So where do you think the Crystal Empire came from? The whole

>>28250040
IIRC according to the Journal it used to be where just a bunch of dragons were.

>>28250040
It's the remnant city of a small empire of the G1, descendants of the Gem Eyed ponies. Surrounded by aggressive neighbors they became an empire. Sombra was unusual only in his reliance on dark magic, but the Crystal Kingdom was always more aggressive and warlike than its southern Equestrian neighbors, but still on friendly terms. Why do you think it's called the "Friendship Express" railroad?

>>28250040
This is assuming that the three pony tribes from the tale of Equestria's founding actually already dwelt in the lands that would become Equestria (rather than hailing from a distant land), but I've always thought of the Crystal Empire, or the Unicorn Range to the west of it, as being the origin place of Unicorns. The crystal gems enhanced magical abilities, and ponies who started to naturally control the magic developed protrusions on their foreheads as a center of focus for it, sort of like lightning rods. These protrusions became horns. I also theorize that there are two different types of gems in Equestria, those that form under natural geologic processes the way minerals here on Earth do and those that are made of solidified cosmic light. The former are just as rare and valuable in Equestria as they are here; you aren't apt to see many except in museums or the hooves of passionate, qualified geologists like Maud. The latter are the gems we commonly see in the show, which is why Rarity finds pockets of emeralds, rubies, sapphires, and diamonds all buried together and why, not being as valuable as the naturals, they are traded as a form of currency alternative to bits; these are what are grown on rock farms, what Spike eats, and what the Crystal Empire is made out of (Sombra's black crystals negate magic ability).

In fact, that cosmic light is actually what magic forms from, hence why cosmic light gems enhance it, but before we get into any of that, we need to talk about parallel universes.

>>28250040
From Hasbro's toy sales division.

Neither Meghan or Jim made any attempt to develop that place beyond that.

>>28251370
megan should be KILLED and fired!,

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>>28250040
>Where did the Crystal Empire come from?

Hmm, I wonder.

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>>28251370
This.

Holy shit. This a thousand times. It's a PLAYSET. They have never done anything interesting at the Crystal Empire. Cadence and Shining Armor are boring, exposition-driven assholes, and nothing will ever be interesting there. The baby that never cries has no made it any better.

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>>28250467
>Crystal Kingdom was always more aggressive and warlike than its southern Equestrian neighbors, but still on friendly terms

>>28250040
it was Seath the Scaleless' former fortress

>>28251380
Hello Jim.

>>28251394
>Playset does not include husband

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I like to think that the Crystal Ponies are the result of a group of Earth Ponies adapting to being near the Crystal Mountains, over a couple hundred years in ancient times. They eventually based their culture on it.

>>28251396
They had four fucking years to develop that place or at least to make a beliveable explanation of how it can survive on the frozen north without any visible crop fields.

At least Ponyville has it's fair share of orchards and farming ponies to explain how the place can sustain itself, this was even the main point of S1 episode Over a Barrel.

>>28251472
The writing for season 6 has been so bad and we've had MULTIPLE "dear audience" episodes which can be construed as bearing the message, "If you don't like it, it's not for you". The one with Quibble pants saying that almost verbatim and the one about how adults shouldn't try to take over a kids' thing.

I think nobody at the studio is willing to really invest themselves in the show anymore, and how could they? Imagine if they'd put their heart and souls into the Crystal Empire and then one of Hasbro's execs came in and said "Okay, it's fucking baby time now. Kill off all the characters that are hogging the screen right now because this baby character is now the only thing here and it is forbidden from crying on screen. DO NOT MAKE IT CRY ON SCREEN OR YOU ARE FIRED."

Like if they hired me to write for that show, I'd be the guy actively giving no shits, specifically asking for the episodes where we blow up the tree house or turn the main character into a princess. Not so I can make them good, but so I can strap my pants onto my head and write with all the wanton abandon of a mentally deficient adult. Everything that happened would be a non-stop train wreck of stupid turns, leaving all viewers of all ages scratching their heads and wondering what kind of crack I was smoking, because that's the only way I think you can do a show like MLP and still have fun when they're only going to bomb everything you built with another, gaudy, plastic piece of shit.

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>>28251450
Oh actually it does. But only at Walmart.

I think it's an older settlement that predates Equestria's founding. Everyone else had to move south because of the Windigoes, but since the CE had the Crystal Heart, they were able to maintain their land and didn't need to move.
It might also be tied to the Tree of Harmony in some way, 'cause the tree seems to be made out of the same type of crystal that constitutes the empire.

>>28250051
That sounds super interesting. Do you have a picture of the passages that say that?

>>28252054
Not him but the Crystal Heart was found in a dragon's lair. The crystal ponies thought the dragon had long vacated and took the heart. The dragon woke up a few centuries later and took it back.
Celestia and Luna are tasked with retrieving it and bring a small army with them.
They try restraining the dragon but he's too strong and talks shit to all of them.
Celestia gets triggered and pulls a Fluttershy. The dragon gets scared and flees into his cave, leaving the Heart for the ponies to take.

>>28251472

they import their food?

>>28250040

>>28252376
who the fuck else grows crystal corn. c'mon.

maybe their food grows like actual crystals do and doesn't need sunlight.

>>28253000
by this i meant to imply that crystal horticulture could be done underground or indoors, explaining the lack of cultivated fields.

>>28251907
Why the fuck does Shining Armour have a tiara?

>>28250040
Really wish they could have done a bit more to make them come off as different beyond architecture and character design.