Canterlot, The Heart of Equestria:
Canterlot, the capital of the shining realm of Equestria and the definitive nexus of the country. Walking down the storied streets and avenues that make up the pristine city, you can spot the small tell-tale signs of the 1002 Canterlot Invasion. And yet, looking at the vibrant life in the city; the cafés, the restaurants, the theaters, the parties, the soirees, you wouldn't be able to tell. Canterlot, as with the rest of Equestria, has moved on, content in their idea that the changelings were a bad event but one that will never repeat itself. Least of all anyone expects is for Queen Chrysalis to come back. But whatever the history, Canterlot is, and has been in step with the rest of the country. As Equestria grew under those first years under Luna and Celestia, so did Canterlot. When Equestria industrialized and grew past the years of medieval castles and nobles, Canterlot did too, when Luna was welcomed into the fold, it happened in Canterlot. Be it during the battle against Nightmare Moon, the battle against the Changelings, or indeed, as it has been for most of its history, the vibrant capital of Equestria, the home of ponies and Harmony, watched over by Princess Celestia's gaze, Canterlot has always been a snapshot of Equestria and its condition.
But indeed, if you took up the railroad to Canterlot, arriving at the palace, you will find the curriculum at the School for Gifted Unicorns the same as it has always been, and at galas at the Canterlot Palace they stick to routines from decades ago. While it may serve Equestria well now, they are outdated for the era, and are overdue for an overhaul. However, if a storm should hit, it would be a woeful one indeed.
Time will tell what will happen to Canterlot as a new era dawns on the world. An era of opportunity, and an era of risk.
Acornage, The City of Two Races:
Since its foundation, the city of Acornage has been defined by the relationship between ponies and changelings. Indeed, the first encounters between the two races occured near Fort Acorn, the predecessor to the city itself that was founded by Equestrian settlers who colonized the uninhabited wilderness of northwestern Equestria. Different sources explain the nature of these outcomes differently. According to Equestrian historiography, it was cautious but ultimately friendly, as ponies presented gifts to the strange shapeshifting creatures. Traditionally, Changeling records did not mention gifts, but during the reign of Queen Chrysalis history has been reinterpreted and the encounters are seen as hostile and even violent.
Whatever the case, the fort soon became a trading post, and then a town. It was the only place in Equestria where ponies could acquire finely woven Changeling silk, so commerce boomed and thousands of migrants arrived. Changelings arrived in the city as well, initially living in a separate quarter but soon integrating into the populace, often shapeshifting into ponies to fit in better. Acornage was - and still is - the one place in the world where one can see changeling hive spires next to traditional Equestrian houses.
When the changelings were unified under one nation in 982 ALB, the border of the newborn country was drawn right next to the city. Equestrians agreed to Chrysalis' demands, thinking it would be the foundation of a friendly relationship between the two nations. They would later regret this when relations soured and the complete lack of a buffer zone made the city strategically vulnerable. Despite the rising tensions, business in the city continued as usual, with the local changelings and ponies remaining on friendly terms. This changed in 1002 ALB, when Canterlot itself came under attack. The treacherous stab at the heart of Equestria shocked everypony, especially the inhabitants of Acornage. Overnight, the mood in the city changed, and many saw changelings as unreliable and a potential fifth column. Racial harmony was replaced with racial tensions, and thousands of fearful changelings fled the city across the border.
After the initial harsh reactions, the situation calmed down as Chrysalis licked her wounds in Vesalipolis. There was an attempt at making amends, but most citizens felt like there was no going back. Yet, deep in their hearts, the inhabitants of Acorange know that their home city is proof that changelings and ponies can not only get along, but be true friends with one another.
Appleloosa, The New Frontier:
Appleloosa is a young town, having been built within a year in 999 ALB. Established by Equestrian settlers, it is surrounded by apple orchards which are used to produce the town's primary export, famed apple pies. Unsurprisingly, many inhabitants of the town are part of the vast Apple family. It is governed by Sheriff Silverstar who maintains law and order. The town has a saloon known as the Salt Block, a clock tower and a stage for musical performances. It is known for its horse-drawn horse-drawn carriages and local mild west dances.
In 1001 ALB, Appleloosa was at the epicenter of the short but violent conflict known as the Apple War. It erupted after nearby buffalo tribes demanded the ponies to tear down their orchards, for they had been planted on their traditional stampeding grounds. The ponies refused to destroy their livelihoods and the buffalo attacked. Compromise was only reached when Chief Thunderhooves was downed by an apple pie, which he found to be delicious. Soon a historic agreement was signed: The ponies get to keep their orchards, as long as they gift apple pies to the buffalo. Ever since, peace has prevailed between the two races, but time will tell if it lasts.
