𝑨𝑳𝑫𝑨𝑬𝑹𝑨 - plain old wild horse rp - closed

[azhefa.]

══════// 𝑾𝑰𝑳𝑫 𝑯𝑶𝑹𝑺𝑬𝑺 𝑶𝑭 //════════════════════


【 𝐏𝐋𝐎𝐓 ● 𝐑𝐔𝐋𝐄𝐒 ● 𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 ● 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐃𝐒 ● 𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 ● 𝐔𝐏𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐒 】

[azhefa.]

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐋𝐎𝐓

════════════════════════════════════════════════

all across the island of aldaera, wild horses roam freely without the threat of humans. the only thing they worry about is winter
weather and the deadly predators that stalk the shadows. without the humans, the wild horses have grown to become the primary
species on the island, but like all healthy ecosystems, their numbers are kept in check with the presence of strong predators such
as mountain lions, bears, and several small packs of wolves.

these horses were placed on the island centuries ago, generations ago, by humans wanting to study wild horse behavior. the humans
maintained a hands-off approach to their study and after several years, the funds for the study dried up and the horses were simply
left to their own devices without any human interaction or even prying eyes. they now go about their lives as wild horses would.

[azhefa.]

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐔𝐋𝐄𝐒

════════════════════════════════════════════════

1. follow all site/rp rules, should be common sense.
2. put all forms in the forms thread and all chat goes in the discussions thread or discord server (ask for link)
3. there will be a discord server, but it's not mandatory to join it, though it would be very useful.
4. remove signatures when posting forms or here.
5. all literacies are welcome, but please write more than just a few lines.
6. this may be a relaxed rp, but please check your grammar and spelling, it's hard to understand when half the post is misspelled or contains bad grammar.
7. all reserves/wip forms last 48 hours, pm me if you need more time.
8. no blood/gore/intense romance, fade it out. you will be reported should you go too far.
9. no cursing, it's site rules.
10. all horses must have appropriate images! this means foals should have foal pictures, they can be changed once the foal
turns a year-old.
11. as for lgbtq+, horses are not 'gay' in the same sense that humans are. they can only display homosexual behaviors such
as affection towards the same gender, courtship of the same gender, and parenting with a partner of the same gender. there
will be NO mounting of same gender horses, they can't breed so there's no reason for it.
12. please read all the info provided, it will help in getting to know horse behavior if you don't already.
13. do not post 'mark' on this thread, to save the thread to go the very bottom of the web page and click the 'bookmark' button instead. you will be asked to remove any 'mark' posts.
14. winners of fights will be determined by a preset system created by Scarlit and Lavellan.
15. if you still have questions and can't find the answer in the info, feel free to ask!
16. all horses start as loners, herds are created through rping so any horses joining as lead stallion/mares will be ignored
17. your mares can not be in the same herd as your stallion, it's the same as having your own mate, you can however have up to two mares in the same herd of which you don't play the stallion or a lieutenant stallion.

[azhefa.]

𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍

════════════════════════════════════════════════

xxxroles explained;


lead stallion the head stallion of a herd. he is the one who rounds up mare into a herd and keeps them there by defending them from predators or challenging bachelors. a lead stallion doesn't choose his lead mare so he must go with whomever his herd has decided and get along well enough with her to keep the herd safe and a cohesive unit. the lead stallion will often move his herd via snaking if the herd is in danger or needs to be moved quickly from one place or another and he is always at the rear of the herd.

lieutenant stallion often the son or brother to the lead stallion who is either younger or weaker than the lead stallion. there can be up to 2 lieutenant stallions in a herd since too many stallions in a herd can cause fights and the breakup of a herd. these extra stallions are kept around to help protect the herd often during times of high foal deaths caused by a surplus in predator numbers. since the extra stallions area always related to the lead stallion and share genetics, the extra stallions are often allowed to breed the mares of the herd after the lead stallion has already made his rounds. since the lead stallion covers them first, there's a higher chance the foals will be his, but there is still a chance the mare will not catch until later when a lieutenant stallion covers her.

