[Merlin's Heir]

Tiny Horse Summer Event
Welcome to the Tiny Horse Summer Event!
This event will last an undetermined amount of time and involves a plot that will carry into future events. Forty special Tiny Horses will be released during this event.
This event goes through five "areas." Each one has two sets of themed Tiny Horses, four in each set. Every person can only win one from each set. You can try out for more than one, but you can only win one of them. The four THs of the second-to-last set will be awarded to the four people who collect the most "magical objects," as a thank-you for helping move the event along for everyone.
To move from one area to the next, participants of the event must collect a certain number of magical objects that will be hidden throughout my TH-related posts. They could be found on individual Tiny Horses' pages or litters, in posts in the fanclub, show thread, breeding thread, and so on and so forth, but they will only be found in my posts. This is so that the other artists can participate in this event as well. Only five objects will be available to find at a time. Once they have all been found, I will release the next "wave" of objects. This is so that different users from different time zones and whatnot can have the chance to collect them, and so that the event doesn't get all crazy and too much to handle.
The TH sets for each area will also be released when a certain number of objects are collected. They will not be FCFS (each will have its own special requirements to adopt), and you will be able to adopt their adult form directly (you'll see them before you get them), unlike normal adopts.
The six posts below this one will contain information about their respective areas: story, art, number of objects needed, and so on. The first one is just the story intro, thought. In this post, you can find the rules and general info, the current event status (current area and object collection stuff), the number of tokens that each user has collected, and any other important information.

Rules
- You may only adopt one TH per set (you're welcome to try out for more than one, though)
- You may only collect two objects per "wave"
- Artists and other TH staff members are also allowed to participate
- You may not edit the object collection form for any reason
- The object collection forms must be PM'd to me*
- One object per object collection form, one object collection form per PM
- Follow all general TH and CS rules

*if you are a COPPA user, you may post the form in this thread

Current Status
Area: Forest
Objects Collected: 14 of 15
Object Wave: 2 of 2
Sets Released: 1 of 2

Previous Areas
Garden
10 magical fruits
Insect set and Flower set

Collectors
Queen Chrysalis - 10
Ruby-Skylark - 10
~FrozenSky~ - 2
Weeping_Angel }Y{ - 2

Object Collection Form

Code: Select all

[b]I Found An Object![/b]
[b]Username:[/b]
[b]Link to Post:[/b]

"Magical" Tiny Horses
All the Tiny Horses released during this event are naturally unnatural. They have non-equine colors and features of various sort, but unlike "unnatural" and "unusual" THs, these colorings and special features aren't the result of genetic engineering. They're completely natural. Which means they are able to breed with natural THs (but not with unnatural/unusual GE THs), or their own kind. These THs are called "Magical" Tiny Horses.
Some will have specific rules or limitations to what they can or cannot pass down to offspring, and any of these will be covered on their individual posts so that there are no mix-ups.

Story Info
This event, as stated before, follows a storyline that will carry into future events. This event's story is about five THs, one of mine and four whose owners volunteered them for the event. The THs will journey through the five areas, progressing in their story as you collect objects and discover the TH sets and new areas. Along with a written description of their adventure, I decided to spend some time on artwork to add to it. There is one large-Oekaki-canvas-sized piece of artwork for each area, each depicting the nature of the area and 3-5 of our adventurers (I'm afraid I couldn't always fit all of them in). Each piece is fully lined, colored, shaded, and highlighted.
And now, I shall introduce you to our brave voyagers, the five courageous Tiny Horses who will travel through this event along with you. I would also like to say thank you to ~FrozenSky~, ~Silverpelt~, trixyr, and LadyAlpha, the ever-so-helpful people who volunteered their lovely THs for this event. And now, without further ado, allow me to introduce you to your new friends!

Owner: Merlin's Heir
Full Name: Trickster
Nickname: Loki
Gender: Stallion
Age: Young adult
Personality: Loki lives up to his name. He is mischievous, cunning, and quite brilliant. Always up for an adventure or a prank, he's got a wild imagination and a heart that seeks out the most unusual of journeys.

