History Characters / CodexEquusAlicornAscendancy

* AbstractApotheosis: Invoked. This is what they're trying to reach with their research on Ascension and their twisted experiments. The Ascendancy members hope that they can streamline the Ascension process for everyone if they can crack its secrets, but in reality, it's much more complicated than they believe. Crystal Prism managing to become an Alicorn demigod of Rebirth, Change, and Transformation made him a subject of great interest for the Ascendancy, and in turn made them driven in recovering what they see as their greatest 'success'.

** Crystal Prism was turned into one himself - becoming a giant magic-eating blob monster - in the event that ultimately led to him ascending to godhood thanks to Noble Grace and Bubbling Beaker. Ironically (and fittingly), [[HoistByHisOwnPetard they got their magic eaten out of them by their own creation]]. Many of their earlier experiments [[BadPeopleAbuseAnimals with animals]] and [[WouldHurtAChild children]] also led to this trope.

* ArmorPiercingQuestion: When a few Alignment members tried going on a MotiveRant to justify their horrible experiments and actions, Prince Ferreus Malleus proceeded to shut them up with a ShutUpHannibal speech that included ''three'' armor-piercing questions about the role of flaws in general. [[StunnedSilence No one was able to answer them]].

* CaptainErsatz: The Abominable Alignment may be inspired in part by the Mesan Alignment of the ''Literature/HonorHarrington'' series, who have roughly similar goals and shares half the name.

* PerfectionIsImpossible: One of the main issues plaguing the Abominable Alignment is the nature of flaws - they believe that the absence of flaws will make benevolence and survival possible for sapientkind, rather than ''because'' of them, and will do anything to improve the sapient condition by any means necessary. When members of the Alignment tried [[MotiveRant justifying their actions]] after their capture and arrest, they would get called out by Prince Ferreus Malleus, who once had beliefs similar to theirs but eventually saw the error of his ways. [[StunnedSilence No one could come up with an effective retort]].

The Alicorn Ascendancy (its entry [[https://www.deviantart.com/brutalityinc/art/Codex-Equestria-Heroes-and-Villains-12-810593613 here]]) is a secret, world-spanning conspiracy of underground scholars, sorcerers and scientists of Equestrian origins who are dedicated to the idea of uncovering the secrets of apotheosis (more specifically, the process of Alicorn ascension of Ponykind), in hopes of finding a means to streamline the process and one day ascending all of Ponykind to godhood, freeing them from mortality and limitations to bring forth a new, eternal GoldenAge. The original founders put forth their proposal some time after Nightmare Night and the [[CivilWar Equestrian Civil War]], and upon securing official support of the Equestrian Crown, they set forth in pursuit of their goal with determination.\\\

* DeityOfHumanOrigin: Invoked. As indicated by their group name, the Ascendancy is dedicated to researching the process of divine Ascension so they can help mortal Ponykind become [[PhysicalGod Alicorns]], and usher in an eternal golden Age. This stemmed from [[spoiler:Princess Celestia's depression and loneliness following Princess Luna's Fall and corruption as [[MadGod Nightmare Moon]], craving divine companionship yet unable to help Ponies Ascend naturally out of fear of other countries preying on a ruined Equestria should they find any sign of weakness]]. Unfortunately, the Ascendancy grew increasingly unfettered and extreme in their research, resulting in massive casualties and destruction that led to [[spoiler:Princess Celestia trying to dismantle the organization in horror and disgust over what she created]]. It's been noted that many attempts to Ascend Ponies had ended in disaster until two Ascendancy members, Noble Grace and Bubbling Beaker targeted a unicorn colt named Page Wheel, who would ultimately Ascend to demi-godhood as Crystal Prism thanks to their experiments. The success of Crystal Prism's Ascension has caused the organization to become more bold and daring, especially in trying to retrieve "[[ItIsDehumanizing the success]]", which in turn has caused benevolent factions and individuals to focus attention on the Ascendancy to make sure no harm befell Crystal Prism.

