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Description
This is not an open breed. If you join and participate in #TheKnightsErrant , the first Ritari is free to make - find out how here !

The only way to get a non-TKE Ritari is through adoption/sales, imports, as a gift or as a prize. Imports will be carefully controlled by *orengel .

Ritari and © *orengel

The Ritari
(About the Ritari )

Ritari have slightly varied builds, though as a standard they are rather stocky and muscled, being the descendants of warhorses. They have thick, arched necks, and their legs are very sturdy and can occasionally have minimal feathering (though this is not desirable). They are usually about 16-17hh.

Ritari eat what most horses do, but they also consume large amounts of metal to support their shields. Before they start this, they look like normal horses, and remain so until they begin eating ore. A Ritari in this condition, however, will always be on the lookout for metal. When a Ritari starts its metal consumption (which is usually as a foal but can be later), it first gradually acquires its shield. Only once the shield is complete does the Ritari begin a process called "threading" elsewhere. Threading is the process by which Ritari slowly turn the colour of their shield. The mane and tail are easily altered by metal consumption, and if metal is no longer fed to the Ritari, it will start losing the metal streaks as the hair grows out. However, the shield, eyes and hooves will stay threaded.

The last thing to be influenced, and the most difficult to start threading, is the coat itself. However, once the process starts, it spreads remarkably quickly; in a month or so an unchecked Ritari can turn fully metallic. This process is also reversible, but takes longer than the mane and tail to change back.

The shield of the Ritari is its identity: rank determines the colour of the shield in question. Wild Ritari are born into a rank, determined by their parent's ranks, and will remain that rank for as long as they are unbonded. After a Ritari has bonded with a same-rank rider, their rank will depend on the rider's.

Ranks
(Ritari Ranks )

The different materials of Ritari's shields denote their rank, and what sort of
characteristics they will seek in their bonded knight. These are the general rank inclinations:

Platinum: Kingly and legendary souls

White Gold: Honourable and virtuous souls

Gold: Pure and loyal souls

Silver: Trustworthy and genuine souls

Bronze: Good souls

Copper: Those inclined to good

Steel: Almost anyone

Obsidian: Treacherous and deceptive souls: Deceivers

Deceiver Training Tiers
(Tiers )

Tier 1: Initiates

Initiates: Recruits that have proven their worth as training candidates, and are ready to choose their path

Tier 2: Rams (Combat) / Enforcers (Tactical)

Enforcers: Light infantry soldiers, they specialise in ambushing
Rams Heavy infantry, proverbial battering rams, they clear paths and get through obstacles/barriers

Tier 3: Berserkers (Combat) / Undertakers (Tactical)

Undertakers: Specialise in finishing off the injured, intercepting scouts
Berserkers: Fearless, tossed into battle to fight until they die or the battle ends

Tier 4: Trojans (Combat) / Infiltrators (Tactical)

Infiltrators: Infiltrate, gain the trust of their enemies and then strike
Trojans: Sent to siege in groups under elaborate cover, specialise in surprise tactics

Tier 5: Eliminators (Combat) / Assassins (Tactical)

Assassins: Work alone or in partners, strike a single target
Eliminators: Work in groups, strike out targeted section of enemy ranks

Tier 6: Knight Slayers (Combat) / Reapers (Tactical)

Reapers: Elite tactical warriors, moles in the heart of enemy territory with special objectives
Knight Slayers: Elite combat warriors, engage in high level duels and challenges

Tier 7: Immortals

Immortals: The head of the deceiver serpent, they run the operations and carry out the tier training. They are so named because most that face these hallowed deceivers end up coming off worse.

Permitted Colours
All natural solid colours are permitted, but the most common coat colour found in the Ritari breed is pure white - which also happens to be the most prized colour. After that, other solid colours are preferred.

Pinto markings (tobiano, sabino, overo, splash, frame) are not permitted. Nor is rabicano, brindle, or appaloosa/leopard or any kind of spotting (exception: the Boudicca lineage). If a Ritari ever shows signs of these markings, it is clearly not a purebred Ritari.

