Equestria Atlas

[NovaCameron 13]

Greetings! This will me my Equestria Atlas thread. In here I will post maps, timelines, and other things related to the Atlas. Please do suggest places, cities, rivers, forests, nations, and history. I put in a large part of Equestria but it's not very detailed and I need your help to fill it! I shall call taking an Earth name and making it fit into the world of Equestria 'Ponyizing'. You will find many ponyized places on the map and I hope you can add more ponyized and original places as well.

 

I made this world in Fractal Terrains so It is a complete world. Except Deserts and rainforests don't match up well to where they 'should' be. But Equestria is a world of magic so I shall not worry about it.

 

 

I tried resizing them smaller but then the fonts became unreadable... This is the 'main map' so far. I'll see how linking the pics works... Yay! offsite links work better so you can down load the maps.

Edited March 29, 2014 by NovaCameron

[Standard User 2,127]

My computer just had a nervous breakdown trying to open those massive images. Too bad -- they look really interesting!

 

So are you basing any of this on canon? There are some historical/geographical hints in the show and, last I heard, there is a map that is generally regarded as close to canonical as possible. Either way, good luck with this! Looks like a big endeavor. I love making maps, so I can guess at how much fun this project is. 

Edited March 29, 2014 by Kolth

[NovaCameron 13]

Ugh ya you are right. Need to learn how this forum puts up images. Well I'll resize them and that should help.

[Ragland Tiger 3,296]

I love your maps! Welcome to the forum! 

[NovaCameron 13]

Thanks! I moved them around so here they again:

 

 

 

If you want me to decode the Biome maps for you just ask.   They are accurate for rainfall, tempurature, and altitude. Also any suggestions, questions, and the like are welcomed!

Edited March 29, 2014 by NovaCameron

[NovaCameron 13]

Updated smaller map of the Old Lunar Federation:

 

 

(size: 1.75MB)

 

I replaced the enlarged 512 biome map with a regular 1024 background so it is clearer.

 

A little bit of background, which I should start writing more of to fit this into the World of MLP:

 

The Lunar Federation was created at the beginning of the Nightmare Civil War to support Luna's side of the war. It was the main population in the Thestral and Twilight Lands that formed the most of the Federation's armies. The Unicorns of the March of Stars provided support. Ascalon and Ponturia were lightly populated at that time and would only become a proper part of the reborn Federation upon Luna's return. Elysium and the Glowing Fields were the breadbaskets and Earth Pony centers. The Forest of Dreams held numerous Pegasi cities on the slopes of the mountains of Night.

Edited March 31, 2014 by NovaCameron

[Ribbonfree 2,383]

That's some intensive detail, I like the amount of thought you've put into it already! Nice.

[NovaCameron 13]

Since I am going to be putting up more and more maps and stories to go with them I shall describe what you are looking at besides pretty colors. For without a key to interpret the maps they are kind of useless.

 

There are going to be four types of maps: Biome, Physical, Political, and Historical. Though I might add more types in the future. First type is the biome maps. A biome is an area with certain climates that support certain plants, animals, and weather. It's the most colorful map type and the most useful for RPing as just a glance you can tell what the weather and setting will be.

 

(oooo colorful...)

 

This is a Biome chart. Due to the way Fractile Terrains computes the map from the data through this image it is flipped from what is usually found. The x-axis is temperature from around -15C to 25C left to right. The y-axis is how much precipitation the land gets from the top which is zero to greater than 250cm per year at the bottom. The diagonal across the middle is what is allowed by nature. I colored it below that line so white or black spots didn't appear in the maps in case an area got more rain than it 'should'.

 

There are four general trends in the colors you may notice. From left to right they are Polar, Arctic, Temperate, and Tropical. I'll attempt to provide a general description of the climate and biome.

 

Polar consists of Ice (White) on the far left, Polar Desert (Grey) on the top, and Tundra (Light Teal) ontop of the grey. The other two below Tundra are nameless cause they don't exist in nature. I'd like to call them Polar Swamp and Polar Lakes. Ice Is just that. Ice and lots of it. Thick Greenland or Antarctica Icecaps. No Polar Bears or Penguins here. Most you get is some lichen, the polar microscopic type. No life to be found here. Make sure to bring lots of food and wood, or better yet, just stay away.

Polar Desert! (Grey) This is a desert that is cold. Really cold. So cold and dry it can't snow. Nothing but wind swept rocks and glaciers coming down from the icecaps that are probably nearby. Best to stay away. Think the rocky part of Greenland. Though! If there is an ocean nearby it will have lots of fish and life.

Tundra! (Light Teal) This is the only Polar biome with actual life. There are no trees, barely any grass or shrubs. Only the hardiest ponies can survive out here. Though Caribou/reindeer do make this their summer home. In the Winter is a snow swept wasteland, but in summer, for however brief it is, grass, shrubs, and plants bloom. Think Siberia, Northern Canada and Alaska. Not the pretty tree part that's farther south.

Ohhh and it's late... I'll post this and start up Arctic/Cold Temperate tomarrow. Night and thanks for reading! I do have more maps. I brushed up the Crown Lands and have them all ready to post but first I need to teach people who want to read them how to. This will be a long project and I thank you for waiting.

 

Twilight approves learning!

Arctic Biomes

 

Arctic is the next column and actually get trees and complex climates. From the top, Polar Desert (Grey; see Polar Climates above), Cold Shrubland (Dark Blue), Cold Grassland (Light Blue), Cold Savannah (Blue), Taiga (or Northern/Cold Forests; Dark Teal), Cold Rainforest (Teal). Cold Shrubland (Drak Blue) is a cold semi-desert. Warm summers and extremely cold winters. Few living things and very much like tundra, except less life usually. (Tundra covers a wide range) Much like the Gobi Desert. Cold Grassland (Light Blue) covers a real grassland that has really cold and snowy winters. Think northern central Canada, the Prairie Provinces or Russia.

