[darthkira]

To win this GSA write a backstory for a character who owns this horse. Must not be set in our current time period. Bonus points for creativity and fun genres (I.E. Renaissance times, alien worlds, futurism, etc.) Ends 6/22
Username: TheLongWalk
Show Name: Tempest
Barn Name: Whirlwind
Gender: Male
Age: 10
Height: 15
Main Halter Color: black
Secondary Halter Color: green
Phenotype: Chestnut Leopard Appaloosa
Genotype: ee - AA- LPlp - PATN1PATN1

[kalcifer]

Username: _Konata_
Show Name: Wildlife dream
Barn Name: Africa
Gender: Female
Age: 5
Height: 15.2
Main Halter Color: Light blue
Secondary Halter Color: Grey
Phenotype: Chestnut Leopard Appaloosa
Genotype: ee - AA- LPlp - PATN1PATN1
Character Story: I wake up with a sigh, stuck, in a lions den. Trapped by these greedy beasts I stay down and play dead. I know my times are numbered. I love this place, Africa has so many beautiful creatures but right now I wish lions didn't exsist. A baby giraffe lays dead beside me, that was the lions last meal, I am next. I peer out towards the horizon, I see the black formations of the lions approaching, the golden setting sun behind them. Today is my last day. the lions enter, their low growls mirror their hungry appetites. One grazes my arm with its sharpened claw. I here a shrill noise in the distance and a sound similar to that of a zebras hooves cantering across the range. A giraffe colored creature enters the cave and rears up on its muscular hind legs. The lions cower in fear and the horse breaks the ferns tying me down. I grab hold of her thick mane and I swing myself onto her back, the silky smooth fur of the horse feels nice on my legs. I canter away and thank the horse I now know as Africa.

[TheLongWalk]

Wierd double post sorry about that

[TheLongWalk]

Username: TheLongWalk
Show Name: Tempest
Barn Name: Whirlwind
Gender: Male
Age: 10
Height: 15
Main Halter Color: black
Secondary Halter Color: green
Phenotype: Chestnut Leopard Appaloosa
Genotype: ee - AA- LPlp - PATN1PATN1
Character Story:
Strider grew up within the confines of an enclave, deep beneath the surface of the earth. Here he was taught the old ways, and learned the uses of technology and how it could be twisted to protect and save the lives. For in the enclave the use of cybernetics to repair and replace lost or damaged parts was common, and few of its denizens were found without atleast some sort of replacement or enhanced parts.

This enclave was one of many built across the nation, in an effort to protect its citizens from a grand disaster, that generations later was only referred to as "The Scorch". No one remembers what caused The Scorch, but it's effects are easily seen. The once green and blue Earth, is now nothing more than a dust ball with winds that never cease to tear at those unlucky enough to be found caught within its gritty tempest.

The enclave avoided interactions with outsiders at all costs, and reserved exile as their most severe punishment for its criminals, with the expectation that the ravages of the constantly blowing sand would certainly be a death sentence for any enhanced individual. Those unfortunate enough to be cast out of the enclave were marked as outcasts and few survived the harsh world outside. Those exiled were given "The Observer's Mark", a cybernetic eye that was meant to serve as a constant reminder to those exiled of their crimes.

Strider lived and worked among those in the enclave, however he always wondered and questioned about the outside world. His questions always remained unanswered until one fateful day...

While walking through what he thought was an abandoned section of the enclave, he heard a cry for help, rushing to aid what he believed to be a fellow enclave citizen in trouble, what he found instead was far more gruesome.

Entering the chamber that the cry came from, he witnessed people, outsiders, being experimented on by the scientific leaders of the enclave. While he had been raised to believe that all cybernetic research had been done in a lab setting without test subjects, this experimentation just felt wrong to him. So without thinking he yelled out telling them to stop.

They stopped their experiments, but later Strider was arrested and found out that they charged the unethical experiments on him. Because of his crimes the people of the enclave called for his exile, and the leaders were only too happy to oblige.

So after a long and clearly unfair proceeding Strider was given the observer's mark and cast out of the enclave to walk the sands for the rest of his days.

The sands tore into Strider, and he quickly found his cybernetics to start having issues shorting out from the sand, he made it few hundred meters from the entrance of the enclave before collapsing and passing out. Some time later he awoke to find himself in a small shelter, with his cybernetics cleaned and free of sand. Some time later another an old and disfigured figure entered the shelter, and Strider immediately noticed that this person also beared The Observer's Mark.

Strider would come to find out later that he was saved by another member of the enclave who had been cast out of the for the same reason he had been exiled. They taught him how to survive, as well as how to ride and care for a horse.

