A world of magical horses
This page is dedicated to my imaginary world (paracosm) of horses. The real life counterparts of the characters are Schleich model horses, which I have been collecting for over ten years. They can shift into human forms and inhabit various places.
basics
- The world is mainly populated by magical horses.
- Their natural form is that of horses; they are born as foals and usually can't maintain a human form under stress or for a long time. Usually, it gets either physically strenuous or they get the urge to change back, like a full body itch.
- Some horses are more gifted at shifting than others, and it may come easier to them to spend a long time as humans. In rare cases, they may choose to spend their entire lives in that form. (more on this under "Magic").
- They may take on human forms for fun or practical purposes (crafting, building). Every culture approaches this differently.
- When in human forms, they tend to construct tools and dwellings that can be used in horse form.
- Their human forms may wear clothes. They favour simple clothes with belts and clasps that can be adjusted for size when shifting.
- In horse form, they have more dexterity than our world's horses, especially when using tools created to fit their bodies, but finer skills like carving or sewing are typically practiced in human form
- The era it's set in does not track perfectly onto real world history, but it draws inspiration from a blend of bronze age and non-eurasian societies and cultures.
- The Valley is home to various herds and city-states, as well as Wayfarers. Outside of the valley are other societies and ways of life.
magic and abilities
To horses and dragons, shifting is as natural as walking; skills vary greatly, though, depending on one's genetics, upbringing, and individual aptitude. Varideshis are particularly gifted, and are said to be able to hold a bipedal form with little to no effort, even in deep sleep. Like Varideshis, Mahinanans practice shifting from an early age, but they also make use of magical objects which help them channel spiritual abilities and hold shape when shifting: these blessings, initially carved onto the boats that helped them reach the islands a long time ago, are now frequently channeled through jewelry they wear at all times. On the other hand, individuals who spend much of their time in horse form, such as the inhabitants of the Valley, usually develop minor kinetic abilities to favour their dexterity in their preferred form: they cannot lift objects without touching them, but their movements are precise in a way that would be unexplainable to someone who's never witnessed it before. These forms of magic are not seen as separate from regular life.
Seeing into the future is a less common practice. Among herds, seers are usually leaders; in the cities of the eastern valley, it's considered a spiritual affair, and it's mostly practiced by geldings; in Mahinana, seeing is more common, but it's practiced either in spiritual locations or with the help of an elder.
mixtape
- scarborough fair / canticle - simon & garfunkel
- thus always to tyrants - the oh hellos
- the view between villages - noah kahan
- wild mountain thyme - the byrds
- hartebeest - yaelokre
- color in your cheeks - the mountain goats
- the last unicorn - america
- my farewells to the fields - yaelokre
- a child's question, august - pj harvey
- aurora - björk
real world inspirations
While the world has its own history, geography, and cultures, I take inspiration from real world languages and concepts to ground it and make it more tangible (I dislike fantasy names that are just random sounds). The horses are real life breeds, which were created in a real life context: why would Arabian horses have a jibbah if not to live in an arid environment? With that said, no faction or culture is meant to be a stand-in for a real life group; the inspiration is usually syncretic, coming from several groups with a common origin (especially in the case of linguistics), or looking at real world examples of certain characteristics. The real world sources are just the foundation, though.
- Place names come from toponymic particles and real words, with a predilection from terms present in proto-languages. Some city names get modified as if they evolved over time.
- Darinn comes from the words "dawn", "aurora", and from the Arabic word "ain", meaning "spring". It's a city in the east surrounded by rivers.
- Balvicale comes from the Arabic word "bahr", meaning "sea", from the Old Norse word "vik", meaning "bay, and from the Scottish Gaelic "caol", meaning "narrows. It's a city in a bay.
- Varidesha comes from Sanskrit, with "vari" meaning "water, streams" and "desh" being a suffix that designates "land, country", as seen in real world place names.
- The city of Tamrah takes its name from "tamr", the Arabic word for "date", which is similar in other Semitic languages. Dates are a fundamental source of food in the area, as they were for Arabian horses for centuries.
- Mahinana comes from the word "mahina", which means "moon" in several Polynesian languages. The archipelago is crescent-shaped.
- Some aspects of Mahinana are inspired by Eastern Polynesia. See Hawaiian Paniolo culture and Marquesan horse culture for horses in these locations.
- The Varideshis' genetic aptness for shifting is similar to the Moken people's possible eye adaptation which prevents their eyes from being irritated by salt water.