* LifesWorkRuined: She and Bubbling Beaker "created" Crystal Prism because they wanted an Alicorn who would serve as a symbol for a coming GoldenAge for mortal Ponykind, who would no longer have to worry about their own potential for greatness being stifled by various factors and/or individuals. Unfortunately for them, a string of failures caused by the interference of their old student Scarlet Bell (and later her grandniece, Midnight Bell) would not only leave them unable to enjoy the fruits of their work, but completely drained them of their magic when Crystal Prism went on a rampage as a magic-eating BlobMonster. The final nail on the coffin would be Crystal Prism receiving encouragement from benevolent individuals to [[ScrewDestiny carve his own future]], influencing him to discard his intended purpose and help promote rebirth and change on his own terms.

* LifesWorkRuined: He and Noble Grace "created" Crystal Prism because they wanted an Alicorn who would serve as a symbol for a coming GoldenAge for mortal Ponykind, who would no longer have to worry about their own potential for greatness being stifled by various factors and/or individuals. Unfortunately for them, a string of failures caused by the interference of their old student Scarlet Bell (and later her grandniece, Midnight Bell) would not only leave them unable to enjoy the fruits of their work, but completely drained them of their magic when Crystal Prism went on a rampage as a magic-eating BlobMonster. The final nail on the coffin would be Crystal Prism receiving encouragement from benevolent individuals to [[ScrewDestiny carve his own future]], influencing him to discard his intended purpose and help promote rebirth and change on his own terms.

* HybridizationPlot: Their desire for transsapient enhancement of Sapientkind led to some cells of the Abominable Alignment creating the [[MergingMachine Chimaera]] [[https://www.deviantart.com/brutalityinc/art/Codex-Equus-Magic-and-Technology-Part-4-928205148 Machine]] which could do so but deliberately inducing a controlled TeleporterAccident ala ''[[Film/{{TheFly1986}} The Fly]]''. This came at a horrific cost of hundreds of test subjects they fed to the machine and left grotesque fused 'failures' just to refine the process.

* MergingMachine: Members of the Alignment know the tragic story of 'Second Age' [[Film/{{TheFly1986}} Professor Set Bundle]]'s [[GoneHorriblyWrong disastrous]] Matter Teleportation experiments... and saw [[TeleporterAccident its nasty tendency of confusing and fusing creatures and objects on a genetic/molecular level]] as a ''positive feature'' rather than a ''negative detriment'', seeing an improved version of the process as a means of streamlining [[HybridizationPlot bio-fusion/hybridization procedures]] that could enhance beings with traits and powers of other entities and creatures. The culmination of their efforts to emulate Set Bundle's experiments with Fourth Age magic and technology was the '[[https://www.deviantart.com/comments/1/792408889/4830897664 Chimaera]] [[https://www.deviantart.com/brutalityinc/art/Codex-Equus-Magic-and-Technology-Part-4-928205148 Machine]]', which can tele-hybridize any biological creature to create [[MixAndMatchCritters chimeras]] and [[HybridMonster hybrids]] - much to the apprehension and disgust of both Equestrian and Terran authorities who later discovered the basement of [[BodyHorror failed subjects]] that they fed to the machine in hundreds of test just to refine the process.

* HybridizationPlot: Their desire for transsapient enhancement of Sapientkind led to some cells of the Abominable Alignment creating the [[MergingMachine Chimaera]] [[https://www.deviantart.com/brutalityinc/art/Codex-Equus-Magic-and-Technology-Part-4-928205148 Machine]] which could do so but deliberately inducing a controlled TeleporterAccident ala Film/{{TheFly1986}}. This came at a horrific cost of hundreds of test subjects they fed to the machine and left grotesque fused 'failures' just to refine the process.

