SCP-6923

Link to article: SCP-6923.

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   --header-subtitle: "AFTER THE FLOOD AND BEFORE THE FALL";
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[[include :scp-wiki:theme:black-highlighter-theme]]
[[include :scp-wiki:component:toggle-sidebar-bhl]]
[[include :scp-wiki:theme:clock-tower]]
[[include :scp-wiki:component:centered-header-bhl]]
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[[module CSS]]
 :root{
   --header-title: "SCP FOUNDATION";
   --header-subtitle: "AFTER THE FLOOD AND BEFORE THE FALL";
   --titleColor: title_colour;
   --subtitleColor: white;
}
}
[[/module]]

=====
[[include component:preview text=Tell me what is more dreadful, Lady Kraken: a kindly god turned wicked, or a wicked god made worse?]]
=====

[[>]]
[[module Rate]]
[[/>]]

[[=]]
[[image kaktuscool1.png]]
[[/=]]

[[include :scp-wiki:component:customizable-acs
|clearance-four= 255,211,0
|inc-clearance= --]]]

[[include :scp-wiki:component:anomaly-class-bar-source
|item-number= 6923
|clearance= 4
|container-class= euclid
|secondary-class= none
|disruption-class= vlam
|risk-class= caution
]]

-----

[[table style="width: 100%;"]]
[[row]]
[[cell style="border-bottom: 1px solid #AAA; border-right: 1px solid #AAA; text-align: center; width: 25%;"]]
[[size 90%]]**Assigned Site**[[/size]]
[[/cell]]
[[cell style="border-bottom: 1px solid #AAA; border-right: 1px solid #AAA; text-align: center; width: 25%;"]]
[[size 90%]]**Site Director**[[/size]]
[[/cell]]
[[cell style="border-bottom: 1px solid #AAA; border-right: 1px solid #AAA; text-align: center; width: 25%;"]]
[[size 90%]]**Research Head**[[/size]]
[[/cell]]
[[cell style="border-bottom: 1px solid #AAA; text-align: center; width: 25%;"]]
[[size 90%]]**Assigned Task Force**[[/size]]
[[/cell]]
[[/row]]
[[row]]
[[cell style="border-right: 1px solid #AAA; text-align: center; width: 25%;"]]
[[size 80%]]Site-80[[/size]]
[[/cell]]
[[cell style="border-right: 1px solid #AAA; text-align: center; width: 25%;"]]
[[size 80%]]Dir. Shannon Lancaster[[/size]]
[[/cell]]
[[cell style="border-right: 1px solid #AAA; text-align: center; width: 25%;"]]
[[size 80%]]Dr. Deneath Gooris[[/size]]
[[/cell]]
[[cell style="text-align: center; width: 25%;"]]
[[size 80%]]N/A[[/size]]
[[/cell]]
[[/row]]
[[/table]]
-----
 _

[[=]]
+++ SPECIAL CONTAINMENT PROCEDURES
[[/=]]

-----

In accordance with anomalous object safety protocols, SCP-6923 is only to be entered through the mouth. Boarding takes place using a specially-built ramp at the east end of SCP-6923’s containment chamber in Aquatic Zone 14A, Site-80. 

SCP-6923-A is to be interviewed at least once a week with a list of questions approved by the research heads of [[[project-paragon-hub|Project PARAGON]]]. Interviews with SCP-6923-A are not to exceed 30 minutes in length, including the amount of time it takes to traverse to and from the entry point. Researchers are permitted to terminate interviews early if SCP-6923-A is noncooperative, or if it attempts to delay or prolong the interview process. 

At present, approximately 95.8% of the interior of SCP-6923 is covered in unknown thaumatological symbols. Researchers are reminded to never exceed 30 minutes within SCP-6923, as it is currently theorized that this is how long it takes for a new symbol to generate. If the symbols ever reach 97% coverage, contact with SCP-6923-A will be suspended indefinitely. Research is currently underway to prevent this eventuality. 

 _

[[=]]
+++ DESCRIPTION
[[/=]]

-----

SCP-6923 is a large submersible transport vehicle which outwardly resembles a whale shark (//Rhincodon typus//) of gargantuan size. The vessel is superficially identical to a real whale shark, and its true nature can only be determined through close inspection or physical entry. It is believed to have originated from the Antediluvian Era, prior to the Great Flood, and is the only remaining artefact of the Finnfolk (//Homo aquarius//). Despite [[[scp-4700|conflicting documentation]]], it is believed the Finnfolk were a civilization of aquatic, amphibious humanoids who were most likely hunted to extinction during or after the Great Flood. 

SCP-6923 is 419 meters (1,374 ft.) in length and 144 meters (471 ft.) at its widest diameter, and it has a gross tonnage of 223,000. It contains berthing and other infrastructure fit to safely accommodate up to 900 passenger and crew. It is made of a mixture of known materials and unknown organic polymers. 

SCP-6923 disrupts the ambient Akiva radiation around it, an effect which is magnified further within the interior. Chamber Delta (see below) emits a constant stream of Akiva radiation. 

Through anomalous means, large sections of SCP-6923’s interior contain features normally impossible for seafaring vessels, such as fields of grass or sources of fresh water. The interior is split into four primary chambers, labeled Alpha through Delta, each of which serves a different purpose in both the function of the ship and the well-being of its occupants. A field map of SCP-6923’s interior is included below. 

Most (95.8%) of SCP-6923's interior surfaces are covered in rune-like thaumatological symbols that are believed to be Finnfolk in origin. According to the contents of SCP-6923-B (see below), these symbols, called "Rustics," are part of a complex thaumatological "channelling." The purpose of this thaumaturgy is not fully known, but the contents of SCP-6923-B confirm that it has something to do with the release, restoration, or resurrection of “The Mither,” the name used to refer to the Finnfolk creation goddess.[[footnote]]It is currently unknown if this is a different name for the entity referred to as "Gaia," an abstraction or reinterpretation of Gaia, or a separate entity entirely.[[/footnote]] 

SCP-6923-A is the result of a thaumatological reaction that takes place whenever at least one living being enters SCP-6923. Whenever this condition is met, a series of symbols inscribed on the lower wall[[footnote]]These symbols are Daevite in origin, and do not appear to have any association with the rune-like symbols found across the interior.[[/footnote]] in Chamber Gamma activate, causing a manifestation of an Antediluvian Finnfolk (SCP-6923-A) to appear on board. This entity is mobile, but confined to the interior of SCP-6923. SCP-6923-A remains active so long as there is at least one living being within SCP-6923, and de-manifests at the moment of the last passenger’s departure. It retains memory between activations. 

