Ashringa:1 Horses Of The Dawn= An Introduction

ASHRINGA Werehorses for White Wolf’s Werewolf: the Apocalypse  By Laura M. Henson © 2005

Chapter One HORSES OF THE DAWN: AN INTRODUCTION “Now I will believe that there are unicorns” -William Shakespeare

This is not the first attempt to adapt werehorses to the Storyteller System’s Werewolf: the Apocalypse game, three others have already been published on various internet sites, yet all of those versions were disappointing to me. The previous adaptations all had two things in common, they were incomplete and their authors seemed ignorant of the plight of the many species of wild horse in the world. In fact only one version had a tribe based on a wild species instead of a domesticated breed and that was the most obvious- the Zebra. Yet there are seven species of wild equine in the world (as well as such “feral” types as the mustang and brumby) and many of these are among the most endangered animals on Earth, a fact that gives a ready made plot hook to an Apocalypse game! In this book I am going to combine elements from the previous efforts with actual horse mythology. In particular I am going to change the name of the race to reflect actual legends. All the previous versions used different names for their werehorses (Equi, Equinasi, and Kelpies) but only one was a name found in actual mythology. However this name (Kelpie) is already found in Werewolf: the Dark Ages as the Garou term for a bane possessed mortal horse so I decided to start afresh with a new name. I decided upon Ashringa based on the Indian legends of Rishyashringa, a boy who had a human for a father and a unicorn for a mother. A character noted for his role in defeating the demon dragon of drought and healing a kingdom from corruption. What better myth to link an Apocalypse tribe to?

Selected Books, Films and Games Nonfiction (Horses)

The World According to Horses: How They Run, See, and Think- by Stephen Budiansky: just as the title says. This book gives a good summary of facts about horses and their behavior. The Horse in Magic and Myth- by M. Oldfield Howey: Everything you ever wanted to know about horses in mythology, folklore and ancient religious rituals. This is simply the best book on the subject. A Natural History of Zebras- by Dorcas MacClintock: Everything you need to know about the history and behavior of zebras. It also has some information on the other species of wild horse as well. America’s Last Wild Horses- by Hope Ryden: A strong stomach is recommended when reading this book which details the attempts the US government have taken to exterminate the native mustangs in order to demoralize the Native American Population. A must read for Nhurim players. The last Wild Horse- by Morris Weeks: The story of the Przhevaslsky’s horse and the Tarpan. Zoobooks: Wild Horses- by John Wexo: A little magazine with a huge amount of information. It not only describes but illustrates (in color) every species of equine known.

Nonfiction (Unicorns) Unicornis: On the History and truth of the Unicorn- by Michael Green: A beautifully illustrated book claiming to be a translation of the Codex Unicornis, a 15th century manuscript written by a Gnostic monk named Magnalucius. The seven houses of the unicorn were my inspiration for the Ashringa’s tribes and its E. Piebus Untimus seemed to already be made for Werewolf: the Apocalypse. This is a book that I highly recommend for Ashringa or Child of Gaia players. The Unicorn- by Nancy Hathaway: A book on unicorn folklore dating from biblical times to today. It also contains the most detailed retelling of the story of Rishyashringa I have ever found. The Lore of the Unicorn- by Odell Shepherd: The best book ever written about the unicorn. For ancient reports and beliefs about the one horned wonder this is the book to read. Unicorns I Have Known and The Unicorn of Mount Kilimanjaro- by Robert Vavra: A book composed of incredible color photographs of horses made up into the most realistic unicorns ever. The text near the end is just as wonderful as the photos and is full of rare facts about the unicorn.

Fiction (Ludography) Werepony: the Canter- by Red Raptor, ([email protected]): The first werehorse game. Short but has some nice gifts and Métis flaws. Werehorses-, author unknown but was located at: www.angelfire.com/mi2/horsefeathers/equi.html This is the second known werehorse text. Almost all the tribes were based on domestic breeds but it had an inspired Auspice system that I adopted for this book. Kelpies- by Art, www.maxpages.com/siberiandreams/kelpies.html: The final werehorse text that predates my own. It contains many gifts but divides the tribes into the warm blood and cold blood divisions used for domestic horses. It differs from the previous efforts in having the hispo form being the extinct Equus gigantus which he describes as a giant black horse instead of the Clydesdale sized zebra it really was.