* MergingMachine: Members of the Alignment know the tragic story of 'Second Age' [[Film/{{TheFly1986}} Professor Set Bundle]]'s [[GoneHorriblyWrong disastrous]] Matter Teleportation experiments... and saw [[TeleporterAccident its nasty tendency of confusing and fusing creatures and objects on a genetic/molecular level]] as a ''positive feature'' rather than a ''negative detriment'', seeing an improved version of the process as a means of streamlining bio-fusion/hybridization procedures that could enhance beings with traits and powers of other entities and creatures. The culmination of their efforts to emulate Set Bundle's experiments with Fourth Age magic and technology was the '[[https://www.deviantart.com/comments/1/792408889/4830897664 Chimera Machine]]', which can tele-hybridize any biological creature to create [[MixAndMatchCritters chimeras]] and [[HybridMonster hybrids]] - much to the apprehension and disgust of both Equestrian and Terran authorities who later discovered the basement of [[BodyHorror failed subjects]] that they fed to the machine in hundreds of test just to refine the process.

* LackOfEmpathy: The Alicorn Ascendancy doesn't care about what people think of them, or the suffering they inflict on those they experiment on -- in their minds, if everyone can Ascend thanks to them, then it's worth sacrificing innocent lives.

* MyGreatestFailure: [[spoiler:Princess Celestia considered the organization's existence to be one of her biggest mistakes. In a moment of emotional weakness, she gave the original members of the Alicorn Ascendancy her patronage and blessing to do their research with Royal support. However, in her quest to find a cure for Luna/Nightmare Moon's madness and fulfill her craving for divine companionship, she failed rein them in and give them oversight that could had prevented them from JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope, all while enabling the Ascendancy's worst traits]].

* BroughtDownToNormal: Her ultimate fate -- after Page Wheel was corrupted and turned into a monster by her experiments, he would turn her into one of his first victims by devouring all of her inner magic reserves, leaving behind an elderly and completely powerless unicorn mare. Even Luminiferous agreed that it was an appropriate fate for her, after all she had done to others to fulfill a noble yet extremely lofty goal.
* ChildrenAreSpecial: Her main targets were pony foals and teenagers because their bright and curious minds meant they had greater potential compared to adults. She attempted to experiment on several of her own students for this reason, which motivated Scarlet Bell to stopping her when she was a filly. Years later, she would also kidnap and experiment on young Page Wheel upon falsely learning from Midnight Bell that he's a ChildProdigy. The fact that he ended up in a magical cocoon after turning into a [[MagicEater magic-eating monster]] was proof to her that he had "so much potential! So much power!" Fortunately, Scarlet Bell put an end to her plans by literally preventing her from making off with his cocoon, and [[WhenEldersAttack punching her former teacher in the face]].
* CreateYourOwnHero: In a way, she did succeed in creating Crystal Prism, even though it wasn't her experiments that led to him Ascending. Post-Ascension, Crystal Prism would go around promoting Change, though not in the way she intended, [[ScrewDestiny thanks to people encouraging him to forge his own path rather than follow someone else's whims]].
* DeityOfHumanOrigin: She seeks to invoke this by replicating the divine Ascension process, so she could turn all of Ponykind into [[PhysicalGod Alicorns]] and bring in a "new age" for them. InUniverse, according to police and investigators, this is why she wanted to create an Alicorn of Rebirth and Change. She would technically succeed with Crystal Prism, but Golden Scepter encouraged him to [[ScrewDestiny break free of his intended role and forge his own path instead]].
* EvenEvilHasStandards: As bad as she is, even she was horrified and disgusted when the full scope of Trench Bull's abuse and evil was revealed.

* PlayingWithFire: Implied, as her entry describes her as knowing fire magic.

