NT-0080-Templum-Acheron

Link to article: NT-0080-Templum-Acheron.

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+* Threat Entity Database Entry

[[size large]]**Threat ID:**[[/size]]

NT-0080-Templum-Acheron -- "Acheron: The City of the Dead"

[[size large]]**Authorized Response Level:**[[/size]]
##4fafe3|[[size 250%]] 0 [[/size]]## (PANGAEA Special Assets)

[[size large]]**Description:**[[/size]]

NT-0080, otherwise known as the Necromanteion of Acheron, is an underground necropolis housing prominent members of the Orphism Mystery group, which has recently been inducted by the United Occult Mysteries (UOM) of the Council of 108 (C108). The Orphism Mystery hosts numerous necromantic and reanimation rituals incorporating thaumaturgic techniques that have yet to be adequately defined by ICSUT personnel. However, its methodology has been granted to PTOLEMY R&D.

The temperature inside averages 6.5°C (43.7°F), which remains consistent throughout varying seasons. In addition, a dense fog (~1.2 g/m^^3^^) covers most of the ground, except for the Paddings and within the rivers. A lighter layer of fog (~0.05 g/m^^3^^) hovers above every body of water and ends at the Riverise.

[[include component:image-block name=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8a/Narsinga_%28a_view%2C_1588.jpg|align=center|width=80%|caption=A drawing of Acheron’s first necropolis rendition, dating back to the 1500s. It is unclear as to why there is a sky present in this drawing.]]

> **NOTE REGARDING ENTRY**
> 
> If you are scheduled for an appointment with an individual residing in NT-0080 or plan to travel there for extenuating circumstances, please consult your operations supervisor, occupational healthcare provider, and mystic specialist for extensive briefing. 
> 
> Ensure you submit your narcotics screening, psychological evaluation results, and reason for entry two weeks before your travels. 
>  
> Further information can be obtained from your facility manager.

[[size large]]**Rules of Engagement:**[[/size]]

##green|Updated on February 27th, 2022.##

**Preamble:** In concordance with the Persephone Treaty, drafted posthumously by PSYCHE Ambassador Alice Priya in collaboration with Visage, Acheron Vice of the Soothsayers, the Global Occult Coalition will be permitted to operate jointly with the Oracles of Acheron. In exchange for Acheron's necromantic rituals, the Global Occult Coalition will guarantee the necropolis’ security using its available resources and will collaborate in identifying the culprit responsible for the Lapse.

> [[=]]
> [[span style="font-size: 2.5em; font-weight: bold; color: #275495;"]]PERSEPHONE TREATY[[/span]]
> [[span style="font-size: 1.3em; color: #424248;"]]PSYCHE AMBASSADOR BRANCH[[/span]]
> [[/=]]
> 
> ------
> 
> **PSYCHE Diplomacy Acheron Committee**
> **Sponsors:** D.C. al Fine, Alice Priya^^†^^, Orphism Sect, Vices of Acheron
> **Signatories:** PSYCHE Ambassadors Branch, PNEUMA EXSEC Branch, PANGAEA SAD,  United Occult Mysteries, Soothsayer Division, Pilgrim Division
> **Topic:** “The relationship between the GOC and the Necromanteion of Acheron and its residents with the Orphism Mystery.”
> 
> The United Nations Global Occult Coalition and the Vices of Acheron,
> 
> ##09083b|__Having further studied__## the properties of the Necromanteion of Acheron, both under the purview of the posthumous Supervisory Ambassador Alice Priya of the PSYCHE Division and Assistant Director Fiona of the PTOLEMY Division,
> 
> ##09083b|__Declaring__## Acheron as a safe state devoid of malice confirmed by the Orphism Sect of the United Occult Mysteries and PNEUMA Division,
> 
> ##09083b|__Realizing__## the significance, symbolically, functionally, and morally of Acheron’s existence in transporting the dead to safety under just judgment,
> 
> ##09083b|__Guided by__## the necromantic knowledge of the Vices and Oracles of Acheron and the former WPO Physician Azrael Silver under Vice supervision,
> 
> ##09083b|__Keeping in mind__## the Lapse and its impact on Coalition resources and personnel,
> 
> 1. ##09083b|__Accepts__## the sovereignty of Acheron and respects its autonomous working and independent status;
> 
> 2.  ##09083b|__Expresses its hopes__## to preserve Acheron’s existence because of its significant role in mortality and death;
> 
> 3.  ##09083b|__Authorizes__## Coalition resources and personnel to operate jointly with the Oracles and Vices of Acheron, respecting the privacy of all residing Wayfarers, Nomads, and Gazers and the guidance of Acheron Oracles;
> 
> 4.  ##09083b|__Calls upon__## the Global Occult Coalition’s armed forces and its PHYSICS Division to ensure the security of Acheron against hostile forces;
> 
> 5.  ##09083b|__Authorizes__## investigative operations by questioning Echoes and spirits under acceptable terms set by the Vices;
> 
> 6.  ##09083b|__Authorizes__## the PANGAEA Division to open a committee dedicated to the operations and maintenance of Acheron in collaboration with the Orphism Sect;
> 
> 7.  ##09083b|__Calls upon__## the Global Occult Coalition to recognize the Necromanteion of Acheron as an official Coalition command facility.

> Thank you, Alice.
> 
> **–PANGAEA-PTOLEMY R&D Coordinator Azrael Silver, Acheron Committee**

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[[=]]
+ PSYCHE RECORDS
[[/=]]

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||~ RECORDED MEETING LOG||

**Time and Date:** 1439 EST; 26/06/2019

**Preamble:** Undersecretary-General D.C. al Fine addresses the Council of 108 regarding the GOC’s use and tolerance of NT-0080’s existence.

------

**Leonardo, Bavarian Illuminati:** How do you know my name?

**D.C. al Fine:** Otherwise, there won't be a next time.

//Leonardo’s face is petrified.//

**Leonardo, Bavarian Illuminati:** You just proved my point. You’re using Acheron for your own corrupted agenda.

**D.C. al Fine:** With a mind as conservative as yours, Leonardo, I find that highly hypocritical.

**Leonardo, Bavarian Illuminati:** You’ll burn for this.

**D.C. al Fine:** For what? Throughout this—for fuck sake. Moderator, suspend this caucus and go into an unmoderated one. Five minutes.

**Moderator:** Yes, ma’am.

//A strip of text appears above Al Fine, reading “UNMOD.”//

**D.C. al Fine:** I have not heard a single speck of fact or truth from you. Only echoes of rumors I grow tired of listening to every day without any foundation. Tell me, Your Illuminated, what is your evidence?

//Silence.//

**D.C. al Fine:** Any. Just any. A recording, a witness account, a damn file.

//Silence.//

**D.C. al Fine:** That’s what I thought.

**Leonardo, Bavarian Illuminati:** The truth will find its way. It always does, whether you like it or not. You can’t keep hiding away from it.