Fiction

Acornia- by Anne McCaffrey: A modern science fiction retelling of the Rishyashringa legend that has grown into an extensive series. Does for unicorns what her Dragon Riders of Pern series did for dragons. Birth of the Firebringer- by Meredith Ann Pierce: The first book in a trilogy this is one of the best unicorn stories ever published. Often described as “My Little Pony for grownups”, it is the story of Aljan, prince of the unicorns, and his quest to drive the evil wyrms from the Hollowed Hills. Cloud: Wild Stallion of the Rockies- PBS. An Emmy wining episode of Nature that documents the life of a wild mustang in the Arrowhead mountains. The DVD version also includes the sequel Cloud’s Legacy. The Grey Horse- by R. A. MacAvoy: the story of an Irish werehorse searching for a kin-folk wife. While called a puca in the book, Ruairi Mac Eibhir has more in common with the Ashringa than with the pookas of Changeling: the Dreaming. The Heavenly Horse from the Outermost West- by Mary Stanton: This is the book for adapting equines to the World of Darkness. Despite the fact that it was written in the 1980s it could easily be a chronicle all by itself- the spirit world, moon bridges, the wyrm, this book has it all! It was followed by a sequel called Piper’s Song which is almost as rare as the first novel. The Last Unicorn- by Peter S. Beagle: The classic novel (and movie) about a unicorn who is turned into a human woman in her quest to free her kind from the Red Bull. Mad Amos by Alan Dean Foster: A collection of all his Mad Amos Malone stories. Misty of Chincoteague, Brighty of the Grand Canyon, and Mustang: Wild Spirit of the West- by Marguerite Henry. These books tell the true stories of a wild Chincoteague pony’s true love, a hero donkey that was once revered in America’s largest canyon, and Wild Horse Anne, a young woman disfigured by disease that single handedly saved the mustang from extinction. All were also made into movies. Nico the Unicorn- MGM Motion Picture: The best live action unicorn film ever. A young crippled boy rescues an abused pony only for it to give birth to a most unusual foal. Ignore the film “The Little Unicorn” as it is only a poorly made and childish remake of the much superior Nico. Nightmare- by Piers Anthony: A Xanith novel that turns the usual horse symbolism on its head when a good nightmare saves the land of Xanth from an invasion masterminded by an evil werehorse. The Unicorns of Balinor- by Mary Stanton: While Heavenly Horse is Stanton’s masterpiece this latter series for children may be useful for storytellers needing inspiration. It reminds me of an old 1985 cartoon series called Wildfire which I also recommend for Ashringa players if it ever is released on DVD. The Year of the Unicorn and The Key of the Keplian- by Andre Norton: These two Witch World novels are among the most recommended of the series as far as werehorses are concerned. In the first book a woman is kidnapped by a group of lycanthropes who call themselves the Wereriders because their leader is a werehorse. In the second story a Native American woman stumbles across the umbra into the Witch World where she rescues a race of magical horses from the forces of darkness. Unicorns! And Unicorns II- edited by Jack Dann and Gardener Dozois: A very good collection of modern fiction. Included in II are Michael Bishop’s The Calling of Paisley Coldpony about a Native American totem unicorn spirit, and a fantastic bit by Janet Kagan called Naked Wish Fulfillment about a unicorn spirit on the set of a porn film!

