Brothers 'N Antlers making of

As has become tradition right now, I hereby give you the complete mess that is my notes, research, plot outline, character sketches etcetera of 'Brothers 'N Antlers.' Once again you have the opportunity to look inside my head and see what went around in it while I created this story. Feel free to give it a read if you're interested in the process and preparation of writing a story.

WARNING: ONLY READ THE MAKING OF AFTER YOU'VE READ THE STORY, AS IT CONTAINS THE COMPLETE OUTLINE INCLUDING THE END!

At first I did a lot of research, as I didn't know that much about elks, deer, and reindeer. A lot of it has to do with physical abilities, life-span, terminology, life cycle, natural habitat and the like. Most of the info comes from my own personal collection of books on animals, and some of it is from the internet. I even watched this heartbreaking video on Youtube where some wolves attack a mother elk and her calf. It was my biggest inspiration to write the wolf attack scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yl_7WcPry2Y

Next up is a detailed character sketch of Elkia and his brother Alces. I always like to know my characters through and through before I start writing, so I know how they will react on situations and what they will say.

After that comes a global, not so detailed plot outline with the different key scenes in it. It is followed by the creation myth, as I really took time and effort to make a special and non-cliché origin story of the world, according to the elks, deer, and reindeer.

By then I realized there were going to be more side characters, so I made some sketches of them after the plot outline. Notice that these are less detailed. They're just side characters, after all.

What I also did for the first time was making some short descriptions on the different locations. These helped me describe the environment and set the scenes in a realistic, true-to-nature way, and establish history and backstory for every location.

Without further a due, here is the making of. enjoy!

Brothers in Hooves making of

TERMINOLOGY

Elk: eland (British English)
Moose: eland (US/Canada)
Bull: rendiermannetje
Ungulates: hoefdieren
Horse code instead of Morse code (that’s how Elkia’s typewriter works)
Cervidae
Rut: mating season

FALLOW DEER (damhert)

Antlers with plates
Reddish brown with white specks in summer, grey and brown in winter

RED DEER (Cervus elaphus) (edelhert)

Antlers with branches
Females and calves live in separate herds from the males. In winter roam males alone
Lives in forests and plains
Males have neck manes
Rips apart bark and earth to scare off males
They hide in the foliage when they lose their antlers
Old deer have smaller antlers, and they break faster
They have a red coat in the summer
roars
Stag: mature male
Hind: female

ROE (MALE) / DOE (FEMALE) (Capreolus capreolus) (ree)

Two spikey antlers
Enormous herds in winter of more than 100
Lives at the edge of the forest, not really north

WHITETAIL DEER (Odocoileus virginianus) (witstaart hert)

Lives near water/plains in packs
Males have 3-4 females

REINDEER/CARIBOU (Rangifer tarandus) (rendier/kariboe)

Both male (bulls) and female (cows) have antlers, albeit smaller
Females with beautiful antlers have higher status
Can walk on ice easily
Live in tundra
Enormous herds
Eat lemmings and fish too
Has manes (neck)

ELKS (Alces alces) (eland)

Can walk on ice easily
The bulls can smell the cows, they have great sense of smell and hearing
They can make themselves invisible in the foliage
Likes to bathe early in the morning and in the evening, and eats water plants
Eats oats, beets, saplings, leaves, juniper berries, and bark (in the bitter winters)
At the end of the summer he leaves the swamps and rivers to search for willows in the valleys
Can break ice with hooves
Can go two months without food
Solitary, or groups of two (female + calf), sometimes herds of three
Congregation during spring trek
Good swimmers
Doesn’t like temperatures above 10C, cools down in lakes (also mosquitos)
Bellows with deep droning sound to attract females
September/October is mating season
They lose their antlers at the beginning of winter. They regrow in March
Well-adapted to mountainous terrain (long legs)
Speed (running): 60 km/h
Split-hooves
Antlers span 1,5-2m, weighs 20-35 kg
Natural enemies: bears and wolves, parasites
When one of the contestants bows his head, he loses
Sometimes they get stuck, and then die of hunger and thirst