Ayacachtli, The City of the Moon:
There is a charm in the city of Ayacachtli that begets wonderous thoughts in anypony; here is a city, that was ancient before Equestria had even been formed. Located in the southern jungles, in the mountains on the border of Badlands, Ayacachtli has the dubious honour of being the oldest thestral city in the world. Legends hold it, that it was constructed by a thestral Moonspeaker with the aid of an Ursa Major. Historians, however, place its origins to many millenia ago, to the times when thestral tribes and the Neighua came into conflict and a need for a safe haven was born. Whatever it may have been, thestrals have been living in the city for so long, that only bare estimates can be given with current historical records.
Quite an unusual aspect about Ayacachtli is the fact it is located inside the mountain range, inside a cast cavern dug over time by its denizens. Even as times have advanced, majority of the city is still located safely there, with just part of the more modern city located outside. Where, along with them, plenty of terraces for farming are located to feed the mountain city. But it is not food that Ayacachtli is known for; for the mountains contain many riches such as copper, silver and gold. Historians have traced many ancient trade routes leading to Ayacachtli from the north, carrying goods such as iron weapons and armour in exchange for the mined minerals. Evidence shows that Ayacachtli served as a vital link for trade between the jungles and north, through which luxury goods such as sugar and cocoa from jungle tribes passed by. Once the princesses proceeded with their formation of Equestria, Ayacachtli found itself in a favourable position - at least until the incident with Nightmare Moon occured. Now shunned, the thesrals returned to living amongs themselves, in fear of respitals and revenge for siding with the horrid monster that had once been their beloved princess. This especially hurt Ayacachtli and the city endured for centuries as but a hollow shell of a once mighty realm.
Today, Ayacachtli stands as a testament for vigority of thestralkind as a near total majority of its denizens are made up of thestrals. Even the ponies there are usually tribals from the jungles, who have interacted with the thestrals far longer than any northener has and even tend to share a common tongue with. Modernization is present in the city but mixed in to tradition and the peculiar aspects of thestrals; Ayacachtli has no real streets, as near-every denizen can fly. This has led to the city developing not horitzontally as a traditional city but primarily vertically. Tall towers, reaching from the cavern's ceiling to the floor, dot the vast cave, with the odd bridge crossing the gaps between them. Even with modern electricity, most of Ayacachtli is cast in but dim light, to better suit the sensitive eyes of thestrals. Further caverns extend out from the main one, which lead to the many mining tunnels; Ayacachtli even to this day is mostly dependant upon its ore exports to many Equestrian industries north; one could perhaps find some irony in how some things never change.
Central part of the city and an aspect that cannot be missed is the Temple of Moon, located at the city's center and remains a staunchly visited complex by the thestrals. It is the place where every Moonspeaker comes to learn the traditional ways and read the ancient texts stored within there. Some said to more than millenia old but no outsiders are permitted to see them, not even a certain Princess of Books. But what a visitor can see is already extraordinary, and a sight to rival even that of Canterlot. For right past its entrance, visitors are met with a giant dome covering the main hall. On this dome there is a vividly well-detailed star map, one born from countless generations of work from the Moonspeakers. Every possible inch of the carved stone accurately details the wonders of the night sky to the point that astronomers from Princess Luna's Academy of Stars have praised the meticulous work the priests have done, even rivalling achievements historical astronomers such as Galloping Galley and Leap Ordinance. There have been calls to preserve the temple complex for sake of history but for thestrals, however, the temple still serves its original purpose, as it did since its inception; to venerate the Moon, as their forebears did before them. A work that continues on, and will do so for more millenia to come.
Bales, The Hidden City:
Bales is an ancient city, one of the oldest ones in Equestria. Containing countless libraries and book stores, it was known as the "City of Wisdom". However, several decades ago the bustling city vanished into thin air, and no one knew why. It remained a mystery until relatively recently.
Princess Twilight Sparkle managed to find the hidden city and break the curse that had made it vanish. She learned that a wizard named Comet Tail the Starry-Eyed had cast a spell to protect the many books of the city from harm, but because he did the ritual at the wrong time, it ended up hiding the city entirely from outsiders. She cast the spell at the right time, breaking the curse and revealing the city. The ponies living in it, who had become reclusive over the years, were overjoyed when visitors flooded Bales.
