Here is a list of characters from the Crystal Empire.
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Crystal Empire
The Crystal Empire, home of the Crystal ponies, is a remnant of the old Equestrian Empire that managed to rise to power during the Age of Chaos. The first Crystal Empress, who founded the empire, created the Crystal Heart and used it to defeat Rabia, the primordial goddess of darkness, and seal her alongside her race of Umbrum ponies in a prison realm beneath the frozen lands. The Crystal Palace that would house the royal family was originally built as a large, magical artifact that channeled the Crystal Heart's power, keeping Rabia and her followers imprisoned for eternity. Since then, the empire has always been ruled by a long line of wise and benevolent Empresses.However, the Crystal Empire's successes caused the people to become decadent and arrogant, leading to a disastrous war with the Giants of Queen Colossos' empire that they barely managed to survive. Combined with King Sombra's terrible rule and other traumatic events that occurred further in the past, the Crystal Empire's power and affluence faded drastically. While it still retains its name as an empire, it is misleading - just like its crystalline sheen, it is a fascade used to hide the fact that the former powerful successor state was reduced to a pitiful minor city-state that's still recovering even today. It is currently ruled by Princess Cadence and her consort Prince-Regent Shining Armor, as in canon.
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General
- Baby Factory: It's implied that stallions who marry into the royal family are more or less treated like this; some people, especially the Crystal Empire's nobility, see Shining Armor as nothing more than a glorified "throne-warmer" whose real duty is to produce female heirs for his wife, Princess Cadence. This would enrage Twilight Velvet, and it's implied that Cadence is also aggrieved by the contempt for her husband.
- Body to Jewel: This was one of the side effects of the Crystalling, which in turn was how the Crystal Ponies got their namesake. Not surprisingly, this made them impossible to resist for dragons, forcing the founders to set up in the frozen north where an eternal blizzard will keep every dragon that isn't of ice affinity away. That and guarding the seal on Rabia and her Umbrum ponies. The Ice Dragons that weren't deterred by the blizzard will be faced with the Crystal Knights.
- Curb-Stomp Battle:
- Used to deal this to many of their enemies and conquests thanks to their command of powerful magic and elite troops, back when it was a powerful successor state, which made them quite arrogant. Then they met the Giants of Queen Colossos' Empire...
- Any Ice Dragon that braved the blizzard surrounding their capital met this fate at the hooves of the Crystal Knights. To the extent that barely anyone alive now has even known of such a type of dragon.
- Curb-Stomp Cushion: Managed to rally and fight more effectively after catastrophic losses in the early stages of their war with Queen Colossos' Empire. That being said, they still barely managed to survive, not even winning the conflict. It is noted that some regions suffered a whooping 70% loss of life after the war, both population and military-wise.
- Fantasy Counterpart Culture: Likely a more cultured, successful and fantastical version of the Western Roman Empire, given the Empire of Trot is the Eastern Roman/Byzantine expy. And also the long forgotten state of Khwarezmia, up to and nearly sharing the same fate as them...
- Fatal Flaw: Pride. Its stupendous success made them arrogant and decadent, and contributed to their eventual decline and downfall when poor decisions borne from their pride quite literally awakened an empire of Giants and filled them with a terrible resolve.
- Heir Club for Men: Inverted; the Crystal Empire have always ruled by mares, even though their ruling titles have been switched from "Empress" to "Princess" following the adoption of the Princess rank system. As such, it's implied that the throne can only be passed down from mother to daughter, while stallions can only become royalty through marriage and are just glorified heir-makers. This would give both Shining Armor and Cadence no shortage of grief as several people don't see the former as Cadence's royal equal despite ruling alongside her as a Prince-Regent.
- Hegemonic Empire: Inherited this from Classical Equestria, though also acted as The Empire.
- Hopeless War: Engaged in one with Queen Colossos' Empire... of Giants. Worst part is that it was entirely avoidable, were it not for their arrogance and foolishness (though the Giants were not entirely blameless either). Needless to say, their power and pride received a painful and profound pummeling.
- Humongous Mecha: The Crystal Knights and their foreign counterparts, the Deus-Excellion are essentially this. They also have the ability to take a bipedal stance in case of damaged limbs.
- Irony: The Crystal Knights and their foreign counterparts, the Deus-Excellion would the most reliable defence against other Giants in the centuries after Queen Colossos War and before Nightmare Moon's return. However, the very idea only came about because the Crystal Empire decided to take a page out of Queen Colossos' armies of Giants for inspiration as they devoured their armies.
- Long Game: Engaged in one with the Principalities of Equestria and the Empire of Trot following the end of Discord's reign and the rise of the successor states. As history would show, they lost.