**D.C. al Fine:** That’s the first fact you’ve said so far. Yes, you’re correct. It will.

//Al Fine adjusts the collar of her suit.//

**D.C. al Fine:** Tell me, delegates: do you really think I need Acheron to know who you are? We stand before a chamber revered for its sacred open dialogue. But open dialogue does not welcome lies and disinformation.

**Viktoria, Keepers of the Hidden Door:** If you’re so fed up with lies, answer us this then...

//Viktoria’s projection expands before Al Fine, replacing Leonardo’s.//

**Viktoria, Keepers of the Hidden Door:** Why are you committed to keeping Acheron?

//Al Fine closes her eyes. After a moment, they open again.//

**Moderator:** Four minutes remain.

**D.C. al Fine:** You know, I had a mentality once where my fear of another war froze my judgment. Only now, when it thawed, did I realize how hellbent I was with extremities.

//Al Fine chuckles.//

**D.C. al Fine:** I’ve been sending fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, humans into battle, convincing myself it was for a cause worth fighting—convincing myself their sacrifice is worth it.

//Al Fine grips her mouth.//

**D.C. al Fine:** I can no longer comfort myself with that lie.

//Al Fine covers her eyes, her teeth gritted.//

**D.C. al Fine:** While the scale paralyzed me, people around me talked numbers like they meant nothing. “Another 100 dead, we need to find replacements.” “How do we recover financially from this?” “Undersecretary, you need to wake up. Another 500 were declared DOA. We need to recover their bodies.” 

**Moderator:** Three minutes remain.

//Al Fine looks into Viktoria’s eyes.//

**D.C. al Fine:** That’s why I kept Acheron.

//Viktoria squints, lazily rubbing her ear lobe.//

**Viktoria, Keepers of the Hidden Door:** I’m sorry, I don’t think I’m on the same page.

**D.C. al Fine:** You’re not. If there’s an opportunity where I can give the dead a battle they’re proud of dying in, I would grab onto it without remorse. If we can tell them that it’ll be okay and assure them their deaths weren’t in vain, why wouldn’t we seize that opportunity? If we can avoid sending lives into battle, what reason is there to prevent us from exploring that alternative? Do we submit to my old mindset again? Treat people as if they’re numbers? What becomes of us then?

//Viktoria frowns, resting her head on her hand.//

**Viktoria, Keepers of the Hidden Door:** This alternative... you’re talking about TACNEC, right?

**D.C. al Fine:** It’s only one of the multitude of benefits—an army of corpses who feel nothing but the desire to protect their families one last time.

**Viktoria, Keepers of the Hidden Door:** That seems highly unethical.

**D.C. al Fine:** Not as much as sending living people into hell. TACNEC operatives are not living, nor do they feel.

**Viktoria, Keepers of the Hidden Door:** But isn’t the GOC’s primary objective to destroy these paranormal phenomena, not create them? 

**D.C. al Fine:** Last time I checked, Viktoria, Protection supersedes Destruction, and Survival supplants all.

**Moderator:** Two minutes.

//Viktoria groans.//

**Viktoria, Keepers of the Hidden Door:** What does any of this have to do with Survival?

**D.C. al Fine:** EVERYTHING!

//Viktoria shoots up from her lethargy, bewildered. Al Fine’s voice echoes across the abyss.//

**D.C. al Fine:** We don’t kill without reason. Destroying Acheron is killing the dead. Forgoing this opportunity means you’re not willing to change. Change is uncomfortable, but if it will save me from the sight of another child begging for their parents to return from a fight I sent them into, then I will welcome it without hesitation.

//Al Fine steps toward Viktoria, who flinches.//

**D.C. al Fine:** If I must fight with an army of the dead—if it means it’ll save lives—I will.

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[[=]]
+ PTOLEMY RECORDS
[[/=]]

Acheron reflects interpretations of the underworld from common Greek mythology, housing the deceased and enabling mortals to commune with them. It serves as a resting place and a necromanteion.[[footnote]]A Greek temple devoted to necromancy, the occult practice of communicating with the dead.[[/footnote]]

Upon an individual’s death, their spirits are metaphysically transported to Acheron via katabasis with the guidance of a psychopomp.[[footnote]]A guide who transports spirits via boat.[[/footnote]] They are then presented with three options. Depending on their choice, they become either of the following ectomorphs:[[footnote]]Also colloquially called wandering souls or ghosts.[[/footnote]]

> We have yet to determine if //every// human wound up in Acheron upon death.
> 
> PTOLEMY is well aware that there are different interpretations of death, not only by humanity but also by reality. Thus, there are different fates we meet once we die.
> 
> Not everyone is sent to Acheron once they die. But a majority certainly is. At least those who follow the constraints of reality.
> 
> I don’t know if someone above heaven is pulling strings here, but Alice finding herself in Acheron feels too coincidental.
> 
> The current theory circulating involves her connection to Azrael. Things are still blurry, and PNEUMA’s black ink only worsens it.
> 
> **–PTOLEMY R&D Dr. Warlock, ICSUT Zurich Campus**

------


[[size large]]**Locations:**[[/size]]

On the surface, the only mode of entry into Acheron is through the temple at the apex of a five-story ziggurat.[[footnote]]Because of its previously burdensome nature, a helipad has been constructed to conveniently transport Coalition personnel to the structure.[[/footnote]] 

The ziggurat is made of a blend of both steel and adobe, with an open portal with four overhead archways connecting two side stairs and the central ramp. A stream of water emanating from Acheron splits the middle of the front ramp, its chemical properties temporally aberrant. Each story contains garden terraces of undefined plant species that seem indefinitely wilted. The third floor includes greenhouses constructed by R&D personnel to study the biology of these species. 

Further architectural and biochemical studies are required to define the structure’s properties fully; however, its facade does not pose a significant Third Mission concern for its present purpose.

> Don’t bother trying to climb those stairs.
> 
> Unless you’re on a cut or want to get your cardio in, climbing those stairs in full-body gear will guarantee fuck your body up.
> 
> I know that because we wake up every day at 0400 to climb those damned stairs since some smartass recommended using it as PT.
> 
> I swear to the lord above I will send that guy to Acheron one day. And in the way involving a bullet.
>  
> **–PHYSICS Captain “Vamp,” Strike Team 1039 “Ravenous”**

The underground section of Acheron, also known as **The Necropolis or The “City of the Dead,”** spans approximately 714.3 m high and takes up a 10 km radius of land before a mist-like smoke shrouds the outbound sections away. Expeditions beyond this established territory are forbidden.

[[include :scp-wiki:component:image-block-peppo
|name=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8d/Gothic_architecture_in_France%2C_England%2C_and_Italy_%281915%29_%2814758671786%29.jpg
|caption=An artist’s depiction of a residential building’s exterior wall.
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Further scanning reveals that Acheron, rather than being located in a separate dimension, is dug 60 km beneath the Earth’s surface, its distance shortened through unknown means by the Riverise.