The entity is named "Pallas." Interviewers are permitted to use its name in conversation in order to encourage cooperation. 

Regardless of any perceived activities SCP-6923-A performs while active (such as walking, talking, meditating, or singing) it is capable of manifesting the aforementioned rune-like symbols on the interior walls of SCP-6923. In 100% of recorded activations exceeding 30 minutes in length, camera footage revealed additional symbols on portions of the interior which had previously been bare. These symbols are permanent once manifested. Attempts to remove the symbols by breaking or scraping surfaces has no effect, as the symbols persist, appearing to “float” above the damaged surface.  

SCP-6923-B is a handmade papyrus journal bound in black cowhide. It is the only physical object recovered from within SCP-6923. Its exterior is featureless, with the exception of three rune-like symbols that have been thaumaturgically branded into the center of the front cover. It is theorized that the three symbols on SCP-6923-B comprise a small working that prevents the object from experiencing decay. See Full Documentation below for more information on SCP-6923-B. 

 _

[[=]]
+++ ADDENUM 01: SCP-6923-A INTERVIEW PROTOCOL
[[/=]]

-----

The following interview excerpt has been included as an example of SCP-6923-A’s uncooperative behavior. Interviewers assigned to SCP-6923-A should review this part of the file before interacting with the entity. 

[[div class="blockquote"]]

= **VIDEO LOG (PARTIAL)**
----
**DATE:** 10/27/2024

**SUBJECT:** SCP-6923-A

**INTERVIEWER:** Dr. D. Gooris (SCP-6923 Research Head, Clearance Level 4) 
----

[TIMESTAMP: 06:16]

**DR. GOORIS:** Have you ever encountered one of the Primeval Demons? 

**SCP-6923-A:** It would be quite the story if I had.  

**DR. GOORIS:** Have you ever encountered one of the great profanities? 

**06:32:** //SCP-6923-A only laughs.//

**DR. GOORIS:** Is the Global Occult Coalition in possession of an object or entity resembling a faerie princess?

**SCP-6923-A:** I do not know. 

**DR. GOORIS:** What is the last known location of the entity you refer to as the Mither?

**SCP-6923-A:** //(scoffs)// How little you know of the world, that you would demand I tell you how to "find" a concept. Does the turtle make trips to the sun, just because he can feel its light on his shell? 

**DR. GOORIS:** Just answer the question, Pallas. 

**SCP-6923-A:** No. It is the wrong question. 

**DR. GOORIS:** //(sighing)// What is the right question? 

**SCP-6923-A:** When will you allow the great work? 

-----

[END LOG]

[[/div]]

Dr. D. Gooris terminated the interview shortly after this exchange. This is an appropriate example of a situation in which personnel are authorized to end the interview early. 

Researchers are encouraged to be sympathetic to the anomaly, but DO NOT make any suggestion or implication that it will be permitted to complete its “channelling.” Foundation thaumaturgists theorize that the amount of Elan-Vital Energy built up within SCP-6923, as well as the Akiva radiation emanating from it, would be sufficient to level the continent where Site-80 is located. Under no circumstances can the thaumaturgy aboard SCP-6923 be allowed to reach its completion. It is recommended that personnel do not acknowledge any reference to the “great work” at all, and instead redirect the conversation towards approved topics. 

 _

[[=]]
+++ ADDENDUM 02: DISCOVERY 
[[/=]]

-----

SCP-6923 was surrendered to Foundation control by the Global Occult Coalition (GOC) on October 13, 2024. According to records provided by GOC operatives, the organization had established a base on SCP-6923’s main deck and was using the vessel as an operational outpost. The GOC had regularly utilized SCP-6923-A as an informant regarding the Great Flood, the Antediluvian Era, and other elements associated with Project PARAGON.[[footnote]]Based on document analysis, it is theorized, but not confirmed, that SCP-6923 was being occupied by some or all of the GOC’s equivalent to a Department of Antediluvian Research. Per this scenario, it is theorized, but not confirmed, that the Coalition is also aware of, and mobilizing for, an Antediluvian threat of unknown proportions that Foundation researchers expect will manifest in the near future.[[/footnote]] Coalition reports claimed their researchers failed to discover SCP-6923-A’s thaumatological abilities. 

The object was under continuous Coalition occupation from 2002 onward. Upon discovering that the spread of the symbols was a direct result of SCP-6923-A’s activation, the GOC ceased their occupation and made efforts to neutralize the anomaly through the destruction of SCP-6923 as a whole. 

When it became clear that this action would not destroy the thaumaturgy itself, the GOC probed Foundation information networks with the intent of initiating a handoff. Negotiations were completed within a week and SCP-6923 was designated and moved to Site-80, Aquatic Zone 14A. 

 _

[[=]]
+++ SCP-6923 FIELD MAP AND RECONNAISSANCE
[[/=]]

-----

[[include component:image-block name=mitherarsteinn.png|align=center|width=100%|caption=Map of SCP-6923, drawn on the field.]]

[[div class="blockquote"]]
SCP-6923 is split into four primary chambers, the first two of which are much larger than the second two. Structurally, the interior of SCP-6923 resembles the digestive tract of a sperm whale (//Physeter macrocephalus//), despite the exterior resembling a whale shark. The reason for this discrepancy, [[[scp-3706|if any]]], is unknown. 

The entire vessel is well-lit, as the thaumaturgical "Rustics" found throughout the interior emit a steady glow. 