The horse that Strider learned to ride on was named Whirlwind. Its spots caused it to be almost invisible in the constant dust blown up by the wind, this combined with the horse's speed made it a fitting name.

After learning all that his unlikely teacher could teach, Strider decided to set off in search for the answers to about the outside world. Much to his surprise Strider's teacher gave him Whirlwind, and pointed him in the direction of a settlement beyond the horizon called Ruston, saying that Strider might find what he was looking for there.

So after a difficult goodbye Strider and Whirlwind headed out on what would be a great quest filled with exploration and answers about the past.

[b i n g e]

Username: b i n g e
Show Name: Ex Animo (From the heart)
Barn Name: Cavalier
Gender: Stallion
Age: 8 years
Height: 15.9hh
Main Halter Color: Metallic Gold
Secondary Halter Color: Maroon
Phenotype: Chestnut Leopard Appaloosa
Genotype: ee - AA- LPlp - PATN1PATN1
Character Story:
It was in the early hours of the morning when her wooden chamber doors were knocked on. It was enough to wake the light sleeper and she rolled groaning to her side to show her disdain. When the knocks came again she dragged herself out of her bed and tiptoed to the window. She pulled back the wooden shutters to reveal a darkened sky with the soft orange glow on the horizon promising daylight. Her attention was pulled yet again to the door as it was knocked for the third time. Sighing, she walked to the doors wondering who was waking her at such an ungodly hour of the morning. Waiting for her was a small boy. His unruly brown hair framed his freckle-covered face. Wild blue eyes stared up at her and he bounced eagerly at the sight of his sister.

“What is so important that it could not wait for breakfast, Will?” She whispered.

“I want to go riding.”

“Father will not let you out the door without half the guard.”

“So we don’t tell him,” Will piped up, “please Mirabelle, what is the point of having a horse if you do not ride it?”

As her brother spoke, Mirabelle realised just how much she missed riding too. The siblings rarely left the castle and the effort it took for them to do so was seen as not worth it. After all their parents' spared no expense in protecting the kingdom's young prince and princess.
Mirabelle told her brother to wait outside as she quickly changed. When she rejoined him, the two shielded their faces under the hoods of their cloaks. The castle staff were far and few but could be heard preparing for the day in their respected quarters. Upon reaching the stables, they were relieved to find the stable hands hadn’t arrived. Mirabelle hurried to saddle the horses while Will kept watch at the door.
It didn’t take Mirabelle long to ready their horses. While her horse was a simple white mare, Will’s stallion was a sight to behold. The prince’s steed had a spotted flank and its wild spirit and taken awhile to tame. Mirabelle could only watch and laugh as her brother struggled to pull his small frame up onto the horse. At his protesting however, she resigned to knotting her fingers together for Will to get a boost up. As Mirabelle was taller than her brother, she was able to pull herself up onto her mare’s back with ease, much to her brother’s chagrin.
The pair raced through the village streets and only slowed when they reached the forest. The faster they pushed their horses the more they were determined to beat the other. It wasn’t until they slowed down that the winner could boast.

“How many times have Cavalier and I beaten you now?” Will teased.

“That is big talk coming from someone who will need to be lifted off their horse if they want to get back down.”

“Shut up.”

Mirabelle smirked as her brother glared at her. Of course his horse was faster – it was built to run unlike her mare that preferred to graze and sleep. So Mirabelle had taken to picking on Will’s flaws to level out her brother’s ego.
As they continued on, Will somehow ended up leading the way. It was a concerning fact for Mirabelle as her brother had no sense of direction. He still managed to get lost in their castle however she didn’t have the energy to protest. Instead she stayed quiet and enjoyed the ride, only speaking up on occasion to direct her brother.
It wasn’t long until the pair could hear the sound of rushing water coming from the river. They had always loved riding their horses through the water if the current wasn’t too strong. They spurred their horses on and somehow the two creatures kept an equal pace. A sharp whistling noise caught Mirabelle’s attention as they rode on. Before she could figure out what or where the noise came from her horse threw her to the ground. Mirabelle scrambled back on her hands to find her horse on its side with an arrow speared into its glossy flank. The horse was screaming in agony and there was nothing Mirabelle could do to ease the horse’s pain. All she could do was stumble away from her steed and towards her brother who had begun to panic. She climbed atop of her brother’s stallion and took the reins from him while Will clung to her.

“Why…how…who?” Will stammered.

“It must be bandits.”

“What are bandits doing here – I mean we aren’t that far away from the kingdom.”

“Just keep your head down and hold on!”

Mirabelle guided her brother’s stallion across the river as more arrows rained down around them. The river’s current hadn’t picked up and the horse crossed with little resistance. After crossing they quickly out ran their attackers and Mirabelle wearily slowed down. She was panting as heavy as the horse under her and a slight shake had started in her hands as her adrenaline rush faded.

