Unicorn Hammer Spark [Ready]

[Jane]

Roleplay Type: World of Equestria

Name: Hammer Spark; a combination of both of his parents names.

Sex: Male

Age: Stallion

Species: Unicorn

Eye colour: A clear, light turquoise ([colour=#73e9cf]#73E9CF[/colour])

Coat: At first glance, his coat appears to be a sort of off-white grey colour, however in certain lights one might noticed the gentle green undertones that show through. ([colour=#EEF6CF]#EEF6CF[/colour]) He has shabby brown fetlocks. ([colour=#5B3930]#5B3930[/colour])

Mane/Tail: Hammer Spark's mane and tail are kept cropped short - his bangs curl down around his ears, and his mane barely touches his back. His tail is of medium length and kept tidy but rather unstyled. His mane and tail are both red in colour ([colour=#CB182D]#CB182D[/colour]) - there are some streaks that are slightly lighter than others ([colour=#ED4151]#ED4151[/colour]).

Physique: Hammer Spark is solid - built like a fortress. His physical strength rivals that of many Earth Ponies, let alone that of the average Unicorn. His training regime is rigid and he sticks to it faithfully in order to maintain his physical condition.

Picture of Hammer Spark:

Sans Armour:

With Armour:

Residence: Currently stationed in Canterlot

Occupation: Sergeant in the REA; Magus, 2nd Battalion.

Cutie Mark:

Hammer earned his cutie mark when he was just a young colt and still in primary school. Since he had never proven to be especially adept either at studying or at magic, he wasn't sent to the famous school for gifted Unicorns - just a run of the mill public school. It just so happens that while he was attending, the school underwent some major renovations. The children had been given strict instructions to stay away from the area where the construction was going on , but every school has its troublemakers. Some of the boys who were older than Hammer thought it would be fun to dare one of the youngest colts in the school to steal one of the hardhats the work ponies had left behind when they went for lunch. Hammer Spark knew this was dangerous and he didn't like it, but he wasn't about to be a tattle tale, so he didn't say anything at first.

Suddenly, the young colt realized that one of the scaffoldings that was supporting some tools, lumber and bricks was unstable and it looked like it was going to collapse. He took off running towards the forbidden part of the playground shouting warnings to the foalish ponies who were playing. The big boys all heard him shouting, realized they were in danger, and made their escape, but the young colt was paralyzed with fear. Despite repeated shouts both from Hammer Spark and the other children on the playground, he did not budge. Frightened for the colt's safety, Hammer Spark tried to prevent the structure from falling using telekinesis. It worked at first, but he was still learning the most basic of magical abilities, and before long his magical grip failed him. Refusing to give up, Hammer charged at the teetering tower and using his strong hind legs, he kicked it away from the terrified child.

When the teachers finally came to see what the commotion was about, they found that the scaffolding had collapsed against the wall of the school so that the young colt had only minor cuts and bruises. They also found that Hammer Spark's flank was no longer blank - he had indeed found his cutie mark. The shield symbolizes his protective instincts, the hammer his physical strength, and the yellow sparks represent his ability to use magic in order to assist him in defending and protecting others.

Picture of Cutie Mark:

History:

Hammer Spark is the son of two ex-army unicorns, Hammerstrike and Sparklet. Both of them had served briefly in the REA, where they met, before leaving in order to pursue careers in other areas. They didn't stray far from the army, however, but started a career together making uniforms. Hammerstrike became a metal worker who made the armor for the Royal Guard, while Sparklet soon specialized in the cosmetic spell that was placed on the armor in order to give its wearer the appropriate royal guard appearance.

Being surrounded by the army and its mentality from such a young age, Hammer Spark became naturally interested in the military and its way of life. Even before he earned his cutie mark, he knew that the Royal Equestrian Army would be part of his future. He joined the cadets as soon as he was old enough, and it was on a training run with this group that he found something extraordinary nestled under a bush up in the mountains not far from the city. It was a stone.

But the stone looked so unusual - it was red, with purple spots and perfectly round so that it made Hammer Spark think it looked like an egg. He also thought it was the sort of pretty that his mother or younger sister might enjoy, and as he was always looking to please his family, he decided to take it home with him to Canterlot.

When Sparklet was greeted with "Look what I've found, Momma! Can I keep it?" her initial thought was that her son had found yet another lost puppy and was about to say no. She was relieved to discover that all he’d found was a strange-looking, pretty stone. She assured Hammer Spark that he would, indeed, be able to keep it.

His parents quickly changed their minds, however, when they learned that the stone was actually an egg, and that the egg had hatched into a small fire-breathing reptile.

"It would be better for us to take it to the castle," his father told him.

"We can't keep a pet who breathes fire," his mother agreed.

