Re: [GRIMDARK] Fallout Equestria: Project Horizons Discussion

[Meleagridis]

but Doctor Octopus is surprisingly welcome and enjoyable for such a relatively plain character. I guess it's because he seems so in control, which is different from almost everyone in the story.

Since his appearance in the last chapter, I've been working to put my finger on that, myself. This sounds... yeah, about right. Doc's a chill dude.

I imagine that Lighthooves prepared them for it.  He knows what sorts of things Blackjack can do, after all; remember, he was a firsthoof witness to Yellow River.  Oh, and "not bereft of free will" does not necessarily mean "fully free-willed".

Yeah, but how would you prepare a mind for that? Anyways, it is mostly that, while reading, I didn't think that the spike in violence might be to show off the new, ultra-durable kind of enemy. At the time I had reached the conclusion that it would be leading to a reaction from a mook, either a boarder or a bridge bunny, and when it didn't show I was just surprised is all.
On the free will thing, I did say "superficially." Ignoring all the deeper debates that could spring from that, I mean to say that they are free to express themselves and are largely in control of their actions but are (like Steel Rain and perhaps Dawn) on a tight leash that could strangle them at any moment. As of right now, I'm convinced that Dawn's freakout way back when was Cogs-induced.

Edit: Uh, wait. Did you mean Boo is part of the Brood of Coyotl, or that she is herself an incarnation of Coyotl, the mythological figure? Just checking for the sake of clarity.

I meant to say that she is part machine. Did the brood have glowing eyes? I don't believe so, but...
I'm still not 100% sure on what Boo is, exactly, but I'm starting to think her non-poniness goes beyond, "What measure of pony is a Blank?" It seems to me that she is more like something that just has a pony shape, but none of the pony bits and gobs that make them what they are. Heck, maybe she's not even actually a blank? While we're boarding the crazy theory train, maybe Discord says he couldn't see much inside Boo has to do with her nature being undetectable by an avatar of chaos. Maybe she's entirely a creation of the Core, or the underlying forces of the Core. Maybe Boo is made of starmetal. Boo is Coyotl, the starmetal source of all killer androids.

Ugh, I don't know. I'm really desperate for answers about Boo but I don't have the eye to catch the clues we've got. Can we go back to Riverside? Get the fortune telling fishmonger to read Boo like she did the others? Or Big Daddy? I need something more to go on!

[Scienza]

Shortened:

If you want to get really speculative, you might ask: Why is Boo a pony? Blanks are created when they ran the machine without any genetic material, akin to if you set your printer to just spit out untouched copy paper. However, with the blanks, they're being synthesized directly from the unimaginably chaotic properties of Discord, yet they come out as completely formed, if slightly bland and soulless, ponies. Without pony genetic material, they shouldn't even be able to synthesize proteins, let alone walk and think. Unless her form was determined by means other than genetics...

The pony shape seems to be rather common and integral throughout the Equestriaverse. Despite the variety of different bodytypes, the most prominent groups seem to be the three species of pony, who share amazingly identical bodytypes despite wildly different locales and behaviors. The zebras are also merely a variation on the equine bodytype. In fact, pretty much all thinking species in this universe are some variation on the ungulate, with the exception of those that fall under the draconic/chaotic family (draconequi, dragons, griffons, river serpents, etc.). The Eater of Souls, though its physical form may be that of a rock, takes the metaphysical form of an alicorn, as do many of the stars, and indeed, Celestia and Luna. What if this isn't a coincidence. What if the various magical forces of this universe align to create a pony form from entropy and chaos. That's right, Boo isn't a pony, or even a robot. She's a snapshot of the universe itself.

Or, of course, I could be completely wrong.

[Derpmind]

[quote="Scienza"]

Or, of course, I could be completely wrong.

I think the ponyform is more of a thing to do with the planet they're on than the universe itself. I think it was stated (one way or another) that the star thingys in chpater 34 only appeared as ponies because it was easier for BJ to understand them that way.