WEREHORSES IN THE WORLD OF DARKNESS The horse is a major figure in mythology; even in areas where domesticated steeds were unknown equines were seen as representing the wild untamable force of nature itself, the wind incarnate and the Mother of the Moon. Indeed in many cultures Mother Earth was said to be a great white mare who fled as the moon before the Sun Stallion and whose mating (during an eclipse, as it was then that the sun obviously captured the moon) resulted in all the life on Earth. The horse was first domesticated by the nomads of Central Asia over 6,600 years ago and these nomads eventually became the Scythians and Aryans who introduced the domestic horse throughout Eurasia. To their early Greek, Egyptian, Celtic, and Indian neighbors the early horse riders seemed almost supernatural and were depicted as centaurs in ancient art. To the Nomadic tribes of India the horse was the symbol of leadership as bestowed by the Great Mother, even their kings were chosen by whose horse neighed first at the rising sun. Because of this close relationship with the horse it is no surprise that India’s legends are filled with men becoming horses, horses becoming men, and a marriage that resulted in Unicorn’s children.

The Legend of Rishyashringa Long ago there lived an Indian holy man named Vibhandaka. For many years Vibhandaka lived alone in a cave high up in the Himalayas. Eventually the old hermit became so lonely that he prayed that the gods would send him a companion. Gaia granted his request by sending one of her creatures to him. The being that came to Vibhandaka’s cave was a white pony with the grace of a gazelle and a single golden horn in the center of her forehead. She was the most beautiful creature Vibhandaka had ever seen and he instantly fell in love with her and, with the blessing of Gaia, Vibhandaka was married to the unicorn by the gandharvas of the mountains. In time the unicorn gave birth to a son who was human in every way except for the horn in the center of his forehead. Vibhandaka and his wife named their son Ashringa which means “unicorn” and he eventually grew into a young man so wise in the ways of nature that he earned the title of Rishy which means “great sage” while still teen. One evening Rishyashringa returned home and found that his parents had died. He buried Vibhandaka and his mother and would have lived out his days alone in the mountains if it had not been for the princess Shanta. Shanta was the daughter of a king so greedy that Britra, the Dragon of Drought breathed upon the land and turned his realm into a barren desert. The king’s wise men told him that only the famous unicorn boy could restore his kingdom but the king refused to listen to the advice of the Brahmans. Thus princess Shanta felt that it was her duty to run away from home and find Rishyashringa to break her father’s curse. After months of searching Shanta finally found the unicorn boy and, by approaching him as a repentant disciple, she finally gained his trust. Eventually they fell in love and Shanta persuaded Rishyashringa to help her people. When Shanta returned to the drought struck kingdom the prideful king refused Rishashringa’s help and ordered his guards to kill him. As the guards approached him Rishyashringa began to pray and for the first time in over a year it began to rain. As the land turned from desert to farmland the shamed king turned his realm over to his daughter and took to his deathbed. Queen Shanta then married Rishyashringa and they all lived happily ever after.

The legend narrated above is the short and sweet version of the origin of the werehorses. According to Ashringa lore the werehorses are simply the descendants of Rishyashringa and Princess Shanta and all the tribes can trace their ancestry back to one the royal pair’s seven sons.

