OOC Info The Cyphrus & Sea Of Grass Q&A Thread

[Gossamer]

Endrykas, of course, is a city of many horses, and from what I believe, they live in close proximity to others. However, stallions are often violent around other stallions, and the constant interaction with mares that they may past when traveling through the city would make it hard to keep them under control. What to Drykas do to counter this? Are nearly all male horses geldings? Or is this viewed as cruel to the horse? I would think this would be a big problem in a city of horses, but perhaps strider stallions do not act like normal horses?

The truth about horses is simple.

If they are raised certain ways, they act certain ways. Stallions in the wild that don't have herds band together and roam around in bachelor herds. Lipizzaner stallions perform together without savagely tearing each other apart. Guess what? They can also be turned out together. Most enjoy each other's company and know they have a job to do and a sport to perform that doesn't involve breeding. And good breeders that run their horses in herds and breed together don't often worry about keeping stallions together.

If they were raised apart and the only job they've ever known is the ten seconds of thrill they get covering a mare once in a while, they usually are shitheads. Those are the shitheads you are thinking of. If they were raised together, the last resort is usually a squabble like the epic wild horse battles (that are hyped more than you might know) you see on the discovery channel. Hell, seasoned stallions often run their herds with other seasoned stallions for better protection in times of trouble or high predator loads. They know what they are doing.

And native Americans ran horses together, especially the plains Indians, without issues.

So... horses that aren't real horses but the reincarnated souls of people and whom are super smart.... why would there even be an issue if there wouldn't be for normal horses raised in mass? Sure there will be squabbles. I've seen the lunchroom in high schools and how humans get all worked up and fight. It happens. But its not like two stallions who scent each other across the way are going to automatically want to kill each other. They'll probably be buddies if they are given a choice.

[Tribal]

Q & A

Hello horse-lords and ladies! As promised, a little bit of a blurb on horses. Don't worry, I'm not here to tell you all there is to know about horses; you all know how to use google, rather, I would like to go over some of the things I expect when I see that your PC has purchased, found, or bonded with a new horse.

To begin, recently I was asked about the difference between a Seme that cost 200 GM and one that costs 500 GM.

For 200 GM, you're either buying a very young horse, a horse ready to work that needs a lot of work first, or an old nag that knows the ropes but probably won't get the job done as well as you might like. For 500 GM, however, you are buying your dream horse, not too old or young, fully trained, and probably won’t come with too many bad habits (kicking and biting for example).

What do I mean by a horse that needs a lot of work you ask? Well, it is just like an untrained dog or hunting cat; if you don't want to pay top dollar, you're going to be paying in the hours of work your PC will have to spend training and conditioning this animal to do what they way. With an untrained horse, even a simple task such as grooming can be a hell of a mission (though it might just be the perfect place to start when trying to build a bond with that animal).

Start small, feeding, grooming; being able to catch the horse is important. You might want to purchase a halter for this. Leading the horse around, getting them used to having their feet picked up or hanging things over their back. A lot of unbroken horses freak out at the sight of a ropes, brushes, weapons, or anything you wave at them. Let them sniff what you're holding, have your PC teach the horse about personal space (there is nothing worse than having a horse stand on your feet while you're trying to work with or around them).

Introduce your new horse to the other animals in your pavilion, but be care of dogs and hunting cats which might spook them or cause them to lash out. If a horse wants to kick you, or anything for that matter, it almost never misses (believe me I've been kicked, bitten, charged, bucked off, and put on my back more times than I care to count). It takes months to train a horse, with a little work each day to ensure that they grow accustomed to having you around and responding appropriately to sounds, hand gestures, tack, and tools.

Your new ‘cheapo’ isn't going to sit, roll over, and come to your call in a matter of five or six lessons, even a dog takes weeks to train from a pup, and loads of positive reinforcement to help those lessons stick. The older your horse is the more stubborn and stuck in their ways it will be. If the horse has come from an existing owner, it might have already picked up some bad habits that you may never be able to rid it of, such a biting, destroying tack, pulling on the reins, charging or suddenly stopping in an attempt to throw you off! I know this is a fantasy world, but realism still has its place especially with animal training! As Endrykas heads into the colder seasons there will be less grazing for your animals and that might mean you have to supplement their diets by buying a bit of feed.

Someone with higher horsemanship, animal husbandry, and riding isn't going to struggle quite as much as someone without any competency in these skills. So remember, start small, feeding, grooming, leading, socialisation with other animals, personal space, tack, mounting, and eventually riding. Get an expert in to help offer tips and show your PC things they might have overlooked. Take an expert along with you to buy the horse, have a vet check it over (we have one now, yay!); the possibilities for PC collaboration are huge, take advantage of these! Yes a young, untrained horse is a lot of work, but it can also be a lot t of fun!

I hope this helps, enjoy the ride; the journey is half the fun. As always, if you have any questions, feel free to ask or send a PM!

E D I T

Drykas do not use halters or headgear for their horses at all, disregard that part.

