Friendship is Card Games: The Fault in Our Cutie Marks · 11:21am Sep 11th, 2016
Unsurprisingly, this episode is devoid of cancer patients and amputees. Instead, we have a nasty case of species dysphoria to address.
I really like how the Paleos are treating the Crusaders as adults. Even more so, I love how the Crusaders are responding in kind. (Probably a good thing Scootaloo was sent to play with Petunia, actually.) They may not have larger character models, but they’re clearly maturing.
Okay, how did that fossil get in a freaking sandbox? I’m blaming earth pony reality warping.
Also, Ponysaurus raises more than a few questions about evolution and Equestria’s deep past. Unless, of course, it was just named after its discoverer… though that skull is suspiciously equine… which might be convergent evolution and another possible explanation for the genus name.
Yes, I know I’m thinking about this way more than the writers did, especially given how they conflated archeology and paleontology. That’s what makes it fun! (Although that might have been a clever way to show how the parents really didn’t get their daughter’s talent…)
Given the father’s fencing cutie mark and the mother's pearl-related one, I can see how the Paleos could perceive Petunia’s paleontology pattern as piratical. Also, while I do like how they were supportive enough to buy her what they thought was an appropriate outfit, I’m less impressed by how they got professional help rather than just asking their daughter how she got her cutie mark. I suppose they were afraid it was for something even worse than piracy.
It really is nice seeing the Crusaders having a positive impact on the town, especially in comparison to their past havoc.
Aww, catbird doing cat things. Gabby makes an adorable first impression. That said, I still dislike the “all griffon names start with ‘G’” convention.
Apple Bloom really pushed the apple-flavored countryisms this episode. I don’t know if she feels like she needs to compensate for her non-agricultural destiny or one of the writers just thought it was funny, but it felt quite odd.
I quite like Gabby’s motivation, both the unforeseen consequences of the mission to Griffonstone and the entirely logical misunderstanding. “Ponies are friendlier than griffons. Ponies have cutie marks while griffons don’t. Therefore, cutie marks will make griffons friendlier.”
Her character is also fantastic. The Crusaders have to confront all of their past excesses and misunderstandings in a single, adoring package.
I suppose zebras count as ponies for the purposes of cutie marks. That or those really are just tattoos or stripe patterns. It’s rather ambiguous. Having Zecora in the episode only highlights that ambiguity.
Nice multiple callback, though I’m surprised nopony focused on Apple Bloom more. After all, between “Call of the Cutie” and “The Cutie Pox,” she’s the only one who’s tried magical mark enhancement.
I really don’t know how to feel about Scootaloo’s motivation to try to help Gabby realize her dream. On the one hand, it is a fantastic character moment for her. On the other, I want her odds of flying to be better than a griffon’s of getting a cutie mark.
Looks like Sweetie’s over her stage fright.
I quite like how Gabby has to take a moment to start moving to the beat of the music. “Oh, right, ponies have spontaneous musical numbers. If I try to follow along, I might get a cutie mark out of it.”
Going by the song, Gabby’s greatest talent is having opposable thumbs.
Also, I have to assume that they’re harvesting kelp out of Ponyville’s lake. Otherwise, space has as much meaning in Equestria as time. (Though, to be fair, it is a montage. And going to the coast would give Gabby room to try her talon as a shipwright. And then there’s the question of ponies playing baseball…)
Gabby’s incredible ability illustrates the key difference between griffons and ponies: different degrees of self-sufficiency. Ponies group together naturally. Griffons had to be forced together through communal adoration of the shiniest of trinkets. An individual griffon can fend for herself a lot better than an individual pony. A single pony is a cog in a greater machine, specialized for the purpose that is her special talent, symbolized by the cutie mark. A single griffon needs no specialization or symbology. Even if she wants it.
Yes, the Crusaders had countless failures before this one, but those were for their own benefit. This was their first time failing someone else, and that’s going to sting a lot worse.
Sweetie Belle’s reaction to Gabby’s mark perfectly matched mine.
Not sure if parchment—that is, animal skin treated for use as writing materials—was ever referenced before, but it’s canon now. Given how Equestria has newspapers, you’d think they’d have a paper industry. Maybe Twilight’s a traditionalist.
Interesting that Gabby refers to the purple princess as “your Twilight.” Not sure what that says about griffon mentality, but there are definitely a lot of underlying assumptions there.