Here is a list of characters from the Alicorn Ascendancy.\\\

While originally well-meaning and modest, making great progress in their research, difficulties with understanding the fundamental nature of Alicornhood eventually caused their efforts to be stonewalled or dead-ended at every turn. Frustrated but undaunted, members of the group [[JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope gradually resorted to increasingly unscrupulous means and unethical research]] in pursuit of their goal - which in turn became twisted into an unfettered obsession.\\\

Despite being driven underground and being cut off from official support, the Alicorn Ascendancy nevertheless continued their work, now willing to [[TheUnfettered make any sacrifice and commit any atrocity]] with [[MadScientist their experiments]] if it would mean [[WellIntentionedExtremist Alicornhood for all Ponykind]]. [[WeAREStrugglingTogether Disagreements between members]] caused schisms, creating [[RenegadeSplinterFaction several other conspiracies]] from the Ascendancy proper pursuing similar goals their own way, in the process magnifying the damage and suffering the Ascendancy would cause throughout the rest of its existence.\\\

With the 'success' of Crystal Prism by two of their members in the Grittish Isles, the Ascendancy had become emboldened, acting more overtly and bringing them into opposition by modern day heroes and others. It is a risk they are willing to take, however - for now, with more examples of Ponies ascending and more opportunities to make headway, their twisted goal seems to be at last within reach...

* CreatingLifeIsBad: Technically, they did create an Alicorn, Crystal Prism, though his Ascension to demi-godhood occurred separately from their experimentation. It's ultimately played with; as Temnobog points out, while Crystal Prism is the result of the Alicorn Ascendancy's hubris and desire to "play god", his existence is not strictly evil, as he has potential to do good.

* JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope: Done so collectively. They started out modestly and fettered in their research, but as time went on resorted to increasingly extreme methods and exercised less restrains on all levels to achieve results as their progress is repeatedly stonewalled and frustrated. Not helped by the fact that their original founder and patron [[spoiler:Princess Celestia, the Sunraiser]] was unable to provide them oversight they should had received and even enabled them via permission to pursue dangerous routes of research - such as in Dark Magic - that further accelerated their slip into full-blown MadScientist villainy in pursuit of Alicorn ascension for all, which [[spoiler:she]] [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone deeply regretted]].
* LackOfEmpathy: The Alicorn Ascendancy doesn't care about what people think of them, or the suffering they inflict on those they experiment on - in their minds, if everyone can Ascend thanks to them, then it's worth sacrificing innocent lives.

* WellIntentionedExtremist: Deconstructed. The Alicorn Ascendancy is a good demonstration of the proverb ''"The road to Hell is paved with good intentions"'' - they desire to start a golden age by finding means to allow all of modern Ponykind to ascend into Alicornhood. But they are [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans willing to do just about anything]], no matter [[TheUnfettered how horrific the deed]] or how bad the consequences, to achieve that end. The worst part is that even if they are utter monsters now, they really did start off with the best of intentions.

Noble Grace was born a unicorn of great wealth, and it was her background, combined with her voracious childhood desire to learn everything she could, that gave her a large variety of magic and knowledge in both magic and science in general. She's often graceful and poised, but she was very friendly, open, and maternal, making her a very beloved and popular teacher and headmistress among her students in Pferdia. Believing in the inherent potential of Ponykind, she would encourage her students to think for themselves and rise above what they are currently capable of.\\\

However, unbeknownst to everyone but a trusted few, Noble Grace is also a member of the Alicorn Ascendancy, a secret, planet-wide organization devoted to replicate the process of divine Ascension. Together with her friend and colleague, Professor Bubbling Beaker, she would lure the brightest and most talented students into participating in her experiments, believing that a new age would begin for Ponykind if they succeeded. To her misfortune, her experiments would not only fail once, but twice - the first time, she was opposed by one of her students, a unicorn filly named Scarlet Bell, who wanted to save her classmates from a "monster" despite her fear of getting killed by her own teacher. Scarlet Bell ultimately succeeded in her mission, but in the ensuing fight, a misfired spell would cause a great explosion and fire, marking her with burn scars for the rest of her life.\\\

