E Q U O S
OFFICIAL masterlist | MYO masterlist | adoptable TOS
Equos are closed species meaning you are NOT allowed to use the lore or make your own without explicit permission from me! I do NOT own fountain pens and horses. I only own the overall species' concept, lore and design.
「RARITY CODE」
Common ✦ | Uncommon ✦✦ | Rare ✦✦✦ | Mythical ✦✦✦✦
「LORE」
There once was a young deity who was fascinated by humans. She deeply longed to experience their ever-changing desires and emotions, that to her, were so beautifully transient. But that in itself is dangerous for a celestial being to desire. The gods prided themselves in being individuals who were far superior to humans. Thus, to admire or become human-like in any form was considered blasphemous and prohibited. Nevertheless, this deity could not deny her strange desires and would wander the earth searching for something to make her truly feel alive.
For many millennia the deity watched humans from afar and her intense yearning never quelled. But on the dawn of the hundredth millennia something within her changed, like the question that had been plaguing her had finally been answered. In the silence, she closed her eyes.
A year passed and the slumbering deity awoke movement on her lap. It was a human child? No. They looked mostly human in appearance but had ink for blood, pointy legs, and feathery, horse-like features. Arms protectively circling the slumbering creature, her heart felt content for the first time. Later, the deity would endearingly name the children she created, Equos.
Sharing the deity's personality, Equos were inexplicably drawn to humans like moths to fire. Unlike the deity however, they were able to absorb human emotions and memories from a simple touch and completely experience them as if it were their own. Due to this ability, Equos were able to quickly and seamlessly integrate into human society and the two species lived together in harmony and companionship. After many millennia of coexistence and absorbing emotions from people, Equos eventually evolved into an embodiment and vessel of human will. They had a great influence and knowledge, becoming well respected in society and taking up positions of leaders or advisers.
However, the peaceful coexistence would soon turn to glass, when one Equos responded to the call of a child.
✦ ✦ ✦
"He was crying as usual. Small fingers painfully clenching the thin fabric of his wrinkled night gown. Placing a palm atop the child's forehead, the Equos felt the child's desperation and frustration; to run away in sadness, and curl up in pain. The child had been half-stricken and bedridden at a young age, and there was no medicine nor suitable technology to help him. Nevertheless, despite facing the impossible, the desire of the young soul could not be denied."
✦ ✦ ✦
Later, the child would only ever vaguely speak of what happened, saying he could not remember before running away. It was a mircale they said. And the gods must never find out.
As emotions and the human soul were so closely intertwined together, by absorbing those emotions, Equos were essentially integrating fragments of human souls into their ink blood. On its own, an Equos' ink blood had no special quality, it was merely ink. However, if summoned by a commanding human desire, the ink blood could become powerful enough to change reality or perform impossible miracles through writing. The act itself could only be done once in the lifetime of an Equos.
Regardless of the limitations, Equos gifted humans a terrifying capability to become as powerful as the gods themseleves. Eventually, the rumors traveled up to the ears in the sky. There was a great chaos among the gods at the news. Equos had defied all their beliefs that human emotions were inferior to them and powerless. And so they did what gods do best, they placed their pawns and schemed.
Rumours and greed spread quickly and rampantly among people, threatening what was once peaceful coexistence between Equos and humans. It seemed that there was suddenly a wild belief in everyone's mind that humans could harvest and use Equos blood for themselves.
✦ ✦ ✦
"We could all become gods..."
✦ ✦ ✦
When the deity discovered that this was what the gods intended, it was already too late and the power-hungry frenzy had spread too quickly. Equos were brutally hunted down, or became controlled by the negative human desire and wrecked havoc against their own kind. No matter her efforts to reconcile the rift between the species and protect her children, she was but one deity against the gods. Overcome with grief, she used her remaining powers to vanish Equos, wiping their traces of existence from human memories.
It is said that humans coincidentally invented quills and modern forms of writings tools shortly after this mysterious gap in history.
For many millennia the deity watched humans from afar and her intense yearning never quelled. But on the dawn of the hundredth millennia something within her changed, like the question that had been plaguing her had finally been answered. In the silence, she closed her eyes.
A year passed and the slumbering deity awoke movement on her lap. It was a human child? No. They looked mostly human in appearance but had ink for blood, pointy legs, and feathery, horse-like features. Arms protectively circling the slumbering creature, her heart felt content for the first time. Later, the deity would endearingly name the children she created, Equos.