lead mare the head mare of a herd who is in charge of where the herd goes and who gets to stay in the herd. if a lead mare doesn't like the mare her stallion has brought into the herd, she has the power to shun the mare and keep her away from the herd. the rest of the herd will follow their lead mare anywhere since the lead mare is often the oldest and wisest mare in the herd. she isn't picked by the lead stallion and is instead picked by herself and the other mares in the herd. being the oldest and wisest in the herd, she is naturally the most dominant mare and will push her way to the top if joining a new herd.

herd mare a mare who has joined a stallion's herd, they make up the bulk of the herd. they have their own lesser hierarchy within the herd similar to that of a social ladder that decends from the lead mare all the way down to the lowest mare. each mare has her own rank of dominance and they often scuffle with new mares who joined the herd as they try to figure out where they now rank in the herd.

herd foals the babies of a herd. they are often sired by the lead stallion unless a mare was brought into the herd already pregnant or a bachelor was able to sneak in and cover a mare before the lead stallion could. ages can range from newborn to up to 2-years-old for related foals. foals who are related to the lead stallion are often kicked from the herd at the age of two when they become mature enough to breed to prevent inbreeding. fillies who are not related to the lead stallion are often kept around so they can be become another breeding mare.

-----

bachelors the lone stallions of aldaera that roam either alone or with gangs of other lone stallions. most bachelors are young sons that have been kicked from their family groups to prevent them from breeding with their sire's mares. they can range in age from only 2-years to over 20-years depending on the stallion's health. most older bachelors tend to go off on their own and win over some lone mares to create his own family herd. it's hard for a stallion to keep a herd of mares since bachelors will gang up on younger lead stallions to steal their mares.

lone mares as their name suggests, they are the lone mares that roam aldaera either alone or in pairs. they tend to avoid larger groups to deter bachelors from attacking and trying to claim them. many lone mares are those who were either kicked from their family herd as punishment or had left on their own free will. it's hard for mares to remain alone for long periods, their instincts tell them to join a herd for safety and protection.

lone foals there aren't many lone or orphaned foals wandering around due to the predators that also wander the area, but some foals do survive alone. most of these lone foals are alone because their dam was killed by predators or sickness or was just abandoned. lone fillies are often adopted into the larger herds, but young colts have a tough time finding a place since they aren't as prized. lone colts tend to find their way into a bachelor gang and raised there instead.

xxxother information


reproduction the mare reproductive cycle is pretty straight forward- once pregnant, a mare will carry her foal for 11 months, until full-term, then depart from the herd to give birth. the herd will wait for her to return, generally it only takes a few hours. normally just one foal is born; twins are rare, and if twins are born, it is unlikely that all three horses will survive. mares allow their foals to nurse for up to a year, though generally wean them at about six months when they are able to eat solid food such as grass.

the estrous cycle, or 'heat', occurs roughly every 20-22 days, and lasts for just a few days, at which point they cycle through four stages of heat. during winter, mares do not go into heat at all. after giving birth, a mare will go back into her heat cycle one to two weeks after the birth, allowing her to be covered again. a pregnant mare does not go back into heat until a week after they birth their foal. mares can become very crabby and aggressive during their heat cycle so herd stallions are quick to cover their mares to prevent tensions and drama in a herd. it may take several coverings for a mare to finally 'catch' or become pregnant so stallions often cover their mares several times throughout their heat until it doesn't return proving they are then pregnant.


• stage one - the mare is uninterested and won't allow a stallion to cover her, often kicking should a stallion attempt to court her.
  
• stage two - the mare is still pretty uninterested and probably won't breed, though will not protest as much to a stallion's interest.
  
• stage three - the mare is growing interested in the stallion, and will probably allow him to cover her.
• stage four - the mare is very interested in the stallion, and will always accept being covered, no matter who the stallion is, even if it isn't her stallion. most mares are covered before this stage to reduce tensions in a herd.

size horse heights are measured by 'hands' [also 'h' or 'hh'] which are 4 inches per hand and are measured from the ground to their withers, the slight hump at the base of their mane. most horses are around 15 hands while ponies are often 14 hands or below. a hand isn't like a normal 10 point system [ex. .8, .9, 1.0], instead they use a 4 point system where the units go up to only .3 before rolling over to a whole number. there is no such thing as 15.5hh or 15.8hh, there's only 3 decimal points before a whole number. example: 15hh, 15.1hh, 15.2hh, 15.3hh, and then 16hh. larger horses tend to be more dominant than their smaller rivals, but if the horse is too large [ie. a draft horse] then their size turns into a disadvantage.

