"There is no greater gift than freedom."

A beautiful, merciless show plays out in the mountainous theater. A show of wild and civil, of men, and of Mustangs. The mountains show no mercy, neither do the men. And therefore, neither do the horses. But it is not in their nature. They watch as strangers, enemies, even friends fall to the unrelenting hands of man. Many of these horses are never seen again. Men must cause death. Men must be avoided at all costs. The home of these wild beasts has become a twisted world. Humans have begun sending out tamed horses, dubbed Judas Horses, to bring the mustangs in. Sometimes, they ride out themselves. The Mustangs are doomed, or so it appears. Will they hold out, through the thick and thin so common to the mountain range they call home? Or will they give up the fight, becoming mounts for the very men that have taken so many of their lives? Only time will tell. And only you can change it. It's ride or die, freedom or slavery. And it's all up to you.

The Herd

"They call us Mustangs, short for Mustango, meaning untamed beast. If I have any say, we'll stay that way."

The mustang herd is a well ordered place, a nomad group moving with the seasons, raising foals and taking care of the old as a community. But when times get tough, not all are completely invested, and some may choose to flee.

Lead Stallion (1/1) The most respected, and usually only, stallion in the herd. His purpose is to protect, breed, and fight. It is a simple, but difficult lifestyle, and not a mantle to be adopted lightly. This position can be challenged for
Lead Mare (1/1) The 'boss mare', if you will. She walks in front of the herd, leading them to food and water, and keeps order within. She is not always the favored mare of the stallion, but she typically has the most forward personality. This position can be challenged for.
Medicine Mare (1/1) This horse can be of any gender, though stallions filling this position may be treated strangely, as less than their station. Typically, however, the mustang in with this 'gift' is feared by the herd, though respected, and required to be knowledgeable. This position cannot be challenged for.
Braves (0/3) These are the Mustangs daring and skilled enough to stand beside their stallion. They are expected to assist the lead stallion with whatever confrontations may arise, as well as helping the lead mare keep order within the herd. They are well off in their positions, and the envy of many a foal.
Broods (3/unlimited) These mares are tasked with perhaps the most important job of all: bringing to life and raising the next generation. They have their own pecking order among themselves, but all ultimately answer to the lead mare.
Yearlings (1/6) The awkward in- betweens; too old to be considered a foal, but too young to join the herd as a brood or brave. These gawky creatures instead learn to fight by sparring among themselves, and are generally at the root of any trouble- making within the herd.
Foals (1/broods) The little ones, between the ages of birth to a year, at which point they join the ranks of the yearlings. Most foals are kept close to their mothers until about three months, but raising them if a communal effort, and it's not uncommon for one mom to sub in for another. Since twins are rare and often fatal, the number of foals stays roughly the same as the number of broods.

The Bachelor Herd

"How does a bastard, orphan, son of a whore and a Scotsman, dropped in the middle of a forgotten spot of the Caribbean by providence impoverished, in squalor, grow up to be a hero and scholar?"

The bachelors live life on the edge. They are a band of brothers, united, playful and intense. These horses are all stallions, evicted from their herds at sexual maturity, who found each other and stuck together. Their bonds are strong, but that's not to say they won't part ways should one stumble upon the good fortune of a mare. They are often chased off on sight by the lead stallion.

Boss (1/1) The loose term of 'boss' fits with the informal position. This is a stallion who has proven himself to be a notch above the rest. He often plans raids, leads snaking expeditions, and carries the most respect upon his shoulders.
Satellites (1/3) The other members of the bachelor herd. Most of their days are spent trying to snake mares, sparring with each other, and generally enjoying life. However, they are always lowest on any totem pole, and should they happen to arrive at the same watering hole as the herd, they will have to wait.

A terrible landslide has displaced the herd. Now nestled in the lap of a sprawling ranch, the horses attempt to settle down again. The tamed horses are a constant source of curiosity. Are they to be feared? Befriended? Saved? They can be any breed, though the ranch is western so Quarter Horses, Mustangs, and other stereotypical ranch breeds are more common.

Rules
1. Absolutely no power playing or god modding. It will not be accepted.
2. Always, always, always be kind. Don't hesitate to make friends, build bonds between characters, etc.
3. I am here to help. If any problem arises, just let me know. Don't try and hash it out with the other role player, it doesn't work.
4. Since I so love my dice, I will roll for the outcomes of battles, breeding, etc., There is a 1 in 100 chance your mare will conceive twins, at which point I will roll for the health of all three, as twins are extremely strenuous.
5. I may open human and tamed horse roles later, so stay tuned for that!
6. I am always open to plot suggestions, and love to throw my characters into the mix.
7. I will not accept any other breed of horse, as they will struggle to survive. Mustangs are specially suited to survive their difficult life, while a draft horse is, unfortunately, not.
8. This role play will be semi lit- literate. I would prefer it if you wrote upwards of five sentences a post. Writers block is understandable, but it should not become routine.
9. Put 'Mustango' in your character sheets if you've read the rules.
10. Perhaps the most important rule of all: Have. Fun.

The stage is set, the players are ready, the scenery is rolling. Are you ready?
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