The Creed of the Ashringa The werehorses claim that they are the descendants of Rishyashringa and Princess Shanta. According to their myths the princess and the unicorn boy had seven sons. The first of these sons was Assalam, the Mighty who crossed the bridge of ice to the new world. The next born was Ilvilon, the Devoted, who loved mankind. The third son was Vata, the Destroyer, who protected the desert from bandits and evil. The forth son was Ohani, the Trickster, who danced with the gandharvas and little people of the woods. The fifth son was Kestevara, the Peaceful, who brought the gift of writing to the east. The sixth son was Abram, Lover of the Sea, who ruled the islands to the south. And, finally the last son was Isfendarmd, Who Guards the Night, who brought light to a continent of darkness. Each of these seven stallions eventually moved to different lands where they interbred with the native peoples and equines and so sired one of the seven bãos (tribes) of the Ashringa. This is why each bão resembles a different human race and a different horse kin and it is also why all Ashringa belong to the same family and have a common goal. Just as the werewolves are Gaia’s immune system and the werecats are her eyes so the werehorses are her kidneys. Their duty is to purify the lands and waters of the world to restore the fertility and balance of nature. They are Gaia’s love personified, charged with keeping her waters and lands clean of poison and disease a duty which is similar to that of the Gurahl’s but the goals of the two bete differ. While a werebear would allow itself to be killed so that a starving village could eat a werehorse would restore the fertility of the land so that the village could plant crops for long term survival. The Ashringa believe that there may still be hope for Gaia if the Earth Mother is returned to its original pure state. To do this they seek to return the Triat to health. It is not the Ashringa’s duty to go against the Wyrm, rather their duty is to purify the Wyrm of its corruption and restore the balancer Wyrm to power. The Ashringa have a lot of work to do to rebuild Gaia. Some groups fight to clean polluted areas by increasing regulations on air, water, and land quality. Others seek to restore endangered species and restore the Ashringa’s link with the other shape shifters. Still others seek to rescue wild equines from government sponsored roundups and slaughter houses in order to preserve their wild kin. Many still seek lost human kinfolk in blighted cities or poverty stricken reservations. The Ashringa follow the Codex Unicornis, a prophecy equivalent to the Garou Prophecy of the Phoenix. To the Ashringa now is obviously the time mentioned in the Codex. This has caused the Ashringa to change their habits for the better. In the past the werehorses were more concerned with hiding from the werewolves and preserving their horse kin then in human affairs. But the Codex declares that now is the time for Unicorn to show himself and the Ashringa are disclosing their presence to the world. The Time of the Great Purification is at hand and unicorn’s children must be ready to come out of hiding and rebuild the world to prevent the Apocalypse. Even humanity must become aware of their presence for the Codex states that man must know the true nature of the unicorn if he is to resist the corrupting influence of the Wyrm. But showing oneself to man is dangerous so the Ashringa have responded by encouraging unicorn images in literature and art. Most Ashringa will show themselves in monocerus form to people whom they judge to be innocent or pure of heart for it is only by knowing that magic is real and that Gaia loves all her children that man can find the hope that will cure the Wyrm’s madness and restore the Earth to primal harmony

The Codex Unicornis * The unicorn is a kindred race, bound to us in love and service. He points the way, he guards the gate, and he waits until the end. Behold! An age shall come when science shall darken everywhere the hopes of men. Chariots of iron shall roll the land, which shall grow hard and barren to bear their weight. The air shall be filled with the clamor of many voices. Unknown plagues and sicknesses shall arise. The sphere of the moon shall bear the booted heels of man. Two mighty kingdoms will contend for the world, and turn against it, until the soil and the sea shall sicken and the winds become a flux of poisoned vapors. And men shall be sorly tried, so that at the last, none may escape the choice between light and darkness. Then, in the time of Great Purification, will the unicorn return in strength, lingering at the margins of our realm, to seed our minds with dreams of a brighter age to come, and many shall hunger to see him in his true shape. But being a spiritual creature, the unicorn must conform himself to the images held in the hearts of those who call him forth. And there will be so many ill-formed and conflicting ideas as to his nature, that he can hardly find a way to satisfy them all. Then must these pages be revealed and broadcasts without restraint; that all confusion may be resolved and a unity of vision call forth the unicorn in his true, original, and perfect state.

Attitudes of the Other Shape Shifters Garou: Most Garou tribes believe that the Ashringa worship the Wyrm and were only put on Earth by Gaia to be their prey. In fact, Red Talons believe Gaia made the horses as a reward for them to hunt for "good job" they've been doing. All Garou, except for Black Furies, Children of Gaia, Stargazers or Silent Striders will attack an Ashringa on sight and aim to kill, believing them to be made for just that. Corax: the Corax, on the other hand, know that the purpose of the Ashringa is to restore the balance and are trying to convince the Garou that the horses are good for Gaia, though the Garou won’t listen. Corax and Ashringa get along exceptionally well. Anansi: It's uncertain if the spider-folk knows of the Ashringa’s existence, nor what they think of it. Bastet: In essence, the cats are no better than the wolves. With the exception of the Bubasti, Ceilican and Qualmi, all cats see horses as their natural prey. Balam, Pumonca and Simba in particular go after the Ashringa who they see as their natural enemies. Gurahl: The bears on the other hand, being Gaia's healers themselves, are the closest allies the Ashringa will ever have. They accept the werehorse’s work and occasionally help. Mokolé: The were-crocs remember the Ashringa, through until recently most Streams believed that that they had died out. While the larger crocodilians may eat horses it is uncommon and in any case the Mokolé know and accept the Ashringa’s purpose as it is similar to their own. In many areas allied Mokolé come to Ashringa Glories to tell the gathered werehorses of the times when real unicorns walked the Earth. Nagah: The were-snakes believe that the Ashringa have died out. Nuwisha and Kitsune: The trickster foxes and coyotes respect the Ashringa but rarely interfere with their *