age in the wild, horses can live up to 25-years depending on several factors such as seasonal weather [such as warmer winters], natural disasters [like droughts or storms], and general resources [if there's enough food or water around]. if there is too many years of poor weather, disasters, or low resources, horses can die at much younger ages. predators can also reflect the health of horse populations, if there are too many predators in the area then the horse population will reflect it.
stallions have a higher chance of holding onto a herd after the age of 6-years-old and start to loose their strength and hold over herds after the age of 18-years-old. usually when stallions meet, the older stallion is considered more dominant, but after the age of 18-years-old, a stallion that is younger than them will prevail in a challenge. stallions are considered in their 'prime' between the age of 13-18-years-old after which they become weaker.
mares are the same way where age is tied with dominance. older mares are often above those who are younger since they hold more experience than the youngsters. a lead mare will always be one above the age of 5-years-old when a horse reaches 'social maturity', though it's usually those who are over the age of 10 who hold the lead mare role. mares start to loose fertility after the age of 15 and birthing becomes dangerous after 18.

xxxrank breed glossary [reference guide]


x short hand for 'mix' or 'cross', often used after another breed such as 'mustang x' which means 'mustang mix or cross'



andal short hand for 'andalusian'

anglo short hand for 'anglo-arabian', an arabian/tb mix

app short hand for 'appaloosa'

ar.wb short hand for 'arabian warmblood'

asb short hand for 'american saddlebred'

cly short hand for 'clydesdale'

dft short hand for 'draft'

d.wb short hand for 'dutch warmblood'

frsn short hand for 'friesian'

haf short hand for 'haflinger'

ice short hand for 'icelandic horse'

ish short hand for 'irish sport horse'

k.mus short hand for 'kiger mustang'
xxxxx
lip short hand for 'lipizzaner'

lusi short hand for 'lusitano'

mar short hand for 'marwari'

mo short hand for 'morgan'

mus short hand for 'mustang'

pnt short hand for 'paint'

prch short hand for 'percheron'

s.mus short hand for 'spanish mustang'

tb short hand for 'thoroughbred'

twh short hand for 'tennessee walking horse'

wb short hand for 'warmblood'

























[more will be added as they appear in the ranks below]

[azhefa.]

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐃𝐒

════════════════════════════════════════════════

xxxxxxxx

bachelor stallions; [17/--]
xx♂erebus - 14 - frsn/prch - azhefa.
xx♂asvaldr - 5 - lusi/wb - azhefa.
xx♂whiskey dagger [whiskey] - 13 - mus - lynettetan1
xx♂hvitserk - 10 - lusi - cheshire.
xx♂copernicus [nikki] - 3 - mar - cheshire.
xx♂anakin - 10 - lip x - cheshire.
xx♂lexington [lexi] - 11 - lip x - grapejuice
xx♂kraken - 5 - wb x - grapejuice
xx♂lukus - 19 - arabian - LunaClaw
xx♂brody - 15 - mus - LunaClaw
xx♂cobra - 15 - fjord - LunaCaw
xx♂captain - 4 - friesian - KestrelTheFirecat
xx♂coal - 1 - mus - KestrelTheFirecat
xx♂khonsu - 13 - friesian - wildsight
xx♂remington [remy] - 13 - tb x - wildsight
xx♂titan - 12 - mus - Blumenkranz

xxx

xx
xx♂leviathan [levi] - 3 - paint/tb - Blumenkranz
xx♂name - age - breed - user
xx♂name - age - breed - user
xx♂name - age - breed - user
xx♂name - age - breed - user
xx♂name - age - breed - user
xx♂name - age - breed - user
xx♂name - age - breed - user
xx♂name - age - breed - user
xx♂name - age - breed - user
xx♂name - age - breed - user
xx♂name - age - breed - user
xx♂name - age - breed - user
xx♂name - age - breed - user
xx♂name - age - breed - user
xx♂name - age - breed - user