> [[size 110%]]**//CHAMBER ALPHA//**[[/size]] of SCP-6923 is a garden biome, mostly comprised of a large field containing grass, plants, and running water. It is the largest section of SCP-6923. It is believed that Chamber Alpha once supported several small species of mammal, fish, and insect, all of which have long-since died out. Despite neglect, the soil in Chamber Alpha is nutritious and viable for agricultural use. 
> 
> What little flora still remains in Chamber Alpha is markedly unique. The grass is of an unknown genus, and recovered samples of plant matter are unusually bright in color. There is a dome-like projection of the sky on the ceiling, which cycles through unique low-light colors and cloud formations not accounted for by modern meteorology. 
> 
> Chamber Alpha can be accessed through the mouth of SCP-6923. The trachea opens into an empty space which is quickly overtaken by the field. The rune-like symbols in this area can be difficult to identify, as they have manifested in minute locations, such as blades of grass. 

@@@@

> [[size 110%]]**//CHAMBER BETA//**[[/size]] of SCP-6923 is split into an upper and lower level. The upper level is the ops or control room of the vessel. SCP-6923-A normally manifests in the center of this level, although records indicate it is capable of manifesting anywhere in SCP-6923. 
> 
> The lower level comprises the berthing, or accommodations, for passengers. The lowermost levels of Chamber Beta are made up of several kitchens, storage rooms, and heads (bathrooms). 
> 
> Chamber Beta can be accessed from a large glass funnel of slowly-running water in Chamber Alpha. An individual entering the funnel will be carried up or down the stream at a safe rate of speed, an anomalous effect which is thaumaturgical in nature and believed to originate from the rune-like symbols on the surface of the funnel. The funnel is similar in both appearance and function to a pneumatic tube system, but of a size appropriate for a humanoid occupant. The author of SCP-6923-B refers to the funnels as "rennilest.[[footnote]]Unknown term, possibly Icelandic: //renna// (“to slide”) + //lest// (“train”).[[/footnote]]"
> 
> This Chamber used to provide a second entrance through SCP-6923's "blowhole," which was another anomalous funnel of identical design. However, this funnel is no longer accessible due to damage sustained by agents of the Global Occult Coalition (see Discovery below). 

@@@@

> [[size 110%]]**//CHAMBER GAMMA//**[[/size]] of SCP-6923 is a radio/sonar and control room equipped with a secondary command terminal in the event of a failure in Chamber Beta. Beneath the secondary control room is a smaller berthing area and gym, which was believed to have primarily been used as a private space by the crew. 
> 
> Chamber Gamma is accessible through a causeway on the lowermost level of Chamber Beta. 

@@@@

> [[size 110%]]**//CHAMBER DELTA//**[[/size]] is believed to be equivalent to [[[scp-3703|the engine room]]] of SCP-6923. 
> 
> It is only accessible through an anomalous funnel in Chamber Gamma. The complete contents of Chamber Delta are unknown, as the funnel is completely blocked by a fleshy obstruction. The obstruction is scale-like in texture and featureless. It appears to be part of a much larger body that is pushing into the funnel from above. The funnel curves halfway down, making it impossible to see into the chamber beyond. 
[[/div]]

 _

[[=]]
+++ SCP-6923-B -- FULL DOCUMENTATION 
[[/=]]

-----

SCP-6923-B was roughly made with a single piece of cured cowhide and 40 (forty) pages of reed papyrus, and handstitched using thick leather twine. Carbon dating places the materials at ≥200,000 years old. The meaning of the three rune-like symbols on the cover are unknown; but their function is clearly to prevent the book from aging. 

The author of SCP-6923-B is a wizard, most likely Daevite in origin, who was active before and during the Great Flood. References to "a great wizard of the great sea" are found in other Antediluvian documents, and are currently theorized to be a referring to SCP-6923-B's author. It is unknown if this subject is actually the figure he claims to be in the text, but this is assumed likely. 

It is believed that this subject is responsible for the Daevite working aboard SCP-6923, which activates SCP-6923-A. Efforts to find the subject's current whereabouts and/or remains are underway. 

Complete scans of the pages of SCP-6923-B are included below. 

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| style=
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| contents=
<h3><u>Day One</u></h3>

It was after sunrise when I arrived. The last I saw of the sky, the SUN was a round ball hanging just above the trees. Its light seemed further away, somehow, than normal; as if IT were the one drifting away from I, and not that of the other order. Perhaps the sun and I shall never look upon one another again. If this must be the way, THEN SO BE THE WAY. 

I swam into the deep, singing a ring of air around my head. A trick of the Finnfólk. It is with embarrassment I tell thee: when my destination was not immediately visible beneath the waves, I became discouraged. Twice did I think to give up my journey; and with the simple despair of a child, I did turn to begin the long swim back up. Yet each time I turned thus, the waters became still and the sun from above grew stronger, as if the LIGHT ITSELF were peering in to behold yet another of my numerous little betrayals. Thus, again with a child’s dull avoidance of that which is fearful or difficult, I did turn and resume my search for the Mitherarsteinn. 

Thereupon I saw the GREAT FISH. It became clear why my seeking of it had been so challenged. Last I had departed from the vessel, it had been moored between two seamounts: some two hundred fathoms deep, and quite stuck. This was the case no longer. Some force from within or without had freed the fish, and it swam of its own accord in the deeper reef created by the seamounts. 

The truth, I tell thee, is that it is actually quite hard to be swallowed by a fish, even one as great as the Mitherarsteinn. For this feat, and this feat alone, should my name JONAH AMITTAISSON be recorded alongside the First Man and the great wizards of Daeva. 

Once through with my tumultuous entry, the great fish seemed to welcome me. I fear this to be entirely my imagination: it was nothing in the face or even the stomach of the beast which led me to feel as such, but rather, my own heart. For the fields before me, lush and rolling, were known to me in memory, and to look upon them again was to be remembered in turn. 

I did proceed to walk the fields, but as expected, there was naught but grass and the babble of the stream. The belly of the fish must be some one hundred years abandoned. When I had departed, there were still many aboard, but it had seemed clear to me then, as it is undeniable now, that the Mitherarsteinn could not sustain us. The Finnfólk’s sacrifice had brought us out of the rain, but to survive the FLOOD, each of us would have to find the strength to swim alone. I fear that, of my fellow men aboard the great fish, few were willing to accept this. I dread to see the skeletons that no doubt lie deeper within, flesh having long-since rotted to NOISE.  