[Ruari Darkwind]

When do the Drykas begin the next part of the Run? By this, I'm meaning when they leave, say, their Summer grounds for the Autumn grounds, and around when do they arrive in the next area? Do they spend the first few days just setting up before they send out hunters, or do they send out hunters immediately while the rest of Endrykas works on setting things up?

[Colt]

What do the Drykas think of Kelvics in general? The Drykas seem to be a bit superstitious; do they have any superstitions about shape-shifters? Do they think of them like pets, as the Akalak do?

[Zephari]

What exactly is the story with the caves and the underwatch? I assume the because the sea of grass was formed via pure magma washing over the lands, there were big gas pockets that formed these caves, along with a bunch of wild djed?

how many entrances there are?

If new ones ever open up due to collapses?

If there is any lore on exactly what it is the underwatch protects the surface from?

[Tribal]

When do the Drykas begin the next part of the Run? By this, I'm meaning when they leave, say, their Summer grounds for the Autumn grounds, and around when do they arrive in the next area? Do they spend the first few days just setting up before they send out hunters, or do they send out hunters immediately while the rest of Endrykas works on setting things up?

The Run works in a clockwise direction. I tend to put about ten days between each location (if you’re Drykas and have a bonded Strider), foreigner’s horses aren’t quite as fast remember because they can’t use the magic of the webbing (and shouldn’t know about it at all). So five days either side of a calendar, or however you want to time your own travels?

As for the set-up, again that’s up to you and how your pavilion works. A big pavilion might have enough members that they can set up and send a group out hunting at the same time. But what’s more important, food or a roof over your head? In basic survival instances you will always be taught/told to put up a shelter before the sun goes down because a full stomach won’t keep you sheltered from the rain.

[Tribal]

It has some to my attention that many of you are confused about what kind of animals there are to be found in the Sea of Grass, and for a long time it has gone unchecked so I don’t blame any of you for the current misunderstandings at all! But I thought it would be a good idea to go over our (Goss and I) vision for the area as a whole.

Some of us think this is Africa take two and others like the feel of the Old West, America. I am happy to point out that it is much closer to the latter folks. You won’t find any giraffes roaming the plains, but below is a fairly comprehensive list of what you might run into on a hunting trip! (Don't forget Hunting cats and horses!).

There are many different types of birds including Ducks, Ravens, Eagles, Hawks, etc. Land animals such as the Squirrel, Snake (venomous and nonvenomous), Rabbit, Mink, Skunk, Raccoon, Otter, Beaver, Fox, Coyote, Goat, Bobcat, Wolf, Boar, Deer, Elk, Caribou, Moose, Bison, Zibri, Yak, Spearback, Ixam, Nightlion, Grass Bear, Olidosapux, and Glassbeak; and finally, sea animals, including but not limited to, Turtles, Sea Lions, and Elephant Seals.

Of course we have our special animals, the Spearback, Glassbeak, etc that are unique to Mizahar, and I think we will always have more room for those, so if you have some ideas, please let me know, I’d love to morph a mountain lion with something else! I will be starting work on a list for Endrykas / Sea of Grass with pictures and info breakdowns by winter! Any questions? You’ve come to the right place.

[Gossamer]

What do the Drykas think of Kelvics in general? The Drykas seem to be a bit superstitious; do they have any superstitions about shape-shifters? Do they think of them like pets, as the Akalak do? The Drykas, of course, know about Kelvics. They don't quite understand that they are created creatures though. They don't readily accept them, but they aren't killed on sight. They aren't part of the webs unless added too them so they are treated much like other similar races like other humans and Akalak. They aren't treated like deadly pests like say a zith are. Instead its mostly case by case. They are treated indeed like people, not pets, but there are no superstitions or negative feelings about the race in general. The Drykas just know they exist and they are odd and rare... and sometimes accept them and sometimes don't. A Kelvic Glassbeak wouldn't be welcomed with open arms whereas a kelvic horse might be.

[Gossamer]

What exactly is the story with the caves and the underwatch? I assume the because the sea of grass was formed via pure magma washing over the lands, there were big gas pockets that formed these caves, along with a bunch of wild djed?

how many entrances there are?

If new ones ever open up due to collapses?

If there is any lore on exactly what it is the underwatch protects the surface from?

The lore does not include the underwatch or the cave system for good reasons. Its a huge secret among the Sea of Grass and is closely tied to the Velispar and their culture. There are numerous entrances and they come and go with the seasons and years based on geological stability and how the Velispar change them. They do collapse and they are repaired and they aren't repaired and they can vanish or appear overnight.

No. There's no lore. Not yet.

[Colt]

The Drykas are a primarily nomadic people, and the lore of Endrykas explicitly states that the population changes season to season and even day to day as people migrate in to participate in festivals, holidays, worship, etc.

In the grand scheme of things, how many people are actual residents of the city year-round? How many people migrate in for specific days, demographically? How many pavilions, as in entire families, do the same? During a given time period that is not hosting any holidays, festivals or other important events that would garner migration, how does the population of Endrykas compare to the population of Drykas that live out in the Sea of Grass?