Personally, I think Boo was just a blank that ran into a few drops of Flux and got unfathomably lucky enough to gain a, uh, spark, as opposed to the much more likely outcome of just getting magical chaos poisoning. And then she met Blackjack and stuff. On the other hoof, as much as I'm inclined to chalk her super-luck powers to Discord giving her a super-power in that brief time she met him, she did somehow fire a gun before she met him. (Totally didn't skip a thought there.)

...skimming through the first part of chapter 34, found a thread of crazy-theory: "I looked back at my world. There were so few glimmering lights, and there seemed to be almost a spider’s web of shadow draped over the entire world. Some light escaped… but most seemed caught in that dark web covering everything. The light of those orbiting spheres couldn’t reach most of the world, try as they might to find some gap in the darkness and shadows." Maybe Boo is actually the Star Maiden?

[O. Hinds]

Yeah, but how would you prepare a mind for that?

Well, first you tell them about Blackjack, try to psychologically prepare them, etc., and then you program the onboard computer to alter the chemicals in their bloodstream to keep them from panicking. :)

[SilentCarto]

Thinking on the Reapers and Rangers, I bet Big Daddy's just going nuts over the fact that Deus is a tank. There ain't many left of the Top Ten now that Psycho went batty.

Once you go bat...  

I meant to say that she is part machine. Did the brood have glowing eyes? I don't believe so, but...

Oh, certainly they did. Their eyes are exactly the same model as BJ's, remember?

I'm still not 100% sure on what Boo is, exactly, but I'm starting to think her non-poniness goes beyond, "What measure of pony is a Blank?" It seems to me that she is more like something that just has a pony shape, but none of the pony bits and gobs that make them what they are. Heck, maybe she's not even actually a blank? While we're boarding the crazy theory train, maybe Discord says he couldn't see much inside Boo has to do with her nature being undetectable by an avatar of chaos. Maybe she's entirely a creation of the Core, or the underlying forces of the Core. Maybe Boo is made of starmetal. Boo is Coyotl, the starmetal source of all killer androids.

Ugh, I don't know. I'm really desperate for answers about Boo but I don't have the eye to catch the clues we've got. Can we go back to Riverside? Get the fortune telling fishmonger to read Boo like she did the others? Or Big Daddy? I need something more to go on!

Regarding Discord's comment: There's not much inside a puppet, but that doesn't mean it's not under conscious control.

I would be tempted to suggest that BJ brought something back with her that grabbed onto an empty Blank to help BJ out, except that Boo was thin enough for weeks of starvation, and BJ had only returned a couple days before -- which means she was already dodging fatties before BJ died. She's displayed direct precognition twice now in conjunction with the ability to act logically and cleverly to prevent it -- first blocking the Stockyards pony's shot at Lancer (knowing he wouldn't shoot through her), and then jumping from the Castellanus to rescue BJ from a too-thin cloud.

Overall, I tend to agree with you. There's not much to go on and a lot of possibilities.

[Scienza]

Regarding Discord's comment: There's not much inside a puppet, but that doesn't mean it's not under conscious control.

I would be tempted to suggest that BJ brought something back with her that grabbed onto an empty Blank to help BJ out, except that Boo was thin enough for weeks of starvation, and BJ had only returned a couple days before -- which means she was already dodging fatties before BJ died. She's displayed direct precognition twice now in conjunction with the ability to act logically and cleverly to prevent it -- first blocking the Stockyards pony's shot at Lancer (knowing he wouldn't shoot through her), and then jumping from the Castellanus to rescue BJ from a too-thin cloud.

Overall, I tend to agree with you. There's not much to go on and a lot of possibilities.

Unless Boo... IS BLACK PONY MOUNTAIN?!

I mean, seriously though, Black Pony Mountain has some really freaky insidious mind-magic going on.

[SilentCarto]

The pony shape seems to be rather common and integral throughout the Equestriaverse. Despite the variety of different bodytypes, the most prominent groups seem to be the three species of pony, who share amazingly identical bodytypes despite wildly different locales and behaviors.

Well, "amazingly identical" may be going a bit far. Ponies are one species with three distinct phenotypes, as Mrs. Cake proved. So it's not really all that amazing. This is a bit like saying, "Africans, asians, and europeans are amazingly identical despite wildly different locales and behaviors."

