Welcome to the Frozen Ground Herds! Do you dare to live here, among the dangers of the mountains? High cliffs soar dozens of meters above the ground, the soil of the lower elevations are thin. Food is something that only comes in the valleys, and occasionally on mesas – flat-topped, sloped mountains. These summits are one of the places the Frozen Cliffs Herd stay for extended times before moving through the mountain to find their next temporary staying place. The Rushing Water herd, however, has a much more stable life-style in a wide, shallow valley with grass, a waterfall, even a stand of pine trees. However, these herds are not the only animals in the mountains: They face the dangers of predators, and other hooved beasts live among the lower mountains.

Frozen Cliffs Herd

The Frozen Cliffs herd lives a nomadic lifestyle, with no specific territory. They travel from one small valley to the next, and find food along the way in the tough grass of the mountains. The high elevations mean clouds often obscure the paths and cause heavy fog, making travel very treacherous.

Rushing Water Herd

The Rushing Water Herd lives in a wide, shallow valley slightly lower on the mountain than the Frozen Cliffs Herd, and one side of the valley is greatly composed of a very high cliff where a river goes careening into nothing, forming a waterfall which hugs the cliff to the point of causing a hidden cave behind the falls. Being apparently difficult to see, let alone get in, few know of the cave, and the system of tunnels behind it.

This waterfall is in the far northwest side of the valley, and drops into a pool which then turns to a river that separates the valley in two. Several areas are quite shallow and often dry up if there is a drought, where the herd crosses to get to the Rocks, an area with large, deep rocky outcrops standing oddly firm, with hollowed out spaces beneath many of them, where the horses can shelter in bad weather. This is on the west side of the valley. A ways south of the Rocks is a band of pine trees, with no bushes or anything of the sort. There are high rises and sinkholes in this band of trees, which leads further south into the swamp, next to the main branch of the river.

At one point, the valley river breaks off into a smaller river, which breaks off the Evergreen forest from the rest of the valley. It is a crossable river, though can be treacherous due to deep currents. The rest of the valley is mostly plains with small stands of trees.

Map

Cult of the Hollowed Wind

In the mountain territory, All is not safe. While the Rushing Water Herd as no need to worry about cliffs, they must be alert and wary of foals drowning and predators which can hide in the fog that oftentimes envelopes the valley. The Frozen Cliffs Herd, however, must worry about storms, the freezing weather, predators, cliffs, and treacherous fog. Here’s a list of predators in the mountains:

Mountain Lions/pumas/cougars(All the same)

Wolves(When a horse is alone)

Coyotes(Foals)

Foxes(Foals)

Here are the breeds of horses which may be accepted into the herd. If you have another cold-weather breed, they may be accepted.

Dole:

The Dole is a thick-coated small draft horse breed. They have feathering at the hooves, and were bred in Norway. Stand from 14 to 15.3 hands tall. Coat usually will be bay, brown, or black, but more rarely may be grey, dun, or palomino.

Canadian:

The Canadian horse, with Barb and Andalusion ancestry, has good feet and bone as well as heavy, wavy manes and tails. They stand from 14 to 16 hands tall. They can be black, but more rarely may be bay, brown or chestnut. A very rare few may be “Ash White,” but due to how rare this is, if you want to make an ash white horse, please PM me with the design and bio.

Belgian:

Having a small head, thick neck, powerful shoulders and short, sturdy legs, Belgian horses are strong draft breed animals. They may have some feathering about the hooves and stand around 19.3 hands high. They will be either red roan or flaxen “Sorrel” – a light chestnut coat with a flaxen mane and tail.

Snow Mustang:

Sturdy, strong mustangs with curly or wavy manes. Stand 15 to 17 hands. Can be palomino, gray, black, white, bay, roans, and more rarely, chestnut.

Fjord:

Sturdy, muscular, and hardy. Fjords are very strong with good feet and bone. Their manes can be either short and upright or thick, long, and heavy, which may even obscure vision. Fjords may also have some feathering around the feet.

 They are from 13.1 to 14.3 hands, and ONLY can have dun coats. These will always have spine markings, remember! Due to the odd nature of the Fjord coats, I will list them in more detail:

Brunblakk – Classic brown dun. By far the most common coat, with 90% of fjords having this coloration. The dark stripe in the middle of the mane is either very dark brown or black, as is the stripe in the middle of the tail. The outside of the mane and tail are white depending on the shade of the individual. The legs are either very dark brown or black, as is the muzzle and dorsal stripe.  (Note: This means the center, and on long-maned fjords, the dark will mingle with the light outer mane.)

