Gypsy Cross - 17HH - Varnish Roan (Smoky Black) Coat - Pale Mane/Dark Tail

At first glance, Ogden has a very intimidating presence, and he tends to do everything to accentuate it. He naturally has a large, burly frame, standing 17 hands with a thick Gypsy build, with a pair of dark, stocky antlers that add even more height. Though his features tend to be soft and rounded, there is a hardened edge beneath it all, a careful wall crafted between himself and others--and even when this fails, the curved fangs protruding from his lips tend to do the trick.

His coloration is nothing to boast of--a base of muddy black, dark and cold and fading in places. The feathering along his legs matches this same shade and grows a little short, notable but not cumbersome. His tail, however, does drag against the ground, long and straight and dark as wet earth. His mane is a lighter, a middling shade of grey, and falls thick and unkempt against his face, neck, and shoulders. His eyes are a pale, fresh green, pupil-less and solid in color, and glow with an eerie mist.

The oddest thing about him is the patch of earth that sits perpetually across his rump, no matter how many stray pieces rain down with his movements. Little green weeds sometimes grow there when the weather is nice, but otherwise it is just a unique, strangely bright characteristic about the gruff stallion.

Gentle - Loyal - Protective - Kind - Tender-hearted - Respectful - Gruff - Blunt - Cynical - Guarded

Ogden has a difficult time making good first impressions, and frankly that's how he likes it. He presents himself as very gruff and irritable, always with a scowl or other such expressions of annoyance, and speaks in short, blunt phrases. Coupled with his deep, rough voice, a sense of impatience is the norm for most interactions with him, though the discerning observer might also notice a careful guarded quality to his behavior. There is constantly a wall up, an expectation of the worst from strangers, and a desire to force others away before any untoward behavior could be directed at him.

This does, unsurprisingly, come as a defense mechanism, something learned and put into place as a means of protecting himself. Climbing this wall takes a herculean amount of effort, but it is attainable--for the stubborn few who might see worth in the effort. In rare moments when those walls are scaled or--more surprisingly yet--when he brings them down, Ogden reveals a gentler side of himself, one that cares greatly for nature and its turning cycles, that enjoys quiet and the clarity that sometimes can come from it, and that wishes only for a sense of belonging somewhere in a world that feels so disconnected from him.

(Inspiration: Beast from Beauty and the Beast)

Can be found foraging for plants, tending little gardens, and actively avoiding social interactions.

Pre-Novus

Ogden was something of an anomaly when he was first born. Within his herd, it was entirely uncommon for equines of any kind to possess fangs, but they grew in rather rapidly, lending the boy's sweet childish face a menacing appearance. It unsettled many of his elders, the herd leads in particular, and though his parents did their best to smooth things over it was clear the herd didn't honestly feel comfortable with him around. It only became that much more apparent when his antlers grew in, and by then he was old enough to strike out on his own.

He did, and at first the trek was lonely. Even if his herd had kept their distance, he had never been on his own before, and not having anyone around rattled him. He joined the first herd he found, though even there he was greeted with a healthy dose of caution. He did his best to keep his head down, to not pose any issues, but the horses there still managed to find fault with him anyway. When the young mare who had caught his eye tried to pin misbehavior on him, it was the last straw he needed.

Once more, he left, diving into the wide world with no intention of finding another group to ally himself to. The first few years were the hardest, as he gave up his hopes of friendships, loyalties, any hopes of romance, and settled instead into a life of solitude and perpetual quiet among the wilds of the earth. After a while, though, it grew on him--literally. He became comfortable with the isolation, the safety it awarded his surprisingly tender heart, and he sought it always.

For whatever reason, he has continued to wander, never staying in one place for too long lest those native to the area become bothered by his presence. His latest wanderings have brought him to Novus, to the strange magic that permeates this side of the world, and all the even stranger possibilities that await within its borders.

Novus

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