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

xxxxxxxx

lone mares; [26 mares & 8 foals]
xx♀vasiliki [vasi] - 15 - mus/pnt - azhefa.
xxx ⤷ ♀sarra - new - mus x - azhefa.
xx♀melina [mel] - 2 - tb/wb - azhefa.
xx♀vesperia [peri] - 12 - andal/tb - azhefa.
xxx ⤷ ♂kyros [ky] - 3m - andal x - azhefa.
xx[orphan]
xxx ⤷ ♀keto - new - wb/mus x - azhefa.
xx♀meeting at sunset [sun] - 6 - qh - lynettetan1
xx♀midnight jewel [night] - 2 - mus/dft - lynettetan1
xx♀velvet violence [vi] - 11 - tb - lynettetan1
xxx ⤷ ♂violent delights [deli] - 0 - tb/mus - lynettetan1
xx♀mountain blossom [blossom] - 4 - mus - lynettetan1
xx♀dancing on the moon [classic] - 16 - mus x - lynettetan1
xx♀eurydice [eury]- 5 - qh - cheshire.
xx♀yennifer [yen] - 8 - k.mus - cheshire.
xx♀ymir - 12 - ice - cheshire.
xx♀nahiri - 6 - mo/asb - cheshire.
xx♀lark - 13 - arabian - LunaClaw
xx♀rune - 10 - asb - LunaClaw
xx♀flicker - 9 - teke - LunaClaw
xx♀hawks - 7 - qh/haf - grapejuice
xx♀wendigo [wendi] - 10 - tb x - grapejuice
xx♀desdemona [desi] - 13 - mo/arab - grapejuice
xxx ⤷ ♂wolfie - new - mo/arab x - grapejuice

xxx

xxx
xx♀masquerade [mask] - 4 - friesian - KestrelTheFirecat
xxx ⤷ ♀echo - 11m - frsn/app - KestrelTheFirecat
xxx ⤷ ♀dalmatian [dal] - 4w - frsn/app - KestrelTheFirecat
xx♀alanna [anna] - 10 - mus x - wildsight
xxx ⤷ ♀esme - 2m - paint x - wildsight
xx♀daire - 16 - paint x - wildsight
xx♀hesita - 5 - haf - wildsight
xx♀vashti - 7 - paint/mo - gull.
xx♀shiva - 10 - app - Blumenkranz
xx♀lucia - 5 - qh - Blumenkranz
xx♀name - age - breed - user
xx♀name - age - breed - user
xx♀name - age - breed - user
xx♀name - age - breed - user
xx♀name - age - breed - user
xx♀name - age - breed - user
xx♀name - age - breed - user
xx♀name - age - breed - user
xx♀name - age - breed - user
xx♀name - age - breed - user
xx♀name - age - breed - user
xx♀name - age - breed - user
xx♀name - age - breed - user
xxx ⤷ ♀♂name - age - breed - user

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

xxxxxxxx

lead stallion; [0/1]
xx♂name - age - breed - user
lead mare; [0/1]
xx♀name - age - breed - user
xxx ⤷ ♀♂name - age - breed - user

lieutenant stallions; [0/2]
xx♂name - age - breed - user
xx♂name - age - breed - user

the herd; [0/--]
xx♀name - age - breed - user
xxx ⤷ ♀♂name - age - breed - user
xx♀name - age - breed - user
xxx ⤷ ♀♂name - age - breed - user
xx♀name - age - breed - user
xxx ⤷ ♀♂name - age - breed - user
xx♀name - age - breed - user
xxx ⤷ ♀♂name - age - breed - user
xx♀name - age - breed - user
xxx ⤷ ♀♂name - age - breed - user

xxx

lead stallion; [0/1]
xx♂name - age - breed - user
lead mare; [0/1]
xx♀name - age - breed - user
xxx ⤷ ♀♂name - age - breed - user

lieutenant stallions; [0/2]
xx♂name - age - breed - user
xx♂name - age - breed - user

the herd; [0/--]
xx♀name - age - breed - user
xxx ⤷ ♀♂name - age - breed - user
xx♀name - age - breed - user
xxx ⤷ ♀♂name - age - breed - user
xx♀name - age - breed - user
xxx ⤷ ♀♂name - age - breed - user
xx♀name - age - breed - user
xxx ⤷ ♀♂name - age - breed - user
xx♀name - age - breed - user
xxx ⤷ ♀♂name - age - breed - user

