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 Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2026 4:50 pm
This is a self RP, please do not post unless invited. Thank you!
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Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2026 5:19 pm
 It had certainly been a long time since their band of merry misfits wandered through this lava field, and with all the additions, it felt much more chaotic. Though he’d deny it, Bhalrak didn’t mind the chaos that followed in their wake. As a foal, he’d never had this. A large, loud and often completely insane family wasn’t something he was used to. He had a hoard of siblings, that was for sure, but he didn’t know the vast majority and there were several he’d rather never see again…
Was he expecting to collect not only a lava obsessed adoptive son, but a grouchy thunderbird shifter, a bizarre Kalona, and a spicy flutter mare for siblings? No. Not even close. Did he ever expect to actually be a father himself? Never. But here he was, watching his son Kavah run ahead of the hoard, wondering how on this good, green earth he became the responsible adult in this situation. As Kavah chased Rakahore across the beach, it struck him just how different he was from his father. The awful stallion would have never accepted play from his children, forget actual happiness. He’d ensure they never had any type of happiness in their lives so long as he was around, and it was his mission in life to ruin his children. He’d had his claws in him for many years, until he’d grown larger than the stallion predicted. That made Bhal hard to control, and his sire hated that most of all. He wanted control of all of his children, and when he didn’t have it, he became a monster.
Thankfully, word had reached him through many different sources the stallion had crossed the wrong individuals, and he met an untimely end. He’d couldn’t bring himself to feel anything other than relief at the news. His family was well and truly safe from the beast, and that was all that mattered to him. Also, keeping is first born son alive when he’s adoptive brother ran towards the lava flows. That was important.
“Kavah! You are NOT part Suti! Lava will in fact KILL YOU!” The things you have to tell your children…
(WC 361)
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Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2026 6:44 pm
Huffing and skidding to a halt well short of the edge to the lava flows, Kavah, eldest born son to Bhalrak, turned to his father with an eyeroll.
“I wasn’t actually planning on jumping into it Dad…” Now, had he been sprinting headlong at the edge of the flow? Yes. Was he not completely certain where the edge of said flow was in comparison to his hooves? Also yes. Was he going to share that information with his father and brother? Absolutely not. He was much more sure-footed then his father, able to spring around with greater ease then anyone within their family, expect maybe his mother or Aunt Oro. Of course, he was also smaller than his father, brother and uncle, but that was neither here nor there. His father just snorted at him in return, gently nosing him on the shoulder as he drew up next to him.
He didn’t know much about his father’s history, it wasn’t something he talked about. His mother shared bits and pieces of his father’s story, but she often shied away from the details. All he was sure of was that his grandfather was not a good stallion, and his father didn’t seem particularly broken up about his death. He was sure of one thing; his father was the best. He wasn’t all that affectionate, but he was a solid stallion who took care of everyone around him. His older brother being the most obvious example, but he clearly cared about more than just himself. He somehow tolerated his crazy Aunt Mora, who just wasn’t right, to quote his other Aunt Oro. He allowed his grumpy uncle Kado to ride on his back in his hawk form because he hated…well everything. He even herded the many little friends collected on their travels, from his fox friend Vaka, to Raka’s…whatever Tupua was.
If he idolized his Dad, his Brother Raka and uncle Kado were right up there in the hero department too. Raka didn’t even blink when his father introduced them when he was small. He just tapped him on the rump with his tail and took off in slow run, letting Kavah catch up with him easily. They raced constantly, until Kavah grew quicker than his older brother. His uncle was a harder nut to crack, Kado wasn’t friendly, nor was he particularly chatty, but he was steadfast in his devotion to the rest of them, and he protected them all fiercely. When his uncle landed on his back as a hawk and rode along with him one day, something he’d only ever seen him do with his Dad or Raka, Kavah was overjoyed. He didn’t say a word, he just continued on his path, but he was certain his uncle had to know the joy that brought him.
Springing effortlessly over the hot lava, the young stallion grinned at the rest of them. “Keep up guys! Raka’s already way up there!” (WC 490)
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Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2026 7:18 pm
Already well ahead on his family Rakahore, know to some as the lost heir, stopped in the lava field to watch them. They were quite the band of misfits, but they were a loyal crew. His younger brother Kavah was presently giving their father an aneurism as he bounced along the flows, moving with grace Bhalrak did not possess. That came from Kavah’s mother, who didn’t often travel with them, but never stopped them from their adventures. She knew something most of them weren’t willing to admit. They weren’t good a ‘staying still’. Bhalrak had been a wanderer most of his life, and as such he wasn’t a fan of being in one place for long periods of time. The same could be said for his Uncle Kado and his Aunts Mora or Oro. They held just as much wanderlust as his father, and if they didn’t travel as a group, they were often wandering somewhere solo. Especially Mora, who still didn’t quite have the hang of the whole ‘family’ thing. She was slowly catching up, thanks to what seemed like unending patience from his father, but she had a ways to go.
She was flying not too far off from him, Kado in his hawk form up there as well. They seemed to get along the best, as Kado didn’t like to talk and she had the conversational skills of a dead tree. She probably should be down here with the rest of them being forced to learn how to at least kind of hold a conversation, but Bhal wasn’t pushing her. She’s been deserted by her mother when she found out who the mare’s sire was, and she’s basically be raised in isolation by Ruya, the winged lioness. Ruya could function well enough, but Mora was a whole different story. When she did speak, it was to ask some very strange and often intrusive questions. She truly didn’t mean to pry or ask off the wall questions, she just… didn’t know not to ask people why they were attracted to others and how they knew it. Or why they loved their families and herd mates.