Sharing the deity's personality, Equos were inexplicably drawn to humans like moths to fire. Unlike the deity however, they were able to absorb human emotions and memories from a simple touch and completely experience them as if it were their own. Due to this ability, Equos were able to quickly and seamlessly integrate into human society and the two species lived together in harmony and companionship. After many millennia of coexistence and absorbing emotions from people, Equos eventually evolved into an embodiment and vessel of human will. They had a great influence and knowledge, becoming well respected in society and taking up positions of leaders or advisers.
However, the peaceful coexistence would soon turn to glass, when one Equos responded to the call of a child.
✦ ✦ ✦
"He was crying as usual. Small fingers painfully clenching the thin fabric of his wrinkled night gown. Placing a palm atop the child's forehead, the Equos felt the child's desperation and frustration; to run away in sadness, and curl up in pain. The child had been half-stricken and bedridden at a young age, and there was no medicine nor suitable technology to help him. Nevertheless, despite facing the impossible, the desire of the young soul could not be denied."
✦ ✦ ✦
Later, the child would only ever vaguely speak of what happened, saying he could not remember before running away. It was a mircale they said. And the gods must never find out.
As emotions and the human soul were so closely intertwined together, by absorbing those emotions, Equos were essentially integrating fragments of human souls into their ink blood. On its own, an Equos' ink blood had no special quality, it was merely ink. However, if summoned by a commanding human desire, the ink blood could become powerful enough to change reality or perform impossible miracles through writing. The act itself could only be done once in the lifetime of an Equos.
Regardless of the limitations, Equos gifted humans a terrifying capability to become as powerful as the gods themseleves. Eventually, the rumors traveled up to the ears in the sky. There was a great chaos among the gods at the news. Equos had defied all their beliefs that human emotions were inferior to them and powerless. And so they did what gods do best, they placed their pawns and schemed.
Rumours and greed spread quickly and rampantly among people, threatening what was once peaceful coexistence between Equos and humans. It seemed that there was suddenly a wild belief in everyone's mind that humans could harvest and use Equos blood for themselves.
✦ ✦ ✦
"We could all become gods..."
✦ ✦ ✦
When the deity discovered that this was what the gods intended, it was already too late and the power-hungry frenzy had spread too quickly. Equos were brutally hunted down, or became controlled by the negative human desire and wrecked havoc against their own kind. No matter her efforts to reconcile the rift between the species and protect her children, she was but one deity against the gods. Overcome with grief, she used her remaining powers to vanish Equos, wiping their traces of existence from human memories.
It is said that humans coincidentally invented quills and modern forms of writings tools shortly after this mysterious gap in history.
「PRESENT DAY」
Equos live in a alternate dimension, created by the deity, that closely intertwined with the human realm. In their world, there is only darkness and warmth. It is a place where time passes sluggishly and there is no concept of distance or space. Equos are born into and live within the deity's world in a peaceful dream as if frozen in time. Some believe that the deity actually used her own body to make the new world and that she is still 'alive' and continuing to create Equos to fill up her world and the loss of so many of her children.
Little is truly remembered about this dimension as the Equos remain serenely asleep much like how the deity fondly remembers her first child. Equos call this period of time in their life as the 'Somnum'.
However, sometimes the call of the human realm is too irresistible and not even a deity can prevent the collision between the two worlds again.
The first light an Equos will see is the vivid flare of a powerful, human emotion. It is a loud brightness that wakens the slumbering Equos and calls them into the human realm once more.
✦ ✦ ✦
"Like a spell, the words vanish before my eyes. In its place is an pocket-sized creature, peculiar yet strangely familiar... I will deny any accusations of screaming."
✦ ✦ ✦
When the deity created the new world for her Equos, a barrier was also erected to prevent the psychological transference of human emotion. However, at the time she did not strongly account for the strong physical connection between the two realms as they were so closely intertwined.
Hence, on very rare occasions, Equos were able to be called into the human realm through imbuing powerful sentiments or emotions in the written language.
Little is truly remembered about this dimension as the Equos remain serenely asleep much like how the deity fondly remembers her first child. Equos call this period of time in their life as the 'Somnum'.
However, sometimes the call of the human realm is too irresistible and not even a deity can prevent the collision between the two worlds again.
