Al'terra (Transportation)

## External Transit and Transportation

Upon wishing to cross the border between Al'terra and Galeez, officials check in both directions for disease, the nature of the travel, and do a simple board reading. So long as they are healthy, not a criminal, and are not immigrating, they are welcome in. Additioanlly, when travelling to Al'terra, she-cats are tested and if in queen, are refused entry. These border crossings are mostly along the land border - not checking through a border point is illlegal on both sides - a serious offence as it is counted as lying. The border with Nolvac is trickier still - all transport must be through approved cities on both sides and there are sea ports. Neither people is allowed to do more than trade on the land - they must sleep and eat on their own vessels. With Septavia, both sides have agreed to meet at Last Light, a post a little like the Korean border building but much more peaceable. Other nations are not of much interest to Al'terra although it knows others exist, they keep to themselves and Al'terra, not being shipfaring, has not gone exploring much.

## Internal Transit and Transportation

* Horses - for individual use either short or long distance
* Pairs of horses tied to carraige - moderate distance, perhaps for higher status
* Jorrs - the powerful metal contractptions of the tincane, Pride only, short distance only
* Eights - teams of 8 horses specifically for intercity travel (equivalent of trains)
* Ships - various sizes

Besides the Jorrs, all of these have public options for people to rent / buy a place on them.

Across the country, forms of transportation are walking and horses, usually individually ridden. Teams of horses drive things like buses and carriage. Al'terra has the idea of trains as horse teams over flat, dependable ground - called, as magic is far too unwieldy for any of that. These trains are called Pairs of 8 and the roads then called 'Eights' casually, depending on where they head, such as the Tantus to Procella is called the Warriors Road. It is unliekely you'd see the Privileged and never the Pride. The tincane have come up with something like electricity to power metal contraptions - begins of perhaps cars? But these aren't seen outside anyhting. The last method of travel are ships - liked the least and commonly avoided just due to fear of water.

Under the broad topic of transportation, let’s talk about ‘the Cats’. Back when better ways than just horse and wagon were being considered, some fool in the Pride decided that if humans are masters over the beast and felines were the last sort to be mastered, humans ought to use felines as transport. Immediately there is of course a falsehood since the Al'terrians are not purely human but a sub-species of that the Pride likes to ignore. So they started breeding cats specifically for size. And they forgot to factor in behaviour. Now the Pride has never gotten down to studying genetics at the molecular level and are still working on alleles (am I losing you? Pardon my love of genetics), so as they were breeding for larger and larger over time, they over looked many many things. The most important? Aggression. As they bred from wild stock, felines such as mountain

   tigers were already fearsome and unpleasant to begin with. Make them the size of a minivan? Absolutely unbearable. Yet still they did this. The breeding of such beasts has a few positives: they cross more types of terrain and at a quicker pace, they are better tracking animals, they have great abilities to climb, and they instill fear into the people, all things the Pride loves them for. They are bred far away from the capital but are found most commonly there. However. (Isn’t there always a however?) Due to their aggression and unpredictability, any breed of Cat has the ability to kill the trainer/handler/rider at any given time. This is probably why they aren’t usually used except in extreme or important circumstances. Cats that kill their owners are immediately put down. Some fools used to use them for further breeding but it was finally decided that was perhaps rather unwise. The Pride tend to ride these beasts and although the public is convinced the King and Queen ride them, almost always it’s a look-alike to avoid the actual risk of death. You can see how frightening this would be and how impossible it would be to outrun such a thing under normal circumstances. For very good reason, the escapees are terrified when they find out that the Cats are pursing them. No one was expected to survive. After all, what chance do you have of outpacing a pickup-truck sized lion?

Horses have provided the main method of land transportation and haul wagons, carts, and people, having done so a long time. Owning a horse is quite like owning a car, in the way you can keep it and share at a stable which is typically communal. Horses can be rented, leased, or transported in the same way cars are. Horses are also used for entertainment and athletics as well as vocations of many sorts.

Horses are never consumed in Al’terra.

