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<header id="title-block-header">
<h1 class="title">horses on the brink!</h1>
<p class="subtitle">a SPORTS HORSE supplement</p>
<p class="author">dozens</p>
<p class="date">2023-08-12</p>
</header>
<blockquote>
<p>They can but bring horse to the water brink<br />
But horse may choose whether that horse will drink<a href="#fn1"
class="footnote-ref" id="fnref1" role="doc-noteref"><sup>1</sup></a></p>
</blockquote>
<h2 id="contents">CONTENTS</h2>
<ol type="1">
<li><a href="#about">ABOUT</a></li>
<li><a href="#horse-magic">HORSE MAGIC</a></li>
<li><a href="#horse-plot">HORSE PLOT</a></li>
<li><a href="#horse-locations">HORSE LOCATIONS</a></li>
</ol>
<h2 id="about">ABOUT</h2>
<p><em>Horses on the brink!</em> is a supplement for SPORTS HORSE<a
href="#fn2" class="footnote-ref" id="fnref2"
role="doc-noteref"><sup>2</sup></a> providing a loose setting (see: <a
href="#horse-locations">HORSE LOCATIONS</a>) and a plot generator (see:
<a href="#horse-plot">HORSE PLOT</a>) and also HORSE MAGIC (<a
href="#horse-magic">HORSE MAGIC</a>).</p>
<p>The content provided herein is enough to get you started with a game
of SPORTS HORSE. But it doesn’t tell you <em>everything</em> you need to
know. The finer details of the HORSE LOCATIONS and the resolution of
your HORSE PLOT are left up to you. You must <em>play to find
out</em>.</p>
<!--
## CHARACTERS
I begin by creating a horse,
and then
immediately using *scientifically inaccurate horse cloning*
to create a second horse.
- DOCTOR FARMER, a tan quarterhorse with black dots. 2 RAZ, 1 GUM, 5 SPIRIT
- BLISTERING SCIENCE, a red unicorn with white stockings and blaze. 2 MOX, 1 RAZ, 4 SPIRIT
//-->
<h2 id="horse-magic">HORSE MAGIC</h2>
<p>Behold: horse magic!<a href="#fn3" class="footnote-ref" id="fnref3"
role="doc-noteref"><sup>3</sup></a></p>
<figure>
<table>
<thead>
<tr class="header">
<th>D20</th>
<th>VERB</th>
<th>ADJECTIVE</th>
<th>NOUN</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td>1</td>
<td>pat</td>
<td>stable</td>
<td>cab</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>2</td>
<td>gallop</td>
<td>tight</td>
<td>rein</td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td>3</td>
<td>trot</td>
<td>smart</td>
<td>whip</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>4</td>
<td>clean</td>
<td>troubled</td>
<td>stable</td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td>5</td>
<td>whip</td>
<td>careless</td>
<td>groom</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>6</td>
<td>temper</td>
<td>strained</td>
<td>stall</td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td>7</td>
<td>stroke</td>
<td>vicious</td>
<td>colt</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>8</td>
<td>neigh</td>
<td>sore</td>
<td>rider</td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td>9</td>
<td>strain</td>
<td>restless</td>
<td>hostler</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>10</td>
<td>whistle</td>
<td>cheery</td>
<td>harness</td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td>11</td>
<td>bleed</td>
<td>uphill</td>
<td>hay</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>12</td>
<td>flog</td>
<td>shady</td>
<td>bridle</td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td>13</td>
<td>stumble</td>
<td>hoof</td>
<td>oat</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>14</td>
<td>harness</td>
<td>thoughtful</td>
<td>hedge</td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td>15</td>
<td>fret</td>
<td>airy</td>
<td>coachman</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>16</td>
<td>chuck</td>
<td>plucky</td>
<td>farrier</td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td>17</td>
<td>heal</td>
<td>timid</td>
<td>bran</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>18</td>
<td>rein</td>
<td>uncommon</td>
<td>mash</td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td>19</td>
<td>lash</td>
<td>lazy</td>
<td>halter</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>20</td>
<td>shy</td>
<td>lame</td>
<td>luggage</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<figcaption>
TABLE: HORSE MAGIC
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Here’s the deal with horse magic. Roll from two columns of your
choice at the beginning of each session.</p>
<p>For example, I just rolled for <em>adjective noun</em> and got a 12
and a 3. That’s <em>shady whip</em>. Spooky!</p>
<p>Now it’s all about interpreting the spell’s meaning, and negotiating
its impact and effect.</p>
<p>Horse magic is freeform. The only rule is that it costs dice from
your SPIRIT pool. A minor effect probably costs 1 or 2 SPIRIT. A medium
effect, 3 or 4. A large effect could cost 6 or more!</p>
<p>You can roll for a new horse spell at the beginning of each session,
or when the fiction calls for it. e.g. after a momentous event, after a
significant rest, etc.</p>
<p>Flexible magic: Optionally roll twice, and then choose any two words
from the <em>rows</em> that you rolled.</p>
<h2 id="horse-plot">HORSE PLOT</h2>
<p>Ways to use the plot generator:</p>
<ol type="1">
<li><p>Roll d6. Read the WHO the WANTS and the BUT. This is the plot for
your game.</p></li>
<li><p>Roll d6 three times. Once for WHO, once for WANTS, and once for
BUT. This creates a more random, zanier plot for your game.</p></li>
<li><p>Do any or none or both of the above. Look at the results and let
them spark your imagination. Come up with your own characters,
