Four Horsemen
The Four Horsemen, sometimes called the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, are a ruthless group of Egregore bent on preserving order in the purgatorial paradise of Eden. They are the self-appointed representatives of the goddess Mira, though the sect of Ni Hüre Lena believe the Horsemen to be servants of Aiki I who will one day end all things.
Either way, they are a force to be reckoned with. Or to run away from, of course. You could do that, too.
Like all Egregore—and all amici imaginarium, for that matter—the Four Horsemen were brought into existence purely through the power of belief. Therefore, there are only two ways to stop them:
- Everyone commits to the belief that the Four Horsemen are dead and never wavers in that belief, not even for an instant; or,
- Everyone forgets about them
As such, the Horsemen know that all they really need to do to live forever is strike fear into the hearts of the public every once in a while. And they would do that anyway, given that their sole mission is maintain order at all costs.
Members
- Pestilence, who rides a white horse and has the power to visit any plague from any iteration of reality upon the lawless fools of the land
- War, who rides a red horse and has the power to intensify feelings of hatred, jealousy, moral superiority, and the like—all in the service of weeding out the undisciplined through extended, bloody conflicts
- Famine, who rides a black horse and has the power to make plants die and turn foodstuffs to ash—an ability typically reserved for the amoral and the morally corrupt
- Death, who rides an ashen horse and has the power to kill the chaotic with but a look or thought
A Typical Encounter
Though the Horsemen have been seen throughout Eden, they see the Free Cities of Nunya as the greatest corruption of order in the world. As such, they spend quite a bit of time up there in those parts.
A typical encounter with the Horsemen begins with a chill racing up one’s spine, and/or the hairs standing up on one’s arms or the back of one’s neck. You can feel the danger long before you see it.
And you’re not alone.
Somehow, despite most Edenians fear of the Horsemen, few can resist stepping outside of their homes and lining up along the street for judgment. Even when the four figures arrive on horseback and the punishments begin—even then, most folks cannot retreat to safety. No matter how hard they try.
Occasionally, the Horsemen judge a settlement innocent and continue on their way without causing any harm at all. It is believed that visits such as these are a survival tactic. The Horsemen need the people to fear them in order to survive, after all.
Fighting Back
Superstition abounds as to why some folks seem immune to powers of the Horsemen. The most common belief is that the immune are people who fully embrace the chaos of existence and don’t just dabble in the occasional bit of mischief-making or disorderly conduct.
I love this take on the Horsemen. Terrifying, but also made me smile.
Thanks! I'm hoping to illustrate them at some point. Gotta find a reason for Frieda (main character of my comic) to bump into them—once she's got some more experience under her belt and can survive the encounter, of course!