- Matriarchy: Like its Equestrian neighbors. In ancient times, the Crystal Empire was always ruled by benevolent Empresses since its founding, right until Queen Colossos' War, whereupon they switched to a Princess system. The last Crystal Empress is Coronam III "the Adamant", whose ultimate fate remains unknown. As shown with Shining Armor, stallions who marry into the royal family only become consorts and regents of the empire; Celestia confesses to Luminiferous sometime after the Storm King Crisis that Cadence has to deal with local nobles contemptuously treating Shining
like a Baby Factory whose only purpose is to give female heirs and being "throne candy" that makes the Princess look good. - Quantity vs. Quality:
- Firmly on the side of quality. This is essentially the idea behind the Crystal Knights. To make up for the manpower shortage in the aftermath of the war with Queen Colossos and her empire of Giants, these giant war golems would serve as the replacement for their standing army. Exaggerated for the Deus-Excellion as a single unit can protect an entire kingdom all by itself.
- Due to the funding of the Changeling Courts, the Crystal Knights themselves became the "Quantity" to the Crystal Knight's "Quality" due to relative comparisons.
- Secret Art: The knowledge on how to build Crystal Knights were destroyed to prevent King Sombra from using them when he was taking over. Countless notes were destroyed while anyone that knows how to make them killed themselves or wiped their memories, much to the dismay of the Equestrian royalty when the Crystal Empire returned with his demise.
- Ultimate Blacksmith: The entire nation post-Queen Colossos' War effectively became a nation-wide example of this. To stabilise their economy, they took up commissions from other realms that were being threatened by Giants, provided they gave the resources and funds needed thanks to the trade networks established by their rivals, the Principalities of Equestria and Empire of Trot. What they weren't aware, was that most if not all of the foreign funding came about from the Changeling Courts, who used this situation for their advantage.
- Unwitting Pawn: To the Changeling Courts. In exchange for secretly funding their foreign customers, they effectively get to control the only mortal means of defense against giants while at the same time being able to pit proxy wars against Dragons along with other enemies of the changelings and create an elaborate information network among the rich and famous families and organisations of Equus, even royalty.
- We Have Become Complacent: As mentioned above, countless victories have led the Crystal Ponies to become arrogant and decadent, so sure that their power made them unstoppable. The arrival of the Giants completely took them by surprise.
Princess Cadence
- See her folder here
Prince-Regent Shining Armor/Prince Aegis
Classification: Ascendant
Portfolio: Barriers, Duty, Love
Rank: Demigod
The husband of Princess Cadence, father of Princess Flurry Heart, and older brother of Princess Twilight Sparkle. Unlike everyone, who are all divine Alicorns, Shining Armor is the only mortal in the family...until he ascends himself.
- Adaptational Badass: Canon Shining Armor has a less than stellar track record in a fight. This one not only possesses an additional power his canon self lacked (being a So Soft Pony and thus having natural fur armor), he's also had much more success in fights. One example is where in canon Morrigan swiftly brainwashed him, here he actually fought it off, cracked her beak with a headbutt, and wrestled away control of the Element of Faith. While he still lost, it took a lot more effort. He eventually becomes the successor of Pony Patriot, and later still becomes the Alicorn Prince Aegis.
- Authority Equals Asskicking: Shining Armour was a captain of the Equestrian Royal Guards and presently a prince-consort of the Crystal Empire. He's also a trained soldier who can kick a lot of flanks and a supersoldier/superhero after taking up the mantle and receiving the enhancement and shield of Pony Patriot.
- Badass Family: He's the eldest child of one, with himself being a strong-bodied/magicked Unicorn Royal Guard turned Warrior Prince who can cast city-sized shields and is the son of a well known swordsmare, whose sister is one of the smartest and magically-capable Ponies alive whose a student of Celestia and became the Alicorn Princess of Magic and Friendship, and went on to marry Equestria's Princess of Love Cadence and becoming father of a Alicorn filly who is powerful even by Alicorn standards.
- Barrier Warrior: Like in canon, he can produce magically strong shields, and when powered by Cadence's love magic his shields can reach new heights. The evil Alicorn, Blood Fang the Dark Conqueror, is said to rival him in this area, being capable of producing strong shields himself. It's revealed that he inherited his shield magic from his mother, Twilight Velvet, who specializes in "Armament magic" that focuses on summoning and enchanting both weapons and shields.
- Combat Pragmatist: At one point, he got into a conflict with a narcissistic Evil Overlord named Shrewd Slayer, and found himself unable to defeat the latter's superior swordsmaneship, which Shrewd Slayer boasted is unequaled in all lands. His next was to punch him in the face.Shining Armour: (Completely unimpressed) I cast hoof.