Cold Savannah (Blue) is the area between the grasslands and the forests. Trees do grow here but this far poleward they will be pines. Mostly grass with a few stands of trees here and there. Canada. Very Cold winters and Warm Summers.

Taiga (Dark Teal) or Cold Forests are the pine forests of the north. Climate can range from mild cool all year like northern British Columbia to warm summers and frigid winters more inland.

Cold Rainforests (Teal) are rare. They get a lot of moisture compaired to other Arctic and Polar biomes. Usually considered the same as Taiga but with more rain and snow. Usually a bit warmer to. Other arctic biomes below this one should be considered 'fake' or unnatural.

 

 

Here is the Biome pic edited into the original chart is got the information from: (So you can see what I am talking about.)

 

Edited April 1, 2014 by NovaCameron

[NovaCameron 13]

Yay! I promised new maps and here they are. I cleaned up my process of making them so they should be prettier. Today is the Royal Lands! Unclaimed by any of the major powers before Equestria was founded the Royal Lands were originally given to Celestia as her own. But Celestia, in seeking a common capitol, declined and slated the Royal Lands to be jointly ruled with her sister Luna while she took the wartorn Borderlands as her own. After the Year 0 Inceident, or the 'Age of Chaos', Equestria was officially established at the Old Capitol at the mouth of the Equestrian River. The Old Capitol quickly grew to rival Manehatten and newly founded Lunar City as the greatest city in Equestria.

 

Due to the tropical nature of the Capitol Lands a royal retreat was built in the Canter Valley for an escape during the hot summers and Ponyville was founded as the waypoint between Canterlot and the Capital. Deep in the Everfree Forest, a massive rainforest covering most of the lowlands at that time, a Castle was founded. It was the only fortification built in the Royal Lands. Built on a bluff over looking the Equestian River its purpose was a mystery till the Nightmare Civil War when it was learned that the castle was built to protect the Elements of Harmony.

 

The Royal Lands was divided into eight duchies:

The Capitol Lands were the most populated due to the capital. It was a Tropical rainforest land and populated by everytype of pony. The only pony to live in the forested lands of the Capitol in any substantial population was the colorful Tropical Pegasi.

The Eastern Royal Lands were a bit drier but still just hot, though it did cool off some farther west. The land was swampy due to many rivers flowing down from the Misty Range. After the Nightmare Civil War much of the Eastern Royal Lands became kown as The Bogg. Jungle Earth Ponies used to live here with Tropical Pegasi.

The Foothills of Mist were once home to many Mountain Pegasi cities. Numerous Jungle Pony town dotted the underforest. It was devistated in the Civil War and any areas outside of the Everfree Forest afterwards were fortified since it was the only area left in the Royal Lands reachable from the noponyland of the Lunar Demesne and the Ememies of the Lunar Federation and Commonwealth beyond. The Foothills of Mist was usually refered to as the Fortifications of Mist due to the shear number of them.

The Southern Royal Lands were very similar to the Foothills of Mist and after the Civil War was administatively grouped with it. It was also the first duchy reclaimed from the Everfree Forest after the Return of Harmony.

The Central Royal Lands is the most diverse duchy in Equestria. Due to once being covered in forest it has lots of farmland and Earth Ponies have a small majority. From Ponyville and other towns between the Old Capitol and Canterlot come ex-military families and unicorns that once traveled the Royal Road. The other reason it is so diverse is it was the first stop for many ponies fleeing the Everfree Disaster.

The Northern Royal Lands wedged between the Coastal League and the Upper Confederation has fewer pegasi than other duchies as they are drawn to Cloudesdale and other pegasi cities in the Solar Highlands. Unicorns are more plentiful here due to the Emerald Mountains andtheir gems. Like the Central Lands it is mostly farm and forest.

The Solar Highlands hold the largest concentration of pegasi cities in the Royal Lands dating back to it's founding. Most of the duchy is covered in pines.

The Canter Valley, holding Canterlot and a pass to the Unicorn Valley, is where unicorns are mostly found. Drawn by the closeness of Unicornia and the power of Canterlot. It is a mountainous duchy and cool, with pine forests on the slopes and temperate forests in the valleys.

 

After the Nightmare Civil War and the shattering of Harmony the Everfree Forest quilkly grew dark. It expanded and swallowed up entire duchies. The Capital was overrun quickly within a year dealing a massive blow to the stability of Equestria just recovering from the Civil War. The Capital was moved to Canterlot where Celestia could more easily respond to her holdings in the Borderlands as well as the shattered Confederation and other recovering parts of Equestria.

 

Cartline was once the southernmost state in the Coastal League. In the Everfree Disaster is was overrun and pretty much abandoned by the League. Roamoak, once a thriving town, is said to be cursed as even though it is on the coast it is now near impossible to find. Anypony who finds it are rumored to see a perfect town in the middle of the rainforest. Even more disturbing is that some say the ponies that once lived there still wander the town as if the Nightmare Civil War never happened.

Greenburro is current capital of Cartline and even though it is in the Everfree Forest still going strong. It's citizens are said to be more stubborn than the burro it was named after and gave rise to the saying: "More stubborn than a Cartliner." in refernce to not abandoning their town and state to the Everfree Forest dispite the dangers.

 

Political Map:

 

Biome Map:

 

Physical Map:

Edited April 3, 2014 by NovaCameron

[puddlemoth 0]

Dag, I'm exactly 10 years too late to this topic. Absolutely enamoured with this map.