Basic Info

Equaritans are a species of aquatic pony that thrive at the south pole, sometimes known as Walrus Ponies, despite having no relation to walruses. They are known as this because they have always co-existed with a species of southern walrus (called "Osmaridus"), which they often ride across the water for speedy traversal.Equaritans live at the southernmost continent of the planet Equus, called Ulluria, with many cities and towns that never need to worry about foreign invasions, since intruders wouldn't dare challenge them in the brutal cold of the antarctic. Equaritans spend their days playing in the snow, hunting fish for food, racing on the Osmaridus for sport, and hanging out by the fire at night.Artworks used:
Planet Equus
Equestria symbol

Brief History

Part 1

This is only a brief history. For the complete history, visit this page.

Hundreds of thousands of years ago, seven tribes of very primitive pegasi migrated to the southern pole of the planet, where there were very few predators. They called this continent at the south pole "Ulluria." These seven tribes were known as the Ullens, the Izens, the Whittox, the Glacens, the Glisseaux, the Iafins, and the Cristalis.

Since pegasi already lived high in the clouds where the air is cold and thin, these pegasi were able to survive in the bitter cold. At first, they crafted tools to help them to hunt for fish, which is the only sustainable food source in the antarctic. But over many millennia, the pegasi evolved, eventually inheriting claws, sharp teeth, and fins. Their fur got even thicker so they could retain body heat even in the coldest of waters. They evolved to a point where they no longer needed tools to hunt. It wasn't long before they were able to build their own civilizations.

Brief History

Part 2

Each tribe had their own unique struggles due to their different geographic locations and environmental conditions, and over time, each tribe adapted to the obstacles in their homelands, and became differentiated from one another. Once their evolutionary advantages made getting food much easier, the tribes were able to focus on turning their villages into towns, and eventually into cities.

These cities would carry the namesake of the tribes that founded them; Ullenguarde, Izenport, Whithelm, Glacenbury, Glissmoor, Iaford, and Cristalhallow.

A notable flaw of Equaritan architecture is that, since lumber was a scarce resource, all structures were made of ice and snow. Supplying light from inside these structures without melting them was impossible, and if light was to be supplied via holes in the ceiling, this would allow cold air to flow in and defeat the purpose of having a house in the first place. Only small, compact structures were practical.

Brief History

Part 3

But eventually, an amazing discovery was made. The Iafins uncovered luminium; a valuable ore that supplied light, without radiating heat. Because of this, they were able to light up their homes and their palaces without fear of melting them, resulting in brilliant structures with immaculate lighting.

The Iafins were eager to trade, but the Ullen Chancellor had other plans. Ullenguarde waged war on Iaford to seize its supply of luminium, and began to colonize other tribes to gain geopolitical influence over Iaford. This continued for hundreds of years, until eventually, an Izen revolutionary by the name of Koncora led a rebellion against the Ullens' occupation of Izenport. The Izens won their independence, and inspired other tribes to do the same. Ullenguarde, outnumbered by the other tribes, eventually surrendered, bringing an end to the Ullen Empire.

The tribes agreed to be allies from then on; and the result was a massive nation spanning the entire continent of Ulluria. This nation adopted a democratic system of government, giving equal representation to everypony. Ullenguarde was repurposed to be a hub of multiculturalism, where Equaritans of all kinds were welcomed to represent their homelands. Today, Ulluria still sits as both a nation and a continent, and remains largely secluded from the rest of the world.

Anatomy

Part 1

Equaritans are suited to live much of their lives in the water. They may have evolved from a pegasus, however they are completely flightless, as they have fins instead of wings. Their tails are adapted to the aquatic environment as well, having a sort of dolphin shape. In addition, Equaritans have very large lungs to store plenty of air, meaning they can spend up to an hour underwater before needing to take a breath. Because of this, they are known for having rather puffed-out chests.Equaritans are also very small in comparison to other species of ponies. This aids them in being agile in the water, combining with all their other features to make them extraordinarily fast swimmers. However, because of their smaller muscle mass, they cannot swim for extremely long distances; which is why they rely on the Osmaridus for long-distance travel.

Anatomy

Part 2

Of course, being at the southern pole means it is very, very cold. Equaritans have very thick fur to keep them warm on the main parts of their bodies, however the fur gradually thins out a bit when it gets to the tail. And since they are very small, it's easier for them to preserve body heat.And lastly, Equaritans are carnivores. Their diets mainly consist of fish they get from hunting. As such, they do not have hooves; instead, they have paws, with retractable claws. This does hinder their ability to travel on land, but it offers great advantages for hunting. For similar reasons, Equaritans also have sharp teeth, and two larger fangs on either side of their mouth, which can extend when preparing to strike their prey.

Biology

Aside from reproductive functions (and breast size for anthros), there are few differences between male and female Equaritans. There never needed to be! Besides the occasional polar bear, there were never any real threats to Equaritans, so there was never a need to have a stronger stallion to protect the tribe. Both males and females have a more feminine body shape; you might even say the stallions are "femboys." The biggest noticeable difference is their voice, and even then, the stallions have softer voices than stallions in any other part of the world.

General Overview

Ulluria's geography contributes a large amount to the lives of its inhabitants. It sits at the south pole of the planet Equus, a vast landmass mostly covered in snow. Grass is a rare sight on Ulluria, and trees are even rarer.

A curious side effect of being at the south pole is that, the south pole is, by definition, the southernmost point on the planet; this means that moving in any direction away from the south pole causes you to move north.

Because of this, Ullurians do not use typical north, south, east, and west cardinal directions. Rather, they use their own labels. With the map in its current orientation, these directions are:
Up - Kroth
Down - Zoth
Left - Vlest
Right - Glist

Ocean Currents

The areas near the bottom of the continent are much warmer than the areas near the top. This is because of ocean currents. Warm water flows from the Great Sea of Zo and much of it flows to the 90° western meridian. Or as the Ullurians would say, it flows to the vlestern meridian.

Because of wind, the planet's rotation, and how much easier it is for water to flow this way because of how the land is shaped, the currents bring warmer water by the Izen and Zo Peninsulas, Iglis, and the Islands of Veka.

It also allows for limited agriculture, and as such, Iglis, Izenport, and the Islands of Veka are Ulluria's primary agricultural areas. In addition, Izenport is Ulluria's main seaport, so other species who aren't adapted to the cold can do trade here, where it's most warm.

Plate Tectonics

All of the heat that is carried by the ocean currents is generated by the Zo Supervolcano. This massive volcano is located underwater at the intersection of three tectonic plates. The planet's crust is very thin here, allowing magma to build up pressure in this area, keeping it very warm; thus providing heat to the currents.

The Glissdon Mountains are formed similar to how the Himalayas were formed on Earth. The Gliss plate was driven under the Antarctic plate, causing the Antarctic plate to rise up and form a huge mountain range; just like the Indian and Eurasian plates formed the Himalayas.

Similarly, the Glacori Plateau is just like the Tibetan Plateau on Earth. This is also why Lake Glacori is frozen; it's so high in the air on top of the plateau. Before the plateau formed, Lake Glacori was at sea level, but it was risen by the collision between the plates. The extremely cold temperatures caused the lake to freeze, which kept the water in place and prevented it from draining out into the ocean. What resulted is a frozen lake located several kilometers above sea level.

Size Comparisons

Ulluria is very large, about twice the area of Australia, and a little less than half as big as Africa.