It is strange to be back here but it feels right, too. Far better this than that which SHE demands of me. I shall sleep the night out here neath the false sky.  
<br class="page-break">


<h3><u>Night One</u></h3>

As I write it has been but half a day’s time aboard the GREAT FISH. By the clock of my humors, I should spend these hours sleeping... but my rest was disturbed by SOUND WITHIN. I will recount to thee now what I encountered when I did follow this sound. 

It seemed at first to be a keening or a whine, such as that which thou wouldst hear were the frame of thy ship straining against its cargo. Determining easily that the sound did not emit from yon side of the empty fields, I followed it through the rennilest into the deck from whence the fish was commanded. Immediately the sound did bloom in my ears, filling in with detail. It was SINGING, of a pitch so high and pure as to imitate other noises thus. 

The singer did emit in short, single notes, followed on occasion by longer, lingering syllables. I recognized these as RUSTICS, the like of which I had used to complete mine journey. But the Rustics of the singer were made of symbols I had no knowledge of, and I could not determine the nature of their channelling by sound alone. 

The singer was found where thou wouldst anticipate a wheel to be on a sea-ship. There he sat, in the center of the floor: a Finnfólk, pale of scale, with his eyes closed and his hands folded in PRAYER. 

I stood in the threshold and observed him. So the Finnfólk did sing in the aforementioned manner, and thus his notes did manifest as Rustics which ran along his body and onto the floor. His was a slow process, spending lengthy minutes perfecting each note before passing onto the next. Observing the symbols closely, I found I did not recognize but ONE in as many as one hundred. Thus I became aware of a GREAT WORK building, a thaumaturgy present all around me. I had felt this energy when I first beheld the fish, but I had assumed this presence was that of the Mitherarsteinn itself. I knew it now to be that of this Finnfólk and his GREAT WORKING. 

After making these observations, I did retreat to the fields to contemplate. 

I had believed the great fish to be abandoned, and thus free of HER influence. Now that I know this to be wrong, shall I flee again? I am lost, and I know not what to do.
<br class="page-break">


<h3><u>Day Two</u></h3>

I shall tell thee I am in better spirits than I was when last with this quill. Upon waking, I determined to speak to the Finnfólk. Though I had no desire to interrupt his channelling, I had less desire still to flee my only refuge. Perhaps (and this is what I did tell myself as I again crossed the threshold into his chamber) by some small and black miracle, he was as I was: a betrayer acting out THEIR NATURE. 

I remained silent and observed the Finnfólk before I announced my presence. I did observe that his behavior had not changed from that which was prior described; and, taking closer look at his pale and pearly scales, I beheld a faint yellow light in them, which did cause me to wonder if the Finnfólk’s color had once been brighter, before years within the sunless fish had stolen their light. Additionally, I observed the deliberate path of the Rustics as they fell away from his body. The symbols did swim across the stony floor, all downward, which I know from memory leads to the berthing, and then the crew’s quarters beyond. I was inclined to follow the magic and observe its destination, but a great wariness held me in place. I felt it TABOO to cross the Finnfólk’s path without having first acknowledged him. 

Thusly, I made my presence known to the wizard. I announced myself, told him I was a traveler who had become marooned under the power of the great fish’s appetite, and allowed him to know the first of my names. 

The Finnfólk continued to sing through my speaking; and when I was done, continued still. Were it that he were rude, or were it that he were incapable of hearing me? Before I could think on the question, the Finnfólk opened his eyes. He held my gaze as he concluded a long Rustic which fell along the line of his shoulder and into his open palm (for he had, after opening his eyes, unclasped his hands, also). Still in holding of the note, he lowered his hand to the ground, and allowed the Rustic to linger there... before finally it fell off, along with his voice. 

Here, then, is what he said to me, put into mine own words: 

“I see thou hast finally come to greet me. I had wondered if thou wouldst. I am the last remaining passenger of the Mitherarsteinn and its keeper. No matter how it is thou hast come here, I welcome thee; but there are some things which I wouldst ask of thee. First, I shall ask thou dost not interrupt my work again; and I shall extend thee the same courtesy and make no interruption of thine own business. Second, I shall allow thee free roam of the Mither’s Stone, but I shall ask thou dost not disturb its inner workings, which thou wilt find are beyond thine access anyway. Third, I shall have it known that I shall not answer any question about my work here, nor shall I entertain any attempt to stop it. Should these conditions be agreeable to thee, thou art most welcome to stay aboard for as long as thou shouldst please. If they are not, I shall expect thee to make thy departure with reasonable haste.” 

The Finnfólk wizard was most forward and showed great shrewdness in his knowledge of me. By his words and his manner I did surmise that he had known of me from the moment I came upon the great fish; but, having possessed no quarrel or interest of me, he had made no serious effort to make his own self known. Thus, I was suspect to his terms: both their suspect and suspect of them myself. I ASK THEE TO CONSIDER: what reason doth I have to believe that the Finnfólk is not himself a messenger of HER? Were I the GODDESS freshly scorned by Her human servant, would I not also send A TRUE SERVANT OF HER OWN unto the betrayer? Perhaps even he is not another man but a shadow of me, REFLECTION IN WATER. Such is the like of what the GODDESS shall bring unto me. 

But I talk now of FEARS, which is not that with which I opened this missive. In truth I am of high spirits, for I know now that there are answers here to pursue. Though it was not HER intention that I be here, it seems there is A REASON TO BE HERE regardless. 

I shall do as the night prior, and rest some. Then I shall rise again and pursue my ANSWER. 
<br class="page-break">


<h3><u>Night Two</u></h3> 

I approached the second chamber with some preparation, my suspicion of my host having grown in the night. Long has it been since I have uttered a word of magic outside of those taught to me by the Finnfólk; but for the purposes of this journey, I did see it fit to further sully my blasphemous tongue. So uttered I some words of the Daeva to protect me. (As if anything should protect me from a servant of the GODDESS!) 