Owner: ~FrozenSky~
Name: Belle
Gender: Mare
Age: Foal/weanling
Personality: At first, Belle can seem like quite the shy horse. She often needs a little nudge to make friends and actually speak. Once you get to know her though, she is noble and loyal to her friends. Belle is also very patient, and loves to solve puzzles.
Quirks/Habits: Belle has a habit of hiding her eyes beneath her forelock, and she also has a fear of tall grass, due to her small size. Belle also has a fear of being left behind, therefore she doesn't like to be alone.

Owner: ~Silverpelt~
Name: Pacific
Gender: Mare
Age: Teen
Personality: Pacific is a happy go lucky, she's pretty light hearted and it tries quite a bit to get her mad. She's very clever and social, she loves talking and being around others.
Quirks/Habits: She gets distracted easily.

Owner: trixyr
Name: The Doctor
Gender: Stallion
Age: Young adult/older teen
Personality: Loud at times, very protective of beings in general, says some very strange things. He is often very energetic, and loves adventures. Even if something is up to no good, he still appreciates the clever. Usually.
Quirks/Habits: Tends to talk faster when he figures stuff out, and usually to himself the first time around.

Owner: LadyAlpha
Full Name: WingMyWayToParadise
Nickname: Paradise
Gender: Mare
Age: Young adult
Personality: Paradise is a colorful and sweet personality. She's very lax and doesn't stress about much, just taking in life as it comes. She loves the heat and the water, and could be described as quite the hippie. She's got a touch of sarcasm and can sometimes be a little on the irresponsible and reckless side, but her love of taking flight over the fields is a breathtaking sight.
Quirks/Habits: Loves to run, but isn't dig-it-in competitive. Huge eater. Literally nothing spooks her...except when it's dark out. She hates when it's dark; claims it's because she can't see the beautiful daytime colors.

[Merlin's Heir]

Story Intro

___“Oh, don’t be like that, Lo,” Pacific rolled her eyes at Loki. “You’re such a pessimist.” Five little Tiny Horses were hanging out on a wooden porch, lounging in the sun and discussing various topics.

___“It’s not pessimism,” Loki retorted, “it’s thinking about the possibility of something terrible happening. There’s a difference. And don’t call me ‘Lo.’”

___“Stop arguing, you two,” Paradise broke in. “Just enjoy the nice weather. It’s such a beautiful day, isn’t it?”

___“Paradise is right,” the Doctor agreed. “It’s not often we get a day like this so early in the year. You know, when I–”

___“No, no, no,” Loki intervened. “I’m not listening to another one of your fairytales.”

___“I thought you liked adventures,” Paradise snorted.

___“I do,” the grullo replied, “but he takes all the fun out of them with all his boring facts. ‘Did you know that blah-blah-blah?’ ‘Well, blah happens when blah-blah, so then, BLAH!’”

___“Don’t listen to him,” Pacific said to the Doctor. “He’s just jealous of your storytelling skills.”

___Loki was about to respond when a tiny voice piped up. “What’s that shiny thing over there?” It was Belle, the tiniest and youngest of the group. Five pairs of eyes looked in the direction Belle had nodded. There was, indeed, a strange, shiny something glinting in the freshly-cut grass.

___“Let’s go find out,” the Doctor grinned enthusiastically. They followed him over to the edge of the porch and peered down into the grass below. There was an oblong ring of a silvery color floating just below them, colors of diverse kinds swirling around in the center.

___“What the Tiny is that?” Pacific muttered under her breath, shifting uncertainly on her hooves. Loki, ever the daring one, stuck a foreleg out and ventured to touch the mysterious ring with his hoof.

___“It feels… weird,” he thought aloud. “Kind of cool and squishy, and almost– hey, I can’t pull my hoof out!” Loki struggled and fought against it, but the strange substance was pulling him in relentlessly. “A little help here?” he asked, looking around wildly at his comrades. But they had no idea what to do. Little by little, Loki was being pulled closer and closer to the edge. Soon he’d fall in, and who knew what would happen then?

___“I’m ― going ― to ― faaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!” And with that final “aaah,” down he tumbled into the swirling colors. Completely gone. The remaining four Tiny Horses stared silently after him, jaws hanging down in surprise.

