Spirits' Whimsy Palette Pet RP Contest Start: Thursday, August 25 @ 7:00pm PT Ends: Monday, August 29 @ 9:00am PT
The spirits are up to their old tricks again... and it seems, this time, they've brought some new faces with them! No one exactly knows why the spirits see it fit to intervene at times, but subtly (or not so subtly), they've guided these new Taurs here to join the festivities. Who are these strangers? How do they feel about their lives being shaken up thanks to the spirits' whims?
((As a note, these Taurs have been living on either the Chimera or Phoenix Isles! More map information can be found here!))
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The Rules 1. This is a judged RP contest to a win a semi-custom pet! You will be able to pick a base and species (Centaur or Elaphotaur), as well as submit a color palette with your entry. 2. You must choose an actual color-palette off some place like Coolers, or Color Hunt, or something similar! Please avoid posting images, OCs, other digital pets, music, moodboards, etc. We want colorists to have an actual palette to play with! 3. You may edit your post up until the closing time. 4. These pets are considered RP Pets! 5. If you have any questions, please feel free to message Tsunake! 6. These are considered RP Pets! 7. Once the game has wrapped, individuals who enter may take their prompt and turn it into RP points in this thread!
Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2022 11:26 am
The Form
[b]Username:[/b] [b]Pet Name:[/b] [b]Species:[/b] (Centaur or Elaphotaur) [b]Feminine Or Masculine:[/b] [b]Base:[/b] (Delicate, Standard, or Draft) [b]Palette:[/b] [img] [/img] [b]RP Response:[/b]
Tsunake
Territorial Friend
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Tsunake
Territorial Friend
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Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2022 11:28 am
The Entries
Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2022 4:40 pm
Just a reminder that this game is open!
Tsunake
Territorial Friend
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Uta Captain
Shy Mage
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Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2022 5:19 pm
Username: Uta Pet Name: Nightfall Species: Centaur Feminine Or Masculine: Masculine Base: Draft Palette: RP Response: Nightfall wasn't usually the most sociable of creatures, and if he'd had his way, he wouldn't have bothered to come to such a celebration. While he'd heard rumors that a great gathering of his kind was coming together, the large stallion had given it no second thought. Let the fools of the world waste time partying -- he had more important things to do.
For indeed, Nightfall wasn't known to be a particularly friendly sort. He grew up in the wilds of the Chimera Island, and took up spear and sword. He was not a warrior, nor were his morals so pure to call himself a knight or guard. He was, in fact, a mercenary-for-hire, and a slayer of monsters, beast, and taur. He kept himself aloof, and roamed with a band of equally scarred u and fierce mercs-for-hire. He made no attachments, not even to his mercenary kin, and he often kept to himself.
He was not, perhaps, completely heartless -- but he'd grown up in a world full of sharp edges. Softness was weakness and weakness meant death -- for there were dark things, indeed, that lurked in the shadows of the magical island.
So when Nightfall's hooves took him from hunting down an acid dragon, and instead, brought him right into the heat of the festivities -- it was safe to say the brute of a 'taur was taken entirely off-guard. One moment he was charging full-force, spear in hand, armor rattling in his ears -- and the next, he was charging right towards a gathering of bartering centaurs. Laughter, music, dancing -- Nightfall was absolutely flummoxed!
He had hastily tried to retreat, to leave the gathering, to hurriedly make his way back from whence he came, but alas, it was no avail. There was no end to the festivities, and he found himself going in circles. So it was, Nightfall had no choice but to find the least-crowded corner he could, and wait out the revelry. He did his best not to look moved or touched by anything he witnessed; he kept his arms crossed, and only periodically sought out some food or drink... To say he was out of place was an understatement, but the spirits seemed to fancy him there...
Perhaps, before the revelry was over, something nice would come of it.
Posted: Sat Aug 27, 2022 12:05 pm
Username: Mr Cheri Pet Name: Ikaros Species: Elaphotaur Feminine Or Masculine: Masculine Base: Delicate Palette: (Full size linked to the image.) RP Response:
The morning was a beautiful one. From the attic of the ancient library that Ikaros called home, he admired the dawn sky as it seemed to catch fire, nestled with his legs tucked under him as he gazed out of the solitary window. The sun's rays painted the retreating stars in brilliant hues, capturing his vivid imagination. His hands itched to record the beauty before him, to illuminate one of the new books with its splendor. As he watched, the impression did not seem to fade, but rather... plumes of smoke rose up among the trees that were not so distant as they appeared. The elaphotaur's nostrils flared, and a stab of alarm shot through him.