Elk life expectancy: 15-20 years

Human years elk years
100 25
50 13
25 6
4 1

Elkia Deerling

-appearance: light brown coat, with grey hair and white antlers with blue swirling symbols, thin, tall

-cutie mark: a stylized image of an elk

-strengths: creative, sensitive, social, friendly, easygoing, selfless, high standards, smart, thinker, calm, helpful

-weaknesses: sensitive, emotional, coward, doubtful, too selfless, high standards

-personality traits: Elkia is a very pleasant elk to be around. He is calm and collected, and he lives his life in his secluded cabin near the Everfree Forest. He’s a real stay-at-home, and rarely leaves his cottage behind. He likes to stay positive, pushing negative influences as far back in his mind as he can, and then hopefully forgetting about them. This has made Elkia an introvert, although he always loves visitors and will gladly help anypony in need of writing advice.

He is a bit of a hoarder, and keeps every single gift others give him as a ‘thank you’. He likes to make his house as homely as he can.

-ideals and beliefs: ‘be nice to others, so they will be nice to you. Accept and keep gifts from others, always. There are many ways to live, but however you choose, make sure your life is useful. Forget about the past, it’s now and tomorrow that counts. Find your passion and your talent; everyhoof has those.’

-bonds: with his brother Alces and the ponies of Ponyville

-fears: he is afraid to lose his sanity, for negativity, for dark essence, afraid something might happen with his brother

-future plans: live a peaceful life, live to an old age, help others with their stories

-history and backstory:

-family: He lived together with his brother Alces and his mother Aeltha, and travelled a lot. While he didn’t like to travel alone with them, he did like their winter, autumn, spring, and summer gatherings. He was a really social animal, and had loads of friends during those gatherings. It always pained them he had to leave them behind. He did what every elk was supposed to do: try to resemble the light elk in every way. He loved the old stories, told by Aeltha

He didn’t like it when his father left, but never talks about that, trying his best to forget about it.

He was curious about the pony folk who come to the magical lake (the shimmering eye), and tried to talk with them as much as he could. He is still interested in ponies, and writes about them. He is very thankful of everything that is given to him, and loves his own culture, although not as extremely as Alces. He accepts Alces as he is, although Elkia thinks Alces should be more friendly.

As a child, he loved theater, stories, poetry, decorating his antlers with flowers, going for calm walks, talking

Alces Roameling:

-black coat, dark brown at the head, with dark brown antlers which are very sharp, grey socks

-deformed antlers/only one antler?
(Reason 1: deformed antlers happen when the buck or bull damages the pedicle or base where the antlers grow. This often happens at an early age or right after the animal has shed its antlers in the spring.
Reason 2: damage to velveted antlers, yet the antlers will grow normally the following year.
Reason 3: genetics.
Reason 4: bodily injuries can affect how antlers develop. For example, if a buck or bull has an injured leg, their antlers may become deformed or stunted. This is from the animal putting more energy into healing the injury rather than toward antler growth.)

-cutie mark: two antlers with a lightning bolt between them

-strengths: big, strong, quick to act, can-do attitude, will do whatever it takes to get the job done, traveler, never gives up, smart

-weaknesses: crosses a fine line between good and evil, susceptible to bad influences (vengeance, dark essence), quick to anger, will do whatever it takes to get the job done, values strength and power over everything else (he sees what power can and can’t do), bully, stark, not really nice company, doesn’t know the soft side/the goodness of people, suspicious, restless, never gives up, high standards

-personality traits: He’s quite gruff and bitter, and can’t forgive at all. Alces is really proud of his roots and the elk culture/religion. He believes the elks to be what animals are supposed to be; strong, and in harmony with nature. He is very conservative, wary of new things and elks who digress, and would do what it takes to keep his culture/religion, himself, and everyhoof around him alive.

His has little possessions, because he always wants to be ready to travel (light).

-ideals and beliefs: ‘Power is the most important thing there is. An elk without antlers is like a fox without teeth—useless. Whatever you do, go for it one-hundred percent, or not at all. Every elk should know how to defend themselves, to keep themselves and the pack and safe, and the elk culture alive. Treat others like they would treat you, and always watch your back. I don’t believe in magical energy, for it only helps those that don’t need it, and forsakes you when you do need it.’