___“Wh-wha-what do we do?” Belle squeaked. The Doctor lowered his head and nuzzled her comfortingly.

___“Is he… dead?” Paradise asked hesitantly. Belle whimpered and the cheerful light in Pacific’s eyes dimmed.

___“No, I don’t think so,” the Doctor reassured them. “I’ve done quite a bit of research on wormholes, magical portals, and the like. By my calculations, this should be a–”

___“So you think he’s been transported to… somewhere?” Pacific inquired.

___“I believe so,” the Doctor affirmed.

___“Where do you think he went?” Belle questioned.

___“There’s no way of telling,” the Doctor informed her. “I’ll just have to go in after him and see if we can’t find our way back. Two heads are better than one, after all. For example–”

___“If you’re going, I’m going,” Paradise interrupted. The Doctor opened his mouth to argue, but Paradise continued. “If two heads are better than one, then three heads will be even better than two.”

___“You can add another head,” Pacific volunteered. “He’s my friend, too, even if he is a pessimist.”

___“Can I come with you?” Belle asked. “I don’t want to be all alone here.” The Doctor sighed.

___“A group expedition it is, then,” he said with a swish of his starry tail. And so into the portal they went.

[Merlin's Heir]

Garden

___Travelling through the portal was a very strange experience. They all seemed to have somewhat varying accounts of it. Belle later said that it was all dark and cold and she felt as if she were falling and falling forever, while the Doctor claimed that he could see stars and planets and supernovas. For Paradise, the swirling colors they’d jumped into continued in a seemingly endless tunnel, and Pacific told them it was so bright she had to keep her eyes shut the whole time. As for Loki, well, he never said what his experience had been like.

___The four Tiny Horses tumbled onto a dusty, foreign ground. They picked themselves up and shook the dirt from their coats before taking in their striking surroundings. They appeared to be in the middle of a garden, which, though quite large, wasn’t as big as garden usually appeared to them. The pansies were only as big as the Doctor’s head, and the dewdrops seemed so much smaller than they had back as home. The grass was still tall, though it looked much overgrown, and there was a massive, red-and-white mushroom in the middle of the dusty clearing.

___“I was wondering if you guys were going to come after me,” a voice said from behind them. They whirled around to see an amused Loki. “Isn’t this place something?”

___“It certainly is amazing,” Pacific agreed, looking around again.

___“It’s beautiful,” Paradise breathed, quite in awe of this majestic place. “Where are we?”

___“I haven’t a clue,” the Doctor answered her question, “and I know everything about everywhere. This is fantastic! Look at the sizes of everything. It’s as if we’re more than twice as big as we were before! Except for that mushroom. And the grass. And– hello!”

___His four companions turned to see what he was talking about. Emerging from the grass beside the mushroom was a… person. If person she could be called. Either she was small or they were tall, for her height compared to theirs was as an average human compared to a full-sized horse. Her chocolate hair was swept up into a gentle knot on the top of her head, and her bright green eyes were full of vivacity and liveliness. A splattering of freckles lay across her fair skin, and her rosy lips were pricked up at the corners in a friendly smile.

___Her garment, for no other word could rightly describe her brilliant array, was no less fantasy-like than the rest of this unusual place. Its nature appeared to be that of a ball gown of sorts, full skirted and puffy sleeved, and it was colored in various hues or yellows, oranges, and greens. The collar was an impressive succession of what appeared to be yellow and green flower petals, smaller at the bottom of the neckline and growing longer as they went around. The lovely personage was barefoot, and a blue-winged dragonfly followed her on a leash.



___“Good afternoon,” she said in a musical voice, jolting the five adventurers out of their mesmerized state.

___“Ah, um, yes, hello,” the Doctor greeted her awkwardly. “I’m the Doctor, and, uh, these are my friends. Pacific, Belle, Loki, and Paradise. And, ah, who might you be?”

___“I am Neana,” she introduced herself, “and I am the queen of this garden. You, I think, are not from this place.”

___“No, we’re not,” Pacific confirmed. “We – well, Loki – fell through some portal of sorts and we came to rescue him.” Loki gave her an annoyed look and stamped his hoof.

___“Do you happen to know a way out of here?” Paradise inquired. “As wonderful as this place is, we really want to get home.”

___“Speak for yourself,” Loki snorted. “I want to see more of this place.”

___“Then you will both get what you wish for,” Neana told them softly in her lilting tone. “If you travel to the castle Ceren Rinn on the Isle of Rinn, you will be able to return home.”