At the present Bales is a center of learning, trade and book printing, producing ever more tomes not only for its own libraries, but for all the libraries of Equestria. The yearly Book Festival held in autumn draws ponies from across the nation.
Baltimare, The Charm City:
Baltimare is the largest settlement in the Equestrian South-East, located in the Horseshoe Bay. Originally a small fishing settlement, it industrialized and grew rapidly, mostly thanks to its natural harbour. It became a center of shipping and manufacturing with thriving docks.
However, the workers have been treated worse than in many other Equestrian cities, especially during the reign of the last Mayor. Because of this Baltimare became the center of the Equestrian labour movement, housing the headquarters of the CAN-TER anarcho-syndicalist federation of trade unions and anarchists. A large protest had been held in the city during the Winter Revolution in Stalliongrad, and the Mayor of the city had been sacked by Celestia herself.
Due to being located in the South-East, the city also houses a considerable minority of thestrals, whose conditions are even worse than that of the workers, but who are not allowed to join unions. Many Coltjuns from Hayseed Swamps inhabit the city as well, speaking their strange creole of Equestrian and Aquileian.
Castle Of The Two Sisters, The Ruins of Royalty:
Hidden inside the dreaded Everfree Forest are the forgotten ruins of the former home of the Princesses. It is a huge structure of stone and has almost completely broken down over the centuries. Once, Celestia and Luna lived there together, having established it as their capital. But those days of splendour ended when Luna was consumed by jealousy and became Nightmare Moon who tried to slay her beloved sister. Much of the castle was destroyed and Luna was banished to the Moon, but Celestia was overcome with sorrow. She and the entire court abandoned the castle, leaving behind nothing but painful memories.
The location is avoided almost entirely by ponies, for it is rumoured to be haunted by the dreaded Pony of Shadows. Those few who have dared to enter the ruins have quickly become lost in the labyrinthine hallways of stone, watched by statues of stone dragons eroded by centuries of rain. They will also quickly discover the numerous hidden passages and traps that Princess Luna had commissioned for her amusement, and possibly stumble upon the personal library of Princess Celestia, or what remains of it.
The Elements of Harmony were hidden in the castle before Nightmare Moon's return, after which they were retrieved by the Wielders of the Elements. In a ravine near the castle is a cave with the Tree of Harmony, planted by the ancient Pillars of Old Equestria a thousand years ago. It is a magical tree which controls and contains the Everfree Forest, and held the Elements before they were used by the Princesses to defeat Discord. After Princess Luna's return, there were some talks of renovating the castle, but the site has remained abandoned.
Cloudsdale, The Town in the Sky:
There are several towns in Equestria which can only be inhabited by pegasi. Such towns are made out of clouds, which only pegasi can walk on, and float in the sky. Cloudsdale is the oldest such town, and is regarded as the home of the Pegasus race.
It is famed for its architecture, its tall pillars and high halls made entirely from vapor and held together by magic. It also has the largest Weather Factory in Equestria, for pegasi are responsible for weather management. The clouds, rainbows and snowflakes made in the town are distributed all across the nation. Another notable feature is the Cloudeseum, where the annual Best Young Flyer competition is held. The town is also known to be the birthplace of Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, wielders of the Elements of Loyalty and Kindness respectively.
Dodge City, The Old Frontier:
When Equestrians first began to settle in the sparsely populated lands of the buffalo in the 900s, they established Fort Dodge to guard a vital trail to the Mild West. Soon, a frontier settlement sprung up nearby as accomodations for travellers and adventurers were built. By the time a railway connected the settlement to the rest of Equestria, it had already grown into a prospering town known as Dodge City. Thanks to its new railway junction, it soon also became known as Dodge Junction. Both names are used to refer to the place, although Dodge City is the more common one.
An influx of settlers made the town grow at an exponential rate. Soon enough business boomed there: Countless saloons, rodeo arenas and parks were built, which attracted even more visitors and migrants. The unique culture of the Mild West is still the strongest here, and many ponies come visit just to experience it firsthoof.
Yet the primary economic activity is not tourism, but agriculture. Dodge City's most well known exports are yellow and red cherries grown at the sprawling Cherry Hill Ranch, owned and managed by Cherry Jubilee. At the same time, when the cherry trees blossom in spring, it also attracts even more visitors, strengthening the tourism sector further.
While Dodge City is still seen as a place that embodies the Mild West, many original settlers and frontiersponies have left the city, moving to greener pastures. The small frontier town has become just another bustling city dominated by business, and some would even call it a tourist trap. It is likely that those who left went searching for the true spirit of the Mild West that was lost in Dodge City.
