//------------------------------// // SCP-EQ-013 - The Broken Throne // Story: SCP Foundation - Equestrian Files // by DagaYemar //------------------------------// Item # SCP-EQ-013 Object Class: Safe Special Containment Procedures: Each piece of SCP-EQ-013 is to be kept in its own standard storage locker at Site 12 when not in use. Once a week each piece is to be observed for growth and filed down to a chunk no heavier than twenty (20) kilograms, while its locker is scoured for signs of contamination. Shavings are to be incinerated and the furnace observed for remaining traces. Areas where SCP-EQ-013 are deployed are to be constantly monitored by teams of Foundation agents. No piece is to be deployed for longer than seventy-two (72) hours and are to be immediately inspected for growth upon retrieval. Agents tasked with containment of SCP-EQ-013 are to submit themselves for psychiatric analysis upon return from mission. Use of Class C amnestic spells are permitted if deemed necessary. Description: At time of writing, SCP-EQ-013 is the group designation for 182 chunks of stone similar in appearance to jadeite, though with a unique chemical composition. Prior to acquisition all pieces were part of a single structure resembling a spike-backed throne with a number of spindly legs. Each piece of SCP-EQ-013 emits a field that absorbs ambient magic out of any material that enters its range. This field's size is directly proportional to the amount of magic it has consumed, with no upper limit having been confirmed as of this time. Active spells and magical constructs are consumed immediately. Creatures with spell-casting abilities such as unicorns find their natural gifts suppressed, though they do not suffer the fatiguing effects of magic draining and can use their abilities upon vacating the field. Magic stored in artifacts will become completely drained in no less that 20 days. The magic of changelings is the only exception to SCP-EQ-13's properties. SCP-EQ-013 uses stored magic to power to grow, gaining mass through anomalous means at a rate of [REDACTED]. Additionally, any nonliving matter in direct contact slowly transforms into a material similar in appearance to SCP-EQ-013, fusing with it in the process. This transformation's spread is directly proportional to the amount of magic SCP-EQ-013 has stored and can be contained with regular depletion of magic from samples. The new material does not have any magic-draining properties but is capable of shifting its form in a limited fashion, creating walls and entryways that often shift. This is believed to be a way to protect the core from danger by creating a maze-like structure to entrap potential enemies. Structures revert to a dormant state when SCP-EQ-013 is removed but do not return to their original form. Sentient creatures who spend too much time in SCP-QE-013's area of effect start displaying symptoms of altered or corrupted mind states, including paranoia, aggressiveness, selfishness, and/or mania. Intensity of emotions is minimal at first, with most test subjects suffering no long term consequences when exposed for less than one week. Beyond this period, mental disorders grow to become dominant personality traits, but only if the subject is conscious and aware during exposure. Amnestic spells have proven ineffective at returning the original personality when infection reaches this point. Test subjects exposed to SCP-EQ-013 for extended periods of time exhibit symptoms of withdrawal when removed from its presence, often falling into degenerative or destructive mental spirals. Subjects universally report feeling like something unspecified yet important has been taken from their lives and become increasingly violent in their attempts to get it back. SCP-EQ-013 reacts violently to Harmony frequencies. Exposure to such frequencies causes it to expel all magical energies it has absorbed, usually violently. Once expelled, the resultant fragments of SCP-EQ-013 go into a state of dormancy until exposed to magic. Upon reactivation, fragments attempt to fuse back together and exhibit a magnetic force to other pieces in order to facilitate this. Exposure to Harmony frequencies is the only known method to remove SCP-EQ-013's corruption from living creatures, although this treatment will not work if the subject is unwilling. Fire is also effective against SCP-EQ-013, burning it as if it were wood and leaving only trace remnants of ash. SCP-EQ-013 was discovered in the ruins of the old changeling hive in a remote area of the badlands. While the similarities to the genetic make-up of unreformed changelings greatly resemble SCP-EQ-013 in many aspects, it is unconfirmed at this point whether this is due to extreme exposure or coincidence. SCP-EQ-013's atomic makeup contains elements from non-terrestrial origins which are believed to be the source of its anomalous nature. Geological analysis of the surrounding strata plus the shape of the nearby crags implies an impact in the distant past, supporting this theory. It is currently believed that if it had originally landed in a place with more active magic, it's spread might have been catastrophic. Addendum: Due to a large number of requests from field agents, a proposal to test the use SCP-EQ-013 in the field was put forth and agreed upon by the O5 Council. Thirty pieces were transported to [REDACTED] and employed as part of a contest designed to hide the test. For a full account of the incident, see File MS-904. During the test the pieces of SCP-EQ-013 performed their role, but side effects became apparent quicker than expected. Signs of instability and megalomania in both embedded agents and nearby civilians, including REDACTED, were reported, and scouring of the surrounding stonework revealed signs of transformation. All pieces were accounted for and reclaimed, and the testing site scrubbed of all influence. Upon review, it was decided by a 4 to 3 vote of the O5 Council to allow SCP-EQ-013 to be used under strict conditions, should the need arise for quick anti-magic containment be required. The containment procedures have been updated and reclassification to Thaumiel pending further testing.