Wonder became terror in an instant, and he could scarcely get to his feet fast enough. He became aware that the smoke was much closer than it had seemed, and it was all he could do to fumble in stowing his tools into a pack that he slung over his back along with his few precious belongings, before it was upon him. Flames licked the exterior of the building, the wildfire roaring and crackling in his sensitive ears. There was no time. Ikaros stuffed a few ancient books into his pack and began to run as quickly as he could down the wide staircase.
It was fortunate indeed that the general staff had not yet arrived, would not for some time still. Although his heart ached at the thought of the books that would surely be destroyed, there was nothing he could do but flee as fast as his swift hooves could carry him. When he reached the back entrance, he found the lock still firmly in place. "Help!" he cried, coughing when the smoke filled up his lungs. "Help me, please!" His heart pounding with growing panic, the taur struggled with the lock, and then realized that it would not budge. It had melted solid. More than that, the fire had reached him. It licked at his tail as he switched it to and fro, and began to eat away at his hide.
His hooves burned. "Gods...! Please, please help me!" In his moment of need, he tried to call out with heart and mind to any gods or spirits that might heed him. "Please! Please, I'll do anything!" That was when it happened. One moment, he was in a building engulfed in fire, and the next... he was standing in a busy market. Soot covered and slightly singed, the elaphotaur collapsed in a combination of relief and confusion. He had scarcely felt the pain for his terror, but now... now, he could not ignore it. Safe, though uncertain of his surroundings, Ikaros's consciousness fled, as swiftly as his own hooves mere seconds before. It would only be later that he would reflect, and grieve, that the library was certainly gone forevermore.
Cheri
Vice Captain
Interstellar Pirate
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mistalina13 Crew
Beloved Shapeshifter
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Posted: Sat Aug 27, 2022 3:18 pm
Username: mistalina13 Pet Name: Xyris Species: CC Feminine Or Masculine: CC Base: CC Palette: RP Response:
They were settled by the blue lagoon, attempting to recover from their accidental trip into the arachne caves. Best they could figure they had passed into it from a smaller adjacent cave system. A normal amount of bugs was one thing, but that had been far too many spiders. More than had any business being in one place in their mind.
Bleh.
They made a face and rose to their hooves. Perhaps it would be best to go for a dip. That could take care of any lingering bits of ichor, webs, and - spirits forbid - spider, stuck to them. They headed in deep enough to be able to submerge themselves from head to hoof if they crouched. The water was crystal clean, a welcome contrast to ick of earlier and they sank down to wet their upper body and hair. This was much, much better.
After a bit they surfaced and there was....music? There hadn't been music before.
Apparently they were no longer in the lagoon but in the middle of a large fountain or perhaps a pool? Something had clearly happened, though they had no explanation as to what or why. They trotted back toward the shallower water at the edge. There were others at the side of the pool and their sudden arrival startled both parties at first, sending them stumbling and nearly falling back into deeper water.
The others were laughing, but one offered them a hand. "What's going on here?"
"A party, of course." Was the answer received before they were pulled from the pool and off to join the revelry.
They figured there were worse things that could happen.
Posted: Sat Aug 27, 2022 4:04 pm
Username: spelldancer Pet Name: Riad Species: Centaur Feminine Or Masculine: Masculine Base: Delicate Palette: (links to larger) RP Response:
Riad woke from a dead sleep to a frightening shriek. Worried someone was in trouble he rushed outside to help. Only, there was no on there. “Hello?” He called, feeling a little stupid. The shriek came again off to the right and he bolted in that direction. “Hold on! I am coming.” He was going fast but alert for noises. What was going on? Was someone being attacked or had they fallen in a river? Possibilities rushed through Riad’s mind as he hurried towards the noise.
A tug on his hair made him stop short and spin around. Nothing was there. Another tug came and he jumped. Laughter filtered out of the woods to his left and he was shoved from behind. He jerked away, confused and and feeling a small amount of fear for himself now. He tried to turn back towards his home but realized that he had no idea where he was. He couldn’t pick out landmarks he knew in the dark. Laughter sounded again. So he turned away from the laughter and trotted through the trees.
The progress was slow going and he kept veering off course as laughter, tugs, and pushes, herded him somewhere. He didn’t realize he was being herded though, the fear was consuming all of Riad's thoughts. Up ahead he spotted a glow from what could be a fire. Others would be able to keep him safe! They had to be better than the strangeness going on in the dark.
Riad speed up as fast as the trees would allow and broke through the trees at a fast trot. He has to stop quickly though before he ran into another centaur. There were beings everywhere singing, laughing, and dancing. How had he not heard them earlier? Bewildered, Riad eased into the group while nervously looking over his shoulder for the laughing…something.
“Welcome!” Someone greeted him.
Riad started and looked at the elaphotaur. “What are you all doing?” It was a party? In the middle of the night? For what reason?
