EDIT - Tier 2 is COMPLETE! Check below for Tier 3!
EDIT AGAIN FORGIB - Just letting you all know that each Item donation/Drawing page found puts the donor/finder's name in a special raffle which will be drawn at the end of the Discoveries event!
EDIT! There has been a breakthrough!
Someone might have seen something odd lurking in the brush as they stooped to pick up a drawing page... what could it be?
**When all Pages have been found, regardless of how many pelts/berries have been collected, a new piece of evidence will arise!**
Earlier this month as Equus Ballator Society were patrolling up north, checking the health and status of Wild Mountain herds, they caught a glimpse of something unusual. Though they were not able to fully catch a glimpse or description of what they saw, they described it as something that could only be a new mutation, but perhaps something even more, something bigger, is waiting to be discovered?
The EBS staff need your help! They currently do not have enough provisions to last through the winters up North.
This event is going to be a group effort. Everyone must work together to find out what lies in the North.
There is no deadline! Any Ballator that is registered may enter.
This event is centered around Hunting and gathering, and once enough items are unlocked, more and more information will be exposed to the public.
Ready to Begin?
Tier 1 - Into the Wild - COMPLETE
The staff of the EBS have only this small, soggy drawing one of the rangers drew (and then her Ballator promptly decided to take a bite out of it) as evidence to account for the discovery... maybe you guys could help her find the rest of her drawing?
Drawing Scraps can be found via hunting. 24 drawing scraps need to be found to complete the drawing! These scraps can be found randomly while hunting.
To unlock the next Tier, the EBS also needs:
20x Any Pelt(s), 20x Berries
Current Donation:
20/20 Pelts
20/20 Berries
Donate Items HERE!
Current Drawing Completion:
22/24 pages found!
Tier 2 - A Horse of a Different Color
Thanks to the community, we have gathered all of the drawing pages, and the EBS has drawn up a clearer image of what the mutation may look like! Given the information from the first drawing, this may be a stage of the mutation...if it exists at all.
A simple drawing or two is not ample evidence for a new Ballator mutation. Actual evidence must be collected!
This tier is expected to be shorter than the first. We hope you will enjoy the mounting suspense as we all get closer and closer to the new mutation!
For this level in the event, 25 "encounters" must occur before advancement to the next level. Gather all the physical evidence you can, and comment HERE to have it genetically or scientifically analyzed!
Encounters can occur in the form of tracks, fur, and perhaps an actual encounter with the beast itself!
Tracks: 5/5 **complete**
White Fur: 5/5 **complete**
Brown Fur: 5/5 **complete**
Thick bones: 5/5 **complete**
Sightings: 5/5 **complete**
As with the first Tier, evidence is found via hunts!
However, it relies upon the interaction of the community. There may be 5 tracks found, but unless all 5 discoverers comment on the above comment, the full 5 will not be unlocked!
Every discovery/event encounter in this tier enters your name into a raffle to be drawn at the end of the event!
CURRENT KNOWLEDGE
- Whatever horse made these tracks appears to have normal hoof structure - that rules out any anomalies like Ancient Orientals.
- Whatever horse made these tracks has sturdy hoof structure and indicates a heavier build.
- Whatever horse made these tracks has feathered legs, indicated by drag marks behind each hoofprint.
- The horse that made these tracks has a shorter stride, indicating shorter legs.
- Is this thing fluffy, or just big boned? Perhaps both. The fat bone you found belonged to a horse, though.
- Marrow extracted from the bones you found has determined it came from a Ballator!
- This bone is very thick, much like a Plains' Ballator's humerus, but shorter.
- Very sturdy bone, likely good for endurance and trekking deep snow banks.
- The horse that made these tracks was heading towards ice caves in the North.
- This brown fur is thick, but not as downy as the white fur.
- The mutation must cause a soft, downy, thick white fur on the horse.
- The mutation may provide light camouflage in winter.
- The brown fur you found feels exactly like normal EB mane. Cool.
- The mutation must cause white fur to grow in slowly, as indicated by the growth pattern and flecks of brown.
- Some white flecks of hair were found in the brown. Perhaps this came from the same horse as the white fur?
- This fur smells like poop. Maybe it came from the horse's south end.
- The mutation obviously covers a large area of the body.
- It is indicative that the loss of the white hair on this horse was due to natural molting!
- DNA analysis has confirmed that not only is this EB hair, it is from the same horse as the white fur!
- YIKES! This Ballator's canines are as thick as a sabre-tooth cat's!
- This Plains Ballator appears to be a young female.
- This Ballator is especially hairy. Could it be in part because of the mutation?
- This Ballator's hair looks especially heavy, like a Bison's.
- This Ballator doesn't look exactly like your typical plain's Ballator... and the fur previously found is the same color as this Ballator's!
- While this bone does not belong to the same horse as the fur, it does belong to the same type. But there must be a flaw in the system, because this DNA appears... new?
Mini Tier 3 -The Discovery
Our scientists and geneticists have thoroughly studied, examined, and tested all evidence provided via the community, and they have some exciting news to share!
There is, indeed, a new mutation!
This new mutation has been dubbed Arctos, and it appears to mimic the same fur molting/regrowing action of Arctic Foxes and other arctic animals. The coat will shed every spring and regrow every winter!
We will be introducing Arctos to the Equus Ballator Group very soon, watch for it in the gallery!
However, some bigger news was also discovered.
The bones and fur analyzed by the geneticists were indeed Ballator specimens. However, they were not recognized as any currently known type. This can only mean one thing: a new sub-type of Ballator is about to be discovered! It can be nothing else but an Arctic Plains Ballator, a sub-type of the Common Plains.
While we have a photo and physical evidence, we don't know what the rest of the creature's body looks like until we can capture and study one.
TIER 3
This is a fun-centered tier. Draw 1-2 of your Ballators as what you think an Arctic Plains Ballator looks like! Is it big? Or stocky? Fuzzy or fluffy? Stout and chub or tall and muscular? You can let your imagination run wild with your perceived appearance!
POST ENTRIES HERE
REQUIREMENTS
- This is meant purely for fun and will not change your Ballator's Type to an Arctic Ballator.
- All drawings must be fullbody. Background is optional, as is shading.
- To count as 2 separate entries, your Ballators have to be drawn separate.
- Up to 2 entries that you submit will enter your name into a special raffle for the end of the event. You may draw more than 2, but do not submit them onto the featured comment above.
- You can find clues as to the Type's possible appearance in tier 2!
This entry period will close on April 15th!
