Welcome to Tempered Calamity! For as long as horses can remember, this place has been their santucary far removed from the presence of any humans. Well protected and abundant in food and space, equines of all kinds have called these lands home. Over time, the original horses who settled here spread out to explore and established the territory boundaries known today.
On the surface things appear peaceful between the different bands as well as the free roaming horses, but all is not as it seems. The inhabitants here are under constant threat. Not only do they have to survive the elements and natural disasters and outwit predators, they must also face rival herds or individuals looking to steal land or other horses.
Tempered Calamity is a semi-realistic wild horse rpg inspired by old school play by post forums. Low word count and minimal activity requirements, come check us out or say hey on our discord!
a semi-realistic wild horse rpg
year 01
spring
updates
04.10
We're officially open to members! Check out some of the quick links above to get started on all the need-to-know information. If you find any issues, feel free to PM Oxy on here or discord!
DATE HERE
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Jetta nosed her daughter from behind as she urged the young mare up the path. The mountain here was sandy, unstable rocks she did not want to stay on for long. Chrysanthemum twitched at her touch but kept moving. Her strides had grown long and confident as she reached adulthood, no longer on the bumbling hooves of a filly. How far she had come since their escape…
The older mare only relaxed once they were on more solid ground. Rock underhoof was more secure than dirt, and already Jetta could see some greenery dotting the ground ahead. Pines swayed on the mountainside around them, the wind whistling between needled branches.
“I heard a horse earlier, mom. Do you think they could give us directions? Or maybe it’s a herd,” Chryssie said brightly. Her ears and head were held high, dense black tail swishing at her feet.
“You heard someone? Chrysanthemum, you ought to tell me these things,” Jetta began to scold.
“But it was so far away, so who knows?” The young filly dipped her head trying to appease her mother. “There’s probably loads of wild horses out here. Hearing one doesn’t mean anything.”
Jetta sighed. Her daughter was getting more pushy by the day, the attitude of a young adult forming on her tongue. She had half a mind to nip the young filly, but she did not want to push her even further away. She tried not to think on how far apart they had drifted these last few months in the mountain. Instead, Jetta looked south, where the sun was still clinging to the western horizon. Her fear had made her snappy, quick to boil over, and she regretted it.
She nuzzled her daughter’s flank, and felt Chrysanthemum sigh a heavy breath.
“Come on, mom, I think I hear a stream up ahead.”
Jetta nodded and followed silently. Her ears were alert, listening to their surroundings as she walked.
Rays of yellow danced between the canopy. Shadows cast resembled monsters of unknown origin playfully shifted across the foliage on the crust. The fog swirled, always present, presenting both shelter to protect its inhabitants and dangers to intruders. The sun shining through the twirling dance of the moisture clinging thickly to the air caused miniature rainbows if seen just right. Birds could be heard performing their orchestra as the day broke further in. A soft snort fell from the black beast who roamed within the territory.
The day had awoken him and found him in a rather pleasant mood. Cerulean Pools surveyed what he could while standing in the misty area. Rolling his shoulder blades gently and stretching out, letting loose a final yawn and tucking his chin to his chest, the stallion then moved forward. He had a job to do now that he was ruling over some territory. Of course, he could always choose when he worked, when he patrolled, and when he rested, but he was one to form habits. He lifted his dial and inhaled, breathing in the dampness.
It had been a rewarding day. He had done multiple patrols and filled his gullet with some freshly grown grass. He had done another day learning the territory more so when he was gathering members and filling the area with others he'd be able to fully lead them safely through the domain. Overall, it was a fruitful day. He had returned to the trees cover once the sun began its descent into the westward sky.
Checking his surroundings carefully as he waltzed through the domain, he was very aware that predators do reside here just as much as he did. The wind changed and his nares caught scent of something new. His attention shifted to these new scents, both different yet so interlocked it was almost one. Curiosity got the better of him as did his integrity as the reigning the kingdom of Misty Mountains and he altered his course to go find the source of the scents.
It honestly did not take too long to traverse from the trees. He had not gone far at that moment and was easily able to twist his course back to the outer edge of the forest. Soon, he had caught the scent even stronger and he turned to follow it. The brute could only assume the two scents were headed towards a stream up ahead. Finally after a few more moments of walking, he caught sight of two forms. One was larger while the other was shorter, a mother child duo? He tilted his head slightly. Picking up a slow trot to catch up, he called out before reaching them to ensure he did not spook the couple. "Hello" his voice was soft but guarded. Even the most innocent looking horses could prove to be dangerous and he was not about to let his guard down. However, he did have such a soft spot for younglings. It was his weakness, but he'd never admit it.