© Michael Green, from “Unicornis: The History and Truth of the Unicorn.

problems. The Nuwisha especially enjoy exchanging tales of trickery with the Nimbi Tribe of Ashringa. Ratkin: It's quite sure that the Ratkin know of the Ashringa’s existence, but they stay underground too much to make up an opinion on them. Then again, Ratkin like very few people, so it is debatable if they make an exception here. Rokea: Spending their existence in the waters, The Rokea knows only of the Nabrima Tribe of the Ashringa who they view as rather difficult prey. Other Supernatural Beings: Ashringa hate and despise vampires as the undead are a symptom of the Wyrm’s madness. The werehorses are also in conflict with the Technocracy mages who see the Ashringa’s attempt to show humanity the magic in the world as a threat. Dragons, Gargoyles and Faeries however are the Ashringas greatest allies as they all believe in returning the world back to the Mythic Age. Mummies do not know of the Ashringas existence and Immortals think they are a myth.

Ashringa Society “A horse is a member of a company. A horse is one with her fellows.” -El Arat, Dream Speaker of Bishop Farm (from Mary Stanton’s “Heavenly Horse”) Horses are heard animals and this is reflected by the society of the Ashringa. However horse herds are not organized like those of cattle or deer. Horses roam in bands consisting of a stallion, a lead mare, and from 1-13 subordinate mares and their foals. These mares are not related to the stallion. Despite popular belief, wild equines do not commit incest and both the young fillies and colts will leave their home band to find an unrelated mate when they reach puberty. A band rarely contains more than 16 animals and each band roams a territory of approximately 1-4 miles per adult member of the band. Only in times of migration do the various bands come together to form the huge herds that were once so common in the American West and in Africa. Even in a herd, however, each band is distinct with its own lead stallion and mare. One stallion in the herd is chosen by ritual combat to be the “king stallion” and it is this animal who decides on the herds movement and directs the other stallions in the defense of the herd. The Ashringa also have individual territories 1-4 miles square and every werehorse in the area belongs to a group called a charm. A charm is equivalent to a Garou pack and rarely contains more than 10 members. Equine kin are allowed to come and go throughout a charms territory. A perfect charm is supposed to contain one of each Suhn (Ashringa auspice) but these days a perfect charm is almost as rare as Unicorn herself.

Dwells “So in the course of his wanderings he returns to favored spots called dwells where he may safely rest.” - Magnalucius, 15th Century. As in the Garou the Ashringa gather in places of power. The Ashringa call these areas dwells and they are the equivalent of Garou cairns. Several charms that use the same dwell are collectively known as a grace. Originally graces were all composed of the same bão but as the number of safe havens dwindled mixed graces became the norm. The grace performs the same social, political, religious and protective duties as a Garou sept. The grace usually has one charm composed of older members who remain on permanent vigilance to care for the dwell and protect it. These elders often employ charms of younger Ashringa to perform missions for it. Most dwells are located in the deep wilderness but sometimes out of necessity one may be found near the haunts of men. Otherwise the composition, size of the Kossiacky (the land around the dwell, named after an Old Russian term for a wild horse’s territory, equivalent to a Garou bawn), dwell level, and totems are the same as in Garou cairns. The only real difference is the form taken by the cairn’s center. In an Ashringa grace the dwells center is always a naturally hidden spot. This could be as simple as a nest of ferns in tall grass, a secret bower in the center of a tangled hedge of wild rose, or a clearing in the forest or as elaborate as a hidden cave behind a waterfall, a pool of water, or even a long abandoned dolmen or stone circle. In all cases the center opens into an umbral glade which is the true heart of the dwell. Any Ashringa may enter the heart of a dwell in order to pass into the umbra. This is good because Ashringa, like most were-beasts, otherwise need a special gift to enter the spirit world. Many a predator has chased a wild horse into a grove of trees only to have it disappear into the umbra. The umbral dwell is a large area that appears to be an idealized version of the mortal world, filled with umbral plants and friendly spirit animals. If the outside is barren desert than the glade will be covered in golden sand bestrewn with wildflowers, if in the forest than all the trees will be perfectly healthy and in bloom, while city dwells will seem to be the loveliest of parks. In all cases the heart will be large enough to allow the grace to hold council and perform rites.

