SA | Tem | Herder

History.



Before he was born.

Tem's parents met under the cover of darkness. Both were scouts, often patrolling the winding roads and treacherous terrain. His father had a feeling for the weather and kept an eye out, while his mother travelled the roads to make sure they were open. When they met, it was dark and his father almost got kicked in the head because he'd startled the mare. While their first meeting was rocky, the like-minded pair quickly found they had a lot in common. Several days and some romantic rendezvous later Tem's mother suggested a marriage and Tem's father swiftly agreed. Both felt they were meant to be.



Childhood.

Tem's early years were, generally speaking, pleasant ones. Though his fellow foals would joke he wasn't really a unicorn because he lacked the hooves, the tail, and the beard, he didn't take it to heart and neither did his parents. Born to a wise, somewhat older mare, he was raised with kindness. His father, while a bit more distant and generally not very active in raising his son, was a good enough rolemodel that Tem strived to be more like him. Both his parents were smart, commanding of attention, and imposing. They weren't tall, or physically remarkable, but they were impressive scouts who were respected. Unfortunately, Tem takes after neither of them and never grew to be very similar. Nor does his presence command the kind of attention he was hoping for. Instead other equines are either annoyed or begrudgingly amused by him.

Both his parents loved their rank and alternated going on patrol and taking care of Tem. The foal got used to only having one parent around at a time. It didn't bother him and he got to know all the ins and outs of being a scout. From an early age, his parents trained him to be like them and he never expected any different. He'd be a scout. And a damn good one.

As he grew up he developed a love for stories. While not a great storyteller himself, he'd listen with great rapture to his mother's bedtime stories and tales of godly unicorns. He would sometimes even swear that they visited him in his dreams. He'd run around with his friends play-acting and pretending they were the great heroes he'd been told about. As a result he has great faith in everything his mother has told him. In fact, his mother has imparted many a wisdom on him that he's held onto to this day and he can sometimes be found sharing strange sayings or tales. They've morphed from what his mother once told him, but still mean a lot to him.

Along with his love for stories came his love for adventuring. His scout parents didn't help. Even as a young colt he'd stray too far because he wanted to check out what he could find on the horizon.

Making friends was easy when he was a colt, something that became progressively more difficult as he got older and his personality began to grate on the more adult-minded horses around him. While they became calm, wise, and didn't play as much as they used to, he remained the awkward clown he'd always been.

When Tem was a teenager his father was blinded in his left eye and had to give up being a scout. He now works as a small-time farmer on a local farm, but doesn't enjoy it. He kind of judges Tem for not being a scout even though he's physically able.



Adulthood. 

As he grew older, it became apparent that Tem wouldn't follow in his parents' footsteps. While they loved venturing out and risking their lives, being too far away from the herd had started making Tem uneasy. His youthful love for adventure had made way for a more adult mind-set. He still loved adventures, he just didn't want them to be dangerous. It wasn't long until his parents gave up on convincing him, though it turned them bitter towards their son. He was awkward and not like them and he'd squashed their hopes. 

Instead, they tried to set up Tem with an advantageous marriage. Arranged marriages were common in their family, so they actively tried finding him a nice mare to settle with. Problem was, Tem had only ever loved one mare and had more of an affinity for stallions. Another detail his parents weren't necessarily pleased about. Tem rejected several mares - angering their families in the process - and further distanced himself from his parents. On this, too, they eventually gave up.

This stressful time worsened Tem's nervousness around others, but it also made him stronger. He learned to deal with rejection, something that would serve him well in the years to come, and learned that others simply didn't understand him. He'd have to settle for being by himself.

Over the years his habit of developing crushes on stallions he shouldn't be crushing on has gotten him in said trouble quite a bit. The scar underneath his eye is the result of one such occasion, where Tem's mouth ran away with him and the compliments he was doling out weren't well received. The subsequent fight was short. The stallion in question easily 'put Tem in his place' and made it quite obvious that he wasn't likely to ever feel the same way. Things were far from friendly, to say the least. Luckily Tem doesn't let these rejections deter him and he thinks the scar is rather manly. Even if heartbreak is never easy to deal with.

It's at the age of twenty that Tem finally found a rank that fit him. He was given ownership of a small flock of apana, which steadily grew under his care. He lives with them on the hillsides of War-Forged, away from others and content. He follows them wherever they go and taking care of them makes him happy. While he does spend time with others, it's with the crazy, hilarious creatures that he truly feels happy.

Most of his days are now filled with imagined, safe adventures and thoughts of bright futures while he cares for his flock. His prayers ask for nothing else. Not even a mate, though he wouldn't say no to that either. While he waits to be a hero in his own grand story, he'll just have to muddle through.



*received the unicorn token from the awesome ! Thanks so much!