(Disclaimer: This information is entirely MY OWN OPINION. It has nothing to do with information that may ever be revealed in the show, as it stems 100% from my imagination. The only exception to this is any reference to the gods, which was the result of a joint project between me and Valorusspectre. If you disagree, that's cool, this is just what I like to do for fun. Also, some parts to this story revolve largely around non-canon pony subspecies. You have been warned…)
On the origin of species.
The initial origin of all equine forms has certainly been a subject of some conjecture among scholars for many years now, and probably will be for many more, at least until concrete fossil evidence can validate any beliefs. However, we can speculate from our current knowledge, and I will be giving the most generally accepted source of pony evolution in this paper.
As the three main subspecies of equine (Earth pony, pegasus, unicorn – the zebras are actually a distant subspecies of earth pony) are all genetically compatible, and racial traits can easily follow the bloodline of families, it is fairly safe to assume that all pony subspecies descended from a single common ancestor, most likely a primitive combination of the three primary traits. As it is all but impossible to trace the evolution of the immortal alicorns, we can only assume that the few that live on our planet are actually the last direct descendants of those early ponies, who, for the purposes of research, have been dubbed 'proto-alicorns'.
For unknown reasons, and in an indeterminate time zone, this single species of equine split into early forms of the ponies we know today, most likely in order to fulfil very specific environmental niches that their imbalanced qualities would not allow.
What is known, however, is that these early ponies occupied different areas of the known world. The earth ponies and most of their subspecies originated far to the north of what is now Equestria, and were once much larger than the 'southern' earth ponies that now inherit their namesake. The earliest of earth ponies were large, at around the size of the largest Clydesdales and carthorses today, to better adapt to the colder climates. The unicorns, on the other hand, lived further to the south, where the agreeable climate and their mastery of magic lead to their extensive populations over much of the southern known world, and they evolved into over a dozen identified subspecies, although the only two of note are the Equestrian unicorns and the bizarre Arcaeni ponies. Due to the extinction of the Arcaeni, the Equestrian unicorns are now the sole inheritors of their bloodline.
The pegasus ponies, interestingly, have not been known to split into any subspecies that were different enough to warrant identification, and their DNA has remained almost perfectly stable almost since their creation.
Last, but not least, are the earth ponies. Unlike the unicorns, who evolved into many subspecies, almost all of which died, and unlike the pegasus ponies, who barely evolved at all, the Earth ponies seemed to be much more successful with their evolution, with more than three current subspecies currently thriving in the present day. From what we understand of their evolution, around half of the population migrated south into the 'centre' of the known world, while the rest of the population remained in the north. These ponies, finding a much more fertile and safe world from the one they knew, used their ability to use the land around them to their advantage, not to mention their ability to adapt quickly.
With no real need for their large size and thick skin, they became much smaller, and lived longer, becoming much more like the earth ponies that the majority of us are more familiar with. These ponies went on to spread even further south, some of which eventually becoming zebras and other southern equine subspecies. The ones left behind, however, went in the opposite direction.
To cope better with the cold environments, they became yet larger, and their skin and fur became even thicker to keep them as warm as possible. Even the smallest of these ponies was around the size of a modern carthorse, and some of the larger specimens could easily dwarf any other living pony besides an adult alicorn. Their muscles too were usually larger and more defined than that of other subspecies, although it is debated whether this is genetic or a result of the constant race for survival that all of them entered into from birth, constantly defending themselves from the vicious denizens of the north, not to mention constant conflict within their own kind. Also of worthy note in their appearance is that these ponies are known for the fur covering their fetlocks, which is long, shaggy, and most unusually, the same colour as their mane. This phenomenon is very uncommon among southern earth ponies, and is almost unheard of in the other two species, but all known northern earth ponies have these fetlocks, taking great pride in them, sometimes even plaiting or braiding them. The origin of this is largely unknown, as it is not yet understood whether this was a trait held by the original earth ponies, and has been lost on their southern relatives, or it was a recent part of the northern earth pony appearance, possibly due to a limited gene pool. What is believed, however, is that ponies that are born with this mutation have some latent northern genes that result in its appearance.
Ponies of the north.
The northern earth ponies are not nearly so populous as they once were, and the only real extended population left in the known world is the region in and around the Godsreach mountains, far to the north of the Crystal mountains, earning them the common name 'Godsreach ponies'. These Godsreach ponies, cut off from the rest of equine society, have opted to retain their primitive, mostly barbaric culture and civilisation rather than join their southern cousins. This resistance to change has left the Godsreach ponies in a unique situation, in that their lives and history is unchanged from how it was thousands and thousands of years ago. This collective knowledge of their past is further enforced by the Godsreach belief of accurately recording and retelling legends and events, meaning that their past deviates little from the truth, despite the fact that it is carried down through hundreds of generations.