Everfree Forest, The Untamed Wilderness:
Located south of Canterlot, the Everfree Forest has long been completely avoided by ponies. In fact, the only sapient inhabitant in the entire forest is Zecora, a Zebra shaman who lives in isolation. The other denizens of the forest are far less friendly than her.
Unlike in rest of Equestria, weather and nature in the Everfree Forest are outside the influence and caretaking of ponykind. Clouds move on their own, gnarly and thorny plants grow without limits, and fearsome beasts stalk the shadows. Groves of Poison Joke and nests of adorable but ravenous Parasprites lure the unwary traveller to their doom.
Getting lost in the Everfree Forest is the nightmare of any pony living near it. Those who dare to travel through it do it as quickly as they can and are prepared to fight for their lives. It is a magical, cursed place, and so far the advances of technology have provided no means to tame it.
Fillydelphia, The City of Sisterly Love:
One of the largest cities on the Equestrian east coast only rivaled by Manehattan, Fillydelphia has long been regarded as a center of industry and learning, and one of the cradles of the Industrial Revolution in Equestria. It was once known as the workshop of the world, producing goods for export across the planet, and is famed for its medical school located beneath the pegasus district of Bells Air (commonly known as "Little Cloudsdale"). Other notable features of the city are its all-unicorn police force and Dragon Town, a district inhabited exclusively by dragons, as well as the yearly Grapefruit Festival. In recent times the city was struggling with a severe parasprite infestation, which took years to clear out.
The city has a long and rich history, being founded before Luna's Banishment over a thousand years ago, when the Princesses were still young. Indeed, the nickname of the city refers to the mutual love the sisters had for each other, which unfortunately meant that after the Banishment Celestia did everything she could to avoid the city. Despite Canterlot's neglect, Fillydelphia thrived nevertheless. After Luna's return and reformation a grand celebration was held in the city in honour of the Princesses' reconciliation, and the ponies of the city happily welcomed Celestia who could once more visit them without issue.
Hoofington, The Pride of the South:
Like many other settlements in the Equestrian south, Hoofington was founded as a small fort by pony settlers coming from the north. The fort was built on a river island that was easy to defend from buffalo raiders or monsters. This hoof-shaped island gave the settlement its name as it grew around the fort. Despite its location, it was nevertheless destroyed by a fearsome buffalo raid that used canoes to cross the river. A pony who led the defence and perished, Flanchard, became the mythical founding hero of Hoofington.
After making peace with the natives, the determined settlers rebuilt Hoofington from the ground up as a modern planned city. Mining operations in the eastern Macintosh mountains and increased trade with the buffalo resulted in rapid growth of the town. Soon enough, money began pouring in from Canterlot and the Celestia Dam was built, creating the Hoofington reservoir. Investments into education also allowed the opening of many research facilities and schools. With the expanded knowledge base, a source of energy and a steady supply of raw materials, industrial facilities soon opened, and with them came a flood of workers from the north. Within years, Hoofington rivaled Dodge City in size, despite being much younger.
Prospectors dug many tunnels around and beneath the city in search of ores. While they didn't find any, there are plans to use the tunnels for metro stations, as the rapidly growing city could greatly benefit from new methods of transportation. What the miners did find was a large and ancient meteorite that had magical properties. It has been studied for many years now, and researchers hope that it could one day be used as a source of energy. In the meantime, a second hydroelectric dam was recently built, and it was named the Luna Dam, to honour the reformed Princess of the Night.
While the "Spirit of the Mild West" is almost nonexistent in Hoofington, it has nevertheless established itself as one of the greatest cities of the Equestrian south. It is a testament to the diligence of ponykind and a shining example of what ponies can accomplish in mere decades by working together.
Las Pegasus, Equestria's Playground:
Among the sparser areas of Southwest Equestria, Las Pegasus stands out as the largest city in the Southwest and is known as the gambling capital and entertainment capital of the continent. It's filled with luxurious hotels, casinos, arcades, amusement parks and restaurants that brought the city much fame. Despite it being a floating cloud-city, even earth ponies and unicorns can walk on it thanks to more modern magical engineering, with long platforms of metal and concrete functioning as walkable streets. The service-orientated economy is thriving, and though there is a lack of farmland to sustain the city, food has always been imported from elsewhere in Equestria. There's something for everyone here, from newborns and young partiers to elders looking for something new and exciting.