Glories “But when some great need comes to pass, the more ancient of the unicorns gather, unbidden, and of their own accord, in some remote place, whether lofty crag or secret glade. And there they hold their council.” - Magnalucius, 15th Century. The glory is the Ashringa counterpart to the Garou moot. The functions and dynamics are similar to those of the Garou but have their own cultural flavor. Each bão of Ashringa gives its own twist to a Glory. The Arweharis like to employ African chants and dances, the Nabrima commonly perform such feats as fire walking and other traits of the Pacific Islanders, while most modern Nimbi prefer drinking tequila, Latino music and breaking piñatas to the Native American sun dances and peace pipe smoking of their Nhurim neighbors. In all cases an Ashringa glory is divided into five sections: the Shu-pah, Ry-ya, Ya-rhuhn, Sai-yah, and the Ya-eehaugh! Shu-pah: All glories begin with the Shu-pah or “opening neigh”. The local king stallion of the dwell acts in the roll the Garou call “the Master of the Howl.” Changing to Monoceros or Equine form the glory king rears onto his hind legs and calls out a welcome. This call is then answered by the rest of the Glory in an exuberant outburst of neighs, brays, whistles, stomping and general noise. In this way no matter their original suhn, bão, or charm all attending the glory are made to feel like one herd. Ry-ya: The Ry-ya, or “obedience to the spirits”, is dedicated to strengthening the dwell by contacting its totem spirits. It is thus equivalent to the Garou “inner sky” portion of a moot.

Ya-rhuhn: Ya-rhuhn literally means “divine grazing” and it is the Ashringa equivalent to the Garou’s “cracking of the bone.” It begins with the “great recollection” in which the Glory’s Truthcatcher leads the elders in a speech in which they recount the history of their race and ends with the entire Glory pledging anew their vow to restore the Earth to purity. Only after finishing their vow do the Ashringa turn to dealing with the business of the Glory. During this time grievances are aired, grace policy is made, personal conduct is addressed, and decisions are made about the future. Sai-yah: The Sai-yah or “telling of divine stories” is led by the Grace’s Storyteller. She leads the Glory in spinning stories about the past and present. Ancient heroes are remembered and new ones honored with calls of recognition and praise. An Ashringa whose deeds have earned him a Storyteller’s praise gains much renown in the eyes of his peers. During this time visiting Mokole’ may be asked to share their memories and to remember the deeds of the Ashringa being honored at the Glory. This part of the Glory usually ends with music, feasting and dancing. Two dances, the “Moon Dance” (a circle dance) and the Dance of the Stars (a dance in which the entire Glory forms a single twisting line led by the king), are commonly performed at Glories. Ya-eehaugh: The Ya-eehaugh, or “divine challenge,” cumulates the Glory. As the stories, songs, and dances stir the Ashringa’s souls to a fever pitch the werehorse serving as Wyrm Foe changes into Monoceros form and gives forth the ringing cry of a stallion challenging a rival. The rest of the Glory answer his call, change to Monoceros (if not already in that form) and charge out of the Glory’s heart. The stampeding herd is then led on an exhausting run to clear the kossiacky of enemies. The energy released in the Ya-eehaugh is effectively raw gnosis (at least one point per person attending the Glory) which is used to recharge the dwell. As in Garou cairns a dwell needs at least five points of gnosis per level donated to it each moon to remain charged.