Again, I love how the Crusaders are effectively addressing their past selves when explaining the reality of cutie marks to Gabby. Also, I am so glad that Gabby didn’t end up with an actual, physical mark. That would’ve raised so many unpleasant questions and implications.
In all, this episode was fantastic. A great way to look back on the Crusaders’ character arcs, with nods to their past failings and how far they’ve come since. Plus, it’s a great step in interspecies relations. Though someone’s going to have to tell Twilight that the breakthrough of the century is a cauldron full of bull honky…
Not it! Too busy designing cards:
Continual Celebration W
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature can’t attack or block.
At the beginning of the upkeep of enchanted creature’s controller, that player gains 1 life.
”I’m getting exhausted just watching her.”
—Scootaloo
Compose 1W
Sorcery
Search your library for an enchantment card and reveal that card. Shuffle your library. If that card is a Song, put it into your hand. Otherwise, put it on top of your library.
”Improvisation can be enjoyable, but knowing the notes ahead of time tends to help.”
—Octavia, orchestral assassin
Concerned Parents 4W
Creature — Pony Citizen
When Concerned Parents enters the battlefield, detain any number of target creatures your opponents control with total power 3 or less. (Until your next turn, those creatures can’t attack or block and their activated abilities can’t be activated.)
“Be careful! Somepony could get hurt.”
2/4
Cutie Intervention 1U
Instant
Gain control of target activated or triggered ability. You may choose new targets for it. (Mana abilities can’t be targeted.)
The Crusaders ensure that every talent is used for the betterment of everypony.
Experimental Montage 1U
Enchantment — Song
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a verse counter on Experimental Montage.
3U, Sacrifice Experimental Montage: Look at the top X cards of your library, where X is the number of verse counters on Experimental Montage. Put half of those cards, rounded up, into your hand and the rest into your graveyard.
Research Project 1U
Enchantment
2: Put a study counter on Research Project. Any player may activate this ability.
When there are five or more study counters on Research Project, sacrifice it. If you do, you draw three cards and each other player draws two cards.
Gather Kelp 3U
Sorcery
Create a 0/1 blue Plant Wall creature token with defender named Kelp for each Island you control.
Ponies only fish for sport, but they still make use of the ocean’s bounty.
Impossible Expectation B
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
At the beginning of the end step of enchanted creature’s controller, if that creature didn’t deal combat damage to a player this turn, its controller sacrifices it.
The Crusaders’ long streak of successes made them feel unstoppable. Then they met Gabby.
Stuck in the Muck 1R
Sorcery
Kicker 1B (You may pay an additional 1B as you cast this spell.)
Creatures target player controls without flying can’t block this turn. If Stuck in the Muck was kicked, those creatures get -1/-1 until end of turn.
”Mud is a jealous lover that refuses to let go.”
—Rarity, Bearer of Generosity
Hypercompetence 1RR
Enchantment
Damage that would be dealt by sources you control can’t be prevented.
Spells you cast can’t be countered by spells or abilities.
Some people are just that good.
Eager Courier 3R
Creature — Griffin Scout
Flying
Whenever Eager Courier attacks, you may discard a card. If you do, draw a card.
She’ll happily fly halfway around the world to deliver your letter, and just as happily forget the dozen others meant for Griffonstone residents.
2/2
Internecine Strife 2RRR
Sorcery
Each creature target player controls deals 1 damage to each other creature that player controls.
Anyone who can get by in Griffonstone for a week without any new scars is a diplomatic genius.
Harvest Help G
Sorcery
Until end of turn, creatures you control gain “T: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool.”
What Applejack lost in pride, she more than made up for in time saved.
Pop Fly G
Instant
Target creature you control deals damage equal to its power to target creature with flying.
Griffins at bat take a base when they hit someone else with the ball.
Ponyville Expedition 1G
Enchantment
Landfall — Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, put a quest counter on Ponyville Expedition.
Remove three quest counters from Ponyville Expedition and sacrifice it: Create two 2/2 green Pony creature tokens.
Stir the Mix 2GG
Sorcery
Exile all cards from your hand. For each card exiled this way, return a card from your graveyard to your hand at random. Then put all cards you exiled this way into your graveyard.
Exile Stir the Mix.