___“Great!” the Doctor smiled. “How do we get there?”

___“You must go into the forest and through the caves,” Neana instructed. “The caves lead out to the beach, from where you can see the castle. You will have to find some way of crossing the water, but I am afraid I cannot help you there. Perhaps those who dwell there will aid you.”

___“Thanks for all your help,” Paradise said. “So… where’s this forest you mentioned?”

___“Beyond the garden gate,” Neana told them, gesturing to an ornate, black iron gate, behind which great trees loomed intimidatingly. “But it’s locked. It used to be open… we had magical fruit, the seeds of which grew keys that could unlock the gate. But we lost the fruit. If you could find the fruits, I would be eternally grateful, and I could unlock the gate for you.”

___“Well, I guess we could give it a shot,” Loki decided. “How many fruits do we have to find?”

___“Ten,” said Neana. “Some resemble strawberries, others watermelons, and some pears. They were lost somewhere in this garden, but we haven’t been able to find them yet. I wish you luck, travelers. And…” She paused, glancing at them over her shoulder with a smile. “…good luck.” Then she vanished into the grasses, leaving the five stranded Tiny Horses to search the garden alone.

___~ ~ ~

___Five days later, the five Tiny Horses regrouped back by the mushroom to count up the fruits they’d found.

___“I’ve got three,” the Doctor announced.

___“I have two,” Loki added.

___“Pacific and I found three.” Paradise put their fruits in the pile.

___“And I found two,” Belle chirped.

___“That’s all of them!” Pacific grinned. Just as she spoke, Neana emerged from the tall grass again.

___“So you have found all the fruits,” she smiled gently. “My people and I thank you for your assistance in recovering them.” She took the fruits in her hand and, seemingly magically, pulled a key out from their midst. Another sweet smile graced her soft face. “The gate has been opened,” Neana said, looking up at the Tiny Horses. “Stay on the path, friends, and may the rest of your journey be as fruitful as your time here.”

___With a chiming, musical laugh, she disappeared into the depths of her garden, leaving the Tiny Horses to continue their journey on their own. The gate swung open with a relieved creak, and through it they went into the great, dark forest.

Objects
Type: Fruits (watermelon, strawberry, pear)
Number: 10
Waves: 2
Collected: 10

Sets
Releases: 5 objects and 10 objects
Set One: Insects
Set Two: Flowers

[Merlin's Heir]

Forest

___The forest was massive. The trees, though certainly not nearly as tall as the ones back home, were quite intimidating. Their moss-bearded trunks reached high up above, melting into a dark canopy of leaves that hid the sky from the Tiny Horses’ sight. The winding dirt path of pebbles and dust was so long they felt it would never end.

___“Well,” Pacific broke the stillness awkwardly, “it’s a… lovely forest… isn’t it?” The group glanced around. Between the trees, not a solitary glimmer of light could be seen.

___“That’s one word for it,” Loki muttered, his ears flicking back and forth to hallucinated sounds that were, no doubt, a concoction of this devious den of darkness. The wary stallion was mistrustful of this shadowy woods, and made no attempt to conceal his discomfort.

___His friends’ views of the spooky place were much the same. It was not a place any of them enjoyed their time in. But they plodded along all the same, driven on by the idea of an end to this infernal forest and a return to the place they called home.

___At last the weary compatriots spied a little hope ahead. A brilliant, golden gate with intricate designs stood across the path not far away. Behind it, a wavering shield of shimmering blueness obscured whatever fantastic view lay beyond.

___“A force field!” the Doctor exclaimed excitedly, galloping over to examine it. “Judging by its rippling appearance, I’d have to conclude that its source must be magical. In fact…” The Doctor rambled on while the others, having learned that paying attention only encouraged his ceaseless babble, focused on solutions to their dilemma.

___“The gate’s locked,” Paradise announced, confirming their fear. “And even if it weren’t, it wouldn’t be wise to tangle with that force field, or whatever it is. Someone’s built that wall for a reason, I’d say.”

___“Doubtlessly,” Pacific concurred. “But Neana said to follow the path, and it would lead us to the caves. I don’t see any other path, and I don’t think any of us want to risk getting lost in that darkness.” She nodded towards the trees that lined the pathway.

