Earth Pony Golden Zenith [Ready]

[Solaria]

Roleplay Type: World of Equestria

Name: Golden Zenith, "Zen"

Sex: Female

Age: Mare

Species: Earth Pony

Eye colour: Sky Blue

Coat: Snow

Mane/Tail: Both bright gold in colour, kept in very simple styles. Her mane is of medium length with moderate bangs and kept close to her close to her neck in soft waves, while her tail is somewhat longer but is merely brushed straight every day.

Physique: Toned and fit, as she trains consistently to keep her body in peak condition. She stands about the average height for a mare.

Residence: Canterlot

Occupation: Guardsmare

Cutie Mark: A simple golden circle, signifying her strength of perseverance. As an older filly Zen's attitude toward her mark bordered on disappointment after seeing the more detailed and intricate marks her companions received, though in adulthood her appreciation for its simplicity and strong meaning grows every day.

Not exact, but close enough for a reference.

History: Golden Zenith was born during high noon to the heated touch of summer. A rather precocious foal, she would follow her parents everywhere as a duckling does its mother. Each of them would show Zen different things about the wonderful world of Equestria, from wheat fields to rare flowers to those special sunsets that only come once in a very long while.

As she grew a little older, Zen began to always look forward to the odd visit from her old grandsire Argent Bastion, who had been a royal soldier in his prime. "Argh," as she used to call him while stumbling over his name, would often retort with the nickname "Honey Hooves" to poke fun at her still-soft walking appendages before telling her long and grandiose tales from his time in service to Princess Celestia. Her favorite story was always about the time that Argent was selected for early morning guard duty, during which he was able to spy their princess raising the sun for the day. At the end of every story the old stallion would remind Zen how lucky she was to be under their leader's watchful eye. Afterwards he would sneak Zen a treat with a wink before leaving.

In between visits the filly would frolic about with her friends, playing at the park or trying to swim in the fountains. Grown-ups would attempt to scold her at times, but she would always escape to play another day before her ears were talked off! She would never get into serious trouble however, merely the pranks to which youths are prone.

Time passed, and it seemed like her parents allowed the aged warhorse to visit their daughter less and less. With growth came understanding, and Argent apparently thought that Zen was developed enough now to listen to his full views on the state of Equestria, and everypony's duty to the princess that had cared for it all these years. They would often discuss politics and honor, and on one special occacion the pair went into the city to attend a public appearance by their princess. The event struck a chord within Golden Zenith, and her heart seemed to thrum with pride.

Once or twice Argent Bastion was even caught showing his granddaughter rudimentary drills. The filly enjoyed the exercise, though her parents always wore stern faces when they would discover the activity. What they had feared from these visits was finally coming to pass. Eventually, they saw fit to sit Zen down and discuss the situation.

Argent Bastion, in his soldier days, had been top of his class. For both Equestria and crown, he trained day in and day out to make sure he would always protect Princess Celestia as she ruled over her subjects. For years he was this way: patrolling, standing guard, reading law books, waking before the dawn and sleeping just after dusk. In the beginning he was admired for his dedication, but as time wore on he lost friends and most emotional contact, all in pursuit of his self-imposed duties. It had taken him a long time to adjust after he was dismissed from service. Zen's mother and father didn't want the same thing to happen to her.

After several heated discussions on the matter, Zen assured her parents that she wouldn't become a slave to her beliefs like they assumed Argent Bastion had, but also that she did find great value in his dedication. There was nothing wrong with directing one's life toward returning some of the great favors Princess Celestia had bestowed upon ponykind. And though Equestria still enjoyed a golden age of peace and prosperity, an unfortunate fact of life is that paradise is safeguarded by its keepers. To be honest, being a guardian to the happy existence of her friends and family (as well as being somepony to look up to) appealed to Zenith.

In the end Zen's parents relented, if only for the value they saw in the responsibility and structure such activities would bring, and the pony began basic exercises and training with her grandsire. They were nothing too taxing, just some quick trots, jumps, and memory lessons. The filly took to them with great dedication, but it became quickly apparent that Argent's teasing nickname of Honey Hooves was a little more than just poking fun. The earth pony was mildly afflicted with chronically soft hooves, to the point that she would occasionally stumble either from surprise or discomfort on uneven, hard surfaces. It was something she had experienced every now and again whilst playing, but the condition seemed to occur more often with regular exercise.

Undeterred when Argent Bastion showed concern, and determined to keep the condition hidden from her parents lest they use it as leverage to end her training, Zen simply pushed on and accepted the obstacle as yet another hurdle to overcome. After all, it was a dull feeling most of the time and never truly a major problem.