But Hammer Spark had been told that he could keep the rock. And why should that have changed now that the rock had become a dragon? Ultimately, his parents had made a promise. Had not his father always told him never to break a promise, especially one made to someone he loves. Hadn't Hammerstrike always boasted being a stallion of his word? Furthermore, Hammer Spark saw the tiny reptile before him as small, helpless and terrified, and this kicked his protective instincts into high gear. He would keep her, he would love her and accept and make her a part of his family until she was old enough to go out into the world on her own.

Eventually, his parents gave into his stubbornness, and reluctantly became the carers of a young dragon named Sierra, though to their relief, Hammer Spark took on most, if not all, of the responsibilities and the young dragon proved to be a delightful spirit to have around.

Hammer Spark continued to work and train as hard as possible for the REA. Even though he disliked work of the academic variety, he soon realized that there was more to defensive magic than just trying to hold up a falling pile of lumber. He worked on honing in his magical abilities alongside his rigorous physical training regime so that the moment he was old enough, he enlisted in the REA and soon began training to join the Magnus regiment.

He threw himself wholeheartedly into his training and his life as a soldier with the same stubborn attitude with which he tackled all his obstacles. After mastering telekinesis, he became skilled at casting a reasonable protection spell (one that could adequately protect a small area such as a collection of houses, but never something so powerful that it could protect an entire city the size of Canterlot), and is still working on small projectile blasts to be used in the event of an attack. He quickly advanced through the ranks of an enlisted soldier and is now a sergeant.

The first time he was stationed outside of Canterlot was very nearly devastating - leaving his parents and his sisters (both his biological sister and his adopted one) behind was a lot more difficult that he'd originally anticipated. Though he had made plenty of mates in the army, his family had always been so supportive of him. Not enough to make him second guess leaving them for too long, however; there was a wide world out there just waiting for him to discover it. And the army would pay him to travel wherever they wanted him to go. His first garrison was in Roam - when he went East, his dear friend Sierra went West and though they do try to keep in touch by writing letters, they have not seen each other since (though he hopes to change this soon). After Roam, he spent some time in Germaney, Stalliongrad and Manehatten before finally returning to Canterlot where he is currently stationed.

Character Summary:

The first thing one notices about Hammer Spark when encountering him outside of the army is his size. He has a strong and sturdy build that makes him stand a head taller than most stallions. One might expect a pony of his stature to be gruff, rigid and unbreakable. And while he is all of these things when he's on duty, there is more to this pony than meets the eye. His mother often bragged to her friends that he had heart twice the size of Canterlot - and while mothers do often exaggerate, in this particular case Sparklet wasn't too far off the mark.

Hammer Spark strives to defend the defenseless, protect those who need it the most, and help those who need help in any and every way he can. When he's on duty, this means going that little extra mile to make sure that new recruits feel included. Off duty, this means that he is chivalrous and a gentle colt who will go out of his way to assist others.

He is far from flawless, however. He can be extremely stubborn at times and though overall he is a good soldier who knows how to follow orders, this does sometimes cause problems. If he’s set his mind on something, he will find it extremely difficult to obey commands that contradict this. He’s also a bit of a risk-taker: he doesn’t mind putting himself in dangerous situations, or challenging his own physical limitations (Once, while on vacation with a few army buddies in Trottingham, he accepted a dare to try to swim across the Delamare River, and he very nearly succeeded.)

He prides himself in his physical strength and is often a bit vain when it comes to his appearance. He trains hard and is very rigorous when it comes to sticking to his training schedule. He’s an early-to-bed and early-to-rise pony who doesn’t have time for socializing or for the night life most of the time. Some of his mates accuse him of taking himself a bit too seriously and are always telling him to loosen up a bit.

In all, Hammer Spark is a highly focussed and dedicated soldier in the armies of Equestria. He is overprotective of the weak, and is always looking out for their safety above his own. He doesn't mind taking risks and can sometimes be a bit of a thrill-seeker. He is often times stubborn, vain and preoccupied with his physical appearance. He always keeps his promises and trust is a quality he values above all others.

((Disclaimer: Sierra is played by Phil the Time Wizard, and I have his permission to include her in the app. All other names are unplayed, un-apped characters.))

Edited May 29, 2013 by Jane

[Jane]

Woo, the first character to come out of this thread. I'm really excited about this character - thanks so much Phil for the inspiration!

Change Log (times listed are Australian Eastern Standard Time):

May 27th, 3:51 PM: Application Posted as "Ready"

May 27th, 6:57 PM: Added more Pictures

May 30th, 7:05 AM: Teensy-weensy formatting adjustments

Edited May 29, 2013 by Jane

[RarityDash]

Yay! This is awesome.

[SunsetSombra]

This application looks pretty solid to me!

Time to bring the hammer down and stamp it! :3

[Jane]

Huzzah! Thanks Phil and Robi! :3

(And Bellosh. I see you lurking, I do! )

[Bellosh]

I deny all knowledge of ever having watched this app...........

[Rosewind]

Moving to accepted.