Introduction
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Salsola and Inferni established this semi-wild herd of horses in 'Souls, following the Boreas Conflict in 2012. These groups oversaw and protected the herds from poachers and predators until the Inferni-Salsola War. Following the war's conclusion, Salsola assumed sole control of the animals as part of Inferni's terms of surrender. When the coyote clan crossed the Halcyon Mountain, they "poached" several of the horses in order to start their own herd.
The horses live, largely, without the influence of Luperci. Due to many having experience with them, however, they are skittish and will not linger when Luperci are present.
These animals are wild horses, and ones without the protection or oversight of any pack or group, the Bay Horses can be captured by any Luperci bold and experienced enough to do so. As with any wild horse, this process can (and should) be difficult. Cooperation between individuals is paramount to success. Larger round-up type events are likely to attract the attention of Salsola, whose members have been known to attempt to ward off potential poachers and predators. The pack occasionally captures horses from among the herds. If you're looking for encounters with Salsola characters who may be in the area, Thread Requests & Plotting would be a good place to start.
If your character intends to capture one of the wild horses listed below, please be sure to edit the Wiki page to include relevant threads and reflect any changes to the bands. If you have direct questions about this process, or want to confirm that your plot follows realism guidelines, contact the 'Souls Assemblage.
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1. The Bay Horses
Most of the origin for these horses came from mustang-types that originated from American southwest; smaller in size but extremely hardy. A few larger draft crosses were present in the original herds, but no horse is of purebred origin. They are all grade horses (a horse whose parentage is unknown, unidentifiable, or of significantly mixed breeding) as with most creatures that were formerly selectively bred by humanity.
Additionally, as the starting stock of the Bay Horses was of variant breeds, there is a great deal of variation between one individual and the next. There is also no selectivity in wild horses allowed to join the herds. Therefore, the Bay horses are essentially being allowed to develop as they would, forming a "landrace" of horses most suitable to the Maritime provinces. Some of the older horses (ie; those born before 2017) are branded.
Nonetheless, some dominant features are present throughout some members of the herd, and may later' become omnipresent in future progeny:
- Average size of 13.2–16 hands (54–64 in / 137–162 cm) in height, 700 to 1000 lb (320 - 453 kg) in weight. Some bands are typically larger than others.
- Stocky, muscular, and athletic -- generally with a "rugged" sort of look.
- Small, refined heads.
- Thick coat, long manes and tails. Can be differentiated from most of the other typical wild horses in 'Souls by this feature -- their long hair is very thick and silky.
Over time the horses in this locality, without firm intervention and influence from Luperci, have developed landrace traits suited for extreme climates and open space traversal: long legs and round nostrils suited for a highly mobile lifestyle, sturdy and balanced frames with muscular shoulders and flanks, and coats which grow in thick come winter only to blow out sleek come summer.
2. Bands
The herd is made up of two primary bands, each occupying a piece of territory between Salsola and as far east as The Waste stetching north to Halcyon. Some horses will wander away from these, though as of yet no other bands have formed. As of 2022, the Ghost band dissolved and dispersed.
A third "bachelor herd" will sometimes emerge when older colts are forced from their places of origin. This does not usually last: these animals either leave the area or are captured by poachers. In rare instances, predators cull their numbers.
2.1 Ash Band
Population: 11 Individuals
About
The Ash herd was designed to produce a quick, sure-footed horse. These equines typically have the sleekest appearance of the Bay Horse bands.
Population Changes
- 2013:
- A few foals were born, likely holdovers from when the Boreas wolves rode these horses.
- 2014:
- 2016:
- A horse was captured by Salsola members.
- 2018:
- 2020:
- The Blizzard claims the life of one horse.
- Two foals were born.
- An injury claims the life of the herd's stallion. Shortly after, the herd accepts a new one.
- 2021:
- 2022:
- One foal was born.
- Age claims the life of the herd's lead mare. The buckskin mare assumes control due to seniority.
- The herd gains three individuals after seismic activity disrupts the locality.
Range
These horses range through the flatlands of Drifter Bay and are frequently seen around the Sunflower Sunsets area.
Likely Foal Yield
- Base Coats: Bay (high), Chestnut (rare), Black (extremely rare)
- Modifiers: Silver Dilute (medium-high), Single Cream Dilute (rare), Champagne Dilute (extremely rare), Overo (extremely rare)
- Birth Year: 2018
- Coat: Flaxen Chestnut
- Markings: Blaze, rear socks
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Observable Personality: A relatively young stallion, equally smart and strong. A very capable defender.
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- Originally from the Ghost herd
- Assumed control of the Ash herd in spring 2021
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- Birth Year: 2013
- Coat: Buckskin
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Observable Personality: --
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Lead Mare
- Introduced into the herd after the foal round-up in Spring 2014
- Foaled a smoky black foal in 2016
- Foaled a buckskin filly in 2018
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- Birth Year: 2015
- Coat: Bay
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Observable Personality: --
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- Originally from the Ghost herd
- Foaled a bay filly in 2020
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- Birth Year: 2015
- Coat: Smoky Black
- Markings: Front coronet, rear socks
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Observable Personality: --
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- Birth Year: 2017
- Coat: Liver Chestnut
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Observable Personality: Nervous and flighty, and staunchly defensive. Headstrong.