“A celebration.” Was the response, as if it wasn’t obvious. “Join us!”
Still worried about whatever had chased him through the trees, Riad took a goblet and gave a tentative, if harried, smile. The revelry seemed harmless compared to going back into the woods. He would not think about that thing. He wasn’t going to question where everyone had come from or what they were doing on the edge of the woods. The edge, that he should not have been able to reach in the time he was running. The edge of the woods that was gone... Riad was determined not to think about that, too.
Soon he was swept up in the merriment and forgot that he should be worried at all. That is until dawn when the party began to break up. Riad realized he did not recognize anything around him. Where in the Isles was he? He followed after some of the revelers who had made noises about going back to a village. Surely someone would be able to point him in the direction of home. If not, Riad wasn’t sure what he would do.
spelldancer Crew
Swashbuckling Fairy
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dawns_aura
Peaceful Demigod
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Posted: Sun Aug 28, 2022 4:27 pm
Username: dawn_aura Pet Name: Arhys Species: Centaur Feminine Or Masculine: masculine Base: cc Palette: RP Response: Not much had changed since the young stallion had managed to pass the Trials and join the ranks of the Herd’s soldiers. He was still jeered at and looked down upon. He was still pushed to the limits each and everyday, forced to do more drills and more of the scut work that no one else wanted. And he continued to work hard without complaint. And still, his mother continued to live in the fantasy world in her head, she still didn’t recognise him, or even realise he was still around. But it didn’t discourage him. He knew if he kept at it, kept working hard and giving it his all, then one day he would be the stallion he wanted to be. And one day, she would see him…
When Arhys heard of the festival, and heard that they were sending along a few representatives, he realized that here was a opportunity too good to pass up. The delegation would need guards. And likely they would need volunteers. He could be one of the guards. Though he would be the lowest on the totem pole – reduced to little more than an errand boy, doing the worst of the tasks, the things that no one else wanted to do, but there was the chance to prove himself. To do the job well, and to earn recognition and perhaps prove that he was more and better than everyone thought. And then he might be given his due. He might be given duties that were more important.
Where Arhys’ mind was on the glory he might gain, and the respect he might earn, the herd elders saw this as an opportunity to be rid of the troublesome stallion. Secret orders were given. If at all possible he was to be ‘lost’ or left behind. So it was, as the festival was winding down, the delegation had noticed the stallion’s distraction and intrigue with everything going on around him, and quickly packed to return. Accomplishing their secret objective. Arhys was so captivated by everything it was easy to simply leave him behind.
Other: History/Background/Personality taken from this contest entry – x
Posted: Sun Aug 28, 2022 10:22 pm
Username: Mika_Yumi Pet Name: Aloppo Species: Elaphotaur Feminine Or Masculine: Masculine Base: Draft (note: I would love a beefy elaphotaur... but I have not seen them; if they are not possible given the generally lithe build of the elaphotaurs, I prefer beef to being lithe in this particular instance, and would go for a Draft Centaur instead) Palette: RP Response:
There was little better sound than the bubble of a properly boiling stew, Aloppo was sure of that -- and fewer better smells than a properly seasoned one. He bent his head towards the cauldron he had propped over his fire, just off to one side, not so close as to scorch the bottom of it. Tendrils of steam were breathed in as he assessed the aroma, then hummed.
With a nod, the 'taur turned to his satchel and drew out another dry leaf and snapped it in half, then half again before putting the four pieces between his palms and moving his hands over the bubbling stew. With a deliberate, grinding motion, the four pieces were slowly churned into many more, making their way down the grooves of his hands to sprinkle into the pot below. The chef smiled at the resulting pattern of spice floating atop his concoction as he reached for the spoon to stir it all in.
This particular stew had taken him a few hours yet to properly cook down. The meat he'd used needed plenty of time to tenderize, certain spices needed longer to seep into the morsels before he added others, and some vegetables of his choosing needed their time to soften in the warmth as well before he could add the leafier choices. It was an art, one that he had cultivated all himself, through years of practice and several trials -- many of them terribly unsuccessful. Aloppo scrunched his nose remembering one particularly bad attempt to use sickle reed; he'd thought that time to simmer would soften its texture, and that the peppery smell it carried would add a nice flavor... but no, the ruffle-edged grasses somehow became even tougher, and it had turned the entire pot almost too bitter to swallow. Were Aloppo not so committed to never wasting food, and were his pride not on the line, he might have thrown the whole batch out instead of struggling to finish it.
