vice: Lust

Posts : 732 Join date : 2014-03-19 Age : 29

Blue Sensation can only shine brighter when surrounded by the darkness.

Humor: sanguine
Virtue: Hope
Vice: Pride

Hue: red
Elemental: Air
Metal: Quicksilver
Planet: Ermis
Locale: Oasis
Constellation: Leo Major
Animal: Peacock
Herbal: Yew
Gem: Carnelian

Subject: Re: Noctis Perpetua: In Fine Dierum (Anthro) Thu Apr 04, 2019 4:58 pm

It's time. Midnight Strings is here to embrace the darkness.

Humor: Sanguine
Virtue: Charity
Vice: Lust

Hue: Red
Elemental: Air
Metallic: Gold
Planetary: Equis
Locale: Spring
Constellar: Serpens
Animist: Phoenix
Herbal: Pomegranate
Gem: Rose Quartz

Posts : 99 Join date : 2017-12-15 Age : 32 Location : USA

Perhaps a very different Clair will meet you all...

Humor: Phlegmatic
Virtue: Prudence
Vice: Envy

Hue: White
Elemental: Water
Metallic: Iron
Planetary: Aris
Locale: Marsh
Constellar: Leo Minor
Animist: Clam
Herbal: Lily
Gem: Pearl

Posts : 340 Join date : 2017-11-16 Age : 27

I think Trinitite would very much enjoy this setting, provided he isn't utterly useless.

Humor: Melancholic
Virtue: Temperance
Vice: Pride

Hue: Black
Elemental: Earth
Metallic: Lead
Planetary: Kronos
Locale: Oasis
Constellar: Leo Major
Animist: Dragonfly
Herbal: Hydrangea
Gem: Turquoise

Subject: Re: Noctis Perpetua: In Fine Dierum (Anthro) Tue Apr 09, 2019 7:46 pm

The Equestrian Almanac

A Magician’s Guide

Be sure to subscribe to our secondary publication, A Magician’s Guide for Earth Ponies, here’s just a short sample of what you could find there:

“They say it used to be easy for unicorns to pull magic right out of the air, and this still holds true, strictly...under moonlight. One of the largest concerns after moonset is the fact that magic becomes increasingly difficult until the moment the moon edges above the horizon once again. Any readers who have tried to work the fields by firelight has probably felt the exhaustion that comes with their own magic failing them, as the same applies even to earth ponies and pegasai. It is hard to wield magic without the moon above, all because we cannot draw magic into ourselves much without it.”

Species

Unicorns, Pegasai, Earth Ponies - Easily the majority population of Equestria, we true ponies are the finest creatures to walk this world. We are the ones who light the darkness and seek to restore the glory of that long lost Equestria we once had, not the lesser species.
Thestrals - A hideous fusion of pony and bat invented by Nightmare Moon to serve as her army, free thestrals are now begrudgingly welcomed amongst Equestrian society for their nighttime talents. They are tolerated, not liked, and it is the duty of every Equestrian to remind them of that.
Zebras - Our distant cousins did not fare well when the darkness first came for them. Utterly decimated, they crossed the sea in boats from their native Zebrica to seek refuge in Equestrian. They were rebuffed by the Nightmare but after a long battle, the survivors secured a small beachhead and founded New Zebrica on Equestrian soil. No one has yet massed the armies to dislodge the foreign menace, but we are sure the call to arms will come soon
Editor's note, the prior section has not been altered in this Almanac since it's first edition published in the aftermath of Nightmare Moon's conquest
Hippogriffs/Seaponies - The hippogriffs retreated into the water like the cowards they are when the darkness came. Rather than join with their friends in unity they dove into the deepest depths, thinking the darkness they knew could save them.
They were wrong. Oh so very wrong. The sea they made home turned red with their slaughter. The lucky ones died. The unlucky ones made their way to Equestria filled with memories. They are a pitiful people, and should be given every sympathy, those few who still exist.
Kirin - The most bestial of the pony subraces, Kirin are justly regarded with suspicion. They are unbothered by the darkness because of their fiery nature, and their loyalty to their own is unquestioned. Which means to us wise ponies that they are simply waiting to betray us for their own. But after seeing it so often, we know better than to afford them the trust to let them get away with it.
Griffins - Old rivalries never die, really, and ponies and griffins have always been rivals. Unlike some of the creatures in the world, griffins at least have honor, and a griffin who has sworn their loyalty will mean it. They might smell and their carnivorous habits might be disgusting, but as people, they’re better allies than kirin. They’ve actually mostly managed to hold their communities together, through hard work and dedication.
Yaks - The yaks are predictable, if nothing else. Their society hasn’t really changed in the aftermath, their wintry homes have always lived by the firelight, though word to me is that they are more nomadic than they used to be, traveling along under cover of moonlight to seek out fresh land. They keep to themselves, mostly, which is good enough for us ponies.
Dragons - Much like kirin, dragons are lucky. They always have fire on hand, and many of them stay near lava pools, where there is always light, whereas they are unbothered by the heat. They are a vicious race of predators all the same and are to be seen as the monsters they are.
Changelings - These are the ultimate parasites on society. While changelings outwardly seem to obsess with pleasing those around them, we all remember the cocoons, and we all remember the danger they present. Their affable outsides hide predators who simply wish to devour that emotion, and while we might welcome them to live by our lamplight, they should still be held at arm’s reach.
Umbrum - Sombra’s Empire radiates a deep darkness that banishes even the light of the moon within it. And within that ineffable darkness live the umbrum, pony-shaped creatures with crystalline flesh that seems to glow with darkness, however paradoxical that is. They are rarely seen this far south, but they do exist, and ought to be treated with whatever respect is given to a foreign dignitary when they are spotted here.
King Sombra is quite protective of his possessions after all.