After some time, Argent admitted that he had nothing left to teach his granddaughter at her level, and that she should continue training before applying to the REA when she was old enough if she was really sure that's what she wanted. In the meantime, there was even an REA Junior Fitness test going on for all young ponies of Canterlot! Desiring to prove how she'd progressed, young Zen entered without hesitation. This was her chance.

Everything went well, with Zen scoring first in several events such as pushups and long jumps. Her long periods of training were paying off. She would make tiny faces at coming in second or third, but was only frustrated in the spirit of competition and bore no ill will. It wasn't until the long-distance run that any problems became apparent.

Her hooves began bothering her again about halfway through the race, and though she tried to ignore them it became harder and harder for the filly to run well. Within sight of the finish line she finally stumbled and fell hard to the dirt, a cloud of dust leaving her coughing and sooty on the ground. To make matters worse, some other colts and fillies would either snicker or outright laugh at Zen as they galloped by to the end of the race.

Most of the young pony's mind wanted to just crawl off the track to her parents. She had already missed out on the top three anyway, what was the point of finishing? After all, she might injure her legs if she tried to go any further. It would be nice to let her tired body relax, have a drink of water...

Just as Zen was about to start sliding through the dirt, the memory of a shining golden sun behind her beloved monarch flitted through her mind. Seeing things through to the end was the mark of a devoted soldier. Finishing what one had started, that's why that white mark on the ground mattered. With her mouth setting into a determined line, the earth pony shakily rose to her hooves and walked slowly along the path, ignoring the other racers flying by. This is how she would live, how she would make a difference in Equestria. She would stand by her beliefs and hold strong.

She may not have won any awards that day, but that hardly compared to the feeling after crossing the finish line. The sense of pride, of accomplishment filled Golden Zenith as she took several gulps of cool water. It tasted all the sweeter than it would have after crawling off the track in defeat. And best of all, the resolution and determination which took root in the pony that day summoned her cutie mark into blossoming upon her flanks, a perfect circle of shining gold.

After the competition Zen took to training even harder each day so as to overcome the weakness in her hooves. She would run for longer periods, push past her limits as often as she could. In light of her accomplishment and understanding relative to her direction in life, ponies including her parents rarely questioned her affliction and simply allowed her to continue on her path. And after a few more years, she was ready when she joined the REA academy. She graduated in the higher end of her class, much to her pleasure, and joined the royal guard not long after.

Though a guardsmare, Zen is often sent on patrols about the city rather than standing guard at the castle grounds. As such she made a request to her superiors for allowance of a broadsword sheathed across her lower back, where the defensive tool would blend more easily with her flank armor and draw less attention than a large pike. After all, Argent Bastion had taught her that while she may carry a weapon, that by no means was an excuse to use it. Only the most extreme of circumstances would call for such an object. This also lightens the load on her hooves, as though she trains extensively so that her condition will not bother her, the earth pony tries not to stress them too much on long patrols.

Each day she holds to her dreams and her duties, proudly serving Equestria and those who inhabit it.

Character Summary:

Golden Zenith is a spirited mare in the prime of her life, and chooses to look on the bright side of things. Decidedly spunky and cheerful, she has a gung-ho attitude about situations and will normally charge in head-first and worry about the consequences later. She's loyal almost to a fault, and will normally provide mild humor to relax terse situations.

With an iconic smile gracing her lips, she'll trot about her duties with her head held high and her polished armor gleaming. Despite the fact that she seems less than serious most of the time, she takes her beliefs to heart and will fiercely defend them.

She greatly enjoys sticky riceballs in seaweed wrap, as well as potato soup and cranberry juice. In her free time she often trains, but can otherwise be found out and about either sharing stories, challenging other ponies to ludicrous contests, or snoozing in odd places. In the end she accepts who she is, and makes no excuses for it.

"The light of the Dawn shows us for what we really are. I will always stand tall in her warm embrace. Protect your honor and chase your dreams!"

Edited April 8, 2013 by Maxim

[QuickLime]

Hello there! I'm the Rph looking at your app, what is your question?

[Solaria]

Hey Quickie. So I've asked SteelEagle and he said the way I was going about this should be alright, but I wanted to ask the RPHS assigned to my app as well:

I know weapons are a touchy topic, but if she only carries an issued broadsword whilst on duty, just like the other guards carry weapons such as pikes and halberds, is that alright? It's not something she carries around 24/7, only when in armor and doing her job, plus she was taught to only use it under extreme circumstances and as a last resort.

I know at that point the most obvious question is "why have a weapon at all then?" Well, hooves don't always suffice, just like hands pale in comparison during conflict in our world. I figure guards pledge their body and mind to their princesses, and need the tools to protect them when on the job. Was wondering if this was okay, was told that as long as she only had it while actively being a guard it shouldn't be a problem.

