The Equine Line, and its Fate

The strongest and most beautiful of the Equine line were cast by the Gods to begin the race. They were the Firstborn, and each race had its two Firstborn.

They are most commonly referred to as the Spring Mare and her Spring Stallion, and together they bore many children which were the makings of the Equine Race. The Royal Line was long and benevolent and pure, consisting of the usual marrying and departure of royal souls; that is, until one mare of the Royal Line fell in love with a Unicorn. Giacinta, the mare of the Royal Blood, married the Unicorn Xochipepe, and they bore a son, Silverstein, who was to be the prince of all equines and unicorns alike.

But soon after the birth of their son, Giacinta passed on to the world of the Dead, leaving young Silverstein and his father Xochipepe alone in the world.

But One saw this as an opportunity to exploit a weakness. Bucephalus, of the carnivorous and long ago exiled Diomedean Line, through cleverness, deceit, and newfound strength through sin, overthrew Xochipepe. Bucephalus killed him personally to gain the throne. It is unlikely that a Unicorn would fall to an Equine, even of the Diomedean Line, but some say that the mighty Xochipepe pined over his lost Giacinta, letting the grief overcome him and therefore extinguish any will to live. Before the King died, though, he bid his son Silverstein to flee and never return. And so, Silverstein followed his father’s instructions and fled, so to this day the true descendant of the Royal Line is wild, and none can find him.

Bucephalus claimed his new lands with intense thrill, and soon they came to fill only the purpose of pleasing him. The Civilization was drained, suffered, grew poor, and all that was left of the Equine glory was that of the low and distant flame inside each one of them, put there by the Gods, that would remind them of what they once were.

Bucephalus exploited the lands as he had exploited the past King’s weakness, and milked them for his own pleasure. Then one day he realized that there might come a time when his rule would come to an end. So dreadful this thought was to Bucephalus that he sought to protect his throne at all costs. He decided he would make himself an heir of his flesh and blood—yet even more powerful. He had himself a Foal, but this was no ordinary foal—this was not even a natural foal, as the mare was a horrible and twisted creature found in the mountains. She, like her kin, was the perverted result of one who had passed into Death, but whose soul could not be ferried properly to the other side, and thus was lost. Thus, these creatures were wretched, perverse shells, doomed to roam the Khthon forever, whose soul had been extinguished into the ultimate oblivion, never to be retrieved or even thought of.

The result, Bucephalus and the soul-less mare’s offspring had only half a soul, and it was only half as perverse as its mother, but wholly twisted. The foal was named Thanusus, and it was he who would continue the rule of the Diomedean Line. So, when the time came, he did, but his mind was weak. He was determined to show his power—since he was inwardly pathetic and not confident of his position—in anyway possible; even that of male dominance. And so, he strayed and bore his first foal with a Draft Unicorn of the Old Woods. But that did not stop him. He continued to prove his power and in years later he bore a second son with a strong and beautiful mare. This foal’s name was Xathiador, and he was his father’s favorite.

Soon Thanusus had come to realize that his first son was not worthy in his eyes to rule, being that he was half Draft Unicorn and thus Impure to the Equine line. He became ashamed of his first son and frightened of him, especially in light of his second son who was pure and handsome. He banished the Draft Unicorn mare and her son to never return to reign.

Like his father past, however, Thanusus’ time to reign was to come to a close. Getting word of this, not one, but two sons came to visit him while he was dying. It was then declared that Xathiador was to carry the throne, as his father’s dying wish. The first son was enraged, as he was the eldest and had rights to the throne; but he had been banished and therefore shouldn’t even have been on the grounds of the lands.

So the brothers had a duel. It was an epic fight, and there was much sound and fury. But, Xathiador had the lead, as well as the advantage. Mustering up his strength, he cast a powerful scar onto his brother that, through the mysteries of deep magic, sealed his brother out of the lands forever. There was an enormous flash of light and a deep boom, and Xathiador’s brother was no more in his Kingdom.

Xathiador took the throne hungrily. He ruled the Civilization hungrily and with similar force that his father did, yet stronger. Xathiador had three fourths of a soul now, and so overpowered his dead father.

But there was one thing that struck fear into the tyrant. What would happen after death? He knew it would come for him, but would the missing part of his soul render him ‘uncrossable’ into Hades? What of his kingdom if he did die? What if his brother should outlive him—would he get the throne? These thoughts were terrifying in the least, as well as blinding and overpowering. He decided there could be only one way to save himself, and that was to take over Khthon bit by bit, until there was only Hades left, and then he would seek to take that over as well. Then, he would be immortal—if not physically, he would be remembered by infinite generations as the One Who Ruled All.

And so here is where we stand, just as Xathiador prepares to capture Khthon.