Normal face/leg white markings are allowed.

Eyes
Ritari are born with natural-coloured eyes. However, with the constant gradual metal consumption, the irises eventually thread too. This process is not reversible in any way. Once the eyes thread, they stay that way forever, regardless of changes in rank or increase or decrease in metal consumption.

Metal Consumption

In order for Ritari to be in peak physical condition, they need to consume the material of their current rank. Bonded riders obtain this ore while out on missions, or earn it from their superiors by completing mission objectives.

A gold Ritari will eat exclusively gold, and a silver Ritari exclusively silver; however if, for example, a silver Ritari begins to rank up to gold, causing its shield, hooves and threading to dim, it will start to rub and scratch its metal in an attempt to polish it up to the next rank. In order for this process to complete successfully the bonded rider will have to start to provide gold for the Ritari when it refuses to eat any more silver.

The same is true of a Ritari that is ranking down, except that its shield will corrode and flake, chipping off in pieces until the rank below is revealed.

Deceiver Brands
When a Ritari joins the Deceivers, bonded or unbonded, its skill is tested and it receives a tier symbol on its left shoulder made by a hot brand of specific temperature; this destroys the affected hair's ability to produce normal pigment, a little like a freeze brand. The brand is the beginning of the Deceivers' Chaos Star, and once the Ritari is bonded an arrow is added every time pair advance to a new tier, eventually resulting in a complete Chaos Star when the tiers have been ascended and the pair is ranked as Immortal.

The branding is often done by captured knights forced to carry this out as part of their torture; it also deepens the Deceiver Ritari's hatred of the knights.

Once the brand is healed, due to the particular heat and depth of the process, with ongoing consumption of obsidian the brand area begins to thread regardless of if the mane and tail are fully threaded, giving the symbol a black, glassy look. This threading can change ore like the Ritari’s mane and tail if it changes rank; for instance if the Ritari were to rank up from obsidian to steel, the brand's threading would change to steel, but it will never return to the original hair colour.

Ready to get a Ritari?
Go here to find out more.

Description
This is not an open breed. If you join and participate in #TheKnightsErrant , the first Ritari is free to make - find out how here !

The only way to get a non-TKE Ritari is through adoption/sales, imports, as a gift or as a prize. Imports will be carefully controlled by *orengel .

Ritari and © *orengel

The Ritari
(About the Ritari )

Ritari have slightly varied builds, though as a standard they are rather stocky and muscled, being the descendants of warhorses. They have thick, arched necks, and their legs are very sturdy and can occasionally have minimal feathering (though this is not desirable). They are usually about 16-17hh.

Ritari eat what most horses do, but they also consume large amounts of metal to support their shields. Before they start this, they look like normal horses, and remain so until they begin eating ore. A Ritari in this condition, however, will always be on the lookout for metal. When a Ritari starts its metal consumption (which is usually as a foal but can be later), it first gradually acquires its shield. Only once the shield is complete does the Ritari begin a process called "threading" elsewhere. Threading is the process by which Ritari slowly turn the colour of their shield. The mane and tail are easily altered by metal consumption, and if metal is no longer fed to the Ritari, it will start losing the metal streaks as the hair grows out. However, the shield, eyes and hooves will stay threaded.

The last thing to be influenced, and the most difficult to start threading, is the coat itself. However, once the process starts, it spreads remarkably quickly; in a month or so an unchecked Ritari can turn fully metallic. This process is also reversible, but takes longer than the mane and tail to change back.

The shield of the Ritari is its identity: rank determines the colour of the shield in question. Wild Ritari are born into a rank, determined by their parent's ranks, and will remain that rank for as long as they are unbonded. After a Ritari has bonded with a same-rank rider, their rank will depend on the rider's.