xxx

lead stallion; [0/1]
xx♂name - age - breed - user
lead mare; [0/1]
xx♀name - age - breed - user
xxx ⤷ ♀♂name - age - breed - user

lieutenant stallions; [0/2]
xx♂name - age - breed - user
xx♂name - age - breed - user

the herd; [0/--]
xx♀name - age - breed - user
xxx ⤷ ♀♂name - age - breed - user
xx♀name - age - breed - user
xxx ⤷ ♀♂name - age - breed - user
xx♀name - age - breed - user
xxx ⤷ ♀♂name - age - breed - user
xx♀name - age - breed - user
xxx ⤷ ♀♂name - age - breed - user
xx♀name - age - breed - user
xxx ⤷ ♀♂name - age - breed - user

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

xxxxxxxx

lead stallion; [0/1]
xx♂name - age - breed - user
lead mare; [0/1]
xx♀name - age - breed - user
xxx ⤷ ♀♂name - age - breed - user

lieutenant stallions; [0/2]
xx♂name - age - breed - user
xx♂name - age - breed - user

the herd; [0/--]
xx♀name - age - breed - user
xxx ⤷ ♀♂name - age - breed - user
xx♀name - age - breed - user
xxx ⤷ ♀♂name - age - breed - user
xx♀name - age - breed - user
xxx ⤷ ♀♂name - age - breed - user
xx♀name - age - breed - user
xxx ⤷ ♀♂name - age - breed - user
xx♀name - age - breed - user
xxx ⤷ ♀♂name - age - breed - user

xxx

lead stallion; [0/1]
xx♂name - age - breed - user
lead mare; [0/1]
xx♀name - age - breed - user
xxx ⤷ ♀♂name - age - breed - user

lieutenant stallions; [0/2]
xx♂name - age - breed - user
xx♂name - age - breed - user

the herd; [0/--]
xx♀name - age - breed - user
xxx ⤷ ♀♂name - age - breed - user
xx♀name - age - breed - user
xxx ⤷ ♀♂name - age - breed - user
xx♀name - age - breed - user
xxx ⤷ ♀♂name - age - breed - user
xx♀name - age - breed - user
xxx ⤷ ♀♂name - age - breed - user
xx♀name - age - breed - user
xxx ⤷ ♀♂name - age - breed - user

xxx

lead stallion; [0/1]
xx♂name - age - breed - user
lead mare; [0/1]
xx♀name - age - breed - user
xxx ⤷ ♀♂name - age - breed - user

lieutenant stallions; [0/2]
xx♂name - age - breed - user
xx♂name - age - breed - user

the herd; [0/--]
xx♀name - age - breed - user
xxx ⤷ ♀♂name - age - breed - user
xx♀name - age - breed - user
xxx ⤷ ♀♂name - age - breed - user
xx♀name - age - breed - user
xxx ⤷ ♀♂name - age - breed - user
xx♀name - age - breed - user
xxx ⤷ ♀♂name - age - breed - user
xx♀name - age - breed - user
xxx ⤷ ♀♂name - age - breed - user

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

[azhefa.]

𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒

════════════════════════════════════════════════

xxxxxxxxx

from the past;

by hvitserk
xx⤷ asvaldr out of [deceased mare]
by unknown stud
xx⤷ lexington out of [deceased mare]
xx⤷ anakin out of [deceased mare]
by erebus
xx⤷ midnight jewel out of [deceased mare]
by kraken
xx⤷ keto out of [deceased mare]
by name
xx⤷ [name] out of [dam's name]
xx⤷ [name] out of [dam's name]

xxx

from lead stallions;

by name
xx⤷ [name] out of [dam's name]
xx⤷ [name] out of [dam's name]
xx⤷ [name] out of [dam's name]
by name
xx⤷ [name] out of [dam's name]
xx⤷ [name] out of [dam's name]
xx⤷ [name] out of [dam's name]
by name
xx⤷ [name] out of [dam's name]
xx⤷ [name] out of [dam's name]
xx⤷ [name] out of [dam's name]

xxx

from lieutenant stallions;

by [name]
xx⤷ [name] out of [dam's name]
xx⤷ [name] out of [dam's name]
xx⤷ [name] out of [dam's name]
by [name]
xx⤷ [name] out of [dam's name]
xx⤷ [name] out of [dam's name]
xx⤷ [name] out of [dam's name]
by [name]
xx⤷ [name] out of [dam's name]
xx⤷ [name] out of [dam's name]
xx⤷ [name] out of [dam's name]

[azhefa.]