- Deity of Human Origin: Luminiferous tells a tearful Celestia that it's possible for Shining to become an immortal Alicorn in the future, but the choices he makes depend entirely on him. A Codexverse drabble reveals that it might be happening after all. A Tales of Equestria story published on Valentine's Day reveals that he managed to Ascend to demi-godhood, though having Ascended much later than Cadence means he's much shorter than his wife.
- Divine Date: He's a mortal unicorn who's married to Princess Cadence, the Alicorn goddess of Love and ruling Princess of the Crystal Empire. The fact that he is mortal is rather distressing, since every single Alicorn he's related to either biologically or by marriage is immortal and will definitely outlive him.
- Happily Married: To Princess Cadence, like in canon. However, Cadence is worried that she'll eventually outlive him due to Shining being mortal, and is concerned with her subjects treating her husband as a glorified Baby Factory.
- Heroic BSoD: When presented with the Shield and mantle of Pony Patriot, he broke down and initially resisted taking it, believing himself unworthy after an alluded, unmentioned event in Canterlot during the 'Storm King Crisis' that left him deeply in doubt about himself, his place and his character. He eventually got over it and took up the shield and mantle.
- Mayfly–December Romance: Celestia mentions to Luminiferous that Cadence is worried that she'll eventually lose Shining to time and age due to her being an immortal Alicorn goddess, while he's just a mortal unicorn.
- Mutants: Like his sister and mother and unlike canon, he's a So Soft Pony. This mutation gives him thicker and softer fur than normal, which also act as natural armor. Unlike Twilight, he's mastered a lot more of the advanced techniques with it to make if more effective armor.
- The Power of Love: He managed to overcome Morrigan's attempt to brainwash him thanks to his love for his wife and daughter.
- Super Hero: He eventually took up the legendary Shield of Pony Patriot and became the superhero 'Prince Patriot' of Equestria and the Crystal Empire by the time of the 'New Crypta Conquests'.
- Taking Up the Mantle: By the time of the 'New Crypta Conquests' and the 'Terra Equus Continental War', Shining Armour had took up the shield of the 'Second Age' Pony Patriot to become the superhero 'Prince Patriot'.
- Talk to the Fist: He responded to many situations and direct confrontations by introducing the opponent or problem to his hoof.
- During a fight with a narcissistic warlord named Shrewd Slayer, he decided to bypass Shrewd Slayer's superior swordsmaneship and haughty monologuing by applying a hoof to the face.
Shrewd Slayer: You cannot defeat me! For I, Shrewd Slayer, am unequaled in all lands as swords-pony supreme and - !
Prince-Regent Shining Armor: I cast hoof.- During one of his first fights as Pony Patriot, he managed to power through a supervillain's head-projected Supernatural Fear Inducer attack and punch him in the face, with his hoof wearing the very 'Hoof of Dread' gauntlet which he was keeping from him.
Fearmonger: Gaze into the Face of Fear...!
Shining Armor/Prince Patriot: GAZE INTO THE HOOF OF DREAD! - Tiny Guy, Huge Girl: Justified. He managed to Ascend to demi-godhood, giving him the immortality that'll allow him to be with his wife and daughters. But because he Ascended much later than Cadence did, he's much shorter than her, with Cadence having become as tall as Celestia and having to kneel down just to kiss him.
- Vitriolic Best Buds: His relationship with Prince-Regent Blueblood is implied to be this, as they constantly snark at each other. After he married Cadence, Blueblood reportedly congratulated them both before threatening to do bad things to Shining if he ever did something to his "Caddy". However, Shining's described in Blueblood's profile as part of his close circle of friends and therefore one of few people he trusts, and they're both willing to work together in times of great crisis.
- Warrior Prince: Much like Blueblood, he's a prominent figure in the military, a Prince-Regent (though in the Crystal Empire), and a skilled mage himself.
- What You Are in the Dark: Despite wishing that he could be seen and treated as an equal to Cadence, he only wants to be an Alicorn so he could protect his subjects better, and be with his family forever. Turns out that Luminiferous was looking for this kind of response and was quite pleased with him.
- Winged Unicorn: In a possible future shown by Luminiferous to placate a tearful Celestia, Shining Armor was shown to have become an Alicorn whose talent in shield magic increased to the point where only the most powerful gods could break his shields.