-bonds: He has a strong connection with his brother Elkia and his herd, even though Moussa cast him out.

-fears: fear that he will never find his lost herd, and fear for the dark lands

-Future plans: find his herd, and secretly watch over Elkia

-history or backstory

-childhood

He has had a nice childhood, although he made it difficult for himself. He really likes to travel and stay on the move, seeing different places—but above all, keeping fit and making themselves as hard a target as they can. He used to be playful, but after Rosalinda, his young crush, ditched him when he lost a fight to another bull, he turned sour and power-hungry. Also, after his father left him, he felt the need to protect himself and others, since there was no one who would protect him.

He has a close connection to the meeting spot with the shimmering eye, his brother Elkia, and his parents. He also cares a lot about the herd, although the other animals in the herd find Alces to be a little extreme and blunt—they usually avoid him. Alces, on the other hand, believes a lot of the others are soft. He is wary of ponies, as he knows not a lot about them. He has a small group of friends with whom he comes together at (the dark teacher), who share his traits. He learned about the dark essence, and that the dark elk is not that evil.

As a child, he used to love sports. Snow-plowing, tree-stripping, running, swimming, log-swim-racing, bellowing

His mother is Aeltha, the seer, and his brother is Elkia.

He used to be afraid of his culture dying out, and fear that someone might get hurt—especially because he couldn’t protect him or her.

ALCES COMMENTS

“I know what happened with myself.”

“Why do you write a memoir?”

“Why do you not include the whole story?”

PLOT

-Alces visits Elkia after another fruitless attempt at finding his lost herd/pack in Fimbul Forest (but secretly he goes to Elkia to look after him). Together, they make their memoirs.

-Alces, Elkia, and Aeltha live together in a pack with other deer/moose/reindeer. They come together once every summer, autumn, spring, and winter at the meeting spot with the shimmering eye. The elks in the tribe are the keepers of a magical lake (the shimmering eye), that is used by ponies to name their foals and predict their early future.

-Alces+Elkia naming ceremony. A leaf from the ever-blooming tree.

-their tribe gets attacked by timber wolves. Some scatter and flee. While Aeltha wants to go to the Shimmering Eye, Elkia wants to save the old, young, and weak. He bolts off to save them. Aeltha bolts off after Elkia, while Alces goes to the Shimmering Eye.

Elkia: They try to fight. Aeltha wants to use power, but can’t. Aeltha dies. Elkia flees

Alces: reaches the Shimmering Eye and finds it surrounded. He hides and watches how Moussa gets murdered by the alpha wolf. The wolves defile the Shimmering Eye. Alces meets Cervidus. He flees.

Version 1:

-they find one another. Together, they roam through the forest, trying their bests to brave the bitter cold of winter. Elkia and Alces lose their religion. Alces is silent and angry, while Elkia expresses his sadness in poems, which he recites. Elkia reveals that Aeltha is dead. Alces fights with Elkia because he blames him for Aeltha’s death. They get separated

-Elkia meets a pony, who takes him to the Scribblers, a community of ponies who force other ponies to write propaganda for Starlight Glimmer. They are situated in the forest because there’s more trees for paper than in Starlight’s village (desert)

-Elkia gets treated like a king, and learns the art of writing.

-He accidentally sees Alces. Alces tries to convince Elkia to leave, as he himself is treated badly. Elkia doesn’t believe him. He thinks his brother just wants to go find the herd again, and is being xenophobic.

-Elkia accidentally sees how bad Alces is treated. He and his brother decide to flee

-Starlight Glimmer visits the Scribblers. She hears of Elkia and his talent, and takes him with her to her village—much against his will—while Alces stays behind.

-Elkia gets introduced to Starlight and her village. Long talk about village + regime. He gets a tracker collar and is put to work

-Alces has to work hard, gets bullied. Ponies make him plow with his antlers + cut them off. Alces becomes angry

-He receives the magical potion from somepony and a note on the changing of the guards and to sneak out and come to Strawberry’s place

-But instead of that, Alces knocks over a unicorn and escapes through the bubble.

