- helgrind herd claim

[Snowy]

¢¾ Character Name;; ra'zac
¢¾ Character Gender;; male
¢¾ Character Age;; eight years
¢¾ Herd Name;; helgrind
¢¾ Herd Description;;

- enter the empire;;

a large and distant mountainous region that stretches as far as the eye can see, this place might seem lovely at first glance, but step into the nation, and you'll quickly understand why it is nicknamed the "door to hell". like a mighty wall, the high mountains form a barrier around the nation, with all the pathways and passages either covered in fog so thick that each breath taken becomes a struggle or are prone to predator ambushes or dangerous rockslides at a moment's whim. the only safe routes, which are hidden further up the mountain faces themselves, are kept secret from many of the herd members save for a select few and nearly impossible to get to for most horses. basically, if you're brought into this land, you're stuck until further notice. no exceptions.

however, inside this virutal prison, life can be much easier for those who live here. trees are a rarity thanks to the lack of proper sunlight from the blockage of the mountains, but the clean water that cascades down from the mountain tops bring about fresh grasses each spring, and the rains keep it around each fall. but come winter and summer, things get much harder. with summer, the clouds can sometimes get so thick that the sun is literally blotted out of view, and rain can get so heavy that it floods the valleys. talk and threats of tornadoes are also very big in this season, for although rare, they have and can occure. winter brings about completely new challenges, with heavy snowdrifts, sudden avalanches, and white-out blizzards being the top threats to life in the valleys. to live here, you must be hardcore, otherwise you won't survive your first season.

the only places of shelter around the valley are the caverns hidden within the mountain roots, some which are just shallow hideaways for storms, while others lead into the heart of the mountain range, where hot springs heat the cave walls enough to provide some warmth in the winter. but the caverns themselves can also be dangerous; rockslides and avalanches have been known to trap horses within them; a slow, suffer, certain death for any fool that unlucky and a loss of a useful shelter for the rest of the herd. the caverns can also become death traps in other ways; those close to the roots of the range can become flooded by rainwater, while the caverns placed higher up can be used by crafty wolves or mountain lions to trap a horse within. danger lurks around every corner here; it is best to watch yourself even in the places you feel safest.

but perhaps the most dangerous factor of this land is its lord, a nameless rogue who is known only by his titles. only those of the herd know him by name, but most just call him the 'shadowlord', for that is his perferred title. ruthless and cunning, he has been described by many as a demon from the world beyond, but there are others who would speak differently about their master. he takes no prisoners, and does not take lightly to anything that could be taken as disloyalty and uprising, so many must watch their steps around here. however, if you so wish, you can make out your own decision about this 'shadowlord' and his reign... will you enter the gates of hell?
¢¾ Herd Image;;
[image copyright of alaska-in-pictures.com]

Claiming Post
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time can be cruel, but it can also be kind when it wants to, and when it is you don't take it for granted. rarely does fate give out a generous hand in this deadly game of life and loss, and to not reach out for it, take it, strangle it in a hold so tight not even empty air can escape, is foolish beyond any and all reasonable doubt. but he is no fool; he was dealt such a hand, given a chance to go for the granduer he's always wanted, and he has no delusions about letting it pass him by. talons sharp as daggers stride upon the torn, battered terras, all moved and crafted by cold wind claws and rippling water sprays, hard muscles flexing in a dance of show and strength as golden rays of morning light tango softly across corse ebonite robes, so dark and so thick in shade that blue and violet auras appear in the wake of the lighting, a dazzling view so like the colorful auroras of the northern sky gliding against a nocturne visage. silken banners fly high with each movement of the dark creature, showing proudly the power of the lord and master they represent as he walks a path never charted, letting the Fates guide his steps. it doesn't matter where he goes, in almost all places he finds what he wants. dark gaze sharper than daggers hidden within a cloak gleam like freshly polished blades against the still light, dew-drops as soft as saltless tears moistening his tattered and scarred lengths, plastering down each strand of thread to highlight each lean ligament, toned muscle, hard bone, and ragged torn part of flesh. the rips within mother earth beneath his mass showed where he'd been, while orbitals staring straight ahead told where he would go, daredevil smirk placed permenantly upon velvet maw just asking for the world to come against him, take him on, try to bring him down. he gladly accepts each challenge with vigor, just as he always has.

body in motion finally pausing upon dead and broken grassland, staightening out and standing full at attention. the echoes of wind and sound caught against curving lobes atop a regal crown of night, highlighting a small tuff of crimson red positioned just inbetween them, like a dark comet frozen above a starless night. nostrils flaring, lungs expanding inside a deep cavity, oxygen being stolen from the atmosphere and quickly replaced by hot carbon, chilled upon contact with the frozen winds of late winter. slowly bleaching silks, sun tortured, battle torn and stained by years of bloodshed, whip in the gust that blows over his spine, carassing it like a long lost lover. ripples run through the toned equine form, shivers of pleasure racing from the point of contact, endorphes shot through him, flooding his mind with electricity. excitement is quick to fill in the empty air around him, unable to shake the feeling of something, something is about to happen, the feeling a kin to a invisible poltergeist in the wind whispering sweet nothings to his soul. a rush of anticipation - overpowering, overbearing - floods his system like a tidal wave, and he embraces it willingly, already feeling his flesh prickle at the thought of what was to come... whatever that might be.