𝐔𝐏𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐒

════════════════════════════════════════════════

xxxxxx

words words words words words words words words words
roleplay created ;; 10/05
roleplay started ;; 10/08

recaps
none yet

xxxxxxx

words words words words words words words words words
current season ;; early spring [late february]

weather ;; clear skies, light breeze
temperatures ;; high of 70F & low of 30F

major events
none yet

[azhefa.]

we are now open for posting

if your character is listed in the ranks on the front page, you have been accepted and can post
if your character is not listed, please wait until they are before posting as they haven't been accepted yet

[azhefa.]

╔══╣𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐁𝐔𝐒╠══╗

no nick ● 14 years ● bachelor
friesian/percheron ● black
──────
0 coverings
lead ● mare
mare ● mare
mare ● mare
──────
location; waterhole
tags; open
╚═════════════╝

a mass of black moves across the valley in search of a herd to attack. the stallion wasn't one for casually greeting lone mares and courting them into joining him. no, he was one for brute force and aggression. erebus moves like the cold-hearted creature that he is, thick chiseled head held high with confidence and tail lifted to wave like a dark flag behind him. his inky coat ripples with each step as he trots over the fresh greenery and he makes sure to go just the right speed to show off his thick, deep chest and powerful hindquarters. the admiring glances of the mares makes him flip his dark mane in a well practiced gesture that seems almost effortless. erebus can feel the furious glares of the stallions as well and they only add fuel to the fire that burns in the dark hole located where his heart would if he actually had one.

there were so many herds running around, many of which were led by young stallions. easy pickings. erebus snorts a dark laugh to himself as he trots through the valley, sizing up each stallion and calculating each one's age and strength. there were only a handful of stallions that may prove to be difficult. most were clearly smaller than himself and it was almost laughable to think they were much a threat. age will be the only thing that will make things a bit difficult, but he's too arrogant to think they would actually be able to withstand his attack should he choose to steal any mares they may gather.

the sound of young foals makes him turn and see a few newborns totter over to their dams, something that makes erebus' ears flatten. he hadn't factored foals into his calculations nor the mother's drive to protect them. his brief light mood sours once again and he grounds his teeth in frustration. he was fine with fillies, they can grow to bare his foals along side their mothers, but colts were a nuisance. sure, he was fine with his own colts, but he despises those from another stallion. cursed little terrors will definitely get in his way of stealing mares, especially since they won't last long once their mothers are his. mares don't take kindly to someone killing their foals. erebus grumbles to himself as he heads to the water for a drink, all the while recalculating his whole strategy and plans for the domination of the valley.

────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

╔══╣𝐀𝐒𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐃𝐑╠══╗

no nick ● 5 years ● bachelor
lusitano/wb ● sooty buckskin
──────
0 coverings
lead ● mare
mare ● mare
mare ● mare
──────
location; valley [tree]
tags; open
╚═════════════╝

the sooty gold stallion calmly grazes under the shade of a few trees, his tail lazily flicking away flies. unlike the other stallions, asvaldr wasn't out scouring for mares. he was tired from his travels from a different valley and was more interested in grazing and resting to regain his strength. the sounds of the valley around him were loud and distracting, as was the tantalizing scent of mares in heat. of course he was drawn by the perfume, but he was in no shape to accept any challenges that would surely come if he tries to court a mare. there were many older bachelors out prowling the valley and he wasn't one to get into needless drama. asvaldr may not be as formidable as his sire, but he can still hold his own when necessary. the stallion wasn't much of a fighter though, he prefers peace and talking things out, but not all stallions feel the same way.