Under this shining cloud-city however is the second half of Las Pegasus. Here, large companies such as Horseco and Rockville Oil dominate, their factories cluttering the cityscape. Gigantic steel foundries churn out endless tonnes of stainless steel, which is used by the huge shipyards in the construction of new luxury cruise ships and military vessels. Surrounding this industrial heart are the apartments of the common workers, who toil in service of large companies. It is fertile ground for leftist movements, some more radical than others, and the ponies of the cloud-city above demand the police to ensure that Stalliongradian influence does not spread. So far, they have only been moderately successful, but as long as Equestria remains stable the proletariat are unlikely to cause trouble.
Manehattan, The City that Never Sleeps:
Throughout its illustrious history, Manehattan has been given many titles: the City of Dreams; the Big Apple; Caput Mundi — the Capital of the World. Situated where the Hayston River meets the Celestial Sea, the Three Boroughs — Manehattan and its satellites, Hayston and Bronclyn — make up this sprawling megalopolis on the East Coast of Equestria.
Being Equestria's largest and most populous city, Manehattan is also the most diverse. As the premier seaport of the continent, centuries of continuous foreign immigration has meant that, alongside the ponies of the Three Tribes, there exist substantial communities of thestrals, hippogriffs, zebras, kirin, and griffons within the metropolis. Canterlot may be the seat of the Diarchy, but it is the melting-pot of Manehattanite society that truly embodies the Equestrian spirit — that of harmonious coexistence, strength in diversity, and friendship free of prejudice.
The glamour of Manehattan's nightlife and entertainment industry, and its unassailable status as an international locus of arts and culture, all belie the true roots of the city's wealth — its massive industrial base, located on the outskirts of the suburbs. If one should gaze to the west from the crown of the Mare Statue, over and beyond the elegant arches of the Bronclyn Bridge, they would glimpse the smokestacks and cranes that juxtapose a parallel skyline — one that is gritty and grimy, yet no less grand — against the opalescence of the skyscrapers downtown.
The Celestial Sea Fleet — the backbone of the Equestrian Royal Navy — has its moorings in the deep waters and sheltered bays of Manehattan Harbour. Where prodigious amounts of capital flow through the wharfs and dockyards of Bronclyn, from Griffonia, Zebrica, and beyond, the iron hoof of maritime law ensures that the waters around the metropolis are kept safe, from threats both monstrous and mundane.
Like all big cities, Manehattan has its fair share of problems. Only a few blocks away from the glitzy shopping avenues of Bridleway are run-down waterfront neighbourhoods teeming with the city's immigrant proletariat, and in the shadow of Manehattan's skyscrapers lie the inner-city slums and ghettoes — the proverbial undergrowth of the concrete jungle. Should the centuries-long peace in Equestria collapse, there is no doubt that strife and scarcity will come to Manehattan; in the face of rationing, curfews, and blackouts, it is all too easy to forget about solidarity and friendship.
Now, in the new millennium, the city is threatened from without and within. Across the sea, Griffonia is poised for a decade of brutal conflict, whilst Manehattan's own Lunarists grow more belligerent by the day, as the horrors of mechanized warfare encroach on ponies' nightmares. In the years to come, what fate will befall this great city?
Ponyville, The Town of Friendship:
Ponyville, located next to the Everfree Forest southwest of Canterlot, was for most of its history an unremarkable rural settlement. The first pony inhabitants of the area were part of the Apple Family, who were granted the land as a gift by Princess Celestia herself almost a century ago. The first apple orchards were planted, but while the trees grew, the ponies discovered magical Zap Apples inside the Everfree Forest. The jam prepared from these apples became famous, attracting many migrants. Stinkin' Rich, the grandfather of the entrepreneur Filthy Rich, opened a market selling the jam, which soon grew into a burgeoining business. The Apple and Rich families still live in the town to this day and are honoured as its founders.
In the years since, many ponies have moved to Ponyville, making it a very diverse town. All three races are present and live together in harmony. It is for this reason why Princess Celestia sent her young pupil, Twilight Sparkle, to live in the town and make some friends. She and the ponies she met soon became close friends and the wielders of the Elements of Harmony, who have saved Equestria from countless threats. After her ascension to Alicornhood and her defeat of Lord Tirek, Twilight Sparkle now lives in the Castle of Friendship north of the town. Next to it, she has opened the School of Friendship which has students from all across the world. Despite its small size, Ponyville is known across Equestria as the haven of friendship and harmony.