Ashringa Lexicon Alicorn: a unicorn or Monoceros form Ashringa’s horn. Alma: The Earth Mother Gaia in her form as the moon horse. Asbar: literally meaning “horse-head” this is one of the Ashringa’s “Glabro” forms. An Asbar resembles a horse headed man in contrast to the second Centaurus Glabro form. Baguale: a feral horse from South America, one of the Nhurim’s kinfolk. Brumby: the feral horses of Indonesia, New Zealand, and Australia, Nabrima kinfolk. Centaurus: one of the two “Glabro” forms of the Ashringa. It resembles a centaur. See Asbar. Colt: a male horse under four years old. Also slang for a Rank one male Ashringa. Chalico: the Ashringa’s Crinos form. It resembles the prehistoric Chalicotherium. Charm: Small groups of Ashringa, similar to a Garou pack. Dwell: a sacred place where Ashringa meet, similar to a Garou cairn. Equid: the type of wild horse an Ashringa is kinfolk with, mustang, ass, tarpan, onager, etc. Feathers: the shaggy hair on the lower legs of a horse.

Filly: a female horse under four years old. Also slang for a Rank one female Ashringa. Forest of Brocileande: The umbral lands the Garou call The Summer Country. Galgallim: the true name of Unicorn, the whirlpool of harmony and love. Gelding: a castrated male horse. A castrated donkey is sometimes called a john instead. Also slang for an Ashringa who is cowardly (I.e. a wimp). Glory: a meeting of Ashringa at a dwell, similar to a Garou moot. Grace: a group of Ashringa who attend to a dwell, similar to a Garou sept. Hack: a “nag”, used as a slang term for an equine Ashringa born of domestic horse stock. Hand: a unit of measurement (equaling 4 inches) used to measure a horse’s height from the shoulders down. Herd: a group of horses. It is also a slang term for an Ashringa’s kinfolk, similar to the Garou “flock.” Hinny: a hybrid where the mother is a donkey and the father is a horse. Also slang for a female Métis Ashringa. Hobgoblin: a demon horse. From “Hob,” a small horse and “Goblin,” an evil spirit. Kossiacky: the territory claimed by a herd of wild horses, also the territory claimed by a Grace, similar to a Garou bawn. Mare: an adult (over 4 years old) female horse. A female donkey is sometimes called a jenny instead. Monoceros: the Ashringa’s Hispo form. It resembles a unicorn. Mulassier: A term meaning “mule breeder” that is used for an Ashringa who sleeps with another Ashringa, similar to the Garou “charach.” Mule: a hybrid with the mother being a horse and the father a donkey. Also slang for a male Métis. Orkus: the “dragon of death.” The beast of war aspect of the Wyrm. Palfrey: a fancy riding horse, also slang for an Ashringa who is a dandy or a yuppie. Rapture: the Ashringa word for a frenzy. It is divided into the Battle Rapture (berserk frenzy) and the Wind Rapture (fox frenzy). Rishy: a holy man of the continent of India who has renounced civilization. Used by modern Ashringa for a werehorse that belongs to no charm, similar to the Garou ronin. Roncey: a cob type horse. Also slang for a fat Ashringa. Serpens: the deceiver dragon. The defiler aspect of the Wyrm. Shamagrim: the Ashringa term for Pangaea. Stallion: an entire male horse over four years old. Male donkeys are sometimes called jacks instead.

Takin Shara Nuru: “the mountains of the yellow horses” in Mongolia, the first Killina dwell. Tarasque: the ever hungry dragon. The eater of soul’s aspect of the Wyrm. Yaldaboath: the Wyrm. Seen as female by the Ashringa, Yaldaboath is the dark mother gone mad from the poisons that have sunk into the Earth. Only by purifying the world will nature be restored and the fragmented aspects of Yaldaboath once more form the balancer of nature she was meant to be.