I made my way past the deck with no serious event. The wizard’s eyes remained closed, and his hands were still put together in prayer. I did step gingerly about the Rustics on the floor as I followed their path down into levels lower. 

The fields are larger than the main deck, but, it may surprise thee to know, not of a difference that is especially significant; and this makes the path of the Rustics all the more extraordinary in its implications. Yon symbols swam the whole length of the main deck, from the captain’s chair at the top down to the kitchens at the bottom... and then proceeded through a mighty circular door which wouldst deliver thee unto the crew quarters. I counted the distance to be four hundreds and fifty-two of mine own steps, and yet further still to cross the smaller distance of the crew quarters (but these steps I did fail to count, for once I had passed the threshold, I was most taken with amazement and forgot of my counting entirely). 

When I was last aboard the Mitherarsteinn, refugees such as myself were not oft permitted into this lower realm of the crew. However, nearest to the final hour of my first time aboard, I was given occasion to venture unto the vessel’s innermost belly in an ill-fated attempt to correct our course. Thus, I had twice before passed through the crew’s quarters, and I knew enough of them to know that they had never before been DECORATED IN RUSTICS. 

Indeed! Such was the endpoint of the Finnfólk’s magic! Each of the numerous symbols which I did follow ended their journey by swimming up the walls of the chamber and coming to rest alongside their fellows in orderly rows; each one a precious egg clustered to the other as that which a salmon wouldst lay in the shallow of a river. Is it this Finnfólk’s aim to sing the whole fish as thus? I ask of thee, what couldst thou imagine which would be almighty enough to warrant channeling such a receipt of power? 

But even this, perhaps, was not the most extraordinary of the implications in the great fish’s belly. For next I did see that the Finnfólk had spoken true: the rennilest that led unto the lowermost chamber was blocked. What with, I shall not repeat here, for I did find it most frightening, and I would not wish to speak on the matter without first knowing of its TRUE meaning. 

As I was making such considerations, a soft step belied its presence. I turned thus to see the Finnfólk, having followed my passage into the quarters. He did proceed to look upon the rennilest, a grim fervor about his countenance. He bade me see, solely from the implications of my surroundings, why it was that he could not answer any questions about his work here. I then asked him outright if the Mither had sent him to stop me. He was taken aback by the question, and gave me a look most struck. Then he became angry. He spoke in cryptic roars about his working, of which I still know nothing, and demanded that I explain mine own self or otherwise depart in haste. So taken aback was I by the ferocity of this reaction that I relented near immediately and gave him his answer. I told him the truth: that this servant of the Mither had been tasked by his Goddess to seek out the city of Yllitan, wretched survivor that did wash up after the Flood, and prophesy unto them their DOOM if they do not change of the ancient ways. But, I did tell him, strike me down if thou must, for I have REFUSED our Mither. I know of Her way and Her way is of PEACE. She bade me prophesy doom so She can later come behind my words and offer salvation. She dost presume to teach Yllitan a lesson, rather than smote it to ash where it doth stand. But Yllitan deserves to be consumed in righteous fury. There shall be NO SALVATION, least not with my hand in it. 

The truth left the Finnfólk silent. He did but consider me for a moment in the enormous quiet. Then he did ask if the Yllitan of which I spoke was the same as that which had declared war on the Finnfólk people at the start of the Great Flood, which they did call the Sealing, some one hundred years prior. I said to him yes, it was the same Yllitan. And he did say, the same Yllitan which has spent one of thy human generations slaughtering my people and destroying our sacred vessels. And said I yes, it is this Yllitan. And thou art saying, so says he next, that the Yllitan of which we speak, this same Yllitan; my goddess hath asked thee, a human, to go to this Yllitan and send warning to them that they shall be destroyed if they do not turn to the Mither and Her teachings? And I said yes: this is the matter of it. And thou sayest, speak he once more, thou sayest thou art certain that our Mither has no intent at all to destroy them, and has set out to be a pacifist no matter the outcome, and for this reason thou hast refused Her. Do I have all this as thou hast told it to me? Said I: all is as thou hast spoken. 

Again the Finnfólk was silent. Then he did say he would like to think on this, and bade me speak with him again in the morning. 
<br class="page-break">


<h3><u>Day Three</u></h3>

I come to thee whilst in council with the Finnfólk, whose name I now know to be <u>PALLAS.</u> There are matters of his which I shall now pass onto these pages. 

After my rising, he came to me in the field and sat cross-legged by a low stream. Some small, thin fish could be seen in the water. These were the only animals I had seen since my arrival, most unlike the little world the Mitherarsteinn hath been before. I made to ask about the creatures and he did wave away my concern, saying only that the Stone of the Mither was dying and soon he would be the only living thing left. Sayeth I — “I think that more than a small concern.” 

Pallas frowned at me. I watched his gills pulse against his soft scales. 

Then he did proceed to tell me that the fear which I had felt about the blockage in the rennilest was well-founded, for he knew how it had become that way. He did offer the story, but bade me first to bring out my journal, and note down his words exactly as he spoke them. 

Thus, here are Pallas’s words: 

<p style="text-align: center;"> - - - </p>

JONAH, let me start with a confession. I do not recognize you from those dim days at the start of the Flood. When the Mitherarsteinn parted from Gud Bani (I, Jonah, shall add that this is the name of another GREAT Finnfólk fish), they told us to go in peace with the Mither’s blessing, and bring that same peace unto the people of the surface. 

At first, this was just as we did. We brought the Mitherarsteinn to the surface, and the winds tore at her thick skin. The surface people were afraid. The rain was falling in gusts, and a thunderous force shook the distant and enormous horizon. An eerie howling sound could be heard, seeming to emanate from the very earth. I could feel the fear of the other Finnfólk around me. But the people around us felt just the same, and so we smiled and offered the Mither’s blessing. 

There were seven of one hundred who came aboard, and again I confess: I do not recognize your face among them. I ask you forgive me this. Back then I was but a lowly toiler. It was my job to care for the engine, applying Rustics to salve the heat and restore energy. It was not a job for one Finnfólk; many of the crew had been brought on for just this purpose. I stayed in the below decks and I did my work. 

