Tag: Chincoteague Ponies

Breed Spotlight: Chincoteague Pony

Breed Spotlight: Chincoteague Pony

by Rebecca M. Horner ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Chincoteague Pony

A hardy breed of survivors descended according to local legend from shipwrecked Spanish horses, the Chincoteague pony is the hardiest of the ponies available in Astranar. One of the quests in game does provide coin to buy a pony before you continue! Will you pick the Chincoteague?

The wild horses and horses raised in care from breeders are a little different in terms of size, but for sake of our poor coders, they are still very much being counted as ponies. Of sound, sturdy build with straight legs and broad body, their noted for a straight or concave facial profile and broad forehead. An intelligent breed, they very much have minds of their own and their own personality. They can get a bit spunky if they have other plans, but they are also eager workers who want to please.

Chinco 1

While the Chincoteague penning, swims, and auctions still take place as part of population control, to continue that goal and to help with genetic diversity, breed books were established in the U.S. and through careful negotiation (and maybe a pirate or two), Astranar as well. Astranar very carefully regulates their own breeding stables to make sure everything remains healthy. With their hardy natures, they do well as endurance horses, but they are very nimble which suits them well to the agility and pony events in Ruby District. They can also be trained to pull a small trap, buggy, or cart.

Chinco 2

Breed Characteristics:
Chincoteague ponies come in several colors, including sorrel (red with blonde mane for Mystic Rider purposes), chestnut (red with red mane for Mystic Rider purposes), bay, brown, buckskin, palomino, black, and grey. While paint coats are highly prized due to the book series that popularized this breed, they are also more expensive even in Astranar since the graying gene is still present.

Starting Stats: *
Speed:                    1                                              Discipline:       2
Endurance:         5                                               Agility:             4
Strength:             3

* Note, these numbers aren’t set in stone. They are Becca’s way of trying to reduce her knowledge/research of breeds and their particular skills and traits into numbers so when animators and programmers have to look at these horses, they can go, “Oh, this horse can’t turn worth beans but this one can on a dime, noted!”

Ruby District, Watch Your Step!

Ruby District, Watch Your Step!

by Rebecca M. Horner ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

We keep mentioning our wonderful districts, so now we’re going to start introducing them. Astranar has eight districts, each with their own individual flare, and they can be quite competitive with each other. In Astranar, the districts are named after gemstones. This week, we’ll be discussing Ruby, where Earth magic reigns supreme.

landscape-1431652248-courtesy-of-graham-and-co

Known for their rolling hills and gorges, Ruby is the heart of Astranar–not quite literally, but it is in the center of the country and shares a border with just about everyone else. Creating it, Ginny was inspired by her childhood home of Upstate New York. The further north you get, closer to the Whistleback Mountains, the more the district resembles the Catskills (though Ginny will make the argument that they are still hills, just really steep ones. I’m from Oklahoma, I don’t have a horse in this race). Whereas the further south you go, the hills are still there, just less dramatic and more reminiscent of the Finger Lakes region. Those gorges are home to picturesque waterfalls that feed the rivers and lakes, watering the tall trees that cover the hills…at least, those that haven’t been “civilized” yet.

It is a favorite place for farmers and ranchers because of the plentiful graze, even if sometimes the sheep wonder off and have to be chased down. Dairy cows also make an appearance, and some vineyards. With all the plentiful supplies, it’s no wonder that craftspeople enjoy the district as well. The local nobility leaves… some… okay, a lot… to be desired, but we can deal with that right…? Well, hopefully. It’s just one count, how bad can it be? The other local lords are more farmers and landlords than real nobility, so they have the farm sense they were born with….right?! Maybe the fact the fashion has a noted punk/rebel edge isn’t a coincidence after all…

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Alright, I’ll get to what you actually care about. Possibly because of all the ranches, maybe just because they are quirky, but either way, Ruby is the solace for Western riders in Astranar. Barrel racing, pole bending, shalom, and pony games, there is a wide variety to try, though some will be limited to you owning a pony in addition to your default magical horse. (Don’t at me, there’s a quest to earn you the necessary credits, or at least the majority of them if you are picky on color.)

Ruby is home to Chincoteague ponies in all varieties of coats that they come in. Not to worry if you went to another district first so your default horse is geared more towards another style of riding either, because the Chincoteague isn’t alone in Ruby. American Quarter Horses (which you can turn into American Paints with a few extra credits to add markings) and Tennessee Walking horses are also available for purchase, although because they are considered “extra” horses, purchasing of the initial game license doesn’t earn you credits towards them.

quarterhorse

Earth magic resonates with Do on the solfege scale. It is the base, the anchor that holds you safely down. Those who resonate with Earth are down-to-earth personalities that value security and order, and they are very intense about getting it. They are very efficient, and a good person to have in your corner. On the small scale, Earth magic can speed up plant growth and making tilling the fields neatly easier. On the large scale, it can raise or lower the earth itself or effect magnetism. Of course, if you don’t stay in control of it, you could also cause a mudslide, which is not only dangerous, but is going to have a number of people mad at you for property damage.

If you following Ginny’s twitter blog, you’ll know that all of the districts, including Ruby, have their own little specialties and symbols. I won’t bore you with all of them, and I want you to get to enjoy finding them out on your own! (The name is one giant clue to one of them, fyi.) I will mention that the Ruby mentors depend on which side you choose. If you go with the Light, you will look to Vesper Leilament (profile pending), and if you go with the Shadow, you have options: Vanessa Ribbonmelody (profile pending) and Vivian Streetbeats (profile pending).