The second time happened years after Noble Grace and Bubbling Beaker moved to the Grittish Isles to avoid the law and continue working in secret. An Earth pony filly named Midnight Bell, who turned out to be Scarlet Bell's grandniece, tried enrolling in her school after she was turned into a unicorn through a wish. But after Midnight admitted the truth and attempted to save face by lying about a young unicorn neighbor named Page Wheel being the "real" magical prodigy, Noble Grace had Page Wheel kidnapped and experimented on him, intending to turn the colt into an Alicorn that embodied Rebirth and Change. The unicorn trio Decepticolt, Zappityhoof, and Goldencap would also participate in the experiments, though it's only because they selfishly wanted to learn how to turn themselves into Alicorns. Unfortunately, the experiments would fail, and Page Wheel would become a monster that would devour any magic it could sense. As karmic payback, Noble Grace would become one of its first victims, draining her dry of magic until she was reduced to an elderly, powerless mare.\\\

Ironically, it took Page Wheel dying at the hooves of Luminiferous and the Equestrian Princesses for him to Ascend into the Alicorn Noble Grace wanted, the magic he devoured reviving and healing him. But Noble Grace and Bubbling Beaker would be unable to enjoy the fruits of their labor as Scarlet Bell notified the authorities, who would arrest and move them back to Pferdia to be tried for their crimes, sealing their fates once and for all. The final nail in Noble Grace's coffin would be, instead of fulfilling the role as the symbol of a "new age" as she intended for him, Page Wheel, now Crystal Prism would instead promote Rebirth and Change by helping others, having been encouraged by loved ones and benevolent individuals to forge his own path.\\\

Personality-wise, Noble Grace is an intelligent and powerful mare who is graceful and poised, a reflection of her privileged and aristocratic upbringing. Much like Princess Twilight/Amicitia Sparkle and others like her, she had a voracious thirst for knowledge, which contributed to her intelligence and magical/scientific power. Before her downfall, she was a very beloved teacher who was open, friendly, and maternal towards her students, and was known for testing and encouraging them to think for themselves and rise above their current capabilities.\\\

Her teaching methods echoes her view of mortal Ponykind - she sees her species as harboring great potential that would allow them to change the world, and it was this potential that made her driven to help her fellow Ponies become the best they can be. She does have her flaws, however - she can become rather stubborn, snippy, and condescending when her beliefs are questioned, and as a result of her upbringing, she wasn't immune to harmful opinions. When she learned Midnight Bell lied about her tribe, she hurled harsh tribalist insults at the filly before sending her back home, something that she later regretted.\\\

But as many discovered to their horror, both her good and bad qualities hid a much darker side. As a member of the Alicorn Ascendancy, Noble Grace believed in Ponykind's potential so fervently that she saw nothing wrong with performing cruel experiments on others. What made her even more monstrous is the fact that she had persuaded innocent people - usually foals and teenagers - into participating in said experiments by using her lovable demeanor and their trust in her to make them believe that whatever she does will produce good results in the end. Her downfall would come when she would be confronted by Ponies who not only questioned her motives but were actually willing to fight and oppose her; Scarlet Bell and Midnight Bell's interference would cause her to lose not only the fruits of her research, but her magic and everything else, turning Noble Grace into a broken, insane mare who insisted she was right and wondered where she had failed in her plans.\\\

Power-wise, Noble Grace was a prodigy and talented mare who had an in-depth knowledge of magic and science, and as a filly could master spells only adults could use. She was best in age-manipulation magic, a coveted skill among unicorns that allowed her to appear in her prime even as she grew older. She was also skilled in transfiguration magic, which she used on non-sapient creatures by changing and/or combining them together, creating fantastic and even horrific new hybrids. Interrogations and notes gleaned from Noble Grace's research revealed that she was trying to create an Alicorn god who embodied Rebirth and Change, which explained Crystal Prism's butterfly-like appearance and butterfly-related abilities, such as telepathic butterfly control, "cocoon-healing", and empathic precognition.\\\

