Ignore the unfinished title... :( Hit enter accidentally, and posted the thread before I was finished typing it. It's supposed to say "Danger! Excitement! Adventure! The Exploration Awaits!"
(All credit for the original
concept, including the original race descriptions and story pitch, both of which I have adapted/rewritten, goes to Father.
Thanks for letting us use them)
The Equestrian Explorer's LeagueIt has been ten years since the coronation of Princess Twilight Sparkle, and change in Equestria has never been more apparent. Indeed, in the interest of spreading global friendship, the young Princess has worked tirelessly and successfully to put the kingdom in contact with several new races of intelligent non-ponies. She didn’t even know the diversity her world displayed, however, until the timely arrival of cervid refugees from across the Eastern Sea around four years ago. These Deer told her stories of the ancient, beautiful forests of Elkwood, the grand tribes that traveled throughout it, and their own people’s connection with nature, and Twilight was astounded. She knew of the Griffons, in their divisive sky-bound fiefs, but had never thought of who might be living on the ground beneath them.
Almost immediately, she set out on her first personal expedition, to another seldom-discussed, but massive area that could very likely hold intelligent life: the extensive and very wet “Hayseed Swamps”, south of Baltimare. To her extreme delight, her intuition was correct! Within a week of searching, the Princess and her Guards encountered a very friendly, intelligent bipedal alligator, who was perfectly happy to guide them into the center of what he called Marshstop. The saurians living there were predatory, but had no interest in eating intelligent beings, and accepted Twilight’s offer of friendship without hesitation. Not long after, she and her Guards flew across the Eastern Sea, and spent a long time securing a similar rapport with the great chiefs of the Deer. Now, the three societies have begun to mingle happily, and on any given street corner in Manehattan, or even Ponyville, a pony could see a Deer, a saurian, or both, and think nothing of it! Not since Griffons began arriving in the skies of the kingdom centuries before have non-equids been so plentiful in Equestria.
Recently, after months of searching, mapping and forging relationships, Princess Twilight Sparkle realized that one small group of ponies (she and the trusted Guards that been accompanying her) couldn't be the only ones to scour the world, exploring its depths and learning about its other inhabitants. She returned at once to Equestria, sending out invitations to a multitude of skilled and eager ponies, zebras, saurians and all the rest. They were advertisements, detailing her new organization, a Princess-backed home for all who wished to explore, to travel and to learn everything there was to know about the vast world they live in: the Equestrian Explorer’s League! By land, sea, and air – The League will find every place, artifact and being, and offer them all the friendship of Equestria, ponies, and Princess Twilight Sparkle herself. A new golden age of exploration is about to begin!
As may be obvious, Equestria is modeled after North America, with ponies controlling an area consisting of southern Canada and much of the modern United States, south to Baltimare on the East Coast and Los Pegasus in the West. Buffalo roam the plains south of Ponyville and north of the MacIntosh Hills, while zebra can be found pretty much anywhere (though they are much less populous than ponies). South of the San Palomino Desert, in the West, is the mystical and mysterious land of Saddle Arabia, which is known and has been visited, though its horses keep to themselves, and very rarely travel north to visit their smaller cousins.
Marshstop, known as the Hayseed Swamps on pony maps, consists of, basically, the entire South-Eastern US, and is all wetland or swamp (with the occasional saurian city), which helps to justify ponies not making contact with saurians until recently, as ponies and other equids are not well-suited for such conditions. Griffons in Equestria may be found wherever there are Pegasi, and hail from a highly fluid set of baronies, duchies, and kingdoms in the skies over the massive Elkwood (on the other side of the Eastern Sea). Deer, who originally come from said forest, have only recently begun to travel across what they know as the
Western Sea, but can now be found in many of Equestria’s rural and forested areas, and more rarely, its large industrial cities.
Race Info
The dominant and most common race of Equestria. There are three breeds of pony, marked by distinct physical and magical differences: horned Unicorns, whose magic fuels much of pony society, winged Pegasi, who control the weather and keep it in check, and physically powerful Earth Ponies, who have a connection to the land, and produce most of Equestria’s food. In the majority of other species' eyes (excepting the proud griffons), the ponies are impressively advanced, given their trains, hospitals, and gorgeous cities (all made possible by each breed’s unique magic). Something that sets ponies and zebra apart is that they are mystically branded with cutie marks that display their special talent and place in society.