By now, he was largely past experiments. Now and then he might find a new vegetable or spice to try, but ultimately he had really already found his perfect mix of ingredients, and he knew the proportions and the timing well. After the few hours it had been bubbling away in his company, his stew was just about ready for his feast, and his stomach announced with a grumble that he was beyond ready to eat it. After one last stir, he turned to retrieve a bowl and dish out a portion to taste. He barely blew breath across the top of a spoonful before slurping it up and immediately melting into a contented little sway of delight. Thank goodness he didn’t have to share his delicious meal…
Mika_Yumi
Dapper Dabbler
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Melomar
Wind-up Waffles
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Posted: Sun Aug 28, 2022 11:15 pm
Username: Melomar Pet Name: Wightrose Watercrisp Species: CC Feminine Or Masculine: Feminine Base: CC Palette: RP Response: (Warning: kidnapping story.)
Rose Watercrisp was born to a prominent merchant family seated in the town where she was from. It was for that reason that a group of ruffians had decided it would be fun and lucrative to drug and kidnap the attractive eldest daughter. Long story short, her family had complied with their whims and paid the ridiculous sum. But the kidnappers, realizing that she could identify each and every one of them, did not release Rose to her family like they had said they would.
Tied up and blindfolded in the back of a wagon, Rose listened as the argument broke out over what to do with the victim now that they had been paid.
"She could identify us easily. We should gouge out her eyes." But she had seen no faces, and her hearing, for some reason, distorted their voices. She did not have any clue where they had held her over the days of her imprisonment, nor where they were taking her now. Someone slapped her blindfolded face. She cried out in pain. She was confused, bleary from the drugs. How could she point them out? She could identify them, so she should be blinded? It made no sense
"She can tell them our names. We should tear out her tongue."
"No. This will be enough." Was this voice familiar? She could not be certain. Her hearing and other perceptions were slowly coming back.
She gasped. "You... promised, to let me go," Rose demanded, voice husky with the tang of doom. She was jostled around and removed from the wagon. Firm hands gripped her arms and other hands untied her. Knees knocked into her own legs. She already knew her clothing was torn. It felt flimsy next to the fetters they had chained her legs with, and were now removing.
"Oh, we'll let you go, but good luck finding your way home again." Her blindfold was removed. Wait. That face, that voice. She was sure he was her father's--
"What are--" She felt a heavy blow to the side of her head and she fell slowly to the ground. The familiar face distorted and faded away into darkness.
(Warning over. She was held, rather roughly, for ransom, then deposited in the Endless Plains to die.)
Days passed. The pain in her head and other bruising faded, though their color continued to linger. She knew where she was but she did not know how to get home. She was a pampered heir to her family's fortune, she did not know how to survive in the wilderness, let alone the Endless Plains, infamous for swallowing unwitting travelers wholly and forever. She wandered in her disbelief and dodged sand that would surely swallow her whole. She raged at her captives, knowing now who they were and impotent to bring them to justice. She prayed to the spirits to deliver her home before it was too late, but eventually trudged along in heavy despair, realizing that she would die soon after all. Without food and water, she was losing her strength and her mind began to wander into insanity; it would not be long now.
But Rose desperately wanted to live. One night she beheld something ridiculous. She could hear music. Smell carnival food and sweet, sweet water. She could hear voices raised in revelry. It was a festival, out here in the middle of the Endless Plains. As she approached the warm light and the brightly decorated tents, she looked back the way she had come. Surely, she had come from the Plains. But where were they now? Confused, she ran into someone and apologized. She fell to her knees, unable to move another step.
Taking in the disheveled sight of the young centaur girl with cracked lips and sunken cheeks, the kindly stranger disappeared inside the nearest tent and reappeared with a glass of cool water. Behind her were a male and a child who watched with curious worry. "Drink this, but sip it slowly. You are safe, here."
The child crept closer and crouched down beside her elder. She had never seen someone in such a sorry state. "I'm Veevee. What's your name?"
"Rose Wa-- ...no, it's Wightrose Watercrisp."
Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2022 8:48 am
Username: MiddyGlow Pet Name: Keone Species: Elaphotaur Feminine Or Masculine: Fem Base: Delicate Palette: RP Response: Keone walked along the tree line as she peeked through the leaves of the plants around her. Her little tail twitched about as she checked to see if there was any danger out there before she stepped out. (WIP)
MiddyGlow
Sparkly Fairy
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Tsunake
Territorial Friend
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Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2022 5:04 pm
This was incredibly difficult to judge. I really adored getting to read about all your characters and admire your palettes! We have four lucky winners!
Melomar
Your colorist will be Mr Cheri!
spelldancer
Your colorist will be mistalina13!
Mr Cheri
Your colorist will be Uta!
dawns_aura
Your colorist will be Fatal Irony!
Thank you to everyone who participated! Remember, anyone who entered this contest is allowed to submit their entry for RP points!