The buildings mirror a fuse of both Gothic and Corinthian order architecture with Brutalist accents. These include prominent columns with curved shafts, pointed arches, flying buttresses, spires (said to mimic stalagmites), heavy use of a hybrid material reminiscent of steel, and prominent tracery. This immense diversity is present in all of Acheron’s architectonics, prominently originating from Greece, but includes subtle Roman, French, and even Soviet influences.

Its roads are paved with gravel-like paths made of lead. Despite its noxious abundance, the narcotics provided by Charon enable a mortal to traverse Acheron with no adverse effects. Before Coalition entry, residents used candles and lanterns as light sources.

> To this day, pharmaceutical specialists still struggle to identify the narcotics Charon gives us.
> 
> There’s an indefinite, seemingly self-renewing half-life, which takes effect almost instantaneously upon stepping into the temple.
> 
> At first, you don’t notice the effects at all. It makes the halting of your heart seamless as if it was natural.
> 
> It’s only when you want to take a big breath that you realize your lungs have gone cold.
> 
> I quote the Oracles: 
> 
> “Mortals must be brought to the brink of death for them to walk on Acheron’s paths. And for them to communicate with the dead, they must come close to the border separating the living and the dead.”
> 
> I assure you, if you do visit Acheron, this feeling isn’t “painful,” but it’s definitely uncomfortable once you become conscious of it.
> 
> And we’re obliged to inform everyone of the narcotics’ effects before entry of course, but once you take it, do your best to distract yourself.
> 
> **–PANGAEA-PTOLEMY R&D Coordinator Azrael Silver, Acheron Committee**

The city also contains numerous speleothem structures. The ceiling comprises numerous hanging stalactites. Large columns with a mean radius of 10.8 meters act as natural supports for the cavern, of which roundabout roads typically encircle them with various buildings facing the column.

**The Great Rivers of the Underworld** are five rivers joined by the Acheron River that contain temporal abnormalities, causing them to move backward in time. Each river symbolically represents a trial of which a Wayfarer ectomorph must complete.

> **Trials of the Five Rivers:** An assessment of the Wayfarer’s character one must complete to achieve anabasis[[footnote]]Also known as the afterlife.[[/footnote]] by crossing the five Great Rivers of the Underworld in the following order: 
> * **Acheron, the River of Woe,** the largest of all, interconnecting all Wayfarers and is the mode of entry for both ectomorphs and mortals. Pilgrims also use this river for Submergence.
> * **Styx, the River of Hate,** encountered upon the Wayfarer’s second week, rendering them incommunicable upon forced river water ingestion. It is ceremoniously known as the Wayfarer's official induction into the Trials.
> * **Phlegethon, the River of Fire,** where Wayfarers are judged. The river is specifically designed to identify and leave delinquents to boil for five years as atonement.
> * **Cocytus, the Marsh,** where following a criminal’s stay in Phlegethon, they plead to their victims’ mirages indefinitely until they are forgiven.
> * **Lethe, the River of Forgetfulness,** whose properties are the most mysterious of the five and is considered the final test to determine if a Wayfarer is fit for anabasis.

> I remember seeing a Wayfarer during his trials. He emerged from the Styx, crawling on his knees, translucent with the water on him, slowly crawling back into the river.
> 
> He turned back to meet my eyes. It looked like he was panting, even when he wasn’t breathing.
> 
> He had no mouth.
> 
> But with his foggy eyes alone, I could tell he was smiling at me.
> 
> So I smiled back.
> 
> **–PHYSICS Sergeant “Leer,” Assessment Team 702 “Forsaken Templars”**

**The Waterise** is a body of water connecting the ziggurat temple entrance to the Acheron River, exemplifying the water’s temporal abnormalities by moving upward against gravity. Objects on the Waterise will subsequently break the laws of gravity and ascend to the entrance alongside the water. Its primary purpose is to give Charon and other psychopomps the ability to safely transport beings and objects from the outer world to the underground necropolis.

> It’s a sight to kill. On the Waterise and entering Acheron, you can see lights spanning kilometers beneath an opaque, rocky sky. It’s quite beautiful. Jarring, especially when the center of gravity is supposed to be in front of you, not on the water the boat rides.
>  
> It’s also a poetic sight.
>  
> The Vices express how the water’s reversion is not by mistake.
> 
> When someone dies, the usual thoughts the Oracles and the psychopomps immediately find from the dead are, “I don’t want to die,” “I can’t die yet,” “I want to be alive again,” and “If I could turn back time..."
> 
> It wasn’t a surprising revelation to me at least. It made sense.
> 
> But what surprised me was how this collective thought—a consensus, I would say—made the water here this way. The sheer desire to go back and return to the living realm made Acheron’s waters reverse in time.
>  
> People wanted to turn back time and live life again.
> 
> Having inhaled the narcotics, anyone who visits here would agree how comforting it is to have a beating heart and a pair of breathing lungs.
> 
> It’s humbling.
> 
> What haunts the Oracles is that if the waters were to stop moving the way they are today and return to the normal traversal of time, Acheron would be cut off. And that would signal to the Oracles that humanity would no longer wish to live.
> 
> I remember the shiver that crawled into the back of my head. And that day, I prayed a gospel I didn’t expect myself to conjure up: I hope the waters never return to normalcy.
> 
> **–PANGAEA-PTOLEMY R&D Coordinator Azrael Silver, Acheron Committee**

The Waterise is considered part of the Acheron River, which is connected to a large body of water named **The Hart Lake** that serves as the city’s central hub, with each of the five Great Rivers connected to it and spanning out at various directions Northward. Most of the water currents of Hart Lake move toward the Waterise rather than being sourced from it, further obfuscating the origins of the water.

**The Paddings** refers to a set of labyrinths Northeast of Hart Lake. Within its rugged halls are ex-voto artifacts, such as funerary vases, bas reliefs, and marble sculptures of various Greek myths and other unknown figures. Its maze-like layout constantly changes, requiring Soothsayer guidance to coordinate through its halls properly.

The abnormal composition of the walls leads to an audio-suppressive effect, allowing mortals to close their eyes indefinitely without adverse effects.

> I remember the first “expedition” into this maze. The Soothsayer insisted on staying with the team, guaranteeing they’d be lost if left to their own devices.
> 
> Dear God was I glad she stuck with us.
> 
> I remember throwing a glow stick behind us so we knew where we were before.
> 
> After a couple of seconds of throwing my last one, we decided to turn back. The route the Soothsayer guided us through did not see a single one of my glowsticks.
> 
> I have a feeling there’s something more than just a simple “reassortment” to this place.
> 
> We passed by familiar artifacts, but they weren’t where we saw them to be last time.
> 
> A certain vase that was next to a statue with a sword was now separated.
> 
> I asked the Soothsayer why this place was like this. She said, “It’s complicated.”
> 
> Story of my fucking life.
>  
> **–PHYSICS Captain “Vamp,” Strike Team 1039 “Ravenous”**

For more information regarding the assigned Coalition districts in Acheron, please refer to document NT0080/ACH_DISTRICTS/034.