A Lexicon of Equine Colors The coat colors and markings of horses is a science in and of its self with names that baffle the layman. What a horse breeder calls brown the average Joe calls black and the Lone Ranger’s horse Silver was actually gray not white. For that reason I am placing it in a lexicon all by itself for ease of reference. In the colors below a horse’s points are its lower legs, ear tips, muzzle, and dorsal stripe. Albino: white hair on pink skin with red eyes. This color is easily confused with White and Ivory. Bay: golden brown to reddish brown with black points. This color is called “russet” in donkeys and may have roaning on the face and legs. Black: black fur over the entire body. “dull black” is slightly reddish while “raven” is dark and glossy. Brindle: any solid equine color marked with stripes on the majority of the body. This color is extremely rare in horses, ponies and asses but is the only color found in zebras. Brown: black fur over most of the body fading to brown on the muzzle and belly. In donkeys this color has darker legs like a bay. Chestnut: this color, also called Sorrel, is brown ranging from tawny to reddish (a “bloodstone” horse is actually maroon in hue), bronze or chocolate. The mane and tail are the same color or slightly lighter (“flaxen”). Dun: this is either dark Ivory (called “buckskin” or “yellow dun“) or Grulla (called “mouse” or “blue” dun) with black points. Zebra stripes on the legs and mealy markings are common. “Rose dun”, a light pinkish grey with darker points, is a color unique to the donkey. Roses often arise from chestnut and slate parents and a rose that mates with a chestnut always produces slate foals. Frosted: white fur on pink skin with dark brown eyes. Genetically this is a roaned pinto and not a variant of Ivory or White. It is more common in the donkey than in horses. Gray: a gray horse is born black and gradually turns lighter as more and more white hairs appear. A young horse that is predominantly black is said to be “steel gray”, they then become “flecked” (black with occasional clusters of white), then “dappled” (the clusters become clearly defined patches of white) and finally “flea bitten” which is almost pure white with small, scattered patches of black hair. Some lighten even more to “silver” which is pure white fur on black skin. Grulla: this color, called Slate in donkeys, is gray hair on black shin. Often this color has a blue or pinkish tinge. See also dun. Ivory: this color, also known as Cremallo, is light cream, ranging from near white to golden, on pink or tan skin. The mane and tail is the same shade or darker than the body making it look like a white horse with a golden mane and tail. Eyes may be blue, amber, or brown. Palomino: Ivory with a white mane and tail. The perfect palomino is the color of a newly minted gold coin.

Pinto: this color, called “spotted” in donkeys, is large patches of white and another color. It is called piebald if the colors are black and white and skewbald if it is white and any other color but black. Odd colors (two or more colors on white) are also known. Pinto is often called Paint but that is a breed of horse with pinto coloring rather than a hue. Roan: Roan is blue gray (“blue roan”) or reddish chestnut (“strawberry roan”) sprinkled with white hairs for a frosted effect. Arabian horses may have reddish hairs mixed among blue roan for a purple effect but this fades by eight years of age. Roan horses tend to have darker heads and legs while roan donkeys are lighter in these areas. Donkeys may also have dapples with dark centers on a lighter background. Smoky Black: a color unique to the donkey, this hue is actually black dun! The body is black with a visibly darker mane, tail, dorsal stripe, and zebra stripes on the legs. The muzzle is lighter than the body. Tyger: this is the spotted color found in the spotted donkey and the Appaloosa horse. There are several patterns including “leopard” (white with colored spots), “blanket” (dark with a white rump patch), “spotted blanket” (as in “blanket” but with the white patch covered with dark spots), “snowflake” (dark with light spots), marble (solid colored with both darker and lighter spots) and mixtures such as the marbled blanket unicorns in the picture below. Genetically is similar to brindle except that the stripes have broken up into spots however the hooves are still marked with vertical stripes. White: white hair on pink skin. Unlike albino white horses have blue or amber eyes. White horses may have a bluish (porcelain) or yellowish (dirty) tinge.