welcome
Hello there! I see that you have managed to make your way to the Stormfast Herd page. If you are looking for more information about this herd of horses in ~sf, feel free to explore the links on your right. And below you will find a handy-dandy guide to what ranks of horses are in the herd and what horses of those ranks do. :3
herd rankings
lady. This mare is of the same general ranking as the Chieftain, and she makes many of the decisions in the herd. She is almost always the partner of the Chieftain.
helm. The Helm is the leader of the Warriors. This horse is the one that gives the Warriors most of the commands to do battle or protect the rest of the herd. A horse of this rank is usually male.
current. Like the water flowing down the river. This horse is the commander of the Runners. Often leading them on a hunt for the best grazing or in pursuit of escaping foes. This horse is usually a mare lean of body and long legged.
skald. This horse is the storyteller for the Stormfast herd. During the long winters it is up to this horse to give happiness and cheer to the other herd members with his or her stories. The skald may be a mare or stallion of any age.
warriors. These horses are the protectors and fighters of the herd. They follow under main command of the Helm, and are trained to fight until their death. The Warriors are usually stallions of heavy build, but mares are also common.
runners. The trackers of the herd. These horses seek out the best grazing areas and the fleeing enemies of the Stormfast. There are not many of them, but they are usually mares with a lean build like the Current that leads them.
elders. The Elders are widely respected by the entire herd, and younger horses will often lay around them and hear stories from them like they would a Skald. These horses often get little snippets of clover and other plants from the younger horses.
sark. The lone "healer" of the herd... This horse is an almost loner as she or he dwells far from the main body of the herd. The Sark is despised by almost all the horses in Stormfast as they see this horse as a freaky creature that they want nothing to do with. They say that the Sark is to close to the spirits of the dead. This horse is usually a disfigured mare, but stallions (or geldings!) are also common.
loners. These horses are not well liked by the Stormfast herd and are often driven off the herd'd territory. There is not much to say about these horses, but the Sark always welcomes them. A loner may be a stallion or mare of various build and markings.
The Stormfast herd is the main group of horses that are roleplayed in ~sf, and the other herd is the Evil's Herd. The Stormfast Herd claims to be as swift as the storms that often fly overhead of their territory, and they take pride in that claim as well! They can be called a superstitious bunch as they believe in draugr (spirits of the dead) and other spirits that might be lurking in the dark, but above all they fear the taint of the Evil.
Not only do the horses believe in higher beings than they, the horse of the herd are a rather superstitious group as many of them believe in monsters, ghosts, and other things of that like. In some cases members from this herd are prone to believing that certain places within their territory are haunted.
For instance, when a new foal is born the oldest horse of the herd utters a prayer and blessing over the newborn foal. A prayer to the great ones in the sky for blessing the herd with new life, and a blessing for the foal to have a happy, healthy, and full life. Sometimes more than one of the oldest horses in the herd will each utter a blessing and prayer in addition to the oldest. This is most often done for foals of higher ranking horses, such as the leaders' foal(s), the Helm's, the Current's, or the Skald's.
At every full moon a sacrifice is made. A horse of the herd will willingly give up their self to honer the great ones above. For this the ring of Standing Stones near the forest it used. The willing horse lays down in the circular pool within the center of the ring of Standing Stones, the horses that have come to witness the ordeal start to chant, and the willing horse is snuffed out by a well aimed hoof from the leader. There is quite a bit more to it, however it changes from sacrifice to sacrifice.
There is more in this section to come once the Stormfast herd has been roleplayed for a while
From side to side, the war went and an entire herd fell to their knees. And then only two herds were in combat with one-another. Once livid green grass was flooded with crimson and the river ran scarlet, but still on the fight went. Finally on the last night of the last season an agreement was reached; the two herds with the last dregs of the third would all inherit and control the land that the battle had been fought over... with only one requirement. They all had to carry the same name, but not the name of any of the three herds!
So taking their name from the fleetness of their hooves and their ability to change like a storm, they became the Stormfast. Any horse that objected this ruling was firmly sent over the Thorn Mountains to start their lives anew. From the time of their bonding that made the three to only one, the horses began to hold even greater faith in their believed guides in the sky. After all, the herd believed, what but powerful gods could have made them stop their war and convince them to form into one?
beliefs
The horses of the Stormfast herd have held belief in gods for as long as they have been banded together. The god of storms, Thor, and the god of wisdom and healing, Odin, are the most revered out of the many gods they hold faith in. However many minor beings are also subject to being adored by the herd. As a majority, they believe that the changing of the seasons, and the rising and falling of the sun and moon are brought about by the "great ones above" rather than just a natural cycle.Not only do the horses believe in higher beings than they, the horse of the herd are a rather superstitious group as many of them believe in monsters, ghosts, and other things of that like. In some cases members from this herd are prone to believing that certain places within their territory are haunted.
ceremonies
Over time the Stormfast herd has taken up a few ceremonies that they preform during certain times or under a certain circumstance comes to happen.For instance, when a new foal is born the oldest horse of the herd utters a prayer and blessing over the newborn foal. A prayer to the great ones in the sky for blessing the herd with new life, and a blessing for the foal to have a happy, healthy, and full life. Sometimes more than one of the oldest horses in the herd will each utter a blessing and prayer in addition to the oldest. This is most often done for foals of higher ranking horses, such as the leaders' foal(s), the Helm's, the Current's, or the Skald's.