Horses are divided into four categories: Western which is defined by generally defined by their everlasting energy and long legs, Eastern which is defined by willingness to perform in all weather and neck quality, Northern which is defined by their ability to carry weight and feathered legs, and Mid-lands which are defined by their loyalty to their master and face curvature. These days are due to the origins of species, but not where they currently reside as almost all horses have been domesticated. A few of species names are as follows.

### **Breeds**

Ror Grey

Northcountry Tungsten

Dune’s Long Legged

Muvstern

Scarlet Pekinj

Fleetwander

Bassend

Hesk Semsen

Ardian

Silky Foot

Jardy

Stonebloods - these are thre horses that Timethy takes for their voyage out of Tantus.

### **Named Horses of the Series**

Broke (is this Broken Fascination from TCM3?) - Kite's loyal horse companion, as black as Som, later has a knee injury.

Something Elegant (Som) - A Ror Grey that Kite gets Timethy. a pure bred horse (of which ancestors include Force of a Thousand and Early Dawn brings rain). Well known for breeding vigilance and lots of one on one, standing tall at 27pp on average, dominantly bred in the colour black (defective for a white splash on the nose). Fine face, dark brown eyes of sharp intelligence, good curve to the neck, narrow chest, long straight legs. Breed has a propensity for chronic respiratory ailments critically pneumonia - sometimes arthritis shows up in advanced age. This is the breed of horse that Kite gifts to Timethy. The breed needs a good challenge and intelligence, but is loyal and well suited to a single rider after quite a period of time. Timethy's Ror Grey was called 'Something Elegant' he knew late as 'Som', whom he has for two years before the Zavon fire.

Zavon Fire - A second horse of Timethy's

Nain - a horse belonging to Kite

Outdance - an unusual dull gold, marked in dark russet red and black leg stripings, a bitter mare who can match the pace of Som

Windfall - a rugged black and white mare of Damien's who he acquired before Kite came back to the Resistance, and now his favoured creature.

Sefton, the only horse mentioned by name or in any detail whatsoever, is a Muvstern. His bright red coloration is typical of the breed that sports strong, solid colours and erect manes, a loyal disposition, and an ability to do very well with long-distance riding.

Other horses named are all linked speficially to Kite and their farm.

Kite is the most horse-knowing person in the trilogy, though Cyrus displays at least good book knowledge of horses.

### **Tack**

Rets saddle - long stirrups, used to tend and herd and ride over long countryside, lower in the front and back, considered a working saddle. Paired with a 'hem' type headpiece used with reins. Over longer distances, a full rets saddle with a taller front and back, as well as a band type headpiece.

Bronin style - adapted to those used to riding, much more minimalist with less material between horse and rider. It is characterized by a Brace and Band (two pieces of equipment invented by the Bronin. many people will consider this natural or purist. Kite rides in this style, most often.

Western style - using a Delsh style saddle with long stirrups and a hem, used primarilty by those who ride actively a lot (messengers, travellers, city workers).

Racing is done is a greatly lightened Delsh saddle, and surprisingly a brindle of all things.

Free riding, done with a blanket or a seven-hitch and a sem, is done for pleasure and for training.

Riding competitively doing either the 'moving graces’ or the 'still graces’, uses a deeper set fveda saddle and a brindle to bring good connectivity between horse and rider.  The 'graces’ can most closely be compared to Dressage, but is seperated into two categories where the moving graces are done during the gait, while the still graces are usually more standing tricks (turns, jumps, rears etc).

Zehj style - the favoured style in jumping competitions, a modified fveda that’s a little flatter and lighter than a style used for  either of the graces. Zehj style uses any sort of headpiece according to the preference of the horse and rider but must have a headpiece.

Korr - one of most popular games played by horse back uses a Delsh style saddle with the knee stirrups and the band, the only discipline to actually require the use of leg wraps. Korr is a mounted game where  eight riders and their horses per side ride carrying flattered staffs to chase a ball - similar to polo.

The Mounted Games - once a year, participants from all over Al'terra, participate in the games that range cover sixteen games and disciplines, go to the host city and play. Riders usually limit themselves to an all purpose hem and fveda for gear, as they cannot be publicly sponsored in anyway.

