A Horse by Any Other Name (Part 1)

One Month after the Summer Solstice (Seventh Moon, 1000 ALB)

Cedron looks around, Well played, Loki, well played.”  He notes that he is the same blue hue of the Witching Cloak with a yellow tail and mane.  The symbol oh his hip is that of his god, Malazzarr, imposed over a musical note.  “This is quite a new experience. I've been known to 'horse' around a bit but I have never taken it this far.”

He turns his attention in the direction he notes Raven's voice coming from. That horse is white with a barely perceptible blue tint and a black mane and tail.  An image of crossed swords adorn his hip.  “Call out so we can identify each other!  Has anyone seen our stuff?”  Raven paws the ground with one of his forehooves, churning up the earth beneath his foot as he looks around, taking count of those present.

Niklas, a light brown horse with almost hair, shakes his head.  “Yet something else new today.”  He thinks about how he had always felt close to nature and wondered what it would be like to be an animal but he never expected to have that question answered so directly, “This is not how I envisioned it!” he thinks to himself.  His symbol is that of a bow and arrow.  He calls out, “Nik here!” in response to Raven's question and gets a reply of “HAY!” from Cedron in turn.

A gold-colored unicorn with a black sword embedded in a stone begins screaming angrily, throwing his head back and forth and bucking wildly, white mane flying a purple eyes burning with fury.  The beast beast takes off running, throwing clods of dirt as he races away from the group, covering a quarter mile in the span of a few heartbeats before he slows and mutters, “What the actual $*#@?”  He takes a few deep breaths to calm himself and looks back in the direction of the group... er... herd?

Another golden unicorn, this one with an owl emblazoned on his flank, also thinks, “What the actual $*#@”.  He turns, taking in as much of his appearance as he can, hoping that if he is doomed to be a horse that he is at least a handsome one.

The next line, a gray stallion with slightly darker gray hair in his mane and tail with an image of twin swords and a domino mask stands silently while an all-black unicorn with red eyes and a white tail and mane, the image of a lizard on his rear flank laughs, “I am the one hung like a horse.  Had to say it.”  Shadow laughs, “We $*#@%^ up, guys.”

Grotto looks around.  He reaches up and touches his face with one hoof and finds no scarred flesh, no burns.  He can see that he is shorter with thicker legs and shaggy hair around his neck and shoulders.  The image of a frothing ale mug can be seen on his brown-haired flank.  He jumps around, prancing and laughing despite the unwilling and possibly nature of this transformation because for the first time in so many years, his ugliness has been wiped away.

The group gathers and identifies each other in their new appearances.  None have any equipment.  Nightwatcher, the Witching Cloak, Grumbar's Razor, all of it is missing.  There is no sign of Spewer or Bubo aside from their images on their respective masters' flanks.  

“We need to find out where we are and how to change back into our real bodies.” Raven says.  “There is a town in that direction.  Maybe be can learn more there.”

= = = = = =
• Cedron: 79% health;
• Drax: 100% health; 
• Grotto: 61% health; 
• Kysek: 100% health; Half of the Tome has been read, 
• Niklas: 63% health; 
• Raven: 80% health; 
• Ra’ziir: 65% health; 
• Shadow: 97% health;