ooc Another Cultural Exchange

[Illiad Easle 3,156]

@Skylight Scintillate

There was the idea of them going to the pegasus museum looking for anything on thestrals or batponies, but if you don't want to RP that out that's fine. 

I'm alright to move things into the second half if you think it's time, we can just say they spent a few other days there before the switch happens.

[Illiad Easle 3,156]

@Skylight Scintillate

Ideas on where my side of the story could go, looking for your thoughts on them.

As much as I enjoy the thought of the colony being stoic and standoffish, I find that it's not really fun to write. Also it's hard to convey a bullying story when the bullying is done through quiet exclusion rather than teasing or aggressive behavior, and again not a very fun story to write in an RP setting.

So, scenes I'm prepared for include them going to Indigo's stall to see the Zebra, going on a tour to Archback to see the ponies there, and them going hunting/exploring in the forest.

The idea I had recently was for them to go to the central colony of the clan at some point to discover that the rest of the clan is not nearly as stoic and quiet as Nova's colony, revealing that the local elders have been operating contrary to the leadership of the Clan in order to increase their own power and to isolate the colony from the rest of the clan and from the neighboring ponies and zebra?

I'm not suggesting that the two of them then overthrow the corrupt elders, but maybe? I am thinking at the very least it makes Nova a bit more proud of his clan to see that he actually does belong to the larger whole, and that his clan is not actually so bad as he thought.

 

That said, I am open to ideas and suggestions. This whole thing is pretty flexible since I made it all up myself and it doesn't hinge on anything too concrete, nor has too much been written about them directly before this story, so there isn't too much in the way of cannon to worry about. I just want to write a good story here, so whatever peaks your interest I'm interested in hearing.

[Skylight Scintillate 2,035]

@Illiad Easle 

On 2024-12-18 at 11:13 PM, Illiad Easle said:

As much as I enjoy the thought of the colony being stoic and standoffish, I find that it's not really fun to write. Also it's hard to convey a bullying story when the bullying is done through quiet exclusion rather than teasing or aggressive behavior, and again not a very fun story to write in an RP setting.

I see what you mean here. I know that Speckle would definitely defend Nova if it was confrontational. However, I can understand that this would be unlikely to happen with the way the other characters act.

On 2024-12-18 at 11:13 PM, Illiad Easle said:

So, scenes I'm prepared for include them going to Indigo's stall to see the Zebra, going on a tour to Archback to see the ponies there, and them going hunting/exploring in the forest.

I would be open to roleplaying these scenes.

On 2024-12-18 at 11:13 PM, Illiad Easle said:

The idea I had recently was for them to go to the central colony of the clan at some point to discover that the rest of the clan is not nearly as stoic and quiet as Nova's colony, revealing that the local elders have been operating contrary to the leadership of the Clan in order to increase their own power and to isolate the colony from the rest of the clan and from the neighboring ponies and zebra?

I'm not suggesting that the two of them then overthrow the corrupt elders, but maybe? I am thinking at the very least it makes Nova a bit more proud of his clan to see that he actually does belong to the larger whole, and that his clan is not actually so bad as he thought.

 

That said, I am open to ideas and suggestions. This whole thing is pretty flexible since I made it all up myself and it doesn't hinge on anything too concrete, nor has too much been written about them directly before this story, so there isn't too much in the way of cannon to worry about. I just want to write a good story here, so whatever peaks your interest I'm interested in hearing.

I am interested in developing this idea further. I like the idea of Nova discovering his identity and such. Maybe this could explain why Nova has never met Midnight Star and the Black Knight? I suppose what I am wondering is if the local elders are trying to isolate the colony from the rest of the clan, would they try to prevent Nova from visiting the rest of the clan and finding out what is going on?

Edited December 22, 2024 by Skylight Scintillate

[Illiad Easle 3,156]

@Skylight Scintillate

 

Happy New Year!

I hope you had a nice holiday season too, I know that it certainly kept me quite busy up till now, no worries if you're still occupied but I'm looking forward to where this story goes next!

 

On 2024-12-19 at 10:36 AM, Skylight Scintillate said:

Maybe this could explain why Nova has never met Midnight Star and the Black Knight?

Midnight and the Black Knight are more entities up in Archback, so the lack of meeting there is unrelated since that's a different nation. Essentially he hasn't met them for the same reason he hasn't met Princess Celestia.