Rockville, The Mining City:
Surrounded by countless rock farms and nestled among hills, Rockville is a center of mining industry and mineral processing. Its name derives from tonnes of rock regularly brought into the city from the farms for refinement. It was an insignificant village before the gemstone rush of 931 ALB which attracted countless migrants.
Rockville is a city of foundries, steel mills and mines. The landscape around the city is barren and the air in the settlement itself is difficult to breathe. Yet it is also a prospering town, producing a large amount of gold, coal, sulfur, tin, copper, platinum, gemstones and more.
Its inhabitants are grim-faced, their faces often covered in soot, but hard-working and relentless. Some call it the least friendly place in Equestria, but those outsides who have earned the trust of a Rockville pony know that they are the most trusty and reliable companies one may have. The Element of Laughter, Pinkamena Pie (more commonly known as Pinkie Pie) breaks the stereotype by being one of the cheeriest ponies in the country, despite coming from a hardy family of rock farmers.
Tall Tale, The Green City:
On the southern bank of the Tall river lies the city of Tall Tale. Despite its size, one might easily think it's a small rural town, thanks to its rustic buildings, many parks and numerous trees. Yet it is in the end an industrial city, as evidenced by the high grain silos and the car traffic on the streets.
Tall Tale grew from a humble farming village to a proper city after the Industrial Revolution. Yet it never forgot its roots, being surrounded by farmland and having food processing and transportation as its economic foundations. An important railway leading to Vanhoover passes through the city, and is used to transport countless bags of grain and other farm produce for export. The city is especially famous for its bread, said to be the best in Equestria.
Notable sights include the centuries-old Tall Bridge, the Farmers' Market in the central square of the city, and the Museum of Agriculture. The yearly Harvest Festival attracts tens of thousands of visitors each year thanks to its generous offering of delicious baked goods.
Tenochtitlan, The City of the Sun:
Deep in the steamy jungles of the Tenochtitlan basin lies the largely ruined city which gives the region its name. In fact, when explorers from northern Equestria first discovered it, they called it a "Lost City" even though it has been continuously inhabited for over a millennium. To this day, the ponies of the Neighua tribe live in the city like their ancestors did.
Surrounding Tenochtitlan is a vast network of canals, gaining their water from the river which flows past the city. On these canals, as well as the river itself, one may find the famed Floating Gardens -- or what remains of them, at least. The natives still use them to grow plants such as maize, beans and flowers, though many of them are overgrown.
In the center of the city itself stands the imposing Pyramid of the Sun, the primary religious site of the Neighua. Although it has seen far less use under Celestia's rule (and no sacrifices whatsoever), locals still use it to affirm their loyalty to the Princess. In return, she provides modern medicine, fertilizer, machine tools and more, albeit the natives are left alone to live their peaceful lives in the traditional manner, in huts of stone, mud and wood.
Vanhoover, The Saltwater City:
Located in Luna Bay, Vanhoover contains an excellent natural harbour, and has thus long been a vital port-city. Founded on the ruins of an earlier settlement which had been destroyed by Olenian Vikings, it grew into an important trade port even before industrialisation, being located near the mouth of an important river as well.
After the Industrial Revolution, the city grew even more, becoming a vital base of the Equestrian Navy and a center of shipbuilding. It is the terminus of the transcontinental Equestrian railway and its port is among the largest in the country. Its primary trade good is lumber, imported from Vaverfront across the Luna Bay, but in recent years the service sector has continued to grow. Many movies are filmed here, earning it the nickname "Applewood North", and numerous tourists come there from the south to enjoy the cold weather.
A large portion of the populace consists of Olenian deer, who work on the docks or sell their wares at the markets. There are even some changelings living in the city, though they are viewed with suspicion by the rest of the inhabitants. In recent years the countless dock workers and sailors of the city have unionized and now agitate for better rights. There are rumours that they receive support from the Supreme Soviet of Stalliongrad, but it is not known if this is true.
Whinnyapolis, The Twin Cities:
Located near the border with the Crystal Empire lie two settlements, on the opposite sides of the river: the suburban town of Riverpool and the thriving city of Whinnyapolis. Both of them have benefited greatly from the recent return of Crystal Empire from limbo, growing even more as centers of commerce and industry. Many crystal ponies inhabit the city and imports from the north are always on sale.
Whinnyapolis surpassed its smaller twin Riverpool during the Industrial Revolution. Flour mills and sawmills powered by the rapids between the towns formed the core of their economy. Nowadays the city is more reliant on commercial services such as banking and transportation, being known as "The Gate to Crystal Empire".