At every full moon a sacrifice is made. A horse of the herd will willingly give up their self to honer the great ones above. For this the ring of Standing Stones near the forest it used. The willing horse lays down in the circular pool within the center of the ring of Standing Stones, the horses that have come to witness the ordeal start to chant, and the willing horse is snuffed out by a well aimed hoof from the leader. There is quite a bit more to it, however it changes from sacrifice to sacrifice.
history
Countless seasons ago, a great battle broke out between three herds of horses over which owned what is now the Stormfast herd's land. For six seasons (two years & two months) the fight raged on with horses on all three sides loosing their lives. Inch by inch a herd would pull ahead only to be yanked down by the other two enemies. Two winters, two falls, three springs, and three summers blew past with no horse noticing as the only thing that mattered to them was the lush, rich land that they were fighting for.From side to side, the war went and an entire herd fell to their knees. And then only two herds were in combat with one-another. Once livid green grass was flooded with crimson and the river ran scarlet, but still on the fight went. Finally on the last night of the last season an agreement was reached; the two herds with the last dregs of the third would all inherit and control the land that the battle had been fought over... with only one requirement. They all had to carry the same name, but not the name of any of the three herds!
So taking their name from the fleetness of their hooves and their ability to change like a storm, they became the Stormfast. Any horse that objected this ruling was firmly sent over the Thorn Mountains to start their lives anew. From the time of their bonding that made the three to only one, the horses began to hold even greater faith in their believed guides in the sky. After all, the herd believed, what but powerful gods could have made them stop their war and convince them to form into one?
character rules
height.As a further note, please keep your horse at a reasonable height as not every horse in the herd is going to be a towering 16-17hh. The general height of any horse is 15hh-16hh unless if the horse has warmblood or draft blood. Also the "hands" of a horse's height are never 15.4hh, 15.6hh, or 17.8hh. If you horse's height is #.4hh (or a higher decimal!) it is really #hh. For example, if Destiny the horse is 18.7hh he is really 19.3hh! "Hands" are aproximently four inches. :3
trinkets and injuries. With your character not being able to be pink or have wings why not add some bling or scars? Several horses in ~sf are adorned with feathers, necklaces, and all sorts of other unusual things. And scars and old injuries such as missing eyes, ears, or teeth, are common for some horses. So you still have freedom to make your horse unique in its own way, but there are still some limits to the trinkets and other markings your horse can have. If you're in doubt about something feel free to ask Raven or one of the council members. Also pericings and shiney bits of metal are highly questionable.
character amounts. There is no limit to the amount of characters you can roleplay in ~stormfast, however we do suggest only having as many as you can easily handle!
bloodlines & family. The Stormfast herd is very family oriented, and the horses often have bloodline names and close family members. So why not get out there and have your horse be relatives with another!
loners & outsiders. To be blunt, we don't really want masses of outside horses in the herd, however if you really want to have a horse from another herd, or loner, join the herd please contact Raven and she will discuses it with the council members. On the same note, we do not really want a whole bunch of loners running around so there is a set limit of five available; first come first served. Also any loner will be mistrusted and more often than not disliked by the herd.
submitting a horse. After you have completed your horse, please send the following things: name, rank, a few short sentences about them, and a link to their page, to Raven. Please neomail them to her, as she will not be pleased if they are submitted in any other way.
character bans. Sometimes there gets too many of one type of character, such as too many of one gender or rank, so we might have a ban where characters of a certain type cannot be created.
The horses
Character total. 9 stallions + 6 mares + 15 horses
~*the chieftain**.
Ruarc
A steady leader who guides the herd with a firm hoof. He is prepared to face any challenge, but he sometimes wonders if he is strong enough.
~*the lady**
-apply?
~*the helm**
-apply?
~*the currant**
Aloo
Aloo is the kind of mare that does not have a care for the world. The kind that would rather spend her days in the small fantasy land she created in her mind, unaware of her surroundings.
~*the skald**
Jarl
This scrawny stallion is the teller of tales in the herd. He claims be humble and loyal to his Chieftain and Lady, but is he really? Only time will tell.