[SilentCarto]

Unless Boo... IS BLACK PONY MOUNTAIN?!

I mean, seriously though, Black Pony Mountain has some really freaky insidious mind-magic going on.

Well, it was Nightmare Moon's secret fortress.

[Silver136]

I'm 10p in to part b.  I thought it's only be 25-30p... but I thought the same thing about the entire chapter...

::Failwriter fails.::

So, I've been stalking this forum for three days now, and I swear I keep seeing Somber beating himself up. I mean Somber, you have written one of the most amazing books I've ever read. I understand it's not perfect, but I've never seen a perfect book and I read more than anything else. Your book is amazing.

I also really hope you can find some work. I know it sucks not having money because you can't find a job. Good luck!  

[Stringtheory]

So, I've been stalking this forum for three days now, and I swear I keep seeing Somber beating himself up.

Yep, that's a staple of this forum: Somber putting himself down and the rest of us slapping him and telling him he's a fine writer and we'll read whatever he puts out.

[O. Hinds]

I'm 10p in to part b.  I thought it's only be 25-30p... but I thought the same thing about the entire chapter...

::Failwriter fails.::

So, I've been stalking this forum for three days now, and I swear I keep seeing Somber beating himself up. I mean Somber, you have written one of the most amazing books I've ever read. I understand it's not perfect, but I've never seen a perfect book and I read more than anything else. Your book is amazing.

I also really hope you can find some work. I know it sucks not having money because you can't find a job. Good luck!  

Welcome to the forum!

[Silver136]

I'm 10p in to part b.  I thought it's only be 25-30p... but I thought the same thing about the entire chapter...

::Failwriter fails.::

So, I've been stalking this forum for three days now, and I swear I keep seeing Somber beating himself up. I mean Somber, you have written one of the most amazing books I've ever read. I understand it's not perfect, but I've never seen a perfect book and I read more than anything else. Your book is amazing.

I also really hope you can find some work. I know it sucks not having money because you can't find a job. Good luck!  

Welcome to the forum!

Thanks, I'm a huge fan of the book!

[Technowolf]

I mean, seriously though, Black Pony Mountain has some really freaky insidious mind-magic going on.

What do you mean?  There is nothing special about Black Pony Mountain.  You're just imagining things.

[Scienza]

The pony shape seems to be rather common and integral throughout the Equestriaverse. Despite the variety of different bodytypes, the most prominent groups seem to be the three species of pony, who share amazingly identical bodytypes despite wildly different locales and behaviors.

Well, "amazingly identical" may be going a bit far. Ponies are one species with three distinct phenotypes, as Mrs. Cake proved. So it's not really all that amazing. This is a bit like saying, "Africans, asians, and europeans are amazingly identical despite wildly different locales and behaviors."

But they are amazingly similar, given that one is specialized for flight, another for intense land-based activities, and the third for the unknowable intricacies of magic. It's a bit more than phenotype variations between ethnic groups (As much as I wish that Asians could cast magic spells, I unfortunately can't). You'd at least expect that pegasi would be far thinner and lighter, the earth ponies to have larger legs and increased muscle mass, and the unicorns to be smaller in order to devote more calories and resources to magical casting. However, the Mane 6 literally all have the exactly the same body (minus wings and horns, of course).

It was still a crackpot theory, but the bizarrely near-identical bodytypes of the different pony groups is quite surprising.

[Stringtheory]

The pony shape seems to be rather common and integral throughout the Equestriaverse. Despite the variety of different bodytypes, the most prominent groups seem to be the three species of pony, who share amazingly identical bodytypes despite wildly different locales and behaviors.

Well, "amazingly identical" may be going a bit far. Ponies are one species with three distinct phenotypes, as Mrs. Cake proved. So it's not really all that amazing. This is a bit like saying, "Africans, asians, and europeans are amazingly identical despite wildly different locales and behaviors."

It was still a crackpot theory, but the bizarrely near-identical bodytypes of the different pony groups is quite surprising.