Gra – Gray dun. The coat can be from light, silvery gray to a dark slate gray color, with the forelocks, muzzle, and dorsal stripe being dark. On the darkest individuals, the mane can be nearly black. The outside of the mane and tail are white, as usually is the case.

Rodblakk – The red dun. Despite what the term “Red” would suggest, these horses are actually much like Brunblakks, except they have a mildly redder coat and darker-shaded red points and dorsal stripe, but these points are never black. On lighter horses, the mane, tail, and forelock may be completely white.

Ulsblakk – White dun, or uls dun. This is a variety of Brunblakk which supposedly has a diluted gene, resulting in a body color which can be a pale yellow-white or almost-white gray. The points, middle of mane, and middle of tail can be gray or black. The outside of the mane and tail is lighter than the body.

Gulblakk – The Gulblakk is the rarest of all Fjords. They are difficult at times to distinguish from the Ulsblakk, mostly due to the fact that it is a variety of Rodblakk caused by the same gene as the Ulsblakk. These horses have a darker yellowish center of the mane and tail and dorsal stripe. The forelock, mane and tail may be completely white, though the forelock may also be a darker reddish shade. This horse cannot be made unless you have a very good bio for me.

One more note on this horse is that due to being dun, they can have primitive markings. Those are all sorts of fun to play with. Another note is that wherever there is a dun horse, there is potential for primitive markings.

Rocky Mountain Horse:

The rocky Mountain horse was actually developed in the Appalachian Mountains, but later perfected in the Rockies, where the herds reside. They’re known for their “single-foot” amble, and ability to withstand vicious mountain winters. Many that carry the Silver Dapple gene suffer from a non-progressive eye disorder which compromises sight, but does not result in blindness.

Stands from 14 to 16 hands high, and comes in any solid color. Also can be a dark brown chocolate shade with a flaxen mane and tail, and silver dapple.

Black Forest Horse:

Herd Origins

The origins of the Frozen Ground Herds are greatly preserved in legend – it is said that many years ago, a mustang and his brother left their homeland to start their herd. They moved until they found the Rocky Mountain range, where they’d later settle. As they went up the mountain, the conditions got colder and foggier until they found a valley where an old abandon shack and a small herd rested. They went down to meet these horses and found they’d been abandoned by their owner, who had left to join the army.

For the most part, the group consisted of Fjords, Rocky Mountain Horses, and Doles. There were also four Black forest Horses. They decided to join the mustangs, in which the older mustang, Western Breeze, became co-leader of the herd with the Ulsblakk fjord, Winter Blaze.

The two eventually moved their herd to a valley which later became the home of the Rushing Water Herd. At first, all was well. But as time went on, both stallions had foals they chose as successors as the herd leader. As those colts grew, the lead stallions grew competitive and rifts soon formed within the herd: some of the horses supported Winter Blaze, and others supported Western Breeze.

Soon enough, a short civil war broke out, and the herd split in two. The stallion Western Breeze was forced out with his supporters and his brother, and they became the Frozen Cliffs Herd, living nomadically and moving from one valley and forest to the next.

Winter Blaze stayed in the valley, and formed the Rushing Water Herd.

All seemed well for awhile, until it became clear that Western’s brother, East Wind, was growing jealous of his brother. It is said that Western chose a foal to succeed him when East was a good deal younger than his brother, and far more qualified to lead a herd at his brother’s death. Soon, it was believed this jealousy and anger consumed him, and he received a vision from the dark spirit of the Winter Wind that told him to gather followers and leave.

The culture of the RWH and FCH are greatly the same.

These two herds mostly worship the spirit of spring, Floriana. The spirit of the Winter Wind, Kalteherz, is marked as deeply evil and malicious, leading into the belief that other than the Fjord’s mane and tail as well as the dorsal stripe, primitive markings are scars left on foals at birth by Kalteherz himself, marking them as cursed. This is why all mares must leave the herd before they give birth with one of the Barrens, who examine the foal for such “scars.” During the examination, the mother is sent back to the herd, to spare her at least that if the foal is deemed cursed. When cursed foals are found, they are taken into treacherous territory, and then abandoned. If, on the off-chance that they survive, they manage to find their way back to a herd, they are allowed to stay as the lowest ranked horse there, often serving as the scapegoat. These horses serve the herd only as a kicking bag and morale booster, something to blame when things are bad. However, they have also been known to contact Kalteherz himself on rare occasion.

Another aspect of their society is the fact that the RWH and FCH are very respectful to their superiors.