- The Un-Favourite: Averted. Despite him being less accomplished than his younger sister as well as a mortal Unicorn while she's an Alicorn 'prodigy', he isn't treated as 'lesser' than Twilight. This is because in his parents' eyes, he has a lot of unique traits and skills that makes him just as lovable and worth celebrating as Twilight. When he expressed his insecurities over being a mortal in a family of Alicorns and his fear of being forever overshadowed by his sister, Night Light comforted him by pointing to his achievements and telling him honestly that he'll always love his son, even if he isn't a god.
Princess Flurry Heart
- See her folder here
Princess Skyla
Classification: Ascendant
Portfolio: Love
Rank: [WIP]
Princess Flurry Heart's baby sister and the second-born daughter of Cadence and Shining Armor.
Empress Coronam III, the Adamant
King Sombra
- Decomposite Character: Sort of. While Crystal Empire still happened, both Siege of the Crystal Empire (though heavily altered Fix Fic style) and the season 9 premier happened, but the season 9 Sombra was essentially a clone of the original who made a Heel–Face Turn.
- The Dreaded: Feared by the Crystal Empire for conquering it and enslaving the Crystal Ponies (twice) while still villainous.
- Even Evil Has Standards: Even at his worst he found Abacus Cinch as rather despicable, and only made her one of his 'Sombra's Chosen' head minions due to her legitimate talent in Dark Magic, general competence and loyalty to him (so long as she gets to abuse the power and authority granted to her on others). Because of this, Sombra finds himself legitimately worried and apprehensive when he found out Abacus Cinch had somehow reemerged in the modern day and is active again.
- Heel–Face Turn: As in the comics, he turned good. The evil Sombra from the season 9 finale was actually a clone made from one of his shattered pieces.
- I Hate Past Me: His shattered pieces from when the Crystal Heart blew him up have been used to make clones of his evil self on several occasions. He does not like coming face to face with the person he used to be, as he's never really been proud of his evil self.
- Interspecies Romance: Even after his redemption, he's still an Umbrum, with his pony form merely being the disguise the Umbrum put him in. As such, he and Radiant Hope are different species. Despite this, they're very much in love.
- Literally Shattered Lives: Being an Umbrum, his defeat at the reemergence of the Crystal Empire saw him locked in a solidified form and then blown to countless pieces by the power of the Crystal Heart. Not all shards of him came back to him when he eventually regenerated with Radiant Hope's help, some of which due to containing parts of his former malevolence are still out causing trouble, much to his own frustration.
- Villainous Legacy: His first takeover of the Crystal Empire destroyed the art of creating the Crystal Knights and Deus-Excellion, as the ponies who knew them killed themselves and/or wiped their memories pertaining to the art while self-destructing the ones garrisoned in the empire to prevent them from being used by the Umbrum.
- World's Strongest Man: Umbrum Pony, by virtue of being the demigod son of an evil goddess of Primordial Darkness, Rabia, who in turn is a Child/Fragment of Erebus, the fallen Darkness Primeval, and being created specifically to be the strongest of their kind who would free the Umbrum and spearhead their corruption/conquest of Equestria. Even one of his shards, containing both a fragment of his original malevolent personality and a fraction of his power, nearly took over Equestria on his own when he was brought back by Grogar II to be recruited into his villainous alliance.
Radiant Hope
Princess Amore
Abacus Cinch
First mentioned in a Drabble, Abacus Cinch is Mainline Equestria's counterpart of 'Canterlot High' Abacus Cinch, and every bit as bad if not much worse than her Human world counterpart.
, Abacus Cinch is Mainline Equestria's counterpart of 'Canterlot High' Abacus Cinch, and every bit as bad if not much worse than her Human world counterpart.- The Archmage: She was one of King Sombra's Chosen, the inner circle of his tyrannical reign, and took to the dark magic he taught her to serve and impose his will like fish to water. She prototyped the spell which Sombra used to banish the Crystal Empire into a thousand-year long stasis, and was later responsible for a successful resurrection of a fragment of Sombra.
- Didn't See That Coming: She recently succeeded in getting a fragment of Sombra resurrected. She did not expect him to immediately abandon her to do his own thing, with him last seen making a beeline for the restored Shadowpact Empire.
- In the Blood: Her entire family is noted to be corrupt and rotten to the core, to the point it was eventually purged. Abacus Cinch however is noted to be bad even by their standards.
- It's All About Me: She cares for no one except herself and her power, status and reputation.
- The Sociopath: Abacus is noted to be a selfish egoist of the highest order who does not care for anyone other than herself, not even her family. Everyone is either a stepping stone, an avenue or an obstacle to more power, reputation and status for herself. Shining Armor outright describes her as your 'cookie-cutter manipulative sociopath'.