------

[[size large]]**Population:**[[/size]]

**Wayfarer:** An ectomorph who recently expired (up to three weeks since death) undergoing the Trials of the Five Rivers.

Wayfarers are rare to spot. They can be occasionally spotted within the Acheron River or telescopically beyond the Borders. They exhibit no heat nor any EVE signature. Thus, the primary identification method is via footage and consultation with Acheron Soothsayers or Pilgrims. They are otherwise harmless.

**Nomad:** An ectomorph who chooses not to complete the Trials of the Five Rivers and is cursed to a perpetual non-physical existence. They are also considered “residents” as the buildings Acheron provides as their final domicile. Nomads exist on different planes of reality, allowing them to coexist without concerns of overpopulation or deficit in housing.

Nomads can be communicated with with the assistance of a Soothsayer. Under no circumstances should any Coalition personnel attempt to speak with one alone due to psychological concerns.

> Soothsayers are the Oracles who deal with the Nomads, as their forced blindness and hearing allow them to perceive Nomads at a scope humans can never achieve.
> 
> That said, they’re very accustomed to their voices.
> 
> The problem with why we’re forbidden from mimicking Soothsayers by shutting our eyes is the sheer amount of voices.
> 
> Nomads walk alongside us everywhere we go in Acheron. And at the same time, each exists on different “levels of existence,” as I call it.
> 
> It’s like floors to a building, except they’re all compressed into one single floor. 
> 
> Essentially, the population exists all at once in the same place simultaneously, just at different perceptive “floors.”
> 
> But for mortals and Soothsayers, if we close our eyes, we will hear every single one of those floors simultaneously.
> 
> Imagine your brain taking in thousands of entire autobiographies in a single second. It’ll flood and fry your brain.
> 
> As to how the Soothsayers can do that, it has something to do with their ability to sift and manage the noise.
>  
> **–PHYSICS Private “Prophet,” Assessment Team 702 “Forsaken Templars”**

**Gazer:** An ectomorph who chose to complete the Trials of the Five Rivers but failed. As part of redemption, they are eternally condemned to the marshes of Cocytus and forced to obtain forgiveness from victims upon whom they’ve inflicted pain. 

Depending on the individual, a Gazer may attempt to coerce Coalition personnel into “freeing” them by shaming, guilt-tripping, and begging. No known physical mechanisms exist to free these subjects, and Coalition personnel are restricted from researching this topic per the Persephone Treaty.

Gazers are physically similar to Nomads, except they are permanently bound to the Marshes of Cocytus. Because of their social status, the Oracles and Vices often hold grudges and detestment against Gazers, with few exceptions for those who express genuine regret.

> Unlike Nomads, Gazers don’t care if your eyes are closed to talk to you.
> 
> I can’t express how compelling it is to help them. It’s not because they’re trying to deceive you. It’s because they’re genuine cries for help.
> 
> I suggest investing in earmuffs.
> 
> **–PHYSICS Private “Prophet,” Assessment Team 702 “Forsaken Templars”**

------

[[size large]]**The Oracles:**[[/size]]

**Oracle** is an umbrella term for a necromancer capable of establishing communications with the dead to varying degrees and with various prerequisites.

[[include :scp-wiki:component:image-block-peppo
|name=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b8/Jean-Baptiste-Camille_Corot_-_Orpheus_Leading_Eurydice_from_the_Underworld_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg
|caption=Orpheus leading Eurydice out of the underworld.
|width=400px
]]

**The Orphism Mystery** is a collective that praises the underworld and afterlife, who have since been responsible for Acheron’s maintenance. Their center of religion revolves around Orpheus, a Greek seer, most renowned for his attempts to save his wife, Eurydice, from the underworld and her death. Orphism members are experiential Oracles, capable of communicating with the dead, and ectomorph seers, who supervise a spirit’s journey to rebirth. They mirror the inverted tale of Orpheus and Eurydice by guiding lost spirits through Acheron’s trials.

**The Vices of Acheron** are the heads of the Orphism Mystery, overseeing the occult operations of Acheron. There are three Vices:
* __Vestige:__ Head of the Pilgrims and emissary of Persephone, the Queen of the Underworld.
* __Visage:__ Head of the Soothsayers and Zeus’ voice, the King of the Gods.
* __Astral:__ Codename for the GOC’s Head of TACNEC. Derives symbolism from Hades, the God of the Dead.

**Soothsayers** are oratory Oracles capable of speaking with the Echoes of a human soul.

An obsidian mask covers their eyes, which they are prohibited from removing, and a chained mask hangs from beneath, partially covering their mouths. They don a set of black robes made of wool, satiny, and silk, with the addition of other unknown textile materials. They are easily identifiable by their cuff openings that typically extend toward their knees. Their skin is colored dim gray and is often only visible from the lower portions of their face and hands.

> [[=]]
> **RULES FOR AN INTERLOCUTION RITUAL**
> [[/=]]
> 
> ------
>  
> **Interlocution** refers to a ritual strictly carried out by a Soothsayer meant to commune with otherwise unreachable individuals by convening with their Echo.
> 
> An **Echo** refers to a spirit’s fingerprint left on reality, one of the few extraplanar relics of a human’s existence left behind indefinitely once they die.
> 
> A Soothsayer often convenes with an Echo to retrieve crucial information, as an Echo is incapable of lying. This does not remove their ability to deceive, thus, how information is presented in what sequence and manner must be noted.
> 
> The primary issue is not about an Echo’s honesty but rather its retention. The longer the individual has been dead, the more disconnected the Echo will be, often seeing rapid decomposition in memory and self after two weeks. However, the rate of an Echo’s decay is highly variable, some with memories lasting for months while others immediately dissipate upon death. This variation has made Interlocution a very unpredictable method to extract information.
>  
> By communicating with an Echo, an individual is not speaking to a spirit but rather remnants of one. As a result, one may encounter an **Errata:** an Echo that may yield fatal effects, primarily using visual and/or auditory memetic kill agents. Most Erratas behave entirely unhuman with no semblance of their previous self.
>  
> Communicating with an Echo and a person’s spirit are two entirely separate concepts. An Echo is //not// a spirit and should not be treated as one, regardless of how similar one may seem.
> 
> ##red|If you encounter an Errata, do not make eye contact, do not move, and cover your ears. A Retrieval Team will extract you.##
>  
> Because of an Echo’s indefinite properties, Soothsayers can summon them anytime. However, the summoned subject must be dead—living Echoes display extreme variability, leading to fatal instability in the ritual’s interworking should they be called upon.
> 
> Soothsayers navigate the Paddings until they find a room with an appropriate clay vase to perform the ritual. Upon entry, breaking one’s line of sight with the doorway leading into the room will cause it to disappear, which must happen before the ritual occurs.
> 
> The Soothsayer will kneel and reach out to the vase, clasping onto both sides with their head tilted down. After ~60 seconds of silence, the vase’s interior geometry will expand and become noneuclidian, and the summoned Echo can be heard and interacted with from the vase.
> 
> Unlike a Pilgrim, Soothsayers are incapable of projecting a subject’s body and are limited to oratory forms of communication.
> 
>> __February 3rd, 2022:__
>> 
>> Because of the unstable and unpredictable nature behind Interlocution, PNEUMA operatives, GOC HICOM, and authorized personnel are the only individuals allowed to witness the ritual and the subsequent interactions with a summoned subject.
>> 
>> Investigative operations will typically use Interlocution to retrieve intel from otherwise unavailable sources. However, it is generally deemed a last resort if conventional intelligence assets are limited.
>> 
>> Further testing is required to allow regular personnel to summon an Echo.

