Snowdancer
The Snowdancer is a magic horse breed that is available in Star Stable Online.
Timeline
| Date | Development |
|---|---|
| November 29, 2021 | The Snowdancer is first teased in the background image used by SSO's social media for Winter 2021. |
| December 1, 2021 | A release date of December 8, 2021 is given for the Snowdancer on SSO's news page.[1] |
| December 6, 2021 | A trailer of the Snowdancer is dropped on SSO's social media. |
| December 8, 2021 | The Snowdancer is added to the game for a limited time of five weeks during the Christmas event.[2] |
| December 7, 2022 | The Snowdancer is added to the game for a limited time of five weeks during the Winter event.[3] |
Description
"A wealthy man once lost his way in the first winter’s snow. He was sure he would perish until a beautiful stallion appeared, white, black, and gold. The stallion urged the man onto his back and carried him home, leaving no hoofprints as the steed ran on top of the snow. The man was taken by the gold markings on his savior, and instead of gratitude tried to possess the horse as another item amongst his riches. But when the snow melted the horse was gone, along with all the man’s possessions.
Snowdancer is one of Jorvik’s winter spirits, a benevolent but proud horse that does not take insults lightly. He is at his most breathtaking when running with the Shadowshield mare, as they are the snow under a clear night sky, glittering in the starlight. Every winter they meet, dancing and running together through and above the snow, the darkest night of the year meeting with the brightest white snow.
Snowdancer takes the form of an Arabian, delicate enough to walk over snow when not playing in snow drifts. Like other magical Jorvegian horses they can disguise their true colors, especially if they don’t think a person is worthy. They are a horse that appreciates manners and gratitude, easily developing grudges when insulted. They enjoy flattery, pleased when their beauty and ability is praised. Be ready for a strong willed horse, but earning their respect will reward you with a loyal friend for life".
Unique Features
Color Changing
The Snowdancer is a magical horse with the special ability to change colors. When the player presses the "h" key or the magic horse icon on the horse's character sheet, the horse will change from its neutral colors to its natural (magic) colors and vice versa. The horse will not change colors during races or while the player is unmounted.
The Walking Rear
Note: The horse must reach level 7 to perform this move.
As the Snowdancer shares its model with the Gen 3 Arabian, it can perform their special move called the Walking Rear. The animation can be activated by pressing the spacebar, but only when standing still, otherwise the horse will jump instead of performing the move.
Colors, Pricing, and Location
The Snowdancer is sold for 950 SC and can be purchased during the Christmas event in the Winter Village. It comes in one variation.
Note: This horse is released for limited periods of time and is not always in the game.
- Natural color: White body with black mane, and tail, gold hooves and streaks in its mane, with black and gold swirling designs on its body.
- Neutral color: Dapple Grey
Trivia
- The Snowdancer uses the G3 Arabian model.
- The Snowdancer was released with as a pair with Shadowshield.
- The Snowdancer, like most other Magic Horses, cannot have its hairstyle changed.
- The Snowdancer's name is a combination of the English words "snow" (precipitation of small white ice crystals)[4] and "dancer" (something that moves about quickly or to music).[5] This likely references its coat color and backstory.
- In a blog post, SSO's lead character and creature artist states that the inspiration for the Snowdancer and Shadowshield was the meeting of the darkness of the night with the snow, Yin and Yang, and old Christmas decorations. The Arabian model was chosen because it was thought to capture the feel of winter spirits.[6]
- While the Snowdancer is described as a stallion within the in-game description, players can still choose to label the horse as a mare or gelding in the customization settings.
References
- ↑ "Next Up in Jorvik!" Star Stable. Star Stable Entertainment, December 7, 2021. https://www.starstable.com/en/article/11171
- ↑ "Meet Shadowshield and Snowdancer." Star Stable. Star Stable Entertainment, December 8, 2021. https://www.starstable.com/en/article/11167
- ↑ "Chapter 1: A Snow Saga" Star Stable. Star Stable Entertainment, December 7, 2022. https://www.starstable.com/en/article/12982
- ↑ Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, s.v. “snow,” accessed December 22, 2022, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/snow.
- ↑ Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, s.v. “dance,” accessed December 22, 2022, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dance.
- ↑ Patch, Hanna. “Magical Horses, My First Content, Ambassadors & Player Character Update.” Star Stable Entertainment. June 27, 2022. https://starstableentertainment.com/blog/blog-june-2022/