Breed History
- Coursers were selectively bred by humans thousands of years ago. They were created to be nimble, courageous, and highly intelligent, as their purpose was to be the cavalry mounts of magic-wielding warriors.
- One day, for reasons unknown, humans were eradicated. The Kingdom itself also disappeared. Whatever this event was, among its only survivors were the King's Coursers.
- The Dungeon Courser has become feral. It is an intelligent species with its own society that revolves around drawing wealth and resources from the former Kingdom, which is now buried beneath untold layers of earth.
- The Courser maintains many of the heroic traits bestowed upon it by humankind, but its memory of them has been bred out of it over time and generations. To a Courser, a human is the dust left in an empty helmet.
The World of Dungeon Coursers
While our setting is meant to be inspiring rather than instructive, clues and environmental storytelling around the Buried Kingdom's mysterious lore can be found in prompts, events, and other DC content!
Dungeon Coursers takes place in the Buried Kingdom, a post-conflict medieval fantasy setting (think Elden Ring or LoZ: BotW) where hyper-intelligent horses have lived free of human influence for thousands of years.
The Dungeons themselves are thought to be the remains of the Kingdom that existed before the Age of Coursers. Humanoid remains (both organic and material) can be found in the Dungeons, forming the only reference point to humanity for generations of Coursers.
While adventurers spend long periods of time in the Dungeon, most (but not all) Coursers have a permanent residence on the surface. Courser culture is highly social: they trade, they collaborate, and they ascribe social status to adventurers with great achievements.
Whether they heed it or not, every Dungeon Courser feels the call of the Dungeon. There is a magnetism between the beast and the dark, the nature of which is stuff of legend more than study. But the phenomenon is real. The question is: will you listen?
The horizon line of the Buried Kingdom is textured with mountains and the tops of trees.
What lies beyond the world of the Courser? Could there be others roaming the Kingdom, too?
Physical Characteristics
Coursers have not been selectively bred by humans for generations, but the breed standard at that time was thus:*
- Baroque build: strong-bodied and agile
- Powerful hindquarters, arched neck, muscular body. On the fleshy side
- Straight or convex profile
- Elegant, nimble and relatively short legs
- Thick, full mane and tail, often with wavy texture
- Small hooves
- Small ears
- Large, expressive eyes
- 14.2hh-16.0 hh range is average. Can be as short as 14hh or tall as 16.2hh in extremes
*These traits are suggestions to help inspire your future artwork, not necessary design guidelines.
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Breed Variants
- Puck: These fey-touched Dungeon Coursers were once the mounts of archers and ranged mages. Their long ears help them stay cool, while their curly coats protect them from brush as they bound through the wilds. They are known to have distinctive, braying voices and mischievous temperaments.
- Heraldic: These Dungeon Coursers were once the favorites of nobility. They maintain a regal carriage and are particularly nimble, their cloven hooves giving them traction in even the most unstable terrain. Their unique coat, mane, and tail growth patterns accentuate their muscles.
The Four Temperaments
Since time immemorial, the breeding of Dungeon Coursers has involved alchemy. The Courser's present means of procreation is poorly understood: couples frequently create biologically-related foals, but it is possible to find one's genetic child in the Dungeon with no involvement from birds or bees. This creates great variety in gender identity, family structure, and other social habits.
Due to this alchemical process, every Courser is born with one of four Temperaments based on the humors of ancient medicine. In order to keep humors balanced, no Courser may breed with another of the same Temperament. The Temperaments are:
- Choleric: aggressive, intense, dominating and focused.
- Melancholic: pondering, abstract, self-reliant and gloomy.
- Phlegmatic: consistent, accepting, reserved and relaxed.
- Sanguine: emotional, impulsive, charismatic and pleasure-seeking.
Note that while the Temperaments are each associated with stereotypical personality traits, you are free to completely disregard them when developing and playing your characters! They are only for fun and flavor, not a requirement of any kind.