Nightmare Moon wants You

Good Pay and Promotion For Efficient Ponies in the Equestrian Guard	Join the Guard today and you too can help fight back the darkness.	The Guard offers to the young stallion and mare of good habits an excellent opportunity. He is assured of permanent employment so long as he renders faithful service; if he becomes disabled he is cared for in a Guard Hospital; if permanently disabled he is entitled to a pension. If he remains in the service for thirty years he can retire on three-fourths of the pay he is drawing, plus allowances for rations, quarters, fuel and light, amounting to fifteen bits and six pieces a month. If you possess the trade of magician, carpenter, blacksmith, lightbearer, whitesmith, candlemaker, cook, baker, coppersmith, or fireman, you can enlist as such at thirty to sixty five bits per month, at the start. If you have no trade and are under twenty-five years of age, you can enlist as an Apprentice Guardsman, at sixteen bits a month, and go to a Training Station for instruction before being sent to the field. Pay of a chief petty officer amounts to over eighty bits a month, in one or two re-enlistments, practically free of living expenses
Only Equestrian citizens of Good Character are accepted
An illustrated booklet will be furnished free upon request. Enlist at your nearest militia post.

Attunements
This is meant to help you explain Attunements to your foal as they come of age and it is time to find their purpose in the world. Therefore, it tries to keep things a bit simple.
The creatures of this world hold a deep connection to nature, far deeper than simply appearances or communing with it. The true nature of a pony, or any other kind of person, can be discerned through their connection to the world, and vice versa.
Many cultural institutions have been built around three important aspects of this connection, known as “Attunements”, which centrally define how the lesser aspects, “Associations”, operate.
Attunements primarily define a pony’s deep, “true” personality, and come in two sorts: Primary Attunements and Secondary Attunements, with obvious meanings. Creatures possess three Primary Attunements, one each of a Humor, Virtue, and Vice, and may or may not possess a Secondary in any categories. From Primaries, one can easily determine the major associations a creature possesses.
Associations are a bit more complicated, and come in far more categories. They are as follows: Hue, Elemental, Metallic, Planetary, Locale, Constellar, Animist, Herbal, and Gem. Hue and Element derive directly from the Humor Attunement, Metal and Planet from Virtue, Locale and Constellation from Vice, while Animist, Herbal, and Gem attunements come from a combination of Humor and Virtue.
The actual nature of Associations is as follows

