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[resistanceismagic]

Help is Needed!

Hi everypony. 2016 has been one trouble after another and we’re not even half way through yet.

I have a melanoma, that’s right, skin cancer. Everything so far points to it being non-life threatening at this point and I have surgery scheduled Friday to remove it, followed by the removal of two pre-cancerous moles the following week.  On top of this there are an extra $2000 of dental expenses for the artist’s tooth implant. This is above and beyond what she was quoted.

To help out on expenses we’re selling prints for $10 (+ $1.50 S&H). If you buy two or more shipping is free!

Please consider making one of these prints yours to help us out. If you can not, please reblog and share.

Thank you so much. Prints are below the break~

Keep reading

[resistanceismagic]

“Just..a bit..more…” Copper Gears groaned as the heavy cog rose slowly into place, illuminated by her magic. It reached the proper height and the young unicorn’s horn glowed brighter. All around, wires and gears moved into place, arranging themselves just so according to the design in Copper Gears’ head. Perspiration gathered on her forehead as the last pieces secured themselves.

 The other unicorns around her cheered and the only two Earth ponies in the hidden shelter breathed a sigh of relief. This new plow would let them work the little land they had efficiently so they could grow enough food for their small community. With the unicorns powering it, they had a real shot at escaping hunger. Copper Gears smiled and blushed as the thanks and congratulations rolled in; she was simply happy she could help.

[resistanceismagic]

The party was droll, but a necessity to keep up appearances. Something about the ponies known as Socialites amused Discord so he mostly left them alone. For Emerald Light, gatherings like this provided cover and often valuable information to feed through the Resistance. She made her way through the crowd when she heard a posh unicorn interjected a scathing judgment into a conversation: “Of course you can’t count on Cloudsdale. They split up and abandoned everyone to the horrors...some protectors of the weather they are.”

Emerald Light’s wings bristled as she stopped, then changed her course to intercept the unicorn to unleash her scorn. “It amazes how one can gossip without a brain in their head. The pegasi of Cloudsdale - those who survive the constant chase and attack, that is - fight on every day to try and restore order to Equestria. What have you done besides host inept dinner parties?”

As she spoke quiet began to spread through the hall and far too many eyes turned to the pegasus. This outburst would be remembered, but she could not let the words go unanswered.

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The fight was brief and ended in a stalemate. Rowan Leaf knew matters would be different if the hulking and horribly Faded earth pony were not already injured. Her horn glowed along with the crossbow leveled at her opponent and she did a good job of disguising how little weight she put on her broken leg. Her opponent’s eyes narrowed and he spat at her, “Next time I’ll tear you apart.”  His eyes still fixed on her, he backed away down the right fork of the path.

“Stop!” she called once she saw his destination. “Not that way. Head out the other direction.”

The earth pony snarled at her and kept moving. Rowan Leaf just rolled her eyes and levitated a rock down the stallion’s intended path, where it was immediately grabbed by a mass of black creeper vines that were hungry for prey.

The other looked shocked for a moment, but recovered quickly. “This changes nothing… horn-head!” He ran down the other path to safety.

[resistanceismagic]

Minor Chord looked at the downtrodden expressions on the four ponies gathered around the campfire. She’d learned a couple of their stories since meeting up with the group earlier in the day and none of them were particularly happy. It hurt sometimes to hear tale after tale of loss and woe, but she dug a smile up and shrugged her guitar off her shoulder. “Now I know yer all scared and hurtin’. But I also know a few other things.” She began in a light drawl as she held her instrument in her front hooves and gave the strings a strum with one wing. “Ya see we may be up against a lot, but that crazy fool Discord’s gonna be the end of himself!”

The others looked up, mostly in disbelief that a creature so powerful could be beaten. Minor Chord held her smile and plucked out a whimsical melody with her wing. “Think about it. Imagine havin’ ta walk around on a lizard and goat leg.” She stood on her hind hooves and wobbled dramatically, drawing a little smile from one of the others. “And those goofy arms of his? Don’t get me started! All those different parts and he’ll end up fighting himself. But look at us. Sure we got some bruises, but we all have four hooves. That’s twenty between us just sittin’ here. Four hooves, one heart...We all got that and we got each other while he’s got nothin’. Ooooone heart…” She began to sing, letting her words flow with the music as the smiles around the campfire spread. By the second chorus her new friends all joined in.