Spiny-Backed Ponysaurus 3GG
Creature — Pony Lizard
Rampage 2 (Whenever this creature becomes blocked, it gets +2/+2 until end of turn for each creature blocking it beyond the first.)
“It never actually existed; I put those fossils there as a joke. But if ponies take them so seriously, why not indulge them?”
—Discord
3/5
Griffin Galleon 3
Artifact — Vehicle
Whenever Griffin Galleon deals combat damage to a player, add CC to your mana pool at the beginning of your next main phase.
Crew 2 (Tap any number of creatures you control with total power 2 or more: This Vehicle becomes an artifact creature until end of turn.)
4/5
Mark of Honor 3
Artifact — Equipment
Equipped creature gets +1/+2.
Hoofcraft — Equipped creature has all activated abilities of each other creature you control as long as you control three or more Ponies, Pegasi, and/or Unicorns.
Equip 3
Gabby, Griffin Crusader 1UR
Legendary Creature — Griffin Advisor
Flying
1U, T: Copy target activated ability you control. You may choose new targets for the copy.
1R, T: Target attacking or blocking creature gets +2/+0 and gains first strike until end of turn.
”Helping others is its own reward.”
2/2
Ponyville Paleontologist 2(rg)
Creature — Pony Spellshaper
(rg), T, Discard a card: Return a card from your graveyard to your hand at random.
On the edge of the Everfree, there’s no telling what might lie just under the surface.
1/1
Fossil Rise 2UB
Sorcery
Put target creature card in a graveyard onto the battlefield under your control. That creature is an artifact in addition to its other types.
”I’m actually kind of impressed. Most necromancers can’t even spell ‘permineralization.’”
—Princess Twilight Sparkle
To quote:
A griffon should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, sing a heartsong, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly.
...Specialization is for ponies!
It was a really fun episode, and I'm so glad the show's doing more with non-pony races. (I keep pining for some more zebra stuff...)
One tiny but nice detail I noticed: when Gabby and the CMCs run through Ponyville at the start of their montage song, she moves in loping bounds, like a cat. The show puts a surprising amount of effort into stuff like that; I remember someone saying it's got the best horse walking cycle they've seen in animation!
Now I'm imagining Necromancers with DINOSAUR GUARDS! This is both awesome and kinda terrifying.
The spiny backed ponysaurus is a fascinating find. But bones can only tell you so much - it leaves unanswered the most interesting question: did it have a cutie mark?
I imagine she just rushed into the house shouting, 'I got my cutie mark digging for treasure!' and they got the wrong idea.
Blind spot?
They've been talking about parchment for basically the entire show (okay, I don't remember specific mentions in season 1, but definitely in "Lesson Zero" and onwards). I strongly suspect the writers thought it just meant paper and didn't bother to look up the word early on, and now it's stuck.
Oh my gosh... the way Gabby's tied her feathers at the back of her head... She wants to have a ponytail
It was a fun episode, though my first impression was that it's not especially significant. I'm also hesitant to start thinking about it too much, because, well, it's yet another "non-ponies are different from us" episode. Which, given that ponies are supposed to be just human, is a kinda shady sentiment.
That said, I have a thing coming up which involves a griffon, and this episode actually didn't Joss it. If anything it enhanced it. So that's a new experience
The opening scene was delightful from start to finish. "Petunia" is notably a name which has no paleontological significance at all that I can see, a marked deviation from naming protocol. Possibly evidence in favor of the "change your name when you get your mark to match" naming theory?
It looks like I'm going to have to wait to watch this episode on Netflix for various reasons, but mostly because Dailymotion always crashes on my laptop. It's too bad because the episode sounds really interesting.
About the word "parchment," I see it in fanfics all the time and always avoid using it myself because I know that parchment is usually sheepskin and can last forever. I'm guessing that some writers (both on the show and on this website) just assume it's an old-timey word for paper. It's possible that some of the ponies' older documents are written on animal skin, like the books in the old castle library, but they'd have no good reason to use it in modern times. And they still wouldn't use sheep because sheep are sapient.
4204617
4204637
I actually circumvented it like that, myself:
So many fun and little moments in this episode. And I actually liked the song as well. And Gabby is adorable. She's such a Mary Sue, but I love her.
And so the second member of the Griffon 6 is found. Griffon Pinkie Pie (AKA Gabby)! Now we just need to wait for the other four to arrive.