~*the warriors**
Doran
A brave stallion with the heart of a lion and the eye of a hawk. This short bay has always been willing to sacrifice himself for the good of Stormfast, and he has sworn to protect the herd until his last dying breath.
Darroch
Darroch is a proud, loyal warrior who knows what he believes in and who he loves.
Irome
Irome is a stuck up, selfish, egoistic stallion who thinks himself as superior to all except the Chieftan and Lady. He has little patience for anyone below, although he secretly admires the less respected herd members who work twice as hard as he does.
Sakura
A cremello mare with a moody and independent attitude. Although she doesn't look it, if you annoy her, she can easily show you how strong she is. However, she desires to be accepted by the rest of the herd for who she is.
Rose of Texas (Tex)
Tex is a force of nature. Despite her silent decorum, she's fierce and hot-blooded with no qualms about her attitude. Her heart was swallowed up in darkness long ago, but beneath the aggressive veneer, a young mare longs to taste the light. Born a buckskin beauty, she's physically marred by a tapestry of scars on her back.
Spartan's Pride
Although this stallion has had his fair share of pain in his life; he always offers others tenderness and kindness. Only now and then do the painful demons of his past manage to grab a hold of his better judgement and emotions.
~*the runners**
Scarlet
Scarlet's red eyes may seem evil and cruel, but behind them is a gentle and lonely mare who wants nothing more then a friend and a way to get back the one she lost.
Chatriona
Chatriona is a very quiet mare whose shy and unassuming personality makes it difficult for her to bond. However, she has a heart of gold and opens up once she gets to know you.
Tastin
And to sum him up: The herd's Renegade, a young Grullo stallion that works hard for what he wants. He is also not afraid to voice his opinions which unfortunately, puts him at the bottom of totem pole as far as herd hierarchy goes.
Avielia
Sinister and quick to drop insults, this mare is fiery and defiant to all of those that cross her in her attempt to cover over her inner weaknesses and insecurities. She is somewhat of a loner, and is very weary with who she befriends and instills her trust in to.
~*the elders**
Bertam
This cruel old horse is only out to gain greatness for himself. Even he suggests that other horses not turn their backs on him lest they find themselves... missing.
~*the sark**
Vulcain
The crafty "healer" of the StormFast Herd. His charisma is charming, yet his real intentions are anything but... He lives the life of a lone stallion near the bog, but he is never really alone. The rumors about his connections to the spirit world are most definitely true.
~*the sark's apprentice**
-apply?
~*the loners**
-none
applying for a "ranked" horse
Some ranks of horse tend to be applied for as they can hold great weight in the roleplay. If you're interested in applying for a certain rank of horse, please type up a reason for why you should be able to roleplay a horse of that rank and send it to Raven. Keep in mind though, you might not get accepted and roleplaying a horse of an applied rank does not get you a council spot as the council spots must be applied for separately!their territory
The hilly ground that the Stormfast herd lives on is littered with trees and rocks with a stretching river winding its way from a broad fjord to a small lake at the base of the Stormfast territory. A narrow finger of the river separate from the main body and continue out of the territory. A dense forest lies on the west side of the territory while a tall group of mountains rise out of the ground on the east side of the river. On the lower west side lies a sprawling mess of scattered rocks, a single cave, and a deep pit. On the dry land between the splitting rivers is a circle of standing stones and another pit. A second circle of standing stones dwells in a sweeping arm of trees.
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Purple|| Finrir's clearing is a large clearing in the Forest of Ghosts, and is where Finrir is said to be when the Ragnarok comes to pass. Finrir's clearing is also very peaceful and beautiful, and a common place for younger horses to hang out.
Dark blue|| The Forest of Ghosts is aptly named as the forest is very still and silent with limited birdsong. Throughout the years many Stormfast horses have claimed to have seem ghosts in this forest, but even with that in mind members of the Stormfast herd still gather in the cool shade of the forest.
Brown|| Standing Stones
Red|| The Sacred Circle is where the main body of the herd gathers and sleeps. This circle of trees has been around for more seasons than any horse can remember, and it has always been their gathering place.
Green|| The Everwinter is the name of the river that runs through their territory. This rushing stream of water runs deep and swift. Currently the Everwinter is home to the Kraken.
Grey|| The Sark's Territory. Everwinter basin. Pit. Sark's Cave are all
Yellow|| The Serpent's Lake Is the main residence of the Serpant. This lake is set in the Thorn Mountains and is highly avoided by the Stormfast herd.
Black|| The Thorn Mountains separate the Stormfast Herd from the Evil's Herd on the other side. This mountain rage is currently infested with the serpent.
Pink|| There are two pits on the Stormfast Herd's territory. Into these pits the bodies of enemy horses and the deceased members of the herd are tossed.