Hyper-predatory blends of eagle and lion, griffons are the self-declared “lords of the sky”. Their society is rigidly structured into castes based on birth and skill, with the most common route to nobility for the lowborn being deadly aerial duels. If a lowborn griffon can defeat a noble in aerial combat, he or she gains the noble’s title and authority. In addition, the nobles (whether born into power or having earned it by blood) are always stabbing each other in the back to gain more influence, leading to a perpetually unstable, perpetually violent society. Most of the griffons in Equestria have come to escape such things, and live among the much more peaceful and friendly ponies.
Most of the time, they see the Deer in the Elkwood below as little more than food (anything that doesn’t have wings isn’t even worthy of subjugation), but it is considered a great and prestigious sport for the most skilled of griffons to hunt the most skilled of Deer warriors.
Related to ponies, zebra and horses, donkeys are less populous than any of them, and are characterized by being much more… ordinary. Donkeys have very little, or perhaps no magic at all, even subtle magic like that of the Earth ponies, and are considered by the other equids to be rather ugly. They have an indomitable spirit, however, and are very often the most absolutely steadfast of friends, once you get past their rather rough exterior.
Mules are the offspring of donkeys and ponies, and are considered at least as ugly as donkeys, if not more so, and still have no magic. They are, however, incredibly compassionate as well as steadfast, and are often found running orphanages, or caring for animals, or other kind pursuits.
Many, including some zebra themselves, believe that they are simply a fourth breed of pony, or even a subset of Earth pony. Though they are much less populous than their three counterparts, they have their own unique magic (based around concoctions, elixirs, medicines, etc), and they too develop cutie marks, lending credence to these theories. All zebra have distinctive coats and manes of alternating dark and light stripes, and no two zebra have the exact same pattern of stripes. In addition, zebra have their own culture, long predating their migration to pony-controlled lands, and are world-renown storytellers.
The semi-rare offspring of zebra and ponies can be… interesting. Though no reports of horned, magical zebra have ever surfaced, at least a few zebra/Pegasus couples have had children with the coats of zebra and the wings of Pegasi. Ponies and zebra alike are at a loss at what to call them.
Peaceful, nature-loving, and very very strong, Buffalo have come into conflict with ponies a few times in the past, as the industrializing ponies moved into their sacred plains (see the
Appleloosa incident for an example), but for now the pony settlers have stopped their advancement, and the Buffalo are grateful. They are uniquely religious among the beings of Equestria, worshipping the powerful spirits of the land, who grant them insight, clarity and prosperity as long as they maintain their purity and their respect for the power of nature. An interesting rumor that surrounds this race is that they hold their plains so dear because they can hear the voices of their revered spirits in the rustling of the grass and the whispering of the wind.
Mostly lithe and fleet of foot, Deer make their home in the largest and most ancient forest in the known world: the Elkwood. There, they live in a similar fashion to the Buffalo, forever mobile, preserving nature’s beauty by not building permanent settlements. They are not without powerful societies, however, and are not always peaceful. Large, powerful cervid warriors such as the highly respected Mooseguard can give even the oppressive and predatory griffons pause, and have long kept cervid chiefs safe from the greedy winged beasts (if a lowborn griffon hunter manages to kill a trained Moose, he or she automatically becomes eligible to challenge nobles to aerial duels, meaning that even their sworn enemies respect them as the most worthy of opponents).
Deer have similar magic to both zebra and Earth ponies, using their connection to the forest to their advantage in a wide variety of ways. It is even whispered among ponies that Deer can communicate telepathically with trees, though they have never publicly confirmed such a thing.
Bipedal reptiles that resemble crocodilians, including alligators, crocodiles, the smaller caimans, and the distinctive thin-snouted gharials. Saurians have a very free society, with very few concerns and no actual leaders. After all, there’s plenty of swamp, and plenty of fish, and so they’re happy. Saurian music, cuisine, and friendliness (despite their nature as predators) have all made them very popular, even as far away as the Griffon kingdoms, and it isn’t uncommon to see all-saurian bands playing regularly in Manehattan concert halls. They do harbor a bit of a dark side, however. It’s rare, but if a saurian ever grows particularly angry, he or she can go on a destructive rampage, tearing apart and snapping their jaws on everything and everyone in sight.