────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

╔══╣𝐕𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐈╠══╗

vasi ● 15 years ● lone mare
mustang/paint ● chestnut tobiano
──────
no herd
heat stage 1
mother of sarra
──────
location; valley
tags; sarra, open
╚═════════════╝

it has been quite a tiresome day and the sun hasn't only just passed it's highest point in the sky. having a foal is the most draining thing for a mare, or perhaps for a horse in general. vasi has only just started gaining back her strength from birthing her filly, who was currently sleeping at her feet as she grazes. the filly was completely clean, but vasi herself was still a bit of a mess. her side was caked in mud and dirt from laying down and her back end was still quite red. though she could easily just walk to the waterhole and get cleaned up, vasi knows there will be stallions around the water and she doesn't feel like dealing with any of them at the moment. so for now she ignores her messy coat and focuses on grazing as well as keeping an eye on the surrounding area. her foal was a great target for predators at the moment and a weakness when it comes to stallions so she remains alert.

╔═══╣𝐒𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐀╠═══╗

no nick ● newborn ● vasi's filly
mustang mix ● amber champagne
──────
location; valley
tags; vasi, open
╚═════════════╝

[sleeping beside vasi]

────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

╔══╣𝐌𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐀╠══╗

mel ● 2 years ● lone filly
tb/wb ● golden buckskin
──────
no herd
heat stage 3
has never bred
──────
location; valley
tags; open
╚═════════════╝

[grazing somewhere, idk what to write for her]

────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

╔══╣𝐕𝐄𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐀╠══╗

peri ● 12 years ● lone mare
andalusian/tb ● dapple grey
──────
no herd
heat stage 1
mother of kyros
──────
location; valley
tags; kyros, open
╚═════════════╝

[grazing, idk what to write, kyros is running around her]

╔═══╣𝐊𝐘𝐑𝐎𝐒╠═══╗

ky ● 3 months ● peri's colt
andalusian mix ● bay
──────
location; valley
tags; peri, open
╚═════════════╝

[running around his mother, being a goofy foal]

────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

╔═══╣𝐊𝐄𝐓𝐎╠═══╗

no nick ● 2 hours ● orphan filly
wb/mustang mix ● grulla tovero
──────
location; forest edge
tags; open
╚═════════════╝

for several strenuous hours, a grulla mare labored to deliver her foal, but it was breached and coming backwards. by the time the filly finally hit the ground, both mother and daughter were on the verge of death and there were ravens sitting in the nearby trees awaiting the inevitable. the painted filly moved first followed by her mother, but the mare was only able to partially clean the foal before laying back down to rest. only she didn't rise again to finish the bath. without her mother's attention, the filly remains where she lay for many long minutes. due to being born breached, the foal's lungs were weak and her legs almost numb, but she still fights to live.

after laying on the soiled ground half cleaned, the painted foal starts to try and move. her desire to live outweighing everything else. it takes her almost an hour to finally stagger to her feet, her legs splayed out and trembling as she tries to stay steady. she falls back down multiple times trying to walk her way over to where her mother's body lays, seeking out the nutrient rich colostrum that her weak little body so desperately needs. unfortunately, she's only able to get a few sips of the liquid before it dries up. she totters a little as she makes pitiful sounds to the dark body, trying to rouse her only to be met with silence. the silence stresses the filly and makes her call louder until her new voice is hoarse with overuse. why won't she answer? why won't she feed her? does she not want her anymore? the foal doesn't understand the questions she asks herself, her mind being too new, but she still feels the heartache even if she doesn't understand that either.

[grapejuice]

► Lexington ◄
Lexi || Stallion || 11 || Bachelor || Covered - 0 || Feeling: restless || Tags; open

His dark brown eyes followed the mares that strolled past. His nostrils flared, antagonized by the sweet perfume that lingered upon each one. And every time he was ready to make his move, some other bumbling stallion came plodding along to steal away his thunder. Lex huffed, rolling his eyes and turning to trot in the opposite direction. "Stupid, annoying little..." He was mumbling to himself, head low as he began to pace back and forth. "I'm hot, aren't I?" He asked, to no one in particular. "Tall, strong... enough. And devilishly handsome. What is it these guys have that I don't?!" Lexington groaned, turning around just in time to see a figure sweeping across the valley. Tall, dark, and also surprisingly scary. But handsome? Hard to tell from this distance, to be quite honest. Regardless, Lex felt his entire being freeze up at the sight of Erebus, and realized okay, maybe he couldn't stack up to someone like that. With an exaggerated sigh, followed by the most pathetic whine a full grown stallion could muster, he continues on his quest to find some ladies, in hopes to both woo and woo-hoo them. Oh what a train wreck this will be.

