To win, entrants had to write a short story about him.
Username: SerenWish
WTE Name: Tamerlane
WTE Age: 6 Years
Gender: Stallion
Height: 12.2hh
Personality: As a foal, Tamerlane struggled with connecting or forming bonds, and often sat by and watched other foals play- in the few insistence that he tries to move in and play as well, his way of suggesting things "to be more enjoyable" only weirded out the other colts and fillies. Because of this, he tries to plot his words so to convince others to go his way- in the few times out of the year that he really interacts. His heart is in the right place, but he often goes about the wrong way doing it.
Tamerlane is a stallion who takes his name to heart- he’s both clever and brave- usually. He enjoys situations that makes his mind work, and spends much of his time wondering- his curiosity can get him into trouble, when he sometimes lets his wonder dominant his wisdom. He also can be foolhardy when trying to be brave- but he’s not fearless. He fears fire more than anything, and dislikes lightning storms due to that fact.
He’s rather quiet and withdrawn usually, and doesn't live near other Whip-tails except when breeding season rolls around. During season he’s rather calculating and withdrawn, but is devoted to protecting the mare that chooses him for that season. (Though he has not bred yet.)
Tamerlane enjoys puzzling things out, putting pieces together, and he has an eye for detail- though he does still tend to get a bit hyperfocused on things.
Genes: Bay base: Dominant: Pangare
Story: The pale sunlight filtered through the treetops above as a creature of earthy shadows and pale snow-white slept, his nostrils flaring with every deep breath of sleep. His tail twitched at the occasional ant that tried to crawl over his hocks, but he continued to slumber on, wrapped in the peace and quiet of the jungle’s morning. Any birds or primates were far off from this spot, so, for the jungle, it was relatively silent.
Until the crashing began.
His head whipped up with a fierce snort, looking a bit caught-off guard at being jarred from the land of dreams. Glancing around with white-rimmed violet-blue eyes, he drank in the rich varied scents of the land, before rocking up onto his hooves. The crashing was growing dimmer, but it the abruptness of its beginning perturbed him, as he tilted his head to either side, blowing quietly.
“Strange.” His soft mellow voice quivered in the eerie quiet that now lay, ever-still, around him. He stepped with steady hooves after the now-faint sound, pushing through ferns to discover a trail of beaten-down foliage, mud churned up like under a herd of Whip-Tail’s hooves. But there were none of his kind nearby- he would have scented them earlier. Instead, only the scents of crushed stems and flowers, as well as the rich smell of decay and earth, meet his senses. A musky overtone soon overpowered those as he stepped into the trail, and he sneezed promptly before shaking his head. “Even stranger.”
Something had to be fairly large to make this trail- there were no predators in this isolated jungle, and the largest creatures were the Whip-tails themselves.
He followed along the track of crushed plants, sniffing curiously at the heavy stench- whatever left the smell must have left the path as well. He was headed away from the river- north, then. He sniffed thoughtfully, before nosing a small branch out of his way. His mind worked hard, gears turning as he thought. “Whatever did this must have been shorter than me….but just as wide.” That rules out pretty much any Whip-Tail. He picked up the pace, a little jog, before quickly halting, staring through the trees at some noises that sounded like muted versions of the crashing from earlier.
A dark creature moved about in the broad-leaved bushes ahead, making slobbering and strange squealing noises. The smell hit him again, a musky wave of stink, that reminded him of something he’d smelt before.
A boar? Here? This was an odd place to find them- boars usually stuck to the outcroppings of the jungle. Still, boars weren’t typically one to attack unprovoked- not as dangerous as the predators he heard from stories.
He stepped back anyway, his questions answered- most of them, anyway- when a twig broke underhoof. The brute’s head snapped up, a loud squealing growl coming from its throat, as it locked wild eyes on Tamerlane through the branches. Tamerlane halted briefly, skin quivering, before an explosion of bristle and muscle came rocketing right at him. The stallion spun about and took off, streaking down the path of carnage that the boar had left before, hearing its frenzied squeals behind him.
His hooves tore up the already churned earth, as he headed south, towards the river- what was wrong with this? Had he provoked him? He stole a look back, seeing the errant running of the boar- it definitely looked crazy. He poured all his strength into getting away, feeling the earth below his hooves change from earth to mossy rocks, as he scrambled down into the slow-moving river, hoping that a swim across would save his hide.
Before he finished his swim, the squealing grew to screaming, as the boar paced back and forth along the bank, saliva foaming from his beaten snout. Tamerlane halted in the water, muscles quivering- the boar was frightened of water? It wasn't a deep river, and there was little current to speak of- it was more like a giant stream.
“Strangest.” He breathed out, his heart beat still fast and erratic. He was scared, he’d admit that, but the creature looked crazy and murderous- what if the boar found his way to other Whip-tails, or got ahold of a foal? He shuddered at the image of tusks tearing into flesh, and strengthened his resolve. He knew something- the boar was fast and powerful, but he had issues with balance and staying in a line. And, perhaps most importantly, he was afraid of water.
The stallion walked forward, the soft swish of water running past his long legs pleasant on the ears, in rivalry with the savage screeches and snarling. Tamerlane’s muzzle crinkled up, his tail whipping to and fro quietly in thought. A puzzle- this is what this boar was. Tamerlane just had to figure out how to connect it. He snorted and turned his haunches suddenly, kicking out with his legs and whipping his tail up through the water, sending a spray of water at the boar, causing him to fall over in shock, squealing and ripping up the ground as he thrashed in terror.
The stallion took the chance and charged from the water, rearing up to come down with striking hooves on the boar’s hindquarters, bruising up the wild animal, before he leapt away, quivering at the close proximity to such an insane brute.
The boar tried to surge back up, and Tamerlane felt a little quiver again, now inside him. This wasn't like challenging another stallion for the right to breed- this animal seemed to be in pain, and he was no predator. He backed up again, unsure of what to do now, when the boar manage to scramble to its hooves, half-charging, half-limping at Tamerlane, who leaped to the side, tucking in his tail as the boar kept running, before the creature tumbled into the river, landing in a slightly deeper part of the water.
The boar never got back out, as Tamerlane stood at the bank, silently watching the waters, feeling just a bit proud, and quite…empty as well, witnessing death to a crazy animal.
He turned back, headed to his clearing, letting out a single sigh as he padded- sleep called.
Offspring:
Unnamed
Aiofe