Saurians have their own, special magic, known as “Swamp Magic”, but its capabilities are not well known, as Swamp Witches never leave Marshstop, and in any case are quite rare.
Character SheetName:(Include nicknames and titles)
Race/Subrace:(One of the races listed above, along with, say, Alligator, or Pegasus, or Elk, for those races that are further split into distinct subraces. If you have a suggestion for a race, or a concern about one,
don’t post it in this thread. PM me about it, and we’ll discuss)
Sex:Appearance:(Images, descriptions, whatever you think will give the rest of us a good idea of what your character looks like. Include distinct features, like scars or what have you)
Age:(Disregard the ages these various animals reach on Earth. For simplicity’s sake, we’ll be using human-equivalent ages. A thirty-year-old pony, Deer, saurian, all equivalent in age to a thirty-year-old human.)
Background:(Can be simple, can be complex, can be long, can be short. Too short and we might have a problem. Build on what I’ve said about your character’s race.
Dazzle me. Or not. Your choice. Definitely include why they want to join the EEL, and what skills they have that would be useful while exploring unknown lands)
:) This is my character, Commander Red.
Name:Lieutenant Commander Rosewing Red, Royal Guard and second-in-command of
Dusk Wing.
(Alias “Clipper”, or “Commander Clip”)
The “Wings” of the Air Guard:
1)
Solar Wing, the traditional white coat/golden armor Pegasi
stallions that serve Celestia. They, like their Princess, watch over the day, and rise with the sun each morning.
2)
Lunar Wing, comprised of the rare, nocturnal bat-winged
stallions that serve Luna. Predictably, they watch over the night, and rise with the moon.
3)
Dusk Wing, an eclectic mix of ponies, with mare and stallion Pegasi of many different talents, several bat-winged Guards who used to work for Luna, and a few Griffons thrown in for good measure. Despite their varied origins, this small group of fliers is very tight-knit, and completely loyal to Twilight Sparkle. Also, because their Princess is not technically part of the day/night cycle,
Dusk Wing acts on a very case-by-case basis, and is the most likely to, say, chase down some thieves in a ponyhunt, or have its members go undercover in places like the Undercloud of Los Pegasus.
All three are lead by a Wing Commander, who is directly appointed by, and reports directly to, each respective Princess. The Air Guard’s Unicorn and Earth counterparts are known as the Magic Guard and Ground Guard, respectively, and are similarly separated by princess (the separate groups are known as
Solar Horn, Solar Hoof, Lunar Horn, Lunar Hoof, Dusk Horn and
Dusk Hoof). In general, the three Solar, Lunar and Dusk groups cooperate, but only within their spheres (e.g.
Lunar Horn never watches the day, but it does work together with
Lunar Hoof and
Lunar Wing to patrol the night).
All together, these three branches (Air, Ground and Magic) comprise the full Equestria Royal Guard, which answers to the Princesses collectively, but there hasn't been an event that required all of the forces of the Guard at the same time since before Twilight's coronation (the last one was Discord's return).
Race:Griffon
Sex:Female
Appearance:
(This is simply a sketch I found when I was looking for images, I did not draw it.
Here's who did. :) Yay for deviantArt)
Taller than the average pony, and quite a bit larger, with powerful wings, a muscular body and piercing brown/red eyes, an angry Lt. Commander Red can be very intimidating. Luckily, when she isn’t on duty she’s quite easygoing, which helps the ponies around her get used to the talons and everything (she keeps those suckers
sharp). Rosie’s eagle half is that of a Golden Eagle (check out
these example pictures for reference), with dark brown plumage on her chest, but auburn covering the top and back of her head, from her beak up to the long feathers on top (the tips of which are a light tan). Similarly, at her shoulders her wings are dark brown, but they turn to mottled auburn/tan as you move along them, ending with distinctive red tips on her longest flight-feathers (the basis of her name).