It was not Jetta that first noticed the other horse, but Chrysanthemum. She heard first the burbling stream nearby, and then hooves to their left, which sped up slightly before she heard his voice. Chrysanthemum turned and looked to see the new presence. His blue eyes were so striking against the black of his face that she hardly noticed he was only a bit taller than herself, though slighter in frame and more mature.
“Hello,” she replied, her head tilting as she took him in. He was handsome. The broken stripe up his nose cut a line down his face, and twin cerulean pools caught her in their depths.
Only then did Jetta raise her head from her hard stare at the dirt. She looked first to Chryssi, then followed her gaze to where the stallion stood. In an instant she was moving forward, hooves stamping and nostrils flaring as she put herself between them. The instinct to protect took over.
“Who are you,” she demanded. Her head was raised high to stare down at this new horse. He smelled wild, like the ancient rock and towering pines. He must live here, she thought. Though that racing thought did not lessen her glare, she would at the very least hear out this wild denizen of the mountains.
The mountains began to call to the sun in the distance. The sun seemed to oblige, getting closer and closer to the tips. What a sucker for those distant figures who towered so high above the rest of the earthly figures. The heavens began to shift in color, going from cotton candy blue to a warm vermillion with streaks of lavender and tulip pinks. It shifted the earth into the twilight mood, some creatures getting ready to hunker down for the night. Some were beginning to come out to do their nightly rituals and hunting. Others just liked being out a little later, where’s the harm in that?
Sometimes, travelers end up traversing late at night. This was something the raven-hued brute would understand a lot. He had done it many times in the past when he was with the bachelor herd he had recruited to travel with him. Safety in numbers, of course. He was not surprised in the slightest to see a pair traveling then, especially if it was towards water to satiate their thirst. He would however defend his territory if need were, even a mare could prove to be a worthy opponent.
Upon reaching the duo, he took notice of the younger one who seemed to catch his presence first. Observant little one, isn’t she? He took mental note of this fact. He kept her within his gaze, her russet hue taking on an almost unearthly red color due to the coloration of the heavens. She was intent on keeping him in her line of sight, was it to ensure he could not disappear to ambush them, or was she just curious about his presence? His cerulean pools were soft, as was his expression. Hello She greeted him, and he allowed a brief shadow of a smile to appear before allowing it to fall away. He dipped his head towards her in response and parted his maw to reply himself before he had to rip his attention to the adult.
She had thrown her attention to his presence. Very much like a protective mother, she had then charged to stand between the young one and him. Snake lifted his head in response and flared his nostrils once. She had every right to be defensive. He had, after all, come from who knew where and she had a youngster with her. She, as a mother, had every right to stand her ground. Who are you? There was demand in her voice, she was unwavering in her stance. Snake lowered his head.
” I could ask you the same thing. As king of this domain, I have every duty to inspect every intruder. I must protect those who have sworn their loyalty to me in return for said protection. “ His voice was soft, but firm. He was not going to immediately chastise them for their intrusion upon an occupied land, for perhaps they were unaware of the etiquette that came with such implications. He could not judge them on their lack of knowledge. Perhaps they thought it was still unoccupied? He rolled his shoulders and kept a steady gaze but softened it.
” To answer your question, maiden, I am Snake Eyes, ruler of these lands. As ruler, I must return the inquiry. Who are you?” He kept his voice steady and strong but light enough to keep her aware that at the moment, he was no threat to the pair until they backed him into a corner of not having a choice but to be a threat.
The fear that had overtaken her receded down her back, her pounding heart soothing into a slow, steadier rhythm. Jetta felt herself deflate a bit, intruders, he called them. And they were. It was not her right to stand her ground like this, for she did not own this land. She pinned her ears back and turned her head. Shame warmed her cheeks. She glanced briefly toward her daughter, then back at the stallion.
“Apologies,” she said curtly. She considered bowing to this horse who called himself a king, but he was not her king, not yet. If he would let them stay, though… Still she kept herself between the man and her daughter. She knew well what even broke stallions were capable of, had seen firsthand the violence on the farm.
“My name is Jetta, and this is my daughter, Chrysanthemum. We’ve come a long way from the the North. Forgive my aggression, it has been a long journey.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” Chrysanthemum said. Her body was much more relaxed, though she’d startled at her mother’s sudden turn. She smiled at Snake Eyes, recognizing that he was trying to calm the older mare. “You are a king? Are there many other horses here?”
Jetta eyed Chryssi, but let her speak, and waited for Snake Eyes to respond. If they could gain his protection, perhaps it was worth staying here and submitting to him.
