Odysseus
"Ody the Quipless"

Born from the lead mare and stallion of a rogue group, “The Soot Hooves”, Ody was destined to take over. He was the perfect student, naturally inquisitive and a never-ending thirst for knowledge. From his mother, he gained a silver tongue: able to barter and bargain with other equids. From his father, he grew a flamed heart: willing to do whatever it took to acquire what he wanted. Encouraged by his parents, he spent his years as a colt sparring both with friends and strangers alike. Ody earned a handful of scars from these mock battles and carried them with pride. As a yearling, he would prove his worth in a heist against a large herd by stealing a bag full of valuables without assistance. From this, he earned his title of “Ody the Quipless”.

At the age of four, Ody would go on to challenge his father for the crown of The Soot Hooves… and won. Under Ody’s leadership, the Soot Hooves became something other equids would fear. No debts were left uncollected, valuable items stolen in the night, only a trail of ash remained. No equid dared to cross him and only the bravest of bounty hunters tried to hunt him and his herd down.

Personality

As the leader of the Soot Hooves, Ody has a reputation to uphold. With a gruff voice, he commands others in short sentences, never wasting his breath on unnecessary words. Within his herd, Ody is respected and looked up to for his bravery and willingness to do anything for the sake of the herd. The youngest of the herd are well cared for and he oversees their training to ensure they all can fight with their hooves and their brains. If tensions do arise, all it takes is a single glance of his narrowed eyes and normal activities will resume, his presence looming over the herd like a foreboding storm cloud.

Now, this didn’t mean he was full of daisies and rainbows. To an outsider, Ody was terrifying and comparable to a creature of the night. He showed no mercy and stamped out all hope with his hardened hooves. Those lucky enough to leave with their life would say that it was like being near an active volcano: you could feel the foreshadowing of your own demise with each breath he took. Ody had quite the patience when it came to bartering a deal with another equid and took pleasure in scaring others into submission. He has a minor obsession with having total control over every situation, but the anxiety of losing that control never appears in his expression, instead he doubles down and plays the strings like a master puppeteer.

Unlike his parents, Ody chose to never take a mate, believing that loving another would make him weaker… and well… he wasn’t entirely wrong. There was a period of his life where he was less rough ‘round the edges. All equids within his herd know not to speak about Asty, the son he lost,... but when he’s ensured to be out of earshot, whispers would spread of the times he showed mercy. The times when equids with debt would be let off with a gentle warning and he could be spotted with a smile. But now…? Now he only grins as chaos flares around him.