That's more of a cost saving measure for the animation because making different body types would raise the cost of the animation especially if each of the Mane6 had a different body type. Plus: it's magic.

[Scienza]

The pony shape seems to be rather common and integral throughout the Equestriaverse. Despite the variety of different bodytypes, the most prominent groups seem to be the three species of pony, who share amazingly identical bodytypes despite wildly different locales and behaviors.

Well, "amazingly identical" may be going a bit far. Ponies are one species with three distinct phenotypes, as Mrs. Cake proved. So it's not really all that amazing. This is a bit like saying, "Africans, asians, and europeans are amazingly identical despite wildly different locales and behaviors."

It was still a crackpot theory, but the bizarrely near-identical bodytypes of the different pony groups is quite surprising.

That's more of a cost saving measure for the animation because making different body types would raise the cost of the animation especially if each of the Mane6 had a different body type. Plus: it's magic.

I mean sure, if you want to get all meta about it.

[Stringtheory]

The pony shape seems to be rather common and integral throughout the Equestriaverse. Despite the variety of different bodytypes, the most prominent groups seem to be the three species of pony, who share amazingly identical bodytypes despite wildly different locales and behaviors.

Well, "amazingly identical" may be going a bit far. Ponies are one species with three distinct phenotypes, as Mrs. Cake proved. So it's not really all that amazing. This is a bit like saying, "Africans, asians, and europeans are amazingly identical despite wildly different locales and behaviors."

It was still a crackpot theory, but the bizarrely near-identical bodytypes of the different pony groups is quite surprising.

That's more of a cost saving measure for the animation because making different body types would raise the cost of the animation especially if each of the Mane6 had a different body type. Plus: it's magic.

I mean sure, if you want to get all meta about it.

Well that's the actual reason for the same body type for all ponies, though if you want to try to explain in universe why that is go wild. My personal theory is that some god (probably an alicorn) created mortal ponies in their image. (Note: this is highly influenced by a fanfiction I follow)

[Derpmind]

You'd at least expect that pegasi would be far thinner and lighter, the earth ponies to have larger legs and increased muscle mass, and the unicorns to be smaller in order to devote more calories and resources to magical casting.

This is pretty much the strongest headcanon I have. Remember that the show's a cartoon, and cartoon characters can look way different from real-life stuff.

[Guest]

Remember that the show's a cartoon, and cartoon characters can look way different from real-life stuff.

Well there are a few cartoons out there were the main characters have different body types. In Ed, Ed and Eddy's case not only do the main character's have unique body types but the secondaries do as well.

I think tight budget is a better excuse than cartoon.

[O. Hinds]

I was just thinking about the last chapter and how much I miss my favorite blond, bigoted necropaterphiliac psychopath. I mean, she's a pegasus and she's NEVER seen the Enclave! Isn't that just tragic? I'd imagine her spending most of their time there flying about "shopping". I mean, she's a Reaper. Reapers don't pay, they take.
“Hey, I was FRAMED! I mean, take a look for yourself... how could possibly expect me to leave a masterpiece like that behind!?”
After a short stint in jail, though, I'd imagine her breaking out using her improved holdout power hooves and helping our heroes in their time of need.

So now, a short new installment on why Psychoshy makes everything better:

Hahahahahahaha! :D

[SilentCarto]

But they are amazingly similar, given that one is specialized for flight, another for intense land-based activities, and the third for the unknowable intricacies of magic. It's a bit more than phenotype variations between ethnic groups (As much as I wish that Asians could cast magic spells, I unfortunately can't). You'd at least expect that pegasi would be far thinner and lighter, the earth ponies to have larger legs and increased muscle mass, and the unicorns to be smaller in order to devote more calories and resources to magical casting. However, the Mane 6 literally all have the exactly the same body (minus wings and horns, of course).

It was still a crackpot theory, but the bizarrely near-identical bodytypes of the different pony groups is quite surprising.

My point is, it's not all that surprising for far-flung members of the same species to have near-identical bodies. The real surprise is the differences between the tribes, but that doesn't necessarily speak to a universal preference for the ponyish shape.