However, behind age-manipulation and transfiguration, Noble Grace has a large arsenal of arcane spells, many of them elemental in nature. She can communicate from afar by manifesting a water version of herself (provided there is an existing source with enough water), and she can summon a black sludge to restrain and suffocate her victims. Her incredible power initially made Scarlet Bell fear getting injured or killed, but she still confronted her teachers anyway because she couldn't bear the thought of losing her classmates to a "monster". Fortunately, Noble Grace's complete loss of magic to a corrupted Page Wheel had left her quite harmless, a fate that Luminiferous agrees is appropriate for her, having been angered by the amount of lives potential she and Bubbling Beaker had cruelly squandered in their quest for Alicornhood.\\\

Despite going down a villain, Noble Grace did a good thing, as Temnobog, the Deer god of Evil, noted that even the evilest of actions can have positive consequences - without her, Crystal Prism wouldn't have come to being at all.

* AffablyEvil: Her entry describes her personality as graceful and poised due to coming from a wealthy and educated background, but she's also a very nice, friendly, and open-minded teacher who encouraged her students to think for themselves and rise higher than what they are already capable of. She even believes that Ponykind has great potential, and genuinely wants to help everyone, including herself, become the best they can be. However, this means she genuinely saw nothing wrong with experimenting on other ponies, [[WouldHurtAChild including her own students]], if it'll help Ponykind [[DeityOfHumanOrigin reach godhood]], proving that for all of her niceness and maternal character, she's actually a very insidious, hypocritical, and mentally/morally bankrupt pony whose cruel and horrific actions could never justify her good intentions.
--> '''[=BrutalityInc=]:''' ''(in response to randomfan11's question)'' I like how insidious she is in both character and goals. You see her flaws in her personality and beliefs at first, but then you see how she seems to be not so bad in those flaws and had redeeming qualities. It disguises the inherent moral and mental bankruptcy behind everything she stands for and makes the hideousness of her actions when revealed have all the more impact in terms of the contrast. At the end of the day she's still a rotten villainess whose deeds can never justify her good intentions. And her knowledge and versatility in magic makes her truly dangerous.
* TheArchmage: She's an ''incredibly'' powerful unicorn sorceress, mostly due to her wealthy background giving her access to higher education, and her voracious childhood desire to learn everything that she could. In addition to age manipulation magic, which is described as being a highly-coveted yet extremely difficult magic to master among unicorns, she knows a variety of elemental spells such as fire, water, earth, and air. This, along with her AffablyEvil behavior, is what makes her a truly dangerous person, since she wouldn't hesitate to attack and destroy anyone who opposes her and her beliefs despite her nice, encouraging, and friendly personality. Notably, one of her former students, a then-young Scarlet Bell, understandably feared getting injured or killed by her during a confrontation, but still did it anyway because her desire to save her classmates was stronger than her fear.
* AssholeVictim: While a genuinely nice and well-meaning unicorn mare, she abused her position as a teacher and headmistress by luring talented students into participating in her cruel experiments, while persuading her victims into believing in her good intentions. The first time literally blew up in her face when a young Scarlet Bell investigated and confronted her to save her classmates, with a misfired spell causing a great fire. The second time made her lose everything, [[BroughtDownToNormal including her magic]] and youth, and being publicly convicted as a criminal. Even Luminiferous agreed her fate was appropriate, and had notably expressed clear anger towards her actions while showing her and Bubbling Beaker the potential they both squandered. However, this trope is played realistically in that no matter how many people want her dead, taking matters into one's hooves in the name of justice [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome is considered equally accountable in the eyes of the law]].

* BlindWithoutEm: Her entry notes that she had vision problems even as a filly, so she always wears a pair of red glasses to help her see.
* BroughtDownToNormal: Her ultimate fate - after Page Wheel was corrupted and turned into a monster by her experiments, he would turn her into one of his first victims by devouring all of her inner magic reserves, leaving behind an elderly and completely powerless unicorn mare. Even Luminiferous agreed that it was an appropriate fate for her, after all she had done to others to fulfill a noble yet extremely lofty goal.

