The Order, as seen on the World Map, is the castle which serves as the headquarters and sanctuary for the Order of Equestria, an organization or alliance which was established for the purpose of replacing the Mane Six -- temporarily or otherwise -- and defending ponykind from the innumerable threats which face Equestria, in the event that the Mane Six should ever be unable to fulfill their duties. Thus, the storyline behind Ponyvania: Order of Equestria is similar to that of the game's inspirational namesake, Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia, in which the named order was established as a reserve means of opposing Dracula in the event that the Belmont bloodline and their ordained vampire slayers should ever fail to send forth an heir in time to combat Dracula's latest pending resurrection.
In the scenario behind this game, the Order of Equestria, led by Princess Celestia , has acquired the petrified form of Discord for safekeeping. Unfortunately, the Mane Six are nowhere to be found, and the Elements of Harmony needed to bind Discord in his stony form have been stolen, scattered across Equestria and cast into the wrong hands. Without the Elements of Harmony to maintain his captivity, Discord is slowly recovering his freedom and his powers over Chaos. Rightly fearing Discord's imminent return and what widespread calamity would surely follow, Princess Celestia summons the player's Hero to the Order, explaining the urgent need to recover all of the Elements of Harmony before Discord arises to plunge Equestria into utter chaos and disharmony once more.
Along with Princess Celestia, the standing membership of the Order of Equestria also consists of Princess Luna and any number of Royal Guards, and although it is never specified, the Hero seems to be a member of the Order as well. Throughout the course of the story, the castle also welcomes a number of allies and visitors, including Filthy Rich , Derpy Hooves and Zecora the Zebra. After the events of the fourth stage, Cloudsdale , Princess Celestia leaves the Order and goes to contain the upheaval in Manehattan and elsewhere, and Princess Luna assumes command of the Order in her absence.
The Layout[]
The player's first sight of the Order will be its facade and exterior towards the end of the Prelude, the tutorial which helps the player become familiar with whatever Hero the player has created, along with the pony's controls, attacks and abilities. Beyond the great doors, the Hero is inside the entrance or foyer, where a Royal Guard stands watch and gives the Hero advice when asked. Throughout the course of the game, transient visitors such as Derpy Hooves and Zecora can be found here with the Royal Guard.
Beyond the foyer is the great hall, a large chamber which rises three stories in height. From the great hall, the Hero can find the save point room on the second floor and the royal chamber on the third floor; after the Hero returns victorious from the Everfree Forest , Filthy Rich's shop on the second floor, directly across from the save point room, becomes accessible as well. Princess Luna can be found at the first floor of the great chamber until after the Hero completes the fifth stage -- the Appaloosan Mines -- by which point Princess Luna has relocated to the royal chamber and from there supervises the Hero's quest in Princess Celestia's absence.
Filthy Rich can be found inside the shop which Princess Celestia has set aside for him and his work. Filthy Rich's wares change after the completion of each stage, with new Weapons, Armors, Accessories and Skills becoming available as old ones are discontinued. Water of Life and Level Up potions can be bought from Filthy Rich at any time, provided that the Hero does not already have a Water of Life or that the Hero has not attained the maximal Level.
The save point room can be used at any time to record the Hero's progress, simply by interacting with the Fausticorn statue in the center of the room. The Fausticorn's blue crystal shatters in a shower of light as the Hero's progress is saved; if the player makes a mistake and needs to save the game again, the Hero must first replenish the statue's blue crystal by leaving the room and returning.
Items[]
Aside from Filthy Rich's merchandise, other items can be acquired at the Order as well. At certain points between the various stages of the game, the Hero may speak with Princess Luna in order to receive helpful items, such as the scroll for the Rapidus Fio passive skill or a one-time payment of 800 Bits. If the Hero leaves for the next stage without speaking to Princess Luna, these bonus items could be lost; it is therefore advisable for the Hero to speak with her after entering the Order and before embarking on the next stage.
Speaking with the Royal Guard before going to the Everfree Forest will earn the Hero a basic weapon, such as a Spear or a Staff. The interaction is compulsory, so there is no likelihood of the Hero being forced to fight the forest's monsters unarmed, a dangerous prospect best avoided.
After the successful completion of Ghastly Gorge, Princess Celestia will still be absent from her royal chamber. The Hero may visit her chamber anyway to find a Twisted Horn at the far right end of the chamber, near the petrified form of Discord. When equipped, this accessory increases the Hero's LCK by 5 but reduces all Experience gains to zero, preventing the pony from growing in Level. If the Hero has already reached maximal Level -- as set by the player during character creation -- then the Twisted Horn's drawback is not a drawback at all, making this item very attractive and useful for gaining more frequent item drops from defeated enemies.
Zecora will arrive at the Order on the Hero's successful return from the Appaloosan Mines. Speaking with her will award the Hero a Holy Glasses accessory, which must be equipped in order to see and attack some of the monsters infesting Manehattan.
With a Dowsing Stick equipped, the Hero can discover a Blue Chest at the top floor of the great hall, directly across from the royal chamber. Opening the chest produces an item called Record1, which changes the Order's background music to the original 8-bit version of Vampire Killer, a homage to the first Castlevania game released in 1986. The chest's location is constant and can be found and opened during any visit to the Order, as long as the Hero has a Dowsing Stick to equip. Leaving the Order will reset the background music to Garibaldi Temple, the tune inherent to this location.