Soothsayers are also capable of detecting lies from both living and dead. Although the origins of this ability remain unknown, it is inferred their keen hearing, imposed blindness, and acquaintance with Echoes have granted them this ability.

**Pilgrims** are visual-centric Oracles specialized in summoning a deceased subject’s spirit shortly after death. Ironic to their abilities, Pilgrims have sacrificed their physical bodies to the Acheron River. The details of such mechanisms remain deliberately unanswered by the Vices. This ritual is called **Astral Projection.**

The following prerequisites are required to successfully execute an Astral Projection:
# The spirit must be dead.
# The spirit’s corpse cannot have expired for more than one week.
# The spirit must accept the Pilgrim’s call.
# The caller[[footnote]]Refers to the individual reaching out to the spirit.[[/footnote]] must not intervene with the Pilgrim’s ritual.
# The caller must present a physical object or artifact tied explicitly to the spirit they are calling.
# The caller must submerge themselves into the Acheron River with their arms, ankles, and neck exposed.
# If the caller cannot fulfill the previous requirement, they may bring the spirit’s corpse instead.
# If the caller cannot fulfill the previous two requirements, they may provide the Pilgrim the spirit’s True Name instead.[[footnote]]Every human has a name assigned to them. However, unique nuances in pronouncing one’s name is what truly separates them—this is called a Name (for those who can pronounce it) or a True Name (for those who cannot). For example, “Emily” and “Emily” are spelled the same. But knowing one of their Names allows someone to distinguish the two regardless of spelling.[[/footnote]]
# The Pilgrim must agree with the caller’s spoken intentions. Callers who infract their words will be barred from Astral Projection indefinitely.

An important note is that Astral Projection is impossible if the spirit has been dead for over a week. Any attempts beyond this time constraint will result in an unanswered call. This is because crossing the Acheron River into the necropolis requires a week of travel for spirits, and after completion, they are required to become an ectomorph. From thereon after, the spirit is non-communicable and irretrievable.

The Vices and Coalition command have agreed to enable GOC personnel who have recently lost a family member or significant other to consult with a Pilgrim, allowing a chance to converse with them in otherwise impossible circumstances. 

**TACNEC:** [[collapsible show="FOR COMMAND EYES ONLY" hide="ERROR: CLEARANCE OVERRIDDEN"]]

> TACNEC has been a highly controversial topic for both the Council and Orphism Mystery.
> 
> You’ve probably heard the rumors already. People say its redaction and closed lips are kind of redundant. 
> 
> I argue it’s entirely unnecessary.
> 
> TACNEC involves the resurrection of corpses. Not people, not spirits, nor ectomorphs: corpses. We imbue them with the blood of the thaumaturgic practitioner, carrying the willpower for something meant to stay eternally frozen.
> 
> This is done using a quillon dagger. The hilt must be made of mahogany, representing strength and resilience, and the dagger of the same steel holding up Acheron’s buildings, with a mercury sigil trap to contain the backlash.
> 
> Truthfully, the Vices assisted me by providing the necessary equations, runes, and sigils to enact the effects. And so, once you’ve poured blood on the dagger, used the right formulas, and channeled your desperation to change the past, you’ll bring ambition so fiery that only a single spark is needed to rekindle the fire. And from there, that passion will give their bodies the energy to walk the Earth again.
> 
> No, the corpses feel nothing. They’re walking p-zombies, essentially. They retain the necessary cognitive and logical functions but lack meaningful experiences to form memories, feelings, and emotions. That includes pain. 
> 
> We call them **Zeds.**
> 
> Underneath garments, clothing, and their regular equipment, they can operate under the guise of a regular human. But take off their balaclava, and you’ll see a skull. Zeds are completely devoid of skin, only retaining their bone structure. Their skeletal structure is strengthened by a bioengineered osteoblast cell containing an altered allele that induces a controlled form of osteosarcoma—bone cancer. 
> 
> The allele altered in the cell’s genome has led to some variation in their skeletal formation, some with broader clavicles, spikes protruding from parts of their bodies, or even horns growing on their skulls. 
> 
> Who we decide to resurrect into a Zed varies. Some originate from militaries of ancient civilizations (who still prefer traditional melee) to dead PHYSICS operatives who retain a sizable bulk of their anti-parathreat training. They are capable of learning, and many of the restrictions typical humans often feel, such as stamina, are removed, enabling them to endure intolerable conditions and satisfy otherwise impossible tasks. Thus, an ancient resurrected militant is capable of adapting to 21st-century tactics.
> 
> Run 100 km to deliver a message? They’ll sprint all the way, unfaltering. Dive into a heavily irradiated battlefield? They don’t need a hazmat for that. Safely escort a high-value individual covertly? So long as they keep every part of their bodies hidden, they can keep watch endlessly.
> 
> Nifty strengths. The drawbacks however, relate to the practitioner commanding them.
> 
> Although Zeds are capable of learning and training, they function similarly to computers. If you do not provide concise and clear instructions, how they execute a mission varies. Like any operation, there’s a difference between a single-sentence and an entire briefing. Strategy and battlefield literacy are a //must.// 
> 
> Zeds, under the command of an inexperienced practitioner, often stand around like immobile sentries. They default to a guard post when not provided with specialized instructions. When someone is shooting at them, they’ll react accordingly but are all the more susceptible to ambushes, flanking, and surprises. And when they are all destroyed, it will not be their ineptitude that is at fault, but rather the practitioner’s competence.
> 
> Speaking of destruction, osteosarcoma can only do so much to strengthen one’s bone. And with our present understanding of sarcomas, its benefits remain fairly limited. Zeds expire once their skull is destroyed and are especially vulnerable to any forms of blunt trauma or GSWs. A direct baseball to their neck will detach their head from the rest of their torso, rendering them inoperable.
> 
> Of course, I didn’t do this to bring anyone back. I know that’s impossible now. But I know that this will save lives.
> 
> Archaic as it sounds, I prefer an army of the dead to a breathing one. If it means we can take control of the preventable deaths we incur, we can rest easy knowing we don’t need to rob families of their loved ones.
> 
> A scorched Earth, an ocean of acid, or a sky of metal, unlike us, none of that will matter to them. 
> 
> After all, they’re already dead.
> 
> **–PANGAEA-PTOLEMY R&D Coordinator Azrael Silver, Acheron Committee**