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- Birth Year: 2018
- Coat: Silver Black
- Markings: Stripe, rear interrupted coronet
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Observable Personality: --
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- Birth Year: 2018
- Coat: Buckskin
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Observable Personality: --
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- Originally from the Smoke herd
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- Birth Year: 2020
- Coat: Silver Black
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Observable Personality: --
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- Birth Year: 2020
- Coat: Gold Champagne
- Markings: Blaze, front pasterns, rear socks
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Observable Personality: --
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- Originally from the Ghost herd
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- Birth Year: 2022
- Coat: Chestnut
- Markings: Stripe, front coronets, rear socks
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Observable Personality: --
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2.2 Smoke Band
Population: 10 Individuals
About
The Smoke herd has the largest stallion and the largest mares.
Population Changes
- 2012:
- A dark bay mare joins the herd.
- 2013:
- A few foals were born, likely holdovers from when the Boreas wolves rode these horses.
- Rémy Lebeau releases a mare to join the herd.
- 2014:
- 2018:
- Inferni captures many of the horses. Those remaining, without a lead mare or stallion, scatter, before reforming under a new lead mare.
- A new stallion takes over the band.
- 2019:
- 2020:
- The Blizzard claims the lives of two horses.
- Two foals were born.
- 2021:
- 2022:
- Age claims the life of a horse.
- The herd drives out its stallion. Shortly after, the herd accepts a new one.
- The herd gains two individuals after seismic activity disrupts the locality.
Range
Most commonly be seen on the easternmost edge of Drifter Bay and more frequently, The Waste. Their lead mare sometimes leads them close to the mountains and the fertile grazing along the foothills of the Halcyon Mountain peaks, after learning to do so from the band's past stallion.
Likely Foal Yield
- Base Coats: Bay (high), Chestnut (rare)
- Modifiers: Tobiano (high), Single Cream Dilute (rare), Champagne Dilute (extremely rare), Gray (extremely rare)
- Birth Year: 2019
- Coat: Bay (Mahogany)
- Markings: Tobiano, Cat tracks
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Observable Personality: --
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- Originally from the Smoke herd before driven out on maturation
- Returned and assumed control of the Smoke herd in 2022
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- Birth Year: 2007
- Coat: Chestnut
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Observable Personality: --
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- Birth Year: 2007
- Coat: Bay (Mahogany)
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Observable Personality: --
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- Birth Year: 2014
- Coat: Dapple Gray
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Observable Personality: --
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- Born into the Smoke band
- Foaled a gray colt in 2020
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- Birth Year: 2014
- Coat: Buckskin
- Markings: Tobiano, Cat tracks
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Observable Personality: --
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- Birth Year: 2020
- Coat: Amber Cream Champagne
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Observable Personality: --
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- Originally from the Ghost herd
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- Birth Year: 2020
- Coat: Bay
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Observable Personality: --
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- Originally from the Ash herd
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- Birth Year: 2020
- Coat: Buckskin
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Observable Personality: --
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- Birth Year: 2021
- Coat: Bay (Mahogany)
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Observable Personality: --
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- Birth Year: 2021
- Coat: Bay
- Markings: Tobiano, Cat tracks
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Observable Personality: --
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3. Other Horses
Some horses, especially young stallions, are often chased away from their herd as they age. Though these horses frequently end up traveling together, this is not always the case.
- Birth Year: 2020
- Coat: Amber Champagne
- Markings: Star, rear pastern, rear coronet
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Observable Personality: --
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- Originally from the Ghost herd
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- Birth Year: 2020
- Coat: Smoky Black
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Observable Personality: --
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- Originally from the Ash herd
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- Birth Year: 2020
- Coat: Dapple Gray
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Observable Personality: --
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- Originally from the Smoke herd
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- Birth Year: 2021
- Coat: Gold Champagne
- Markings: Snip, front pastern
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Observable Personality: --
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- Originally from the Ghost herd
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- Birth Year: 2021
- Coat: Bay (Mahagony)
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Observable Personality: --
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- Originally from the Ash herd
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- Birth Year: 2021
- Coat: Silver Black
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Observable Personality: --
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- Originally from the Ash band
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4. History
4.1 Formation
The Boreas Conflict occurred, pitting Salsola and Inferni against a group of anti-coyote wolves. After some months of struggle, the packs were able to vanquish their attackers, leaving them free to loot the spoils. As the Boreas wolves had many equines of good stock, Salsola and Inferni's leadership (Ezekiel de le Poer and Sirius Revlis) came to an agreement regarding the horses. Some would be taken by each pack as spoils, and the rest would be released to roam between their two pack territories, over the Drifter Bay. The pact included provisions for the horses' future care and protection, design and application of the brand, and the later recapture of horses by both packs.
This agreement was kept in place by their predacessors, as Inferni's Myrika Tears and Salsola's Salvia Eternity further cemented their trade agreement. The horses thrived, but did not reproduce to the extent expected and so after a sucessful first roundup the groups never reorganized another. They continued to oversee the horses.
During the Second Boreas Conflict, a number of horses were captured and consumed.
Disagreements over rights to these animals occured, and would become one of the catalysts that drove the Inferni-Salsola War forward. Though largely unaffected by the conflict, in the immediate aftermath members of Inferni, under the new leadership of Vicira Tears, captured many of the horses from the Smoke Band.
4.2 Threads
Please remember to add any interactions your characters have with this herd here using the following template:
# '''[[Thread:00000|Title]]''' ''[-(Date)-]'' — Brief summary of the thread with [[Characters/Character]] (and [[NPCs/NPC]] ''[-(xNPC)-]'') names included.
| - Title (Date) — Brief summary of the thread with Character? (and NPC? (xNPC)) names included.
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5. Footnotes