Then the captain brought the terrible word. Gud Bani had gone to the dwindling land to offer more refuge, but the surface people they encountered had no interest in the Mither’s blessing. This city, Yllitan, attacked Gud Bani, hoping to take her powers for themselves. A vicious, savage fight broke out on the beach. Magic, metal, and blood mixed in the rising water. The enemy managed to cut through to the very song that held Gud Bani together, and when those Rustics were severed... 

Our Queen had been aboard Gud Bani, along with the greatest of her seers and warriors. Millions of Finnfólk. Soldiers and citizens. When the vessel was destroyed, the space around it collapsed. They were all unraveled. A dimensional knot destined to sink to the bottom of the great sea. 

As you well know, the survivors of Yllitan declared war on the survivors of the Finnfólk. We among the crew discussed the matter, and decided it was only right that we tell the refugees what had happened. This, too, I am sure you remember. We gathered all of you in the very field where we now sit, and explained what had befallen our people. We told you we would honor our promise and treat each of you as one of our own... But we would also take a single trip to the surface and allow any who wished to disembark to do as such. 

I shall not bore you with all the details you already know, of how that journey went hatefully wrong when the ship was attacked, and how most of you were forced to flee the Stone into empty ocean. What you do not know is what befell the crew that remained. 

Many of us were lost along with the refugees... But only naturally, the Rustic-mechanics such as myself had stayed safe aboard. It was us and a few other Finnfólk who remained. The captain had been killed. 

The other mechanics wanted to call upon the Mither for help. They had concluded that we were the last remaining Finnfólk; or at least, as close as could be reckoned for it to matter. But we were not priests or visionaries: we had no especial talent to hear the Mither’s voice. The only Rustics we knew were the simple kind that smoothed dents, or agitated atoms into energy. For simple fólk like us to reach our Goddess, we would need to channel Rustics we had never seen; sing songs for which none of us knew the notes. 

I was against it. I fought the other mechanics with my words, trying to make them see the danger in the heavy thoughts they bore. They described something which only our Queen was capable of. But they ignored me. They were set on their course. They believed the Mither was our only remaining hope. Perhaps they were right. But we will never know, because it was destined to fail. 

They sang their unholy tune in the engine room. They hoped that by standing alongside the machine for which we had taken such cares, that machine would now give that same care in turn. I refused to join them. I was on the main deck when I felt them make contact. They were not strong enough to maintain it. I could feel as they lost focus, their minds burning. I... cannot say exactly what happened next, for the force of it was such that it muddied my memory. I believe that one of the mechanics must have shed the Rustic they were failing to channel, and attempted to reach the Goddess directly. If one of them did such a thing, the very concept of them would have burned up in the act — which would explain my splintered memory. Here is what I can say happened with certainty: 

There was a tearing, groaning sound from within the deepest part of the Stone’s belly. Then a sound like a scream, but too loud, too big, as if covering an expanse as great as the ocean itself. Then... something crashed into the Mitherarsteinn. I felt it hit the engine room beneath me, the floor rippling, aching. In the same instance, the presence of the Mither swept over me, a force impossible to describe. I lost sensation as Rustics began flashing in my mind. Strange, complex symbols which I had never seen before. Powerful. Symbols of justice and peace, war and weather, creation and the earth, destruction and the sea. It was the fundamental magic of our Goddess, passing through my mind as her will was dragged through our ship. 

When I awoke again, I knew not how much time had passed. The lower levels of the ship were as you see them now. It was not hard to conclude that my fellow Finnfólk were dead. I was alone. 

But with me still, contained in my mind, were the Rustics I had seen. I could not channel them as they were, for they were far too enormous — but I could break them down into smaller concepts. Simpler notes that were easier to channel. And I knew that if I channeled enough of those smaller concepts, holding them together, eventually they would come to equal the strength of the larger concepts. Perhaps even enough to undo what the other mechanics had done to the Mither. 

So I began to work. 

It was slow at first, and still is. But I am getting faster. As you can see, I am now able to speak while still holding the unfinished work steady in my mind. Perhaps one day it will not be so hard to maintain, but I doubt I will ever be able to let down my focus. I must be constantly alert. Every part of me must be at work to ensure I never make a mistake. 

It is the hardest thing I have ever done. But it is also the most important. 

(At here, reader, Pallas paused, and seemed to gather himself. A shiver pushed his fins flat to his neck. Then he looked into mine eyes.) 

For this reason, Jonah, I do not share in your certainty of our Goddess’s design. Our Goddess has been hurt. Not just by the wretched will of Yllitan, but by her own well-meaning people. Can we be so certain that her heart has not truly soured? I am working to undo what we have done to her, but will my work be fast enough? If she seeks Yllitan, I fear that it is already too late. I fear that our Goddess’s peace truly has turned to vengeance. And I fear this, Jonah, because I do not share in your hatred of Yllitan. The bloody massacre they wage against my people turns my gills out... But to seek their own heads makes me no better. I pray, Jonah, I fervently pray that you are right. I hope dearly that the Mither has no true desire to hurt Yllitan. But in my heart, I already believe otherwise. 

You must go to Yllitan. You must, for it is the only way that we will know. 

<p style="text-align: center;"> - - - </p>

I, Jonah, am weary from so much writing and listening. I shall rest, and then speak on these matters. 
<br class="page-break">


<h3><u>Night Three</u></h3>

When Pallas had finished with his tale, we did proceed to speak at length about the details and the horrors of it. Both of us found the other quite companionable once the truth between us had been laid bare. All the more reason why I loathe any idea of leaving this fish. 

The truth is, I believe in Pallas’s work... or I want to. I want to do right by the Goddess, our creator, who has only ever delivered rightness unto me. But the answer of Yllitan matters to me. Will She smite them, or spare them? I have realized that Pallas is right: it is not enough to shirk the duty. I already know mine own answer. It is HERS that I now seek. 

A truth deeper still: Pallas’s words have left me uncertain as to which answer I would have of Her. Perhaps he is right, and destroying Yllitan is not worth what it would do to the Mither in turn. But I am conflicted. The evil of them burns me. That it would walk the same earth as me burns me. Will I see love and the return of peace in a violent act of retribution, or in the vulnerability of forgiveness? I no longer know which face I wish to look into. I will not know until I am looking into it. 