PHYSICS command is still reviewing the proposal to establish **Strike Team H666: Hellraisers.**

[[/collapsible]]

> Remember,
> 
> You cannot bring the dead back.
> 
> **–PANGAEA-PTOLEMY R&D Coordinator Azrael Silver, Acheron Committee**

@@ @@

[[div style="border-bottom:2px solid #777; margin-bottom:1px;"]]
[[/div]]
[[div style="border-bottom:1px solid #777;"]]
[[/div]]

[[=]]
+ PTOLEMY RECORDS
[[/=]]

> 
> [[=]]
> ||~ WORLD PARAHEALTH ORGANIZATION: ACHERON COMMITTEE|| 
> [[/=]]
> 
> [[=image https://scp-wiki.wdfiles.com/local--files/fragment%3Ascp-8484-2/wpo.png width="100px"]]
> 
> ------
> 
> The WPhO’s Acheron Committee acknowledges concerns raised by fellow practicing psychiatrists, paranormal bioethicists, and Saturnus University’s psychology department.
> 
> However, regarding the recency of the Lapse, a significant portion of the GOC’s population has exhibited symptoms of PTSD and other psychologically traumatic ailments.
> 
> This committee has decided with the upbringing of the Persephone Treaty, compounded with this widespread psychological issue present in the Coalition, we are proposing a study that enables cohorts to interact with Acheron Pilgrims and assess whether psychiatric well-being can be retrieved using Astral Projection.

Despite internal organizational friction, the WPO inevitably agreed to conduct psychiatric trials with Acheron Pilgrims to assess the viability of using Astral Projection as a form of therapy.

The following contains example trials provided by WPO records with the consent of participants.

------

[[size large]]**Subject 1: Samantha Briar, PTOLEMY R&D**[[/size]]

Samantha Briar is a PTOLEMY R&D Supervisory Researcher. She works in the Wilkes Lab, a biochemical laboratory employing thaumatokinetics.

[[div class="blockquote"]]
||~ CAMERA FOOTAGE TRANSCRIPTION||

**Date:** January 19th, 2016

**Location:** I-35, Oklahoma City

------

//The camera is attached below the rearview mirror, the rear windscreen in the center with a driver at the bottom right corner. There is a phone ringing, which then is answered.//

**Lanny:** Hello?

//Samantha Briar picks up her cellphone, another hand on the steering wheel as she drives down a freeway.//

**Sam:** Jesus, Lanny, I’ve been ringing for ages. 

**Lanny:** S-sorry, who is this?

**Sam:** Come on. Nebraska? Yellowstone? Richard, me, and you and Danny?”

**Lanny:** Sam?

**Sam:** There you go. Hey, look, I know this is long overdue, but I’ve just been stumped with paperwork.

**Lanny:** Uh—

**Sam:** I don’t have much time. Just let Richard know I got the toys for the little one. He’s going to be ecstatic.

//Sam chuckles.//

**Lanny:** Sam, just... wait.

**Sam:** Sorry, no time. I’ll catch you—

**Lanny:** Stop. Sam, listen to me. Do not hang up. I’m serious.

//Sam’s grip on the steering wheel tightens, her brows furrowing.//

**Sam:** What?

**Lanny:** Something happened.

//Sam’s face falls. Gradually, she turns the car to the highway’s shoulder, letting it decelerate slowly with her foot off the brake. As the car comes to a halt, she shifts the gear into park and leans her head against the steering wheel with her arms covering her eyes.//

[[/div]]

Following the incident, Samantha Briar was offered amnestic therapy, which she denied. She was then offered the option to converse one last time with her husband, Richard Leon, using Astral Projection, which she accepted after two days of deliberation.

[[div class="blockquote"]]
||~ CAMERA FOOTAGE TRANSCRIPTION||

**Date:** January 25th, 2016

**Location:** Acheron River

------

//A projection of Richard Leon made up of effervescence stands before Samantha Briar amidst the water’s blue hue.//

**Richard:** Sam?

//Sam shook her head.//

**Sam:** No. This is ridiculous.

**Richard:** Sam.

//Richard reaches out with a faint hand. Sam steps back, her head still shaking.//

**Sam:** No. No, you’re not real. I shouldn’t have agreed to this.

**Richard:** Listen. Listen to me.

//Richard places his other hand on his non-existent heart as Sam turns and walks away.//

**Richard:** Mio.

//Sam freezes.//

**Richard:** The first time I saw him, he was so beautiful. I held him tightly, and I’m glad I did when I could.

//Richard looks at his hands and body, smiling.//

**Richard:** The dance you awkwardly asked me out on when we were interns. God, it feels like an eternity now. PTOLEMY was known for its terrible galas, but you said you’d follow me anywhere.

//Richard chuckles.//

**Richard:** Yellowstone, our kiss; St. Michael’s, my proposal; 3 AM nights at a Denny’s with your odd and insistent preference for bowls instead of plates.

//Richard puts his hands on his chest.//

**Richard:** It’s me, Sam. 

//Sam turned around, her eyes wide and jaw clenched.//

**Sam:** Do you remember when I asked you the question?

**Richard:** Which one?

**Sam:** If we should run away. Start a life together somewhere far away.

//Richard scoffed.//

**Richard:** Yeah, and I said it was impossible.

**Sam:** Even so...

//A tear from her eyes floats away as a bubble, joining the effervescence making up Richard.//

**Sam:** I was ready to grab your hand and sprint out the cafe doors.

//Richard’s mouth hangs open slightly.//

**Sam:** I did it again, Richard. I promised I would visit you at the hospital. Bring Mio along with me. I knew what you were going through was terminal, and I’ve seen others die of it. Still, I worked again. And that’s been my habit ever since I was born. Whenever I care about someone, my mind forgets they’re not here forever. I always forget.

//Sam kneels, covering her face.// 

**Sam:** I should've stayed by your side.

//Richard opens his mouth to say something, then stops himself. He walks to Sam and crouches beside her, placing his disjointed hand on her shoulder.//

**Richard:** If I had said yes to that question, perhaps you would’ve.

//Sam looks up at Richard.//

**Richard:** But no matter our decision, one affirmation remained behind every door we chose: I’ll always be by your side.