-He encounters a regenerated Moussa (half elk-half wood (used the magic of the timberwolves to save himself)) and what remains of the herd

-Fueled by rage and desire for revenge, Alces convinces the herd to attack the Scribblers’ village

-they fight and conquer the village. Alces is especially ruthless. He meets Syntax and Strawberry Blonde, who tell him of the zeppelin escape plan

-Moussa is flabbergasted by Alces’s ruthlessness. He exiles Alces

-Elkia tries to communicate with a bird, fails

-He goes for a walk in the village, tries to communicate with a desert fox, fails

-He meets Party Favor, Sugar Belle, and Night Glider. Conversation about a rebellion. Elkia promises to help by making a secret newspaper

-Alces goes to Griffinstone and acquires flying transport by illegal and aggressive ways

-Elkia leads the rebellion. It becomes a fight, much to his dissatisfaction

-Alces joins the fight and meets Elkia. He has to convince Elkia to leave the villagers behind. He can’t convince him, so he knocks Elkia out.

-Alces walks through the desert with Elkia, and almost dies. He finds a pony who, after being threatened, shows them a small trader outpost and a train station

-They take the train, which goes to Ponyville

-Alces quickly flees to the Everfree Forest, upon seeing that Ponyville is filled with ponies. Elkia follows him

THE CREATION MYTH

-good and evil are the oldest forces in the universe, and have always been. Wherever the sun shines, shadows are cast. In every river houses your reflection, a part of your soul. How do you look in the water? Is it what you expected? Remember, when you change, so does your reflection.

-One light elk and one dark one, both with one eye, and one neutral who tries to keep them apart.

-everyone lives on the neutral elk

-wind: panting of the elks

-mountains: the curves and edges of the antlers

-thunder: whenever they butt heads

-rain: tears from the light elk

-snow: tears from the dark elk

-sun: the eye of the light elk

-moon: the eye of the dark elk

-day and night: the middle elk faces the light elk by day, and the dark one at night. At day, he tries to keep the light elk at bay, and by night, the dark one

-seasons: sometimes it becomes too much for the neutral elk, and he has to rest. During those rests, the dark elk kills the light elk (autumn/winter). But gods can’t die, so the light elk is reborn (spring/summer) and kills the dark one

-stars: pieces of the elks’ glowing antlers

-lightning: sparks from their antlers

-northern light: a glimpse of the many-colored realm (the realm in which the elks fight)

-Elks 1: come forth from life. Light elk created life on his antlers. Dark one tried to create life too, but only managed to create the energy: essence (he couldn’t make creatures of flesh and blood). As the elks butted heads with the neutral one, both essences landed on the neutral one’s antlers. The neutral one saw the wild energy on his antlers and added his own essence to it, in an attempt to calm it down. The mixture of the essences created life—nature.

But elks are special, for they know the secret, the origin. They have the important task of resembling the light elk as closely as they can, take care of oneself and the other, be selfless, and stay away from the dark essence

-Elks 2: the dark elk can win easily, and is constantly looking for warriors that will fight for him. In return of letting the dark essence into your heart, he will give you whatever you want + strength to fight for him.

CHARACTERS

Elkia: soft, kind, smart, emotional, creative, social

Alces: ruthless, never gives up, can-do attitude, blunt, strong, protective, conservative,

Aeltha: wise, helpful, magical, clairvoyant, beautiful
Aeltha is an important figure, for she is the seer. She is completely white. Ponies and other animals go to her for advice or divination. She is loved by all, and she loves everyone back. Yet, because of all the love around her, she often neglects security, and thinks all will be alright, because she (thinks she) knows everything.