For that matter, the differences between tribes are unusual in mammals, yes, but many insects have far greater differences within a species -- think of a worker ant, a soldier, and a queen, for example. My personal theory is that the pony genome codes for all three expressions, and the final phenotype is decided by a relatively simple genetic or hormonal switch in utero. (Alicorns will not be mentioned here, because magic.)

I'll grant that other ungulates in Equestria share the traits of intelligence, but even that isn't necessarily strange. They're all related species, after all, so if one branch of the family had the potential for intelligence, the rest may well share it. In our own world, Homo sapiens lived side by side with Homo neanderthalensis (Neanderthals) only 30,000 years ago. If they hadn't come into direct competition, you could easily get a situation similar to ponies, cows, and zebras living on the same planet at the same time. (And before anyone complains about me comparing zebras to Neanderthals, the ponies get to be Cro-Magnons in this analogy.)

[Meleagridis]

Their eyes are exactly the same model as BJ's, remember?

Well, no, I don't. But that's why I end half the things I say in question marks, I guess. While we're on the topic of what I don't remember...

Enervation came up just a page ago, more specifically the huge spike recently that may affect other parts of the Hoof. But I thought that enervation's main cause (that we know of) are the Roseluck rings, and that they suck up those souls to send them right back to the Eater (or wherever that violightning loop-de-loop was). The way I understand it, a spike in the big pull would threaten places like Flank more than Chapel and the other enervation not-spots.

It seems that enervation is not an effect that radiates from the Core, but either something that snakes throughout the valley or originates from a much more limited source that has been scattered to the wind. Unless the not-spots are, as I saw someone theorize, the result of something that fights enervation.

There's something that might be a problem with the, "Community Fights Enervation," idea. The deadly swamp, filled with gigantic, cannibalistic frogs. We've got little evidence that the frogs in the swamp run an amicable society on the same level as Chapel or even the Arena. I mean, it's possible. The thank you frog could have been a much deeper clue than the light hearted joke it seemed to be, but that's starting to sound a little crazy theoryish.

So now, a short new installment on why Psychoshy makes everything better

It's canon in my head.
Swicked, did you actually name that bridge pony Wherewithal or did you just kind of pull that out of nowhere?

[Silver136]

So I know this was in the book (sort of), but how long does it generally take for a chapter to be written, edited and released?

[Stringtheory]

So I know this was in the book (sort of), but how long does it generally take for a chapter to be written, edited and released?

All depends on Somber, could be anywhere from two weeks to two months, though right now he's unemployed so he's got more time for writing (but a lack of money, send him some if you can). Keep up with this thread to get updates.

[Silver136]

So I know this was in the book (sort of), but how long does it generally take for a chapter to be written, edited and released?

All depends on Somber, could be anywhere from two weeks to two months, though right now he's unemployed so he's got more time for writing (but a lack of money, send him some if you can). Keep up with this thread to get updates.

I've been following the thread yeah, I just wasn't sure what the timetable looked like. Sadly though, I don't have any extra cash...

[Scienza]

Enervation came up just a page ago, more specifically the huge spike recently that may affect other parts of the Hoof. But I thought that enervation's main cause (that we know of) are the Roseluck rings, and that they suck up those souls to send them right back to the Eater (or wherever that violightning loop-de-loop was). The way I understand it, a spike in the big pull would threaten places like Flank more than Chapel and the other enervation not-spots.

It seems that enervation is not an effect that radiates from the Core, but either something that snakes throughout the valley or originates from a much more limited source that has been scattered to the wind. Unless the not-spots are, as I saw someone theorize, the result of something that fights enervation.

There's something that might be a problem with the, "Community Fights Enervation," idea. The deadly swamp, filled with gigantic, cannibalistic frogs. We've got little evidence that the frogs in the swamp run an amicable society on the same level as Chapel or even the Arena. I mean, it's possible. The thank you frog could have been a much deeper clue than the light hearted joke it seemed to be, but that's starting to sound a little crazy theoryish.