Kavah, having been raised with her, seemed the most nonplussed about her and her often off the wall line of questions. He seemed to be the only one who could get her to hold a semi-decent conversation, and she seemed to adore him in return. As much as she was able, anyway. Kavah held the best traits of all of them, and he lived a life that they all worked hard to keep as peaceful and happy as possible. He didn’t know the fear they all grew up with, and they planned to keep it that way. He was fiercely guarded by them, and loved just as much. When Raka had first laid eyes on the foal, he’d been over the moon. He’d always wanted siblings, and Kavah was so easy to love. They were together constantly, and as he grew they’d take off sometimes on their own adventures. But nothing beat the travels as a group. That was where Raka got the most joy, spending time with this large, eclectic herd. Oh, and his lovely lady who should be swimming about somewhere near by…
“Anything to see up there Kado, Mora?” (WC 549)
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Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2026 8:26 pm
Flapping his wing to catch the updraft before circling down to the land below, the Thunderhawk shifter Kadovar took his stallion form and landed with a grace that belayed his size feet from his nephew Rakahore.
“Sahaena will be here boy, relax. Unless she’s come to her senses and decided to leave you to your lava and rocks…” Thumping his nephew on the side with a wing, Kado cracked a small grin at the stallion next to him. How Raka convinced that Kelpi mare to give him the time of day was beyond him, but he never claimed to be knowledgeable about matters of the heart. He wasn’t exactly known for his charm or shining personality, something both of his nephews had in spades. And what a feat that was, as they both were raised by he and Bhalrak, another paragon of personality. Kavah’s mother got the majority of the credit, but it was nice to know they didn’t royally screw up the two young stallions.
Speaking of royally screwed up, Morana landed a few yards away from them and proceeded to stare blankly into the lava flowing past her. Compared to that mare, they were all downright well adjusted. She didn’t talk a lot, but when she did it was always a crapshoot what was going to come out of her mouth. She had, on more than one occasion, said something sideways that one of them had to talk them out of. From asking that pregnant mare why she was fat, to asking a unicorn why he had a misshapen horn… she had the social skills of a piece of drift wood. It truly wasn’t her fault, she had no connection with her own species until she’d come in contact with them, but it was still quite off putting when she asked him why his eyes looked like that. She was trying however, and often looked to them now to give her the affirmation that she wasn’t sticking her foot in her mouth.
Looking around, he spotted his sister Orohena on a rock outcropping not too far off, trying to avoid the heat. She’s always been more sensitive to the heat than he the other had been, so she’d taken up finding locations with a good cross breeze, which often put her up above the rest of them. She was a great lookout, having caught many different issues before they became threats. She might be small, but she was tough and more than willing to do whatever it took to protect her family. She grinned at him from her perch as she scanned the horizon.
Taking up a position at the edge of the herd, Kado watched them all closely. He took protection of his family extremely seriously, and with Kavah among them, it was more important then ever. His brother adored his sons, and Kado would be in the grave himself before he allowed harm to come to any of them. Turning slightly, he caught sight of Morana wandering at the edge of the wood line, away from the herd.
“Morana, don’t wander too far. These lands are relatively safe, but you never know what’s lurking out there.” (WC 530)
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Posted: Mon Aug 31, 2026 6:49 pm
To say Morana was confused would be an understatement. Though, at this point in her life, she lived in the land between confusion and surprise. After being collected by her older half brother Bhalrak and the rest of his family months ago, she had learned more about the world then she ever expected to know. She's grown up in basically total isolation, raised by the lioness Ruya after her mother had abandoned her to the wild as a mere foal. The mare had hated her father so much she didn't care to raise his child. Ruya had told her many times over that her mother fled for both of their safety, but deserting a child without so much as a plan didn't seem like the mare much cared for Mora's safety. Especially now that she'd been exposed to what true family looked like. She couldn't get away from this herd as an adult, she couldn't ever see them deserting a defenseless foal.
In fact, several members of the group had crossed oceans to find their nephew, who's been kidnapped as a foal himself. He'd been found by her brother, and that had been the catalyst to form this group they traveled in. Both her and Bhalrak had no idea the other existed, and she assumed their father had other children running around they didn't know about, and probably never would. Which was fine with her, she was struggling to fully integrate with them as it was. Mora just didn't get it. Why did they all care about each other so much? Why did they care about her? None of them were ever able to explain it to her. All she ever got was 'we're family' as if that meant a thing to her.
Glancing over her shoulder at the shifter who called her name, the mare nodded and moved a few paces closer to the group. Kadovar was probably the easiest of them for Mora to spend time with. He wasn't verbose, and it made her more comfortable. He and Bhalrak were the best at explaining to her the 'why' of things, the social norms she didn't understand. She didn't feel comfortable with many, but they made it less difficult for her to function within the group.
Her nephews were the best of them, kind and understanding of her eccentricities better than anyone else. Kavah especially, as he grew up in her presence. He saw her as his Auntie Mora, not as the freak who grew up in complete isolation. Rakahore had a bone deep kindness that made anyone feel comfortable in his presence. He gave others more faith and trust then he probably should, but with the group at his back, no one dared cross him. Watching the group for a long moment, the red made took a deep breath and stepped within their ranks.
"...Orohena is within the tree line. Perhaps we should fetch her...?" (WC 487)
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