2022 features a new Chapter for the Ballator Group.
Your Ballator’s choice might affect future outcomes and decisions.
The Admin Team recommends using the same Ballator for all future Lore Prompts from this point forward, though it is not required. Lore prompts for this story arc will always be marked by a Fractured Red Star from this point on.
You may complete both prompts with different Ballators to further explore characterization. How members play the game and explore the story is up to them and we welcome the creativity of all members!
"Through Adversity to the Stars..."
Your Ballator opens their eyes to a dusty and hateful place. The Charred Plains is a no-man’s land of hatred and violence. To the far east, past Ares’ Stronghold is The Red Desert, and beyond that no one knows. The Deathlord seems to have gone underground and your Ballator wonders at that as they shake sand and soot off of their back as they trudge along. The Red Star is still in the sky, but distant and almost invisible unless your Ballator squints upwards and really searches for it. It’s strange to see an almost normal sky without the sickly red light. Does this mean that Tyndariai is not watching Ballators and the gods like he was before?
There should be a sense of peace, your Ballator thinks to themselves, but instead it feels tense. Your Ballator trudges forward through the ash and sand. The air is cold with winter’s wind and the rising sun promises a grey sky to add to the gloom. This is not the peace your Ballator thought they would get.
Defiance: There’s a mare in front of your Ballator. Her flank is dusty from travel and an odd pack hangs from her neck, cradling something that looks like a worn leather book.
“Hello!”
She seems delighted to see someone else out on The Plains. Your Ballator tentatively approaches her and she offers a warm and trusting smile, her manes blowing in the cold morning air. “Are you looking for your herd?”
Herd? Your Ballator rolls their shoulders in a noncommittal answer and she offers a laugh as a reply. “I’ve been wandering to different spots of The Plains, and it looks like Ballators everywhere are joining new herds and gathering new skills.”
“New Skills?”
The mare nods happily. “They seem to be very valued by the new herds that are forming….”
Your Ballator thinks about what they’ve been told, reluctant to conform to anything or anyone too fast. But the creeping thoughts in their head can’t help but ask ‘what if…?‘
– Draw or Write your Ballator discussing which Cursus Honorum they are interested in. If your Ballator is not interested in any of those paths, depict them telling the mare so.
– There is a 7 stat minimum for this prompt. This prompt will not double for any of the Cursus Honorum prompts.
Compliance: “You look a little overwhelmed and lost,” The mare smiles in a way that she hopes will assure your Ballator, “Walk with me for a bit? I’m headed to meet an old friend of mine.” The way she says friend holds a meaning lost on your Ballator.
The two Ballators walk together, the sun rising higher in the sky, hiding the distant Red Star completely. The mare rambles about where they are and your Ballator listens passively. Time passes and the only thing that changes is the cold winter sun climbing in the sky. The landscape stays as decayed as ever and your Ballator voices their feelings about the dead land.
“Oh, I think that’ll change soon. I can feel it in my bones!”
She’s an odd mare. Your Ballator rolls their eyes, but stops when they notice a small band of Ballators in the distance. The little group has set up a small base in what they obviously consider their territory. The mare follows your Ballator’s gaze and beams. “See that? They have plants around their homeset. Change happens when you nurture it.”
– Draw or Write your Ballator discussing which Herd they are interested in. If your Ballator is not interested in any of the current canon herds, depict them telling the mare how they really feel.
– There is a 7 stat minimum for this prompt.
Monthly Quest Guidelines
– Prompts must be separate entries.
– Prompts must still be submitted to the DeviantART Group at this time.
– Prompts will not count for Regale’s Quests, The Twins Quest, Cursus Honorum Prompts, or Wild Ballator entries.
– Anthros are not allowed for these prompts.
– Prompts for this month can be completed as many times as desired, but you will only gain prizes for the first attempt.
– Stat grids will not be accepted as entries. Comics will accepted as entries so long as only one prompt is depicted per comic, only horses relevant to the prompt are shown, and the stats do not exceed 20. (Reminder: Companion bonuses will not apply to comics as they are counted by stat grid guidelines!)
– Entries must contain the Ballators pictured and the prompt completed in this format:
Horse(s) Pictured: (Link to Refs)
Prompt(s) Shown: (Please link back to the Monthly Quest Page & Specify Prompt)
Stat Breakdown:
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Stat Total:
Prompt 1 One-Time-Only Prize:
1x Cosmic Stone
100 Denarii
Prompt 2 One-Time-Only Prize:
1x Falling Star
100 Denarii
BONUS PRIZE For completing both prompts; One-Time-Only Prize: 1000 Denarii and 1x Puzzle Piece.