What if Enervation is caused by the concentrated hangovers of a population? 'twould explain why Flank has so much and Chapel so little. And soon after Blackjack had the massive hangover of massiveness in Birthday, a tiny enervation field pops up in Tenpony. Coincidence? I THINK NOT!

Maybe Enervation was designed to discourage factory workers in the Core from drinking. What would be worse to a hungover worker than a concentrated scream which passes through walls and hooves covering ears directly into your sobbing brain? Also, it causes you to melt, but hey, nobody's perfect.

[Silver136]

Enervation came up just a page ago, more specifically the huge spike recently that may affect other parts of the Hoof. But I thought that enervation's main cause (that we know of) are the Roseluck rings, and that they suck up those souls to send them right back to the Eater (or wherever that violightning loop-de-loop was). The way I understand it, a spike in the big pull would threaten places like Flank more than Chapel and the other enervation not-spots.

It seems that enervation is not an effect that radiates from the Core, but either something that snakes throughout the valley or originates from a much more limited source that has been scattered to the wind. Unless the not-spots are, as I saw someone theorize, the result of something that fights enervation.

There's something that might be a problem with the, "Community Fights Enervation," idea. The deadly swamp, filled with gigantic, cannibalistic frogs. We've got little evidence that the frogs in the swamp run an amicable society on the same level as Chapel or even the Arena. I mean, it's possible. The thank you frog could have been a much deeper clue than the light hearted joke it seemed to be, but that's starting to sound a little crazy theoryish.

Maybe Enervation is caused by the concentrated hangovers of a population. 'twould explain why Flank has so many and Chapel so little. And soon after Blackjack had the massive hangover of massiveness in Birthday, a tiny enervation field pops up in Tenpony. Coincidence? I THINK NOT!

Well we know the rings are made of star metal, and they start to transmit enervation once a pony dies near it. Chapel doesn't have any Roseluck rings (to my knowledge), and most deaths take place on the bridge by the core. However, Flank has a lot of buildings (and probably some Roseluck rings) along with plenty of death and suffering to go with it.

[Scienza]

Enervation came up just a page ago, more specifically the huge spike recently that may affect other parts of the Hoof. But I thought that enervation's main cause (that we know of) are the Roseluck rings, and that they suck up those souls to send them right back to the Eater (or wherever that violightning loop-de-loop was). The way I understand it, a spike in the big pull would threaten places like Flank more than Chapel and the other enervation not-spots.

It seems that enervation is not an effect that radiates from the Core, but either something that snakes throughout the valley or originates from a much more limited source that has been scattered to the wind. Unless the not-spots are, as I saw someone theorize, the result of something that fights enervation.

There's something that might be a problem with the, "Community Fights Enervation," idea. The deadly swamp, filled with gigantic, cannibalistic frogs. We've got little evidence that the frogs in the swamp run an amicable society on the same level as Chapel or even the Arena. I mean, it's possible. The thank you frog could have been a much deeper clue than the light hearted joke it seemed to be, but that's starting to sound a little crazy theoryish.

Maybe Enervation is caused by the concentrated hangovers of a population. 'twould explain why Flank has so many and Chapel so little. And soon after Blackjack had the massive hangover of massiveness in Birthday, a tiny enervation field pops up in Tenpony. Coincidence? I THINK NOT!

Well we know the rings are made of star metal, and they start to transmit enervation once a pony dies near it. Chapel doesn't have any Roseluck rings (to my knowledge), and most deaths take place on the bridge by the core. However, Flank has a lot of buildings (and probably some Roseluck rings) along with plenty of death and suffering to go with it.

But you never see the Roseluck rings in Flank, but you do see the drugs 'n whiskey.

[Silver136]

Enervation came up just a page ago, more specifically the huge spike recently that may affect other parts of the Hoof. But I thought that enervation's main cause (that we know of) are the Roseluck rings, and that they suck up those souls to send them right back to the Eater (or wherever that violightning loop-de-loop was). The way I understand it, a spike in the big pull would threaten places like Flank more than Chapel and the other enervation not-spots.

It seems that enervation is not an effect that radiates from the Core, but either something that snakes throughout the valley or originates from a much more limited source that has been scattered to the wind. Unless the not-spots are, as I saw someone theorize, the result of something that fights enervation.