Moussa: strict, strong, leader, arrogant
Moussa is the leader and speaker (someone who collects all of the other animals’ adventures and creates a mental map of the surroundings). Because he has lots of power, he is often haughty and arrogant. He believes more in the elks than in the magic

Cervidus: old, grumpy, bitter, much life-experience,
Cervidus is the oldest animal in the herd. Together with Aeltha, he helps animals making decision with his life experience, though more often than not, animals go to the much friendlier Aeltha, and leave him be. This has made him grumpy and jealous of Aeltha’s magical abilities. Because of that, he refuses to believe in the light essence, and he embraced the dark essence, which grants him his longevity. He secretly teaches other elks about the dark essence

Syntax: scared, sneaky, smart
Syntax is an Icelandic pony who has been captured by the Scribblers a long time ago. He knows a lot about the facility and the personnel. He is always looking over his shoulder. He tries to help other ponies as best as he can, and make their lives in captivity a little more pleasant. He has contacts, and know who to trust and who not to trust. He tries to tell Elkia about the nature of the Scribblers, and later helps Alces to escape?

LOCATIONS

-Bug Bear Territory
In the far north west lies Fimbul Forest (Bug Bear Territory) It is a region with long, cold winters, and short, yet beautiful, summers. The climate is absolutely harsh in the winter, but fresh and pleasing in the summer.

There’s loads of pines (dennen (with pinecones met denneappels)), firs (sparren), willows, moss, toadstools, (juniper)berries, spruce (dennen), birches, heather, arctic grasses, white clocks, flowers (purple, yellow, white), mountains, lakes, swamps, aurora borealis, rivers, glaciers. Max 20C

Many different animals live there, like foxes, owls, bears, bobcats, wolves, squirrels, rabbits, wolverines, jackals, mountain goats, mosquitos, as do the deer/elk/reindeer/caribou. It is an area well-known to the elks, as they traverse it alone or in groups, to keep the shimmering eye safe and look after nature.

Beyond the mountains in the northeast lies a land no one knows. They say that if you travel too far that way, you will encounter the end of the world, and come face-to-face with the dark elk himself, in a land filled with dark essence, which will turn you inside out and rip away your soul from the fabric of existence.

-The shimmering eye
A lake which never freezes, the shimmering eye is the focal point of essence in Fimbul Forest, which the elks/deer/reindeer look after, so it will not fall into wrong hands and be abused. They stay there for seven days, four times a year. During those congregations, they live in huts made of snow or spruce branches. During those congregations, the older elks come together and talk about possible threats, the balance of nature, and meditate. Aeltha uses the lake to do divinations, while Moussa collects knowledge and experience from other elks, which he will recite during the moment of silence. The younger elks can follow lessons from the elderly, play together, and do whatever they want. It is as much a social gathering as part of their job.

-Scribblers’ City
Scribblers’ City is a tiny village in the south of the Fimbul Forest. The community stands in an artificially-created clearing. The trees have been used to build a few small barracks, buildings, and a large wall. There is a magical sphere, created by unicorns, which acts as a heated greenhouse, so they can grow their own crops. There is a river close by, where they get their water from. A large sawmill stands there as well, so they can make paper from the trees. There are also mines where they mine charcoal to make pencils

Scribblers’ City is created by Starlight Glimmer. The ponies there are loyal to her, and chop down trees to create paper. Then, other ponies and elk/deer/reindeer make propaganda for Starlight. Some ponies had offered to make propaganda, if only they could keep their (writing-related) cutie marks. Other horses and elk/deer/reindeer are captured. Once a month, an airship, rented by Starlight, goes from Griffonstone to Manehattan, stops at Scribblers’ City, and takes the books to Starlight Glimmer.

Wolves hunting:

Chase and surrounding (with distraction)
Bite at hooves, shoulders
Kill: hangs on the snout while the others attack from behind
The old, the young, and the sick

Chapter names:

Prologue: armed with secrets and knowledge
Chapter one: An (un)expected guest
Chapter two: names and trials
Chapter three: a duel of words
Chapter four: the unfortunate and dramatic events my brother asked me to write down
Chapter five: encounters
Chapter six: the Scribblers
Chapter seven: a new life
Chapter eight: a daring idea
Chapter nine: a strange place with stranger ponies
Chapter ten: a new plan
Chapter eleven: underground
Chapter twelve: honor
Chapter thirteen: grand plans with good intentions
Chapter fourteen: desperate times
Chapter fifteen: reunited
Chapter sixteen: two quests
Epilogue: full circle