For any horse riding nation, a collection of tack (horse riding equipment) seems quite necessary.

### **Head Gear**

Sem - A loop placed around the horse’s head, behind the ears and under the chin. Usually a horse can be led by just pulling the loop or attaching a rope and tugging that. This can be worn in the field or used in the moving of horses from place to place. This isn’t actually used for riding.

Hem - two loops attached by a middle strap that go behind the horses ears and around the nose - most horse people would know this more clearly as a halter and made of a variety of materials. If reigns are attached on either side, this can be used for riding. The casual form is made with rope, and the riding form is usually a stronger material.

Brindle - Two loops over the nose, and one in front of the ears and another behind, together constituting a typical riding head gear, attached by straps in between. Unlike many types of bridles found in the real world, there is not usually a way to attach a bit because bits are never used.

The Band - a tight and rather elastic band solely around the nose with reins attached, used only for riding. This may facilitate a bit but most often does not.

These are the four basic layouts of headgear and are varied by discipline of riding and personal preference.

### **Saddles**

The Brace - A very minimalist saddle, in so far that it is comprised of straps that go around the horse’s neck at about the chest and are held in that place by straps around the legs. The end result is essentially two loops: one around the barrel of the horse and another around the neck. Usually this is used without stirrups though they can be added.

Delsh - A relatively flat and light saddle, made of a rather soft material without the shaping component in the core. These stirrups are two part with a cupped component at the foreside of the horse, and another cupped portion in the farside. When the rider is mounted, it looked like they are kneeling nearly onto of the horse, both knee and two supported in the saddle. This saddle is meant primarily for speed as it is not the easiest to balance in and surely is not comfortable over distance.

Rets - On the opposite scale, this saddle is high in back and front and well cushioned, meant for long journeys, much harder to swing up into, sometimes with the long traditional stirrups and equally as likely without.

Fveda - This saddle his a tipped back and low front, solid yet has a bit of give, good for all around riding with no particular intention. This saddle is most often modified for particular usage.

Seven-hitch - Nothing to do with sevens or hitches, the seven-hitch is a reinforced blanket that fits the curves of the horse’s back and grips on the front. It is usually accompanied by stirrups that are close toed.

Easement - Complete lack of the saddle altogether.

Salvar - A flat, very light and incredibly boned used for racing or very fast racing without a rider but still can be used for catching the animal.

Santum - A saddle built with quite a lot of padding and angle, used for distance on the 8s or slow riding for ongoing period of time.

### **Other gear**

Leg wraps - There are a huge variations on leg wraps for various things: decoration, support, medicinal use, and functional. There is a specific sport played by Al'terrians on horseback where leg wraps are reinforced with

Blankets - Blankets of different sizes and thicknesses are used for various disciplines of riding.

Spurs - Sometimes spurs are used in blunt tip form in some riding, but more for decoration and a sign of accomplishment (like a medal - people don’t actually wear them most of the time). Less than a third of people use spurs, though it is a rite of passage for any rider. They are typically clamped or strapped to the heels of boots, made of a variety of metals and alloys.metal and spikes to purposefully inflict damage. Ornate spurs can be carved, moulded, bent into the shapes of birds, lions, thorns, fire etc. A rowel of sound kind is often attached. For those that ride barefoot, there are methods of attached them to barefeet, though most often they are used in long-stirrup riding and racing. Kite earned hers long ago but usually hangs them up.

Bits - the metal bit that goes in the horses mouth, though rarely metal is more often a piece of of leather or cotton that wears down over time. Bits are not used except in two particular disciplines and the using of them is frowned upon.

### Messages and Communication

Messages are carried by a government organised mail service - that sends post by way of the Eights - while there are certainly private hires as well, think Pony Express - that will go out on their own. For faster, albeit perhaps a bit less reliable communication, a variety of trained birds such as pigeons are used. Winged ocelots are prefered but very expensive, though the fastest options. Ocelots will go where the horses can't, and faster as they can easily transverse mountains.