On 2024-12-19 at 10:36 AM, Skylight Scintillate said:

I suppose what I am wondering is if the local elders are trying to isolate the colony from the rest of the clan, would they try to prevent Nova from visiting the rest of the clan and finding out what is going on?

That did give me a thought though, here's a bit more backstory to the clan. (Bit of a spoiler since Speckle will also learn about this at some point, but a bit more detailed here.)

The Fastar Clan was founded over two hundred years ago when a mysterious entity called Fastar saved Starlight Whitetail, a young filly and the last surviving member of the Whitetail clan, from some beasts who had fatally wounded her parents. Fastar cared for the young filly, and as she grew the entity sought out other thestral clans in similar situations to the former Whitetail clan. The entity brought these struggling clans together into one united Fastar clan with Starlight as its first elder, her descendants serving as the chief elders of the clan since, with the other eldership positions filled by elders of the other former clans.

Once the clan grew large enough, some of the elders proposed satellite colonies be founded to make more room for the clan. One of the elders was selected to run the new colony, and most of the members of the new colony had joined the clan together with this elder (So they had previously belonged to the same clan, the Obelisk clan.)

Isolated from the larger clan culture, the elder there started to change things back to the way things were in the Obelisk clan, promoting stoicism and isolation contrary to the ideals of the larger Fastar clan which promoted cooperation and openness. It had been this isolation that had weakened the Obelisk clan to the point of needing to join the Fastar clan for survival, and the Fastar clan's openness that had allowed them to thrive when so many other clans grew weaker under Equestrian expansion.

 

Essentially, the local elder in Nova's colony is clinging to the old ways, and due to the distance and infrequent visits by the Fastar Clan central leadership this cultural drift has gone mostly unnoticed. The elder has discouraged direct communication with the central clan, directing that proper protocol is for communication to go through him and other local leaders. So while he would discourage them from going to the central colony directly, and normally they would have no reason to do so, Speckle's presence is a unique opportunity that will give them a good reason to go. Indigo herself only went to the central colony for her marriage ceremony to Nightwing (Nova's dad), so she hasn't spent much time there either.  

 

Now I'm more excited for this story! This gives us another path, if you're open to it, for Speckle to face some exclusion for not being a full thestral with the later reveal that the larger Fastar clan has no qualms with batponies. We could even build up to this reveal with a sequence of events:

1. Speckle faces some exclusion from an activity for not being a full thestral. (If I remember correctly she's missing her fangs?) Maybe she starts out being accepted for a lesson or activity, then it is noticed she doesn't have fangs and she's then quietly excluded.

2. While helping at Indigo's stall in Mohotma, Speckle laments being excluded for being a batpony. A zebra overhears and comments that it is strange, since they've traded with other thestrals from the central colony who were open about their appreciation for batponies, or who were pursuing relationships with non-thestrals themselves.

This opens the question as to if things at the central colony are different from Nova's colony.

3. Nova and Speckle ask if they can go to the central colony, Indigo is discouraged by the Elder, who says there's no need since everything about the clan that is important is present here. Indigo decides to take them anyway after more prodding from the young pair.

4. They go to the central colony and discover it is quite unlike the satellite colony, revealing the truth. They even get to meet with the young Starlight Fastar, descendent of the original Starlight Whitetail Fastar, who is next in line to be the chief elder after her father, the current chief elder.

5. Starlight accompanies them back to the satellite colony, with permission from her father as part of her training to become the elder in time, and the cultural drift is discovered.

 

Any adjustments you think this story path needs? There's still a lot of space between the steps for fun adventures to happen and side paths to be explored.

[Skylight Scintillate 2,035]

7 hours ago, Illiad Easle said:

Now I'm more excited for this story! This gives us another path, if you're open to it, for Speckle to face some exclusion for not being a full thestral with the later reveal that the larger Fastar clan has no qualms with batponies. We could even build up to this reveal with a sequence of events:

That could be quite interesting as well. I'm not particularly opinionated about which way the roleplay goes from here, so I think you should do what you find most exciting. 

7 hours ago, Illiad Easle said:

1. Speckle faces some exclusion from an activity for not being a full thestral. (If I remember correctly she's missing her fangs?)

I don't think it was her fangs. I'm pretty sure she has fangs like thestrals, just smaller ones. It looks like what was said in the RP is that Speckle just has more pony features, like eyes that are half way between a thestral and a pony. 

7 hours ago, Illiad Easle said:

Any adjustments you think this story path needs? There's still a lot of space between the steps for fun adventures to happen and side paths to be explored.

As of right now, I don't have much else to comment on.