[resistanceismagic]

“They’re gonna pay!” The colt snarled as he paced near the smithy. Ember Forge looked up at him from her work and made a small noise around the hammer in her mouth. Then she went back to work pounding the heated metal into shape. “Once I get my sword and armor I’ll get out there and fight the chaos and its collaborators!”  He stumbled over the last word, clearly parroting something he heard from another member of the Guard.

Steam hissed from the water bucket, and with a little more work Ember Forge held up the finished project. The colt looked up with a grin, then his face fell as he saw she hadn’t made him a sword. Instead the older Earth pony set a hoe at his feet. One just like his cutie mark.

“There’s lotsa violence out there already. More’n we need. What we’re really short on is ponies to bring the land back to what it used to be. Now how do ya really want to help Equestria?”

The colt looked between the strong mare and the tool, then picked it up. Ember Forge smiled and patted his shoulder with incredible gentleness, given her size.

[resistanceismagic]

Evershade ducked down the alleyway to catch her breath, which steamed out of her cloak on the cold night. Yesterday had felt like spring but the weather shifted so much she was used to the constant fluctuations. A noise startled her and, preparing for trouble, she stalked around a trash pile to its source. Instead of an enemy she saw a pair of fillies shivering in the cold. They looked up at her silently, young ones who had already learned to avoid drawing attention to themselves in the cruel city. Still she could see the desperation in their eyes. 

 Evershade gazed down at her cloak, which provided not just warmth but anonymity from the unicorns that were out searching for her tonight. With a bite and quick jerk of her head, the cloak came off her back, then with another it folded neatly over the young pair. They snuggled beneath it and smiled - likely the first to cross their faces in a long while. Evershade responded only with a wink and galloped off into the night. 

[resistanceismagic]

So I thought it would let me post this directly here. Guess not. Anyway here’s the answer for any else who’ve been waiting.

What's going on with Resistance is Magic?

Thanks for asking. Delays came up with financial troubles then personal disaster then more financial trouble then needed house maintenance. 

Resistance is Magic is in the final edit stage for the core text, tweaking things to make sense, fixing my sometimes awful grammar, and weeding out things that do not fit/work. Trying to cut some unneeded bits out of the magic system so that things are as streamlined as possible.

I don’t have a set timeline but will be working on it this week, and also posting the character art by the amazing @halfsparkle with short stories.

[resistanceismagic]

Cover art is done! 

Some writing and playtesting then organizing and this game will be ready to go!

[resistanceismagic]

The Throne built of the ruins of Ponyville

[resistanceismagic]

Two of the player character ponies who will be available for the start of the game. Rowan Leaf and Emerald Light.

[resistanceismagic]

***The Voice sounds tired, strained. But still the strength and passion are strong.***

I'm sure some of you have heard that things went wrong, but don't believe the propaganda. Dasher is alive and itching to rejoin the fight. She's wounded, but she has overcome a lot in her life. This will not slow her down.

Discord is worried. We are a target he can not simply  wipe out, a threat to his games. He is a petty tyrant who we shall never bow to.

Our operations will continue. Don't worry, the support you need will be there.

..I'm needed... Stay strong. We will come out on top!

***A sigh of relief. Word had spread, a little too loud and often, that Dasher perished in an attack. Hope swells, renewed. Now... there is work to be done.***

[resistanceismagic]

On the Division of Equestria, concluded

The final two groups that can be called factions, including the one I count myself a part of.

The Socialites: These ponies fiddle and hold soirees while Equestria burns. The desire to hold onto their old, normal lives overrides all else. Even in ruins they find ways of living in extravagance, and while snobby they should not be thought of as evil. They are surviving as best they can, and in doing so they keep pony culture and art alive.

The Cult of the Trinity: After news of Celestia’s defeat at Discord’s hands many turned their hope and faith to Princess Luna. The younger sister, still quite aware of the scorn and mistrust she earned during her time as Nightmare Moon, rose to the praise and for a time the sealed capital of Canterlot became a bastion of harmony amid the chaos. Sadly it was that very hope and love that the Changelings fed on, weakening the magic that held off Discord’s chaotic power. When the city fell the sisters vanished. But what is gone may yet return.

The ponies of the Cult of the Trinity are convinced that when the time is right the Princesses who defeated Discord long ago will return to deliver them. The cult is not composed of mindless zealots, but rather those studied in Equestia’s history. They recognize that the two would still not be enough to defeat him a second time, and put faith in Celestia’s student Twilight Sparkle to join them and restore the balance between night and day.

And so I leave you with that thought, and my prayer to the Sun, the Moon, and the Star.