There's something that might be a problem with the, "Community Fights Enervation," idea. The deadly swamp, filled with gigantic, cannibalistic frogs. We've got little evidence that the frogs in the swamp run an amicable society on the same level as Chapel or even the Arena. I mean, it's possible. The thank you frog could have been a much deeper clue than the light hearted joke it seemed to be, but that's starting to sound a little crazy theoryish.

Maybe Enervation is caused by the concentrated hangovers of a population. 'twould explain why Flank has so many and Chapel so little. And soon after Blackjack had the massive hangover of massiveness in Birthday, a tiny enervation field pops up in Tenpony. Coincidence? I THINK NOT!

Well we know the rings are made of star metal, and they start to transmit enervation once a pony dies near it. Chapel doesn't have any Roseluck rings (to my knowledge), and most deaths take place on the bridge by the core. However, Flank has a lot of buildings (and probably some Roseluck rings) along with plenty of death and suffering to go with it.

But you never see the Roseluck rings in Flank, but you do see the drugs 'n whiskey.

Well with how common the rings are in larger buildings and businesses I think its safe to assume there are Roseluck rings in Flank. The ruin outside of Flank, as we know, is described as being pocketed with e-fields.

[SilentCarto]

Their eyes are exactly the same model as BJ's, remember?

Well, no, I don't. But that's why I end half the things I say in question marks, I guess.

Ah. Well, ok. It was in chapter 54:
   “It’s a perfect fit... it shouldn’t be a perfect fit,” Glory muttered.
   “What?  It’s not like zebra and pony eyes are different sizes,” Rampage drawled.  “I should know.  I’ve gouged out both before.”
   “It’s not just the size.  The muscle anchors. The power connections.  The data ports.  They’re all identical!”
   “So zebras stole the Steelpony technology,” I grumbled.  “That’s not a surprise.”
   “This isn’t stolen,” Glory replied flatly as I felt her moving the flesh on the right side of my face.  I guess that scalpel had been working on me before I woke up.  “Even if the design was stolen, they’d be manufactured with different tools and standards in the zebra lands.  Everything, even the barcodes on the back of the eye... they’re identical to yours.”  She looked down at me.  “The Brood of Coyotl aren’t ripping off Project Steelpony.  They’re from Project Steelpony.”

While we're on the topic of what I don't remember...

Enervation came up just a page ago, more specifically the huge spike recently that may affect other parts of the Hoof. But I thought that enervation's main cause (that we know of) are the Roseluck rings, and that they suck up those souls to send them right back to the Eater (or wherever that violightning loop-de-loop was). The way I understand it, a spike in the big pull would threaten places like Flank more than Chapel and the other enervation not-spots.

It seems that enervation is not an effect that radiates from the Core, but either something that snakes throughout the valley or originates from a much more limited source that has been scattered to the wind. Unless the not-spots are, as I saw someone theorize, the result of something that fights enervation.

There's something that might be a problem with the, "Community Fights Enervation," idea. The deadly swamp, filled with gigantic, cannibalistic frogs. We've got little evidence that the frogs in the swamp run an amicable society on the same level as Chapel or even the Arena. I mean, it's possible. The thank you frog could have been a much deeper clue than the light hearted joke it seemed to be, but that's starting to sound a little crazy theoryish.

Well, the Roseluck rings certainly resonate with and boost existing enervation, but E-fields seem to sort of bubble up in apparently random locations that change with time. That might be due to subsurface pest-control rings connected to aging power feeds which occasionally fail, reroute, and get repaired, but that's just a guess. The thing about community fighting enervation was BJ's theory, seeing how Chapel and Riverside are real communities that are clear of Enervation despite their proximity to the Core, while the much more distant "tourist town" of Flank is riddled with E-fields. It's not a strong correlation, though -- as you point out, there are large stretches of wasteland that are not affected by Enervation. It might be as simple as towns tending to flourish in locations that are largely Enervation-free. But it seems like a theory based on good evidence, given what we know about the songs of the stars and the history of the Eater of Souls.

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