//Sam smiles.//

**Richard:** We’re all dying, Sam, one way or another. Only difference is how fast. And taking that for granted is human. We all do it. 

//Richard brings Sam’s head to his chest, which glows faintly upon contact.//

**Richard:** Don’t beat yourself up for not predicting the unpredictable.

[[/div]]

This model trial was one of the first runs in which Coalition personnel were presented with their significant other’s Astral Projection.

A clear issue regarding the credibility of the projection’s identity has resulted in user suspicion, which has been linked to a lack of available and widespread information to educate personnel regarding Astral Projection. Although a briefing was provided, it was determined there was insufficient evidence to assure participants.

As a result, Samantha Briar was inquired by WPO researchers if they were permitted to use her situation as a case study to demonstrate the ritual’s credibility. After discussing with her husband shortly before he passed away, Samantha agreed to publicize only necessary segments of the recordings.

Although suspicions did not immediately dissipate upon this recording’s publication, further use of Astral Projection eventually created a consensus that the ritual was legitimate, especially with propagating hearsay. Acheron’s culture and newly formatted guidelines that included Samantha Briar’s experience also helped alleviate initial and persistent suspicions.

Following her final conversation with Richard Leon, Samantha Briar reported feeling relieved and exhibited improvements in her symptoms and overall mental health. After four weeks of additional talk therapy and medication, Samantha returned to the Wilkes Lab and continued her profession.

------

[[size large]]**Subject 2: “Keelo,” PHYSICS Retrieval**[[/size]]

PHYSICS Operative “Keelo” is a technical operator of Retrieval Team 67 (RT-67) “False Gods,” specialized in the use of parathreat capture armaments.

Two years following the Lapse, RT-67 was one of the few remaining PHYSICS teams.

RT-67 was responding to a Retrieval Operation for a parathreat codenamed Subject Phae, a 21-year-old male victim who unknowingly turned into a memory-altered psionics manipulator.[[footnote]]Using the power of one’s paranormal mind to incite paranormal phenomena.[[/footnote]] Phae’s abilities originated from an uncontrolled backlash of an illegal thaumaturgic working.

Although the original attempt was to capture and subsequently rehabilitate Phae, their cognitive function was significantly altered. Keelo led a three-hour negotiation in an attempt to disarm the situation and calm Phae, who continued to display increasing agitation and panic from the backlash’s effects.

Their EVE signature gradually leaned toward a Double Flat Pitch,[[footnote]]A thaumatological (magick) variable dictating destructiveness. Flat refers to destructive, while Sharp refers to constructive.[[/footnote]] which was abruptly used to throw various sharp objects toward members of RT-67 via telekinesis.

Assuming Phae acquired limited telepathy, Keelo decided to liquidate the parathreat based on PHYSICS regulations: 

> “All individuals possessing psionic abilities are considered synonymous with espers…”
> 
> “Should there be an esper, an operative must liquidate them quickly, using unorthodox and obfuscated methods the parathreat would otherwise be unable to predict. Ideally, an operative who initially wanted to avoid harm should take the initiative to ambush and liquidate the esper, combining unconventional tactics with esoteric equipment.”

Because Phae primarily targeted the other members of RT-67, Keelo used the chance by overloading one of his thaumaturgic equipment, tunneling dangerous levels of backlash to nullify Phae’s EVE signature, ultimately destroying the equipment and neutralizing Phae.

Following the incident, Keelo felt overwhelmingly guilty, blaming himself for failing the negotiations and betraying Phae’s trust. Similar to Samantha Briar, Keelo chose not to undergo amnestic therapy, enduring concerning symptoms of depression and signs of suicidal ideations.

When Keelo was approached by WPO researchers if he would like to participate in Astral Projection trials, he accepted the offer immediately.

[[div class="blockquote"]]
||~ CAMERA FOOTAGE TRANSCRIPTION||

**Date:** April 3rd, 2019

**Location:** Acheron River

------

//A projection of Subject Phae stands before Keelo.//

**Keelo:** Andrew?

//The projection does not respond. His eyes remained fixated on Keelo.//

**Keelo:** Andrew, it’s me, [CENSORED].

//No response.//

**Keelo:** I’m...

//No response.//

**Keelo:** I wanted to apologize—and I know that sounds ridiculous. I’m just...

//No response.//

**Keelo:** I’m being selfish right now. I’m sorry. I’m already very grateful you agreed to talk with me, it’s just...

//No response.//

**Keelo:** Andrew, I never wanted to—

**Phae:** I thought my name was Phae?

//Keelo flinches. He begins to gesticulate.//

**Keelo:** No. No, your name is Andrew William Zhang.

**Phae:** You don’t see me that way.

**Keelo:** I do. I swear, I—

**Phae:** Then why did you kill me?

//Keelo freezes. Phae tightens his fists as he glares at Keelo.//

**Keelo:** I know. I did—

**Phae:** Then why are we discussing this? 

**Keelo:** I—

**Phae:** You killed me. You robbed me of my life. You took away everything I had. And even worse, you didn’t even make it quick. Three hours. Three hours of confusion, panic, and agony. Three hours of wondering why the walls were spiraling, why the floor felt like water, and why there were intruders in my room. Three hours of knives sliding in and out of my head, my stomach churning and wanting to throw something out, my eyes burning as if acid was splashed onto it. You—

//Phae grimaces, covering his nose with his fist and closing his eyes.//

**Phae:** You took everything. And I didn’t even know you did until after the fact.

//Phae scowls.//

**Phae:** You run around stirring trouble, killing innocents.

**Keelo:** That’s not—

**Phae:** THEN WHY AM I HERE?!

//Keelo takes a step back.//

**Phae:** Am I being unfair here?

//Phae chuckles.//

**Phae:** Am I wrong? Of course I am! You want to save the world. You’re a hero!

//Phae laughs.//

**Phae:** Am I wrong about that? I certainly am not now, yeah?

//Phae pants, rubbing his eyes.//

**Phae:** So what deal is there to killing one meager “threat?” It saves people! One is better than a thousand. So that means I’m the villain here. I’m the one who needs to be cleaned. I’m an outlier.

**Keelo:** Andrew—

**Phae:** Shut up.

//Phae points at Keelo.//

**Phae:** I told you, for you, it’s Phae. Because who the fuck is Andrew, right? “He’s going to die anyway! He’s already dead anyway! He’s not human. So, let’s pick a name.”

//Phae chuckles.//

**Phae:** You’re here to apologize? 

//Phae’s smile drops.//

**Phae:** I reject it.

//The two stare at each other in silence. Keelo grabs onto his chest, realizing he cannot breathe in deeply. He swallows.//

**Keelo:** Andr—

//Keelo closes his eyes, then opens them.//

**Keelo:** Phae, you’re correct. Your name, it’s meant to dehumanize you. But I tried. I promise I tried. We all tried. We were going to bring you in and rehabilitate you. I—we were going to try to cure you.
 
