SCP-3456
The Orcadian Horsemen
Artistic rendition of SCP-3456 as depicted by survivor James Terrence.
Special Containment Procedures
SCP-3456 is currently uncontained; all attempts to contain or neutralize it have failed. Research into methods for containment are ongoing. Personnel who observe the entity are to be treated with Class G amnestics, and must be located with at least one freshwater stream, river, or lake within 1 km of the treatment facility. All historical references to SCP-3456 are to be removed and/or attributed to myth, shell-shock, PTSD, and hysteria. Reports regarding loss of life and damage as a result of SCP-3456 incidents should be scrubbed of all references to the anomaly, and replaced with narratives involving military conflict, natural, or man-made disasters.
Regions in which SCP-3456 are likely to appear are to be monitored regularly. Personnel are to be deployed to aid evacuation efforts in the event of an incident. Direct observation of SCP-3456 should be avoided.
Description
SCP-3456 are a group of quadrupeds resembling horses and other equines. Individual instances deviate significantly from other equines, particularly due to the lack of hair, presence of three-toed hooves, thick transluscent skin, and either single or multiple human torsos fused to its back in addition to the normal equine head attached to the horses body.
Each torso has a pair of arms and a head attached, where the arm-span reaches twice the height of the entity itself,1 and end in 5 sharpened, protruding bone digits in place of human fingers. In most instances, SCP-3456 possesses a hole where the human nose is normally located, and is capable of emitting high-pitched screams up to 110 decibels in intensity. The size of each SCP-3456 instance varies, with the largest recorded manifestation reaching 30 m in height, and 15 m in length. SCP-3456 instances, thus far, have proven to be impervious to conventional weapons.
Instances materialize near the sites of war, terrorist attacks, and natural disasters. Multiple manifestations may occur depending on the scale of the event, as indicated by the entity's materialization during numerous historical events throughout the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. SCP-3456 instances display high levels of adaptive intelligence during incidents, often engineering situations to trap or torture their targets.2 Due to this, it is currently theorized that SCP-3456 may be sapient.
Direct observation of SCP-3456 by an individual will result in the entity becoming aware of the observer, at which point it will display directional awareness of said individuals at all times. SCP-3456 manifestations are known to engage in predatory and stalking behavior, utilizing the environment to conceal and camouflage themselves. Survivors of such behavior report that the entity will manipulate, and follow its targets, pursuing them well beyond the site of initial manifestation (See Incident Log I-3456-032).3 SCP-3456 will continue such behaviors, deliberately exposing itself to as many individuals as possible, until it has captured a large number of individuals, at which point it will dematerialize.4 What happens to subjects taken by SCP-3456 is currently not known. Should SCP-3456 be incapable of collecting a sufficient number of subjects, it will continually materialize near individuals who have observed it before, until it is able to capture them.
SCP-3456 is either unwilling to cross, or incapable of crossing, bodies of fresh water. This was initially discovered by Foundation plants within Basrah, Iraq, during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Foundation agents were forced into rapid retreat across the Tigris river by three SCP-3456 manifestations, at which time they discovered that the instances either could not or would not set foot onto the bridge. How and why SCP-3456 is unable to cross such geographic boundaries is currently unknown.