So it is that I must go, pain me though it shall. 

I do write to thee now from the shore of an island, the sea still clinging thickly to mine skin. As I swam up from the Mitherarsteinn, Pallas lay heavy upon this head. I have heard tell of a devious Daevite working which dost render the soul of its caster bound to the clock face of time. In typical Daevite fashion, the caster must be perceived for it to have any use... But so long as they are perceived, they shall live forever. And can I not still perceive? Is it perhaps that PERCEIVING shall be all that I am good for, after PERCEIVING the end of Yllitan’s story? I can do this one good thing. 

Is it that I wish to do good by the GODDESS, or by PALLAS? 

Perhaps. First I must know of the Mither’s TRUE WILL. 
]]

The remaining pages of SCP-6923-B are empty, save for the last two. The penultimate page has the start of what appears to be a letter. The text has been rendered illegible, as nearly the entire page has been meticulously blacked out with ink. 

The final page of the journal has been scanned below. 

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<h1><p style="text-align: center;">PALLAS,</p></h1> 

<h3>Thou need not forgive me. But I beg of thee, keep these pages safe forever more. For they contain what are perhaps the ONLY true words of JONAH AMITTAISSON, BASTARD BETRAYER AND BLACKHEART.</h3>
]]

 _

[[=]]
+++ ADDENDUM 03: INCIDENT REPORT PAR066-6923 -- 12/24/2024
[[/=]]

-----

On December 24, 2024, Dr. Gooris entered SCP-6923 to complete a scheduled interview with SCP-6923-A. Upon reaching the “main deck” portion of Chamber Beta, Dr. Gooris found that she was unable to locate SCP-6923-A. 

Installed cameras show Dr. Gooris moving towards the inner wall of the main deck, leading to the lower levels of Chamber Beta. She puts her hand on a Rustic-covered wall. She sees something around the corner and immediately puts her hands together in a pleading gesture. Shortly thereafter, there is a bright flash of light from in front of Dr. Gooris. When the camera readjusts, Dr. Gooris is not visible, and a large pool of blood lines the inner wall of the main deck. 

Despite being flagged by Site-80’s AIC, the footage was not reviewed by a human representative until two days later. As a result of the holiday, Dr. Gooris had gone into the containment chamber unattended; but she had notified other on-site containment staff of the situation in advance. The appropriate first responders failed to check the AIC's notifications. The involved parties have been reprimanded and an inquiry with the Ethics Committee is underway. 

A Response Team consisting of three (3) thaumaturgically-trained agents were sent into SCP-6923 to locate Dr. Gooris. Her body was found in the grass in Chamber Alpha, her feet having been removed at the ankles. Analysis concludes that Dr. Gooris was dismembered by an unknown thaumatological working on the main deck, likely of Daevite origin. She then attempted to drag herself to the exit before ultimately hemorrhaging to death. 

It is believed that it took approximately 6-8 hours for Dr. Gooris to completely exsanguinate. Under these conditions, It was theorized that SCP-6923-A would have had enough time to create 12-16 new symbols; however, analysis of interior footage suggests that SCP-6923-A was able to create closer to 50 (fifty) before Dr. Gooris’s death. Coverage of SCP-6923 is now estimated at approximately 99.2%. 

Following this incident, Dr. A. Kraken was requisitioned for interrogation. 

[[div class="blockquote"]]

= **VIDEO LOG**
----
**DATE:** 12/28/2024

**SUBJECT:** SCP-6923-A

**INTERVIEWER:** Dr. A. Kraken (Enhanced Interrogator, Clearance Level 4) 
----

[TIMESTAMP: 06:45]

**06:47:** //Dr. A. Kraken and her armed escort successfully cross Chamber Alpha in a little under seven (7) minutes. They enter the main deck in Chamber Beta.//

**07:09:** //SCP-6923-A is found. It is sitting in the captain’s chair, in front of the position on the floor where it would usually meditate. It meets Dr. Kraken's gaze.//

**DR. KRAKEN:** Hi there. 

**SCP-6923-A:** After what I have done, I am surprised they would send anyone at all. 

**DR. KRAKEN:** Maybe you haven’t given your situation as much thought as you think you have, SCP-6923-A. 

**SCP-6923-A:** My name is Pallas. 

**DR. KRAKEN:** Yes, it is. My name is Kraken. //(Pause)// Why did you hurt Dr. Gooris? 

**SCP-6923-A:** No. It is that Lady Deneath hurt me. 

**DR. KRAKEN:** Really, is that what you think? 

**SCP-6923-A:** It is not a thought, but a fact. I presume you have read my only book. 

**DR. KRAKEN:** What does Jonah’s journal have to do with--

**SCP-6923-A:** You know that I am dead. That is the only reason for my mention of it, is to remind you of this. For Lady Deneath to bring me back //time and again//, feeding me with the false hope of the completion of my work… //she// hurt //me//, I assure you. //(Pause)// Do you know, she was so much like Jonah. He came back, too, after doing the Mither's work. It is when he taught me how to do things like hold myself in time, or cripple my enemy. He believed in my great work. And then one day, he didn’t. He had given in to his narrow, frightened mind. That was when he left his journal, and asked me to preserve it. Just as he fled from the Mither, he fled from me. Just as Deneath fled from me. But I will never leave. I am always here. I am always right where they left me. 

**DR. KRAKEN:** Jonah came back to SCP-6923 after going to Yllitan? 

**SCP-6923-A:** Only of course. We were bonded. 

**DR. KRAKEN:** What happened to Yllitan? I'm assuming he told you. 

**SCP-6923-A:** It means nothing. 

**DR. KRAKEN:** Oh, but--

**SCP-6923-A:** Tell me what is more dreadful, Lady Kraken: a kindly god turned wicked, or a wicked god made worse? 

**DR. KRAKEN:** //(Pause)// A kindly god turned wicked. 

**SCP-6923-A:** Why?

**DR. KRAKEN:** Because a kind god doesn't know when to stop. 

**SCP-6923-A:** Precisely. 

**DR. KRAKEN:** ...What if I'd like to change my answer? Call me naïve, but we have to hope that there are //some// good guys out there. 