► Kraken ◄
Kraken || Stallion || 5 || Bachelor || Covered - 0 || Feeling: bored || Tags; Asvaldr, open

173, 174, 175... wait, did I count that one twice already? Dammit. Now I have to start all over again. The rich chestnut had lost count of how many dapples covered his friend for the umpteenth time, and groaned in frustration. "This sucks." Kraken declared, his gaze moving from Asvaldr to the dozens of lively bodies moving around them. He dipped his head to snatch up a few mouthfuls of grass, not even fully chewing them before continuing, "Just cause we're young doesn't mean we don't stand a chance out there! Like, c'mon, we can totally get girls if we wanted!" And as if on cue, a few ladies walked by, passing the studs a glace and giggling before continuing on. Kraken felt his entire face heat up in embarrassment, and flattened his ears before turning his head away. "...never mind, let's just stay here."

► Hawks ◄
Hawks || Mare || 7 || Lone Mare || Heat Stage 2 || Feeling: lively || Tags; Wendigo, open

"Wendi, Wendi, Wendi~" The pretty palomino lilted, catching up to her grumpy counterpart. "I know I said let's race, but you didn't need a five minute head start! Haha, you'd lose to me no matter how long of a head start you got!" Hawks was beaming, bumping her body playfully against the other mare's. Her eyes scanned their surroundings, and she may have accidentally tuned out Wendigo in the process. "Sure is a busy day down in the valley, huh Wendi?" There were groups left and right, and countless of voices chattering among themselves. Stallions were sparring, mares were gossiping, and foals were frolicking all over the place. As the pair continued to walk along, Hawks couldn't help but wonder if someone would come along and break up their little pairing. She sure hoped not.

► Wendigo ◄
Wendi || Mare || 10 || Lone Mare || Heat Stage 1 || Feeling: annoyed || Tags; Hawks, open

Honestly, she didn't know what she'd been expecting. She thought if she got a solid five minute head start she would most definitely escape the annoying little chatterbox of a mare. But of course, just when she thought she was in the clear and could breathe a sigh of relief, she returned. Wendigo's ears flattened to her scalp as she turned to snort at the golden mare, "For the last time, my name is Wendigo. Not Wendi." And then she sighed, shaking her head, knowing that Hawks probably wasn't even listening. Sure enough, the next words out of the younger mare confirmed it. But Wendigo's eyes did a quic sweep of the valley around them, and sure enough, it was livelier than usual. Lots of mares, stallions, and foals alike were scattered across the valley floor. And for a moment, Wendigo couldn't help but wonder if someone would come along and break up their little pairing. God, she sure hoped so.

► Desdemona ◄
Desi + Wolfie || Mare & Colt || 13 & a few days || Lone Mare & Colt || Foal Heat || Feeling: content || Tags; open

The dark bay sighed in relief, as she moved into the shade of the treeline, her tiny colt whinnying with delight as he threw himself into the plush grass beneath her feet. Desi smiled, craning her neck to nuzzle his tired little body, and shifting slightly so that she stood just over him. While she wasn't worried about stepping on him-- this wasn't her first rodeo-- she was worried that some stallion would come stomping along to bother her, and inevitably disturb her sleeping foal. As her tail brushed her sides, lazily sweeping away the flies that attacked her, she couldn't help but watch the families that moved across the valley. Mares, foals, and their stallions in tow. All surrounded by their friends and loved ones, she couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy in her own heart. Her stallion had grown too old and lame, and could no longer keep the herd safe. Desi, being as loyal as she was, was one of the last to leave, not wanting to be on her own protecting a young colt so soon after his birth. But alas, despite her own weakened state, her stallion was no longer of any use to her. Out of options, she'd left at dawn. And now she was on her own again, a young foal at her side, and knew his chances of survival going into a new herd were... slim. But she shook away those negative thoughts as she dipped her head to graze, knowing the scent of her oncoming heat were sure to attract someone's attention.