//Keelo steps forward.//

**Keelo:** I understand now; how it feels to be dead. Of course, not entirely. I never knew how cold my chest would feel without a beating heart until I entered this place. 

//Keelo struggles to sigh.//

**Keelo:** So I promise you, I will do everything moving forward to avoid killing. I know it’s in my profession, but I believe in alternatives. I swear.

//Phae scoffs.//

**Phae:** How admirable. Saying that to the person you killed.

//Phae snickers.//

**Phae:** I will never forgive you. 

**Keelo:** That’s okay. Just—

**Phae:** Of course it is. You’ll admit your regrets here, and then you’ll forget about me. You’ll continue to breathe outside while I suffocate underneath your boots forever. I hope you know for the rest of your life that you’ve taken and will take countless lives, and this is how they feel after you’ve pulled the trigger.

//Phae shakes his head.//

**Phae:** All of you are heartless fuckers.

[[/div]]

[[div class="blockquote"]]
||~ CAMERA FOOTAGE TRANSCRIPTION||

**Date:** April 4th, 2019

**Location:** Acheron Interview Room 1B

------

**Dr. Warlock:** How are you feeling?

**Keelo:** Better.

**Dr. Warlock:** Don’t lie, Keelo. I can’t have skewed results.

**Keelo:** I’m not lying.

//Dr. Warlock sighs.//

**Dr. Warlock:** First, he yelled at you. Second, he thinks you are a monster. And third, he doesn’t forgive you.

//Dr. Warlock raises an eyebrow.//

**Dr. Warlock:** I’m no psychiatrist, Keelo. But I know defeat when I see one.

//Keelo shakes his head and smiles softly. Dr. Warlock stares blankly at Keelo.//

**Dr. Warlock:** You’re not lying.

**Keelo:** I know how it may seem, sir. And I agree with you. I’d make those same assumptions if I saw one of my guys get yelled at like that. I would’ve felt terrible. But, with all due respect, I really don’t want your pity.

**Dr. Warlock:** I assure you, you won’t get any.

**Keelo:** Thank you.

**Dr. Warlock:** But why? You didn’t get an apology. Or //anything// really. Why do you feel better?

//Keelo’s eyes lowered.//

**Keelo:** It was the silence that followed that tore me to shreds. Knowing that I just killed someone for something that’s not their fault, there’s no worse feeling in the world than that. And it was that exactly. I felt like everything was crumbling, and everything was ending. I was a killer. Well, I’ve been a killer. And realizing that fact shook my ignorance, and it took a disaster for me to understand that.

//Keelo looks up back at Dr. Warlock.//

**Keelo:** I didn’t go there expecting forgiveness. I went there so he could get a chance to yell at me. And I know it’s a very irregular thing to wish for. And I know it’s something very selfish of me to say. But I needed to be yelled at. I needed someone to drop the facade and tell it to me.

//Keelo clasps his hands together tightly.//

**Keelo:** Even when people tell me it’s not really my fault, I can’t help but embrace the truth that it is. And Andrew helped make sure of that.

//Keelo smiles again.//

**Keelo:** I’m just glad I could have one final genuine conversation with him. And that I know I’ve at least told the truth.

[[/div]]

Such positive reactions from adverse spirits piqued the interest of numerous researchers, with Keelo’s case being exceptionally unique. His case remains a popular study in both academia and research. Similar situations also yield positive responses from participants.

To the WPO staff’s surprise, Keelo consented to release these recordings, seemingly contrary to his apologetic behavior. 

------

@@ @@

[[=]]
[[collapsible show="FOR COMMAND EYES ONLY" hide="ERROR: CLEARANCE OVERRIDDEN"]]
[[/=]]

[[<]]
[[size large]]**Subject 3: Solveiga Henricka, PSYCHE SOB**[[/size]]

[[div class="blockquote"]]
||~ CAMERA FOOTAGE TRANSCRIPTION||

**Date:** August 16th, 2019

**Location:** Acheron River

**Note:** The following dialogue is translated from Lithuanian to English.

------

//PSYCHE Special Observer Solveiga Henricka stands alone. Caustic patterns wash over her, and a heavy blue fog obscures the camera’s peripherals, barely making out Solveiga’s silhouette from a distance. The water swirls from an invisible force.//

**Pilgrim:** She does not answer.

//The Pilgrim’s baritone and croaked voices echo through the water. Solveiga lifts her hand and watches it, the water moving erratically, fluctuating in an enigmatic pattern that could barely be called a pattern. Something stirs again from afar, the water rushing toward the source in ripples.//

**Pilgrim:** Caller, did you heed me?

//Solveiga tilts her head back, letting it hang lazily, her long chestnut colored hair floating and conflicting with the reversed water. She mutters.//

**Solveiga:** You promised to watch my back.

//Shuffling is heard from afar.//

**Pilgrim:** Caller?

//Solveiga tries to breathe in but to no avail. She exhales breathlessly, and nothing follows out of her mouth. Rather, the water rushed in, replacing her nonexistent breath.//

**Solveiga:** And I promised to watch yours.

//Solveiga walks into the blue fog, her silhouette gradually disappearing.//

[[/div]]

At the time of this document’s last update (February 27th, 2022), Solveiga Henricka has remained MIA. Retrieval Teams were unfortunately not permitted by the Acheron Vices; rather, only one living member at a time are permitted to traverse outside the Acheron River’s bounds.

What lies beyond remains unknown, and Coalition command remains ambivalent in sending search parties.

Based on circumstantial evidence, PNEUMA agents predict that Solveiga is searching for her colleague, Sara Steinunn, who died in a field operation five days prior to Solveiga’s entry into Acheron.

Further discussion is required to declare Solveiga irretrievable.

WPO researchers have petitioned for higher security measures to prevent similar incidents from occurring. However, due to the sanctity of Acheron’s waters, construction for these measures have yet to be authorized by the Vices.

[[div style="border-bottom:2px solid #777; margin-bottom:1px;"]]
[[/div]]
[[div style="border-bottom:1px solid #777;"]]
[[/div]]

[[/<]]

[[/collapsible]]

@@ @@

@@ @@
 
> Azrael keeps quoting Alice.
> 
> “The weight of living is heavy yet invisible.”
> 
> And he says, “Acheron makes you see that.”
> 
> A cold, damp, wet cavern of a monotonous city that outlaws living.
> 
> I shivered. And it wasn’t because it was cold.
> 
> **–PTOLEMY R&D Dr. Warlock, ICSUT Zurich Campus**

@@ @@

[[=]]

[[[https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-8484/offset/3|► OPEN DOCUMENT 3: VERITE.pdf (UPDATED!) ◀]]]

[[[https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-8484/offset/0|► RETURN TO SCP-8484 ◀]]]

[[/=]]

@@ @@

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