Equestria Expanded: The Lands of Legends and Myths

Commission reference sheet done by my talented and good friend *mr-tiaa. This is a visual reference of my current project called the 'My Little Pony: Expanded Universe'. The idea/reason behind this concept is to explore the 'what-if' areas beyond the show's settings yet still be plausible/in keeping with the theme and style of the main show.

This is the finalized version of four significant nations/areas that are collectively known as the 'Lands of Legends and Myths'. These regions are unexploreable by normal pony-kind and are thus featured in the 3rd series of my ongoing writing personal writing project known as 'The Quest to Save Princess Sparkle'.

Guide for illustration: Name and Country of inspiration/origin (left), the leader or 'face' of that nation (middle), soldier or citizen of said nation (right).

NOTE: This entry to be cleaned up at a later date.

From top to bottom these regions are:

The Amarezon Forest
Inspired by: Amazons; Brazil, South America
Description: Home of the Amazonian ponies, these inhabitants live in a lush jungle region full of life and wonder. Almost entirely female, they are strong and spirited warriors who seek to keep all trespassers out and hone their martial skills - though they have not forgotten that there is strength in beauty too.


The Hidden City of Machu Alpacchu
Inspired by: Incan Empire; Peru & Chile, South America
Description: Home of the Incan Llamas, these peace-loving critters are protectors of the Library of Stone - a massive archive and collection of every bit of knowledge in Equestria and beyond. The city only appears at the end of a Mayan Long Count (every 394 years) and is thus protected from those who might seize the city and its wealth of knowledge.


The Lands of the Eternal Flame
Inspired by: Mayan and Aztec Empires; Mexico, Central America
Description: A fabled land that is only told of in pony tales and folk legend, this legendary place is lit by a massive structure known as 'The Burning Sepulcher'. While the residents of this land respect Princess Celestia, they do not view her as the 'source of true light' in the world and thus worship the Eternal Flame over Celestia's power over the sun. It is here that Celestia must past the Rituals of Fire in order to obtain the Chalice of Fire in order to save Twilight Sparkle. Will she be able to overcome these trials or will the Sun Goddess be burned by the flames?


The Crimare
Inspired by: The Crimea; Ukraine, Eastern Europe
Description: Known as the 'Land of Darkness', the Crimare is surrounded on all sides by the Black Sea. These lands have never seen sunlight, and only the brightest of stars in the night skies give any illumination to this country. Its oceans are pitch black and dangerous and terrible things lurk within in. Because of this, all Crimaran ponies live in the nation's interior and far away from the shore. A single glowing meteorite provides them with light for both sight as well as to keep the unique plant-life that grows in this area alive. When these flying ponies wish to leave, they pilot great skyships that are collectively known throughout Equestria as 'The Great Black Sky Fleet'.
Leader Pony: Flag Captain Neighson (based off Admiral Horatio Nelson) - This bat-wing pony is the most famous of all the captains of the Black Sky Fleet. Her experience and mastery of command has given her voice much more dominance over the other captains within the fleet and is thus highly respected by officers and ratings.
National Pony: Crimaran Sailor; based off of the Soviet Unions' WW2 naval infantry known as the Black Sea Fleet. Able-bodied sailors and excellent night-fighters; often recruited by Princess Luna to act as her bodyguards.