Hue Association is primarily heraldic, though it is traditionally held that Hue also influences what a pony looks like.
Elemental affects not only spellcasting (although it does influence natural talent in that regard, whether directly aligned or diametrically opposed), but also influences talent in other regards; air connects with flexibility, fire to fortitude, earth to might, and water to speed.
Metallic makes another Association closely tied to heraldry, but Metallic Association also ties in to natural magical talent and martial skill. In particular, quicksilver, lead, and precious metals tie in to alchemical talents, whilst iron and the remaining base metals tie in to martial skill.
Planetary is half of one’s personal horoscope, which is somewhat important in a world dominated by starlight.
Locale is another key magical Association, tied with particular physical locations where a pony can draw in more power and achieve a sort of spiritual enlightenment; a fitting Locale is a place where you can get in touch with your truest self, deep down within, and knowing your Locale Association means you can create spaces to emulate the feelings you can find there.
Constellar forms the second half of the personal horoscope, which is quite important. While Constellar Association is not tied to the Zodiac, the planets still interact notably with these constellations, which can tell your fortune. Some way there is a way to wield this link more directly, but the talent for it must be exceedingly rare.
Animist is a deep tie to the natural world, and is not merely heraldic. Animist Association connects a pony to a particular sort of animal; those with the skill for it typically gain a familiar of that species, but even without that a pony will possess an innate understanding of such creatures and those with a close relationship.
Herbal is primarily regarded as a heraldic Association, though it also has more direct ties to nature like Animist Association. Plants tied to you through Herbal Association can be used to aid in medicinal tinctures, and can ostensibly be to draw out some additional magic.
Gem is the last composite Association, and is the most commonly used; ponies who possess the proper connection to a gem can use gems to store and draw magical energy with ease; jewelry is a constant part of a mage’s arsenal and it’s quite easy to tell a mage from the light that burns deep within their crystalline attire.

Humor	Hue	Element
Sanguine	Red	Air
Choleric	Yellow	Fire
Melancholic	Black	Earth
Phlegmatic	White	Water

Virtue	Metal	Planet
Prudence	Iron	Aris
Justice	Tin	Dias
Fortitude	Copper	Aphrodite
Temperance	Lead	Kronos
Faith	Silver	Luna
Hope	Quicksilver	Ermis
Charity	Gold	Equis

Vice	Locale	Constellation
Lust	Spring	Serpens
Gluttony	Chasm	Ursa Major
Greed	Mountain	Hydra
Sloth	Delta	Ursa Minor
Wrath	Caldera	Draco
Envy	Marsh	Leo Minor
Pride	Oasis	Leo Major

Humor	Prudence	Justice	Fortitude	Temperance	Faith	Hope	Charity
Sanguine	Hound Maple Rhodochrosite	Cardinal Rose Bloodstone	Rooster Red tulip Garnet	Sturgeon Cherry Jasper	Hawk Pomegranate Malachite	Peacock Yew Carnelian	Phoenix Pomegranate Rose quartz
Choleric	Stoat Daffodil Tourmaline	Badger Primrose Yellow Spinel	Lion Marigold Tigereye	Squirrel Hibiscus Zircon	Otter Yellow tulip Red Coral	Bumblebee Goldenrod Opal	Garuda Honeydew Amber
Melancholic	Roach Bluebonnet Obsidian	Hare Black orchid Lapis lazuli	Mussel Forget-Me-Nots Sapphire	Dragonfly Hydrangea Torquoise	Perch Bluestar Onyx	Butterfly Clematis Moonstone	Kraken Bellflower Amethyst
Phlegmatic	Clam Lily Pearl	Albatross White rose Chysoberl	Seal Amaryllis Chalcedony	Tortoise Hydrangea Quartz	Basilisk Wisteria Peridot	Salamander Magnolia Agate	Wyvern Heliotrope Diamond

Lurkers in Darkness

A warning to all aspiring Equestrian Rangers

Demons aren’t the only things to have crawled out of Tartarus in all the time that’s passed. Though if they had been this would be a much happier world. When the demons came out, when they latched on to our magic, Equestria’s magic, they were followed. And what followed them was horror given form. Demons, at least, can be reasoned with, even though they’re not really people. You can talk to a demon and it might decide to leave you alone. This thing, this thing doesn’t talk.

