Only the Strong Survive

Only the Strong Survive

Out in the vast plains of a land known as Haptha, herds of all different sizes and cultures roam freely. The vary in every way imaginable, with some being more nomadic, and others preferring to stay in one area throughout the whole year. Certain herds are more uncivilized than others, while many have complex hierarchies set up to maintain order and peace. One of the most unique examples of this phenomenon is the Amore Herd.

Based on a complex and confusing system of dominance, this herd is one of the strongest around. There are strict codes set in place, and only the fittest of the fit are allowed to be a member of this union. It is a dangerous and thrilling herd to be a part of. Those in it are feared throughout the land for their strength and cunning, as well as the rumors spread about them.

Haptha is a dangerous land, full of predators and enemies. It is not rare for two herds to clash in battle over mares or land, and these fights are bloody and deadly. In order to make themselves more prepared for fighting, the Amore Herd set in a new rule to keep the herd strong; only the strongest may stay.

Every two years comes time for a ceremony where the Match-Maker of the herd pairs up mares and stallions who will be required to help expand the numbers of the herd. These matches are based on a number of things, such as genuine interest in a potential partner, compatibility, strength, and intelligence.

Haptha-- A small island untouched by humans where approximately twenty herds of horses live. This island is mainly a large grassland, but there are a few small, dense forests scattered about. ponds and streams are often, but some may contain a more salty taste from the ocean.

Amore Herd-- A good-sized herd known for its strength. Custom dictates that only the strongest may be part of this herd, and those that are deemed weak by the leader are cast out once they are weaned. When a horse reaches the age of two, they are put through another test to determine if they are competent enough to be apart of this herd. An even number of mares and stallions must be accepted, so it is likely some horses will be deemed incompetent and cast from the herd. Such is normal tradition and no one opposes it. They understand it must be that way so they remain strong. Anyone who opposes the way the herd words is exiled.

Match-Making Ceremony: The Match-Maker of the herd hosts this ceremony every two years to pair up the mares and stallions of the herd, as stated above. Once a pair has been established, they are not allowed to change or trade or abandon their partner. These pairs are responsible for producing a foal within the following year and raising it to be as healthy as possible. They must understand, however, that if their foal is not deemed strong enough, they will have to abandon it.

Fittest of the Fit: Only the strongest thrive in this herd. Any horse who accumulates a serious injury or illness is exiled from the herd. Exile can occur at any age based on overall health and wellness.

Ranks: (SU means Sign Up. If a rank has an SU, you must indicate you wish to play that role in your sign up. I will select who plays what role before the roleplay starts.)

Alpha Stallion: Strongest stallion in the herd who is ultimately in charge alongside the Alpha Mare. He is in charge of keeping the herd protected and watching out for any signs of danger, whether it be predators or enemy herds coming to steal away mares or foals. He must also make sure the territory is being monitored on a daily basis. Generally his word his law. [SU]

Alpha Mare: Strongest mare of the herd who rules alongside the Alpha Stallion. They are not necessarily mates unless the Match-Maker deems it so. She is in charge of quelling any arguments among herd members and ensuring that the foals are being raised properly. She has just as much power as the Alpha Stallion, and may potentially be stronger than him. [SU]

Beta Stallion: Second strongest stallion in the herd. His role mainly consists of being the personal adviser to the Alphas and carrying out smaller tasks (such as leading patrols) when called upon. Should the Alpha Stallion die, the Beta Stallion will become the Alpha Stallion alongside the previous Alpha Mare. (Played by Me)

Beta Mare: Second strongest mare in the herd. Her role mainly consists of being the personal adviser to the Alphas, as well as checking on the health of every herd member. If anyone is seen to be weak, she is to report it to the council immediately. She has equivalent power to the Beta Stallion and is not necessarily his mate. [SU]

Council Members: Their job is to ensure that the Alphas and Betas are carrying out their roles properly. If any of the aforementioned horses are not filling their rank, it is up to the Council to determine what will happen, whether it be exile for failing duties or a simple demotion. These horses have no actual power over the herd, but they are a wise and thoughtful bunch who are feared, as they can switch Alphas and Betas whenever they want. They are also in charge of deciding punishments to those who break the rules of the herd. (Listed Below)

- Match-Maker: A horse in the herd who is in charge of matching up every other herd member to a mate every two years when it comes time for the ceremonies. They are generally respected and may even be bribed, as they ultimately decide the love interests of everyone else in the herd. Angering them may result in a painful upcoming two years. (Played by me)
- Stallion: A well-respected stallion in the herd who is wise and unbiased in his decisions. (1)
- Mare: A well-respected mare in the herd who is wise and unbiased in her decisions. (1)