~Silver Scroll.  Lorekeeper,Cult of the Trinity

[resistanceismagic]

On the Division of Equestria, continued...

Another pair of divisions, though both rather unsavory.

The Crime Lords: With the bonds of trust and friendship falling away, so to do the morals of pony society. In a world falling apart why not take what you can? This attitude surfaced in the urban areas first and spread. It started small, petty theft here and there to get by or feed one’s family, but once greed began to grow the crimes grew as well. As it grew it became organized and the struggle for power amused Discord to no end. One of his favorite games is to pit one gang or mob against another, but of course they do not know of his manipulations.

 The Guard: A garrison of the royal guard managed to escape Canterlot, ushering out a handful of elite survivors who could afford that sort of favor. Their loyalty tarnished by selfish actions the guard banded together with any they could persuade or manipulate and formed a police force to work to restore order. Though a good idea in theory, those involved turned to bullying to try and achieve their ends and the concept of ‘justice’ went out the window almost immediately. The Guard started choking out freedom and oppressing other ponies, much to Discord’s amusement. Within a couple years they were practically working for Discord without him lifting much of a finger. Now some have fallen so far to even work for the tyrant willingly.

[resistanceismagic]

On the Division of Equestria

I wrote recently on the subject of faith. A tenuous matter, but a vital one. Before the Fall ponies across the land put their faith directly in Princess Celestia, who ruled justly for time out of mind. Without her the land is divided, ponies scattered.

The simple truth of the matter is that each pony is an individual, and each will respond to disaster in their own way. Thus it was that we divided, and for posterity here are some of the prominent factions that emerged.

The Separatists of Cloudsdale: The pegasi of Cloudsdale moved their city high and away to try and escape the chaos erupting below them. With the weather under Discord’s control (a term used lightly) they found themselves without their normal duties. In the years following Cloudsdale has been spotted here and there, or at least parts of it has. The pegasi divided the city in hopes to distract Discord, and the fragments float across Equestria’s skies in unpredictable patterns, blending into the pink clouds of the land’s chaotic ruler. Pegasi who lived outside the city can sometimes find one of the fragments, but the skies are dangerous and anything could be waiting in the cloud.

The Rangers: Only by throwing off old fears can we move forward. This is a tenant of the Rangers, or Wild Ones as some ponies call them. As the Everfree forest grew these ponies did not shrink back but ventured in. They believe that by surviving the undirected chaos of the forest they will be better equipped to battle Discord. Of course many who go in do not come out, but the strength of those who do is unquestioned, even if their sanity is.

[resistanceismagic]

And from the ether two young heroes appear. I say young because so many of the older generations have lost their ideals and way. "Foals are the future," it has been written. Perhaps it shall come to pass.

Siren and Dasher. Pseudonyms? Most likely. They ask much while holding their anonymity. Though after the events of the last few days I will give them the benefit of the doubt.

Their attack on the gulag situated on the border of Discord's Throne and the ever expanding Everfree Forest was brazen. No one would expect a lone pegasus pony to attach the prison, which is likely why she succeeded.

While I trust my source, the information is third hand and thus suspect. Still it is worth recording at least in brief.

Dasher's speed and coordination took the guards by surprise. It was an odd tactic for a pegasus to stay on or near the ground, but it paid off, not offering any target for surface to air weaponry. She single handedly freed some dozen prisoners, including the former mayor of Ponyville and one of that lost hamlet's school teachers.

Once loose the group was met in the forest by a small group of Rangers and vanished. Discord was of course furious and it is unknown if any of the Guard or Diamond Dogs stationed at the gulag survived his wrath.

It is exactly what the duo needed, the Resistance will be joined.

~Silver Scroll

[resistanceismagic]

***It is late when the Song returns. Or very early. The sun and moon keep no regular schedule now and it is not always easy to remember when they did. Time is kept in the heart, and in secret calendars. Draw too much attention to orderly systems and the ruler of the land may take interest. And that is an interest few survive.***

Told you I'd be back. There will be more messages spread through the week, but staggered. I can't talk to everyone for long periods so everything will be broken down... Small groups working together. The most important thing is to keep hope strong, in yourself and your friends.

I don't expect anypony to stick their neck out without some proof this is all for real. My best friend and partner Dasher is almost in place. You will know if you see her, and if you do please offer what help you can. Otherwise you'll hear about it soon.

Oh, and if there are any scattered survivors from Ponyville out there... You aren't alone. I hope we can see you soon.

This is Siren, signing off for now...