Among their most famous and popular stories comes from the being they know as the Djiormunring, or Godsinger in the Equestrian tongue. The legend, which is taught to all Godsreach ponies from a very young age, states that at around 15000 bnmr (Before Nightmare Moon's Return) there was once a mighty warrior, who was so powerful in fact, that he was hailed as the mightiest warrior in all the Godsreach, and due to their impressive physical advantages over the other equines in the world, he was considered the greatest warrior in all the known world.
Having waged battle against all manner of ponies and creatures in his lifetime, he eventually concluded that there were no more beings in the mortal plane that could best him, and he set off for the final frontier, the ethereal realm. The tallest peak in the world at this time, the mountain that would one day become Rent Peak, was subject to a peculiar phenomenon. The Northern lights, which had long been an event of serious religious importance to the Godsreach ponies, seemed almost to touch the tip of the colossal mountain. Gathering a Goh'rah (Warhost) of his strongest warriors, he marched to the peak of the mountain during the northern lights, something considered almost heretical to the other ponies. But the warrior's lust for power was too great, and by undefined means, he ripped open the divide between the world of the living and the world of the immortal.
At this time, it was said that the angels had never known war or strife, especially in their own realm, so were unarmed and untrained when some fifty or sixty of the mortal world's toughest warriors burst forth from almost nowhere and set upon them. However, the angels were still of incredible strength, and outnumbered the mortals by at least four to one. The hero of the story, or villain, as he was soon to be known, broke through the angelic ranks alone, and charged forth into heaven as his fellow warriors fought and died. The legend tells great sweeping stanzas about the glory of the spiritual realm, talking of great halls of gleaming white marble, so tall that one could not see the ceiling from the ground, of gardens that carried every flower in all the world and many more, a place of such effortless and perfect grace that the bulky, fur-clad and scarred warrior seemed almost hideous in comparison.
But eventually, the warrior came to a stop, finding himself in a chamber like no other. He had arrived in the area of the Risenring (Worldsingers), where the most powerful of angels commanded all worldly events with the power of their song. (It is important to note here, that despite the fact that this story has been discredited by many scholars for its fantastical portrayal of the spiritual world, not to mention the seemingly unrealistic deeds of the warriors in the story, it is indeed strange that both their religion and ours speaks of an angelic order that changes the world through song. Seeing as our culture has barely ever met with theirs, and their beliefs would never change to suit others, as is their stubborn personality, we can only conclude that there must be some credibility to the words contained therein.) The warrior in the story is said to have bellowed a challenge to the angels of this order, who proceeded to ignore him, as their purpose is far above that of any mortal challenge. Enraged, the warrior stepped forward, and swinging his axe, beheaded the nearest worldsinger. Unfortunately, the worldsinger that he slew happened to be the leader of their order, and with the faintest whisper of the now furious angels, the warrior was utterly defeated, the very syllables that they spoke crushing him with their gravity. He was defeated, and his foes never even lifted their weapons against him.
The gods, who had long been searching for the intruder into their realm, detected this change in tone, and rushed to the chamber. It was there that the warrior was truly humbled, for the radiant appearance of Goh'darén and Frahfallher (Warbringer and snow maiden respectively – Might and Beauty. Judging from the legends of their appearance, supposedly told from this warrior himself, these were indeed Necros and Galaxial from our own stories.) Alone stripped him of his fighting spirit, and he fell to his knees before them. Enraged by this outcry, the Warbringer is said to have taken the power of the fallen angel and plant it into the warrior. However, in this new, mortal throat, it could no longer create, and his voice could only destroy. Then, in a final act of vengeance for their fallen servants, the duo cursed the warrior's bloodline for all eternity, stating that his descendants would receive the same curse. And with this, they banished him from heaven forever, casting him back down to the mortal plane. From this point on, the northern lights never touched the peak of any mountain again, and the spiritual world was forever beyond the reach of living mortals. At first, his new power was a great advantage to him, and he quickly used it to become the first king of the whole region, becoming an unstoppable force that none could stand against. In time, however, the true depth of the curse was realised when he killed his wife and two of his sons by accident, causing him to later commit suicide. Over the next fifteen thousand years, it is said that that the Godsinger has returned over two dozen times, and many legends and stories have arisen because of it. However, due to a lack of any proof, many scientists disagree with the existence of any Godsinger, claiming that the gods would never afford such power to any mortal, especially one who has wronged. Instead, they believe that the story stemmed from a cautionary tale about an obsession with power. However, it is the belief of myself and several other celebrated equinologists and psychologists that this is unlikely to be the case, due to the nature and culture of the Godsreach.