* PyrrhicVillainy: She would lose everything twice because of interference from the Bell family, specifically Scarlet Bell and her grandniece, Midnight Bell, because they opposed her well-meaning yet horrific actions - she lost the resources and notes to continue her experiments, lost the magic that kept her young and was also one of her greatest assets, and would end up being exposed as an untrustworthy and villainous adult in the eyes of the public because of the harm she had caused. And while her experiments did result in Page Wheel becoming an Alicorn, she would never be able to enjoy the fruits of her labors with her arrest, and her intentions of heralding a "new age" for Ponykind will ultimately be for naught as Page Wheel, now Crystal Prism, [[ScrewDestiny was encouraged to forge his own path]] and now encourages Rebirth and Change through helping people deal with stressful situations and improving themselves.

* RenegadeSplinterFaction: It's one ''of'' another RenegadeSplinterFaction. They split off from the Abominable Alignment and are even ''[[UpToEleven more]]'' extreme.

--> See his folder entry [[Characters/CodexEquusGrittishIsles here]].

* TheyLookJustLikeEveryoneElse: In contrast to the various divine and/or supernatural threats in Equus, she's just an ordinary, albeit magically powerful unicorn mare who has a day job as a teacher/headmistress of magic schools. What makes her so insidious and dangerous as a person is her staunch belief that what she's doing is ultimately for the greater good of Ponykind, and uses her students' trust and admiration of her to persuade them into believing her and participating in her cruel experiments. [=BrutalityInc=] sums up her character as a very insidious and mentally/morally bankrupt character who counters these flaws with positive traits that make her seem not so bad, making her actions much more horrific once they're exposed. Ultimately, she would be arrested and tried when Scarlet Bell called the police on her [[AdultFear after the latter realized her former teachers were in the same country as her, and have harmed more foals, her neighbors' son, and possibly her own grandniece as well]].

* AdaptationalBadass: [[Anime/MaryAndTheWitchsFlower Dr. Dee]] was a brilliant scientist and chemist, but he often floats around in a hovercraft while his partner, Madame Mumblechook, is shown wielding magical power. Here, he's a scientist ''and'' a 'Gifted Pony'/Geo-Archmage with advanced [[DishingOutDirth earth magic]] and metal manipulation.

--> See her folder entry [[Characters/CodexEquusGrittishIsles here]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Professor Bubbling Beaker]]
--> See his folder entry [[Characters/CodexEquusGrittishIsles here]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Talisman]]
A former student of Celestia, Talisman is apparently a major figure among the Alicorn Ascendancy. He has recently focused on reacquiring the 'success' - Crystal Prism - whom he and his peers thinks held the key to unlocking the secrets of ascension.

