Thousands of miles away from Equestria, there once was a vast land called the Severed Realms. It was named so because its savagery detached itself from all other lands. It had a reputation of containing some of the most horrible, terrifying, and cruel creatures ever to have existed in the known world. Among these creatures was a gargantuan black dragon named Oldorion. His lair was on top an vile mountain called Wyrmrule Mt., and from there he enslaved the equine population: ponies, donkeys, mules, and zebras all found themselves at the mercy of Oldorion's undying flames of evil.

However, from the charred remains of the black dragon's wrath that scarred the land, rose a champion who defied his tyranny. A talented unicorn that donned the name Ignatius battled Oldorion at the peak of Wyrmrule Mountain. The epic duel culminated in fires that burned the heavens above, and standing victorious in the plies of ashes was Ignatius. He then magically grafted Oldorion's wings onto himself, absorbing the fallen dragon's powers. Ignatius, declared a hero among all the equine tribes of the Severed Realms, was then crowned the King of the newly formed Kingdom of the United Realms.

Fast forward 500 years. The Kingdom has spent the last five centuries in a uninterrupted peace. This all seemingly becomes undone when Ignatius, whose mortal lifespan was extended through various tabooed magicks, falls in love with the princess of the Griffons, Princess Gwendolyn. Princess Gwen was already betrothed to another Griffon noble, but she abandoned her people to be with Ignatius, and to have his child. Gwen's father, the Griffon King, amasses an army of Griffon forces so large they black out the sun. They fly to Ignatius's palace by force, sacking and laying sieges to cities along the way.