For one to fully understand the mind-set and nature of a Godsreach pony, it is best to first understand the world in which they live. The place that is generally accepted to be the most dangerous in Equestria is the Everfree forest, which hosts a multitude of voracious predators and often lethal flora. The Godsreach Mountains are considerably different from this. The animals living there are just as dangerous; if not more so, and there is almost no plant life to speak of whatsoever, making food scarce. Adding to this are the factors of extreme cold and altitude, and life in the Godsreach becomes a fierce competition for survival, through which only the strongest can compete. As the Godsinger is classed as a warrior of a greater strength and power than any other, therefore making it a venerated being, it is likely that the story is not one with morals, and is simply a factual recounting. Indeed, even with records of Arcaeni ponies warring with a similar being said to lurk in the mountains, it would be impossible to verify the existence of the Godsinger without a living example. And even though there are rumours of a new Djiormunring born in the mountains, they are yet to be confirmed or examined in any real depth.
A lost history.
Sadly, despite the best efforts of the population, there are very few records from the Godsreach that exceed ten thousand year of age, as a catastrophic event in this time decimated the local population to a quarter of what it once was, and even now, they have not fully recovered. This event is known to be true, as accounts have been verified by all of the pony species, except for the unicorns, who still lived too far south to interact with the other pony species. A massive black dragon, known as Yanwäy in the Godsreach tongue, unleashed its wrath on the northern areas of the known world for reasons that have yet to be identified. What is known about this dragon however, is that its size was much greater than that of a normal dragon, indicating that it did not enter into the 'timeless sleep' that most dragons enter at the end of their fourth or fifth millennia, as the strain of such a long life accompanied by such a colossal size is simply too much for almost all dragons to cope with. However, if records are to be believed, its size indicates that it was entering its seventh millennia on this planet, making it the oldest known dragon. The wrath and power of Yanwäy was absolute, and the simple barbarians of the snow were simply no match. Even the highly advanced Arcaeni, who had a city in the north by this point, lost out to the might of the dragon, and the city was lost. This horrific event severed most of the Godsreach ponies' ties with their past, and they were forced to make a new calendar, that marked the event as their first year.
Regarding Godsreach religion.
Another argument that many scholars have against the Godsinger story is the appearance of Necros, who is known to be trapped in the underworld for all eternity. However, the most peculiar of all the Godsreach tales does seem to explain this inaccuracy. Apparently, some two thousand years after the Yanwäy event, (Once again, the exact date is not clear) there was a 'mighty culmination of light and magic, that focussed above the peak of our tallest mountain. In a blinding flash, and a roar like a dying dragon, a pillar of light burst forth from the heavens, rending the peak in two…' The legends claim that this was the banishing of Necros, and proof that the ponies are the true chosen beings, as the Gods chose to make their path straight through their lands. However, it is more likely that this was simply due to Rent peak being an important conduit of spiritual power, linking the three realms, despite its closing some seven thousand years before.
Although many scholars are sceptical of this event, it is true that something is very unusual with this particular mountain. No recorded natural phenomenon could possibly result in such a strange landform, and the whole mountain is bathed in such a high level of magical radiation that unicorns and pegasi, who are very much in tune with the magical radiation, cannot go there at all without risk of serious injury or loss of power, and even southern earth ponies have to wear protective clothing when approaching it. It is a sheer testament to the natural resilience and strength of the Godsreach ponies that they can travel to this place at all, let alone actually mine ores from the crack in the centre without severe adverse effects.
After this event, however, nothing of any real significance occurred in the north for another five thousand years, when suddenly, the seers started to scream tales of a great prophecy that would involve the Godsreach, the Godsinger himself and the end of the world. It claimed that Yanwäy would return in a blaze of fire, and with him would rise 'ponies not clad in fur' and 'whose very skin is like shields, and hooves, like swords…' Indeed, this is a rather chilling prophecy that involves the very world ending should a very specific group of heroes not rise from the ashes to stop it. We can only hope that this day is far away.
End of part one – the ponies of the North. Dated 5/6/0004 pnmr*
Part two, coming soon – Magic in the south.
(pnmr – Post Nightmare Moon's Return)