“Thought I told you to hold on.” Mirabelle had noticed Will’s grip loosen as they came up the bank of the river.

Not waiting for a reply, she climbed out of the saddle to stretch her legs. No sooner was she down then Will was sliding out after her. She quickly caught him and in her attempts to steady her brother she noticed something that made her heart stop.

“No…no…no.” Mirabelle lowered her brother to the ground. She couldn’t take her eyes off the four arrows embedded in his back. “William?”

He wasn’t breathing and his eyes stared out unseeingly. It was too late for her to save him and in her grief Mirabelle carried her brother to the nearest willow tree. She laid him at the base of the tree and sat beside him on a root. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she blamed herself repeatedly. She could hear the bandits nearby and while faint, it wouldn’t take long for them to find her.

“Forgive me, little brother.” She planted a kiss on his forehead then closed his eyes. As much as it pained Mirabelle to leave her brother, there was nothing she could do for him. She mounted Cavalier and nudged the stallion away from his fallen rider. They continued further into the forest and Mirabelle never looked back.
[1,072 words]

[darthkira]

very creative story! congrats whirlwind is yours!

Username: TheLongWalk
Show Name: Tempest
Barn Name: Whirlwind
Gender: Male
Age: 10
Height: 15
Main Halter Color: black
Secondary Halter Color: green
Phenotype: Chestnut Leopard Appaloosa
Genotype: ee - AA- LPlp - PATN1PATN1
Character Story:
Strider grew up within the confines of an enclave, deep beneath the surface of the earth. Here he was taught the old ways, and learned the uses of technology and how it could be twisted to protect and save the lives. For in the enclave the use of cybernetics to repair and replace lost or damaged parts was common, and few of its denizens were found without atleast some sort of replacement or enhanced parts.

This enclave was one of many built across the nation, in an effort to protect its citizens from a grand disaster, that generations later was only referred to as "The Scorch". No one remembers what caused The Scorch, but it's effects are easily seen. The once green and blue Earth, is now nothing more than a dust ball with winds that never cease to tear at those unlucky enough to be found caught within its gritty tempest.

The enclave avoided interactions with outsiders at all costs, and reserved exile as their most severe punishment for its criminals, with the expectation that the ravages of the constantly blowing sand would certainly be a death sentence for any enhanced individual. Those unfortunate enough to be cast out of the enclave were marked as outcasts and few survived the harsh world outside. Those exiled were given "The Observer's Mark", a cybernetic eye that was meant to serve as a constant reminder to those exiled of their crimes.

Strider lived and worked among those in the enclave, however he always wondered and questioned about the outside world. His questions always remained unanswered until one fateful day...

While walking through what he thought was an abandoned section of the enclave, he heard a cry for help, rushing to aid what he believed to be a fellow enclave citizen in trouble, what he found instead was far more gruesome.

Entering the chamber that the cry came from, he witnessed people, outsiders, being experimented on by the scientific leaders of the enclave. While he had been raised to believe that all cybernetic research had been done in a lab setting without test subjects, this experimentation just felt wrong to him. So without thinking he yelled out telling them to stop.

They stopped their experiments, but later Strider was arrested and found out that they charged the unethical experiments on him. Because of his crimes the people of the enclave called for his exile, and the leaders were only too happy to oblige.

So after a long and clearly unfair proceeding Strider was given the observer's mark and cast out of the enclave to walk the sands for the rest of his days.

The sands tore into Strider, and he quickly found his cybernetics to start having issues shorting out from the sand, he made it few hundred meters from the entrance of the enclave before collapsing and passing out. Some time later he awoke to find himself in a small shelter, with his cybernetics cleaned and free of sand. Some time later another an old and disfigured figure entered the shelter, and Strider immediately noticed that this person also beared The Observer's Mark.

Strider would come to find out later that he was saved by another member of the enclave who had been cast out of the for the same reason he had been exiled. They taught him how to survive, as well as how to ride and care for a horse.

The horse that Strider learned to ride on was named Whirlwind. Its spots caused it to be almost invisible in the constant dust blown up by the wind, this combined with the horse's speed made it a fitting name.

After learning all that his unlikely teacher could teach, Strider decided to set off in search for the answers to about the outside world. Much to his surprise Strider's teacher gave him Whirlwind, and pointed him in the direction of a settlement beyond the horizon called Ruston, saying that Strider might find what he was looking for there.

So after a difficult goodbye Strider and Whirlwind headed out on what would be a great quest filled with exploration and answers about the past.

[TheLongWalk]

Aww...Yeah....