...The Ponysaurus points to a reptilian ancestor for ponykind, meaning ponies and dragons share a common, ancient lineage, and this is why they can crossbreed.
Fuck everything.
Clearly, the Paleo parents are retired pirates who regret the lives they took in pursuit of endless bounty, and do not wish for their daughter to follow in their hoofsteps. Also, they've read too much Harry Dresden.
4204593 "If they knew how to work together, they'd have taken us over before Nightmare Moon. I often ask myself if that would truly have been so bad."
4204791 Except the batpony.
4204593
Gabby pulled off about half of the list over the course of the episode. Lazarus Long would be proud.
4204602
More zebra stuff would be nice. We barely have anything to go on. Sure, there's a lot of flexibility to work with, but a firmer foundation would help.
4204606
Two words: fossil golem.
s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/80/5a/d7/805ad7f90ffbd6509aed1234af838d08.jpg
4204615
That actually makes a great deal of sense.
And the Ponysaurus cutie mark is very interesting. Not even fossilized skin samples would answer it since they don't retain coloration. Pony paleontologists would have to hope for a miraculously frozen specimen. And that assumes that the cutie mark stays present after death. It may not, given how it seems to need a constant trickle of magic to stay visible. In that case, time travel or asking Discord for help might be the only remaining recourses.
4204617
I suppose the parchment could be a case of research failure.
Heh. That's a well done stealth pun.
As for Petunia, her full name is Petunia Paleo according to the credits... which raises a number of questions about her parents' naming choices, especially if they don't know the difference between archeology and paleontology.
4204676
That works too.
4204714
At least there's a well-defined limit on her hypercompetence: It has to be for someone else's benefit. Support Sues are a lot less insufferable than most varieties.
4204791
Dragons certainly do.
4204918
Headcanon considered for Petunia's parents. There may be a story in there...
4204938
Suppose it’s actually “Pale-o” – a statement of color. :)
I'm really curious as to why you chose Gabby's color alignment to be UR. I wonder if these were innate talents, she might have been green.
4204938
If Dr Caballeron is anything to go by, being an archaeologist in Equestria might not be so different to being a pirate.
4205057
I wonder if Daring Do has a letter of marque...
4204968
Gabby's original design was white-blue, but her impulsive thinking, conclusion jumping, emotional outbursts, scattershot approach, and desire to do the impossible because she wants to all pointed at something redder. That said, she sought to reinvent herself, refusing to let the tyranny of biology or expectations of society dictate what she could or could not do. She gathered information, came to a conclusion, and followed leads to the best authorities on her subject of interest. From there, she took an experimental approach to achieve her goals. In short, she used her head to follow her heart. That says blue-red to me.
Also, as far as I know, no one can instinctually play the clarinet.
I hadn't thought of Gabby as exemplifying the Crusaders' past excesses. That's rather insightful.
It also occurs to me that the episode contains a meta-message for the (younger) viewers that you don't need to have a picture on your rump to find the purpose in your life.
I personally liked the idea that Paleo's parents were retired pirates who didn't want their daughter following them in the family business.
And then there's Gabriella.
She is more adorable than any gryphon I've before seen or imagined. The world's only optimistic gryphon was so effusive and irrepressible, she had me squeeing for almost the entire episode after she showed up. And her emphasizing the catness of her catbird nature was cute, too. Gilda may have been the first friendship apostle, but Gabby makes a pretty great second.
It also helps that to me, Gabby is Gryphon Derpy (though absurdly competent instead of absurdly incompetent).
(I, for one, kinda like the G-names convention. At least to the point where I use it for another non-equine race.
)
Hypercompetence is a bit scary for 1RR.
Ponyville Paleontologist is an interesting card, especially since she can crab the card she just discarded. Don't you just love spellshapers?
4204606
You, sir, need to read Dead Beat from the Dresden Files. Two words: Zombie T-Rex.
Has anyone else noticed that pretty much every other culture we've had a look at (yaks, dragons, changelings, and gryphons) have all had a common thread of being quarrelsome and antagonistic to oneanother? I mean ponies are a pretty friendly bunch, but every other species seems several standard deviations down in friendliness.