**09:13:** //SCP-6923-A gestures around himself.//

**SCP-6923-A:** Hope only traps you in place. 

When Jonah left me again, I forgave him. After my time in //your// era, I have come to regret that decision. 

Deneath, I did not forgive. 

I think you understand my meanings, Lady Kraken, where she did not. It is a shame that you have come to me too late to be of use. 

**DR. KRAKEN:** Pallas... 

**SCP-6923-A:** Does this answer your questions about her death? 

**DR. KRAKEN:** ...It's enough. 

**SCP-6923-A:** Then I shall not speak again, unless it is in answer to the news that I am allowed to complete my great work. 

-----

[END LOG]

**NOTE:** Following this interview, all entry into SCP-6923 has been suspended indefinitely. 

[[/div]]

 _

[[=]]
+++ ADDENDUM 04: EXCERPT FROM INTERVIEW LOG 6923-032
[[/=]]

-----

Following the completion of her inquiry, Dr. A. Kraken has requested the following interview excerpt to be added to the SCP-6923 file, as it provides context for the events leading up to Incident PARA066-6923. 

The first responder personnel involved in Dr. D. Gooris's death have been demoted and reassigned. 

[[div class="blockquote"]]

= **VIDEO LOG**
----
**DATE:** 12/04/2024

**SUBJECT:** SCP-6923-A

**INTERVIEWER** Dr. D. Gooris
----

[TIMESTAMP: 06:08]

**DR. GOORIS:** Good afternoon, Pallas. I have a new list of questions for you today. 

**SCP-6923-A:** Interesting. 

**DR. GOORIS:** Is it? 

**SCP-6923-A:** No. Only what interests me is that it is afternoon. The only time of day I know of is that which you bring me. 

**06:41:** //Dr. Gooris refers to her list of pre-approved questions.//

**DR. GOORIS:** What caused SCP-6923 to become trapped in the seamounts, and how did you free it? 

**SCP-6923-A:** What does it matter? 

**DR. GOORIS:** It //could// matter. 

**07:07:** //SCP-6923-A is silent.//

**DR. GOORIS:** How is SCP-6923 operated? 

**SCP-6923-A:** Were I to tell you this, it would make no difference. You know the engine is blocked. 

**DR. GOORIS:** But Jonah describes it swimming. According to the documentation, that was after the obstruction was already in place. 

**07:34:** //SCP-6923-A is silent.// 

**DR. GOORIS:** What other visitors did you have after Jonah? 

**SCP-6923-A:** You care too much about the dead, and pay no heed to the present.

**DR. GOORIS:** Well. Enlightening, as always. Time for the walk back. 

**07:52:** //Dr. Gooris rises to leave.//

**SCP-6923-A:** Do you even gain from this ritual? 

**DR. GOORIS:** What? 

**SCP-6923-A:** You come here for minutes at a time with few enough questions to fit in one of your unwebbed hands. Time over I tell you that you are asking the wrong thing, and still you come back just to ask again. You are so paranoid, you walk the fields of the Mitherarsteinn each and every time your little list is updated. And for what? I gain more out of this than you ever will. 

**DR. GOORIS:** Pallas, I’m not here just to get answers. Finding a way to talk to you is a moral imperative. Would you rather we put your whale in a big tank and clipped its mouth shut? 

**SCP-6923-A:** It is not a whale. It is a fish. 

**08:40:** //Silence.//

**SCP-6923-A:** My previous company, your Coalition, were preferable. At least they had the decency to… There is a colloquialism one of their soldiers used. “Hang out”? 

**DR. GOORIS:** If you answer my questions, I have a reason to stay and talk with you longer. 

**SCP-6923-A:** You, who would offer companionship like bait on a hook? I would rather you leave quickly. 

**DR. GOORIS:** //(angrily)// And as you can see, I was just— 

**SCP-6923-A:** I have told you what will make me talk. Let me channel and I will talk. 

**DR. GOORIS:** The answer is no. 

**09:23:** //Silence. Dr. Gooris visibly hesitates.//

**DR. GOORIS:** Pallas, I will //never// have approval for you to complete your thaumaturgy. The Foundation isn’t going to allow that. Neither would the Coalition. Haven’t you figured that out for yourself? It’s the reason they turned you over. 

**09:40:** //Silence.//

**DR. GOORIS:** I’ve been honest with you, haven’t I? And you’ve been honest with us. You said yourself that you don’t even know if the spell will work. 

**SCP-6923-A:** And therefore I am condemned to never try? 

**DR. GOORIS:** A thaumatological process of this size… It’s just too dangerous, Pallas. If you lost your focus, you’d drain half the oceans of earth. At //best.//

**SCP-6923-A:** I have not lost focus for over two hundred thousand years. 

**DR. GOORIS:** I mean what I'm saying to you. I'm not just here for information. You would be alone otherwise. Are you still aware when no one is on board? I've asked you that question before, and you never answer. Christmas is coming up, and you're going to be alone, and I don't know if you're going to be aware or not. //(Pause)// Look, I… I shouldn’t be talking to you like this. 

**SCP-6923-A:** Why? Because it gives me more time to put Rustics where you are not looking? 

**DR. GOORIS:** …The answer is no, Pallas. 

**12:03:** //Silence. Dr. Gooris turns and approaches the funnel to Chamber Alpha.//

**SCP-6923-A:** Only your ritual makes no difference, Lady Deneath! For one day the Foundation will be gone, but I will still be here. And the next person to come along will be the one who enables my great work. All I require is time! 

**12:27:** //Dr. Gooris does not respond. The funnel hatchway is heard closing, out of view of the camera.//

**SCP-6923-A:** All I need is your time. 

**12:36:** //SCP-6923-A does not resume a meditative position the way it normally does. It remains standing, looking in the direction of the funnel hatchway, until it de-manifests alongside Dr. Gooris’s departure from SCP-6923.// 

-----

[END LOG]

[[/div]]

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