Brutes: Stronger horses of the herd who are in charge of the more demanding tasks, whether it be clearing logs, fighting off enemies/predators, or leading long patrols. (4- may be extended later on)

Elites: The bulk of the herd. Average strength horses who may be required to help out on smaller tasks or in patrols. (Unlimited)

Younglings: Horses between the ages of 4 months to 2 years who are weaned and are training to be strong. They will be assigned a horse of their future rank (either Brute or Elite) who will be responsible for training them how to fight and keep alert and stealthy. (Unlimited)

Foals: Young horses who are not yet weaned. (None to start with. The foals that were born last year all perished due to a particularly harsh illness.)

Note: The roleplay will start a few days before the upcoming Match-Making Ceremony.

Herd Rules:
- Higher ranks are always superior and must be respected, else serious consequences will be put in place, deemed by the Council.
- Traitors will be killed without a second chance.
- Pairs selected by the Match-Maker must be mates for the next two years and are required to do their best to produce a foal, else face serious consequences viewed as being traitorous for not helping to strengthen the herd.
- Horses who are not completely loyal to the herd and its ways are to be exiled at once.
- Any horse may challenge to be Alpha or Beta, and all challenges must be accepted. A fight will begin, which will end only when one horse surrenders or dies.


Rules:
- No horse is a specific breed. They are mixes of many different. No ponies or drafts are allowed. Also, try to avoid easily recognizable breeds, as no horse will be even close to being purebred, and will therefore exhibit traits from many ancestors rather than a specific one.
- Be kind, respectful, polite, and active. Inactivity will result in characters being given away or killed off without warning. It is not my job to send out messages to you if you are not on. It is completely your responsibility to check this roleplay and remain active. If you are going to be inactive for an extended period of time, let me know and your characters will be safe.
- Absolutely no graphic breeding or violence. I really don't care to read about chinks of flesh being ripped out or any of that other stuff, so don't include it.
- One high rank per person. If you want to play an Alpha or Beta, you cannot play a Brute as well. Council Members do not count as high ranks.
- No images or image links are allowed in a sign up.
- No one may play the mate of their own character.
- Literacy is not optional. There is the saying quality over quantity, and I hold true to that. Proper spelling and grammar skills must be used at all times. I understand small mishaps do happen, and I know I'm far from perfect in these areas, but you should be able to write well if you wish to join.
- Anyone is welcome to challenge for a higher rank at any given time if they wish. If a challenge happens, I will use a random generator to determine the winner, as that is the only way I can be fair.
- I have the right to ban any player from participating or signing up if they violate any of my rules.
- I control the plot. Any and all major plot twists must be approved by me prior to starting them, or I will request an edited post.
- Be realistic. Horses here are normal horses. They do not have impossible markings or lightning stripes or whatever else, and they are not perfect. Every character has flaws.
- Try to keep extra conversation restricted to the designated chat area. This includes posting in the sign up-- I'd prefer it if you post extra conversation only in the chat area or PM me.
- No characters with disabilities.
- Even genders must be created.
- More rules may be added at any given time should I feel the need to input them.
- By signing up, you hereby agree to every term I have listed above. If you cannot follow my simple set of rules, you cannot participate in my roleplay.
- Have fun! If you're feeling left out, let us know and we'll be sure to include you. I want this to be a welcoming and happy community! :)

Sign Ups:

Name:
Nickname:
Age: (Foals are born about every two years, so ages that are odd numbers are preferred. Even numbers are only allowed if your character was born outside of the herd. Also, the herd is mostly younger, fitter horses, so keep that in mind. No characters beyond the age of ten.)
Gender:
Desired Rank: (Indicate here if you would like to play an Alpha or Beta. Optional)
Rank: (The rank your character will be if they do not get their desired rank. The only ranks you can put here are Brute, Elite, Youngling or Foal.)
---
Personality: (Try to be unique. We don't want boring characters here. Also, make sure your character's personality isn't all brave and loyal and intelligent and kind and caring or whatever, because that is cliche.)
History: (You *must* ask before having a character who was born outside of the herd.)
Description: (do *not* use words like beautiful or handsome or 'incredibly muscled and well-toned' or whatever else. The beauty of one is decided by other players, not yourself. Try to avoid using words that make your character seem better than others. Simple words, like colors describing their coats.)
---
Crush:
Family: (unlikely to have any siblings, as mates often change every two years. Twins are not allowed unless you ask me first)
Other Notes:

To sign up, visit this link: http://www.equiverse.com/topic.php?id=2882

Last edited on 2016-02-15 at 20:27:15 by kyhas

Alpha Stallion Candidates:
-

Alpha Mare Candidates:
- Ivory || Ivy || 64834 (Laney)

Beta Stallion: Chieftain || Chief || 95757 (kyhas)

Beta Mare Candidates:
- Ivory || Ivy || 64834 (Laney)

--Council Members--
Match-Maker: Alyna || 95757 (kyhas)
Stallion: Open
Mare: Open

Brutes: (3 Open)
- Leonidas || Leo || 58441 (Turtle)
-
-
-

Elites: (Unlimited)
- Juliet || Jules || 95757 (kyhas)
- Volpe || 95757 (kyhas)
- Reserved for Daphne101

Younglings: (Unlimited)

Foals: (None)


Players who need to even out genders:
Turtle
Laney
Daphne

Crushes: (may change at any time)

Leonidas > Juliet

Last edited on 2016-02-14 at 15:43:59 by kyhas

Sign Ups:

Name: Ivory
Nickname: Ivy
Age: 5
Gender: Mare
Desired Rank: Alpha mare or Beta mare ( preferred alpha)
Rank: none yet ---
Personality: she is a intelligent young mare who is determined to get what she wants, she will not tolerate most horses acting foolish of dumbfounded. She is a very ambitious one, she is passionate about what she wants and what she wants to do. she is not afraid to get her hooves dirty with any amount of work laid upon them. She can be hot-headed and quick-tempered. she is very Out-going and some might say the special intriguing kind.


History: she was born and raised in the herd, always was a little menacing to others and she was always one of the leaders when it came to playing with others. She had a sort of "bad-girl" reputation. Her mother was no leader but she was raised to be something, and she knew it. from that point on she promised herself she would be a great leader, though she knew it could probably never happen, she was determined to get what she wanted. she worked and worked and practiced her skills, likes, and dislikes. she knew she would become a powerful leader, and to this day she is determined to do it.
Description: she is a Silver liver dun with a white appaloosa blanket and her butt running down to her legs. she has a white broken blaze in the front, with darker dapples running along her stomach. she has only those two back socks. She has a blackish brownish mane and tail with one hazel eye and the other blue, blue as the sky. ( is she allowed to have some sort of item,clothing etc.?) ---
Crush: ?
Family: just her mother.
Other Notes:

@Laney: No clothing items are allowed. This is a realistic roleplay in terms of how the horses behave, so no personification of them other than them being able to communicate in English with one another. ;) Thanks for asking!

Name: Alyna
Nickname: XxX
Age: 3 years
Gender: Mare
Desired Rank: Match-Maker
Rank: Match-Maker
---
Personality:
|| Bubbly || Optimistic || Friendly, but don't get on her bad side || Vengeful || Cunning || Witty || Impatient || Not the brightest || Manipulative || Sarcastic ||
History: Alyna has had a relatively boring life. She was born to a Brute stallion an Elite mare who did not get along very well, and only had her because the herd code dictated they must. They still both loved their little filly equally, and spoiled her rotten. When she was a few months old, her father went out on patrol and never returned. When she was a little over a month old, her mother caught an illness and was exiled from the herd. She got over their losses quickly and was cared for by a different mare.
Description: With slender sides and a small frame, this mare is rather petite and stands at a mere 14.1 hands. Alyna has a sunset golden coat that is very bright and flashy, just how she likes it. Her mane and tail are a soft cream color, making her flaxen. Her legs are long and thin, and her neck has a slight natural arch to it. The tip of her nose is pink, while a thin white stripe runs from it to just above her eyes. Alyna's eyes are a deep amber.
---
Crush: Open
Family: Mollia (Mother), Nox (father),
Other Notes: Will totally be taking advantage of her rank to manipulate the lives of her enemies, so beware.

Name: Juliet
Nickname: Jules by those she is close with
Age: 4 years (see history)
Gender: Mare
Desired Rank: Elite
Rank: Elite
---
Personality:
|| Sweet || Patient || Calm || Flirty || Soothing || Helpful || Loyal || Trustworthy || Respectful || Playful || Energetic || Temperamental || Shy || Affectionate || Dishonest || Obedient ||
History: Juliet was born in a very different herd with very strange customs and traditions. They held blood sacrifices and were known to harm foals. Her mother took her only daughter and fled from the herd, fearful that Juliet would be harmed. When Juliet was just a few months old, her mother begged the Alphas and Council Members of the Amore herd to let her daughter stay. She would be strong, she promised, and they gave her a trial; Juliet had to go out on her own for three days. If she survived and could find her way back to the herd, she could join. As fate had it, Juliet succeeded (barely) and was admitted into the herd as a Youngling.
Description: With a coat as black as night, Juliet is able to blend into shadows very well. Her back and rump have tiny flecks that look like snow sprinkling on her coat, and her nose has a few more of these speckles. Her mane and tail hold a wavy feature to them, probably due to her Friesian heritage from ancestors generations ago. Her eyes are a dark brown, almost the same color as her dark coat. She's a larger mare with stocky legs, and a smooth dip on her back.
---
Crush: TBA
Family: Pandora (mother)
Other Note: XxX