motivations, and complications.</p></li>
</ol>
<figure>
<table>
<thead>
<tr class="header">
<th>D6</th>
<th>WHO</th>
<th>WANTS</th>
<th>BUT</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td>1</td>
<td>stableboy</td>
<td>impress the stablemaster</td>
<td>secretly terrified of horses!</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>2</td>
<td>farmhand</td>
<td>create a new breed of underwater horses</td>
<td>can’t swim!</td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td>3</td>
<td>farrier</td>
<td>a date to horse prom</td>
<td>a leprechaun stole all the horseshoes!</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>4</td>
<td>photographer</td>
<td>take first prize at the competition</td>
<td>is a were-horse!</td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td>5</td>
<td>groomer</td>
<td>replace jockeys with robots</td>
<td>camels?</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>6</td>
<td>veterinarian</td>
<td>develop a new technique</td>
<td>sabotaged by a bitter rival!</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<figcaption>
TABLE: PLOT GENERATOR
</FIGCAPTION>
</figure>
<h2 id="horse-locations">HORSE LOCATIONS</h2>
<!--
dot -Tsvg
```dot
graph {
rankdir = LR
s [ label = "Stables" ]
t [ label = "Racetrack" ]
p [ label = "Pasture" ]
v [ label = "Vet" ]
w [ label = "The Old Watering Hole" ]
w -- p -- s -- t
s -- v
}
```
//-->
<figure>
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</g> <!-- t --> <g id="node2" class="node">
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t
</title>
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<title>
s--t
</title>
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</g> <!-- v --> <g id="node4" class="node">
<title>
v
</title>
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<text text-anchor="middle" x="443.04" y="-12.95" font-family="Times,serif" font-size="14.00">Vet</text>
</g> <!-- s--v --> <g id="edge4" class="edge">
<title>
s--v
</title>
<path fill="none" stroke="black" d="M356.29,-37.41C375.59,-33.04 399.42,-27.65 417.06,-23.65"/>
</g> <!-- p --> <g id="node3" class="node">
<title>
p
</title>
<ellipse fill="none" stroke="black" cx="210.16" cy="-45" rx="38.04" ry="18"/>
<text text-anchor="middle" x="210.16" y="-39.95" font-family="Times,serif" font-size="14.00">Pasture</text>
</g> <!-- p--s --> <g id="edge2" class="edge">
<title>
p--s
</title>
<path fill="none" stroke="black" d="M248.57,-45C259.97,-45 272.5,-45 283.88,-45"/>
</g> <!-- w --> <g id="node5" class="node">
<title>
w
</title>
<ellipse fill="none" stroke="black" cx="68.06" cy="-45" rx="68.06" ry="28.99"/>
<text text-anchor="middle" x="68.06" y="-48.2" font-family="Times,serif" font-size="14.00">The
Old</text>
<text text-anchor="middle" x="68.06" y="-31.7" font-family="Times,serif" font-size="14.00">Watering
Hole</text> </g> <!-- w--p --> <g id="edge1" class="edge">
<title>
w--p
</title>
<path fill="none" stroke="black" d="M136.24,-45C148.46,-45 160.79,-45 171.76,-45"/>
</g> </g>
</svg>
<figcaption>
FIGURE: PLACES OF HORSE INTEREST
</figcaption>
</figure>
<ul>
<li><p><strong>THE OLD WATERING HOLE</strong>: There is a wise old
farmhand here. What a glorious mustache they have. The old watering hole
is shady and cool and its muddy banks are welcoming to all creatures,
tame and wild. There is a large, large tree here, its branches reaching
out over the water.</p></li>
<li><p><strong>THE PASTURE</strong>: Green, green grass as far as the
eye can see. Troy, a retired show horse, can be found here and is happy
to reminisce about their glory days to anybody who will listen.</p></li>
<li><p><strong>THE STABLES</strong>: Where the horses are stabled and
groomed. The farrier shoes the horses out back.</p></li>
<li><p><strong>THE RACETRACK</strong>: Kids and spectators crowd the
fences to see the horses race by. Small fortunes are made and lost each
afternoon. Three-Fingered Gerald, a local gambling enthusiast, has
experienced the highest highs and the lowest of lows at this track.
Horse sports of all varieties are held in the infield.</p></li>
<li><p><strong>THE VET</strong>: Where horses go to get better.
Dr. Arizona Chance is working on perfecting her groundbreaking horse
massage technique.</p></li>
</ul>
<aside id="footnotes" class="footnotes footnotes-end-of-document"
role="doc-endnotes">
<hr />
<ol>
<li id="fn1"><p><em>Narcissus</em>, 1602. <a
href="https://archive.org/details/narcissus00leeuoft"
class="uri">https://archive.org/details/narcissus00leeuoft</a><a
href="#fnref1" class="footnote-back" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p></li>
<li id="fn2"><p><a href="https://dozens.itch.io/horse"
class="uri">https://dozens.itch.io/horse</a> <a
href="https://dozensanddragons.neocities.org/44"
class="uri">https://dozensanddragons.neocities.org/44</a><a
href="#fnref2" class="footnote-back" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p></li>
<li id="fn3"><p>The most “unique” verbs, adjectives, and nouns from
<em>Black Beauty</em> (<a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/271"
class="uri">https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/271</a>) according to
<code>Temmon/Bibliomantic_Oracles</code> (<a
href="https://github.com/Temmon/Bibliomantic_Oracles"
class="uri">https://github.com/Temmon/Bibliomantic_Oracles</a>)<a
href="#fnref3" class="footnote-back" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p></li>
</ol>
</aside>
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