The mages tell me it’s called the “Everfree”, something about it first forming in some historical forest or something. Doesn’t really matter nowadays. What does matter, is that it is the reason it’s not safe outside once the moon sets. You stay inside, you hear. And if you can’t stay inside, stay in the light. It hates light, fears it, because it doesn’t like being seen.

If it gets you, struggle. Do not let it take you, please oh god do not let it take you. It is cruel. I used to work as a Ranger, I’ve seen what the Everfree, what the Darkness does to to ponies it captures. It is angry, full of hate...and it understands...the mage boys, they say it’s just a big fat blob of magic out there, controlling the trees and the shadows and the vines, but they’ve never been out there in the meat of things...they’ve never had their team taken out one by one, st
starting with the newbies why did it start with them why

Stay out of the dark, please

The Celestials

For anyone still living in a cave, who coincidentally can read Equish and yet still doesn’t understand the basics of politics, us here in the editorial staff have a quick little present for you, not worth a full chapter in the book.
Celestials are the big people in the world, they’re in charge, and they’ll all individually powerful. Not powerful enough to drive off the darkness, but powerful all the same. They’re the only beings who could dare to claim a kingdom, after all. Learn who they are, and you’ll be much safer if you avoid their direct attention.

Her Majesty, Nightmare Moon of Equestria
King Sombra
Lord Tirek
Queen Chrysalis
Queen Novo
The Dragon Lord
The Demon King, supposedly

Demons
This world is home to not only creatures of flesh and blood, born into it rightfully and sensibly, but also to beings of magic. Back in days of yore it might have been the mythical breezies and bushwoolies, but when the gates of Tartarus were broken open, when its essence began to leak into Equis, the breezies locked themselves away and the bushwoolies retreated into the darkness of their caverns.
And where the malodorous vapours of Tartarus met the unrestrained magic of Equis, filled with a life all its own, they became as one, and the demons were born. They exist all across Equis, but they are very limited in number; it is suspected that of the seven demonic castes, there are only 95 of each sort. And aside from the vice-categorized sorts, there is also the mysterious demon king himself, a being that no mortal has laid eyes on and who all demons owe fealty to.
Castes

Lust is embodied predictably by Incubi and Succubi, tempters who sneak into the dreams of the innocent and drive them into their raust, orgiastic debauchery. They offer pleasures and while they might deliver, they are still demons.
Gluttony is fueled by more esoteric pleasures and its demons are known in the Equine tongue as Pit Fiends; creatures native to the darkest pits, these demons hold perhaps the most dastardly power of them all: they are wish-granters, at a grave cost.
Greed is a common vice in the world, and while related to gluttony, has a closer relation to temporal possessions, and its tempters are the Devils of Perdition, deceitful little imps that convince innocent ponies that they need more, always more, more more more!
Envy is a vice embodied by the Skinwalkers, clever, shapeless beings who take the form of a real person and shamelessly tempt them into jealousy through displays of superiority, though they do tend to get caught out quickly for overacting the part.
Sloth’s demons are tricksters and are unique in that they are a single mind that shares many bodies, as Sloth’s demon is the unrepentant Gremlin, a beast of chaos that exists for a single purpose: to render work worthless, and bring ruin to all things intact.
Wrath could not be covered any more thoroughly than by the Betrayers, creatures otherwise called Witches, demons who look just like normal, everyday ponies but which are driven to drive a wedge between us. They desire only to inspire hatred in the hearts of our people, and should be sought out.
Pride is perhaps the most secretive of vices, for it insinuates itself into a mind through healthy appreciation turned into braggartry, and its envoys take the form of Whispers, those ephemeral passer-by devils who whisper naught but sweeting nothings into the ears of the proud. They take many forms, but there is one constant amongst them: they will reassure you, no matter what comes, and if you listen, you will walk gladly into the darkness.

» Fallout: The New Arrivals (AU, Gore, Adventure, Anthro)
» Sign-Up: The Investigation ((Adv., Gore, Anthro))
» Stargate: Enterprise (Anthro, possible blood)
» DiscordianLands (Anthro, Gore, Entropy, Skillz)
» Here be Dragons [Anthro, Crossover, Sign-Up]