Name: Chieftain
Nickname: Chief
Age: 5 years
Gender: Stallion
Desired Rank: Beta Stallion
Rank: Beta Stallion
---
Personality:
|| Reserved || Thoughtful || Opinionated || Silent || Stern || Prideful || Charming || Vague || Discrete || Amiable || Worrisome || Loyal || Determined || Brash || Elusive ||
History: Chief was born in the herd. When he was three, he was matched up with a pretty mare named Opal. While she was a sight for sore eyes, she was arrogant and selfish, and Chief wanted nothing to do to her. Therefore, when questioned by the council why they didn't conceive an heir, they lied and said their attempts had failed. The Council determined that one of the two was probably unable to reproduce and let them go without repercussions.
Description: Chief is a blue roan stallion with flecks of various hues of gray, black, and brown scattered randomly across his coat. His mane and tail fade from a dark gray to black with a few streaks of white and lighter gray intermingled, and his nose and legs are all black at the tips. Chief has bright blue eyes and a stocky and sturdy build. Even though he is the Beta Stallion of the herd, he only stands at 15.9 hands.
---
Crush: Open!
Family: Unknown
Other Notes: XxX

Name: Volpe
Nickname: XxX
Age: 5 years
Gender: Stallion
Desired Rank: Elite
Rank: Elite
---
Personality:
|| Arrogant || Compulsive || Carefree || Immature || Likes to joke around || Heart-breaker || Smarter than he seems || Isn't insulted easily || Strong-hearted || Philosophical ||
History: Volpe was herd born to two horses who fell in love after being paired up by the Match-Maker. Not much else to say of any importance.
Description: To put it simply, Volpe is a liver chestnut sabino stallion. Most of his coat is liver chestnut in color, and his face has a partial white mask that stops just before reaching either of his eyes. Each leg has a white stocking and his belly has a single, small white patch on the bottom that is rarely visible. His mane and tail are a dark cream, while his eyes are a chocolate brown.
---
Crush: TBD
Family: Vulcan (father), Vendetta (mother)
Other Notes: XxX

Name: Leonidas
Nickname: Leo
Age:4
Deserid Rank: Brute
Rank: Brute
Gender: Stallion
Personality: Determined, reserved, hot headed, follower (not a rebellious type), protective, not a super smart horse.
Description: He is a big horse, about 16 hands, sorta stocky and well muscled. I realize we aren't supposed to say stuff like that, but I feel ot is an important feature. He has a sweet face though. He is a dark bay (almost black) overo (very few pinto marking though) with no facial markings or socks.
History: Raised in the herd, parents both died. Wants to be the best brute he can be to honor his parents.
Crush: From what I've seen, I'm pairing him with Juliet xD
Other: Nope, tell me if I'm forgetting anything.

Last edited on 2016-02-14 at 17:58:17 by Turtle8

Is this the remake of the trapped from within? Yay yay! 

Sign Ups: 

Name: Zapora
Nickname: Zippy
Age: 5
Gender: Mare
Desired Rank: None
Rank: I guess Elites?
Personality: Zippy is very low within the herd, often being treated as trash and is often run by the other horses. She is love and kind as well as trustworthy being one of the few horses to be alert and non flighty. She knows when to run. She is extremely intelligent and can be slightly hot, for her arguments are not pretty. She is known for her captivating love and her heat infused arguments. 

History: Zapora was born within the herd to a weakly mare and her mate. Zapora was looked down upon as a foal for her weak and trembling state. She watched from aside as the others went away to the ceremony. She was abused strongly by others and not favored by any. She is not an ugly mare, and in fact she had many lovers as a child. Zippy weaves her way through the herd the first 3 years of her life, determined to be noticed.