* AffablyEvil: Remains respectful of his mentor despite their fall-out, although one wonders how much of it is genuine and how much is a scornfully sarcastic act.
* AgeWithoutYouth: He has lived far longer than he supposed to have for a Unicorn, but as Celestia noted he didn't age quite gracefully.
* CardsOfPower: His signature magical forte - he can perform incredible feats of magic with enchanted cards, from teleportation, animating illusory [[ActuallyADoomBot false bodies]] to making [[SummoningRitual demon-summoning spell-circles]].
* InsufferableGenius: Implied, given he was apparently very talented and brilliant in his magic and studies as a student of Celestia. After their falling-out, he had the audacity to call his former mentor's morals 'old-fashioned' and treat Crystal Prism more like a lab-rat than a Pony being, which if nothing else hints presence of considerable ego beneath his genius and AffablyEvil exterior - one haughty enough to dismiss the feelings, sensibilities and even the lives of others in pursuit of his goals. This may be partly why he ended up turning on his mentor and fully committing to the Ascendancy.
* ItIsDehumanizing: Much like others in the conspiracy, Talisman called Crystal Prism the 'Success' and wants him returned to the conspiracy with the same respect as someone might have for property, or an escaped lab animal in the Ascendancy's case. Prince Shamrock [[EveryoneHasStandards found this attitude]] and [[ThisIsUnforgivable him personally appalling]].
* LackOfEmpathy: Like his peers in the Ascendancy, he harbors a profound lack of compassion for the Ponies his organization experimented on, believing that discovering the key to Ascension is worth sacrificing innocent lives. Notably, he doesn't care that Crystal Prism suffered incredibly under the hooves of his "creators" and treats the young Alicorn demigod like a successful experiment to be studied. Prince Shamrock was rather appalled by this degrading attitude and became determined to protect Crystal Prism from the Ascendancy.
* APupilOfMineUntilHeTurnedToEvil: Talisman was one of Celestia's faithful students before disagreements over Alicornhood drove them apart and he fully devotes himself to the conspiracy.
* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: Is noted to have lived far longer than most Unicorns had and still look fit and well (though not [[AgeWithoutYouth that well]]). Celestia [[YouDoNotWantToKnow does NOT want to know what he did]] to keep himself that way, which Talisman [[BluntYes admitted that no, she REALLY doesn't]].
* SeriouslyScruffy: As Celestia observed, he looked like a complete mess when he resurfaced for the first time in ages. He [[{{Touche}} snidely agreed]] and noted that if he knew she would be there to confront him he would had [[SheCleansUpNicely tidied himself up first]].
* TheUnfettered: He calls Celestia's moral standards 'old-fashioned' and like other Ascendancy members is willing to use any means to uncover the secrets of ascension.
* WeUsedToBeFriends: Was once Celestia's faithful student, before disagreements over the Alicorn Ascendacy's goals drove them apart. Now he doesn't hesitate to call her morality 'old-fashioned' and sic demons on her to make a getaway.

The Alicorn Ascendancy is a secret, world-spanning conspiracy of underground scholars, sorcerers and scientists of Equestrian origins who are dedicated to the idea of uncovering the secrets of apotheosis (more specifically, the process of Alicorn ascension of Ponykind), in hopes of finding a means to streamline the process and one day ascending all of Ponykind to godhood, freeing them from mortality and limitations to bring forth a new, eternal GoldenAge. The original founders put forth their proposal some time after Nightmare Night and the [[CivilWar Equestrian Civil War]], and upon securing official support of the Equestrian Crown, they set forth in pursuit of their goal with determination.\\\

* AbstractApotheosis: Invoked. This is what they're trying to reach with their research on Ascension and their twisted experiments. The Ascendancy members hope that they can streamline the Ascension process for everyone if they can crack its secrets, but in reality, it's much more complicated than they believe. Crystal Prism managing to become an Alicorn demigod of Rebirth, Change, and Transformation made him a subject of great interest for the Ascendancy, and in turn made them driven in recovering what they see as their greatest success.

* NotSoDifferent: Prince Healing Song notes that like his young students, the members of the Alicorn Ascendancy try to fulfill an end-goal by cheating instead of learning how to do their work correctly, leading to sloppy mistakes that would surely get them in trouble later on. Prince Star Cut agrees with him.

* ANaziByAnyOtherName: It's noted by their nemesis Gliding Butterfly that they're NotSoDifferent from the Autorists. They view themselves and those like them as inherently superior to normal ponies and their main motivation is a eugenics plot to be carried out by exterminating anyone who isn't likewise genetically 'superior.'
* NotSoDifferent: While Psykers had been persecuted by non-Psykers, especially Autorists, it has been observed that the Neo Sapient Army is no better than the Autorists with their beliefs of their own superiority over non-Psykers and persecution/purging of anyone who doesn't demonstrate potential for genetic 'progress'.

* TheSocialDarwinist: Openly practices eugenics and a twisted form of natural selection in order to accelerate biological 'progress' and uplift sapientkind to greatness. In Gliding Butterfly's eyes, [[NotSoDifferent they're no better than the Tribalists and Autorists who target even those of their own kind for not fitting their standards of racial purity]].

* CaptainErsatz: The Abominable Alignment may be inspired in part by the Mesan Alignment of the [[{{Literature/HonorHarrington}} Honor Harrington]] series, who have roughly similar goals and shares half the name.