[Gerrard]

I look forward to seeing how this all turns out. Since you bring up the issue of weapons, let me give you my personal take on it.

Weapons in general are frowned upon for obvious reasons, but there are always exceptions where it would logically make sense. Guards of course have weapons for the protection of themselves and others, what confuses me though is why she carries a weapon that isn't standard issue. Perhaps you can explain why her equipment deviates from the accepted norm? The main thing that worries people is when the object becomes the focal point of a character and defines them more than their personality. Much like in real life though, it is highly illegal for people to run around with their weapons blazing when they are off duty, (security guards in particular, police perhaps less so =P)

[Rosewind]

Gerrard will be handling review and development of this application.

For your question - focus on weapons in general is discouraged. The need for them isn't necessary in World of Equestria because it is a peaceful roleplay. We look at intent, tonality, and purpose when weapons are mentioned as being an important part of character design, so consider those things when choosing to include it. Once this application is ready, we'll review this element in detail. Thanks!

[TemplarFrost]

I know at that point the most obvious question is "why have a weapon at all then?" Well, hooves don't always suffice, just like hands pale in comparison during conflict in our world. I figure guards pledge their body and mind to their princesses, and need the tools to protect them when on the job. Was wondering if this was okay, was told that as long as she only had it while actively being a guard it shouldn't be a problem.

I know I kind of failed on Dio's app the other day, but here me out here.

We have never seen weapons as their own, as a tool of defense in MLP. We have seen them as sport, with fencing. We have even seen them for ceremonial usage.

Now, even though we have seen various scary creatures that looks like they should need weapons to be subdued, (like dragons, manticores, changelings, ect.) you must look at it this way. There is always a better alternative to subduing opposing forces in MLP, than using force against them. The manticore in the series premiere is a perfect example of this. Mane 6 sees a manticore; and instantly runs at it. They were about to let him have it... but then, Fluttershy yells at them to stop, and then proceeds to treat the Manticore with love and kindness, instead of warfare. Point is... there is always a more peaceful/graceful way to solving threats, than fighting in MLP. Albeit that one exception at the S2 finale, but that conflict still lacked any sort of harmful weaponry.

Remember, this is a social RP... So blades would be quite useless.

You might be thinking now... how come the Guards carry weapons anyways? Well, that's just ceremonial. Just a show of honor and merit, in lieu of the times that they did use weapons for combat.

Last thing, it is very weird for your OC to have any sort of equipment that isn't standard loadout. You might need to elaborate on why she has a short-sword besides the regular Spear/Pike as well. It could be some sort of specialization, like giving a sapper an additional spade. Or giving a medic-pony an additional med-pack.

That is all I have to say, good luck with this app. And stay [colour=#daa520]Golden[/colour].

[SteelEagle]

Hey Tempy, we have more than enough RPH and stuff to handle critiques. ^_^

Yes, Maxim PMed me. I gave my thoughts and will discuss them with other RPH to confirm. But we'll let Gerrard handle this.

[RarityDash]

I know I kind of failed on Dio's app the other day, but here me out here.

We have never seen weapons as their own, as a tool of defense in MLP. We have seen them as sport, with fencing. We have even seen them for ceremonial usage.

Guards during a state of high alert are shown to be carrying spears. I'm pretty sure these are indeed intended as a tool for defense.

[Solaria]

Hey, look at all these responses lol. Rest assured I merely asked because while it won't be at all a focal point, I figured guards carried weapons like in the picture Phil provided and I wanted to cover my bases. As to the broadsword question, honestly it was just a bit of preference on my part. I figure she'll patrol more than actually standing, which would make a polearm a bit unwieldy and heavy after a while. I'll be adding more on this soon, entertaining company this weekend. Thanks for the support guys!

[Solaria]

I'll be on vacation until the 16th, but I'll resume work on this at that time.

[Rosewind]

Hiya, how's this coming along?

[Solaria]

Somewhat slowly, made a few changes yesterday. I have to say this is easier though, I've never used the 'edit by' line before to keep updates.

[Rosewind]

Hi! I notice this application has gone inactive. Do you wish to keep it open?

[Solaria]

Yes. Not sure why the edited by line hasn't worked the past few days, I've made edits each day.

[Solaria]

Changed to [Ready]. Also I realize that a fair portion of the history mentions Argent Bastion while the app is about Golden Zenith, but he plays such a large part in her making very influential decisions about her life that I felt he deserved as at least as much attention as he received.

[Gerrard]

Seems well written. I like the changes and am sending it off for final review.

[Solaria]

Thanks!

[RarityDash]

I like this character a lot. Good work!

[Solaria]

Thank you muchly!

[Rosewind]

Moving to earth pony!