The first light an Equos will see is the vivid flare of a powerful, human emotion. It is a loud brightness that wakens the slumbering Equos and calls them into the human realm once more.
"Like a spell, the words vanish before my eyes. In its place is an pocket-sized creature, peculiar yet strangely familiar... I will deny any accusations of screaming."
✦ ✦ ✦
When the deity created the new world for her Equos, a barrier was also erected to prevent the psychological transference of human emotion. However, at the time she did not strongly account for the strong physical connection between the two realms as they were so closely intertwined.
Hence, on very rare occasions, Equos were able to be called into the human realm through imbuing powerful sentiments or emotions in the written language.
「WORDS」
Although words can bring an Equos into the human realm, it is also a valuable life sustenance that allows an Equos to continue to live in the human realm. Words can hold many different emotions, positive or negative, and when absorbed it can also affect an Equos' personality, as they will never forget what they have consumed.
When Equos first appear in the human realm, they are an impressionable like a child. Although their early personalities are defined by the emotions they are born from, depending on what words they continue to eat, their disposition can change or be enhanced. However, just like disliking or liking a certain type of food, Equos are drawn to eating certain words and types of emotions more than others.
So, if you find a blank page in a popular romance poetry book... an Equos might have been summoned from it.
So, if you find a blank page in a popular romance poetry book... an Equos might have been summoned from it.
「ABILITIES」
After the separation, Equos were significantly less powerful than their ancestors, their ink blood and bond with humans were significantly weakened. Moreover, the deity's unconscious will to 'hide' Equos' powers have also significantly restricted much of their original capabilities.
Equos can no longer simply absorb emotions through a simple touch, instead, they must 'eat' the words that have a powerful memory or sentiment attached to it. Their ink blood also no longer has a strong connection with human will either. But as a result of this, Equos have become more independent creatures and if they themselves have a strong enough desire, their blood ink will respond to them. Thus, modern Equos can actually greatly influence or inspire people with whatever they write or draw with their ink without the requirement of human will to activate it.
Equos can no longer simply absorb emotions through a simple touch, instead, they must 'eat' the words that have a powerful memory or sentiment attached to it. Their ink blood also no longer has a strong connection with human will either. But as a result of this, Equos have become more independent creatures and if they themselves have a strong enough desire, their blood ink will respond to them. Thus, modern Equos can actually greatly influence or inspire people with whatever they write or draw with their ink without the requirement of human will to activate it.
「ANCESTRY & CULTURE」
Through their life Equos are able to go through two births. The first birth is when they are crafted by the deity in her world, and the second is when they are called to the human world. As Equos are uniquely created by the deity and not from reproduction, the concept of family and relatives are related to their second birth. Equos who are born from the same or similar emotions consider each other as relatives. Those who are born from the same emotions and the same words, but at different times are considered siblings. But when two Equos are summoned into the human world at the very same time and from the exact same words and emotions, they are refereed to as twins (✦✦✦✦).
It is almost unheard of to summon twin Equos as the emotions bestowed onto the words must be extremely powerful, hence, the only known twin Equos are often produced from extremely positive or destructive emotions. These unique Equos can only absorb extreme emotions as nothing else will satisfy them, and they are able to master their ink blood very easily.
However, it is entirely possible that an Equos remains in Somnum for their whole lifetime.
In the human realm, Equos also have their own unique culture that is centered around "Familia" or family. Each Familia has unique characteristics and are usually defined by their philosophies and beliefs. Thus, it is common for Equos who embody the similar emotions to join the same Familia. The leader of each Familia is titled the "Originem".
Fun Fact: Familias or Families were inspired by the concept of pen brands.
It is almost unheard of to summon twin Equos as the emotions bestowed onto the words must be extremely powerful, hence, the only known twin Equos are often produced from extremely positive or destructive emotions. These unique Equos can only absorb extreme emotions as nothing else will satisfy them, and they are able to master their ink blood very easily.
However, it is entirely possible that an Equos remains in Somnum for their whole lifetime.
In the human realm, Equos also have their own unique culture that is centered around "Familia" or family. Each Familia has unique characteristics and are usually defined by their philosophies and beliefs. Thus, it is common for Equos who embody the similar emotions to join the same Familia. The leader of each Familia is titled the "Originem".
Fun Fact: Familias or Families were inspired by the concept of pen brands.