The Griffon’s lion half (and front legs) are simply a lighter shade of brown up to the tuft, which is dark brown where it meets the tail, but gradually gets redder, until it matches the tips of her wings. The only remnant of her usual outfit as an officer of Twilight’s
Dusk Wing is the purple headband (it’s the same shade as Twilight’s coat).
Age:32
Background:
Though she doesn’t know it, Rosewing Red was the product of a series of political intrigues in the far-off Griffon Kingdoms, and was abandoned in Cloudsdale as a chick in an act of revenge. Her parents (not nobility themselves) had betrayed a Griffon Duke, and when he discovered the treachery he had his soldiers abduct their newly-hatched daughter, and told them to take her wherever they wished, as long as it was beyond the Kingdoms. He wasn’t a particularly cruel Griffon, and would never order them to kill the chick, but when she disappeared, her parents went berserk and attempted to attack the Duke, believing he had killed her. Thus, by the laws of the Kingdoms, they were imprisoned, and imprisoned they remain.
Far, far away from the ancestral homeclouds of the Griffons, across the sea, the nameless chick was dropped on a random doorstep in Cloudsdale, and left to fend for itself. Luck, it would seem, was on the chick's side, as that doorstep belonged to Ruby Tears, a Pegasus pony renown for her compassion. Indeed, the newly-named Rosewing Red was taken in at once, and became an official member of the sprawling Red clan. She was taught to control her predatory instincts, eating only unintelligent creatures, such as fish, and, most importantly, her adopted mother and several uncles and aunts soon taught her how to fly. From there, she grew quickly into adulthood, training her body and wings, reveling in the joy of flight.
Those suppressed urges caught up with her, however, and over time Rosie subtly became aggressive, picking fights with big stallions just to prove she could beat them up, stealing things just so she could outfly anyone who tried to chase her, and one day, she actually lashed out at a pony with her talons during an argument, and gashed open his flank! The poor stallion eventually recovered, and forgave her for what she did, but she knew she was becoming something she didn't want to be, and went home to her mother, who seemed to know exactly what had happened just from the look on the young Griffon's face. "Rosie, you were born to hunt, to rule the sky with beak and claw. Griffons are predators, and very good at what they do... But you live among ponies, who are nearly the opposite. You must temper yourself, and put those instincts to good use, or you'll end up having to leave Equestria, maybe even flee it!"
Her daughter was close to tears at this point, but Ruby had a plan. She had been preparing for that time in Rosie's life for nearly a decade, and had already asked her uncle, the Earl of Red (a Canterlot unicorn noteworthy for leading the massive House of Red) to pull some strings among the Guards. They were rather apprehensive about having a Griffon in their midst, but she stuck to the training and discipline like glue, and once she cleared the difficult flying and stamina tests, the officers couldn't deny that she was going to be an exemplary Guard. In those days, there was only one Princess, Celestia, but the three branches still existed, and finally, after training hard for months and months, Rosewing Red was sworn in as a full member of the Air Guard. During the course of her career serving Celestia, she saw Princess Luna restored, protected the common ponies from chaos while Twilight Sparkle and the Elements of Harmony worked to defeat Discord, nearly lost an eye fighting off Changelings during her Captain's wedding, and, perhaps most important of all, was a founding member of Dusk Wing.
When Twilight became a Princess, Celestia and Luna allowed her to recruit a lot of interesting individuals to form her own Wing, Hoof and Horn, and Rosewing came highly recommended. Super-sharp eyes and nose, highly skilled with her claws, and a powerful flier, not to mention her dedication to Equestria itself, the Griffon seemed particularly well suited to the work Twilight's Guards would be doing. Indeed, endless bodyguard duty was getting a bit dull, despite the few major attacks that had recently occured, and Rosie gladly accepted. It was there that she gained the nickname "Clipper", as she was uniquely skilled at tracking down and catching rogue Pegasi, proverbially "clipping" their wings. The name was a bit dark, as clipped wings are a very morbid topic among fliers, but somehow, it stuck, until even her superiors were calling her Clipper! (though Twilight and her family stuck with Rosie, as did her closest friends outside of the Guard)
She rose through the ranks, proving her worth many times, and was the obvious choice to act as Twilight's representative to the Equestrian Explorer's League. Her mission: to protect the Explorers from all dangers, known and unknown, and to document every artifact and culture they discover.
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