eight long lifetimes he's seen, each different the one before it. yet through it all he cannot bring himself to complain; countless numbers of times throughout life has a perfect oppurtunity for greatness fallen at his feet, yet instead of acknowledging its presense and snatching it up without hesitation, as most would do if given half the chance to be put in his shoes, he has simply stepped over it, walking away without a second glance back, without a single regret in the world. from the very beginning, he has known what he was doing, what his endgame was all along, and that is why regret is something he is unfamiliar with. whipcord flashes behind him like a waving flag in the hands of an armed solider, motion returning to stilled limbs as he moves onward, his path coming dangerously close to borderlines of claimed territories, the places where demons like himself are never welcomed warmly. he does not stop, does not alter course to avoid it, but heads straight towards it at a lazily two-step gait, fluid grace and damning power melding into each liquid movement that his kind are known for. just as always, he knows what he is doing, he knows what he is there for... he knows it is time to become what he has wanted to be since the day he took his first breath... yet, just as he comes to the borderline, he pauses, sharpened talons halting just in front of the scent marker he has found. boa arching gracefully, muscular system flinching in effort as bones curve and joints stretch, he lowers his regal dial down to the earth, nostrils inhaling deeply as dark pools close behind satin curtains of nox and lobes fall down within a layer of black silks, all focus placed into deciphering the marker laid down in a patch of thickened tanned grass. as stated before, he is no fool; all the lifetimes of experience he has gathered and save in memory has taught him never to rush blindly into something until you know what you're dealing with, and that is what he intends to find out now.

sadly, what he finds does nothing to impress him, but rather it amuses him. satin curtains snap back up into place as he lifts his crown back to full height, smirk having disappeared to make way for a wide smile of devilish intent and harsh mirth. from what he has smelt from the stain set into the earthren plains, two kings rule here, one older, the other younger, but the elder lord's scent has faded with time and exposer to the elements of nature, so completely degraded he cannot even make out what kind of equid master he is dealing save for the fact that the sample is from mature male. the younger lord, however, is much more fresh, only minutes old it seems, but it is no one he has run into before, and the hellion is much younger than he, and chances are much less experienced than the ebony shaded stag. but the scent tells him nevertheless that the young lord is healthy and strong, having probably just reached maturity not long ago. for this, he allows himself to feel a little confidence in his chances here; if the elder stud is dead, injured, or unable to care correctly for his terrian, then the duty naturally fell to the next high marked lord, which is either a trusted friend of the emperor in question or the eldest son. today, he hazards a guess that the lands he is coming into are owned by a father and son team; it makes the most sense, and most herds are run by the similiar teams. however, without the father to guide the son, he knows the land is easy pickings; almost too easy... smile fades into a troubled line against velveteen muzzle as he finally steps into forbidden grounds, but he does not announce his intentions - not yet. he wants to see what he's up against with his own vision, wants to know and understand what kind of challenge he'll be given if he does attempt to steal away this terrian, and if the given prize is worth the effort he's thinking of putting into it.

cautiously, each taken step made with all stealth and quiet as not alert any that might be taking up residence here of his presence, he moves over the borderline, not even bothering to pause for a moment to remark the territory in his name yet. if this land isn't worth his time and effort, they can keep it, and the threat of the young lord doubling back weighed in his mind, influencing the decision. if such a thing happened and he did indeed cover the claiming scent with his own, his cover would be blown and he'd be forced to take his next move hurriedly. he didn't want to do that, didn't want to fight against someone who wouldn't be a worthy challenge for slim pickings; he got nothing from it, and that was the worst thing that could happen in his mind's reasoning. step by step, he traveled further and further into dangerous grounds, heading towards the heart of the territory. gusts of strong wind blew against his form, battering it with hard hits against his ribcage and whipping course silks upon his flesh, leaving behind sore stretches of red hidden beneath ebony cloth. soundwaves flowing unhindered into his raised lobes, he recongized the sound of running water; streams and rivers coming from further within the grounds. shaded pools narrow as he lays a critical eye over each square inch of ground, smelling the air and listening carefully for anything else he should know about these lands. in the distance, a low rumble of thunder, too high and too far to be coming this way, but still close enough to catch. from what he knew to be fact, such a sound only meant one thing; mountains ranges. 'this place is not exactly what i was imagining,' his mind's soundless vocals echoed through his crown as he came to a pause, yet still layering the grounds with sharpened senses for anything else, anything else, he had to know of. 'but it'll do, i suppose. it is expansive, and the challenge of survival will be great... perfect...' daredevil smirk returns to his velvet kissers as he realizes this, understanding the challenge that lay with owning this land. all of a sudden, he feels the need to find the lords; it's time for them step down after all.

a single talon rakes the earth in an eager pawing motion as he arches his boa downard, a stretch of scarred dirt left behind in its wake as a small cloud forms at his feet. he's preparing himself, readying for the coming events ahead. lord knows it's not the first time he's been at war with others, but he can't help but get excited each time the prospect of battle shadows his mind's eye, images of himself and a shadowed brujo crashing together in a hardcore fight too much to handle. snorting, close to panting, he cannot wait any longer, and soon his upper form lifts from the ground, black crown raising high into the atmosphere as he shouts outloud his challenge, banners flailing in the wind as limbs box against empty air in a majestic display. 'let the fools come to me.' he thinks as he crashes back down to mother earth with a harsh thump, frontal talons landing hard against solid ground. 'it's time they learn their place in the world has changed.' laughter sounds out through his mind, echoes boucing throughout, smirk once again returning easily as he set himself to wait for his opponents to arrive. 'these lands are mine!' and with smirk in place, he could only laugh as at last, he saw figures in the west approaching... it was time to fight.</DIV>
OOC: this is a recycled post i'm using of him claiming another herd land on another site... it's not something i normally do, but i'm feeling lazy right now and I wannted this out of the way. x3 i hope it's alright; it's one of my best posts with ra'zac to date, but if it isn't, i'll make another one. just say the word. :]

[RoyalPain13]

congratulations Snowy/Ra'zac on the successful claim. All content will be added and corrected shortly.