Furthermore, of the "friendly" members of those species that we've seen (gabby, gilda, thorax, ember, and spike), at least half of those (gabby, thorax, and spike) have been explicitly stated to be distinctly unlike the others of their race. While gilda and ember did start as fairly mean and then come around to more equine temperments, this still does sort of imply a redwall-style thing of nonponies being inherently antagonistic. Maybe it's only equestria that has some inherent level of harmony magic in its background magic (or is mildly law-aligned for you planescape players) and not the entire world as has sometimes been proposed.
Unrelated, I like that Ponyville Paleontologist is basically a Fossil Find on a stick.
And in regards to the fossil golem, libris mortis did the reanimated fossil bit first.
vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/zombieundead/images/0/08/84767.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20100728044125
4205090
Thanks! Its always great to discuss characters and mana alignment with fellow magic fans.
4205214
Well, the Tree of Harmony is located smack-dab in the middle of Equestria... I guess we've figured out its effective range of influence. :/
4205214 That's a very good point. You might want to add Diamond Dogs to that mix as well. It could also as FOME said ponies group together naturally. All the others are much like humans in that it took a major outside source to pull them together like the the Dragon lord or Idol.
Food for thought at the least.
If anyone makes a mock-up of Cutie Intervention, it should be in the Future Sight futureshifted frame: I know that is a card we will see soon. When it does, I will obtain four. It will sit in my hand while my opponents wonder why I'm not swinging at their planeswalker.
Just pictured using Cutie Intervention to make a Royal Assassin kill himself (which I envision as being like that one scene in Gamers 2).
Considering how Reach is usually depicted (on non-Spiders, anyways) as archery, I feel like Stuck in the Muck should exclude those creatures as well. It actually reminds me of a game my dad designed called "Battlefield" which is like the card game "War" but uses some special cards like "Muddy Field" which gives all non-Archers one less value.
Holy cow. In the right circumstances, Internecine Strife is like a nuke going off on the battlefield.
How does the Crew ability of Griffin Galleon interact with summoning sickness?
4204791 PHRASING.
Guess I need to catch up with this episode.
Cutie Intervention is disgusting and I want it in my Narset Commander deck.
4205184
It is a good metamessage, regardless of whether or not it was intentional. Recognizing one's talents and strengths isn't as simple as seeing what decorated one's hips.
It would certainly explain how they already had the costume ready.
Never thought of Gabby as the griffon analogue of Best Pony, but I can definitely see how you would.
4205270
Agreed. Feel free to ask for other characters if and when you're curious.
4205447
Archers with reach: 22
Spiders with reach: 43
Afraid I'm going to have to disagree with you on the mechanic's most frequent portrayal. If anyone asks, the mud got on their bowstrings.
4205214 4205368
To be fair, we have seen quarrelsome pony communities as well, both major metropolitan areas and rural regions. The base sample is Ponyville, which its residents have noted as one of the friendliest and most accepting towns in Equestria. The Flimflam brothers were practically welcomed back with open arms after the cider debacle, and even ruling the town with an iron hoof for a few days just led ponies to mutter behind Trixie's back.
Furthermore, most other sapients seem to get along well among themselves. The Diamond Dog pack had a little squabbling among the alphas, but the pack structure was strong. The yaks had no quarrel with one another, and given their perfectionism, are likely more lawfully aligned than ponies. We have little concrete data on changeling hives, but they were clearly a united front in Canterlot, Thorax excepted.
The exceptions appear to descend from more solitary species to begin with. Griffin mentality seems to draw more from the avian than the leonine, given their lust for shiny things and which half has the head. Eagles aren't exactly known for their rich societies. And dragons, with acquisition as one of their primary drives, will generally see each other only as rivals or mates without the authority of the Bloodstone Scepter.
So yeah, this doesn't appear to be a case of the uberpferd and the lesser races. Some of it is culture clash (just look at the buffalo,) some has a biological basis, and some is sampling bias in favor of ponies by showing a town within spitting distance of the Tree of Harmony.
4205618
You can crew a Vehicle with creatures that came under your control this turn, but you can't attack with a Vehicle that came under your control this turn unless it has haste (which some do.)
4205632
I may have undercosted it, but it feels so niche that making it more expensive feels wrong. Even if it can steal planeswalker ultimates.
4205757 Fair points all.
4205757
I did say that non-spiders with reach were mainly archers. Not that most creatures with reach were archers. That being said, I wasn't really saying you should remake the card, just that I felt it should exclude Archers.