___“So we find a way to get through the gate and force field,” Loki suggested. “Aside from ‘getting lost in that darkness,’ it’s our only option. We can’t exactly fly, now, can we?”

___“Funny you should mention flying, Lo,” Pacific laughed nervously. The others followed her gaze to see a rather upset-looking winged person coming towards them. He flew dexterously around them, putting himself between the Tiny Horses and the gate. The boy was dressed in an almost medieval fashion, down to the steel helmet and cuirass. A thin sword in its scabbard was hung about his waist on a leather belt.

___But his wings were certainly the most unusual thing about him. Thin, pointed, and partially translucent, the blue, ethereal things flickered back and forth so quickly they could hardly be seen. The young creature suddenly ceased their rapid movement and alighted gently on the ground.

___“Who are you, and why have you come here?” he demanded boldly.



___“Ah, now, let’s all calm down here,” the Doctor spoke up, trying to lessen the boy’s obvious anger. “We’re just a few friends trying to find our way home.” Suddenly, a look of recognition and hatred crossed the stranger’s face.

___“I know what you are!” he shouted. “Your kind are not welcome here! Leave, before I call the rest of the regiment.”

___“Our kind?” Pacific asked confusedly. “What on earth are you talking about? We’re from another world and we’re just trying to get back there.”

___“Then you must find another road to take you home,” the winged boy asserted confidently. “Your path will not lead through Fairyland.”

___“Fairyland?” the Doctor marveled. “So it’s not a fantasy.”

___“Look, we just want to get home,” Paradise implored the fairy-boy. “Neana told us to go through the forest to find the caves so we could get to the beach and then to the castle. We won’t be any trouble, I promise. We’ll just go right through and not disturb any of you fairy folk.”

___“I said you aren’t welcome here,” fairy-boy repeated darkly.

___“P-please, Mr. Fairy, sir,” Belle spoke up timidly, coming out from hiding behind the Doctor, “won’t you l-let us through? We just want to get home.” A surprised look sprang into the fairy’s eyes at the sight of the little filly.

___“Why did you not tell me you were travelling with one of her kind?” the boy asked. “If you had, I would not have been so mistrusting of you.” The Tiny Horses exchanged confused glances.

___“Um, what?” Pacific inquired, tilting her head to the side. “What difference does her presence make?”

___“Her kind aided us in the war many years ago,” fairy-boy explained in a tone that implied they should already be aware of this. “Without their help, we would have been defeated. We owe them a great deal.”

___“So you’ll let us through?” Loki asked, shifting his hooves.

___“I am afraid it isn’t so simple,” the fairy told them slowly. “The king has ordered that all who pass through must pay a fee. The little one and the starry one may pass through freely, but you other three–” he gestured to Pacific, Paradise, and Loki “–must pay the fee if you wish to proceed.”

___“How come the Doctor doesn’t have to pay?” Loki demanded, rather insulted.

___“What’s the price?” Paradise asked, giving Loki an annoyed nudge.

___“Each of you must pay with five magical leaves,” the fairy instructed them. “So you must pay fifteen if you all wish to go through our kingdom.”

___“Magical leaves?” Pacific inquired.

___“They can be found in this forest,” fairy-boy told her. “Only one grows on each tree each year, but you are in luck, for this is the season in which most of the leaves fall. There may be some lying about on and around this path. But be careful not to leave the path. You do not know the dangers this forest holds.”

___“What dangers?” the Doctor asked. A horn suddenly sounded through the trees.

___“I must go,” the boy said. “Once you have collected the leaves you need, call my name and I will open the gate for you. I am Tyrahalion.” And with that, he flew off into the trees.

___“Great,” Loki sighed. “We’ve got to find magical leaves in a dark, treacherous forest with unknown dangers lurking in the shadows. How wonderful.”

___“We’d better get to work, then,” the Doctor stated in a determined tone. “Come along.”

Objects
Type: Leaves
Number: 15
Waves: 2
Collected: 10

Sets
Releases: 10 objects and 15 objects
Set One: Woodland Creatures
Set Two: unreleased

[Merlin's Heir]

Reserved

[Merlin's Heir]

Reserved

[Merlin's Heir]

Reserved

[Merlin's Heir]

Now open for posting!

[Aragorn.]

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[cyleris]

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