However, the culture of the Hollowed Wind Cult differs. These horses rarely are seen in the sun, except if they are with a large bird of prey. These birds are known to weave and create necklaces for the Cultists. Most often, these charms are made of shells from the rivers and lakes or wood, carved by the birds’ beaks into shapes, usually of the faces of predators.

The Cult is composed entirely of males. Thus, they use the blood of the Rushing Water Herd to reproduce: On the most idealistic side, at night, the stallions will find a mare who is away from the herd, not telling her he is a cultist, and they honestly fall in love, resulting in a foal to be abandoned by the father against his will, then later it is retrieved at night at birth. At worst, a stallion will lead a mare off and then force himself upon her, and again, coming back for the foal if it is a colt. Most often, the Cultists lie and manipulate mares into believing that the stallion is in love with them, then seduce them and leave them.

Frozen Cliffs and Rushing Water

Lead Stallion: Most respected stallion in the herd – leads them and keeps them safe. Mate of the lead mare. Each herd has one.

Lead mare: Helps the lead stallion and supports him, and at some points, seems to secretly be in charge of the herd. Oftentimes helps keep track of the foals. Each Herd as one.

Champion: Most elite fighting stallion in the herd. Right-hand protector of the lead pair. Often, they will fight in the lead stallion’s place against competitors if the lead stallion is currently too weak or old. Always male, always very powerful. It isn’t uncommon for him to be a Rocky Mountain horse or draft breed. Each herd has one.

Soldiers: Should the herd be attacked, these stallions and occasional mares are up in arms to fight back. Protectors of the herd. Herds can have as many as they want.

Rangers: Stallions and mares with sharp eyes and senses – surprisingly, this means that Silver Dapple Rocky Mountain horses are common due to the fact that their hearing and sense of smell are strengthened by bad eyes. Highly respected, as they stand about the edges and when feeding, are always alert and ready to warn of danger, whether it be by other horses or predators. Each herd can have up to ten.

Bards: These horses are those that, in the evenings, tell stories, jokes, sing songs, and dance. They are the entertainment, and are most often good-humored stallions and colts. Up to five.

Herd horses: These are the horses of the herd that are unranked. Unlimited number.

Foal-sitters: Exclusively mares, though the bards do love helping out – many foals love their stories. These mares are mothers who help each other look after foals. Unlimited, given they have foals, and equal in rank to herd horses.

Barrens: Mares exclusively. They are sterile and accompany all mares to treacherous territory for the birth of their foal before sending them back to the herd. Their job is to choose sites on which they leave Cursed foals, to give them the highest chance of dying.

The Cursed – No more than three at one time, though they often die at younger ages due to the abuse they go through. Most die within three months of birth. Scapegoats for hard winters, due to their being associated with Kalteherz.

The Cult of Hollowed Wind

The Servant of Kalteherz: “Lead stallion” of the Cult. This stallion is the one who leads all the ceremonies, from the introduction of a new cultist to the sacrifice of the new moon. This stallion is referred to as “the Great.”

The Chosen: In the herds, they are the Cursed. In the cult, even the Servant of Kalteherz bows to and reveres them deeply. These are the stallions who have primitive marks other than dorsal stripes.

Rushing Water Herd

Lead Stallion:

Lead Mare:

Champion:

Soldiers:

Bards:

Herdhorses:

Foalsitters:

Foals:

The Cursed:

Frozen Cliff Herd

Lead Stallion:

Lead Mare:

Champion:

Soldiers:

Bards:

Herdmembers:

Foalsitters:

Foals:

The Cult of the Hollowed Wind

The Servant of Kalteherz:

The Chosen:

Lone Horses

Members who have joined the project :

Featherv enom

Mystic Mayhem

White stallion

Bopsie

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Entries submitted :

• http://www.animationsource.org/spirit/en/chars/Elo... by bopsie (February 06, 2013)

Last comments

Featherv enom	February 06, 2013

Need one lead stallion and two lead mares!

Featherv enom	February 06, 2013

He's accepted!^^

Bopsie	February 06, 2013

I shall enter Eloy as a lead stallion of the Rushing Water herd.

Featherv enom	February 06, 2013

Herd needs leaders!

Featherv enom	February 04, 2013

Herd Bump!

Featherv enom	February 02, 2013

You caught me xD that's where the idea came from.

JustAWri terChick	February 02, 2013

The process for the "cursed" foals remind me of the wolves of the beyond book, for gnaw wolves and such. L o l.

Featherv enom	February 02, 2013

Lead Stallions and mares open!

Featherv enom	February 01, 2013

Horses desperately needed!

Featherv enom	February 01, 2013

High positions open, horses needed!

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