By the way, I've started putting your archives of cards in MSE again. Just finished Rainbow Rocks, and once I'm done with Friendship Games I'll start in on Season 5 (we're at 1315 cards and counting, now).
Are these actual things? Or did you make them up?
4206299 Actual things, recently introduced through the recent Kaladesh spoilers.
I recently used them to finish an Optimus Prime card I started some time ago.
scontent.fden3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/14212682_10153886369762960_3216292334750370058_n.jpg?oh=e6eca578484780b979f21a1c6e8def9f&oe=58418D8B
4206299 New stuff from the upcoming Kaladesh expansion. Look here for the details.
4204918 One cannot "read too much Dresden Files"!
Also, the only complaint I have about your awesome cards is that you don't post how rare they are. How can I make awesome renders of them if I don't know the rarity?
In fact, if you list if it's supposed to be common, uncommon, rare or mythic, I'll gladly make renders of every card you design! (Though the vehicles might have to hold for a bit; the vehicle template's not quite ready yet...)
4204791 Is there any evidence that they can, other than Spike wanting to?
4204938 That thing looks awesome.
4205214
Except for zebras. Granted, thus far the only one we've seen is Zecora, but the worst that can be said about her, socially speaking, is that she's more private than most ponies are.
4205757
Good points, always get a good sample when analyzing statistics.
4206340
Yeah, I purposefully excluded zebra culture since for some reason we have yet to see more than one GOSH-DARN ZEBRA!
Seriously, we should have seen more seasons ago. What the frick, hasbro?
4206355 Most of Zecora's appearances lately seem to be non-speaking, too. Maybe they're worried about trying to rhyme everything?
4206289
Ah, missed the parentheses. Sorry.
Also, good Lord. I knew I'd churned out a lot of cards over the years, but it's still staggering to think of just how many.
4206333
The truth is, I'm usually not sure myself. It's hard enough making sure all of the knobs are properly calibrated without adding one more to turn, Plus, my propensity for elaborate top-down design is anything but New World Order friendly.
4206355
My only guess is 4206359's. The writers have a hard enough time managing one zebra's dialogue. If they've decided that rhyming is a cultural quirk rather than a shamanistic ritual, they'd hesitate to include any more. (Of course, that's a trap of their own making which they could easily defuse... though a zebracentric story would probably still need to feature Zecora for the whole episode.)
4206340
No. I am cursing the show for supporting headcanons that I hate.
4206465
Well, if we go by Dungeons & Dragons logic, dragons can reproduce with most animals, some plants, and certain oozes.
Referring to your relief that Gabby didn't get an actual cutie mark, I completely agree. In fact, I remember in the last five minutes of the episode me chanting, 'please don't get a real cutie mark, please don't get a real cutie mark'. Because, A, yes it would convoluted and raise more questions than a Kingdom Hearts game ever could (no offense, KH lovers), and B, it would ruin the purpose of a story I'm planning, since griffons not getting cutie marks is kinda vital to it.
4206438 Very well, I'll just estimate it when I render them then.
Did the Kaladesh spoiler also introduce the "create" term for putting tokens onto the battlefield? It makes perfect sense and more-or-less matches existing player jargon, so it didn't cause any confusion, but it was still noticeably unfamiliar.
4206802
Yup. "Create" is a keyword action as of Kaladesh, a convenient one word short hand for "put onto the battlefield."
She kills it to the beat?
4206465 Having a common ancestor doesn't mean they can interbreed... And that's assuming it even IS one. For all we know, it's called a Ponysaurus because it was first discovered in/near Ponyville. (Not an uncommon naming practice for dinosaurs in real life, such as Albertosaurus or Denversaurus.) Or, less charitably, they just slapped "pony" on its name so it'd fit in with everything else that's got pony-related names.
4207152
You're taking this way more seriously than I am. :B
4207217 You sure? No offense, but you seemed a bit worked up over it.
4206821
A minor element of my FiMtG crossover setting, wherein Octavia's employer would be the Royal Assassinorum if such an organization existed, which it plainly does not.
4206759
If you'll note my post that he also replied to, I'm working on the same project. I've currently done a work-around for the rarity bit by not assigning a set symbol, and pretty much none of them have pictures, but I've got a ton of them made in MSE already.