Ranks
(Ritari Ranks )

The different materials of Ritari's shields denote their rank, and what sort of
characteristics they will seek in their bonded knight. These are the general rank inclinations:

Platinum: Kingly and legendary souls

White Gold: Honourable and virtuous souls

Gold: Pure and loyal souls

Silver: Trustworthy and genuine souls

Bronze: Good souls

Copper: Those inclined to good

Steel: Almost anyone

Obsidian: Treacherous and deceptive souls: Deceivers

Deceiver Training Tiers
(Tiers )

Tier 1: Initiates

Initiates: Recruits that have proven their worth as training candidates, and are ready to choose their path

Tier 2: Rams (Combat) / Enforcers (Tactical)

Enforcers: Light infantry soldiers, they specialise in ambushing
Rams Heavy infantry, proverbial battering rams, they clear paths and get through obstacles/barriers

Tier 3: Berserkers (Combat) / Undertakers (Tactical)

Undertakers: Specialise in finishing off the injured, intercepting scouts
Berserkers: Fearless, tossed into battle to fight until they die or the battle ends

Tier 4: Trojans (Combat) / Infiltrators (Tactical)

Infiltrators: Infiltrate, gain the trust of their enemies and then strike
Trojans: Sent to siege in groups under elaborate cover, specialise in surprise tactics

Tier 5: Eliminators (Combat) / Assassins (Tactical)

Assassins: Work alone or in partners, strike a single target
Eliminators: Work in groups, strike out targeted section of enemy ranks

Tier 6: Knight Slayers (Combat) / Reapers (Tactical)

Reapers: Elite tactical warriors, moles in the heart of enemy territory with special objectives
Knight Slayers: Elite combat warriors, engage in high level duels and challenges

Tier 7: Immortals

Immortals: The head of the deceiver serpent, they run the operations and carry out the tier training. They are so named because most that face these hallowed deceivers end up coming off worse.

Permitted Colours
All natural solid colours are permitted, but the most common coat colour found in the Ritari breed is pure white - which also happens to be the most prized colour. After that, other solid colours are preferred.

Pinto markings (tobiano, sabino, overo, splash, frame) are not permitted. Nor is rabicano, brindle, or appaloosa/leopard or any kind of spotting (exception: the Boudicca lineage). If a Ritari ever shows signs of these markings, it is clearly not a purebred Ritari.

Normal face/leg white markings are allowed.

Eyes
Ritari are born with natural-coloured eyes. However, with the constant gradual metal consumption, the irises eventually thread too. This process is not reversible in any way. Once the eyes thread, they stay that way forever, regardless of changes in rank or increase or decrease in metal consumption.

Metal Consumption

In order for Ritari to be in peak physical condition, they need to consume the material of their current rank. Bonded riders obtain this ore while out on missions, or earn it from their superiors by completing mission objectives.

A gold Ritari will eat exclusively gold, and a silver Ritari exclusively silver; however if, for example, a silver Ritari begins to rank up to gold, causing its shield, hooves and threading to dim, it will start to rub and scratch its metal in an attempt to polish it up to the next rank. In order for this process to complete successfully the bonded rider will have to start to provide gold for the Ritari when it refuses to eat any more silver.

The same is true of a Ritari that is ranking down, except that its shield will corrode and flake, chipping off in pieces until the rank below is revealed.

Deceiver Brands
When a Ritari joins the Deceivers, bonded or unbonded, its skill is tested and it receives a tier symbol on its left shoulder made by a hot brand of specific temperature; this destroys the affected hair's ability to produce normal pigment, a little like a freeze brand. The brand is the beginning of the Deceivers' Chaos Star, and once the Ritari is bonded an arrow is added every time pair advance to a new tier, eventually resulting in a complete Chaos Star when the tiers have been ascended and the pair is ranked as Immortal.

The branding is often done by captured knights forced to carry this out as part of their torture; it also deepens the Deceiver Ritari's hatred of the knights.

Once the brand is healed, due to the particular heat and depth of the process, with ongoing consumption of obsidian the brand area begins to thread regardless of if the mane and tail are fully threaded, giving the symbol a black, glassy look. This threading can change ore like the Ritari’s mane and tail if it changes rank; for instance if the Ritari were to rank up from obsidian to steel, the brand's threading would change to steel, but it will never return to the original hair colour.

Ready to get a Ritari?
Go here to find out more.