Description: Zippy is a small mare, due to being born early. She has a quiet frame and small, white speckles on her muzzle. She is a seal brown pinto, with a vivid brown mane with splotches of white where her white markings cross the mane line. She has four tall socks that wrap in a jagged arrow around her legs. She has small, pale hooves with faint vertical stripes running them. Her face is a dull dark brown, having no other facial distinctions. Around her heart girth is a patch of brown upon her white spot. She has melting brown eyes, and a distinct, feminine face with a small cheek and throat latch and refined head. Her gaits are floaty and are often no comparison to her size. 
Crush: ?
Family: none
Other Notes:

Sign Ups: 

Name: Lokesh
Nickname: XxX
Age: 7
Gender: Stallion
Desired Rank: Alpha Stallion
Rank: Hrmmm. I guess Brute?

History: (is this required? I don't know for him so will edit when inspiration hits)

Description and personality: Lokesh is a relatively large stallion, standing at a ground shaking 17.2 hands. He is typically a pretty lay low leader, but is fierce in battle and is determined to protect those he loves. He enjoys the taunting of others, but refuses to have multiple mares accompany him. He is loyal to his love and has been always. (if I can say that) he has sparkling dark eyes with a tint of green to them. He is a smokey buckskins dun with a dark dorsal and zebra stripes on his legs. He has coronet markings on all four of his hooves accompanied by ermine spots. He has a tempting jagged blaze cutting across his face and a midnight mane and tail.
Crush: ?
Family: none
Other Notes: yasssss this RP is amazing!

Last edited on 2016-02-15 at 07:04:16 by Silver

@Silver: History isn't required. In the rank portion of your form, though, you cannot put Alpha Stallion. I will select who gets that part after more people show interest in it, so I can choose which character I think would play the part the best.

Name: Acapella
Nickname: None
Age: (Foals are born about every two years, so ages that are odd numbers are preferred. Even numbers are only allowed if your character was born outside of the herd. Also, the herd is mostly younger, fitter horses, so keep that in mind. No characters beyond the age of ten.) 3
Gender: Mare
Desired Rank: (Indicate here if you would like to play an Alpha or Beta. Optional)
Rank: (The rank your character will be if they do not get their desired rank. The only ranks you can put here are Brute, Elite, Youngling or Foal.) Elite
---
Personality: (Try to be unique. We don't want boring characters here. Also, make sure your character's personality isn't all brave and loyal and intelligent and kind and caring or whatever, because that is cliche.) Sweet/ Shy/Hot-headed/ Will speak her mind/caring/ doesn't like the matching system/ Wants foals/ Wants to be paired with someone that cares for her.
History: (You *must* ask before having a character who was born outside of the herd.)
Description: (do *not* use words like beautiful or handsome or 'incredibly muscled and well-toned' or whatever else. The beauty of one is decided by other players, not yourself. Try to avoid using words that make your character seem better than others. Simple words, like colors describing their coats.) Acapella is a mix between a quarter horse throughbred from her mothers side and her fathers a Arabian cross Mustang. She has perky ears like her father had a dished face like her mothers. Her fur color is a brownish color and mane a blackish color with brown in there. Has two cornet marking and one stocking.
---
Crush: Kratos
Family: (unlikely to have any siblings, as mates often change every two years. Twins are not allowed unless you ask me first) All dead
Other Notes: I like this rp.

Last edited on 2016-02-15 at 09:56:32 by Daphne101

Ok! I wasn't sure, because other people were doing that......I will edit now. Thanks Khas!

Name: Shivering Bird
Nickname: Shiver
Age: 7
Gender: Female
Desired Rank: Beta female
Rank: Elite if she doesn't get beta female.
---
+ traits: loyal, protective, intelligent, strong
- traits: dominant, stubborn, moody,
Neutral traits: stern, independent, observant
History: Shiver was born to a alpha mare and an elite. From a very young age, Shiver was taught to stand up for herself and to fight for what she wanted. Her mother was a good teacher and Shiver learned quickly. She was five when her mother died from infected wounds given to her by a wolf.
Description: Shiver is a tall mare, standing at about sixteen hands high. She's a red and white paint mare and her tail is black with a few strands of white at the dock and her mane is mostly white with her forelock being black. She has a star and snip of her head.
---
Crush: None
Family: Titan {Half-brother}
Other Notes:

Name: Ruler of Olympus
Nickname: Titan
Age: 5
Gender: Male
Desired Rank: Achieved
Rank: Elite
---
+ traits: Protective, Loyal, playful
- traits: Lazy, Judgemental, Lack of motivation
Neutral traits: Sarcastic
History: Titan was born and raised in the herd to a pair of elites, one of them also being Shiver's father. Their dad was recently banished due to old age.
Description: Basically, Titan's a grullo. He's fifteen point three hands high. His coat is black dun and like all grullos, he has a black dorsal stripe on his back.
---
Crush: None
Family: Shiver {half-sister}
Other Notes: